Arvada Press 0429

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April 29, 2021

JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 14 | LIFE: PAGE 16 | CALENDAR: PAGE 19 | SPORTS: PAGE 23

VOLUME 16 | ISSUE 47

ARVADA PUBLIC PARK GETS ARTSY

Ribbon cutting for the first exhibit in the LandMark exhibit in Arvada. From left: Exhibit Curator Anna Kaye, Councilmember Nancy Ford, “Nesting Crane” artist Judy Gardner, PHOTO BY RYAN DUNN Councilmember Lauren Simpson, Mayor Marc Williams. To read a Q&A about the project with Councilmember Simpson, turn to PAGE 18.

Planning Commission recommends Project Indiana annexation, rezoning City Council will determine if Amazon warehouse will come to Arvada on June 7

BY RYAN DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In a series of votes that could usher in lasting change to the landscape of western Arvada, the City’s Planning Commission voted on April 20 to recommend the annexation and rezoning of Project Indiana to City Council. On June 7, Council will vote to decide if an Amazon delivery station will be approved to occupy the 36-acre lot that abuts Maple Valley Park.

The Amazon facility would include a 112,000-square-foot warehouse and more than 1,100 parking spaces on Indiana Street near West 68th Avenue.

The meeting — held on Zoom and lasting just over 5 hours — saw the Planning Commission vote on four items: the annexation of Maple Valley Park, the rezoning of Maple Valley Park to City of Arvada open space, the Project Indiana annexa-

tion located at 6730 Indiana Street and the rezoning of Project Indiana to City of Arvada light industrial.

All four items were passed through a vote and therefore recommended to council. The annexation and rezoning of Maple Valley Park both passed unanimously 6-0.

The Project Indiana annexation passed 5-1 with Commissioner Andrew Gay as the lone dissenting vote, while the Project Indiana rezoning passed 4-2 with Gay and Commissioner Michael McCarron dissenting.

The agenda was segmented into two separate discussions: the first on the annexation and rezoning of Maple Valley Park, and the second on the Project Indiana annexation and rezoning.

Planning Commission Chair T.O. Owens remarked that the meeting was the most well-attended planning commission meeting he could recall, with over 25 public commenters taking part in the first discussion and over 35 taking part in the second. All public commenters spoke out in opposition of the proposal, with none voicing their support.

SEE INDIANA, P9

Map of Project Indiana site.

COURTESY OF THE CITY OF ARVADA

2 Arvada Press

April 29, 2021

Jeffco health head declares “fourth wave” Young people now more at risk to get COVID but remain less likely to be hospitalized

BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO PALBANIBURGIO@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

With Jeffco currently seeing rates of COVID-19 equal to those seen last fall at the start of that season’s major surge in cases, Jeffco’s top public health official told the Jeffco commissioners on April 20 that “we are clearly now in a fourth wave.”

“Our incidence rates are now as high as they were last October when under (the state’s) dial two we went into the very severe Level Red restrictions,” said Jefferson County Public Health Executive Director Dawn Comstock. “So, I am quite concerned about the level of community spread of COVID-19 in Jefferson County right now.”

On the day Comstock made those comments, Jeffco’s seven-day average for new cases was 177.3 per 100,000 residents while the COVID-19 test positivity rate was 5.9%.

After mostly decreasing for the past five months, hospitalizations have also been increasing, Comstock said.

Meanwhile, the county’s current 14-day hospitalization rate, 0.8 per 100,000, puts it well below the cutoff that would trigger a move from Level Blue to the more restrictive Level Yellow under the county’s current two-phased COVID-19 reopening plan. Still, that rate has

also risen significantly since the end of March, when it was as low 0.5 per 100,000.

Under that plan, Jeffco is set to remain in Level Blue regardless of hospitalization trends until May 15 and then move into the new Level Clear, in which no restrictions will initially be imposed.

However, the county would be moved back to Level Blue if the average hospitalizations per 100,000 people over a 14-day period rises to between 2 and 3. It would be moved to even more restrictive dial levels if the 14-day average for new hospitalizations exceeded 3 per 100,000.

Comstock said data shows the increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are both being driven by younger people, who are more susceptible to new variants of COVID-19 than they were to earlier versions of the virus.

However, she also said it is important to know that those young people are still less likely to require hospitalization than the older people who made up the vast majority of hospitalizations during the pandemic.

“Even if they do require hospitalization they are less likely to have such severe illness that they end up on a ventilator or being a fatality,” she said. “But that does not mean that cannot happen and that’s where each individual needs to understand their personal risk and take precautions based on their personal risk.”

During the meeting, Comstock defended the county’s new two-phased approach, which she said makes sense given where the county is at with vaccine distribution.

“We’re trying to slowly shift ourselves from strict governmental control in terms of the public health orders into an area where we can allow more personal responsibility based on personal risk,” said Comstock. “And that is only being allowed to happen because we are doing such a good job with vaccination.”

As of April 26, 61% of Jeffco residents who are eligible for the vaccine had received at least one shot.

However, Comstock also cautioned that while those numbers are “amazing,” they mean a significant portion of residents are still unvaccinated and at great risk of getting COVID-19 if they drop their own precautions.

“Everybody who is not yet vaccinated really, really needs to understand what risks you are placing yourself, your family members and your loved ones in when you go out in public spaces,” she said.

During the meeting, Comstock and the commissioners also heard from one resident who criticized the county’s approach to reopening, which was allowing the county to operate in Level Blue even as its rate of new cases would put it at Level Red on the old dial.

She also expressed concern about the growing rate of hospitalizations statewide, which she said have surpassed Colorado School of Public Health projections on which county regulations are based.

Statewide, the number of people hospitalized went from 382 on April 1 to 621 on April 25. Similar data on the number of people hospitalized in Jeffco each day are not avail-

able on the JCPH website, making direct comparisons between state and county data difficult. JCPH Epidemeologist Kate Watkins said the county does not show hospitalization data day by day to protect patient privacy.

However, the county does share data for the number of people hospitalized each week. That number increased each week from 20 the week of March 21 to 42 the week of April 11 before decreasing to 26 for the week of April 18. However, those numbers do not reflect the overall number of people in the hospital as they do not account for the number of people in the hospital for multiple weeks. There can also be lags in the updating of hospitalization numbers.

“Speaking from the perspective of a scientist who is not very much swayed by political arguments, I disagree that Jeffco and the rest of the metro area can safely reopen at this time,” said Dr. Karen Tonso.

Later in the discussion, Commissioner Lesley Dahlkemper acknowledged that there has been “confusion” around Jeffco’s decision to move the county to Level Blue but expressed support for JCPH’s decision to do so.

“I hear from some constituents like Dr. Tonso who say `we aren’t going far enough’ and I hear from other constituents who say `open up and follow the lead of other counties,’” she said. “I really think our local public health directors have come together in the metro area to based on the data and other factors come up with what you think is the best scenario looking forward.”

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Arvada Press 3

April 29, 2021

Boulder DA announces additional charges against King Soopers shooting suspect 43 counts added to defendant’s complaint

BY RYAN DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty held a press conference outside the Justice Center at 10 a.m. on Thursday to announce new charges against King Sooper’s shooting suspect Ahmad Alissa.

Dougherty also gave a status update on the investigation into the March 22 shooting.

43 additional charges have been added to Alissa’s complaint, including 31 counts of attempted murder

in the first degree, one count of assault in the first degree and nine counts of possession of a large capacity magazine during the committal of a crime. These charges are in addition to the initial 11 charges against Alissa; 10 for murder and one for attempted murder.

The first nine counts of murder in the first degree have been updated to reflect the order in which the investigative team believe the events happened. The additional attempted murder charges announced on April 21 also reflect the order the investigative team believes they occurred.

Dougherty said that if the defendant is sentenced, the counts SEE SHOOTING, P9

Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty addresses the media at a press PHOTO BY RYAN DUNN conference on April 22.

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Here Are Some Strategies for Assembling Your Down Payment Funds Last week I wrote about how first-time home buyers can buy a home with as little as $1,000 out of pocket, but the rest of us may be challenged to come up with the down payment when we buy a home.

Many buyers think lenders require a 20% down payment, but that’s not necessarily true.

There are loans available from many lenders with as little as 3% down payment. The interest rate charged will probably be higher, but with rates for conventional loans so low, what’s an additional quarter percentage point or so anyway?

And don’t assume that every loan with less than 20% down payment will require mortgage insurance, which can be very expensive. Often that mortgage insurance is waived in exchange for a slightly higher interest rate.

Note: FHA loans, which only require 3.5% down, require mortgage insurance which lasts for the life of the loan, forcing you to refinance to get rid of that fee as your equity passes 20% of your home’s value. There are non-FHA (i.e., conventional) loans where you don’t have to refinance to shed the cost of mortgage insurance, although doing so requires a new appraisal.

So, first of all, determine how much money you will actually need for your down payment, and shop around with different lenders, since this requirement can vary greatly. Generally, I recommend shopping mortgage brokers instead of banks, because banks only sell their own loan products, but mortgage brokers can sell multiple products from multiple lenders, including special products for first

responders, teachers, medial personnel, and others. You might be in one of those targeted groups.

Once you know the amount you need to raise, how can you assemble it if you don’t have that cash in your checking or savings account?

Start your quest by asking advice from your loan officer. A good loan officer, like Jaxzann Riggs of The Mortgage Network, will be able to make suggestions once she (or he) has a full picture of your financial situation and assets.

Strategies I’ve seen employed include the following.

1) If you own a home currently and have substantial equity in it, you can borrow against that equity with a Home Equity Line of Credit or HELOC. Credit unions are good at issuing these loans to its members, but you need to apply for that HELOC before you put your home on the market, if you’re planning on selling it.

Since these loans have little or no closing costs and you don’t pay interest until you actually draw on that line of credit, there’s no reason not to have a HELOC in place right now and certainly ahead of needing the money. It’s like having money in the bank — literally.

2) If you have an high-balance IRA or other retirement fund, you may be able to withdraw money from it without penalty if you return that money within a couple months, so this is a good strategy if you need the money from selling your current home but don’t want to make an offer on your replacement home that is contingent on selling your current home. A loan against your 401K carries no penalty.

Just Listed: Home in Village at Mountain Ridge

This home at 111 Eagle Court in Golden’s Village at Mountain Ridge has 4 bedrooms, 3½ bathrooms and a finished walkout basement with a pool table. It’s on a culde-sac with a 3-car garage and offers fantastic mountain views, great walking/biking trails and nearby parks. The large master bedroom has a slider door that opens onto a $829,000 private deck where you can relax and take in the beautiful mountain views. Off the kitchen is another deck where you can BBQ and enjoy the view of North Table Mountain. The newly refinished hardwood floors on the main floor look fabulous. The open floor plan in the kitchen/family room with a gas fireplace keeps it cozy on those cold winter nights. The high-efficiency furnace and on demand hot water are added bonuses. Take a narrated video tour at www.MountainRidgeHome.com, then call your agent or listing agent David Dlugasch at 303-908-4835 to set a showing.

3) If you have own stocks and bonds but don’t want to sell them, consider using them as collateral for a loan.

4) Relatives or friends can gift you with money, but speak to your loan officer about documentation requirements. As you may know, anyone can give up to $15,000 to anyone else once per year without paying gift tax.

5) Another option is the bridge loan.

This option carries a higher interest rate, but it could be your answer. Ask your loan officer about it.

6) Get creative! If you’re engaged, how about a bridal registry for down payment funds? A GoFundMe campaign might work for you, too. If you have no loan on your car and it’s worth a lot, credit unions will lend you money against it. (I did that

once.) You may own jewelry or other valuables that you’re not so attached to that you’d be willing to liquidate them. (Rita and I have done that, too.)

Don’t Fall for Gift Card Scam

This Monday, people on my contact list received an email that looked as if it was from me, asking for “help.” If they responded to the email, it went to a scammer pretending to be me who said I was in a meeting but could they help me purchase some Google gift cards for my clients and I’d reimburse them.

This kind of scam doesn’t hurt the person who’s being impersonated, but it hurts his/her friends and contacts who fall for it.

Tell your family and friends about this scam and don’t let yourself fall for it!

1,200+ Metro Area Homes Are Just Sitting on MLS No buyer wants to be in a bidding war, but there are many listings on the MLS that aren’t selling and won’t subject you to a bidding war. You may even be able to buy them for less than their listing prices.

As I write this on Sunday, there are 1,241 active (that is, unsold) listings on the MLS within 25 miles of downtown Denver that have been active 10 or more days. There are 764 that have been active a month or longer, and 483

that have been active 60 days or longer.

And it’s not as if those 483 listings are in the boondocks, The map shown here (from REcolorado) shows where they are.

As I’ve written before, any agent can set you up to receive only listings which have been on the MLS a certain number of days. It is a good way to avoid a bidding war.

Let me or one of my broker associates below know if you’d like us to set up an email alert like that for you.

Just Listed: Updated Brick Ranch in Applewood This brick ranch at 2975 Xenon Street is in a quiet off-shoot of Applewood, a couple blocks from 32nd & Youngfield, I-70, and the Applewood Shopping Center -- easy access to Denver and the mountains. Red Rocks is just 15 minutes away! A citymaintained park with playground and shelter is just a block away. Everything is in great condition — new- $500,000 er double-pane windows and patio door, stainless steel appliances, slab granite counters, and hardwood floors. The backyard includes a large covered patio and terraced yard. New furnace, central A/C, whole-house humidifier, and water heater in 2019. New roof and gutters in 2018. At this price we expect lots of interest. You can take a narrated video tour at www.WheatRidgeHome.info, then call your agent or Jim Smith at 303-525-1851 for a private showing. Or come to our open house this Sat., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It won’t go under contract until Monday, April 26th.

Jim Smith

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

Broker/Owner, 303-525-1851 Jim@GoldenRealEstate.com 17695 S. Golden Rd., Golden 80401 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

April 29, 2021

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Arvada Press 5

April 29, 2021

One of two suspects in custody after carjacking spree Suspects allegedly attempted to steal three cars early Saturday morning

BY RYAN DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

One suspect is in custody after three attempted carjackings occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning in northwestern Arvada. The carjackings began at 2:50 a.m. on April 24 and continued until shortly after 7 a.m., when Arvada Police officers apprehended one of the two suspects.

No major injuries occurred during the spree, but one victim was left with non-life-threatening injuries after being hit with the suspect’s car in the third attempted carjacking.

The Arvada Police believe that two people are behind the carjackings, but only found one suspect in the car stopped shortly after the final incident, according to APD Public Relations Officer Dave Snelling.

The first attempted carjacking occurred at 2:50 a.m. on the 7300 block of West 73rd Avenue, where two suspects in a stolen brown Kia Soul attempted to break into a truck.

The suspects fired a gun and left the area. No injuries were reported, and APD responded to the gunshot shortly thereafter.

APD officers perform a pit maneuver on a stolen Hyundia Elantra shortly after 7 a.m. on Saturday morning in response to three atPHOTO COURTESY OF ARVADA POLICE DEPARTMENT tempted carjackings.

At 6:42 a.m., the brown Kia Soul was reported as being driven by the suspects in a vehicle theft on the 7500 block of Pierce Street, where a Hyundai Elantra was stolen.

At 7:05 a.m., the suspects — now in the brown Kia Soul and the newly-stolen Hyundai Elantra — attempted to break into a third vehicle in the 8100 block of Kline Street.

The vehicle owner confronted the suspects and was hit by one of the suspect’s cars, sustaining non-lifethreatening injuries. Snelling said the victim was not in the hospital as of Saturday morning.

Shortly after the third attempted carjacking, the suspects abandoned the Kia Soul. APD officers located

the Hyundai Elantra in the 7400 block of West 84th Way and pursued, performing a PIT maneuver near Sheridan Boulevard and I-70. One suspect fled on foot and was apprehended by APD officers.

He was later identified as 28 year old Nicholas Robert Trujillo, and arrested on 12 charges which include possession of a controlled substance, two counts of aggravated motor vehicle theft, vehicular eluding, menacing and attempted vehicular assault.

The Arvada Police Department says it is still seeking the second suspect.

“They left behind a lot of evidence,” said Snelling. “We’ll be

processing the vehicles and the scene and completing our investigation. (Carjacking is an) ongoing problem that we’ve dedicated a lot of resources to.”

Snelling added that the violent nature of the suspect’s conduct in the carjackings elevates the danger of the crimes to the community.

“We know on the surface that it’s described as a property crime,” said Snelling, “but when suspects carry a gun, run over victims with vehicles, this makes it an inherently dangerous crime. And that the community can do the usual things like lock their cars, don’t leave any valuables in their cars, don’t leave cars unattended, be good neighbors.”

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6 Arvada Press

April 29, 2021

Jeffco’s CIP: Who is calling the shots?

Governance, transparency and oversight questions put to program insiders

BY BOB WOOLEY BWOOLEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Jeffco Schools’ Capital Improvement Program, on-track to cost more than three quarters of a billion dollars, has a relatively small number of people making the lion’s share of critical decisions.

Among those calling the shots are Steve Bell, the district’s chief operating officer, and Tim Reed, executive director of facilities & construction. Others, like Nicole Stewart, interim chief financial officer, members of Jeffco’s Board of Education and two committees — the Capital Asset Advisory Committee and the District’s Financial Oversight Committee have roles to play as well.

From nearly the beginning of the program, board member Susan Miller and some district watchers have voiced concerns about the way elements of the program are being run. Many of those criticisms have hinged on a perceived lack of oversight. Specifically, critics say the CAAC is not providing adequate oversight, something that led one member of the group to resign.

Ask district staff about this, and they say district staff and the CAAC have operated in unison by design. It’s the way the system, as it’s currently organized, was meant to function. The CAAC is there to advise, not oversee and control.

It’s right there in the name — advisory committee.

But with this amount of taxpayer money, is the current level of oversight enough?

Audit oversight One of the biggest oversight questions revolves around the need for an Independent Performance Audit of the CIP. When questioned about the subject, Reed said it was important to define what an Independent Performance Audit is and what it would do.

He said what it would mean is the auditor would go through and look at every committed item and see if it has either been done or was in the drawings to be done.

It would also allow auditors to go through all invoices, etc.

“They’re very expensive. We had estimated that one would be more than a million dollars, and it would basically bring the program to a halt,” Reed said. “We brought it up at one of the CAAC meetings, and the committee voted no on it, with the exception of Jeff (Wilhite, former CAAC member) who kind of hedged his vote. But it was decided this was not a good way of spending district resources.”

Reed said the district is audited every year as part of the overall district audit.

“They select projects and then

Construction underway earlier this year at the new Warren Tech South campus in south Jeffco. The project, expected to help serve PHOTO BY BOB WOOLEY students from across the district, is one of several funded through the 2018 bond.

ABOUT THE SERIES This story is part of an ongoing series examining Jeffco Public Schools bond project.

Future installments of the series will explore the district’s interim bond report and an interview with a member of the CAAC whose business was granted bond money. they go through and check them out,” he said. “And we come through with a clean bill of health — we’re not cited to improve process or anything like that.”

Typically, those audits happen after the end of the fiscal year, he said, and the CIP has been included in two or three of those audits since it started. Reed stressed that all capital projects are audited every single year regardless of whether there’s a CIP underway.

When asked for her opinion on the need for an Independent Performance Audit, Board President Susan Harmon’s written answer was in line with Reed’s.

“Most of the projects are meeting their budgets. There are a few that, due to scope increases, market/bidding conditions, and complexity, are over budget,” her statement said. “For a program of this size, with costs having been estimated/projected three or more years ago, it is unrealistic to expect each project to be right on budget. The time and money a performance audit would cost is better spent on continuing the work that is underway.”

To be clear, when voters passed the 2018 bond initiative, they

were placing their trust in the district to run this behemoth of a construction program. There was no clause on the ballot that said there had to be independent oversight. But there was an explicit deal with voters that the district would be a responsible steward of the money. In fact, in an op-ed published September 25, 2018, former Jeffco Superintendent, Jason Glass said “bond funds would also be monitored by a separate blueribbon oversight committee and be subject to an annual external audit,” and technically, it has.

But an interim bond program report prepared by the district’s own former chief financial officer that was commissioned in October 2020 had called for strengthening oversight of the bond program and identified millions in discrepancies between the flipbook that voters had approved of at the ballot box.

Also, there has been at least one member of the CAAC who also was not content with the current level of bond oversight.

CAAC Resignation Jeff Wilhite resigned from the CAAC Feb 4, 2021. In his letter of resignation, he said “My decision to withdraw from the Committee is based on what I feel are significant differences between my professional experience in construction project budgeting and funds disbursements, and the processes being used by District staff that are accepted as appropriate by the Capital Asset Committee and the Board of Education.”

Prior to his resignation, Wilhite had suggested to Bell and Reed that he and two other members, Megan Castle and George Latuda, take a more in-depth look at spending, including money from the bond premium, and be more involved in oversight.

Reed was asked if he remembered Wilhite making the suggestion.

“Yes, I do,” Reed said. “He simply proposed (the idea) at a meeting but hadn’t discussed it with the other members he suggested (take part). We believed that given the numbers of layers of financial people that look over our shoulder, that it really wasn’t necessary.”

Reed said at the time of Wilhite’s suggestion, there was a discussion with the CAAC to find out what information they would like to see. A report was developed, to be put out monthly on the CAAC website to show the original budget for a specific project, where it is today, what phase of work it’s in, etc. He said so far, the CAAC has been very appreciative of getting that information.

He said transparency and oversight concerns Wilhite brought up in his resignation letter were never expressed in CAAC meetings before he stepped down from the committee.

In an earlier interview with the newspaper, Wilhite was reluctant to go on the record about his time on the CAAC, but did say, “I don’t think you can find an answer of who’s doing financial oversight (of the CIP).”

Arvada Press 7

April 29, 2021

Teens speak up for themselves on heady topics Youth drinking and partying focus of county event

BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO PALBANIBURGIO@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

WHAT’S NEXT?

WHO’S INVOLVED?

The adult members of the JCTC will review the proposals and prepare feedback to the students about whether the board wants to advocate for the ideas to other local leaders.

Jeffco Communities That Care is a county-sponsored organization consisting of 100 stakeholders, community leaders youth that work to address substance abuse and other problems among Jeffco youth. Each year, the program hires dozens of students to be interns and work on proposals for addressing those challenges.

prosecution.

The students also argued that adults would be discouraged from purchasing alcohol for teens if they knew they could be held responsible while underage drinkers would be spared from a mark on their criminal record that could possibly impact their future.

“As youth in Jeffco, we believe social hosting laws will shift the norms in the county so that more adults and teens will disapprove of under age drinking,” said one of the students in a video shown during the presentation.

The students also cited a survey conducted at a youth town hall conducted of 185 Jeffco students earlier this year in which 85% of those students said they are aware of peers drinking alcohol at private homes.

There was also discussion about interviews the teens did with several police officers, the majority of whom indicated that current strategies are not effectively reducing youth substances misuse. The students said an “overwhelming majority of officers they spoke with would use a social hosting ticket option if one were available.”

Students also argued that the implementation of social hosting policy would need to be accompanied with more efforts to educate adults about the dangers associated with teen drinking, including sex assault and car crashes.

“Data collected at the town hall on Feb. 28 found that the majority of teens believe adults give youth alcohol because they don’t care,” said team member Sarah

Teen drinking and partying was front and center at the April 22 Jefferson County Communities That Care Youth Voices event.

For the past four-and-halfmonths, 35 high school and college students have been at work on projects that give them the opportunity to propose and solutions to problems that affect teens in the county. The students came from mostly from Jeffco high schools, including Lakewood High, Golden High, Green Mountain, Arvada West, Chatfield and Jefferson virtual academy. Some also attend CU Boulder.

During the conference, those students had the opportunity to present their proposals, which dealt specifically with how to reduce teen partying and provide more constructive places for teens to spend time on weekends.

Here is a closer look at the proposals: Social hosting policy group “How can we reduce the amount of house parties and underage drinking in Jeffco?” That was the question that led this group to the answer of a social hosting laws, a set of policies that hold adults responsible for underage drinking that occurs on properties they own, rent, or otherwise control.

According to the presentation, the law’s potential benefits would include encouraging those who control property to prevent house parties and providing law enforcement with a tool to restrict house parties without having to meet the higher bar of criminal

Driscoll. “Adults can show teens they care by being proactive and not supplying alcohol.”

Teen spaces proposal When David Yoon move to Jeffco from South Korea in 2008, he was most surprised by the differences he observed between how American and Korean teens spend their weekend nights.

In Korea, most youth spent there time in public facilities, such as indoor gyms and gaming stations that were open until 5 p.m. or 6 p.m.

“For me, there was no time to feel loneliness or boredom,” he said in a video that was part of the presentation.

But social norms are different in Jeffco, where six in 10 of the youth responded in the town hall responded that they spend none or only some of their time in activities that are “meaningful.”

That’s why this policy group said they propose that “Jeffco youth be given access to teenbased activities and safe spaces like those David was able to experience in South Korea.”

During the presentation, members of the group argued that existing facilities for teens are not sufficient because of a lack of awareness among teens and a lack of transportation for teens to access them.

“We as Jeffco youth strongly believe increasing the number of safe spaces, making the alreadyexisting spaces more accessible

David Yoon discusses the need for more teen spaces in Jefferson County in a video presented during the CTC Youth SCREENSHOT Voices event.

Vivien Nguyen discusses possible benefits of a social hosting policy in a video presented during the CTC Youth Voices SCREENSHOT event.

and increasing the youth’s awareness of them will be the key solution for our problems,” said team member and Lakewood High student Kutad Duzgun.

The group also found that it is critical that teen spaces foster a sense of inclusivity, which they suggested could be facilitated by hiring youth from diverse backgrounds in leadership positions.

“In order to accomplish a flexible gathering place, we need your help to keep places like libraries and rec centers open later,” said another team member in the video, who was not identified.

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8 Arvada Press

April 29, 2021

City allows firefighters to train in Coors building before demolition

BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO PALBANIBURGIO@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

g t a p l s s o p a

Next month, the old Coors building at 311 10th Street will be tore down (the city plans to use the property as part of the larger Heart of Golden project that will reimagine the city’s civic core.

But first, some firefighters got to have a little (deconstructive) fun. Last week, the city allowed firefighters from Golden and neighboring agencies to practice everything from forcible entry (breaking through locked doors) to wall breach (entering and exiting rooms and buildings through walls) in the building.

“It is critical training for emergency situations that — for obvious property damage reasons — we don’t get to do nearly as often as we’d like,” said Golden firefighter George Stern.

( t a t a

c a h t c a

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A firefighter uses a tool to break through a door.

A Golden firefighter breaks through a wall inside the Coors office building at 311 10th Street, which will be torn down in May. PHOTOS COURTESY OF GOLDEN FIRE DEPARTMENT

AWRSAY 2021 Student Recognition Since 2001, the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth (AWRSAY) has recognized youth who have overcome a major life obstacle or adversity.

AWRSAY seeks to acknowledge these deserving youth by providing recognition to all and, in the case of high school seniors, scholarship opportunities to Red Rocks Community College.

We hope that through community encouragement, support and recognition, Arvada and Wheat Ridge youth will grow to be confident members and leaders in our communities.

AWRSAY is entirely volunteer-driven. We encourage you to become involved by nominating a deserving youth or supporting AWRSAY through funding, mentoring, or youth employment. Please join us in congratulating the 2021 AWRSAY Recognized Students and Scholarship Awardees!

Recognized Students Sydney Huyser Trey Bellamy Juanita Lewis Arreola Casey Shade Aden Baca-Tarango John (JP) Borsheim Isabella Ciotti Damian Dunning Edwin Ferguson Trevor Figaszewski Ashlyne Gomez Addison Lenchner Breanne Elizabeth Richards Daniel Rosales Alivia Nuanes Kathryn Woodcock Tayler Paine Reanna Mendez Samantha Bowes Romely Carreon Kaleo Conley-Nakamura Blake Janney Ismael Luevanos Julissa Nunez Oceguera Eduardo Toledano

Arvada High School Arvada High School Arvada High School Arvada High School Arvada K-8 Arvada K-8 Arvada K-8 Arvada K-8 Arvada K-8 Arvada K-8 Arvada K-8 Arvada K-8 Arvada K-8 Arvada K-8 Arvada K-8 Arvada West H.S. Arvada West H.S. Arvada West H.S. Drake Middle School Drake Middle School Drake Middle School Drake Middle School Drake Middle School Drake Middle School Drake Middle School

Vincent Vigil Orville Willis Jordan Stremel Fernando Begay Deleone DelMastro Mayra A Hernandez Diaz Frieda Martinez Karymme Rodela Shahzoda Burhonova Isaiah Jackson Jaida Truck Anderson Card Chloe Cleveland Kendra Dickinson Rose Dorn Aubreigh Kincaid Jacob Laux Maci Lesh Aiden Lindenlaub Braden Pfitzer Isabella Rivero Sakara Two Eagles Luke Kellogg Alexandria (Alex) Flores Sydney Harper Laina Logan Finn Lynch Katy McDougal Ella Phillips Cora Forrester Jack Sullivan

Drake Middle School Drake Middle School Excel Academy Jefferson Jr./Sr. H.S. Jefferson Jr./Sr. H.S. Jefferson Jr./Sr. H.S. Jefferson Jr./Sr. H.S. Jefferson Jr./Sr. H.S. Mandalay Middle School Mandalay Middle School Mandalay Middle School Oberon Middle School Oberon Middle School Oberon Middle School Oberon Middle School Oberon Middle School Oberon Middle School Oberon Middle School Oberon Middle School Oberon Middle School Oberon Middle School Oberon Middle School Ralston Valley H.S. Standley Lake H.S. Three Creeks K-8 Three Creeks K-8 Three Creeks K-8 Three Creeks K-8 Three Creeks K-8 Wayne Carle M.S. Wayne Carle M.S.

Scholarship Awardees Brandon Benedict Ericka Carias Valenzuela Sunil Gupta Oscar De La Rosa Julie DeLuna Lailah Dominguez Jamie Garcia Jamie Gonzalez Sabrina Zuniga Jessica Gutierrez Quezada Jorge Carballea Maxim G. Lomanov Blake Church

Arvada West H.S. Arvada High School Arvada High School Jefferson Jr./Sr. H.S. Jefferson Jr./Sr. H.S. Jefferson Jr./Sr. H.S. Jefferson Jr./Sr. H.S. Jefferson Jr./Sr. H.S. Jefferson Jr./Sr. H.S. Jefferson Jr./Sr. H.S. Jefferson Jr./Sr. H.S. Ralston Valley H.S. Arvada West H.S.

Founder Scholarship Awards Founders Scholarship Awards are special recognitions in honor of the significant contribution and dedication of those individuals who had the vision to bring our community together for the Arvada-Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth.

AWRSAY Founder – Duane Youse (Arvada Jefferson Kiwanis) AWRSAY Founder – Bill Johnson (Jamie Johnson – Community Member) AWRSAY Founder – Dan Macy (Career Counselor / Academic Advisor Red Rocks Community College, Arvada Campus) AWRSAY Founder – Curt Gilmore (Jane Gilmore – Community Member) AWRSAY Founder – Diane Hegeman (Retired VP of Instruction, Arapahoe Community College) AWRSAY Founder – Ron Sloan (Director of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Retired; Arvada Jefferson Kiwanis)

Thank You! The Arvada-Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth program exists solely through the efforts of many dedicated volunteers. The Arvada Chamber of Commerce Arvada-Jefferson Kiwanis Arvada Rotary Arvada Sunrise Rotary Arvada Vitality Alliance Businesses located in Arvada & Wheat Ridge Citizens’ Police Academy Arvada Alumni City of Arvada Jeffco Public Schools

City of Wheat Ridge Clear Creek Optimist Club of Arvada Jeffco Public Schools Lake Arbor Optimist Wheat Ridge Kiwanis Red Rocks Community College The RRCC Foundation Wheat Ridge Foundation Wheat Ridge Optimist Wheat Ridge Rotary

scholarships, recognition ceremony and program activities are funded by generous in-kind and monetary contributions made by numerous individuals, service clubs, organizations and businesses.

Visit our website to learn more about AWRSAY: rrcc.edu/AWRSAY

c S h s c 3

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Arvada Press 9

April 29, 2021

INDIANA FROM PAGE 1

Protect Maple Valley Park, a group of local residents who oppose the Project Indiana proposal, gave a presentation during the second phase of the meeting. Gina Hallisey, the group’s chairperson, said she felt that the planning commission did not give the public equal opportunity to comment in comparison to the time allotted to the applicant.

“I think it was unfortunate how (the Planning Commission) treated the public,” said Hallisey. “The applicant was able to talk about their plan in regard to rezoning and annexation and the commis-

SHOOTING FROM PAGE 3

can run consecutively, and that the additional charges are meant to honor all the victims involved in the tragedy. Each attempted murder charge lists someone who was shot at by Alissa by name.

“All the counts that I’ve listed can run consecutively if the defendant is sentenced,” said Dougherty.

“They represent victims who deserve to be heard and supported.”

The count of first-degree assault concerns injuries sustained by Elan Shakti, a civilian who fractured her T-6 vertebrate while fleeing the scene. Assault in the first degree carries a possible sentence of 10 to 32 years.

The nine counts of possession of a large capacity magazine during the committal of a crime stem from the investigative team’s finding that Alissa had multiple magazines on his person which contained more than 15 rounds, the maximum capacity allowed under Colorado

sioners talked about why they voted yes, but whenever a citizen, during their 2 minutes of time started to talk about the plan, they were shut down.

“So, that was disheartening,” Hallisey continued, “I thought that was unfortunate, I thought they did a disservice to the community. I question whether they even followed their own procedures.”

In his dissenting comments, Gay recognized the citizens that spoke out against the proposal and stressed his belief that the proposal does not meet criteria 5 of the Land Development Code, which states that new developments must be “Consistent with the character of existing or planned development on adjacent properties in the surrounding area.”

“I thought there was a lot of passion and lot of thoughtful comments from our citizens,” said Gay. “We are paying attention and we hear you. But I also want to complement the developer. I thought they had a lot of thorough planning and a great presentation.

“I don’t think it meets criteria 5 (of the LDC) where it talks about consistency with the surrounding areas and neighborhoods,” Gay continued. “The comment from the developer is that the adjacent properties are vacant, but I would expand that definition to include the surrounding neighborhoods.”

Despite the voting results, Hallisey said she felt that the outpouring of community opposition against the project would continue to build momentum in advance of

the June 7 City Council vote.

“There were no citizens on the Zoom expressing support of the Amazon facility,” said Hallisey, “only opposition comments. It’s quite obvious that the community doesn’t want this. With over 5,700 people in the opposition group, I don’t think we lost momentum tonight, I think we will actually gain momentum leading up to City Council.”

Arvada’s City Council June 14 meeting is set to be a hybrid meeting that will allow for in-person and online attendance. The vote was initially scheduled to take place at the Council’s June 7 meeting, but Councilmember David Jones has a scheduling conflict that precludes him from being able to attend that meeting.

law. A class six felony, each charge carries a possible sentence of six to 18 months.

Dougherty said that based on available information, the investigative team does not believe that Alissa purchased the magazines illegally but said that if the team discovered that the magazines were purchased illegally, the DA’s office would pursue charges against the party that sold them to Alissa.

Each first-degree murder charge carries a maximum possible sentence of life without the possibility of parole, while each attempted murder charge carries a possible sentence of 16 to 48 years in a state prison.

Dougherty stated that no additional civilian deaths occurred after Boulder Police officers Eric Talley, Bryan Capobianco and Pam Gignac initially responded to the shooting.

Talley was fatally shot while intervening in the massacre.

Capobianco was part of the initial response and the second wave of law enforcement intervention and is listed in two separate counts of attempted murder to reflect that he

was shot at on two separate occasions.

Dougherty said the investigation is still in its early stages and added that no motive had been determined yet but said that the investigative team would continue to work to try and discern why this event happened.

“You don’t need motive to prove intent,” said Dougherty, “but for our community and those families, they want to know why, so we will continue to investigate (motive).”

The investigative team looking into the shooting includes members of the Boulder Police Department, FBI, ATF, and other federal agencies. Alissa was shot by a Boulder Police officer during the massacre and the investigative team - save for members of the BPD - are determin-

ing whether that was justified, a judgement Dougherty said would be available this month.

The next court date is set for May 25 and will be a status conference discussing the findings of Alissa’s mental health evaluation. Dougherty said that he did not anticipate making any new developments in the case public between now and then.

The victims of the March 22 shooting in Boulder are Denny Stong, 20; Nevin Stanisic, 23; Rikki Olds, 25; Tralona Bartkowiak, 49; Teri Leiker, 51; Officer Eric Talley, 51; Suzanne Fountain, 59; Kevin Mahoney, 61; Lynn Murray, 62; and Jody Waters, 65.

The defendant, Ahmad Alissa, 22, has been an Arvada resident since 2015.

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10 Arvada Press

April 29, 2021

Autonomous vehicles could come to Golden City would be first in state to be served by driverless vehicles

BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO PALBANIBURGIO@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Hitching a ride on a driverless vehicle may sound like something that only happens in sci-fi movies, but it’s coming closer to reality in Golden.

The French autonomous vehicle company EasyMile (which has its North American headquarters in Denver) says it will make Golden the first city in the state to have such vehicles run on its streets. That is, if it gets permission from Federal and state officials to do so.

On April 20, representatives from EasyMile and the Colorado Smart Cities Alliance presented to the Golden City Council about their plan to deploy seven of its vehicles on around Golden as part of a year-long test pilot.

The pilot, which is set to begin in August, will see the shuttles run on three set routes: one between Brown Hall on the campus and Mines Park north of U.S. 6, a second connecting the campus with downtown Golden via Arapahoe Street and a third con-

necting Guggenheim Hall with the K parking lot on campus.

Joanna Jamison, the program director for the Colorado Smart Cities Alliance, said the alliance is interested in running a pilot in Golden for several reasons, including the unique downtown campus area that would allow the vehicles to serve a combination of students, residents and visitors.

Jamison said such environments are also “extremely conducive to the operation of EasyMile’s technology.

If EasyMile gets approval to launch the pilot in July, anyone will be able to board one of the shuttles, which will run with a frequency of 5-15 minutes and haves set stops along their route.

Shuttle service will be offered from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Each of the shuttles will have seats for six passengers, whom will be required to wear a seat belt. There will also be trained safety operator on board who will be able to take control of the vehicle if anything does go wrong.

But Lauren Isaac, the director of business initiatives, said it is extremely unlikely it will ever be necessary for the safety operator to do so.

“The vehicle does extremely well around cyclists and pedes-

A/V IMPLEMENTATION May and June Set up storage site with charger on School of Mines campus and complete infrastructure improvements July Set up vehicles on site School of Mines will hire and train safety operators (and attempt to employ trians,” said Isaac. “During the first few weeks of deployment, it is not unusual to have people jumping in front of the vehicles and testing the technology’s ability to stop, which is faster than a human’s ability in a car so it really is extremely safe.”

Isaac also touted that the vehicles, which run on electricity, have traveled over 500,000 without ever having had an accident and been approved by use in more than 30 countries.

According to a memo by Golden Planning Director Rick Muriby, the city of Golden will not contribute to the funding of the pilot and does not have the ability to regulate their use on its streets provided the state and Federal government give their approval.

However, Isaac said the pilot would bring several benefits to the city, including attracting people into the city to see and

as many students as possible) RTD will update trip planner and website to reflect EasyMile service Mines will kick off communications strategy to inform the community about the vehicles August Service will launch

ride the vehicles and positioning Golden as a leader when it comes to autonomous transportation.

Following the presentation, Councilman Casey Brown asked what would happen after the end of the one-year pilot.

“I think we would love to talk with you all more about what that looks like depending on how the project is received, how the project goes etc.,” said Jamison.

“But for now we are just really focused on that initial year but very open to conversations about what happens beyond that.”

Although some councilmembers raised questions about safety and other concerns, several expressed excitement about the project.

“A number of years ago I read a book about autonomous vehicles by [the futurist] Rutt Bridges and now here it is happening in Golden,” said Dale. “I am very excited about that.”

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Arvada Press 11

April 29, 2021

MY NAME IS

LINDA ENGEL

Enjoying food and life About me My father was a big gardener and my mother was an amazing cook. My dad would come in the house in the mornings with an armful of vegetables and say to my mom, “Do your magic, dear.”

We would sit down to these amazing, delicious, healthy, fresh meals at night. So, that lay the foundation in me for both cooking and gardening.

Family meals for me growing up were so fun. We would sit for hours at the table with everyone telling stories, and meals were nurturing and healthy and happy.

I’ve tried to recreate that in my home.

I was born in New York and raised in Southern California, and I went to college in Northern California where I got a degree in general agriculture. My desire was to have an organic farm, and that was in 1979, so that was quite a while before the big organic movement.

But life took my in other directions. For 20 years, I worked in international sales and business, and when I got tired of traveling, I transitioned to a writing career doing technical and marketing work.

Finding home and family I moved to Colorado in 1991 when I was recruited by Head Sport, which was headquartered in Boulder at the time. I’ve been here for 30 years now and have been in Arvada for the last nine years.

I love this community; it’s home.

The best thing is we have a big backyard with a garden that’s 550 square feet. I lived in an apartment that was smaller than that for many years, so it always gives me a chuckle.

Along the way I took in foster children. I have three foster girls and when I got married in 2007, my husband brought along a daughter, so I have four girls and seven grandchildren. This is my family. To me, it’s beautiful.

What’s going on in my hometown?

From special events to local politics, We’ve got you covered.

Local News , it makes a difference.

Linda Engel holds up a pepper and sliced vegetable.

Enjoying life I can’t stand to see people hurting. It’s all about healing, and I find the same thing when I plant seeds; it’s about watching them grow and blossom and provide beautiful food for me. So, the cookbook, in a sense, has brought together my experiences in life and who I am.

It’s my traveling, it has different cuisines, and you’ll find pesto from Italy, chimichurri from India or taquitos from Mexico. It just has a diversity in it. And it’s about growing things. And there’s stories from my grandchildren that are hilarious that are in there.

And I also do some food art.

So, it’s about fun. Enjoying food, enjoying life. As a technical writer, I’m a very linear thinker. But

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writing recipes — a good recipe — involves an art to doing it in the proper order so that you don’t confuse the cook. I did a little bit of research on how to write recipes and followed that. I wanted to make it a very simple cook, so my recipes are very simple and easy.

Writing the manuscript for a cookbook is one thing, but getting it published is another. I decided to publish it myself because I’m a do-it-yourself person. So, I set up a publishing company and there’s a lot of things that go into that. All of that work was actually harder than writing the cookbook.

The reception — for what little promotion I’ve done — has been really good. What’s been really fun for me is that people who bought my book, they’ll buy another copy,

and then they’ll come back and buy another copy for a friend or a family member, and then another copy… so I have neighbors and friends who have bought six or seven books. And that’s been a lot of fun.

I’d like to find local stores to sell it, because even though it’s available online, I’d like to be available locally because I like to support local businesses. But with COVID-19, I haven’t been able to get out, so I’m hoping I’ll be able to get out there.

If you know someone we should cover in My Name Is …, or if you would like to be featured in the segment, contact Ryan Dunn at rdunn@coloradocommunitymedia. com.

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12 Arvada Press

April 29, 2021

When will enough Vaccine effort hopes to close gap for minority, low-income areas Coloradans be vaccinated?

Colorado targets residents who face barriers to accessing vaccine shots

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Even with Colorado’s six mass vaccination sites around the state up and running — and with local health providers also putting shots in arms — state officials knew they needed to go further to reach Coloradans who can’t drive to appointments or set them up online.

That’s why Colorado started organizing what it calls “equity clinics” — and as of mid-April, state officials had worked with more than 100 community organizations in the effort to reach low-income areas, people of color and rural residents, too.

For some communities, barriers to coronavirus vaccination aren’t just economic but can also stem from distrust, Gov. Jared Polis said.

“It is important that people understand some of the legitimate roots of that skepticism, where, inexcusably, Black Americans were experimented on without their permission,” Polis told Colorado Community Media.

That’s a reference to what became known as the Tuskegee syphilis study: In 1972, the Associated Press broke news that the federal government had let hundreds of Black men in rural Alabama go untreated for syphilis for 40 years for research purposes.

A public outcry ensued, and the study ended three months later, according to the AP. The effects of the study still linger — it’s routinely cited as a reason some Black Americans are reluctant to participate in medical research, or even go to the doctor for routine check-ups, the AP reported.

But other communities also experience “vaccine hesitancy,” and making vaccination quick

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SOME MASS VACCINATION SITES NOW ACCEPTING WALK-INS Most Coloradans can access vaccines via local pharmacies, hospitals or the state’s mass vaccination sites. Four of the mass vaccination sites now accept walk-ins — Coloradans no longer need an appointment, according to Gov. Jared Polis’ office.

Those four sites are: • Pueblo County — Colorado State Fairgrounds, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Sunday • Larimer County — The Ranch Events Complex, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday • Denver — Ball Arena, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Monday through Saturday.

• Mesa County — Grand Junction Convention Center, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

The other sites will accept same-day registrations if appointments are available and haven’t been filled, Polis’ office said. Those other mass vaccination sites are in Adams County at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park and in El Paso County at the Broadmoor World Arena. Register for those locations at centura.org/covid-19/ covid-19-vaccine-information/vaccineevents.

Colorado also is served by “mobile vaccine clinics” that travel around the state.

Visit mobilevax.us/clinics to sign up and see a schedule of upcoming clinics. and easy is crucial for the state to be able reach “herd immunity,” Polis said. That’s a term for when enough people become immune that the spread of COVID-19 becomes unlikely, which could happen when around 70% to 80% of people attain immunity.

“That means reaching people where they are, and protecting any Coloradans protects all Coloradans,” Polis said.

The state’s Vaccine Equity Outreach Team — co-chaired by Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director of the state public-health department, and Rick Palacio, strategic consultant to the governor — worked to schedule vaccine equity clinics across Colorado in partnership with communitybased organizations, local public health agencies and tribes, according to a news release from the state public-health department.

“One of the data points we use

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

to guide our efforts are targeted census tracts,” Palacio said, using a term for geographic areas. State officials targeted tracts that are below the poverty line and high in minority populations and also worked with organizations that

serve those areas.

“Not everyone has a health care home,” and often that includes Black and brown communities, Palacio said.

SEE VACCINE, P22

Arvada Press 13

April 29, 2021

Restaurants, event venues, movie theaters can get pandemic assistance Other businesses may still access programs, including PPP loans

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

More than a year after the pandemic began upending the economy, federal assistance is still available for many types of businesses, with a fund aimed at restaurants expected to open up soon.

Another grant program provides help for event venues, performing arts, museums and movie theaters.

Other businesses may still access the federal Paycheck Protection Program — commonly known as PPP loans — and another batch of dollars called the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.

Colorado has also compiled a list of local funding sources that it updates regularly.

Here’s a look at the different assistance programs.

For restaurants The Restaurant Revitalization Fund, part of the federal American Rescue Plan Act, will provide $28.6 billion in grants to restaurants and bars in need. Restaurants will able to apply for grants based on lost revenue.

The official application launch date was to be announced soon, according to the Colorado government

website as of late April.

For the first 21 days that the program is open, the U.S. Small Business Administration, a federal agency, will prioritize reviewing applications from small businesses owned by women, veterans, and “socially and economically disadvantaged individuals,” according to the state’s website.

Following the 21-day period, all eligible applicants are encouraged to submit applications.

For now, the state recommends viewing the list of documentation required to prepare an application.

See more information at tinyurl. com/RestaurantPandemicFund.

For events, arts venues The federal Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program was established by the Economic Aid to HardHit Small Businesses, Non-Profits, and Venues Act, signed into law in December. The program includes $15 billion in grants to shuttered venues, according to the Small Business Administration.

Entities that can apply include: • Live venue operators or promoters; • Theatrical producers; • Live performing-arts organization operators; • Museum operators; • Motion picture theater operators (including owners); • Talent representatives.

Eligible applicants may qualify for grants equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue, with the maximum

amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. The program reserved $2 billion for eligible applications with up to 50 full-time employees.

Applications opened on April 8.

See more information at tinyurl. com/EventsArtsAssistance.

If you didn’t get PPP, try again With a $284 billion congressional package for small-business relief, the federal Paycheck Protection Program reopened the week of Jan. 11. If banks said that a business didn’t qualify previously, the business should try again because of the recent changes, according to the state’s website.

In addition, to apply for this round, a business does not need to have had the first round of its PPP loan forgiven — it only must have used the money from the first round to qualify for the second round.

If a business has not received a PPP loan before, “First Draw” PPP loans are available.

For those who already received a PPP loan, certain businesses are eligible for a “Second Draw” PPP loan.

To promote “equitable relief for the smallest of small businesses,” the SBA announced that it would make the following changes to the program: • Allow sole proprietors, independent contractors and self-employed individuals to receive more financial support by revising the PPP’s funding formula; • Eliminate a restriction for small-

business owners with prior nonfraud felony convictions; • Eliminate restrictions on smallbusiness owners who have struggled to make federal student loan payments, by eliminating federal student loan debt delinquency and default as disqualifiers to participating in the PPP program; • Ensure access for non-citizen small-business owners who are lawful U.S. residents by clarifying that they may use an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to apply for PPP. For more information and to apply, see tinyurl.com/PPPSecondRound.

Another general loan for businesses The Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program provides low-interest loans to small businesses and nonprofits to help overcome loss of revenue due to COVID-19, according to the state’s website.

Small businesses that receive a COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan won’t have to start making payments on the loan until 2022.

The loan may be used for the following purposes: • Keeping employees on payroll; • Paying for sick leave; • Meeting increased production costs due to supply-chain disruptions; • Paying business obligations, including debts, rent and mortgage payments.

SEE PPP LOANS, P22

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14 Arvada Press

O

April 29, 2021

LOCAL

VOICES

Let’s all join together to beat the banned

nce a year, I invite readers to nominate words or expressions they wish were banned, an idea appropriated from QUIET Lake Superior DESPERATION State University’s “Annual List of Words and Phrases Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-Use, OverUse and General Uselessness.”

Lake Superior’s lists were started in 1976 by W. T. Craig Marshall Rabe, the school’s Smith former public relations director who gave the school an unexpected and unique identity nationwide.

The 2021 list was released as

always on New Year’s Day, and it predictably reflects events of the preceding year, starting with “COVID-19.”

Others include “Social distancing,” “We’re all in this together,” and “In these uncertain times.”

Add “Karen,” “Pivot,” “Unprecedented,” “In an abundance of caution” and “I know, right?”

If your name is Karen and have something you want to say about “Karen” becoming a “misogynist umbrella term for critiquing the perceived overemotional behavior of women” (according to Lake Superior’s committee) please let me know.

One reader, Tim Reinig, Lone Tree, who anticipated this column, nominated “From farm to table.”

Please send one or two words or phrases, with your name and

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Unintended benefit The new Arvada waste program has been a win for me. My current trash hauler, Waste Connections, has matched the price of the level 3 service offered by Republic and has exceeded the service provided by Republic.

That price includes the $5.13 per month minimum service mandatory charge. I am now paying about half of what Waste Connections used to charge me.

Kelly Sheehan, Arvada Re: Derek Chauvin’s conviction Jew or white, what difference does it make when the mob wants one that it ‘targeted’?

Doesn’t the nationwide ‘schadenfreude’ (taking pleasure re the distress of others) re the conviction of Officer Chauvin, remind one of France’s (1894/1906) ‘Dreyfus Affair’?

Wasn’t Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish Army officer, convicted of treason on the flimsiest of evidence by court-martial, to satiate widespread antisemitic mob-sentiments?

Despite subsequent findings of his innocence by a superior officer (who was shipped to America forthwith), wasn’t Dreyfus left hanging as the seeming real culprit was acquitted by an antisemitic dominated court-martial?

How can anyone claim to see socalled American values in a ruined, bloodthirsty mob dominated city, where threats of additional maySEE LETTERS, P15

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

location, by 11:59 p.m. on May 14 by emailing it to craigmarshallsmith@ comcast.net.

Some examples are in the Colorado Community Media Hall of Fame, but I have no objection to past offenders being convicted twice.

“Whatever.” “Have a nice day.”

“Awesome.” “Cool.”

“Awesome” and “Cool” might be here to stay, but we have gotten rid of “Groovy,” “For sure,” “What’s happening?” and “Tell it like it is.”

Unfortunately, “I know where you’re coming from” lingers.

“Athleticism” is (too) often used in reference to an athlete who demonstrates “Physicality.” What else is an athlete going to demonstrate?

Watch any of the commentary channels and count the number of times someone begins a comment with, “Listen” or “Look.”

“You guys.” “Selfie.” “Legally drunk.” “Hot water heater.” “Bucket list.” “Literally.”

One that’s often underestimated in its potency to undermine a sentence is “Uh.” “You know?”

“It is what it is” is one of the most egregious, and I am getting mighty tired of “egregious” too.

You get the idea: I don’t want to use up all the good (bad) ones. If there’s a story to go along with your nomination all the better.

Words change and so do names.

Once names were simple: Jimmy Stewart, Patti Smith, Billy Dee Williams.

No longer.

There’s an entertainer named Megan Thee Stallion.

SEE SMITH, P15

The audacious optimism of the NFL draft S

H

ey, you want to see a bunch of grown — and sometimes overgrown — men get very, very worked up about something that they have HITTING no control over and HOME which they have absolutely no idea how it will turn out?

Watch the NFL draft tonight.

This is one of those nights that you kind of have to look at the wives, as they pull muscles Michael Alcorn rolling their eyes, and just shrug. It’s like, “I know, hon, it’s completely stupid. BUT IT’S SO EXCITING!!”

Why is it exciting? Because it represents, to many sports fans, the hope of a better future. If you are in the position of picking high in the draft—say, the first ten picks (like your Denver Broncos have for the last several years)—that means one thing: your team has been BAD. Like, every Sunday becomes a necessary ritual in torture bad. I liken it to going to the dentist: the best possible outcome is simply not bad news.

And even if you don’t have a cavity or need a root canal, you still have to manage 15 minutes of pain and discomfort.

So that high draft pick gives your team the opportunity to select a player that could change the fortunes of your franchise overnight.

John Elway was the first pick of

his draft and led the Broncos to two Super Bowl championships — we’ve forgotten that he had a losing record his first season and he tends to get a pass for having lost three Super Bowls before getting those two wins.

And, of course, for every John Elway there’s a JaMarcus Russell or a Ryan Leaf, players whose “can’t miss” status lasted until the first time they stepped on the field under the bright lights.

The NFL draft is the beginning of hope for a new day, never mind that, more often than not, it’s more about hype than anything else.

But we cling to hope — it may be our most foolish and endearing quality as humans. And not just in sport.

Which is why it is so exciting that these COVID vaccines are widespread, that they seem to have very small incidences of reactions (seriously, that blood clotting thing with the J&J vaccine has an incidence that is a fraction of the blood clotting associated with the birth control pill), and they work! A recent study documented infections among vaccinated people (known as a “breakthrough infection”) as less than 1 in 10,000 cases.

There’s hope!!

And then there’s epidemiologists.

“No, you still have to wear masks.”

“No, you shouldn’t go out to eat.”

“No, you still shouldn’t gather, even outdoors.”

They’re like the guy at the draft party, hovering around the snack table in the back of the room, double-

F

dipping their chips, constantly reminding everybody that “we traded up to get Paxton Lynch,” and pointing out all the weaknesses on the coaching staff.

“Just to keep it real.”

I don’t want that real. Look, I get it — epidemiologists sit in their offices and stare at computer models and printouts and live in a world of “worst-case scenarios”. And their mindset is one of 100% — we need to kill it 100%, and if I can’t 100% tell you it’s safe, then I’m going to tell you not to do it. Remember all the theatrics we’ve had to go through disinfecting surfaces? Not necessary, per the CDC. I know — we didn’t know anything, so we’re all doing the best we can. And thank God for the epidemiologists along the way.

But, I gotta say, Fauci has traded up several times in the last year to get Paxton Lynch.

I’m ready for this summer to be like the NFL draft: let me have my hope and my excitement and my dreams of Super Bowl glory. I’ll still do the work and be smart and all that.

But I’m human. I need to embrace the light at the end of the tunnel. We gotta win sometime, right?

Michael Alcorn is a teacher and writer who lives in Arvada with his wife and three children. His new novel, “Valkyrie’s Kiss,” which is a finalist in the ScreenCraft Book Competition, is available now at michaeljalcorn.net.

His opinions are not necessarily those of Colorado Community Media.

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Arvada Press 15

April 29, 2021

Duran bill increases gun reporting requirements for domestic abusers Proposed legislation seeks to strengthen protective orders

BY BOB WOOLEY BWOOLEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In 2013, Senate bill 197 was passed requiring people convicted of domestic violence, who had a protection order issued against them, to relinquish their firearms. But according to State Rep. Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge, because of a lack of funds in some counties and for many other reasons, it wasn’t being enforced like it should have been.

So, as a survivor of domestic abuse herself, she started looking into ways to increase enforcement once she was elected.

Now, HB21-1255, sponsored by

SMITH

FROM PAGE 14

“Mom and Dad, I’d like you to meet Megan Thee Stallion.”

“We’re pleased to meet you. What do we call you?”

“You can call me Megan. Or you can call me Thee. Or you can call me Stallion. But you don’t have to call me Megan Thee Stallion.”

(That’s my homage to comedian Bill Saluga and his “Raymond J. Johnson Jr.” routine.)

One reader asked why I insert my middle name: “Sounds pretentious.”

There are thousands of Craig Smiths (one of was just hired to

LETTERS FROM PAGE 14

hem were so ubiquitous that some potential jurors were dismissed after admittedly fearing for their lives?

Now that the Minneapolis Star Tribune has published the profiles of the 12 Chauvin jurors for all to

Duran is under consideration in the state legislature.

The bill would give domestic abusers with a protection order issued against them (commonly referred to as a restraining order) seven business days Duran to complete and file an affidavit that discloses the number, type and location of all firearms and ammunition in their possession.

If the person does not own firearms at the time the protection order is issued, they would be required to report their non-ownership in the affidavit.

Those who don’t file the affidavit within the given seven days would face a compliance hearing with the court.

There are also provisions in the bill dealing with the relin-

coach the University of Utah’s men’s basketball team). Without “Marshall” I can’t be found if someone were searching.

There are only two of us (on the internet) named Craig Marshall Smith. The other is a corporal with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

“He is only one of a handful of African Canadians who have even worn a RCMP uniform.”

Because “Thanks in advance” belongs on The List, I’ll just say thank you.

(W. T. Rabe, 1921-1992.)

Craig Marshall Smith is an artist, educator and Highlands Ranch resident. He can be reached at craigmarshallsmith@comcast.net. see, might jurors have faced the fate of 1952 Brooklynite Arnold Schuster, had they voted differently?

Was not Schuster, who had identified notorious bank robber Willi Sutton, assassinated in revenge by mobsters, after New York newspapers published his home address, work address, and his walking route?

Russ Haas, Golden

ABOUT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Colorado Community Media welcomes letters to the editor. Please keep in mind the following rules: • We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, grammar, punctuation and length.

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quishment, transfer of ownership, purchases, sales and storage of firearms by a person with a protection order against them.

Duran said for her, having been in a situation where her life had been threatened by an abuser who had access to firearms — she knew there was a critical window of time for enforcement.

She said lack of process has also been hindering enforcement of the 2013 law. She’s been working on the issue for the past two years and thinks feedback from law enforcement, Sheriffs and District Attorneys has given HB21-1255 the procedural elements and a clear path to make the 2013 law more enforceable.

“It also closes the boyfriend loophole,” Duran said. “Currently, if the couple wasn’t married, and the abuser was just a boyfriend, there wasn’t much

you could do. This bill says, married, boyfriend —whatever the situation, you can still file that protection order.”

Duran said she wants victims to feel as safe as possible and to remove some of the fear they have about reporting domestic abuse.

“They’re (victims) afraid of repercussions, they’re afraid of what might happen,” she said.

“But if they know that the law that was passed in 2013 exists, but we’ve laid out a process for it to be enforced, it gives them that sense of safety and security — as much as they can have in a situation like this, then why wouldn’t we do it?”

The bill is also sponsored by state Senator Brittany Pettersen, Representative Matt Gray and state Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis.

OBITUARIES TRUJILLO

Avelino Trujillo

5/18/1943 - 3/30/2021 Avelino Trujillo passed away on March 30, 2021, after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. He was born on May 18, 1943 in Pueblo, Colo. to Jennie (Espinoza) Trujillo and Avelino Trujillo, Sr. He met the love of his life, Jean (Borrego) in fourth grade, and they married in 1964. Al and Jean moved to a brand-new house near Pomona High School in Arvada in 1972 to raise their two boys, Greg and Jeff, who both graduated from Pomona High School.

Avelino studied mechanical drafting at Denver Technical College and started his career at Mountain Bell in the engineering department. He got his broker’s license and started negotiating right of ways for easements, first at the phone company, then D&RG

Railroad and the City of Boulder.

He loved trees, photography, dancing and fashion. However, his greatest love was always his family. He loved being a grandparent to Greg and Michelle Trujillo’s children, Natalie and Kyle, and Jeff and Rachelle’s children, Jake and Julia, taking them on safaris through the neighborhood and making them maps to help them navigate their life journeys.

He was preceded in death by his son Jeff in 2010, and is survived by wife Jean, son Greg, daughter-in-law Rachelle, sisters Patsy and Joyce and the grandchildren.

A mass was held at Spirit of Christ Catholic Church in Arvada on April 27. A memorial service will be held at a later date due to Covid safety protocols.

SPRITZER

Chanda Lea (Healey) Spritzer July 24, 1948 - March 26, 2021

Chanda Lea (Healey) Spritzer, 72, of Arvada, CO, passed away peacefully on March 26, 2021 after a courageous battle with dementia.

She will be remembered for her kind, loving heart, beautiful smile, and for being a wonderful mother, grandmother, and sister.

Chanda was born on July 24, 1948 in San Francisco.

After living a few years in Kansas and Nebraska, her family moved to Golden, Colorado where she graduated from Golden High School in 1967.

Chanda’s career included working at Coors porcelain plant, Jolly Rancher, and finally as a manager at Kobe in Arvada for many years.

Her interests included working in her yard, going to movies, listening to music, watching Bronco games,

ROWLEN

and going “Up the Hill” to play slots. What she really enjoyed the most was spending time with her family. She especially enjoyed her trips to Washington DC, New York City, and Las Vegas.

Chanda is survived by her daughter, Paula Rail (Kevin); her son, Eddie Spritzer, Jr.; a grandson, Tristan Rail; her brother, Patrick Healey; and sisters, Dawn Heimlich (Ralph) and Jo Wilson (Orville).

She was preceded in death by her parents Chan and Edna (Spillman) Healey.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Ralston House Child Advocacy Center, 10795 W. 58th Ave., Arvada, CO 80002.

Craig Rowlen

Died April 15, 2021 Craig Rowlen, 75, passed into heaven April 15, 2021. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, four children, seven grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and a brother. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother.

Craig grew up in Belleville, Kansas and met his future wife at Kansas State University, where he earned a BBA. Craig was subsequently stationed with the Air Force in Japan for three years. He later settled in Colorado with the ambition to be a ski bum, but became a real estate agent to fund his ski passion. His wife skied to see him on weekends. Craig was a State Farm Agent for over 30 years.

He and his wife adopted four children from the Philippines in 1985, forming a multicultural family which was a source of both joy and angst. He loved his Lord and was active in his church. He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.

A celebration of life with reception afterwards will be held Saturday, May 22, 11AM at the Revive Church in Arvada, (8270 W 80th Ave, Arvada). In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Organization of the Rockies or Revive Church.

16 Arvada Press

LOCAL

April 29, 2021

LIFE

BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

T

he secret to making truly good Cajun food boils down to one word — love. Restaurants and food trucks serving Cajun across the Denver metro area may give a quick, oneword answer when asked about the secret, but that does not mean it’s simple.

Although there is some overlap, Cajun is not Southern. The love that comes in true Cajun food is all about the taste of Louisiana and New Orleans. Originally, Cajun from south Louisiana was considered peasant food, made from ingredients that rural families would have. The dishes focused on dirty rice, gumbos, jambalaya and andouille. But do not forget about the importance of frying everything from catfish and shrimp to alligator the Cajun way.

Natalie Vice, owner of the popular Cajun King food truck in Castle Rock, said true New Orleans Cajun is all about love, which means big family, generational recipes and — most importantly — a whole lot of food.

“We love our food,” she said.

“We love our Cajun, and we are used to cooking for a lot of people we love.”

As the Cajun King works toward opening a brick-and-mortar establishment, the business has built a name with its food truck that serves a little bit of everything known as Cajun, with a focus on boils. Vice said the boils are where food, family and love come together.

In New Orleans, a seafood boil is tradition and part of the city’s culture, bringing families around a newspaper-lined table to eat large amounts of shellfish with bare hands and a lot of spice.

Vice said Cajun King boils are authentic because they go directly to the source for supplies. This means traveling to Louisiana several times a year, picking up crawfish and alligator along with true-to-Cajun seasonings.

At Jessie’s Smokin’ Nola, in Centennial, there is nothing

Jessie Rayford of Jessie’s Smokin Nola, in Centennial, talks about details in making good Cajun food.

CAJUN DINING OPTIONS Jessie’s Smokin Nola 7422 S. University Blvd. Centennial Lost Cajun Westminster - 3013 W. 104th Ave. Highlands Ranch - 2201 Wildcat Reserve Parkway C-10 Littleton - 5350 South Santa Fe Drive Cajun King Food Truck cajunkingsco.com generic about the food or owner Jessie Rayford. From his strong Southern accent to his dedication to making a true taste of Cajun for a continuous line of customers, Rayford is all about cooking it up right.

While making his popular Half and Half dish, Rayford explains

that putting love into Cajun means making sure there are no buildup of pellets in the batter. The Half and Half consists of fried catfish on a bed of rice smothered with half shrimp creole and half crawfish etouffee, which is a Cajun stew simmered in a sauce made from a light or blond roux.

“There is only one secret to this food we make — love. I don’t care how long you been cooking,” he said. “That does not matter if you don’t care. I teach the importance of loving and respecting the work we’re doing. This is mine. This is my passion. I love what I do and sometimes, I gotta admit, I can get loud.”

Rayford said his food all starts with the roux, which is a base

PHOTOS BY THELMA GRIMES

mixture of butter and flour.

“If the roux ain’t right,” he said, “it ain’t gonna happen.”

In talking about his menu of recipes that he stresses all “come from my head,” Rayford talks and jokes with a line of regular customers, including another New Orleans man who says there is nothing better than having Rayford’s battered catfish between two pieces of white bread.

Rayford said he makes sure the catfish is not muddy, explaining that a Cajun secret to making good catfish is to take it out of the water, dry it out, and take away that muddy flavor people complain about.

Rayford is a constant director, SEE CAJUN, P17

House concerts provide live music alternative

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Clarke Reader

O

ne of the first responses many people give when they’re asked what they’ve missed most during the COVID-19 pandemic is live music, and while it appears that this summer will feature more concerts, audiences are bound to be smaller.

Those who are still uncomfortable in crowds, or are craving something a more personal connection with the performer may have the perfect option in an already established system — house concerts, like those held at Parker resident John Diak’s home, otherwise known as Twenty Mile House Concerts.

“Attending these kinds of shows pro-

vides people with a whole new community of friends and new musicians to follow and enjoy,” Diak explained. “Anyone who enjoys music should endeavor to check one of these shows out. It’s amazing how intimate they are and how great a time people have.”

House concerts — where regular people host musicians and other performers at their homes — have been an established option for fans for many years, with word spreading about the shows through word of mouth and/or by dedicated fanbases.

Thanks to social media and easy website creation, it’s never been easier to get the word out about the events and bring in

local and national performers.

“I gained a real appreciation of this when I saw the connection artists and fans can have at these shows. They bring the whole music community together for just a great night.” Diak, who is also a Parker Town Council member, explained.

“There are some great surprises in store for people who are unaware of all the talent out there nobody knows about. These shows provide a chance for audiences to connect with emerging artists.”

Twenty Mile House Concerts was launched in 2019, and Diak had plans SEE READER, P17

Arvada Press 17

April 29, 2021

CAJUN FROM PAGE 16

pushing his staff to pass out perfect food. He shouts as he moves around the restaurant. He makes a point of telling cooks to stir the rice pudding and add the right ingredients at the right time.

“Everything we do here comes back to me,” he said. “I am all about this business and I am all in.”

Joe Koen, the franchise business consultant for several of Colorado’s Lost Cajun locations, including the Westminster establishment, said he came from south Alabama, and after learning Louisiana cuisine, he understands the importance of love, especially when it comes to the Lost Cajun’s batter.

Serving up a fried plate of shrimp, catfish and allegator bites, Koen said there is no skipping

The Half and Half is a popular menu item at Jessie’s Smokin Nola.

PHOTO BY THELMA GRIMES

details when it comes to frying Cajun meat.

“Cajun is all about thought and care,” he said. “Stir the food often and stir it slow. When you think of a chain restaurant, you think of generic food that does not come close to the real thing. A lot of our processes come

READER

form 100-year-old recipes.”

Lost Cajun has locations in Littleton, Highlands Ranch and Westminster.

Some goodies at Lost Cajun include the gator bites and boudin balls. The boudin balls are a classic comfort food, consisting of pork sausage made with rice and seasonings

FROM PAGE 16

will be a place where audiences can be comfortable and safe.”

For more information on Twenty Mile House Concerts, visit www. twentymilemusic.com.

to expand things in 2020, but the pandemic made that a difficult proposition. He was able to host his first outdoor performance in his backyard and sees this as a possible alternative option for music fans as the area comes out of shutdown. He will be hosting singer/songwriter Griffin House at his home at 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 23, and is hoping to bring in more performers this summer as touring for many artists starts back up.

“Some bands and musicians are house concert artists, and others are occasionally happy to play a show like this after playing a larger venue,” Diak said. “Right now, artists don’t have a lot of clarity on what the rules are going to be for performing, so it’s difficult to put a tour together right now. But hopefully these kinds of smaller shows

Denver scurries again with its furriest friends People interested in helping homeless pets and horses (which should be everybody) with the Dumb Friends League can get in on the active fun by taking part in the 28th annual Furry Scurry — in a virtual format. The event takes place on Saturday, May 1, and volunteers can rack up the miles in any way that is fun and easy for them.

According to provided information, registered participants will receive a Furry Scurry frenzy box featuring limited edition goodies and the event T-shirt. There’s an early-bird discount for entry, which will increase on the day of the event.

To register and the details, visit www.furryscurry.org.

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that are stuffed in a casing.

Being from Alabama, Koen is no stranger to alligator, but noted that Cajun cooking Louisiana style makes them better.

“I grew up eating gator, but always felt like I was biting into someone’s leather wallet,” he said.

“With (Lost Cajun) gator bites, it’s all about trimming them properly and marinating until it’s time to lightly fry them up.”

From Nola’s to Cajun King and Lost Cajun, all the restaurants say them have their specialities, but one of the most popular menu items is the po’ boy. Originally known as the “poor boy,” the popular sandwich started in the 1920s during the New Orleans streetcar strike.

The seafood po’ boy at Nola’s comes on French bread with lettuce, tomato, mayo, ketchup, and hot sauce. Nola’s po’ boys

Clarke’s Concert of the Week —Thomas Rhett: One Night Only from Nashville Thomas Rhett was just named the Male Artist of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards, and it’s clear from his performance at the ceremony that he misses doing the live thing. Since it’s been a year and a half since his last show, and as he has a new album out, called “Country Again: Side A,” Rhett is going to do his thing virtually.

Thomas Rhett: One Night Only from Nashville will be livestreamed at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 30. He’s bound to play some hits and try out some new tunes as well. For tickets and information, visit https://thomasrhett.veeps. com.

Streaming style — ReelAbilities: Denver Film Festival The JCC Mizel Arts and Culture Center, 350 S. Dahlia St., is hosting the first ever Coloradobased ReelAbilities: Denver Film

can be ordered with fried shrimp, fried catfish, fried crawfish, shrimp and Cajun sausage, or Friday oysters, which Rayford said is directly from the bayou.

One po’ boy is named after Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning.

The Cajun Manning consists of fried crawfish, shrimp or a Cajun sausage.

“They should have named this sandwich after me,” Rayford said.

“But, given we are here in Denver, I named one after Peyton Manning.”

At Cajun King’s the softness of the French bread is a perfect casing for the crunchy shrimp and mixture of sauces that make the sandwich unique.

Cajun is all about good food and fun. There are several locations across the Denver metro area that will take anyone on a trip along Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

Festival from Wednesday, May 5 through Saturday, May 8. The allvirtual festival highlights diverse films and extra content (discussions and panels) that puts people with disabilities in the spotlight to tell the stories that matter most to them.

As part of the festival’s efforts to ensure it is as accessible as possible, all the films and supplemental programs will include open captions, audio description, all spoken content will be pre-recorded and offer American Sign Language interpretation, and pay what you can ticketing.

Highlights of the festival include a panel conversation about representation, visibility, and identity, hosted by Phamaly Theatre Company.

For more information about the festival, visit jccdenver.org/ reelabilities.

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

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18 Arvada Press

April 29, 2021

Q&A with Lauren Simpson

BY RYAN DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

At the ribbon cutting ceremony of the `LandMark’ art installation, the Arvada Press’ Ryan Dunn spoke to District Two Councilmember Lauren Simpson about the importance of public art in the community and Simpson’s own love of the arts.

Their conversation has been edited slightly for clarity.

Where does your love of art come from?

My love for art stems from when I was a kid.

I was a very awkward child, contrary to popular belief. I was tall, I was gangly. And it wasn’t until I discovered the arts — particularly theater for me — that I Simpson made friends as a child.

So, the arts for me have a very special place because it’s what gave me an identity when I was young and it gave me a creative outlet, and I understand how important the arts are for people because it really, truly serves as our storytelling mechanism. It helps us create the stories and the sense of identity that help us shape the world and tell narratives that enable us to be able to connect with stories that aren’t necessarily our own. So, I love that about art, and I think art is incredibly important for those reasons and so many others.

What do you believe is the importance of the ‘LandMark’ exhibit?

This public art initiative is extremely important to me, particularly on the East side of the town.

We’re the older side of the town, we have a lot of infrastructure needs, we’re not quite as new, not quite as shiny as the newer parts of town, particularly the West side of town.

Here we have these wonderful parks — Creekside, Majestic View — and we need this art, this art that really connects to people. Here, we have the Flats at Creekside. This isn’t our luxury apartments over here, these are our average, everyday residents who have average, normal jobs, and they deserve pub-

“Nesting Crane” by Judy Gardner, the first installation to open in the LandMark exhibit.

lic art too.

So, to have this beautiful piece over here that they can look at, that their children can enjoy, that their families can enjoy when they’re out, it’s just really important for community identity, community placemaking.

I was first elected in 2019, and placemaking was a main priority of mine. And this is really the essence of placemaking; public art, beautification of our community, and creating this narrative that we can all come around and enjoy together.

How does the exhibit’s theme of coming together resonate with you?

Coming out of the pandemic, I don’t think anyone would disagree that this has probably been the hardest year our society has ever endured — and this was my first year in office, so that gives a completely new perspective.

We have been responding on all fronts — an economic crisis, a health crisis — and now we’re at

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this point where people are able to become vaccinated and we’re starting to look to ‘what does that future look like?’ and ‘how do we emerge?’

Different people have different comfort levels, different people have different availabilities, and so what does that world look like as we emerge from this pandemic? What things from before do we want to go back to, and also, what from the last year do we want to change for good?

Before the ceremony, (Councilmember) Nancy (Ford), (Mayor) Marc (Williams), and I were talking about hybrid meetings, and how important it is to keep those for all residents, regardless of whether or not they can make a meeting. You might have someone who is sick, or has childcare duties, might have chronic back pain — any number of reasons why they can’t make it — but they should still have access to that meeting. Particularly City Council. I love the fact that we all know how to do hybrid meetings now and I think that’s really important to keep.

In terms of these different pieces of art, you have `Nesting Crane’ over here. That’s a sense of calm, a sense of tranquility. I love the fact that it’s by the water because I feel that’s very symbolic in its own sense. Water can be chaos, but it can also be so peaceful. And so, I feel like this piece in particular belongs right here because it brings this sense of beauty and calm in nature, and it reminds us to slow down.

And that’s one of the things from before the pandemic — we were always so busy, we always had something to do, we didn’t always take the time to be with our families and our loved ones. And here we are now, we’ve spent over a year at home, and we’ve slowed down. And I think a lot of people don’t want to go back to the way things were before; they want a new sense, a hybrid sense.

And so, this piece of art is exactly like the water; it balances water, but also with tranquility — and that’s

PHOTO BY RYAN DUNN

what we need right now.

The ‘LandMark’ exhibit features artists from diverse backgrounds. How important is it to showcase a range of perspectives?

It’s so important because we all live in this society together and we don’t all share a single point of view. As an elected official, I can tell you, I am very familiar that people do not always share a point of view. And so, I think it’s incredibly important because, like I said before, art is a really great way for us to understand the stories and the narratives of the people who are not from our world, who are not from our background.

The artist of this piece talked about being born and growing up in her early years in Japan. So, that’s really important because the crane is a really important symbol in Japanese culture. I myself have never lived in Japanese culture, so that’s not something I can speak to firsthand. But she can! So, being able to read her story, understand through her art, it brings me a greater worldview and a greater perspective of stories that aren’t my own.

I think in this current political climate, it’s pretty intense. There’s a lot of fighting and a lot of jumping to conclusions about one another and I think through art we’re able to get a better grasp of what other people are trying to tell us in a nonconfrontational way, and that’s extremely important.

We’re a wonderful community, and regardless of what your political beliefs are, I think people in this community want the same things; we want beautiful parks, we want great schools for our children, we want safe neighborhoods. When we understand that we all come from that same place, we realize we’re not so different — even if we may look different, even if we believe differently, we’re really not so different at the core of it. And art really cuts through all of the noise and helps us see that about one another.

Arvada Press 19

April 29, 2021

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April 29, 2021

A little hard-won wisdom from one who would know

Y

ou’ve got a tale to tell.

Everybody does, but people believe that yours would sell. Write a book, they say, your BOOKWORM story is interesting/funny/exciting. And so you start to imagine the crowds at your book signing.

You think about the money you’ll make. You picture the life of a writer.

You should read Terri “Consider This” Schlichenmeyer by Chuck Palahniuk before you go any further.

Long before he was an author of novels, Chuck Palahniuk was a truck assembly line worker with a journalism degree, struggling to be a better writer through a series of expensive, ineffective workshops. Then he met Tom Spanbauer, who offered “less a class than a dialogue.”

That, says Palahniuk, is what he hopes this book will be.

“If you’re dedicated to becoming an author, nothing I can say here will stop you,” Palahniuk cautions. “But if you’re not, nothing I can say will make you one.”

If you were Palahniuk’s student, though, he would tell you to pay attention to the “textures” in your characters’ conversations. Use textures as you would in normal conversation; they’ll help your readers know who said what, they’ll bridge conversational gaps, and they help indicate time passed.

“Establish… authority” to make your characters relatable. Offer real-world context; never, ever ignore fine details; and don’t worry about making people likable. Some of literature’s best-loved characters were despicable.

If you were Palahniuk’s student, he’d tell you to “plant a gun” and an object that quietly returns again and again. He’d instruct you to surprise your readers and raise tension, both correctly, and to avoid ping-pong conversations.

You’d start to listen to other people’s stories because that’s where

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Author Chuck Palahniuk. COURTESY OF DAVID MACK

your novel lies. You’d know how to rescue a boring character and how to write dialogue that sounds authentic. And if Palahniuk were your teacher, you’d learn this: “Don’t overthink your creative process.”

Great writers are not born that way. They are molded from a mixture of sweat, rejection, odd hours, tiny pieces of notepaper, antacids, and books like “Consider This.”

Your readers have a short list of things they hate in a novel, and author Chuck Palahniuk shows you how not to do those things when writing your future bestseller. Replacing bad behavior with good is part of this book, including advice that makes so much sense that you wonder why you never thought of it before. (Hint: you didn’t because you’re not his student).

On that note, Palahniuk will delight you as he instructs, by subtly using his own advice scattered throughout this book amid stories of his struggle to become a novel-

“Consider This” book cover. COURTESY PHOTO

ist and tales of booksignings that were held on his behalf. There are shout-outs to other authors that serve as a kind of reading list for prospective writers, and yes, you’ll find a few head-scratchers that may not make sense until you’re

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Readers who are writers will love it for the chance to watch a master in action. If you are both, “Consider This” tells the tale.

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22 Arvada Press

April 29, 2021

VACCINE FROM PAGE 12

State officials have partnered with community organizations to host more than 200 clinics across the state, according to Polis’ office.

“They’ve been in church and school parking lots, at local rec centers, and a variety of other locations that community members trust,” said Elizabeth Kosar, a spokeswoman for the governor.

Many of the equity clinics are temporary, and others were ongoing as of late April. Some ongoing locations, according to the governor’s office, include: • Project Angel Heart, an organization that delivers meals to people with life-threatening illnesses, at 4950 N. Washington St. in Denver.

• Bear Valley Branch Library at 5171 W. Dartmouth Ave. in Denver.

• Village Exchange Center, a nonprofit that serves immigrants and refugees in the Denver metro area, at 1609 N. Havana St in Aurora.

• Fort Lupton recreation center at 203 S. Harrison Ave. On top of that, a mobile vaccine clinic program is also helping distribute vaccine shots around Colorado. The mobile vaccine clinics kicked off on April 2, and the equity clinics began in January, according to Polis’ office. The state had two bus routes as of late April.

“The mobile vaccine clinics are currently running routes in Northeast and Southern Colorado.

Previous stops include Eaton,

Gov. Jared Polis, center, visits a mobile vaccine clinic, an effort supported by state officials to bring vaccinations sites to locations PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE VIA FACEBOOK around Colorado. The state has two bus routes and was to announce a third soon.

Sterling, Yuma, Fort Morgan, Avondale, Ordway, La Junta, Las Animas and Lamar,” Kosar said.

“And soon, we will be launching a third bus, which will run a route reaching mountain communities.”

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The Small Business Administration announced that the deadline to apply for the Economic Injury

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Other sources of funding An “Alternative Sources of Funding” Google sheet lists other help for Colorado’s small businesses. The state’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade will be updating this sheet regularly.

See that and other resources at

Arvada Press 23

LOCAL

April 29, 2021

SPORTS

Ralston Valley junior Morgan McChesney helped the Mustangs dominate Valor Christian in a straightset victory April 21.

PHOTOS BY DENNIS PLEUSS/JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Ralston Valley junior Jordan Wisner (7) and senior Jamie Dorczuk (16) combine for a block on Valor sophomore Skyla Morgan in the first set April 21 at Ralston Valley High School. The Mustangs took a straight-set victory over the Eagles in the final regular-season home match for Ralston Valley.

Ralston Valley clinches 5A Jeffco title with win over Valor

BY DENNIS PLEUSS JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ARVADA — The girls volleyball Class 5A Jeffco League title is returning to Ralston Valley High School.

The Mustangs — No. 7 in the latest 5A CHSAANow.com rankings — officially wrapped up the conference title with a straight set 25-12, 25-20, 25-14 victory over No. 10 Valor Christian on April 21 at Ralston Valley. It’s first league title for Ralston Valley’s volleyball program since 2015.

“I think it was all excited nerves,” Ralston Valley junior Morgan McChesney said of the Mustangs having the chance to clinch the conference title at home.

“We are just super excited to have this opportunity this season to go really far and do something really

cool out here.”

Valor and Chatfield had split the past four 5A Jeffco League titles.

Valor won back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019 after Chatfield won two straight in 2016 and 2017.

“It is something we’ve talked. We look at that banner in the corner of the gym frequently and say we are next,” Ralston Valley coach Ashley Ahlman said of the 2015 5A Jeffco League championship banner. “We talk about where they are going to hang our banner. For them to celebrate that tonight and see all their hard work payoff. Not a lot of teams get to set a goal and then come out and earn it. It’s really special.”

It was an outstanding 24 hours for the Mustangs (14-0, 8-0 in 5A Jeffco). Ralston Valley rallied from SEE VOLLEYBALL, P24

Ralston Valley’s girls volleyball team poses with the Class 5A Jeffco League title plaque on April 21 after the Mustangs defeated Valor Christian 3-0. It’s Ralston Valley’s first volleyball conference title since 2015.

Late goal gives Arvada West upset win over Rangeview

BY DENNIS PLEUSS JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Arvada West sophomore Yavani Tamayo (21) scored the game-winning goal in the Class 5A first-round state playoff game April 23 at Rangeview High School. Tamayo scored with 2:38 left in regulation PHOTO BY DENNIS PLEUSS/JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS to give the Wildcats the 2-1 victory.

AURORA — A clean slate to start the Class 5A boys soccer state tournament is exactly what Arvada West needed.

A-West was trending in the wrong direction finishing out the regular season. The Wildcats went 0-1-2 — along with a “no contest” against rival Ralston Valley from a game was postponed twice and eventually canceled because of snowstorms — in their last two weeks of the regular season.

However, the No. 12-seeded Wildcats turned things around in the opening round of the state tournament Thursday, April 23, at No. 5 Rangeview. A-West scored a 2-1 upset victory against

the 5A EMAC champions to advance to the 5A state quarterfinals Saturday, April 24.

“I think the boys overcame,” A-West coach Troy Gette said. “They worked hard through the midfield and our defense has been solid all season. They stuck together.”

Not only was A-West (7-2-2 record) looking for its first win since April 6 to open the state playoffs, the Wildcats were without the services of starting goalie Jacob Landskov and senior Kyler Tate, one of the top players in 5A Jeffco.

“We really had a lot of momentum going into the season. We won those first six games to carry that momentum. After Kyler left and we had some injuries we slowed down a bit,” A-West

senior captain Noah Kanagy said. “I think this game is the turning point to getting back that momentum.”

It looked liked A-West and Rangeview were headed to overtime tied 1-1 in the final minutes of regular-time at Rangeview High School.

Sophomore Yavani Tamayo had other ideas.

“I kept looking at the time.

I remember seeing there was 4 minutes left,” Tamayo said. “I thought, ‘I had to help this team out. We’ve got to go and keep pushing up.’”

Tamayo found himself on the far post unmarked with 2:38 left on the clock to punched home the eventual game-winning goal.

“I thought I was going to miss it,” Tamayo admitted.

SEE SOCCER, P24

24 Arvada Press

April 29, 2021

SOCCER FROM PAGE 23

“I played it with my left foot, then it went to my right and I shot it.”

Tamayo didn’t start, but Gette subbed in the sophomore at the right time to send the Wildcats into the quarterfinals.

“He (Tamayo) just stayed composed and has a great first touch,” Gette said. “The build up to it was good. It was a great ball to him. The whole play was fantastic.”

Sophomore goalie Ethan Kerstiens was fantastic in net for A-West. It was actually Kerstiens first varsity start with Landskov missing the game.

Landskov is a cast member in A-West’s spring musical “The Theory of Relativity” which had a show Thursday night.

“He was awesome,” Gette said of Kerstiens.

Kanagy — A-West’s leading scorer — gave the Wildcats the first-half lead with a goal in the 27th minute off a back giveaway

by Rangeview (10-1-1).

“We were high pressing and they made the mistake,” Kanagy said of capitalizing on the Raiders’ turnover deep in their own zone. “I picked up the ball, took a touch and put it in the top left corner.”

Despite finishing third in 5A Jeffco this season after winning back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019, A-West is the lone 5A

VOLLEYBALL FROM PAGE 23

a 1-0 deficit against Columbine the night before to eventually take a 3-1 victory against the Rebels (10-1, 7-1) with the conference lead on the line.

There was no letdown after the emotional victory against Columbine. It was all Mustangs against the defending 5A state champion Eagles on Wednesday night.

“Columbine and Valor are both great teams. We had so much fun playing both of them,” Ralston Valley senior Taylor Scherff said. “We were ready and so excited to play both teams.”

Ralston Valley dominated the first set with junior Jordan Wisner shining with a handful of kills from her

Jeffco team remaining in the tournament with both Valor Christian and Lakewood suffering first-round losses Thursday.

“Anything can happen,” Gette said as the Wildcats prepare for the quarterfinals this weekend.

“We have to figure out how to be more productive and efficient offensively, but we’ll get there.”

A-West couldn’t get its offense going Saturday, April 25, at Legacy Stadium against No. 4 Grandview. The Wolves took a 1-0 victory to end the Wildcats’ season.

Arvada West senior Noah Kanagy (13) uses some fancy footwork to get past Rangeview defender Ismael Dembele on April 23. Kanagy’s goal in the 27th-minute gave the Wildcats the early lead.

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

right outside-hitter position. Freshman Maddy Dominick won four straight service points for the Mustangs to stretch out Ralston Valley’s lead to double-digits.

The second set was a little closer.

Valor sophomore Taylor Bowman got the Eagles (7-4, 5-3) going offensively and also had a monster block to help Valor get out to an early lead.

“Out of that timeout there was a little bit of a wake-up call,” Ahlman said of her timeout she called with Ralston Valley trailing 10-6 in the second set. “Valor wasn’t going to give us anything. Everyone wants to beat that team on top. It proved this team can flip a switch and go into another gear.”

Junior setter Emerson Reinke showed off her creatively with a brilliant dink out of the timeout that caught Valor off guard. Ralston Val-

PHOTO BY DENNIS PLEUSS/JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ley then went on a 7-0 run on Reinke’s serve to take command of the set.

“I think this team is really good job at failure recovery. Volleyball is a game of mistakes,” McChesney said.

“Once we make a mistake the team really rallies around each other.”

There were few errors for Ralston Valley to close out the third set and the sweep. McChesney dominated the middle of the net with a handful of kills and a few blocks defensively for good measure.

“It was a normal game tonight. We weren’t super nervous,” Scherff said summing up the regular-season home finale for Ralston Valley. “We just trust each other so much. We know at the end of the day we are going to show up, try our hardest and show a lot of effort.”

The Mustangs are in-line to be one of the top-8 seeds that will host

regional tournaments Saturday, May 1. During a normal season the top-12 seeds host regionals.

“This year it’s more important than ever,” Ahlman said about hosting a regional. “With only 8 host sites the competition is going to be a little tougher at regionals. The higher we finish the better.”

Scherff is excited to play a few more matches at Ralston Valley before the Mustangs hopefully head to the state tournament May 12 and 13 at the World Arena in Colorado Springs.

“It’s such an advantage playing at home,” Scherff said. “I love our gym.

It is home for us. We feel so comfortable here.”

Dennis Pleuss is the Sports Information Director for Jeffco Public Schools.

For more Jeffco coverage go to CHSAANow.com/Jeffco.

- E D U C AT I O N A L A DV E R T I S E M E N T -

Learn how your neighbors are accessing $100,000s from home equity with Colorado’s number one reverse mortgage lender.

F

rom Larimer Square to the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Denver is truly a great place to call home and enjoy retirement.

With the Rockies at your doorstep, there are virtually unlimited opportunities for adventure. Denver is also No. 3 on the list of America’s Best Cities* for a Healthy (and More Affordable Retirement).

What you may not know is a reverse mortgage loan from AAG may help you get even more out of your retirement.

A reverse mortgage is simply a way for you to convert some of your built-up home equity into cash for your retirement — cash to pay off large bills or high-interest credit card debt, make home improvements, cover medical expenses, build a bigger rainy-day fund, or simply get out and enjoy more of the Mile High City.

If you choose, you can wait to repay your loan when you permanently leave your home. Although a reverse mortgage requires no monthly mortgage payments, you are still responsible for paying for the maintenance of your home, property taxes, homeowners insurance, and, if required, HOA fees.

“Working with Jarred Talmadge and AAG was a very nice experience,” said AAG customer Angela Pendergraft. “No pressure or feelings of anxiety. He answered all our questions and concerns leaving us feeling comfortable with our decision to do a reverse mortgage.”

If you want to learn how a reverse mortgage can specifically improve your retirement, AAG Market Sales Manager Jarred Talmadge, NMLS# 1842043, and his team are ready to assist you.

Jarred can also address all your questions and concerns by calling (303) 957-3653 today.

To qualify for a reverse mortgage, you must: Be 62 or older Own your own home Live in it as your primary residence Have sufficient home equity (no mortgage or low mortgage balance) ACT NOW FOR A FREE INFO KIT

(303) 957-3653

*https://www.bestplaces.net/docs/studies/americas_best_cities_for_a_healthy_retirement.aspx 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 legaldisclosure, please visit: www.americanadvisorsgroup.com/disclosure

Arvada Press 25

April 29, 2021

Ask a Therapist: Anxiety

Q: I have anxiety and recently it’s been worse. Between work, parenting, and the pandemic, I feel like I’m always stressed out. Everything is overwhelming, and I’m exhausted.

What can I do to help with this?

A: It does sound like you’re juggling a lot and that can feel overwhelming. Everyone experiences anxiety in their lives, but different factors and situations can influence how often you feel anxious and how intense it feels. Learning to cope with difficult, stressful situations — whether they are short-lived or don’t have an obvious endpoint - is a great tool in being able to cope in healthy ways.

Here are some ways to approach anxiety when it shows up in your life.

Identify Your Warning Signswhen you feel anxious you might get racing thoughts and find them hard to stop. Knowing what started the racing can help you recognize when you need to take a step back or what kind of support you might need.

Prioritize Exercise- exercise helps support positive mental health by increasing endorphins which can improve mood and reduce stress. Go for a walk, get outside and move your body in a way that feels good to you. When you’re very anxious, this is often a valuable first step before trying the next two (breathing and mindfulness).

Take Some Deep Breaths grounding exercises are a common - technique used to reconnect the mind to the body and calm anxious thoughts. Practice deep breathing by breathing in through your nose for five seconds, then out through

GUEST COLUMN Heather Trish

your nose for five seconds five times in a row.

Practice Mindfulness - awareness and mindfulness are great tools to help you regain some of that control and manage emotions. Activities like yoga and meditation can help with self-soothing.

Get Quality Sleep - sleep is your body’s time to unwind and recharge each day. Adding exercise into your day, building in time for a mental wind-down, and a brief mindfulness exercise can help you get to sleep faster and get better rest each night.

Everyone experiences anxiety at some point in their lives, but it’s important to recognize if it’s becoming a problem. If you notice that your anxiety is starting to affect your relationships, work-life, or your health, talk with your doctor or mental health professional. By practicing compassion for yourself and others, you can learn to acknowledge your fears without getting stuck in them.

You are not alone. Reach out to Jefferson Center at 303-425-0300 to speak to a licensed professional counselor or to find resources in your area.

C R O S SWO R D P U Z Z L E

Heather Trish,NCC, LPC, has been a mental health practitioner for nearly 30 years. She is an expert in trauma treatment, treating anxiety and depression, suicide prevention, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity in healthcare, and more. She is currently the Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion & Trauma-Informed Services at Jefferson Center for Mental Health.

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

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April 29, 2021

www.ColoradoCommunityCareers.com

To Advertise call Karen 303.566.4091

kearhart@coloradocommunitymedia.com

TO ADVERTISE CALL 303-566-4100

Career Training

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Certified Nurse Aide 23691 County Rd. 60 1/2 Greeley, CO 80631

NOW HIRING!!!

Development Solutions company of Northern Colorado is hiring: - Hydrovac Operators - Hydrovac Swampers - Civil Operations Manager - Project Manager - Water Haul - Frac Sand Box Hauler Class A - Nights - Belly & Side Dump Class A (Greeley & Keenesburg - Tandem Class B (Greeley & Keenesburg) - Heavy Haul (Keenesburg)

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATE Colorado Community Media seeks to hire a Classified Advertising Sales Associate to join our team.

Position requires data entry, working with clients to renew ads, collect payments and will make outbound calls to new customers.

Candidate must be proficient with all Microsoft products and have excellent customer service skills. Must be detail oriented and organized.

Previous experience working with deadlines is highly desirable but not required. Must be able to work with multiple projects at one time, ensuring there are no errors.

This position is full time with hourly pay working in our Englewood office.

To apply please put Classified Advertising Sales Associate in subject line and email resume to eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia. com. No phone calls please.

Parts Runner Kelley Trucking Inc. is looking for a parts runner to pick up and deliver parts to various jobsites, and keep shop in a clean and orderly fashion. Pays $18-25/hr. EOE. Call 303.279.4150

Apply online at www.fortressds.com/careers or by phone: 970-353-6666

FARM HELP

Farm hand needed for Platteville area, possible housing furnished, clean driving record is necessary, background check will be done.

Contact info: Call 720-320-7404

To Advertise, Call Us At:

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Traffic Control Supervisors and Flaggers Summary: No experience is required to start out as a flagger and move up to a TCS If you have an experienced TCS certified through CCA Colorado Contractors Association or ATSSA - American Traffic Safety Services, strongly encouraged to apply Company Qualifications: Are you honest? Are you a hard worker? If so please apply at wsbarricade.com we would LOVE to have you aboard!

Duties and Responsibilities: * Ability to read, implement and field adjust Traffic Control Plans * MUTCD knowledge so you can safely properly set up and tear down any and all work zones * Current driver's license *Ability to work on-call and after hours * Ability to problem solve and work under pressure * Ability to be and remain flexible * Ability to document work thoroughly and clearly * Ability to communicate effectively with customers and co-workers * Must maintain a clean truck & environment * Understand daytime closures and requirements * Understand flagging duties and responsibilities Physical Demands and Work Environment: *Ability to lift, move up to 75 lbs regularly (TCS ONLY) *Employee is regularly exposed to traffic and ALL outside weather conditions *Work is year round If you have an experienced TCS certified through CCA Colorado Contractors Association or ATSSA - American Traffic Safety Services will be offered a sign on incentive *EOE Salary: Depends on experience. We are happy to give raises, just prove yourself!

TCS Supervisor - $20-25 per hour – with a $250 sign on incentive Flagging - $18 - $20.00 per hour DOE – with a $100 sign on incentive per week up to $400 Please call 303.654.8583 to schedule an interview

Colorado Community Media, in Englewood, CO is a full service media company looking to add to our team.

Support your local merchants & businesses... it’s good for Colorado.

POWERED BY

Intake Coordinator/ Medical Records Processor

We’re looking for compassionate health care professionals to join our amazing care team serving the mountain communities of Clear Creek, Gilpin, Jefferson, and Park Counties.

Physical Therapist Registered Nurse Social Worker Speech-Language Pathologist

Find out more about these positions at: mtevans.org/careers

H RING? It’s easy to place your ad online.

Rates are very reasonable with self-placement.

It will run in print and on all 20 of our newspaper websites.

classifieds.yourquickads.com/ccm/

MULTI-MEDIA ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Colorado Community Media, publishers of 24 weekly and 3 monthly publications is currently seeking to hire an Multi-Media Advertising Account Executive. If you aren’t familiar with us, maybe you know one of our publications such as the Arvada Press, Golden Transcript, Westminster Window, Littleton Independent, the Parker Chronicle, the Castle Rock NewsPress or the Washington Park Profile. But we are a lot more than local newspapers. We also can help businesses through our full suite of digital marketing tools. Such as programmatic online advertising, email marketing and our own newspaper websites. If you have a desire to help businesses succeed by being a marketing advisor with many solutions at your disposal, this is your opportunity. Plus, as the local newspaper, we are trusted and well known.

Candidate must be a multi-tasker, be outgoing and a fast learner. Like any sales position, candidate must like the challenge of calling on prospects as well as established customers and earning commission on every sale. Newspaper sales experience a plus but not required.

Position is full time and offers a base salary plus commission and full benefits available. We offer a nice working environment.

What we do as an organization matters. Sales revenues supports our newsroom. Our reporters are out there everyday holding the powerful accountable, telling good stories about good people, keeping readers informed about things to do and yes, the occasional breaking news story that is not always positive. If you are mission driven, we have a strong mission and a 150+ year history in Colorado doing what we do.

SHOP LOCAL Local ads,coupons & deals are one click away!

is hiring!

Please send resume to:

Job Type: Full-time • Pay: $40,000.00 - $70,000.00 per year

eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

COVID-19 considerations:

Come join CCM to be a part of helping local businesses be successful and our community newspapers thrive.

Sales sits in tall cubicles, properly socially distanced from others. Everyone wears a mask when not at their desks. Currently, it is rare that sales meets with anyone in person. Almost all work is being done via zoom, phone or email at this time.

Arvada Press 27

April 29, 2021

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To Advertise call Karen 303.566.4091 kearhart@coloradocommunitymedia.com TO ADVERTISE CALL 303-566-4100 Carpentry Carpenter/Handyman:

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28 Arvada Press

April 29, 2021 Handyman

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Our core values are honesty, integrity, service, quality and beauty and our focus is on delivering an outstanding customer experience.

We currently include a full color consult, test quarts and a detailed walkthrough with all of our paint jobs.

• Family Owned • Free Upgrades Included Give us a call to set up a free estimate!

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Arvada Press 29

April 29, 2021

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ASIAN WOMEN! Penpals, friendship! Free brochure. Send S.A.S.E.: Box 4601NN, Thousand Oaks CA 91362. 805-492-8040 www.pacisl.com Since 1991.

Lost in Space but found in Lakewood. Nicely assembled model rocket landed near the intersection of W. 20th Ave and Simms St. If you can tell me what color it is you can pick it up.

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Merchandise Firewood

WIDOWED MEN AND WOMEN OF AMERICA. A social club offering many exciting activities and life long friendships.

Social hours for all areas of Metro Denver. Reopening Activities May 1st, 2021 Visit Widowedamerica.org for details In your area!

Miscellaneous Miscellaneous kearhart@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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Miscellaneous Stay in your home longer with an American Standard Walk-In Bathtub.

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Misc. Notices CASH FOR CARS: We Buy Any Condition Vehicle, 2002 and Newer.

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Health & Beauty

Split & Delivered $300 a cord Stacking available extra $50 Call 303-647-2475 or 720-323-2173

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No contract/commitment. CALL 1-866-825-6523 !!OLD GUITARS WANTED!! GIBSON, FENDER, MARTIN, Etc. 1930’s to 1980’s. TOP DOLLAR PAID. CALL TOLL FREE 1-866433-8277 DENTAL INSURANCE - Physicians Mutual Insurance Company.

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GENERAC Standby Generators.

The weather is increasingly unpredictable. Be prepared for power outages. FREE 7-year extended warranty ($695 value!) Schedule FREE in-home assessment 1-844-3348353 Special financing if qualified.

Residential Cleaning Business Plug and Play

kearhart@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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Wanted to Buy Wants to purchase minerals and other oil and gas interests. Send details to P.O. Box 13557 Denver, Co. 80201

Transportation Wanted Get cash for your used or junk car today. We buy all cars, trucks, New Ad Copy! and SUVs. Free pick up. Call. 1-888-985-1806 CARS/TRUCKS WANTED!!! 2002 and Newer! Any Condition. Running or Not. Competitive Offer! Free Towing! We’re Nationwide! Call Now: 1-888-416-2330.

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National award-winning Franchise featured in Entrepreneur Magazine Includes a brand-new state-of-theart website with strong online presence, organic SEO focused on driving qualified traffic to local offices.

Territory includes some of the most affluent neighborhoods in Arvada, CO and surrounding areas.

This business is plug and play and the sale includes a fully wrapped and logo’d company vehicle.

This turnkey business offers recurring customer base, has a great reputation with trained, uniformed team members. It is poised for growth and needs a new owner to take the business to its true potential. Home cleaning service is a multi-billiondollar industry enjoying double-digit growth with high potential revenue.

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This franchise has exceptional support and is distinguished on Entrepreneur’s 500 List for four years running and selected for by Entrepreneur Magazine and Franchise Business Review in numerous categories, including The Best of the Best, Top Low-Cost Franchise, Top Innovative Franchise, Top Veterans Franchise and Top Franchise for Women.

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30 Arvada Press

April 29, 2021

A Big Day for Ben Golden High holds parade for 11-year-old cancer survivor as part of annual Wish Week

BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO PALBANIBURGIO@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

During stays in the hospital while he sought treatment for Lymphoma, 11-year-old Ben Bontrager and his father, Jeff Bontrager, frequently talked about what wish Ben would want granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“There were a lot of days in the hospital and some of them were awful and it was just a bit of a light,” said Jeff.

On April 20, Bontrager got to see his wish start to come true as Golden High School students got in their cars for a parade to honor him.

Ben finished his last chemotherapy treatment nearly a year ago.

The parade, which was scheduled to be held on April 18 but had to be rescheduled because of weather, was supposed to kick off the school’s annual Wish Week, a week of fundraising activities to grant the wishes of kids who have faced critical illnesses in partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

While this was the fourth time Golden High School has held a Wish Week, this year’s event was

HOW TO DONATE Donations can always be made via the Make-A-Wish Foundation website at wish.org particularly special because Ben lives in Golden and attends nearby Fairmount Elementary while his brother, Ethan, is a student at Golden High School.

“I think this year has a lot more excitement because Ben is very local to us and his brother is in my class so I think that makes it very exciting and a lot more personal to our community,” said Tea Del Grippo, who was one of the student organizers of this year’s Wish Week.

Of course, this year’s Wish Week also presented new challenges as students had to contend with starting to plan the event, a process that began in November, during a pandemic that saw all of the school’s students attending in-person just part time — or not at all.

“Most of the time our events are inside but because of COVID we had to move everything outside,” said Senior Class President Devyn Schaefer. “And then obviously weather hasn’t really been our friend the past few days so that has probably been our biggest challenge with the outdoor events.”

However, the need to move things outside also created an opportunity to start a new parade tradition.

Ben Bontrager, in green, waves to the parading cars along with several of his Fairmount Elementary school friends and supporters from Golden High School.

PHOTOS BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO

The fire truck carrying Ben Bontrager enters the Golden High School parking lot.

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Arvada Press 31

April 29, 2021

BEN FROM PAGE 30

During the parade, Ben rode in a firetruck that led the long line of cars on a route that traveled down Ford Street before the school before turning onto 21st Street and then onto Jackson to return back to the school, where Ben then got out of the truck to watch and waive to the rest of the parade.

“I would never have expected this to happen,” Ben said. “I was already surprised when there was a small parade in my neighborhood but I never would have expected to be Make-A-Wish kid for Golden High School so I am really excited that I can do this.”

However, the parade is just the beginning for Bontrager, who made the wish to go to the Aulani Resort in Hawaii in his family. To help fund that wish, Golden High School set the goal of raising $40,000 over the course of the week, which ended on April 23. Last year, the school raised more than $45,000 during Wish Week.

“It’s been really nice to see everybody’s support and being flexible and willing to work with everything,” said Tegan Starick, who has been part of the team that organizes Wish Week since her sophomore year. “It’s just really cool to see everybody show up and contribute despite these crazy times.”

A Golden High School student waves to Ben Bontrager as he passes by in the car parade.

Ben Bontrager stands with friends and supporters following the parade.

PHOTOS BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO

A decorated car in Golden High School’s parade for Ben Bontrager.

Students shot bubbles during the parade.

www.ColoradoCommunityMedia.com/Notices

PUBLIC NOTICES

Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088 Legals City and County PUBLIC NOTICE A public hearing will be held virtually before the Arvada Planning Commission on May 18, 2021, at 6:15 p.m., when you may speak on the matter to consider the Annexation, Major Comprehensive Plan Amendment, and Minor Subdivision Plat for 15812 W 64th Avenue Annexation, approximately located at 15812 W 64th Ave. Members of the public may join virtually by visiting www.arvada.org/PLNCOMMISSION for the log in information. To submit written public comment to be considered by the Commission, email

comments to cedboardsandcommission@arvada.org by 5 p.m. on 5/17/2021. Additional information can be obtained from https://www.arvadapermits.org/etrakit3/search/ project.aspx?activityno=DA2020-0123.

CITY OF ARVADA PLANNING COMMISSION /s/ Patricia Connell, Secretary Legal Notice No. 410512 First Publication: April 29, 2021 Last Publication: April 29, 2021 Publisher: Jeffco Transcript

Metropolitan Districts Public Notice NOTICE OF INTENT TO UNDERTAKE

legals@coloradocommunitymedia.com

CERTAIN ACTIONS CANYON PINES METROPOLITAN DISTRICT IN THE CITY OF ARVADA, JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Section 32-1-207(3)(b), C.R.S., that Canyon Pines Metropolitan District (the “District”), City of Arvada (“City”), Jefferson County, Colorado, intends to undertake certain actions described herein: The District operates pursuant to its Service Plan, as approved by the City (“Service Plan”).

In accordance with the requirements of Section 32-1-1101.7, C.R.S., and pursuant to the authority granted by and procedures set forth in Parts 5 and 11 of Article 25 of Title 31, C.R.S. (collectively, the “SID Statutes”), the District intends to establish and organize a special improvement district within the boundaries of the District to finance public improvements authorized under the Service Plan (“Special Improvement District”). In accordance

with the SID Statutes, the Special Improvement District will levy special assessments on property specially benefitted by such improvements (“Assessments”) and upon organization, the Special Improvement District shall issue bonds secured and to be repaid by such Assessments (“SID Assessment Bonds”). Given the nature of and repayment source for the SID Assessment Bonds, the par amount of such SID Assessment Bonds shall not be counted against or otherwise reduce the general obligation Debt Limit set forth in the Service Plan of the District.

The District believes the actions described above are in the best interest of the District, its residents and taxpayers. The District has conferred with the City of Arvada staff regarding the content of this Notice prior to its publication and delivery. Accordingly, the District has determined to provide this Notice pursuant to Section 32-1-207(3)(b), C.R.S. Pursuant to Colorado law, any action to enjoin the proposed activities as a material departure

from the Service Plan of the District must be commenced within forty-five (45) days from the date of this publication.

Canyon Pines Metropolitan District City of Arvada, Jefferson County, Colorado By: /s/ MEGAN BECHER Attorney for the District Legal Notice No. 410518 First Publication: April 29, 2021 Last Publication: April 29, 2021 Publisher: Golden Transcript Jeffco Transcript and the Arvada Press

###

Arvada Legals 4.29.21 * 1

32 Arvada Press

April 29, 2021

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