Je co allows development despite resident opposition
Grading permit moves forward for industrial warehouse near Hyatt Lake
BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
After two contentious hearings that spanned many hours and multiple days, the Je erson County Board of Adjustments decided to uphold a land disturbance permit that will allow for the industrial development of a property located at 5950 McIntyre Street.
While the hearing centered solely on the grading permit and not the development plans for the site, residents who live nearby have raised environmental concerns about developing the site, which center around the 40-acre site’s standing as a brown eld area.
Who has Olde Town’s best taco? It’s time for you to weigh in
BY RYLEE DUNN AND LINDA SHAPLEY RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Olde Town Arvada is a taco lover’s paradise, boasting an impressive ve taco shops packed into its charming streets. With so many options, the only real challenge is choosing where to go.
at’s where our Olde Town Taco Showdown comes in. We’re putting these ve local favorites head-to-head to determine the ultimate taco champion. From classic street-style tacos to bold, creative avors, each spot brings something special to the table. (We only included the brick-and-mortar shops, so we did not include Ruta Libre’s excellent food truck.)
Now, it’s up to you! Cast your votes for your favorite shop by scanning the QR code by 8 a.m. Friday, March 28. With this
many options, there’s no wrong choice.
Cochino Taco 7702 Ralston Road | 303-2845194 | cochinotaco.com/arvada
Located just outside of Olde Town (but close enough for our purposes), Cochino has earned a reputation for their unique take on Mexican cuisine since opening its doors in 2021. eir elote is a fan favorite, and their vegetarian options — including their cojita cheese skirt taco — have earned them a spot in the hearts of many Olde Town regulars.
Fuzzy’s Taco Shop 5760 Olde Wadsworth Blvd. | 303-438-9997 | fuzzystacoshop.com/locations /colorado/arvada
Not much is guaranteed in life, but death, taxes and Fuzzy’s Olde Town
don’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. e oldest of the cadre of Olde Town taco shops, Fuzzy’s has been serving up solid baja-inspired cuisine since 2012 and recently rolled out a breakfast menu. Can any of the newbies take down ole reliable? Only you, dear reader, can decide.
e grading proposed in the permit application calls for the Farmers Highline Canal to be moved in order to free up space for the potential industrial facility at the site, as well as for environmental monitoring wells to be moved to new locations within the site.
e site was zoned light industrial about 60 years ago and was formerly the site of o ce buildings — though, for the last 20 years, it has sat empty. Je erson County and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment have posited that since the Voluntary Cleanup and Redevelopment Program was completed in 2023.
After over 200 people came to the rst hearing, which was on March 5, and another 65 attended the continuation of that hearing on March 10, the Board of Adjustment thanked the public for speaking out, but said that the appellants of the permit — three residents who live near the site and are part of the neighborhood group McIntyre Neighbors United — fell short of swaying the board.
“ is is a hard case for me, because I think what we’ve heard today is very much, very indicative of the neighbors concern over
Arvada location
A taco o ering at Teocalli in Olde Town Arvada. PHOTO BY RYLEE DUNN
New bill would help mu e commercial truck noise
Golden backs measure to enforce requirements; Wheat Ridge may pursue separate rule
BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Almost 10 years ago, when Casey Brown was running for Golden City Council, one of the most common concerns he heard was about tra c-related noise.
With so many highways in and around Golden city limits — many of which are main routes to and from local quarries — Goldenites have long complained about noise from commercial trucks frequenting the area.
Although not all trucks are noisy, hearing noises that loud that often has impacted Goldenites’ quality of life, Brown described.
“We tend to think of the noise from trucks as being a nuisance,” he said. “But, it’s far more than a nuisance; it’s a public health hazard.”
While the city now has several sound-wall segments in the works, state legislators are working on another solution to help reduce commercial truckrelated noise not just in Golden, but across Colorado.
Closing the loophole
HB25-1039, which addresses commercial vehicle mu er requirements, is currently working its way through the legislature. If approved, it would give law enforcement o cers new methods to enforce the current mu er requirement for all commercial vehicles.
Rep. Brianna Titone, who represents the Golden area, is one of the bill’s sponsors. Joining her are Rep. Lesley Smith and Sen. Dylan Roberts, both of whom represent Clear Creek County among other jurisdictions.
e bill has bipartisan support, and the City of Golden recently endorsed it. It also has industry support from the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, its President Greg Fulton con rmed.
e bill was passed by the House Transportation, Housing and Local Government Committee with amendments, and was awaiting discussion in the House Appropriations Committee, as of March 11.
If passed, Brown said it would go into e ect July 1, 2027.
Brown has been trying to address truck-related noise since rst joining Golden City Council in 2016. He’s worked with the Colorado Department of Transportation, Golden Police Department, CMCA, state legislators and other local leaders.
Although Golden tried to address the problem itself, he said, “We really needed state help in addressing the issue. We needed to x the inspection process.”
According to Brown and Fulton, although commercial vehicles are required by law to have a mu er, some truck drivers have intentionally removed their mufers.
Fulton said some “renegade” drivers like the “clean look” of a truck without a mu er, along with the attention they get by generating loud noises when they drive. In places like Clear Creek Canyon, where sound reverberates o the canyon walls, that problem is heightened, he described.
“ at’s not fair to the public and it really damages our image,” Fulton continued. “ … Even though they’re relatively few in numbers, if you have a few of them going through the same location, it’s very disruptive for folks. I feel for them.”
If these drivers are contacted by law enforcement regarding their mu er, or lack thereof, Fulton said they can skirt around the requirement by claiming their mu er is the kind that is inside the truck’s exhaust stack. Fulton said these kinds of mu ers are real but rare.
However, it’s very di cult to prove which trucks really have them and which don’t, he explained.
Many years ago, Fulton described, there was a crude method of checking by tying a tennis ball on a rope and lowering it inside the exhaust stack. If it hit something, that indicated there was a mu er inside the stack. However, this method was
get out and that drivers who don’t have mu ers now would
“We want to incentivize people to do the right thing,” he added.
Just like Brown in Golden, Wheat Ridge City Councilor Dan Larson also knows how much tra c-related noise impacts his Larson lives right next to Interstate 70, and even though there’s a sound wall between the highway and his neighborhood, he said, “I can tell the di erence between the vehicles that do and
When he was campaigning, Larson said he heard similar complaints from those in his jurisdiction, which includes I-70
Although Wheat Ridge City Council hasn’t endorsed HB251039, Larson said he personally supported it and has been talking to Brown and Titone more about
Even if the bill passes, Larson said he’s looking to do more at
He and city sta are discussing an ordinance that would require a mu er on all vehicles — not just commercial vehicles — operating in Wheat Ridge city limits. He said other Colorado municipalities have implemented similar measures.
While there’s no de nite timeline, Larson hoped City Council could discuss it later this year. Regarding enforcement, the ordinance would outline a standardized measurement, such as 85 decibels, as an objective way to measure whether a vehicle is so loud that it’s disruptive.
In general, 85 decibels would be typical for city tra c. A vacuum cleaner is about 70 decibels, power tools are about 90 and reworks are around 140.
e Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires some kind of hearing protection for employees when noise levels average 85 decibels or more over eight working hours.
crude and left law enforcement liable if the rope broke and the tennis ball was trapped inside the exhaust stack, Fulton said.
So, for the last several years, o cers haven’t had a good enforcement mechanism to determine whether drivers are telling the truth about having a mu er inside their exhaust stack, Fulton and Brown described.
HB25-1039 would require all commercial vehicles to either have a visible mu er or documentation proving the mu er is inside the exhaust stack. In this way, Fulton said, the bill could close the loophole that a very small but loud minority of drivers have been exploiting for years. Additionally, he and Brown said the bill would increase the
penalties related to not having a mu er.
e current ne is $500, but if the bill passes, it will increase to $1,000. Brown said any cited drivers could reduce their ne by 50% by proving to the court that they’ve come into compliance.
Additionally, Brown explained, drivers can’t renew their vehicle registration until they’ve come into compliance.
“ ere are small, independent folks who are trying to make a living,” he said of some drivers. “ … We want to be able to preserve their ability to operate. So, what are some enforcement measures that will be e ective without being overly penalizing?”
If the bill passes, Fulton said he’s con dent word would
Larson said Wheat Ridge might be able to use existing technology, such as speed cameras and other sensors, to determine whether a vehicle has reached or exceeded that noise threshold. If so, just like with red-light cameras or speed cameras, the technology would identify the vehicle responsible and send the owner a citation in the mail.
Implementing technology like this would be a more objective, accurate and full-proof way of identifying noisy vehicles, he said.
Whether Wheat Ridge bene ts from HB25-1039, a new ordinance or both, Larson said measures like this would improve “quality of life for everybody in Wheat Ridge, Je erson County and Colorado.”
He added, “Direct impacts of excessive noise in a big city can ultimately be hazardous to your health.”
On March 5, commercial trucks and other vehicles approach the intersection of U.S. Highway 6, Highway 58 and Highway 93 in Golden. Truck noise, particularly along Highway 58, has been a longtime complaint among Golden residents.
On March 5, commercial trucks approach Golden city limits as they drive down Clear Creek Canyon along U.S. Highway 6. Legislators from Golden and surrounding areas have introduced a bill that would help enforce a mu er requirement on all commercial vehicles.
PHOTOS BY CORINNE WESTEMAN
Homes Are Still Selling, Buyers Are Still Buying, But Market Is Slowed Down By Chaos in DC
It’s clear to real estate professionals that, although some buyers must buy and some sellers must sell, buyers and sellers who are not under pressure to do a deal are looking and listening before buying or selling a home. These are complicated times!
The statistics below reflect a slowing of the real estate market within 25 miles of downtown Denver — and likely nationwide. Due to space limitations, I’m only including statistics for the first two months of the last six years, but it’s instructive to see how these months compare year-over-year. At htttp://RealEstateToday.substack.com I have included all 12 months of each year. Although every other metric documents a slowing market, the median closed prices set a record for both January and February:
Meanwhile, look at how many listings expired without selling during the same months:
Kudos From a Reader
Jim, one of the things I look forward to when going up to my cabin in Bailey is reading the local Jeffco newspapers piled up in my mailbox containing your columns. I’m glad you wrote a column explaining you were a journalist before coming over to real estate. That explains a lot of the quality of your columns — and the ability to write when you and Rita are on a long cruise!
I have learned a lot from your writings, which I appreciate — never too old to keep up with new info. I offer my praise, as you have talked evenly and without bias about real estate issues. It comes through that you are several cuts above the normal real estate agents whom I’ve interacted with, because you point out the negatives in the real estate universe and are not hyping the sales pitch.
Unfortunately, I won’t need your services, as I will keep my Colorado Springs house with its low-interest mortgage, and my cabin in Bailey has such a low basis that I’ll put it in my will, denying the IRS and Colorado big capital gains tax payments.
The good news is that I have family members who will, hopefully, come home to Colorado from London in 2-3 years, and I will recommend that they hook up with your brokerage. Your columns are of great quality and speak well of the knowledge and care you provide your clients.
—R. Scott Schofield, Attorney at Law
The number of active listings is surging, but the number sold listings is dropping, as shown in these two charts:
That has resulted in the higher inventory of unsold listings in recent months:
Another important metric is the ratio of closed price to original listing price. During the pandemic, more than half the listings sold for as much as 4% above the listing price as a result of bidding wars, but look how that metric has changed:
With the “spring selling season” coming up, I find it hard to be optimistic about the real estate market, because it appears that the chaos we’re seeing in our national government is only going to get worse, and markets don’t like uncertainty.
If builders, who get most of their lumber from Canada, see a big increase in costs due to tariffs, they may pause construction or at least increase the price of new homes. Meanwhile, if the courts end up allowing the mass firing of federal workers — many of
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Everything you read in this ad (and more) is posted on our Real Estate Today Substack blog. Scan the QR code at left to open and subscribe to it — free of course. Each article and listing is there, often with additional content and graphics, plus useful hyperlinks.
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whom work in Lakewood’s Federal Center and elsewhere in Colorado (such as the national parks, VA hospitals and national forests), that could be very disruptive to our real estate market.
None of us are experienced at dealing with the kind of political situation we are in now, and we can’t wait to see what’s on the other side. Whatever happens, you can count on us serving you well.
Like You, We Have Wondered Why Some Window Wells Rust
This week I learned why, thanks to an email from Alpine Building Performance. Here’s what they wrote:
“If the screws used to attach the window well touch the metal bars (rebar) inside the concrete, it creates rust. This happens because electricity flows between the metals, causing the window well to rust faster.
“This is why sometimes you will see one window well completely rusted through and the other window wells in the home showing no signs of rust. Many people think that rusty window wells can be sanded and painted with a rust inhibitor to keep it from rusting further. This is not true.
“The window well rusts from the dirt side in, so once you see rust inside the window well, it has already made it through the entire thickness of the metal. Unfortunately, the only remedy to the rust issue is a full window well replacement.
“When having your window well replaced, make sure that it is replaced in a manner that it will not rust prematurely again.”
The email promoted a company, Window Well Solutions, LLC, which has developed a method of replacing window wells using a fiberglass composite mounting system which creates a non-conductive break between the foundation and the metal window well.
Unfortunately, that company is in Fort Collins and doesn’t take on new customers south of Denver’s northern suburbs. But now you know what the answer is to this problem. The company has patented their system, so it is available nationwide.
On our blog I have a link to a video showing how WWS replaces rusted window wells.
Here Are Some Reviews From Our Past Clients:
We were beyond impressed with Kathy Jonke! She went above and beyond for us. She accommodated all of our needs. She was insightful and extremely helpful throughout the entire process! I can’t recommend her more! — Eve Wilson Not only did Jim Smith do a superb job in the marketing and sale of our home, he provided his company's moving truck and long time handyman Mark to move our belongings to our new home in Broomfield. When a problem occurred, he hired an outside moving company to help complete the move in one day instead of two! We are so pleased that Jim helped us through the process of selling our home and moving us into our new home. — Reese & Sally Ganster I was helping my mom and her husband sell the house. David Dlugasch was very accommodating to this dynamic. He arranged for all the paperwork to be done at the nursing home for the ease of my mom. David and I worked together to get the very full and dated house ready to go on the market. He went above and beyond by going to the paint store and hardware store etc. He was always available via text for any question I had along the way. He had a lot of resources. The best one was Mark, the handyman. I could always count on Mark. Mark was very meticulous and could do anything. What a great team! I could not have taken on this monumental task without them!!
—Heidi Warner
beyond our expectations. My wife and I have done six real estate transactions and we think Chuck is the best Realtor ever. We would highly recommend Chuck to other home buyers.
— S. Diamond
Greg Kraft was knowledgeable and professional. He was very easy to work with and was super proactive in searching the listings. That was a key in us managing to buy the townhome in a very competitive market. He was also very responsive and communicated really well with us and the listing agents. We would recommend him without reservation.
— J. Knight
Jim Swanson was kind and patient while listening to my questions. He helped me to translate the real estate language and manage the sale process. He connected the dots, allowing me to make good decisions, maintain my personal integrity and profit from the sale when a great offer came to the forefront. Jim, Thank you for putting communication and community first.
— Name Withheld
Dave Dlugasch did a phenomenal job working with us! We were not easy buyers because of an extensive “wish list” and he did his homework on each property we looked at until we found the right one. He gave us great advice and was very supportive of all our questions throughout the entire process.
— M. Madigan
This nicely updated and well-maintained condo at 992 S. Dearborn Way #7 is in the Sable Cove subdivision east of I-225 and north of Mississippi Avenue. The seller, who bought it for a family member, updated everything in this ground level unit. It has luxury vinyl plank flooring throughout, a pantry with slide-out drawers, laundry hookups, and a wood-burning fireplace. There is lots of open lot parking for you and your guests. There is a locked storage closet on the front porch, big enough for all your gear. I’ll be holding it open myself this Saturday, March 22nd, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Or view the narrated video tour I created at www.GRElistings.com, then call me at 303-525-1851 to request a private showing.
Chuck Brown is a superb Realtor. He is very knowledgeable regarding the market, very proactive and highly professional. Chuck was great at identifying potential properties that met our criteria, he moved very quickly to show us potential properties and his analysis of property values was on point and very thorough. Chuck was extremely proactive and responsive in his communications with us. Chuck went above and
Based on Jim Smith's knowledge, experience, and expertise in the real estate arena, we decided to work with him when it came time to downsize. We used Jim and his real estate firm to both purchase the new home and sell our existing property. All communication with Jim has been top notch. He also provided all packing materials and labor to make our move. It was a great experience from start to finish! — R. Trujillo
Median Sold Price by Month
Sheridan Boulevard study seeks to improve safety
Governments to look at ‘high-injury street,’ how to make improvements
BY ALLEN COWGILL
SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
e Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG), an organization that represents and works on behalf of governments throughout the Denver metro area on regional issues, is funding and leading a Sheridan Boulevard safety study between Hampden Boulevard and Interstate 76.
Sheridan Boulevard has been identied by DRCOG as a high-injury network street, one of the streets in the Denver metro area that has a disproportionate number of fatal and serious-injury crashes. e study focused on making the road safer for people that drive, walk, roll, and use transit. As previously reported in the Denver North Star, residents along both sides of Sheridan have expressed frustration in the dangers of the road including speeding and dangerous drivers.
e program manager for this study, Nora Kern, said “ e most overwhelming theme we’ve heard so far (both from the general public and Civic Advisory Committee) has been that Sheridan feels scary and unsafe for everyone — whether they are on foot or bike trying to cross the street, standing along Sheridan waiting for the bus, or driving along Sheridan. It’s really not currently working well for anyone.”
Kern said she has also heard lots of
concerns from people that walk. ey have told her the sidewalks are in poor condition, often too narrow, and there are sections with no sidewalks. ere are also long distances between safe pedestrian crossings, where residents have to walk quite a ways to nd a safe place to cross. Even where there are signalized crossings, pedestrians and people on scooters and bicycles “are often in con ict with turning vehicles.”
In the last ve years in North Denver, there have been ve fatal crashes along Sheridan Boulevard. Two of them in-
Vote
volved drivers running red lights in separate incidents that killed a pedestrian who was walking at West 48th Avenue, and another incident in 2023 involving Logan Rocklin, who was biking to dinner across Sheridan at West 38th Avenue.
Another involved a speeding driver at West 35th Avenue, and a person on a motorcycle was killed on the 1700 block of Sheridan Boulevard by a driver.
While led by DRCOG, this particular study is a collaboration between the cities of Denver, Lakewood, Edgewater, Wheat Ridge, Mountain View and Lakeside.
e study kicked o in November, and DRCOG is currently soliciting feedback through an online survey. Residents can go to engage.drcog.org/sheridansafety by March 17 to give feedback on trouble spots along the corridor where residents have safety concerns for walking, biking, driving, or taking transit.
is rst phase of the study is focusing on identifying the current conditions and problems along Sheridan today and understanding what the community’s concerns are. DRCOG will start to focus on drafting potential ideas for improvements this spring and summer. Kern said that they “expect to focus our recommendations on high crash and high risk locations.”
e nal plan is forecasted to be done by February 2026. e plan is the rst step that can lead to further infrastructure investment in safety projects along the Sheridan corridor.
In the meantime, the Colorado Department of Transportation is leading a project to improve Sheridan in Edgewater between West 17th Avenue and West 26 Avenue that includes wider sidewalks, safer crossings, a median and improved lighting along with other changes. e project is currently in the design phase, and construction may begin as soon as next year.
Given that so many improvements are going to be made on this section of Sheridan between Edgewater and Denver’s Sloan’s Lake neighborhood, Kern said that this study “won’t be looking to make many additional recommendations in this stretch, but will certainly be looking to this design as a model for what might be possible in other sections.”
Two scooter riders wait to cross Sheridan Boulevard at West 20th Ave as they leave Sloans Lake Park. PHOTO BY ALLEN COWGILL
A packed slate for a golden milestone
Arvada Center unveils 50th anniversary lineup featuring ‘Frozen,’ ‘Romeo and Juliet’
BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
To some Arvada residents, it feels like just yesterday that ground broke on the Arvada Center and the area’s preeminent destination for live theater opened its doors.
Now entering its 50th season, the Arvada Center’s 2025-2026 lineup is packed with shows that are sure to entice theater a cionados and casual fans alike.
e Arvada Center’s Artistic Director, Lynne Collins, said she hopes people can come together around the upcoming theater season and nd community in the stands of the Arvada Center’s two venues; the Black Box eatre and the Main Stage eatre.
“Live theater is one of the few places in our increasingly siloed world where we come together with strangers to share an experience,” Collins said. “When the person next to us laughs or gasps or breathes di erently, we feel it and our own reactions are changed because they are shared.
“As we share these stories this season, we hope you join us to feel, think, and learn together,” Collins continued. “ e audience is the real magic of live theater, and nothing we do comes to life without you.”
Season tickets went on sale on March 7, and single show tickets will be available
The Arvada Center’s 50th theatre season will include ‘Mousetrap,’ ‘Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill,’ ‘Frozen,’ ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘Come From Away.’ C
on July 7 at 11 a.m. Here are the shows the Arvada Center is featuring this season:
‘The Mousetrap’ Sept. 5 to Oct. 12, 2025 | By Agatha Christie; Directed by Lynne Collins | Main Stage eatre
e longest-running play in theater history — over 29,500 performances have been held on London’s West End — is a classic whodunit written by acclaimed mystery writer Agatha Christie in the 1940s. e play is lled with red herrings
and dramatic twists that are a staple of Christie’s work.
‘Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill’ Sept. 26 to Nov. 2, 2025 | By Lanie Robertson; Directed by Christopher PageSanders | Black Box eatre
Based on famed jazz singer Billie Holiday’s nal performances before succumbing to a tragically early death from alcoholism, ‘Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill’ is a play featuring some of Holliday’s most acclaimed songs.
Disney’s ‘Frozen’ Nov. 21, 2025 to Jan. 4, 2026 | Book by Jennifer Lee; Music and Lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez; Directed by Kenny Moten | Main Stage eatre
Disney’s 2013 hit depicts a harrowing adventure of sisterhood featuring supernatural powers, a charming suitor and a singing snowman. e musical adaptation rst hit Broadway in 2018 after a tryout at the Buell eatre in Denver. e show is sure to capture the hearts and minds of youngsters and theater lovers alike.
‘Romeo and Juliet’
Feb. 13 to March 29, 2026 | By William Shakespeare; Directed by Lynne Collins | Black Box eatre
e Bard’s classic tale of two starcrossed lovers hits the Arvada Center stage, bringing a timely soliloquy of nding love behind enemy lines to town. ere are few tales that have stood the test of time as well as ‘Romeo,’ and Collins is sure to put a fresh spin on a beloved story.
‘Come From Away’
March 27 to May 10, 2026 | By Irene Sanko and David Hein; Directed by Kenny Moten | Main Stage eatre
Based on the true story of planes being diverted to Newfoundland, Canada in the wake of the September 11 Attacks, ‘Come From Away’ premiered in 2017 and has been charming audiences worldwide since then. is unique Tony-Award-winning show will bring a fascinating historical perspective to town.
2025
BEST OF THE BEST VOTE NOW THROUGH APRIL 15TH
Speed cameras coming to Federal and Alameda
BY NATHANIEL MINOR DENVERITE
Denver will post automated speed cameras along two of its deadliest corridors — Federal Boulevard and Alameda Avenue — as soon as the second half of the year.
e cameras will be part of Mayor Mike Johnston’s push to “double down” on Vision Zero, the city’s ongoing e ort to eliminate tra c deaths, city leaders said at a press brie ng March 10.
“Anything that we can do to reduce speed in the city and county of Denver is going to be a great option. It’s going to reduce our tra c fatalities,” Kurt Barnes, a tra c enforcement o cer in the Denver Police Department, said of speed cameras.
City o cials have already completed a slate of safety projects for parts of Federal and Alameda that was announced last summer, said Amy Ford, executive director of the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure. ose include the installation of more speed limit signs, real-time speed feedback signs, and the retiming of tra c signals to slow tra c and give pedestrians more time to cross the road.
A new marketing campaign this spring, which includes seven billboards on Federal and Alameda, will encourage drivers to ease o the accelerator too.
“Please, for the love of safety, slow down,” said City Council President Amanda Sandoval, quoting the campaign’s main theme.
Denver has used speed cameras that operate out of vans for years, but only in limited areas like residential streets, near schools and in work zones. Now, under a new state law, automated enforcement systems are allowed to be permanently placed on busier streets.
Federal and Alameda are two of Denver’s busiest, and most deadly, streets. Seven people died and nearly 40 were seriously injured on them in 2024, Ford said. Drivers often exceed posted speed limits, Barnes said, adding that he clocked someone doing 60 mph in a 35 mph zone on Federal near Colfax on Monday morning.
In the long-term, potential redesigns of
Federal and Alameda could narrow them in certain places and passively encourage slower speeds. e Denver Police Department is also planning to step up inperson speed enforcement, Barnes said, which had dropped by nearly two-thirds between 2014 and 2022.
A hope to slow drivers
“Anything that we can do to get the message out for people to slow down, I think, is great,” Barnes said.
Speed cameras tend to be unpopular with drivers and are often criticized for being a money maker for states and cities. But the federal government says they are an e ective way to slow speeds, and state lawmakers took steps to keep their use focused on safety and not revenue generation.
Citations, for example, are limited to $40, though that can double for violations near schools. e city must also prominently place signs near cameras alerting drivers to their presence. e city also wants to avoid a situation where the cameras disproportionately impact certain communities, Ford said, as has happened elsewhere. Black and Hispanic drivers have seen the brunt of enforcement in cities including Washington, D.C., and Chicago in the past, for example.
So, Denver is considering placing cameras in neighborhoods that are some of the city’s wealthiest and poorest, most white and most diverse. Ford named Federal near Colfax, and Alameda near Washington Park and Lowry as being potential locations.
“We’ve been actually studying and looking at where people are, where they’re driving, what that impact is to them, and then ensuring that we can sort of share that across the city,” Ford said.
City o cials will soon begin community outreach on the cameras that could shape how the cameras roll out, she said. e City Council could act as soon as this summer to designate speed camera corridors, as is required by state law. is story is from Denverite, a Denver news site. Used by permission. For more, and to support Denverite, visit denverite. com.
City Council President Amanda Sandoval, Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Executive Director Amy Ford, and Denver Police Department tra c enforcement of-
ficer Kurt Barnes address the media in front of a new billboard encouraging motorists on South Federal Boulevard to slow down on Monday, March 10, 2025. PHOTO BY NATHANIEL MINOR / DENVERITE
Sta cuts could doom black-footed ferret recovery
Federal employee who led e orts lost job as part of cuts
BY RACHEL COHEN KUNC
Black-footed ferrets, once feared extinct, were rediscovered in Wyoming in 1981 when a ranch dog caught one, revealing a small remaining population. Over the past four decades, scientists have been working to revive this prairie carnivore that’s part of the weasel family. However, last month, their e orts su ered a blow.
Tina Jackson, who led the species’ recovery across 12 states-including Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona-was red as part of the Trump Administration’s federal workforce cuts.
“It was an odd day,” said Jackson. “I’ve never been red from a role before.”
Jackson was a probationary employee because she took the job as the national recovery coordinator with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last year. But before that, she’d spent nearly 30 years as a wildlife biologist at Colorado Parks and Wildlife, with much of that time working on ferret conservation.
e federal government considers the blackfooted ferret to be one of the most endangered mammals in North America. It was among the rst species listed under the Endangered Species Act and remains critically endangered.
Jackson was deeply aware of her role in their recovery.
“You’re the one kind of in charge of this species that’s still, honestly, on the brink of extinction,” she said.
Jackson’s job involved coordinating recovery e orts, securing permits for conservation work and overseeing the reintroduction of captive ferrets to 15 wild sites in partnership with fed-
eral and state agencies, tribes and nonpro t organizations.
“We’re losing that nexus, that glue, that holds all of us together,” said Travis Livieri, executive director of Prairie Wildlife Research, a nonprofit that works on ferret conservation in South Dakota.
Additionally, two of Jackson’s colleagues at the National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center near Fort Collins, Colo. were also let go. e 11-member team suddenly shrunk to eight at a critical time-just as ferrets begin breeding season.
“Every time there’s a setback of some sort, whether it’s a biological setback, a disease outbreak, a budget cut or a sta ng cut, it’s something that sets back recovery,” Jackson said.
e U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it does not comment on personnel matters.
“We are working closely with the O ce of Personnel Management to ensure we are prioritizing scal responsibility for the American people,” a spokesperson wrote in a statement. ough slender, black-footed ferrets are feisty predators. is is particularly useful since they are about the same size as prairie dogs, which make up 90% of their diet.
e ferrets also take up residence in the burrows dug by prairie dogs, sharing the space with other creatures like foxes, turtles and rattlesnakes. Because of this, Jackson refers to them as an “umbrella species”; their conservation helps other animals in the prairie ecosystem.
“By protecting that prairie dog habitat for ferrets, we’re keeping a whole bunch of other species from needing state or federal listing,” Jackson said.
However, ferret conservation is hands-on and labor-intensive. At the Fort Collins center, which houses about two-thirds of the captive population, sta provides round-the-clock feeding, cleaning and veterinary care. During
breeding season, they carefully monitor the pairs, as the territorial animals can sometimes kill one another. By late summer, the center may have up to 500 ferrets on its watch, as it prepares about 200 for reintroduction into the wild.
With fewer sta , Jackson noted, the team might need to limit their breeding capacity, which could undermine partner organizations’ e orts to establish reintroduction sites.
One of the biggest threats to ferrets in the wild is the plague, which often requires annual disease mitigation. But federal funding uncertainty is complicating this part of the recovery process, too.
Livieri’s organization had planned to start spraying insecticide dust in April to eliminate the eas that carry the plague, but he’s not sure whether he’ll receive assurance by then that he can spend the federal money that usually funds that work. Last year, a plague outbreak caused a prairie dog die-o in the Badlands of South Dakota.
“If we aren’t vigilant, the largest black-foot ferret population in the world is potentially at risk,” he said.
Chamois Andersen of Defenders of Wildlife said while nonpro ts are prioritizing resources to ensure the recovery progress continues, the federal government plays a crucial role.
“It’s going to be a real challenge for the NGOs to ll in those gaps,” she said. e black-footed ferret has made a big comeback since the 1980s when a handful from Wyoming were brought into captivity. Now, there are about 800 individuals.
“We’ve made amazing strides,” Jackson said. “But it’s still not the sort of number where we can say these guys will survive if we step away for a few years.”
is story was made available via the Colorado News Collaborative. Learn more at https:// colabnews.co
Urban Renewal director retires after 22 years
Maureen Phair oversaw large-scale projects in Olde Town, Ralston Creek and Arvada Ridge
BY RYLEE DUNN
RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Maureen Phair, the longtime leader of the Arvada Urban Renewal Authority, has announced her retirement, ending her 22-year stint leading an organization responsible for a large amount of the city’s growth and development.
During her tenure, Phair led large scale redevelopment e orts in the Olde Town and Ralston Fields tracts, helping to usher in a focus on pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods and economic investment throughout the city. Since 2003, areas under Phair’s authority — AURA works in long term tracts, working to revitalize speci c areas for around 25 years before moving onto another — added 2,765 new housing units (including 120 a ordable units) and saw $938 million in private investment and $23 million in parks and open space improvements.
One of Phair’s largest and longest spanning projects was overseeing the redevelopment of the Ralston Fields tract, which has entered its nal phase as most of the improvement projects — including Ralston Commons, Ralston Gardens and the Shops at Ralston Creek — have opened or are near completion.
“ e area was full of deteriorating shopping centers, broken asphalt and no landscaping,” Phair said. “It took years of planning, environ-
mental cleanup and relocating businesses, but now it’s a balanced mix of residential and retail with parks and green spaces that connect neighborhoods.”
Phair added that while she has tried to bring projects to town that ful l the long-term needs of the community, she has worked to maintain Arvada’s unique character and charm.
“Arvada has always been a place of character and community, shaped by its parks, the Arvada Center, Olde Town and breathtaking views,” Phair said. “While some areas have evolved, the city’s history, spirit and foundation remain.”
Phair’s retirement will take e ect on April 1.
Phair’s successor
Also on April 1, Carrie Briscoe, the current deputy director of AURA, will assume the role at department’s helm and succeed Phair as executive director. Briscoe has worked for AURA since 2015.
“Carrie excels in partnering with our developers and nding solutions to very complicated real estate issues,” Phair said of Briscoe. “Her knowledge spans nance, legal, planning, and real estate development, making her the perfect choice for the role. With her institutional knowledge, the transition will be seamless.”
Briscoe said she is excited to assume the new role and is looking forward to future projects in the community.
“Arvada is more than just where I work—it’s where I’ve raised my family and where my heart is,” Briscoe said. “I’m honored to serve in this new role, and I’m committed to helping Arvada thrive through continued collaboration and impactful urban renewal projects.”
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missed out on socialization early in life and now is a bit of a worry wart. Rascal hopes to meet a patient adopter who will give him time to become comfortable. A well-adjusted feline friend will help him on his way! Rascal is recommended for homes without kids. 303.278.7575 FoothillsAnimalShelter.org info@fas4pets.org
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Arvada Urban Renewal Authority Director Maureen Phair is retiring e ective April 1. COURTESY CITY OF ARVADA
VOICES
Some words of encouragement about... encouragement
Today I want to share an insight for those who are seeking to provide encouragement rather than nd encouragement. I mention this idea because one of the most important things that we can do to help ourselves cope with our struggles is to help others. Truly, looking to grow as an encourager is important for everyone.
When I was about eight or nine years old, our family was driving somewhere early in the morning. My parents were in the front seat, and my sister Karen and I were in the back. While driving down a tree-lined street, suddenly, two squirrels leapt into the middle of the road, chasing each other, unaware of our car. eir sprint into the lane was so sudden that although Dad tried to slow down, there was no way for him to keep from hitting both squirrels. I remember both the sound of the animals hitting the car and the utterances of angst coming from my father.
I turned around to look out the back window at the squirrels we had just hit and noticed that one of them had got-
WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT
ten up and was limping out of the street. I excitedly told Dad that one of the squirrels was OK and was moving. I knew he was still disturbed by having hit the animals so after a short time, maybe a quarter- to a half-mile of driving, I announced to the car, “look the other squirrel is getting up.” My 6-year-old sister understood there was no physical way I could have seen the squirrel and she said so loud enough for everyone to hear. inking I was both older and wiser, I quietly told her to hush, hoping my tale would help Dad.
My 8-year-old self was lying, trying to bring encouragement, creating a narrative that would make everything OK.
Fifty years later, when I re ect on both that day with my family and the lessons I learned supporting my friends Shane and Summer as they navigated his can-
Explore the Wonders of Angkor at
DMNS
Pcer diagnosis, I see things much di erently. I understand that being an encourager does not mean creating a false narrative for someone. I could not make things better by fabricating a story for Dad or spinning a tale for Shane that did not acknowledge their reality.
I also understand that being an encouragement means, rst and foremost, standing resolutely with the person who needs support. Sometimes, it means being a sounding board or a safe place to share deepest fears without concern that those will be articulated to others.
It can mean being a cheerleader, someone who can inspire one more step or can mean acknowledging a di cult reality without falling into a mire of despair. Most of the time, being an encourager is about being consistent, a xed point that a person tossed by life’s waves can count on. It always means being genuine and leaning into our personal strengths to bring support.
With age and experience, I now see that most of the time, we cannot make everything OK. But that does not mean we are
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Town hall or pep rally?
helpless. Someone providing from their heart, in the most di cult of times, is the encouragement we each need at some moment.
In your struggle do not forget to nd the opportunity to be the encourager. You’ve got this. I hope my words encourage you, and that you will share them with those who need support. ank you to everyone who has shared their stories with me so far; I truly appreciate hearing about the valuable ideas you nd in these columns and how you use them to uplift those around you.
Jim Roome lives in Arvada with his wife Beth. He spent 34 years in public education. Lessons learned from the one two punch of being diagnosed with MS shortly before his best friend was diagnosed with terminal cancer led him into a new pursuit as a freelance writer and speaker. He uses his life experiences and love of stories to inspire, educate and encourage local, national and international audiences. Contact him at jim.roome@gmail.com.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
eople may have certain perceptions in their mind when they hear the name Angkor Wat or the Khmer Empire that inhabited Cambodia for centuries. Some of those perceptions may be true, but others are the results of limited knowledge and lack of information.
e museum also worked with members of the local Cambodian community to enrich the exhibition’s o erings.
After being elected to Congress in 2022, Representative Brittany Pettersen hosted her rst in-person town hall this weekend. But did she really?
Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s newest temporary exhibi-
“Angkor: e Lost Empire of Cambodia,” aims to provide greater insight into the fabled empire and what daily life looked like for the people.
“ e name of the exhibit turns a lot of the ideas we may have about the Khmer Empire on its head,” said Dr. Michele Koons, director of Anthropology and curator of Archaeology at the museum. “While French explorers were the ones who made the western world aware of Angkor, it was never lost. It was still used by the Cambodian people for religious and cultural purposes.”
“Angkor: e Lost Empire of Cambodia” runs at the museum, 2001 Colorado Blvd., through Aug. 24. e exhibition is included as part of a general admission ticket.
e exhibit explores all areas of life in the empire, which lasted from the 9th to 15th centuries. Angkor was the capital city of the Khmer Empire and the worldfamous Angkor Wat temple complex is located in the city.
According to provided information, visitors will be able to see more than 100 carvings, sacred sculptures and ancient relics, many of which are being seen outside of Cambodia for the rst time. Given the history of artifacts being stolen from the country, it’s important to note the exhibit was created in partnership with the Cambodian government.
While the details of and scope of the items on display are breathtaking, there are also interactive components seamlessly built into it, so guests can try some hands-on learning. ese include a Bayon Wall Scanner, which allows guests to explore bas-reliefs, revealing scenes of daily life, work and worship in Angkor, and a Lidar Mapping Display, which shows how this cutting-edge technology was used to deepen our understanding of the Khmer.
“ ese allow guests to see how the city was laid out and provides a picture of the empire’s infrastructure,” Koons said. “ ey had developments that we still use today, including roads and hospitals and religious facilities.”
ose interested in a visual history lesson shouldn’t miss “Angkor: e Lost Empire of Cambodia,” at the Museum’s In nity eatre, which gives a more indepth story of the empire.
It’s was critical for organizers that the exhibit end with a look at modern Cambodia and the many ongoing e orts to reclaim pieces of their history that have been stolen and sold over the years. It shows that these sites are still vital to the Cambodian people and have always been.
“ is is a part of the world that not many think of when they think about the major ancient civilizations,” Koons said. “Everyone knows about Egypt, but the Khmer Empire is a reminder that there are many important civilizations worth investigating.”
More information and tickets are available at www.dmns.org.
Denver Home Show Returns for Another Year of Inspiring Design
e ever-popular Denver Home Show is back from Friday, March 21 through Sunday, the 23rd at National
Town halls are meant to be public events where constituents, regardless of party or viewpoint, are allowed to ask their elected o cial questions. is was not the case.
is event was not open to the public. Guests had to preregister, and not only that, they had to provide ID upon checkin. is procedural element resulted in long lines and wait times as sta struggled to check over 1,500 IDs. Worst of all, the town hall did not begin on time.
Not all constituents were welcome, as my friend and I were asked to leave the venue prior to the start of the town hall. Our infraction? We were holding a sign outside of the event. Speci cally, a giant check. We complied and moved o the property. But why, if this was a public forum, would we be asked to leave for quietly holding a sign?
Although I was asked to leave, I was still able to watch the livestream of the town hall. Former Congressman Ed Perlmutter kicked o the meeting by stating “ is is a private event, this hall has been rented, anyone causing a disturbance will be asked to leave.” He also added “Questions have been submitted in advance.” How is this allowing for an open and honest dialogue?
e town hall did end with a Q&A segment, but as Perlmutter let on, the questions were prescreened. Even if he hadn’t made this declaration, we would have known this to be the case because every single question was a softball and not a single person asked about Pettersen’s current stances or policy.
is event came o more as a Democratic Party pep rally than a town hall. At one point, Attorney General Phil Weiser chimed in with Kamala Harris’s failed rally cry of “when we ght we win.” If this wasn’t a campaign event, why are we talking about winning?
to lead by example. Start by holding genuine town halls.
Sandie Weathers, Lakewood
Thanks to the helpers
If Democrats are going to claim they’re “ ghting for democracy”, then they need
On a sunny early afternoon in February, I had lunch with friends and decided to walk to Olde Town on my own to do a little shopping. As I was passing Olde Town Square. My shoe caught on a area of uneven pavement, and I went down like a tree, my head slamming into the sidewalk. A young man came over and got down on the pavement o ering to help. He was followed by a woman who looked over the situation and ran for a rst aide kit. She held clean gauze to my forehead and helped to slow the bleeding. Both of these helpers were so kind as they looked at my cuts and let me know I would likely need stitches. As I laid on the sidewalk, I began to realize that I was not going to be able to get up and drive home. We heard an Arvada re engine and ambulance pulling up nearby for another emergency. My helpers went to let the rst responders know of my situation. Soon two remen looked me over and asked if I would be willing to go to the hospital for stitches and to be checked out. Before long an ambulance came to take me to our new Lutheran hospital, but not before I thanked my two helpers for staying with me the entire time and helping me get through the shock of the fall. e care I received from Arvada Fire and in the ER was excellent. I’ve recovered quickly from a black eye and stitches that I’m told will probably not leave a scar. Although I’m nearing 80 years of age, nothing was broken or even sprained, I tell this tale because I still marvel at the rst two wonderful helpers who cared for me in Olde Town. It was my impression that my helpers were from our homeless population. I support the City of Arvada’s e orts to nd an appropriate location for a Navigation Center that will give a hand up to those in need. After all, isn’t this who we are and what we do as residents of Arvada.
Suzanne Sullivan,Arvada
Jim Roome
Clarke Reader
Hundreds attend Pettersen’s town hall in Lakewood
More than 1,800 gather at Alameda International Jr./Sr. High School to discuss federal workforce cuts and economic concerns
BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen held an in-person town hall earleir this month alongside Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and Lakewood Mayor Wendi Strom to discuss federal policy changes and their impact on Coloradans. e event, which took place in Colorado’s 7th Congressional District, drew more than 1,800 attendees.
e town hall focused on federal layo s, changes to government services and concerns about economic stability. Pettersen and Weiser addressed questions about job cuts in federal agencies and the e ects of policy decisions on programs such as Social Security, Medicare and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, according to a press release.
“Many are deeply concerned about potential threats to their access to essential programs and services,” Pettersen said.
Pettersen and Weiser highlighted the e ect of large-scale federal workforce reductions, pointing to reported layo s in multiple agencies. ey also raised concerns about how these cuts could a ect public services and state economies.
Pettersen criticized policies under the Trump administration that reduced government programs and sta ng levels,
READER
Western Complex, 4655 Humboldt St. in Denver. Show hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
According to provided information, this year’s lineup features more than 250 experts in kitchens and baths, ooring, windows, cabinetry, home décor and more, making it the perfect place to ask questions and get advice for your spring and summer projects. Craig Conover, star of Bravo’s “Southern Charm” will also be on hand as part of the festivities. e show o ers something for everyone, so get details at www.denverhomeshow.com/.
‘The Putnam County Spelling Bee’ Comes to Northglenn William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin’s perpetual musical favorite, “ e 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” is coming to Northglenn’s Parsons eatre, 1. E. Memorial Parkway, thanks to the Phamaly eatre Company and Northglenn Arts, through Sunday, April 6. Phamaly is a disability-a rmative company and so they have a few special performances during its run, including a “Relaxed Performance” (similar to
arguing they disproportionately a ected vulnerable populations.
She also said she had concerns about Elon Musk’s reported access to sensitive government data, though neither Petterson nor Weiser mentioned any speci c policies or legislative actions during the town hall.
“People are worried about rising costs, cuts to critical services, and economic uncertainty,” Pettersen said in a statement, adding that her o ce has received thousands of calls from constituents.
sensory-friendly), Access Performances and a Masked Performance. ere will also be special guests spellers like Miss Colorado, Denver 7’s Nicole Brady, CPR’s Ryan Warner and Drag Queen Jessica L’Whor.
More information and tickets are available at https://northglennarts.org/programs/northglenn-arts-presents/.
Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Yasmin Williams at Swallow Hill
For some people, it’s di cult to get into instrumental music. But, if you nd the right musician, instrumental works can be just as gripping as anything with vocals. Yasmin Williams is the right musician. She mixes up a brew of folk, progressive rock and even some jazz, and the end result is absolutely beautiful. Last year she released “Acadia,” and it was one of my favorite albums of the year. I’m certain it will sound beautiful in the spring weather.
In support of the album, Williams will be performing at Swallow Hill Music’s Tuft eatre, 71 E. Yale Ave. in Denver, at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 21. is will be an evening of masterful music, so get tickets at https://swallowhillmusic.org/ event/yasmin-williams/.
Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail.com.
Rep. Brittany Pettersen shakes hands with constituents during the town hall. COURTESY OF REP. BRITTANY PETTERSEN
BY BEN DICKSON AND JACOB QUILL UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO NEWS CORPS
Lonce every other week.
ike most of his coworkers, Chino Dean leaves his University of Colorado maintenance job at 3:30 p.m. After work, however, he puts on a di erent face to excel at what he does in his second life.
Dean is the champion of the 122-pound Muay ai division in Sparta FC. He’s only been training in martial arts for the past eight years and has been an Easton Training Center athlete for the entire time.
While primarily based in Boulder — where he began training in 2016 and started coaching in 2019 — Dean now teaches three classes each week. is has enabled him to branch out to other Easton locations, now guest coaching in Longmont, and planning to do the same at the company’s other gyms in the metro area. In terms of his own training, Dean nds himself mostly in Boulder, but he makes time to train with Easton’s competition team in both the Arvada and Denver locations
“We have a massive amount of people here from all walks of life,” Dean said about the gym “I’ll never run out of things to learn about the world through these people at Easton.”
Starting in Denver in the 1990s as a barely controlled brawl, ultimate ghting and combat sports has grown into a huge business as a mainstream sports league. Training centers like Easton have helped build that next generation of star athletes.
A champion’s journey
Originally, Dean moved to Colorado in search of a change of pace from his life on the East Coast. He had some friends in the area, and was attracted to the idea of leading an active lifestyle. Boulder’s access to a wide range of outdoor activities, as well as the scenery, were the main factors that brought Dean to the area.
Dean grew up in Maryland, and when he arrived in Boulder in 2015, his level of experience in martial arts
consisted of exactly one free karate class.
“It was that little desire that every little boy has to want to be a ninja,” he said with a smile. “A long time ago, I got the chance to try out a karate class but never got the chance to follow through with it.”
Although he had little experience with martial arts training in general, the spark from that one class led him onto Easton’s mat after he noticed a UFC ghter trained there while watching an event on TV.
“Just the fact that I got my foot in the door to see what it was like really lit that spark, which stayed within me for several years,” Dean said.
Dean fell in love with Muay ai when he attended an Easton class for the rst time. Early in his training career, he bought a heavy bag to put in his basement when he couldn’t a ord the Easton membership. As soon as he could, he bought the membership and was in the gym six days a week.
SEE TRAINING CENTER, P11
TRAINING CENTER
Dean grew into a champion Muay ai ghter for his weight class. Muay ai is a style of martial arts that revolves around striking with sts, feet, knees and elbows. However, Dean is interested in the sport’s more subtle aspects.
“Obviously, ghting is what this sport is. When you’re in the ring, it is a ght. But, there is an art aspect to it that the ais obviously created and gracefully shared with us,” Dean said. “It goes a lot into respect, it goes into trying to be calm and relating those things back into everyday life.”
Now 39, Dean’s Muay ai journey has helped to shift his mindset in his general life, even outside of the gym.
“I’ve become a lot more resilient,” Dean said. “It’s made me accept that I may not always get the things I want to in life, and that gives me a better approach.”
Dean treats his Muay ai training as a second job of sorts. Between training for his own ghts, actually competing, and providing coaching for other Easton members, Dean is a familiar face for people in the Easton community.
“Within even a year of me being here, they had already given me so much,” Dean said. “Not just in technique, but in the community. Just being able to give back to them in any way that I can, whether it be teaching them, showing them by example, or just being a good friend for them, that’s what drives me.”
Easton’s start
Dean’s experience at Easton is similar to many of the stories of people who have found a home there. Founded by Amal Easton in 1998, the chain has grown to nine locations around the state. e community found in the gyms helps to explain how martial arts has seized large segments of the country’s imagination. But that story, once better understood, isn’t merely one of ghts and cage matches. Rather, it’s about respect and self-awareness and a way to think mindfully about life through the lens of those who wish to be enlightened warriors.
Easton trained under the legendary Gracie family in Brazil and started the gym to try and help bring jiu jitsu to the United States.
“ ere were very few jiu jitsu gyms at the time, and I rented out some space in a facility to teach three days a week,” Easton said.
Easton, who has a degree in traditional Chinese medicine, decided that he was more suited to help people as a jiu jitsu instructor as he fell in love with the sport. He grew up in a small New Mexico town and began training in martial arts when he was getting picked on at school.
Easton decided on Colorado as a starting point for his gym because of how many people are active in sports. He is active outside of the gym as well, an avid skier as well as having had a short stint as a surfer. Colorado is known for its culture of individual extreme sports, and Easton knew that it would be a good place for him and his gym to thrive. However, the Easton empire in Colorado today is nearly unrecognizable from its humble beginnings.
“How could you conceive that we would be where we are today?” Easton asked. “I was in King Soopers trying to convince the kid stocking the shelves that he should come and try jiu jitsu. It really was one brick at a time, one student at a time.”
Easton’s original location stands in Boulder. A 10,000-square-foot facility on 32nd Street, it is home to martial arts classes for every age and skill level. Easton believes that the format of martial arts training lends itself to bringing people together, and the story for his gym holds true for that.
“ e community is everything. When most people think about community activities they did, they’d have to go back to high school,” Easton said. “With jiu jitsu, it’s one of the most cohesive groups partly because we have every range of age, socioeconomic diversity, religion and body type.”
While the central location is in Boulder, being in the Denver area means you are never too far from an Easton mat. Satellite locations include facilities in Arvada, Centennial, Lowry, South Denver, the Littleton area, Longmont, Castle Rock and ornton.
Alec Schrum, another Easton ghter, competed in the B-class 142-pound division at the Colorado State Tournament
at the Douglas County Event Center in Castle Rock Feb. 28 to March 2. Early in his career, Schrum has showcased his skills in both jiu jitsu and Muay ai, with plans to transition into mixed martial arts competitions as he continues to grow as a ghter.
Schrum has only been training at Easton since he was a sophomore at CU Boulder. He graduated after the spring of 2024, and already has a few ghts on his record. He is just opening this chapter of his life, but he plans on leaving it open for the future.
“After I’m done competing, I’ll still train. Whether I’m coaching or if it’s just for fun, I’ll be in this for the rest of my life,” Schrum said.
Growing up as a wrestler in Pennsylvania, Schrum knew that he wanted to stay involved in martial arts. As soon as he moved to Colorado, he walked into Easton’s gym and hasn’t looked back.
Combat fighting’s popularity
While Easton’s resume of competition is what he is able to hang his hat on, his new passion stems from being an inspiration to the next generation of martial artists. He has noticed that the children he interacts with in the gym have di erent kinds of role models than those he was accustomed to seeing even just a few years ago.
“Some of those kids are going to get skills and chase that dream, because who they are looking up to now are ghters, not basketball players,” Easton said.
Easton’s Boulder location provides a mixture of the strong community that martial arts can provide and coaching that can compete with the best in the world.
Amid the growing popularity of Muay ai and other martial arts in Colorado, there’s also a rise in high-pro le, unconventional prize ghts on the national stage, such as the recent Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul boxing match streamed on Net ix.
e world of mixed martial arts would not be what it is today without the impact that the state of Colorado had on it.
e premier MMA organization, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, has its roots here in Denver. In 1993, it held its rst event, UFC 1: e Beginning. e event featured ghts with no judges, no weight classes, and no limits on how long ghts could last. When Easton was training in Rio, he remembers watching early MMA ghts at juice bars in the city.
“MMA was also something that had barely just started,” Easton said. “It was hard not to imagine that being a huge thing here someday.”
Easton’s prediction was likely more accurate than he knew at the time. Now, the UFC has become a mainstream sports league. With public eyes nally falling upon the world of combat sports, Colorado’s martial arts scene has begun to grow as well. At the UFC level, bigname athletes like Justin Gaethje and Rose Namajunas train for their ghts in Denver. ere are even UFC athletes who spend time at Easton locations, like Drew Dober and Curtis Blaydes.
“It’s a di erent era, kind of where a kid can grow up and say, like, I want to be Michael Jordan, or I want to be Jon Jones, they can say this is what I want to do, because they’re chasing a sports superstar that they want to be like. And, you know, a lot of that comes with growing the sport,” Easton said.
He pointed out that while some athletes may evolve into lifelong martial artists, others are driven by the pursuit of fame and fortune in a multi-billiondollar industry.
Easton takes pride in the way that he and the other coaches at his gym teach martial arts, providing focus on the lessons that are important outside of training. By emphasizing the skills and morals, Easton hopes to bring the next generation of ghters into the mainstream.
“We take the role of trying to teach values as a big part of our program, not just trying to raise champions,” Easton said. is story was created by students at the University of Colorado-Boulder’s News Corps, where Colorado Community Media is a media partner.
Alec Schrum, who trains at Easton, has competed in both jiu jitsu and Muay Thai since he graduated from the University of Colorado-Boulder.
PHOTO BY JACOB QUILL / CU NEWS CORPS
Chino Dean teaches classes at Easton Training Center in Boulder in November 2024. He also teaches as Easton facilities in Arvada and Denver.
PHOTO FROM VIDEO BY BEN DICKSON
Talnua Distillery hosts Olde Town popup
Arvada-based whiskey makers share once-a-year special release
BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Last week, award-winning Arvadabased whiskey makers Talnua Distillers set up shop in Olde Town for a special occasion — St. Patrick’s Day! e distiller’s pop-up ran from March 10 to March 15 only, though the Talnua team made the unit next to the Arvada Tavern feel quite homey as they seek to get the word out about their brand and their St. Patrick’s Day special release, Olde Saint’s Keep.
Meagan Miller, Talnua’s co-founder and vice president, said the pop-up aimed to raise awareness for the company’s annual St. Patrick’s Day party at their distillery located at 5405 W 56th Ave and came about due to their friendship with the owners of the Arvada Tavern.
“It’s kind of a marketing thing to get people to our event on Friday and Saturday and promote Olde Saint’s Keep, which is our annual special release that we do on St. Patrick’s Day for our anniversary party,” Miller said. “It’s kind of a once in a lifetime opportunity for us where, (Arvada Tavern Owner) Mike (Huggins) wants to ll that space very soon.
“And so it was like ‘We got to jump on this, and see if it works,’ because we did
OPPOSITION
what’s happening here, and the evidence that we’ve heard and we’ve been presented, certainly would cause me personally concern if I was being a ected by this, and I understand why they’re here,” Board Chair Gregg Johnson said. “I guess in closing is, you know, it’s troubling to me, but given the constraints
the Winter Markets this winter and realized that even people who live in Arvada don’t really know about us, and we’ve been around for six years now,” Miller continued. “So yeah, that was kind of the goal is to just tell people about us and get them to our location.”
e annual St. Patrick’s Day party at Talnua’s distillery featured music, food
of what we are required to look at here, I just don’t believe that the impounds have met their burden, unfortunately,” Johnson continued.
Of the roughly 36 public commenters that came to the meeting, 35 were against the development (and the grading permit needed for it to move forward) and one was in favor of it.
One of the appellants, Anne La oon, said McIntyre Neighbors will continue to ght against the development, as their environmental concerns remain press-
trucks and a mobile cigar lounge, as well as whiskey tastings. e distillery is the only place where bottles of Olde Saint’s Keep — a single pot, triple distilled whiskey that was aged for four years and nine months before bottling — is available. Miller said Olde Saint’s Keep sells out earlier and earlier every year, as only 1,000 bottles are made annually. Last
ing, La oon said.
“After today, this community is more determined than ever to ght dirty development,” La oon said. “Overwhelmingly, people’s responses were ‘Are they really letting these guys dig up tons of this potentially contaminated soil before testing it? And they’re building a drinking water canal with it? Okay, I was in before, but now I’m really in. I don’t want to breathe this stu . I don’t want to drink this stu . And I don’t want my kids to, either.’
year, the release was gone by August. e pop-up menu included a handful of whiskey-based cocktails (and one non-alcoholic option) curated by Talnua’s beverage director. Single pours of Talnua whiskey — including Olde Saints Keep — was available on Friday and Saturday.
While Miller said the company does not have plans to operate a bar full-time, she was excited to see how the pop-up goes.
“We don’t have the bandwidth to have two locations right now — maybe eventually we would — but it’s just an experiment to see how things go,” Miller said.
“Our coalition, McIntyre Neighbors United, will continue to organize our neighborhoods, continue to seek legal remedies, and continue to work with county and state regulators to protect public health,” La oon continued.
In cases where an appeal has been denied or a rmed, the next step for the applicant or the appellant to challenge the ruling is to take the case to district court. A representative for McIntyre Neighbors United said the group hasn’t decided if they will pursue that avenue yet.
The award-winning whiskey distillers have been based in Arvada for the entirety of their 6-year existence. PHOTOS BY RYLEE DUNN
The pop-up’s menu included cocktails and single pour o erings featuring Talnua’s Whiskey.
Thu 3/20
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@ 6:30pm / $18
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Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St, Den‐
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Latin Night @ 10pm / $19.95 The Church Nightclub, Denver
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Sun 3/23
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Mon 3/24
KSE Venue Ball Arena Walk-In Tour @ 1pm Denver
Thomas Day @ 6:30pm
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Jake Xerxes Fussell @ 7pm Lost Lake Lounge, 3602 E Colfax Ave, Denver
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BizBeat: South Golden Road’s new food truck perfect spot for tortas, tacos and more
BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
José “Pepe” Garayoa has been driving his food truck around the Denver area for seven years. Given that it’s a larger truck and an older model, he said navigating tra c was challenging.
Now, though, he’s found the perfect permanent spot for the Ricas Tortas Calientes truck along South Golden Road.
“I’m very happy to be here in Golden,” he said. “What a great opportunity.” e spot near Native Nursery, which is accessible via 17025 South Golden Road, may be familiar to locals as the former home of Bon re Burritos and/or La Huacha.
Garayoa said his friend who runs La Huacha recently opened a brick-andmortar location a few blocks away, leaving the food truck spot open. So, Garayoa moved Ricas Tortas Calientes there in December.
He said the spot is ideal, because “Golden knows someone is selling food here.” Garayoa has been in the food industry for 30 years, working in both restaurants and his own food trucks.
He’s now bringing that experience and his own unique twist to the Ricas Tortas Calientes menu, which features tortas, burgers, tacos, quesadillas and specialty items.
While the winter has been slow, Garayoa expected things to pick up with the warmer weather. He’s preparing to expand his hours and start serving premade breakfast burritos in the summer.
Garayoa emphasized how Ricas Tortas Calientes is a family business. His wife and three daughters have helped him with one aspect of the business or another
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over the years.
Running his own business has always been his dream, Garayoa continued, saying, “You have to put yourself to work (to achieve your dream), and it’s easier when you have your family behind you.”
Ricas Tortas Calientes is currently open from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
For more information, call 303-8818376 or visit pepestortasandburgers.org.
Mobile sauna brings warmth, relaxation to local businesses and events
When she lived in Chicago, Rachel Swanson used to swim in the frigid waters of Lake Michigan, and the best way to warm up afterward was her friend’s mobile sauna.
While mobile saunas are more common in Nordic countries and the United States’ Upper Midwest, Swanson thought Colorado would bene t from the idea too. So, when she moved to the Denver area last year, she started the Nomadic Fire Mobile Sauna.
What looks like a simple trailer on the outside is a warm, welcoming haven on the inside that can easily reach 190 degrees. Swanson and her family summarized the concept as: “Heat on wheels, relaxation that heals.”
Swanson has been taking the mobile sauna to community events and local businesses, including Golden’s Mountain Toad Brewing and Arvada’s Colorado Tap House.
People can book a 30-minute session in the sauna, which sits six people comfortably. Swanson also o ers a cold plunge outside, so people can alternate.
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As seen on March 11, the Golden-area Ricas Tortas Calientes food truck o ers tacos al pastor. The food truck, which is accessible via 17025 South Golden Road, also features tortas, burgers, quesadillas and specialty items.
PHOTOS BY CORINNE WESTEMAN
Jos√© “Pepe” Garayoa wraps up a Canc√∫n torta, which features chicken Milanese, ham and cheese, inside his Golden-area food truck on March 11. The Ricas Tortas Calientes menu includes several kinds of tortas, tacos and specialty items.
BY ANN SCHIMKE CHALKBEAT
Bill seeks to refund child care waitlist fees
Colorado parents may soon be able to recover some of the waitlist or application fees they’ve paid to child care programs if their children don’t land a spot within six months.
at’s one of the provisions of a bill that advanced out of the House Health and Human Services committee Tuesday, clearing its third legislative hurdle this winter. e original version of the bill would have capped waitlist fees at $25 and required child care programs to publicly post tuition and fees, but both components have been watered down since then.
Democratic sponsors of the bill said it will still provide some relief to families
who pay hundreds of dollars in waitlist fees, sometimes to a dozen or more child care programs. In order to get the fees back, parents would have to make a written request to the child care programs where their children didn’t get seats. In addition, the programs would be allowed to keep part of the fees families paid — an amount that eventually will be determined by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood. Families that are o ered a spot at a child care center but decline it, would not recoup any of the fees they paid.
If the bill becomes law, it will take e ect Jan. 1, 2026.
Rep. Jenny Willford, one of the bill sponsors, described during Tuesday’s hearing the toll that multiple waitlist fees take on
visiting a local brewery, she described. A regular 30-minute session is $25 per person, but multi-packs and group rates are available.
families. She said a friend shared that in her search for child care she’d joined 16 waitlists, with most costing $100 to $200 each.
“ e way that we are nickel and diming families to simply sit and wait and hope that they get a spot is not OK,” she said. “ is is going to save families money, and at a time when it is so expensive to raise kids, every dollar counts.”
Besides the refund provision, the current version of the bill requires child care programs to disclose their tuition and fees when a prospective family requests pricing information, joins the waitlist, enrolls in the program, or when the provider changes the fee schedule. It doesn’t require that tuition and fees be posted publicly.
e restaurant recently announced a May 13 opening date for its new location at the Lakewood mall.
Changes to the bill came earlier in the legislative process after a number of child care providers pushed back against the original provisions, particularly the $25 waitlist fee cap. Several said their waitlist fees cover a host of expenses, such as marketing costs, technology fees, and sta time used to give tours and call families. Some said they would lose money if the fees were capped.
But shifting from a fee cap to partial refunds for families didn’t satisfy everyone. Some providers said giving refunds still takes administrative time, especially for small child care businesses.
Reprinted with permission from Chalkbeat, a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.
Along with community events, Nomadic Fire is also available for private events, such as holiday parties or teambuilding events, or private rentals at people’s homes.
Swanson, who’s been a therapist for 15 years, emphasized the physical, mental and social bene ts of saunas. She encouraged people to listen to their bodies and hydrate beforehand, saying, “It’s a place of gathering, not a competition.”
While saunas are great for athletic recovery, Swanson hoped everyone would try Nomadic Fire. People can bring their friends, play music and have fun while
Nomadic Fire is at Colorado Tap House every other ursday evening, starting April 3, and at Mountain Toad every other Tuesday evening, starting April 8.
For more information, including pricing, schedule and private booking availability, visit nomadic remobilesauna. com.
Cheesecake Factory opening May 13 at Colorado Mills ose who’ve walked around Colorado Mills lately may have seen the “Cheesecake Factory, coming soon” signs.
e new Cheesecake Factory will be at Entrance No. 1, on the mall’s northwest corner. It will be accessible from both the mall’s exterior and interior.
e restaurant features more than 250 items on its menu, each freshly prepared from scratch at every location, including more than 30 “legendary cheesecakes,” the Cheesecake Factory described in a recent press release.
Additionally, the restaurant stated it will be hiring more than 300 employees for the Colorado Mills location. is includes bartenders, bussers, cashiers, baristas, line cooks, servers and more. Anyone interested in applying should visit cakecareers.com/coloradomills.
The Nomadic Fire Mobile Sauna is parked outside Golden’s Mountain Toad Brewing on March 11. The sauna, which o ers 30-minute sessions for $25 per person, stops the brewery every other Tuesday evening.
PHOTOS
Mercury Cafe to close at month’s end
A continuation of the Capitol Hill speakeasy will take over space
BY PAOLO ZIALCITA DENVERITE
e Mercury Cafe’s nearly 50-year run is coming to an end.
By the end of the month, the longstanding Five Points restaurant, bar and event space will turn into e Pearl — the continuation of Capitol Hill queer speakeasy Pearl Divers.
Owners of e Pearl and the Mercury Cafe announced the news March 11. e Mercury Cafe has been up for sale since August, with a number of interested parties inquiring about the building.
But it wasn’t until last month that the Pearl Divers team came into the equation.
“Just three weeks ago, we got introduced to Dom and Ashley and their team at Pearl Divers, and it was just an instant amazing coming together of just great folks,” Mercury Cafe co-owner Danny Newman said.
The new ownership group
Dom Garcia and Ashlee Cassity have been operating Pearl Divers, a self-described “sapphic focused, speak-tiki dive bar,” since December.
e duo had never opened a bar before, but felt compelled after Blush & Blu — the last remaining lesbian bar in town — closed earlier that year.
Pearl Divers hasn’t had a space of its own, subleasing a lounge next to dance club Your Mom’s House. Since opening, they’ve been looking for an opportunity to move into a permanent space.
Its move to the Mercury Cafe’s building in Five Points will ensure it has ample space to realize its own vision. As part of their new arrangement with Newman, e Pearl will lease the former site of the Mercury Cafe, with an option to purchase the property after two years.
“We want to give fresh life to this space, honoring its rich history as a treasured gathering spot for Denver’s LGBTQIA+ community and beyond,” e Pearl said in a statement.
e Pearl outlined several goals for its future, including “fostering a positive
work environment that values all employees” and keeping many of the events traditionally held at the Merc. As part of the transition, all current employees at the Merc will be given a chance to stay on and all booked shows will stay on the schedule.
e Pearl co-owner Dom Garcia said they plan to keep the political spirit of e Mercury Cafe alive.
“I’m a Hispanic trans masc person. I did some time in the military, I absolutely hate the military now. I’m very ACAB,” Garcia said. “We’re very out and loud.”
A rocky tenure
Local tech entrepreneur and Denver preservationist Danny Newman bought e Mercury Cafe in 2021 from its founder Marilyn Megenity.
Newman set out to preserve the Mercury’s unique spirit by running it the exact same way. at proved harder than anticipated.
e Mercury Cafe was almost always in -
negatively a ected employee morale. Newman’s belt-tightening measures likely spurred on an ongoing labor dispute with its union, which won a union election by relatively thin margins in August 2023.
“When I came in, my mission and promise was to keep everything exactly the same,” Newman said Tuesday. “ e reality is for it to continue to exist, it does need to change.”
At the time of sale, several unfair labor practice charges are still open with the National Labor Relations Board. e union alleges Mercury Cafe broke federal labor laws by refusing to bargain and illegally terminating the employment union members.
Anna McGee, a union member, said she was caught o guard, adding that the union was not informed of the sale before the announcement went public.
“I hope we can open a conversation [with the new owners],” McGee said.
Denverite has reached out for comment to leadership at Communication Workers of America 7777.
In December, Newman said he was exploring options to transfer the Mercury Cafe’s ownership to a worker-owned cooperative. But the timing just didn’t line up, he said.
“ e co-op group, we were looking closer to the end of the year before we’d be able to make that work,” Newman said. “I think that this [deal] is perfect. It’s an existing team, existing community, able to just dive right in.”
Even though e Pearl’s opening will mark the end of e Mercury Cafe as we know it, Newman said he’s hopeful the spirit of the longstanding Denver icon will continue.
“I think that’s one of those ‘time will tell’ type things,” he said. is story is from Denverite, a Denver news site. Used by permission. For more, and to support Denverite, visit denverite. com.
Roughly 67,000 kids miss out on summer meals
BY JENNIFER BROWN
THE COLORADO SUN
A new federal program that provides grocery money in the summer for kids who qualify for free lunch at school could feed an estimated additional 67,000 kids. Yet here’s how many applications for the summer food assistance program Colorado received last summer — 25. It’s not as bad as it sounds, as more than 550,000 students in Colorado were automatically enrolled in the summer food program, which meant their families received a grocery card loaded with $120 per child, or $40 per month.
ose who automatically quali ed for the program, called Summer EBT, included families who had submitted paperwork to receive free or reduced-price school lunch or applied for monthly food assistance bene ts. Children in foster care are automatically eligible, as are kids who are homeless or migrants — if their fami-
lies already quali ed for free school lunch or monthly food assistance.
Still, an estimated 67,000 children across the state missed out on the program because their families would have had to apply and did not know that, according to an analysis by an independent consultant. at adds up to about $8 million in federal funds that Colorado didn’t tap into last summer.
State o cials are hoping to reach more kids this summer, the second year of the federal program.
e summer food assistance program grew out of a COVID-era plan, called the Pandemic Electronic Bene t Transfer, approved by Congress to provide grocery money to families while their children were not attending in-person school. Students whose families need to apply for the summer bene t include those who do not have up-to-date household income data on le with their school.
The Mercury Cafe in Five Points. Nov. 23, 2024.
PHOTO BY KEVIN J. BEATY / DENVER
Centennial Elementary School second grader Ajiah picks out her hot lunch in the school cafete-
Spring-break travelers urged to get measles vaccine
BY BEAU BAKER, ALEX MURPHY KUNC
Colorado health o cials are closely watching the ongoing measles outbreak in the U.S., and recommended that residents get vaccinated against the virus ahead of spring break travel.
Over 100 cases were reported in West Texas last month and the virus has now shown up in 11 other states, including Colorado’s neighbor New Mexico.
Colorado’s state epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy does not take the prospect of a measles outbreak lightly.
“It’s actually the most contagious virus that we know of,” Herlihy said. “In a group of people that is not immune to the virus, 9 out of 10 people who come in contact with someone with measles will go on to develop a measles infection.”
e Centers for Disease and Control documented 222 cases as of March 6. Herlihy says that when measles outbreaks reach this size they can take several months before they resolve.
Measles is more than just a rash. It’s a serious respiratory disease that can have lasting e ects. About 20% of people infected will need hospital care, and it can be fatal.
SUMMER MEALS
is is particularly an issue for families who qualify for free and reduced-price lunch but don’t ll out the paperwork because their children attend a school where everyone gets free lunch.
At schools where a majority of the students qualify for free lunch, a measure of poverty, every student can receive free lunch under what the federal government calls “community eligibility.”
New residents of Colorado, or those who enrolled in the free-lunch program after their school submitted its yearly eligibility paperwork, also were not automatically enrolled in the summer food program.
“Only a small number of students need to apply in order to get bene ts,” AnneMarie Harper, communications director for the Colorado Department of Human Services said via email. e department declined to give an interview in response to e Sun’s questions about why the state
What Herlihy is most concerned about are the pockets of under-vaccination that exist throughout the state.
“Individual schools or childcare facilities, playgroups, church groups or community organizations where vaccination rates in those much smaller groups are well below the threshold of protection,” she said.
Colorado’s health department keeps data on vaccination rates across the state.
Front Range school districts are all above
didn’t reach more children last year. e state would not estimate how many eligible children need to apply for the program, saying it was too new for state ocials to have a “comprehensive estimate.”
But a public policy expert who has studied the issue nationally found that among the dozen states he queried, Colorado had the lowest percentage of applications from eligible families.
“Millions of dollars never made it to the group of eligible families that are required to submit an online application,” said David Rubel, a New York public policy consultant. “Very few families in Colorado submitted the application.”
He’s concerned that $500 million nationwide — including an estimated $8 million in Colorado — will go unused by states and returned to the federal government, which is similar to what happened last year.
According to his research, just 0.003% of the 67,400 Colorado children whose families would have been eligible had they submitted the application actually did so. e average of the 12 states Rubel re-
90%, but some districts -- including Lake County and several in and around Colorado Springs -- fall in the low- to mid80% range.
Some residents may be wondering if they or their children have been vaccinated. You can request a copy of vaccine records through the Colorado Public Health and Environment website. Ocials also recommend talking with your primary health provider.
searched was 6.4%, meaning 4 million eligible families did not submit applications. He deduced the number of eligible children in each state by using U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates stating that about 20% of eligible children would have to apply for the program, while 80% would have already enrolled in some other program that made them automatically eligible.
e Department of Agriculture also had estimated that Colorado would have 337,000 eligible children in all — but the state instead found 550,000.
A major issue last summer was timing.
Following federal approval, states had just two months in which to accept applications, which meant little time to advertise. is year, though, states have several months to let people know about the program. e application “will be live on the website in the coming weeks,” Harper said.
Before the state mailed bene ts cards last summer, state o cials had to identify the 550,000 children who automatically quali ed for the program and had to coordinate with schools to get mailing
Herlihy can’t say for sure if Colorado will see measles cases in the future but is using the current moment as a reminder of the risk.
“We’re really seeing these outbreaks occurring elsewhere as a call to action for all of us in Colorado to make sure that we are protected,” she said. is story was made available via the Colorado News Collaborative. Learn more at https://colabnews.co
addresses for those families. Cards were mailed out across the country last summer, though some did not arrive until August. Colorado last year advertised the program with a website and posters, iers and social media posts in English and Spanish. Harper said the state “continues to focus our e orts on building awareness of the program,” including by hosting town hall and “road show” presentations and partnering with the Family Resource Center Association, which has 32 locations in Colorado.
“For the students who were enrolled last year and remain eligible this year, CDHS will simply re ll their cards,” she said. “At the end of last year’s program, we asked students and families to hold on to their bene t cards so we could do just that.” is summer’s program is already authorized in the federal budget and has not been targeted in the Trump administration’s spending cutbacks. is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.
CROWSSUPDRO ELZZ
1. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Who was Time Magazine’s First Man of the Year in 1927?
2. MOVIES: Who was the male lead in the lm “Risky Business”?
3. LITERATURE: In which novel does the character of Emma Woodhouse appear?
4. LANGUAGE: What does the acronym “sonar” stand for?
5. TELEVISION: What was the name of the Dukes’ car on the show “ e Dukes of Hazzard”?
6. HISTORY: e rst atomic submarine was built in which decade?
7. GEOGRAPHY: What modern-day country is in the area known in ancient times as Lusitania?
8. MEDICINE: What disease is caused by a de ciency of Vitamin A?
TrIVIa
9. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which U.S. president’s image appeared on a dollar coin in 1971?
10. MATH: What does the symbol “r” stand for in geometry?
Answers
1. Aviator Charles Lindbergh.
2. Tom Cruise.
3. “Emma” by Jane Austen.
4. Sound navigation and ranging.
5. e General Lee.
6. 1950s.
7. Portugal.
8. Night blindness.
9. Dwight D. Eisenhower.
10. Radius.
(c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.
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Miscellaneous
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Rentals
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Miscellaneous
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Apartments
First Two Weeks FREE 1bed apt $1,475 Avail April 1 403 23rd St Small community Walking distance to campus
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Concrete
TACOS
Lady Nomada 7519 Grandview Ave. | 303-9002980 | nomadakitchen.com
Opened in 2021 by the folks behind Homegrown Tap and Dough, Lady Nomada serves food inspired by Baja Californian cuisine and was envisioned as a laid-back o shoot of another one of the owner’s restaurants; Perdida. e restaurant has earned a
reputation for its pastel decor as well as its avorful ceviche and (dangerously) strong margaritas.
Teocalli Cocina 5770 Olde Wadsworth Blvd. | 303-923-3170 | teocallicocina. com
For longtime Arvadans, following Gri ’s Hamburgers is a tall order, but Teocalli has done just that since moving into the storied Olde Town A-frame in 2022. e restaurant’s carne asada tacos have earned top honors at Denver’s Top Tacos festival, and
their patio always seems to be a hotspot for locals.
Wapos Cantina
Credit: File photo by Rylee Dunn 5777 Olde Wadsworth Blvd | 720968-4634 | waposcantina.com
Since opening its doors in 2024, Wapos Cantina has made a name for itself with fresh, generous portions of authentic Mexican food. e Arvada location of Wapos is the fth for the Colorado-based chain, which also operates restaurants in Boulder, Erie, ornton and Westminster.
Cochino Taco. PHOTOS BY RYLEE DUNN
The interior of Teocalli.
Lady Nomada.
Fuzzy’s Tacos.
