LOCAL

Deadlines and candidates for November city council elections in Northglenn, Thornton, Westminster, Brighton and Commerce City

BY LIAM ADAMS LADAMS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Though municipal elections are a little over six months away, the seeds of campaign season are already in the ground.

Several candidates in Thornton and Westminster have thrown their names in the hat and it won’t be for another few months until people can circulate nomination petitions.

For those interested in running for city council, there is still time.

In Westminster, there is an election for mayor and three at-large council seats. Thornton and Northglenn have four council seats up for election, one for each ward. In Commerce City, there will be elections for two at-large council seats, one seat for Ward 1 and one seat for Ward 3. Brighton has a mayoral election and races for four council seats, one for each ward.

Anyone interested in running has to file a candidate affidavit with the city clerk’s office within 10 days of announcing their candidacy. A candidate needs to file an affidavit before circulating nomination petitions, which they can begin doing August 3. The deadline to file nomination petitions is Monday, August 23.

Other important election dates are Oct. 11, when the county clerk can begin sending out mail ballots. The election is on Tuesday, Nov. 2.

The following people in each city have filed candidate affidavits, according to city clerk’s offices:

For Westminster mayor, there is Nancy McNally, Anita Seitz and Austin Watts. For councilor at-large, there is Bruce Baker, David DeMott, Kathleen Dodaro, Obi Ezeadi, Sarah Nurmela, Kathryn Skulley and Jon Voelz. For more information, see the city of Westminster’s election page:https://www.cityofwestminster.us/Government/Departments/ CityClerk/Elections/municipalelection.

For Ward 1 councilor in Thornton, there is Sherry Goodman and Kathryn Henson. There is Jessica Sandgren and Roberta Ayala for Ward 2; Kate Miya and Tony Unrein for Ward 3; and Angie Bedolla and Karen Bigelow for Ward 4.

In Northglenn, Gerald Montour has so far submitted a candidate affidavit to run for Ward 2. In Commerce City, Kristi Douglas has submitted an affidavit to run for at-large and Cassie Ratliff has done the same for Ward 3.

Anass Maksi has filed an affidavit for Brighton’s mayoral race.

School District 27J announces new hirings

District announces Directors for Communications, Special Education

BY STAFF REPORT

A public relations professional with experience in representing Colorado schools will join the Adams County District 27J School District.

The district announced April 21 that Janelle Asmus has been named as the new director of communications.

Asmus has served in similar roles in public education across Kansas and Colorado, including working as the division director of marketing and communications for the Wichita Public Schools in Kansas. From there, she traveled to Colorado. She first worked as the director of communications for the Boulder Valley School District and then as chief communications officer for Adams 12 Five Star Schools, the Colorado Department of Education and Adams 14 School District. She most recently served as the chief executive officer for Alliance Strategies Group, Colorado.

“Janelle brings with her valuable experience in strategic public relations, communications and public policy,” said 27J Superintendent Chris Fiedler. “We have a commitment to engaging our communities and supporting our staff with strong communication leadership. Janelle will build on that tradition.”

Asmus earned her bachelor of arts degree in communications from Baker University, Baldwin City, Kan. and went on to earn her accreditation in public relations through the National School Public Relations Association and the Universal Accreditation Board.

“27J Schools has a great reputation for its dedication to serving all students with high quality, innovative and inclusive education,” Asmus said. “I’m thrilled to be a part of such a vibrant and bold school district and to cultivate relationships with teachers, parents, students and our communities.”

The district also announced that Maria Snitily has been hired as the new director of special education beginning July 1. She is set to replace 14-year veteran Mary Gomez, who retires this year.

Snitily currently serves as assistant director of special education for JEFFCO Public Schools. She started her career teaching students with significant support needs at both the middle and high school level and has served the special education community for over 15 years.

Snitily graduated from Midland University in Nebraska with an undergraduate degree in elementary education, early childhood education, and a minor in human services. Her graduate degree in special education and administrator coursework for her director of special education license was obtained through the University of Northern Colorado.

“I am thrilled to join the 27J team as director of special education. I truly believe 27J is doing the right work for students and I’m excited for the journey ahead,” said Snitily. “My personal beliefs around inclusion, student learning, and preparing students for their future align with the values and mission of 27J. I look forward to leading the work and guiding the special education department to serve schools, students, and families in 27J.”

Barr Lake work recognized by Colorado Lottery

BY STAFF REPORT

Work on an ADA-accessible fishing pier at Barr Lake State Park has been recognized by the Colorado Lotter with a Starburst Award.

The ADA Fishing Pier project was constructed to accommodate visitors that have mobility challenges. The 90-foot-long pier with a T- shaped design includes benches for seating and open areas for wheelchair access. Previously, wheelchair inaccessibility for fishing was a frequent complaint at the park and often required them having to turn people away. When not used for fishing, park visitors can enjoy rich wildlife viewing in off months, including an established eagle nest within view of the pier.

The $669,376 project was funded by a Great Outdoors Colorado grant of $250,000 and $90,736 from Colorado Parks and Wildlife using money from the Colorado Lottery.

“Conservation is a key pillar for the Lottery. It includes not only conserving open space, but also upgrading recreational spaces, creating new places for Coloradans to play, and supporting ecosystems and wildlife,” said Tom Seaver, director of the Colorado Lottery. “This year’s Starburst Award winners reflect the wideranging projects that our proceeds support. With now $3.6 billion going to our proceeds beneficiaries since the Lottery’s inception, we continue to look for new ways to grow revenue responsibly to protect more of Colorado’s great outdoors.”

Nearly $10.4 million in Lottery funds are represented in 11 winning projects distributed statewide through grants via Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), the Conservation Trust Fund (CTF), Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), and Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST).

Submissions include programs and projects such as parks, playgrounds, outdoor recreation facilities, land conservation, trail enhancement, open space acquisition, wildlife natural resource preservation, and public school improvements.

Hwy. 85 and Bromley Lane Brighton, CO 80601 303-659-6844 Hwy. 85 and Bromley Lane Brighton, CO 80601 303-659-6844

$8995$8995 Hwy. 85 and Bromley Lane

Brighton, CO 80601 303-659-6844

You asked, we have listened!

We are now

accepting Valid on Quick Lane®-installed retail purchases only. Requires Expires 12/31/20Expires 12/31/20 appointments in Quick Lane! presentation of competitor’s current price ad/offer on exact tire sold by Quick Lane within 30 days after purchase. See your Quick Lane Service Advisor for details through 4/30/21. Valid at named Quick Lane® Only. TR01Q

BUY FOUR SELECT TIRES, GET A $70 REBATE BUY FOUR SELECT TIRES, GET A $70 REBATE • Synthetic Blend Oil Change • Tire Rotation & Pressure Check • Brake Inspection • Vehicle Check-Up • Fluid Top-Off • Battery Test $5995 • Filter Check *Dealer-installed retail purchases only. Not valid on prior Purchases. Offer valid 11/1/20 to 12/31/20. Cannot be combined with any other rebate/Offer. See QuickLane Manager for Details. *Dealer-installed retail purchases only. Not valid on prior Purchases. Offer valid 11/1/20 to 12/31/20. Cannot be combined with any other rebate/Offer. See QuickLane Manager for Details. Available for Motorcraft® brake pads purchased after 7/1/14 and Omnicraft™ brake pads purchased after 7/1/17. Nontransferable. Replacement requires copy of original Repair Order and completion of any other necessary brake service, such as brake rotor service. Motorcraft or Omnicraft brake pads must be installed by U.S. Ford or Lincoln dealership or Quick Lane® Technicians to be covered. Pads only; labor costs not included. Restrictions and exclusions apply. See Quick Lane Service Advisor for details. Valid at named Quick Lane® only. BR33Q Available for Motorcraft® brake pads purchased after 7/1/14 and Omnicraft™ brake pads purchased after 7/1/17. Nontransferable. Replacement requires copy of original Repair Order and completion of any other necessary brake service, such as brake rotor service. Motorcraft or Omnicraft brake pads must be installed by U.S. Ford or Lincoln dealership or Quick Lane® Technicians to be covered. Pads only; labor costs not included. Restrictions and exclusions apply. See Quick Lane Service Advisor for details. Valid at named Quick Lane® only. BR33Q • Belts and Hoses Check Up to five quarts of Motorcraft® Oil and Motorcraft or Omnicraft™ Oil filter. Taxes, diesel vehicles and disposal fees extra. Hybrid battery test excluded. See your Quick Lane Service Advisor for exclusions and details. Offer valid through 3/31/20. Valid at named Quick Lane® Only. SR01Q Valid on Quick Lane®-installed retail purchases only. Requires presentation of competitor’s current price ad/offer on exact tire sold by Quick Lane within 30 days after purchase. See your Quick Lane Service Advisor for details through 3/31/20. Valid at named Quick Lane® Only. TR01Q

• Synthetic Blend Oil Change • Tire Rotation & Pressure Check • Brake Inspection • Vehicle Check-Up • Fluid Top-Off • Battery Test • Filter Check • Belts and Hoses Check $5995 • Synthetic Blend Oil Change • Tire Rotation & Pressure Check • Brake Inspection • Vehicle Check-Up • Fluid Top-Off • Battery Test • Filter Check • Belts and Hoses Check ONLY $5995 OR LESS • Synthetic Blend Oil Change • Tire Rotation & Pressure Check • Brake Inspection • Vehicle Check-Up • Fluid Top-Off • Battery Test • Filter Check • Belts and Hoses Check $5995

Federal o cials heighten e ort to get masks to workers in health care, other fields

BY CHRISTINA JEWETT KAISER HEALTH NEWS

Federal officials announced new measures to help get fresh, new N95 masks to health care workers and expand their use in other industries after scientists argued that the highly protective masks are essential to keep workers safe from COVID-19.

The changes come as U.S. maskmakers say the demand from hospitals is so sluggish that they’ve laid off 2,000 workers and fear some new protective gear companies could collapse. Yet in a letter to lawmakers, hospitals cite ongoing concerns about scarce supplies, saying limits on which workers should get N95s must stay in place.

Among the new moves: The Food and Drug Administration plans to eventually revoke its approval of the widespread crisis-era practice of decontaminating N95 respirators and returning them to front-line workers to use again.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official also announced a tweak to its guidelines, which used to say the protective N95 respirators were reserved for health workers. Now they are “prioritized” for those workers but will be OK for bulk sales to other employers — a step that should boost overall demand.

A group of prominent scientists had written to the White House in February, saying a broader swath of U.S. workers need more protection from the airborne virus. And on March 1, U.S. mask-makers wrote to President Joe Biden decrying a glut of nearly 300 million N95 or equivalent respirators that were made in this country and sitting unused in warehouses.

KHN also reported that in January federal officials approved the export of U.S. N95s amid mounting unsold inventory, a move a nurses union leader called “unconscionable.”

Lloyd Armbrust, president of the American Mask Manufacturers Association, took a career U-turn to launch Armbrust American and start making masks near Austin, Texas, last year, troubled by “cheap, flimsy” personal protective equipment coming in from overseas: “We … decided to take matters into our own hands.” He said that he was gratified to see federal officials respond to U.S. mask-makers’ concerns and that he expects to see sales rise in coming months.

But he said it’s been a shock for the upstart industry to try and fail over many months to break into the U.S. health care market — dominated by large group purchasing organizations — where the preference to buy from China is ingrained.

“Who knows how many health care workers are getting infected, maybe dying, because of a logistics problem that doesn’t exist,” he said. “That was very frustrating. As a human, that was hard for me to understand.”

Industry has seen job cuts

Armbrust said about 50 U.S. maskmakers the association represents reported in a survey that they’ve collectively laid off about 2,000 workers in recent months amid sluggish demand. They expect some companies to fail.

Mike Bowen, vice president of Prestige Ameritech, another Texasbased N95 maker, said he has reduced production because he has 11 million masks on hand. “I am waiting to see if (the) FDA announcement will make hospitals buy more N95s,” he said by email. “If they do, we’ll make what they need. We have a lot of N95 manufacturing capacity.”

Yet even through last month, the American Hospital Association cited supply chain concerns in a letter to lawmakers and endorsed existing CDC guidelines that allow health workers to use a surgical mask unless performing an aerosolgenerating procedure. (Although some experts now say a cough produces more aerosols than such procedures.)

Another change by the CDC would allow major retailers like Amazon to sell N95s in bulk to businesses outside the health care sector, said Maryann D’Alessandro, director of the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health lab for personal protective technology.

Researchers and journalists have noted elevated workplace risk to bus drivers, meatpacking employees, and those in manufacturing and food processing who labor in crowded conditions.

D’Alessandro said the agency also approved several models of durable “elastomeric” respirators that are meant to be reused, including one by 3M, and signed a contract to add 375,000 to the Strategic National Stockpile.

That move might serve to protect more health care workers in the case of a variant surge or new pandemic. Health care workers were two to five times more likely than the average person to get COVID, studies have shown.

KHN and The Guardian counted more than 3,600 health care workers who died over the past 12 months, many of them people of color and most working outside of hospitals. In interviews with families and colleagues, dozens raised concerns about inadequate protective gear.

Throughout the pandemic, workers who used N95 respirators were routinely asked to put them in a brown paper sack so they could be disinfected by gas, UV light or other means and then returned to them to wear again. Nurses have complained that the respirators, which are designed to be used once, come back misshapen or with a chemical odor.

Reusing masks discouraged

The FDA on April 9 sent a letter to health care providers urging them to “transition away from crisis capacity conservation strategies,” including the disinfection and reuse of disposable N95s.

The letter is one step toward revoking the “emergency use authorizations” that allowed companies to disinfect and reuse N95s, said Suzanne Schwartz, director of the FDA’s Office of Strategic Partnerships and Technology Innovation.

“That was never intended to be anything other than a crisis measure,” Schwartz said in an interview. “We want to be sure health care facilities are getting themselves in a situation where they have respirators or reusables in stock.”

Surveys by National Nurses United from November and February show that about 80% of nurses reported using reprocessed respirators.

The changes are “tiny steps” in the right direction but fall short of what’s needed to fully protect nurses, said Jane Thomason, lead industrial hygienist for National Nurses United.

She said about half of more than 9,000 nurses surveyed report working in hospitals where patients are not universally screened for covid, presenting the potential for pre- or asymptomatic patients to infect staffers.

The CDC guidance updated in February advising health workers to use N95s or well-fitted masks to care for covid patients remains nonbinding, she said, allowing employers to outfit nurses and other health workers in surgical masks instead of more protective N95s.

The practice has been controversial even after the initial supply chain collapse. Doctors on Twitter reacted strongly to a recent debate held by the University of Calgary where two academics pointed to evidence that covid is airborne — meriting N95 protection for front-line health workers.

Another doctor argued that the coronavirus is primarily spread by droplets — a position held by many U.S. hospital leaders.

Nurses called early in the pandemic for a high level of protection against an airborne virus, but in many places have had to stage protests to get it or go without.

Since last summer, mounting evidence has shown that health care workers in surgical masks were more likely than those in respirators to catch the coronavirus. Harvard researchers and those in Israel pinpointed specific instances when a patient or visitor in a surgical mask infected health care workers who also wore a surgical mask.

This story is from Kaiser Health News, a nonprofit news service covering health issues. It is an editorially independent program of Kaiser Family Foundation, which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente. Used by permission. For more, khn.org.

Take control of your

J tnio niap

teenk latot dna eenk laitrap ,pih lato r tnemecalpe

It’s your move.

Speak with a surgeon to see if Mako Technology is right for you. F !yadot noegrus a dni C lla1 )7359-787-888-1( REKYRTS 888 o tisiv rwmoc.odaroloCokaM.ww.

rorism before COVID-19 appeared in Colorado. She continued to monitor the virus as it was appearing in China and moving around the world and the country.

Once the first case was confirmed in Colorado, the hospital quickly opened an Incident Command Center, she said. Even then, when there was one person of interest in the hospital that needed COVID testing, they were not ready with all the processes in place. They were not even sure how to collect a swab in those early days, and then they received the call the virus was in Adams County. The hospital worked as a team to quickly codify those processes.

Colon was busy working in two roles on processes for the whole hospital. She also assigned other people to help from other areas and also a resource for the hospital.

“I was trying to divide my time to make sure my staff was safe in the Emergency Department. But also making decisions for the hospital, and sometimes I could not get back to the Emergency Department quick enough, but we did great,” said Colon.

The new virus not only impacted the hospital and staff medically but also emotionally since they often had to say no to family members visiting a loved one.

“It killed us because we all knew how much it meant to the family and how much it means to the patient. I hope people know that it was not easy for us to say no,” said Colon.

Scattering family

Colon has four sisters and her mother and she did not see her family for a long time. Her mother, who had volunteered at the Platte Valley Hospital before COVID-19, had to quit to isolate herself for safety.

“We comforted each other and it was just one of the hardest things I’ve ever gone through. We talked to my mother every day. But knowing that I was in a very infectious environment, I knew I could not bring any infection to her, so her health was important to me,” said Colon.

Colon’s husband also works in emergency management and was called to Washington D.C. to work in the office of the Secretary Operation Center for Health and Human Resources representing law enforcement.

“He left the day after we opened the Incident Command Center and I would go home and be alone,” Colon said. “I know a lot of people experience the same thing being home alone. We always talked on the phone about our day. We were able to able to share our day and vent. But this time, we were both were so busy, it made it tough. I am a people person, it was hard to be home alone.”

Colon said she continues to work on plans to keep up with the everchanging surge and shortages. The community of Brighton heard about the PPE shortage at the hospital and people were dropping off supplies.

“We had a surge with a lot of people. Then we had to deal with a shortage of PPE. We were not hit as hard because we started to receive donations from the community.” Center since 2017. McNitt said he heard about the pandemic coming out of China in late November 2019 and New York and a few places across the country. The staff knew it was coming by the rumors and saw when it hit Italy, with sick people overwhelming the ICU.

“It was terrifying. It had not hit the United States yet, but we had admissions of people who had some virus, and we didn’t know what it was and their flu swab was negative,” said McKnight. “It looked like viral pneumonia but the laboratory work did not make sense and all the flu swabs were coming out negative, which was unusual.”

Dr. McNitt said they were treating a mystery flu back in February and March. Then it hit New York and then the staff learned about COVID-19.

“We started hearing about it, but into late April there were not effective testing available, there was not test. And when there was a test it was very limited with about eight of them a week,” said McNitt.

Dr. McNitt said people started to get scared and coming to the hospital. Then COVID patients started showing up at the hospital, about 10 to 15 a day. Most of the patients were okay and did not need to go to ICU. At that time the State of Colorado issued the mandating orders for shutdowns as COVID started spreading quickly after the hospital’s first couple of cases.

“We stopped seeing our normal sort of bread and butter, trauma and substance abuse, and the sort of stuff we see all day. People were having heart attacks and strokes started staying home because they were afraid,” said Dr. McNitt. “Even with messaging alerts advising, please don’t say home. It was a very odd dynamic of having this new virus that we didn’t know what to do with and we’re learning on the job.”

Dr. McNitt and his team had conversations with Emergency Manager Colon about the department’s need for PPE and the possibility of bioterror.

“It kept us safe as we were learning how to do everything without getting all of our doctors and nurses sick,” McNitt said. “I think the most challenging thing for me was watching our staff. There were not enough respirators to go around.”

The doctors also went out and bought everybody goggles from Home Depot, so the staff was wearing construction goggles until more equipment arrived.

“There was a lot of concern about how to keep the infection from spreading to other patients in the hospital and spreading to the staff. So, we were spending three hours in a room with a patient with heavy equipment on and there wasn’t enough to go around for everyone,” said Dr. McNitt. “We didn’t have anybody get sick in those first couple of months with COVID, our infection control was fine, the N95 we were wearing was fine.”

First-hand perspective

McNitt said the Emergency Room doctors did not lose a lot of patients but performed aggressive treatments when sick patients arrived in the ER and then transferred them upstairs to a patient room.

“We would follow their chart and find out 45 days later, the patient didn’t make it. It’s frustrating, because you’re trying everything and then people are still dying, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” said McNitt. “It’s just not a very good feeling.”

Dr. McNitt, said it was a difficult situation to have a patient pass away when you are trying your best to save them, it was heartbreaking.

“Then you’re worried about your staff, and you’re trying to deal with that situation and trying to deal with PPE shortages and figuring out who needs what equipment and how we’re going to keep everybody safe.”

Within a couple of weeks, the community found out the hospital was having shortages, and it responded. Residents started donating N95 from their workshops and construction companies began donating eye protection, gloves and Tyvek suits.

“We are dealing with people who are sick and having the worst day of their life and having difficult situations. But the community came out, they supported us throughout this whole thing and it’s was very helpful. We were always very thankful to have that help,” said McNitt.

Networking

SCL Platte Valley Hospital worked as a team with the intensive care unit, putting their heads together via zoom meetings during the early part of the pandemic to gather data. They were also in virtual contact with hospitals and medical professionals from other parts of the country the world to bring together information on how to treat the patients and learning about the most cutting-edge treatments.

“With COVID, it was a week-toweek and we were moving along very quickly, learning. Then the news came out that there was a steroid we could use and one of the doctors upstairs was an early proponent of this when the evidence hadn’t quite come out yet. Then he started using it and writing about that,” said McNitt. “We

Protecting Family

McNitt’s wife is a psychiatrist at Children’s Hospital specializing in emergency psychiatry. She bore the risk of seeing patients when there was no testing and no way of knowing the patient had COVID. McNitt and his wife sheltered in place to not only protect themselves but protect others since they could have been unknowingly be infected.

“We made the decision we are both are exposed all the time. There wasn’t much we were going to be able to do about it. Like everybody else, we didn’t see anybody in our family. There was no Christmas to see grandparents,” said Dr. McNitt.

Dr. McNitt did get infected with COVID in December 2020. His wife was expecting a baby at the time.

“When I found out I had it, I just was sitting there cooking dinner one night, waiting for my wife to get home from the hospital. I lost my sense of smell in the middle of cooking dinner,” McNitt said. “It was a big shift in my thinking, now I have the deadly virus. We had no idea how it works out for people who are pregnant and fortunately for us she did not end up coming down with it. I came into the hospital and they were very supportive. They got me tested that night, within an hour and I got my diagnosis. “

After McNitt’s test confirming he had COVID, he went into quarantine and got his shifts covered for 10 days. McNitt successfully recovered.

“I spent, 10 days sitting in a corner of the house wearing the N95 and wiping down every surface,” he said.

Got a taste of virtual learning and liked it?

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

JVA has been off ering 6-12 grade students an online learning path since 2009. We’re proud to provide full-time program options to residents of Colorado-Middle School, High School, Credit Recovery, Credit Advancement, and Concurrent Enrollment for college credit. JVA is a Jeff co Public School and has been off ering 6-12 grade students a tuition-free online learning path since 2009. These programs expose students to challenging coursework with academic and social support. All programs have optional on-campus and virtual synchronous learning opportunities.

Speak Week continues

The Brighton Youth Commission will be hosting a series of events for SPEAK (Suicide, Prevention, Education, Awareness and Knowledge) Week the rest of this week. The goal of SPEAK Week is to raise awareness about the prevalence of teen suicide and to educate the community on mental health issues and the stigmas surrounding them, according to a press statement.

Some of the events are virtual and socially distanced events and include a WPEAK Week walk Saturday, May 1. Virtual activities include outdoor art and other activities. The walk will take place at Carmichael Park in half-hour waves from 1 - 4 p.m. Facial coverings will be required and any other COVID-19 health and safety guidelines at the time will apply.

Registration is required for the walk. Go to speak5k.org to sign up. Ticket prices are $20 for adults and $15 for students. Proceeds from this event will go towards future SPEAK projects.

Contact Tawyna Russell, manager of Brighton Youth Services, at trussell@brightonco.gov.

Trash Bash

The city of Brighton’s annual Trash Bash is set for two weekends. One is the weekend of Friday, April 30, and the other is the weekend of Friday, Sept. 24. In both instances, the drop-off point will be at the wastewater treatment plant, 325 N. Kuner Road.

Acceptable items for trash bash include furniture, cabinets, appliances (not freezers or refrigerators), bicycles, cut-up carpet and doors. Small items have to be in containers. Total weight has to be relative to the type of container.

Present a city of Brighton water bill or something that indicates your place of residence. A suggested donation of $10 will be accepted to help defray the cost. Car and light pick-up tires will be accepted for $7 each. Oversized tires are $10 each, and semi-tractor trailer tires cost $20.

Rec center to change to level blue May 1

The Brighton Recreation Center will be making several adjustments to align with Adams County moving to Level Blue on the COVID-19 dial.

A city statement said as of Saturday, May 1, the center will move forward with providing extended hours, the return of several key programs, more fitness classes, lockers and more. Among the changes:

No reservations for fitness classes except BOGA;

The hot tub will be opened for a maximum capacity of three people;

Increased swim capacity (no reservations required);

Masters and youth swim team will return mid-May;

Lockers will be available for use (locks will be available for purchase or you must provide your own);

Increased gym capacity and extended drop-in pickleball hours;

Chair massage Wednesdays from 9 to 11:30 a.m; $10 for 10 minutes;

Community gardens and park shelters are available to reserve;

In addition, the new hours of operation are 5:30 a.m, to 8 p.m. Monday through Thurdsday; 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday. Thte: pool closes 30 minutes prior to facility closur

Visit brightonrecreation.com. Questions? Contact the Brighton Recreation Center at 303-655-2200.

Police department online meeting

The Brighton Police Department will host a community Zoom meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 26, to talk about crime trends and statistics, crime prevention tips and the implementation of body-worn cameras.

A Q&A session will follow for staff to respond to questions from the public.

“I think these meetings represent a great opportunity to connect and communicate with citizens,” said Cmdr. Matthew Domenico of the Brighton Police Department.

The link is https://us02web.zoom. us/j/83121465847. Call 720-928-9299 or 888-475-4499 (toll-free) or 877-853-5257 (toll-free) The ID is 831 2146 5847.

To submit a question ahead of time, pemail communications@ brightonco.gov. Department staff will also be answering questions submitted in the chat function during the Zoom session.

Questions? Email mdomenico@ brightonco.gov.

Young entrepreneur program

The Youth Services’ Growing Grads Program starts its new Young Entrepreneur Program in June.

The workshops will be virtual and will consist of a series of hour-long classes that will teach and empower youth how to build their own business. It’s for young adults ages 19.

After the workshops, participants will be eligible to sell their products on an online marketplace. Interested buyers will then be able to purchase directly from the seller.

“This is a class for young adults in Brighton who are passionate about entrepreneurship or just simply want to learn more,” said Tawnya Russell, manager of Brighton Youth Services. “We hear of so many great business ideas among youth in our community, so we hope we can help guide those young entrepreneurs through this program.”

Deadline to apply is April 7. Admission interviews will follow April 21 - 23 and 30 applicants will be accepted into the program. For questions, contact Russell at 303-655-2123 or trussell@brightonco.gov.

Moonlight bike rides

The city of Brighton announced the return of its full moon bike rides.

The next ride is Wednesday, May 26, Thursday, June 24, Friday, July 23, Saturday, Aug. 22, and Monday, Sept. 20.

All rides are free. They start and end at Emi Chikuma Splash Pad and Plaza, 1750 Skeel St. Ride sign-ups begin at 6:15 p.m. (participants will have to sign a waiver the first time they attend and check-in each ride thereafter). A free giveaway drawing and serving of treats will occur after each ride; to enter the drawing, you must check-in.

The free monthly community event is for bicyclists of all levels to enjoy a leisurely five- to 10-mile ride through Brighton as the sunsets. A map of the rides will be posted to the Bike Brighton page of the City’s website.

Face coverings will be required while waiting for rides (but are not mandatory while riding) and any other COVID-19 health and safety guidelines at the time of each ride will apply. Helmets and bike lights are recommended. Also, please remember to bring a water bottle for the ride during the hot months.

Contact Mark Heidt, assistant director of parks and recreation development and the city’s bicycle coordinator, at mheidt@brightonco. gov or 303-655-2170.

Vendors and sponsorships wanted for Summerfest

Summerfest June 5

The city of Brighton’s largest community festival, Summerfest, is set to return to Carmichael Park from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 5.

Organizers are looking for vendors and sponsorships for the festival. Events will include family-friendly activities, businesses and organizations, live music and more. All activities and concerts at Summerfest are free to the community.

Contact Susan O’Connor, event coordinator at soconnor@brightonco. gov. The deadline for vendor and sponsorship applications is Friday, May 7.

COVID-19 guidelines at the time will apply. If COVID-19 restrictions push back this event, Summerfest will be Saturday, Sept. 18.

For more information visitwww. brightonco.gov/summerfest or call 303-655-2218.

Oasis to open in June

The city of Brighton plans to open its Oasis Family Aquatic Park starting Saturday, June 5, and continuing through Sunday. Aug. 8.

Season passes are available. Those who buy the passes by June 4 receive a complimentary guest pass for each individual named on the pass. Those are redeemable at the recreation center, 555 N. 11th Ave., before the park opens.

Hours of operation will be available later. Outdoor pool COVID-19 guidelines at the time will apply. Prices range from $45 to $225 for a family. Call 303-655-2200 with questions.

Gummball rally

The fourth annual Gummball Rally is set for 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, at Riverdale Regional Park, East 124th Avenue and Brighton Road.

The 5K run is in memory of Adams County sheriff’s deputy Heath Gumm, who died in the line of duty in January 2018.

The fee is $30 for racers 13 years of age and older. (T-shirt guaranteed with a paid entry by Sunday, Aug. 6), and older, $10 for those 12 and under with a T-shirt guaranteed with a paid entry by Aug. 6 and free for racers 12 and under (no T-shirt).

Visit https://gummball5k.itsyourrace.com/event.aspx?id=11277. that irrigates parks along Southern Street.

A city statement said the $2.2 million project will provide “a reliable solution to the non-potable irrigation system along Southern Street, help reduce the need for potable water to serve irrigation needs and provide capacity for increased flow to reduce the need to upsize the pump station in the future.”

As part of the project, the existing pump will be replaced with a new high-efficiency pump that has a life expectancy of 20 years.

The city anticipates mininmal impacts to traffic, thanks to equipment and material deliveries. Completion is expected by June 1.

Contact Brad Dallam, assistant director of utilities, at bdallam@ brightonco.gov or 720-454-4401.

Help for Homes

The city of Brighton is taking applications for the 15th annual Help for Homes community project set for Saturday, June 12. For details on how to apply or volunteer, go to brightonco.gov/CivicAlerts.

‘In Memory’ display for Wall That Heals event extended

The city of Brighton said the deadline to submit names for the “In Memory” display (part of “The Wall That Heals” program coming to Brighton over Labor day weekend) is July 31.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s In Memory program honors those who returned from the war and later died. The wall will be in Carmichael Park, 650 E. Southern St.

The city also needs between 150 and 200 volunteers to help with setting up the wall when it arrives in Brighton, plus greeting visitors. Sign up here: https://www.brightonco.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1679

To apply online, visit www.VVMF. org/In-Memory-Program.

ECO event

Brighton’s electronic disposal and shredding event is set for 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, at City Hall, 500 S. Fourth Ave. Acceptable items include game consoles, electrical equipment and cords, keyboards, computer towers, laptops and cell phones.

Child abuse month

The Brighton Police Department partnered with Ralston House and planted a blue pinwheel garden in front of the department’s headquarters, 3401 E. Bromley Lane.

A tweet said bright blue pinwheels are a symbol of child abuse prevention awareness across the nation. Visit https://www.ralstonhouse.org/ child-abuse-prevention-month.

Meet the mayor

Brighton Mayor Greg Mills wants to meet the public during new, oneon-one meetings. It’s a chance to learn about current projects, new developments and share issues.

Meetings are the third Friday of every month in 15-minute slots, starting at 10:30 a.m. Reserve a time slot at https://www.signupgenius. com/go/10c0d4caaa62fabf9c34-meet. Indicate whether you want to meet in person at City Hall, 500 S. Fourth Ave., or virtually. Call 303-655-2042.