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July 17, 2014 VOLU M E 6 | I SS UE 29
BrightonBanner.com A D A M S C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
A publication of
Legislation seeks to undo Hobby Lobby case By Vic Vela
vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com Sen. Mark Udall and several other congressional Democrats unveiled legislation last week that seeks to push back against a recent and controversial Supreme Court decision over contraception. Udall’s bill, which is being dubbed the “Not My Boss’s Business Act,” would restore the contraception coverage requirement that is a component of the Affordable Care Act. “It will restore a woman’s power to make a personal health care decision based on what is best for her and her families and not according to her employer’s personal beliefs,” Udall said during a July 11 press conference in downtown Denver. That “Obamacare” component – which mandates that employers provide contraception coverage in their company health plans
– was dealt a blow by the Supreme Court late last month. The court gave the OK for certain companies with religious objections to avoid the contraception coverage requirement. The ruling is known as the Hobby Lobby decision, named after one of the companies that brought the case. The Court insisted that its ruling was narrow. But Udall said that the decision could impact millions of other employees across the country who may have to “ask their bosses for a permission slip to access important forms of birth control or other critical health services.” “The men and women who signed up to work at Hobby Lobby signed up to work at a craft store, not a religious organization,” Udall said. Udall also warned that the ruling could have a slippery slope impact in other areas of health care where religious objections might
Fair queen’s dedication to crown shines through
exist, such as vaccinations and HIV treatment. Udall was joined by leaders of various women’s organizations, who voiced their support of the legislation. “We believe strongly that health care is a human right and that private corporations should not be allowed to discriminate against women in the guise of religious freedom,” said Cristina Aguilar of the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights. U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, a Democrat who represents Colorado’s 7th Congressional District, is a House co-sponsor of the legislation. Through an emailed statement, Perlmutter cited recent state statistics that indicate that contraception services have contributed to a 40 percent drop in teenage pregnancies since 2009. “I want all women, including my daughters, to have access to the most effective
forms of family planning services and preventative health options, regardless of their employers’ beliefs,” Perlmutter said. Meanwhile, Congressional Republicans are critical of the legislation, dismissing the bill as an attempt by Democrats to rally women voters for the upcoming mid-term elections. A spokesman for Rep. Cory Gardner, who is running against Udall for his Senate seat, said that Udall’s opposition to Gardner’s own proposal to making oral contraception available over the counter shows that he is “more concerned with his own political health than women’s health...” “We can only conclude that Mark Udall is desperate to keep this as a political issue instead of solving the problem,” said Gardner spokesman Alex Siciliano. “Cory is presenting a solution to benefit Coloradans — Senator Udall is preserving his own political arsenal.”
TACKLING THE BASICS
By Ashley Reimers
areimers@colorado communitymedia.com When it comes to being in the spotlight and representing the Adams County
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Adams County Fair queen Savanna Hamilton with her horse Syrah. Photo by Ashley Reimers Fair, Savanna Hamilton’s got it down. As the Adams County Fair queen, the 17-year-old is responsible for not only being the face
of the fair, but also showing her Lady in Waiting,
Jake Oaks, at center holds the tackling dummy for his younger Tanner Oaks during the morning session of the Hogs and Dogs football camp. The players practiced the pancake drill, that works on finishing how to knock down in football. Photo by Michelle Boyer
Fair continues on Page 2
Delight in the Creative U side BRIGHTON BANNER (USPS 290)
OFFICE: 8703 Yates Dr., Ste. 210 Westminster, CO 80031 PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Adams County, Colorado, the Brighton Banner is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 8703 Yates Dr., Ste. 210, Westminster, CO 80031. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT BRIGHTON, COLORADO. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 8703 Yates Dr., Ste. 210 Westminster, CO 80031 DEADLINES: Display: Fri. 11 a.m. Legal: Fri. 11 a.m. | Classified: Mon. 5 p.m. G ET SOCIAL WITH US
P L EA SE R ECYC L E T H I S C OPY
Garbett brings dream to Brighton By Michelle Boyer
Mkboyer8@gmail.com Have a flare for art or have a creative energy you care to release while sipping on wine? Then Creative U may be for you. Creative U located at 43 N. Main St. officially had its grand opening July 11. It is a place to come to let the hidden creative side out through painting or the creation of clay sculptures. Owner Lisa Garbett and her husband Dan have been living in Brighton for more than 10 years. Garbett worked as an elementary teacher for three years in St. Vrain, Boulder Valley, Fort Lupton schools. “My father passed suddenly and at a very young age,” she said. “I realized I can’t give up on the passions in my life, because life’s just too short. I’ve always been artistic, but never really went for my dreams. I’ve been told that I didn’t want to be a starving artist, but I did always put it on the back burner. When my dad passed away, I couldn’t do that anymore. So, I went back to Metro State College
and received my art endorsement.” She began substitute teaching art and had semi-permanent positions, which she said made it really difficult as schools were always cutting the art programs. She taught art in the Brighton School District for three years. “I was just tired of playing the game,” she said. “I didn’t want to give up on teaching, and so I wanted to provide the public an avenue in their life to have art.” Garbett said she gets to deal with all ages, and she enjoys the personal engaging experience where a person who visits her shop may have never painted before or it may just have been a very long time since they’ve painted. “I like to see their face light up in the process as they reach their final product they’ve achieved to create,” she said. “I get to see how they feel. That’s the most rewarding part about all this.” Garbett is anxious and excited to get her business running. “My husband was very apprehensive, because it’s scary opening a new business and all the risks with it,” she said. “The more he heard me talking to people, and the excitement about bringing something like this to Brighton, he became more supportive.
Lisa and Dan Garbett stand proudly at their beverage bar at their new Brighton business Creative U a painting and ceramic art studio. Garbett celebrated her grand opening July 11. Photo by Michelle Boyer “My son, Jonathan has always known my work ethic … I’m dedicated when I commit to something, I commit 100 percent. To me it’s the integrity of your word, and how your character comes through your work. That’s what’s important to me. Whatever you put into it that’s what you’re going to get out of it.” Creative U has a different addition to their place, in that Garbett has her own kiln. It enables people to build something from raw clay, fire it, come back and glaze it and then one last time come back to
fire it before picking up their finished creation. Most painting classes are $35 for adults, and younger children are $25. Depending on the size of the clay projects the cost varies $25-$45. For reservations check the calendar at creative.co. Different classes are posted with pictures, if a person likes the picture, click on the date and register for the class. “The neatest thing is with the Creative continues on Page 2