Evergreen Campfire employees tell their side of recent restaurant closures
BY JANE REUTER
Employees at Evergreen’s Campre restaurant are reeling from the unexpected closure of the business, even as sta at the last of owner Jared Leonard’s restaurants recently walked out en masse — on the same tax issues that allegedly shuttered the Evergreen site. Two former employees at the Camp re in Evergreen say that while Leonard was withholding taxes from their pay, it doesn’t appear he was remitting those taxes to the Internal Revenue Service. at leaves former sta members without the ability to get unemployment, and uncertain how to le their taxes.
SEE CAMPFIRE, P12
FIRED UP FOR THE FUTURE P2
Conifer-area residents give feedback on Je co’s future plans for parks
BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Jan and Ron Schmidt are huge fans of Je erson County Open Space parks, so much so they volunteer for JCOS. e Conifer couple came out for JCOS’s March 3 West Je Middle School open house on its Conservation Greenprint 2026-2030 — therst in a series set throughout the county.
“We’re passionate about the parks and we’re really pleased to see the county interacting with the community on this,” Jan Schmidt. e draft Conservation Greenprint includes projects and plans for all 27 JCOS parks, including speci c actions and timelines. But the public can help determine some of those decisions with their feedback, which JCOS is seeking at its open houses.
JCOS set up boards with maps and themes including “Enhance Visitor Experience” and “Support Ecosystem Resilience” on stands throughout the middle school lobby, then asked guests to leave sticky notes with their thoughts on each on the board.
e Schmidts are happy with Jeffco’s management. If anything, Jan Schmidt said, they’d like to see more.
“I love seeing additional protected lands,” she said.
Conifer’s Susan Morgan said she also wants to see more. In her case, that’s increased communication and programs for the public.
Career fair sets stage for future
Event draws 800 middle schoolers from 5 schools
BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
e rst in a series of Je co Middle School Career Fairs kicked o Feb. 25, when more than 800 students from ve schools gathered at Evergreen Middle School to learn about careers ranging from dentistry to construction.
While middle school may seem young to start pondering careers, Je co Public Schools’ Miranda Ziegler said it’s never too early to begin that conversation. Research shows middle school is the perfect time. Adolescent brain development is so intense, it’s second only to a baby’s brain development.
“We’re harnessing the power of this unique stage by providing students with
signi cant exposure to professions and professionals to seed interest, support students in beginning to build a vision of their future career pathway and prepare them for success in high school,” said Ziegler, a work-based learning specialist with Je co Public Schools’ Career Links team.
Learning about potential careers early also helps a student decide what classes to take in high school that will help them on that path.
It also dovetails with the state’s Individual Career and Academic Plan, or iCAP, which encourages students in ninth grade and earlier to discover interests and plan life after high school.
Students at the EMS event were enthusiastic and came ready to learn.
“ e kids had lots of good questions for
them,” EMS counselor Scott Major said . “We had close to 50 presenters. It was a great day.
“We had a dentist, physician, a couple of United pilots. Mountain Recovery and Xcel Energy brought trucks. e re department brought gear kids could try on to see how heavy it was, and could try pulling a dummy body across the oor to see how hard it is to move somebody out of a re.”
EMS seventh grader Brooke Moss was among those who attended. Moss plans to be an art teacher.
“ e career fair was a very fun experience,” she said. “I loved being able to walk around with all my friends and look at the di erent jobs. ere were lots of fun, interactive setups, and lots of merch. And I denitely saw some other options I could also work towards if I don’t choose to become an art teacher.”
Students from Evergreen, West Jef-
ferson, Bell, Dunstan and Fitzsimmons middle schools had previously lled out a career-interest survey, so they could zero in quickly on which presenters they most wanted to learn more about. It was EMS’ second year to host the mountain career fair. Je co Public Schools has been running them for four years. Je Co’s Career and Technical Education department helps fund the career fairs, paying for buses, substitute teachers, printing, food and other expenses. Here’s a list of the remaining Middle School Career Fairs:
- March 13 at Je erson Junior/Senior, 2305 Pierce St., Edgewater, including Je erson and Alameda junior/middle schools
- April 22 at Mandalay Middle School, 9651 Pierce St., Westminster, including Mandalay, Wayne Carle and Oberon middle schools
Candidates vying for seats on Evergreen Parks, Elk Creek and Evergreen Fire boards
boring North Fork and Inter-Canyon re districts.
BY JANE REUTER
Candidates have led to run in the May 6 special district elections, setting up races on two foothills re boards and the Evergreen Park & Recreation District board. Here are the names of candidates in three contested races, and the uncontested Conifer Fire election. Pro les and more information on each candidate will follow in the coming weeks.
Elk Creek Fire
Five candidates led for two open seats on the embattled Elk Creek Fire board, setting up what will likely be one of the area’s most interesting contests.
Michael Bartlett, Al Leo, Kathleen Noonan, omas Seymour and Todd Wagner are running for the board. Board president Greg Pixley and director Melissa Baker are term-limited and will step down.
Elk Creek has undergone controversy in the last few years as its board has attempted to merge the district with neigh-
A November 2023 vote on consolidation narrowly failed. Chiefs of the three agencies then announced last year they would pursue uni cation, a process outlined under state statute that does not include a mill levy increase or require an election.
All three boards passed motions in favor of uni cation, but in Elk Creek, board member Chuck Newby and district resident Neil Whitehead III led an appeal.
It says the uni cation process Elk Creek used violates state statute, subverts the voters’ wishes and could result in higher taxes without voter approval.
Pending the appeal’s results, North Fork and Inter-Canyon Fire merged as the Conifer Fire Protection District without Elk Creek in late 2024.
Je erson County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on the appeal, but a date has not been set.
Evergreen Fire/Rescue
Six candidates, including two incumbents, led to run for seats on the Evergreen Fire/Rescue board.
Incumbents Stacey Ballinger and Julie Ann Courim are running again. Kelly Gunthner, Byrne McKenna, Ed Mills and
Ryan Stack also are running for the board.
Current EFR board president Ballinger, current treasurer Courim and Stack are running as a slate.
EFR is in the midst of signi cant changes as it implements recommendations in a master plan adopted in 2024. at includes the October 2024 hiring of the department’s rst six paid re ghters.
It also plans changes to its re stations, starting with a recently approved $3.75 million contract to remodel Station 2 on Bergen Parkway. e expansion will add living quarters and o ces, allowing emergency responders to live there and respond to calls from the building.
Plans also call for combining two existing stations — 1 in downtown Evergreen and 4 on Highway 73 south of town. at project includes demolishing Station 1 and building a new combined station on the site of the former Evergreen Mountain Market.
Evergreen Park & Recreation District
Six candidates, including three incumbents, seek three seats on the Evergreen Park & Recreation District board.
Current president Betsy Hays, vice president Mary McGhee and treasurer Peter Eggers are all seeking second terms on the board. Geo rey Erdahl, Erin Gra-
ham and Ally Hilgefort are also running for seats.
e EPRD is in the midst of several major projects, including the addition of a natatorium and a 20,000-squarefoot eldhouse to Buchanan Recreation Center, and redevelopment of Buchanan Park. ose plans are in keeping with the EPRD’s 2023 strategic plan, which also calls for an eventual remodel of Wulf Recreation Center.
Conifer Fire
e newly formed Conifer Fire is set for an uncontested race. Incumbents Natalie Arnett, Steve Brown, and Ginny Riley were the only three to submit forms seeking election to the board.
North Fork and Inter-Canyon re districts uni ed as Conifer Fire in December 2024. When the boards merged, Inter-Canyon Fire directors Natalie Arnett and Ginny Riley joined the Conifer Fire board, and former North Fork Fire board members Jim Mann and Lisa Benevento voluntarily resigned to form a new veperson board.
Because former Inter-Canyon members Arnett and Riley were appointed, they must seek election in May. e seat currently held by board member Steve Brown is also up for election.
From left, Ashland Crossman, Ayla Cannon, Althea Fisher, Sophi DeVito, Hazel Conner got hats from the Hoya Foundation, which o ers a program to help girls and young women find careers in transportation and construction. COURTESY PHOTOS
Noah Henricks, Mason Daniels, Baxter Luebbers, Ethan Wilson, Jamo Leleszi, Cole Carpenter hang out in front of the Mountain Recovery tow truck. Mountain Recovery is an EMS PTA sponsor.
While the White House Reverses ‘Green’ Policies, Will Colorado Be Able to Hold Its Course?
For many years, Colorado, like California, has pursued its own “green new deal,” with its Democratic Governor and General Assembly passing one law after another that promotes everything that is now anathema to the current national administration.
Colorado sends a lot of tax dollars to the federal government and gets lots of tax dollars in return, especially for road projects such as the rebuilding of Interstate 70 through Denver. The current administration is using the leverage of withholding funds to pressure localities to fall in line with its immigration policies. It could just as easily withhold funds unless the state reverses its own green initiatives, such as incentivizing the purchase of new or used electric vehicles with bigger tax credits than any other state.
structed under laws passed by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor.
The CEO’s website describes several laws it is implementing that address the issue of building efficiency, both residential and commercial. Primarily, it is requiring all jurisdictions in the state of Colorado that create or amend building codes to adopt the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), which was adopted by the International Code Council, Inc., a non-governmental organization. It also requires all jurisdictions to adopt the Colorado Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code upon updating any other building code.
“Cities and counties with building codes must adopt the 2021 IECC along with the model electric ready and solar ready code when adopting or updating any building code between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2026.”
This isn’t a political column. Coloradans need to know whether its movement toward a “green” economy will be halted or reversed by the new administration. My intent in this column is merely to describe the programs and policies that may be in jeopardy.
The Colorado Energy Office (CEO) is the arm of state government which develops and implements “green policies,” including in the real estate domain, as authorized and in-
According to the CEO, jurisdictions are encouraged to amend their building codes every three years and to incrementally move in the direction of the model codes, and they are prohibited from making amendments to their code which “decrease the effectiveness or efficiency” of the code.
The more liberal jurisdictions, such as Aspen, Denver and Jefferson County, have moved quickly to adopt those model codes, which include requiring new construction to include conduits and pre-wiring to facilitate future installation of EV charging stations and solar panels. According to the CEO website,
Also being developed, according to the website, is The Model Low Energy and Carbon Code, consisting of the 2024 IECC, as amended by Colorado’s Energy Code Board. To the White House and DOGE, the names alone suggest they’ll be targeted by the new administration. Let’s just say they’re “woke.”
A Model Green Code, currently in draft form at the CEO, “will address building attributes such as energy and water use efficiency, electrification, low carbon building materials, and other strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of new buildings. Local governments may voluntarily adopt this code in addition to the required energy code,” according to the website.
The state of Colorado has no statewide building code, but it does require any jurisdiction (i.e., counties or home-rule cities) which
Some Eager Sellers Cut Out Potential Buyers by Accepting a Quick Good Offer
Yes, the seller’s market of the Covid years is over, but there are still listings which sell right away, and too many sellers accept a fullprice or better offer on the first or second day, when they might get a better price if they just waited a few days.
This January, the average days on the MLS for listings within 25 miles of downtown Denver peaked at 60, compared to 22 days in January 2022. The median days on the MLS peaked at 44 this January compared to only 5 days in January 2022.
However, of the 2,396 listings in that area which closed this January, 63 went under contract the first day they were on the MLS and another 44 listings sold without even being entered on the MLS so that other buyers could know about them. 47 more went under contract the second day they were on the market, and 57 went under contract on the third day. I tell my sellers that if someone makes an
offer that quickly, and there are lots of showings, there are probably other buyers who might have paid more. It is my job as a listing agent to help my sellers get the highest price for their home, and I’m not doing that if I don’t convince them not to go under contract in less than four days.
This topic was inspired by a broker associate who said that twice in the past couple of months his buyer had lost out on a new listing that he showed the first or second day it was on the market because the seller had accepted a quick offer that our buyer would have beaten, given the chance.
In conclusion, just because the market has
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slowed down, sellers who price their home wisely and get a quick full-price offer should at least look at how many showings have been set, inform those other agents about the offer, and give them a chance to submit.
has a building code to follow state laws regarding building codes, and it’s common to adopt one of the codes created every few years by the International Code Council, amended as appropriate to their local needs.
The above map from the CEO website, shows the extent to which each county has adopted the IECC codes by year. The lightest colors are counties which have adopted (likely with amendments) the 2021 IECC, and the darkest counties have no building codes. The other colors have building codes based on IECC years 2006, 2009, 2015 and 2018. It’s a interactive map, and can be changed to display home-rule cities and their codes, or you can search a county or city and it will display the details of its code requirements and IECC year.
As usual, I have the links for all this at http://RealEstateToday.substack.com
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Resilience1220 welcomes new executive director
Lindsey Breslin brings a lifetime of nonprofit experience to the Evergreen youth counseling organization
BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Lindsey Breslin and her husband, Ned, moved to Evergreen for the area’s peace and beauty. Several months later, she found a dream job to accompany their dream move. Breslin is the new executive director of Resilience1220. e nonpro t, founded six years ago after a local crisis in teen mental health, provides no-cost counseling to youth between the ages of 12 and 20.
Breslin has worked her entire career in mental health and nonpro ts, and Resilience1220 is proving a natural t for her talents. But she credited those who came before her with bringing the organization to its current successful status.
“Starting a grassroots nonpro t is never easy,” she said. “I’m very impressed by what’s been accomplished from the two previous executive directors, our small-but-mighty team and dedicated group of therapists. I think everything is going well.”
Breslin is a licensed clinical social worker who has a bachelors’ degree in psychology from St. Lawrence University and a master’s in social work from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
e Bu alo, New York native, who is married to her high school sweetheart and the mother of two, said she has always been drawn to nonpro ts and helping others.
“Working with more marginalized groups or issues, working to reduce the stigma around mental health — that’s the kind of work that is meaningful for me and speaks to me,” she said.
Breslin spent the rst 18 years of her career working in mental health, where her husband had attended grad school and started his own career. She worked for nonpro ts focused on gender-based violence, and HIV and AIDS prevention.
e couple fell in love with Colorado’s sunshine and lifestyle while visiting friends in Denver.
ey lived and worked there for many years, with Breslin working extensively in suicide prevention, human tra cking and mental health crises, before they heard the mountains calling.
“We loved Denver but wanted to be more in nature and the mountains,”
Breslin said. “I was ready for a quieter lifestyle and noticed after we moved here that being out in nature really cultivates my own resiliency. I was doing crisis work in Denver, and I noticed how
Mount Evans brings support
quickly I could bounce back from that just living up here.”
Several months later, she saw the job posting for Resilience1220’s executive director.
“I really wanted to get more involved in the local community, to work where I live,” she said. “ is job felt like a really good t.”
While Breslin is just getting her feet wet at Resilience1220, she’s impressed by its reach within the Evergreen area and beyond. e organization provided 1,455 individual therapy sessions in
I’m
2024 and hosted 246 support groups and outreach events.
It hosts a regular open art studio at both Evergreen middle and high school, during which an art therapist helps kids explore their creative side.
At Clear Creek High School, Resilience1220 hosts a weekly lunchtime group for LGBTQ+ students.
At Blackhawk’s Gilpin County Community Center, it partnered with the Eagles after-school program to host a series of yoga and mindfulness classes. It also o ers services in Conifer. And it’s working to recruit more youth for its peer leadership program.
“I think a lot of youth are struggling with anxiety and depression,” Breslin said. “ ey’re also feeling a lot of academic pressure to succeed. We want to provide for our youth some skills, support and normalize that it’s ok to say we’re struggling. Mental health and life challenges are normal. You can get through it. ere are people here to support you.”
Resilience1220 was founded by Heather Aberg and Jen Pearson in 2019. Local resident Annie Cooley replaced Aberg as director in early 2023 and recently stepped down from the executive director role.
Resilience1220 will mark its sixth anniversary with a 5:30 p.m. May 7 celebration of youth creativity at Center for the Arts Evergreen.
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Lindsey Breslin is Resilience1220’s new executive director. COURTESY PHOTO
Small program helps seniors age in place
Medicare does not cover services of CAPABLE
BY JOANNE KENEN KFF HEALTH NEWS
Chikao Tsubaki had been having a terrible time.
In his mid-80s, he had a stroke. en lymphoma. en prostate cancer. He was fatigued, isolated, not all that steady on his feet.
en Tsubaki took part in an innovative care initiative that, over four months, sent an occupational therapist, a nurse, and a handy worker to his home to help gure out what he needed to stay safe. In addition to grab bars and rails, the handy worker built a bookshelf so neither Tsubaki nor the books he cherished would topple over when he reached for them.
Reading “is kind of the back door for my cognitive health — my brain exercise,” said Tsubaki, a longtime community college teacher. Now 87, he lives independently and walks a mile and a half almost every day.
e program that helped Tsubaki remain independent, called Community Aging in Place: Advancing Better Living for Elders, or CAPABLE, has been around for 15 years and is o ered in about 65 places across 26 states, including Colorado. It helps people 60 and up, and some younger people with disabilities or limitations, who want to remain at home but have trouble with activities like bathing, dressing or moving around safely. Several published studies have found
the program saves money and prevents falls, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says contribute to the deaths of 41,000 older Americans and cost Medicare about $50 billion each year.
Despite evidence and accolades, CAPABLE remains small, serving roughly 4,600 people to date. Insurance seldom covers it (although the typical cost of $3,500 to $4,000 per client is less than many health care interventions). Traditional Medicare and most Medicare Advantage private insurance plans don’t cover it. Only four states use funds from Medicaid, the federal-state program for low-income and disabled people. CAPABLE gets by on a patchwork of grants from places like state agencies for aging and philanthropies.
e payment obstacles are an object lesson in how insurers, including Medicare, are built around paying for doctors and hospitals treating people who are injured or sick — not around community services that keep people healthy. Medicare has billing codes for treating a broken hip, but not for avoiding one, let alone for something like having a handy person “tack down loose carpet near stairs.”
And while keeping someone alive longer may be a desirable outcome, it’s not necessarily counted as savings under federal budget rules. A 2017 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services evaluation found that CAPABLE had high satisfaction rates and some savings. But its limited size made it hard to assess the long-term economic impact.
It’s unclear how the Trump administration will approach senior care.
e barriers to broader state or federal nancing are frustrating, said Sarah Szanton, who helped create CAPABLE while working as a nurse practitioner doing home visits in west Baltimore. Some patients struggled to reach the door to open it for her. One tossed keys to her out of a second-story window, she recalled. Seeking a solution, Szanton discovered a program called ABLE, which brought an occupational therapist and a handy worker to the home. Inspired by its success, Szanton developed CAPABLE, which added a nurse to check on medications, pain, and mental well-being, and do things like help participants communicate with doctors. It began in 2008. Szanton since 2021 has been the dean of Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, which coordinates research on CAPABLE. e model is participatory, with the client and care team “problemsolving and brainstorming together,” said Amanda Goodenow, an occupational therapist who worked in hospitals and traditional home health before joining CAPABLE in Denver, where she also works for the CAPABLE National Center, the nonpro t that runs the program. CAPABLE doesn’t profess to x all the gaps in U.S. long-term care, and it doesn’t work with all older people. ose with dementia, for example, don’t qualify. But studies show it does help participants live more safely at home with greater mobility. And one study that Szanton co-authored estimated Medicare savings of around $20,000 per person would continue for two years after a CAPABLE intervention.
“To us, it’s so obvious the impact that can be made just in a short amount of
time and with a small budget,” said Amy Eschbach, a nurse who has worked with CAPABLE clients in the St. Louis area, where a Medicare Advantage plan covers CAPABLE. at St. Louis program caps spending on home modi cations at $1,300 a person.
Both Hill sta and CMS experts who have looked at CAPABLE do see potential routes to broader coverage. One senior Democratic House aide, who asked not to be identi ed because they were not allowed to speak publicly, said Medicare would have to establish careful parameters. For instance, CMS would have to decide which bene ciaries would be eligible. Everyone in Medicare? Or only those with low incomes? Could Medicare somehow ensure that only necessary home modi cations are made — and that unscrupulous contractors don’t try to extract the equivalent of a “copay” or “deductible” from clients?
Szanton said there are safeguards and more could be built in. For instance, it’s the therapists like Goodenow, not the handy workers, who put in the work orders to stay on budget.
For Tsubaki, whose books are not only shelved but organized by topic, the bene ts have endured.
“I became more independent. I’m able to handle most of my activities. I go shopping, to the library, and so forth,” he said. His pace is slow, he acknowledged. But he gets there.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.
Support grows for Pettersen bill on remote voting for reps
BY ELYSE APEL THE CENTER SQUARE
Bipartisan support is growing for a U.S. House resolution that would change the rules to allow House members to vote remotely while on parental leave.
Spearheaded by U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Colorado, House Resolution 23 is receiving national media attention after Pettersen traveled to Washington D.C. with her four-week-old son to cast her vote.
“Unfortunately, Republican leadership denied my ability to vote remotely after giving birth to my son, Sam, but that’s not stopping us from showing up to vote no on this disastrous budget proposal,” Pettersen said on social media, in a February post that quickly went viral.
Some Republicans have joined with Pettersen in supporting the resolution. Currently, it has 158 co-sponsors in the U.S. House: 149 Democrats and 9 Republicans.
U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Florida, is one of those co-sponsors.
U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Colorado, brings her four-weekold son, Sam, with her as she votes against a House spending bill. Pettersen supports a House resolution that would allow parents in Congress to vote by proxy.
wealthy, older men who serve in Congress,” Pettersen said in a recent interview.
“ is isn’t designed for young families and for young women especially.”
e resolution would change the House rules to permit “parental remote voting by proxy,” which is when a House member designates another representative to vote on their behalf in their absence.
It would allow members who are new parents, both mothers and fathers, to vote by proxy for up to 12 weeks under the House Rules, excluding proxy votes from establishing a quorum.
It would also allow pregnant members to vote by proxy if a pregnancy-related “serious medical condition” prevents travel. Time spent proxy voting pre-birth would count against the 12-week limit for parental leave.
Currently, no proxy voting is allowed on the oor of the House or Senate. is was a Republican response to an expan-
“Congress needs to get with the times,” Luna said of the resolution. “No parent should have to choose between caring for their child and ful lling their duties in Congress to represent their constituents. We will get it done!”
sion in proxy voting over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, which both political sides have acknowledged was abused at times.
It’s time for a change, though, advocates for the resolution argue.
“Historically, it’s been much more
e bill was referred to the U.S. House Rules Committee in January. No date has been set for the resolution to be taken up. Republished from e Center Square, a national news service that is the project of the nonpro t Franklin News Foundation, headquartered in Chicago.
Lawmakers seek to delay childcare cuts for youngest
Move by legislators aims to deter planned cuts
BY ANN SCHIMKE
CHALKBEAT
A powerful legislative committee on Feb. 27 expressed an interest in reversing some planned cuts to a Colorado program that provides therapies to babies and toddlers with delays.
While the details are still up in the air, lawmakers on the Joint Budget Committee essentially pledged to nd funding to prevent thousands of young children who get services through the state’s Early Intervention program from losing certain therapies starting this month.
e committee’s decision is sure to prompt a sigh of relief from parents and therapy providers, many of whom said they were panicked and heartbroken when they learned of the impending cuts announced by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood a few days before the announcement. e state’s $87 million Early Intervention program serves around 11,000 children from birth to 3 years old each month.
“We are going to get this done and help
these kids,” said Sen. Je Bridges, a Democrat who represents parts of the Denver metro area and is chairperson of the committee.
e committee voted unanimously to authorize a bill that would lay out possible xes to the cuts that directly impact children. e meeting was tense at times, with several lawmakers expressing frustration that the Department of Early Childhood’s leaders hadn’t informed the committee about the budget problems that prompted them to plan the cuts.
e cuts would have limited children to four hours of therapy a month, which is a fraction of what some get now. In addition, children who are on Medicaid, a health insurance program for low-income people, would no longer have been allowed to get developmental intervention, which is therapy that can help young children with attention, cognitive development, and learning.
Planned cuts that only a ect Early Intervention therapists — for example, not reimbursing them for no-shows — will go forward as planned.
Parents, therapists, and lawmakers all expressed surprise when they heard about the cuts. Leaders from the early childhood department said the cuts were needed to stave o a projected $4 million
shortfall caused by a growing Early Intervention caseload, the expiration of federal COVID stimulus funds, and the fact that fewer children are eligible for Medicaid.
But some lawmakers on the Joint Budget Committee were angry they had never been alerted of the impending shortfall or service cuts to babies and toddlers with disabilities.
Rep. Rick Taggart, a Republican from western Colorado, called it “insulting, to say the least.”
Jeanni Stefanik, chief nancial o cer for the early childhood department, said
the funding shortfall “was not fully realized until just a few weeks ago” and called the factors contributing to it “a perfect storm.”
It’s not entirely clear why state ocials, who said they routinely monitor the number of children in Early Intervention, weren’t aware of the possible funding shortfall earlier.
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.
Colorado lawmakers indicated they’ll find the money to prevent some planned cuts to the state’s Early Intervention program. SHUTTERSTOCK
HAPPENINGS
We’d like to know about events or activities of interest to the community. Visit www.canyoncourier.com/calendar/ and post your event online for free. Email jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia.com to get items in the newspaper. Items will appear in print on a space-available basis.
“I Love Ester”: 6 p.m. March 14, Congregation Beth Evergreen, 2981 Bergen Peak Drive, Evergreen. Free. Hilarious take on the biblical story of Esther, reinvented with the charm of Lucille Ball. Salsa lessons at 6 p.m., play at 7 p.m.
Evergreen Audubon Bird Walk - Wheat Ridge Greenbelt: 7:30 a.m. March 15, Bergen Park park-and-ride. With Evergreen Audubon birder Chuck Aid. Registration required at evergreenaudubon.org
Seniors4Wellness Friday Cafe: 11:30 a.m. March 21, Christ the King Church, 4291 Evergreen Parkway, Evergreen. seniors4wellness.org
Evergreen Chamber Orchestra - Spring Concert: 3 p.m. April 5, Rockland Community Church, 17 S Mt Vernon Country Club Road, Golden. Immerse yourself in the radiant world of Mozart, featuring Steinway artist Stephanie Shih-yu Cheng. Tickets at evergreenchamberorch.org
18th annual Foothills Home, Garden and Lifestyle Show: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 12 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 13, Evergreen High School, 29300 Bu alo Park Road, Evergreen. Sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Evergreen and Conifer. foothillshomeshow. com
Conifer Area Council: 7 p.m. April 16, West Je erson Middle School, 9449 Barnes Ave., Conifer.
Evergreen Audubon Bird Walk for Beginners: 9 a.m., March 26, Chat eld State Park. Meet at Front Range Birding Company, 10146 W San Juan Way, Littleton.Birding basics with Audubon birder Susan Harper. Free but registration required at evergreenaudubon.org
Senior Game Day: 11 a.m. March 26, Buchanan Recreation Center Evergreen Room, 32003 Ellingwood Trail, Evergreen. seniors4wellness.org
Share the Moment: 1:30 p.m. March 26, Center for the Arts Evergreen, 31880 Rocky Village Dr., Evergreen. Free guided art exploration for those experiencing memory loss and their care partners. evergreenarts. org
Evergreen Audubon Morning Birds & Brews: 8:30 a.m. March 28, Evergreen Nature Center, 27640 Hwy 74, Evergreen. Free. evergreenaudubon.org
Resilience1220 6th anniversary: 5:30 p.m. May 7, Center for the Arts Evergreen, 31880 Rocky Village Dr., Evergreen. Celebrating youth creativity. Entertainment, exhibits, silent auction. resilience1220.org.
ONGOING
Evergreen Ice Melt tickets available through March 17: $3 each with discounts for multiple purchases. Purchase tickets or nd local businesses selling tickets at evergreenicemelt.com. Proceeds bene t local organizations and nonpro ts.
Public ice skating and lessons: Evergreen Lake, 29612 Upper Bear Creek Road, Evergreen. Season and punch passes available. evergreenrecreation.com.
Bergen Park Art Walk: 5 p.m. March 28, Center for the Arts Evergreen, 31880 Rocky Village Dr., Evergreen. Walk from CAE and Catalyst to Bergen Village Center. evergreenarts.org
Father Daughter Dance: 6 p.m. March 28, Evergreen Lake House, 29612 Upper Bear Creek Road, Evergreen. For girls ages 3-12 and their guardians. evergreenrecreation.com
Morning Birds & Brews: 8:30 a.m. March 28 and April 25. Evergreen Nature Center, 27640 CO-74, Evergreen. We will spend some time chatting indoors before heading to the meadow to see birds. Free, no registration required. evergreenaudubon.org.
Evergreen Area Republican Club: e Evergreen Area Republican Club meets at 6 p.m. the rst Wednesday of the month at the Evergreen Fire/Rescue Administration Building, 1802 Bergen Parkway. Information atevergreenarearepublicanclub.org
Mountain Area Democrats: Mountain Area Democrats meet at 9 a.m. the fourth Saturday of the month January through April at the United Methodist Church of Evergreen, 3757 Ponderosa Drive, Evergreen. For more information, e-mail mtnareademocrats@gmail.com
Evergreen Nature Center: Evergreen Nature Center is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays next to Church of the Trans guration. Admission is free. For more information, visitwww.EvergreenAudubon.org.
Mountain Women Alcoholics Anonymous (AA): 9 a.m. every Saturday in person and on Zoom, Evergreen Lutheran Church, 5980 CR-73, Evergreen. Mountain Women also meet via Zoom on Wednesdays at noon. evergreenaa.com/
Wild Aware is actively recruiting volunteers for their Last Friday Co ee. e monthly event is at 9 a.m., the last Friday morning of every month. Evergreen Bread and Cocktail Lounge, 1260 Bergen Parkway, Evergreen.
Conifer Chamber of Commerce member meeting: 7:30 a.m. on second ursdays, Our Lady of the Pines Catholic Church, 9444 Eagle Cli Road, Conifer. Free for members, $10 for non-members.
A Night with our Stars: 6 to 9:30 p.m. April 4, Evergreen Lake House. 29612 Upper Bear Creek, Evergreen. Annual Evergreen Chamber business awards. Assigned seating, catered dinner, black tie encouraged. Tickets, $75. evergreenchamber.org.
Evergreen’s 150th Sacred Spaces: Noon, April 5, Evergreen Gallery, 28195 Hwy. 74, Evergreen. Featuring local historian and Hiwan House administrator John Steinle. Walking tour from Evergreen Gallery to Highland Haven. Free. evergreenchamber. org
e Bear Creek Cemetery Association board of directors volunteers needed: Members needed to help with operations of the local cemetery on Highway 74, Evergreen. Contact board president, evergreenbearcreekcemetery@gmail.com
Blue Spruce Habitat volunteers needed: Blue Spruce Habitat for Humanity is looking for volunteers. A variety of opportunities and exible schedules are available on new construction sites as well as for exterior minor home repairs. No previous construction experience needed. Contact volunteer@ bluesprucehabitat.org for information.
Evergreen Nature Center Weekly Preschool Adventures Program: 9 a.m. every ursday, 27640 Hwy 74, Evergreen. Free & no registration required. Programs designed for children ages 2-5 years old. All children must have an adult in attendance. Dress to explore the outdoors. evergreenaudubon.org
Evergreen Nature Center Monthly Family Program: 11 a.m. every last Saturday, 27640 Hwy 74, Evergreen. evergreenaudubon.org
e American Legion Evergreen Post 2001: Meets 4 p.m. Feb. 19, then monthly (March - October) on the 4th Tuesday at 7 p.m., Evergreen Church of the Trans guration, Douglas Hall, 27640 Hwy 74, Evergreen. Serving all military Veterans in the foothills. Email evergreenpost2001@gmail. com.
EChO needs volunteers: e Evergreen Christian Outreach ReSale Store and food pantry need volunteers. Proceeds from the EChO ReSale Store support the food pantry and programs and services provided by EChO. Many volunteer options available. For more information, call Mary at 720673-4369 or email mary@evergreenchristianoutreach.org.
LGBTQ+ teen book club: Resilience1220 is o ering an LGBTQ+ teen book club that meets from 4-6 p.m. the fourth Monday at the Resilience1220 o ce next to the Buchanan Park Recreation Center. For more information and to register, visit R1220.org.
ESA EverGREEN Re ll Station: EverGREEN Re ll Station (re ll your laundry detergent, lotions, soaps and more. We have many sustainable products available).
Evergreen Camera Club: Meets every second Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Evergreen Fire/Rescue auditorium, 1802 Bergen Parkway, Evergreen. Club is for people who share a passion for all photography, from beginners to professionals. Attend in person or via ZOOM.
e Re ll Station is open Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and the second Saturday of each month from 1-4 p.m. in the Habitat Restore, 1232 Bergen Parkway.
Support After Suicide Loss: A safe place to share and learn after losing a loved one to suicide. is group meets every fourth Wednesday of the month from 5:30-7:30 p.m. via Zoom or in person at the Resilience1220 o ce. For ages 14 and up. Suggested donation for this group is $15. Register atresilience1220.org/groups.
Sensitive Collection: Resilience1220 strives to inform and support highly sensitive people to live healthy and empowered lives. It meets the third Wednesday of each month from 6-7 p.m. via Zoom. Register atresilience1220.org/groups
Caregiver support group: Mount Evans Home Health Care & Hospice o ers a monthly group to provide emotional support services for caregivers helping ill, disabled or elderly loved ones. An in-person support group meets every third Wednesday from noon to 1:30 p.m. at 3081 Bergen Peak Road, Evergreen. For more information, visitmtevans.org/services/emotionalsupport/.
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BY STAVROS KORONEOS
A wide net
CONIFER – Wakened by the madcap wail of his car alarm, he ran outside to nd the stylishly tinted fragments of his Dodge Durango’s driver-side window sitting in the driver’s seat. Nothing else appeared to be amiss with the vehicle, but nothing else had to be for him le a report with JCSO deputies. Whatever tool had been used to pulverize the pane had apparently left with the vandal, and while he couldn’t give o cers a speci c suspect, he could o er a general one. An unknown person or persons driving a small, dark-colored SUV had followed him several times during the previous two weeks. Find that vehicle, he told deputies, and you may well have your man or men. Deputies promised to keep an eye out for a small, dark-colored SUV in
OPEN SPACE
While she supports the county’sforest mitigation work, which includes thinning trees in several Je co parks, she’d like to see more information shared with the public about it.
“ e communication e ort with the forest management program could be better,” she said. “I understand it’s actually for the bene t of the forest, but it’s quite shocking to come into a park and see. Just some signage would help.”
Morgan would also like more fun, educational events in the parks.
“My kids and I did a couple wild ower hikes through JCOS last year,” she said.
South Je co.
Good night, sleep tight, and so forth SOUTH JEFFCO – A dutiful true partner in marriage, Ricky was changing the bed linen when a horrifying host of bedbugs crawled out from between the crisp, white sheets. Ricky phoned the complex manager, Ethel, who assured Ricky that the best exterminators money could buy would be engaged at once, and that she would personally see to it that all costs associated with bedbug mitigation would be added to Ricky’s rent. At once relieved and alarmed, Ricky and his wife, Lucy, paid a call on Ethel the next morning to both praise her swift action in the matter and to suggest that attendant fees might be more justly borne by management. Ethel begged to di er, standing rm on company policy. Ricky restated his objection, standing up to do it. Pretty soon
“ e hikes have been a good way to introduce us to the parks. I’d like to see more programming opportunities like that.”
ose kinds of comments are exactly what JCOS sta are looking for, said JCOS senior planner Kristina Du .
“ is is what will help us prioritize projects and programming for the next ve years,” she said.
Du said the county will review the comments, incorporate those it can into its plans and host follow-up public meetings as the plan continues to develop.
For more information, check out JCOS’ Conservation Greenprint draft at je co. us.
If you can’t attend an open house, county residents can instead ll outan online survey.
a full-blown landlord-tenant dispute was raging in Ethel’s o ce, and it might have continued inde nitely had not Ethel suddenly announced “We are done” and ushered the irate renters toward the door. Perhaps familiar with that tactic, Ricky refused to pass through the doorway, and stood there in the middle of it arguing for all he was worth. No stranger to that ploy, the canny manager kept up a slow, steady pressure on the door until it eventually swept Ricky into the hallway. Lucy immediately called JCSO to report that Ethel had assaulted Ricky with her o ce door. Deputies asked Ricky if he’d been injured in any way. “No,” he admitted, “but I feel harassed.” After speaking with Ethel, ofcers informed Ricky and Lucy that no charges would be forthcoming. “So they can just treat their tenants like that?” asked Ricky, incredulous. Deputies advised that he and Lucy could either make
nice with Ethel, start shopping for their own exterminator, or learn to live with the bedbugs.
Deliveryman de-documented EVERGREEN – A sharp-eyed Hilltop resident and concerned postal patron called 911 on the afternoon of Jan. 13 to report a possible serial letter larceny in progress. A fast-acting deputy quickly located the suspect white Prius and, observing a copious collection of correspondence strewn about the seats, asked its driver to explain his interest in other people’s posts. While the driver spoke no English, through the good o cer Google Translate he was able to explain that he’s a USPS contract employee performing duly appointed delivery rounds. After determining that the driver’s claim was correct, the deputy con scated his “obviously fake” drivers license and sent him on his way.
Conifer residents Ron and Jan Schmidt talk with Je co Open Space senior planner Elizabeth Stoner at a March 3 open house at West Je Middle School.
PHOTO BY JANE REUTER
Denver mayor threatened with jail during testimony
Mayors testify on immigration policies
BY JENNIFER BROWN THE COLORADO SUN
Mayor Mike Johnston, called before a congressional committee March 5 to answer for Denver’s status as a so-called sanctuary city, said providing refuge for the tens of thousands of migrants who arrived in Denver was both a requirement of his job and a moral obligation.
Several Republican members of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, however, said Johnston — along with the mayors of Chicago, New York and Boston — should be prosecuted and jailed for violating federal law that prohibits “harboring illegal aliens.”
Four hours into the heated hearing, U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, said she would request that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi investigate the mayors. A referral from a member of Congress does not guarantee the U.S. Department of Justice will investigate.
“I’m not doing that in an e ort to bully you guys but I do believe that your policies are hurting the American people,” she said. “If you guys continue doing what you are doing, you are not going to help anyone. You are going to hurt more people and that’s exactly why I’m tired of it.
e American people are tired of it.”
U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, a Louisiana Republican, referenced a previous comment by Johnston that the Denver mayor was willing to go to jail to prevent immigration raids at schools and churches in his city.
to jail,” Higgins said at the end of ery remarks about the dangers of illegal immigration. “We might give you that opportunity.”
Johnston faced multiple rounds of tough questioning, including from U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, after he described how Denver housed and fed many of the 42,000 migrants who arrived in the city in an 18-month period beginning in December 2022.
“We are each entitled to our own opinion about what should happen at the border,” Johnston said in his opening remarks to the Republican-controlled committee. “But that was not the question facing Denver. e question Denver faced is: what will you do with a mom and two kids dropped on the streets of our city with no
Johnston also quoted from the Bible as he spoke to the panel.
“As mayor I have to protect the health and safety of everyone in our city. As a man of faith I have a moral obligation to care for those in need,” he said. “As scripture says, ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in.’ So that’s what we did.”
At the height of the migration to Denver, 10 or 11 buses were arriving per day, carrying hundreds of people, many of them women and children in T-shirts and sandals in the middle of winter, Johnston said. Denver set up eight city-funded shelters, which are now closed, and helped 8,700
people apply for work authorization. e mayor pointed out during the hearing that many of the buses were sent by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
“When buses started showing up lled with migrants some in my city were afraid, just like I’m sure some of your constituents are afraid,” Johnston said. “ ey were afraid about crime and homelessness and worried about what these new people might take away from them. I understand that fear. e truth is people who are new to this country do good and bad just like all of us.
“When those buses kept on coming, Denver made a choice as a city, not to hate each other, but to help each other.” Boebert, whose district includes Doug-
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and mayors from New York, Chicago and Boston spoke to congressional members of the House Oversight Committee on March 5 to discuss and defend their immigration policies.
Finding the will and the way
When our oldest daughter, Kate, was just over 2 years old, I found her perched on top of the refrigerator with one hand holding open the door of the freezer and the other reaching in to grab an Otter Pop.
I was shocked by the sight and asked her what she was doing. Kate, who always wanted to be exactly like her mother and therefore refused to call me “Dad” because that’s not what Beth (Mom) called me, turned her head, looked at me, and said, “Nothing, Jim.”
To get in this precarious prone position 6 feet o the ground, Kate had gone to the corner of the kitchen and placed her plastic step stool on the counter. She then must have moved her highchair across the kitchen so that she could use the chair to climb onto the counter.
Apparently, after getting on the counter, she pushed her step-stool over next to the refrigerator, stepped up on it and climbed on top of the refrigerator. From there, for this two-year-old fearless climber, it was easy to open the freezer door and begin to reach down to grab the prize.
We can critique our parenting regarding this situation all day long. How is it that a 2-year-old could be left alone long enough to accomplish such a feat? Why did I not hear the furniture being moved? What other safety features were not in place? e list goes on. In the end, whether it was good parenting or not, after getting her down safely from the top of the refrigerator, Katie, Beth, and I had Otter Pops. I am sure we took a few minutes to talk about not doing that anymore, but I do not remember that part of the conversation.
We have shared that story with people numerous times over the course of the last 30 years laughing with each retelling. ose are great memories. In the last 16 years, since my MS. Diagnosis, I have come to recognize that beyond the great memories, the story holds lessons about overcoming obstacles. ree things stand out for me. Most obviously, there is the idea that where there is a will, there is a way. In our struggles, it is so easy to get stuck with an “I can’t do that.” recording playing in our head. We need to get rid of that record;
Iit is limiting and debilitating. When we change the message to, “I can’t do that in the way I used to.” It opens doors and creates possibilities.
Next, while I can only imagine what her 2-year-old brain was thinking, I suspect that Kate broke the problem of wanting an Otter Pop into several parts: How do I get on the counter? How do I get on top of the fridge? How do I get an Otter Pop? To nd di erent ways to do things, we may have to break hurdles down into parts. Figure out one step that gets us a portion of the way there and then gure out the next. When we do that, eventually we will get our Otter Pop.
Finally, Kate was bold and open to taking chances. To take on the struggles we face we too must be bold, willing to take chances.
Struggles put us at a crossroads, an inection point where we must decide what our mindset and path will be. My hope for each of us is that we will choose the path with options, with possibilities, with joy.
You have 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.
Education in the U.S. and how each state fares
How does the U.S. do in educating its citizens compared with other developed nations? e following quote from education expert Judy Butler gives a perspective I never thought of.
states in order):Indiana, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Utah, Ohio, Maine, Florida, Delaware, Washington, South Dakota, Rhode Island.
am a recently-retired lawyer, having practiced for 45 years in Colorado. Over the past 10 years, my wife and I have had the honor of working as volunteer interpretative rangers in Rocky Mountain National Park (“Rocky”).
Neither Rocky Mountain, nor any of Colorado’s other national park units (of which there are about 16, including parks, monuments, historic trails and other sites), are oversta ed. Indeed, they have been understa ed for quite some time. at is based on our rsthand knowledge. When Elon Musk announced the indiscriminate employment cuts to our federal government, including all of our national
“Education system rankings are always an apples and oranges comparison. Educational systems are a product of the countries’ culture,” she said.
She contends the U.S. is No. 1.
“ at’s because we educate everyone through age 18 and don’t siphon o kids around age 16, sending only the best students on to high school making them eligible for college and other post-high school education,” Butler said.
So, our democratic ideas a ect our ranking. We live up to the idea that everyone in the U.S. deserves a chance to succeed.
I looked at many rankings and only one, a U.S. News and World Report study in 2024, ranked the U.S. No. 1 in education. It included our world-class colleges and universities as part of our education system. As a result of my research, I know we are not 24th, as Elon Musk reported, but we are not the best either.
e U.S., despite ranking high in educational system surveys, falls behind in math and science scores compared to many other countries. In reality, we have 50 educational systems as our K-12 education is managed and funded almost completely by the 50 states, according to a 2024 report by Fullerton College of Education at Michigan State University.
So, as a result, I focused on measuring the 50 states in terms of their K-12 school systems. I found three credible studies that measured school quality, student safety and student success. As each study had di erences, I combined the three averaging each state’s scores. e following are those results.
First quadrant (highest performing states in order): New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, Maryland, Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado, Iowa.
Second quadrant (above average
ird quadrant (Below average states in order):Montana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Missouri, Kansas, Georgia, Tennessee, Idaho, Texas, Arkansas, Michigan, North Carolina.
Fourth quadrant (Poorest performing states in order): Hawaii, California, Oregon, Mississippi, South Carolina, Alaska, Alabama, Nevada, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico.
Some of these rankings are in uenced by the makeup of the individual states. ere is a study by the National Center for Education, which studies 67,977 schools in 12,842 districts. at study shows that suburban schools produce reading scores of 50.7 vs. similar scores of 41.4 in rural schools and 37.4 in urban schools. Math scores are also highest in suburban schools at 49.7 vs. 41.7 in rural schools and 38.0 in urban schools. e three di erent school settings have similar student to pupil ratios and similar teacher pay per student ratios. is suggests that the scores students produce depend on their school environment. States with predominantly suburban schools will produce higher scores and the reverse is also true.
You may be wondering how we are doing. Schooldigger.com, an organization that helps parents understand school quality, rates both Evergreen and Conifer High Schools in the top 3% of the over 26,000 high schools in America.
I had a wife, sister and two aunts who were teachers. All would agree that the two facts that matter most in student success are parental involvement and the quality of the teacher. Who among us has not had that special teacher who motivated and challenged us.
My son, upon graduating from college, wrote to his fth-grade teacher thanking her for her extra e ort on his behalf. I invite you to remember your special teacher and tell someone about them.
Jim Rohrer of Evergreen is a retired businessman who worked in small, medium and very large businesses. His books “Never lose your job. Become an MVP” and “Improve your bottom line, develop MVP’s today” focus on fostering success.
Protect our parks by contacting your representatives
park units, I immediately began contacting the ofce of 8th District Congressman Gabe Evans to discuss the catastrophic e ect of these cuts on our national parks in Colorado, and I asked when he would publicly support our parks.
I’m in my third week of constant contact, and while I have spoken to people at his o ce, no one has given me any impression that he cares the least about our parks. Most re-
cently, when I asked a representative in his o ce to tell me when he would support the reversal of employee cuts in our national park units in Colorado, he said he did not know and instead referred me to the videos on Mr. Evans’ website touting his support for a recent House budget resolution and potential cuts in Medicaid. Please, let Mr. Evans know that our national parks are a beacon of light in the world.
My wife and I, in our jobs, discuss the beauty and majesty of Rocky with literally thousands of visitors from throughout the U.S. and dozens of other countries. I can think of nothing more important for us to promote in these trying times for our
country, and nothing more shortsighted than ignoring the park’s needs. Let Mr. Evans further know that if he does not care about our parks, he does not care about Colorado and has no business representing its citizens, whether in the 8th or any other district.
is guest column was written by Boulder County resident Kevin Allen, who moved to Colorado in 1978 and practiced law for 45 years, mostly at Allen Vellone Wolf Helfrich & Factor P.C. Now retired, he and his wife have served as volunteer interpretative rangers at Rocky Mountain National Park for 10 years.
Jim Roome
GUEST COLUMN
Kevin Allen
GUEST COLUMN
Jim Rohrer
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
In the letter to the editor, titled “Save Elk Creek Fire – again! e May 6 Board Election could be a game-changer,” in the Jan. 30 edition of the Canyon Courier, Neil Whitehead III recycles tired, misguided arguments against the unication of Elk Creek Fire Protection District (ECFPD) with the new Conifer Fire Protection District. Everything to know about his arguments is in that letter’s title: those of us who provide emergency services in ECFPD take your health and safety very seriously. e author and his colleagues seem to believe it is some kind of political “game” to win.
While it is tempting to eviscerate the author’s arguments, I’d like instead to make the case for uni cation.
Uni cation addresses real operational problems shared by ECFPD with many other re-protection districts (FPDs): as emergency calls grow more numerous, of higher acuity, and are often overlapping, volunteer responders are harder and harder to nd (and keep), and mutual aid is too slow. ese problems have grown with time and will continue to do so. (We also live in a region with the highest risk of catastrophic wildland re anywhere in the U.S.).
By merging adjacent FPDs and selectively adding full-time sta , unication intends to address operational problems head-on. What do the author of the aforementioned letter and
colleagues suggest alternatively? Absolutely nothing! ey implicitly tell us “keep on keepin’ on,” while those of us in the trenches know we cannot do this and provide the level of service we taxpayers have come to expect.
ECFPD has never needed “saving.” It has needed to evolve with the times. Historically, we have taken other “radical” operational steps that were vocally opposed: we added emergency-medical personnel, then female personnel, and most recently paid personnel. is next evolutionary step also is an operational matter. It should not be politicized but rather left in the hands of the experts whom you trust to save your lives. e re chiefs and the emergency personnel who answered a formal survey (more than 90% of ECFPD’s career and volunteer responders representing 556 years of emergencyresponse experience) all believe unication is that needed next step. And property-tax rates will decrease! e author of the previous letter and his colleagues have zero current operational experience; they mislead you with their cynical, divisive and expensive partisan political games. Uni cation fosters our community’s safety. Let’s move forward together by embracing this change!
ABOUT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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• Letters should be exclusively submitted to Colorado Community Media and should not submitted to other outlets or previously posted on websites or social media. Submitted letters become the property of CCM and should not be republished elsewhere.
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Philip S. “Flip” Koch, Conifer Resident, Volunteer Member of ECFPD and ird-Generation Fire ghter
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CAMPFIRE
“ e IRS tells me I did not work there; they have no record of it,” said Timothy Braden, former chef at the Evergreen restaurant. “And there’s no unemployment because the IRS says none of us worked there.”
Despite the alleged scandal, the former manager of the Evergreen Camp re is working to open a new restaurant in the building.
“We want to bring it back without the baggage of Jared,” Gabriel O’Dea said. “We really want to capitalize on the good ideas he had and try to grow something beautiful out of that failure.”
Leonard closed the Camp re in Evergreen, along with second Camp re location in Lakewood and Grabowski’s Pizzeria in Lakewood in early February, saying hecouldn’t “continue to run businesses that lose money.” On March 28, the sta at his last area restaurant quit, saying Leonard had also failed to report employee taxes at AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q in Denver.
Sta said that while the IRS apparently did not receive it, Leonard was withholding money from his employees’ checks.
“ e real big what-the-hell in all of this is that every single week, he (Leonard) took out taxes — not just from me but from everybody — at a very high rate,” Braden said.
He doesn’t know where that money went, only that the IRS apparently did not receive it.
“It was pretty devastating,” O’Dea said. “None of us have received our W2s, and it hinders our ability to get unemployment across the board. “It looks like he hasn’t been paying payroll taxes as far back as September, but he was withholding the maximum, telling us it would come back on our tax returns.”
Leonard is currently in Mexico operating his other restaurants in the resort community of Punta Mita near Puerto Vallarta, according to e Denver Post.
e Canyon Courier attempted to contact both Leonard and his wife Amanda on their cell phones. Leonard did not respond.
“I’m overwhelmed by the pain of the betrayals,” Amanda Leonard texted, requesting further communication go through her husband.
e Evergreen restaurant, which has a large outdoor space with a playground, pergola and stage, opened in May 2021. O’Dea said the restaurant had gone
through some ups and downs, and sta had been working hard to improve it.
ose e orts had been paying o .
“ e property meant a lot to the community,” he said. “On its best day, Campre was a third place for Evergreen to be. It always had this issue of lacking tender, loving care from the ownership. But we did a lot to repair the reputation over the last year. We were getting improved reviews. It was ultimately a poor ownership style that led to it not working out there.”
When problems rst surfaced, O’Dea said it seemed Leonard was simply too busy running several restaurants.
“It initially seemed like a good owner
who was overextended, trying to run three di erent brands across ve di erent locations,” he said. “ en as we got into the weeds a little bit more, we started to see some cracks in the wall. We’d get calls about lawsuits.
“A big red ag for us was we switched our payroll provider at the end of August. We had been cut paper checks for our payment. Sometimes it would be Zelle or Cash app. at culminated in nding out he hadn’t been paying the taxes he was withholding from us.”
Braden, who worked at El Rancho when it also closed, saw similar issues.
“Not only was (Leonard) never there,
we had people showing up every day with lawsuits,” he said. “In December, we had an IRS lockout. He owes the food reps thousands of dollars. ings got rough real quick. It put the whole (restaurant) family in a bad situation.”
While some employees have landed on their feet — Braden will soon start work at Evergreen’s Lazy Butcher — others haven’t. Both Braden and O’Dea are trying to help their former coworkers.
“What really hurt me was the way it hurt my employees, who had children and were making nancial plans,” he said. “I’ve been in contact with most of them. Some have been able to nd other jobs. Some are waiting on unemployment, which seems unlikely because Jared hadn’t been paying taxes. e biggest thing is the desperation about getting the W2s, and being able to pay our taxes.
“We’re not just talking about a business owner that bit o more than he could chew. ey took advantage of these communities and these people.”
Braden, who has a 2-year-old, a mortgage and two car payments, wants Leonard to face consequences for what happened. He’s also worried about ling his taxes.
“I’m not sure how we get him back to face charges,” he said. “I don’t know what we do from here. Now, we’re running into the deadline of taxes. I was there 10 months with no record of it; that’s a problem when it comes to the IRS.”
Meanwhile, O’Dea is moving forward, trying to open a new business at the old Camp re site.
“Our management group and my employees, we really did our best and showed up for the community,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to see all that go to waste just because Jared could not own and manage a restaurant.
“We’re big fans of the Evergreen community. ey’re very unique and eclectic, and completely worthy of our e orts.”
LIFESTYLES
‘Come
Home’ Again… Discover Innovative Home Products and Services at the 18TH ANNUAL
FOOTHILLS HOME, GARDEN AND LIFESTYLE SHOW
By Jo Ann M. Colton Special to Lifestyles
e 18th Annual Foothills Home, Garden and Lifestyle Show (FHGLS) is scheduled for Saturday, April 12 from 10:00am-4:00pm and Sunday, April 13 from 10:00am-3:00pm at Evergreen High School (29300 Bu alo Park Road). ere is no admission fee required to attend this event and parking is also FREE.
Whether you are looking to renovate your existing home, build a new home or simply want to spend an exciting weekend with family and/or friends viewing all the new home products currently on the market, e Foothills Home, Garden and
FEATURE OF THE MONTH
Lifestyle Show is a beloved community event that has something to o er just about everyone.
“ e Foothills Home, Garden and Lifestyle Show is organized by the Evergreen and Conifer Rotary Clubs. e location of this annual event alternates each year between Evergreen and Conifer High Schools,” said Erica Sprenkel Evergreen Rotary Club Member.
Erica Sprenkel, 2025 Foothills Home, Garden and Lifestyle Show Chair, along with her co-chair Dave Laughlin, are spear-
heading this year’s event at Evergreen High School. e show draws local residents as well as visitors and tourists from Denver metro and all points beyond. e community happening will showcase 80-plus reserved booths featuring area construction trades, remodeling companies, and gardening/landscaping businesses. You will also nd a plethora of other service vendors and nonpro ts represented at the show (leisure, health, cooking, Colorado artistic/creative businesses—and more). While some will o er demonstrations of their products, all participants will exhibit and o er their
products/services for sale, interact with the public, and answer questions from attendees.
“We are happy to announce that Evergreen Animal Protection League (EAPL) will also be a participating exhibitor this year and they will feature puppies for adoption,” stated Erica Sprenkel.
is year’s returning Presenting Sponsor is Lifetime Home Remodeling (formerly Lifetime Windows & Siding). Gold Sponsors are 5280 Exteriors and Old Growth Tree Service; the event’s Bronze Sponsor is 1st Bank. Check out the FHGLS website foothillshomeshow.com for a list of sponsors and participating businesses/ organization including this year’s food truck vendor who will be selling food and beverages on the grounds outside the event.
Since 2005, e Foothills home show has been “welcoming home” more than 1,000 at-
tendees each year (depending on the weather) and helping “business to happen” in our foothills. Residents of our community understand that shopping locally keeps monies in our own community. Supporting the success of our mountain businesses, retailers, and nonpro t organizations, as well as the show’s vendor participants from down the hill, ultimately fuels our local economy and real estate market enabling our community to thrive while perpetuating our beloved mountain lifestyle.
e Evergreen Rotary Foundation (ERF) and the Conifer Rotary Foundation (CRF) are the entities that distribute grant money to the local community and internationally on behalf of the Evergreen and Conifer Rotary Clubs. Last year, Evergreen Rotary’s fundraising e orts enabled them to purchase a delivery truck for the Evergreen Christian Outreach nonpro t. In addition, Evergreen Rotary donates approximately 120-pounds of food to
the EChO Pantry each month.
Over the years many local organizations have bene ted from Rotary grants, including: Seniors’ Resource Center, Mountain Resource Center, Evergreen Christian Outreach, Blue Spruce Habitat for Humanity, Evergreen Chamber Orchestra, Evergreen Fire and Rescue, Evergreen and Conifer High Schools, Mountain Area Land Trust, Mount Evans Home Health Care & Hospice, Stage Door eater, Staunton State Park Track-Chair Program, and more.
Since its inception, the Foothills Home, Garden and Lifestyle Show has raised well over $325,000, all of which has been, and will again be, apportioned back to the bene t of our community. Although the home show admission is FREE to the public, non-perishable food donations will be collected at the door for the EChO Food Pantry and the Mountain Backpack Project, a Rotary led project that sends food home with kids at the end of each week. One in ve children in Colorado belong to families that cannot a ord food, or do not have regular access to food. Consequently, the Conifer Rotary-led project partners with the Conifer and Bailey communities to ensure these children have enough food at home to
sustain them through the weekend.
“It takes a coordinated e ort to organize any major community event,” said 2025 FHGLS Show Director Erica Sprenkel. “We know we simply could not have produced the Foothills Home, Garden and Lifestyle Show for the past 18 years (except for a shutdown in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID virus) without the continuing support of our dedicated Evergreen and Conifer Rotary Club members,
our loyal sponsors, our 70-plus volunteers, and the many attendees who, over the years, have enabled the Foothills Home, Garden, and Lifestyle Show to become such a popular and successful community event.
Foothills residents like to do business with people they know, like, and trust. So, show your support to keep our local community’s economy ourishing. Set your sights on traveling “homeward” to Evergreen High School on
April 12 and April 13. Plan to attend the 18th Annual Foothills Home, Garden and Lifestyle Show with family and/or friends. Allow yourself the opportunity to interact with other community members and residents, meet area vendors face-to-face, learn more about their products/services, and discover the latest home/garden trends and current products just right for you, your own home, and your lifestyle.
By Jo Ann M. Colton Special to Lifestyles
Considering re nancing your current home loan? Let mortgage broker Grant Brewster of Edge Home Finance guide you through the process. For over thirty years, the foothills native has consistently helped his customers meet their real estate requirements by providing mortgage services that exceed their expectations.
To help you make an educated re nancing decision simply send Grant a copy of your recent mortgage statement (via email or text). Upon your property review, he will promptly contact you to discuss your goals and provide you with your best re nancing options.
“Whether you want to lower your interest rate and/or monthly payments, shorten/change your loan term/type, or cash out a portion of your home’s equity for repairs/renovations, re nancing might be a good choice.” said Grant Brewster who as a mortgage broker is not employed or a liated with any lending institution and can o er you unlimited products.
Should you decide to re nance, Grant will protect/lock-in the agreed interest rate/terms, process the loan with your supporting paperwork, and place that loan with the lender. Loan closing generally completes between two-four weeks therea er.
Grant Brewster (720-668-4183/grant. brewster@edgehome nance.com/www. grantbrewster.com) is located at Flow eory Coworks, 3540 Evergreen Parkway. Contact him for more re nancing information, and for all your nancing needs.
The Fireplace of Your Dreams
Spring is (almost) here and with it, a surge in home renovation projects like adding a new replace.
Here’s how we take your replace dream from an idea to reality.
Step 1: Idea
Our NFI-certi ed showroom sta will conduct a thorough assessment of your needs and desires. We’ll help you choose the right product based on fuel, heating needs, size, aesthetics, and budget. e fun part is choosing design elements including nishes, fronts, media, and optional accessories. en there’s the less fun part: planning and logistics. We handle everything for you! Installing a replace may seem straightforward but ask any of our installation technicians… ey’ll tell you it’s never as easy as it looks. It’s a complex process! We have the experience to navigate the most unique of replace installations with an eye on safety and function.
Some replace companies give you a “rough estimate” for installation. We don’t.
We detail every cost to prevent expensive surprises. Once you accept the proposal, we order your appliance, accessories, and parts so that all necessary items are ready on installation day.
Some replace companies do inspections, measurements, etc. during the “installation phase.” We don’t. ese essential logistical steps take time. And what if the installers need to order specialty parts for a safe installation? ey have to put the project on pause! We say that’s too many days of inconvenience for you. at’s not acceptable and that’s not how we work!
We do the logistical prep work well before installation day to streamline the process and minimize the intrusion into your life. We take measurements to determine which models and styles t your space. We address clearances, venting requirements, utility hookups, special considerations, and identify the components needed to ensure safety and compliance with local building codes. We order everything ahead of time. Seems
simple, right? We think so. We’re committed to making things as easy and convenient for you as possible.
Some replace retailers just sell products and leave you to handle or outsource the logistics and installation. We don’t. A DIY approach o en leads to costly mistakes and wasted time. And, many replace brands won’t honor warranties unless the appliance is professionally installed. We leave nothing to guesswork or chance.
e entire process never leaves the building.
e buck stops here.
Step 2: Fire
Yay, it’s installation day!
Our in-house uniformed NFI-Certi ed technicians arrive in a branded truck: no sub-contractors, just our friendly crew of licensed, bonded, insured, and courteous professional employees. We treat you and your home with the utmost respect. We follow all safety protocols and protect your investment with our 10-year Workmanship Guarantee!
We will also set you up for success with
instructions for using your new replace, insert, or stove. You’ll become an expert on adjusting heat and ambience for maximum value, e ciency, and enjoyment.
A er the installation, we follow up to make sure you’re 100% happy and troubleshoot any issues.
en, we’ll conduct an optional Customer Appreciation Visit where we present you with a gi to express our sincere appreciation for your business and take a few pictures for our portfolio.
We also o er professional replace maintenance service and repairs. We’re always here when you need us!
Get started on your dream replace project today so you’re ready by the time the rst snow ies in September! (So soon???)
Give us a call at 303-679-1601, browse our website at www.mthnp.com, or stop by our showroom at 7001 Hwy 73 in Marshdale to see wood, gas, and electric replaces, inserts, and stoves in action!
Choosing Healthy Beverages for Kids and Teens
(StatePoint) Choosing healthy beverages for children and adolescents is just as important as choosing healthy foods, as it impacts everything from oral health to chronic disease risk. at’s why leading health and nutrition organizations developed new healthy beverage recommendations for families with children ages 5-18.
ese evidence-based recommendations were created as part of a collaboration by experts at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Heart Association, who were brought together by Healthy Eating Research (HER) with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
To make choosing healthy beverages easier for families, the organizations created these three categories:
Beverages to Drink
ese beverages are recommended as part of a healthy diet because they provide essential nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, and don’t contain added sugars.
• Plain drinking water is still the best option to keep kids healthy and hydrated. It’s also o en the most accessible and a ordable.
• Plain, pasteurized milk is another healthy option because it provides important nutrients that growing kids and teens need.
Beverages to Limit
• 100 percent fruit and vegetable juice can
be part of a healthy diet, but daily consumption should be limited. Whole fruits and vegetables are generally better choices because they provide dietary ber, contributing to a feeling of fullness.
• Plant-based milk alternatives like oat milk and almond milk should be limited because they are not nutritionally equivalent to cow’s milk, which provides essential nutrients that kids need to grow up healthy. Many also contain added sugars and non-sugar sweeteners, which are harmful to kids’ health. If your child is allergic to dairy milk or has a dietary restriction, talk to your doctor or registered dietitian about nding the plant-based milk
alternative that is best for your child.
• Flavored milks, like chocolate milk and strawberry milk, should be limited because they contain high amounts of added sugars and non-sugar sweeteners. If your child does not like drinking plain milk, it’s best to consider other foods from the dairy group (like unsweetened yogurt) before o ering avored milk.
Beverages to Avoid ese beverages are not recommended as part of a healthy diet because they o er no nutritional value and have ingredients that can be harmful to kids and teens.
• Sugar-sweetened beverages, such as sports
drinks, sodas, fruit drinks, fruitades, aguas frescas and sweetened waters are high in added sugars, which can put children at risk for dental cavities, and diet-related diseases like type 2 diabetes and obesity.
• Drinks with non-sugar sweeteners, such as aspartame, stevia and monk fruit, should also be avoided. Just because a drink is advertised as sugar-free doesn’t mean it’s healthier. In fact, new research shows non-sugar sweeteners may not help control body weight and may increase the risk of diet-related chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
• Drinks with ca eine or other stimulants like taurine should be avoided. ese include energy drinks, energy shots, co ee, and tea. Evidence suggests that there is no safe amount of ca eine consumption for children under 18 and that even small amounts can lead to poor sleep quality, increased blood pressure, and depressive moods and anxiety.
You can learn more about healthy drinks at healthyeatingresearch.org.
“We all want our kids to grow up healthy, and research shows that what kids and teens drink is an important part of a balanced diet, not just what they eat. But there are so many drink products on the market, it can be hard to gure out what’s healthy and what’s not,” said Megan Elsener Lott, MPH, RDN, deputy director of HER. “ ese recommendations provide a gold standard based on the latest research and can be goals that families work toward together.”
HAPPY SAINT PADDY’S DAY
A womanizing US president. Gin-drinking, poker-playing, skirt-chasing Cabinet members. And a plot from the inside to usurp control of the Navy’s oil reserves. Wild and juicy stuff this. And all of it a true chapter of America’s history.
With a deft researcher’s hand and the heart and attention of a creative writer, Constance Bierkan has written a rstof-its-kind ctionalized recounting of what led up to this nearly forgotten nugget from the past, the Teapot Dome Scandal. Like No Place on Earth is a spirited coming-of-age story set in Wyoming at the start of the madcap Roaring Twenties and the birth of the oil industry. As much a love story as it is a historical deep-dive, Like No Place on Earth will be irresistible to book clubs and history buffs alike.
Should Colorado fear measles outbreaks?
Health leaders say vaccination is the best prevention
BY JOHN INGOLD THE COLORADO SUN
e ongoing measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico is edging closer to Colorado, at least geographically.
Four cases — and possibly a fth — have been reported in the Texas Panhandle county of Dallam, which sits about 35 miles south of Colorado’s southern border, separated by the Oklahoma Panhandle.
is doesn’t mean an outbreak is imminent in Colorado, of course. But state health o cials have been getting ready in case one is.
“Right now we are ensuring that we are prepared,” said Dr. Rachel Herlihy, the state epidemiologist with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “We know that measles cases can occur at any time. But we know the risk is going to be greater when there are large outbreaks occurring in other parts of the country.”
So what should you be doing now and how worried should you be? e Sun talked to Herlihy and to Dr. Michelle Barron, an infectious disease expert at UCHealth. Here are some answers.
What’s going on with this measles outbreak?
At least 155 cases have been reported in Texas and New Mexico as of March 4, with 146 of those reported in Texas.
e cases in Texas have been concentrated in children, with 40 occurring in kids under the age of 5, and 70 more in kids ages 5 through 17. One child has died, the rst measles death in the United States since 2015.
Of the 146 cases in Texas, ve have been in people who were inoculated with at least one dose of a measles vaccine. Of the remaining cases, 79 are in people who are unvaccinated and 62 in people with unknown vaccination status.
e outbreak was initially concentrated in an under-vaccinated Mennonite community in West Texas, but it has since spread outward.
Nationwide, a total of 164 cases of measles have been reported so far in 2025, including the Texas and New Mexico outbreaks. Of those infected, 20% have been hospitalized.
“I want people to fully appreciate that this is a huge outbreak, and we have not seen anything like this in a very long time,” Barron said.
Have there been any infections in Colorado?
As of March 4, there have been no measles infections in Colorado from the current outbreak.
e last measles case in a Colorado resident was in 2023. e patient was an adolescent who had traveled abroad.
Travel is a common source of exposure, Barron said, and Colorado often sees a case of measles every year or so related to travel. But you have to go all the way back to the mid-1990s to nd the last time there was a locally transmitted case of measles in Colorado, Herlihy said.
Back up, what is measles? Why is it bad?
spots.
e disease can also cause ear infection and diarrhea. Worse, the disease can cause pneumonia or swelling of the brain, which is what can lead to hospitalization and death. Severe complications and deaths are most common in children under 5.
at’s bad enough, but measles also has a superpower: its contagiousness.
e measles virus is among the most contagious ever documented, with one infected person able to pass the disease to as many as 18 other people. e virus is airborne and can linger in the air for as long as two hours after being exhaled by an infected person.
What can people do to prevent measles?
As with all viruses, good hygiene is helpful — wash hands thoroughly, avoid touching your face, wear a tight- tting mask in settings where you think you could be exposed, etc. But because the virus is so contagious, it can be di cult to avoid it if you are susceptible to infection. So the key, Herlihy said, is to make yourself not susceptible.
People often associate measles with its telltale red rash. But the disease can be much more aggressive than that — attacking the brain and the respiratory system. Barron said the rash is typically at and not itchy. Another common symptom are white dots in the mouth called Koplik
“We certainly want to make sure that Coloradans that are working on spring break plans are thinking about vaccine plans ahead of time,” she said.
A two-dose series of the MMR vaccine, which also covers the diseases mumps and rubella, is 97% e ective at protecting against measles.
e rst dose of MMR vaccine is typically given to kids around their rst birthday, but it can be given to kids as young as 6 months old if they will be traveling, especially internationally. ( ose kids will still need two doses after they turn 1.) e best advice, Barron and Herlihy said, is to talk to your pediatrician for guidance.
I’ve already had measles or a measles vaccine. Do I need a booster?
e measles vaccine has gone through various formulas and dosing schedules over the years, creating an immunization hodgepodge, depending on when you were born (assuming you got your typical childhood vaccines as a kid).
Here’s what the state advises:
- For people born before 1957, you were likely exposed to measles as a kid. Prior infection is believed to create lifelong immunity for most, so no additional vaccination is recommended.
- For people born before 1968, you may have received an ine ective vaccine, especially if you were born from 1963 through 1967. You should receive a booster dose of the MMR vaccine unless you happen to know that the vaccine you received was a live measles vaccine, and not an inactivated measles vaccine. If you’re unsure, the recommendation is to get the booster.
- For people born from 1968 to 1989, you likely received only one dose of MMR. ere is no overall recommendation for these folks to get a booster dose, since one dose of MMR is 93% e ective. But Barron said people in this group who didn’t get a second dose later in life may want to get a booster, especially if you live or work around young children.
Herlihy and Barron said there is no known harm in getting a booster if you are unsure of your vaccination status. Again, though, talking it through with your doctor is the best policy.
Does Colorado have a high measles vaccination rate?
Colorado is among the states with the lowest measles vaccination rates in the country for school-age children. at has long been true, but the COVID pandemic — both the lack of access to health care that many families experienced during the pandemic, as well as the rising levels of vaccine skepticism — made it worse.
e percentage of kids in kindergarten through 12th grade who were fully vaccinated against measles in Colorado hit its lowest level last year in at least six years. In the 2023-24 school year, 93.7% of students had received a full course of the MMR vaccine.
at may sound like a lot, but it is below the target level for achieving herd immunity. Because measles is so contagious, health experts say 95% vaccination coverage is needed to ensure the disease can’t spread within a community.
While many districts do hit that mark, there are pockets with measles vaccination coverage below 80%. e state’s immuni-
zation dashboard has data by district and by school.
Is it time to worry yet?
Barron said she isn’t trying to cause alarm, but she has been losing sleep as she worries about what could come from the growing outbreak in Texas and New Mexico. at’s why she said it is important for people to know their vaccination status.
“I don’t want to scare people, but I think people should truly be aware,” she said.
While measles has crept closest to Colorado’s southeastern border, Herlihy said she doesn’t see any one area or community more at-risk than another. Measles can just as easily be spread by someone on a plane or driving to the mountains for spring break.
“Really, it’s statewide,” she said of the area she’s watching. “It’s really di cult to predict.”
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.
People often associate measles with its telltale red rash, but the disease can be much more aggressive than that — attacking the brain and the respiratory system. SHUTTERSTOCK
FINDING PIECES OF IRELAND IN THE METRO AREA
BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Rather than vibrant green landscapes and stone bridges arched over running waters, the Rocky Mountains act as the backdrop for various pieces of Irish culture throughout the Denver metro area. Ireland’s rich history shines through in many aspects of life, re ected in clothing, cuisine, artwork, family life and much more.
However, it’s the music, dancing and pubs that play integral roles in the nation’s identity and keeps Irish culture alive across Denver.
“Denver has a strong Irish cultural scene,” said Ariel Bennett, owner of the Denver-based Heritage Irish Stepdancers dance school.
Denver’s Irish history
e Irish have had a strong presence in Denver since the mid-to-late 1800s.
Between 1845 and 1855, many Irish people immigrated to the United States due to the Great Famine in Ireland that decimated potato crops. A few decades later, Irish immigrants migrated to Leadville when silver was discovered. But when the Colorado Silver Boom ended in 1893, they began to make their way to Denver.
ey continued to work as laborers, but as generations evolved with the turn of the century, the Irish became more involved in the development of the city – in uencing religion, education and politics.
“Including eight Irish dance schools, a number of Irish pubs and a bunch of home-grown Celtic bands.”
e in uence of the Irish continues to be seen today through dance, music and pubs.
“Singing, playing and dancing are an essential part of social interaction, artistic expression and cultural identity,” Bennett said.
Stepping into the culture
When Bennett was a child, her mom, Molly, played in an Irish band and while playing at a party, Molly met two teenagers from Ireland. e teens asked if anyone would be interested in joining an Irish dance class.
Bennett was immediately put in the class and was later joined by her sister and mom.
e family started their own school, Heritage Irish Stepdancers, in 1998. While the main studio is in Denver, located at 7808 Cherry Creek South Drive, they also have classes at the Dance Academy, 8600 Park Meadows Drive in Lone Tree, and at Flatirons Dance, 8390 W. 80th Ave. in Arvada.
Although the exact origin of Irish dance is unknown, Bennett has learned about the di erent types of dances and how important it is to the culture.
ere are two forms of Irish social dancing. One is called set dancing, which has roots in English dancing, said Bennett, and the other is ceili dancing. is type of dance – which has become popular in competitions – involves couples dancing with other couples, similar to American square dancing.
“Sometimes people would do what was called a stepabout at these gatherings, where dancers would take turns showing o their fanciest moves,” Bennett said.
One of the more commonly-known styles is seeing the dancers with their arms by their sides. is is stepdancing, also known as solo dancing, and there are two styles within stepdancing. e soft shoe is more like ballet and the hard shoe is more like tap.
Also, women typically perform light and graceful moves while men do moves that are more powerful and rhythmic.
“Historically, stepdancing was done by common people, and they didn’t have special dance equipment,” said Bennett. “ ey wore ordinary clothes and shoes when they danced.”
Women and girls wore knee-length dresses with embroidered Celtic designs, said Bennett, but as competitive Irish dance became more popular, performance attire became shorter and lighter, with bright and bold designs.
For Bennett, Irish culture has always been part of her life, and over time, she has seen how dancing plays a key role in Irish identity.
A rainbow sits over a bright green landscape at the Rock of Cashel in Cashel, Republic of Ireland.
The River Lee runs through the Republic of Ireland’s second largest city, Cork, which is home to the English Market and the Blarney Castle and Gardens. PHOTOS BY HALEY LENA
PIECES OF IRELAND
Unique and distinctive music
“I was once told by an Irish person that the way you tell if someone has Celtic blood in them is by putting on Irish music. If they tap their feet and can’t sit still, they’re a Celt,” said Bennett. “ is just shows the importance that music has in Irish culture.”
With distinctive rhythms and unique traditional instruments, Irish music has always been a way to express emotions, tell stories and share culture.
Laura Schulkind, founder and executive director of the Chamber Music Society of Greater Denver, has been traveling around the metro area this March with the chamber, celebrating Celtic culture through music.
“Celtic music can be sorrowful, re ecting a lost love,” said Schulkind. “Or joyful and full of dance.”
Similar to many cultures, music was used to resist oppression. And Celtic music has also been used to preserve history, celebrate the nation’s identity and build community. It’s the instruments that are unique to the Celtic sound that instills life into the music.
Although Schulkind is a utist, she nds the distinctive sound of the Irish harp soothing and uplifting, making it one of her favorite instruments.
Other instruments that make up the Celtic sound include ddles, utes, the mandolin, concertina, tin whistles, highland pipes, uilleann pipes, Irish Bouzouki and the bodhrán.
A bodhrán is a frame drum where one side of the drum is open and the musician places their hand against the inside of the drum to control the tone and pitch while the other hand beats the drum.
“ e instruments create a rich texture that can go from a dense sound to a very light sound,” Schulkind said.
It’s often said that Irish music is a blend of storytelling and musical expression. Schulkind agrees.
A piece Schulkind is playing is called “In Ireland” by Hamilton Harty. She said the note at the beginning from the composer states: “In a Dublin street at dusk, two wandering musicians are playing.”
“ e composer is compelling me to tell a story with his piece,” said Schulkind. “He wants me to paint a picture with sound through the fantasy-type writing at the beginning and the joyful music at the end.”
Celtic music is not just for formal settings.
‘Good-ole Irish craic’
“Many of the tunes are also drinking tunes for the pubs,” Schulkind said.
From Celtic on Market to the Irish Rover, there are a multitude of pubs hidden throughout the Denver metro area. ere may not be as many as the 6,000 plus like in Ireland, but the metro area has its fair share.
Pubs are more than just a place to grab a drink. ey serve as a hub for the community, fostering a sense of belonging and contribution to the town.
“You just sit and have a good time, chat with your local friends, meet new people – and that’s exactly what we’ve tried to establish here,” said Megan Casey.
Casey has worked at Ned Kelly’s Irish Pub for 14 years and has fallen in love with getting to know the community and sharing a piece of Ireland.
e pub is a small, bright red building tucked away o Main Street in downtown Littleton. It rst opened in 2009 by two men – one of whom is from Ireland – after owning Scru y Murphy’s in downtown Denver.
Littleton “de nitely had the small town charm that a lot of Irish pubs have,” Casey said, adding that the building was remodeled in 2013 to make the pub more authentic.
While musical and stepdancing performances, as well as fundraising for local charities bring authenticity to the pub, Casey said getting to know its patrons on a personal level is what makes the pub feel genuine.
Having been to Ireland a few times, Casey said everyone in the pub is treated like family and that is what they aim for at Ned Kelly’s.
“ e few Irish pubs that I was in, that’s exactly how it was,” said Casey. “Everybody just welcomed you and wanted to get to know you. Like they say, ‘the good-ole Irish craic.”’
Stepdancing, also known as solo dancing, is a form of dance where the dancers perform with their arms down to their sides where women typically perform light and graceful moves while men do moves that are more powerful and rhythmic. COURTESY OF ARIEL BENNETT
Ned Kelly’s Irish Pub in downtown Littleton is one of many Irish pubs scattered throughout the Denver metro area. Established in 2009, it is the only Irish pub in Littleton. PHOTO BY HALEY LENA
With various styles of social and competitive dance, dancing has been an integral part in Irish culture. The Denver-based Heritage Irish Stepdancers dance school continues to carry on the Irish culture in the metro area. COURTESY OF ARIEL BENNETT
Shaun White promotes Snow League in Thornton
Snowboarding legend visits SNÖBAHN to lend tips, skate with kids
BY JOHN RENFROW JRENFROW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Future of snow sports and next generations
BY JOHN RENFROW JRENFROW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
the event moves to Yunding Secret
It’s not often an arguable top-10 athlete of all time stops in for a session in your hometown. But that’s what kids in ornton got on March 4 when snowboarding legend Shaun White pulled up to SNÖBAHN Action Sports Center.
e three-time Olympic gold medalist and 15time X Games gold medalist was in the Denver area ahead of the debut of Shaun White’s e Snow League at Buttermilk Ski Resort in Aspen. Beginning on March 7, the league is dubbed “the rst professional winter sports league entirely dedicated to snowboarding and freeskiing.”
e inaugural event will see some of the world’s top snowboarders compete head-to-head in the halfpipe on NBC and Peacock. e qualifying day is March 7, and the nals are on March 8. “I mean, look, Colorado, it’s hard to compete with it,” White said. “It’s one of the best places in the world for winter sports and the people are amazing. I’ve had plenty of memories and plenty of things happen for me here. And so, we’re so proud to kick o the league event here and support SNÖBAHN. I try to work in the places that I’ve had great experiences and have been good to me … Aspen’s one of, if not the most talked about, world destination for winter sports, plus just the vibe and the culture and all that. It’s a scene in many ways. I’ve had some amazing experiences there. All the stars really aligned.”
About the Snow League
Season one features a four-event global format boasting a $1.6 million prize purse, with athletes competing to earn points to determine the overall champions. After the season debut at Buttermilk in Aspen Snowmass this week,
Garden in China on Dec. 4–6, where 16 of the world’s top freeskiers will join the roster at the Beijing
Olympic Gold Medalist and X-Games standout Shaun White sat with Colorado Community Media’s John Renfrow to discuss teaching kids the skills to excel on the mountain and his new project, e Snow League.
Colorado Community Media: Why is SNÖBAHN such a good resource and tool for aspiring action sports athletes? Why did you want to get involved?
e League returns to Aspen next Feb. 26–28 and concludes at LAAX, 21, where the rst-ever Snow League World e event features reigning Olympic gold medalist Ayumu Hirano of Japan, PyeongChang jing Olympic bronze medalist Sena Tomita of Japan, along with U.S. Olympians Chase Josey, Lucas Foster and Maddie Mastro.
“ e nals is a head-to-head format. It’s like a March Madness or something,” White said. “It’s something that people recognize from other sports. It’s confusing format currently. But now, there’s a lot more education that’s going to go on to get people excited and understand what’s happening.”
Check out e Snow League on NBC and Peacock.
Shaun White + SNÖBAHN
White is an ambassador and investor at SNÖBAHN, an indoor action sports facility founded in 2016 with locations in ornton and Centennial.
SNÖBAHN o ers indoor skiing and snowboard lessons with slopes and trampolines, provides a full indoor skate park, camps throughout the year, rentals and more.
Visit www.snobahn.com for more information.
For more, read an extended Q&A with White at https://coloradocommunitymedia. com/2025/03/05/shaun-white-thornton/
White: I think it’s pretty obvious. You take one step into this place and go, “Oh, wow, like the trampoline setup and this entire skate park, the learn-to-ride areas.” And so I just thought it was so exciting. And there were a bunch of kids excited about it, talking about it. And I think I stepped into my 8-year-old self or whatever, and I was like, “Man, I would kill to have had something like this.”
Can you imagine? ese kids get it all. And then I was thinking about what type of athlete that would maybe bring about in the future, having access to something like this. And not only during the winter, where you can ride or go learn tricks up on the mountain, but when it’s not winter time, you you can come here year-round and learn.
CCM: How do facilities like this make the sports more accessible compared to when you were an up-and-coming snowboarder?
format, a whole new way of watching and understanding what’s happening in the sport. And then changing just the competitive landscape for the actual athletes — any traditional sport: tennis, football, hockey, F1, whatever — you can go nd out how your team or your favorite athlete is doing. It’s really dicult in (snowboarding). We want to make it like any other traditional sport. One home, one hub for the sport, and it’ll just make it better for the athletes and better for the viewers and people. And I felt like I was the right person for the job, from having that experience as a competitor and knowing the resort owners and the landscape and what’s needed.
CCM: How have snowboarders or skiers responded to this new tour format and event?
White: Just hearing their excitement on the phone was probably one of the coolest experiences of all this. But then I think the most kind of “pinch me” moment was the amount of resumes we started getting from people within the industry that are like, “ is is amazing. We’ve needed this for so long and I’d love to be a part of, if I could, in some way.” We want to take the world’s best, put them at the world’s best resorts and then have the biggest prize there’s ever been. And for athletes, in your path to qualify for the Olympics, you’ll get points at our events. We don’t want athletes to say, “Oh, I want to do Shaun’s thing, but I know you get points at other events that go towards your qualifying for the Olympics.” We wanted to make sure it was just like a plus experience. And so we were thrilled.
CCM: A lot of kids here today. How much do you enjoy spending time with the youth and passing down some wisdom to the next generation?
PHOTO BY ELISABETH
White: I started thinking about when I grew up riding, you know, it’s such an expensive sport. In a family of ve, lodging, these tickets, it’s such an expensive sport. And so to come to somewhere like this and learn and then take those skills to the mountain and have a better experience, you can get the most bang for your buck when you’re there. I mean, you don’t want to spend that kind of money and just be like, hooking an edge, trying to learn how to ride all day. It’d be nice to get there and really explore the mountain for what you’re paying. I think it just breathes life into the sport. It supports the youth. It’s temperature-controlled. It’s a more controlled environment. My family members get to ride more often than most, but still, they wanted to go enjoy the mountain, but they’re there teaching and helping the kids out. And so I just think it’s so awesome to have this on many di erent levels for sure.
CCM: What’s your vision for e Snow League? How exciting is it to be debut week?
White: e goal is to just to change the sport; how it’s viewed by the spectator and at home. We’ve got a whole new
White: It’s one of the joys for me, you know, sharing that experience. And I remember being that age and asking pros for tips on tricks and whatever. I’m excited to be able to pay that forward and and just be in the mix. And it’s fun for me. I’ve done this for my entire life. And the big fear as an athlete is like, “Oh, I retire, and then everything stops,” right? You think about traditional sports athletes … does Tom Brady have to go to the park and do pickup games?” So, I love being around it. I love being a part of it. I get that same excitement. I pop into this place all the time, every time I connect through Denver. I’m like, “Oh, I’ll just swing through, say hi to the kids, do my thing.” So yeah, I’m sel shing just investing in
Shaun White (left) highfives a local while skating with kids at SNÖBAHN Action Sports Center in Thornton on March 4.
SLAY
Shaun
BY LINDSEY TOOMER
COLORADO NEWSLINE
Federal public safety funding remains frozen
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on March 3 urged the Trump administration to comply with a court order prohibiting the federal government from freezing funding, highlighting $69.5 million in public safety grants promised to the state.
At the end of January, President Donald Trump issued a sweeping freeze on federal spending, which a federal judge soon temporarily blocked. State o cials said more than $570 million that Congress approved for Colorado remained inaccessible in early February.
A news release from Polis, a Democrat,
IMMIGRATION
las County, Loveland and the rural Eastern Plains, is on the committee, and three other Colorado Republicans — Reps. Je Crank, Je Hurd and Gabe Evans — asked to take part in the hearing.
Besides threats of jail, the hearing could have big implications for Denver and the other cities, as members of Congress have called for ending federal funding to cities that do not cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In Colorado, it’s against state law for local law enforcement to hold immigrants in jail for the purpose of waiting for ICE to pick them up.
Boebert, limited to ve minutes like the rest of the panel, peppered Johnston with questions and wanted “yes” or “no” answers. When he tried to speak longer, she cut him o .
BERGEN PARK CHURCH
said the administration has stopped paying for Homeland Security grants allocated to the state in de ance of a court order mandating funding be disbursed. e release said the state will do “everything it can to bridge the gap in funding.”
“In Colorado, we are focused on improving public safety and this delay and uncertainty makes us less safe,” Polis said in a statement. “Common sense support to improve safety for Boys and Girls Clubs, places of worship, stopping school violence, and disaster assistance is illegally being cut o by the Trump administration. is wrecking ball approach from the federal government puts communities throughout Colorado at risk.”
Boebert questioned why the mayor hired a lawyer “to help cover your ass for Denver’s sanctuary city policies for this hearing” and said she has documentation “that proves you were shipping illegal aliens to Aurora, their crime was increasing while you were hiding under laws that you will not demand be repealed.”
She asked about a 2017 Denver ordinance, called the Public Safety Enforcement Priorities Act, that prohibits city employees from asking about someone’s immigration status or reporting it to federal immigration authorities.
“Would a city employee be red for communicating, coordinating, talking with an agent from the EPA?” Boebert asked.
“What about Health and Human Services?”
“So they would only be red for talking to federal law enforcement o cers?”
Johnston countered that Denver does cooperate with federal authorities, including by notifying ICE when someone in the local
Funding promised to Colorado that the state has not received includes:
• $18.66 million from state homeland security grants
• $6.36 million from emergency management performance grants
• $9.79 million from state and local cybersecurity grants
• $2.45 million in emergency operations center grants
• $9.87 million from nonpro t security grants
• $775,720 from targeted violence and terrorism prevention grants
• $15.2 million from urban area security initiative grants
Summit County Sheri Jaime FitzSi-
jail is wanted on an immigration detainer. Local authorities tell immigration agents when that person will be released, but they will not hold the person longer.
Denver has made such noti cations to ICE 1,226 times in the past seven years, the mayor said.
Johnston also faced a round of aggressive questions from U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, who asked the Denver mayor about an ICE arrest last week of an immigrant charged with aggravated assault and held in jail for about a year. Jordan said Denver authorities gave ICE only about an hour’s notice before they released Abraham Gonzalez, who was picked up in the jail parking lot Friday after being chased by multiple federal o cers.
A Denver Department of Public Safety video shows ICE o cers tackling Gonzalez, a situation that the Ohio congressman said was made dangerous because of Denver’s refusal to keep Gonzalez in custody. Jordan said an ICE o cer was assaulted and tasers
mons said the ongoing funding freeze is “deeply concerning” for his county.
“As home to the most visited national forest in the nation — the White River National Forest — a critical stretch of Interstate 70, and dam infrastructure vital to the Colorado River Basin, Summit County relies on federal funding to support public safety across private, public, and federal lands,” FitzSimons, a Democrat, said in a statement. “Public safety must remain a priority, and restoring these funds is essential.”
is story is from Colorado Newsline. Used by permission. For more, and to support the news organization, visit coloradonewsline.com.
were used during the arrest.
“Why not give them more of a heads up?” Jordan asked. “Why not release him to ICE.”
Johnston said he had reviewed the video and o ered to meet with ICE about procedures the city could change.
Johnston was noti ed in a Jan. 27 letter that the committee was “investigating sanctuary jurisdictions” across the country and “their impact on public safety and the effectiveness of federal e orts to enforce the immigration laws of the United States.”
“Denver is a sanctuary jurisdiction under Colorado law, and Mayor Mike Johnston con rmed that he was prepared to go to jail to protect illegal aliens from federal immigration authorities,” the letter said, citing a Fox News story that quoted Johnston about how the city would try to prevent a mass deportation.
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.
WORSHIP DIRECTORY
Bergen Park Church is a group of regular people who strive to improve ourselves and our community by studying the Bible and sharing our lives with each other. On Sunday mornings you can expect contemporary live music, Children’s Ministry that seeks to love and care for your kids, teaching from the Bible, and a community of real people who are imperfect, but seek to honor God in their lives. We hope to welcome you soon to either our 9:00AM or 10:30AM Sunday service. Search Bergen Park Church on YouTube for Livestream service at 9:00am 31919 Rocky Village Dr. 303-674-5484 info@bergenparkchurch.org / www.BergenParkChurch.org
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE CHURCH SERVICES
28244 Harebell Lane
Sunday Service & Sunday School: 10 a.m.
Wednesday evening: 7p.m: (Zoom only Nov.1st-Mar. 31st.)
Visit: www.christianscienceevergreen.com for more information and ZOOM link
Serving the mountain community from the heart of Evergreen Worship 10:00 a.m.
Reverend Richard Aylor
O ce Hours: Tu-Thur 9:00 - 4:00; Fri 9:00 - noon Bu alo Park Road and Hwy 73 www.churchofthehills.com
CHURCH OF THE TRANSFIGURATION EPISCOPAL
In-Church: Sunday Communion Quiet Service 8:00 am & with Music 10:15 am 10:15 am only Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86017266569
In-Meadow: 2nd Sunday of the month at 9:30 a.m. --June through September— 27640 Highway 74 – ¼ mile east of downtown Evergreen at the Historic Bell Tower www.transfigurationevergreen.org
CONGREGATION BETH EVERGREEN (SYNAGOGUE)
Reconstructionist Synagogue
Rabbi Jamie Arnold www.BethEvergreen.org / (303) 670-4294 2981 Bergen Peak Drive (behind Life Care)
DEER PARK UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Reverend Dr. Knut Heim, pastor, Sunday Worship 10 AM
Located one mile west of Pine Junction just o Rt. 285 966 Rim Rock Road, Bailey (303) 838-6759 deerparkumc.org
All are welcome to our open/inclusive congregation!
EVERGREEN LUTHERAN CHURCH 5980 Highway 73 + 303-674-4654
Rev. Terry Schjang
Join us for worship in person or on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EvergreenLutheranChurch Sunday Worship held at 9am. www.evergreenlutheran.org + All Are Welcome!
LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY CHURCH – EPC 1036 El Rancho Rd, Evergreen – (303) 526-9287 www.lomcc.org – o ce@lomcc.org
Sunday Worship 10:00 a.m., with communion every Sunday “Real Church In An UnReal World”
A community empowered by the Holy Spirit which seeks authentic relationships with God and others to share the good news of Jesus with Evergreen, the Front Range and the world. Come as you are, all are welcome!
PLATTE CANYON COMMUNITY CHURCH
Located: 4954 County Road 64 in Bailey.
O ce hours MWF 8am-1pm 303-838-4409, Worship & Children’s Church at 10am
Please check our website, www.Rockland.church, for updated service times ¼ mile north of I-70 at exit 254 17 S Mt. Vernon Country Club Rd., Golden, CO 80401 303-526-0668
SHEPHERD OF THE ROCKIES LUTHERAN CHURCH Missouri Synod. 106 Rosalie Road, Bailey, CO 303-838-2161 Pastor John Graham Sunday Worship Service; 9 a.m., Fellowship Time; 10:15 a.m., Sunday School & Bible Class; 10:45 a.m. www.shepherdoftherockies.org
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF EVERGREEN Rev. Sarah Clark • 303.674.4810
1. TELEVISION: Which 1960s sitcom was about a TV comedy writer, his job and his family?
2. AD SLOGANS: Which candy slogan urges consumers to “Taste the rainbow”?
3. COMICS: Which superhero gets his power from a ring?
4. GEOGRAPHY: Which country has the most islands?
5. MEASUREMENTS: How many cups are in a pint?
6. MOVIES: Which scary 1980 movie contained the phrase “red rum” and what does it mean?
7. ANATOMY: What is the outermost layer of human skin called?
8. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Who was the rst president to ride in a car to his inauguration?
9. HISTORY: When did India gain its independence from Great Britain?
TrIVIa
10. CHILDREN’S LITERATURE: Who lives at 32 Windsor Gardens?
Answers
1. “ e Dick Van Dyke Show.”
2. Skittles.
3. e Green Lantern.
4. Sweden.
5. Two.
6. “ e Shining.” It’s the word “murder” spelled backward.
7. Epidermis.
8. Warren Harding (1921).
9. 1947.
10. Paddington Bear and the Brown family.
(c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.
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PUBLIC NOTICES
Legals
2025 budget (the “Amended Budget”). The
can be joined using the following teleconference information:
The Amended Budget is available for inspection by the public at the offices of CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP, 8390 East Crescent Parkway, Suite 300, Greenwood Village, CO 80111.
Any interested elector of the District may file any objections to the Amended Budget at any time prior to final adoption of the Amended Budget by the Board.
The agenda for any meeting may be obtained at https://www.aspenparkmetropolitandistrict. org/ or by calling (303) 858-1800.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
ASPEN PARK METROPOLITAN DISTRICT, a quasi-municipal corporation and political subdivision of the State of Colorado
/s/ WHITE BEAR ANKELE TANAKA & WALDRON
Attorneys at Law
Legal Notice No. CAN 1875
First Publication: March 13, 2025
Last Publication: March 13, 2025
Publisher: Canyon Courier
Public Notice NOTICE OF CANCELLATION OF ELECTION and CERTIFIED STATEMENT OF RESULTS
ASPEN PARK METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to § 1-13.5-513(6), C.R.S., that, at the close of business on March 4, 2025, there were not more candidates than offices to be filled, including candidates filing affidavits of intent to be write-in candidates, for Aspen Park Metropolitan District (the “District”). Therefore, the election for the District to be held on May 6, 2025 is hereby cancelled.
The following candidates for the District are declared elected by acclamation:
Roxan Rose: Until May 2029
Richard J. Merkel: Until May 2027
The following offices remain vacant:
Vacant: Until May 2029
Vacant: Until May 2029
/s/ Ashley B. Frisbie
Designated Election Official
Contact Person for District: Heather L. Hartung, Esq.
WHITE BEAR ANKELE TANAKA & WALDRON
Attorneys at Law 2154 E. Commons Avenue, Suite 2000 Centennial, Colorado 80122
(303) 858-1800
Legal Notice No. CAN 1876
First Publication: March 13, 2025
Last Publication: March 13, 2025
Publisher: Canyon Courier
Bids and Settlements
Public Notice
SECTION 000111
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS
ROXBOROUGH WATER AND SANITATION DISTRICT
DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
MOORE WATER TREATMENT
PLANT SANITARY CONNECTION
Bids for the construction of the Project will be received electronically by email sent to Kelli Kavinsky at KKavinsky@TSTInfrastructure.com until Thursday April 03, 2025 at 11:00 am local time. At that time the Bids received will be publicly opened and read virtually via a Microsoft Teams meeting.
The work generally consists of the installation of approximately 540 linear feet of 8-inch PVC gravity sewer line, including two 48-inch new manholes and modifications to existing manholes for the Roxborough Water and Sanitation District’s Water Treatment Plant.
Bids will be received for a single prime Contract. Bids shall be on a unit price basis, as indicated in the Bid Form.
The Issuing Office for the Bidding Documents is:TST Infrastructure, LLC 5655 S. Yosemite St., Suite 101 Greenwood Village, CO 80111 Phone: (303) 799-5197
Bidding Documents will be available on March 06, 2025, and may be obtained from the Issuing Office on Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm. Prospective Bidders are required to be listed on the plan holders list to be eligible to bid. The Bidding Documents will be available for download at no cost in PDF format. Bidding Documents download information must be requested by email from Kelli Kavinsky, KKavinsky@TSTInfrastructure.com. Upon TST’s receipt of email requesting Bidding Documents, the Prospective Bidder will be added to the plan holders list and emailed instructions to download Bidding Documents.
Partial sets of Bidding Documents will not be available from the Issuing Office. Neither Owner nor Engineer will be responsible for full or partial sets of Bidding Documents, including addenda, if any, obtained from sources other than the Issuing Office.
A mandatory pre-bid conference for the Project will be held on March 20, 2025 at 1:00 pm local time at the Moore Water Treatment Plant, 8383 Waterton Road, Littleton, CO 80125. Bids will not be accepted from Bidders that do not attend the mandatory pre-bid conference. Following the pre-bid conference, all attendees will be provided with a Microsoft Teams meeting link for access to the bid opening.
Bid security in the amount of five (5) percent of the total Bid Price must accompany each Bid and shall be furnished in accordance with the Instruction to Bidders.
Bidders must be licensed to do business in the State of Colorado. Bids received from Bidders who are not recorded by the Issuing Office as having received the Bidding Documents will not be opened.
The Owner reserves the right to award the contract by sections, or reject any or all Bids, and to waive any informalities and irregularities therein.
For all further requirements regarding bid submittal, qualifications, procedures, and contract award, refer to the Instructions to Bidders that are included in the Bidding Documents.
Owner: Roxborough Water and Sanitation District
By: Mike Marcum
Title: General Manager
Date: March 06, 2025
Legal Notice No. CAN 1871
First Publication: March 6, 2025
Last Publication: March 13, 2025
Publisher: Canyon Courier Public Notice
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS
Evergreen Metropolitan District Evergreen, Colorado
EMD Warehouse Waterline Upgrades
Evergreen Metropolitan District (EMD) is requesting Bids for the construction of the following Project:
EMD Warehouse Waterline Upgrades-
The Project includes the following Work:
All necessary labor, supervision, equipment, tools and materials for the construction of approximately 420 LF of 6” DIP water main with appurtenances, abandonment of existing waterline along JC-73 and reconnection of water services.
Bids are requested for the following Contract:
Evergreen Metropolitan District Warehouse Waterline Upgrades
Obtaining the Bidding Documents
Bidding Documents may be obtained from mlevy@evergreenmetro.org or downloaded from Bidnetdirect.com. The Engineer will provide addenda, lists of registered plan holders, reports, and other information relevant to submitting a Bid for the Project. All official notifications, addenda, and other Bidding Documents will be offered through the Engineer.
Bidding Documents will be issued electronically over email upon request by the Prospective Bidders.
Mandatory Site Visit
A mandatory site visit for the Project will be held at 10:00am March 24th, 2025 at 5201
JC HWY-73 Evergreen, Colorado 80439.
Bids will not be accepted from Bidders that do not attend the mandatory site visit.
Instructions to Bidders
For all further requirements regarding bid sub-
mittal, qualifications, procedures, and contract award, refer to the Instructions to Bidders that are included in the Bidding Documents.
This Advertisement is issued by: Owner:
Factsdonotceasetoexist b becausetheyareignored. re ignored. -AldousHuxley
