In a sure sign the El Rancho redevelopment is moving forward, developer Jack Buchanan asked Evergreen Fire/Rescue to move the former Observatory property into its district. e property, on which Buchanan plans to relocate the now-closed El Rancho restaurant and build a hotel and several smaller restaurants, is now in the Foothills Fire Protection District. e EFR board approved the inclusion after a lengthy discussion at its Feb. 18 meeting. Both the Foothills’ and Highland Rescue ambulance boards must approve excluding the property before it becomes part of EFR’s coverage area.
In addition to a smaller, up-
BY JANE REUTER
When Don Kneebone’s longtime Evergreen partner died a year ago, the 80-yearold Army veteran was suddenly homeless. e former truck driver and family man took shelter in his truck, living in it from March to December 2024, telling no one about his circumstances.
“It was a little cramped,” he said. “I rolled an old shirt and put it along the door to keep the cold air from coming in and the warm air from going out. But people left me alone; no one never bothered me while I
was sleeping in my truck.”
In early December, the truck’s radiator and heater broke. at night, Kneebone got a ride to a Knights of Columbus meeting, where he ran into an old acquaintance — Evergreen Christian Outreach shelter manager Tim Clancy. After the meeting, Clancy brought Kneebone to the Evergreen shelter. ere, he received clean clothes, a quiet place to sleep, three meals a day, and the companionship of fellow guests and shelter volunteers.
Evergreen Christian Outreach shelter manager Tim Clancy stands in one of the guests rooms at the Evergreen shelter.
PHOTOS BY JANE REUTER
Longtime Evergreen resident Don Kneebone, who was living in his car, recently moved into his own apartment with help from EChO. Evergreen’s
Bhojanic Social Club blooms in Evergreen’s Yellow House
Indian-themed center will host events, dinners and classes
BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Evergreen’s well-known Yellow House is now full, with a decidedly spicy new tenant.
India native and longtime Atlanta restaurateur Archna Becker just opened the Bhojanic Social Club in the building. Bhojana in Hindi means “food,” “meal,” or “enjoyment,” and Becker intends to offer all three to her customers.
e club is an event center and catering space designed for private and corporate events. Becker will also host cooking classes, yoga retreats, themed dinners and other events at the site.
Becker, who’s worked in the food industry for 25 years, described her passion for it as an addiction.
“I love cooking and hosting,” she said. “I love seeing people eat our food and enjoy the food. I love events and parties. And I’m good at it.”
Becker moved to Evergreen with her family in 2022, and noted there were few options to host smaller events.
“I feel there’s nothing like it for event spaces of this size or style,” she said. “We really want to focus on corporate retreats, team building events, rehearsal dinners and family reunions. e larger spaces available here are overkill if you’re just having a party for 50 people.”
Becker honed her talents in Atlanta, where she founded and owned multiple restaurants and a large-scale catering business. ere she owns another Bhojanic Social Club and Tandoori Pizza & Wing Company.
Her career began in high school. Becker’s Indian parents were cooks whose food was always in demand. Her parents were cooking for friends as a favor, their kitchen often over owing with food. Becker saw an opportunity and as a high school senior in the mid-’90s, she opened an Atlanta banquet facility and restaurant with her parents.
In 2000, she incorporated her rst catering business, later expanding into restaurants. e businesses quickly grew until
Becker and her team were catering corporate events as large as 13,000 people. e year 2020 began with a trio of business high points for Becker. She appeared on a cooking show with Guy Fieri, was a guest chef at a Mexican music festival and was asked to be on the board of the National Restaurant Association.
“ ree amazing things within a month and ve days,” Becker said. “ en Covid hit. I lost a million dollars. e catering, the food truck and the restaurant died. It was so horrible.”
Becker quickly pivoted and started the Tandoori Pizza & Wing Company, and then the family decided to move to Evergreen, a community they’d visited once on a ski trip and immediately liked.
“We needed a re-do,” Becker said. “We love it so much here. We walk around the lake with the dog every day, and everyone is super nice. ere’s always something going on; there’s so much happening for a little town.”
She believes Evergreen is in enough demand that it needs a business like Bhojanic, which adds not just event space but fun and unusual o erings for those just wanting a unique experience or night out.
On March 11, she’ll host a “Curry in a Hurry” class, which will teach students shortcuts to making Indian curry.
On March 29, she plans an “Indian Holi” themed dinner with 12 to 14 courses, a DJ, a henna artist and dancing. e Hindu festival of Holi, also known as the Festival of Colors, marks the arrival of spring with vibrant celebrations and festive food.
“We’ll o er classes each month, and each month I’ll also try to do one bigger event — like an Indian barbecue for Father’s Day, a high tea event for Mother’s Day.”
Becker plans to o er events at a wide variety of price points so the club can provide something to everyone. e space has two rooms available for rent; one that can accommodate up to 40 people, and a second with space for up to 75 guests. Food can be brought in, or Becker can cater in exchange for a discount on the accommodations.
She also plans to make the commercial kitchen at Bhojanic available for rent.
For details on events at Bhojanic Social Club, check its Facebook page.
Lawmakers seek better mental health help for youth
Bills tackle insurance coverage and cell phone use in schools
BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Legislation aimed at improving the mental health of Colorado’s children is gaining ground after garnering bipartisan support among lawmakers, say bill advocates.
“I think everyone is aware that there is a mental health crisis among our kids,” said Zach Zaslow, VP of Community Health and Advocacy at Children’s Hospital Colorado. “I think (lawmakers) are stepping up to be helpful in ghting this crisis.”
Zaslow, Dr. Lauren Eckhart, clinical director for the Colorado Springs division of the Pediatric Mental Health Institute at Children’s Hospital Colorado and about 100 parents, health care providers
and primary care physicians were at the State Capitol to hail the passage of two key bills — HB 25 1002 and HB 251135. Both measures passed the State House and now are headed for Senate hearings before they are voted on by the whole legislature.
Zaslow said neither measure costs taxpayers but could likely save lives in the long term. HB 1002 tries to cut the disparities between standard physical health and mental health bene ts. e measure would ensure private health insurance carriers are not denying coverage for medically necessary mental health and substance abuse services that a healthcare provider has prescribed and that should be covered under the patient’s health plan, according to the legislation.
Advocates point to a report by health policy consultants Milliman that says that more than 75 percent of Coloradans with commercial insurance who have been diagnosed with a mental health
condition have not received the care they need over the past year. ere is still a “stigma” surrounding mental health and an associated reluctance among most insurers to cover its treatment, Zaslow said. at often translates to patients who need immediate treatment but don’t get the help they need until much later, Eckhart said.
“ ere are often signi cant delays that can hurt those in need. We need to get them to get care as soon as possible,” Eckhart said.
Cell policies required by 2026
HB1135, which also attracted bipartisan support, would require all school districts to have a policy in place dealing with cell phone during the day by July 2026. e bill does not impose a statewide ban on cell phone use in schools but calls for school districts the create their own locally developed policy regarding cell phone use during school
hours in K-12 setting, according to the legislation.
“We wanted to take a middle ground on cell phone use,” Zaslow said. “We don’t want an outright ban on their use, but we also don’t want a laissez faire approach to cell phones.”
Only about a third of Colorado’s largest school districts have a cell phone use policy during the school day. Local principals and teachers are then left to come up with their own classroom policies, Eckhart said.
Clear evidence exists that social media use throughout the school day can have negative impacts on youth mental health and wellbeing, Eckhart added.
“It increases forms of anxiety and students who use their phones a lot are less inclined to get into physical activity,” Eckhart said.
And yet, cell phone use is “...tough pull to resist,” Zaslow said. “But maybe this bill will help us go in the right direction to help kids.”
Archna Becker stands inside her newly opened Bhojanic Social Club, located in the Yellow House in Evergreen.
PHOTO BY JANE REUTER
With Affordability an Increasing Problem, More Buyers Consider Condos, But Can You Get a Loan?
Assuming you have good credit and a sufficient income, getting a loan to buy a single family home is not that hard, but when it comes to buying a condominium, the loan may not be possible if the building does not meet some challenging Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac guidelines. Most loans are sold to one of those institutions, and they will not buy a condo loan from a lender if the following is true:
The condo development hasn’t been completed
Less than half of the units are owner-occupied (for investors)
The condo association you’re looking at may not have any of those problems, but if it has not completed the proper paperwork, it will still not make the list of “warrantable” condos.
money to buy a replacement home, that definitely doesn’t work.
Follow-up on Last Week’s Column
An individual or company owns more than 10% of the units within the building (including the developer)
More than 25% of units are delinquent on HOA fees
If the homeowner’s association is still controlled by the developer
Commercial space is 35% or more of the building’s total square footage
There are pending lawsuits against the condo owner’s association
The deductible for hail damage is greater than 5%
If there’s central heating, the master policy doesn’t cover the boiler.
Just last Friday one of our broker associates, Kathy Jonke, closed for a condo buyer who had to terminate her first purchase contract because it was discovered just before closing that the hail deductible was 10%. On the condo which closed last Friday, the lender thought the master insurance policy did not cover the boiler, but our inhouse lender, Wendy Renee, got the right person on the phone and was able to verify that the boiler was covered, and the closing took place on time. Such is the life of a strong buyer’s agent and a strong loan officer!
I’m not saying that you can’t get a loan for an unwarrantable condo. It’s just that you can’t get a conventional loan which the lender plans to sell to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. That’s true of all the big banks and big lenders, but small banks and credit unions are often “portfolio lenders,” meaning that they keep their loans in-house instead of selling them. Another option (rarely used) is for the seller to “carry” the loan, which can work for some but not all sellers. If the seller needs the
Another option is to get the mortgage from FHA, which has a Single-Unit Approval (SUA) option whereby they evaluate the loan on a case-by-case basis. FHA loans, however, require an upfront and ongoing purchase mortgage insurance (PMI) premium. Kathy’s buyer was given that option on her first condo purchase where the hail deductible was 10%, but she chose to terminate the contract rather than assume that added expense.
In any condo purchase, the lender will ask the condo association to complete a questionnaire and base its approval on the response. For example, in addition to the criteria mentioned above, the lender will want to know the association’s budget and its reserves.
Loans on non-warrantable condos can also require a larger down payment and carry a higher interest rate to compensate for the added risk. Recent increases in master insurance policy deductibles alone has made a higher percentage of condos non-warrantable, and loans on unwarrantable condos are estimated to equal over 22% of the market now.
If you are considering writing an offer on a condo, make sure your agent and loan officer submit the condo questionnaire immediately and ask questions about warrantability before spending money on inspection and appraisal.
62% of Americans Think a 20% Down Payment Is Required, But It’s the #1 Myth
NerdWallet.com is a trusted resource for consumer information, and, according to its 2025 Home Buyer Report, 62% of Americans believe that a 20% down payment is required to purchase a home. That’s the number one myth that is holding back Americans from pursuing the American dream of home ownership.
In fact, there are many programs, especially for first-time home buyers, which require zero down payment. Here in Colorado, the Colorado Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) has a website www.WhyWaitBuyToday.com, which describes their programs for both first-time and repeat buyers with 4% down payment assistance (DPA) up to $25,000.
To qualify for DPA, you have to have a credit score of 620 or higher. The deferred DPA takes the form of a second loan with a 30-year term and a zero percent interest rate. It accrues no interest, has no monthly payments, but is due and payable upon sale, refinance or payoff of your first mortgage. Some DPA is provided as a gift and does not have to be repaid.
Since, according to NerdWallet’s report, 33% of non-homeowners say that not having enough money for a down payment is holding them back from buying a home at this time, “this misconception could be stopping them unnecessarily.”
FHA is famous for requiring only a 3.5% down payment, but conventional loans are
available with as little as 3% down payment. Veterans with a “certificate of eligibility” can get a loan with zero percent down payment for a primary residence.
USDA loans with zero percent down are also available for rural properties.
Larger down payments are always better, and can avoid the added expense of purchase mortgage insurance (PMI), but once your equity reaches a certain level, conventional mort-
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gages allow you to eliminate that expense.
FHA loans maintain that expense for the life of the loan, unless your down payment was 11% or higher, in which case you can eliminate that expense once you achieve a certain equity level based on an appraisal.
So, if this myth has been keeping you from pursuing home ownership, give us a call and we will help you achieve your American dream!
One of the articles, “Buyers Need and Deserve Professional Representation, But Here’s Why They Shouldn’t Have to Pay for It,” produced some feedback from readers. One said the percentages I quoted were wrong, and I’m embarrassed to admit that’s true. (Did I really go to MIT?) The numbers, however, were correct as was the logic of my argument, which is supported by the fact that virtually all closings taking place are ones in which the seller is still compensating the agent representing the buyer.
I confirmed that fact with one of the region’s biggest title companies. What that tells us is that sellers want one thing above all else — to sell their property. They have come to realize that they can try to avoid offering any compensation to the agent representing a buyer, but if they’re the only seller taking that stand, buyers will gravitate to other listings. Also, the standard contract to buy and sell real estate has a section in which it is stated what the seller will pay, so sellers are given the opportunity to accept that amount or call the buyer’s bluff and hope they come to terms. Closing data available to title companies suggests that sellers don’t win that argument often or at all.
One reader believes that if the buyer’s agent is paid by the seller, he’s not going to work to get the lowest price for his buyer. That would make sense, but in 22 years of being on both sides of transactions, I have never known a colleague or myself to do anything other than work in the best interests of a buyer he/she represents, not just in getting the lowest price initially, but when it comes to negotiating concessions or a price reduction based on inspection issues or a low appraisal. And when there’s a seller concession, many agents including ours, make sure our commissions are based on the net price.
$189,000
This nicely updated and well-maintained 574square-foot condo is in the Sable Cove subdivision southeast of Aurora’s Town Center. The address is 992 S. Dearborn Way, #7, east of I-225 and north of Mississippi Avenue. The seller, who bought it for a family member, updated everything in this ground level unit. It has luxury vinyl plank flooring throughout, a pantry with slide-out drawers, laundry hookups, and a wood-burning fireplace. There is lots of open lot parking for you and your guests. The HOA dues are only $255 per month and include water, sewer, maintenance, a community center, swimming pool and fitness center. There is a locked storage closet on the front porch, big enough for all your winter gear. Find more information, high-quality pictures and my narrated video walk-through at www.GRElistings.com, then call 303-525-1851 to arrange a private showing.
Beth Evergreen presents a night of laughter
“I Love Esther” is synagogue’s hilarious version of the Jewish Purim spiel
BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
For centuries, Jews have gathered on Purim to retell the story of the Hebrew Bible’s Book of Esther with a typically comedic show known as a Purim spiel. Evergreen’s Beth Evergreen continues that tradition March 14 with “I Love Esther,” a hilarious take on the biblical story that’s part “I Love Lucy” and part salsa dance party. e evening’s events, which include preshow Cuban salsa dance lessons, an open bar and the show, begin at 6 p.m. at Beth Evergreen.
“I Love Esther” isn’t your average homespun theater production. Former television comedy writer Ron Solomon, who wrote for the sitcom “Saved by the Bell,” and several other shows, is a member of Beth Evergreen and wrote the script and tunes. Concert producer Cheri Rubin, former director of the Evergreen Music Festival and a Beth Evergreen member, choreographed and directed the dance numbers. “ is is a cultural experience you may never have had before,” Rubin said. “It’s so fun. It’s a well-written script. e music is great, and the lyrics are funny. For people who do celebrate Purim, it’s such a great twist on the story.”
Solomon has experience writing Purim spiels. He estimates he’s created 10 of the annual Beth Evergreen productions, with titles like “Rat Pack Purim” and “ e 12 Angry Jews.” “I’ve never told the Purim story straight,” he said. “It’s just fun to write them.”
Despite his years of sitcom writing ex-
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perience, Solomon has one simple indication that he’s written something funny.
“It makes me laugh,” he said. “If it’s not funny to me, then I can’t do it.”
Purim is a lesser Jewish festival held each spring to commemorate the defeat of a plot to massacre the Jews, a story included in the book of Esther. e plan is foiled by Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai.
“I Love Esther” is set in a Jewish-inspired comedy set of the “I Love Lucy” Tropicana. In the Beth Evergreen musical, the club is failing because the bouncers are being paid to divert customers to a nearby establishment. e story is played out in script and song, including well-known tunes like “La Bamba” and “Aye, Yi, Yi, Yi,” set to Solomon’s silly lyrics.
Rabbi Jamie Arnold, known for his musical talent and humor, has a leading role in the production. A live band will perform with the cast.
“ is is probably the only comedic entertainment the synagogue does on purpose,” Solomon said. “But it’s a very musical synagogue, a very creative place.”
For more information, visit Beth Evergreen’s website.
From left, Rabbi Jamie Arnold, Tim Jones and Ron Solomon practice a song from “I Love Esther” during a Feb. 23 rehearsal at Beth Evergreen.
PHOTOS BY JANE REUTER
From left, Cheri Rubin goes over choreography with Ron Solomon, Tim Jones and Rabbi Jamie Arnold during a Feb. 23 rehearsal for “I Love Esther” at Beth Evergreen.
dated El Rancho restaurant, developers plan a 112-room hotel and four small national restaurants on the 6.5-acre site, once the home of the Observatory bar. On the site across Highway 40 where the historic El Rancho is now located, Broomeld-based engineering consultant Kimley-Horn proposes building a QuikTrip convenience store and gas station, an idea that has generated criticism among area homeowners.
QuikTrip bought the property for $6.17 million in February, according to a Business Den article.
While the company submitted a preapplication package for the 5.4-acre site to Je erson County in August, county planner Alex Fowlkes said Kimley-Horn hasn’t yet submitted a site development plan application.
Inclusion and exclusion from a re district is a legal process outlined under Colorado State Statute, triggered by a petition from a landowner.
EFR Chief Mike Weege said the board was limited in its decision, and could only consider whether the district has the resources and capacity to serve a property, and if its inclusion would this be detrimental to the district
“We’re a service provider. If we have the capacity to provide that service, we don’t have a reason to say we don’t,” he said.
Jack Buchanan told the EFR board he feels his Observatory development will be better protected under EFR, which is larger than Foothills.
“ is station has way more capacity than (Foothills’) Rainbow Hill station,”
Buchanan told the board from their meeting site at EFR’s Station 2. “Even
though the property is two minutes from the Foothills Fire station and six minutes from this station, it’s the access to equipment and sta ng you guys have. e goal here is to provide the best service for the people that visit the property.”
EFR would get the bene t of some additional mill levy revenue — money based on property taxes that helps local governments cover expenses — which Buchanan estimated could be about $130,000 a year.
EFR board members questioned if that would be enough to cover any increase in call volume, but chiefs at the meeting said they are not concerned. Because mountain area re agencies
typically back one another up on calls, Operations Chief Kris Kazian said both agencies would likely also respond to any calls there — regardless of which district the property is in.
“I don’t see any issues,” he said. “ e proposed project does not create an increased call volume that creates any kind of anxiety. We have mutual aid right now to very large big box stores right across the street that are in our district. We’re going to go to it if it’s in Foothills or in our district.”
Jack Buchanan also said he thinks calls to El Rancho will decrease when the building moves because the structure will
be remodeled. He also said the new location has better mountain views and visibility from I-70.
“El Rancho is right now about 22,000 square feet,” he said. “By moving it, we think we can keep it historic, but make it more e cient. It will still be about 14,000 square feet, and we’ll rebuild the kitchen. It will not be a new building, but it will be in a lot better shape than it is today.”
While board members were hesitant to move forward with the inclusion, they ultimately did so, with John Putt voting against it.
“I haven’t seen or heard a compelling reason for the district to include the property in our re district,” Putt said. “I don’t think it’s serving our re district well to add on yet another layer of response liability when Foothills’ station is right there. Foothills is very capable of serving them.”
“ is is our sister district and it’s taking money away from them, but it is not up to us,” board member Julie Ann Courim said. “It’s up to (Foothills) at the end of the day. If you ( re ghters) say we can serve it with (the) condition they exclude it, I’m OK with it.”
Foothills Fire board president Stephanie Graf said she couldn’t yet say if her board will approve the exclusion of Buchanan’s property, noting it’s a legal process that can’t be discussed beyond the facts and process.
“Mr. Buchanan has been in touch with FFPD periodically over the past several years, but neither he nor his attorney have led a petition for exclusion with FFPD to date,” she wrote in an email. “We have provided Mr. Buchanan with the legal process that he needs to follow.
“Given that EFPD has now voted to include with the contingencies, I would anticipate that we will be receiving the inclusion petition in the relatively near future.”
Bold
Foothills Fire’s main station is just down the road from the Buchanans’ property, but they believe it would be better served under Evergreen Fire.
PHOTO BY JANE REUTER
Excited Je co residents tour future library
JCPL to renovate commercial building, open new branch in late 2027
BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
As Je erson County residents toured the 64,000-square-foot commercial building at 11100 Bradford Road, they happily envisioned rows and rows of bookshelves, dedicated spaces for children and teens, and quiet reading areas with large windows.
It was easy to see the current o ces becoming study rooms or podcasting spaces, or the current conference room becoming a reservable meeting room. But, when it came to the giant truck bays with 30-foot-tall ceilings, people suggested turning them into indoor play areas, basketball courts and other large-scale amenities.
Whatever the exact layout would look like, Je co residents were thrilled to see inside the building that would become their newest library branch.
e only thing attendees said they were upset about is that it’d take two or three years to open. Ideally, they wanted it open sooner.
On Feb. 22, about 270 people attended Je co Public Library’s open house at its South County Library building, which is about a mile west of West Chat eld Avenue and South Kipling Parkway.
JCPL closed on the property, a former beer distribution center, in January. e agency bought it for $10.7 million and plans to spend another $13 million retro tting about 40,000 square feet of the 64,000-square-foot building.
e building is scheduled to open as JCPL’s newest library branch in late 2027.
Both the purchase and the renovation project will be fully funded by existing revenues, JCPL o cials have stated, clarifying that the agency won’t be seeking a tax increase or taking on debt for the project.
Morgan Vincent, who lives about a mile away from the South County Library site, said she was excited to have a new JCPL branch so close to her home. She said it would be easy for her family to bike or even walk to the location.
“We needed a library in this community,” she said.
Among other features, she hoped the new branch would have a café, indoor and outdoor play areas for children, and reading areas with lots of natural light.
Michael and Sharon Schaubs, who also
live within walking distance, felt similarly. ey were disappointed they’d have to wait two or three years before it fully opened, as the population in the area has grown tremendously and more growth is expected in the coming years.
JCPL o cials have said the library might host pop-up events there in the interim, but exact details were still being determined.
Even so, the Schaubs family was happy to see that the new location has lots of parking and “plenty of space to do anything with.”
Michael even thought the façade already “looks like a library,” with a ag pole and circle drive just outside the front door.
Michael, who volunteers at the Columbine branch, championed how important libraries are for people of all ages. He said it’s an important resource to “expand your interests,” saying he’s prepared books for readers that span from how to make cosplay to how to sculpt clay miniatures of food.
“All kinds of things you never think about,” he said, describing how much he’s learned from his time frequenting the library.
A library in the making
More than a decade ago, JCPL o cials had identi ed South Je co’s Ken Caryl area as an underserved community. When its 2015 mill levy passed, some of the funds went toward establishing a new branch in the area. is South County Library building will serve about 60,000 people in the Ken Caryl and C-470 areas.
e Columbine branch is the next-closest one. It was built to serve about 60,000 people, and it currently serves about 122,000 people, library o cials have described.
e South County Library site is in the middle of an o ce park along Sha er Parkway. It is a proverbial stone’s throw away from a Je co DMV o ce, a post ofce and the Ken Caryl Ranch Metro District o ce.
ere are some residential neighborhoods within easy walking distance, and it’s about a mile away from Sha er Elementary School and Ken Caryl Ranch Community Park.
After arriving in the parking lot, visitors walk through the front door to arrive in the lobby.
To the right is a large meeting room, where JCPL had community feedback posters on the wall and other activities during the open house.
To the left of the lobby is a series of of-
ces and o ce-type communal spaces, with some beer signs still hanging from the walls and ceilings.
Behind the lobby is a series of doors that leads to two commercial-sized truck bays with 30-foot-tall ceilings.
e rst one — the one closer to the lobby — will be part of the library branch. Programming for this space is still being determined, but it will need to be insulated and have heating/cooling systems installed, architect Ryan Wallace explained, among other work.
However, the second truck bay — which is behind the rst — will likely serve as storage.
Because of the tall ceilings, JCPL could design the space to be two stories, as
People gather in the lobby of the South County Library building during a Feb. 22 open house. The building at 11100 Bradford Road was a former beer distribution center, which Je co Public Library recently bought for $10.7 million.
there’s already a mezzanine level that Wallace said was behind the rst truck bay’s walls. e only part visible from the truck bay oor was a series of loading doors midway up the wall.
Along with renovating the site, the building also needs general upkeep, such as a new roof and about 30 more parking spaces, o cials have con rmed.
Elise Penington, a JCPL spokesperson, said agency sta members and architects will have more information at the May 15 board of directors meeting. eir presentation will include community feedback from the Feb. 22 open house, she said. For more information, visit je colibrary.org/south-county.
During a Feb. 22 open house, South Je co residents walk around a commercial-sized truck bay that will become storage for the future South County Library building. About 270 people attended the open house to see their future library branch, which is set to open in late 2027.
PHOTOS BY CORINNE WESTEMAN
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.
UPCOMING
Evergreen Audubon Bird Walk on the South Platte River: 7:15 a.m. March 8, Bergen Park-n-Ride or at Steele Street Park. With Evergreen Audubon birder Ed Furlong. Free. Registration required at evergreenaudubon.org
Second Annual Ice Fishing Tournament: 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. March 8, Evergreen Lake, 29612 Upper Bear Creek Road, Evergreen. evergreenrecreation.com
Connections & Cocktails: 4:30 p.m. March 11, Woodcellar Bar & Grill, 1552 Bergen Parkway, Evergreen. evergreenchamber.org
Evergreen Audubon Owl Prowl, 7:30 p.m. March 11, Evergreen Nature Center, 27640 Hwy 74, Evergreen. Learn about owls and dissect owl pellets to see what they eat. Registration required: evergreenaudubon. org.
Senior Wellness Class - IT/Tech help: 11 a.m. March 12, Buchanan Recreation Center - Evergreen Room, 32003 Ellingwood Trail, Evergreen. seniors4wellness.org
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 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
“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
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.
Conifer Area Council: 7 p.m. April 16, West Je erson Middle School, 9449 Barnes Ave., Conifer.
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.
Seniors4Wellness Friday Cafe: 11:30 a.m. March 21, Christ the King Church, 4291 Evergreen Pkwy, Evergreen. seniors4wellness.org
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
Evergreen Audubon Morning Birds & Brews: 8:30 a.m. March 28, Evergreen Nature Center, 27640 Hwy 74, Evergreen. Free. 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.
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.
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). 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.
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.
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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Disrupting the status quo
As Latin fades in Colorado’s big public high schools, classes thrive in charters
BY ANN SCHIMKE CHALKBEAT
e students in Amy Rosevear’s Latin class at Cherry Creek High School are reading a poem by the Roman poet Catullus, one written during the rst century B.C.E. in which he’s both feeling sorry for himself and admonishing himself over unrequited love.
With Rosevear’s help, the students translate the ancient words, touching on verb tenses and proper pronunciation but also 21st century connections. When she gets to the phrase “Val puella,” she laughs and tells the class, “You could have translated that on your rst week of Latin.”
“Bye girl!” a student quickly chimes in. e Latin program at Cherry Creek High School, Colorado’s largest high school with more than 3,800 students, is an anomaly in today’s public school landscape. It’s one of about seven Latin programs left in comprehensive districtrun high schools across the state, down from about 17 two decades ago. For Latin educators, the decline is worrisome, representing the loss of lessons that help students understand the classical language and history that still echo in their lives.
Latin o erings will soon dwindle further as two other high schools in the Cherry Creek district — Smoky Hill and Eaglecrest — jettison Latin over the next couple years. Fairview High in the Boulder Valley district still o ers higher level Latin classes, but this year for the rst time doesn’t o er an introductory class. A district spokesman said the school may o er Latin 1 next year if there’s enough student interest. In a bright spot, Doherty High School in the Colorado Springs 11 district will launch a Latin program next school year.
Even as Latin o erings decline in some public schools, the classes are thriving in many charter schools, which are publicly funded and privately run. Some charters, including several that feature a classical education model, o er Latin in elementary through high school.
While Latin educators and advocates are pleased to see robust Latin programs in charter schools, they also want to keep the classes alive in traditional public schools, which serve about 85% of Colorado’s public school students. e Colorado Classics Association recently made a promotional video called “You belong in Latin,” to get the word out.
Pierre Habel, a spokesperson for the association, said the idea is to educate school leaders and parents “who have lost contact with Latin’s value,” or who experienced an earlier iteration of Latin education that involved chanting verb forms and noun declensions — endings that indicate a word’s function in a sentence. Habel retired in 2021 after teaching Latin at the Je co district’s D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School, which still o ers a full
menu of Latin classes.
Rosevear’s elevator pitch for Latin often highlights its interdisciplinary nature: “ is is not only a language, but it’s also culture and history and mythology and art all combined.”
“I try to emphasize how it really does live on in so many places,” she said. “You’re going to understand American government more if you understand Roman government. You’re going to understand philosophy and religious discussions more if you understand the Latin underpinnings of some of those terms they’re using.”
Students say Latin is ‘equalizing’
Talk to the students in Rosevear’s classes, which range from Latin 1 to AP Latin, and you’ll hear all kinds of reasons for enrolling. Some say singing Latin songs in choir class or studying mythology piqued their interest. Others say Latin helps them excel in other classes, prepare for the SATs, or learn terminology that will come in handy for medical or law careers.
Many simply want to understand the building blocks of the language they use every day.
“It just gives you a really good insight into how so many people speak,” said Eden, a ninth grader who worked with three classmates to translate a story about a Roman family eeing from a rent-collector.
Nyx, a junior who hopes to go into psychiatry, said some of her friends think Latin is a “little dorky,” sometimes saying things like, “Oh, it’s a dead language.” But she doesn’t care. To her, it’s unique and helps her see where words come from, including vocabulary from her language arts class.
“I nd myself blowing through them because I can just dissect them and know the root words and stu from Latin class.” she said. “Like the word amnesty and amnesia, they come from the same root,” which is to forget.
Before class started on a recent day, Noah, a 10th grader, compared favorite Latin words with his classmate Finn, a senior. Noah chose “placenta,” which means cake, and Finn chose “invictus,” which means unconquered and is the name of a famous British poem about fortitude in the face of hardship.
Noah, who’s vice president of the school’s Latin club, said he appreciates Latin because everybody starts on the same footing.
“It’s equalizing,” he said. “No one’s coming in like, ‘I already know Latin.’”
Latin o erings decline over 20 years
Two decades ago, more than a dozen traditional public high schools in the state o ered Latin, including ve in Colorado Springs, George Washington High in Denver, Northridge High in Greeley, and Grand Junction High in western Colo-
rado.
Barbara Hill, who used to coordinate Latin programming at the University of Colorado Boulder, said, “When I arrived in the 80s, Latin was thriving and there were [high school] programs all across the state.”
She said there are lots of reasons Latin has been steadily discontinued in some public schools, including the rise of American Sign Language o erings and increasing demand for Spanish, which is attractive to many students because of its prevalence in Colorado and its usefulness in future careers.
Hill said there’s also a misconception among some school leaders that Latin’s an elitist language — a claim that may have been true in some classrooms in the past, but not anymore.
“ e teachers have changed with the times, and they realize that a Latin program depends largely upon their ability to connect with and … teach a wide variety of students,” she said.
Rosevear, who started taking Latin in eighth grade in her Fargo, North Dakota junior high school, said another impediment to broader Latin adoption is that the state doesn’t require any world language courses for high school graduation. And while Cherry Creek High School o ers six languages — Latin, Spanish, French, German, Mandarin Chinese, and American Sign Language — the Cherry Creek district, like many in Colorado, also doesn’t require any world language to graduate.
Emphasizing a spoken language
Tim Smith started a recent Latin class at Loveland Classical School with a story about Saint Columba saving his friend from Scotland’s famed Loch Ness monster more than a thousand years ago.
Soon, Smith and his ninth grade students were discussing which form of “mordere,” the verb “to bite,” they should use to describe Nessie’s attack on the
friend. Was it one clean bite to the leg? Or was it taking awhile to chomp through the limb?
As they talked it through, one student murmured, “It’s where we get morsel.”
Smith, who’s one of four Latin teachers at the K-12 charter school’s two campuses, favors a newer approach to Latin education that emphasizes immersion in the spoken language, the same way students might learn Spanish or French.
Smith became a convert about a decade ago when his wife suggested he learn to speak Latin as an everyday language. At rst he told her “ at’s not a thing,” but after researching it, discovered a weeklong Latin immersion experience in West Virginia.
“I was con dent that I could say things like, ‘Caesar led an army across the Alps,’” Smith said. “But to ask, ‘Where’s the bathroom?’ or ‘How old are you?’ ... I had never tried to have any kind of casual conversation before.”
e West Virginia trip jump-started his journey to becoming a uent Latin speaker and now he emphasizes speaking in his Latin class as much as reading and writing. Smith also tapes a Latin cooking show on YouTube called Coquamus, or “Let’s Cook.” Recent episodes, lmed with his daughter, who’s a senior at Loveland Classical, feature the pair cutting up a pineapple — “ananas” — and making a chocolate pie — “scriblita socolata.”
Smith said he realized the impact of his immersion approach to Latin when he saw seventh grade boys trash-talking on the basketball court
“Like, a kid makes a basket, and he’ll shout, ‘Quid est nomen mihi?’” said Hill, laughing. “What’s my name? What’s my name?”
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.
Cherry Creek High School Latin teacher, Amy Rosevear, center, works with AP Latin students to translate “The Aeneid” by the Roman poet Virgil.
PHOTO BY ANN SCHIMKE FOR CHALKBEAT
He also got help from EChO’s social and case workers, who helped Kneebone tap into bene ts — including housing assistance from the Department of Veterans A airs.
On Feb. 3, Kneebone moved into his own apartment in Evergreen.
“I like the place,” he said. “I’ve got good neighbors, and it’s quiet.
“EChO is just wonderful; it was a helping hand up. You only need a helping hand to stay a oat a little bit, and then everything changes.”
Stories like Kneebone’s are exactly why the EChO shelter exists. e organization, which includes a food pantry and a resale shop whose sales support its mission, goes far beyond providing overnight shelter from the elements. Its motto of “hope, health, security” encompasses a long list
of support services for those undergoing personal or economic challenges. Case managers o er assistance for immediate crises, long-term support, resources, and referrals to foster self-stability, condence and long-term sustainability.
“It’s more than just a cot and a meal,” Clancy said. “We’ve changed many lives.
“We know solving homelessness requires many things. We give them a warm welcome, a good night’s sleep, dinner, and a sack lunch to go. It all boils down to human dignity.”
e need for a foothills shelter is clear.
While it initially began as an emergency shelter, EChO shifted to the current model of opening every night from October through April in 2020. Since then, the guest nights have increased dramatically each year — jumping from 695 in 20202021 to 2,591 in 2023-2024 season.
But EChO goes far beyond lling each individual’s physical needs. Its sta are trained at solving problems long-term.
“We establish a relationship and trust
with folks,” Clancy said. “Our social workers help the people that stay with us work through all the complexities of Medicare, Medicaid, health care, veteran’s bene ts, car repairs and housing.”
EChO’s numbers show it’s an approach that works.
“Last season we had 70 di erent guests,” Clancy said. “As of this day, 40 are housed.”
It’s also clearly lling a need. On a recent snowy February night, the EChO shelter was full with 19 guests. ey hail from throughout the foothills and mountains, including Evergreen, Morrison, Kittredge, Conifer, Bailey, Pine and Idaho Springs.
Clancy, who has served as the shelter’s manager for ve years, sees no di erence between the shelter guests and anyone else.
“ ere but for the grace of God go I,” he said. “People are homeless for the same reasons we all have di culties — divorce, mental health issues, alcoholism, drug
abuse. at’s in every family and network. It happens to all of us.
“But we’ve got a safety network. If you miss a mortgage payment, you could probably nd someone to help you. ese folks are on the street; they don’t have that.”
e Evergreen shelter opened in 2016 when Christ the King, Bergen Park, Evergreen Lutheran and Church of the Transguration along with Beth Evergreen joined forces to start an emergency shelter program.
EChO stepped in to manage it during the pandemic, in late 2020.
Guests check in at 6:15 p.m. nightly and leave by 7 a.m. each day. Weather is not a factor in its operation.
“ ere are shelters whose purpose is to keep people from freezing to death,” Clancy said. “But there’s no di erence sleeping in your car when it’s 38 than when it’s 28.”
Nor does it limit the amount of time a guest can stay.
Shelter guests can choose from among toiletries and other basics.
EChO’s Evergreen shelter includes a
Shelter manager Tim Clancy holds a pair of pajamas. New guests who have limited clothing with them are given a new pair of pajamas,
When we face struggles, it is easy to fall into a mindset of simple survival. at focus can become all-encompassing and often will prevent us from nding the road to thriving. In those moments, the expanse between “survive” and “thrive” can seem insurmountable.
Four years ago, I was given an opportunity to learn that the chasm between “survive” and “thrive” is only as wide as our mindset. Many of you who have been following Words of Encouragement from the beginning know that my work as a writer started when I was supporting a friend, Shane, who was battling stage-4 colon cancer.
In January 2021, Shane had taken a leave of absence from work to focus on trying to get better. I went to visit him during that leave, and as we sat and talked, he told me that the chemotherapy he was taking was making him so ill that he had decided to focus on the quality of his life, not the quantity.
VOICES
The chasm between striving and thriving
He explained to me that he was stopping chemotherapy and that the remainder of his life span would be measured in weeks. As he told me of this decision, I began to tear up, and as the rst tear fell onto my cheek, he waved his hand in the way that only he could and said, “We are not going to do that; we are going to celebrate.”
With a lifespan remaining that could be
Tcounted in hours and pain growing in his body daily, Shane made a very conscious decision. He was not going to simply survive each remaining day; he was going to thrive.
Over the next few weeks, he went to watch movies in theaters that had been rented out exclusively for his extended family, had dinners xed by chefs who came to his house and attended a parade in his honor. He had the opportunity to
talk with friends, spend precious hours with his wife and daughters, and even play in a poker tournament at his house.
It was inspiring to watch and learn from Shane during that time. e experience left me with the con dence to know that thriving is a conscious decision. It is both scary and empowering to recognize this reality.
When we understand that our mindset is the catalyst to thriving, then we are not
able to hide behind our struggle, satis ed with the idea that we made it through another day.
Don’t misunderstand me. Your struggle, my struggle, they are not easy things to navigate, but they are not insurmountable. e only thing that can keep us from thriving is ourselves. Shane demonstrated this in the most di cult situation possible, facing his own mortality.
When we take the time to truly look at the world around us, we will see we have front-row seats to watch insightful, heroic, and authentically brilliant moments in the human experience unfold before us.
Shane’s unwavering commitment to thriving is an example of this and gives me an invaluable reset button for when I nd myself stuck in survival mode. It is my sincere hope that you, too, can learn from this incredible model.
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. You can reach me at jim. roome@gmail.com.
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.
Failed AI wildfire bill still sparks a crucial conversation
he 20 largest wild res in Colorado’s history all happened in the 2000s – nine of them between 2018 and 2020. Changing weather conditions such as ongoing drought expose the state to a much greater risk of a small spark becoming a devastating ame.
Just a few years ago, high winds fanned two small res into the Marshall re, which destroyed more than 1,000 homes in Boulder County. Similar conditions across the nation have made recordsetting res increasingly normal, creating escalating threats to communities, ecosystems and economies. Faced with a tougher – and more ammable – environment than ever before, the re service must evolve alongside the threats it’s tasked with extinguishing.
Earlier this year, Colorado introduced Senate Bill 25-022, a forward-thinking bill that aimed to devote resources to developing AI tools for ghting res. It
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was a smart, proactive approach that recognized the potential of harnessing technology to do tasks such as analyze vegetation, predict an area’s wild re ignition potential and forecast the potential spread of an ongoing wild re. e bill was based on a recognition that traditional methods are no longer su cient in an era of climate-driven wild res.
While SB25-022, unfortunately, failed to pass, its introduction alone signals an important shift in how we approach reghting – from reactive responses with old equipment to proactive, data-driven strategies coupled with advanced tools. Traditional equipment and methodologies weren’t designed to handle the scale and intensity of today’s wild res. Integrating time-honored practices with cutting-edge technology can alleviate the immense pressure re ghters face on the front lines by freeing them to focus on the
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areas and tasks that need them most.
Future legislation around modernizing the re service can be the key to helping encourage the re service to adopt valuable new technologies. Fire ghters are often slow to embrace change, preferring the security and legacy of adhering to the tradition that de nes the re service for many. Linking the e ort to modernize the re industry with nancial incentives can o er re ghters a compelling reason to reconsider familiar practices and tools.
Fostering a culture of growth within the re service is essential for both adapting to modern wild re challenges and attracting the next generation of reghters. Moving away from the rigid, old-school rehouse mentality creates an environment where younger reghters and fresh ideas can strengthen an industry that needs them more than ever. is shift is particularly important for recruiting Gen Zers, who overwhelmingly report that technological sophisti-
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cation impacts their willingness to work at an organization. Embracing e ective change not only strengthens re ghting capabilities, it strengthens the pipeline of young professionals ready to tackle the next wild re.
Colorado’s attempt to integrate AI into wild re management may have stalled, but the idea behind it cannot be ignored. Investing in technology and advancing re ghting strategies allows the industry to better protect communities and natural resources from the devastating impacts of wild res. Policymakers nationwide must take note and consider adopting new measures to safeguard both people and the environment. Wildres aren’t waiting for us to catch up –saving lives and property demands we get ahead of them.
Jason Cerrano is a 20-year veteran of re departments across the nation and the inventor of SAM, an automated water ow technology under the IDEX brand.
• 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
and should not be republished elsewhere.
Jim Roome
Colorado Dragon Boast Festival marks milestone
Author’s note: I had the pleasure of working alongside Sonya Ellingboe for many years. Her love of the arts was palpable and it was always inspirational to talk with her about the work that moved her. Since her death on Feb. 22 I’ve been thinking a lot about the power of art and the impact it can have on everyday life. I hope her legacy is that we all appreciate the beauty of creativity and support it however we can.
Adecade in existence is no small thing for any event, so Colorado Dragon Boat and Denver Film are going all out to celebrate a decade of the annual Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival.
“It’s incredible to think that for the past decade, we’ve been bringing Colorado the only all-Asian and Asian American lm festival. We are beyond honored to hold this title and remain committed to continuing this vital work,” wrote Sara Moore, executive director of Colorado Dragon Boat, in an email interview. “It has been an intense labor of love, especially with limited staing and resources. But thanks to the dedication of our team and the support of our community, we’ve made it happen.” is year’s festival runs from Friday, March 14 through Sunday, March 16 at the Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver.
STILLWELL
omas “Griz” Stillwell of Conifer passed away unexpectedly on Feb. 20th, 2025. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend to many.
Thomas “Griz” Stillwell
July 17, 1949 - February 20, 2025
COMING ATTRACTIONS
and togetherness. As Coloradans, we are fortunate to be part of a community that not only embraces diversity but also fosters compassion and curiosity. Our state has long been a place where art and culture thrive, and it is this collective spirit that continues to uplift and unite us.
See the full schedule and purchase tickets at www. dever lm.org.
Belmar Gets Its Blarney on for St. Patrick’s Day
In addition to the top-notch local and international lms that center on uplifting the art and culture of the AANHPI (Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Paci c Islander) communities, the festival brings a wonderful array of extra-curricular activities. is includes receptions, a culinary experience, community conversations, Q&A panels and an Asian marketplace. We visited with Moore and talked about the festival, what to expect and more. Interview edited for brevity and clarity.
Tell me about this year’s theme? is year’s theme, “Honoring Our Past to Guide Our Future,” holds deep signicance for me, and I hope it resonates powerfully with everyone. One of the things I love most about our themes is that they are broad enough to invite interpretation and spark meaningful conversations. is year, the theme feels especially timely as we witness history repeating itself in ways we cannot ignore. e only way to truly move forward is to honor and share the stories of our past and to learn from them.
Tell me about this year’s lms?
I can’t contain my excitement about this incredible lineup of lms. If you asked me to pick a favorite, I honestly couldn’t, because they’re all my favorites. Beyond our incredible Film + Receptions and local showcases, we’ve curated a lineup that perfectly embodies this year’s theme.
What do you wish more people knew about the festival?
I wish more people knew that we are a small nonpro t with just two full-time sta members. As we celebrate our 10th anniversary, we re ect on the passion and dedication that brought us here. To continue hosting this one-of-a-kind festival, we need our community’s support. By uplifting and sustaining nonpro ts like ours, we can preserve and expand these vital cultural spaces for generations to come.
What do you hope people come away from attending with?
I hope everyone leaves this festival feeling the profound connection and love that lm, art and community can cultivate. Now more than ever, we need empathy
It’s never too early to start in on the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, and Lakewood’s Belmar district is getting things going with Blarney on Belmar, a free family-friendly festival held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 8. e event will be held at Belmar Plaza, 439 S. Upham St.
Presented by e Alameda Corridor Business Improvement District and Bridge33 Capital, Blarney on Belmar will feature Irish music from e Elders, a much-loved Kansas City Celtic rock band, e MileHighlanders Pipe Band and Denver’s AllStar Irish Session Players. e Reed School of Irish Dance will also be on hand to demonstrate traditional dancing.
Attendees can also shop and dine on some delicious food. Get all the details at https://alamedaconnects.org/2025-blarney-on-belmar-schedule/.
Find the Beauty in Everyday Life at SeeSaw Englewood’s SeeSaw Art Gallery, 5 W. Radcli Ave., is kicking o 2025 with its rst exhibition of the year, “Visible/Invisible,” a group photography exhibition cocurated with artist Christine Nguyen. e show opens on Saturday, March 8 and runs through Monday, April 28.
According to provided information, the exhibition “invites viewers to explore the nuanced interplay between perception and reality.” e works on display challenge the viewer and encourage them to look at the world through di erent perspectives.
For more information, visit www.seesawgallery.com.
Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Soccer Mommy at the Ogden Theatre
Sophie Allison (who records under the name Soccer Mommy) has perfected a blend of 90s grunge and indie rock with an appreciation of generational pop gures like Taylor Swift. Over the course of four albums, she’s brought listeners into her world for a moving look at her experiences and challenges. Last year’s “Evergreen,” may well be her best yet, a devastating record that cuts deeper than ever before.
In support of “Evergreen,” Soccer Mommy is coming to the Ogden eatre, 935 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver, at 8 p.m. on Monday, March 10. She’ll be joined by alternative singer/songwriter Hana Vu for an evening of indie rock sure to knock your socks o . Get tickets at www.axs.com.
Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail.com.
Born July 17th,1949 in Omaha NE to parents Irene and Vernon, Griz enlisted in the army, and was awarded for service in Vietnam (19681969). He married Patricia Cartwright on Aug 22nd, 1970, before moving to Conifer in 1974.
In addition to supporting his family, he volunteered with the Elk Creek Fire District for 22 years (1977 to 1999), and was the o cial Santa Claus in Conifer’s
On February 12, 2025, the mountains lost one of their own.
Andy Ashby, who approached life with the same intensity he brought to the ski slopes, passed away from an aggressive cancer at the age of 69.
A geological engineer, legendary ski coach, and devoted father, husband, brother, and friend, Andy lived with passion and grit.
One of ve children to Elizabeth and John Ashby, Andy grew up in Evergreen, graduated from Evergreen High School. He then went on Colorado School of Mines where he recieved a degree in Geological Engineering in 1978, launching a career in the oil and gas industry.
As a ski coach, Andy taught skiers to “let ‘em run and stay over ‘em”. He thrived in the harshest conditions—icy slopes, whipping winds, and relentless storms. While others sought blue skies,
Christmas parade (2009 to 2024). He is survived by his wife, Pat, daughter, Tara Slowik, son-in-law, J.J. Slowik, and grandchildren, Chandler and Allison. He also leaves his brothers-in-law, Chuck and Mike Cartwright, and sisters, Donna, Irene and eresa. He loved his truck, lumberjacking, metal, and beer, but family and friends the most. He will be sorely missed by all, and forgotten by none.
Donations for his memorial stone at Elk Creek Station #2 can be sent to P.O. Box 607, Conifer, CO 80433.
and nephews; and a vast community of skiers and friends.
A memorial service will be held on March 22, 2025, at the Evergreen Lake House from noon to 4 p.m. All are welcome to attend and encouraged to share their memories of Andy.
In lieu of owers, please consider donating to Wounded Warriors, Denver Rescue Mission, Disabled Veterans Foundation, VFW,Father Flanagan’s Boy’s Home, AA, or Food Bank of the Rockies.
Regina Elizabeth (Grenier) Matson May 30, 1941 - February 23, 2025
Regina Matson was born in Blackstone, Massachusetts on May 30th, 1941 as the 6th of 11 children to Edmond and Annette Greiner. Regina met her soulmate on a blind date, and a year later, on the 4th of July 1959, and 35 days into her 18th year, she married Ronald Lynn Matson, (Born Ronald Lynn Bean).
In 1964 Regina moved to Ronald’s home town of Indian Hills, Colorado, and in August of that year gave birth to their fourth child. Buying an old summer cabin, their rst winter was rough. ey had no running water; wood heat and Ron had knocked the top out of a powder keg and mounted a toilet seat to it for a bathroom. e following year, losing her father, Regina and her young family moved back to Massachusetts, they then returned to their Indian Hills’ cabin in 1969. Regina gave birth to two more children, one in 1973 the other in 1975. Ron crossed over in 1986 at the age of 49. Regina never remarried and never learning to drive, raised her two youngest boys. In 2003 she sold the cabin to her youngest child and moved to Mancos, Colorado, her second
youngest living just three doors down. Regina loved life in Mancos with the ability to walk to Church, e Post O ce, Bank and small grocery store. She often compared the ease of backyard gardening to the north slope living of Santa Clara Road in Indian Hills.
Regina crossed over on February 23rd, 2025, she was a seamstress, quilter, gardener and homemaker. She is survived by her 6 children, Dave and (Karen) Matson of Westminster, CO, Ron and (Beth) Matson of Indian Hills, CO, Donna and (John) Williams of ornton, CO, Dorina and (Greg) Notz of Englewood, CO, Jason Matson of Mancos, CO and Josh Matson of Wheatridge, CO, along with 19 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren, 1 brother, 3 sisters and an unknown number of nephews and nieces.
Regina will be placed next to Ronald at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Wheatridge, CO on March 8, 11:00 AM. A celebration of Life will follow starting at 12:30 PM at the Indian Hills Community Center, 5881 Parmalee Gulch Rd, Indian Hills CO
Clarke Reader
Andy lived for the challenge, always emerging with a grin.
Andy is survived by his wife, Rebecca Fleming-Ashby; his children, Drew, Joey, Berit, and Katherine Ashby; his stepdaughter, Alyssa Nowicki; his siblings, John Ashby Jr., Je Ashby, Dave Ashby, and Andrea Pearson; their partners; nieces
ASHBY
Andrew Morrison “Andy” Ashby May 19, 1955 - February 12, 2025
MATSON
Sonya Ellingboe — a life well lived
Longtime journalist, arts advocate and Littleton community activist dies at 94
BY SCOTT GILBERT SGILBERT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Sonya Ellingboe, a longtime Littleton resident and beloved community activist widely known for her decades of writing about arts and culture in Colorado Community Media newspapers, died Feb. 22, 2025, at age 94.
Ellingboe was born Sonya Joyce Watson on July 9, 1930, in Columbus, Ohio, to economics professor Jesse Paul Watson and art instructor Elizabeth Joyce Watson. e little family moved soon after to Pittsburgh, where Ellingboe grew up and began her love of art and reading, in uenced by her parents and “a really super art teacher in high school,” as she recalled in a 2018 biographical interview with Colorado Community Media.
Ellingboe got her bachelor’s degree in visual art from Carleton College in Northeld, Minnesota, where she met St. Olaf College student John “Jack” Ellingboe. ey married after she graduated from college and she then lived in Ames, Iowa while her husband got his doctorate in analytical chemistry at Iowa State University and the rst of their children was born.
e young couple wanted to live in Colorado, and Ellingboe recalled how a college connection helped her husband arrange an interview with Little-
ton’s Marathon Oil operation, where she said the company was “paying salaries in scenery.” ey moved to Littleton in 1956 and lived there except for a couple of years at the Marathon home o ce in Ohio in the mid-1960s. ey raised their four children in Littleton’s Aberdeen Village neighborhood before divorcing in 1981.
“I had four children in six years, which can tell you pretty well what my life was like,” Ellingboe said of her time as a busy young mother, but from her earliest days in Littleton she began her community engagement by joining the League of Women Voters, going to museums and classes, and creating pottery in a local studio “to talk to big people.”
Ellingboe’s love of reading was a big part of her life, which she shared with others by working as a librarian in Iowa in the 1950s until her rst child was born in 1955, and later by buying e Book House bookstore in Englewood’s Brookridge shopping center in 1970, then moving the store to a house on Littleton’s Curtice Street near Arapahoe Community College. “I moved it from Brookridge to an old house across from ACC, which had been a dream of mine from when we were in Ames, where there was a woman who had a bookstore in an old house,” she recalled.
Ellingboe operated e Book House until competition from chain stores led her to close the business in 1986. With her lifelong love of books remaining strong, she then returned to work as a librarian, spending the next couple years with Jefferson County’s Columbine Library. In 1988, Ellingboe began her career as
a writer, rst for the Littleton Times and then the Littleton Independent and its sister papers in the Colorado Community Media chain. Her writing career lasted 35 years until her retirement at age 93 in September 2023.
Even after health issues led her to retire, Ellingboe remained active in book clubs and kept a stack of books at hand to read along with e Denver Post, e New York Times and the Littleton Independent. She also continued to attend local artistic performances.
rough her years in Littleton, Ellingboe was active in many community organizations and cultural amenities and played a founding role in some. ey included the League of Women Voters, Bemis Library Fine Arts Committee, Town Hall Arts Center, Littleton Business Chamber, Commission on Human Rights, Littleton Fine Arts Guild, Hudson Gardens and Event Center, Friends of the Library and Museum, Littleton Garden Club and Historic Littleton Inc.
(Al) Orahood, daughter Karen (Peter Krasno ) Ellingboe and son Bruce (Cindy) Ellingboe; half-sister Anne Redmond; four nephews; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
“Most of the time we’ve been here I’ve been involved one way or another with something going on in Littleton … I get nostalgic about old things that get overwhelmed but I think we need to be changing and gaining,” Ellingboe recalled in the 2018 interview.
“I’ve been a joiner, I guess,” she added with her signature bright laugh. “I recommend it.”
Ellingboe’s career as an arts and culture writer was marked by the positivity and encouraging tone of her coverage. “Family is important to me, and so is making art accessible to as many people as possible,” she recalled. “I feel my mission in writing
No public memorial service is planned, as family members note their gratitude for the many celebrations of Ellingboe’s life while she was alive. Memorial donations in Ellingboe’s name may be made to Historic Littleton Inc., P.O. Box 1004, Littleton, CO 80160; historiclittleton@ gmail.com; or to the arts organization of the donor’s choice.
“I hope I’m remembered as someone who encouraged people to participate in what pleases them,” Ellingboe said in the 2018 interview. “Getting involved in your community makes a huge di erence in how your life proceeds.” She added: “Keep moving — that’s my other advice — as long as possible.”
Sonya Ellingboe speaks to the audience at the Littleton State of the Arts event in 2024 after receiving the inaugural Arts and Culture Award.
Sonya Ellingboe, then Sonya Joyce Watson, as a young adolescent at a summer camp in West Virginia. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ELLINGBOE FAMILY
BY CAITLYN KIM CPR NEWS
Nonprofits continue to feel e ects of funding pause
Paul Lhevine, head of the Colorado Nonpro t Association, elds calls every day from anxious or worried members.
“A lot of nonpro ts are still nding their federal funds being frozen,” he explained. ey call wondering, ‘Is it just because agencies and departments are still trying to play catch up with the judge’s temporary restraining order on the freezing of federal funds, or is there something more nefarious going on?’”
Right now there’s a lot of uncertainty over what the federal government is doing — or not — with federal grants and awards. A federal judge has ordered the Trump Administration to lift its freeze on federal disbursements, but many of the states involved in that lawsuit say billions of dollars remain locked up.
e White House and some Republicans at the U.S. Capitol have argued it’s normal and legitimate for a new administration to review funding.
But many of Lhevine’s members worry about what may come next for groups that often serve as a safety net in their communities.
“ ere is nothing normal about what’s going on,” he said. “It’s not just the breadth and depth of all of the executive orders. It is the sledgehammer approach to the federal government generally.”
He said it’s distressing to see a sector that does so much good for the state being left in limbo, and warns it could have bigger economic rami cations.
ere are about 12,500 nonpro ts in Colorado, “who generate $62 billion of economic impact annually. We support 180,000 jobs directly and indirectly. We are socially signi cant in as much as we are economically signi cant,” he explained.
Rebecca Samulski, executive director of Fire Adapted Colorado, said even with the judge lifting the funding freeze, some groups that participate in her wild re resilience network say they haven’t been able to receive reimbursements for past work.
“A lot of them are reliant on the regular income from their federal agreements,” she said, adding that while some could operate for about six more months, others will likely only make it a single month.
e uncertainty means Samulski’s members are having a hard time moving forward with new contracts; they’re not sure they’ll be able to pay their contractors because they don’t know when the reimbursements will come.
Samulski said everyone is being conservative about their projects, “which potentially means the loss of a working season for us if it doesn’t get resolved quickly.” ose projects can range from creating fuel breaks to tree thinning.
e advice Samulski is giving to her members is to make contingency plans for how they’re going to do less, with less.
e Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver receives just under $1 million in federal funding to help provide meals for students, o er STEM programs, and make facility improvements. CEO Erin Porteous is thankful that none of their funding has been impacted yet, but she’s worried for the future.
She said the organization relies on a braided model of funding: federal, state, corporations, foundations and individual donations, which insulates it a bit from federal funding shocks. But some of the Boys and Girls Clubs’ partners rely on federal funding for as much as half of their annual budget.
“In this type of environment where those funds may go away, it can be really detrimental to the services that they’re offering our communities,” she said.
Porteous has worked in the nonpro t sector for 20 years and she’s seen how new administrations change priorities. e past month has been a di erent order of magnitude.
“What we haven’t ever seen before is where the entire landscape looks di erent, and it’s challenging to navigate, it’s challenging to anticipate what the changes may be, and, frankly, what the recourse or the outcomes of those may be for nonpro ts,” she said. “When that funding certainty isn’t there, it makes it really challenging to plan and to be able to serve the needs of the community.”
And she notes this comes at a time when many of those needs are growing.
It’s not just the nonpro t world that is concerned; local governments that partner with nonpro ts also worry about the disruption from federal funding shifts.
An o cial of one Colorado county, who was granted anonymity to speak over fears that the rest of their federal funding could be targeted, said their community relies on nonpro ts, especially for social services.
“I think they are living in a world of panic,” the o cial said of those organizations.
“I’ve heard too that, not only are they not knowing where the next paycheck’s coming from, people aren’t showing up to get services from them anymore too, which is to me almost even more concerning. I feel like once you lose that connection, it’s really going to be hard to build it back,”
e county also receives millions in federal grants for projects like infrastructure, which are now also in doubt because the funding comes from Biden-era legislation, like the In ation Reduction Act, that’s been targeted by the Trump administration.
“We start these projects with the assumption that the grants we’ve been awarded are going to come with us or come back to us,” the o cial said. “ ese are projects that once we get going, you can’t stop them. You can’t have half a road built. We can’t not pay the people we
will they have to adjust the services they provide with less federal funding.
Boulder-based nonpro t Growing Gardens doesn’t rely on the federal government for all of its funding — like any good nonpro t, it aims to have diverse revenue streams — but the sliver of funding it gets from the federal government is an important sliver. A few years ago, the group got a $350 million grant from the USDA to more than double its community farm in Longmont, while increasing accessibility and minority involvement.
Now, one of Growing Gardens’ current grants has been put on pause. And while the group has been able to get reimbursements for their farm infrastructure project, they’re no longer sure they can count on that.
Site Director Lauren Kelso said people can agree or disagree about what the government should or shouldn’t fund, but, “that seems like a sort of thing that should be decided when Congress decides to build these programs and release this funding. It absolutely should not be the sort of thing that is decided after you have signed a contract with our federal government.”
And Kelso has a question “for the billionaires running the country” — Would they tolerate working with someone who broke signed contracts with their companies without warning.
contract with to do the work. A lot of our construction work, we contract out to local businesses that do it. And that just really directly impacts the economy.”
e federal funding freeze also has the o cial wondering what local governments will look like going forward: how
“I want to ask them if they would ever do business with an entity that’s behaving like they are?”
is story is from CPR News, a nonpro t public broadcaster serving Colorado. Used by permission. For more, and to support Colorado Public Radio, visit cpr.org.
Miranda Zamora, of Denver, loads boxes of packaged scone mix onto a pallet at Women’s Bean Project in Denver on Wednesday, November 17, 2021. The nonprofit o ers on-the-job training in a food manufacturing business, as well as career services, life skills and case management for women facing chronic unemployment, recidivism, welfare dependency and other challenges.
PHOTO BY HART
BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Denver artist omas “Detour” Evans has planted his artistic footprint all over the Denver metro area, including the Arvada Center. His work creating the mural at the Center’s main gallery for all visitors to see and then displaying the nished product drew rave reviews from the Center’s visitors, said Collin Parson, Director of Galleries and Curator.
“Our visitors loved it,” Parson said via email. “It was an interactive piece that took the art of murals to the next level. Detour is an innovative artist who a few years ago was considered a ‘muralist’ but not as ‘an artist’ who happens to also make murals.”
“I’m proud of him and think he represents the quality and creativity of Colorado arts,” Parson said.
Evans could not be reached for comment.
Described as a painter, muralist and installation artist, Evans served as a Creative in Residence at the Denver Art Museum in the fall of 2017, exploring work that encourages a mixture of traditional art and interactive paintings. He has gained state and national fame for his mural and print creations that celebrate African American history as well as musical, civil rights and sports icons.
What may be Evans’ most acclaimed piece was recently unveiled before international travelers that streamed though Denver International Airport. e airport introduced Evans’ sculpture “It’s Not What You Take, It’s What You Bring Back” in its permanent public art collection in January in the Concourse B expansion area.
“DEN’s participation in the City’s 1% for Public Art program is a point of pride for the airport. Many of the works in our permanent collection loom large in the memories and imaginations of our millions of annual visitors. omas Evans’ work, “It’s Not What You Take, It’s What You Bring Back,” will soon become an iconic xture of the world’s sixth busiest airport, welcoming or bidding farewell to our passengers,” airport CEO Phil Washington said in a news release. “I am so pleased to welcome Evans’ unique and vibrant sculpture to DEN.”
“It’s Not What You Take, It’s What You Bring Back” was inspired by the idea that life is always in perpetual motion and it’s our luggage that carries the items we hold dear. It was selected by a panel of community representatives, arts and culture professionals, and civic leaders in 2022, the news release states.
“I was super ecstatic to be selected to be a part of the process of adding art to such a vibrant place where millions of travelers pass through during their journey in life,” Detour said in the news release. e artwork, located on Concourse B East near gate B60, is 26 feet long by 12 feet wide by 8 feet high and suspended from the concourse ceiling. To help build the sculpture, Evans put a call out to the public for personal luggage that had a story behind it. at resulted in 183 donated bags that were incorporated into the nal design, including pieces from Cleo Parker Robinson, Ed Dwight, a ight attendant of 33 years, three DIA employees, as well as from folks with Denver’s ve professional sports teams.
Evans said on his webpage that the exhibit showcases the frenzied nature of modern life. “ e goal is to symbolize the 24/7 nature of both the airport and the journey of life, as well as memorialize the stories and experiences you gain when you travel,” Evans said.
Evans said that his fabricators, Demiurge, built a steel armature in six di erent sections that will serve as the backbone of the sculpture. Each piece of luggage will have its own plate extension that will be
RIGHT: Thomas “Detour” Evans works on a mural for the 2021 Black Love Mural Festival at Civic Center Park. PHOTO BY CHRISTY STEADMAN
LEFT: Thomas “Detour” Evans’ work was featured at the “In Sight On Site: Murals” exhibit at the Arvada Center. COURTESY OF WES MAGYAR
“I was super ecstatic to be selected to be part of the process”
ans wrote on his webpage. .
e mural got statewide and national attention and was featured in e New York Times, the Athletic, the NBA’s social media accounts and several other media outlets, Evans said.
welded onto the armature.
For more information about the backstories of the donated bags and their donors, go to the airport’s arts page which opened for views this month. A time-lapse video of the installation can be found there as well.
e news release points out that the City’s 1% for Public Art Ordinance directs that 1% of any capital improvement project over $1 million undertaken by the city be set aside for the inclusion of art. At DIA, funds are set aside and then site-speci c large-scale public art opportunities across the campus are identi ed. For this speci c project, funding was designated by the Gate Expansion Program’s construction budget. No taxpayer dollars are used for any artwork at DIA.
Evans also explores ethnic identities through his African art display “ ey Still Live,” which mixes photography, DNA mapping and African objects, according to the Hu ngton Post. His prints celebrate Martin Luther King Jr., the music icon Prince and soccer legend Pele.
Evans also honored the 2023 NBA champion Denver Nuggets with a mural planted on the side of the building at 1919 E. Colfax Ave. Evans said he only created the mural to replace another that was in disrepair. However, “this mural evolved to be a beacon for the community because of the awesome year that the Denver Nuggets had,” Ev-
Evans drew plenty of local acclaim for his work at the Arvada Center. Evans used sound and interaction to draw patrons into his brightly colored creation at the Arvada Center’s main gallery, said the Arvada Center’s Parson.
Evans was part of a temporary exhibition titled “In Sight On Site: Murals,” Parson said. Working on the site at the Arvada Center as artist schedules allowed, visitors were able to see murals develop over a weekend, a week or even a month, he said. Evans contributed to a temporary exhibit at the Center so it was only displayed for a few months.
“Detour and artists like him use exhibitions like this to test ideas and concepts that otherwise might just be experiments in their studios,” Parson said.
He said that he donated a bag to the DIA exhibit, at Evans’ request. Parson said he was caught o guard by the request but suddenly remembered that his four-year-old daughter, Cora, had left her Kitty Cat purse in the back seat of Parson’s car.
“I knew she’d be momentarily upset, but I also believed she’d understand its signi cance when she was older,” he said.
“So I took the risk,” Parson said. “So far, it’s paid o . She’s forgotten all about the purse, and I can’t wait to take her to see her small but meaningful mark in Denver’s art history.”
Thomas “Detour” Evans
LEFT: Artist Thomas “Detour” Evans stands with his creation at Concourse B at DIA.
RIGHT: Another view of artist Thomas “Detour”
Lawmakers want to keep Black history in lesson plans
BY MELANIE ASMAR CHALKBEAT
Colorado lawmakers are seeking to ensure that Black history is taught in the state’s public schools at a time of escalating e orts by the Trump administration to squash diversity and inclusion in America’s classrooms.
A bill under consideration in the Colorado legislature would require the State Board of Education to adopt academic standards related to Black historical and cultural studies. Academic standards play a key role in what Colorado students learn in school.
week of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and shared what they learned about Jim Crow laws and the civil rights movement.
“ e important aspects are being taught,” Caldwell said, adding that teaching more than that would be “a capacity and time and resource issue.”
Rep. Jennifer Bacon, a Denver Democrat, pushed back against that argument. ere are other instances of “overlaps” — or topics that are covered more than once — in the state’s academic standards, she said. She wondered what it would hurt for Black history to be among them.
BEST OF THE BEST VOTE NOW THROUGH APRIL 15TH
e bill, HB25-1149, passed the House Education Committee ursday in an 8-5 vote along party lines, with Democrats voting yes and Republicans voting no. e bill now moves to the House Appropriations Committee.
Bill sponsor Rep. Regina English, a Colorado Springs Democrat, said it is not only an educational need but a moral imperative to teach Black history.
“It is our obligation to make sure we are teaching not only our students, but all students, true history and what that looks like for Black Americans,” English said at a press conference before the bill hearing Feb. 20. “ ere is more to Black people than slavery and oppression. We are inventors, we are entrepreneurs, we are creators, we are educators, we are doctors, we are attorneys, we are judges, and the list goes on and on.”
President Donald Trump has issued several executive orders aimed at remaking K-12 education in a conservative image, including by ending federal programs that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion and seeking to root out “radical indoctrination” in classrooms.
English said the Black history bill is important at a time when “Black voices are threatened with being silenced through executive orders that are coming down from the national level.”
“Colorado can set the example that we will not tolerate that foolishness here in Colorado, and we will not allow people to divide us and divide our students,” she said.
Colorado’s social studies standards were last updated by the State Board of Education in 2022. e standards say social studies lessons must include the experiences and contributions of several diverse groups, including African Americans, Latinos, Indigenous people, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Paci c Islanders, religious minorities and LGBTQ+ people.
Opponents of the bill said the state doesn’t need speci c Black history standards because the current social studies standards already include it.
Priscilla Rahn, a Denver Public Schools teacher who testi ed against the bill, called the proposed Black history standards “redundant.” Rep. Lori Garcia Sander, an Eaton Republican, held up a printed copy of the state’s social studies standards and said, “All of the things I heard people say, ‘ is is what we want, this is what we wish for,’ it is in here.”
Rep. Jarvis Caldwell, a Colorado Springs Republican, said his two children came home from elementary school during the
“I don’t necessarily disagree that Black history has been a part of our curriculum,” Bacon said. “But the things I consistently hear — I only hear about two time periods: slavery and the civil rights movement. e point of this was to talk about comprehensive Black history. … We are a part of the Revolutionary War history. We are a part of the Civil War history.” e bill, which is also sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Tony Exum, would create an advisory committee of teachers, librarians, historians, Black history experts, and others to recommend standards. It says the standards should feature “factual accounts of the struggles and contributions of Black Americans in all elds of endeavor” and re ect “Black agency and resistance against oppression.”
Parents, educators, and community members testi ed at ursday’s hearing about the importance of teaching students about the contributions of Black Americans.
Anette Bowser, president of the Urban League Young Professionals of Metro Denver, listed several inventions by Black Americans, including the clothes dryer, caller ID, “and even the Super Soaker we love during the summer time.”
Cathy Lees, a Douglas County resident who described herself as a longtime education advocate, referenced a recent debate in the Douglas County School District over an Advanced Placement African American studies course. e school board eventually approved the course after delaying a vote on it because of community concerns.
“Some might call this a victory for educational equity,” Lees said. “I say the damage was done. What message did this send to the white students in Douglas County? e message was clear — Black history, the Black experience, is up for debate in Douglas County.”
Lees said the bill would help ensure Black history is taught, even though Colorado school districts retain control over the speci cs such as what curriculum and textbooks to use. Supporters and opponents of the bill both noted that there is little accountability for whether school districts follow the standards, especially in subjects like social studies.
e State Board of Education reviews each set of academic standards every six years, and it’s scheduled to revisit the social studies standards in 2028. If the bill passes, the State Board would review the Black history standards at the same time.
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.
A Colorado Voting Rights Act faces pushback from cities
BY CHAS SISK KUNC
A plan to write a key civil rights measure into Colorado law is running into intense resistance. Opponents say it’s really an attempt to rework how local elections are run.
e federal Voting Rights Act has been used for six decades to ensure the fairness of elections. But some worry the Trump administration will try to do away with it, so they’ve launched a national campaign for VRA protections to be written into state law. Several states have agreed.
Colorado could become the latest. Senate Bill 25-001 would give voters the right to bring discrimination suits at the state level and extend new protections speci c to the state, including making sure people can vote while in jail and barring discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation.
“ e right to vote is under attack by a federal administration testing the limits of its power,” said Julie Gonzales, a Denver Democrat sponsoring the bill. “Generations of brave activists, women, and people of color have fought for the right to vote — and now, it’s our turn. is bill would ensure that in Colorado, no matter your gender, race, or the language you speak, your sacred right to vote is protected.”
e measure has the backing of a wide variety of groups, including the ACLU, the League of Women Voters and Colorado Common Cause.
But many local o cials are worried — including some who say they would ordinarily support voting rights legislation.
“Aurora’s against the voting rights act?”
asked Pete Schulte, the city attorney in Aurora. “I have to tell you, when I rst heard city council ... talking about opposing this bill, I was like, “Wait a minute. It’s the Colorado Voting Rights Act.””
“ is does not mirror the federal Voting Rights Act,” he added.
Schulte and other local o cials worry it could open new pathways for people to sue communities over elections. In particular, those suits could come over atlarge seats or the timing of elections. Both could be considered discriminatory, if someone suggests they suppress turnout or representation of people of color. ey also point out that the state constitution gives Colorado communities broad
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discretion to run elections as they see t.
And, they say, cities in Colorado have successfully fended of any claims under the federal VRA that they’re violating voters’ rights.
“To date there have been no successful lawsuits against Colorado municipalities under the federal Voting Rights Act,” Heather Stau er, legislative advocacy manager for the Colorado Municipal League, said at a recent hearing on the proposal. “It’s very clear to us that the intent of this bill is to change speci c voting policies and structures of local government via litigation.”
e VRA’s supporters have tried to reassure cities that they don’t plan to come
after them. But they say there should be laws to prevent election o cials from engaging in discrimination.
“We have these federal protections. ey’re nothing new. But they have been eroded,” said Michael Pernick, lawyer for the Legal Defense Fund who has helped draft state voting rights acts. e measure has so far passed just one committee, in the state Senate. Backers say they hope to resolve local governments’ concerns as it moves through the process. is story was made available via the Colorado News Collaborative. Learn more at https://colabnews.co
Amid budget crunch, Youth Advisory Council on chopping block
Lawmakers plan to shut down 20-year-old program that promotes youth involvement
BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN
e Colorado legislature, as part of its e orts to close a budget hole of more than $1 billion, is planning to axe a nearly twodecade program that enlists teenagers from across the state to help draft and offer input on bills.
Shutting down the Colorado Youth Advisory Council would save about $50,000 a year. at’s a relatively paltry amount, but it’s meant to send a message that costs must be trimmed wherever possible.
e cut foreshadows the big, and often painful, line-item reductions the legislature will have to make in the coming weeks.
Sidd Nareddi, who served on COYAC from 2022 to 2024 while he was in high school, said he was heartbroken to hear the program may be discontinued. Now a rst-year student at Brown University, Nareddi said being a member of COYAC was one of the most formative experiences of his high school years.
“It really was a personal development program for me,” he said. “It’s a very empowering process.”
e Colorado Youth Advisory Council was created in 2008 and is composed of 40 junior high and high school students representing each of the state’s 35 Senate districts, as well as the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute tribes. Teens serve twoyear terms on the council. e panel is currently supposed to continue through
BERGEN PARK CHURCH
at least 2028.
In recent years, the panel — known as COYAC — has drafted legislation to require school sta to address students by their chosen name, boost mental health resources in schools, reduce food waste in public schools and get young people involved in environmental justice.
“ at would be a huge mistake,” Sen. Faith Winter, a Broom eld Democrat and a legislative liaison to the council, said of ending the program. “We know that the budget is di cult and we are willing to work with COYAC next year for a very reduced budget outside of having an interim committee.”
Sarah Moss, who directs the program, made an impassioned plea to the Executive Committee of the Legislative Council, which is making the decision to disband the program, to keep the initiative alive.
“I love this program and love these students,” she said. “Being their nonpartisan sta er and teaching them the process and government 101 — and ‘Here’s how you make a phone call to a stranger who’s a grown-up’ — has been one of the greatest joys of my professional career. We would very much love for this program to continue in full.”
Moss suggested paring back the council to make it remote-only. at could cut out the legislature’s costs of getting council members to and from the Capitol and putting them up in hotels.
“We would really love to see some kind of opportunity for them to present (to
lawmakers), even if it’s just a teleconference,” she said.
e Executive Committee of the Legislative Council appears resigned to shutting down the program. A bill ending COYAC will have to be drafted and debated before the full legislature before the council is shut down, but the executive committee on Friday preemptively slashed its funding.
Lawmakers plan to spend just $5,000 on the program next scal year, which begins July 1, to ensure students currently on the council can nish their work.
“As a lifelong educator, I believe in doing things for our youth and giving them these opportunities,” House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat, said this week during an executive committee meeting. “ is is tough.”
In an interview with e Colorado Sun, McCluskie said she hopes COYAC could be brought back after a year. But the legislature’s budget problems are only expected to get worse.
e legislative branch plans to cut its
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
Reading Room: 4602 Plettner Lane 303-674-5296
OPEN: TUES-SAT 12 p.m.-3 p.m.
CHURCH OF THE HILLS PRESBYTERIAN (USA)
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
The Colorado state Capitol, pictured in 2023.
PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD
1. LITERATURE: Who lives at 4 Privet Drive?
2. TELEVISION: Which 1980s sitcom featured the Keaton family?
3. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Who was the rst American-born president?
4. COMICS: What is Deadpool’s profession?
5. AD SLOGANS: Which makeup company’s slogan is “Maybe she’s born with it”?
6. HISTORY: Which battles marked the beginning of the American Revolution?
7. INVENTIONS: e 1904 World’s Fair introduced which u y confection?
8. MOVIES: In which year were the rst Oscars awarded?
9. MEASUREMENTS: What does 1 gallon of water weigh?
10. GEOGRAPHY: What are the colors of the Italian ag?
TrIVIa
Answers
1. Harry Potter and the Dursley family.
2. “Family Ties.”
3. Martin Van Buren, born after the Revolutionary War.
4. Mercenary.
5. Maybelline.
6. Battles of Lexington and Concord.
7. Cotton candy.
8. 1929.
9. 8.34 pounds.
10. Green, white and red.
(c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.
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Colorado generally known as 31545 Pike View Drive, Conifer, CO 80433 and the adjacent parcel of vacant land and identified by Parcel Nos. 61-291-00-001 AND 61-292-00-001. BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF MOUNTAIN WATER AND SANITATION DISTRICT
Jefferson County Expenditures
BUDGET CUTS
budget by 5%, or more than $4 million next year. Suspending as many as a dozen interim committees like the Colorado Youth Advisory Council is part of that effort.
e executive committee is made up of the six top party leaders in the legislature, four Democrats and two Republicans. Both Republicans suggested it was time for the council to go away, regardless of cost.
“With all due respect to students, there are plenty of people who come here and take days to testify and make their voices heard that don’t get (their expenses covered),” House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, R-Colorado Springs, told the executive committee.
Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, R-Monument, told e Sun the council has become too progressive. Given that it e ectively has the power to introduce bills in the legislature, he feels that advantage is unfair.
“As a matter of policy, I’m not supportive of continuing with funding,” he said during the executive committee meeting.
Winter pointed out that COYAC was founded through legislation brought by a Republican, then-state Sen. Ellen Roberts of Durango, and that it has long been a bipartisan initiative. e panel that reviews COYAC’s work is named after the late House Minority Leader Hugh McK-
ean, another Republican.
Winter defended the legislation the council has advanced in recent years as being representative of the Democraticlean of the state.
“ ere is one youth member per Senate district,” she said. “If you look at the makeup of the Senate, it makes sense that COYAC is composed similarly.”
Current and former members of the council said they plan to encourage lawmakers not to shut COYAC down.
“COYAC is one of the best things I’ve ever done,” said Livi Christiansen, who served on the council from 2020 to 2022 when she was a junior and senior at Poudre High School in Fort Collins. “It absolutely changed my life. I wish that every kid got to do it.”
Christiansen, who at just 19 is in her rst year of law school in California, said the legislature could choose to slash funding for prison beds instead of shutting down COYAC.
“ ey can nd the money,” she said.
“ ey could be making a di erent choice.”
e $50,000 appropriated annually to the council pays for an overnight retreat, annual visit to the Capitol, send-o dinner for high school seniors, committee meetings with legislators and for a professional facilitator to run the program.
e Colorado legislature is expected to set the state budget in March.
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.
