Canyon Courier May 22, 2025

EVERGREEN DIVERS AND SWIMMERS MAKE HISTORIC SHOWING AT STATE MEET P16

Deer Creek Canyon Park reopens

Area rehabilitated after last year’s Quarry Fire

COURIER

Local and county leaders expressed gratitude for teamwork and collaboration among local, county, state and federal agencies as leaders marked the reopening of a portion of Deer Creek Canyon Park after last year’s Quarry Fire.

In a ceremony May 15, they lauded e orts to quench the ames that burned about a third of the 1,640-acre Je erson County Open Space park

and the nine months of hard work to restore burn areas to make them safe for hikers and mountain bikers.

e entire park is expected to be open by Aug. 1.

e Quarry Fire, which started July 30, burned for eight days. An estimated 260 reghters and personnel from multiple local and state agencies helped. In addition, air tankers from across the country dropped re retardant and water on the ames. Nearly 600 homes were evacuated.

Je co Commissioner Lesley Dahlkemper lauded the e orts of agencies that worked to reopen the park in nine months.

Je co Open Space, which manages Deer Creek Canyon Park, originally estimated it would take two years for the park to be safe for the public to hike and bike the 14.5 miles of trails, she said.

“ is was an example of how things should work among government agencies,” Tom Hoby, director of Je co Open Space, told nearly 50 people celebrating the park’s reopening. “ is was a total team effort.”

Je co Sheri Reggie Marinelli praised the e orts of re ghters and rst responders during the Quarry Fire because thanks to them, no lives and no structures were lost.

“ at’s a true testament to the coordinated e orts,” she said.

Skip Shirlaw, who was chief of Inter-Canyon Fire last summer, said things could have been much worse without the partnerships among rst responders. If the re had escaped re lines, it could have burned thousands of

Unification opponents move ahead with court case

Board member says recent Elk Creek vote wasn’t a mandate for the merger

BY JANE REUTER JANE@COTLN.ORG

On the day of the May 6 Elk Creek Fire board election, when two prouni cation candidates easily secured two seats on the board, fellow board member Chuck Newby led his case against uni cation in Je erson County District Court.

Newby and Elk Creek Fire district resident Neil Whitehead III had promised to do so after the case was unanimously rejected by Je erson County Commissioners in April. e commissioners a rmed Elk Creek Fire Protection District’s correctly followed state statute’s exclusion requirements, a step needed to allow its hoped-for merger with the Conifer Fire Protection District.

With the May 6 election of Kathleen Noonan and Al Leo, Newby remains the only anti-uni cation voice currently on the ve-member board. Voters cast nearly ve times or more votes for pro-uni cation candidates Leo and Noonan in the May 6 election than opponents Michael Bartlett, omas Seymour and Todd Wagner.

Natalie Ingerson of Denver, with 1-year-old Quinn on her back, walks with son Wyatt, 3, on the Meadowlark Trail at Deer Creek Canyon Park in south Je erson County. The park reopened on May 15 after the Quarry Fire burned about 35% of the park last summer.

PHOTO BY DEB HURLEY BROBST

CCM papers acquired in deal with Arizona group

National Trust for Local News announces partnership with Times Media Group

Half a million students expect to receive food benefits this summer CCM STAFF

e National Trust for Local News on May 13 announced a restructuring of its Colorado operations — known as Colorado Community Media — that centers on a partnership with Times Media Group.

e National Trust will transfer ownership of 21 local publications concentrated in metro Denver to Times Media Group (TMG), a community news publisher based in Tempe, Arizona, whose owner has personal roots in Colorado.

e National Trust will retain ownership of seven publications stretching from Brighton to Idaho Springs, and will continue to grow and operate the Trust Press, a community printing press that serves the Front Range media ecosystem. e organizations will enter into a strategic partnership around shared services and print production.

“ rough this strategic partnership with Times Media Group, we can reduce our footprint in greater Denver without reducing local journalism there, all while positioning ourselves to grow in the parts of Colorado where the need for our unique model is greatest,” Will Nelligan, chief growth o cer at the National Trust for Local News, said in a statement. “While it wasn’t an easy decision, we think it’s a positive outcome from all perspectives that sets the stage for a more resilient, equitable, and vibrant media ecosystem in the state.”

e seven newspapers retained by the National Trust are the Brighton StandardBlade, Fort Lupton Press, Canyon Courier, Clear Creek Courant, Northglennornton Sentinel, Westminster Window and Golden Transcript. ese titles will become part of the Colorado Trust for Local News, a subsidiary of the National Trust dedicated to building an equitable, resilient, and vibrant future for local news across Colorado.

Times Media Group owns and operates more than 60 publications in Arizona and California — free weekly newspapers, magazines, specialty publications and robust digital platforms that reach hundreds of thousands of readers. e news brands shifting to Times Media Group include

BY ANN SCHIMKE CHALKBEAT

e families of about 450,000 Colorado students in preschool through 12th grade received extra grocery money from the state this month to cover the cost of food during summer break.

e $120 per child preloaded onto electronic bene ts cards is part of the Summer EBT program for children from low-income families. In addition to the families that have already received the bene ts,

“We couldn’t be more excited to serve the communities in Colorado.”

Steve Strickbine, president and founder of Times Media Group

newspapers like the Arvada Press, Littleton Independent and Parker Chronicle, as well as two shoppers.

e majority of Colorado Community Media’s employees were o ered positions with Times Media Group, while others will stay with the Colorado Trust for Local News.

“We couldn’t be more excited to serve the communities in Colorado. We know how much community news means in

this state, and we understand the terri c legacy created over the years by these publications and their teams,” said Steve Strickbine, president and founder of Times Media Group. “ is partnership is a good t for Times Media Group and the National Trust for Local News. I look forward to the great journalism ahead and the new ways we’ll create for our advertisers to reach their customers and clients.”

e National Trust for Local News ac-

quired Colorado Community Media in 2021 to ensure its nearly two dozen newspapers had a future and would not become news deserts. Leadership told employees that e Trust was approached by Times Media Group in recent months and discovered the company shared its mission of preserving and growing local news. Last fall, the National Trust opened the Trust Press in Denver, a community printing press designed to serve publishers across Colorado who are struggling with the rising costs of producing their journalism. e press has now taken on its rst seven printing partners. As part of the transaction, TMG will print with the Trust Press.

As another part of the transaction, TMG will provide shared services to the Colorado Trust for Local News, including page design, digital infrastructure, advertising sales, and circulation management. Other terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

State aims to have Summer EBT rolled out on time

state o cials expect to provide the grocery bene t, which is mostly funded by the federal government, to around 50,000 more students through the summer.

Last year, many families received their Summer EBT bene ts late, sometimes just as the new school year was starting. But this year is di erent, with most families getting the money on May 1.

Rolling out the Summer EBT program is among several steps Colorado leaders have taken in recent years to reduce the number of children who go hungry. In 2022, voters approved a ballot measure to provide free school meals to the state’s public school students regardless of family income. e program has been so popular, it’s cost more than state o cials anticipated. In an e ort to sustain the program amid

serious state budget troubles, lawmakers found the money to keep the program fully funded through December. ey’ll also send two ballot measures to voters in November that, if approved, would raise enough additional money to continue the program after December.

Colorado students in public school preK-12 are eligible for Summer EBT cards if their families receive public bene ts such as SNAP, Medicaid, or Colorado Works, or if they qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. (Although free school meals are now o ered to public school students regardless of family income, most schools still ask families to ll out free or reducedprice meal eligibility forms or similar forms that gauge family income.)

State o cials anticipate that more than 500,000 Colorado children in preschool

through 12th grade will receive Summer EBT bene ts this summer. Most received or will receive the money automatically. But some — including those who recently moved to Colorado or enrolled in a new school — may have to ll out an application on the Colorado Department of Human Services website.

Students who’ve misplaced their existing bene ts card should call the Summer EBT support center at 800-536-5298 to get a new card sent.

Children in families that receive Summer EBT cards can still take advantage of free summer meals at local schools or other sites.

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.

Leadership for Times Media Group, Director of Operations Nadine Johnson and founder and President Steve Strickbine, were in the Colorado Community Media o ces on May 13, 2025, to announce the deal.

PHOTO BY COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA STAFF

Home Sharing Helps Single Seniors Deal

Married seniors living in long-time family homes that are bigger than they need often call me and other Realtors about downsizing, and I have written many times about the options they face, including the option that Rita and I chose, which was to sell our home and move into a 55+ rental community.

Widowed seniors face a more pressing problem. The retirement income, including Social Security, which supported them and their late spouse is now reduced as much as by half, and maybe it’s not enough to support them in their beloved home.

With Finance and Loneliness, Allowing Them to Age in Place

That’s where a Denver non-profit called Sunshine Home Share Colorado comes in. Sunshine completes background and credit checks on all participants in the program. All applicants must have three verifiable references. Home seekers must provide proof of income. Sunshine also completes a 1-2 hour social work intake with each program participant, assessing for mental health, emotional health, physical health, and substance abuse.

A senior homeowner with no mortgage or lots of equity may be able to do what we did — sell the home and live off the proceeds, plus his or her reduced retirement income, for the rest of their expected life. Another solution is to take out a reverse mortgage, even if he or she owns it free and clear, and live of that equity for the rest of their life.

But there’s another option which not only addresses finances but also that big killer of seniors — loneliness. You could consider taking in a roommate — or “boommate” — but how do you find and screen such a person so it doesn’t lead to something even worse than running out of money?

Home providers must be over 55 years old; home seekers only need to be over 18. The rent could be up to $1,000 per month, reduced by mutual agreement when the home seeker provides services such as snow shoveling, housekeeping, lawn care, taking out the trash, or providing transportation to the home provider for medical appointments, etc.

Home seekers do not provide any personal care such as showering, toileting, and assistance transferring between bed and chair. For that, the home provider would have to secure appropriate professional service providers.

The matching process typically takes eight weeks, which includes a 2-week trial period. The organization provides periodic check-ins later on to make sure that the fit still works.

Home in Golden’s Village at Mountain Ridge Listed by Jim Smith

OPEN May 24, 11am - 1pm

Homes in this late-’90s subdivision backing to the foothills come on the market rarely and sell quickly. This one at 165 Washington Street is especially sweet, with the most awesome chef’s kitchen you’ve likely ever seen. Beautiful hardwood floors grace the main floor, with newer berber carpeting upstairs and in the walk-out basement. The Table Mountain views from every level, but especially from the primary suite, will take your breath away. If you’re a soccer fan, the pix and awards in the main-floor study will leave you wishing for autographs! Sorry, the seller won’t be at the open house this Saturday from 11 to 1. A narrated video walk-through is posted at www.GRElistings.com

$1,495,000

4-Bedroom Tri-Level in Arvada Listed by Kathy Jonke

The housemate has to have an income to support their rent payments and is expected to be gone for employment purposes most days. Typical “service exchange” work can range from 5 to 20 hours per week. The more work is done, the less rent the home seeker is expected to pay, all negotiated up front.

All home shares are month-to-month, with the average home share lasting only a year, but they could last five years or longer. Having the third-party involvement of Sunshine makes it easy for either party at any point to say, “sorry, this isn’t working for me.”

One of the biggest problems faced by single or widowed seniors is loneliness. It’s a big reason that moving into a 55+ community makes sense, and I have seen that work in person from living in such a community — especially for the single residents. However, many seniors want to “age in place,” to stay in their long-time home as long as possible, and home sharing can make that possible not only financially but by providing some healthy companionship.

Sunshine Home Share operates throughout the Denver metro area. If you think this idea would work for someone in another state, check out the National Shared Housing Resource Center at nationalsharedhousing.org

This Column Now Appears Bi-Weekly “Real Estate Today” will be on this page every other week, so the next time you’ll see it will be June 5th. On those alternate weeks, you will find a half-page ad on a related topic. Next week it will be on a topic related to sustainability. One June 12th it will be about well-being.

The organization’s website provides stories of matches they have made and FAQs. Go to www.SunshineHomeShare.org. Their phone number is (720) 856-0161. Their office is in north Denver.

Our Attempt to Resurrect Our Free Box Truck Has Not Succeeded

You may recall that we launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to get our truck back on the road so that multiple non-profits, not just our clients, would have it to use for free. Well, we only raised $2,000. Rather than return that money, we are going to divide the proceeds among those nonprofits that used it the most, including BGoldN, Family Promise and the International Rescue Committee.

Here Are Some of My Previous Columns on Related Topics

Find and download each of them online at www.JimSmithColumns.com

Jan. 2, 2025 —Is a Reverse Mortgage Right for You?

Oct. 31, 2024 — Cooperative Living Presents an Attractive Alternative to Downsizing Oct. 17, 2024 —Understanding the Different Kinds of 55+ Retirement Communities (CCRCs)

Sept. 26, 2024 — Keeping Your Death from Becoming an Undue Burden on Your Heirs

Aug. 8, 2024 — Seniors Might Consider Downsizing into a Rental, Not a Smaller Home

Also: Trusts as an Estate Planning Strategy

Feb. 8, 2024 — ‘Empty-Nest’ Baby Boomers Own Twice as Many Big Homes as Millennials with Children

Aug. 17, 2023 —Should You Consider a Reverse Mortgage as Part of Your Retirement Plan?

Mar. 16, 2023 — Here Are Some Ways to Make Your Home More Senior-Friendly

Dec. 29, 2022 — Have You Considered Cohousing — An Explanation and Some Examples July 28, 2022 — Aging in Place vs. Moving to a 55+ Community: Some Considerations

Townhome-Style Condo in Centennial Listed by Chris Sholts

$489,000

$575,000

This updated, 4-BR/2-bath tri-level at 6337 W. 68th Place is in a quiet, established neighborhood. Each level has been thoughtfully renovated. The vaulted main level has new luxury vinyl plank floors, and there’s new paint throughout. The galley kitchen has new cabinets, complemented by white appliances. The upper level has 3 bedrooms with new carpet and an updated full bathroom. The lower level has a spacious family room with a red brick fireplace and above-grade windows. There is a 4th bedroom, laundry, and updated 3/4 bathroom on this level. The windows and siding were replaced in 2018, and a new roof is being installed! A video tour is posted at www.GRElistings.com. Call Kathy at 303-990-7428 to request a showing.

This updated 2-story condo at 5555 E. Briarwood Ave. has a finished basement, offering the perfect blend of comfort, style, and convenience. Located in the heart of the Summerhill neighborhood, this home has thoughtful upgrades and a bright, open floorplan. The main level is ideal for entertaining with its inviting family room, complete with wood-burning fireplace. It flows into the formal dining area and opens to a private patio. The updated dine-in kitchen boasts stylish countertops and laminate wood flooring. All appliances are included. A stylish half bath with tile flooring rounds out the main floor. Upstairs, the vaulted primary suite has dual closets and a beautifully updated ensuite bath. The finished basement has a large recreation room, laundry area, and ample storage. A private patio is just steps from the neighborhood pool and hot tub. More information at www.GRElistings.com

Rocky Mountain Prep celebrates 100% acceptance rate

Charter network brings all 12 schools together for a high-energy signing day that doubles as a vision for the future

BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e Denver Coliseum roared to life with the energy of a rock concert as more than 4,000 students, families and educators gathered for Rocky Mountain Prep’s Senior Signing Day. Lights pulsed, music boomed and students danced through the aisles to celebrate a milestone that was years in the making: 100% college acceptance across RMP’s graduating class.

e May 14 event marked the second time RMP has achieved universal college acceptance across its graduating class, re ecting the charter network’s broader commitment to long-term student success.

As part of the ceremony, each senior walked the stage and declared their next step after high school, whether college, military service or a career, while younger RMP students, including elementary and middle schoolers, watched from the stands.

“ is is not just a ceremony. is is a declaration… a movement,” said RMP CEO Tricia Noyola. “Our students are leading the way and we are right there with them.”

A milestone for the RMP network

Rocky Mountain Prep operates 12 schools in the Denver metro area, including early childhood, elementary, middle and high school campuses. Founded with a mission to combine academic rigor and a culture of love, the network serves a diverse student population with a strong emphasis on equity, joy and college readiness.

According to data from the Colorado Department of Education, 79% of students at RMP RISE High School qualify for free and reduced lunch, and 83% identify as Black or Hispanic. At RMP SMART, those gures climb to 92% and 95%, respectively, underscoring the signi cance of universal college acceptance among historically underserved students.

Noyola explained that the 100% college acceptance rate is part of a concerted effort that begins before students can even spell the word.

“You need an entire system built around the idea and the goal that every single

child can and will do it,” Noyola said. “ at starts in pre-K and kindergarten with incredible instruction, and by ninth grade, every class and every day includes intentional time focused on how this is going to get them to where they want to go.”

With this year’s event, RMP celebrated not only its graduating seniors but the full scope of its pre-K through 12thgrade pipeline. Students from every RMP school attended the ceremony, holding up college pennants and waving homemade signs.

“Yes, it’s about the seniors,” Noyola said.

“But this is a celebration of our movement at Rocky Mountain Prep. It’s culminating with our seniors, but it’s just as important that younger students are here. is becomes a touchstone for them — they see it and say, ‘ at’s something I want to do.’”

Peak moments and proud speeches

For RMP seniors, the ceremony served as a high-energy celebration of achievement and a glimpse of the future. Many students were members of Peak+, RMP’s early college program that allows high schoolers to earn college credit while still in school.

Seniors took the stage one by one to announce their post-graduation plans, from local institutions like Metropolitan State University of Denver to schools across the country.

e event also featured performances from the RISE cheer team, a student poetry reading and a musical number from RISE’s spring production of “ e Wiz.”

Seniors had the chance to publicly thank the individuals who supported them most throughout their educational journey, presenting roses to family mem-

bers in a moment of gratitude.

“Today is about the celebration and decision of our choices for the future,” said student speaker Nadiah Spikes. “We’ve learned lessons both in and out of the classroom, formed lasting friendships and supported each other through challenges. While we may take di erent paths from here, the bonds we created in high school are like no other.”

Fellow student speaker Emily Gomez echoed the sentiment.

“Never believe anyone who says you cannot do it just because you’re di erent from them,” she said. “Live life embracing your di erences, your culture, your values. Find resources and centers that will help celebrate you, that will help recognize you, because you are a change maker. You are the movement.”

RMP seniors from the Class of 2025 take the stage at the Denver Coliseum to declare their post-graduation plans during Rocky Mountain Prep’s Signing Day celebration.

PHOTO BY SUZIE GLASSMAN

REOPENING

acres, and thousands of homes would have been at risk.

Shirlaw became deputy chief of Conifer Fire when Inter-Canyon and North Fork re departments merged in January.

“Every re ghter hopes a re like this doesn’t happen,” Shirlaw said, “but that’s what we train for. We live in the communities we serve, so I have a deep-felt appreciation for rst responders saving my community.”

While o cials conducted the reopening ceremony, a steady stream of hikers and mountain bikers moved along the trails.

Natalie Ingerson of Denver brought Quinn, 1, and Wyatt, 3, to take a walk at the park. Ingerson said she used to mountain bike there a lot, and she was surprised to learn ursday morning that the park was open.

Deb Cash and her son Matthew Cash of Kittredge said this was their rst time at the park. ey decided it was a perfect day to take a walk there.

Mike Kelley took a break in the pavilion after a long walk. He has lived in south Je erson County 40 years and was here when Deer Creek Canyon Park opened. He was happy the rehab work was completed quickly so the park could reopen.

Last month, Je co Open Space, with help from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, used helicopters to spread 10,500 pounds of grass and wild ower seeds, 60,000 pounds of straw mulch, and 84,000 pounds of pelletized hydromulch — a mix of water, seed and mulch — over about 50 of the most damaged areas. at’s intended to protect the most erosion-prone areas by stabilizing the soil.

Je co Open Space is also working with the Conifer Fire Department’s Wildland Division to identify and remove hazard trees along the trail corridor in the burnscar areas and also with Je co’s geologist to assess rockfall hazards.

“What is often overlooked,” Hoby said, “is the recovery of burn areas. We spent a tremendous amount of time aimed around doing the right things for the forest, grasslands and people enjoying the park.”

Conifer kids write the book on kindness to animals

BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

At West Je erson Elementary School in Conifer, every kindergarten through fth-grade student can now call themselves a published author.

eir book, “Conifer Cares: Helping Animals Find FOREVER HOMES,” debuted May 9 during a schoolwide book launch event celebrating the 148-page full-color anthology of original stories, poetry and illustrations inspired by adoptable pets at the Evergreen Animal Protective League.

e book is the culmination of a months-long literacy project dreamed up by school librarian Vanessa Cian chi and supported by the CIPA Education and Literacy Foundation. Cian chi applied for a grant from CIPA ELF in fall 2023 with a vision to connect student voice, reading and writing instruction, and community impact.

“When I heard about CIPA ELF’s Young Authors League, I immediately saw a chance to do something meaningful,” she said. “I wanted our students to feel empowered as creators, and I knew that giving them a real audience and purpose would elevate their learning experience.”

Cian chi said the idea took shape as she looked for a way to tie literacy instruction to real-world impact.

“ e prompt was simple: write about something that matters to you,” she said. “So many of our students care deeply about animals. When I saw the opportunity to bring in visiting author Danielle Lammon and her wheels-enabled dog, Phinn, to spark that passion, I knew we could create something special.”

Lammon visited the school in December, giving each student a copy of her book “Phinn’s Wheelin’ Adventures” and encouraging them to use their voices to make a di erence. In January, Evergreen Animal Protection League volunteers brought photos and descriptions of 29 dogs and cats in need of adoption, and each student chose one to feature in their creative work.

What followed was a burst of creativity: poems, persuasive essays, heartfelt stories and colorful portraits. Several fth graders served as editors and helped assemble bios and photographs in partnership with CIPA ELF, which published the nal product professionally.

“It was hard not to just copy the animal bio,” said one fth-grade editor. “You had to nd your own way to tell their story.”

SPRING CLEAN

RECYCLING

EVENT

WHAT WE ARE COLLECTING:

• Electronics - small appliances. NO freon of any sort

• Glass - brown, clear, green or blue colored. NO vases, crystal, plates or windows

• Block Styrofoam - NO peanuts or food containers

• Paint Cans - with or without paint. NO stain or lacquer

• Barbed Wire - please put at the top of pile in your car - this will be unloaded rst during event

• Scrap Metal - NO pressurized containers like propane, hairspray, paint, etc.

Items that will cost: Please bring your credit card as these fees must be paid to electronic hauler, fees DO NOT go to ESA

• Flatscreen TVs - $25/each

• CRT Monitors/Large TVs (think big, bulky desktop computer and box TVs) - $50/each

When: Saturday, June 21st - 10:00AM to 2:00PM

“I looked for animals that were older or had been in the shelter longer,” added another editor. “I wanted to help the ones that needed it most.” e student editors said they’d gladly do it again, even suggesting a follow-up book could pro le a set of animals after they’re adopted and how they t into their new homes.

Students also participated in a “Donuts with Grownups” showcase event in March, where they shared their in-progress work and received commemorative keychains as an “advance” on their intellectual property.

At the May 9 launch, students received a copy of the book, and families had a chance to meet with the shelter owners and local publishers.

“Many of the animals are still up for adoption,” said Bambi Moss of EAPL. “But now they have a team of young advocates helping share their stories. ese students gave them names, personalities and visibility. at matters.”

In addition to distributing hundreds of copies to students and families, EAPL and CIPA ELF will use the book as a donor gift to support animal welfare and literacy programming. CIPA ELF also donated hundreds of dollars worth of new books to the school library through its Book Bene t Program.

“I hope this shows kids that their words can make a di erence,” Cian chi said. “ ey created something beautiful, and it’s already having an impact.”

To support future literacy projects and receive a copy of Conifer Cares , donations can be made at cipaelf.org/donationsandrewards.

or Venmo

are

Representatives from Frederick Printing join student editors Adriana Cianfichi, Clara Little, Lana Erwin, Elise Cianfichi, Levi Beard and Charlotte Hamner at the West Je erson Elementary book launch.

PHOTO BY SUZIE GLASSMAN

Sheri Reggie Marinelli speaks to the group as Je co commissioners Andy Kerr and Lesley Dahlkemper listen during the partial reopening of Deer Creek Canyon Park. PHOTO BY DEB HURLEY BROBST

Oil well blowout in Weld exposed people to benzene

Chemical plume in tiny Galeton flowed for almost five days before the well was secured and sealed

BY MARK JAFFE THE COLORADO SUN

e oil well blowout last month in rural Galeton, which sparked the evacuation of nearby homes, spewed dangerous levels of toxic chemicals as far as 2 miles away, according to preliminary tests by a Colorado State University team.

Benzene, a known carcinogen and respiratory irritant, was found in concentrations 10 times above federal standard for chronic exposure, and was among dozens of chemicals detected.

“People were potentially exposed to a chemical soup,” said Emily Fischer, a CSU professor of atmospheric science.

e uncontrolled blowout of the Chevron Bishop well in Galeton, a community of 256 about 7 miles northeast of Greeley, began the evening of April 6, sending a white geyser of water, crude oil and gas high into the air.

It was almost ve days before the well was secured and sealed. e failure of wellhead equipment caused the blowout and it was not related to either drilling or fracking the well, Chevron said in its preliminary assessment.

“We know the when,” said Kristen Kemp, a spokesperson for the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission, which oversees oil and gas drilling. “And we know the what: an uncontrolled release of wellbore uid due to a failed barrier. … We are still investigating the why.”

Chevron, CDPHE report lower emissions levels

e ECMC is overseeing the investigation and the remediation of the site, but deferred to state air regulators on emissions.

Both Chevron and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment have been conducting air quality tests and have not detected levels as high as those measured by the CSU team.

CSU reported its initial ndings to CDPHE, but the department said its Air Pollution Control Division had not yet received or reviewed the university’s full air monitoring data.

e di erence in readings comes from a di erence in the way researchers did their sampling.

CSU’s data show higher levels because researchers followed the pollution plume streaming from the well.

Emissions from a point source — like a smokestack — move on the wind, forming a band that becomes more diluted as it travels farther from the source and is less dense at its edges than in its center.

Using a mobile air lab in a Chevy Tahoe, CSU graduate student Lena Low and Matthew Davis, a postdoctoral researcher, tracked the plume while the geyser from the well was at full force.

On the evening of April 8, Low tracked the plume taking samples at about 1 mile downwind from the well, with the highest

SEE BLOWOUT, P23

Footprints in a pond close to Willow Creek by County Roads 72 and 51 on May 6, 2025,, near where Chevron’s Bishop well blew out in Galeton on April 6, 2025. Much of the work around the well involves protecting the creek and other waterways from liquids that spewed from the well for nearly five days.

PHOTO BY TRI DUONG / SPECIAL TO THE COLORADO SUN

HAPPENINGS

We’d like to know about events or activities of interest to the community. Visitwww.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 spaceavailable basis.

UPCOMING

Evergreen Chamber OrchestraSeason Finale Concert: 3 p.m. May 24, Rockland Community Church, 17 S Mt Vernon Country Club Rd, Golden. Premiere of William Hill’s “ e Ravens’ Tears” and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Evergreen Chorale. Tickets: evergreenchamberorch.org

Evergreen Audubon Intro to Birding: 8:30 a.m. May 27, Golden Gate Canyon State Park’s Reverend’s Ridge campground pavilion, 313 Reverends Ridge Road, Black Hawk. Valid State Park pass required for entry or purchase or day pass. evergreenaudubon. org

Seniors4Wellness Game Day: 11 a.m. May 28,Buchanan Recreation Center Evergreen Room, 32003 Ellingwood Trail, Evergreen. seniors4wellness.org.

Evergreen Audubon Morning Birds & Brews: 8:30 a.m. May 30, Evergreen Nature Center, 27640 CO-74, Evergreen. Evergreen Audubon will provide co ee, hot water, tea, and hot cocoa packets. No registration required. 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 nonmembers.

Conifer/North Fork Fire 50K or 50 mile ultramarathon: 6 a.m. 50 mile, 7 a.m. 50K, May 31, Bu alo Creek Clubhouse, 18050 S. Bu alo Creek Road, Bu alo Creek. Portion of proceeds bene t the re department. aravaiparunning.com

A Taste of Peace: 5 p.m. May 31, Evergreen Elks Lodge, 27972 Iris Dr, Evergreen. Fundraiser for PeaceWorks. Tickets and more information at peaceworksinc.co/communitywellness

“How Spiritual Perception Brings Healing: A free talk for the community, 2 p.m. June 1, Buchanan Rec Center, 32003 Ellingwood Trail, Evergreen. Hosted by First Church of Christ Scientist, Evergreen.

Al-Anon: Mountain Awakenings Family Group: 7 p.m. ursdays, Evergreen United Methodist Church, 3757 Ponderosa Drive, Evergreen.

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. every fourth Tuesday, Evergreen Church of the Trans guration, Douglas Hall, 27640 Hwy 74, Evergreen. Serving all military Veterans in the foothills. Email evergreenpost2001@gmail.com.

First Annual World Music Weekend: 7 p.m. June 6. Shabbat Service and Klezmer Parade with Tarjama Ensemble, 3 p.m. June 8, combined concert, Congregation Beth Evergreen Amphitheater, 2981 Bergen Peak Dr, Evergreen. Free concerts, paid workshops also available. bethevergreen.org

Yoga in the Park with Cynde Denson: 6 p.m. June 19, Conifer Peace Park, 26215 Sutton Rd, Conifer. Free. Bring a yoga mat and small ground cover.

Evergreen Sustainability Alliance annual recycling event: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 21, Evergreen High School parking lot, 29300 Bu alo Park Road, Evergreen. Collecting electronics, paint, block styrofoam, glass, barbed wire and scrap metal. sustainevergreen.org

ONGOING

Alzheimer’s Memory Cafe: 10:30 a.m. every rst Friday, Evergreen Library, 5000 County Hwy 73, Evergreen. Info: Barbara.Markey@Je coLibrary. org

etery@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.

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 720-673-4369 or email mary@evergreenchristianoutreach.org.

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.

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, Evergreen. e May 7 speaker is 23rd Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler. Information atevergreenarearepublicanclub.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.

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.

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

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, evergreenbearcreekcem-

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/emotional-support/.

Grieving the Death of a Spouse/ Partner Support Group: 3 to 4 p.m. every second ursday. is group explores issues unique to those who have lost a life partner. O ered in-person and virtually. Mount Evans Home Health Care & Hospice, 3081 Bergen Peak Road, Evergreen. For more information, visitmtevans.org/services/ emotional-support/.

Parkinson’s disease support group: A Parkinson’s disease support group meets the rst Friday of the month from 1-3 p.m. at Evergreen Christian Church, 27772 Iris Drive, Evergreen. For more information, email esears@parkinsonrockies.org.

Mountain Foothills Rotary meetings: Mountain Foothills Rotary meets at 6 p.m. Wednesdays both in person at Mount Vernon Canyon Club, 24933 Club House Circle, Genesee, and via Zoom. Information at 346-248-7799.

Beyond the Rainbow: Resilience1220 o ers Beyond the Rainbow, which is two support groups that meet the second Tuesday of the month. One is a safe group for those 12-20 and the other is a group for parents and caregivers wanting support for raising an LGBTQ+ child. For group location and to RSVP, email heather@resilience1220.org.

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Evergreen Fire/Rescue recognizes public information o cers

BY JANE REUTER JANE@COTLN.ORG

Evergreen Fire/Rescue’s two public information o cers now rank among a small group of people worldwide. Assistant Chief Stacee Martin and Risk Reduction Coordinator Einar Jensen recently earned public information o cer credentials, a status they share with only 55 other people globally.

e credentials are awarded by the Commission on Professional Credentialing, a division of the Center for Public Safety and Excellence.

EFR Chief Mike Weege said Martin and Jensen have helped the agency carry out a deliberate expansion of its community relations.

“We’ve been making a big push to improve our public outreach and information sharing,” he said. “We built out a public a airs group. Einar and Stacee lead that and have really embraced it, trying to better their communications and abilities. Stacee also goes out on wild res as a PIO.”

Jensen is an EFR employee, while Martin is both a volunteer re ghter and PIO. “ e feedback from the community is that we’re doing much, much better,” Weege said. “It’s hard to get the word out in Evergreen. We’ve been trying as many avenues as we can and have expanded

dramatically, both internally and externally. I absolutely credit that to them.”

Three incumbents

re-elected on May 6; one seat remains open

BY JANE REUTER

With the election of three incumbents, the Evergreen Park & Recreation District board will be unchanged — except for one seat. The five-member board’s first order of post-election business at

Jensen, who does public education for EFR throughout the Evergreen area, noted that the center’s PIO designation is new. He expects the ranks of those who hold it to expand greatly in the next few years.

“ at said, I think we also face higher standards,” he said. “It was a fairly rigorous application process. And it’s not just a sticker on the wall but a way for us to show our agency and community that we’re committed to ongoing professional development. Our community deserves the best we can give them.

“Progressive modern re depts in some ways have to become their own media agency. We’re needed to enhance what our local journalists can do because there are just not enough journalists to go around. So we get to help ll that gap.”

Jensen said their communications efforts are just as focused on the agency’s internal operations as the community.

“For Stacee and I, it’s not just com-

municating with the community more e ectively on social media between emergencies,” he said. “It’s also during emergencies and communicating internally for the agency.”

Martin shares Jensen’s goals about helping keep EFR’s constituents safe. Evergreen and Conifer rank rst in Colorado and in the top 10 nationally for catastrophic wild re with the potential for signi cant loss of life. So sharing their knowledge can be vital.

“We’re both trying to get the message out about keeping the community safe, and helping them better understand how they can help themselves and help us,” she said. “As a current re ghter, I look at it sometimes more from an operational standpoint and I also don’t have that journalism eye. We each bring di erent perspectives and I think that’s why we make such a good team.”

Both Jensen and Martin have extension communications experience. Jensen is a former volunteer re ghter and journalist, who worked as a PIO for EFR from 2003 to 2008, then spent 14 years in a similar role at South Metro Fire before returning to EFR in late 2022.

Martin recently retired from an 18-year career as director of public a airs with the Federal Reserve Bank. With EFR, she focuses primarily on marketing and public relations.

Jensen does customized education presentations on topics ranging from wildres to injury prevention at schools, HOA meetings, chamber functions and seniors’ gatherings throughout the re district. He also teaches at Outdoor Lab’s Mount Blue Sky campus, which recently named him its volunteer of the year.

Division Chief Kris Kazian also recently maintained his Chief Fire O cer credential from the Center for Public Safety and Excellence. Just over 2,000 re o cers who have achieved this recognition, according to EFR.

EPRD will add one new director to its board

its May 27 meeting will be to fill the seat vacated by Nina Armah on April 21. Armah, who cited personal reasons, left her position too late to put it on the May 6 ballot, so it will be up to the new board to appoint her replacement.

Incumbents Betsy Hays, Peter Eggers and Mary McGhee were re-elected to the board with 866, 757 and 512 votes respectively. Challengers Ally Hilgefort got 507 votes, with Geoffrey Erdahl at 145 and Erin Graham at 255.

With just five votes separating McGhee and Hilgefort, Hilgefort hopes she

may be asked to take the vacant seat.

“My main goal is just to help further Evergreen and our whole area; that was the reason for running,” said Hilgefort, a mother of two young children with a communications background, who said she wanted to bring a parents’ perspective to the EPRD board. “I’d love to still provide my voice and help with all the decisions with projects going on. I still feel the same way about that.”

Hays, who has served as board president, said she can’t discuss the matter before the meeting.

In addition to nominating and appointing a new board member, board officers will be nominated and con-

firmed at the upcoming meeting.

“We’re thrilled by the results,” Hays said. “We’re really looking forward to continuing our progress in executing the strategic plan. We appreciate the community’s confidence in the work we’ve done so far, and we are all honored to continue to serve.”

The EPRD is in the midst of several major projects, including the addition of a natatorium and fieldhouse to Buchanan Recreation Center, and redevelopment of Buchanan Park. Those plans are in keeping with the EPRD’s 2023 strategic plan, which also calls for an eventual remodel of Wulf Recreation Center.

Martin pins a badge on Jensen upon his return to EFR in 2022.

EFR Assistant Chief Stacee Martin. PHOTOS COURTESY OF EFR

ELK CREEK FIRE

While Leo and Noonan say the vote sends a message of support for uni cation, Newby — pointing to what he sees as low voter turnout — said it doesn’t prove anything.

“Noonan and Leo certainly have won the board seats that they contested, but they have not won a mandate by any de nition of the term,” he said. “Leo and Noonan especially have not won a mandate for a consolidation/merger of the three re districts by a means that attempts to circumvent the will of the more that 3,000 Elk Creek Fire electors who voted against consolidation when the question was put to them in 2023.”

e incoming board members disagree.

“It de nitely sent a message that the community supports uni cation overwhelmingly,” Noonan said. “Al and I came out pretty strongly that that was one of our platforms, and the voters spoke with their votes.”

Leo said that’s his impression as well, based not just on voter turnout but conversations with Elk Creek Fire residents.

“We did some meet-and-greet events during the campaign, and all but one of the people I interacted with all were supportive of uni cation,” he said. “So I think this vote was very much about unication.”

Newby views the results quite di erently.

Between Park and Je erson Counties, about 11,000 people live within the re protection district, and just over 800 voted last week.

“ at means, a very low 7.33% of eli-

gible Elk Creek FPD electors voted,” Newby said. “And as a result, a very low 5.79% and 5.73% of eligible voters voted for Noonan or Leo, respectively.”

If two candidates who oppose uni cation had been elected to the ve-member board, the board could have voted to repeal a previously adopted memorandum of understanding on consolidation,

stopping the uni cation e ort.

Noonan is impatient with Newby’s continued e orts to stop Elk Creek’s merger with its neighboring re districts.

“Once again, he is costing the Elk Creek Fire Protection District money to ght his legal battles, and going against the bylaws he committed to follow,” she said. “ e people supported Al and I, and we

support uni cation. So it’s time for him to stand down and stop costing this re district needless legal fees.” e section of Elk Creek Fire’s bylaws guiding “director conduct” state that, “Once the board has voted on an issue, directors shall not take any actions which would create barriers or otherwise impede the district’s ability to implement the board’s decision.”

Newby opposed both the 2023 e ort at consolidation and led an appeal against the board’s 4-1 decision for exclusion — a step required to move forward with uni cation.

“My rst order of business will be to get the board members to commit to following the bylaws and doing that’s in the best interest of the community,” Noonan said. “And that means fully supporting

Newby and Whitehead’s appeal says the uni cation process that Elk Creek used violates state statute, subverts the voters’ wishes, and could result in higher taxes without voter approval.

Leo and Noonan replace Greg Pixley and Melissa Baker on the board; both were term limited.

Compared to 2025, turnout was lower in the May 2023 board of directors’ election, during which Newby won his seat. en, only 634 ballots were cast.

Far more Elk Creek Fire district residents voted on the November 2023 consolidation question. at issue was voted on by about 6,000 residents. Of those, 2,919 or 51.01% voted against consolidation, and 2,803 votes or 48.99% voted in favor.

Conifer Fire is a recent merger of Elk Creek’s neighboring North Fork and Inter-Canyon re districts. ose two districts went ahead with a merger after their boards approved the idea.

Board member Chuck Newby, left, and Chief Ware during the November Elk Creek Fire board meeting.

PHOTO BY JANE REUTER

Don’t forget that you can change lanes

Insights and encouragement can show up in the most unexpected places.

Just about a week ago, I was heading across town to run some errands and found myself stopped at a light. ere were three lanes going in my direction, and I sat in the middle lane, with cars to the right and left of me. Directly in front of my car was a rather large truck covered with ladders and other work items.

Economy facing many challenges

Spring is a time of renewed hope, with longer days, warmer weather, green grass and pretty owers blooming. But while nature ourishes, a dark cloud looms over the economy.

Five months into the new year, economic growth is slipping, and so far, 2025 does not appear to be the turnaround year of positive change. Instead, consumers, business owners and investors are struggling with in ation, declining economic growth and daily volatility in portfolios of all risk levels. Hope springs eternal, however, and there is still a chance we could get through this decline without going into recession.

Let’s take a closer look. is month, the rst-quarter gross domestic product (GDP), the rate at which our economy is growing, was announced. ere was actually a contraction, or negative growth, of threetenths of 1%. e news sent the markets into a heavy sell-o amid concerns of a recession. e technical de nition of a recession is two consecutive quarters of negative GDP. Since we have one quarter under our belt, all attention is focused on this second quarter and whether there will be slight growth or another contraction. Mariner’s chief economist, William Greiner, has been predicting for most of this year that our GDP will land somewhere between 1.5% and 2%. While that is considerably lower than last year, it would still be enough to keep us out of a recession. Greiner remains optimistic, putting the chance of recession this year at only 40% — more positive than the majority of economists, who are predicting a worse economic outlook for 2025.

Reasons for concern include¹:

• Changes in economic policies under President Trump

• Trade de cits and potential tari s

• Weakening consumer demand

FINANCIAL STRATEGIES

• Major nancial institutions estimate a 50% to 60% chance of recession this year

Reasons for optimism include:

• Strong job growth and low unemployment

• Public and private investments in infrastructure and technology

• e potential of arti cial intelligence to drive economic growth

Consumers still make up almost 70% of our GDP, so watching what we buy is key to understanding how the second quarter will unfold. Tari s have driven up the cost of many items, from dollar-store trinkets to automobiles. Now, consumers are more worried about egg prices and less concerned about buying discretionary items that can wait.

Investors, too, are playing the waiting game to gauge whether the economic impact of these changes will trigger a slowdown. At the same time, the stock market is repricing itself. e best performers of last year are coming down in value as the price-to-earnings ratios of high- ying tech stocks fall. e market is now focused on anticipating how consumer spending will shift next, bringing more undervalued stocks into the game.

ese are all good reasons to have a strong, actively rebalanced portfolio strategy in place. Such an approach would have triggered a sale on US large-cap growth stocks toward the end of last year, and the investment of the proceeds into underdog value stocks. is is the ultimate opportunity to see “buy low, sell high” at work in real time.

1. Bureau of Economic Analysis

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

• Pessimistic CFO outlook

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Patricia Kummer is managing director for Mariner, an SEC Registered Investment Adviser.

When the light turned green and we started to move forward, I was a bit frustrated because the truck, which I could not see around, was going a little bit under the speed limit. I sat behind that truck, frustrated that we were not going the speed limit. I was laser-focused on the back of the truck. I knew its license plate number, how many ladders were on the machine, and I even recited to myself the “How’s my driving” number on the bumper. I could not see around the truck, but I had plenty of time to memorize it. I stayed in that spot for several blocks, more than a mile, the whole time not angry but mildly frustrated by wanting to go a little faster. For whatever reason, I eventually took my eyes o the back of that vehicle and realized that there were open lanes on both sides of me. When I put on my blinker and moved one lane over to the right, I found no other cars on the road with us. I had been so focused on the truck right in front of me; I did not even notice the possibilities around me.

Quite frankly, it was a bit embarrassing to recognize what I had been doing. And doing to myself! As I re ected on that embarrassing mile, it struck me how often, when faced with di culties, we actually do the same thing. We get focused on the hardship, the struggle, what we cannot seem to overcome, and we miss the paths that are open to us, the multitude of opportunities that are available, and the people ready to help.

I know whatever struggle you are facing is di cult; mine is as well. But on those days when things seem the most daunting, when your struggle seems to be all that you can see in front of you, I would encourage you to take a moment and make sure that you have looked at the space around you. Do not miss the opportunity to change lanes.

A deep breath and a look around will do wonders for your view. You have got this.

Jim Roome lives in Arvada with his wife, Beth. He spent 34 years in public education. Lessons learned from the one two punch of being diagnosed with MS shortly before his best friend was diagnosed with terminal cancer led him into a new pursuit as a freelance writer and speaker. He uses his life experiences and love of stories to inspire, educate and encourage local, national and international audiences. Contact him at jim.roome@gmail.com.

Compassionate Conservation:

A path to healthy Ecosystems

Recent headlines have me overwhelmed.

Toxic algae blooms in California, decreasing butter ies and honeybees, steep declines of our native bird species…all of which point to a natural world in dire trouble. e time is overdue to embrace compassionate conservation and do whatever we can to nurture our wildlife.

Killing by trophy hunting and trapping of inedible species for recreation or fur sales to China is not conservation. Conservation, at its core, is about preserving life and ensuring the survival of species and ecosystems for future generations. Killing disregards the balance of ecosystems.

ABOUT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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Hate and fear mongering are also not conservation. Anti-predator rhetoric and fear is a constant by certain industries – as though our native carnivores must be randomly killed to provide for human safety. Unless we adopt a holistic, humane, and progressive approach to carnivore management we may well be headed backwards at this critical juncture. Our native carnivores should be treasured for the indispensable role they play in ecological balance. Human health is directly tied to wildlife health. I implore all Coloradans to co-exist with our magni cent wild neighbors and treasure them for their value alive.

Rainer Gerbatsh, Arvada

• Letters advocating for a political candidate should focus on that candidate’s qualifications for o ce. We cannot publish letters that contain unverified negative information about a candidate’s opponent. Letters advocating for or against a political candidate or ballot issue will not be published within 12 days of an election.

• Publication of any given letter is at our discretion. Letters are published as space is available.

• We will edit letters for clarity, grammar, punctuation and length and write headlines (titles) for letters at our discretion.

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Jim Roome

BY STAVROS KORONEOS

Harken young Dumas

SOUTH JEFFCO – Casting a pall over an otherwise lovely afternoon, young d’Artagnan called in a possible shooting. Although he hadn’t personally witnessed the horror, he had it on the best authority that Athos and Porthos had resolved to confront Aramis at a well-tra cked public location. Words were exchanged, epithets hurled, weapons drawn, and Athos shot Aramis down like a dog, wounding him grievously. O cers rushed to the scene, but all seemed keen and serene. ey contacted local hospitals, but none had admitted a mutilated Mousquetaire. Puzzled, deputies asked d’Artagnan how he came by his knowledge of the furtive felony. Simple, d’Artagnan said; it’s all over Facebook. Sure enough, the whole bloody business was detailed on page after cyber-page, everything from Athos’s lion-hearted declaration that “when all else fails, pull out your gun,” to Aramis’s valiant postings from the emergency room assuring supporters that he’d only su ered a “ esh wound” and would live to ght another day. Turns out the savage encounter was nothing more than a crude work of romantic teen- ction cooked up by the the classical trio – “a joke”, Athos told o cers, meekly; a harmless entertainment, and purely “metaphorical”. An especially critical deputy countered that he perceived “no literary or poetic value to a post stating he was ‘dodging gunre from a homey’” and gave the three authors a harsh review of why such online tomfoolery is “a bad idea”. e contrite cavaliers promised to henceforth keep their metaphorical swords sheathed.

he wasn’t leaving the drive-through window without both orders. Employees informed him that he’d be getting neither order and insisted he move his car out of the way of the line of hungry commuters formed up behind him. Instead, Emeril threw his car in park and went inside to deliver his demands more directly, and the manager called JCSO. In the end, Emeril got his replacement order only, and was o cially invited to never darken that drive-through again.

Egg McRu an EL RANCHO – A while back, Emeril ordered some food at a popular drivethrough only to later discover it had been assembled incorrectly. Calling the restaurant to complain, he recalls being told that a “replacement meal” would be provided at no cost the next time he came by. e next time Emeril came by was on the morning of Apr. 17, when he and his wife ordered 23 dollars worth of breakfast-by-the-hand at the drive-through and asked that the replacement meal be included at no additional charge. Although hindered by a broad language barrier, employees made it known to Emeril that he could have the breakfasts he’d just ordered, but no additional viands would be forthcoming. Seeking to overcome the language barrier with brute volume, Emeril told the employees that

Tonight on the WB EVERGREEN – Spooning on the couch with a romantic movie, Janet starts grilling her roommate and lover, Chrissy, about Jack, a fellow Chrissy used to see socially. Chrissy admits she still has feelings for Jack and feels con icted and uncertain about her relationship with Janet. Fur starts ying, and keeps ying until Chrissy announces she’s packing her bags and leaving Janet forever, but it’s merely the calm before real the storm starts. While packing, Chrissy takes a moment to snoop around in Janet’s phone, which is where she nds a textmessage to Janet from Jack reading “I love you more.” Now it’s Chrissy’s turn to feel angry and betrayed and, storming in on Janet in the bathroom, she pushes her backwards into the bathtub. When Janet climbs out of the tub, Chrissy pushes her down onto the toilet and starts choking her, and then, in a gesture as symbolic as it is dramatic, breaks Janet’s cell phone in half. Janet retreats to her room, but Chrissy follows her, apparently for the purpose of making several outraged phone calls in Janet’s presence. When Janet tries to explain the incendiary text, Chrissy smashes a light switch plate with her st and throws an ashtray at her, prompting Janet to ee next door and call the cops. When deputies arrive, Chrissy admits getting a little emotional, but denies any and all forms of bathtub-pushing and neck-grabbing, and says that her sore and swollen hand is punishment enough for slugging the light switch. In the o cers’ estimation, however, it doesn’t quite cover the bruises on Janet’s back and hip, and Chrissy is booked into the hoosegow for third-degree assault.

Sheri ’s Calls is intended as a humorous take on some of the incident call records of the Je erson County Sheri ’s O ce for the mountain communities. Names and identifying details have been changed, including the writer’s name, which is a pseudonym. All individuals are innocent until proven guilty.

RECYCLE

Health o cials worry about Medicaid as budget bill advances

BY CAITLYN KIM AND JOHN DALEY CPR NEWS

Colorado’s two members on the House Energy and Commerce committee took di erent views and votes on the changes Republicans are proposing for Medicaid as the party looks for cuts to fund its budget reconciliation package.

Republican Rep. Gabe Evans voted with his party to advance the changes to the federal health insurance program for children and low-income people, while Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette voted against it. e measure passed Wednesday afternoon along straight party lines, 30-24, after a marathon 26-hour mark-up session.

According to a Congressional Budget O ce estimate, under the Republican changes, 10.3 million people will lose coverage over the rst decade it’s in effect. Millions more would lose coverage due to the A ordable Care Act changes approved by the committee.

“You can’t save $700 billion and not cut anybody o of Medicaid,” DeGette told CPR News. e CBO estimated the Medicaid changes would save $625 billion.“You’re going to have red tape and a whole bunch of people who are working fall o of Medicaid because they’ll get thrown o by the states.”

e Denver congresswoman argues that new work and documentation requirements under the proposal would make it harder for eligible people to access their bene ts.

“ ey can’t do the paperwork. And we saw that in two states,” DeGette said, pointing to Georgia and Arkansas. “ ey tried to do a work requirement. It ended

up throwing a whole bunch of people o of Medicaid who were working and it ended up costing more money.”

Evans countered the bill will prevent waste, fraud and abuse, and that Democrats weren’t seeking to preserve coverage for eligible recipients.

“We’ve heard, what is it now, almost 24 hours of arguing to keep 1.4 million illegal immigrants on the rolls and 1.2 million people who aren’t eligible for Medicaid,” Evans told CPR News, citing what he said are CBO’s numbers.

e House provisions would require states to check eligibility for Medicaid patients every six months, versus yearly. And it would strengthen work require-

ments. People between the ages of 19 to 64 would have to work, go to school or volunteer at least 80 hours a month to receive Medicaid. ere are exemptions, including for pregnancy, people with dependent children or those with complex medical issues.

“You have somewhere around foursome-odd million folks of able-bodied workers who are choosing not to work,” Evans added. “And that work requirement is not just work, it’s community volunteering, it’s school, and there’s a whole host of exceptions to it.”

Upwards of 128,000 Coloradans could lose health coverage through the proposed work requirements, according to

an analysis prepared by the liberal-leaning Urban Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, both national nonpro t organizations.

e group found nearly nine in 10 adults in the age group covered by the work requirement could satisfy the exemption criteria, suggesting that either the change would have minimal impacts on enrollment or result in people losing coverage simply because they fail to prove their extenuating circumstances.

Two provisions have state implications e two biggest provisions that would hit Colorado have to do with immigrants and the so-called provider tax.

Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for federal Medicaid. However, some states have used their own dollars to provide a health insurance plan for some undocumented people. In Colorado, that coverage applies to children and mothers during pregnancy and up to a year after delivery. e Republican plan would punish states by dropping the federal matching rate (known as FMAP) for people under the Medicaid expansion from 90 percent to 80 percent unless they change their policies.

e bill would also prohibit states from establishing any new provider taxes — or increasing existing ones — to draw down extra Medicaid dollars. Colorado’s version of the tax is known as the Hospital Provider Fee.

e provider taxes paid by hospitals help cover the state’s Medicaid costs by increasing the federal government’s matching payments, with some of that

A hospital room at Denver Health. Jan. 1, 2025.

PHOTO BY KEVIN J. BEATY / DENVERITE

extra money ultimately going back to the hospitals themselves.

It’s helped keep some hospitals a oat. It also made it possible for Colorado to expand Medicaid under the A ordable Care Act to cover 400,000 more low-income adults, sharply reducing the number of people who come to hospitals without insurance.

“Federal cuts would threaten the health care of hundreds of thousands of Coloradans, and Governor Polis continues to urge Congress to avoid devastating federal cuts to health care that would hurt our economy and our health care system,” said Shelby Wieman, a spokesperson for Democratic Gov. Jared Polis.

She noted Colorado does not have the resources to replace reductions made by Congress.

“Colorado already only gets .90 cents back for every dollar we send to Washington, and Medicaid cuts would make it worse. Costs would go up for everyone’s insurance because of cost shifting from uncompensated care. e more than one million Coloradans who get their health care through Medicaid are watching, which is why the Governor has urged Congress to avoid deep cuts to Medicaid,” she said in an emailed statement.

Weiman said the governor’s o ce is reviewing how the changes will impact the state’s budget and, depending on the scope of any cuts, Polis may be forced to call a special session to ensure the state’s nances stay in balance.

DeGette echoed those concerns. If the federal government reduces payments to Colorado, she said, “I’m going to guarantee you Colorado doesn’t have the money

to make up the di erence for any Medicaid recipients.”

But Evans challenged the idea that the state couldn’t nd savings to o set increased Medicaid costs.

“We’ve seen Colorado shovel tens of millions of dollars to illegal immigrants above and beyond actual Coloradans,” he said, adding, “[the department that oversees Medicaid] is the third-worst performing department in the state of Colorado … that’s per the 2024 statewide audit.”

e governor’s o ce pushed back on Evans’ characterizations as inaccurate, saying the state has been “very aggressive about preventing and pursuing fraud.”

A spokesman for the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, which administers the state’s Medicaid program under the name Health First Colorado, said the state doesn’t have any speci c details yet on the potential impact of the reconciliation bill in Colorado, because things are still very much in ux.

“Congress is in the early stages of their reconciliation process. We are currently reviewing the language released Monday to understand what the impacts may be to our Medicaid and CHP+ programs and the Coloradans who are covered by them,” said public information o cer Marc Williams, in an emailed statement. “We expect the language to evolve as Congress considers the proposals, and we will be updating our estimates as we learn more on our website.”

Concern from hospitals and patient advocates e state’s hospitals, which are trying to protect access and preserve Medicaid, are watching the situation carefully as well and expressed relief that Republicans aren’t pursuing deeper cuts.

“ e original Congressional Medic-

aid cut concepts oated earlier this year would have devastated the health care safety net,” said the Colorado Hospital Association in an emailed statement. “CHA is deeply grateful to the entire Colorado Congressional Delegation for their leadership and for helping ensure that several of the most damaging Medicaid proposals were excluded from the Energy and Commerce package.”

e statement noted that CHA representatives were in Washington, D.C. earlier this month to advocate against those provisions. e group said it appreciates what it sees as progress re ected in the current draft.

But it noted that as the reconciliation process goes on, the association “remains concerned about provisions that could still pose serious risks and reduce state exibility and funding, potentially leading to coverage losses, patients seeking more costly emergency instead of preventive care, and service line or hospital closures.”

Donna Lynne, CEO of the state’s agship safety net hospital, said nearly half of Denver Health’s patients are enrolled in Medicaid, and it already is inadequately funded for providing that care. She said Republicans’ changes will make that situation more di cult.

“Some of the provisions like adding work requirements (and) requiring more frequent eligibility checks will have the same impact” as direct cuts, Lynne said. “I think our concern is that the net e ect of the bill will be, there’ll be more uninsured patients, and we don’t get reimbursed for any of them.”

“I think there are multiple ways that this bill passes costs onto the state and Colorado simply can’t a ord it,” said Adam Fox, deputy director of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, a group that advocates for health access. “It will cost us

tens, if not hundreds of millions of dollars to administer work requirements that are proposed, that just add administrative barriers when people need care.”

Fox spoke from D.C., where he and other Colorado advocates have been making the rounds, visiting members of the state’s delegation. He said he’s telling members and their sta that “work requirements add administrative burden for every Medicaid enrollee. Even if they are given an exemption, they have to prove that exemption.”

But that argument didn’t persuade Evans, who, in a statement after the vote, said, “ is bill follows through on our promises to cut waste, fraud, and abuse while simultaneously protecting coverage for Colorado’s most vulnerable populations.”

A loss of coverage for a large number of Coloradans covered by Medicaid would impact the bottom line of hospitals, community health centers and clinics that rely on Medicaid reimbursements to keep the doors open.

“I think what we’ve really tried to underscore that aspect that these proposals will still end up stripping coverage from thousands of Coloradans. It will take millions if not billions of dollars out of our healthcare system and our healthcare providers can’t take that hit,” Fox said, who cited a national estimate that with work requirements, hospitals could see over a 20% reduction in Medicaid reimbursement. “ ere are many rural hospitals and clinics and providers that will either have to reduce services or close their doors altogether. at means everybody in those communities loses access to healthcare.” 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.

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

When Comedy Works owner Wende Curtis’ attorney rst took her to the future site of her second club in Greenwood Village’s Landmark complex, she was lost.

“My tiny world is downtown and Cherry Creek,” she said. “I had to follow him out there. I didn’t know where the hell I was.But I knew I wanted to expand in that direction. I needed to open another club; I felt like the city could handle it. And if I was going to go to a suburb, my gut instinct was that I’d go to where there was more money per household.”

Zip code scanners Curtis got for her downtown location in 2004 had already given her the data to back the decision up. It showed a lot of the downtown club’s customers were driving in from the suburbs. But she suspected there were potentially many more.

“We were very busy downtown, and I felt I was missing a part of the population

Comedy boom

Curtis and other metro-area comedy venues are riding a nationwide wave.

Stand-up comedy ticket sales have tripled over the last decade, and many credit the internet and social media — and speci cally Net ix — for transforming the industry.

According to Bloomberg, Net ix started funding new stand-up comedy in 2013, with specials from Mike Birbiglia, Iliza Shlesinger and Aziz Ansari.

“ e company saw stand-up as an underexploited genre, a low-cost way to get hours of programming and some famous names on the platform,” according to the Bloomberg article.

Net ix quickly scaled the business from a handful of specials annually to dozens, paying high dollars for big names like Jerry Seinfeld and Kevin Hart.

Competing services rst viewed Net ix’s investment in comedy as irrational, but comedians didn’t. And while other streaming services have since gotten on board, Net ix remains the king of comedy.

in the Denver metro area,” she said. “If you live in Castle Pines and you’re driving downtown ve days a week, are you going to drive down there again on Saturday?”

While the downtown Comedy Works is dark and intimate, Curtis designed the Greenwood Village site very di erently — with not only more seating capacity but more space overall. e nished 21,000-square-foot Comedy Works South that opened in October 2008 includes a restaurant and martini bar.

ese features are not available at the original site. Also unlike downtown, parking is free and easy to nd.

While those added amenities attract customers, they also re ect what Curtis felt suburban customers wanted.

“I knew when I built something in the suburbs I was going to have to make it roomier,” she said. “Downtown is tight. People move to the suburbs to have space, and I think they expect it.”

Comedy Works South is a Landmark anchor that’s stood the test of time, with numbers that consistently exceed Curtis’ expectations and reinforce her initial instincts that suburban residents would support a comedy venue.

e exposure it gave comedians brought their talents to a wider audience, and the appreciation for comedy spun into the real world. Ticket sales for live comedy shows topped $900 million in 2023.

Why is comedy so popular? It’s not just because it’s funny.

Comedians use humor to speak truth to power while giving audiences a bit of relief from the absurdities and emotions of everyday life.

“ eir craft allows them to push boundaries and provoke deeper thought through laughter, sparking joy, conversations and, sometimes, fresh perspectives,” according to an article in Medium.

It also has health bene ts. Laughter releases chemicals in our bodies and brains that instantly relieve stress and boost mood. And it helps bring people together, crossing political, cultural and societal barriers in a way few other things can.

For all those reasons, Comedy Works is just one comedy business venturing beyond the city limits.

Rotating Taps

Denver comedian Steve Vanderploeg is now a regular performer at Comedy Works. But a few years ago, that wasn’t the case. So he started his own suburban comedy business.

“Within a few years, it started winning local awards,” Vanderploeg said. “It turns out breweries are very good locations for comedy because they need entertainment just as much as other venues.”

He’s since expanded to breweries throughout the metro area, including Arvada, Brighton, Lakewood and Littleton. Most of the shows are free, as many brewery owners wanted to keep their regulars happy. But it also makes comedy fans happy. Many can’t a ord or don’t want to pay for tickets, food and drinks — a two-item food or beverage minimum is required at Comedy Works. And scattering shows at breweries in neighborhoods throughout the area makes seeing a show logistically easier.

“One thing that makes us di erent is we actually bring comedy to these deeper pockets of the ‘burbs,” Vanderploeg said. “A lot of times people don’t want to go downtown. Bringing the comedy to them has helped grow the love for comedy around Denver.”

“I thought Comedy Works was never going to pass me — which means you get paid to work on the weekends,” he said. “I thought I’d never get that opportunity, so I needed to build opportunities for myself.”

Vanderploeg suspected breweries could be good venues for stand-up comedy. Not everyone agreed.

“I had a couple comedians telling me breweries were terrible locations for comedy shows,” he said.

But like Curtis, Vanderploeg followed his instincts, launching Rotating Tap Comedy in spring 2019. He started at south metro Denver’s Chain Reaction Brewing — the owners were his childhood hockey buddies.

A Rotating Taps venue is also a good place for new comedians to test their stand-up chops. Vanderploeg typically books a mix of newer and more experienced comedians together. “ ese are mostly locals I work with — it’s a big network,” he said. “We like to give opportunities to those coming up because that’s why I started it — to give myself opportunities. But in order to keep it sustainable, we also have to bring in seasoned pros that

e newest metro-area entertainment venue is part comedy club, part variety show theater and part arcade. Husband-and-wife team Brandon Riks and Stacey Bell opened Gnarly’s in late December, taking over the former Miners Alley Playhouse site in down-

COMEDY

Riks and Bell believe their business lls a gap in the popular tourist town.

“ ere’s a lot of stu to do in Golden, but we feel it’s geared toward an older crowd,” Riks said. “ ey’ve got the playhouse, where you can catch an awesome musical or play, and the Bu alo Rose, plus lots of good places to eat and drink. But there’s not really a good hangout place for families or college kids, for comedy or some other type of adult-themed variety show.”

e couple has some history to back their theory up. While they’re new to comedy, Riks and Bell are experienced in business, running Lakewood’s Gnarly Toybox vintage toy store since 2018.

Riks and Bell carried that theme to Gnarly’s in Golden, including a vintage toy museum with everything from He-Man to Ninja Turtles to Garbage Pail Kids. Harkening back to simpler times, all Gnarly’s arcade games are set to free play.

“As long as you have a ticket to the show or a wrist band for the arcade, games are set on free play,” Riks said.

Because the theater only holds about 100 people, Riks and Bell shifted their plans from doing comedy full time.

“We know quite a few comics, and we’d always talked about how Golden would do really well with a comedy club because there’s nothing anywhere near,” Riks said. “But with 100 seats, our original thoughts of pulling famous comedians into the theater seemed a little bit unreachable. We’d have to charge too much for the tickets to pay them.

“So the plan is to become someplace cool enough and well known enough that when other comics are in town, they want to do a set at Gnarly’s,” he said. “And also to maximize the abilities of the space. We landed on making it a variety show theater on top of a comedy club.”

While most of Gnarly’s comedians will focus on adult content, the variety shows are designed to be family

friendly, featuring ventriloquists, magicians and jugglers. Riks plans to o er six-to-eight half-hour variety shows daily. Gnarly’s has a liquor license but for its day shows, it’ll accent an old-school soda bar and exotic snack bodega.

In Riks’ vision, it will o er something for everyone. “Dad can sit down and have a beer, let the kids run in the arcade and catch a quick juggling show,” he said.

Riks and Bell aim to o er three-to-four comedy shows a week and keep the price friendly, too. He expects it will generally be $20 a ticket.

What If Theatre

found it a little calculated. I was trying really hard to nd the points within my act to gauge what would get maximum laughter from the audience. With improv, you are feeling out the audience and your teammates for what works best with the people who are in this space, at this time. And it will never be repeated.”

Carletti sees a di erence in demographics in suburban audiences. People in their 20s and 30s tend to frequent downtown venues.

Well-rehearsed stand-up comedy is one way to get laughs. But in Lakewood, Joy Carletti and Colin Iago McCarthy are placing their bets on improv. e two opened What If eatre in October 2023, producing six inhouse shows a year and bringing in improv troupes from throughout the Front Range.

“I feel like our audiences skew both older and younger. I see people who live here coming to see the shows, and I’m very grateful for that,” she said. “I think the arts should be accessible to people – you should have art where you are. Asking people to come to the city is not for everyone. So let’s meet people where they are.”

e business taps into not only their love of improv, but for each other. e two met while doing improv in San Francisco, returning to McCarthy’s home town of Lakewood to eventually open the theater.

ey follow a form of improv called the Harold, a longform improvised format that emphasizes patterns, themes and group discoveries instead of a traditional plot or story. So while their shows are designed to be funny, they’re carefully constructed to include much more than just humor.

e house ensemble, for instance, goes by the name Streaky Bacon — inspired by a Charles Dickens quote.

“It basically says good plays should have comedy and drama in as equal layers as in good, streaky bacon,” Carletti said. “We believe yes, we’re creating comedy, but there should be some drama and vulnerability because that makes the comedy brighter.”

e shows typically revolve around familiar themes, including “Law and Order,” or a version of “Vacation.”

Another show featured a teenager who saves the world.

“A suburban audience that might not have seen an improv show doesn’t know what they’re going to get,” Carletti said. “We feel thematic or genre shows tend to hook a suburban audience more.”

Hooking suburbanites on improv is exactly what the couple hopes to do. She believes it o ers a very di erent experience than stand-up.

“I wanted a place where folks who were more of a theater audience could see improv and feel like it was accessible to them,” Carletti said. “Improv is collaborative. It is about listening and teamwork. It allows people to tell their own stories and it’s very human.”

While Carletti appreciates stand-up comedy, she sees improv as a di erent comedic art form — one that requires coordination with fellow actors and the audience.

“I’ve done stand-up. at’s one person alone on a stage. My own experience is it was a little isolating, and I

Evergreen also has an improv group. e Evergreen Players Improv Comedy troupe, known as EPiC, performs twice each year at the Center Stage eater. It also offers classes and ensemble groups for all experience levels and ages.

Comedy in Denver metro

agree the

Whether it’s stand-up or improv, all four business owners agree that Denver and its suburbs are among the top places to see comedy — or to be a comedian.

Curtis believes decades of bringing top-notch comedians to the city has made metro-area residents a sophisticated comedy audience.

“Comedy Works is the Red Rocks of comedy in the country,” she said. “I have leverage even with the bigger acts because it’s Comedy Works. e reputation gives me clout.We’ve developed people that like stand-up comedy. e Denver crowds are smart. You give them smart comedy and they respond. It’s turned into a great place for comedy and comedians.”

Vanderploeg agreed, saying the many stages that offer chances for new and more seasoned comedians to practice their material has improved the quality of local comedy for everyone.

“Denver is one of the best comedy scenes in the country,” Vanderploeg said. “Denver has shows most nights of the week, so there are opportunities for comedians to get up and develop, practice. Just by sheer stage time, we blow pretty much every other city out of the water. It’s kind of in the culture here. ere’s something about Denver that loves standup.”

Beyond developing the comedy business, Carletti sees laughter as not an option, but a necessity for individuals and our modern world.

“It’s so important to have small theaters and small comedy venues, not just in Denver but everywhere,” Carletti said. “ ere’s something about being in a room with a lot of people laughing and experiencing it live, whether it’s improv, stand-up or whatever. Live theater is phenomenal. And the need to laugh right now is so

Comedian Steve Gillespie entertains the crowd at Stranahan’s Distillery as part of Rotating Taps Comedy. SPAWOLOGY PRODUCTIONS

Comedian George Lopez on stage at Comedy Works South in Greenwood Village.COURTESY OF COMEDY WORKS

FROM PAGE 14

Gnarly’s co-owner Brandon Riks stands in front of the bar at the comedy/variety show venue he and his wife Stacey Bell launched recently in downtown Golden.COURTESY OF GNARLY’S

Evergreen swimmers and divers triumph at state meet

BY JOHN RENFROW JOHN@COTLN.ORG

Evergreen swimmers and divers have emerged as constant titans to be defeated in Class 4A every spring. And again, the titans stood tall after a victorious and historic showing at the 2025 state meet.

Carson Harrington, the Cougars’ senior anchor and 4A Diver of the Year from the Colorado High School Coaches Association, was ranked the No. 1 diver in the nation coming into the state meet. He lived up to it.

Harrington captured his third consecutive 4A diving title, but this time,

he made history. His 11-dive score of 696.10 was the all-classi cation Colorado high school state record, beating Denver North’s Jack Ryan’s record of 671.75 from 2021. at was a goal on the board for Harrington after winning last year. He won back-to-back titles as a sophomore and junior after nishing third as a freshman for Evergreen.

“I want to go out with a bang,” he told Colorado Community Media in 2024. “I want to win state again next year and potentially try to break the Colorado state record.”

Harrington pivots his attention to college after conquering everything possible in high school. But there have been some speed bumps along the way.

“Honestly, I’m just super excited,” Harrington told CHSAANow.com. “I’ve had a chaotic year with diving. Unfortunately, the school I was committed

to cut their program. So, there’s been a lot of ups and downs, and to leave high school with one big up is just super exciting.”

Originally bound for California Polytechnic State University, Harrington will now head to the East Coast to dive for the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Evergreen junior Henry Palmquist nished runner-up with a score of 562.85. He’ll be the leader in the clubhouse for the Cougars going forward. Head Coach Brett Brinkho was voted 4A Dive Coach of the Year by the CHSCA. e Cougars’ Duncan Salmen won the 100 butter y with a 4A state record time of 48.654 seconds.

“I think we just have an amazing coaching team,” Harrington said after winning in 2024. “Brett Brinkho was my rst-ever dive coach. I was never on a board before I started high school. He’s just extremely knowledgeable and well-

Harrington, Salmen make history

rounded. He’s able to coach people who are just getting into the sport, but then also people who have been in the sport for a while who are super talented.”  e Cougars’ locker room will look and feel di erent without Harrington next spring as opponents breathe a sigh of relief.

But with Palmquist returning, the target will be on Evergreen’s back once again in 2026.

In 4A swimming, Monarch High School won its rst state championship with a score of 409.5. Mullen nished second at 402 and Evergreen nished third at 254.

Harrington, Palmquist and Salmen were all voted First Team All-State in 4A. Evergreen junior Logan Rains was named Second Team All-State, and juniors Zander De Jager and Ethan McLuskey were honorable mentions. Full swimming and diving results can be found at CHSAANow.com.

Evergreen’s Duncan Salmen powers through the 100 butterfly at a recent meet. Salmen set a new 4A state record time of 48.654 seconds. COURTESY PHOTO

From left to right, Evergreen’s Zander de Jager, Logan Rains, Duncan Salmen and Ethan McLuskey pose for a photo. This relay team holds all three Evergreen relay records for the Cougars. COURTESY PHOTO

Evergreen High School senior Carson Harrington (left), Coach Brett Brinkho (middle) and junior Henry Palmquist pose for a photo with their hardware from the Class 4A swimming and diving state championships. Harrington broke the state diving record with a score of 696.10, while Palmquist finished runner-up at 562.85. Brinkho was named the 4A Dive Coach of the Year from the Colorado High School Coaches Association.

PHOTO BY BRAD COCHI / CHSAANOW.COM.

Sports betting revenue keeps rising

Coloradans love to gamble on sports. And the addition of new ways to wager, like parlays and live bets, have helped to boost industry revenues, despite the randomness of sporting events that can leave sportsbooks occasionally at a loss.

Because at the end of the day, the house rarely loses for long.

Gambling companies, including DraftKings and FanDuel, brought in $475 million in gross gaming revenue in Colorado last year (wagers minus payouts), a 21% increase over 2023, according to data from the Colorado Department of Revenue. It’s almost double the rate of revenue growth in 2023, which was 11%.

e new data shows the industry has yet to fully mature, about ve years after Colorado allowed the rst legal sports wagers.

e increased interest in sports betting means more tax revenue for Colorado.

Last year, Colorado collected $31.9 million from those bets. And Colorado will get to keep all that money thanks to the recent passage of Proposition JJ, which allows the state to keep tax revenues over the previous TABOR-mandated cap of $29 million. e money goes to a variety of things, most notably for water plan projects.

Parlay bets increased profits

It’s unclear if there are more people betting in Colorado or if the people betting are just wagering more. One of the biggest

A football betting board shows the odds of weekends-worth of games. Betting companies continue to post record revenues from sports betting in Colorado.

SPORTS BETTING

changes in the industry is the growth of parlay bets, where gamblers string together a series of things like: Nuggets to win,

Nikola Jokić to record a 30-point game, and total points to go over 200 points. It’s a higher-risk, higher-reward bet that the apps heavily promote through incentives, like bigger payo s.

Parlays are a win-win for the industry. “ ese parlays make the sportsbooks more money, but people also like to bet

them; it’s more fun for the bettor,” said Ryan Butler, who covers the industry for Covers, a gambling website. ere are many apps on o er in Colorado for sports bets, but DraftKings and FanDuel now control about 70 percent of the U.S. betting market, in part because they added enticing parlay options to their apps. “So DraftKings and FanDuel created that technology quicker than anyone else, that’s why they rose to the top,” said Butler.

dles in Colorado. e handful of physical casinos operating in the state, which are mandated by law to be located in three historic mining towns, would likely ght any proposal to expand online gambling to phone apps.

Sports are unpredictable

He said younger bettors in particular prefer parlay bets. “ ey just like the lottery ticket aspect of it.”

While last year saw large growth in sports bets and revenue, there are periods when the house loses. In Colorado, sports gaming revenues dropped 20 percent in March, compared to March of last year.

BERGEN PARK CHURCH

e vast majority of sports gamblers will not develop an addiction, the national rate is estimated at up to 3 percent. But there’s concern that addiction rates are higher among young men, who are growing up with unlimited sports gambling on their phone.

Sportsbooks said that’s because more favorites won than anticipated in the recent March Madness men’s basketball tournament. DraftKings reported that more than 80 percent of favorites won, the most in more than 40 years. And bettors tend to put their money on the favorites. at’s just the nature of sports.

Colorado has granted millions to behavioral health providers and educational campaigns. e Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission announced $2.9 million in grants in February, up from $2 million the year before.

Beyond parlays

“ at’s why people watch sports and want to bet on sports, it’s part of what makes the customer experience great,” said Jason Robins, CEO of DraftKings, on a Friday investor conference call. “So there are periods where you’re gonna have quarters two, three in a row sometimes with bad outcomes.”

Colorado bettors are the best?

e sportsbook has long been a relatively small part of casino pro ts, so the app developers are looking ahead to a more lucrative business: fully online casinos, things like poker and blackjack, not just sports.

“Everything is based o of that goal,” said Butler.

Only a handful of states allow online casino games, but they are hugely pro table. In the rst quarter of this year, DraftKings reported $881 million in sports betting revenue across 25 states and Washington DC, and $423 million revenue in the just ve states that allow it to operate casino games online.

Any such plan would face a lot of hur-

Butler has data on hold percentage by state, and Colorado has the lowest hold percentage in the U.S. Hold percentage is the money that sportsbooks keep for every dollar wagered.

“So one can extrapolate that Colorado has the best bettors,” said Butler. “It makes sense: higher education level, really loyal fans, pretty a uent demographic.”

So when it comes to sports betting, Colorado is winning in more ways than one. 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.

WORSHIP DIRECTORY

CHURCH OF THE TRANSFIGURATION EPISCOPAL

EVERGREEN LUTHERAN CHURCH

ROCKLAND COMMUNITY CHURCH

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

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!

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

Small group studies for all ages at 9am

Transitional Pastor: Mark Chadwick

Youth Pastor: Jay Vonesh Other activities: Youth groups, Men’s/Women’s ministries, Bible studies, VBS, MOPS, Cub/Boy Scouts.

“Connecting all generations to Jesus” 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 • www.evergreenumc.org 3757 Ponderosa Dr. across Hwy 74 from Safeway in Evergreen

Join us in person every Sunday at 10:00am for worship “Open Hearts, Open Doors, Open Minds”

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2. MOVIES: What is the name of the ghost that haunts the girls’ bathroom at Hogwarts (“Harry Potter” series)?

3. HISTORY: Which decisive battle ended the Revolutionary War?

4. LITERATURE: What is the pseudonym of the author Eric Arthur Blair?

5. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Which of the national parks is the most visited in the United States?

6. TELEVISION: Which medical series is based at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital?

7. GEOGRAPHY: What is the capital of Denmark?

8. U.S. STATES: In which state is Glacier National Park located?

9. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Who was the rst vice president to die in o ce?

TrIVIa

10. SCIENCE: What are elements like neon, helium and radon called?

Answers

1. Uniform resource locator.

2. Moaning Myrtle.

3. e Battle of Yorktown.

4. George Orwell.

5. Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

6. “House, M.D.”

7. Copenhagen.

8. Montana.

9. George Clinton.

10. Noble gases.

(c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.

#6258

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BLOWOUT

reading 35.5 parts per billion of benzene at the plume’s edge — that yielded a calculation of about 100 ppb at the center. Low used a canister to grab a sample of the air for laboratory analysis.

ere was no question of heading into the plume. Even at the edge, “it smelled horrible and felt hot,” Low said. “It was very unpleasant.”

At 2 miles, just using the instruments in the Tahoe, the methane level was about 20 ppm.

e federal Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry sets the long-term exposure level at no more than 9 ppb. Colorado’s health guideline value is the same.

Davis sampled the area midday April 8 and recorded levels of 22 ppb of benzene a mile away and 5.4 ppb 2 miles away.

Fourteen families within a half-mile of the wells voluntarily evacuated with Chevron providing help with living and

housing expenses.

Most of the houses are now wrapped in plastic and being decontaminated.

“ e whole area looks like Chernobyl,” Carol Hawkins, a Weld County activist opposing drilling, said after driving through the area from her home in Ault.

Monitoring at nearby elementary will continue e emissions readings are dependent on meteorological and atmospheric conditions, CSU’s Fischer said. For example, multiple measurements were taken at the Galeton Elementary School, which is next to the well site, but was upwind and all those readings were comparable to the ambient background level of 2 ppb. e school had been closed from April 11 to April 22.

But during the early morning, when the air cools and becomes more dense, the benzene likely became more concentrated leading to even high emission levels.

CDPHE sent its Mobile Optical Oil and Gas Sensor of Emissions air monitoring van, known as MOOSE, to the area after the incident soon after the well failure

PUBLIC NOTICES

1.

and stayed through April 11. e MOOSE recorded maximum levels of 9 ppb to 10 ppb of benzene about 2 miles downwind of the incident location on two di erent deployments.

On April 11, CDPHE also placed a stationary monitor at the school and said it will continue monitoring until the school year ends May 23. CDPHE said it has not observed any measurement above the state’s health guideline value for benzene since beginning measurements at the school.

“Chevron has multiple air monitors in and around our locations. e night of the Bishop well incident, our on-going air monitoring was in place,” the company said in a statement.

Chevron conducted air monitoring and collected approximately 3,000 measurements that were analyzed by independent laboratories.

“Air monitoring continues in and around the area surrounding the site and the community, and all measurements that we have received from the laboratories have been below levels of concern,” the company said.

Monitoring at the school will continue for the “next few years” according to a note to parents from Kim Hielscher, the school’s principal, and Jay Tapia, the district superintendent.

Measurements of exposure to emissions can be elusive, said Andrew Klooster, who as the Colorado eld advocate for the environmental group Earthworks uses an infrared camera to document emissions violations.

“Chevron probably had air monitors at the edge of its site but this pollution plume ew right over them,” Klooster said. “What happened in Galeton is rare. is isn’t something we routinely encounter.”

“It is a cautionary tale for even with Chevron having all these best management practices in place it happened,” he said. “Galeton is rural. What if it happens in proximity of homes and growing communities as we see on the Front Range?” 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.