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Brighton police commander remembered for love of life, sense of humor

Electric scooters continue to spread in Denver suburbs

Safety concerns mount

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In the beginning, the scooters arrived without permission. Now, the electric devices are continuing to spread to more metro-area cities, touted as a way to reduce traffic but also feared by some pedestrians who see them zooming down sidewalks.

“Electric scooters and bikes should only be ridden where bicycles are allowed to ride and should not be ridden on sidewalks unless actively parking, starting or ending a trip,” said Vanessa Lacayo, a spokesperson for Denver’s transportation department.

But officials are still trying to convince scooter users to stay off the sidewalk in Denver, a city where riding scooters irresponsibly is a common sight in the downtown area.

Starting this fall, Denver will test some ideas in the downtown area — where some of the highest ridership in the city takes place — to try to improve safety, Lacayo said.

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Brighton Deputy Police Chief Matt Dominico took a minute to recall something his daughter said shortly after the death of Cmdr. Frank Acosta.

Acosta died suddenly on Sept. 23. He was 56.

“I was talking with my wife, and I told my daughter that one of daddy’s friends at work had died,”

he told the audience at Acosta’s Sept. 29 funeral services at Orchard Church. “She had this sad look on her face, and she said, ‘Oh. He was that big guy who welcomed me with open arms.’”

Acosta grew up in Leadville and graduated from high school in 1984. He joined the U.S. Army and was a member of the 82nd Airborne in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He spent eight years as a trooper with the Colorado State Patrol. When he

died, Acosta was a commander with the Brighton Police Department.

“Everyone here knows what Frank was all about,” said outgoing Brighton Police Chief Paul Southard. “Everyone knows he could be the crazy little brother in the room. I appreciated the man he was.”

That included a stint as acting police chief when Southard battled through COVID-19.

The city recently finalized a stencil to place on some sidewalks to remind riders to keep the space clear for pedestrians, and officials also have used tech-based strategies to restrict or slow riders down in some busy areas, Lacayo said.

The scooters can mean more than a fun trip for riders and a nuisance for pedestrians — they’re often involved in injuries.

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The casket of Brighton police Cmdr. Frank Acosta arrives at Orchard Church shortly before his Sept. 29 funeral service. Acosta died Sept. 23.

COURTESY BRIGHTON POLICE DEPARTMENT

SEE REMEMBERED, P10

24-Hour Phone Lines 303-654-0112

Brighton: 75 S. 13th Avenue

Obituaries, Arrangements and Resources Online at taborfuneralhome.com

LAAS Beverly Jean Wilson Laas November 2, 1931 – September 12, 2022

Beverly Jean Wilson Laas was born in Howell County, MO on November 2, 1931 to Jobe William Wilson and Armenta Mae Burris Wilson. On September 12, 2022 at the age of 90, Jesus took Jean by the hand and took her home with him.

Jean was schooled in one room schools in southern Missouri. She graduated from West Plains High School in 1949. She moved to Brighton, CO in 1951 where she lived for the next 70 years. Jean was an awesome cook. She was never happier than when she was in her kitchen cooking for her family and friends. She loved to bake cinnamon rolls, bread and pies. She made great sloppy joes and the best coconut cream pie you ever tasted. Her kids and grandkids loved her peanut brittle and old fashioned fudge at the holidays and they knew there would always be plenty to take home. ey also loved when she made jams and jellies for them to divide. Her sons-in-law Ron and Kris absolutely loved her strawberry jelly. Not long before Jean passed away, with her experienced direction there was a jam and jelly making class at her house with 3 generations including her daughter Bev, daughter-in-law Garland, granddaughter Kristin and great-grand daughter Addie. Now the baton has been passed on to them to continue her tradition.

Jean was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Leonard (Chipmunk) Laas, two daughters, Patricia Sack and Shirley Dudley; three sisters and two brothers. She

is survived by one daughter Beverly Zaiss (Ron) three sons Norman Hogan (Garland), Gary Hogan, and Bobby Hogan. Seven grandchildren Brian Zaiss, Jason Sack, Bobby Joe Beckman, Hank Beckman, Kristin Stockton and Rod Dudley. Twelve great-grandchildren, one sister Gertie Meyers (Dayton) and many nieces and nephews who loved her very much.

To our mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend we will always love you.

Please join us for a celebration of life on ursday October 13, 2022 at the Brighton Elks Lodge at 12:30 PM

Don’t grieve for me for now I’m free

I’m following the path God laid for me

I took his hand when I heard him call

I turned my back and left it all

I could not stay another day to laugh, to love, to work, to play

Tasks left undone must stay that way

Carolyn June Duran, née Gomez,

23, 1948 in Fort Morgan, Colorado to Raul Mancera and Esther Cardenas. She had

In

and Julie Anne Williams (Pennington) whom she loved dearly. In 1970 she married Larry Dean Williams and later married Larry (Tec) Duran in 1985.

I’ve found that peace at the end of the day

If my parting has left a void en ll it with remembered joy

A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss Ah, yes those things I too will miss Be not burdened with times of sorrow I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow

My life’s been full, life savored much

Good friends, good times, a loved one’s touch Perhaps my time seemed all to brief Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief

Lift up your head and share with me

God wanted me now, he set me free.

Carolyn earned her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Primary/Bilingual Education from the University of Northern Colorado and enjoyed teaching pre-K and kindergarten.

Carolyn lived in Fort Lupton, CO, Houston, TX; Guam, Marianas Islands; and settled in Loveland, CO. She was well traveled and visited 32 countries. She loved sharing her

adventures of living on an island, She enjoyed seeing her ve

Carolyn June Duran, née Gomez June 23, 1948 - September 19, 2022

Weld County 911 dispatchers receive the highest awards

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Not every 911 call ends with a good outcome, but Weld County Public Safety honored four of its dispatch ers for good outcomes that could have turned bad.

Emily Schoneman, Cambrie Guerrero-Wacker, Matt Bilyeu, and Communications Supervisor Ivett Avalos were all given the county’s Lifesaver Award, according to the news release.

“In a high-stress job, where

dispatchers are responsible for responding to rapid, challenging and changing situations in order to help people going through, arguably, the worst moment of their lives, these types of positive outcomes speak to the dedication and tireless work of our dispatchers and entire Public Safety Communications team to continually be ready to serve the public,” said Scott James, Weld County Commissioner Chairman.

“We’re proud of our dispatchers for receiving these awards and for helping generate the best outcomes

in uncertain situations,” he said.

The Lifesavers award is one of the highest recognition dispatchers can receive from by the Weld County Department of Public Safety Com munications. The district also offers the Stork award for dispatchers that help babies, but no Stork awards were given in 2022.

The calls are evaluated by inter nal teams and must meet criteria established by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch. Under that criteria, the patient must survive the incident and the dis

patcher taking the call must provide the highest standard of proficiency.

Schoneman received a call in April that a minor was having seizures and was going into cardiac arrest. She helped the caller with instructions to save the child’s life. Avalos won for helping a caller with a severe allergic reaction in May.

Guerrero-Wacker helped a caller in July who was going into cardiac arrest and quickly sent emergency responders. Bilyeu saved a life of an individual who experienced an overdose in September.

Sta ng problems force RE-8 to select new auditing firm

BY NINA JOSS

SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Staffing issues at an international ac counting and consulting firm had the Weld RE-8 School Board scrambling to find a group to lead their annual audit.

Shortly before it was set to begin the audit process for the Weld Re-8 School District, auditing firm BDO Global –who has worked with the Fort Lupton district for four years – backed out of its commitment due to staffing issues.

The district selected a new auditor, CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA), to complete the financial inspection before March 1, Director of Finance and Business Services Jessica Holbrook said.

According to Holbrook, BDO also backed out of auditing commitments to Eaton RE-2 School District, Weld County School District RE-1 and Estes Park School District R-2 within days of dropping RE-8.

“It puts us in a very difficult posi tion, as normally this is the time of year that auditors are coming into the district and doing field work and getting everything that they need to accomplish in order to have that audit delivered by Dec. 31,” Holbrook said in the Sept. 22 regular board of education meeting.

Normally, audits are due to the state by Dec. 31, according to Holbrook. But due to the district’s situation, the Of fice of the State Auditor granted Re-8 an extension until March 1, she said.

At the Sept. 22 meeting, Holbrook re quested that several board policies be waived to expedite the process to find a new auditor. The normal process for choosing an auditing firm takes about two months, she said.

The motion passed unanimously, let ting Superintendent Alan Kaylor and his staff choose an auditing firm with out going to the board for approval throughout the process, Holbrook said.

“We’re just trying to speed up the whole process by not going through all of that,” she said.

After considering several bids, the district chose CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA) to be their new auditor Sept. 28, Holbrook said. Holbrook said other districts had good things to say about the firm and it quoted a lower price and a better timeline for the project.”

“We feel confident that they’ll be able to get (our audit) done in a timely man ner and with great accuracy,” she said.

Dissatisfaction and understand ing:

Board member Cody LeBlanc said the thought of subverting board policy made him reluctant to vote in favor

of the motion, but he did so because it made sense for the timeline.

“I believe that our board policy on requests for proposals is important to just ensure total transparency in large transactions that the district engages in,” he said. “I was hesitant to vote yes, but I did because we were so short on time.”

During the meeting, Holbrook said the district had a five-year commit ment with BDO that was re-engaged annually — but it was not a contract. She said either party could have backed out of the committment at any point.

LeBlanc said he wished he had known that sooner. LeBlanc said he was dissatisfied with BDO’s service over the last two years because it did not complete audits on time.

“After their performance the last couple of years, I wish I would have… realized that because I would have asked for us to get rid of them in June,” he said.

Holbrook told CCM these delays were because of federal funding re lated to COVID, which complicated the auditing process for many districts. She said some delays in the process were specifically due to the late release of federal regulations for COVID fund ing, a factor outside of BDO’s control.

For these reasons, she said she didn’t blame BDO for how it conducted busi ness in the past.

“There’s a heavy strain on auditing firms just due to the mass increase of work that they’re having to do, so I never once looked at anything that BDO had done in the past as a nega

tive,” she said.

But Holbrook said she was shocked that BDO backed out of their com mitment so late in the year. She said she thought the staffing issues at the company had to do with COVID.

Kaylor, too, was frustrated with the way BDO backed out of its commit ment.

“I would go so far as to say I think it was unprofessional on (BDO’s) part to enter into an agreement with us, and then not be able to fulfill the agree ment, especially the timing,” he said to CCM.

Randy Watkins, a representative of BDO, did not respond to CCM’s request for comment for this story.

Re-8’s recent audits can be found on the “Financial Transparency” page of the district’s website.

If you have a family member who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or is starting to show symptoms, you will face some emotional and financial challenges. Here are a few suggestions that can help:

First, plan for the medical costs involved and make sure you understand what health insurance your loved one has, including any coverage for long-term care.

Also, identify all your loved one’s financial assets and debts.

You may need to work with your legal and tax professionals to create appropriate documents, such as durable powers of attorney for health care and finances. And you’ll want to take care of these while your loved one still has the capacity to give consent.

Here’s another tip: Look for tax deductions and credits available to caregivers. These vary by state, so check with your tax advisor.

You may also want to work with a financial professional who can look at your family’s situation and make suitable recommendations.

An Alzheimer’s diagnosis will unquestionably change the lives of everyone in your family. But as a caregiver, you can take steps to help ease the burden.

Tony Merritt, AAMS®, Financial Advisor

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

What should Alzheimer’s caregivers know?

RE-8 approves revised sex education policy

student’s education.

BY NINA JOSS

SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Parents would have to sign off on future Weld RE-8 health and family life/sex education classes for their kids if the district ever offers them, the Board of Education decided Sept. 22.

The district stopped offering health and sex education classes in 2018.

Board member Cody Leblanc said he prefers the district stay away from offering those kinds of classes at all, but was pleased to get parent approval included in the policy.

The motion to approve the revised policy passed 4-3. The motion to approve the updated exemption procedure to align with the revised policy also passed 4-3.

The district does not offer health or sex education for any grade currently. Health and sex education classes have not been taught in the district since 2018, Superintendent Alan Kaylor told Colorado Community Media.

Although the policy does not currently apply to actual classes, it would apply if these classes were to start being taught again, he said.

From integral to ‘an option’

The old policy let parents exempt their children from comprehensive health education courses with a written request and said that health education was an integral part of each

The new policy requires a parent or guardian’s signature for a student to be allowed to participate in the class. Rather than calling the classes integral, the new policy states that a comprehensive health education program may be an option for each student’s education.

State law allows students who are 18 or older to sign for themselves, Kaylor said.

According to board member Cody LeBlanc, who created the policy revisions with Secretary Jaime Sierra, the new opt-in approach gives parents the right to decide what their children learn about sexual topics.

“It forces parental rights and it forces the district to uphold parental rights, especially when talking about extremely sensitive conversations like comprehensive sex education,” he said in an interview with CCM.

Comprehensive Sex Education

State legislators passed a law in May 2019 that doesn’t require that human sexuality instruction be taught in schools, but set strict standards and content requirements if it is taught. Some of these content requirements are:

Information about methods to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections

Instruction on how to communicate consent, recognize communication of consent and recognize withdrawal of consent Instruction on how to

avoid making assumptions about a person’s supposed sexual intentions based on that person’s appearance or sexual history

The state law does also does not require those classes to include pregnancy outcome options. If pregnancy options are taught, it requires that “the instruction must cover all pregnancy outcome options, including but not limited to adoption, abortion, parenting and… ‘safe haven laws.’”

LeBlanc said several aspects of comprehensive sex education curricula are concerning to some community members, especially in some religious communities.

“I’m not even comfortable talking about a lot of what comprehensive sex education requires to be taught to students,” he said. “So I would love for our district to not teach sex education.”

LeBlanc said he’s tried to repeal the sex education policy at RE-8 schools before, and moved to repeal the district’s policy altogether at the Sept. 22 meeting. His motion failed in a 3-4 vote. Although it wasn’t repealed, he said amending the policy was a success.

“We finally were able to, with the amendments, get somebody to switch and vote with us to at least amend it,” he said.

Other opinions

Board Treasurer Michelle Bettger voted against LeBlanc’s motion to repeal the policy, then in favor of his motion to accept the amended policy. She was the only board member who voted differently on the two motions.

“I’m a proponent of teaching sex ed in the schools because I don’t believe that it is being taught at home in some households,” she said. “I did not want to repeal the policy so that if the state standards change, it would just be an easy transition into us going back to teaching it.”

Bettger said she voted in favor of the amended policy because the board had discussed the issue several times and had reached no decision.

“If opting in was going to get movement and get it taken care of, it wasn’t that big (of) a difference to me,” she said.

In addition, Bettger said letting families opt in is good because it gives parents the chance to be 100% sure what their child is going to be learning.

President Susan Browne, on the other hand, was not in support of the opt-in policy.

“Not all students bring home their Wednesday folders at the elementary level. Parent communications home at the middle school and the high school level is really hard,” she said.

She added that some students won’t learn sexual education at all if it’s not taught in schools.

“Unfortunately, in this day and age, parents aren’t always receptive to teaching sex education to their students,” she said. “It doesn’t always come from the parents. It doesn’t always come from their religious background. And there are some students that are just going to get that training from school.”

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Art in the Park rescheduled

The city of Brighton rescheduled its annual Art in the Park festival to Saturday, Oct. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Carmichael Park,650 Southern St. The new date was necessary because of bad weather earlier this month.

This one-day festival will give attendees the opportunity to meet with local, regional, and international artists showcasing their work, enjoy live music, watch artist demonstrations and entertain children with interactive art activities. In addition, food will be available for purchase through food trucks in attendance. The festival is free to the public.

Brighton adds new ChargePoint stations

The City of Brighton announced it was opening three new charging stations for electric vehicles.

The stations are at the Brighton Recreation Center at 555 N. 11th Ave. Eagle View Adult Center at 1150 Prairie Center Parkway. and Platte Valley Medical Center at 1610 Prairie Center Parkway.

The first hour of charging is free at each location. The locations have two stalls and two charging stations each that operate much like a parking meter, with a $2-perhour charging rate after the first hour.

For other ChargePoint station locations, visit https:// uk.chargepoint.com/charge_point. For more information, please contact Assistant Director of Public Works Chris Montoya at cmon-

toya@brightonco.gov.

DA to host town hall

Brian Mason the distrct attorney for the 17th Judicial District, will host a town hall from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, at the Thornton Active Adult Center, 11181 Colorado Blvd.

Call 303-659-7720.

Armory Performing Arts Center concerts

The city of Brighton announced its lineup for concerts at the Armory Performing Arts Center, 300 Strong St.

Oct. 29: Yesterday, The Beatles Tribute, at 7 p.m.

Nov. 18: The Long Run, performs its annual “Alter Eagles” set at 8 p.m.

Nov. 19: The Long Run, Colorado’s tribute to the Eagles, at 8 p.m.

Tickets are available at brightonarmory.org. Contact Gary Montoya, events and downtown initiative manager, at gmontoya@ brightonco.gov.

Car registration now open for Car-nival Palooza 2022

In preparation for the annual trunk-or-treat event Car-nival Palooza, the Brighton Recreation Center has opened registration for cars to participate in the event.

Car-nival Palooza is scheduled for 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, from 4:30-7:30 p.m. at the Brighton Recreation Center parking lot (555 N. 11th Ave.).

Cars are decked out for the Halloween event and participants will be handing out candy to kids.

Participants must bring their own candy to give away during the event.

If you’d like to participate, register at www.brightonco.gov/regis-

termycar before Oct, 26.

If you have questions, please contact Katy French, Youth Recreation Coordinator, at 303-655-2209 or kfrench@brightonco.gov.

Team of builders gives gift to a woman living with multiple sclerosis

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Christina Mansfield was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in her twenties. She lived an independent life and was able to until her symptoms worsened in 2021. That changed her life, putting her into a wheelchair.

Now a group of volunteer builders from Brighton has changed her life again, making her home on Brighton’s Cade Street more wheelchair friendly.

“I’m so grateful, I have an accessible bathroom. If I want to get up and go take a shower, my husband doesn’t have to come up and help me,” Mansfield said.

A team of volunteers from the Home Builders Foundation installed an entrance ramp onto her home and modified her bathroom. Mansfield’s family hosted a celebration dedication on September 28 for the crew, volunteers, donors and contributors for giving Christina the gift of independence.

“I feel blessed and grateful for the Homes Builders Foundation that went above and beyond. I’m happy that the MS Society are the ones who told me about this,” Christina said. “They told me to reach out to them and see if they can help out, I filled out the forms and got a call in February 2022. They were going to do the project.”

Christina said being in her wheelchair was difficult at home due to the layout of her house. She depended on

her family and husband Steve to lift her to take a shower or bath. She had to spend most of her life upstairs in the bedroom until they built a stair lift, but she couldn’t use the bathroom without help.

That’s no longer the case.

“I’m excited for her, and these guys went above and beyond to modify this bathroom. Transferring her to an accessible and functional bathroom. It makes me feel good she is safe,” said husband Steve Mansfield.

KB Homes oversaw the modifications of Christina’s home, and Home Builders Foundation, a non-profit, works with the clients as the applications come in. They send a team to assess the project and work with the homeowner to figure out the best option to complete the project.

The builders donate the supplies and labor to renovate at no charge.

Brian Johnson, the Homes Builder Foundation Program Director, was in charge of everything that has to

E AGLE VIEW A DULT C ENTER

1150 Prairie Center Parkway • Brighton, CO 80601 • 303-655-2075 • www.brightonco.gov

Eagle View Adult Center Update –Oct 5 - 12 , 2022

Eagle View Adult Center is open Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call 303-655-2075 for more information. e September & October Newsletter is available.

Cards, Games and Pool

If you like to play games like bridge, pinochle, dominos, scrabble and pool… Eagle View is the place to get connected. Check out the newsletter for playing times.

VOA Lunch

A hot, nutritious lunch is provided by Volunteers of America, Mondays and ursdays at 11:30 a.m.

Please reserve your VOA meal in advance: For Mondays reserve the ursday before, for ursdays reserve the Monday before.! Call Eleanor at 303-655-2271 between 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Mon. & urs.

Daily meal donations are appreciated. $2.50 Donation per meal if age 60+ $8.50 Mandatory charge if under 60 Flu Shots

Platte Valley Medical Center will be here to give annual u shots. No appointment necessary. For more information, call 303-498-3590. 8:00 - 11:00 a.m. urs. Oct 6

Getting Ready for Medicare Enrollment is is your chance to learn all about what’s new for 2023 Medicare. Check your Medicare plan to be sure your drugs and medical needs are still appropriately covered. Our Medicare information series will continue in November. 1:30 p.m. Mon. Oct 10 Free Deadline: Fri. Oct 7

Feathered Friends: Barred Owl

As Halloween approaches, our guest will be a barred owl, a.k.a., the “hoot owl”. ese adaptable and bold owls are found almost everywhere except the Rocky Mountains, because they like humid and/or hot weather! 1:00 p.m. Tues. Oct 11 $5 Deadline: Fri. Oct 7

Oil Painting

Instructor Mary Martin welcomes all levels of artists. Veteran painters work on their choice of paintings. Beginners learn basic skills. Participants will bring their own supplies and projects to work on. Tell us at registration if you are a beginner and you will receive a supply list. 1:00 - 3:30 p.m. Fridays Oct 7 - 28 $20 (4 wks) Deadline: Wed. Oct 5

To Schedule a Virtual Tour or

more info call Nellie at:

303-659-4148

mark provided the countertops, Dal tile provided the tiles and ARK Plumbing did all the plumbing, put in the shower valves for the trimmers, and put in the sinks, faucets, and shower pan. They moved a lot of plumbing around to put in a new shower, Christina said.

KB homes put together trusted trades to partner with them to provide the modifications Christina requested.

ing in the capital. The projects they complete for the disabled are free to the homeowner.

“We work really close with the Multiple Sclerosis society and welcome anyone to apply on our HBFdenver. org. So, if you are struggling with a disability give us a call,” Johnson said. “It was awesome hearing Christina talk about this life-changing impact it had.”

The team of builders widened doorframes and installed a roll-in shower and accessible sinks and cabinets. Fortress Framing designed plans to install a back ramp so Christina could roll out of her house down the ramp onto her backyard patio to visit with family and friends as well as an emergency exit.

The Colorado Floor Company installed the floor tile, wall tile, and countertops in the bathroom. Hall-

“Being able to support our residents was important for me; this is my first time with KB homes partnership with Home Builders Foundation- it’s been huge,” said Udie Ruiz, of KB Homes. “I’m honored to be able to work with our suppliers who are willing to give their time as well as their materialsis truly amazing. And Christina has her independence!”

For those who are disabled and need assistance with a remodel contact the nonprofit Home Builders Foundation at www.hbfdenver.org For application assistance visit, https://hbfdenver. org/apply-for-assistance/

PROJECT DONORS

This is a list of the companies that participated in Christina Mansfield’s project.

KB Home (Project Captain), A.R.K Plumbing Inc., The Colorado Floor Company, Inc., Fortress Framing Inc., MRW Interior Carpentry Inc., The Elite Paint Co., Inc., H.A.S. Drywall Inc., All Pro Electric Inc., Interior Logic Group, Galleria Lighting, Hallmark Building Supplies, Moen, Dal Tile and Timberlake Cabinetry.

Christina Mansfield with KB Homes and Home Builders Foundation.

PHOTO BY BELEN WARD

SCOOTERS

In crowded Denver, the scooters people often see are the shared ones, which are accessible via cell phone applications and run slower than most car traffic. Lyft scooters, for example, go up to 15 mph, according to the company’s website.

The shared scooters recently spread to more suburban cities. Here’s a look at where they’re allowed, where they aren’t and what the rules are.

Right path

Denver’s ordinances, or city laws, say it’s unlawful to ride an electric scooter on a sidewalk at more than 6 mph.

Riding an electric scooter on sidewalks is unlawful except when preparing to park, or when the rider has just mounted and has not yet crossed a street or alley, or where the sidewalk is part of a designated bicycle route, Denver’s city law says.

In Denver, the scooter system has been automatically slowing down and stopping scooters on the 16th Street Mall and slowing them down near Coors Field during Rockies games when many pedestrians are around, Lacayo said.

An online map of scooter use in Denver, referred to by Lacayo, shows the rides are most concentrated in the downtown, central and northwest Denver areas — and some highly trafficked paths stretch close to Lakewood and Wheat Ridge.

Riders in Denver have traveled roughly 11 million miles, according

to the city, which estimates the ridership removed millions of driving trips from Denver’s busiest streets and neighborhoods since 2018.

No program in Lakewood

Shared scooters first appeared on a large scale in the City of Denver in May 2018 without authorization from the city’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure to operate, according to Lacayo.

Shortly after, the department ordered scooter operators to suspend their operations while the city developed a permitting process. Denver’s permit program launched in July 2018 to guide how the scooters

can be used in the city, Lacayo said.

Nearby, shared scooters are only permitted in some Denver suburbs, but that doesn’t stop them from sometimes ending up where they shouldn’t be.

“Electric scooters and bikes end up in Sheridan mostly by the bus stops or in River Point,” an outdoor mall, Sheridan spokesperson Amy Woodward said.

Sheridan does not have a shared scooter program and does not have any ordinances or regulations surrounding the use of them, Woodward said.

Before Lakewood had enacted any regulations, some shared scooters

were deployed in Lakewood in 2018, according to that city.

“We have a pretty good relationship with most companies, and we call to have devices removed when we notice them in Lakewood,” said Stacie Oulton, Lakewood spokesperson.

No licensed scooter companies currently operate in Lakewood, so “personal scooters are mostly what you see in Lakewood,” Oulton said.

Lakewood has required companies to get a license and comply with regulations since 2019, but no company so far has decided to apply for a license, according to Oulton.

“In Lakewood, bicycles are allowed on sidewalks and paths, so scooters are also allowed (in those places),” Oulton said. “They can also ride in bike lanes or streets — just like a bike. In locations we don’t want scooters or bikes, we would install signs with the restriction.”

Scooters leave Littleton, Aurora

In the south metro area, Littleton started a partnership with Bird, another shared scooter company — but the “pilot,” or test, program recently ended.

“The one-year Bird Pilot Program began in August 2021 to explore whether dockless e-scooters could provide ‘micromobility’ — an additional mode of travel for Littleton residents to replace short vehicle trips, especially in the downtown (Littleton) neighborhood,” a statement from the city said.

Bird’s local fleet manager, tasked with collecting, charging and

Mayor Greg Mills taking a ride on the new Bird Scooter at Carmichael Park.

PHOTO BY BELEN WARD

SCOOTERS

FROM PAGE

servicing the scooters, appears to have stopped doing so in mid-June, leaving many scooters with dead batteries and “therefore impossible to locate remotely,” the statement said.

Littleton city officials have asked for the public’s help tracking down missing scooters. Those who find a scooter should email traffic@little tongov.org with the location, the statement said.

The pilot program was scheduled to end Aug. 18, but Bird decided to end the program in late July, the statement said.

“Arapahoe County will be conduct ing a county-wide transit and micro mobility study in the near future, with Littleton as a partner agency,” the statement added. “Future micro mobility programs in Littleton will wait until the study is complete.”

Bird also shut down its scooter operations in Aurora effective Aug. 11, according to Aurora’s website.

No shared mobility devices are currently available in Aurora, but licenses remain available for new companies to apply, Aurora’s web site adds.

Arvada ties program near RTD line

Northwest of Denver, the City of Arvada approved a pilot program for electric scooters in 2021 and has a contract with Bird for electric scooters to be used within a onemile radius of the RTD G rail line. Arvada’s program with Bird began

in January.

“The e-scooters are set to slow down once they get to the boundary line until they fully stop and are no longer operable,” said Katie Patter son, an Arvada spokesperson. “The e-scooters begin chirping and the rider’s phone will receive a notifica tion that they are outside the operat ing area and redirect them back to where they are usable.”

Before moving forward with the program, the city underwent a research process with the Arvada Transportation Advisory Commit tee in 2019, followed by community meetings in 2020 and 2021, Patterson said.

Micromobility devices are not allowed on narrow sidewalks and riders should use the devices in the street and on designated bike lanes, similar to personal bicycles, accord ing to Patterson.

The devices are allowed on City of Arvada trails, and users are respon sible for following trail rules includ ing giving audible signals when passing slower traffic, Patterson added.

In one notable recent scooter incident, a 10-year-old boy was killed in a traffic accident Sept. 17 on Candelas Parkway. The boy — an Arvada resident — was riding an electric scooter when he was struck by a Toyota Prius. The driver of the Toyota, identified only as a “male driver,” was cooperating with the investigation, according to the Arvada Police Department. The driver stayed on the scene as officers responded.

The scooter the boy was riding was store bought and privately

owned, not a ride-sharing vehicle.

To the city’s knowledge, no in juries or deaths related to shared electric scooters have occurred in Arvada since the scooters began cir culating in Arvada, Patterson said.

Thornton adds scooters

North of Denver, a one-year pilot program for shared scooters began in Thornton on July 1.

“Electric scooters are to be ridden on streets with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less, in bike lanes, trails and shared use paths,” said Kent Moorman, a transportation engineer for the City of Thornton.

The maximum speed under Colorado’s Model Traffic Code, incorporated into the Thornton City Code, for this class of vehicle is 20 mph, according to Moorman.

The scooters will bring some amount of tax revenue to Thornton, but numbers are unclear so far.

“Scooter companies are required to have a Thornton general busi ness and sales tax license.We collect sales tax only,” Moorman said. “As this program just started July 1, we do not yet have revenue numbers for the city from electric scooters.”

Under Arvada’s mobility pro gram, companies “must pay a yearly permit renewal fee of $5,000 based on Arvada staff time dedicated to management, oversight, commu nications, enforcement, and educa tion (regarding) the program,” an Arvada regulations document says.

Denver apparently doesn’t collect revenue from its scooter program.

Lacayo, with the Denver transpor tation department, said no scooter companies paid Denver any type of

MID TERM ELECTIONS

license fee or other kind of pay ment, and thatDenver does not re ceive any sales tax revenue or other tax revenue related to the scooters.

Brighton OKs scooters

Farther northeast, Brighton city councilmembers decided in April that residents will get access to Bird scooters. A group of Brighton city officials and residents officially wel comed Bird scooters as legal trans portation June 30 during a news conference at city hall.

The city has established nine no-rides zones in the city along five streets: Baseline Road, Bridge Street, Bromley Lane, Sable Boule vard and South 50th Avenue. The scooters will not operate on several sections of those streets.

Others without scooters

Commerce City does not have agreements for any electric scooter companies to operate within the city’s boundaries, according to city spokesperson Travis Huntington.

Nearby, Westminster also doesn’t allow for shared electric scooters, according to city spokesperson Andy Le.

The Jefferson County suburb of Wheat Ridge does not have a scooter program, said Amanda Harrison, spokesperson for that city.

“We’d be interested in learning more if a vendor reached out, but that hasn’t happened yet,” Harrison said.

Down south in Arapahoe County, Englewood did not respond for com ment by press time about whether it has policies regarding shared electric scooters.

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REMEMBERED

FROM PAGE 1

“That was a serious deal, and I had to decide who was going to be in charge,” Southard said. “I tabbed Frank, and he managed to steer the department through a difficult time. That’s the kind of man he was.”

The other theme of the service was Acosta’s sense of humor, sometimes at inappropriate times. Dominico said Acosta had a “larger-than-life” personality and a “knack for lighting the mood.” That was true during a recent command staff meeting at the police department.

“We were out of hand, led mostly by Frank,” Dominco said. “Several members of the DA’s office were there too and laughing hard as well. Once our guests left, I stood up and said that we needed to be more professional, especially when we have visitors.

“Frank was the large part of this discussion,” Dominico continued. “After I finished, Frank stood up and said, ‘Yeah, you guys.’ That was my last effort at making those meetings more strict.”

The department changed its annual awards program so that family and children could attend the picnic-style event. Each member of the command staff presented awards after reading prewritten nomination forms, including Acosta.

“He read a graphic nomination from a particularly heinous sex crime,” Dominico said. “I’m sure the parents answered a lot of sensitive questions from their kids about what they heard. When Frank realized what he’d read and his audience, he said – without missing a

SEE REMEMBERED, P11

.com

Badges, boxing and barbecue: A display of medals, memorabilia and family photographs help illustrate the life and career of Brighton police Cmdr. Frank Acosta outside of his funeral Sept. 29 at Orchard Church.

A display meant to help illustrate the life and career of Brighton police Cmdr. Frank Acosta includes the various badges he wore during his career.

Adams County Sheri ’s Deputy and piper Tim Lambert stands with Brighton police Cmdr. Frank Acosta’s casket Sept. 29 at Orchard Church.

PHOTOS BY SCOTT TAYLOR

REMEMBERED

FROM PAGE

beat – ‘I’m not the one who wrote it. I’m just reading it.’

“It got to a point where we had to is sue a warning when he was speaking at a public event,” Dominico added.

Southard and Acosta worked secu rity during the Democratic National Convention in 2008.

“We’d been on this for six days. We were a little punchy,” Southard said. “Frank drove us home. We took some side streets, and he wound up driving

the wrong way down Eighth Avenue. We laughed about it the entire time. We laughed about it afterward. This is what he brought to the table.”

Acosta earned a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Regis University and a bachelor’s degree in management from National Ameri can University.

“He was able to create a special relationship with everyone he knew,” Dominico said. “I’ve had a chance to reflect about Frank and what he meant. He was sure to make your day better. When people from other city departments came by, one of their first stops was Frank’s office.”

“He’d want us to learn from his mis takes,” said the Rev. T.J. Roberts. “He’d want us to be OK after his passing. He is sending us love from the other side.”

At the conclusion of the hour-long service, the Brighton Police Depart ment honor guard removed the flag from Acosta’s casket and presented it to his family. Survivors include his parents, Toney and Cleo; his wife, Kandy; a sister, Laura; children, Timothy and Michelle; grandchildren, Isaih, Jeremiah, Grace and Caleb; and nephew and niece, Tyler and Katelyn.

In reading from a family eulogy, Roberts said Acosta was with the

angels “and I’m sure, you’re a boss of the angels.”

“We were so incredibly lucky for your love, your kindness, for making the most out of life,” Roberts read from the eulogy. “You will be missed dearly every day.”

“We shared laughs. We shared much heartache. But he always remained grounded,” Southard said. “This was a man who gave his all. He was definitely a person who could light up a room.”

“Frank’s importance to the city is clear,” Dominico said. “Frank loved his family fiercely. Each one of us is better for having known him.”

IRS AUCTION PRECIOUS METALS

Sale Date: 10/19/22

Sale Time: 11:00 a.m.

Registration and Viewing at 9:00-11:00a.m.

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7- Gold Bars 10oz. each; 150 South African American Krugerrands, 1 oz. each, 80- Buffalo Silver rounds, 80- other Silver rounds 1 oz. each. Minimum Bid: for unidentifiable will be set for 80% and 95% of the spot price per troy ounce as of the day preceding the sale for identifiable coins.

Mail in bids are not accepted For more info visit our website at www.irsauctions.gov

Contact: Kelila Callahan @ 925-260-4087

The Hearing Place provides Spanish speaking care

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A chain of northern Colorado hearing and audiology doctors will likely sound a little better to its Spanish speaking customers with the addition of new audiologist Dr. Mariela Chavira,

Chavira will join The Hearing Place at two of its six locations, Fort Lupton and Greeley.

“We know first-hand that Dr. Chavira would have made a valuable addition to The Hearing Place even without her Spanish fluency,” said Dr. Brittany Mathisen, Audiologist and Owner of The Hearing Place. “But as a growing practice with six locations, we also consider hiring her a valuable step

toward the inclusivity we aspire to help shape throughout the Northern Colorado community.”

Chavira, a Greeley native and first-generation Mexican American with Spanishspeaking fluency, will be working full-time as an Audiologist providing care in English and Spanish for patients seeking Comprehensive Hearing Evaluations, Customized Hearing Improvement Plans, and other services.

Chavira graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley with a Bachelor of Science in Audiology and SpeechLanguage Sciences and her Doctorate of Audiology. She also completed an internship in a school district, identifying and interven-

ing in hearing loss with school children. She worked at a second internship with The Hearing Place, a one-year externship at an Ear, Nose, and Throat clinic working with a team of Otolaryngologists performing comprehensive audiological and vestibular evaluations, hearing aid evaluations, and hearing aid fittings, according to the Hearing Place officials,

In 2019, Dr. Chavira worked in the field at a sugar mill in Guatemala, helping to prevent hearing loss by performing hearing and hearing protector fit testing for industrial workers.

“It is never the wrong time to gain knowledge and take the first steps to better hearing and quality of life,” Chavira said.

Kaylor gets 2% raise from RE-8 board

LeBlanc balks at contract, saying budget deficits leaves no room for raises

BY NINA JOSS SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Weld RE-8 Superintendent Alan Kaylor will get a two percent raise in his new contract, the district Board of Education agreed Sept. 22.

The RE-8 board approved the new contract for Superintendent Alan Kaylor during its regular meeting. It applies to Kaylor’s current

term, which began August 1 and runs through July 31, 2023. Kaylor’s contract is automatically renewed in the spring each year, with official approval by the board of education at a later date, he said.

According to the new contract, Kaylor’s annual salary is $173,400 — a two percent raise from his salary last year. Funding for professional growth opportunities and mileage reimbursement have not changed since Kaylor’s last contract.

The vote was 6-1, with Cody LeBlanc casting the dissenting vote.

Although he said Kaylor is “deserving of every penny that he makes,” LeBlanc said he could not

approve the contract because the board approved a budget in June with a large defi cit. LeBlanc said it’s the same reason he’s voted against every superintendent contract renewal and every budget since he joined the board in 2019.

“So my question becomes: We’re already in the negatives —why are we adding to that negative by providing a raise that we don’t have the funding for?” he said. “I voted no on the contract for that reason and that reason only.”

Benefits stay the same

The district will cover up to $3,500 annually for the cost of

professional growth opportunities, including membership fees in educational professional organizations, journal subscriptions and other costs that can be approved by the board of education. The contract provides mileage reimbursement of $2,000 per academic year.

Kaylor, who has been superintendent since 2016, said he is humbled and honored to continue in his role as superintendent.

“I love my kids. I want to make sure my kids have the very best — our kids, in this case, in Weld 8,” he said. “So I just consider it an honor to continue on in my role.”

go to www.att.com/speed101.

CROWSSUPDRO

ELZZ

Solution

TRIVIA

1. TELEVISION: Which TV cartoon show featured a Great Dane as part of the mysterysolving team?

2. MOVIES: Which 1970s movie’s tagline is, “You’ll never go in the water again”?

3. HISTORY: What was the nickname for American soldiers in WWI?

4. MEDICAL TERMS: What is dysphonia?

5. U.S. PRESIDENTS: How many state capitals are named after U.S. presidents?

6. ANATOMY: What part of the brain controls language and hearing?

7. PSYCHOLOGY: What is the fear represented in metathesiophobia?

8. GEOGRAPHY: How many countries are in the United Kingdom?

9. FOOD & DRINK: What are the two main ingredients in a meringue?

10. U.S. STATES: Which state is home to General Sherman, a sequoia more than 2,000 years old?

Answers

1. “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?”

2. “Jaws.”

3. Doughboys.

4. Having a hoarse or raspy voice.

5. Four (Jackson, Mississippi; Lincoln, Nebraska, Madison, Wisconsin, and Jefferson City, Missouri).

6. Temporal lobe.

7. Fear of change

8. Four: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

9. Egg whites and sugar.

10. California.

(c) 2022 King Features Synd., Inc.

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