MetroWest Advertiser 102722

Food for Hope volunteers understand their impact

Brighton schools lay out impacts without milllevy override

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Brighton’s school district says it needs money. So, come Tuesday, Nov. 8, voters will be asked to approve an increase of eight mills to provide for school safety, retention of teachers and something else.

The last time Brighton voters approved a mill-levy override was 2000.

Food charity that helps schools find demand is growing

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Emily Stromquist, the CEO of Food for Hope, understands that her group is not simply keeping bellies full.

Food for Hope provides meals for Adams County school students, including in-school food banks at numerous schools in the Adams 12 Five Star, 27J and Adams 14 districts as well as Westminster Public Schools. It also offers weekend food

bags and in-school snacks to help kids concentrate on their work.

Stromquist said when they started to serve an elementary school in the 27J school district and she learned of a fifth-grade boy who was having behavior issues in the classroom that staff could not figure out.

The boy came in and received a bag of food for his family.

Stromquist said he started crying and shared how hungry he was and how little food they had a home.

“It turned out the whole year he was hungry because he wasn’t receiving enough food. It was causing his behavior issue,” Stromquist said. “Sometimes signs of hunger can be hard to miss with children and sometimes parents too, it’s embarrassing for them to say any-

thing.”

Thornton’s ThornCreek Church, at 3853 E 120th Ave. started Food for Hope in 2014 as a separate nonprofit entity. The started with weekend bags to fill the gaps when the schools were not serving breakfast and lunch.

Then in 2019, they had the idea of starting a food bank in school. Northglenn High School was its first location, and it had a real need for food.

“Since then Food for Hope has placed food banks in Adams 12, 14 and 27J. We are also working with a Westminster school serving them through our Feed 5000 program,” Stromquist said. “We have a food

HOPE,

“We’ve pulled all the budgettrimming levers we have,” said 27J spokesperson Janelle Asmus. “There is no more nibbling around the edges that we can do to make ends meet. It’s that simple. It’s that dire. We are at the point where we are having to face cuts to things that will negatively impact students and families. But that’s where we are. There are no other options.”

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Debbie Sawatzky and Joann Maes with Murphy Company volunteered to separate boxes into bins organized by school location.

PHOTO BY BELEN WARD

A movement for midri and hats

Two Fort Lupton High School seniors advocate for dress code changes

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Earlier this fall, Fort Lupton High School senior Anisty Hernandez was sent to the principal’s office for wearing a shirt that showed about an inch of her midriff. According to her friend Victoria Ingino, Hernandez returned to class in tears.

The next day, the students went to the principal’s office again – this time, with a mission to change the dress code.

“We were very full of motivation because, for Anisty, this has been happening her whole time at high school. And when somebody gets dress-coded, it can discourage them,” Ingino said. “We really felt like it was important to do something about it.”

For about six weeks, Hernandez and Ingino have been advocating for two changes in their dress code. They are asking for the policy to allow students to wear hats and expose three inches of midriff.

Among other rules, the current district-wide dress code policy bans hats worn inside the building. In addition, students may not expose “traditionally private parts of the body including… the stomach.”

After garnering student and staff support, the students presented their requests to the RE-8 Board of Education, which will be voting on the proposed changes at its Oct. 27 meeting.

Following the process

When Hernandez and Ingino had their idea, they brought it to FLHS Principal Doug Gordon.

“The biggest part is that we wanted to go about this the right way,” Ingino said. “We didn’t want to just go outside and start rioting... So we took it to Mr. Gordon first.”

When the administration team realized the dress code rules were part of a district-wide policy and not within their own power to change, they laid out the steps for the girls to bring their request to the board.

First, Hernandez and Ingino circulated a petition. In two days, they gathered 248 student signatures and 21 staff signatures, according to the students. Gordon said all three members of administration signed the petition.

“Enforcing these two small parts of the dress code, which we don’t feel takes away from the learning environment or the safety in the building, it requires a lot of energy on our part,” Gordon said. “Sometimes it strains the relationships that we’re trying to build with these students.”

After the petition, Hernandez and Ingino crafted a presentation to make their case to the board of education.

“We couldn’t be more proud of the way… Victoria and Anisty carried this out, following the process and all that,” Gordon said.

“Teenagers sometimes don’t want to go through a six-week process to get an answer for something.”

Board member Michelle Bettger was also pleased with the way the students asked for changes.

“They did a nice presentation, they did the petition, they followed the procedures and so I was impressed by that,” she said.

Reasons for change

According to the students’ presentation, being “dress-coded” creates harmful effects on students’ self-esteem, body confidence and mental health.

“Students want to be comfortable with themselves, style is a way of expression and also boosts confidence,” Hernandez said in the presentation. “People don’t want to be targeted or alienated on a daily basis.”

Their presentation cited language from dress codes at nearby Weld Central High School and Brighton High School to defend their argument, as neither policy mentions midriffs and one doesn’t prohibit hats.

According to Ingino, only hats that keep identity clearly in view, such as baseball caps and beanies, are part of their request. The students would leave the prohibition of hoods for safety reasons.

Regarding the midriff request, the students said it’s often difficult to find shirts that comply with the dress code in junior sections at stores nowadays.

“A lot of women have to actually shop at the men’s section to find school-appropriate clothing,” Ingino said.

Discussion

In an interview with Colorado Community Media, board member Matthew Bovee said “torso exposure” may not be the most appropriate thing for school. He added that the same goes for business.

“I’m not in favor of relaxing the

dress code to show more skin,” he said at an Oct. 12 study session.

He also said he was concerned about the embarrassing situation that could arise from a teacher or administrator measuring midriff exposure length.

“I don’t really like the idea of someone taking a ruler to a young lady’s outfit,” he said in an interview with CCM.

But according to Hernandez, getting dress-coded can be uncomfortable as it is.

“Personally, I was told my shirt was distracting from a male teacher and it made me very uncomfortable,” she said.

During the Oct. 12 RE-8 study session, President Susan Browne said she would be okay with allowing hats but was not in favor of allowing midriff.

Bettger and Bovee said the vote should be “all or nothing” because it would be unfair to Hernandez and Ingino to only grant the hat request.

Ingino said she’s happy the board recognized how hard and respectfully she and Hernandez have worked for this cause, and she hopes they take a moment to see the issue from their eyes.

“I know that they’re not in our situation anymore, but they were. They were in high school, so… I really want them to try and see what we’re seeing,” she said.

The Oct, 27 board meeting will be open to the public in-person and via Zoom. Schedules and agendas for Weld RE-8 meetings can be found at https:// go.boarddocs.com/co/weld8/ Board.nsf/Private?open&login#.

Commerce City cuts taxes to boost support for 27J Schools

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The city of Commerce City announced a cut in its own taxes in the hopes city voters will approve an upcoming mill levy override proposal in 27J Schools.

The district is asking for a tax increase of eight mills. The cost, according to a release, is less than $1 a day on a $500,000 home. If approved, money goes to local schools.

The district hasn’t passed a mill levy override in more than 20 years.

“They are the lowest per-pupil funded school district in the area,”

Commerce City Mayor Benjamin Huseman said in a statement.

“They need more money to continue to provide a quality education for the children in this community.”

The statement said the district’s low funding situation means the district operates on about 80 percent of the budget that all other districts have. If approved, the increase would improve student safety by putting a safety officer at every school, pay teachers more so the district can hire and keep the best, and add more STEM/Career and tech ed teachers to high schools giving students job-ready skills.

If the proposal doesn’t pass, the statement said the district would have to make cuts to high-school and middle-school sports, school bus service and to extracurricular activities. There would also be an increase in class sizes.

The statement said Huseman told council it needs to do more than simply say it supports 5B, and he believes the council should support the schools with real action.

“If we, as a board, can offset those eight mills and cut [the tax rate increase] down to maybe three mills, or maybe 2 mills, then we have done our part,” he said. “By actually taking action, we can go out and tell the residents of this

community that are affected by this mill levy, we are doing our part to offset that mill levy so you’re not having to shoulder that cost all yourself.”

The statement said this is the first time 27J Superintendent Chris Fiedler has seen a city council take such action with such a sacrifice for students.

“The city council in Commerce City has really made a huge statement with its decision to reduce its own taxes so that neighborhood schools may be funded in a way they so desperately need,” Fiedler said.

The deadline for ballots to be dropped off is Tuesday, Nov. 8.

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New housing development for seniors breaks ground

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Eastman Properties completed its model home for residents that are 55-years-old and older and celebrated its grand opening on October 21 with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

The new project, The Courtyards at Lupton Village at 207 S Rollie Ave., is the first Colorado project from national homebuilders Epcon, a company that specializes in housing for 55+ buyers.

“After starting my real estate journey, I realized that the 55+ market has been tremendously under-served. I knew there had to be a way to capitalize on this market – and that’s when I found Epcon,” said David Krafsur, owner and managing member of Eastman Properties.

Krafur’s expert knowledge of the baby boomer demographic inspired him to build The Courtyards at Lupton Village, a 27-unit community. Its community is near downtown Fort Lupton, a recreation center, a golf course and a new library. The homes will have open floor plans, high ceilings, and room for entertaining.

“David’s unique engineering background and owning his own

OVERRIDE

The cost is $278 per year for a $500,000 home. If voters turn down the override, the district said it will cut middle- and highschool sports programs, though no specifics were available. Extracurricular programs across the district will be cut, as will school bus services. The district also said class sizes will increase next year.

“We are losing more staff than we ever have, and it’s largely due to pay,” Asmus said. “We cannot continue on this trajectory or we can’t continue to do business. If we don’t have enough teachers, we can’t educate students. We have to find a way to compete with other districts when it comes to paying our teachers a competitive wage. We have to do this no matter what. But making changes to be competitive will come at a cost of other programs and services.”

Asmus went onto say other employees, besides teachers, are leaving the district.

“We have a lot of moving parts in a large and growing school district. We rely on people to pay the bills, buy and service classroom technology, people to fix leaky toilets, people to drive our students to school and people to make a good lunch for kids,” Asmus said. “If these roles are performed, we can’t do our teaching job well because our learning environment won’t support our work. Not only do we compete with other districts for these types of staff, we’re competing with private

business make him an ideal Epcon Franchise Builder,” said Paul Hanson, president of Epcon Franchising. “We look forward to leveraging our experience and sharing our substantial knowledge with Eastman Properties to develop their Epcon communities.”

“I thought to myself, I want to do something that makes people happy, and what better way to do that than with beautiful homes with amenities that appeal specifically to the Fort Lupton demographic,” Krafsur said.

businesses and industries. We have positions that have gone unfilled for months, and some have

been vacant for years because we can’t attract candidates because of our pay.”

E AGLE VIEW A DULT C ENTER

Prairie Center Parkway • Brighton, CO

Eagle View Adult Center Update –Oct 26 -Nov 2 , 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 November & December 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 Colorado Ghost Stories

Ghosts, goblins, witches galore. Jack-o-Lantern light the door. Come sit a spell and hear the lore of ghastly apparitions, witches and more. Time Traveling with Jackie Smith will make you scream with delight; only if you’re there, you’ll be in for a fright! 1:30 p.m. urs. Oct 27 $4 Deadline: Tues. Oct 25

Taste of India: October Get hands-on in the kitchen making a delectable meal of paratha ( atbread), chicken curry, and rava kesari (pudding). Instructor: Akila Arumugam. 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Fri. Oct 28 $32 Deadline: Tues. Oct 25

Movie: Young Frankenstein is Mel Brooks classic comedy lm follows American physician Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) as he learns that he has inherited his infamous grandfather’s estate in Transylvania. Struggling to prove that his grandfather was not as insane as people believe, Dr. Frankenstein soon begins to recreate the experiments of reanimating a dead body. Rated PG. 1 hr/46min. Free, but please register. 1:00 p.m. Mon. Oct 31 Deadline: Fri. Oct 28

Ballots have to be turned in to the Adams County Clerk and Recorder’s Office by 7 p.m. Nov. 8.

PAID

Don’t overlook importance of cash

If you’re an investor, you no doubt pay a lot of attention to your stocks, bonds and mutual funds. But you shouldn’t forget another key element of your financial strategy: cash.

Cash can help you in several ways. First of all, it’s a good idea to have a few months’ worth of living expenses in cash to pay for unexpected expenses, such as a major home repair.

Also, cash can help you meet short-term savings goals, such as a wedding or a long vacation.

And of course, you’ll need a reasonable amount of cash to meet your everyday spending needs — your mortgage, groceries, and so on.

Finally, you can use some of the cash in your portfolio as part of a systematic strategy in which you place set amounts of money at regular intervals into investments that are appropriate for your goals.

Still, you don’t want to keep so much cash that you underfund your longer-term investments — the ones with the growth potential needed to help you reach your retirement goals.

Put your cash to work for you. By using it wisely, you can add a valuable element to your financial picture.

Lupton,

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

David Krafsur, with Epcon sta , builders, and Re/Maxx associates, are cutting the ribbon in front of the first model home.

PHOTO BY BELEN WARD

The community of Fort Lupton gathers to celebrate and tour the inside of the model home.

PHOTO BY BELEN WARD

Braving the haunted fields along Riverdale Road

Cheery Maize in the City shows its scary side after dark

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

It was a scene from a nightmare come true along the infamous Riverdale Road. A simple trip into the the woods is met by a zombie revving a chainsaw while scary dolls come to life, jumping up on the passing vehicle.

The Haunted Field of Screams is Colorado’s largest haunting attraction, built on 40-acres corn fields. It’s a mile-long journey along Riverdale Road that then veers off to walk through a corn maze with stops into haunted houses chased by a zombie apocalypse with monsters, ghosts, killer clowns and haunting scarecrows popping out from everywhere.

“Each year, we challenge ourselves to make the haunted attraction a more thrilling, memorable experience for our visitors,” said Mark Villano, co-owner of the Haunted Field of Screams. “We purposefully play on the natural elements of our site – the corn field, the woods, the moonlight – and use these elements to create a more realistic, daunting and bone-chilling scare.”

At night, the site is Haunted Field of Screams. With dawn, it transforms into the benigh Maize in the City attraction with family-friendly

activities. Families can participate with sand art, a barrel train, mini maize, a petting zoo, pony rides, and a pumpkin patch, including a market to buy Halloween merchandise, homemade salsas, jam, and pumpkins. There are backyard hay stacks for kids to play on, and families could take photos.

The Haunted Field of Screams and Maize in the City is family owned by Gina Palombo, Joe Palombo, and Mark Villano. Joe Palombo said this idea of the Haunted Field of Screams and Maize in the City chose them. They are a third-generation farming family.

“I was still in high school in 2000 when my dad planted some corn told me and my sister to get out there

and design a maze,” Palombo said. “It was up and running to see where it went. My sister and my mom ran it for the first couple of years and it kind of got bigger ever year with more people and attractions.”

In 2001 Palombo said the maize was not haunted. That didn’t deter customers who visited during the day from wanting to come back and walk through at night. They suggested it would be great if it had something to scare them.

That convinced the family operation to start adding some actors. The rest is history.

“It’s great to see how something like a family business can grow, especially from transforming something that a farmer makes into a dif-

ferent kind of business, a different kind of revenue stream,” said Joe’s wife, Christina Palombo.

Palombo’s brother Mark Villano and their Dad grow corn on the 40 acres. Their crops depend on the yearly conditions, how fast the corn dries whether or not they harvest it. But it is feed corn, and they harvest depending on when our Halloween season ends.

“My dad and brother are irrigated vegetable farmers they grow peppers, green tomatoes and lettuce and sell it commercially all year,” Palombo said.

They watch the weather daily and hourly; the farmer is very dependent on the weather, Palombo said, with farming and agriculture tourism, especially in October in Colorado.

“You get storms rolling through with hail and wind all kinds of conditions, a crop can be wiped out in an afternoon, it’s nerve racking, but it’s nice coming in December we don’t have worry about it anymore, “ Palombo said.

The Haunted Field of Screams is open September 30 through October 31, Friday through Sunday nights, Thursday, October 20, Thursday, October 27, and Monday, October 31. Visit hauntedfieldofscreams.com for the full schedule.

Haunted Field of Screams and Maize in the City is located at 10451 McKay Road, Thornton.

Families, friends, and kids can wear costumes and play on the haystacks at Palombo Farms Field of Screams.

PHOTO BY BELEN WARD

New library responsibilities to be determined in agreement

City of Fort Lupton and Weld RE-8 School District to negotiate

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

As the Fort Lupton Public and School Library builds a second facility, some details about its operations remain to be solidified. Who will provide the facility’s janitorial services? Who will plow the snow?

Currently, a 2014 intergovernmental agreement between the City of Fort Lupton and the Weld RE-8 school district outlines obligations for managing the joint library. The city and school district will soon make adjustments to their IGA to reflect responsibilities for the institution in its new form.

The current library is located in Fort Lupton High School, but a new facility is being built at 370 S. Rollie Ave. in order to better serve the community.

At its current location, library maintenance, custodial care and utilities are responsibilities of the school district, according to the IGA.

Assuming responsibilities

“The main purpose of redrafting the IGA is to have the library assume those responsibilities with the new facility so that the school board isn’t responsible for plowing our

snow or janitorial services when it’s not inside of their building,” Library Director Thomas Samblanet said.

In addition to adjusted operations, the library board of trustees wants the updated IGA to include their board as a signee.The school district and city do not plan to include them as an official signee on the agreement.The library board proposed an updated version of the IGA with this change, which would formalize their involvement in operations and decisions as the institution evolves.

“Because we are a joint library, because we are a board of trustees, I feel like we should be a part of the discussion,” a library board member said at an Oct. 12 RE-8 study session. “The IGA is about how the library operates, which is in the purview of the library board.”

In an interview with CCM, Weld RE-8 Superintendent Alan Kaylor said that both attorneys for the city and the school district said the library could not enter into an IGA because it is not a governmental entity.

According to Fort Lupton City Administrator Chris Cross, the current IGA tasks the library board with assisting in adoption and implementation of operating policies and procedures to manage the library. He thinks this advisory role will remain in the updated version.

“They can provide local input and help make the library better,”

he said.

During the study session, a library board member advocating for the three-party IGA said the library board was a signee on the 2006 version of the IGA.

Samblanet told CCM he has heard varying legal opinions in regards to the exact limits of governance of a library board. He said this situation is “one of the most confusing situations” he has ever stepped into.

“The thing I want the most at the end of the day is for everyone

involved… in this decision-making process to understand just how complicated and nuanced this is,” he said. “I think all the voices in the room have something that are worth contributing, and I really hope that everyone would be willing to listen to each other’s ideas through this negotiation process.”

According to Cross, the city and school board will make final decisions on updates to the IGA.

Samblanet said there will be several steps of drafting and negotiation before an IGA is finalized.

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An illustration of what the new library facility will look like when completed. COURTESY

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bank in the Pinnacle Charter School, a K-12 which does not fall into any of those school districts but has a high percentage of need.”

The newest program is the Fuel Snack program, or School Fuel.

“With the Fuel snack program, the school receives the snacks and works with teachers, counselors, and the school nurse, so when they see signs of hunger, they give the students snacks to get through the day, said Emily Stromquist, Food for Hope executive director.

Besides the Fuel snack program, Food for Hope offers two other programs through the Feed 5000 program: Volunteers regularly pack up Thanksgiving boxes for needy families and pack weekend nutrition bags that go to specific children registered with the schools.

They buy most of the food they give out from Food Bank of the Rockies, but supplement from local sources as well. The goal is to find healthy meals, according to Darcie Castigliano-Ball, Food for Hope development director.

“We also receive a donation from some businesses and individuals with food drives, but most of the food comes from Costco. We set high standards for our food, with low

Our Family Helping Your Family

sugar, low salt, and healthy items that are high in protein,” Castigliano-Ball said.

ThornCreek Church in Thornton gave Food for Hope another room to build the food bank program. They needed a place to store food and sort food that specifically went to each location. Its expanded room also has a fridge and a freezer to store milk, meats, and produce.

“The church is gracious enough

BY BELEN WARD

to share split space with us,” Stromquist said. “We are paying three times as much for the same thing as you were paying last year, so we’re having to make those decisions, and this space and owning a delivery truck saves us money to buy more food.”

Preparations

A community of volunteers comes in on Mondays every week to help

Food for Hope prep all the food for the week, and then it goes out on Thursday into the communities. The volunteers also help to distribute to food banks in the schools. They receive new food every Monday.

“We are thankful to the community to jump in and support to what we’re doing,” Stromquist said.

Food for Hope has staff members who keep track of all the schools’ food on the shelves while also getting to know each community, school, and culture. Some populations do not eat brown rice, so the food bank learned what types of food to distribute to each location based on its culture.

Stromquist said the communities they serve have a high population of Hispanics and a refugee population, so the food bank is culturally adaptable to their culture to ensure its custom.

“Every food bank is custom for that community so we are a little bit different than a standard Food Bank and serves a particular school or a particular district,” she said.

Catering to taste

At the Adams 14 food bank, for example, the volunteers have learned that the community doesn’t like cucumbers, but they like zucchini. Similarly, Ukrainian refugees in Brighton have particular cultural

AVINA Joseph “Ralph” Avina

Joseph “Ralph” Avina, age 99 died Tuesday October 18, 2022, peacefully at his home in Aurora surrounded by loved ones. He was a beautiful person who spread joy and happiness wherever he went and to whomever he met.

Joseph was born May 10,1923 to Jose and Rose (Tarin) Avina in Punta de Aqua, N.M. He was the second of eight siblings. He and his family grew up in Wattenberg, CO.

Joseph was a great family-oriented man. On May 18, 1941, he married Ramona (Garcia) Avina and together they had 5 children. ey were happily married for 81 years.

He joined the U.S. Army in 1943 and served in the 2nd Armored Division during World War II. is division played important roles in the invasion of Germany under Colonel George S. Patton. He was a Brigade Tank driver in Normandy’s ‘’Hell on Wheels” and the Rhineland region and believed that was what saved his life. He was the recipient of four distinguished medals, one being the Gold Conduct Medal, recognized for honorable service and given on a selective basis. It exempli es honor, conduct, e ciency, and delity. Words he valued and lived by throughout his life and instilled in his family. He was discharged in 1945, and immediately began working at Rocky Mountain National Arsenal. He was instrumental in

implementing the Equal Employment Opportunity rights at the Arsenal. He remained Manager of this division until he retired in November 1978 at 55 years old.

Joseph enjoyed reading, dancing, camping, and shing but took the most pride in spending time with family. He spent the rest of his retired life enjoying quality time with them, which he loved and cherished every moment.

Joseph is preceded in death by his parents, seven siblings, son Kenneth Avina and daughter Diane Morales.

Joseph is survived by his wife, Ramona Avina; daughter, Christine and Alfred (Vialpando); daughter, Kathleen “Kitty” and Tony (Abeyta); daughter Joyce Sandoval; 9 grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren, 8 great, great, grandchildren and one on the way.

Funeral Services will be held at 10am Wednesday, October 26,2022 at St. Augustine’s Catholic Church in Brighton, CO. Burial will take place at Fairmont Burial Gardens followed by a reception at the church rectory. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Tabor-Rice Funeral Home.

“ ose we love don’t go away; they walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard, but always near still loved, still missed and very dear.”

Stacy Duncan and Kaitlyn Duncan volunteer counting items for tracking to be distributed to the food banks in the schools.

10, 1923 - October 18, 2022

food choices as do the South American refugee families in Commerce City and the Afghan refugees in Thornton.

It’s been hard-won knowledge. Their original Thanksgiving donations used to include the typical Thanksgiving meal with all the sides. Stromquist said one Ukrainian mom at a food bank said she tried to make the turkey and it did not go well, confusing her husband and her family.

“We realized four years ago not everyone eats turkey. So now we give out a gift card now, versus a turkey,” Stromquist said.

“We find a way to help them have a holiday meal at home that’s meaningful to their culture and meet their needs. We started doing gift cards so they could purchase meat and produce and get what they want,” she said.

After COVID

Stromquist said the staff is seeing more than 1,200 people per month – a significant increase from last year. During COVID, students were receiving free and reduced lunch and the food bank’s help was not as important. But now that the COVID programs are going away, families have to enroll in these programs, which often come with income restrictions. People who make slightly more money than their neighbors might find they no longer qualify for free lunch

programs.

“These families don’t make enough money, with housing costs,” Stromquist said. “They are still struggling to feed their kids. We see a lot of those families in our

food banks, because their kids can’t get a free breakfast and reduced lunch at school. So the families try to feed their kids before they go to school and some families can’t send snacks with their kids to school.”

Stromquist said with the housing crisis, Adams 12 district typically has 15 to 20 homeless families volunteers help during the school year. Now, however, that number is over 100. These kids are homeless, sleeping on a friend’s couch, in a car, in a hotel room, or in a different hotel room every night, she said.

“The kids are expected to go to school, and perform, do their homework and just be attentive. It makes it hard for them,” she said.

Thanksgiving work underway

Food for Hope is now starting its holiday program Feed 5000 Thanksgiving Box program, a separate event. They distribute boxes to the school locations the week of November 14.

“We ask our communities to help support families, so every box will help a family from up to four to six. There is $30 donation and they have sponsorships for businesses that can come in an sponsor up to 100 boxes or 250 boxes, whatever they want to contribute for the different levels,” Castigliano-Ball said.

According to Food for Hope’s 2021-2022 annual report, the nonprofit delivered 10,890 weekend food bags and provided 92,397 School Fuel snacks. Feed 5000 distributed 2,000 Thanksgiving boxes across Adams County and provided 36,000 pounds of food to the in-school food banks.

To donate, visit: http://foodforhope.net or call Reba Mackintosh at 303-434-7498 or email reba@ foodforhope.net.

PHOTO BY BELEN WARD

Come

for

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Fifth Sunday sing

Brighton United Methodist Church will host its Fifth Sunday Sing at 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30, at 625 S. Eighth Ave. Call 303-659-2022.

Donate old cell phones

The Commerce City-Brighton Victim Services Unit wants to put used cell phones into the hands of a crime victim who may need it in an emergency. The VSU is collecting used mobile phones and chargers in donation bins at city facilities through the end of the month.

All mobile phones sold in the United States can call 911 in an emergency, even without service from a carrier. Secure the Call, a nonprofit partner organization, wipes the donated phones of all personal information, returns them to factory settings and distributes them to victims of domestic violence, seniors and other at-risk individuals for use in emergencies.

Donation bins are available at Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Ave., Eagle Pointe Recreation Center, 6060 Parkway Drive, and Commerce City Civic Center,

7887 E. 60th Ave.

Visit https://www.c3gov.com/living-in/public-safety/contact-policedepartment/victim-services.

Dia de los Muertos art sought for The Armory

The Art at The Armory annual Dia de los Muertos exhibit seeks local artists to join a show that runs through Nov. 16 at The Armory Performing Arts Center, 300 Strong St. This exhibit is a collaboration with the Chicano Humanities & Arts Council with support from the Brighton Cultural Arts Commission. The Armory will host a reception Friday, Oct. 28, featuring entertainment and refreshments. If you have questions, contact Armory House Coordinator Marcus Garcia at 303-655-2140.

Get inspired at Eagle View’s Annual Craft Fair

See the work of dozens of local artisans at Eagle View Adult Center’s Annual Craft Fair on Saturday, November 5 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1150 Prairie Center Parkway.

Forty-nine vendors will be present to sell homemade crafts to event attendees. The annual craft fair has been a community favorite event, featuring local artisans and bringing Brighton citizens together to appreciate creative talent and get an early start on holiday shopping. Bake sale goods, breakfast burritos and lunch items will be available for purchase.

For the fourth year, Brightonbased United Power donated $1,000 to help with event expenses. All proceeds will go toward Eagle View Adult Center’s operating costs.For more information, contact the Eagle View at 303-655-2075.

Armory Performing Arts concerts

Brighton’s lineup for concerts at the Armory Performing Arts Center, 300 Strong St. continues through November.

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

Nov. 18: The Long Run, performs its “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. Carnival Palooza is scheduled for 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, 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/registermycar before Oct. 26.

If you have questions, contact Katy French, youth recreation coordinator, at 303-655-2209 or kfrench@ brightonco.gov.

HolidayContest

is your favorite Holiday recipe?

Solution

TRIVIA

1. MYTHOLOGY: What are the Nereids in Greek mythology?

2. LITERATURE: Which 19thcentury English novel has the subtitle, “The Parish Boy’s Progress”?

3. ACRONYMS: In printing, what does the acronym DPI stand for?

4. GEOGRAPHY: Which city lies near the largest natural harbor in the world?

ANIMAL KINGDOM: How does a bat find its prey?

HISTORY: Who is the youngest person to win a Nobel Peace Prize?

LANGUAGE: What does the Latin prefix “super-” mean in English?

LAW: What is double jeopardy?

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Who founded the American Red Cross?

10. MEDICAL: What vitamin deficiency causes night blindness?

1. Sea nymphs.

2. “Oliver Twist” (Charles Dickens).

3. Dots per inch.

4. Sydney, Australia.

5. Echolocation (sending highfrequency sound waves).

6. Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan, who fights for children’s rights to education, was 17 when she won the award.

Above, over (supervise, etc.).

Prosecuting a person twice for the same offense.

Clara Barton.

Vitamin A.

2022 King Features Synd., Inc.

Real Estate & Rental

Manufactured/Mobile Homes

3 bed 2 bath Copper Key MHP, Ft. Lupton. Down payment $8500. Finance at $634 per month. Lot rent $700 includes water/sewer/trash Debbie (303) 637-7000 or (303) 6377001

Market Place

Bids

Request for Subcontractor and Supplier Proposals

B.C. Builders LLC requests subcontractor and supplier proposals for 72 unit, wood framed, 3 story building in Ft. Lupton, CO. Section 3, MBE/WBE/DBE businesses strongly encouraged to submit. Please contact Jon Bannister at info@bc-builders.com for information.

Merchandise Miscellaneous

SALE

Victor 9, 3 Wheel Mobility Scooter. Only two months old. Retail Cost $1886, Sale Price $900. Telephone 303-503-8000 or e-mail greg3141951@gmail.com

Miscellaneous

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Put on your TV

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Wanted to Buy

Wanted

Colorado Community Media is hiring native-digital sales professionals seeking to build their career with the largest local media company in Colorado.

We continue to invest in innovation and people, developing new businesses and state-of-the art tools that support new products that produce superior ROIs for clients. We believe that a creative, learning environment staffed with talented people who want to grow and utilize the newest and best tools will result in a dynamic and successful culture that has a positive impact on our clients business and our community. Our brand is one of the most trusted in our community. We’ve built this reputation by providing award-winning news coverage and by being engaged in our community at all levels. As a true marketer, we want you to bring your experience and expertise to develop the best advertising and audience programs for local advertisers needing to engage with the community to grow their business. We value teamwork. We embrace opinions, perspectives, cultures and backgrounds that energizes the company and fuels our passion to do what’s right for our readers, our advertisers and our employees. If you’ve got the drive and the passion, together we can take your career farther than you’ve ever imagined. We are building a sales team that will be the face of the changing media landscape. We are looking for people who are excited to represent our emerging brands and our trusted, traditional ones too. Join our team, working from our Englewood offices and remote. If you’re as passionate as we are about our mission to grow and engage our community, please apply. This position offers competitive pay and a comprehensive benefit package that includes medical, dental, vision, life, and paid holiday, vacation, sick and personal time. As an added bonus, you’ll office less than 60 minutes from the best Colorado has to offer in outdoor recreation.

EXPERIENCE

YOU CAUGHT IN A BELIEVER’S DILEMMA?

YOU CAUGHT IN

BELIEVER'S DILIMMA?

Are you concerned that you are just a passenger in a pew? You can't earn heaven, that is by God’s salvation, yet "faith without works is dead" (Ja 2:26)

Between reading the bible and being a "doer of the word," there is the "what am I to do?"

The Word is to be lived. I have helped others to understand and grow in their walk with God.

Jesus spoke to many, but personally trained 12 men and three women.

I follow His practice of working with a small group for individual, life application of the Bible.

I am a retired Elder from a small church in Albuquerque, Moved to Brighton in 2021.

Helping you is how I will serve Him.

My experience: Jesus follower for 48 years. Elder in a 120member church for 16 years. Mission work in the Philippines training Elders for a multi-island 600 member church. Worked in every ministry from children's to Seniors. Trained Facilitator for "Good Enough Parenting", Marriage Dynamics, and Conflict resolution.

My joy is in the individuals I have advised in their Walk.

Meeting Wednesday Nov 2 6:30pm for 1 hr.

Contact: Keith Rasmussen (720)909 -3656 Kindly hosted by: Longs Peak Church, 295 N 12th Ave, Brighton, CO 80601