LOCAL - Issuu

Farmer, community member started wellknown farm with just 40 acres

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

“An extraordinary person who lived an extraordinary life.”

“A man who was dearly loved.”

“An innovator.”

Those were some of the tributes for Brighton resident and farmer Bob Sakata, who died earlier this month at the age of 96. The speeches were part of a June 20 memorial service at Brighton Presbyterian Church, where Sakata was a member for more than 65 years.

“Bob was a good friend of mine,” said former Brighton physician Dr. Rod Fair. “When I think of Bob and the hours I spent with him, I think of how fortunate I was to have known him.”

Fair recapped the early stages of Sakata’s life, which began in 1926. He was just fi ve years old when he lost his mother to pneumonia.

“He was led by his sisters, his brothers and his father. He learned the art of farming, and it’s one he learned well,” said Fair, who retired in 2011.

When the Second World War broke out, Sakata – like others of Japanese ancestry – was taken from California to an internment camp. His was in Topaz, Utah.

Sakata earned an early release by working on a dairy farm in Brighton where Sakata lived in the dairy barn. In 1944, the dairyman loaned Sakata the money to buy 40 acres of farmland in Brighton. Today, the farm spreads out over more than 2,400 acres.

Sweet corn innovator

Colorado’s former agriculture commissioner, Don Ament, called Sakata “an innovator.”

“He knew how to pick sweet corn without hand labor,” Ament said. “He knew. He had different preps for the ears of corn so they were ready to eat.”

Ament was the emcee for the Colorado Agricultural Hall of Fame ceremonies in 1999 when Sakata and his wife, Joanna, became members. The same year, the Sakatas were inducted into the Colorado Business Hall of Fame.

“As I sat at the agricultural hall of fame ceremony, looking through the program, I realized that the Sakatas were the only people of Asian-American culture to be inducted into the business hall of fame,” Ament said. “Rest in peace, Bob. You certainly earned it.”

Former Platte Valley Medical Center President John Hicks said Sakata served several agencies – the 27J board of education, First National Bank One Corp. and the Colorado Food Safety Task Force, among others.

“He didn’t want to be a politician,” Hicks said. “But this guy could infl uence a lot of things. He and his family believed in the good old-fashioned ‘Get ‘er done and be responsible once you do it.’”

Sakata was a major force behind two fundraising drives for the medical center, including the one that allowed the facility to move to its present location in the Prairie Center in 2007.

“He looked over the top of his glasses and said, ‘You want to do what?’” Hicks said. “Bob was not afraid of trying something. He dreamed big.”

“Over the years, he told me, ‘People can take material things. But knowledge is the one thing that can never be taken away,’” said his son-in-law, David Dolifka. “It’s with me. It’s with you. We laugh. We talk. That’s what we are here to celebrate.”

In a series of letters that began in 2010, Lani Dolifka said her father explained to her why she became what she is.

“Dad loved to laugh,” she said. “He said I got 100 percent of my beauty from my mother and zero percent from him. I was grateful for that. He never washed his hair. He said I got 75 percent of my intelligence from my mother and 25 percent from him.

“He gave himself 5 percent credit for being a good mother.”

Sakata sustained burns over more than 80 percent of his body, the result of a farming accident.

“When he walked away from you or toward you, you heard the clip-clap of his braces,” Hicks said. “It’s a sound families have heard from sons, daughters, wives, friends, loved ones. For me, that sound cries out persistence, determination, grace.”

Survivors include Sakata’s wife, Joanna, his sister, Mistie, a son, Robert (Julie Kerr), a daughter, Vicki, a daughter Lani (Don Dolifka) and grandchildren David Dolifka and Madison Dolifka.

Robert Sakata told his mother, “This has been the hardest on you.”

“I’m sure he wondered several times what he did so well to deserve someone as special as you,” Robert Sakata said.

His parents, his brother, Harry, and a sister, Fusie, preceded Bob Sakata in death. In lieu of fl owers, send donations to Platte Valley Medical Center Foundation in memory of Bob Sakata, 1600 Prairie Center Parkway, Brighton 80601. Make online donations at https://www.sclhealth.org/locations/platte-valley-medical-center/ foundations/donate/.

“Dad didn’t share his personal life,” said Lani Dolifka. “Parts of it were painful. You look at his upbringing in a traditional Japanese home. He persevered through diffi cult times. There is no rug big enough to brush it all under. He needed hope, forgiveness, love. And he found it through God. That’s how he reconciled his past with his present.”

“He helped me for the years I knew him,” Hicks said. “Bob .. thank you for making a difference in our community, for showing me how to make a difference in my life, my community.”

Bob Sakata

United Power joins Southwest Power Pool

STAFF REPORT

BRIGHTON – Brighton’s United Power became the fi rst distribution utility in the Western Interconnection to join the Southwest Power Pool, according to a press statement.

SPP is a regional transmission organization, a nonprofi t corporation mandated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to ensure reliable supplies of power, adequate transmission infrastructure, and competitive wholesale electricity prices on behalf of its members, the statement said.

United Power is planning to leave its present supplier, Tri-State Generation and Transmission, in 2024.

“It is important that we seek out memberships and partnerships that will help us assure a reliable power source at the lowest cost possible,” according to a press statement from Mark A. Gabriel, United Power president and CEO. “Our membership with SPP is one of the critical pieces we wanted in place as we move toward a new energy future for our members.”

The statement said SPP works as an aggregator of generation resources, dispatching the power where it is needed. United Power offi cials said membership in a regional transmission organization, offers United Power advantages.

“The power pool is charged with building reliability and predictability into their power marketplace and helping to reduce the risks that come with varying weather conditions,” the United Power statement said. “It is also committed to providing the lowest cost power available to serve its members, minute by minute.”

United Power offi cials said SPP members have an active role in determining new transmission locations.

“Membership matters. Our membership in SPP means we will have a meaningful say in the strategic direction of the organization,” Gabriel said in the statement. “Members have an active role in determining how this new energy market develops and how the organization grows. We will be able to directly represent the interests of all United Power members.”

BUY FOUR SELECT Hwy. 85 and Bromley Lane Brighton, CO 80601 TIRES, GET A $70 REBATE 303-659-6844

$8995

• Synthetic Blend Oil Change • Tire Rotation & Pressure Check • Brake Inspection • Vehicle Check-Up • Fluid Top-Off • Battery Test • Filter Check • Belts and Hoses Check

• Synthetic Blend Oil Change • Tire Rotation & Pressure Check ONLY • Brake Inspection • Vehicle Check-Up • Fluid Top-Off $7995 • Battery Test • Filter Check OR LESS • Belts and Hoses Check

$5995 BUY FOUR SELECT TIRES, GET A $70 REBATE

• Synthetic Blend Oil Change • Tire Rotation & Pressure Check • Brake Inspection • Vehicle Check-Up • Fluid Top-Off • Battery Test • Filter Check • Belts and Hoses Check

$5995 HAVE YOUR BATTERY TESTED AT NO CHARGE*

Renamed Salt & Acres, winery o ers tasting room, concerts

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

It was a dream for Justin and Danielle Caruso and Andre Esprenger to harvest their own grapes, grown from their own vines, and create a vintage of their wines, so they purchased Rivergarden Winery, the only winery in all of Weld County.

“We were excited about the opportunity,” Justin Caruso said. “Talking to the previous owners, Bob and Mary Stahl, on what they have established here, we are trying to expand on that to create that vision from where they were and where we want to go with it.”

The Carusos and business partner Esprenger purchased the winery from the Stahls in December 2021, renamed it Salt & Acres and took the next six months to renovate the winery and the property. They celebrated the grand opening June 18 with their wine label, Ampersand, and a concert on the lawn with the property’s lake as a beautiful backdrop.

“Our original ideas and concepts were we wanted to have a space for events and also a space where we can build our own private residence for our family,” Justin said. “It was an opportunity to have a space on a property that is very unique.”

Bob and Mary Stahl established Salt & Acres in 2005 as an experiment to see if the grapes could survive the Fort Lupton winters.

It was a success. They produced quality grapes and red and white wine. After years of winemaking, the Stahls decided to retire and sold the property to the Carusos.

The Carusos said they were made for this. Justin worked in real estate, development, insurance and construction management, and he thought his experience was a good match for running and operating Salt & Acres. Danielle has worked for Cheer Central Suns for 22 years

Salt & Acres sells their brand of merchandise with the help of Novella Caruso daughter of the Caruso’s and Andrey Higgins.

Donna and Gary Charbonneau from Thornton enjoying the wine tasting. They love it!

PHOTOS BY BELEN WARD

SEE WINERY, P7

Outside seating with a stage on the lawn for monthly concerts.

Two Great Rates, Two Great Options.

Independent Financial offers two promotional CD options— both with great rates, both designed to maximize your return and minimize risk.

18-Month Promo CD

2.27% APY*

3-Year Step Up CD

If our rates increase, so can yours.** 2.52% APY*

Open your CD today at any Independent Financial location.

Find us at ifinancial.com/locations or call 800.460.6634.

Independent Financial is a trademark of Independent Bank, Member FDIC. *Annual Percentage Yield (APY) assumes a minimum opening deposit of $1,000 to obtain the advertised rate. Rates effective as of June 16, 2022. Rates are subject to change. Interest is compounded and paid quarterly and added back to the CD. Fees may reduce the earnings on the account. There is a penalty for early withdrawal on CDs. Other terms and conditions may apply. Contact an employee at your local Financial Center or call Customer Care at 800.460.6634 for further information about applicable fees and terms. **This CD allows you to update the interest rate (one time) during the 3-year term.

EAGLE VIEWADULT CENTER

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

Eagle View Adult Center Update – June 29 – July 6, 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 July and August 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 Grief Support Group Whether you’ve experienced a recent loss or one that was a while ago, having a place to gain support can make a world of di erence. is con dential group will provide grief education, tools for coping, and an opportunity to talk with others who are also grieving. Facilitators Jody Pierce and Rian Razo from Pennock Center for Counseling. 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. ursdays July 7 - 28 $2 (4 wks) Deadline: Wed. July 6 Feathered Friends: Bald Eagle is patriotic program features our national symbol, the bald eagle. Join Anne Price from the Raptor Education Foundation as she shares the fascinating history of how the bald eagle became our national symbol, as well as facts about how bald eagles live and hunt in Colorado. Your fee supports the Foundation in caring for injured birds. 1:00 p.m. urs. July 7 $5 Deadline: Tues. July 5 Wooden Flag We love our American ag. Today you will be making a wooden ag that can be hung on your front door or wall. is is an easy project where you will be painting and using a hot glue gun. Instructor: Linda Addison. 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon Fri. July 8 $15 Deadline: Wed. July 6

To Schedule a Virtual Tour or for more info call Nellie at: 303-659-4148

DA clears Commerce City o cers in 2021 Fairfax Park shooting

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

District Attorney Brian Mason cleared Commerce City police offi cers who were involved in a shooting last year. He released an explanatory letter June 22.

“There is no reasonable likelihood of success of proving the elements of any crime beyond a reasonable doubt against the involved offi cers,” read the letter to Commerce City Police Chief Clint Nichols. “Therefore, no criminal charges will be fi led against the law enforcement offi cers involved in this incident.”

The incident happened late in the afternoon Aug. 3, 2021, in the 7100 block of Grape Street. When offi cers arrived, they found a man who had died of gunshot wounds. Mason’s letter said witnesses described a potential suspect and directed them to nearby Fairfax Park. One witness identifi ed Andrew Reineke as the suspect.

As offi cer Don Calvano searched the area, he heard gunshots from close range. He wasn’t hurt but realized a bullet “perforated the sleeve of his uniform,” the letter said.

Other offi cers radioed they saw Reineke in the backyard of a home in the 6900 block of Fairfax Street. The letter said Reineke fi red at Calvano and again missed him. Calvano shot nine times before his rifl e malfunctioned.

“Although Offi cer Calvano was also armed with a 9-mm semiautomatic handgun, he did not fi re it during the encounter,” Mason’s letter read.

Detective Cody Nau was also at the suspect’s location but on the opposite side of the residence. Nau saw the suspect come out from behind the residence.

“He saw the suspect raise a fi rearm and point it at him,” the letter read. “Detective Nau aimed his Glock 9-mm semi-automatic handgun at the suspect and fi red two times but missed.”

Two other offi cers, Offi cer Marie Anders and Sgt. Megan Cordova, parked in the area of East 69th Avenue and Fairfax Drive. They reported that gunfi re struck an Adams County sheriff’s deputy vehicle and they thought the gunfi re hit their car, too.

“The offi cers ... saw the suspect climb over a privacy fence onto the driveway of the residence nearby,” the letter read. “The suspect was armed with a black handgun. The offi cers called out to the suspect to put his hands up. The suspect noticed the offi cers, raised the handgun and pointed it at them.”

Offi cer Anders fi red one round from a .223-caliber rifl e. Her weapon malfunctioned after the one shot. Sgt. Cordova fi red two rounds from her Glock 9-mm semi-automatic handgun.

Two more offi cers, Michael Gray and Sgt. Nicholas Arias, parked their patrol car in the Fairfax Park parking lot. Gray heard more shots.

“Offi cer Gray and Sgt. Arias believed the suspect was engaged in a gun battle,” the district attorney’s letter read. “So, they turned their attention in that direction. The offi cers saw the suspect climb a fence while holding a handgun.”

Reineke got hung up on the fence, and Offi cer Gray thought Reineke was going to shoot at the offi cers again. He fi red his POF USA 5.56-caliber rifl e six times at the suspect. After Arias saw the suspect point his gun in the offi cers’ direction, Arias fi red two shots at the suspect from his Sig Sauer 9-mm semi-automatic handgun.

Reineke had gunshot wounds to his arms and legs. Offi cers apprehended him in the driveway of the home at 6900 Fairfax Drive.

“Under Colorado law, a law enforcement offi cer may use an amount of force, including deadly physical force, when it is reasonable and appropriate under the circumstances,” Mason’s letter read. “Additionally, under Colorado law, police offi cers, like any other individual, have the right to defend themselves or others from the use or imminent use of unlawful physical force.

“I fi nd the actions of these offi cers to be justifi ed, necessary and appropriate,” the letter added. “The prosecution cannot prove that the involved offi cers were not justifi ed in using reasonable force. The evidence does not support the fi ling of criminal charges.”

Reineke is due in Adams County District Court at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 26, for a review hearing.

Man faces charges for fl eeing police in Westminster

STAFF REPORT

BRIGHTON – A 25-year-old man is due back in court for two appearances next month in connection with an incident in Westminster.

Domenic Aguilar’s disposition hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 6. His preliminary hearing is at 9:30 a.m. Friday, July 15. He faces several counts, including aggravated motor vehicle theft.

A press statement from the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Offi ce said Aguilar allegedly fl ed from police in a stolen car and entered an unoccupied home to avoid capture June 14.

Aguilar’s other charges include fi rst-degree criminal trespass, resisting arrest and obstructing a police offi cer.

Will electricity supplies keep pace with the warming climate?

This late-June coolish spell in Colorado is unusual. The trend is toward hot and hotter. Denver in June matched a record set just a few years ago for the earliest time to hit 100 degrees. Grand Junction last year set an all-time record of 107.

What if the heat rises to 116 degrees, such as baked Portland a year ago? Could Xcel Energy deliver the electricity needed to chill the air?

It can in 2022, the company says, but it has less confi dence for 2023 and 2024 after it shuts down a coal plant. Xcel frets about disruption to supply chains necessary to add renewable generation.

Tri-State Generation and Transmission, Colorado’s second-largest electrical supplier, also foresees supply-chain issues as it replaces coal-fi red generation with renewables. It has extended the deadline for bids from developers of wind, solar, and storage projects by more than two months, to Sept. 16.

Colorado has hit a bump in its energy transition. The climate sends ever-louder signals that we must quit polluting the atmosphere with greenhouse gases. After a sluggish response, Colorado has been hurrying to pivot. Now, infl ation and other problems threaten to gum up the switch.

The glitch is signifi cant enough that Eric Blank, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission chair, asked Xcel representatives at a June 17 meeting whether it might be wise to keep Comanche I, the aging coal plant in Pueblo, operating beyond its scheduled retirement at the end of 2022.

“It kills me to even ask this question,” said Blank, a former developer of wind and solar energy

projects.

In northwestern New Mexico, the aging San Juan Generating Station has been allowed to puff several months past its planned retirement because of problems in getting a new solar farm online. Even so, the utility predicts rolling blackouts, as has happened in other states.

No blackouts have been predicted in Colorado. Xcel has a healthy reserve margin of 18%.

But even if Xcel wanted to keep Comanche 1 operating beyond 2022, it lacks the permits to do so, company representatives told PUC commissioners at a June 17 meeting devoted to “resource adequacy.”

In addition to the supply chain disruptions, Xcel failed to adequately foresee demand growth. Residential demand was expected to decline as people returned to offi ces after the COVID shutdown. They have, but less than expected. Too, demand from Xcel’s wholesale customers - it provides power for Holy Cross Energy but also some other utilities - has grown more than projected.

“We can’t go into the summer of 2023 with less than 10% reserve margins,” said Blank. “We just can’t.”

Old technology, though, isn’t always a sure-fi re answer. Coal plants routinely must shut down for maintenance.

Then there are the fi ascos. Problems have repeatedly idled Comanche 3, the state’s youngest and largest coal plant, during its 12 years. Cabin Creek, Xcel’s trusty pumped-storage hydro project at Georgetown, has also been down.

The electrical grid now being assembled will be more diverse, dispersed, and fl exible. Many homes will have storage, the batteries of electric vehicles will be integrated into the grid, and demand will be shaved and then shaped to better correspond with supplies. Megan Gilman, a PUC commissioner from Edwards, pointed out that this strategy could be a key response to tightening margins between supplies and demands. Xcel has had a small-scale peak-shaving program but will soon submit plans for expanded demand management.

Meanwhile, it gets hotter and hotter. Russ Schumacher, the state climatologist, says Colorado’s seven of the nine warmest years on record have occurred since 2012. We haven’t had a year cooler than the 20th century average since 1992.

Air conditioning has become the new normal for high-end real estate offerings even in Winter Park, elevation 9,000 feet. It’s not just the heat. There’s also the matter of smoke, as more intense wildfi res grow larger and expand across the calendar, too. For weeks, sometimes months on end, opening the windows is no option.

Colorado’s record temperature of 115 degrees was set in 2019 near Lamar, in southeastern Colorado. Nobody yet has made public modeling of the potential for that kind of heat in Front Range cities, where 90% of Coloradans live. Last year the deaths of 339 people were attributed to heat in the Phoenix area, where nighttime temperatures sometimes stay above 90.

Power outages in Texas during February 2022 were blamed — mostly without merit — on wind farms. Nobody in Colorado wants to see any plausible excuse to blame renewables. The best way to avoid that is to keep the air conditioners running.

GUEST COLUMN

Allen Best

Allen Best writes about these and other topics in greater depth at BigPivots.com.

The fi ve most sought-after words in amateur golf are, “That’s good, pick it up.” We say that to our playing partner when the putt that is left is considered short enough to call it “good.” Sometimes the length of the putt left to make comes into question, especially when someone is not playing so well that day and their friends show a little mercy on them. Luckily, I have been the one receiving that mercy lately.

There are times when the player actually needing to make the putt decides that they have had enough already and do one of two things: They either pick it up themselves or they take a casual approach and putt it toward the hole, indicating that he or she felt that it was good and the last attempt at the putt was close enough for the gimme.

There may be gimmes in amateur golf or even in the PGA during match play, but when it comes to life, most times we aren’t fi nished yet. We still have work to do, projects to fi nish, contributions to make, our family and friends to love. No, we are still a long way from being fi nished yet. No matter where we started, the detours we have taken, the long roads we have journeyed, and even the many mistakes we have made, there is still time to get it right and fi nish what was once started by us, in

us, or for us.

There’s a great song by Brandon Heath called “Wait and See.” And in this song, he sings the lyrics, “He’s not fi nished with me yet,” as he refers to God’s plan and purpose for his life. And if we listen to the song or even just fi nd the lyrics, I encourage us to refl ect on what those lyrics could mean in our own life. I remember speaking with my great aunt over the past few years as she was approaching 90, and she would say that she wished somedays that the Lord would just take her. And I would remind her that, “He’s not fi nished with you yet.”

My great aunt was living in an assisted living facility, and really didn’t have a lot of mobility left in her tired legs. As residents came and went, she became saddened by their departure. It was during one of those calls where she just wanted to go to heaven and be with my great uncle. So, I said it to her again, “He’s not fi nished with you yet.”

During our call the following week, my great aunt’s tonality was one of optimism and happiness. A new resident had moved in, and she didn’t have any family left to visit her. My great aunt befriended her and even though struggled with her own mobility, she made it a point to spend time and listen to her new friend’s life story and journey. They went to the dining hall together, and each time I would call her, she would tell me more about her new friend and the life she led.

My great aunt and uncle lived with awesome faith and purpose. He served our country for 20 years in the Air Force and had been stationed around the world at different times. Most times she moved with him and supported him. She felt serving God and her husband was her greatest purpose. And now, nearing 90, she found a new purpose. It might seem like a small purpose compared to what is happening in the world, but at nearly 90 years of age, “He wasn’t fi nished with her yet.”

That’s where we come in. “That’s good, pick it up,” may work in golf, but we are not fi nished yet. And whether big or small, we all have something positive to contribute to this world, to our community, and to our family and friends. I would love to hear what you still have to do at mnorton@xinnix. com, and when we realize there is plenty more to do, it really will be a better than good life.

We are not fi nished yet

WINNING WORDS

Michael Norton

Michael Norton is the grateful president of XINNIX, a personal and professional coach, and a consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator to businesses of all sizes.

TANDARD BLADESB R I G H T O N SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1903 75c I

A publication of

LINDA SHAPLEY

Publisher

lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LISA SCHLICHTMAN

Editor-in-Chief

lschlichtman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

SCOTT TAYLOR

Metro North Editor

TERESA ALEXIS

Marketing Consultant Classifi ed Sales

talexis@coloradocommunitymedia.com

AUDREY BROOKS

Business Manager

Columnists & Guest Commentaries

Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Blade. We welcome letters to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone.

Email letters to

staylor@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Deadline

Wed. for the following week’s paper. To opt in or out of delivery please email us at circulation@ coloradocommunitymedia.com

Brighton Standard Blade (USPS 65180)

A legal newspaper of general circulation in Brighton, Colorado, Brighto Standard Blade is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 143 S. 2nd Pl., Brighton CO 80601. . PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID AT Brighton and additional mailing o ces. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: Brighton Standard Blade, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110

De la Pena shares ‘Carmela Full of Wishes’ for Anythink Libraries’ summer reading program

Author’s reading celebrates Latino children’s experience

BY SARA MARTIN SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Matt de la Pena thoughtfully explores social class, immigration and mixed-status families in his children’s book, “Carmella Full of Wishes.”

The Newbery Award-winning author recently partnered with Anythink Libraries’ mySummer program to visit seven different libraries throughout the metro area June 15-18 for a reading of “Carmela Full of Wishes.” The mySummer program aims for people of any age to get involved with the organization’s initiative to close opportunity gaps and provide hands-on learning experiences.

This year’s theme is “wishing.”

“This summer is very special; it’s all about wishing,” said Julie Crabb, a children’s guide at Anythink Libraries. “So when our group started thinking about what kind of experts we wanted to bring in, Matt de la Pena with ‘Carmela Full of Wishes’ was really at the top of the list — it’s a beautiful book, and it talks about wishing and what it means to make a wish.”

“Carmela Full of Wishes” follows the story of a young Latina girl navigating the world in an immigrant community with a mixed-status family. Her father is away, waiting to have “his papers fi xed,” while Carmela is learning to fi nd enjoyment in the little things, such as a trip to the laundromat with her brother or the jingle of the bracelets she was given for her birthday.

De la Pena addresses heavy subjects like class and the void of a parent in a subtle manner, while also focusing on underrepresented kids without forgetting they are children fi rst.

Throughout the book, illustrator Christian Robinson visually embraces Mexican culture with images using papel picado, which is traditionally used during Dia de los Muertos and other national holidays or celebrations. Robinson’s stunning artwork accompanies Carmela’s journey through a working-class neighborhood.

“I grew up in a working-class community, and everybody in my entire family is still kind of in those kinds of communities,” de la Pena said. “I try to celebrate those communities in my writing.”

De la Pena’s grandparents immigrated to the U.S. without legal permission from Tijuana, Mexico, to National City, California, where they made a life for themselves. The trip from Tijuana wasn’t a very long one, but it was a diffi cult journey for them at the time, de la Pena said, and he often draws inspiration for his writing from his grandparents’ experience.

Over 16.2 million people in the U.S. live in mixed-status homes, according to a 2020 survey from the National Immigration Forum. Mixed-status families are where at least one undocumented person lives with U.S. citizens, green card holders or other lawful temporary immigrants.

“That’s how my dad grew up,” de la Pena said. “So I wanted to honor his story by telling Carmela’s story, but I also want to note that this is a common American story.”

De la Pena said he celebrates writing for these communities, which can oftentimes be underrepresented. Some of his other books, which were inspired by his upbringing, include “We Were Here,” “Last Stop on Market Street” and the young adult novel “Mexican WhiteBoy.”

Praised for tackling race for young readers, “Mexican WhiteBoy” was once banned from a reading curriculum in Tucson, Arizona. A federal judge in Arizona eventually ruled that the state violated the constitutional rights of Mexican-American students by removing the book.

De la Pena also experienced this with another one of his recent books, “Milo Imagines the World.”

“I just realized, wow, the kids I’m writing about and for aren’t allowed in this setting to read the book that I wrote for them,” he said.

Author Matt de la Pena reads “Carmella Full of Wishes” June 16 at Anythink Wright Farms as a part of Anythink Libraries’ mySummer program which is focused on the

theme of wishing. PHOTO BY SARA MARTIN

"Huzzah to the Colorado Avalanche Stanley Cup Champions!"

WINERY

as a director overseeing travel and special events so this new venture is an excellent fi t for Danielle too.

That said, it’s not easy. The three have learned how hard landscaping is on 45 acres and are educating themselves on harvesting grapes and winemaking from industry experts from California and Colorado.

“We were so impressed that Bob and Mary took excellent care of the property. It’s beautiful,” Danielle said.

Salt & Acres will host a Preserve the Moment summer concert series with concerts slated for July 23, Aug. 23 and Sept. 3. In addition, the winery will have a variety of food trucks on site and plans to continue increasing its food menus inside the tasting room with a wider variety of tapas and shareable dishes.

Colorado wines were always the goal

Justin said the goal and vision are to develop on-premise Fort Lupton wines.

“We are trying to expand and showcase good wines from Colorado, which is similar to California regions,” he said. “So, over the next two years, we will develop our estate brand and variety that best fi ts this property and grow on that.”

“For us, salt has a deeper meaning. The name Salt & Acres came from our passion of taking care of people and wanting to be the salt of the earth,” Danielle said.

For more information on concerts, wine tasting and booking an event, visit https://www.saltandacres.com.

July Fill-Up Special! GLOBAL PROPANE

VOLUME DISCOUNTS! 500+

Gallon $1.999 Limited Offer Prices are subject to change

Eight Magical Weekends! Open Now thru August 7th

This Weekend Kids Free!!

Children 12 & under Free with Paying Adult at the Festival Box Office Only

Entertainment, Food and Fun • Medieval Amusement Park Music & Comedy • Over 200 Master Artisans

Jousting, Delicious Food & Drink • Games, Rides and More! FREE Parking & Shuttle • Open Rain or Shine • No Pets Please Discount Tickets available at King Soopers or PEPSI_H1_3PMS_SM (FOR USE .25” 1.5" ) ColoradoRenaissance.com