may force new

Bill would create new board

BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN

Fire chiefs fearing disaster from wild res where open space meets urban areas are joining lawmakers to push for a statewide board with power to de ne so-called wildlandurban interface danger zones and impose preventive building codes on local governments.

A bill for the mandatory codes board is set to be introduced this week by Sen. Lisa Cutter, a Littleton Democrat, but is already raising opposition from local-control advocates who are battling potential statewide impositions on multiple fronts, including a ordable housing. Democratic supporters abandoned a similar idea introduced late in the 2022 legislative session after Republican opponents to the policy threatened to block other measures in protest.

Fire o cials from Colorado Springs to Fairplay are lobbying hard for the uniform codes, citing the 2021 Marshall re in Boulder County, the East Troublesome re that swept through Grand County in 2020, and the 2012 Waldo Canyon re in Colorado Springs as dire wake-up calls to fast-growing communities on the edge of wild reprone landscape.

“Fires aren’t jurisdictional. ey cross borders,” said Colorado Springs Fire Chief Randy Royal, who is also an o cer in the Colorado State Fire Chiefs.

Recent wild res destroying hundreds of homes in suburban and exurban areas of Colorado have spread through embers blowing o wooden shake roofs, or down into excessive roof venting, Royal said. Uniform preventive building codes could outlaw shake roofs and limit vents, protecting re ghters, residents and property from blazes that explode on high winds.

“Wild res are a huge problem, and we have to come at them with every tool we have. I’m taking all my cues from the re chiefs,” said Cutter, lead sponsor of the bill that would create the “Wild re Resiliency Code Board.”

“We can harden our homes,” Cutter said. “We obviously continue to build in the WUI, and we need to be responsible about that.”

Local governments who want to retain control over building code decisions will lobby hard against the bill, already registering their opposition and at the very least looking to soften the draft language.

“We have a number of concerns with what’s being proposed,” said Heather Stau er, legislative advocacy manager for the Colorado Municipal League, which lobbies at the Capitol for towns and cities.

“ e needs of a community on the Front Range may not be the needs ers will perform “Chapter Two” by Neil Simon March 10-26. Friday and Saturday are at 7 p.m. and Sunday matinee performances are at 2 p.m. Shows are at Evergreen Players Black Box eatre, 27886 Meadow Drive, Unit B, Evergreen. Tickets are $30 and may be purchased online at www.evergreenplayers.org or by calling 720-515-1528. org/tickets.

Evergreen chamber March Madness Mixer: e Evergreen Area Chamber of Commerce will host its March Madness Mixer from 5:30-7 p.m. Friday, March 17 at e Wild Game. For more information, visit evergreenchamber.com.

Evergreen Audubon Explore More: Registration is now open for Evergreen Audubon’s Explore More after-school programs starting the last week of March at Marshdale and Wilmot elementary schools and Rocky Mountain Academy of Evergreen. ese programs are for kids who love being outdoors and learning about nature and science. For more information and to register, visit www.EvergreenAudubon. org and click on Events.

Evergreen. For more information, email MountainAreaDems@gmail. com.

LGBTQ+ teen book club: Resilience1220 is o ering a LGBTQ+ teen book club that meets from 4-6 p.m. the fourth Monday at the Resilience1220 o ce next to the Buchanan Park Recreation Center. e group’s rst book is “Hell Followed With Us.” For more information and to register, visit R1220.org.

Hiwan Museum winter hours: Hiwan Museum has shortened winter hours for tours, open ursday and Friday from noon to 4 p.m. and weekends from noon to 4:30 p.m. Private tours of large groups may be accommodated when the museum is closed by calling Erica Duvic at Hiwan Museum at 720-4977653.

Foothills Home, Garden & Lifestyle Show: Foothills Home, Garden & Lifestyle Show will be April 1-2 at Evergreen High School. e show, sponsored by Evergreen and Conifer Rotary, will be from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. ere is no entry fee, though bringing two nonperishable food items for Evergreen Christian Outreach is encouraged. Net proceeds are distributed as grants for charitable causes through the Evergreen and Conifer Rotary Foundations. For more information, visit foothillshomeshow.com.

Community Bible Study: Several community Bible study groups are available — women (in person and online), co-ed young adults, school age, preschool & babies. is year’s study covers six books of the Bible: Philemon 1, 2, 3, John, Jude and Revelation. In-person classes are ursday morning at Rockland Community Church in Genesee, Tuesday night at Bergan Park Church in Evergreen and Wednesday morning at Conifer Community Church in Conifer. More information is available at cbsclass. org/evergreengolden.

Society will host a History Happy Hour from 4:30-6:30 p.m. the second Friday of each month at Hiwan Museum. Join us in a round table discussion on any and all aspects of history with topics driven by the attendees.

Sensitive Collection: Resilience1220 o ers a monthly workshop for highly sensitive people to help them live healthy and empowered lives from 3:30-4:30 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month via Zoom. Visit R1220.org for more information.

Caregiver support groups: Mount Evans Home Health Care & Hospice o ers two monthly groups to provide emotional support services for caregivers helping ill, disabled or elderly loved ones. An in-person support group meets every third Monday from 4-6 p.m. at 3081 Bergen Peak Road, Evergreen, and a virtual support group meets every rst Tuesday from 10 a.m.-noon via Zoom. Call 303-674-6400 to learn how to connect to the group virtual call. For more information visit mtevans.org/ services/emotional-support/.

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

Art of the Egg: e 15th annual Art of the Egg decorating contest sponsored by Go Paint! is in full swing. Decorate your ceramic egg by March 19. Cost is $15, with a portion of the proceeds going to Resilience1220. Age groups are up to 8 years old, 9-13 and 14 and older. Voting will take place March 22-31, and winners will be noti ed April 1. First place receives $25, second place $20, third place $15.

Shadow Mountain Legacy: e Conifer Historical Society is sponsoring a program called e Shadow Mountain Legacy at 2 p.m. March 26 at the Little White Schoolhouse, 26951 Barkley Road in Conifer. Tickets are $10-$12 and may be purchased at ConiferHistoricalSociety.

DriveSafe scholarship: DriveSafe is o ering a scholarship for students who are graduating from high school, or attending college or trade school. To apply, students must ll out an application form and write an essay or create a video answering the question: “How has learning to drive helped you in ways you didn’t expect?” Entries must be submitted by April 2, and winners will be announced on May 1.

ONGOING

Mountain Area Democrats: Mountain Area Democrats meet the fourth Saturday of each month at 9 a.m. through April at United Methodist Church of Evergreen, 3757 Ponderosa Drive,

ESA EverGREEN Re ll Station: EverGREEN Re ll Station (re ll your laundry detergent, lotions, soaps and more. We have many sustainable products available). e Re ll Station is open Tuesdays from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and Wednesdays from 1-4 p.m. It is located upstairs in the Habitat Restore in Bergen Park, 1232 Bergen Parkway.

Support After Suicide Loss: Heartbeat and Resilience1220 o er Support After Suicide Loss from 5:30-7 p.m. the fourth ursday of the month for ages 14 and older. Join in-person or online. Suggest donation is $15. For location, visit R1220. org.

History Happy Hour: e Evergreen Mountain Area Historical mals. Scout Amelia Vega explained that she really likes Brazilian music.

Mountain Foothills Rotary meetings: Mountain Foothills Rotary meets at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays both in person at Mount Vernon Canyon Club at 24933 Club House Circle, Genesee, and via Zoom. Join the Zoom meeting at https://us02web. zoom.us/j/81389224272, meeting ID 813 8922 4272, phone 346-248-7799. Beyond the Rainbow: Resilience1220 o ers Beyond the Rainbow, which is two support groups that meet from 7-8:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month. One is a safe group for those 12-20 and the other is group for parents and caregivers wanting support for raising an LGBTQ child. To RSVP, contact Lior Alon at lior@wisetreewellness.com.

Malta: e Scouts in Troop 68220 in Lakewood knew where the country was located, and they served a Maltese bean dip to other Scouts. Malta, they said, has the Malta Girl Guides, which is similar to Girl Scouts.

New Zealand: e Brownies in Troop 67377 from Red Rocks Elementary School in Morrison wore skirts and headbands, and talked about sheep, which are raised in the country. New Zealand was the rst country to give women the right to vote.

Japan: Troop 65499 Juniors from Bear Creek Elementary School knew about the Shiba Inu dog breed, Pokémon and more, and they sported beautiful fans.

Poland: Juniors in SkyView Academy’s Troop 8090 provided samples of sausages and cheese, plus kolaczkies, which they made from a recipe from a Scout’s grandmother. ey explained that modern makeup, cotton swabs, walkie-talkies and more came from Poland.

France: Scouts in Troop 68094 at

Ashland Crossman, a fifth grader at Parmalee Elementary School, stamps a mock passport that Girl Scouts used to go through all of the tables at World Thinking Day.

Stone Mountain Elementary School in Highlands Ranch learned French words and served croissants to fellow Scouts. At a prior meeting, they tried crepes.

“It’s important to learn about di erent cultures,” Brownie Fiona Whitney said while wearing her French beret.

Fellow Brownie Macy Mielke added: “And we’re having fun.”

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