haven’t forgotten them’

director of Victim Outreach Incorporated, helped start the event, recalling how it was initially at Crown Hill Park. But, there was no way to acknowledge that the event had happened — no sign or marker to signify who’d been there or why.

Exline hoped to start a garden to honor those impacted by crime, and she soon found out that the county had similar plans. So, in time, the said, emphasizing how it’s grown into an important memorial. e Courage Walk itself has taken on similar signi cance, Exline described, saying that it helps remind participants of “the resilience of the human spirit,” and that there are other people who share their experiences.

After 30 years, Exline said she’s garden and their stories and wanted to ensure their loved ones, “We haven’t forgotten them.”

At least 200 participants walked this year, which organizers said was the biggest crowd in several years. Some walked to honor speci c people, like Arvada Police O cer

BY JOHN RENFROW JRENFROW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Pools around the metro area are gearing up to open for the summer. at is, if there are enough lifeguards.

e years-long trend where pools have cut hours or closed altogether appears to be waning, though it’s still a possibility in some places, according to aquatics managers across the Denver area, who are more optimistic than in past years, but still concerned as summer nears.

For instance, South Suburban Parks and Recreation needs 250 lifeguards for its peak summer season but has only 183 ready to go.

Karl Brehm, the recreation dis- trict’s aquatics manager, hopes to get closer to the goal as summer approaches but wonders why applications are so slow to roll in.

“I have seen, more and more, less interest in the position,” Brehm said.

He’s been in the business for a long time. Brehm worked at Elitch Gardens for ve seasons and the Highlands Ranch Community Association for 16 years. He said he’s seen a general lack of interest, generationally, from young people who want to do the job. Fewer people are becoming CPR certi ed as well, he added.

“I’ve often wondered why we were having those issues,” Brehm said. “Back in the day, I remember if you didn’t have your job by spring break, you weren’t getting a summer job.” e problem could a ect South Suburban pools across the district, which serves more than 150,000 residents in Bow Mar, Columbine Valley, Littleton, Sheridan, Lone Tree and parts of Centennial and Douglas, Je erson and Arapahoe counties.

If he can’t hire enough lifeguards, hours at pools could be cut, Brehm said. It’s not for a lack of trying, though. e district has introduced incentives, bonuses, pay bumps and more in hopes of luring in more lifeguards.

South Suburban isn’t alone. ere’s a national lifeguard shortage, which was exacerbated by the pandemic. Lifeguard shortages a ected roughly a third of public pools throughout the country.

In response last year, Gov. Jared Polis announced a “Pools Special Initiative 2022,” in which Colorado introduced incentives. Chief among them was a $1,000 payment to those who completed lifeguard training to ght pool postponements and decreasing operating hours.

Now, out of necessity, hiring lifeguards is ongoing throughout the entire summer season, Brehm said. Lifeguards for South Suburban make between $15 and $19.14 per hour, per South Suburban’s website. A head lifeguard makes $15.75 - $19.93 per hour.

But there are additional costs to South Suburban. ough life-