Centennial Citizen 112422

Native artist and author shares her work, journey

Danielle SeeWalker an artist, author and activist

BY TAYLER SHAW

TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Whether it be painting captivating murals on a high school’s cafeteria wall or decorating the decks of skateboards, the versatile artwork Danielle SeeWalker creates is representative of what she wishes she had seen growing up as a Native person.

SeeWalker, a Denver resident, is Húŋkpapȟa Lakȟóta , which is the band that stems from Chief Sitting Bull, she said. She is a citizen of

Education leaders discuss equity, injustice

Love, culture and community highlighted

BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Making the education system equitable is no easy feat, but education leaders across Colorado continue to push for positive change and share the lessons they’ve learned in hopes of creating a more just system for future generations.

Four community leaders came together in early November for a panel discussion, “Equity, Educators and Workforce Transformation,” held at the Lone Tree Arts Center.

The panel was part of a series, “Changing the Legacy of Race and Ethnicity — Conversations for One America,” presented by the nonprofit Colorado Humanities, one of 56 humanities councils across the U.S. that receive funding from the National Endowment of the Humanities.

“Each panelist brings a very specific background and skill set, and they all work in different sectors of education,” said LaNaya Butler, the conversations programs coordinator at Colorado Humanities. “I feel that everyone (is) working to fix issues in their respective areas.”

The hour-long conversation, moderated by Executive Director Janiece Mackey of the nonprofit Young Aspiring Americans for Social and Political Activism (YAASPA), highlighted inequities in the education system and the methods — and need — for change.

Hometown Holidays

Danielle SeeWalker standing beside some of her artwork on display at Koelbel Library in Centennial on Nov. 10.

PHOTOS BY TAYLER SHAW

Danielle SeeWalker’s artwork will be on display at Koelbel Library in Centennial throughout November.

South Suburban unveils new public sculpture at Littleton park

Artist hopes to inspires community, playfulness

BY ROBERT TANN RTANN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Standing in sun-bathed light on a chilly November afternoon, community members gathered in Littleton’s Harlow Park for the unveiling of a new public sculpture. Dubbed “Together We Rise,” the roughly 8-foot-tall, 500-pound installation is the brainchild of Monument-based artist Jodie Bliss.

“I went with something that was bright and happy and uplifting,” Bliss said of her piece, which features three colorful steel shapes meant to represent abstract figures.

“These are, in my mind, three people lifting each other up,” Bliss said, an embodiment of the park’s spirit of a playful, communal environment. “I wanted it to be a familyfriendly, happy piece.”

Bliss’ ideas begin as sketches on paper, she said, before being moved to a computer model where it is refined. After that, Bliss and her fourperson team cut, weld and paint the metal, which is later assembled and installed. Bliss has been creating metal works for about 20 years with a portfolio that includes functional pieces such as gates, fences and doors as well as more abstract work.

“I don’t just have one type of work that I can present,” Bliss said. “The

reason that I decided to go abstract was because of the setting, I wanted it to be something that can speak to a wide range of people.”

Bliss’ work is the cumulation of a year-long search by the park’s owner, South Suburban Parks and Recreation, for a new public attraction in the area. It now joins roughly 30 other public installations across the department’s 168 parks,

according to Barbara Veatch, who chairs South Suburban’s public art committee.

Veatch said the process began with a call for artists, which led to more than 20 submissions. The committee narrowed applicants to four finalists before a winner emerged. When Veatch and other committee members saw Bliss’ design, she said she felt “joyful.”

“Right away, I get that joy and I get the sense of people coming together,” Veatch said. “Together We Rise, for me, makes a beautiful abstract statement for humanity but in a fun way, in a good way.”

Darlie LaScala, programs and facilities supervisor for South Suburban, said the department had long noticed an absence of public art in

the Harlow Park area, which sits on the western boundary of Littleton just south of Sheridan.

“We like to make sure that our artwork is spread out pretty evenly, but it’s always been more neglected out here,” LaScala said. “But we really made it a priority to say ‘we need some art out here.’”

For nearby neighbors Les and Diane Duckworth, who live feet from the park in a house off South Mabre Court, the sculpture is a welcomed addition. The couple has enjoyed the park for more than 20 years, playing soccer, walking dogs and using the nearby swimming pool.

“I love it. I think it’s beautiful, I think it’s vibrant,” said Diane Duckworth. “Public art is such an inspiration to people.”

Tri-County claims funds for Love My Air program

BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The Environmental Protection Agency announced on Nov. 3 that $403,996 will be awarded to the TriCounty Health Department for their community air monitoring network.

“Tri-County Health Department is excited to be awarded a grant from the EPA for $403,996 to continue and expand the Love My Air program across Adams and Arapahoe Counties,” Environmental Health Director Brian Hlavacek said.

The money comes from the Inflation Reduction Act and the American Rescue Plan. Tri-County Health Department is one of 132 air monitoring projects across the country that received funds.

According to a news release from the EPA, the chosen projects are in communities “that are underserved, historically marginalized, and overburdened by pollution.”

Hlavacek said the department

has 20 sensors that detect PM 2.5, which is particulate matter 30 times smaller than a strand of hair. With these funds, they hope to increase the amount of sensors to 26.

The pollutant lodges deep inside the lungs and causes severe health problems like asthma, chronic bronchitis and heart disease. Common sources include wildfires, construction, vehicle emissions and heavy industry.

The sensors are placed at a number of schools, libraries and parks. They track the data and those who host the sensors can use the data, possibly in programming or classes, or awareness.

They were initially funded in the fall of 2019 since air quality is a big concern. The idea was for the data to be available to residents and entities to eventually lead to informed decisions such as policy changes.

“We work regionally to try to get the education out there around air pollution,” he said.

Artist Jodie Bliss stands before her 8-foot-tall metal sculpture in Harlow Park, Littleton.

PHOTO BY ROBERT TANN

ARAPAHOE COUNTY

Thanksgiving

All County o ces will be closed on Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Visit arapahoegov.com/calendar

Outreach program launched for the unhoused

5-year grant approved

BY ROBERT TANN RTANN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

AllHealth Network, a mental health nonprofit with locations across the south metro region, recently unveiled a new outreach program to connect unhoused residents with mental care.

Funded for five years through a grant from the Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness, or PATH, the nonprofit said it would be able to provide outreach in Arapahoe County cities such as Littleton, Englewood and Sheridan as well as all of Douglas County.

“What we know for our people that experience homelessness is that at the root of that there’s some type of mental health thing that has happened,” said Cayla Steffy, a behavioral health provider for the nonprofit.

Mental health, Steffy said, presents a systemic issue for unhoused residents. A University of Denver study, which surveyed 121 people in the Littleton, Englewood and Sheridan area found that 30% said mental health issues were a reason they became homeless. The top five reasons, according to respondents, were all economic.

While AllHealth’s PATH grant will not secure any direct funding for housing, Steffy said the nonprofit’s outreach team helps connect area residents with social programs that can lead to housing, education and workforce training.

Shellene Martinez, a case manager for AllHealth, said staff can help navigate people through the bureaucratic process of applying for safety

net programs such as SNAP (formally called food stamps) and vouchers for Section 8 housing, which is heavily government subsidized.

“What I’m finding is there’s a lot of hoops to jump through, there’s a lot of red tape even to get a free phone, even to get food stamps,” Martinez said. “There’s lots of things that people go through when they’re just basically trying to survive.”

The outreach team appears regularly at known safe spaces for the unhoused, Steffy said, such as GraceFull Cafe in Littleton, which began with the mission of letting customers pay what they can.

Outreach also extends to streets where AllHealth staff can screen unhoused residents for mental health issues and substance use disorders and either provide them with treatment or refer them to another resource.

The program also makes use of what Steffy called peer support, which called a way to link unhoused residents with people who are formally homeless. This, she said, allows for greater trust and understanding.

“Peer support is such a bridge to getting someone connected to treatment,” Steffy said.

Littleton City Manager Jim Becklenberg said he was confident the cities of Littleton, Englewood and Sheridan could “integrate PATH team resources” into their multiyear action plan to reduce homelessness in their region.

The three cities have been working together for years on a multipronged approach to address homelessness, with their first year of implementing action items coming to a close.

Partnering for the Holidays

Share the season with neighbors in need!

Partnering for the Holidays creates a special holiday season for individuals and families who are involved as clients with Arapahoe County Human Services. The program benefits those who may otherwise go without during the holiday season, including children and adults in crisis, victims of abuse or neglect, or those experiencing financial hardship.

Visit arapahoegov.com/adoptafamily or scan the QR code with your smartphone.

Citizen Boards and Committees

Help shape our community by serving on one of Arapahoe County’s citizen boards and committees. When you serve as a volunteer on an advisory body, you provide input into the County’s decision making process in many areas of subject matter expertise. In turn, the County benefits from your knowledge and experience.

Visit arapahoegov.com/citizenboards or scan the QR code with your smartphone.

In a September 2020 file photo, a man dismantles a canopy during a sweep of a homeless camp along the South Platte River. There is currently no permanent emergency shelter in Littleton, Englewood or Sheridan for those who are homeless.

FILE PHOTO BY DAVID GILBERT

State to receive

BY OLIVIA PRENTZEL THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado is expected to receive more than $8.3 million from a settlement reached with Google over accusations that it misled users about its location-tracking practices in their settings while continuing to use the collected data to sell ads.

The settlement, worth $391.5 million nationwide, marks the largest multistate attorney general privacy settlement ever in the U.S., the Colorado Attorney General’s Office said recently in announcing the deal.

“By misleading consumers into believing they could control their location data and privacy, Google violated our consumer protection laws,” Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a statement. “Today, we are holding them accountable.”

The violations date back to at least 2014, the attorney general’s office said.

The recent settlement caps a nearly four-year investigation, prompted by an Associated Press reporting project that revealed that Google collects data through two Google account settings. Location History is “off” unless a user turns on the setting, but Web & App Activity, a separate account setting, is automatically “on” when users set up a Google account.

The state attorneys general claimed that the internet search giant gave a false impression that when users turned off location tracking services, Google was no

under privacy settlement with Google

from them. But through other Google services and apps, Google continued to collect users’ history and location data, according to the settlement.

Under the settlement, Google must show additional information to users when they turn a locationrelated account setting on or off and make key information about location tracking noticeable for users. Google must also give users detailed information about the type of location data it collects and how it is used.

use and storage of certain types of location information and requires Google account controls to be more user-friendly.

Thirty-nine other states joined Colorado in the settlement.

Colorado will use the money received through the settlement for future consumer fraud or antitrust enforcement, consumer education or public welfare purposes, said Lawrence Pacheco, a spokesman for the attorney general’s office.

The settlement was based on outdated product policies that the

Castañeda, a Google spokesman told The Sun via email. The company has made improvements to policies and plans to add several news features to boost transparency for its users, including a way for users to easily delete their past data.

This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

Google has agreed to a settlement with Colorado over privacy issues.

SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

People with a felony record are getting more opportunities

BY TAMARA CHUANG THE COLORADO SUN

Now that the election is over, new economic data coming in gives us better insight into what was happening last month when politicians were campaigning full steam.

In October, consumer prices were up 7.7% nationwide from a year ago, according to the latest inflation report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Denverarea data, which is used to gauge Colorado’s rate, won’t be out until December. But an analysis by WalletHub has Denver’s inflation trending to be “Rising the Least” out of 22 metro areas tracked by the BLS. There’s a reason for this. But more on that in a bit.

Colorado is still showing about two job openings for every unemployed worker. And one startup that’s trying to help connect employers to job seekers is in Denver. But Honest Jobs is promoting a different kind of worker that employers may not have considered: the formerly incarcerated.

Honest Jobs plugs a hole for employers

After Harley Blakeman graduated from Ohio State University in 2017, he applied to nearly 100 jobs he felt qualified for. He was rejected by them all. It probably was because years earlier, as a homeless teenager, he did drugs and spent time in prison on drug and theft charges.

No one wanted to hire an exfelon.

So, in 2018, he started Honest Jobs as a job site that matches workers with a past to employers who need their help. And boy, did he hit an untapped market. The company now works with more than 1,000 employers from Amazon and Koch Industries to Nestle and Wayfair. On any given day, there are 60,000 job openings and 37,000 job seekers. A year ago, there were 10,000 job seekers and 400 employers. The company moved to Denver last year at the request of its Boulder-based investors, which include Caruso Ventures and Matchstick Ventures. It’s growing as it tries to help solve the issue of “returning citizens” and keeping them out of jail.

“We are the largest job board specifically focused on felonyfriendly employment opportunities,” said Melissa Dickerson, the company’s chief of staff who had nearly given up on finding a job herself after her own felony conviction. “All of the employers come to us and sign up and post their jobs directly on our site with the express understanding that every candidate they get from our site is going to have some kind of justice involvement.”

Dickerson handles operations at Honest Jobs’ headquarters in RiNo (Blakeman is in Ohio). She said part of the uniqueness of its

job board is that it helps applicants see openings from employers who are OK with a particular background.

In other words, someone with a DUI conviction wouldn’t see openings for drivers. Those with a theft charge may not see jobs that handle cash. And people with fraud convictions would not be recommended for jobs that deal with sensitive data. Honest Jobs doesn’t do background checks — that’s up to the employer. Applicants self-disclose their past.

“Even though all the employers who post their jobs on our site are willing to consider people with criminal records, there are also employers and businesses who are concerned about negligent-hiring lawsuits,” Dickerson said. “They will consider everybody on a case-by-case basis, but in many situations, they will have to look closely at the duties of the job the person is applying for compared to that person’s type of conviction. And if there’s a conflict there, that could potentially put the employer at risk for negligent hiring.”

The most common types of openings at Honest Jobs are for warehouse workers, maintenance technicians, delivery drivers, restaurant work, customer service and mechanics. She says she’s seen “up to VP level positions.”

On Friday, the site had an opening for a senior backend engineer

at data-analytics firm AirDNA and a senior product marketing position at background-checking site Checkr, a company that does background checks. Both positions start at more than $140,000 a year. But most jobs are more entry or mid-level roles.

“The majority of the jobs we have on our site do tend to be in things like manufacturing and warehousing because those are the industries that are typically the most felony friendly and can offer the best wages that are liveable and enable people to provide for their families,” she said. “We have jobs in tech, we have jobs in hospitality, we have professionallevel positions, skilled trades. It really runs the gamut and because we are nationwide, we do have jobs in every state.”

Since its inception, the company has raised more than $2.9 million in funding, including from Caruso Ventures, the family investment firm of Dan Caruso, who cofounded Zayo Group and Level 3 Communications.

“The most effective solution for reducing recidivism, and the incarcerated population in general, is by employing the formerly incarcerated,” Caruso said in an email. “Employers need more hard-working employees.

Honest Jobs matches up Employers with this untapped and loyal talent pool.”

Republican silver lining

They pushed conversation on crime, public safety

BY ALLISON SHERRY COLORADO PUBLIC MEDIA

In conceding his Republican bid for state attorney general, Arapahoe County District Attorney John Kellner said that despite his party’s losses last week, they single-handedly forced state leaders to pay attention to public safety in a way they weren’t before.

“Throughout this campaign, which was so focused on public safety, we charged a lot of hearts and minds,” Kellner told a crowd of supporters. “We convinced Gov. Polis to get behind a bill that says, hey I want to increase the penalties for car thieves. That happens because of campaigns like this.”

Colorado’s crime rates, particularly around auto theft and fentanyl overdoses, were an omnipresent theme on the campaign trail.

In his state of the state speech earlier this year, Polis said that he wanted to make Colorado among the top 10 safest states in the nation. He often characterized fentanyl as one of the biggest threats posed to Coloradans and told CPR News he would support criminalizing possession of any amount of the drug — a departure from others in his party who believe criminalizing possession of drugs only punishes addicts.

Then in September, Polis wrote a letter to the state’s bipartisan Colorado Criminal and Juvenile Justice commission saying that he wanted to strengthen the penalties for car thefts.

In his proposed budget, there is more money funneled toward local law enforcement than in previous years and an overall 26 percent increase devoted to public safety.

A policy priority, or a cynical position for political gain?

Despite all that, many Democrats say the GOP mantra throughout 2022 that Colorado is crime-infested was a cynical position to promote for political purposes.

“The public-safety issue raised in this campaign was basically a fear tactic,” said Maureen Cain, legislative and policy director for the Colorado State Public Defender. “It didn’t work. I think voters rejected their fear tactics. But has there been a fear-based response in the Democratic party to this political message? Yes, I think so.”

Cain said that the language on the campaign trail — from 8th Congressional District Republican candidate Barbara Kirkmeyer falsely accusing her Democratic opponent of “legalizing” fentanyl, to attacks on a bipartisansupported misdemeanor reform bill that Republicans attribute to increasing auto theft rates — did not actually advance public safety.

“I don’t think it helps the public’s understanding,” she said. “One side is fear-mongering, are we going to say: too bad, so sad,

we’re not going to talk about it?”

For outgoing Colorado House Speaker Alec Garnett, a Democrat, the high-profile conversations about public safety, and who launched them, is a kind of chicken-egg question.

“The governor has said he wants Colorado to be one of the safest states in the country. That’s not because Republicans brought the issue up on the campaign trail, it’s because communities want to see crime go down,” said Garnett, who is about to become Polis’ chief of staff. “Republicans are stretching to figure out some silver lining in what ended up being a historically bad night.”

On the campaign trail throughout the state, Kellner said he heard from people concerned about crime rate increases — not only violent crime, but also catalytic converter thefts and business break-ins. He thinks the attention paid on that, including attention driven by some media coverage, was effective in elevating the policy issue for Republicans.

“It’s durable and it will stick with people going into the next legislative session. This is really not a Democrat or Republican thing,” he said. “It cuts across party lines and it’s something I’m really proud of that we were able to elevate that conversation … and put it on the media’s radar, the statistics around our state.”

What’s next for John Kellner and other Colorado politicians

Heading into the legislative session, where Democrats have large majorities in both chambers, Kellner said he hopes to keep the importance of crime relevant — even though he is returning to his day job as elected district attorney for Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties.

He plans to urge lawmakers to strengthen penalties for additional possession of illegal drugs, not just fentanyl, and get rid of the system that doles out varying sentences for auto theft depending on the value of the car. Kellner also wants to strengthen laws around people with criminal records possessing firearms.

“We recognize that legislators are not subject matter experts,” Kellner said. “We’ve gotten more feedback that there is more engagement.”

Kellner said even Democratic legislators have reached out to him.

In a statement from Polis’ spokesman Conor Cahill, he said the governor’s overwhelming victory last week showed that “the people of Colorado, regardless of their political party, support the governor’s work to improve public safety in Colorado.”

“It’s clear the governor’s commonsense approach in support of improving public safety resonated with Coloradans from across the spectrum,” Cahill said.

This story is from CPR News, a nonprofit news source. Used by permission. For more, and to support Colorado Public Radio, visit cpr.org.

John Kellner lost in running for state attorney general. Kellner remains the district attorney in the 18th Judicial District.

PHOTO BY THELMA GRIMES

Ex-o enders need jobs, too

About 650,000 people are released from state or federal prison each year, according to the U.S. Depart ment of Justice. Studies show that two-thirds are likely to be rearrested within three years because they return to society at a disadvantage. They have no money, few job op portunities and limited housing. According to an analysis by Prison Policy, the unemployment rate for the formerly incarcerated is 27%, or higher than the nation’s rate has ever been.

The labor shortage, including here in Colorado where there are roughly two job openings for every unem ployed worker, has made hiring applicants with a felony background something that even the U.S. Cham ber encourages. In a report last year, the chamber cited studies that made a compelling business case: Excluding formerly incarcerated job seekers reduced the nation’s gross domestic product by $78 million to $87 billion; hires are more loyal, which reduces turnover; and having a job reduces the recidivism rate.

Honest Jobs recently expanded its service to help people who are still in prison. Working with ViaPath Technologies in Virginia, Honest Jobs’ job board can now be viewed by the incarcerated to help them land a job as they prepare to leave, said Tony Lowden, ViaPath’s vice president of reintegration and com munity engagement.

“Before the Honest Jobs platform,

you had to work with your proba tion officer and maybe, maybe they would have a job waiting for you once you came home,” Lowden said.

“Or you had to depend on your fam ily or your church to help you find a job. Or you had to be an entrepre neur and start cutting grass. Nine times out of 10, those people who were not successful end up back in our correctional facilities.”

Lowden knows. He was the “re entry czar” under President Don ald Trump and he helped former prisoners reenter the workforce. ViaPath provides tablet technology to prisons so inmates can learn new skills and get job training. Now they can look for a job at companies that want to hire them. According to Honest Jobs, the tablets are provid ed free of charge to the incarcerated and Honest Jobs is free for them to use.

“We cannot call them returning citizens if we don’t allow them to get a job,” Lowden said. “Because if you have a desperate person who can’t reintegrate back into the communi ty, there’s no training, no jobs, they can’t get an apartment, they’re go ing to do some crazy things because they’re desperate.”

Colorado is one state with a “Ban the Box,” which prohibits employers with 11 or more employees from re quiring job seekers to disclose their criminal history when applying for a job. The Colorado Chance to Com pete Act, intended to get employers to consider an applicant’s qualifica tions first, went into effect Sept. 1, 2021. But while there are at least 37 states that ban the question, Lowden said there’s more to it than a box.

“Companies can always say, ‘Well,

we ban the box. We don’t have that on our application.’ But it’s not just that you have to ban a box. You have to put somebody in the box,” he said. “And what I mean by in the box, you have to hire that person to show America that it is possible to give a person a second chance.”

This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. The Colo rado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colo rado Community Media.

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‘... if you have a desperate person who can’t reintegrate back into the community, there’s no training, no jobs, they can’t get an apartment, they’re going to do some crazy things because they’re desperate.’

Tony Lowden,

ViaPath’s vice president of reintegration and community engagement

FROM

the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota.

The media representations of Native people that SeeWalker saw as a child, often depicting derogatory images, made her feel ashamed of her identity, she said.

Now, she’s working to change the narrative through her work as an artist, author and activist.

She recently collaborated with Arapahoe Libraries as part of the libraries’ featured artists program, displaying some of her artwork in the Koelbel Library in Centennial for the month of November, which is Native American Heritage Month.

To celebrate, the library hosted an opening reception at Koelbel Library in early November, attracting a large group of attendees to view SeeWalker’s artwork and hear about her journey.

“I’m excited to welcome you to our first featured artists program,” said Nicole Dumville, a volunteer services and art galleries coordinator for Arapahoe Libraries.

“The Arapahoe Libraries’ Featured Artists program showcases the work of a local artist who uses their art to shed light on diverse communities, discuss history and social justice, and spark important community conversations,” Dumville said. “Our featured artist, Danielle SeeWalker, she exemplifies all of these things.”

The power of imagery

Growing up, SeeWalker split her time between the Standing Rock Reservation and Bismarck, North Dakota, where she went to school.

It was a conservative area and there wasn’t much diversity of people other than Native people and white people, SeeWalker said. At her school, she was often the only Native child in class.

“Kids would put gum in my hair. They’d call me Medusa. They would say, ‘You’re dirty. Your parents are probably drunks,’” she said. “These are the things that I constantly had to face, these microaggressions, growing up.”

When November came at her school, students would have to make headdresses to wear during the school’s Thanksgiving celebrations.

“My family taught me the truth about Thanksgiving, and that it wasn’t something to be celebrated. It was very, very hard for our people — for Native people,” she said.

Most media representations of Native people at that time were harmful, she explained, showing examples of derogatory cartoons and representations of Native people as “savages.”

“These are the things that I had to deal with and had a big effect on me, and a lot of children my age and a lot of people my age,” she said. “Made me feel like I was stupid and … very dehumanized at times.”

Some people don’t understand the harm of something like a mascot of a Native person or a non-Native person wearing a headdress, SeeWalker said, explaining she’s heard people say they are celebrating the culture.

“But would you dress up in blackface and act this way?” she said. “We all know that you wouldn’t. So why

is this OK?”

Seeing these representations of Native people made her feel very ashamed as a child.

“Today, we’re so lucky that kids have that opportunity to have dolls, and see public art, and read about those themselves, and have representation of who they are,” she said. “That’s so important, and I wish I would’ve had that.”

A versatile artist

To cope with her dysfunctional, traumatic childhood, SeeWalker turned to creating art.

“My dad was an artist,” she said. “I come from a very talented family. All self-taught.”

Around the time SeeWalker was entering high school, she moved to Nebraska with her mom for a short period, and then to Philadelphia with her mom.

Moving from a small town in North Dakota to Philadelphia was a shock, she said. She recalled going to the Philadelphia Art Museum and seeing art in person that she’d only previously seen in books.

“I remember just crying, thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m in front of a painting,’” she said. “It was so touching for me to be able to leave that bubble and sort of experience a new life.”

Today, SeeWalker’s art takes many forms, such as beadwork done on moccasins, crafting jewelry, quillwork, making ribbon skirts, painting canvases and decorating skateboard decks.

A more recent artistic endeavor has been creating murals, which she started doing in 2020.

“I was invited by one of my friends to do a mural. They were starting a mural festival called Babe Walls,” she said. “Babe Walls is an all female, non-binary mural festival that was formed in 2020 and it was by invite only.”

Although she felt uncertain about how to approach creating a mural, she ended up helping paint an entire house and soon began looking for more opportunities, she said.

Since then, she’s done murals for the Denver Indian Center, at an Airbnb location, in the cafeteria of North High School in Denver, and on walls in the RiNo Art District, often depicting Native people or aspects of Native culture.

“A lot of the things I do is because of what I wish I had at one point,” she said about her artwork.

This year, at SeeWalker’s suggestion, Babe Walls held its mural festival at the Standing Rock Reservation.

“There’s so much talent on the reservation, but zero resources,” she said, explaining she wanted to give back to the artists there.

Twelve Denver artists paired up with 12 artists from the reservation who had zero experience with murals, SeeWalker said. The Denver artists brought the paint and collaborated with the Native artists, working together to create murals throughout the reservation.

“It’s by far probably one of the most proud projects that I’ve ever gotten to do,” she said.

She said witnessing the cultural exchange between the artists was mind-blowing.

“That was one of the highlights of my life,” she said.

People looking at Danielle SeeWalker’s artwork on Nov. 10 at Koelbel Library. PHOTOS BY TAYLER SHAW

Danielle SeeWalker’s art piece, titled “She Watched Them Disappear 2,” highlights how the population of bison decreased between the mid-1800s and early 1900s from an estimated 60 million to 325.

SeeWalker said she wishes she could go back and tell her younger self that one day she will be proud of who she is.

“As I’m painting, or creating, or writing, or talking, I think about my ancestors and how they fought so hard for me to be here. I’m their wildest dreams coming true,” she said. “I shouldn’t even be here.”

SeeWalker said her grandmother was born before Natives were considered American citizens, and her dad was born before all Natives were allowed to vote.

“That’s why I say I’m my ancestors’ wildest dreams, because I was born with all these privileges that everybody else has. And I’m, sort of, now thought of as human,” she said.

The Red Road Project

With a desire to show people the beauty and resilience of Native culture and people, SeeWalker and one of her best friends, a professional photographer, decided to combine their talents to tell those stories.

Thus began the Red Road Project, a photo and film documentary project that started in 2013.

“We just started talking to people, and documenting them, and started telling the stories of these people and giving (an) accurate portrayal of what Native people look like today and how we are,” she said. “Showing that we are successful, contributing members of society in our communities.”

Some of the depictions she loves to show is how Native people walk in two worlds, she said, such as showing how Native people may wear traditional regalia but they also wear sneakers and baseball caps.

Currently, SeeWalker is researching the Indian Relocation Act in the 1950s and 1960s when the government enticed Native people to move off reservations and come to cities like Denver, she said.

She also documents Native traditions and ceremonies, the connection people have to the land and stories from Native elders.

A lot of people will lump together all Native people, she said, but there are more than 570 different tribes that are unique to one another.

“Learning from my counterparts and peers in different tribes is so — it’s so important, and enlightening and healing for my own identity,” she said.

In 2020, the Red Road Project work came to a halt as travel restrictions went into place, she said. A book publisher reached out to her and asked if she’d be interested in writing something on a Native topic.

“I had a lot of time to reflect on a lot of learnings from the past decade, and I had the time to sit at home and write,” she said, explaining her book stemmed from her work with the project.

Her book, “Still Here: A Past to Present Insight of Native American People and Culture,” was published in 2020 and is currently in Arapahoe Libraries’ collection.

Legislative work

Shortly after moving to Colorado in 2018, SeeWalker, whose day job is working in business for a Fortune 500 company, applied to the Denver American Indian Commission.

The commission is a group which advocates on behalf of Denver’s American Indian community, the city’s website states, and for the past two years, SeeWalker has served as the co-chair of it.

She loves being a part of it and said it puts her in a position to participate in legislative efforts, such as helping get Senate Bill 22-150 passed this past summer.

The act created an office of liaison for missing and murdered Indigenous relatives. It also requires the department of public safety to improve the investigation of missing and murdered Indigenous relative cases, according to the Colorado General Assembly.

Teaching others

In her work to create accurate and insightful representations of Native people, SeeWalker welcomes questions from others.

“I want people to feel like they can ask questions in a safe environment,” she said, explaining one of her favorite parts of the event was engaging with people. “Because if we don’t, and we’re not talking about it, then that’s a form of erasure.”

Ellen Theis, a Highlands Ranch resident, said she has always been interested in Native American culture and art of all forms.

Wanting to get out of the house and get inspired, she decided to at-

tend the event after learning about it through Arapahoe Libraries’ newsletter.

Theis described the event as wonderful and inspiring, saying SeeWalker’s artwork was beautiful. She also learned a lot from it, she said.

“It is a different perspective, and we need different perspectives,” Theis said. “It allows us to connect, to feel empathy, to understand someone’s point of view, why they are the way they are.”

“Especially in today’s climate, we really need to be understanding where people are coming from,” she said. “I think it’s just a really great opportunity to come and learn.”

Those interested in learning more about SeeWalker’s work can visit SeeWalker.com.

Danielle SeeWalker speaking to a crowd of attendees at Koelbel Library on Nov. 10.

PHOTO BY TAYLER SHAW

Bicycle Colorado launches Greenhouse Gas Exchange tours

Highlights transit-oriented development

BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

For years, city officials and staff have been working to make traveling without a car easier in Lone Tree — a strategy used to attract residents and jobs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The success it’s seen so far led to Bicycle Colorado, a nonprofit advocating for bicyclists, launching its series of “Greenhouse Gas Exchange Tours” in Lone Tree, highlighting the city’s transit-oriented developments.

Colorado has a statewide goal to reduce 2050 greenhouse gas emissions by at least 90% of the levels of emissions that existed in 2005, per House Bill 1261.

Transportation is the largest contributor to the state’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Colorado Energy Office. Opting to use public transit, biking and/or walking instead of driving will help reduce transportation emissions, the office reported.

“We’re really looking at our transportation holistically and trying to figure out: How do we build a transportation system that works for everyone, that’s really leading with multimodal solutions?” said Rachel Hultin, Bicycle Colorado’s director of sustainable transportation.

“Lone Tree is doing — has been doing a great job for 20 years, and their vision for the next 20 is even more inspiring,” she said.

A large group of people — including representatives from the City of Centennial, Regional Transportation District (RTD) and Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) — gathered on Nov. 9 for a

tour that highlighted Lone Tree’s light rail stations, bicycle networks and mixed-use developments.

“We plan, today, to take you through Lone Tree’s past, present and future, one light rail stop at a time,” said Lone Tree Mayor Pro Tem Wynne Shaw.

The past

When Lone Tree was formed in 1995, city founders wanted to create a connected and walkable community, Shaw said.

“One of our first actions was to realize transit was central to our bigger planning efforts,” she said.

In 2002, the City of Lone Tree asked RTD to evaluate the feasibility of joining the RTD District, given the entire city was not within the legal boundaries of the district at that time, according to an RTD report.

Lone Tree voters approved annexation into the district in 2003. According to a 2004 report from the Colorado Department of Revenue, the RTD sales and use tax rate was 0.6%.

“That was an intentional decision by Lone Tree voters to tax themselves for no service, because they wanted this light rail extension and they recognized how important it would be to the community,” said Lone Tree Mayor Jackie Millet.

Lone Tree is now home to five RTD light rail stations.

Originally, the RTD Lincoln Station, located at 10203 Station Way, was the end-of-line station for the southeast rail line, Millet said.

However, in 2019, three additional light rail stations opened in Lone Tree — Sky Ridge Station, Lone Tree City Center Station and RidgeGate Parkway Station.

“We are so proud to have seen that vision come to fruition,” Millet said.

Transit-oriented developments

To develop transit-oriented communities in Lone Tree, the city has focused on establishing multi-family housing, retail space and office space near the RTD stations.

Within a half-mile of Lincoln

Station, for example, there are 2,900 multi-family units and 30,000 square feet of retail, Millet said.

Sky Ridge Station, despite being relatively new, is built out already, said Jeff Holwell, the city’s economic development director.

He credited its growth to employers like Sky Ridge Medical Center and Charles Schwab that, prior to the station’s establishment in 2019, invested in the area.

They understood that living in a mixed-use community next to transit was beneficial for their real estate values and employees, he said.

Employees are looking for ways to move more efficiently, said Sheryl Machado, director of communications and public affairs for the Denver South Transportation Management Association and the Denver South Economic Development Partnership.

“If you don’t have mobility and movement, you don’t have job creation. You don’t have employees that want to live, work and play where they can’t move efficiently,” Machado said.

Denver South works with six jurisdictions to support transportation and economic development in the region, and it helps provide funding for local projects, she said.

“Now, of course — more than ever — transportation issues matter as the population density continues to grow in Colorado,” Machado said.

Housing a ordability

Although Lone Tree has been able to attract jobs and residents through providing multimodal transportation, a downside has been the housing cost increase, Millet said.

“I’m sad to see how expensive it is to live in the City of Lone Tree right now,” Millet said, explaining the property values have dramatically increased.

“So, as you are thinking about these choices in your community, I would encourage you to think about

Rachel Hultin, the sustainable transportation director for Bicycle Colorado, speaking during the Nov. 9 tour.

PHOTO BY TAYLER SHAW

TOURS

PAGE 10

the affordability of your housing when you do that, because we have seen our home prices go up dramatically,” she said. “That is the downside of providing it all.”

Kelly First, Lone Tree’s community development director, said a lot of multifamily housing is planned near RidgeGate Parkway Station. One of which is Koelbel and Company’s Talus apartment building — Lone Tree’s first affordable housing project.

“We, in Lone Tree, are really trying to find ways to keep that affordability coming through additional projects. This one happens to be 67 units,” First said. “It’s small, but it’s mighty.”

RidgeGate development

An important vote was in 1999 when Lone Tree voters approved the annexation of the 3,500-acre RidgeGate property, Millet said.

RidgeGate is 3,500 acres located both east and west of I-25 and south of Lincoln Avenue, First said. It incorporates the Sky Ridge Station, Lone Tree City Center Station and RidgeGate Parkway Station.

“It has a single master developer, which has been key — Coventry Development — key to having a shared vision with the city,” First said.

The vision was to create something more urban, mixed-use and transit-oriented, she said.

“It kind of comes down to: How do we continue to create a place where people want to be, where they can live and have a diversity of housing options?” she said.

The ongoing development of RidgeGate East involves an 80-acre regional park, Lone Tree City Center and three residential villages.

“The mobility hub and the urban trail network that we’re planning is more than just a recreational trail system, but it is hopefully getting people who work and live in the area to be able to commute and take advantage of all the great spaces (and) employment options,” First said.

The city also has a microtransit service called Link On Demand, which offers transit throughout the city, Holwell said.

“We’ve partnered with (an) entity

called Via, which develops an app much like Uber,” he said. “Using your smartphone, you can summon the vehicle directly to you and take it to any other location in Lone Tree for free.”

Long-term planning, collaboration

The development of Lone Tree’s transportation systems and transitoriented communities has been purposeful, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the partnerships of organizations like RTD and CDOT, Millet said.

“We had a unique set of circumstances,” she said. “But I would say in each and every one of your communities, you have a unique set of circumstances and opportunities and challenges, and so please go look at those. And redevelopment is (a) great opportunity.”

Hultin encouraged those at the tour to communicate what they learned with their agencies and to collaborate with others on strategies to meet the 2050 greenhouse gas emissions goals.

“You have to think of what you want to see happen 15 to 20 years from now, because some of the decisions that resulted in all of this were made by people like you, many, many years ago,” said Brian Welch, RTD’s acting assistant general manager of planning. “We want to work with you to make things better for our community.”

The Nov. 9 tour attracted a large group of attendees, including representatives from RTD, CDOT and the City of Centennial.

PHOTOS BY TAYLER SHAW

FROM

An RTD light rail train arriving at Sky Ridge Station in Lone Tree on Nov. 9.

What drew the panelists to education

One of the reasons Rosanne Fulton, the director of the Center for Urban Education at the University of Northern Colorado, was drawn to a career in education was because she grew up very poor, and in the classroom, she found there were opportunities for people.

Tim Hernández, a teacher who gained media attention earlier this year when his contract was not renewed at Denver’s North High School, grew up in the kinship foster care system in Colorado, going to seven schools in seven years.

As a young person, he realized education is one of the only sustainable systems for people who “exist in systems that are designed to be unsustainable for them.”

The conversations that Tracie Trinidad, the director of policy and partnerships for the nonprofit YAASPA, had with her parents about the injustice they received from their teachers brought her to the field, wanting to ensure no other students endure the racism her parents felt.

Natalie Lewis, the vice president of leader development at DSST Public Schools, was pulled by a desire to help her community and teach young people the legacies they come from, and not the stories they are often told in schools.

The value of love

When asked what values they bring to education, Lewis said a

belief in leadership and love.

“I think the charge in education is to ensure that all know that love exists across and within different communities,” Lewis said.

Trinidad reflected on how she displays love, saying, “It’s being humble and knowing that you don’t know everything, and that you have so much to learn from the young people.”

Sometimes in the classroom setting, educators feel they need to have power over youth, she said.

“And I think through honoring youths’ lived experience and the knowledge that they already bring to the classroom is a way we can show love and the way we can really change what education looks like,” Trinidad said.

Fulton said when people develop deeper relationships with others, they develop more love. And with that comes more energy to think outside the box to support their

“My core values are love and compassion and sensitivity,” she said. “And, you know, spending the energy that it takes to get to know people as individuals, because when you do that, then the support that we can provide to people can be very transformational.”

Love is foundational, Hernández said, and part of that foundation is also urgency — something he

“I don’t think that we have the time to wait,” he said, explaining if people are unhappy with the education system, they have to take action to change it.

“As Paulo Freire writes, school does one of two things — it either upholds a just society, or it dismantles an unjust one. I don’t think anybody in this room tonight believes that we exist in a just society,” he said.

“And if we live in an unjust society, we have to have an urgency towards love, we have to have an urgency towards community, we have to have an urgency towards responsibility to make something better,” he said.

What should be removed from the schooling experience?

Hernández has a long list of what he would like to do away with in the education system, including standardized testing and standardized education.

Ultimately, he wants to remove “the foundational nature of education as separate from community” and “anything that is not determined by a community,” he said.

“If families and students do not want something in their education, it shouldn’t be there,” he said.

He understands people’s affinity for national standards and making sure that students can perform well, clarifying he’s not opposed to that. Standards are part of offering students shared common knowledge, and educators have to get everybody on the same page, he said.

“But to place the idea that standardized education and the needs and wants of a community are diametrically opposed is to say that communities cannot thrive academically on their own, separate from the systems that we exist within,” he said. “And I don’t think that’s the reality.”

Building off Hernández’s points, Trinidad asked who are the “standard” and “traditional” students.

“I think, really, communities need to create their own schooling, hire their own educators and go off a curriculum that they know will support their students in being the best person that they can be,” Trinidad said.

The current education system has taught people to be more compliant than to be critical thinkers, she said.

“That’s why schooling right now is a microcosm of our larger society. It’s a battleground, and we see this as we’re voting and passing legislation about what can and cannot be taught in schools,” she said.

Expectations in the education system are one-sided, as they are determined outside of students

and families, Lewis said. Moving forward, it’s important to engage families and students as part of the conversation of what the expectations should be.

Cultural responsiveness versus cultural sustainability

Fulton would remove anything in schools that does not fall under the umbrella of cultural responsiveness, which she said involves teachers forming relationships with families and making decisions together.

“I just think it’s very important for everybody to have their own definition of cultural responsiveness and then to act on that on a daily basis,” Fulton said.

Hernández, however, said he does not believe in culturally responsive education. Instead, he believes in culturally sustainable education.

“Culturally responsive education affirms the idea that culture and education are two separate entities that must respond to each other,” Hernández said. “The culture is already there. Our job is not to respond to it. Our job is to sustain it.”

Students deserve to have their cultures represented in the classroom, he said, and schools should actively sustain a student’s culture by centering cultural knowledge and expressions. Otherwise, the culture students walk into the classroom with could disappear.

“I think that every teacher deserves pre-service education, especially pre-service teachers of color, deserve (an) education that teaches them about how to sustain culture in the classroom,” he said. “Because if we are given tools and resources to sustain culture in the classroom, those are inherent resources to sustain our own culture ourselves.”

Feeling like their culture is not being sustained is partially what drives educators of color away, Lewis said.

According to a 2021 article by the Pew Research Center, white teachers outnumber educators of other races and ethnicities by a wide margin, with 79% of U.S. public school teachers identifying as white.

“If 80% of teachers are white, those aren’t just racist conditions of teaching. Those are colonial conditions, too,” Hernández said. “It’s very important that if we exist in racist and colonial systems of education, that we have to be very honest with that — about what those systems are — with our students.”

In 2019, The Denver Post reported more than half of Denver’s public schools are as segregated as they were in the late 1960s.

“We have the power within us to demand something better from what we’re existing in,” Hernández said. “The question is not what do we want to do, it’s how long are we willing to wait to get there?”

What gives Trinidad hope is seeing how the resistance of young people has evolved, saying she’s interviewed young people who have challenged the textbooks being used in the classroom and held meetings with school leaders about what they’d like to see in schools.

“I think that’s what’s given me hope, because they, too, will be leaders and educators,” she said.

Exciting classes in theater, music, art, science, culinary, dance, technology, and STEAM for all ages!

Janiece Mackey, the co-founder and executive director of Young Aspiring Americans for Social and Political Activism, moderated the Nov. 9 panel.

PHOTO BY TAYLER SHAW

VOICES LOCAL

Missing tradition

EDITOR’S COLUMN

s Thanksgiving approaches and plans are being made regarding who is hosting, who is coming and what to expect — this year has a bit of a gloomy feel.Growing up, Thanksgiving was a total family holiday. We had our family of six, and multiple others came regularly. From the food, the laughter, the family football game to watching the Dallas Cowboys – I treasure those memories.

Thelma Grimes

In a recent call with one of my brothers, whom I am closest with as an adult, he can’t come this year. Plane tickets are too much, he has had some unexpected bills and just paying for gas to fill up his truck these days is a stretch.

While the daily realities of a struggling economy are hitting my brother particularly hard, for me, it was the idea that he won’t be here this year playing with my sons, which may not always be parent approved, but has become a tradition that my boys look forward to with uncle Brian.

My other two brothers rarely make appearances on holidays these days. They live elsewhere, have separate lives and just can’t make the get-together.

We no longer have the football games in the yard as much. Even when they do, they do not carry the magic those traditional ones as a kid do.

Then, there’s the tradition of holiday television shows.

Every year, growing up, the night before Thanksgiving we would watch “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.” My brother reminds me of Charlie Brown and I am not surprised it’s one of his all-time favorite characters.

Now, there is no waiting until the night before for the show to come on a cable channel. Today, the show can be easily found and watched any day of the year if one chooses. The same goes for those traditional Christmas holiday favorites such as the Grinch, and the Charlie Brown Christmas special.

As technology has advanced, the world became busy — we no longer look forward to some of those traditions because they really are not traditional anymore.

As an adult, while I try to instill the importance of family and family traditions in my children, I have to admit, being busy and being always on the go, takes away some of that.

I am thankful for those holidays I had growing up. I can’t imagine the person I would have become had I not had those close family relationships as a kid. I am very much devoted to my family now. I am always available in the emergencies and bad days. But I miss being together and enjoying the feeling of coming together for the happy ones.

Maybe this year, or in the near future, putting more emphasis on valuing family traditions and creating more memories for my current household will become a priority. Looking to next month — maybe that will be a New Year’s Resolution for 2023.

That goal will start with watching Charlie Brown the night before Thanksgiving this year with a smile.

Thelma Grimes is the south metro editor for Colorado Community Media.

LINDA

A publication of

THELMA

SHAW Community Editor tshaw@coloradocommunitymedia.com

More than just attitude of gratitude

he worked hard on her presentation and had practiced several times before she had to stand in front of a large audience and share her thoughts and insights. She even woke up extra early to be at the venue hours before she would be speaking. She had asked the audio/video technician to meet with her to make sure everything would be perfect before she took the stage. Before she left, she took the time to sincerely thank the technician for coming in early to meet with her. As the technician received her gratitude, he smiled and nodded inI shared were flawless and the sound levels were just perfect. You helped make sure that everything I said and shared were received, and hopefully a few people walked out having learned something.” His eyes glistened as he smiled warmly, nodding with appreciation while patting his hand gently against his heart.

Two words, “Thank you,” make all the difference, don’t they? Is the story I shared above our story? Do we say thank you enough? How many times do we simply take for granted that it is someone’s job to serve us or help us, and we forget to tell them how important they are and just how grateful we are for their service? If we thought about it, probably too many.

His smile wasn’t just any smile, and his nod just not any nod, there was something heartfelt in his body language. So, she asked him if he was OK. He looked at her and said that he has been an audio/video technician for many years, and he has worked behind the scenes for many speakers including some very big and well-known names. He also shared that he loved the work that he did as it brought him great joy to know he was responsible for people receiving a powerful message, training or motivation. But he also shared that very few, hardly any, even took the time to thank him in such a sincere way as she had. After her presentation she went backstage to remove the microphone and collect her things. As she turned to leave, she found the technician and said, “Thank you again, the videos

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I learned the concept of the attitude of gratitude from my mentor and boss Zig Ziglar. One of Zig’s many famous quotes is this, “It’s your attitude, not your aptitude, that determines your altitude.” And we all know he was the master motivator, the greatest provider of hope and encouragement, and just an allaround amazing man. For Zig, it was always more than just the words he spoke or that he wrote in his books, it was more than just having a positive mental attitude, it was about living out that attitude of gratitude.

As we go through these times of change in our country, economy and in business, and as we try and hold on to the talented people on our team, so they do not wish to leave, allow me to share a lesson that I learned from Zig Ziglar when it came to appreciating the people in the company. When Zig wasn’t traveling,

SEE

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Practice good skin health even in winter

November is Healthy Skin Month, so this is a great time of year to emphasize the importance of good skin care and share some advice on maintaining healthy skin. Here are some tips that can help Coloradans adopt healthy skin habits to care for our skin year-round.

As the weather gets cooler, we turn on our furnaces and prepare for the cold, dry winter months. This drier weather and lack of humidity can wreak havoc on our skin. Those with eczema or other dry skin conditions may notice that their skin worsens, and even those without a predilection to dry skin may notice the occasional dry crack or painful fissure.

The best way to combat the dry weather is with good gentle skin care. Showers and bathing should be kept short and use lukewarm water, as either too hot or too cold

NORTON

FROM PAGE 14

he would come to the office, and he would walk around and check on all of us. And I will always remember that he would stop by someone’s cubicle or office and say, “Thank you for all you do for our company, I appreciate you so very much. With your skills and talents, you could have gone to work for anyone else,

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GUEST COLUMN

Dr. Adam Vaudreuil

can dry out the skin. I recommend using a gentle hydrating cleanser that is free of harsh soap that can strip the skin of its natural oils and moisture.

The most important step is to moisturize every day, sometimes multiple times daily if necessary. Choose a thicker cream or ointmentbased moisturizer over a lotion, as these will be more hydrating. Apply immediately after a bath or shower while your skin is still damp to lock in the moisture.

You may even want to consider running a humidifier in your bedroom at night, as this can also help to improve skin hydration. Applying petroleum jelly to fingertips and cuticles can also be helpful for those who struggle with brittle nails or fingertip splitting.

I am so very grateful you chose to work here.” I can share that employee turnover was minimal.

As we go through this Thanksgiving week, there is no better time to do a self-assessment when it comes to our own attitude of gratitude. And more than just having an attitude of gratitude, recognizing how we are demonstrating our appreciation for others in our lives. I would love to hear your gratitude story at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we remember to always give a sin-

Although most Coloradans may not be thinking about their sun exposure as much during the winter months, it is a great time to remind ourselves of the risks of skin cancer as we prepare to hit the slopes.

It’s important to remember that Colorado’s higher elevation and our love of outdoor activities means Coloradans are exposed to a higher UV incidence than the rest of the country.

Although it may not seem as sunny, it is still just as important to use our sunscreen when skiing and enjoying other outdoor winter activities. Choose a sunscreen that is SPF 30 or higher and make sure to reapply every two hours while hitting the slopes, and don’t forget to use a lip balm with SPF in it as well.

After getting home from a fun day in the snow, it may also be a good time to get into the habit of using a

cere, “Thank you,” it really will be a better than good life.

Michael Norton is an author, a personal and professional coach,

nightly retinoid. Retinoids are helpful in reducing wrinkles and fine lines, as well as improving overall skin tone, preventing pores from clogging, and helping to combat some of the skin aging effects from chronic sun exposure. Side effects of retinoids can be redness, irritation, and sun sensitivity, so it’s always a good idea to start with the lowest strength initially and work your way up. Starting slowly (only a few nights per week) and using a good moisturizer can help to mitigate these side effects. And don’t forget to continue to use your sun protection during the day.

While November reminds us of the importance of healthy skin, let’s make skin care a year-round habit.

consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator of individuals and businesses, working with organizations and associations across multiple industries.

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Dr. Adam Vaudreuil is dermatologist at Vanguard Skin Specialists, with eight locations in Colorado, including Castle Rock and Parker.

BY ANDREW FRAIELI AFRAIELI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In 1928, two Black dancers in a dance marathon in Harlem — George Snowden and Mattie Purnell — broke away from each other to throw in some solo freestyling. With that, they started the process of creating one of the most popular swing dances ever: Lindy Hop.

It obviously spread from Harlem, and today exists across the country, including in Denver. The dance — along with swing music itself — has ebbed and flowed in popularity

over the last few decades, but the fast-paced swing-outs and stomping beats have held onto Denver, developing a small community that’s easy for beginners to start in and experts to explore.

“I think there’s a lot of room for growth to provide many opportunities for people that want to dance,” said Kenny Nelson, founder of Swingin’ Denver — a swing school and local dance party hoster.

Nelson himself has experience teaching

around the world, but the last eight years he’s been teaching Lindy Hop across Denver and hosting social dances from the Mercury Cafe to the Savoy.

The current big three places for Lindy Hop in Denver, according to Nelson, have been the Mercury Cafe, the Savoy and the Turnverein as they are what have survived the ebb and flow.

SONYA’S SAMPLER

‘Forest of Stories’ comes to libraries

More than 120 decorated holiday trees will be dressed up with stories. From Nov. 19 to Jan. 7, all Douglas County Libraries branches will have a “forest of stories” — trees filled with references to favorite children’s books and a related scavenger hunt with prizes. Families may need to go on tour to check these out during the holidays! DCL.org/forest-of-stories.

Art and gift market

p.m. Dec. 2 at Littleton United Methodist Church, 5894 S. Datura St., Littleton.

Musical fairy tale

“Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” plays Nov. 25 to Dec. 31 at the Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada. Tickets start at $56. An American Sign Language interpreted program will play at 2 p.m. on Dec. 30. arvadacenter.org. 720-898-7200.

‘Newsies’

Pottery sale

The Arapahoe Ceramics Guild at Arapahoe Community College will hold its annual pottery sale in the Summit Room, Littleton Campus, Dec. 1 and 2 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Dec. 3 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Great for holiday shopping.

Sand Creek

open at The Depot Art Gallery,

Holiday Art and Gift Market is open at The Depot Art Gallery, 2069 W. Powers Ave. in downtown Littleton from Nov. 22 to Dec. 31, while Littleton Fine Arts Guild members also offer gift ideas nearby at Town Hall Arts Center’s Stanton Gallery, 2450 W. Main St., with the Affordable Art Show.

Koelbel Library art exhibit

Danielle See Walker’s art will be exhibited during November, Native American Heritage Month, at Koelbel Library, 5955 S. Holly St., Centennial. Walker is Hunkpapa Lakota and a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. She has recently published a book: “Still Here: A Past to Present Insight of Native American People and Culture.”

Symphony concert

Littleton Symphony Holiday Concert is at 7:30

LINDY HOP

FROM PAGE 16

“The Mercury Cafe got its start in the ‘90s when neo-swing was happening, and they’re the one place that remained when everyone else was gone…it kind of all fizzled out,” Nelson explained. “I mean, it went with the ebb and flow of popular music. The pop bands tried to grab that sound and it lasted for a bit, but it didn’t last.”

The Mercury Cafe now hosts the teaching and party-hosting group Swing Nights twice a week, every Tuesday and Sunday evening, with Ceth Stifel teaching many of the classes from beginner to intermediate. “The Merc,” as it’s also called, has a live band almost every Sunday as well.

The Turnverein, a 5,280 square foot ballroom, hosts a broader range of dance classes from many different teachers like argentine tango and general ballroom, but also a free Lindy Hop class at 7 p.m. every Friday and a dance right after.

Nelson himself found a home at the Savoy near Five Points in the city, where he teaches beginner and intermediate classes and hosts a

Town Hall Arts Center, 2450 W. Main St. in downtown Littleton, presents Disney’s “Newsies” through Dec. 30. Tickets: $35, $44, $50. 303-794-2787. townhallartscenter.org.

‘Labyrinth’

“Labyrinth” is the title for the 2022 Own an Original Art Exhibit at the Littleton Museum, 6028 S. Gallup St., Littleton.

Farm evening

The Littleton Museum, 6028 S. Gallup St., is also the venue for the festive annual “Holiday’s Evening at the Farm,” presented by the Friends of the Library/Museum with wagon rides, food, music and costumed interpreters. Dress warmly — it’s all outdoors with candlelight. 5:30-8 p.m.

‘Brrlesque’

Wonderbound dance presents “Brrlesque” from Dec. 8-18 at 3865 Grape St., Unit #2, Denver. New work by Garrett Ammon and Sarah Tallman.

live band and dance on the first Wednesday of every month.

Music is, of course, a central aspect. The right variation in tempo, a swinging sound that will convince dancers onto the floor, mixing songs from well-known to gems — all harder than it may seem.

“Swing dancing is inevitably tied to the music, having some music that is really good and swinging, and DJs that are paying attention to the dance floor is very crucial for having creative dancing,” Nelson said.

He describes a talent loss around 2008 and 2012 though, in DJing, dancing, and teaching, but has seen it start improving since 2013.

“I really feel like, in certain areas, live music has stepped up, and it’s great, whereas DJing definitely hasn’t come back,” Nelson said. He references some of the bands that he’s hosted before like La Pomp, that play “swingin tin-pan standards” and “soulful originals” according to their Instagram, putting them in a category “of the new current bands, with younger members, who are really talented and really hard-working.”

In terms of the stability of the scene now, it’s hard to tell.

“It’s kind of hard to get the complete pulse post-pandemic on the scene here. It certainly

New at History Colorado Center, 1200 N. Broadway, Denver: “The Sand Creek Massacre: The Betrayal that Changed Cheyenne and Arapaho People Forever.” Audio Guides in four languages,

Nutcracker

Colorado Ballet will hold a sensory-friendly adaptation performance of “The Nutcracker” at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 27 at the Ellie Caulkins Theater. Tickets: $20 to$40. 303-837-8888 ext 2.

Central City Opera

Central City Opera presents “Amahl and the Night Visitors” at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16 and 17 and 2 p.m. Dec. 18 at Trinity Methodist Church, 1820 Broadway, Denver. Tickets $12, kids; $42, adults.

Chorale

Cherry Creek Chorale presents “Ring in the Season” at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 9 and 10 at Bethany Lutheran Church, 4500 E. Hampden Ave., Cherry Hills Village. Tickets: CherryCreekChorale. org or at the door.

feels like it’s getting more stable,” Nelson said, pointing to venues having live music again as a promising step.

The dance’s history as a Black dance is a focus Nelson tries to give when he teaches.

“There’s been a lot of international conversations around the role of teaching, how we ought to be teaching, and how we can best respect the fact that we are teaching a Black dance — how can we best provide solid representation and appreciation for the dance,” he said. “I still think there’s lots of room for improvement there too.”

Specifically, the idea that the dance had a “revival” is what is pushed back on. As Nelson puts it, it “presents a whitewashing of the current popularity of swing dancing - i.e. it paints a picture of an activity ‘saved’ from extinction by white people, rather than a living art form still practiced within Black communities.”

Within Denver though, it is far from extinction or needing to be saved. Tuesday nights at “The Merc,” Friday nights at the Turnverin, and Sunday nights back to “The Merc” again, Lindy Hop is going strong in the city and welcomes beginners, experts and intermediates all alike.

Take a hop, skip and a jump into the city and see what you can do to the tune of “swingin tinpan standards.”

‘Her Brush’ illustrates women’s world from Japan

Denver Art Museum exhibit runs through May 13

BY SONYA ELLINGBOE SELLINGBOE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

“Her Brush: Japanese Women Artists from the Fong-Johnstone Collection” just opened at the Denver Art Museum, introducing more than 100 works from a lesser-known and really rich realm of Japanese culture: women artists from 1600-1900. “Her Brush” is an introductory peek at the collection, more than 550 artworks recently donated by Drs. John Fong and Colin Johnstone. Painting, calligraphy and ceramics are included in this exhibit at the Ponti Building. Kiyohara (Kano) Yukiroba (1643-1682) was taught by her father and by the Kano School, based in Kyoto and run by her uncle, a famous artist. He is said to have merged the brushwork tradition that came from Chinese art with the color and pattern of Japanese style. She managed to layer her own style into those traditions. Her painting of “The Goddess Benzaiten and Her Lute” (The Goddess of Love) is outstanding.

An art career was rare for a woman, but her father is said to have taught her and encouraged her. She also managed to fit a marriage to another artist into her life. Her art often depicted legendary and historical women, painted on silk scrolls.

The exhibit was curated by Andrew L. Maske, professor at Wayne State University, and co-curated by Einor K. Cervone, associate curator of Asian art at the Denver Art Museum, and will continue until May 13, 2023.

IF YOU GO

The Denver Art Museum is located at 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway (Hamilton Building) and to the north across 12th Street is the Ponti Building. Parking garage. Adult entrance is ticketed unless a member. Children are admitted free. denverartmuseum.org. 720-865-5000.

This beautifully presented exhibit is a subtler, quieter experience than the rousing “Saints, Sinners, Lovers and Fools: 300 Years of Flemish Masterworks” that opened recently in the Hamilton Building and would probably cause visual overload if one tried to do both in a day, but perhaps out-of-town art lovers will try it with a lunch break!

These women came from different backgrounds according to curatorial staff.

Wealthy families produced daughters who studied the “Three Perfections,” painting, poetry and calligraphy, which theoretically prepared them to be proper wives. Some, such as the multi-talented Kiyohara Yukiroba, managed a multifaceted lifestyle.

Talented women from artistic families established themselves as professional artists.

Buddhist nuns had a sort of freedom from society’s expectations and could travel more freely and train as artists.

Entertainers: geisha, musical performers, actors and sex workers at times became recognized artists as did literati society members: intellectuals and art enthusiasts.

Allow time to contemplate the life stories presented here and to enjoy the cherry blossoms!

“The Floating World” is a descriptive name sometimes given to this somewhat dreamy Japanese scene.

“The Goddess Benzaiten and Her Lute” is a painting by Kiyohara Yukinobu from the 1600s. It is part of the exhibit “Her Brush: Japanese Women Artists from the Fong-Johnstone Collection” at the Denver Art Museum.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DENVER ART MUSEUM

Thu 12/01

ARTS: Holiday Youth Ceramics @ Cook @ 12am Dec 1st - Nov 30th

Cook Park Recreation Center, 7100 E. Cherry Creek South Dr., Denver. 720-9130654

Denver Pioneers Hockey vs. Arizona State Sun Devils Hockey @ 7pm

Magness Arena, 2201 E. Asbury Ave., Denver

Sat 12/03

Sons of the Pioneers

@ 7:30pm

Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St, Lone Tree

ARTS: Cookie Making @ Cook @ 11pm

Cook Park Recreation Center, 7100 E. Cherry Creek South Dr., Denver. 720-9130654

Fri 12/02

Blitzen's Ball Dance & Gift Train for friends with special needs!

@ 6:30pm / Free

Cornerstone Church, 9941 Lone Tree Parkway, Lone Tree. scott@all starsclub.org

Ninety Percent 90s @ 7pm

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The Boy Band Project @ 7:30pm

Town of Parker, 20000 Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker Keith Hicks @ 8pm Private, Castle Pines Phat Daddy @ 8:30pm

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Denver Pioneers Hockey vs. Arizona State Sun Devils Hockey @ 6pm

Magness Arena, 2201 E. Asbury Ave., Den‐ver

A Winter's Eve Concert with David Arkenstone & Friends @ 7:30pm

Newman Center for the Perform‐ing Arts, 2344 E Iliff Ave, Denver

Sun 12/04

Mon 12/05

Modern Swing Mondays @ 6:30pm / $10

Stampede, 2430 South Havana,

Tue 12/06

Jenny Shawhan @ 7pm

The Barn at Raccoon Creek, 7301 W Bowles Ave, Littleton

Marty NIghtengale @ 7pm

Earls Kitchen + Bar, 8335 Park Meadows Center Dr, Lone Tree

Agresivos De La Sierra - Los Caudales Del Norte - Del Rancho Al Norte @ 9pm / $20

Stampede, 2430 South Havana, Aurora

Alex Seeley: Encounter Church Sunday Services @ 9am

Encounter Church Denver, 6825 S Galena St, Centennial Keith Hicks @ 10am Inverness Hotel Jazz Brunch, Englewood

Wed 12/07

Thu 12/08

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Creek swimmer puts in the hours

“We like to be really positive, we have each other’s back, support each other, uplift each other and that helps. A happy swimmer is a fast swimmer. We’re definitely happy on the Creek team, not to mention there is a lot of depth. We still have to practice hard, put in the work and give it our best shot.”

swimmer but also confesses that state champion 200 medley relay really hard.

Greenhawt is working to improve the underwaters in her events.

Improving the underwater phase is a key to swimming faster. It isn’t about spending the longest time underwater. It’s about using the time underwater to gain distance off the walls quickly, while retaining as much speed as possible.

Coach Karin Olmsted points out that Greenhawt, who will swim next season for the University of Michigan, is a silent leader.

“Lexi is a quiet leader on our team in that she lets her swimming and racing do the talking,” said Olmsted. “But I know she is looking forward to bringing the underclassman and her team along with her this season.

“While racing, her strength is her powerful and fast underwaters. Some of the things she does in practice underwater rival that of Division 1 athletes. I am excited to see what she, along with our extraordinary group of seniors, do this year.”

Looking back at years of hockey

BY JIM BENTON JBENTON@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

George Gwozdecky remembers his first season as Valor Christian’s hockey coach and now can look back on how high school hockey in Colorado has improved.

The 60-year-old Gwozdecky has seen and coached plenty of hockey.

He is the only person to win an NCAA championship as a player (Wisconsin in 1977), an assistant coach (Michigan State in 1986) and as a head coach (University of Denver in 2004-2005).

Gwozdecky will be starting his eighth season as Valor Christian’s hockey coach and he has guided the program to a 111-29-5 record and two state championships in the previous seven campaigns.

“The thing that is easiest to see is the level of hockey, at least every year that I have witnessed and experienced, is rising at the high school level,” said Gwozdecky. “Teams are more competitive and more kids that were on the fence years ago are now playing high school hockey.

“The fall season just wound up with championship overtime game between Valor and Monarch. In the fall season, there were multiple overtimes. Cherry Creek, Denver East, Monarch all went into overtime

games and there were some upsets. To me that’s a great indicator as to how close, hard fought and challenging the upcoming CHSAA season is going to be.”

Gwozdecky, who has been a coach for 42 years including 19 at DU, claims Denver’s declaration as a hockey championship city has helped the sport at the high school.

The Colorado Avalanche won the NHL’s Stanley Cup, the University of Denver captured the NCAA title and Denver East took the national high

school championship last season.

“Everybody was wrapped up in the Avalanche, their Stanley Cup playoff run and winning the Cup,” added Gwozdecky. “And obviously DU. At every level they have reconized the national champions. Not only was it tremendous boost for hockey in this area to have Denver East as part of the Stanley Cup parade and to recognize high school hockey that way and I don’t know if there is any better way to help advance high school hockey.

“You still see the banners around, the city of champions. From my standpoint I really appreciate what the Avalanche has done in their success by winning the Cup.”

Valor’s senior center Noah Fekete welcomes the added attention.

“It was really cool to be living in Colorado when that happened and to be playing high school hockey,” he said. “It just brings a lot of recognition to the game. More people are

Valor Christian hockey player Aiden Owen

Lexi Greenhawt of Cherry Creek

PHOTO BY PAUL DISALVO

Valor Christian’s Noah Fekete

Valor Christian hockey coach George

Record surge for outdoor recreation economy fuels push for legislation

Contributed $11.6B in 2021

BY JASON BLEVINS THE COLORADO SUN

Outdoor recreation delivered $454 billion to the U.S. economy in 2021, accounting for 1.9% of the nation’s economic activity and marking a huge rebound from the pandemic.

The fifth annual report from the Bureau of Economic Analysis shows outdoor recreation regaining lost ground from the pandemic impacts to travel and tourism in 2020. The record surge in 2021 — when adding outdoor recreation job earnings the industry delivered an $862 billion overall impact to the U.S.economy — is pushing industry advocates to call for more federal support of recreation.

“Outdoor recreation is one of the few areas where we are seeing bipartisan support,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, the president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association. (Boating was red hot in 2021, with boat buyers and manufacturers contributing $50.4 billion to the outdoor recreation economy, making it the industry’s largest sector.) “This is one of the few industry sectors that has the ability to reach across the partisan divide and bring people together to improve our economies and our quality of life.”

The federal government first started measuring the outdoor recreation economy in 2017, following the Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act. The annual reports from the Department of Commerce show outdoor recreation users, manufacturers, service providers, retailers and supporting industries like travel and tourism driving an economy larger than the agriculture, energy, pharmaceuticals or electronics industries.

Since 2017, 18 states have created offices of outdoor recreation. Congress passed the Great American Outdoors Act in 2020, the largest conservation investment in decades directing billions into recreational access and infrastructure. The recent American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act directed even more into recreation infrastructure.

Act, which would streamline federal permitting for outdoor recreation across all land management agencies.

President Joe Biden this year reconvened the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation, or FICOR, which was first formed by President Barack Obama in 2011, bringing together leaders from the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce and Defense departments to work together on expanding outdoor recreation opportunities.

The legislative momentum, support from the president and now economic numbers showing recreation as one of the strongest industries in the country are fueling outdoor recreation advocates to champion something “bigger than one piece of legislation,” said Jess Turner, president of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, which represents dozens of outdoor trade groups working for more than 110,000 outdoor businesses.

“FICOR is wonderful,” said Turner, who hopes to see a federal outdoor recreation office in Washington D.C.

“Having a national recreation office and someone in the office and in the White House who is focused on this economic sector and making sure all of these agencies are at the table as well as state and state directors, that would be our long-term goal,” Turner said.

The rebound from 2020 is the industry’s best argument for increased federal support. Many are quietly lobbying the Biden Administration to create a national office and an undersecretary of recreation, perhaps in the Department of Commerce.

This week’s strong support for Democrats gives even more momentum to the push.

“There is a lot of wind at our backs right now,” said Conor Hall, the director of Colorado’s outdoor recreation office.

All 50 states saw declines in outdoor recreation dollars in 2020 compared with 2019. Colorado endured a 19.5% decline in 2020.

The 19% annual growth in the national outdoor economy in 2021 comes as the overall national economy grew 6% last year.

Most of the growth in 2021 came from a rebound in trips and travel around outdoor recreation. In 2020, traveling for outdoor recreation collapsed to $149.6 million in direct spending, investment and wage dollars supporting the outdoor recreation economy, compared with $291 million in 2019. The contribution of travel and tourism climbed to $257.9 million in 2021, floating the entire recreation economy to a record high.

demic when outdoor activities were a respite from urban shutdowns.

“The pandemic catapulted our business,” O’Rourke said.

Colorado’s outdoor recreation economy employed 125,244 workers in 2021 who earned $6.1 billion, accounting for 2.5% of all wages paid in the state. That compares to 120,063 jobs in 2020 with workers earning $5.7 billion.

Add those wages to the overall outdoor recreation industry in Colorado and the outdoor recreation economy contributed $11.6 billion to the state in 2021, accounting for 2.7% of the state’s GDP. That economic output in Colorado is up 20% from 2020.

Hall sees Colorado playing a leading role in the push for a federal recreation czar.

It wasn’t that long ago that outdoor recreation was not acknowledged as an economic engine. But now the recreation industry has growing economic and political clout.

Outdoor recreation cheerleaders are urging federal lawmakers to pass the America’s Outdoor Recreation

HOCKEY

FROM PAGE 20

passed the Great American Outdoors tion investment in decades directing Act directed even more into recreare urging federal lawmakers to pass going to have their eyes on Colorado at all levels.”

Gwozdecky is enjoying the depth he has on this season’s team but it hasn’t always been that way.

“That first year we had 14 hockey players,” Gwozdecky recalled. “One of them was a goalie, 13 skaters and they all liked hockey and without being condescending, we didn’t have any hockey players. But those kids that were on that team were the building blocks for what is to come. And it was a challenge for us.

“So a lot has developed over the years. When I think back to seven years ago and that first team and

The outdoor recreation economy’s $861.5 billion in economic output compares to $659.7 billion in 2020. The 2020 numbers showed outdoor recreation declining 19% from 2019, compared with a 3.4% decline in the national overall economy.

The surge in travelers included a lot of campers, said Toby O’Rourke, the chief executive of Kampgrounds of America, the country’s largest network of independently owned campgrounds.

KOA counted 2021 as its best year in its 60-year history, with revenues up 33% over 2019, O’Rourke said. More Americans than ever consider themselves campers, she said. And like many sectors of the outdoors, participation grew during the pan-

“Colorado is looking at more than 20% growth in one year. We are far outpacing every other industry in this state. This is the perfect time to see if we can create a federal office,” said Hall, noting the effort has the support of Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper. “We have the buy-in. This is a big step and it’s an ambitious swing. But I think we have the momentum to make it happen.”

some of our first practices and some of the things that occured that year, I just kind of chuckle now because it’s been fun to be part of the growth.”

The top seven scorers of last season’s Eagles team were all juniors returning this years including Fekete, who led the team with 16 goals and 29 points. Owen Walsh, who had nine goals and 23 points, is also back and will also be one of the team leaders.

“For me I’m big on encouragement and letting players know they are doing the right thing,” said Walsh.

“That’s really important and just kind of guiding them when I see things that they can do better.”

Valor opens the season on Dec. 2 and has a game Dec. 3 against Ralston Valley at the South Suburban complex.

•Adaptable route sizes

• No suit & tie required!

Previous carrier experience encouraged; reliable vehicle and email access, required.

Leif Henry navigates a new mountain bike track.

PHOTO BY DEB HURLEY BROBST

ELZZ

Early-season snow o to good start in high country

BY CHRIS OUTCALT THE COLORADO SUN

Snowpack on the Western Slope is off to a good start, but experts caution it’s difficult to draw many meaningful conclusions from snow-covered, high-country peaks this early in the season.

“It’s kind of like leading a football game by a field goal halfway through the first quarter,” Jeff Lukas, an independent climate researcher, wrote in an email.

As of early November, the statewide snowpack was 140% of the median from 1991 to 2020, and 142% in the Colorado River headwaters area specifically, according to SNOTEL data compiled by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The averages were slightly higher elsewhere on the Western Slope.

Still, there’s a long way to go. Typically, on Nov. 9, Colorado is about 8% of the way to achieving statewide median snowpack, Lukas said. Right now, the state is about 12% of the way there, he said. But, Lukas cautioned that there’s very little correlation between mountain precipitation in October and early November and the final totals across an entire snow season.

In about a third of the past 35 years, early-season snow totals looked something like they do so far this year, Lukas said. The season-ending snowpack across those 12 years, however, runs the gamut, from a handful of average years to a very good 1995 and a dismal 2012.

Nevertheless, it’s better to have snow on the ground than not, he said.

“Every little bit helps. Just like a field goal early in the first quarter,” he wrote. “But it needs to be followed up with a lot more scoring.”

Given the challenges facing the Colorado River, water managers across the region will be watching the snowpack especially closely this year. More than 40 million people rely on the snow that accumulates high up in the mountains in the Colorado River Basin and then flows into the river and its tributaries. The water is also used to irrigate millions of acres of farmland. However, a series of subpar

A fox ventures through the snow on Conifer’s Shadow Mountain.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEBBIE FORD

snow years and dry soil conditions paired with sustained water use has drained the country’s two largest reservoirs — Lake Powell and Lake Mead — and strained the entire Colorado River system.

So far this year, the biggest in-state beneficiary of the early-season snow has been southwestern Colorado and the San Juan Mountains, a region that has been hard-hit by drought and dry soil conditions the past few years. The southwestern part of the state registered 217% of the median snowpack as of Nov. 10.

“We’re in the best shape we’ve seen for about five years — it’s a good start for sure,” said Ken Curtis, general manager of the Dolores Water Conservancy District, which manages the Dolores Project.

In addition to the early snow, a steady pattern of monsoonal rains throughout the summer helped southwestern Colorado quite a bit, Curtis said.

“Depending on how you feel about trends or odds or statistics, we are looking better, and you might say we’re due,” Curtis said.

In 2021, farmers and ranchers who rely on water from the Dolores Project received a 10% supply. This year, the project operated on a 35% supply.

This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

Help Wanted

Now hiring Local Sales and Sponsorship Position

Colorado Community Media is hiring an events – sponsorship- digitalnative sales professional 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 a mix in our Englewood, Evergreen or Brighton offices and remote. If you’re as passionate as we are about our mission to grow and engage our community, please apply. CCM offers competitive pay and a comprehensive benefit package that includes medical, dental, vision and paid holiday, vacation, sick and personal time. As an added bonus, you’ll office less than 90 minutes from the best Colorado has to offer in outdoor recreation.

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Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

At this time of year, people are constantly searching for fun ways to explore the metro area and all it has to offer — maybe you have family in from out of town and need to entertain them, or perhaps you’re just looking for an alternative to the typical holiday fare.

With the following four options as a starting place, I hope you’ll find a great way to kick off the season.

Return to the moon at the DMNS

With interest in space exploration on the rise all over the world, it is difficult to imagine a more fitting time to take a look back than right now. And that’s just what visitors can do at “Apollo: When We Went to the Moon,” which is running at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science , 2001 Colorado Blvd. in Denver, through Monday, Jan. 23.

The exhibit takes visitors back to the space race leading up to the moon landing in 1969 and features more than 100 artifacts from the U.S. Space and Rocket

Center’s archives, according to provided information.

With more than 400,000 individuals contributing to the success of the American space program, there was a huge range of materials to go through for the exhibit. Visitors can explore the development of the Saturn V rocket, get up close and personal with the Apollo A7L spacesuit and learn just some of the stories behind the people who made it all possible.

Find tickets and information on the exhibit at www.dmns.org.

Immerse yourself in the holiday season at the Cherry Creek Holiday Market

One of the great joys of the holiday season is spending time outside with a warm drink, festive atmosphere and surrounded by great people. For all that and more, you won’t want to miss the Cherry Creek Holiday Market .

Now in its third year at Fillmore Plaza , 105 Fillmore St. in Denver, the market has built up a reputation as one of the best shopping experiences in the metro area. And it is easy to see why: it features more than 50 vendors, including artisan creators who make puzzles, tabletop campfires and high quality tea products; live music Wednesday through Sunday; and a topnotch bar program that showcases local companies like at st, The

Family Jones and Uncle Tim’s Cocktails. Once you add in some beautiful light features, it is difficult to go wrong.

Welcome the holiday season to the Denver area COMING

The market runs through Saturday, Dec. 24. All you need to know can be found at www.cherrycreekholidaymarket.com.

Explore a brewing winter wonderland

LUKI Brewery , 14715 W. 64th Ave., Unit A and B, in Arvada, has all manner of activities scheduled for the holiday season, but one of the most appealing must be its Cirque Du Snow Winter Wonderland Wednesdays events.

Held from 3 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 30, Dec. 7, Dec. 14 and Dec. 21, the festivities begin with a cookie decorating kit from Elevated Pastries (which includes six plain sugar cookies in classic holiday shapes, icing and sprinkles) and from their brewers serve beer using the Bierstacheln tradition. According to provided information, “this German process involves heating beer with a hot poker and caramelizing the complex sugars from the malt-forward varieties on tap.” Finally, Classic Holiday Movie Bingo begins at 6 p.m.

There will also be holiday markets, live holiday music and even a “a paint your pet” event.

Public Notices

The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.

THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 01/11/2023, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)' heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys' fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.

First Publication: 11/17/2022

Last Publication: 12/15/2022

Name of Publication: Littleton Independent

IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED;

DATE: 09/09/2022

Susan Sandstrom, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado

By: Susan Sandstrom, Public Trustee

The name, address, business telephone number and bar registration number of the attorney(s) rep resenting the legal holder of the indebtedness is:

Erin Croke #46557

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Monday, November 21, 2022 the Centennial City Council passed on first reading:

ORDINANCE NO. 2022-O-29 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF COUNCIL OF THE CENTENNIAL, COLORADO, AMEND ING SECTION 8-1-30 OF THE CENTENNIAL MUNICIPAL CODE TO SET THE MAXIMUM DEFAULT SPEED IN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS AT TWENTY-FIVE MILES PER HOUR

The full text of the ordinance is available for public inspection in the office of the City Clerk. The ordinance may be obtained by contacting the City Clerk, 303-754-3324. The full text of the ordinance is also available on the City’s web site, www.centennialcolorado.com.

By:Barbara Setterlind, MMC, City Clerk

Legal Notice No. 530804-60804

First Publication: November 24, 2022 Last Publication: November 24, 2022

Publisher: Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen

Public Notice

CITY OF CENTENNIAL NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Pursuant to CRS §38-38-101(4)(i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the evidence of debt secured by the deed of trust and other violations thereof. THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.

LOT 13, BLOCK 7, COLUMBINE HEIGHTS - FIL ING NO. 2, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.

Also known by street and number as: 11 GLENVIEW DR, LITTLETON, CO 80123.

THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST.

Steven Bellanti #48306 Holly Shilliday #24423 Ilene Dell'Acqua #31755 McCarthy & Holthus LLP 7700 E Arapahoe Road, Suite 230, Centennial, CO 80112 (877) 369-6122

Attorney File # CO-22-941248-LL

The Attorney above is acting as a debt collector and is attempting to collect a debt. Any information provided may be used for that purpose.

©Public Trustees' Association of Colorado Re vised 1/2015

Legal Notice NO. 0479-2022

First Publication: 11/17/2022

Last Publication: 12/15/2022

Name of Publication: Littleton Independent

City and County PUBLIC NOTICE

CITY OF CENTENNIAL

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Centennial, Colorado will conduct a public hearing on Monday, December 5, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. regarding ORDINANCE NO. 2022-O32, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CENTENNIAL, COLORADO AMENDING CHAPTER 12 OF THE MUNICI PAL CODE (LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE) CONCERNING ROOFTOP GREENHOUSES.

The public hearing will be held at the Centennial Civic Center, 13133 E. Arapahoe Road, Council Chambers, Centennial, Colorado 80112. Copies of Ordinance No. 2022-O-32 are available for inspection by the public on the City’s website: www.centennialco.gov. Interested parties may file written comments with the City Clerk, at: councilcomments@centennialco.gov or by mailing them to City Clerk, 13133 E. Arapa hoe Rd, Centennial, CO 80112 any time prior to December 5, 2022. Any written comments received will be provided to City Council prior to the Public Hearing and made part of the record. /s/Barbara Setterlind, MMC, City Clerk

Legal Notice No. 530802

First Publication: November 24, 2022

Last Publication: November 24, 2022

Publisher: Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen

Check out www.lukibrew.com to get all the details and to make your plans.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Wild Pink at Globe Hall

Over their four albums, New York’s Wild Pink have somehow managed to get better with each new record. Their most recent album, “ILYSM,” might be their best yet, and that could very well be because it is their most personal. At 34, lead singer John Ross received a cancer diagnosis that would rock back any person, and he used that experience as the ultimate muse. The resulting album is searching, funny, sad and expansive - all descriptions that equally apply to the story of a human life.

In support of the album, Wild Pink will be performing at the Globe Hall , 4483 Logan St. in Denver. They’ll be joined by indie rock/folk favorites Trace Mountains and Knuckle Pups.

As we head into the final stretch of the year, this is the perfect show to look back at what we’ve all endured and case a hopeful glance to the coming horizon. Get information and tickets at https://globehall.com/.

Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke. Reader@hotmail.com.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Centennial, Colorado will conduct a public hearing on Monday, December 5, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. regarding ORDINANCE NO. 2022-O29, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF COUNCIL OF THE CENTENNIAL, COLORADO, AMEND ING SECTION 8-1-30 OF THE CENTENNIAL MUNICIPAL CODE TO SET THE MAXIMUM DEFAULT SPEED IN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS AT TWENTY-FIVE MILES PER HOUR. The public hearing will be held at the Centennial Civic Center, 13133 E. Arapahoe Road, Council Chambers, Centennial, Colorado 80112. Copies of Ordinance No. 2022-O-29 are available for inspection by the public on the City’s website: www.centennialco. gov. Interested parties may file written comments with the City Clerk, at: councilcomments@centen nialco.gov or by mailing them to City Clerk, 13133 E. Arapahoe Rd, Centennial, CO 80112 any time prior to December 5, 2022. Any written comments received will be provided to City Council prior to the Public Hearing and made part of the record.

/s/Barbara Setterlind, MMC, City Clerk

Legal Notice No. 530805-60805

First Publication: November 24, 2022 Last Publication: November 24, 2022

Publisher: Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen

PUBLIC NOTICE

CITY

Notice

Legal Notice No. 530807-60807

First Publication: November 24, 2022 Last Publication: November 24, 2022

Publisher: Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen

PUBLIC NOTICE

CITY OF CENTENNIAL

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Monday, November 21, 2022, the Centennial City Council approved the following ordinance on second and final reading:

ORDINANCE NO. 2022-O-27 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CENTENNIAL, COLORADO, APPROVING A FRANCHISE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF CENTENNIAL, COLO RADO, AND PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF COLORADO (“GRANTEE”) TO PROVIDE GAS AND ELECTRICAL SERVICES WITHIN THE CITY OF CENTENNIAL AND AMENDING AR TICLE 5 OF CHAPTER 5 OF THE CENTENNIAL MUNICIPAL CODE

The full text of the ordinance is available for public inspection in the office of the City Clerk and is also available on the City’s web site, www.centennial colorado.com. The ordinance may be obtained by contacting the City Clerk, 303-754-3324.

(First published November 10, 2022)

By:Barbara Setterlind, MMC, City Clerk

Legal Notice No. 530803

First Publication: November 24, 2022 Last Publication: November 24, 2022

Publisher: Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen

PUBLIC NOTICE

CITY OF CENTENNIAL

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Monday, November 21, 2022 the Centennial City Council passed on first reading:

ORDINANCE NO. 2022-O-32

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CENTENNIAL, COLORADO AMENDING CHAPTER 12 OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE (LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE) CON CERNING ROOFTOP GREENHOUSES

The full text of the ordinance is available for public inspection in the office of the City Clerk. The ordinance may be obtained by contacting the City Clerk, 303-754-3324. The full text of the ordinance is also available on the City’s web site, www.centennialcolorado.com.

/s/Barbara Setterlind, MMC, City Clerk

Legal Notice No. 530806-60806

First Publication: November 24, 2022

Last Publication: November 24, 2022

Publisher: Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen ###

Clarke Reader