Centennial Citizen 122222

Inflation, high demand challenge local food bank

Colorado lawmakers address Centennial Airport concerns

FAA pushed to attend meetings

BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

U.S. Rep. Jason Crow and U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper have asked the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to address concerns pertaining to Centennial Airport.

On Dec. 14, the three lawmakers signed a letter to FAA’s Acting Administrator Billy Nolen, requesting the administration engage with the community more and in a “good faith discussion on revisiting changes made by the FAA to the air tra c pattern,” the letter states.  Centennial Airport, located at 7565 S. Peoria St., is a general aviation airport. According to the FAA, it is one of the 25 busiest airports in the U.S. and averages 1,000 takeo s and landings per day.

er in March 2022, she found herself in a place of need.

nonpro t organization called Integrated Family Community Services (IFCS), she was able to nd assistance to help her pay one month of rent and feed her 5-year-old son as she worked to get back on her feet.

condition worsens, IFCS is facing potential limitations in the services

IFCS is best known for its food market, which aims to combat food

Some residents have been demanding action be taken at the airport to address safety concerns and reduce air tra c and noise, even forming a group, “Quiet Skies Over Arapahoe County.” e group has a website, bit.ly/quietskies.

In an interview with Colorado Community Media on ursday, Crow said there were a number of residents who contacted his ofce, expressing concerns about the airport.

“A letter is one of the mechanisms

Santa traded his sled for skates recently as South Suburban Parks and Recreation District hosted him for a day of skating and fun at the Family Sports complex in Centennial.

PHOTO BY THELMA GRIMES

According to the recent Arapahoe County newsletter, Arapahoe County Commissioners Nancy Jackson and Nancy Sharpe were honored by their peers for their distinguished public service careers while Human Services Director Cheryl Ternes took home the Director of the Year award at the Colorado Counties, Inc. annual awards dinner, Dec. 13.

Commission Chair Nancy Jackson received the Distinguished Service Award, which honors her 12-year tenure as an elected o cial. It’s the top honor awarded from the nonpro t association, which includes elected ofcials from across the state. She was lauded for promoting e ective policies and good governance, providing a steadfast voice for constituents, and advocating for the greater good within the region and beyond. Jackson is

limited and ends her service as commissioner in January.

Arapahoe County beings redrawing district boundaries

According to a newsletter, Arapahoe County has started the process to redraw commissioner district boundaries as part of a legislatively-mandated process. Commissioners announced the appointment of nine residents to a Citizen Redistricting Advisory Committee, which will oversee the process of creating proposed maps and collecting public input. Commissioners will have the nal vote on the new boundaries.

Students create a sensory hallway

According to a social media post from the Cherry Creek School District, Pine Ridge Elementary recently launched a sensory hallway that allows students to touch, jump, explore, and create art through a Wellness Grant the school received from the district.

“Giving kids a chance to explore

Cherry Creek teacher helps decorate the White House

According to a social media post from the Cherry Creek School District, Overland High School Teacher Arielle Bergmann is one of only 150 people selected from 20,000 applicants to help decorate the “People’s House” for the 2022 holiday season. She spent a full week helping to decorate the nation’s most iconic home.

“In my application, I talked about

Arc thrift store comes to Centennial

On Dec. 9, Centennial Mayor Stephanie Piko and Council Members Carnes, Sheehan, and Sweetland enjoyed welcoming Arc rift Stores to the #CentennialBusinessCommunity at their recent Grand with South Metro Denver Chamber.

According to the Arapahoe County article, Commissioner district boundaries must be redrawn every 10 years using data from the most recent United States Census. Due to a delayed release of the 2020 Census data, the Colorado Legislature in 2021 passed further legislation to give counties additional time to conduct the redistricting process.  For more information, visit www.arapahoegov.com/redistricting.

Photo source: arapahoegov.com

and process sensory information helps students regulate their brains and learn coping skills,” Nurse Jessica Puga shared. “ is hallway is great for kids with sensory processing issues, but our neurotypical students love it, too!”

Read more: https://bit. ly/3Hh6NSi

being a teacher and the fact that I teach Career & Technical Education, so I teach fashion and interior design. I want to nd di erent pathways and options for my students,” Bergmann said. “ e White House has an onsite orist, carpenter, painter, and people who deal with the antique furniture and the setup and layout of the White House, and I wanted to see what that looked like so I could bring that information back to my students.”

According to the city’s Facebook post, this Grand Opening marks Arc Thrift Stores’ 32nd location in Colorado, whose store operations provide funding to Arc Chapters to help provide advocacy for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Littleton Symphony Orchestra

Honoring Arapahoe County commissioners

term

Photo source: Arapahoe County

Group A strep causing concerns in Denver metro area

Complicates

trifecta of viruses

BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

With a trifecta of illnesses already hitting the Front Range hard with spikes in COVID, RSV and the u, state health o cials are now concerned with the increasing number of group A strep cases in children.

Brian Spencer, with the Colorado Department of Health and Environment, said the state health department is closely monitoring the increase in pediatric hospitalizations caused by group A strep.

Group A strep is a bacteria that can cause many di erent infections. Group A strep infections most commonly cause sore throat, a mild and common condition that doctors say can be easily treated. While rare, group A strep infections may be severe and cause diseases like pneumonia, sepsis, toxic shock syndrome and necrotizing fasciitis.

“We are working with hospital partners in a coordinating role to ensure resources are available for those who need them,” Spencer said in the Dec. 15 news release.

According to the state health department, two school-age children with group A strep died in the Denver metro since Nov. 1.

e total number of invasive group A strep cases reported in Colorado among pediatric patients since Nov. 1 is now 11. Typically, Spencer said there are one or two cases reported per month in patients under 18 years old.

Local health o cials are concerned because kids and adults can get strep along with other viral respiratory illnesses like COVID, u and RSV at the same time.

While strep is a common infection kids get each year, Dr. Sam Dominguez, an infectious disease specialist at Children’s Hospital Colorado, said 2022 has seen a higher number of “invasive” cases of bacterial infections.

“It is common and easy to treat,” he said. “ e invasive cases are relatively rare to see.”

For health o cials at local hospitals and clinics, this is another complication to an already stressed system dealing with higher-thanusual cases of RSV in children along with u and COVID cases increasing.

In November, Children’s Hospital sounded alarms about the unseasonably high rate of RSV cases, noting that hospital beds were in short supply because of the severity of the respiratory virus.

Dr. Ben Usatch, the UCHealth ER director at the Highlands Ranch hospital, said his doctors and sta have treated more younger patients this year than they are accustomed to.

With the Children’s Hospital south campus just across the street, Usatch said as they have lled up beds, the Highlands Ranch hospital is receiving an over ow of young patients.

“We will de nitely take them,

Happy Holidays

Besides

COVID and the flu- Health o cials are now concerned with the increase in group A strep cases along the

happy to do it,” he said. “With adults and kids, we are seeing the big three — COVID, RSV and u cases are running rampant. With young patients, management is di erent and you have to make di erent decisions.”

Currently, Usatch said the hospital is lucky if they do not see more than 18 respiratory cases in the emergency department per day.

HealthOne Chief Medical O cer Reginald Washington said he has seen the e ects of the current season at both the adult and children’s level.

Washington, who serves adults at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s and children at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children, said hospitals experience the trifecta of illnesses every year. is year, he said, is raising more concern as cases and hospitalizations are higher.

Washington said while treatable, u, COVID and RSV have similar symptoms to strep, which means kids and adults could have strep along with another virus.

With u and RSV season starting earlier than usual, local health ofcials said it is important for parents to be cognizant of a child’s symptoms and if anything is suspected, get them tested.

Washington said there is a speci c test to diagnose all current viruses spreading across the Front Range. While there are not as many treatments for respiratory viruses, Washington said the sooner a patient is diagnosed with strep the better, because the disease is treatable and requires antibiotics.

Local health o cials said there are some unusual circumstances that could be causing the increased rate of illness this year. ose circumstances are three years in the making as the pandemic pushed society to wear masks to decrease the spread of COVID.

Now, masks are o and some kids are being exposed to viruses and infections for the rst time and their immune systems are not used to it.

While there is no vaccine to prevent group A strep, the state health department said there are steps that parents, guardians and caregivers (including child care facilities) in Colorado can take to help protect children and families.

Washington and Dominguez said children should be up to date with COVID-19, u, and chickenpox vaccines, as getting these infections can increase risk for acquiring a group A strep infection.

All County o ces will be closed Friday, Dec. 23 and Monday, Dec. 26 in observance of the Christmas holiday.

Get the latest news on County services, programs, people and events by signing up for The CountyLine newsletter, delivered to your inbox every Friday.

Sign up at www.arapahoegov.com/newsletter or scan the QR on your smartphone.

In just a few weeks, we’re opening the doors to the new Public Health Department. To learn more about services and programs, visit and follow our new Facebook page. Find it by searching “Healthy Arapahoe”.

RSV,

Group

to enhance education, stewardship

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

At some sections of the High Line Canal corridor, which spans 71 miles across 11 jurisdictions in Colorado, an enemy has taken root.

Russian olive is an invasive species that spreads aggressively and deprives native species of important resources like water, according to Julia Clover Clark, natural resources manager at the High Line Canal Conservancy.

“We don’t want the canal to become a vector for Russian olive to spread throughout open spaces,” she

With a recent $41,100 grant from Great Outdoors Colorado, the High Line Canal Conservancy will continue e orts to rid the canal of the invasive species. Working with the Mile High Youth Corps, they will spend four weeks eliminating Russian olive along the corridor in Greenwood Village and Cherry Hills Village.

“It’s just such an exciting opportunity because not only (does) it allow us to get out there and do this important work of mitigating Russian olive along the corridor, but it really aligns with our values to be able to have a partnership with (the youth corps),” Clark said.

A Mile High Youth Corps Member works on Russian olive removal at the High Line Canal in the summer of 2022.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MILE HIGH YOUTH CORPS

aims

Conservation Service Corps Grant Program

Great Outdoors Colorado invests Colorado Lottery proceeds to help preserve and enhance the state’s parks, trails, wildlife, rivers, and open spaces, according to its website.

Its Conservation Service Corps grant program provides funding for Colorado municipalities, counties and non-pro t land conservation organizations to hire conservation service corps for outdoor recreation and natural resource stewardship projects, according to its website.

“What attracts people to the state is having world-class recreation opportunities,” said director of programs Chris Yuan-Farrell. “But without the proper stewardship… a lot of these places could fall into disrepair, and they wouldn’t be attractive for recreation any longer.”

e grant program is implemented in partnership with the Colorado Youth Corps Association, a coalition of eight accredited conservation service corps that employ and train people aged 14-25 in the natural resource sector.

“( e association) is really impacting two main, very important areas — which is preserving and stewarding our public lands across Colorado, and also helping train and build the next generation of environmentalists and stewards,” said Brandon Watkins, associate director at the association.

Watkins said his team received 43

grant applications for the Conservation Service Corps program this year and funded 23.

Past and future of the canal

Last year, the High Line Canal Conservancy also received the grant, which it used to started Russian olive mitigation along 20 miles of the canal corridor. is pilot project covered parts of the corridor in Denver, unincorporated Arapahoe County, Centennial and Greenwood Village during the summer of 2022. At the end of that project, a 5.5 mile gap between the project areas remained.

is year, their work will address the gap.

“After (the corps’) work is completed, there will be 27 continuous miles (with no Russian olive),” Clark said.

Claire Morrissy, the Denver regional manager of land conservation at Mile High Youth Corps, said trained chainsaw crews will cut down the trees, apply pesticide to the stumps to prevent regrowth, remove tree debris and update the conservancy’s GIS tracking systems. e grant money will go towards the crew members’ wages, tools, trainings and other program expens-

es, Morrissy said.

As the conservancy works towards a new life for the canal as a recreational resource, Morissy is excited for her corps members to be a part of it.

“I think this transformation that the canal is going to undergo is going to be felt across so many communities in metro Denver,” she said. “And so for our corps members to be able to make a mark on what I think is going to be this really signi cant, recreational and environmental improvement project — I hope they nd a lot of meaning in it because I think that’s really exciting.”

The High Line Canal Conservancy aims to preserve, protect and enhance the 71-mile-long canal in partnership with the public, using it as a greenway to connect people to nature.

PHOTO BY EVAN ANDERMAN

FAA responds to Centennial Airport issues

BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Nearly two months after the Centennial Airport Executive Director and CEO Mike Fronapfel sent a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, regarding resident concerns, the administration responded in a letter received by the airport Dec. 19.

Centennial Airport, located at 7565 S. Peoria St., is a general aviation airport. According to the FAA, it is one of the 25 busiest airports in the U.S. and averages 1,000 takeo s and landings per day.

Some residents have been demanding action be taken at the airport to address safety concerns and reduce air tra c and noise, even forming a group, “Quiet Skies Over Arapahoe County.” e group has a website: bit.ly/quietskies.

U.S. Rep. Jason Crow and U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper signed a letter Dec. 14 asking the FAA to address concerns. ey also referenced Fronapfel’s letter which had not yet gotten an o cial response.

On Oct. 19, Fronapfel sent a letter to Je Lawton, an air tra c manager

AIRPORT

FROM PAGE 1

that members of Congress have to engage with an administration,

for the Centennial control tower, with recommendations of actions for the FAA to take to help address some of the issues the community raised.

Grady Stone, the regional administrator of the FAA’s northwest mountain region, responded in a letter dated Dec. 16.

Addressing tra c changes

In Stone’s letter, he said following a 2021 mid-air collision near Centennial Airport, air tra c controllers “were directed to use more active control when managing pattern trafc with arriving aircraft.”

Fronapfel previously told Colorado Community Media the changes the FAA made in how it manages the pattern of tra c at the airport resulted in “more aircraft ying out over the neighborhoods.”

e initial letter from Fronapfel “addressed several issues, including the community’s concern regarding increased tra c over local neighborhoods in conjunction with the extension of the FAA-controlled ight pattern for runway 17R/35L at Centennial Airport,” the airport said in a Dec. 19 news release.

In Fronapfel’s letter, he asked the

so when there are concerns, we can combine our efforts — and in this case, it’s Senator Bennet and Senator Hickenlooper and I – to write a letter to the administration and to the relevant agency expressing concerns and asking for

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FAA to review the recent changes to how the pattern tra c is being managed and see if it is possible to keep the training pattern aircraft south of Arapahoe Road, east of Interstate 25 and north of Lincoln Avenue.

Stone’s letter said pattern tra c is “generally sequenced around other aircraft” and extending tra c in the pattern to Runway 17R “results from sequencing tra c or an increased volume in the touch-and-go pattern and, as such, cannot be con ned for noise abatement.”

“If there is no con icting trafc—which often allows the pilot to determine the timing of the crosswind or base—it falls to the pilot to follow the voluntary noise abatement guidelines,” Stone wrote.

In response to Fronapfel’s letter asking the FAA to explore ways to reduce noise from military aircraft, Stone said more information is needed about the speci c concerns regarding noise exposure.

Stone noted the Centennial Airport is restricted by law from “unilaterally banning certain types of ight activity, including pilot ight training, military operations, and enforcing mandatory curfews.

action,” Crow said.

Crow wants to make sure people can enjoy their homes, he said, and it’s important to address anything that would change what people are accustomed to.

“We want to make sure that if they’re changing the pattern over Centennial Airport … the community is engaged, that they have all the information that they need to understand the impact of any of these changes on their homes,” Crow said. “And that the government is fully engaging and being transparent about it.”

In the letter from Crow, Bennet and Hickenlooper, it states that following a 2021 mid-air collision of two planes over the Cherry Creek State Park area, the FAA “shifted the air traffic pattern for the area without consulting the airport or the community, resulting in increased traffic over residential areas.”

Residents have raised concerns related to the traffic pattern change, including noise pollution and lead pollution “due to leaded fuel used by single-engine planes,” per the letter.

Additional concerns include an increase in flight school flights, touch-and-go operations and anticipated growth in flights out of the airport, according to the letter.

The request sent by Crow, Bennett and Hickenlooper also referenced an official letter sent to the FAA by airport leadership in recent months that, as of Dec. 14, had not gotten an official response.

During the Centennial Airport Community Noise Roundtable meeting on Dec. 7, Mike Fronapfel, executive director and CEO at Centennial Airport, said he sent a letter on Oct. 19 to Jeff Lawton, an air traffic manager for the Centennial control tower, with recommendations for the FAA to imple -

“ e FAA does not control the number or frequency of military operations and is unable to release any information regarding those ights,” Stone said in his letter.

FAA asks for questions 30 days in advance

Local o cials have expressed the importance of FAA involvement in addressing resident concerns related to the airport.

Crow told Colorado Community Media in a Dec. 15 interview the rst step he’d like to see the FAA take is to attend in person at the community meetings.

Fronapfel asked, in his letter, for the FAA to have representation at the Centennial Airport Community Noise Roundtable’s monthly meetings.

In his letter, Stone said the FAA “welcomes the invitation to attend future meetings.”

“If the FAA is asked to attend a meeting to provide technical information, including responses to questions, we kindly request that a maximum of three questions be submitted in writing no less than 30 days in advance of the meeting,” Stone said in the letter.

ment to help address some of the issues the community raised.

At the meeting, Fronapfel asked if he can expect to see a response to the letter, to which one of the FAA representatives explained it is being processed.

In Crow, Bennet and Hickenlooper’s letter, they say they appreciate the FAA’s Denver District General Manager’s recent virtual attendance to the Dec. 7 meeting.

“We encourage in-person attendance, to the greatest extent possible, by an FAA representative at each of the monthly meetings to engage with community members on their concerns and to hear from Centennial Airport officials on areas where there is a need for greater coordination and support,” the letter states. “We also encourage the FAA to commit to a written response to the community’s concerns.”

Crow said the first step he’d like to see the FAA take is to attend in person at the community meetings.

“I think it’s important for FAA representatives to attend these meetings in person and to engage fully, and to hear the concerns of residents and provide good information — so that’s the necessary next step,” Crow said. “We want to make sure that as the airport grows and as the use of the airport grows, that the community that lives next to it is involved in that process and fully engaged.”

During the Dec. 7 meeting, three FAA representatives were present and said they heard resident concerns and look forward to working together.

“We are not going to sit on our hands and not do anything,” said Michael Valencia, general manager of the FAA Denver District, at the meeting. “We’re going to build some trust, and you’re going to get to know me.”

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Workforce and housing program looks to expand

Requests $1M in funding

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

With potential incoming funds from the Colorado Division of Housing, a workforce and housing program could be helping people transition out of homelessness at a forthcoming location in Englewood. is could be a reality by November 2023.

e program, Ready to Work, is an employment- rst model of helping people nd stability. It’s run by Bridge House, an organization that implements the program in Boulder and Aurora.

After gathering funding from several sources including Littleton, Englewood, Sheridan, Arapahoe County and some donor foundations, Ready to Work is requesting $1 million from the Colorado Division of Housing. is money will help renovate a building on South Windermere Street for the program, according to director of community relations Scott Medina.

e Colorado Division of Housing partners with local communities to create housing opportunities for Coloradans who face the greatest challenges to accessing a ordable, safe and secure homes, according to its website. It supports projects ranging from homelessness prevention to homeownership, including “creating and supporting collaborative approaches to end homelessness.”

Renovations

“ at money is purely for renovations, to help with all of our capital expenses,” Medina said about the potential funding. “If we get that money, then that will free us up… to have our other resources go toward other capital costs, like vans and other things that we need.” e future program building was

previously owned by a roo ng company, according to Medina. With money from the American Rescue Plan Act, Bridge House was able to purchase the building.

Medina said renovations will keep the building’s structure but some changes will be made to meet program needs. is includes 48 beds, meeting areas, showers and more.

“It’s really just making it a building that is safe for everybody, for participants and sta alike, and effective,” he said. “ ese folks are living with us for a year so we want to make it… e cient and conducive to them succeeding in the program.”

Program and navigation center

Ready to Work participants live in the program’s housing for one year, during which they work and receive support for nding permanent employment and housing.

“ e whole goal is to be helping them with every step along the way that’s needed to get them back on their feet in the right headspace and health space and economic space, that now they can support themselves and be self-sustaining,” Medina said.

Employment opportunities through Ready to Work could include landscaping, trail maintenance or, in Boulder, even working in a commercial kitchen.

Medina said a potential navigation site may also be set up in the building, which could hold up to 30 beds.

As previously reported by Colorado Community Media, the navigation center could house services for healthcare, job training, food assistance, addiction recovery and temporary shelter, showers and laundry.

Next steps

If the requested funding is received, Ready to Work will send

Bridge House Ready to Work has two locations, in Aurora (pictured above) and in Boulder. A new location is underway in Englewood.

COURTESY READY TO WORK

FOOD BANK

“If we’ve got to pare back — and our focus is getting people the best food, not just stu — we will have to limit people,” McPherson said.

According to McPherson, roughly one-third of the program’s patrons visit the market more than once a month. If IFCS has to limit their services, McPherson said they will connect people to other assistance programs when possible.

e organization, which usually has a budget of about $30,000 for food each month, serves over 6,000 people through the food market, according to the organization.

During the pandemic, community needs increased.

“During COVID, we grew over 900% and we opened ourselves up to… the entire metro area – so Denver, Aurora, Je erson County, all of the areas in which people were willing to drive in to get assistance,” McPherson said.

But when governmental funding for pandemic support stopped, the community needs didn’t. As in ation worsens and the economy struggles nationwide, IFCS has seen its highest ever numbers of visitors requesting support, according to the press release.

“Especially this past year, with food costs rising so dramatically, a lot of people are coming in just because they need food,” volunteer Brooke Cowan said. “ ey can’t afford to buy what they need for their family.”

Meanwhile, the nonpro t itself faces low sta ng and higher costs of food as economic challenges spread across the nation.

“Now we’re bracing up against just continued nancial challenges in which the services like ours are really paramount, maybe more important than ever,” McPherson said.

Helping with dignity

But even at this crossroads, the nonpro t is maintaining its dedication to helping with dignity. For IFCS, alleviating hunger is about more than just providing cheap and easy food to people – instead, it has to do with truly nourishing them.

“ ere’s a certain dignity that comes with getting things that are

going to give them a hand up, and not a hand down, things that are gonna catapult them forward,” McPherson said. “When someone knows that they just have inferior food resources, that a ects your pride, your energy, your hope.”

For S.T., the quality of the food at IFCS has been important for supporting her son.

“ ey have healthy, fresh vegetables like cucumbers, zucchinis, tomatoes and apples,” she said. “ ey had all those healthy things that me and my son like to eat. He is a picky eater, but he likes fruits.”

She said she is grateful to the sta and volunteers at IFCS, as well as those who donate food and money to help people like her and her son. She said nobody ever knows what might change to put them in a situation of needing help.

“My son and I, we are so grateful that they have been able to help us in di cult times,” she said. “I will pay it forward in one way or another someday.”

McPherson said people can best support IFCS by donating a nancial gift at https://ifcs.org/donate/ or by texting BETTERTOGETHER to 801801. is money will help IFCS to purchase nutritional, high quality and culturally conscious food ingredients.

People, groups and businesses can also email McPherson at ToddM@ IFCS.org with questions about how to best support IFCS.

FROM PAGE 1

Volunteer Brooke Cowan said she started working with IFCS because it’s important to her that people are not hungry.

Volunteers Jim Kincaid, John Nordin and Ronda Anderson at the IFCS food market.

PHOTOS BY TARA MAGAÑA

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EDITOR’S COLUMN

So much stu

The true holiday season is here. I say that because one might be confused, since we start seeing stores with holiday decorations everywhere in September these days. It’s one of my pet peeves that I thought I would unload on you all.

Anyway, back to the point. Because the holiday season is pushed on us so early, planning starts sooner. Buying stu starts sooner. We start working to make sure our children and family feel loved through the number of wrapped gifts under the tree.

Like many, I have fallen into the scenario a little too much. In an interview I did with the mental health director at Children’s Hospital Colorado in 2022, she talked about how social media has created this “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality. Our families must look like they are doing the best, getting the best and having the most.

She is not wrong. If you look at my posts, you will think I do nothing but spend quality time with the children, am always happy and never face adversity. So, we buy stu — a lot of stu to pack under the Christmas tree. However, I keep going back to a study I read a few years ago about how some families are spending less on Christmas and more on quality time. at quality time can come in the form of a trip together to a place you’ve never been. is year, I did that. I spent money on several trips with my children. We had a wonderful experience in Oregon. We explored the coast, enjoyed the scenery, and went crabbing, which my son absolutely had a blast doing.

We are several months past the trip, and you still hear the kids on occasion talking about the fun memories. at alone proved to me the study was correct.

Today, you look in their room at some of the barely used Christmas gifts from last year and they are just shoved in the closet. Not talked about, not really played with.

I tried to really set a spending limit this year, focusing on a few gifts they would love, use and keep. I actively work to get rid of the idea that I am somehow a better mother because they have 100 gifts under the tree.

My mom often tells a story about how poor her family was. Her widowed mom worked to take care of seven children, which meant not a lot of extra money. My mom and her brothers and sisters got one gift a year. ey were proud of that gift. ey knew their mom had to work extra and stretch every penny to make it happen.

Today, my own kids do not really have that level of appreciation for the things they have. It’s tough to teach it sometimes, too, when I get wrapped up in how much they should get.

It is going to take time to truly meet my goals of not going overboard to make sure my children get gifts in quantity rather than quality, but it is a priority as I move forward.

e stu under the tree is treated that way for the majority of the year. It just becomes stu that does not create memories or appreciation and eventually heads to Goodwill.

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

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher

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THELMA GRIMES

South Metro Editor tgrimes@coloradocommunitymedia.com

TAYLER SHAW Community Editor tshaw@coloradocommunitymedia.com

The spirit and reality of Santa Claus

Last week I happened to catch an article about our Generation Z population regarding Santa Claus. e Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary de nes Generation Z as “ e generation of people born in the late 1990s and early 2000s.” e message was based on interviews with a few people from that generation and their belief in Christmas, or primarily their belief or disbelief in Santa

WINNING

e few people that were interviewed expressed their opinion that they would not raise their children to believe in some chubby Christmas elf called Santa Claus. ey were not willing to lie to their children about some mystery man who went to each home delivering presents, and they were certainly not going to sign the label on the gift “From: Santa Claus.” e questions that popped into my head were about how they may have been raised. Did they enjoy the mystery of Santa Claus? Were their gifts signed, “From: Santa Claus?” And if so, where, and how did they become disillusioned?

is isn’t the rst time someone, or a group,

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has tried to cancel Santa Claus. For some reason they just feel like sharing the mystery of Santa Claus is a lie that shouldn’t be perpetuated. So now I feel it’s time to help defend jolly old Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, Santa Claus against those who wish to see his name and the tradition disappear.

e origin of Santa Claus stems from a monk who was from what is now modern-day Turkey known as Saint Nicholas in A.D. 280. Saint Nicholas was known as the saint who watched over children. It is also said that he gave away his wealth and helped the poor and sick. So indeed, there was a real Saint Nicholas. And over all these hundreds of years, the spirit of Saint Nicholas has continued to grow the tradition of giving, helping, and giving hope to one another. e season between anksgiving and Christmas is the greatest time for giving, during this time we see the spirit of abundance everywhere.

I have such great admiration for all those volunteers who represent the Salvation Army, ringing their bell as they help drive donations to an amazing organization. Do we want to cancel those volunteer Santa Clauses too? at would be an absolute shame. And a huge shout

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Thelma Grimes

Lawns require special care in winter GUEST

COLUMN

Valerie Smith

Winter lawn care for a wide variety of turfgrasses slightly di ers from that of spring, summer and fall. Your lawn is no longer in the active growing season. In fact, most warm season lawns go dormant around this time.

Lawn care in the winter is still just as important as other seasonal maintenance practices as your winter care will greatly determine how well your lawn comes out of dormancy in the spring.

Although you shouldn’t have to spend as much time maintaining your lawn during the active growing season, winter lawn maintenance is still a vital part of caring for your lawn.

How to mow your lawn in the winter

It’s getting cooler outside and it’s obvious that you won’t need to mow as frequently as you have been all year. Our recommendation is to keep your grass a bit taller than normal.

When grass is too short, it doesn’t o er as much protection for the base of the grass blades and allows frost to get into the growing areas of your

NORTON

FROM PAGE 12

out to all of you who take your shifts being Santa and ringing in the Christmas spirit of giving, and doing it regardless of the weather, you are all awesome.

My guess is no one wants to intentionally lie to their children about a mysterious and magical Santa Claus. As I think back to how I raised my own children, we emphasized Santa Claus, we had them meet Santa Claus and get their pictures taken, they wrote letters to Santa, and yes, we even left cookies and eggnog for jolly old Saint Nick. But we also spoke to the spirit of the season and what we could do for others. Maybe it was paying some utility bills for someone, donating money or time to the rescue mission, helping a neighbor who was in a di cult spot and couldn’t a ord gifts that year.

e real reason for the season is obviously the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. May we never

WORKFORCE

FROM PAGE 8

out requests for proposals to nd contractors for the renovations. e organization will nd out if they are approved for the funding in January. If it moves forward, work could begin in February or March.

Mike Sandgren, homelessness services coordinator for the tricities (Englewood, Littleton and Sheridan), said his team is grateful for its partnership with Ready to Work.

“Tri-Cities values initiatives that create sustainable solutions to homelessness, and Ready to Work

the grass blades and stolons.

Be careful not to mow your lawn if there’s a lot of moisture from snow or ice as this may damage the grass blades. Make sure the lawn is dry and only mow when temperatures are about 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Now is an excellent time to service,

forget this, no matter the numerous attempts that try and commercialize the season or the day. And going back to our original Saint Nicholas in A.D. 280, may we remember where the spirit of Santa Claus began, and may we do what we can to ensure that the spirit of Saint Nick lives on and in us all.

How about you and your family? Is it all about the gifts and only the gifts? Or does the spirit of Santa Claus help you to embrace the season and the day with abundance, giving, helping, and providing hope to our family, friends, and those who need a hand up?

I would love to hear your Santa Claus story at gotonorton@gmail. com, and when we can stop trying to cancel the spirit of Santa Claus, it really will be a better than good life.

Michael Norton is an author, a personal and professional coach, consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator of individuals and businesses, working with organizations and associations across multiple industries.

is a strong partner in these e orts,” he wrote in an email statement. “We are excited to partner with Ready to Work to provide solutions to community members experiencing homelessness, and, in so doing, take steps to lessen the burden of homelessness throughout the community.”

With a 75% graduation rate and about 85% of graduates retaining their job and housing for a year after graduation, Ready to Work is a program that Medina is excited to see begin in Englewood.

“It’s really to get more people permanently o the street and living a ful lling life,” he said. “ at’s what drives us every day to work at this.”

resumes! Learn more here. How to Water Your Lawn in the Winter

Irrigation maintenance practices during the winter aren’t usually as important in areas that receive rain or snow. In most areas, you will just need to water your lawn less than

However, if you are in an area that to water your lawn enough so that the soil receives nourishment and keeps grass blades from drying out. Your lawn is dormant—this doesn’t mean it is dead and doesn’t still need water.

A red fox sits in the grass in Morrison in October 2021.

COURTESY OF RICH MINER

asylum-seeker charts

BY ROBERT TANN COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Amid turmoil, a single mother strives to nd community in the Denver metro area after leaving hers behind

In late 2018, a woman now raising her daughter near Denver made a life changing decision. She would leave her home country of Venezuela, a choice she did everything she could not to make.

e woman, a single mother in her mid40s, had been enjoying an ambitious life of public service with a career that began in the government’s transportation department when she was barely 19. She went on to become a nurse, a lawyer, a radio host and eventually to teach at the college level.

A threat on her life changed everything.

“I didn’t choose to leave until I had a gun pointed to my forehead,” she said, recounting the day military o cers broke into her home and threatened her life. “I fought hard not to try to move to Colorado. It was really, really hard.”

Having seen “so many injustices, so many inequalities” in her country, the woman charted a path of helping others. But the rise of Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s president since 2013, altered her trajectory. She viewed Maduro’s government as a brutal regime and spoke out against it, attending protests and using her platform as an educator to call attention to human rights abuses that have beendocumented by United Nations investigators.

at is how she became an asylum-seeker in Denver – one of thousands of immigrants in the area who’ve ed their home country, fearing for their safety.According to TRAC Immigration, a database of federal immigration data compiled and published by Syracuse University, Denver’s immigration court reviewed 2,875 applications for asylum between scal years 2018 and 2022.

As she currently awaits a court’s verdict on her asylum, which will determine her legal status in the United States, the single mom has found some security. In 2020, she and her daughter, who is middle school-aged, received temporary protected status — a form of legal protection which allows some immigrants to live and work legally in the U.S. but which must be renewed every two years. Venezuela isone of 15 countries designated for this protection by the federal government.

According to Violeta Chapin, clinical professor of law at the University of Colorado Law School, the protection is meant for those living in the U.S. facing situations that make it “impossible for individuals of that country to return back.” ose with this protection “have no immigration status, they’re just protected from removal for a temporary period of time,” Chapin said.

It means until a decision is made on her asylum case, the woman remains in a legal limbo, according to Chapin. If she is granted asylum, it a ords her more access to the social safety net along with greater work opportunities. If she is denied, she can still hold on to her temporary status and seek to renew it over the coming years, but she will not be recognized as an immigrant and could face deportation if her status is not renewed.

“ e United States immigration system is extraordinarily restrictive,” Chapin said. “It’s set up to make it very di cult to lawfully enter and live in the United States.”

‘Who was going to trust me?’

e days leading up to the woman’s departure from her home country were a desperate blur. As threats on her safety escalated, a colleague living in Denver reached out to help. Her son, in his mid-20s, ed to Peru on foot, where he lives today.

Before leaving, the woman sold everything she owned, including her car, for about $1,300. With enough money in hand to ee, she ew to Denver with her daughter and another resident who was living in their former apartment complex.

Of the few possessions she brought with her was a binder full of her credentials. Degrees. Licences. Awards and honors.

With her career experiences, she had hoped to buoy her survival in America and secure a good-paying job to support her family. But within days, doubt began to set in.

“Who was going to trust me,” she said. “I felt seen as an intruder, but I had so much to o er.” e colleague who o ered help found them an apartment to rent in the Denver suburbs. He put his name on the lease because she lacked the paperwork to get one on her own and charged her $900 for a deposit.

But after 10 days, they were all kicked out. Her colleague had become emotionally and mentally unstable, she said. e neighbor who had own to the U.S. with her decided it was time to part ways and has not been seen since, the single mom said.

It was December and the days were becoming shorter, darker, colder.

“It was the middle of the winter with a little kid, I didn’t know what to do,” the woman said. “I’m running out of money, but I cannot go back to Venezuela.”

Solace came when she turned to her daughter’s school district, where she had enrolled her daughter in a middle school while they were housed. A parent of one of her daughter’s friends o ered them temporary stay at their home while she looked for a new apartment.

Public schools have been a crucial pillar of support for undocumented residents, according to Chapin.

at’s thanks to a 1982 Supreme Court ruling, Plyer v. Dow, which prohibits public school districts from denying enrollment to the children of undocumented immigrants.

With a temporary roof and place to sleep, the single mom knocked on door after door wherever she saw an apartment available, worried that she was overstaying her welcome.

But deposits for every apartment she found were

$1,000 or more, nearly eclipsing what money she had saved. And “everyone asked for papers,” she said, of which she only had a passport.

“What really surprised me, now looking back, is the lack of solidarity, the lack of empathy for people,” she said. “I was not here because I wanted to. I had to run away.”

Some relief came when a friend living in Miami sent the woman cash for a deposit. With it, she found a studio apartment outside Denver that a landlord allowed her to lease. ough rent was about $1,000 per month, she cut a deal with the landlord for $200 o in exchange for her cleaning the outside of the building. Her deposit was $1,300. She said she couldn’t have been more grateful.

“All I had was my word, and he took it,” she said.  e woman had no access to safety net programs like SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, so she turned to a nearby church for nourishment. Whatever money she had left from the month would sometimes go to a toy for her young daughter. e woman said she was determined to provide whatever momentary escape she could for her.

But the fear of losing everything, of coming up a few dollars short for her rent, always loomed large for her. It still does.

‘Thousands, millions’ living in uncertainty

When the single mother applied for asylum in 2019, she could not a ord a lawyer to help with her case, though she has since found voluntary legal aid.

Chapin said U.S. immigration courts do not provide free public defenders for asylum-seekers. And whether an applicant has a lawyer or not can make a huge di erence in the outcome of their case, Chapin said, with most asylum cases being denied.

According to the Syracuse University database, of the more than 5,000 immigrants who applied for asylum through Denver’s immigration court between 2001 and 2022, more than 2,900 were denied. e

An

her path in the Denver suburbs

single mom does not know when her case will be decided.

“ ere are a lot of people applying for immigration and asylum bene ts, there’s a lot of stress on the system right now,” Chapin said.

e single mom found some comfort when, in 2020, she and her daughter were granted their protected status. Since then, she has worked “everything, anywhere,” her heavy binder of credentials going unnoticed as she took jobs cleaning hotel rooms and serving food in restaurants.

Even with multiple jobs, the woman said she faced nancial uncertainty as she struggled to pay for housing, food and everything in between.

“You have to take on so many hours to work,” she said. “In this county to survive you need at least two jobs.”

In 2020, she moved to a new apartment, allowing her daughter to be closer to her school. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, her landlord raised rent from $1,050 to $1,350. Again, she moved.

Shortly before 2021, she found a onebedroom apartment in a Denver suburb where she lives today. It is dotted with reminders of home, including her country’s ag hanging in the living room and photos of her son on the wall. She pays $1,200. Her deposit was $500. “I have no ability to save,” she said. “Deposits were a big burden.”

Recently, her income has steadied. She now works at an embroidery shop where she brings in about $2,000 each month. e rest she makes up driving for food delivery services, a job that at least a ords her the opportunity to spend more time with her daughter. ey listen to music on those drives or just talk.

rough all the discord, she said she’s worried most for her daughter’s well-being. When she can she’ll make a homemade meal, something healthy, usually Venezuelan.

For herself, she has gone through some therapy programs after becoming depressive and anxious. She does not want her daughter to feel the burden of her mental health, she said. What she wants more than anything now is to make a home where she can, for herself and her child.  Chapin said the woman’s story of survival is the same as “thousands, millions of immigrants, who live this existence every day.”

To build something beautiful e asylum-seeker said she is still waiting for the hard work to pay o , to see the “end of the tunnel.” But beyond just surviving, she wants to thrive.

“ e time that I’m supposed to be here in the United States is to build something beautiful, is to give something back,” she said. “A home is love, work, dedication, solidarity.”

She is currently taking online classes through Metropolitan State University of Denver in social communications, hoping to use the education to land a job in social work and reignite her passion for building community.

ough she has seen growth in her English skills over the past four years, she wants to take college classes to improve her prospects of a career. e most inexpensive course she found was about $6,000 per semester at the Community College of Denver — too much for her to spend currently. at money instead goes to rent.

While the change in her living situation has “been night and day,” she said it’s precarious. It would only take a rent increase of about $200 for her to no longer be able to a ord her apartment, she said.

“I’m living in the present right now and that’s all I can a ord to think about,” she said. “Yes, I can only pay so much and yes, we are in a very tight budget. But, I get to spend quality time with my daughter … we only have each other.”

According to Chapin, there are numerous reforms to U.S. immigration policy that could bene t residents living in uncertainty. About 11 million immigrants are undocumented in the U.S., Chapin said, and sta ng issues have left immigration courts across the country backlogged. For many immigrants, it can mean years waiting for a decision on their future.

Even with temporary protected status, many still face low-wage jobs as their only choice for employment. It is di cult for immigrants to translate credentials they earned in their home country to work in the U.S., Chapin said, and doing so comes at a large nancial cost.

Allowing immigrants to use their qualications to work more skilled jobs and authorizing citizenship for most of the 11 million already here “would bene t the economy tremendously,” Chapin said, given the U.S. is “desperate for labor.”

is need has been a major driver behind the immigration reform championed by U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, who represents Colorado’s 6th congressional

district.

“We have a lot of people in Colorado who’ve immigrated from all over the world who have some substantial skills,” Crow said, “and it takes a long time to translate those licenses and certi cations.” is fall, Crow helped introduce the bipartisanBridging the Gap for New Americans Act, which passed in both chambers of Congress before President Joe Biden signed it into law Oct. 17.

Over the next year, the legislation will direct the U.S. Department of Commerce to study how it can expedite translating out-of-country credentials. Crow said the ndings will likely spur more legislation to overhaul the process and allow immigrants more access to higher-wage professions.

“ ey can buy homes, they can enter our economy more fully, they can send their kids to college,” said Crow, who added this would be crucial to “addressing the sustainable workforce shortage in our country.”

But beyond the potential economic impacts, Crow said immigration reform is a “moral issue.”

“When the current laws and systems don’t treat people with basic dignity and respect, that alone is the reason to reform and change this,” he said, adding he is “optimistic” of bolder immigration legislation still to come.

For immigrants like the single mom in Denver’s suburbs, she is determined to build on her new life as she strives to nd what she loved most about her home: a sense of belonging. Often her mind wanders to her home country, to what she’s left behind. She talks every day on the phone with her son in Peru, who’s made a family of his own with his partner and their child.

Clasped safely in the folds of her heavy binder, amid her many certi cations and credentials, is a letter from him.

It reads: “ ank you so much for everything you’ve given me and taught me throughout life. It hasn’t been an easy road for both of us, I know, but it’s been worth it. I will try to prove myself to you for the rest of my life, you’ve done a good job.”

Editor’s note: As an immigrant with temporary protected status seeking asylum through the U.S. court system, Colorado Community Media withheld the source’s name and other identifying factors to protect her identity. Her interviews were conducted through an English-Spanish interpreter. All quotes from her have been interpreted from Spanish to English.

IMMIGRATION DESIGNATIONS

The United States has numerous designations for a person’s immigration status, each with its own caveats that dictate the legality of what a person can and cannot do. Here are what some of these statuses mean according to immigration lawyer and law professor Violeta Chapin:

Refugee: Refugee status is granted to immigrants before they leave their home country. Refugees are authorised to live and work legally in the U.S. and are eligible for safety net programs but cannot vote. Most recently, a large amount of refugees in the U.S. have been from Afghanistan and Ukraine.

Asylum: This is similar to refugee status but is granted to someone after they come to the U.S. Because asylum can take months or years to be processed, some immigrants have the option of pursuing a temporary status in the meantime to a ord them some legal protections and work authorization.

Temporary protected status: This status is only for people fleeing turmoil from certain countries. Currently, the U.S. has designated 15 countries for temporary protected status. Once granted, it must be renewed every two years and does not allow recipients to be eligible for federal programs, though they can be eligible for some state benefits depending on state law.

Green card: This status, officially called a lawful permanent resident but more commonly known as a green card, a ords immigrants nearly all the benefits and rights as a U.S. citizen with the exception of voting. For asylees, those granted asylum, they must wait one year after receiving asylum to apply for a green card. Green cards typically need to be renewed every 10 years.

Naturalization: The final stage of immigration. With naturalization, immigrants are considered fully legal U.S. citizens and can vote in any and all U.S. elections. This status does not need to be renewed. Asylees can apply for it five years after receiving asylum and will need to pass a civics test to receive this status.

Holiday thoughts of gardening ... and more

Local gardener and Littleton Garden Club member America Sherwood sent out a photo of a natural holiday

SONYA’S SAMPLER

rst Wednesday of the month, October through May, at the Littleton School District’s building Blvd. and South

members are welcome. ere is a social time at 6:30 p.m., followed by a program with speaker. Garden catalogs are appearing and members are thinking about spring! Plant trading is an advantage for members!

Englewood Arts

Englewood Arts announces the next Chamber Music of the Masters concert at Hampden Hall, Jan. 18, at 2 p.m.: Haydn, Brahms, Janacek: String Quartets performed by the Altius Quartet. Musicians: Joshua Ulrich and Andrew Giordano, violins. Andrew Krimm, viola. Erin Patterson, cello. Tickets $25/$20/ free under 18. Hampden Hall in the Englewood Civic Center, 1000 Englewood Parkway. See englewoodarts.org.

Town Hall

Next at Littleton Town Hall Arts Center: “Master Class” Jan. 12-15. Box o ce: 303-794-2787, ext. 5; townhallartscenter.org. And after that: “In the Trenches: A New Parenting Musical,” in a regional premiere.

Littleton Symphony

Littleton Symphony performs at 7:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, at Littleton United Methodist Church, 5894 S. Datura St., Littleton.

New Mexico

New in Santa Fe: e First Annual ART+SOL Santa Fe Winter Arts Fes-

make prints on paper, then learn to modify them with mixed media elements. Cost is $35 for HFAG members and $50 for non-members. heritage-guild.com. Select Current Workshops. Space for 20 only. (Membership costs $40 for a year.)

(48 only). Box o ce: 303-987-7845, performancenow.org. Tickets $20$36.

Auditions

Note to actors: e Colorado eatre Guild will host Uni ed Audi-

“A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham” will be presented in the contemporary dance series at the Newman Center on Jan. 27. Full-length work, “An Untitled Love,” will speak to Black culture and history. newmancenterpresents.com. 303-871-7720.

Littleton Garden Club member America Sherwood shared a photo of a winter arrangement with her fellow club members. COURTESY PHOTO

Thu 12/29

DeVotchKa

@ 8pm

Bluebird Theatre, 3317 E. Colfax Avenue, Denver

Slim Cessna's Auto Club @ 9pm Hi-Dive, 7 S Broadway, Denver

Sun 1/01

New Year's Eve Celebration @ 2am

Heather Gardens Clubhouse, 2888 S. Heather Gardens Way, Aurora

Fri 12/30

Mean Girls @ 2pm Buell Theatre, 1031 13th St., Den‐ver HERO

Tue 1/03

powered by

Take a trip to the 1980s

someones — to get legal permission to use them all!)

BY SONYA ELLINGBOE SELLINGBOE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Front Range eatre Company is reorganized and ready to entertain audiences in Douglas County and nearby areas. “Rock of Ages” is in rehearsal and will play Jan. 19, 20, 21 at 7 p.m. and Jan. 21 at 2 p.m. at Parker Performing Arts School.

One can happily imagine what fun writer Chris D’ Arienzo had in choosing more than 25 favorites by great rock bands, such as Styx, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister and more — and weaving them into a storyline that allows actors space for solos as it carries along a tale of attempts to close down the bar and redevelop the well-known strip.

(And what a headache it must have been for someone — or several

e attempts to redevelop favorite spots across the country have given material to numerous play and screenwriters, who can tell tales of sweet young performers, in this case, Sherrie, played by Beth Noone, who have arrived to seek a fortune in Hollywood or NYC or ???

Sherrie is helped by bar back Drew Boley (Nick Rogers) after her purse is stolen. She has stopped at the Bourbon Club, seeking a job. Dennis Dupree (Ethan Pierce), the discouraged bar owner/manager, is resistant to hiring young rockers, but relents.

Lonny (Sam Evans), Dennis’ assistant, is narrator for this lively show.

And ... the men these girls meet and fall in love with — in Sherrie’s case, Drew. And various characters who inhabit their world: from jaded rock stars to politicians to band members and club owners and bus boys ... lots of material there for all sorts of interactions, songs and stories.

is story calls for 20 cast members, including ensemble numbers, and is going to be a bit tricky for the audience to follow, I fear.

Complicated interactions all along! But, lots happens, music is great, so attention must be paid!

e setting is a run-down bar on an aging Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood in the late 1980s.

We have protesters and a rock star named Stacee Jaxx, who will perform to bring up attendance at the Burbon Room.

e girl reporter, Constance Sack (Gabby Knopp), who is following the story about the bad developers, Hertz and his son Franz, raises concern and the mayor (Amon Swo ord) suspects that rock music is a bad in uence on the folks in his city ...

Sherrie later works as a stripper at a nearby club and the mayor’s assistant, Regina Koontz (Kiera Sweeney), supports saving the bar and other spots on the strip ...

Each character has a back story and

IF YOU GO

“Rock of Ages,” presented by Front Range Theatre Company, directed by Barb Dignan, who taught theater at Highlands Ranch High School for many years, plays at Parker Performing Arts School, 15035 Compark Blvd., Parker. Tickets: $20. Information: frontrangetheatre.org. Wonderful to have another arts group return. Readers: Please support them. They are working really hard to put together a lively, entertaining show for you ...

the piece ends with narrator Lonny spelling out what has happened to everyone in the cast. ank goodness! Additional cast members include: Alexandra Alonzo, Julie Sweeney, Noah Korey, Kiera Sweeney, Noah Korey, Ammon Swo ord, Ty Eatherton, Jeremy Moskowitz, Chris Scarciotta, Willie Schandel, Gabby Knopp, Greg Bell, Delaney Sweeney, Danielle Tate, Chris Malcolm, Sydney Sirkin and Laura Bebernes.

‘Rock of Ages’ sparks fond musical memories

Front Range Theatre Company will present “Rock of Ages” Jan. 19-21 at Parker Performing Arts School.

COURTESY PHOTO

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Go deep sea diving at the DMNS

Despite all the oceanic exploration humans have done over the years, it remains a largely unknown and mysterious place. But visitors to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s new exhibit, “Unseen Oceans,” will get to glimpse a world that most of us can’t begin to imagine.

“Over 70 percent of the Earth’s surface consists of oceans. is exhibit highlights the life that lives at every level of the Earth’s oceans,” wrote Dr. Paula E. Cushing, Senior Curator of Invertebrate Zoology at the museum, in an email interview. “It also highlights the amazing technological innovations that have allowed humans to explore deeper and deeper and to continually discover new species living under the waves.”

“Unseen Oceans” runs at the museum, 2001 Colorado Blvd. in Denver, through Sunday, April 9. e exhibit is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York.

According to provided information, visitors will get to explore a series of galleries that showcase the vast variety of marine environments and introduce some of the scientists who are using the latest tech innovations to do their work.

“Visitors will be introduced to

some of the tiniest life forms (the plankton) that make up the majority of species living in the shallowest zone of the ocean, to the most bizarre creatures living in the deepest depths,” Cushing wrote. “Visitors will also get to interact with shadows of sh `swimming’ on the exhibit oor and will even get to experience driving a submersible and sampling life on the ocean oor.”

Other highlights include a “ sh tornado” that shows the various color and bioluminescent adaptations that di erent sh have evolved to live in the low light conditions of the deeper layers of the oceans and an example of specimens from the museum’s own collections.

At a time when the planet is losing much of its biodiversity, understanding and protecting life in the ocean is more important than ever. So, while the exhibit provides an opportunity to explore and entertain, enlightenment certainly isn’t o the table.

“Visitors will exit the exhibit with a greater appreciation of the evolutionary adaptations species have evolved allowing them to live in the extreme conditions of darkness, cold, and pressure found in the deeper layers of the oceans,” according to Cushing. “ e exhibit also touches on the challenges facing the Earth’s oceans through climate change but it does not emphasize these challenges, which I nd refreshing, in these days when we seem to be bombarded with `doom and gloom’ messages.”

For more information, visit www.

dmns.org.

Good grief! Hear Charlie Brown music at Dazzle Jazz this Christmas season

For my money, you can’t say you celebrated Christmas without at least one listen to Vince Guaraldi’s immortal soundtrack, “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” For those looking to experience the wonderful music with the perfect ambience, you’ll want to head to Dazzle Jazz, 1512 Curtis St. in Denver, for pianist Annie Booth’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas” concerts.

Performances are at 5:30 and 8 p.m. on ursday, Dec. 22, 11 a.m., 5:30 and 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 23 and 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 24. Booth will be joined by longtime bandmates bassist Patrick McDevitt and drummer Alejandro Castaño and other guests.

I can’t think of a better way to mark the last few days before Christmas, so get tickets at https://dazzledenver. com/upcoming-events/.

Take a worldwide ride at Union Station

For New Year’s Eve, Union Station is tapping into the luxurious legacy of the Orient Express with an evening full of activities to ring in the new year.

Union Station’s, 1701 Wynkoop in Denver, Orient Express event begins at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 31 by “departing” to Vienna and arriving in “Prague” right before midnight. ere are di erent cabin levels available to attendees: e Main

Cabin, e Bar Car Inside the Terminal Bar, e Dining Car at the Cooper Lounge, Overnight Cabin Experience at the Crawford Hotel and Grande Suite Experience at the Crawford Hotel. Each one o ers food, drinks, music and much more.

Tickets are limited and advanced reservations are required. All guests must be at least 21 years old. A percentage of ticket sales will be donated to Children’s Hospital Colorado.

For information and tickets, visit www.denverunionstation.com/ events/orient-express-new-yearseve-party/.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — The Roots at Mission Ballroom

Philadelphia’s e Roots have been mainstays of the rap scene since 1987, producing fantastic albums and adding musical wit to late night TV for more than a decade. is year, vocalist Black ought reminded listeners that he’s still one of the best rappers in the game with his Danger Mouse collaborative album, “Cheat Codes.”

Just two short days after Christmas, e Roots will be joined by southern rap icon Big K.R.I.T. in a tour stop at Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St. in Denver, at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 27. Get tickets at www.ticketmaster.com.

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

Clarke Reader

State releases drug list from Canada

BY JOHN INGOLD THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado took another step toward importing lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada on Dec. 5 when it submitted a formal application to the federal government for approval of the program.

e application for the rst time

reveals which drugs Colorado hopes to import — 112 of them in all, at an average cost savings of 65% over U.S. retail price. An analysis by the state Department of Health Care Policy and Financing estimates that the importation program could save Coloradans $53 million to $88 million annually on prescription drug spending.

“It’s a huge step for us,” said Lauren Reveley, the drug importation program manager at HCPF, which

Weekly Carrier Routes Available

is overseeing the program. “It’s a signi cant milestone.”

e drugs on the list contain quite a few familiar names. ere are EpiPens, which the state estimates it can get at a 66% price reduction from Canada — $91.13 per pop, instead of the $264.89 the HCPF analysis says they cost in the U.S. ere are drugs to treat diabetes, cancer, multiple sclerosis, asthma and irritable bowel syndrome. ere are drugs to help people stop smoking. e most expensive drug on the list — the HIV treatment medication Cabenuva — could be imported from Canada for more than $3,000 less per dose, according to the state’s analysis. e least-costly drug on the list, the thyroid medication Synthroid, costs 95 cents per dose in the U.S. but can be had for 7 cents per dose in Canada — a savings of 93%.

federal government. To make that determination, the state used data from the Colorado All-Payer Claims Database, a warehouse for information on what Colorado consumers and insurers are actually paying for health care and prescription drug costs. at makes the numbers uniquely tailored to Colorado.

e program is not allowed to import biologic drugs, which is why a medicine like insulin is not included. And the drug list also contains a number of other important caveats.

For one, the list is “aspirational,” according to the state’s application. In order to actually be able to import the drugs, Colorado will need not only the approval of the U.S. federal government but also the OK from the Canadian government and the agreement of the drugs’ manufacturers.

•

“Colorado’s Drug Importation Program is a major piece in our work to lower the cost of prescription drugs, and this nal step gets us even closer to making lower health costs a reality for Coloradans,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement.

Assembling the drug list e drug list was created by looking at drugs that “are high cost or high volume drugs that Colorado consumers struggle to a ord,” the state wrote in its application to the

“We anticipate our initial list for the early years of the program to be signi cantly more narrow than the list presented,” the state wrote in its application. “In large part, this is due to likely modest participation from manufacturers in the short term, with a focus on small innovator companies and generic manufacturers. We believe, however, that with proof of the importation concept, more manufacturers will agree to participate due to market incentives that importation can o er.”

Colorado continues to work towards providing residents with lower cost prescriptions.

SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE Asks feds for approval

Worst Colorado avian flu outbreak kills bald eagles

BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN

Bird u has killed at least four bald eagles in Colorado and threatens hundreds of other rare raptors and wild birds, as Colorado agriculture and wildlife o cials struggle with an outbreak they call the worst in national or state history.

Colorado’s current bout with avian in uenza has already forced farmers to mass slaughter more than 4 million chickens from egg operations, and now wildlife ofcials worry the highly infectious disease may have contributed to a 15% to 20% drop in successful eagle nesting this year.

Bird experts fear for dozens of year-round bald eagles in the northeastern Colorado corridor of reservoirs and wetlands along the South Platte River, after a mass snow goose die-o killed more than 2,000 birds near Julesburg/ Jumbo Reservoir. Waterfowl pick up the disease from saliva, mucous and feces of other birds. Raptors and other carrion birds also spread the disease feeding on carcasses undiscovered by wildlife o cials or neighbors.

Raptor centers like Rocky Mountain Raptor Program in Fort Collins are taking in a steady stream of great horned owls and red-tailed hawks dying from the fast-acting virus. Sta are donning Tyvek protective suits and other PPE in an e ort that is more hospice than rescue.

State wildlife o cials assume there are more dead bald eagles than the four con rmed so far in 2022 by tests of carcasses. With fewer than 300 nesting pairs of bald eagles making their homes along Colorado’s waterways, losses from any new threat to the more rare raptors quickly raise warning levels.

“As someone who really loves birds, and that’s why we chose this profession, I am hurting,” said Zach Hutchinson, a naturalist and community science coordinator for Audubon Rockies in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. “And I am really nervous as to what this could become.”

With thousands of waterfowl and other migratory birds on the move across Colorado on their way to comfortable winter ground, infections could increase even as farmers take desperate measures to stop the virus in domestic ocks. e state’s updated listing of avian u deaths now includes two snow goose die-o s of more than 2,000 birds in late November in Morgan

and Logan counties, and another report ursday of more than 600 snow geese in Prowers County.

“We are de nitely concerned about the wild birds. We know those migratory patterns are really what helps spread the virus,” said Olga Robak, communications director for the Colorado Department of Agriculture. e handful of large egg producers now trying to replace slaughtered ocks still face avian u threats from wild birds remaining near or crossing over their farms.

=“ is has been the largest outbreak in Colorado and the nation, ever,” Robak said.

In past outbreaks, wild birds appeared to be carriers of the in uenza but did not usually su er from symptoms themselves, Robak said. “ is year, the outbreak has affected many more wild birds, and even some mammals, like foxes and skunks, than in years past. Including raptors.”

While all bird losses are upsetting to rescue crews, Colorado has larger populations of owls and hawks to absorb losses, said Mike Tincher, rehabilitation coordinator at Rocky Mountain Raptor Program. How raptors with far fewer numbers emerge from the current outbreak is still an open question, he added.

“A lot of bald eagles come from up north, and they spend the winters here because we have relatively mild conditions,” Tincher said. “And they follow the food supply, which happens to be lots and lots of geese. So, with them being opportunistic scavengers, that’s a big concern.”

e wildlife and agriculture agencies want the public to call in reports of carcasses or live birds

behaving erratically, but they warn against touching any remains. Signs of sickness include swimming in circles or erratic patterns, lethargy and inability to y. Humans have only rarely contracted avian in uenza, but the virus is easily spread on shoes or clothing to other birds and vulnerable animals.

e state’s list of con rmed avian in uenza deaths in wild birds includes eagles, hawks, owls, teals, mallards and wood ducks, and turkey vultures. Song birds and backyard birds do not appear to be heavily impacted so far, perhaps because they do not mix as much with the waterfowl that are the primary spreaders.

State and federal o cials are still working with the large egg operations to clean up and decontaminate after losing millions of chickens to quarantine e orts. Colorado estimates 4.7 million chickens were destroyed by last week. e chickens are usually killed en masse by locking down the large holding sheds and either smothering them with carbon dioxide, re ghting foam, or by stopping ventilation and allowing the resulting heat rise to kill the ock. Authorities want the dead birds buried in excavations on site rather than further the spread.

Destroying that many living creatures is the most devastating part of the outbreak so far, Robak said.

“It is a very hard and emotional thing for the people who are responding to this emergency, but especially to the people who own these operations,” she said. “ is is their daily life. is is what they do.”  Researchers hope to learn more

about the behavior of the virus and bird reactions as the outbreak rages on. State wildlife o cials had been capturing live bald eagles and tagging them for tracking as part of another study, and that tracking is proving valuable in watching avian u survival.

e female in one nesting pair watched by the state is one of the bald eagle u deaths, Conrey said. Researchers have been watching the male partner’s movements since then.

“He’s own over his nest a couple of times, but he’s own all over the state and down into New Mexico and back. So he’s de nitely alive and doing OK if he’s making those kinds of long-distance movements,” Conrey said. Researchers want to know more about why some birds appear to be immune even when in close contact with diseased birds. Studies are made more challenging by the speed of the virus — many birds die within two or three days of showing symptoms.

With just a few hundred eagles across Colorado, wildlife researchers are avid followers of their life stories.

“I don’t know whether he will nd a new mate and go back to that nest and use it in 2023,” Conrey said. “I think that remains to be seen.”

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

Great horned owls are kept in the hospital area of the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program in Fort Collins. The program rehabilitates around 300 birds a year, 78% being treatable cases that can be returned to the wild. OLIVIA SUN; THE COLORADO SUN VIA REPORT FOR AMERICA

Disease has also triggered mass slaughter of hens

Empower Field to get a facelift

NFL approves $100M loan

BY TONY GORMAN COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO

After a disappointing season, the Denver Broncos are due for a makeover.

Except this time, it isn’t coming in the form of a new shiny coach or quarterback, but a Mile High upgrade.

eir home, Empower Field at Mile High, is getting a renovation, and the NFL is lending a big hand in making the remodel come true.

e team announced Wednesday that it received more than $100 million through the league’s G-4 nancing program. It’s the largest capital project investment in the stadium’s 22-year history.

“ is signi cant investment in Empower Field at Mile High —the largest in the stadium’s history —demonstrates the deep commitment by the Walton-Penner Family OwnershipGroup to immediately and continually provide the best possible experience for our fans,” President Damani Leech said in a statement. “As we look toward the future with the long-term plans for our stadium, we are equally focused on the present to ensure Empower Field at Mile High remains a premier sports and entertainment venue.”

e NFL G-4 program allows NFL teams to receive assistance for stadium projects. e funding

from the program is considered a loan and is repaid from the visiting team’s share of certain seating. A team applying for the loan is required to put up matching dollars.

e most recent example is the Bu alo Bill’s recent approval of $200 million toward a new stadium. With the loan and owners Ted and Kim Pegula matching the funds, the Bills have $400 million for the $1.354 billion project. Local taxpayers are expected to foot the rest of the bill.

For the Broncos, the G-4 loan will cover most of the costs. e Metropolitan Football Stadium District, which levies and collects sales taxes in nancing the stadium’s projects, have already earmarked $12 million toward the upgrades.

e project is slated to begin after this season and complete before the start of the 2023 season. It will upgrade video boards, premium hospitality areas, technology, concessions, the Broncos Team Store and elevators.

e Broncos say the video board enhancements are the most enticing of all the anticipated projects. e south-end scoreboard will expand by 70 percent. e new 72-feet-tall by 225-feet-wide scoreboard would be the fourth-largest scoreboard in the league.

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

SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

SALUTE TO PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

Colorado Community Media honors prep athletes from area

BY JIM BENTON JBENTON@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

It seemed like things were almost back to normal for the 2023 fall sports seasons with no major COVID setbacks. However, there were a few changes, such as both an individual and team state championship tournament in boys tennis and some state venues changes. For instance, the girls state volleyball tournament returned to the Denver Coliseum and the girls eld hockey title game was played at the Stutler Bowl.

e following are the Colorado Community Media Players of the Year for the 2023 fall sports seasons.

BOYS GOLF

Highlands Ranch senior Aiden Krusoe finished tied for fourth place in the Class 5A state golf tournament after carding a 4-under-par

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

Valor Christian senior Brooke Wilson set a 5A girls course record of 16:59.2 in winning the individual state championship.

66 on the final day of the tourney at City Park. Krusoe had a 2-under-par 70 and was second in the Southern regional state qualifying tournament.

BOYS TENNIS

Cherry Creek junior Kristian Kostadinov was the No. 3 individual singles champion at the Class 5A state tournament and won his match

SOFTBALL

Lutheran junior left-handed pitcher Hailey Maestretti helped the Lions win the Class 4A state title. Over four state tournament games, the Utah State commit allowed only two earned runs, gave

BOYS SOCCER

Zac Brooks, a senior at Valor Christian, had a banner season with 17 goals and eight assists for 42 points. He ranked among the top four Class 5A scorers in the state.

FOOTBALL

Cherry Creek senior linebacker Blake Purchase had 66 total tackles and was the tops in 5A with 18 sacks for 149 yards in losses as he helped the Bruins win their fourth straight 5A championship. The Oregon commit was picked as the defen-

up nine hits and struck out 43 batters in 27 innings pitched. She ended the season with a 27-1 record, a 0.94 earned run average, two no-hitters, nine shutouts and 271 strikeouts.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

Drew Costelo, a senior at Valor Christian, was second in the 5A boys state title race with a time of 15:23.3.

as the Bruins captured the state team title in a dual meet against Valor Christian. Kostadinov, who was also the regional champion, finished the season 16-0.

FIELD HOCKEY

Arapahoe senior Brynn Dzengelewski finished the season with 19 goals and 16 assists for 54 points and she also had 86 steals.

Erin McNair will be heading to Princeton to play volleyball and study next season after wrapping up her senior year at Valor Christian by helping the team

sive Player of the Year. He is the younger brother of Myles Purchase, who is now playing for Iowa State and was the 2020 defensive Player of the Year.

Sophomore Austyn Modrzewski of Mountain Vista is the o ensive Player of the Year. He led

go undefeated, 29-0, and win the state championship. McNair had a season total of 283 kills, 46 aces and 293 digs and had a team-high nine kills in the 3-0 state title win over Rock Canyon.

the state in passing with 3,341 yards, an average of 303.7 yards per game, a .643 completion figure, 34 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. And he put up those numbers with an o ensive unit comprised with one senior, one junior, eight sophomores and one freshman.

Jordan Cardenas, Cherry Creek

Lorena Cedeno, Cherry Creek

ABOUT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Colorado Community Media welcomes letters to the editor. Please note the following rules:

• Email your letter to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com. Do not send via postal mail. Put the words “letter to the editor” in the email subject line.

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• Letters must be no longer than 400 words.

• Letters should be exclusively submitted to Colorado Community Media and should not submitted to other outlets or previously posted on websites or social media. Submitted letters become the property of CCM and should not be republished elsewhere.

• Letters advocating for a political candidate should focus on that candidate’s qualifications for o ce. We cannot publish letters that contain unverified negative information about a candidate’s opponent. Letters advocating for or against a political candidate or ballot issue will not be published within 12 days of an election.

• Publication of any given letter is at our discretion. Letters are published as space is available.

• We will edit letters for clarity, grammar, punctuation and length and write headlines (titles) for letters at our discretion.

• Please don’t send us more than one letter per month. First priority for publication will be given to writers who have not submitted letters to us recently.

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• Letters will be considered only from people living in Colorado Community Media’s circulation area in Adams, Arapahoe, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Je erson and Weld counties.

• Do not use all caps, italics or bold text.

• Keep it polite: No name calling or “mudslinging.”

TURN TO THE COLORADO SUN FOR NEWS ACROSS THE STATE

The Colorado Sun is a journalist-owned, award-winning news outlet that strives to cover all of Colorado so that our state — our community — can better understand itself.

In this way, The Sun contributes to a more vibrant, informed and whole Colorado.

The Sun, launched in 2018, is committed to fact-based, in-depth and nonpartisan journalism. It covers everything

from politics and culture to the outdoor industry and education.

Now, The Colorado Sun co-owns this and other Colorado Community Media newspapers as a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy. The Sun is CCM’s partner for statewide news.

For Colorado Sun stories, opinions and more, and to support The Sun’s misssion as a member or subscriber, visit coloradosun.com.

CROWSS UP DRO ELZZ

Help Wanted

Director of Information Security Centura Health Corporation is seeking a full-time Director of Information Security in Centennial, Colorado, to be responsible for strategic thought leadership around all security initiatives, prioritize and recommend security improvements, establish and maintain security best practices, collaborate with Software Engineering leaders, develop standard operating procedures, manage the professional development of direct reports, and design and implement enterprise wide security solutions.

Benefits include: Childcare assistance program; 401K, which includes matching when eligible; Three Health Insurance Plan Options including covering eligible dependents; Two Dental Insurance Plan Options including covering eligible dependents; Vision Insurance including covering eligible dependents; Daycare & Medical Flexible Spending Account Options; Leaves of Absence, Short Term Disability, and Long-Term Disability; Life Insurance and Spouse & Child/ Dependent Life Insurance Coverage Options; Voluntary Benefits including Hospital Indemnity; Coverage, Critical Illness, Accident, Permanent Life insurance, and Norton LifeLock; Paid Time Off & Sick Pay; Shift Differentials; Employee Wellness Resources; Employee Assistance Programs; Tuition Reimbursement; Relocation assistance based on location; Associate Discounts for Phone, Cell Phone Plans; Auto Insurance; Home Insurance; Auto Buying; and Pet Insurance. Salary Range: $204,651.00 to $266,593.60. Contact Patricia Price, Director, Strategic Business Partner, 340 Peak One Drive, Frisco, CO 80443, patriciaprice@centura.org.

Help Wanted

Light Housework Needed Help Wanted for light housework in Highlands Ranch area. Own car needed. $25 per hour plus gas. (303) 791-6070

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Help Wanted

Now hiring Local Sales and Sponsorship Position

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.

Visit ccmcorporate.com for more information.

Please apply by sending your letter of interest and resume to Erin Addenbrooke eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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The best winter fertilizer for lawns

Fertilization should generally take place during the active growing seasons such as the spring, summer and fall. ere is really not a need to apply fertilizer once temperatures consistently drop below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s similar to giving someone a pill while they are sleeping—it won’t be as e ective.

It’s best to prepare your lawn with the nutrients it needs to survive winter dormancy during the fall. Learn more in our blog, Fall Secrets to Achieve a Healthy Spring Lawn. However, when spring comes, it will be time to fertilize your lawn. Researching di erent fertilizers that match your lawn’s needs is something you can go ahead and start doing. e Lawni ®Spring Fertilizer Box is an easy-to-use liquid fertilizer program powered by Catalyst TechnologyTM to help plants better absorb nutrients with the use of less product.

Watch for winter weeds

Keep an eye out for winter grass weeds. Applying an herbicide during the winter isn’t always e ective since your lawn is dormant, which is why it’s best to apply products preventively in the fall.

Some research has shown that it’s safe to apply glyphosate, a non-selec-

tive herbicide, on dormant bermuda grass to kill o other weeds without damaging the bermuda grass. e e cacy of this is not as high as it would be in warmer temperatures, but it can still be done when applied properly.

If you have a lot of weeds, make note to apply a pre-emergent herbicide in the fall next year to prevent them. Common winter weeds to look out for include: Purple Deadnettle, Chickweed, Annual bluegrass (Poa annua), and Henbit

Weed control products and other winter lawn treatments aren’t as e ective in the winter as other times of the year, which is why it’s best to apply these products preventively in the fall season before temperatures get too cold. Read and follow product labels thoroughly.

Winter lawn insects to look out for Most pests are going to be inactive at this time since it’s so cold outside. However, oftentimes insects and pests will burrow under objects in the lawn like lawn ornaments, toys that have been left out, weeds, rotted branches, etc.

A good way to keep them from overwintering in your lawn and causing damage in the spring again is by removing a lot of these objects from your lawn so that pests don’t have a place to take shelter from the cold. Either hand-pull or apply a postemergent herbicide to keep any

weeds that have survived cooler temperatures and consider relocating any lawn objects to your garage or outdoor shed.

You can also apply a broad-spectrum insect control product to treat any insects or bugs you may spot in the meantime.

Certain insects like grub worms, ants, eas, ticks, chinch bugs and spiders are sometimes known to survive during the colder parts of the year if they have places to take shelter.

Insect control products aren’t as e ective in the winter as other times of the year, which is why it’s best to apply these products preventively in the fall season before temperatures get too cold. Read and follow product labels thoroughly.

How to control lawn disease in the winter

It’s pretty di cult to detect most lawn diseases during the winter season—especially if you have a warm season lawn that goes o -color and dormant as temperatures drop.

Oftentimes, symptoms of disease don’t begin making an appearance until the spring as the lawn greens up and disease patterns are easier to distinguish.

It’s still a great idea to apply disease control products preventively during the fall to keep diseases from taking over during the winter season. You may still notice some lawn diseases like snow mold.

Disease control products aren’t as

e ective in the winter as other times of the year, which is why it’s best to apply these products preventively in the fall season before temperatures get too cold. Read and follow product labels thoroughly.

Avoid excessive tra c

Your grass is probably dormant, meaning it’s not going to put a lot of energy into restoring itself after heavy tra c. Taking as much care of your lawn as you can by reducing tra c while it is “asleep” is one of the best preventative maintenance practices you can perform.

It keeps your grass from having to spend a bunch of energy restoring itself when it comes out of dormancy. Instead, let your grass focus its energy on ourishing as it comes out of dormancy.

Installing sod in the winter

Are you thinking about installing grass in the winter? e good news is this is entirely possible depending on your geographic location. Learn more about sod installation in the winter here.

Want to learn more about achieving a great lawn? Check out more Sod University tips here and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

is article was written by Sod Solutions Content Strategist, Valerie Smith. For all media inquiries or for high-resolution photos, contact Cecilia Brown at cecilia@sodsolutions. com.

NOTICE OF SALE

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, 02/08/2023, 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: 12/15/2022

Last Publication: 1/12/2023

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: 10/07/2022

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) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:

Anna Johnston #51978

Ryan Bourgeois #51088

Joseph D. DeGiorgio #45557

Randall Chin #31149

Barrett, Frappier & Weisserman, LLP 1391 Speer Boulevard, Suite 700, Denver, CO 80204 (303) 350-3711

Attorney File # 00000009622739

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 Revised 1/2015

Legal Notice NO. 0523-2022

First Publication: 12/15/2022

Last Publication: 1/12/2023

Name of Publication: Littleton Independent

COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103

FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0533-2022

To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust: On October 14, 2022, the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in the County of Arapahoe records.

Original Grantor(s)

CAROL A. RIGDON

Original Beneficiary(ies)

MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC., AS BENEFICIARY, AS NOMINEE FOR LIVE WELL FINANCIAL, INC., ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt REVERSE MORTGAGE FUNDING LLC Date of Deed of Trust February 23, 2017

County of Recording Arapahoe Recording Date of Deed of Trust March 02, 2017

Recording Information (Reception No. and/or Book/Page No.) D7024666

Original Principal Amount $381,000.00

Outstanding Principal Balance $135,149.13

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 12, BLOCK 2, UHLMAN SUBDIVISION SECOND FILING, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.

Also known by street and number as: 3296 S FOX ST, ENGLEWOOD, CO 80110.

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

NOTICE OF SALE

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, 02/15/2023, 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: 12/22/2022

Last Publication: 1/19/2023

Name of Publication: Littleton Independent

IF THE SALE DATE

Legal Notice No. 530890-60890

First Publication: December 22, 2022

Last Publication: December 29, 2022

Publisher: Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen