SENTINEL EXPRESS C O M M E R C E
VOLUME 33 32
C I T Y
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SSUE 48 42 ISSUE
UESDAY CTOBER 12, TT UESDAY , ,NOOVEMBER 24,2021 2020
New COVID-19 restrictions will prohibit indooradining, personal gatherings Saying goodbye to a teacher, a friend, colleague, a family man PVHS community pays respects to Nate Howard BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The crowd in attendance at Prairie View High School’s football field Oct. 8 remembered a man who had an infectious smile, a wicked sense of humor and one who was a father to the fatherless. And a brother to his two sisters. “He tried karate on anyone who was willing to stand up to the challenge,” said Traci Latson. “He did the things only big brothers can do .. like throwing his sisters’ Barbies on the roof.” The object of the testimonials was Nate Howard, a former Prairie View coach and teacher, who died last month just short of his 59th birthday. “Dr. Howard had a gift to be able to talk to anybody,” said PVHS softball and baseball coach Mark Gonzales. The two shared an office at the school. “If you were thinking about leaving somebody, about to do something, he had the perfect words to say. Not many can do that and be so genuine.”
Prairie View High School softball and baseball coach Mark Gonzales remembers his friend and mentor, Nate Thomas, during a celebration of life at PVHS Oct. 8. Howard died late last month.
Several of Howard’s former students, both during a stint as a coach, teacher and administrator at Manual High School and during his time at PVHS, were in attendance. “He was a mentor to me,” Gonzales said. “He had an impact on everyone he met in the hall and with that characteristic smile.” Latson recapped some of Howard’s accomplishments before he
Nate Howard’s children, Natalie Crump, left, and Nicole Jones speak about their father during a celebration of life service Oct. 8 at Prairie View High School.
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PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH
Parents, staff frustrated as Adams 14 leaders try to resolve accreditation crisis to approve a joint agreement with the district’s external manager that is expected to restore A long line of cars outside the city of Brighton’s rapid testing its siteaccreditaat tion status. But many issues still News this week that Adams 14 Riverdale Regional Park. The site has had to close early many days in recent remain to be worked out, and it’s lost its accreditation -- even if just weeks due to-- high demand. Adams County’s 14-day test positivity and rate not clear if the disruptions temporarily hit hard for many will continue. parents, staff, andascommunity was 15.9 percent, of Nov. 17, accordingchaos to Tri-County Health Department. So far thiswere school year, teachmembers. Brighton and Commerce City’s test positivity rates both higher than ers and administrators describe “I looked at my kids and cried. I 13 percent. Forty-five people in Brighton and 29 in Commerce City have cried that I wasn’t able to do more,” disorganization in various spheres diedLuz fromE.COVID-19 To limit 14 theand spread COVID-19, as Adams MGTofleaders have said Molina, arelated parenthealth of twoissues. been at odds recent months. high-school students in theto district. at least 15 counties moved tighter restrictions thatinprohibits indoor and Principals and assistant principals “They voted without us. They’re personal gatherings. still have not signed their annual making decisions without us” contracts for the current school she said about the state board of year. education, which announced Oct. Teachers placedby on quarantine 4 the district’s accreditation was Photo Belen Ward are using their personal leave time suspended. while they await clarification from With am Oct. 7 deadline looming, Adams 14’s local school board voted the district about whether they BY YESENIA ROBLES CHALKBEAT
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would be paid while on forced leave. When safety occur — By incidents Ellis Arnold starting with the first day of school Colorado Community Mediawhen a at Adams City High School bomb threat kept students standing As Denver metro counties continue outside for four hours before theyto inch closer to local stay-at-home orders were allowed to go home — parents say they get little communication under Colorado’s system of coronavirusand district staff say there’s been related restrictions, the state announced confusion about who is responsible a new level ofthose rules that prohibits indoor for writing letters to parents. dining and personal gatherings — a “It’s just mass chaos,” one emchange that applies the majority the ployee with moretothan 10 yearsofin the district said. “Every day is a Denver metro area and many counties in scramble lately.” other regions. In 2018, state officials voted to The state’s COVID-19 dial, whichofhas hand over daily management been in effect since September, is the set Adams 14 to an outside company, of different levels of restrictions each MGT, in an attempt to raisethat student achievement that had been lag-
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LOCAL 3 2 • Adams County app OBITUARIES •27J Schools moves 5 3 aims to OBITUARIES LOCAL streamline online-only Dec. 1 8 6 helping LEGALS SPORTS homeless 11 9 CLASSIFIED LEGALS • Page 3 10 CLASSIFIEDS
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BUSINESS SPORTS • Adams City rolls past • Vestas to lay off 200 Mountain Range employees
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ging for years. This summer, as the district a new superintendent county ishired required to follow based on the and as she and MGT leaders had severity of a county’s local virus spread. to work out how they would share The dial grewthe outnew of the state’spointed safer-atauthority, leader home order —with the policy thatwork came and after to problems MGT’s the statewide order this pushed themstay-at-home out of the schools. Now backnumerous — with the springthey’re and allowed typesdisof trict under orders from the state businesses to reopen. board of education — but issues The state recently switched to color remain. identifiers levels blue, yellow and Angela — Alba, a 15-year-old student orange rather than numbered levels — to at Adams City High School, said she has noticed that she couldn’t avoid confusion. Until Nov. 17, level red get help when she needed it. Two meant a stay-at-home order. Now, level weeks ago, another student threatred — “severe risk” — is the secondened to fight her at school, so Angela decided to stay home.
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