17 minute read
LOCAL
A listing of holiday events and celebrations
STAFF REPORT
Friday, Dec. 3
Thornton Santa Calling regis-
tration deadline: Dec. 3 is the last day to sign up their youngsters to have the Santa Claus call between 6 and 8 p.m. Dec. 14 through 16, specifying a date and rough time for the call and providing some information about their child — name, age, address, brothers and sisters, favorite things, pet names, what they want for Christmas and how they’ve been behaving. One of Thornton’s volunteer elves will call, putting Santa — or one of his helpers — on the line when they’re ready.
Noel Northglenn 2021: It’s Northglenn’s traditional holiday celebration in a brand new space! The City of Northglenn kicks off the holiday celebration at the Parsons entrance of the new Northglenn Recreation Center at 1 E. Memorial Parkway., from 5 to 8 p.m. Kids can visit Santa and have their picture taken or enjoy some holiday songs with Mrs. Claus and her elves. There will be free pizza and treats like cookies and hot chocolate, free books (while supplies last), carriage rides. The band Animal Farm will be performing indoors at the Parson’s Theater, with 30-minute shows at the quarter past the hour. Elves will be on hand leading holiday hula hooping and there will be other surprises.
Saturday, Dec. 4
Olde Fashioned Christmas:
Northglenn’s Stonehocker Farmhouse, 10950 Fox Run Parkway, will host the annual celebration from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Enjoy holiday music from local performers, baked goods, crafts, gifts and stockingstuffers and photos with Santa Claus.
Fort Lupton Winterfest and
Holiday Craft Bazaar: Fort Lupton opens the holidays with a series of free events. Start at the library and end up at the Recreation Center. Santa Claus will be on hand from 10 a.m. to noon for Cookies and Cocoa with Santa at the Fort Lupton Public School and Library, 425 S. Denver Ave. The celebration moves to the Recreation Center, at 203 S. Harrison Ave. for a holiday bazaar from noon to 5 p.m. There will be a chili dinner fundraiser from 4-7 p.m., carriage rides, a performance by the Legacy School of Dance and the community Christmas tree lighting at 5:30 p.m.
Brighton Winter Festival: Activities will be 2-4:30 p.m. clustered around Main Street Creatives, 36 S. Main St., featuring a Teddy Bear and Friends Tree and Santa Comes to Town, face painting and plenty of food trucks. The celebration moves to Founder’s Plaza at 5 p.m. with a performance by acapella group FACE, followed by the Christmas tree lighting.
Westminster Holiday Lights:
The city of Westminster kicks off the countdown to Christmas at 5:30 p.m. with the annual Holiday Lighting Ceremony at City Hall, 4800 W. 92nd Ave. in Westminster come see the magical wonderland of lights, complete with holiday music, hot chocolate, cookies and visit from Santa Claus. There will be a fullsized sleigh and miniature train for photos, a bonfi re and a hayride to complete the event. Free of charge, sponsored by St. Anthony North Health Campus.
Sunday, Dec. 5
Hanukka Eighth night: Come see the fi rst eight lights of the Westminster grand menorah lit between 4-6 p.m. at the Orchard Town Center Square, 14697 Delaware St. Westminster -- next to the Rock Bottom Restaurant and the AMC Theaters. The event features Hanukka music and sing-alongs, doughnuts, hot latkes and cocoa, and prizes.
A decorated concrete truck was one of the featured fl oats at Brighton’s Parade of
Lights in 2019. FILE PHOTOS
into the permit,” though they want state health offi cials to revise the draft even lower than the national EPA standard of 70 parts per trillion in drinking water, said Becca Curry, Colorado policy advocate for Earthjustice.
“I’ve asked my colleagues around the nation for any other refi nery that has a PFAS limit put into the permit, and I can’t fi nd one,” Curry said.
PFAS readings in Suncor discharge water have risen well above 1,000 parts per trillion, state offi cials said.
Water quality offi cials detailing the proposed requirements in the permit said they have listened to neighbors living near Suncor and to advocates demanding more accountability for the refi nery, which has logged numerous air and water violations for decades.
“We feel it is a more protective permit than exists today. And we’re very proud of that,” said Nicole Rowan, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s state water quality director.
A Suncor spokeswoman said Nov. 16, “We will take time to review the details in the draft water permit and follow the established permit renewal process.”
Now that the draft permit renewal is released to the public, the state extended the usual comment period. After that closes, state staff must then research and respond to the comments.
The water quality division is likely to issue a fi nal permit a few months into 2022. Permits last for fi ve years, but are often extended after expiring because state staff has been limited for the most complex permits.
Suncor’s air pollution permits are also under review by the health department’s Air Quality Control Division, which has not yet released its responses to public comments.
In the new water discharge permit, the state said it is looking for the following changes at Suncor: • More intensive monitoring of benzene-tainted groundwater at the site. A clay barrier is supposed to keep the hazardous material from Sand Creek, which runs past the refi nery and quickly empties into the South Platte River.
• Limits for 50 chemicals the state has now added to monitoring requirements for Suncor’s new permit. • First-time monitoring of hazardous chemicals leaking into the Burlington irrigation ditch that fl ows north into Barr Lake and supplies water to north metro communities. If chemicals are discovered, Suncor will have to line the Burlington ditch to protect drinking water. • Closed-circuit TV exploration and monitoring of old pipe and reservoir systems throughout the sprawling plant as part of an “all-asset” review alerting state offi cials to older, potentially forgotten hazards. • Text warnings to neighboring communities when hazardous spills threaten water, similar to a system for air pollution breeches Suncor instituted after past negotiations with the state.
• PFAS monitoring weekly at the major “outfalls” of production water and stormwater from Suncor property into Sand Creek. Suncor will be held to the EPA’s national guidelines of less than 70 parts per trillion in discharges. State offi cials added that the EPA is amid a major PFAS review and could tighten those standards, which the state would then follow.
Conservation groups are especially excited about the PFAS monitoring, which they say is one of the fi rst efforts by the state to count the dangerous pollution and hold one industrial site accountable for runoff. Environmental groups have analyzed EPA databases showing that Colorado may have far more sites contaminated by PFAS than any other state.
Chemicals from the PFAS family — there are thousands of variations — have been used for decades in fi refi ghting foam at hazardous sites like Suncor, as well as countless consumer and industrial products advertising nonstick coatings or lubricating properties. They easily permeate into groundwater and don’t degrade over time. Removing them from drinking water supplies
Hundreds of Battalion Chief Mark Smith’s peers came to honor the fallen fi rst responder who died in the line of duty. PHOTO BY BELEN WARD
is expensive.
While federal and state offi cials are still establishing safe human consumption limits for PFAS, the EPA says studies show the chemicals cause “reproductive and developmental, liver and kidney, and immunological effects in laboratory animals,” as well as tumors. High cholesterol levels in those exposed are also common impacts.
State offi cials said they believe PFAS fi refi ghting foam used in the past by Suncor — and still stored on site, according to the state — has contributed to “highly contaminated” groundwater under and around the facility.
During the public comment period, said water division permits section manager Meg Parish, “one of the big questions we’re asking folks is, are these the right limits? We could change these limits in response to public comment.”
This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.
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A member of Brighton’s AA chapter holds the mug members get after a year of sobriety. The chapter will stay open 24-hour during Thanksgiving, o ering meeting and
fellowship. PHOTOS BY SCOTT TAYLOR
BRIGHTON AA
potluck supper, games to play and opportunities to just sit and talk.
Tradition
The chapter has been the same location for 45 years, Wade said, at 147 S. 2nd Place in downtown Brighton. The chapter’s website, www.brighton1aa.org, has become increasingly more important since COVID. Members added a camera and screen to the meeting space during the COVID lockdowns, allowing them to continue to offer meetings via the Zoom networking platform. They host regular meetings at noon Mondays through Saturdays and 7:30 p.m. every day, with special 6 p.m. meetings Mondays and Thursdays and at 10 a.m. Sundays.
“What happens over the holidays, people relapse,” Wade said. “They’re by themselves or they’re lonely. But these Alcothons, we have a meeting every hour on the hour. And we’ll take it a step further. If they need a meeting, we’ll have a meeting. There will be food, and we’ll have music if they want to listen to music and play games if that’s what they want. Whoever comes, we want to give them a place.”
He doesn’t expect people will stay there the whole time.
“Then there’s the situation where you’re at your brother’s house and everyone is drinking,” he said. “If your sobriety is strong, it may not matter. But if your sobriety is weak, it really matters. This gives you an opportunity to break away for a little while and just get some peace.”
Thanksgiving has always been a tradition at the Brighton branch, he said.
“We’ve always had the Thanksgiving potluck up here,” Wade said. “Last year was the fi rst time ever we missed it. We’ve had a Thanksgiving meeting with people bringing in food and sides and, as soon as the meeting is over, it’s game on. It’s food to no end.”
He doesn’t expect that to change, although the holiday will be a bit more formal. At least two members of the chapter, a man and a woman, will be on hand at all times.
“In AA, men work with men and women work with women,” Wade
opportunities to just sit and talk. said. “So if a woman hears about this and comes in, she can feel comfortable because there will be at least one other woman there.”
They’ll be prepared the listen, to advise and to counsel — if that’s what’s needed. The chapter’s Thanksgiving meal will be served right after the noon meeting, he said.
“This place will be packed,” he said. “Not only will there be members, there will be their kids and family. And anyone who comes, there will be food for them.”
If it’s a success, they plan to have more Alcathon’s over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
“If you come to a meeting, it’s the people in the room and how welcoming they are that’s going to get you to come back,” he said. “You have to start a new way of life and they can tell you how they did it, it’s better if you feel welcome.”
Tradition
at 147 S. 2nd Place in downtown Brighton. The chapter’s website, www.brighton1aa.org, has become
A sign o ering directions to Brighton’s AA chapter meeting space.
BRIGHTON AA THANKSGIVING ALCATHON
11 p.m. Nov. 24 through midnight Nov. 25
143 E. 2nd Place, Brighton 303 659-9953 for more information.
AA Denver Area Central Committee: 303 322-5636
AA Metro Denver 24-hour hotline: 303 322-4440
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Heart holiday lunch
The Platte Valley Medical Center Foundation is presenting its third annual Heart holiday luncheon in support of early breast cancer detection and in-depth cancer care. The luncheon will be at Stonebrook Manor, 650 E. 124th Ave., Thornton Tuesday, Nov. 30.
Dr. Oralee L. Ekberg an OB/GYN from Brighton, is the keynote speaker. She’ll be speaking about the importance of women’s wellness and regular screening to detect breast cancer. Also, Deanna Damour, a breast cancer survivor, shares her experience of receiving a diagnosis to chemotherapy and will also conduct a Q&A session.
Go to https://www.sclhealth. org/.../gifts-from-the-heart-luncheon/
Wine and paint party
The city of Commerce City put together its fi rst Wine and Paint Party at the Bison Grill, 15700 E. 112th Ave. it runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1.
Admission is $49 for residents and $54 for non-residents. It includes two drink tickets, hors d’oeuvres, paint supplies and insutrction. Visit c3gov. com/register or call 303-286-6801.
Holiday bazaar
The Adams County Historical Society’s annual holiday bazaar fundraiser runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4, at Riverdale Regional Park 9755 Henderson Road.
It features handcrafted items in 260 booths. Admission is $3 (cash only). Kids under 14 get in free, and parking is free. Food will be avail-
Toys for Tots
Phil Doerner, a local Edward Jones fi nancial advisor, is supporting the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program by using his offi ce as a dropoff location for this year’s toy drive, according to a press statement.
Local residents may help needy children in the area by bringing in a new, unwrapped toy to the offi ce, 725 E Bridge St, Suite A, during regular business hours through Dec. 10. Monetary gifts cannot be accepted.
“With the holiday season around the corner, we are all getting ready for the festivities,” Doerner said. “And as this is the season of giving, now is a great time to remember the less fortunate in our community.”
Growing grads
The next installment of Brighton’s Growing Grads program is at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 12, at Anythink Library, 567 E. Bridge St.
Brighton Youth Services provides this annual college and career readiness event for high-school juniors and seniors and anyone interested in pursuing higher education. Students and families will be able to chat with colleges, trade schools and apprentice programs, view fi nancial aid presentations in both English and Spanish, and check out local scholarships. Call 303-565-2000.
ONGOING
Walk with a doc
Platte Valley Medical Center’s cardiac rehab team and Walk With A Doc will host monthly walks with Dr. Christopher Cannon, interventional cardiologist at Brighton Heart and Vascular Institute.
This is a walking program for everyone interested in taking steps for a healthier lifestyle. After a few minutes to learn about a current health topic from the doctor, spend the rest of the hour enjoying a healthy walk and fun conversation. It’s a great way to get out, get active and enjoy all the benefi ts that come from walking.
Boards/commissions’ openings
Commerce City has openings for several of its boards and commissions, including the city’s cultural council, the housing authority and the Derby review board. Visit https://www.c3gov.com/Home/Components/Form/Form/70316b05422c4 48492c51da0f0e0fd86/ to sign up.
Legal self-help clinic
The Access to Justice Committee hosts a free, legal self-help clinic from 2 to 3:30 p.m. the fi rst Tuesday of every month.
The program is for those who don’t have legal representation and need help navigating through legal issues.
Volunteer attorneys are available to discuss such topics as family law, civil litigation, property and probate law. Call 303-405-3298 and ask for the Legal Self-Help Clinic at least 24 hours in advance.
Help for vets
Qualifi ed Listeners, a veteran and family resource hub serving northern Colorado and southern Wyoming, has a number of power chairs, power scooters and electric wheelchairs available.
To fi nd the closest facility to you visit www.va.gov/fi nd-locations.
Qualifi ed Listeners also need volunteers to drive veterans to and from appointments, run errands for veterans who cannot get out, handyman services, help administer veteran and family resource guide inventory in local libraries and veterans to be trained to become qualifi ed listeners. Call 720-600-0860.
COVID-19 testing
Here’s where you can receive a test for COVID-19:
Brighton Advanced Urgent Care, 2801 Purcell St. Call 303-659-9700 or visit https://advurgent.com/locations/brighton/
Brighton Salud, 1860 Egbert St. Testing is available on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Visit https:// www.saludclinic.org/covid-testing
Fort Lupton Salud, 1115 Second St. Testing is available on Tuesday and Thursday. Call 303-697-2583 or visit https://www.saludclinic.org/covidtesting online.
Volunteers needed
Qualifi ed Listeners needs volunteers to drive veterans to and from appointments, run errands for veterans who cannot get out, handyman services, help administer veteran and family resource guide inventory in local libraries and veterans to be trained to become qualifi ed listeners.
Visit qualifi edlisteners.org/volunteerapp and fi ll out the form or call 720-600-0860.
Adams County Museum’s 23rd Annual Holiday B aar
A fundraiser to benefi t the Adams County Historical Society & Museum
Adams County Museum Craft Shows
Saturday, December 4
