Commerce City Sentinel Express 121522

RSV viruses raise concern for children

Season starts early, strong

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Mom Brianne Price knew respiratory illnesses could be a concern because her baby was born prematurely. Then her other child, her 4-year-old boy, came home with a cough. Soon after, Price was calling a nurse help line. Her baby also had something, except it was worse. Her baby had trouble breathing. It landed her baby in the hospital.

The girl, just shy of 6 months old, had a virus commonly called RSV. She was placed on oxygen.

The baby recovered after spending days in the hospital. Now Price, from the Littleton area, is sounding the alarm for other parents, hoping they take the spread of illnesses seriously.

“Keeping your kids home when they’re sick is super helpful,” Price said.

Navy joins Adams County to celebrate memorial

indoor dining, personal gatherings

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A long line of cars outside the city of Brighton’s rapid testing site at Riverdale Regional Park. The site has had to close early many days in recent weeks due to high demand. Adams County’s 14-day test positivity rate was 15.9 percent, as of Nov. 17, according to Tri-County Health Department.

Brighton and Commerce City’s test positivity rates were both higher than 13 percent. Forty- ve people in Brighton and 29 in Commerce City have died from COVID-19 related health issues. To limit the spread of COVID-19, at least 15 counties moved to tighter restrictions that prohibits indoor and personal gatherings.

Her remarks came during a news conference that included Children’s Hospital Colorado officials. It turns out that her daughter was one of more than 1,400 RSV-related hospitalizations in the Denver metro area from Oct. 1 through late November, part of a season where RSV, respiratory syncytial virus, and other viruses, including the flu and COVID, are causing more infections, prompting concerns from public health officials.

At times in recent weeks, just two intensive-care hospital beds for children were available in the

A lifesized replica of a World War II-era battleship USS Colorado that’s taking shape on the banks of Brighton’s MannNyholt Lake will never see naval service, but it’s already received honors from the U.S. Navy.

Several U.S. Navy officers joined veterans and Adams County officials for the official “mast stepping” ceremony for the replica battleship, destined to debut by Memorial Day 2023 as the county’s new Veterans Memorial.

“The Navy is excited about it because they want to use it as a recruitment tool, bring potential recruits, maybe bring out veterans to do physical therapy, weddings, military weddings, or commissioning of officers or chiefs, or retirements. We are going to have the USS Colorado’s bell the same one on the submarine, “ said Adam County Commissioner Charles “Chaz” Tedesco, a retired Navy Veteran.

Pearl Harbor. Veterans and community members placed mementos in a box that were placed inside the battleship’s mast.

By Ellis Arnold Colorado Community Media

U.S. Navy Command Master Chief Benjamin Chester, a 22year veteran who has deployed on three different ships, gave of speech on what the stepping of the mast means and the ceremony’s history.

Crews are continuing to build the Veterans Memorial at the Riverdale Regional Park, on the shore of Mann-Nyholt Lake. It’s meant to honor past, present, and future veterans for their sacrifices to defend our country, Tedesco said.

As Denver metro counties continue to inch closer to local stay-at-home orders under Colorado’s system of coronavirusrelated restrictions, the state announced a new level of rules that prohibits indoor dining and personal gatherings — a change that applies to the majority of the Denver metro area and many counties in other regions.

Meaning behind mast stepping

“The stepping of the mast is a meaningful event of the building a ship,” Chester said.

county is required to follow based on the severity of a county’s local virus spread. e dial grew out of the state’s safer-athome order — the policy that came a er the statewide stay-at-home order this spring and allowed numerous types of businesses to reopen.

“The mast is carefully lowered through the whole main deck surrounded by reinforcing shocks reinforcing shocks security structural beams, the mast was in jostled into position through a slot into the keelson.”

e state recently switched to color identi ers — levels blue, yellow and orange rather than numbered levels — to avoid confusion. Until Nov. 17, level red meant a stay-at-home order. Now, level red — “severe risk” — is the second-

The mast stepping ceremony was celebrated on Dec. 7, which is the Remembrance Day of

e state’s COVID-19 dial, which has been in e ect since September, is the set of di erent levels of restrictions that each

Chester said the tradition started with the ancient Greeks and Romans placing coins under

Photo by Belen Ward

Colorado Navy soldiers came in honor of the stepping mast ceremony.

PHOTO BY BELEN WARD

New veterans memorial in shape of a battleship reaches midpoint in construction

Our mission is to lower energy costs and provide the healthiest quality air possible. For anyone, business or residential, we will increase e ciency of your system by using the very latest techniques, the latest technologies and top of the line products.

We will provide the highest quality of work possible. Our professional sta will assure a high level of professionalism that cannot be matched in our industry. We guarantee our products and services.

DA Academy

The 17th Juidicial District Attorney’s Office is offering a free, eight-week program to explain the workings of the office and the criminal justice system.

It starts at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11, at the DA’s office, 1000 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton. The registration deadline is Friday, Dec. 1. Info? Email chopper@da17.state.co.us.

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, an 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 benefits 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.

aVisit https://www.c3gov. com/Home/Components/ Form/Form/70316b05422c44849 2c51da0f0e0fd86/ to sign up.

Legal self-help clinic

The Access to Justice Committee hosts a free, legal selfhelp clinic from 2 to 3:30 p.m. the first 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

Qualified 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 find the closest facility to you visit www.va.gov/findlocations.

Qualified 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 inven-

tory in local libraries and veterans to be trained to become qualified listeners. Call 720-6000860

COVID-19 testing

Here’s where you can receive a test for COVID-19:

Brighton Advanced Urgent Care, 2801 Purcell St. Call 303659-9700 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 303697-2583 or visit https://www. saludclinic.org/covid-testing online.

Mental health

Community Reach Center

offers in-person intake assessments from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesdays at the Brighton Learning and Resource Campus, 1850 E. Egbert St. in Brighton. Call Community Reach Center at 303-853-3500.

For walk-in intake, bring an ID and insurance information. For those who would prefer to complete the intake forms and schedule an appointment, the intake forms are available online at www.communityreachcenter.org. There will be a short screening for flu-like symptoms before the entrance to the center to ensure safety and wellness for everyone.

Anyone feeling unsafe or suicidal should call Colorado Crisis Services at 1-844-493-8255, text 38255, or visit the Behavioral Health Urgent Care (BHUC) Center at 2551 W. 84th Ave., Westminster.

Warm Line up and running

Community Reach Center is offering a Warm Line (303-2806602) for those who want to talk to mental-health professionals about anxiety, lack of sleep and strained relationships, among other topics. The professionals can facilitate referrals to other programs for assistance.

A press statement said the line is not for crisis intervention.

Those feeling unsafe or suicidal should call Colorado Crisis Services (1-844-493-8255) or text 38255 or visit the Behavioral Urgent Care Center, 2551 W. 84th Ave., Westminster.

Also, the center’s COVID-19 Heroes Program is set up to assist healthcare workers during the pandemic. Those who live or work in Adams County can receive up to six free counseling sessions. Use the Warm Line for support and free counseling.

Brighton’s community intake location is at 1850 E. Egbert St., on the second floor. It’s open from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesdays.

Fundraiser for Club Q shooting victims surpasses $800,000

When tragedy hit close to home, Faith Haug immediately looked for a way to support the victims.

“I went online to try to donate to somewhere, and there was nowhere set up. So, I set up a GoFundMe. That was it,” she said.

That was far from it.

Faith co-owns Good Judy Garage with her spouse CC Haug. Together they started this business just outside of Denver in late 2021 to create a safe space for those in the LGBTQ+ community and beyond when dealing with car repairs. Everything they do, down to the name, is intentional.

“The reference comes from Judy Garland, who was a supporter of LGBTQ rights. So, somebody that was a supporter of the community, a friend of the community, was referred to as a ‘Good Judy,’” CC explained to Rocky Mountain PBS last year. “So, we kind of took that on because … we want to be there for the community.”

They don’t take that responsibility lightly. On Saturday, Nov. 19 just before midnight, a shooter killed five people and hurt 17 others at Club Q, an LGBTQ+ club in Colorado Springs. For Faith, she felt like she had to do something, especially as a queer business owner.

“If I have the platform to get something like that out, that’s my responsibility. And, you know, this is not about our shop whatsoever, but being able to spread that on our social media through the shop and all of that does have an effect,” said Faith.

So she started a GoFundMe, specifically for the victims and those directly impacted by the shooting.

“You know, one fund can’t meet every need. Our fund is to give direct, you know, cash check payments to the victims that were directly involved,” Faith said, pointing out there are other funds for club employees, people facing trauma but weren’t physically present and federal grants coming in for things like memorials.

Over the matter of a few days, the fundraiser quickly gained traction, garnering support from people all over the world. Just two and a half weeks after the tragedy, people have donated more than $800,000 to the fund.

“I’m amazed by it, but I’m not surprised because the community shows up,” said Faith.

From celebrities, to bars, to tattoo shops to anonymous donors, the fundraiser continues to grow every day, which, among other factors, led Faith to partner with the National Compassion Fund. This nonprofit organization was started

in partnership with victims and family members of past mass shootings, including the Aurora Theatre shooting.

Partnering with this fund, Faith said, will help make sure all money intended to directly help the victims truly benefits them. Over the past two weeks, she said she has spoken to many previous victims of mass shootings and many of them spoke about the difficulties of receiving funds after a tragedy. For example, if someone is receiving federal benefits for something unrelated, receiving funds from GoFundMe will be seen as more income and disqualify them from that benefit.

“The responsibility I have with this fund is to make sure that it

only helps,” Faith explained. “In trying to help, I can’t … I don’t want to cause harm. And so that’s the reason that it’s being done this way.”

One of the frequently asked questions Faith addressed in the fundraiser posting is: why is the money not going to the Colorado Healing Fund? That fund was also created to help victims of mass shooting and was initially funded by the Colorado Attorney General’s Office. It often is pointed to as a place to donate after tragedies in Colorado. However, Faith said donors have specifically asked them not to give the money raised to that fund.

“Because they are unhappy

Following the news of the deadly shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs, a queerowned auto shop started a fundraiser for the victims. In just two weeks, it grew to have more than $800,000.

COURTESY OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

the step of the mast to pay a toll for the crew to cross the dangers of the sea – and into the afterlife in case the ship sank. The Roman tradition paid Charon the ferryman to cross a river, Styx, into the afterlife.

“Placing the coins in ship functions as a form of advice, thanking the gods for successful construction, and requests for divine protection,” Chester said.

Chester said it was also the practice after a ship has been demasted and lost its original mast; the coin was placed in the new mast for good luck.

Chester said the Vikings placed coins in a container over the mast. Navies have continued the tradition, and coins were placed in the USS Constitution, Old Iron Sides, and on the original six heavy frigates of the U.S. Navy, still in service today.

“It’s a rich tradition carried forward to the present. Though today the mass stepping ceremony involves placing or welding coins and other significant objects into the hollow part of the mast of the ship during its construction to bring good luck,” Chester said. It’s essentially a time capsule onboard the ship.”

Chester said there is no official instruction or regulation which covers mass stepping. The ceremony is a time-honored tradition and an important part of bringing a ship to life.

“Today the ceremonies vary greatly from region to region and even throughout the individual shipyards. It focuses on history, heritage and ships’ namesake enduring tie between the shipbuilder’s crew, the plank owners and the sponsors of the ship, linking the past with future,” Chester said.

Chester placed a Navy Talent

Acquisition Group Rocky Mountain Command Chief challenge coin on the USS Colorado mast.

“I hope that it may bring luck and strength, I’m happy to be part of this today with Veterans Advisory Committee,” Chester said.

Adam County Commissioner Charles Chaz Tedesco also served in the Navy for six years as a Boiler Technician taking care of the power units for the ship, the boiler, which ran on steam back in the day. He also served part of his Navy career on the USS Midway before its decommission.

Tedesco said his father, who adopted him, also served in the Navy in Sasebo, Japan, right after the bombing of Japan. In honor of his father, he placed his Good Conduct Medal from World War II on the mast.

“I served almost 45 years later, in Sasebo, Japan, that was my base,” Tedesco said.

USS Colorado

Stephen Leek, another former sailor, served in the Navy from 1993 and 1997 as an aviation machinist working on airplanes on the carriers. He came in from Seattle to help with this memorial; his grandfather Elmer Hitchcock served on the original USS Colorado battleship in World War II as a first-class seaman.

“After he passed away, I started volunteering with his alumni group that served with my grandfather on the USS Colorado,” Leek said. “They would have annual reunions after the war; they were all busy with their lives working and raising families. But as they got older, the reunions didn’t happen as often. It was a regular part of my life with them, who fought in World War II with my grandfather.”

Leek said when they couldn’t take care of themselves, he answered the phones and sent out the newsletter.

About 12 to 13 years ago, there were up to 200 of them. Now we are down to four.

“The good news is that with the help of Adams County, all four plan on coming here to open the official ribbon cutting in May for Memorial Day,” Leek said.

The Lucky Ship Leek said the original USS Colorado History battleship was commissioned after World War I and was considered a dinosaur by World War II– one of the older ships in the Navy at the time.

“The Navy realized in World War II during Pearl Harbor that battleships were very vulnerable and became obsolete, and as December 8, 1941, the aircraft carrier had become the ship of battleships,” Leek said.

When the attack on the Pacific Fleet began on Dec. 7, 1941, the USS Colorado was the only battleship that was not at Pearl Harbor.

“She had electrical problems and was at the Puget Sound Navy Yard on that morning that every other Pacific Fleet battleship was at Pearl Harbor and every one of them was damaged to some extent or another that morning. She was considered a lucky ship,” Leek said.

The attack created a new role for battleships.

“The World War I era dreadnought kind of a ship couldn’t keep up with faster battleships and aircraft carriers they were making,” Leek said.

Leek said the USS Colorado still had a purpose as support for ground invasions such as Tarawa, Okinawa, etc.

“Those older slower battleships they would go in with the invasion forces soften up the beaches, so it kind of became her purpose after that,” Leek said.

Found foghorn

The USS Colorado was decom-

missioned in 1947 and scrapped in 1959 and 1960.

Leek said all the parts from the battleship were sold and scrapped in Seattle as well.

“A lot of the pieces of the battleship have been found. Since I’m part of that alumni group, I get called about found pieces. A company near the Seattle airport had the USS Colorado’s foghorn since 1960, using it inside its factory as emergency evacuation and about seven years, it upgraded to a modern system,” Leek said.

One of those pieces was the ship’s original foghorn. Lee said it’s been placedon campus at the University of Colorado museum. He contacted them and they plan on bringing the foghorn to the ceremony in May to blow her horn when the memorial is complete.

“I’ve been getting more original parts and pieces and have some of the teak wood deckings from the ship that I’m bringing to be built into this battleship,” said Leek.

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Command Master Chief Benjamin Chester from the United States Navy is carrying the box of mementos to be placed on the battleship mast. PHOTOS BY BELEN WARD

Some unspoken words need to be said

One of the more difficult things about the holiday season is something that impacts so many people is grieving the loss of someone who is no longer with us. And for those of us who have lost someone where a particular holiday meant so much to our family, it doesn’t matter if it was many years ago or just recently, the pain may ease, but it never truly goes away. And you know what? That’s a good thing as it stirs beautiful and loving memories that we want to hold onto forever.

This came up during a few conversations and email exchanges that I had over the Thanksgiving holiday and weekend. And during two of those conversations those that I was speaking with shared that their biggest regret was not having the chance to clear the air about a misunderstanding or grievance, or more importantly, their pain was coming from the fact that during their last visit together, whether in person or by phone, they missed the opportunity to tell them that they loved them. And for both individuals, it was weighing heavy upon their hearts.

WINNING WORDS

Are some things better left unsaid?

I believe so. We all have heard the expression, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” It’s absolutely true, if what we are about to say is coming from a place of anger or if we are simply trying to stir up trouble. It’s different if there are things we need to say, especially if it’s something others need to hear, even though they may not want to hear it. The problem is this, if we miss an opportunity to share information that could help someone, but we lack the courage to confront them, they may not be able to address or fix what they do not know.

I love this quote by Audre Lorde, “When we speak, we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So, it is better to speak.” Some words are

better left unspoken, until they are not.

Each one of us can probably think of a time when we forgot to say something or wish we had said something. Good or bad, right or wrong, we then get mad at ourselves for not having had the courage to speak up, or we promise ourselves we will speak up next time. Hoping that there will indeed be a next time.

As we are right here in the middle of the holiday season, and as some of us are experiencing grief and the loss of a loved one who will not be celebrating with the family this year, may we lovingly remember them. And if we think we forgot to say “I love you” one last time, or that we were sorry, or anything else where we might have regrets, I encourage us not to focus on that one last time where we may have missed it, instead focus on all the times it was said and heard.

May we use this as a reminder for all those that are still with us and who we love so very much. May another day pass by where

we forget or lack the courage to share with others just how grateful we are for having them in our lives, how much we love them, how much we appreciate all they do, and that they have been forgiven for any foolishness that may have come between us.

How about you, are there people you will miss this holiday season? Can you remember all the times that you did share with them just how special they were to you and how much you cared for them and loved them? Is there someone that needs to hear and know that you do care for them and love them, and maybe even forgive them? I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can say the words that need to be spoken, 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.

Enough power in a heat wave in 2025? State o cials wonder

It got hot last summer across Colorado. Denver had 67 days of temperature that hit 90 and above, the third most in a century and a half of thermometerwatching.

What if it got much hotter, say 115 degrees for several days? And instead of being relatively isolated, like the Pacific Northwest oven in June 2021, this heat dome caused air conditioners from Sacramento to El Paso to Colorado Springs to work overtime?

Would there be electricity sufficient to meet the demand in Aspen, Boulder, and Sterling? Grand Junction, Alamosa, and Steamboat Springs? Amid this record heat, would Coloradans be left without electricity as occurred with the rolling blackouts in California during 2020?

Last week, on a day when the thermometer in Denver struggled to get above freezing, members of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission started hashing

GUEST COLUMN

through this and other questions related to what utility planners call resource adequacy. They indicated they’re most focused not on the longer term. Instead, they’re thinking about 2025 and 2026.

Utilities have always tried to maintain reserve margins of generating capacity. Most use a standard expectation of not meeting demand just one day in 10 years.

Now we’re rapidly closing coal plants. They were never entirely reliable, as witnessed the many times that Colorado’s youngest coal plant, Comanche 3, had to suspend operations in recent years. But they did run when on those rare times when the prairies become still, unruffled by the usual winds.

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher

lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

February 2021, during Winter Storm Uri, was one of those times of quiet. Colorado’s second largest utility, Tri-State Generation and Transmission, burned fuel oil to generate electricity.

Natural gas plants would seem to supply an answer, and Xcel Energy, Colorado’s largest utility, plans to add generating capacity in the next few years. But Nicholas Garza, a researcher in the emerging issues division of the utilities commission, told PUC commissioners that natural gas has its own vulnerabilities in such times, as was evident in Texas during Uri. Xcel also had its natural gas problems during that storm.

The warming climate has also become more volatile. This poses a challenge to existing electrical infrastructure, both renewables and fossil fuels.

In time, with new technological development and production at scale, some of the limitations

of renewables may be addressed with longer-term storage. Construction of transmission to knit together diverse areas of the country may also diminish the threat of power outages. It’s extremely rare that it can be hot as Hades in both Seattle and Salida.

For now, though, state regulators are sweating about summer heat. Wildfires could exacerbate the situation. A study by researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research found that California’s wildfires in September 2020 darkened the skies so much that solar power production during peak hours was slashed by 10% to 30%. Read more here.

Then there’s hydropower. It constitutes between 20% and 25% of the generating capacity in the West. But, of course, the giant reservoirs in the Colorado River as well as their smaller

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Michael Norton

with how funds from the SolTribe tragedy and others have been handled, high administrative fees, and the inability to have much say in where the funds go. We are not bad-mouthing the CHF – any donation is a good donation!” she wrote in the GoFundMe description.

On Dec. 6, the Colorado Healing

FROM PAGE 6

BESTsiblings in the headwaters — think Flaming Gorge and Blue Mesa—keep dropping in water levels.

“Some hydrologists are saying that Hoover and Glen Canyon could get below (minimum power pool) by 2026 or 2027, and that takes 8 to 9 gigawatt-hours out of the wholesale market,” said John Gavan, a PUC commissioner.

Utilities such as Xcel Energy

Our Family Helping Your Family

Fund, or CHF, announced that it secured underwriting support to cover the majority of expenses for administration of the fund for Club Q victims. In the announcement, CHF said this means the $1.9 million raised to date and all future funds raised for Club Q will be dedicated entirely to victim assistance.

For Faith, it’s all about keeping the victims in mind even during an emotional and trying time she’s experienced through this fundraiser.

“It’s heavy. It’s a lot of responsi-

mostly have their own generating assets and also contracts for firm deliveries through powerpurchase agreements. But a growing number of utilities are buying growing quantities of power from the wholesale power market. This assumes available power that is usually there but not guaranteed.

This concerns Gavan. With Colorado’s two investor-owned utilities and with Tri-State, Colorado can look over their shoulders about reliability. It lacks that oversight of municipal utilities and Colorado’s four

bility to a lot of people, and it has to be done the proper way. And so it’s been ... it’s been stressful, but I’m not dead and I’m not shot. So it’s really nothing in comparison to what, what those people are going through,” Faith explained.

The Good Judy Garage fundraiser is still open in hopes it continues to grow after receiving advice from survivors of other mass shootings to keep it open as long as possible to raise more money.

People can donate through the GoFundMe or by going through the National Compassion Fund

independent. Another cooperative, United Power, the second’s largest, also has vowed to become independent.

Guzman Energy and Crossover Capital have emerged as private — and unregulated — suppliers.

Gavan suggested that legislation being readied may attempt to impose oversight of this growing component of the electrical market.

Another element of this story is the coming demand for electricity for transportation and to replace fossil fuel combustion in buildings. Eric Blank, the PUC

site. All of the money goes to the same place with the same intention —to help the victims.

Faith’s message to those who want to support: “Just keep sharing it and hopefully we can continue to grow it so that there’s more for the victims at the end of it.”

This story is from Rocky Mountain PBS, a nonprofit public broadcaster providing community stories across Colorado over the air and online. Used by permission. For more, and to support Rocky Mountain PBS, visit rmpbs.org.

chair, estimated that beneficial electrification could grow demand for electricity by 30%.

The takeaway here is that you can expect more wariness as we move forward about avoiding missteps. Nobody I know argues that shutting down coal plants is a mistake. They’re horribly polluting and the power has become expensive. But neither is the precise path forward altogether clear.

Allen Best tracks the energy and water transitions in Colorado and beyond at BigPivots.com.

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A Christmas Carol

By Charles Dickens

Adapted by Richard Hellesen

Music by David de Berry

Directed by Anthony Powell

Eagle Ridge rolls out of the gate strong

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Shortly after Eagle Ridge Academy downed the then-No. 2 team in the state, Resurrection Christian, Dec. 6, Warriors forward Hunter Hill yelled to anyone within earshot, “We’re No. 1. We’re No. 1.” ERA is 5-0 this season, one of a half-dozen undefeated teams in class 4A. One of those wins was against Lutheran High School, the No. 5-rated team in a recent CHSAA basketball poll. Another was against the Cougars.

However, CHSAA’s basketball poll put the Warriors in the third position, and the Ratings Performance Index put ERA at No. 6 as of Dec. 9.

“A lot of the boys and myself

thought we should have started higher,” said ERA coach Jay Powell. “We beat a No. 1 team, and we beat a 5A school. We definitely want to keep it up.”

Even so, there was plenty to be happy about after ERA downed the Cougars 59-52 in Brighton.

Cameron (CJ) Seifert led the charge for Eagle Ridge with 19 points. Isaiah Garcia added 10. Jacob Barker had 15 points for Resurrection Christian. Cade Crutcher added 12.

“We beat the No. 1 seed,” said Peyton Torres, who scored all 10 of his points in the first half. “It showed where we can compete. We’re setting that bar for ourselves.”

“It’s a big win for our program,” Powell said. “The kids worked

hard in the offseason, and they weren’t happy with the way the season ended.” ERA lost in the state 3A quarterfinals at the University of Denver, the first time Eagle Ridge advanced that far in the postseason.”

Crutcher and Barker seemed to have their way early in the game. They combined for 11 of their team’s 15 points in the first quarter. Then it was the Warriors’ turn to turn up the defense. In the next two quarters, the Cougars made just six of 27 field-goal attempts. Eagle Ridge outscored its guests 30-14 over those two quarters to take control. Seifert finished the game with four blocked shots.

“Teamwork. We came together as a team offensively and defen-

Scoreboard

Prairie View High School

Girls wrestling

Vista Peak downed Prairie View 42-12 in a three-way meet at PVHS Dec. 7. Raquel Rios-Paiz (190 pounds) and Anastasia Martinez (100) picked up the PVHS wins.

Boys wrestling

JOHNSTOWN -- Ane’e Vigil captured the 120-pound championship at the Roosevelt Invitational Dec. 10.

Lukas Villalobos wound up third at 215 pounds, and Benjamin Nichols was fourth at 165 pounds. Juan Pablo Sanchez took fourth at 285 pounds.

PVHS was eighth in the team

point standings.

Boys basketball

Prairie View opened the Fairview Festival tournament Dec. 5 with a 63-49 win over Battle Mountain. No stats were available for the Huskies. Rawhawn Salinas had 22 points for the ThunderHawks. Randall Rogos had 14, and Javon Brewton scored 13.

Horizon downed Prairie View 72-53 in the tournament semifinals Dec. 9. No stats were available for the Hawks. Salinas led PVHS with 22 points. Javon Brewton added 12.

Girls basketball Eaglecrest downed Prairie View 83-27 in Aurora Dec. 6. Anjolene

Ramiro scored 18 points for the Raptors. Nia McKenzie added 17. Shyann Farbes scored 12, and Laci Roffle contributed 10.

Celicia Robles led the ThunderHawks with 14 points. Hannah Deshazer was next with seven.

Prairie View rolled past Fort Lupton 47-7 at the Santiago’s Shootout tournament in Fort Lupton Dec. 7. No stats were available for the ThunderHawks. Daniella Aviles had four of Fort Lupton’s points.

PVHS also beat Liberty Common 45-36 in the shootout Dec. 9. No stats were available.

PVHS took fifth in the tourna-

sively,” Torres said. “We switched defenses so well by communicating. They were a fast team and switched on the ball. We played at our tempo and were able to communicate. It was a definitely a teamwork kind of win.”

Eagle Ridge stayed undefeated through Dec. 8 after beating DSST-Green Valley Ranch 74-65 in Brighton. Despite the fast start, Powell said his team isn’t happy yet.

“It was good. We got minutes for some of our younger guys who needed minutes,” Powell said. “We also want to improve our defense, do a little better ball tracing. Last year, we had a false sense of entitlement. They realized nothing is given, that you have to earn it.”

NOTICE OF PETITION FOR APPOINTMENT OF GUARDIANSHIP

ment after beating Valley High School 35-23 in Fort Lupton Dec. 10. No stats were available.

Adams City HIgh School Boys basketball

Adams City outscored Standley Lake 18-9 in the fourth quarter and went on to a 59-49 win at the Skyline Tournament Dec. 9.

Moe Shongolo and Jalen McKinnies had 14 points for the Eagles. Deangleo Lee added 13, and Osman Zuniga contributed 11. Daniel Gardner scored 13 points for the Gators. Carson Dowis added 12.

Adams City picked up its first win of the season by beating Aurora West 98-41 in Aurora Dec. 5.

# 42480

Attorney for Petitioner and Co-Petitioner

Legal Notice No. CCX802

First Publication: December 15, 2022

Last Publication: December 15, 2022

Publisher: Commerce City Sentinel Express

entire state of Colorado. Hospital departments took patients that they normally wouldn’t and health care professionals braced themselves for a marathon season that hopefully won’t put severe strains on hospitals, like those seen during the worst spikes of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Please note that some families with less urgent health concerns may experience longer wait times in our emergency departments,” an alert message on the Children’s Hospital Colorado website says.

A cough or runny nose may not seem like a cause for concern. But health officials want people to think twice about it and take extra precautions to protect their families, classmates, coworkers and neighbors.

“We know that a mild respiratory infection in one person can be potentially a deadly infection in someone else,” Dr. Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist, said.

Triple threat

Amid an earlier-than-usual — and more severe — RSV season, Children’s Hospital Colorado saw record numbers of patients with respiratory illnesses in its emergency departments. By itself, health officials might manage the upsurge. But flu and COVID are also circulating, fueling concerns about stretched resources.

One children’s health official wasn’t sure how the combination of a holiday school break and holiday gatherings might affect the trends. But one thing’s for sure: Health care workers expect the situation to continue into the new year, said Dr. Kevin Carney, associate chief medical officer for Chil-

dren’s Hospital Colorado.

That’s even if RSV slows down — because the flu started ramping up in November, Carney said.

“We are pretty much mentally preparing to have no break between these respiratory infections,” Carney said, adding, “I don’t see a scenario in the next month or two where we don’t have very busy emergency departments and inpatient units.”

Then there’s COVID. Colorado listed 440 people as “currently hospitalized” with coronavirus the week of Nov. 29, with numbers trending upward. For instance, there were just 145 hospitalizations the week of Sept. 20.

The state also posted a sevenday average of eight deaths among COVID cases on Nov. 19, up from an average of three deaths about a month earlier.

But when it comes to kids, health officials are focused on RSV.

“For influenza, most of our hospitalizations have been among adults, and then we see really the inverse of that for RSV,” Herlihy said, emphasizing the risk to children, during a separate news conference.

Most children get an RSV infection by the time they are 2 years old, according to the state health department. Some infants and young children may be at higher risk for moresevere illness from RSV, such as bronchitis or pneumonia.

The illness is more pervasive this year because young children now have less built-up immunity, according to a University of Chicago Medicine article.

Earlier in the pandemic, due to masking and social distancing, young children were not exposed to common germs, according to the article. Now, some 1and 2-year-olds are experiencing their first RSV infection,

the article says.

Carney, the Children’s Hospital doctor, told news reporters his buildings are packed.

“Our hospital continues, at all of our sites, to be really functioning at 100% capacity in all of our units,” Carney said.

Possible peak, but more around corner

It is possible RSV cases have peaked, but the hospital is still contending with high numbers of patients — and it has seen a “significant uptick” in the number of patients showing up who have known influenza, Carney said.

It all adds up to mean that the end of respiratory illness season is a long way off, Carney said.

“It’s the million-dollar question what’s going to happen after Thanksgiving for us. Historically, we can sometimes count on when kids are out of school that infectious diseases will decrease,” Carney said.

But as people travel and get together with family and friends, viruses tend to spread, Carney added.

Colorado has seen 517 flu hospitalizations from Oct. 2 through Nov. 26, according to the state’s flu data webpage. And the flu season could be more severe than in recent years, officials say.

Hospitals scramble to handle child patients

As of Nov. 17, there were only two pediatric intensive-care unit, or ICU, beds available in Colorado, according to the state health department.

More recently, there were still just two available pediatric ICU beds out of 94 in the state as of Nov. 29, the department told CCM.

“The number of hospital beds is dynamic and refers to staffed beds, not physical beds,” the department said in a statement. The number depends on how many qualified health care pro-

fessionals are available to work those beds.

Hospitals have taken action to expand capacity, with adult hospitals “starting to admit teenagers into their adult ICUs that they previously wouldn’t have seen,” Scott Bookman, director of the state Division of Disease Control and Public Health Response, said.

“They are also starting to bring much younger patients into their neonatal intensivecare units that traditionally wouldn’t serve this population,” Bookman said.

He added: “We’re also seeing adult hospitals simply being able to hold onto many of these children at their facilities rather than needing to transfer them to a pediatric center.”

Children’s Hospital Colorado, a system with locations around the Denver metro area and in Colorado Springs, has asked for help from adult hospitals, Carney said.

Brianne Price holds her daughter, Lily, who was hospitalized with a virus commonly known as RSV in November.

COURTESY OF CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL COLORADO