Law was unconstitutional, and legislators were warned

BY JESSE PAUL AND ELLIOTT WENZLER THE COLORADO SUN

When a group of Colorado lawmakers in 2020 sought to end the state’s statute of limitations for lawsuits in child sex assault cases, some victims and victims’ advocates wanted them to try to go even further.

Colorado Community Media.

Jones said Denver Water will maintain ownership of the canal, but has been moving its customers to more sustainable sources of irrigation water in recent years.

Denver Water Senior Community Relations Specialist Jimmy Luthye said they plan to play an active role in the ongoing discussions about the canal’s future.

“ e evolution of the public’s use of the canal for recreation and stormwater management, along with its original role as a water delivery method is one of the reasons why Denver Water and regional partners, including cities, counties, park and ood districts and stormwater management entities, have partnered with the High Line Canal Conservancy to assist their mission to preserve, protect and enhance the 71-mile canal,” Luthye said in an email to Colorado Community Media.

e conservancy is expected to complete legal work to secure protection, gather documentation of the present conditions of the canal and assess potential future projects with the grant.

Great Outdoors Colorado’s Director of Programs Chris Yuan-Farrell said the process will likely involve a conservation easement, which is a legal agreement that limits land use to protect its conservation values. YuanFarrell added that the grant is part of the environmental nonpro t’s land acquisition program, which supports urban and rural habitat protection priorities and increases access to the outdoors.

“ is is a substantial resource for Colorado to have and now it will be permanent,” Yuan-Farrell said. “Whereas before, there was always an opportunity for Denver Water to sell that property to somebody else. is grant helps take that o the table.”

He said the funding provided by Great Outdoors Colorado should last the conservancy for years to come.

“ is is a fund for the conservancy to maintain and grow,” Yuan-Farrell said. “It’s like seed funding for a hopefully larger substantial endowment with the expectation that perhaps the municipalities and counties that have land by the canal will contribute to it.” e nonpro t has awarded multiple grants to the High Line Canal Conservancy over the years. In 2022, Great Outdoors Colorado provided $41,100 to help rid parts of the canal of an invasive species.

Great Outdoors Colorado invests a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds to help with the preservation and enhancement of parks, trails, wildlife, rivers and open spaces, according to its website.

“ eir funding has been so impactful to all of the work that we’ve done,” Jones said. “And this is the next big stage of our work for permanent protection.” eir request was that Colorado give victims of abuse for whom the statute of limitations had expired a window to sue not only their abusers, but also organizations that shielded the perpetrators or negligently allowed the abuse to continue. e nonpartisan O ce of Legislative Legal Services, which o ers state lawmakers legal advice, said such a window would violate the state’s constitution, which prohibits the General Assembly from reviving a claim for which the statute of limitations has run out. It turns out that opinion held merit. e Colorado Supreme Court last week struck down the part of Senate Bill 88, a law passed by the legislature in 2021, giving victims of child sex abuse dating back to the 1960s a three-year window starting on Jan. 1, 2022, to le lawsuits against their abusers and the institutions or organizations that failed to stop the abuse. e high court’s decision was unanimous. ere were many concerns about the constitutionality of Senate Bill 88 as it was debated in the legislature, but the measure’s sponsors took the rare step of proceeding anyway, saying the severity of the crime demanded it. Dozens of pending or soon-to-be- led cases were unraveled by the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Jones said more details about the canal’s function as a fully conserved space are expected to come this fall.

“We knew that there would be a challenge to this law because the opponents of the measure made

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Farm to Market tickets on sale e Foundation’s biennial fundraising campaign will bene t women’s health services to help women connect with the care they need throughout their adult years and to support area women who do not always prioritize their own health needs. e foundation hopes to raise $500,000 in the campaign cycle. ey conduct multiple fundraising e orts annually with Farm to Table as the largest event.

Tickets for Farm to Table, a fundraising event for the Platte Valley Medical Foundation scheduled for Aug. 17 or on sale now.

Farm to Table will be at 6 p.m. Aug. 17 on the hospital campus. Platte Valley Medical Center’s Chef Mike Anderson uses produce donated by area farmers to create a gourmet meal for about 450 guests. e event garners so much support that it often sells out long before the date. is year, Muñoz reserved a block of tickets that are available to the public for $75 each. ey are available at https://ftt2023.cbo.io.

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Adams County award $9 million in open space grants

Adams County Board of Commissioners announced awards of more than $9 million in open space grants for 21 projects June 27.

Funding for the spring 2023 grant cycle came from revenues from the second half of the 2022 Adams County Open Space Sales Tax, which was passed by Adams County voters in 1999, and in perpetuity in 2020.

“Locally based, long-term open space plans help communities protect the environment, improve quality of life, and preserve critical elements of our local heritage, culture, and economy,” said Steve O’Dorisio, County Commission Chair. “We are delighted to be part of the process, alongside the residents of Adams County, of providing these valuable spaces which o er comfort and support to people everywhere.” ornton looked to be the biggest recipient of 2023’s grant allocation, collecting nearly 24% of $9.2 million that was distributed. ornton’s $2.2 million in grants will go to three projects, rehabilitating aged playgrounds around the city, improvements to the 63-acre Niver Open Space and renovations to ve ball elds at four ball parks around the city.

Hyland Hills Recreation District will receive $1.9 million for two projects, $1.8 million for improvements to the district’s Sports Complex and $25,000 to make a master plan for the Caroll Butts Park.

Brighton looks to get $1.75 million for improvements to Benedict Park and Northglenn looks to receive $575,000 for three projects. e grants would earmark $250,000 for three playgrounds in the Fox Run subdivision, $300,000 for an aquatic adventure project at the Northglenn Recreation Center and $25,000 for trail map and sign project.

Adams County’s Riverdale Regional Park will get $375,000 for a series

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