Clear Creek Courant 063022

INSIDE Slacker Half Marathon

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How the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will affect abortion-access in Colorado In Colorado, there are — and will continue to be — very few abortion restrictions.

BY SHANNON NAJMABADI THE COLORADO SUN

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday morning overturned Roe v. Wade,

ending nearly five decades of federal abortion protections.

The vote was 6-3. Justice Samuel Alito authored the majority opinion, which was signed by the other conservative justices on the court: Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. Chief Justice John Roberts authored a concurring opinion, saying he would have preferred to ban abortion after 15 weeks without gutting Roe. The court’s liberal justices, Ste-

phen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, dissented.

What does this mean?

States can now decide if or how they want to restrict abortion access, including whether to ban the procedure altogether.

Some states, like Colorado, have already taken steps to codify the right to an abortion while others have tee-ed up so-called “trigger laws” to automatically restrict or ban abortions if the Supreme Court

undercuts Roe v. Wade.

It’s unclear if or by how much the number of people receiving abortions in the U.S. will decrease, but about half of states are expected to enact bans.

After Texas banned abortions starting around six weeks — and empowered citizens anywhere to sue those who help someone get an abortion — many patients were able to get abortions other ways, reSEE ROE, P23

City Council approves creating a conceptual School board confirms decision design for Idaho Springs skatepark to put bus barn on track

Idaho Springs hosts its own Go Skate Day event in support of a new skatepark

Board to borrow $3.8M to fund construction

BY ANDREW FRAIELI AFRAIELI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Wheels of all sorts, but mostly skateboard wheels, took over Miner Street in Idaho Springs on June 21.

Organized by the Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District, the event was dubbed a “Street Takeover,” in which everyone skated from the recreation center to Citizen’s Park, where skate contests, music, art and prizes were waiting SEE SKATEPARK, P4

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Skaters of all ages riding down Miner Street for the Clear Creek Recreation District’s PHOTO BY ANDREW FRAIELI “Street Takeover.”

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Despite the increase in construction costs, the Clear Creek School District’s bus barn will be located on the track south of the former middle school at a cost of $5.8 million, and the district will borrow money to cover construction costs.

SEE BUS BARN, P3

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2 Clear Creek Courant

June 30, 2022

Memory In Loving

Place an Obituary for Your Loved One. 303-566-4100 obituaries@coloradocommunitymedia.com Self placement available online at ClearCreekCourant.com

Clear Creek Courant 3

June 30, 2022

Weather Observations for Georgetown, Colorado Week of June 20, 2022 A local National Weather Service volunteer observer makes temperature and precipitation observations each day at about 8 a.m. at the Georgetown Weather Station. Wind observations are made at Georgetown Lake.

“Max” and “Min” temperatures arefor from digital displays of a “MMTS” Weather Observations Georgetown, Colorado (“Maximum/Minimum Temperature System”); “Mean daily” temperature is the calculated average of the max and min. “Total Precipitation” is of June 20, 2022 is inches of snow that inches of rainfall plus meltedWeek snow.

“Snowfall” accumulated during the preceding 24 hours. T = Trace of precipitation.

NR = Not Reported.

“Peak windmakes gust at Georgetown Lake”eachisdaythe velocity A local National Weather Service volunteer observer temperature and precipitation observations at about 8 a.m. at the Georgetown Weather Station.

Wind observations are made at Georgetown Lake.

“Max” and “Min” temperatures are from in miles per hour and the time of the maximum wind gust that occurred digital the displayscalendar of a “MMTS” (“Maximum/Minimum Temperature “Mean daily” temperature is theHistoric calculated average during day preceding the System”); date of observation. of the max and min. “Total Precipitation” is inches of rainfall plus melted snow. “Snowfall” is inches of snow that accumulated dataduring arethebased onhours. the of record which statistical data preceding 24 T =period Trace of precipitation.

NR = Notfor Reported.

“Peak wind gust at Georgetown Lake”have is the beenvelocity compiled (about 53 years within the period 1893-2021).

Any in miles per hour and the time of the maximum wind gust that occurred during the calendar day preceding theweather date of observation.

Historicare data arebased based on the of record for which statistical data have been compiledvalue (about 53 years withinthe records noted onperiod a comparison of the observed with the period 1893-2021).

Any weather records noted are based on a comparison of the observed value with the historical data set. historical data set.

Day and date of observation (2022)

Temperature (T) (degrees F) Max Min Mean daily

Precipitation (P) (inches) Total Snowfall (TP) (SF)

During the 24 hours prior to 8 a.m.

The Clear Creek school board confirmed its decision to put its Transportation & Maintenance Facility on the former track at Building 103. Because of increasing construcCOURTESY PHOTO tion costs, the building will cost more than expected.

BUS BARN FROM PAGE 1

The school board at a June 21 special meeting voted 3-2 to recommit to keeping the bus barn — known as the Transportation & Maintenance Facility or TMF — on the track and fund the full expenditure after learning that the project would cost $5.8 million rather than the $1.6 million school district officials planned for.

The board directed Superintendent Karen Quanbeck and Chief Financial Officer Hollie Harlan to prepare the documents to borrow $3.8 million. Harlan had locked in a 3% interest rate for the loan if it was completed by June 30. If the board waited until July to borrow money, it would cost the district an extra $500,000 in interest because

interest rates are increasing, Harlan said.

Less than two weeks ago, the board directed its consultant and district staff to comb through construction documents to look for cost savings and to revisit about a dozen other sites that the district had considered before the board decided in December to put the building on the track.

They reported that if the school board decided to move the TMF to another property, the district would have to negotiate to purchase additional land, work with other government entities to share facilities or split the facility into two to accommodate the TMF’s functions.

That would add more time to the timetable to complete the building.

The board’s two newest members, Jessica North, who joined the board in November, and Kerry Ann McHugh, who joined the board

Evergreen Jazz Festival July 29, 30 & 31

Big Talent! Small Venues! Great Setting!

Summary

Monday, 6/20 Tuesday, 6/21 Wednesday, 6/22 Thursday, 6/23 Friday, 6/24 Saturday, 6/25 Sunday, 6/26 Week’s avg max, min, mean daily T; sum of TP, SF Historic week’s avg max, min, mean daily T; avg sum of TP, SF

66 71 70 72 72 71 65 69.6

46 36 44 43 47 44 46 43.7

56.0 53.5 57.0 57.5 59.5 57.5 55.5 56.6

0.25 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 T 0.25

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

75.9

44.3

60.1

0.23

0.0

on June 9, voted no because they were concerned about whether the school board had picked the best spot for the TMF. McHugh added that if the decision was just about borrowing the money, she would have voted yes.

Board President Sandi Schuessler countered that it was time for the board to move forward on the project.

“I don’t want to start from the beginning,” she said. “The TMF to me is in the right location. We cannot predict the future. … We can’t paralyze ourselves. I think we need to get our TMF functioning in a direction of moving forward.”

Board member Kelly Flenniken agreed: “The longer we wait, I can assure it will not get cheaper or easier. I agree and appreciate the discussion and all the work that has gone (into looking at the project again), but I want to move

Peak wind gust at Georgetown Lake Velocity Time (mph) (24 hr) During the previous calendar day

11 14 12 11 12 13 11

1230 1320 1005 1245 1740 1220 1925

The wind data is from the nearby 6th Street in Georgetown until the Lake station is running again.

forward.”

The district is moving the TMF because it sold the current bus barn property across from the rec center in Idaho Springs and the football field to Four Points Funding in April, and the contract had a 21-month lease-back clause for the bus barn. Therefore, the new facility must be ready by Jan. 26, 2024.

District officials believed the proceeds from the property sale would pay for the new building.

The district is not allowed by law to use any bond money approved by voters for the TMF because it was not listed as an expenditure.

The new building is expected to be 6,953 square feet, smaller than the current bus barn, which is 9,700 square feet including the upper level. It is planned to have bus bays, a bus wash, maintenance and storage areas, restrooms and offices.

Order tickets by June 30th and

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EvergreenJazz.org 303-697-5467

4 Clear Creek Courant

June 30, 2022

The Zendig Family Presents

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Evergreen, Colorado | July 4, 2022

Skaters readying at a crosswalk for their “Street Takeover” down Miner Street for Go PHOTOS BY ANDREW FRAIELI Skate Day.

Monday, July 4, 2022 Evergreen, Colorado

8 am @ Evergreen Middle School, 2059 Hiwan Drive

Register online or call 303-674-6400

www.FreedomRunRace.org Thank You Sponsors!

PLATINUM SPONSORS

The Zendig Family

SKATEPARK FROM PAGE 1

Thanks to the support of our amazing sponsors every dollar from our race registrations will go directly to support in-home health care across our mountain community.

TITLE SPONSOR

Jacob Meyer grinding on a feature set up on Miner Street for Clear Creek Recreation District’s “Street Takeover” event.

Curt & Carol Linke Pete & Meryl Sabeff

GOLD SPONSORS

Tom & Julie Adams Alan Horowitz Sally Stearns

For a full list of sponsors including our Silver and Bronze sponsors, please visit our website: www.FreedomRunRace.org

Home Health Care | Palliative Care | Hospice Care Support Services | Bereavement Counseling | Camp Comfort

for participants.

According to Cameron Marlin, general manager at the CCMRD, the event was also meant to support a proposed skatepark in the town.

Members from the community created the “Skate Board” last September, all with the goal of making a skatepark in Idaho Springs happen.

Students from 11 to 15 years old comprise a third of the board, which has about 40 members, including representatives from the CCMRD, the Mountain Youth Network and Positive Youth Development.

The Skate Board, including some of the kids at the day’s event, has presented to the Clear Creek Board of Education about using land next to Building 103 — soon to be refurbished as another elementary school — for the skatepark last fall. But, Marlin said as plans for Building 103 developed further, less and less space is available for the skatepark, as well as the CCBE raising some safety concerns with it possibly being so close to an elementary school.

“It’s really important that people see who uses a skatepark,” said Cris Slaymaker, a member of the Skate Board, 30-year rollerskater, and retired roller derby competitor.

She continued that there used to be a skatepark in Idaho Springs, but it was “sketchy” from falling apart, and known in the local older skate community to be one of the worst.

Joey Lupinacci, 14, who only started skating a few months ago, said he participated in the event because he enjoys skating and “everyone else

who skates is really nice.”

“It’s great that they’re trying to help the skate community,” Lupinacci continued, elaborating that the nearest skatepark now is all the way in Golden.

According to Marlin, another option is redeveloping Shelly/Quinn Fields in the eastern part of the town. Addressing the Idaho Springs City Council on June 13 in a public comment, Marlin said that “teens need to feel welcome in their own town,” elaborating that predecessors to the current City Council have shown support, but no action had been taken.

Many people from the community spoke in support of the skatepark in that public comment, including the Superintendent of the Clear Creek School District, Karen Quanbeck, who was holding a skateboard. At the City Council’s work session the day before the event, the council approved moving forward with a conceptual design for the field area, a huge step forward, according to Marlin.

The next step is fundraising, aiming for a 20,000 square foot park, which will cost around $1 million, she continued. One City Council member elaborated that he thought maintaining the skatepark would be cheaper than maintaining the second baseball field, though.

The event itself had a large turnout, and Marlin said she was incredibly happy with it.

The contests consisted of the best trick, hippie jump, high fly, long jump and longest manual. There was also live music by Selekta Razja and art by Chris Neltner.

Clear Creek Courant 5

June 30, 2022

4 of July Hot Tub Sale th

Our warehouses are jam-packed with premium hot tubs and we need to clear out some space.

Now’s the time to get that new hot tub or replace that old one during our

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Come in and talk to one of our knowledgeable staff who will help you find the perfect hot tub.

Bring this ad into either of our showrooms and receive an additional

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This offer good June 30 through July 11, 2022. Not good with any other offers.

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6 Clear Creek Courant

June 30, 2022

Ace Brown finishing first place in the 2022 Slacker Half Marathon with a time of 1:08:49

PHOTOS BY ANDREW FRAIELI

Younger racers finishing the 4-mile portion of the 2022 Slacker Half Marathon.

“I like to run downhill,” said 4-mile racer Patti Thurman at the 2022 Slacker Half Marathon.

Portions of historic downtown Georgetown were blocked off for festivities after the 2022 Slacker Half Marathon.

2022 Slacker Half Marathon racers run to Historic Georgetown

BY ANDREW FRAIELI AFRAIELI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The Slacker Half Marathon started at 8 a.m. June 25, with half marathoners, relay competitors and four-mile racers. Starting from the Loveland ski area for the half marathoners, racers crossed through Clear Creek County to Silver Plume before finishing in historic downtown Georgetown to cheers and barrels of ice water.

“It’s so beautiful, I was having a hard time focusing on what I was supposed to be doing,” said Ace Brown, the first place winner for the half marathon with a time of 1:08:49. “I kept almost running off the path because I was just looking around.”

The 4-mile racers started just before Silver Plume, tracing the

same path from there as the halfmarathoners.

Patti Thurman, a four-mile racer, said she has done the race six or seven times and has run every day for the past six years.

“I like to run downhill,” she said.

“It’s a lot easier running downhill, I’m like the slacker squared because I did the four-mile run,” said John Calafiore, a member of Idaho Springs’ running club who finished with a time of about 29 minutes.

“There was a little flat part, and I wasn’t prepared for that today.”

Downtown was blocked off for festivities like food trucks and free hotdogs, along with free ice-pops.

Some racers in the four mile finished with dogs on leashes ahead of them, and others pushed strollers with frazzled kids.

Clear Creek Courant 7

June 30, 2022

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8 Clear Creek Courant

June 30, 2022

Discover More at Your Clear Creek County Library PROGRAMS AND EVENTS Library programs are ALWAYS free!

Summer reading We’re nearing the end of our Summer Reading journey, but there’s still time to create, discover, and connect with us! Join a Summer Reading pirate crew, orient your trusty compass to FUN, and explore Oceans of Possibilities.

Learn more and register at https://cccld.org/summer-reading-2022/ Idaho Springs Public Library * July 5 10 a.m. – Pippinhoot and Featherfayre crews 1 p.m. – Emberclaw crew John Tomay Memorial Library July 6 10 a.m. – Pippinhoot and Featherfayre crews 1 p.m. – Emberclaw crew King-Murphy Elementary July 7 10 a.m. – Pippinhoot and Featherfayre crews Virtual Storytime with Miss Honeybun Find storytime videos on demand 24/7 on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/clearcreeklibrarydistrict Book groups Connect with other Clear Creek County readers at our book groups. Email libby@cccld.org for information.

Idaho Springs Book Group 4 p.m. July 11 @ 4 pm “In Search of April Raintree” by Beatrice Mosionier John Tomay Memorial Library Book Group 10 a.m. July 15 “The Giver of Stars” by Jojo Moyes Adult Crafts During the summer months, we are pleased to offer take-and-make Adult Craft kits. July’s craft is a Happy Camper cocktail/mocktail mix kit. Create a delicious drink with dehydrated fruit, herbs, and edible flowers! Kits will be available for pickup at your Clear Creek County Library after July 19, while supplies last. Thank you to the Spice & Tea Exchange of Idaho Springs for providing discounts on the ingredients!

SPECIAL PROGRAMS Mountain jams summer concert series This program is a partnership between Georgetown Cultural Arts Program, the Friends of the Georgetown Library and Clear Creek County Library District.

Enjoy live music on Saturday afternoons this summer! Just head over to Library Park Stage, located

in downtown Georgetown on the southwest corner of Sixth Street and Rose Street (next to the John Tomay Memorial Library).

Fourth of July parade 9:30 a.m. July 4 Meet us at the Parade Lineup near Werlin Park Join the CCCLD Pirate Crew and help us throw sweet treasure to the parade-goers! Come as a pirate, mermaid, sea creature, or yourself – just make sure to wear comfy shoes and sunblock. We’ll have supplies for you to decorate your bikes and strollers! Parents with children under eight years of age: please plan to accompany your children during the parade. Parents with children eight years and older: please plan to meet your children at the John Tomay Memorial Library promptly after the parade.

OMEGA (Open Minds Encouraging General Acceptance) A collaboration between Resilience 1220 and Clear Creek County Library District.

Idaho Springs Public Library Noon to 2 p.m. July 9 Join us for games, fun, and snacks the second Saturday of each month!

While everyone aged 12 - 20 years is welcome, this program is designed to be a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth. Please email joe@cccld. org for more information.

Foot care clinic 1-3 p.m. July 27 Treat your feet with a foot care package! Healthcare professionals will soak and moisturize your feet and trim your toenails. Senior resources will be available from CCCLD, Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District, and Mount Evans Home Health Care & Hospice.

Reservations are required — please contact heather@cccld.org.

JULY STAFF BOOK PICK Team Member: Miss Honeybun RECOMMENDATION: “Pirates Love Underpants,” by Claire Freedman GENRE: picture book MISS HONEYBUN SAYS: This rollicking, rhyming tale of pirates on a quest to find the “Fabled Pants of Gold” is one of my new read-aloud favorites! Silly, fun, and funny, “Pirates Love Underpants” gets giggles at every storytime. Five out of five carrots!

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS We are hiring!

Do you love helping people?

Are your customer service skills outstanding? Does spending your workday surrounded by books in a historic library setting appeal to you? If so, join our dynamic team!

Contact Us: 1630 Miner St., Idaho Springs, CO 80452 - 303-566-4100 Mailing Address: 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225 Englewood, CO 80110 Phone: 303-566-4100 Web: ClearCreekCourant.com To subscribe call 303-566-4100

LIBRARY SERVICES COVID supplies FREE masks and take-home COVID tests are available for pickup at your Clear Creek County Library branches.

Collection Check out books, movies, laptops, hotspots, tablets, and more. Our Library of Things includes nontraditional items like cookware, kids’ science kits, a therapy lamp, and even an Oculus Quest!

Explore our book and movie collection at www.cccld.org View our Library of Things at https://cccld. org/library-of-things/ Or, call your Clear Creek County library to learn more and request items.

Do you have the Libby App? Download the Libby App by Overdrive to your smart device to access thousands of e-books and audiobooks, available for checkout with your library card. Visit https://cccld.org/ library-resources/ and click on the Overdrive/Libby icon to get started.

Visiting and curbside pickup hours Idaho Springs Public Library Hours Monday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Tuesday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Wednesday: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Thursday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Friday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Saturday: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Sunday: CLOSED John Tomay Memorial Library Hours Monday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Tuesday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Wednesday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Thursday: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Friday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Saturday: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Sunday: CLOSED Local History Archives (in the Georgetown Heritage Center) — visitors are welcome with appointment.

Curbside pickup services — available by appointment; please contact your library branch to schedule your pickup.

Home delivery Do you need library materials, but are unable to leave your home? Let us bring the library to you! Call us for details.

Idaho Springs Public Library: 303567-2020 John Tomay Memorial Library: 303-569-2620 Local History Archives: 303-5692403 Tech access & study spaces Enjoy access to computers, WiFi, and study spaces at your Clear Creek County Library.

Book our conference room at Idaho Springs Public Library for a quiet space to meet or work. Please call 303-567-2020 to make your reservation.

Technical assistance Did you know that you can book a librarian for technical assistance?

Our library staff can assist you with a variety of tasks –– using a tablet or smartphone, navigating the internet, setting up an email account, posting a resume online, accessing information, and more. Contact your Clear Creek County Library branch or email heather@cccld. org for more information.

Prints, copies, faxes Email printcccld@gmail.com or call your Clear Creek County Library branch to request prints, copies, and faxes — or, just come in and use our equipment during our hours of operation!

Notary services Notary services are FREE! Please contact your Clear Creek County Library branch to book your appointment.

Little free libraries Help yourself to free, gently-loved books from our Little Free Libraries at these Clear Creek County locations: Idaho Springs Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District Clear Creek Health and Wellness Center Edelweiss Pastry Shop Scraps-to-Soil Community Garden Georgetown Georgetown Market Georgetown Visitors Center Donations Are you seeking a new home for your gently-used books? Please consider donating them to Clear Creek County Library District for use in our programs, book sales, and Little Free Libraries. Email kate@cccld.org or call 303-567-2020 for more information. Please do not drop off book donations without pre-approval.

Idaho Springs Public Library 303-567-2020 John Tomay Memorial Library (Georgetown) 303-569-2620 hello@cccld.org Visit us at www.cccld.org

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher

KRISTEN FIORE West Metro Editor

LISA SCHLICHTMAN Editor-in-Chief

ANDREW FRAIELI Community Editor

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager

DEB HURLEY BROBST Reporter

dbrobst@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Email letters to kfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com

DONNA REARDON Marketing Consultant

RUTH DANIELS Classified Sales

Deadline Wed. for the following week’s paper.

lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com A publication of

Clear Creek County Library District seeks candidates for the following position: Part-time Library Assistant - Circulation and Operations Responsibilities for this position include, but are not limited to: working at the circulation desk, assisting patrons, and assisting with library organization and book accession.

Please apply by July 4. Learn more about this position at www.cccld.org

lschlichtman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com

dreardon@coloradocommunitymedia.com

kfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com

afraieli@coloradocommunitymedia.com

rdaniels@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Columnists & Guest Commentaries Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Courant.

We welcome letters to the editor. Please Include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone.

Clear Creek Courant (USPS 52610) A legal newspaper of general circulation in Idaho Springs, Colorado, the Clear Creek Courant is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 1630 Miner St., Idaho Springs, CO 80452.

PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID AT Idaho Springs and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address change to: Clear Creek Courant, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110

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Clear Creek Courant 9

LOCAL

June 30, 2022

VOICES

We need every tool to fight today’s wildfires

e know now that the largest recorded fire in New Mexico history was started by an escaped “prescribed burn,” or rather by two.

The Hermit’s Peak fire bolted away on April 6 when unexpectedly gusty winds blew sparks beyond control lines.

Then the Calf Canyon fire raced off on April 9 when similar winds fanned embers in burn piles first kindled in January. The two fires soon merged. Together, as of June 12, they have scorched 320,333 acres, with two-thirds of the fire perimeter regarded as contained.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s reaction was to insist that federal agencies reconsider their policy on spring burns. The chief of the U.S. Forest Service, Randy Moore, responded by announcing a halt on prescribed burning for a 90day review period.

Inevitably, the blowups invited comparison to the 2000 Cerro Grande fire in New Mexico that began as a prescribed burn, then blew out of Bandelier National Monument and into Los Alamos. It was the largest chronicled fire in the state’s history — until now.

Prescribed fire is not likely to be challenged in principle. Recognition seems widespread that controlled

burning is a legitimate source of good fire that can reduce the threat from areas likely to burn.

States from Florida to California have even reformed liability law to encourage burning on private lands.

The real threat Steve Pyne to fire management is death by a thousand cuts, each breakdown leading to shutdowns, each partisan group extracting a concession, that together so encumber the practice that it can’t be implemented. There is always something that can cause a prescribed burn to be shuttered.

There is no equivalent mechanism to make up the loss.

It’s not news that the Western fire scene has become complicated. The early 20thcentury days, when one response — extinguish by 10 am the next morning — was adequate are long past. It was a marvelous administrative stroke: No confusion, no compromise, one size fits all.

But it made the fire scene worse by encouraging ecological rot and an incendiary buildup of fuels.

The change in policy was clear and necessary: Fire is inevitable, and we

WRITERS ON THE RANGE

need to manage it.

Today, all aspects of landscape fire are plural. Fire control does not mean one thing; it embraces many strategies. It might refer to protecting towns or sage grouse habitat. It can resemble urban firefighting, or for reasons of safety, cost and environmental health, it could mean containing fires within broad borders.

It varies from extinguishing an abandoned campfire to herding mega-fires rolling over the Continental Divide. It might involve bulldozing around municipal watersheds, or working-with-nature firelines in wilderness. It might mean setting emergency backfires that can resemble a prescribed fire done under urgent conditions..

So, also, with prescribed burning.

It might mean burning logging slash or piled cuttings from thinning operations. Or it might refer to broadcast burns that range freely over areas from an acre to a landscape. It can mean burning to improve forage in tallgrass prairie, to prune pine savannas, or to promote habitat for Karner blue butterflies.

Wildfire acts as an all-spectrum ecological catalyst. Good prescribed burns will do the same thing.

The choice isn’t between one strategy or the other; it’s selecting from a variety of techniques that work in

particular settings and seasons. We need them all, not least because each strategy by itself can fail.

Fires escape initial suppression at a rate of 2-3 percent. Prescribed fires escape at a rate of 1.5 percent for the National Park Service, or less than 1 percent according to Forest Service records. Managing naturally caused fires has a similar rate of failure.

When an escape occurs, however, its destructiveness makes news.

Those figures are not likely to drop. We can’t control the setting of a wildland fire as we can a blowtorch. All we can do is juggle strategies so that each strategy’s strengths fill the others’ weaknesses.

The 2000 blowout in New Mexico made prescribed burning more difficult but led to a National Fire Plan.

Twenty years later, the fire scene has grown bigger, meaner, tougher. The Hermits Peak fire will likely end up an order of magnitude larger than Cerro Grande.

Inevitably, our future holds a lot of fire. The goal is always to find and employ the right mix of fire for the land.

Steve Pyne is a contributor to Writers on the Range, a nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He is a fire historian, urban farmer and author of The Pyrocene.

State high court upholds expanded paid-leave program Voters approved measure setting work policy in 2020

BY TONY GORMAN COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO

The Colorado Supreme Court has upheld Proposition 118 which requires most employers give workers 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave starting in 2024.

The ballot initiative was approved by voters in 2020 passing by nearly 60 percent.

Chronos Builders LLC challenged Proposition 118, titled the Colorado Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMI) Act.. The Grand Junction-based home builder claimed the Act violated the Section (8)(a) of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) which requires a flat tax rate for incomes. It also claimed the premiums are an unconstitutional added tax charge.

In an email to CPR, Advance Colorado, the conservative advocacy group that petitioned for Chronos Builders said it’s reviewing the decision.

Justice Monica M. Marquez wrote in her opinion that FAMI does not violate TABOR because it is not an income tax law or change in any such law. The premiums collected are fees held in the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Fund.

State Sen. Faith Winter (D-Westminster) wasn’t surprised by the ruling.

“Proposition 118 is extremely im-

The Colorado Supreme Court is located in Denver’s downtown near the state capitol.

SHUTTERSTOCK

portant to insure that no Coloradans have to make a decision between taking care of themselves and a loved one and a paycheck,” Winter said.

“Right now, only 80 percent of Coloradans have access to paid family leave.

Once we implement [Proposition] 118, all Coloradans will have access to paid family and medical leave.”

Proposition 118 received 58 percent of the vote statewide in 2020. It created FAMI to provide what Justice Marquez called a “necessary safety net” for all Colorado workers to tend to personal and family caregiving needs.

The program includes: • Birth, adoption, foster care placement • Caring for a family member with a serious health condition.

• Serious health condition • Qualifying exigency leave • Victim of domestic violence

The proposition also requires employers to give workers one hour of sick leave for every thirty hours of work.

Employers with nine or fewer employees must only pay half of the premium and can deduct up to that amount from that employee’s wages.

Employers with ten or more are responsible for the full premium and can deduct half from the employee’s wages. The Division of Family and Medical Leave Insurance was created under FAMI to administer the program.

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

NOTICE! Evergreen National Bank will permanently close the Branch located at 1546 Miner Street, Idaho Springs on Friday July 29th.

If you have a Safe Deposit Box located in this branch please call: 303-674-2700 to schedule an appointment to empty the contents and close your Safe Deposit Box. Our bankers are ready to assist you if you choose to open a new Safe Deposit Box at our Georgetown or Bergen Park location. We would like to warmly thank our community for continued support of this iconic bank branch.

10 Clear Creek Courant

LOCAL

SPORTS

June 30, 2022

AND

RECREATION

A pair of hikes for a summer’s day

A

cool afternoon with fluffy clouds covered Clear Creek county as I recently drove up the winding road between mountain walls and their cliff sides overlooking the pine-filled valleys.

The weather was ANDREW a cool 65 degrees, possibly dropping FRAIELI to 45 degrees at the summits of the 12,000 foot mountains I was heading to — Chief Mountain and Mestaa’ė hehe Mountain.

Only a third of a mile apart, these mountains form a pair that, together, can fill a halfday with some relatively easy-going hiking, and a view of Mount Evans, Idaho Springs and — on a clear day — Denver.

Mestaa’ė hehe Mountain, changed to the name of an influential Cheyenne translator from Squaw Mountain because of the word’s racist and misogynistic usage against Native American women, sits at 11,431 feet. The trail is really a rocky maintenance road up to the fire tower that sits on the summit, with the trailhead considered to be where this road starts, right off Route 103.

On the side of Route 103 where the trail road connects is some parking in the form of worn down grass and dirt. Driving up the road is allowed, and there is more parking up there, but it’s very rocky. An RV and a sedan were parked at the top though, so it’s certainly possible.

Past the parking lot, the path is wide and obvious, nestled between thin but vividly green pines, with Mount Evans easily seen across the valleys. The elevation gain — how much height is actually gained by hiking the path — is only 862 feet. Being a total of about 4 miles long, considering the main road to be the start, the trail is somewhat steep, but certainly not stairs.

Switchbacks — when the trail U-turns gaining height rather than going straight up — lead up the granite summit to the fire tower, the bulk of which is similarly made of the mountain’s granite, has a 360 degree view from its catwalks. It’s here that the mountain no longer blocks the East, and Denver can be seen on a clear day. Throughout the walk, Chief Mountain could also be seen through the pines, and now has the backdrop of the Rockies near Mount Evans to the North.

After hiking down, giving a total SEE HIKES, P11

A portion of the ascent near the summit of Chief Mountain where the pines fall away to reveal the view of the surrounding mounPHOTOS BY ANDREW FRAIELI tains.

The summit of Chief Mountain, with the Rockies behind it, as seen from the summit of Mestaa’ė hehe Mountain.

Mount Evans and Chief Mountain can easily be seen from the catwalk of the fire tower atop Mestaa’ė hehe Mountain.

Clear Creek Courant 11

June 30, 2022

Close to the boulder summit of Chief Mountain, looking out toward the valleys to the north.

HIKES FROM PAGE 10

of roughly two hours depending on hiking speed, Chief Mountain is only a minute’s drive away.

Both hikes are beautiful, with mostly 360 degree views at the tops, but each is still distinct. The fire tower on Mestaa’ė hehe is a beautiful peak, but Chief Mountain’s top is much larger and treeless, letting the landscape fall away much closer to see the surrounding valleys.

Being relatively short and easygoing hikes, though — multiple people were wearing nothing but

the clothes on their back and sneakers — conquering both is definitely possible, and can give both views.

The trailhead of Chief is small and blends into the side of the main road. It’s also much more popular than Mestaa’ė hehe, and with less parking — the side of the road is what there is — so walking a minute or two down the road back to the trail will probably be necessary.

The trail starts steeper than Mestaa’ ė hehe, as Chief’s elevation gain is slightly higher at 941 feet and is shorter at 2.8 miles.

Together, it will take about the same amount of time, but it stays relatively steep until closer to the

PHOTO BY ANDREW FRAIELI

summit where it mellows a bit with switchbacks until the trees thin out and it opens up to almost a field.

Here the mountain almost drops away, the valleys and Rockies filling the view. Here is also wher Idaho Springs can be seen far below and away. It’s only another minute following the trail until the boulders making up the real summit come into view. There’s a few larger ones scattered here, all climbable to finally see the view of the south that the mountain has blocked.

Chief Mountain’s trail is much more settled into the forest, immediately blocking out everything else until hiking

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higher up the mountain, cutting through the forest, rather than the forest being cut away like for Mestaa’ė hehe’s rough road.

As more trafficked that Chief is, it’s still big enough that it doesn’t feel crowded, especially with its dense pines blocking everything on its twisting path.

Again, these are perfect hikes for beginner hikers, or anyone wanting a guaranteed beautiful view for the least trail work possible — Mestaa’ ė hehe as a warm-up or judge for the hiking in the the thin Colorado air, and then Chief, where everything else drops away and the summit feels like it floats over the rest of the valley.

12 Clear Creek Courant

June 30, 2022

CURRENTS We’d like to know about events or activities of interest to the community.

Visit www.clearcreekcourant.com/ calendar/ and post your event online for free. Email dbrobst@coloradocommunitymedia.com to get items in the print version of the paper. Items will appear in print on a space-available basis.

JULY 4 HISTORIC GEORGETOWN’S ANNUAL 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION begins at 8 a.m. at Georgetown Lake with a SUP-athlon (paddleboard, bike, run) sponsored by the Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District. Festivities in town will open with a beer garden in Werlin Park beginning at 10:30 a.m.

The parade will begin at 11 a.m., followed by a barbecue in City Park, performances by the Park County Regulators Old West reenactment team, and live music presented by Jeffco Brass, the Original Cow Boy Band and The Wrecklunds. To be a part of the parade, contact Jenn Jordan at events@townofgeorgetown.us.

JULY 16, AUG. 20, SEPT. 17 THE FOURTH ANNUAL HANS BERG ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY cleanup program in Empire will be from 8-10 a.m. starting at the Empire Visitors Center. These events are sponsored by Friends of Clear Creek.

JULY 29-30 THE ANNUAL PLEIN AIR ART FESTIVAL will be July 29-30 in Georgetown. Arts’ applications are due by July 15. An exhibit and sale of the artists’ work will be from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily from July. 30-Aug. 14 at the Georgetown Heritage Center, For more information, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ georgetown-plein-air-2022-call-forartists-tickets-262807392987?aff=ebds oporgprofile.

ONGOING OMEGA (OPEN MINDS ENCOURAGING GENERAL ACCEPTANCE) social group meets the second Saturday each month for LGBTQIA+ youth and allies aged 12 to 20 years. Fun, friends, snacks, games in a welcoming environment.

This program is a collaboration between The Clear Creek County Library District and Resilience 1220.

RESILIENCE1220 has a support group called College Age Community that meets from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Wednesdays. For information and the Zoom link, email lior@wisetreewellness.com.

WELLNESS CLINIC is Monday through Friday for free blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol screenings at the Clear Creek Health and Wellness Center, 1969 Miner St., Idaho Springs. For more information and to make an appointment,

call 303-670-7528.

MOUNT EVANS HOME HEALTH CARE & HOSPICE offers two monthly groups to provide emotionalsupport services for caregivers helping ill, disabled or elderly loved ones. An in-person support group meets every third Monday from 4-6 p.m. at 3081 Bergen Peak Road, Evergreen, and a virtual support group meets every first Tuesday from 10 a.m.-noon via Zoom. Call 303-674-6400 to learn how to connect to the group virtual call.

For more information visit mtevans. org/services/emotional-support/.

WALK-IN VACCINE CLINICS for adults and children 5-17 plus flu and other vaccines are available from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays at the Clear Creek Health and Wellness Center, 1969 Miner St., Idaho Springs. No appointments required for the vaccines.

THE PROJECT SUPPORT SENIOR CENTER offers free bingo from 12:30-2 p.m. the first and third Tuesday and a monthly birthday celebration at noon the second Tuesday of the month.

THE PROJECT SUPPORT SENIOR CENTER offers Sit ‘n’ Stretch at 10:30 a.m. every Wednesday at the center, 1402 Miner St., Idaho Springs.

COVID-19 TESTING is available from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondays in the dirt lot by Mount Buzz near the corner of Argentine and 11th Street in Georgetown, and from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Clear Creek Health and Wellness Center, 1969 Miner St., Idaho Springs. Appointments are recommended by visiting covidcheckcolorado.org/find-our-sites.

VOA TRANSPORTATION is available on Fridays to the Idaho Springs Safeway and the post office.

The van leaves at 12:30 p.m. from 1402 Miner St., Idaho Springs.

YOUNG PEOPLE 12 TO 20 can get free counseling through an Evergreen-based organization called Resilience1220. Comprised of licensed therapists, Resilience1220 serves individuals and groups in the foothills including Clear Creek County. They also facilitate school and community groups to build life skills in wellness and resilience among youth. For more information or to schedule a counseling session, visit www.Resilience1220. org, email Resilience1220@gmail. com or call 720-282-1164.

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Clear Creek Courant 13

June 30, 2022

JUNE WILDLIFE PHOTO PAGE

Hummingbirds, Songbirds and Waterfowl

A hummingbird visits a feeder in Morrison in July 2021.

A western tanager perches along the Wheat Ridge Greenway in May 2022.

PHOTO BY RICH MINER

A wood duck swims on Littleton’s Sterne Lake in October 2020. PHOTO BY ANN ZIMMERMAN

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In honor of Colorado Parks & Wildlife’s 125th anniversary this year, the Clear Creek Courant and the Canyon Courier will have a monthly photo page celebrating the state’s amazing wildlife and parks.

Each page will celebrate a different local animal or group of animals, including fun facts provided by CPW. For June, the mountain newspapers are celebrating Colorado’s hummingbirds, songbirds and waterfowl.

BIRDING AND HUMMINGBIRD FUN FACTS: • Colorado is home to more than 400 species of birds. Of the state parks in the Denver area, Barr Lake and Chatfield are described as the best birding spots. Barr Lake is home to more than 370 species of resident and migratory birds, including waterfowl like white pelicans, cormorants, egrets, and blue herons.

• Chatfield State Park has 212 bird species recorded as living in or migrating through the park. Nesting least flycatcher and American redstart are spotted here more regularly than at any other location in Colorado.

• Colorado is home to four species of hummingbirds: broad-tailed, black-chinned, Rufous and Calliope.

• Broad-tailed hummingbirds are most common in mountain meadows and open woodlands, as they typically breed between 5,000 and 10,500 feet in elevation. They only stay in Colorado between late May and early August. Their wings are said to sound like a cricket, as they make a distinct trilling noise when flying. They’re known to eat any insects they can find and sometimes drink sap.

• Black-chinned hummingbirds are more common in western and southern Colorado, as the state’s a breeding area for the species. They are one of the most adaptable of the hummingbirds, and can be found in a variety of settings. In colder weather, they can drink up to three times their weight in nectar to stay energized and warm.

• Rufous hummingbirds are known as the most aggressive species of hummingbirds, often driving away much larger species. They have one of the longest migrations of any bird in the world, traveling between Mexico and Alaska — which is 3,900 miles one-way — twice a year. In the spring, they fly along the Pacific Coast to their summer breeding grounds, and return by flying along the Rocky Mountains.

• Calliope hummingbirds are the smallest birds in Colorado, as they’re less than 4 inches long and weigh 2-3 grams. Despite their size,

PHOTO BY ANN ZIMMERMAN

An American avocet searches for food at Belmar Park in April 2022. PHOTO BY ANN ZIMMERMAN

A snowy egret eats at Wheat Ridge’s Prospect Park in May 2021. PHOTO BY ANN ZIMMERMAN

they’ve been seen attacking much larger birds during the mating season and sometimes hunt small insects. They prefer nesting in conifer trees, and their migration route is like the Rufous hummingbird’s.

GOT WILDLIFE PHOTOS? The July wildlife photo page will celebrate Colorado’s mountain goats. To contribute to the July 28

page, email photos to cwesteman@ coloradocommunitymedia.com before July 18. Include the photographer’s name, and the date and location the photo was taken. The photo can be of wildlife anywhere in Colorado and doesn’t have to be recent.

14 Clear Creek Courant

June 30, 2022

Holly Grant, the program coordinator for the Clear Creek County library district, explains how to paint sea-lanterns at the Idaho Springs public library during week 3 of PHOTOS BY ANDREW FRAIELI the library’s summer reading program.

Kids and teen volunteers at the Idaho Springs public library for Clear Creek’s summer reading program.

Clear Creek Library District’s Summer Reading Program in full swing

BY ANDREW FRAIELI AFRAIELI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

“It’s nice to be in-person this summer.”

Said by Bridget Egan, an intern at the Idaho Springs public library, this was a theme for the library’s summer activities. Namely, its annual summer reading program, which was in-person this year for the first time since 2019.

This summer’s literal theme is “ocean of possibilities,” with kids of any grade up 12 being able to participate.

“The program is meant to help keep kids engaged, learning and creating in the offschool months,”

said Holly Grant, the program coordinator for the Clear Creek County library district.

With activities at Idaho Springs library on Tuesdays, Georgetown library on Wednesdays and KingMurphy Elementary School on Thursdays, the summer reading program had about 85 participants in its first week, according to Grant.

“We’re trying to rebuild after not being in person for a few years,” she said. 2019 saw the biggest turnout yet, with 85 being lower, but still strong, she said.

Running for six weeks total, each week has its own special crafts.

Week three saw mermaid themed crafts like mermaid portholes made

of paper plates for kids second grade and younger, sea-bottles with notes for mermaids inside for third to fifth grade and sea lanterns — mason jars painted inside and with hot-glued jewels on the outside — for sixth graders and up.

Most of the children in week three were new, having not gone to the previous weeks, but specifically excited for the sea lanterns. Experimenting with how to spread the paint on the insides, one put the cap on and shook it, while another turned it upside down on the table dumping most of the watered down paint onto the table.

The teen volunteers were making the lanterns too, debating the best

way to avoid paint streaks.

“I try to volunteer as much as I can,” said Taren Mckown, 15. “It’s nice to work and see other kids in the community.”

Kids are welcome any week.

There’s no requirement to be at previous ones, and the final week will be a trip to the Denver Aquarium, said Grant. It will be about 80 people and the biggest group event the library has done in recent years, she said.

An additional visitor to the crafts was Ms. Honey Bun, the library’s reading rabbit — a small puppet that, for the summer, is Captain Honey Bun. According to Grant, she’s “very popular in the community.”

2022 High Altitude Garden Tour SATURDAY, JULY 16, 2022 Adults: $20

10 AM - 3 PM

Children under 12: Free

Tour Includes Six Wonderful Gardens in our Foothills Community!

Experienced gardeners on hand as well as artists, musicians, and a plant sale!

Proceeds from the tour benefit the nine Evergreen Public Gardens maintained by our members.

Tickets can be purchased online through our website: www.evergreengardenclub.org/2022-garden-tour

Evergreen Garden Club, Inc. a 501c3 organization, est. 1965

Check out our business directories!

Clear Creek Courant 15

June 30, 2022

Front Range tourism finally sees post-COVID boost Study by Denver shows 14.5% jump from 2020

BY OLIVIA PRENTZEL THE COLORADO SUN

The urban workhorse of Colorado’s tourism industry is finally recovering from COVID. Denver and its Front Range neighbors have endured long-haul symptoms from the pandemic, as convention and city tourism struggled to recover from shutdowns and the collapse of both leisure and business tourism.

While other more rural communities rebounded quickly — perhaps too quickly as crowds overwhelmed mountain towns enduring a labor shortage — Colorado’s urban tourism industry in Denver has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels of traffic.

But it is getting there. The latest study by the city of Denver shows the metro area’s visitor levels pacing right behind the record-setting performance of 2019 and regaining much of the loss the city experienced during the height of the pandemic.

Travelers made 31.7 million trips to the city last year, only slightly fewer the 31.9 million trips made pre-pandemic and and a 14.5% increase from 2020, according to the latest report by travel research firm Longwoods International, which has compiled annual tallies of Colorado tourism since the 1990s.

Travel spending brought in $6.6 billion for Denver in 2021 — a 26% jump from the year before, new data shows. Leisure travel carried Denver’s rebound with 14.8 million trips, compared with 11.6 million in 2020.

“Thankfully, Denver is a very resilient economy and we have worked closely together to get ourselves out of this and on to recovery,” said Richard Scharf, president and CEO of Visit Denver. “So I think the worst part is behind us.”

More than 15 million day trips were made in 2021, with people traveling at least 50 miles from home to visit top attractions, including Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, Denver Art Museum, Denver Zoo, and the Colorado Rockies. The 16th Street Mall and Cherry Creek Mall were among the top shopping destinations.

But the recovery is uneven. After business travel to Colorado collapsed in 2020, dropping to 1.8 million trips from 2.4 million in 2019, the number of people traveling to Denver for work barely budged last year.

“We know that the business traveler and the convention business is going to be a slow ramp up. We’ve seen that and we know that’s going to be true for a little while,” Scharf said.

Since Outdoor Retailer, a twice-ayear trade show, decamped Denver for its former home of Salt Lake City, Scharf said Denver has been approached by “innovative outdoor shows” that “are trying to take advantage of the new frontier.” He declined to give more details.

The national outdoor trade show

Pedestrians walk the 16th Street Mall on Feb. 15 in Denver.

had a $45 million annual impact for Denver.

“We hate to have them leave, but we run a pretty good occupancy in the summers,” Scharf said. “We’ve got great demand.”

As Colorado began to welcome visitors back in 2020, the state’s tourism office revived marketing campaigns, using federal stimulus dollars, to buoy its tourism industry.

Marketing campaigns focused on city tourism and international visitors, both of which have been slow to rebound from the pandemic and shutdowns.

Mountain towns’ rebound from the pandemic tell a different story.

As people sought wide open space amid the pandemic, managers in towns such as Crested Butte, Telluride and Breckenridge hastened their transition from destination marketing to management amid low staffing levels and affordable housing for its workers.

Colorado’s ski areas also saw record numbers of visitors in the 2021-22 ski season with more than 14 million visitors.

In Colorado Springs, visitor numbers have surpassed pre-pandemic levels. In 2021, the city attracted 23.7 million visitors, which was a nearly 12% increase from the previous year and more than a 5% jump from 2019, data from Visit Colorado Springs show.

Amy Long, chief innovation officer for Visit Colorado Springs, attributed the surge of visitors to the city’s many trails and open spaces, as well as the Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center and the cog railway, both which opened in June 2021.

The city targeted its marketing to Colorado residents, those living in surrounding states and Texas, Long said.

Will the rising prices at the gas pumps affect travel to Colorado in the future? Possibly, but for now, people are still hitting the roads, said Amir Eylon, president and CEO of Longwoods International.

“People are going. They’re just finding ways to reallocate their travel budget,” Eylon said.

According to AAA’s national travel forecast, 42 million people will likely

PHOTO BY OLIVIA SUN/THE COLORADO SUN VIA REPORT FOR AMERICA

road trip over the July 4 weekend — in what would be a record for car travelers over the holiday — amid historically high gas prices. Denver is among AAA’s top 10 travel destinations for the weekend.

“This next year is going to be a very good year for regional drive travel,” Eylon said.

International visitors are still slowly trickling into Denver, and it’s unclear when business travel will ramp back up again.

“So we still have a long road ahead of us for recovery,” Eylon said. “But clearly Denver’s accelerating nicely down there at this point.”

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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16 Clear Creek Courant

LOCAL

June 30, 2022

LIFE

Denver metro area is home to a wealth of queer-friendly small businesses and safe spaces

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

I

n Colorado, businesses cannot legally discriminate on the grounds of someone’s actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity — nevertheless, discrimination against LGBTQ+ people still occurs.

While many large corporations launch social media campaigns that aim to signal their LGBTQ+ allyship during June for Pride Month, the backlash those programs often receive can have the opposite effect.

For this story, Colorado Community Media asked LGBTQ+

people what their favorite queer-inclusive small businesses were, and we were overwhelmed by the outpouring of suggestions.

We weren’t able to feature all of the suggested businesses, but we spoke with some unique LGBTQ+-friendly shopkeepers to see what local small business are doing to create a welcoming environment for queer people. In addition to the measures mentioned in this story, all of the businesses featured have gender-neutral restrooms.

Above Ground Hair Salon — Denver (Five Points, LoDo)

The Bardo Coffee House — Wheat Ridge, Denver

Disruptive Ink Tattoo Studios — Lakewood

What they do: Owner Ashe Bowen was inspired to create Above Ground to provide a safe space for queer people to get their hair cut. With two locations in Five Points and LoDo, Above Ground specializes in affirming haircuts for folks of all expressions.

“I think self-expression is difficult in mainstream society,” Bowen said. “It creates space for the freedom to explore freedom of personal expression.”

What makes them queerfriendly? “We have a lot of layers of armor,” Bowen said.

“The Pride Flag has come to mean if you’re not OK with that flag, don’t come in. To me, it’s an armor of protection. We have safe space guidelines posted in the salon. We’re all eyes and ears.

We’re all part of the community — not all identify as queer, but all are allies and adjacent to the community.”

What they do: The Bardo Coffee House is “Denver’s Late Night Coffee House,” with locations on South Broadway and in Wheat Ridge, with a new Lakewood location at Hampden Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard coming this summer.

“We just like to be a comfortable place for people to come and do their thing,” owner Chris Graves said.

What makes them queerfriendly?: “We treat people like people, and if we have people who don’t do that, they don’t work for us for long,” Graves said. “We like to deal with fully-formed human beings who are compassionate and understanding and friendly. If people are mean, you don’t want them around. It’s kind of that simple. Most people are pretty nice.”

What they do: Disruptive Ink is a female LGBTQ-owned tattoo studio in Lakewood. Founder and owner Sandra Lin said she was inspired to start Disruptive Ink in part because of her own experiences as a queer woman at tattoo shops.

“I think just having my own experience in the industry as an artist and client, this doesn’t go for all tattoo shops, but I do think it’s the norm; you don’t have that welcoming feeling,” Lin said. “As a female sometimes, especially as a member of the queer community, there’s the feeling that you’re going to be judged and not have a great experience.

“My fiancé and I wanted to have a place that’s inclusive and safe for everybody,” Lin continued.

What makes them queer-friendly? “There’s no judgments that happen in the shop,” Lin said. “It’s a very comfortable vibe. We ask everybody that comes in for their pronouns. We notice that even that little thing, you can feel the weight lift off that client’s shoulders, because they know it’s a safe space.”

Address: Five Points location, 2737 Welton St., Denver, CO 80205; and LoDo location, 1740 Blake St., Denver, CO 80202 Hours: Both locations, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Sunday Website: abovegrounddenver.com

Address: Denver location, 238 S. Broadway, Denver, CO 80209; Wheat Ridge location, 6150 West 38th Ave., Wheat Ridge, CO 80033; and Lakewood location (coming soon), 3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Lakewood, CO 80227 Hours: Both locations, 6 a.m to 12 a.m. Monday through Sunday.

Website: bardocoffee.com

Address: 7625 W. Hampden Ave., Lakewood, CO 80227 Hours: 12 to 7 p.m. Monday through Sunday Website: disruptiveinktattoos.com

Clear Creek Courant 17

June 30, 2022

Thrive Ballet’s team at a recent Pride-themed performance.

A workout group poses for a photo at MetamorCOURTESY OF METAMORPHOSIS FITNESS phosis Fitness.

Electric Cherry Shop + Studios — Arvada What they do: Electric Cherry is a vinyl records and art shop in Olde Town Arvada founded in 2020 by Ally Skiba.

“Most of our patrons are anywhere between 11 and 30 years old, so we try to recognize that a lot of who frequents the shop are kids,” Skiba said. “We want to take care of the Denver kids and let them know they are seen, accepted, celebrated and welcome no matter who or what they look like. They are loved for simply being themselves.”

What makes them queer-friendly? “We ensure that all people feel welcome by breaking down what Electric Cherry stands for day by day with in-person interactions inside the shop,” Skiba said.

“It’s crucial for the future of the human race to embrace each other and celebrate one another for embracing their own unique individuality,” Skiba continued. “By doing so we unify each other, which goes hand in hand with art and music, the universal force behind our brick and mortar and civilization as a whole.”

Address: 5777 Olde Wadsworth Blvd.

R200, Arvada, CO 80002 Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday; closed on Mondays Website: shopelectriccherry.com

COURTESY OF THRIVE BALLET

The interior of Bardo Coffee House’s South Broadway COURTESY OF BARDO COFFEE HOUSE location.

Metamorphosis — Denver (University Hills) Fitness What they do: Metamorphosis Fitness is Denver’s first queer-owned functional fitness gym.

Founded in 2017 by Styler Ellis, Metamorphosis aims to break from traditional gym culture and promote a more inclusive exercise space.

“I think a lot of it stemmed from my own experiences in the gym and other friends in the community,” Ellis said. “There’s a lot of things people don’t think about for queer people when it comes to fitness, especially for people who are gender nonconforming. It’s important to me to have a place where they could walk in and not be judged for how they presented, how they move.”

What makes them queer-friendly? “The queer community has a high rate of body dysphoria,” Ellis said. “It’s important to have a space with no mirrors, no feedback except for positive.

You can walk in and see people of all shapes, sizes and fitness levels. We’ve rejected the whole ‘muscle body bro gym’ feel and opted into a more open minded and supportive environment.”

Ellis added that in 2020, the Metamorphosis staff completed a comprehensive appraisal of its practices to ensure the gym is providing the safest environment possible. This included emphasizing gender-neutral language at the gym, rejecting gendered ideas about fitness and instituting a pronoun practice before programs.

Address: 2890 S. Colorado Blvd., Denver CO 80222 Hours: 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; 9 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday; and 8:30 to 11 a.m. Sunday Website: metamorphosisfit.com

The storefront of Above Ground’s LoDo salon.

The Disruptive Ink team at their Lakewood studio.

COURTESY OF DISRUPTIVE INK

Thrive Ballet

— Denver

What they do: Thrive Ballet strives to make ballet more inclusive by deconstructing the form’s traditionally limiting ideas on gender and body type, according to Thrive’s founder and Artistic Director Jill Oliver, who added that while the studio is not primarily LGBTQ+ in its focus, it’s a safe and open space for everyone.

“We’re taking a more holistic approach to people,” Oliver said. “We have a focus on ballet being for anyone and everyone, regardless of your body.

It doesn’t matter what your orientation is, how you identify, your skin color. Ballet is traditionally not a very inclusive space. Traditional ballet is extremely gendered, which we don’t adhere to.”

What makes them queer-friendly? “On a more formal level, we have gender-neutral bathrooms, genderneutral dressing rooms,” Oliver said.

“In terms of taking a holistic approach, you’re a whole person, you’re not just a body taking ballet. We take into account mental health, if someone’s having a rough day.

“We’re a safe space, we have a wide range of people that take our classes because they feel safe,” Oliver continued.

Address: 120 Bryant St., Denver, CO 80219 Hours: See website for class availability Website: thriveballet.com

18 Clear Creek Courant

June 30, 2022

Polis announces grants to help pools hire more workers Fund would also increase pay

BY PAOLO ZIALCITA COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO

In response to community pool closures caused by staff shortages, Colorado is offering grant money to help local governments hire pool employees for the summer.

Several community pools across the state, particularly in the Denver metro area, have either had to stay closed or drastically reduce hours in response to a lifeguard shortage.

Governor Jared Polis announced the grant June 21 at a public swimming pool in Aurora.

“Spending time at a local public pool is a fun and healthy way to enjoy our beautiful Colorado summers. But across the state we need to fix the shortage of lifeguards and pool workers to open closed pools and expand operating hours as we head into July 4th weekend and the heat of summer,” Polis said in a statement.

The state has made $350,000 available to eligible applicants, provided by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs and the Office of Economic Development and International Trade’s Outdoor Recreation

Industry Office.

Eligible parties include county governments, municipalities and special districts that are experiencing difficulties operating outdoor or indoor public swimming pools. Each applicant can request up to $25,000 dollars.

The money can be used for any expense related to attracting and retaining pool employees. That means workers could receive pay raises, overtime benefits or signing bonuses.

In addition, the state is granting an emergency waiver allowing minors to work overtime at pools, if they choose to do so. Polis and other leaders said the grant provides a great opportunity for teenagers to get work experience.

“Spending the summer as a lifeguard is a great opportunity for teens to gain skills that will launch their journey into the workforce,” said Joe Barela, Executive Director of Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.

Grant applications are open until June 28. The state said the funding program is a one-time window.

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

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Clear Creek Courant 19

June 30, 2022

Feds ignore Polis’ plea to stop wild horse roundups Roundup planned on the Western Slope

BY JENNIFER BROWN THE COLORADO SUN

Federal officials will begin capturing hundreds of mustangs roaming in far northwestern Colorado this week, dismissing a request from Gov. Jared Polis to halt roundups while the state and U.S. Bureau of Land Management find a “more humane” option for managing wild horses.

The federal agency’s announcement of its next roundup — in the Piceance-East Douglas rangeland outside Meeker — came after 145 wild horses died in an equine flu outbreak at a Cañon City holding facility.

The public land where the East Douglas herd lives is suited for no more than 235 horses, according to the BLM, yet there are 1,385 mustangs on the range. The roundup was scheduled to begin June 16 with a bait-and-trap operation, in which horses are lured into a corral with fresh water and food. Federal officials plan to bring in a helicopter and horseback riders in mid-July to round up more mustangs.

The roundup was originally scheduled for September, but the BLM moved it up because the horses are so malnourished coming out of winter, officials said.

“We saw some horses really suffering in March and April,” Elijah Waters, the BLM’s northwest district manager, said in an email. “We were getting quite a bit of feedback from the public to do something, and we felt like the best option was to gather as soon as we could for the horses in poor condition and for the horses that will remain and need forage before going into next winter.”

The animals will go to a holding facility in Utah — not the pens on state prison grounds in Cañon City that were the site of the deadliest mustang flu outbreak on record.

The horse deaths, which began April 23 and stopped May 26, incited outcry from mustang advocates around the country and Colorado’s governor and first gentleman, Marlon Reis, an animal rights advocate.

Polis already had urged federal officials last summer to pause wild horse roundups and work with Colorado on a gentler solution to the abundance of horses on public lands. That plea came ahead of a helicopter roundup last summer of 684 horses in the Sand Wash Basin in northern Colorado along the Wyoming border.

After the Cañon City outbreak, Polis again wrote to the BLM asking them to call off scheduled roundups.

The federal agency’s Stephanie Connolly, acting state director for the BLM, rebuffed the governor’s request in a June 2 letter, which was released to The Sun on June 14. She said that while the BLM appreciates the governor’s “engagement in managing wild horses,” the East Douglas herd is more than six times the size that the land can support. A few hundred of the horses have left the public rangeland, Connolly said, “in search of food and water on nearby

Wild horses graze on public lands Sept. 1, 2021, near the Sand Wash Basin outside Craig.

private property.”

The herd has grown by about 20% each year, she said. And BLM research found that 80% of the shrubs and grasses consumed on the rangeland last year were eaten by wild horses, which is out of balance for other animals that use the land, she said. Public land managed by the federal agency is leased to cattle and sheep ranchers, as well as used by elk, deer and other wildlife.

“The situation will only grow more dire for these horses, wildlife and the environment,” Connolly wrote.

The governor’s office told The Sun that it was disappointed by the BLM’s decision to move ahead with a “costly and wasteful roundup of our wild horses.” The governor offered “numerous cost-effective and humane alternative methods of management,” including birth control, but those were ignored.

“It is apparent not only that they will not seriously consider better alternatives, allowing only a few weeks for bait-and-trap methods, but that the agency truly doesn’t care to first listen to stakeholders before moving forward,” Polis’ spokesman Conor Cahill said. The governor was particularly disappointed that the BLM announced its plans for the roundup at the same time it announced a listening session to gather public input.

The governor did get one of his wishes granted by federal officials: no additional horses are headed to the holding pens in Cañon City.

All of the horses that died in this spring’s outbreak were from the West Douglas rangeland, along the Colorado-Utah border. The craggy, mostly inaccessible land was deemed “unsuitable” for wild horses by the BLM, and last summer, the agency announced an emergency roundup of horses and burros.

The outbreak was caused by a fairly common equine flu virus and was further complicated by a streptococcus bacteria. Most of the horses had not received a flu vaccine despite being hauled to the holding facility seven months earlier, and the BLM has said it is investigating the reasons for the delay and will release details later.

The American Wild Horse Campaign said it was alarmed by the federal plan to accelerate the roundup, calling it inhumane to send more mustangs into holding facilities that have been plagued with disease.

Holding pens across the country are already crowded, said the campaign’s executive director Suzanne Roy. “The BLM already has a capacity crisis on its hands,” she said in an email. “The agency must not use a limited emergency as an excuse to accelerate a wholesale helicopter roundup of hundreds of wild horses and send them to a broken holding

PHOTO BY HUGH CAREY/THE COLORADO SUN

system where they are at a heightened risk of disease and death.”

Nationwide, the bureau has more than 56,000 wild horses and burros in holding pens or pastures, some awaiting adoption. That includes more than 2,000 horses in Cañon City, where prison inmates care for the animals.

The agency estimates there are about 82,000 wild horses and burros roaming rangeland in 10 Western states, but says the land is appropriate for only about 26,000 of them.

In Colorado, about 1,800 mustangs remain on range, but the federal goal is 827.

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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20 Clear Creek Courant

June 30, 2022

How Colorado plans to spend $12M in new funding on an e-bike program Denver quickly ran out of electric bike rebates, and state officials who know a new voucher program will be popular want to make sure shops have stock

BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado officials are detailing plans to give out $12 million in statewide electric bike rebates approved by this year’s legislature, following on the wild success of a Denver ebike assistance plan that maxed out its first round of 3,250 applications in a matter of weeks.

Denver, meanwhile, said it plans to announce a new round of e-bike assistance after the Fourth of July.

The timing and scale of e-bike purchase programs is apparently being affected by near-universal supply chain problems and high demand.

Bike shops haven’t been able to find enough stock for surges of customers, transportation advocates said, and state and local officials are checking with stores before expanding programs.

The Colorado Energy Office will administer the new state e-bike program, aiming at a January launch, to open up more access to the bikes meant to replace fossil fuel-driven cars with transportation that runs on cleaner electric power.

The legislation seeks to help 12,000 people statewide with e-bike and equipment purchases, safety training and aid to governments, tribes and nonprofits setting up distribution programs.

Smaller state pilot programs called Can Do Colorado use a triplogging app designed by the National Renewable Energy Lab, and the results show “people are using them and that they’re being used for their intended purpose, to offset vehicle miles traveled,” said Sarah Thorne, who is administering the e-bike program for the Colorado Energy

FattE-Bikes’ models, ranging around 45 miles, can accelerate to 25 miles per hour. The Denver-based company has designed and built compact, hybrid and cargo bikes since 2017. PHOTO BY OLIVIA SUN/THE COLORADO SUN VIA REPORT FOR AMERICA

Office.

Advocacy groups can’t wait for more.

“These are the steps that states and cities need to take to address transportation change,” said Piep van Heuven, director of government relations for Bicycle Colorado.

“Household motor vehicle trips are one of the biggest drivers of transportation emissions in the country, and nearly 60% of these trips are a distance of 6 miles or less, the perfect distance for an e-bike trip.”

While Denver’s program was split between assistance for lowincome applicants, and those who did not need to be income qualified, Colorado will aim all of its e-bike rebates at lower income residents, Thorne said. As a way to reach more residents, Colorado’s program may allow bikes to be purchased from online and big box retailers. Denver’s vouchers are redeemed at participating specialty bike shops.

The new state program, using Colorado taxpayer money, will not require applicants to use the tracking app as part of efforts to gather data on how many car trips are replaced with cleaner energy trips.

“It’s optional,” Thorne said. In the pilot program, some people tired

of entering trip logs after a few months. “It’s a big ask.”

E-bikes use a battery pack and motor to make pedaling easier or extend coasting, with variable settings that can set the bikes cruising from 15 to 30 mph. They can help take hundreds of pounds of cargo across town and up hills, and advocates say they make commuting safer by allowing bikers to surge at green lights, merge into traffic or avoid accidents.

Advocates also mention commuters may arrive at a job site “not sweaty” with the assist from the battery pack.

Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency, announced $9 million in electrification subsidies on Earth Day, with millions of that allocated for the first round of e-bike vouchers. The program, which also included rebates on swapping out natural-gas burning home appliances, like furnaces and hot water heaters, for electric versions is financed by a sales tax approved by city voters in 2020 estimated to raise more than $40 million a year for climate action.

The climate office capped e-bike applications at 3,250, and the rebates will pause until Denver allocates

more money periodically throughout the year. More than half the applicants sought the $400 e-bike rebates that don’t depend on income level, and about 40% applied for rebates that go up to $1,200 for incomequalified candidates. Those buying e-cargo bikes, set up to carry kids to school or make deliveries, can get an additional $500.

The state e-bike program is part of a host of electrification measures included in Senate Bill 193, which also offers tens of millions to school districts to swap dirtier diesel buses for electric versions. Colorado has set reduction targets for greenhouse gas emissions of 26% by 2025, 50% by 2030, and 90% by 2050, from a 2005 baseline.

The bill package also includes $2 million to “increase energy efficiency, reduce water use, promote renewable energy implementation” at pot-growing facilities, which are heavy users of electricity and water.

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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Clear Creek Courant 21

June 30, 2022

Economists tell state lawmakers to expect slowdown Forecast doesn’t call for recession at this point

BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN

Inflation and tightening monetary policy on the federal level are expected to cool Colorado’s economy in the coming months, according to quarterly economic and tax revenue forecasts by nonpartisan staff and the governor’s office presented to the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee on June 21.

But both forecasts also predicted that Colorado will avoid a recession despite national chatter about the U.S. economy entering a major slump.

“We see about a 1 in 3 chance of there being a recession over the next 18 months based on what we’re looking at in the economy right now,” said Bryce Cook, chief economist in the governor’s Office of State Planning and Budgeting.

The big takeaway: State lawmakers are expected to have more money to fund government services in the coming years as revenue continues to exceed the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights cap on government growth and spending, which is calculated through population growth and inflation. When the TABOR cap is exceeded, Coloradans get tax breaks and, if the excess is large enough, which it is expected to be for the foreseeable future, refund checks.

“The U.S. and Colorado economies continue to grow, despite new and elevated risks to the economic recovery,” said David Hansen, senior economist with the nonpartisan Colorado Legislative Council.

Hansen said the unemployment rate is expected to average 3.5% in 2022 — which is what the rate was in May — and drop to an average of 3.2% in 2023.

Greg Sobetski, chief economist with the nonpartisan Colorado Legislative Council, acknowledged there are “a lot of recessionary risks” but said vacancies in the job market are one of the reasons he and his staff aren’t forecasting a recession right now. Business could cut a vacant position without necessarily impacting employment numbers, he said.

“There is some space, we believe, for monetary policy to tighten without causing an uptick in the unemployment rate,” he said, referencing the Federal Reserve’s decision to increase interest rates.

The Office of State Planning and Budgeting in Gov. Jared Polis’ office agrees.

“A deep or protracted recession is not currently expected,” OSPB wrote in its presentation to the JBC, which included a prediction that inflation will ease next year.

State Sen. Bob Rankin, a Carbondale Republican who sits on the JBC, thinks both forecasts he heard June 21 underestimate the probability of a recession.

“I don’t feel good about it,” he said.

“We need to look at several different models for different levels of recession because we have to know what they might be.”

Rep. Julie McCluskie, a Dillon

Democrat and chair of the JBC, said she is cautiously optimistic.

“If I’ve learned anything through the pandemic and our recovery it’s that it is hard to predict what comes next,” she said. “So I do think we need to be prepared but I am hopeful that we are not going to see a recession. Fingers crossed.”

Polis said in a written statement June 21 that he is encouraged by the forecasts.

“Colorado’s economy continues to recover faster and stronger and ahead of other states, as new good-paying jobs are added every week and Colorado’s unemployment rate continues to plummet,” the Democrat said.

Colorado Legislative Council said the state’s economy also has fared better than expected in the final months of the 2021-22 fiscal year, which ends June 30. As a result, the nonpartisan office expects Colorado taxpayers will get TABOR refund checks of $750 per individual filer and $1,500 for joint filers starting in late August. (People who file their returns after June 30 will have to wait several months longer to receive their refund checks.)

Democrats, who earlier this year changed the TABOR refund mechanism in an election-year effort to speed up TABOR refunds and try to make them more equitable, initially said the checks would be $400 for individual filers and $800 for joint filers.

Why such a large increase? Economists say the state collected about $1 billion more in tax revenue in excess of the TABOR cap than was forecast during the last quarterly economic forecast in March.

Rankin also said June 21 that he is concerned that the TABOR cap and inflation are going to collide as lawmakers try to contend with the rising cost of government services.

He’s a fan of TABOR, but says it wasn’t mean to operate in an environment where inflation is so high because the TABOR cap is calculated through inflationary rates in past years.

“The theory of TABOR is to let you continue to continue to fund the government that you currently have,” he said. “That’s the intent.”

Rankin wants to examine if there’s a way to use the current inflation rate to calculate the TABOR cap.

“The inflation rate that we use to raise the TABOR cap ought to match

our current problem, not a year ago, two years ago,” he said.

The next economic forecast is scheduled for September.

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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22 Clear Creek Courant

June 30, 2022

Closer to a government-designed health insurance plan Option is designed by state regulators

BY JOHN INGOLD THE COLORADO SUN

Federal authorities on June 23 gave the go-ahead to one of the most ambitious pieces of Gov. Jared Polis’ agenda: A government-designed health insurance plan mandated to be sold at lower prices.

Rates and final details for the Colorado Option are set to be officially unveiled later this summer.

But a critical part of its launch involved winning an approval from the federal government known as a 1332 waiver.

The waiver gives the state leeway under the Affordable Care Act to take innovative approaches to providing health insurance that might otherwise violate technical parts of the law. It will also bring in extra federal dollars to the state to help implement the program.

“Through this new model, Colorado leverages federal savings to expand affordability and coverage in the state like no other state has done before,” Chiquita BrooksLaSure, the administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which approved Colorado’s waiver application, said in a statement. “The Colorado Option is groundbreaking and a step in the right direction to reduce the uninsured rate, while investing in health insurance coverage affordability and improvements, and advancing health equity.”

Details of the Colorado Option Lawmakers passed the legisla-

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Colorado Option plans will only be sold in the individual and small group markets, meaning the places where small businesses and people who are buying insurance on their own shop.

Because the Colorado Option will, in theory, save the federal government on what it already spends to provide subsidies to help people pay their insurance premiums, it creates what are known as “pass-through” savings that can come back to the state. An actuarial analysis included in the state’s waiver application estimates the Colorado Option will save the federal government $13.3 million in 2023, rising to $147.9 million by 2027.

The state plans to use that money to provide additional subsidies to low-income Coloradans and those who are not eligible for federal subsidies, for instance due to immigration status.

Skepticism from insurers Insurance carriers submitted their proposed rates — both for the Colorado Option plans and other plans — this month for approval by the Colorado Division of Insurance, said Amanda Massey, the executive director of the Colorado AssociaON AVERAGE, AARP MEMBERS ENJOY

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Cheers from consumer advocates Consumer advocates cheered news of the Colorado Option’s federal approval.

“This waiver is a vital component

to Colorado’s efforts to expand health coverage and make it more affordable for all people living in Colorado,” Adam Fox, the deputy director of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, said in a statement.

In his own statement, Jake Williams, the executive director of Healthier Colorado, said: “At a time when Colorado families are paying unprecedented prices at the pump and the grocery store, we want them to know relief is on the way.”

The federal waiver approval also extended another of Polis’ signature health care initiatives — a reinsurance program that helps insurance companies pay their highest-cost claims, thus allowing them to reduce premium prices for everyone.

The Polis administration estimates reinsurance reduces insurance prices for people in the individual market by 20% a year.

Polis has made his efforts to save Coloradans money into the centerpiece of his reelection campaign, and he capitalized on June 23 announcement to promote that work.

“I’m thrilled that Colorado’s waiver has been approved — allowing us to move forward with this historic money-saving and forward-thinking program in Colorado,” Polis said in a statement. “Saving people money on health care couldn’t come at a better moment.”

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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Massey said she did not know if all of the proposed Colorado Option rates met the price reduction target, and insurance companies haven’t said. (The proposed rates don’t become public until next month.)

But insurance companies for months have been raising concerns that they won’t be able to hit the targets while also keeping the rates actuarially sound. Massey said the Colorado Option plans are richer than a typical insurance plan — they have more stuff in them or more favorable cost structures. And she said there’s worry that the way the state will calculate inflation, using the Consumer Price Index’s medical index, won’t keep up with the skyrocketing inflation being seen on the ground.

“We think that the methodology is flawed,” she said June 23. “So between that methodology and the additional benefits in the standardized plan, we’re really concerned about meeting the target reductions.”

“It’s really to be determined whether any of the promises made about this policy will come to fruition,” she added.

If insurers can’t meet the Colorado Option’s price-reduction targets, the state commissioner of insurance has the ability to order public hearings and to mandate lower hospital prices in order to drive down the cost of a plan. But Commissioner Michael Conway has said he doesn’t expect to use his price-setting authority in the first year.

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Clear Creek Courant 23

June 30, 2022

ROE FROM PAGE 1

searchers found. Some went to other states. Others ordered pills online to induce an abortion.

Pill-induced abortions now account for more than half of all abortions in the country, according to a report from the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-abortion rights research group. The method allows patients to terminate their pregnancy in the privacy of their home and can help overcome barriers to accessing an abortion in a clinic, like travel costs or needing to find child care. The use of abortion-inducing pills has increased over time but was “likely accelerated” by the pandemic, according to the Guttmacher report.

In Colorado, pill-induced abortions made up 57% of abortions in 2017 and 68% by 2021, according to state health department data.

Will anything change in Colorado?

Colorado providers are expected to see a big increase in patients crossing state lines to receive abortions.

After Texas in September banned abortions starting around six weeks clinics in Colorado reported a significant increase in patients coming from the state.

Between September 2020 and May 2021, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains served 1,220 Texas abortion patients. That compares to 306 patients in the same eight-month period a year earlier, a nearly 300% increase.

State health data backs up the trend. Eighty-eight percent of abortions performed in Colorado in 2017 were for in-state residents. In 2021, that decreased to 86%.

Four hundred Texas residents received abortions in Colorado in 2021, the most of any state behind Wyoming.

Now that Roe v. Wade is overturned, some 20 states are expected to prohibit or restrict abortions, including many around Colorado.

Oklahoma passed the country’s strictest abortion ban in May. Democratic state Rep. Yadira Caraveo, a pediatrician now running for Congress, previously told The Colorado Sun she looked at a map of where abortion would be banned if the Roe v. Wade decision were struck

Roe v. Wade NoCo Ladies for Liberty, which formed this year, brought a group to the state Capitol earlier this year to protest an abortion rights bill.

PROVIDED BY MICKIE NUFFER

down and saw that Colorado would be a “big island” of abortion access in the middle of the country.

Providers have said they’re trying to staff up to meet the increased demand but are already being stretched thin, especially as more states have enacted abortion restrictions. That could make it more difficult for patients from out-of-state and in Colorado to get abortions.

Who will be most affected?

Abortion policy experts say those already disenfranchised are more likely to be affected by abortion bans.

That includes people who are low income, immigrants, people of color and young people, who don’t have the right to consent to an abortion in some states.

Those are the people for whom it is “hardest to get out of state and get an abortion,” Kate Coleman-Minahan, a University of Colorado College of Nursing professor who has researched abortion issues, previously told The Colorado Sun. “They may not actually be able to.”

That could expose them to health risks or dangers if they try to terminate a pregnancy on their own or carry the pregnancy to term.

Have Colorado lawmakers done anything to prepare?

Colorado lawmakers recently passed a law — the Reproductive Health Equity Act —that enshrines the right to an abortion and to birth control.

It also says embryos, fertilized eggs and fetuses don’t have “independent or derivative rights,” undercutting past attempts from anti-abortion groups to recognize “any human being from the moment of fertilization” as people in various provisions of Colorado law.

Voters rejected two such “personhood” initiatives in 2008 and 2010.

They shot down a similar proposal in 2014 that would have recognized “unborn human beings” alongside people under state law, including in the criminal code.

You can see an annotated copy of the Colorado law here.

What are the current regulations on abortion in Colorado?

Colorado, which in 1967 became the first state to loosen its abortion laws, has among the nation’s fewerst abortion restrictions.

There is no mandatory waiting period and no limit on when in a pregnancy the abortion can be performed.

But state funding does not cover abortions except in the cases of rape, incest or life endangerment.

People on Medicaid and some forms of private insurance would have to pay out of pocket, which could be cost-prohibitive.

The cost of an abortion can range from around $500 to more than $1,000 depending on the clinic and the stage of pregnancy.

The parents of minors must also be notified 48-hours before an abortion is performed.

How are Colorado groups reacting?

Colorado Democrats and abortion rights groups quickly condemned the decision.

Republicans have “burst the door wide open to a dangerous future in America where women will no longer have the power to make their own choice to get an abortion,” Colorado Democratic Party Chairwoman Morgan Carroll said in a written statement.

Colorado Attorney General Phill Weiser, a Democrat, called the ruling a “momentous mistake” and

outlined the drastic consequences he said it would have.

“In many states, women who are raped will be forced to continue the pregnancy, causing untold mental anguish and distress. Doctors providing abortions will be arrested and jailed. Women who cannot access abortion care will resort to desperate and dangerous measures to end a pregnancy, even in ways that threaten their health. Women who experience life-threatening conditions during pregnancy will die. And women of color will be disproportionately impacted,” Weiser said in a written tatement. “These scenarios are now realities as laws in other states restricting abortion go into effect.”

He said abortion remains legal in Colorado and that his office would defend the recently passed Reproductive Health Equity Act in court if necessary.

Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, said the state will “stand against government control over our bodies.”

“State leadership matters now more than ever and in Colorado we will not retreat to an archaic era where the powerful few controlled the freedoms over our bodies and health decisions,” he said.

Republicans, meanwhile, celebrated the ruling.

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert tweeted: “LIFE WINS! Glory to God.” Rep. Ken Buck wrote on Twitter: “VICTORY for the unborn and JUSTICE for federalism at SCOTUS.” Colorado GOP chairwoman Kristi Burton Brown called it the “best day ever” in a statement.

“After decades of so many Americans fighting for every single life, today, the Supreme Court of the United State has finally declared that every child is worth saving,” she said. “I hope this decision leads to a real conversation – between people on all sides – about how we as a country can best work together to further support our children, mothers and families.”

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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24 Clear Creek Courant

June 30, 2022

Wildfire smoke and poor air quality are coming Here’s how scientists protect their homes

BY SAM BRASCH COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO

Over the last few summers, Colorado residents have grown accustomed to hearing the same set of recommendations when wildfire smoke blankets their community: Avoid outdoor exercise. Head inside.

Shut the windows.

But experts say those immediate actions only go so far.

Alex Huffman, an associate professor studying air contaminants at the University of Denver, notes smoke can invade a home through cracks and ventilation systems, so preventative measures are necessary to guard indoor air quality and protect people’s health.

“You can’t completely stop it, but there are things you can do to help the amount you breathe in,” Huffman said.

It’s now clear that in the West, and even in many further afield parts of the country, wildfire smoke will be a chronic side-effect of climate change and decades of poor forest management. As wildfires grow larger and more frequent, a CPR News analysis found Colorado residents now experience between two to four additional smoky weeks every year compared to a decade ago.

The trend worries public health experts because smoke contains tiny particles capable of burrowing themselves deep into the human body. Breathing that material can trigger shortness of breath, asthma attacks and heart attacks.

Long-term risks include weakened immune systems and premature births.

There are proven ways to limit exposure even as particulates sneak indoors. Here’s what Colorado scientists have done in their own homes — and what they’d recommend for yours.

Monitor indoor and outdoor air quality At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Huffman brought home a professional air monitor to assist

with his work on germ-carrying droplets. When wildfire season kicked up, it gave him a surprising view into the effect of outdoor smoke plumes.

Even deep in his basement, the instrument showed unsafe levels of particles in the air.

The EPA moves to declare the Front Range a ‘severe’ air quality violator. Here’s why that matters.

Huffman now recommends households explore far cheaper methods to monitor outdoor and indoor air quality. To help manage his asthma, he keeps a careful eye on the EPA’s fire and smoke map, which tracks nationwide smoke plumes and air quality readings.

To monitor indoor air quality, he purchased an egg-shaped monitor from PurpleAir, which now sits on a table inside the front door of his home in Centennial. It glows green, yellow or red depending on the severity of suspended particulates.

Basic senses are an even cheaper alternative. Colorado air forecasters recommend assuming air quality is unsafe if you can’t clearly see something less than five miles away.

Smells can also serve as evidence of wildfire smoke, but shouldn’t always be trusted. Christine Wiedinmyer, an air quality scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder, said smoke from far-off fires doesn’t carry an odor but can be dangerous nonetheless.

Buy or make a high-quality indoor air filter Huffman has a portable air purifier in his living room to help remove wildfire smoke. He demonstrated its efficiency by turning on a popcorn popper with a filthy heating element.

Smoke filled the room as his indoor air monitor turned an alarming red. The purifier then pulled the smoke closer with a gentle hum, bringing particulates back to safe levels in about 30 seconds.

When shopping for an air purifier, Huffman said it should have HEPA filtration to remove particles. He recommends against anything with “plasma” or “ionization,” which

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doesn’t do much about wildfire smoke and can add other pollutants to the air.

If a $200 machine is out of the question, another option can be fashioned from a box fan taped to one or several furnace filters of a MERV13 grade or higher. The device, called a Corsi-Rosenthal Box, was born after a mechanical engineer tossed out the idea on Twitter.

Huffman installed a number of these contraptions around his house and donated others to his kids’ classrooms. Instructions are available online.

Seal openings and run your air conditioner Wiedinmyer recommends sealing doors and windows to prevent any wildfire smoke from making it into the home. If you have an air conditioner, replace the filter then set it to recirculate air to further cut indoor pollutants.

Not all homes have the luxury of air conditioning. Huffman has a swamp cooler, which he prefers for

its energy efficiency. Because those systems rely on circulating cooled external air, they aren’t nearly as well equipped to handle poor outdoor air quality.

“It’s just pushing wildfire smoke into our house pretty efficiently, which is really unfortunate,” Huffman said.

He doesn’t see an easy way around the problem at the moment. On smoky days, he said households that use swamp coolers or open windows will need to decide if welcoming the bad air is worth it.

Wear a high-quality mask When you have to head outside on a smoky day, Huffman recommends wearing a high-quality N95 mask to protect against particulates. Don’t bother with cloth masks, though; their mesh isn’t fine enough to stop the bits of wildfire smoke, he said.

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

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Clear Creek Courant 25

June 30, 2022

In electric vehicle vs. gas car, who wins?

As Colorado gas nears $5, more drivers mull going green

BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN

Gas prices neared $5 a gallon in mid-June, according to AAA Colorado, so it’s time for a detailed breakdown of what it would cost the average person to run an electric vehicle for a year compared to a traditional car at sky-high fuel prices. With help from Matt Frommer, a transportation analyst and spreadsheet fanatic with the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, the Colorado Auto Dealers Association, AAA and others, here’s a quick guide with five comparisons: EV fuel cost vs. gas Driving 11,000 to 12,000 miles a year in a compact EV, like the Nissan Leaf, costs about $470 in electricity when the car is charged primarily at home using a standard 120V wall outlet. Frommer says 90% of his charging in the past year was at home; prices at public fast chargers run higher, but are obviously convenient and necessary on longer road trips or spontaneous jaunts.

Driving the same number of miles in a gasoline car with average 25.7 mpg fuel economy at $5 a gallon would cost $2,212, Frommer calculates. His numbers are echoed in a Chevy dealer’s calculations for a Chevy Bolt EV, similar in cost and performance to a Nissan.

Cost per gallon equivalent All in with the EV, Frommer concludes, he paid the equivalent of $1.07 a gallon for EV “fuel,” an 80% discount from current gas prices.

And the first few years of EV ownership are usually repair or maintenance-free. No $80 oil changes required. The most expensive thing EV owners tend to do is rotate their tires, at $30 to $50.

Depending on what part of Colorado you are in and which utility brings you electricity, your gallon equivalent cost will vary. Kilowatt hour prices from place to place can vary into the double digits. Be mindful of the time-of-use pricing that Xcel is now using with more than

EV drivers suffering range anxiety in and around Denver International Airport now have a glowing Electrify America fast charge option nearby at 57th Avenue and Tower Road, though charge station builders have not yet completed all the consumer-friendly PHOTO BY MICHAEL BOOTH/THE COLORADO SUN touches like obvious signage or uniform payment interfaces.

300,000 people who’ve had smart meters installed: Plugging in after 7 p.m. at night costs 10 cents per kilowatt hour, while doing so at the 4 p.m. weekday peak costs 27 cents a kilowatt hour. Real world example?

Frommer calculates he spends the equivalent of 78 cents a gallon if he’s not careful when he charges at home, but only 61 cents a gallon at home charging at Xcel’s lowest off-peak times. Public fast-charging stations like Electrify America can cost $3.61 per gallon equivalent.

Then again, gasoline prices can vary significantly around the state as well, so keep that in mind.

You can find comparable fuel economy for various EVs from the federal government here, factoring

in the differing electrical consumption of motors in every model on the market.

Costs to purchase new EV vs. new gas car EVs are undoubtedly cheaper to operate the second they roll off the lot, but often cost up to $10,000 more to purchase than a comparable gasoline model, even after government incentives.

All new car purchases appear stunningly expensive to many buyers these days, but shopping for an EV can add to your sticker shock.

The hot but hard-to-get Rivian trucks are back-ordered at $90,000 plus. Hummer just added $6,000 to its electric muscle model that was

already $100,000, notes Colorado Automobile Dealers Association CEO Tim Jackson.

Chevy did just announce a price break on an overlooked, highly reliable EV hatchback called the Bolt, which lists at closer to $26,000.

Nissan keeps the Leaf in about that price range, as well.

The EV market becomes more confusing because government tax credits are no longer available on all models. The federal tax credit, which can be up to $7,500 for an EV, does not apply once a manufacturer sells 200,000 units, so Tesla and the Chevy Bolt are now out, with others approaching the cap. Also, you can SEE CARS, P27

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26 Clear Creek Courant

June 30, 2022

C R O S SWO R D P U Z Z L E

© 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.

Solution

TRIVIA 1. GEOGRAPHY: What is the capital of Sweden?

2. HISTORY: What was the whole name of the nation once called U.S.S.R.?

3. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: When did July 4 become a federal holiday?

4. FOOD & DRINK: Which fruit is used to make the cocktail mixer grenadine?

10. MOVIES: Which 1967 movie tagline is, “They’re young ... they’re in love ... and they kill people”?

Answers 1. Stockholm 2. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

5. U.S. STATES: In which state is Niagara Falls located?

3. 1870

6. ANIMAL KINGDOM: Which is the only mammal that can fly?

5. New York

7. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which two presidents died within hours of each other on July 4 -- the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence?

8. TELEVISION: What was Beaver’s real first name on the “Leave It to Beaver” sitcom?

9. LITERATURE: Which 1977 horror novel features a hotel called The Overlook?

4. Pomegranate 6. Bats 7. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams 8. Theodore 9. “The Shining” 10. “Bonnie and Clyde” (c) 2022 King Features Synd., Inc.

Crossword Solution

Clear Creek Courant 27

June 30, 2022

CARS FROM PAGE 25

only qualify for the full $7,500 if your federal income tax in a given year is that high — it’s not a “refundable” tax credit.

At the state level, the Colorado tax credit on EVs is now $2,500, dropping to $2,000 on Jan. 1.

New gasoline car prices are way up as well, if at a slightly lower inflation rate than EVs. The average total price in May was $47,148, up more than 13% from a year before, Kelley Blue Book said. That was the second highest monthly average on record, they added.

What cars are actually on the lot?

In other words, could you get one even if you wanted one?

You’ll likely have to wait. Here’s

son, because we’re out of everything. Our lots are empty,” he said.

Many models of gas-powered cars are also in short supply across Colorado, dealers say. The difference being that, with gas engines still powering 85 to 90% of all new car sales, there are more comparable choices to try if your favorite model is on backorder.

an example: Nissan dealers for the entire Rocky Mountain region sold fewer than 200 Nissan Leafs in the first quarter. Each of those dealers could have sold 200 on their own, if they could get them, said CADA’s Jackson.

Microchip production and other supply chain problems continue to plague car manufacturing and delivery, Jackson said, for all engine types. CADA’s Toyota dealers talk about the difference between now, with gas at a shocking $5, and the months in 2008 when gas hit a thenshocking high over $4 a gallon. In 2008, the hybrid Toyota Prius was relatively new and popular, and when inflation-weary consumers flocked to it, Toyota ramped up production to meet demand. Now, Jackson said, no one can really ramp up production or delivery on anything.

“We don’t have the same compari-

Other details to know Environmental advocates want you to take heart that there are other alternatives, if $5 gas is really getting you down and a new EV is not in reach. They mention improved bicycle lanes and dedicated paths in many Colorado cities. In the Denver metro area, RTD is planning how to carry out a proposed August bus fare holiday that would make all rides free, paid for with an infusion from the Colorado legislature.

Used car prices are “red hot” right

now, Frommer notes, which is bad if you are buying, but great if you are selling. He suggests taking advantage of those high prices to sell off car transportation altogether, and replace it with a combination of telecommuting, biking, walking and transit. Denver is preparing to reopen applications for substantial e-bike rebates, and the state is working out details of its own e-bike rebate plan.

“I think it’s going to be a really interesting year for transportation,” Frommer said.

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.

www.ColoradoCommunityMedia.com/Notices

PUBLIC NOTICES

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Public Notices call 303-566-4123 Legals City and County Public Notice L0623- -TD22-030 & 22-031 NOTICE OF PURCHASE OF REAL ESTATE AT TAX LIEN SALE AND OF APPLICATIONS FOR ISSUANCE OF TREASURER’S DEEDS To Every Person in Actual Possession or Occupancy of the hereinafter Described Land, Lot or Premises, and to the Person in Whose Name the same was Taxed or Specially Assessed, and to all Persons having an Interest or Title of Record in or to the said Premises and To Whom It May Concern, and more especially to DIANNE L MILLER And Whereas, You and each of you are hereby notified that on the 15 day of NOVEMBER, A.D. 2019, the then County Treasurer of Clear Creek County, in the State of Colorado, sold at public tax lien sale to CHARLES L HARMON the following described real estate in the County of Clear Creek, State of Colorado, to wit: TAX LIEN SALE CERTIFICATE OF PURCHASE # 2019-00987 Property Schedule R005046 Parcel 183702209008 SAINT MARYS SUBDIVISION Lot: 627 U4 DC 693/834 County of Clear Creek State of Colorado AND TAX LIEN SALE CERTIFICATE OF PURCHASE #2019-00986 Property Schedule M005050 Parcel 183702209114 MBL HOME TITLE: 51E105646 SERIAL: 220354T9875A&B Year: 1990 Make: TITAN Size: 28X48 SAINT MARYS SUBDIVISION Lot: 628 U4 & MOBILE; DC 693/834 County of Clear Creek State of Colorado And Whereas, Said County Treasurer issued Tax Lien Sale Certificates of Purchase therefore to CHARLES L HARMON; And Whereas, That said tax lien sale was made to satisfy the delinquent taxes assessed against said real estate for the year 2018; And Whereas, That said real estate was taxed in the name of DIANNE L MILLER for said year of 2018; And Whereas, That said CHARLES L HARMON on the 07 day of JUNE, A.D. 2022, the present holder of said certificates, who has made request upon the Treasurer of Clear Creek County for deeds to said real estate;

And Whereas, That Treasurer’s Deeds will be issued to the said CHARLES L HARMON at 11:00 o’clock A.M., on the 15 day of NOVEMBER, A.D. 2022, unless the same have been redeemed.

And Whereas, Said properties may be redeemed from said sale at any time prior to the actual execution of said Treasurer’s Deeds.

Witness my hand this 10 day of JUNE, A.D., 2022. /s/ Carol Lee [Seal] Carol Lee, Treasurer Clear Creek County L0623- -TD22-030 & 22-031 Legal Notice No. CCC393 First Publication: June 23, 2022 Last Publication: July 7, 2022 Publisher: Clear Creek Courant Public Notice CITY OF IDAHO SPRINGS County of Clear Creek State of Colorado Ordinance No. 5, Series 2022 AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE LEASE OF REAL PROPERTY OWNED BY THE CITY AT 390 CHICAGO CREEK ROAD (240 HIGHWAY 103) TO CLEAR CREEK COUNTY FOR THE EXISTING AMBULANCE STATION WHEREAS, pursuant to C.R.S. § 31-15-713(1) (c), the City Council (“Council”) for the City of Idaho Springs (the “City”) possesses the authority to enter into lease agreements for real property owned by the City when deemed by the Council to be in the best interest of the City; and WHEREAS, the City owns certain real property located at 390 Chicago Creek Road (240 Highway 103), Clear Creek County, Colorado (the “Property”); and WHEREAS, Clear Creek County (the “County”) has currently located upon the Property an active ambulance station providing emergency medical services to City and County residents and visitors from such location; and WHEREAS, the County previously occupied and used the Property pursuant to a lease with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), which has been terminated to permit the City and County to reach new lease terms agreeable to the current parties to the lease; and WHEREAS, the City Council finds that having an emergency medical services facility from which ambulances are dispatched in close proximity to the City is a non-monetary benefit to City residents, businesses and visitors; and WHEREAS, the City Council therefore desires to approve a lease that permits the County to occupy and use the Property for ambulance station purposes at a rental rate below what the Council would accept from a use that did not confer such a public benefit; and WHEREAS, the City Council therefore wishes to

approve the proposed lease with the County, as further set forth herein.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Idaho Springs, Colorado as follows: Section 1. The above and foregoing recitals are hereby adopted as findings and determinations of the City Council and are incorporated herein by reference.

Section 2. The City Council hereby approves the Lease Agreement, dated March 26, 2022, by and between the City of Idaho Springs and the County of Clear Creek, Colorado, concerning that property known as 390 Chicago Creek Road (240 Highway 103), Clear Creek County, Colorado, for active ambulance station purposes.

Section 3. The Mayor and City Clerk are hereby authorized on behalf of the City to execute and deliver the Lease Agreement and to execute and deliver any and all other documents reasonably necessary or convenient to effectuate the intent of the Lease, in accordance with the terms of this Ordinance.

Section 4. Should any one or more sections or provisions of this Ordinance be judicially determined invalid or unenforceable, such judgment shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remaining provisions of this Ordinance, the intention being that the various sections and provisions are severable.

INTRODUCED, READ AND ORDERED PUBLISHED at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of Idaho Springs, Colorado, held on the 27th day of June, 2022. _____________________ Chuck Harmon, Mayor ATTESTED AND CERTIFIED: ______________________ Diane Breece, City Clerk PASSED, ADOPTED AND APPROVED, after publication at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of Idaho Springs, Colorado, held on the 11th day of July, 2022. ____________________ Chuck Harmon, Mayor ATTESTED AND CERTIFIED: ______________________ Diane Breece, City Clerk

of the Town of Silver Plume Board of Trustees on June 13, 2022, at which time the Board voted unanimously to adopt Ordinance No. 347 Town of Silver Plume ORDINANCE NO. 347

•

AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF SILVER PLUME, BOARD OF TRUSTEES ADOPTING BUSINESS LICENSE REQUIREMENTS WITHIN THE TOWN OF SILVER PLUME, COLORADO

control

Contact Town Hall during regular business hours to request a copy of the Ordinance /S/ Tammy A. Sanford Town Clerk Town of Silver Plume clerk@silverplumetown.com Legal Notice No. CCC397 First Publication: June 30, 2022 Last Publication: July 7, 2022 Publisher: Clear Creek Courant

Bids and Settlements Public Notice REQUEST FOR BIDS CLEAR CREEK COUNTY ROAD & BRIDGE DEPARTMENT CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, COLORADO Clear Creek County (Owner) is requesting Bids for the construction of the following Project: PW 22-04 Pavement Overlay and Construction of Sedimentation Ponds County Road 170 Bids for the construction of the Project will be accepted electronically with the following exact text in the subject line: Bid for PW 22-04 Pavement Overlay and Construction of Sedimentation Ponds. Bids sent by parcel service or U.S.P.S. shall be addressed to the attention of Stoy Streepey and be clearly marked on the front of the envelope with: Bid for PW 22-04 Pavement Overlay and Construction of Sedimentation Ponds.

A pre-bid meeting is scheduled on July 7th, 2022 at 10:00 AM and will be held via Zoom. All interested firms are encouraged to attend the pre-bid meeting. Contact the Road & Bridge Department via email at pw@clearcreekcounty.us to receive a copy of the construction plans and to receive an invitation for the pre-bid meeting.

The following Ordinance No. 347 was introduced at a regular meeting of the Town of Silver Plume Board of Trustees held on May 9, 2022

All bids must be received via email to pw@clearcreekcounty.us, via courier at the Clear Creek County Road & Bridge Department located at 3549 Stanley Road (CR 312), Dumont, Colorado 80436 or via U.S.P.S at P.O. Box 362, Dumont CO 80436 no later than Thursday, July 21, 2022 at 2:00 PM local time. At said time all bids duly received will be publicly opened and read aloud via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85671171619? pwd=UEt2TjY5NDNoancvNGdEZklPRXFXdz09

A Public Hearing was held at the regular meeting

The Project includes the following Work:

Legal Notice No. CCC398 First Publication: June 30, 2022 Last Publication: June 30, 2022 Publisher:Clear Creek Courant Public Notice

• 2” HMA overlay and various patching sections for approximately 2.7 miles of County Road 170 between the two intersection with Highway 103

Includes minor ditch regrading, shouldering, striping, and traffic

•

New sedimentation ponds • Includes grading of embankment slopes, construction of maintenance accesses, and tree removal/ replacement Obtaining the Bidding Documents

Information and Bidding Documents for the Project can be found at the following designated website:

https://co-clearcreekcounty2.civicplus.com/Bids. aspx?CatID=17

Bidding Documents may be downloaded from the designated website. The designated website will be updated periodically with addenda, reports, and other information relevant to submitting a Bid for the Project. All official notifications, addenda, and other Bidding Documents will be offered only through the designated website. Owner will not be responsible for Bidding Documents, including addenda, if any, obtained from sources other than the designated website.

Instructions to Bidders For all further requirements regarding bid submittal, qualifications, procedures, and contract award, refer to the Request for Bids that is included in the Bidding Documents.

Sean Wood, Chairman Board of County Commissioners Legal Notice No. CCC395 First Publication: June 23, 2022 Last Publication: June 30, 2022 Publisher: Clear Creek Courant

Name Changes PUBLIC NOTICE Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

Public notice is given on June 7, 2022 that a Petition for a Change of Name of a Minor Child has been filed with the Clear Creek County Court.

The Petition requests that the name of Clark Elijah Witt be changed to Eli Penney Witt Case No.: 22C39 By: Kirstin Hindman Clerk of Court/Deputy Clerk Legal Notice No. CCC388 First Publication: June 16, 2022 Last Publication: June 30, 2022 Publisher: Clear Creek Courant

Clear Creek Courant June 30, 2022 * 1

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June 30, 2022

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LOOKING FOR A NEW JOB? CLEAR CREEK COUNTY WANTS YOU!!!

DEADLINES CLASSIFIED LINE ADS: MONDAY, 11 A.M. SERVICE DIRECTORY: THURSDAY, 5 P.M. LEGALS: THURSDAY, 3 P.M.

CLEAR CREEK COUNTY is accepting applications for the following jobs:

Library and Athletics Paraprofessional / Benefits / CCMS, HS Preschool Paraprofessional / Benefits/ KM Elem / 2022-2023 Community Coordinator (21st Century Learning Center) / PT /Grant Funded Custodians / 2 FT Available / Benefits Mostly Evenings / CCHS & King Murphy Elem Cook / PT / Carlson Elem Head Cook / Benefits / CCHS Small Vehicle Driver / FT / Benefits Bus Driver / FT / Benefits Coaches: MS Head Volleyball. MS Asst Volleyball HS Head Wrestling, and HS Varsity Girls Basketball Visit our Website to View All Open Positions Apply at: www.ccsdre1.org

• Child Protection Caseworker I/II/III: Hiring wage is $47,091.20 - $55,440 annually DOQ • Control Tech: Hiring wage is $20.14 - $22.15/hr DOQ • Deputy Clerk: Hiring wage is $17.64 - $19.40/hr DOQ • Deputy Sheriff - Patrol: Hiring wage is $33.94 - $34.96/hr DOQ • Detentions Deputy: Hiring wage is $29.23 - $30.11/hr DOQ • Dispatcher: Hiring wage is $24.62 - $25.35/hr DOQ • EMS Captain: Hiring wage is $85,000 - $93,500 annually DOQ • Equipment Operator I for Transfer Station: CDL; Hiring wage is $21.15 - $23.26/hr DOQ • Equipment Operator II for Road and Bridge: CDL; Hiring wage is $24.16 - $26.57/hr DOQ • Facilities Maintenance Worker: Hiring wage is $17.50 - $19.25/hr DOQ • IM Eligibility Case Manager H.S.: Hiring wage is $20.14 - $22.15/hr DOQ • Kitchen Manager: Hiring wage is $22.40 - $24.64/hr DOQ • Laborer (Seasonal): Hiring wage is $14.90 - 16.39/hr DOQ • Laborer/Cashier: Hiring wage is $19.23 - $21.15/hr DOQ • Mechanic - Senior: Hiring wage is $23.10 - $25.41/hr DOQ • Nurse Confinement: Hiring wage is $77,200 - $84,920 annually DOQ • Office Admin – Resource Center: Hiring wage is $20.19 - $22.20/hr DOQ • Paramedic: Hiring wage is $60,000 - $66,000 annually DOQ Taking applications until positions are filled.

Clear Creek School District RE1, does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, genetic information, marital status, or disability in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its educational programs or activities.

Inquiries may be referred to the Director of Human Resources, Robin Payne, robin.payne@ccsdre1.org 303-567-3851

See benefits, full job descriptions and applications by scanning QR code or go to: https://www.clearcreekcounty.us Under “I Want to…” in the left-hand column of the drop down, click on “Jobs in Clear Creek County”.

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Help Wanted

Real Estate

Church of the Hills (COTH) Presbyterian (USA) seeks an individual to provide organ and piano accompaniment for worship services and rehearsals. See full job description/application at the website www.churchofthehills.com.

Interested, qualified candidates can send a resume and complete application to nangrant41@msn.com or by regular mail to Director of Music, Church of the Hills, P.O. Box 1210 Evergreen, CO 80437-1210.

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DRIVER NEEDED

We are looking for a class B license trash truck and dirt hauling driver.

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The Evergreen Players, a local, non-profit community theater group located in Evergreen Colorado, is seeking a dynamic, detail oriented individual to serve as Front of House/ Box Office Manager.

This is a part time position that would require running the Front of House for our seven main stage productions throughout the year.

This could also be a position that is job shared between two individuals.

Please reachout to gm@ evergreenplayers.org for additional details if interested.

Landscape positions available for local design/build construction company. Full time w/overtime.

Call Kenny @ 303.670.8252 RECEPTIONIST Elk Meadow Animal Hospital is actively seeking a receptionist. We are looking for someone who is a team player and has excellent communication skills. Come join our pack!

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EAPL Thrift Shop 12888 Meadow Drive Evergreen and Chow Down Pet Supplies 1260 Bergan Pkwy, Evergreen Sponsors: Cactus Jack’s Saloon & Grill * Chow Down Pet Supplies * Evergreen Cat Lodge * Farley’s Feline Friends Lucy wants a home – a kennel is no place for this beautiful girl!

Lucy has been in a boarding kennel for 6-weeks after she lost her foster home! Help EAPL get her out and into a forever home (bestest for her) or a foster home for loves and snuggles until she can find her forever home!

SPREAD THE WORD! HELP LUCY, PLEASE! Meet Miss Lucy! She is about 2yo birth date is estimated in June 2020, she needs to be active & have chew toys, walks, play fetch, etc. She is smart! She learns quickly. We are guessing she is a maybe Plott Hound with a sprinkling of Lab and a splash of Sharpei mix. She is 62lbs. She does well with children of all ages.

She likes to sleep in bed with her humans. She likes to be with her humans (baby to adult size). She does well with male dogs.

She gets so excited when you say the word "kids" it means the grandkids are coming over and she will run to the window to "LOOK" lol. She is doing amazing in boarding playgroups with dogs of both sexes and all sizes up to 25 dogs at a time!

No kitties for this girl – she can have a prey drive.

Email us at eaplevergreen@eapl.com

See all of our available pets at www.eapl.com