CURRENTS

Ongoing

Summer Fun at the Rock House: e Clear Creek Rock House is o ering Summer Fun at the Rock House for sixth through 12th graders from 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays. Dinner is provided. Some of the activities include paddle boarding, boating and use of our full activity court for badminton, basketball, volleyball and more. All activities are free. For more information, call Cheryl Holmberg at 303-519-0144.

Mountain Jams: Mountain Jams concerts start at 2 p.m. on Saturdays through Sept. 16 at Library State Park in Georgetown. is year’s acts, sponsored by Georgetown Cultural Arts and Georgetown Heritage Center, include a mix of jazz, bluegrass, rock, folk and country. Artists include local favorites and internationally recognized touring artists. For a complete lineup and additional details, visit www.eventbrite.com/ broader study on the structure of fare pricing and equity. Prices are going down for most riders and the fare structure is simpli ed to four price options. cc/eorgetown-mountain-jams.

In Denver, most high school students are ineligible for yellow bus service, limiting transportation options for them to get to school. Denver Public Schools pays for passes to ride public RTD buses to and from school, but students must live more than 2.5 miles from their school.

Facing driver shortages and rising costs, the Denver schools have cut bus service for some middle and elementary schools for the next school year and are o ering limited service to the Denver School of the Arts. e district must still provide yellow bus service for high school students with disabilities, recent refugees who attend the district’s “newcomer centers,” and Englishlearning high schoolers in the district’s bilingual programs.

Blue Spruce Habitat volunteers needed: Blue Spruce Habitat for Humanity is looking for volunteers. A variety of opportunities and exible schedules are available on new construction sites as well as for exterior minor home repairs. No previous construction experience needed. Contact volunteer@bluesprucehabitat.org for information.

Walk-in vaccine clinics: Walkin vaccine clinics for adults and children needing u and other vaccines are available from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesdays at the Clear Creek Health and Wellness Center, 1969 Miner St., Idaho Springs. No appointments required for the vaccines, though you can pre-register by calling 303-670-7528.

Resilience1220 counseling: Young people 12 to 20 can get free counseling through an Evergreenbased organization called Resilience1220. Comprised of licensed therapists, Resilience1220 serves individuals and groups in the foothills including Clear Creek County. ey also facilitate school and community groups to build life skills in wellness and resilience among youth. For more information or to schedule a e youth fare program ends Aug. 31, 2024. To continue the program, RTD o cials want other organi- counseling session, visit R1220.org, email Resilience1220@gmail.com or call 720-282-1164. zations to help fund a part of the project. e college program was renewed for another year with the addition of semester passes for higher education institutions that didn’t participate in the CollegePass program. e SemesterPass will be an opt-in program for individual students who use public transportation rather than the institutions paying for the entire student body. e pass costs $75 per student each month.

For free rides,drivers may ask kids to show a school- or governmentissued ID, according to Bill Sirois, RTD senior manager of transit oriented communities.

RTD plans to collect ride data two ways: transportation operators will key in information on their keypads, and surveys will be sent out throughout the school year. RTD wants to know if riders are taking advantage of the opportunity and if their opinions have changed on using more public transportation.

“We’re excited and we’re hoping for big success. We’ve reached out to a lot of the school districts and got some good feedback in terms of contacts to work with to collect data and hopefully see some good results,” Sirois said.

RTD has projected that it will cost the system $3.5 to $4 million in the next year to o er free youth fares.

Dental clinics: Cleanings, X-rays, dentures, tooth extractions and more. Most insurances are accepted including Medicaid. Sliding scale/ low-cost options are also available. No appointment necessary. is is a mobile dentist that comes once a month. Call program manager Lauralee at 720-205-4449 for questions.

Clear Creek Rotary 2000 meetings: Clear Creek Rotary 2000 meets at 7:30 a.m. Wednesdays at Marion’s of the Rockies. 2805 Colorado Blvd., Idaho Springs. For more information, email loe er806@comcast.net.

Support after suicide loss: Heartbeat and Resilience1220 o er Support After Suicide Loss from 5:30-7 p.m. the fourth ursday of the month for ages 14 and older. Join inperson or online. Suggest donation is $15. For location, visit R1220.org.

DPS did not respond to requests for comment on this story.

Last fall, RTD initiated the CollegePass program which provided unlimited free rides to all students whose universities opted into the program. Colleges paid for it in di erent ways. Some included a fee into a student’s tuition; other schools footed the bill.

Chalkbeat is a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools.

Storytime with Miss Honeybun: Storytime with Miss Honeybun is at 11:15 a.m. Tuesdays at the Idaho Springs Public Library and at 11:15 a.m. ursdays at the John Tomay Memorial Library in Georgetown.

Sensitive Collection: Resilience1220 o ers a monthly workshop for highly sensitive people to help them live healthy and empowered lives from 3:30-4:30 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month via Zoom. Visit R1220.org for more information.

Call 1-844-823-0293 for a free consultation.

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

For those who haven’t stopped by their local library in recent years, it’s not just a place to pick up and drop o books anymore.

In the post-pandemic era, libraries have become meeting places, remote work spaces, play areas and more. Rather than the repositories of books and other print media they once were, libraries are taking on more of a community center role, sta members at Denverarea library districts explained.

“ ey’ve always had that role,” said Holly Grant of the Clear Creek County Library District. “But now, it’s about … not just seeing (a library) as a storehouse of knowledge and scholarship.”

To that end, libraries have diversi ed the items and programs they o er to address community needs. Depending on the district, patrons can check out everything from camping equipment to virtual reality headsets. Additionally, patrons can access video- and audiobook-streaming services for free with their library cards.

Plus, along with children’s storytime and book clubs, library events and programs can range from puppy yoga to snowshoe hikes.

“It’s a very di erent library than what many of us grew up with,” Holly Whelan of Arapahoe Libraries said. “ … We have everything, everything, everything.”

Items and resources aplenty

Whelan’s words aren’t an exaggeration, as sta members from multiple districts said their libraries o er so much it’s hard for them to remember everything. So, before buying, renting or downloading something, check the library rst.

Along with books, movies and comics, districts have nontraditional items for check-out. Many o er laptops, iPads, Kindles, mobile WiFi hotspots, passes to local museums, cookware, GoPro cameras and science kits.

Mark Fink, executive director of Anythink Libraries — which has branches from ornton to Bennett — said his district’s TryIts collection includes musical instruments for various experience levels; lawn games; outdoor gear like snowshoes and backpacks; 3-D printers; sewing machines and crafting kits; and microscopes.

People have borrowed them for weekend barbecues, camping trips, one-o projects, or to see whether they’d want to buy their own. Fink said the TryIts collection has been so popular, Anythink Libraries has “expanded the level of items we provide.”

O ering items like these saves patrons money and helps the environment too, Grant pointed out, as people aren’t buying things they might only use once.

Along with physical items, districts have several online resources patrons can access with their library cards. rough these apps and online services, patrons can download e-books and audiobooks, stream movies and TV shows, and access tutoring services and online classes — all for free.

Lizzie Gall of Je erson County Public Library said patrons who used to spend money on Audible and Net ix have saved money by nding their items through the library instead.

In-person services are also crucial, whether it’s answering technological questions or notarizing documents. Grant said Clear Creek patrons have asked for help setting up their Kindles and reviewing their emails, and tourists often stop into the Idaho Springs and Georgetown branches to ask questions about local sites and museums.

As Whelan summarized it: “If you think the library isn’t for you, or we don’t have anything to o er, think again. … We have something for everybody.”

Unique programs, events

Beyond summer reading and book clubs, libraries have expanded the type of events and programs they o er — ranging from outdoor and out-of-library adventures, to arts and culture, to physical and mental health. Almost all are free and open to everyone, including out-of-district attendees. Some may require preregistration and/or tickets to cover event costs.

Clear Creek has hosted everything from snowshoe hikes to American Sign Language classes. It also has free present-wrapping stations in December, which are immensely popular, Grant said.

Both Je erson County and Arapahoe libraries have hosted after-hours laser tag for teens, which are well-attended and sometimes have fun themes like “Star Wars.” Gall highlighted other teen events, like this August’s Teen Iron Chef and the ongoing Coding Camp, which has expanded to include preteens.

Summertime outdoor concert series are a seed library at one of its