Elbert County News 123021

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December 30, 2021

ELBERT COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

ElbertCountyNews.net

VOLUME 126 | ISSUE 46

Kiowa Schools fundraising for sign Native American mascot imagery must be removed under Colorado law

Bret Wade’s death leaves opening on town’s governing board

BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

In compliance with Senate Bill 21-116, signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis on June 28, schools around the state of Colorado are to remove all Native American imagery, names and related words with a deadline of June 30, 2022.

In compliance with the new law, the Kiowa Schools are required to make several changes to their official images and terminology, including replacing the school sign that faces Highway 86 in Kiowa.

The current sign uses the symbol of a Native American man and the phrase “Home of the Indians.”

In addition to staying in compliance with the law, Kiowa Schools Superintendent Dr. Silvia McNeely says that the sign is damaged and is in a state of disrepair.

“We have difficulty replacing pieces and parts of the sign that

BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Control Commission to help meet statutory requirements for Colorado to cut its greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels by 26% by 2025, 50% by 2030 and 90% by 2050.

“This definitely gets us closer to where we want to be but more needs to be done,” said Joro Walker, an attorney with the environmental group Western Resource Advocates.

Industry officials hailed the adoption of the intensity program and lamented some of the other provisions adopted by the AQCC.

The Town of Elizabeth is looking for an interested resident to fill a vacancy on the Board of Trustees following the death of Trustee Bret Wade on Nov. 28.

In a short phone correspondence on Dec. 21 with Patrick Davidson, the new Elizabeth town administrator, he stressed the importance of the role and encouraged those interested to apply.

“Serving on the Board of Trustees is a great opportunity for someone interested to give back to the community,” said Davidson. “The trustees get to participate in shaping the future of Elizabeth and the area, leaving a lasting legacy.”

Wade, 47, died of COVID, according to a Dec. 18 article in Colorado Politics.

To qualify for consideration as an appointed trustee, individuals must fulfill the following criteria: • Must have resided in the Town of Elizabeth for a minimum of one year.

Applicants must know that an Elizabeth address does not necessarily mean they reside in the Town of Elizabeth. Residency is not based solely on a mailing address; it means living within the town boundaries.

If you are interested in the position and are unsure if you are town resident, call 303-646-4166 to verify.

• Be a U.S. citizen.

• Be a registered elector (voter) of the Town of Elizabeth.

SEE EMISSIONS, P15

SEE TRUSTEE, P6

Proposed Kiowa Schools signage in compliance with Colorado Senate Bill 21-116.

COURTESY OF KIOWA SCHOOLS

are too high in cost,” said McNeely in an email correspondence from Dec. 17. “Some parts are nonreplaceable and/or unadaptable due to current regulations, like the

specialty light bulbs that involve specific hardware.”

Leaders of the Kiowa Schools are SEE SIGN, P6

State allows emissions leeway for oil-gas industry Not everyone is happy about latitude board gave operators

BY MARK JAFFE COLORADO SUN

Colorado air regulators have adopted a sweeping set of rules to slash methane emissions from oil and gas operations, including a controversial, first-in-the nation program giving industry a freer hand in determining how to cut

Elizabeth seeks new trustee

pollution.

The “intensity program,” under which operators will have to reduce emissions by set percentages based on the amount of oil and gas they produce, was strongly supported by the industry and opposed by environmental groups concerned it would be ineffective.

The environmental and community groups pressed for regulations to increase inspections and curb emissions from specific operations such as unloading liquids and cleaning pipelines.

The regulations were adopted on Dec. 17 by the state’s Air Quality

INSIDE: CALENDAR: PAGE 7 | VOICES: PAGE 8 | LIFE: PAGE 10

DIGITAL DETOX

Stepping away from social media

P10

2 Elbert County News

December 30, 2021

Home buyers, buckle up for 2022 Constricted inventory, high prices expected to continue in New Year

BY MOLLY ARMBRISTER SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

As the population grows, housing inventory has decreased and home prices are selling SHUTTERSTOCK well above asking prices. The trend will likely continue in 2022.

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After an especially difficult year for would-be home buyers, there is little relief in sight for those trying to find a house to purchase along the Front Range and in highdemand Douglas County.

Home prices have appreciated at a rapid clip for the last decade in metro Denver, but 2021 posed even greater problems for those seeking to buy a home, with inventories of homes for sale plummeting to all-time lows in many areas. The low inventory led to an incredibly competitive sales environment, in which bidding wars were the norm and cash offers in some cases totaling tens of thousands of dollars above asking price flowed in.

Unsurprisingly, the price of homes shot up over the course of 2021, from a position that many on the Front Range already found unattainable. In Douglas County, the median sold price for a detached home reached $677,000 in November 2021, an increase of more than 20% from the same month a year earlier, according to data from the National Association of Realtors.

Overall, in the metro area, the median detached home price increased from $450,000 to $525,000 year-over-year through October, according to the Denver Metro Association of Realtors Market Trends Report.

Another indicator of the direction of the home-buying market is the number of homes that sold for $1 million or more, said Jace Glick, a broker-owner at Re/Max Alliance specializing in Douglas and Elbert counties.

Through November 2021, 14.2% of homes that sold in the metro area were priced at $1 million or more, compared to 7.6% in the first 11 months of 2020. Meanwhile, the percentage of homes sold in the $300,000 to $499,999 range fell from 34.6% in 2020 to 9.6% in 2021, largely because of a severe shortage of homes in the mid-tier range. Only a sliver of all homes sold for less than $300,000, a number that would have been considered average for the Denver area a decade ago.

Douglas County in particular has experienced price hikes, thanks to its reputation as a desirable place to live, Glick said.

“Our inventory levels are anemic,” Glick said. “In 2019 there were 1,031 homes for sale. Right now there are 349. That’s a third.

There aren’t as many sales because people aren’t selling.”

COVID-19 certainly contributed to the problem, adding a previously incomprehensible layer of complication to a marketplace that was already short on inventory.

“COVID changed the way we think about our homes,” said Jessica Reinhardt, member of the Denver Metro Association of Realtors Market Trends Committee and a local broker. “It’s no longer

just where we eat and sleep. It’s where we work, where we spend our free time, it’s where our kids go to school. Everything has been exasperated. COVID exasperated our market.”

The uncertainty and fear that the pandemic brought completely disincentivized people from selling their homes at the same time that turmoil in international markets destabilized funding for new development, throwing a wrench into the pipeline of new-build homes.

Now, supply-chain problems, labor shortages and materials costs slow construction times of those homes that are under construction, Glick said.

And these trends are likely to continue into 2022, although Glick anticipates a bit of an uptick on the inventory side, particularly from baby boomers deciding to downsize or move closer to their children.

But larger economic forces are at play, impacting would-be buyers’ ability to come up with the money to chase down increasingly expensive properties.

“Inflation is the ultimate silent tax,” Glick said, referencing recent surges in inflation nationwide.

“When everything you buy goes up, it’s a silent tax. It hurts people, they notice it.”

In response, the Federal Reserve has indicated that it is likely to raise interest rates in 2022, which in turn cuts into buying power for those seeking homes.

And buyers are feeling the strain, especially those who are trying to purchase a home for the first time, Reinhardt said. These buyers have never gone through this process before and repeatedly losing bidding wars or have offers rejected is defeating for them.

“Every time they write an offer, they’re invested. They’ve pictured their Christmas tree in that house somewhere,” she said.

Aside from the bidding wars, the price increases have changed the idea of what an entry-level home is, Reinhardt said. She also predicts another challenging year for buyers, particularly until the weather starts to warm up. Colorado’s residential real estate market typically slows down in the winter as inclement weather and the holiday season keep people from listing their homes.

“There will be some new inventory hitting the market, but I don’t think we’ll see that first wave until early spring,” Reinhardt said.

And even then, the number of homes placed up for sale as the winter thaws into summer selling season can’t keep up with the tremendous demand in the Denver area.

Still, it’s not impossible to buy a new home, Reinhardt said, but it’s important for buyers to have realistic expectations before they jump into the fray. That, and having a strong team in their corner.

“When I give advice to buyers, the number one thing is to have a good lender behind you. It makes a difference when you’re making an offer. Having a good lender and a realtor to advocate for them is huge,” she said.

Elbert County News 3

December 30, 2021

From our families to yours, we wish everyone joy, health and a wonderful New Year. Cheers to 2022!

1001 HILLTOP ROAD • ELIZABETH, COLORADO 80107

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4 Elbert County News

December 30, 2021

Rock the world at Denver Museum of Nature & Science The National Guitar Museum exhibit highlights past, present and future

BY CLARKE READER SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

If you read about pop music with any regularity, you’ve probably seen a story that pops up every now and then — one that says guitar-based music is dead. And yet, the instrument and its music never seem like they’re going anywhere.

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s latest exhibit, “Guitar: The Instrument That Rocked the World,” not only explores the history of the instrument, but how innovation and experimentation are keeping it exciting for new generations.

“Guitars are something that connect for so many of us. I remember getting my first guitar and wherever I went, that guitar went with me,” said Jennifer Moss Logan, Denver Museum of Nature & Science educator. “This exhibition speaks to so many people — people have the chance to see incredible instruments from around the world that are as alive today as they were when they first came out.”

The exhibit runs at the museum, 2001 Colorado Blvd. in Denver, through April 17. The traveling show from The National Guitar Museum is included with general admission tickets.

“Guitar: The Instrument that Rocked the World,” an exhibition coming to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, will feature 60 COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL GUITAR MUSEUM instruments.

The exhibition features more than 60 instruments and explores the cultural and physical history of the guitar, taking visitors on a journey from medieval instruments like lutes and ouds to the electric guitars that are commonplace today.

And guitars haven’t stopped evolv-

ing, which means guests will see the innovative ways the instrument is being pushed into the future.

“We have guitars on display that really stretch the imagination, including an eight-necked guitar, the controllers used for Guitar Hero and one that is 3D-printed,” Logan said.

“We also have the world’s largest playable guitar (measuring about 43 feet), according to Guinness World Records, for people to try strumming.”

While there is a great amount of interactive fun to be had at the exhibit, that’s not all it offers. Visitors get to dive into the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics (STEAM) concepts behind the instrument, including sound waves, frequency, engineering and more.

“One of the most important things to us in this exhibit is stealth science … which is learning about science without knowing you’re learning about it,” said HP Newquist, executive director of The National GUITAR Museum, in a previous interview with DMNS. “With the electric guitar, in order to

make sound, you talk about physics, electromagnetism, decibel levels and soundwaves. All these things are inherent in the guitar, but you may not know it when you look at and listen to a guitar. It’s the perfect way to teach about science.”

As is always the case with traveling national exhibits, the museum added a local touch to proceedings.

This includes showcasing local guitar legends like Otis Taylor in the exhibit and hosting guitar sessions with Denver-based musicians like Stevie Gunter and Jen Korte.

“We always try to think about who our audience is and how can we make sure these exhibitions that come from other places have a local flavor,” Logan said. “We have an incredible music scene in Denver, one that can represent the best of the guitar and guitar music.

People from all different communities love different players, so the instrument can encompass so many scenes.”

For more information and tickets on the exhibit, visit dmns.org/ guitars.

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Elbert County News 5

December 30, 2021

Stay Safe. Let Douglas County Give you a ‘Lyft” this Near Year’s Eve Get $5 toward a Lyft ride to/from a Douglas County light rail station. Use the code DOCONYE21 in the payment center of the Lyft app for a ride between 5 p.m. Dec. 31 and 5 a.m. Jan. 1.

Details at douglas.co.us

Live Town Hall meetings A band plays at the Tailgate Tavern during Parker Days in June 2018.

FILE PHOTO

Parker Days to be smaller in 2022 Security will be emphasized at town’s signature event

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

After taking two years off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Parker Days festival will return to the town in 2022 with a smaller, more local focus.

The event will have one fewer stage than previous festivals, will only be marketed to Douglas County residents and won’t include a parade or car show, said TJ Sullivan, the CEO of the Parker Chamber of Commerce. It will also be one day shorter than in years past.

“It seems a lot of times that the job of a leader with such a big event is to make it bigger, bigger, bigger and now our mission seems to be to right-size Parker Days,” Sullivan told the town council in a Dec. 6 meeting.

The decision came after Sullivan, who started with the chamber in August, heard dozens of comments about the event from residents, business owners and town council members, he said.

“When I started this job, I was bombarded immediately from every side with feedback on Parker Days,” he said. “Parker Days is obviously a hugely important tradition to this community.”

In 2019, the last year the event was held, organizers estimate that about 250,000 to 300,000 people attended the festival. Sullivan said his team would be comfortable with reducing that by about 15% or 20%.

“While Parker Days will never be a small event, it does not need to get out of control,” Sullivan said in an interview.

The event is hosted by the Parker Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation, a nonprofit organization housed within the Parker Chamber of Commerce.

There will also be an increased emphasis on safety at the 2022 event with added lighting towers, security cameras and fencing.

“We really want to make this more of a Parker event and less of a regional madhouse that some people say it became over the course of years,” Sullivan said.

The plan is for the festival to have three stages: a main stage, a community stage and a demonstration stage for things like cooking presentations.

For music, the event will feature more local bands with a focus on fun, upbeat party music. The chamber foundation plans to work with TailGate Brewery to incorporate their stage and music as well, Sullivan said. Organizers are also adding a silent disco for the festival.

All carnival rides, including those for young children, will be located at Carnival Hill, north of O’Brien Park. The carnival will shut down at 10:15 each night instead of midnight.

The Mainstreet festivities will also be limited, stretching from O’Brien Park to Pine Drive instead of reaching past the PACE Center, Sullivan said.

While people from outside the community are welcome at the event, organizers won’t dedicate as much money to marketing to those outside town for the 2022 event. In the past, marketing efforts have stretched as far as Nebraska, Sullivan said.

“I want people to see their neighbors and friends and local folks,” he said. “And if that means a little less revenue from the carnival I’m OK with that.”

The event is scheduled to take place from June 10-12, pending the permit process with the town.

Updates on the event will be posted to the website ParkerDaysFestival.com beginning at the end of January.

“We realize with a festival this size it’s impossible to please everybody 100%,” Sullivan said. “But hopefully, having taken a few years off due to COVID, I hope we’re making some moves that will make this festival more of an asset and less of a stressor on the town and the businesses.”

Did you know Douglas County offers Live Town Hall meetings, inviting you to engage in the local issues of importance to you and your neighbors? Register at douglas.co.us/townhall to ensure you are contacted about all future Live Town Halls – it’s always your choice whether or not to participate. Registering will also allow you to receive surveys so that you may share what topics YOU want to hear more about.

Make a difference in an older peson’s life Become a Volunteer with Neighbor Network/Aging Resources! Volunteers are needed as drivers, companionship, handyman services and more. Training provided, background check required. Be the difference in your community - apply today at agingresourcesdougco.org/volunteers.html

Holiday Office Closure Reminder: Doulgas County offices will be closed Friday, Dec. 31.

Many services are available at DoItOnlineDouglas.com

Christmas tree recycling For drop-off locations, times and dates, as well as instructions on how to prepare a tree for recycling, visit douglas.co.us and search for Christmas tree recycling.

Let’s Talk...

The Holidays can be stressful, and your mental and emotional health are just as important as your physical health. Simply talking with someone can make you feel better. Learn how to start the conversation today by visiting letstalkco.org or hablemosco.org

Are you ready if disaster hits?

It takes a matter of seconds for disaster to strike and change your life forever. Thankfully, it also takes only seconds to sign up for free emergency notifications at DouglasCountyCodeRED.com ensuring that you will be in the know if dangerous circumstances are foreseen or happening near you.

Visit douglas.co.us

6 Elbert County News

December 30, 2021

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TRUSTEE FROM PAGE 1

• Have an interest in town affairs.

• No experience in town government is necessary.

The appointment to fill the vacancy will be for a term that would begin on the effective date of the appointment and end at a Town Board meeting following the certification of the November 2022 election results.

The Board of

Trustees will review applications and appoint one individual to fill the vacancy at a scheduled board meeting. Letters of interest with resumes will be accepted up to Monday, January 3, 2022, at 5 p.m.

If interested, please submit a letter of interest to: Town Hall, Attn: Town Clerk, PO Box 159, Elizabeth, CO 80107; drop off at Town Hall, 151 S. Banner St.; or email to moeser@townofelizabeth.org.

SIGN FROM PAGE 1

currently raising money to fully replace the sign through a GoFundMe campaign, ultimately resolving the ongoing repair issue and to comply with the Colorado state law. The new sign will be a fully digital messaging center with the ability to provide more information to parents and to the community.

“We were able to raise around $20,000 from Phillips 66 and other donors to help fund a new sign.

Elizabeth Town Hall, meeting place for the Board of Trustees.

Those donations are earmarked for the replacement of this sign,” said Dr. McNeely. “We are needing approximately $10,000 more to fully fund the replacement of this sign.”

In addition to replacing the imagery and wordage on the sign, the Kiowa Schools are also required to replace their mascot.

The Indian mascot will need to change by the June 2022 deadline or the Kiowa Schools will incur a $25,000 monthly fine. During the Dec. 17 correspondence with Dr. McNeely, no decision has been made regarding the new mascot.

“I feel strongly about

COURTESY OF TOWN OF ELIZABETH

preserving this community’s traditions, culture, and history. I wish to take it slow in deciding what mascot can symbolize Kiowa traditions and culture.” said Dr. McNeely, “With that being said, I believe the community needs more time to discuss and decide what is best.”

The school motto, however, will stay intact.

“I spoke to our school attorney, and he informed me that our Motto (TRIBE: Truth, Respect, Individuality, Bravery, Excellence ) is permissible because there are and were tribes around the world, outside Native American like the

12 Tribes of Israel, the Maasai Tribe in Tanzania, the Huli of Papua New Guinea, etc.,” commented Dr. McNeely. “We will cosmetically cover up images and the word `Indian’ until we decide what mascot better expresses the Traditions and Culture of this community.”

On Jan. 10, Dr. McNeely and the Kiowa School Board plan to begin a thorough discussion regarding how to proceed with the transition.

To donate to the Kiowa Schools new sign fundraiser, visit gofundme. com/f/help-replace-kiowaschools-sign.

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Elbert County News 7

December 30, 2021

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8 Elbert County News

LOCAL

December 30, 2021

VOICES

Some say it’s the best week of the year WINNING WORDS

Michael Norton

H

ere we are in one of those years where Christmas and the New Year are bookending a full week.

And it seems like whenever this happens, many treat it as just another work week, while others take full advantage of an extra week between the holidays where it may not be quite as busy at work. And there are many companies who have moved to giving the entire week off as an extra benefit to their teams.

Why do some feel like it’s the best week of the year? Since I am one of those people, I thought I would ask around and see why others might feel the same way.

Many affirmed my thinking. It’s a great week to decompress after a long year. And many of the folks I spoke with lumped 2020 into this year as well because of the pandemic and overall craziness of that year they didn’t have time to sort it all about last year. This year they shared that they were really looking forward to taking a breather, even if it’s just an extra day or two and not the whole week.

Some families booked a vacation, others just planned local activities. There were several people who shared that they usually start taking down their decorations immediately after Christmas, but this year, they thought they might leave them up just a bit longer.

The full week is giving a lot of people a chance to complete projects at work or at home. And a few shared that they felt like they could get more done because there are fewer distractions.

For me, I always loved the week between Christmas and the New Year because it gave me time to reflect on everything that happened during the year. And although I have already planned out my 2022, I take this week to review my plan in greater detail, adjust if I need to, and wrap my head around what the new year will bring, trying to do as my good friend Tom Ziglar suggests, “Expect the best, prepare for the worst, and capitalize on what comes.”

We know that change happens. Change is constant. Change shows no prejudice.

As predictable as change is, the actual changes that come our way are so unpredictable. This means we must ready ourselves for the changes as best we can. And for me, this week is the perfect time to connect my head and my heart as I expect the best, prepare for the worst, and position myself to capitalize on whatever comes.

This week between the holidays, looking at my plan, I want to make sure that I examine every aspect of life, the spiritual, mental and physical, and through the lens of reality. The reason I call out “reality” is because my nature is to be positive. And sometimes this is an overde-

veloped strength that could create blind spots for me. I find that being as optimistic as possible is my best approach, only if I am willing to scrutinize my planning and set my expectations having carefully thought through the realities of life.

As I challenge my optimism with a dose of reality, it forces me to become even more creative, to think through contingency plans, and to still try and come up with a way to achieve my goals and dreams no matter what life throws my way. Do I eliminate some of what I had been planning? Absolutely. Do I add more than what I had initially planned for the year? For sure. And the bottom line is that by taking this extra time to focus before the year begins, I go into the new year with greater confidence.

Is this the best week of the year for you? Do you take time to recharge before the new year begins? Or are you racing to complete everything you can before the year runs out? I would love to hear your story at mnorton@tramazing.com, and when we balance our optimistic planning through the lens of reality, it really will be a better than good year.

Michael Norton is the grateful CEO of Tramazing.com, a personal and professional coach, and a consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator to businesses of all sizes.

Answers are available on Medicare LIVING AND AGING WELL

Brandon Davis

H

ave you ever had a question concerning Medicare, but not sure about who to turn to for the answers? Tired of all the advertisements from various plans ALWAYS trying to sell you something? Need some local advice how to protect your Medicare benefits from suspected Medicare fraud, abuse or errors?

There are two (2) local programs that are federally funded to help answer your questions and offer some advice to protecting your Medicare benefits!

The first program is the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (known as “SHIP”). It is a program of dedicated, certified, and trained counselors. These counselors have gone through intensive training on the various parts of Medicare, Medicare Advantage Plans, and Medicare Supplements policies (known as Medigaps). Our SHIP counselors understand that circumstances differ between one beneficiary and another. Even if you are currently working, have job insurance, and are eligible for Medicare, we can help provide advice on your options.

If you are transitioning from Medicaid to Medicare due to eligibility, SHIP can

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provide next-step advice to you on making that transition as smooth as possible.

Whether you are thinking about Medicare, already enrolled, or have a question for a friend or family member, we can help you find the answer to these questions!

The second program is the Senior Medicare Patrol (also known as “SMP”) which provides advice and education to people with Medicare and caregivers to protect beneficiaries from suspected fraud, errors and abuse. The purpose of the Senior Medicare Patrol is to empower and assist Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers to protect, detect and report health care fraud, errors and abuse.

If you are new to Medicare or currently enrolled, it’s NEVER too late to learn how to protect and safeguard your healthcare benefits. This program can help equip you on how to protect healthcare information (i.e. your Medicare card and number).

Your Medicare Summary Notice is a quarterly record from your plan displaying where you used your Medicare card for services. It may say “This is NOT a bill” but it’s important to take a few minutes to review it to make sure there are not

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any errors! Lastly, the Senior Medicare Patrol serves as a local resource for you to report any suspected Medicare fraud or insurance agent marketing violations (e.g., uninvited calls or visits).

These two programs are at NO COST to you and funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Insurance.

Brandon Davis is the Program Director at Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.

Please join us for our next virtual online presentation at 10 a.m. on Feb. 3, when Davis will present about these programs and how they can help answer your Medicare questions. For additional information please visit www.drcog.org/SHIP or call SHIP at 1-888-696-7213.

This column is hosted by the Seniors’ Council of Douglas County. For more information, please visit www.MyDougCoSeniorLife.com, email DCSeniorLife@ douglas.co.us or call 303-663-7681.

Columnists & Guest Commentaries Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Elbert County News.

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December 30, 2021

State’s fiscal outlook keeps getting better

BY DANIEL DUCASSI AND JESSE PAUL COLORADO SUN

Economists are more optimistic about Colorado’s tax revenue future than they were three months ago, even though labor and inflation strains continue and amid uncertainty caused by COVID-19.

The headwinds have so far not been “strong enough to slow the impressive growth,” said Meredith Moon, the deputy director of the Governor’s Office of State Planning and Budgeting.

OSPB and nonpartisan legislative staff presented separate, but equally rosy budget forecasts to the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee on Friday. Economists for both agreed that state tax revenue will end up higher than previously expected.

The nonpartisan Legislative Council Staff estimated there will be nearly $800 million more in revenue for the state’s general fund this fiscal year, which began in July and ends June 30, than they predicted in September, and more than $500 million in additional revenue for the next fiscal year than their previous forecast showed.

That compares with slightly lower estimates from OSPB economists who say there will be about $700 million more in revenue for the state’s general fund this fiscal year than in their last forecast, and about $420 million more for the next fiscal year than they previously thought.

“Colorado’s economy is coming back strong,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a written statement. “This forecast shows a robust recovery.”

The improved outlook ultimately means little for how much state lawmakers will have to spend in next year’s budget. Tax dollars in the next three fiscal years were already expected to exceed limits on state revenue in the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, meaning the Friday forecasts predicting even more tax dollars flowing into state coffers simply means that more money will have to be refunded to taxpayers.

Nonpartisan legislative staff now anticipate about $2 billion of annual TABOR surplus revenue in each of the next three fiscal years, well above the $550 million to $900 million in excess predicted in September, when they last presented to the JBC. OSPB’s forecast was a bit less optimistic, predicting $2 billion in excess revenue in the current fiscal year, and $1.7 billion in excess revenue in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 fiscal years.

That’s still well above the $697 million to $1.1 billion in excess revenues they forecast in September.

If the revenue projections hold, taxpayers will see an income tax rate reduction and sales tax refund checks in the mail for each of the next three fiscal years.

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Democrats could try to ask voters to let the legislature keep the excess revenue. They have also been mulling policy mechanisms that don’t require voter approval that would let the lawmakers keep some of the surplus money, including by moving money around to make it exempt

from the TABOR cap and expanding existing tax credits, like the child tax credit and the earned-income tax credit.

The TABOR cap was exceeded by about $454 million in the 2020-21 fiscal year, which ended June 30, prompting an income-tax rate reduction to 4.5% from 4.55%, and an additional sales tax refund payment, on average, of about $70. Joint filers will receive $166 on average.

Inflation, labor issues persist Even though Colorado’s tax revenues are expected to be strong, there are still problem areas in the state’s economy.

Inflation in the Denver metro area was 6.5% overall in November, or 5.2% excluding the energy and transportation sectors, which tend to be more volatile and are experiencing much larger rates of inflation at the moment: 36.6% and 20.5% respectively.

“Energy and transportation are really the driving forces behind inflation,” said Jeff Stupak, an economist with Legislative Council Staff.

The Kittredge General Store and its gas pumps are pictured May 18, 2021, in Kittredge. (Andy Colwell, Special to The Colorado Sun) Stupak said that ongoing supply chain issues paired with healthy demand also put positive pressure on inflation, but that he hopes by 2022 some of those pressures will wane.

The most obvious example is in the automobile market. As supply chain shortages have constrained the supply of new cars, the price of used cars has ballooned.

Additionally, Bryce Cooke, chief economist for OSPB, said he expects that inflation tied to housing prices will pick up around the same time other supply chain issues are resolved. That could put more pressure on Colorado’s already-strained housing market.

Colorado’s labor market, meanwhile, has been on the rebound, with 86% of jobs lost during the pandemic recovered. About 10,000 jobs are being regained each month.

By June, nonpartisan legislative staff expect all jobs lost during COVID to have been recovered.

But the job market is not recovering at the same pace for all sectors of income earners and in all areas of Colorado.

For instance, there are still about 16,000 pre-pandemic food service jobs that haven’t been filled, and job recovery for people making less than $27,000 a year has been far worse compared to workers earning $60,000 a year or more.

The good news for workers is that “wages and salaries are on the rise,” according to Cooke. And OSPB doesn’t expect the trend to change.

In fact, much of the revenue increases forecast Friday are being driven by personal income taxes.

Stupak cautioned that the pandemic “remains in the driver’s seat” and the new omicron variant continues to fuel uncertainty.

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.

While inflation goes up, the Colorado economy continues on a steady pace to recovery.

PHOTO BY ANDY COLWELL

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LOCAL

December 30, 2021

LIFE

a a t

b b

Why some people take ‘digital detoxes’ and what mental health experts have to say

BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

F

or weeks, Jordan Novinger debated breaking up with Twitter.

In the span of a couple months, the Castle Rock resident had gained a following of several thousand. She spent hours talking with people online. Although she made new friends in the process, the 21-year-old also felt pressured to stay engaged.

At work, Novinger tried to resist a persistent temptation to check her accounts. Physically, Novinger was present, she said. Mentally, she

was not. Her iPhone’s screen time report showed there were days when Novinger spent up to four hours on Twitter.

In early December, Novinger cut the cord. She deleted Twitter. She took a break from Instagram too, which she steps away from periodically.

Since then, Novinger works more.

She feels more productive. She is more inclined to pick up the phone and have a conversation with someone. She can’t leave Instagram permanently because she uses the site for work, but she hopes she’s made “a clean break” from Twitter.

“It was such an addiction,” she said.

The word is ‘toxic’ Several people in the Denver metro area who have taken short-term “digital detoxes” or left a platform forever all described social media with the same word: toxic.

They offered up a laundry list of

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reasons why.

Screen addiction. Never feeling present. Rampant misinformation.

Political fights. Hateful comment sections. The comparison game.

Misleading highlight reels. The pressure to curate one’s life instead of simply live it.

Eventually, they all hit a breaking point.

The concept of undergoing a “digital detox” is increasing in popularity, according to a 2020 study published in the Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science that looked at the practice’s impact on well-being.

And while a whopping share of the population still uses social media — about 72% of all Americans do, according to the Pew Research Center — growth on numerous sites is slowing or stagnant.

The number of people on social media has remained relatively stable over the past five years, Pew’s Social Media Use in 2021 report says. Growth on platforms including Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat has gone statistically unchanged since 2019.

“This represents a broader trend that extends beyond the past two years in which the rapid adoption of most of these sites and apps seen in the last decade has slowed,” Pew’s report states.

Reddit and YouTube are exceptions. Pew surveys found YouTube is the nation’s most-used social media platform and has shown a marked increase in growth since 2019. Facebook and Instagram are the next most popular sites.

Pew’s study notes “a string of controversies” facing social media sites — like their management of misinformation or privacy concerns — and “the public’s relatively negative sentiments” about some parts of social media. Pew survey-

p d a j h m i

ing found 64% of Americans believe social media has “a mostly negative d effect on the way things are going in a t the country today.”

J Intense scrutiny of tech giants at Congress and among the public s has spurred glimpses of change.

Instagram announced in December z w a series of new features and tools aimed at “raising the standard for a t protecting teens” online.

The platform rolled out a “take a i break” feature, adding to daily time c limits users can set for themselves.

I Instagram plans to stop people e from tagging teens that don’t folt low them and says it will become stricter about content it suggests to young people. Next year the app will c launch a parental “educational hub” b and allow parents to see their chil- c dren’s screentime use on Instagram. t At least one mental health expert r n said while much public scrutiny rightfully focuses on social media’s f effects on young people, she’d like to e see more research and attention on its wellness ramifications across age demographics.

“It’s not just about kids,” Diane Thompson said, a psychiatrist with Centura Health.

The individuals who spoke to Colorado Community Media about departing social media ranged in age from 21 to 37. All said they were glad they left. Each emphatically encouraged others to give it a try.

“I would love for people to get off of social media. I think it’s just draining, and it can be so negative and toxic,” Novinger said. “While it can be good, I think most of the time it’s not used for good.”

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Elbert County News 11

December 30, 2021

SOCIAL MEDIA FROM PAGE 10

a six-week detox from Instagram and have significantly scaled back their use of other platforms.

“I am shocked by how I have really broken the addictive, gotta click the button and check it,” Taylor said.

Social media became a routine part of their lives after their introduction to Myspace as high school and college students. In time, they joined several platforms. Jace said he’s known for a while that social media had become “a toxic presence in my life.”

“I want to rule social media. I don’t want it to rule me, and I think as soon as it crosses that line, I need to take matters into my own hands,” Jace said.

A book called “The Comfort Crisis,” about getting outside comfort zones, inspired him to reconnect with the real world. Jace and Taylor, avid outdoors explorers, also noticed they felt better after backpacking trips during which they rarely checked their phones.

So the duo made a plan to stay off Instagram for a month. Then they enjoyed leaving so much they extended the break another two weeks.

During that time, the couple crushed books, Jace said. They bought “an old-fashioned alarm clock” and charged their phones in the kitchen instead of their bedroom, avoiding the urge to scroll at night. The Jacksons slept better, they found. By day, Taylor stopped filling every free moment with a screen.

JAN

FEB

14 5 -

Another habit they broke by detoxing — incessantly taking photos.

The couple recently got dressed up and attended a holiday party without taking a single picture, they said. Taylor’s main goal during her detox was to be more present.

She also doesn’t like the comparison game people can get trapped in on social media, particularly when feeds are often carefully curated highlight reels of someone’s life, she said.

“I think creating your own reel can steal the joy of what you’re trying to capture,” Taylor said. “You’re constantly trying to frame your life in a certain way.”

She’s not alone in that thinking. Comparing her life to virtual realities drove Alex Williams, 23, to leave Instagram as well, although she hopes it’s a permanent move for her.

Williams deleted the app after graduating from high school. She went from checking it daily, then weekly, to about once a month before ditching the site altogether.

Williams needed to protect her wellbeing, she said.

“The hardest thing for my mental health was all of the diet culture that’s pushed, especially on Instagram,” she said. “It just painted such a fake version of reality that I figured out, first of all, I could never achieve, and second of all, never wanted to.”

After leaving the platform, the negative feelings she experienced when using Instagram completely evaporated, she said.

She checks Reddit every so often and finds dog videos on TikTok

amusing. Most of her social media consumption has shifted to YouTube. She listens to podcasts or watches cooking videos. Williams prefers that content because recipes are something she can recreate in her other free time, and cooking makes her happy.

She considers returning to Instagram every few months. Williams could try setting up healthy boundaries for herself, she said, but she hasn’t caved yet.

“I don’t see myself doing it,” she said.

Jeremy Myles said he too is off one site forever. Myles set up his Facebook profile in 2009. Ten years later, he was done.

The 37-year-old got rid of Facebook partly out of concerns with data privacy, but also because of “the toxicity” and “how much hate was being spewed online.” Time after time, he said, he became frustrated seeing Facebook friends share misinformation, or watching loved ones get into online political squabbles.

If he joined the spats, Myles never felt better.

“Every one of those arguments was with somebody who I loved or respected,” he said. “I didn’t want to contribute to it anymore.”

Myles said he also noticed some of his friends and family, many in the Boomer generation, routinely got sucked into comment sections.

Over time they seemed to grow generally angrier and more frustrated.

“It’s sad to watch,” he said.

He encourages his parents to avoid the comments, where “people can be so hateful and angry,” he

said. If he wants to hold a serious conversation with someone in his life, he tries to do that in-person, rather than from behind a keyboard.

He keeps ups with news on Twitter and is more inclined to engage on that platform but aims to do so sparingly, he said. In the future, Myles might consider using Facebook for business purposes.

“I am absolutely from a personal perspective not going to return to Facebook,” he said.

Expert insight Mental health and media professionals said they’d like to see more research about psychological benefits of leaving social media. The study that examined digital detoxes’ effect on wellness said while commentators have advocated for social media breaks, research that is available has generated mixed results.

And despite the general slowdown in social media adoption, social media use did climb some during the pandemic, Lynn Schofield Clark said. Clark chairs the University of Denver’s department of media, film and journalism studies and provided comments by email.

That was likely for pragmatic reasons, she said, like work-related tasks and the need to stay connected.

“I think that the urge to take time away from social media has to be understood in relation to the generalized feeling of exhaustion we all have due to heightened stress,” Clark said.

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December 30, 2021

C R O S S W O R D SOCIAL MEDIA P U Z Z L E FROM PAGE 11

People use social media to keep up with those who matter to them, “and connection is protective against mental stress and mental illness,” Clark said.

In addition to pointing to the study published in the Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science, Clark added that some people are leaving social media — namely Facebook and Instagram — for reasons other than wellness. That might be their desire for heightened regulations or concerns with privacy violations.

“It’s too early to see whether or not this is a trend that will have an effect on these and other companies, but Jack Dorsey’s departure from Twitter is interesting in this regard,” Clark said.

Thompson, the Centura Health psychiatrist, said social media isn’t all bad if people can master limiting their exposure to toxic content or people and maximizing how it makes them feel connected.

“There are times where social media can be a great way to connect,” Thompson said.

She’s still an advocate for breaking away from social media when needed. Thompson has said her clients sometimes come in overwhelmed by comments they receive or see on social media.

Occasionally, she has written a prescription for her client to stay off whatever platform is bothering them. She says it works.

“There is a discernible difference between the last time I saw them and how they were feeling,” she said.

Social media addictions or too much screen time can be taxing on mental health — the content people absorb might be depressing, or spur anxiety and irritability — but it also impacts physical health, Thompson said.

Hours spent on a person’s phone could be spent talking a walk, exercising or being physically active.

She suspects people are turning to social media to de-stress while weathering the tumultuous climate of 2020 and 2021. She urged people to have compassion for themselves

while they cope, but to also take a hard look at whether the content they consume on social media is actually helping them unwind or further fostering anxiety.

Kendra Miguez founded a therapy center for women focused on helping them build self-esteem and improve their mental health. Their five locations include Denver and Broomfield.

“We deal with issues all the time with social media, and a lot of some of the unhealthier aspects of it and how it affects mental health and self-esteem,” she said. “Particularly with the millennial generation and the generation in the teens coming up.”

The average person spends two hours a day on social media, she said, and that’s not counting other time spent on the internet. Taking a detox or slowing down social media use makes room for “healthier, more productive activities.”

The platforms can perpetuate unattainable body images or glamorous lifestyles “that can make people feel as if their lives are less worthy.”

“Another con is that it’s very addictive. It definitely can light up the same parts of the brain that get lighted with an addictive substance,” she said. “There’s an intense stimulation for the reward system.”

It doesn’t always matter whether a person’s engagement on social media is positive or negative, she said.

Addiction can creep in either way.

“We start to chase the dopamine and you’ll get the dopamine rush when you get a like, and there’s even more when you get a comment,” she said.

Miguez echoed Thompson — social media does have its benefits.

The platforms can be integral to people’s professional lives and help them stay connected with distant friends, like old high school classmates.

Miguez’s advice is to develop selfawareness. She encourages people to be mindful of how social media makes them feel. That includes taking note of whether relationships or interactions with people online are genuine or superficial.

“We’re not really getting our needs met, even though it might feel that way. It’s an illusion. We’re running from our loneliness,” she said.

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December 30, 2021

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The Town of Elizabeth is looking for an interested resident to fill a vacancy on the Board of Trustees. To qualify for consideration, individuals must have resided in Town for a minimum of (1) year, be a U.S. citizen, be a registered elector of the Town of Elizabeth and have an interest in Town affairs. Experience in Town government is not necessary.

An Elizabeth address does not necessarily mean you reside in the Town of Elizabeth. Residency is not based solely on your physical address; it is that you are living within the Town boundaries. If you are unsure if you are town resident, please call to verify.

The appointment to fill the vacancy will be for a term that would begin on the effective date of the appointment and end at a Town Board meeting following the certification of the November 2022 election results.

The Board of Trustees will review applications and appoint one individual to fill the vacancy at a scheduled Board meeting. Letters of interest with resumes will be accepted up to Monday January 3, 2022, at 5:00 pm. If interested, please submit a letter of interest to: Town Hall, Attn: Town Clerk, PO Box 159, Elizabeth, CO. 80107, drop off at Town Hall, 151 S. Banner Street or email to moeser@townofelizabeth. org.

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EMISSIONS FROM PAGE 1

“The commission’s adoption of an emissions intensity program, the centerpiece of this rulemaking, is the first of its kind at the state level and allows operators the flexibility to reduce emissions proactively and innovatively, rather than via topdown mandates,” said Lynn Granger, executive director of API Colorado, an industry trade group.

The mandated programs, such as inspections and performance testing, will be costly, Dan Haley, CEO of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, a trade group, said in a statement.

The Air Pollution Control Division, which drafted the rules, estimated the package of eight new regulations – which will be phased in with some going into effect next February and others not until 2023 – will cost the industry a total of $59 million to $142 million.

“Colorado cannot solve global climate change alone and certainly not by squeezing a single industry into arbitrary reduction goals for resources that Coloradans will rely on for decades to come,” Haley said.

Since 2014, the oil and gas industry has been the subject of eight rounds of AQCC rulemaking aimed at cutting emissions from pollution sources such as tanks, gas lines and control devices.

The goal of the rulemaking, commissioner Elise Jones said, “is to reduce methane emissions not vilify the oil and gas industry.”

The oil and gas industry is the third largest source of greenhouse gases in Colorado after transportation and electricity generation.

The main greenhouse gas emitted by oil and gas operations is methane, which is 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide, the prime greenhouse gas, but shorter lived in the atmosphere. The oil and gas sector is the source of 60% of all the methane emitted in the state, according to the state air pollution regulators.

Under the state’s Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap, the oil

and gas sector has to cut its emissions by 30% from 2005 levels by 2025 and 60% by 2030. The industry is already on track to meet its 2025 target.

To meet the 2030 goal, the APCD calculated that the industry must cut methane emissions by 140,000 metric tons a year.

The biggest share – 64,000 metric tons or 46% – would come from the heightened inspection and repair program.

Under the new rules, wells producing more than 20 tons of oil equivalent a year (a measure of oil and gas) will be inspected monthly, as will sites near disproportionately impacted communities, such as low-income neighborhoods and operations within 1,000 feet of occupied areas.

Many other well sites will be inspected on schedules ranging from bimonthly to quarterly, but every well site in the state will be inspected at least once a year.

“There are increased protections for disproportionately impacted communities and people living near oil and gas activity and now 12,000 smaller but leak-prone wells will get inspected,” said Matt Garrington, state campaign manager for the Environmental Defense Fund, which pushed for more frequent inspections.

Reduction targets set based on production The next largest tranche of reductions – 55,000 tons or 39% – would come from the intensity program which sets an emission limit per 1,000 barrels of oil equivalent (defined as oil plus natural gas) produced. There would be a target for large operators and a less restrictive one for small operators.

The APCD added even tighter standards for emissions from wells than the large operator standard for new wells and wells operating in disproportionately impacted communities – those where at least 40% of the households are low-income, people of color, burdened by housing costs or have suffered from a history of environmental racism.

“The intensity program will really push the industry to show what they can do,” commissioner Martha

Fracking site walls and equipment are pictured in this aerial image of oil and gas activity on the Mae J, Papa Jo and Yellowhammer pads in the Colliers Hill neighborhood of Erie, Colorado, on March 3, 2021. New state rules intended to reduce methane emissions will change the frequency at which wells like this are inspected. COURTESY PHOTO

Rudolph said.

Environmental and community groups, along with some local officials voiced concern that the intensity program could be manipulated and that verifying the emission inventories for each operation and the emission reductions would be difficult to do.

“It all comes down to verification and the inventories and if there is one thing, we are squirrely about, this is it,” Jones said. “This thing will succeed or fail based on how we measure it.”

Oil and gas companies are supposed to file their intensity plans in 2022, but it will be at least another year before the standard for evaluating those plans are in place.

The Air Pollution Control Division will spend the next year working through aerial surveys of emissions it conducted this summer and working with stakeholder groups to develop the best data for showing the emission reductions are being met, Robyn Wille, the division’s chief strategy officer, said in an interview.

The division is scheduled to submit a reporting and verification rule

proposal to the AQCC in 2023. “We are aiming for transparency and accuracy,” Wille said.

The third largest reduction is slated to come from rules to limit emissions from pigging and blowdown operations, techniques for cleaning and maintaining pipelines. The reductions are estimated to equal 9,600 metric tons a year or 7% of the total required decrease in emissions for the sector.

The rules apply statewide. “In the past the West Slope was treated differently than the Front Range and we pushed hard to get the regulations to be uniform across the state and we got that,” said Rodger Steen, chairman of the Western Colorado Alliance’s oil and gas committee.

“Citizens got a big win with these regulations.”

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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Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088 Legals Metropolitan Districts Public Notice STATE OF COLORADO, COUNTY OF ELBERT NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IN RE MILLER RANCH METROPOLITAN DISTRICT AND MILLER RANCH WATER AND SANITATION DISTRICT, COUNTY OF ELBERT, COLORADO PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that there have been filed with Elbert County, Colorado (the “County”), Amendments to Service Plans (individually a “Service Plan Amendment” and, collectively,

the “Service Plan Amendments”) for the following existing special districts: a. Miller Ranch Metropolitan District (the “Metro District”) and; b. Miller Ranch Water and Sanitation District (the “WS District”). Collectively, the Metro District and the WS District may be referred to as the “Districts,” and individually as a “District.” The Service Plan Amendments are on file in the offices of the County Community and Development Services, 215 Comanche Street, Kiowa, Colorado 80117, (303) 621-3136, and are available for public inspection.

NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that the Board of County Commissioners will hold a public hearing at 9:00 a.m., or as soon as possible thereafter, on Wednesday, the 26th day of January, 2022. Hearings will be conducted in the Hearing Room of the Elbert County Commissioners in Kiowa, Colorado, or such other time and place as these hearings may be adjourned, for the purpose of considering the adequacy of the Service Plans and to form a basis for making a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners regarding approving, disapproving or conditionally approving the Service Plan Amendments for each of the Districts.

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The proposed Districts’ boundaries include all or part of Sections 15, 21 and 22, Township 7 South, Range 64 West in Elbert County, Colorado. The Districts are bordered by County Road 154 on the south, County Road 21 on the west and County Road 29 on the east.

The Metro District is authorized to impose up fifty (50.000) mills upon taxable property located within its boundaries as the District’s Limited Mill Levy pursuant to its existing Service Plan, and subject to any allowable adjustments if the method of calculating assessed valuation changes. No change is requested to the District’s Limited Mill Levy in the Service Plan Amendment. The Metro District is further authorized to issue unlimited mill levy obligations at such time as the ratio of debt to assessed value is less than fifty percent for taxable property in the District, as certified by the County Assessor.

The WS District relies upon the receipt of service fees and charges to generate revenue, and is not expected to impose any mill levy upon taxable property located within its boundaries.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that, pursuant to § 32-1-203(3.5), C.R.S., an owner of real property within the proposed Districts may request of the Board of County Commissioners that such real property be excluded from the respective District where such property is located. Such request shall be submitted to the Board of County Commissioners no later than ten (10) days before the day fixed for the public hearing on the Service Plans before the Board of County Commissioners, all in conformance with the requirements of § 32-1-203(3.5), C.R.S. Legal Notice No. 24756 First Publication: December 30, 2021 Last Publication: December 30, 2021 Publisher: Elbert County News

Notice to Creditors PUBLIC NOTICE

Estate of Stephanie Parlove, aka Stephanie Christine Parlove, Deceased Case Number: 2021PR030053 All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Elbert County, Colorado on or before May 20, 2022, or the claims may be forever barred. /s/ James T. Anest #16727 -- Arant Law LLC Attorney to the Personal Representative 19751 E. Mainstreet, Suite 365 Parker, Colorado 80138 303-841-9525 Legal Notice No. 24755 First Publication: December 30, 2021 Last Publication: January 13, 2022 Publisher: Elbert County News ###

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Elbert County Legals 12.30.21 * 1

16 Elbert County News

December 30, 2021

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