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Week of June 16, 2022

ELBERT COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

ElbertCountyNews.net

VOLUME 127 | ISSUE 18

Elizabeth Stampede hosts three country acts Arena was jammed by end of tuneful night BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

A bull rider hoping to hold on for a full eight seconds leaves the chute at the Casey Jones Park rodeo arena.

PHOTO BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

Xtreme Bulls draw sold-out crowd

By the end of the June 2 Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo concert, the Casey Jones Park rodeo arena was standing room only. The evening of music began with Thomas Mac, an up-and-coming country artist. With 3.4 million followers on TikTok, he’s become a trending country music sensation. He was offered his first record deal at age 20 and performed on the Grand Ole Opry stage that same year. Mac entertained the Stampede crowd with several hilarious songs, most of which centered around his love for beer. SEE STAMPEDE, P2

Elizabeth Stampede’s winning riders share $14k payout BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

The Elizabeth Stampede hosted its 35th annual PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association) sanctioned rodeo from June 3-5 at Casey Jones Park, drawing sold-out crowds for all events. The first rodeo event of the SEE BULL RIDERS, P8

Elizabeth Stampede royalty and other visiting royalty.

INSIDE: CALENDAR: PAGE 11 | VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 16

Elizabeth Stampede Royalty Hannah Thomas, left, and Josie Thomas pose with performer Thomas Mac. PHOTO COURTESY OF ELIZABETH STAMPEDE RODEO ROYALTY

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELIZABETH STAMPEDE RODEO ROYALTY

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2 Elbert County News

June 16, 2022

STAMPEDE FROM PAGE 1

Kylie Frey was next on the Elizabeth Stampede stage. Frey is a third-generation rodeo cowgirl and has notched four No. 1 songs ones on the Texas Regional Radio Report: “Rodeo Man,” “Too Bad” (with Randy Rogers), “One Night in Tulsa” and “Spur of the Moment.” “Spur of the Moment” holds the title of the fastest-rising No. 1 hit by a female artist in the chart’s history. As the night went on, the stands began to fill with people.

PHOTOS BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

SEE STAMPEDE, P4

Stage set up and ready for the Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo concert to begin.

Thomas Mac playing solo on stage.

Opener Thomas Mac’s merch tent.

The day prior to the concert, dozens of people were working hard to get the stage up and running.

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Elbert County News 3

4 Elbert County News

June 16, 2022

STAMPEDE FROM PAGE 2

Country music star Ryan Hurd headlined the event with his indie-country fusion style. Hurd has nearly 700 million career streams worldwide and continues his hit-producing path with “Chasing After You,” which has amassed more than 150 million U.S. on-demand streams. Food was abundant and the beer garden was packed. The concert lasted well into the night with concertgoers finally working their way home by midnight.

Concertgoers getting food, drinks, and merch before the show begins.

Concertgoers buy drinks for the concert.

PHOTOS BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

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Elbert County News 5

June 16, 2022

Griswold appoints election supervisor in Elbert County Secretary of state also appoints advisors in Mesa County BY MARIANNE GOODLAND COLORADO POLITICS

Secretary of State Jena Griswold tapped former Secretary of State Wayne Williams and former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Sheila Reiner to assist in the June 28 primary in Mesa County. She also named Christi Coburn as a supervisor in Elbert County, tasking her to ensure a secure, accurate, and timely conduct of the upcoming election. Coburn, a professional election administrator, Griswold will monitor decisions made and actions taken by Elbert County’s clerk and recorder and staff related to the administration of the 2022 primary election, according to Griswold’s office. Schroeder In a statement, Griswold’s office said “the decision to appoint a supervisor follows a 2021 election security protocol breach in Elbert County where Clerk Dallas Schroeder violated Colorado Elections Rules in the unauthorized imaging of the county’s voting system hard drives.” Last month, an Elbert County district court judge ordered Schroeder to turn over election computer hard drives he had copied to the Secretary of State. Schroeder had made those copies with the assistance of two attorneys who were not employees of the county clerk and recorder’s office. Schroeder gave those copies to the Secretary of State’s office on May 5. “Every eligible Coloradan — Republican, Democrat, and Unaffiliated alike — has the right to cast a ballot in accessible and secure elections. That’s why I am taking

action to appoint a supervisor in Elbert County to ensure voters have the election they deserve,” Griswold said. Williams, now a Colorado Springs City Council member and Reiner, Mesa County’s treasurer, both were appointed last year to oversee the November 2021 general election. “I am appointing Treasurer Reiner and former Secretary of State Williams to assist and advise Mesa County Designated Election Official Brandi Bantz as needed. Reiner, Williams, and Bantz did a tremendous job working together during Mesa County’s 2021 election, and I am confident Mesa County voters will have great elections this year too,” Griswold said in a statement. Williams and Reiner will serve as advisors to Mesa County Designated Election Official Brandi Bantz for the June 28 primary election. Last month, a Mesa County Court Judge removed Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters as the designated election official for Mesa County, barring her from overseeing the 2022 Primary and General Elections. The court then appointed Bantz, at Griswold’s request, to serve as the designated election official. Peters, now a candidate for Secretary of State, did not respond to a request for comment. She has been indicted by a Mesa County grand jury on 10 counts of alleged election equipment tampering and official misconduct. Peters is also facing three ethics complaints with the state ethics commission and two campaign finance complaints, now being handled by the Attorney General’s office. She denies all charges. Peters faces two opponents in the June 28 Republican primary: former Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder Pam Anderson and Francis “Mike” O’Donnell of Kirk, Yuma County, a small businessman and first-time political candidate. Reprinted with permission from Colorado Politics. To read more political news or to subscribe, go to coloradopolitics.com

ABOUT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Colorado Community Media welcomes letters to the editor. Please note the following rules: • Email your letter to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com. Do not send via postal mail. Put the words “letter to the editor” in the email subject line. • Submit your letter by 5 p.m. on Wednesday in order to have it considered for publication in the following week’s newspaper. • Letters must be no longer than 400 words. • Letters should be exclusively submitted to Colorado Community Media and should not submitted to other outlets or previously posted on websites or social media. Submitted letters become the property of CCM and should not be republished elsewhere. • Letters advocating for a political candidate should focus on that candidate’s qualifications for office. We cannot publish

letters that contain unverified negative information about a candidate’s opponent. Letters advocating for or against a political candidate or ballot issue will not be published within 30 days of an election. • Publication of any given letter is at our discretion. Letters are published as space is available. • We will edit letters for clarity, grammar, punctuation and length and write headlines (titles) for letters at our discretion. • Please don’t send us more than one letter per month. First priority for publication will be given to writers who have not submitted letters to us recently. • Submit your letter in a Word document or in the body of an email. No PDFs or Google Docs, please. • Include your full name, address and phone number. We will publish only your name and city or town of residence, but all of the information requested is needed for us to verify you are who you say you are.

VOTE EARLY. NEAR YOU. Ballot drop box locations countywide. Find yours at DouglasVotes.com Need assistance? Voter Service and Polling Centers open June 20. » Register to vote » Replace a ballot » Vote in person » Use an ADA-accessible voting machine Visit DouglasVotes.com or call 303-660-7444 for locations and hours and the most up-to-date June 28 Primary Election information.

E-recycling: Saturday, June 25 Douglas County residents may dispose of unwanted electronics free of charge at Techno Rescue, 3251 Lewiston St. in Aurora, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and occasional Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Proof of residency is required. For a list of acceptable items, Saturday drop-off dates and more, visit douglas.co.us and search electronics recycling

Need flood zone information? If you live in unincorporated Douglas County, Flood Insurance Rate Maps and zone information are available by request. Visit douglas.co.us and search for Flood Plain Information. A form may also be requested by calling 303-660-7490 or visiting Public Works, 100 Third St. in Castle Rock.

Learn how you can Grow & Give CSU Extension is helping Douglas County residents learn to grow vegetable gardens while planting extra to share with local food banks and community members in need. Longtime gardeners or first-time planters can get info at GrowandGiveColorado.org

Help make our County Fair a success! Energetic, friendly volunteers age 16 and older are needed during the Douglas County Fair & Rodeo, July 29-Aug. 7. Serve your community, celebrate your County’s history and have fun all at the same time. Visit douglascountyfairandrodeo.com and click on the Get Involved tab, to learn more and sign up.

6 Elbert County News

June 16, 2022

State gets closer to combining mental, medical care Some new laws and money should help Colorado reach longtime goal BY JENNIFER BROWN THE COLORADO SUN

Almost a quarter of the residents of Routt and Moffat counties use the local community health center, which is why it has tried to incorporate mental health screenings for anyone who comes in for a checkup — or even a toothache. Northwest Colorado Health, with offices in Steamboat Springs and Craig, began integrating mental health care a decade ago, trying to catch early signs of depression and send patients to therapy appointments, either on site or to the region’s community mental health center. It added mental health screenings to dental appointments in 2017. Yet, like many of Colorado’s 20 community health centers spread statewide, Northwest can’t hire enough counselors and social workers to keep a full staff and is

constantly scrambling to keep up with its behavioral health goals. Patients who can’t get an in-person appointment are linked via telehealth to a therapist who doesn’t live in northwest Colorado. “The asterisk is that when we are fully staffed, we are fully integrated,” said Stephanie Einfeld, CEO of Northwest Colorado Health. “That’s truly been a big barrier of ours.” Northwest Colorado Health is the community health center for Routt and Moffat counties. Patients receive mental health screenings during medical and dental appointments but the center struggles to hire enough behavioral health staff. (Provided by Northwest Health) Colorado has been talking about true integration of mental and physical health care for years, if not decades, in what many experts see as the key to addressing the state’s suicide and mental health crisis. Now, an influx of federal coronavirus relief funds will supercharge the work. One piece of legislation passed by Colorado lawmakers this year provides $35 million for commu-

Centennial Hospital expanded from the former Centennial Medical Plaza in 2021. FILE PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD

nity health centers, doctors’ offices and clinics to add mental health offerings — whether they’re starting from none or have ambitious plans to ramp up services. Another new law designates $11 million to add more mental health care to schoolbased health clinics and pediatricians’ offices. Two other bills focus on recruitment and retention of

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therapists, psychologists and substance abuse counselors. “We will never see this kind of funding again,” said Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, who was a prime sponsor of House Bill 1302 that put $35 million into “whole-person care.” What many clinics need are technology boosts to improve telehealth options, as well as funding to hire more therapists, she said. Colorado lost too many behavioral health providers to retirement and burnout in recent years, and then the coronavirus pandemic sent rates of depression and anxiety to new heights. “It’s always a balancing act with whole-person care, that you have to have the providers accessible and on hand,” said the senator, a Boulder Democrat and a pharmacist. Clinics can apply for the grant dollars to expand hours to offer night and weekend behavioral health care for working parents who are struggling. They could use it to put employees through advanced training so they can screen for mental health issues or provide therapy. Under a companion bill aimed at increasing the workforce, community colleges can seek funds to expand night and weekend programs for health care workers who want to go into mental health or advance their careers but don’t want to leave their jobs. Also included: funding to expand a program in which robots are dispatched to remote parts of the state to teach health care professionals how to perform certain procedures. In the training courses, the robot is the patient. In the next five years or so, Jaquez Lewis envisions that colleges will offer free tuition to those interested in working in health care and mental health. And patients — no matter where they go for health care — will get preventative behavioral health care without hardly noticing. “It’s done so seamlessly as part of the regular questions that the patient doesn’t even know what’s going on,” the senator said. “It’s not like, ‘Now we are going to screen you to see if you have mental health issues.’” “We’re trying to finally gear SEE MEDICAL, P7

Elbert County News 7

June 16, 2022

MEDICAL FROM PAGE 6

things for reality.” The $35 million bill is a continuation of a now-dead federal grant program, called the state innovation model. Under the program, from 2015-19, 344 primary care practices received funding to integrate mental health care. A federal evaluation showed the program resulted in fewer behavioral health-related visits to hospital emergency departments, but then the funds stopped. The efforts to better incorporate mental health care into medical offices come at the same time Colorado is attempting to revamp the state’s community mental health system, which includes 17 centers across the state. New rules will open the centers, which have operated under no-bid contracts to

take care of patients with Medicaid or no insurance, up to competition — including potentially from some of the state’s 20 community health clinics that offer medical and dental care. Community health clinics, ranging from Tepeyac and STRIDE centers in the Denver metro area to Uncompahgre Medical Center in Norwood, began offering mental health care as far back as 2006 or 2007, according to the Colorado Community Health Network. But those services have expanded to the point that today, the centers often have a mental health professional sit in on medical appointments or, at the least, have a medical employee ask screening questions about whether a person feels depressed or has thoughts of wanting to die. The reason community health centers must incorporate mental health care is that 1 in 7 Coloradans get primary care from a local

community clinic, said Taylor Miranda Thompson, the senior quality initiatives manager for the network. That’s 847,000 patients at 230 clinics in 45 of Colorado’s 64 counties. “The focus for health centers is prevention, and that can mean identifying a patient with depression symptoms … or chronic stress or difficulty sleeping, or even screening for thoughts of suicide,” she said. Each of the 20 community health centers in Colorado connects with its local mental health center to hand off patients who have more severe mental health issues. Across the board, the centers need more staff and funding for technology upgrades. When the pandemic hit, many quickly transitioned to telehealth. Now that the sense of urgency has decreased, and there is funding available, health centers are looking to upgrade their platforms, said

Stephanie Brooks, the community health network’s policy director. And in rural areas, health centers are hoping that legislative reforms bring better broadband services so that patients will have more reliable video connections during virtual appointments, she said. “The health centers all have some very quickly set up telehealth platform, but because they had to set it up so quickly, they have more to do,” Brooks said. “You can do it fast, cheap or really good. I think they’re working on making it really good.” 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.

Freedom brings responsibility This Independence Day, give our streams a break. Not only are personal fireworks a fire danger, but also, their waste poses a threat to our waterways when not disposed of properly. Summer days in Colorado often bring flashing rain and thunderstorms that quickly wash away waste on streets and parking lots, sending them straight to the nearest stream. What isn’t collected and thrown away after the celebration may be gone before you know it. Take the time this holiday and clean up after yourself. Local stormwater agencies are teaming up to bring you this message. We take this so seriously that we posted this ad rather than send you more garbage in the mail. One thing is clear: our creeks, rivers and lakes depend on you.

T H IS ST ORMWATER MESSAGE B R OUGHT TO YOU B Y

Visit onethingisclear.org to: • Report accidental and illegal dumping to your local agency • Search local volunteer events • Find more helpful tips Exercise your freedom responsibly this Independence Day by using fireworks appropriately and disposing of holiday waste promptly. Colorado Community Media agrees: Please recycle this newspaper responsibly and partner with our communities for a better tomorrow. Ad campaign creative donated by the Castle Rock Water, Stormwater Division.

8 Elbert County News

June 16, 2022

BULL RIDERS FROM PAGE 1

Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo weekend was Xtreme Bulls, a yearly crowd pleaser. This year, the event hosted riders from as close as nearby Franktown and from as far away as Plant City, Florida. The purse for the event was $13,818 and was awarded to the top six riders. There was a tie for first place bull rider, with both Tyler Taylor and Coy Thorson taking home $3,823. Taylor is from Summerville, Texas, and is currently ranked #19 in PRCA Bull Riding. Thorson is from Fergus Falls, Minnesota, and is currently

Former Elizabeth Stampede Attendant/Miss Rodeo Colorado Ashley Baller, left, with Miss Rodeo Wyoming Madelaine McElwee.

Bull Rider Demetrius Allen after a successful ride. PHOTOS BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

Elizabeth-based first responders were honored before the event.

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Elbert County News 9

June 16, 2022

BULL RIDERS FROM PAGE 8

unranked. Both riders scored 85 of a possible 100 points. Each Elizabeth Stampede event has a theme, with the Xtreme Bulls event being to honor first responders. Representatives were present from the Elbert County Sheriff’s Office, Elizabeth Fire and Rescue, and the Elizabeth Police Department. Other first responders were present to watch the event. An Airlife Denver helicopter mceremoniously flew over the arena and landed in the Casey Jones Park baseball field behind the arena. For all Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo results, visit prorodeo.com/results SEE MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 10

The Blazing Saddles Drill Team lined up to lead off the Xtreme Bulls event and present sponsor flags.

Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo Pioneers.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ELIZABETH STAMPEDE RODEO

From left, Douglas County Fair and Rodeo Princess Clara Griffith, Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo Attendant Hannah Thomas and Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo Queen Josie Thomas attended the event.

PHOTO BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

Bulls wait in pens behind the stadium for their turn to perform.

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10 Elbert County News

June 16, 2022

BULL RIDERS FROM PAGE 9

Former Elizabeth Stampede Attendant/ Miss Rodeo Colorado Ashley Baller, left, and Miss Rodeo Wyoming Madelaine McElwee pose at the Rodeo Royalty Luncheon.

It was a beautiful night at Casey Jones Park on the night of the Xtreme Bulls event.

Dozens of vendors line Vendor Alley at the Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo.

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Blazing Saddles Drill Team horses are decorated for the audience.

Elbert County News 11

June 16, 2022

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Wed 6/29 DJ Rockstar Aaron: Forbidden Bingo at 'Bout Time Pub & Grub @ 7pm Bout Time Pub & Grub, 3580 S Platte River Dr A, Sheridan

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12 Elbert County News

LOCAL

June 16, 2022

VOICES

Summer fun everywhere

s kids get out of school and the region prepares for the summer heat, local communities are gearing up for something positive to focus on. Something I love about our suburban communities across Arapahoe and Douglas counties is the effort our local towns put into presenting summer activities FROM THE and fun. EDITOR Castle Rock, minus the pandemic years, has really built an events program to be proud of with weekly farmers markets, community concerts and community gatherings. It’s like the feeling of Friday night lights, when you can celebrate your community by coming together, enjoying food, celebrating local vendors and Thelma Grimes loving the fact that your town officials care enough to bring events catered to all ages. Centennial has a slew of activities coming up this summer, and recently celebrated the park’s 10th anniversary with a special celebration. I have grown quite fond of Englewood as a community. The community’s small-town feel comes alive with weekend neighborhood parties and gatherings. Besides being home to the Pirates Cover Water Park, Englewood also gets hyper-local through the Neighborhood Nights programs. On June 23, the celebration will be held at Bates-Logan Park. Lone Tree is also getting in on the action with sunset swims at Cool Creek Park. At Sweetwater Park, the Backyard Beats series is already underway and going to be a blast for the community to enjoy. In Littleton, the Littleton Fine Arts Guild is presenting its 60th anniversary show in June. Saturdays in town are going to be filled with plenty of options, including the Littleton Jam free concert on June 25. Then, we have Highlands Ranch. On any given week, logging on to the community association’s Facebook page is an adventure of what’s coming next. Festivals, adult pool parties and so much more In Parker, I am becoming increasingly impressed with how much effort is going into building the events programs. There have been quite a few concerts over the last few months with popular country bands and more. Parker will also have its annual festival, and let’s not forget the H2O’Brien Water Park that has opened. While the Denver metro area is huge, I love that each community has its own identity and true commitment to providing residents and visitors a wide assortment of summer fun that feels like we live in a small town where everybody enjoys the day out together. On a separate note, I am also impressed with how much our communities and school districts do each summer to provide entertainment, care and camps for our younger generations.

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t may be time to rethink that retirement date if it was slated for this year or next. There could be a more significant impact in drawing down retirement assets while the stock market is in correction FINANCIAL than when times are good. We run Monte Carlo analysis STRATEGIES for our clients to help them plan for retirement. This runs thousands of different sequences of returns based on market volatility. If you start a retirement income stream from your 401(k) or IRA account during profitable market years, your assets appear to last much longer than Patricia Kummer starting out when markets are in a slump. Many retirees like to keep their distribution rate below 3% in order to keep from tapping into principal during a low interest rate environment. When the stock market is down and interest rates are low, it is difficult to get a sustainable income stream off of a declining balance. The longer you withdraw while markets are down, the more years of income you shave off of your long-term retirement plan. Let’s take a typical 65-year-old couple, Jack and Jill, looking at retirement scenarios this year. They need $2,500 per month to supplement their Social Security and pension income. Thirty thousand each year is 3% of a $1 million portfolio. According to their retirement plan with 3% inflation, their assets should last until age 95 under normal market conditions. They do not

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start dipping into principal until age 89. Changing the sequence of returns from average to negative reduces the assets which runs dry at age 88 as they started spending principal almost immediately. Therefore, the time to decide how long you want your assets to last is how long you work or how much you save now, not when you are 88 and it is too late to recover. You may also want to consider the current Misery Index which follows metrics like inflation, unemployment, GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and growth of the S&P 500. According to Forbes contributor Peter Cohan, the current Misery Index shifted from a happy state of -13.4 to an alltime high of 29.2 in the last 18 months. This alone could cause some to delay retirement in favor of better times. Some people don’t have a choice about when they retire which makes planning even more crucial. It is important to adjust your investments to the optimum risk/return opportunity and reduce expenses in years markets are not favorable. You may need to postpone discretionary spending until the economy is on more solid footing. Consider using other non-liquid assets such as the equity in your home through a reverse mortgage or a refinance to access additional cash when real estate values are high and investment values are falling. Patricia Kummer has been a certified financial planner professional and a fiduciary for over 35 years and is Managing Director for Mariner Wealth Advisors, an SEC Registered Investment Adviser.

Columnists & Guest Commentaries Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Elbert County News. We welcome letters to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone. Email letters to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com Deadline Wed. for the following week’s paper.

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Elbert County News 13

June 16, 2022

Polis vetoes bill requiring EV chargers Governor says measure would have added to costs of building BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on June 7 vetoed a bill that would have forced developers of new large commercial and multifamily residential buildings to set aside a portion of parking spaces to serve as electric vehicle charging stations. “I fully understand that with current technology, installing EV charging up front can be less expensive over the long run than subsequent adaptation,” the Democrat wrote in a letter announcing his veto decision. “However, requiring EV installation up front also leads to greater costs now, at the very time that Coloradans are struggling with increased housing costs.” Polis said House Bill 1218, which passed with almost no Republican support, had “inflexible mandates” and could be premature as electric vehicle technology rapidly advances. He also noted the other steps he and the legislature have taken to increase electric-vehicle usage in Colorado and combat climate change. The veto is notable because it’s an example of Polis trying to balance his clean-energy ambitions with his election-year push to try to rein in Coloradans’ cost of living. It’s also an example of how the governor has eclashed at times with Democrats in g the legislature, some of whom have tried to be more aggressive in their approach to addressing climate - change. House Bill 1218 was sponsored by Rep. Alex Valdez, a Denver Democrat, and Sen. Faith Winter, a Westminster Democrat, and Sen. Kevin Priola, a Henderson Republican and EV evangelist.

Governor Jared Polis addresses the State of the Region for Adams County. PHOTO BY LUKE ZARZECKI

“I think sometimes when you get a veto it shows that you are really trying to push policy that’s trying to change the paradigm,” Valdez said. “I generally think it was just pressure from special interests on the governor that got us the veto.” Valdez said the legislation was simply trying to prepare Colorado for the electric vehicle transition. He said people who want an electric car in his district can’t buy one because they don’t live in a building where they can charge it. “This bill is just about getting wires to parking spaces,” he said. Specifically, the measure would have required developers of new multifamily-housing buildings with at least three units to set aside 20% of the structure’s parking spaces to double as electric-vehicle charging stations and 50% of the spaces to be wired to some day serve as charging stations. Developers of commercial buildings with at least 25,000 square feet of floor space would have been required to set aside 10% of parking spaces to double as electric-vehicle charging stations and 25% of spaces

Teacher evaluations to change Standardized test scores will have smaller role BY ERICA MELTZE CHALKBEAT

Teacher evaluation is getting an update in Colorado, more than a decade after the state last overhauled its system. Starting with the 2023-24 school year, students’ standardized test scores will play a smaller role in teachers’ ratings, rubrics will be more specialized to reflect different jobs, and teachers with consistently high scores will face less scrutiny. If it works as supporters hope, the system will focus more on helping teachers grow and improve. That contrasts with the current system, which many educators perceive as punitive, and which hasn’t improved student achievement much — at least as measured by test scores. With the updated evaluation

system in Senate Bill 70, signed last week, Colorado joins a growing list of states moving away from practices the Obama administration hoped would improve schools. The previous law, known as Senate Bill 191, called for teachers’ job performance to be measured half by student academic growth and half by classroom observation of professional practices such as showing a strong understanding of the content and delivering effective instruction. Districts could use various academic data to show student growth, but at least 1% of every teacher’s evaluation had to be linked to standardized test scores. Often it was much higher than that. Teachers particularly resented the use of collective measures, in which an art teacher might be rated based on how students at her school or in her district did on reading and math tests. This story was originally published by Chalkbeat Colorado. More at chalkbeat.org.

to be wired to someday serve as charging stations. Large, mixed-use buildings — where there are both homes and commercial space — would have also been subject to the rules for commercial buildings. Existing buildings that fit under the bill’s parameters for which renovations were being made to more than 50% of the structure would also have fallen under the requirements. Single-family homebuilders are already required under a 2020 law to offer electric-vehicle charging stations as part of new construction. The bill was supported by Tesla, the electric car company, as well as environmental groups, including Colorado Communities for Climate Action and the Sierra Club. It was opposed by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, Xcel Energy, the Colorado Association of Home Builders and the Colorado Apartment Association. Polis said in his veto letter that he wants to work with the legislature on a “future variation of this bill that would provide more flexibility for changing technologies and that we could be clear with research

would save people money.” Priola, one of the bill’s sponsors, found the governor’s words reassuring. “While I disagree with the governor’s veto, I look forward to addressing any and all concerns and following through with the governor’s commitment to bring back the concept next session,” he said in a statement to The Sun. The governor has vetoed at least four bills that passed the legislature this year, though House Bill 1218 is the most substantial measure he has rejected thus far. The other bills he vetoed this year dealt with homeowner’s associations reserve funds, a mental health program for county coroners and mortuary workers, and regulations around music therapists. Colorado Sun staff writer Michael Booth contributed to this report.

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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14 Elbert County News

June 16, 2022

A look at GOP secretary of state hopefuls Anderson, O’Donnell, Peters have dramatically different positions BY SANDRA FISH THE COLORADO SUN

Three Republicans are running this year to be Colorado’s next secretary of state, a position in which they would oversee the administration of elections and handle business registration. It’s a job that’s become highly politicized since the 2020 presidential election, which former Republican President Donald Trump and his supporters baselessly claim was stolen from him through fraud and malfeasance. Two of the three GOP candidates embrace those claims. The Republican candidate who wins the June 28 primary will go on in November to face Democratic Secretary of State Jena Griswold, who has risen to national prominence defending election systems in Colorado and elsewhere. The Colorado Sun asked the three GOP candidates about some of the major issues in the contest. Who are the candidates? • Pam Anderson, a former Jefferson County clerk and recorder and the former executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association • Mike O’Donnell, an Australian im-

migrant and Yuma County resident who has worked at nonprofits that make loans to small businesses. He does not have experience in election administration. • Tina Peters, the Mesa County clerk who was indicted earlier this year in a security breach of her county’s election system. She has also been barred by a judge from overseeing the 2022 elections in Mesa County partly because of the breach, which stemmed from her belief that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. Yes or no: Was the 2020 presidential election stolen? ANDERSON: “No. Here in Colorado we have independent, verifiable paper ballots audits that have found no evidence that the outcome was incorrect.” O’DONNELL: “Well, I can’t say yes or no to that. We have a president (Joe Biden) who’s in power today. So whether or not it was stolen, we probably won’t know for quite a while, but (Biden) is the elected president.” PETERS: Yes. “This is a personal opinion based on the evidence that I have seen and gone through and based on what I know from our reports. I do believe there may have been enough fraud that it turned the election.” Top priorities for the candidates ANDERSON: She said she wants to restore “trusted professionalism” to the Secretary of State’s Office and to county clerk and recorder offices

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a a w h A d S o — Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters speaks during the Truth and Justice Rally at h the old Mesa County Courthouse on December 1, 2021, in Grand Junction. PHOTO BY HUGH CAREY p o if they wish to utilize that mail ballot o across Colorado. “We have had a long or to go to a vote center anywhere in tradition of nonpartisan administheir county. I think that choice re- R tration in these offices that sort of maining with the voter is important.” a remain above that partisan fray,” she O’DONNELL: He didn’t directly said. “That’s been my record, as both answer the mail-ballots question. a municipal and county clerk both l “There are people who pretend to be b from the management side as well as residents here who get their ballots a the elections administration side.” sent out of state and are voting from s O’DONNELL: He said he wants to out of state.” On early voting: “I’m work with the legislature and mema not sure that I have a strong opinion s bers of his executive team at the about that. I think we start voting Secretary of State’s Office to craft c very, very early here.” bills, including a measure that would w PETERS: She said use of mail-in “wind back” automatic voter regisballots should be limited to people tration, the process in which people t who can’t vote in person because are registered to vote when they get g of physical disabilities or overseas their driver’s license. O’Donnell said a voters, though she added “if we can i he also wants to “look at what we can do to not decimate the small business eliminate the fraud any other way, I’ma sector the same way we did during all for solutions. … I think that some c COVID.” of these, what they call conveniences, PETERS: “For sure it would be have gotten to the point where they’re election security. If someone is voting being abused.” She said, however, that who shouldn’t be voting, that’s dilutearly voting is fine. ing your vote.” On changing or eliminating election rules Mail-in ballots and early voting The Colorado Secretary of State’s We asked the three candidates if Office enacts election rules that they’d support ending Colorado’s allcounty clerks have to abide by. We mail-ballot elections, which became asked the three GOP candidates how statewide in 2013, and if they’d limit they would approach the rulemaking or end early in-person voting. process. ANDERSON: She’d keep the curANDERSON: She said she would rent system. “For access to our consti- like to examine rules on candidate tutional rights here in Colorado, our and petition signature collection, as model provides freedom of choice to well as rules ballot signature verifithe voter. While we proactively mail cation. And she wants to return “to a ballot to every active eligible voter, the choice still remains for the voter SEE ELECTION, P15

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Elbert County News 15

June 16, 2022

ELECTION FROM PAGE 14

being inclusive with the local election officials and how these rules impact voters on the ground.” O’DONNELL: He said he’s concerned that current rules allow potential noncitizens to register to vote, in turn inflating voter rolls. He said he’d want to change such rules. PETERS: She said she’d eliminate a 2021 rule prohibiting third-party audits of election equipment, which was aimed at addressing calls from her and her followersothers for an Arizona-style audit of the 2020 presidential election results in Colorado. She said she might also get rid of other rules. “This secretary of state — and I’ve talked to other clerks who have been around for 20 years — has passed more legislation, has rolled out more rules than any one secretary of state in the last 20 years.”

Individual questions for each candidate The Sun asked Anderson about her role as a director of the Center for Technology and Civic Life, which distributed grants from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s foundation to local election offices around the country in 2020 to help defray costs brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. (She’s on leave from the organization while running for office.) ANDERSON: She said she served with the center as a volunteer director, one of many volunteer roles she’s played “because of my expertise as a local election official.” ”I don’t know Mark Zuckerberg. Never met him. I’ve never been paid in these capacities,” she said. O’Donnell is a political novice and

the only Republican candidate for secretary of state without experience administering elections. We asked him how he’d handle being the state’s top election official. O’DONNELL: He said he would join a national association for election officials and take online classes in election administration if he wins the primary. “A lot of the elections are handled by the county clerks and the system is well in place. There are a lot of rules that don’t make sense to me, there are a lot of things that just inflate the voter rolls and little issues we have with not removing people from the voter rolls.” The Sun asked Peters how she could serve as secretary of state if she ends up being convicted of the charges against her, which could result in a prison sentence. PETERS: “I will never plead guilty because I’ve committed no crime … This is a political maneuver to color the minds of the voters to keep me out of the Secretary of State’s Office,” she said. She said that if she were convicted and sentenced to prison she “will have in place in the Secretary of State’s Office … people that are trustworthy, that are honest, that are strong, that are capable — that can run that office.”

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Relationship with county clerks and their association Elections are managed at the local level by county clerks, who oversee ballot printing and counting and audits of results. The secretary of state works closely with those clerks and the Colorado County Clerks Association, so The Sun asked the three candidates about how they would work with both. ANDERSON: She said that all elections are local and thus maintaining good relationships with county clerks and recorders is paramount. “There is a regulatory role that’s appropriate as well, but making sure that we’re collaborating on resources, training,

education and security (is critical),” Anderson said. O’DONNELL: He said he’s been meeting with county clerks and believes the state is creating too much work for them in some areas, such as when it comes to motor vehicles and a new requirement from the legislature to sell park passes with vehicle registrations. He said he isn’t “connected with the County Clerk’s Association.” PETERS: She said she disagrees with how the clerks association has handled the Mesa County controversy that ensued after she allegedly allowed an unauthorized person access to voting equipment and a sensitive election system software update. She implied that other clerks don’t understand the conspiracy she baselessly claims occurs between Griswold and Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems, which provided machines that process the vast majority of ballots in Colorado.

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16 Elbert County News

June 16, 2022

LOCAL

LIFE

Wildfire art creates beauty out of tragedy BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Robert Nesladek carves wood. He works in a sawdust-filled studio behind his house in Arvada, which he has owned for 47 years. He uses two wood lathes to carve out bowls, vases and other works of art from wood charred by wildfires. One of those lathes was handed down from his grandfather to his dad, then to his uncle and now to him. He started working with wood after he quit drinking. “I had to find something to keep my hands busy,” he said. Out of a devastating event, wildfire art aims to create something beautiful — a vase, a painting or a poem. Nesladek transforms the wood burned by wildfires into beautiful shapes. He said burned wood takes on different characteristics because of the intense heat that dries out the log. “It puts a lot of that charcoal gray color into the wood, and it just kind of runs through it,” he said. “It just is really nice to work with.” Starting out, the wood is filthy. “As soon as you touch it, you think ‘I’m not going to even mess with that stuff. It’s just nasty,’” he said. “But as soon as you get the bark off, it’s clean inside, and it’s dry.” Nesladek turns the wood on the lathe quickly and shapes it with different chisels and blades. Once the burned charcoal coating the wood is removed, he starts to mold the

center of the wood that endured intense heat but wasn’t directly touched the fire. After he reaches the shape he wants, he applies a clear stain. “It amazes me how something so nasty, so devastating, can turn into something so beautiful,” Nesladak said. Painting from within Creating art from wildfires can also help begin the healing process after such a tragedy. For Alissa Davies, of Boulder, that involves intuitively painting emotions onto canvas. After the Marshall Fire, Davies said she and her community felt an extreme sense of loss and fear. “We’ve had these wildfires in our community, and every time the wind blows, we all feel this kind of collective trauma,” she said. “What’s going to happen to this place?” Davies describes herself as an intuitive artist — stepping up to a canvas with no idea of what the end result will be. She looks inward to get in touch with her feelings and then paints. After the Marshall Fire, she returned to her studio to begin addressing her emotions and out came Firescape 1, 2 and 3. “We all are very affected by external events that happen around us,” she said. “(Painting) is just a highly therapeutic process for me.” She said fires come with an immense, intense energy that she channeled into the paintings. She said she experienced those feelings even though she didn’t lose a house to the fire, but instead, she channeled the SEE FIRE, P17

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Robert Nesladek with three vases he created out of the leftover wood from a PHOTO BY LUKE ZARZECKI wildfire.

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Elbert County News 17

June 16, 2022

FIRE FROM PAGE 16

hardships of those who did. She champions art therapy programs in Boulder and surrounding communities where people can learn to get in touch with their emotions and put them onto paper. Those programs give people space to freely create art. She touches on her semester in college at the Art Institute of Chicago where it wasn’t so free. Her painting classes created an intense environment with critiques and competition from professors and students. The art therapy classes were different, she said, in that they created a more encouraging environment. “There’s that level of acceptance,” Davies said. “Instead of thinking art is for the precious few, it gives people the view that we all really know what to do with paint. It might not be pretty, and it might not look like what’s in our head, but that’s OK, and it’s better that way.” For those affected by the Marshall Fire, art therapy can begin those conversations, both verbal and not. “It’s always important to talk it out, but I think those nonverbal ways of expressing are equally as powerful and helpful,” Davies said. Sometimes, it just takes a few The wood lathe Nesladek uses to carve his wood.

SEE FIRE, P18

PHOTO BY LUKE ZARZECKI

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18 Elbert County News

June 16, 2022

FIRE FROM PAGE 1

breaths and a blank canvas. To get in touch with her emotions before she paints, Davies mediates. While painting, she turns off her mind and moves very quickly. “I’m constantly turning my canvas,” she said. “You can click over into that flow state, you know that feeling of when time kind of gets weird, it’s suspended. It’s bliss.” Burning wood Radha Marcum of Boulder started writing at age 7 on her mother’s typewriter. Fast forward to today, and she’s a poet creating poems rooted in ecological, social and personal landscapes of the American West. “I grew up in the West, so wildfire has always really been in my awareness,” she said. In 2019, she began writing more about wildfires. The burning of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris triggered her new topic. She visited the cathedral with her husband within weeks of the roof burning. Replacing the ceilings, made of oak beams from Europe’s ancient forests, remains almost impossible because those forests are long gone, she said. “At the same time that we were losing this magnificent humanmade structure, we were also losing nature’s cathedral,” she said. “I think of the old growth forests in North America.” It reminded Marcum of visiting the Redwood forests in Northern California. “Thinking about the history of people who have been in these places, whether it’s a cathedral or a forest, there’s a sense of continuity, and so when you lose a forest or you lose a cathedral, you’re losing that sense of continuity with ancestors and which people would come before you,” she said. Hence, she started writing about wildfire, and the Marshall Fire made the topic even more personal for her. “When it happens in your backyard, and when you’re watching the effects in real time, that I think

Call for spring. Conjure winter’s end. Bandage limbs cracked or stunted by wind or worry. Pray for bees, for pollen bodies. Pray the plum blossoms A closeup on a vase made of wood torched by a wildfire.

PHOTOS BY LUKE ZARZECKI

become oval ovums ripening— clusters green then redgreen, then fruits covered in dusk. Do not doubt that doubt will ripen in you. Pull indigo lobes from limbs, bent.

Firescape 1, 2 and 3 by Alissa Davies.

is profound,” she said. “I think in art, and in poetry, in our writing, we have the opportunity to meditate on what is happening right here, right in front of us.” For her, that can mean looking at specific changes in her surroundings. One example she points to is a poem about a plum tree in her backyard that she moved inside due to the drought. Another poem looks at smoke drifts and ashes falling in her backyard. Those ashes, she said, are forests, people’s homes or wildlife. Some float in from other places.

PHOTOS BY LUKE ZARZECKI

“There’s a connection between different parts of the country, between you and the landscape, between the ecology, the trees, the wildlife,” she said. “We’re all affected by these events, whether or not they’re burning our structures, or they’re burning the forest.” Marcum sees her poems as an invitation to readers to recognize the events happening around them. “(It’s about) connecting with what’s really going on, rather than being sort of numb and overwhelmed by the news or by statistics,” she said.

Gather fruit in your shirt. Snag windfalls in the grass, split gladly for sparrow and mouse. Observe how doubts shine before the knife. Sterilize jars. Boil the fruits for jam. Note the tiny toothmarks made by ones who recognize abundance when it is offered. By: Radha Marcum

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June 16, 2022

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

Invasive mussels haven’t been found in Colorado’s lakes and reservoirs Wildlife officials are battling to keep it that way BY TATIANA FLOWERS THE COLORADO SUN

Zebra and quagga mussels do not yet exist in Colorado’s lakes and reservoirs, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife leaders are working hard to keep it that way. They’re stepping up enforcement efforts through a statewide decontamination program. Each year, the department runs the Aquatic Nuisance Species Program, where inspectors at 73 locations decontaminate boats before they enter and exit Colorado’s waterways. Since the program’s inception in 2008, almost 500,000 boats have been inspected annually. The inspections help detect species like zebra and quagga mussels that attach to boats. If knocked off, the muscles can drop into, and infect, Colorado waters. “Each year, the number of boats we are intercepting here in Colorado is increasing significantly,” said Robert Walters, invasive species program manager. “In 2017, we intercepted 26 boats coming into the state that had mussels on them. In 2021 alone, we intercepted 181.” Colorado is not free of all invasive aquatic nuisance species. Some bodies of water in Colorado contain Eurasian watermilfoil, for example, which grows quickly and blocks sunlight, and can kill off native aquatic plants that fish and other underwater species rely on for food and shelter. Colorado Parks and Wildlife leaders remain concerned about the possibility of zebra and quagga mussels pos-

sibly popping up across the state. The department is conducting an awareness campaign this month ahead of Memorial Day, which is when the boating season generally kicks off in Colorado. A single mussel can produce up to 1 million babies in a single year. The aquatic nuisances can attach to solid or semi-solid surfaces and clog up boat engines or distribution pipes at water treatment facilities. In those cases, the mussels can disrupt recreation and cause millions of dollars in damage to infrastructure. Once mussels are introduced into a region’s waterway, they are impossible to remove. The greatest risk comes from boats traveling out of state, particularly to Lake Powell, on the Utah-Arizona border. The popular destination for Colorado boaters is infested with quagga mussels. Any time boaters travel outside of the state, it’s even more important that they ensure their boats are cleaned, drained and dry before launching back into Colorado, Walters said. “Our program has been effective for almost 15 years at stopping these species from becoming established in Colorado waters,” he said. “But many other states don’t have the same level of protection, so every year mussels spread into new waters in our surrounding states, which increases our level of risk here in Colorado.” For some, the inspection process could take less than 1 minute, said Luke Stucker, a senior ranger managing the aquatic nuisance program, at Cherry Creek State Park. If the boat has just returned from an area containing many invasive species, such as Lake Powell, the decontamination process will likely take longer, he said. SEE MUSSELS, P23

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Educational Audiologist East Central BOCES is looking for a FT or PT Educational Audiologist for the 2022-23 school year CDE Special Services and Colorado Audiologist licensure required; CCC’s or AAA certiﬁcate; knowledge of current technologies in Audiology including HAT systems and cochlear implants preferred. Experience with children 0-21 preferred. Complete evaluations, provide direct services, and consultation services, manage hearing equipment and oversee hearing screening program. Beneﬁts include: a signing bonus, mileage reimbursement. Flexible scheduling with some opportunity to work from home.May be eligible for a loan forgiveness program. Ph.D. Salary $51,450-$60,550. For Questions, please contact Tracy at tracyg@ ecboces.org or 719-775-2342 ext. 101. To apply for this position, please visit our website ecboces.org and click on the “Jobs” page, click on the job you are interested in & then click on the grey button “Apply Online”, located at the bottom of the job listing. EOE

Registered Occupational Therapist/COTA Full-Time and part-time Registered Occupational Therapist/COTA for East Central BOCES - OTR must have, or be eligible for appropriate Colorado licensure. Provide Pre-12 intervention, assessment, direct & indirect services just east of Denver on I-70, Bennett, Strasburg Byers & Kiowa areas. COTA Needed for Limon & Surrounding Areas. Support from an experienced COTA is available for OT. Full Time Salary range for OTD: $49,350-$60,550. Part-Time Salary prorated based on the number of days employed. COTA Salary range $34,650-$43,050. Excellent beneﬁts, including Sign On Bonus, full health insurance & access to a company vehicle or mileage reimbursement. May be eligible for a loan forgiveness program! Flexible scheduling with the opportunity to complete some work from home. To apply for this position, please visit our website ecboces.org and click on the “Jobs” page, click on the job you are interested in & then click on the grey button “Apply Online” at the bottom of the job listing. Questions contact Tracy at (719) 775-2342, ext. 101 or email tracyg@ecboces. org EOE

Special Education Teacher For a significant needs program located at the Strasburg Elementary School - Current Colorado Special Education Teacher license required. BA salary range $34,650-$40,950 & MA salary range $39,900-$46,200, based on experience. Excellent benefits. including full health benefits & Signing Bonus! Collaborative work environment with lots of free continuing education opportunities available. May be eligible for Student Loan Forgiveness. Questions contact Tracy at (719) 775-2342, ext. 101 or tracyg@ecboces.org. To apply for this position, please visit our website ecboces.org and click on the “Jobs” page, click on the job you are interested in & then click on the grey button “Apply Online” at the bottom of the job listing. EOE Full-Time School Psychologist or Intern To join our dynamic, multi-disciplinary team of professionals for the 202223 school year. Requirements: Educational Specialist (Ed.S.), Colorado certified. Provide PreK-12 intervention including assessment, development of IEP’s & consultation services. Competitive salaries: ED.S $51,450-$60,900 & Intern $47,600$52,400, both commensurate upon experience. Excellent benefits including dental, vision, and medical insurance. Flexible scheduling with the opportunity to complete some work at home. May be eligible for Sign On Bonus! May also be eligible for loan forgiveness. Use of a car or mileage reimbursement. Questions contact Tracy (719) 775-2342, ext. 101. To apply for this position, please visit our website ecboces.org and click on the “Jobs” page, click on the job you are interested in & then click on the grey button “Apply Online”, located at the bottom of the job listing. EOE Driver CDL HAZMAT DRIVER WANTED by Spring Valley Gas, Inc., family owned; 20 year old company, seeking local propane delivery driver with customer service experience. Join our team! Salary based on certification and experience. Class A or B with hazmat endorsements. Full time position. Propane experience preferred but not required. Clean MVR with no DUI or drug history. On call pay, holiday pay, paid industrial training, and paid time off. Call for interview: 303-660-8810.

Speech-Language Pathologist or SLPA FT & PT Speech-Language Pathologist or SLPA Positions Available for 2022-23 School Year! Open to School Internships. Able to provide supervision for CFY hours. Join our dynamic, multi-disciplinary team of professionals. Administer assessments, provide direct, indirect & consultation services for students PreK-12th grades. Competitive salaries: SLP - $44,100-$56,000 & SLPA- $36,050- $44,450, both commensurate upon experience. May be eligible for a Sign On Bonus! May also be eligible for loan forgiveness! Excellent beneﬁts, including full health beneﬁts & mileage reimbursement. Flexible scheduling with the opportunity to complete some work at home. Questions contact Tracy at (719) 775-2342, ext. 101 or email tracyg@ ecboces.org. To apply for this position, please visit our website ecboces.org and click on the “Jobs” page, click on the job you are interested in & then click on the grey button “Apply Online” at the bottom of the job listing. EOE

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Special Education Paraprofessionals Full & Part-Time Special Education Paraprofessionals needed for our West & Central Area Center-based Learning Programs located in Strasburg & Limon Competitive pay and beneﬁts including individual health insurance . $15-$18 per hour depending on experience. May be eligible for Sign On Bonus! Questions contact Tracy at 719-7752342 ext. 101 or tracyg@ecboces. org. To apply for this position, please visit our website ecboces.org and click on the “Jobs” page, click on the job you are interested in & then click on the grey button “Apply Online” at the bottom of the job listing. EOE

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MUSSELS FROM PAGE 20

Every state park has a decontamination station, where boats sit on a trailer, away from bodies of water. Inspectors move through the vessel, checking the rear, outside and interior compartments of the boat. Then, 140-degree water is used to decontaminate the boat, killing any invasive species present. All the water is then drained into an open field or retention pond, Stucker said. Most boaters are already aware of their responsibility to have their boats inspected before launching it into local water. But the pandemic added a new layer of complexity for state leaders trying to keep local lakes and reservoirs safe. Many people became first-time boaters during the pandemic and aren’t educated about the inspection process and the need for it, Stucker said. Mussels can live outside of water for 27 days under the right condi-

No Clipping Required.

• • • • •

“If I can prevent that mussel boat from launching, or if my inspectors can prevent that mussel boat from launching, then it’s a win in my book,” he said. This story is from The Colorado Sun,

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Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088 Legals City and County PUBLIC NOTICE CHILD FIND

Ages 0 through 5 year-old concerns should be directed to the following:

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ROBERT WALTERS/ COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE

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The Colorado Department of Education maintains a comprehensive child identification system consistent with Part B of IDEA and ensures that each Local Education Agency (LEA), in collaboration with a variety of community resources, assumes the leadership role in establishing and maintaining a process in their community for the purpose of locating, identifying and evaluating all children, birth to 21 years, who may have a disability and may be eligible for services and supports under Part C or special education services under Part B of IDEA.

• • •

A heavily infested propeller and lower unit of a boat is pictured by Colorado Parks and Wildlife inspectors. The organization has since 2008 run an aquatic nuisance program that intercepts and decontaminated more boats each year in hopes of keeping invasive species out of Colorado’s waterCOURTESY OF ways.

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East Central BOCES and/or its member districts would like to locate all 0 through 21 year olds, who may have a disability.

•

tions. The filter feeders can pass almost an entire liter of water through their shells each day, consuming nutrients needed by other fish and plants in the ecosystem. Their high levels of filter feeding can alter food sources in lakes and reservoirs. And when mussels defecate or dry out on shorelines, they can cause a rancid smell, making it less desirable to recreate in these areas, Walters said. “There’s a whole slew of potential recreational impacts,” he added. “In Eastern Europe, they had a role in filtering water and were a food source for native species that kept them in check. Here in Colorado, they would not serve much of a purpose, and would mostly cause problems.” Inspectors are among those with the most important jobs in the state, which is to protect Colorado’s waterways, Stucker said. As an avid boater, he works to ensure that his kids can grow up with the same opportunities he had as a child while recreating on Colorado’s lakes and rivers.

Cheyenne County (Cheyenne Wells and Kit Carson Schools) Lincoln County (Genoa-Hugo School) Yuma County (Idalia & Liberty Schools) Kit Carson County (Bethune, Stratton, Arriba-Flagler & Hi-Plains Schools) Arapahoe County (Byers, Deer Trail, Strasburg & Bennett Schools) Washington County (Arickaree & Woodlin Schools) Adams County (Bennett, Strasburg, Byers and Deer Trail Schools) Lincoln County (Limon & Karval Schools) Elbert County (Agate & Kiowa Schools) Kit Carson County (Burlington Schools)

Please contact: Stacey Schillig, Child Find Coordinator - (719) 775-2342, ext. 133

All 5 through 21 year-old concerns should be directed to the local school district administrator, special education teacher, East Central BOCES (719) 775-2342, ext. 101. Services for infants and toddlers are voluntary. The East Central BOCES member schools are: Bennett, Strasburg, Byers, Deer Trail, Agate, Woodlin, Arickaree, Limon, Genoa-Hugo, Karval, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Cheyenne Wells, ArribaFlagler, Hi-Plains, Stratton, Bethune, Burlington, Liberty, and Idalia. References: IDEA, Part C, Section 303.320-323 IDEA, Part B, Section 300.125 ECEA CCR 301-8 2220-R-4.01-4.04(4) East Central BOCES Comprehensive Plan Section III Process of Identifying Legal Notice No. 24851 First Publication: June 16, 2022 Last Publication: June 16, 2022 Publisher: Elbert County News PUBLIC NOTICE SCHOOL DISTRICT RECORDS The East Central BOCES Member School Districts keep records on each student to use in the instruction and guidance of each student. The records contain information about the student and his/her education, including attendance, achievement, aptitude, description, assessment and progress. Parents of students under 18 and eligible students have the right to review these records. Student records are kept in the school building the student attends. If records are not kept in the school the student attends, this will be noted by the person in charge of records in the building. The principal is responsible for maintenance of student records in each building. To review a student’s records, the parent(s) of students under 18 or the eligible student should contact the records custodian. The records will be shown to you as soon as possible and in no case more than three days after the request. If you desire a copy of the educational record, a charge of 10 cents per copy may be charged, unless this

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fee prohibits your access. The records will be explained to you at your request. Parents of eligible students may question the content of the records. Any other access to student records will only be allowed if written consent is obtained, upon court order or by any legally issued subpoena. Student records are reviewed and inappropriate material removed periodically. Those records not of permanent importance must be destroyed at the parents request after graduation or when the student stops attending permanently. Parents of students with disabilities or eligible students will be notified before any personally identifiable information is removed from a record and destroyed. A record of those persons reviewing the records will be kept by the records custodian and can be reviewed by the parent or eligible student. A school official may release directory type information to the public. To prevent the public release of such information, a parent or eligible student must file a written objection with the records custodian within ten days after receiving this notice. For more detailed information about records, procedures and policies or to file a complaint, contact the local school district administrator, the East Central BOCES Executive Director or the Special Education Director. Letters may be addressed to: Jason Westfall, Executive Director, East Central BOCES, P. O. Box 910, Limon, CO 80828. Unresolved complaints can be appealed using the established appeals process. The East Central BOCES member schools are: Bennett, Strasburg, Byers, Deer Trail, Agate, Woodlin, Arickaree, Limon, Genoa-Hugo, Karval, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Cheyenne Wells, ArribaFlagler, Hi-Plains, Stratton, Bethune, Burlington, Idalia, & Liberty. Legal Notice No. 24850 First Publication: June 16, 2022 Last Publication: June 16, 2022 Publisher: Elbert County News Public Notice NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION

East Central BOCES , along with our 20 member school districts; Agate, Arickaree, Arriba/ Flagler, Bennett, Bethune, Burlington, Byers, Cheyenne Wells, Deer Trail, Genoa/Hugo, HiPlains, Idalia, Karval, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Liberty, Limon, Strasburg, Stratton, and Woodlin does not unlawfully discriminate against otherwise qualified students, employees, applicants for employment, or members of the public on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, national origin, religion, ancestry, or the need for special education services. Discrimination against employees and applicants for employment based on age, genetic information, and conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth is also prohibited in accordance with state and/or federal law. The East Central BOCES including its member districts does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices. This notice is provided as required by Title VI & VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, and Colorado law. Questions, complaints, or requests for additional information regarding these laws may be forwarded to the designated compliance coordinator. East Central BOCES Jason Westfall, Executive Director 820 2nd Street Limon, Colorado 80828 (719) 775-2342 Legal Notice No. 24852 First Publication: June 16, 2022 Last Publication: June 16, 2022 Publisher: Elbert County News

Notice to Creditors Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Wilma Frances Johnstone; a/k/a Wilma F. Johnstone;

a/k/a Wilma Johnstone; a/k/a Wilma Frances Smolik; a/k/a Wilma F. Smolik; a/k/a Wilma Smolik, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR30018 All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Elbert, County, Colorado on or before December 15, 2022, or the claims may be forever barred. Myka M. Landry, Attorney for Personal Representative Douglas Steven Johnstone PO Box 2276 Elizabeth, Colorado 80107 Legal Notice No. 24849 First Publication: June 16, 2022 Last Publication: June 30, 2022 Publisher: Elbert County News Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of JOHN C. DREILING, also known as John Clarence Dreiling and John Dreiling, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR30019 All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to District Court of Elbert County, Colorado or on or before October 16, 2022, or the claims may be forever barred. Di Ann Dreiling and Patricia J. Olson Co-Personal Representatives 7665 South Platteview Drive Littleton CO 80128 Legal Notice No. 24848 First Publication: June 16, 2022 Last Publication: June 30, 2022 Publisher: Elbert County News

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Elbert Legals 6.16.22 * 1

24 Elbert County News

June 16, 2022

Thank you Stampede organizers, vendors, and volunteers. We’ll see you again next year! PROUD SUPPORTER OF THE ELIZABETH STAMPEDE 1001 HILLTOP ROAD • ELIZABETH, COLORADO 80107 • IndependenceDenver.com

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