Elbert County News 062322

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Week of June 23, 2022

ELBERT COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

ElbertCountyNews.net

VOLUME 127 | ISSUE 19

Libraries offer summer programs

Nick Snively becomes Elizabeth trustee

Pines & Plains system touts in-person programming after COVID-19 restrictions

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

The Pines & Plains Libraries have many new summer programs and events this year for residents of Elbert County. After COVID-19 restricted activities over the past few years, many of these programs encourage in-person participation and getting back to the libraries.

This year’s summer reading program runs through the end of July and has the theme of “Oceans of Possibilities” and is open to kids, teens and adults. “Since we weren’t able to do many things in the libraries last summer due to COVID, will be going all out with programs and activities for all ages this year,” said Jen Yadav, Pines & Plains Libraries activity services guide. “We’re hoping to get people out and about, and back into the libraries.”

The Pines & Plains Libraries will be using an online tracking system for the summer reading programs called ReadSquared in which participants can track their activities and reading. Participants will acquire points by reading and completing activities and missions throughout the summer. Points allow participants to win prizes, with grand prize awarded to the top point earner at the end of the summer.

“We hope summer reading programs and activities will draw in reluctant readers, encourage reading over the summer to help children keep their skills up, and to generate excitement for and encourage reading to become a lifelong habit,” said Yadav. “Overall, we’re really trying to generate interest in the libraries SEE LIBRARIES, P2

New board member focuses on communication, amenities, smart growth

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

Nick Snively became the newest member of the Elizabeth Board of Trustees on May 10, filling the seat left vacant by Ron Weaver. Snively is 42 years old, has three children, and has been married for 18 years.

Originally from a small town in Southern California, Snively has lived in Colorado for more than 10 years.

Snively and his family moved to Elizabeth in 2021. In a phone interview with Snively on June 6, he said Elizabeth’s small-town charm and the quality of its schools drew him and his family to the area.

“We really like the nearby schools, especially Legacy Academy where my kids go,” said Snively. “We also love the old historic charm of the downtown area of Elizabeth. It’s fantastic and very unique.”

A May 12 announcement from the town said Snively has an “extensive background as an operational administrator and professional which has provided him with well-rounded experience Summer reading program offers many activities for all ages.

INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 10 | LIFE: PAGE 12 | CALENDAR: PAGE 9

COURTESY OF PINES & PLAINS LIBRARIES

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SEE SNIVELY, P2

July 29, 30 & 31

2 Elbert County News

June 23, 2022

Pines and Plains Libraries’ summer reading program is “Oceans of Possibilities.”

COURTESY OF PINES & PLAINS LIBRARIES

LIBRARIES FROM PAGE 1

themselves. In Elizabeth we have a lot of people moving in and they might not know we have many branch libraries in the area.”

In addition to the Oceans of Possibilities summer reading program, each branch library has programs and activities:

FROM PAGE 1

in strategic planning, asset management, financial management, major initiative leadership, and responsible stewardship.”

Snively joins the board during a time of great transition for Elizabeth and the surrounding area.

Elizabeth’s significant growth continues to be a hot topic among residents and Snively has several thoughts about the burgeoning small town.

“There is a lot of growth going on in Elbert County and I don’t want us as a town not to be prepared for that growth,” said Snively. “There is a good chunk of people that don’t want any growth, but the families that are moving in here may counter that.

Elbert A foam party Stargazing and sun-gazing activities

PHOTO BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

Elizabeth Pirate/magic show Ocean-themed talks on sharks, bioluminescence, and watersheds by the Ocean First Institute Stargazing and sun-gazing activities Ocean-themed crafts and activities throughout the summer Storytimes on Mondays @ 10:00am and Thursdays @ 1:00pm with activities

Simla Movie nights Stargazing/sun-gazing activities Storytimes on Tuesdays at 11:00 in the park, snacks and activities Contact your local Pines & Plains Libraries branch for specific activity times and dates.

To contact your local branch, visit pplibraries.org To sign-up for ReadSquared, visit pplibraries.readsquared.com Follow the Pines & Plains Libraries on Facebook for up-todate information on library programs: facebook.com/pplibraries

There is good opportunity for smart, good growth.”

In the June 6 interview, Snively stressed the importance of bringing more amenities to Elizabeth.

“I would love to see more amenities for the families here, like an urgent care and more medical facilities. I know people hate to drive to Parker or Castle Rock for services that we could easily have here,” said Snively. “We can balance growth with increasing amenities for the people of Elizabeth.

Anything we can do to bring more activities to the town is going to be a good thing as well.”

Snively said one of his biggest goals as the newest member of the board of trustees is to greatly increase the communication between the town and the residents of Elizabeth. He also stressed the importance of community engagement.

“What I want to bring with my time here is enhanced communication. I want to encourage more engagement, outreach, conversation and dialogue. We want more participation, getting the public to be more involved in making decisions,” Snively said. “People want to be heard and I really want to help bridge the gap that I see in communication. Change can be hard, but if we set the right expectations and have good communication, together we can make positive change.”

Outside of his role as the new board of trustees member, Snively is an active runner. He commented that he’d like to see a better trails system around the Town of Elizabeth. He’s also an avid reader and golfer.

For more information on the Town of Elizabeth Board of Trustees, visit townofelizabeth.org/bt

Nick Snively is the newest Board of Trustees member for the Town of ElizaCOURTESY OF NICK SNIVELY beth.

The Elizabeth branch of Pines & Plains Libraries will host ocean-themed activities like a pirate magic show and talks on sharks, bioluminescence and watersheds.

SNIVELY

Kiowa Pirate/magic show Storytimes Fridays at 10 a.m. with activities

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Elbert County News 3

June 23, 2022

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4 Elbert County News

June 23, 2022

Xcel Energy wants customers to pay for plant shutdowns Public Utilities Commission officials want more study

BY MARK JAFFE SPECIAL TO THE COLORADO SUN

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission on June 10 balked at approving a billion-dollar price tag to shut down Xcel Energy’s five remaining coal-fired generating units — to be paid by customers — and instead is seeking more detailed financial analysis.

The proposed closing costs were part of a settlement agreement between Xcel Energy, the state’s largest electricity provider, and a group of state agencies, local governments and labor and environmental groups.

The commission, however, wanted more scrutiny of the finances.

“We’ve expressed concern over understanding these costs,” Commissioner Megan Gilman said. “We owe that to the ratepayers.”

At issue is the financial method Xcel Energy is proposing to recover

The RidgeGate calendar of fun starts here.

S M T W T 6

PHOTO BY MIKE SWEENEY/SPECIAL TO THE COLORADO SUN

the closure costs. The commission said it wants Xcel to analyze a range of options, particularly using secu-

ritized bonds, which are seen as a potential cheaper financing mechanism.

Yoga in the Park Join RidgeGate and South Suburban Parks and Recreation for free community yoga classes on the grass at the south end of Belvedere Park, at the corner of RidgeGate Circle and Belvedere Lane. Please bring your own mat, water bottle and towel to all classes. In case of heavy rain or lightning, class will be cancelled.

Tuesday, June 28th, 6:30-7:30pm Tuesday, July 26th, 6:30-7:30pm

Guided Nature Hikes

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The Comanche Generating Station in Pueblo on Oct. 21, 2021.

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Each year, RidgeGate teams up with the South Suburban Parks and Recreation District to provide free, guided nature hikes. These hikes are led by professional naturalists from the district, and offer insight and education into the natural ecosystems within the open space at RidgeGate. Registration is required and available at RidgeGate.com.

Tuesday, July 5th, 6:00-7:30pm – Nature Journaling (Willow Creek Trail) Saturday, July 23rd, 8:30-10am – Bison in Colorado (Bluffs to East-West Trail)

Summer Beats Concerts Enjoy these summertime concerts out on the grass with free live music, food trucks and activities for kids. It’s all happening in Prairie Sky Park, just west of the Lone Tree Recreation Center, courtesy of the South Suburban Parks and Recreation District.

Thursday, July 21st, 5-8pm – Message in a Bottle (Police Cover Band)

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Tunes on the Terrace at the Lone Tree Arts Center

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RidgeGate is proud to be the presenting sponsor of the Lone Tree Arts Center’s ‘Tunes on the Terrace’—an outdoor evening concert series that will bring your summer nights to life.

Check out the full schedule and buy tickets at LoneTreeArtsCenter.org.

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Friday, June 24th, 8pm – Joe Smith & the Spicy Pickles Friday, July 8th, 8pm – Jarabe Mexicano Friday, July 22nd, 8pm – Barbaro

Experience Historic Schweiger Ranch The restoration of the 38-acre historic Schweiger Ranch, led by the Schweiger Ranch Foundation, gives us a glimpse into settlers’ lives. Today, the ranch is open to the public for self-guided visits and a variety of events throughout the year. Register for or learn more about these events online at SchweigerRanch.org.

A more natural approach to urbanism. ridgegate.com

Saturday, July 16th, 10-11am – Guided Public Tour Saturday, July 16th, 8:30-10am – Natural Heritage Walking Tour with SSPRD (Bison Before Settlers) Saturday, July 16th, 6-7:30pm – Campfire & Storytelling Series (El Vaquero – America’s First Cowboy)

All events are held within the RidgeGate community, just south of Lincoln Avenue, on both sides of I-25.

“It is incumbent upon the company to model securitization and other options,” Commissioner John Gavan said. “We will need to take this off to a separate proceeding.”

As part of its electric resource plan — which forecasts the utility’s electricity demand for the next four years and the generating resources to meet it — and its Clean Energy Plan, aimed at cutting the utility’s greenhouse gas emissions, Xcel Energy is moving to close all its coal-fired plants.

The plan is to close the utility’s five remaining units — in Craig, Hayden, Fort Morgan and Pueblo — between 2027 and 2031 at a cost of a little more than $1 billion.

The bulk of that figure — $732 million — is for shutting the 750-megawatt Comanche 3 unit, in Pueblo. The $1.3 billion plant only went into operation in 2010 and will be the last to close at the end of 2030.

The plant has been beset with operating, equipment and financial problems, leading to more than 800 days of shutdowns. Initially, Xcel proposed running the plant until 2040 and then under pressure cut the closure date to 2035 and eventually 2031.

The commission also asked for more detailed data on project operation and maintenance costs for Comanche 3, while it is still in use.

“We have seen escalating unexpected costs in terms of unit 3 maintenance,” Gavan said.

Xcel Energy is proposing using securitized bonds to finance the Comanche 3 closure which includes $690 million to pay for the unamortized part of the utility’s investment in the unit, $32 million in cleanup costs and $10 million in bond costs.

The securitized bonds are linked to a guaranteed revenue source from the utility and as a result can be offered lower interest rates, reducing overall costs.

For the three other units, however, Xcel Energy proposed, in the partial settlement of its resource plan submitted to the PUC, using other financing mechanisms, such as accelerated depreciation and a so-called regulatory asset.

A regulatory asset is a financial device in which all the costs associated with closing a coal-fired unit would be gathered in one place and paid off by customers over time — with Xcel Energy also getting an interest payment on the account.

The PUC move may be a concern for the settling parties, said Gwen Farnsworth, a managing senior policy advisor for environmental group Western Resources Advocates, which signed on to the agreement.

One of the goals of the settlement was to close the coal-fired plants as quickly as possible with Pawnee closing its coal-fired unit and switching to natural gas in 2025, followed by the Hayden 2 unit in 2027, and Hayden 1 and Craig closing in 2028.

Breaking the retirement costs off to a separate proceeding could delay the closure process and even lead to knock-on-effects in delaying the acquisition on new, clean resources, Farnsworth said.

Elbert County News 5

June 23, 2022

Colorado hospitals scored 17th for COVID-19 response

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State ranked low on its handling of mental health crises

BY TONY GORMAN AND ALEJANDRO A. ALONSO GALVA CPR NEWS

Colorado hospitals’ response to COVID-19 ranked 17th among all 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to The Commonwealth Fund’s national health care scorecard, an annual report that ranks state health care systems on various metrics based on how well states provide highquality, accessible and equitable health care.

For the first time, the scorecard focused specifically on how well states managed COVID-19 from 2020 to early 2022.

Anuj Mehta, a pulmonary care physician at Denver Health, told CPR in March while Colorado’s COVID-19 numbers are better in recent weeks than earlier in the pandemic, “most hospitals remain incredibly busy with non-COVID patients who are much sicker and tend to stay in the hospital for longer periods of time than before the pandemic.”

He said health care systems across the state continue to face significant staffing issues, which may worsen as health care workers “finally take a moment to reflect on the immense psychological trauma they have suffered in the last two years.”

Colorado ranked 12th in fully vaccinated adults who also received a booster dose with 44% of Colorado adults having received a vaccine and booster shot.

The state also ranked 12th best in preventing excess deaths associated with COVID-19 with 281

deaths per 100,000 people in the state.

The lowest COVID-19 metric was in the number of hospital shortages. Colorado hospitals went 59 days with shortages placing the state 28th nationally.

Colorado ranked 12th overall in health care performance. Hawaii, Maine, Vermont, Washington and Oregon landed in the top five.

Alabama, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Mississippi and Georgia rounded out the bottom.

The state saw its highest marks in hospital patient experience and fitness, but also in preventable hospitalizations. It also saw its highest improvements in hospital 30-day mortality, the number of adults who report fair or poor health and avoidable ER visits.

However the good numbers came with some stark reminders of Colorado’s mental health crises.

The state ranked among the worst at 45th in deaths by suicide, 46th in alcohol related deaths, which nearly doubled from 15 deaths per 100,000 people to 24 deaths per 100,000. The state also saw drug overdoses severely increase along with the rest of the nation.

“We have had some of the nation’s highest rates of adult and youth suicide. We’ve got an opioid epidemic on our hands,” said Vincent Atchity, president and CEO of the nonprofit Mental Health Colorado. “So we’re in a critical condition on the extreme side of things in so many ways.”

One glaring metric was a 10% jump in adults with unmet mental illness needs, up to 32%. Colorado ranked 48th in that category.

This story is from Colorado Public Radio, a nonprofit news source.

Used by permission. For more, and to support CPR News, visit cpr.org.

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6 Elbert County News

June 23, 2022

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

BY JENNIFER BROWN THE COLORADO SUN

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

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

The public land where the East Douglas herd lives is suited for no more than 235 horses, according to the BLM, yet there are 1,385 mustangs on the range.

The roundup was scheduled to begin June 16 with a bait-andtrap operation, in which horses are lured into a corral with fresh water and food. Federal officials plan to bring in a helicopter and horseback riders in mid-July to round up more mustangs.

SEE ROUNDUPS, P7

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

PHOTO BY HUGH CAREY/THE COLORADO SUN

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Elbert County News 7

June 23, 2022

ROUNDUPS FROM PAGE 6

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

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

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

The horse deaths, which began April 23 and stopped May 26, incited outcry from mustang advocates around the country and Colorado’s governor and first gentleman, Marlon Reis, an animal rights advocate. Polis already had urged federal officials last summer to pause wild horse roundups and work with Colorado on a gentler solution to the abundance of horses on public lands. That plea came ahead of a helicopter roundup last summer of 684 horses in the Sand Wash Basin in northern Colorado along the Wyoming border.

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

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

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

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

The governor’s office told The Sun that it was disappointed by the BLM’s decision to move ahead with a “costly and wasteful roundup of our wild horses.”

The governor offered “numerous cost-effective and humane

alternative methods of management,” including birth control, but those were ignored.

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

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

All of the horses that died in this spring’s outbreak were from the West Douglas rangeland, along the Colorado-Utah border.

The craggy, mostly inaccessible land was deemed “unsuitable” for wild horses by the BLM, and last summer, the agency announced an emergency roundup of horses and burros.

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

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

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

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

The agency estimates there are about 82,000 wild horses and burros roaming rangeland in 10 Western states, but says the land is appropriate for only about 26,000 of them. In Colorado, about 1,800 mustangs remain on range, but the federal goal is 827.

This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

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.

Skip the trip - motor vehicle services just a click away Renew your driver license or motor vehicle registration and more from the convenience of your smartphone, tablet, desktop or laptop. You can also renew vehicle registrations at MVExpress kiosks. Find information at DouglasDrives.com

What’s happening with your County government?

Our commitment to open and transparent government includes online posting of information about public meetings at which the business of government is conducted. To view public meeting agendas, participate in-person or remotely, or watch select meetings via live stream visit douglas.co.us and search for Business Meetings / Public Hearings.

SCFD Free Days Want to learn more about history, spend time appreciating abstract or contemporary art or get in touch with nature?

SCFD organizations have your entrance fee and cultural passions covered. For more information visit https://scfd.org/find-culture/free-days/

Independence Day office closure Douglas County offices will be closed Monday, July 4, 2022.

Many services are available at DoItOnlineDouglas.com

Visit douglas.co.us

8 Elbert County News

June 23, 2022

More money. Less food. Greater demand: Inflation hits metro-area food banks Distributors continue to feed thousands in face of uncertainty

BY ROBERT TANN RTANN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Before he’s left the food bank’s parking lot, Zachary Mullins sits in partial shade and eats a handful of fresh strawberries and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich from his brown cardboard box.

He’s been getting food from Integrated Family Community Services, one of the largest food banks in the Denver metro area, once a week for the past two years.

“I rely on this food bank,” said Mullins, who lost his job and home in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now he lives homeless in Englewood, near where IFCS is based.

But the nonprofit is facing a difficult reality as it contends with 40-year-high inflation rates and a bottle-necked supply chain. It means paying more money for less food even as demand rises.

A growing need According to Todd McPherson, IFCS’s director of development, the nonprofit distributed over 364,000

pounds of food between January and May of last year. This year, totals are estimated around 406,000 pounds between those same months.

But McPherson said the center needs about 172,000 more pounds to meet current demand. And it is unlikely to get that soon.

“What we saw in the past has drastically changed,” McPherson said. “I think there’s this perception on the outside that we’re back to normal and we’re not.”

Food insecurity is once again on the rise in Arapahoe County and other parts of the metro area.

Between January and May of this year, the food bank is expected to have served more than 27,000 people, with some living as far out as Douglas County and Bailey, according to McPherson. That’s a 111% increase from the same time last year when IFCS served about 24,300 people.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — or SNAP — users in Arapahoe County have also increased, according to Luc Hatlestad, county spokesperson, who said the county issued 27,218 SNAP benefits in March, up from 25,032 in 2021.

SNAP was formerly known as food stamps.

While a surge in federal aid during the first two years of the pandemic helped IFCS meet the SEE INFLATION, P11

Todd McPherson, director of development for IFCS, prepares food boxes for a morning PHOTO BY ROBERT TANN rush on June 2.

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10 Elbert County News

LOCAL

June 23, 2022

VOICES

Love for Dad

O

n June 19, we celebrated Father’s Day. For me, I always honor two important guys in my life.

My dad and my husband.

In driving my dad to the VA for several appointments over the last year — I am often shocked at how much I have learned about him, often shocked that I did not know everything already. Learning the difficult job he had in Vietnam. I am in my 40s and just now learning about this time that has had a lifetime impact on him.

Beyond knowing my dad on a more vulnerable scale this year – I have always been close to him. I respect him for so many reasons.

FROM THE Being the only daughter with three older brothers, I will admit I got a EDITOR little extra attention from my dad.

My dad has worked with his hands his entire life — he would definitely not be classified as clean cut. His hands and arms are stained and rough from decades of plumbing.

However, on my wedding day, he agreed to wear a tuxedo. I will bet money this will be the first and last Thelma Grimes time he will wear a suit.

The only time I can recall my dad ever going to a movie theater is when I was young and begged him to take me to see “Three Men and a Baby.” It’s special to me, because I know he only did it for me.

Over the years, my dad has never turned away from family, paying electric bills when his brother couldn’t. Helping raise many of my cousins over the year.

Nowadays, he is better known as “Papa” and to my children, he is the best. He is the best because his nickname is the “Sugar King.” He sits in his chair and happily passes out candy to my sons, their friends and anyone else around.

My dad has a laugh that can light up a room and a kind heart despite that rough exterior.

Now, on to my husband. You see, becoming a dad for my husband didn’t happen the normal way. In fact, a tragedy in my family pushed us both into parenthood. He, without hesitation, adopted two daughters, and like me, had to learn to become a parent very quickly.

Now, we have added two sons to the mix. My husband works hard, sometimes not cutting himself a break, at being the best dad he can be.

He has taken teaching our daughter how to drive with open arms. I have yet to sit in the car with her.

Thank goodness he has the patience to do what I cannot.

Given that I am a rule follower, scheduler keeper and a little over-organized at times, my husband provided balance in our lives. We call it “Grimes Time” because being on time is not his strong suit. But he teaches our kids it is OK to let loose a bit even when mom is going overboard with managing every minute of the day.

My husband cooks, cleans and serves as a partner in a household that is oftentimes chaotic and tiring.

He is an example I hope my children continue to follow into adulthood because the amount of sacrifice he has given has been incredible in our more than 23 years of marriage.

SBA helps with disaster recovery

C

Thelma Grimes is the south metro editor for Colorado Community Media.

A publication of

750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225 Englewood, CO 80110 Phone: 303-566-4100 Web: ElbertCountyNews.net To subscribe call 303-566-4100

olorado is no stranger to disasters, both natural and man-made. The state has a long history of natural disasters including flooding, wildfires, tornadoes and drought. The recent Marshall Fire in Boulder County is an example of this problem. It is more important now for residents and small businesses to remember that the best course of action to limit damage from natural disasters is preparing before the disaster hits.

The Biden administration and SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman have been at the forefront of ensuring that small businesses and nonprofits, as well as individual homeowners and renters, impacted by natural disasters around the nation have the support and recovery relief that they need, and the tools to build resilience.

Natural disasters are not just more devastating; they are also coming faster, more frequently, and are often rapidly changing in their complexity and scope. In 2020, the United States suffered 22 separate billion-dollar disasters — the most in our history — but experts in the space expect that number to continue to climb. As the anchors of our communities, small businesses rely on resilient neighborhoods for their customers and their employees, and the SBA’s disaster relief loan programs help communities recover swiftly.

SBA’s disaster loan program is the only federal assistance program that provides private property owners an affordable way to mitigate disaster impacts and protect their homes, families, businesses, employees, and livelihoods against the next disaster.

SBA disaster loan funds can be used to cover insurance deductibles, refinance an existing mortgage, pay for mitigation and protective upgrades, relocate to a safer and lower-risk area, and more. These loans have fixed interest rates amortized over 30 years for low monthly payments and offer an affordable way for property owners to fully repair/replace their disaster losses not covered by other resources.

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager

lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LISA SCHLICHTMAN Editor-in-Chief

ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant

lschlichtman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

THELMA GRIMES South Metro Editor

AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager

tgrimes@coloradocommunitymedia.com

abrooks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

SCOTT GILBERT Editor

ERIN FRANKS Production Manager

sgilbert@coloradocommunitymedia.com

efranks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Borrowers using SBA’s physical disaster loan programs are also eligible for up to 20% of their total physical losses, as verified by SBA, to incorporate additional protective measures to mitigate future damage and losses against the next disaster.

SBA offers non-pandemic-related economic injury disaster loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperaAikta Marcoulier tives, and most private nonprofit organizations located in a declared disaster area rebuild after suffering a substantial loss.

The SBA has several local resource partners to assist business owners develop a disaster continuity plan — whether your business is in the relief, recovery, or continuity phase. In Colorado, we have multiple resource partners statewide including Small Business Development Centers, SCORE, a Veteran Business Outreach Center, and a Women’s Business Center to assist you with your disaster planning.

The best way to mitigate the effects of a disaster is to create a disaster continuity plan.

This plan should discuss how you will contact family, friends, employees and first responders following a disaster. You should also review your insurance coverage to make sure it is current and covers all necessary costs. Most importantly, practice and evaluate your plan with family members, managers, and staff to make sure it works.

For more information on SBA’s disaster programs please visit www.sba.gov/disaster, and remember to follow us on Twitter @SBArockymtn.

GUEST COLUMN

Aikta Marcoulier is the Small Business Administration’s regional administrator based in Denver. She oversees the agency’s programs and services in Colorado, Montana, Utah, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

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.

ELBERT COUNTY NEWS (USPS 171-100) A legal newspaper of general circulation in Elizabeth, Colorado, the Elbert County News is published weekly on Thursday

by Colorado Community Media, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110.

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Elbert County News 11

June 23, 2022

INFLATION FROM PAGE 8

needs of thousands coming to its doors, that money is now drying up.

McPherson said the nonprofit is seeing smaller government grants that leave it with less buying power in the face of inflation.

One of the biggest suppliers of IFCS’s food is wholesale restaurant distributors, such as Sysco, which can provide bulk amounts of a variety of products. The food bank also pays for food from Food Bank of the Rockies, a Feeding America affiliate, as well as from regional farmers.

Spending more for less Aditi Desai, vice president of marketing and communications for Food Bank of the Rockies, which works with hundreds of distribution partners in Colorado and Wyoming, said the organization spent $1.3 million each month in March and April for food, triple what it spent in 2019 before the pandemic began.

But “just because price is up doesn’t mean we’re not going to purchase it,” Desai said, adding communities need the organization to “keep showing up” for them. The price hikes still trickle down to smaller partners, like IFCS. For example, the cost for a case of 15 dozen eggs, once $15, has more than tripled to $50, according to McPherson, who purchases the product through Food Bank of the Rockies.

This, coupled with IFCS having to compete for food with other entities — including restaurants and schools — when it orders products means it doesn’t always get what it needs.

“We just play the lottery to see if we actually receive it,” McPherson said.

“We’re learning we have to order well in advance.”

It’s frustrating, McPherson said, since IFCS has built a regional reputation as a place to find high-quality, balanced food.

“A typical food bank is always thought of as cans and boxes,” McPherson said, adding that while the nonprofit is in no shortage of shelf items, fresher foods like produce and meats are becoming more limited. “You’re maybe getting 25% less fresh food than you did in the past.”

But even shelf items, such as pasta and sauces, are becoming more expensive, said Ashlie Cogburn, who works as a case manager at Arapahoe Community College — which has campuses in Littleton and Castle Rock — and helps oversee the college’s food pantry.

While the college pantry’s supply comes mostly from donations, Cogburn said she was awarded a $4,200 grant in early March to purchase more food and expand the pantry’s locations.

Cogburn said she hoped to use the money on more than just one food order, but inflation had already raised prices between March and late May, when she ordered the food.

“I did not anticipate that it was going to hit so close,” said Cogburn, who had no money left over after her first purchase. “It’s absolutely insane for some things. So our students are definitely feeling it.”

Supply may hamper healthy eating Joel McClurg, policy and commu-

nication manager for Hunger Free Colorado, a food advocacy group, said nutrition security is a vital component of food banks’ work that is threatened when organizations have less food variety.

“Just because somebody’s going to the food bank doesn’t mean they should be getting cheesecake and soda pop,” McClurg said.

Mullins, who frequents IFCS once a week, said having fresher produce is “night and day” when it comes to his health and said “when I eat healthy, you can feel it.”

Mullins receives federal food aid through SNAP. Under the Biden administration, average benefits were boosted by 25% to $157 per month for an individual, up from $121 before the pandemic.

But as inflation continues to worsen, the extra dollars haven’t been enough to cover everything Mullins would usually buy at a grocery store, such as meat.

Brenda Hallman, who lives in Denver and frequents IFCS every other week, said she has had to cut down on her grocery shopping as food and gas prices eat away at her limited income.

“I don’t buy meat at the grocery store. I just get the essentials, bread, milk, eggs, stuff like that,” said Hallman, who, along with her husband, lives on a fixed income, bringing in about $24,000 between both of them.

Solutions look large and small Cogburn, the ACC case manager, said the college is looking at boosting the maximum allotment for King Soopers gift cards it distributes to eligible students.

Over the past two years, the college has pumped out more than $7,500 to students in gift cards, with the maximum on a card per semester being $80. But that is far from what is needed to cover basic grocery costs, said Cogburn, who said she spent nearly $200 on just three bags of groceries during a recent shop.

“The conversations are happening, but with inflation the way it is they’ll never happen fast enough,” Cogburn said of the college’s efforts to increase its aid.

It’s a palpable concern for many, according to McClurg.

“I think that community members are really worried right now,” he said. “You can just feel the tension and anxiety when a grocery trip that used to cost $40 or $50 now costs $80.”

With SNAP benefits being stretched thin to cover basic food costs, McClurg said he wants the federal government to authorize a temporary boost to accommodate for inflation. But relief will also come at the local level, McClurg said, with communities needing to continue to support food banks.

“Hunger is not a one-size-fits-all,” McClurg said. “It’s really a web, and we have to take this multi-faceted approach.”

Donations, McPherson said, are crucial for IFCS’ ability to weather the current economic upheaval.

“People have the power to grow and donate,” McPherson said.

People can donate to IFCS by going to ifcs.org/donate or by texting BetterTogether to 801801. The nonprofit also accepts donations for non-food items, which can be critical for people needing toiletries and other supplies not covered by SNAP.

Students at an Evergreen elementary school set donated food in a school hallway.

FILE PHOTO BY DEB HURLEY BROBST The effort mirrored others around Colorado.

Memory In Loving

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

12 Elbert County News

LOCAL

June 23, 2022

LIFE

BY CHRISTY STEADMAN CSTEADMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

I

Layla Duong practices her swing at the grand opening event of First Tee -Colorado Rocky Mountains’ junior course at the Overland Park Golf Course in Denver.

PHOTO BY CHRISTY STEADMAN

t was barely a year ago when 16-year-old Layla Duong first put her hands on a golf club.

Back then, she knew nothing of the sport.

“Golf is for the rich,” she thought. “Golf is boring.”

But in April 2021, through a friend’s encouragement, Duong applied for, and obtained, a job with First Tee-Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Today, Duong serves as a First Tee junior coach and works directly with about 40 youth as their mentor. She plays golf on South High School’s varsity golf team and, being the first in her family to play golf, she is teaching them how to play the sport so it becomes something they can do together.

“I have a deep passion for the sport now,” Duong said. “I will continue (playing) golf my whole life.”

Though Duong has fallen in love with golf, it’s not just the sport that she enjoys so much — it’s being involved with First Tee. “I learned not only golf, but I learned how to be mentally strong, and how to stay true to myself,” Duong said. “As a minority, I thought I’d be looked at differently. I thought I would have to change myself in order to fit in.

But everyone was very open and non-judgmental.”

First Tee is a national for-youth nonprofit organization that was

established 25 years ago. Youth get to play golf, but moreover, the organization creates learning experiences that build inner strength, self-confidence and resilience.

“What First Tee does is use golf as a tool to educate youth, socially, academically and physically,” said Paula Purifoy, CEO of First Tee-Colorado Rocky Mountains.

“We do a lot of mentoring — it’s so much more than golf.”

The organization does this by instilling nine core values related to golf, which can be carried through a youth’s development.

The core values are: Honesty — This encourages youth to honestly self report scores and penalties.

Integrity — This pushes youth to be responsible for their own actions on the golf course, even when no one is looking.

Sportsmanship — A value that teaches youth to observe the rules of play, and win or lose with grace.

Respect — To show respect for oneself, playing partners, competitors, the golf course and traditions of the game.

Confidence — Through being positive, this core value focuses on youth being more confident.

Responsibility — The lesson is to allow youth to learn and take responsiblity for their own actions.

Perseverance — Pushing youth to succeed in golf where players SEE LESSONS, P13

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Elbert County News 13

June 23, 2022

LESSONS FROM PAGE 12

must continue through bad breaks and their own mistakes.

Courtesy — Starting and ending a game of golf with a handshake among competitors.

Judgment — Deciding strategy, and when to play safe and when to take a chance.

Daniel Reeves has been with First Tee for 20 years, starting when he was 19. Today, he serves as the executive director of the local chapter.

“We focus on making it fun and the relationships,” Reeves said, adding he enjoys seeing the youth grow up, become successful and, “creating as big of an opportunity as possible for others to help others.”

First Tee-Colorado Rocky Mountains offers two primary programs — on course and in school/ after school.

The on course program runs for six weeks. It is a fee-based program, but scholarships are available.

The on course First Tee program is offered at 28 facilities across the state, with eight of them being in Denver, Purifoy said.

The in school/after school program is free to families. Part of this program entails working with physical education teachers to provide the training, equipment and lesson plans for their students.

First Tee’s school program is probably best known for its Read ’N’ Swing. Aiming at continued education, a student reads with a First Tee staffer or volunteer, then after quality reading time, students participate in a golf activity.

Read ’N’ Swing got its start at Columbine Elementary School, a Denver Public School located at 29th Avenue and Columbine Street, when the school was rated one of the lowest in the entire country for reading, Purifoy said.

The program saw so much success that it has now been expanded to 55 schools in the Denvermetro area, Purifoy said.

Headquartered at the City Park Golf Course in Denver, First Tee-Colorado Rocky Mountains is one of about 150 chapters located

Harold Feldman assists his grandson, Henry Reeves, 2, who is the son of First Tee-Colorado Rocky Mountains’ executive director, hold his golf club during the May 12 grand opening event of the First Tee –Colorado Rocky Mountains’ junior course at the Overland Park Golf Course in Denver.

across the U.S. There are also some chapters abroad.

First Tee-Colorado Rocky Mountains is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

“In the beginning, (First Tee) served about 200 kids at City Park,” Purifoy said.

The program has grown since 2002. Citing 2019, Purifoy said, about 10,000 youth across the state are involved with First Tee annually.

On May 12, First Tee celebrated the grand opening of the Overland Park Junior Course — an event that was postponed for two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Prices, of Parker, attended the celebration. Their son, Judson, 10, has had golf lessons in the past, but it was not a favorable experience, Sandra Price said.

The family is now thinking about getting Judson involved with First Tee. “I like the fact that everyone is so engaged,” Sandra Price said.

“And I like the community involvement.”

The Overland Golf Course was established in 1895. For adult and more experienced golfers, the course boasts challenges to players of any skill level.

Now with the junior course,

Happy Haynes, executive director of Denver Parks & Recreation, holding the giant scissors, and Layla Duong, 16, a First Tee junior coach, cut the ribbon during the May 12 grand opening event of the First Tee –Colorado Rocky Mountains’ junior course at the PHOTOS BY CHRISTY STEADMAN Overland Park Golf Course in Denver.

Overland will be able to serve at least 500 youth, said Happy Haynes, executive director of Denver Parks & Recreation, at the May 12 event.

To learn more about First Tee-Colorado Rocky Mountains, visit firstteecoloradorockymountains.org.

The organization hosts open houses for members of the community. There are a number of them scheduled

“We’re creating new leaders in this community,” Haynes said.

“Through the game of golf, kids are growing in every way you can think of.” through June and July. To register or to find an open house in a nearby Denver neighborhood, visit the website above and select `get involved.’ Then scroll to `open houses’ and click on it to open the link.

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14 Elbert County News

June 23, 2022

Stakes are high in state ed board election

The Colorado State Board of Education sets policy that affects schools.

Political control of body that sets policy could hinge on November vote

BY ERICA MELTZER CHALKBEAT

Colorado’s State Board of Education is growing from seven to nine seats, and political control of the body that sets education policy could be at stake in November’s election.

The addition of two seats due to Colorado’s growing population — one representing a new 8th Congressional District that includes Adams and Weld counties and another statewide at-large seat to maintain an odd number of board members — introduces new dynamics into the election.

The new 8th Congressional District is considered the most competitive in the state, with a large share of Hispanic voters. The atlarge seat will require candidates to appeal to a broad cross section

of voters and raise money to get their message out.

On the State Board of Education, Democrats say they have a track record of positive change and will focus on student needs rather than ideology. Republicans say they’ll center parents’ rights and school choice, focus on core academic skills, and block efforts to promote a more inclusive approach to teaching race, gender, and sexuality. Republicans are seizing on issues that have animated voters nationally and locally in a backlash to more progressive approaches in the classroom.

While races at the top of the ticket — governor, U.S. House, U.S. Senate — will draw far more attention and money, Republicans hope they can leverage voter concerns about education — alongside inflation and public safety — to gain ground in a state where Democrats control all levers of state government.

A recent Magellan Strategies poll found more voters think schools are on the wrong track: Democrats because they believe public schools

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are underfunded and under attack and Republicans because they believe left-wing ideology has supplanted academics.

The election comes as schools are still grappling with the effects of the pandemic and on the heels of contentious school board races in 2021 that saw more conservative candidates take control in many Republican-leaning parts of the state, even as more progressive candidates prevailed in many large Front Range communities.

8th CD draws Republican interest Voters’ first decision — the only contested primary — is in the June 28 Republican primary for the 8th Congressional District. Peggy Propst, a former State Board of Education member and El Paso County commissioner who recently moved to the district, faces Cody LeBlanc, a young school board member and political activist from Weld County.

Propst, who recently married, represented the Colorado Springs area on the State Board of Education from 2004 to 2010 as Peggy

Littleton. She wants to support the state’s efforts to improve reading instruction and represent parents who didn’t like what they saw in remote learning.

“People are upset about their kids’ education, and they should be, and I can do something about this so we can get back to the true way where we focus on the things that matter,” Propst said.

LeBlanc said he’ll be an advocate for local control and hopes a Republican-controlled State Board of Education can serve as a check on the legislature, if Democrats retain power.

“Why is the state mandating what we teach in our classrooms if we’re a local control state?” he said. “One reason I want to be on the state board is to return power to local school districts.”

Both want to revamp Colorado’s standards, which are based on the Common Core. Propst voted against them in 2010 as a State Board of Education member, while then-12-year-old LeBlanc protested SEE ELECTION, P15

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Elbert County News 15

June 23, 2022

ELECTION FROM PAGE 14

against them as the founder of Teenage Republicans of Northern Colorado.

The primary winner will face Democrat Rhonda Solis in November. Solis just completed two terms on the Greeley-Evans school board.

Solis is vice president of the Latino Coalition of Weld County and active on community issues. Solis said she wants to support teachers who have “really taken a beating” in recent years and make sure students have access to high-quality neighborhood schools.

Solis said policy needs to address access, not just equity. It’s not enough to provide materials in other languages if parents can’t read or open a new charter school if students can’t get across town.

“One thing that’s been very different for me is being the only Latina on a school board [in a district] that is more than 50% Latino,” she said. “I would bring up things that other people were not bringing up.

I think there is a lens I can bring that is not represented right now, and I think that’s really important given the population of Colorado, the population of CD8.”

The Cook Political Report rates the 8th Congressional District a toss-up in the U.S. House race. The district includes young families priced out of Denver and multigenerational Colorado families.

Four in 10 district residents are Hispanic, a group that consistently

rates education as a top issue. But they’ll need to be engaged, said Alvina Vasquez, a Democratic political consultant.

“When you look at the economic challenges that a lot of families have, voting isn’t always a priority,” Vasquez said. “It will require engaging at a really grassroots level. That’s what will decide who the winning candidate is.”

Pandemic leadership could be issue In the new at-large seat, former Adams 12 School Board President Kathy Plomer, a Democrat, is running against Republican Dan Maloit, a veteran and St. Vrain Valley School District parent who became politically active arguing for schools to reopen.

Maloit said he wants to support teachers, get back to basics, and bring a parent perspective. A founder of the Colorado Alliance for In-Person Learning, Maloit said voters will — and should — remember decisions made in 2020 and 2021.

“We both said we wanted kids back in school,” Maloit said. “She was a school board president, and those kids stayed out of school pretty long. I said, `I want to get back in school,’ and I risked my family’s livelihood and personal reputation to put them back in there. I think that that’s going to matter.”

Plomer said she’s happy to have that debate. Board members made the best decisions they could with the information they had at the time, she said, while facing criticism from all sides.

But she prefers to talk about what kids and schools need now.

She first got involved years ago as a parent volunteer when her oldest started kindergarten, and she served on the Colorado Association of School Boards’ executive committee, a position she says exposed her to issues facing districts around the state, including in far-flung rural districts.

“At this time, we need people who understand the system,” she said.

“There are no soundbite answers to our questions. We need to have tough conversations.”

Experienced members eye different issues Two incumbents are up for re-election, Democrat Rebecca McClellan in the diverse 6th Congressional District, which covers Aurora, Littleton and southeastern suburbs of Denver, and Republican Steve Durham, who represents the solidly red 5th Congressional District in El Paso County.

McClellan’s election in 2016 flipped the board blue.

McClellan is being challenged

by Molly Lamar, a Cherry Creek Schools parent and district critic who has appeared on national conservative media. Lamar could not be reached for comment. Her website lists her priorities as school safety, including adding police to schools, curriculum transparency, and partnering with parents to improve outcomes. Christopher Otwell also is running, as a Unity Party candidate.

McClellan said she’s proud of advocating for full-day kindergarten

and behind-the-scenes work like ensuring schools aren’t penalized in their graduation rates when students stay a fifth or sixth year to earn college credit. Her focus now is supporting schools in pandemic recovery.

McClellan noted that many State Board of Education votes are bipartisan and even unanimous, despite a 4-3 partisan split.

“It is my belief that this board is focused on outcomes for students,” she said. “Every now and again, you see differences in our approaches, but there is a strong commitment to improving outcomes.”

Even among this year’s candidates, there are many areas of agreement: ensuring students learn fundamental skills, making sure their options include college or a good-paying job, supporting teachers and providing resources to help them improve.

Board Vice Chair Durham is running for his second full term after being appointed in 2014. The long-shot Democrat in the race is Joseph Shelton, a campus security officer at Colorado College and graduate of Colorado Springs District 11 who went through a school closure in middle school. He wants to promote student well-being and paths to success other than college.

Durham said he’ll keep working to support charters and choice.

He expects the next state board will have to engage lawmakers on whether the board needs more tools to intervene in low-perSEE ELECTION, P16

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16 Elbert County News

June 23, 2022

C R O S S W O R D ELECTION P U Z Z L E FROM PAGE 15

forming districts and what a future accountability system should look like. Durham has called for stronger intervention in the struggling Adams 14 school district, a situation that has challenged the role and authority of the State Board.

Obscure board plays important role Colorado is somewhat unusual in having a separately elected State Board of Education that hires the education commissioner, rather than the governor appointing a commissioner.

This division of power sometimes puts the State Board at odds with the legislature, which passes laws the State Board is supposed to implement.

The State Board of Education handles charter appeals and can overturn school board decisions. The state board also oversees assessments, the school accountability system, teacher evaluation, and licensure.

That gives the board a role in getting more teachers into the classroom and determining what standards they’ll have to meet.

The board sets academic standards and is working to update social studies standards to be more inclusive, in accordance with a state law passed in 2019. That process has sparked intense conservative backlash, especially related to the inclusion of LGBTQ people and contributions. LGBTQ teachers and students, along with their parents, have pushed back, saying supportive school environments save lives.

The debate mirrors those in other states and is already an election issue.

Republican candidates said they’re prepared to undo standards they see as too proscriptive or divisive or intruding on the authority of parents.

Even under Democratic control, the board may strip many references to marginalized groups.

The prominence of cultural concerns this year marks a change, said Paul Teske, dean of the College of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado Denver.

“People are often fighting about something that is not as real as the policy issues,” he said. “But that has advantages for one side or the other, in this case for the conservative side who argue that parents are not getting

what they want and schools are doing crazy things.”

Only about 30% of voters have children in school, meaning many have little direct experience with what’s happening in classrooms. Colorado public school parents, meanwhile, are more diverse and lower income than the active voter population.

In the past, education reform and funding dominated the debate, Teske said, with Democratic supporters of reform finding common ground with Republicans on school choice, charters, and a strong accountability system.

Republican Party Chair Kristi Burton Brown believes Republicans can ride parent frustration to a State Board majority that will be even friendlier to charter schools and choice. “[Parents] want their kids in school, they want transparency in the curriculum, they want a say in their children’s education, they want access to better schools,” she said. “And those are all things Republicans care about and Democrats largely do not.”

As a relatively obscure office, State Board of Education elections are likely to follow the political winds of the state and congressional district, said Courtney Sievers, director of survey research at the polling firm Magellan Strategies. Economic conditions might favor Republicans, but Colorado is increasingly blue.

“People trust Democrats more on education,” she said. “Republicans have not really done much to move voters. Especially women.”

Jen Walmer, head of the Colorado chapter of Democrats for Education Reform, said political control matters.

For example, the state plan to spend federal funds focuses on equity and children’s emotional health alongside academic issues, a balance she sees as exemplifying the Democratic approach.

“There is a real risk of right-wing ideologues seeing the State Board of Ed as a platform to push an agenda,” she said. “I think parents around the state will be able to recognize political rhetoric that masquerades as education policy.”

This story is from Chalkbeat Colorado, a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

Used by permission. For more, and to support Chalkbeat, visit co.chalkbeat. org.

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Elbert County News 17

June 23, 2022

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“We already have good ideas for 2023 improvements, and the good news is that this year’s event was profitable enough to guarantee that Parker Days will return for years to come. We needed 2022 to be a big win, and we got what we were praying for.”

The event last took place in 2019. It was canceled two years in a row due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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PUBLIC NOTICES

Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088 Legals Misc. Private Legals Public Notice BEFORE THE OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR A VARIANCE FROM RULE 903.d.(3) PURSUANT TO RULE 503.g.(9) AND RULE 502 FOR SUBJECT WELLS LOCATED IN ADAMS, ARAPAHOE AND ELBERT COUNTIES, COLORADO CAUSE NO. 1 DOCKET NO. 220200034 TYPE: VARIANCE NOTICE OF HEARING Renegade Oil & Gas Company, LLC, Operator No. 74165, (“Renegade” or “Applicant”), filed an Application requesting a variance to Renegade from Rule 903.d.(3) pursuant to Rule 503.g.(9) and Rule 502, for the subject wells in Adams, Arapahoe and Elbert Counties, Colorado, for the below-described lands (“Application Lands”): APPLICATION LANDS Township 1 South, Range 65 West, 6th P.M. Section 36: All Township 2 South, Range 62 West, 6th P.M. Section 25: NW¼, S½ Section 29: W½ Township 2 South, Range 64 West, 6th P.M.

Section 4:E½, E½W½ Section 16: NE¼ Township 4 South, Range 62 West, 6th P.M. Section 24: SW¼ Township 5 South, Range 62 West, 6th P.M. Section 5:All Section 29: NE¼NW¼ Township 5 South, Range 64 West, 6th P.M. Section 28: SW¼ Township 5 South, Range 65 West, 6th P.M. Section 24: All Section 25: All Township 6 South, Range 62 West, 6th P.M. Section 4:SW¼ Section 6:All Section 7:NW¼, S½ Section 8:SE¼ Township 6 South, Range 63 West, 6th P.M. Section 3:SW¼NE¼ Section 13: NW¼ Section 24: All Township 6 South, Range 64 West, 6th P.M. Section 10: SW¼NE¼ DATE, TIME, AND LOCATION OF HEARING (Subject to change) The assigned Hearing Officer will hold a hearing only on the above referenced docket number at the following date, time, and location: Date: August 8, 2022 Time: 9:00 a.m.

Place:Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission The Chancery Building

legals@coloradocommunitymedia.com

1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 801 Denver, CO 80203 PETITIONS DEADLINE FOR PETITIONS BY AFFECTED PERSONS: July 8, 2022 Any interested party who wishes to participate formally must file a written petition with the Commission no later than the deadline provided above.

Please see Commission Rule 507 at https:// cogcc.state.co.us, under “Regulation,” then select “Rules.” Please note that, under Commission Rule 510.l, the deadline for petitions may only be continued for good cause, even if the hearing is continued beyond the date that is stated above.

Pursuant to Commission Rule 507, if you do not file a proper petition, the Hearing Officer will not know that you wish to formally participate in this matter and the date and time of the hearing may change without additional notice to you. Parties wishing to file a petition must register online at https://oitco.hylandcloud.com/DNRCOGExternalAccess/Account/Login.aspx and select “Request Access to Site.” Please refer to our “eFiling Users Guidance Book” at https://cogcc.state.co.us/ documents/reg/Hearings/External_Efiling_System_Handbook_December_2021_Final.pdf for more information. Under Commission Rule 508, if no petition is filed, the Application may be approved administratively without a formal hearing.

Any Affected Person who files a petition must be able to participate in a prehearing conference during the week of July 8, 2022, if a prehearing conference is requested by the Applicant or by any person who has filed a petition.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION For more information, you may review the Application, which was sent to you with this Notice.

You may also contact the Applicant at the phone

a/k/a Wilma Smolik, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR30018

number or email address listed below.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if any party requires special accommodations as a result of a disability for this hearing, please contact Margaret Humecki at Cogcc.

Hearings_Unit@state.co.us, prior to the hearing and arrangements will be made.

OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO By: Mimi C. Larsen, Secretary Dated: June 1, 2022 Applicant c/o Scott M. Campbell Robert A. Willis Poulson, Odell & Peterson, LLC 1660 Lincoln St., Suite 1500 Denver, CO 80264 (303) 861-4400 scampbell@popllc.com rwillis@popllc.com Legal Notice No. 24854 First Publication: June 23, 2022 Last Publication: June 23, 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;

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 6.23.22 * 1

20 Elbert County News

June 23, 2022

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