Elbert County News 063022

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Week of June 30, 2022

ELBERT COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

ElbertCountyNews.net

VOLUME 127 | ISSUE 20

County updating policy on social media

“Beauty and The Beast” chorus costumes are seen in the Elizabeth High School spring musical in March. The school’s theater PHOTOS COURTESY OF JENNIFER BARCLAY instructor, Jennifer Barclay, won a Bobby G Award for her costume design.

Theater teacher wins coveted honor Bobby G Award goes to Elizabeth High School’s Jennifer Barclay

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

Jennifer Barclay, theater teacher at Elizabeth High School, won the coveted Bobby G Award for Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design for her work on the “Beauty and The Beast” 2022 spring musical. The Bobby G Awards is a Colorado statewide high school musical theater awards ceremony.

In association with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ education program, it celebrates educators and students from all over Colorado. The event took place at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in downtown Denver on May 26.

Barclay has been with Elizabeth High School for seven years, and had a long theater history before SEE TEACHER, P4

Elizabeth High School theater instructor Jennifer Barclay, left, as a college junior after acting in “Into the Woods.”

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

Proposal calls for turning off comments to avoid misinformation, business promotions

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

The Elbert County commissioners met on June 6 to discuss updates to the county’s social media policy, which is to be adopted on July 13. While county representatives are in favor of the new policy that plans to turn off commenting on social media posts, many community members are concerned that it could reduce communication between citizens and representatives.

According to the agenda packet for the June 6 meeting, the purpose of the policy is to give guidance for the use of social media to provide timely, important information to the public. It is not the intent of the county to provide a platform for debate, conflict, personal opinions, misinformation, offers of professional services or other off-topic discussions.

The new policy will apply to all county departments, offices, employees, volunteers, and countyoperated social media accounts.

“It’s always tough to find the right level of communication to reach citizens. Our goal is to use social media platforms to push out information,” said Elbert County Manager Sam Albrecht. “What

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June 30, 2022

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

BY TONY GORMAN COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Proposition 118 is extremely important to insure that no Coloradans have to make a decision between taking care of themselves and a loved one and a paycheck,” Winter said.

“Right now, only 80 percent of Coloradans have access to paid family leave. Once we implement [Proposition] 118, all Coloradans will have access to paid family and medical leave.”

Proposition 118 received 58 percent of the vote statewide in 2020.

It created FAMI to provide what Justice Marquez called a “neces-

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

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

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

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

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sary safety net” for all Colorado workers to tend to personal and family caregiving needs.

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

• Serious health condition • Qualifying exigency leave • Victim of domestic violence The proposition also requires employers to give workers one hour of sick leave for every thirty hours of work.

Employers with nine or fewer

SHUTTERSTOCK

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

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

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

“Spending time at a local public pool is a fun and healthy way to enjoy our beautiful Colorado summers.

But across the state we need to fix the shortage of lifeguards and pool workers to open closed pools and expand operating hours as we head into July 4th weekend and the heat of summer,” Polis said in a statement.

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

Industry Office.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Elbert County News 3

June 30, 2022

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4 Elbert County News

June 30, 2022

TEACHER FROM PAGE 1

Elizabeth High School theater instructor Jennifer Barclay, center, stands with EHS band teacher Carson Barnhart, left, and EHS choir teacher Kaia Monson at the Bobby G High PHOTOS COURTESY OF JENNIFER BARCLAY School Musical Theater Awards.

arriving at the high school in the hills. When Barclay was a child and adolescent, her aunt served as her theater teacher, making the art of theater an ongoing family affair. During her college years at Arizona Christian University, Barclay participated in theater, honing her craft, which she used as she worked for her friend’s theater company.

“I’ve been doing theater my whole life,” said Barclay. “I worked for my friend’s theater company for six or seven years while I was getting my degree (elementary education). I didn’t anticipate actually teaching theater at the time.” Barclay’s first public school teaching job was at Grand Junction Central High School.

When asked what her plans were for the Elizabeth High School shows for the 2022-2023 school year, Barclay said the shows would be much smaller due to a drastic reduction in cast size.

“We’re going to do two smaller shows next year. I only have three seniors next year,” Barclay said. “We had 23 seniors graduate last year. That’s a huge amount of people. So next year we’re doing the female version of ‘The Odd Couple’ in the fall and our spring musical will be ‘Once Upon a Mattress.’”

Costumes for castle servants were designed by theater instructor Jennifer Barclay for the Elizabeth High School 2022 spring musical, “Beauty and the Beast.”

Teacher is key player Barclay is the backbone of the theater department at Elizabeth High School. From picking the shows, to working with the music department, to making the costumes, she has a hand in it all.

“I can choose whatever plays I like. But for the musical, I need the choir and music teacher on board. Their voices are just as important,” Barclay explained. “And for the students, I look at each of them and see what part will work best for them.”

When asked about how she obtains funding for the plays and musicals, Barclay explained: “The shows generate their own income. Whatever money the ticket sales bring in, that’s the money we have. It’s a circular budget. Using funding from the previous musical. We don’t get funding from anything else.”

Barclay further explained how the budget is broken down for each show. “I really try to stretch the money we have, especially for the set design. The theater teacher before me left us so much great stuff, so we rarely have to fully make new pieces,” she said.

“Most of our money goes to royalties and costumes. Because it was a Disney property, it was $4,000 to do ‘Beauty and the Beast.’

Most other musicals run between $2,500 to $3,000. A play typically runs around $450.”

Costuming is by far Barclay’s biggest passion within the realm of theater. She hand-makes SEE TEACHER, P5

Theater instructor Jennifer Barclay designed the costumes for the Gaston and Silly Girls characters in Elizabeth High School’s production of “Beauty and the Beast.”

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June 30, 2022

Costumes for the enchanted objects in the Elizabeth High School production of “Beauty and the Beast” were designed by theater instructor Jennifer Barclay.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNIFER BARCLAY

TEACHER FROM PAGE 4

almost all the costumes that her student actors wear and works diligently to make sure they fit properly and make the students feel comfortable.

“I never want a kid to go onstage worrying about their costume. I want them to go on stage worrying about their acting,” said Barclay. “It’s important that students feel good and comfortable in what they’re wearing.”

Barclay said that as a young thespian, she felt uncomfortable in some of

her costumes. As a plus-size person, she wanted to make sure none of her students had that feeling of discomfort in costume on stage.

“I’m not a thin person. I’ve never been thin. A lot of my costumes in college didn’t fit me,” expressed Barclay.

“Over time I’ve generally learned which clothes look good on which bodies and how to make people with all body types feel good in their costumes.”

“Mrs. Barclay is absolutely amazing. She hand-makes almost every single outfit,” said Grace Vrban, Elizabeth High School student actress.

“She literally sewed my dress for Cinderella over fall break, and it fits like a glove!”

Changes in schedule Barclay is a fast-paced, busy woman who constantly works toward producing shows for the Elizabeth community and contributing to the lives of hundreds of children each year. With a role full of responsibility and people looking to her for guidance, Barclay has made some changes to her busy schedule to help give her a smoother work-life balance.

“I try to get started on costumes immediately as soon as I know who the kids are. I used to go to school where I’d work from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. at night.

It became too much. I work thousands of hours. Belle’s

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ball gown took five full days to make,” said Barclay.

“There needs to a point where I level things out.

I’ve recently hired someone to do the directing. So now, during rehearsal, I’m sewing instead of directing.”

Barclay has no plans to retire from Elizabeth High School any time soon, meaning the community should have delightful plays and gorgeous musicals for years to come. Barclay did indicate, though, that if she had not worked as a theater director, she would have further explored her passion for costuming.

“It’s too late in the game for me to do Broad-

way. I didn’t know when I started out in theater that there were 9-t0-5 jobs on Broadway for sewing.

If I’d known that back then, I might have gone that route,” said Barclay, “I really love working at Elizabeth High School now.

I have a fantastic administration team and they’d have to drag me out. I have no intention of ever leaving.”

For information on Elizabeth High School Performing Arts, visit elizabethschooldistrict. org/Page/1015 To follow Elizabeth High School Theater on Instagram, visit instagram. com/ehstheatre

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6 Elbert County News

June 30, 2022

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

BY OLIVIA PRENTZEL THE COLORADO SUN

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

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

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

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

tourism since the 1990s.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The national outdoor trade show had a $45 million annual impact for Denver.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amy Long, chief innovation officer for Visit Colorado Springs, attributed the surge of visitors to the city’s many trails and open spaces,

as well as the Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center and the cog railway, both which opened in June 2021.

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

Will the rising prices at the gas pumps affect travel to Colorado in the future? Possibly, but for now, w people are still hitting the roads, o said Amir Eylon, president and CEOs a of Longwoods International. m “People are going. They’re just a finding ways to reallocate their travel budget,” Eylon said.

According to AAA’s national travele forecast, 42 million people will likelyg road trip over the July 4 weekend i — in what would be a record for car p travelers over the holiday — amid historically high gas prices. Denver w is among AAA’s top 10 travel desti- g “ nations for the weekend. i “This next year is going to be a s very good year for regional drive n travel,” Eylon said. r International visitors are still slowly trickling into Denver, and it’s unclear when business travel will n t ramp back up again.

“So we still have a long road aheadn of us for recovery,” Eylon said. “But a clearly Denver’s accelerating nicely a t down there at this point.” s This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based p in Denver and covering the state. For B more, and to support The Colorado a Sun, visit coloradosun.com. The Colo-f rado Sun is a partner in the Coloradot d News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

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Elbert County News 7

June 30, 2022

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

Many services are available at DoItOnlineDouglas.com

Do you need a copy of a birth or death certificate?

The Elbert County Courthouse in Kiowa. County government is on track for a new PHOTO BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON social media policy.

COUNTY FROM PAGE 1

we’re seeing, though, is a lot of off-topic, unfocused dialogue. We’re seeing information that is incorrect and antagonistic. We’re seeing comments that are promoting personal agendas.”

Albrecht said there have been several instances when citizens have given incorrect or inappropriate information on official social media pages during emergency situations.

“A few recent examples are from when we’ve had to deal with emergency situations,” sad Albrecht.

“Some people have posted incorrect information or used emergency situations to promote their businesses, like roof inspections and repairs.”

Several members of the community, however, are concerned that this new policy will stifle communication between county leaders and their constituents. Others argue that limiting communication is denying citizens freedom of speech.

The most frequent citizen complaint is that meetings with the Board of County Commissioners are not held at convenient times for the public to attend, leading to the need for public comment and discussion on social media.

“Meetings are not held at conve-

nient times for working folks,” one commenter noted on a community Facebook page, where another wrote, “I always see them being held in the middle of the day when everyone is working.”

Other comments referred to “uncontested propaganda,” communism and squelching free speech.

The official policy is broken into five points: a. Social media will be used to push important information and notifications to the citizens of Elbert County. b. Official county social media accounts will not be created or owned by individuals and will be created and administered as organizational accounts. c. Commenting on social media posts will be turned off. However, sharing of posts will be enabled where possible. d. Social media posts will include a line for those seeking more information and may include the PIO (public information officer’s) email, phone number, and/or a website link for more information. e. Social media polls or surveys may be used to receive feedback for the development of plans and policy changes. f. The PIO will have access to all official county government social media accounts To read the full policy, please see pages 45 and 46 here: tinyurl.com/ ECSMpolicy

Records can be obtained in-person by visiting the Douglas County Health Department at 410 S Wilcox St. No appointments are necessary. Or, visit douglas.co.us and search for Vital Records for ways to obtain records online, by mail or by email.

Funds available to veterans Emergency assistance is available for veterans struggling with housing (mortgage/rent), transportation, employment, healthcare or other emergency needs. To apply for the veteran assistance funds visit douglasveterans.org or call 303-663-6200.

Your County. Your news. Get it first.

Be among the first to receive news as it happens. Sign up by visiting douglas.co.us and search for Subscribe Now. Select your specific news focus and delivery preferences. You can unsubscribe at any time. Don’t wait, sign up now!

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

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It’s wildfire season It only takes one spark to change your life forever. Thankfully, it takes only seconds to sign up for free emergency notifications ensuring that you will be in the know if a wildfire is happening near you. Sign up today at douglas.co.us/CodeRed

8 Elbert County News

June 30, 2022

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

BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN

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

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

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

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

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

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

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3.2% in 2023.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rep. Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat and chair of the JBC, said she is cautiously optimistic.

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

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

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

Colorado Legislative Council said the state’s economy also has fared

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

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

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

Rankin also said June 21 that he is concerned that the TABOR cap and inflation are going to collide as lawmakers try to contend with the rising cost of government services. He’s a fan of TABOR, but says it wasn’t mean to operate in an environment where inflation is so high because the TABOR cap is calculated through inflationary rates in past years.

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

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

“The inflation rate that we use to raise the TABOR cap ought to match our current problem, not a year ago, two years ago,” he said.

The next economic forecast is scheduled for September.

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

Elbert County News 9

June 30, 2022

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10 Elbert County News

LOCAL

June 30, 2022

VOICES

Dreading the bubble

I

t’s that time of year where we start reviewing the ballot and working to decide who might be best to serve us on the local, state and federal levels. For me, it’s become the time where I dread filling in the bubbles.

FROM THE I still believe in voting. I EDITOR truly believe it’s important to vote and get my opinions out there. However, given the current state of our political climate, I dread it. I dread it because it’s becoming harder to even see which candidates are looking for the job to actually do good work, or if they are just spreading a Thelma Grimes party message, being vindictive and acting like children.

I, like many, am tired of the self-serving politicians who, as soon as they are elected, forget about the job they are there to do and immediately stand on a side and fight.

To the politicians in office — you are not elected to just represent a side. You see, once in office, you are there to represent all your constituents — even the ones who did not vote for you.

To the voters — If you are filling in a bubble based solely on a party line — What good does that do?

In an interesting discussion with a friend recently, I said I was tired of the same people constantly getting reelected. I would like to see the career politicians go. That means Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, Ted Cruz. In all honesty, I would also like to see some of the newer ones go — the AOCs, and Lauren Boeberts for instance. I would like all of them out.

I was saying I do not understand how they continue to get reelected when clearly they are not doing good work. My friend brought up a valid, yet interesting point, saying, “It’s better to vote for the devil you know.”

Honestly, there is a lot of truth to his statement. Incumbents continue to be returned to office because of fear for voting for change. In Pelosi’s case, she continues to get reelected because she’s the one they know on the side that California district trusts more. While there may not be a lot of trust or approval, for many, it’s better than the untested challenger on the other side of the aisle.

That has led us to the current issues. Every two years a new party takes over with the main leaders being reelected and kept in place. While the tide might change from red to blue every few years, nothing really changes.

If we could get a good, unaffiliated candidate — I would give it serious thought.

Am I always right in the vote I cast? Absolutely not. I do find myself disappointed more often than I used to be. However, I am always positive I did my best to research, understand and pick the candidate who I believe will represent the people — all people.

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

Is it better to build bridges, or burn them?

T

he origin of “burning bridges” has its roots in ancient Rome. And we see where they were not only burning the bridges, but also burning the boats. In some cases, they burned the bridges and the WINNING boats so the enemy could not WORDS pursue them. And in other cases, they burned both bridge and boat so they enemy could not flee.

Throughout our journey in this life, we have all heard the expression or received guidance around burning bridges. It’s interesting because sometimes we are encouraged not to burn the bridges, and other times people may Michael Norton suggest that we burn the bridges behind us. In a recent conversation this topic came up and it was fun, but also a bit polarizing for the group as there were very strong opinions.

In doing a little research on the topic I stumbled onto a page with some audacious quotes about burning bridges. The list of quotes started out with some very strong feelings about why we should burn the bridges behind us. “Sometimes burning bridges isn’t a bad thing. It prevents you from going back to a place you should never have been to begin with.” — Anonymous While others support not burning bridges such as the person who anonymously made this statement, “The bridge you burn today may be the one you have to cross tomorrow.”

For me, if at all possible, I prefer not to burn the bridges behind me. I do agree where there are times when moving ahead and never looking

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager

lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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LISA SCHLICHTMAN Editor-in-Chief

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lschlichtman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

THELMA GRIMES South Metro Editor

AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager

tgrimes@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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back makes sense. But before I do that, I would really rather preserve the opportunity to save a relationship, resolve a conflict, or just maintain the potential for a better outcome in the future.

Just because we disagree today, doesn’t mean we will disagree tomorrow.

The intensity of opinions has created a heightened state of awareness when it comes to burning or not burning bridges. And unfortunately, sadly, it has escalated into not just burning bridges and burning the boats but leaving nothing but scorched earth behind when conflict or disagreements arise. I always wonder why there is a need to take this route. I understand that people have very strong feelings and opinions, and those feelings and opinions may not line up with our own. However, if there is no room to find middle ground on a given topic, there could be an opportunity to work together or to help one another in the future.

The song, “It’s a Small World (After All)” was written in 1963. If you have visited Disney, you have probably taken a ride through the attraction named after the song, and you probably couldn’t get the song out of your head for the rest of the day. There was no internet in 1963, nor was there any social media. Access to information was limited to what we saw in the newspaper, watched on television, or listened to on the radio. Today, we have instant access to information and can reach people in a matter of a few clicks, creating a very small world.

This is important when it comes to burning bridges because when we burn a bridge, the boat,

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.

SEE NORTON, P11

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

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POSTMASTER: Send address change to: Elbert County News, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110

Elbert County News 11

June 30, 2022

In electric vehicle vs. gas car, who wins?

BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN

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

Frommer says 90% of his charging in the past year was at home; prices at public fast chargers run higher, but are obviously convenient and necessary on longer road trips or spontaneous jaunts.

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

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

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

Depending on what part of Colorado you are in and which utility brings you electricity, your gallon equivalent cost will vary. Kilowatt hour prices from place to place can vary into the double digits. Be mindful of the timeof-use pricing that Xcel is now using with more than 300,000 people who’ve had smart meters installed: Plugging in after 7 p.m. at night costs 10 cents per kilowatt hour, while doing so at the 4 p.m. weekday peak costs 27 cents a kilowatt hour. Real world example?

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

NORTON FROM PAGE 10

and leave scorched earth behind us because of one person, group of people, or company, we could also be burning bridges with everyone that is associated or connected to someone else that we may want to get to know, or a place where we are hoping to work, or even a referral where we are trying to make a sale.

I am not suggesting that anyone compromise their integrity or their position just to appease others. What I am suggesting is that perhaps we can try an alternate ap-

like Electrify America can cost $3.61 per gallon equivalent.

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

You can find comparable fuel economy for various EVs from the federal government here, factoring in the differing electrical consumption of motors in every model on the market.

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

All new car purchases appear stunningly expensive to many buyers these days, but shopping for an EV can add to your sticker shock. The hot but hard-to-get Rivian trucks are back-ordered at $90,000 plus. Hummer just added $6,000 to its electric muscle model that was already $100,000, notes Colorado Automobile Dealers Association CEO Tim Jackson.

Chevy did just announce a price break on an overlooked, highly reliable EV hatchback called the Bolt, which lists at closer to $26,000. Nissan keeps the Leaf in about that price range, as well.

The EV market becomes more confusing because government tax credits are no longer available on all models. The federal tax credit, which can be up to $7,500 for an EV, does not apply once a manufacturer sells 200,000 units, so Tesla and the Chevy Bolt are now out, with others approaching the cap. Also, you can only qualify for the full $7,500 if your federal income tax in a given year is that high — it’s not a “refundable” tax credit.

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

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

What cars are actually on the lot?

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

You’ll likely have to wait. Here’s an example: Nissan dealers for the entire Rocky Mountain region sold fewer than 200 Nissan Leafs in the first quarter. Each of those dealers could proach because we, or someone we know, may really need that bridge again one day.

Romans 12:8 — “Do all that you can to live at peace with everyone.”

How about you? Do you prefer to burn the bridges or build the bridges? I would love to hear your story at mnorton@xinnix.com, and when we realize that when we leave roads, bridges, and doors open for the future, it really will be a better than good year.

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

have sold 200 on their own, if they could get them, said CADA’s Jackson.

Microchip production and other supply chain problems continue to plague car manufacturing and delivery, Jackson said, for all engine types.

CADA’s Toyota dealers talk about the difference between now, with gas at a shocking $5, and the months in 2008 when gas hit a then-shocking high over $4 a gallon. In 2008, the hybrid Toyota Prius was relatively new and popular, and when inflationweary consumers flocked to it, Toyota ramped up production to meet demand. Now, Jackson said, no one can really ramp up production or delivery on anything.

“We don’t have the same comparison, because we’re out of everything.

Our lots are empty,” he said.

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

Other details to know Environmental advocates want you to take heart that there are other alternatives, if $5 gas is really get-

ting you down and a new EV is not in reach. They mention improved bicycle lanes and dedicated paths in many Colorado cities. In the Denver metro area, RTD is planning how to carry out a proposed August bus fare holiday that would make all rides free, paid for with an infusion from the Colorado legislature.

Used car prices are “red hot” right now, Frommer notes, which is bad if you are buying, but great if you are selling. He suggests taking advantage of those high prices to sell off car transportation altogether, and replace it with a combination of telecommuting, biking, walking and transit.

Denver is preparing to reopen applications for substantial e-bike rebates, and the state is working out details of its own e-bike rebate plan.

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

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

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 30, 2022

LIFE

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

E

ver wanted to take a road trip across the state without slogging through an hours-long drive on highways?

Residents can let public transportation take the wheel on trips to places near and far, including a new long-distance shuttle line that runs from the Denver area to places such as Idaho Springs, Frisco and Vail.

Other bus routes can take you to Fort Collins, Longmont, Colorado Springs and even Grand Junction.

And public transportation can also take you to some destinations in the suburbs you may not be familiar with.

Here’s a look at the public transportation routes that run through these places and more — with a rundown of some attractions along the way.

RTD in the suburbs You might not think twice when you watch a Regional Transportation District, or RTD, bus roll past, but the bus and rail systems can drop riders close to many scenic areas around town.

Olde Town Arvada, for example, sits along the RTD G Line, a commuter rail line that runs between Union Station in the downtown Denver area and Wheat Ridge. As opposed to RTD’s light rail lines, the commuter rail lines travel at faster speeds.

The historical atmosphere

and “social hub” feeling in Olde Town Arvada — near Ralston Road and Wadsworth Boulevard — make it a great place to visit, said Austin Nettleton, a RTD spokesperson.

“That’s pretty much one of my favorite spots to go to — there’s so many cool food and drink places,” said Nettleton, who used to live near that area, in Broomfield, and would go down to the RTD Olde Town Arvada station.

Meanwhile, the N Line can take you from Denver through the north and east suburbs of Commerce City, Thornton and Northglenn.

The N rail line largely weaves through residential areas, but the Northglenn-112th Station — near York Street and 112th Avenue — sits within walking distance of Carpenter Park, a place that offers a laundry list of activities.

“They’ve got a pretty cool skate park there (and) a huge outdoor park. A boathouse, you can rent those little paddle boats. And they’ve got a huge rec center there too,” Nettleton said.

(Paddle boats have been unavailable due to a staffing shortage, the City of Thornton’s website said as of June 12.)

Other Carpenter Park amenities include a carousel, horseshoe pits, sand volleyball courts and a “sprayground” with a spray pad for enjoying in warm weather, according to Thornton’s website.

Near Denver’s southeast edge sits RTD’s Dayton Station along Interstate 225, where riders can SEE TRANSPORT, P13

In light of changing federal mask policy for transportation, masks might not be required in your area on public transit.

Austin Nettleton, a spokesperson for RTD in Denver and surrounding areas, said masks are not required for all passengers and drivers on RTD transportation.

“We encourage and recommend facial coverings, but they are not required or enforced for employees and customers,” Nettleton said.

Anna Russo, a spokesperson

for the Transfort transit system in Fort Collins that extends to Boulder, also said masks are not required for all passengers and drivers.

“We do encourage people to wear masks, but it’s not a requirement,” Russo said.

“We ask that you don’t ride Transfort if you have COVID symptoms,” she added.

Bob Wilson, a Colorado Department of Transportation spokesperson, said passengers are not required to wear masks but drivers are on Bustang routes.

The FLEX bus route that runs between Fort Collins, Loveland, Berthoud, Longmont and Boulder is currently “fare free.”

“So someone could board the FLEX in Boulder and get all the way up to Fort Collins for free,” said Anna Russo, a spokesperson for Transfort, the part of the City of Fort Collins government that operates FLEX. All the routes that are operated

by Transfort, which includes FLEX and MAX and the numbered routes in Fort Collins, are currently free, according to Russo.

Transfort started providing service for free around spring 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic reached Colorado, Russo said.

It was an effort to “help with the pandemic and just support people who might need some

financial assistance getting around town,” Russo said. “But then we’ve just continued it through up until now. We might go back to charging fares in the future, but at this time, we don’t have a date for that.”

Officials are conducting a study of Transfort’s revenue sources and costs, and they are looking at the feasibility of continuing to operate fare free permanently, but it’s still unclear, Russo said.

To track a bus or find out when a bus will arrive, see ridetransfort.com/rider-tools/rider-tools.

For tips on how to ride the bus, visit ridetransfort.com/ridertools/how-to-ride-transfort or call 970-221-6620.

Those using RTD in Denver SEE ROUTE, P13

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Elbert County News 13

June 30, 2022

TRANSPORT FROM PAGE 12

exit at a trail connection that leads to Cherry Creek State Park.

“There’s even a bridge that goes across 225 to take you to the mountain bike trails,” Nettleton said, referring to a mountain bike skills area along the paths.

Another destination in the suburbs is Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, a large outdoor concert venue a short walk from RTD’s Arapahoe at Village Center light rail station. The venue in Greenwood Village hosts well-known music artists and sits close to Arapahoe Road and Interstate 25.

Those who don’t live close to a rail station can bike, take a ride-sharing service such as Lyft or catch an RTD bus to get to a station.

Getting farther north If you’ve been to Boulder, you may have seen the FLEX bus, a non-RTD transit line that serves several places in Colorado’s northern Front Range corridor.

The FLEX route includes stops between Fort Collins, Loveland, Berthoud, Longmont and Boulder.

It’s operated by Transfort, a part of the City of Fort Collins government.

“Downtown Fort Collins is full of history, and the sugar beet industry was big in town,” said Anna Russo, a spokesperson for Transfort.

Downtown Fort Collins is also known as one of the places that inspired Disneyland’s Main Street USA, according to Russo.

Visitors can take a self-guided walking tour of downtown’s history, learning about the “architecture, wild characters and iconic historic sites,” according to the tourism website VisitFtCollins. com.

If you’re seeking some color, you can swing by Colorado State University’s Annual Flower Trial Garden. The purpose of the trial garden program is to evaluate the performance of different annual plant cultivars under the unique Rocky Mountain environmental conditions, according to CSU’s website.

“They plant different varieties and different colors of annual flowers, and it’s open to the public. You can walk through them

ROUTE FROM PAGE 12

and surrounding areas can see the bus or rail lines that can get them to their destination — and how long it will take — at rtddenver.com/app/plan. For a look at how to ride RTD, see rtd-denver. com/rider-info/how-to-ride or call 303-299-6000.

See mobile apps that can help with riding RTD at rtd-denver. com/business-center/open-spatial-data/mobile-apps. The RTD Mobile Ticketing app, for exam-

and look,” Russo said.

Nearby in Loveland, visitors can check out the Loveland Museum of Art and History, the Benson Sculpture Garden and the Swim Beach area at Lake Loveland.

“And they can get to those destinations by transferring to City of Loveland transportation from the FLEX,” Russo said.

In the Boulder area, the FLEX line ends at the University of Colorado Boulder campus.

“So that’s a nice area to walk around, and there’s also a museum of natural history on their campus,” Russo said.

Another type of long-distance transit, Bustang, managed by the Colorado Department of Transportation, also connects to the FLEX. Bustang buses “do pick up at our downtown Fort Collins transit center and the Harmony transfer center at Harmony (Road) and I-25,” Russo said.

That’s another way people coming from the south could connect to transportation in Fort Collins, she said.

Ways to traverse the state CDOT’s Bustang routes make up a network of paths that run through northern, western, southern and part of eastern Colorado.

Bustang routes go between Fort Collins and Denver, Grand Junction and Denver and Colorado Springs and Denver, according to the service’s website.

Additionally, the “Bustang Outrider” routes go between Lamar, Pueblo and Colorado Springs; Alamosa and Pueblo; Durango and Grand Junction; Crested Butte and Denver; Craig and Denver; and Telluride and Grand Junction, according to the website.

Just last month, the state launched another option for travel along the Interstate 70 mountain corridor with the introduction of Pegasus, CDOT’s new express shuttle that began providing passenger service May 27.

Pegasus was to depart yearround from Union Station in Denver, stopping at the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood along with stops in Idaho Springs, Frisco, Vail and Avon, according to a CDOT news release.

A Pegasus shuttle seats up to 11 people, is wheelchair accessible and is equipped with USB ports, ple, lets riders buy and use Day Passes instantly on their phones.

Asked about the most cost-effective way to ride, Austin Nettleton, a spokesperson for RTD, “highly recommends” getting the regional/ airport day pass.

It’s $10.50 for adults and allows people to ride any bus or rail line and make as many transfers as they want for the entire service day, Nettleton said.

Discount fares apply to seniors 65 and older, individuals with disabilities and Medicare recipients, according to RTD’s website.

The RTD Transit Watch app allows riders to report “unusual

power outlets and Wi-Fi. Each vehicle also has luggage storage, bike racks and ski or snowboard containers, according to the news release.

Each Bustang bus is equipped with a restroom, bike racks, free Wi-Fi, power outlets and USB ports, and there are also a wheelchair lift and two wheelchair securement areas on each bus, according to the Bustang website.

Pegasus service runs on weekends, but CDOT plans to expand it to daily service although there isn’t a set date for that yet, said Bob Wilson, a CDOT spokesperson.

The many CDOT routes offer opportunities to explore Colorado’s mountain towns, Wilson said, along with chances to take care of more practical matters.

“It provides people an opportunity if you’re living in Craig, for instance, if you need to see a doctor, you’re able to do that in Denver,” Wilson said.

During the Denver Broncos football season, riders can catch a “Bustang to Broncos” bus, Wilson said. It provides round-trip transportation from both Colorado Springs and Fort Collins to Empower Field at Mile High stadium in Denver.

“So people can not worry about drinking and driving,” Wilson said.

The first Bustang route became operational in July 2015, Wilson said.

It started off only running between Fort Collins and Denver, Colorado Springs and Denver, and Glenwood Springs and Denver, but over the last seven years, the service has expanded to more routes, Wilson said.

“And expansion is expected to continue” as resources and funding allow, he added.

Hearing demand from Front Range and rural areas of Colorado drove the creation of the Bustang service, Wilson said.

“We had heard from a lot of people (that there was no) option to get from locations throughout the state to Denver” unless you had a car, Wilson said.

Randy Wheelock, a Clear Creek County commissioner, welcomed the recent addition of the Bustang Pegasus route.

“Whether addressing local air quality or climate change, or addressing both local and state mobility needs, we must transform and suspicious” activities directly to transit police without having to make a phone call. Riders can also opt in to receive updates, alerts and safety information, according to RTD’s website. RTD encourages riders to also dial 911 if there is an emergency, Nettleton said.

For information on the Bustang and Pegasus routes offered by the Colorado Department of Transportation, see ridebustang. com or call 800-900-3011. To plan a trip, visit ridebustang.com/planmy-trip. For the Bustang mobile app, see ridebustang.com/farestickets.

how we use our roads,” Wheelock said in the news release. “Pegasus has the potential to be that transformational catalyst, helping us want to change how we travel and building ridership for a more thoughtful transportation future.”

The state also offers the Snowstang service during the ski season, providing round-trip service on weekends and holidays from Denver to four resorts: Loveland Ski Area, Copper Mountain, Arapahoe Basin and Steamboat Resort and Howelsen Hill in Steamboat Springs, according to the Bustang website.

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14 Elbert County News

June 30, 2022

B N a 1 M

a s a “ n g t c r i w t

B o t t y d t p w s a

t M

The headwaters of the Colorado River flow near Kremmling, above Gore Canyon, on Aug. 13, 2020.

PHOTO BY DAVE TIMKO / THIS AMERICAN LAND

Colorado River water use may have to be slashed Drought, other climate factors have already slowed the flow

BY CHRIS OUTCALT THE COLORADO SUN

Top Colorado water officials recently week highlighted the uneven use between the Upper and Lower Colorado River Basins and some suggested the vast majority of reductions needed to rebalance a system in which use far outpaces supply would have to come from the Lower Basin.

New data released June 21 by

the Upper Colorado River Commission, an interstate agency that manages water in the Upper Basin, shows that in 2021, drought and other climate factors reduced the amount of water available in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming by about 1 million acre-feet compared with the previous year. During that same time, according to the UCRC data, water use increased in the Lower Basin.

“Those provisional numbers show the Upper Basin used 25% less water in 2021 than it did in 2020,” Colorado River Commissioner Becky Mitchell said at an UCRC meeting June 21 at the state capitol in Wyoming. “That is a huge number, especially when

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Also on June 21, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton warned Congress that Colorado River water users must cut their water usage by as much as one-fourth by the end of next year to address “critically low water levels” and prevent depleting the reservoirs past the point at which they can continue to function and produce hydropower.

Speaking to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Touton said that the bureau will work with the seven Colorado River basin states and the tribes to come up with a plan during the next 60 days to reduce

use across the basin by between 2 million and 4 million acre-feet.

Touton cautioned that, if necessary, the bureau has the authority to “act unilaterally” to protect the system, which supplies water and generates electricity for millions of users across the West According to the new UCRC numbers, total Upper Basin water use, including water lost to evaporation, added up to about 3.5 million acre-feet in 2021, a provisional number. That number was about 4.5 million acre-feet the previous year. The UCRC numbers show 2021 water use plus evaporation losses in the Lower SEE RIVER, P15

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Elbert County News 15

June 30, 2022

RIVER FROM PAGE 14

Basin — California, Arizona and Nevada — at nearly 10 million acre-feet, which includes about a 1.5 million acre-foot portion for Mexico.

Water users in Colorado have already been getting by with less, said Andy Mueller, general manager of the Colorado River District.

“No one got paid not to use water; no one enrolled in a federal program not to use water; this was water that was either legally or physically not available primarily at our rancher’s and farmer’s headgates in 2021,” he said. “They are doing what the commissioner has asked; they have reduced their use.”

Colorado and the other Upper Basin states do not have the benefit of massive reservoirs above them to hold water and instead rely on the runoff that’s available each year. Climate factors such as drought and dry soil have made that runoff less reliable. Scientists predict the amount of water that will flow into Lake Powell this spring and summer to be 59% of average.

“Colorado water users are on the front lines of climate change,” Mitchell said in a statement.

In the Lower Basin, water users can pull water from the country’s two largest reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead. However, those reservoirs have been significantly depleted during the current megadrought, which scientists believe is the driest 22-year stretch during

the past 1,200 years. The lakes are now both less than 30% full.

“When you have low runoff in the Upper Basin that means that the water users who normally have water late in the year don’t,” said Chuck Cullom, executive director of the Upper Colorado River Commission. He noted that the poor runoff in 2021 reduced supply available primarily to farmers and irrigators. “Folks with a junior priority who would normally have water available in August had to shut off in July.”

For example, Cullom pointed out that last year the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe Farm & Ranch Enterprise in southwest Colorado received only 10% of its normal water supply.

Mitchell noted that Colorado and the Upper Basin states have contributed 661,000 acre-feet the past two years to help protect Lake Powell from falling below 3,490 feet above sea level, the minimum elevation required for Glen Canyon Dam to generate power. This year, 500,000 acre-feet will be released from Flaming Gorge on the UtahWyoming border. In 2021, the Department of the Interior pursued emergency action that included releasing 36,000 acre-feet from Blue Mesa near Gunnison and 125,000 acre-feet from Flaming Gorge.

Mueller said that in the case of federal reclamation projects that supply water to Colorado water users such as the Dolores Project in southwest Colorado and others there are emergency provisions in the contracts that could allow the federal government to reduce an allocation to those projects.

“Is the commissioner talking about reducing use in the Upper Basin?” Mueller said. “She might be. Given the imbalance of where the water is being taken out and used right now that would be very hard to stomach.”

Anne Castle, a senior fellow at the Getches-Wilkinson Center at the University of Colorado Law School, said that the numbers commissioner Touton spoke about to Congress are significant.

“People have been thinking along the lines of solving a 2 million acre-foot deficit problem but the range from 2 million to 4 million is a big range. Four million is almost infinitely harder than 2 million,” Castle said. “Those numbers are so big I don’t see that that gap can be bridged by one basin alone; it can’t be bridged by one sector alone, like the agriculture sector.”

In Colorado, agriculture uses about 85% of the water statewide.

Steve Pope, general manager of the Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association, one of the state’s largest diverters of irrigation water, said the commissioner’s testimony concerns him. The association manages the water that comes out of the Gunnison Tunnel, a federal project.

“How do you get more blood from a turnip,” Pope said. “There is no Upper Basin storage. How are we going to come up with it?”

Denver Water CEO Jim Lochhead said significant reductions in demands on the river should have started several years ago. Denver Water gets about half of its supply from the Colorado River system.

“Everyone is going to have to

contribute to solving the problem,” Lochhead said in a statement, “but the vast majority of reductions are going to have to occur where the vast majority of water use has occurred — in the Lower Basin.”

Ken Curtis, general manager of the Dolores Water Conservancy District, which manages the Dolores Project, said this year they’re already operating on about a 30% supply.

“In some ways we’re already doing forced conserved consumptive use,” Curtis said. “They just have different opportunities given the plumbing down in the Lower Basin versus it coming right down off the mountains and off it goes.”

Mueller said the Upper Basin can also manage demands better.

He said marginal land that didn’t get irrigated in the past few years would probably need to stay out of production for the foreseeable future. But, he said, the majority of the 2 million to 4 million acre-feet Commissioner Touton cited needs to come from the Lower Basin.

“It’s time they reduce the flow out of the Hoover Dam, which means the Lower Basin has to cut their use. Period,” Mueller said.

“Oddly enough, the Bureau of Reclamation runs the facility that has allowed it to be that way.”

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

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16 Elbert County News

June 30, 2022

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

Vaccines for youngest Coloradans are here

BY JOHN INGOLD THE COLORADO SUN

As a pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases at Children’s Hospital Colorado, Dr. Sara Saporta-Keating knows well the toll the coronavirus has had on the country’s youngest residents.

The United States has recorded more than 2.5 million cases of COVID-19 in kids ages 4 and younger, according to data presented last week to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee. It is the leading cause of death by infectious disease among all people ages 19 and younger. And it ranks in the top five of all causes of death for children 4 and under.

That’s what made the news that federal regulators have approved two COVID vaccines for kids 6 months to 5 years so exciting for her professionally.

But, as a parent to a 4-year-old kid?

Saporta-Keating is overjoyed to be able to add another layer to her family’s pandemic protection. Her son is signed up for his first COVID shot at a clinic on June 18.

“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” she said. “My husband and I are very excited.”

Now more than 27 months into the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines are finally available for the last big age group not previously eligible. The CDC and the Food and Drug Administration have both given the go-ahead for kids to receive vaccines made by either Pfizer or Moderna. The announcement leaves only babies under 6 months old ineligible for vaccination based on age.

But the news comes with a fair number of questions. The Colorado Sun spoke with Saporta-Keating, as well as Kaiser Permanente pediatrician Dr. Hector de Leon, to find some answers.

Give me the basics. What’s the news?

After lengthy clinical trials and data review, regulators at the CDC and FDA gave emergency approval to the COVID vaccines made by Pfizer and

Moderna. The federal officials made those decisions after consulting with independent advisory groups — the CDC’s advisory group includes a Colorado pediatrician, Kaiser Permanente’s Dr. Matthew Daley.

Pfizer’s vaccine is for kids ages 6 months through 4 years old. Moderna’s is for kids ages 6 months through 5 years old. But there’s nothing new in the technology. Both vaccines are just smaller-dose versions of what have been given to adults.

Both vaccines use mRNA technology — meaning they inject little bits of messenger RNA into the body with instructions for the cells to build spike proteins that resemble those of the coronavirus. That gives the body’s immune system something to practice against to prepare for a real infection.

The spike proteins can’t infect you or replicate inside you; think of it like training a security guard to recognize a burglar by showing them a picture of the burglar’s tattoo. The messenger RNA is destroyed in the process, so it doesn’t linger in the body or alter your DNA. What is the difference between the two?

Mainly the size of the dose and the number of shots.

Pfizer opted to go for a smaller dose — 3 micrograms of mRNA, which is one-tenth of Pfizer’s adult dose.

Moderna went with a larger dose — 25 micrograms, or one-quarter of Moderna’s adult dose (which, at 100 micrograms, was larger than Pfizer’s adult dose).

The trade-off is that Pfizer’s vaccine is a three-dose series, spaced out over about 11 weeks. Moderna’s is currently a two-dose series, with the shots spaced four weeks apart. Moderna, though, is testing a third shot for young kids, so it’s possible it may also become a three-dose series.

Do they work?

Both showed sufficient efficacy to be approved, but this answer depends a bit on your expectations.

SEE VACCINES, P19

Answers

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Elbert County News 17

June 30, 2022

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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.

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Elbert County News 19

June 30, 2022

VACCINES FROM PAGE 16

After three doses, Pfizer showed 80.3% efficacy in preventing symptomatic illness, according to data reviewed by the CDC. Moderna showed 41.5% efficacy.

BUT regulators noted that they have more confidence in Moderna’s number than in Pfizer’s because Moderna’s clinical trial saw more COVID cases among the study participants. In other words, because more kids caught COVID in Moderna’s study (which was larger than Pfizer’s) there was more data to work with to estimate efficacy accurately. Pfizer’s number comes with a much bigger range of uncertainty.

This gets to an issue in trying to compare numbers between the two vaccines: The Pfizer and Moderna studies were conducted differently.

“It’s really challenging to compare the two,” Saporta-Keating said.

Both vaccines showed results that are in line with the vaccines’ efficacy against the omicron variant in adults.

They also both produce an immune response in young kids comparable to what the adult vaccines do.

Lastly, de Leon said the main benefit is in preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death, which both vaccines appear to be good at.

“That’s what we’re trying to avoid and that’s what the vaccines are really going to help us do,” he said.

Does one have worse side effects?

The types of side effects reported are similar for the two vaccines, but comparisons are again complicated by the differences in the studies.

For the Pfizer vaccine, the most common side effect in kids ages 2 through 4 was fatigue, which about a quarter of the study participants reported. About 5% of kids in this age range developed a fever. (These numbers are for after the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine,

but they are similar for other doses.)

Measuring side effects in younger kids is harder because they can’t always tell you what they’re feeling.

But parents of study participants aged 6 months to 2 years reported irritability as the No. 1 side effect, with nearly half experiencing it.

For the Moderna vaccine, fatigue and irritability were also the top side effects. But Moderna generally reported greater prevalence of side effects than Pfizer did. For instance, it reported nearly a quarter of kids in its study ages 2 through 5 developed a fever after the second dose.

De Leon said that may be evidence that Moderna’s larger dose produces larger side effects. But he cautioned parents not to read too much into it, since the studies may define the criteria for side effects differently.

What are the most worrisome side effects?

One child was hospitalized during Pfizer’s clinical trials due to a fever and pain in an extremity that was possibly related to the vaccine. No kids were hospitalized in the Moderna trial, but one did have a fever-related seizure that was possibly connected to the vaccine.

There were no deaths among study participants, and there were no cases of myocarditis — the rare heart condition that has been seen in some older kids following COVID vaccination.

There also weren’t any severe allergic reactions.

The studies weren’t necessarily large enough to pick up on all the potential rare side effects, but Saporta-Keating said she wouldn’t expect any hidden problems to be lurking for younger kids that haven’t already been seen in other age groups.

“We have really great now two years of information from the older age groups,” she said.

Does my child need a vaccine if they’ve already had COVID? Yes, say both doctors.

While previous infection does

provide immunity, it’s not clear how long that immunity lasts in children, de Leon said. That makes getting vaccinated important to keep kids protected.

And while it is often thought that young kids don’t suffer from severe COVID, the omicron surge flipped that assumption. According to data presented to the CDC, kids in the 6 months to 5 years age range had higher rates of being admitted to the intensive care unit, being placed on oxygen and being placed on ventilators during omicron than did kids in age groups eligible for vaccination.

Vaccinating a kid who has already had COVID will provide even stronger protection, de Leon said. And he encouraged parents to begin planning for the return to school in fall, when COVID cases have typically surged.

Kids need to get their first Pfizer shot now in order to get their third and final dose by early September.

Which one should my child get?

Whichever one you can, SaportaKeating said.

“My thought process is the one that is available to you is the best one,” she said.

De Leon agreed but added that parents may prefer one over the other based on personal experience and needs. Families in need of a faster timeline or wanting to limit the number of shots will probably prefer Moderna. Families where an older child had strong side effects from a Moderna vaccination may lean toward Pfizer.

Both doctors encouraged parents to talk with their own pediatricians about any concerns, especially if their kids are potentially allergic to any of the components of either or both vaccines.

Where can I get a vaccine?

The state is ramping up its distribution system. Colorado has been allocated 31,600 doses in the first two waves of deliveries, and 269 vaccine providers have already signed up to

administer them.

Children’s Hospital Colorado is working with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on a series of mobile vaccine clinics. Sign up information is available on the hospital’s website. Kaiser Permanente will be making appointments available on its website.

And CDPHE is also keeping a list of available clinics.

How much demand will there be?

Probably a lot, at first.

De Leon said his email inbox was flooded June 21 with parents seeking information about vaccination.

“This is the one group that’s been missing, so I think there’s a huge appetite to finally make it available,” he said. “This is the one group that’s been left out, and the reason was we had to get it right.”

But how long that demand will last is unclear. Nationally, a Kaiser Family Foundation poll in April showed that only about 1 in 5 parents plan to vaccinate their young child as soon as possible — a much lower percentage than when the question was posed regarding older kids. The number of parents who say they won’t vaccinate their young kids is about the same as with older kids, though.

That puts a plurality of parents in the wait-and-see camp. And it’s why doctors say it’s important for parents to talk with their child’s pediatrician to answer any questions they have.

“This is an exciting time for us,” Saporta-Keating said. “We have the opportunity to get this youngest age group vaccinated and protected against severe disease.”

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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LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY: A PARCEL OF PROPERTY LOCATED IN SECTION 25, TOWNSHIP 6 SOUTH, RANGE 65 WEST OF THE 6TH P.M., COUNTY OF ELBERT, STATE OF COLORADO, BEING MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS; BEGINNING AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF SAID SECTION 25 AND CONSIDERING THE NORTH LINE OF THE NORTHEAST 1/4 TO BEAR N 89° 15' 04" W WITH ALL BEARINGS CONTAINED HEREIN RELATIVE THERETO; THENCE, N 89° 15' 04" W ALONG SAID NORTH LINE, FOR A DISTANCE OF 586.30; THENCE S 30° 48' 34” W A DISTANCE OF 1430.42 FEET; THENCE S 00° 00' 00” E A DISTANCE OF 910.57 FEET; THENCE N 81° 00' 20” E A DISTANCE OF 60.00 FEET; THENCE N 45° 42' 15” E A DISTANCE OF 648.46 FEET; THENCE N 41° 03' 27” E A DISTANCE OF 1198.47 FEET TO A POINT ON THE EAST LINE OF THE NORTHEST 1/4 OF SAID SECTION 25; THENCE N 00° 37' 24” E A DISTANCE OF 765.56 FEET TO THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF SAID SECTION 25 AND THE POINT OF BEGINNING;

Public Notice NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR PTARMIGAN REZONE CASE NUMBER: RZ-22-0006 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 43510 & 43520 PTARMIGAN RANCH ST, PARKER, CO 80138 SHALL BE CONSIDERED FOR A REZONE, PURSUANT TO ELBERT COUNTY REGULATIONS. THE HEARING IS TO BE HELD BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON THE 19TH DAY OF JULY, 2022 IN THE ELBERT COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, COMMISSIONERS’ BOARD ROOM, 215 COMANCHE STREET, KIOWA, COLORADO, AT 7 P.M., OR AS SOON THEREAFTER AS POSSIBLE. - AND – THE HEARING IS TO BE HELD BEFORE THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ON THE 10TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2022, IN THE ELBERT COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, COMMISSIONERS’ BOARD ROOM, 215 COMANCHE STREET, KIOWA, COLORADO, AT 1 P.M., OR AS SOON THEREAFTER AS POSSIBLE.

TOGETHER WITH: A PARCEL OF PROPERTY LOCATED IN SECTION 25, TOWNSHIP 6 SOUTH, RANGE 65 WEST OF THE 6TH P.M., COUNTY OF ELBERT, STATE OF COLORADO, BEING MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS;

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COMMENCING AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF SAID SECTION 25 AND CONSIDERING THE EAST LINE OF THE SOUTHEAST 1/4 OF SAID SECTION 25 TO BEAR N 00° 37' 09” E WITH ALL BEARINGS CONTAINED HEREIN RELATIVE THERETO; THENCE N 00° 37' 09” E ALONG SAID EAST LINE FOR A DISTANCE OF 1797.75 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING; THENCE, N 89° 59' 36” W A DISTANCE OF 799.96 FEET; THENCE, N 19° 11' 46" W FOR A DISTANCE OF 1462.20 FEET; THENCE, N 81° 00' 20" E FOR A DISTANCE OF 60.00 FEET; THENCE N 45° 42' 15” E A DISTANCE OF 648.46 FEET; THENCE N 41° 03' 27” E A DISTANCE OF 1198.47 FEET TO A POINT ON THE EAST LINE OF THE NORTHEAST 1/4 OF SAID SECTION 25; THENCE, S 00° 37' 24" W ALONG SAID EAST LINE FOR A DISTANCE OF 1889.53 FEET TO THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF SAID NORTHEAST 1/4; THENCE S 00° 37' 09" W ALONG THE EAST LINE OF THE SOUTHEAST 1/4 OF SAID SECTION 25 FOR A DISTANCE OF 857.58 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING. Legal Notice No. 24856 First Publication: June 30, 2022 Last Publication: June 30, 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

Name Changes PUBLIC NOTICE Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name Public notice is given on May 23, 2022, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Elbert County Court.

The Petition requests that the name of Jenine Elizabeth Johnson be changed to Jenine Elizabeth Hopkins Case No.: 22C27 By: Jafeen Jenkins, Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk Legal Notice No. 24855 First Publication: June 30, 2022 Last Publication: July 14, 2022 Publisher: Elbert County News

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Elbert Legals 6.30.22 * 1

20 Elbert County News

June 30, 2022

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