Elbert County News 120122

Elizabeth trustees OK rezoning

development in area at west end of town

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

The Elizabeth Board of Trustees recently approved a rezoning of agricultural land to planned unit development (PUD) in the west end of the town.

Developer and applicant Jim Marshall requested approval to rezone 425.9 acres located south of Highway 86 and immediately east of Legacy Ridge Street to accommodate residential, regional commercial, mixed-use commercial, public, and semi-public land uses.

Town documents refer to the land as the Elizabeth West Property.

Foundation announces 2022 grant recipients

More than $9,000 awarded to educators in Elizabeth School District

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

The Elizabeth Education Foundation recently announced its 2022 grant recipients. This year, 26 teachers across the district’s five schools received a total of more than $9,000 in grants that go toward bettering the classrooms, teaching opportunities for faculty, and learning experience for students.

The grants are funded through year-long fundraising efforts. Partnerships with local restaurants and discounted community nights with the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets and Colorado Mammoth are significant contributors. The Elizabeth Education Foundation also received private donations from anonymous contributors.

Robin Neelley of Elizabeth Middle School is one of this year’s EEF grant recipients. The seventh-grade language arts and reading teacher plans to use her $526 grant toward purchasing books for classroom use.

“`The Lightning Thief’ by Rick Riordan is a wonderful text with cross-curricular ties to everything they learn about in world history class, in addition to all of the reading and writing standards

Proposed Elizabeth West residential development, west of Walmart on Highway 86.

PHOTOS BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

Group still hopes to halt

All seats were filled at the Elizabeth Board of Trustees meeting on Nov. 15.

This expansion would add a significant new section to the already controversial Elizabeth West development. In the fast-growing Elizabeth area, some residents are excited for new commercial and residential developments, arguing that it will allow for more local amenities and shopping opportunities as well as keeping tax dollars local. There is also a portion of the Elizabeth community that is against the growth of Elizabeth, wanting to keep it rural and agricultural.

After a presentation by the developer representatives and argument for the validity of the rezoning by Mayor Pro Tem Angela Ternus, the rezoning proposal was approved by the Board of Trustees in a 5-1 vote on Nov. 15. Linda Secrist voted against the rezoning and received significant applause from the anti-development group that was present at the meeting.

Ternus outlined several criteria that the proposed rezoning met, arguing for the approval of the proposal. In the Town of Elizabeth municipal code, Chapter 16, Article 1, Section 240, Subsection F, there are nine different approval considerations that the Board of Trustees looked at when determining the validity of a rezone. Ternus went through all nine citing how the rezoning proposal met the criteria. She also gave her official opinion on

Below are the nine criteria as outlined in the municipal code as well as the mayor pro tem’s comments. 1. A need exists for the proposal. “Based on a newly completed Elbert County housing needs assessment … total housing need in Elbert County over the next 10 years is estimated at approximately 3,050 units and nearly all the population and household growth over the past 20 years has occurred in the unincorporated areas of Elbert County. The maximum dwelling units in this proposal are 623 to be built over the next 10 years and therefore I believe that checks the box for `a need exists.’ There’s also some commercial components to this proposal, which this will provide jobs for local citizens and therefore cut down on commute time and pump more money into our community and county that

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People opposed to a proposal for developing the Elizabeth West area give a thumbs-down as a majority on the Elizabeth Board of Trustees votes “yes” for rezoning.

PHOTOS BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

An Elizabeth Board of Trustees meeting attendee signs up to help oppose the development of Elizabeth West.

Participants in an anti-development group brainstorm ways to combat the growth in and around Elizabeth.

can be used for improving wages to town and county employees and increase service levels, all of which are needed.”

2. The particular parcel of ground is indeed the correct site for the proposed development. “Its west entrance is located just south of an already familiar developed intersection and the commercial component will be along Highway 86, providing good visibility for the future businesses. And this is the type of use envisioned in the 2019 comprehensive plan.” 3 and 4. There has been an error in the original zoning OR there have been significant changes to warrant a zone change.

“I don’t believe this to be the case, or has there been significant changes in the area to warrant a zone change. And that, I do believe is true. Seventy-one percent of the current housing stock per the new housing needs study in the county is in the northwest Elizabeth and Parker zip codes. Although the

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It was standing room only for much of the anti-development group at the Elizabeth Board of Trustees meeting.

PHOTO BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

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REZONING

FROM PAGE 3

three incorporated towns, Elizabeth, Kiowa and Simla, only contain about 12% of the total units. That is down from 14%. More opportunities for jobs in an area where the majority of the population lives, I believe needs to occur. This will enable some of that.”

5. Adequate circulation exists, and traffic movement would not be impeded by development.

“Based on the traffic studies done and speaking with our traffic consultants and the developer’s traffic consultants, it will not reach the level of failing.”

6. Additional municipal service costs will not be incurred which the town is not prepared to meet.

“Based on the financial analysis done by the town’s finance director, an anticipated revenue to be generated at full build-out will exceed the anticipated cost. Therefore, it meets this criteria.”

7. There are minimal environmental impacts or impacts can be mitigated.

“Already in the PUD documents, there is a whole section on tree protection and preservation. This lays out the requirements to preserve a good sized section of standing trees. Therefore, I believe it meets that criteria.”

8. The proposal is consistent with the Town Master Plan maps, goals and policies.

“This proposal exceeds the anticipated open space acres that were in the original plan. Therefore, it meets that criteria.”

9. There is adequate waste and sewage disposal, water, schools, parks and recreation, and other services to the proportional degree necessary due to the impacts created by the proposed land use.

“Schools, parks and rec, fire, and other services that the town does not provide were all consulted on this proposal and have had their opportunity to enter comments and speak directly to the developer to come to an agreement as to what they believe their district needs. As far as water and sewage disposal, we are way below our capacity. There will be no additional issues taking on these additional homes as far as wastewater. After many questions about water and reuse … we have been assured by our water consultants that there is water sufficient for this project at complete buildout, which will be in approximately 10 years. Therefore, I am voting `yes’ on this proposal.”

During the meeting, Elizabeth Town Hall was crammed with antidevelopment protesters, hoping to influence the Board of Trustees vote in a coordinated effort by a group of concerned citizens.

On Nov. 12, three days before the meeting on the rezoning, an anti-development group met at the Pawnee Hills clubhouse in Elizabeth to coordinate their efforts to protest the Board of Trustees rezoning vote. Led by Elizabeth resident Cindy Angers, there were 13 people at the anti-development meeting, discussing their plan. Knowing that the rezoning proposal was likely to pass, the group brainstormed ways to combat the next phase of the Elizabeth West development process as

well as future development in and around the Town of Elizabeth.

The group cited several reasons why they are against the growth of Elizabeth and the Elizabeth West development. These include increased traffic to the area, perceived limited water resources, and general shift of the Town of Elizabeth from an agricultural community to a suburb. The group created a threefold plan to combat the Elizabeth West development.

1. Create protest signage for the Nov. 15 meeting (no signage was used at the Board of Trustees meeting)

2. Make flyers to advertise an upcoming petition

3. Create a petition to combat Elizabeth West

“We moved out here for space. We don’t want King Soopers down the road. When we moved here we knew we’d have to drive for big shopping and we are fine with that,” said Lisa Krasinski. “Right now, we can see the Front Range, next it will be rooftops. We knew when we bought out property that the property owner next door would want to sell. We thought it would be at least five-acre lots or something, not these high density homes. We need to stick to slower growth.”

Former Elbert County Commissioner Robert Rowland was at the anti-development meeting. Halfway through, he excused himself from the meeting, explaining that though he appreciated what the group was doing, he did not fully agree with their anti-development stance. Instead, he is more concerned about water availability.

“I’m concerned about the water that we have,” said Rowland. “If the water is there, bring on the development. Growth will come. It’s inevitable, but I want to see science, real concrete data that we have enough water to sustain a development like this. We need a groundwater study. Water should be the number one consideration when it comes to development.”

Moving forward, the anti-development group plans to create a petition for Elizabeth residents to sign. Their hope is that they can stall the Elizabeth West development at one of its many approval stages over the next few years. They also plan to tackle the issue of development in other areas of Elizabeth, aiming to keep Elizabeth as rural as possible.

To listen to the Board of Trustees meeting audio, visit townofelizabeth.org/meetings.

If you are interested in learning more about the anti-development group, email organizer Cindy Angers at NorCal7@gmail.com.

Mayor Pro Tem Angela Ternus outlines the rezoning plan, explaining how it fits the necessary criteria as outlined by the Town of Elizabeth. PHOTO BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

GRANTS

that we cover,” said Neelley. “We are so thankful. I told each class when I got the email and we all literally cheered!”

Elizabeth School District Superintendent Dr. William Dallas shared his thoughts about the Elizabeth Education Foundation in a phone interview from Nov. 21. “I think the foundation is a great example of how we come together as a community to support our teachers and students. The grant is a great opportunity for teachers to be able to evolve their classrooms and be suitable to the more immediate needs of the students,” said Dallas. “Donating to the Elizabeth Education Foundation is also a way for people to keep the impact of their gifts local instead of a percentage going toward the running of a larger organization.”

The educators and award amounts are:

Elizabeth High School

Najla Grenz, $225 — world geography curriculum

Summer Katzoff, $500 — weight room equipment

Mel Whitcomb, $300 — Brother color printer

Ginger Zander, $68 — voice amplifier with UHF wireless microphone heads

Elizabeth Middle School

Christy Banks, $490 — XY Coordinate plane peg boards, reflective geo mirrors, etc.

Melanie Barrett, $485 — interactive notebooks and daily practice eBooks

Amy Cullins, $300 — gel electrophoresis equipment

Robin Neelley, $526 — “The Lightning Thief” books

Legacy Academy

Dana Henderson, $54 — poetry unit books

Tracy Kelly, $202 — phonemic awareness books and materials

Amy Lunt, $279 — roll-up dry erase large graph charts

Running Creek Elementary

Chelsey Barnes, $164 — educational sensory manipulatives

Lisa Bosco, $433 — alternative seating

Jessica Conley, $473 — alternative seating

Crystal Conner, $494 — alternative seating

Danielle Gregory, $240 — organizer book tubs

Christina Lucero, $497 — classroom materials, headphones, computer mice and chairs

Jessica Martin-Wegry, $431 — steam toys

Michelle McBeth-Harriger, $265 — outdoor building blocks

Janel Walker-Snider, $177 — “I Survived” books

Singing Hills Elementary

Kaitlyn DeCristino, $382 — Spellography curriculum books

Dominique Hellmun, $495 — flexible seating

Tiffany Roberts, $378 — alternative seating and materials

Jessica Schmidt, $400 — Spellography curriculum books

Emily Stout, $565 — Reading to Ensure Academic Development program

Shelby Stivers, $280 — phonemic awareness book series

To learn more about the Elizabeth Education Foundation or contribute to future grant funding, visit elizabethef.org or email elizabetheducationfoundation@ outlook.com.

December 6 is Colorado Gives Day

With more than 300 organizations serving Douglas County, there are plenty of choices for your Colorado Gives Day donation. No matter the size, your financial gift will help make a difference in our community. Visit dccf.org/givesday and donate to a local cause that matters to you.

Interested in becoming a foster parent or adopting a child?

Information nights are free and open to anyone interested in learning about foster care and adoption. Join the meeting via Zoom on Dec. 10 from 9-10:30 a.m. or Dec. 19 from6-7:30 p.m. Call 303-636-1KID for more information, or register online, visit collaborativefostercare.com

Drive US 85?

Construction to widen the road between Highlands Ranch Parkway and C-470 is underway. Please expect delays and watch for crews. Sign up for updates so you know what to expect. Visit douglas.co.us and search for Subscribe Now and choose US 85 construction.

Community E-recycling

Douglas County residents may dispose of unwanted electronics free of charge at Techno Rescue, 3251 Lewiston St. in Aurora. Drop off 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 information, visit douglas.co.us and search for 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.

FROM PAGE 1

Elizabeth Middle School teacher Robin Neelley is planning to buy enough copies of “The Lightning Thief” books for all of her students with the money she receives from the Elizabeth Education Foundation Grant. PHOTO BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

Why the price of eggs went up

Avian flu hits state’s egg-laying hens

BY TAMARA CHUANG THE COLORADO SUN

In July, Natural Grocers reluctantly raised the price of free-range eggs by a dollar for members of its loyalty program. But as signs posted around the egg shelves reminded shoppers at the time, “Even at $2.99, they are still priced less than they are at other stores.”

The Lakewood-based grocery chain received little pushback from customers, said Katie Macarelli, the company’s spokeswoman. Likely because around the same time, gasoline was nearing an average of $5 a gallon in Colorado, the Federal Reserve had made its first of four (so far) threequarter-point interest rate hikes, and the U.S. had just hit its largest inflation rate increase in 40 years.

Still, it was still a tough decision for the company, which aims to offer healthy and affordable food options for customers. It has subsidized free-range and organic eggs for its {N}Power members since 2017.

“The general ethos (of subsidizing eggs) is multilayered, but eating good food should not cost you your whole paycheck,” Macarelli said. “You should be able to feed you and your family in an affordable way. Eggs are really the perfect food. They have all the essential amino acids, they have so many nutrients and vitamins. For the pennies it costs you to have two eggs in the morning, it’s probably one of the most economical food products you can buy.”

While the Russian war on Ukraine and the billions in federal relief in the pandemic contributed to overall inflation, including for egg farmers, other factors may have played a greater role in pushing egg prices higher than they’ve ever been.

Farmers were still reeling from the added costs of the pandemic when the contagious avian flu began wiping out 85% of Colorado’s egglaying chicken population in March. Nearly 5 million chickens have been slaughtered. And now, starting in January, a state law goes into effect requiring commercial egg producers to make hen pens roomier with a cage-free housing system, though farmers have two more years to comply with cage-free environments.

“It’s kind of the perfect

storm,” said Dawn Thilmany, an economics professor of labor and agribusiness at Colorado State University. “At the same time those laying hens are (being euthanized), pretty much for every food product, we have high inflation.”

And the new law will likely add more costs, she said. “If we follow what happened in California (after) they went to cage-free laying hens, we tended to see higher prices because the space for those laying hens had to be bigger and as soon as you need more real estate, it’s going to be more costly. Plus, there’s record keeping for those layers,” she said. “Everything that could make prices go up right now probably is making prices go up right now.”

How high?

Egg prices have indeed been rising this year, though retailers have often used them as a loss leader. Advertised prices have been as low as $1.24 a dozen in September, according to the USDA advertised egg prices data.

But at wholesale, a dozen large Grade A white eggs in the South Central region, which includes Colorado, reached $4.23 in October. It fell back to around $3 but was back up to $3.68 as of Nov. 10.

“The cost associated with producing eggs has gone up,” said Bill Scebbi, executive director of the Colorado Egg Producers, which represents local egg farmers. “We’re producing 1 billion eggs in our state and giving 1 million eggs to food banks or the needy. Those eggs have to go through the shipping process to get to the right areas. You’ve got a lot of costs involved with shipping of eggs to distribution points. You’ve got an increase in materials and packaging. You’ve got an increase in labor costs. Everything that’s associated with inflation is associated with the production of eggs as well.”

The cost of food has gone up higher than overall inflation, according to the Consumer Price Index from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the latest inflation report for Denver, area prices were down from August, but up 7.7% in September compared to a year earlier. Food prices were up 11.8% and eggs — part of the meats, poultry, fish and eggs category — were up 12.9%. But who pays for that isn’t just the consumer or customer.

“What happens is that you get hit with inflationary pressure and there’s a gap between when you

start getting hit before you reprice. And in that gap, you’re eating it,” said Marco Antonio Abarca, president of Denver-based Ready Foods, which provides prepared soups and sauces from scratch for restaurants and supermarkets. “I’m eating more and more as the customer is reluctant to take the inflationary hit. It’s understandable but the people who really eat it are the manufacturers or the producers.”

During the last recession around 2009, Abarca said he used that time to invest in real estate and expand. He’s doing that again because he needs a larger factory, but with higher interest rates, he’s paying more for the real estate loans. His new factory will have more automation and robotics as a way to manufacture more efficiently. But he still needs workers, which he said he pays above minimum wage for. That’s going up too. Denver’s minimum wage will increase 9% to $17.27 an hour on Jan. 1.

“It’s getting more expensive because the base is rising,” he said. “I’m going to need good industrial workers who are able to handle robotics and other things. So there’s inflation and the labor shortage that are causing these issues.”

Christie Pettys, who visits farms to check on the welfare of animals as Natural Grocers’ product standards manager, said she’s seen the pressure of inflation on local farmers, as well as the fear of avian flu. She hasn’t heard that any of her egg suppliers were affected by the flu, but farmers canceled film shoots with the Lakewood-based grocer out of extreme caution.

“They said, ‘We’re not worried about you humans getting sick. We are worried about you killing our birds,’” Pettys said. “That’s a huge concern.”

Natural Grocers still offers $1.99 free-range eggs to members of its program, which is free to join. But they had to raise the price on some brands and specialty eggs. Organic and pasture-raised eggs increased 50 cents a dozen to $3.99 and $4.99 respectively. It’s tough for smaller grocery chains to absorb the rising costs, especially when industrywide costs for eggs have increased about 20% since 2019.

“The real cost increase on all these farms was twoplus years ago,” Pettys said. “They have been holding the cost for us. And finally, they have had to pass it on to customers because they cannot afford to keep having all of their increases in the

cost of business go up and not change the price.”

Not all eggs in Colorado are native

The most recent commercial outbreak of avian flu in Colorado was in late September in Weld County. Roughly 1.15 million hens were euthanized in early October. Smaller hen houses found on backyard farms continue to show up in the state’s avian flu weekly updates. There have been no reinfected facilities in Colorado, though there have been in other states, said Olga Robak, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

It’s been devastating, she said. But most cases are among backyard, noncommercial farmers who don’t realize the gravity. The contagious virus affects the organs and has a 90% to 100% mortality rate in chickens, often within 48 hours, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Avian flu tends to be spread by wild birds, which shed the virus through saliva, nasal secretions and feces. But birds can also get infected through contact with contaminated surfaces — and people.

“In fact, we had a case here in Colorado, it was a backyard case, where the husband went duck hunting and five days later, all of their chickens died from” avian flu, Robak said. “We don’t know exactly how (it happened but) he was out there touching water fowl, he didn’t follow proper biosecurity and he wasn’t aware of it. And so somehow, he was the mechanical vector that tracked the virus from the wild birds into the domestic chickens.”

As farmers ramp up egg production again, the process can take a year to

get back to full production. After removing the birds and cleaning up, there’s a 150-day quarantine or “virus elimination phase,” followed by additional testing to make sure the virus is not present. Only then can a farmer consider repopulating the coop. Specialty eggs, like organic and cage free, and larger eggs take longer to produce.

In the meantime, Colorado gets eggs from neighboring states, Scebbi said.

“Our egg industry is a very tight-knit industry. So when eggs are required in the state of Colorado, and we don’t have the number of eggs to get into the stores, those eggs are purchased from other farms in other states,” Scebbi said. “They work with each other to make sure that there’s a sufficient quantity of eggs to serve the 6 million people in the state of Colorado. The economic impact really isn’t going to be on the loss of the egg to the consumer. It’s going to be the loss of the farmer. The farmer is going to be paying more for those eggs with shipment and logistics.”

But the thing is, there should be enough eggs for every Coloradan who wants to buy them, even if prices are higher than they were a year ago.

“We are a global society,” Robak said. “Just because we produce eggs here in Colorado doesn’t mean those are the only eggs we eat.”

This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalistowned 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.

The price of eggs, which are featured in several of the breakfast dishes at Rory’s Diner in Parker, have reached a record high this year.

PHOTO COURTESY OF RORY’S DINER

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Mass shootings are increasing in Colorado

Numbers grow over 3 years

BY JOHN INGOLD THE COLORADO SUN

By one measure, the shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs was the worst the state has seen in more

The at least 22 victims — five killed and 17 injured by gunfire — are the most in a Colorado shooting since the July 2012 attack on a movie

Since 2013, there have been 61 shootings in the state in which four or more people, excluding the perpe-

A total of 328 people were shot in those attacks, including 82 who were killed and 246 who were wounded.

Mass shootings increase in Colorado

The attack at Club Q fits into a trend: Mass shootings are increasing in Colorado. This year will finish as the worst year for mass shootings in the last decade, with at least 13. Of the 61 mass shootings since 2013, more than half — 36 — have occurred in the last three years.

Most mass shootings occur in Colo-

Since 2013, mass shootings have occurred in 15 cities and towns in Colorado. All but two of those are on the Front Range, but the list shows that mass shootings are not just an urban problem. One of the shootings, in which three people were killed and one was injured, occurred in the southern San Luis Valley community of Capulin.

The majority of mass shootings over the last decade in Colorado have occurred in the state’s three largest cities — Denver, Colorado Springs and Aurora. Together, they combine for 47 of the 61 mass shootings. Denver has the most with 24, while Aurora has seen 12 mass shootings and Colorado Springs has seen 11.

In terms of the most deadly mass shootings — those in which at least four people were shot and three or more people were killed — there have been eight in Colorado since 2013. Three of those occurred in Colorado Springs, two in Denver and one each in Aurora, Boulder and Capulin.

Defining a ‘mass shooting’

Tracking data on mass shootings is difficult, in part because “mass shootings” as a category of violence

is so broad that it contains myriad genres and subgenres.

Some lists, like one maintained by Mother Jones magazine, track only mass shootings that are seemingly indiscriminate and occur in public settings. That covers shootings such as the one at Club Q or the Aurora theater. But it leaves out other forms of mass violence, such as a shooting at a house in Aurora in October that killed four people.

Other lists define mass shootings mathematically — such as the shooting tracker maintained by the Gun Violence Archive, which catalogs shootings in which at least four people are shot, not including the gunman. These lists collect data on more shootings, including many that don’t receive a lot of media attention. But they also exclude shootings that fit within a genre of American mass violence: attacks intended to sow terror in public spaces. For instance, the attack on a Thornton Walmart store in 2017 that killed three people is not in the Gun Violence Archive’s database.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation defines a mass shooting more strictly than most — an event in which four or more people are shot to death. Alternately, the FBI produces an annual report on “active shooter incidents,” a genre of violence defined by the actions of the perpetrator and not by the number of people wounded or killed.

Compounding the problem is that there is no consensus method for aggregating data on shootings, meaning most lists of mass shootings rely on media reports and can, at times, have errors in the numbers.To create these charts, The Colorado Sun used data from the Gun Violence Archive. The organization began tracking shootings in 2013, the year after the shootings at the Aurora movie theater and at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

So it is not a compendium of information on mass shootings in Colorado — notably it excludes the shooting at Columbine High School in 1999, among many others. But it is the most complete data source available over the last decade.

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.

Candles glow on a memorial stone for Veronica Moser-Sullivan, a 6-year-old who died in the Aurora theater shooting, at a 10-year remembrance.

PHOTO BY TAYLER SHAW

More families seeking food assistance in 2022

Food banks need donations

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Using donations, the Parker Task Force was able to put toether Thanksgiving food baskets that will be distributed to families through the town and the neighobring communities of Franktown and Elizabeth.

However, the task foce needs go beyond the November holiday.

According to volunteer, Lisa Pulk, the Parker Task Force served approximately 250 families with food for the Thanskgiving holiday. Since the last holiday season, there has been a 78% increase in new families seeking support, with the task force distributing and estimated 34% more food in the community this year.

“It’s so important to non-profits that we are able to serve our community in whatever way comes and we can always use in addition to Thanksgiving food, the food that’s posted on our website on our needs list,” said Diane Roth, a task force volunteer.

The current immediate items needed include: Green beans Pasta sauce Juice boxes Dry potatoes Chunky soup Jello cups

Butter is another item that is needed year-round according to

the volunteers at the Parker Task Force. Roth said whenever they have an excess, they put the donations in the freezer to distribute as needed.

“We don’t waste food. We look at what we need to freeze, and we manage our inventory without any significant waste,” said Roth.

Food donations are accepted Tuesday through Saturday between 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 19105 Longs Way in Parker.

Monetary donations are also accepted.. Money can be donated via

check through the mail or delivered in person.

“There are other resources in the county that could always use assistance,” said Roth, “Help and Hope in Castle Rock is an organization that is certainly another place that Douglas County citizens can turn to if they want to help their neighbors in need.”

Roth also encourages Douglas County citizens to choose and support a Douglas County non-profit on Colorado Gives Day, Dec. 6.

According to the website, Colo-

rado Gives Day is an annual effort to increase donations to nonprofit organizations. On the first Tuesday of December since 2010, Coloradans have come together to support the nonprofits that make a difference.

Colorado Gives Day has grown to be Colorado’s largest 24-hour giving event, raising more than $362 million for nonprofits across the state since it began.

ColoradoGives.org is home to Colorado Gives Day, and your onestop shop for making good happen for our community.

connected to

Volunteers package cans and boxes of food at the Parker Task Force Food Bank.

PHOTO BY HALEY LENA

How school funding fared at the polls

BY JENNY BRUNDIN COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO

Most of the 21 Colorado school districts that asked for money on the ballot this year — for teacher raises, building upgrades and improved security — got it. But there were some losses.

The tiny Bennett school district won’t get a new high school to address overcrowding. Or space for technical and career education. Or enhanced safety and security in schools. Voters turned down a bond measure 45% to 54%.

Teachers and bus drivers and custodians in Ellicott School District No. 22 east of Colorado Springs won’t get a pay raise. Nor will those in Douglas County. Property tax increases, called mill levy overrides, failed in those districts.

But Boulder Valley will be able to accomplish quite a list: repair, replace and upgrade buildings, remove asbestos, create lab-like classrooms for career and technical education, and replace a high school, and build a new elementary school in Erie to relieve overcrowding.

Weld RE-4 teachers will get a raise to be competitive with surrounding districts.

Fewer funding measures this year

Compared to other election cycles, there were fewer local school tax measures this year. Tracie Rainey of the Colorado School Finance Project, which tracked all the school

funding tax measures, says it takes about 18 months to really have the time to “bring people together to understand what the issues are, why they’re going for an election.”

The pandemic interrupted that. But she expects more districts to run tax measures next year and in 2024. One reason is that state lawmakers will again attempt to overhaul the school finance system.

“And so, I do think you’re going to see potentially more districts deciding to start planning for that, given that they are very insecure about what that future is going to look like,” said Rainey.

Mill levy overrides ask voters for money on top of the set property tax rate for each district. That has created inequity between districts because some can pass such measures and others can’t. Even some districts with high property tax wealth are loath to pass them – such as Douglas County.

That county had the most hotly contested school funding measure in Colorado. By 2,634 votes, the county narrowly shot down a $60 million mill levy override that would have given teachers on average a 9 percent raise and classified workers like classroom assistants and cafeteria workers a 9 percent boost on average. Voters also defeated a $450 million bond to build three new neighborhood schools in fast-growing areas.

Douglas County, the ninth wealthiest county in the nation, has a median household income of $119,730 a year. The measures, if approved, would have cost $52 per year, per $100,000 of home value. But tax measures have historically been difficult to pass in the conservative county. Turbulence in the school district didn’t help. Earlier this year board business was mired by fighting, the firing of a popular superintendent, and district judge ruling that the board had made decisions in secret.

The divided board did unify behind the ballot measures, with a politically diverse campaign committee and all board members out campaigning for 5A and 5B.

At a board meeting Nov. 15, the seven-member board voiced optimism and were “pleasantly surprised” at how close the race was. An early poll showed it going down much more handily.

“I just wanted to say how incredibly proud I was of the entire district and the community for coming together and being able to put our differences aside and really band together around 5A and 5B,” said board member Christy Williams. “Even though it didn’t pass, I think we made huge strides.”

Board members said they hope to try again next November. Board member David Ray said he’d like the district to do a more in-depth analysis of why people who voted for a similar measure in 2018 may not have voted this time around.

“And then to listen to really understand why they may have chosen not to support this time around. But I think as long as we (a divided board) strive to work towards consensus, I think our community will continue to support us for the next 12 months. But I do think the next 12 months

is going to be indicative of what happens in November 2023.”

For 27J, eighth time’s a charm

The biggest victory went to the 27J school district, a large district that spans parts of Adams, Broomfield and Weld counties.

“Absolute elation and a sense of relief” was the reaction of Superintendent Chris Fiedler, after the measure passed.

Voters had rejected 7 previous efforts to pass a mill levy override. The district has had to take drastic measures like cutting programs, holding back on raises, going to four-day school weeks, and in some cases, doing split schedules at schools. The starting teacher salary in the district is currently $43,000 a year, well below other metro Denver districts.

This time around, the campaign concentrated more intensively on focus groups, parent surveys and used the services of Magellan Strategies, which managed 11 ballot measure surveys for Colorado local governments and special districts this election.

“We really listened to what our community, parents and members of our focus groups told us was most important to them,” Fiedler said.

This year they added school safety to the list of what the measure would accomplish because on the heels of the Uvalde tragedy in Texas, people said they wanted armed security at elementary schools. That was listed first in the ballot language, followed by raising teacher and staff salaries, followed by career and technical education so

students can get hands-on job skills in science, technology, engineering and math.

Fiedler said they worked a lot on the ballot language, expanding it and making it very specific about those three items that would be funded. It also specified that no revenue from the tax will be used for administration salary increases. But teachers will get at least a 7.5 percent salary raise, though that could go higher if Gov. Jared Polis’ budget proposal holds, Fiedler said.

Parents, school staff and an alliance with Rocky Mountain Partnership, which hired young people as civic influencers to explain school finance and the measure to voters, also helped. There was lots of outreach to the Spanish-speaking community and younger voters, which Fiedler believes made a big difference, too.

There was another unique twist as for why 27J may have crossed the finish line this year: The Commerce City Council passed a tax cut in early October to offset most of the school tax increase that homeowners would see.

“I’ve never seen that done, I just was shocked and grateful for that bold move,” said Fiedler. “That had a tangible effect.”

The all-hands-on-deck effort paid off.

“People have asked me what made the difference, and it’s 100 things,” the veteran superintendent said.

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

Most Colorado school funding measures passed this year. SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

Thu 12/08

Morgenshtern

@ 8pm

Gothic Theatre, 3263 South Broadway, Englewood

Fri 12/09

Cindy & Bryce

@ 1am

Dec 9th - Dec 8th

Heather Gardens Clubhouse, 2888 S. Heather Gardens Way, Aurora

Teague Starbuck

@ 5pm

Sunroom Brewing, 3242 S Acoma St, En‐glewood

Pond: Gothic Theatre @ 8pm

Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Englewood

Sat 12/10

Smithtonian Handbells

@ 2am

Dec 10th - Dec 9th

Heather Gardens Clubhouse, 2888 S. Heather Gardens Way, Aurora

Daniella Katzir Music: Daniella Katzir Band at Swallow Hill! Tis The Season Of Sweet & Spice @ 8pm

Swallow Hill Music Association, 71 E Yale Ave, Denver

SOC: Cookie Decorating with Santa @ Cook Park @ 10:30pm

Cook Park Recreation Center, 7100 E. Cherry Creek South Dr., Denver. 720-9130654

Sun 12/11

Tue 12/13

YS: Boys Basketball 9-10 @ Cook Park #1 @ 1am

Dec 13th - Mar 7th

Cook Park Recreation Center, 7100 E. Cherry Creek South Dr., Denver. 720-9130654

YS: Boys Basketball 13-14 @ Cook Park @ 3am Dec 13th - Mar 8th

Cook Park Recreation Center, 7100 E. Cherry Creek South Dr., Denver. 720-9130654

Jay_Martin

@ 7pm

Rocker Spirits, 5587 S Hill St, Lit‐tleton

CHADZILLA MUSIC: Deborah Solo Trio at Tagawa Gardens @ 11am

Tagawa Gardens, 7711 S Parker Rd, Centennial

SOC: Breakfast with Santa @ Cook Park @ 5pm

Cook Park Recreation Center, 7100 E.

Cherry Creek South Dr., Denver. 720-9130654

The Highlands Ranch Concert Band presents: "Hear" For The Holidays: A Winter Concert @ 3pm

South Sub Church, 7275 South Broadway, Littleton. HRCBPublic ity@outlook.com, 303-870-3662

Lorie Line

@ 7pm

The Schoolhouse at Mainstreet, 19650 Mainstreet, Parker

Wed 12/14

Ladies Night @ 6pm / $5

Stampede, 2430 South Havana, Aurora

Thu 12/15

YS: Girls Basketball 9-10 @ Harvard Gulch @ 12am Dec 15th - Mar 9th

Harvard Gulch Recreation Center, 550 E. Iliff Ave., Denver. 720-913-0654

The King Stan Band: KSB's Annual Ugly Sweater Party in Paradise

@ 7:30pm

Paradise Tavern, 9239 Park Mead‐ows Dr, Lone Tree

Journey Girls Live at Fraco's @ 8pm

The Toad Tavern, 5302 S Federal Circle, Littleton

Denver Gay Men's Chorus: Haul Out the Jolly @ 3pm

St Andrew United Methodist Church, 9203 S University Blvd, Highlands Ranch

Mon 12/12

Modern Swing Mondays @ 6:30pm / $10

Stampede, 2430 South Havana, Aurora

YS: Boys Basketball 9-10 @ Eisenhower #1 @ 11:30pm

Dec 12th - Mar 7th

Eisenhower Recreation Center, 4300 E. Dartmouth Ave., Denver. 720-913-0654

CW & Twenty Hands High @ 7:30pm

Tailgate Tavern & Grill, 19552 Mainstreet, Parker

Darryl Purpose: Moth Storytelling GRAND SLAM @ 7:30pm

Newman Center for the Performing Arts, 2344 E Iliff Ave, Denver

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VOICES

Missing tradition

As Thanksgiving approaches and plans are being made regarding who is hosting, who is coming and what to expect — this year has a bit of a gloomy feel.

EDITOR’S COLUMN

Growing up, Thanksgiving was a total family holiday. We had our family of six, and multiple others came regularly. From the food, the laughter, the family football game to watching the Dallas Cowboys – I treasure those memories.

In a recent call with one of my brothers, whom I am closest with as an adult, he can’t come this year. Plane tickets are too much, he has had some unexpected bills and just paying for gas to fill up his truck these days is a stretch.

While the daily realities of a struggling economy are hitting my brother particularly hard, for me, it was the idea that he won’t be here this year playing with my sons, which may not always be parent approved, but has become a tradition that my boys look forward to with uncle Brian.

My other two brothers rarely make appearances on holidays these days. They live elsewhere, have separate lives and just can’t make the get-together.

We no longer have the football games in the yard as much. Even when they do, they do not carry the magic those traditional ones as a kid do.

Then, there’s the tradition of holiday television shows.

Every year, growing up, the night before Thanksgiving we would watch “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.” My brother reminds me of Charlie Brown and I am not surprised it’s one of his all-time favorite characters.

Now, there is no waiting until the night before for the show to come on a cable channel. Today, the show can be easily found and watched any day of the year if one chooses. The same goes for those traditional Christmas holiday favorites such as the Grinch, and the Charlie Brown Christmas special.

As technology has advanced, the world became busy — we no longer look forward to some of those traditions because they really are not traditional anymore.

As an adult, while I try to instill the importance of family and family traditions in my children, I have to admit, being busy and being always on the go, takes away some of that.

I am thankful for those holidays I had growing up. I can’t imagine the person I would have become had I not had those close family relationships as a kid. I am very much devoted to my family now. I am always available in the emergencies and bad days. But I miss being together and enjoying the feeling of coming together for the happy ones.

Maybe this year, or in the near future, putting more emphasis on valuing family traditions and creating more memories for my current household will become a priority. Looking to next month — maybe that will be a New Year’s Resolution for 2023.

That goal will start with watching Charlie Brown the night before Thanksgiving this year with a smile.

LINDA

Maintaining the attitude of gratitude

WINNING

The executive had put out a message out to his network that he was looking to hire top-performing salespeople for his team. While reconnecting with a former colleague, he also mentioned to her that he was looking for salespeople and asked that if she knew anyone, would she send them his way.

Within just a couple of hours she had sent him the name of someone she thought could possibly be a fit. The two connected on LinkedIn and through email, eventually setting up an interview that would take place over a virtual

When the executive and the candidate met and made initial introductions, the executive noticed a picture of legendary Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi hanging on the wall behind the candidate. So before jumping into the interview he had asked him the story behind the picture. As the candidate shared his story about Vince Lombardi’s dedication, discipline and determination and how that inspired him, the executive could not help but smile. He shared that when he was in high school, he had written his term paper on Vince Lombardi, and he chose him for the very same reasons. They had already formed a bond. Unfortunately, as they began the interview, within about 15-20 minutes they both realized that the candidate wasn’t really a good fit for the position. However, they stayed on the call

for a little longer. The candidate shared that he was a single dad of two teenagers and was trying to find the right position that would allow him to provide for his family.

They were saying goodbye when another topic came up and they had some small talk around that. The executive then asked the candidate to tell him a little more about what the perfect job would be that would get him excited to go to work every day. The candidate really loved coaching and training people and helping to develop both personally and professionally. The executive let him know that he would keep his ears and eyes open for any opportunities that sounded like a good fit.

Again, just about to hang up, the executive asked one more question. He asked the candidate, “Is there something that I can pray about for you?” The candidate bowed his head for a good minute before lifting his watery eyes back to the screen. The candidate asked for prayers for his mom as she had cancer. The executive leaned in and said how sorry he was, pausing before asking one more question. He asked the candidate what kind of cancer his mom had. He bowed his head and once again took a moment to speak. As he shared that it was pancreatic cancer, his tears spilled down his cheeks.

The executive stopped and shared this, “This was never about a job interview, this was God’s interview. We were not connected to talk about any job, we were connected for a much greater purpose. My wife passed away in 2013 from pancreatic cancer. She fought for

Columnists & Guest Commentaries

Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Elbert County News.

ELBERT COUNTY NEWS (USPS 171-100)

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Seniors’ Council meeting to explore cohousing

If you crave a closer community connection, but still value living independently in your own home, cohousing might be right for you. Trish Becker, executive director of the Cohousing Association of the United States, will discuss cohousing at a free Seniors’ Council meeting at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 5, at the library in Lone Tree.

So what makes cohousing communities unique? According to Becker, they are intentional, collaborative neighborhoods that combine extensive common facilities with private homes to create strong and successful housing developments. Most of these communities are organized as townhouse or condominium developments with homeowners association; a few are organized as cooperatives.

Cohousing is not a financial or legal model, but rather a descriptive

NORTON

FROM PAGE 12

two and a half years, and I learned so much from that journey and experience and I am happy to share any of what I learned with you and your family. I am so very grateful that God planned this interview, and if you need or want anyone to talk to, I am here for you.” And then they prayed together.

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GUEST COLUMN

term that shows the intent of these developments to cultivate a strong sense of community through extensive common facilities and active collaboration of the residents. There are currently about 180 existing cohousing communities in the U.S. and about the same number in some stage of formation. Becker is currently involved with two Front Range communities.

Cohousing residents may share meals, equipment, gardening and chores. Sharing often makes tasks easier and more enjoyable. It is a green and sustainable way of life.

Experts state that cohousing communities bring together the value

Last week I talked about “More than just the attitude of gratitude,” and this week as we think about maintaining the attitude of gratitude beyond Thanksgiving, maybe we can be reminded to be grateful for those connections that are more than work-related, more than perfunctory types of calls. Maybe we can show our gratitude by leaning into those who are placed in our path and connecting with them at an entirely different level. I would love to hear your attitude of gratitude

of private homes and the advantages of shared public space. These intentional communities focus on connectivity that facilitates social interaction, sustainable design and shared resources. Cohousing communities are established around three principles that make them different from traditional neighborhoods. They emphasize growing the community, increasing sustainability, and aging successfully. Most cohousing communities are designed to foster intergenerational connectivity, offering opportunities to live among people in all stages of life.

Becker believes that cohousing is a great way for older adults to age in place as it provides the social capital and mutual support that is linked with longer, healthier and happier lives. There are a growing number of older adult cohousing

story at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can show our gratitude at a deeply human level, it really will be a better than good life.

Michael Norton is an author, a

communities in addition to the intergenerational communities. Cohousing can be an antidote to loneliness, which affects over half of Americans, and has the same deleterious health effects as smoking 15 cigarettes per day.

Please plan to attend the Seniors’ Council meeting on Thursday, January 5 at 10 a.m. at the Lone Tree Library located at 10055 Library Way. The meeting is free and open to people of all ages.

Jean Spahr is the publications chair for the Douglas County Seniors’ Council.

This column is hosted by the Seniors’ Council of Douglas County. For more information about our monthly presentations, meetings, and events visit www.MyDougCoSeniorLife.com or email us at dcseniorlife@ douglas.co.us.

personal and professional coach, consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator of individuals and businesses, working with organizations and associations across multiple industries.

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TURN TO THE COLORADO SUN FOR NEWS ACROSS THE STATE

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In this way, The Sun contributes to a more vibrant, informed and whole Colorado.

The Sun, launched in 2018, is committed to fact-based, in-depth and nonpartisan journalism. It covers everything

from politics and culture to the outdoor industry and education.

Now, The Colorado Sun co-owns this and other Colorado Community Media newspapers as a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy. The Sun is CCM’s partner for statewide news.

For Colorado Sun stories, opinions and more, and to support The Sun’s misssion as a member or subscriber, visit coloradosun.com.

Fritz William “Bill” Weaver, 73, of Greeley, CO passed away at his home on November 17, 2022. He was born December 21, 1948 in Denver to Earl William and Helen Margaret (Lassen) Weaver.

Bill grew up in Kiowa, CO and graduated Valedictorian in 1967. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1967 to 1971. He went on to receive his Bachelor of Science in Wood Science and Technology from CSU in 1975, a Masters in Wood Science from Mississippi State University in 1979, a Masters in Chemistry from Brigham Young University in 1990, and a PhD in Physical Chemistry from Texas Tech in 2003.

Most recently, he worked as a chemist on a federal government contract and also as a substitute teacher in Greeley, CO District 6 with special needs children. He was a member of the American Chemical Society.

While serving in Guam, Bill was baptized a member of e Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He served as a High Priest and his favorite calling was as a nursery leader. He met Rachel Doreen Wiltbank in Fort Collins, CO and they were married in the Mesa, AZ Latter-Day Saint temple on September 19, 1973.

He loved poetry, classical and jazz music, baseball statistics - especially following the Yankees and the Braves, cooking, hot sauces, camping, and told everyone that chemistry was fun. He was known for his quick, dry wit and thought deeply about everything from how to roast spices to the nature of existence.

Bill shared his life with his wife, Rachel, children; Janice (Richard) Romano, Brent Weaver, Beth (Jason) Jones, Doreen (Cody) Streety and Carol Weaver, eight grandchildren; Richie, Lauren, Kyle, Scott, DJ, Jacob, Collin and Cole, siblings; Peggy (Gary) Glas and Richard (Nancy) Weaver as well as nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Bill’s visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Monday, November 28, 2022 at Adamson Life Celebration Home. Life Celebration will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 501 49th Ave., Greeley, CO 80634. Interment Linn Grove Cemetery. A reception will follow back at the church. In lieu of owers, memorial gifts may be made to “Parkinson’s Resources”, https:// www.parkinsonsresources.org/ or in care of Adamson, 2000 47th Ave., Greeley, CO 80634.

WEAVER

Fritz William “Bill” Weaver

December 21, 1948 - November 17, 2022

BY ANDREW FRAIELI AFRAIELI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In 1928, two Black dancers in a dance marathon in Harlem — George Snowden and Mattie Purnell — broke away from each other to throw in some solo freestyling. With that, they started the process of creating one of the most popular swing dances ever: Lindy Hop.

It obviously spread from Harlem, and today exists across the country, including in Denver. The dance — along with swing music itself — has ebbed and flowed in popularity

over the last few decades, but the fast-paced swing-outs and stomping beats have held onto Denver, developing a small community that’s easy for beginners to start in and experts to explore.

“I think there’s a lot of room for growth to provide many opportunities for people that want to dance,” said Kenny Nelson, founder of Swingin’ Denver — a swing school and local dance party hoster.

Nelson himself has experience teaching

around the world, but the last eight years he’s been teaching Lindy Hop across Denver and hosting social dances from the Mercury Cafe to the Savoy.

The current big three places for Lindy Hop in Denver, according to Nelson, have been the Mercury Cafe, the Savoy and the Turnverein as they are what have survived the ebb and flow.

LINDY HOP

“The Mercury Cafe got its start in the ‘90s when neo-swing was happening, and they’re the one place that remained when everyone else was gone…it kind of all fizzled out,” Nelson explained. “I mean, it went with the ebb and flow of popular music. The pop bands tried to grab that sound and it lasted for a bit, but it didn’t last.”

The Mercury Cafe now hosts the teaching and party-hosting group Swing Nights twice a week, every Tuesday and Sunday evening, with Ceth Stifel teaching many of the classes from beginner to intermediate. “The Merc,” as it’s also called, has a live band almost every Sunday as well.

The Turnverein, a 5,280 square foot ballroom, hosts a broader range of dance classes from many different teachers like argentine tango and general ballroom, but also a free Lindy Hop class at 7 p.m. every Friday and a dance right after.

Nelson himself found a home at the Savoy near Five Points in the city, where he teaches beginner and intermediate classes and hosts a live band and dance on the fi rst Wednesday of every month.

Music is, of course, a central aspect. The right variation in tempo, a swinging sound that will convince dancers onto the fl oor, mixing songs from well-known to gems — all harder than it may seem.

“Swing dancing is inevitably tied to the music, having some music that is really good and swinging, and DJs that are paying attention to the dance fl oor is very crucial for having creative dancing,” Nelson said.

He describes a talent loss around 2008 and 2012 though, in DJing,

dancing, and teaching, but has seen it start improving since 2013.

“I really feel like, in certain areas, live music has stepped up, and it’s great, whereas DJing defi nitely hasn’t come back,” Nelson said.

He references some of the bands that he’s hosted before like La Pomp, that play “swingin tin-pan standards” and “soulful originals” according to their Instagram, putting them in a category “of the new current bands, with younger members, who are really talented and really hard-working.”

In terms of the stability of the scene now, it’s hard to tell.

“It’s kind of hard to get the complete pulse post-pandemic on the scene here. It certainly feels like

it’s getting more stable,” Nelson said, pointing to venues having live music again as a promising step.

The dance’s history as a Black dance is a focus Nelson tries to give when he teaches.

“There’s been a lot of international conversations around the role of teaching, how we ought to be teaching, and how we can best respect the fact that we are teaching a Black dance — how can we best provide solid representation and appreciation for the dance,” he said. “I still think there’s lots of room for improvement there too.”

Specifi cally, the idea that the dance had a “revival” is what is pushed back on. As Nelson puts

it, it “presents a whitewashing of the current popularity of swing dancing - i.e. it paints a picture of an activity ‘saved’ from extinction by white people, rather than a living art form still practiced within Black communities.”

Within Denver though, it is far from extinction or needing to be saved. Tuesday nights at “The Merc,” Friday nights at the Turnverin, and Sunday nights back to “The Merc” again, Lindy Hop is going strong in the city and welcomes beginners, experts and intermediates all alike.

Take a hop, skip and a jump into the city and see what you can do to the tune of “swingin tin-pan standards.”

Ceth Stifel and Dani Botello, teachers from Swing Nights, performing at the Mercury Cafe.

Dancers at a social dance at the Mercury Cafe on a Tuesday night.

PHOTO BY ANDREW FRAIELI

FROM

RSV, other respiratory illnesses push hospitals to the brink

Hospitalizations grow as diseases spread

BY JOHN INGOLD THE COLORADO SUN

A continued rise in respiratory illness, especially cases of RSV, has pushed Colorado’s pediatric hospital capacity to the brink.

Recently, state health officials said there were only two available pediatric intensive-care beds across the state.

“There is extreme stress in the pediatric ICU capacity in the state of Colorado right now,” said Scott Bookman, the director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Division of Disease Control and Public Health Response.

So far this season, as of Nov. 22, there had been 895 hospitalizations for RSV, which is more formally known as respiratory syncytial virus. Of those, 836 hospitalizations were among children, with the state’s youngest kids hit the hardest.

There were 190 hospitalizations of infants under 6 months of age, an astonishing rate of 1,165 hospitaliza-

tions per 100,000 population.

Put another way, it means state health officials estimate that 1 out of every 86 infants in Colorado under the age of 6 months has been hospitalized with RSV this fall.

For kids between the ages of 6 months and 2 years old, there had been 246 hospitalizations, or 1 for every 196 kids estimated to be in that age group in Colorado.

Dr. Rachel Herlihy, the state epidemiologist, said there had been 255 documented outbreaks of RSV at schools and child care centers. Tests for RSV are coming back positive almost 25% of the time, a shockingly high rate that has continued increasing in recent weeks even as health officials have sounded an alarm about the rise in RSV cases.

“At this time, there’s no

sign of RSV slowing down in the state, unfortunately,” Herlihy said.

The strained capacity means that hospitals have reactivated a transfer center used during the heights of the COVID pandemic to more efficiently move patients between hospitals to maximize available space.

Bookman said hospitals that don’t normally treat children have begun admitting teenagers into their adult ICUs. Young infants are being admitted into neonatal intensive care units in hospital maternity wards, in which they would ordinarily be too old for treatment.

Bookman referred to this as “increasing pediatric capacity on both ends.”

“The strategies right now are really about increasing capacity across all of the systems,” he said.

In Colorado and national-

ly, pediatric-specific hospital capacity tends to be centralized in a few specialty hospitals like Children’s Hospital Colorado and Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children. That makes it unlike adult hospital capacity, which is more widely distributed. It means there is far less ability for pediatric hospitals to handle overwhelming surges of patients.

Bookman said the level of strain on pediatric hospitals is near-unprecedented, even for the colder months when the hospitals typically gear up for a wave of young patients with respiratory viruses.

“What we are seeing this season is obviously not typical,” he said.

Adding to the challenges is that hospitalizations for other respiratory illnesses are also increasing for people of all ages.

Flu season has hit earlier than normal — though it has not been nearly as severe as RSV. Since October, through Nov. 22, there had been 164 hospitalizations for flu. Nearly half of those — 80 — were people age 65 or older.

Hospitalizations for COVID have also been increasing. Herlihy said there were 379 people hospitalized

with the virus as of Nov. 22. About 68% of those patients are hospitalized for reasons directly related to COVID, according to state data.

The trends have health officials urging Coloradans to be mindful of the health of others during holiday gatherings. Bookman urged people to get vaccinated against the flu and to be upto-date on vaccinations and boosters for COVID. He said people may want to stock up on COVID rapid tests to double-check that they are negative before visiting family.

“First and foremost, we need to stay home if we’re sick,” he said. “What can feel like a mild cold for one person can be a very serious illness in someone who is higher risk, particularly infants and older adults. So if you’re feeling sick, we really would ask that people stay home.”

This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalistowned 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.

Hundreds of Colorado children have been hospitalized for RSV. SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

How state ‘red flag’ law works

Colorado measure was passed in 2019

BY ANDREW KENNEY COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO

Colorado’s “red flag” law, passed in 2019, allows family members or law enforcement to request the temporary confiscation of firearms from people who pose a threat.

Now, the law is receiving renewed attention in the wake of a gunman’s attack that killed five people at Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs. Democratic lawmakers have asked why the suspected gunman wasn’t the subject of a gun-removal order after a previous incident involving violent threats. Here’s how the law works and what experts say about its use in Colorado.

How the law works

Red flag laws are meant to allow the temporary confiscation of firearms from people who are deemed to be an “extreme risk” to themselves or others. Under Colorado’s law, the orders can be requested by law enforcement officers or by a person’s family members, but they can only be issued by a judge.

“It’s really intended to intervene on that trajectory of violence,” said Shannon Frattaroli, a professor with the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.

The process begins when the officer or family members files a petition for a temporary “extreme risk protection order,” or ERPO with the court. The petitioner has to provide evidence of the need for the ERPO, signing an affidavit under oath and providing a “reasonable basis for believing” those facts exist.

The court then must hold a hearing within one business day. A judge will decide whether a “preponderance” of the evidence supports the case for removing weapons. That means the evidence must show the argument is “more probably true than not.”

If so, the judge can issue a temporary protection order, which stays in effect for a maximum of 14 days. The respondent then has to surrender their firearms to law enforcement. They also can sell or transfer the guns to a federally registered

firearm dealer, and they must surrender any concealed carry permit.

The court then has to hold a second hearing to determine whether the order should be continued beyond two weeks.

This time, the petitioner — again, members of law enforcement or the family — has to establish “clear and convincing” evidence that allowing the person to have guns would pose a “significant risk” to themselves or others. Respondents who don’t have an attorney are represented by a court-appointed attorney.

If the judge issues the extended order, it stays in effect for 364 days, and it can be renewed by the court. After it expires, law enforcement must return any guns they confiscated from the person.

The Colorado law went into effect on Jan. 1, 2020.

Colorado authorities do not use the law often

Nineteen states, plus Washington D.C., have “red flag” laws, according to the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.

So far, Colorado authorities have used the law far less often than in other states, according to an Associated Press analysis.

For example, Florida’s rate of issuance was ten times higher than Colorado’s. From April 2019 through the end of 2021, Colorado courts issued 151 orders, or about 3.3 per 100,000 adults, according to data from the AP.

Authorities in El Paso County have used the law even less — about 2.3 removals per 100,000 adults.

Political leaders in the county have resisted the use of the law. In 2019, county commissioners voted unanimously to become a “Second Amendment Preservation County.” The red flag law was being debated in the legislature at the time.

Commissioners at the time pledged to “actively resist the legislation,” arguing that it was unconstitutional because it did not allow enough due process before taking someone’s guns.

And the El Paso County Sheriff, Bill Elder, previously put limits on how his deputies would use the law.

In a 2020 statement, the Sheriff’s Office said that deputies would only request removal orders and search for guns when they could find the “probable cause” of a crime. That’s a stricter standard than what’s required by the law, which is focused on the possibility of violence — and not whether someone has committed a crime. The office declined to comment for this story, saying the state’s law about criminal justice records prevented them from talking about the earlier case.

The policy was meant to “ensure that the rights of people to be free from unreasonable search and seizures, and to receive due process of law,” according to the statement. The right to bear arms is guaranteed in the Second Amendment, and some see the red flag as curtailing that right, since it allows guns to be taken away without a person being convicted of a crime.

Elder has not commented on the 2021 incident that apparently involved the suspected Club Q gunman.

Similar fights played out elsewhere in the state, including Weld County, where Sheriff Steve Reams

said he would rather go to jail himself than confiscate someone’s guns.

In all, more than half the state’s counties made similar declarations, CPR News reported.

But authorities in many of those counties later used the orders. Kaiser Health News reported this June that protection orders had been filed in 20 of the sanctuary counties.

When the petitions are filed, judges often approve them. In 2020, about 85 percent of petitions filed by law enforcement resulted in year long protection orders, CPR News reported.

Colorado’s law is similar to other states

The nation’s first red flag law was passed in 1999 in Connecticut, and their use spread more quickly after the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

The laws broadly follow the same model, but there are some variations.

For example, Colorado allows only law enforcement and family members to file the petitions. But several other states and Washington, D.C., allow a broader set of people to petition, variously including school administrators ; doctors; and, in California, employers and coworkers.

But the greatest differentiator between the states, according to Frattaroli, may be the level of enthusiasm among law-enforcement leaders.

Research into the effects of the laws is ongoing, since most implemented only in the last few years. But Frattaroli sees promise.

“This is a complex problem that has a lot of causes at its core, and it needs a lot of different solutions to turn this around,” the researcher said. “I do view ERPO as a promising solution that has the potential to make a big difference — again, if it’s implemented.”

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

SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

A ordable housing initiative could face rocky future

Proposition 123 was approved by Colorado voters

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Few issues affect Coloradans as much as rising housing prices. The state will take a step toward addressing the problem — to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars per year — as officials implement Proposition 123 approved by voters in November.

In just 12 years, the median cost of a single-family home in the Denver area jumped from about $200,000 to three times that amount, according to the latest report by the Colorado Association of Realtors. The trend was similar statewide.

Under Proposition 123, state officials are required to set money aside for more affordable housing and programs to help Coloradans acquire homes and stay housed. Though the measure didn’t raise tax rates to fund those programs, it will, eventually, reduce the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, or TABOR, refunds that Coloradans receive — by $86 per taxpayer for 2024, for example.

Yet voters in November also sought to reduce their taxes and, taken together, the changes could

WHAT COLORADO CURRENTLY DOES ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING

The state partners with local communities to increase and preserve Colorado’s a ordable housing stock, manage rental-assistance vouchers, and address homelessness, says the state’s “blue book” voter guide, noting the state Department of Local A airs is involved.

The current budget for the department’s a ordable housing initiatives is about $200 million, about half of which is from state sources, with the rest coming from federal sources.

Since 2021, the state has allocated more than $1.2 billion from the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for a ordable housing and services that address housing insecurity, lack of a ordable and workforce housing, or homelessness. (The Urban Land Institute defines “workforce” households as those earning between 60% and 120% of the area median income.)

These are one-time funds that will be spent over the next several years on:

• Emergency rental assistance;

• Homeowner mortgage assistance;

• Tax credits for developers;

• Housing and infrastructure;

• And other housing solutions, such as manufactured homes.

lead to difficult decisions down the road, said Scott Wasserman, who leads the nonprofit Bell Policy Center, which advocates for economic

Houses sit in an upscale neighborhood Nov. 21 in the east Centennial area.

PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD

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FROM

mobility for Coloradans. He called the passage of the measure “bitter sweet.”

“I think what makes it bitter is that it passed in conjunction with Proposition 121,” a measure voters approved to lower the state income tax rate, Wasserman said.

Proposition 121 is expected to take a roughly $400-million bite out of the state budget next year while Proposition 123 will eventually in crease spending about $290 million yearly.

State Rep. Rod Bockenfeld, a Re publican who represents rural areas east of Denver, including parts of Adams, Arapahoe and Elbert coun ties, did not share Wasserman’s con cern that the new measures could be problematic for state spending. However, Bockenfeld, who serves on the state legislature’s Joint Bud get Committee, acknowledged the picture could change when the state faces strong economic headwinds.

“There’s a certain point where if we hit a severe downturn and we go into a deep recession, then a reduced tax rate will reduce state revenues,” Bockenfeld said.

Though the state struggles like the rest of the country with high inflation, the situation hasn’t been characterized as a recession or severe, though concerns that could happen linger.

How 123 works

Proposition 123 defines affordable housing based on two factors: house hold income and housing costs, according to the state’s “blue book” voter guide.

Under the proposal, affordable housing means housing for renters making up to 60% of the area me dian income or homeowners making up to 100% of the area median in come. For context, in the metro area, the median income is $117,800, and 60% of median income is $70,700.

Under Proposition 123, local com munities have flexibility to respond

HOW LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WOULD QUALIFY FOR NEW FUNDING

For projects to qualify for funding from Proposition 123, the local governments where the projects are located must commit to increasing a ordable housing by 3% each year and create a fast-track approval process for a ordable housing projects, the state’s “blue book” voter

to housing needs.

The money could go toward grants and loans to local governments and nonprofits to acquire land for afford able housing developments; assis tance to develop multifamily rentals, including apartments; programs that help first-time homebuyers; preventing homelessness through rental assistance and eviction de fense; and grants to raise capacity at local government land-use depart ments.

The measure also could support “equity” sharing with tenants in housing projects. Equity is impor tant because it allows people to gain financially from the rising value of their property and do things such as borrow money based on it.

“We know that home equity is a part of how you build intergenera tional wealth,” said Wasserman.

He noted that people who are rent ing don’t have that opportunity to build equity.

Overall, the measure could help create more higher-density, environ mentally sustainable homes, accord ing to the voter guide.

Some in the housing industry say they can’t make a profit building “the kind of housing we need,” Was serman said.

The measure, he added, tells hous ing developers, “‘We’re here to help you make it.’”

TABOR makes for di cult math

But the math isn’t easy. Part of what makes the equation difficult is TABOR, the state constitutional amendment that limits government spending. Under TABOR, revenue above the limit — sometimes called a “TABOR surplus” — gets refunded to taxpayers. The $750 rebate check that Coloradans received this year

guide says.

“If a local government chooses not to meet these requirements, or if it fails to achieve its a ordable housing goals, projects in that municipality or county will be temporarily ineligible for funding from these programs,” the guide says.

were a result of TABOR.

Colorado is seeing “very large TABOR surpluses,” in the ballpark of $3 billion this year and next year, Wasserman said. Although that sounds like a lot of money, it goes quick.

For example, money from the state’s “general fund” — which supports basic services, like K-12 education and public assistance — recently totaled $12.5 billion.

In years when state revenue comes in over the TABOR limit, Proposi tion 123 is estimated to decrease the amount returned by $43 per taxpayer in tax year 2023 and $86 per taxpayer in tax year 2024, according to the voter guide.

Meanwhile, Proposition 121, the measure to lower Colorado’s in come tax, will also decrease refunds to taxpayers in years when state revenue exceeds TABOR’s limits. In those years, taxpayers generally may end up keeping money that would have been refunded anyway, Bockenfeld said.

“It leaves the money in the pocket of citizens rather than giving it to the government and the government giving it back,” Bockenfeld said.

Education often a target for cuts

Colorado’s new normal under Propositions 123 and 121 may not present hard choices when the economy is strong and the state takes in large sums of tax revenue. But during an economic downturn, Colorado may not see a so-called TABOR surplus of revenue.

That’s when priorities may end up on the cutting block, according to Wasserman.

Proposition 123 allows the state legislature to reduce part of the new housing funding to balance the state

budget, according to the state’s voter guide. Essentially, if lawmakers find themselves in enough of a pinch, they can “turn off” parts of the measure, Wasserman said.

The alternative is typically cuts to education, especially higher educa tion, meaning housing and educa tion could be competing not to be cut.

In such a situation, “you’re not able to increase education fund ing based on growth or needs of schools,” Wasserman said.

In a tight spot, it’s possible state lawmakers could turn off the flow of funding to Proposition 123, ac cording to Legislative Council Staff, the nonpartisan research arm at the state Capitol. The measure explicitly contemplates the fact that lawmak ers might want to reduce the spend ing for budget balancing, so it says they are allowed to cut about half. But in practice, lawmakers could cut the spending entirely, according to staff.

Yet whether lawmakers would actually choose to override the will of the voters remains to be seen.

Another complication: When there is enough money, Colorado lawmak ers can dip into the TABOR surplus for another purpose. The state allows a property tax exemption for qualifying senior citizens and disabled veterans, referred to as the homestead exemption. The senior homestead exemption can be paid for by the TABOR surplus, Wasser man said, potentially cutting into the available funds for affordable housing.

“That pool of money which is coming from our existing tax rates — it’s a life raft, and it’s like we’re shrinking the size of the life raft,” Wasserman said.

He also looks at Proposition 121 in anticipating future budget prob lems.

Legal Notice No. 24915

First publication: November 24, 2022

Last publication: December 08, 2022

Publisher: Elbert County News