Elbert County News 121522

was held in downtown Elizabeth on Saturday, Dec. 3, with thousands of

Police academy graduates 7th class

Town of Elizabeth

gives out over $2k in scholarships to students

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

e Elizabeth Police Department graduated its seventh student Police Academy recently at the Elizabeth High School cafetorium.

e 38 graduates — along with their families, community members and law enforcement o cials from across south metro Denver — were in attendance for the special ceremony on Nov. 30.

e Elizabeth Police Academy is a 12-week program available at no cost to students in ninth to 12th grades and at any ability level. While in the program, the students learn all aspects of policing, focusing on defensive tactics including introduction to weapon safety and driving. e Elizabeth Police Department also certi es the students in rstaid training and CPR.

“ is year was very special because we were able to visit the State Patrol Academy and the State Capitol,” commented former Police Chief Melvin Berghahn in an interview from Dec. 3. “Captain Mike Honn and Sergeant Pam Webster with the Colorado State Patrol deserve a huge thank-you for helping make those visits happen for the kids.”

WARM SPOT FOR WINTER PRODUCE

Elizabeth Rodeo Royalty take donations for the Fostering Love Rescues and Baby Bear Hugs nonprofit organizations at the Mayor’s Tree Lighting event in downtown Elizabeth.

PHOTO BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

HELPING FAMILIES THRIVE.

Life’s setbacks can be hard for individuals and families struggling to make ends meet. That’s why Catholic Charities Castle Rock offers programs, services, and community partnerships to help people regain stability and thrive.

Help prevent homelessness.

Visit CCharitiesCC.org.

Berghahn was responsible for the creation of the Elizabeth Police Academy in 2016. He hoped the program would forge a bridge between high school students and the Elizabeth Police Department.

“At the time we had no community outreach program and I wanted to create something long-term and consistent,” said Berghahn. “It was important to me to have a program that every o cer could be a part of and a program where we could bond with the community by working through challenges. It has been an amazing seven years.”

e Elizabeth Police Department strongly supports the education of students with diverse physical and intellectual abilities, arguing that all students, regardless of ability level, should have the same opportuni-

“ e program is open to everyone.

e adaptability of the o cers has always been one of the strongest skills the Elizabeth Police Department has,” said Berghahn. “If we have to dedicate an o cer to a student to help them make it through the program, then that’s exactly what we will do.”

e graduation ceremony included speeches given by Berghahn, who resigned from the force the following day; outgoing Mayor Megan Vasquez; Town Trustee Nick Snively, who will serve as mayor starting

SEE ACADEMY, P3

A student graduate receives a certificate of completion and tra c cone award from the Elizabeth Police Academy.

PHOTOS BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

Elizabeth Police Chief Melvin Berghahn asks for a round of applause for the law enforcement members present at the Nov. 30 Elizabeth Police Academy graduation.

Families talk before the Elizabeth Police Academy graduation on Nov. 30 at the Elizabeth High School cafetorium.

ACADEMY

in 2023; and Elizabeth Police Sgt. Sean Bigler. e event continued with a 40-minute video detailing the students’ experience throughout the course of the program followed by an award ceremony. Dinner was provided by Catalina’s Diner.

Each student earned a graduation certi cate, and the Town of Elizabeth awarded each student a scholarship to help with educational goals. Scholarships ranged from $50 to $250.

Kennedy ompson, an 11thgrader at Elizabeth High School and three-year student of the Elizabeth Police Academy, shared her thoughts about the program in a phone interview from Dec. 2.

“Being a part of the Police Academy is really important to me because it helped me build a connection with my community. Getting to know everyone was my favorite part of the program,” said Kennedy. “For students interested in trying the program, I would say that they should really do it. It is really fun

Riley helped with each day’s activities, assisted the o cers and helped students maneuver through the program. is year, Riley volunteered to be Tasered in a demonstration for the students.

“I promised the o cers during my second year in the program that once I graduated, I would volunteer to be tased because I was super curious about how it felt,” said Riley. “ e leadup to it was ne, but the moment I got in line I got very scared and nauseous. It really hurts and I don’t recommend it, but I don’t regret it because it’s something I learned from.”

Students from Elizabeth High

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Douglas County offices will be closing at noon on Friday, Dec. 23 and closed Monday, Dec. 26 in observance of the Christmas Holiday. Many services are available at DoItOnlineDouglas.com

Need help with home heating costs?

Eligible low-income households in Douglas County may apply for energy assistance through the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP). Visit douglas.co.us and search LEAP for more information or an application, or email LEAPHELP@discovermygoodwill.org

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

E-recycling: Saturday, Dec. 17

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

Christmas tree recycling

Douglas County provides several drop-off locations to recycle your Christmas tree. For locations, dates, and instructions on how to prepare your tree for recycling, visit douglas.co.us and search for Christmas tree recycling Free mulch is also available at many locations.

Ring in the New Year with Family and Friends

Welcome

and search Electronics Recycling.

2023 and celebrate the spirit of our community with a fireworks show or lighted drone show at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31 Fireworks will take place in Castle Rock and Highlands Ranch. A lighted drone show will take place in Parker. For details, visit douglas.co.us and search Fireworks

FROM PAGE 2

An Elizabeth Police Academy graduate receives a tra c cone award and certificate of completion.

Elizabeth Police Chief Melvin Berghahn gives a speech about the 7th Elizabeth Police Academy graduates.

Catalina’s Diner catered the Elizabeth Police Academy graduation at the Elizabeth High School cafetorium.

PHOTOS BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

had several tables set up in their parking lot where kids could make ornaments to take home. While there, kids could also visit Santa Claus.

Several local organizations and nonpro ts lined the streets. e Elbert County Agricultural Alliance handed out cookiedecorating kits while Fostering Love Rescues partnered with e Nest to create a holiday-themed backdrop for family photos. Donations were taken at several places throughout the event to raise money for the nonpro t. e Franktown-based Fostering Love Rescues provides temporary shelter and medical care for adoptable cats and dogs. ey also adopt rescued horses and other hooved animals for the purpose of providing a loving and safe environment through the end of life. ey also work to pair animals with child volunteers.

“ is is our second year participating in the Mayor’s Tree Lighting, thanks to the awesome people at e Nest,” said Mollie Bell, Founder of Fostering Love SEE TREE, P5

South Main Street

participating in

annual Mayor’s Tree Lighting event.

PHOTO BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

Rescues. “My aim is to connect adolescents with animals so they can learn empathy through the eyes of a non-human.”

At 5 p.m., thousands of people gathered at the corner of Main Street and Broadway to listen to Mayor Megan Vasquez speak and to light the 40-foot native ponderosa pine tree. ere are nearly 1,200 lights covering the tree. e tree also has 100 ornaments spanning 10 to 26 inches in size and a large gold star sitting at the top.

“I want to say thank you to the sta of Elizabeth. I am very grateful for them and what they do for this community,” said Vasquez. “ e past four and a half years has been quite a ride and I look forward to what Nick (Mayor-elect Nick Snively) does in the future.” Snively will be taking over as the Elizabeth mayor in 2023 and will host the annual tree lighting event as long as he maintains the role.

For more information on Fostering Love Rescues, visit fosteringloverescues.org.

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Joint Replacement reunites you with the activities you love.

A 40-foot ponderosa pine serves as the o cial Town of Elizabeth Christmas Tree.

Brent and Tweety Sprague walk along South Main Street in a twoperson sweater at the Mayor’s Tree Lighting event.

A child warms his hands on Dec. 3 during the Mayor’s Tree Lighting event in Elizabeth.

PHOTOS BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

Students gain Adobe certification

Elizabeth High School program is part of drive to equip teens with work skills

Sixty-two Elizabeth High School students successfully completed requirements and passed tests to become Adobe Certi ed Professionals in visual design using Adobe Photoshop, the industry standard for working with digital images.

EHS art teacher Merelee “Mel” Whitcomb’s Graphic Design I class spent the semester learning fundamental features of Photoshop; concepts related to working with colleagues and clients; and crucial

legal, technical and design-related knowledge.

After completing the coursework, the students had to pass a comprehensive test from Adobe to attain their professional certi cation. With certi cation, these students can now list their certi cation on resumes and job applications to take on paid clients as freelancers or more easily nd work with companies that use Photoshop.

Increasing the number of certi cation options has been a priority at EHS, with Adobe and Microsoft certi cate courses, the Certi ed Nursing Assistant program and automotive courses all recently added with the intent of equipping students for work right out of high school if that is what they choose to pursue.

Lutheran falls in 3A finale

Lions held lead four times before losing to Roosevelt

BY JIM BENTON JBENTON@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Lutheran took another step forward despite losing to Roosevelt 34-24 in the Class 3A state championship football game played on Dec. 3 at the underbowl in Pueblo. “ e year before we made the

quarter nals,” said Lutheran coach Stephen Robbins, “then last year we were in the semi nals, this year the state championship, so we hope that trend keeps going and we’ll have a state championship next year. It will take a lot of work.”

e Lutheran Lions from Parker went 11-3 this season while Johnstown school Roosevelt wrapped up an undefeated 14-0 campaign.

In the nals against Roosevelt there were four lead changes. Lutheran led 10-0, 17-7, 17-14 and 24-21 before the

Rough Riders scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to get the victory.

“A couple turnovers and this and that will do it but it was good,” said Robbins. “I hate being on the losing end but I’m proud of our guys. It was a fun game and a fun experience to be a part of.

“We had a phenomenal season. League champions, state runner-up and the guys did well. It’s hard but nobody is playing football in Colorado next week so we’re doing all right. Our kids battled. Roosevelt is such a good

team. We’re going to keep at it knowing we battled one of the best teams in the state.”

Lutheran quarterback Ryken Daugaard, who came into the game as the second leading Class 3A passer with 2,475 yards, completed eight of 20 passes against Roosevelt for 116 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

Ryan Kenny was the Lions’ leading ball carrier with 52 yards on 19 carries while Chace Sorenson caught ve passes for 72 yards and a touchdown.

ELIZABETH

Elizabeth High School students in Mel Whitcomb’s Graphic Design I class display their Adobe certificates. COURTESY PHOTO

Dealing with grief during the holidays

BY BOB MOOK SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Between gatherings with friends and family — and the “expectation” of joyfulness — the holiday season can be fraught with stress, even in the happiest of times. For those grieving the loss of a loved one, a broken relationship or a career setback, the season can be especially challenging.

One thing is for certain: ere is no right way or wrong way to grieve, according to University of Colorado College of Nursing Assistant Professor Heather Coats and Associate Professor of Clinical Teaching Kerry Peterson.

Dr. Coats has more than 20 years of clinical experience in palliative, oncology and hospice care. Her research focuses on improving quality of communication and the psychological-social-spiritual well-being of people living with serious illnesses, as well as their families.

Dr. Peterson is the specialty director of CU Nursing’s Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program. She has worked clinically with patients who are struggling with many types of grief, with an emphasis on psychotherapy and interventions for individuals who have experienced trauma and abuse.

Here are their thoughts about dealing with grief this time of year: Every season is grief season

During the holidays, many of us host or participate in gatherings and traditions with the expectation that everybody should be happy. For those and other reasons, one might think that grief would become more exacerbated, but it’s a year-long phenomenon. Still, the absence of certain loved ones might be especially noticeable in the days from anksgiving through New Year’s Day.

“Grieving is a process,” Coats says. “Part of the process is recognizing what the triggers are. Maybe your loved one died in summer — so, the onset of summer is the trigger. Maybe your loved one died at Christmas, so that’s a trigger. But grief is not something that should be considered or thought about only during the holidays.”

Peterson points out that people have their own unique grief experiences. Even though a family might be grieving the same loved one, one person might feel extreme sadness while another might still experience a sense of joy and happiness during this special time.

Acknowledge your feelings

In the holiday season or any other time of the year, Coats and Peterson say that dealing with grief requires a large measure of self-forgiveness and self-care as well as understanding and setting boundaries. Allowing yourself to “feel your feelings” is an important part of grieving.

“ ere needs to be a recognition that the holidays create a lot of hustle and bustle,” Coats says. “But that doesn’t mean you take away the grief and put the hustle and bustle in its place so that you live in

denial that the grief is there. Don’t let the hustle and bustle not allow you to grieve.”

Peterson encourages people who are grieving to reach out and get support, so that they can experience the holidays in di erent ways — perhaps by establishing some new traditions.

“Sometimes it might be too painful, but people who are grieving can still nd comfort in keeping traditions or creating new ones to honor the memory of their loved one — such as lighting a candle or playing a favorite Christmas song,” she says. “Lean into whatever it is that harkens to things that once brought you joy with the beloved, instead of pushing it away and not thinking about it.”

In dealing with longer-term grief, Peterson recommends grief support groups because they let the bereaved connect with others who are experiencing a loss. She adds that psychotherapy and prescription medications could help those who experience prolonged grief that leads to isolation and severe depression. e latest edition of DSM-5 (the diagnostic manual used by mental health professionals)

added “prolonged grief disorder” as a diagnosis earlier this year, making it easier for clinicians to identify and diagnose people who need treatment and support.

Support those who are grieving

Not everyone is at the same point in their grieving journey. If you are further along in processing grief than your friends and family, Peterson says you can best support others by asking what you could do to help and not making assumptions.

“You probably shouldn’t assume a friend isn’t ready to go to a party because she just lost her husband,” she says. “It might be helpful for her to continue with activities and social connections.”

Coats maintains that because grief is di erent for everyone, it is important to be “cued in” to friends and families during the holidays and beyond.

“It’s important to allow someone the space to grieve and to know that they are sad and missing someone,” she says. “It is also important to pick up on the cues that allows people to continue processing. e holidays can be a really healing space — so long as someone feels acceptance for that grief.”

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CU nursing faculty explain the complexities of grieving, and how to help

1 dead, 1 injured in Castle Rock shooting

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A shooting in Castle Rock left one person dead and another injured, and police took the suspect into custody, according to the Castle Rock Police Department.

e shooting occurred about 1 a.m. Nov. 29 at an apartment complex near Castle Rock Parkway and Castlegate Drive West, according to police.

at’s in the northwest part of Castle Rock, northwest of the Interstate 25 and U.S. Highway 85 interchange.

e two victims were shot after an alleged ght in a parking lot, according to a news release from Castle Rock police.

e person who survived was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the news release.

e identity of the deceased victim was to be released by the Douglas County Coroner’s O ce.

e suspect ed the scene of the shooting, but “further investigation and interviews” allowed o cers to identify him and his whereabouts, the news release said. At about 10 a.m., police located the suspect in a vehicle at the intersection of Wilcox and South streets in the downtown Castle Rock area, according to the news release.

“He was taken into custody without incident, and there is no threat to the public,” police said in the news release.

Police believe the suspect was known to the victims, according to Castle Rock police statements on social media. Investigators are looking into the relationship between the suspect and the victims, the news release said.

Police identi ed the suspect as 20-year-old Miguel Mercado of Castle Rock. Police intend to charge Mercado with “numerous felonies” including second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder, the news release said.

e formal ling of charges, or alleged crimes, was to be determined

by the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s O ce, the news release said. at’s the DA’s o ce for Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties.

Police are asking anyone who witnessed the incident or anyone with more information to contact the Castle Rock police tip line at 720-7333517 or email CrimeTips@CRgov.com.

It’s clear this stream is grateful.

Our streams want to say thanks for giving them a gift this year.

Your actions made a difference in keeping our water clean. You chose to properly dispose of household chemicals, pet waste and trash. You used fertilizers appropriately and kept harmful material out of runoff’s path. You volunteered at local events to preserve our waterways. Keep up the good work.

Local stormwater agencies are teaming up to bring you this message. We take this so seriously we posted this ad rather than send you more garbage in the mail.

One thing is clear: our creeks, rivers and lakes depend on you.

Colorado Community Media agrees: Please recycle this newspaper responsibly and partner with our communities for a better tomorrow. Ad campaign creative donated by the Town of Castle Rock Utilities Department, Stormwater Division.

Photo taken along East Plum Creek in Castle Rock.

A Castle Rock police vehicle. TIMOTHY TONGE/CASTLE ROCK POLICE DEPARTMENT VIA FACEBOOK

Our mission is to lower energy costs and provide the healthiest quality air possible. For anyone, business or residential, we will increase e ciency of your system by using the very latest techniques, the latest technologies and top of the line products.

We will provide the highest quality of work possible. Our professional sta will assure a high level of professionalism that cannot be matched in our industry. We guarantee our products and services.

‘Master Class’ launches 2023

Terrence McNally play will run Jan. 12-15 at Town Hall Arts Center

BY SONYA ELLINGBOE

SELLINGBOE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Proli c American playwright, librettist and screenwriter Terrence McNally (1938-2020) created plays, musical theatre, operas, lms and television shows during a really astonishing and lengthy career. Awards included Tonys, including a special Tony for Lifetime Achievement in the eatre; Drama Desk Awards, Primetime Emmy, 1994 Pulitzer for Drama and many more recognitions for a lifetime of creative work.

Littleton’s Town Hall Arts Center audiences will enjoy a brief run in January of McNally’s Tony Awardwinning “Master Class” which is described as “a play — with music.” Scheduled Jan. 12-15, it tells a story about world-famous diva Maria Callas (1923-1977) in her later years, as she tries to share perspectives on performance — and life — with upand-coming operatic artists.

Well-known Denver area actor Megan Van De Hey will perform the lead part.

Callas actually did teach master classes at Juilliard in late 1971 and early 1972 and people have said she did not behave as she is depicted by McNally in the play. (He is said to have been a fan of this worldfamous singer and the play has been criticized as unfair to Callas.)

“Master Class” ran on Broadway from November 1995 to June 1997, while many other productions ran abroad. It will seem relevant to today’s audiences as it explores the burdens of genius-level talent on a highly gifted individual. Zoe Caldwell won a Tony for her performance.

Bio information about McNally says his parents enjoyed Broadway musicals and took him to see Ethel Merman in “Annie Get Your Gun” when he was 8 years old and later to see Getrude Lawrence in “ e King

2450 W. Main Street in downtown Littleton. townhallartscenter.org. 303794-2787, ext. 5

and I.” He was hooked from the start and was encouraged to write by a high school teacher.

His interest deepened at Columbia College and his bio information says he was hired by author John Steinbeck to tutor his two sons while the family traveled. During that time, McNally nished a beginning draft of a rst act of “And ings at Go Bump in the Night.”

He was hired as stage manager at Actors Studio in New York, although they turned down the rst play he submitted. By 1962 it was produced in an actor’s workshop and next came “And ings at Go Bump in the Night,” dealing with homosexuality, which was a op. His plays continued to address social issues and moved into farce. He kept working, writing for television as well.

“Lips Together, Teeth Apart” in 1991 was followed the next year by a collaboration with Kander and Ebb on “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” which won a Tony in 1993 for Best Book of a Musical--Mc Nally’s rst.

Opera was also a part of his life, which would have led toward “Master Class” eventually. From 1979 to 2008, McNally served on the Texaco Opera Quiz panel that was involved with weekly “Live From the Met” radio broadcasts and he wrote the libretto for “Dead Man Walking,” adapted from the popular book by Sister Helen Prejean. e Kennedy Center programmed three of McNally’s plays that focused on opera in 2010: “Golden Age,” Master Class” and “ e Lisbon Traviata.”

McNally died in March 2020 from complications of COVID, leaving an incredible body of work that I’ve only touched on. I’ll hope to nd the American Masters Series documentary about him, which PBS aired in 2019.

Megan Van De Hey will play the lead role of Maria Callas in “Master Class” at Littleton’s Town Hall Arts Center in mid-January. COURTESY PHOTO

Thu 12/22

Mon 12/26

The Pint Room, 2620 W Belleview Ave, Lit‐tleton

Ladies

Dive Bards: Lincoln Station

@ 6pm

Lincoln Station Coffee/Pizza/Mu‐sic, 9360 Station St, Lone Tree

THE MAN CUBS W/ IPECAC + HRZN @ 7pm

Lost Lake Lounge, 3602 E Colfax Ave, Denver

Knock Blockers: Stacked Like Pancakes Satellite Tour @ 7pm

Herman's Hideaway, 1578 S Broadway, Denver

Lost Cause @ 8pm

Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St, Denver

The Goonies 80's XMAS Party @ 8pm / $10-$15

Ophelia's Electric Soapbox, 1215 20th St, Denver

Fri 12/23

Immersive Van Gogh (Peak) @ 10am

Lighthouse Denver, 3900 Elati Street, Den‐ver

Teague Starbuck @ 5pm

Sunroom Brewing, 3242 S Acoma St, En‐glewood

Cory Pearman Music: Critical J & The C-Minuses @ The Alley @ 8pm

The Alley, 2420 W Main St, Little‐ton

Modern Swing Mondays @ 6:30pm / $10

Stampede, 2430 South Havana, Aurora

DJ Rockstar Aaron: Forbidden Bingo

Tue 12/27

Ninety Percent 90s @ 8pm

Studio@Mainstreet, 19604 Main‐street, Parker

Sat 12/24

Mean Girls @ 2pm

Buell Theatre, 1031 13th St., Denver

The Unreal Garden | Denver @ 2pm Verse, 500 16th St Mall, Denver

Sun 12/25

Bend & Blaze Denver @ 10am 2828 Speer Blvd, Denver, CO 80211, USA, Denver

Mission Hills Christmas Fireworks Party

@ 6:30pm

Mission Hills Church Littleton Campus, 620 Southpark Drive, Lit‐tleton. kmcsparran@mission hills.org, 303-794-3564

Soul Gloss: A Lipgloss & Mile High

Soul Club Holiday Party @ 9pm / $10

Ophelia's Electric Soapbox, 1215 20th St, Denver

Phoenix Suns at Denver Nuggets @ 8:30pm

Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle, Denver

Dave Abear's Live Dead Wednes‐day's at So Many Roads Brewery @ 9pm So Many Roads Brewery, 918 W 1st Ave, Denver

Thu 12/29

Sarah Slaton: Writers Round: A �outh �n Record Bene�t Show @ 6pm Skylark Lounge, 140 S Broadway, Denver

Holly

VOICES

A positive direction

Last year, I wrote a column about wanting more kindness in the world and a lot less politics in the public. I used our annual craft show as an example.

EDITOR’S COLUMN

In 2021, we had to have someone removed who was spreading his political views and making a lot of people uncomfortable. We had complaint about not requiring masks. We had complaints from those not in masks.

In reality, it was a pretty negative day, leaving my husband and me feeling a little de ated and pessimistic about the state of our local communities.

is year, we hosted the same craft show at Douglas County Fairgrounds over anksgiving weekend. I can’t even begin to explain the di erence in attitudes with our vendors and public.

In general, everyone was happy. ey were kind and seemed genuinely happy to be out and about supporting local businesses and the local community.

We had thousands of people come to the show and everyone had bigger smiles and better attitudes, and they left my husband and me feeling a lot better about the community this year.

Are things perfect? No. We still have a lot of anger out there. We still have a lot of people believing only one side of a political debate is right — that being theirs.

However, we have a lot less of it in places where it is not welcome. At community events, people are coming out and showing kindness to one another. We have a lot more human decency over anger and disdain at local events.

I often say the pandemic brought out the worst in the world. From fear and anger to misinformation and political views — We did not behave at our best as a society in the face of controversy and trouble.

Are we nally recovering from that? I truly hope so.

I am of the belief that most people in this world are good. I believe most are well-intentioned. I believe anger and lack of kindness was a blip and we have learned we can disagree or be upset — but we do not have to make it about everything we do and everywhere we go.

Here’s to our local residents and community leaders who have worked to set a better example in 2022 and create a much more friendly atmosphere for something like a holiday craft show.

I realize with all the hate crimes, tragedy and continued violence that is unnecessary in this world — this seems like a small drop in the bucket but it is something to build on. I cannot begin to express the sadness I had after the 2021 craft show when so many were hateful and angry through the two-day event.

Let’s hope the work to be better, happier and more accepting continues in 2023. Let’s hope in 2023, we can have fewer tragedies and more positives to build on as I believe we did in 2022.

WINNING

Some unspoken words

One of the more di cult things about the holiday season is something that impacts so many people is grieving the loss of someone who is no longer with us. And for those of us who have lost someone where a particular holiday meant so much to our family, it doesn’t matter if it was many years ago or just recently, the pain may ease, but it never truly goes away. And you know what? at’s a good thing as it stirs beautiful and loving memories that we want to hold onto forever.

is came up during a few conversations and email exchanges that I had over the anksgiving holiday and weekend. And during two of those conversations those that I was speaking with shared that their biggest regret was not having the chance to clear the air about a misunderstanding or grievance, or more importantly, their pain was coming from the fact that during their last visit together, whether in person or by phone, they missed the opportunity to tell them that they loved them. And for both individuals, it was weighing heavy upon their hearts.

Are some things better left unsaid? I believe so. We all have heard the expression, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” It’s absolutely true, if what we are about to say is coming from a place of anger or if we

are simply trying to stir up trouble. It’s di erent if there are things we need to say, especially if it’s something others need to hear, even though they may not want to hear it. e problem is this, if we miss an opportunity to share information that could help someone, but we lack the courage to confront them, they may not be able to address or x what they do not know.

I love this quote by Audre Lorde, “When we speak, we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So, it is better to speak.” Some words are better left unspoken, until they are not.

Each one of us can probably think of a time when we forgot to say something or wish we had said something. Good or bad, right or wrong, we then get mad at ourselves for not having had the courage to speak up, or we promise ourselves we will speak up next time. Hoping that there will indeed be a next time.

As we are right here in the middle of the holiday season, and as some of us are experiencing grief and the loss of a loved one who will not be celebrating with the family this year, may we lovingly remember them. And if we think we forgot to say “I love you” one last time, or that we were sorry, or anything else where we might have regrets, I encourage us not to focus on that one last time where we may have missed it, instead focus on all the times it was said and heard.

May we use this as a reminder for all those that

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher

lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

MICHAEL

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Columnists & Guest Commentaries

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

We welcome letters to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone.

Email letters to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Deadline Wed. for the following week’s paper.

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

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FINANCIAL STRATEGIES

Last chance this year to make a di erence

Iw ould bet that everyone likes to help others, and no one likes to pay taxes. Well now is your chance to do both. ere are only a few more days left to leave an impact of those in need and reduce your income tax liability for 2022.

Picking out your favorite charity is the easy part. Now you get to determine how best to benefit from choosing the right amount, asset and

In a perfect world, we would donate regardless of a tax deduction, but it may also be helpful to be aware of what savings you can create as a result of your philanthropy. First, identify what type of dona-

NORTON

FROM PAGE 12

are still with us and who we love so very much. May another day pass by where we forget or lack the courage to share with others just how grateful we are for having them in our lives, how much we love them, how much we appreciate all they do, and that they have been for-

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tion is best for you. The charity will benefit regardless of whether you donate cash, stocks, mutual funds, or a car. The charity can turn anything into cash tax free. Therefore, if you have an appreciated asset, such as shares of a stock or mutual fund, it is best to donate the shares rather than sell first. This way you can avoid paying capital gains tax on the investment. The charity does not have to pay capital gains tax.

Next, determine whether you are eligible to take a tax deduction for your donation. If you can itemize, perhaps due to high medical expenses, mortgage interest and property tax, then your charitable deduction can be added to your itemized deductions. Unfortunately, the $300 per person deduction without itemizing ended in 2021 and is no longer available.

If you don’t exceed the standard

given for any foolishness that may have come between us.

How about you, are there people you will miss this holiday season? Can you remember all the times that you did share with them just how special they were to you and how much you cared for them and loved them? Is there someone that needs to hear and know that you do care for them and love them, and maybe even forgive them? I would love to hear your story at

deduction, then work with your advisor to consider bunching deductions. This is where you double up on charitable gifts in one year and then take a year off donating and use the standard deduction in those alternate years.

The standard deduction for 2022 is $12,950 for single filers ($13,850 in 2023) and $25,900 for joint filers ($27,700 in 2023). If you can’t exceed these amounts on your Schedule A, you will need to beef up your charitable contributions in certain years in order to itemize.

You may also consider contributing to a donor-advised fund (DAF), where you can contribute appreciated shares of a business or investment without paying tax on the gain. Once this asset resides in the DAF, you have the rest of your life to distribute to your favorite charities as you wish. Therefore, if you have a large asset you would like to

gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can say the words that need to be spoken, it really will be a better than good life.

Michael Norton is an author, a

donate and take the deduction all in one year, this strategy could be a good fit for you.

Retirees over age 70 1/2 are eligible to take up to $100,000 out of their pre-tax retirement plan or IRA and gift directly to a charity through a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) and still not have to itemize.

There may be other year-end strategies you can benefit from, such as tax-loss harvesting, maximizing your retirement contributions, or converting some of your pre-tax IRA or 401(k) to a Roth. Consider meeting with your advisor early in 2023 to start planning for next year as well.

Patricia Kummer has been a Certified Financial Planner professional and a fiduciary for over 35 years and is Managing Director for Mariner Wealth Advisors.

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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BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN

e lettuce is blooming nicely on the rollaway walls.

According to the farmer’s iPad, the calibrated nutrients are owing smoothly and accurately through the tubes.

It’s 30 degrees outside, but there’s a tantalizing garden of tangy, restaurant-ready produce inside this cozy, pristine shipping container.

Somewhere behind and among the pawn shops and the gas stations and the used tire traders and the body shops along South Broadway, on a former

used car lot on Acoma Street, a couple of snazzy high-tech containers are parked to start an urban farming revolution.

Ullr’s Garden, launched a few months ago by a couple of brothers who want to save the world and sell some sustainable arugula, is growing the equivalent of a 10acre farm on a dusty 7,500-squarefoot lot. e lettuce and arugula and basil and romaine grow horizontally, while hanging from moveable walls packed inside the climate-controlled trailers. e farmers sit at a folding table in the nearby shed and plot their next expansion: stackable farm containers.

Nick Millisor, one of the brothers behind Ullr’s Garden, still can’t believe they’re doing what they’re doing.

“We are growing local produce, in the middle of Denver, on an old used car

lot, the kind you used to roll your car windows up when you drove by,” Millisor laughs.

Vertical farms don’t stint on flavor

And their stu tastes great. e emerald green basil snaps with a hint of licorice. e arugula is laced with a wild mustard avor. e butter lettuce, sold with root ball intact, has an earthy avor belying the fact the growing walls are purposefully insulated from any local dirt.

One trailer with 365 days of optimal growing conditions can produce the equivalent of a 5-acre seasonal farm, Nick and Luke Millisor say. Employing a closed loop for the water and nutrients, each trailer uses up only ve gallons a day from water bu aloes they ll o site.

“We don’t even have a water tap here yet,” Nick laughed.

And when the weather turns truly frigid, say 10 degrees from a recent overnight snow, a conscientious farmer can check on the baby bibb while sitting at home in bed

with a laptop.

“If anything isn’t running optimally, the farm will literally send me a text message,” Nick said, waving his iPhone over the transplanting tables. Sensors throughout the trailer are connected to wi- .

Urban farming and hydroponics a great mix, experts say

Independent experts on vertical, hydroponic farming say they can’t predict the success of Ullr’s business model, but agree the revolution in well-designed shipping containers could indeed preserve the environment and extend better nutrition to remote consumers.

Rising world population, scarce water amid climate change and urban neighborhoods neglected by fresh food stores, “these are the multifaceted reasons why we’re seeing this surge in inter-

Ullr’s Garden grows tangy artisanal arugula in climate-controlled trailers

FROM FARMING

est,” said Josh Craver, an assistant professor in controlled environment horticulture at Colorado State University.

“It’s not hard to see pretty quickly that you can produce, per square foot, way more food in these containers than you can in the eld,” Craver said.

We are growing local produce, in the middle of Denver, on an old used car lot, the kind you used to roll your car windows up when you drove by.

e Ullr’s Garden name for their parking lot container farm honors the brothers’ time growing up skiing in Breckenridge, home to the Ullr Fest winter sports party. Nick Millisor comes at farming with all the technical skills of a self-described liberal arts eclectic and sci- nerd. He’d been toiling in real estate when the strange winds of COVID and climate change turned his 2021 upside down and he went in search of a meaningful project to better the world.

ere was a week where Germany ooded and the West was burning and a Canadian heat wave was cooking shell sh alive in the ocean.

“I didn’t want to deal with super-rich people’s problems with real estate anymore,” Nick Millisor said. “And so I convinced my brother to join me, and then my cousin, and I was like, ‘You just want to do something crazy and start growing food in a container?’ And they said yes.”

Luke Millisor supplied the actual technical knowledge, from his experience managing a neuroscience lab at University of Colorado. Colorado’s increasing water challenges led them toward water-stingy hydroponic farming and to the equipment catalogs of storage container out tters.

“We’re not the only ones doing this you know. I would love to say that we’re the pioneers behind this, but a lot of smarter people have basically led us to this point where this technology is almost automatic,” Nick Millisor said. “It’s so easy. I mean, I have zero experience farming, other than growing some stu in my mom’s garden as a kid.”

Ullr’s Garden sent itself to indoor farm training

e container out tters supplied a two-day boot camp on vertical farming.

e would-be farmers learned there’s almost zero water use in the latest designs, no contamination of runo with excess fertilizer or pesticides, precise control of nutrients, e cient LED lighting powered by clean electricity. ey have two electric vehi-

cles to deliver produce within a 5-mile radius, boosting their e ort to become carbon neutral with the overall operation. Leaving the root ball on a head of lettuce helps it last on the shelf for a couple of weeks and reduces food waste.

A fully out tted container, with 24,000 individual LED pinpoint lights and temperature controlled at 68 to 70 degrees, costs about $170,000, Nick Millisor said. Ullr’s Garden can grow 500 varieties of produce to meet the whims of the market, and tweak the grow lights for goals as esoteric as the optimal color of a red lettuce leaf.

Accelerating e ciencies in lighting and heating have powered the surge in hydroponic container farms, said CSU’s Craver. Old grow lamps built up too much heat, while improved LEDs produce precise photons that the plant can employ for photosynthesis.

“So we really are sitting on the shoulders of giants on this one,” Nick Millisor said.

Vertical and remote, but not out of touch

As the water drips down the wall channels and then recirculates, sensors constantly check pH and mineral levels, among other growth factors. Reserve tanks dribble in supplement adjustments to the mix at the touch of the iPad. Key in siting the containers is pouring concrete footings at a 2% tilt to guarantee the water ow.

Most varieties started from seeds are ready in six to seven weeks. Harvesting means clean scissors trimming the walls, or pulling whole heads with root balls.

Now, about that business model. Negotiating with individual restaurants may not be the full answer, though Ullr’s Garden is in talks with a few looking for local supply and input into the varieties.

e next challenge for the Millisors, joined by cousin and chief nancial o cer Ian Randall, is to launch a farm share program.

Other farm share subscriptions are popular in summer and fall, with buyers picking up or getting delivered a box of outdoors-grown seasonal items ranging from lettuce to tomatoes to squash. But the outdoor shares run out by late fall, where Ullr’s Garden can deliver lettuce, herbs and other greens year-round.

e company has 150 shares on sale now, to be delivered within the 5-mile radius.

A prime calculation in close-quarters farming, Craver said, is which plants draw top dollar for the space they take up. Corn is all brous sca olding, producing a handful of kernels that sell for 25 cents an ear. Root ball lettuce is nearly 100% edible, and can retail for $5 or $6 a head.

ere are large hydroponic operations in metro Denver

that appear to be thriving, Craver said, and smaller operations like Ullr’s Garden are busy guring out their costs and a workable scale.

“When you look at the business model, it de nitely does work,” Craver said.

I didn’t want to deal with super-rich people’s problems with real estate anymore … I was like, ‘You just want to do something crazy and start growing food in a container?’ And they said yes.

Of course, there’s a lucrative container model selling billions of dollars of product a year in Colorado — marijuana. e Millisors, though, are adamant they want to feed the world, not medicate it.

Denver’s zoning o ce is well organized to approve urban farming, Nick Millisor said, but they did have to address the elephant in the container.

“I was like, ‘I’m doing a hydroponic garden,’ and you could just see it in their eyes, oh no, there’s another one, and I was like, ‘Not marijuana! Not marijuana!’ And she’s like, okay, STAMP, get out of here.’ ”  Container farms could be stackable

e Ullr’s Garden trio plots their next move from underneath the modest shed looking out on the lot. If marketing picks up and the consumerdirect shares work out, there’s room for expansion with ground space for two or three more containers.

Plus, as anyone who’s seen a modern port city can tell you, they’re stackable. Ullr’s Garden anticipates going at least a second story of vertical, and perhaps more if the zoning folks are feeling frisky.

ey’re considering transforming the shed into an events and education space, knowing that schoolchildren would thrive on a cool hydroponics and LED lesson. As for the produce, they’re still considering winter decorative owers, edible owers that could draw top dollar, and radishes. One grower gured out how to do hops indoors, another grew berries, though that may not scale up to be useful.

One constant, besides the 68 degrees inside the trailers, is how welcoming and helpful everyone in vertical farming has been in sharing tips with Ullr’s Garden, Nick Millisor said.

“Everyone has the tool. Now everyone’s kind of guring out how best to use it,” he said. “And that’s what I think is most exciting for me.”

is story is from e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support e Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com.

Denver Giving Machines o er way to help

Devices are located along 16th Street Mall

BY JEREMY MOORE ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

A bank of four red vending machines near the 16th Street Mall invites pedestrians to buy a winter coat, art supplies, lumber or a tower of lettuce for someone who needs help.

ose gifts are just a few of the many practical items shown on cards inside the vending machines that have taken the place of more familiar choices like snacks or drinks.

e transaction is also familiar: each item has a number to be entered on a touchscreen. e donor swipes a credit card or uses

mobile pay, and the item falls to the bottom.  e di erence is the cards pile up and are not immediately removed.  e machines keep a running total of all purchases with the money going directly to each charity.

“ e idea is to create a link between the giver and the recipient,” said Amy Johnson, who is on the organizing committee for Giving Machines sponsored by e Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “And giving a tangible item, knowing exactly what you’re giving, is what creates that emotional link.” e machines have returned to Denver’s Writer Square (at the corner of Larimer and 15th Street) each November since 2019.  ey are part of the Church’s annual Light the World holiday initia-

COURTESY

Free meals coming to most school districts

Denver, Douglas County

undecided as others plan to start in fall of 2023

BY ANN SCHIMKE CHALKBEAT COLORADO

Many Colorado school districts, including Je co, Cherry Creek, Aurora, and Adams 12, plan to o er free school meals to all students starting in the fall of 2023 through a new state program funded with a voterapproved tax measure a ecting high earners.

GIVING

tive.  e rst machines appeared in Salt Lake City in 2017.  is year, the machines can be found in 28 locations around the world.

“ e idea is to give as Jesus gave, one person at a time,” Johnson explained. “And so, the team was trying to come up with a simple, familiar way to give in a transactional way. So, they thought, what’s easier than a vending machine?”

In Denver, this year’s machines bene t eight charities, three of which operate globally:

• A Precious Child assists children and families facing di cult life challenges such as abuse and ne-

Of two dozen districts surveyed by Chalkbeat, 16 plan to o er universal free meals next year. But some districts remain undecided, including two of Colorado’s largest districts — Denver and Douglas County.

Brehan Riley, director of school nutrition at the Colorado Department of Education, said of school district o cials, “ ere seems to be a lot of interest, but people are still unsure. ey want to understand it a little bit better.”

Called Healthy School Meals for All, the program is meant to ensure students are getting the nutritional fuel they need to learn and eliminate the stigma that sometimes comes with

glect, crisis situations and poverty.

• Doctors Care is dedicated to improving health access for lowincome individuals in the South Metro Denver area.

• Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver builds strength, stability and self-reliance through a ordable housing.

• Metro Caring provides nutritious food while addressing the root causes of hunger.

• Village Exchange Center serves immigrants and refugees through community connection.

• iDE Global creates livelihood opportunities for poor rural households.

• Mentors International transforms generational poverty into sustainable self-reliance.

• Water for People makes high-

the current income-based method for doling out free meals. e initiative comes on the heels of two school years where the federal government waived income eligibility requirements for federally subsidized meals, allowing schools to o er free breakfast and lunch to all students. e waivers expired this fall, but lawmakers and advocates found a way to bring back the free meals for next year by asking Colorado voters to approve new funding through Proposition FF. Voters said yes.  e measure will generate more than $100 million a year by reducing income tax deductions available to households earning $300,000 or

quality drinking water and sanitation accessible to all.

Each charity has identi ed the things people need most, resulting in 30 items ranging from ducks to diapers, gardening tools to groceries, lettuce to lumber. Prices range from $3 (soap for one school) to $250 (community garden). Donors can purchase multiple items in a single transaction up to $3,000.

“ e best stories are when the kids come with their allowance and choose an item for $5 or $10,” Johnson said. “It’s an unusual, unique way to help children, for example, learn to give.”

e Church covers all the costs of the machines and credit card fees. So, none of the money donated goes to overhead.

“My favorite stories are the people

more.

Many district o cials are enthusiastic about the prospect of feeding more students as they did during the rst two years of the pandemic. When school meals were free under the waivers, Boulder Valley o cials saw a 40% increase in students eating school meals, District 27J saw a 2030% increase, and Aurora saw a 7-10% increase.

is story is from Chalkbeat Colorado, a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools. Used by permission. For more, and to support Chalkbeat, visit co.chalkbeat.org.

who come who’ve bene ted from these charities in the past,” Johnson said. “Now they have a little bit of money and they can give back.”

Donations are eligible for tax deductions and may also be eligible for employer matching programs. Receipts are available by text or email.

Denver’s Giving Machines operate 24/7, anksgiving through New Year’s Day. Volunteers are typically near the machines daily from noon to 8 p.m.

is story is from Rocky Mountain PBS, a nonpro t public broadcaster providing community stories across Colorado over the air and online. Used by permission. For more, and to support Rocky Mountain PBS, visit rmpbs.org.

Colorado Dems eye gun-buy waiting periods

Ban on assault weapons, changes in

BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN

A host of changes to Colorado’s gun laws, from a ban on so-called assault weapons to tweaks to the existing red ag law, are already being considered by Democrats at the state Capitol in response to the shooting last month at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs.

“Pretty much everything is on the table,” said Senate President Steve Fenberg, a Boulder Democrat. “ e question now is: What seems like a priority?”

Democrats will return to the Colorado Capitol in early January with expanded majorities in both the House and Senate and facing pressure to act after the state’s latest mass shooting. Five people were killed and more than a dozen others wounded in a Nov. 19 attack on Club Q allegedly carried out by a 22-year-old shooter armed with a semi-automatic, AR-15-style ri e.

Gun policy could be the rst big test of Democrats’ expanded majorities at the Capitol next year. Memories of the 2013 recalls of Democratic lawmakers over tougher gun regulations adopted in the wake of the Aurora theater shooting certainly remain, but Colorado is a di erent state politically than it was a decade ago, and the Democratic majorities in the House and Senate are almost guaranteed until January 2027.

“Clearly, mental stability is a signi cant contributing factor,” Eileen McCarron, president of Colorado Cease re Legislative Action, a group that pushes for tighter rearm regulations, said in a written statement, “but even as hard as it is to address legislatively, we must face the elephant in the room: assault weapons.”

Adam Shore, the group’s executive director, said Colorado needs “to get to the root of what is driving these individuals to kill others, while simultaneously reducing the mayhem by ensuring that these weapons of war are con ned to where they truly belong — the battle eld.”

Auon’tai “Tay” Anderson, a Denver Public Schools board member, posted on Twitter that Democrats should immediately use their majority at the Capitol to pass a socalled assault weapons ban.

“If folks refuse to act, vote them out,” Anderson tweeted.

Fenberg, who said gun control

conversations were underway even before the Club Q shootings, said a ban on so-called assault weapons is certainly a possibility. e challenge is guring out how to write the complicated policy, including how to de ne what an assault weapon is, what should happen to such weapons that are already in the possession of Colorado residents and how to address people traveling to neighboring states to purchase weapons that would be prohibited in Colorado.

“I’ve always said that I support an assault weapons ban,” he said. “I don’t think in this day and age it makes sense that people can purchase weapons of war. It’s something (where) we have to make sure the policy is right. I think there’s still ongoing conversations about what the policy would be.”

It’s more likely that Democrats pursue other changes to Colorado’s gun laws rst, such as raising the minimum age to purchase a ri e or shotgun to 21 from 18. e minimum age to purchase handguns in Colorado is already 21.

Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, California, Rhode Island and New York are among the states where it is illegal to purchase any rearm if you are younger than 21.

Rep. Tom Sullivan, a Centennial Democrat who won election to a state Senate seat in November, is working on changing the minimum age to purchase a gun. He initially wanted to raise the age only for socalled assault weapons, but thinks a broader change would be easier.

“ at kind of will save us having to come up with a de nition of what assault weapons are,” said Sullivan, whose son, Alex, was murdered in the 2012 Aurora theater shooting. “And that seems to be the consensus that we’re hearing from the rest of the caucus.”

Sullivan feels the legislature should have raised the minimum age to purchase ri es and shotguns last year.

“We had the votes, we had it put together but our leadership and the governor wouldn’t allow that to happen last year,” Sullivan said.

ere are already discussions happening as well about enacting a waiting period between when someone purchases a weapon and can access it, mirroring policies in states including California and Hawaii, which have 10- and 14-day waiting periods, respectively. Illinois has a 72-hour waiting period between when someone can purchase a rearm and then access it.

ere have been reports that the Club Q shooter may have used “ghost guns,” or homemade rearms that don’t have serial numbers, in

the attack. Sullivan said he wants to pursue legislation to regulate those, too.

Colorado already requires universal background checks on all gun purchases and has laws limiting gun magazines to 15 rounds and requiring the safe storage of rearms. People whose guns are lost or stolen must make a report with law enforcement, as well, and there is a statute temporarily barring people convicted of certain violent misdemeanors from purchasing rearms.

Colorado counties and municipalities are also now allowed to enact gun regulations that are more stringent than the state’s policies after the legislature in 2021 repealed a preemption law.

When it comes to the red ag law, a 2019 policy that lets judges order the temporary seizure of rearms from people deemed a signi cant risk to themselves or others, the changes being discussed have to do with expanding who can request a seizure. Right now, law enforcement and family members are e ectively the only groups allowed to petition a judge to order a seizure.

Gov. Jared Polis has expressed support for adding district attorneys to the list, while others have suggested the attorney general’s o ce and teachers should be allowed to request seizures as well.

“We’re certainly going to take a hard look at why the red ag law wasn’t used in this case, in the case of the King Soopers shooter,” Polis told Chuck Todd on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Polis, a Democrat, has been more supportive since the Club Q shooting of changing the red ag law and making sure that Coloradans know about it, as well as bolstering mental health o erings, than expanding the list of gun laws the state already has.

“In Colorado, we have a magazine limit — no more than 15 bullets in a magazine — so, e ectively, it

reduces the ability of high-powered weapons to do harm,” Polis told NBC News when discussing the prospect of a ban on so-called assault weapons.

Polis said he’d support a national e ort to require additional licensure or background checks for people trying to purchase “some of the most high-powered weapons.”

President Joe Biden has called for a ban on so-called assault weapons in the wake of the Club Q shooting.

Authorities haven’t provided details about the weapons used in the Club Q shooting.

Sullivan feels it would be better for a ban on so-called assault weapons to be pursued on the federal level, since Congress has more resources. He also pointed out that assault-style weapons aren’t used in the vast majority of rearm deaths in the U.S.

“You’re talking to somebody whose son was murdered by a guy with an assault-style rearm,” he said. “I know what it can do. But what happened to us is the one-o of the day-to-day gun violence that impacts our community.”

Incoming House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat who is still getting her leadership bearings, said her caucus has “talked about having a conversation.”

“I anticipate that just as after the Boulder shooting we will take the time to engage,” she said, referencing the 2021 attack on the Table Mesa King Soopers that left 10 people dead.

e legislature reconvenes on Jan. 9.

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

SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

red flag law are being discussed

ELZZ

RSV viruses raise concern for children

Season starts early, strong

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Mom Brianne Price knew respiratory illnesses could be a concern because her baby was born prematurely. en her other child, her 4-year-old boy, came home with a cough. Soon after, Price was calling a nurse help line. Her baby also had something, except it was worse. Her baby had trouble breathing. It landed her baby in the hospital. e girl, just shy of 6 months old, had a virus commonly called RSV. She was placed on oxygen. e baby recovered after spending days in the hospital. Now Price, from the Littleton area, is sounding the alarm for other parents, hoping they take the spread of illnesses seriously.

“Keeping your kids home when they’re sick is super helpful,” Price said.

Her remarks came during a news conference that included Children’s Hospital Colorado o cials. It turns out that her daughter was one of more than 1,400 RSV-related hospitalizations in the Denver metro area from Oct. 1 through late November, part of a season where RSV, respiratory syncytial virus, and other viruses, including the u and COVID, are causing more infections, prompting concerns from public health o cials.

At times in recent weeks, just two intensive-care hospital beds for children were available in the entire state of Colorado. Hospital departments took patients that they normally wouldn’t and health care professionals braced themselves for a marathon season that hopefully won’t put severe strains on hospitals, like those seen during the worst spikes of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Please note that some families with less urgent health concerns may experience longer wait times in our emergency departments,”

an alert message on the Children’s Hospital Colorado website says.

A cough or runny nose may not seem like a cause for concern. But health o cials want people to think twice about it and take extra precautions to protect their families, classmates, coworkers and neighbors.

“We know that a mild respiratory infection in one person can be potentially a deadly infection in someone else,” Dr. Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist, said.

Triple threat

Amid an earlier-than-usual — and more severe — RSV season, Children’s Hospital Colorado saw record numbers of patients with respiratory illnesses in its emergency departments. By itself, health o cials might manage the upsurge. But u and COVID are also circulating, fueling concerns about stretched resources.

One children’s health o cial wasn’t sure how the combination of a holiday school break and holiday gatherings might a ect the trends. But one thing’s for sure: Health care workers expect the situation to continue into the new year, said Dr. Kevin Carney, associate chief medical o cer for Children’s Hospital Colorado.

at’s even if RSV slows down — because the u started ramping up in November, Carney said.

“We are pretty much mentally preparing to have no break between these respiratory infections,” Carney said, adding, “I don’t see a scenario in the next month or two where we don’t have very busy emergency departments and inpatient units.” en there’s COVID. Colorado listed 440 people as “currently hospitalized” with coronavirus the week of Nov. 29, with numbers trending upward. For instance, there were just 145 hospitalizations the week of Sept. 20.

e state also posted a sevenday average of eight deaths among

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COVID cases on Nov. 19, up from an average of three deaths about a month earlier.

But when it comes to kids, health ofcials are focused on RSV.

“For in uenza, most of our hospitalizations have been among adults, and then we see really the inverse of that for RSV,” Herlihy said, emphasizing the risk to children, during a separate news conference.

Most children get an RSV infection by the time they are 2 years old, according to the state health department. Some infants and young children may be at higher risk for more-severe illness from RSV, such as bronchitis or pneumonia.

e illness is more pervasive this year because young children now have less built-up immunity, according to a University of Chicago Medicine article.

Earlier in the pandemic, due to masking and social distancing, young children were not exposed to common germs, according to the article. Now, some 1- and 2-year-olds are experiencing their rst RSV infection, the article says.

Carney, the Children’s Hospital doctor, told news reporters his buildings are packed.

“Our hospital continues, at all of our sites, to be really functioning at 100% capacity in all of our units,” Carney said.

Possible peak, but more around corner

It is possible RSV cases have peaked, but the hospital is still contending with high numbers of patients — and it has seen a “signi cant uptick” in the number of patients showing up who have known in uenza, Carney said.

It all adds up to mean that the end of respiratory illness season is a long way o , Carney said.

“It’s the million-dollar question what’s

going to happen after anksgiving for us. Historically, we can sometimes count on when kids are out of school that infectious diseases will decrease,” Carney said.

But as people travel and get together with family and friends, viruses tend to spread, Carney added.

Colorado has seen 517 u hospitalizations from Oct. 2 through Nov. 26, according to the state’s u data webpage. And the u season could be more severe than in recent years, o cials say.

Hospitals scramble to handle child patients

As of Nov. 17, there were only two pediatric intensive-care unit, or ICU, beds available in Colorado, according to the state health department.

More recently, there were still just two available pediatric ICU beds out of 94 in the state as of Nov. 29, the department told CCM.

“ e number of hospital beds is dynamic and refers to sta ed beds, not physical beds,” the department said in a statement. e number depends on how many quali ed health care professionals are available to work those beds.

Hospitals have taken action to expand capacity, with adult hospitals “starting to admit teenagers into their adult ICUs that they previously wouldn’t have seen,” Scott Bookman, director of the state Division of Disease Control and Public Health Response, said.

“ ey are also starting to bring much younger patients into their neonatal intensive-care units that traditionally wouldn’t serve this population,” Bookman said.

He added: “We’re also seeing adult hospitals simply being able to hold onto many of these children at their facilities rather than needing to transfer them to a pediatric center.”

Children’s Hospital Colorado, a system with locations around the Denver metro area and in Colorado Springs, has asked for help from adult hospitals, Carney said.

Brianne Price holds her daughter, Lily, who was hospitalized with a virus commonly known as RSV in November.

COURTESY OF CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL COLORADO