Stampede Rodeo Queen’s Attendant and the 2022 Miss Rodeo Colorado, recently competed at the Miss Rodeo America pageant in Las Vegas and took the third runner-up spot among 28 state rodeo queens competing for the crown.
later, Ashley spoke with the Elbert County News on Dec. 12 about her time as Miss Rodeo Colorado and
e Town of Elizabeth as well as the Elizabeth School District have recently announced vacancies for important leadership positions.
e Town of Elizabeth is seeking applicants for the following positions: Board of Trustees (two vacancies) Historic Advisory Board (two vacancies)
Planning Commission (two vacancies)
Main Street Board of Directors (one vacancy)
To qualify for consideration, individuals must have resided within the Elizabeth town limits for a minimum of one year, be a U.S. citizen, be a registered voter in the town and have an interest in town a airs. Experience in town government is not necessary.
An Elizabeth mailing address does not necessarily mean a person resides inside the Elizabeth town limits — physical residency within the town boundaries is required.
Town Administrator Patrick Davidson, in a Dec. 12 interview with the Elbert County News, shared his thoughts on lling the Board of Trustees vacancies.
“I am not sure there is any one speci c quality that makes a good board member. I think it could be summed up with a love of the community, a willingness to learn and listen to di ering opinions, and a desire to
give back to the community,” Davidson commented. “Almost everyone has an interest in what is going on in and around Elizabeth. ey are concerned about the future for themselves, their children, and the community as a whole. However, few volunteer to help provide guidance or insight by serving on the Board of Trustees.”
e Board of Trustees will review applications and appoint two individuals to ll the vacancies at a scheduled board meeting. Letters of interest with resumes will be accepted up to ursday, Jan. 5, 2023, at 5 p.m.
Anyone interested in serving on the Board of Trustees should submit a letter of interest to: Town Hall, Attn: Town Clerk, PO Box 159, Elizabeth, CO 80107; drop o a letter of interest at Town Hall, 151 S. Banner St.; or send an email to moeser@ townofelizabeth.org.
e Town of Elizabeth Historic Advisory Board is also seeking two new members. According to Town Planner/Project Manager Zach Higgins, the ideal candidate will have several qualities.
“ e ideal candidates will have an interest in historic buildings and preserving them,” said Higgins. “Individuals with a historic preservation, architecture/design eld, or other related professional or volunteer experience would be a great asset to the Historic Advisory Board moving forward.”
If interested in applying for the Historic Advisory Board, please contact Higgins at zhiggins@townofelizabeth. org or 3037257496, or Dianna Hiatt at dhiatt@townofelizabeth.org or 303646-4166.
Higgins is also the contact person for openings on the Planning Commission and Main Street Board of Directors.
e Planning Commission reports to the Board of Trustees and serves in an advisory capacity to the trustees on issues regarding land use, zoning and involved with the town’s longrange planning activities including the development of the Elizabeth Comprehensive Plan.
e Main Street Board of Directors assumes responsibility for all activities of the town’s Main Street program, is responsible for establishing
and determining goals for downtown and Main Street revitalization and ful lling the requirements of the Colorado Main Street Program. Experience or knowledge in administration, program development, economic development, marketing, downtown business, communications, event management and historic preservation is preferred.
ESD superintendent
e Elizabeth School District is seeking a permanent superintendent. Dr. William Dallas has served as the interim superintendent since the summer of this year and is currently unsure if he will pursue the permanent position.
“At the present, I am focused on supporting the district in the role I have been asked to ful ll as interim. I have recused myself from all aspects of the search to ensure an unin uenced and respected process in the event I decide to apply,” said Dallas in an interview from Dec. 12. “However, ultimately I will need to determine if I will apply when I can review the posting and job description and discuss it further with my wife and children.”
For more information on employment opportunities with the Elizabeth School District, please visit elizabethschooldistrict.org/Page/997.
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.
grants to go elsewhere, including to Denver.
e mayor spoke ursday afternoon at the Emergency Operations Center, in the basement of the City and County Building, at 1437 Bannock St.
BY TATIANA FLOWERS AND DELANEY NELSON THE COLORADO SUNDenver Mayor Michael Hancock on Dec. 15 issued an emergency declaration, hoping to head o a “local humanitarian crisis” as hundreds of migrants, mostly from Central and South America, have converged downtown in recent months, straining the city’s ability to care for them and reunify them with loved ones.
e announcement comes as 247 more migrants have arrived in Denver since Dec. 14, overwhelming an emergency shelter at a city recreational center and causing the city to open another.
“Let me be frank: is in ux of migrants, the unanticipated nature of their arrival, and our current space and sta ng challenges have put an immense strain on city resources, to the level where they’re on the verge of reaching a breaking point at this time,” Hancock said.
“What I don’t want to see is a local humanitarian crisis of unsheltered migrants on our hands because of a lack of resources,” he said.
Many of the migrants had gathered in communities along the Mexico border, mainly in El Paso, Texas, the mayor said, adding that nongovernmental organizations at the border are encouraging mi-
City employees and other local agencies are working around the clock to support migrants and asylum seekers, Hancock said. Denver Health is providing mobile medical services to migrants who need it, local churches are o ering beds space and volunteers to help provide shelter and nonpro ts are collecting donations for migrant families. Hundreds of Denver residents are donating clothing and other supplies, the mayor said.
e emergency declaration will allow the city to free up and secure resources, and streamline certain processes, including funding and sheltering options, to help support migrants while they’re in Denver, as o cials work to reunify them with friends and family and get them to their nal destinations.
e city has spent more than $800,000 since it started the emergency operations center to accommodate new arrivals. at cost includes payment to people working long hours at local shelters and other centers, and costs for food, clothing, security, sheltering and transportation to reuni cation, Hancock said.
e city is using money from its general fund and it is seeking federal reimbursement to help cover
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
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
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
26 sculptures are showcased throughout Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Parker and Roxborough. You’re invited to visit the sculpture locations and nominate your favorite for a People’s Choice Award by Jan. 31, 2023. For art locations, voting online and more, visit artencounters.douglas.co.us
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.
Welcome 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.
‘Local humanitarian crisis’ cited as more migrants arrive
FROM
Approximately 600 migrants have arrived in Denver over the past several months, including nearly 400 who came within the past couple of weeks, prompting the opening of the two emergency shelters.
In addition to the second emergency shelter, Denver has designated a third recreation center to serve as a reception center for newly arriving migrants, where they can access emergency shelter and/or receive reuni cation assistance.
As of Dec. 14, 271 migrants were being housed at the city’s emergency shelters, 48 had been relocated to a church-run shelter and 52 new arrivals spent the night at local homeless shelters. Another 35 people left the city’s emergency shelter with plans to reunite with loved ones, the city said Wednesday in a news release.
e city opened its rst emergency shelter for migrants at a recreation center on Dec. 6.
Denver is a so-called sanctuary city and county, meaning it doesn’t cooperate with federal immigration o cials in attempts to deport residents living in the city without legal documentation.
Denver leaders said they did not know why the city suddenly became a draw for migrants. But Hancock on ursday said political and economic struggles in countries like Venezuela are driving the current waves of migration.
ere had been speculation that the migrants had been sent to Denver by another state’s governor, similar to
recent moves by governors in Texas, Florida and Arizona to transport migrants to Democrat-led states, on the claim they should share in the expense of managing the costs of immigration. But Denver leaders said last week they had found no evidence that happened here.
Instead, the city leaders said, some of the 120 migrants who arrived in Denver earlier this month used social media to plan the trip themselves.
Most are from Central and South America. e group includes young adults in their 20s and 30s and a few children. As many as 90 arrived on a bus, and city o cials are still trying to determine where it originated.
e city is arranging transportation for migrants who had planned to stop in Denver but did not intend to make it their nal destination, said Mimi Scheuermann, CEO of Denver Human Services. She said ursday that bad weather has complicated some of those trips.
More assistance is needed to help city leaders ensure migrants’ basic needs are being met to help avoid a humanitarian crisis where hundreds of migrants are displaced within the city.
“Cities are once again having to respond because of the failure of our Congress and our federal government to address a very critical situation,” Hancock said.
“We’ve got to x this immigration issue. I’m not trying to sound political. But I’m trying to seem pragmatic and practical. is is going to continue to happen and continue to overwhelm cities all over this country until Congress works on xing this situation,” he added.
MORE: City leaders have established a drop-o location for donated items at Iglesia Ciudad de Dios located at 5255 W. Warren Ave. in Denver. e church will accept donations on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Hats, gloves, scarves, boots, coats (men’s small and medium and women’s medium), pants (waist 30 to 33), socks, underwear and children’s clothing for kids age 10 and younger are urgently needed.
e city has called on local faithbased groups, nonpro ts and private
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sector organizations to reach out if they’re able to support human service e orts for new migrants arriving.
ose interested in getting involved can contact the Emergency Operations Center at donations@denvergov.org.
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.
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Bird u has killed at least four bald eagles in Colorado and threatens hundreds of other rare raptors and wild birds, as Colorado agriculture and wildlife o cials struggle with an outbreak they call the worst in national or state history.
Colorado’s current bout with avian in uenza has already forced farmers to mass slaughter more than 4 million chickens from egg operations, and now wildlife o cials worry the highly infectious disease may have contributed to a 15% to 20% drop in successful eagle nesting this year.
Bird experts fear for dozens of year-round bald eagles in the northeastern Colorado corridor of reservoirs and wetlands along the South Platte River, after a mass snow goose die-o killed more than 2,000 birds near Julesburg/ Jumbo Reservoir. Waterfowl pick up the disease from saliva, mucous and feces of other birds. Raptors and other carrion birds also spread the disease feeding on carcasses
undiscovered by wildlife o cials or neighbors.Great horned owls are kept in the hospital area of the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program in Fort Collins. The program rehabilitates around 300 birds a year, 78% being treatable cases that can be returned to the wild. OLIVIA SUN; THE COLORADO SUN VIA REPORT FOR AMERICA
Disease has also triggered mass slaughter of hens
‘As someone who really loves birds, and that’s why we chose this profession, I am hurting. And I am really nervous as to what this could become.’
Zach Hutchinson, , naturalist and community science coordinator for Audubon Rockies
FROM
1 BALLER
only getting four hours of sleep a night, if that. You are pushed to your limits and there are tons of highs and lots of lows. It was so fun. It was a really great way to close out the year. One of my favorite parts was that I got to room with Miss Rodeo Louisiana. She is one of my favorite people.
My favorite category to compete in was the speech. I love the speech part. I felt erce and bold and proud. I also loved my out t for it.
How do you feel about being in the top five at the Miss Rodeo America pageant?
When we talked back in January, you were just getting started with this crazy adventure. What has the past year been like for you?
It’s been beautiful in every way possible. It has been beyond perfect. I put 31k miles on the truck. I feel accomplished. I squeezed everything out of this year. It’s been the most amazing experience in the world.
What are your future plans after your reign ends as Miss Rodeo Colorado?
I am excited for the job hunt and career hunt. e sky is the limit for me! I’ve worked very hard on setting myself up for career success. My two big life goals were working for the American Quarter Horse Association and becoming Miss Rodeo Colorado. I also hope to attend university in Spain for my master’s program.
I want to send huge hugs of gratitude to the community and everyone that has left a mark on my life this year. ey’ve made a huge impact.
To read Ashley’s January interview with the Elbert County News, visit elbertcountynews.net/stories/missrodeo-colorado-loves-western-lifestyle,387329.
Is there anything you want to make sure that the people of Elbert County know?
Colorado’s community colleges more than doubled their graduation rates from 2015 to 2020 by focusing on student support in and out of the classroom, according to a study released Tuesday.
e Colorado Community College System’s graduation rates rose to 31% from 15% ve years earlier, according to the report by Complete College America that details four- and two-year college graduation rates at states, systems, and jurisdictions that are members of the organization. e nonpro t organization advocates for states and college systems to focus on improving graduation rates; the report
SEE COLLEGES, P17
Raptor centers like Rocky Mountain Raptor Program in Fort Collins are taking in a steady stream of great horned owls and red-tailed hawks dying from the fast-acting virus. Sta are donning Tyvek protective suits and other PPE in an e ort that is more hospice than rescue.
State wildlife o cials assume there are more dead bald eagles than the four con rmed so far in 2022 by tests of carcasses. With fewer than 300 nesting pairs of bald eagles making their homes along Colorado’s waterways, losses from any new threat to the more rare raptors quickly raise warning levels.
“As someone who really loves birds, and that’s why we chose this profession, I am hurting,” said Zach Hutchinson, a naturalist and community science coordinator for Audubon Rockies in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. “And I am really nervous as to what this could
become.”
With thousands of waterfowl and other migratory birds on the move across Colorado on their way to comfortable winter ground, infections could increase even as farmers take desperate measures to stop the virus in domestic ocks. e state’s updated listing of avian u deaths now includes two snow goose dieo s of more than 2,000 birds in late November in Morgan and Logan counties, and another report ursday of more than 600 snow geese in Prowers County.
“We are de nitely concerned about the wild birds. We know those migratory patterns are really what helps spread the virus,” said Olga Robak, communications director for the Colorado Department of Agriculture. e handful of large egg producers now trying to replace slaughtered ocks still face avian u threats from wild birds remaining near or crossing over their farms.
=“ is has been the largest outbreak in Colorado and the nation, ever,” Robak said.
In past outbreaks, wild birds ap-
peared to be carriers of the in uenza but did not usually su er from symptoms themselves, Robak said. “ is year, the outbreak has affected many more wild birds, and even some mammals, like foxes and skunks, than in years past. Including raptors.”
While all bird losses are upsetting to rescue crews, Colorado has larger populations of owls and hawks to absorb losses, said Mike Tincher, rehabilitation coordinator at Rocky Mountain Raptor Program. How raptors with far fewer numbers emerge from the current outbreak is still an open question, he added.
“A lot of bald eagles come from up north, and they spend the winters here because we have relatively mild conditions,” Tincher said. “And they follow the food supply, which happens to be lots and lots of geese. So, with them being opportunistic scavengers, that’s a big concern.”
e wildlife and agriculture agencies want the public to call in reports of carcasses or live birds behaving erratically, but they warn against touching any remains. Signs of sickness include swimming in circles or erratic patterns, lethargy and inability to y. Humans have only rarely contracted avian in uenza, but the virus is easily spread on shoes or clothing to other birds and vulnerable animals.
by stopping ventilation and allowing the resulting heat rise to kill the ock. Authorities want the dead birds buried in excavations on site rather than further the spread.
Destroying that many living creatures is the most devastating part of the outbreak so far, Robak said.
“It is a very hard and emotional thing for the people who are responding to this emergency, but especially to the people who own these operations,” she said. “ is is their daily life. is is what they do.”
Researchers hope to learn more about the behavior of the virus and bird reactions as the outbreak rages on. State wildlife o cials had been capturing live bald eagles and tagging them for tracking as part of another study, and that tracking is proving valuable in watching avian u survival.
e female in one nesting pair watched by the state is one of the bald eagle u deaths, Conrey said. Researchers have been watching the male partner’s movements since then.
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e state’s list of con rmed avian in uenza deaths in wild birds includes eagles, hawks, owls, teals, mallards and wood ducks, and turkey vultures. Song birds and backyard birds do not appear to be heavily impacted so far, perhaps because they do not mix as much with the waterfowl that are the primary spreaders.
State and federal o cials are still working with the large egg operations to clean up and decontaminate after losing millions of chickens to quarantine e orts. Colorado estimates 4.7 million chickens were destroyed by last week. e chickens are usually killed en masse by locking down the large holding sheds and either smothering them with carbon dioxide, re ghting foam, or
“He’s own over his nest a couple of times, but he’s own all over the state and down into New Mexico and back. So he’s de nitely alive and doing OK if he’s making those kinds of long-distance movements,” Conrey said. Researchers want to know more about why some birds appear to be immune even when in close contact with diseased birds. Studies are made more challenging by the speed of the virus — many birds die within two or three days of showing symptoms.
With just a few hundred eagles across Colorado, wildlife researchers are avid followers of their life stories.
“I don’t know whether he will nd a new mate and go back to that nest and use it in 2023,” Conrey said. “I think that remains to be seen.”
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 Colo-
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Mean
Tue 1/03
It took nearly three years, but I nally “o cially” came down with COVID. Like many, I had plenty of discussions with people saying I might have had it before we knew about COVID. I still suspect I did, but this time was certain.
EDITOR’S COLUMN
I started feeling “o ,” started having speci c symptoms and, given how much I, and our sta , had written about the topic – I didn’t feel like I need a test to con rm it. I just knew.
First, I have not tested for COVID before. My household has been extremely fortunate in not getting sick or needing a test. is was the rst time I did the athome tests that were sent to my house.
I have to admit, there were some ashbacks to home pregnancy tests waiting to see if the lines would appear. With the children — I wanted to line to appear. With this one — not so much.
Anyway, read through the directions, followed the steps and was expecting a 15-minute wait. Instead, it took less than two minutes for both lines to appear. I had COVID — although I already knew that.
I have a household of seven people, including my parents who are said to be the “vulnerable” population for this stu . My dad has also been recovering from a nasty bout with bronchitis. I did not want to add this to the recovery e orts.
en, we have the usually healthy three children and my husband.
Interestingly, when all was said and done – My 9-yearold, my teenage daughter and I ended up with COVID. e rest of the family was spared.
Now — for the lesson. We so badly want to pretend we’ve moved on from COVID. It became such a political thing that it brings up more anger and resentment that I had even expected myself to feel.
However, I got extremely sick. My daughter got very sick. My son just had a runny nose and felt tired.
Like others — I agree things went a little too far in some regards in how this nation handled dealing with a pandemic. I did not agree with a lot of things. Others I did agree with.
But when you’re lying in bed, struggling to breathe and feeling like you have been run over by a truck — you do understand what all these doctors are saying when they stress that it is important to be vigilant and not spread this thing.
In the end, I understand that it was a terrible cold and I recovered in a week — but those things people questions as fake are not fake. Yes — I had brain fog. No — I, while testing negative, have not fully recovered. I am still more tired than my daily tasks need me to be. I can be in the middle of doing a simple task like washing glasses in a sink and suddenly feel tired and need to lie down.
We are in the season of COVID spreading and u cases going up, and RSV in children is higher than doctors are comfortable with.
No matter what you think of any of these illnesses — I did exactly what was recommended. I stayed home. I kept my children at home. I stayed away from my parents and youngest son.
I may not have handled it perfectly, but for other students at my kids’ school, my coworkers and the world we live in — I did not want to spread it. Being vigilant is probably the best lesson we can follow from all the pandemic brought us.
elma Grimes is the south metro editor for Colorado Community Media.
LINDA
lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com
MICHAEL
Last week I happened to catch an article about our Generation Z population regarding Santa Claus. e MerriamWebster Online Dictionary de nes Generation Z as “ e generation of people born in the late 1990s and early 2000s.” e message was based on interviews with a few people from that generation and their belief in Christmas, or primarily their belief or disbelief in Santa Claus.
e few people that were interviewed expressed their opinion that they would not raise their children to believe in some chubby Christmas elf called Santa Claus. ey were not willing to lie to their children about some mystery man who went to each home delivering presents, and they were certainly not going to sign the label on the gift “From: Santa Claus.” e questions that popped into my head were about how they may have been raised. Did they enjoy the mystery of Santa Claus? Were their gifts signed, “From: Santa Claus?” And if so, where, and how did they become disillusioned?
is isn’t the rst time someone, or a group, has tried to cancel Santa Claus. For some reason they just feel like sharing the mystery of Santa Claus is a lie that shouldn’t be perpetuated. So now I feel it’s time to
LINDSAY
ERIN
AUDREY
ERIN
help defend jolly old Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, Santa Claus against those who wish to see his name and the tradition disappear.
e origin of Santa Claus stems from a monk who was from what is now modernday Turkey known as Saint Nicholas in A.D. 280. Saint Nicholas was known as the saint who watched over children. It is also said that he gave away his wealth and helped the poor and sick. So indeed, there was a real Saint Nicholas. And over all these hundreds of years, the spirit of Saint Nicholas has continued to grow the tradition of giving, helping, and giving hope to one another. e season between anksgiving and Christmas is the greatest time for giving, during this time we see the spirit of abundance everywhere.
I have such great admiration for all those volunteers who represent the Salvation Army, ringing their bell as they help drive donations to an amazing organization. Do we want to cancel those volunteer Santa Clauses too? at would be an absolute shame. And a huge shout out to all of you who take your shifts being Santa and ringing in the Christmas spirit of giving, and doing it regardless of the weather, you are all awesome.
My guess is no one wants to intentionally lie to their children about a mysterious and magical Santa Claus. As I think back to how I
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On e of the great ironies of this interconnected age when we are wired as never before, when communication with another is merely an email, text, Zoom call, or app away, and when we have a plethora of groups to join and participate in and the time to be involved in them, more and more are finding themselves friendless or their friendships tentative and tenuous. It’s more than a philosophical or psychological condition. It’s a symptom of what ails American culture specifically and our high-tech, quick-paced culture writ large.
Statistically, being friendless or a minimalist when it comes to interpersonal relationships is more true for men than women, but both genders are finding themselves more and more without when it comes to close friends. In a May 2021 American Perspectives Surveypoll, 15% of men and 10% of women said they have no close friends. In 1990, at the nascent stage of the internet, that figure for men was about 3%; for women, 2%. That’s a five-fold increase for both. And only about 50% of the entire population said they have four or more close friends. A hard truth is that there is a strong correlation between the size of one’s circle of close friends (three or less) and their experiences of loneliness and depression.
Perplexing to say the least. So, why is that happening especially in context of this age when the opportunity to connect with others is literally at the fingertips of most?
As the poll suggests, the tenability of friendships isn’t just a
FROM PAGE 12
raised my own children, we emphasized Santa Claus, we had them meet Santa Claus and get their pictures taken, they wrote letters to Santa, and yes, we even left cookies and eggnog for jolly old Saint Nick. But we also spoke to the spirit of the season and what we could do for others. Maybe it was paying some utility bills for someone, donating money or time to the rescue mission, helping a neighbor who was in a di cult spot and couldn’t a ord gifts that year.
e real reason for the season is obviously the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. May we never forget this, no matter the numerous attempts that try and commercialize the season or the day. And going back to our original Saint Nicholas
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JERRY FABYANIC
guy thing. A friend told me about a feature of many women’s friendships that I, being a guy without kids, had no clue about. She talked about “seasons of friendships” and how friends move in and out of their lives due to their roles as mothers. While their kids are growing, they form friendships with the mothers of their children’s friends via school, sports and other circumstances. But when the kids are grown and gone, oftentimes those friendships evaporate.
“I have lost many friends along the way only to realize that all we really had in common was that our children were the same age, at the same school or in the same sport,” she said.
Nevertheless, life goes only this time they find themselves navigating the friend scene not as young 20-somethings but as older women.
She spoke about how her career played a major role in developing her friendship circle.
“I think especially for women, the current roles you play impact the friendships you are able to sustain and nurture,” she said. “I have been in the same job for 32 years, so my co-workers are much more than friends. I recently added a low pay evening retail job where I have made new, young, poor friends who remind me of my former self.”
There is a fundamental difference between women and men when it comes to sharing per-
in A.D. 280, may we remember where the spirit of Santa Claus began, and may we do what we can to ensure that the spirit of Saint Nick lives on and in us all.
How about you and your family? Is it all about the gifts and only the gifts? Or does the spirit of Santa Claus help you to embrace the season and the day with abundance, giving, helping, and providing hope to our family, friends, and those who need a hand up? I would love to hear your Santa Claus story at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can stop trying to cancel the spirit of Santa Claus, it really will be a better than good life.
Michael Norton is an author, a personal and professional coach, consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator of individuals and businesses, working with organizations and associations across multiple industries.
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.
sonal stuff: Women talk; men get tight-lipped. Which points to a larger problem: Men have just as much need to talk about their stuff as women. But we rarely do. We’re taught from early toddlerhood that we need to put it away, toughen up, and for heaven’s sake, never, ever cry. Which gets at something both telling and ironic about the10-to-15%: The degree that attitude plays a role in why so many find themselves friendless, and they are often the ones most in need of close friends.
Certainly, other factors lie at the root of increased friendlessness. The pandemic, for example. But even though the pandemic seemed like an eon to get through, it was relatively shortlived. The increasing rate of those without friends has been a longterm trend, not a spike.
A vogue idiomatic expression is “killing it.” It’s a juxtaposition of kill in that it doesn’t suggest violence but, instead, means doing something great. I’d like to say in that context that when it comes to friendships we’re killing it. But we’re not. Rather, we’re literally
killing them. That is especially true for Gen Z’ers who are, according to the data, the loneliest among us. Twenty-eight percent of men 30 and under, for example, reported they have no close social connections. But that’s a separate topic that would entail discussion about helicopter parents and the wireless umbilical cord that aids and abets their keeping their children symbolically and sometimes literally nested in their roost. Want to do something small but monumental to stem the deterioration and fragmentation of American society? Break out of your bubble—religious, political, or whatever—and befriend another. And then another. And then… You might not change the world overnight, but you just make another feel wanted and valued. And you just might find yourself with a new friend, even a close one that causes you to wonder how in the heck you got through life without them.
Jerry Fabyanic is the author of “Sisyphus Wins” and “Food for Thought: Essays on Mind and Spirit.” He lives in Georgetown.
Hundreds of the nation’s most elite athletes in indoor rock climbing just had their version of the Super Bowl in Denver.
As the Olympic sport expands across the U.S. and Colorado, USA Climbing’s national championship last month was a sort of homecoming. e governing body in 2018 moved from its longtime home in Boulder to new headquarters in Salt Lake City.
“We de nitely wanted to have a presence back in Colorado. at’s where USA Climbing got its feet o the ground,” said Ben Lowe with USA Climbing.
Sold-out crowds at e Spot climbing gym in Denver and G1 Climbing in Broom eld cheered as climbers — a mix of past and potential Olympians — tested themselves in three disciplines: 50-foot sport-climbing routes, a speed competition and short, powerful boulder problems.
Athletes made it as far as they could on routes designed to test their strength, agility and coordination.
In the sport climbing nals, only one athlete, Sean Bailey, completed a route without falling. He reached the top to raucous applause after battling a series of angled, plastic blocks screwed into the wall. e route required him to lunge toward small plastic rock holds with the tips of his ngers, hook his heels to pull his body up and swing across the wall while hanging on by only a few ngers.
e competition marked the end of the indoor-climbing season, but also provided an opportunity for new and returning climbers to begin scoring points to qualify for next year’s national team.
Once on the national team, athletes travel the world, competing in
the International Federation of Sport Climbing’s World Cups. ey also get the chance to try out for the team going to the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Indoor climbing started as a way for climbers to train during the o season. Now, it’s blossomed into one of the fastest-growing Olympic sports. One that Coloradans are eating up.
In 2000, there were about 150 climbing gyms in the nation. Now, there are nearly 600, according to the Climbing Business Journal.
“It’s been a pretty massive surge in popularity, not just over the past two or three years though, it’s been seeing massive growth over the past 10 years,” said Lowe, the communications director for USA Climbing.
e indoor climbing industry is rmly anchored in Colorado with dozens of gyms across the state and a host of indoor equipment manufacturers thriving along the Front Range.
“De nitely explosive (growth) here in Colorado,” said Dan Howley, founder of e Spot gyms in Boulder and Denver. e Spot has hosted several past national climbing competitions and was home to bouldering nationals at their Denver location this year.
While USA Climbing is working to grow the sport around its new Salt Lake City base, Colorado athletes and fans continue to be a big part of the sport.
“ ere’s always been a lot of really great athletes, especially young athletes, that have come out of Colorado.
It’s got a long history in competitive rock climbing,” Lowe said. “Whenever somebody starts climbing the ranks and we hear they’re from Colorado, that’s de nitely no surprise.” at’s in part because of Boulder’s enduring ties to the sport.
“In the last 20 years, the Boulder area is sort of the Hollywood of rock climbing,” said Jason Haas, founder of G1 Climbing, “and if you’ve wanted to make a name for yourself in rock climbing you’ve had to live here.”
Two athletes from Colorado, Brooke Raboutou, 21, of Boulder, and Colin Du y, 18, of Broom eld, already quali ed for the national team trials in March. Both participated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but the next Olympic trials have not yet been scheduled.
Members and sta from both G1 and e Spot also competed in nationals, with at least one making nals.
While it may be a few years before USA Climbing comes back to Colorado for nationals, both gyms
say they hope to continue hosting other regional and local competitions. e Spot hosts four bouldering competitions every year and G1 hosts another. ere are also USA Climbing youth, high school and collegiate competitions across the state.
Indoor versus outdoor climbing e burgeoning sport is still at a point where fans can easily interact with the top athletes. During nals the weekend of Nov. 12, climbers battled the problems and routes set for them while spectators casually rubbed elbows with Olympians and other legends of the sport.
Nathaniel Coleman, a silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, was among the crowd along with Raboutou and Du y. Kyra Condie, another Olympian, at nationals won the bronze medal in lead climbing and was fth in bouldering.
“It’s like going to the World Series but the local community doesn’t get
to meet the star athletes in the NBA playo s or the Super Bowl,” Haas said.
“ ey don’t get to shake hands with Peyton Manning and have a conversation with him. But in climbing we’re still at that level where you can.”
Kyra Condie completes the rst boulder during nationals at e Spot in Denver. Condie, 26, won the bronze medal in lead climbing and was fth in bouldering. (Elliott Wenzler/ e Colorado Sun)
While the sport began with a strong connection with outdoor climbing, most agree the two have started to diverge.
“A lot of the routes that are set for these pros are now incorporating gymnastic, parkour-type movements,” Howley said, “physical movement that you’re not going to nd you’re able to do safely outside.”
Indoor climbing also o ers a new, unique option for people interested in overall tness, Lowe said.
“ ere’s a lot of people out there who have a hard time going into a typical gym to run on the treadmill or lift weights for a few hours,” Lowe said. “ ey want something they can actually actively engage with and chal-
lenge themselves not only physically but also mentally.”
Howley calls himself a “hardcore evangelist” for the sport.
“Indoor climbing has made this sport accessible and visible and popular to a larger community that maybe otherwise wouldn’t have been exposed to it, and to me that’s nothing but good,” he said. “Climbing makes people better as humans, it does so much for you. … It’s really good for the individual, it’s good for your soul and it’s food for building communities that care about each other and support each other.”
Now, USA Climbing and gym owners are working to make the sport more accessible to everyone.
Haas said it’s a pivotal time to make sure the sport grows and doesn’t turn into a fad that comes and goes. He
said that growth lies in accessibility to the non-rock climber.
He hopes for a day when people understand climbing like they do basketball or football.
“I should be able to turn on the television and go: who’s winning?” he said. “We have this great opportunity to show the whole world this sport and they can share it whether they physically do it as well or just spectate.”
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.
Valerie Smith
Winter lawn care for a wide variety of turfgrasses slightly di ers from that of spring, summer and fall. Your lawn is no longer in the active growing season. In fact, most warm season lawns go dormant around this time.
Lawn care in the winter is still just as important as other seasonal maintenance practices as your winter care will greatly determine how well your lawn comes out of dormancy in the spring.
Although you shouldn’t have to spend as much time maintaining your lawn during the active growing season, winter lawn maintenance is still a vital part of caring for your lawn.
It’s getting cooler outside and it’s obvious that you won’t need to mow as frequently as you have been all year. Our recommendation is to keep your grass a bit taller than normal.
When grass is too short, it doesn’t o er as much protection for the base of the grass blades and allows frost to get into the growing areas of your lawn. Keeping this area as protected as possible with slightly taller grass creates a barrier-like protection for the grass blades and stolons.
Be careful not to mow your lawn if there’s a lot of moisture from snow or ice as this may damage the grass blades. Make sure the lawn is dry and only mow when temperatures are about 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Now is an excellent time to service, or winterize, your lawn mower so that it’s fully operational and ready for the spring once mowing season resumes! Learn more here.
How to Water Your Lawn in the Winter
Irrigation maintenance practices during the winter aren’t usually as important in areas that receive rain or snow. In most areas, you will just need to water your lawn less than the active growing season.
However, if you are in an area that receives a really dry winter, be sure to water your lawn enough so that the soil receives nourishment and keeps grass blades from drying out. Your lawn is dormant—this doesn’t mean it is dead and doesn’t still need water.
The best winter fertilizer for lawns Fertilization should generally take place during the active growing seasons such as the spring, summer and fall. ere is really not a need to apply fertilizer once temperatures consistently drop below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s similar to giving
It’s best to prepare your lawn with the nutrients it needs to survive winter dormancy during the fall. Learn more in our blog, Fall Secrets to Achieve a Healthy Spring Lawn. However, when spring comes, it will be time to fertilize your lawn. Researching di erent fertilizers that match your lawn’s needs is something you can go ahead and start doing. e Lawni ®Spring Fertilizer Box is an easy-to-use liquid fertilizer program powered by Catalyst TechnologyTM to help plants better absorb nutrients with the use of less product.
Keep an eye out for winter grass weeds. Applying an herbicide during the winter isn’t always e ective since your lawn is dormant, which is why it’s best to apply products preventively in the fall.
Some research has shown that it’s safe to apply glyphosate, a nonselective herbicide, on dormant bermuda grass to kill o other weeds without damaging the bermuda grass. e e cacy of this is not as high as it would be in warmer temperatures, but it can still be done when applied properly.
If you have a lot of weeds, make note to apply a pre-emergent herbicide in the fall next year to prevent them. Common winter weeds to look out for include:
Purple Deadnettle, Chickweed, Annual bluegrass (Poa annua), and Henbit
Weed control products and other winter lawn treatments aren’t as e ective in the winter as other times of the year, which is why it’s best to apply these products preventively in the fall season before temperatures
Winter lawn insects to look out for
Most pests are going to be inactive at this time since it’s so cold outside. However, oftentimes insects and pests will burrow under objects in the lawn like lawn ornaments, toys that have been left out, weeds, rotted branches, etc.
A good way to keep them from overwintering in your lawn and causing damage in the spring again is by removing a lot of these objects from your lawn so that pests don’t have a place to take shelter from the cold.
Either hand-pull or apply a postemergent herbicide to keep any weeds that have survived cooler temperatures and consider relocating any lawn objects to your garage or outdoor shed.
You can also apply a broad-spectrum insect control product to treat any insects or bugs you may spot in the meantime.
Certain insects like grub worms, ants, eas, ticks, chinch bugs and spiders are sometimes known to survive during the colder parts of the year if they have places to take shelter.
Insect control products aren’t as e ective in the winter as other times of the year, which is why it’s best to apply these products preventively in the fall season before temperatures get too cold. Read and follow product labels thoroughly.
It’s pretty di cult to detect most lawn diseases during the winter season—especially if you have a warm season lawn that goes o -color and dormant as temperatures drop.
Oftentimes, symptoms of disease don’t begin making an appearance
up and disease patterns are easier to distinguish.
It’s still a great idea to apply disease control products preventively during the fall to keep diseases from taking over during the winter season. You may still notice some lawn diseases like snow mold.
Disease control products aren’t as e ective in the winter as other times of the year, which is why it’s best to apply these products preventively in the fall season before temperatures get too cold. Read and follow product labels thoroughly.
Your grass is probably dormant, meaning it’s not going to put a lot of energy into restoring itself after heavy tra c. Taking as much care of your lawn as you can by reducing tra c while it is “asleep” is one of the best preventative maintenance practices you can perform.
It keeps your grass from having to spend a bunch of energy restoring itself when it comes out of dormancy. Instead, let your grass focus its energy on ourishing as it comes out of dormancy.
Are you thinking about installing grass in the winter? e good news is this is entirely possible depending on your geographic location. Learn more about sod installation in the winter here.
Want to learn more about achieving a great lawn? Check out more Sod University tips here and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
is article was written by Sod Solutions Content Strategist, Valerie Smith. For all media inquiries or for high-resolution photos, contact Cecilia Brown at cecilia@sodsolutions.com.
cites the challenges schools face to graduate more students.
Graduation rates improved among students from all backgrounds, including Black and Hispanic students who graduate at lower rates than their peers.
Meanwhile, at four-year colleges, Colorado’s schools improved graduation rates to 35% during the same time period — up from 33%.
Complete College America leaders attribute increases at two-year colleges to the state changing how it offers remedial education, a better focus on supporting students who face life challenges, and more academic advising.
“Colorado really went all in as much as possible,” said Charles Ansell, vice president for research, policy, and advocacy at Complete College of America
Joe Garcia, Colorado Community College System chancellor, said the shift began in the last decade because the state focused less on enrolling students and more on getting them to graduate.
Associate degrees earned at two-year community colleges give students the necessary skills for jobs in internet technology, healthcare, or energy production. Some students also transfer to four-year colleges and continue their education.
The state reformed remedial education programs so students could do college-level coursework without paying extra for classes
that don’t get them credit toward graduation. Instead, students now learn college algebra or English skills through tutoring or additional class time while they’re in a class that leads to credit.
Ansell said the practice is good for students because it ends up reinforcing lessons. And it doesn’t damage student morale by making them take a class that doesn’t earn them credit. That keeps students enrolled, Ansell said.
Remedial classes “end up being a real downer because you’re told you’re college material and then the first thing that you’re told is you have to take the classes that you just took in high school,” Ansell said.
The college system has also emphasized ensuring students have basic needs met. More community colleges have food pantries or step in when students face housing insecurity.
And the community college system has ramped up advising over the years so students can see a path toward a degree, Garcia said. The system has streamlined course catalogs, which Garcia said were overly confusing and caused students to take classes that didn’t connect to their eventual career goals.
The state has more work to do, Garcia said. In the last two years, community college leaders have expanded degree programs that allow community college students to easily enroll in four-year colleges. One example is a recent engineering partnership with the Colorado School of Mines.
Ansell said the state will also
need to increase support for basic needs or other challenges students are facing by placing more funding into those programs, especially because the pandemic has changed whether students decide to go to college.
More students of color are choosing not to enroll in college, Garcia said. Since the pandemic, more students are choosing to work or don’t enroll because they worry about college costs. That’s contributed to a dip in community college enrollment that hasn’t recovered since the start of the pandemic. And fewer students are taking classes full time and instead
opting to go to school part time, Garcia said.
The Complete College of America report shows students who don’t take classes full time have a tougher time graduating.
“What all of us in higher education are worried about right now is losing ground we fought so hard to gain over the last 10 years,” Garcia said.
This story is from Chalkbeat Colorado, a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. Used by permission. For more, and to support Chalkbeat, visit co.chalkbeat.org.
‘What all of us in higher education are worried about right now is losing ground we fought so hard to gain over the last 10 years.’
Joe Garcia,
Colorado Community College System chancellor
BY TAMARA CHUANG THE COLORADO SUN
ere’s still a loooooong wait to process claims for the recently unemployed.
e 10-to-12-week delay that has been going on since at least July now has some claims taking “up to 16 weeks, depending on the complexity of the claim,” said Phillip Spesshardt, director of the Division of Unemployment Insurance at Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.
at means thousands of people who lost their jobs this year are still waiting for the temporary assistance known as unemployment bene ts.
How many? Spesshardt shared the details in an email:
at’s more than 8,000 people who’ve been waiting on claims for seven weeks or more. Still waiting as of Monday, Dec. 5:
• 1,892 claims between 11 and 12 weeks old need to be processed
• 6,361 claims between 7 to 10 weeks old need to be processed
• 3,261 claims between 5 and 6 weeks old need to be processed
• 3,623 claims between 1 and 4 weeks old need to be processed.
Most Coloradans who lost their jobs in 2020 and 2021 got their unemployment checks much faster after Gov. Jared Polis ordered payments be made within 10 days. e state’s labor department still had to vet each claim — that’s federal law — but could pay rst even if the later investigation found the claim wasn’t valid. e state also had to try to claw those payments back.
Investigating the old pandemic claims is what caused this year’s delay. In July, the backlog was 20,000 issues, down from 800,000 at the peak. ose are now resolved, Spesshardt said.
But now, with the governor’s order ended, the labor department returned to its pre-pandemic policies. ey can’t pay unemployment
bene ts until a claim is con rmed legitimate. e claims that are still waiting are experiencing longer delays than before the pandemic because the agency couldn’t fully focus on new claims, since it also had to work on old pandemic ones.
“ is is due in part to cascading delays from the pandemic, unresponsive claimants and employers, and a (unemployment insurance) sta ng shortage,” Spesshardt said.
“Federal law also requires that these claims need to be reviewed by people and don’t allow for automation of this process.”
e unemployment division continues to take steps to speed up the process. Spesshardt said they hired 20 new adjudicators to help clear the backlog, and increased production requirements for sta . e labor department is also trying to communicate better by using “plain language” so there’s no miscommunication by workers or employers on what CDLE needs. CDLE is also enhancing the technology so employers can
respond electronically.
“We understand the impact these delays have on our customers, and we are working toward a goal of being able to process claims within 4 to 6 weeks by the end of March 2023,” Spesshardt said.
Tips for calling unemployment Call in the middle of the day. If you wait until the day’s end, the queue may be full and the call may not get through, Spesshardt said. Scheduling a callback is no longer available and agents are available only between 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday at 303-318-9000. According to CDLE’s records, nonpeak business hours are showing 10-minute waits.
separate winter storms that covered most of the state during those periods,” Gedney said in an email.
New claims are far from pandemic levels but at 3,436 last week, that’s nearly double the 1,900 weekly average before the pandemic in 2019. Take a look at this chart graphing data from the U.S. Department of Labor:
Fall was a rough season for employees at many well-known tech companies, from Amazon to Twitter, where thousands of layo s occurred. But Gedney earlier said it’s unclear whether the tech layo s contributed to the changes.
resources
• Low income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP): is federally funded program helps low-income households pay a portion of winter heating costs.
• Temporary Rent and Utility Assistance (TRUA): e city of Denver o ers assistance with paying rent or utilities for income-eligible households through TRUA. >> More information
• 211colorado.org: is all-purpose site organized by local United Way o ces o ers links to rent, utilities, employment and other nancial support by ZIP code. Coloradans can also call 2-1-1 on their phone.
Since September, the number of Coloradans ling for unemployment for the rst time has risen nearly every week. While not everyone gets approved for bene ts, the number of people who do collect regular weekly unemployment checks has similarly been on the rise.
e ups and downs of recent weeks have more to do with weather than a holiday, said Ryan Gedney, senior economist with the state’s labor department.
“ e upward movements for those weeks you’re observing correlate to
Tech workers have high-demand skills and tend to nd new jobs quickly or get a severance so they don’t bother applying for unemployment bene ts.
e tech sector also makes up a small part of the state’s jobs. e uncertain economy has impacted all companies and industries. is week, investment bank Morgan Stanley was reportedly laying o 2% of its workforce, or about 1,600 people. PepsiCo, which recently opened a new 1.2 million-squarefoot manufacturing plant in Denver, reportedly cut “hundreds of jobs” at its headquarters in Purchase, New York, Chicago and Plano, Texas.
Layo s double for small businesses. At least that’s the conclusion for Alignable’s recent hiring survey of 6,908 small business owners nationwide. When asked if they’re having layo s, 15% of the owners surveyed Nov. 19-Dec. 8 said yes, compared to 8% a month earlier. For Colorado, the rate is greater: 21% of small business owners said they plan to lay o workers, compared to 14% from the month earlier.
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.
versity of Colorado Regent Heidi Ganahl, who lost by more than 19 percentage points.
BY SANDRA FISH THE COLORADO SUN
Democratic Gov. Jared Polis spent $12.6 million of his own money on his successful reelection bid this year, more than any other state-level candidate or group in Colorado required to make 2022 campaign nance disclosures.
at’s according to nal statelevel 2022 campaign nance reports due Dec. 13. e data doesn’t include money spent by political nonpro ts, which don’t have to report their nances to the Colorado Secretary of State’s O ce or the public, and are referred to by e Colorado Sun as dark-money groups.
Polis’ 2022 spending, however, didn’t come close to the more than $23 million of his own cash spent in 2018 to win his rst gubernatorial campaign.
e No. 2 state-level political spender in Colorado this year was Total Wine & More at $12 million.
e money went toward supporting Proposition 124, an unsuccessful ballot measure that would have let the retail giant open more stores in Colorado.
Democratic super PACs outspent their GOP counterparts on state-level races, as did Democratic candidates — for the most part.
Here is what you need to know about how the nal campaign nance numbers in Colorado this year.
Democratic candidates dominate spending on state-level statewide contests
Polis spent a total of $13.2 million on his reelection, more than three times the $3.7 million spent by his Republican opponent, Uni -
Polis spent $9 per vote cast in his favor in the general election, less than the $9.72 per vote he spent in the 2018 general election and far less than the nearly $40 per vote he spent winning a fourway primary that year.
By comparison, Ganahl spent $3.77 per vote cast in her favor, which was the second-highest amount by a candidate for statelevel statewide o ce. She put more than $2 million of her own money into her campaign.
In the U.S. Senate race, Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet spent $16 per vote to win reelection over Republican Joe O’Dea, who spent $9 per vote.
ree other Democrats who ran for state-level statewide o ce also signi cantly outspent their Republican opponents to win reelection Nov. 8.
Attorney General Phil Weiser and Secretary of State Jena Griswold spent more than 10 times per vote than their Republican opponents, 18th Judicial District Attorney John Kellner and former Je erson County Clerk Pam Anderson. Treasurer Dave Young spent 50 cents per vote compared with the 21 cents spent per vote by Republican Lang Sias, a former state representative.
Democrats also got more help from state-level super PACs than their Republican opponents, with Strong Colorado for All, a Democratic group, spending $7.3 million in the governor’s contest, mostly opposing Ganahl.
Republican super PAC Deep Colorado Wells spent $3.3 million in the gubernatorial and attorney general races. at PAC was operated by Weld County rancher and oil and gas booster Steve Wells, who gave the group $11 million.
Governor spent even more to win race in 2018
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But he took back $7 million of that, stopping his spending about a month before Election Day when he said it became clear Ganahl couldn’t win.
e Democratic Attorneys General Association’s state super PAC spent $2.9 million supporting Weiser and opposing Kellner. e conservative super PAC Defend Colorado spent $1.8 million supporting Kellner and Anderson while opposing Griswold and Weiser. And Defend Democracy Fund, a Democratic political action committee, spent $1.5 million supporting Griswold and opposing Anderson.
Super PACs and Democratic candidates led spending in legislative contests
Democratic candidates outspent their Republican counterparts in four of the seven competitive state Senate contests and in four of the ve House districts that ipped from Republican to Democratic.
In the costliest state Senate contest, Je erson County-based Senate District 20, Republican developer Tim Walsh loaned his campaign more than $1 million and spent about $1.2 million in his loss to Democratic state Rep. Lisa Cutter. She spent $262,000.
In the race to represent House District 43 in Douglas County, Democrat Bob Marshall, a retired Marine, won a narrow victory despite being outspent by nearly $39,000 by Republican Kurt Hu man, a businessman and engineer. Marshall loaned his
campaign nearly half of the $120,000 it spent, while Hu man loaned his campaign $120,000 of the nearly $160,000 it spent.
Democratic super PACs also outspent their Republican counterparts on state legislative races:
All Together Colorado spent more than $11 million helping elect Democratic state Senate candidates, compared with the $8.5 million spent by Senate Majority Fund, which supported Republicans.
Better Colorado Alliance spent $4.7 million supporting Democratic state House candidates, compared with the roughly $1.4 million spent by Restore Colorado Leadership Fund supporting GOP House candidates.
Unite for Colorado Action spent nearly $4.2 million to support Republican state legislative candidates.
Coloradans Creating Opportunity spent $2.1 million supporting Democratic legislative candidates.
Coloradans for Consumer Choice and Retail Fairness spent $15.22 per vote in its failed e ort to allow liquor retailers to open an unlimited number of stores in Colorado by 2036 through Proposition 124. More than 62% of voters rejected the ballot measure.
Colorado Fine Wines & Spirits, a subsidiary of the national Total Wine & More chain, accounted for nearly $12 million of the $13.8 million spent by Coloradans for Consumer Choice and Retail Fairness.
Wine in Grocery Stores spent $14.6 million in support of two measures,
one aimed at allowing wine sales in
grocery stores starting in March and the other that would have allowed home delivery of alcohol by thirdparty delivery companies and let restaurants o er to-go alcohol.
e wine in grocery stores measure, Proposition 125, narrowly passed, while the alcohol delivery measure, Proposition 126, narrowly failed. Two delivery services, Instacart and DoorDash, were the largest donors to the committee, at $4.8 million and $3.6 million respectively.
Keeping Colorado Local, which fought Propositions 124,125 and 126, spent only $903,000 against the three liquor ballot measures, with most of its donations coming from independent liquor stores.
Other notable ballot measure spending:
Coloradans For A ordable Housing Now spent $5.22 per vote in passing Proposition 123, which will dedicate nearly $300 million each year in existing tax revenue to a ordable housing programs. Nonpro t Gary Ventures
contributed nearly $2.1 million of the $6.6 million the committee spent.
Natural Medicine Colorado spent $4.46 per vote on Proposition 122, which legalized psilocybin mushrooms and was approved by nearly 54% of voters. Nearly $4.4 million of the $5.8 million spent came from national nonpro t New Approach and its federal PAC.
Healthy School Meals For All Colorado Students spent $1.32 per vote in successfully passing Proposition GG, which eliminated tax breaks for wealthy Coloradans to allow schools to provide free meals to all students. Numerous nonpro ts accounted for the committee’s $1.8 million in spending.
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.
the Clerk’s office), and must be filed as an Original and include $192.00 filing fee. A copy of each Statement of Opposition must also be served upon the Applicant or Applicant’s Attorney and an affidavit or certificate of such service of mailing shall be filed with the Water Clerk.
Legal Notice No. 24930
December 22, 2022
December 22, 2022
to C.R.S. 37-92-302, you
following
2022CW3177 STEVEN C. SCHLUTER AND TONIA R. SCHLUTER, 166 Zion Road, Birdsboro, PA 19508. James J. Petrock, Eric K. Trout, Hayes Poznanovic Korver LLC, 700 17th Street, Suite 1800, Denver, CO 80202.
FROM
IN THE NONTRIBUTARY LOWER DAWSON, ARAPAHOE, AND LARAMIE-FOX HILLS AQUIFERS, AND THE NOTNONTRIBUTARY UPPER DAWSON AQUIFER IN ELBERT COUNTY. Subject Property: 39.85 acres generally located in the S1/2 of the S1/2 of Section 2, Township 9 South, Range 65 West of the 6th P.M., also known as 1237 County Road 118, Elizabeth, Elbert County, State of Colorado, as shown on Exhibit A (“Subject Property”). Applicants certify that there are no parties that have a mortgage or lien interest in the Subject Property, therefore no notice is required under C.R.S. § 37-92-302(2)(b). Well Permits: There is currently one well on the Subject Property under Well Permit No. 36045-A. This well will be re-permitted under the augmentation plan applied for herein. Additional well permits will be applied for prior to construction of wells.
Source of Water Rights: The Upper Dawson Aquifer is not-nontributary as defined in C.R.S. § 37-90-103(10.7), and the Lower Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, and LaramieFox Hills aquifers are nontributary as defined in C.R.S. § 37-90-103(10.5). Estimated Amounts: Applicants estimate the following annual amounts may be available for withdrawal based on a 300year withdrawal period:
Aquifer Annual Amount (acre-feet)
Upper Dawson (NNT) 6.02
Lower Dawson (NT) 3.42 Denver (NT) 4.89 Arapahoe (NT) 5.03 Laramie-Fox Hills (NT) 4.16
Jurisdiction: The Court has jurisdiction over the subject matter of this application pursuant to C.R.S. §§ 37-90-137(6), 37-92-203(1), 3792-302(2). Summary of Plan for Augmentation: Groundwater to be Augmented: Approximately 2.1 acre-feet per year for 300 years of Upper Dawson Aquifer groundwater. Water Rights to be Used for Augmentation: Return flows from the use of not-nontributary and nontributary groundwater and direct discharge of nontributary groundwater.
State
DIV. 1
Proposed Uses: Use, reuse, and successive use for domestic, including in-house use, commercial, irrigation, industrial, stockwatering, fire protection,
Statement of Plan for Augmentation: The Upper Dawson Aquifer groundwater will be used in up to three (3) wells for in-house use in up to five (5) single-family homes, or their equivalent (1.5 acrefeet per year total), irrigation, including home lawn, garden, and trees, of up to 22,000 square-feet (1.1 acre-feet per year total), stockwatering for up to 32 large domestic animals (0.4 acre-feet total), and fire protection, on the Subject Property. Applicants reserve the right to amend the amount and uses without amending the application or republishing the same. Sewage treatment for in-house use will be provided by non-evaporative septic systems. Return flow from in-house use will be approximately 90% of that use, and return flow from irrigation use will be approximately 15% of that use. During pumping Applicants will replace actual depletions pursuant to C.R.S. § 37-90-137(9)(c.5). Depletions occur to the Running and Cherry Creek stream systems and return flows accrue to those stream systems and are sufficient to replace actual depletions while the subject groundwater is being pumped. Applicants will reserve an equal amount of nontributary groundwater underlying the Subject Property to meet post-pumping augmentation requirements. Applicants request the Court approve the above underground water rights and augmentation plan, find that Applicants have complied with C.R.S. § 37-90-137(4) and water is legally available for withdrawal, find there will be no material injury to the owners of or persons entitled to use water under any vested water right or decreed conditional water right, and grant such other and further relief as is appropriate. 4 pages. THE WATER RIGHTS CLAIMED BY THESE APPLICATIONS MAY AFFECT IN PRIORITY ANY WATER RIGHTS CLAIMED OR HERETOFORE ADJUDICATED WITHIN THIS DIVISION AND OWNERS OF AFFECTED RIGHTS MUST APPEAR TO OBJECT WITHIN THE TIME PROVID-
Legal Notice No. 24931
First Publication: December 22, 2022 Last Publication: December 22, 2022
Publisher: Elbert County News
Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name
Public notice is given on November 17, 2022, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Elbert County Court.
The petition requests that the name of Julia Elizabeth Grace Piselbe changed to Julia Elizabeth Grayce Pisel Case No.: 22 C 74
By: Deputy Clerk
Legal Notice No.24927
First Publication: December 8, 2022
Last Publication: December 22, 2022
Publisher: Elbert County News
