Elbert County News 122922

Ziggi’s Co ee opens in Elizabeth

Hundreds turn out for shop’s grand opening

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

At the much-anticipated grand opening of Ziggi’s Co ee, hundreds of eager people came to try Elizabeth’s newest co ee spot. e shop is located in Elizabeth West at 2360 Legacy Circle o of Highway 86. e franchise is owned by Elizabeth resident and Colorado native Jessica Mote.

At the Dec. 17 grand opening, patrons received a free 16-ounce drink of choice from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. e shop was packed with customers while cars were wrapped around the building at the drive-thru. roughout the four-hour period, the store gave away nearly 600 drinks to customers.

e shop was bustling with employees making co ee and greeting customers. Behind the counter, several of baristas hurriedly made free drinks for patrons inside and at the drive-thru.

General Manager Tara McGuire shared her thoughts on working at the Elizabeth Ziggi’s Co ee as she ran to and fro attending to the operations of the shop.

“What I love is the amazing atmosphere. It is friendly and welcoming. I mean, look at the view,” said McGuire. “We have amazing owners. Everybody is so on top of everything, everyone is so friendly, and we’re all really hard-working.”

Mote spent her time during the grand opening event greeting customers and helping the store run smoothly. roughout the day she

Christmas cheer at Casey Jones

Park district plays host to holiday celebration

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

Kids and families celebrated at Casey Jones Park recently when the Elizabeth Park & Recreation District held its free Christmas event.

e activities at the Dec. 17 event were held in the Casey Jones Pavilion, where people gathered for warm drinks, cookies and holiday craft tables. Santa was available for kids to share their Christmas wishes and to take photos with.

e Elizabeth Park & Recreation District hosts the Christmas event each year to provide local families

SEE CASEY JONES, P2

FORCED TO FLEE

Asylum-seeker charts a path in the Denver suburbs

A horse-drawn carriage conveys riders through the snow at Casey Jones Park on Dec. 17 during the Elizabeth Park & Recreation District Christmas event.

PHOTOS BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

A little girl talks with Santa Claus at the Elizabeth Park & Recreation District Christmas event on Dec. 17 at Casey Jones Pavilion.

little holiday cheer.

“We hold at least four community events each year for residents, and the goal is really just to get people out to commune with their neighbors and do our part to help support and strengthen the Elizabeth community,” said Elizabeth Park & Recreation District Director Mike Barney in an email correspondence from Dec. 19. “Through offering opportunities for celebration and play, I believe the district has a positive influence on our community and provides cost free opportunities for residents to enjoy some holiday fun.”

The highlight of the event was the horse-drawn carriage that took groups of people through the pines

Energy insecurity a ects more than 1 million Coloradans.

By supporting Energy Outreach Colorado with a gift today, more of our neighbors in need will have a place to turn for help.

You can give the gift of warmth at www.energyoutreach.org/donate

CASEY JONES, P3

Volunteers for the Christmas event stand at the cookie-covered Casey Jones Pavilion bar.

People gather on the back of a horse-drawn carriage ride at the Elizabeth Park & Recreation District Christmas event.

PHOTOS BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

CASEY JONES

of the snowy Casey Jones Park. The unique wooded hills of the area provide a serene backdrop for a Christmas-themed carriage ride.

“I love that this event is in Elizabeth. We live halfway between Elizabeth and Parker and this is perfect for us” said Michelle Guzinski, a visitor at the event. “It doesn’t get any more quintessential Christmas than this. And it is awesome that it’s free.”

The next community Park & Rec event is Elizabeth’s Easter Egg-stravaganza to be held at Evans Park on Apr. 8, 2023. The event is an exciting twist on the traditional Easter egg hunt and is open to youths of all ages.

For more information on Elizabeth Park & Rec community events, please visit elizabethpr. com/special-events.

County o ce closure

Douglas County offices will be closed Monday, January 2 in observance of the New Year Holiday.

Many services are available at DoItOnlineDouglas.com

Live Town Hall meetings

Did you know Douglas County offers Live Town Hall meetings, inviting you to engage in the local issues of importance to you and your neighbors? Register at douglas.co.us/townhall/ to ensure you are contacted about all future Live Town Halls – it’s always your choice whether or not to participate. Registering will also allow you to receive surveys so that you may share what topics YOU want to hear more about.

Skip the trip - motor vehicle services just a click away

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

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.

Do you have one hour to spare each week?

Consider giving that time to change the life of an older adult by volunteering with Aging Resources. You can help with transportation, go grocery shopping or provide company for older adults. For more information, visit agingresourcesdougco.org

Ring in the New Year with Family and Friends

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

**Firework displays my be canceled the day of the event if conditions warrant.**

FROM PAGE 2

Carriage horses are decked out in festive wear for the holidays as they pull riders around Casey Jones Park during the Dec. 17 Elizabeth Park & Recreation District Christmas event.

PHOTOS BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

Kids Mesa and Max are excited to be at the

A little girl watches Santa Claus read her Christmas list.

ZIGGI’S

FROM PAGE 1

gave stickers away to patrons but also took some time to speak with the Elbert County News.

“ e rst week and grand opening was simply amazing! We can’t thank the community enough for the support and warm welcome,” said Mote in an email correspondence from Dec. 19. “My favorite part was meeting people, hearing the joy to have a place to hang out, and seeing the smiles from the kids as we were handing out stickers.”

Like much of the new development around Elizabeth, the opening of new stores like Ziggi’s Co ee is often contentious among locals. Some are excited for the new amenities while others want to preserve the rural landscape and lifestyle. One anonymous Elizabeth local shared her opinion after picking up her co ee from the drive-thru.

“As a longtime Elbert County

resident, I’m really excited to have more shops here. Change is OK and people shouldn’t be afraid of it. I’m really thrilled to have Ziggi’s here.”

Mote hopes that she can help bring a local feel to the franchise and be involved with the Elizabeth community. She wants to put citizen concerns at ease.

“We are very much community oriented. ere are some mixed feeling about us coming in but our biggest thing is that we want to show that we supportive of the community. We’re here to do that and get on our feet as soon as our possible,” said Mote. “ e people we have on our sta are amazing. We make it a team e ort. We have high school kids working here and want to support sta as best we can. To stay involved with the community, we are working with the Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce and other organizations like the local re department. Most importantly, we want to provide an

A barista holds a newly made drink at the new Ziggi’s Co ee in Elizabeth.

FROM

During an in-store interview on Dec. 17, Mote stressed that Ziggi’s is Coloradobased company that prioritizes Colorado products.

“First and foremost, we are Colorado-based. e company started in 2004 in Longmont and all products are sourced from Colorado. Co ee is roasted in Colorado. Even the cake pops are from Colorado,” said Mote. “ ere is some skepticism about new companies coming in, but we’re di erent. We want to make sure that message

IF YOU GO

Elizabeth Ziggi’s Co ee hours:

Monday-Friday — 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday — 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information on Ziggi’s Co ee, visit ziggisco ee.com.

PHOTO BY CHANCY

Flu cases, hospitalizations on the rise

O cials push for vaccinations

BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Flu cases are on the rise, and according to state health officials, hospitalizations are higher this year than they have been in the past 10 years. The surge has a variety of causes, including people not getting the flu shot as consistently as in past years.

Dr. Ben Usatch, UCHealth ER director at Highlands Ranch Hospital, said COVID vaccinations brought on this onslaught of “mixed emotions” that resulted in other annual shots being affected — flu shots being one of them.

“The bottom line is flu vaccines are the best protection to get through the season,” Usatch said. “They do not hit the target right on the head, but they make a big difference.”

In reality, said Dr. Reginald Washington, HealthOne chief medical officer for Presbyterian/ St. Luke’s Hospital and Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children, with all the flu strains, the vaccine’s effectiveness is between 50% and 70%. But even with those odds, people fare better through the season with the shot that has nothing to do with COVID.

“Flu vaccines are not 100% effective,” Washington said, “they

never have been. This year, it is 70% effective. People are just tired of being told to get a vaccine. But it does need to be updated every year.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Prevention (CDC), recent studies show that getting a flu vaccination can reduce the risk of flu illness between 40% and 60% during flu season.

Even with the vaccination burnout, Colorado residents have already exceeded last year’s flu-shot numbers, according to the Colorado Department of Health and Environment, with 1.68 million getting the flu shot. Last year at the same time, 1.66 million were vaccinated. Still hospitalizations are increasing and health officials say people are not getting the shot at rates they did before the COVID pandemic.

Brian Spencer, with the state health department, provided data showing that pre-pandemic numbers had higher rates of vaccinations in Colorado. During the 2018-19 flu season, 1.9 million got the flu shot. In 2019-20 just over 2.1 million got the annual shot.

“In some states, flu cases and hospitalizations are at their highest marks since the H1N1 flu pandemic back in 2009,” said Dr. Eric France, chief medical officer of the state health department. “Flu vaccines are recommended for everyone aged 6 months and older, with rare exceptions. Flu vaccines are

the best way to prevent spreading the flu to people who are most at risk, including older adults, young children, people who are pregnant, and people with certain chronic health conditions.”

According to the state health department, it can take up to two weeks for the shot to be fully effective, which means during holiday gatherings this month, the unvaccinated can spread the flu faster.

On a national level, the CDC reported at least 13 million have had the flu already this year, with 120,000 hospitalized. There are more than 7,300 deaths reported.

According to state health data, cases in Colorado include:

• There were 306 people hospitalized with influenza during the week ending Dec. 3, for a total of 952 people hospitalized with flu since Oct. 2.

• There have been 1,700 RSVassociated hospitalizations in the five-county Denver metro area, which includes Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas, Jefferson and Douglas counties, since Oct 1.

The state health department recommends:

• Adults 65 years and older should get one of three specific flu vaccine types. If one of these three products is not available, people aged 65 years and older can get any other age-appropriate influenza vaccine. People can talk to their doctors about which vaccine is best for them.

• Children younger than 9 years

old who are either getting the flu vaccine for the first time or have only previously received one dose of the vaccine should get two doses of the vaccine. The second dose should be given at least 28 days after the first dose.

• Pregnant women have more serious complications if they get the flu. The flu vaccine can be given in any trimester of pregnancy.

Medicare, Medicaid, CHP+, and most private health insurers cover the full cost of the flu vaccine. Coloradans without health insurance can still get the flu vaccine for free at certain health care providers. Call ahead or schedule online with your local pharmacy or health care clinic to make an appointment for the flu vaccine.

With the trifecta of COVID, RSV and flu cases increasing, Dr. Sam Dominguez, the infectious disease specialist at Children’s Hospital Colorado, said children should not only get updated flu vaccinations but should also have the COVID and chickenpox vaccinations.

With RSV and group A strep cases increasing, Dominguez advised parents that being fully vaccinated and keeping kids home when sick will help decrease illness this season.

Washington said besides vaccinations, practicing good hygiene in washing hands and getting tested for COVID, RSV and the flu when symptoms are persistent is important.

Thu 1/05

Knit & Crochet-Advanced

@ 8pm

Jan 5th - Mar 16th

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

Fri 1/06

EVC Club Team Members Only:

Courtney Thompson & Tamari Miyashiro Camp

@ 6pm / $175

Elevation Volleyball Club, 12987 E Adam Aircraft Drive, Englewood. 720-524-4136

Baking Soda Volcano @ 8pm

Sinners & Saints, 221 Perry St, Castle Rock

Phat Daddy @ 9pm

The Angry Clover, 15350 E Smoky Hill Rd, Aurora Knolls

Basketball: Kinder - Coed - Ages 4 to 6 - Winter 2023

@ 11:30pm

Jan 6th - Feb 25th

Parker Recreation Center, 17301 E Lincoln Ave., Parker

Sat 1/07

Aqua Zumba

@ 3pm

Jan 7th - Mar 18th

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

Soccer: Mini Mite - Ages 3 to 4Winter Indoor 2023 @ 3pm

Jan 7th - Feb 25th

Parker Fieldhouse, 18700 E Plaza Dr, Parker

Parker

Bunny Blake Music @ 8:30pm

Colorado Cork & Keg, 971 Park St, Castle Rock

Mon 1/09

School Break Camp - 1/9 @ 7:30am / $45

Parker Fieldhouse, 18700 E Plaza Dr., Parker. 303-805-6315

Torreys Peak Ages 8-11 - 2023 League Session #1 @ 4:30pm / $300

Jan 9th - Mar 4th

Elevation Volleyball Club, 12987 E Adam Aircraft Drive, Englewood. 720-524-4136

Crestone Peak Ages 13-14 - 2023 League Session #1 @ 4:30pm / $300

Jan 9th - Mar 4th

Elevation Volleyball Club, 12987 E Adam Aircraft Drive, Englewood. 720-524-4136

Herman's Hideaway, 1578 S Broadway, Denver

ARTS: Pottery @ Harvard Gulch @ 1am

Jan 11th - Mar 14th

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

ARTS: Pottery @ Platt Park @ 5pm

Jan 11th - Mar 15th

Platt Park Recreation Center, 1500 S. Grant St., Denver. 720-913-0654

Middle School Strength and Conditioning Camps - Camp 2 @ 6:15pm / $250

Jan 9th - Feb 15th

Valor Stadium Weight Room, 3775 E Grace Blvd, Highlands Ranch. 303-471-3000

Tue 1/10

Culinary: Buddha Bowls (16+yrs) @ 1am

Jan 10th - Jan 9th PACE Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker

Kids’ Zone: Rascal Roundup (3-6 yrs) W/S23 @ 5pm

Jan 10th - Jan 31st

Parker Recreation Center, 17301 E Lincoln Ave., Parker

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The true holiday season is here. I say that because one might be confused, since we start seeing stores with holiday decorations everywhere in September these days. It’s one of my pet peeves that I thought I would unload on you all.

Anyway, back to the point. Because the holiday season is pushed on us so early, planning starts sooner. Buying stu starts sooner. We start working to make sure our children and family feel loved through the number of wrapped gifts under the tree.

Like many, I have fallen into the scenario a little too much. In an interview I did with the mental health director at Children’s Hospital Colorado in 2022, she talked about how social media has created this “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality. Our families must look like they are doing the best, getting the best and having the most.

She is not wrong. If you look at my posts, you will think I do nothing but spend quality time with the children, am always happy and never face adversity. So, we buy stu — a lot of stu to pack under the Christmas tree. However, I keep going back to a study I read a few years ago about how some families are spending less on Christmas and more on quality time. at quality time can come in the form of a trip together to a place you’ve never been. is year, I did that. I spent money on several trips with my children. We had a wonderful experience in Oregon. We explored the coast, enjoyed the scenery, and went crabbing, which my son absolutely had a blast doing.

We are several months past the trip, and you still hear the kids on occasion talking about the fun memories. at alone proved to me the study was correct.

Today, you look in their room at some of the barely used Christmas gifts from last year and they are just shoved in the closet. Not talked about, not really played with.

I tried to really set a spending limit this year, focusing on a few gifts they would love, use and keep. I actively work to get rid of the idea that I am somehow a better mother because they have 100 gifts under the tree.

My mom often tells a story about how poor her family was. Her widowed mom worked to take care of seven children, which meant not a lot of extra money. My mom and her brothers and sisters got one gift a year. ey were proud of that gift. ey knew their mom had to work extra and stretch every penny to make it happen.

Today, my own kids do not really have that level of appreciation for the things they have. It’s tough to teach it sometimes, too, when I get wrapped up in how much they should get.

It is going to take time to truly meet my goals of not going overboard to make sure my children get gifts in quantity rather than quality, but it is a priority as I move forward.

e stu under the tree is treated that way for the majority of the year. It just becomes stu that does not create memories or appreciation and eventually heads to Goodwill.

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

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher

lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LOCAL VOICES

A publication of

MICHAEL DE YOANNA Editor-in-Chief michael@coloradocommunitymedia.com

THELMA GRIMES South Metro Editor tgrimes@coloradocommunitymedia.com

SCOTT GILBERT Editor

sgilbert@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Behind every door is opportunity for change

WINNING

La st week I was speaking with the CEO of one of our customers and he shared with me that although he has been in his role for almost two years, he feels like every door he opens presents itself with an opportunity for improvement. And although he was referring to the areas of his business, it made we wonder if the rest of us maybe looked for doors to open where we could also make improvements personally or professionally.

is time of year, I have often written about goal setting and goal achievement in the past as New Year’s Eve in all its New Year’s resolution splendor calls for us to think about what we may want to change, do di erently, do better, or improve. Some take this time very seriously and have a well thought out and balanced plan for how they are going to enter the year, start strong and nish even stronger. Others take a more casual approach, maybe even waiting right up unto the clock strikes midnight before declaring their resolution.

And then there are those of us who simply do not believe in the nonsense of New Year’s

LINDSAY NICOLETTI

Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com

ERIN ADDENBROOKE

Marketing Consultant eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

AUDREY BROOKS

Business Manager abrooks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

ERIN FRANKS Production Manager efranks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

resolutions — if we are going to make changes and improvements, we just get it done on our time and when we are good and ready.

Let’s revisit what my customer shared about opening doors and nding opportunities to improve. What would it look like if we put some intentionality behind this year’s game plan for our lives, goal setting, or business planning? Looking at all doors, every area of our personal and professional life, to identify areas that if we made some level of improvement, that it would bring us greater joy, success, wealth, vitality, or help to get us in better shape physically, mentally, or spiritually.

Maybe we start by looking to open those doors that we haven’t opened in a long time. As a matter of fact, these doors have remained locked for so long that we must give them a rm tug to pry them open. ese are those doors to opportunities that we have always known we should have opened long ago, but we made the decision to focus on those other areas of our lives to make changes to instead. Or our desire to change gave way to laziness, and then laziness gave way to procrastination, and procrastination eventually led to defeat.

Next, we can start with those doors of op-

Columnists & Guest Commentaries

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

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

Email letters to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Deadline Wed. for the following week’s paper.

ELBERT COUNTY NEWS (USPS 171-100)

A legal newspaper of general circulation in Elizabeth, Colorado, the Elbert County News is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110.

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

Thelma Grimes

At the end of “A River Runs rough It,”Norman Maclean says he is “haunted by waters.” It’s a beautiful turn of a phrase, but what does it mean? We generally think of haunting in terms of ghosts in a haunted house or cemetery. In them, the ghosts are real entities, men without skin as Toni Morrison describes them in “Beloved.” In Maclean’s story however, the haunter is not an entity, but a memory, one that took up residence and became etched in his psyche so powerfully that it wouldn’t release its grip. Adding to the depth of the mystery is Maclean’s associating his memories with water, which in Jungian psychotherapy is the realm of the unconscious.

Norman Maclean was a real person who decided to tell the story of his family with an especial focus on his brother, Paul. Without Paul, the story falls short, even becomes trite. It is Paul we nd captivating. Incredibly awed, making poor decision after poor decision, yet remaining endearing. As his father says at the end. He was beautiful. Still, why relate a story of one’s family?

Yes, “A River Runs rough It”is a captivating tale, but why does it have staying power, given it was published in 1976 and made into a lm in 1992? Besides, nearly everyone has a tale of their family in which some crazy bat-doodoo stu took place. e reason is that it’s for that very reason: “A River Runs rough It” is a timeless archetypical tale about a family and one of

NORTON

FROM PAGE 8

portunities for change that we opened last year, last month, last week, or even yesterday and then for whatever reason we closed them. We had an inspiring or motivating moment, we opened the door, saw an area of life or work that we wanted to improve, and we may have even started before closing the door again. ese are the easiest doors to open and re-explore as they once had our attention and intention to want to change. Something we wanted to start doing or maybe even something we wanted to stop doing, and those feelings are probably still in our hearts and top of mind.

e rst doors were those hard ones, the second doors were the easy ones, and now here are the most intriguing doors. ese are the doors of opportunity we have yet to think about. Behind these doors lie untapped potential, new

A haunting novel

JERRY FABYANIC

its incorrigibly endearing member. By doing a masterful job, Maclean avoids falling into the trap of writing a novel — actually, a novella — about a human condition that isn’t novel. To this day, it remains a story in which many nd meaning even though their circumstances are vastly di erent from life in rural Montana a century or so ago. Even if readers and viewers aren’t haunted by memories of their family and coming-of-age years as Norman was by his.

We can, however, become haunted in other ways than through personal memories. Artfully moving tales, because of their author’s mastery of the craft of storytelling and writing, can also strike a chord outside the realm of Mnemosyne.

ose stories resonate despite the reader not sharing experiences of the characters or being unable to immediately identify with setting or story arc. “Beloved” is such a novel for me.

I read “Beloved” many years ago. But with the unseemly hyperbolic controversy stirred up by book banners and other doltish types —politicos who feed like vampire bats o the blood of rabid ideologues —I decided to reread it. e timing could not have been more propitious. I began reading it while Judge and soon-to-be Justice Ketanji

and creative ideas, bold steps, and big goals. By opening these doors, we become energized with new direction, inspired by what we see, and motivated by what we might become along the route of this journey.

Are there doors that are rusted shut, needing to be pried open? Are there doors that could be opened quite easily getting you back on track? Are there doors waiting for you to open, those doors of opportunity that could lead you to bigger and brighter goals and change? I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@ gmail.com, and when we can place intentionality behind seeking opportunity behind all these doors, 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.

TURN TO THE COLORADO SUN FOR NEWS ACROSS THE STATE

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

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

politics and culture to the outdoor industry and education.

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

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

Brown Jackson was being grilled by inquisitors who posed as senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee. It was humbling to watch how she withstood the assaults with stoic dignity, which made me wonder from where such powerful transcendental grace comes.

Before reading the story itself, I read the foreword by Toni Morrison in the Vintage International 2004 edition. In it she wrote about how the story came into being. e core was based on an account of Margaret Garner, who had escaped from enslavement and then murdered one of her children and tried to kill the others rather than see them hauled back into inhuman bondage. Morrison said her intent was to kidnap the reader and throw them into an alien environment so they would share the same experience as the novel’s characters. On that, she was most successful. All that I had previously read and saw through photos from the era served as background. is time “Beloved”took me there. I was on the plantation and the Ohio River and in ramshackle 124, the place Sethe nally call home. I saw the brutal mutilation of her back and of her mind, yet sat in wonder-

ment in her determined stoicism.  ere was a new report of a parent who said their child, a high school IB — International Baccalaureate — student, had nightmares while reading “Beloved.” Consequently, the parent wanted “Beloved” banned from their child’s school. At rst, I rolled my eyes and thought, Helicopter parent not allowing her child to grow up. I felt sad for the student and others like them sensing the taunting and ridicule they might have to endure at the hands of their peers. But after rereading the novel, I appreciated more fully the young person’s disconcertment. e story is incredibly haunting, to the point it might cause some to experience nightmares. But if I were their parent or teacher, I would work to help them understand how that was a very good thing. Because, truth be told, at times we need to be literarily kidnapped and brutalized for us to understand and accept hard truth of those who were literally.

Jerry Fabyanic is a former Clear Creek Courant columnist and author of “Sisyphus Wins” and “Food for ought: Essays on Mind and Spirit.”

Columnist

An asylum-seeker charts her path in the Denver suburbs

BY ROBERT TANN COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Amid turmoil, a single mother strives to nd community in the Denver metro area after leaving hers behind

In late 2018, a woman now raising her daughter near Denver made a life changing decision. She would leave her home country of Venezuela, a choice she did everything she could not to make.

e woman, a single mother in her mid-40s, had been enjoying an ambitious life of public service with a career that began in the government’s transportation department when she was barely 19. She went on to become a nurse, a lawyer, a radio host and eventually to teach at the college level.

A threat on her life changed everything.

“I didn’t choose to leave until I had a gun pointed to my forehead,” she said, recounting the day military o cers broke into her home and threatened her life. “I fought hard not to try to move to Colorado. It was really, really hard.”

Having seen “so many injustices, so many inequalities” in her country, the woman charted a path of helping others. But the rise of Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s president since 2013, altered her trajectory. She viewed Maduro’s government as a brutal regime and spoke out against it, attending protests and using her platform as an educator to call attention to human rights abuses that have beendocumented by United Nations investigators.

at is how she became an asylum-seeker in Denver – one of thousands of immigrants in the area who’ve ed their home country, fearing for their safety.According to TRAC Immigration, a database of federal immigration data compiled and published by Syracuse University, Denver’s immigration court reviewed 2,875 applications for asylum between scal years 2018 and 2022.

As she currently awaits a court’s verdict on her asylum, which will determine her legal status in the United States, the single mom has found some security. In 2020, she and her daughter, who is middle school-aged, received temporary protected status — a form of legal protection which allows some immigrants to live and work legally in the U.S. but which must be renewed every two years. Venezuela isone of 15 countries designated for this protection by the federal government.

According to Violeta Chapin, clinical professor of law at the University of Colorado Law School, the protection is meant for those living in the U.S. facing situations that make it “impossible for individuals of that country to return back.” ose with this protection “have no immigration status, they’re just protected from removal for a temporary period of time,” Chapin said.

It means until a decision is made on her asylum case, the woman remains in a legal limbo, according to Chapin. If she is granted asylum, it a ords her more access to the social safety net along with greater work opportunities. If she is denied, she can still hold on to her temporary status and seek to renew it over the coming years, but she will not be recognized as an immigrant and could face deportation if her status is not renewed.

“ e United States immigration system is extraordinarily restrictive,” Chapin said. “It’s set up to make it very di cult to lawfully enter and live in the United States.”

‘Who was going to trust me?’ e days leading up to the woman’s departure from her home country were a desperate blur. As threats on her safety escalated, a colleague living in Denver reached out to help. Her son, in his mid-20s, ed to Peru on foot, where he lives today.

Before leaving, the woman sold everything she owned, including her car, for about $1,300. With enough money in hand to ee, she ew to Denver with her daughter and another resident who was living in their former apartment complex.

Of the few possessions she brought with her was a binder full of her credentials. Degrees. Licences. Awards and honors.

With her career experiences, she had hoped to buoy her survival in America and secure a good-paying job to support her family. But within days, doubt began to set in.

“Who was going to trust me,” she said. “I felt seen as an intruder, but I had so much to o er.” e colleague who o ered help found them an apartment to rent in the Denver suburbs. He put his name on the lease because she lacked the paperwork to get one on her own and charged her $900 for a deposit.

But after 10 days, they were all kicked out. Her colleague had become emotionally and mentally unstable, she said. e neighbor who had own to the U.S. with her decided it was time to part ways and has not been seen since, the single mom said.

It was December and the days were becoming shorter, darker, colder.

“It was the middle of the winter with a little kid, I didn’t know what to do,” the woman said. “I’m running out of money, but I cannot go back to Venezuela.”

Solace came when she turned to her daughter’s school district, where she had enrolled her daughter in a middle school while they were housed. A parent of one of her daughter’s friends o ered them temporary stay at their home while she looked for a new apartment.

Public schools have been a crucial pillar of support for undocumented residents, accord-

ing to Chapin. at’s thanks to a 1982 Supreme Court ruling, Plyer v. Dow, which prohibits public school districts from denying enrollment to the children of undocumented immigrants.

With a temporary roof and place to sleep, the single mom knocked on door after door wherever she saw an apartment available, worried that she was overstaying her welcome.

But deposits for every apartment she found were $1,000 or more, nearly eclipsing what money she had saved. And “everyone asked for papers,” she said, of which she only had a passport.

“What really surprised me, now looking back, is the lack of solidarity, the lack of empathy for people,” she said. “I was not here because I wanted to. I had to run away.”

Some relief came when a friend living in Miami sent the woman cash for a deposit. With it, she found a studio apartment outside Denver that a landlord allowed her to lease. ough rent was about $1,000 per month, she cut a deal with the landlord for $200 o in exchange for her cleaning the outside of the building. Her deposit was $1,300. She said she couldn’t have been more grateful.

“All I had was my word, and he took it,” she said.

e woman had no access to safety net programs like SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, so she turned to a nearby church for nourishment. Whatever money she had left from the month would sometimes go to a toy for her young daughter. e woman said she was determined to provide whatever momentary escape she could for her.

But the fear of losing everything, of coming up a few dollars short for her rent, always loomed large for her. It still does.

‘Thousands, millions’ living in uncertainty

When the single mother applied for asylum in 2019, she could not a ord a lawyer to help with her case, though she has since found voluntary legal aid.

Chapin said U.S. immigration courts do not provide free public defenders for asylum-seekers. And whether an applicant has a lawyer or not can make a huge di erence in the outcome of their case, Chapin said, with most asylum cases being denied.

According to the Syracuse University database, of the more than 5,000 immigrants who applied for asylum through Denver’s immigration court between 2001 and 2022, more than 2,900 were denied. e single mom does not know when her case will be decided.

“ ere are a lot of people applying for immigration and asylum bene ts, there’s a lot of stress on the system right now,” Chapin said.

e single mom found some comfort when, in 2020, she and her daughter were granted their protected status. Since then, she has worked “everything, anywhere,” her heavy binder of credentials going unnoticed as she took jobs cleaning hotel rooms and serving food in restaurants.

Even with multiple jobs, the woman said she faced nancial uncertainty as she struggled to pay for housing, food and everything in between.

“You have to take on so many hours to work,” she said. “In this county to survive you need at least two jobs.”

In 2020, she moved to a new apartment, allowing her daughter to be closer to her school. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, her landlord raised rent from $1,050 to $1,350. Again, she moved.

Shortly before 2021, she found a one-bedroom apartment in a Denver suburb where she lives today. It is dotted with reminders of home, including her country’s ag hanging in the living room and photos of her son on the wall. She pays $1,200. Her deposit was $500. “I have no ability to save,” she said. “Deposits were a big burden.”

Recently, her income has steadied. She now works at an embroidery shop where she brings in about $2,000 each month. e rest she makes up driving for food delivery services, a job that at least a ords her the opportunity to spend more time with her daughter. ey listen to music on those drives or just talk.

rough all the discord, she said she’s worried most for her daughter’s well-being. When she can she’ll make a homemade meal, something healthy, usually Venezuelan.

For herself, she has gone through some therapy programs after becoming depressive and anxious. She does not want her daughter to feel the burden of her mental health, she said. What she wants more than anything now is to make a home where she can, for herself and her child.

Chapin said the woman’s story of survival is the same as “thousands, millions of immigrants, who live this existence every day.”

To build something beautiful e asylum-seeker said she is still waiting for the hard work to pay o , to see the “end of the tunnel.” But beyond just surviving, she wants to thrive.

“ e time that I’m supposed to be here in the United States is to build something beautiful, is to give something back,” she said. “A home is love, work, dedication, solidarity.”

She is currently taking online classes through Metropolitan State University of Denver in social communications, hoping to use the education to land a job in social work and reignite her passion for building community.

ough she has seen growth in her English skills over the past four years, she wants to take college classes to improve her prospects of a career. e most inexpensive course she found was about $6,000 per semester at the Community College of Denver — too much for her to spend currently. at money instead goes to rent.

While the change in her living situation has “been night and day,” she said it’s precarious. It would only take a rent increase of about $200 for her to no longer be able to a ord her apartment, she said.

IMMIGRATION DESIGNATIONS

The United States has numerous designations for a person’s immigration status, each with its own caveats that dictate the legality of what a person can and cannot do. Here are what some of these statuses mean according to immigration lawyer and law professor Violeta Chapin:

Refugee : Refugee status is granted to immigrants before they leave their home country. Refugees are authorised to live and work legally in the U.S. and are eligible for safety net programs but cannot vote. Most recently, a large amount of refugees in the U.S. have been from Afghanistan and Ukraine.

Asylum : This is similar to refugee status but is granted to someone

after they come to the U.S. Because asylum can take months or years to be processed, some immigrants have the option of pursuing a temporary status in the meantime to afford them some legal protections and work authorization.

Temporary protected status : This status is only for people fleeing turmoil from certain countries. Currently, the U.S. has designated 15 countries for temporary protected status. Once granted, it must be renewed every two years and does not allow recipients to be eligible for federal programs, though they can be eligible for some state benefits depending on state law.

Green card : This status, officially

“I’m living in the present right now and that’s all I can a ord to think about,” she said. “Yes, I can only pay so much and yes, we are in a very tight budget. But, I get to spend quality time with my daughter … we only have each other.”

According to Chapin, there are numerous reforms to U.S. immigration policy that could bene t residents living in uncertainty. About 11 million immigrants are undocumented in the U.S., Chapin said, and sta ng issues have left immigration courts across the country backlogged. For many immigrants, it can mean years waiting for a decision on their future.

Even with temporary protected status, many still face low-wage jobs as their only choice for employment. It is di cult for immigrants to translate credentials they earned in their home country to work in the U.S., Chapin said, and doing so comes at a large nancial cost.

Allowing immigrants to use their quali cations to work more skilled jobs and authorizing citizenship for most of the 11 million already here “would bene t the economy tremendously,” Chapin said, given the U.S. is “desperate for labor.” is need has been a major driver behind the immigration reform championed by U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, who represents Colorado’s 6th congressional district.

“We have a lot of people in Colorado who’ve immigrated from all over the world who have some substantial skills,” Crow said, “and it takes a long time to translate those licenses and certi cations.” is fall, Crow helped introduce the bipartisanBridging the Gap for New Americans Act, which passed in both chambers of Congress before President Joe Biden signed it into law Oct. 17.

Over the next year, the legislation will direct the U.S. Department of Commerce to study how it can expedite translating out-of-country credentials. Crow said the ndings will likely spur more legislation to overhaul the process and allow immigrants more access to higherwage professions.

“ ey can buy homes, they can enter our economy more fully, they can send their kids to college,” said Crow, who added this would be crucial to “addressing the sustain-

able workforce shortage in our country.”

But beyond the potential economic impacts, Crow said immigration reform is a “moral issue.”

“When the current laws and systems don’t treat people with basic dignity and respect, that alone is the reason to reform and change this,” he said, adding he is “optimistic” of bolder immigration legislation still to come.

For immigrants like the single mom in Denver’s suburbs, she is determined to build on her new life as she strives to nd what she loved most about her home: a sense of belonging. Often her mind wanders to her home country, to what she’s left behind. She talks every day on the phone with her son in Peru, who’s made a family of his own with his partner and their child.

Clasped safely in the folds of her heavy binder, amid her many certications and credentials, is a letter from him.

It reads: “ ank you so much for everything you’ve given me and taught me throughout life. It hasn’t been an easy road for both of us, I know, but it’s been worth it. I will try to prove myself to you for the rest of my life, you’ve done a good job.”

Editor’s note: As an immigrant with temporary protected status seeking asylum through the U.S. court system, Colorado Community Media withheld the source’s name and other identifying factors to protect her identity. Her interviews were conducted through an English-Spanish interpreter. All quotes from her have been interpreted from Spanish to English.

called a lawful permanent resident but more commonly known as a green card, affords immigrants nearly all the benefits and rights as a U.S. citizen with the exception of voting. For asylees, those granted asylum, they must wait one year after receiving asylum to apply for a green card. Green cards typically need to be renewed every 10 years.

Naturalization : The final stage of immigration. With naturalization, immigrants are considered fully legal U.S. citizens and can vote in any and all U.S. elections. This status does not need to be renewed. Asylees can apply for it five years after receiving asylum and will need to pass a civics test to receive this status.

What’s in a domain name?

UP

ELZZ

BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN

Gov. Jared Polis’ administration wants to spend $2 million to change Colorado’s state government website and email domain extensions to .gov from state.co.us in a proposal billed as a way to mitigate cybersecurity risks and make it easier for state o cials to participate in federal brie ngs.

Until recently, all email addresses for state employees used the state. co.us domain name extension. e transition to .gov has already begun, but the Governor’s O ce of Information Technology is asking state lawmakers to let it spend $2 million to complete the switch.

Brandi Simmons, a spokeswoman for the o ce, declined to comment on the proposal since it’s still being considered by the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee. “We don’t have anything to share at this time,” she said.

But in a proposal sent to the JBC this month, the Governor’s O ce of Information Technology said the state.co.us domain extension poses a “serious security risk,” particularly when it comes to “phishing,” which is when bad actors try to use a deceptive email address to trick people into disclosing sensitive information or clicking on a dangerous link.

“.us domains are subject to phishing attempts,” the budget proposal said. “Anyone can register a .us domain through many of the publicly available domain registrar. For instance, someone could register ‘co. state.us’ or ‘state.col.us’ or ‘states. co.us.’ then email our users from these fake domains.”

Colorado o cials have also had di culty participating in security brie ngs with federal agencies and the White House because of the state.co.us domain extension, according to the proposal. at’s because a .gov email address is required to register for the brie ngs.

Exceptions have to be made for Colorado o cials when they want to join the federal security brie ngs, which the governor’s o ce called “a barrier to entry.”

e proposal said Colorado is one

Online searches and shopping can create confusion on where sales taxes should go.

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of only seven states that still use a .us domain extension. Other states have transitioned to .gov domain extensions, which can’t be created or modi ed without government authentication and validation.

“I just kind of thought an extension was an extension,” said Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, an Arvada Democrat and chair of the JBC.

Scott ompson, a nonpartisan JBC sta er, said “going to .gov does give us that extra layer” of security protections.

Some state websites, including Colorado’s main landing page and the legislature’s website, already use the .gov domain extension. And some state employees’ email addresses now carry the .gov extension, too.

Jarrett Freedman, a spokesman for the Colorado House Democratic caucus, said his email switched over to the .gov domain extension Dec. 1.

But Colorado’s move to .gov isn’t complete.

e Colorado Secretary of State’s O ce website, for instance, is sos. state.co.us, though it’s in the process of transitioning fully to coloradosos.gov. And Simmons declined an interview request from e Colorado Sun from a state.co.us email address.

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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State looks at how ballot measures impact budget

BY JESSE PAUL AND ELLIOTT WENZLER

Two ballot measures approved by voters in November will reduce the amount of money the legislature has to spend by about $750 million in each of the next three years, but two economic and tax revenue forecasts presented to state lawmakers Tuesday predicted the reduction won’t cut into Colorado’s budget.  e forecasts also indicate Coloradans can continue to expect tax refunds — albeit smaller ones than they would have received had the two ballot measures failed.

Proposition 121, which reduced the income tax rate to 4.4% from 4.55%, is expected to reduce state tax revenues by $620 million in the current scal year — which ends June 30, 2023 — and by some $400 million in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 scal years. Proposition 123 sets aside up to 0.1% of taxable income each year for a ordable housing programs, which is estimated to be about $150 million in the current scal year and roughly $300 million in the 2023-24 and subsequent scal years.

Should there be a deep recession, however, nonpartisan Legislative Council Sta and the Governor’s O ce of State Planning and Budgeting warned budget cuts may be possible and taxpayer refunds would be erased. And both agencies said the risk of an economic downturn remains high.

“Amidst this rapid monetary policy tightening, the housing correction and declining household balance sheets, we believe that risks to the forecast remain elevated and weighted toward the downside,” Je Stupak, a monetary policy and in ation analyst for Legislative Council Sta , told the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee, which writes Colorado’s budget.

Greg Sobetski, chief economist for Legislative Council Sta , said “we think a recession is very possible.” e legislature isn’t allowed to spend all of the money the state collects in tax revenue because of Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights cap on government growth and spending, which is calculated by an-

nual in ation and population rates. Any money collected by the state in excess of the cap must be refunded to taxpayers. Refunds are expected in each of the next three scal years.  Legislative Council Sta forecast that tax revenue will be above the cap by $2.5 billion in the current scal year, $1.5 billion in the 202324 scal year and $1.4 billion in the 2024-25 scal year.

e tax revenue forecast from the governor’s o ce was less rosy. It predicted $2.4 billion in revenue above the TABOR cap in the current scal year, $469 million in the 202324 scal year and $736 million in the 2024-25 scal year.

Lauren Larson, who leads OSBP, said the reason for the discrepancy has to do with the agency’s expectation that there will be “a slight downturn for a couple of quarters in late 2023.”

After $225 million in TABOR excess is refunded as property tax relief in the current scal year, thanks to a bill passed in 2022, the legislature is still expected by nonpartisan legislative sta and the governor’s o ce to have more than $2 billion to refund.

e money can be refunded in a variety of ways. Earlier this year, the scal year 2021-22 TABOR excess was sent back to Coloradans via checks of $750 or $1,500 depending on whether they led their taxes individually or jointly.

e legislature will decide during the 2023 legislative session, which begins Jan. 9, how to refund the TABOR cap excess.

Digging into the numbers

Colorado’s job market remains strong, both OSPB and Legislative Council Sta told the JBC. ere are roughly two jobs available for every unemployed person in the state and Colorado’s unemployment rate was 3.5% in November.

“ e majority of sectors we’ve recovered all the jobs lost in the recession,” Supak said.

ere were exceptions in the mining, government, food services and real estate sectors. However, labor demands across the board continue to outpace supply, according to OSPB.

Both OSPB and Legislative Council Sta said in ation continues to put pressure on Coloradans. And while the overall in ation rate in Denver is lower than the national rate, Den-

ver’s housing in ation rate is 10% compared with the 7.1% national average.

Housing prices have caused the most signi cant contributors to ination across the U.S., according to Legislative Council Sta . However, those costs are falling nationally and in Denver as the market cools. Denver home prices are down 4.5% from their peak, though housing demand is still outpacing supply and rental prices are climbing.

Additionally, rising interest rates caused by the Federal Reserve’s hopes of cooling in ation have caused signi cant decreases in purchasing power for home buyers.  Stupak said that someone who could a ord a $550,000 home with a 20% down payment in 2021 had a monthly mortgage payment of $1,900.

“ at same person, if they wanted to keep the same down payment and monthly payment, they would have gone down from being able to a ord a $550,000 home to a $413,500 home. So about a 25% decrease in their purchasing power,” he said. e housing market uncertainty is part of the reason state economists are warning of a recession. Another

indicator of a possible economic downturn are trends in consumer spending, which make up 70% of economic activity, according to the Legislative Council Sta .

“We’ve seen a falling savings rate, falling household balance sheets and kind of declining expectations from consumers for the economy in the future,” Stupak said.

e OSPB projects slow consumer demand and economic growth in the second half of 2023. “ e labor market and consumer spending are currently outpacing previous expectations for this year, but slower consumer demand and economic growth are expected in the second half of 2023,” said Bryce Cook, chief economist at OSPB.

Legislative Council Sta expects the annual in ation rate in Colorado to drop to about 4% in 2023 after hovering around 8% in 2022.

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 state budget will take a hit of about $750 million in each of the next three years due to the approval of two ballot measures.

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For now, not a lot