Elbert County News 042023

Libraries announce summer program

ing o its annual spotlight on the bene ts of libraries around the

INSIDE:

VOLUME 128 | ISSUE 10

Town shares plans for outreach

Aim of initiative is to create connection across Elizabeth

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

“Community rough Connection” is the name given to the Town of Elizabeth’s new communication plan.

On March 24, Mayor Nick Snively sat down with the Elbert County News at Ziggi’s Co ee in Elizabeth to discuss the communication plan and its goal of creating a stronger connection between the town and its residents.

Importance of town communication

During the conversation, Snively explained that communication is a vitally important and controllable factor in the success of a thriving community. For the Town of Elizabeth, their goal for the Community rough Communication plan is to ll knowledge gaps and eliminate space for residents to make incorrect assumptions about various aspects of the town. Snively explained that these gaps have grown wider as the town has grown and people have become more divided.

“When you don’t communicate something, there are gaps in people’s understanding. People will often ll in those gaps with assumptions that are incorrect or di erent. We could have lled in those gaps for them,” explained Snively. “We have a community that as it’s grown, we see a division between the older part of town and the newer neighborhoods like Gold Creek and Legacy Village. e old town Elizabeth and Elizabeth

LITTLE HELP

Warm Hearts, Warm Babies does its part

The Elizabeth Library also houses the district o ce for Pines & Plains Libraries.

PHOTO BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

Reading plan is open to all ages from children to adults

Colorado o ers Zearn digital math learning

BY ERICA MELTZER CHALKBEAT

Colorado is making the digital learning program Zearn Math available for free to schools statewide as part of a broader e ort to address gaps in math learning that widened during the pandemic.

Gov. Jared Polis has set aside up to $6 million in pandemic relief money to pay for licenses for the digital program and to pay for printed materials for schools that adopt Zearn’s math curriculum Training also will be available to teachers in how to use the new platform.

Math scores on state and national standardized tests declined during the pandemic, with sharper drops in math than in reading and writing. Both educators and policymakers are focused on how to help students gain skills they missed out on during three disrupted years.

Last month, Polis and lawmakers unveiled a bipartisan $25 million proposal to o er widespread afterschool tutoring in math, expand teacher training, and encourage districts to adopt high-quality curriculum. In addition, the initiative included plans for the state to pay for licenses for a digital math accelerator and make them available at no cost to schools statewide.

Polis announced this week that Colorado has selected Zearn Math as the state’s online math program. e state did not request proposals, instead choosing Zearn based on studies and reviews and purchasing it from a software reseller at a set price.

“We are taking an all-hands-ondeck approach to boost student math achievement and make sure Colorado kids have the support and practice they need to excel in math,” Polis said in a press release. “ is new access saves school districts and families money and is part of our ongoing work to provide highquality education for every Colorado student.”

Polis spokeswoman Melissa Dworkin said the governor’s team considered several programs and chose Zearn Math based on studies provided by the company that showed students who used Zearn regularly made substantially more progress than those who didn’t.

Educators who study math instruction and ways students learn through gaming and online platforms said Zearn has positive ele-

ments but cautioned that teachers need training and time to learn how to use it well. It shouldn’t be used as a substitute for in-person instruction by well-trained teachers, they said, and teachers need to make sure students are engaged and supported in their learning.

Started by New York teachers and backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the program is used widely in states like Tennessee and Texas. Many New York City schools also use Zearn Math. e program is intended to be used in conjunction with in-person, whole class instruction. ( e Gates Foundation is a funder of Chalkbeat.)

Mary Pittman, president of the Colorado Council of Teachers of Mathematics, said she feels “hopeful excitement” about the plan.

“It is new for Colorado to have access to a program like this across the board,” she said.

She described the platform as offering exible, high-quality materials built around Common Core State Standards, which are the basis for Colorado’s academic standards. She said Zearn was originally used most often for intervention with students who were far behind in math, but that it also o ers a well-regarded comprehensive core curriculum, data that can inform teachers’ daily instruction, as well as lessons that can be used during tutoring or at home.

David Webb, an associate professor of math education at the University of Colorado Boulder who also heads a research consortium on math instruction, said Zearn seems to have good content and be based on solid ideas around math instruction. He worries, though, about relying too much on digital platforms,

when it was the lack of interaction with teachers and peers that contributed to learning gaps during online and hybrid school.

“To see it resolved through digital platforms, it rubs me a little bit the wrong way,” he said. “I understand the desire to get back on track and come up with personalized interventions. But to say we’re going to have you spend more time on technology, I think we need a more holistic x.”

A 2019 Johns Hopkins study found students in some subgroups using Zearn made statistically signi cant progress but overall results were less signi cant. Students in schools that used Zearn for more hours a week generally saw more improvement than those that used it for fewer hours. Teachers in the study generally liked the program and felt it supported student learning.

Even so, many teachers reported the format of Zearn —which requires students to work independently and to read, listen, and type responses —made it hard for some students to use.

Meanwhile, students who used Zearn in the study were less likely to express con dence in their math skills compared with students at schools that didn’t use Zearn. A potential explanation, the study authors wrote, was that students may have found the Zearn material “more challenging than previously experienced, which may have affected their feelings toward mathematics in general.”

Webb said these types of ndings underscore the importance of coupling digital platforms with instruction from teachers and opportunities for students to work through math problems with their peers. It’s

also critical for teachers to get training — something that has become much more challenging as teachers lose their planning periods to cover for colleagues or can’t go to conferences due to substitute shortages, Webb said.

Arturo Cortez, an assistant professor of learning sciences and human development and director of e Learning To Transform (LiTT) Video Gaming Lab at the University of Colorado, said the teachers he works with who already use Zearn love it because it helps them see quickly which students got the lesson and which need more help.

Zearn also has the potential to bridge divides between the home and the classroom and help parents better support their children’s learning, Cortez said.

He cautioned, though, that teachers need opportunities to learn how to use the program, play with it, and think through how it can help their students —not just a perfunctory session to get familiar with the interface. It’s also important to see how —and whether —students engage with the tool.

“With a lot of digital tools, we sit kids in front of them and don’t spend time with them while they are using them,” he said. “What makes them engaging? What makes kids have that commitment? And how do we create environments like that in the classroom?”

Colorado schools can sign up for Zearn Math for the 2023-24 school year.

Chalkbeat Senior Reporter Ann Schimke contributed reporting.

Chalkbeat is a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools.

More digital math learning is in the works for Colorado students.

PHOTO BY HALEY LENA

$6M price tag allows state to provide program to all K-12 schools

JUNE 8-11, 2023 FREE ADMISSION

PARKER’S FAVORITE WEEKEND!

FUN

THINGS TO DO:

• Enjoy your Favorite Festival Food

• Shopping Marketplace

• Music on Four Stages

• Culinary Demonstrations

• Street Performers

• Carnival Rides for the Whole Family

• Free Kids Crafts

• Artisan Demonstrations: Pottery, Painting, Weaving, Decorative Furniture, and Lacemaking

• Silent Disco – Dance, Dance, Dance!

• Get Dizzy in a Water Bubble

• Bungy Jumping

• Jump and Slide on the In atables

• Nurf Terf Battles (Nurf version of Paintball)

• All Aboard! Ride the Sunshine Express Train on Mainstreet

Groove Mazda MAIN STAGE – Live Music ALL Day

HEADLINERS:

Friday, June 9 presented by 8:15 pm: Still They Ride (Journey Tribute Band)

Saturday, June 10 presented by 8:30 pm: Chris Daniels and The Kings

Sunday, June 11 presented by 5:15 pm: That Eighties Band

THANK

CARNIVAL RIDES & GAMES:

presented by

BUY DISCOUNTED UNLIMITED CARNIVAL RIDE WRISTBANDS ONLINE

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Sold online through 12 noon Wed. June 7

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$89 each

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PURCHASE DURING THE FESTIVAL

Single-Day Unlimited Carnival Rides

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TICKETS FOR INDIVIDUAL RIDES

Food, Beverage & Ride Tickets may be purchased at Festival Ticket Booths.

LIBRARY

Each week of the 10-week program has a designated theme that drives activities and prizes. For some weeks, the Pines & Plains Libraries will be partnering with local businesses, some of which will o er prizes for completing activities and challenges.

For registration week, the theme is food and the Pines & Plains Libraries is partnering with Small Town Mini Donuts in Elizabeth. ose who

register for the program will get a coupon for free classic mini donuts.

Themed Weeks

May 27 to June 3 — Food (registration week)

June 4-10 — Science

June 11-17 — eater

June 18-24 — Summer

June 25 to July 1 — Space

July 2-8 — UNITED States

July 9-15 — Community Helpers

July 16-22 — Friends

July 23-29 — Nature

July 3 to Aug. 5 — DIY (wrap-up week)

e Pines & Plains Libraries will be

ing. Participants will acquire points by reading and completing activities and missions throughout the summer. Points allow participants to win prizes. Readers earn 1 point for every minute read and 50 points for every activity completed.

“Our goal is to reintroduce the love and importance of reading by providing engaging programs at the library for everyone throughout the summer,” said Perry. “Reading not only brings with it limitless amount

reader to emotions, ideas, and other situations they otherwise would not

Pines & Plains Summer Reading Program registration opens May 27.

For more information on the summer reading program, visit pplibraries.org/03d-summerreading-program.

To receive a reminder for program sign-up, visit pplibraries. readsquared.com.

For a full calendar of Pines & Plains Libraries activities, visit pplibraries.org/03a-activitiescalendar.

A REVERSE MORTGAGE MAY HELP OFFSET RETIREMENT

unlocking the equity in your home, you can fell good about the possibilities that await you in retirement. Eligible borrowers can pay o an existing mortgage and have no monthly mortgage payments* while receiving proceeds on a monthly or as-needed basis. Contact

Twins Lily and Oliver Thompson of Elbert County, who were 9 months old in this photo from last September, are already book enthusiasts.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALY THOMPSON

Simla Library is home to library activities for southern Elbert County.

PHOTO BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

Suncor released sulfur dioxide spikes, state says

Commerce City refinery had equipment failure

BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN

e Suncor re nery in Commerce City sent potentially dangerous spikes of sulfur dioxide into the surrounding neighborhood early April 12 after an equipment failure, though the state health department’s notice didn’t go out until that evening.

Sulfur dioxide detected from Suncor leapt to 155 parts per billion and 186 parts per billion, while the EPA’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards are 75 parts per billion. But to reach an o cial exceedance, the sulfur dioxide levels must be that high for over an hour. By 9 a.m. Wednesday, a state news release said, the levels had “dropped signi cantly.”

e state release at 6:23 p.m. said the spike readings “were veri ed a short time ago.” Despite the drop in the monitored sulfur dioxide levels, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment urged families in the future to limit outdoor exercise, keep windows closed and consider an air puri er.

“ e short exposures to sulfur dioxide that occurred earlier could have exacerbated asthma and made breathing di cult, especially during exercise or physical activity,” the health department said.

e state release said that early

Wednesday, “the Suncor facility reported that #2 Sulfur Recovery Unit and associated Tail Gas Unit in Plant 1 brie y tripped o ine due to a level indicator issue, resulting in: excess sulfur dioxide from the Tail Gas Unit Incinerator (H-25); aring of acid gas (gas with elevated hydrogen sul de) in the Plant 1 Flare; elevated hydrogen sul de in the Plant 1 fuel gas system.”

Neighbors and environmental advocacy groups have been expanding independent monitoring of emissions from Suncor, and amplifying calls for a complete shutdown or at least far tougher state regulation of the re nery. e only re nery in Colorado, Suncor supplies a large portion of vehicle gasoline for the Denver metro area and airplane fuel for Denver International Airport.

A re in December damaged equipment at Suncor and forced a weekslong shutdown of the complex, followed by a series of emissions noti cations to neighbors as Suncor worked to bring the facility back online. e shutdown also signi cantly raised gas prices for Colorado drivers during the winter.

Multiple monitors around Suncor check for dangerous emissions, including some run by a neighborhood nonpro t Cultivando through a state environmental justice project. Cultivando released a report from Boulder atmospheric scientist Detlev Helmig in March warning of exactly what happened in mid-April: Short-term emissions from Suncor that endanger health but do not of-

Comprehensive cancer care that sets us apart.

cially break EPA limits.

Helmig’s instruments identi ed temporary local spikes in levels of pollutants like benzene or harmful particulate matter. Cultivando’s monitoring program can identify spikes that are short-lived but impactful on human health, Helmig said.

“Pollution levels go up and down, up and down very dynamically all the time,” he said at a Cultivando community brie ng. “If you happen to go out there at a certain time

when levels are low, it may look not too concerning and pretty clean. But you come back just half an hour later and conditions might have changed very dramatically.”

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.

Jill Alldredge, MD

Kian Behbakht, MD

Bradley Corr, MD

Lisa Marie Babayan, PA-C

Lindsay Brubaker, MD

Jaime Arruda, MD

Catherine Bouts, PA-C

Nicole Marjon, MD Christine Walsh, MD

Carolyn Lefkowits, MD

Marisa Moroney, MD Saketh Guntupalli, MD Spyridon Mastroyannis, MD

Suncor Energy’s Commerce City plant.

COURTESY OF THE COLORADO SUN

Bill addresses water quality at mobile home parks

A look at HB1257

BY HEATHER SACKETT ASPEN JOURNALISM

State legislators have introduced a bill that would create a water-testing program at mobile home parks, addressing residents’ long-standing concerns about water quality.

House Bill 1257, which is sponsored by District 57 Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, D-Gar eld County, would require the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to create a water-testing program that covers all mobile home parks in the state by 2028. If the testing nds a water-quality issue, the park owner must come up with a remediation plan and not pass the cost of xing the problem on to the residents.

e testing results would be made available to park residents and the public in English, Spanish and other languages. e bill would also require park owners to identify the water source and establish a grant program to help park owners pay for remediation options such as infrastructure upgrades.

e bill was introduced March 26, and its other sponsors are Rep. Andrew Boesenecker, D- Larimer County, and Sen. Lisa Cutter, DJe erson County. Velasco, who said she lived in mobile home parks growing up, said she has heard complaints from residents about discolored water that stains clothes, smells and tastes bad, causes skin rashes, and breaks appliances. But often, those complaints go unaddressed because the water may still meet the standards of the

Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Act.

“ e odor, the taste, the color, those are secondary traits of the water, according to these regulations,” Velasco said. “ ese issues are in low-income communities, majority people of color. ese issues are not happening to wealthy families.”

Environmental justice issue

Water quality in mobile home parks is an environmental-justice issue for the Latino community. According to the Colorado Latino Climate Justice Policy Handbook, nearly 20% of Latino households live in mobile homes. And according to survey results in the 2022 Colorado Latino Policy Agenda, 41% of mobile home residents said they do not trust or drink the water in their homes. Eighty percent of survey

respondents said they support new regulations requiring that mobile home parks provide their residents with clean drinking water.

Beatriz Soto is executive director of Protegete, a Latino-led environmental initiative of Conservation Colorado that developed the climate justice handbook. Conservation Colorado supports the bill. Soto, who also lived in mobile home parks in the Roaring Fork valley, said for years she has heard the same complaints Velasco did about water quality, so she knew it was a top priority for the Latino community. e survey results con rmed the anecdotes. “ is is not just little things we are hearing here and there in the community; this is a bigger issue,” Soto said. “When you work two jobs and

Fertilizer: arch enemy of waterways.

Streams, lakes and reservoirs don’t need it. Your lawn may not need it, either. Fertilizer, like other products that serve a necessary purpose, can become a problem if misused. Most lawn fertilizers contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, represented by a three-number string on the front of the bag. Nutrient needs vary from lawn to lawn and can only be determined by testing the soil. If over-applied, rain carries away excess nutrients not needed by plants and washes them to the nearest waterway, causing excess algae growth that uses up vital oxygen for fish.

Please take the time to have your soil tested to determine your lawn’s needs. This simple, small change in your lawn care makes a huge difference, not only to the health of your lawn but also to your nearby rivers, creeks and lakes.

Local stormwater agencies are teaming together to bring you this message. We take this so seriously that we posted this ad rather than send you more garbage in the mail. One thing is clear: our creeks, rivers and lakes depend on you.

you and to wash there’s living has about 20,000 are of left worker and the years, regulatory provements. parks County for Latino-led is tains Valley, leading do, the bile have buying and water,” and residents and and

•

•

•

SEE WATER, P7

todoifyoubelieveachildisatrisk.

Slash-mulch site open

The County’s main slash-mulch site, at 1400 Caprice Drive in Castle Rock, is open Saturdays only from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. through Oct. 28. For more information, directions and a list of acceptable items, please visit douglas.co.us and search Slash Mulch

WATER

you have to drive two hours to work and you come home and have to go to a laundromat because you can’t wash your clothes at your residence, there’s a real cumulative impact of living under those conditions.”

e Aspen-to-Parachute region has 55 parks, which combined have about 3,000 homes and 15,000 to 20,000 residents. Mobile home parks are some of the last neighborhoods of nonsubsidized a ordable housing left in the state and provide crucial worker housing, especially in rural and resort areas.

Residents have complained about the water quality in some parks for years, but agencies have lacked the regulatory authority to enforce improvements. Recently, residents in parks near Durango and in Summit County have lacked running water for weeks at a time.

Voces Unidas de las Montanas, a Latino-led advocacy nonpro t that is based in Colorado’s central mountains and works in the Roaring Fork Valley, is one of the organizations leading Clean Water for All Colorado, a committee that helped to craft the legislation.

“Many of us who grew up in mobile home parks, myself included, have always known and normalized buying bottled water from the store, and it’s because we don’t trust our water,” said Alex Sanchez, president and CEO of Voces Unidas. “Many residents have been complaining and calling for action for decades, and no one has answered their call.”

Sanchez said the bill is his organization’s No. 1 legislative priority this session.

Rocky Mountain Home Association and Colorado Manufactured Housing Coalition oppose the bill. Tawny Peyton, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Home Association, said the mobile home park industry has been bombarded with sweeping law changes in recent years, causing confusion and additional operation and legal costs. Laws enacted in 2019, 2020 and 2022 granted extra protections to mobile home park residents.

“ e Rocky Mountain Home Association is concerned with the entire bill,” Peyton said in an email. “Why is the mobile home park industry being singly targeted with this legislation? Industry was not made aware that mobile home park water quality was such an issue that a 23-page bill was warranted.”

Bill proponents acknowledge that the issue may take years to get resolved and that new regulations would be just the rst step toward gathering data and assessing the problem.

“ is is just a rst stab at trying to resolve this issue,” Soto said. “ is is establishing a framework to start testing and get all the information and documenting all the water sources for mobile home parks to determine what is the problem.”

House Bill 1257 is scheduled for a hearing by the Transportation, Housing and Local Government Committee on Wednesday.

Aspen Journalism is a nonpro t newsroom reporting on water, environment and social justice.

Join us for a Live Town Hall on Property Taxes

Join

- What’s Happening with Your Property Taxes - on Wednesday, April 26 at 6 p.m., in person, by phone or online. Visit douglas.co.us and search Live Town Halls for more information.

Are you, or do you know, a Veteran in need of help?

Funds are available to provide emergency assistance to Veterans struggling with housing, transportation, employment, healthcare and other immediate needs. Visit DouglasVeterans.org to learn more.

What’s happening with your County government?

Our commitment to open and transparent government includes online posting of information about public meetings at which the business of government is conducted. To view public meeting agendas, participate in-person or remotely, or watch select meetings via live stream, visit douglas.co.us and search for Business Meetings / Public Hearings.

Water safety is a state-level concern.

SHUTTERSTOCK

A switch to cleaner heavy trucks faces roadblocks

Tesla missed 2020 deadline

BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN

When it comes to assessing Colorado’s chances for replacing dieselbelching heavy trucks with cleaner electric versions anytime soon, the state’s trucking industry o ers an anecdote about Tesla.

Given the erratic celebrity of CEO Elon Musk, who was made the richest person in the world by Tesla’s rise, the true story is suitably apocalyptic.

Colorado’s top trucking companies have known for years that state leaders planned to copy California law and require a growing portion of new heavy trucks to be electric beginning in 2027. ey’ve fought the proposed policy. But they also hedged and began putting deposits on one of the few clean trucks on the horizon, Tesla’s much-hyped, sleek electric semi-tractors. at was 2019.

At the time, delivery was expected in 2020.

None of the Colorado companies have received a Tesla truck yet. Tesla nally started delivering a few elsewhere in February 2022.

Last week, all the electric trucks Tesla had delivered were recalled, because of brake problems.

“We’re supportive of moving to the zero-emission vehicle environment. It’s just when you start to move up in size of vehicles, the technology chunk is substantial,” said Greg Fulton, president of the key trade group Colorado Motor Carriers Association.

Emissions from the transportation sector make up a large portion of both greenhouse gases that cause climate change, and the local chemical stew that bakes into lung-damaging ozone under Colorado’s summer sun. While medium- and heavy-duty trucks are just 10% of the vehicles on U.S. roads, they put out 25% of the greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, according to the Union for Concerned Scientists.

Colorado’s Air Quality Control Commission previously adopted California’s standards for selling an increasing number of electric vehicles for the state’s light passenger vehicle eet. More than 10% of new cars bought by Coloradans are now EVs.

Now the AQCC is turning its attention to the stubborn diesel emissions of the heavy truck sector, with testimony, a debate and a vote scheduled next week that would make Colorado among the half-dozen states to adopt California’s heavy truck requirements. e EPA earlier this year gave California the waiver it needed to make its heavy truck rules more stringent than federal standards.

State air quality o cials and environmental groups say the socalled Advanced Clean Trucks vote is another crucial step in Colorado’s e orts to meet both climate emissions goals and EPA ozone caps, which the northern Front Range has violated for years. ey also see it as

a big down payment for the environmental justice movement, bringing cleaner vehicles to the lower-income neighborhoods that have long choked on diesel emissions from surrounding interstates and the trucking businesses based there.

Community events on the clean trucks policy have been overwhelmed by Spanish-speaking residents enthusiastic about both a less-polluting trucking industry around them, and the chance to buy new or used electric passenger cars, said Juan Madrid, executive director of Colorado GreenLatinos. An Aurora event ran out of translation headsets, he said.

“Black, brown, and Indigenous communities are all interested in this technology not just for the health bene ts, but on how this will help improve their lives. And then some of those folks were asking about electric heat pumps and asking about building electri cation and solar,” Madrid said. “ e technology is there, and often the administration and legislators don’t think that this population is interested or can a ord this technology. But they are interested.”

Under the clean trucks law passed by California and now being matched by other states, zeroemissions vehicles must make up between 40% to 75% of new sales by 2035, with the amounts varying by weight category. If Colorado’s rules are passed this month, the sales minimums would kick in here for the 2027 model year and ramp up from there.

e rules the AQCC will debate and vote on also include a program to limit nitrogen oxide emissions from existing heavy trucks driven by fossil fuel engines. Nitrogen oxide is a key component of Front Range ozone, and the nine northern Front Range counties are in “severe” violation of EPA caps.

e “Low NOx” program would impact more than 28,000 heavy trucks beginning in the 2027 model year, growing to 44,000 engines by 2050. Over that time, the rules would a ect a total of 722,000 vehicles on the road.

e AQCC plans to double down on cuts to emissions from lighter passenger cars as well, with work on a followup to existing electric vehicle requirements they are calling “Clean Cars 2.” Both the clean cars sequel and the advanced clean trucks measures may also be overtaken by recent big federal moves: e EPA on Wednesday proposed strict new vehicle emissions standards aiming for 67% of new passenger car sales to be electric by 2032.

e motor carriers want the AQCC to be more realistic about what’s happening on the roads in Colorado. Few electric-powered models of heavy trucks are for sale right now, and those available are both back ordered and extremely pricey, the motor carriers’ Fulton said. It’s not at all clear how many more truck builders will have models widely available for the 2027 model year, he said.

CULMINATING IN A PRESENTATION OF RIMSKY-KORSAKOV’S “SCHEHERAZADE,” BASED ON THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS, THE PARKER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA BRINGS US A SYMPHONY OF INTERNATIONAL COMPOSITIONS.

Moreover, a blanket clean trucks standard nationwide doesn’t account for acute regional di erences, Fulton said. California’s large, regularly spaced cities and warmer weather allow for faster adoption of electric trucks that will at rst have more limited operating range than diesel models. Cold weather a ects battery storage capacity, as does hauling loads up Colorado’s steep mountain terrain.

Long-haul truckers will have to make major adaptations as well. Federal trucking safety rules limit how many hours in a row a driver can be on the road before taking extended rest. Hauling companies will have to build in electric charging time into schedules, and that’s assuming federal and state authorities help build enough heavy-duty fast charging stations to serve the industry, Fulton said. A trip to Colorado’s Western Slope that can now be done in one shift may have to be split over two shifts, upending the volatile economics of the trucking industry, he said.

“We’d be on the edge of the range to just get to Grand Junction today,” he said.

Fulton says the carriers would like the AQCC to consider expanding de nitions of low-emission heavy trucks that would t under a new standard. Current zero-emission technology is usually de ned as electric motors powered by cleanly generated electricity, or emerging hydrogen technology. Truckers

have had success, for example, with so-called renewable natural gas, which is methane captured from the decomposing trash in land lls.

Carriers would also like to see a greater emphasis on a trade-in program that would get older, dirtier diesel rigs o the road. Modern fossil fuel engines burn much more cleanly, and removing the highestemitting engines could go a long way to clean Colorado skies, Fulton said.

“ e di culty I’m going to have on that one is nobody wants to replace a diesel with a diesel,” he said.

e EPA also adopted new heavy truck standards nationwide in December, but environmental advocates said the California model goes farther in reducing nitrogen oxide

ey want the state to keep moving forward on adopting the California model.

e Colorado Energy O ce and other state o cials have thoroughly studied the heavy truck market’s capacity in the next few years, and they conclude that clean models will be widely enough available to the industry, said Cindy Copeland, air and climate policy advisor for Boulder County. Copeland is one of a group of Front Range elected o cials and agencies in Colorado Communities for Climate Action, which has been pushing the AQCC to go farther, faster on controlling ozone and greenhouse gases.

e AQCC should reject the “mar-

ket is not ready” claims about clean trucks, Copeland said.

“We heard this argument, the exact same one, when Colorado adopted zero-emissions passenger vehicle standards back in 2019,” said Copeland, noting that state consumers are adopting electric vehicles even faster than planned in that e ort four years ago. “ at’s the way the market is moving.”

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.

Thu 4/27

Tom Mcelvain Music @ 5pm

The Englewood Tavern, 4386 S Broadway, Englewood Jamie Lissow @ 6:30pm

Comedy Works South, 5345 Landmark Pl, Greenwood Village

Fri 4/28

Mark O'Connor @ 6pm Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St, Lone Tree

Vamonos Pest/Mobro:

Vamonos Pest at Cherokee Ranch & Castle @ 5:30pm

Cherokee Ranch & Castle, 6113 N Daniels Park Rd, Sedalia

Wild Pink @ 6pm

Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Englewood

R�N for Fire Heroes - Fire�ghter Strength Challenge & 5K @ 11pm / $30

Apr 30th - May 7th

1071 Round Top Lane, Castle Rock

Mon 5/01

Social Skills: Group for Teens (1317 yrs) S/S23 @ 5am

May 1st - Aug 31st

Parker Recreation Center, 17301 E Lincoln Ave., Parker

Kids’ Zone: Gym Jam (3-6 yrs) S/S23

@ 5am

May 1st - Aug 31st

Jamie Lissow @ 6:15pm

Comedy Works South, 5345 Land‐mark Pl, Greenwood Village

Tom Mcelvain Music @ 7pm Wild Goose Saloon, Parker

Dave Hadley: Water 2 Wine w/ June Star

@ 5pm Water 2 Wine, 8130 S University Blvd #110, Centennial

Ryan Chrys & The Rough Cuts @ 8pm Wild Goose Saloon, Parker

Miguel Mateos @ 8:30pm

Stampede, 2430 S Havana St, Aurora

Sat 4/29

The Slocan Ramblers: Five String Barn Concert @ 6:30pm

Five String Barn Concert, Castle Rock

Sun 4/30

Parker Recreation Center, 17301 E Lincoln Ave., Parker

BOOM Sports: (18 mos-6 yrs) 10 Punch Card S/S23 @ 5am May 1st - Aug 31st

Parker Fieldhouse, 18700 E Plaza Dr, Parker

Preschool Month RegistrationMay @ 8am / Free May 1st - May 31st Parker Fieldhouse, 18700 E Plaza Dr., Parker. 303-805-6315

Tue 5/02

Gymnastics: Ninja: Mighty Ninja (34 yrs) May @ 3pm

May 2nd - May 23rd

Parker Recreation Center, 17301 E Lincoln Ave., Parker

Denver Concert Band: Young Artist Concert @ 1pm / $22

Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075

Commons Street, Lone Tree. Info@ DenverConcertBand.org, 720-5091000

Ruston Kelly @ 6pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

Wed 5/03

Dear Marsha,: DM Acoustic @ Brewability @ 5:30pm Brewability Lab, 3445 S Broadway, Englewood

Whitechapel

@ 7pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 South Broadway, En‐glewood

Littleton YMCA Offering Free Family Fun on Healthy Kids Day @ 8am Littleton Family YMCA, 11 West Dry Creek Court, Littleton

6 Million Dollar Band @ 7pm Wild Goose Saloon, Parker

Kelsey Cook @ 6pm Comedy Works South, 5345 Landmark Pl, Greenwood Village

New Pornographers @ 7pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 South Broadway, En‐glewood

Ladies Night @ 5pm / $10 Stampede, 2430 South Havana, Aurora

Thu 5/04

Bad Omens: 107.9 KBPI Birthday Bash @ 6pm Fiddlers Green Amphitheater, 6501 S Fid‐dlers Green Cir, Greenwood Village

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A valued life

FROM THE EDITOR

Afew weeks ago during a regular sta meeting, Colorado Community Media reporter Nina Joss brought up a story she was working on regarding a homeless man who had been found dead in Englewood. Police said he was a “transient” and no foul play is suspected. Story done — right? Not even close. After hearing some tips about who the man was, Nina dug a little deeper, learning that he was a former pro athlete who was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams and later became a wrestler.

You see, Je Gaylord was not just some problem on a park bench. He was a human being who had fallen on hard times after losing his career. He made some bad choices, he became reliant on alcohol. All these things lead many to homelessness. It’s a series of trapdoors that for some reason just keep opening and closing behind someone. is story — starting on page 16 of this week’s Elbert County News — is what humanity should be about. We so often look past the person. We so often see that homelessness is a problem but do not want to look at the human part of it. Yes, homelessness is a problem not just in the Denver metro area, but the entire nation.

People in this situation — whether through choices or bad luck — should not be looked past but instead considered a part of society. ey are people who matter to their families, friends and others they have helped throughout their lives.

In this case, Nina attended the funeral for Je Gaylord. She listened to the stories from his friends and family about his natural talents in sports. About his abilities and dedication. She heard about his service to members of those going through the Treasure House of Hope where he coached and helped fellow members make good nutritional choices.

I loved this story for so many reasons. It took me into a life of someone we would have never given another thought to. Had Nina not followed up on a tip we would have passed this o as a data point. Often the homeless population is boiled down to numbers. How many are there on any given night? How much funding is needed to help address the problem? How do they impact the healthcare system? How many have died?

In this case — Nina skipped the data and got right to the heart of who this human being was and why we should stop and think about how people who are struggling to survive deserve some sympathy and empathy.

Am I saying he was perfect? No. In fact, Nina, being a journalist, found that he also had a criminal record that took him to prison and likely helped lead him to the streets. However, he served his time and we are supposed to be a society driven by second chances.

In the end, he was just a member of our population who died alone without truly knowing the love many had for him. I appreciate Nina for giving us a little more insight into a life that mattered to many.

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

Don’t let fear block goals

She was invited to speak at her rst women’s conference. Although Carolyn was excited about the opportunity to nally be invited to share her story, she was petri ed of speaking in public. Without a real opportunity to speak that was immediately in front of her, she would dream about one day becoming a speaker. She could see herself on stage wowing the audience.

But now, it suddenly became very real for her, and with each passing day, her panic levels increased. She couldn’t eat, she couldn’t sleep, and she couldn’t focus on her full-time job. And sadly, a week before she was scheduled to speak, she backed

Allen is in sales. Allen is having a very di cult beginning to his year as his numbers are way o . He has heard the word “no” so often already

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com

ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

this year that he has developed a fear of asking the prospect for the business. Before each call he began thinking to himself, “ is prospect will just say no too.” He decided he would rather just not ask for the business, hoping they would ask him for an agreement, because he feared the word, “no.”

is became so bad for Allen that he actually stopped making prospecting calls as he was fearful that no one would take his calls. His email and social media reach out campaigns became informational without any calls to action as he was afraid no one would reply or he would be blocked. So now he shared that his biggest fear is losing his job for non-performance. Unfortunately, Allen is right, he is in danger and has been placed on a performance improvement plan.

Fear impacts us all in di erent ways. For some the grip of fear becomes paralyzing. For others, they have learned to work through their fears,

SEE NORTON, P13

750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225 Englewood, CO 80110

Phone: 303-566-4100

Web: ElbertCountyNews.net

To subscribe call 303-566-4100

THELMA GRIMES South Metro Editor tgrimes@coloradocommunitymedia.com

SCOTT GILBERT Editor sgilbert@coloradocommunitymedia.com

AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager abrooks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

ERIN FRANKS Production Manager efranks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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,

Thelma Grimes

Healthy aging means avoiding trips and falls

Older adults can learn to avoid trips and falls plus schedule a mobility assessment through the Douglas County Health Department. is vital topic will be explored on ursday, June 1 at the Seniors’ Council of Douglas County meeting held at the Douglas County Miller Building, Conference Rooms A&B, in Castle Rock. e meeting is from 10-11:30 am and is free and open to the public.

LIVING AND AGING WELL

Clara and Ollie were living a calm retirement when a fall changed their lives.

Clara was 75 years old and in good health when she tripped on a loose rug, fell, and broke her wrist. e injury required surgery and a cast. e related pain required medication.

One night, after getting home from the hospital, Clara got up from bed. As she stood, her head began to swim. Lightheaded from the pain medication, Clara fell again. is time, she hit her head on the bedside table and su ered a fatal brain injury. Ollie was devastated by the loss of his wife, and he died the next year from a broken heart.

For older adults, a fall can be lifealtering. Each year, nearly 3 million older adults nationwide are treated

NORTON

FROM PAGE 12

developing strategies and coping mechanisms to help overcome their fears in certain situations. And some of us face our fears head on. It’s not that the fear isn’t there, it’s just that they acknowledge their fear and summon the courage to deal with it in that moment. Still there are others who say they have no fear, that they aren’t afraid of anything, and these are the folks who lie about other things too.

We all have fears, and that’s normal and okay. What we should strive to work towards is not letting our fears stop us from achieving our goals. We can never let our fears get in the way of who we want to be and what we want to do. When fear wins, we lose, and when we allow fear to cheat us from achieving our goals it’s a double loss.

Here are a few things that I have learned to lean into when I have felt fearful. First is this that hope and fear are the same thing, a belief that something is going to happen in the future. So why not live with hope instead of fear, hoping that something good will happen and not anything bad. Second is turning fear into an

in emergency departments for injuries sustained during a fall. Helping Douglas County’s 52,000 adults over age 65 prevent falls is a priority for the new Douglas County Health Department.

“As we began planning for our new health department, we asked our community what they wanted from public health,” said Michael Hill, director of the Douglas County Health Department. “Based on community engagement and research, we saw that injury prevention was one of the top three needs in our community.”

Health care professionals and public health agencies are working together to better understand what leads to falls, including some of the realities our older adults face, such as:

1. Decreased strength, conditioning, and balance

2. Side e ects of medications, both prescribed and over-the counter

3. Limited vision and hearing

4. Hazards in/around the home, such as stairs, rugs, and uneven sidewalks or oors

What can older adults do? Laura Larson and Dr. Owen Stene, Douglas County Health Department, will discuss the plan to prevent older adults from injury-related falls as well as introduce the new Health Department’s priorities, at the June 1

acronym, F.E.A.R. stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. And lastly, the famous quote said by so many, but I will choose this version, “Courage is not the absence of fear, it is the realization that there is something more important than fear.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Here’s the good news, Carolyn overcame her fear of public speaking by learning how to be overprepared with her content. She learned other helpful speaking tips from Toastmasters, and she is doing awesome. Allen not only survived his 90-day performance improvement plan, he is also back to focusing on doing his sales behaviors, following a sales process, and winning business. Fear for both is a thing of the past.

Are you holding on to any fears that are keeping you from achieving your goals? I would love to hear your hope and fear story at gotonorton@ gmail.com and when we can never allow our fears to cheat us out of our goals and dreams, 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

The Colorado Sun is a journalist-owned, award-winning news outlet that strives to cover all of Colorado so that our state — our community — can better understand itself.

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

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

from politics and culture to the outdoor industry and education.

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

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

Seniors’ Council meeting. e Douglas County Health Department is committed to providing person-centered care that supports overall health and wellbeing for older residents. e department is located at 410 S. Wilcox Street, Suite 103, in Castle Rock and can be contacted at 720-643-2400.

Seniors’ Council of Douglas County serves and advocates for older adults. Information and updates are available at www.douglas.co.us — search for Seniors’ Council. Our signature event for older adults, Vintage & Vibrant, is planned for Saturday, Sept. 28 in Parker. Details and updates can be found on our website.

Laura Larson IMAGES COURTESY OF DOUGLAS COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT Dr. Owen Stene

Warm Hearts Warm Babies serves hospitals, agencies across Colorado

BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Surrounded by colorful fabric patterns, handmade baby items and frequent laughter, volunteers of the Warm Hearts Warm Babies nonpro t went to work on a Friday morning to put together layettes for organizations who need them.

e nonpro t has a list of roughly 40 agencies it delivers items to throughout Colorado, said Kathleen Williams, the nonpro t’s grant coordinator. e list includes the Children’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Platte Valley Medical Center and Denver Medical Center.

“Warm Hearts is totally made up of volunteers,” said Sandi Powis, president of the board of directors. “Everyone’s volunteering with their heart and skills to make things for newborn (babies), preemies to help them get a good start in this world.”

Volunteers sew, knit, crochet and quilt items such as bibs, burp pads, jackets, hats and blankets. e items are assembled into a layette, which is a collection of clothing and accessories for newborn infants.

Each layette contains a quilt, two receiving blankets, bibs, burp pads, clothing and a goodie bag containing items such as a bottle, some diapers and a small toy. ese items are delivered in a handmade tote bag.

“All these items are made with love,” Powis said. “We don’t connect to the individuals personally. We deliver the layettes to hospitals, birthing centers, food banks — anyone that can help us help the newborn.”

A number of the mothers who receive these items are experiencing homelessness, sometimes living in shelters or in their cars, Williams said.

e nonpro t also o ers items for the neonatal intensive care units at hospitals in Colorado, such as positioning roles that are used to help support the infants.

“We also provide clothing for babies that don’t survive, from tiny little babies to full-term babies,” Williams said. “We have clothing for them that we hand out at the hospitals.”

Included in those burial layettes is a cloth-made envelope intended for the parents to hold important items and memories, Powis said.

“It’s sad, but it’s so important,” Powis said. “And to know that a mom wouldn’t have to go out, or send her mom or her sister to go out and nd things for her precious one that has passed — that it can be given to them and that’s not a worry for them.”

How it began

e nonpro t’s origin dates back to 1996, when a woman named Victoria Swain gave birth to a stillborn infant, according to the nonpro t’s website. e hospital she was at could not provide a blanket or clothes for her infant, prompt-

ing Swain to look into how she could help donate these types of items.

After recruiting some volunteers and spending a few years working through a di erent organization called Newborns in Need, in 2000, Swain and the other board members decided to create their own nonpro t: Warm Hearts Warm Babies.

Powis estimated the nonpro t currently has about 200 volunteers and 12 work groups throughout the state including in Arvada, Brighton, Littleton and ornton.

Powis is part of the work group in Conifer, where she lives. She joined the organization roughly six years ago.

“I’ve been doing things for babies for many years, donating to other groups, but they were all missing something. ere was no social connection with anyone else making things,” Powis said. “I found that they had a local organization up here in Conifer and it was like, that’s it — that’s one I can link up with. I can meet people right here in our community.”

Williams learned about the nonpro t through a quilt show, as representatives of the organization had a table at the event. Living in Aurora at the time, she initially joined the Aurora group. Since then, she has moved to Colorado Springs

SEE IN NEED, P15

CIRCLE PHOTO: Eleanor Morris, left, smiles alongside her grandmother, Glenda Bredeson, on March 17 at The Baby House in Arvada.

TOP RIGHT: Signs hanging in the Warm Hearts Warm Babies’ building, called The Baby House, in Arvada on March 17.

Information pamphlets within Warm Hearts Warm Babies’ building in Arvada on March 17.

PHOTOS BY TAYLER SHAW

Sandi Powis, president of the board of directors

and joined the local work group there.

e importance of the nonpro t’s work resonated with Williams after an interaction she had with a stranger a number of years ago, she said.

“I was still up in Aurora, out buying onesies and things for our (goodie) bags so that we could deliver onesies and diapers and things, and a lady was standing behind me at the cash register,” Williams said.

e woman asked her what she was buying the materials for, to which Williams began to explain Warm Hearts Warm Babies.

“And she stopped me and she said, ‘ en, I need to thank you, because my daughter just had a baby at the hospital and it was wintertime and … we had nothing to bring that baby home in. And I told the nurses and they brought us one of your bags,’” Williams said.

“And so that keeps me going,” she continued. “I think about that and that keeps me going and seeing how important it is, the work we do.”

Fostering community

Materials for making items and assembling the layettes are stored in the nonpro t’s building, based in Arvada, which is nicknamed “ e Baby House.”

Among the volunteers who gathered at the building that Friday was Glenda Bredeson, an Arvada resident who has been a part of the organization since 1999.

Over time, the nonpro t has gradually grown and expanded in di erent areas of Colorado, said Bredeson, vice president of the nonpro t’s board.

Volunteering for the nonpro t has become a family a air, as Bredeson’s 18-year-old granddaughter, Eleanor Morris, worked alongside Bredeson in e Baby House.

“I remember volunteering here when I was a little girl,” Morris said, explaining she and her cousins would help assemble goodie bags. “I’ve always loved it.”

Since then, she began crocheting and knitting items to donate.

“She was thrilled when she made her rst two baby hats and brought them in,” Bredeson said.

Although Morris lives in Virginia, she visits when she can and also plans to still create items to donate and ship them to the nonpro t.

“I was so excited just to be here and volunteer because I grew up always coming here. Every time I visited, I would be here, and it was just amazing,” she said.

One of Bredeson’s favorite parts of the nonpro t is the people. Vickie Lutz, an Arvada resident who began volunteering for the organization in 2020, agreed and said that’s true for most of the volunteers.

Lutz said the nonpro t has incredibly talented volunteers. She showed o intricate blankets, toys and clothing items in e Baby House that volunteers spent hours creating.

Challenges and goals

e talent of the volunteers isn’t just for making impressive items, though — it can also be applied toward teaching younger people the

craft.

“Eleanor came to us. She didn’t know how to knit or crochet, and now she’s phenomenal at it. ere are so many people here that are willing to teach,” Lutz said.  e need for more younger volunteers is a challenge the nonpro t faces.

“We’re all older, and it’s just not going to be sustainable if we don’t get young people,” Lutz said.

Powis said the organization also needs more volunteers who will sew.

“ e last couple of months, unfortunately, we’ve had to cut back. We’ve had to cut back on the clothes,” Powis said. “We were sending out two out ts. Now it’s down to one.”

Before COVID-19, the nonpro t was able to have a backup supply of clothing, she said. Now, the organization is scraping by, month by month, due to losing a lot of active members.

On top of the need for volunteers, there are also nancial pressures.

“Our donations have gone down drastically over the last couple of years,” Powis said. “And again, our volunteers and the items coming in have really gone down — but the need is still the same — more, more.”

To help raise funds to pay for costs such as rent, volunteers will create items to sell at various craft shows.

e nonpro t is also one of the charities that people can select as part of the King Soopers Community Rewards program.

As the grant coordinator, Williams plans to work this year on nding new areas to get donations and support, she said. She noted that Sue Lee, cofounder of the nonpro t Sock It To ‘Em Sock Campaign, has helped by not only donating socks to Warm Hearts Warm Babies but also in providing connections to other people.

e nonpro t creates 125 to 150 layettes every month, Powis said.

e main goal she has for this year is getting enough donations of money and items to continue the nonpro t’s work.

“ ere are other organizations out there that would love to have us help them, but at this point, we can’t go out and look for more agencies. But I know they’re there — I know there’s more mamas that could use the help,” she said. “I would (like) not only to be able to help who we have, but also for it to grow and help more.”  ere are a variety of ways that community members can support Warm Hearts Warm Babies, Williams explained.

“Even if people don’t sew or … they don’t crochet, but they can help in, you know, at e Baby House or they can help in collecting donations for us — do a donation drive for us in their schools or their churches — to help us so that we can continue to help these mothers and babies and give them a good start in life,” Williams said.

Powis encouraged people to reach out to the nonpro t and come visit them. ose interested in learning more about Warm Hearts Warm Babies can visit warmheartswarmbabies.org.

“We’re a world that needs to be more interactive with each other,” Powis said, emphasizing the importance of volunteering. “It’s so good for your soul.”

Handmade toys are one of the accessories included in layettes that Warm Hearts Warm Babies volunteers create.

Colorful fabric patterns in The Baby House on March 17 in Arvada.

Completed layettes in The Baby House in Arvada on March 17.

Je Gaylord’s death shines light on life of strength and selflessness

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

On March 15, a deceased man was found at the north bus stop at Englewood Parkway and South Acoma Street in Englewood. O cials said the man was “likely a transient” and that his death did not seem criminal in nature.

Little did they know, the man was Je Gaylord, a prominent football player, professional wrestler, brother and friend.

At his memorial service at Southeast Christian Church in Parker, dozens gathered to share stories of Je ’s life and memories of their time with him.

“As I’m looking around this room today, I see many familiar faces, as well as new ones,” said Angelia Anderson, executive director of a program called Treasure House of Hope that Je participated in. “ is isn’t surprising to me because Je never met a stranger ... He always was so generous and outgoing.”

Athletic history

Je , who was born in 1958, grew up in the suburbs of Kansas City as the middle child of ve. From a young age, he was an impressive athlete, showing speci c strengths as a

during his high school years.

“During his senior year, he was able to bench press 610 pounds,” his brother, Tim Gaylord, said at the service. “Many colleges were o ering him a full-ride scholarship (for football) … Je chose Missouri.”

In college, Je became a four-year letterman and was named All-Big Eight and All-American in the early 1980s.

Je ’s success as a college athlete drew attention to him, inspiring the Los Angeles Rams to draft him in 1982. Released prior to the start of their season, he was picked up by the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. With this team, he competed in the league’s championship game called the Grey Cup.

He later played for the Boston Breakers and the San Antonio Gunslingers of the United States Football League and was named First Team All-American USFL nose tackle by the Pro Football Review in 1984, Tim said. Je then su ered a major knee injury, bringing his football career to a close. But as an athlete, he was only getting started.

At a gym in San Antonio, Je was o ered the opportunity to train to be a wrestler.

“Je , with his impressive physique, had done some bodybuilding competitions,” Tim said. “He trained for four months for his debut in professional wrestling in 1985.”

He carried the nickname “ e Missouri Tiger” into the new sport, competing for the Universal Wrestling Federation, World Class Champion Wrestling, United States Wrestling Association and American Wrestling Federation.

Among many accomplishments, he won the USWA World Tag Team Championship twice with Je Jarrett.

From stardom to the streets

After 12 years as a professional wrestler, Je decided to start a career that would take less of a toll on his body. He worked successfully in the automobile eld, but after a few years, he began to face some personal and nancial struggles.

“In 1999, Je left Gaylord Sales and Leasing and went to work for another dealer,” Tim said. “ ings didn’t work out well for Je and he blamed his personal nancial conditions and turned to becoming a bank robber.”

Je committed a couple bank robberies and served about 12 years in prison, Tim said at the service. While Je was in prison, his wife passed away.

“ at was a crushing blow to my brother,” Tim said. “After his release from prison, with no hope, Je went to live on the streets while self-medicating with whatever he could nd.”

Treasure House of Hope

For about two decades, Tim said, he prayed for his brother. In 2020, Je said he was ready for a change. is is when he started participating in the Christian-based recovery program, Treasure House of Hope.

“It’s a house and it’s a safe place where broken, hurt … people come, voluntarily come here, and we saturate them with love, compassion, and give them hope for a better future, a better tomorrow,” said Anderson, the executive director.

At the home, Je joined other men who were struggling with addiction, mental health, homelessness and other challenges in a journey to improve themselves physically, mentally and spiritually.

discus thrower and football player

Photos, certificates and awards from Je Gaylord’s life on display at his memorial service at Southeast Christian Church.

PHOTO BY NINA JOSS

From pro sports to the streets, man was valued by many

West are separating from each other. It’s not one big group anymore.

“ at is the whole idea of community through communication. We want to build the community up and bring everyone together by simply communicating what’s going on,” Snively added. “ ere’s no politics involved in that, there’s no voting that needs to happen. I want to give you information, keep you informed on what’s happening, and keep you engaged.”

Social media engagement

For Snively, the easiest, quickest and most e cient way to reach town residents is through social media.

e Town of Elizabeth is now utilizing three social media platforms for engagement: Facebook, Instagram and, most recently, Twitter.

“We are not a Facebook-only kind of town. We have a little bit of an older population and not all of them are using Instagram and Twitter,” said Snively. “But I don’t care if only 10n people follow our Twitter account, that’s 10n more people following than we currently have.”

Snively also expressed his desire to reach people outside of Elizabeth, exposing others to the town, its beauty, and what it has to o er.

“We have 2,700 followers on Facebook, which is great because that’s more followers than we have actual residents of the town,” said Snively. “ e goal is broader reach. It’s not just to inform local members of the town, but also to inform outsiders of the beauty of Elizabeth and things we have going on here.”

Throwback Thursdays and #MyElizabeth

As a part of the push for social media engagement, the Town of Elizabeth has begun making rowback ursdays posts that highlight historical aspects of the town. Sometimes these posts show comparisons of structures in the past vs. today.

“I had a high school student reach out to me and say they learned about how the town was named through our Instagram account because we posted something on there about how the name Elizabeth came about,” said Snively. “It was really cool. We

want to be able to reach people how they communicate, be that longtime residents or high school students.”

e town is also going to begin its #MyElizabeth campaign soon. is campaign will encourage residents and visitors of Elizabeth to post photos on social media with the hashtag “#MyElizabeth.” is can be added in the text description of any photo posted on Instagram or Facebook. Hashtags can also be used along with text and other media on Twitter.

“We plan to highlight a picture once a month and highlight the photographer,” commented Snively. “We will call this the #MyElizabeth of the month.”

Highlighting local residents and businesses

In addition to highlighting a #MyElizabeth of the month, the town also plans to begin highlighting businesses and residents of the month. is campaign is entitled “First Name Basis.” For now, you can nd these on the monthly newsletters and

SEE OUTREACH, P19

old that and we it, and whether ever,” cool cool out social much bring through the

event

The logo for Elizabeth’s new “Community Through Communication” initiative. COURTESY OF TOWN OF ELIZABETH

Nick Snively, the mayor of Elizabeth, met with the Elbert County News to discuss the town’s communication plan.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NICK SNIVELY

‘We have 2,700 followers on Facebook, which is great because that’s more followers than we have actual residents of the town. The goal is broader reach. It’s not just to inform local members of the town, but also to inform outsiders of the beauty of Elizabeth and things we have going on here.’

Nick Snively,

Elizabeth

mayor

OUTREACH

reposted on social media.

“We want these to be residentsubmitted. We want cool little town stories, especially about things people have done and awesome achievements of local residents,” said Snively. “We also want to highlight local merchants and businesses. We want to show that Elizabeth is a desirable place to shop and work.”

Preserve Elizabeth Initiative

As a part of the Community rough Communication plan, Snively wants to continue to bring the history of the Town of Elizabeth to the residents of the area. However, the town needs the help of longtime residents to make this happen.

e Town of Elizabeth is working toward launching its Preserve Elizabeth Initiative, kicked o by a large event.

“We’re thinking of holding an event where residents bring their old pictures, clippings, and old stu that they’ve held on to for decades and collect as a group all the history we have of Elizabeth so we can scan it, document it, bring it all together, and then do some sort of unveiling, whether it’s on the website or whatever,” said Snively. “We have a lot of cool pictures. But think about all the cool stu we don’t have yet that’s out there. I want it to be a collective social experience. I think there is so much cool stu out there. I want to bring more pride to the community through that. How do we preserve the town’s history? Well, we want to

recruit the town.”

Civics Academy

Like the Elizabeth Police Department Student Academy, the Town of Elizabeth is considering the start of a “Civics Academy” that is designed to teach local residents about the inner workings of the town.

“We had such a good turnout with the Water 101 class, and we had such great feedback. I want to broaden that education to learning about our public works, giving tours of our facilities, leaning about how our wells work and going to see them,” said Snively. “Instead of jumping into that yet, we want to o er more classes like Water 101. What does public works do for you? What are their processes? How do they take care of the town? I want to do more exposure to the town operations. It helps ll those knowledge gaps and let’s get local people more involved.”

Town website and livestreaming

e Town of Elizabeth website is in need of a serious facelift. One of Mayor Snively’s goals is to modernize the website. e plan also calls for making video livestreaming of town meetings an available option for people on the new website.

“ e rst phase would be to clean out all the bad links, bad info, and stu that’s outdated. We just started the process. It will all be revamped,” commented Snively. “As for access to the meetings, we want to livestream the Board of Trustees meetings, Planning Commission meetings, Historic Advisory Board meetings, all of it. If even just one person watches the live video, that’s one more person being involved in the community.”

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Costs and timeline

e cost of the Community rough Communication plan is little to none. e largest component of this plan is the time commitment to make it work. As for a timeline to carry out the plan, social media is already up and running, reaching thousands of people each day.

Snively hopes the town can have resident and business spotlights regularly posted by the end of June. Other pieces of the plan will be developed throughout 2023 and into 2024.

“It doesn’t need to start with big

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air, it just needs to start. Like with Twitter, we have 47 followers right now. It just needed to start,” said Snively. “Other things like classes and civics stu will probably take more time because we’ll need to work out logistics and get board approval.”

To follow the Town of Elizabeth on social media, visit the links below:

Instagram: instagram.com/ townofelizabeth80107.

Twitter: twitter.com/ElizColorado.

Facebook: facebook.com/ townofelizabethcolorado.

CROWSS UP DRO ELZZ

GAYLORD

FROM PAGE 16

During the year-long program, Je developed an identity in Christianity and was baptized. For his family and many in his church community, these decisions were monumental.

“ e best parts of the Je Gaylord story have been the last two years,” his nephew TJ Gaylord said at the memorial. “Je Gaylord nally coming to the Lord ... makes the story complete, makes it a story of joy instead of one of tragedy.”

After graduating from Treasure House of Hope in Aurora, Je stayed at the house to support the men by providing nutrition guidance and physical training.

“Everybody just loved Je , you know?” Anderson said. “He was just that kind of guy. He just always tried to help somebody else… that’s just who he was.”

Living at Treasure House came with its challenges for Je , however. He was older than most of the other program participants and he tended to bottle up his frustration and pain, said housing director Rick Alston.

As time went on, Je began drink-

ing again, Alston said, turning to alcohol as a remedy for signi cant pain from his athletic career. is resurfaced behavior was against house rules and began to impact others who also struggled with alcoholism.

Je Gaylord in his high school football uniform.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TIM GAYLORD

Je Gaylord in fifth grade.

SEE GAYLORD, P23

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“ e biggest problem that we began to have is that it started to a ect others in the home,” Alston said. “It did get to the point where we just could not have him in the home.”

e Treasure House team found several alternative treatment facility options for Je , but he decided to return to the streets, Alston said.

Champion of love

On the day Je died, Tina Hayhurst, executive director of the Englewood organization Movement 5280, informed his family of his passing.

Movement 5280 acts as a support system for many who are unhoused, o ering shelter, food, clothing, showers, mental health support, housing navigation, health and dental services, addiction recovery services, Christian Bible studies and more.

Hayhurst said she wishes more people would recognize that those who struggle with homelessness are human.

“When you get to know them, they’re a person and they’re somebody’s son and daughter and uncle — and they’re not that much different from us,” she said. “We have a fear of what people on the streets are like. And when you sit with them and you have a cup of co ee with them, you realize that they’re just the same (as) us.”

During the last year of his life, Je re-started using several services that he relied on before Treasure

House, including Movement 5280. Not only was he a part of the community, but he constantly brought others to help connect them with services.

“You can talk about a lot about his days in football … e champion I saw in him was, while he was on the street, he was helping others on the street to get services,” said Jim Hayhurst, a board member for the organization. “I don’t know that, if I was living on the streets, I could be as sel essly generous as he was in trying to help others.”

Je leaves behind the legacy of a gentle giant who, despite his challenges and mistakes, lived hard and loved even harder.

For Anderson, who has experienced homelessness herself, people like Je are worth getting to know.

“People are so beautiful,” she said. “Before you judge, before you be critical and stereotype, take a moment. It takes just as much energy

to be negative and to be judgmental as it does to go and say ‘Hey, what’s your name? How did you get here? What could we do to get you out of here?’ ... Just share some compassion. Just share some love. at’s all it takes.”

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ColoradoCommunityMedia

to change):

Document Search” page here https://oitco.hylandcloud.com/DNRCOGPublicAccess/index.html. Select “Search for Docket Related Documents” from the pull-down menu, use the above “Docket Number”, and select “Search”.

Legal Notice No. 24990

First Publication: April 20, 2023

Last Publication: April 20, 2023

Publisher: Elbert County News

Public Notice BEFORE THE COLORADO OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION NOTICE AND APPLICATION FOR HEARING DOCKET NO. 240300117

TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES AND TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Pursuant to Rules 503.g.(11) and 707.a.(2), the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Staff has applied to the Commission for an Order against KP Kauffman Company Inc. (Operator No. 46290) (“KPK”) to Require KPK to implement Form 3 (DOC. NO. 403214768) without demonstrated costs.

Denver, CO 80203

The Notice and documents related to this matter can be found on our “Hearing eFiling System Document Search” page https://oitco.hylandcloud.com/DNRCOGPublicAccess/index.html. Select “Search for Docket Related Documents” from the pull-down menu, use the above “Docket Number”, and select “Search”.

Legal Notice No. 24991

First Publication: April 20, 2023

Last Publication: April 20, 2023 Publisher: Elbert County News Water Court

Public Notice DISTRICT COURT, WATER DIVISION 1, COLORADO MARCH 2023 WATER RESUME PUBLICATION TO: ALL PERSONS INTERESTED

THE TIME PROVIDED BY STATUTE OR BE FOREVER BARRED.

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that any party who wishes to oppose an application, or an amended application, may file with the Water Clerk, P. O. Box 2038, Greeley, CO 80632, a verified Statement of Opposition, setting forth facts as to why the application should not be granted, or why it should be granted only in part or on certain conditions. Such Statement of Opposition must be filed by the last day of MAY 2023 (forms available on www.courts.state.co.us or in 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.

Date: June 14, 2023

Time:9:00 a.m.

Place:Virtually or Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission

1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 801 Denver, CO 80203

The Notice and documents related to this matter can be found on our “Hearing eFiling System

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to: 1) the general jurisdiction of the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission of the State of Colorado under § 34-60-105, C.R.S.; 2) specific powers granted pursuant to § 34-60-106, C.R.S.; 3) the Colorado Administrative Procedures Act at § 24-4-105, C.R.S.; and 4) the Commission’s Series 500 Rules at 2 C.C.R. 404-1, that the Commission has scheduled this matter for hearing before a COGCC Hearing Officer at the following date, time, and location (subject to change):

Date: June 14, 2023

Time:9:00 a.m.

Place: Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission 1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 801

‘You can talk about a lot about his days in football … The champion I saw in him was, while he was on the street, he was helping others on the street to get services.’

Jim Hayhurst, board member at Movement 5280