NORTON

FROM PAGE 12 that every single day we are at odds with one another over something. e turbulence of politics, of cancel culture, of societal pressures, and just overall discontent and disagreements brewing everywhere. Sometimes the turbulence is frightening as it escalates and becomes erce. And sometimes the turbulence is slight, but still enough to cause us some fear, worry, and doubt.

It has been said that our character isn’t de ned by what happens to us, it is de ned by how we handle what happens to us. e turbulence happening in the world doesn’t de ne who we are, how we respond to the turbulence is a much better barometer of who we are. Sometimes we have to just buckle up, fastening our seatbelts and riding out the turbulence as it will eventually smooth out. Other times we may need to hold onto one another, supporting and encouraging each other as we ght our way through the turbulence. And then maybe we can look at the silliest things that feel like tur- zona.

As of July 11, the state health department had zero identi ed human cases of West Nile virus so far this year.

What is West Nile virus?

In humans, the virus can range from being asymptomatic to deadly.

“It really is dependent on the person, you know, it depends on essentially their health,” Fiene said. Most people are asymptomatic when they are infected with the virus. According to the county’s website, one in ve people develop a fever, body aches, a headache, skin rashes and/or swollen lymph nodes.

Less than 1% of people will develop severe symptoms that a ect the nervous system. ese may include a high fever, tremors, neck sti ness, muscle weakness, confusion and disorientation, a coma, paralysis and potentially death.

“ e risk is extremely small, but to some people, it could be extremely dangerous,” Fiene said.

If a person thinks they may have the virus, Fiene said they should seek medical care. ere are no speci c treatments for the illness and no vaccines, but medical support can help relieve symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Prevention

Experts say the best way to protect oneself from the virus is to prevent situations that could lead to bites.

“(Residents) need to protect themselves, especially at the times of dawn and dusk” Fiene said. “If you have to go outside at that time, mak- bulence and like the children on the airplane, laugh our way through it. ere are plenty of real-world problems that we face as a society, and we should pay attention to those and become as informed as possible, focusing on the facts instead of opinions and rants of others. It just seems like there is much more noise and turbulence around the silliest and smallest things that get us so worked up. For me, in these situations, my go-to response is laughter, as it really keeps me focused on the more important things in life. ing sure you wear long clothing, long pants, long sleeve shirts. And, again, wearing DEET-containing insect repellent.”

How do you handle the turbulence? Do you buckle up and ride it out? Do you hold on to others? Or do you decide that the best response is to smile and laugh it o ? I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can decide to respond instead of react to all that the world has to throw at us, 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.

Dylan Garrison, environmental health manager at Arapahoe County Public Health, added that it can also be bene cial to eliminate spaces where mosquitoes would like to breed. Some of these areas could include standing water in areas like puddles, gutters, owerpots, tires, pool covers, boats and tarps.

“If you have tall grass or shrub areas or a bunch of bushes, it can be conducive to providing a place for them to hang out -- so keeping that trimmed and clean is always good idea,” he said.

If considering chemical treatment options for these areas, Garrison and Fiene said it is important to do so properly in order to not cause greater harm to other wildlife.

County actions e county is undertaking mitigation e orts where the infected mosquitoes were found, including insecticides and extensive mowing.

Along with its surveillance and mitigation e orts, Garrison said the county is working hard to educate and inform the community of the precautions they should take.

“ is is largely about individual responsibility and what can you do as an individual to help prevent being bitten in the rst place,” he said. “ e more you know, the more you’re able to prevent the bite, and that’s the idea.

Boulder, Delta, Larimer and Weld counties also have mosquitoes con rmed to be carrying the virus, according to Arapahoe County.

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

They proudly call themselves the B.O.B. from the 303, bringing the Big Easy up to high altitudes with their soul-gripping blend of music stylings with New Orleans jazz.

Known for its vibrant nightlife and colorful buildings is the French Quarter. e French Quarter is the heart of New Orleans, and jazz is its heartbeat.

Breathing life into Bourbon Street are the sounds of brass instruments and drums continuously owing out of numerous jazz clubs. With just a trumpet, clarinet, berry sax, alto sax, trombone, snare, bass drum and tuba, the Brothers of Brass are bringing that one and only soulful heartbeat to Colorado.

“It’s a cultural tradition that most of the country doesn’t have,” said Armando Lopez, a member of the Brothers of Brass.

e group’s repertoire is a simmering mix of slow and angsty tunes and fast-paced tempos with a kick of familiar melodies. e Brothers of Brass blend of other genres like R&B, hip hop and psychedelic jam rock into each set.

A day after a tornado hit Highlands Ranch in late June, the Brothers of Brass dished out a much-needed evening of fun for the community. Soon, everyone went from clapping to full-out dancing, allowing concertgoers a chance to relax.

“It was nice to see so many kids, like, actually getting up out of their seats and the older people getting up and dancing and enjoying the music,” said Khalil Simon, who is originally from New Orleans. “It’s not so often that we get to play like New Orleans brass music for a crowd like this and appreciate it, that’s pretty unique.”

Not only did the band members interact with one another on stage throughout the night, they got the crowd involved by singing along and repeating after them. Although it was an outdoor concert, there was no excuse for the crowd not being loud enough.

Among some crowd favorites were “Just the Two of Us” by Grover Washington Jr., and “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers. And of course, they couldn’t call themselves a brass band without playing the beloved spiritual hymn “When the Saints Go Marching In.” e strong, powerful notes of brass instruments and the beautiful harmo-

In true New Orleans fashion, each band member was called out to do a solo, each one emoting a di erent feeling.

As the music continued and the sun began to set, the crowd let the good times roll as more children and adults came to the front of the stage, dancing as if it were Mardi Gras.

Just when the sun went behind the buildings, the Brothers of Brass were kind enough to strap on their instruments for an encore, playing “Survivor” by Destiny’s Child.