Elbert County News 080323

Elizabeth Schools seeking volunteers

New committees aim to deepen participation

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

County Road 13 washes out — again

Commissioner weighs in on damage from flooding

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

For the second time this summer, Elbert County Road 13 between County Roads 158 (Hilltop Road) and 166 (Singing Hills Road) has been washed out by severe ooding. e damage occurred on July 20, less than three weeks after the road had reopened to tra c after the earlier washout.

When reconstructing the road after the rst washout, Elbert County Road and Bridge increased the ca-

pacity of ow for the creek beneath the road by 40%.

Over the late spring and early summer, repairing road issues around the county (prior to the July 20 washout) had already cost $1.4 million. County leaders are hoping to see reimbursement for repairs as a part of an extended federal disaster declaration for eastern Colorado.

At the scene of the washout on July 20, workers with Road and Bridge expressed their concern, saying they weren’t sure what the next steps would be to x the road and stop the issue from happening in the future.

When asked if Elbert County had seen weather like this before, one

worker said, “It’s just an unseasonably terrible year. Some of our admin sta have researched and this is the most rain and the most destructive ooding the county has seen since the 1965 ood.”

“ e guy that lives at the ranch right here said he’s lived out forever and has never ever seen this. And he’s an old guy,” a worker said. “He said that those two 6-foot culverts had been there since 1945 and they had never washed out or even seen anything like this. and now they’re gone.”

“We don’t have any other roads out in the county from this rain that we know of,” a worker added. “So far.”

Earlier this year, the Elizabeth School District Board of Education established three new committees to further and deepen community participation within Elizabeth schools. e district is seeking district residents to ll these voluntary positions. e three committees available are (1) Policy Review Council, (2)Finance Advisory Council and (3) Board Curriculum Review Council. It also will be forming a District Advisory Committee as outlined in state statute.

“ ese board committees are really about citizen involvement in the school district,” said Superintendent Dan Snowberger. “I think with politics knocking on the door of every district, it is important to get parents and community stakeholders involved in their schools.” Below is an overview, provided by the school district, of the committees and links to submit applications.

Policy Review Council is board committee reviews district policies on a regular schedule and considers any changes being recommended to such policies to ensure that they meet the needs of

SEE VOLUNTEERS, P9 SEE ROAD, P8

A large chunk of Elbert County Road 13 washed away on July 20 due to severe flash flood rains.

PHOTO BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

One weekend left for 2023 Colorado Renaissance Festival

BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

When patrons cross the threshold of the Colorado Renaissance Festival castle gate they are transported to a world where knights ght to the death, royalty glide down the village streets, fairies utter about and

witches eat children.

Kristy Ekiss, operations manager and Queen Anne of the festival, said the 16th-century medieval amusement park is about to complete its 46th season of operation. Patrons can visit the park for the last times this year on July 29-30 and Aug. 6-7.

Ekiss said this season has been

wonderful and, like previous years, has had a great response from people.

With around 100 cast members, the Colorado Renaissance Festival is unique in that it’s very interactive with visitors, Ekiss said.

“We try very hard to achieve a fully immersive experience where everywhere you look, you’re being pulled into the scene and you’re being made part of the village rather than just walking through and experiencing it,” she said. “I think we try very hard to make everyone apart of the show.”

She said there is something for everyone in the permanent village structure that sits on 80-plus acres of land.

“We have over 10 stages of nonstop entertainment. ere is always a show going on at every single one of those stages and we have over 180 artisans that we hand select from all around the country that create everything from blacksmithing to swords to elaborate court costumes to anything you can think of,” Ekiss said.

Ekiss said the same family has owned the park since its opening in 1977.

Ekiss, who lives in Colorado Springs and grew up going to Renaissance fairs, has been on sta and in the cast for 17 years. For her, the best aspect of being a part of the festival is performing for children.

Eric Mindykowski, who performs as eodore Wenglewick, the Duke of Larkspur, acts as the casting director and has been a part of the theme park since 2002, feels the same way.

“Seeing that wonder in kids’ eyes, that’s one of my favorite things,” he said.

Mindykowski said he feels the Colorado Renaissance Festival is different from others because everyone from the cast to the crew is extreme-

ly kind to patrons.

“Everybody says our festival is the friendliest and I really pride ourselves as management that we instill that in everybody,” he said. e duke said while the festival can cause tra c in Larkspur, it’s bene cial to the town’s economy and brings new people to the community every year.

David Seeley, who originally worked for a merchant, has worked at the festival since 2001 and took on the role of King George six years ago.

“ is one of the few places where people come just to have a good time. My favorite aspect of this season is just the renewal of the cast,” he said. “People visit from all over the country, and they commonly comment about it’s so di erent here because we’re just a big family and it’s just a big heart that we have.”

Colorado natives, high school sweethearts and married couple John and Pinkie Stepp, also known as omas and Elizabeth Howard, the Duke and Duchess of Norford, rst came to the fair in 1979, became consistent patrons in 1996 and joined the cast 15 years ago.

Based on real people in history, John and Pinkie love bringing the 16th century alive for people through their characters.

“One of the things I love most is, as we walk around and entertain, people ask questions and I can share historical things like how we’re dressed and what’s important,” Pinkie said.

For John, there is nowhere greater to be than the Colorado Renaissance Festival.

“With all due respect I think Mr. Disney was wrong. is is in fact the happiest place on Earth,” John said.

For more information, visit coloradorenaissance.com

Primrose the Fairy performs at the Colorado Renaissance Festival in Larkspur.

From left to right, John and Pinkie Stepp, also known as Thomas and Elizabeth Howard, the Duke and Duchess of Norford, King George and Queen Anne also known as David Seeley and Kristy Ekiss, and Eric Mindykowski, also known as Theodore Wenglewick, the Duke of Larkspur, at the Colorado Renaissance Festival. PHOTOS BY ELISABETH SLAY

Castle Rock man facing terrorism charge

18-year-old allegedly tried to join ISIS

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e FBI arrested a Castle Rock man at Denver International Airport on July 14 for allegedly attempting to join the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, an Islamic militant organization.

Davin Daniel Meyer, 18, is charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, according to the US Attorney’s O ce for the District of Colorado. He appeared in federal court on July 17.

e U.S. Attorney’s O ce said Meyer pledged an oath of allegiance to the Islamic State group and planned to travel to Iraq to ght for them.

Law enforcement began investigating Meyer when a person who knows him reported him to the Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce in June 2022 over concerns with

Meyer’s extremism and interest in violence.

According to Meyer’s a davit, the individual told police that Meyer had previously followed white supremacist ideology but began practicing Islam in October 2020. Meyer allegedly told the individual that he planned to go to Syria and become a martyr.

Meyer also allegedly threatened to build a bomb and kill people in America. Meyer’s a davit says he is diagnosed with multiple mental health conditions and had received residential treatment, but did not take medication because of his religious beliefs.

Sta at the residential treatment center reported Meyer said bigoted things about people of color, women and Jews.

Meyer reportedly did not go to his local mosque because it wasn’t radical enough and allowed women to attend.

In November 2022, FBI agents posed as Islamic State facilitators and began communicating online with Meyer. Meyer told the agents that he planned to save money to travel to Iraq and become a ghter

Comprehensive cancer care that sets us apart.

for the Islamic State. He also sent them a video of him swearing an oath of allegiance to the Islamic State’s leader.

Meyer met with an undercover FBI agent in person three times between November 2022 and June 2023 and discussed his plan each time.

In June, Meyer had gotten a passport and bought plane tickets to y from Denver to Munich, Germany and then to Ankara, Turkey, where he believed he would meet up with members of the Islamic State and travel with them to Iraq.

On July 14, Meyer arrived at the Denver International Airport for his ight to Munich and was arrested by FBI agents on the jet bridge before boarding the plane.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Hindman of the District of Colorado is prosecuting on behalf of the government with the assistance of Jennifer Levy of the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.   e case is being investigated by the FBI Denver Field O ce with assistance provided by the Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce.

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

The FBI arrested Davin Daniel Meyer, 18, at Denver International Airport on July 14 for allegedly attempting to join the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, an Islamic militant organization.

COURTESY OF US ATTORNEY’S OFFICE FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLORADO

in Franktown double murder

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

After initially pleading not guilty to killing his sister and her boyfriend in rural Douglas County, Casey Devol reversed course and pleaded guilty weeks before his trial was set to begin.

Devol had pleaded not guilty in September and was set to see trial starting Aug. 7, according to the state judicial branch website.

He pleaded guilty to two charges of second-degree murder on July 19, according to online court records. As a result, his two charges of rstdegree murder were dismissed.   Devol also pleaded guilty to a charge related to cruelty to animals. Authorities say Devol also killed a dog in the incident.

He’s set for a sentencing hearing Aug. 7.

A recording captured audio of the incident where Devol allegedly committed the murders, according to prosecutors.

“What we have are recorded statements of the murder itself which were made by one of the victims,” Andrew Steers, a chief deputy district attorney, has said.

e existence of the recorder was not known, Steers said, until the autopsy in the case that left Jessica Mitchell, 32, and Bryan Todd Gray, 34, dead in the Franktown area. ey were discovered in February 2022 in a garage adjacent to a house they lived in on Russellville Road. Mitchell was Devol’s sister.

Authorities don’t know why some-

Last weekend to visit the Douglas County Fair & Rodeo.

To purchase tickets and view the schedule, visit FairandRodeoFun.com

Do you need a copy of a birth or death certificate?

and search for Vital Records for ways to obtain records in person, online, by mail or by email.

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Please:

one chose to record the interaction, Steers said during a March 22 hearing in Douglas County District Court.

e recording captured the events leading up to the killings: ree people appeared to be having a dinner and at one point talked about a birthday gift, Steers said. At some point, the man authorities say is Devol leaves and returns and kills the other two people and a dog.

Mitchell was found with a “digital recorder device,” according to her autopsy report.

A coworker of Gray’s discovered him and Mitchell in the Russellville Road garage about 1:30 p.m. Feb. 8, 2022.

Devol was found and arrested at a hotel in Salina, Kansas, on Feb. 9, 2022. He complied when o cers attempted to place him in custody, according to testimony at the hearing. Autopsy results show the victims had bruising and shallow injuries and had been shot by two di erent rearms.

e report, released by the Douglas County Coroner’s O ce, shows both victims also had meth, alcohol and marijuana in their systems. In addition to the toxicology reports, notes were made in both autopsies that each had a history of methamphetamine use.

Deputies discovered security footage for the home that showed someone entering the garage carrying “multiple handguns and a long gun.” After a tip from a friend of the family, investigators alleged that Devol is the person in the video.

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•Don’tdrivedistracted.

•Respectcrossingguardinstructions.

•Followspecificstudentdrop-offandpick-upprocedures. Learnmoreat douglas.co.us andsearch SchoolZones

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, visit douglas.co.us and search for Business Meetings.

Casey Devol was arrested last year on charges of killing two people. FILE PHOTO

Air regulators o er legal help to neighborhood groups

BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN

Did you hear the one about the state government o ering the public free lawyers to harass … the state?

It’s no joke. In one of the rst tangible impacts of environmental justice policies and rules that are working their way into multiple battlegrounds overseen by state and federal regulators, Colorado’s public health department now links community groups with pro bono lawyers who can help the groups become o cial “parties” in complex environmental rulemaking, giving them a voice ampli ed by legal muscle.

e rst such e ort will play out later this year as the Air Quality Control Commission writes new rules requiring some of the largest industrial polluters in Colorado to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by set percentages. e community group Climate Equity Community Advisory Council wants to ensure the state requires 18 targeted industrial polluters to make real cuts using the best technology, not just the cheapest. And they want an accounting of the results down the road.

e air commission and many other state agencies have always taken public comments, said Rachael Lehman, a member of the advisory council, and a Community College of Denver faculty member who volunteers to work on environmental issues.

But too often, Lehman said, “the result is ‘We got your comments, now shut up.’ I’ve seen it in multiple situations, where they say, ‘Yes, we had so many community meetings.’ OK. But did they actually listen and incorporate what the community said?”

Regulators from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment put the community council in touch with volunteer Wyatt Sassman of the University of Denver Sturm College of Law’s Environmental Law Clinic. ey are now a party to the industrial pollution rulemaking, sitting shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Anheuser-Busch, Cargill, Molson Coors and environmental giants like the Sierra Club.

“It’s important for us to just have that ability to be able to keep an eye on things, and make sure that the rule is being written in a way that is understandable,” Lehman said. She worries that the big companies targeted by the industrial rules “have the big, big pockets, and you can sort of buy your way out of this.” Sassman, she said, is helping the community group understand the rule drafts word by word, and “what’s even in the realm of possibility.”

State o cials said they have worked hard to create meaningful community engagement.

A series of state and federal policies made into law in recent years require agencies to consider how past pollu-

tion has disproportionately impacted communities with lower incomes and higher minority populations. By default or conscious zoning, Colorado industries are concentrated in communities like north Denver, Adams and Pueblo counties, and in other locations with measurable impacts on the physical health of lower income residents.

“We just are looking at our process from beginning to end, thinking about how we can interact with all stakeholders and open the door to include voices we aren’t hearing, which was quite a few,” said Lauren McDonell, climate change outreach planner for the Air Pollution Control Division. e division sta s the air quality commission and carries out day-to-day air regulation.

e commission’s rulemaking sessions debate how to carry out directives from the legislature. As part of Colorado’s overall e ort to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030, the legislature added details in 2021 requiring the largest industrial polluters to cut emissions 20% by that year, from a 2015 base year. Any industrial company emitting over 25,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases a year would need to start limits in 2024.

After rounds and rounds of lings by the parties, public comments and state responses, the commission will take up the industrial rules, called GEMM Phase 2, in September. e list of 18 Colorado companies ranges from American Gypsum to Molson Coors and Cargill Meat Solutions, to Sterling Ethanol and Suncor Energy’s Commerce City re nery.

Public comments are great, McDonell said, but if a community group is granted “party” status, “they’re actually around the table with other entities, who actually can get into the details of the rule language, they can propose di erent language, alternate proposals.”

Becoming an o cial “party” has more involvement and in uence, “but it’s also more time, and it comes with deadlines and things that are related to a legal process. ey don’t require an attorney, but it’s a heck of a lot easier if you have one,” McDonell said.

e APCD’s Clay Clarke reached out to the Colorado Bar Association environment committee and wound up with a list of pro bono attorneys willing to dig in on behalf of community groups.

e corporations will have their general counsel and expensive private attorneys, and the established environmental nonpro ts have their sta and contract attorneys, Sassman said. Community members who may live right next to the industrial plants, meanwhile, are facing “complex and jargony” issues, in their spare time.

“ at’s where somebody like us could come in and help,” Sassman said.  State o cials say they are prepared to handle the results from their e orts at balance, and know full well they are handing the community a list of lawyers who could make regulators’ lives miserable.

“No one’s ever too happy with us” anyway, McDonell said. “But in all seriousness, I think the priority here is to get the voices to the table to have a normal conversation because historically, again, it’s those well-funded groups that have been part of the conversation. We don’t have any control or expectation about them being supportive of us or the proposal. We know they’re going to challenge us and we want that, we welcome that.”

Lehman and the advisory council already have some buzzwords in the rule drafts for which they are seeking more legal explanations.

Carbon capture, for example, bothers Lehman to no end. She fears state

regulators polluters air it stu long-term versial enforcement the many license companies SEE LAWYERS, P7

Colorado hands out grants aimed at college

BY SARA MARTIN CHALKBEAT COLORADO

Colorado is investing a chunk of its federal relief money in the future of students to boost the job economy.

e Polis administration announced in June that the state would award $27 million to 46 groups across the state in a rst round of funding to support workforce training in local urban, suburban and rural economies via the Opportunity Now Colorado grant program. Grants range from $50,000 to $7 million.

e grants aim to make college more accessible for high school students, open educational opportunities for older adults who never attended or nished college, and “are intended to help connect more Coloradans with in-demand, high-wage occupations,” according to the governor’s o ce. It also will fund healthcare education programs in order to address the healthcare worker shortage that has been a persistent problem throughout the pandemic.

“ is is designed to help ll the workforce gap and get people the skills they need for positions that are available

LAWYERS

regulators may allow the industrial polluters to keep spewing damaging air into neighborhoods but then o set it through buying carbon credits or stu ng the carbon underground in long-term storage, an ethically controversial tradeo .

Community groups also want tough enforcement language written into the rules, Lehman said. If she gets too many speeding tickets, her driver’s license is taken away, she said. But companies like Suncor have years of

and ready to start today and tomorrow — it will help power economy and help Colorado shine in terms of workforce readiness,” said Gov. Jared Polis in an interview with Chalkbeat Colorado.

Eve Lieberman, the executive director of the O ce of Economic Development and International Trade, said, “Increasingly we were hearing from businesses that they want to be partnering with educational institutions and creating these innovative models. at’s exactly what we’re doing here is forming grant opportunities to allow for that innovation, those partnerships, and to have industry help co-create that talent.”

In 2021, Colorado lawmakers passed legislation that created the Student Success and Workforce Revitalization Task Force Report to determine how to spend federal pandemic relief money. e task force’s main suggestion was to create a statewide grant program for innovative ideas that connect community groups, colleges, and employers. e state is now using $85 million of the one-time federal money on the grants.

St. Vrain Valley Schools is using its $7 million grant to partner with multiple

multiple air violations and never lose their permits.

“It is a dual system of justice,” Lehman said. “Big polluters continue to do what they want, and our government doesn’t have the courage to just say we are in the business of protecting our citizens and you have to shut down. How is that so hard?”

e air pollution division knows the lawyers on their pro bono list will bring those arguments, and more, to the industrial pollution rules, and other upcoming policy battles.

“We absolutely have a deep commitment to environmental justice,” McDonell said. “But we can only say that so many times.”

organizations and school districts, including Estes Park R-3, Weld RE-3J, and Adams 12 Five Star Schools, to further develop its early childhood/K-12 education, technology, and advanced manufacturing workforce pathway programs.

St. Vrain currently partners with CU Denver in a program for high school juniors and seniors to take dual education enrollment courses that can transfer to CU Denver after graduation. With the new funds, CU Denver will develop classes for adult working professionals and high school students to access college coursework and earn additional credits. e credits will be free to students and district professionals.

“Being able to remove so manynancial barriers, it gives students a real strong feeling of success and our older working professionals, where many of them haven’t been in school for a number of years, the same feeling,” said Diane Lauer, St. Vrain Valley School District’s chief academic o cer.

Students will be able to earn certicates in the technology or advanced manufacturing elds in welding, metal fabrication, pipe tting, electronics, and machinery operation.

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,

Colorado State University of Pueblo was awarded over $1.39 million to help address the healthcare crisis, especially for Coloradoans who are Hispanic, rural, and low-income. e money will help address the state nursing shortage with new nurses and instructors in the graduate program.

“One of the reasons that nursing shortages exist is because there’s a shortage of nursing instructors. is is due to retirements in the healthcare workforce, and could be a university or college-level nursing program not being able to admit the number of students that are applying because there are not enough quali ed faculty with the credentials to instruct,” said Alexandra Hansen, CSU Pueblo’s regional development o cer.

Hansen said that the university wants to listen to its community and encourage those in the southern Colorado region to join an in-demand, high-paying occupation.

People who have experienced limited access to healthcare may nd the nursing eld a ful lling career, Hansen said. Limited access could be due to

visit coloradosun.com. e Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

In an interview from July 25, District 1 County Commissioner Christopher Richardson weighed in on the CR 13 damage and other weather-related road issues around the county.

“We can’t nd any records dating back 40 years where County Road 13 has overtopped in that area. e road didn’t keep up with the very fast rate of rain. We were getting 5 inches per hour of rainfall. After the second big storm, at the end of mid-to-late June, that brought us 37 inches from May through June. e county on average gets less than 18 inches a year,” said Richardson. “ e area has two ood control dams. Both of those were completely lled prior to the rain last week, so there was nothing to save it.”

Elbert County Road and Bridge is now installing culverts at the CR 13 washout that will allow for 6,000 gallons of water ow per minute. is is about 2.5 times larger than the initial 40% increase from earlier this year. Richardson said July 25 that he was con dent CR 13 would be reopened within a week or two.

Elbert County is working on a public damage assessment in collaboration with Road and Bridge, Elbert County Emergency Management, representatives from FEMA and CDOT, and the Colorado Department of Public Safety. is will help document the areas of damage around the county.

“Our biggest focus is on making sure houses make it through this ooding,” said Richardson. “ ere’s only one home I know that was completely surrounded by water. “We haven’t lost any homes so far.”

Elbert County recently hired an in-house engineer who will help determine the best way to move forward with construction around the county. Coming from El Paso County, County Engineer Darren Adame is Elbert County’s rst inhouse engineer. Previously, experts were consulted from outside the county.

“Adame has quite a lot of experience in ood zone management. He came on a week after the initial damage. He will help decide the best way to move forward,” said Richardson. “To have somebody on site all the time that can actually respond and provide advice for construction design, is going to pay o tremendously for us. He’s the right person and came at the perfect time.”

In his conversation with the Elbert County News, Richardson emphasized that several road closure signs have been stolen from around the county, citing how dangerous this is for residents. “We’ve had quite a few of our road closure signs disappear. Removal of those can endanger people lives.”

To keep up with currently Road and Bridge projects, visit elbertcounty-co.gov/237/Road-Bridge

Floodwaters on the west side of Elbert County Road 13 on July 20.

PHOTOS BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

Elbert County Road 13 was closed between County Roads 158 and 166.

Elbert County Road and Bridge workers look out onto the destruction where floodwaters tore out a portion of County Road 13.

VOLUNTEERS

the students and the community. Parents, community members, administrators, sta and teachers will make up this committee. If you are a parent or a community member interested in serving, go to tinyurl. com/esdpolicyreview.

Finance Advisory Council

is board committee incorporates nancial expertise from members of the Elizabeth community to assist in examining district budgets, nancial expenditures, and overall scal planning for the school district. e district is currently soliciting interested community members for this important committee that will form in August. To submit an application, go to tinyurl.com/esdnanceadvisory.

Board Curriculum Review Council is committee is composed of parents, teachers, administrators, and community members who will review proposed changes in school curriculum materials and make recommendations to our board on future adoptions and purchases. If you’re interested in joining this committee, go to tinyurl.com/esdcurriculum.

District Advisory Committee

The Elizabeth School District is also forming a District Advisory Committee. The District Advisory Committee (DAC) is a legally constituted accountability and advisory committee of parent representatives and teachers from every school in the district. State and federal education legislation emphasizes the inclusion of families in the educational accountability process.

Colorado Statute 22-11-302 requires DAC members to act in an advisory capacity to the school board on a variety of topics, including:

• e district budget;

• Uni ed improvement plans;

• Family engagement; and

• Other projects as determined by the school board (parent surveys, MLO oversight, etc.)

e DAC meets three to four times throughout the school year, and members have an opportunity to hear district updates and provide input on a variety of topics. DAC mem-

bers are responsible for ongoing communication with their School Accountability Committee (SAC). Ideally, DAC membership will include two or three representatives from each school in the district (at least one parent and one sta member), including Legacy Academy. DAC membership is contingent on appointment by the school board.

e DAC provides opportunities for parents and community members to become informed about and to be involved in making recommendations concerning the preparation of the district’s improvement plans and cooperatively determining other areas and issues to address recommendations on.

e DAC reviews and makes recommendations to the school board concerning the School Accountability Committee (SAC) plans for the improvement of education in each school. e DAC reviews the proposed district budget and provides feedback to administration and the BOE.

Commitment requirements for DAC members are as follows:

• Regular meetings are scheduled throughout the school year.

• DAC members serve two-year terms.

• e committee will elect o cers and may form subcommittees.

• All meetings of the DAC and

its subcommittees are open to the public.

If you are a parent or community member and interested in serving, go to tinyurl.com/esddistrictadvisory.

e start of the 2023-2024 school year is fast approaching and interested applicants (for any of the above committees) should submit

their applications as soon as possible.

“ e board will review applicants and select candidates in August,” Snowberger said. “ e Policy Review Committee is one that is still being discussed as there are legal rami cations to policies and we are working to better de ne the role this group will play.”

Elizabeth High School teachers enter the school, preparing for the start of the 2023-2024 school year.

PHOTO BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

State preschool program leaves some unsure

vember, she added, the department would reassess how many kids had actually enrolled in provider programs and adjust payments based on those numbers.

BY ERICA BREUNLIN THE COLORADO SUN

A preschool in Greeley that has shepherded countless kids through the rst years of their education over the past 21 years may welcome its last class of 4-year-olds next month, eyeing an uncertain future as it dives into the state’s newly expanded preschool program.

Nearby, a di erent preschool that caters to mostly children of lowincome families has only been able to ll a quarter of its classrooms for the start of the school year and is weighing its options — which could include closing its doors.

Preschools across Colorado are sprinting to make nal preparations for the start of the state’s expanded preschool program, known as universal preschool. And with less than a month until the rst day of school, many question whether they’ll have enough state funding to stay open. at question has bubbled up in the past month, after Colorado’s new Department of Early Childhood changed the way it will calculate how much funding preschool providers will receive during their rst few months of the program.

Instead of paying a provider for the number of students it has the capacity to educate, as originally promised, the department will now dole out funding based on the number of students enrolled. It might seem like a subtle shift, but to preschool providers who already run

their programs on thin margins, it could mean the di erence between continuing their classes and closing them down for good.

e new approach “de nitely cuts providers o at the knees with their ability to step into this rst year of (universal preschool) and have adequate facilities and adequate sta ready to go, trained,” said Scott Bright, owner of ABC Child Development Centers, which has 25 preschool sites across Weld County, six of which will participate in Colorado’s expanded preschool program. “ is is a system that providers have been hesitant to jump into because they haven’t gotten clear answers from the departments on how this is all going to go down.”

e Early Childhood department, which has a $322 million budget for

its inaugural year of the expanded preschool program, previously pledged to compensate preschools participating in universal preschool based on the number of 4-year-olds they had room to educate, regardless of whether they lled all their seats. at’s a much more predictable and reliable method of funding, providers say.

During a Jan. 12 meeting among members of the department’s Rules Advisory Council, M. Michael Cooke — then a universal preschool representative from Gov. Jared Polis’ o ce — said that through monthly state payment to providers from August through October, those providers would receive a dollar amount based on their capacity, regardless of whether providers could ll all their seats. en in No-

“We want to be helpful,” Cooke added. “We don’t want to create a situation where we’re creating a budget shortfall for community partners. We don’t want to create a situation where there has to be a layo of sta .”

However, as the state tried to balance the number of preschool slots available with the number of kids actually being enrolled, it became clear that the scale tipped too far. Data “showed a signi cantly higher number of available seats in the universal preschool system than participating families,” Early Childhood department spokesperson Hope Shuler wrote in an email to e Colorado Sun, noting that there were about two seats open for every child whose family applied.

Bright, who also serves as board president of the Early Childhood Education Association of Colorado, sees the decision to change funding as something of a bait-and-switch after the Early Childhood department simply couldn’t a ord to pay all participating providers for the surplus of preschool slots.

“ ey realized they ran out of money based on the promise they made, and now providers are left carrying the load,” said Bright, who typically keeps his business a oat with no more than two weeks of operating cash in the bank at any one time.

Without upfront payment from the state for all kids who enroll in universal preschool at his centers, Bright said he won’t have the funds to pay his sta .

Crayons are organized by color in Early Childhood University’s preschool classroom Tuesday, July 25, 2023, in Greeley, Colo.

PHOTO BY TANYA FABIAN /SPECIAL TO THE COLORADO SUN

A month before universal preschool starts, Colorado is backpedaling on a major funding promise

SEE PRESCHOOL, P23

Thu 8/10

Eric Golden

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Sun 8/13

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@ 6pm Philip S. Miller Park Amphitheater, 210 E Wolfensberger Rd, Castle Rock

Adina Howard

@ 6pm Stampede, 2430 S Havana St, Aurora

Fri 8/11

Kids’ Zone: Fairy Tea Party (3-6 yrs) S/S23

@ 3pm Parker Recreation Center, 17301 E Lincoln Ave., Parker

The Sensational Barnes Brothers: Backyard Beats 2023 @ 5pm Sweetwater Park, 8300-1/2 Sweet Water Rd, Lone Tree

Axeslasher @ 7pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Englewood

Pancake Stampede 5K @ 7am / $25

The Hudson Gardens & Event Center, 6115 South Santa Fe Drive, Littleton. SarahN@ssprd.org

Hot Like Wasabi: HLW at Viewhouse

@ 7pm ViewHouse Centennial, 7101 S Clinton St, Centennial

Sat 8/12

Giant Zero at Private Party @ 2pm private party, Sedalia

Little Jam Free Concert @ 5:30pm

Sterne Park, 5800 South Spotswood Street, Littleton. cweaver@littletongov.org, 303795-3727

The Potato Pirates @ 7pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

The Denver Pops with The Ultimate Stones @ 7pm / $30-$50

The Amphitheater at Philip S. Miller Park, 1375 W Plum Creek Pkwy, Castle Rock

Dave Mensch - Tailgate Tavern - Parker, CO @ 11am

Tailgate Tavern & Grill, 19552 Mainstreet, Parker

Wed 8/16

Tom Mcelvain Music @ 5pm

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Thu 8/17

The Newarkansans live at The Inverness HIlton Denver @ 4pm

Hilton Denver Inverness, 200 Inverness Dr W, Englewood

Wind, Women, & Water Clinic @ 4:30pm / $55

Cherry Creek Reservoir, 4800 S Dayton St, Greenwood Village. 303-757-7718

The Ultimate Stones BandRolling Stones Tribute: With the Denver Pops Orchestra @ 7:30pm

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Crazy Dave, Bass Guitarist: Reso‐nance Debuts | Tailgate Tavern @ 5pm

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Something must give VOICES

Ihave debated writing this column for some time. I understand the subject is controversial, but I feel in my heart that sometimes we must write something tough

children are mature enough for a drag show, but I get to be the one to decide. I do not want some town council, county, state or federal government telling me yea or nay.

e books some are ghting in the library — I ask why. Just don’t let your children read them.

To those boycotting Bud Light — I understand the argument. If you want to protest through your pocketbook — whether I agree or disagree with your reasoning — I say go for it as long as you do not have some law passed to force it on me.

e louder the opponents have gotten — the more the other side has been pushing back.

However, like many, I am growing tired of the controversies and what feels like contrived battles over the LGBTQ community.

We are nearly a year removed from the unfortunate event at PrideFest in Castle Rock that has been dubbed a “wardrobe malfunction.” Let’s just say it — a drag queen’s breast plate was exposed.

It feels like those angered by this incident have taken the ght to councils, the county and more. It just hasn’t stopped.

I continue to be saddened by the local and national rhetoric targeting the LGBTQ community. I am saddened that people are vulnerable because of the increase in violent incidents and hate.

Two of my dearest friends in the world are a gay couple living in Palm Springs. eir friendship means so much to me. When I hear the hate being spewed out there — I often think of them and know they are such amazing people that I can’t in good conscience just keep standing by watching.

Regarding the drag queen show drama — to those protesting — you are often the same people saying we need less government in our lives. I often agree. I agree on this issue too.

Hear me out. What right do we have to say that an age restriction should be placed on a show like this in Highlands Ranch, Castle Rock, or Arapahoe County? Shouldn’t that be up to the parents? Shouldn’t it be completely up to the adults buying tickets?

In all honesty, I don’t think my

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As someone trying to skate the slippery slope known as the middle, and others like me, I am tired of it all. I am tired of the petty back and forth ghting.

I am absolutely no fan whatsoever of casting a large net of hate on an entire group. Why be so angry and hateful? And, before we talk about the idiot in Canada who said, “they are coming for your children” during a parade, please remember that is not a re ection of everyone.

I have gotten to know someone who transitioned from a man to a woman over the last few years. She is a beautiful soul whom I believe is a courageous human being. She has more courage than I could ever have. She is someone who has carried herself with great dignity in the face of a very critical society.

I do not believe she is someone who will hurt or negatively a ect my children. In fact, I have explained to my own children what she did. Because I did not make it a big deal, but just let them know to respect someone else’s choice — they treat her like everyone else and I am proud of that.

We may not agree or understand but somehow, some way — we must get back to a much more accepting place in our world. We need to be civil because this all comes down to human beings who are hurt by what’s happening every day. Another’s choices and decisions cannot become about making laws to stop them.

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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

THELMA GRIMES South Metro Editor tgrimes@coloradocommunitymedia.com

SCOTT GILBERT Editor sgilbert@coloradocommunitymedia.com

It may be a good time to rethink what swear words or curse words really qualify as such anymore. I mean we hear them with such frequency that they are almost indiscernible from the other regular words we seem to use so often. I almost feel like when someone tells me to go “F” myself, they are really just saying, “Hello, how are you?” Not only are we hearing them all the time, but we are also hearing them from almost everyone and from people of all ages including very young children.

Not being a prude, I get it, I just think it may be time to change it up a bit. I was walking past four children playing on a beach. ey appeared to be playing a game called running the bases, and they could not have been more than 10 years old. One of the boys and one of the girls got into an argument about whether they were safe on base or not. e torrent of “F” bombs and other awful expletives were screamed at one another. It wasn’t just the words that caught my attention, it was the intensity of their words and body language at such a young age.

Where did they learn that from?

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

Maybe it’s watching news reels and videos of passengers losing their minds and yelling at each other, threatening to `F” word kill each other or beat the “S” word out of each other. Maybe it’s from older siblings or cousins, parents or grandparents, or next-door neighbors. It is still happening in the corporate world too. For some, maybe it seems like it helps them to underscore a point more e ectively or seem stronger in a heated debate.

Like I said, it’s everywhere with unabashed frequency and malicious intent. I wish we could ignore them and come up with new ones, but the truth is that nasty and troubling words have been around forever, so we will never change those. But maybe we can change our own use of them and our own cadence, tone and frequency of how we use them. We all lose our cool from time to time, I get it. It really just sounds, feels and seems like we are allowing our foul language threshold to slip lower and lower all the time.

“But the human tongue is a beast that few can master. It strains constantly to break out of its cage, and if it is not tamed, it will run wild and cause you grief.” — Unknown

Words we use should be a construction zone, building others up along the way. Building people up with words of hope and encour-

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.

SEE NORTON, P13

ELBERT COUNTY NEWS (USPS 171-100)

A legal newspaper of general circulation in Elizabeth, Colorado, the Elbert

because it is the right thing to do. In this space that I have the privilege to ll each week, I try so hard to be in the middle on most controversies. I may lean right on some subjects, but I do try to understand and give both sides a chance.

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

Thelma Grimes

Beautiful, wonderful words of life

and

Seniors’ Council to host educational event

The Seniors’ Council of Douglas County, in collaboration with Aging Resources of Douglas County and Douglas County government, is cohosting a daylong educational event entitled Vintage & Vibrant 2023: Exploring the Latest Trends in Living Well & Aging Well. Our signature event will be held on ursday, Sept. 28 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Parker Arts, Culture and Events (PACE) Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Ave in Parker.

Vintage & Vibrant 2023 is specically designed to entertain, inform and intrigue an older adult audience. Our program will include two engaging keynote speakers, multiple informative breakout sessions, three interactive activities, numerous event partners, morning refreshments, lunch, guest bags and door prizes.

Your $10 registration fee covers it all, with scholarships available if needed.

We begin the day with a continental breakfast and our morning keynote speaker Jeanne Nott, 2022 Ms. Colorado Senior America. Jeanne’s philosophy of life is “… have a sense of humor and enthusiasm! It will add years to your life and life to your years.” Her positivity will energize us and set the stage for the rest of the day.

During lunch our keynote speaker is Dr. Carson Bruns, associate professor at the University of Colorado in Boulder. He will share his fascinating research on converging nanotechnology and biomedical engineering on the skin to create a new wave of “tattoos” that strive to keep us healthier. You’ll de nitely be intrigued!

Vintage & Vibrant 2023 would not be possible without the support of our cohosting organizations Aging Resources of Douglas County (ARDC), a

local nonpro t organization providing a wide variety of services to our older population, and Douglas County government, currently conducting a comprehensive Older Adult Initiative, as well as our event partners.

And now meet our Platinum event partners: Visiting Angels - Littleton, Seven Stones Botanical Garden Cemetery, Centura Health, the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) and Bridgewater Castle Rock. Each of these partners focuses on enhancing the lives of older adults in their own special way. Be sure to visit their tables at the event to learn more about their fabulous organizations.

To review our complete Vintage & Vibrant program, meet the rest of our event partners and register to attend, please visit www.douglas.co.us and search for Vintage & Vibrant.

Online attendee registration begins Aug. 1, but seating is limited so register soon!

Our regular general meeting on ursday, Sept. 7 from 10-11:30 am will feature Jayla Sanchez-Warren, director of the Area Agency on Aging. She will speak about the results from the Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults. Learn how the survey results might impact the services and opportunities available for older adults. e meeting site is the Douglas County Miller Building, Conference Rooms A and B, 100 ird St. in Castle Rock. e meeting is free and open to the public.

Seniors’ Council of Douglas County aims to educate and engage older adults. For up-to-date information about Seniors’ Council visit Facebook and our website at www.douglas.co.us and look for Seniors’ Council.

agement. Beautiful and wonderful words of life that separate us from those who would rather operate through a demolition zone, using words to tear others down, and worse, doing it intentionally.

So, let’s use the rest of this column to focus on what those beautiful and wonderful words of life are, and how we can use them to foster an environment of love, grace, unity and compassion.

I am not sure about you, but this has been a very deliberate and intentional movement or change in my own life. I was de nitely a little looser in my language and word choices in the past — anyone reading this knows who I was and also knows who I have become, can validate that. I intentionally keep a word bank, a word bank that is top of mind and heart. A word bank that includes words like love, grace, kindness, gentleness, goodness,

mercy, justice, forgiveness, passion, compassion, patience, faith, hope, encouragement, excellence, praiseworthy, joy, happiness, pure, powerful, positive, courage, strength, endurance, gratitude, humility, motivation, inspiration, success and so many more.

It’s been said that you can’t trust people who don’t curse. Or, that people who curse are smarter than those who don’t. I am fairly sure both of those were created by someone who loved to curse. How about you, do you feel smarter, funnier, stronger when you use swear words? Or are you a little ashamed or embarrassed at times? I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can use the beautiful and wonderful words of life instead, 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.

Jeanne Nott

Dr. Carson Bruns

selection. ese moments never fail to make her smile.

“It brings me just a ton of joy to see people enjoying it and enjoying the space,” Monson said. “I think it’s also enriched my kids’ love and appreciation for literature because they get so excited about nishing a book and passing it on.”

Monson built her library in 2017 and registered it with Little Free Library, a Minnesota-based nonpro t that aims to increase access to literature by providing blueprints and guides to build community libraries, as well as mapping registered libraries across the country.

Hundreds of little free libraries have popped up across the Denver metro area as their popularity proliferates. Monson said she was inspired to build her library after visiting others with her 11-year-old twins Tommy and Luci, who are avid readers.

“I really believe in the importance of building community and connection for wellness, so I thought it was a great way to build community shortly after we moved to Golden,” she said. “So it was their love of reading and my want to build community that made it happen.”

Since the library is on a bike and walking path, it’s not accessible by car, so Monson took advantage of the unique environment by adding a bench, a slide and fairy gardens around the library to make it an inviting spot for visitors.

BUILDING BOOKISH COMMUNITIES

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

One of the more recent little free libraries in the metro area is the one at Castle View High School, which was built as a memorial to student Brooke Adams, who died in April. Adams loved to read, so her school book club worked with others to build the library in her honor.

Golden resident Sam Monson poses with her little free library on the Tucker Gulch Trail. Monson said the library has brought joy to her and those who visit.

COURTESY SAM MONSON

SEE FREE LIBRARY, P15

FROM TOP PHOTO:

FREE LIBRARY

“We wanted to create a space for people to pause and enjoy the green belt that we’re on and the bike path is on,” she said. “Especially through covid, it was a way that I felt like we could put wellness out in the world with something as healthy as reading that creates a mindful, peaceful experience, but also gets them outside and active.”

Monson said the library quickly became self-sustaining once it opened and has since become a xture in the community.

“People often comment to thank us or leave notes,” she said. “It’s like an identity of our family, which we love.”

On top of being a way to build community, little free libraries improve access to literature. Unite for Literacy, a publishing company that tracks book deserts, estimates only a third of Colorado homes have more than 100 books.

Amber DeBerry, Director of Community Engagement for Douglas County Libraries, said improving access to reading materials, whether that’s books, magazines, journals or comics, is important because reading bene ts everyone.

“If you have access to books prior to the age of ve, your success rates in school drastically increase,” DeBerry said. “For people who don’t have the opportunity or ability to purchase books, libraries are an incredible community asset.”

In Dianne Shantz’s neighborhood in Adams County, she noticed there weren’t nearly as many little free libraries as more a uent areas of Denver, so Shantz built one in 2021.

Shantz used a thrifted co ee table and an old kitchen counter with a repurposed replace door to create a weatherproof library and food pantry near her community’s shared mailbox, which provides steady foot tra c.

“I’m proud to say (the library) is self-sustaining because it shows that there was a need there, and that’s true of the pantry too,” she said.

Shantz said she enjoys having opportunities to share her love of reading and tries to stock the library with books she knows her visitors will read.

“Being new to the neighborhood, it’s given me a chance to meet my neighbors,” she said. “A lot of Hispanic people live in the area, so I try to include Spanish books. One lady likes Danielle Steel, so I put those in when I can.”

For Kate Garland, a graduate of Castle View High School in Castle Rock, building a little free library was a way to memorialize her friend and fellow student Brooke Adams, who died in April.

Garland met Adams through the school book club she started and they bonded over reading.

“Brooke and I both loved the ‘ e Summer I Turned Pretty’ series by Jenny Han and somebody donated the entire set so we made sure that those were in there,” Garland said. “Some of Brooke’s other friends also picked booked they thought she would like.”

When Adams died, Garland worked with Adams’ family, school o cials, the school’s Technology Students Association and book club members to build the library and host a book drive to ll it. Materials for the library were donated by the local Ace Hardware and community members donated more than 1,000 books during the drive.

“ e community support around it and the continuing book donations have been really rewarding for me and the book club and the TSA members who helped,” she said.

As Garland heads to Arapahoe Community College, the stewardship of the library will pass on to other students in the book club.

“We wanted to make sure it would keep going, even after I’m gone,” she said.

To nd these little free libraries and more, go to littlefreelibrary.org.

At Dianne Schantz’s library in Adams County, she added a free pantry to help serve her community’s needs. Schantz said both the library and pantry are self-sustaining.

COURTESY DIANNE SCHANTZ

Summer arts in full swing

The “Best of Colorado” exhibit, juried by abstract painter Christian Dore, will ll the Depot Art Gallery, 2069 W. Powers Ave., Downtown Littleton, from Aug. 8 to Sept. 10.

Dore selected 60 works for the exhibit from over 400 submitted by Colorado artists. Gallery open, admission free, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays.

Littleton Fine Arts Guild

Littleton Fine Arts Guild, which operates the Depot, also will host a “Home on the Range” a Western Welcome Week art event through Sept. 10 at Stanton Gallery in the Town Hall Arts Center, 2450 W. Main St., Downtown Littleton. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and during performances. For information, call 303-794-2787.

Rox Arts Gallery

Rox Arts Gallery, at Aspen Grove, has moved to Suite 222, next to See’s Candy, and has new

artwork exhibited by many members. e gallery o ers instruction throughout the week. See website, aspengrovecenter.com/retailer/ rox-arts-gallery/, for schedules and registration info. Aspen Grove offers a lot of free parking.

Bega Park Art Fair

Littleton Fine Arts Guild will hold a Bega Park Art Fair on Aug.  4, from 8 a.m. to 4   p.m. Admission is free so wander through this green, historic park and enjoy. e Guild will also have an exhibit at Bemis Library, 6014 S. Datura St., during August during regular hours.

Chatfield Farms

Chat eld Farms, part of Denver Botanic Gardens, is located at Chat eld State Park and includes the historic Hildebrand Farm, lavender gardens and much more, plus spots for family picnics. Denver Botanic Gardens members are free, others need tickets. Be sure to visit the immersion sculpture, “One Fell Swoop,” by Patrick Daugherty. While on site, visit the Butter ies: Swallowtail, Monarch, Mourning Cloaks, Painted Ladies and more. With paved walkways that are wheelchair accessible – remember the last entry is 2:45 p.m.

SONYA’S SAMPLER

“The Boss” by artist Steve Reicks is included in the “Best of Colorado” exhibit, running from Aug. 8 through Sept. 10 at the Depot Art Gallery. COURTESY PHOTO SEE SAMPLER, P20

Local author publishes “I Can Be Anything: A Book About Careers”

BY SONYA ELLINGBOE SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Local author Leslie Tucker, who is also a preschool teacher, has published an appealing new book for small family members: “I Can Be Anything: A Book About Careers,” with illustrations by Courtney Sarro.

It should o er subjects for numerous family conversations with kids, parents and grandparents.

And perhaps some inducements for family eld trips to see who is doing what out there ...

Tucker’s friend found Sarro’s name and art on Facebook, she said — and the illustrations ow well with the story.

e kindergarten types are an ethnic mix and show varied interests, ranging from mechanics and medicine to concert musicians and astronauts ... all in a Pre-K style.

Although Tucker was an art major in college, she didn’t choose to illustrate this one herself. But it ts into her idea of how the book should look, she said. With a girl in the

Army and the boy, a nurse, for example.

Tucker said she is also working on several other books presently and has more ideas in mind for topics appropriate for children and adults.

Tucker, who works as a substitute teacher at local preschools, said the book is available through Amazon and she hopes it can be added to story times at area schools.

Tucker’s imagination is working overtime shaping possible storylines and interactions ... She said she designed the book’s cover and conveyed her idea to the illustrator. She is happy with the result, which introduces the kids who live within the covers. She was able to express her thoughts to the illustrator is a social worker who enjoys “working with children to help them understand their feelings and learn to advocate for themselves.”

e author’s next book will perhaps be about a homeless child. She is in the formative stages and will probably soon hit the computer keys... Watch for news about a new title ...

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“I Can Be Anything: A Book About Careers” was written by local author Leslie Tucker and illustrated by Courtney Sarro. COURTESY IMAGE

custom installation charges, equipment upgrades/add-ons, and certain other add’l fees & chrgs. See directv.com/directv-fees/ for additional information. $10/MO. AUTOPAY AND PAPERLESS BILL DISCOUNT: Must enroll in autopay & paperless bill within 30 days of TV activation to receive bill credit starting in 1-3 bill cycles (pay $10 more/mo. until discount begins). Must maintain autopay/paperless bill and valid email address to continue credits. DIRECTV SVC TERMS: Subject to Equipment Lease & Customer Agreements. All o ers, packages, programming, promotions, features, terms, restrictions and conditions and all prices and fees not included in price guarantee are subject to change without notice. Package, Advanced Receiver Service Fee, Regional Sports Fee (varies by zip code) and equipment fees for TV connections are included in two-year price guarantee. Taxes, surcharges, add-on programming (including premium channels), protection plan, transactional fees, and Federal Cost Recovery Fee are not included in two-year price guarantee. Some o ers may not be available through all channels and in select areas. Di erent o ers may apply for eligible multi-dwelling unit. Visit directv.com/legal/ or call for details. Access HBO Max through HBO Max app or hbomax.com with your DIRECTV log-in credentials. Visit directv.com to verify/create your account. Use of HBO Max is subject to its own terms and conditions, see hbomax.com/terms-of-use for details. Programming and content subj. to change. Requires account to stay in good standing. Upon cancellation of your video service you may lose access to HBO Max. If you cancel your

GRANTS

FROM PAGE 7

sta ng shortages or “because they’re a Spanish-speaking family who have experienced going to a clinic where there are no Spanishspeaking providers,” she said.

e grant will support graduate students in becoming nurse managers, educators, and practitioners at the master’s and doctoral levels. It aims to enhance health equity in 15 counties in southern Colorado.

Tepeyac Community Health Center in Denver received over $1 million from the grant program.

Tepeyac’s program will initially focus on increasing equitable access to clinic positions, training, and licensing. Tepeyac historically has served the Latino communities in the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods since the early 1990s.

Two additional rounds of grant funding with the remaining $58 million will be available through Opportunity Now Colorado, with the next application period opening in August. e last of the grants will be announced by December 2024. Chalkbeat is a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools.

Denver Botanic Gardens

Denver Botanic Gardens at York St. hosts summer concerts, organized by Swallow Hill Music and Denver Botanic Gardens. and Evenings Al Fresco on select Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:30to 8:30 p.m. Musicians and small ensembles will appear throughout the gardens. For tickets, visit the website at https://shorturl.at/fNR47.

Photographer Andy Marquez

The Peach Festival e Peach Festival will be held in Centennial on Aug. 24 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 8242 S. University Blvd., Unit # 150.

Littleton area photographer Andy Marquez has published a new book, “Sacred Seasons,” hardcover, $24.95. Available from the artist: andymarquez.com. or andymarquezimages@ gmail.com. Added $10 for shipping.

FROM PAGE 16

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Help Wanted

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Full-Time and part-time

Registered Occupational Therapist/ COTA for 2023-24 School Year. OTR must have, or be eligible for appropriate Colorado licensure. Provide Pre-12 intervention, assessment, direct & indirect services just east of Denver on I-70, Bennett & Strasburg. Full Time Salary range: MA $50,450$56,050 PhD $55,700 -$61,300. Part-Time Salary prorated based on the number of days employed. Excellent Benefits. Access to a company vehicle or mileage reimbursement. May be eligible for a loan forgiveness program! Flexible scheduling with the opportunity to complete some work at home. To apply for this position, please visit our website ecboces.org and click on the “Jobs” page, click on the job you are interested in & then click on the grey button “Apply Online”, located at the bottom of the job listing. EOE Questions contact Tracy at (719) 775-2342, ext. 101 or email tracyg@ecboces.org

Educational Audiologist

Part-Time

East Central BOCES is looking for a part-time Educational Audiologist for the 2023-24 school year. CDE Special Services and Colorado Audiologist licensure required; CCC’s or AAA certificate; knowledge of current technologies in Audiology including HAT systems and cochlear implants preferred. Experience with children 0-21 preferred. Complete evaluations, provide direct services, and consultation services, manage hearing equipment and oversee hearing screening program. Benefits include: a signing bonus, mileage reimbursement. Flexible scheduling with some opportunity to work from home. May be eligible for a loan forgiveness program. Ph.D. Salary $51,450-$60,550. For Questions, please contact Tracy at tracyg@ ecboces.org or 719-775-2342 ext. 101. To apply for this position, please visit our website ecboces.org and click on the “Jobs” page, click on the job you are interested in & then click on the grey button “Apply Online”, located at the bottom of the job listing. EOE

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Dogs

which cated state enrolled Programs 1 ever, preschoolers — of in end been receive until state, May, ceive number program month. each given enrollment number rooms.  feeling hire ties have have the turn the “It’s when game you going every of ers least they

Under the revised funding plan, which Shuler said was communicated to providers by June 27, the state assessed the number of kids enrolled in programs on July 9. Programs will receive funding Aug. 1 based on that count of kids. However, the latest round of matching preschoolers with speci c programs — so far it has facilitated four sets of matching — was completed later in July. at means providers could end up with preschoolers on the rst day of classes who they haven’t been paid to educate. ey won’t receive funding for those students until the next payment from the state, scheduled for Sept. 8.

Each month from August through May, Shuler said, providers will receive a payment determined by the number of students enrolled in their program on the 15th of the previous month. e sum will be adjusted each month so that the amount given to providers accounts for any enrollment swings and re ects the number of students in their classrooms.

at leaves providers like Bright feeling pinched.

“It is very di cult for a provider to hire their sta , prepare their facilities for kids and then not necessarily have all of those seats full but yet have to pay payroll and have to pay the mortgage payment and have to turn the lights on and have to turn the heat and/or AC on,” Bright said. “It’s very di cult for us to do that when you’re now told late in the game that we’re only going to pay you based on enrollments and we’re going to true up your enrollments every month.”

e state is rolling out something of a nancial safety net for providers so that they’re guaranteed at least the same amount of funding they received last year under the

state’s previous preschool program, called the Colorado Preschool Program. At the end of the school year, the state will compare the amount paid to each provider this year under universal preschool to the amount paid to each provider last year through the Colorado Preschool Program, according to Bright. If a provider earns less in universal preschool than the amount they earned last year through the Colorado Preschool Program, the state will pay them the di erence, he said.

It’s not yet clear whether providers like Bright who own more than one preschool center — including two that participated in the Colorado Preschool Program and six slated to be part of universal preschool — will be compensated for each licensed facility, which will a ect the amount of funding owed by the state.

e Early Childhood department was not able to clarify details of its plan to ensure providers receive at least as much funding this school year as they did last year.

Bright added that he can’t wait until the end of the school year for funding that is crucial to his ability to keep running his business.

e only nancial path forward, he said, involves keeping kids who enroll last-minute on the sidelines until the state pays providers for them. at means, for instance, that any family who enrolls their 4-yearold from late July through mid-August will have to wait to start universal preschool until September, when Bright receives money from the state for that particular child.

e Early Childhood department doesn’t believe any preschools will have to postpone the start times for any kids, with Shuler writing in an email that “payments will be reconciled for the next month and providers will receive pay if children start earlier.”

She said the department is also con dent that the rst payment

in August, along with the monthly payments recalculated to compensate providers for any enrollment changes, will “help support providers” and are “much more providerfriendly” than other preschool subsidy programs that have paid based on the number of kids attending their program.

Bright noted that under the Colorado Preschool Program he received funding for the entire school year starting in August with monthly payments through May, contingent on his facilities having all seats funded by the state lled with kids by Nov. 1.

He doesn’t see another option other than a delayed start for kids who enroll late.

“I would drown my company if I were to provide services that I was not paid for,” he said.

Bright and other preschools are also worried about having to shutter centers altogether.

One of the six ABC Child Development Centers Bright owns that is participating in universal preschool has 12 classrooms, only three of which are full with kids whose families have opted into universal preschool. He needs all classrooms full to stay nancially whole at the center, which mostly serves lowincome families.

He expects all the classrooms to ll by November, but to keep the school open until then, he needs the upfront funding from the state. If the school stays open with empty classrooms, he’ll have to lay o teachers and will be unable to accept new students until the state pays their tuition.

Meanwhile, Melissa Lelm, director of Early Childhood University in Greeley, has enrolled only 33 students through universal preschool, far short of the 96 licensed spots in her center. e state has matched another 10 students with her facility, but though Lelm has repeatedly called and emailed those families to encourage them to accept their

match, she’s been met with silence. At the same time, she has to renew her lease this year with her landlord wanting to raise her rent.

“I don’t know if we’ll be in business at the end of May of 2024,” said Lelm, who has worked in early childhood education for more than 40 years.

Lelm recently laid o four employees who are now collecting unemployment, keeping only one teacher and one teacher assistant on her sta . And as the Early Childhood department pivots to paying providers based on the number of kids enrolled, she anticipates her reserves will dwindle as she tries to cover even the smaller payroll. She’s applying for grants to help ll in the gaps and has so far collected $26,000, including from the state’s Child Care Stabilization and Workforce Sustainability Grants and a $4,000 state Capacity Building Grant that can fund necessities such as furniture and educational and health care materials.

“ at money will go very quickly for payroll and rent,” Lelm said.

She might be forced to lay o her teacher assistant if enrollment continues to stagnate, but Lelm knows that having more than one trained adult in the classroom helps kids and teachers form better bonds.

Lelm wonders if she’ll be up against the same uncertainties around how many students she’ll serve and how many sta she needs each year of universal preschool — if she manages to stay open.

“I just hope it works,” she said. “I don’t know if they thought it through thoroughly enough.”

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.