FORT LUPTON PRESS S E RV I N G T H E C O M M U N I T Y S I N C E 19 0 6
VOLUME 119
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ISSUE 17
WEEK OF APRIL 28, 2022
, 2020 County clerks reassureW voters, Nwhile 25watching for cyber attacks
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Officials push back against fraud claims, stay alert BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
While local counties’ clerks and recorders say they are still taking steps to unravel false claims of
ISSUE 48
OVEMBER
world we live in now, and T H E S E A S O N F“It’s Odothe Reverything SHA G we we R canItoN protect
widespread election fraud two years after the 2020 presidential election and ahead of the June primaries, they are also on the lookout for potential cyberattacks after warnings from President Joe Biden that such attacks are increasingly likely. “It’s definitely nerve-wracking, but something that we are starting to get used to,” Adams County Clerk and Recorder Josh Zygielbaum said.
the system and to protect ourselves and our workers and our voters.” The cybersecurity threat level is similar to past elections, or the worst-case scenarios election offices have prepared for, metro area clerks said. “There is no question right now, every agency is indicating that
the risk of Russian initiated cyber security threats has increased,” Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder George Stern said. But Stern said “long before we had internal threats to our elections,” cybersecurity and the security of election from foreign interference “has been top of mind,” Stern said. SEE ELECTION, P8
Fort Lupton council opens up the checkbook BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Fort Lupton City Council approved contracts and other financial business during its business meeting April 19. Among them was $72,000 to buy more than two tons of zinc orthophosphate for the city’s water treatment plant. The money comes from the water treatment plant repair and maintenance fund. Jon May, the public safety director and wastewater/water plant operator for the city, said the material helps knock down corrosion in the water pipes and has done so for almost 20 years without issues. Jake Marsing, left, handles the play by play for the Warriors’ walk-off win against Berthoud April 14. His engineer is Hayden Delier. “There’s only one company that PHOTO BY STEVE SMITH meets the national safety standards,” May told council, saying that firm is ChemQuest Co. “Foreign countries say, ‘We meet them (the safety standards).’ But Before taking his teaching job most people don’t use foreign Those facets of broadcast jourat FHS (he teaches social studies), companies,” May said. “We’ve used nalism and others are available to Marsing worked in sports radio in Chemquest since the start. If you students who are taking part in two markets, including Denver. He approve, we won’t need to reorder a twice-weekly class at Frederick covered college football, the Denver until 2025.” High School. Nuggets and the Denver Broncos. The state ordered the city to add The student-run play-by-play ef“I’m teaching them based on what fort broadcast some 30 home games corrosion-control chemicals 20 years I learned,” Marsing said. “The rest in football, basketball and baseball ago to meet federal lead and copper is trial and error.” on the internet. There weren’t any regulations for drinking water, aclive streams. The first effort at girls cording to staff notes. BY STEVE SMITH Air time in all forms soccer was due to take place April An option would have put the SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM Every year before Thanksgiving, First United Methodist Church in Fort Lupton For andnow, the Fort Lupton Food and Clothingcity Bank provide community the focus is on sports, 21. Athletic director Ty Gordon said in the position of asking for an members with food boxes. This will be the program’s 10th consecutive year. Above, Joe Hubert, left China Garcia and Sue Hubert 4 Change, much to the delight of four memengineering with studyChange to change the corBehind the mic. Behind a camera. the hope is to expand the program to cover road games next on year. Facrosion control methods. Setting streams andthat thehelps behindanotherup organization with the food drive. See more Page 2. bers of the class, including Zach the-scenes pieces that go into on-air ulty advisor Jake Marsing wants to SEE FREDERICK, P3 SEE COUNCIL, P3 add in-school newscasts, as well. efforts.
‘We’re on the air’
Frederick High School students learn about all things broadcast journalism
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2 Fort Lupton Press
April 28, 2022
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HAFFNER
24-Hour Phone Lines 303-654-0112 • 303-857-2290 Brighton: 75 S. 13th Avenue Obituaries, Arrangements and Resources Online at
taborfuneralhome.com
TAYLOR
Clifford James Haffner
January 23, 1937 - April 20, 2022
Clifford James Haffner was born on January 23rd, 1937 in Hudson, Colorado and went to be with the lord on April 20th, 2022 in Lafayette, Colorado. He was the second of 5 kids to Fred and Dorothy Haffner and grew up in Hudson until 1942 when his father passed away. The family then moved to Chula Vista, California where his mom worked in an airplane factory during World War II. After a while they moved back to the Hudson area where Cliff attended Hudson High School where he lettered in both football and basketball until he graduated in 1955. He soon attended college in Greeley before going locomotive engineering school in Pueblo. Later in life, Cliff served in the Army and the National Guard as a cryptographer. In 1963 he married Marilyn Seargent and had three kids; Tami, Bryan, and Brad Haffner. Over the years he worked for Western Electric, Hutchison Homes, and AT&T. In the late 80’s he married Vikki Cooper and they resided in Granby, Colorado, raising cattle on the Barner Ranch. Cliff enjoyed horseback riding, farming,
HEINTZ
allieventcenter.com
Betty Jean Taylor
September 17, 1922 - April 14, 2022
and tinkering in the shop. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t hammer or weld back together. His favorite reading material was the Fence Post, and if he wasn’t in the house watching old westerns he was outside fixing or breaking something. A fond memory from the family is going to grandpa’s house for Oreos and a Coke with a welcome line of “Hey kid, what do ya know?”.
Celebration of life will be held 10:30 am, Saturday, May 7, 2022 at Parker United Methodist Church, 11805, S. Pine Dr. Parker, CO 80134. Graveside Service, Roselawn Cemetery. Visit bohlenderfuneralchapel.com to send condolences and read Betty’s full obituary.
PADILLA
Jose Calletano Padilla
May 9, 1948 - March 11, 2022
He is survived by daughter Tami Puccini (Terry), son Bryan Haffner (Kelly), grandchildren Amanda Daoud (Rasool), Zach Houston (Alejandra), Abigail Haffner (Joel), Giovanni Puccini, and Dillon Haffner. Great Grandchildren Jeffrey, Emilia, and Russell.
Jose Calletano Padilla, J.C., was born on June 9, 1948 in Las Vegas New Mexico, and passed away on March 11, 2022. The seventh child of Pedro and Conferina Padilla, he was raised in Brighton Colorado. He is preceded in death by his parents, Pedro and Conferina, his brother Joseph, sisters Mary Ann and Emma Padilla. He is survived by his son Joseph Curtis Padilla (Brittany), grandchildren Janessa, Brooke, Kaulin and Jameson, his siblings Victor Padilla (Irene), Polly Clifford, Gil Padilla, Beth Verdeal and Linda LeBallister.
Funeral Service is scheduled for Thursday, April 28, 2022 at 11:00 a.m., Tabor Funeral Home Chapel, Brighton, Colorado. Interment to follow at Hillside Cemetery, Ft. Lupton, Colorado.
JC was a man with an abundance of charm, charisma, intelligence and love. Everyone who knew him has wonderful memories because he always spent his time with them, teaching, making everyone laugh, creating
He is preceded in death by his mother, Dorothy Haffner, fathers Fred and Walter Haffner, brothers Bob, Ed, Don and Ron Haffner, his son Brad Haffner, and grandson Jeff O’dell.
In Loving
Marlene was the most loving and caring woman. Whoever met her was a friend from then on. Her smile would light up the room and make you smile too.
Marlene Heintz was born in Scottsbluff, Nebraska to Fred and Mollie Bauer and was a twin and had 3 other siblings. She married the love of her life Verhn Heintz on May 8, 1955.
Marlene and Verhn farmed for many years in Nebraska, and then moved to Aurora, Colorado where she worked as a bookkeeper, and a school bus driver for 27J in Brighton, Colorado. After retiring she enjoyed her time watching grandchildren and great grandchildren play sports. She rarely missed any games.
Marlene is survived by her husband Verhn, her children Verlene ( Doug ) Montgomery, Mark ( Cynde) Heintz, and Becky Brown, 9 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, and 2 great great grandchildren.
In Loving
Marlene is proceeded in death by both her parents Fred and Mollie Bauer, 2 grandsons, and 1 great grandson.
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games for his son and nieces and nephews. He has a special place in the hearts of many children because he t made them feel special and gave them i his full attention. He was special to all of us, now grown,but with a permanent place l in our hearts. d JC lived life on his own terms, fiercely t independent, and with exuberance few others m dare. There was no keeping up with him. He t m came home now and then, but adventure called him, and he would be off again before i t long. He was a man with angels, luck and God on his side, with more than 9 lives, he m escaped certain death often. b JC doesn’t rest. He will stop for a short while and somehow there will be another love and s p another great adventure. Via con Dios. c
Memory Memory Marlene Heintz
July 5, 1935 - April 18, 2022
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April 28, 2022
FREDERICK FROM PAGE 1
Wartner, who also pitches on the Warriors’ baseball team. “I joined because it was based on sports,” Wartner said. “I’ve done color commentary so far. I like to talk. I like to talk to new people. I was nervous at first, but it’s become routine now. I even did play by play of a basketball game.” Khloe Gould is not interested in being on the air. She’s more at home behind the scenes. “I’ve loved the class from the first day,” said the FHS freshman. “I’ve learned a lot .. how to set up a broadcast, how to take it down, how to set up a tripod, how to set up a stream. It’s a top priority.” Hayden Delier doesn’t want much to with the on-air piece either. But if it’s cameras, Delier is right there. “On-mic? No,” he said. “I’m not super comfortable with it. I’ve learned to tell a story and to get different angles. Our basketball team had a pretty good season (it made the Final Four for the first time since 1956). We were able to add more depthto our story by not making it about interviews but about the team as a whole.” Josh Bailey has done color commentary and play by play for basketball games this season. “I was nervous, thinking I was speaking in front of thousands of people,” Bailey said. “But I thought I could do it.” Wartner loves to talk sports. “But now, I’ve seen there is a deeper part of the game than what’s on the surface,” he said. “It’s given me the idea to go in and look at more teams’ stats.” “It’s easy to commit to this,” Gould said. “I really like the techie stuff, the bigger cameras. Games are the first priority.”
COUNCIL FROM PAGE 1
“We could not be successful” with this option, the staff notes said. Council’s vote was unanimous. Supplemental budget Council also unanimously approved a $1.9 million supplemental budget resolution, retroactive to Dec. 31. Financial Director Leann Perino said five funds — the street improvement sales tax fund, the cemetery fund, the stormwater drainage enterprise fund, the golf course enterprise fund, the utility wastewater enterprise fund — overspent their budgets last year. The amounts ranged from $120 to more than $1.5 million. Staff notes said approval means the expenses and end-of-year fund balances are correct and brings the balances back into line with state law. There was no discussion. Pickleball plans Council OK’d a proposal from Gerardo Concrete for the construction of two pickleball courts in Railroad Park. The capped cost is a bit more than $41,000, and the money comes from the culture, parks and recre-
Zach Wartner of Frederick High School helps prepare the opening for an upcoming FHS soccer broadcast.
Delier agreed. “I enjoy the camera work and the photography. I take a lot of pictures of our sports teams,” Delier said. “I run the live streams at the church I go to, so that translates to this well.” Exposure to other announcers Marisol said the class listened to audio recordings of several announcers, some of whom yell and scream and some of whom are quieter. One of the more frequent voices on those recordings is that of former Los Angeles Dodgers announcer Vin Scully. He called Hank Aaron’s 715th career home run in 1974 – the record-breaker at the time – and then let the crowd roar ation sales tax fund. Doug Cook, the aquatics supervisor for the Fort Lupton Recreation Center, said the total cost for the courts -- including fencing -- totaled $55,000 and would come in under budget. Work could start as soon as mid-May. Subdivision improvement Council’s last expenditure approval — by another unanimous vote — involves an agreement for more than $1.6 million worth of subdivision improvements at the Cottonwood Greens subdivision near Ninth Street and College Avenue. Council OK’d the subdivision’s fourth planned urban development in November. The agreement calls for the construction of water, nonpotable water and sanitary sewer main extensions inside the fourth filing for the Cottonwood Greens subdivision. Public Works Director Roy Vestal said the contract also includes roadway construction, landscape and storm drainage improvement systems. it also includes money for the city to improve parts of Ninth Street on the southern edge of the development. Staff notes said the developer, Cottonwood Development Partners, has to construct certain public improvements as a condition of subdivision approval.
for more than 90 seconds without saying a word. “If you get a good call of a play, it makes a more memorable broadcast,” Bailey said. “I called a gamewinning play, and then I let the moment happen. I let the fans rush the court before I said anything else.” Career aspirations All four want to continue in their respective areas of interest in
PHOTO BY STEVE SMITH
broadcasting when that time comes. Delier was a bit more hesitant than the others. “How do I get in? Is the creative side what people want?” Delier asked. “The more I get into it, the more I can see doing this and some cinematography.” “I’d love to do something like this,” Gould said. “I want to get more in-depth with this, but I really enjoy it.”
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April 28, 2022
A program to end homelessness BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Northern Colorado Continuum awarded $1.45 million in federal funding to help the homeless in Weld and Larimer counties, according to a news release. “In our first time applying to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as a Continuum of Care, the NoCO CoC received funding renewals for several permanent supportive housing, voucher and rental assistance projects,” said Kelli Pryor, the Northern Colorado Continuum of Care director. Part of the funding is targeting homelessness, Pryor said. “We were also granted competitive funding for Homeward Alliance’s regional homelessness data with a information system,” she said. “A new effort that will assist housing domestic violence survivors, as offered jointly by United Way and domestic violence service providers in the two counties.” Homeward Alliance of Larimer County and United Way, and the continuum group work with over 40 services providers in two counties to get the homeless into a home. The
continuum group was founded in January 2020, before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s the only third continuum of care developed out of its existing continuum. In the first year it was established, it was awarded $1.8 million from HUD and $2.3 million from the state of Colorado. The funds helped the homeless with housing from the impacts of the pandemic. According to officials, the funding helped about a hundred people into homes. “This HUD award is the culmination of a number of years of effort that led to becoming our own Continuum of Care,” added Melanie Woolman, vice president of community impact with United Way. “It is an affirmation of how well our providers in Larimer and Weld counties are doing in helping those that they serve to get back into housing. While not enough to do the whole job, the funding will accelerate their efforts. Plus, if we continue to perform well, it is likely that HUD will maintain if not increase the amount of resources year-after-year.” Visit www.NoCOCoC.org or contact Kelli Pryor at KPryor@UnitedWay-Weld.org or 970-473-5121 to find out more.
THE IT CROWD
Former Fort Lupton High School student Jesus Manriquez talks IT work to a group of FLHS students at the school’s career fair April 21. Manriquez works in the IT department for 27J Schools, but there were plenty of job prospects represented. Representatives from colleges, universities, the armed services, local fire departments and hair salons talked with FLHS students about possible career PHOTO BY STEVE SMITH ventures.
DRAWING CONTEST RAFFLE WINNER
Roger Barget won the large clock that was raffled off by the Fort Lupton Copper Kettle restaurant drawing contest. The raffle was open to any guests that visited the restaurant on the opening of their drawing contest in January. PHOTO BY FRANCES LABARBERA
Study eyes societal effects of free diapers for needy BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A national study of diaper use is looking at the economic and health impacts of providing diapers to families in need, according to a press statement from the United Way of Weld County. The Covering Weld Diaper Bank of Weld County and Aurora diaper bank WeeCycle are participating in a National Diaper Bank Network’s (NDBN) study, according to the press release. “We know that diapers change lives,” said Amelia Ritchhart, family support coordinator with United Way of Weld County. “This study will help us prove it and provide our funders with more details about this need. “ The study looks at the soft impact on a community’s economic viability if diapers are available or not, she said. “Most Northern Colorado child care providers require parents to provide diapers. No diapers mean no child care, and that keeps parents out of work, school and other essential activities,” she said. “By working with a team of economists, we’ll be able to quantify the impact of free diapers that supplement a family’s existing supply.” According to officials, families nationwide are impacted when they are unable to afford diapers. One in three families has a limited income to buy diapers and keep an adequate supply each month to keep babies clean, dry, and healthy. Around the
country, 250 diaper banks help to fill the gap. National Diaper Bank Network will be conducting the economic study Covering Weld Diaper Bank of Weld County and WeeCycle, which are members of NDBN, a network of diaper banks that efficiently provide for community needs with high standards of transparency. “We’re grateful to have Covering Weld and WeeCycle as part of the Economic Impact Study,” said Joanne Goldblum, NDBN CEO. “Some of the best diaper banks from coast to coast are part of this work. We know that many assumptions get made about the people we serve. This is a chance for families experiencing diaper need to have their voices heard.” A small pilot study that NDBN conducted showed that when families received free diapers from a diaper bank, they had extra money for other expenses. According to officials, the children had fewer diapers rashes with fewer visits to see the pediatrician. “This study, like all our work, would not be possible without our partners,” said Lindsey Zaback, development director with WeeCycle. “We are so grateful to be collaborating with agencies that both help families with their immediate needs and are dedicating time to explore the root causes of poverty and diaper need. The data from this study will be used to inform policy and to create lasting change for those experiencing diaper need in Colorado.”
Fort Lupton Press 5
April 28, 2022
New electric car charging station opens along northern Interstate 25 corridor BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
United Power officials were excited as they opened their newest ChargePoint EV station along Interstate 27 April 20. “I’m 100% excited! It’s essential because it fills this charging desert that is 30 miles between Thornton and Loveland,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power’s president and chief executive officer. “So, people are coming off the highway now have an opportunity to stop and charge. As we fill in infrastructure, that’s more and more important as EVs become more popular.” The EV charging station is open to charge up with a 62.5 kW direct current fast charge off the northern Interstate-25 corridor for drivers traveling between Thornton and Loveland. Its new charging station is at United Power Carbon Valley Office at 9586 W. 1-25 Frontage Road, Longmont. “This is very exciting. It’s accessible not only to people in the Carbon Valley but to travelers along the I- 25 corridor and gives them a reason to stop,” said Jenn Venerable, Carbon Valley Chamber of Commerce executive director. “United power is a great partner and is involved with the community-at-large and the business community- a supporter of everything going on in Carbon Valley.” In addition, customers can sign up for a ChargePoint’s mobile app account, and an activation card is
mailed to their homes. This EV charger is funded with a grant from TriState Generation & Transmission. “We are excited to have one here at this facility. It’s really important because were are on I-25 and it has easy access for people to charge up. This is the third EV charger we have added and it is United Power largest district, “ said Ursula Morgan, chairman of the board of United Power Chairman. On May 11, 2021, an EV faster charger was installed at Market Street Mart in Keenesburg, just off of Interstate 76 northeast of Denver. The company’s first EV charging station was installed at the United Power’s Coal Creek office in 2019. According to officials, United Power and the National Electric Highway Coalition’s goal is to provide EV charging stations by 2023. They estimate that by 2030 there will be about 22 million electric vehicles on the road, so officials predict there could be a need to build and install more than 100,000 fast chargers. “Nearly 5,000 United Power members own electric vehicles,” said Gabriel. “We stand committed to strategically deploying a charging network capable of supporting our members and the thousands of others who commute daily throughout our territory.” To learn about EV chargers, visit the online educational portal; savings calculator and additional information are available for members interested in EVs at www.unitedpower.com/ChooseEV.
Colorado’s 1st youth TEDx event to be held April 30 BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A Shark Tank contestant. An entrepreneur. A 16-year-old junior in high school. These all describe Jack Bonneau, but most recently he is the organizer of the TEDxYouth@CherryCreek event that will take place on April 30 at Legacy High School Bonneau in Broomfield. “I really wanted to give you the opportunity to share their ideas just like I had,” he said. Bonneau has presented two Ted Talks in the past. One was about how kids can be their own role models and another on the importance of youth entrepreneurship in today’s education. He dipped his toes into the business world at age eight when he started Jack’s Stands and Marketplaces sold lemonade, ice tea and other young entrepreneur’s products. The motivation was a LEGO Star Wars Death Star his father told him he had to buy with his own money. His latest business is called Teen Hustl, which is a last-mile delivery service delivering packages, restaurant food, groceries and more all on
electric scooters and bikes. Now, he’s organizing the first youth TEDx event in Colorado with 17 students presenting on a wide variety of subjects, including happiness as a service, pronouns, the future of artificial intelligence and more. Shining a light on youth He thinks the youth has a special voice that isn’t always heard. “We hear all the different perspectives from adults but rarely do we shine a light on the youth who will be our future and who have so much to say,” he said. Michael Jenet, Co-Curator of TEDx Cherry Creek, said they have hosted teenagers in the past, but this is the first event in Colorado strictly hosting youth. “A lot of teenagers have been on our stages over the years, but we’ve never done an all youth event,” he said. He hopes it’s the first of a potential annual event that would be hosted at different high schools each year. The students go through professional training on how to give a Ted Talk. TEDxCherry Creek worked with them for three months. Tickets are available at TEDxYouth@CherryCreek - Events - Universe.
Ursula Morgan, United Power chairman of the board with the new EV charging station PHOTO BY BELEN WARD off of North Interstate 25 corridor.
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April 28, 2022
VOICES Change the action and change the outcome
J
ust like many of you, sometimes I get so overloaded with work that I fall behind a little and need to play catch up. This happened to me earlier this week. With a big writing project due, as well as several other initiatives, I was starting to feel a little stressed out. And as I thought about all the writing I had to do, it was overwhelming and probably the last thing that I wanted to begin doing. Although I didn’t feel like doing it in that moment, I grabbed my second cup of coffee and headed to my desk surrounded by research material and started writing. Did I feel like writing at first? No, I didn’t. But once I took the action to get started, my attitude improved, so my thinking improved, and within two days I completed the project. In last week’s column I shared how changing our thoughts could change our outcomes. Staying with that same theme, I wanted to share how changing our actions will also change our outcomes. There are always times where we don’t feel like doing something, especially some-
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thing hard, or taking on a task that sucks the energy from us. When that happens it’s easy to give in and walk away. But if we start doing the work or the task, we usually wind up working ourselves into a better mood. There has always been a healthy debate Michael Norton about this topic. Does attitude drive the behavior, or does the behavior drive the attitude? There are people who believe that applying a positive mindset can help them overcome the barriers and they can start doing the work. They change their action by first changing their attitude. This works well for those people who have this capability, but it doesn’t work for everyone. There are others who believe that by jumping in and starting the work regardless of how they feel, they will tell you that
WINNING WORDS
after taking step one and starting, steps two, three, four and more propel them into doing the task with a much better attitude. These are also the people who will usually look for the hardest or biggest project or task that needs to get done and do that one first. If there is a difficult or challenging conversation that needs to take place, it’s going to be their first call. For those of us who work out there are those mornings or days where we just don’t feel like it. Some give in and crawl back under the covers. And some know that all they must do is get up, get to the gym, begin a run, or jump on a bike and within just a few minutes of acting, they are happy and motivated as they work towards their health goals. When it comes to prospecting most salespeople will own up to the fact that they dislike cold calling or making phone calls to find their prospects. It’s really their least favorite thing to do. But again, once they take that first step, take the action of making that first call, they will generally get fired up as they set appointments and
make some sales. They change their attitude by changing the action, and by doing both they create a solid sales funnel and enjoy the commissions that they earn. It doesn’t have to be an “either or” situation. I prefer the word “And” over “Or” any day. When I can combine a healthy positive attitude while also taking the actions necessary to achieve my goals, I find that approach always works better for me personally. What do you think, do you rely on your state of mind to determine the actions you will take? Do you trust in your actions and that they will lead to a better attitude on your way to getting things done or achieving your goal? I would love to hear your story at mnorton@xinnix.com and when we can change our actions and our thoughts to change our outcomes, it really will be a better than good year. Michael Norton is the grateful president of XINNIX, a personal and professional coach, and a consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator to businesses of all sizes.
Time to change direction for high-school sports
he shortage of officials in highschool sports has been welldocumented. A survey of state high-school associations indicated about 50,000 individuals ended their days as highschool officials since the 2018-19 school year. In addition to trying to interest more people in officiating high school sports, the National Federation of State High School Associations and leaders in state associations have been attempting to retain the thousands of men and women who are serving as high school sports officials. However, unacceptable behavior by coaches, parents and other spectators has pushed many officials to the sidelines. After all, why would anyone who is trying to help high-school students compete on the fields and courts want to be harassed, ridiculed and abused - sometimes even physically - while trying to do their jobs? If this current trend is going to be reversed, we must determine why people feel compelled to mistreat officials at high school sporting events. Some of those possible reasons were discussed last week in Indianapolis
at the first NFHS Officials Consortium. With everyone in agreement that the officiating profession - particularly at the youth and high-school levels - is in crisis mode, leaders from all levels of sports discussed problems and shared possible solutions during the three-day meeting. After listening to survey results from leaders with the National Association of Sports Officials that indicated continued declines in the number of officials, veteran NCAA basketball referee Chris Rastatter offered two thoughts as to why many spectators act in a negative manner toward officials. First, he said it has become commonplace for individuals involved in covering sports - radio and television announcers and other media - to dissect and judge the work of officials. As a result, with human nature being what it is, the coverage is often slanted in a negative manner. As this type of repetitive negative coverage has continued over time, it has empowered those watching sports to be judge and jury as well. If the per-
son broadcasting a game can criticize the officials, why can’t the spectators do the same? Second, the boorish behavior of fans attending sporting events is being normalized. What used to be good-natured heckling has turned mean, insulting and violent. National surveys have shown that almost one of every two officials feel threatened after officiating a game. Unfortunately, this type of behavior is almost anticipated at sporting events. Others voiced similar sentiments during the consortium and agreed that changes are needed in the general public’s perception about men and women who officiate sports in our country. In some cases, people go to sporting events not to watch and enjoy the game but to yell at the officials. This must stop. While our focus is on high-school sports, the criticism of officials and bad behavior of fans at the college and professional levels has a trickle-down effect. The negative perception of officials did not occur overnight and cannot be changed instantaneously, but a shift in a more positive direction must begin now.
Everyone must be involved in these changes - students, parents, coaches, administrators and those in the media. Bad behavior has been handed down and become anticipated and expected, but changes must occur. Those individuals watching and covering high-school sports must turn their focus to the student-athletes playing the games and away from the individuals officiating the contests. As this shift happens, a more positive behavior will become normalized. Despite some of the negative behavior issues in high-school sports, almost 70,000 individuals have expressed an interest in officiating the past four years through the NFHS’ Become an Official program. Imagine how many people would be interested in continuing a career in high school sports if they were actually praised and appreciated for their efforts. Behaviors can be changed, but it will take efforts from everyone to turn the ship in a more positive direction.
I currently babysit a 3-year-old who loves gardening, but I have never gardened and therefore know nothing about gardening with a young child. This article
showed me how to safely garden with a child. Even though this article was published a year ago, this is my first time reading from this newspaper. I look
forward to reading more articles from this newspaper in the future. Elsie Rabus, Thornton
GUEST COLUMN Karissa Niehoff
Karissa Niehoff is the Chief executive officer for the Indianapolis-based National Federation of State High School Associations.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Garden tips a treat I am writing to respond to the April 4, 2021 article entitled “5 Tips for Gardening with Kids.” I appreciate this article because
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Thu 4/28 Adult Denver Botanic Gardens (4/28) @ 4pm Eagle Pointe Recreation Center, 6060 E. Parkway Dr., Commerce City. 303-2893760
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April 28, 2022
ELECTION FROM PAGE 1
Regular probes from countries including Russia, Iran, North Korea and others are directed toward state and local election offices, looking for vulnerability in the system. Clerks said their offices partner with homeland security, the FBI, and state and local departments to monitor cyberthreats. “If something viable looks as if it’s surfacing, we are notified about it and we can respond,” Zygielbaum said. “We employ the most modern protection from a technology standpoint that there is out there.” Staff go through cybersecurity training “every single election” regardless of how many times they have received it, Stern said. That helps staff recognize what attacks might look like. All equipment requires two-factor verification, and there is a paper trail for each ballot. “That can prove accurate results, and a successful election,” Stern said. Douglas County Clerk and Recorder Merlin Klotz declined to speak for this story. Klotz is one of several public officials who sued the secretary of state because of a software update the state conducted on county
election equipment. The suit seeks to see if the update deleted any data, a claim the secretary of state’s office refuted in a motion to dismiss the suit. Boosting transparency The Adams, Arapahoe and Jefferson County clerks said while they are working to mend relationships with voters who doubt election security, they emphatically believe those individuals are a small minority of the electorate. “We still receive plenty of emails from people who believe the Big Lie,” Zygielbaum said. Clerks said they receive form letters, copied-and-pasted arguments from people who appear to be local residents but also people outside their county borders. “Just perpetuating the false narratives that the elections were fraudulent,” Zygielbaum said. The letters come in waves. A spate of several in one day, followed by a lull. “It’s important for our staff, for election judges, and for voters,” Stern said, “to understand that we are discussing conspiracy theories here and that the vast, vast majority of people in Colorado understand our elections are secure.” Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder Joan Lopez emphasized the
Friends of A Woman’s Place presents
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Name of Nominee: Field of Endeavor: Mailing Address: Day/Cell Phone:
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Your email: Thank you for nominating this amazing woman for recognition at the 2021 Celebrating Women Gala which also serves as a fundraiser for A Woman’s Place Please send this form and supporting information to: Friends of A Woman’s Place - P.O. Box 337751 - Greeley, CO 80633 Or Email form and attachments to friendsofawomansplace@gmail.com Direct your questions by email to: pjmorrell@comcast.net More information and nomination forms on Facebook under Friends of a Woman’s Place Information about A Woman’s Place shelter for victims of domestic violence: www.awpdv.org This year’s Celebrating Women Gala event location and time will be announced in June. How did you hear about us? ❏ Social Media ❏ Newspaper ❏ Friend ❏ Other
County clerks are on the lookout for potential cyberattacks after warnings from President Joe Biden that such attacks are increasingly likely. SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE
election system is not connected to the internet, and that she believes voters trust their local elections system. “We have gone above and beyond to make sure that they are informed,” Lopez said. Lopez estimated that people who doubt election security account for about 1% of Colorado’s population. That doesn’t mean offices have eased efforts to boost faith in U.S. elections. County clerks’ offices have expanded or created additional designated webpages to educate people about the life of a ballot and how local elections function. As “forensic audit” became a buzzword last year, Lopez said, the office tried to assuage people’s concerns by encouraging them to see the see the process firsthand. “I’m telling you, once somebody goes through a tour, they really go ‘Wow, I can’t believe all you guys do,’” Lopez said. When Stern encounters people who doubt election security, he says “I invite them in.” “What I find is that they are convinced that something is wrong because they heard it from someone who said something about a report that had some data from somewhere,” Stern said. During elections, the office offers “a tour of every single aspect of it while it’s happening,” Stern said. “I personally lead them. We invite anyone in who wants to see the process up close,” Stern said. Zygielbaum stresses that election equipment watching is conducted by bipartisan teams. Audits are performed during elections to ensure accuracy. They also host tours for anyone who wants one. “We stick to the facts, and hopefully the truth will prevail,” Zygielbaum said. Physical safety Domestic threats toward election staff’s safety, stoked by conspiracies about a stolen election, have simmered down, clerks said, and numerous election related bills were introduced during the 2022 Colorado legislative session. “We have heard from cowardly people sitting behind their computer screens over the course of the last year who are threating election workers — Colorado residents with families and kids — because of something they heard about election integrity and have no proof of,” Stern said. “It’s sick. It’s oftentimes illegal and we are always reporting it to law enforcement agencies, but it just needs to stop.” Stern said his staff is as politically diverse as the bipartisan election judging teams who work during an election. “They are Republicans, they are Democrats, they are unaffiliated members, and they are getting threats in equal numbers,” he said.
“It is hard on morale. It is hard for us to get good applicants to want to be in this space.” Stern said he could not confidently say if turnover in his office is attributable to threats, but that the majority of his office is committed to the job despite sometimes facing an intimidating climate. “The more they hear from cowards, the more they want to stick with this work so that we aren’t letting the cowards win,” he said. “We hear the noise,” Stern said, adding he staunchly believes threatening people are a fringe minority in the state and are not representative of Colorado voters. “Someone threatening your life resonates a lot more loudly than the five people who told you you’re doing a good job,” he said. Lopez watched with relief as the Vote Without Fear Act was passed by the state legislature. In the November 2020 election, two men came to the ballot box at county offices, filming voters who came to drop off their ballot. One of them openly carried a firearm. “He was very hostile any time somebody approached him and said what are you doing,” Lopez said of her staff’s attempts to speak with the men. “Every voter that came in had to pass this gentleman,” she said. With no laws prohibiting his conduct, staff’s hands were tied, Lopez said. House Bill 22-1086, signed into law on March 30, now prevents someone from openly carrying a firearm within any polling location or within 100 feet of a ballot drop box while an election is underway. The Adams County Clerk and Recorder’s Office is undergoing construction to heighten security. Until now people seeking services from elections staff had to go inside the election office. Now the county is installing window desks similar to what people might see at the DMV, Zygielbaum said. Closer to Election Day, Zygielbaum will wear a bulletproof vest. His election staff also underwent active shooter training. “That was a direct response to 2020,” he said. Zygielbaum said he expects active shooter training to become an annual practice in collaboration with the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. He called the process eye-opening for his office. Most his employees have been in elections for most their career. “This is something that is new to all of us. We used to be able to go to work and run elections under the assumption that we would all go home at the end of the day. And that’s changed,” he said. “Something that is supposed to be the foundation for our American institution is under attack.”
April 28, 2022
LOCAL
SPORTS
Fort Lupton Press 9
Fort Lupton’s Diaz tries new sport ... and likes it FLHS rallies late, wins third in a row BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Fort Lupton outfielder Abraham Diaz seems to be getting the hand of his newest sport, baseball. “I never joined baseball,” the junior outfielder said. “It’s my junior year, and I always wanted to play. The toughest thing is reading the ball when it’s windy, reading pitches. The easiest part used to be stealing bases, but I gained weight – quarantine.” Diaz was one of the main reasons the Bluedevils scored nine runs in the sixth inning to beat Weld Central 15-8 in Fort Lupton April 21. He had a scoring fly ball to drive in one run, and his single brought home two more. “At first, we started bad,” Diaz said. “We were all down, tired. We’re better than this. The sixth inning is when we got our stuff together and started batting. That was fun. The pitches were slow. I don’t like slow pitches. I tried to swing and get hits. There was no movement – BP (batting practice) stuff.” Coach Jackie Campbell was pleased. “We’re fighting back. The guys have been playing well,” he said. “They have come together. You should have seen us when we played Arvada. They got it rolling. We’re so capable of big innings.” Isaac Rodriguez was pressed into duty behind the plate because the regular catcher, Zavian Chavez, was away on family business. “Pitching? We’re still working on it,” Campbell said. “Hunter Harris came in and shut them down. Our seniors led us.” Diaz is among those who sense some improvement in the Bluedevils’ fortunes halfway through the season. “We’re communicating, teamwork. We have to get our batting up,” Diaz said. “You love on them. You tell them how good they can be,” Campbell said. “You coach ‘em up a little. You keep working. Sometimes, you have to break them down a little and then build them back up. It’s coming together. Manny Sandoval has been awesome.
Fort Lupton’s Eloy Lezema has to make a big stretch to catch this wind-blown pop fly during his team’s game against Weld CenPHOTOS BY JUAN ARELLANO tral April 21.
Zach Crowe contributed a basesloaded walk during the sixth-inning rally as FLHS took advantage of Weld Central wildness on the mound and errors in the field. “The best thing was after we got behind, the boys started fighting back,” Campbell said. “It was our pink-out game (to salute cancer survivors). A lot of these guys have lost family, and they wanted to represent their families today. and that’s what they did.” Danny Rodriguez is the team’s leading batter at .462 through eight games. Seven of his 12 hits are for extra bases. Daniel Becerra is batting a cool .444 through eight games. Through his first seven games, Diaz was batting .350 with two extra-base hits and 10 RBIs, tops on the squad. “I just want to hit more,” Diaz said. “I’m having fun, yeah.”
Daniel Rodriguez of Fort Lupton High School works against Weld Central High School in the second inning of their league game April 21. The Bluedevils won 15-8.
CHSAA approves new basketball classification BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
There will be a new classification for high-school basketball starting next season. The Colorado High School Activities Association’s legislative council passed a committee report on April 21 that includes the new classification and a new way for class 2A schools to seed their district tournaments. CHSAA places teams in classifications based on enrollment. CHSAA
does a separate enrollment count for the schools that play football and uses smaller enrollment ranges because so many schools play football The Jefferson County leagues offered an amendment to do away with the new basketball classification. But they also wanted the council to turn it down to offer more time to do more long-range planning. The leagues got their wish. “Most of the council voted against this last year,” said Mike Hughes, the athletic director at
Lakewood High School. “The intent of our amendment is not to do harm to the 6A proposal. The league is planning to bring this back up next year.” The committee’s report also continued district playoffs for smaller schools, such as Fort Lupton, Eagle Ridge and Stargate School. Class 2A schools will be able to seed their own district tournaments and steer clear of CHSAA’s seeding guidelines, which include computer rankings and a coaches poll. However, a second request to
reseed the field after the district round and before the regional round failed. Proponents wanted to account for teams that performed well in the regular season but didn’t so well in district play. “We want to reseed to avoid some funky first-round matchups,” said High Plains League representative Mike Miller. “We want to have the best teams playing in the semifinals and finals.” The council also approved an increase in basketball roster sizes from 12 to 14, effective next season.
10 Fort Lupton Press
April 28, 2022
Outgoing CHSAA commissioner bids farewell BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
AURORA – Rhonda Blanford Green took in her last Colorado High School Activities Association Legislative Council meeting on April 21. She discussed the association’s budget, and she thanked the council for the privilege of serving as CHSAA’s commissioner. “We’ve been through a lot together the past 14 months,” she said. Her husband passed away, as did former associate commissioner Tom Robinson. “There were a lot of times when I had to be Rhonda and
be the commissioner. I had to have a safe place to be Rhonda. “I told Tom this, and he said, ‘Being underestimated is a gift,’” Green continued. “It was tough putting one foot in front of the other with all the racial and misogynistic comments about the purpose of high-school sports. We persevered through that.” CHSAA Board President Luke DeWolfe said the association was in jeopardy when Green took over in 2017. “Through your fierce dedication, you saw us through some challenging times,” DeWolfe said. “I was humbled at the summer National
Federation of High Schools conference last summer to watch Rhonda speak and to speak with the second and third African-American commissioners. They both acknowledged that without her, they would not have had the opportunity they had.” Green singled out former assistant commissioner Ernie Derrera, the newly named wrestling coach at Holy Family High School and former athletic director at Frederick High School, for “never being afraid to say what the members need and questioning decisions in a way that was respectful.” She also talked about the support of Paul Cain, the
district athletic director for Grand Junction schools. “After my husband died, I took a flight and realized that no one cared if I landed,” she said. “I had to have a Rhonda moment where I could cry. Paul Cain called and asked if I was OK. I told him I wasn’t. He said, ‘From here on out, you text me and say, ‘Honey, I’m here.” Green announced her retirement late last year. She is the new president of USA Cheer board of directors. “It’s been my honor to serve you,” Green told the council. “We haven’t always been on the same page. But we’ve always had the same message.”
CHSAA tweaks part of its transfer rule BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
AURORA – Students who want to transfer between schools can do so as long as it’s not based on athletics or varsity-level playing time. The legislative council of the Colorado High School Activities Association agreed to that change during its April 21 meeting. Twothirds of the council voted in favor. In a second transfer-related vote, the council turned down a motion to prevent students from missing 50 percent of their sports season
following a transfer. The present transfer rules sideline transferred students for a calendar year from the date of transfer. League organizing The biennial practice of organizing the state’s athletic conferences is done. The council approved CHSAA’s Classification and League Organizing Committee report. It moved Westminster High School into the Denver Prep League. The Wolves had to find a new conference after the Eastern Metro Athletic Conference voted to
Here’s an interesting figure: 36% of retirees say managing money in retirement is more confusing than saving for retirement, according to a study by Edward Jones and Age Wave. How can you become a good money manager when you retire? First of all, identify what retirement means to you. Will you travel? Stay home and pursue hobbies? Open a small business? Once you identify your goal, you can estimate how much it will cost, which will then dictate much of your spending and saving needs. Next, establish a budget and stick to it. Look for reasonable cost-cutting measures when possible. And don’t underestimate your health care expenses – even with Medicare, you can spend several thousand a year out of pocket. Finally, and most important, be careful how much you withdraw each year from your IRA and 401(k). It’s a good idea to create a sustainable withdrawal rate. Do whatever it takes to become a good money manager during retirement. You’ll find it’s well worth the effort. This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.
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In other business
The legislative council also voted to return to two meetings per school year and turned down a request to let coaches have Sunday contact with their athletes who have used up their eligibility. Tennis players can play a combination of matches and tournaments not to exceed 12, according to a council vote. And in baseball, the legislative council sided with the CHSAA baseball committee’s recommendation that new innings cannot start after two hours of play for subvarsity level teams.
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disband. CLOC also approved an appeal from Stargate School in Thornton to stay in class 3A for its basketball teams for the next two years. “There is no element that outweighs other factors when it comes to appeals,” said CLOC Chairman Clay Alba, the athletic director of the Littleton School District. “We took the list as a body of evidence, and we tried to make the best decision based on the school and the context of the sport.”
FLHS Girls soccer Fort Lupton trimmed Thornton 3-2 in Thornton April 21. Reygan Garcia scored all three goals for the Bluedevils. Coach Archie Suniga said the Bluedevils “came from behind in the closing minutes .. thanks to a great team effort and a hat trick from Reygan Garcia.” FLHS beat the Wolves of Westminster 5-2 in Fort Lupton April 18. Areli Mercado scored three times,. and Rylee Balcazar added two, Skyview beat the Bluedevils 9-4 in Thornton April 19. Emma Long, Daisy Gonzalez and Cicely VigilGreening scored twice for the Wolverines. No stats were available for the Bluedevils. Baseball Fort Lupton beat Arvada 17-6 in Colorado League play April 19. Jesse Ceretto had three hits and five RBIs. Abraham Diaz didn’t have a hit but drove in three runs. Daniel Becerra had two hits and two RBIs. Isaac Rodriguez had four hits and drove in a run. Romeo Garcia had two hits plus an RBI. Ceretto was 3-for-3, including a home run, as FLHS beat Denver School of Science-Technology/ Montview 16-1 in Fort Lupton April 23. Ceretto finished with five RBIs. Eloy Lazema had a base hit and two RBIs. Becerra added a pair
of base hits and an RBI. Donovan Birmingham picked up the win and struck out eight. Girls tennis Fort Lupton came out on the short end of a couple of close matches last week, Aurora Central got past FLHS 4-3 in Fort Lupton April 19.Trinity Kirschenman (No. 1 singles), Payton Faulhaber (No. 2 singles) and Emiko Ohkawa (No. 3 singles) picked up the wins for the Bluedevils. Arvada beat FLHS 3-2 in Arvada April 21. Faulhaber (No. 2 singles) and the No. 2 doubles team of Ohkawa and Paige Gibbs won their matches in straight sets. Boys volleyball Fort Lupton beat Windsor Charter Academy 25-11, 25-12, 25-20 in Fort Lupton April 21. Jesus Vasquez led FLHS’ offense with 16 kills, more than half of the team’s total. Tag Boyce and Javier Chavez were next with five. Sean Holt led Windsor with six kills. Addenbrooke Classical Academy beat the Bluedevils 25-20, 25223, 25-19 on the Mustangs’ floor April 20. Josh Geary had 13 kills for Fort Lupton. Vasquez had 11. Geary also had three aces. No stats were available for ACA. Westminster shut out FLHS in straight sets April 19. Set scores were not available. Vasquez had 11 kills. Geary and Gabe Chavez were next with four.
Track and field ELIZABETH -- Fort Lupton’s top individual finisher at the Rumble on the Divide in Elizabeth April 22 was Kimberley Campbell. She took 14th place in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 6:50.7. The top boys finisher was Jairo Compean. He took 15th in the long jump with a best effort of 15-11 3/4. Frederick HS
Girls tennis Frederick swept past Prospect Ridge Academy 7-0 at PRA April 18. Maria Bello (No. 1 singles), Kaitlyn Parko (No. 2 singles) and Naia Maldonado (No. 3 singles) won their matches in straight sets. All four doubles teams (Ali Davis and Hailey Simmons, Lucy Rothe and Rachael Smidt, Abigail Crum and Savanna Staff and Madison Fauerbach and Maggie Bruhn) won their matches in two sets. Niwot beat the Warriors 5-2 on the Cougars’ courts April 19. Maldonado won her No. 3 singles match in a 10-point, third-set tiebreaker. Staff and Crum won their No. 3 doubles match. Girls golf FORT MORGAN -- Frederick finished seventh in the Longs Peak League meet at Quail Dunes Golf Course April 20. Makayla Miller was the team medalist with her score of 95. Zoe Millard had a 109, and Ella Hoople finished with a 122.
Fort Lupton Press 11
April 28, 2022
The water’s fine for canoeing in Colorado OUTDOOR LIVING
Ron Hellbusch
W
ith water sport vehicles growing in various forms and popularity today, we sometimes look past the long-term sport of canoeing. The partnership of man and canoe emerged in the west to help settlers explore challenging remote back country in the early years. The canoe provided John Wesley Powell’s team an efficient transportation mode into the Western region’s waterways. The same light weight portable float vehicle allowed Lewis and Clark to carry cargo and transverse small power streams, remote marshlands as well as slow flowing wide river basins. Where and how a canoe can accomplish similar feats for man and cargo today is still very adaptable. And its 21st century versatility has only magnified its popularity. There are personal choices when searching for canoes and canoe travel. Most sporting goods outlets near vacation destination cities or river systems sell and/or rent canoes. Other communi-
ties provide guided outfitter services and equipment on specific river basins. For the canoe novice, individual or group; a good initial step is to contact an outfitter and plan the experience together. That proved a wise plan for my daughter, grand-daughter, and myself when we enjoyed four-day canoe floats and campouts on the Gunnison River near Grand Junction. Among Colorado’s many canoe outfitters, Centennial Canoe Outfitters (CCO) based in Grand Junction with satellite facilities near Palisade offers a typical full range of river canoe trips. For those who like to plan outdoors adventures well in advance and may not have enjoyed previous canoe time consider these guided float dates as one of your options this summer. CCO is featuring five special 2022 floats starting with the “Spring on the Green” River, Utah 6-day, seven mile run May 1722; the “Memorial Weekend” May 27-29 on the Gunnison River near Grand Junction; “White River Adventure” near Glenwood
Springs June 3-5; “Green River Labyrinth Canyon” float 6 days June 8-12 and the “Yampa River Kickoff” June 10-12 near Steamboat Springs. Families and individuals of all ages looking for a new outdoors experience will find it canoeing Colorado rivers. Most canoe outfitters offer a variety of personal interest experiences from fly fishing, canyon hiking, bald eagle nest observation, beautiful landscape photography, geology, wildlife and bird watching and sightings. Outfitters encourage individual, small group, family or organizational team canoe floats and campouts. Outfitters are licensed on most state rivers and capable of arranging canoe adventures outside Colorado. Explore Colorado’s canoe opportunities. The Mile High State represents seven major river basins, most offer challenging waters and exciting levels of canoeing. Outdoorsman and Westminster resident Ron Hellbusch can be reached at Ron-Hellbusch@comcast.net
How state youth use free mental health service BY DANA KNOWLES, BRIAN WILLIE ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS
Anaisa Lua does her best to create a welcoming and safe space for her clients. A quote framed and hanging on her office wall sums it up: “Vulnerability is the courage to show up and be seen.” “Therapy allows a space for people to feel accepted and understood. I feel that it’s a space for them to truly be their genuine selves. Sometimes they share about walking in the world and having to hide,” said Lua. Lua is a therapist working with I Matter Colorado, a program that provides funding for six free therapy sessions for all young people in Colorado under the age of 18 (under 21 for those receiving special education services). Often times, therapy can cost anywhere from $100 to $150 per hour and Lua says I Matter Colorado helps eliminate that financial barrier. “Especially if you have multiple children and you’d like all of them to get services, you might feel like you need to prioritize one versus the other,” said Lua. I Matter is the state’s response
16-year-old Aarav Varma utilized a Colorado program that provides six free therapy sessions to youth. COURTESY OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS
to a growing mental health crisis facing so many young people who are trying to navigate life during a pandemic. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mental health emergency room visits increased from 2019 to 2020 by 25% for young people aged 5-11 and 31% for adolescents aged 12-17. The leading cause of death for people aged 10 to 24 in Colorado is suicide.
Aarav Varma is a 16-year-old sophomore in high school. He said the isolation he experienced during school lockdowns was almost unbearable, “COVID shaped me as a person and it tore me apart being online — it hurt so much I was feeling down every day.” Varma found out about I Matter Colorado through school. “I had to use I Matter because I was feeling a little bit sad being online over the last year, it really took part of me away being on Zoom calls eight hours a day,” Varma said. The program is the first of its kind in the country. Governor Jared Polis signed a bipartisan bill this past July that provided $9 million to the Colorado Department of Human Services, Office of Behavioral Health to facilitate I Matter. So far 1,923 youth have utilized one session, 1,221 have had two sessions, and 753 have had three or more sessions. 141 therapists are available. Lua said one of the best parts of the program is that the kids get to choose their own therapists, giving them a sense of autonomy. “They are able to log on themselves and they are able to read
through the profiles of the clinicians and they decide who they feel connected to and who they want to see,” she explained. For Varma, the I Matter sessions helped him feel less isolated. “We do have a ray of hope, there’s a ray of light that we can see finally. We are not alone in this. I Matter is the true thing that can help kids feel like they are not alone. No one is ever alone,” he said. Now that Varma is going to school in person, he can get back to exploring some of the things he loves like graphic design, chemistry and creating things. He says he might go into the psychiatric field when he grows up to help other people with their mental health struggles. Currently, a bill is making its way through the state legislature that would extend the program two extra years if it passes. This story is from Rocky Mountain PBS, a nonprofit public broadcaster providing community stories across Colorado over the air and online. Used by permission. For more, and to support Rocky Mountain PBS, visit rmpbs.org.
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12 Fort Lupton Press
April 28, 2022
Colorado lawmakers plan to overhaul unemployment system Plans include extending benefits to immigrants BY TAMARA CHUANG AND JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN
Colorado lawmakers are planning to introduce a bill as soon as this week that would overhaul the state’s unemployment system and also send roughly $600 million to the depleted unemployment insurance trust fund to lower a $1 billion federal debt hanging over employers. The $600 million replenishment was expected — Gov. Jared Polis made the recommendation in November — but the changes to the unemployment system are a surprise that comes after months of behind-the-scenes negotiations between lawmakers, Polis’ office, the business community and progressive fiscal groups. Many of the systemic changes proposed in the forthcoming bill are extensions of temporary changes made during the pandemic. Some details are still being negotiated, but the alterations are slated to include continuing a COVIDera fund offering unemployment benefits to people living in the U.S. illegally who aren’t eligible for aid under federal law, as well as making permanent a change allowing people to collect more benefits even if they secure part-time work. “We have a number of provisions that were put in on a temporary basis during the pandemic that have worked really well for the state and have helped families get back on their feet,” said state Sen. Chris Hansen, a Denver Democrat who will be a prime sponsor of the bill. “We think it’s a good idea to make many of them ongoing.” Hansen said the legislation is expected to have bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, though Republican sponsors in both chambers haven’t been finalized. While Republicans have called for eliminating the full $1 billion debt owed to the federal government by the trust fund, the business community appears happy with where the legislation is headed. “The $600 million is a huge win for employers across the state,” said Loren Furman, president of the Colorado Chamber of Commerce. Employers, who are solely responsible for filling the trust fund, are paying more this year in unemployment insurance premiums. But they face even higher payments in 2023 because of the deficit, caused by the federal government keeping Colorado afloat during the pandemic. Insolvency surcharges won’t stop until the trust fund fills its $1 billion hole. To get the fund fully solvent, it needs $2 billion to $2.5 billion, according to Colorado Department of Labor and Employment officials. Furman said that without the $600 million replenishment, businesses will face higher costs because of solvency surcharges and that’s not fair because they kept their businesses going through the
Lawmakers and lobbyists are seen at the Capitol on Jan. 12 in Denver at the start of PHOTO BY OLIVIA SUN/THE COLORADO SUN Colorado’s General Assembly’s 2022 session.
pandemic. Companies that shut down no longer contribute, even as their workers benefited from the trust fund. Progressive organizations also say they and labor groups are pleased with the upcoming legislation. “What we’re doing with this bill is just making sure that we are as prepared for the next recession as we can be,” said Kathy White, executive director of the liberal-leaning Colorado Fiscal Institute. “That includes forward funding (the trust fund) to accelerate solvency and preserving some of the policy changes that were made during the pandemic that are really targeted at making sure the program works for workers and it works for the lowest wage workers. That’s where we saw the greatest gaps.” What made it into the bill The bill’s proposed changes to the unemployment system are meant to continue what state and federal lawmakers started during the pandemic. They are designed to help low-wage unemployed workers survive in a future recession. “One of the things that we really learned through the pandemic is that the unemployment insurance system is literally the only and first line of defense that the United States has to manage recessions, to keep the economy basically from tanking and going into a vicious spiral as jobs are lost,” White said. “During the pandemic, there was a recognition by the Trump administration first and the Biden administration second … that there are just certain gaps in how well the UI system works for workers, even though it’s the most critical system we have. It’s an automatic stabilizer.” There are three key changes set to be included in the forthcoming legislation: • Colorado lawmakers created the Left Behind Worker Fund during the pandemic to provide financial help to workers living in the U.S. unlawfully who lost their job because of COVID-19. The bill would make the fund permanent and change the name to the Benefit Recovery Fund. The goal is to help immigrants whose employers already pay their unemployment insurance
but who are ineligible to receive unemployment benefits because of federal laws. The fund would not raise unemployment premiums and it would be capped. • Currently, Coloradans receive 55% of their regular pay as unemployment. But if they work part time and earn 25% or more of the weekly benefit, that benefit starts to diminish. That provision hurt employers who had to reduce their operating hours in the pandemic because it meant their employees could make more by not working. The legislation would raise the partial UI limit to 50% before the worker sees any reduction in their benefits. • Employers would be required under the bill to inform their workers that they are eligible for unemployment benefits. Three other proposed changes to the unemployment system under the legislation are still being negotiated. They would: • Eliminate the one-week waiting period between when a worker loses their job and their unemployment benefits start. White said the thinking behind this change is that low-wage earners need the money as soon as possible. The one-week delay was waived during the pandemic. • Waive a requirement that unemployed workers repay unemployment overpayments. During the pandemic, an executive order required the state labor department to pay benefits first and then check on eligibility. Because of that mandate, thousands of unemployed workers later deemed ineligible were overpaid benefits and then required to pay them back. Many had already spent the money so it became a frustrating mess. • Create dependent allowances by offering unemployed primary caretakers $25 per week per dependent. This stands to benefit single parents or a parent who is the family’s sole income provider. This won’t be part of the proposed bill. Instead, a committee will be created to study the proposal. The idea behind the $25 per dependent comes from the federal $600 per-week pandemic unemployment supplement from Congress, which helped many workers stay
afloat even as it was criticized for helping the lowest earners make more by staying jobless, White said. Colorado currently pays a maximum of $700 a week for up to 26 weeks, while some states, such as Alabama, max out at $275. Furman said the chamber and Colorado businesses have been working on the bill with state legislators and organizations like the Colorado Fiscal Institute since January. “We want to make sure that these proposals don’t take money out of the fund at the most vulnerable time,” Furman said. “So some of the provisions we’re going to do through a study, some of them might get pushed up until the fund is at a billion-dollar threshold. It’s just about putting some guardrails around them.” In a statement, Polis’ office thanked business leaders and bill sponsors who are following up on his original proposal to use $600 million to pare down the trust fund deficit. The office didn’t comment on proposed changes to the unemployment system. “We appreciate the work of the sponsors, business and workers’ advocates to move forward with a proposal that fully funds the governor’s budget request,” the statement said. How $600 million will help insolvency issues Colorado’s unemployment insurance trust fund ran out of money in August 2020, five months into the pandemic. But unemployed workers still got paid, thanks to the state getting a loan from the federal government. That loan swelled to $1 billion by April 2021. Even as workers returned to their jobs and employers paid premiums to the trust fund, the federal loan was still more than $1 billion as of April 15, according to the U.S. Department of Treasury. Colorado employers are on the hook for repaying the loan through additional fees. Annual unemployment insurance premiums increased in January because the trust fund was empty on June 30, the date of the annual health checkup. By state statute, that alone means Colorado employers shift to a higher rate. Colorado employers are now paying the highest rate possible (see the far right-column in this rate schedule). Next year, employers will see their costs rise because of the new trust fund solvency surcharge and the loss of the Federal Unemployment Tax Act credit. The proposed bill would address both. By shoring up the trust fund with $600 million, employers could see the solvency surcharge stop in 2026 in the best-case scenario of a strong economy. With no government help and a weak economy, the surcharge could continue to 2028. The proposed $600 million would come from Colorado’s share of federal pandemic relief through Congress’ American Rescue Plan Act. At least 16 other states have used American Rescue Plan Act money SEE LEGISLATURE, P13
Fort Lupton Press 13
April 28, 2022
Lawmakers pledge $100M for child care The money would go toward several existing grant programs BY ANN SCHIMKE AND ERICA MELTZER CHALKBEAT
With just over a year until Colorado begins providing free preschool to 4-year-olds statewide, state lawmakers want to inject $100 million into efforts to beef up the early
LEGISLATURE FROM PAGE 12
to replenish some or all of their depleted trust funds, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Texas repaid its entire unemployment debt using federal money. Some Republicans in the Colorado legislature have unsuccessfully advocated for doing the same. The Colorado labor department said using the money to pay the federal loan to avoid the additional interest is the “best use of $600 million of ARPA,” said Daniel Chase, the state labor department’s chief of staff. “Our current plan would be to use about $580 million to pay down the loan balance upon receipt of the money, then hold the remaining amount to pay off the interest owed
childhood workforce and create more slots for young children. During a news conference Wednesday afternoon, a group of lawmakers announced the legislation, which would be funded with federal COVID relief dollars. The money would go toward several existing grant programs, including one to help child care providers with operational costs and another to help new providers open and existing providers expand. It would also create a new program to support and train people who
care for young children but are not licensed by the state. “This bill is a massive investment in ensuring we as a state rise to the occasion of helping families out, by allowing parents to work, by allowing single parents to return to the workforce,” said state Rep. Alex Valdez, a Denver Democrat who sponsored the bill. “COVID-19 gutted our child care workforce and we need to rebuild it.” The just-introduced bill comes at both a tenuous and momentous time for Colorado’s early childhood
industry. Many child care providers are still reeling financially from the pandemic and struggling to find employees willing to work long hours for low wages. At the same time, there’s a sense of excitement as Colorado plans a massive expansion of state-funded preschool with funding from proceeds of a nicotine tax approved by voters in 2020.
in September, which we estimate to be between $15 million and $20 million,” Chase said. Federal law doesn’t allow states to use employer premiums to cover interest payments, so if Colorado didn’t set aside the $20 million balance for interest, the state would have to find other alternatives, he said. But Chase doesn’t think Colorado will try to pay off the rest of its federal debt the same way it did after the Great Recession. Back then, Colorado’s federal unemployment loan ballooned to $578.2 million by March 2011, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report. Surcharges kicked in and some Colorado employers said their premiums tripled. The business community backed an effort for the state to issue a bond to finance the debt and reduce their fees. The bond was paid off in May 2017.
Colorado’s economy has recovered much more quickly than it did after the Great Recession. As of February, the state had recovered all of the 375,400 jobs lost in the first two months of the pandemic. That’s why a bond may not be necessary, as employers are back to paying insurance premiums. Nevertheless, the state labor department has bonding authority if needed. But it’s through the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, which was used during the Great Recession. CHFA no longer bonds for state agencies. So state lawmakers must transfer the labor department’s bonding authority to the treasurer’s office, which is also in the proposed bill. “While we don’t anticipate the need to bond to the degree of the Great Recession, we do want to enhance our tools available should we be close to paying off the debt at
key points in the next year,” Chase said. If the trust fund balance is positive on June 30 and the loan is paid off, employers can move to a lower premium rate in 2023. Even if the state misses the date but pays off the loan by Nov. 10, the state avoids a FUTA credit reduction. But there are some models that show the state’s loan balance could still be $100 million. “In that case,” Chase said, “bonding could be a financially viable option to hit that timeline.”
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This story was originally published by Chalkbeat Colorado. More at chalkbeat.org.
This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun. com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.
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14 Fort Lupton Press
April 28, 2022
Polis opposes ban on flavored tobacco, nicotine products Bill would siphon $25 million in annual tax revenue BY SHANNON NAJMABADI THE COLORADO SUN
Gov. Jared Polis says he doesn’t support a bipartisan bill that would ban the sale of flavored tobacco and nicotine products, including menthol cigarettes, because he prefers a local regulatory approach. But some city and county leaders explicitly support the measure, now stalled in the legislature, and two organizations that represent local governments and fiercely defend their local-control powers, the Colorado Municipal League and Colorado Counties Inc., aren’t fighting it. There’s another reason the Democratic governor may oppose House Bill 1064, which is aimed at reducing teen nicotine use: It would siphon as much as $25.2 million — of an expected $167.7 million — in annual tax revenue from the state’s fledgling preschool program, a signature Polis initiative. The debate this year over House Bill 1064 highlights the outsize role the tobacco industry plays in the Colorado Capitol, where it successfully defeated efforts to increase tobacco taxes in 2016 and 2019. In 2020, the Polis administration negotiated with tobacco giant Altria, the maker of Marlboro cigarettes, on a bill that placed a measure on the ballot to raise cigarette and tobacco taxes and enact a tax on nicotine products, including vape cartridges. The measure, Proposition EE, passed, raising millions of dollars to fund free preschool slots and helping the governor accomplish a campaign promise. This year, House Bill 1064, which is aimed at outlawing products that critics say market to children with fruity flavors and colorful packaging, is drawing similar tobacco industry interest. The measure is one of the mostlobbied bills before the legislature this year, with more than 140 lobbyists and lobbying firms representing more
Flavored tobacco projects continues to be debated by lawmakers. SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE
than 85 clients supporting, opposing or monitoring the measure. That’s nearly one-quarter of the entire lobbying corps. The companies lobbying on the bill are spending big money on their efforts to shape the measure. Altria and another tobacco giant, Reynolds American, respectively spent $149,000 and $173,000 on lobbying from July 2021 through the end of March. The national nonprofit Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is leading the charge to support the bill, and has spent nearly $181,000 on lobbying through the end of March. It has 25 lobbyists and lobbying firms working on the measure. Lawmakers have acknowledged the supercharged nature of the debate. “This bill has probably been lobbied more than any other bill that I’ve seen in my four years here at the state Capitol,” Republican Rep. Matt Soper, of Delta, said during a committee hearing in March. Others say the fight highlights the folly of trying to fund essential services with sin taxes, which are often meant to discourage a certain behavior. “It’s not hard to see that that’s on a collision course,” said Rep. Marc Snyder, a Manitou Springs Democrat. “The more successful you are at accomplishing the social and health policy, the less revenue you have.” Local control “in the eye of the beholder” The governor declined to answer repeated questions from the Colorado
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Sun about whether he is worried the measure will slash preschool funding generated by Proposition EE. Polis has a hard time seeing how a statewide approach to regulating flavored tobacco and nicotine products makes sense, spokesman Conor Cahill said, noting that the governor signed legislation in recent years giving local governments regulatory authority over tobacco products. “As a general philosophy, the governor prefers local control because our local governments are closest to the people they represent and can weigh the pros and cons and determine how to best address these kinds of issues in their area,” Cahill said in a written statement. A number of cities and towns in Colorado have already passed their own flavor bans, including Aspen, Boulder, Carbondale and Glenwood Springs. Colorado counties believe they lack the legal authority to pass flavor bans, though a few have increased taxes on the products as a way to try to discourage their use. Additionally, some mayors say the local efforts have limited effect. “They’re just not working,” Edgewater Mayor John Beltrone told lawmakers of local ordinances. “Our high school — Jefferson High — is two blocks away from a smoke shop in Lakewood that doesn’t have these restrictions.” Denver Mayor Michael Hancock vetoed a flavor-ban ordinance passed by the Denver City Council last year, in part because he believed state action would be more effective. “It is not a prohibitive enough barrier if our youth are simply able to travel across Denver’s border to the nearest convenience store and obtain flavored tobacco products,” Hancock wrote in a letter issuing his veto. Kevin Bommer, executive director of the Colorado Municipal League, said the group’s members are split; some support the bill while others don’t want to be told what businesses they can have in their community, referencing concerns from vape shops who say the bill would put them out of business. Some three dozen Colorado municipalities have adopted regulations on youth access to vaping products that are less restrictive than a ban, according to the Rocky Mountain Smoke Free Alliance, an association that represents about 125 small Colorado vape stores. Those policies include only selling vaping products in age-restricted stores or imposing stiff penalties on those caught selling to minors, said Joe Miklosi, a former state lawmaker lobbying for the association, which opposes the bill. The governor’s concern about local
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Health officials say the products pose health risks Health officials say flavored tobacco and nicotine products pose a serious public health risk, especially for children of color and those with low socioeconomic backgrounds. Alarm about the flavored products dates back to at least 2018, when the U.S. Surgeon General said there was an epidemic of e-cigarette use among young people, fueled by “new types of e-cigarettes that have recently entered the market.” Soon after, there was an outbreak of severe lung injuries tied to vaping products containing THC. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has tightened regulations on flavored nicotine products but some manufacturers switched to synthetic nicotine to evade the added scrutiny. The omnibus spending bill passed by Congress earlier this year would close that loophole and leave manufacturers with 30 days to ask the FDA to continue selling their products. At Girls Athletic Leadership Schools in Denver, school officials have caught pre-teens with vaping devices that look like mascara wands or have fruity flavors like pineapple, said Carol Bowar, the school’s executive director. The products are more discreet than smoking marijuana or a cigarette, she said, and students caught with the products tell school officials they are able to buy them without being carded. “It’s a really deadly, addictive substance that’s disguised as something benign. And that is what’s troubling,” Bowar said. Nicotine is particularly addictive for preteens and teenagers whose brains are still developing, said pediatrician Anne Shelton, a member of the Colorado Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. That group supports the legislation. Nearly 30% of Colorado high school students used vapes, e-cigarettes and similar products in 2019, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among young adults who use tobacco, more than 80% started with flavored products, according to a study by the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health. This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media. ON AVERAGE, AARP MEMBERS ENJOY
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Fort Lupton Press 15
April 28, 2022
Police Blotter Here are the police reports for April 3rd to April 7th to the Fort Lupton Police Department. Not every call made to the police is not listed on this report. BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
April 3 Police issued a summons to a Fort Lupton woman, 19, for possession of marijuana at First Street
and Harrison Avenue.
of Dexter St.
April 4 A Keenesburg man, 23, was issued a summons for shoplifting in the 1300 block of Dexter Avenue. Police issued a summons to a Commerce City man , 32, 1300 block of Dexter Street. for trespassing complaint and for drug possession use.
April 6 Police arrested a Fort Lupton man, 37, at Fourth St. & Fulton Ave. on warrant out of Weld County for failure to appear on a traffic offense and a dog running at large. He was held on bond at the Weld County. A Longmont man, 26, was issued a summons at U.S. Highway 85 & Weld County Road 18 for failure to yield to a right- of -way and no insurance.
April 5 Police arrested a Fort Lupton woman, 51, in the 100 block of South McKinley Ave. on a warrant out of Weld County for failure to appear on a traffic offense. She was held on bond at the Weld County Jail. A Fort Lupton woman, 21, was issued a summons for a shoplifting complaint in the 1300 block
April 7 Police took a 27-year-old Roggen women into custody in the 1300 block Dexter Street for criminal mischief and domestic violence. She was held on bond at the Weld County Jail.
A Thornton man, 48, reported about $21,510.93 items stolen at Weld County Road 31 & Fourteenth St.. The case was under investigation. Police issued a summons to a Fort Lupton woman, 46, after failing to yield causing a traffic accident at Denver Avenue & Fourth. A 15-year old teenage boy was issued a summons for possession of marijuana by a minor in the 500 block of Reynolds Street. A Frederick man, 57, reported plywood stolen from a construction site in the 2000 block of Valley Sky Street. Case was under investigation. Police arrested a Greeley man, 36, for a DUI, child abuse and multiple traffic offense at U.S. Highway 85 & Fourteenth street. He was held on bond at the Weld County Jail.
BRIEFS Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church is hosting its annual plant sale. This will be a fundraiser for the Youth Group to attend the National Youth Gathering. The sale will take place Saturday, May 7, 2022, at the church, 650 S. Park Avenue in Fort Lupton from 9:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. or until the supply runs out. Any questions you may call the Church at (303)857-6827. Children’s Water Festival The Central Colorado Water Conservancy District CCWCD and the Platte Valley Historical are having their first annual Children’s Water Festival in Fort Lupton on May 4, 2022. More than 700 4th and 5th-grade students from Fort Lupton, Brighton Johnstown, Milliken, Denver, Keenesburg, Hudson, and Fort Morgan will attend the festival which is the oldest water festival in the country. It’s a free outdoor event bringing water professionals from the state in support of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) while meeting science academic standards and Common Core State Standards. Fort Lupton’s 2022 Spring Clean-Up Day Clean-Up Day is free for residents
to dispose of their household items and yard debris. It’s a one-day event for Fort Lupton residents only. The Public Works staff will be on-site to assist residents with disposal items. Seniors and disabled residents can request a pick-up by calling no later than Tuesday, April 26th at 303-8576694. Bring proof of residency and only two pickup-sized truckloads of items are allowed. Any kind of furniture, mattresses, carpet, doors, lawn, and yard equipment that can be dropped off. The one-day event will be on Saturday, April 30 from 8:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Public Works Shop at 800 12th Street. If you have any questions please call 303-857-6694.
host a Cinco de Mayo celebration at 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 29. It will feature the history of the day, the ballet Folklorico, music and games. Call 303-857-7180.
Stained-glass renovation Here’s a chance to view the historic stained-glass renovation at First United Methodist Church, 306 Park Ave., from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, April 21. Refreshments will be available. The rededication ceremony and a church service will be at 9 a.m. Sunday, April 24.
Heritage Fair The South Platte Valley Historical Park is bringing back the Heritage Fair complete with historical demonstrations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 7, at South Platte Valley Historical Park, 2001 Historic Parkway. Visit the famous Landcaster Lupton’s fur trade fort or the Buffalo Soldiers’ re-enactments. Watch an 1890s baseball game and visit the 1850 trappers cabins, the Donelson House, the period barn and the 1875
Cinco de Mayo at the library The Fort Lupton Public & School Library, 425 S. Denver Ave., will
Cinco de Mayo 5K run/walk The running season begins in earnest at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 5, at Railroad Park, across state Highway 52 from the recreation center. DJ Lil Coop provides the music, and Sabores de mi Abuela Food Truck has the food. Visit https://www.fortluptonco. gov/775/Cinco-de-Mayo-5K. Training for the 5K continues through May 1. The fee includes entry into the race. Sessions are four times each week with a trainer.
Independence School. Parking is available ($10 per car) west of Historic Parkway, turn right through the wood arch. For more information, visit spvhs.org/Heritage Fair. Building renovation grant program The deadline to apply for the Fort Lupton Urban Renewal Authority’s building renovation grant program is Sunday, May 1. The competitive program is designed to encourage certain qualified improvement to buildings within the city’s historic commercial core to revitalize the area. The program offers a match of up to 50 percent to projects approved by the FLURA board. Call 720-466-6103. New FLHS scholarship The Genevieve Adame Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to one Fort Lupton High School boy and girl from the graduating class of 2022 who will be enrolling as a full-time student at an accredited college/university or trade school. Applications are now available online and in the school’s guidance/ counselors’ office. They are due by 4 p.m. May 2.
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C R O S SWO R D P U Z Z L E
© 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.
Solution
TRIVIA 1. LANGUAGE: What is the practice of chiromancy? 2. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What is unusual about the date the Chinese New Year is celebrated each year?
10. LITERATURE: During which war is the novel “All the Light We Cannot See” set? Answers
3. ACRONYMS: What phrase does “http” stand for?
1. Predicting the future by reading the lines on your palms
4. MUSIC: Which Beatles’ song asks listeners to “take a sad song and make it better”?
2. It varies between Jan. 21Feb. 20, depending on the lunar calendar
5. TELEVISION: What is the name of SpongeBob Squarepants’ best friend in the animated series?
3. HyperText Transfer Protocol
6. GEOGRAPHY: Nairobi is the capital of which African country? 7. MOVIES: Which two male actors starred in “The Sting” (1973)?
4. “Hey Jude” 5. Patrick 6. Kenya 7. Paul Newman and Robert Redford 8. A spat
8. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a baby oyster called?
9. The attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941
9. HISTORY: In its planning stages, which World War II attack was coined “Operation Z” by the Japanese?
10. World War II (c) 2022 King Features Synd., Inc.
Crossword Solution
Fort Lupton Press 17
April 28, 2022
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Public Notices call 303-566-4123 Legals City of Ft. Lupton Public Notice CITY OF FORT LUPTON 4/05/22-4/19/22 EXPENDITURES Payment Date Number Vendor Name Payment Amount 04/05/2022 71316 BG’S JAPANESE DESIGNS 29.00 04/05/2022 71317 BUCKEYE CLEANING CENTER 1496.07 04/05/2022 71318 CITY OF FORT LUPTON 5.00 04/05/2022 71319 CLEMENTE FLORES MERAZ 40.00 04/05/2022 71320 COLONIAL LIFE 105.96 04/05/2022 71321 COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA 560.36 04/05/2022 71322 COMCAST BUSINESS 2,084.89 04/05/2022 71323 COMCAST CABLE COMM, LLC 318.37 04/05/2022 71324 EMPLOYERS COUNCIL SERVICES, INC 5,920.00 04/05/2022 71325 FASTENAL COMPANY 01COFTL 46.79 04/05/2022 71326 FRONT RANGE LUMBER COMPANY 319.14 04/05/2022 71327 G & G EQUIPMENT 20,996.98 04/05/2022 71328 JOHN BEVERLY 75.00 04/05/2022 71329 J O H N D E E R E F I N A N CIAL 166.13 04/05/2022 71330 JOHNSON CONTROLS SECURITY SOLUTIONS 183.19 04/05/2022 71331 JORGE ARMANDO MARTINEZ LOZANO 100.00 04/05/2022 71332 K & K LASER CREATIONS LLC 21.90 04/05/2022 71333 LOUIS A GRESH 1,117.50 04/05/2022 71334 MAXINE BROOKS 266.00 04/05/2022 71335 SPWRAP 2,943.77 04/05/2022 71336 STANDARD INSURANCE CO. 5,679.10 04/05/2022 71337 STATE OF COLORADO 2,351.30 04/05/2022 71338 STERICYCLE 63.89 04/05/2022 71339 SYNERGETIC STAFFING LLC 2,002.16 04/05/2022 71340 TOSHIBA FINANCIAL SERVICES 283.52 04/05/2022 71341 UNITED SITE SERVICES 370.43 04/05/2022 71342 WELD COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE 59.42 04/05/2022 71343 WILLARD B HARDESTY 467.50 04/05/2022 71344 BURNS & MCDONNELL ENGINEERING CO INC 106,509.90 04/08/2022 71345 ADAMS COUNTY CLERK OF COURTS 287.18 04/08/2022 71346 COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE 362.59 04/08/2022 71347 FAMILY SUPPORT REGISTRY 25.84 04/12/2022 71348 AAA AUTO PARTS INC 840.57 04/12/2022 71349 ADAMSON POLICE PRODUCTS 296.91 04/12/2022 71350 AGFINITY 440.00 04/12/2022 71351 AMAZON.COM 620.75 04/12/2022 71352 ANDREA GIRON 50.00 04/12/2022 71353 BRANDING BY BRE 2,750.00 04/12/2022 71354 BRANDYLEE AYERS 50.00 04/12/2022 71355 BRENDAN REED 4,260.00 04/12/2022 71356 BRITTNY LAIRD 280.00 04/12/2022 71357 BUCKEYE CLEANING CENTER 2,270.08 04/12/2022 71358 CARMEN TORRES-RA 65.00 04/12/2022 71359 CAROLINE VIGIL 65.00 04/12/2022 71360 CASSIE CAMPBELL 50.00 04/12/2022 71361 CEM SALES & SERVICE INC 570.00 04/12/2022 71362 CINTAS FIRST AID SAFETY 233.66 04/12/2022 71363 CITY OF FT LUPTON-UTIL INVOICE 4,524.02 04/12/2022 71364 **Void** 04/12/2022 71365 COLORADO ASPHALT SVCS 2,544.00 04/12/2022 71366 COLORADO CASINO NIGHTS 435.00 04/12/2022 71367 COLORADO CASINO NIGHTS 1,305.00 04/12/2022 71368 COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA 16.44 04/12/2022 71369 COMCAST CABLE COMM, LLC 600.08 04/12/2022 71370 CORE&MAIN LP 486.27 04/12/2022 71371 COX RANCH ORIGINALS 141.40 04/12/2022 71372 DIG DEEP RESEARCH, LLC 5,000.00 04/12/2022 71373 DIGETEKS, LLC 11,925.00 04/12/2022 71374 DIVISION OF OIL PUBLIC SAFETY 160.00 04/12/2022 71375 DXP ENTERPRISES INC
51.21 04/12/2022 71376 EMPLOYERS COUNCIL SERVICES, INC 12,000.00 04/12/2022 71377 ENVIROTECH SERVICES, INC 1,435.65 04/12/2022 71378 EWING IRRIGATION PRODUCTS INC 139.80 04/12/2022 71379 FASTENAL COMPANY 01COFTL 148.79 04/12/2022 71380 HAYES POZNANOVIC KORVER, LLC 5,489.50 04/12/2022 71381 IMPERIAL CUSTOM CONCRETE, LLC 28,664.75 04/12/2022 71382 JEFF RUSHFELDT 50.00 04/12/2022 71383 LEFTA SYSTEMS 1,591.35 04/12/2022 71384 MARIO REYNA 65.00 04/12/2022 71385 MELISSA MEYERS 513.00 04/12/2022 71386 MOLTZ CONSTRUCTION INC 1,480.80 04/12/2022 71387 MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS 14,122.58 04/12/2022 71388 MOUNTAIN SKY METROPOLITAN DISTRICT 417,185.99 04/12/2022 71389 OFFICE DEPOT 134.39 04/12/2022 71390 OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT INT 150,985.10 04/12/2022 71391 O’REILLY AUTO PARTS 2,226.27 04/12/2022 71392 PLAINS EAST MECHANICAL SERVICES LLC 11,773.24 04/12/2022 71393 PRIMETIME FITNESS EQUIPMENT LLC 7,734.00 04/12/2022 71394 PROCODE INC 60,261.72 04/12/2022 71395 QUADIENT FINANCE USA INC 319.00 04/12/2022 71396 SHANE LEFFORGE 50.00 04/12/2022 71397 SYNERGETIC STAFFING LLC 940.80 04/12/2022 71398 TODD HODGES DESIGN, LLC 10,961.25 04/12/2022 71399 UNITED POWER 34,249.82 04/12/2022 71400 **Void** 04/12/2022 71401 **Void** 04/12/2022 71402 UNITED SITE SERVICES 629.18 04/12/2022 71403 USA BLUE BOOK 204.27 04/12/2022 71404 UTILITY NOTIFICATION CENTER 549.90 04/12/2022 71405 VERDEK LLC 1,566.09 04/12/2022 71406 VERIZON WIRELESS SVCS LLC 4,431.36 04/12/2022 71407 WAGNER EQUIPMENT CO. 5,639.95 04/12/2022 71408 WASTE CONNECTIONS OF COLO, INC 1,125.95 04/12/2022 71409 WATER TECHNOLOGY GROUP 24,615.99 04/12/2022 71410 WELD COUNTY ACCTG DEPART 9,793.44 04/12/2022 71411 WHITESIDE’S BOOTS AND CLOTHING 155.00 04/12/2022 71412 XCEL ENERGY-GAS 2,529.69 04/19/2022 71413 A TO Z ELEVATOR INSPECTIONS LLC 217.00 04/19/2022 71414 AAA AUTO PARTS INC 820.21 04/19/2022 71415 AB COURT REPORTING VIDEO 279.00 04/19/2022 71416 ADAMSON POLICE PRODUCTS 6.95 04/19/2022 71417 ADT SECURITY SYSTEM 133.41 04/19/2022 71418 AMAZON.COM 597.87 04/19/2022 71419 BANK OF COLORADO 410.96 04/19/2022 71420 BG’S JAPANESE DESIGNS 311.00 04/19/2022 71421 BURNS & MCDONNELL ENGINEERING CO INC 86,421.50 04/19/2022 71422 CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 48.00 04/19/2022 71423 COLORADO ANALYTICAL LAB 48.00 04/19/2022 71424 COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA 450.00 04/19/2022 71425 COMCAST BUSINESS 2,177.78 04/19/2022 71426 DXP ENTERPRISES INC 74.16 04/19/2022 71427 E-470 PUBLIC HIGHWAY AUTHORITY 10.35 04/19/2022 71428 ERGOMED 1,175.00 04/19/2022 71429 EXCLAIMER LTD 2,214.00 04/19/2022 71430 FORT LUPTON CAR WASH 231.75 04/19/2022 71431 FORT LUPTON PACK SHIP 19.15 04/19/2022 71432 GREEN MILL SPORTSMAN’S CLUB 150.00 04/19/2022 71433 INTERMOUNTAIN CONTROLS NICHOLS-GIVEN 2,743.72 04/19/2022 71434 LEONARD B. MEDOFF, Ph.D. 350.00 04/19/2022 71435 R & L TIRES 15.00 04/19/2022 71436 R & M SERVICES 1,562.78 04/19/2022 71437 STATE OF COLORADO 4,691.88 04/19/2022 71438 SYNERGETIC STAFFING LLC 940.80 04/19/2022 71439 TAIT & ASSOCIATES, INC. 673.20 04/19/2022 71440 TODD HODGES DESIGN, LLC 8,706.25 04/19/2022 71441 TOSHIBA FINANCIAL SERVICES 2,845.38 04/19/2022 71442 TRUDILIGENCE LLC
274.66 04/16/2022 71443 ALEJANDRINA CHAIREZ 60.00 04/16/2022 71444 ALEXA CAUDILLO 60.00 04/16/2022 71445 LAYANNA REYNA 60.00 04/16/2022 71446 SONYA MCGRAW 60.00 04/16/2022 71447 VIANEY GUERRA 60.00 04/08/2022 DFT0001927 BANK OF COLORADO 6,257.87 04/08/2022 DFT0001928 BANK OF COLORADO 675.83 04/08/2022 DFT0001929 VALIC_1 35,035.40 04/08/2022 DFT0001930 IRS 61,053.72 04/08/2022 DFT0001931 CO DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE 11,339.00 04/14/2022 DFT0001932 VALIC_1 9,405.78 04/14/2022 DFT0001933 IRS 11,324.68 04/14/2022 DFT0001934 CO DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE 1,856.00 4/8/2022 EFT National Benefit Services 2,497.68 4/15/2022 EFT National Benefit Services 568.26 4/18/2022 EFT National Benefit Services 366.00 4/13/2022 EFT Simplifile 25.25 4/18/2022 EFT Simplifile 75.00 4/19/2022 EFT Simplifile 1,665.75 4/11/2022 EFT Clover App Mrkt 15.00 4/11/2022 EFT Clover App Mrkt 15.00 Legal Notice No. FLP609 First Publication: April 28, 2022 Last Publication: April 28, 2022 Publisher: Fort Lupton Press Public Notice Notice of Public Hearing Notice is hereby given of a public hearing before the City Council of Fort Lupton Colorado, at 6:00 P.M. on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, at 130 S. McKinley Ave. for the purpose of considering the adoption by reference of the a new consolidated Chapter 16 – Fort Lupton Development Code and Amended Official Zoning Map. Copies of the municipal codes are on file at the office of the City Clerk and may be inspected during regular business hours. If enacted as an ordinance of this City, the municipal codes will not be published in full, but in accordance with state law, copies will be kept on file. The municipal codes are published by the Municipal Code Corporation, PO Box 2235, Tallahassee, FL 32316. The subject matter of the consolidated Chapter 16 Fort Lupton Municipal Code relates to Repealing Chapter 9 – Oil and Gas Exploration and Development, Chapter 16 – Zoning, and Chapter 17 – Subdivisions, and the Official Zoning Map, and replacing them with the Consolidated Chapter 16 – Fort Lupton Development Code, and Amended Official Zoning Map. At its next regular meeting following this hearing, the City Council will consider passage of the adopting Ordinance. Dated this 20th day of April 2022. City of Fort Lupton, Colorado Maricela Peña, City Clerk Legal Notice No. FLP611 First Publication: April 28, 2022 Last Publication: May 5, 2022 Publisher: Fort Lupton Press
Metropolitan Districts Public Notice NOTICE OF CANCELLATION OF REGULAR ELECTION BY THE DESIGNATED ELECTION OFFICIAL FOR THE VINCENT VILLAGE METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by the Vincent Village Metropolitan District, Weld County, Colorado, the at the close of business on the sixty-third (63rd) day before the election or thereafter there were not more candidates for Director than offices to be filled, including candidates filing affidavits of intent to be write-in candidates; therefore, the election to be held on May 3, 2022, is hereby cancelled. The following candidates are declared elected: Andrew W. Dodgen Three-Year Term to 2025 Vacancy
Three-Year Term to 2025
Vacancy
One-Year Term to 2023
VINCENT VILLAGE METROPOLITAN DISTRICT /s/ Sarah H. Luetjen Designated Election Official Legal Notice No. FLP612 First Publication: April 28, 2022 Last Publication: April 28, 2022 Publisher: Fort Lupton Press
Bids and Settlements Public Notice NOTICE OF PROPOSED DECISION The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety proposes to approve Permit Renewal Application No. 8 (RN-8), submitted by Coors Energy Company for a coal mining permit at the Keenesburg Strip Mine (Permit No. C-1981-028). The proposed renewal will allow for continued mining and/or reclamation operations at the site. The Keenesburg Strip Mine is a/an surface operation located in Weld County, approximately 7 miles North of Keenesburg, Colorado. Coal interest is state and private, and the surface to be affected is private land. The permit area encompasses approximately 225.55 acres.
Storage Unit Auction at A-to-Z Storage in Ft Lupton on Saturday, June 4th 2022, at 10:00 a.m. Up to 10 units will be auctioned with the opportunity toview contents before bidding. A-to-Z Storage 511 McKinley Avenue 303-857-4500 Unit #’S- F-3, F-4, F-5, LH-1, & F-2 Paul Grimmer 5300 Highlands Drive Longmont, CO 80503 203 Items Unit #B-31 & A-8 Natasha May Nichole Bird 15528 Nancy Ave Ft. Lupton, CO 80621 500 items
This proposed decision is based on a finding that the proposed operation will comply with all requirements of the Colorado Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act, Section 34 33 101 et seq., C.R.S., and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
Unit # A-61 Carla Partridge 160 Harrison Avenue Ft. Lupton, CO 80621 40 items
A copy of the “Proposed Decision and Findings of Compliance”, including any stipulations, is on file for public inspection at the Keenesburg Town Hall, 140 S Main, Keenesburg, CO 80643. The renewal application and decision documents, as well as all other permit documents, can be viewed at https://dnrweblink.state.co.us/drms/search.aspx by searching C1981028 in the “Permit No” field. A user guide is available to help first time users of the imaged document system and can be viewed at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1l8OUdf_Mpjo3kxIHkP5hMH-w7MeBtxX7/view.
Unit #P-45 Stacie Rodabaugh 19628 CR4 Brighton, CO 80603 10 items
Persons with an interest that may be adversely affected by the proposed decision may request a formal hearing before the Mined Land Reclamation Board on the proposed decision. Such request must be made within thirty (30) days of the date following initial publication of this notice, must be in writing, and must state with reasonable specificity the reasons for the request and the objections to the proposed decision.
Unit #P-44 Nicole Martinez 6605 Olive St. #23 Commerce City, CO 80022 10 items Legal Notice No. FLP614 First Publication: April 28, 2022 Last Publication: April 28, 2022 Publisher: Fort Lupton Press
Notice to Creditors Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS VICTORIA HIGGINS a/k/a VICTORIA MARIE HIGGINS a/k/a VICTORIA M. HIGGINS , Deceased Case Number: 22PR30050
Legal Notice No. FLP603 First Publication: April 21, 2022 Last Publication: April 28, 2022 Publisher: Fort Lupton Press
Misc. Private Legals Public Notice The Lupton Meadows Ditch Company a Colorado Corporation has been notified and an official Demand made for the issue of a replacement stock certificate for the following original certificate. Certificate# 654 for seventy-nine shares issued to Public Trustee for the Farm Credit Bank, lien holder and Johnson and Smith LLP equity owners. Should anyone feel that they have a right or claim of interest or ownership of said Certificate an official notice and claim shall be made with the Company Secretary, Howard Cantrell, 11016 CR 23, Ft Lupton CO 80621. Such notice shall be made within 30 days of the last publication of this notice which shall be on May26, 2022 . If no Claims have been received by the end of the 30 day period other than by the filer of the original notification, the Company shall issue a replacement certificate and any and all rights under the original certificate shall immediately cease and there can be no further assertions or claims made against the Company with regards to the original certificate. This is in accordance with CRS 7-42114 to 7-42-117. Legal Notice No. FLP608 First Publication: April 28, 2022 Last Publication: May26, 2022 Publisher: Fort Lupton Press
All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Clear Creek County, Colorado on or before August 28, 2022, or the claims may be forever barred. c/o Erica Gajda, Robinson and Henry, Personal Representative 11080 Circle Point Road, Suite 140 Westminster, CO 80231 Legal Notice No: FLP610 First Publication: April 28, 2022 Last Publication: May 12, 2022 Publisher: Fort Lupton Press Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Darren Lee Mahan a/k/a Darren Mahan and Darren L. Mahan Deceased Case Number: 2022PR30209
All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Weld County, Colorado on or before 8/21/2022, or the claims may be forever barred. Person Giving Notice: Alison Leary, Attorney to the Personal Representative Leary Law, LLC 17016 W. 71st Place Arvada, CO 80007
Public Notice The Lupton Meadows Ditch Company a Colorado Corporation has been notified and an official Demand made for the issue of a replacement stock certificate for the following original certificate. Certificate# 667 for ten shares issued Johnson and Smith LLP. Should anyone feel that they have a right or claim of interest or ownership of said Certificate an official notice and claim shall be made with the Company Secretary, Howard Cantrell, 11016 CR 23, Ft Lupton CO 80621. Such notice shall be made within 30 days of the last publication of this notice which shall be on May 26, 2022. If no Claims have been received by the end of the 30 day period other than by the filer of the original notification, the Company shall issue a replacement certificate and any and all rights under the original certificate shall immediately cease and there can be no further assertions or claims made against the Company with regards to the original certificate. This is in accordance with CRS 7-42-114 to 7-42-117. Legal Notice No. FLP607 First Publication: April 28, 2022 Last Publication: May 26, 2022 Publisher: Fort Lupton Press
Storage Liens/Vehicle Titles
Legal Notice No. FLP602 First Publication: April 21, 2022 Last Publication: May 5, 2022 Publisher: Fort Lupton Press PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of JESSE MANUEL DeOLLOS, JR., aka JESSE M. DeOLLOS, JR., aka JESSE M. DeOLLOS, aka JESSE DeOLLOS,, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR30202 All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to District Court of Weld County, Colorado on or before September 1, 2022, or the claims may be forever barred. Shari M. DeOllos Personal Representative /o Warren, Carlson & Moore, LLP PO Box 610 Niwot, CO 80544-0610 Legal Notice No.FLP612 First publication: April 28, 2022 Last publication: May 12, 2022 Publisher: Fort Lupton Press
Public Notice
Fort Lupton Press April 28, 2022 * 1
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a need to lease up to 5,455 Rentable Square Feet, yielding between 4,546 and 4,773 ANSI BOMA Square Feet of office space in Brighton, CO. Find more information by searching for Solicitation No. 57-08001-21-FA on SAM. gov. You may also contact the USDA Realty Specialist at: louis.zolotor@usda.gov
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Commercial/Residential Services: •Hardscaping- Flagstone/Pavers: patios, walkways, porches, pool decks. Structural retaining walls, Xeriscaping, flower bed walls, outdoor living and entertainment areas, pergolas etc •Concrete- driveways, sidewalks and patios, decorative concrete, concrete demolition & disposal. •Demolition- buildings, sheds, driveways, junk, existing landscape etc. •Drainage solutions- French drains, runoff water from different elevation solutions , gutter water runoff solutions, French drain replacement etc. •Tree & shrub services- tree and shrub trimming, removal, planting new vegetation etc •Annual landscape maintenanceinstallation of river rock, mulch, or any other desired ground cover. We can remove & replace your old steel edging with new, rust proof, edging! •Sod/New Lawn Install-New lawn creation; Replacement of grass damaged by drought, neglect or irrigation systems needing sprinkler repair. •We offer spring and fall cleanups which would include preparing the entire landscape for the upcoming season. (Sprinklers, trimming vegetation, leaf removal, shrub/tree trimming etc) •Sprinkler system/irrigation- new installations, replacements, sprinkler repair, coverage issues etc. Our first priority is always water conservation, we use smart technology to save you water! Check out our reviews on google! We guarantee satisfaction. Call Today! Family owned & operated! Trae Francque
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20 Fort Lupton Press
April 28, 2022
‘Reduce, Reuse, Rethink’: A Colorado teen’s approach to recycling BY LINDSEY FORD ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS
“I think especially with young people, we have innovative ideas for the future,” said Maya Ayres. “We have, like, a fresh look on things.” In December of last year, Ayres, a 14-year-old Douglas County High School student, presented a TED talk at the TEDxCherryCreek event. Her informative speech was about the importance of recycling. Her slogan was “Reduce. Reuse. Rethink,” a spin-off of the popular mantra “reduce, reuse, recycle.” Just because something is technically recyclable does not mean that recycling it is always the best option, Ayres explained. The energy used to recycle certain plastics can be more than the energy saved. “I believe the real issue of plastic pollution isn’t the manufacturing of it, but it is that humans do not know how to properly dispose of that plastic we create for ourselves,” Ayres said in her TED talk, which you can watch here. “That is the issue. And we know this because plastic is ending up everywhere around us. Recycling isn’t working nearly as well as it should be.” In 2018, Americans generated more than 35 million tons of plastics — about six times the weight of the Pyramid of Giza — yet less than nine percent of that plastic was recycled, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Many people, Ayres continued, are
Maya Ayres of Douglas County High School
not familiar with the descriptions written on the back of plastic items that detail the item’s thickness and recyclability. Because of the complexities of recycling labeling, Ayres said there is often an “out of sight, out of mind” mindset where once someone throws a paper plate or cardboard cup in a recycling bin, they forget about it. This phenomenon is known as “wish-cycling,” in which someone disposes of an item in the hopes that it will be recycled. The University of Colorado says wish-cycling can lead to unrecyclable materials being mixed with recyclable materials, which can
damage machines that are difficult and dangerous to fix, as well as “force otherwise usable material to the landfill.” The inspiration behind Ayres’ journey to inform her community and the world about recycling started when she was in the fifth grade. Ayres and her classmates participated in a “bluebird experiment” project. As part of the project, Ayres’ class walked around their neighborhood and observed local bluebirds, whose habitats have been threatened by development in recent years. During the experiment, she noticed that there was plastic woven
into the birds’ nests. It was the first time Ayres realized how harmful plastic waste could be. “That was really tough to see because, I mean, no one feels good when they know that they are directly harming another living being. So that’s when I really started to think about, ‘OK well, that piece of plastic in their nest could have been mine,’” Ayres recalled. “And so, when you are directly relating it to yourself, it really made me reflect about how I treat my surroundings and what causes those issues like that in our world.” Something Ayres found interesting about her experience, from the bluebird project to the TED talk, was how it related to a concept she learned from her Jewish upbringing: at religious school, Ayres learned of the phrase “Tikkun Olam,” meaning “repair the world.” “For me I really started to reflect this concept because I wanted to find what fulfills me, and so repairing the world and finding ways to help other people is what makes me happy,” she said. A humble Ayres also expressed that many of her peers have congratulated her on her TED talk, but she does not want people to think of her, as she said, “on a different level” than them. She hopes that expressing herself encourages other young people to become passionate about something and share their voice, no matter the size of their platform.
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