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vibrant, informed and whole Colorado. The Sun, launched in 2018, is committed to fact-based, in-depth and non-partisan journalism. It covers everything from politics and culture to the outdoor industry and

Leslie Glustrom, a biochemist. ey are skeptical of the agency’s ability to regulate oil and gas, let alone other activities. Pipelines, both for oil and for carbon dioxide, have a history of ruptures. In 2022, residents of a rural area of Mississippi were left unconscious after a pipeline rupture left the odorless carbon dioxide spewing for four hours.

Dozens of bills addressing the energy transition were passed this year by Colorado legislators, a recognition of the need for swift actions proportionate to the risk of still-rising emissions. Even more striking was a report from northwest Colorado that Rangely, one of our most prominent oil and gas boom towns, plans to be engaged in the clean energy transition. Speaking at NREL on Monday, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm noted that urgency. “We have to do everything everywhere all at once to get to that 100% goal,” she said. e work has begun on the changes that will be manifested beyond 2030. e path leading to the current basketball championship began in 2014 when the Nuggets drafted Jokic with their third draft choice that year. e Nuggets did not have high expectations. Some things take time - and then, all of a sudden they’re here.

Allen Best produces an e-journal called Big Pivots. Find him at BigPivots.com education.

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

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JEFFRES Scott D. Jeffres

July 10, 1959 - April 4, 2023

Scott D. Je res, 63, passed away peacefully at his home on April 4, 2023. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ed/Doris Je res and brother, Steve. He is survived

PETTINGER by his 2 nieces, Devin Je res-Patenaude, Courtney Je res and his sister-in-law, Michelle Je res. Cremation service was through Hoy-Baker Funeral Home.

Len D. Pettinger

July 14, 1934 - May 30, 2023

Len D. Pettinger, age 88, passed away peacefully on Tuesday May 30, 2023, at Grace Pointe Care Center in Greeley, Colorado. He was born on July 14, 1934, in Stuart, Nebraska, to Ray and Sylvia (Bachman) Pettinger. He moved from Stuart Nebraska to the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. When he was 9 years old, they moved to the family farm in Brighton, CO. He graduated from Hudson High School in 1952. On September 14, 1957, he married JoAnn (Roth). ey were married for 62 years and had six children. He also served in the National Guard.

Len was a longtime resident of the Brighton area, attended both St. William and St. Augustine Catholic Churches. Along with being a farmer, he spent many years driving truck for Joslins, Ringsby and American Freight. He loved to work on his farm attending to his cattle (his grandchildren would refer to him as Grandpa Bull). He loved to play cards, play games such as Sequence, Cribbage and Dominos, spend the day at Blackhawk, gardening, and meat processing. He had a very strong work ethic and would work from sunup to sundown.

Len is survived by his children: Dick

(Lisa) Pettinger, Eaton, CO, Dianne (Joe) Trujillo, Greeley, CO, Rory (Dawn) Pettinger, Ft. Lupton, CO, Michelle (Dallas) Miller, Frederick, CO, Roxanne (Tom) Lang, Brighton, CO, and Jack (Ginnissa) Pettinger, Brighton, CO; as well as 14 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by wife JoAnn Pettinger, both parents, Ray and Sylvia Pettinger, and siblings Sr. Elenius Pettinger, Albert Pettinger, Clarence Pettinger, Mary Enomoto and erese Ga ey.

Visitation will be on ursday June 8, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. with Rosary recited for Len at 7:00 p.m., both at Tabor-Rice Funeral Home, 75 S. 13th Avenue, in Brighton, Colorado. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. William Catholic Church, in Fort Lupton, Colorado, at 11 a.m. on Friday June 9, 2023. Friends, family and all those whose lives were touched by Len are welcome to attend.

In lieu of owers, memorials in Len’s name may be made to the Parkinson’s Association of the Rockies, 1325 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite 204B, Denver, CO 80222 or online at Parkinsonrockies.org.

November 14, 1936 - May 29, 2023

Ruth Ann Dahl was in born to parents Ray and Margaret Dahl in Beemer, Nebraska on November 14, 1936 where Ray was stationed as a member of the U.S. Military. Upon his release from Military Service, the family moved to Boulder, Colorado where her dad built their home on Baseline Road. Ruth and her sisters (Janet & Patricia) attended local Boulder schools, and Ruth graduated from Boulder High School in 1954. She then went on to receive her nursing degree from St. Luke’s / Denver University Nursing school in 1957.

It was during her time pursuing her nursing degree that she met her future husband Ron Neely on a blind date set up by his twin brother Don. After two years of dating, Ron and Ruth were married on June 8, 1957 - a special date in her family as her parents, grandparents, an aunt and uncle and her younger sister were all married on June 8th.

Ruth began her nursing career at Weld County Hospital in Greeley while Ron worked on his degree at the University of Northern Colorado in 1959. Ruth continued her nursing career at the Burlington Hospital after Ron started his career in education at Stratton High School. After 3 years, they left Stratton and moved to the Brighton area. She continued her nursing career at Brighton Community Hospital where she worked on the oor and later as Head Nurse in the recovery room prior to retiring in 1993.

Ruth was very talented in so many ways from oil painting, ceramics, and her love of sewing and knitting. She made both daughter’s wedding dresses and made graduation and wedding quilts for all of her grandchildren. Family gatherings were always very important and top on her list, and she even looked forward to camping in the mountains during the summer.

For Ruth, it was family rst above anything else. She enjoyed attending every athletic event for her children and grandchildren from kindergarten through to college, never missing a game! She even kept her own scorebook for every game she attended. She enjoyed her grandkids and looked forward to seeing them and hearing of their adventures. Her favorite time of year was Christmas which was evident with all the contests she won in the neighborhood for Best Exterior decorations. She also collected many Santa Claus gurines (over 100) and tree decorations; the house was always full of holiday cheer.

Ruth is survived by her husband George Ronald Neely, her son Jerry (Deb) Neely, daughter Sherry (Tim) Barnard, son Greg (Sandy) Neely and daughter Pam Smith along with 7 grandchildren, Alexandra (Omar), Curtis (Ashley), Caitlyn, Kylie (Trent), Courtney, Mick, Stephanie (Zach) and 2 Great Grandchildren, Audra and Nakoa and her sister Pat Lambert and many nieces and nephews.

Students learn world-wide dance styles at Bella Diva World Dance Studio

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Be Studio is an all-inclusive space for people young and old to feel the music and express themselves. For dancers who want to break out of the traditional dance studio format, the international company based in Denver could be a dream come

Striving to bring the magic of global movement to people in Colorado, Caitlin BroznaSmith founded the dance studio that brings a piece of global culture along with self-expression and con dence with each class.

“It was so important to include people from where these cultures are sourced,” said Brozna-Smith. “I found people from Polynesia to teach Polynesian dance… teachers from Iran. We really have this beautiful, electric group of dancers from all over the

Among a multitude of dance styles, students can learn the soft style of Hula ‘Auana, Tahitian dance, Bollywood, Belly Dancing, adult ballet and Ginga Vibe, which draws on styles from the African Diaspora including Funk, Afro-Caribe, Dance Hall, Soca, Lambada and Samba. e studio also o ers Taiji Fit, a halfhour mind and low-impact body workout that combines traditional T’ai Chi with mindfulness and modern Western tness. Inspired by the Bollywood style of dance, BollyX Fitness is a 50-minute cardio workout and GROOV3 Hip Hop Dance Fitness.

Belly the Afro-Caribe, modern

Within the Bella Diva studio, both the teaching teaching sta and students are multinational. e dance teachers come from ve di erent countries and teach a range of students from 29 di erent countries. come from di culture many have abroad we’re teaching

To bring as much authentic culture into Denver, many teachers have gone abroad to study di erent styles of dance.

“ e people (teachers) who are not native from the cultures that we’re teaching travel and learn from the source because it’s really important that we do cultural appreciation and cultural exchange,” Brozna-Smith said.

Samba

Samba, the high energy and fast footwork style is not just a dance form, it is a lifestyle. ose who teach Samba at Bella Diva make sure they are staying true to the culture and teach the students the history of where the dance originated.

“I am very careful when I am teaching my students because I am not Brazilian, it is not my culture, but it is something that I am absolutely fascinated with and love,” said instructor Chelsi Vecchiavelli. “I spend a lot of time outside of class researching, asking experts, listening to podcasts, consulting my mentors who are Brazilian and who are my teachers.”

Born out of the slave trade when it was down in Brazil, Samba was a means of hope and joy and is a dance of resistance and raises up against oppression.

Samba schools have often been located in a favela, which is the poor neighborhoods within Rio De Janeiro. Vecchiavelli said there