SENTINEL EXPRESS C O M M E R C E
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ISSUE ISSUE48 5
TTUESDAY , ,NJOVEMBER 24,2021 2020 UESDAY ANUARY 26,
New COVID-19 restrictions will prohibit indoorbusy dining,onpersonal gatherings Adventist Academy students MLK Day Community projects help students treat holiday as way to practice their values BY STAFF REPORT
Students of Brighton Adventist Academy celebrated Martin Luther King Day as a “day out,” rather than a “day in.” A statement said based on the school’s values (honor, exploration and responsibility, among others), the day served as an “excellent opportunity” for students to put those principles into action. The first order of business was a prerecorded video from Alexander Bryant, the president of the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists. “I thought it was very cool because it meant a lot to us for him to make a video for us, even though he lives near Washington, D.C., and has a bigger job to do. He told us to dream big with God’s plan,” said seventh-grader Gizelle Luna. Students then broke off into groups for COVID-safe community service projects outside. The statement said
one team circled Brighton Care Center to visit the residents through the windows. “It was fun to make people feel better even though we were seeing them through the window,” said fourthgrader Liliana Marr in the statement. Another team presented congratulatory posters to the Platte Valley Medical Center for 60 years of service, as well as a basket of treats for the doctors and nurses. “It was nice that the doctors and the nurses and the directors came outside to meet us. I appreciate that they help keep us safe,” said seventhgrader Kierstin Syvertson in the statement. The last team created personalized greeting cards for many Brighton residents who need a little bit of cheer during the current pandemic. Each card was safely hand-delivered, with flowers, complete with a short, front porch visit. The last event of the day was a variety of learning activities and projects in the classrooms on the subject of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights movement and the lives of famous black Americans. Fifth- through ninth-graders took on a challenge from guest speaker
Brighton Adventist Academy students Jace Meyers and Gizelle Luna stand outside the COURTESY PHOTO school’s van decorated to celebrate Martin Luther King Day.
help out with cleaning and helping others and tell others to not judge people from the outside,” said fifthgrader Elid Provencio in the statement.
Debbie Jackson, director of the Park Hill Pathfinder Club, to be a part of social justice today. “My role as a young person to support and promote social justice is to
Level yellow could be weeks away for 5-Star businesses businesses may not arrive for Post-holiday disease spike 5-star weeks, one local public health leader for Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas appears to taper off, counties says. Gov. Jared Polis’ unexpected ancounties’ data nouncement late December A longbut line of cars outside the city of Brighton’s rapidintesting site at that all of Colorado’s “level red” counties Riverdale Regional Park. The site has had to close early many days in recent would move to level orange restricstill in red zone weeks due to high demand. Adams County’s 14-day test rate tions rendered thepositivity 5-Star program
irrelevant, causing BY ELLISas ARNOLD was 15.9 percent, of Nov. 17, accordingtemporarily to Tri-County Health Department. confusion business ownersthan and EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM Brighton and Commerce City’s test positivity ratesfor were both higher local governments. 13In percent. Forty-five people in Brighton The and 5-Star 29 in Commerce City have program allows qualifymid-December, businesses died from COVID-19 health limit the spread ofrestrictions COVID-19, ingTo businesses to follow across Colorado saw related state offi cials issues. that are one level less severe than throw what appeared to tighter be an restrictions at leastthem 15 counties moved to that prohibits indoor and they otherwise would need to based extra lifeline with the arrival of the personal gatherings. “5-Star” program to allow them to operate with expanded capacity if they followed stepped-up COVID-19 safety protocols. More than a month later, in some counties, that extra boost hasn’t materialized. And higher capacity for
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on their county’s level on Colorado’s color-coded COVID-19 “dial.” Before Polis’ announcement, businesses in red counties expected to getWard the Photo by Belen OK to operate at the looser orange restrictions by earning 5-Star certification, which involves follow-
ing strict coronavirus-prevention protocols. Polis’ move of red counties down to orange sparked the possibility that 5-Star-qualifi businesses By EllisedArnold could now operate at even moreCommunity Media relaxed Colorado level yellow rules, but that proved to be out of reach for most As Denver counties continue to places acrossmetro the state. inch closer to local very stay-at-home orders “I think it was confusing and counties that had underespecially Colorado’sfor system of coronavirusreceived the approval for the 5-Star related restrictions, the state announced certification program or counties a newwere level preparing of rules thatto prohibits that apply,”indoor said dining and personal gatherings — a of Jennifer Ludwig, deputy director change that applies toDepartment. the majority of“It the Tri-County Health really put us in this strange space.” Denver metro area and many counties in Theregions. state’s COVID-19 dial is the set other of restrictions counties must follow The state’s COVID-19 dial, which has based on local virus spread. Level been in effect since September, is the set red, a relatively new addition that of different that each took effectlevels Nov. of 20restrictions in metro Denver and other areas of the state, banned
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private gatherings and indoor dining at restaurants, and tightened capacity limits at some types of businesses. Red is the second-highest level to purple, stay-atcounty is next required to followabased on the home Eventually morespread. than severityorder. of a county’s local,virus half the state’s 64 counties operated Thelevel dial grew in red. out of the state’s safer-athome order — the policy came after Amid pushback fromthat some counties and businesses against the statewide stay-at-home orderthe thislevel red restrictions, state rolled out spring and allowedthe numerous types of its 5-Star State Certifi cation Probusinesses to reopen. gram, modeled after a system Mesa The state switched color County hadrecently “pioneered andtohas sucidentifiers — levels blue, yellow and cessfully run since the summer,” according to the Colorado Department orange rather than numbered levels — to of Public Health and Environment. avoid confusion. Until Nov. 17, level red The afirst step to increased meant stay-at-home order. Now,busilevel ness capacity under the program red — “severe risk” — is the secondwas for counties to apply for approval from the state public-health
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