Clear Creek Courant March 6, 2025 by Colorado Community Media

Keeping the faith

BY CHRIS KOEBERL

CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Resilience is the theme for leaders and volunteers at the Loaves and Fishes food bank in Idaho Springs, which recently su ered massive damage from broken water pipes due to freezing temperatures.

e water line break and constant increase in the cost of essential food staples it routinely purchases from the Food Bank of the Rockies are creating a strain on the budget.

During a cold snap in the area that sent temperatures below zero, several water lines burst in the facility on Jan. 8.

lyn said she noticed the leaking water lines when she arrived at the food pantry but not before at least two inches of water covered the oor, destroying a laptop computer, phone and at least 1,000 pounds of fresh food.

Josselyn said she, along with volunteers, cleaned the canned goods they could but the rest of the perishable items had to be thrown away.

As restoration work continues on the portion of the facility damaged by water, at least half of the building space is unusable and is sealed by plastic and tape, ac-

Loaves and Fishes Director Rachel Josse-

Loaves and Fishes foodbank in Idaho Springs receives shipment of fresh produce Feb. 24.

PHOTOS BY CHRIS KOEBERL

Volunteers at Loaves and Fishes foodbank in Idaho Springs sort incoming food items Feb. 27.

Bill would create duty to report misconduct at state crime lab

BY SARA WILSON COLORADO NEWSLINE

Colorado lawmakers are running a bipartisan bill to set expectations for reporting misconduct in the state’s crime laboratories, an e ort that comes in the wake of revelations that a former forensic scientist allegedly mishandled thousands of DNA tests over her career.

“We are here because of due process and fairness — the idea that if a (Colorado Bureau of Investigations) employee sees data malfeasance going on, they have a duty to report and disclose, so that district attorneys can make a decision whether or not to act and whether it would impact their cases,” said Rep. Matt Soper, a Delta Republican sponsoring the bill.

He is running the bill alongside Rep. Yara Zokaie, a Fort Collins Democrat, Sen. Lisa Frizell, a Castle Rock Republican and Sen. Mike Weissman, an Aurora Democrat.

Former CBI scientist Yvonne “Missy” Woods was charged with 102 felonies in January over allegations that she manipulated DNA test results during her career. Prosecutors worry that over 1,000 cases could have been a ected by dubious evidence she processed.

“We never want to see something like

this happen again,” Soper said. “We want to address some of the issues that have occurred here so that we have integrity back in our state lab.”

House Bill 25-1275 would require crime lab employees to report a wrongful action they witness to their supervisor within two weeks. at is de ned in the bill as an act from an employee that is a “gross deviation from the standard operation procedures.” e supervisor would then need to investigate the claim.

e CBI director would need to tell district attorneys about the alleged wrong action in a ected cases, and attorneys would need to notify defendants — and in some cases victims — if there was lab misconduct in their case.

“Right now, there are defendants serving time who have no idea that the evidence used to convict them was handled by a crime lab employee implicated in misconduct. ere are victims who don’t know that the forensic evidence in their case may have been compromised,” Zokaie said.

e bill would also give defendants the ability to return to court if their conviction substantially relied on evidence subject to misconduct. e intent is that it would apply to cases a ected by the Woods scandal.

“All Coloradans have an interest in determining whether Missy Woods’ misconduct caused wrongful convictions,” said Jud Lohnes, a sta attorney with the Korey Wise Innocence Project at the University of Colorado Law School. “ e importance of forensic testing cannot be overstated. A single DNA result can a ect an entire criminal case.”

Sponsors hope to fast-track the bill. It was introduced Feb. 19 and assigned to the House Judiciary Committee but has not been scheduled for a hearing date. is story is from Colorado Newsline. Used by permission. For more, and to support the news organization, visit coloradonewsline.com.

Lawmakers seek better mental health help for youth

Bills tackle insurance coverage and cell phone use in schools

Weather Observations for Georgetown, Colorado

Week of 17 February 2025

Week of 17February 2025

Each day at about 8 a.m. a local National Weather Service volunteer observer makes temperature and precipitation observations at the Georgetown Weather Station and wind observations at Georgetown Lake. “Max” and “Min” temperatures are from an NWS digital “Maximum/Minimum Temperature System.” “Mean daily” temperature is the calculated average of the max and min. “Total Precipitation” is inches of rainfall plus melted snow. “Snowfall” is inches of snow that accumulated. T = Trace of precipitation or snowfall. NR = Not Reported. “Peak wind gust at Georgetown Lake” is the velocity and the time of the maximum wind gust that occurred during the 24 hours preceding the observation time. Historic data are based on the period of record for which statistical data have been compiled (about 56 years within the period 1893-2024). Any weather records noted are based on a comparison of the observed value with the historical data set for that speci c date.

BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Legislation aimed at improving the mental health of Colorado’s children is gaining ground after garnering bipartisan support among lawmakers, say bill advocates.

“I think everyone is aware that there is a mental health crisis among our kids,” said Zach Zaslow, VP of Community Health and Advocacy at Children’s Hospital Colorado. “I think (lawmakers) are stepping up to be helpful in ghting this crisis.”

Zaslow, Dr. Lauren Eckhart, clinical director for the Colorado Springs division of the Pediatric Mental Health Institute at Children’s Hospital Colorado and about 100 parents, health care providers and primary care physicians were at the State Capitol to hail the passage of two key bills — HB 25 1002 and HB 251135.

Both measures passed the State House and now are headed for Senate hearings before they are voted on by the whole legislature.

Zaslow said neither measure costs taxpayers but could likely save lives in the long term. HB 1002 tries to cut the disparities between standard physical health and mental health bene ts. e measure would ensure private health insurance carriers are not denying coverage for medically necessary mental health and substance abuse services that a healthcare provider has prescribed and that should be covered under the patient’s health plan, according to the legislation.

*Record precipitation. Previous record was 0.55 in 1996. ^Record snowfall. Previous record

Advocates point to a report by health policy consultants Milliman that says that more than 75 percent of Coloradans with commercial insurance who have been diagnosed with a mental health condition have not received the care they need over the past year.

ere is still a “stigma” surrounding

mental health and an associated reluctance among most insurers to cover its treatment, Zaslow said. at often translates to patients who need immediate treatment but don’t get the help they need until much later, Eckhart said.

“ ere are often signi cant delays that can hurt those in need. We need to get them to get care as soon as possible,” Eckhart said.

Cell policies required by 2026

HB1135, which also attracted bipartisan support, would require all school districts to have a policy in place dealing with cell phone during the day by July 2026. e bill does not impose a statewide ban on cell phone use in schools but calls for school districts the create their own locally developed policy regarding cell phone use during school hours in K-12 setting, according to the legislation.

“We wanted to take a middle ground on cell phone use,” Zaslow said. “We don’t want an outright ban on their use, but we also don’t want a laissez faire approach to cell phones.”

Only about a third of Colorado’s largest school districts have a cell phone use policy during the school day. Local principals and teachers are then left to come up with their own classroom policies, Eckhart said.

Clear evidence exists that social media use throughout the school day can have negative impacts on youth mental health and wellbeing, Eckhart added.

“It increases forms of anxiety and students who use their phones a lot are less inclined to get into physical activity,” Eckhart said.

And yet, cell phone use is “...tough pull to resist,” Zaslow said. “But maybe this bill will help us go in the right direction to help kids.”

From left, Sen. Lisa Frizell, Rep. Matt Soper and Rep. Yara Zokaie speak about a bill to establish a procedure for misconduct reporting at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation on Feb. 20, 2025, at the Colorado Capitol.

PHOTO BY SARA WILSON FOR COLORADO NEWSLINE

With Affordability an Increasing Problem, More Buyers Consider Condos, But Can You Get a Loan?

Assuming you have good credit and a sufficient income, getting a loan to buy a single family home is not that hard, but when it comes to buying a condominium, the loan may not be possible if the building does not meet some challenging Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac guidelines. Most loans are sold to one of those institutions, and they will not buy a condo loan from a lender if the following is true:

 The condo development hasn’t been completed

 Less than half of the units are owner-occupied (for investors)

The condo association you’re looking at may not have any of those problems, but if it has not completed the proper paperwork, it will still not make the list of “warrantable” condos.

money to buy a replacement home, that definitely doesn’t work.

Follow-up on Last Week’s Column

 An individual or company owns more than 10% of the units within the building (including the developer)

 More than 25% of units are delinquent on HOA fees

 If the homeowner’s association is still controlled by the developer

 Commercial space is 35% or more of the building’s total square footage

 There are pending lawsuits against the condo owner’s association

 The deductible for hail damage is greater than 5%

 If there’s central heating, the master policy doesn’t cover the boiler.

Just last Friday one of our broker associates, Kathy Jonke, closed for a condo buyer who had to terminate her first purchase contract because it was discovered just before closing that the hail deductible was 10%. On the condo which closed last Friday, the lender thought the master insurance policy did not cover the boiler, but our inhouse lender, Wendy Renee, got the right person on the phone and was able to verify that the boiler was covered, and the closing took place on time. Such is the life of a strong buyer’s agent and a strong loan officer!

I’m not saying that you can’t get a loan for an unwarrantable condo. It’s just that you can’t get a conventional loan which the lender plans to sell to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. That’s true of all the big banks and big lenders, but small banks and credit unions are often “portfolio lenders,” meaning that they keep their loans in-house instead of selling them. Another option (rarely used) is for the seller to “carry” the loan, which can work for some but not all sellers. If the seller needs the

Another option is to get the mortgage from FHA, which has a Single-Unit Approval (SUA) option whereby they evaluate the loan on a case-by-case basis. FHA loans, however, require an upfront and ongoing purchase mortgage insurance (PMI) premium. Kathy’s buyer was given that option on her first condo purchase where the hail deductible was 10%, but she chose to terminate the contract rather than assume that added expense.

In any condo purchase, the lender will ask the condo association to complete a questionnaire and base its approval on the response. For example, in addition to the criteria mentioned above, the lender will want to know the association’s budget and its reserves.

Loans on non-warrantable condos can also require a larger down payment and carry a higher interest rate to compensate for the added risk. Recent increases in master insurance policy deductibles alone has made a higher percentage of condos non-warrantable, and loans on unwarrantable condos are estimated to equal over 22% of the market now.

If you are considering writing an offer on a condo, make sure your agent and loan officer submit the condo questionnaire immediately and ask questions about warrantability before spending money on inspection and appraisal.

62% of Americans Think a 20% Down Payment Is Required, But It’s the #1 Myth

NerdWallet.com is a trusted resource for consumer information, and, according to its 2025 Home Buyer Report, 62% of Americans believe that a 20% down payment is required to purchase a home. That’s the number one myth that is holding back Americans from pursuing the American dream of home ownership.

In fact, there are many programs, especially for first-time home buyers, which require zero down payment. Here in Colorado, the Colorado Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) has a website www.WhyWaitBuyToday.com, which describes their programs for both first-time and repeat buyers with 4% down payment assistance (DPA) up to $25,000.

To qualify for DPA, you have to have a credit score of 620 or higher. The deferred DPA takes the form of a second loan with a 30-year term and a zero percent interest rate. It accrues no interest, has no monthly payments, but is due and payable upon sale, refinance or payoff of your first mortgage. Some DPA is provided as a gift and does not have to be repaid.

Since, according to NerdWallet’s report, 33% of non-homeowners say that not having enough money for a down payment is holding them back from buying a home at this time, “this misconception could be stopping them unnecessarily.”

FHA is famous for requiring only a 3.5% down payment, but conventional loans are

available with as little as 3% down payment. Veterans with a “certificate of eligibility” can get a loan with zero percent down payment for a primary residence.

USDA loans with zero percent down are also available for rural properties.

Larger down payments are always better, and can avoid the added expense of purchase mortgage insurance (PMI), but once your equity reaches a certain level, conventional mort-

This column/ad appears in all the following weekly newspapers:

Arvada Press, Brighton Standard Blade, Canyon Courier, Castle Pines News-Press, Castle Rock News-Press, Centennial Citizen, Clear Creek Courant, Commerce City Sentinel Express, Denver Herald-Dispatch, Douglas County News Press, Elbert County News, Englewood Herald, Fort Lupton Press, Golden Transcript, Highlands Ranch Herald, Hustler 285, Jeffco Transcript, Littleton Independent, Lone Tree Voice, MetroWest Advertiser, Northglenn-Thornton Sentinel, Parker Chronicle, South Platte Independent, and Westminster Window

By listing your home with Golden Real Estate, you are assured that it will be promoted not only in The Denver Post and Denver Gazette versions of this column, but also in all 24 of those weekly newspapers.

gages allow you to eliminate that expense.

FHA loans maintain that expense for the life of the loan, unless your down payment was 11% or higher, in which case you can eliminate that expense once you achieve a certain equity level based on an appraisal.

So, if this myth has been keeping you from pursuing home ownership, give us a call and we will help you achieve your American dream!

One of the articles, “Buyers Need and Deserve Professional Representation, But Here’s Why They Shouldn’t Have to Pay for It,” produced some feedback from readers. One said the percentages I quoted were wrong, and I’m embarrassed to admit that’s true. (Did I really go to MIT?) The numbers, however, were correct as was the logic of my argument, which is supported by the fact that virtually all closings taking place are ones in which the seller is still compensating the agent representing the buyer.

I confirmed that fact with one of the region’s biggest title companies. What that tells us is that sellers want one thing above all else — to sell their property. They have come to realize that they can try to avoid offering any compensation to the agent representing a buyer, but if they’re the only seller taking that stand, buyers will gravitate to other listings. Also, the standard contract to buy and sell real estate has a section in which it is stated what the seller will pay, so sellers are given the opportunity to accept that amount or call the buyer’s bluff and hope they come to terms. Closing data available to title companies suggests that sellers don’t win that argument often or at all.

One reader believes that if the buyer’s agent is paid by the seller, he’s not going to work to get the lowest price for his buyer. That would make sense, but in 22 years of being on both sides of transactions, I have never known a colleague or myself to do anything other than work in the best interests of a buyer he/she represents, not just in getting the lowest price initially, but when it comes to negotiating concessions or a price reduction based on inspection issues or a low appraisal. And when there’s a seller concession, many agents including ours, make sure our commissions are based on the net price.

$189,000

This nicely updated and well-maintained 574square-foot condo is in the Sable Cove subdivision southeast of Aurora’s Town Center. The address is 992 S. Dearborn Way, #7, east of I-225 and north of Mississippi Avenue. The seller, who bought it for a family member, updated everything in this ground level unit. It has luxury vinyl plank flooring throughout, a pantry with slide-out drawers, laundry hookups, and a wood-burning fireplace. There is lots of open lot parking for you and your guests. The HOA dues are only $255 per month and include water, sewer, maintenance, a community center, swimming pool and fitness center. There is a locked storage closet on the front porch, big enough for all your winter gear. Find more information, high-quality pictures and my narrated video walk-through at www.GRElistings.com, then call 303-525-1851 to arrange a private showing.

Crowds grace the Georgetown Lake ice

Teams from across the country gather to reunite and play pond hockey

BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Cabin Creek Brewery in Georgetown held its annual pond hockey tournament, drawing dozens of teams from across the nation to compete in a 3-on-3 challenge on the mountain ice.

e “no goalie” games are played simultaneously on the west end of Georgetown Lake, adjacent to Cabin Creek, in an area divided into at least a dozen rinks by wooden planks.

In the light, yet competitive atmosphere, players competed on the ice Feb. 22 with family and supporters shouting cheers for their teams, friends and family.

Liz Greichunos, of Castle Pines, cheered for her husband on the ice while 1-oneyear-old Everett slept in his carrier oblivious to his dad’s competition,

“I love being able to come out here and see everyone getting together,” Greichunos said while Everett continued to sleep, oblivious to the action on the ice.

Dressed in bright pink uniforms, longtime friends Ben Hickman and Dan Welsh watch their teammates with the “Conifer Twigs” attempt to score while they waited to be rotated into the game.

Welsh said this was the rst year his group of friends competed in the pond hockey tournament. He said it didn’t take much e ort to recruit them.

Welsh said he found out about the

annual tournament while visiting the Georgetown Christmas Market when he ran into some folks from Cabin Creek Brewery.

“I was wearing a hockey beanie and they said you should play in our hockey tournament. I texted the team, and within a couple of minutes, they said ‘Yeah, we’re in,’” Welsh said.

Even a famous baby hippopotamus from the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in ailand was represented on the ice with a team from Breckenridge known as the “Moo Deng Warriors,” according to team member Alana Bliuezyus.

“It’s hard to beat the scenery around here. It usually brings in a local crowd so you get to see familiar faces, friends and meet new friends,” Bliuezyus said.

Fun, companionship and old friends reuniting seemed to rank above winning in the competition for some of the players.

“We’re here to have fun; we’re not here to crush the competition. ere are a lot of great teams out here at various levels of competition. We’re probably at the lower level,” Bliuezyus said.

e annual event brings thousands of dollars in tourist money into Georgetown restaurants, downtown shops and lodging, with some teams saying at the last minute the closest lodging was found in Denver.

Je ery Lewis said he ew in from Kentucky while another member of his team, the “Jive Turkeys,” arrived from New York at the same time. e team is made up of a group of friends who grew up on the East Coast playing hockey together, he said.

“We all grew up together in Massachusetts and played hockey our whole lives,” Lewis said. “We get together once a year to play in the pond hockey tournament in Georgetown. We just get to relive our childhood,” Lewis said, smiling.

Organizers say they hope to keep this traditional tournament of pond hockey one weekend a year alive and growing.

Longtime friends Ben Hickman and Dan Welsh watch their teammates with the “Conifer Twigs” in Georgetown Feb. 27.

Liz Greichunos, of Castle Pines, cheered for her husband on the ice while 1-one-year-old Everett slept in Georgetown Feb. 27.

Cabin Creek Brewery in Georgetown held its annual pond hockey tournament Feb. 27.

Pond hockey team members from Breckenridge known as the “Moo Deng Warriors” in Georgetown Feb. 27.

Amid budget crunch, Youth Advisory Council on chopping block

Lawmakers plan to shut down 20-year-old program that promotes youth involvement

BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN

e Colorado legislature, as part of its e orts to close a budget hole of more than $1 billion, is planning to axe a nearly twodecade program that enlists teenagers from across the state to help draft and offer input on bills.

Shutting down the Colorado Youth Advisory Council would save about $50,000 a year. at’s a relatively paltry amount, but it’s meant to send a message that costs must be trimmed wherever possible.

e cut foreshadows the big, and often painful, line-item reductions the legislature will have to make in the coming weeks.

Sidd Nareddi, who served on COYAC from 2022 to 2024 while he was in high school, said he was heartbroken to hear the program may be discontinued. Now a rst-year student at Brown University, Nareddi said being a member of COYAC was one of the most formative experiences of his high school years.

“It really was a personal development program for me,” he said. “It’s a very empowering process.”

e Colorado Youth Advisory Council was created in 2008 and is composed of 40 junior high and high school students representing each of the state’s 35 Senate districts, as well as the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute tribes. Teens serve twoyear terms on the council. e panel is currently supposed to continue through at least 2028.

In recent years, the panel — known as COYAC — has drafted legislation to require school sta to address students by their chosen name, boost mental health resources in schools, reduce food waste in public schools and get young people involved in environmental justice.

“ at would be a huge mistake,” Sen. Faith Winter, a Broom eld Democrat and a legislative liaison to the council, said of ending the program. “We know that the budget is di cult and we are willing to work with COYAC next year for a very reduced budget outside of having an interim committee.”

Sarah Moss, who directs the program, made an impassioned plea to the Executive Committee of the Legislative Council,

which is making the decision to disband the program, to keep the initiative alive.

“I love this program and love these students,” she said. “Being their nonpartisan sta er and teaching them the process and government 101 — and ‘Here’s how you make a phone call to a stranger who’s a grown-up’ — has been one of the greatest joys of my professional career. We would very much love for this program to continue in full.”

Moss suggested paring back the council to make it remote-only. at could cut out the legislature’s costs of getting council members to and from the Capitol and putting them up in hotels.

“We would really love to see some kind of opportunity for them to present (to lawmakers), even if it’s just a teleconference,” she said.

e Executive Committee of the Legislative Council appears resigned to shutting down the program. A bill ending COYAC will have to be drafted and debated before the full legislature before the council is shut down, but the executive committee on Friday preemptively slashed its funding.

Lawmakers plan to spend just $5,000 on the program next scal year, which begins July 1, to ensure students currently on the council can nish their work.

“As a lifelong educator, I believe in doing things for our youth and giving them these opportunities,” House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat, said this week during an executive committee meeting. “ is is tough.”

In an interview with e Colorado Sun, McCluskie said she hopes COYAC could be brought back after a year. But the legislature’s budget problems are only expected to get worse.

e legislative branch plans to cut its budget by 5%, or more than $4 million next year. Suspending as many as a dozen interim committees like the Colorado Youth Advisory Council is part of that effort.

e executive committee is made up of the six top party leaders in the legislature, four Democrats and two Republicans. Both Republicans suggested it was time for the council to go away, regardless of cost.

“With all due respect to students, there

are plenty of people who come here and take days to testify and make their voices heard that don’t get (their expenses covered),” House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, R-Colorado Springs, told the executive committee.

Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, R-Monument, told e Sun the council has become too progressive. Given that it e ectively has the power to introduce bills in the legislature, he feels that advantage is unfair.

“As a matter of policy, I’m not supportive of continuing with funding,” he said during the executive committee meeting.

Winter pointed out that COYAC was founded through legislation brought by a Republican, then-state Sen. Ellen Roberts of Durango, and that it has long been a bipartisan initiative. e panel that reviews COYAC’s work is named after the late House Minority Leader Hugh McKean, another Republican.

Winter defended the legislation the council has advanced in recent years as being representative of the Democraticlean of the state.

“ ere is one youth member per Senate district,” she said. “If you look at the makeup of the Senate, it makes sense that

COYAC is composed similarly.”

Current and former members of the council said they plan to encourage lawmakers not to shut COYAC down.

“COYAC is one of the best things I’ve ever done,” said Livi Christiansen, who served on the council from 2020 to 2022 when she was a junior and senior at Poudre High School in Fort Collins. “It absolutely changed my life. I wish that every kid got to do it.”

Christiansen, who at just 19 is in her rst year of law school in California, said the legislature could choose to slash funding for prison beds instead of shutting down COYAC.

“ ey can nd the money,” she said. “ ey could be making a di erent choice.” e $50,000 appropriated annually to the council pays for an overnight retreat, annual visit to the Capitol, send-o dinner for high school seniors, committee meetings with legislators and for a professional facilitator to run the program.

e Colorado legislature is expected to set the state budget in March.

is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.

The Colorado state Capitol, pictured in 2023.

PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD

2025

BEST OF THE BEST VOTE NOW THROUGH APRIL 15TH

FOOD

cording to Josselyn.

Loaves and Fishes has been forced to discontinue hot meals routinely served at the food bank during the remediation process.

Nonetheless, Josselyn said the biggest challenge facing the food bank is the rising cost of essential food and sanitary products.

“Honestly the biggest setback is the fact food costs more, we’re paying a lot more than we used to and grants aren’t out there as much and are harder to get,” Josselyn said.

Essential to the food bank: Volunteers

When the Courant visited Loaves and Fishes in Idaho Springs Feb. 24, a fresh shipment of more than 100 pounds of produce, including bananas, potatoes and pineapples, had just arrived.

At least six volunteers were eagerly sorting, boxing and distributing the

items to appropriate shelves in anticipation of customers.

Volunteer Brittaney Houston, who also serves as vice president of the board of directors, worked with her 11-month-old daughter, Madeleine, swaddled to her chest sleeping.

“She (Madeleine) is one of our most important volunteers because she comes here and her job is morale, and she also has a supervisory role, of course,” Houston said smiling.

Houston and her husband moved to Clear Creek County in 2020 from Boulder. She said she instantly started looking for ways to give back to the community with her gift of time.

“It’s important … I’m blessed because I get to stay home and take care of my child so I have the time, and it’s an incredible organization,” Houston said.

Growing up in a small Illinois town herself, Houston said living in a community is a blessing — and a responsibility.

“Idaho Springs is an incredible community; it’s small and we all take care of each

Loaves and Fishes foodbank in Idaho Springs Feb. 24. PHOTOS BY CHRIS KOEBERL

Loaves and Fishes food bank in Clear Creek County selling paper bags of roasted Chestnuts for $5 during Georgetown Holiday Market Dec. 7.

We’d like to know about events or activities of interest to the community. Visit www. clearcreekcourant.com/calendar/ and post your event online for free. Email ckoeberl@ coloradocommunitymedia.com to get items in the newspaper. Items will appear in

UPCOMING

Clear Creek Library District: 6 p.m. March 7, Idaho Springs Library, 219 14th Ave. “Murder at the Pizzeria” Murder mystery game for adults aged 18 years and older. Refreshments will be served. Registration is required. To sign up, please email holly@cccld.org email holly@cccld.org.

St. Patrick’s Day A air: 5:30 p.m. Saturday, March 15, at Vintage Moose in Idaho Springs. Ra es and giveaways to bene t Charles’s Place animal shelter.

ONGOING

Idaho Springs Lions Club meetings: 7:30 a.m. every rst and third ursday of the month at Marions of the Rockies, 2805 Colorado Blvd., Idaho Springs. Come join us and help to serve our community. For information – www.islions.org, email info@ isLions.org or call 720-608-1140.

Clear Creek Democrats:5-7 p.m. “ irsty 3rd ursday” at the Vintage Moose, 12 16th Ave. in Idaho Springs. Non-alcoholic options and snacks are provided.

risk assessments by bringing someone from the re department to make sure smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly. To request a visit, ll out the form at clearcreekcounty.us/1388/Community-Outreach.

Blue Spruce Habitat volunteers needed: Blue Spruce Habitat for Humanity is looking for volunteers. A variety of opportunities and exible schedules are available on new construction sites as well as for exterior minor home repairs. No previous construction experience needed. Contact volunteer@bluesprucehabitat.org for information.

CASA of the Continental Divide seeks volunteers:CASACD promotes and protects the best interests of abused and neglected children involved in court proceedings through the advocacy e orts of trained CASA volunteers. Be the di erence and advocate for the youth in our community. e o ce can be reached at 970-513-9390.

Clear Creek EMS/Evergreen Fire Rescue Launch Mugs for Rugs Campaign: Bring an old throw rug and you’ll leave with a bright green mug! You can bring them to Station 1A in Dumont, 3400 Stanley Road, or you can email captains@clearcreekems. com and CCEMS will come to you to make

Resilience1220 counseling: Young people 12 to 20 can get free counseling through an Evergreen-based organization called Resilience1220. Composed of licensed therapists, Resilience1220 serves individuals and groups in the foothills including Clear Creek County. ey also facilitate school and community groups to build life skills in wellness and resilience among youth. For more information or to schedule a counseling session, visit R1220.org, email Resilience1220@gmail.com or call 720282-1164.

Dental clinics: Cleanings, X-rays, dentures, tooth extractions and more. Most insurances are accepted including Medicaid. Sliding scale/low-cost options are also available. No appointment necessary. is is a mobile dentist that comes once a month. Call program manager Lauralee at 720-205-4449 for questions.

ience1220 o ce. For ages 14 and up. Suggested donation for this group is $15. Register at resilience1220.org/groups.

Storytime with Miss Honeybun: Storytime with Miss Honeybun is at 11:15 a.m. Tuesdays at the Idaho Springs Public Library and at 11:15 a.m. ursdays at the John Tomay Memorial Library in Georgetown.

Sensitive collection: Resilience1220 strives to inform and support highly sensitive people to live healthy and empowered lives. It meets the third Wednesday of each month from 6-7 p.m. and is o ered via Zoom or in person at the Resilience1220 ofce. Register at resilience1220.org/groups.

Clear Creek Rotary 2000 meetings: Clear Creek Rotary 2000 meets at 7:30 a.m. Wednesdays at Marion’s of the Rockies. 2805 Colorado Blvd., Idaho Springs. For more information, email loe er806@comcast.net.

Support after suicide loss: A safe place to share and learn after losing a loved one to suicide. is group meets every fourth Wednesday of the month from 5:30-7:30 p.m. via Zoom or in person at the Resil-

Call ﬁrst: 1630 Miner St., Idaho Springs, CO 80452

Mailing Address: 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225 Englewood, CO 80110 Phone: 303-566-4100 Web: ClearCreekCourant.com A publication of

Public Health o ering sexual health and family planning: Clear Creek County Public Health is now o ering Sexual Health and Planning Services at the Health and Wellness Center in Idaho Springs. Public Health o ers counseling, emergency contraception, pregnancy testing, STI and HIV screenings, basic infertility services and birth control options and referrals. ese services are con dential. Public Health can also now bill Medicaid and most private insurance. However, if you do not have insurance, fees are based on a sliding scale — and no one will be turned away if they are unable to pay.

Clear Creek County Lookout Alert: e CodeRED alerts have been replaced by the Lookout Alert. Residents can sign up for emergency alerts county-wide by signing up at www.lookoutalert.co. e new site replaces CodeRED following the switch to Je Com911 for emergency dispatch earlier this year.

BROOKE WARNER Executive Director brooke@ntln.org

LINDA SHAPLEY Director of Editorial & Audience lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

ERIC HEINZ West Metro Editor eric@cotln.org

CHRIS KOEBERL Community Editor ckoeberl@coloradocommunitymedia.com

RUTH DANIELS Advertising & Sales rdaniels@coloradocommunitymedia.com

TOM FILDEY Production Manager tﬁldey@coloradocommunitymedia.com

BUSINESS INQUIRIES

her 11-monthold daughter, Madeleine swaddled to her chest sleeping Feb. 27.

FOOD BANK

other, and that’s important,” Houston said. “We all go through life, and we’re all so busy and tired… . You don’t just walk through life seeing need, but when you come here you see that there is quite a bit of need.”

During a recent event at the Safeway in Idaho Springs on Feb. 16, supporters and patrons of the food bank donated at least 261 pounds of food and 53 pounds of household supplies such as toilet paper, soap, detergent and personal care items, Josselyn said.

Typically, Loaves and Fishes provides necessary food and supplies to more than 11,000 families every year, according to the nonpro ts’ statistics.

However, if you rely on pieces of data and statistics to justify the cause, you’re missing the intricacies of the big picture, Houston said.

“We can pull up spreadsheets that tell us how many seniors, how many children, how many women we’ve served, but it’s di erent when you put faces to numbers and see there is a need,” she said.

“We believe in helping indiscriminately … in that we don’t ‘needs test’. We are here to help if you say you need it,” Houston concluded.

For advertiser or vendor questions, please email our business department at accounting@ coloradocommunitymedia.com To subscribe call 303-566-4100 or Scan this QR Code

Columnists & Guest Commentaries Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Courant. We welcome letters to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone. Email letters to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com Deadline Tues. for the following week’s paper.

Clear Creek Courant (USPS 52610)

A legal newspaper of general circulation in Idaho Springs, Colorado, the Clear Creek Courant is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 1630 Miner St., Idaho Springs, CO 80452. PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID AT Idaho Springs and additional mailing o ces.

POSTMASTER: Send address change to: Clear Creek Courant, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110

CORRECTIONS

Colorado Trust for Local News asks readers to make us aware of mistakes we may have made.

Email linda@cotln.org if you notice a possible error you would like us to take a look at.

Volunteer Brittaney Houston, who also serves as vice president of the board of directors, worked with

PHOTO BY CHRIS KOEBERL

When we face struggles, it is easy to fall into a mindset of simple survival. at focus can become all-encompassing and often will prevent us from nding the road to thriving. In those moments, the expanse between “survive” and “thrive” can seem insurmountable.

Four years ago, I was given an opportunity to learn that the chasm between “survive” and “thrive” is only as wide as our mindset. Many of you who have been following Words of Encouragement from the beginning know that my work as a writer started when I was supporting a friend, Shane, who was battling stage-4 colon cancer.

In January 2021, Shane had taken a leave of absence from work to focus on trying to get better. I went to visit him during that leave, and as we sat and talked, he told me that the chemotherapy he was taking was making him so ill that he had decided to focus on the quality of his life, not the quantity.

VOICES

The chasm between striving and thriving

He explained to me that he was stopping chemotherapy and that the remainder of his life span would be measured in weeks. As he told me of this decision, I began to tear up, and as the rst tear fell onto my cheek, he waved his hand in the way that only he could and said, “We are not going to do that; we are going to celebrate.”

With a lifespan remaining that could be

Tcounted in hours and pain growing in his body daily, Shane made a very conscious decision. He was not going to simply survive each remaining day; he was going to thrive.

Over the next few weeks, he went to watch movies in theaters that had been rented out exclusively for his extended family, had dinners xed by chefs who came to his house and attended a parade in his honor. He had the opportunity to

talk with friends, spend precious hours with his wife and daughters, and even play in a poker tournament at his house.

It was inspiring to watch and learn from Shane during that time. e experience left me with the con dence to know that thriving is a conscious decision. It is both scary and empowering to recognize this reality.

When we understand that our mindset is the catalyst to thriving, then we are not

able to hide behind our struggle, satis ed with the idea that we made it through another day.

Don’t misunderstand me. Your struggle, my struggle, they are not easy things to navigate, but they are not insurmountable. e only thing that can keep us from thriving is ourselves. Shane demonstrated this in the most di cult situation possible, facing his own mortality.

When we take the time to truly look at the world around us, we will see we have front-row seats to watch insightful, heroic, and authentically brilliant moments in the human experience unfold before us.

Shane’s unwavering commitment to thriving is an example of this and gives me an invaluable reset button for when I nd myself stuck in survival mode. It is my sincere hope that you, too, can learn from this incredible model.

You have got this.

I hope my words encourage you, and that you will share them with those who need support. ank you to everyone who has shared their stories with me so far. I truly appreciate hearing about the valuable ideas you nd in these columns and how you use them to uplift those around you. You can reach me at jim. roome@gmail.com.

Jim Roome lives in Arvada with his wife Beth. He spent 34 years in public education. Lessons learned from the one two punch of being diagnosed with MS shortly before his best friend was diagnosed with terminal cancer led him into a new pursuit as a freelance writer and speaker. He uses his life experiences and love of stories to inspire, educate and encourage local, national and international audiences.

Failed AI wildﬁre bill still sparks a crucial conversation

he 20 largest wild res in Colorado’s history all happened in the 2000s – nine of them between 2018 and 2020. Changing weather conditions such as ongoing drought expose the state to a much greater risk of a small spark becoming a devastating ame.

Just a few years ago, high winds fanned two small res into the Marshall re, which destroyed more than 1,000 homes in Boulder County. Similar conditions across the nation have made recordsetting res increasingly normal, creating escalating threats to communities, ecosystems and economies. Faced with a tougher – and more ammable – environment than ever before, the re service must evolve alongside the threats it’s tasked with extinguishing.

Earlier this year, Colorado introduced Senate Bill 25-022, a forward-thinking bill that aimed to devote resources to developing AI tools for ghting res. It

ABOUT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

was a smart, proactive approach that recognized the potential of harnessing technology to do tasks such as analyze vegetation, predict an area’s wild re ignition potential and forecast the potential spread of an ongoing wild re. e bill was based on a recognition that traditional methods are no longer su cient in an era of climate-driven wild res.

While SB25-022, unfortunately, failed to pass, its introduction alone signals an important shift in how we approach reghting – from reactive responses with old equipment to proactive, data-driven strategies coupled with advanced tools. Traditional equipment and methodologies weren’t designed to handle the scale and intensity of today’s wild res. Integrating time-honored practices with cutting-edge technology can alleviate the immense pressure re ghters face on the front lines by freeing them to focus on the

Colorado Community Media welcomes letters to the editor. Please note the following rules:

areas and tasks that need them most.

Future legislation around modernizing the re service can be the key to helping encourage the re service to adopt valuable new technologies. Fire ghters are often slow to embrace change, preferring the security and legacy of adhering to the tradition that de nes the re service for many. Linking the e ort to modernize the re industry with nancial incentives can o er re ghters a compelling reason to reconsider familiar practices and tools.

Fostering a culture of growth within the re service is essential for both adapting to modern wild re challenges and attracting the next generation of reghters. Moving away from the rigid, old-school rehouse mentality creates an environment where younger reghters and fresh ideas can strengthen an industry that needs them more than ever. is shift is particularly important for recruiting Gen Zers, who overwhelmingly report that technological sophisti-

• Email your letter to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com. Do not send via postal mail. Put the words “letter to the editor” in the email subject line.

• Submit your letter by 5 p.m. on Wednesday in order to have it considered for publication in the following week’s newspaper.

• Letters must be no longer than 400 words.

• Letters should be exclusively submitted to Colorado Community Media and should not submitted to other outlets or previously posted on websites or

and should not be republished elsewhere.

cation impacts their willingness to work at an organization. Embracing e ective change not only strengthens re ghting capabilities, it strengthens the pipeline of young professionals ready to tackle the next wild re.

Colorado’s attempt to integrate AI into wild re management may have stalled, but the idea behind it cannot be ignored. Investing in technology and advancing re ghting strategies allows the industry to better protect communities and natural resources from the devastating impacts of wild res. Policymakers nationwide must take note and consider adopting new measures to safeguard both people and the environment. Wildres aren’t waiting for us to catch up –saving lives and property demands we get ahead of them.

Jason Cerrano is a 20-year veteran of re departments across the nation and the inventor of SAM, an automated water ow technology under the IDEX brand.

Jim Roome

Developers of data centers in Colorado already have a 10-year red carpet in the form of reduced costs of electricity paid to investor-owned utilities. HB25-1177, a bill being heard at the Colorado Capitol proposes to lengthen those incentives to 25 years.

Proponents at the House Energy and Environment Committee surely will have a hard time keeping a straight face while declaring that these carrots will be needed. Does Vail Resorts need to give away free lift tickets on powder days to lure customers?

Big tech companies already are eyeing Colorado. We have relatively low-cost energy. Our largest electrical utility, Xcel Energy, which is responsible for 53% of all sales, wants to invest many billions of dollars in new generating capacity to meet rapidly growing demands. e utility’s models show data centers representing 72% of new growth in peak demand.

Xcel, in a ling on Friday with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, said it intends to stop o ering new “economic development” rates. e reason? e demand is coming with or without a discount on electricity costs, said Jack Ihle, a company vice president.

Data centers have become part of our working landscape. Colorado needs to gure out the best public policy, because they can pose enormous demands on both electricity and water. e largest of data centers are informally called hyperscale. QTS-Aurora, which is near the intersection of I-70 and E-470, certainly quali es. e data center requires its own 230-kV transmission line from an Xcel substation to deliver 177 megawatts of electricity.

To put this into perspective, Boulder altogether needs 250 megawatts, according to a fact sheet distributed by the Colorado Renewable Energy Society last week to state legislators. e group questions whether the data center could ultimately need 1,000 megawatts of capacity.

If QTS-Aurora received an economic development rate that shaves 3 cents per kilowatt-hour from its costs, it could save $47 million a year, says the renewables group.

Advocates of data centers say they can actually bene t all electrical consumers by driving enormous growth in electrical generating capacity and hence lowering costs. I’m skeptical. It seems far more complicated.

More compelling is the policy adopted by Brighton-based United Power, Colorado’s third largest electrical distribution utility. e electrical cooperative serves members along the rapidly urbanizing and industrializing I-25 and I-76 corridors north and east of Denver. United

requires developers of data centers and other major new industries pay their own hardware, design, and engineering costs up front.

Mark Gabriel, the CEO, says eight potential data centers have approached United. He says their projected demand may materialize –or maybe it won’t. Either way, money is not the issue for the data centers.

“ e total market capitalization of the top 100 utilities in America is roughly $2.8 trillion,” he points out. “ e market capitalization of the ‘magni cent seven’ – Google, Meta and the others – is $13.4 trillion. Money is not the issue. ese guys have it. e issue is can they get their data centers in the right locations?”

Gabriel said Xcel and Black Hills Energy, Colorado’s two investor-owned electrical utilities, spread the cost of their infrastructure across all of their customers. As an electrical cooperative, he said, United will not. “ e individual companies pay the costs up front. And there is a big di erence.”

is year’s data center bill may well die in committee on Wednesday. A similar red-carpet bill last year never even got heard. Tellingly, though, this year’s bill has two prime co-sponsors from Pueblo. Might data centers help Pueblo? It will lose the tax base of coal plants by 2040. And could data centers help Craig, Hayden, and Brush as the coal plants there close? It’s a complicated discussion. It’s hard to see how this bill would help.

A di erent question: Could demand from new data centers prevent Colorado from achieving its 2030 goals for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions? Utilities have been reporting supply chain kinks and rising pricing as they prepare to close coal plants. Colorado Springs Utilities has said it doesn’t see how it can meet the 2030 goals. Xcel has also reported delays and rising prices for renewable projects.

Colorado needs to learn from the experience of others. Ireland also embraced data centers – and now has regrets. In Virginia, data centers will keep coal plants running longer. Several states have created guardrails to protect other customers.

We need a deep think. is bill is not that. Alas, several key state legislators who crafted Colorado’s impressive energy pivot in recent years have left the Capitol. It’s not clear who will take their place.

Allen Best chronicles Colorado’s energy and water transitions at Big Pivots.com.

BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Denver artist omas “Detour” Evans has planted his artistic footprint all over the Denver metro area, including the Arvada Center. His work creating the mural at the Center’s main gallery for all visitors to see and then displaying the nished product drew rave reviews from the Center’s visitors, said Collin Parson, Director of Galleries and Curator.

“Our visitors loved it,” Parson said via email. “It was an interactive piece that took the art of murals to the next level. Detour is an innovative artist who a few years ago was considered a ‘muralist’ but not as ‘an artist’ who happens to also make murals.”

“I’m proud of him and think he represents the quality and creativity of Colorado arts,” Parson said.

Evans could not be reached for comment.

Described as a painter, muralist and installation artist, Evans served as a Creative in Residence at the Denver Art Museum in the fall of 2017, exploring work that encourages a mixture of traditional art and interactive paintings. He has gained state and national fame for his mural and print creations that celebrate African American history as well as musical, civil rights and sports icons.

What may be Evans’ most acclaimed piece was recently unveiled before international travelers that streamed though Denver International Airport. e airport introduced Evans’ sculpture “It’s Not What You Take, It’s What You Bring Back” in its permanent public art collection in January in the Concourse B expansion area.

“DEN’s participation in the City’s 1% for Public Art program is a point of pride for the airport. Many of the works in our permanent collection loom large in the memories and imaginations of our millions of annual visitors. omas Evans’ work, “It’s Not What You Take, It’s What You Bring Back,” will soon become an iconic xture of the world’s sixth busiest airport, welcoming or bidding farewell to our passengers,” airport CEO Phil Washington said in a news release. “I am so pleased to welcome Evans’ unique and vibrant sculpture to DEN.”

“It’s Not What You Take, It’s What You Bring Back” was inspired by the idea that life is always in perpetual motion and it’s our luggage that carries the items we hold dear. It was selected by a panel of community representatives, arts and culture professionals, and civic leaders in 2022, the news release states.

“I was super ecstatic to be selected to be a part of the process of adding art to such a vibrant place where millions of travelers pass through during their journey in life,” Detour said in the news release. e artwork, located on Concourse B East near gate B60, is 26 feet long by 12 feet wide by 8 feet high and suspended from the concourse ceiling. To help build the sculpture, Evans put a call out to the public for personal luggage that had a story behind it. at resulted in 183 donated bags that were incorporated into the nal design, including pieces from Cleo Parker Robinson, Ed Dwight, a ight attendant of 33 years, three DIA employees, as well as from folks with Denver’s ve professional sports teams.

Evans said on his webpage that the exhibit showcases the frenzied nature of modern life. “ e goal is to symbolize the 24/7 nature of both the airport and the journey of life, as well as memorialize the stories and experiences you gain when you travel,” Evans said. Evans said that his fabricators, Demiurge, built a steel armature in six di erent sections that will serve as the backbone of the sculpture. Each piece of luggage will have its own plate extension that will be

RIGHT: Thomas “Detour” Evans works on a mural for the 2021 Black Love Mural Festival at Civic Center Park. PHOTO BY CHRISTY STEADMAN

LEFT: Thomas “Detour” Evans’ work was featured at the “In Sight On Site: Murals” exhibit at the Arvada Center. COURTESY OF WES MAGYAR

“I was super ecstatic to be selected to be part of the process”

ans wrote on his webpage. .

e mural got statewide and national attention and was featured in e New York Times, the Athletic, the NBA’s social media accounts and several other media outlets, Evans said.

welded onto the armature. For more information about the backstories of the donated bags and their donors, go to the airport’s arts page which opened for views this month. A time-lapse video of the installation can be found there as well.

e news release points out that the City’s 1% for Public Art Ordinance directs that 1% of any capital improvement project over $1 million undertaken by the city be set aside for the inclusion of art. At DIA, funds are set aside and then site-speci c large-scale public art opportunities across the campus are identi ed. For this speci c project, funding was designated by the Gate Expansion Program’s construction budget. No taxpayer dollars are used for any artwork at DIA. Evans also explores ethnic identities through his African art display “ ey Still Live,” which mixes photography, DNA mapping and African objects, according to the Hu ngton Post. His prints celebrate Martin Luther King Jr., the music icon Prince and soccer legend Pele.

Evans also honored the 2023 NBA champion Denver Nuggets with a mural planted on the side of the building at 1919 E. Colfax Ave. Evans said he only created the mural to replace another that was in disrepair. However, “this mural evolved to be a beacon for the community because of the awesome year that the Denver Nuggets had,” Ev-

Evans drew plenty of local acclaim for his work at the Arvada Center. Evans used sound and interaction to draw patrons into his brightly colored creation at the Arvada Center’s main gallery, said the Arvada Center’s Parson.

Evans was part of a temporary exhibition titled “In Sight On Site: Murals,” Parson said. Working on the site at the Arvada Center as artist schedules allowed, visitors were able to see murals develop over a weekend, a week or even a month, he said. Evans contributed to a temporary exhibit at the Center so it was only displayed for a few months.

“Detour and artists like him use exhibitions like this to test ideas and concepts that otherwise might just be experiments in their studios,” Parson said.

He said that he donated a bag to the DIA exhibit, at Evans’ request. Parson said he was caught o guard by the request but suddenly remembered that his four-year-old daughter, Cora, had left her Kitty Cat purse in the back seat of Parson’s car.

“I knew she’d be momentarily upset, but I also believed she’d understand its signi cance when she was older,” he said.

“So I took the risk,” Parson said. “So far, it’s paid o . She’s forgotten all about the purse, and I can’t wait to take her to see her small but meaningful mark in Denver’s art history.”

Thomas “Detour” Evans

LEFT: Artist Thomas “Detour” Evans stands with his creation at Concourse B at DIA.

RIGHT: Another view of artist Thomas “Detour”

BY CAITLYN KIM

CPR NEWS

Nonproﬁts continue to feel e ects of funding pause

Paul Lhevine, head of the Colorado Nonpro t Association, elds calls every day from anxious or worried members.

“A lot of nonpro ts are still nding their federal funds being frozen,” he explained. ey call wondering, ‘Is it just because agencies and departments are still trying to play catch up with the judge’s temporary restraining order on the freezing of federal funds, or is there something more nefarious going on?’”

Right now there’s a lot of uncertainty over what the federal government is doing — or not — with federal grants and awards. A federal judge has ordered the Trump Administration to lift its freeze on federal disbursements, but many of the states involved in that lawsuit say billions of dollars remain locked up.

e White House and some Republicans at the U.S. Capitol have argued it’s normal and legitimate for a new administration to review funding.

But many of Lhevine’s members worry about what may come next for groups that often serve as a safety net in their communities.

“ ere is nothing normal about what’s going on,” he said. “It’s not just the breadth and depth of all of the executive orders. It is the sledgehammer approach to the federal government generally.”

He said it’s distressing to see a sector that does so much good for the state being left in limbo, and warns it could have bigger economic rami cations. ere are about 12,500 non-

Miranda Zamora, of Denver, loads boxes of packaged scone mix onto a pallet at Women’s Bean Project in Denver on Wednesday, November 17, 2021.

The nonproﬁt o ers on-the-job training in a food manufacturing business, as well as career services, life skills and case management for women facing chronic unemployment, recidivism, welfare dependency and other challenges.

PHOTO BY HART VAN DENBURG FOR CPR NEWS

FUNDING

pro ts in Colorado, “who generate $62 billion of economic impact annually. We support 180,000 jobs directly and indirectly. We are socially signi cant in as much as we are economically signi cant,” he explained.

Rebecca Samulski, executive director of Fire Adapted Colorado, said even with the judge lifting the funding freeze, some groups that participate in her wild re resilience network say they haven’t been able to receive reimbursements for past work.

“A lot of them are reliant on the regular income from their federal agreements,” she said, adding that while some could operate for about six more months, others will likely only make it a single month.

e uncertainty means Samulski’s members are having a hard time moving forward with new contracts; they’re not sure they’ll be able to pay their contractors because they don’t know when the reimbursements will come.

Samulski said everyone is being conservative about their projects, “which potentially means the loss of a working season for us if it doesn’t get resolved quickly.” ose projects can range from creating fuel breaks to tree thinning.

e advice Samulski is giving to her members is to make contingency plans for how they’re going to do less, with less.

e Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Den-

ver receives just under $1 million in federal funding to help provide meals for students, o er STEM programs, and make facility improvements. CEO Erin Porteous is thankful that none of their funding has been impacted yet, but she’s worried for the future.

She said the organization relies on a braided model of funding: federal, state, corporations, foundations and individual donations, which insulates it a bit from federal funding shocks. But some of the Boys and Girls Clubs’ partners rely on federal funding for as much as half of their annual budget.

“In this type of environment where those funds may go away, it can be really detrimental to the services that they’re offering our communities,” she said.

Porteous has worked in the nonpro t sector for 20 years and she’s seen how new administrations change priorities.

e past month has been a di erent order of magnitude.

“What we haven’t ever seen before is where the entire landscape looks di erent, and it’s challenging to navigate, it’s challenging to anticipate what the changes may be, and, frankly, what the recourse or the outcomes of those may be for nonpro ts,” she said. “When that funding certainty isn’t there, it makes it really challenging to plan and to be able to serve the needs of the community.”

And she notes this comes at a time when many of those needs are growing.

It’s not just the nonpro t world that is concerned; local governments that partner with nonpro ts also worry about the

disruption from federal funding shifts.

An o cial of one Colorado county, who was granted anonymity to speak over fears that the rest of their federal funding could be targeted, said their community relies on nonpro ts, especially for social services.

“I think they are living in a world of panic,” the o cial said of those organizations. “I’ve heard too that, not only are they not knowing where the next paycheck’s coming from, people aren’t showing up to get services from them anymore too, which is to me almost even more concerning. I feel like once you lose that connection, it’s really going to be hard to build it back,”

e county also receives millions in federal grants for projects like infrastructure, which are now also in doubt because the funding comes from Biden-era legislation, like the In ation Reduction Act, that’s been targeted by the Trump administration.

“We start these projects with the assumption that the grants we’ve been awarded are going to come with us or come back to us,” the o cial said. “ ese are projects that once we get going, you can’t stop them. You can’t have half a road built. We can’t not pay the people we contract with to do the work. A lot of our construction work, we contract out to local businesses that do it. And that just really directly impacts the economy.”

e federal funding freeze also has the o cial wondering what local governments will look like going forward: how will they have to adjust the services they provide with less federal funding.

Boulder-based nonpro t Growing Gardens doesn’t rely on the federal government for all of its funding — like any good nonpro t, it aims to have diverse revenue streams — but the sliver of funding it gets from the federal government is an important sliver. A few years ago, the group got a $350 million grant from the USDA to more than double its community farm in Longmont, while increasing accessibility and minority involvement.

Now, one of Growing Gardens’ current grants has been put on pause. And while the group has been able to get reimbursements for their farm infrastructure project, they’re no longer sure they can count on that.

Site Director Lauren Kelso said people can agree or disagree about what the government should or shouldn’t fund, but, “that seems like a sort of thing that should be decided when Congress decides to build these programs and release this funding. It absolutely should not be the sort of thing that is decided after you have signed a contract with our federal government.”

And Kelso has a question “for the billionaires running the country” — Would they tolerate working with someone who broke signed contracts with their companies without warning.

“I want to ask them if they would ever do business with an entity that’s behaving like they are?”

is story is from CPR News, a nonpro t public broadcaster serving Colorado. Used by permission. For more, and to support Colorado Public Radio, visit cpr.org.

CROWSSUPDRO ELZZ

1. LITERATURE: Who lives at 4 Privet Drive?

2. TELEVISION: Which 1980s sitcom featured the Keaton family?

3. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Who was the rst American-born president?

4. COMICS: What is Deadpool’s profession?

5. AD SLOGANS: Which makeup company’s slogan is “Maybe she’s born with it”?

6. HISTORY: Which battles marked the beginning of the American Revolution?

7. INVENTIONS: e 1904 World’s Fair introduced which u y confection?

8. MOVIES: In which year were the rst Oscars awarded?

9. MEASUREMENTS: What does 1 gallon of water weigh?

10. GEOGRAPHY: What are the colors of the Italian ag?

TrIVIa

Answers

1. Harry Potter and the Dursley family.

2. “Family Ties.”

3. Martin Van Buren, born after the Revolutionary War.

4. Mercenary.

5. Maybelline.

6. Battles of Lexington and Concord.

7. Cotton candy.

8. 1929.

9. 8.34 pounds.

10. Green, white and red.

DIRECTV Stream - Carries the most local MLB Games! Choice Package $89.99/mo for 12 mos Stream on 20 devices at once. HBO Max included for 3 mos (w/ Choice Package or higher.) No contract or hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-866859-0405

Home break-ins take less than 60 seconds. Don’t wait! Protect your family, your home, your assets now for as little as 70¢/ day! 1-844-591-7951

Don’t let the stairs limit your mobility! Discover the ideal solution for anyone who struggles on the stairs, is concerned about a fall or wants to regain access to their entire home. Call AmeriGlide today! 1-833-3993595

Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris -blocking gutter protection. Schedule free LeafFilter estimate today. 20% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-833610-1936

Miscellaneous

MobileHelp America’s premier mobile medical alert system. Whether you’re home or away. For safety & peace of mind. No long term contracts! Free brochure! Call 1-888-489-3936

Bath & shower updates in as little as 1 day! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & military discounts available. 1-877-5439189

We buy houses for cash as is! No repairs. No fuss. Any condition. Easy three step process: Call, get cash offer & get paid. Get your fair cash offer today by calling Liz Buys Houses: 1-844-8775833

Prepare for power outages today with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 5-Year warranty with qualifying purchase* Call 1-855948-6176 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move.

Replace your roof w/the best looking & longest lasting material steel from Erie Metal Roofs! 3 styles & multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer up to 50% off install + Additional 10% off install (military, health & 1st responders.) 1-833-370-1234

Become a published author We want to read your book! Dorrance Publishing trusted since 1920. Consultation, production, promotion & distribution. Call for free author`s guide 1-877-7294998 or visit dorranceinfo.com/ ads

Jacuzzi Bath Remodel can install a new, custom bath or shower in as little as one day. For a limited time, waving ALL installation costs! (Additional terms apply. Subject to change and vary by dealer. Offer ends 3/30/25.) Call 1-844-501-3208

Miscellaneous

Consumer Cellular - same reliable, nationwide coverage as the largest carriers. No longterm contract, no hidden fees free activation. All plans feature unlimited talk & text, starting at just $20/mo. Call 1-877-751-0866

AGING ROOF? NEW HOMEOWNER? STORM DAMAGE? You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind their work. Fast, free estimate. Financing available. Call 1-888-878-9091 Have zip code of property ready when calling!

Wesley Financial Group, LLC Timeshare Cancellation Experts Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt & fees cancelled in 2019. Get free info package & learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. Call 833-308-1971

Pets

Dogs

Doodle Puppies

Golden Doodles and Bernedoodles Home-Raised Heath Tested and Guaranteed Standard and Mini Size available Schedule a visit today! (970)215-6860 www.puppylovedoodles.com

Wanted

Donate Your Car to Veterans Today! Help and Support our Veterans. Fast - FREE pick up. 100% tax deductible. Call 1-800-245-0398

Zoning Regulations.

Acreage: Roughly .76 total acres.

Public Hearings: The Clear Creek County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on March 19, 2025 at 6:30 pm to consider the rezoning application before recommending approval, approval with conditions, or denial to the Board of County Commissioners. The public hearing will be held virtually via Zoom. Information can be found on the County website.

The Board of County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on April 1, 2025 at 8:30am to consider the application. The public hearing will be held at the Commissioners’ Hearing Room in the Clear Creek County Court¬house at 405 Argentine Street, Georgetown CO, 80444, and virtually via Zoom. Information on the virtual hearing can be found on the County website.

(All Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioner meetings are subject to change, without further notification. Please contact the planning department - see below for contact informationcloser to the meeting dates for definitive information on the meeting location and/or web links if the meeting is held via online internet meeting.)

Written testimony may be submitted via email to Garrett McAllister at gmcallister@ clearcreekcounty.us or via mail to the Clear Creek County Planning Department, P.O. Box 2000, Georgetown, CO 80444.

Legal Notice No. CCC1028

First Publication: March 6, 2025

Last Publication: March 6, 2025

Publisher: Clear Creek Courant Public Notice CITY OF IDAHO SPRINGS

County of Clear Creek State of Colorado Ordinance No. 6, Series 2025

AN ORDINANCE APPROVING A MULTIYEAR OCCUPANCY AGREEMENT FOR THAT CITY-OWNED PROPERTY KNOWN AS 839 COLORADO HIGHWAY 103

WHEREAS, pursuant to C.R.S. § 31-15713(1)(c), the City Council (“Council”) for the City of Idaho Springs, Colorado (the “City”) possesses the authority to enter into lease agreements for real property owned by the City when deemed by the Council to be in the best interest of the City; and

WHEREAS, the City owns certain real property located at 839 Colorado Highway 103 and recently annexed into the City of Idaho Springs, Colorado (the “Property”); and

WHEREAS, the person from whom the City

purchased the Property, Alfred E. Brown, wishes to continue using the Property as a primary residence, and the City wishes to allow Mr. Brown to do so for as long as he likes, consistent with the City’s plans and goals for the remainder of the Property which Mr. Brown does not occupy; and

WHEREAS, the City Council therefore desires to approve an occupancy agreement that allows Mr. Brown and his former spouse to continue to occupy and use the Property as a primary residence for the remainder of their natural lives, while allowing the City to use the remainder of the Property, as permitted by Mr. Brown, to develop affordable senior housing in a compatible fashion; and

WHEREAS, because the agreement is a lease of City-owned real property for a term greater than one (1) year, the Council must act by ordinance to approve the same pursuant to C.R.S. § 31-15-713(1)(c).

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Idaho Springs, Colorado as follows:

Section 1. The above and foregoing recitals are hereby adopted as findings and determinations of the City Council and are incorporated herein by reference.

Section 2. The City Council hereby approves the Occupancy Agreement between the City and Alfred E. Brown, concerning that property known as 839 Colorado Highway 103 and more particularly described in said agreement, attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference. The Mayor and City Clerk are authorized to execute the same and to take such other steps as reasonably necessary or convenient to complete the transaction.

Section 3. Should any one or more sections or provisions of this Ordinance be judicially determined invalid or unenforceable, such judgment shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remaining provisions of this Ordinance, the intention being that the various sections and provisions are severable.

INTRODUCED, READ AND ORDERED PUBLISHED at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of Idaho Springs, Colorado, held on the 24th day of February, 2025.

Chuck Harmon, Mayor

ATTESTED AND CERTIFIED:

Diane Breece, City Clerk

PASSED, ADOPTED AND APPROVED, after publication at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of Idaho Springs, Colorado, held on the 24th day of March, 2025.

Chuck Harmon, Mayor

ATTESTED AND CERTIFIED:

Diane Breece, City Clerk

OCCUPANCY AGREEMENT

THIS OCCUPANCY AGREEMENT is entered into as of the 24th day of February, 2025, by and between the City of Idaho Springs, Colorado, a Colorado municipal corporation (“City”) and Alfred E. Brown (“Brown”), together referred to hereafter as the Parties.

1.0OCCUPIED PREMISES

In consideration of Brown’s sale and conveyance of certain property hereinafter described to the City, the City hereby conveys to Brown and his former spouse, Sharon E. Kanarr, the exclusive right to occupy and use the following Premises, situate in the County of Clear Creek, State of Colorado:

A tract of land being a portion of the J. J. Elliott Placer Mining Claim, U. S. Mineral Survey No. 2331, described as follows:

Beginning at Corner No. 1 of said J. J. Elliott Placer; thence N. 26’29’ E.. along line 1-2 of said Placer, a distance of 157.00 feet to a point on the Southerly Right-of-Way line of State Highway 103; thence s. 80’42’ W., along the said Right-of-Way line, a distance of 219.74 feet to the point of curvature; thence along a curve to the left having a radius of 727.73 feet through a central angle ol 24’05’36” a distance of 306.02 feet to a point on the Easterly line of that parcel described in Deed recorded in Book 124, Page 201; thence S. 24’15’ E., along said Easterly line, a distance of 199.19

feet to the Southeast Comer thereof, thence along the Northerly line of that tract described in Book 116, Page 476, N. 87’40’ E., a distance of 118.83 feet to an angle point in said line; thence N. 5130’ E., a distance of 292.90 feet to the Point of Beginning, County of Clear Creek, State of Colorado.

Also known as 839 Colorado Highway 103, Idaho Springs, Colorado 80452 (the “Premises”)

Brown agrees that the City may use any part of the Premises not being used for residential purposes by Brown and/or Sharon E. Kanarr for the sole purpose of constructing, developing and operating affordable housing for senior citizens, as agreed to by the City and Brown under the purchase agreement for the Property. Any other proposed use of the Property by the City while the Property is occupied by Brown and/or Sharon E. Kanarr is subject to Brown’s approval, in his absolute and sole discretion, as evidenced in writing.

Any City use of the Property whatsoever shall not disrupt the quiet enjoyment and occupation of the Premises by Brown and Sharon E. Kanarr as a residence.

2.0TERM

Unless terminated earlier as provided herein, and subject to the remaining terms of this Agreement, Brown and his former spouse Sharon E. Kanarr shall have the exclusive right to occupy and use the Premises as a primary residence for the remainder of their lives.

3.0RENT

No rent shall be due from Brown to the City for the Premises.

4.0 UTILITIES

Brown shall pay all charges for utilities associated with the Premises. If the City receives any utility bills or charges for the Premises as the record owner, the City shall promptly notify Brown and forward copies of the same to him.

5.0MAINTENANCE

Brown shall keep the primary residence located upon the Premises in good repair at his own expense. Brown shall have no obligation to maintain any other structures upon the Premises. Routine maintenance and upkeep of the grounds of the Premises, such as lawn-mowing, shall also be performed by Brown at his own expense. Non-routine maintenance and repairs associated with the Premises, such as water/sewer line maintenance or replacement, shall be performed by the City at its sole expense.

6.0INSURANCE

City will insure the Premises and all permanent improvements thereon against damage and loss. Brown understands that he is responsible for insurance coverage on any personal property kept upon or within the Premises and its structures.

7.0 TERMINATION; SURRENDER OF PREMISES

Brown may terminate this Agreement prior to the expiration of its Term by providing thirty (30) days’ notice to the City.

If the Term of the Agreement expires without such notice, due to the death of both Brown and Sharon E. Kanarr, the City shall confirm the expiration of this Agreement in writing to Brown’s next of kin or to such other party that Brown may designate for such purpose.

In the event the Premises shall become uninhabitable on account of damage by fire, flood or act of God, this Agreement may be terminated by Brown upon written notice to the City. Additionally and alternatively, in such event, Brown shall have the right to reconstruct the single-family residence on the Premises if he so elects.

In the event default shall be made in any of the covenants or agreements herein contained to be kept by Brown, it shall and may be lawful for the City to declare the Agreement terminated and enter into the Premises either with or without process of law. In the event the Agreement shall be so terminated, Brown hereby covenants and agrees to surrender and deliver up the Premises peaceably to the City. If Brown shall remain in the possession of the same after termination, Brown shall be deemed guilty of a forcible detainer of the

Premises under Colorado statute, hereby waiving all notice, and shall be subject to eviction and removal forcibly or otherwise, with or without process of law.

8.0 NO ASSIGNATION; SUBLETTING

Brown agrees that he will not assign, sublet or transfer the Premises or any part thereof without City’s prior written consent.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Occupancy Agreement to become effective as of the day and year first above written.

CITY:

Chuck Harmon, Mayor Date

ATTEST:

Diane Breece, City Clerk

BROWN:

E. Brown