Arts committee looks back on its accomplishments
With guide due out, group showcases its collection of public art
With a new guidebook coming that showcases all the art and sculptures around Brighton and their locations, the Brighton Public Art Committee is taking some time to re ect on where they’ve been and what they’ve accomplished.
e committee was established in 2012 to enhance the community by introducing public art that beauti es the City of Brighton, said Wilma Rose, the chair of the committee since its inception.
“To date, we’ve added 14 sculptures and two and a half murals, as we also contributed to
the mural at 7 a.m. Somewhere Co ee Shop,” Rose said. “Our primary goal and mission are to bring public art to the community to bene t residents and visitors. Overall, we’ve been a very active committee, with several city representatives also on the committee. Everyone who has served on it has given 100%; otherwise, we couldn’t accomplish all this.”
e city disconnected from the arts committee in 2022, leaving them to reorganize independently, Rose said.
“We received funding from the Scienti c and Cultural Facilities District SCFD and the lodging tax until last year; funding is signi cant. We need matching funds for the SCFD grants, which help us add more art,” Rose said.
In addition to creating the guidebook and promoting the arts, the committee has other jobs.
“We’ve also initiated the cleaning and restoration of all the art pieces to ensure our art remains in good shape and form. We used a company from Loveland,” Wilma said.
Wilma said they collaborate with the City Parks and Recreation Department and the Streets Department to assist them in placing art in designated spots.
“We couldn’t have achieved this without the many individuals, whom we thank for their assistance in completing it all,” Wilma said.
Wilma said the committee is currently working on bringing a sculpture called “ e Well.”
“It’s called ‘where we water and how we grow,’ and we call it Brighton,” Rose said.
Art on loan
e committee’s sculptures are part of a loan program.
e Arts Committee and Kathy
selected the artwork to showcase in the city.
Wardle, an artist herself, was president of the Brighton Cultural Arts Commission for about 12 years. Wardle said Rose, then a Brighton City Councilor, discussed ways of bringing the best art to Brighton.
“She volunteered to be president of the organization, which initially had a group of around 15 in 2019. We decided to form a public art committee to promote art, establish a call for submissions, and implement a judging rubric to ensure we feature excellent art in the parks and throughout the city,” Wardle said. “Every year, we have ve to eight pieces of sculpture displayed in Carmichael Park. We will purchase some of those on loan pieces and display them as public art.”
Oil well blowout in Weld exposed people to benzene
BY MARK JAFFE THE COLORADO
e oil well blowout last month in rural Galeton, which sparked the evacuation of nearby homes, spewed dangerous levels of toxic chemicals as far as 2 miles away, according to preliminary tests by a Colorado State University team.
Benzene, a known carcinogen and respiratory irritant, was found in concentrations 10 times above federal standard for chronic exposure, and was among dozens of chemicals detected.
“People were potentially exposed to a chemical soup,” said Emily Fischer, a CSU professor of atmospheric science. e uncontrolled blowout of the Chevron Bishop well in Galeton, a community of 256 about 7 miles northeast of Greeley, began the evening of April 6, sending a white geyser of water, crude oil and gas high into the air.
It was almost ve days before the well was secured and sealed. e failure of wellhead equipment caused the blowout and it was not related to either drilling or fracking the well, Chevron said in its preliminary assessment.
“We know the when,” said Kristen Kemp, a spokesperson for the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission, which oversees oil and gas drilling. “And we know the what: an uncontrolled release of wellbore uid due to a failed barrier. … We are still investigating the why.”
Chevron, CDPHE report lower emissions levels e ECMC is overseeing the investigation and the remediation of the site, but deferred to state air regulators on emissions.
Wardle
Members of the Brighton Arts Committee stand before a mural by Amy Berman at the 7 a.m. Somewhere Co ee Shop on Main Street. From left to right: Dave Rose, Wilma Rose, Dolly Garcia, Kathy Wardle, and Gary Wardle. BELEN WARD
SUN
Drive underway to remember the Flight 629 bombing
First ever plane bombing over U.S. soil killed 44, changed lives of rescuers
BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A group of Coloradans are helping to erect a memorial to mark the bombing of United Air Lines Flight 629 on November 1955 over southwest Weld County.
A dynamite bomb placed in the checked luggage of the airliner – also known as the Denver Mainliner – exploded and became a reball seen from as far as 20 miles away, only 10 minutes after the ight left Denver’s Stapleton Airport.
All 44 passengers and crew of Flight 629 were victims of the rst plane bombing on U.S. soil and at the time, one of the worst mass murders in American history.
“ is is such a part of Colorado history, and American history, but most people have no idea this even happened,” said Greg Raymer, whose father was a United Airlines mechanic who passed on the story of Flight 629 to his son.
Raymer is leading a small committee of residents who are trying to raise money for the memorial, at 11413 Weld County Road 13 near Longmont. e committee – called Flight 629 Memorial And Unsung Heroes Across America – wants to create “meditative and esthetically beautiful place” on the former beet elds where the bodies and pieces of the aircraft fell after the bombing, according to the group’s website.
e memorial will honor not only those on the ight but also the 500 or so Weld County residents who rushed to the elds the night of the bombing and worked in freezing darkness throughout the night in search and rescue operations, said Becky Tesone, vice president of the committee.
“ ese are people from all walks of life, from farmers to volunteer remen, police o cers, veterans from the local American Legion to just about anybody else to come out and help,” said Tesone.
Making a memorial
Supporters want to raise funds to have ribbon cutting ceremony and commission a home for a monument to recognize the 70th anniversary of the bombing on Nov. 1. So far, a GoFundMe site has raised $3,882 for the memorial with a goal of $1 million.
Flight629. Org, a non-pro t, is hosting a fundraising concert May 10 at the Mead High School Auditorium. Colorado’s top Elvis Tribute artists, George Gray and e Elvis Experience Band, will perform.
e 90-minute concert will also high-
light the Mead Special Needs percussion band.
Changing forensics
e airplane bombing led to changes in investigating airline disasters, including how the FBI altered its forensics techniques, say those who examined the bombing years later.
ose included Marian Hobgood Poeppelmeyer, who wrote a book about the bombing entitled “Finding My Father,” who was a passenger on Flight 629. Denver lawyer Andrew J. Fields – “Mainliner Denver – e Bombing of Flight 629,” also wrote one of the de nitive works on the bombing.
In another rst, photographers and lm cameras were allowed into a courtroom for the trial of John Graham, who was convicted and later put to death for his role in the bombing. Graham wanted to kill his mother, Daisy King, and put 25 sticks of dynamite with a homemade timer in her suitcase. Graham reportedly wanted his mother dead so he could collect on an insurance policy he took out on her just before the ight.
Ghosts in the field
Conrad Hopp was among those who were nishing up his supper when a loud boom from the airline’s explosion shook the windows of his farmhouse in southwest Weld County. Hopp and other volunteer citizen responders hurried to the beet elds that covered the area to help with rescue e orts. What they found stunned and shocked them.
“I’ve never been able to talk about it,” Hopp, then 85, told the Longmont Leader in 2022.
On the night of the crash, Hopp and his older brother Kenneth sprinted out from the warm security of their home with their ashlights and headed to give aid.
e younger Hopp wandered onto a hellscape. e airplane had split in two with the tail and nose landing nearly a mile and a half from each other, Hopp said. Most bodies were found near the nose and tail.
Hopp, already a member of the Colorado National Guard, was ordered to use a tractor to mark where the bodies were located so someone could be stationed there to ward o looters. He returned the
next day to recover the wildly contorted remains of the passengers.
Still, he’s mostly kept to himself about what he found and did the day after the bombing.
“Picking them up and putting them in a body bag was something you can’t forget … ever,” Hopp told the Leader. “You just pick up a ve-foot hunk of jelly. It’s hard to describe how that feels.”
His brother Kenneth, who helped the FBI during the recovery e orts, also kept to himself about what he experienced after the crash.
“We just never really talked about it,” Hopp said. “We just never could get there.”
His whole family heard the echoes of the Denver Mainliner crash for years even though they tried to keep the memories bottled up, Hopp told the Leader. “My dad never really went out into the dark after the crash. Something out there scared him.
“And my brother said he thought there were ghosts out there,” Hopp said, nodding at the few remaining elds near his house in Firestone. “I think he was only half-kidding.”
The wreckage of United Flight 629 was carefully laid out in a Denver warehouse after its bombing. COURTESY
Home Sharing Helps
Single Seniors Deal With Finance and Loneliness, Allowing Them to Age in Place
Married seniors living in long-time family homes that are bigger than they need often call me and other Realtors about downsizing, and I have written many times about the options they face, including the option that Rita and I chose, which was to sell our home and move into a 55+ rental community.
Widowed seniors face a more pressing problem. The retirement income, including Social Security, which supported them and their late spouse is now reduced as much as by half, and maybe it’s not enough to support them in their beloved home.
That’s where a Denver non-profit called Sunshine Home Share Colorado comes in.
Sunshine completes background and credit checks on all participants in the program. All applicants must have three verifiable references. Home seekers must provide proof of income. Sunshine also completes a 1-2 hour social work intake with each program participant, assessing for mental health, emotional health, physical health, and substance abuse.
A senior homeowner with no mortgage or lots of equity may be able to do what we did — sell the home and live off the proceeds, plus his or her reduced retirement income, for the rest of their expected life. Another solution is to take out a reverse mortgage, even if he or she owns it free and clear, and live of that equity for the rest of their life.
But there’s another option which not only addresses finances but also that big killer of seniors — loneliness. You could consider taking in a roommate — or “boommate” — but how do you find and screen such a person so it doesn’t lead to something even worse than running out of money?
Home providers must be over 55 years old; home seekers only need to be over 18. The rent could be up to $1,000 per month, reduced by mutual agreement when the home seeker provides services such as snow shoveling, housekeeping, lawn care, taking out the trash, or providing transportation to the home provider for medical appointments, etc.
Home seekers do not provide any personal care such as showering, toileting, and assistance transferring between bed and chair. For that, the home provider would have to secure appropriate professional service providers.
The matching process typically takes eight weeks, which includes a 2-week trial period. The organization provides periodic check-ins later on to make sure that the fit still works.
Home in Golden’s Village at Mountain Ridge Listed by Jim Smith
OPEN May 24, 11am - 1pm
Homes in this late-’90s subdivision backing to the foothills come on the market rarely and sell quickly. This one at 165 Washington Street is especially sweet, with the most awesome chef’s kitchen you’ve likely ever seen. Beautiful hardwood floors grace the main floor, with newer berber carpeting upstairs and in the walk-out basement. The Table Mountain views from every level, but especially from the primary suite, will take your breath away. If you’re a soccer fan, the pix and awards in the main-floor study will leave you wishing for autographs! Sorry, the seller won’t be at the open house this Saturday from 11 to 1. A narrated video walk-through is posted at www.GRElistings.com
$1,495,000
4-Bedroom Tri-Level in Arvada Listed by Kathy Jonke
The housemate has to have an income to support their rent payments and is expected to be gone for employment purposes most days. Typical “service exchange” work can range from 5 to 20 hours per week. The more work is done, the less rent the home seeker is expected to pay, all negotiated up front.
All home shares are month-to-month, with the average home share lasting only a year, but they could last five years or longer. Having the third-party involvement of Sunshine makes it easy for either party at any point to say, “sorry, this isn’t working for me.”
One of the biggest problems faced by single or widowed seniors is loneliness. It’s a big reason that moving into a 55+ community makes sense, and I have seen that work in person from living in such a community — especially for the single residents. However, many seniors want to “age in place,” to stay in their long-time home as long as possible, and home sharing can make that possible not only financially but by providing some healthy companionship.
Sunshine Home Share operates throughout the Denver metro area. If you think this idea would work for someone in another state, check out the National Shared Housing Resource Center at nationalsharedhousing.org
This Column Now Appears Bi-Weekly “Real Estate Today” will be on this page every other week, so the next time you’ll see it will be June 5th. On those alternate weeks, you will find a half-page ad on a related topic. Next week it will be on a topic related to sustainability. One June 12th it will be about well-being.
The organization’s website provides stories of matches they have made and FAQs. Go to www.SunshineHomeShare.org. Their phone number is (720) 856-0161. Their office is in north Denver.
Our Attempt to Resurrect Our Free Box Truck Has Not Succeeded
You may recall that we launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to get our truck back on the road so that multiple non-profits, not just our clients, would have it to use for free. Well, we only raised $2,000. Rather than return that money, we are going to divide the proceeds among those nonprofits that used it the most, including BGoldN, Family Promise and the International Rescue Committee.
Here Are Some of My Previous Columns on Related Topics
Find and download each of them online at www.JimSmithColumns.com.
Jan. 2, 2025 —Is a Reverse Mortgage Right for You?
Oct. 31, 2024 — Cooperative Living Presents an Attractive Alternative to Downsizing Oct. 17, 2024 —Understanding the Different Kinds of 55+ Retirement Communities (CCRCs)
Sept. 26, 2024 — Keeping Your Death from Becoming an Undue Burden on Your Heirs
Aug. 8, 2024 — Seniors Might Consider Downsizing into a Rental, Not a Smaller Home
Also: Trusts as an Estate Planning Strategy
Feb. 8, 2024 — ‘Empty-Nest’ Baby Boomers Own Twice as Many Big Homes as Millennials with Children
Aug. 17, 2023 —Should You Consider a Reverse Mortgage as Part of Your Retirement Plan?
Mar. 16, 2023 — Here Are Some Ways to Make Your Home More Senior-Friendly Dec. 29, 2022 — Have You Considered Cohousing — An Explanation and Some Examples July 28, 2022 — Aging in Place vs. Moving to a 55+ Community: Some Considerations
Townhome-Style Condo in Centennial Listed by Chris Sholts
$489,000
$575,000
This updated, 4-BR/2-bath tri-level at 6337 W. 68th Place is in a quiet, established neighborhood. Each level has been thoughtfully renovated. The vaulted main level has new luxury vinyl plank floors, and there’s new paint throughout. The galley kitchen has new cabinets, complemented by white appliances. The upper level has 3 bedrooms with new carpet and an updated full bathroom. The lower level has a spacious family room with a red brick fireplace and above-grade windows. There is a 4th bedroom, laundry, and updated 3/4 bathroom on this level. The windows and siding were replaced in 2018, and a new roof is being installed! A video tour is posted at www.GRElistings.com. Call Kathy at 303-990-7428 to request a showing.
This updated 2-story condo at 5555 E. Briarwood Ave. has a finished basement, offering the perfect blend of comfort, style, and convenience. Located in the heart of the Summerhill neighborhood, this home has thoughtful upgrades and a bright, open floorplan. The main level is ideal for entertaining with its inviting family room, complete with wood-burning fireplace. It flows into the formal dining area and opens to a private patio. The updated dine-in kitchen boasts stylish countertops and laminate wood flooring. All appliances are included. A stylish half bath with tile flooring rounds out the main floor. Upstairs, the vaulted primary suite has dual closets and a beautifully updated ensuite bath. The finished basement has a large recreation room, laundry area, and ample storage. A private patio is just steps from the neighborhood pool and hot tub. More information at www.GRElistings.com
CCM papers acquired in deal with Arizona group
National Trust for Local News announces partnership with Times Media Group
e National Trust for Local News today announced a restructuring of its Colorado operations — known as Colorado Community Media — that centers on a partnership with Times Media Group.
e National Trust will transfer ownership of 21 local publications concentrated in metro Denver to Times Media Group (TMG), a community news publisher based in Tempe, Arizona, whose owner has personal roots in Colorado.
e National Trust will retain ownership of seven publications stretching from Brighton to Idaho Springs, and will continue to grow and operate the Trust Press, a community printing press that serves the Front Range media ecosystem. e organizations will enter into a strategic partnership around shared services and print production.
“ rough this strategic partnership with Times Media Group, we can reduce our footprint in greater Denver without reducing local journalism there, all while positioning ourselves to grow in the parts of Colorado where the need for our unique model is greatest,” Will Nelligan, chief growth o cer at the National Trust for Local News, said in a statement. “While it wasn’t an easy decision, we think it’s a positive outcome from all perspectives that sets the stage for a more resilient, equitable, and vibrant media ecosystem in the state.”
e seven newspapers retained by the National Trust are the Brighton StandardBlade, Fort Lupton Press, Canyon Courier, Clear Creek Courant, Northglennornton Sentinel, Westminster Window and Golden Transcript. ese titles will become part of the Colorado Trust for Local News, a subsidiary of the National Trust dedicated to building an equitable, resilient, and vibrant future for local news across Colorado.
Times Media Group owns and operates more than 60 publications in Arizona and California — free weekly newspapers, magazines, specialty publications and robust digital platforms that reach hundreds of thousands of readers. e news brands shifting to Times Media Group include newspapers like the Arvada Press, Littleton Independent and Parker Chronicle, as well as two shoppers.
e majority of Colorado Community Media’s employees were o ered positions with Times Media Group, while others will stay with the Colorado Trust for Local News.
“We couldn’t be more excited to serve the communities in Colorado. We know how much community news means in this state, and we understand the terri c legacy created over the years by these publications and their teams,” said Steve Strickbine, president and founder of Times Media Group. “ is partnership is a good t for Times Media Group and the National Trust for Local News. I look forward to the great journalism ahead and the new ways we’ll create for our advertisers to reach their customers and clients.”
e National Trust for Local News acquired Colorado Community Media in 2021 to ensure its nearly two dozen news-
papers had a future and would not become news deserts. Leadership told employees that e Trust was approached by Times Media Group in recent months and discovered the company shared its mission of preserving and growing local news. Last fall, the National Trust opened the Trust Press in Denver, a community printing press designed to serve publishers across Colorado who are struggling with the rising costs of producing their jour-
nalism. e press has now taken on its rst seven printing partners. As part of the transaction, TMG will print with the Trust Press.
As another part of the transaction, TMG will provide shared services to the Colorado Trust for Local News, including page design, digital infrastructure, advertising sales, and circulation management. Other terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Leadership for Times Media Group, Director of Operations Nadine Johnson and founder and President Steve Strickbine, were in the Colorado Community Media o ces on May 13, 2025, to announce the deal.
PHOTO BY COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA STAFF
Using dance to reclaim Latino identity
Jesús David Muñoz is seeking to challenge cultural erasure
BY ROSSANA LONGO BETTER ROSSANA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
e air at Green Spaces in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood pulsed rhythm, laughter and movement on a recent Saturday evening as locals of all backgrounds swayed to the sounds of salsa, Cuban son and reggaetón.
Tumbao Social, a new free monthly dance event, seeks to honor Latinidad and foster a more inclusive and connected Latinx community in Denver.
At the heart of the event is Jesús David Muñoz, a Latinx dance artist and percussionist whose work bridges Indigenous, Mexican and Cuban traditions with ballet, modern and contemporary forms. With more than two decades of experience as a performer, educator and choreographer, Muñoz sees dance as both an ancestral language and a tool for liberation.
Muñoz is a current ensemble dancer with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance and a recent MFA graduate from the University of Colorado Boulder. With over 20 years of involvement in the international Latinx dance community, he has worked as a freelance artist, educator and choreographer. His work is grounded in his Mexican-Indigenous identity and is shaped by both traditional and Eurocentric dance forms from folklórico and Afro-Cuban rhythms to ballet and modern technique.
A publication of
ballet, modern and contemporary techniques.
e Tumbao Social event, held at 2590 Walnut St., features a DJ, live percussion and communityled dance instruction. Attendees range from seasoned dancers to rst-timers who come simply to move, listen and nd community. Organizers describe it as a joyful experiment in rede ning what Latinidad can look and feel like in today’s Colorado.
In this conversation, Muñoz reects on his journey, the power of cultural dance, and the urgency of building accessible spaces for Latinx communities in Colorado.
Colorado Community Media: How did dance rst enter your life? What was the moment it became part of your identity?
Jesús David Muñoz: I was 4 years old when I rst saw my uncle perform the deer dance “La Danza del Venado” in my hometown of Delicias, Chihuahua, Mexico. He was a soloist in the Amalia Hernández company and danced as the deer in this Indigenous Yaqui tradition, portraying the journey of a hunted deer. at performance stayed with me. My whole family danced, at quinceañeras, parties, anywhere. Movement was part of life, of joy, of culture. Later, when I came to the U.S. at 12, I started learning Latin percussion and Cuban dance while also entering the world of
Dance has always been natural for me, but realizing it could also be a career — a way to open doors for others — came with time and training. ere’s wisdom in the body, in how our elders move and celebrate. at joy is deeply cultural and also political. Dance became part of how I understood who I was and who I could become.
CCM: You often talk about creating accessibility spaces through dance. What does that look like in practice?
Muñoz: I’ve spent years learning both cultural and Eurocentric dance forms. at dual training helped me see how much generational wealth and institutional power is embedded in ballet and concert dance. But ballet is also a cultural form. It comes from the Italian and French courts. It’s ethnic, too. What’s missing in mainstream spaces is that same recognition and investment in Latinx cultural dance.
For me, building accessible spaces means creating pathways for our communities to see cultural dance as high art, as something complex and worthy of respect. It also means training in a way that honors tradition while opening doors, especially for young people, to pursue dance professionally. at’s why I partner with institutions like Cleo Parker Robinson Dance and BMoCA to bring cultural dance into established venues.
CCM: You’ve worked across the U.S., Mexico and Cuba. How have these experiences shaped your work today?
Muñoz: Each place has deepened my understanding of how
dance is rooted in resistance, survival, and connection. Working with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, a company grounded in the African-American experience, showed me how cultural dance and concert dance can exist in unity. Cleo keeps those two worlds alive in one space, and that inspired me to do the same for Latinx communities.
ere aren’t many people in the U.S. writing, theorizing or institutionalizing Latinx cultural dance in this way. So I see my role as both an artist and a cultural broker.
CCM: You’ve said that some institutions or instructors use business models to teach cultural dance without honoring its roots. Do you see this as a form of erasure or appropriation?
Muñoz: Absolutely. What we’re witnessing is a pattern where elements of our culture — our rhythms, our movement, our stories — are being extracted from their original contexts and repackaged without the community, the history or the pain that shaped them. It’s not just about dance steps; it’s about erasing where those steps come from and who they belong to. And when that happens in elite or commercial spaces, it’s often done without credit or care. So yes, I see it as a form of cultural erasure. at’s why I teach the history before the choreography. It’s not enough to learn the movement, you have to understand the people behind it.
CCM: How are your classes and community events, especially those with live music, di erent from traditional dance classes?
Muñoz: Right now, I’m focused on Tumbao Social at Green Spaces. … It’s open to everyone. We’re
143 S. 2nd Pl.,
CommerceCitySentinel.com
educating people before the dancing starts, about the history, the rhythms, the culture behind the movement. at’s what sets it apart. It’s not just about learning steps; it’s about context, connection and honoring where the dance comes from. I want the space to be a platform for other artists and community members, too.
CCM: What message do you have for young Latinx, Chicanx or Indigenous artists who feel invisible in the mainstream arts world?
Muñoz: First, believe in your power. Courage is more useful than safety. We often think we need to feel safe before we act, but the truth is, we need to step into our own power and capacity. Build your community, nd your people, and keep showing up, even when it’s hard.
Also know this: cultural dance is high art. It carries complexity, legacy and beauty. We need more of our people leading that conversation, not just participating in it. I want to build spaces where others can see themselves re ected and take that as a call to action.
CCM: Where can people nd more information about your upcoming events, classes and your work with cultural liberation through dance?
Muñoz: e best way to stay connected is through my website boulderafrolatindance.com. I regularly post about upcoming classes, events like Tumbao Social, and new collaborations. Whether you’re a dancer, a musician or just someone looking for community, that’s where you can nd everything we’re doing to build spaces of movement, healing and joy.
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Jesús David Muñoz leads a dance class blending Afro-Latin rhythms and Indigenous movement traditions to build cultural power. ROSSANA LONGO BETTER
ARTS
“We’ve been fortunate to select some sculptures as permanent additions for the city, and every sculpture we acquired was donated to the town,” Rose said.
One of those pieces was a bronze sculpture Wardle made, located at the Brighton Memorial Armory, 300 Strong St. Wardle said her sculpture commemorates a historical bicycle race that had been run
from Brighton to Greeley every year since the city’s establishment in 1887.
“ is was a race from Brighton to Greeley between the 1800s and 1900s. en, another went from Denver, starting at Con uence Park, through Brighton to Greeley. ese were signi cant events, with about 1,000 bicycle riders, and the winners were those who rode from Denver to Brighton, a relatively common monthly race,” Wardle said.
Wardle said the winner was awarded a jug of buttermilk. Back then, it was like Gatorade; a little boy would carry a jug to
the winner, and it energized him.
Wilma’s husband Dave has volunteered with the Public Arts Committee for the past two or three years.
“Wilma and I have been directly involved with the arts committee, which has been trying to bring visual art and art activities to Brighton,” he said. “We hosted a hoedown at a rustic farm near Brighton Berry Patch Farms last year. We had a live band, drawings, and square dancing, which provided a unique and successful way to appreciate the arts in Brighton.”
“We have put up a couple of murals, one
of which is the ‘Women of Inspiration mural on the H& R Block wall. It was very successful, and people seem to enjoy it. Without the committee, I’m not sure these art pieces would have existed,” he said.
Event worthy
Dolly Garcia has been involved with the Brighton Cultural Arts Commission since 2021. She joined after receiving the Excellence in Arts Award for her work with the Readers eater at the Eagle View Adult Center.
Open Heart is a metal sculpture by M.L. Du y in Brighton’s Founders Plaza. PHOTOS BY BELEN WARD
The Sandpaper Track by Kathy Wardlecan be found in the courtyard between Anythink’s Brighton Library and the Brighton Memorial Armory. BELEN WARD
ARTS
“I was excited to join BCAC because I love art and felt I could contribute to the beautication of Brighton. Last year, I was the chair of our Art Heals the Heart.”
at event brought in a psychologist who invited the audience to draw pictures of what was most important or dear to them.
“ ose pictures were beautiful and displayed on a six-by-six card, showcased at the Armory and the Main Street Creatives,” Garcia said.
Another event featuring Garcia was the Literary Circus, which focused on books and collaborated with the local library and a pub-
lisher who conducted a small workshop on how to publish.
Gary Wardle, Kathy’s husband, has been working on public art for 15 years and loves art because his wife is an artist.
“I served as Brighton’s director of Parks and Recreation for 20 years. I began collaborating on public art projects with the Cultural Arts Committee, installing sculptures in Benedick Park,” he said. “We installed two in Benedick Park that private citizens donated. One was memorializing her son, and the other was memorializing her daughter, who had passed away young.”
“When I was the director, we installed the rst kinetic windmill downtown, and the next one they purchased at Founders Plaza Park and planned the mural on the wall of the Wells Fargo building,” Gary said.
Schools warn of dangerous TikTok challenge
BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Weld Re-8 Superintendent Alan Kaylor noti ed the community on May 9 about a dangerous TikTok challenge involving a lead pencil inserted into USB ports on electric devices — particularly laptop computers.
“We are reaching out to inform you of a deeply concerning trend circulating on social media, particularly TikTok, that poses a risk to students and school communities,” Kaylor said. “ is challenge encourages individuals to insert pencil lead or other conductive objects into the USB or charging ports of personal or schoolissued electronic devices, attempting to short-circuit them.”
e Denver Public Schools have issued notices regarding the dangerous TikTok challenge across the Denver metropolitan area.
“ is activity is dangerous. It can cause sparks, smoke, toxic fumes, and in some cases, res due to a condition known as thermal runaway,” Kaylor said. “Such incidents threaten the safety of all students and sta , can damage school property, and may require emergency response services — diverting critical resources from true emergencies.”
“Please discuss the serious risks involved with your child regarding social media challenges like this one.
Our school community’s safety is our top priority, and we must take this issue seriously,” Kaylor said.
Kaylor said any student found participating in this activity will face disciplinary action. Also, students and families will be held nancially responsible for any damage caused to school-issued devices or property.
“We ask for your support in monitoring your child’s social media use and reinforcing the importance of making safe, responsible choices. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your building principal or my ofce. ank you for your partnership in keeping our schools safe,” Kaylor said.
The Women of Inspiration by Frank Garza. The mural painted on the H & R Block building along Brighton’s South Main Street , honors and celebrates the women who inspired Brighton.
A dangerous TikTok challenge could cause a fire at schools. BELEN WARD
BLOWOUT
and Matthew Davis, a postdoctoral researcher, tracked the plume while the geyser from the well was at full force.
Both Chevron and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment have been conducting air quality tests and have not detected levels as high as those measured by the CSU team.
On the evening of April 8, Low tracked the plume taking samples at about 1 mile downwind from the well, with the highest reading 35.5 parts per billion of benzene at the plume’s edge — that yielded a calculation of about 100 ppb at the center.
CSU reported its initial ndings to CDPHE, but the department said its Air Pollution Control Division had not yet received or reviewed the university’s full air monitoring data.
e di erence in readings comes from a di erence in the way researchers did their sampling.
CSU’s data show higher levels because researchers followed the pollution plume streaming from the well.
Emissions from a point source — like a smokestack — move on the wind, forming a band that becomes more diluted as it travels farther from the source and is less dense at its edges than in its center.
Using a mobile air lab in a Chevy Tahoe, CSU graduate student Lena Low
Low used a canister to grab a sample of the air for laboratory analysis. ere was no question of heading into the plume. Even at the edge, “it smelled horrible and felt hot,” Low said. “It was very unpleasant.”
At 2 miles, just using the instruments in the Tahoe, the methane level was about 20 ppm.
e federal Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry sets the long-term exposure level at no more than 9 ppb. Colorado’s health guideline value is the same.
Davis sampled the area midday April 8 and recorded levels of 22 ppb of benzene a mile away and 5.4 ppb 2 miles away.
FROM PAGE 1
Footprints in a pond close to Willow Creek by County Roads 72 and 51 on May 6, 2025,, near where Chevron’s Bishop well blew out in Galeton on April 6, 2025. Much of the work around the well involves protecting the creek and other waterways from liquids that spewed from the well for nearly five days.
PHOTO BY TRI DUONG / SPECIAL TO THE COLORADO SUN
SEE BLOWOUT, P11
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Fourteen families within a half-mile of the wells voluntarily evacuated with Chevron providing help with living and housing expenses.
Most of the houses are now wrapped in plastic and being decontaminated.
“ e whole area looks like Chernobyl,”
Carol Hawkins, a Weld County activist opposing drilling, said after driving through the area from her home in Ault.
Monitoring at nearby elementary will continue e emissions readings are dependent on meteorological and atmospheric conditions, CSU’s Fischer said. For example, multiple measurements were taken at the Galeton Elementary School, which is
next to the well site, but was upwind and all those readings were comparable to the ambient background level of 2 ppb. e school had been closed from April 11 to April 22.
But during the early morning, when the air cools and becomes more dense, the benzene likely became more concentrated leading to even high emission levels.
CDPHE sent its Mobile Optical Oil and Gas Sensor of Emissions air monitoring van, known as MOOSE, to the area after the incident soon after the well failure and stayed through April 11. e MOOSE recorded maximum levels of 9 ppb to 10 ppb of benzene about 2 miles downwind of the incident location on two di erent deployments.
On April 11, CDPHE also placed a stationary monitor at the school and said it will continue monitoring until the school year ends May 23. CDPHE said it has not observed any measurement above the
state’s health guideline value for benzene since beginning measurements at the school.
“Chevron has multiple air monitors in and around our locations. e night of the Bishop well incident, our on-going air monitoring was in place,” the company said in a statement.
Chevron conducted air monitoring and collected approximately 3,000 measurements that were analyzed by independent laboratories.
“Air monitoring continues in and around the area surrounding the site and the community, and all measurements that we have received from the laboratories have been below levels of concern,” the company said.
Monitoring at the school will continue for the “next few years” according to a note to parents from Kim Hielscher, the school’s principal, and Jay Tapia, the district superintendent.
Measurements of exposure to emissions can be elusive, said Andrew Klooster, who as the Colorado eld advocate for the environmental group Earthworks uses an infrared camera to document emissions violations.
“Chevron probably had air monitors at the edge of its site but this pollution plume ew right over them,” Klooster said. “What happened in Galeton is rare. is isn’t something we routinely encounter.”
“It is a cautionary tale for even with Chevron having all these best management practices in place it happened,” he said. “Galeton is rural. What if it happens in proximity of homes and growing communities as we see on the Front Range?”
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.
jsmith@altitude.law Atty. Reg. #:40490 Case Number: 2024C046026 Div.: 1 PLURIES SUMMONS FOR INJUNCTIVE
PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO TO: JASON T MLINEK and ADYL MLINEK
You are hereby summoned and required to file with the Clerk of the Court an answer or other response to the complaint filed against you in this case. You are required to file your answer or other response on or before:
June 20, 2025 at 8:30 A.M., in Division 1 of the Adams County Court, 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, CO 80601.
The nature of this action is a proceeding in rem.
The relief sought by the Plaintiff(s) is an Injunction which will affect the following property:
10171 Altura St., Commerce City, CO 80022-8937 also known as SUB:HIGH POINTE SUBDIVISION BLK:10 LOT:3; Adams County, State of Colorado.
If you fail to file your answer or other response on or before the date and time shown above, the relief sought may be granted by default by the Court without further notice.
Dated at Colorado, this 18th day of April, 2025..
CLERK OF THE COURT By: Deputy Clerk
This summons is issued pursuant to Rule 304(e), Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure. This form should not be used where personal service is desired.
WARNING: ALL FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE. IN SOME CASES, A REQUEST FOR A JURY TRIAL MAY BE DENIED PURSUANT TO LAW EVEN THOUGH A JURY FEE HAS BEEN PAID.
