Former Routt County treasurer vows to unite party and boost fundraising
BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN
Brita Horn, a former Routt County treasurer, was elected March 29 to serve as the next chair of the Colorado GOP, vowing to unite the highly fractured party, boost fundraising and show up for candidates as Republicans look to right their wayward ship in 2026.
“We have so much division, we have so much distraction,” she told members of the Colorado GOP’s central committee. “Guess what the Democrats are doing right now? ey’re winning elections.”
Horn, who ran unsuccessfully in 2018 for state treasurer, won 53% of the party chair vote in the second round of voting over former Weld County Commissioner Lori Saine. ere were about 440 members of the Colorado GOP casting ballots at the party’s reorganization meeting in Colorado Springs.
Horn beat out six other candidates for the job, including Saine, former state Rep. Richard Holtorf, and Darcy Schoening, the state party’s director of special initiatives.
Horn lives near Steamboat Springs and is the chief of the Rock Creek Volunteer Fire Department. She’s long been active in Republican politics in Colorado.
Targetting statewide elections
Next year will be a big one for Colorado Republicans. e statewide o ces of governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer and a U.S. Senate seat will be up for grabs. e last time a Republican won a statewide election in Colorado was 2016.
Republicans also will be defending U.S. House seats in the 8th and 3rd districts and seeking to ip more state legislative seats.
Horn replaces Chairman Dave Williams, whose two-year term leading Republicans in Colorado was marked by controversy after contreversy.
Williams decided not to seek reelection.
During his tenure as chairman, Williams upset Republicans by taking sides in GOP primaries, albeit unsuccessfully; running for Congress and using party funds to boost his campaign; sending out an email that was o ensive to LGBTQ people; and trying to change the party’s bylaws to further his agenda. He also had a Colorado Sun reporter removed from a party gathering last year, stoking a national controversy.
Wins despite state party
Republicans ipped three state House and a U.S. House seat while Williams was in charge. But those victories happened mostly in spite ofthe state party, not because of it.
In the 8th Congressional District, where Republican Gabe Evans won, the Colorado GOP endorsed his primary opponent, Janak Joshi. e party didn’t report any direct spending to help Evans beat incumbent Democrat Yadira Caraveo in the
Reporters weren’t allowed at the party’s reorganizational meeting March 29. Instead, they were forced to watch the event on a livestream.
on the Cadet Advisory Council for four years, is the Rocky Mountain region’s primary representative to the National Cadet Advisory Council and more.
general election.
Evans was so fed up with party leadership that he actually called on Williams to resign in July as part of a push to remove the organization’s entire leadership slate.
As for the three state House seats Republicans ipped last year, the party didn’t report spending any money on those races either. It was the state House Republican caucus campaign arm and independent expenditure committees that were responsible for the bulk of the activity in those contests.
Williams’ detractors, including Horn,sought to remove him as chairman
While others in the program may continue onto the Navy, Army or Marine Corps, Spencer is drawn to the Air Force.
in the leadup to the 2024 election, but their e ortfell short after a court battle. Williams sued Horn and the others. e Colorado GOP central committee on Saturday also elected Las Animas County GOP Chairman Lee Phelan Sr. as vice chair, denying current Vice Chair Scheppelman a second term, and former congressional candidate Russ Andrews as secretary.
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.
Nicole said.
“I just kind of stuck with it,” said Spencer. “I really liked all the opportunities that it gave me and I had a great time doing it.”
Over the years, he has attended Cadet Officer School, obtained his pre-solo aeronautical rating at the 2024 Desert Eagle National Flight Academy, has taught classes at the Rocky Mountain Region Cadet Leadership School, served
Spencer is qualified to go on emergency service missions, and he has enjoyed volunteering in the community, getting to know the younger cadets and being the person he used to look up to for others.
“Seeing the new cadets grow and find their place in the Civil Air Patrol, find what they want to do with their lives, (and) more importantly, discover what they are good at,” said Spencer. “That’s been a real favorite part for me.”
“I just felt that the environment, after touring a lot of the ROTC detachments, the Air Force was definitely a great fit for me,” Spencer said.
Having also received an Air Force ROTC scholarship, Spencer hopes to use the scholarship to go to a university and commission in the Air Force as an officer in Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance or Cyberspace operations.
While he is grateful for the recognition, he wants others to know that getting involved in the community can lead to various opportunities.
“A lot of the opportunities that I have been able to have wouldn’t have come if I had never put myself out there,” said Spencer. “Putting yourself out there and being an active member (in the community) can allow not only for your success, but it helps a lot of other people along the way.”
Spencer is now in the running for the Rocky Mountain Cadet of the Year, which includes cadets from Idaho, Utah, Montana and Wyoming. If he is selected, he will go onto the national level for recognition.
Former Routt County Treasurer Brita Horn will serve as the next chair of the Colorado GOP, vowing to unify the party and improve fundraising and candidate support. COURTESY PHOTO
The Typical Wood-Frame Home Which Has Dominated Subdivisions Since the 1990s May Soon Be History
Let’s say that the writing is on the wall. The kind of site-built wood-frame homes that have dominated new American subdivisions since about 1990 are getting too expensive to satisfy America’s needs in a time of severe housing shortage.
Several factors are at work which make that style of home construction soon to be obsolete.
Factor #1: Labor shortages, especially with immigrant labor being deported.
Factor #2: Wildfire vulnerability of wood-frame homes, as demonstrated in Boulder County and more recently in southern California.
just a few years ago, but is now becoming mainstream. Other builders have learned from Lennar’s experience and multiple companies have entered that space.
Factor #3: Climate change, which is spiking a demand for greater resiliency in home construction — not just from fire, but from high-wind events like tornadoes and hurricanes.
Factor #4: Higher costs, aggravated no doubt by 25% tariffs on the Canadian lumber used in most new homes.
Having followed trade publications for the home construction and related industries, I am convinced that other technologies and techniques for home construction are about to go mainstream, making today’s wood-frame, onsite building process soon to be obsolete, or at least out of favor except for super expensive custom homes.
I also believe we will see more attention paid to the siting of new homes. It’s easy enough to site a home so that it benefits from solar gain, even if it is not solar-powered. Simply having big windows to the south with a wide overhang allowing solar gain from the low sun in the winter and shade from the high sun in the summer is a no-brainer, but it seems there has been a shortage of architectural brains in current and past siting of new homes. Similarly, having fewer windows on the north side of the house is simply smart “passive house” design.
Having an enclosed rather than open foyer (what’s called an “air lock”) is common sense too, and costs very little to implement.
That’s just the beginning of the changes I expect to see in new subdivisions. Lennar has already built a 3D printed subdivision in Texas (see picture). 3D printing of homes using concrete was a novelty (which I wrote about)
A Fast Company article in January 2023 proclaimed that “3D-printed houses are the suburbs of the future.”
The pictures at right are from that article. Here’s an excerpt: “Iowa City-based Alquist 3D, which specializes in reasonably priced automated construction in rural areas, has already started building Project Virginia, in which it will create 200 3D-printed homes (all variations on craftsman designs, also framed in layered concrete and topped with gabled wood-framed roofs) around the state, starting in tiny Pulaski (population 8,691). It’s also starting a 25-home project in Malvern, Iowa and a 10-home development in Muscatine, Iowa. Alquist founder and CEO Zachary Mannheimer says the firm has about 500 total units — ranging in price from $250,000 to around $400,000 — in the pipeline in Virginia, Florida, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, and Texas.”
Nothing says “mainstream” quite like Iowa and those other states. Colorado can not be far behind. Just last month, CBS Colorado (Channel 4 News) reported on a $638,000 grant under Colorado’s Innovative Housing Incentive Program to a Salida company, Verotouch, following the completion of their two 1,100-square-foot 3D-printed homes in Buena Vista.
“We are proud to accelerate innovation in housing to better address Colorado's housing needs,” Gov. Jared Polis said. “The unveiling of the first 3D-printed homes in the state is a great example of our state’s efforts to support new construction methods and create more housing now.”
The layered concrete walls of 3D-printed homes are naturally fire resistant. They are typically one-story homes with a standard peaked roof made from wood trusses, as you can see in the picture above. The front three homes in that picture show a 3-D home at different stages of completion. A gantry straddling the foundation transports the tube which lays down layer upon layer of concrete slurry following a computer program.
Previous Columns on Innovation & Technology
The dates are clickable links on our blog, http://RealEstateToday.substack.com April 3, 2025 —International Builders’ Show 2025 Showcased Some New & Inspiring Products Feb. 27, 2025 — As Society Deals with Affordability, Expect Greater Focus on Manufactured Homes Sept. 26, 2024 — Is a Heat Pump Right for You? Here’s Some Information to Help You Decide. Aug. 15, 2024 -- What to Ask If Buying Solar-Powered Home; Level-Up Sustainability & Recycling July 18, 2024 — Renovation Trends Reflect a Desire for Comfort, Warmth and Healthy Living May 23, 2024 — Model Home Tour Was Uninspiring. Where’s the Innovation & Sustainability? Also: Here’s the Innovation and Sustainability — Thrive Home Builders’ Loretto Heights Project May 16, 2024 — EPA’s ‘Energy Star NextGen’ Designation Is for Fully Electrified Homes May 2, 2024 — Break Away from Common Exterior Products With These Winning Products Mar. 21, 2024 — What’s Behind the Buzz About ‘Indoor Air Quality’ and ‘Sick Building Syndrome’? Feb. 22, 2024 —Startup Develops Concrete That Absorbs CO2; Another Turns Straw into OSB Boards Feb. 15, 2024 — Here’s an Innovative Approach to the Off-Site Modular Home Construction Industry Dec. 21, 2023 — D.R. Horton Inks Deal to Build with OSB Made From Grass Instead of Wood Nov. 9, 2023 — Here Are Some Ideas for the ‘Adaptive Reuse’ of Vacant Office Buildings
Also: 3D-Printing Home Construction Firm Is Relocating to Greeley, Colorado
Oct. 12, 2023 — Here’s a Company Selling ‘Self-Powered’ Manufactured Homes Starting at $310,000 Sept. 14, 2023 — I Found Only One Marshall Fire Home Being Rebuilt with Fire Resistance in Mind
Sept. 7, 2023 — Geothermal Energy, Big Sister of Geothermal Heating & Cooling, Is Coming Along June 1, 2023 — Innovative Startup Makes ‘Carbon Negative’ Building Materials Made From Grass
May 18, 2023 — Liv-Connected: A New Player in the Manufactured and Modular Housing Industry
Apr. 6, 2023 — YouTube Features 40+ ‘Top Green Products’ from the International Builders Show
Mar. 23, 2023 — Geothermal Heating & Cooling Can Be Practical & Affordable on Community Level
Feb. 23, 2023 — Boxabl, the Las Vegas Manufacturer of ADUs, Is Ramping up Production Feb. 9, 2023 — Understanding Indoor Air Quality and How It’s Managed in Super-Insulated Homes
Jan. 26, 2023 — This Year’s CES Show Featured Some Exciting New Technologies and Products
Dec. 15, 2022 —Lennar’s New Subdivision Near Austin, Texas, Features 3D-Printed Homes
Dec. 8, 2022 — A Subdivision in Pueblo Sets the Standard for All-Electric Home Construction
Nov. 10, 2022 —KB Home Is Building All-Electric Homes — But Not in Colorado
Oct. 13, 2022 — Homes That Survived Marshall Fire Were More Airtight & Had Conditioned Attics
In past columns, I have written about a local company, Colorado Earth, which has pioneered construction of homes using compressed-earth bricks called EcoBlox. That’s more labor intensive, since the walls have to be laid by workers, but homes share the same benefits of being fire and weather resilient.
New technology abounds in the other components that go into home construction. For example, in June 2023 I wrote about a company, Plantd, in North Carolina, which has developed an alternative to OSB, the wall sheeting and roof decking used in virtually all home construction, made from a fast-growing perennial grass, grown locally on former tobacco plantations, saving 17 trees per house
and sequestering 8 tons of carbon dioxide per house. See www.PlantdMaterials.com
A Fast Company article in October 2024 reported that homebuilder D.R. Horton had ordered 10 million of Plantd’s panels, enough to build 90,000 homes.
The innovation taking place in every other component of home construction — doors, windows, manufactured housing, appliances, and more — is stunning to behold, confirming for me that a major revolution in the home construction industry is already unfolding. Be sure that I’ll continue to write about it here!
I have posted links for everything mentioned in this article on our company blog at http://RealEstateToday.substack.com
Does Your Older Home Have a Federal Pacific Electrical Panel?
An estimated 28 million American homes built in the 1950s through the 1980s, including many in Colorado, have an electrical panel manufactured by Federal Pacific Electric, which lost its UL certification decades ago because of multiple failures of its Stab-Lok breakers to trip when overloaded, thereby causing a fire hazard.
Our friends at Alpine Building Performance, LLC, shared these additional issues with the FPE panels:
The breakers often don’t connect properly to the panel’s bus bars, causing arcing, overheating, and potential fire hazards.
Some Stab-Lok breakers get stuck in the “on” position, even when manually switched off, making it impossible to cut power.
Reports suggest that FPE manipulated UL testing results, leading to unsafe products being approved for use.
Studies indicate that homes with FPE panels have a significantly higher likelihood of electrical fires compared to other panels. For these reasons, any home inspector hired by a buyer can be expected to recommend that replacement be demanded of the seller.
Charities Which Used Our Free Box Truck Miss
It. So, We’ve
Launched a GoFundMe
Campaign to Bring It Back.
Back in February, I announced that our truck needed a new engine and other repairs and that we decided to retire it instead. This was a big loss to such non-profits as the Wounded Warrior Project, Family Promise, BGoldN, Christian Action Guild, Buffalo Bill Days, and the International Rescue Committee, among others, which used the truck more often than our clients!
The truck is off the road but still available to be repaired — or replaced, if we raise enough money. If you’d like to contribute, visit www.BringItBack.info. Thanks!
Above: A 3D-printed home in Desert Hot Springs CA. Below: A Lennar 3D subdivision in Texas
Spring brings public art to Douglas County
Program will start to install fresh collection around area
BY
As spring arrives, so does a new season of public art for residents and visitors exploring Douglas County’s out-
SEE YOURSELF ON STAGE
Art Encounters, a year-long outdoor art program, will begin installing a fresh collection of sculptures across the county next month. Communities inest in art, build community pride and attract visitors to retail and civic areas. A Public Art Advisory Committee, featuring representatives from across the county, selects sculptures for each participating jurisdiction. e program was initially funded through Scienti c and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) funds in 2006 and 2007.
Theatre Education at the DCPA
For towns like Parker, Art Encounters has provided an accessible way to bring public art into the community. Carrie Glassburn, Parker’s cultural director, noted that the town originally lacked a designated budget for public art. e program allowed it to introduce a variety of pieces to the area.
“A playful, whimsical sculpture for O’Brien Park, a more sophisticated, artistic piece for outside the PACE Cultural Center, and a striking, large-scale installation for Town Hall, which stands at a key intersection leading into downtown Parker,” Glassburn said.
To bring these works to life, artists “lease” their artwork to the town for a year. Since Art Encounters began, more than 100 sculptures have lived in Parker, and the community looks forward to the arrival of new artwork each year. Some of the borrowed pieces have captured the hearts of residents so much that the town and its Public Art Commission have chosen to purchase them, adding to Parker’s permanent collection.
“It’s a wonderful outcome that supports both the artists and our community,” Glassburn said.
One of those artists, Annette Coleman, has contributed sculptures to Douglas County for the past three years. A longtime participant in Colorado’s public art rental programs, Coleman credits these initiatives with helping sustain her practice, including over $12,000 in stipends.
Colorado has over a dozen art rental programs, including Westminster’s
Sculpture on Loan, Lafayette’s Art on the Street, Art in Public Places in Longmont, heArt of Lyons, Hudson Gardens in Littleton, Sculpture Evergreen and
“ e background on art rentals from artists in Colorado is very robust, and rado is extremely signi cant,” Coleman said. “I don’t think there’s another state that has anything like Colorado.” Coleman’s work spans kinetic designs — such as her “Wind Sprites” series made of Plexiglass, stainless steel and bright enamel paints — as well as mosaic sculptures crafted from recycled satellite dishes and stained glass. Her pieces often explore themes of joy, shared cultural experiences and the beauty of the natural world.
Beyond Colorado, Coleman’s art has appeared in Wyoming and Arizona, and she often receives photos from friends who encounter her sculptures on their travels. With sculptures displayed in multiple locations, she admitted that keeping track of them all can be a challenge.
“See, that’s my problem, is trying to gure out where they are, where they’re going next, and scheduling when I can pick them up and move them to a di erent municipality. It’s a big chess board,” Coleman said.
e Art Encounters program continues to attract strong interest from artists. According to Kim Smith, Douglas County’s community programs coordinator, 94 artists applied to be a part of this year’s exhibit. Since its inception, Art Encounters has facilitated the purchase of 24 sculptures.
Selected artists receive a $1,200 stipend after their works are installed. e application period for the 2025-2026 program year is now closed, with the next call for entries expected to open in early 2026. Selected pieces for the upcoming cycle will be installed between mid-to-late May and will remain on display through May 2026.
For now, residents can look forward to a new wave of public art enriching the community — just in time for the warmer months ahead.
“Whirling Dervish Transcendence at the Gardens” by Annette Coleman located at the Seven Stones Chatfield Botanical Garden Cemetery in unincorporated Douglas County. COURTESY OF ANNETTE COLEMAN
“Spiral Vortex” by Diego Harris is an Art Encounters piece that will be installed in Parker for the 2025-2026 season. COURTESY PHOTO
DRCOG updates Dougco on regional transportation plan
First update since 2021 is underway
BY FRANK DEANGELI SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
e Douglas County Transportation Steering Committee on April 2 heard an update from the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) on its 2050 Regional Transportation Plan.
is year marks the plan’s rst update since its adoption in 2021.
e plan was established as the region’s long-term vision to “improve mobility for users of its multimodal transportation system.” e plan “identi es speci c project and program investments meant to address the region’s transportation planning priorities.”
metropolitan area have been proposed as additions to the network. DRCOG’s hope is that a comprehensive regional roadway system will allow the council to best allocate limited funds to its “most heavily traveled and important connecting roadways.”
and more to give kids unique opportunities to explore the world of culture through creativity! Half-day and full-day options are available.
e April 2 update primarily involved revisions to the Regional Roadway System, the network of roads to which DRCOG’s plan will apply. Several stretches of freeways, tollways, major regional arterials and principal arterials across the Denver
MICROTRANSIT
County Commissioner Abe Laydon added that it’s also a safety solution.
“It’s a safe ride for people that may not be in a condition to drive, (it’s) for them to be able to get into a rideshare and go throughout the county safely,” Laydon said.
To use the service, Highlands Ranch residents can download the Link on Demand mobile app and when the service is launched, they can use the app to book a ride.
A decade of service in Lone Tree
Last fall, elected o cials from Douglas County attended the 10th anniversary celebration of Link on Demand in Lone Tree, and they learned more about its services and community impact.
Lone Tree’s Link on Demand started out as a shuttle service to connect riders to and from the County Line and Lincoln light rail stations. But over the years, it grew into a free, on-demand service that utilizes four full-time vehicles, and one backup vehicle during peak hours, to transport people throughout the city.
From 2023 to 2024, the ridership increased by 77%, according to the city, and in August 2024 alone, there were more than 6,000 rides.
e city also heard from riders who said that the service saves them money, and because of having the service available to them, they tend to travel around the city more.
What the county is hearing
Knowing that many residents across Douglas County utilize rideshare services like Uber and Lyft, and other transportation methods like bikes and RTD, the county has been conducting an integrated transit and multimodal study.
e Denver Regional Council of Governments gave $2.5 million to Douglas County for the study and pilot programs, and the commissioners previously budgeted $3 million in the Capital Improve-
DRCOG’s update comes amidst Douglas County’s planning process for a 2050 Transportation Plan of its own. In March, the county held four public meetings to gather input on residents’ transportation needs. An online public survey was available on the county’s website through March 31. e end of its public comment period signals the beginning of the county’s evaluation phase, during which potential transportation actions and alternatives will be reviewed and considered. Spokespeople for DRCOG assured the Douglas County Transportation Steering Committee that even if the two entities’ transportation plans are not perfectly synchronized at present, changes to the Regional Roadway System and the 2050 Regional Transportation Plan can still be made every four years based on feedback from DRCOG’s member governments.
ment Plan funds for these types of services in the county.
rough various focus groups with people who represented a diverse population, the county learned that common priorities include the desire for free or low cost transit, frequency, connectivity and ease of use.
e ongoing study has found so far that about 67% of daily trips made in the county occur within the county, while approximately 33% extend beyond the county. is led the county to believe that local transit could assist commuters, and potentially alleviate local tra c.
Additionally, when looking at how people commute to and from work, about 6% use public transit or carpool and nearly 67% drive alone.
“One thing we know for sure is that the citizens of our community are not getting the return on investment for RTD dollars,” said Laydon. “People are not riding the bus, people really do not ride the light rail.”
While there are multiple hourly bus stops throughout Highlands Ranch and Lone Tree, as well as light rail stations, the commissioners believe that a microtransit service would be more expansive and would be more readily available for residents.
ey also hope to expand the service to communities such as Castle Rock and Parker.
“I think the hope might be to expand this service, if it’s successful, to those municipalities if they have interest and some willingness to partner,” said Laydon.
Douglas County Commissioners approved a contract with Via Transportation, Inc. to bring a microtransit service to Highlands Ranch.
PHOTO BY HALEY LENA
FROM PAGE 1
Douglas County commissioners meet with group out of public eye to discuss home rule proposal
Despite transparency law, all three elected o cials took part in setting where general public, news media were excluded
BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITY
All three Douglas County commissioners attended a private Parker Conservatives gathering at Deep Space in downtown Parker on April 2 to talk about their home-rule proposal. In a meeting that state law indicates should have been open to the public, the county spokesperson says there was no intention to hide anything at an event that explicitly advertised the fact that the general public and press were excluded from attending.
“I can say for certain there was no intention to deceive or meet in private,” said Caroline Frizell, spokesperson for Douglas County. “ is was just another opportunity for them to talk about something that is important to them.”
Frizell said the Board of County Commissioners members are invited to places all the time, sometimes as a group and sometimes individually.
“When they’re invited as a board and when the invite comes through county o ces, we can manage that and we post it,” said Frizell. “When they’re invited individually, they don’t always coordinate with sta or we aren’t always, I should say, in the loop. And so that’s what happened here.”
All three county commissioners were invited to speak at the recent Parker Conser-
vatives meeting. e Parker Conservatives is a private group for residents in Douglas and Elbert counties, according to their private Facebook page.
In an invitation, which was provided to the Douglas County News-Press by a recipient, the group conducted a private meeting that was “exclusively reserved for members, a liates and guests of the conservative community,” and that “media representatives are expressly not invited to these gatherings.”
e invitation was live at tinyurl.com/pcinvite as of press time.
Concerning the Open Meetings Law, the Colorado Department of Local A airs states that all meetings of a quorum or three or more members of a body in which any public business is discussed must be open to the public.
is does not apply if there is an executive session being held or if it is a chance meeting or social gathering “at which discussion of public business is not the central purpose.”
e invitation said that the evening would involve hearing from the commissioners on the state of the county and would include a “robust” Q&A forum.
Following the commissioners’ recent approval of a resolution to pursue a home rule charter for the county, the topic of home rule was also intended to be discussed. e invitation stated: “What is home rule?
Come and hear directly from our Douglas County Commissioners on how this will a ect Dougco and you.”
Additionally, the Open Meetings Law denes a meeting as “any kind of gathering, convinced to discuss public business, in person, by telephone, electronically or by other means of communication.”
e Colorado Supreme Court ruled in the Board of County Commissioners of Costilla County, Colorado vs. Costilla County Conservancy District and McGowan in 2004 that a meeting is part of the policy-making process when it is held to purposefully discuss a rule, regulation, ordinance or formal action.
e ruling further states: “If the record supports the conclusion that the meeting is rationally connected to the policy-making responsibilities of the public body by holding or attending the meeting, then the meeting is subject to OML (Open Meeting Law), and the public body holding or attending the meeting must provide notice.”
When asked if the commissioners knew they all would be going to the closed-door event, Frizell said that she doesn’t believe they knew.
“I certainly didn’t know that they were all going,” Frizell said.
e Department of Local A airs also states public notice is required for meetings that will involve a majority or quorum of the body in attendance at least 24 hours prior. e Parker Conservatives meeting was not posted to the county website until a few hours before the meeting.
“As soon as we found out all three of them were going to be in the same place at
the same time, we posted it immediately, which I believe was after the 24 hours,” Frizell said.
Frizell said that she has not heard from the commissioners about whether they believe there should be a change to the Open Meetings Law to allow the exclusion of the public and press from meetings. She also said she does not know of other closeddoor invitations that are currently active.
When asked why the commissioners decided to go to this meeting, Commissioner Kevin Van Winkle said that he and the other commissioners are dedicated to fostering meaningful engagement with the community and are frequently asked to speak at diverse events and gatherings in the county.
“On this occasion, the Parker Conservatives graciously invited us to join their meeting,” said Van Winkle. “We value every chance to address groups of all sizes, listen to our constituents’ perspectives and encourage residents to connect with us — whether through such invitations or at one of our upcoming town halls.”
County Commissioner Chair Abe Laydon and Commissioner George Teal did not respond to requests for comment.
Frizell added that the commissioners would be happy to talk about home rule with anyone throughout the county. If voters approve a charter commission in the June 24 special election, the county plans to have three public meetings to discuss the charter. Residents will then vote on the charter in the November election.
“Voters will really get to decide,” said Frizell.
Vote
Questions emerge over advocacy group’s access to Douglas County classrooms
A visit by Grandparents 4 Kids to read book by Trump associate is prompting new scrutiny of school district’s visitor policies
BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A recent classroom visit by members of the conservative group Grandparents 4 Kids, which advocates for parental rights and traditional values in schools, to Prairie Crossing Elementary in Parker prompted questions on social media about how Douglas County schools vet outside groups that interact with students. Members of the group brought co ee and donuts for teachers and read “Why America Matters,” a book by former Trump economic adviser Dr. Ben Carson. e illustrated children’s book introduces civics concepts like freedom, equality and the role of government through patriotic storytelling and emphasizes “the importance of faith, liberty, community and life” as key American values.
e school’s principal later shared the visit on social media in a post that included a photo of school board director Becky Myers posing with the group. e post has since been removed.
While the event itself was friendly and non-disruptive, the group’s ideological a liations have drawn scrutiny. Grandparents 4 Kids has previously spoken at board meetings in support of parental rights, a term often used by conservative groups to oppose curriculum related to race, gender identity and LGBTQ-inclusive policies, and has expressed opposition to such content in local schools.
e visit also sparked debate about
whether the district applies its visitor and volunteer policies fairly, and whether community members should be noti ed when outside groups enter classrooms.
District’s description conflicts with public details
District spokesperson Paula Hans said a grandparent of a current student requested the April 2 visit. According to Hans, the individual described the group as grandparents who read to children without mentioning a speci c organization.
“We welcome the opportunity for senior citizens, especially grandparents, to engage with our kids,” Hans said. “ e older generation has so much to o er!”
However, the school’s now-deleted Facebook post tells a di erent story.
e post publicly thanked Grandparents 4 Kids by name, included photos of multiple individuals reading in classrooms and posing with sta , and tagged the group’s o cial social media account.
Printed materials promoting Grandparents 4 Kids were also placed on a table alongside donuts o ered to teachers and remained visible and accessible during the visit.
Because the post made the morning’s readings appear like a coordinated visit by a known advocacy organization, many community members questioned whether the district applies its visitor and volunteer policies evenly and whether advocacy groups of all perspectives would receive the same level of access.
“Were parents at PCE noti ed about this visit in advance?,” one parent asked. “Were these grandparents properly background checked? Were they searched for weapons? Was this book reviewed by sta beforehand?”
Others questioned whether groups, particularly those supporting LGBTQ+ students or promoting inclusive curricula, would be granted the same access.
“If a school were to invite a family member who is a drag queen, for example, these same activists would certainly raise a public outcry,” a parent said.
Questions about policy and access remain Hans declined to answer broader policy questions, including whether the district distinguishes between individual volunteers and groups with political or advocacy a liations, whether materials like those distributed by Grandparents 4 Kids are subject to review or approval and
REVERSE MORTGAGES
whether groups such as Douglas County Pride would be permitted to engage students and sta in similar ways.
Also, Myers’ presence in the photo posted by the school’s principal raised further concerns about whether district leaders are adhering to established policies regarding outside group involvement.
“School board director Becky Myers, who campaigned on the promise of keeping politics out of the classroom, is now directly parading her political agenda into elementary schools. is behavior is unacceptable from an elected representative of our district,” one comment said.
Board policy GP 1.8 prohibits individual board members from unilaterally directing school sta or inserting outside groups into schools without approval. It also requires board members to avoid favoritism and maintain loyalty to the
Prairie Crossing Elementary School in Parker, Colorado
PHOTO BY SUZIE GLASSMAN
SCHOOLS
ementary principal Carrie Rotherham apologized to at least one parent who raised concerns. In the message, Rotherham acknowledged she didn’t realize the grandparents who had requested to read in classrooms were a liated with a larger group.
“I did not even think I had to vet a few grandparents, which is how this was presented to me, that wanted to volunteer and read to the kids and bring a treat to the sta ,” Rotherham said. “But I have learned I cannot just look at things on the surface level … I will let you know this will not happen again.”
Rotherham said in her response that she never intended to make anyone feel uncomfortable or unwelcome and ex-
pressed that the situation has a ected her personally and professionally.
Despite the apology, concerns from community members continued to surface online.
“If you have kids currently in elementary school, you might want to email the principals to make sure the tour stops here,” a parent said on Facebook.
Another referred to the group’s history of public comment at board meetings, including support for book bans and opposition to AP African American Studies and LGBTQ-inclusive policies.
LETTERS
$550 million. ( is represents only 2.8% of the operating budget of the SSA); not enough, so then came the proposed cuts of 7,000 employees.
So, what does that mean? When there is already long call wait times and long lines at service centers, it means cuts to the services that many seniors rely on, especially those that are not tech savvy, at the administration does not care about these seniors was further evidenced the comments by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick regarding his mother-in-law missing a Social Security check.
While everyone acknowledges that SSA funding reform is a necessity and there have been serious proposals put forth, Congress has refused to act and the current administration’s focus on fraud and waste is a distraction from what is really required for a long-term x. But it is not really just a distraction, as their e orts are having serious e ects on real people today.
Ernst Popke Highlands Ranch
Boebert’s imaginary bogeymen Congresswoman Boebert seems to have an obsession with bogeymen. First it was responsible gun control laws (no one was ever coming for your guns, but those laws were designed to protect citizens, prioritizing children). en it was “woke-ness,” whatever that is — I’ve still not heard anyone ably de ne the word in the context in which it’s being commonly used, but some people have misappropriated it from its original meaning, and repeat it fearfully and frequently. If it means educated, evolved, attentive, aware and/or enlightened — scary stu . Now, per her publicly funded website, she’s saving us all from the gray wolf, of which there are none in the 4th District. Does the congresswoman actually do anything for the 4th District, other than spend our tax dollars, berate those with whom she has an opposing view, and attempt to convince us all she’s protecting us from imaginary monsters? Wanna talk about wasteful bureaucracy?
Paul White Highlands Ranch
What are commissioners hiding?
Recently, I became aware of a private meeting by the Parker Conservatives where the topic of the Home Rule proposal was being discussed. ALL THREE Douglas County commissioners were invited to speak. Not 1, not 2, but all 3 commissioners. is meeting is a “private event exclusively reserved for members, a liates and guests of the conservative community. We maintain a closed-door policy to ensure a focused and condential environment for our discussions. Media representatives are expressly not invited ...”
And these meetings take place in a private venue.
I don’t begrudge a private meeting by any group. at is their prerogative. But when ALL THREE commissioners are attending a private event, it sure tells me that what they are telling a group about the Home Rule proposal is not good for
the county. And what about Open Meeting laws? is is a clear violation of that. “Section 24-6-402(2)(b). e Open Meetings Law de nes a “meeting” as “any kind of gathering, convened to discuss public business, in person, by telephone, electronically, or by other means of communication.” Section 24-6-402(1)(b).”
I just have to wonder what the commissioners are hiding when they hold private meetings to discuss a proposal with a signi cant impact and expense to those of us who live here?
Be available to all constituents through public meetings, and be accountable for what you want to do.
Carol Sorensen Lone Tree
Commissioners lack transparency
I am writing concerning the home rule vote that the board of county commissioners has scheduled for June 24, 2025 and the 21 home rule committee members that have been released to oversee the home rule charter. My overall concern is the speed and lack of transparency that Commissioners Teal, Laydon and Van Winkle have used in deciding to hold a special election and form this committee comprised of all very right wing GOP members. In a county where the majority of the voters are una liated and some are Democrats, I believe a more equitable way to form the committee would have the membership be proportional to the percentage of each party’s registered members. As to the timing, I do not understand why this is being rushed through without at least one meeting in each district to let us know this is being considered and then have a question and answer period. In addition, this rushed vote will cost the taxpayers $500,000 because it is a special election.
I am also of the mind that home rule in this instance is being sought for reasons that are not to help Douglas County or the citizens, but rather to try to circumvent various state laws. As Mr. Teal said in a text message that has been posted on various platforms, he does not believe Dougco would have to follow any of the laws passed by the Colorado state legislature last term. I don’t believe he is correct. As recently as last month Weld County lost a home rule court case and had to follow state redistricting laws. All court cases come at a cost to taxpayers.
My nal concern is that several of the people on the 21-member committee have state, county and local level jobs where they have sworn to uphold all laws. I am particularly concerned about Rep Max Brooks, DA George Brauchler, Sheri Weekly and Parker Town Council member Laura Hefta. ese people have all taken oaths to uphold the law and are now on a committee being formed to ultimately opt out of state laws. I see this as a con ict of interest for all involved. If the commissioners are truly working in our best interest, they would slow this process down and get the proper amount of public input, form a balanced committee, save taxpayer money and hold election on an already scheduled election date and not tell constituents that they can opt out of all state laws. I believe a no vote on home rule on June 24, 2025 is in the interest of Dougco.
Kim Carroll Parker
A faraway galaxy comes to Hudson Gardens
BY CLARKE READER
SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Immersive theater doesn’t have to mean a lot of expensive bells and whistles — there are all kinds of ways to bring audiences into a new world. For Ren Manley, founding artistic director of Audacious eatre, it’s about involving all ve of the audience’s senses to transport them to a di erent place.
“ ere’s a lot of really cool stu happening in the theater scene in Denver, especially within the immersive and interactive area,” she said. “I’m interested in theater that involves all the senses because it’s more memorable for the audience and allows for connection in a more intimate way.”
Audacious eatre is portable theater company, so it usually takes its shows on the road. e plays are performed at places like breweries and other open spaces, and now it’s bringing its immersive experience to Hudson Gardens, 6115 S. Santa Fe Dr. in Littleton, at 6 p.m. on Sunday, April 27, with a production of “Space Con icts: May the Farce Be With You.”
Written by Rebecca Gorman-O’Neill, MSU Denver Professor of English and playwright, the show is a hilarious ri on one of the most beloved franchises in cinematic history. She was approached by Manley to write the show because Audacious was looking for a new fun production they could take on the road.
“We’d worked with Rebecca on shows in the past and she wrote a super fun, really cool script that plays with the idea of the hero’s journey,” Manley said. “She found all these silly plot holes and tropes in Star Wars to put in the play and our own nerds contributed a few of their own jokes.”
Gorman-O’Neill said she had a great time writing the show, but her favorite part was working with Audacious to get the production working.
“I wrote the script, but then was in strong collaboration with the artists at Audacious, going to rehearsal, making changes on the y and playing up the strengths of the performers,” she wrote in an email interview. “I love the collaborative nature of writing for theater and working with the team was both fun and ful lling.”
For audience members who may be worried that an immersive show means they might get pulled on stage, Audacious embraces an “opt-in” level of interactivity, where those who want to participate can purchase interactive bags full of items they’ll be cued to use during the show. is makes each show unique and allows it to travel well.
“What’s great about the piece is that it’s a ‘trunk show’ — it can be picked up and performed about anywhere,” GormanO’Neill wrote. “I’ve seen it done in a couple di erent breweries and I’m excited that Audacious has an exciting new venue as well.”
e aim for everybody involved is to give audiences a taste of immersive theater while providing a great time out. And in a venue like Hudson Gardens, it will be di cult not to have a lot of fun with “Space Con icts.”
“Our focus is making sure audiences have a really fun time,” Manley said. “If you get excited about nerdy things, there’s all kinds of easter eggs that are really fun, but anyone who has any fandom in their heart will enjoy it. And hopefully audiences will be inspired to see more immersive shows.”
Visit www.audaciousimmersive.com for more information, and www.hudsongardens.org for tickets.
is coverage comes courtesy of a grant from the Littleton Arts and Culture Program. As a matter of policy, funders exercise no control over editorial decisions.
2025 BEST OF THE BEST VOTE NOW THROUGH
The cast of Audacious Theatre’s farcical show, “Space Conflicts.” The parody is coming to Littleton’s Hudson Gardens on April 27. AUDACIOUS IMMERSIVE
BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
In March 2020, Christian churches across the Denver area shut their doors during the initial COVID-19 shutdowns. Many hoped the doors would be reopened for Easter in April.
But they weren’t.
Instead, local Christians watched their churches’ Easter celebrations online while their pastors preached and their musicians played for empty churches.
e Very Rev. Richard Lawson of St. John’s Cathedral — the Episcopal cathedral in central Denver — recalled that Easter, saying, “ ere were less than ve people in the entire cathedral, and two of them were priests.”
Meanwhile, some smaller congregations like the United Church of Idaho Springs held its Easter service via video conference, where everyone logged in to worship together.
Five years later, local church leaders expected this Easter would look more normal. But even then, they couched it as “the new normal,” outlining how much their churches have changed in terms of technology, membership, ministry and more in the last ve years.
In March 2025, Colorado Community Media spoke with Christians leading six churches across ve denominations and four counties in the Denver area. While experiences varied, they all said their congregations have changed permanently
since March 2020.
“It has been a really hard journey,” said Rev. Susan Otey of the First United Methodist Church of Golden. “Pastoring during COVID was some of the hardest work I have ever done … I could see that God was working to make something good out of a terrible situation.”
Disciples in the digital age
Across the board, leaders from the six churches said technology was far and away the biggest change.
Before, none of them o ered online options for Sunday services; now, all of them either livestream or allow people to join via video conference.
In general, they said it’s a great help, as church members can now join when they are homebound, sick or traveling. e United Church of Idaho Springs has a member who moved to Minnesota but still joins remotely, and some churches said they also livestream funerals so loved ones can watch from anywhere.
Figuring out how to livestream services in spring 2020 was rough going, as churches had to get creative with the limited resources they had.
For instance, the First United Methodist Church of Fort Lupton started by taping an iPad to a tripod. Now, the church has a dedicated camera in the sanctuary, and Church Council Chair Neena Hagans monitors the livestream from the choir loft.
Otey said the pandemic pushed her congregation
to invest in the technology necessary to livestream services, which might not have happened until 2030 otherwise.
“COVID taught us that virtual services are essential in this day and age,” she continued. “( e pandemic) pushed us several years into the future.”
Along with Sunday services, technology is now a key aspect in other parts of church life, from online giving to hybrid Bible studies, church leaders said.
Daren Forbes, who’s on the Arvada Stake communications council for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said there is “an abundance of podcasts” that he and his fellow church members use to help them study scripture, church history and similar topics.
In fact, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has its own app with all its holy texts, the given year’s curriculum, videos and other resources “to augment study in the home,” he described.
Forbes and other Christians throughout Denver clari ed how these technologies don’t replace inperson services or fellowship opportunities. ey are simply another option.
Lawson believes that, especially after the pandemic, “people are hungry for community,” whether that’s in-person or online.
“Livestreaming has expanded our reach beyond what we ever could’ve imagined,” Lawson said. “It’s too bad it took COVID to teach us that.”
With the morning light illuminating the First United Methodist Church of Fort Lupton’s stained-glass windows, the Rev. Anna Viehland demonstrates preaching from the altar on March 25. PHOTO BY CORINNE WESTEMAN
CHURCHES
Parishioners in the pews
In general, the number of Coloradans identifying as Christian has declined, mirroring a national trend, according to Colorado Public Radio; and the Associated Press has reported how Protestant denominations’ national membership has been declining for years.
Regarding their own ocks, leaders from the six churches had mixed experiences.
Otey and Lawson said their congregations in Golden and Denver, respectively, have actually grown over the last ve years, especially if one includes online attendance. eir biggest demographic changes have been with young families and young adults, respectively.
Otey believed it was because people are seeking out a community that shares their values and beliefs, with the idea of raising their children in it, too. She summarized those parents’ experiences as: “I want to teach my kids about loving and serving our neighbors.”
Meanwhile, Forbes said the Arvada Stake’s overall membership hasn’t changed signi cantly, but there have been a few demographic shifts over the last ve years.
As western Arvada has grown, so has church membership in that area. Members from western Arvada tend to be young families, while eastern Arvada is more older people who’ve lived in the area for decades, Forbes described.
Additionally, he said the Arvada Stake has seen signi cant growth among its Spanish-speaking population.
Contrastingly, membership at the United Church of Idaho Springs and the First United Methodist Church of Fort Lupton have declined slightly.
Vivian Simpson, chair of the church council, said the United Church of Idaho Springs was averaging about 30 people at Sunday services before the pandemic. Now, it’s about 20 people in-person with another ve online.
Fort Lupton church leaders said their congregation averaged 80 to 100 people on Sundays before the pandemic. Now, it’s down to about 60 in the pews, with some joining online.
For the First Baptist Church of Denver, while its attendance and overall membership haven’t changed much, its space utilization has.
Kurt Kaufman, a member of the pastoral team, said the church used to have a high demand for facility rentals and parking-space leases before the pandemic. Now, demand for both has gone down signi cantly, impacting the church’s budget.
“We haven’t had a parking waitlist since 2019,” Kaufman said. “We’ve had to rethink what we do to make money and how to survive as a congregation.”
Pastors in the pulpit
Both the First Baptist Church of Denver and the United Church of Idaho Springs said their previous pastors left within the last ve years, and they’ve struggled to nd replacements.
Kaufman said he and fellow members of the First Baptist Church’s pastoral team are rotating responsibilities, including preaching on Sundays.
Similarly, Simpson said the Idaho Springs church has been looking for a part-time pastor since its former pastor retired in 2021.
Because it’s a combined Methodist and Presbyterian congregation, Simpson said the church has looked through Methodist, Presbyterian and unafliated channels. It’s had some interest, but nothing that worked out long-term, she described.
“Nationwide, there’s a shortage of ordained ministers for Methodist and Presbyterian (churches),” she said.
Simpson added that the Idaho Springs church can only a ord a part-time pastor, which makes the search more di cult.
In a similar vein, the First United Methodist Church of Fort Lupton has had a dedicated pastor in the Rev. Anna Viehland since 2022, but she splits her time between Fort Lupton and another Methodist church in Erie.
On March 29, St. John’s Cathedral ordained four
people as deacons. ey’re now scheduled to be ordained as priests in October.
Lawson said four ordained ministers in a year is about average for the Episcopal Church’s Diocese of Colorado.
However, with the in ux of young adults at the cathedral, Lawson said he’s seen increasing interest in ordination among his congregation. In 2025, St. John’s Cathedral will have ve members attend seminary, including one of the newly ordained, he said.
Charity in the community
In terms of ministry — both for their members and for the wider community — there were some common threads among the six churches.
Along with a greater push for online or hybrid events, church leaders said they’ve seen more demand for small-group events, such as Bible studies, parent groups and in-home ministering.
On top of their continued interfaith partnerships, the two Denver churches said they’ve seen more demand for social justice-focused events and groups.
In addition to its Faith in Action ministry, Lawson said St. John’s Cathedral now has the Re-Imagining Justice group that focuses on racial healing, and the Migrant Interest Group that does pro-immigration work.
Kaufman said the First Baptist Church is now “more attuned to hunger and social justice issues around our community” than it was pre-pandemic.
Part of that is because of its new outdoor community fridge, which has already distributed about 30,000 pounds of food since February 2023.
Additionally, because its parking lot isn’t as full as it once was, Kaufman said the church has been able to host a shower trailer and a safe parking program.
e other four churches said they’ve likewise seen increased demand among their safe parking programs, free weekly meals and similar ministries; and they’ve worked to meet that demand alongside other churches and nonpro ts.
“Some things that started during COVID really de ned who we are as a church,” Otey said. “We increased our services tremendously.”
During the COVID-19 shutdowns, Otey described how her church worked with the larger Golden community to distribute free food to the homebound and unsheltered — even distributing food outside when indoor gatherings were restricted.
And that work has continued to the present day, she said, as the church has expanded from free meals once a week to three times a week.
Forbes encouraged people to visit justserve.org to nd service opportunities near them. ese events are open to anyone, not just Christians, he emphasized, saying it could be anything from painting a
house to working at a local food bank.
“It’s become even more apparent how important those service opportunities are because of COVID and what we’re experiencing in society,” Forbes said. “We have more in common with our neighbors than we think … (and) when we have an opportunity to serve one another, those di erences dissipate.”
‘Best of all, God is with us’
Another common thread among the six churches was how di cult the last ve years have been, in one form or another.
Church leaders discussed loneliness among their members, concern about the declining number of Christians locally and nationally, and burnout among their volunteers and ordained ministers.
Viehland, Fort Lupton’s pastor, described how she’s seen not only laypeople but also clergy struggle with the pandemic’s immediate and long-term fallout.
She believed some clergy members — not necessarily local ones — were already burnt-out, and the pandemic was a deciding factor in them leaving ordained ministry. And Viehland said she didn’t blame them.
“Five years out, we’re just starting to reckon with the spiritual and emotional trauma that came from (the pandemic),” Viehland said.
Kaufman said the First Baptist Church was full of hope and joy when he joined in 2019. Now, he said it’s been “a struggle to nd joy with anything” and that the congregation has shifted to one that’s “less hopeful and more fearful.”
Still, leaders from all six churches o ered messages of hope and faith, especially with Easter approaching.
“It’s been very challenging to nd hope in earthly, worldly things,” Kaufman said. “‘Where is it that I nd hope?’ e only place is in my faith.”
Similarly, Fort Lupton church leaders summarized the experience of faith by quoting Methodist Church founder John Wesley: “Best of all, God is with us.”
Kaufman, Forbes and Simpson invited fellow Christians to celebrate Easter by deepening their relationships with God and with one another.
ey also encouraged those “who are searching for something” to visit a local church and ground themselves in a loving God and a welcoming community.
Otey also emphasized how God’s love is unconditional and how the Holy Spirit is at work in everyone’s lives, community and shared world, even if they don’t know it.
Re ecting on the changes of the last ve years, and all the changes that are to come, Lawson said: “God is as real as God has ever been.”
Morning light shines through a stained-glass window of a cross and crown March 25 at the First United Methodist Church of Fort Lupton. Church leaders and others across the Denver area said their churches have changed permanently since March 2020, particularly with regard to technology.
PHOTO BY CORINNE WESTEMAN
Psychedelic mushroom experiment has arrived
State regulators are issuing licenses and plans are in place for ‘healing centers’
BY KATE RUDER KFF HEALTH NEWS
Colorado regulators are issuing licenses for providing psychedelic mushrooms and are planning to authorize the state’s rst “healing centers,” where the mushrooms can be ingested under supervision, in late spring or early summer.
e dawn of state-regulated psychedelic mushrooms has arrived in Colorado, nearly two years since Oregon began o ering them. e mushrooms are a
Schedule I drug and illegal under federal law except for clinical research. But more than a dozen cities nationwide have deprioritized or decriminalized them in the past ve years, and many eyes are turned toward Oregon’s and Colorado’s stateregulated programs.
“In Oregon and Colorado, we’re going to learn a lot about administration of psychedelics outside of clinical, religious, and underground settings because they’re the rst to try this in the U.S.,” said William R. Smith, an assistant professor
of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.
Psychedelic mushrooms and their psychoactive compound psilocybin have the potential to treat people with depression and anxiety, including those unresponsive to other medications or therapy. e
National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health, says the risk of mental health problems caused by ingesting mushrooms in a supervised clinical setting is low, but may be higher outside of a clinical setting. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a social media post last year, before his nomination as U.S. health secretary, that his “mind is open to the idea of psychedelics for treatment.”
Medical experts say more research is
needed, particularly in people with a diagnosis or family history of psychotic or bipolar disorder. Adverse e ects of psilocybin, including headache and nausea, typically resolve within one to two days. However, extended di culties from using psychedelics can last weeks, months, or years; anxiety and fear, existential struggle, social disconnection, and feeling detached from oneself and one’s surroundings are most common. After the decriminalization and legalization in Oregon and Colorado, psychedelic mushroom exposures reported to poison control centers ticked up in these states and nationally.
In February, about 40 people orga-
Thu 4/17
Saxsquatch w/ T BISCUIT at Cervantes - Denver, CO @ 6pm
Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom & Other Side, 2637 Welton St, Denver
Bearhat @ 7pm
Oskar Blues Grill & Brew, 1624 Market St, Den‐
ver
Jakobs Castle @ 8pm
Ophelia's Electric Soapbox, 1215 20th St, Den‐ver
Fri 4/18
Mina Reya at Zymos Brewing @ 5pm
Dexter and The Moonrocks @ 7pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, En‐glewood
Rex the Dog @ 9pm The Basement at Club Vinyl, Denver
Red Rock Vixens @ Tailgate Tavern @ 4pm
margø @ 6pm HQ, 60 S Broadway, Denver
Hope Tala w/ KAIRO @ 7pm
Bluebird Theatre, Denver
Sat 4/19
Matt Hynes @ 10am The Hampton Social - Denver, 2501 16th St, Denver
Ky-Mani Marley @ 5pm
Tetra Private lounge and garden, 3039 Walnut St, Denver
Zymos Brewing, 5180 S Lowell Blvd, Littleton
Ellie D & Soul Mix back at South Suburban Grille! @ 5pm
South Suburban Golf Course, 7900 S Colorado Blvd, Centennial
Devin the Dude @ 5pm
Tetra Private lounge and garden, 3039 Walnut St, Denver
AJ Finney Fan Page: The Knotty Show @ 6:30pm Studio Friction, 740 Lipan St, Denver
The Angry Clover, 15350 E Smoky Hill Rd, Au‐rora Knolls
Sturniolo Triplets @ 7:30pm
Paramount Theatre Denver, 1621 Glenarm, Den‐ver
Tue 4/22
Dave Devine Quartet Playing Music Off of "Hive Mind" featuring Shane Endsley, Greg Garrison & Scott Amendola @ Dazzle! 7pm Show! @ 6pm
Dazzle Denver, 1080 14th Street, Denver
Dylanovus @ 6pm
Roxy on Broadway, 554 S Broadway, Denver
Niis (16+ Event) @ 7pm
Moe's Original BBQ, 3295 S Broadway, Englewood
Alessia Cara @ 7pm
Paramount Theatre Denver, 1621 Glenarm, Den‐ver
Wed 4/23
Spirit Mother @ 6pm Hi-Dive, 7 S Broadway, Denver
The Bloody Beetroots - 20th Anniversary Tour @ 8pm Meow Wolf Denver, Denver
Thu 4/24
KB ANGEL: Make - a - Wish Wiskey , Wine & Wishes @ 4pm
Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St,, Denver
Ike Reilly @ 6pm
Bluebird Theater, 3317 E Colfax Av, Denver
Young Jesus @ 6pm
Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 Clarkson St, Denver
Tonewood @ 7pm
Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St, Denver
Jubilingo at Appaloosa Grill @ 7pm
Appaloosa Grill, 535 16th St, Denver
North Fork Crossing @ 7pm
Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St, Denver
Duncan Coker: Lions Lair with All Through the Night @ 8pm Lions' Lair, 3200 E 23rd Ave, Denver
EASTER Worship
Tenebrae (Good
April 13: Palm Sunday at 9:30am
April 17: Maundy Thursday 6:00pm
April 18: Good Friday Stations of the Cross at 12:00pm Tenebrae at 6:00pm
April 19: Easter Vigil at 8:00pm
April 20: Easter Sunday 8:00am and 10:30am (with an egg hunt following the 10:30am service)
nized by the psychedelic advocacy group the Nowak Society gathered in Boulder to talk about the coming changes in Colorado. ey included Mandy Grace, who received her state license to administer psychedelic mushrooms, and Amanda Clark, a licensed mental health counselor from Denver, who both praised the therapeutic power of mushrooms.
“You get discouraged in your practice because the current therapies are not enough for people,” Clark said.
Colorado voters approved Proposition 122 in 2022 to legalize natural psychedelics, after Oregon voters in 2020 approved legalizing psilocybin for therapeutic use. Colorado’s program is modeled after, but not the same as, Oregon’s, under which 21,246 psilocybin products have been sold as of March, a total that could include secondary doses, according to the Oregon Health Authority.
As of mid-March, Colorado has received applications for at least 15 healing center licenses, nine cultivation licenses, four manufacturer licenses, and one testing facility license for growing and preparing the mushrooms, under rules developed over two years by the governor-appointed Natural Medicine Advisory Board.
need to gather data from Colorado and Oregon to ensure safety.”
Psychedelic treatments in Oregon are expensive, and are likely to be so in Colorado, too, said Tasia Poinsatte, Colorado director of the nonpro t Healing Advocacy Fund, which supports state-regulated programs for psychedelic therapy. In Oregon, psychedelic mushroom sessions are typically $1,000 to $3,000, are not covered by insurance, and must be paid for up front.
e mushrooms themselves are not expensive, Poinsatte said, but a facilitator’s time and support services are costly, and there are state fees. In Colorado, for doses over 2 milligrams, facilitators will screen participants at least 24 hours in advance, then supervise the session in which the participant consumes and experiences mushrooms, lasting several hours, plus a later meeting to integrate the experience.
Facilitators, who may not have experience with mental health emergencies, need training in screening, informed consent, and postsession monitoring, Smith said. “Because these models are new, we
Facilitators generally pay a $420 training fee, which allows them to pursue the necessary consultation hours, and roughly $900 a year for a license, and healing centers pay $3,000 to $6,000 for initial licenses in Colorado. But the up-front cost for facilitators is signi cant: e required 150 hours in a state-accredited program and 80 hours of hands-on training can cost $10,000 or more, and Clark said she wouldn’t pursue a facilitator license due to the prohibitive time and cost.
To increase a ordability for patients in Colorado, Poinsatte said, healing centers plan to o er sliding-scale pay options, and discounts for veterans, Medicaid enrollees, and those with low incomes. Group sessions are another option to lower costs.
Colorado law does not allow retail sales of psilocybin, unlike cannabis, which can be sold both recreationally and medically in the state. But it allows adults 21 and older to grow, use and share psychedelic mushrooms for personal use.
Despite the retail ban, adjacent businesses have mushroomed. Inside the warehouse and laboratory of Activated Brands in Arvada, brown bags of sterilized grains such as corn, millet, and sorghum and plastic bags of soil substrate are for sale, along with genetic materials and ready-to-grow kits.
Co-founder Sean Win eld sells these supplies for growing psychedelic or functional mushrooms such as lion’s mane to people hoping to grow their own at home. Soon, Activated Brands will host cultivation and education classes for the public, Win eld said.
Win eld and co-founder Shawn Cox recently hosted a psychedelic potluck at which experts studying and cultivating psychedelic mushrooms discussed genetics, extraction, and specialized equipment.
Psychedelic mushrooms have a long history in Indigenous cultures, and provisions for their use in spiritual, cultural, or religious ceremonies are included in Colorado law, along with recognition of the cultural harm that could occur to fed-
erally recognized tribes and Indigenous people if natural medicine is overly commercialized or exploited.
Several studies over the past ve years have shown the long-term bene ts of psilocybin for treatment-resistant major depressive disorder, and the Food and Drug Administration designated it a breakthrough therapy. Late-stage trials, often a precursor to application for FDA approval, are underway.
Smith said psilocybin is a promising tool for treating mental health disorders but has not yet been shown to be better than other advanced treatments. Joshua Woolley, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of California-San Francisco, said he has seen the bene ts of psilocybin as an investigator in clinical trials.
“People can change hard-set habits. ey can become unstuck. ey can see things in new ways,” he said of treating patients with a combination of psilocybin and psychotherapy.
Colorado, unlike Oregon, allows integration of psilocybin into existing mental health and medical practices with a clinical facilitator license, and through microhealing centers that are more limited in the amounts of mushrooms they can store.
Still, Woolley said, between the federal ban and new state laws for psychedelics, this is uncharted territory. Most drugs used to treat mental health disorders are regulated by the FDA, something that Colorado is “taking into its own hands” by setting up its own program to regulate manufacturing and administration of psilocybin.
e U.S. Attorney’s O ce for the District of Colorado declined to comment on its policy toward state-regulated psychedelic programs or personal use provisions, but Poinsatte hopes the same federal handso approach to marijuana will be taken for psilocybin in Oregon and Colorado. Win eld said he looks forward to the upcoming rollout and potential addition of other plant psychedelics, such as mescaline. “We’re talking about clandestine industries coming into the light,” he said.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — an independent source of health policy research, polling and journalism.
Shawn Cox, a co-founder of Activated Brands in Arvada, grows and extracts compoundsfromCordyceps, the mushroom pictured. The compounds are believed to boost energy andcirculation.
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6. MEASUREMENTS: What is the shortest wavelength in the visible light spectrum?
7. U.S. STATES: Which state has the most miles of interstate highway?
8. MOVIES: What type of sh is Nemo in the animated lm “Finding Nemo”?
9. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Which month is designated as National Ice Cream Month in the United States?
TrIVIa
10. SCIENCE: How long does it take for the International Space Station to orbit the Earth?
Answers
1. Richard Simmons.
2. When the colored part of the eyes (irises) are two di erent colors.
3. Archipelago.
4. Poutine (French fries, cheese curds and gravy).
