Arvada Press 111722

Remembering Nancy Young: Arvada’s historian

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Nancy Young loved Arvada in a way that made you fall in love with it too.

As she put it, Young was born in Arvada on Jan. 7, 1952, “When the Arvada Square was a field, the Arvada Plaza was a field and you knew

it was a small town because everyone knew everybody’s business.”

Young was an intrepid researcher who became the foremost expert on Arvada history during her lifetime.

Young died in her home on Nov. 4 after fighting an illness. She was 70 years old.

Young is survived by her sister and brother-in-law, Susan and Dan-

iel Westervelt — both of whom live in Alaska — as well as many neices and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents, Kathryn and Jack Young, and her brothers John and Thomas.

A 17-year board member of the Arvada Historical Society, where she contributed swaths of original research on the city’s history, Young frequently volunteered at the McIlvoy House and helped preserve the Historical Society’s archives.

More than anything, Young enjoyed sharing history with others.

Holiday events coming to Olde Town Arvada

“She just loved sharing the history with visitors who came in,” Arvada Historical Society President Karen Miller said. “She was our go-to person when we needed an article written or researched, when people call or have questions about the history of a house or their family. I would always refer them to Nancy.”

“It’s like Nancy and Arvada are synonymous to me,” Susan Shirley, a friend of Young’s, said. “Almost everything I know about Arvada

Je co Board of Education votes to close 16 elementary schools

BY ANDREW FRAIELI AFRAIELI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The Jefferson County Board of Education unanimously voted to close 16 elementary schools on Nov. 10, approving a consolidation plan initially presented to the Board by the District on Aug. 25.

Under-enrollment and lack of resources were continuously cited by the District and Board over the last three months for why the consolidations are necessary, with specific attention to inequity in school programs due to stretched District resources. An hour-long public comment before the vote showed no parent, teacher or community member speaking in support of the decision, though.

“Closing 16 schools with no public process or input the way you have done it is not appropriate,” Sarah Stites, a local business owner and former Jeffco teacher said.

Many parents and community members see the decision as rushed and lacking sufficient input from the community, calling the community meetings and public

Children skating at the old ice rink in Olde Town Square in 2020. This year’s rink will differ substantially from the one piloted in 2020. COURTESY OF OLDE TOWN ARVADA BID

The fee — which includes skate rentals — is $10 for adults and $7 for children 12 and under.

Hengstler said he tested the rink himself and called it “The newest innovation in synthetic ice.”

“It’s fairly comparable (to ice),” Hengstler said. “For those who know how to skate well, you can definitely do crossovers and stop pretty well. (The surface) is traditionally created for training for figure skaters and hockey players. Over the years, they’ve branched out and sold them to more downtowns.”

The Olde Town BID piloted a rink in 2020, but Hengstler called the new rink a “marked improvement over prior years” and cited the new rink’s larger size and more level ground. He said the BID will be operating the rink for a number of years going forward.

The rink is sponsored by Century Link, Lutheran Medical Center and Colorado Party Rentals.

Holiday Makers Market Nov. 25 to Dec. 18

The Holiday Makers Market returns this year every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Nov. 25 to Dec. 18. The market is free to the public and will feature a rotating roster of local vendors and makers — this year, a completely new list of vendors will rotate through the market every week.

The market will be held in Olde Town Square from 4 to 7 p.m. on Fridays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Local businesses will host pop-up bars each week, with New Image Brewing already on board.

“Over the last couple of years, we have really worked to grow this vendor list and word spread within the community that Olde Town was a great place for them to come and be successful,” Hengstler said.

Some of the vendors lined up for this year’s market include Sustainable Goods, Pet Ones Broomfield, Painted with Fire, Adults and Crafts and M2 Confections.

Small Business Saturday: Nov. 26

At 10:30 a.m. Nov. 26, Olde Town will celebrate Small Business Saturday; an annual event that aims to highlight local businesses.

Schoolhouse Kitchen and Libations and Hunter Bay Coffee Roasters will provide free coffee and breakfast tacos to the first 100 people in attendance. The Olde Town BID will have enter-to-win raffles for Olde Town gift cards and merchandise.

“It’s our way to celebrate small busi-

ness Saturday, our favorite holiday of the year,” Hengstler said. “It is a really important day for our small retailers and they definitely fully embrace everyone coming out to support local.”

Olde Town tree lighting: Nov. 26

From 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 26, the tree in Olde Town Square will be lit up for the holidays.

57th Avenue will be closed to car traffic for the occasion, which will begin with a march through Olde Town at 5 p.m. led by the Guerilla Fanfare Brass Band. At 6, the tree lighting countdown will be led by City Councilmembers John Marriott and Lauren Simpson.

Following the tree lighting, folks can get pictures with Santa and a holiday performance by the Elegant Plums will take place. The Olde Town BID will serve alcoholic beverages for the event, and the maker’s market will have expanded hours.

Saturdays with Santa: Dec. 3, 10, 17

On Dec. 3, 10 and 17, families can have breakfast with Santa at Schoolhouse from 11 a.m. to noon, followed by free pictures with Santa available from noon to 3 p.m. in Olde Town Square.

Lagniappe, Annual Eggnog and Cider Competition, and Arvada Fire Chili Cooko : Dec. 5 Dec. 5 will be a busy night in Olde Town, with three events running concurrently.

Lagniappe will feature local businesses, especially retailers, handing out small gifts with purchases throughout the evening.

“It’s a great night to come down and do additional holiday shopping,” Hengstler said.

The 7th Annual Eggnog and Cider Competition is also taking place the evening of Dec. 5, with shops around Olde Town serving their favorite seasonal beverage to patrons, who will then vote on the best sample.

Last year, the Arvada Tavern won `Best Eggnog’ honors and Flights Wine Cafe won the `Best Cider’ category. Hunter Bay Coffee Roasters won `Best Non-Alcoholic Eggnog,’ while Scrumptious took home `Best Non-Alcoholic Apple Cider’ for their apple cider sorbet.

Also, on Dec. 5, the Arvada Fire Protection District will host its 11th Annual Fire House Chilli Cookoff at the Arvada Elks Lodge. Last year, firefighters and one board member from Arvada Fire entered homemade chili in the contest, with Station 5’s B shift winning “most delicious overall chili,” while Station 2’s green chili won that category.

This year’s chili cook off will take place between 6 and 8 p.m.

A child goes over a wish list with Santa at last year’s Saturdays with Santa.

FILE PHOTO BY Y RYLEE DUNN

The tree lighting in Olde Town Arvada last year. COURTESY OF TOMAS MARTINEZ

Decorations have been placed on the tree in Olde Town Arvada.

PHOTO BY Y RYLEE DUNN

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hearings that each closing elementary school had “performative,” as Board member Paula Reed put it.

However, she clarified “that these sessions were not for debating whether or not to close these schools, but rather how best to make the transition…perhaps we jumped into that too quickly.”

“If I thought that Regional Opportunities for Thriving Schools would cause kids to lose anything without gaining a great deal in return, I would absolutely vote no,” she continued. “As an educator, I cannot leave some kids in under-resourced schools, while others get everything they need and more.”

Board member Mary Parker similarly pointed to programs like special education and how consolida-

tions will help address their limited resources, and the negative effects that can have on the program, in the long term.

Parents at Emory Elementary, now slated for closure and the only school with a dual-language program consolidating into one without, are similarly concerned for their program in the long term.

“If the District doesn’t provide us with the support or the resources and training that the teachers need, it’s going to disappear,” Aida Kline, a parent from Emory, said after the vote.

Lisa Relou, the chief of strategy and communications at Jeffco Public Schools, said afterward that there is a transition plan in the works that parents will have access to in time for December enrollment.

Even as the Board spoke continuously on how consolidations will

SEE CLOSING, P4

Redfin Shuts Down Its iBuyer Unit. Are Opendoor and Offerpad Next to Do So?

The big news in real estate last week was the announcement by Redfin that it was shutting down its fix-and-flip unit called Redfin Now and laying off 13% of its employees.

The end of the seller’s market has stranded iBuyers with homes they paid too much for and can’t sell at a profit. A good example of that is Opendoor’s listing at 2090 Braun Drive in Applewood, which I mentioned in my column on August 11, 2022, under the headline, “Looking for Good Deal? Opendoor Is Slashing Prices to Clear Its Inventory.” As the MLS chart at right shows, Opendoor purchased the home on Sept. 3, 2021, for $638,300, tried to flip it four months later for $652,000, and had already reduced its price to $620,000. That home is still sitting on the market, now priced at $76,300 less than they paid for it.

Opendoor currently has 165 unsold listings on REcolorado, the Denver MLS, and the median days on the MLS is 115 — nearly 4 months. Once a home has been active without selling for about a month,

Opendoor starts reducing the price, and pretty soon, their profit margin has disappeared.

In the last 30 days, Opendoor has closed 68 listings, and the median days on the MLS for them was 90. That median listing was purchased for $650,000 and sold for that same price, which was $110,000 less than its original listing price, representing a sizable loss when you factor in the co-op commission paid to the buyer’s agent, renovation costs, and any wages paid to their listing agent, not to mention the carrying cost of their $650,000 purchase price, property taxes and more. The company reported a $928 million loss for the third quarter ($573 million of which was from revaluing its unsold inventory), laid off 550 workers, and saw its stock price plummet to just above $1. If it falls below $1 for a month, it will be delisted from NASDAQ.

One wonders how much longer this iBuyer company and its remaining competitor, Offerpad, can sustain such losses.

I Took Delivery Last Week of Ford’s Electric F-150

Regular readers know me as a committed Tesla fan, currently owning both a 2015 Model S and a 2017 Model X. But I was drawn to make a reservation for the F150 Lightning as soon as it was announced, and last week I took delivery, with a Denver client as co-buyer, of a carbonite gray Lightning Lariat model.

My reservation number was still several months out, but the sales manager was able to secure this vehicle from an inventory vehicle shipped to him by Ford. We didn’t get to choose any finishes, including color or an extended range battery, but we liked it enough that I bought it.

Initially, the Lightning was promoted with a $39,000 base price, which understandably attracted hundreds of thousands of reservations. But that was a mirage, much like the $39,000 base price for the Tesla Model 3 when it was introduced.

Today, the base price for the Pro model is $51,974, and my Lariat model came with a $74,474 price tag, plus a $5,000 dealer mark-up, which I had to accept. The base model doesn’t have two driver assistance features which I can’t live without, now that I’m used to them on my Teslas — adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping.

So, how do I like our Lightning Lariat? After putting a couple hundred miles on it, I can say that I love it. What surprised me most of all was that the ride at highway speed and on rough pavement was better and quieter than in either of my Teslas.

I love that the Lightning offers a “onepedal” driving mode, in which you not only have strong regenerative braking, but it brings you to a complete stop, greatly reducing the need to use the brake pedal.

I also love the Apple Play integration for my iPhone. Tesla’s iPhone integration has been and remains the worst in the industry.

At first, I didn’t like the lane-keeping feature because, unlike with Tesla, you can’t change lane by using the turn signal. But I came to love it because it’s always on, such that when I do change lanes, it locks onto the new lane without asking.

Although I would have little use for it, I like that the Lightning has numerous USB and 120V outlets in the front trunk, the cargo bed and inside the cab, plus a 240V outlet in the cargo bed. One feature I’d make great use of is the large work surface that is created when you retract the shift lever and unfold the console cushion.

My client loves the Lightning, too, so I am letting him reimburse me and keep it.

Jim Smith

Broker/Owner, 303-525-1851

Broker Associates:

JIM SWANSON, 303-929-2727

CHUCK BROWN,

Golden Real Estate Partners With 96.9 FM to Fight Food Insecurity

Ford.com photo

Melissa Jacobson (left), a parent from Kullerstrand Elementary, waits for the Je co Board of Education’s vote on whether to close 16 elementary schools. The Board voted unanimously in favor.

PHOTO BY ANDREW FRAIELI

CLOSING

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help this stretch of resources and funding, parents and community members have argued it is a rushed plan, and do not see it as well thought out.

“The District does not have a long-range plan or even a clear phase two after closing 16 schools,” Sheryl Lammers said in public comment. “We, as stakeholders, cannot make informed decisions about the future education of our children, or the impact on our property values.”

Board member Susan Miller, speaking before the vote, said that consolidation is not a solution in itself to their $40 million budget deficit or the other issues of equity the District is having, but “just one step we will have to take in this long hard process.”

Trust was brought up repeatedly, in public hearings and meetings before the vote and during public comment the day of. Destiny Farr of Lakewood called trust for Jeffco schools “scarily low,” and Alana Richie said, “I’ve gotten to the point that I’ve lost all trust.”

Board President Stephanie Schooley acknowledged that loss of trust in comments before the vote. Afterward, she told Colorado Community Media that delivering on the commitment the Board made with this vote is partly how she wants to rebuild that trust. That, and being reflective and changing practice where necessary to make

community members feel more meaningfully engaged.

She also points to the actual resolution.

“We thought long and hard about how we would integrate those voices and concerns, fears, of parents,” she said. “And we did that through the resolution itself.”

She said the Board was able to address almost every question or comment that came up over the course of the community engagement.

Sixteen elementary schools will be consolidated into others not more than 3.5 miles away.

Bergen Meadow

Campbell Elementary

Colorow Elementary

Emory Elementary

Glennon Heights Elementary Green Mountain Elementary

Kullerstrand Elementary Molholm Elementary

New Classical Academy at Vivian Parr Elementary

Peck Elementary

Pei er Elementary Sheridan Green Elementary Thomson Elementary

Wilmore Davis Elementary Witt Elementary

The Je co Board of Education on Nov. 10, the night of the Board’s final vote on elementary school consolidations. The Board unanimously voted in favor.

Val Nosler Beck, a Wheat Ridge City Council Member, spoke at the public comment before the Je co Board of Education’s final vote on elementary school consolidations. PHOTOS BY ANDREW FRAIELI

Je co o cials recommend boosters, caution as COVID-19 lingers

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

COVID-19 is still in play, local health offi cials warn, but Colorado hasn’t seen as big of a spike in cases as it has the past two falls.

Jody Erwin, deputy director of Jeffco Public Health, explained COVID-19 case counts and positivity rates have gone up slightly around Colorado amid cold and fl u season.

During a Nov. 1 update with the Jeffco commissioners, Erwin stated Jeffco’s trends have been similar, with slight increases in positivity rates and hospitalizations. Omicron has been a prevalent strain, but there are others going around as well, Erwin described.

While these trends are something to watch, Erwin said he was optimistic overall.

“We don’t see the sharp increase that we have at this time over the past two years,” he continued.

With the winter holidays approaching, Erwin hoped Jeffco residents would get their booster COVID-19 vaccinations if they haven’t already, and take other precautions ahead of any travel and/or holiday gatherings.

“(Getting vaccinated) is about productivity for me at this point,” Erwin said. “I have plans for the holidays, and I want to protect those higher-risk people around

me.”

Commissioner Andy Kerr commented how he recently received his booster at one of the Jeffco Public Health sites, and said the staff was very effi cient. Now, he

said, he felt ready to celebrate the holidays safely.

Erwin said walk-in appointments are available at multiple locations around the county, including Jeffco Public Health sites,

pharmacies and other retailers.

For more information, visit Jeffco.us/public-health or call 303-

COVID-19 protocols

Those who’ve been exposed to someone who’s had COVID-19 should wear a mask for 10 full days after exposure, according to state health offi cials. Free COVID-19 tests are available at several Jeffco Public Library branches.

For those who are experiencing symptoms and/or test positive for COVID-19, the state’s website explains that most people need to isolate for fi ve days, followed by fi ve days of precautions.

After fi ve full days of isolation, those impacted should wear masks for fi ve more days or until they test negative twice two days

Anyone who still has a fever on the sixth day of isolation or if symptoms haven’t improved should continue isolating until they’ve had no fever for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medicine or until symptoms improve.

For anyone who didn’t have symptoms when they tested positive but started feeling them in the days after the test, the fi ve days of isolation should reset from when the symptoms started.

More information is available at covid19.colorado.gov.

Health o cials recommend Colorado residents receive the latest COVID-19 booster vaccine ahead of the 2022 winter holiday season.

FILE PHOTO BY ANDY COLWELL

All three Je erson County ballot measures fail

BY ANDREW FRAIELI AFRAIELI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Marijuana growth and sale in unincorporated Jeffco, along with a possible sales tax on it, have failed

Voters are decided against approving Ballot measure 1A and 1B, the sale and production of marijuana in unincorporated Jeffco and sales tax on it, according to unofficial election results as Nov. 11.

Unincorporated areas like Evergreen and Conifer were included, as well as south Jeffco, but large areas within and around Lakewood would have been included as well, such as almost the entire area surrounded by US 285 and C-470.

Ballot measure 1B would have been a sales tax resolution of three to six percent on the marijuana products. The resolution estimated an added $600,000 in taxes would have gone to Jeffco within the first fiscal year with

the three to six percent tax on marijuana sales continuing after.

Jeffco TABOR will not change

The Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights for Jeffco will remain unchanged as Ballot measure 1C fails, according to unoffical election results as of Nov. 11. It would have limited only property taxes, removing the ceiling for other taxes, allowing the county to keep more revenue.

The resolution pointed to lower tax

income to the county during the pandemic as a cause for reduced County operations and services, and this change to TABOR limits would have helped those budgets rebound.

TABOR works by putting a ceiling on county income, be it tax revenues, grants or money from the state. Passing that ceiling would require the county to send checks to residents for the surpassing amount — about $17.6 million in excess funds are being refunded for 2022.

Kersgaard leads Szabo in Je erson County assessor race

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

With 99% of Jefferson County ballots tabulated, it appears Scot Kersgaard will retain his position as Jefferson County assessor, beating challenger Libby Szabo in the Nov. 8 election.

The Jeffco Clerk & Recorder’s office says it has tallied all of the votes in its possession. Final vote totals will be available on Nov. 17.

Kersgaard said he was thrilled to retain the assessor position.

“It’s a hard job, and it’s a hard job to do in four years,” Kersgaard said. “Sometimes you need to make improvements

and changes to culture. Government moves slowly sometimes. If I’m limited to four years, I can’t get everything done that I want to get done.”

He noted that being the county assessor is not a partisan position.

“It’s just get the property values right,” he said. “That’s our job, and we do the job. It’s not about partisanship.”

Kersgaard said in candidate statements that in his tenure in the position, the office has improved the assessor website, so it is among the best in the state.

He noted that before his election in 2018, 5% of Jeffco property owners appealed their

values each year, the highest percentage of all major metro counties. Today, about 3% appeal, a sign that the office is doing a better job and that people have more confidence in the office’s work.

Szabo said she was running for assessor to bring a balance to county government, noting that the concerns of average citizens have been ignored. She called her greatest strength being familiar with county and state government, having previously served for six years as a Jeffco commissioner and five years in the state Senate.

Her background is in the mortgage lending and financial services industry.

Dahlkemper reelected Je erson County commissioner

commissioner race.

In the final count on Nov. 9, Dahlkemper had 58% of the votes with 166,973.

Rosier, a South Jeffco resident who served as Jeffco commissioner from 2011 to 2017, had 42% with 120,145 votes.

The Jeffco Clerk & Recorder’s Office Tweeted at 8:30 p.m. Nov. 9 that it had finished counting all the ballots in its possession. It expected a final update with any remaining military and overseas ballots on Nov. 17. Election results will be certified in the coming weeks.

Dahlkemper thanked all the voters who put their trust in her since she first ran in 2018, saying, “I’m happy to have so much support in this community.”

Dahlkemper, a resident of unincorporated South Jeffco, was elected in 2018. In her first term, Dahlkemper described how she’s collaborated with other stakeholders to address economic development, early childhood education, resources for mental health and opioid prevention, and other issues.

“In Jeffco, we’re about collaboration and partnership,” she continued.

Wildfire risk reduction was a major issue for Dahlkemper during her first term. She created and chaired the Jeffco Wildfire Risk Reduction Task Force — now the Wildfire Commission — to increase mitigation, community education and funding.

Dahlkemper stressed how Jeff-

for that effort,” she explained.

Overall, she was pleased with Jeffco’s historic Election Day turnout, saying it reinforces how important midterm elections are in the community and “how hard we worked to reach the voters.”

She described the effortless work by her campaign volunteers — writing thousands of postcards and driving around Jeffco to put up signs — saying her 59% win is a testament to their enthusiasm.

Dahlkemper, who’s been balancing a yearlong campaign with her day-to-day work as commissioner, also thanked her family for their support.

She described how her daughter, who’s in college, surprised her on election night. So, Dahlkemper was immensely grateful to share the victory with her, her husband, and other family members and friends.

“Campaigns can be hard on families. They sacrifice a lot too,” she continued. “ … It means so much to have the support of family when you work on a campaign of this size. That support means everything.”

While Jeffco has plenty of issues to tackle, Dahlkemper believed collaborating with stakeholders throughout the county and state will yield the best possible results. She said those partnerships have been and will continue to be the cornerstone of her work as an elected official.

“We really do go farther together,” she said.

Our mission is to lower energy costs and provide the healthiest quality air possible. For anyone, business or residential, we will increase e ciency of your system by using the very latest techniques, the latest technologies and top of the line products. We will provide the highest quality of work possible. Our professional sta will assure a high level of professionalism that cannot be matched in our industry. We guarantee our products and services.

Lesley Dahlkemper

Cannon leads Archuleta in

Je erson County coroner race

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Voting returns have Democrat Annette Cannon leading Republican Matt Archuleta in the Jefferson County coroner race, according to the fourth round of unofficial results, which were released around 4 p.m. on Nov. 9.

As of 4 p.m. on Nov. 9, 93% of ballots were counted. As of 4 p.m. on Nov. 9, Cannon had received 150,931 votes, while Archuleta had received 112,440. Local election officials have said that a final count isn’t expected until Nov. 9 or later.

Cannon said she’s “Feeling good” about the results so far, but maintained that she would not declare victory until “That last vote’s in.”

“I think that the voters really paid attention and I think they could see how dedicated I’ve been to this job over the last four years and I think they can see the good that I’ve done for the office and for the citizens.”

Cannon added that her goals for her second term are to complete the office’s accredidation, provide more education for the community and look at innovative technology.

Archuleta could not be reached for comment on Election Night.

Cannon is running for re-election after first being elected to the office in 2018. During her term, she has overseen the office’s response to

the I-70 disaster and the COVID-19 pandemic.

She is a registered nurse who has experience as a death investigator through the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators and the Colorado Coroners Association.

Cannon said her priorities are retaining staff, hiring diverse candidates and continuing to provide statistics and communication to other agencies and offices.

Archuleta is an Aurora native and has served with the Arvada Police Department for 33 years. Since 2010, he has served as a crime scene investigator for the department.

If elected, his priorities are to seek national accreditation for the office, take stock of inventory and see if anything needs to be replaced or upgraded and provide education for the community.

Marinelli elected Je erson County Sheri

AFRAIELI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

As of Nov. 10 with 99% of ballots counted, unoffical results points to Democrat Regina Marinelli, current lieutenant of the support services division at the Jefferson County Sheriff’s office, being elected Jeffco Sheriff over Republican Ed Brady, current Arvada Police Department deputy chief.

“I actually went to work today, and we started the transition at 1 o’clock today,” Marinielli told Colorado Community Media on Nov. 9. Sheriff Shrader had contacted her in the morning to start her training, informing her of meetings she’d be attending the next few months before being sworn in on January 10.

“The transition has already begun,” she said. “It’s a little overwhelming for 24 hours.”

Jeffco Sheriff Jeff Shrader congratulated her on her election the morning of Nov. 9 through a Facebook post.

“On behalf of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, I want to congratulate Lt. Regina ‘Reggie’ Marinelli for being elected as Jefferson County’s next sheriff,” said Shrader. “We look forward to working with Sheriff-elect Marinelli over the next two months to ensure a smooth transition for the new administration and to continue the efforts of our staff in making Jefferson County a safe place for all people to live, learn, work, and play.”

When asked how long it will take for her to start up after being sworn in, she said, with her years of working in the Sheriff’s Office, “I don’t think it’s going to take me very long at all.”

“January 11 we will starting pointing all of my strategies into place, my organization chart and

retention of staff. The county is losing the expert knowledge that comes from having a seasoned work force. I will change that,” she said at the Sheriff debate hosted by the Golden Transcript in September.

Being Sheriff also means being the countywide fire marshal, and Marinielli called fire preparedness an important priority at the same debate.

“We need to get the policies to where they should be rather than everybody working on their own script when it comes to wildfire,” Marinelli said. “I plan to cooperate with everybody.”

Marinelli also suggested the county should look for more federal grants to pay for more wildfire preparedness.

Final election results will continue to be updated as necessary, on Nov. 9 or later. Check back for the latest results.

DiTullio declares victory in Je erson County treasurer

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Voting returns have democrat candidate Jerry DiTullio leading republican candidate Faye Griffin in the Jefferson County treasurer race, according to the fourth round of unofficial results, which were released around 4 p.m. on Nov. 9. DiTullio declared victory over Griffin at 9:20 p.m. on Nov. 8.

As of 4 p.m., 93% of ballots have been counted. DiTullio had received 149,091 votes, while Griffin had received 118,072 votes. Local election officials have said that a final count isn’t expected until Nov. 9 or later.

“I feel awesome about the results,” DiTullio said. “I’m pleased Jefferson County voters decided to hire me for four more years. I think they’re pleased with my accesiblity, engagefor

Annette Cannon

Jerry DiTullio

Regina Marinelli

Gonzalez defeats Pyne in Je erson County Clerk and Recorder race

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Democrat

In the final count on Nov. 9, Gonzalez had 57% of the votes at 163,324. Pyne, an Arvada resident and president of the Apex Park and Recreation District Board of Directors, received 43% with 122,670.

The Jeffco Clerk & Recorder’s Office Tweeted at 8:30 p.m. Nov. 9 that it had finished counting all the ballots in its possession. It expected a final update with any remaining military and overseas ballots on Nov. 17. Election results will be certified in the coming weeks.

Gonzalez, an attorney for a nonprofit, will succeed current Clerk and Recorder George Stern — who was

TREASURER

Griffin

“I’m

seen how we

elected in 2018 — and serve a four-

“I’m super-excited,” Gonzalez said. “I got into this race because my background is in nonpartisan election protection work. I’m happy I get to continue that work of ensuring fair, safe and secure elections.”

Along with conducting elections, the Clerk and Recorder’s Office also issues marriage licenses, registers vehicles, records public documents, processes passport and liquor-license applications, and serves as clerk for the Board of County Commissioners.

The Clerk and Recorder also oversees about 115 employees, and Gonzalez said she believes the office has a very skilled staff whose hard work has earned Jeffco a positive reputation.

can lose.”

DiTullio is seeking a second term as treasurer after being elected to the office in 2018. A Denver native, DiTullio and his family have lived in Wheat Ridge for 30 years.

He was elected to the Wheat Ridge city council in 1995, where he served until 2005, at which time he was elected mayor. He served in that office until 2013 and then was again elected to city council to a two-year term before being elected City Treasurer in 2015. He served in that office until he was elected County Treasurer in 2018.

Gonzalez, an Arvada resident who moved to Jeffco in 2012, has worked as a policy analyst, community organizer and nonprofit director. In 2020, she ran Colorado’s largest nonpartisan election protection effort.

Gonzalez explained how, because she’s done so much nonpartisan work, she was relative newcomer among the local Democrats. Thus, her campaign was a mostly grassroots effort, she described, adding how her campaign volunteers were calling their friends and neighbors until 10 minutes before the polls closed.

She was grateful for all her volunteers, who range from 13 to 88 years old, saying she wouldn’t have been successful without them.

Once the 2022 election results are finalized and certified in the coming weeks, Gonzalez will take office in January. In the meantime, she wants

He has pledged to serve the full four-year term if re-elected.

DiTullio oversaw the distribution of CARES Act funding and other COVID relief grants to businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. He supported House Bill 20-1421 and Senate Bill 21-279, which offered flexibility on property tax payments amid the pandemic.

Griffin is a Golden native and a graduate of Golden High School. Prior to her political career, she served in the Jefferson County Clerk’s office for 24 years.

She was elected Jefferson County

to learn as much as she can from Stern and his team.

“This is the first time I’ve ever run (for office), let alone be elected,” she continued. “I want to learn as much as I can from him.”

Her goals include continuing Stern’s digitization efforts and ensuring residents have high-quality experiences with her office.

“As someone who identifies as queer, I want to make sure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect when interacting with the clerk’s office,” Gonzalez said regarding marriage licenses and other services that might impact LGBTQ+ community members.

Even as the 2022 election is wrapping up, Gonzalez said another goal of hers is preparing the Clerk & Recorder’s Office for the 2024 election, remarking how it’s “right around the corner.”

Clerk and Recorder in 1998 and served in that office from 1999 to 2007. She was then elected county treasurer and served in that capacity from 2007 to 2009.

Griffin was elected District 1 Jefferson County Commissioner in 2008 and served two terms in that office from 2009 to 2015. She was then elected to a second term as County Clerk and Recorder and served in that office again from 2015 to 2018.

She said that if elected, her priorities are to revise the treasurer’s office hours to be more accessible to the public.

Amanda Gonzalez has defeated Republican Vicki Pyne in the Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder race.

history I learned from her.”

“She was always willing to help if there was something you wanted to look up or some question that would give you insight into maybe your family or something else,” Buddy Sexton, a friend of Young’s, said. “She loved research. She’ll be sorely missed.”

Armed with an unrelenting passion for the city that she attributed to her “deep roots here,” Young’s love of the city came from being steeped in its lore. Young’s grandfather was a member of Arvada’s inaugural fi re department; her parents were lifelong Arvadans.

A graduate of Arvada West High School, Young continued her studies at George Washington University and visited Arvada “four, fi ve, or six times a year” when she lived out of state. After graduating with a degree in fi nance, Young worked as a bank stock analyst in New York City after college.

She moved back in the early 2000s to take care of her ailing mother and stayed in Arvada ever since.

“They were one in the same, her and Arvada,” Shirley said. “Because they went back together way before anyone paid attention to Arvada. That was her place. This was her town, this was it. And her family was a big part of it. She’s got actual memories of

that terrible fi re that happened in Olde Town.”

A tireless advocate for preserving the city’s charm and historic sites, Young meticulously took notes on Arvada City Council, Planning Commission and Urban Renewal Authority meetings and often engaged with city leaders at public forums.

She was, in the words of Arvada Mayor Marc Williams, “A true historian who knew more about Arvada than any other living person in our community at this point in time.”

“There were times were Nancy and I did not see eye to eye, but one thing that we always saw

A portrait of Nancy Young taken in La Dolce Vita Co ee Shop by former Arvada City Councilmember Nancy Ford. Ford said it was Young’s favorite picture of herself. COURTESY OF NANCY FORD

Nancy Young portrays Ralston Crossing homesteader Frank McQuiston at the 2021 Arvada Historical Society Cemetery Tour.

FILE PHOTO BY RYLEE DUNN

Nancy Young (left) stands with Arvada Historical Society members at an Aug. 1 city council meeting where a proclamation naming August as “Arvada Historical Society Month” was made.

PHOTO BY RYLEE DUNN

Nancy Young pictured outside La Dolce Vita Co ee Shop for a 2015 Arvada Press profile. Friends have cited Nancy’s ‘My Name Is’ article as the most she shared publicly about herself. ARVADA PRESS FILE PHOTO

eye to eye on was our mutual respect and love for this community,” Williams said. “We really lost a treasure.”

“She was strong in her opinions,” Former Arvada City Councilmember Nancy Ford said. “I think that’s a positive trait. I think people didn’t understand Nancy in some ways. I think people saw her as a troublemaker, but I think she was really concerned about her city and when someone cares that deeply, it’s rooted in their body. It’s very much a part of who they are.”

Dedicated to preserving Arvada’s small-town feel, Young was a founding member of Stop Arvada Walmart, which later led her to become a co-founder of Arvada for All the People, which sued the City of Arvada over the Olde Town Residencies development — commonly known as the “$30 Land Deal” — which is currently under construction.

Young’s passion was ever-present in her advocacy, but never at the expense of her scrupulous historical knowledge or kindness.

To wit, many of the folks who were involved in citizen action groups with Young count her as a close friend.

“I don’t know anyone who

cared about Arvada as much as Nancy did, not just about our history, but about our present and our future,” Arvada for All the People co-founder and Young’s friend Harriett Hall said.

“This is clear from the time and energy she put into teaching school children about Arvada‘s history, and the value of our community, and her keen interest in issues related to the development not just of Olde Town, but of our whole city,” Hall continued.

“Even though we are both Arvada natives, I didn’t meet Nancy until early 2013,” Young’s friend Cindi Kreutzer said. “We were both involved in citizens groups opposing two new urban renewal projects at the same time… Nancy was passionate about her hometown and was not afraid to voice her opinions to anyone who would listen.

“She did so dozens of times and whether or not you agreed with her, you could count on her information being completely accurate,” Kreutzer continued.

“Nancy was someone who I trusted and who was always very friendly,” Young’s friend Debbie Hansen said. “She was a straight shooter and could back up what she was talking about with facts. She loved Arvada and was always willing to share information about it.”

Miller said that Young was a

SEE REMEMBERING, P13

As Arvada Mayor Marc Williams confers the proclamation to Historical Society President Karen Miller, Nancy Young (right) beams with joy.

Young (center) portrays Gail “Doc” Gilbert at this year’s Cemetery Tour. Young asked me to take the photo from far away so the focus wouldn’t be on her. PHOTOS BY RYLEE DUNN

VOICES

Change Makers helps older adults explore what’s next

Most people think of college as a place to go at the beginning of your career.

The University of Colorado-Denver is reimagining higher education as a place for people at the end of their primary working years as well.

A new CU-Denver program called Change Makers, launching in January, will bring experienced professionals who are approaching or already in retirement back to college for a semester to explore possibilities, retool and renew their purpose.

Midlife is filled with transitions, not all of them easy. The good news is that at this stage of life, people’s experience, skills and wisdom have never been greater — or more needed in the world.

New options for a new life stage

Longer lifespans due to health advances in the last century have

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

It’s time for transparency, not deception

Why would Jeffco Schools administrators want to deceive the public about the matter of “furry” activity in our public schools? CBS News last week rexposed the district officials — all the way to the superintendent — knew about the issue, yet denied it was happening.

It should make us wonder what else is going on in classrooms that public officials don’t want us to know about. Our public schools are not a secret society where the powerful get to do what they want behind closed doors. It’s time for transparency, not deception.

One thing we know for sure, Jeffco Schools has a school policy (below) prohibiting teachers from telling parents when their child has requested to be called by another name or other gender pronouns. Again...why? The district must think they know better than a child’s parents about what is good for the child. Nonsense.

It is time to pass Colorado legislation to expand school choice programs so parents can choose where their education tax dollars are spent. And, it’s time to resurrect former State Rep. Tim Geitner’s bill from last year that

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GUEST COLUMN Michelle Marks

led sociologists to define a whole new life stage — an average extra 30 years after the family-raising, profession-building years. Yet careers are often still expected to end when people are in their 60s, with ripple effects on those in their 50s.

Choices at this stage have traditionally been full-time work or full-time leisure. But many people are now looking at retirement differently than previous generations did. They want something in between.

Some need to continue earning a salary to support longer lifespans. Others are interested in staying engaged, and in giving back to their communities. Surveys indicate a strong desire among people over 50 for continued meaningful engagement. This represents a huge untapped resource for our

community.

Here is where higher education is beginning to step in. The CU-Denver Change Makers program is based on the success of similar programs in other states. Unlike traditional programs for older adults that focus on learning new work skills or dabbling in a topic of intellectual interest, these programs are focused specifically on helping older adults transition well from one life stage to a new one that includes purpose and impact.

First class starts in January Change Makers’ inaugural class will begin in January and continue through April. The four-month program will be held in a hybrid in-person/online format, meeting twice each week. The instructor, who has decades of experience leading programs for older adults in transition, will lead discus-

sions on navigating transition and thinking differently about the next stage. In a tailored seminar series, participants will hear from experts on issues relating to aging and retirement. And with opportunities to audit CU-Denver classes and an optional applied internship in a nonprofit or social enterprise, fellows will explore areas of interest and growth and develop a plan for using their wisdom in a new, fulling context.

The goal of Change Makers is to make change — in the participants themselves and in their communities.

Universities do this with younger students all the time. Why not later in life as well?

Michelle Marks is the chancellor of the University of Colorado-Denver. Find more information on the Change Makers program at ucdenver.edu/change-makers.

would bring curriculum transparency to our public schools.

[District Regulations - Jeffco Public Schools/ Section JTransgender Students/ Code JB R-1 states: “School staff shall not disclose information that may reveal a student’s transgender status to others, including parents” and...”when contacting the parent or guardian of a transgender student, school staff should use the student’s legal name and the pronoun corresponding to the student’s gender assigned at birth...”]

Mark W. Salley, Arvada

2022 leaf recycling drop off disaster

Another Leaf Drop Off that turned into a pain. Last year at the Harlan location, I waited in line for 30 minutes. This morning, it took 48 minutes in an almost mile long line of stop and go, crawling along while burning expensive fuel. Zero traffic control added to the issue as people bullied their way into the single line. The area for dropping off leaves only allowed for 12-13 vehicles. Add this to the snail’s pace of what appears to be never ending road repair on Ralston added to the frustration. This is a great event and its wonderful Arvada is doing this but it appears

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher

lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

MICHAEL DE YOANNA Editor-in-Chief

michael@coloradocommunitymedia.com

KRISTEN FIORE

West Metro Editor

kfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com

RYLEE DUNN Community Editor rdunn@coloradocommunitymedia.com

nothing has been learned from the past years of this event. For starters, we need multiple areas to drop off leaves and traffic control to help ease the growing participation in this event.

Wes Newman, Arvada

Is it really all plain and simple?

In the Oct. 27 Op-Ed, “When Roe v. Wade Was Overturned, Colorado Democrats Fought Back,” authors Sen. Jessie Danielson, D-Wheat Ridge, Rep. Lisa Cutter, D-Littleton, and Sen. Tammy Story, D-Conifer stated, “access to reproductive health care, including abortion care, should be the fundamental right of all Americans, plain and simple.”

The last three words of this sentence, “plain and simple,” I feel were flipid, unsettling and disturbing to me.

Those three words left me empty and saddened because, in my opinion, there is nothing plain and simple about reproductive health care or abortion care.

Yet, according to the Cornell School of Law, Legal Information Institute, reproductive health care is described as, “reproductive health services provided in a hospital, clinic, physician’s office, or other facility, and includes medical, surgical, counsel-

ing or referral services relating to the human reproductive system, including services relating to pregnancy or the termination of a pregnancy.”

It would make greater sense to me and I believe all Americans, if reproductive health care was given a more definitive name— abortion health care, plain and simple.

Nevertheless, I continue to believe there is nothing plain and simple about an individual who has no voice in his or her future.

I believe there is nothing plain and simple about an individual who has no decision-making power over his or her own life.

I believe there is nothing plain and simple when it comes to matters of human life verses human death.

I personally support and highly applaud the actions of what the three democratic public officials; Sen. Jessie Danielson; Rep. Lisa Cutter; and Sen. Tammy Story referred to as the “hyperpartisan, conservative U.S. Supreme Court.”

I believe the U.S. Supreme Court made the right decision to officially reverse Roe v. Wade.

It’s just that ‘plain and simple’ to me.

John Malito, Arvada

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Arvada press

A legal newspaper of general circulation in Je erson County, Colorado, the Arvada Press is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 27972 Meadow Dr. Suite 320, Evergreen CO, 80439.

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It is time to warm up your smartphone thumbs, dahlia growers.

Dahlia tuber season is upon us.

Now through April, dahlia farmers from Washington to New Zealand hold online tuber sales that some observers compare to an extreme sport.

In order to land the best varieties and newest cultivars, customers must know the fastest route to check out and do it in record time.

“We are in the midst of a dahlia mania largely stimulated by the flower farmer movement,” New Zealand dahlia breeder Dr. Keith Hammett posted in May on Instagram.

In the last 20 years, artisan flower farms have popped up in many communities to provide seasonal, sustainable alternatives to imported florals — and almost all grow dahlias.

The farms found that they could sell not only the cut flower, but also the tubers, which are fleshy swollen roots that enable a dahlia to grow. Many had accumulated the best varieties to share, including some they’d hybrid-

REMEMBERING

FROM PAGE 11

champion of what she called “Old Arvadans,” longtime residents of the city who are passionate about maintaining the community’s spirit.

“Growing up in Arvada, when she was a child, Arvada was kind of a one-horse town, and Arvada just has such a history compared to a lot of the surrounding cities and suburbs,” Miller said. “And I think that the people that grew up in Arvada are what we like to call the ‘Old Arvadans,’ they really care. They realize that the community’s personality is so much shaped by the history.

“To this day, it kind of helps people to keep that small town feel and reputation for being friendly and so on,” Miller continued. “It’s because the people that grew up here, the “Old Arvadans,” still view it as a small, friendly town.”

She was able to impart that perspective and love for Arvada on those who knew her.

At one city council meeting, Young spoke out against a conditional use permit for a business park on Indiana Street that would lead to the demolition of the last remaining homestead of Ralston Crossing; a settlement that was a forerunner of Arvada.

The proposal was passed by council, but Williams recommended that the developer work with Young on a plaque for the homestead.

“I certainly appreciate the history,” Developer Kenny Lombardi said, “I had no idea of the history there. I’m not opposed to a sign if someone wanted to provide the sign for us, we would certainly try to incorporate that in our landscape because it is some neat history.”

Recently, Lombardi said that he and his wife had been periodically going out to lunch with Nancy over the last few months and that he was still planning on installing a commemoration for the site once it is completed.

“It’s still in the works,” Lombardi

GUEST

COLUMN

Dahlia mania

ized themselves.

And just like that, a craze was born.

Gardeners today flock to online sales and sometimes in such high numbers that sale websites crash. This has led to comparisons with Dahlia Mania of the 1920s, when a giant pink dahlia named ‘Jersey’s Beauty’ shook up the gardening world.

“Everyone wanted a tuber of this variety and there were not enough to go around,” dahlia expert Brion Sprinsock posted on Instagram. “As a result, the price for a single tuber was $25 in 1923, the equivalent of $406 today.”

Today’s tubers usually top out at $25 — a deal in comparison to back then — but there never seems to be enough of prized varieties to meet demand. The most expensive varieties — the stellar new hybrids — routinely sell out within minutes of sales opening.

So how do you score the dahlia of your dreams? It certainly helps if you are fast on your thumbs. But even if

said. “There will be something there.”

Young didn’t stop there. She portrayed the homesteader, Frank McQuiston, at that year’s Arvada Historical Society Cemetery Tour and handed out small bee stuffed animals to commemorate McQuiston’s role in bringing honeybees to Colorado.

She clarified why so many things in town are named “Ralston,” spoke out against last year’s cancellation of the Arvada Harvest Festival, helped design a mural of the city’s history at one of her favorite restaurants, The Butchery, and educated folks on the beginnings of the Historical Society.

From the community editor:

Nancy did not like publicity — or, sometimes, credit — for her historical knowledge; she believed it belonged to everyone.

The last time I worked with her was at this year’s Cemetery Tour, where she portrayed Gail “Doc” Gilbert, a two-term mayor of Arvada. She asked that if I had to take a picture of her, I do so from far away to capture the crowd of onlookers and not focus on her.

The Arvada Press wrote a profile of Nancy in 2015 that many of her friends consider the most she ever shared about herself publicly. It concludes with the following statement from Nancy:

“Above all, I care passionately about my home and I believe in integrity, respect and honesty – honesty will get you everywhere.”

I have never met anyone who managed to be so unapologetically honest yet so unrelentingly kind.

Nancy personified Arvada, but, in a way, the city is a reflection of her as well. There is a unique friendliness that persists here, a small-town hominess that remains even as the city grows.

Wherever honesty, kindness and a love of history exists here, it will be, at least in part, because of her.

Arvada will never truly be without its greatest champion: Nancy Young.

Nancy’s sister is organizing a Cel-

you’re not, these tips could give you the edge:

Get on lists. Join email lists to be notified of sales. This is key as farms often give followers early access to sales or exclusive sales.

Be Prepared. Dahlia farms close shop pages the night before sales to update inventory. Get there the day before, jot down varieties you want and note where they appear on the pages.

Often you can create an account in advance with your address and credit card information and this can save valuable minutes. If not, consider putting payment information on autofill.

Some farms let you set up a favorites list. Never pass up this opportunity. It allows you to bypass the main page during a sale and immediately add varieties to your shopping cart.

Be on time. A minute before the online store opens, hit the refresh button until a live page appears. Yes, this does sometimes cause websites to crash if everyone is doing it, but if you do not do it, you lose valuable time.

Use your fastest device. Though some say smartphones are faster than PCs, it depends on the device. Whichever of yours is fastest — and easiest to use — choose that.

Use the buddy system. Ask a friend or spouse to get on their device at the same time and whoever gets to the payment page first, orders.

Limit your purchase. This may sound odd, but it is better to select just one dahlia variety and check out than add a full wish list to your shopping cart. If you add too many and one sells out, the website may force you to redo your entire shopping list.

Some farms allow customers to combine orders under one shipping charge. This is becoming rarer, but it is worth looking for under terms of service. Combining orders allows you to buy a coveted tuber, check out, then go back in and buy another without paying more postage.

ebration of Life, the details of which will be published in the Arvada Press when they are available. The

family requests that donations in her memory be made to the Arvada Historical Society.

Jennifer Miller is a horticulture coordinator with the Denver Botanic Gardens

Jennifer Miller

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Traditionally, playing with food has a bad reputation, but the rising popularity of charcuterie boards is changing that by encouraging diners to get creative with endless mix-and-match options.

Part art project, part meal prep, charcuterie is typically a combination of cheeses, meats and crackers or bread, arranged on a shared plate, Chad Halbrook, general manager for Postino Winecafe on Broadway in Denver, said.

However, the growing love for charcuterie has also led to an expanded take on the term, with all sorts of spins offering a variety of finger foods and pairings, he noted.

Halbrook said charcuterie gained a lot of fans during the pandemic when restaurants were reduced to take-out and more people were cooking at home because it’s an option that’s quick, versatile and requires few kitchen skills.

“People wanted to spice up what they were snacking on at home, make it look good and not necessarily spend a lot of time cooking,” Halbrook said.

He said that charcuterie’s popularity also spikes during the holiday season for those same reasons.

“When we dine with friends, it’s a communal experience and there’s something that brings people together in conversation over a charcuterie board as opposed to individual entrees,” he said.

The demand for charcuterie resulted in the option popping up on restaurant menus all over the area, including several at Postino’s, as well as spawning classes on building boards and whole businesses dedicated to selling premade charcuterie for those not inclined to make their own.

Postino Winecafe, which has four locations in Denver and Highlands Ranch, o ers a variety of board appetizers that can be ordered for take out. Chad Halbrook, assistant manager for the Postino on Broadway, said the communal nature of charcuterie makes it a common choice for groups and parties.

COURTESY OF POSTINO WINECAFE

Charcuterie is a popular choice for holiday events because it can be a quick and versatile option for any size group, whether as an appetizer or meal, Melissa Clement said.

COURTESY OF MELISSA CLEMENT

In Castle Rock, one such business is Farmgirl Foods, a market that features local products, including charcuterie, and offers DIY classes. Owner Melissa Clement said she thinks the charcuterie boards and classes are so popular because it’s a fun and social activity, whether you’re making a spread or just eating it.

“People will get so excited when they learn how to make a prosciutto rose or taste something, whether it’s a combination of flavors or one particular product, that opens up their palate,” she said.

When Clement is putting together her charcuterie, she typically starts with opposing textures and flavors, like a savory creamy brie and candied walnuts. She likes to include a hard cheese, a soft cheese and a crumbly cheese alongside some dried or smoked meats, like salami, prosciutto or chorizo, as well as crackers, bread and toppings.

Toppings can range from fruits, veggies, nuts or chocolate to spreads like honey, jam, hummus or mustard, she said.

“You want all the flavors to play with each other,” Clement said. “I always like to do something smoky or spicy together with something sweet.”

Halbrook also noted that swapping out meat for more cheese or adding more alternative options

makes charcuterie easy to alter for a variety of diets and allergies. Similarly, Halbrook suggested making seasonal changes, such as adding in herbs, cranberries and oranges for winter spreads.

“It

meat and cheese,” he said. “You can do all sorts of things to please every person attending your holiday event or party. You can do veggie board for your vegan friends,

Friendship: We’re killing it

One of the great ironies of this interconnected age when we are wired as never before, when communication with another is merely an email, text, Zoom call, or app away, and when we have a plethora of groups to join and participate in and the time to be involved in them, more and more are finding themselves friendless or their friendships tentative and tenuous. It’s more than a philosophical or psychological condition. It’s a symptom of what ails American culture specifically and our hightech, quick-paced culture writ

JERRY FABYANIC

large.

Statistically, being friendless or a minimalist when it comes to interpersonal relationships is more true for men than women, but both genders are finding themselves more and more without when it comes to close friends. In a May 2021 American Perspectives Surveypoll, 15% of men and 10% of women said they have no close friends. In 1990, at

the nascent stage of the internet, that figure for men was about 3%; for women, 2%. That’s a five-fold increase for both. And only about 50% of the entire population said they have four or more close friends. A hard truth is that there is a strong correlation between the size of one’s circle of close friends (three or less) and their experiences of loneliness and depression.

Perplexing to say the least. So, why is that happening especially in context of this age when the opportunity to connect with others is literally at the fingertips of most?

As the poll suggests, the tenability

which allows you to really splash more color on the board.”

Both Halbrook and Clement recommend splurging on the cheese, since it’s the star of the spread, but noted charcuterie doesn’t have to be pricey. Clement suggests cutting down on the accouterments or using what’s already on hand.

For proportions, Clement said she plans around two ounces of each cheese and meat per person if serving as an appetizer, or up to 6 ounces of each food per person if it’s the main meal.

Halbrook added there’s no harm in starting with smaller amounts.

“There’s no shame in refilling or having a backup item,” he said.

As for styling the charcuterie in an Instagram-worthy way, Clement said she will start by laying out the bigger items so that she can design around them. One of her favorite tips is to top the board by sprinkling dried fruit or edible flowers on top.

Ultimately though, she said there are no set rules, and that’s what makes it fun.

“A lot of times I won’t do a flat board, I’ll do a tiered tray,” Clement said of the possibilities. “The No. 1 thing to remember is you can’t do it wrong, you really can’t.”

Still, for those that don’t want to spend the time to prep and build charcuterie, there are several businesses in the Denver metro area that offer pre-made charcuterie, including both Farmgirl Foods and Postino, which also has locations in Highlands Ranch, LoHi and at 9th and Colorado.

of friendships isn’t just a guy thing. A friend told me about a feature of many women’s friendships that I, being a guy without kids, had no clue about. She talked about “seasons of friendships” and how friends move in and out of their lives due to their roles as mothers. While their kids are growing, they form friendships with the mothers of their children’s friends via school, sports and other circumstances. But when the kids are grown and gone, oftentimes those friendships evaporate.

“I have lost many friends along

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doesn’t always have to be

Melissa Clement, owner of Farmgirl Foods, a market in Castle Rock that o ers charcuterie boards and classes, said the finger food has been gaining fans thanks to the mix of creativity and socialization involved in eating or building one. At its basic level, charcuterie is a variety of cheeses, cured meats, bread or crackers and toppings. COURTESY OF MELISSA CLEMENT

Columnist

DFF45 stands as example of film’s wide reach

In many ways, there’s never been a better time to be a cinephile.

The combination of a rainbow of streaming services that cater to practically every interest and the return of in-theater screening means that it is almost scientifi cally impossible for you to not fi nd something to watch. And in its 45 th year, the Denver Film Festival highlighted its unerring ability to offer something for every taste.

From shorts and animation to searing dramas and eye-popping documentaries, the festival provided as diverse a swath of fi lms as ever, all from top-notch facilities like the SIE FilmCenter and Ellie Caulkins Opera House.

“This festival is about bringing the very best in the fi lmmaking world and makers both behind and in front of the camera together,” said Kevin Smith, Denver Film CEO, on the festival’s opening night. “We know how important it is to experience these stories together because these are the stories that stick with us.”

During this year’s festival, I saw 7 fi lms over 12 days — and as usual the festival’s selections all have things to recommend them. They all connect with the viewer, and all refl ect the passions of their makers. Of those movies, here are my favorites:

FABYANIC

FROM PAGE 15

the way only to realize that all we really had in common was that our children were the same age, at the same school or in the same sport,” she said.

Nevertheless, life goes only this time they find themselves navigating the friend scene not as young 20-somethings but as older women.

She spoke about how her career played a major role in developing her friendship circle.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Second annual protecting what’s important award

`All That Breathes’ Release date : 2023 on HBO

Once again, it is a nature documentary that takes my personal top prize for cinematography at the festival, and that fi lm is

“All That Breathes.”

Set in the smog-draped and rubbish-covered streets of New Delhi, the fi lm follows a trio of healers dedicated to saving the kite birds of prey who are suffering mightily as a result of humans’ pollution. You can’t help but be moved by the subjects’ dedication, but the images captured by cinematographers Ben Bernhard, Riju Das and Saumyananda Sahi are absolutely breathtaking.

The way they spotlight how nature adapts amidst humankind’s detritus is stunning and surprisingly affecting. It’s a true treat for the eyes.

Biggest revival of faith in humanity

`Butterfl y in the Sky’

Release date: TBA

If you see the title “Butterfl y in the sky…” and your mind doesn’t fi nish with, “I can go twice as

high,” then we are not the same.

As someone who has made a life (and at least part of a career) out of reading, there was almost no chance I wouldn’t dig Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb’s love letter of a documentary to the landmark children’s program, “Reading Rainbow.” What I wasn’t expecting was the full depth of emotion I’d feel watching the fi lm.

Much like the show itself, that is largely due to Levar Burton. His thoughtfulness, warmth and passion is impossible to deny. And you can see that same love in everyone who contributed to the show, from the creators and producers to former book reviewers and composers (a scene where original musician Steve Horelick recreates the opening notes of the theme is an all-timer). And special recognition to author Jason Reynolds, who nearly breaks your heart towards the fi lm’s conclusion.

Those who are fi rm believers in the importance and power of reading or just need something to make them feel good will fi nd so much to love in this fi lm. It’s a true can’t-miss. But don’t take my word for it…

Most provocative fi lm

`How to Blow Up a Pipeline’

Release date: TBA

Those who enjoy some substance with their excitement will fi nd

lots to love in the white-knuckle eco-thriller, “How to Blow Up a Pipeline.”

The fi lm artfully blends the elements of classic heist fi lms like “Thief” and “Ocean’s 11” with a searing indictment of the corporations who exploit the planet’s natural resources even though it is actively ruining the environment. A crew of young people gather in the desolate Texas desert to protest the destruction of the natural world by destroying an oil pipeline. The fi lm cannily unspools its secrets and the character’s backstories as it races to its powerful conclusion.

The cast is exceptional and full of talented performers to keep an eye on (Ariela Barer, Kristine Froseth, Lukas Gage, Forrest Goodluck, Sasah Lane, Jayme Lawson, Marcus Scribner and Jakey Weary).

After the screening, director Daniel Goldhaber, co-writer Jordan Sjol and producer Isa Mazzei spoke about the fi lm and the importance of telling relevant, subversive stories. We defi nitely need more of this kind of storytelling and the fi lm is a great example of why.

Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@ hotmail.com.

“I think especially for women, the current roles you play impact the friendships you are able to sustain and nurture,” she said. “I have been in the same job for 32 years, so my co-workers are much more than friends. I recently added a low pay evening retail job where I have made new, young, poor friends who remind me of my former self.”

There is a fundamental difference between women and men when it comes to sharing personal stuff: Women talk; men get tight-lipped. Which points to a larger problem: Men have just as much need to talk about their

stuff as women. But we rarely do. We’re taught from early toddlerhood that we need to put it away, toughen up, and for heaven’s sake, never, ever cry. Which gets at something both telling and ironic about the10-to-15%: The degree that attitude plays a role in why so many find themselves friendless, and they are often the ones most in need of close friends.

Certainly, other factors lie at the root of increased friendlessness. The pandemic, for example. But even though the pandemic seemed like an eon to get through, it was relatively short-lived. The increasing rate of those without friends has been a long-term trend, not a spike.

A vogue idiomatic expression is “killing it.” It’s a juxtaposition of kill in that it doesn’t suggest violence but, instead, means doing something great. I’d like to say in that context that when it comes to friendships we’re killing it. But we’re not. Rather, we’re literally killing them. That is especially true for Gen Z’ers who are, ac-

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cording to the data, the loneliest among us. Twenty-eight percent of men 30 and under, for example, reported they have no close social connections. But that’s a separate topic that would entail discussion about helicopter parents and the wireless umbilical cord that aids and abets their keeping their children symbolically and sometimes literally nested in their roost.

Want to do something small but monumental to stem the deterioration and fragmentation of American society? Break out of your bubble—religious, political, or whatever—and befriend another. And then another. And then… You might not change the world overnight, but you just make another feel wanted and valued. And you just might find yourself with a new friend, even a close one that causes you to wonder how in the heck you got through life without them.

Jerry Fabyanic is the author of “Sisyphus Wins” and “Food for Thought: Essays on Mind and Spirit.” He lives in Georgetown.

newspaper.

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Clarke Reader

Thu 11/24

Fri 11/25

Voters approve free school meals program

Plan will reduce tax breaks for wealthy

BY ERICA BREUNLIN THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado public school students will have access to free school meals after voters approved Proposition FF on Nov. 8, slashing tax breaks for households that earn more than $300,000 in federal adjusted gross income starting in tax year 2023 to help pay for a new school meals program.

The measure passed with more than 55% of voters approving it.

The success of the measure means that all kids in public schools, no matter their family’s income, will be able to eat free school breakfasts and lunches, reflecting the critical role schools play in helping students facing food insecurity. The state’s new school meals program — the Healthy School Meals for All program — will take the place of a federal initiative that provided free meals to all kids through the first two years of the pandemic.

“This is a win for our fight against childhood hunger,” said Ashley Wheeland, director of public policy for Hunger Free Colorado, a nonprofit that helps people struggling with hunger. “Many more children that need food will now have access to it with their learning, and this is something that we’ve needed for a long time.”

The demand for food assistance swelled during the pandemic, with 68,000 more Colorado kids participating in school lunch programs supported by federal funds, said Wheeland, whose organization has supported the ballot measure since it was first referred by Democrats in the Colorado legislature this year through the passage of House Bill 1414. This school year, with the federal initiative no longer in place, school meals are reaching fewer students, she said.

Proposition FF will limit the amount that households earning more than $300,000 can claim in state income tax deductions to cover many of the costs of the new school meals program. It will also require school meal providers to take advantage of federal reimbursements to help ease program costs for the state.

The restriction will impact a taxpayer’s standard deduction or itemized deductions, which include charitable contributions, state and local taxes and mortgage

interest.

Taxpayers who make more than $300,000 will be able to deduct no more than $12,000 for single filers and no more than $16,000 for joint filers. Currently, taxpayers who earn more than $400,000 can claim a maximum of $60,000 in state income tax deductions for a joint filer and a maximum of $30,000 for a single filer, caps that were passed under House Bill 1311. Taxpayers whose income is between $300,000 and $400,000 are not limited in how much they can deduct from their state taxable income.

Proposition FF will increase income tax revenue in the state by an estimated $100.7 million during the first full year of the tax change, fiscal year 2023-24, which begins on July 1, 2023.

School meal providers will be reimbursed for providing meals to all kids, and any school meal provider can benefit, whether they serve one or more school districts or charter schools. Currently, 183 school meal providers serve kids throughout the state and cover the costs of providing free and reduced-price lunches with state and federal funds and by charging families whose income exceeds federal poverty levels. Students might qualify for free or reducedprice meals, depending on their household income, but Colorado students who are eligible for reduced-price meals get free meals instead because the state funds their portion of the meal cost.

Denver resident Noah Hayden,

25, voted in favor of Proposition FF so that all students have enough to eat while trying to learn.

Hayden, an unaffiliated voter, teaches social studies at a charter school in Broomfield, and while most of his students come from families who can afford meals, he knows not all kids have the same resources.

“I just think it’s better that every kid is always ensured a lunch throughout the day,” Hayden said after voting at ReelWorks Denver Tuesday evening.

Joey Chester, 30, an unaffiliated voter from Westminster, came to the polls with at least one thing in mind: school lunches.

Chester, who grew up in Aurora, voted “yes” on Proposition FF. He said he sees hope in the proposition.

“When I grew up, my mom gave us 40 bucks a month for school lunches, and I got lazy and would just burn it out and then have to make my own lunch finally for the rest of the year. I knew kids that didn’t always get meals, and I know things have gotten worse,” Chester said.

He added: “I hope it’s going to pass and the people that it’s going to tax are not going to be whiny about it.”

This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun. com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

Students could choose from pears, apples, carrots and tomatoes for their hot lunches.

PHOTO BY DEB HURLEY BROBST

SHUTTERSTOCK

Colorado is second state to legalize ‘magic mushrooms’

Measure passed by thin margin

BY JENNIFER BROWN THE COLORADO SUN

Ten years after legalizing the use and sale of marijuana, Colorado became only the second state in the U.S. to legalize the use of psilocybin mushrooms.

The ballot measure, Proposition 122, squeaked across the finish line as ballots were tallied the day after Election Day, receiving 51% of the vote.

Proponents called it a “truly historic moment.”

“Colorado voters saw the benefit of regulated access to natural medicines, including psilocybin, so people with PTSD, terminal illness, depression, anxiety and other mental health issues can heal,” co-proponents, Kevin Matthews and Veronica Lightening Horse Perez said in emailed statement Wednesday evening.

Natural Medicine Colorado, which got Proposition 122 on the ballot, spent nearly $4.5 million to promote the measure. In contrast, the primary opposition, Protect Colorado’s Kids, raised about $51,000.

The measure will allow people 21 and older to grow and share psychedelic mushrooms, as well as create state-regulated centers where people could make appointments to consume psilocybin, the hallucinationinducing compound derived from psychedelic mushrooms. It calls for licensed “healing centers” to give clients mushrooms in a supervised setting, but — unlike marijuana — does not include an option for retail sales.

Once again, Colorado passed a drug measure that’s illegal under federal law. Psychedelic mushrooms became illegal in the U.S. in 1970 under the Controlled Substances Act. Even with Proposition 122’s passage, psilocybin remains federally classified as a Schedule 1 controlled substance, like heroin, for which there is no current medical use.

Colorado became the first to legalize marijuana a decade ago, and is second only to Oregon in legalizing psilocybin.

Luke Niforatos, chairman of Protect Colorado’s Kids, said he was concerned as a parent and for Colorado’s public health.

“We now need to have a very frank and public conversation about who is in charge of medicine,” he said. “This is now the second time our state has rejected the FDA process.”

Niforatos, who is also executive

vice president of the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions, said Colorado has allowed “billionaires, startups and entrepreneurs” to take control of medicine in this state instead of “scientists, medical doctors and the FDA.”

Niforatos said that if opponents of the measure had been able to raise enough money to educate the public about the dangers of allowing the use of drugs with no regulated dosage amounts or prescriptions, Proposition 122 would have failed.

“We can’t compete with $4 million from out of state,” he said, adding that proponents of the measure and the psilocybin industry will benefit from its passage while his side had no payoff to entice big-money donors.

He’s also concerned that the opening of psychedelic healing centers and advertising of the drugs in cities across Colorado will normalize drug use among young people, leading to more teens using psilocybin. There is no opt-out provision in Prop 122 for cities and counties that do not want psychedelic healing centers, although cities and counties could enact rules about where the centers could open and their hours of operation.

Proposition 122 also will allow facilities to expand to three plantbased psychedelics in 2026. Those are ibogaine, from the root bark of an iboga tree; mescaline, which

is from cacti; and dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, a natural compound found in plants and animals. Mental health centers and substance abuse treatment clinics also could seek licenses to offer psychedelic treatment.

The natural medicines, used to treat anxiety and depression, are obtained now through friends who grow them or from underground “trip guides” who sit with clients during a psychedelic experience, then help them process afterward.

Three years ago, Denver residents voted to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms, making possession a low priority for law enforcement.

With the passage of Proposition 122, Gov. Jared Polis has until Jan. 31 to appoint 15 members to

Niforatos,

the National Medicine Advisory Board, which will report to the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.

The board’s first recommendations are due by Sept. 30, and regulated access to psilocybin would become available in late 2024. Then by June 2026, the state Department of Regulatory Agencies could expand access to the three other plant-based psychedelics.

This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun. com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

By a thin margin, Colorado voters to make the state only the second in the nation to legalize use of psychedelic mushrooms. SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

‘We now need to have a very frank and public conversation about who is in charge of medicine. This is now the second time our state has rejected the FDA process.’

Luke

chairman of Protect Colorado’s Kids

Republicans have to wait for 2026 for shot at power

No statewide o ces up for grabs

BY JESSE PAUL, DELANEY NELSON AND SANDRA FISH THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado Republicans were shellacked Tuesday night, which means, starting next year, the GOP will no longer have any statewide elected officials. And the party will have to wait until 2026 before they get a chance to change that.

That’s because there are no statewide offices up for reelection in 2024.

Additionally, the GOP was on track Wednesday morning to fall even further into the minority in the Colorado Senate — so far so that they won’t realistically have a shot at taking back the chamber in 2024. A Republican majority in the Colorado House is also largely seen as out of reach for the foreseeable future.

Democrats have never held this level of sustained power at the state or congressional levels in Colorado.

“It’s just super depressing if you’re a Republican,” said George Brauchler, a conservative talk radio host who ran unsuccessfully for attorney general in 2018. He called his party’s 2022 losses “epic.”

Brauchler spoke to The Sun on Tuesday night at the Colorado GOP’s watch party at the DoubleTree Hotel in Greenwood Village, which was perhaps the saddest place

in the state. It was not even 10 p.m. when the ballroom had almost fully cleared out, following concession speeches from U.S. Senate candidate

Joe O’Dea, secretary of state candidate Pam Anderson, treasurer candidate Lang Sias and John Kellner, who ran for attorney general.

A band played Elvis Presley’s “Hound Dog” to an audience of mostly reporters busy digesting the GOP’s stunning defeats.

“The outcome is a tough pill to swallow,” O’Dea said in his concession speech to a hushed crowd at about 8:30 p.m., when early returns showed him trailing Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet by 18 percentage points. “But that’s life in the big city.”

O’Dea, a first-time candidate and Denver construction company owner, ran as a moderate in the hopes of winning over voters in a state moving increasingly toward Democrats. It didn’t work — in a big way. (O’Dea was trailing Bennet by 12 percentage points on Wednesday morning.)

Heidi Ganahl, a University of Colorado regent who was the only statewide elected Republican, lost her bid Tuesday to unseat Democratic Gov. Jared Polis. The contest was called by Fox News, playing in the DoubleTree ballroom, minutes after the polls closed. Ganahl was trailing Polis by 18 percentage points on Wednesday morning.

Former state Sen. Greg Brophy, an Eastern Plains Republican, was

predicting a good night for Republicans heading into Election Day. On Wednesday morning he was in disbelief.

“I’m blown away,” he said. “In shock.”

Kristi Burton Brown, chairwoman of the Colorado GOP, said Tuesday’s results show where Colorado “really is” politically “and whether or not Colorado has become a state more like Washington or California.”

Republicans, she said, will now have to focus district by district on legislative races and on local elec-

tions — school board, mayoral and city council contests, for example — until they get another shot at statewide office. U.S. House races, which are decided every two years, will also be a major focus for the party.

“If it’s district by district,” she said, “we’ll go fight district by district.”

Burton Brown said the GOP’s next big focus will be in Aurora, where they hope to keep a Republican in the mayor’s office in Mike Coffman and a GOP majority on the City

Republican Jaylen Mosqueira, running to represent House District 38, at the opening the state GOP’s Hispanic Community Center in Thornton Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022.

PHOTO BY HART VAN DENBURG/CPR NEWS

Coloradans vote to cut income taxes, limit liquor chains

BY MARK HARDEN ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

Coloradans gave themselves a tax break in the Nov. 8 election, while also blocking a proposal to let liquor-store operators add more locations.

Voters also agreed to raise taxes on high-income Coloradans to support free school meals, refused to relax rules for charity bingo games and raffles, and expanded property tax exemptions for the surviving spouses of fallen military service members.

By nearly a 2-1 margin, Colorado voters approved Proposition 121, reducing the state income tax rate from 4.55% to 4.4%. The measure is projected to reduce state tax revenue by $412.6 million, a cut of about 2.4% to the state’s general fund, while saving the average Colorado

taxpayer $119 in fiscal-year 2023-24. And nearly two-thirds of voters opposed Proposition 124, which would have let retail liquor chains grow from a limit of three stores statewide now to a maximum of eight, and then to 13 in 2027, 20 in 2032 and an unlimited number in 2037. Under existing law, liquor chains will be allowed a four-store maximum in 2027 but not more. The Colorado Licensed Beverage Association, representing independent liquor stores,had saidProp 124 would let big chains drive its members out of business.

This story is from Rocky Mountain PBS, a nonprofit public broadcaster providing community stories across Colorado over the air and online. Used by permission. For more, and to support Rocky Mountain PBS, visit rmpbs.org.

FROM PAGE

Council. (Aurora’s municipal races are technically nonpartisan.)

And then there’s the 2024 presidential race. But no Republican presidential candidate has won in Colorado since George W. Bush in 2004.

In the Colorado Senate, where Re-

publicans hoped to win a majority and be able to stop Democratic Gov. Jared Polis’ agenda, the GOP needed to win six of seven competitive races this year to secure the gavel. On Wednesday morning they were losing in all seven races. While Republicans were hoping to ultimately win in a few of the seven districts once the vote count is complete, the party was bracing for the reality that they may fail in all of the races.

If Democrats ultimately prevail in the seven competitive contests, the party’s majority will expand to 23-12 from 21-14. There are only two Democratic seats the party is at a real risk of losing in 2024, which means their future majority doesn’t appear in doubt until at least 2027.

Republicans may have lost seats in the House his year, as well, where they were already outnumbered by Democrats 41-24.

“We as a party have self-imploded

in Colorado,” Ben Engen, a Republican political consultant and data analyst, said Nov. 9.

This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun. com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

Jazz Singh, owner of Pecos Liquors, is a well-known liquor store owner in Westminster.

PHOTO BY LUKE ZARZECKI

Historic season ends in semifinals for Ralston Valley boys soccer

BY DENNIS PLEUSS JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ENGLEWOOD — Nothing lasts forever, including Ralston Valley boys soccer team’s historic postseason run.

The Mustangs program had never advanced past the second round of the state tournament throughout its 20-plus year history, until this Fall 2022 season. Ralston Valley got postseason wins over Northglenn, Liberty and No. 1-seeded Legacy to advance to the Class 5A state semifinals Nov. 5 at Randy Penn Stadium at Englewood High School.

However, the right foot of Fairview senior Joseph Lee ended the season for Ralston Valley and sent Fairview back to the 5A state championship game.

Lee gave the Knights a 5-4 victory in penalty kicks over Ralston Valley late Wednesday night to punch Fairview’s ticket to the state title game.

“That’s a tough loss,” Ralston Valley coach Jamie Scarcliff said. “We were 100 percent in that. Shoot, maybe if we had a little more time we could have snuck one in and not gone to PKs.”

Lee, who was on the state championship team in 2020, was the fifth and final Fairview player to score during the shutout. Right after Lee tucked his PK under the crossbar and into the back of the net he sprinted over to celebrate with Fairview’s student section that was gathered behind the fences in the southwest corner of the stadium.

“Credit to all the other four before me. They slotted their’s,” Lee said. “I really couldn’t have asked for a better way to win a state semifinal.”

Nolan Kelly, Owen Gilbert, Tate Ruzzin and Oliver Harmon all made

their PKs facing Ralston Valley junior goalie Evan Bierman before Lee delivered the game-winning goal. The Mustangs (13-6 record) made their first four PKs with Michael Ahern, Cooper Hineline, Shaun Martinez and Ryan Mann scoring on Fairview senior goalie Shane Williams.

However, Ralston Valley junior Cole Creasey’s shot went just wide left to open the door for Lee to end the game.

“Relief,” Williams said of his emotions after the shot by Creasey slid just wide.

Williams and Bierman were both brilliant in regular-time and during the 30 minutes of overtime when a

light snow started to fall.

“I felt like we turned it on second half,” Scarcliff said. “We possessed a lot more and had more scoring chances. Fairview keep knocking on the door and Evan had a couple of big saves for us throughout the game.”

After Fairview and Ralston Valley were scoreless through the first 40 minute. A pair of goals came back-toback in the second half.

Ruzzin and Ralston Valley junior Liam Rooney scored 12 seconds apart in the 58th minute to give a quick scoring burst to end the scoring draught for both squads.

Ruzzin lasered a long shot from

about 40 yards out that was just over the hands of Bierman to give the Knights a 1-0 lead. However, seconds later the Mustangs used two kicks from midfield that ended up on the head of Rooney who put it past Williams to knot things up 1-1.

Ralston Valley dominated possession in the first half, but couldn’t get a ball behind Williams. One of the better chances in the first half came off the foot of Ralston Valley senior Pablo Molla Tejero in the final few minutes of the first half. His long shot in transition just skimmed off the crossbar.

Bierman made back-to-back saves in the second overtime to keep the game going before the eventual shootout.

“I knew were I was going to go before it even got to the PK spot,” Lee said. “We practice our PKs throughout the season. I missed one the season before and that kind of hits your confidence, but throughout the season I started building it back.”

Denver East did defeat Fairview 1-0 in the title game Nov. 12 in Colorado Springs.

With a number of key returning starts back in 2023, making a push to advance to a state championship game is defintely in reach for Ralston Valley next season.

“Hopefully it provided them the opportunity to realize that we are capable of this,” Scarcliff said of the future benefits of making the long postseason run. “We are not out of range against any teams. We are knocking on the door.”

Dennis Pleuss is the sports information director for Jeffco Public Schools. For more Jeffco coverage, go to CHSAANow.com.

Ralston Valley gets defensive in 2nd round win against Chatfield

BY DENNIS PLEUSS JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ARVADA — Ralston Valley’s defense was rock solid on the cold Friday night at the North Area Athletic Complex.

The No. 3-seeded Mustangs defeated No. 19 Chatfield 22-7 in the second round of the Class 5A state playoffs Nov. 11. Ralston Valley’s defense led the way allowing just one scoring drive by the Chargers.

“Our defense as a whole played incredible,” Ralston Valley coach Jared Yannacito said. “We really focused on taking away (Chatfield’s) best plays. They executed the game plan perfectly and flew around to the ball just like you draw it up. It was awesome.”

Ralston Valley (9-2 record) heads into the next round of the postseason where the Mustangs face another Jeffco rival. No. 6 Columbine defeated No. 11 Rock Canyon in come-from-behind fashion 24-17 at Jeffco Stadium to set up the allJeffco quarterfinal game.

“Jeffco has some really good football in it and that is how it end up,” Yannacito said of facing another league foe next week. “We know it is going to be a big physical game. We’ll be ready for it.”

Ralston Valley defeated Columbine 16-13 on Oct. 7 at Jeffco Stadium in the league showdown. The state quarterfinal game will be played 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, at NAAC.

“I’m blessed to be playing on a team that I love,” Ralston Valley senior defensive lineman Gunner Schoephlin said. “It’s been a hell of a senior year.”

It was actually the second meeting between Chatfield and Ralston Valley over the last three weeks. The Mustangs edged the Chargers 27-20 on Oct. 21 at NAAC. The loss ended a 4-game winning streak for Chatfield. Ralston Valley clinched the 5A Jeffco League title with the victory.

It was tight early Friday night

Ralston Valley senior Jackson Ru , right, and Fairview sophomore Conor Marriott for during the Class 5A state semifinal game Nov. 9 at Randy Penn Stadium. The Mustangs eventually su ered a 5-4 loss in penalty kicks to end Ralston Valley’s historic postseason run.

PHOTO BY DENNIS PLEUSS/JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Ralston Valley junior Jackson Hansen (2) is able to make a juggling catch despite the hit by Chatfield junior Niguse Shelp during the Class 5A second-round playo game Nov. 11 at the North Area Athletic Complex. Ralston Valley won 22-7 to set up an allJe co quarterfinal showdown against Columbine at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, at the NAAC.

PHOTO BY DENNIS PLEUSS/JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

CROWSS UP DRO ELZZ

with Ralston Valley holding just a 15-7 halftime lead.

“We just regrouped and we were calm,” Ralston Valley junior receiver Jackson Hansen said coming out of halftime. “We put a drive together and scored.”

Ralston Valley couldn’t have drawn up a better start to the second half. Leading 15-7, the Mustangs got a good kickoff return to set themselves up on their own 42-yard line. Ralston Valley covered 58 yards in nine plays to open up a 22-7 lead.

Junior quarterback Logan Madden hit Hansen over the middle on a 3rd-down play. Hansen broke a tackle and scored on a 29-yard pass play to give the Mustangs their first 2-score lead of the game.

“They were playing off coverage and coach gave me a chance to make a play,” Hansen said of his touchdown catch. “My guys blocked and Logan gave me a good ball.”

The touchdown drive would be the lone score of the second half.

“That was huge,” Yannacito said of the opening scoring drive of the second half. “It was pretty sweet.”

Ralston Valley’s defense did the rest. Chatfield only managed three first downs in the second half on four drives and never crossed the 50-yard line after halftime.

“Honestly it was just a team effort,” Schoeflin said. “We capitalized on the little things. (Jones) is an amazing runner when he gets outside. We had to make sure we had to contain him and we did that tonight. We got the job done.”

Both the Mustangs and Chargers took advantage of turnovers that led to the first two scores of the game in the first quarter.

Ralston Valley junior Sean Moran sacked Chatfield quarterback Jake Jones on the first possession the game. Jones fumbled and junior Tyrese Johnson recovered on Chatfield’s 19-yard line. Madden would eventually score on a 7-yard touchdown run to give the Mustangs an early 7-0 lead.

A fumble by Ralston Valley senior Josh Rillos on the Mustangs’ next possession gave Chatfield the ball on Ralston Valley’s 30-yard line.

Jones hit junior Charlie Yanett for a 5-yard touchdown with 5:44 left in the first quarter to tie things up 7-7.

Ralston Valley regained the lead on the first play of the second quarter. Senior Diano Benallo scored on a 5-yard touchdown run and Rillos ran in a 2-point conversion to give the Mustangs a 15-7 lead. That would be the score going into halftime.

Ralston Valley is now two wins away from the elusive championship game that has escaped the Mustangs throughout their program’s history. It won’t be an easy road facing conference rival Columbine next week and then the potential task for either the Mustangs or Rebels traveling to Valor Christian High School and facing the No. 2 Eagles.

Chatfield (5-7) ends its first season back in the largest classification after winning the 4A state title last year. First-year head coach Kris Rosholt has plenty of build on for next year with a number of key juniors and sophomores returning in 2023.

Dennis Pleuss is the sports information director for Jeffco Public Schools. For more Jeffco coverage, go to CHSAANow.com.

Ralston Valley junior Jack Moran sacks Chatfield quarterback Jake Jones that causes a fumble during the opening drive for the Chargers Nov. 11 at the North Area Athletic Complex. The Mustangs’ defense was impressive in the 22-7 victory over Chatfield. PHOTO BY DENNIS PLEUSS/JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

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Unified Bowling teams from Arvada West, Bear Creek and Chatfield heading to state

BY DENNIS PLEUSS JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

WHEAT RIDGE — Unified Bowling has grown by leaps and bounds this school year.

A year ago only Chatfield and Littleton had teams competing in the second year of the Colorado High School Activities Association sanctioned sport. On Monday, Nov. 11, at Bowlero in Wheat Ridge there were nine Jeffco League teams — Arvada West, Bear Creek, Chatfield, Columbine, Jefferson, Lakewood, Littleton, Pomona and Wheat Ridge — competing at the Region 6 tournament.

Unified Bowling was launched as a CHSAA sanctioned sport just before COVID hit in 2020. That hurdle has taken a few years to really grow participating schools.

“Getting through COVID was difficult. Just like everything else,” Littleton High School athletic director Chris Enzminger admitted during last Monday’s regional. “To go to nine schools from the Jeffco League now is awesome. The kids are having so much fun.”

A-West captured the regional title with a 561 score over the five games bowled. Bear Creek, who recored the single-game high of 150, took second with a score of 491. Chatfield placed third with a score of 488.

The Wildcats, Bears and Chargers will represent Jeffco at the state championships coming up next week. The Unified Bowling state finals will be held Friday, Nov. 18, at AMF Belleview Lanes in Englewood. Competition starts at 10:45 a.m. Pueblo South is the defending state champion.

“Ultimately I want Unified Bowling not to be this special thing that is new and for special needs kids,” Enzminger said. “When Unified Bowling doesn’t need its own recognition and it is just a fabric of what CHSAA is, we’ve done our job.”

Enzminger is the chair of the CHSAA Unified Bowling Advisory committee. His passion to get special needs student/athletes involved began when he was at Kennedy High School. When Enzminger was the athletic director at Kennedy High School his physical education teacher was heavily involved with Special Olympics Colorado.

Enzminger had a Unified Soccer team travel to Kansas City to play under the Special Olympics Colorado and Colorado Rapids (professional soccer team) banner.

“After that experience I knew I wanted to be involved with Special Olympics as much as I could,” Enzminger said. “I wanted to bring that Special Olympics feeling to CHSAA. It’s an awesome collaboration.”

The growth in Jeffco over the past year can also be credited to the work of Jeffco’s Adapted Athletics program. Bryan Wickoren (Adapted Physical Education Coordinator) and Katie Thompson (Adapted Physical Education teacher) were instrumental in getting the students that they work with daily at the school level involved.

“Bryan and Katie have been awesome,” Enzminger said. “They have reached out to the Special Education teachers and Adapted Athletics PE teachers to make this happen.”

Dennis Pleuss is the sports information director for Jeffco Public Schools. For more Jeffco coverage, go to CHSAANow.com.

Arvada West’s Unified Bowling team pose with the Region 6 first-place plaque on Nov. 11 at Bowlero in Wheat Ridge. The Wildcats had a score of 561 over five games to qualify for the CHSAA Unified Bowling state championships this week.

PHOTO BY DENNIS PLEUSS/JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Record surge for outdoor recreation economy fuels push for legislation

BY JASON BLEVINS THE COLORADO SUN

Outdoor recreation delivered $454 billion to the U.S. economy in 2021, accounting for 1.9% of the nation’s economic activity and marking a huge rebound from the pandemic.

The fifth annual report from the Bureau of Economic Analysis shows outdoor recreation regaining lost ground from the pandemic impacts to travel and tourism in 2020. The record surge in 2021 — when adding outdoor recreation job earnings the industry delivered an $862 billion overall impact to the U.S.economy — is pushing industry advocates to call for more federal support of recreation.

“Outdoor recreation is one of the few areas where we are seeing bipartisan support,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, the president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association. (Boating was red hot in 2021, with boat buyers and manufacturers contributing $50.4 billion to the outdoor recreation economy, making it the industry’s largest sector.) “This is one of the few industry sectors that has the ability to reach across the partisan divide and bring people together to improve our economies and our quality of life.”

The federal government first started measuring the outdoor recreation economy in 2017, following the Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act. The annual reports from the Department of Commerce show outdoor recreation users, manufacturers, service providers, retailers and supporting industries like travel and tourism driving an economy larger than the agriculture, energy, pharmaceuticals or electronics industries.

Since 2017, 18 states have created offices of outdoor recreation. Congress passed the Great American Outdoors Act in 2020, the largest conservation investment in decades

directing billions into recreational access and infrastructure. The recent American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act directed even more into recreation infrastructure.

Outdoor recreation cheerleaders are urging federal lawmakers to pass the America’s Outdoor Recreation Act, which would streamline federal permitting for outdoor recreation across all land management agencies.

President Joe Biden this year reconvened the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation, or FICOR, which was first formed by President Barack Obama in 2011, bringing together leaders from the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce and Defense departments to work together on expanding outdoor recreation opportunities.

The legislative momentum, support from the president and now economic numbers showing recreation as one of the strongest industries in the country are fueling outdoor recreation advocates to champion something “bigger than one piece of legislation,” said Jess Turner, president of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, which represents dozens of outdoor trade groups working for more than 110,000 outdoor businesses.

“FICOR is wonderful,” said Turner, who hopes to see a federal outdoor recreation office in Washington D.C.

“Having a national recreation office and someone in the office and in the White House who is focused on this economic sector and making sure all of these agencies are at the table as well as state and state directors, that would be our long-term goal,” Turner said.

The rebound from 2020 is the industry’s best argument for increased federal support. Many are quietly lobbying the Biden Administration to create a national office and an undersecretary of recreation, perhaps in the Department of Commerce. This week’s strong support for Democrats gives even more momen-

tum to the push.

“There is a lot of wind at our backs right now,” said Conor Hall, the director of Colorado’s outdoor recreation office.

It wasn’t that long ago that outdoor recreation was not acknowledged as an economic engine. But now the recreation industry has growing economic and political clout.

The outdoor recreation economy’s $861.5 billion in economic output compares to $659.7 billion in 2020. The 2020 numbers showed outdoor recreation declining 19% from 2019, compared with a 3.4% decline in the national overall economy.

All 50 states saw declines in outdoor recreation dollars in 2020 compared with 2019. Colorado endured a 19.5% decline in 2020.

The 19% annual growth in the national outdoor economy in 2021 comes as the overall national economy grew 6% last year.

Most of the growth in 2021 came from a rebound in trips and travel around outdoor recreation. In 2020, traveling for outdoor recreation collapsed to $149.6 million in direct spending, investment and wage dollars supporting the outdoor recreation economy, compared with $291 million in 2019. The contribution of travel and tourism climbed to $257.9 million in 2021, floating the entire recreation economy to a record high.

The surge in travelers included a lot of campers, said Toby O’Rourke, the chief executive of Kampgrounds of America, the country’s largest network of independently owned campgrounds.

KOA counted 2021 as its best year in its 60-year history, with revenues up 33% over 2019, O’Rourke said. More Americans than ever consider themselves campers, she said. And like many sectors of the outdoors, participation grew during the pandemic when outdoor activities were a respite from urban shutdowns.

“The pandemic catapulted our business,” O’Rourke said.

Colorado’s outdoor recreation economy employed 125,244 workers

in 2021 who earned $6.1 billion, accounting for 2.5% of all wages paid in the state. That compares to 120,063 jobs in 2020 with workers earning $5.7 billion.

Add those wages to the overall outdoor recreation industry in Colorado and the outdoor recreation economy contributed $11.6 billion to the state in 2021, accounting for 2.7% of the state’s GDP. That economic output in Colorado is up 20% from 2020.

Hall sees Colorado playing a leading role in the push for a federal recreation czar.

“Colorado is looking at more than 20% growth in one year. We are far outpacing every other industry in this state. This is the perfect time to see if we can create a federal office,” said Hall, noting the effort has the support of Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper.

“We have the buy-in. This is a big step and it’s an ambitious swing. But I think we have the momentum to make it happen.”

Leif Henry navigates a new mountain bike track.

PHOTO BY DEB HURLEY BROBST