Arvada Press 112422

Ralston Valley percussionist to play in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Schwartz one of two Coloradans selected for Great American Marching Band

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Arvadans tuning in to this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will see a bit of local representation, as Ralston Valley High School junior Jack Schwartz was selected to play cymbals in The Macy’s Great American Marching Band.

The Macy’s Great American Marching Band is made up of elite high school band members from across the country, with the final lineup selected through an audition process. Of the 189 students participating this year, only two are from Colorado.

Schwartz, a percussionist, started playing with RVHS’s band when he was in 8th grade and has been an instrumental part of their drum line ever since.

Kelly Watts, RVHS’s director of instrumental music, highlighted Schwartz’s passion for drumming.

“I have never had a student who loves playing the drums as much as Jack,” Watts said. “If he could just come to school to play, I think he would. His love for the activity is infectious and has really helped shape our band here at RVHS. Jack pushes people to want to be their best.

“He has helped lead this year’s band to their highest scoring season in almost 10 years,” Watts continued. “Band really is a family. It is a safe place where students can thrive in, Jack is just one example. I could not be more excited and prouder to have him in my band and cannot wait to see him march on Thanksgiving.”

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off on Nov. 24 at 9 a.m. on NBC.

Arvada City Council hears update on micromobilty pilot program

Public works director to decide fate of e-scooters in Arvada

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Arvada’s City Council heard an update on the city’s micromobility pilot program — which concerns the use of rentable e-scooters within city limits — and generally supported extending the pilot program, which has been running since January.

The Nov. 14 council meeting was a workshop; no official vote was made. City team members presented their findings of the pilot program for council discussion. The future of the program will be decided by Public Works Director Jacqueline Rhoades. The pilot program expires in January.

Bird scooters has been the city’s only vendor since the pilot program began, and the company operates about 85 scooters per day in the pilot program’s service area, which is situated within one square mile around each GLine RTD stop.

“If we are to move forward, I think I would like to see a larger boundary,” City Councilmember

Ralston Valley percussionist Jack Schwartz poses with his snare drum. COURTESY PHOTO

Jack

Community Table accepting donations for holiday food drive

organization hopes to help the community and educate folks as well.

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Arvada-based nonprofit Community Table is taking donations for a community-wide food drive that aims to collect 25,000 pounds of food by Dec. 25 for those facing food insecurity. The food drive began on Nov. 14.

Donations of non-perishable food and personal care items can be made at the Apex Center, Arvada Center, King Soopers Candelas, PNC Band Westminster, Wheat Ridge City Hall and Wheat Ridge Recreation Center. Other community entities, including businesses, churches and local governments are also encouraged to host food drives at their locations as well.

The donations will be sorted by volunteers and used to stock Community Table’s Arvada storefront, which functions similarly to a grocery store — at a fraction of the cost.

Last year, the 25 x 25 Food Drive collected 25,777 pounds of food for Community Table, which helped replenish the nonprofit’s food stock.

This year, Community Table President and CEO Sandy Martin said the

“This year’s 25 x 25 food drive kicks off during National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week,” Martin said, “designed to educate the public, draw attention to the problem of poverty and build up a base of volunteers and donors for local organizations like us. Community Table is not the only pantry affected by the pandemic.

“Many other hunger relief agencies have seen their supply chains decline while the number of hungry families continues to increase,” Martin continued.

Martin expanded on the impact that supply chain shortages and inflation have had on Community Table. Martin said that in September 2021, Community Table provided food for 1,600 people, while this September the nonprofit provided food for 3,250 people — double the number from last year.

“Even though the community has generously supported hungry families and us throughout the pandemic and its aftermath, our supply chain has still not returned to pre-pandemic levels,” Martin said. “Food donations and grocery rescue are just not keeping pace with the increased need. And now, with the addition of inflation, we are feeding more families than ever,”

Martin said that by Nov. 15 — just a day into accepting donations — Community Table had already collected 2,000 pounds of food.

Volunteers sort donations of non-perishable food.

COURTESY PHOTOS

The stock room at Community Table’s Arvada headquarters.

Arvada-based local nonprofit aims to collect 25,000 pounds of food by Dec. 25

Fewer metro area property owners are challenging assessments

values have been going up dramatically,” said Scot Kersgaard, the Jefferson County assessor. “Day after day, week after week, it’s been in the newspaper constantly.”

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

As home prices in the counties around Denver shot up over the last decade, tens of thousands of residents argued officials incorrectly estimated the values of homes and other properties. They demanded their taxes be reduced.

But that trend, practically a rite in some regions, reversed in recent years. Challenges filed with county assessors declined as homeowners apparently acknowledged the rising cost of real estate.

“People today understand that

The news is also on websites, like Zillow, Redfin and Trulia, which track the value of homes.

But the last word on the value of those homes, as far as the government is concerned, belongs to Kersgaard’s office. His office determines how much homeowners will owe government entities in taxes.

For years, rises in those taxes have led to lines at county offices and stacks of filings as property owners submit protests against assessors’ valuations.

In 2013, Jefferson County saw

SEE PROPERTY, P10

Thanksgiving 2022 — In Spite of Everything, Much to Be Thankful for This Year

First of all let me thank Colorado Community Media for making it possible for me to reach its many readers for well over a decade in this page 3 space in the Golden Transcript, Arvada Press and the Jeffco Transcript. I estimate that I get 90% of our real estate business from people who read this column and are inspired to contact us when they have a real estate need. Although I pay for this ad and for its placement on page 3 — the best ad location in any newspaper — they don’t need to sell it to me, and I thank them for letting me advertise here.

The feedback I get from many readers is that this is the first place they turn to when they receive this newspaper. What a great compliment that is, so my second “thanksgiving” is to you, my readers for following this column each week and thinking to call us when you have a real estate need. You can count on me to continue writing this column week after week and year after year so long as Colorado Community Media keeps it affordable!

By the way, should you move or fail to continue receiving this newspaper, remem-

ber that I send it by email to over 1,400 subscribers (free, of course), and I would be happy to add you to that list.

Next, I am thankful to our broker associates who continue to excel in serving Golden Real Estate’s clients year-round. They share their commission earnings with the brokerage, of course, but are compensated for that in various ways, including having their listings featured in this ad and being themselves promoted at the bottom of it. They are all excellent Realtors who share our company’s values, an example of which is that the majority of them drive Teslas! I am blessed that they choose to be associated with Golden Real Estate and am happy to share with them many of the leads which come to me from readers of this column. (By the way, we weclome applications from other licensed agents, as long as they share our values and are willing to join the Realtor association.)

One of the unexpected secrets to Golden Real Estate’s success has been my personal outspokenness politically, which has meant disparaging and even attacking former

President Trump — more so in the Denver Post, where I have published a second column called “Talking Turkey” than in this newspaper. There was initially some concern that we would lose business, but the opposite has been true. Readers who have appreciated my political stand have chosen Golden Real Estate as their brokerage because of my writings. The gained business has far outweighed the lost business, which I hope inspires other Realtors and brokerages to be less shy about sharing their patriotic beliefs, whether left or right. We need to put country above self, however that looks.

In that regard, I should also give thanks for the results of the midterm elections. And I’m guessing that next year I’ll be thankful that Donald Trump has entered the 2024 presidential race. May he do even more damage to his cause that he has already done! More importantly, however, may his candidacy contribute to the revival of the mainstream Republican Party, reearning its designation as the “Grand Old Party.” That was the party of my father, and I miss it!

As always, I continue to be thankful for the contribution made by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) to protecting and promoting home ownership and the real estate industry. Only half of licensed real estate agents pay dues to NAR

through their local Realtor association — in our case, the Denver Metro Association of Realtors — but NAR nevertheless serves the entire industry as well as the general public by lobbying against negative legislation and government regulation on both the national and state level. Thanks, NAR!

I am grateful, too, to the Golden Chamber of Commerce and the West Metro Chamber of Commerce, for all they do to serve the business community, and I’m proud that Golden Real Estate pays dues to our own Chamber, regardless of the direct benefit we may gain from membership. It’s our way of giving back to the community by providing sustenance to an organization that serves the community in many ways.

We are also grateful to have made the move to downtown Golden, now occupying a storefront next to Ace Hi Tavern. Come by and say hello, perhaps during December 2nd’s candlelight walk! We love our landlord for choosing us!

I also thank Wendy Renee of Fairway Independent Mortgage for choosing to office inside Golden Real Estate’s storefront. She adds important expertise to our office and helps us to serve the many walkins we are welcoming in our new location.

Last, but definitely not least, Rita and I are so thankful for our relationship with each other and our extended family

Just Listed: A Sprawling Applewood Ranch

This sturdy brick ranch at 13955 W. 31st Ave. is in that special section of Applewood Ranchettes which is just south of 32nd Avenue and just east of Eldridge Street. Built in 1961, it was home to the seller for 52 years, and the love with which it was maintained is evident throughout! The seller moved out of state and is including lots of furniture which the buyer can keep or ask to be removed. It has hot water baseboard heating combined with ducted central air conditioning from an air handler located in the attic. All the major components are from 2009 or later — boiler, A/C, water heater, roof — so it’s unlikely there will be many inspection issues. In the huge backyard is a large storage shed. The oversized 2-car garage has a storage room behind it, too. There’s a 2-sided wood-burning fireplace in the living room and a free-standing woodburning stove in the family room. The kitchen was updated in 2006 with slab granite countertops and stainless appliances. Take a video tour at www.ApplewoodHome.info, then come to our Open House on Saturday, Nov. 26th, 11 am to 1pm.

Jim Smith

Broker/Owner, 303-525-1851

Jim@GoldenRealEstate.com

1214 Washington Ave., Golden 80401

Broker Associates:

JIM SWANSON, 303-929-2727

CHUCK BROWN, 303-885-7855

DAVID DLUGASCH, 303-908-4835

TY SCRABLE, 720-281-6783

GREG KRAFT, 720-353-1922

Home values have been a source of contention between assessors and citizens for years but decreased recently. However, market fluctuations could increase tensions again.

More could come as market fluctuates

Lauren Simpson said.

Kellee Van Bruggen, Arvada’s bike and pedestrian coordinator, said that first and last mile connectivity to the G-Line, which was initially the main driver of the project, has not been how folks have been utilizing the scooters.

“When the Transportation Advisory Committee first met, they talked about the first-last mile connection to transit,” Van Bruggen said. “our data is showing that’s not necessarily the main reason people are using scooters. It’s pretty low.”

Data from the pilot program collected from Jan. 26 to Sept. 30 shows that there have been 10,177 total trips, averaging 5.8 minutes and a distance of 0.6 miles.

Main concerns about the program include scooter parking, underage riders and rules around the scooters. 80% of respondents to a city survey agreed or strongly agreed that the e-scooters are improperly parked.

The city has purchased five parking racks for the scooters, two of which have been implemented.

Councilmembers suggested increased vendor oversight and working with vendors to incentivize proper parking as potential remedies to that issue.

Another vendor, Lime, has submitted an application to the city that will likely be in limbo pending Rhoades’ decision.

“Some people are very for it, some people are very against it,” City Councilmember John Marriott said. “I’d recommend another pilot program and injecting some competition.”

City Spokesperson Katie Patterson said that Rhoades will work with Van Bruggen and Manager of Mobility and Planning Infrastructure John Firouzi on the decision. The trio will weigh resident feedback and council feedback as well.

Van Bruggen said Olde Town Arvada is the highest-use area,

followed by park areas and the Walmart on Ralston Road.

Bird scooters in Arvada shortly after

launch of the pilot program.

PHOTO BY RYLEE DUNN

An improperly parked Bird scooter by the fence of the G-Line in Olde Town.

COURTESY OF WARREN RUBIN

El Rancho restaurant to reopen

Denver restaurateurs to operate the historic eatery

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

El Rancho restaurant is reopening.

Denver restaurateurs Frank and Jacqueline Bonanno, who own restaurants in the Denver area, will operate the historic restaurant that closed abruptly last summer. The couple, who own Bonanno Concepts, are excited to open as soon as they can hire a staff, Frank Bonanno said on Nov. 15, hopefully in the next few weeks.

“I’m confident we can bring new life to El Rancho while preserving the nostalgia,” he said. “We’ve been in there, and there’s so much potential to recapture the spirit of a place that’s been part of so many memories and stories over the years.”

Bonanno intends Colorado-style fare on the menu, happy hours, brunch and the return of live music. He is leaning toward serving meals such as burritos, tacos, smoked brisket and smoked pork plus a salad bar. He wants to hire a brewmaster, so the site will return to brewing beer in a few months.

Bonanno said the first priority was to focus on the food and the service for the main-floor restaurant, “letting people see who we are.”

Bonanno Concepts charges a

22% service fee on checks rather than customers tipping, so workers throughout the restaurant make a living wage, according to the Bonanno Concepts website. The company also has a full-time psychologist on staff because employees’ mental wellness is important, Bonanno said.

They have put restaurants in other historic buildings, saying they love Colorado history and preserving it.

The Bonannos also operate restaurants down the hill including Mizuna, Luca, Osteria Marco, Green Russell, Russell’s Smokehouse, Salt & Grinder, Vesper Lounge, French 75, Lou’s Food Bar and Denver Milk Market. Learn more about the company at www.bonannoconcepts.com.

Bonanno was on the Food Network TV show “Beat Bobby Flay,” season 29, episode 2. He beat the fellow chef but lost to Flay.

“We look forward to doing what we do and bringing it up (to Evergreen),” he said. “We hope folks will like it.”

History

The El Rancho restaurant opened in a log cabin in 1947. In 1953, a banquet room and gift shop were added, plus it became designated as a post office. When Interstate 70 was being built in the mid-1960s, the owners convinced the Colorado highway department to name the exit “El Rancho.”

According to Golden History Park and Museum, El Rancho is said to

have the most photographed view of the Continental Divide in America.

El Rancho has had several owners over the last few decades, and the owners who bought the property in 2015 abruptly closed the restaurant this past summer after a nasty battle over the restaurant’s management.

Last week, Jack and Sherry Buchanan of Evergreen with Northstar Ventures and Travis McAfoos bought the El Rancho property for $2.7 million, and they signed a lease and operating agreement with Bonanno Concepts.

Northstar Ventures will not be involved in the restaurant’s operation. Instead, it will focus on working to develop the parcel across the street from El Rancho.

New operators have been found for El Rancho restaurant, and they hope to open in the next few weeks.

COURTESY PHOTO

State to receive $8.3M under privacy settlement with Google

BY OLIVIA PRENTZEL THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado is expected to receive more than $8.3 million from a settlement reached with Google over accusations that it misled users about its location-tracking practices in their settings while continuing to use the collected data to sell ads.

The settlement, worth $391.5 million nationwide, marks the largest multistate attorney general privacy settlement ever in the U.S., the Colorado Attorney General’s Office said recently in announcing the deal.

“By misleading consumers into believing they could control their location data and privacy, Google violated our consumer protection laws,” Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a statement. “Today, we are holding them accountable.”

The violations date back to at least 2014, the attorney general’s office said.

The recent settlement caps a nearly four-year investigation, prompted by an Associated Press reporting project that revealed that Google collects data through two Google account settings.

Location History is “off” unless a user turns on the setting, but Web & App Activity, a separate account setting, is automatically “on” when users set up a Google

account.

The state attorneys general claimed that the internet search giant gave a false impression that when users turned off location tracking services, Google was no longer collecting geolocation data from them. But through other Google services and apps,

Google continued to collect users’ history and location data, according to the settlement.

Under the settlement, Google must show additional information to users when they turn a location-related account setting on or off and make key information about location tracking notice-

able for users. Google must also give users detailed information about the type of location data it collects and how it is used.

The agreement also limits Google’s use and storage of certain types of location information and requires Google account controls to be more user-friendly.

Thirty-nine other states joined Colorado in the settlement.

Colorado will use the money received through the settlement for future consumer fraud or antitrust enforcement, consumer education or public welfare purposes, said Lawrence Pacheco, a spokesman for the attorney general’s office.

The settlement was based on outdated product policies that the company changed years ago, José Castañeda, a Google spokesman told The Sun via email. The company has made improvements to policies and plans to add several news features to boost transparency for its users, including a way for users to easily delete their past data.

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.

Google has agreed to a settlement with Colorado over privacy issues. SHUTTERSTOCK

Is cloud seeding a potential solution to Colorado’s drought?

Don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes

BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN

They say that everyone complains and yet no one ever does anything about the weather.

But Colorado is actually trying very, very hard to do something, possibly a quite large something: Expanding decades of cloud seeding to an eighth campaign to combat the 22-year drought by wringing more snow from every storm tantalizing the biggest river basins.

The next time promising snow clouds gather over the St. Vrain basin west of Longmont, newly placed silver iodide guns will shoot the chemical high into the gloomy skies in the hope of coaxing an extra 10% to 15% of snowpack from the atmosphere.

The new St. Vrain Creek effort joins existing blasts of silver iodide targeting heavy snow clouds for decades above the upper Colorado River, the North Platte, the Gunnison, and Grand Mesa. Another study is underway to see if cloud seeding could boost flows in the Yampa and White River basins in northwestern Colorado.

The high-tech rain dances are paid for by an intriguing combination of thirsty customers. State governments want to boost water resources and tourism. Ski areas seek the deepest possible powder. And downhill states like Arizona and California pay up as they choke on new federal restrictions on Colorado River water use, with climate change quickly altering reality for 40 million snowpackdependent Westerners.

Colorado spends millions of dollars on the ground- and aerialbased cloud seeding programs because it works, state water officials say.

“We typically like to say, on an average storm, we can increase it 8% to 12% of the snow-water equivalent,” said Andrew Rickert, weather modification program manager for the Colorado Water Conservation Board.

“If we have a storm coming through that’s going to give us 10 inches, we can get another inch out of that storm,” Rickert said. “But over the duration of an entire winter over hundreds of thousands of square miles, we can add hundreds of thousands of acre-feet of water to spring runoff.” For perspective, federal officials have warned the seven Colorado River Basin states need to find 2 million to 4 million acre-feet of cuts to water use for 2023 because of drought soaking up historic river flows.

An island emerges from seasonal low water levels at Dillon Reservoir Thursday morning in Summit County. The Denver Water’s reservoir diverts the water through the Harold D. Roberts Tunnel under the Continental Divide into Colo-

rado’s Front Range. (Hugh Carey, The Colorado Sun)

The St. Vrain and Left Hand Water Conservancy District is enthusiastic to be the latest Colorado region to come on board with snow-boosting science. Their legal “Notice of Intent to Modify the Weather” hit local newspapers in September, and said the cloud seeding will begin this month above 6,500 feet. The new territory could send silver iodide shooters anywhere from Larimer County to Park County and points in between.

The St. Vrain district doesn’t deliver water to consumers, but its mission is to enhance water resources for all users in the area that the creek drains, from Longmont and Lyons water agencies to Front Range farmers to snow recreation in Boulder and Larimer counties. In developing a new longterm water plan, St. Vrain basin residents made it clear they did not want massive new storage in the form of a dam and reservoir on the relatively free-flowing creek.

Long established cloud seeding programs provide the kind of “holistic, sensible approach” to water supply that can “do it in a way that marries up with the values of our community,” district Executive Director Sean Cronin said.

Gauges for the cloud seeding device near Williams Fork Reservoir, Nov. 3, 2022, outside Kremmling.

Those community values included a clear look at the environmental science of cloud seeding, and any potential dangers of introducing silver iodide into the atmosphere above the St. Vrain. When shot or dropped into clouds full of promising moisture, tiny silver iodide particles form a nucleus that encourages droplets to condense and become snowflakes.

Environmental groups have not raised serious objections to the cloud seeding programs on contamination issues, experts say. The silver emitted in cloud seeding barely registers as trace amounts.

“If you take silver iodide by the spoonful, yes, it’s not very good for you,” said William Cotton, professor emeritus of meteorology at Colorado State University. “But in the amounts on the ground in snowpack, it takes extremely advanced instrumentation to even detect it.”

That doesn’t mean everyone agrees on whether it works. “Notice to Modify Weather?” Some don’t notice.

But cloud seeding has not been proven effective in boosting the available water supply, said nonprofit Western Resource Advocates water policy analyst John Berggren.

“Some of the studies we’re aware of suggest cloud seeding may be able to increase precipitation 5% to 15%, but it’s unclear how that translates into streamflow and water availability,” Berggren said.

“We believe there are numerous

Early-season snow o to good start in high country

BY CHRIS OUTCALT THE COLORADO SUN

Snowpack on the Western Slope is off to a good start, but experts caution it’s difficult to draw many meaningful conclusions from snow-covered, high-country peaks this early in the season.

“It’s kind of like leading a football game by a field goal halfway through the first quarter,” Jeff Lukas, an independent climate researcher, wrote in an email.

As of early November, the statewide snowpack was 140% of the median from 1991 to 2020, and 142% in the Colorado River headwaters area specifically, according to SNOTEL data compiled by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The averages were slightly higher elsewhere on the Western Slope.

Still, there’s a long way to go. Typically, on Nov. 9, Colorado is about 8% of the way to achieving statewide median snowpack, Lukas said. Right now, the state is about 12% of the way there, he said. But, Lukas cautioned that there’s very little correlation between mountain precipitation in

October and early November and the final totals across an entire snow season.

In about a third of the past 35 years, early-season snow totals

looked something like they do so far this year, Lukas said. The season-ending snowpack across those 12 years, however, runs the gamut, from a handful of average years to a very good 1995 and a dismal 2012.

Nevertheless, it’s better to have snow on the ground than not, he said.

“Every little bit helps. Just like a field goal early in the first quarter,” he wrote. “But it needs to be followed up with a lot more scoring.”

Given the challenges facing the Colorado River, water managers across the region will be watching the snowpack especially closely this year. More than 40 million people rely on the snow that accumulates high up in the mountains in the Colorado River Basin and then flows into the river and its tributaries. The water is also used to irrigate millions of acres of farmland. However, a series of subpar snow years and dry soil conditions paired with sustained water use has drained the country’s two largest reservoirs — Lake Powell and Lake Mead — and strained the entire Colorado River system.

So far this year, the biggest in-state beneficiary of the earlyseason snow has been southwestern Colorado and the San Juan Mountains, a region that has been hard-hit by drought and dry soil conditions the past few years. The southwestern part of the state registered 217% of the median snowpack as of Nov. 10.

“We’re in the best shape we’ve seen for about five years — it’s a good start for sure,” said Ken Curtis, general manager of the Dolores Water Conservancy District, which manages the Dolores Project.

In addition to the early snow,

a steady pattern of monsoonal rains throughout the summer helped southwestern Colorado quite a bit, Curtis said.

“Depending on how you feel about trends or odds or statistics, we are looking better, and you might say we’re due,” Curtis said.

In 2021, farmers and ranchers who rely on water from the Dolores Project received a 10% supply. This year, the project operated on a 35% supply.

Becky Bollinger, the assistant state climatologist, said it’s good to get a head start on snowpack now so that the state is less reliant on big storm after big storm during the heart of the winter.

“For me, seeing these storms kick off and that we’re a little ahead on snowpack is good,” said Bollinger, who is part of Colorado State University’s Colorado Climate Center. “In general, I feel pretty positive about this.”

The snow in the high country this week was especially nice, she said, because the next week or so looks like it’s going to be drier across the state. However, temperatures are likely to remain cooler, which is good, Bollinger said. “What that means is that while the snowpack isn’t going to accumulate, it’s probably not going to melt in those mid-to-high elevations,” she said. “When you have those cold temperatures, that will help support the snowpack that’s already there.”

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.

A fox ventures through the snow on Conifer’s Shadow Mountain.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEBBIE FORD

other proven and legal ways for communities to increase water security, namely conservation and demand management.”

CSU’s Cotton isn’t even so sure about those studies showing “5% to 15%” enhancement. The “sometimes desperate” search for water in the West is understandable, but “might not be as promising as people wish” in delivering extra snowpack, Cotton has written for science websites.

One early cloud seeding study that CSU participated in, often cited by weather modifi cation proponents, claimed to fi nd 10% to 15% enhancement when done well, including shooting silver iodide from the highest possible altitudes and fi nding the best wind and moisture conditions, Cotton said.

“So that really excited people and everything,” Cotton said.

But more recent studies using specialized cloud radars and aircraft sampling, in Wyoming and Idaho snow basins, show “more like 1% to 2% increases in precipitation,” he said.

“The amounts still are really questionable. A few percent makes it really hard to be cost effective. Five to 10% would really be more cost effective,” Cotton said. The method that appears to be most effective, spraying silver iodide into the clouds from airplanes, is also

the most expensive.

Cloud seeding can’t create storms where only drought skies exist. To be most effective, silver iodide has to be shot into heavy clouds loaded and ready to go with moisture, that just need tiny dust or ice particles to form good snow. Only about a dozen storms during a winter season meet the criteria for good cloud seeding results, experts say.

A 2005 study the state water conservation board posts on its website describing weather modifi cation concludes that year’s model

produced “very small differences between seed and control precipitation predicted by the model,” and that the results were “very disappointing and not expected at the onset of this project.”

All but one of Colorado’s cloud seeding programs use groundbased devices to hit the clouds from below. Jackson County, touching the Wyoming border, has a dual aerial and ground program to try to add water to the North Platte River.

The seven previously existing programs cost about $1 million a

year to run statewide, according to Denver Water, which is one of about 40 organizations that help fund the seeding. A coalition of Front Range consumer water providers, from Denver to Aurora to Pueblo to Northern Water, have sponsored cloud seeding for the Central Colorado Mountains River Basin program, though not every water agency joins every year.

The central program covers four remote control generators at high elevations, and over 20 manually operated seeding machines, Denver Water said. The seeding targets clouds passing over Eagle, Grand, Pitkin and Summit counties. The Front Range water providers own rights to water on the west side of the Continental Divide in the Colorado River basin, and bring it through the divide into the Arkansas and South Platte river systems for consumer use.

St. Vrain is calling its initial entry a pilot program. The district will pay about $50,000 for operations, while the state covers $86,000 for the generators and installation, Cronin said.

Cronin and his engineers believe the most recent studies offer good proof of the concept. The St. Vrain basin generates about 80,000 acre-feet of water a year, Cronin said, meaning a 3% to 10% enhancement could bring up to 8,000 additional acre-feet. An acrefoot can serve the water needs of about two typical households for a

about 5,700 protests. That number reached about 11,200 in 2017, but fell to 7,200 in 2021.

Acceptance of the realities of rising prices is a theory as to why protests are declining. Kersgaard said local policies to make more information accessible could have played a role.

“In Jeffco, we’ve done things that have been designed frankly to reduce (protests),” Kersgaard said.

But the trend seen in Jefferson County is mirrored in the other counties surrounding Denver, according to annual reports from the state Division of Property Taxation.

In Adams County, there were about 2,600 protests in 2013, 11,200 in 2017 and 6,000 in 2021.

In Arapahoe County, there were about 4,800 protests in 2013, 9,200 in 2019 and 4,700 in 2021.

In Douglas County, there were about 5,200 protests in 2013, 7,200 in 2019 and 4,700 in 2021.

It is unclear exactly what is driving recent declines in protests.

The idea that property owners are more resigned to the realities of the real estate market is a common one.

“The real estate market is on fire,” said Corbin Sakdol, a former Arapahoe County assessor and executive director of the Colorado Assessors’ Association.

‘Agnostic about taxes’

Another factor could be approach. Kersgaard said when he came into

office, he told his staff not to be lenient with protests.

“What I tell them is if we get the value right, defend the (protest),” Kersgaard said. “Don’t just give them something so they go away. If we’re wrong, grant it.”

The staff was “delighted that I had their back,”he added.

Kersgaard estimates that around 3%-5% of people file appeals in any given year. If an assessor’s office grants an appeal that isn’t justified, “then you’re punishing the other 95% of people who didn’t file appeals.”

A slightly higher share of the tax burden would fall on those who didn’t get a break in taxes, he added.

Kersgaard is a Democrat, a party that’s often accused by Republicans of being pro-taxation. But he said party politics don’t drive his work.

“I tell people when I’m campaigning, ‘Yes. I’m a Democrat, but when I walk into the office I become a technocrat,’” Kersgaard said.

He said the process is intricate. Local bodies, such as school districts, are able to establish tax rates, but assessors must determine the fair values of the properties that rates are applied to.

“I’m totally agnostic about taxes,” he said.

Sakdol, the former Arapahoe County assessor, served as a Republican. He thinks Democrats and Republicans tend to handle assessment protests the same way.

“My experience with assessors across the state of Colorado, they’re most interested in making sure the value is correct,” Sakdol said.

Sakdol’s successor, PK Kaiser, a Democrat who took office in 2019, also said politics don’t drive assessments.

“We look at the protest and see what information is provided and reject (or) adjust the values based on the information provided,” said Kaiser, who was on track to win reelection by a large margin as of Nov. 10.

Gary Salter, a 60-year-old homeowner in unincorporated Jefferson County south of Lakewood, bought his home in 1999. He remembers filing six or seven protests since the early 2000s.

“They lowered (the value) every single time,” said Salter, who has noticed no differences across assessors.

New tech may help understanding

During Kersgaard’s term, the Jefferson assessor office updated its website so people can view a map that shows recent property sales in their neighborhoods and see how they compare to their own houses. His office made the upgrade around early 2021.

Kersgaard guessed that type of technology may be a reason why some Denver metro counties have seen protests decline.

“People can look at their house and look at the other houses that are sold in their neighborhood and go, ‘Wow, we’re not actually overvalued,’” Kersgaard said.

Kaiser’s office in Arapahoe also

created a map online so people can see how assessed property values have changed near where they live or in other areas.

But given that the decline in protests has occurred in so many counties, “some of it is just driven by the market” and that people today may better understand that home prices have been rising dramatically, Kersgaard said.

Since the start of 2010 — when the median single-family home price in metro Denver was about $200,000 — the median price has roughly tripled, according to a report by the Colorado Association of Realtors based on data as of this August. Statewide, it had tripled as well, according to the association.

Are politics at play?

Some Jefferson County protests arise simply because people are unhappy that their taxes are so high, said Kersgaard, who took office in 2019. (He was also on track to win reelection by a large margin as of Nov. 10.)

The public often doesn’t understand the assessor doesn’t decide tax rates.

The assessor’s job is to establish accurate values of all properties — residential, commercial, agricultural, vacant land and more — in his or her county, a process meant to ensure that the amount of taxes property owners pay is fair and equitable.

Property taxes partly fund county governments, but they also fund school districts, fire and library districts, other local entities, and cities and towns.

Unless residents “go to their fire district meeting and their school board meeting and their county commissioners, they really don’t have any recourse,” Kersgaard said.

Another confusing wrinkle: Assessors’ offices do their work based on the value of properties as of June 30 of the prior year — they don’t report those values until the following May.

So the assessed value a homeowner receives isn’t based on the property’s current value, Sakdol said.

Assessor’s offices look at sale prices of homes in the same area to determine the value for a given property, Sakdol said.

Protests could swing back up Rising home prices amid the economic disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic could be informing homeowners about market trends, Kersgaard said.

“They’ll see it’s not just the assessor’s office that says their value is going up,” Kersgaard said.

Kersgaard acknowledges the impact of higher assessed values can hit some people hard, like retirees on fixed incomes.

And while home prices might see a slowdown, increases from the assessors office may still be on the upswing. That’s because valuations from assessors are based on data that lags roughly by a year, Sakdol said.

“They’re looking at what was the value of your property as of June 30, 2022,” Sakdol said. “However, they don’t report those values until May 2023.”

That means assessors could be busy next year as homeowners attempt to control those costs through protests.

south Denver metro area.

FILE PHOTO BY DAVID GILBERT

Thu 12/01

"Disney Junior Live On Tour: Costume Palooza"

@ 5pm / $30-$45

Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Place, Denver

Sugar Britches at New Terrain Brewing

@ 6pm

New Terrain Brewing Company, 16401 Table Mountain Pkwy, Golden

Decibel Metal & Beer Pre-Fest @ 7pm / $15

Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St, Denver

Stööki Sound

@ 8:30pm

Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom & Other Side, 2637 Welton St, Denver

Fri 12/02

River Spell

@ 5pm

Goosetown Station, 514 9th St, Golden

Jay_Martin @ 6pm

Barrels & Bottles Brewery at Camp George West, 1055 Orchard St, Golden

Union Gray @ 8pm

Grizzly Rose, 5450 N Valley Hwy, Denver

Hunter James and the Titanic @ 9pm

The Lodge at Woods Boss, 675 22nd St, Denver

Sat 12/03

Denver

Tony

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VOICES

It’s never too late to save a river

An old river-running motto says, “Old boaters never die, they just get a little dinghy.” And some never lose their passion for keeping rivers wild.

Consider California’s Stanislaus River. In the 1970s, people of all ages and abilities reveled in running its 13 miles of rapids bearing scary names like Widowmaker and Devil’s Staircase. Not far from Sacramento and San Francisco, the limestone canyon offered renewal and adventure to people nearly year-round.

But back in 1944, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation authorized 625-foothigh New Melones Dam for the Stan, though filling it would drown the beloved canyon. Dam construction began in 1966, and spirited opposition grew, giving rise to the grassroots organization Friends of the River. Advocates argued that a smaller, existing dam could meet flood control and energy production needs, without drowning the wild stretch of river.

Despite actions ranging from citizen’s initiatives to lawsuits and even a favorable Supreme Court ruling, New Melones Dam was built.

As water in the reservoir rose in 1979, Friends of the River co-founder Mark Dubois chained himself to bedrock below the high-water line to force dam operators to stop filling.

WRITERS ON THE RANGE

Fifteen-year-old Sue Knaup also went to work, “rescuing wildlife day and night for two months from flooded trees and islands.” But she could not save them all, and Dubois could not hold back the reservoir.

— I offered to create a movie about the 1970s fight.”

Beginning work on the film reawakened their long-held dream of reclaiming the river, so now, members are proposing a full-watershed approach: revegetating reaches of the upper river, removing sections of New Melones to maintain lower reservoir levels and working with downstream farmers to protect floodplains.

edges that successful full-watershed restoration will “take a ton of work and money … but we have to begin while we’re alive and have the passion to do it.”

The river canyon and priceless prehistoric and historic cultural sites were inundated.

Becca Lawton

Now, with New Melones logging its fourth decade of broken promises in water delivery, flood control and energy production, hundreds of river advocates from the old campaign hope to reclaim the Stan. In their teens and twenties back then, and today in their sixties and seventies, they believe the timing has never been better.

“It’s now a matter of ‘well, of course,’” says Dubois, vice-president of the new nonprofit Restoring the Stanislaus River. “National momentum is growing for dam removal and expanding economically and ecologically wise floodplains.”

Knaup, president and chief instigator of the new group, has moved her activism into filmmaking. “When Mark wanted the Stanislaus story to be told as it should be — in pictures

Promoting the deconstruction of large dams attracts plenty of media attention. Think of the Klamath River in California and Oregon, and the Snake and Columbia rivers in Washington. Taking down smaller dams receives less fanfare, though some 1,100 small dams have come down in the past 20 years in the United States alone.

As California becomes ever drier, many people agree that the New Melones Dam should go. Only 26 percent full today, the reservoir has been near capacity only five times since first filling. Power-production capabilities, based on 40 years of inflow data, have never been achieved. Even Interior Department engineers admit they underestimated the river’s drought and demand cycles “by a significant amount.”

Roy Tennant, a former Stanislaus River guide and now secretary for Restoring the Stanislaus River, acknowl-

Kevin Wolf, former river-guide organizer for the 1970s campaign and current treasurer of Restoring the Stanislaus River, says billion-dollar ballot measures might be what it takes to change the state’s water infrastructure, but “big ideas like taking dams down start with small groups of wild-eyed activists moving ideas forward.”

Dubois, whose civil action in the 1970s inspired many river protection efforts, adds that it’s time “to repair the good intentions of the outmoded dam-building era — to restore the wild rich abundance that rivers have always been.”

As for Knaup, she says “healing has already begun as both the film and the push to restore the Stanislaus River have come alive.” And the river? “I have total faith that it will know what to do.”

Becca Lawton is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. A former Grand Canyon River guide and ranger, she began as a Stanislaus River guide and advocate.

Welcome the holiday season to the Denver area

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

At this time of year, people are constantly searching for fun ways to explore the metro area and all it has to offer — maybe you have family in from out of town and need to entertain them, or perhaps you’re just looking for an alternative to the typical holiday fare.

With the following four options as a starting place, I hope you’ll find a great way to kick off the season.

Return to the moon at the DMNS

With interest in space exploration on the rise all over the world, it is difficult to imagine a more fitting time to take a look back than right now. And that’s just what visitors can do at “Apollo: When We Went to the Moon,” which is running at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd. in Denver, through Monday, Jan. 23.

The exhibit takes visitors back to the space race leading up to the moon

landing in 1969 and features more than 100 artifacts from the U.S. Space and Rocket Center’s archives, according to provided information.

With more than 400,000 individuals contributing to the success of the American space program, there was a huge range of materials to go through for the exhibit. Visitors can explore the development of the Saturn V rocket, get up close and personal with the Apollo A7L spacesuit and learn just some of the stories behind the people who made it all possible.

Find tickets and information on the exhibit at www.dmns.org.

Immerse yourself in the holiday season at the Cherry Creek Holiday Market

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher

lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

MICHAEL DE YOANNA Editor-in-Chief michael@coloradocommunitymedia.com

One of the great joys of the holiday season is spending time outside with a warm drink, festive atmosphere and surrounded by great people. For all that and more, you won’t want to miss the Cherry Creek Holiday Market

Now in its third year at Fillmore Plaza, 105 Fillmore St. in Denver, the market has built up a reputation as one of the best shopping experiences in the metro area. And it is easy to see why: it features more than 50 vendors, including artisan creators who make puzzles, table-top campfires and high quality tea products; live music Wednesday through Sunday; and a top-notch bar program that showcases local companies like at st, The Family Jones and Uncle Tim’s Cocktails. Once you add in some beautiful light features, it is difficult to go wrong.

The market runs through Saturday, Dec. 24. All you need to know can be found at www.cherrycreekholidaymarket.com.

MINDY NELON Marketing Consultant mnelon@coloradocommunitymedia.com

AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager abrooks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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Explore a brewing winter wonderland LUKI Brewery, 14715 W. 64th Ave., Unit A and B, in Arvada, has all manner of activities scheduled for the holiday season, but one of the most appealing must be its Cirque Du Snow Winter Wonderland Wednesdays events.

Held from 3 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 30, Dec. 7, Dec. 14 and Dec. 21, the festivities begin with a cookie decorating kit from Elevated Pastries (which includes six plain sugar cookies in classic holiday shapes, icing and sprinkles) and from their brewers serve beer using the Bierstacheln tradition. According to provided information, “this German process involves heating beer with a hot poker and caramelizing the complex sugars from the malt-forward varieties on tap.” Finally, Classic Holiday Movie Bingo begins at 6 p.m.

There will also be holiday markets, live holiday music and even a “paint

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Clarke Reader

What parents should know about RSV

As RSV cases continue to spike across parts of the U.S. — with some areas nearing seasonal peak levels — those typical “bugs” your child brings home may have you feeling on edge. With so much swirling around these days, it can be difficult to know what’s behind a constant cough, especially if your child is very young.

RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, can include symptoms similar to a common cold. However, the virus can develop into something more serious. RSV can infect people of all ages but is most severe for older adults and young children.

Usually almost every child under the age of 2 has been exposed to RSV, but due to all the pandemic response over the last few years, kids have not been exposed as much to RSV. That is one of the reasons why we are seeing such a spike this year, as well as RSV in children older than 2.

Symptoms

RSV symptoms may vary and typically begin four to six days after infection. The most common symptoms might include:

Runny nose

Low appetite

Coughing

Sneezing Fever

Wheezing

For young infants with RSV, they might be irritable, sluggish or find it harder to breathe.

Your pediatrician will be able to fig-

DR. MATTHEW HUSA

ure out whether it’s a common cold, COVID-19 or RSV, if you have concerns about symptoms your child is showing. They might perform tests, like chest X-rays, to see if pneumonia has developed.

When should you call a doctor?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes an increase in RSVassociated emergency room visits. However, most cases will go away on its own in a week or two. Symptoms are typically at their worst on days three to five of infection. Only 3% of children with RSV will require a hospital stay.

If symptoms become severe, contact your pediatrician right away. This may include:

Symptoms of bronchiolitis

Symptoms of dehydration (only one wet diaper in 8 hours or more)

Difficulty breathing

Gray or blue lips, tongue or skin

A significant decrease in activity or alertness

Even though RSV is common, and it might seem difficult to figure out how severe it will become, there are some risk factors parents should be aware of.

Children who are born premature or are 6 months old or younger are

most at-risk for RSV complications. Children with chronic heart or lung disease, or a weaker immune system, can also be susceptible to RSV.

Treatment

There’s currently no vaccine to prevent RSV and no specific treatment for the infection. As stated, most cases will resolve on their own. However, there are a few things you can do to help relieve the symptoms:

Manage pain and fever with overthe-counter medications (consult your pediatrician for guidance and never give aspirin to children)

Drink plenty of fluids Nasal saline to help with breathing Cool-mist humidifier to help break up mucus

Talk to your health care provider before you give any over-the-counter cold medicine to your child.

How it spreads

RSV is typically spread through coughs and sneezes, but can spread when someone touches a surface that has the virus on it and then touches their face, before washing their hands.

The following tips may help reduce

your family’s risk:

Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your arm, not your hands.

Avoid close contact with others, especially those who are sick. Wash your hands frequently. Don’t touch your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home.

If you’re sick, stay home.

The best way to avoid transmission of RSV is what we have been doing very well over the last few years: Scrupulous hand hygiene with washing our hands frequently with soap and water, and cleaning the surfaces small hands get to, like doorknobs and handles. Also, wear a mask if you have any respiratory symptoms.

With the knowledge of what RSV may look like — and how it is different from other viruses — you’ll be able to take steps to keep your child as healthy as possible all year round.

For more information, visit the CDC website.

Dr. Matthew Husa is the chief medical officer of UnitedHealthcare of Colorado & Wyoming.

OBITUARIES

Rosanna Mae “Sally” (McDowell) Cooper September 8, 1932 - October 21, 2022

FROM PAGE 12

your pet” event. Check out www.lukibrew.com to get all the details and to make your plans.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Wild Pink at Globe Hall

Over their four albums, New York’s Wild Pink have somehow managed to get better with each new record. Their most recent album, “ILYSM,” might be their best yet, and that could very well be because it is their most personal. At 34, lead singer John Ross received a cancer diagnosis that would rock back any person, and he used that experience as the

ultimate muse. The resulting album is searching, funny, sad and expansive - all descriptions that equally apply to the story of a human life.

In support of the album, Wild Pink will be performing at the Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St. in Denver. They’ll be joined by indie rock/ folk favorites Trace Mountains and Knuckle Pups.

As we head into the final stretch of the year, this is the perfect show to look back at what we’ve all endured and case a hopeful glance to the coming horizon. Get information and tickets at https://globehall.com/.

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

We are sad to announce that our mother, Rosanna “Sally” Cooper lost her battle with heart disease on October 21, 2022. Rosanna is survived by Gregory Cooper of Colorado ,

Tonya Andersen of Massachusetts , and several grandchildren.

A private service for immediate family was held at Fort Logan National Cemetery.

Daily Masses: 8:30am, Mon-Sat Confessions: 8am Tue-Fri; 7:30am & 4:00pm Sat

Saturday Vigil Mass: 5:00pm

Sunday Masses: 7:30, 9:00, 11:30am, 5:30pm

COOPER

Columnist

BY ANDREW FRAIELI AFRAIELI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In 1928, two Black dancers in a dance marathon in Harlem — George Snowden and Mattie Purnell — broke away from each other to throw in some solo freestyling. With that, they started the process of creating one of the most popular swing dances ever: Lindy Hop.

It obviously spread from Harlem, and today exists across the country, including in Denver. The dance — along with swing music itself — has ebbed and flowed in popularity

over the last few decades, but the fast-paced swing-outs and stomping beats have held onto Denver, developing a small community that’s easy for beginners to start in and experts to explore.

“I think there’s a lot of room for growth to provide many opportunities for people that want to dance,” said Kenny Nelson, founder of Swingin’ Denver — a swing school and local dance party hoster.

Nelson himself has experience teaching

around the world, but the last eight years he’s been teaching Lindy Hop across Denver and hosting social dances from the Mercury Cafe to the Savoy.

The current big three places for Lindy Hop in Denver, according to Nelson, have been the Mercury Cafe, the Savoy and the Turnverein as they are what have survived the ebb and flow.

“The Mercury Cafe got its start in the ‘90s when neo-swing was happening, and they’re the one place that remained when everyone else was gone…it kind of all fizzled out,” Nelson explained. “I mean, it went with the ebb and flow of popular music. The pop bands tried to grab that sound and it lasted for a bit, but it didn’t last.”

The Mercury Cafe now hosts the teaching and party-hosting group Swing Nights twice a week, every Tuesday and Sunday evening, with Ceth Stifel teaching many of the classes from beginner to intermediate. “The Merc,” as it’s also called, has a live band almost every Sunday as well.

The Turnverein, a 5,280 square foot ballroom, hosts a broader range of dance classes from many different teachers like argentine tango and general ballroom, but also a free Lindy Hop class at 7 p.m. every Friday and a dance right after.

Nelson himself found a home at the Savoy near Five Points in the city, where he teaches beginner and intermediate classes and hosts a live band and dance on the first Wednesday of every month.

Music is, of course, a central aspect. The right variation in tempo, a swinging sound that will convince dancers onto the floor, mixing songs from wellknown to gems — all harder than it may seem.

“Swing dancing is inevitably tied to the music, having some music that is really good and swinging, and DJs that are paying attention to the dance floor is very crucial for having creative dancing,” Nelson said.

He describes a talent loss around 2008 and 2012 though, in DJing, dancing, and teaching, but has seen it start improving since 2013.

“I really feel like, in certain areas, live music has stepped up, and it’s great, whereas DJing definitely hasn’t come back,” Nelson said. He references some of the bands that he’s hosted before like La Pomp, that play “swingin tin-pan standards” and “soulful originals” according to their Instagram, putting them in a category “of the new current bands, with younger members, who are really talented and really hard-working.”

In terms of the stability of the scene now, it’s hard to tell.

“It’s kind of hard to get the complete pulse post-pandemic on the scene here. It certainly feels

ABOUT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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

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like it’s getting more stable,” Nelson said, pointing to venues having live music again as a promising step.

The dance’s history as a Black dance is a focus Nelson tries to give when he teaches.

“There’s been a lot of international conversations around the role of teaching, how we ought to be teaching, and how we can best respect the fact that we are teaching a Black dance — how can we best provide solid representation and appreciation for the dance,” he said. “I still think there’s lots of room for improvement there too.”

Specifically, the idea that the dance had a “revival” is what is pushed back on. As Nelson puts it, it “presents a whitewashing of the current popularity of swing dancing - i.e. it paints a picture of an activity ‘saved’ from extinction by white people, rather than a living art form still practiced within Black communities.”

Within Denver though, it is far from extinction or needing to be saved. Tuesday nights at “The Merc,” Friday nights at the Turnverin, and Sunday nights back to “The Merc” again, Lindy Hop is going strong in the city and welcomes beginners, experts and intermediates all alike.

Take a hop, skip and a jump into the city and see what you can do to the tune of “swingin tin-pan standards.”

newspaper.

• Letters must be no longer than 400 words.

• Letters should be exclusively submitted to Colorado Community Media and should not be submitted to other outlets or previously posted on websites or social media. Submitted letters become the property of CCM and should not be republished elsewhere.

Ceth Stifel and Dani Botello, teachers from Swing Nights, performing at the Mercury Cafe.

Dancers at a social dance at the Mercury Cafe on a Tuesday night.

PHOTO BY ANDREW FRAIELI

year, according to most esti mates.

The $136,000 cost is a fair in vestment in search of a “rising tide that lifts all boats” of basin water users, Cronin said.

But does cloud seeding here steal water from where it would otherwise fall, over there?

That’s always the second ques tion after “Does it work?”, cloud seeding proponents say. Western Resource Advocates raises issues about whether it does in fact do that, rob Peter to pay Paul’s water bills.

“If cloud seeding is used ‘up stream’ of another basin with senior water rights, would that be in violation of prior appro priation? Could the ‘downstream’ basin sue or ask for a compact call? If you start quantifying the savings from cloud seeding, you could run into thorny legal is sues,” Berggren said.

Those issues have not come up, according to Rickert and other seeding proponents. The pro grams are in fact sponsored by water users “over there,” in the form of California, Nevada and Arizona water officials helping to pay for cloud seeding where their supply is largely stored, in the Colorado high country snowpack.

St. Vrain engineer Scott Grie bling said a typical storm drops less than 10% of the water available in that set of clouds. If cloud seeding manages to boost that small number by 10%, that’s

only taking 1% more of the total water.

“There’s still plenty of water left in the cloud,” he said.

For true water geeks, and in Colorado there are plenty, the next question is inevitably, “Who owns the new water?”

The answer is imprecise, but comes down to who really “owns” the entire state water pool.

St. Vrain calls statewide cloud seeding “raising the dam” for all of Colorado, backing up new water through a virtual reser voir. Any “new” water from cloud seeding accrues to the benefit of water rights holders from that basin who, because of drought or holding a more junior appropria tion, have lately been right on the cusp of losing their full share.

The additional water also makes it easier for Colorado and various conservancy districts to meet compact calls from other states, like Nebraska demanding its share from the South Platte, or Nevada policing uses on the Colorado River.

“This is the only way to physi cally add water to a basin,” Rickert said. “Whoever has the senior water rights is still going to be able to pull their water, but we’re just trying to add more to the system as a whole.”

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

TURN TO THE COLORADO SUN FOR NEWS ACROSS THE STATE

The Colorado Sun is a journalist-owned, award-winning news outlet that strives to cover all of Colorado so that our state — our community — can better understand itself.

In this way, The Sun contributes to a more vibrant, informed and whole Colorado.

The Sun, launched in 2018, is committed to fact-based, in-depth and non-partisan journalism. It covers everything from poli

tics and culture to the outdoor industry and education.

Now, The Colorado Sun co-owns this and other Colorado Community Media newspapers as a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy. The Sun is CCM’s partner for statewide news.

For Colorado Sun stories, opinions and more, and to support The Sun’s misssion as a member or subscriber, visit colora dosun.com.

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WIDOWED MEN AND WOMEN OF AMERICA.

A social club offering many exciting activities and life long friendships. Social hours for all areas of Metro Denver. Visit Widowedamerica.org for details In your area!

Merchandise

Arts & Crafts

Craft Fair

Join us for Holiday Gift Shopping Gardens on Quail - Senior Retirement 6447 Quail Street Arvada 80004 303.456.1500 Saturday, December 3rd, 2022 9:00-4:00

Door Prizes Variety of Vendors Holiday Fun

29th Annual Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair

Bear Creek High School, 9800 W. Dartmouth Place, Lakewood Sat. Dec. 3rd, 9am - 4pm, Admission $3 per person 150+ Vendors, Free Parking, “Spin to Win”, Concessions, and a Food Truck! Handmade crafts,jewelry,pottery, candles,artprints, stuffedcritters,soaps andmore!

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Donate Your Car to Veterans Today! Help and Support our Veterans. Fast - FREE pick up. 100% tax deductible. Call 1-800245-0398

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Latinas in Tech

Nonprofit works to change underrepresentation in STEM jobs

BY SONIA GUTIERREZ ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

Even though Latinos make up one of the largest shares of the techusing market, they’re still underrepresented in the workplaces creating those products.

Latinos are at the forefront of technology adoption. Nielson reports that Latinos are buying new technology and spending more time on social platforms than other groups. And yet, Latinos only make up just 8% of STEM workers.

A nonprofit called Latinas in Tech is working to change that. With 20 chapters all over the world, their mission is to connect, support and empower Latina women working in tech.

With Colorado becoming a hot spot for tech giants, Latinas in Tech decided to start a chapter here.

“We still notice that we have concerning statistics within the tech industry. And we’re here as a group to help lift each other up,” said Carolina Chavez, a Denver chapter leader for Latinas in Tech.

Latinas in Tech just started its Colorado chapter and has already seen a lot of success. This is due in large part to the fact that the

nonprofit’s members come from the same backgrounds as the people they’re trying to reach.

Aimara Rodriguez is a first-generation Honduran American. She has been working in tech for 10 years and is now a platform partnership manager for Adobe’s Creative Cloud. Rodriguez is also a Denver chapter leader.

“I’m very proud to say that my dad cut grass growing up and my mom cleaned houses,” said Rodriguez.

“We have that educational background to support each other and lift each other up to not only break into tech but also once you are into tech, how can we help you continue to move up and develop as a leader within the organization,” added Chavez.

Chavez is an account executive working in technology sales. Most of her family works in the medical field, but Chavez decided she would take a different route.

“I’m someone who likes to stay on my toes; I like constantly having to learn new things and if there’s something I can tell you for a fact is that technology is always changing so I’m never going to be a 100% expert, I’m never going to know everything, and I absolutely love that I have the ability to say that,” she said.

Today’s Latino consumers didn’t transition to the internet; they were raised with it. A 2018 report from Nielsen examined at the online lives of Latino consumers and found that 60% of all Latinos were born or

grew up in the internet age.

“As U.S. Hispanics make digital gains and advances at a higher rate than the total market, they are increasingly demanding authentic, culturally relevant content and connections” read the Nielsen report.

Latinas like Chavez and Rodriguez, who have the same lived experience as the audience big companies are trying to reach, are vital to the success of any new tech product.

“I find it quite interesting that we’ll have all these meetings and all

these debates about products that are trying to go to diversified demographics,” Rodriguez said, “but no one in the room, making those decisions, come from the backgrounds that we’re trying to serve.”

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.

Carolina Chavez a Denver chapter leader for Latinas in Tech. COURTESY OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

Republican silver lining

They pushed conversation on crime, public safety

BY ALLISON SHERRY COLORADO PUBLIC MEDIA

In conceding his Republican bid for state attorney general, Arapahoe County District Attorney John Kellner said that despite his party’s losses last week, they single-handedly forced state leaders to pay attention to public safety in a way they weren’t before.

“Throughout this campaign, which was so focused on public safety, we charged a lot of hearts and minds,” Kellner told a crowd of supporters. “We convinced Gov. Polis to get behind a bill that says, hey I want to increase the penalties for car thieves. That happens because of campaigns like this.”

Colorado’s crime rates, particularly around auto theft and fentanyl overdoses, were an omnipresent theme on the campaign trail.

In his state of the state speech earlier this year, Polis said that he wanted to make Colorado among the top 10 safest states in the nation. He often characterized fentanyl as one of the biggest threats posed to Coloradans and told CPR News he would support criminalizing possession of any amount of the drug — a departure from others in his party who believe criminalizing possession of drugs only punishes addicts.

Then in September, Polis wrote a letter to the state’s bipartisan Colorado Criminal and Juvenile Justice commission saying that he wanted to strengthen the penalties for car thefts.

In his proposed budget, there is more money funneled toward local law enforcement than in previous years and an overall 26 percent increase devoted to public safety.

A policy priority, or a cynical position for political gain?

Despite all that, many Democrats say the GOP mantra throughout 2022 that Colorado is crimeinfested was a cynical position to promote for political purposes.

“The public-safety issue raised in this campaign was basically a fear tactic,” said Maureen Cain, legislative and policy director for the Colorado State Public Defender. “It didn’t work. I think voters rejected their fear tactics. But has

there been a fear-based response in the Democratic party to this political message? Yes, I think so.”

Cain said that the language on the campaign trail — from 8th Congressional District Republican candidate Barbara Kirkmeyer falsely accusing her Democratic opponent of “legalizing” fentanyl, to attacks on a bipartisan-supported misdemeanor reform bill that Republicans attribute to increasing auto theft rates — did not actually advance public safety.

“I don’t think it helps the public’s understanding,” she said. “One side is fear-mongering, are we going to say: too bad, so sad, we’re not going to talk about it?”

For outgoing Colorado House Speaker Alec Garnett, a Democrat, the high-profile conversations about public safety, and who launched them, is a kind of chicken-egg question.

“The governor has said he wants Colorado to be one of the safest states in the country. That’s not because Republicans brought the issue up on the campaign trail, it’s because communities want to see crime go down,” said Garnett, who is about to become Polis’ chief of staff. “Republicans are stretching to figure out some silver lining in what ended up being a historically bad night.”

On the campaign trail throughout the state, Kellner said he heard from people concerned about crime rate increases — not only violent crime, but also catalytic converter thefts and business break-ins. He thinks the attention paid on that, including attention driven by some media coverage, was effective in elevating the policy issue for Republicans.

“It’s durable and it will stick with people going into the next legislative session. This is really not a Democrat or Republican thing,” he said. “It cuts across party lines and it’s something I’m really proud of that we were able to elevate that conversation … and put it on the media’s radar, the statistics around our state.”

What’s next for John Kellner and other Colorado politicians

Heading into the legislative session, where Democrats have large majorities in both chambers, Kellner said he hopes to keep the importance of crime relevant — even though he is returning to his day job as elected district attorney for Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties.

He plans to urge lawmakers to strengthen penalties for additional possession of illegal drugs,

not just fentanyl, and get rid of the system that doles out varying sentences for auto theft depending on the value of the car. Kellner also wants to strengthen laws around people with criminal records possessing firearms.

“We recognize that legislators are not subject matter experts,” Kellner said. “We’ve gotten more feedback that there is more engagement.”

Kellner said even Democratic legislators have reached out to him.

In a statement from Polis’ spokesman Conor Cahill, he said the governor’s overwhelming victory last week showed that “the people of Colorado, regardless of their political party, support the governor’s work to improve public safety in Colorado.”

“It’s clear the governor’s commonsense approach in support of improving public safety resonated with Coloradans from across the spectrum,” Cahill said.

This story is from CPR News, a nonprofit news source. Used by permission. For more, and to support Colorado Public Radio, visit cpr.org.

basis for adopting a Resolution approving, disapproving, or conditionally approving the proposed Service Plan Amendment for the District.

The District is a metropolitan district as that term is defined in Section 32-1-103(10), C.R.S., that may provide for the design, financing, acquisi tion, installation, construction, operation, and maintenance of Public Improvements. The Public Improvements are part, or all of the improvements authorized to be planned, designed, acquired, constructed, installed, relocated, redeveloped, and financed as generally described in the Special District Act, except as specifically limited in the ser vice plan. The District’s boundaries are generally located to the south of West 72nd Avenue, north of West 64th Avenue, west of Indiana Street, and

east of Quaker Street.

The maximum mill levy that the District is permitted to impose upon the taxable property of the District for payment of Debt shall be forty (40) mills; provided that if, on or after January 1, 2007, there are changes in the method of calculating as sessed valuation or any constitutionally mandated tax credit, cut or abatement; the mill levy limitation application to such Debt may be increased or decreased to reflect such changes, such increases or decreases to be determined by the Board in good faith (such determination to be binding and final) so that to the extent possible, the actual tax revenues generated by the mill levy, as adjusted for changes occurring after January 1, 2007, are neither diminished nor enhanced as a result of such changes. For purposes of the foregoing, a change in the ratio of actual valuation and any con stitutional or legislative changes in the actual value against which the assessment rate is applied shall be deemed to be a change in the method of calculating assessed valuation. The District shall not impose a Debt service mill levy for more than forty (40) years after the year of the initial imposition of such Debt service mill levy unless: (1) a majority of the Board of Directors of the District imposing the mill levy are residents of such District, and

NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that, pur suant to Section 91-30(b)(7), Arvada City Code, all protests and objections must be submitted in writing to the Arvada City Council at or prior to the hearing or any continuance or postponement thereof in order to be considered. Pursuant to Section 91-30(b)(8), Arvada City Code, all protests and objections to the District’s proposed Service Plan Amendment

be deemed to be waived unless presented at the time and in the manner specified in Article III, Arvada City Code.

NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that, pursuant to Section 91-32(e), Arvada City Code, the owner of real property within the District may file a petition with the Arvada City Council, stat-

ing reasons why said property should no longer be included in the District and requesting that such real property be excluded from the District. Such petition may be filed no later than ten (10) days before the day fixed for the public hearing on the Service Plan Amendment, but the Arvada City Council shall not be limited in its action with respect to the exclusion of territory based upon such request. Any request for exclusion shall be acted upon before the final action of the Arvada City Council.

Dated this 15th day of November 2022.

/s/ By Order of the City Clerk Arvada City Clerk

Legal Notice No. 415225

First Publication: November 24, 2022

Last Publication: November 24, 2022

Publisher: Jeffco Transcript and the Arvada Press

(2) such Board has voted in favor of issuing debt with a term which requires or contemplates the imposition of a Debt service mill levy for a longer period of time than the limitation contained therein. The Service Plan Amendment sets forth, among other things, that the total Debt issuance limitation shall not include multi-fiscal year contracts related to television relay and translation services (which shall not exceed $500,000 in accordance with the voter authorization received at the November 8, 2016 general election).

shall

John Kellner lost in running for state attorney general. Kellner remains the district attorney in the 18th Judicial District. PHOTO BY THELMA GRIMES