Arvada Press 010523

Year in review: Arvada

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Coming on the heels of one of the most di cult years in Arvada’s history, 2022 brought a degree of normalcy back to the tragedy-stricken community. Even in hard times, the community rallied for one another time and time again, evoking Mr. Rogers’ timeless sentiment; “Look for the helpers.”

Here are some of the most notable events in Arvada from the past year:

Arvadans support Marshall Fire victims

In the wake of the most devastating wild re in Colorado’s history — one that almost spread to Northwest Arvada — Arvadans came together to provide support for victims.

City Councilmembers Lisa Smith and Lauren Simpson led the charge on a gift card drive that raised over $70,000 for families impacted by the re. Folks from around the city donated gift cards that helped families rebuild their lives after the disaster struck.

e Arvada Elks Lodge hosted a

‘Concert for Our Neighbors’ headlined by acclaimed soul singer Hazel Miller. e bene t show was attended by over 300 people and raised $25,000 for re victims.

Community shows solidarity with

Ukraine

Arvadans didn’t just help their neighbors directly to the north. When war broke out in Ukraine earlier this year, the community did what it does best; found ways to help.

e clinicians at Arvada West Family Medicine — led by Nurse Practitioner Ellie Titarenko, who is originally from Ukraine — worked together to send medical supplies en masse to their war-torn homeland. For Nurse Halyna Kandyuk, also from Ukraine, the con ict hit close to home.

“My nephew is an o cer in the war right now,” Kandyuk said. “I call him every day. His mom is my sister; it’s very hard. My mom’s still in Ukraine, my sister’s still in Ukraine. My younger sister is a nurse.”

eir e orts paid o ; thanks in part to donations from other Arvadans, Titarenko and her sta successfully sent dozens of boxes of medical supplies to the warzone. Clinician Svetlana Sinsheimer said it represented America’s giving spirit.

“It’s why we love America. Because people just donate and support. ey don’t care what country — Ukrainian, Honduras, South Africa — American people every time support for di cult time. And right now, we’re (thinking of) Ukraine,” Sinsheimer said.

In a similar vein, City Councilmember Lisa Smith traveled to Poland after the war broke out to deliver medical supplies to Ukraine. Smith worked with Operation White stork, organized by Team Rubicon; an international non-governmental organization specializing in disaster response that Smith has worked with in the past.

While she was abroad, Smith felt Arvada’s support through messages of support and the image of the Olde Town Water Tower lit in blue and yellow; the national colors of Ukraine.

“When I landed in Krakow, I was picked up by another volunteer and we got on the highway. I saw a tower; it was lit up with Ukrainian ag colors and I immediately thought of Arvada and had this moment of feeling like there’s a bit of Arvada here. It was really cool to see how even in Arvada, we still support,” Smith said.

Je co sheri ’s investigators raising money to help families of fallen police o cers

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Two Je co sheri ’s investigators “be walkin’!”

“We be walkin’!” is the slogan of Dee Patterson — known as Deputy Dee in the foothills — and Wendy Fehringer as they prepare to walk 25 miles in two days in February to support the C.O.P.S. Foundation.

C.O.P.S. stands for Concerns of Police Survivors, and the organization provides support for families, friends and colleagues who have lost an o cer in the line of duty.

According to the organization’s website, “C.O.P.S. was organized in 1984 with 110 individual members. Today, C.O.P.S. membership is over 65,000 survivors. Survivors include spouses, children, parents, siblings, signi cant others and coworkers of o cers who have died in the line of duty.”

Patterson and Fehringer will be walking in COPSWalk Southwest Feb. 24-26, deciding this year to walk in honor of Dillon Vako , a 27-year-old Arvada police o cer who was shot and killed responding to a disturbance on Sept. 11, 2022. Vako ’s motto was “ at others may live,” and Patterson said that stuck with her.

“I didn’t know Dillon, but I have kids slightly older than he was,” she said. “My kids have a future, while Dillon doesn’t. at hit hard for me.”

While Patterson participated in the COPSWalk Southwest last year, she asked Fehringer, her friend and partner in the investigations unit for the Je co Sheri ’s O ce, to join her this year.

“We live in a community that is so very supportive of law enforcement, and we have immediate resources,” Fehringer said. “ en there are the little agencies who don’t have as much support.”

Onlookers watch the procession of police cars at O cer Dillon Vako ’s Funeral.

PHOTO BY DEBORAH GRIGSBY-SMITH

Community’s giving spirit shines through up-anddown year

YEAR IN REVIEW

FROM PAGE 1

City Manager Mark Deven retires

After 11 years at the helm of Arvada’s city team, City Manager Mark Deven announced his retirement in February. Shortly after, former deputy city manager Lorie Gillis was named Arvada’s next city manager.

Deven said he hopes the city will

political division.

As for his plans in retirement, Deven will be staying in Arvada with his wife and ve children — four of whom also live in town. He said he hopes to travel, volunteer and nd other ways to serve the community.

Seeking Applicants for 2023 Boards and Commissions Vacancies

Applications are being accepted for the following citizen boards and commissions in 2023 and you can now apply online:

Arvada Urban Renewal Authority

Building Code Advisory Board

Design Review Advisory Festivals Commission

Golf Advisory Committee

Housing Advisory Committee

Human Services Advisory Committee Liquor Licensing Authority

Park Advisory Committee

Sustainability Advisory Committee

Transportation Committee

Information about each board, as well as application details, can be found at Arvada.org/2023boards. Applications can be completed online using electronically submitted Google forms, or you may download, print and complete your application. You may also include a short resume, although it is not required.

Applications are due in the City Clerk’s O ce by NOON on Monday, January 9, 2023. Please contact the City Clerk’s O ce at 720-898-7550 with any questions.

The sta at Arvada West Family Medicine. From left: Halyna Kandyuk, Ellie Titarenko, Svetlana Sinsheimer.

‘Concert for Our Neighbors’ organizers Mia Steele, Warren Rubin, Hazel Miller and Debbie Hansen.

SEE YEAR IN REVIEW, P3

The beginning of the 97th Arvada Harvest Festival, the first running of the event in two years.

PHOTOS BY RYLEE DUNN

YEAR IN REVIEW

Arvada Harvest Festival returns

After a two-year absence, the Arvada Harvest Festival braved rain and dreary skies to make a triumphant return at a new location in September.

Moved from its usual location in Olde Town, the new parade route along 58th Avenue was met with a warm reception among attendees. is year’s parade featured performances from local high school marching bands and cheerleading troupes along with oats and other entries.

e event had been on hiatus since 2019 after it was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in 2021 due to a permit issue. e festival, organized by the Arvada Junior Chamber Foundation, dates

back to 1925. is year’s iteration was the Harvest Festival’s 97th showing overall.

Je co School Board votes to close 16 elementary schools

To the disappointment of many parents, students and teachers, the Je erson County School Board voted to close 16 elementary schools in the area, including multiple schools in Arvada such as Peck and Campbell elementary schools. About 2,500 students and over 400 sta members were displaced by the decision, which will take e ect after the 20222023 school year ends.

Arvada Historical Society celebrates 50th anniversary

In August, the Arvada Historical Society celebrated its 50th anniversary with Arvada Historical Society Month, a monthlong celebration of the city’s history and the folks who have worked to preserve it. Tragical-

ly, the Historical Society’s foremost researcher, Nancy Young, passed away a few months later at the age of 70.

APD O cer Dillon Vako murdered while responding to domestic disturbance

Over a year after the murder of Arvada Police Officer Gordon Hurley in the Olde Town Arvada Shooting, Officer Dillon Vakoff — a Ralston Valley graduate and member of APD since 2019 — was killed while responding to a domestic disturbance on Sept. 11.

“(Vakoff) was a man serious about his purpose in life, which was to live life to the fullest,” Arvada Police Lieutenant Paul Carrrol — Vakoff’s supervisor at APD — said at Vakoff’s funeral.

Shortly after Vakoff’s murder, the Arvada Elks Lodge held a fundraiser which raised $12,000 for his family.

After 45 years with the department and four trying years as chief, Link Strate retired from the Arvada Police Department. Former Deputy Chief Ed Brady was named the new Chief of Police and was sworn in at a ceremony in December.

Strate said that he considered the decision for a long time and added that Brady’s availability following this year’s election — where Brady ran for Je erson County Sherri — played into his decision.

Ultimately, in the wake of Beesley and Vako ’s deaths, Strate didn’t think he could see another o cer get killed.

“Quite frankly, to wonder if I could do that again,” Strate said. “I just didn’t. I just didn’t know if I could do that again. So, I recognized that I had an incredible career here. Just very fortunate for everything that was a orded to me. And it was probably time.”

Experts Differ on What 2023 Holds for the Real Estate & Mortgage Market

Real estate and mortgage professionals are coming to grips with how the market changed in 2022, but they have few (and differing) predictions for the market in 2023.

On the national level, Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, predicts that home prices will remain stable and the sales of existing homes will decline by 6.8%. He identified ten markets that will outperform other metro areas, and all ten of them are in the southeast.

“Half of the country may experience small price gains, while the other half may see slight price declines,” Yun said. “However, markets in California may be the exception, with San Francisco, for example, likely to register price drops of 10–15%.”

Here in the Denver market, the Denver Metro Association of Realtors issues a monthly market trends report. In its latest report, it pointed out that while there is a steady monthover-month decline in the average sold price, the year-over-year sold prices remain higher.

“Without a doubt, the Denver Metro housing market is changing, but the question on everyone’s mind is how long this change will last and what to expect next year,” commented Libby Levinson-Katz, Chair of the DMAR Market Trends Committee and a metro Denver Realtor®. “Most of the answers are tied directly to when we will see relief from increasing mortgage rates that have more than doubled since January. Ultimately, the spring market will be the best indicator of what the

Revisiting Lessons Learned From the Marshall Fire

The devastating Marshall Fire a year ago inspired several columns by me about how it could have been prevented. My favorite was the most recent one, which made an important observation about how vented attics (the most common kind in tract homes) allow wind-blown embers to enter homes.

All these columns can be downloaded at www.JimSmithColumns.com:

Jan. 6, 2022 — Last Week’s Fire Disaster Is a Wake-up Call for Building More Fire-Resistant Homes Jan. 13, 2022 — Homes Built of Concrete Garner Increased Interest in Wake of Marshall Fire Jan. 20, 2022 — Here Are More Examples of Concrete Construction and Fire-Resistant Roofing

Jan. 27, 2022 — The Buying of Homes Has Become More Frantic Since the Marshall Fire; Also: How to Alert Residents About Approaching Wildfires Apr. 14, 2022 — AirCrete Is a Lighter, More Climate-Friendly Version of Concrete for Home Construction May 12, 2022 — Report from Division of Insurance Details Extent of Underinsurance in the Marshall Fire July 14, 2022 — Are You Wondering If Your Home Is Underinsured? A Reader Shares His Research Oct. 13, 2022 — Homes That Survived the Marshall Fire Were More Airtight and Had Conditioned Attics I am disappointed not to see any of the insights I shared reflected in recent anniversary articles and programs.

Price Reduced on Solar-Powered Lakewood Home

New Year will have in store for us. While we expect to see the Denver real estate market continue to change through 2023 due to interest rates and inventory woes, it has continued to show strength and stability.”

As highlighted above, a lot depends on the direction of mortgage rates, and predictions on where rates are headed are few and varied, because there are so many factors which are unpredictable.

For example, will the Federal Reserve’s increases in the Fed Funds rate continue, and for how long? Will it cause a recession? Will unemployment increase and inflation abate? What’s the future of the war in Ukraine and its impact on the US and world economy? What will energy cost in 2023?

Personally, I have no predictions to

offer. It’s not my world, I just live in it. What I know for sure is that people will still want to sell, and there will always be buyers ready to buy. We continue to see new listings come on the market — we have a few of our own coming in January. As always, some listings will be priced wisely (that is, not too high), and will sell quickly, but most will be overpriced and will sit on the market, slowly reducing their prices until they sell or are withdrawn from the MLS.

There may even be bidding wars on homes that are priced right. For example, I just sold a home in Applewood which we priced at $895,000 and sold to one of three bidders within a week for over $900,000. But we’re not perfect. Other listings have languished on the market and only sold once we reduced the price.

You’re About to Develop a New Habit—Reusable Bags

By now you are probably aware that starting on Jan. 1st, supermarkets and most other retailers must charge 10 cents per plastic or paper bag, as dictated by a state law passed in 2021. Several cities across Colorado, including Denver and Boulder, already banned plastic bags, garnering 6090% compliance, but this week the 10-cent charge and future ban goes statewide.

Plastic bags won’t be banned until a year from now, although Walmart is voluntarily eliminating plastic and paper bags at checkout immediately. This time next year, you’ll still have the option of paying 10 cents for a paper bag, but plastic bags will not be available at most stores and restaurants. In addition, restaurants will be barred from using polystyrene (aka Styrofoam) containers for carryout food.

Another option is to take your own cart into the store, instead of using the store’s shopping carts. Fill it with your selections, and put your selections back in the cart, bagged or unbagged, after paying for them. At right is a typical wire cart, but Google will show you lots of other personal shopping carts or wagons.

If, like me, you’re open to other ways to “save the planet,” here are some ideas.

Starbucks stopped filling your own cup or mug for a “personal” drink during the pandemic, but now it’s back, and they give you a 10-cent discount.

Recently I was at lunch with a client who pulled out a Tupperware container to take leftovers home. When I told Rita, we immediately decided to adopt the practice, and she now puts a plastic container in her purse every time we go out to a restaurant.

$895,000

You'll enjoy an Xcel Energy bill of $45 per month, including gas, during the summer and still under $100 per month in the winter thanks to this home's roof-mounted solar photovoltaic system. The address is 14165 W. Bates Ave., in Hutchinson’s Green Mountain Village, which is south of Yale Avenue and north of Bear Creek Lake Park in Lakewood. It has 3 bedrooms, 3½ baths, plus a 14’x16’ loft that could be converted into a 4th bedroom with en suite bathroom. It has 2,957 finished square feet plus a basement ready to finish. This home is beautifully landscaped and updated, with hardwood floors on both levels (and even the stairs), a gourmet kitchen, and a fabulous backyard with a free-standing Sunsetter retractable awning! The walk-in closet in the master suite is a gem, which you'll get to see in the narrated video tour at www.JeffcoSolarHomes.com. I’ll hold it open this Saturday, Jan. 7th, 11 to 1.

King Soopers is preparing its customers for the change by selling bags like the one at right at its checkout stations. Better ones cost $5-6, but this one costs 99 cents, and I’m keeping it in my car so it’s not forgotten when I go shopping. Rita has been taking reusable shopping bags with her for months.

At Avenida, we enjoy the continental breakfast served six mornings a week, and several residents bring their own coffee mugs and cereal bowls so they don’t have to use the provided single-use coffee cups or bowls. We now do that, too.

Tell me your ideas, and I’ll share them!

Jim Smith

Broker/Owner, 303-525-1851 Jim@GoldenRealEstate.com

JIM SWANSON, 303-929-2727

CHUCK BROWN, 303-885-7855

80401

DAVID DLUGASCH, 303-908-4835

TY SCRABLE, 720-281-6783 GREG KRAFT, 720-353-1922

Police Chief Link Strate retires, Ed Brady named successor

at’s where the C.O.P.S. Foundation comes in. Support is ongoing for as long as survivors need it.

‘I’m living proof’

Lynn Mossbrucker, who lost her husband, called the C.O.P.S. Foundation a rare opportunity to connect with people who understand her loss.

Her husband, Sgt. Timothy Mossbrucker, was shot and killed on April 28, 1995, as he pulled up to a shooting scene at a supermarket.

Timothy had served with the Jefferson County Sheri ’s O ce for 17 years. At the time of his death, Lynn was pregnant. e couple had four sons and two daughters.

Although remarried — to another police o cer — Lynn kept Mossbrucker as her last name.

Even though Timothy was taken from her, “I still have his name,” she explained, “and I will always have his name.”

Lynn’s family has taken advantage of camps and other programs the C.O.P.S. Foundation provides, and Lynn calls it a lifeline. She attended her rst spouses’ retreat in 1998 and continues to go each year, noting that she met people at her rst retreat who have become important friends.

“I still get a lot out of the retreats,” she said. “It’s a rare opportunity to connect with somebody who gets it, and I know I can call those people if I need to.”

Colorado has a local chapter of C.O.P.S., and Lynn was president for six years and vice president for two

years. She can’t say enough about the importance of C.O.P.S. for those who have lost an o cer in the line of duty.

“When you are having a bad time or it’s an anniversary or you miss him, you can’t just talk to people about

that,” she said. “ ey don’t want to hear it, or they don’t know what to say. But if I say those things to my friends from C.O.P.S., you don’t have to explain it, and they won’t think I’m weird.

“I can tell you that if its purpose is to help the people left behind, I’m living proof that happens, and I have many friends who are the proof that that happens. It is much more crucial in the early years, but it remains important to me 27 years later.”

‘The experience changed me’ Patterson said she got involved in the COPSWalk after attending National Police Week a couple years ago.

“What drew me to (the C.O.P.S. Foundation) is what they do for families — counseling for kids, assistance to spouses, the list goes on and on,” Patterson said. “I was incredibly moved by it. e experience changed me.”

Both Patterson and Fehringer have been training by walking together on their lunch breaks and taking their dogs on long walks. ey know they will be ready for the challenge.

Patterson said the great thing about the 25-mile walk is walkers go at their own pace, so participants get to talk about why they are involved. ey hear about the service of police ofcers around the nation who lost their lives protecting others.

“Raising money for the C.O.P.S. Foundation is not about my department, it’s about o cers like Dillon (Vako ), and the families that have to go on,” Patterson explained. “ at’s where it is for me. (Dillon) went to work because he wanted to make a di erence. at’s what the C.O.P.S. Foundation is all about. Families have to go on.”

Patterson and Fehringer agree that it’s important to support the organization because it supports the surviving families and friends.

“We shouldn’t forget these people, their sacri ce and the families who made the sacri ce, too,” Patterson said.

Wendy Fehringer, left, and Dee Patterson, investigators with the Je co Sheri ’s O ce, walk along a path near their o ce as part of their training for the COPSWalk Southwest. The walk benefits the C.O.P.S. Foundation.

PHOTO BY DEB HURLEY BROBST

Lynn Mossbrucker, who lost her husband in the line of duty, with their children, from left, Will, Erin, Alex, Tim, Annie and Matthew. COURTESY PHOTO

Je co’s new climate action plan addresses emissions, climate change impacts

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

As Colorado becomes a hotter, drier place

from climate change, county o cials want to make Je erson County a more responsible, more resilient place.

e county plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the next dozen years and ensure residents and business owners are prepared for the increased risk of oods and wild res.

On Dec. 20, the Board of County Commissioners approved Je co’s rst Climate Action Plan, which has been in the works since September 2020.

“We have a single mission: to protect and hand on the planet to the next generation,” Commissioner Andy Kerr said. “Today, I am excited we are nally putting the ‘action’ in the Climate Action Plan.”

Over the past year, county o cials have been collecting public input on the plan with community meetings and a survey, including a public comment period this November.

e Climate Action Plan outlines reducing the county’s greenhouse gas emissions by 73% from 2015 levels by 2035. It also wants to reduce climate-related risks for everyone, prioritizing those experiencing the greatest disparities.

According to the county’s updated Hazard Mitigation Plan, wild res and oods are Je co’s two most frequent and devastating hazards. Both are exacerbated by rising global temperatures. e county states that, even under a moderate 2050 climate scenario, Je co could experience $880 million in annual ooding and re damage. e Climate Action Plan is intended to address

Je co outlines 23 goals in its inaugural Climate Action Plan, which the Board of County Commissioners approved Dec. 20. The plan outlines goals for cutting greenhouse gas emissions and making Je co more resilient against climate-change-related disasters, like floods and wildfires, over the next several years.

these risks by developing solutions to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to rising temperatures and to help the community become more resilient to the hazards and risks.

Plus, it will contribute to statewide efforts to address Colorado’s climate risks, county officials explained.

“For us to succeed, all parties will need to be moving in a common direction,” Commissioner Tracy Kraft-Tharp said. “ … I’m looking forward for our communities to pull together resources and expertise as we begin to move forward addressing this very important issue.”

The plan outlines six sectors where the county can look to reduce emissions and/or improve resiliency. They are: water; food and waste; ecosystems; transportation; energy supply; and buildings.

There are 20 solutions outlined across the six sectors, and three that are described as “foundational” that are outside any individual sector. (Editor’s note: For a list of all 23 solutions, see the accompanying graphic.)

During the Dec. 20 presentation, staff said Jeffco won’t be able to achieve any of these goals alone. It will require collaboration among municipalities, special districts, nonprofits, residents and other partners.

Commissioner Lesley Dahlkemper agreed, adding, “A laser-like focus county-wide on sustainability is not only good for our community and public health … it’s good for our local economy and can help save taxpayer dollars.”

To view a draft of the Climate Action Plan or for summaries in English and Spanish, visit Jeffco.us/4410/Climate-Action-Plan.

COURTESY GRAPHIC

All aboard the Colorado Co ee Caboose

Unique new co ee drivethru opened in Dumont

BY OLIVIA JEWELL LOVE OLOVE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

If you’re heading west up I-70 and see a train o the tracks in Dumont; don’t worry, that’s just the town’s newest co ee drive-thru.

e Colorado Co ee Caboose, located o I-70 exit 234 in Dumont, had its soft opening just after anksgiving. e train car-turnedco ee shop will have a grand opening in the next few weeks, if all pans out with supply ful llment.

e eye-catching caboose was built, licensed and opened in less than six months. at’s thanks in part to two of the co-owners, Jack Dixon and Ken Crosby, who have experience building tiny homes. Building a tiny co ee shop was a fun dream they brought to life.

“We kinda had this in the back of our minds,” co-owner Neale Gibbons said.

Gibbons has lived in the county for over a decade and has seen what the two could build over the years of knowing them. He owns the shop

with Dixon and Crosby and Randy Valcana.

Right now, the shop is still operating under a soft opening, meaning it doesn’t have the full menu the owners hope to o er in the future.

at menu includes gourmet co ee, espresso drinks, teas, sandwiches, burritos, snacks and more. But the group is looking forward to o ering a wide array of crepes in the near future.

“We’re really hoping to become a really strong co ee and crepe hut,” Gibbons said.

e Colorado Co ee Caboose hopes to not only cater to those traveling up and down I-70, but o er a menu that local people in Dumont enjoy. While there is another co ee shop on the same exit, the Colorado Co ee Caboose is the only drive-thru. e owners have adopted a team mentality for their town.

“Not being competition to our neighbors, but collaboration,” Gibbons said.

He hopes people will enjoy the variety and options of having two shops in town.

e shop is currently open from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily but may extend hours to 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily in a few weeks, according to Gibbons.

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

The Rotary Club of Golden is conducting the 18th annual Ethics in Business Awards program in 2023. Each year we seek nominations from the public of those organizations in our community, both for-profit and not-for-profit, that demonstrate the highest standards of ethical business practice, integrity, and civic and social responsibility.

All nominations received by Feb. 28, 2023 will be evaluated by students in the Ethics class at the Colorado School of Mines. They will choose the winners, who, along with all nominees, will be recognized and honored at an Awards luncheon on May 5, 2023 at the Sheraton Denver West hotel.

To make a nomination, go to ethics.goldenrotary.org/ nominations-form/. This Ethics in Business Awards website also gives more details on the Ethics awards program, which has been an important and popular event since its founding in 2006.

The caboose is a drive-thru but also has a small walk-in area at the front.

PHOTO BY OLIVIA JEWELL LOVE

Shoppers face statewide fee for bags

Democrat.  e fee, which isn’t subject to the state’s 2.9% sales tax, may be higher if a town, city or county enacts a higher charge.

BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado businesses are required to charge consumers a 10-cent fee for each plastic and paper bag they carry out of the store as of Jan. 1. at’s because of a bill passed by the state legislature in 2021 and signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis, a

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People who are in federal or state food assistance programs don’t pay the fees as long as they can prove that they are enrolled in one of those programs.

Businesses are required to send 60% of the bag-fee revenue they collect to the municipality they operate in. If the business is within an unincorporated part of a county, the money will be sent to the county.

Local governments would be required to spend the money on the following initiatives:

• Bag-fee enforcement costs

• Waste-diversion programs, including outreach and education  e remaining 40% of the bag-fee revenue will be kept by businesses.

Stores that collect less than $20 in bag-fees in a given quarter don’t have to remit the revenue to their municipality or county and can keep the money.

Plastic bags will be banned in Colorado starting in 2024, with some exceptions e 2021 bill also bans the distribution of all single-use plastic bags in Colorado starting in 2024. But there are asterisks.

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Restaurants that prepare or serve food in individual portions for immediate on- or o -premises consumption would be exempt, as would stores that operate solely in

Colorado and have three or fewer locations.

Businesses that are still allowed to o er plastic bags must collect a fee of at least 10 cents on each bag. e fee may be higher if a city or county enacts a higher charge.

Say goodbye to plastic foam

It’s not just plastic bags that are being done away with. e 2021 bill also bans polystyrene products — such as Styrofoam — across the state starting on Jan. 1, 2024.

e only exception is that restaurants will be able to continue using polystyrene products for takeout after that date until their existing inventory is gone.

What if businesses don’t comply?

Municipalities and cities will be able to sue businesses that don’t comply with the new bag-fee and styrofoam rules.

ey also may assess the following

By Thornton Wilder } Directed by Geoffrey Kent

Customers utilize Community Table’s ‘grocery story.’ COURTESY PHOTO

Lawmakers, Polis gave green light to new charge during 2021 session

VOICES

A musical reflection of 2022

Id on’t know about y’all, but I’m extremely glad this year is over. 2022 may well go down as the most challenging of my life, and since we’re still living through the aftershocks of a global pandemic, I doubt I’m alone. With all this going on, you’d be forgiven for missing out on some of the year’s best music. I gathered together ve of my favorite releases that might’ve slipped past you. I hope you nd something that moves you and here’s to 2023.

Jacob Banks - “Lies About the War” ere’s something about a really, really great soul record that can just get under your skin in the best way possible. at’s the case with Jacob Banks’ sophomore album, “Lies About the War,” which nds the Nigerian-born, UKbased artist digging into his own life story for musical inspiration. e album is an artful blend of soul and gospel with elements of folk and electronic and by releasing it on his own label, Banks ensured the nal product is exactly what he wants to be. Tracks like opener “Just When I ought,” is one of the year’s best album kick-o s, while “By Design (Evel Knievel)” channels classic soul masters from decades past.

Denzel Curry - “Melt My Eyez See Your Future” (The Extended Edition)

Rap music often sounds the

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Let’s do some critical thinking about the air quality guest column

By EPA’s own data, since 1980, carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, and sulphur dioxide levels have dropped an average of 84 percent. Even the EPA’s new villain, ozone, has dropped 29% in the same time period. One has to ask, since air pollution has dropped so dramatically since 1980,

ABOUT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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

• Email your letter to kfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com. Do not send via

COMING ATTRACTIONS

best during the summer, but Denzel Curry’s fifth album shines for a different reasonthe way it captures the beauty and wistfulness of the season.

As a rule, Curry is allergic to all things saccharine, which is all to the good - the album evokes every aspect of the perfect summer day without clobbering the listener over the head with vibes.

Speaking of atmosphere, Curry carefully selects his guests and all shine - pianist Robert Glasper is a wonderful addition to “Melt Session #1” and Rico Nasty and JID (who both released stellar albums this year) both go for show-stealing on “Ain’t No Way.” You definitely want to check out the extended version of the album, which goes beyond just providing a look behind the creative curtain and creates a vibrant, jazz-drenched feel.

Gang of Youths - “Angel in Realtime”

For Dave Le’aupepe, the lead singer and songwriter of Australia’s Gang of Youths, the illness and death of his father provided an opportunity to grapple with mortality, secrets and what it

why are asthma cases increasing? Cynically, you could say there is an inverse relationship between asthma and air pollution. I don’t think this is the case. More likely it appears that other factors, such as the redefinition of what asthma is, are more important than air pollution.

The columnist also ties “our increasingly ferocious and

means to be a member of a family.

That’s an awful lot to squeeze into one album, and “angel in realtime.” is brimming with musical and lyrical ideas. Not every one succeeds, but I love the album for its brash attempts and quiet introspection. “brothers,” one of the year’s most devastating songs, reveals that Le’aupepe’s father had secret children that thought he was already dead, and “the man himself” is a rousing sonic builder that doubles at one of the most honest explorations of grief you’re likely to find on a rock record.

A monument to a life and the cathartic power of music, this album truly did the most. And that’s the best.

Carly Rae Jepsen - “The Loneliest Time”

Let the record show, Carly Rae Jepsen had already announced the release date of her fifth album and then Taylor Swift had to come in and just totally stomp all over everything by releasing her record on the same day. Even if Swift got all the shine, in my opinion, Jepsen made the superior album.

For “The Loneliest Time,” Jepsen jettisoned much of her lyrical focus on the transformative power of love (much, not all) and instead delves into heartbreak, finding oneself and the

frequent wildfire season” with decreasing air quality. The truth is the EPA says air quality is improving and while 50 million acres burned per year in the 1930s it is now about 10 million acres per year. This data is not hard to find even though governmental officials have removed wild fire burn date prior to 1983 from official websites.

solace of the dancefloor. Highlights include “Western Wind,” a sun-soaked California dreamscape, and “Go Find Yourself or Whatever.” But save a shout for the best disco song of the year, the Rufus Wainwright-featuring title track.

Wild Pink - “ILYSM”

The pervasiveness of cancer in our world could possibly inure a person to the impact that receiving a positive diagnosis must have. When John Ross, lead singer of New York’s Wild Pink, received his diagnosis at 34, it’s difficult to imagine what that must’ve been like. But, in a way, you don’t need to imagine - it is all over the band’s latest album.

Like most of the writers on this list, Ross doesn’t deal in the traditional or expected. His pen is as sharp as ever, and he finds sometimes jarring, sometimes breathtaking ways to take the listener along on his winding road. He can be bitter and sardonic, like on “Oversharers Anonymous,” and expansive and loving, as heard on “Hold My Hand.”

In charting his story, Ross set an example for everyone who is struggling. Which, let’s face it, feels like is everybody.

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

We are reaching the point of diminishing return when it comes to air quality improvement, After all, the EPA will always be able to designate a new substance as dangerous or reduce the acceptable level of existing pollutants forever and demand more controls.

Let’s seek the truth.

Kelly Sheehan, Arvada

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Clarke Reader

Counties navigate future after Tri-County Health breakup

Former system expired Dec. 30

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e mask mandates implemented during the pandemic left a legacy in the region’s health care. ey fueled the breakup of Tri-County Health, the state’s largest local public health agency, serving Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties together for more than ve decades.

Douglas County o cials took issue with mask mandates put in place by the health agency. Looking back, Tri-County Health Director John Douglas, a doctor, said masks were meant to protect the public as the virus swept through the metro area.

“I’m sorry the dynamics of the politicization of the pandemic put us in a place where we had to make choices, speci cally referring to the mask mandate, that were going to create acrimony with Douglas County,” Douglas said.

Tri-County Health Department’s choices were tough to make, he added, acknowledging some divided public. Still, he stands by the agency’s decisions and, citing research, said masks helped slow the spread of COVID-19.

Douglas County’s response was to opt out and create its own public health agency, which is now operating with a budget of its own.

at means Tri-County Health is left to fade away, toppled by the controversy, leaving each county to gure out how to provide and pay for public health services.

Public health departments do more than respond to pandemics. Tri-County Health provided no-cost cancer screenings, overdose prevention, and inspections to ensure the cleanliness of restaurants and health at child care facilities.

In the process of developing its own health department, Douglas County stayed ahead or on schedule to meet the Jan. 1 deadline. With restaurant and child care facilities already being inspected, and sta ng levels at or above expectations.

Di erent plans

Tri-County Health marks its last day of regular business hours Dec. 30, nearly 75 years after the agency opened. But many of its former employees will still carry out public health services under the newlyformed county health departments.

e Adams County Health Department planned to hire a total of about 170 employees, though that number was subject to change, Lynn Baca, an Adams County commissioner, said months ago.

Adams expected “at least 60 sta members” from Tri-County Health to come aboard its new department, Baca said. She and another Adams commissioner didn’t immediately respond for comment seeking an update on the agency’s progress.

In Arapahoe County, the new health department expected to hire “up to 180 people,” a county spokesperson said in August, though he didn’t specify how many were to come from Tri-County Health

In Douglas County, with one issue in hiring an accountant, department o cials said they should be fully sta ed by the end of January with more than 40.

Adams and Arapahoe both appointed former Tri-County Health leaders to head their new health departments.

Douglas County, wealthier and less-populated than its neighbors to the north, has “decided to run things in a somewhat di erent way,” said

www.StJoanArvada.org 12735 W 58th Ave · 80002 · 303-420-1232

Daily Masses: 8:30am, Mon-Sat

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OBITUARIES

Stephen “Steve” Albert Geno passed away peacefully on December 24, 2022, at 11:15 PM in Greeley Colorado. He peacefully took his last breath and closed his eyes into the loving arms of Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior.

Steve was the rstborn child of Ralph and Doris Geno . He was born on April 24, 1953, in Denver, Colorado. Steve worked at various companies in Colorado and coded software. Steve was incredibly talented and creative in many ways. He had an exceptional intellect. At an early age, he was a math prodigy, played the violin, painted watercolor pictures, was an avid reader, loved to journal his thoughts, wrote a book (From Suicide to Blessed Survival by John Galston (pen name), loved music, gardening, cooking, playing online strategy board games, skiing, shing, the great outdoors, enjoyed lively conversations and fellowship with his brothers and sisters in Christ and shared his faith in ordinary ways as went about his daily life. Steve had a soft spot for his cat, Gaussie.

Steve was born again (John 3:3) in 1999. Since then, his life was transformed by the

Gospel (2 Cor 5: 17, Rom 12:1-2, Rom 6:4). Steve knew he was just passing through this life and the best was yet to be because he received the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ (John 3:16, 1 John 5:13).

Steve is survived by his sisters Peggy Sallee (Jerry) and Jean Redding; nephews Jeremy Sallee, Derek Redding (Rachel) and Adam Redding; niece Leah Beckworth (Daniel). Great nephews Colton Beckworth and Carson Beckworth; and great niece Holland Redding. Steve was preceded in death by his parents Ralph and Doris Geno and his brother-in-law Paul Redding.

In lieu of owers, donations can be made to Guadalupe Center in Greeley or Grace Church Greeley, in Care Of Lighthouse Family Mortuary, 2525 W 16th Street #C, Greeley, Colorado 8034. To leave condolences for Stephen’s family, www. lighthousefamilylfm.com

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm, Friday, January 13, 2023 at Grace Church Greeley, 6400 W 20th St, Greeley, CO 80634.

GENOFF

Stephen “Steve” Albert Genoff April 24, 1953 - December 24, 2022

Tri-County Health ceased to exist on Jan. 1. FILE PHOTO

‘They made the assessment that the county in general has a much higher level of health outcomes,’ Dr. John Douglas

BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

When two friends joined forces to donate socks to homeless shelters in January 2012, they had no idea it would lead them on a path to creating a nonpro t that has collected nearly one million pairs of socks for people in need throughout the U.S.

e Sock It To ‘Em Sock Campaign, co-founded by Sue Lee and Phillis Shimamoto, collects and distributes new pairs of socks for people experiencing homelessness and those in need, such as low-income families, Marshall Fire victims and migrants who arrived in Denver in late 2022.

Although it was more than a decade ago, Lee remembers nearly every detail of how the nonpro t originated. She was in the soup aisle at King Soopers, shopping for anksgiving dinner on a Tuesday night in 2011.

“As I was literally grabbing a can of cream of mushroom soup, written in my head were yellow block letters with a red outline, and it went like a marquee and went across my head, inside my head, and it said, ‘Sock It To ‘Em Sock Campaign, socks for the homeless.’ And it kept rotating,” Lee said. It made her stop in her tracks.

“Literally, it was written — so it wasn’t like a thought I had conjured up,” she said. “If the message were from God, I looked up and down the aisle to make sure nobody was around, and I said, ‘Seriously? You think I have nothing else to do?’”

e message kept repeating as she nished shopping. She walked to her car and, out loud, said, “OK, I’ll do it.”

“I got in the car and I called Phillis. And I said, ‘Phillis, you won’t believe what just happened. I might have gotten a divine message, I don’t know,’” Lee said.

Lee suggested they ask their friends to gather new pairs of socks through the end of December, and then take them to some homeless shelters in January.

“I was like, ‘Well, let’s do it,’” Shimamoto said.

During the rst week in January 2012, in 7-degree weather, Lee and Shimamoto took 575 pairs of socks to three locations.

“And at every location, they were saying, this is the number one clothing need,” Lee said.

Shimamoto said after they found out socks were “the most requested item and the least donated,” they decided to continue collecting socks.

“We said, well, let’s do what we can. Let’s try to make it as big as we can,”

Shimamoto said. “And who knew that after all this time, we would be on our way to a million socks.”

The value of socks

Educating people about the value of socks, especially to people experiencing homelessness, is part of the nonpro t’s work, Lee said.

ere are an estimated 10,857 people experiencing homelessness on a given night in Colorado, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

e research article, “Foot Conditions among Homeless Persons: A Systematic Review,” cited a study that found people experiencing homelessness walked a median of ve miles each day.

In another study, it was reported “that only 61% of homeless participants changed to a clean pair of socks daily.”

With walking being their primary mode of transportation, many people experiencing homelessness go through their socks fairly quickly, Lee explained.

“A pair of socks on a homeless person might last two to three days,” she said. “It’s really important to be — have those constant socks out there at shelter services and agencies for them.”

Lee said people sometimes only picture men as experiencing homelessness. However, a November 2014 report by the American Institutes for Research stated approximately 2.5 million children are homeless each year in the U.S.

“We had to educate people that … we need socks for men, women and children,” she said.

Something else Lee informs people of is the danger of foot ailments for people experiencing homelessness.

“One of the main reasons a person who’s homeless goes into the emergency room is a foot ailment, and they can die from that,” Lee said. “One way to stop that from happening is for them to have clean, dry socks to wear on a regular basis.”

“Every time someone gives socks, they should realize this might save a person’s life,” she said.

Eric Hill, an emergency medicine physician and the EMS medical director for the Medical Center of Aurora, said cold weather injuries and foot problems are high on the list of reasons people experiencing homelessness go to the emergency room.

“Especially around the wintertime, when you get really cold spikes, we tend to see more of it, especially in the days afterwards when they already have the frostbite,” Hill said. “ ey’re at a much higher risk just given their

exposure levels and lack of appropriate clothing for that kind of environment.”

He noted people experiencing homelessness come to the emergency room for other, variable reasons, such as issues related to mental health and substance abuse.

“ ey may come in with (an) alcohol-related issue or drug-related issue, but when you’re actually evaluating them, you see that they actually have signi cant feet problems with that,” he said.

e toes are very susceptible to frostbite, he explained, saying having regular access to dry, clean socks is a big part of preventing foot ailments.

“Access to good footwear, waterproof, recurrent socks, is a great thing,” Hill said.

Becoming a nonprofit

After continuing their work of collecting socks in 2013, by 2014, Lee and Shimamoto realized they needed to o cially establish themselves as a nonpro t, which they did in 2015.

In the beginning, Lee and Shimamoto were counting, sorting, bagging and storing the socks themselves.

Now, members of the National Charity League do almost all of the counting, sorting and bagging for them, Lee said, and then the socks are stored in a storage unit until they’re ready for pickup from an organization that needs them.

e nonpro t collects and distributes socks in a variety of ways, and it has had in uence in least 47 states in the country, Lee said.

One of the methods for collecting socks is through sock ambassadors, which Lee said is any person, business, place of worship, or organization that collects new socks for the nonpro t.

“And then they get them to us, we count, sort and bag them, and we get them out to shelters, services and agencies,” Lee said.

Over the years, the nonpro t has given socks to more than 200 shelter services and agencies, Lee said.

ey also give socks to individual people who may be assembling “blessing bags” and want to include socks in them for people experiencing homelessness, she added.

Among the extensive list of sock recipients is Cardenas Ministries, a family operated nonpro t based in Henderson, in Adams County, that hosts a range of events and initiatives aimed at giving back to the community.

“We just enjoy doing stu in the community, whether it’s for kids who are underprivileged or whether it’s for the women’s shelters, homeless,” said Valerie Soto, one of the family mem-

bers.

“We were buying socks and we never had enough socks to give out,” Soto said.

During one of their events, roughly four years ago, they connected with someone who introduced them to Lee and the Sock It To ‘Em nonpro t.

“Sue has just been a big blessing. We’ve been able to help so many people because of Sock It To ‘Em,” Soto said.

She said they’ve received thousands of socks from the nonpro t, which are distributed through e orts such as their holiday events, gift bags they assemble for people experiencing homelessness, and their school supplies donations to southern Colorado communities.

Recently, Cardenas Ministries’ had about 1,000 pairs of socks from Sock It To ‘Em to hand out during its December “Spirit of Giving Parade of Toys” event, in which they gave out hats, gloves, socks and toys to families at di erent housing developments in Brighton and Commerce City.

“ ey’re angels on earth,” said Gloria Estrada, the mother of Soto, about Sock It To ‘Em. “ e need is there.”

Soto said she can speak from experience, as when she was growing up, both of her parents were in college and there were “ ve of us kids.”

“We didn’t have enough clothes. We were very, very poor at that time,” Soto said. “And we would have to share socks.”

When children come up at the events and pick the pair of socks they want, it creates a good feeling, Soto said.

“Sock It To ‘Em, I’m telling you, they are just so amazing,” Soto said.

Cathy Law — the project manager for the Volunteers of America Colorado AmeriCorps Seniors Retired Senior Volunteer Program in Denver, Douglas and western Arapahoe counties — also praised Sock It To ‘Em for its partnership with Volunteers of America.

“It’s an amazing partnership,” Law said, explaining they rst connected in 2016. “Sue and Phillis give me a bunch (of socks), and then I can distribute them in the community because we have partnerships with these other agencies.”

Law said she’s taken socks to many di erent places, such as to the Volunteers of America veterans’ service center and to food banks Volunteers of America works with.

“I really feel like it’s a heartbeat in the community, where they’re connecting people,” Law said about Sock It To ‘Em.

“ ey’re showing you that an act of

kindness can go so far,” she added. “And that if you believe in something, you can make it happen.”

e nonpro t’s impact is also growing outside of Colorado, as Lee said the nonpro t gets submission forms from across the country of people wanting to do sock drives.

ere are also people called “sock sherpas” who o er to transport socks to areas outside of Colorado.

In some states, smaller networks of people working together to collect and donate socks are forming, Shimamoto said.

“ at’s always been our goal, is to be able to have pods of people in di erent states who can connect with one another and kind of build a small community,” Shimamoto said. “Hopefully, it just gets bigger and bigger.”

Support from Colorado cities, towns

Even before earning its o cial nonpro t status, Sock It To ‘Em began making a name for itself in Colorado cities and towns.

On the Friday before anksgiving in 2014, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock proclaimed the second Wednesday in December a “Sock It To ‘Em Work Day,” Lee said.

Following the proclamation, Lee emailed seven mayors the next Monday asking for their support as well.

e next night, she went shopping for anksgiving in the same King Soopers at the same time as she had in 2011.

“I’m in the soup aisle and literally, I’m grabbing a can of cream of mushroom soup, and my phone goes o in my pocket,” she said.

It was Catherine Marinelli, the executive director of the Metro Mayors Caucus, a voluntary, regional association of 38 mayors. She told Lee two mayors had forwarded the email Lee sent to the caucus.

“And she goes, ‘We love this idea,’” Lee said.

Marinelli invited members of Sock It To ‘Em to attend the caucus’ legislative holiday party, which was the same day as the proclaimed work day, and said the mayors would be bringing socks to donate.

“And that got some other mayors interested in us,” Lee said.

One of those mayors was Clint Folsom, who was the mayor of Superior from 2014 to 2022. e town began collecting and distributing socks to people experiencing homelessness, Lee said.

When the 2021 Marshall Fire destroyed more than 1,000 homes in Boulder County, displacing residents, Shimamoto reached out to Folsom to donate socks.

In total, they donated about 16,000 pairs of socks, Lee said.

“It was really cool to be able to give back to them after all that they had given to the community all of those years,” Shimamoto said. “It really warmed our hearts to be able to see that come full circle.”

A lot of the 16,000 pairs that went to Superior came from other cities who held Sock It To ‘Em sock drives, Lee said.

“It was really emotional,” she said.

e cities of Centennial, Greenwood Village and Englewood hosted sock drives again in late 2022, collecting new pairs of socks of all types and sizes through mid-January.

Schools have also joined in on the sock drives, such as High Five Preschool in Castle Rock, Bradford Primary School in Littleton, and Timberline Elementary School in Centennial.

Some schools, on the other hand, are the recipients of socks through the nonpro t’s sock drawer program. ese drawers are typically implemented

pro t established approximately 22 sock drawers in schools across the Denver metro area, Lee said.

Law re ected on how many people are involved in the collection and distribution of socks to people in need.

“By the time that individual gets that pair of socks, it’s not just a pair of socks. It’s those hands of love that say we’re thinking of you — and sometimes that’s more important, is just people knowing that someone’s thinking of them,” Law said.

Looking ahead

Sock It To ‘Em plans to celebrate collecting one million pairs of socks on Feb. 16, re ecting on how the nonpro t has grown over the past decade and how it can continue to do so.

Expanding the sock drawer program, as well as the sock ambassador program, across the country are on the list of goals Lee has for the nonpro t’s future.

Another goal is raising funds.

“It would be signi cant to raise a quarter of a million dollars — that would allow us to really expand to the degree that we know we can,” Lee said, adding she would like to establish a facility for the nonpro t to operate in.

On top of its constant need for sock donations, the nonpro t also needs more volunteers, Lee said. Volunteer duties may include calling schools to see if they want a sock drawer, overseeing sock ambassadors, or transporting socks.

Lee encouraged those interested in learning more about the nonpro t and participating in it to ll out the submission form on their website: sockittoemsockcampaign.org.

Looking back at how the nonpro t has evolved over the years, Lee and Shimamoto encouraged people to pursue their ideas.

“If you have an idea, do it — and don’t be afraid that you won’t know how to do it, because there will be enough people in your sphere of in uence that will know how to help you,” Lee said, encouraging people to ask themselves: “what if, what else and why not” when they have an idea.

e two friends expressed gratitude for all the ways people have supported their vision and nonpro t.

“We wouldn’t be able to be able to do what we do if it wasn’t for them,” Lee said. “It’s thousands of people who have really participated in where we are today.”

“Everybody’s contribution has meant something to someone,” Shimamoto added. “And everybody who has contributed one pair of socks has contributed to this large amount that just keeps growing every year.”

Tammie Limoges, the chief development and operations o cer of the nonprofit, smiles alongside Sue Lee, showing o the sock drawers in the nonprofit’s storage.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SUE LEE

Sue Lee, left, and Phillis Shimamoto pose next to their Sock It To ‘Em sign in 2015.

BREAKUP

FROM

Douglas, the Tri-County chief.

“They made the assessment that the county in general has a much higher level of health outcomes,” Douglas said, noting that STRIDE Community Health, a nonprofit health-care provider with locations around the Denver area, will provide sexual health and immunization services in Douglas County based on a partnership with the county.

The outgoing health chief said “there’ll be growing pains in setting that up.”

“There are a lot of folks in Douglas County who don’t need the kind of services Tri-County Health Department provides, but it’s certainly not everybody,” Douglas said, adding he has admiration for STRIDE.

Looking to disease response, if a new public health emergency arises, Tri-County Health won’t be there to send help from one county to another, Douglas said. While mutual aid could oc-

cur among the three counties, “I think that is an area where things might be thinner,” he added.

Costs, priorities vary

The process of the three counties pulling out of Tri-County began with the Douglas County commissioners, who decided to immediately leave the health agency September 2021 after months of disagreements over COVID-19 protection measures. Douglas County formed its own health department and decided to contract to continue receiving many public health services from Tri-County until at least the end of 2022.

Adams County leaders decided to break from Tri-County soon after Douglas County did, but Adams’ choice to go alone on public health “had nothing to do with the pandemic or masking,” Baca previously told Colorado Community Media.

Differences of opinion on public health policy didn’t just arise amid the pandemic, Adams County commissioners have told CCM, citing Arapahoe County’s budget restrictions and Douglas County’s priorities.

TURN TO THE COLORADO SUN FOR NEWS ACROSS THE STATE

The Colorado Sun is a journalistowned, 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 politics and culture

“We have different factors that affect our citizens in Adams County — we have air pollution, citizens working in industrial jobs. We’re addressing poverty. We have homelessness,” Baca said previously, noting Douglas County does not encounter those issues as much as other counties.

Different priorities could influence a difference in spending across the three counties.

Adams County’s contribution to Tri-County Health’s 2021 budget was $3.8 million, Arapahoe County’s contribution was $4.8 million and Douglas County’s contribution was $2.6 million, according to Tri-County.

The net cost for the first year of Adams County’s own health department could total between $11 million and $13 million, Baca has said.

“Our first year out, we’re looking at it’s going to be approximately 20 to 25 million dollars, with an estimated 12 to 14 million dollars in grants,” Baca has said.

Arapahoe County Commissioner Nancy Sharpe has said the county’s own health department

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

will likely cost the county around $5 million per year, possibly even more.

Officials in Douglas County expect to keep costs down.

Fees could change

Douglas County’s new public health director, Michael Hill, previously told CCM the county’s health department will adopt the same fee structure as Tri-County initially but may consider suggesting fee changes later.

Asked whether fees for public health services will be higher under the Adams County Health Department compared to what the fees for the same services were under Tri-County, Baca previously said Adams County leaders haven’t discussed that level of detail during meetings.

She anticipated “that we would maintain the fee structure at least starting out. And then that would be a (future) board of health decision to make,” Baca previously said, referring to the policy-making body for Adams’ new department. She added: “We’re not looking at this decision to adversely affect any of our residents.”

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 coloradosun.com.

Thu 1/12

Tue 1/17

YOUth TUBEr - Fairmount @ 3:35pm / $176 Jan 17th - Mar 7th Fairmount Elementary, 15975 W 50th Ave, Golden. 720-996-0894

AOA: Trip: Explore Blackhawk @ College View

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Tattered Cover Bookstore & Lunch (1/17) @ 5pm Eagle Pointe Recreation Center, 6060 E. Parkway Dr., Commerce City. 303-2893760

Liquid Bloom: Rhythm Sanctuary Ecstatic Dance

@ 7pm Sons of Italy, 5925 W 32nd Ave, Wheat Ridge

Kenny Feidler: Globe Hall @ 7pm Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St, Denver

Lindsay Lou & Friends @ Cervan‐tes' Other Side @ 8pm Cervantes' Master‐piece Ballroom & Other Side, 2637 Welton St, Denver

Fri 1/13

Suitable Miss @ 8pm

MASSAGE: Tuesday @ 5:45pm West Senior Complex, 909 Arapahoe Ave, BOULDER

KGNU Kabaret - Mark Oblinger @ 7pm

KGNU Community Radio, 4700 Walnut St, Boulder

Inspire All Ages Dinner at Troutdale @ 11:15pm

Wulf Recreation Center, Physical: 5300 South Olive Road, Mailing: 1521 Bergen Parkway, Evergreen. 720-880-1000

Wed 1/18

Blondshell @ 7pm Bluebird Theater, 3317 E Colfax Av, Den‐

Bach Meets Vivaldi with the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado

State spends unprecedented money on homelessness

recovery center in Watkins, east of Denver, where people living outdoors and in shelters would go to receive treatment and job training before getting help finding longterm housing.

BY JENNIFER BROWN THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado has more money than ever to spend on solving homelessness, as well as the most comprehensive data to date about how many people need services.

Still, the crisis is expected to get worse before it gets better, as the total economic impact of the global pandemic has yet to emerge and the array of solutions now in the works will take years to fully materialize, according to a panel of experts who met Friday in downtown Denver.

“We have a lot of catching up to do because this has been an unfunded crisis for so long,” said Cathy Alderman, communications director for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.

Colorado has for a few years dedicated about $9 million in state funds for housing, adding about $45 million annually in 2019 through what’s called a vendor fee for affordable housing. Legislators also have tagged unclaimed property funds for affordable housing, although the law is activated only in certain years because of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. This year, the govern0r’s budget includes plans to spend $200 million on homelessness initiatives, thanks in part to one-time American Rescue Plan Act funding.

“But that’s not enough,” Alderman said. “The federal government certainly hasn’t kept up with the scale of the crisis across the country. And this one-time infusion of funds gives us a huge opportunity, but if we’re not planning for what happens at the end of it, I don’t know that we can make promises beyond it.”

The state Office of Homeless Initiatives, part of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, is seeking proposals from local governments to create a Denver regional navigation campus, a central spot for housing, food, therapy and other services. It’s also expected to begin work early next year on a “master plan” for a homeless

“We have an unprecedented amount of funding coming our way,” said Kristin Toombs, director of the state Office of Homeless Initiatives.

At the city level, meanwhile, Denver’s Office of Housing Stability in its three years of existence has overseen the addition of 2,000 affordable homes and 225 supportive housing apartments, which come with mental health, substance abuse and other services to help people stay housed. The office, in conjunction with other organizations, has 1,500 housing units in the pipeline, said Britta Fisher, executive director.

The city’s Office of Housing Stability budget for housing and homelessness is now at $270 million, up from about $28 million a few years ago.

The boost comes in part because Denver voters approved a 0.25% sales tax for homelessness passed in 2020 and reapproved it this year.

To better gauge the scope of the problem, the state in the past few years expanded its “homeless management information system,” which keeps track of how many people need services and what kind. People who are homeless or at risk of losing housing are entered into the system with a unique identification number, tied to their name. The system allows service providers in Denver to see that a person who was staying in a Denver shelter is now getting services in Grand Junction, for example.

More than 100 nonprofits and government agencies in the sevencounty Denver metro area enter data into the system, including about 90% of all shelters.

About 32,000 people in a year seek out homeless services across Colorado, according to the system. State officials are beginning to use it, too, to determine which programs are working and adjust investments in homeless prevention, Toombs said.

“We can’t help you if we don’t know you exist,” she said. “It also enables us to really make sure that we have an understanding of how

the programs are doing, so not just the need, but the impact of that work.”

The goal is that all service providers, in all parts of the state, will use the shared system, said Jamie Rife, executive director of the Metro Denver Homelessness Initiative, which oversees the system. “It allows us to really see in real time what we actually need to be planning for, and that is incredibly important,” she said.

The same morning as the panel discussion, a group of people who are homeless or recently were homeless spoke out at a city-organized homeless advisory meeting. Members of Housekeys Action Network Denver, an advocacy group with members who have lived outdoors and had their belongings taken in city sweeps of encampments, said they are grateful for the influx of funding but that they also want immediate action.

“They didn’t address any of the immediate needs that are going on right now,” said Ana Miller, who was homeless for three years until getting an apartment through a voucher program a few months ago. “They’re still sweeping people when it’s way too cold to be sweeping. We still have one of the largest lack of bathroom access in

the entire country. I mean, there’s nowhere to use the restroom.”

Teri Washington, who for years lived in Denver shelters until getting housing six months ago through the Coalition for the Homeless, said one of the hardest parts of living on the streets was limited access to running water and toilets, since many of the nonprofits that help the homeless lock their doors at 7 p.m. Also, Washington said, she felt like she was regularly told that she didn’t fit the criteria for certain housing or jobs programs, and that many who are homeless can’t qualify for programs because they lost their identification, sometimes during a city camp cleanup.

“We really want water,” she said.

“We want to be able to bathe. We want to be able to maintain a daily life, like when we were in a home. But we have so many restrictions. I’ve never done drugs, and the guidelines were strict for me.”

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.

Pandemic mortgage relief funds are helping Colorado homeowners

Help for HOA fees

BY BRITTANY FREEMAN ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

Homeowners in Colorado are making use of emergency pandemic mortgage relief funds to help pay o

their homeowners association debts.

e Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (EMAP) provides assistance for qualifying homeowners who have experienced nancial hardship related to the COVID-19 pandemic to make their mortgage payments and keep their homes. e program can also help homeown-

ers cover other household expenses, including property taxes, utility bills, and HOA payments.

e program launched in 2021 with $175 million in funding. About $124.5 million remains to assist homeowners, Colorado’s Division of Housing in the Department of Local A airs said this week. Payment data compiled by

the Division of Housing last month showed the program had assisted 229 households with payments to HOAs and metro districts totaling more than $915,000.

HOA delinquencies can snowball, often accruing late fees and interest,

In a September 2020 file photo, a man dismantles a canopy during a sweep of a homeless camp along the South Platte River. There is currently no permanent emergency shelter in Littleton, Englewood or Sheridan for those who are homeless.

FILE PHOTO BY DAVID GILBERT

Crisis is still expected to get worse before any improvement

With voter approval, the state will embark on how to have more a ordable housing statewide. SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

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and can escalate to lawsuits and even foreclosure. e EMAP program can cover HOA fees assessed after January 2020 for eligible homeowners.  EMAP funding comes from Colorado’s allocation of federal American Rescue Plan Act homeowner assistance funds. Homeowners are required to meet certain requirements to qualify, including demonstrating they have experienced a COVIDrelated impact to their nances since January 2020, and showing their

income is equal or less than 100% of Area Median Income in their county.  Homeowners are not required to have an outstanding mortgage to qualify for HOA assistance, state ofcials said.

Information about applying for the program can be found at cdola. colorado.gov/emergency-mortgageassistance.

is story is from Rocky Mountain PBS, a nonpro t 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.

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Polis commutes 4 inmate sentences

Denver trooper included

BY JESSE PAUL AND SANDRA FISH THE COLORADO SUN

The Colorado Sun

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis cut short the prison sentences of four inmates and pardoned 20 people, including a former Colorado State Patrol trooper who guarded the state Capitol and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge after pointing a gun at a passing driver near the Denver building in 2021 while he was on duty.

The former trooper, Jay Hemphill, pleaded guilty in Denver earlier this year to misdemeanor menacing. He was sentenced to a year of probation. Polis commuted Hemphill’s sentence and pardoned him.

“You served the State of Colorado with honor and distinction for twenty-six years, serving and protecting five different governors,” Polis wrote to Hemphill. “You made a mistake in a brief instant when you thought you were under threat, and no one was physically harmed.”

According to an arrest affidavit for Hemphill, the woman said she was driving her truck near the Capitol and attempting to make a right turn onto East 14th from Sherman when Hemphill crossed in front of her vehicle, pulled out his gun, pointed it at her and started to yell.

The encounter was captured on video.

“I was afraid I was going to get shot,” the woman told Denver police.

The affidavit says Hemphill, who had worked at the Capitol since January 1998 and was a constant presence in the building before the incident, reported the encounter to a Colorado State Patrol sergeant.

Hemphill started working for the Colorado State Patrol in 1995 and was a decorated trooper. In 2007, Hemphill shot and killed a 32-yearold man who declared himself “the emperor” while carrying a loaded .357-caliber handgun inside the

Capitol. Hemphill received Colorado State Patrol’s highest award for stopping the armed man, Aaron Snyder, shortly after he entered then-Gov. Bill Ritter’s office.

A spokesperson for the State Patrol said Thursday evening that Hemphill left the agency shortly after the 2021 incident.

Four prison sentences commuted

The most high-profile prisoner whose term was shortened by Polis is Michael Clifton, who in 2000 was sentenced to 98 years in prison after being convicted of seconddegree kidnapping, two counts of first-degree burglary and three

counts of aggravated robbery with an intent to kill.

Clifton and Rene Lima-Marin were teenagers when they robbed a video store in Aurora in 1998.

Lima-Marin, who was also sentenced to 98 years in prison but mistakenly released in 2008 only to be reimprisoned and then released after a court battle, was pardoned by then-Gov. John Hickenlooper in 2017. The pardon was issued in large part to prevent Lima-Marin from being deported to his native Cuba.

The victim of the robbery, Jason Kasperek, originally objected to Clifton’s release. But Kasperek met with Clifton’s family, CBS4 reported over the summer, and decided to support the clemency request.

Polis ordered Clifton released on parole Jan. 31, writing in a letter to Clifton that he has “taken responsibility for his actions and recognizes the mistakes you made in the past.”

“A 98-year sentence for the crimes you committed is well beyond the typical range, a result of being given consecutive sentences on each of your charges,” Polis wrote. “As you are aware, the codefendant in your case has already been pardoned by Gov. John Hickenlooper. These disparities, coupled with the work you have done while incarcerated, supports granting your application.”

Gov. Jared Polis

PHOTO BY OLIVIA JEWELL LOVE

SENTENCES

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• Sidney Cooley was convicted in Denver of theft, drug and a weapons possession charge in a 2002 case and convicted of six counts of second-degree burglary in a 2005 Je erson County case. He has served 18 years of a 54-year sentence. Cooley will be allowed to serve his parole in Ohio. Polis ordered him paroled after Jan. 31. “A 54-year sentence for the crimes you committed is well beyond the typical range,” Polis wrote in a letter to Cooley.

• Robin Farris will be eligible for parole Jan. 31 after serving 31 years

BAGS

FROM

nes:

• $500 for a second violation

of a life sentence for rst-degree felony murder in Arapahoe County. Court documents say she was in her late 20s when she fatally shot her former lover, Beatrice King, in an apartment in February 1990. Polis noted that Colorado’s laws have changed and that now her crime would be considered a seconddegree murder o ense and that she would be eligible for parole after 20 years. Denver Democratic state Rep.-elect Elisabeth Epps had been seeking clemency for Farris, and

noted that Marshall’s sentence was 10 times longer than some of the other seven people convicted in the same El Paso County crime. “While you have been incarcerated, you have confronted the choices that led you to prison,” Polis wrote in a letter to Marshall. “You overcame many obstacles and worked hard to change your life.”

Other pardons issued by Polis Polis also issued pardons ursday to 18 other people, many of

• Daniel Collins

• Carey Davidson

• Samuel DeBono

• Caleb Haley

• Mark Harmon

• Walter Hooton

• Charles Hurlburt

• Tell Jones

• John Krause

• Terrence Miller

• Steven omas

• Staci Tillman

• Ryan Tomka

• $1,000 for a third or subsequent violation  e nes can be assessed per violation during a retail sale. In other words, if a business illegally handed out 10 plastic bags during one transaction, they would be considered to have violated the law only once.   e measure also repeals a state prohibition barring local governments from introducing restrictions on plastic materials that are more stringent than the state’s.

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

No. 415389 First Publication: December 22, 2022

Publication: January 5, 2023

SHUTTERSTOCK