Arvada Press 042023

Arvada Mayor Marc Williams to deliver his final State of the City on April 21

health

to the metro area

BY OLIVIA JEWELL LOVE OLOVE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e 365 Health community health fair is coming to multiple locations around the Denver metro area and o ering free, low-cost health screenings.

e health screenings vary at each fair but can include blood pressure, vision, dental, stress and more. Walk-up screenings are accepted, but registering ahead of time is recommended.

Perhaps surprisingly, healthcare was largely ignored in the height of the pandemic, with many people avoiding doctor’s appointments, according to sta at 365 Health.

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

After 24 years as public o cial in Arvada, outgoing Mayor Marc Williams will deliver his nal State of the City address at 7:30 a.m. April 21 at Revive Church at the Bridge.

e speech is themed “Honoring the Past, Imagining the Future” and will look at the ways Arvada has changed during Williams’ tenure.

Williams — an attorney by day — was rst elected to Arvada’s city council as an at-large candidate in 1999. He was twice reelected to that position before running a success-

ful campaign to become Arvada’s 34th mayor in 2011. He was again reelected twice; once in 2015, and a nal time in 2019.

Now term-limited, this year marks Williams’ last as Arvada’s mayor. Known for his colorful suits and sometimes even-more-colorful commentary, Williams typically takes the State of the City address as an opportunity to re ect on the past year in Arvada. Yet this year, he said he’s changing the script.

“Traditionally, I’ve talked about the last year, but this year I want to re ect on my whole 24 years (on council),” Williams said. “ e citizens, city team, and city councils have worked together to really bring us to this point in time. ey’ve taken challenges we’ve had, opportunities we’ve had, and successfully — for the most part, I’d say — delivered to our citizens and our community what we have today.”

Williams said the milestone is “bit-

tersweet” and added that he worked with the city team to put together this year’s presentation, which will have a multimedia component. He concluded by saying that he feels like it’s time to pass the post on.

“It’s inspiring and bittersweet at the same time,” Williams said. “When I asked the city team to go back and pull some data over what’s happened over the last 24 years, it brought back lots of memories. It made me very proud of what our city has done in that timeframe. And the feeling that it’s time for me to pass the gavel along to someone else.”

Williams’ successor as mayor will be elected in November. John Marriott, currently the councilmember representing District 3, is the only candidate that has led for the race as of April 12.

e State of the City Address is organized by the Arvada Chamber of Commerce.

“Preventative health care and health care, in general, was kind of pushed to the side,” media representative Shane Ferraro said. “We’re really pushing people to get back into the practice of taking care of themselves.”

365 Health is a non-pro t organization that has been largely volunteer operated for over 40 years.

Gary Drews, 365 Health CEO, explained what happens if someone gets abnormal results on a test at a health fair.

“If the person’s result is out of range, then our sta calls that person within 48 hours and urges them to connect with their doctor,” he said.

But many people in Colorado and across the country are uninsured and don’t have primary care doctors. So Drews started a program to help.

“We started a low, low-cost telehealth program,” he said.  e program, called Health in Hand, o ers telehealth primary care, psychiatry, women’s health and diabetes support for $80 a year, with

INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 10 | LIFE: PAGE 12 | CALENDAR: PAGE 15 |

SPORTS: PAGE 16

Arvada Mayor Marc Williams delivers the 2021 State of the City address.

PHOTO BY RYLEE DUNN

Term-limited mayor’s final address to focus on “Honoring the Past, Imagining the Future”

City council considers sub-area draft plans, new zoning designation

New Town and Northeast Arvada draft plans done, pocket neighborhoods being weighed

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e Arvada City Council recently convened for a pair of study sessions at city hall; one concerning sub-area draft plans, and the other pertaining to pocket neighborhoods.

Both study sessions at the April 10 meeting consisted of presentations from city team members and discussion from council; council did not make any voting decisions on anything presented at the meeting.

Sub-area draft plans: New Town and Northeast Arvada

e draft plans for two sub-areas — the city’s targeting of speci c areas of Arvada for the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan and the Land Development Code — have been nished. New Town and Northwest Arvada are the sub-areas where draft planning has wrapped up.

e project team has recently been weighing community feedback garnered from multiple open houses, Ask Arvada surveys, and other engagement opportunities, to include

that feedback in the draft plan.

e New Town sub-area is a 0.40mile parcel located between the Gline tracks in the north and the I-70 interchange in the south. A largely commercial parcel that has recently seen development from the “$30 land deal” come to fruition, the New Town draft plan includes guidance to encourage higher-density housing and a ordable development.

e draft plan also emphasizes preserving views from Olde Town and increasing parking e ciency through a “managed parking” strategy, which includes having parking limits, paid parking, and validation from local businesses.

Also recommended was improved pedestrian crossings in the subarea, speci cally at the intersection of 52nd Avenue and Wadsworth Bypass.

Community feedback indicated that including multiple building styles, built with natural materials is preferable to locals for new developments in the area.

“Years ago, we had a model (at city hall), of what was envisioned,” Williams said of the New Town area. “ ere was an actual physical model; it had a lot of high rises, it’s very consistent with this.”

e Northwest Arvada sub-area is generally located along Highway 72 between Highway 93 and Indiana Street, and also on Indiana between

Northwest Arvada sub area as defined by the draft plan. PHOTOS COURTESY CITY OF ARVADA

Proposed land use plans for Northwest Arvada sub area.

The New Town sub area as defined by the sub area draft plan.

Proposed land use plans for New Town sub area.

SEE PLANS, P3

PLANS

96th Avenue and the Union Paci c Railroad Tracks. e sub-area is located within Arvada and unincorporated Je erson County.

Focuses of the draft plan include land use, connectivity, infrastructure and sustainability. According to city sta , residents of the area have concerns about the width of the Union Paci c overpass on Indiana, and the draft plan recommends widening it.

e draft plan also suggests creating new public lands in the area, developing parcels at the corner of Indiana Street and Candelas Parkway and the corner of Highway 72 and Indiana Street, respectively. e draft plan also suggests adding City of Arvada signage to the area.

Pocket neighborhoods

City council heard from city team members about a proposal to add a zoning designation to the Arvada Land Development Code that would

allow for pocket neighborhoods — the smallscale commercial use of a parcel inside an already established residential area for use by the local community — to come to fruition in Arvada. ere is currently no zoning that allows for this

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type of development, though previous major modi cations have allowed for similar developments, like GB’s Fish and Chips and the State Farm o ce on Ralston Road, to pop up here and there.

e proposal would create a new zoning, called CN, that developers could submit proposals under. City team members and councilmembers mentioned similar developments in Denver — Novel Strand Brewery, Rosebud Café and the Lumber Baron Inn were cited — as examples of the bene ts of how these types of developments can be bene cial to neighborhoods.

Under the proposal, lot sizes are restricted to a range between 10,000 square feet and one acre, with a maximum height of 28 feet.

Bars, restaurants, art studios, o ces, retail space, or daycares are permissible under the current proposal, which is being amended to also include bed-and-breakfasts, per Councilmember Lauren Simpson’s suggestion. Bars would only be allowed to operate from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., while restaurants could be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. e proposal to council suggests adopting the new zoning category by December 2023.

What Are Some Affordable Ways to Increase the Attractiveness of Your Home to Buyers?

This week’s column is inspired by an email received from Brock Pardo of PunchListUSA. His company is in the business of helping sellers fix problems identified by buyers in their inspection objections. Toward that end, he also offers free pre-listing consultations and quotes. (I offer free consultations too, but I’m not a contractor, so I can’t give quotes, just refer you to my preferred vendors for implementing my suggestions.)

Being in that business, Brock has no doubt come across some issues which could have easily been addressed prior to putting a home on the market, thereby perhaps selling it for more money.

Usually, when I get an unsolicited email with a “Top Ten” list, I find that it’s not the top ten items I would have selected, but this time I found that I agreed with all of them, so I’m going to adapt his list slightly for this column.

1) Fresh coat of paint. Brock cited a report that interior painting returns a 107% return-oninvestment, and exterior painting a 50% ROI, but I’d add that it depends on condition. If your home has a faded pastel exterior color popular in the 1990s with or without peeling paint, I’d say that a fresh paint job in a more up-to-date color would make a huge difference in first impression and the number of showings

Why Wouldn’t a Listing Agent Want to Maximize the Exposure of His or Her Real Estate Listings?

Although the average real estate agent barely makes a living and either has a second income source or a high-earning spouse, about 10% of agents earn a lot of money — and want to earn even more.

Myself, I make a very good living, as evidenced by the fact that I’m writing this week’s column while Rita and I are on vacation in Prague, capital of the Czech Republic. (I’ll be home by the time you read this column.)

But my business model does not involve doing every single thing to maximize my personal income. I get more satisfaction from trying to maximize my service to others, including my clients and the unknown readers of this column. From long before I became a Realtor, I lived by a motto that has mistakenly been attributed to Confucius. “Concentrate on giving, and the getting will take care of itself.”

This column/ad — what newspapers call an “advertorial” — is evidence of that strategy. As a former newspaper journalist trained on the metro desk of The Washington Post in 1968, I decided at the very beginning of my real estate career in 2003 that I would spend my marketing dollars on buying newspaper ad space to publish a real estate column.

It has paid off quite well. Unlike every real estate agent I know, I have never made a cold call or prospected in any way to get buyers and sellers to hire me. (This month, I just realized, is the 20th anniversary of getting my real estate license and starting as a broker associate

at the West office of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, now called Coldwell Banker Realty for some reason I have yet to learn.)

This column is my sole outreach to potential clients, and every week I get one or more calls from someone who says, in effect, “I’ve been reading your column for many years, knowing the day would come when I’d call you to sell my home. Today’s that day!”

The above is a long-winded way of saying that I’m happy to abide by the Realtor Code of Ethics (and state law) which says I should put clients’ interest ahead of my own. This brings me back to the question posed in this article’s headline.

Last week, members of REcolorado, Denver’s MLS, received an email detailing how easy our MLS has made it to withhold a listing from all syndication, including Zillow, Redfin, and even REcolorado’s own consumer-facing website, which is www.REcolorado.com

The email cast its guidance in the context of a seller requesting such limited exposure, but I can’t picture any seller giving his/her listing agent informed consent to limit the exposure of their home’s listing to just their listing agent’s own website or circle of prospects. I suspect that the only reason a listing agent would convince his/her client to approve that strategy would be to maximize the chance that the agent wouldn’t have to compensate a buyer’s agent, thereby doubling his earnings

that are set and offers that you receive.

2) Landscaping improvements These can be quite affordable and, again, make a huge difference in the first impression that your home makes. A couple months’ service by Lawn Doctor can make a big difference in your lawn’s appeal, as can a load of fresh cedar chips for your nongrassy areas.

3) Upgrading lighting fixtures. Those “brass and glass” chandeliers and sconces are so 1990s, and are inexpensive enough to replace with, for example, brushed nickel fixtures. And even if you don’t replace any fixtures, replace all your incandescent or CFL light bulbs with affordable LED bulbs. The best deal on those, I’ve found, are 10-packs available from Batteries + Bulbs (Don’t put the CFLs in the trash. Take them to Home Depot for recycling, because they contain mercury.)

4) Minor kitchen updates. You don’t have to replace your Formica countertop if it’s not damaged or a really bad color, but replacing the faucet on your kitchen sink is an affordable upgrade. I like to see knobs and pulls on kitchen cabinets, and you can get affordable ones, as we did, at Hobby Lobby, of all places. Maybe paint or repaint your kitchen cabinets — white is a good choice. Beyond this, I’m happy to bring my stager and consult with you on further upgrades, because kitchens can make a huge difference, and certain improvements are worth considering.

5) Bathroom upgrades. Replacing those 1990s plastic Delta faucets is a nobrainer! And you can find some affordable replacement vanities at home improvement stores.

6) Replace or clean wall-to-wall carpeting. If your carpet isn’t shag and isn’t damaged here and there, cleaning is a must and can be quite affordable. My preferred carpet cleaner is Bruce Ruser of New Look Dry Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning, (303) 697-1584, who uses an environmentally friendly system

that utilizes plant-based ingredients. The website www.hostdry.com explains it.

7) Replace older appliances. These can be affordable. Look for Energy Star ratings, too. I had a 1990s home with its original white kitchen appliances. It sat on the market — until the seller replaced them with new stainless steel appliances.

8) Install new door and window hardware. Brock quotes a 2021 Zillow report that updated hardware has up to 80% return on investment. I’d like to see your current hardware before suggesting this update.

9) Declutter and organize. This is more about staging than repair of an inspection issue. We provide a free staging consultation for all listings, and that inevitably includes decluttering, thinning and organizing.

10) Deep clean your home. Again, this is a staging matter. And it’s a nobrainer!

That concludes my version of Brock Pardo’s top ten list. To that list I would add the following:

11) Wash your windows. You’ll need to remove screens when you wash your windows. Don’t reinstall them. Label and store them in your basement or garage. Removing window screens is almost like washing the windows, greatly improving visibility. If any of the screens are damaged (including sun damage), most Ace Hardware stores can rescreen them affordably.

12) Update your floor moldings. At a recent open house, a would-be buyer objected to the older unpainted wood moldings at the bottom of each wall. She said they should be white, and I realized that she’s right. You could just paint them white (maybe requiring priming with Kilz), or replace them all with flat ones that come in white.

Do you have your own suggestions of additional items? Let me know and maybe I’ll feature them in a follow-up column or on the blog posting of this article at www.GoldenREblog.com

Jim Smith

Broker/Owner, 303-525-1851

Jim@GoldenRealEstate.com

1214 Washington Ave., Golden 80401

Examples of pocket neighborhoods in Arvada; GB’s Fish and Chips, State Farm, both on Ralston Road. IMAGES COURTESY CITY

Volunteers work at a past health fair.

HEALTH FAIRS

no requirements for age, pre-existing conditions or insurance. e service can be accessed 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Drews hopes the service can serve as a navigational tool to help people make informed healthcare decisions.

Here are the dates and locations for the upcoming health fairs:

Golden

When: 8 a.m to noon April 29

Where: Rockland Community Church, 17 S. Mt. Vernon Country Club Road, Golden

Arvada

When: 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. April 22

Where: Arvada Covenant Church, 5555 Ward Road, Arvada

Lakewood

When: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 23

Where: St. Cajetans Catholic Parish, 4335 W Byers Place, Denver

Idaho Springs

When: 7:30 a.m. to noon April 29

Where: Clear Creek Recreation Center, 98 12th Ave., Idaho Springs

Conifer

When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 6

Where: Our Lady of the Pines Catholic Church, 9444 Eagle Cli Road, Conifer

your home, you can fell good about the possibilities that await

retirement. Eligible borrowers can pay o an existing mortgage and have no

mortgage payments* while receiving proceeds on a monthly or as-needed basis. Contact

Arvada Fire’s Amber Jones named Colorado Risk Reduction Network Educator of the Year

Jones honored for community education, fire mitigation work

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Years ago, the Arvada Fire Protection District employed a renewed focus on re safety education, re mitigation and risk reduction in an e ort to take a proactive approach to re ghting. is month, AFPD’s Amber Jones was named the Colorado Risk Reduction Network’s Educator of the Year in recognition of her educational work in the community.

Jones — a community risk reduction specialist who’s served Arvada for 20 years — spends her time going on safety visits, performing smoke alarm installs, handling educational programs for seniors, schoolchildren and young adults, and sharing resources to improve safety and health.

“In the eld of risk reduction, there’s no one in the country that sets a higher bar than Amber,” Deanna Harrington, AFPD’s Community Risk Reduction Chief, said. “We often joke that you can’t take Amber anywhere in Arvada without running into somebody that knows her. ere’s good reason for that, too.”

and fortunate to work for a department and community that has such a belief in what I do in making our community safer and better for everybody through risk reduction. We try to be proactive as opposed to

Comprehensive cancer care that sets us apart.

feel like they are making a di erence

Jones continued to say that she felt like risk mitigation in general has progressed from her early days in the eld.

“I think people don’t always know we exist, even though it’s something that’s happening every day on so

many levels in so many organizations,” Jones said. “Back in the day, we were referred to as life safety educators and re prevention, when you think of those things you think of stop, drop and roll.

“With today’s culture, we do so much more,” Jones continued. “Injury prevention, mental health, re prevention, adolescent education, early adult education, outreach and community involvement… We’re here for our community and our citizens.”

Arvada Fire’s Amber Jones with her CRRN award for Educator of the Year.

COURTESY OF ARVADA FIRE

Sen. Bennet and Rep. Pettersen hold community town hall at Red Rocks Community College

BY OLIVIA JEWELL LOVE OLOVE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A community town hall turned into a lively conversation between elected o cials and constituents about TikTok, immigration and legislative priorities.

Colorado U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and Colorado U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen answered many questions and heard comments from constituents at their town hall hosted at Red Rocks Community College on April 10.

Pettersen, a member of the freshman class of congress, outlined some of her priorities such as addressing the opioid epidemic, rising costs for families, workforce shortages, gun safety and abortion legislation.

Bennet stressed his commitment to mental health for youth and his support of SB 686, also known as the RESTRICT act. is bill looks to restrict security threats that risk information through technology; the bill itself does not cite any speci c app, but Bennet has been vocal about his disapproval of the Chinese owned TikTok video app.

e senator heard multiple comments from attendees about his strong stance against the popular app TikTok, but he maintained that he is concerned about many digital platforms.

“I am deeply worried about what our own national digital platforms are doing to our teenage mental health,” he said.

He went on to say that TikTok is not the only o ender, in his eyes.

“Mark Zuckerberg (owner of Meta) is regulated less than your average business in Je erson County and I think that’s wrong,” he said.  e elected o cials heard comments from constituents wondering what they are doing to “secure the southern border,” and both Bennet and Pettersen quickly rebuked the

apparent xenophobia.

Bennet explained to the crowd that one third of the growth of Colorado’s GDP over time has been from immigration.

“Illegal!” someone from the audience shouted as the senator spoke.

“It’s not illegal immigration, it’s immigration over that period of time….there are serious economic consequences to deciding we aren’t going to have a functional immigration system,” Bennet replied.

Bennet went on to discuss the circumstances that led to the election

of former president Donald Trump, including that the former president stated “Mexicans are rapists” as part of his campaign for building a border wall. is remark led to cries of dissent from members of the crowd, some saying “he didn’t say that…what he meant was…”  Bennet, in his passionate speech, responded directly to those defending the former president.  “ at is what he said. Run the tape,” Bennet said.

Sen. Michael Bennet listens as Rep. Brittany Pettersen introduces herself.

PHOTOS BY OLIVIA JEWELL LOVE Rep. Pettersen’s o ce live streamed the town hall on Facebook.

Suncor released sulfur dioxide spikes, state says

Commerce City refinery had equipment failure

BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN

e Suncor re nery in Commerce

City sent potentially dangerous spikes of sulfur dioxide into the surrounding neighborhood early April 12 after an equipment failure, though the state health department’s notice didn’t go out until that evening.

Sulfur dioxide detected from Suncor leapt to 155 parts per billion and 186 parts per billion, while the EPA’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards are 75 parts per billion.

But to reach an o cial exceedance, the sulfur dioxide levels must be that high for over an hour. Within hours, a state news release said, the levels had “dropped signi cantly.”

Despite the drop in the monitored sulfur dioxide levels, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment urged families in the future to limit outdoor exercise, keep windows closed and consider an air puri er.

“ e short exposures to sulfur dioxide that occurred earlier could have exacerbated asthma and made breathing di cult, especially during exercise or physical activity,” the health department said.

e state release said that early Wednesday, “the Suncor facility

reported that #2 Sulfur Recovery Unit and associated Tail Gas Unit in Plant 1 brie y tripped o ine due to a level indicator issue, resulting in: excess sulfur dioxide from the Tail Gas Unit Incinerator (H-25); aring of acid gas (gas with elevated hydrogen sul de) in the Plant 1 Flare; elevated hydrogen sul de in the Plant 1 fuel gas system.”

Neighbors and environmental advocacy groups have been expanding independent monitoring of emis-

sions from Suncor, and amplifying at least far tougher state regulation of the re nery. e only re nery in Colorado, Suncor supplies a large portion of vehicle gasoline for the

equipment at Suncor and forced a

sions noti cations to neighbors as Suncor worked to bring the facility

Colorado drivers during the winter. Multiple monitors around Suncor including some run by a neighborhood nonpro t Cultivando through a state environmental justice projfrom Boulder atmospheric scientist Detlev Helmig in March warning of exactly what happened in midApril: Short-term emissions from Suncor that endanger health but do not o cially break EPA limits.

Helmig’s instruments identi ed temporary local spikes in levels of pollutants like benzene or harmful particulate matter. Cultivando’s monitoring program can identify spikes that are short-lived but impactful on human health, Helmig said.

“Pollution levels go up and down, up and down very dynamically all the time,” he said at a Cultivando

community brie ng. “If you happen to go out there at a certain time when levels are low, it may look not too concerning and pretty clean. But you come back just half an hour later and conditions might have changed very dramatically.”

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.

Meet Sarge!

Sarge (272484) is a nearly 4-year-old male Mastiff. Given time to get comfortable, Sarge is playful and social. He’s a quick learner whose trust can be gained with tasty treats. Sarge is available as the only dog to homes with no kids or kids 10+. Please note that Sarge’s adoption fee has been waived under a Shelter program called “Sponsoring” which allows caring staff members or patrons to voluntarily sponsor and cover all applicable

FoothillsAnimalShelter.org info@fas4pets.org

Suncor Energy’s Commerce City plant. COURTESY OF THE COLORADO SUN

My Name Is: Be Be

Local songwriter, author, philosopher shares wisdom, life lessons

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Be Be is a local songwriter who was a longtime member of Moses Walker’s bands. After his passing, she is lling in for Walker at La Dolce Vita Co ee Shop on the fourth Sunday of every month.

I’m the second oldest of 10 children. I was always solution-oriented; I created a calendar for all the di erent activities that needed to occur in the upkeep of the family, such as vacuum, clean laundry, trash and all that.

I was born in Maryland, then went to Fort Collins, then up to Wyoming, and then when my dad joined the U.S. Forest Service, we got put in Fort Dodge. We stayed there a while and then we went to Santa Fe, then after Santa Fe, we went to Farmington and after Farmington, we went to Las Cruces. And then nally, in 1967, we came to Denver.

We lived in Park Hill at the time, and I needed some money, so I decided to throw papers. ere was a guy who was throwing papers next to me, whose name was Kelly Henry, and he told me about his band. I went over to his house and listened.

I was amazed there were three of them; one played drums, one played bass, one played guitar — I just thought it was the coolest thing. I said, ‘Would you teach me how to play?’ And he said sure, and he had a guitar that he was able to sell me for $25. So, I picked it up, and I took it home.

I started writing music and I was like 13, 14 years old at the time. I didn’t really wake up musically until 1969. at’s when the Moody Blues were out, Led Zeppelin, Credence Clearwater Revival, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Joni Mitchell — all these great songwriters.

After high school, I went into the

military. I said, ‘Well, I won’t join unless I get to bring my guitar.’ And they said, ‘Oh sure, bring a guitar.’

I was in the Paci c eatre, and on the ship I met this one guy, and we wrote a song called “How Far Have You Gone,” and we were chosen out of the crew of 5,000 to play on stage for the Americans in Singapore for the Bicentennial Fourth of July.

When I came back, I just continued self-teaching myself. I started writing this musical and some of it is still with me today. I was in a creative mode, I was in an exploratory mode; I was learning stu .

I had a vision (around 1985) and made this poster called “ e Be Attitudes” because it gives people some positivity to concentrate on for a while. I had to come up with the words, then I took them to a typesetter and then I had to nd a background I liked. I ordered about 5,000 of these for 50 cents each, and I have probably less than 300 in existence. ey mostly sold at Tattered Cover, especially at the downtown store.

e rst concert I did at the Denver Folklore Center was in 1986; we had a New Age awareness concert.

In the 2000s, Moses’s band the Clam Daddies had a Wednesday night jam that they hosted. And I

had started playing the banjo, and I told him that, so he told me to bring my banjo. So, I did, and I just started learning their music.

My life is like a meal, and I’m preparing for the main course, and then side dishes and all this other stu at the same time. Music is one avenue of my world. en I have the books. en I have something else I invented; it’s called a Suspendulum, it’s a portable dance rig for aerial dancers. I’ve got a patent on it now.

Life can be so scary, you know, but for some reason, I get to stay on the planet. ere’s an in nite past, and there’s an in nite future, but there’s also an in nite present where your presence of mind is helpful. You’re under your sovereign control, you don’t have anyone micromanaging for you; you can make it beautiful.

My world right now is so beautiful. Whatever you concentrate on is what you’re going to attract. So,

your mind is more important than you can imagine.

A couple of years ago, I was blessed by having taken Moses into the studio and recording 20 of the great songs that he does. I’m going to go back and do some banjo on top of them and then I’m going to release it to people. It sounds like he’s in the room with you. at’s how well it’s done.

In addition to her music, Be Be is also the author of a number of titles including “ e Great Urantia Agreement,” “ e Prophetess: A Woman’s View of e Prophet,” and “ e Be Attitudes.” Her work can be found at www.bebe.bz and she invites anyone interested to contact her via email to hear her recordings with Moses Walker at  Be@BeBe.bz.

If you know someone we should cover in My Name Is …, or if you would like to be featured in the segment, contact Rylee Dunn at rdunn@ coloradocommunitymedia.com.

Be Be with a young aspiring banjo player.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BE BE

Headshot of Be Be

T

If we care so much about taxes, why do so few of us pay attention to our property taxes?  Possibly because we are often not aware of what they are. For renters and for people with a mortgage, the sum of those taxes is rolled into their monthly payment.  ey seldom, if ever, see the list of all the entities their tax dollars support.

Many of our property taxes are levied by special districts, which are formed by law to provide speci c services like water and sewer, re protection or recreation. Elections for Directors of these districts will be held May 2. I urge you to get informed and to vote.

is will not be easy.  First you have to know which districts you pay taxes in.  en you have to learn which of them is holding elections, who is running for board positions, where to go to vote, or how to request an absentee ballot.   e elections are run by each district, not by Je erson County, and you might have to go to more than one location in order to cast your ballots. Learn-

Get informed and vote

his year marks the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, a protest over taxation without representation. It’s been 30 years since Colorado voters approved the so-called Taxpayer Bill of Rights, or TABOR, which requires a vote of the people before any tax increase.  Ballot issues related to taxes face us at every general election.LINDA ROCKWELL

ing anything about the candidates who are running can require a lot of sleuthing.

of the seats, in spite of how easy it is to get on the ballot. One need only le a simple form to self-nominate for the board of any district.

Columnist

Why go to all this work? Because someone is spending your money, perhaps on projects you wouldn’t approve of. Because someone may be embezzling your money or running up hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees. Because someone may have you paying huge sums in interest on debt he owns.

About 10 years ago, the volunteer re chief of the Inter-Canyon Fire Protection District was found to have spent over $600,000 on personal items like guns and guitars.  e citizen board had not been exercising its oversight responsibilities, yet some of them continued to serve for years. Why? Because no one ran against them, and the elections were cancelled.

is happens more often that not.  It’s even true for one of the largest of Je co’s 200-plus special districts, West Metro Fire Protection District.  It serves nearly 300,000 residents and collects almost $71,000,000 per year in property taxes. Last year 461 people voted in the election.   is year no one is contesting any

Most of Je co’s special districts are run by civic-minded people who give freely of their time to serve their communities. I think of all my friends who have ably served on the Evergreen Park and Recreation District board, making tough decisions about how to allocate limited resources among many di erent types of users spread over a large geographic area.

Beware, though. When you are looking for the districts you pay taxes to, give special attention to any Metropolitan District on the list. Since TABOR was passed in 1992 there has been an explosion in the number of metro districts, a type of special district usually formed by developers of vacant land.  ey have the power to sell bonds to build roads, sewer lines, and other necessary infrastructure. e district is then given the authority to tax future homeowners to recoup its investment. Most of the time this results in a win-win.

However, the laws are so loosely written that some unscrupulous developers commit property owners to extraordinary amounts of debt in perpetuity, with such secretive and convoluted legal structures that no ordinary citizen could gure out how to untangle the mess. Some developers buy the bonds themselves instead of putting them on the

market, thereby personally receiving the interest payments being made by taxpayers.  It can be a huge challenge to homeowners who want to take control by serving on the boards.  Ask the people who live in Solterra.

Not far away, near Bear Creek Lake Park, Red Rocks Centre has issued $45 million in debt with a 43-year repayment schedule. e mill levy is 86.   at’s $86 annually on each $1,000 of assessed valuation.  To compare, most of Je co’s cities are in the single digits.  For most of our re districts, it is about 12.   e school district’s is 40.  Future residents’ taxes will be almost double those of people in older established neighborhoods.

If you’d like to know more, check out metrodistrictreform.org.   ere’s a link to an especially interesting article called e Publicazation of Private Business.  Click on Voter Resources at lwvje co.org for for guidance on how to track down the information you need.

en take the time and e ort to cast an informed vote on May 2— and honor the original Tea Partiers.

Linda Rockwell moved to Evergreen with her family in 1982 and now lives in Lakewood. She got involved in local land-use issues in 1984 and in the Democratic Party a few years later. She served as chair of the Je co Democrats from 1993 to 1997. Good government and principled politics remain her passion.

All budgets are ultimately precarious assumptions

e booklet with instructions for individual income tax (Colorado Department of Revnue Form 104) has a disclosure of Colorado Revenues and Expenditures on page 2.   is disclosure was not done very well and the state government admits this themselves because on the revenue side, the total amount of revenue sums up to 102.8%.   e state says this error is due to rounding. Regardless, this disclosure (which is in the form of a pie chart) is interesting because of what it tells you about revenue sources.

e largest form of revenue for the state of Colorado is from “Federal Grants and Expenditures.”  at category totals 42%. Taxes total only 37.3%. Since the federal government is Colorado’s largest landowner someone must maintain the wilderness and park areas around the state and it would be reasonable to

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presume that the federal government contracts with the state to maintain land holdings within the state and pays Colorado to maintain that land.   is is but one example. Other unfunded mandates exist.

ting other revenue sources like eliminating the individual income tax the retort was made, how will you make up the funding.   at retort is short sighted because the retort presumes that all expenditures by Colorado state government are necessary and essential.  ey are not.  In a budget where 38.3 billion in government expenditures exist somewhere at least a few of those expenditures are not essential.

would probably be raised across the board at all state supported institutions of higher learning. To summarize, there would be pain across the board and it would a ect all Coloradoans in one way or another.

Columnist

Land maintenance is probably just one of many things that Federal money accomplishes in our state. But an uncomfortable question needs to be asked. What if federal money were to disappear from Colorado revenue sources in part or compeletely for one reason or another? What then?

e question is important because when proposals were oated for cut-

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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When a family has a breadwinner thrown out of work cuts are made in the household budget until employment for operating the household is secured. Privations are endured. If Colorado were to completely or partially lose the federal government’s monetary input into our state budget cuts would be inevitable in some areas. Taxes would probably be raised on individuals and businesses to make up the shortfall.  Tuition

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at is because all budgets, whether at the family level or at the state level are ultimately precarious assumptions.  ey are based on the plan that some source of revenue will always be there regardless of circumstance. Basing future plans on something that may disappear is reckless. Acknowledging that a source of revenue may disappear and planning in case it does disappear is the wiser course of action. It used to be called “saving money for a rainy day.” While the Colorado Reserve Fund or the “rainy day fund” does exist, I would argue that it is in-

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JOE WEBB

SEE WEBB, P11

How can Holy Cross Energy possibly leap this high?

Let’s start with the obvious. e sun doesn’t always shine and, except for springtime in Colorado, the wind doesn’t always blow.

So how can Holy Cross Energy, which serves the Vail, Aspen, and Ri e areas, achieve 92% emissionfree energy in 2024? Last year it was 50%.

And if Holy Cross can do it, what is possible for utilities serving Crested Butte and Steamboat Springs, Holyoke and Crestone, Sterling and Pueblo?

By the way, Holy Cross still owns 8% of Colorado’s newest coal plant, Comanche 3.

Directors of Holy Cross several years ago adopted what seemed like the audacious goal of achieving 100% emissions-free power by 2030. Municipal utilities serving Aspen and Glenwood springs already have 100% renewables, but do not own their own generation.

I expected small steps. Wind and solar have become far less expensive than coal or gas. But what about windless, sunless days?

Resource adequacy has become a major question in this energy transition. Coal plants, if sometimes down, are far more reliable than wind and sunshine. Now we’re hurriedly closing those high-priced and polluting plants. Natural gas can respond quickly to demand. However, those plants are costly and pollute, too.

Do we need more natural gas plants?

Colorado’s two largest electrical providers, Xcel Energy and Tri-State Generation and Transmission, both say they can reduce carbon emissions 80% carbon by 2030 as compared to 2005 levels. But both have refrained from embracing higher,

FROM PAGE 10

adequate for major drops in revenue that could occur. When conservatives attempt to restrain government spending it is not because we wish to help no one. We recognize that funding sources for programs can dry up.

ere are a number of di erent ways that funding sources can dry

short-term goals.

Tri-State, which delivers power to 17 of the state’s 22 electrical cooperatives, warns of ambitions outpacing realities. Duane Highley, the chief executive, likens resource adequacy to a “big bad wolf.”

cil. Holy Cross, he explained, will add new wind from eastern Colorado and several new solar-plusstorage projects within its service territory.

pumps, and other uses. He called it “smart electrification.”

Holy Cross’s journey from 92% to 100%, though, will “be a bit of a doozie,” he said. He likened it to the climb from Camp 4 on Everest to the peak.

Allen Best

e Western Energy Coordinating Council in December warned that Western states risked having insu cient resources by 2025 to meet electric demand on the grid they share. Storage will be crucial. Lithiumion batteries, if increasingly more a ordable, can store electricity for just a few hours. We need technologies that can store energy for days if not weeks. Xcel Energy will be testing one such long-term technology, called iron-air, at Pueblo. Colorado wants to be part of the elusive answer to hydrogen, perhaps using existing electricity infrastructure at Brush or Craig. And transmission and other new infrastructure, such that could allow Colorado to exploit the winds of Kansas or the sunshine of Arizona, can help—but remains unbuilt.

Holy Cross actually has the second lowest electrical rates among Colorado’s 22 electrical cooperatives. And its rates are 5% less than those of Xcel. is is not Gucci electricity, a Tesla Model X Plaid. e Aspen Skiing Co. and Vail Resorts make snow with some of Colorado’s lowest electricity rates.

Bryan Hannegan, the chief executive and head wizard at Holy Cross, laid out his utility’s broad strategy in recent presentations to both state legislators and the Avon Town Coun-

up.  Taxes cannot be raised endlessly with no consequence. Individuals and companies can and do make the decision to leave locales where taxes and regulations are too high for them.  ey vote with their feet.   at is but one more component of planning for a complex document like the Colorado state government’s budget.

The cooperative also intends to integrate new storage in homes and businesses. It incentivizes home batteries that can be tapped as needed to meet demand from neighborhoods. Holy Cross also wants to integrate vehicle batteries, such as from electric school buses, in its efforts to match demands with supplies. Time-of-use rates will be crucial. This market mechanism aims to shift demands to when renewable electricity is most readily available — and cheapest.

Importantly, Holy Cross expects to achieve this high mark without need of new natural gas capacity. Many environmentalists loathe the idea of new and rarely usedbut always expensive - natural gas plants. Most utilities see even more gas generation as necessary.

Speaking to the Avon council, Hannegan expressed confidence Holy Cross can meet growing demand from electric vehicles, heat

“We have to think about how we balance (supply and demand) at every location on our grid at every moment of every day,” he said. That “fine-grained balancing” will be “quite an engineering challenge. There is reason we have given ourselves six years” to figure this out.

What about that coal plant that Holy Cross still owns (but consigns the output to wholesale provider Guzman Energy)? Does that muck up the math? Can Holy Cross truly claim 92% ? And what prevents other utilities from following in its footsteps? These are questions I will ask Holy Cross and others in coming weeks.

This column is based on reporting that can be found at BigPivots. com, which offers deeper dives into Colorado’s energy, water and other transitions.

Joe Webb is the former chairman of the Je co Republican party.

BY OLIVIA JEWELL LOVE OLOVE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In a state that has over 400 breweries and almost 100 distilleries, approaching the topic of sobriety can be a hard conversation for many people to have.

But with low-key, no-fuss non-alcoholic options at many establishments across the metro, it doesn’t have to be a big deal if you don’t want to drink, whatever your reasons.

Mocktails that you wouldn’t even know were NA

Golden Moon Speakeasy in Golden uses all its own distilled spirits and creates unique craft cocktails at’s all the more reason that general manager Kayla Veatch sees to o er quality, non-alcoholic options.

“My overall philosophy when I changed the menu was to have the same options as the alcohol menu,” Veatch said.

So no, you won’t have to order a water if you’re the designated driver. e mocktails at Golden Moon use highly steeped teas to replace alcohol and utilize many of the same syrups and NA ingredients the cocktails use.

Mocktails are a great option for people ready to slow down on alcohol for the night, people taking certain medications, pregnant people and people exploring sobriety, Veatch said. e speakeasy even serves mocktails to children before 9 p.m.

Having an inclusive menu makes an establishment like this a gathering place for groups, Veatch explained.

“People can still come together….if I didn’t have mocktails, I wonder if they would still be excited to come,” she said about group members who don’t consume alcohol.

Some of the mocktails Veatch makes include the Cloud City, which features an earl grey tea base, ginger, lemon and elder ower, or the Cheshire Cat, which features a butter y pea ower tea base, passionfruit juice and lime. Veatch even makes a copycat smoked whiskey.

Golden Moon Speakeasy is located at 1111 Miner’s Alley in Golden.

An alcohol alternative

For those looking for another NA drink option, perhaps with health bene ts, kombucha has been a popular choice.

Kombucha has been added as an option at many breweries, bars and co ee shops around Colorado; but Marc Gaudreault owns one of only two kombucha tap rooms on the front range.

Before the pandemic, the Trubucha tap room in Lone Tree had space for people to sit inside and enjoy a glass of kombucha. According to Gaudreault, Trubucha actually grew during the pandemic, and the demand for his product is so great he needs most of his shop space for fermenting the kombucha in huge vats.

Still, Trubucha boasts 31 taps in the store and has a spacious patio for people to enjoy kombucha, lemonade, ginger beer or cold brew.

So, what is kombucha? Put simply, Gaudreault explained, it’s lightly fermented tea. But the health bene ts are much more lengthy, he said. Most notably, the drink has an abundance of natural probiotics,

Kayla Veatch crafts a mocktail.

A lineup of mocktails at Golden Moon.

OPTIONS

as well as B vitamins and an acidic composition that some say can help your gut health.

For many, this drink has become a replacement for beer and other alcoholic beverages, partly due to its prevalence in drinking establishments.

“We have some breweries that go through three of these (kegs) in a week,” Gaudreault said.

People who choose not to drink should have options besides a soda, Gaudreault said.

“You want something that is a little more sophisticated,” he said.

Trubucha is located at 10047 Park Meadows

Drive Unit A in Lone Tree.

Make

it at home yourself

For those looking to have an NA drink at home, e Spice and Tea Exchange in Idaho Springs has almost everything you need to get started on your very own mocktail creation.

Logan Houser, manager at e Spice and Tea Exchange in Idaho Springs, explained that the shop has all sorts of ingredients to make cocktails or mocktails at home.

e sugar and salt wall, which contains countless canisters of avored granules, is a good place to get ingredients to sweeten your mocktails or rim the glasses, according to Houser.

“It all just depends on what you’re trying to achieve,” he said.

e store has many types of teas, some of

which can make for a good mocktail base.

“We have like four or ve teas you can use for mocktails,” Houser said.

He said the fruity teas do really well for those drinks, but you can try out lots of combinations.

“Really anything you buy here is multipurpose,” Houser said.

e shop also o ers cocktail kits with sugars, teas and syrups to make drinks, which Houser said are popular for people to use for NA drinks.

“You can change them out for club soda,” he said of champagne or other alcohol recommended in the recipes.

e Spice and Tea Exchange is located at 1634 Miner St. in Idaho Springs.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, call the alcohol addiction hotline at 331-200-1664, or visit alcohol.org.

Veatch finishes a drink.

PHOTOS BY OLIVIA JEWELL LOVE

Veatch strains a mocktail.

The mocktails utilize di erent ingredients and garnishes.

Women have played a role in aviation since humans rst took to the sky, but as is so often the case, they don’t receive nearly the recognition and celebration their male counterparts do. e Wings Over the Rockies’ Chicks Fly! Showcase aims to do something about this fact.

Chicks Fly at Wings Over the Rockies COMING

ATTRACTIONS

“In the aviation world, ‘chick’ is a term of endearment for women pilots. I’ve been ying for 20 years and have always loved being referred to as a chick pilot,” wrote Ann Beardall, Exploration of Flight Program Coordinator at Wings Over the Rockies, in an email interview. “We’ll have a couple of pilots on duty for airplane rides and you will be amazed at the diversity and depth of experience they have.”

Chicks Fly! will be held at Wings

Over the Rockies Exploration of Flight, 13005 Wings Way in Englewood, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 22. e event will feature guest speaker Col. Kim “Killer Chick” Campbell, who will also be signing her book, “Flying in the Face of Fear.”

Beardall answered some questions about the event, what audiences can expect and more:

Interview edited for brevity and clarity.

Tell me about why it is important to showcase women in aviation.

ere are women who y or have own who have done fantastic things in both their careers and

Clarke Reader

the aviation community. Telling their stories and having them meet with future aviators is a great way to generate interest and foster dreams for young girls and young boys.

Why is it important to host events like this?

We look for all kinds of di erent aviation events to host and showcase. It is important to highlight di erent aspects of aviation, simply because most people think it’s only about the pilot. Later in the Summer we will highlight First Responders (safety/air ambulance), Taildraggers, helicopters, and we cover drones, air marshalling and much more. As part of our mission we educate, inspire and excite everything aviation, as well as teach the teachers through our Teachers Pathway program.

What part of the event are you most looking forward to?

I can’t wait to see the women pilots come in and I hope they will display objects on their aircraft that will designate it as a Chick Plane. I know my plane will be there. And I am really looking forward to meeting the Killer Chick, herself!

What do you hope attendees come away with?

I really hope that people from all walks of life will be inspired by

listening to Col. Campbell. I also hope that the kids who come, see themselves in aviation. No dreams are out of reach.

Visit Wingsmuseum.org for more information and to purchase tickets.

See the world through the eyes of ‘Blind Visionaries’

e work done by composer and artist Daniel Kelly shows why the idea of siloing arts o into di erent mediums is a foolish idea. His work is a multisensory presentation that highlights his songwriting and piano playing while simultaneously projecting “light painting” portraits, created by visually impaired and sighted photographers from the Seeing With Photography Collective, according to provided information.

Kelly’s show, “Blind Visionaries,” is coming to the Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Parkway, at 7:30 p.m. April 21. Get tickets for the performance at https://lakewood.showare.com/.

Explore the Titanic, as told by the

movies

There are many great debates centered on movies: should Ilsa have gone with Rick at the end of “Casablanca?” Was the latter half of “Inception” a dream? Dude, where’s my car? But one of the great discussions for a certain generation is whether or not the door at the end of “Titanic” could safely hold both Jack and Rose

while they waited on rescue.

As part of the Molly Brown House Museum’s , 1340 Pennsylvania St. in Denver, annual recognition of the anniversary of Titanic’s sinking, it is hosting Room for Two: Titanic Story in Film at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 22. The event will feature an “irreverent” exploration of the vessel’s story in film and include movie-themed snacks and cocktails. Get the details at www.mollybrown.org.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Wiz Khalifa and Joey Bada$$ at Red Rocks

I’d be pretty pressed to think of a more fitting kick off to the warm seasons in Colorado than Wiz Khalifa and Joey Bada$$ coheadlining Red Rocks , 18300 W. Alameda Parkway in Morrison, at 6:45 p.m. April 22.

The rappers will be joined by a slew of genre stalwarts, including Action Bronson, Berner, Marlon Craft, Chevy Woods and Little Stranger, creating the perfect lineuap for a spring Saturday night. You can sample all kinds of approaches to rap by attending but they all share a hazy, feelgood vibe. Get tickets at www.axs. com.

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

Colorado wool harvest draws foreign workers

State is top 5 producer

BY WILLIAM WOODY SPECIAL TO THE COLORADO SUN

It’s that time of year when the best sheep shearers from around the world travel from ranch to ranch in Colorado shearing thousands of sheep during the annual wool harvest. Colorado is consistently one of the Top 5 wool producing states, producing more than 2 million pounds of ber each year that is used in a wide variety of products, according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

Shearing a sheep using mechanical shears to carefully cut the wool from the animal usually takes a couple of minutes and yields 11 to 13 pounds of wool per animal. e wool then is sorted for quality and bailed to be shipped and sold to

wholesalers. Colorado wool growers say they take great pride in the care they

provide their animals. Sheep must be shorn regularly to prevent excess wool from interfering with their

ability to thermo-regulate. Excessive wool coats also make the sheep more vulnerable to becoming immobilized by physical obstacles in the environment and more susceptible to predator and parasite attacks. Shearing generally takes place before the lambing season each spring in order to aid in lamb health and survival.

Shearing companies usually hire professionals from South America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and many other countries who are trained speci cally to remove the wool from the animals.

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.

Fresh-shorn sheep co-mingle in a pen with those about to have their winter coats removed at a Western Slope ranch in March 2023. PHOTOS BY WILLIAM WOODY / SPECIAL TO THE COLORADO SUN

Thu 4/27

Gii Astorga @ 7pm Culinary Dropout, 4141 E 9th Ave, Denver

FREE SHOW - The Homewreckers (ATX) w/Brent Loveday and Robot Tennis Club @ 8pm

Herman's Hideaway, 1578 S Broadway, Denver

Decadon @ 9pm The Church, 1160 Lincoln St, Denver

Fri 4/28

Lipgloss: An Indie Dance Party @ 9pm / $12

Ophelia's Electric Soapbox, 1215 20th St, Denver

Aftershock Colorado Band: Babes Nightclub @ 9pm Babes Nightclub, 2265 W 84th Ave, Denver

Sun 4/30

bomba estereo @ 7:30pm

Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St,, Denver

Billy Porter @ 7pm Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre, 1350 Curtis St, Denver

Matthew Fowler, John Lensing, and Arran Fagan at Lost City (28 Apr) @ 7pm Lost City River North, 3459 Ringsby Ct, Denver

BERRIX: DUBWUB PRESENTS

D3VINITY @ 8pm RIVER, 3759 Chestnut Pl, Denver

The Crystal Method @ 11:59pm

Knew Conscious, 2350 Lawrence St, Den‐ver

Sat 4/29

Gilda House @ 7pm Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St, Denver

Featured Featured

Sturtz @ 1:30pm

Fire�y Handmade Market, S Gaylord St, Denver

Ruby Waters @ 8pm Bluebird Theatre, 3317 E. Colfax Av‐enue, Denver

Mon 5/01

May Before Care @ 7am / $5

May 1st - May 31st French American School of Denver, 2350 N. Gaylord St., Denver. 720-966-1380

Eric Golden @ 2pm Dirty Dogs Road‐house, 17999 W Col‐fax Ave, Golden

Damn Yankees @ 2pm Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Ar‐vada

Born Dirty @ 9pm Club Vinyl, 1082 N Broadway, Denver

Summer Knights @ 4pm Lost Lake Lounge, 3602 E Colfax Ave, Denver

Dougie Poole @ 8pm Hi-Dive, 7 S Broad‐way, Denver

Tue 5/02

Billy Porter @ 8pm Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre, 1400 Curtis Street, Denver

Begonia "The Powder Blue" Tour w/ Rachael Jenkins @ 8pm Globe Hall, 4483 Lo‐gan St, Denver

Wed 5/03

Rotem Sivan Band: Rotem Sivan Trio @ 7pm Dazzle Jazz, 930 Lincoln St, Denver

Tigirlily Gold: Bull Bash @ 7pm Grizzly Rose, 5450 N Valley Hwy, Denver Keith Hicks @ 7pm Woods Boss Brewing, 2210 California St, Denver

Lead Into Gold @ 7pm Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 Clarkson St, Denver

Skinny Puppy @ 7pm Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 Clarkson St, Denver Spotlights @ 7pm Hi-Dive, 7 S Broadway, Denver

Yours Truly @ 8pm The Oriental Theater, 4335 W 44th Ave, Denver

powered by

Arvada West girls soccer stuns No. 3 Columbine

BY DENNIS PLEUSS JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LAKEWOOD — It was de nitely a statement victory on the girls soccer pitch April 11 at Lakewood Memorial Field.

Arvada West methodically dismantled Columbine with a 6-1 victory in the Class 5A Je co League opener for both teams. e Wildcats (6-2, 1-1 in league) dominated possession and scoring chances against the Rebels, No. 3 in the CHSAANow.com rankings.

“It’s huge. I’m so happy right now,” Arvada West senior captain Ellie Pugliese said after the Wildcats handed Columbine (6-2, 0-2) its rst loss of the season.

e Wildcats scored six unanswered goals scoring in the 13th, 34th, 47th, 55th, 67th and 74th minutes to take a commanding 6-0 lead against Columbine that was o to its best start in decades.

Junior Kalli Ross got the scoring started with a de ection that got past Columbine freshman goalie Ella Rieben for a 1-0 lead for A-West. e margin doubled with a great shot from sophomore striker Isabella Teran a few minutes before halftime.

“ e girls played really well. I was really impressed with them,” A-West coach Brian Fowkes said. “We got stunned by Lutheran a little bit. I think that helped us pull something together.”

e Wildcats su ered their rst loss of the season last Saturday with a 3-1

loss to Lutheran, No. 4 in the 4A rankings.

It was more of the same in the second half with Pugliese scoring back-to-back goals. e senior bent a corner kick into the net to put A-West up 3-0.

“I honestly didn’t mean to do it,” Pugliese said of hooking her corner kick into the net. “She (Rieben) had kind of fumbled one before so I tried it again. It just went in.”

Pugliese scored again ripping a shot

into the back of the net for a 4-0 lead. Junior striker Brooke Pavlich made it a 5-0 lead when she drew a yellow card and penalty kick in the 67th minute. Pavlick took the PK and rolled it into the net.

“I was so happy when I saw that one go in,” Pugliese said of Pavlich’s penalty kick. “ at’s Brooke. She just keeps trying. She is the hardest worker on our team I think.”

Senior Sophia Jaskolka-Brown made it a 6-0 lead in the 74th minute.

“I didn’t know we could put up that number (six goals), but I de nitely thought we could win,” Pugliese said.

“Once we saw one (goal) go in we could feel them come. We thought we could totally do this.”

Columbine prevented the shutout with a goal by senior Sydney Somers in the 77th minute. e Rebels were still without leading scorer — senior Andrea Iljkic — who is with the Croatia national team for a few more days.

“I didn’t feel very comfortable,” Fowkes admitted despite the Wildcats never trailing. “I was nervous because a team like Columbine can come back at any time. ey are a quality team.”

Columbine dropped its second straight game with a 4-1 loss to Ralston Valley (7-3, 2-0) on April 14 at the North Area Athletic Complex.

A-West was back at Lakewood Memorial Field at the end of the week to square o against Chat eld in another 5A Je co League match. e Wildcats su ered a 4-2 loss to the Chargers. e loss put the Wildcats a game behind Chat eld, Ralston Valley and Valor Christian in the race for the 5A Je co League title.

Fowkes is in his rst season as the head coach for the Wildcats and has A-West in the conversation for a conference title.

“I hope we have a nice run this season,” Fowkes said. “I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.”

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

Golden ace Laif Palmer throws ‘immaculate inning’ in victory

BY DENNIS PLEUSS JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

WESTMINSTER — Golden senior pitcher Laif Palmer pulled off an “immaculate inning” April 15 at Standley Lake High School.

Palmer had three strikeouts on nine pitches in the bottom of the first inning against Standley Lake. The Gators’ first three batters were all called out looking at strikethree as Palmer hit low-90s on the radar guns that were keeping a sharp eye on the Oregon State University-commit.

“I can’t recall, but that is the goal,” Palmer said of having a 9-pitch, 3-strikeout inning. “The goal is to go out every inning and strike everyone out. It was a good way to start out the game.”

Palmer finished with 13 strikeouts in his complete-game victory. Golden — No. 7 in the CHSAANow. com Class 4A baseball rankings — captured its fifth straight victory with a 7-3 win.

“That was incredible,” Golden coach Jackie McBroom said of Palmer’s bottom of the first performance on the mound. “I’ve played baseball a long time. I can’t remember ever seeing that.”

Palmer was touched up with a solo home run by Standley Lake’s

Brody Geist in the bottom of the sixth inning that actually cut Golden’s lead to 2-1 heading to the seventh inning. Standley Lake’s Colton Martin and Geist each had RBI doubles in the bottom of the

“To be honest, it doesn’t really bother me,” Palmer said of giving up the home run in the sixth and a pair of RBI doubles in the seventh. “It’s on to the next pitch and get back up on the mound.”

Palmer did just that. He was able to strike out the side in the seventh to finish off the complete-game victory and keep the Demons (8-4, 3-0 in 4A Jeffco) atop the league standings. D’Evelyn (8-4, 3-0), Green Mountain (8-4, 3-0) and Evergreen (6-3, 3-0) are all tied at the top of 4A Jeffco through the first third of the conference games.

Standley Lake actually out-hit Golden seven to five. Gator starting pitcher Ian Rasmussen went six innings, giving up just three hits.

The Demons used some slick base running in the fifth inning to take a 1-0 lead. Sophomore Jaydon Stroup scored the first run when he stole third on a fake bunt attempt.

Standley Lake catcher Matthew Flowers threw to third, but with the

Arvada West sophomore Gigi Grieve, right, tries to sprint past Columbine senior Kaitlyn Steadman during the first half of the Class 5A Je co League opener April 11 at Lakewood Memorial Field. A-West dominated previously undefeated Columbine. The Wildcats took a 6-1 victory.

PHOTO BY DENNIS PLEUSS/JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Standley Lake’s Colton Martin, top, collides with Golden catcher Noah Wicks during a play at the plate in the fifth inning April 15 at Standley Lake High School. Wicks held on to the ball after being run over by Martin. Golden took a 7-3 victory to improve to 3-0 in Class 4A Je co League play.

PHOTO BY DENNIS PLEUSS/JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS SEE VICTORY, P17

VICTORY

Gators’ third baseman charging to the plate there was no one at third base and the ball sailed into left field allowing Stroup to score.

Golden sophomore Luca Casali led off the top of the sixth inning with a single and would score on a sacrifice fly by junior Kohei Shimada to put the Demons up 2-0 heading to the bottom of the sixth inning.

“We need to get going earlier,” Casali said of the Demons’ offense. “Once we get going we are a team that keeps rolling.”

With Rasmussen being relieved in the top of the seventh inning, the Demons took advantage. A pair of hit-by-pitches, an error and a walk set the table for Casali and Shimada to both deliver 2-run hits to give Golden a 7-1 lead on Standley Lake (4-8, 0-3). “We got some clutch hits there in the end,” McBroom said. “That is what we like to see.”

Golden had only put up eight runs in the first three starts Palmer had this season. The Demons did put up 10 runs in Palmer’s first start in a league start, but McBroom would like to see more

run support for Palmer who had thrown 31 innings with 55 strikeouts so far this season.

“I don’t want him (Palmer) to go out there and throw that many pitches,” McBroom said of Palmer throwing over 100 pitches in the complete-game win. “When he is on the bump we have to do a better job offensively so he can keep his pitch-count down and keep him healthy as the season goes on.”

Palmer has faith that the Demons will start to catch fire in his future starts.

“I know we’ll get them eventually,” Palmer said. “I’ve seen all of these guys. It comes down to really wanting in and having confidence up there.”

McBroom had that Palmer’s growth in his mental approach on the mound and his confidence has given the 6-foot-5 hardthrowing righty the ability to improve on his junior campaign where he had a 7-4 record with a 2.33 ERA.

“If feels good winning,” Palmer said. “If I have to go all seven innings I’ll do it.”

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

Golden senior Noah Wicks (18) greets sophomore Jaydon Stroup after the Demons scored the first run April 15 at Standley Lake. Stroup stole third base and scored on a throwing error to put the Demons up 1-0 in the fifth inning.

PHOTO BY DENNIS PLEUSS/JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

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Chance Sports levels the playing field

New nonprofit o ers sports scholarships for low-income youth

BY BRUCE GOLDBERG SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

“Equal opportunity levels the playing eld.”

is is what is stated on the Chance Sports website to capture the new nonpro t’s sense of urgency about raising money so young Denver-area athletes can participate in more club sports, both locally and on the road. “... and makes it about the talent not the success,” the website continues. “ e reason a kid doesn’t make it shouldn’t be because they don’t have the opportunity.”

State Sen. James Coleman, DDenver, and former state Rep. Colin Larson, R-Je erson County, created Chance Sports in late 2022, with the goal of helping low-income families play on a club basis in basketball, football, volleyball, track and eld, cheer, eld hockey, soccer and more. ey formed the idea from when the two served together on an education committee at the state legislature.

ey joined up with the Daniels Fund, which gave Chance Sports $300,000 and pledged another $200,000 to encourage matching donations. e late cable pioneer Bill Daniels, a former Golden Gloves

boxer, said that his sports participation drove his massive business success in the cable industry.

“It means more opportunities for our youth to compete at a high level because it’s more a ordable,” Coleman said. “ ey’re really great kids, great athletes, and they’re committed and want to play but they can’t a ord it.”

Chance Sports debuted in late March. In the news conference, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said the city would give at least $200,000 to the nonpro t to match the Daniels Fund. e money will come from the $12.5 million the city got from the Broncos sale.

Scholarships range from about

scholarships this winter to Denver basketball players. Athletes in other sports will receive money later this year.

e average U.S. family pays about $900 each year for one child’s primary sport, taking into account equipment costs, monthly fees, participation fees and travel expenses.

Chance Sports “is designed to help increase participation and to help supplement the costs for travel, fees and equipment,” said Rodney Bates, who has coached the Lady Blackhawks girls’ basketball team for 14 years, and overall has 24 years as a coach.

“It allows young ladies in my program to have the opportunity to showcase their talent at a national level,” Bates said. “In some households, college is not a conversation because of the costs. But because of their skill and being able to demonstrate this at a national level, they have a chance to get a scholarship and follow aspirations beyond sports. In the last 13 years, we’re talking about hundreds of young ladies playing year-round.”

His rst group of players were in the fourth grade when he formed the team. ey graduated from high school in 2020.

“We have about 15 young ladies that went to college,” Bates said. “We want to give them the tools they need to go to college. Competitive basketball is very expensive. If we can break down that cost, more participate and the more we’ll see them do something really positive.”

e bene ts? Larson pointed out that being involved in sports can help boost GPAs, can contribute to better mental and physical health, closer friendships, high rates of volunteerism and voting in later years. ere’s talk about spreading the program throughout the state and eventually to other states.

“Our vision is to help out the kid that wants a chance to play,” Coleman said. “I know at some point we wanted to scale our organization, but do it right. Take care of home rst.”

To learn more about Chance Sports, visit chancesports.org.

questions.

CB23-009, An Ordinance Authorizing the Issuance of the City of Arvada, Colorado, Sales and Use Tax Revenue Bonds, Series 2023.

Legal Notice No. 416206

First Publication: April 20, 2023

Last Publication: April 20, 2023

Publisher: Jeffco Transcript Public Notice

ARVADA URBAN RENEWAL AUTHORITY NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR FINAL BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022

The Arvada Urban Renewal Authority Board of Commissioners will hold a Public Hearing to consider a Final Amendment to its 2022 Budget on Wednesday, May, 3, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. at 5603 Yukon Street, Suite B, Arvada, Colorado.

The proposed Final Amendment to the 2022 Budget is available for inspection by any interested elector during normal business hours at the Arvada Urban Renewal Authority office at 5603 Yukon Street, Suite B, Arvada, CO.

Any interested elector of the City of Arvada, Colorado, may file or register with the Arvada Urban Renewal Authority any objections to the proposed Final Amendment to the 2022 Budget at any time prior to its final approval scheduled for May 3, 2023.

ARVADA URBAN RENEWAL AUTHORITY

Yukon Street, Suite B

Colorado 80002

at the close of business on February 28, 2023, there were not more candidates than offices to be filled, including candidates

“District”). Therefore, the election for the District to be held on May 2, 2023 is hereby cancelled.

The following candidates for the District are declared elected by acclamation:

Charles Regan Hauptman

Until May 2027

Matthew Gayda Cavanaugh

Until May 2027

/s/ Ashley B. Frisbie Designated Election Official

Contact Person for District: Kristin B. Tompkins, Esq.

WHITE BEAR ANKELE TANAKA & WALDRON

Attorneys at Law

2154 E. Commons Avenue, Suite 2000 Centennial, Colorado 80122

(303) 858-1800

Legal Notice No. 416173

First Publication: April 20, 2023

Last Publication: April 20, 2023

Publisher: Jeffco Transcript and the Arvada Press

Public Notice

NOTICE OF CANCELLATION OF ELECTION and CERTIFIED STATEMENT OF RESULTS

LEYDEN ROCK METROPOLITAN DISTRICT

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to § 1-13.5-513(6), C.R.S., that, at the close of business on February 28, 2023, there were not more candidates than offices to be filled, including candidates filing affidavits of intent to be write-in candidates, for Leyden Rock Metropolitan District (the “District”). Therefore, the election for the District to be held on May 2, 2023 is hereby cancelled.

The following candidates for the District are declared elected by acclamation:

Brett G. Vernon Until May 2027

Scott J. PlummerUntil May 2027

s/ Ashley B. Frisbie

Designated Election Official

Contact Person for District: Megan J. Murphy, Esq.

WHITE BEAR ANKELE TANAKA & WALDRON

Attorneys at Law

2154 E. Commons Avenue, Suite 2000 Centennial, Colorado 80122

(303) 858-1800

Legal Notice No. 416188

First Publication: April 20, 2023

Last Publication: April 20, 2023

Publisher: Jeffco Transcript and the Arvada Press

Public Notice

NOTICE OF CANCELLATION OF ELECTION and CERTIFIED STATEMENT OF RESULTS

HANCE RANCH METROPOLITAN DISTRICT

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to § 1-13.5513(6), C.R.S., that, at the close of business on February 28, 2023, there were not more candidates than offices to be filled, including candidates filing affidavits of intent to be write-in candidates, for Hance Ranch Metropolitan District (the “District”). Therefore, the election for the District to be held on May 2, 2023 is hereby cancelled.

The following candidates for the District are declared elected by acclamation:

John Hood Until May 2027 Nick Bergman Until May 2027 /s/ Ashley B. Frisbie Designated Election Official Contact Person for District: Kristin B. Tompkins, Esq.

(303) 858-1800

Legal Notice No. 416171

First Publication: April 20, 2023

Last Publication: April 20, 2023

Publisher: Jeffco Transcript and the Arvada Press Public Notice

NOTICE OF CANCELLATION OF ELECTION and CERTIFIED STATEMENT OF RESULTS

SABELL METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to § 1-13.5-513(6), C.R.S., that, at the close of business on February 28, 2023, there were not more candidates than offices to be filled, including candidates filing affidavits of intent to be write-in candidates, for Sabell Metropolitan District (the “District”). Therefore, the election for the District to be held on May 2, 2023 is hereby cancelled. The following candidates for the District are declared elected by acclamation: Guillaume Pouchot

State Sen. James Coleman, D-Denver. COURTESY PHOTOS

Former State Rep. Colin Larson, R-Je erson County.