Arvada Press 051823

Second Saturdays kick o in Arvada

A bittersweet Arbor Day at Peck Elementary

Peck celebrated its 37th — and final — Arbor Day

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In the last 37 years, over 1,800 Peck Elementary School students have planted nearly 500 trees at parks across the city in recognition of Arbor Day — an annual occasion that celebrates the value of trees within the community, which was rst observed in Arvada in 1987 thanks to former Peck teacher Dudley Weiland.

On May 11, Peck students celebrated the nal Arbor Day before the elementary school closes at the end of the school year. To commemorate the bittersweet occasion, Peck fth graders teamed up with Arvada’s Forestry Team to plant 37 trees at Sunset Ridge Park — one for each year Peck observed Arbor Day.

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Olde Town Arvada’s Second Saturdays Concert Series and Street Fair kicked o in Arvada on May 13, with vendors lling the streets and musical performances from Night Routine on the Grandview Stage and Boot Gun in the Square.

e rst of four events this year, Second Saturday was threatened by looming clouds throughout the evening, which luckily didn’t materialize into major rainfall.

“We are excited to have kicked o our 11th Annual Second Saturday Summer

For the rst Arrvada Arbor Day, Weiland teamed up with former City Forester Craig Hillegass to plan the event, which seeks to promote education about the bene ts of tree preservation and planting of trees themselves.

“I remember going up to Peck Elementary School and sitting down in one of (Weiland’s) classrooms in the little chairs for the fth and sixth graders, and we planned this thing out and how we were going to do it,” Hillegass said. “ e rst year was at Lady Bug Park.

“I still go by there. e trees we planted way back then are still there. We planted a Green Ash that’s probably 40 feet tall now. We could drive around Arvada now and remember all the Arbor Days and all the trees we planted.”

For some former Peck students, like Maureen Worley, Arbor Day

Shoppers browse the vendor booths.

Night Routine capped o the night on the Grandview stage.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF STEPHANIE PAUL

ARBOR DAY

has come full circle: Worley rst participated as a student and now works for Arvada’s parks team.

“Mr. Weiland and (former Peck Principal) Kathy Frank are awesome people,” Worley said. “Mr. Weiland was the best teacher I ever had, and I still remember him to this day – my most in uential teacher.”

Going forward, the city will commemorate Arbor Day by partnering with a di erent elementary school in Arvada and continuing the legacy started by Peck, according to Sean Star, Vibrant Community and Neighborhoods Communication Manager with the city of Arvada.

“Arbor Day is an important event that celebrates the value and bene ts of trees in our community. It’s an opportunity for us to come together, learn about the importance of trees, and plant new trees to improve our environment,” City Forester Ian McDonald said. “ is year as we celebrate Arbor Day with Peck Elementary for the nal time, I want to re ect on the history of this event and the impact it’s had on our community.”

McDonald added that over the past 37 years, more than 400 trees have been planted with Peck Elementary. “ ese trees have grown to provide shade, clean air and habitat for wildlife,” McDonald said. “We have here today people that have been involved in that process since the beginning.”

Peck Principal Deb Pearce said she has appreciated the unwavering partnership between the city and the school.

“We’ve not had a break in our service and partnership with Arvada since 1987,” Pearce said. “To have 37 trees commemorating our 37 years of partnership is really special.”

From the Administration and Staff of Arvada West High School

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE CITY OF ARVADA

A group of students work together to plant a tree at Sunset Ridge Park.

Peck students and Arvada city sta braved the rain to plant trees.

The TRN Grandview brings “the turn” to Olde Town Arvada

New golf simulator/bar is now open

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Golfers have a term for where the front nine holes transition to the back nine: “the turn.”

e turn is traditionally where players will break and enjoy a break

and a refreshment — and now, that experience is available in the heart of Olde Town Arvada thanks to e TRN Grandview; a new bar and golf simulator located in the historic district.

TRN Grandview is located at 5601 Yukon Street and held its grand opening over the weekend of May 12 and 13.

“ e ‘TRN’ stands for the turn on Grandview, but it’s also the turn in golf between the 9th and the 10th

holes when you typically have drinks and refreshments,” said TRN Grandview owner Kent McCurdy. “So, it’s kind of a dual thing.”

For the last 14 years, McCurdy has been the owner of Brute Force Training, a performance-focused athletic training center located just outside of Olde Town.

His love of golf, which McCurdy said is “something I enjoy doing with my friends,” inspired McCurdy to purchase the old mechanic shop at

the corner of Grandview and Yukon — literally “the turn” into Olde Town.

“I love Arvada, I love the community,” McCurdy said. “Olde Town’s right here; I was just looking for something new to do. I started looking in Olde Town — I’ve always liked this building, in particular, it stands out a bit in Olde Town. So, I just thought that this would be a great t

Liv-Connected: A Newer Player in the Rapidly Growing Modular Home Industry

As regular readers know, I’ve written several columns on technological developments in home construction and especially in the field of manufactured/modular home construction.

This week I was made aware of Liv-Connected, a 2018 startup which really got going during the pandemic when one of their partners, who was in the live event business building compact and readily deployed stage sets found himself with no work and turned his attention to compact and readily deployed modular housing. At first, the company worked to improve upon the typical FEMA trailer being deployed to disaster areas, but then to the housing industry itself, beset as it was with labor shortages, supply-chain problems, and a soaring demand for second or remote homes.

Manufacturing home components in a warehouse has inherent efficiencies, but the cost of delivery of the finished home and/or its components to the build site

needs to be factored in. For homes to be installed on a foundation, transportation costs for most manufacturers are inflated by the need to use wide-load trucks and pilot cars and to pay the associated permit fees. LivConnected’s concept eliminates that need by breaking down the segments of the house and roof into components (see diagram at right) that can be delivered on one standard semi trailer (below) and linked together in one day at the build site.

The bathroom and kitchen modules are fully equipped at the factory with fixtures and appliances

design allows the addition of more bedrooms at a later date, as illustrated at www.liv-connected.com

Part of Liv-Connected’s business is building tiny homes or Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) under the brand Via, for which delivery costs are less because the homes are on a trailer chassis. The buyer could take delivery of them at the company’s Pennsylvania factory.

I have posted the link to a June 2022 article on Forbes.com about the modular home industry, comparing and contrasting Liv-Connect’s business strategy with that of other off-site housing manufacturers. See www.GoldenREblog.com for that link. I also posted a link there for an informative 9-minute video by Kerry Tarnow, an independent YouTuber.

and can be mixed and matched to create the desired end result. Also, the modular

The ‘We Buy Ugly Houses’ Company, HomeVestors, Is Slammed in an Investigative Pro-Publica Article

HomeVestors of America is a franchisor of its “ugly homes” concept and now has over 1,100 franchisees, including here in the Denver area. The chief benefit of being a franchisee is the company’s national advertising which you have surely seen on billboards and in other media.

HomeVestors also trains its franchisees on lead generation, which was the subject of a May 11th article by ProPublica, co-published with the Dallas Morning News and Shelterforce.

To quote from the article:

HomeVestors, the self-proclaimed “largest homebuyer in the United States,” goes to great lengths to distinguish itself from the hedge funds and YouTube gurus that have taken over large swaths of the real estate investment market. The company says it helps homeowners out of jams — ugly houses and ugly situations — improving lives and communities by taking on properties no one else would buy. Part of that mission is a promise not to take advantage of anyone who doesn’t understand the true value of their home, even as franchisees pursue rock-bottom prices.

Pro-Publica’s investigation, which included “interviews with 48 former franchisees and dozens of homeowners who have sold to its franchises” found that franchisees “used deception and targeted the elderly, infirm and those so close to poverty that they feared homelessness” if they sold.

One former franchise owner said they were trained to lie.

We in the real estate industry are familiar with various tried-and-true prospects for listing a home, including couples that have recently divorced, or where an elderly husband or wife has just died, but HomeVestors apparently “goes the extra mile” in that regard.

A former employee of an ad agency hired by HomeVestors is cited as saying that the ad agency’s owner bragged about being able to target homeowners who had recently broken a hip, saying that the injury “is effectively a 60-day countdown to death — and, possibly, a deal.”

I have posted a link to the full ProPublica article on our company blog, www.GoldenREblog.com

Off-site construction has multiple advantages, including all-weather and yearround construction, much reduced waste, and much improved insulation. There’s also less loss due to vandalism or theft from the build site.

On-site work is limited to building the foundation with its entry points for water, sewer and other utilities, prematched to the underside of the LivConnect modules. Those connections, when done right, consume only about four hours of the one-day installation process. The driver of the truck is a LivConnect employee who is part of the installation crew.

Being in the tiny home business with

its Via product line provides the company with protection from the boom-andbust nature of the modular construction industry, since that line has a more consistent demand cycle. For starters, a good inventory of Via homes on wheels could be quickly sold and deployed to disaster areas and to cities looking for an affordable approach to housing the unhoused or migrants.

The prices for Via homes start under $100,000. The prices for the modular homes, under the brand Connexus, start at $150,000.

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So Many New Types of Scams! Here Are Some We’re Seeing

I’m so offended by the texts and emails I receive which are clearly from scammers. I don’t want you to be a victim, so let me describe some of them.

At least once or twice a day I get an email labeled “payment notification,” “deposit notification,” “ACH transfer completed,” or something similar with no message, only an attachment. But the attachment is not a PDF or document, it’s a file with the suffix “.htm” or “.html,” signifying that it’s a website. I could be pretty sure that by clicking on that link I would have my computer or

iPhone infected with some kind of coding which would open me up to identity theft or worse. Don’t click on any link that’s a website!

Text messages are an increasing source of dubious and unsavory contacts. Many of them simply try to start a conversation with a greeting, but the number is from a strange area code. Delete those! If it’s a real person, they will call you if you’ve ignored the text.

My blog post at GoldenREblog.com has many more examples and in greater detail.

Jim Smith

Broker/Owner, 303-525-1851

Jim@GoldenRealEstate.com

1214 Washington Ave., Golden 80401

Broker Associates:

JIM SWANSON, 303-929-2727

CHUCK BROWN, 303-885-7855

DAVID DLUGASCH,

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for it, and the building was available for sale.”

TRN Grandview has a full-service bar — with draft beers, canned beers, wine and cocktails — two golf simulator bays, a putt-putt course on the patio and food trucks ursday through Sunday.

McCurdy said that he hopes that TRN will become a go-to activity in Olde Town, which he feels is missing.

“And I also thought, you know, Olde Town needed some kind of activity,” McCurdy said. ”Down here, there’s lots of really good restaurants and bars and businesses, but there’s not really anything to do if you’re looking for an activity for a corporate event or birthday party. I’m interested in having something to come out here and do, outside of sitting down and getting food or drinks.”

While the putt-putt course is free to play, the simulators may be rented by the hour, either by reservation or by walk-in. McCurdy said that individuals usually rent the bays for an hour and groups, which typically range in size from four to six people, typically rent the bays for two hours. Folks can bring their own clubs or use TRN’s, which are available for both right and left-handed people. e simulators use infrared sensors to track over 30 metrics includ-

ing ball spin, angle, axis of the ball, clubhead, speed, ball velocity and trajectory.

TRN has two simulation software systems; GSPro and TGC 2019. Between the two, there are over 1,000 courses available to play through, and many di erent game modes.

“You can jump on and just play a match; you can play with friends or by yourself,” McCurdy said. “ ere’s also practice modes where you can jump on and hit certain holes or go to a driving range. ere’s also a put-put course on one of these,

and there are kids’ games that are tailored to shorter courses.”

McCurdy said he feels the simulators are more accessible for beginner golfers and more useful, performance-wise, for advanced players.

“ ey’re more approachable (than a driving range) because if you’re not a golfer, they’re really easy to hit

in, play di erent games, things like that,” McCurdy said. “But for the serious golfer, the metrics and the numbers that you get o of this are a lot more accurate than Topgolf, for example. So, they will translate better to a typical golf game.”

TRN Grandview is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

The outside of TRN Grandview, Arvada’s newest — only? — bar/golf simulator.

TRN Grandview Owner Kent McCurdy stands in front of the bar. PHOTOS BY RYLEE DUNN

Concert Series and Street Festival,” Olde Town Business Improvement District Marketing and Events Director Stephanie Paul said. “ is year we are aiming to highlight local original bands to focus on how talented our community is. Each Second Saturday will highlight new local bands and new activations to enjoy the summer nights in Olde Town.”

e next Second Saturdays are scheduled for June 10, July 8 and August 12.

Meet Lily!

Lily (277204) is a 9-year-old female cat with blue eyes and silvery coat. She can be a bit of a tender soul but, when comfortable with someone, her sweet side really comes out. She leans into those nice cheek-scratches and will politely request more. Lily is likely to benefit from a slow and thoughtful introduction to her new home. For her comfort in her senior years, Lily is recommended for a quieter family with older or no kids and, ideally, where she’ll be the one-and-only pet. 303.278.7575

Artisan vendors peddle their wares.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF STEPHANIE PAUL

‘Who Are We?’

BY BRUCE GOLDBERG SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Social studies teacher Kelly Cvancier was determined to create a comprehensive curriculum that paid tribute to the dozens of women enshrined in the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame.

Cvancier teaches AP government, politics and civics for ninth graders at Bear Creek High School in Lakewood. She is also a cultural partner of National History Day Colorado, something she’s been involved with since 1995. National History Day is a nonpro t education organization that exists to improve the teaching and learning of history.

“I think holistically, our students need to be challenged by something more than a sit-and-learn experience,” Cvancier said. “We need to make education personal as well as make it relevant.”

e result of her determination is a well-researched, highly informative curriculum that the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, in partnership with the University of Colorado-Denver and the Colorado Student Leaders Institute, unveiled in March.

Called “Who Are We?,” the curriculum serves to educate people about what makes Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame inductees worthy of entering the hall, and to explain who they are. It is meant to grab the attention of, and serve as a resource for, students, teachers and anyone with an interest in Colorado history.

“It is our hope that ‘Who Are We?’ will inspire future generations to recognize the important role of women in shaping history and encourage them to become leaders in their own right,” said Barb Beckner, chair of the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, in a news release.

e curriculum is available online as a free, downloadable PDF for everyone, including schools and educators in Colorado. It is aligned to the latest set of Colorado social studies standards and includes lessons, suggested readings and project-based learning assignments for grades K-12.

“I wrote it for K-12 teachers because the lessons in the curriculum are to teach about a Colorado woman at every grade level,” Cvancier said.

Celeste Archer, who serves as the executive director of National History Day Colorado, told Cvancier

that many high school students in Colorado needed to create a capstone social studies project, speci c to Colorado, in order to graduate from high school. e curriculum can assist with such graduation capstone experiences, and can o er students of any grade level the opportunity to study an exemplar from our own state, Cvancier said.

“History makes a personal connection to each of our kids,” Cvancier said. “ ey can say, ‘oh, that person lives down the road from me. I can be like her.’ Project-based learning that is close to home is the key to engage our students.”

Additionally, through the many partnerships that National History Day has, not-for-pro t groups can have students use the relevant history of an organization to complete projects.

Wings Over the Rockies is just one of those not-forpro t groups.

“So, kids who do projects on aviators or aircraft have somewhere to go to access primary source materials,” Cvancier said.

“Who Are We” not only enables students to examine the history of women through topics of personal interest, but also provides an opportunity for any Colorado resident who does not know as much about Colorado’s roster of high-achieving women than they would like to.

“ is inspired resource shines a light on a phenomenal group of female changemakers in the state of Colorado,” Archer said in a news release, “and it provides a wonderful opportunity for Colorado students to get to know these trailblazers in the classroom, in a more meaningful way than they have ever before.”

To learn more about the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame or the “Who Are We?” curriculum, visit cogreatwomen.org.

Barb Beckner, chair of Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, left, and Celeste Archer, executive director of National History Day in Colorado, stand with a life-size version of the ‘Who Are We?’ curriculum cover.

PHOTO BY JAY WEISE

What’s Working: Back and forth recession fears continue

BY TAMARA CHUANG THE COLORADO SUN

Even as the number of Coloradans ling to start a new business hit a new high this year, a “light” recession may come sooner than later, said economists from the University of Colorado during the Secretary of State’s quarterly economic update this month.

It was a week, after all, where another bank failed and the Federal Reserve increased interest rates. And it followed a recent report that the nation’s economic growth saw a signi cant slowdown in the rst quarter.

“It’s already increasing lending standards and it’s requiring the banks to be more cautious about making loans,” said Richard Wobbekind, senior economist and faculty director at the Business Research Division at CU’s Leeds School of Business. “ at could really slow down small business in particular given the types of banks we’re talking about.”

e Leeds economists have been hinting at a recession for several quarters but were pinning it to the second half of 2023. “It was some-

what of a disappointing rst quarter,” Brian Lewandowski, executive director of CU’s Business Research Division, said during the news conference ursday.

A bright spot? Consumer spend-

ing. It grew at an annual rate of 3.7%, which was better than the fourth quarter growth of 1%.

“ at’s notable because there are all of these headwinds on the consumer that we continue to be worried about, ranging from negative real wage growth to consumers facing higher in ation, taking on more debt and paying higher interest rates,” Lewandowski said. “ ese are all things that should logically point to a slowdown in consumption. But, in fact, rst quarter consumption came in pretty strong.”

Next up is jobs and whether the slowing job growth in Colorado will improve. e state’s lagging job growth rate of 1.2% last year ranked Colorado as the second slowest state nationwide, behind West Virginia.

But the state Department of Labor and Employment said the number was likely undercounted and revisions of 17,400 are expected. at would improve Colorado’s outlook but still put the state around a 2% job growth rate last year, ranking it around 39th or 40th in the nation, Lewandowski said.

“A lot of this rests on hiring nationally,” he said. “I think what keeps us between slow growth and light recession is the pace of job growth.”

e number of job openings in the state translates to 2.4 job openings for every unemployed Coloradan.

View the Quarterly Business & Economic Indicators 1Q 2023 report April job growth better than expected. e U.S. added 253,000 jobs in April, which beat forecasts. It was lower than the average monthly gain of 290,000 for the past six months but was unexpected considering the recent economic turmoil of the banking and tech industries. e nation’s unemployment rate came in at

3.4% for the month, down from 3.5% in March. >>

NY Times

UCCS outlook on recession: Yes, no, maybe?

Translating economic data seems like a Sisyphean task and one that is most accurate in retrospect. Economist Joe Craig addressed the topic earlier this week during a public meeting for the University of Colorado Colorado Springs Economic Forum, where he serves as interim director.

“People always ask, ‘Are we going into recession?’” Craig said. “Maybe? Probably? I don’t know. If you guys have been paying attention to my dashboard, I swear I switch every month.”

e important thing, he said, is that people have jobs.

“Do you feel like you’re in a recession if you’re still employed and you can still meet all of your bills? Probably not,” he said. “A lot of what life is about is how do you feel about it? If you have a job, if you’re working, if you’re not worried about being evicted next month, even if you are in a recession, I’d argue that most people are OK with that situation. Maybe they’re not happy. ey’re not taking all the vacations they want to take, but they’re still employed.”

El Paso County had a 2.8% unemployment rate in March, which he called “crazy low.” Unemployment rates are pretty low all over the place, including Colorado’s 2.8% and the U.S. at 3.6%. at’s showing that even though wages are up, it’s still hard for employers to hire, he said. Hence, the back and forth with the recession since more jobs show growth.

For now, data from the Pikes Peak Workforce Center is showing that there are 43,000 job openings compared to 10,000 unemployed workers in Colorado Springs. at’s four jobs for every unemployed worker. It’s the skills mismatch that causes the disconnect, so that’s why job training is a priority at the workforce center.

In Colorado Springs, the top types of job openings were registered nurses, software developers and computer workers.

“ ere’s a skills mismatch, and that’s a problem,” he said. “ e upside is we do have people who want jobs.”

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

Residents pay about $8.43 in tax to the district per $1,000 of assessed property value in 2023. SHUTTERSTOCK

Denver Philharmonic Orchestra celebrates its 75th anniversary

BY BRUCE GOLDBERG SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Oldies but goodies, indeed.

e Denver Philharmonic Orchestra is celebrating its 75 this year, and it is planning a jubilant throwback concert.

“We’ve been operating continuously for 75 years and putting on wonderful concerts for the community for all those years,” said Lawrence Golan, DPO’s conductor since 2013. “ is particular concert is the culmination of our 75th anniversary, basically a re-creation of May 18, 1948, which was our rst concert.”

e 75th anniversary Crown Jewel program takes place on May 25 on the Antonia Brico Stage at Central Presbyterian Church, 1660 Sherman St., in Denver.

The renowned Antonia Brico

By the time she had settled in Denver, Antonia Brico had conducted professional orchestras in Europe and the U.S., including the Berlin Philharmonic and New York Philharmonic.

According to the DPO’s website, Brico saw a “need for a classical music venue to showcase the talents of local, classically trained musicians ‘with no place to play.’”

She founded the DPO as the Denver Businessmen’s Orchestra in 1948.

Brico, who lived from 1902-1989, continued to conduct the DPO until her retirement in the 1980s. Today, she is the namesake of the stage that the DPO performs on.

Same music, di erent eras Golan plans to boost the nostalgia quotient of the Crown Jewel concert with performances from the

organization’s inaugural program. It will include three selections from the 1948 show, including Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Coriolan Overture,” “En Saga” by Jean Sibelius and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Symphony No. 40.”

“ e original concert was much longer, two or three hours,” Golan said. “At that time, it was before television, and (it) was a time really used for live entertainment (and) live events, whether it was theater, opera, symphony.”

Today, there’s many forms of entertainment — including TV and the internet — and more things that families do together, Golan added.

“Everybody is so busy these days,” he said, “and concerts tend to be short.”

He expects the Crown Jewel program will last about an hourand-a-half to two hours, including intermission.

More Than Music

Attendees will also get to participate in the DPO’s More an Music.

ese events are themed for each concert and o er an additional ex-

perience to the concert. More an Music ranges from pre-concert chats, during which concert-goers learn insight into the program’s music, to post-concert receptions where concert-goers can enjoy refreshments and meet the musi-

To get an idea of how the More an Music themes work, when DPO performed its Celtic Celebration around St. Patrick’s Day, the program included both Scottish and Irish music — Mendelssohn’s Scottish symphony, as well as an Irish piece of the Brendan Voyage, written by Shawn Davey, a living

“Before the concert, and during intermission, there were more happenings, such as serving Irish whiskey and Scotch, plus tastings and Irish step dancing,” Golan said. “For the kids, we had miniature

He added that the sport was born

Roger Haak joins the DPO

As DPO reaches back this year, the organization recently welcomed Roger Haak as its new executive director.

Haak replaces Valerie Clausen, who is transitioning from the position after 11 years. Clausen has been a violinist in the orchestra for 17 years, and it is expected she will continue to serve the DPO.

Haak’s background includes work with the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, and the Artosphere Festival Orchestra in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He also is a classically trained vocalist and a new talent coordinator at Comedy Works in Denver, which occasionally requires a little standup on his part.

Haak comes to DPO from the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, where he was VIP ticketing manager.

“I’m like a one-stop shop,” Haak said, adding his role with the DPO touches upon just about every detail involved in running such a unique organization. e DPO “enables me to incorporate everything I learned at DCPA and elsewhere.”

A local connection

Antonia Brico was a trailblazer, Haak said. She was told that she could not be a conductor of an orchestra based solely on her gender, he added.

But “she came to Denver, and now we get to perform this again in Denver,” Haak said of the Crown Jewel concert. “ ere’s a real local connection happening here.”

To learn more about the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra, or to purchase tickets to its Crown Jewel concert, visit denverphilharmonic. org.

In this historic photo, Antonia Brico, conductor, stands with the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra. Today, Brico is the namesake of the stage that the orchestra performs on at the Central Presbyterian Church in Denver. COURTESY PHOTO; COPYRIGHT ROBERT B. DALLENBACH

The Denver Philharmonic Orchestra performs in 2019 on the Antonia Brico Stage at Central Presbyterian Church, 1660 Sherman St., in Denver.

PHOTO BY AMANDA TIPTON PHOTOGRAPHY

VOICES

Will nuclear energy arrive on time and at cost?

Oliver Stone has a new movie, “Nuclear Now,” that made its Colorado debut in Boulder on May 1. In it, Stone argues that the grave risks posed by climate change require we embrace nuclear energy.

A few hours before, at a hearing in Denver, state legislators heard an even more urgent equation. “Anybody who opposes nuclear I believe is a climate denier,” an individual testi ed before the Senate Transportation and Energy Committee.

And in Pueblo that evening, city council members heard about a committee formed by Xcel Energy to study options to replace tax base, jobs, and electrical generation once the last coal plant there closes. e group will hear about nuclear.

In the background is the federal government, o ering gambling money on all sorts of decarbonization solutions, including nuclear.

People on the left and right nd common ground in support of nuclear energy, but their motivations di er. Some, like Stone, the movie-maker, are driven by the existential danger posed by climate change. Even the pleasant days of spring are spoiled by news that the carbon dioxide detector atop Mauna Loa recently rolled past 425 parts per million, up from 315 ppm in the 1950s. We’re dancing ever farther on the snow cornice, ddling with our phones in busy tra c. We’re irting

BIG PIVOTS

with real danger here.

Some in Colorado see nuclear energy replacing coal plants. e last coal unit at Pueblo will close no later than 2031. Xcel has guaranteed property tax revenues through 2040, but not to 2070, the original retirement date. Craig also faces giant uncertainties. Increased tourism?

“We don’t want to become sheetchangers,” one Mo at County landowner told me.

Western Montrose County, where a uranium boom occurred during the 1950s — and which lost a small coal plant in 2019, is also interested in nuclear.

HB23-1247, titled “Assess Advanced Energy Solutions in Colorado,” now awaiting the governor’s signature, will direct study of nuclear energy but also other options. All have upsides but questions marks. Green hydrogen, made from renewables and water, can store energy for use when renewables are unavailable. However, the technology remains costly. Too, some scientists question whether accidental release of hydrogen into the atmosphere will create as many problems as it solves.

Nuclear can also backup intermit-

tent renewables. Nuclear does provide 20% of U.S. electricity. We have a eet of nuclear-powered submarines. ey seem to operate without problems. But some questions remain about nuclear safety. Would you want a large-scale reactor in your town or city? I have to also wonder about nuclear technology falling into the wrong hands.

Many have been closely following the progress in Wyoming of a nuclear plant planned next to a coal plant at Kemmerer. TerraPower,  the company founded by Bill Gates in 2008, says it will require less water and produce less nuclear fuel waste while plugging nicely into old coal plants. It projects cost of $4 billion for this plant that will use Natrium technology.

WyoFile reported that while in Kemmerer during early May, Gates called it a “pioneering move,” key to the global energy future. is project is projected to be ready in in 2030. Paci Corp, a major regional power provider,  has said it could add ve more such Natrium reactors at existing coal- red plants in Wyoming and Utah.

Another potential model is assembly-line-style production of small modular reactors, lowering costs. at sounds appealing, but by de nition that model will not replace the big coal plants at Pueblo and Craig. For that matter, it does not yet exist.

Here in Colorado, I hear people with degrees in nuclear engineering ex-

press doubts about nuclear. State Sen. Chris Hansen, at the recent legislative hearing, objected to how a witness had characterized his skepticism about nuclear. “It has nothing to do with science or technology,” said Hansen, who has a degree in nuclear engineering. “It’s the cost pro le.” He cited a recent Georgia reactor that came in at $33 billion, three times the projected cost. It’s not the only example.

Chuck Kutscher got his master’s degree in nuclear engineering and worked in the nuclear sector California before turning his attention to solar in 1978 and moving to Colorado. “New  nuclear power plants, including new U.S. reactor technologies currently under development, will likely be too expensive and take too long to build to make a signi cant contribution to climate change mitigation,” he says.

In Boulder, Oliver Stone’s movie talked little of costs. But in Pueblo, a representative of Idaho National Laboratory, speaking to a municipal energy study group, openly conceded that cost remains the million dollar question. She misplaced a comma or two in that string of zeroes, though. It’s the billion dollar question. Many billions.

Allen Best publishes Big Pivots, which chronicles the energy and water transitions in Colorado and beyond. Subscriptions are free at bigpivots.com; donations are welcomed.

Soil health at Chatfield Farms

Farmers do everything. ey are mechanics, botanists, naturalists, athletes and some even believe themselves to be meteorologists. In the age of the regenerative agriculture movement, farmers need to become biologists, or more specically, soil ecologists.

Soil ecology is the study of the seemingly limitless universe beneath our feet. In just a teaspoon of healthy soil, there are over one billion bacterial individuals and more than six miles of fungal mycelium. It would take seven years to recite the names of all the bacterial species in a compost pile. How do the trillions of soil microbes inter-

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Rutger Meyers

act? It’s likely we’ll never truly know. A broad understanding of the soil ecosystem, however, can change a farmer’s mindset.

e most productive soil in the world from an old growth forest contains far less plant-available nutrients than are recommended for agricultural soil. How could ‘nutrient-de cient’ soil — teeming with soil microbes — produce the largest plants on the planet?

Nutrients are released when microscopic predators consume bacteria. Nematodes, protozoa and microscopic insects ‘poop’ out nutrients that plants

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are able to consume. Plant roots absorb those nutrients through a web of fungi. Fungal networks expand the reach of roots and create highways inside root hairs. As satis ed plants then release ‘exudates,’ which attract more bacteria and fungi, the cycle continues. Without these characters to play their parts, soil turns into lifeless dirt.

Conventional soil management has disrupted the soil ecosystem. Without microscopic predators, bacteria or fungi to assist plant roots, farmers are forced to overfeed plants with fertilizers. e excess nutrients that aren’t washed away are consumed by a monoculture of bacteria, reproduc-

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ing rapidly and unchecked by predators. Without predators to consume bacteria, the soil ecosystem becomes unbalanced. e resulting population of disease-causing bacteria release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Realistically, not all farmers have the time to study microscopy. rough the eyes of a microscope, a farmer can witness the soil ecosystem in action, but studying soil ecology doesn’t require a microscope. Diversity in critters — worms, ladybugs, roly-polies, etc. — is an indication of a balanced biology.

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Find the power of family in ‘The Oldest Boy’

When does a performer become the character they’re playing? at’s not an easy question to answer and it gets even more challenging when that performer is a puppet. But the creative minds behind Miners Alley Playhouse’s new production, “ e Oldest Boy” are more than up to that challenge.   e show tells the story of an American mother and Tibetan father whose three-year-old son is believed to be the reincarnation of a Buddhist lama. And that son is brought to life on stage by a puppet.

“ is allows us to play with the idea of reincarnation in a really interesting way,” said Len Matheo, director of the show and Miners Alley’s producing artistic director. “It’s a really witty, lovely show about all the separations we experience through life. And the way the puppet comes to life is absolute magic.”

“ e Oldest Boy: A Play in ree Ceremonies” runs at Miners Alley, 1224 Washington Ave. in Golden, through Sunday, June 11. Performances at 7:30 p.m. ursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Written by Sarah Ruhl and featuring performances from Peter Trinh, Lisa DeCaro, Rob Payo, Tess Fuqua and Tim Inthavong, the show follows the family as they grapple with what to do when a Tibetan lama and a monk arrive at their home. e travelers want to take their child away for a life of spiritual training in India and the parents must decide if they can allow that or not.

To ensure the production properly portrayed and honored Tibetan culture, Miners Alley worked with Golden’s Sherpa House Restaurant and Cultural Center and were even given traditional clothing to use as costumes.

But the bulk of the work went into the development and characterization of the puppet character. Cory Gilstrap, design and production coordinator at Imagined Designs, collaborated with artist Kamala Presswalla to make a puppet that could fully come to life on stage. e result is a Japanese Bunraku puppet that allows both the rest of the

COMING ATTRACTIONS

cast and the audience to fully immerse themselves in the momentous decision the family must

on Sunday, May 21. Attendees will select from more than 20 trucks and can also enjoy live music, amusement rides and more. Find all the details at www.foodtruckcarnival. com.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Fruit Bats at the Ogden Theatre

Even without a microscope, understanding what healthy soil looks, feels and smells like can inform better practices. Undisturbed soil will evolve with its plant inhabitants. Rich brown, textured soil that smells like a forest will feed a vegetable plant on its own, without nutrient additives. A calculated ‘less is more’ soil management approach gives our soil a chance to breathe.

Regenerative agriculture rede nes the farmers’ relationship with nature. Humans’ senses have evolved

Clarke Reader

“ ere have been moments where just working on the blocking has made us cry,” Gilstrap said. “Something happens with puppets when performers interact with them properly. You can hear the audience gasp or applaud spontaneously.”

Performing with a puppet in a way that is believable and a ecting to the audience goes beyond using it as some kind of prop. As Gilstrap explains, it’s all about the details.

“Every motion needs to have a complete intent and there can be nothing left to chance,” he said. “It’s not just a matter of interacting with the puppet — it’s choosing moments with a character.”

e magical realism element of the puppet performance enhances “ e Oldest Boy’s”ability to provide an opportunity to investigate the power of parenthood and celebrate a culture that many may not know much about.

“I hope audiences come away touched by the mother’s journey and the erceness of her response in making sure her child is safe and loved,” Matheo said. “I also want them to get a sense of this amazing multicultural community that is right here in Golden.”

Find information and tickets at https://minersalley.com/the-oldestboy/.

Meals on wheels at annual Food Truck Carnival

e sixth annual Food Truck Carnival at E.B. Rains Jr. Memorial Park, 11800 Community Center Drive in Northglenn, provides diners with the opportunity to see rsthand just how many delicious food trucks the metro area o ers.

e carnival will be from 4 to 9 p.m. on Friday, May 19, noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 20 and noon to 5 p.m.

with plants — the smell of healthy soil triggers serotonin production in the human brain. Alternatively, our negative reaction to the putrid smell of greenhouse gases produced by harmful bacteria warns us of toxicity. ese ne-tuned deep intuitions can become regenerative farmer’s almanac. By working in tandem with natural soil ecosystems, farmers can reduce the labor and expenses of disruptive soil tillage and chemical fertilizer application. Soil naturally wants to grow plants. By accepting help from nature, farmers can grow healthier plants more e ciently.

Rutger Meyers is a soil health technician for the Denver Botanic Gardens.

Visit the desert with Kenzie Sitterud at PlatteForum

PlatteForum’s resident artist, Kenzie Sitterud, is tapping into the rich cultural vein of the American West with their free exhibit, “To Dusk,” which runs through June 6 at the Annex Gallery, 3575 Ringsby Court, Unit 103, in Denver.

According to provided information, “To Dusk” replicates the landscape of the Utah desert by mixing interior and exterior spaces, “natural resources and waste from acts of consumption.” Visit https://platteforum. org/events/sitterud for full details.

ere’s a subtle art to making music that works best when played on a backyard patio during the summer, and on his latest album as Fruit Bats, singer/songwriter Eric D. Johnson has it gured out. Like the best of Fruit Bats, “A River Running to Your Heart” blends warmth with a wry sentimentalism that immediately makes for the project’s most welcoming release to date.

In support of the album, Fruit Bats will be stopping by the Ogden eatre, 935 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver, at 8 p.m. on Friday, May 19. ey’ll be joined by electronic nostalgia explorer Kolumbo. Buy 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.

BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

On most Tuesdays and ursdays and some Saturdays, a team of bikers meets to explore Colorado’s network of trails.

e group connects at a co ee shop in downtown Denver. When the weather isn’t too hot, it’s after work around 4 or 5 p.m. In the dead of summer, it’s usually in the morning.

ey sip on espresso and decide where they want to ride that day. It could be on the bike lanes of Denver, the 36 Bikeway to Boulder, the Platte River Trail to Brighton or other suburbs. Most of the time, it involves a stop along the way.

“We would go down the Platte River Trail to the C 470 trail and then Krispy Kremes along there. We call it the Krispy 50. It’s a 50-mile loop,” said Ted Schultz, one of the riders in the group.

e group started after Schultz and two colleagues in his o ce space decided to start riding together after work. Schultz rode with a few others and combined the two groups.

After the ride, they go to a brewery to catch up with one another and relax after the ride.

Colorado’s network of trails

Part of the reason the group exists is due to Colorado’s extensive bike trail infrastructure. Schultz said it’s only improved in the past two decades.

“When you add up the miles of really good trails, it’s just mind-boggling,” he said.

Schultz, who grew up in Colorado, said understanding for cyclists sharing the road and building more infrastructure has vastly grown. In the 70s

and 80s, he could almost count on angry driver backlash during his rides. Now, not so much.

Much of that may be due to more focus on improving trails and streets.

e Denver Regional Council of Governments built a map that shows all the trails and bike lanes across the region. ey stretch all the way from Boulder to Clear Creek to Castle Rock.

And more may be coming. e Greenhouse Gas Planning Standard, a new rule adopted by the Transportation Commission of Colorado in December 2021, requires agencies to measure greenhouse gas emissions from transit projects, with limits on how high those emissions go.

BIKE PATH

With bike infrastructure providing the option for drivers to ditch their cars and bike, it can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Jacob Riger, multimodal transportation planning manager for the Denver Regional Council of Governments, said his group has already modi ed its 2050 Metro Vision Regional Transportation Plan based on the rule.

Emily Lindsey, active and emerging mobility program manager for DRCOG, said people are ready.

Of the 15 million daily trips in the region, 43% are less than three miles and 19% are less than one mile.

“So, super bikeable, even more so with e-bikes,” she said.

Chris Chen, one of the riders in the group, noted that some improvements are needed. Chen, who lives in Littleton, said there aren’t many bike lanes.

He said either more need to be

added or there need to be wider shoulders. He also said more education about how to share the road with bikers needs to be implemented, citing the death of Gwen Inglis in 2021.

Inglis was a national champion who was struck and killed by a driver in Lakewood.

“It’s been so long since I took the driver’s test, but I don’t know if they have incorporated anything into that,” Chen said.

He explained that it’s scary when vehicles go by fast, especially semi-trucks. e trucks, going fast enough, will push air to the side, which pushes the cyclist, but then will suck the air back in, bringing the cyclist in with it.

“If it’s really close, it’s really scary, not only the sounds of it and in the nearness of that fastmoving object, but the air actually pulling you in,” Chen said.

Compared to other places, Anthony Harvey, another member of the group, said the bike infrastructure ranks higher than the places he’s seen, including Texas, Califor-

nia and Chicago.

Benefits of riding e group ranges in age. Chen is one of the younger ones in his 40s with some of the older riders in their 60s. Meaning, biking is an activity for all abilities and ages.

Chen said he used to be a swimmer. But he didn’t like the fact he had to drive to the pool before 5 a.m. to be at practice in time.  at was too early for him, so he stopped swimming and started cycling more. Not only did it satisfy as a workout, but also was more convenient.

“I can combine commuting and exercise all together,” Chen said.  en he joined the group and it became a lot more fun. It was a way for him to make new friends, destress and get a workout. It also reminds him of his childhood.

“It’s the feeling of when you’re a little kid and you’re going fast and you’re like ‘this is awesome.’” Chen said. “It still feels like that. at sense of freedom.”

Harvey said he got into biking

after he was injured from MMA competitions and decided to switch sports. He participates in various races.

“I was able to actually race with bikes and can also stay t,” he said.

Benefi

ts of friendship

While the biking brings the group together, the camaraderie keeps them pedaling. Schultz, Chen and Harvey all talked about the importance of keeping up with each other, not just on the trail.

Each friend rides on their own and sees the bene ts of being alone. But with the group, they push each other to go faster and further and gives a chance to connect over a topic each is passionate about.

After each ride, they stop at a brewpub or a bar, with Chen’s recommendation for one with a food truck.

“ at’s when we can catch up on trips and things happening with the family and what new gadgets people have,” Chen said. “ at kind of stu .”

Ted Schultz points to the numerous bikes he has accumulated over the years.

Ted Schultz’s ‘cargo’ bike that he often takes to work and to run errands.

PHOTOS BY LUKE ZARZECKI

Lawmakers look to prevent AI technology from launching nuclear weapons

BY CAITLYN KIM COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO

Republican Congressman Ken Buck was on the House oor when his Democratic colleague Ted Lieu approached him with an idea: would he be interested in a bill to ensure that arti cial intelligence could not launch nuclear weapons?

“We’ve all seen the sci- movies where arti cial intelligence takes over and ghts wars,” Buck said. For him, it makes sense to have a human, and “probably more than one, to make these decisions.”

Buck and Lieu are sponsors of the Autonomous Arti cial Intelligence Act along with Democratic Rep. Don Beyer. It’s a bill to ensure a human being would always be in charge of nuclear targeting and any potential launch.

“ e bill is important to make sure there are no accidents in the use of nuclear weapons and that there are humans that are making responsible decisions,” Buck said. He and Lieu have worked together before, having entered Congress together in the same class and both serving as their respective party’s freshman class president.

In a statement, Lieu called it forward-thinking legislation. “While we all try to grapple with the pace at which AI is accelerating, the future of AI and its role in society remains unclear. It is our job as Members of Congress to have responsible foresight when it comes to protecting future generations from potentially devastating consequences.”

ey’re joined in this push by Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, who introduced the bill in the Senate.

Markey said currently only the

thinnest protections are in place and the bill is about making those safeguards more robust and “that we have a new set of standards which we establish, new protocols, in order to protect against the worst.”

Buck has focused on technology in recent years. “What we have to make sure is we learn from the failure of government to oversee the development of Big Tech where you had two or three giants that were really accumulating huge amounts of wealth and at the same time, sti ing

innovation, we have to make sure that there’s competition in the AI marketplace so that the players are competing for the best outcomes.”

He’s optimistic that the bill could pass the House with strong bipartisan support.

AI is having a moment in Congress — a number of bills have been introduced to deal with this growing technology.

Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet is leading a bill, Assuring Safe, Secure, Ethical and Stable Systems for AI (ASSESS AI), that would set up a task force to look at the responsible use of AI by the federal government.

“As the deployment of AI accelerates, the federal government should lead by example to ensure it uses the technology responsibly,” Bennet said in a statement. “Americans deserve con dence that our government’s use of AI won’t violate their rights or undermine their privacy.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is also looking at a broad,

exible policy framework for AI to build guardrails when it comes to the use of the technology, while House Speaker Kevin McCarthy had professors from MIT come to the Capitol to brief lawmakers.

On the other end of Pennsylvania Ave, the White House held a closed door meeting with CEOs of companies working on AI innovation, such as Alphabet’s Google and Microsoft, “to share concerns about the risk associated with AI” according to a readout of the meeting.

e White House also announced steps it was taking to deal with the issue, including $140 million for seven new National AI Research Institutes, as well as plans to issue “clear policy guidance” on how AI is used by the federal government.

Still, Buck said what the country needs is a clear law, at least when it comes to AI and nuclear weapons.

“Some future administration could change a policy. ey can’t change a law without coming to Congress. So that’s why we really focused on making sure that this was a law,” he said.

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

TURN TO THE COLORADO SUN FOR NEWS ACROSS THE STATE

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

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

tics and culture to the outdoor industry and education.

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

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

Colorado Republican U.S. Rep. Ken Buck speaks with KNUS radio talk show host Ste an Tubbs at the Western Conservative Summit Friday, June 3, 2022.

PHOTO BY HART VAN DENBURG/CPR NEWS

‘The bill is important to make sure there are no accidents in the use of nuclear weapons and that there are humans that are making responsible decisions.’

Republican Congressman Ken Buck

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Western Slope wolf plan gets state OK

Wildlife commissioners hand proposal to CPW managers after two years of work

BY JASON BLEVINS THE COLORADO SUN

e Colorado Parks and Wildlife board of commissioners have approved a nal plan to restore wolves in Colorado.

Concluding two years of work — and hundreds of hours of meetings across the state — the commissioners unanimously approved a 301page plan to begin restoring wolves, as mandated by voters in November 2020.

Commissioner Dallas May said it was “morally imperative” for the commissioners to approve the plan and hand it o to CPW wildlife managers on schedule. e agency is on track to begin introducing wolves on the Western Slope by year’s end – per the voter mandate in November 2020 – even though there are many challenges ahead that threaten to derail that schedule.

“We now have the opportunity to place this in the hands of people who are absolutely the best team that can be assembled to enact it,” May said. “Is it a perfect plan? Probably not. It is an assemblage of give-and-take, of trying to nd the middle of the road. ere will be many things that we did not anticipate.

“ is is where the CPW team of dedicated professionals will begin their di cult and arduous task to ful ll their mission,” May said. “It is not our job to micromanage their work. Our job is to give them this plan and let them do what they do best.”

Gov. Jared Polis called the commission on May 3 to thank the agency’s sta and volunteer commissioners for what he called “a big lift.”

Outgoing commissioner Carrie Besnette Hauser, the commission chair, said the nal approval “was

a bit emotional” after months of healthy debate.

“I’m really proud of Colorado and I’m proud of all of you,” she said.  e restoration plan was developed over two years of meetings with both a Technical Working Group and a Stakeholder Advisory Group. Colorado Parks and Wildlife also held 47 meetings that engaged with 3,400 residents. e plan calls for phased management that can be adjusted as wolf populations grow in the state.

e restoration will begin with introducing 30 to 50 gray wolves in the next three to ve years. e state proposes wintertime releases of captured wolves in two areas on the Western Slope: along the Interstate 70 corridor between Glenwood Springs and Vail, and along the U.S. 50 corridor between Monarch Pass and Montrose. e rst releases are planned for state or private land around the I-70 corridor.

As the state has planned restoration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing an exemption under the Endangered Species Act that would establish wolves in Colorado as an experimental population. e so-called 10(j) rule allows exible management strategies, like allowing ranchers to kill wolves that are threatening livestock or people.

e plan will allow ranchers who lose livestock to wolves to be compensated as much as $15,000 per animal. e plan outlines many nonlethal interventions to discourage wolves from killing livestock and it does allow the killing of wolves caught in the act of attacking livestock, saying both the stakeholder and technical groups viewed lethal management “as being critically important to a successful wolf management program.”

e federal wildlife service has expedited its review and expects to issue a nal Environmental Impact

Statement by December. Legislation introduced in the Colorado Senate in March — Senate Bill 256 — prohibits introduction of gray wolves in Colorado until that 10(j) analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act is complete.

Mike Samson, a four-term Gareld County commissioner, spoke during public comment before the agency’s commissioners began reviewing the nal plan, saying the wolf restoration was “Colorado voters attempting to be Mother Nature” and “ballot-box biology.” He urged the commissioners to allow lethal taking of wolves, pointing to Idaho, where lawmakers have approved legislation allowing for killing up to 90% of the state’s estimated 1,500 wolves. ( e Colorado plan does not allow hunting, but the adaptive management strategy leaves open most management options in future years as wolf populations grow.)

“Wolves need to be legally hunted and trapped to keep their numbers in check,” Samson said.

Representatives for cattlemen groups urged the commissioners to

approve compensation for ranchers who spend money on wolf mitigation, not just those who lose livestock to the predators.

Many public speakers asked the commissioners where they plan to get wolves to relocate into Colorado. e state’s plan calls for capturing wild gray wolves in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. e draft plan says Colorado has “begun to explore an agreement” with the three states. A recent report by 9News quoted o cials in each state saying there were no discussions with Colorado about donating wolves. e draft plan also says Colorado “has also begun to explore an agreement” with Washington and Oregon. e 9News report also quoted o cials in Oregon and Washington saying they were not working with Colorado on sourcing wolves for restoration in the state.

is story from e Colorado Sun, www.ColoradoSun.com. e Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, which owns Colorado Community Media.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife placed GPS collars on two wolves in North Park on Feb. 2, 2023. Male wolf 2101 has a gray coat and is in the foreground on the right. Male wolf 2301, believed to be the o spring of the gray colored wolf, has a black coat and is in the background on the left. COURTESY COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE

Rocky Mountain National Park entry fees to go cashless

Starts this summer

BY MATT BLOOM COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO

Make sure to pack your credit or debit card along with your hiking boots if you’re visiting Rocky Mountain National Park this summer. e park will stop accepting cash payments for entrance and permit fees starting June 1.

e change will allow one of the country’s busiest national parks to cut back on time rangers spend handling cash at crowded entry gates, according to a release from the National Park Service. It will also help streamline fee management behind the scenes.

You can still purchase a number of entry passes at one of the park’s main gates with cards or mobile payment options. But, if you want to speed up your entry, NPS o cials recommend buying one online before your visit along with a separate timed-entry permit, which is required from May 26 through Oct. 22.

Visitors can still buy park entrance passes with cash at a few locations outside of the park, according to NPS. ey include the Rocky Mountain Conservancy Nature Store at Beaver Meadows and the Fall River or Kawuneeche Visitor Centers.

Here’s what to know before heading to the park:

What type of passes are available?

e NPS o ers over a dozen di erent types of passes to get into Rocky.

One-day vehicle passes cost $30 and cover non-commercial vehicles with less than 16 passengers. You can also buy one-day passes for entry by bike or foot. Seven-day passes are also an option.

If you’re planning to visit multiple national parks this year, you can buy an annual pass that covers admission to all parks in the system for $80. You can buy those online or in-person. Seniors, veterans and students

can also get special passes for free or reduced rates.

What about camping?

e NPS says it’s also going completely cashless for payments and fees associated with campgrounds inside of Rocky starting June 1.

Overnight visitors must make reservations online ahead of time for most campsites. Timed-entry permits are included with all camping reservations.

Are stores inside the park also going cashless?

e cashless switch only applies to entry and permit fees, according to the NPS.

Rocky has a small, conveniencelike store and a co ee shop, which will both still accept cash.

How do I get a timed-entry permit?

Rocky is implementing another iteration of its timed-entry program this summer to help manage crowds, which means you’ll need to snag a free permit prior to your visit. A timed-entry permit is required for everyone entering the park between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. between late May and October.

ere are two di erent types of timed-entry permits.

A regular Park Access permit gets you access to most areas of the park outside of the popular Bear Lake Road Corridor.

A Park Access+ entry permit includes access to Bear Lake Road, as well as other areas of Rocky. Are other Colorado national parks going cashless?

Yes, Mesa Verde National Park and Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument will go cashless this summer, according to the NPS. Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site in southeast Colorado will also go cashless.

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

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Entrance sign to Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

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Defining moments of the 2023 legislative session

Under the golden dome

BY JESSE PAUL AND ELLIOTT WENZLER THE COLORADO SUN

Each legislative session in Colorado is de ned by big moments. is year, a lot of them happened in the House, where a Democratic supermajority often clashed with not only their Republican counterparts but also sometimes itself.

Here are the major events under the gold dome in 2023 that shaped the 120-day lawmaking term, which ended May 8:

Tracey Bernett’s resignation

Rep. Tracey Bernett, D-Boulder County, announced her resignation the night before the lawmaking term began as she faced criminal charges for lying about where she lived to run for reelection last year in a more politically favorable district.

Bernett’s resignation ended the woman-majority in the Capitol, as a vacancy committee replaced her with Kyle Brown, a Louisville city councilman. Bernett’s resignation and Brown’s appointment left 50 men and 50 women in the legislature.

Brown’s appointment also meant that about a quarter of the legis-

lature this year had at some point been appointed to a Capitol position by a vacancy committee.

Bernett, meanwhile, eventually pleaded guilty in the case.

Colorado Springs Republican Rep. Scott Bottoms addresses the Colo-

rado House Monday, Jan. 9, 2023. Scott Bottoms nominates himself to be speaker

On the rst day of the 2023 session, Jan. 9, rst-year Rep. Scott Bottoms, R-Colorado Springs, was nominated by Rep. Ken DeGraaf, also a Colorado Springs Republican, to be speaker of the House.

“We’re not going to have power this session, we understand that, but we do have principles,” Bottoms said in a speech aimed at securing support for his speaker bid. “God created life … he created male and female, he created them at conception. We also stand for the Second Amendment in all circumstances.”

It was a departure from the norm. Often the chamber unanimously backs a leader from the majority party, in this case Democrats, in a sign of cooperation and a nod to decorum.

Bottoms’ move, while unsuccessful, set the tone for the entire year at the Capitol, as he and DeGraaf frequently delayed work in the chamber by speaking for long stretches in protest of Democrats’ agenda, sometimes making controversial remarks.

Fire alarm interrupts roll out of Democrats’ gun bills

On Feb. 23, a re alarm interrupted a news conference at the Capitol during which Democrats announced they were pursuing four bills regulating guns. e alarm stopped the event and forced lawmakers, sta ers and journalists into the February cold. Rumors and speculation swirled that an alarm had been pulled to throw o the announcement.

e Colorado State Patrol later said there had been a technical malfunc-

tion and that the alarm was not intentionally triggered.

ose four bills passed and were signed into law. e legislation raised the age limit to buy any guns in Colorado to 21, imposed a threeday waiting period for rearm purchases, expanded the state’s red ag law, and made it easier for people to sue the gun industry.

“I do exist”

On March 3, Rep. Brianna Titone, an Arvada Democrat and the state’s rst transgender lawmaker, made an impassioned speech on the House oor directed at her Republican colleagues.

“Whether you like it or not, I am your colleague. Whether you believe me or people like me should exist, I do exist. And I am your equal in this chamber. I accomplished the same thing you did to be here,” she said. e speech came a day after GOP members tried to add language Democrats said attacked trans people into a resolution about the still-unrati ed federal Equal Rights Amendment.

“If we want to talk about the Equal Rights Act for women, then let’s be careful how we try to rede ne what a woman is biologically, genetically and chromosomally,” said Rep. Richard Holtorf, R-Akron.

Bottoms, referencing chromosomes, said: “ ere is such a thing as XX and XY and no matter how much you lie to yourself and change it — and frame it in any way whatsoever — there is XX and XY.”

Titone said she felt “disrespected and diminished” by their comments.

“My existence is not up for debate,” she said while her Democratic colleagues stood behind her. “It’s not something you can disagree away and I will not let anyone in this chamber or outside this chamber bully or intimidate me out of my existence.”

A Colorado House all-nighter e House worked overnight from March 9 into March 10 as Republicans libustered a measure imposing a three-day waiting period on gun purchases in Colorado. While there are typically a few overnight debates in any given legislative session, they traditionally happen at the end of a lawmaking term, not in the rst half, as this one did.

e situation sparked conversations among Democrats about using the legislature’s rules to limit debate, which happened a few weeks later.

House Democrats limit debate

On March 25, a Saturday, Democrats in the House used Rule 14 to limit debate in the chamber for the rst time in at least a decade.

e next day, Bottoms delivered a speech on the House oor in which

The Colorado Senate on the first day of the 2023 legislative session, Jan. 9, 2023, in the Capitol in Denver. COURESTY OF THE COLORADO SUN

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SESSION

he called Democrats fascist. “You don’t like what you hear so you shut down the debate and the discussion. All the majority party had to do was sit and listen,” he said. “But you can’t do that, because listening to God, truth, righteousness and freedom actually hurts the souls of those who are not in favor of those mentalities. It doesn’t hurt their ears. It hurts their souls.”

On March 27, House Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, vowed on the House oor to “not allow this to occur again on my watch.” She called Bottoms’ remarks “inappropriate and unbecoming” and said she regretted granting him a “moment of personal privilege” to speak. It was a big test for McCluskie, a rst-year speaker.

Democrats went on to use Rule 14 more than a dozen times, according to Rep. Anthony Hartsook, R-Parker, citing data tracked by the House GOP caucus.

McCluskie, speaking to reporters May 9 at a post-session news conference, defended the decision to limit debate.

“We began to recognize what was happening in our chamber was no longer respectful and productive,” she said. “Filibustering and delay tactics, by having bills read at length, is not why we were voted into o ce. We were voted into o ce to consider and debate policy. At the time we invoked House Rule 14, we wanted to drive more productive conversations.”

McCluskie said invoking Rule 14 led to more meaningful debate.

Bill banning sale of so-called assault weapons fails

In the early morning hours of April 20, on the anniversary of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre,

the Democratic-controlled House Judiciary Committee voted down a measure that would have banned the sale of so-called assault weapons in Colorado.

Democrats on the panel also blocked amendments that would have limited the measure to a much narrower prohibition on devices that make semi-automatic weapons re at a rate similar to automatic rearms.

e bill’s sponsor, Rep. Elisabeth Epps, a Democrat from Denver, blamed her party’s leadership in the House for the measure’s failure. “It’s just hard to look at the math and know that we have so many more than 33 votes in this House of Representatives and to not be assigned to a committee where we could get to the oor with the bill intact,” she said. It was unclear, however, whether the bill had enough votes to pass the legislature even if it had advanced out of the Judiciary Committee. While the bill’s failure wasn’t the rst major loss for progressives at the Capitol — a fair workweek measure killed in early March was — it was the rst piece of rejected legislation in a big week of General Assembly disappointments for the more liberal wing of the Democratic party.

Republicans appeared to have a chance to kill TABOR measure

House Bill 1311, a measure making Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights refunds next year a at-rate amount rather than to tied to income levels, nearly died on the vine May 7 in the Colorado Senate.

e measure passed at about 11 p.m., after Republicans in the chamber backed o a quickly formed plan to stop the legislation from advancing on second reading before midnight. If the bill hadn’t passed on second reading Sunday, there wouldn’t have been enough time for the measure to clear the legislature before the end of the 120-day lawmaking term Monday. (It takes three

calendar days to pass a bill in the legislature. e measure was introduced May 6.)

e Senate GOP caucus huddled in the corner of the chamber at about 10:30 p.m. and gamed out their options. All they had to do was delay for a little more than an hour to kill the measure. And Democrats could only limit debate to an hour under the rules.

“We’re playing a chess match,” Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, R-Monument, told his 11 Republican Senate colleagues. “It’s a race to the clock.”

Lundeen had a brief, tense exchange with Senate President Steve Fenberg, D-Boulder, shortly thereafter. Fenberg was visibly angry and used profanity. en the chamber gaveled back in and Senate Majority Leader Dominick Moreno, D-Commerce City, started to make a motion to limit debate (for the rst time in the Senate in years), at which point Lundeen agged down the chamber’s leadership and the group hurried o the oor for a meeting.

A few minutes later, leadership reemerged from a side room and Fenberg angrily gaveled back in. House Bill 1311 passed in about 20 minutes.

Lundeen and Sen. Bob Gardner, R-Colorado Springs, said Tuesday that Republicans determined they couldn’t prevent the bill from passing by midnight.

“You can make everybody’s life very di cult,” Gardner said, “or you can all have a discussion in a civil way.”

If House Bill 1311 had failed, the governor likely would have called lawmakers back for a special session to pass the measure. Additionally, Republicans will be in the Senate minority at least through the 2026 legislative session. Any fracture in the otherwise cordial GOP-Democratic relationship in the chamber could be lasting.

Other big moments at the Capitol this year you should know about

In early March, East High

School

students descended upon the Capitol to demand action on gun violence after 16-year-old Luis Garcia was fatally shot near campus. e students returned to the Capitol after two deans were shot at the school by a student a few weeks later. e teens confronted lawmakers and even spoke with Gov. Jared Polis.

• e Colorado Senate on March

13 rejected a bill aimed at preventing horses from being slaughtered for human consumption. e measure was voted down after the sponsor, Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, D-Boulder County, tried to reverse a deal on the legislation cut in committee. e moment highlighted ssures among Democrats in the Senate and sowed a level of distrust in the caucus for the rest of the lawmaking term.

• Senate Bill 213, the major landuse bill heralded by Polis as a way to solve Colorado’s a ordable housing crisis, was dramatically pared back in its rst committee hearing in the Senate. e bill was then gutted in its next committee, only to be partially resurrected in the House. In the end, the bill died on the calendar in the Senate.

• House Republicans walked out of the chamber May 8 during nal debate on a property-tax relief bill in protest of Democrats pushing through two major tax policies in the nal days of the lawmaking term and limiting debate on the measure in the process. McCluskie said she was disappointed in the GOP’s decision. “We are hired to do one speci c thing in this General Assembly, and that is to cast a vote,” she told reporters Tuesday. Rep. Matt Soper, a Delta Republican, said Tuesday in a briefing with reporters that “when you’re silenced, you don’t have a voice.”

• On the evening of May 8, as the House wrapped up its work, Democrats gathered for an informal caucus meeting to plan out the rest of the night. During the gathering, Epps confronted McCluskie about her leadership. “You asked to do this,” she said. “I’m asking you to do much, much more.” Epps criticized McCluskie for giving Republicans too much leeway and for allowing lastminute bills to be pushed through. McCluskie responded by saying she was overwhelmed at the moment but eager to sit down with her in the future. “We have not had opportunities to communicate, we are not communicating well,” McCluskie said. “ ere has been too much. We have been working hard around the clock. I will lean in, I will do more.”

10

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

Woman faces terminal illness with resolve

BY DANA KNOWLES AND JEREMY MOORE ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

How do you show up for life and all it can potentially o er when you’re only 21 years old, knowing you may only have a few years left?

at’s a question Ellie White asks herself almost every day.

She was born with a rare neurodegenerative disease called Wolfram syndrome, which causes diabetes, blindness, hearing loss, and eventually it a ects the brain stem, resulting in respiratory failure at an early age. With no current cure, the life expectancy of someone with Wolfram syndrome is typically between 25 and 40 years.

“Eventually my body will forget how to breathe, and I won’t be able to breathe, which makes this disorder a terminal disorder,” White said, adding that dying at a young age is di cult to contemplate, even for her. “I want to get stu done. I want to live life.”

In fact, she is — getting stu done and living life — as best she can.

White nds joy by surrounding herself with family, friends and pets at her home in Centennial. She is also studying music therapy at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Over the last several years, she has performed with her dance group, e Silhouettes, on the television show “America’s Got Talent” and she traveled to Washington,

D.C. for the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

ese are things that are paramount for her, as much of her time is also spent traveling out of state to meet with various specialists for what can feel like constant medical testing.

“I just went to St. Louis and was there for ve days. I had doctors appointments from seven in the morning until three in the afternoon. I did cognitive exams like memory and speech, taste tests, smell tests and blood work,” she added.

Wolfram syndrome is considered an orphan disorder, which means it is extremely rare and there is not a lot of research for funding to help nd a cure, and there is no treatment for it yet.

Ellie’s mother, Beth White, a molecular biologist at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and the school of medicine’s infectious disease department, is trying to change that. And she feels her background in research can help.

“I feel like I see her dying in front of me,” she said. “We started the Ellie White Foundation for Rare Genetic Disorders because we realized we needed to raise money for research because Wolfram syndrome is so rare that when Ellie was diagnosed with it, not only was she the only person alive in Colorado at the time who had it, but there was no research being done to nd a cure.”

Wolfram syndrome typically starts with a diagnosis of childhood diabetes, then vision problems, which is what happened with Ellie. When she was three, doctors diagnosed her with diabetes. Four years later, during a routine eye exam, Ellie was found to be colorblind. After more tests, Ellie was diagnosed with Wolfram syndrome.

“Unfortunately, it’s a terminal disorder. So, we’re working as quickly as we can to help nd a cure and save her life,” explained Beth White, adding that her goals are raising awareness and money.

“Ultimately nding a cure for Wolfram syndrome is the most important thing in my life right now.” at’s when Beth started reaching out to as many researchers as possible, sending pictures of her daughter with pleas to do something.

“I wanted to reach out to these doctors and scientists and say, ‘ is cute little girl has this horrible terminal disorder that’s going to steal her entire life.’ I wanted to see if I could nd someone to work with her. And I discovered that Dr. Urano was doing similar research,” Beth recalled.

“People like Ellie keep me going and keep my enthusiasm high. Partnership and friendship is very important while working to nd a cure and treatments for this disease,” said Urano.

Beth White describes her daughter as someone who is so brave that other

people don’t realize that she’s su ering. “She has such a beautiful tendency to always look for the best in every moment of life, and the best in every person.”

Ellie describes herself as feeling empowered. “I’m hoping to make a di erence. I’m not doing this to save my life. I’m doing this to help save other people’s lives.”

is story via Rocky Mountain PBS, a Colorado Community Media content partner.

Ellie White was born with a rare neurodegenerative disease called Wolfram Syndrome, which causes diabetes, blindness and hearing loss.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

Pine Creek’s early goals hold up against Ralston Valley

BY DENNIS PLEUSS JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ARVADA — Pine Creek hit the magic number of two goals May 12 during the Class 5A second-round playo game at the North Area Athletic Complex.

No. 8-seeded Ralston Valley had given up two or more goals only four times this girls soccer season, but all four of those games turned out to be losses for the Mustangs. No. 9 Pine Creek put in a pair of rst-half goals on the way to a 2-0 victory to hand the Mustangs their fth loss of the season and eliminate them from the state tournament. e Eagles earned a spot in the quarternals of 5A girls soccer state tournament with the road win.

“It was really big, but a 2-0 lead for nearly the whole game is kind of a scary lead because it can go downhill right away,” Amsden said of the two rst-half goals. “I think we just had some many key players push hard on defense and kept our lead. I think we had a really amazing game today.”

Amsden scored on Pine Creek’s rst scoring chance. e junior forward found some open space in front of Ralston Valley junior goalie Margot Mulhern in the 6th minute and red a low shot out of Mulhern’s reach for a 1-0 lead. It was Amsden’s 21st goal of the season.

“Ava is a phenomenal player,” Pine Creek coach John Frederick said of the Eagles’ leading scorer. “She has been through a couple of things over the last couple of games outside of the soccer world and handled it really well. She is always a competitor and ghts. She leads by example.”

Ralston Valley (11-5-1 record) held possession for a good amount of the rst half, but the Eagles (12-4) struck again in the 20th minute. Senior Monica Yoder was able to corral a loose ball in the Mustangs’ goalie box and hit the back of the net midway through the rst half for a 2-0 lead.

“ ere isn’t much you can

do about that,” Ralston Valley coach Kamee Morwood said of the Eagles scoring on two early opportunities. “I thought we came out really strong. We had chances that we didn’t nish. When you don’t capitalize it takes some wind out of your sails.”

Ralston Valley sophomore Raleigh Greason had dangerous runs on a handful of occasions in the rst half, but couldn’t get a shot past Pine Creek sophomore goalie Lauren Anderson. e Mustangs had a prime scoring chance to break-up the shutout in the 73rd minute when Pine Creek junior Aubriana Austin received a red-card for an intentional handball in the Eagles’ goal

However, Greason’s penalty kick sailed over the goal and Pine Creek didn’t surrender a goal in the nearly 8 minutes it played a player down before time expired.

“Raleigh is the heartbeat of our team,” Morwood said. “She brings all the emotion every game she is on the eld. ere are times that things just don’t go your way. She brought everything she could to help us win this game. Today it just didn’t go Greason nished her sophomore campaign with 21 goals and 14 assists.

“We stopped Greason tonight. She is a very dangerous player,” Frederick said. “I’m always holding my breathe when she has the ball.”

It was the 7th shutout victory of the season for Pine Creek and just the second time all season Ralston Valley had been held scoreless.

“Ralston Valley is a great team,” Frederick said. “ ey put on a lot of pressure. ey can score at any moment. Our young back-line stepped up and played well. Our mid elders came back and played defense. We had all 10 playing defense and that is

Pine Creek was scheduled to face No. 17 Rock Canyon in the quarter nals Monday, May 15, at Englewood High School. e Jaguars upset

Ralston Valley junior goalie Margot Mulhern is able to punch the ball away in tra c during the first half May 12 at the North Area Athletic Complex. The Mustangs saw their season come to an end with a 2-0 loss to Pine Creek in the second round of the Class 5A state tournament.

PHOTO BY DENNIS PLEUSS/JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS SEE GOALS, P

GOALS

top-seeded Fossil Ridge 3-2 in overtime Friday night.

Pine Creek and Rock Canyon met earlier this season with the Eagles taking a 2-1 overtime win. Despite the most resent victory, Amsden still remembers the playo loss to Rock Canyon two years ago.

“We lost to Rock Canyon in the quarter nals my freshman year,” Amsden said. “It will be kind of a rematch, but we are going to win.”

Ralston Valley wraps up a solid

season, but the Mustangs will surely be hungry after su ering a home loss to end their season.

“We’ll de ntely miss our seniors.

e three of them are amazing leaders,” Morwood said of Katie Resendez, Makahi Chambers and Diana Wilder. “But it is an exciting future as well with the leadership that we have and the core group that is coming back. ey love to play soccer, play for this program and play for their school. It’s a very bright future.”

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

Ralston Valley junior Sophia Sabus (2) puts pressure on Pine Creek senior Monica Yoder during the Class 5A second-round game May 12 at the North Area Athletic Complex. Pine Creek got two first-half goals to take a 2-0 victory.

PHOTO BY DENNIS PLEUSS/JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

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Can you change gates at DIA’s Terminal B in 19 seconds or less?

BY REBECCA TAUBER DENVERITE

Even if you’ve never had to sprint through Denver International Airport (DIA) desperately trying to make a ight, you’ve likely seen a poor fellow traveler panting and sweating to make it to their gate before boarding closed.

But recently running enthusiasts have turned the airport hustle into something that’s for more than just the late traveler. Runners using an app called Strava that tracks workouts and ranks users running the same routes have been trying their luck with a route called “Gate change gnar” that runs through DIA’s Terminal B.

More than 130 people have competed in the informal airport race. e current record is 19 seconds. One runner commented in the app that his family set up nish line tape made out of toilet paper. e current leader wrote that he completed the run to make it to McDonalds before it closed.

Daniel Belk recently ran the segment before a ight to promote his Denver-based running club,

cooldown.

He recorded himself sprinting through Terminal B, in a video that quickly went viral on Instagram and TikTok.

“I think people honestly thought that I was going to miss my ight,” Belk said of the looks he got at the airport.

After running Division 1 in college, Belk started cooldown with a friend to grow community among young people in Denver. ey started with

a casual jog followed by drinks with around 15 people last September, meeting on Tuesdays at 6 pm.. e group grew through word of mouth and Instagram, and now has around 300 people coming out for runs. A cooldown group has started in New York, and Belk plans to host pop-ups across the country.

“I think there’s a decent amount of demand for community, especially post-college,” Belk said. “It’s just kind of a fun passion project for us

because we like galvanizing people, bringing people together, starting community. We both loved running and walking and seeing people come that feel comfortable at all paces, all ability levels, come out and just have a good time is really fun.”

While most segments on Strava cover popular routes through parks and along trails, Belk plans to continue promoting cooldown through stranger segments that make Denver unique. He’s run through Red Rocks Amphitheater and around both Union Station and Empower Field.

Belk cautions people attempting to break records at the airport to only go when the terminal is less crowded to avoid the risk of running into people. And while he is trying to top Strava’s leaderboard for unique routes across the city, Belk welcomes a challenge.

“I don’t care if people beat me or not,” he said. “It’s just a fun thing. If there’s people that go out and beat me, that’s great.”

is story is via Denverite, a Colorado Community Media content partner.

voucher-program

Legals

Public Notice

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT at the meeting of the Arvada City Council to be held on MONDAY, June 5, 2023, at 6:15 p.m. at the Municipal Building, 8101 Ralston Road, Arvada CO, City Council will hold a public hearing on the following proposed ordinances and thereafter will consider them for final passage and adoption. For the full text version in electronic form go to www.arvada.org/legal-notices, and click on Current and recent Legal Notices to access legal notices. The full text version is also available in printed form in the City Clerk’s office. Contact 720.898.7550 if you have questions. The full text version is also available in printed form in the City Clerk’s office. Contact 720.898.7550 if you have questions.

CB23-011 An Ordinance Repealing and Reenacting Section 62-43, Fireworks, of Article II, Miscellaneous Offenses, of Chapter 62, Offenses, of the Arvada City Code.

CB23-012 An Ordinance Authorizing an Intergovernmental Agreement by and Between The City of Arvada and The Jefferson County School District Related to Campbell Elementary School and Oak Park.

CB23-013 An Ordinance Rezoning Certain Land Within the City of Arvada, Candelas Point Infrastructure and Kiddie Academy, from City of Arvada PUD (Planned Unit Development) to City of Arvada CG (Commercial, General), and Amending the Official Zoning Maps of the City of Arvada, Colorado, 9265 Yucca Lane.

Transcript

PUBLIC NOTICE

A public hearing will be held before the Arvada Planning Commission scheduled for June 6, 2023 at 6:15 p.m., Arvada City Hall, 8101 Ralston Rd., Arvada, when and where you may speak on the matter to consider the Major Modification, a 1.38 acre parcel of land generally located at 5525 Wadsworth Bypass. Members of the public may attend.

To submit written public comment to be considered by the Commission, email comments to cedboardsandcommission@arvada.org by 5 p.m. on 6/5/2023. Additional information can be obtained from https://www.arvadapermits.org/etrakit3/search/ project.aspx?activityno=DA2022-0048.

CITY OF ARVADA PLANNING COMMISSION

/s/ Tim Knapp, Secretary

Legal Notice No. 416316

First Publication: May 18, 2023

Last Publication: May 18, 2023

Publisher: Jeffco Transcript Public Notice Housing Choice Voucher Public Notice for year 2023

2024 Annual Plan

Public Notice is hereby given that beginning May 19, 2023, through June 19, 2023, at 12:00 pm; Arvada Housing Authority (AHA) will display for public review and comments a copy of proposed policy changes and revisions to the AHA Administrative Plan as well as a draft of the AHA annual plan for fiscal year 2024. Location for review will be at AHA’s Office 8001 Ralston Rd., Arvada, CO, 80002, and the AHA website: https://arvada.org/residents/city-neighborhoods/ housing-programs/section-8-housing-choice-

Comments on the agency’s policy changes and revisions may be submitted in writing to Arvada Housing Authority, 8001 Ralston Rd., Arvada, CO, 80002; Attention: Dena Kothe, Housing Choice Voucher Program Supervisor or emailed to housing@arvada.org Comments must be received by Monday, June 19, 2023, by 12:00 pm. All comments will be reviewed prior to AHA Board of Commissioners (BOC) meeting and public hearing on Monday, July 10, 2023, at 6:00 pm.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires Public Housing Agencies to establish policies for carrying out the Housing Choice Voucher programs in a manner consistent with the HUD requirements and regulations (Code of Federal Regulations). The enclosed changes/ revisions to the AHA Administrative Policy are in compliance with the current HUD regulations and requirements and are to be effective August 1, 2023. AHA’s annual Public Hearing will be held at 6:00 pm on Monday, July 10, 2023, at 8101 Ralston Rd., Arvada, CO, 80002.

Legal Notice No. 416318

First Publication: May 18, 2023

Last Publication: May 18, 2023

Publisher: Jeffco Transcript

PUBLIC NOTICE

The following ordinances were adopted by the City Council of the City of Arvada on second reading following the public hearing held on May 15, 2023:

Ordinance #4843 An Ordinance Repealing and Reenacting Article XIII, National Electric Code, Section 18-570, Adopted, of Chapter 18, Buildings and Building Regulations, of the Arvada City Code Through the Adoption, by Reference, of the 2023 National Electrical Code, and the Adoption of Penalties for Violations Thereof.

Legal Notice No. 416315

First Publication: May 18, 2023

Last Publication: May 18, 2023

Publisher: Jeffco Transcript

Public Notice

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS

The Arvada Housing Authority (AHA) invites developers of property in Arvada, CO to submit applications for participation in the Housing Choice Voucher Project Based Voucher Program (PBV). The objectives of this allocation are to 1) Expand housing options for low-income individuals and families with special needs 2) To preserve affordable housing, for low-income individuals and families with special needs that are at risk of being eliminated due to lack of a funding source 3)

To increase the supply of affordable housing for individuals and families who are chronically homeless and 4) To increase the supply of affordable, accessible housing for person with disabilities.

If applicable, all financing of project costs and operating expenses will be the responsibility of the owner. Rents that are established for the project will be commensurate with other comparable rents for similar rental units in the areas in which the project is located. In all cases, however, rents cannot exceed the maximum allowable HUD Fair market Rent published for Jefferson County.

The PBV units will be leased to eligible lowincome households referred by AHA or to eligible tenants in occupancy of the unit at the time of the submission of the application. Rental assistance is available for a total not to exceed 8 units. AHA reserves the right to award less than the maximum vouchers available or requested.

Note: Participation in the PBV Program requires compliance with Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Requirements, and Federal Labor Standards will apply to eligible projects.

Application can be obtained from the Arvada Housing Authority’s website: Website: https://arvada.org/residents/city-neighborhoods/ section-8-housing-choice-voucher-program

All applications should be submitted via email

to dkothe@arvada.org. Only applications in response to this invitation will be accepted for consideration. Owners/Developers will be notified by letter of the acceptance or rejection of their applications. AHA will also publish its notice of selection of PBV applications on the Arvada Housing Authority website as well as the Arvada Press. All applications MUST be received no later than 5:00 P.M., Monday, July 3, 2023.

Questions can be directed to Dena Kothe at dkothe@arvada.org or 720-898-7476

Legal Notice No. 416319

First Publication: May 18, 2023

Last Publication: June 1, 2023

Publisher: Jeffco Transcript

PUBLIC NOTICE

A public hearing will be held before the Arvada Planning Commission scheduled for June 6, 2023 at 6:15 p.m., Arvada City Hall, 8101 Ralston Rd., Arvada, when and where you may speak on the matter to consider the Conditional Use for West 53rd Avenue Townhomes project, generally located south of the intersection of Field Cir and W 53rd Ave. (9030 W 53rd Ave). Members of the public may attend. To submit written public comment to be considered by the Commission, email comments to cedboardsandcommission@arvada.org by 5 p.m. on 6/5/2023. Additional information can be obtained from https://www.arvadapermits.org/etrakit3/search/ project.aspx?activityno=DA2021-0102.

CITY OF ARVADA PLANNING COMMISSION

/s/ Tim Knapp, Secretary

Legal Notice No. 416317

First Publication: May 18, 2023

Last Publication: May 18, 2023

Publisher: Jeffco Transcript **

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