Arvada Press 080323

Metal detectors moving to front of Arvada Municipal Court

Sheri ’s o ce looking for a sexual predator at Flying J

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e Je erson County Sheri ’s

O ce continues to look for an unarmed sexual predator targeting female hikers in Flying J Ranch Park in Conifer.

Anyone who was hiking in the park in the last month who saw anything unusual or suspicious should contact the sheri ’s o ce at 303-2710211, according to spokeswoman Karlyn Tilley. As of July 31, the person had not been apprehended.

“Even something they think might be nothing,” Tilley said. “If they got an uncomfortable feeling and remember seeing someone who ts the description in the park, we would like to know the day and time

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e Arvada Municipal Court is undergoing a security upgrade that will move the court’s metal

detectors to the front of city hall, necessitating construction on the building’s entrance. e project is expected to be completed in early September — in the meantime, the city hall entrance will be used for access to the municipal court. e metal detectors were previously placed in front of the municipal court, which is located within Arvada’s City Hall. e upper parking lot, located near the courts, is also closed for construction.

Arvada’s Communications Manager for Infrastructure Katie Patterson said the move will neces-

sitate all visitors to go through the X-ray screening before entry into city hall.

“ e X-ray machine is being moved to the main lobby entrance rather than the courtroom entrance,” Patterson said. “Because of the way the building was originally designed this requires the entrance area to be redesigned. Once complete, this will enhance security to the building entrance and require all visitors to be screened when they come into the lobby through

Sign directing visitors to the main City Hall entrance while construction is underway.

PHOTO BY RYLEE DUNN

Work expected to be complete in September; access to court available through city hall

SEE COURT, P3

SEE FLYING J, P4

Arvada council members Marriott and Simpson vying for mayorship

With

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Arvada’s in for a big change this fall, as the November election will see the city elect its rst new mayor in 12 years as current Mayor Marc Williams reaches his term limit. Vying for his seat are two current city council members; District 2 council member Lauren Simpson and District 3 council member John Marriott.

Marriot — a lifelong Arvadan and owner of Larson’s Ski and Sport — has served as the District 3 representative for 10 years and has two years left on his current term regardless of the outcome of the mayoral race.

Simpson moved to Arvada to raise her family and works in diplomacy for the Canadian government — a role which she says has prepared her for city leadership of her rst term on council, which she was elected to in 2019.

Marriot said he’s running for mayor because he believes he has the experience to take on Williams’ responsibility of managing council meetings.

“One of the lessons I’ve kind of learned in my time on council is the leadership (the mayor) provides, and particularly the regional cooperation that they provide, is really, really important,” Marriott said. “I think Arvada has bene ted from that, from Marc’s e orts… and I would like to see that continue. I thought I would throw my hat in the ring and see what the voters have to say.”

Simpson initially sought reelection in District 2 but shifted her focus to mayor after being encouraged by constituents. She shared a similar sentiment regarding the role of the mayor in managing city leadership.

“ e reason why mayor is attractive to me is that it’s not just the ability to help prioritize goals for the city, but it’s also how you manage the leadership of the city,” Simpson said. “One of the things that I admire most about Marc Williams is how he manages the council internally.

“Everybody has an opportunity to speak, everybody has an opportunity to make their voice heard and their opinions known and are treated with respect,” Simpson continued. “And that’s exactly the kind of leader I would be.”

Simpson said her proudest accomplishments during her time on council are the Olde Town pedestrian mall, the creation of 600 new a ordable housing units, Arvada’s

response to the COVID-19 pandemic and a gift card drive for Marshall Fire victims she spearheaded with Lisa Feret.

Marriott touted the voter approval of the Ralston Road bond project and the near completion of that project as an accomplishment that highlights voter’s trust in local government, as well as the replacement of the Meyers Pool and the construction of the Fitzmorris recreation center as high points of his tenure on council.

Simpson emphasized a need for more a ordable housing in Arvada, though she cautioned against putting dense developments in historic single-family neighborhoods.

“In my past four years I have been a strong voice on the council for a ordable housing,” Simpson said. “And I maintain that Arvada is in need of a diverse housing mix. If our baristas and our auto mechanics and our counselors and our teachers cannot live here, I think that’s a huge detriment to our city.”

Simpson added that she doesn’t want to “cram things in where they don’t belong” or negatively impact the existing character of Arvada’s neighborhoods and historic communities.

Marriott maintained his belief that municipal government’s role should be limited to maintaining city services such as infrastructure and water. He added that although the city should do some economic planning, it should also engage

Williams termlimited, Arvada will have first new mayor in 12 years

Headshot of Arvada mayoral candidate and current District 2 Councilmember Lauren Simpson. PHOTOS COURTESY LAUREN SIMPSON

Headshot of Arvada mayoral candidate and current District 3 Councilmember John Marriott.

COURT

FROM

this entrance.”

Crews o cially began work on the project on July 24. e main entrance to city hall is located next to the Arvada Police Department entrance. Visitors to the court will proceed up the stairs to the screening and check-in area, which is still operational at this time. An elevator is also available.

Construction is underway at the Arvada Municipal Court to move the metal detectors to the court’s main entrance.

Do Open Houses Help to Sell Homes? Some Sellers Believe It Only Benefits Agents

It’s true that most open houses held by my fellow real estate agents and myself do not directly lead to the sale of that listing, and some sellers will request no open houses be held. They have good reasons, too.

Myself, I’ve always said that you never know what will sell a house, so just try everything. And yes, I have sold homes to someone who came to that home’s open house. I also recognize that they came to the open house because they liked something about it and if there hadn’t been an open house, they might have called for a showing. It’s also true that some people come to an open house because it said “open, come in,” and they weren’t thinking about buying a home until they fell in love with that home at the open house. Open houses can indeed be a helpful tool when selling a home, although their effectiveness can depend on various factors such as the local real estate market, the property itself, and the strategies employed by the real estate agent.

Here are some ways that open houses might be beneficial to the seller:

1. Visibility: Open houses can increase the visibility of a home to potential buyers. They are typically advertised online, on yard signs, and in local newspapers, which can attract more attention to the listing.

2. Accessibility: Open houses make it easy for potential buyers to view the home without needing to schedule a private showing. This can attract more casual or early-stage buyers who might not have otherwise seen the home.

3. Pressure-free environment: Unlike private showings, open houses provide a less pressurized environment for potential buyers to view the home, which might make them more comfortable and open to considering the property.

4. Immediate feedback: Open houses can provide sellers and their agents with immediate feedback about the home, which can be used to make adjustments to the listing price or presentation.

Huge Price Reduction on 1904 Denver House

However, it's also important to note that open houses come with some downsides:

1. Security concerns: Open houses can potentially attract people with ill intentions, leading to theft or vandalism. In 20 years, however, I haven’t had a single seller tell me something was missing after an open house, although I’ve heard or read about such incidents.

2. Lookie loos: Many people who attend open houses may be neighbors, curious browsers, or individuals who are not serious about or ready to purchase a property. I welcome them, because they just might tell others about the listing.

3. Low success rate: Despite the visibility open houses can provide, the percentage of homes sold directly through

an open house is low compared to other methods of marketing a home, such as online listings or private showings.

Lastly, there’s what I call the laziness factor. It takes effort to hold an open house, and some agents don’t want to make the effort. And they justify not making that effort by saying that open houses don’t sell homes, they just are a means for agents to get buyer and seller leads.

Open houses are a little like floor duty. We ask our broker associates to sign up for floor duty, even though it can be as unproductive as an open house. My approach is to think of it as work time. I take my laptop and get a lot of work done, so really it’s not a waste of time, even if no buyers show up.

Natural Disasters Are Causing Insurers to Quit Areas

There are more and more reports, such as a Washington Post article on May 31st, of insurance companies refusing to renew home insurance policies or write new policies in areas which have suffered devastating losses such as from forest fires or severe weather events.

The headline of that WaPo article was, “Climate Shocks Are Making Parts of America Uninsurable. It Just Got Worse.” The

subhead read, “The largest insurer in California said it would stop offering new coverage. It’s part of a broader trend of companies pulling back from dangerous area.”

The inability to insure a property makes it harder to sell the property and therefore decrease its selling price. I have read reports of Californians who want to sell their home and move here, but they can’t sell their home because it can’t be insured.

$898,000

This historic home was listed less than a month ago for $995,000, a price that I knew was supported by comparable sales. That generated few showings and no offers, so the sellers agreed to this price reduction of almost $100,000. Now it’s a steal! You’ll love the updates to this 3-BR home at 1240 N. Downing St., a short walk from Cheesman Park in Denver’s historic Capitol Hill. I love this neighborhood. I went to kindergarten at nearby Dora Moore elementary school. If you’re a buyer who likes homes with “character,” let me show you this home! My narrated video tour will give you a taste of it and inspire you to request a showing. You can view more pictures plus that narrated video tour (including drone footage) at www.DenverHome.info. Then call me at 303-525-1851 for a private showing.

Just Listed: Fabulous Ranch in 55+ Community

Rare Townhome Near Downtown Evergreen

$1,250,000

$740,000

You won’t find a more idyllic home than this one at 12377 W. Big Horn Court in Skyestone, a 55+ Broomfield subdivision about a mile northwest of Standley Lake. With its 4 bedrooms and 3½ baths, it overlooks a park and is close to the 420acre Westminster Dog Park. The walk-out basement is beautifully finished, including a bedroom with Brazilian Ash hardwood flooring (used as a hobby room/shop by the seller). The many improvements are spelled out room-by-room on the home’s website, www.SkyestoneHome.info. The website also includes a narrated walk-through video. The home’s location within this 55+ community is incomparable, at the end of a cul-de-sac, adjacent to a trail that leads to the dog park to the east as well as the park below. I’ll be holding it open this Saturday, 11am to 1pm.

This updated 3-bedroom/2½-bath townhome at 28104 Meadow Drive sits at the back of the 10-unit HomeStead community, within walking distance of downtown Evergreen. A walking path to downtown begins next to this unit. There’s a lot to love about this townhome, starting with the updated kitchen with beautiful Quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances including a high-end LG refrigerator-freezer and 5-burner gas range, plus an eating area in front of windows to the greenbelt next to this end unit. The oversized 2-car garage comes with great shelving for storage. The main floor has vaulted ceilings throughout plus a spacious deck overlooking the same greenbelt and with mountain views. Take a narrated video tour with drone footage at www.EvergreenTownhome.info. I co-listed this home with Chuck Brown, who will be holding it open this Saturday, from 11am to 1pm. Or call Chuck at 303-885-7855 to arrange a private showing.

$990,000

Jim Smith

Broker/Owner, 303-525-1851

Jim@GoldenRealEstate.com

1214 Washington Ave., Golden 80401

Broker Associates:

JIM SWANSON, 303-929-2727

CHUCK BROWN, 303-885-7855

DAVID DLUGASCH, 303-908-4835

GREG KRAFT, 720-353-1922

AUSTIN POTTORFF, 970-281-9071

KATHY JONKE, 303-990-7428

PHOTO BY RYLEE DUNN

FLYING J

they saw this person.”

e suspect is described as a white male, 20-30 years old, t/athletic build with dark-colored hair. He has carried a dark-colored backpack in some cases. In each incident, the suspect has run o into the woods, avoiding capture.

Tilley said the department knows that discussions have cropped up on social media, and investigators want to hear from those people, too, especially since the man’s behavior has become more aggressive.

Deputies have taken seven reports so far, with six incidents in Flying J and one at Alderfer ree Sisters Park. e rst report involving this suspect occurred on April 3, when a naked man approached a female hiker and touched her buttocks, according to a press release. He ed the

area and was not located by law enforcement.

On June 13, a naked man confronted a female victim and began masturbating. He contacted three women on July 18 in which he fondled two victims, masturbated and engaged in sexual conversation. On July 24, the man confronted a female hiker while masturbating, and then grabbed the victim and tried to rip o her clothing.

Tilley said extra patrols are in the area, and signs have been erected at trailheads to warn hikers about the potential danger.

“We are trying to do everything we can to keep our community safe,” Tilley said. “We want people to understand that it’s still happening, and he’s still at large.”

e Sheri ’s O ce suggests hiking with a friend or family member, not walking o trail, taking a phone with you, being aware of those around you and reporting anything suspicious immediately.

District 2 City Council race shapes up as Gri th, Loveridge declare candidacy

Longtime planning commission chair to run against longtime fire board member

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Since current District 2 Council member Lauren Simpson switched her focus to the mayoral race, the eld vying to represent the district has grown to include Arvada Planning Commission Chair Michael Gri th and Arvada Fire Protection Board Member Bob Loveridge.

Gri th previously sought an at-large council position in the 2021 municipal election, losing to Council member Lisa Feret (formerly Smith) by about nine points. Loveridge has served on the re board since 2014 and served on the

board of directors for 14 years prior to that. Loveridge has never sought a council seat before.

Libertarian candidate Murl

Comprehensive cancer care that sets us apart.

rent District 2 eld and has been covered previously by the Arvada Press. Neither Gri th nor Loveridge declared a party a liation

on their candidate a davit.

Loveridge, a native of Arvada, said he entered the race because he feels that this election could bring a lot of turnover for council and believes he can bring experience to the dais.

“We’re not going to have a lot of experience on council of people that can mentor the ones that are still learning,” Loveridge said. “And that isn’t always the best situation. I’m a native of Arvada. And I intend to live here. I’ve raised my family here. I would just want Arvada to be at least as good as what I encountered at rst in my life here.”

Gri th said he’s had continuing discussions with supporters over the past year that has led him to seek election to council. Gri th said he waited for the candidate eld to develop before entering the

“I’ve had conversations with folks probably for the past year, it just

Jill Alldredge, MD

Kian Behbakht, MD Bradley Corr, MD

Lisa Marie Babayan, PA-C

Lindsay Brubaker, MD

Jaime Arruda, MD

Catherine Bouts, PA-C

Nicole Marjon, MD

Christine Walsh, MD

Carolyn Lefkowits, MD

Marisa Moroney, MD Saketh Guntupalli, MD Spyridon Mastroyannis, MD

with partners at the local, county and state level.

“I believe Arvada’s city government is really here for a small number of things; things like maintaining the roads and streets,” Marriott said. “Parks is absolutely right in the center of our of our core responsibilities; public safety, which is police in Arvada; because we provide it, water and sewer is one of those things. ose are our core responsibilities.”

Marriott added that the city should do some economic development, but it shouldn’t be its primary function.

Both candidates are running without party a liation on the ballot. Marriott said he was a Republican registered voter for “most of (his) adult life” but is now unafliated because he does not “feel like (he) ts into any of the parties.”

According to voting logs, Simpson was a registered Democrat voter in the 2022 election.

Nevertheless, both candidates maintain that there’s not much place for partisan politics in local government — at least in Arvada.

“I think party politics and party a liation doesn’t belong in local elections,” Marriott said. “ e dayto-day operations of the city does

nothing partisan about any of it. It’s all about making good practical decisions.”

“ is is a nonpartisan race, and as the mayor likes to say, ‘ ere’s no such thing as a pothole with an a liation,’” Simpson said in an earlier Arvada Press interview. “We all have our values and we all have our beliefs and any voter is always free to ask me where I stand. I genuinely do not care where they come from politically. It’s my job to listen to them and to help them.”

Handling homelessness

One area where the mayoral candidates seem to di er is their approach to handling homelessness in Arvada, which both believe is among the city’s most pressing issues.

Marriott said that while he believes the city and its partners should help connect homeless individuals to resources, he would also like to see the city shield its businesses and residents from the “negative consequences” of certain interactions with homeless people.

“Our focus tends to be on those homeless individuals; how can we help them and improve their lives and thereby hopefully, remove the di culties that they create?” Marriott said. “And I think that’s a viable thing to do, but I don’t think we need to do that exclusively.”

Marriott said that if the city can help people it should, but “we can’t

sacri ce what we do for the vast majority of people just to try to help a small handful of folks.”

Simpson o ered a di erent approach, though she commented that she felt that the issue is “challenging,” and stakeholders are “frustrated.” Simpson said she feels the city needs to take an active role in helping people get o the streets and doesn’t believe that can be accomplished through criminalizing homeless people.

“We cannot criminalize our way out of this problem,” Simpson said. “I don’t believe just throwing people in jail helps them. One thing I think is incredibly important that we do here in Arvada is the One Small Step program through our courts. And I have tremendous credit to give to Judge (Kathryn) Kurtz for bringing this forward and driving this.”

Simpson shared her personal experience of watching her father su er through mental health issues while she was growing up and mentioned that when she was 15, he ran away from home and was homeless for about three years.

“I understand how painful this issue can be,” Simpson said. “When you have a loved one that you desperately want to help, they may be resistant to receiving help, or they may simply just not be capable of that, or they may not be ready for it.”

Parting thoughts

Simpson credited her years of working in diplomacy and her community engagement while serving on council as experiences that have shaped her approach to leadership.

She said that her favorite part of being on council is hearing from constituents and helping them when she can; in the process, she’s become familiar with the di erent needs of Arvada’s neighborhoods and added that she feels she is the best-suited candidate to bring the growing city into the future.

“I feel like the mayor has to be really thoughtful and comprehensive and has to understand the di erent needs of the di erent parts of our community,” Simpson said. “ e west side and the east side are very di erent. So just understanding the unique needs of each further community, listening to those residents, engaging with them, hearing what they have to say, internalizing that and recognizing how they move forward in that community, meeting their needs — that’s what I plan to bring to the table.”

Marriott has credited his childhood growing up in Arvada as one of the main reasons why he found success as a businessman — and later, politician — in adulthood. He stated that he would like to win the mayorship so that he can provide the same kind of rich childhood environment for generations of Arvadans to come.

“I have been incredibly successful in my life, and it’s clear to me that a big part of my success in life was the place I grew up,” Marriott said. “I’m so convinced of how important people’s environment is; what an advantage that can be. And I really want to see other people and their children have all the advantages that I had growing up so that they can really reach their full potential —not just for them, but even for the kids who aren’t here yet.”

“The Best of the West” Parade returns for Bu alo Bill Days

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Barb and RD Melfi from White Fox Productions wave to everyone from their horses while they’re dressed as Annie Oakley and Bu alo Bill during the Bu alo Bill Days parade.

PHOTO BY SARA HERTWIG

BUFFALO BILL

FROM PAGE 6

Dozens of local businesses, nonpro ts and equestrian groups like the iconic Bu alo Bill Saddle Club ride or march in the parade every summer. Attendees over the years have shared how much they appreciate the parade’s traditional Western air. e parade, which was canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, returned last year. e event is a quintessential part of the four-day festival, drawing thousands of people to the festival and downtown Golden, organizers have said.

CANDIDACY

kind of gauging interest in community members, folks that have a stake and interest in elections,” Gri th said. “And everything that I’ve heard has been overwhelmingly positive. I felt like waiting a little bit was probably to my advantage, just to kind of see how things would shake out.”

Background

Loveridge highlighted his experience serving the Arvada community; he spent 28 years on the building code board of Je erson County, 10 years on the Board of Adjustment in addition to his aforementioned time spent on the Apex and AFPD boards.

“I look at the ability I’ve brought developing projects that people love in this community, things that everyone loves to go to and is proud,” Loveridge said. “One of the big ones was Apex Center, I was able to help get the Stenger/ Lutz Complex (built), Indian Tree

Golf Course, Sims Street Pickleball courts; those are the things that I’ve brought to this community with Apex.

“With re, we’re ranked in the top 100 departments in the country, which I’m proud of,” Loveridge continued. “ ere’s about 45,000 departments in the country to compete with.”

Gri th said his time on the planning commission has given him a unique perspective that he could bring to the dais.

“As we review projects, I think that there’s a speci c value that my background and experience will bring,” Gri th said. “But I think in addition to that, just understanding holistically, transportation networks, infrastructure, investment opportunities, and weigh in some of the big, big dollar gure challenges that we’re facing.”

Gri th added that his background and expertise are speci cally tuned and geared toward addressing those questions.

“I feel like we have a good council, and I think adding that tool into the bucket will only make it

EXACT SAME COVERAGE UP TO HALF THE COST.

stronger,” he said.

Professionally, Gri th works in urban design, mobility and planning for Kimley-Horn, while Loveridge owns his own construction and roo ng company.

Housing development e candidates have substantially di erent philosophies when it comes to planning the development of Arvada’s housing stock.

Gri th stressed the importance of having a “diverse mix of housing types” as Arvada’s population grows and becomes more demographically diverse. He noted that Arvada has a “lot of single-family detached product” in addition to “a fair number of apartments.”

“At this point, I think the missing middle piece is kind of the critical component,” Gri th said. “So, the townhomes, I think are a fair opportunity for us. ey’re not as dense as apartment buildings; they can be more on the a ordable spectrum… I think having that diverse housing product available in the city is kind of critical to our long-term resiliency.”

Loveridge o ered a di erent perspective, speaking out against the development of mixed housing stock Arvada’s city council has approved in recent years.

“I’m not a fan of all of the multifamily (housing) that we’re putting in,” Loveridge said. “It feels like we’re closing the city. And it’s not that open. We’re becoming more urban, rather than just a suburban-type atmosphere. When my parents moved here, it was a town of 3,000 (residents). When I was in high school, it was 45,000 (residents).”

Public safety

When asked about public safety concerns and homelessness in Arvada, Loveridge mentioned concerns about the Arvada Police Department’s sta ng shortages, which have escalated in recent years following the murders of ofcers Gordon Beesley and Dillon Vako .

Loveridge said he would be

interested in exploring whether or not the department should remove its mandate that all hires have a college degree — APD is one of the only departments in the state which has an educational requirement greater than a GED.

“I’m concerned about the number of police o cers who are lacking,” Loveridge said. “ at’s a big one for me. We have more re ghters out on the streets, and we do police o cers right now. We’re sitting ideally, and they’re not. And what that is, I’m not sure is it? Do we need more pay? How can we attract those great o cers that are out there?”

Loveridge said that he wants people in the community to feel safe.

“Most of my life, we never locked the doors, we’d leave the keys in the car,” he said.

Gri th said the city won’t be able to solve the issue of homelessness on its own and added that he would like to see the feedback of businesses and residents regarding their interactions with homeless individuals.

“Homelessness is a regional issue,” Gri th said. “It’s not something that we’re going to solve completely within the borders of Arvada. One of the things I’m most interested in, is talking to residents and business owners about their personal experiences with homelessness and how they’re a ected.”

Closing remarks

Gri th said his love of the city and familial roots in Arvada make him an ideal candidate to serve on council.

Loveridge said that although his personal Facebook page features a number of politically-charged memes, he wants to be a representative for all Arvadans.

“I just want to make sure people feel like they’re part of this community,” Loveridge said. “Because everyone’s important here. I don’t care what your color is, what your race is, if you’re short, tall, fat. You know, they’re all important. Everybody’s part of the human race.”

Members of the Bu alo Bill Saddle Club ride in the annual parade for Bu alo Bill Days in downtown Golden.

PHOTOS BY SARA HERTWIG

The Foothills Young Marines march in the Bu alo Bill Days parade Saturday morning.

Why blind historian tells the stories of the blind

Peggy Chong describes what motivates her

BY TEDDY JACOBSEN TJACOBSEN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

It only takes an introduction and a few minutes of talking with historian Peggy Chong to learn something new.

Chong, also known as e Blind History Lady, can easily rattle o countless names and stories of blind people throughout history. For instance, you may know Stevie Wonder but you probably don’t know Gov. Elias Ammons. Chong has researched the stories of the blind for over three decades. She excitedly shares their biographies with anyone willing to listen, primarily through a monthly email list.

“People often nd the stories hard to believe, that there’s something special about these blind people,” Chong said. “If you read on, you do nd that there was something special about them because they just never quit.”

Chong, who lives in Aurora, was born blind into a family that understood her struggles. ree of her four sisters and her mother were also born blind. Chong said the support and connection she received from her family is rare for the majority of blind people.

“Everything you do feels like you’re reinventing the wheel,” Chong said. “And you may not have a community around you to help you not feel that way.”

Almost 8% of the U.S. population are visually impaired in some way, according to Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute.

Just over 4 million Americans aged 16 to 64 have a visual disability and another 3 million people 65-years-old and older have one, according to the National Federation of the Blind.

Chong said most people go blind later in life due to health issues or injuries. She said it is easy for people to lose faith in their abilities because of a stigma about what blind people can do.

“Too often we’re told that a blind person can’t do that, but blind people throughout the years have accomplished so much in their work,” Chong said.

e main stories she tells involve the jobs and work that blind people have had over the years.

Over 70% of potentially employable adults with a visual disability in the United States do not have full-time jobs, according to Cornell University’s U.S. Disability Statistics.

Chong said sharing stories of blind people inspires people today to work the jobs that they want to do, in spite of the adversary.

For example, Chong said most Coloradans don’t know the state had a blind governor. Elias Ammons was the 19th governor of the state, serving from 1913 to 1915. Although he had some vision, Chong said, it was not enough to read or recognize people across the room.

“ e irony of some of the discrimination is unbelievable when you nd out what these blind people accomplished later in their lives,” she said.

Chong moved to the state ve years ago, where she almost immediately started searching through records in the Colorado Center for the Blind basement. She said she discovered records dating back more than 100 years.

She led the e ort to digitize and transcribe the pages for blind people to read through optical character recognition, which is a system that scans printed text so it can be spoken in synthetic speech or saved to a computer le.

e project started four years ago, and Chong said she is almost done putting the les on the Colorado Virtual Library website.

President of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado Jessica Beecham said Chong’s work is vital for showing other blind people their rich history is out there and worth sharing.

“As a blind person, I never knew our history,” Beecham said in a press release. “I thought we as blind people were always the rst to do or try anything. at is so lonely. But, through her research, I, and thousands more are learn-

ing that we have broad shoulders of our blind ancestors to stand on, inspiring us to climb higher and

reach farther.”

Chong won the Jacob Bolotin Award at the annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind in Houston, Texas, in July.

e award comes with $5,000 to help her advance her research into the history of the blind of the United States.

e Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards honor individuals and organizations that are a positive force in the lives of blind people. e namesake of the award, Bolotin (1888-1924), is hailed as the world’s rst physician who was blind from birth.

Each year the National Federation of the blind presents the awards at its annual convention. is is the second time she received this award for her work, the rst coming in 2018.

Her new project will take her to the Library of Congress archives in Washington D.C. where she will research and tell the history of an awards program through the Harmon Foundation from 1928-1932. “ is award means a lot to me,” Chong stated. “It represents the validation by my peers that my work to uncover the lost history of our blind ancestors is important.”

To join Chong’s monthly email list, send an email to theblindhistorylady@gmail.com.

Peggy Chong with the Jacob Bolotin Award at the annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind in Houston earlier this month. COURTESY PHOTO

Colorado poll sees concern about cost of living

BY PARKER YAMASAKI THE COLORADO SUN

Cost of living and housing affordability are the top concerns of Coloradans this year, according to a poll released by the Colorado Health Foundation.

In an open-ended question asking participants what they thought the most important issue facing Colorado is right now, 16% answered cost of living and 15% answered housing a ordability. Other issues in the top ve were government and politics, public safety and crime, and homelessness.

About 10% of respondents said that homelessness was their top concern for Colorado, with 79% calling the problem “extremely serious” or “very serious.” e results from the 4th annual survey arrived as Denver’s new mayor, Mike Johnston, declared a state of emergency around homelessness, during his rst full day in o ce.

Polling is conducted over one month through phone, email and text invitations, in English and Spanish. is year’s data includes 2,639 respondents across all ages, races and income brackets, with oversamples of Black/African American, Native American/Indigenous, Asian American and Pueblo County residents.

One of the cornerstones of CHF is to serve folks with historically less power or privilege, according to Austin Montoya, senior o cer for policy advocacy communications, which is why the foundation

takes larger samples of speci c populations. Montoya said that by sampling larger numbers of smaller populations, they are able to more accurately re ect the experiences of those populations. e data is later weighted to re ect Colorado’s population.

Since the poll’s inception in 2020, the biggest drop in respondents’ top concern was, unsurprisingly, COVID-19, which was top of mind for 26% of Coloradans in 2020, compared with 0% in 2023.

e second- and third-largest decreases in concern were political division, down 6 percentage points, and jobs and the economy, down

5. In the past year, Colorado’s job openings and unemployment reached something near equilibrium, so it tracks that anxiety over jobs has fallen since the 2020 polling, when uncertainty was rampant.

Homelessness had the largest increase as a top concern since last year, up 3 percentage points, while crime had the largest increase as a top concern over the past four years, up 8 percentage points. Both issues were a major focus for Denver’s mayoral election this year.

While most concerns associated with costs — such as rising costs of living, cost of housing and jobs — tended to decline in importance as income levels rose, the percentage of respondents most concerned by homelessness was consistent across income levels. e di erence between the lowest and highest income earners concerned with homelessness was only 3 percentage points.

Having a home is one major concern; staying in it is another. At the time of polling, renters were signi cantly more worried about not being able to make rent payments than homeowners were worried about their mortgages — at a rate of 49% compared with 19% of respondents. However, that number may ip as property owners come to terms with their new, exponentially high valuations, which were issued after the Pulse poll was conducted.

Respondents who identi ed as Native American/Indigenous showed the most concern over losing their homes, with 49% answering that they were worried in this year’s poll, while the Black/African American respondents had the largest increase in those worried, up 16 percentage points, to 47% from 31% last year.

Almost every household with an income below $150,000 was worried about their children being able to a ord a home in Colorado.

Montoya wants the information gleaned from these polls to help inform policymakers’ priorities. He said the foundation’s primary audience is local lawmakers and

legislators.

When presented with a number of policy solutions, respondents thought that the most e ective ways to mitigate housing cost challenges are to reduce property taxes for homeowners with low or xed incomes, and to ensure that landlords cannot raise rents on tenants too quickly.

e biggest divisions around e ective policy solutions were between Republicans and Democrats in the state, with Independents falling squarely between the parties for every proposed solution. e largest di erences between what the parties viewed as e ective solutions were requiring developers to build low-income housing — 86% of Democrats thought this would be an e ective solution, while only 49% of Republicans agreed — and increasing government investments in programs that prevent people from becoming homeless — 87% of Democrats believed in its e ectiveness, while 46% of Republicans agreed.

e takeaway from this year’s data, Montoya said, was that it hasn’t changed much since last year. Montoya believes that Coloradans’ major concerns “skyrocketed” around COVID, and have continued to stay high ever since.

“ e majority of these worries have increased since 2020, but there hasn’t been much of a decline in any of them. ere is really just a plateau,” he said. “And a majority of folks are feeling concerned.”

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.

Eighty-two percent of respondents to the annual Pulse poll said that the cost of housing is an “extremely” or “very” serious problem in Colorado. The highest levels of concern came from respondents in the Denver metro region.

PHOTO BY KATHRYN SCOTT, SPECIAL TO THE COLORADO SUN

Housing a ordability also worries state’s residents

State preschool program leaves some unsure

school program. “ is is a system that providers have been hesitant to jump into because they haven’t gotten clear answers from the departments on how this is all going to go down.”

BY ERICA BREUNLIN THE COLORADO SUN

A preschool in Greeley that has shepherded countless kids through the rst years of their education over the past 21 years may welcome its last class of 4-year-olds next month, eyeing an uncertain future as it dives into the state’s newly expanded preschool program.

Nearby, a di erent preschool that caters to mostly children of lowincome families has only been able to ll a quarter of its classrooms for the start of the school year and is weighing its options — which could include closing its doors. Preschools across Colorado are sprinting to make nal preparations for the start of the state’s expanded preschool program, known as universal preschool. And with less than a month until the rst day of school, many question whether

they’ll have enough state funding to stay open. at question has bubbled up in the past month, after Colorado’s new Department of Early Childhood changed the way it will calculate how much funding preschool providers will receive during their rst few months of the program.

Instead of paying a provider for the number of students it has the capacity to educate, as originally promised, the department will now dole out funding based on the number of students enrolled. It might seem like a subtle shift, but

to preschool providers who already run their programs on thin margins, it could mean the di erence between continuing their classes and closing them down for good.

e new approach “de nitely cuts providers o at the knees with their ability to step into this rst year of (universal preschool) and have adequate facilities and adequate sta ready to go, trained,” said Scott Bright, owner of ABC Child Development Centers, which has 25 preschool sites across Weld County, six of which will participate in Colorado’s expanded pre-

e Early Childhood department, which has a $322 million budget for its inaugural year of the expanded preschool program, previously pledged to compensate preschools participating in universal preschool based on the number of 4-year-olds they had room to educate, regardless of whether they lled all their seats. at’s a much more predictable and reliable method of funding, providers say.

During a Jan. 12 meeting among members of the department’s Rules Advisory Council, M. Michael Cooke — then a universal preschool representative from Gov. Jared Polis’ o ce — said that through monthly state payment to providers from August through October, those providers would receive a dollar amount based on their capacity, regardless of whether providers could ll all their seats. en in November, she added, the department would reassess how many kids had actually enrolled in

(but there

Crayons are organized by color in Early Childhood University’s preschool classroom Tuesday, July 25, 2023, in Greeley, Colo.

PHOTO BY TANYA FABIAN /SPECIAL TO THE COLORADO SUN

A month before universal preschool starts, Colorado is backpedaling on a major funding promise

VOICES

Take me out to the ball game

Ilove baseball. I have loved it since my Dad introduced the sport to me as a little kid. One of the proudest moments of my young life was making my very large high school’s baseball team. I remember the joy of telling my No. 1 fan, my dad, “I made the team.” I grew up near Cincinnati, so I experienced both disappointment during the Red’s struggling years and the overwhelming joy the “Big Red Machine” brought to their fans. Beating the hated Yankees in four in the 76 World Series was beyond great.

In the last few years, baseball has dropped in fan enthusiasm. Some question its title as the “national pastime.” e games are too long and some who are not familiar with all baseball’s nuances say games can be boring. But the game has reformed itself. It added time clocks like basketball’s shot clock. Pitchers have 15 seconds to throw the ball when no one is on base and 20 seconds when men are on base. Batters must be in the batter’s box with eight seconds on the clock. is strict timing has knocked 36 minutes o the average game time.

JIM ROHRER Columnist

at’s not all. e bases have been made 3 sq. inches larger, therefore they are slightly closer to each other. Big deal, you say. It is a big deal as now 80% of all base stealing is successful. is year’s base stealing is on target to be the highest ever. It’s an attempt to bring back a game like those days of Jackie Robinson and Maury Wills. Teams are no longer allowed to put more than two in elders on one side of second base. at change has allowed more hits and batting averages are up a whopping 16 points. More action and more excitement have brought fans back and attendance is up 5% so far this season. Good job, baseball. But more work needs to be done. Consider the famous quote in the movie/book “Moneyball.” “ ere are rich teams and poor teams, it’s not a fair game.”   is is not because of ticket sales, but rather the TV and radio income generated by

large markets over small markets.

e Rockies attendance in a poor year was just under 1.6 million fans while the New York Yankees drew 2.1 million. What really makes the di erence is the mega millions large market teams draw from TV and radio revenues. Last year the Yankees made $143 million from their media deal while the Rockies made just about $20 million. As a result, the Rockies $178 million player payroll, which was about in the middle among all teams, was barely half the NY Mets $348 million payroll. More money means a team can a ord to keep the superstars whose competitive value is high like Nolan Arenado.   e Rockies lost him as he signed a $260 million deal. He went to St. Louis which has a smaller population than Denver, but the Cardinals recently signed a $1 billion media deal because of the massive size of their fan network.

Major League Baseball is the only major sport without a salary cap. Football, basketball and hockey all restrict the amount teams can spend on player salaries. Baseball has a provision to which owners agreed to ne teams whose total

salaries are above the year’s agreed upon limit. e big markets with lots of cash just overspend and pay the luxury tax, which was $200 million last year.

If my discussion of salary caps and such makes it seem that baseball is all about money, that’s not my intent. It may be this way to the owners, but to the fans and players, it is about the thrill of winning. Recently the lowly Rockies came from behind twice in the same game to defeat the mighty Yankees. ey won two of three here in Denver in front of sell-out crowds. e celebration on the eld and in the stands looked like the Rockies had just won the world series. Maybe they will someday, but even if they don’t, I will continue to root, root, root for the home team.

Jim Rohrer of Evergreen is a business consultant and author of the books “Improve Your Bottom Line … Develop MVPs Today” and “Never Lose Your Job … Become a More Valuable Player.” Jim’s belief is that common sense is becoming less common. Contact Jim at jim.rohrer2@ gmail.com.

Rock down to Avenue Q at Miners Alley

When we’re young, the art and entertainment we connect to can really take a hold and shape who we are and what we like. Usually, that art remains in our past — something we think of fondly occasionnaly. But every now and then it gets an update that turns it into something else.

at’s the case with “Avenue Q: e Musical,” the new production at Miners Alley Playhouse, 1224 Washington Ave. in Golden. e show is an adult modernization of the kind of puppet-driven storytelling that has been a part of growing up for years.

“So many of us have memories of these kinds of stories, but this is more about real life,” said director

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Warren Sherrill.

“ e overall theme is that no matter how well we prepare ourselves in life, there are going to be curveballs, disappointments and unknowns that mess things up. ings get worse and then better.”

Call first: 27972 Meadow Dr., #320

Evergreen, CO 80439, 303-566-4100

Mailing Address: 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225

Englewood, CO 80110

Phone: 303-566-4100

Web: ArvadaPress.com

To subscribe call 303-566-4100

Clarke Reader

“Avenue Q” runs at Miners from Friday, Aug. 11 through Sunday, Sept. 17.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. ursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday.

According to provided information, the musical focuses on Princeton (David Otto), a recent college grad

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher

lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

MICHAEL DE YOANNA

Editor-in-Chief michael@coloradocommunitymedia.com

KRISTEN FIORE West Metro Editor kfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com

RYLEE DUNN Community Editor rdunn@coloradocommunitymedia.com

who has moved into a run-down New York City apartment on Avenue Q. As he meets neighbors and makes friends (with a cast that includes Ava Francis, Mike Martinkus, Keandra Hunt, Emily Gerhard, Carter Edward Smith and Corey Exline) they try to nd jobs, relationships and meaning in life.   e production features music direction from Susan Draus, who has served as musical director for “ e Book of Mormon,” “Mamma Mia” and many more.

“ e show is a bit cartoonish because of the puppets, so I wanted to add more cute and funny sounds to the score,” Draus said. “I really want the music to match the show — when it’s funny, the music should be funny and when it’s tender, it should be tender.”

ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant

eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager abrooks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

ERIN FRANKS Production Manager efranks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com

As if working with puppets, which were designed by Cory Gilstrap, wasn’t a big enough challenge, there were also the normal challenges of staging a musical in an intimate space. But Draus said it was great fun to be a part of the project.

“I love what they’re doing a Miners Alley,” she said. “ ey have such a wonderful sense of humor and a great kindness and lightness. e audience is going to have a blast.”

What makes the show unique isn’t the puppets — it’s the searchingly human way topics like racism and LGBTQIA+ issues are examined. And that deep humanity is what Sherrill hopes audiences take away from the production.

SEE READER, P9

Columnists & Guest Commentaries

Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Press. We welcome letters to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone.

Email letters to kfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Deadline Wed. for the following week’s paper.

To opt in or out of delivery please email us at circulation@ coloradocommunitymedia.com

Arvada press

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

POSTMASTER: Send address change to: Arvada Press, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110

For-profit college students getting financial help

Biden administration announces $130 million loan forgiveness for Colorado College America students

BY JASON GONZALES CHALKBEAT COLORADO

About 7,400 students who attended the for-pro t CollegeAmerica in Colorado from 2006 to 2020 will automatically get $130 million in student debt forgiven after the U.S. Department of Education found the college made widespread misrepresentations.

READER

“ e puppets allow the meaning and messages to be more subtle, instead of right in your face. It allows for boundaries to be broken,” he said. “ ere are important reminders in the show about taking life one day at a time. So much of what we worry about won’t even matter in a year.”

For information and tickets, visit https://minersalley.com/avenue-qthe-musical/.

Get thoughtful at Walker Fine Art’s Evocation exhibition

I think most of us imagine artmaking to be an extremely introspective pursuit and that is often the case, as Evocation, the latest exhibit at Walker Fine Art, 300 West 11th Ave., No. A, in Denver, beautifully explores.

On display through Saturday, Sept. 2, the exhibit features worksVirginia Steck,Matt Christie,Atticus Adams,Kim Ferrer,Peter Illig and Doug Haeussner. According to provided information, the artists use nature and landscape to work their way through memories. e resulting pieces come in a variety of mediums – painting, wall sculpture and mixed media – and invite the viewer to participate in their own introspective process.

All the details can be found atwww.walker neart.com/evocation.

Celebrate highland life at Colorado Scottish Festival e Denver Polo Club is inviting people to get their Scottish on at the 59thAnnual Colorado Scottish Festival, which will be held at the club, 6359 Airport Road in Sedalia,

CollegeAmerica students will be noti ed in August that their federal student loan balance has been wiped clean. ey also will be reimbursed for the amount they paid on those loans.

e education department used evidence provided by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser in its forgiveness decision, nding parent-company Center for Excellence in Higher Education gave false information about the salaries and employment rates of its graduates, the programs it o ered, and the terms of a private loan product it o ered.

“CollegeAmerica, they took advantage of people and preyed on vulnerable individuals,” Weiser said during a July news conference with the federal education department.

on Saturday, Aug. 5 and Sunday, Aug. 6.

Hosted by the St. Andrew Society of Colorado, the club celebrates all things Scottish — culture, tradition and history. e family-friendly event features a range of activities, including athletics, music and dance, Celtic merchandise, drinks and eats and much more. Spectators can check out the Scottish Games and traditional Irish Step Dancing by the Heritage Irish Stepdancers while sampling haggis, whisky and other delicacies.   Find all the details atwww.scottishgames.org.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — boygenius at Red Rocks

Musical super groups aren’t things we see very often anymore, which is a shame, because even if they’re not always good, they’re usually interesting. Fortunately, boygenius, the group made up of indie/alt-rockers Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus, are not just good, they’re great. e three women are among the sharpest tunesmiths around right now and together they explore the pitfalls of life and relationships with a novelist’s eye for nuance. eir debut full length,“the record” is one of the year’s best releases.   e group’s visit to Red Rocks, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway in Morrison, at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 5, is one of the season’s most anticipated concerts. ey’ll be joined by arthouse rockers illuminati hotties, making this a don’t-miss performance. Secure tickets at www. ticketmaster.com.

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

“ ey had tens of thousands of TV commercials, radio, mailers, all of which promoted starting salaries or median starting salary that they claimed their degrees would give people access to. at was fundamentally untrue.”

Federal Student Aid Chief Operating O cer Richard Cordray credited Weiser’s o ce for its work exposing issues with College America. e Colorado attorney general’s o ce started investigating the for-pro t in 2012, with a nal judgment in favor of the state in 2020.

Cordray said issues included CollegeAmerica in ating job placement rates from 40% to 70%. e college also advertised higher salaries for its graduates, sometimes by twice as much.

“Nothing can replace the time

these students spent, the years that have passed, and their trust that is broken,” Corduroy said. “What we can do, we will do, to try to make things right.”

e department’s actions discharge federal loans for the 7,400 students. Private loans, however, are not eligible for forgiveness.

e Biden-Harris Administration has forgiven $14.7 billion in relief for 1.1 million borrowers nationally whose colleges took advantage of them or closed, according to a news release.

Students at now-closed Corinthian Colleges, ITT Technical Institute, and Westwood College also have received loan relief.

Chalkbeat is a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools.

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

ADenver-based nonpro t music education organization is helping local rising stars showcase and enhance their musical talents, record music and learn podcasting for free.

Youth on Record, founded by local musician community organizer Flobots in 2008 works with people aged 14 to 24.

“Flotbots’ mission was to bring music to young people to improve academic success and youth outreach, and it grew into what is now known as Youth on Record,” said Haley Witt, a guitar musician and singer-songwriter who manages Youth on Record.

Youth on Record recently rocked at its ninth annual block party in support of youth in music with over 20 live music performances, teen activities and vendors at its o ce location near downtown Denver.

“We have a state-of-the-art recording studio soundboard and all sorts of instruments,” Witt said. “So young people can drop into our programs and learn about mixing, mastering songs and learn about songwriting and instrumentation.”

After school programs

e Youth on Record runs afterschool, out-of-school and in-school programming with Denver Public Schools and Aurora Public Schools middle and high schools.

“We partner with the schools to teach four-credit classes, and we hire local professional artists to teach those classes,” Witt said. “Our Youth on Record teaching artists come to the schools, and the young people are able to learn from them. It’s one way that you nd our Youth on Record programs through the schools.”

Youth on Record also has afterschool programs at the Youth on Record media studio space called the open lab on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and is available to young people from 14 to 24 years old.

“It’s self-guided so that they can explore their interests. ey come into the space with a passion for music, making songwriting production, and we teach them the skill set they need to accomplish the projects they’re passionate about,” Witt said.

Witt said Youth on Record also o er an internship and fellowship program and a fellowship program, both of which are paid programs by donors.

“Youth on Record is a nonpro t organization so donors fund our program,” Witt said.

Witt said Youth on Record has had a lot of talented program graduates.

Baily Elora from Hudson/ Keenesburg Colorado, featured in the Fort Lupton Press, went through the program and signed on with Sony Music Subsidiary e Orchard.

“We are proud of all of our program graduates and all of the various directions that they’re headed, it’s really important to us to connect with young people with economic opportunities, “ Witt said.

Witt said Youth on Records is a pillar of academic success, economic opportunity and community activation.

“Our economic opportunity pillar, it’s really important to us to connect young people to community careers and job opportunities,” Witt said.

Witt said they have young people who play gigs in the community and support booking those gigs and paid opportunities for young people to perform.

Youth on Record also places young people into community internships and fellowships.

“Our fellows will have the opportunity to have community internships with local partners as well. It’s important to us to connect young people to jobs in the industry and to connect them to opportunities in creative elds and show them that it’s possible,” Witt said.

ere also is an open mic every rst Friday, and it is open to the public, where the youth perform and gain experience in combination with all the First Fridays and art walks across the city, speci cally in collaboration with the Santa Fe Art Walk.

“ at’s a program run by our fellows and learn how to put together a music festival, run it, secure porta potties and design posters for the festival and how it ties in economic opportunity. e block party is a youth-led program,” Witt said.

Learning about podcasting

David Ladon, Youth on Record audio arts innovation manager, teaches youth how to do podcast interviews. Ladon has been teaching podcasting for nine years and has worked with Youth on Record for three in a half years.

“We have a podcast show that comes out monthly called ‘Generation Collaboration’ that we produce in collaboration with Colorado young leaders,” Ladon said, adding that they just nished season one and that the podcast airs on KGNU.

ARTISTS

“We have another monthly show called ‘Youth on Rewind,’ which is a segment-based show and the tagline podcast amplifying young people’s voices, stories and ideas,” Ladon said.

Ladon said the podcast features segments produced by interns, peer navigators and fellows, covering whatever interests them.

“Our third show is called ‘Underground of the Showcase’ as

the official podcast of the underground music showcase, which Youth and Record helps put on.”

The podcast is hosted and produced by youth interns from 16 to 24 years old.

Ladon said his love for the application of podcast work expanded beyond media production or journalism.

“It gets to the root of socialemotional learning and developing yourself because you’re learning to exercise your voice and get to practice hearing your voice, which is not something we’re all comfortable with,” Ladon said.

Mobile Studio

Oren Bregman, executive director of the Mobile Studio nonprofit music outreach program has partnered with Youth on Record.

Bregman’s program brings the mobile studio to Denver, Green Valley and Montebello pathway schools in Aurora.

“We focused on singing, rapping, and poetry so we bring our equipment and expertise so students can create music to express themselves and share it online with their family and friends,” Bregman said.

Bregman said Youth on Records helped Mobile Studio get their

first grant and gave them some instruments.

“We are happy to be part of the family,” Bregman said.

Witt said the young people the programs serve are incredibly talented. “It blows me away to see the ways that they’re able to cultivate their skills, and it’s inspiring to watch and build strong mentorship relationships with our staff and to feel connected to a sense of community through our programs,” she said.

For more information about Youth on Record, visit youthonrecord.org or call 303993-5226.

Youth on Record student Addie Uhl performs at the Youth on Record block party.

PHOTOS BY BELEN WARD

Cornelius Bates sings a hip-hop rap on the mic at the Mobile Studio tent.

David Ladon, Youth on Record audio arts innovation manager, prepares the podcast studio for an interview.

Laura Stedman warms up for her solo performance at the Youth on Record block party.

UNSURE

provider programs and adjust payments based on those numbers.

“We want to be helpful,” Cooke added. “We don’t want to create a situation where we’re creating a budget shortfall for community partners. We don’t want to create a situation where there has to be a layo of sta .”

However, as the state tried to balance the number of preschool slots available with the number of kids actually being enrolled, it became clear that the scale tipped too far. Data “showed a signi cantly higher number of available seats in the universal preschool system than participating families,” Early Childhood department spokesperson Hope Shuler wrote in an email to e Colorado Sun, noting that there were about two seats open for every child whose family applied.

Bright, who also serves as board president of the Early Childhood Education Association of Colorado, sees the decision to change funding as something of a bait-andswitch after the Early Childhood department simply couldn’t a ord to pay all participating providers for the surplus of preschool slots. “ ey realized they ran out of money based on the promise they made, and now providers are left carrying the load,” said Bright, who typically keeps his business a oat with no more than two weeks of operating cash in the bank at any one time.

Without upfront payment from the state for all kids who enroll in universal preschool at his centers, Bright said he won’t have the funds to pay his sta .

Under the revised funding plan, which Shuler said was communicated to providers by June 27,

the state assessed the number of kids enrolled in programs on July 9. Programs will receive funding Aug. 1 based on that count of kids. However, the latest round of matching preschoolers with speci c programs — so far it has facilitated four sets of matching — was completed later in July. at means providers could end up with preschoolers on the rst day of classes who they haven’t been paid to educate. ey won’t receive funding for those students until the next payment from the state, scheduled for Sept. 8.

Each month from August through May, Shuler said, providers will receive a payment determined by the number of students enrolled in their program on the 15th of the previous month. e sum will be adjusted each month so that the amount given to providers accounts for any enrollment swings and re ects the number of students in their classrooms.  at leaves providers like Bright feeling pinched.

“It is very di cult for a provider to hire their sta , prepare their facilities for kids and then not necessarily have all of those seats full but yet have to pay payroll and have to pay the mortgage payment and have to turn the lights on and have to turn the heat and/or AC on,” Bright said. “It’s very di cult for us to do that when you’re now told late in the game that we’re only going to pay you based on enrollments and we’re going to true up your enrollments every month.”

e state is rolling out something of a nancial safety net for providers so that they’re guaranteed at least the same amount of funding they received last year under the state’s previous preschool program, called the Colorado Preschool Program. At the end of the school year, the state will compare the amount paid to each provider this year under universal preschool

to the amount paid to each provider last year through the Colorado Preschool Program, according to Bright. If a provider earns less in universal preschool than the amount they earned last year through the Colorado Preschool Program, the state will pay them the di erence, he said.

It’s not yet clear whether providers like Bright who own more than one preschool center — including two that participated in the Colorado Preschool Program and six slated to be part of universal preschool — will be compensated for each licensed facility, which will a ect the amount of funding owed by the state.

e Early Childhood department was not able to clarify details of its plan to ensure providers receive at least as much funding this school year as they did last year.

Bright added that he can’t wait until the end of the school year for funding that is crucial to his ability to keep running his business.

e only nancial path forward, he said, involves keeping kids who enroll last-minute on the sidelines until the state pays providers for them. at means, for instance, that any family who enrolls their 4-year-old from late July through mid-August will have to wait to start universal preschool until September, when Bright receives money from the state for that particular child.

e Early Childhood department doesn’t believe any preschools will have to postpone the start times for any kids, with Shuler writing in an email that “payments will be reconciled for the next month and providers will receive pay if children start earlier.”

She said the department is also con dent that the rst payment in August, along with the monthly payments recalculated to compensate providers for any enrollment changes, will “help support providers” and are “much more providerfriendly” than other preschool subsidy programs that have paid based on the number of kids attending their program.

Bright noted that under the Colorado Preschool Program he received funding for the entire school year starting in August with monthly payments through May, contingent on his facilities having all seats funded by the state lled with kids by Nov. 1.

He doesn’t see another option other than a delayed start for kids who enroll late.

“I would drown my company if I were to provide services that I was not paid for,” he said.

Bright and other preschools are also worried about having to shutter centers altogether.

One of the six ABC Child Development Centers Bright owns that is participating in universal preschool has 12 classrooms, only three of which are full with kids

whose families have opted into universal preschool. He needs all classrooms full to stay nancially whole at the center, which mostly serves low-income families.

He expects all the classrooms to ll by November, but to keep the school open until then, he needs the upfront funding from the state. If the school stays open with empty classrooms, he’ll have to lay o teachers and will be unable to accept new students until the state pays their tuition.

Meanwhile, Melissa Lelm, director of Early Childhood University in Greeley, has enrolled only 33 students through universal preschool, far short of the 96 licensed spots in her center. e state has matched another 10 students with her facility, but though Lelm has repeatedly called and emailed those families to encourage them to accept their match, she’s been met with silence. At the same time, she has to renew her lease this year with her landlord wanting to raise her rent.

“I don’t know if we’ll be in business at the end of May of 2024,” said Lelm, who has worked in early childhood education for more than 40 years.

Lelm recently laid o four employees who are now collecting unemployment, keeping only one teacher and one teacher assistant on her sta . And as the Early Childhood department pivots to paying providers based on the number of kids enrolled, she anticipates her reserves will dwindle as she tries to cover even the smaller payroll. She’s applying for grants to help ll in the gaps and has so far collected $26,000, including from the state’s Child Care Stabilization and Workforce Sustainability Grants and a $4,000 state Capacity Building Grant that can fund necessities such as furniture and educational and health care materials.

“ at money will go very quickly for payroll and rent,” Lelm said.

She might be forced to lay o her teacher assistant if enrollment continues to stagnate, but Lelm knows that having more than one trained adult in the classroom helps kids and teachers form better bonds.

Lelm wonders if she’ll be up against the same uncertainties around how many students she’ll serve and how many sta she needs each year of universal preschool — if she manages to stay open.

“I just hope it works,” she said. “I don’t know if they thought it through thoroughly enough.”

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.

Thu 8/10

Destino @ 6pm Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St, Denver

Mike Ring *EP Release* @ 8pm / $15

The Black Buzzard at Oskar Blues, 1624 Market St, Denver

Sat 8/12

Kazha @ 7pm HQ, 60 S Broadway, Denver

velvetdaydream: Melon Husk w/ Flowerhead, Velvet Daydream & Pill

Joy @ 7:30pm Lost Lake Lounge, 3602 E Colfax Ave, Denver

Fri 8/11

Blood Across the Sky: Swinging Noose Productions presents @ 6:30pm

The Roxy Theater, 2549 Welton St, Denver

Kid Astronaut at Blair Caldwell Library Re-opening @ 10am Denver Public Library: Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library, 2401 Welton St, Denver

Loktavious @ 6pm

The Black Buzzard, 1624 Market St, Den‐ver

The Mssng: Bene�t Concert for Comeback Yoga @ 3pm Elks Lodge, 1455 Newland St, Lakewood Quits @ 7pm Hi-Dive, 7 S Broadway, Denver

Mon 8/14

Colorado Rockies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks @ 6:40pm / $9-$300 Coors Field, 2001 Blake St., Denver Bully @ 7pm / $20 Marquis, 2009 Larimer St, Denver

VIAL at Larimer Lounge @ 7pm Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St, Denver

Relay Relay: Sofar Denver @ 8pm Sofar Denver, Denver

Pie Lombardi @ 8pm Lost Lake Lounge, 3602 E Colfax Ave, Denver

Jaimee Harris @ 8pm Swallow Hill Music Association, 71 E Yale Ave, Denver

Sun 8/13

Substitute Creature @ 4pm Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St, Denver

Magoo @ 6pm Lost Lake Lounge, 3602 E Colfax Ave, Denver

Weyes Blood @ 7:30pm

Red Rocks Amphithe‐atre, 18300 W Alameda Pkwy, Morri‐son

Tue 8/15

Shawn Nelson Music @ 6pm Old Capitol Grill & Smokehouse, 1122 Washington Ave, Golden

Juno Birch @ 8pm Ogden Theatre, 935 E. Colfax Ave., Den‐ver

DJ Rockstar Aaron: Forbidden Bingo Tuesdays - 'Bout Time Pub & Grub @ 8pm Bout Time Pub & Grub, 5225 W 80th Ave, Arvada

Tenia Nelson Trio at DCPA Glasstop @ 5pm Denver Center for the Performing Arts, 1101 13th St, Denver

Dave Abear and Friends - Live Dead Wednesdays At So Many Roads Museum and Brewery @ 6pm So Many Roads Brewery, 918 W 1st Ave, Denver

Seth Beamer @ 8pm Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St, Denver

Wed 8/16 Calendar

All events are subject to change or cancellation. This publication is not responsible for the accuracy of the information contained in this

powered by

Autism centers are leaving Colorado, landing kids on waitlists

BY JENNIFER BROWN THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado has lost at least nine agencies that provide therapy for children with autism in the past year and a half, leaving hundreds of families without care and lling up waitlists across the state.  erapy providers say the reimbursement rates they receive from the Colorado Medicaid program are too low to keep their doors open, especially after many state residents became eligible for the federal-state insurance program during the pandemic.

At the same time, Colorado is facing a health worker shortage and autism therapy agencies say they are struggling to pay workers enough to keep them.

“ e impact has now reached a dire state,” said Ken Winn, president of Colorado Association for Behavioral Analysis, a nonpro t member organization. “Providers are leaving the state in droves.”

One of the latest to close Colorado operations is JumpStart Autism Center, which shut down in May.

e center had more than 40 clients who attended its daylong behavioral health program in Englewood that focused on helping nonverbal children learn to communicate and control aggressive behaviors. e small business lost $700,000 in 2021 and $250,000 in 2022, said CEO and founder Brian Lopez, a neurodevelopmental psychologist.

About 70% of JumpStart’s clients were on Medicaid, while 30% had private insurance that reimbursed more for services. ose percentages ipped during the pandemic,

when tens of thousands more Coloradans became eligible for Medicaid during the public health emergency.

e center lost $5 per hour for every client on Medicaid, Lopez said.

e state’s reimbursement rates have not kept up with the cost of operations, including salaries and its lease, he said.

“As a small-business owner, with my lease up in June 2023, I could not foresee taking out another ve-to-seven-year lease and putting $2 million-$3 million in when I knew the numbers weren’t going to work,” Lopez said. ”It felt like it was too much of a personal jeopardy to do it.”

Lopze started JumpStart in New

Mexico and opened a Colorado o ce in 2016. Medicaid reimbursement rates are high enough in New Mexico that the center is able to continue operations there, even with about 75% of its clients on the government insurance program, Lopez said.

New Mexico reimburses the center for training parents, while Colorado does not. Parent training is necessary, therapists said, so children who’ve learned how to communicate with their therapists can use the same methods at home. A child with autism who has a headache might repeatedly hit their head, for example. But with behavioral therapy, they might learn to point to a picture of someone in pain.

Colorado also limits therapists to about two hours to assess a child’s needs before setting up a behavioral therapy road map, though the industry standard is eight, therapists said. New Mexico’s Medicaid program allows eight hours, giving therapists time to gure out how to set up a comprehensive program. A child who is not using the toilet at age 7, for example, would see a urologist to make sure “we aren’t treating medical issues with behavioral interventions,” Lopez said.

A spate of recent closures also included Hopebridge, a national company that had several locations in Colorado, including in Denver, Fort Collins, Greeley and Colorado Springs. Another national company, Kadiant, left last year.

Colorado Medicaid used to fund services for children with autism through a “waiver” program, a comprehensive set of services for speci c groups of people who must

qualify and often wait for a spot in the capped program. Colorado has various waiver programs for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, for example, including some with 24/7 in-home services.

But the autism waiver program was capped at just 75 people.

In 2017, the federal government ordered Colorado to end the waiver program and instead add bene ts for children with autism to its Medicaid program. e state created a handful of billing codes that allowed providers to get reimbursed for pediatric behavioral health therapy for children with autism.  ose rates have not been updated since then, although the legislature has approved across-the-board rate increases for Medicaid providers, including 3% this year.

And the pediatric behavioral therapy rates are under review now.

A state group called the Medicaid Provider Rate Review Advisory Committee, which makes rate change recommendations to the legislature, decided in late July to recommend an increase that would bring Colorado rates in line with 10 comparison states. e group also plans to recommend that the Medicaid division begin covering additional bene ts, such as parent training.

e committee will submit its recommendations to the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee in the fall. Any approved changes would not take e ect until next July.

A 2022 state law required the committee to review rate changes for each type of provider category every three years instead of the previous requirement of every ve years. e change was part of a greater e ort to adapt more quickly to in ation and workforce shortages, Medicaid o cials said.

In the past ve years, the number of children qualifying for Medicaid’s pediatric behavioral health bene t has jumped dramatically — and so has the cost.

e number of Colorado children receiving those bene ts climbed 200%, to 5,600 children last year from 2,437 children ve years ago.

e annual cost per child rose to $3,400 from $1,900. And the total program cost is up 400%, now $126 million compared with $28 million ve years ago.

According to the Medicaid division’s analysis, which con icts with autism therapy providers’ data, Colorado’s reimbursement rates are 93% of what other states are paying. Providers accused the department

The logo for the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, which administers Medicaid in the state, on a sign in the department’s o ces on Feb. 26, 2019. JOHN INGOLD - THE COLORADO SUN

Aurora LPGA golf pioneer still bringing women into the game

BY BRAIDON NOURSE FOR SENTINEL COLORADO

Karen DeSantis knew early on in becoming a golf pro, the journey would take her far beyond the course.

Almost 40 years after starting down that path, she’s arrived.

“It was just something I wanted real badly,” DeSantis said. “I just loved it.”

She has the same passion now as she did when she rst picked up her own club: Grow the game and make it more accessible to any who might want to try it, especially women. DeSantis’ dedication to the game, and a welcoming and helpful demeanor to those who come to her for guidance, has long been her trademark teaching and coaching on Aurora courses.

Her love for the game started at 31. She would go out to courses with her husband, Carl DeSantis, to spend time with him while he played. She got bored watching and wanted to try it out herself. She took lessons and never looked back.

She once thought of going on tour, but money mattered, and

WAITLIST

of cherry-picking states for comparison purposes that made Colorado look better.

Medicaid o cials said autism therapists, along with many other medical and mental health providers, are struggling now because of a huge swing in the wage market.

“Health care workers have really been through a tough time over the last several years and we’ve had individuals leave the workforce,”

Kim Bimestefer, executive direc-

teaching, and the stable income that comes with it was more appealing.

DeSantis started certi cation from the Ladies Professional Golf Association. In order to do that, she needed to work at least part-

tor of the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, which includes the Medicaid division, told e Sun. “ e wage rates for health care workers have gone up in an unprecedented way and that’s sometimes putting pressure on organizations who are passionately trying to provide care to their customers, their patients.”

Bimestefer pointed toward $26 million in recent investments by the legislature and Gov. Jared Polis to bolster the health care workforce, including free college and retention programs for industries including nursing, EMTs, and dental and pharmacy technicians.

time at a golf course to gain experience and earn no less than an associate’s degree in a business–related eld. So she got to work.

Beginning as a part-time instructor at Springhill Golf Course in 1980, where DeSantis teaches today, she had to work nights as a server at Red Lobster to supplement her income. All the while, she went to Pickens Technical Institute in Aurora to get her associate’s degree in management of

“It was a struggle, but I was pretty young,” DeSantis said. “Teaching just became my outlet. When I was on the lesson tee, I was in my own

Helping people solve a problem with a swing or a putt was as satisfying as her own personal wins.

By 1984, she was o cially an LPGA Pro.

While she was working toward her LPGA Pro certi cation at Meadow Hills Golf Course — where she worked for a few years between stints at Springhill — DeSantis noticed the virtual dearth of female players. Tee times were dominated by men, especially on weekends when working women

Complaints that Medicaid provider rates are too low are a recurring dialogue in Colorado, extending across various rate categories from primary care to mental health. e Medicaid division also has faced harsh, public criticism in the past year over delays in approving prior authorization requests for children with disabilities.

Bimestefer said concerns about rates grow louder when the rate review committee is about to meet.

“You’ll see the voices of various stakeholders get louder because this is their time to voice their concerns and to in uence policy,” she said.

“ e department is listening. We’re listening to providers. We’re listening to families. We’re looking at other states.”

Autism therapy providers have seen their operational costs increase 42% since 2019, while rates have gone up just 7.4%, according to their analysis.

“ is has forced small, local business owners like myself to cut our own pay or skip our own payroll as well as cut much-needed expenses that impact the quality of services we deliver,” said Rebecca Urbano Powell, executive director of Seven Dimensions Behavioral Health in Evergreen.

erapists met with Medicaid ofcials in December 2022 and again in February, seeking to stave o the

had time o , too, and could theoretically take tee times of their own.

She wanted to see more women in golf, so she decided to take action.

DeSantis came up with a proposal to the then Head PGA Pro of Meadow Hills, Mickey Byrne: come up with a program encouraging women to learn the game, socialize, have fun and, ultimately, compete.

Byrne was all for it. After he and DeSantis got the OK from the City of Aurora’s manager of golf, Dennis Lyon, the Working Women’s program was up and running in 1984.

In its inaugural season, there were about 45 members. By the second season, it exploded to more than 100 members. With the boost in popularity and a novel idea, Aurora Hills Golf Course o ered their course to the group.

Today, more than 150 Working Women rotate rounds between all ve Aurora city golf courses every weekend, backed by the Colorado Women’s Golf Association.

Over time, DeSantis realized the

SEE GOLF, P21

closures. ey also met with the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee. “Because of how slow this process has been with (the Medicaid department), providers are going further into debt,” Powell said.

Winn, who is also founder of Advanced Behavioral Resources, said his nonpro t is concerned about how the therapy providers who stay open in Colorado will take on the estimated 1,000 children with autism whose autism centers have closed. e state is down to 136 providers billing Medicaid for pediatric behavioral therapy for kids with autism, a number that is dropping, according to the providers’ analysis.

“For years, this issue has been festering,” Winn said. “We have been having conversations with (the Medicaid department) and no one seems to be able to x the issue.

“ ey are hands down the most vulnerable Coloradans, who can’t speak for themselves. ey need a voice.”

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.

NEEDS CUTLINE

e ect of bringing more women into golf was about much more than just the game. Many women who came to play were leaders in their industries. Some were bringing clients out to courses to play. Not only were women learning to play golf, but also about the social intricacies of golf that can often drive business connections.

Most important, though, were the friendly, casual relationships on the course that women could make with other women.

“( e social aspect) is very important,” DeSantis said. “ ere’s still to this day so many women that want to go and play with other women, but don’t have an outlet.

So that’s where the Working Women’s (program) came into play. … It kind of expanded and blew up, and now there’s all kinds of ladies groups that you can join.”

ough female participation in golf has been growing slowly since DeSantis has been a pro, the COVID-19 pandemic is where it really began to skyrocket. e National Golf Foundation reported that in 2019, there were 5.6 million female golfers. Today, there are 6.4 million, a 15% increase in the female player base in comparison to a 2% increase in male players during

that time period.

“Way unexpected,” DeSantis said. “I mean, the lessons went crazy, the rounds went crazy. Most of it was because it was one of the few sports that people could still come out (and play). … I think it introduced a lot of people back into the sport and into the sport.”

She has taught LPGA 101, a beginner’s golf lessons program for women and their families, since its inception in 2019. at’s when she began to work with Dan O’Shaughnessy, who took over as Head PGA Pro at Springhill in 2020.

O’Shaughnessy, whose main goal is to expose the game to as many people as possible, built a dedicated learning area in 2021 for DeSantis and others to teach newcomers. Even though 70-year-old DeSantis retired in 2021, O’Shaughnessy has kept the door open for her to teach on weekends, a nod to the value she brings to the course.

Plus, DeSantis doesn’t think she’ll ever stop wanting to teach.

“I would say Karen is a bit of an anomaly in that she still loves to teach after” 40 years in the business, O’Shaughnessy said. “A lot don’t. … (She’s) passionate about teaching, helping golfers, giving them the tools for starting out. She’s just really good at knowing what to give people and how much to give them, so (students) aren’t overwhelmed.”

at passion and knack for

teaching is what got Liz Vonau to stick around for a ve-lesson course from DeSantis.

Vonau had a little experience gol ng as a teenager with her father, but she never got into it. Last summer, at 41, she decided to jump back in. She wanted to take up something outdoorsy, and with her father still being an avid golfer, she wanted to be able to do that with him.

One of the only ways to get better at golf is to go out and play a course, but for many new golfers, doing so can be intimidating at rst. According to Vonau, DeSantis has a air for making the learning process more comfortable.

“She really taught you the basics, but then also taught you to not be intimidated,” Vonau said. “It was just like building that con dence of (saying) if you hit well, you don’t need to hit far. (She) really makes you feel like you don’t have to be the best player, you don’t have to be the farthest hitter to go and play and have fun.”

A year after taking lessons from DeSantis, Vonau still plays with her dad every week.

Karen said her husband mentored her during her career in golf, as they traveled across the country during winters to play as she got better at the game. Her fondest memories were when she and Carl played golf in Hawaii on two occasions to celebrate anniversaries.

is year will be their 40th anni-

versary.

DeSantis said that her proudest accomplishments were earning her LPGA Pro certi cation and becoming the rst assistant golf pro at Springhill when she moved back there from Meadow Hills in 1987.

“To have the opportunity that they gave me was just such a blessing,” DeSantis said. “I’ve never regretted it, I never regretted getting into the LPGA. I’ve been around the city so long that I don’t go somewhere where I don’t meet someone, and they tell me a story.”

is Sentinel story via e Associated Press’ Storyshare, of which Colorado Community Media is a member.

Colorado hands out grants aimed at college opportunities, workforce training for in-demand jobs

BY SARA MARTIN CHALKBEAT COLORADO

Colorado is investing a chunk of its federal relief money in the future of students to boost the job economy.

e Polis administration announced in June that the state would award $27 million to 46 groups across the state in a rst round of funding to support workforce training in local urban, suburban and rural economies via the Opportunity Now Colorado grant program. Grants range from $50,000 to $7 million.

e grants aim to make college more accessible for high school students, open educational opportunities for older adults who never attended or nished college, and “are intended to help connect more Coloradans with in-demand, high-wage occupations,” according to the governor’s o ce. It also will fund healthcare education programs in order to address the healthcare worker shortage that has been a persistent problem throughout the pandemic.

“ is is designed to help ll the workforce gap and get people the skills they need for positions that are available and ready to start today and tomorrow — it will help power economy and help Colorado shine in terms of workforce readiness,” said Gov. Jared Polis in an interview with Chalkbeat Colorado.

Eve Lieberman, the executive director of the O ce of Economic Development and International Trade, said, “Increasingly we were hearing from businesses that they want to be partnering with educational institutions and creating these innovative models. at’s exactly what we’re doing here is forming grant opportunities to allow for that innovation, those partnerships, and to have industry help co-create that talent.”

In 2021, Colorado lawmakers passed legislation that created the Student Success and Workforce Revitalization Task Force Report

to determine how to spend federal pandemic relief money.

e task force’s main suggestion was to create a statewide grant program for innovative ideas that connect community groups, colleges, and employers. e state is now using $85 million of the onetime federal money on the grants.

St. Vrain Valley Schools is using its $7 million grant to partner with multiple organizations and school districts, including Estes Park R-3, Weld RE-3J, and Adams 12 Five Star Schools, to further develop its early childhood/K-12 education, technology, and advanced manufacturing workforce pathway programs.

St. Vrain currently partners with CU Denver in a program for high school juniors and seniors to take dual education enrollment courses that can transfer to CU Denver after graduation. With the new funds, CU Denver will develop classes for adult working profes-

sionals and high school students to access college coursework and earn additional credits. e credits will be free to students and district professionals.

“Being able to remove so many nancial barriers, it gives students a real strong feeling of success and our older working professionals, where many of them haven’t been in school for a number of years, the same feeling,” said Diane Lauer, St. Vrain Valley School District’s chief academic o cer.

Students will be able to earn certi cates in the technology or advanced manufacturing elds in welding, metal fabrication, pipe tting, electronics, and machinery operation.

Colorado State University of Pueblo was awarded over $1.39 million to help address the healthcare crisis, especially for Coloradoans who are Hispanic, rural, and low-income. e money will help address the state nursing

shortage with new nurses and instructors in the graduate program.

“One of the reasons that nursing shortages exist is because there’s a shortage of nursing instructors. is is due to retirements in the healthcare workforce, and could be a university or college-level nursing program not being able to admit the number of students that are applying because there are not enough quali ed faculty with the credentials to instruct,” said Alexandra Hansen, CSU Pueblo’s regional development o cer.

Hansen said that the university wants to listen to its community and encourage those in the southern Colorado region to join an indemand, high-paying occupation. People who have experienced limited access to healthcare may nd the nursing eld a ful lling career, Hansen said.

Limited access could be due to sta ng shortages or “because they’re a Spanish-speaking family who have experienced going to a clinic where there are no Spanishspeaking providers,” she said. e grant will support graduate students in becoming nurse managers, educators, and practitioners at the master’s and doctoral levels. It aims to enhance health equity in 15 counties in southern Colorado. Tepeyac Community Health Center in Denver received over $1 million from the grant program. Tepeyac’s program will initially focus on increasing equitable access to clinic positions, training, and licensing. Tepeyac historically has served the Latino communities in the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods since the early 1990s.

Two additional rounds of grant funding with the remaining $58 million will be available through Opportunity Now Colorado, with the next application period opening in August. e last of the grants will be announced by December 2024.

Chalkbeat is a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools. a

St. Vrain Valley Schools currently host summer STEM camps where students can engage hands-on in robotics, cybersecurity, coding, and AI technology at the district’s Innovation Center. The Opportunity Now Colorado Grants will help create and further expand opportunities for students to participate in.

SARA MARTIN CHALKBEAT

custom installation charges, equipment upgrades/add-ons, and certain other add’l fees & chrgs. See directv.com/directv-fees/ for additional information. $10/MO. AUTOPAY AND PAPERLESS BILL DISCOUNT: Must enroll in autopay & paperless bill within 30 days of TV activation to receive bill credit starting in 1-3 bill cycles (pay $10 more/mo. until discount begins). Must maintain autopay/paperless bill and valid email address to continue credits. DIRECTV SVC TERMS: Subject to Equipment Lease & Customer Agreements. All o ers, packages, programming, promotions, features, terms, restrictions and conditions and all prices and fees not included in price guarantee are subject to change without notice. Package, Advanced Receiver Service Fee, Regional Sports Fee (varies by zip code) and equipment fees for TV connections are included in two-year price guarantee. Taxes, surcharges, add-on programming (including premium channels), protection plan, transactional fees, and Federal Cost Recovery Fee are not included in two-year price guarantee. Some o ers may not be available through all channels and in select areas. Di erent o ers may apply for eligible multi-dwelling unit. Visit directv.com/legal/ or call for details. Access HBO Max through HBO Max app or hbomax.com with your DIRECTV log-in credentials. Visit directv.com to verify/create your account. Use of HBO Max is subject to its own terms and conditions, see hbomax.com/terms-of-use for details. Programming and content subj. to change. Requires account to stay in good standing. Upon cancellation of your video service you may lose access to HBO Max. If you cancel your

Denver Disruptors bicycle racers to roll through Commerce City

BY JOHN RENFROW JRENFROW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Can’t get enough professional sports teams in Colorado? Good.

e National Cycling League has you covered. It’s bringing an exciting, free professional bicycle race to the Front Range.

e NCL Cup, a series, is in its rst year, and composed of 10 cycling teams composed of men and women — including the league-leading Denver Disruptors.

ey compete in three races across the country for one NCL Cup champion to be crowned this fall.

e rst event in Miami in April rallied nearly 20,000 spectators.

e league is hopeful for similar numbers as cyclists race a course around the Colorado Rapids’ soccer stadium at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City on Aug 13.

“It’s the world’s rst majorityminority and female-owned sports league,” said Reed McCalvin, the

vice president of teams and operations for the NCL. “ e four founders, and then myself, a founder with a very little ‘f,’ basically wanted to help change the face of sports and equality in sports.”

e founders include successful executives, tech company veterans, NFL agents, lawyers, and more, with high-pro le investors in professional sports, such as the NBA’s Bradley Beal and the NFL’s Jalen Ramsey and Derwin James.

ey all have the same goal: to bring cycling to the next level on a new, even playing eld. e races are not multi-day, grueling races with mountain passes somewhere along the way like the Tour de France and ones closer to home from years past, including the Colorado Classic and USA Pro Challenge.

e NCL is criterium-style racing, meaning they’re fast-paced as cyclists ride on a set race course, doing laps to gain points along the way. e women and men compete in di erent competition groups for the same team, so each side brings equal weight to the scoreboard.

A new, even playing field

And, the NCL is set up in a way that allows men and women on the teams chances to contribute

to the score. Some teams, such as the Denver Disruptors, have a full team of both men and women. Other teams that do not have both women’s and men’s divisions may merge with another women’s/ men’s team for the purposes of competing in the NCL Cup Series.

For example, the Goldman Sachs ETFS Racing women’s team and Texas Roadhouse Cycling Team men’s team combined, and they’re currently sitting in third place.

“ e National Cycling League is setting a new standard for inclusivity in professional sports by championing diversity. I was drawn to the opportunity to impact and transform communities through our mission,” said CEO Andrea Pagnanelli. “With more than 50 million cyclists in the U.S., we have an opportunity to grow the passion and excitement for the sport of cycling among the next generation of fans.”

But perhaps the experience and cohesion of the Disrupters is what has them so ahead of the pack. Currently the team is in rst place with a score of 139. e Miami Nights are in second sitting at 95.

“Everybody has a mother, daughter, girlfriend, cousin, niece, what have you, that wants to see them equally represented and paid well. Sport is the great equalizer. One of

our underlying taglines is ‘Make bike racing look like America looks,’” McCalvin said.

ere are nearly 30 di erent nations represented in the participating teams, and several of the riders are former Olympic and worldrenowned athletes.

Why Denver?

After a year of diligent research, which included meeting advisors from a plethora of other professional sports leagues and studying cycling in America, Denver emerged as a prime candidate for an NCL hub not only to host a local team but to hold events in the future.

“Colorado is just a cycling state,” McCalvin said. “Denver makes it consistently in the top 10 cities. We had a 49-row wide Excel spreadsheet of di erent reasons, including socioeconomics, number of people that bike, what the city spends on infrastructure around bikes, all that stu . Denver was in the top 10 in nearly every category.”

Noah Granigan is one of the Denver Disruptors, as has been a part of the Colorado cycling community since he attended CU Boulder in 2014, where he was a

The Denver Disruptors are made up of men and women professional cyclists. The team is currently in first place in points. The team will compete at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Aug. 13 in Commerce City. COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL CYCLING LEAGUE

RACERS

member of the college’s cycling team.

As a fourth-generation international-level cyclist, Granigan has cycling in his blood. He now lives in Superior and said Colorado is the perfect place for cyclists.

“Colorado is such a great place to be a cyclist in terms of training roads, weather, and the massive cycling community so I ended up just staying in the area after I graduated,” Granigan said. “Colorado has become my new home so it’s pretty cool to now be on a Denver-based team.

“Denver is such a strong cycling community because it’s simply a great place to be a cyclist,” Granigan added. “ at’s why there are so many professional cyclists that come from or move to Colorado.

e road cycling is world-class, and then you have such incredible mountain biking, gravel, bike parks, and bike friendly cities like Denver on top of that.”

The ‘Ford vs. Ferrari’ model

Just because Denver is a great hub for cycling doesn’t mean the team was guaranteed success. In fact, McCalvin said there was some experimenting in bringing together the NCL, and he followed a popular movie’s method for nding and creating the best teams.

“One of the things I came up with was this ‘Ford vs. Ferrari’ concept,” McCalvin said. “It started with a blank slate. So we have a Miami team that I made more ‘Ferrari’, where it was a bunch of existing criterium racers in America and some track racers.

SEE RACERS, P31

The National Cycling League hopes to turn a new page in sports equality, with both men and women equally contributing for the same team. COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL CYCLING LEAGUE

T.M.CONCRETE Driveways,Sidewalks,Patios Tear-outs,stamped&colored concrete.Qualitywork,Lic./Ins. Reasonablerates "SmallJobsOK!" 303-514-7364 tmconcrete.net

T.M.CONCRETE Driveways,Sidewalks,Patios Tear-outs,stamped&colored concrete.Qualitywork,Lic./Ins. Reasonablerates "SmallJobsOK!" 303-514-7364 tmconcrete.net

COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

I am a Master Plumber that has 15 years of experience, licensed and insured, and trying to get my own business up and going. I would be grateful for the opportunity to earn your business, to help a Colorado Native business grow. Mountain Men Plumbing has been around for almost two years now!

328-8440!

CLASSIFIEDS

Careers

Help Wanted

LEGITIMATE WORK AT HOME

No Sales, no Investment, No Risk, Free training, Free website. Contact Susan at 303-646-4171 or fill out form at www.wisechoice4u.com

Real Estate & Rental

Apartments

Apartment for Rent

Cozy 1Bd 1B, Walk to Campus $1450

Tenant pays elec, Avail 1st week August.

Laundry on site Parking next to unit 11 unit complex w/ 4x8 storage avail 1 Block to Natural Grocers, Pets ok Trail hds and City park out back door

Quiet Student, Young Pro community

403 23rd st Golden, 720.298.1321

Homes for Rent

Fabulous new 3 story, 4 bedroom, townhome in downtown Golden. City living, walk to Golden attractions, CSM. Next to biking/ walking trails and near Clear Creek. Four shared living spaces possible or for single family at $4500. per month.

Sparkling-new kitchen with stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, great cabinet space, fabulous walk-in pantry. Energy efficient with AC/heat pumps. Two washer/ dryer hookups- on top floor and in lower level. Enjoy the beautiful Golden views from the front porch or the back balcony. Available August 1st. Email for the fastest response to Lcrws@outlook.com.

Condos/Townhomes

Townhouse for Rent

2 Bedroom, 1.5 bath, 1360 square foot townhouse for rent in clean, quiet apartment complex in South Lakewood. Finished playroom/den in basement. Pool, clubhouse. Easy access to major thoroughfares. $2000/month. 9 month, 12 month or 18 month lease available. Tenant pays for utilities. Pets OK with nominal rent surcharge. Contact Dave at greenmtnman4949@gmail. com

Office Rent/Lease

Office or Commercial Space for Rent

Two Offices ~ Available Immediately Great Location and Prices!

NEW CONSTRUCTION!

• 1,000 sq. ft office. $2,500 per month with one-year lease.

• Be the 1st to rent one of these great spaces!

• Both offices are located at: 755 Crossroads Circle, Elizabeth, Colorado

Contact 303-660-0420 or 800-3735550

Market Place

Misc. Notices

WIDOWED MEN AND WOMEN OF AMERICA.

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

Merchandise

Bicycles

Bikes for Sale

Men’s and women’s adults Fuji bikes for sale. Excellent condition. 303-655-3079

Firewood

Split & Delivered $450 a cord Stacking $50 Call 303-647-2475 or 720-323-2173

Health & Beauty

VIAGRA and CIALIS USERS! 50 Generic Pills SPECIAL $99.00 100% guaranteed. 24/7 CALL NOW! 888-445-5928 Hablamos Espanol DENTAL INSURANCEPhysicians Mutual Insurance Company. Covers 350 procedures. Real insurancenot a discount plan. Get your free dental info kit! 1-855-526-1060 www.dental50plus.com/58 #6258.

Viagra stop overpaying! Generic Viagra or Cialis 70 tabletsonly $99 shipping included! USAServicesOnline.com call now 888-203-0881

Medical

Attention oxygen therapy users! Inogen One G4 is capable of full 24/7 oxygen delivery. Only 2.8 pounds. Free info kit. Call 877-929-9587

Miscellaneous

MobileHelp, America’s premier mobile medical alert system. Whether you’re home or away. For safety & peace of mind. No long term contracts! Free brochure! 1-888489-3936

Become a published author. We want to read your book! Dorrance Publishing trusted since 1920. Consultation, production, promotion & distribution. Call for free author`s guide 1-877-729-4998 or visit dorranceinfo.com/ads

Inflation is at 40 year highs Interest rates are way up. Credit Cards. Medical Bills. Car Loans. Do you have $10k or more in debt? Call National Debt Relief to find out how to pay off your debt for significantly less than what you owe! Free quote: 1-877-592-3616

DIRECTV Stream - Carries the most local MLB Games! Choice Package $89.99/mo for 12 mos Stream on 20 devices at once. HBO Max included for 3 mos (w/Choice Package or higher.) No contract or hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-866-859-0405

classifieds@coloradocommunitymedia.com

eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Colorado Statewide Network

To place a 25-wordCOSCAN Network adin 91 Colorado newspapers for only $300, contact your local newspaper or email Colorado Press Association Network at rtoledo@colopress.net

DIRECTV, New 2-Year Price Guarantee. The Most live MLB Games this season, 200 +channels and over 45,000 on-demand titles.

$84.99/mo for 24 months with CHOICE Package.

Miscellaneous

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

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months!

Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 855-761-1725

HughesNet– Finally, super-fast internet no matter where you live. 25 Mbps just $59.99/mo! Unlimited

Data is Here. Stream Video. Bundle TV & Internet. Free Installation. Call 866-499-0141

Safe Step. North America’s #1 Walk-in tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-the-line installation and service.

Now featuring our free shower package & $1600 off - limited time! Financing available. 1-855-4171306

Scrap Metal, Batteries, Appliances, Wiring, Scrap Plumbing/Heating, Cars/Parts, Clean out Garages/Yards, Rake, Yard work done w/chainsaw, Certified Auto Mechanical / Body Work & paint available

Also can do inside or outside cleaning 303-647-2475 / 720-323-2173

Diagnosed with lung cancer & 65+?

You may qualify for a substantial cash award. No obligation! We’ve recovered millions. Let us help! Call 24/7 1-877-707-5707

Miscellaneous

Are you a pet owner? Do you want to get up to 100% back on vet bills? Physicians Mutual Insurance Company has pet coverage that can help! Call 1-844-774-0206 to get a free quote or visit insurebarkmeow. com/ads

Prepare for power outages today with a GENERAC home standby generator $0 Down + Low Monthly Pmt Request a free Quote. Call before the next power outage: 1-855-948-6176

Wesley Financial Group, LLC Timeshare Cancellation Experts Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt & fees cancelled in 2019. Get free info package & learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. Call 833-308-1971

My Caring Plan has helped thousands of families find senior living. Our trusted, local advisors help find solutions to your unique needs at no cost to you. Call 866511-1799

Pets Dogs

State farm bill lauded for SNAP program fixes

BY ERIC GALATAS PUBLIC NEWS SERVICE

Colorado is the eighth most-improved state at ensuring SNAP food assistance reaches its most vulnerable residents, according to new rankings from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Anya Rose, public policy manager for Hunger Free Colorado, said the improvements are largely due to more meaningful bene t levels and cuts to red tape during the pandemic, along with strong outreach work.

She hopes Congress will take such key factors into account as it considers the Farm Bill, which includes the program formerly known as food stamps.

“We’re hoping that some of these lessons, of what works for making sure that SNAP has the best impact it can, will be taken up in the Farm Bill,” Rose explained. “To ensure SNAP can feed people as best it can and is accessible to people.”

RACERS

And with Denver, we went with more long endurance road racers and former Tour de France riders and some track racers as well. This was like our beta test for our first year. We’re just trying to see what works.”

So far, Ford is crushing Ferrari, and endurance-based riding is dominating.

“It didn’t take long for our team to really start to understand, read, and communicate with each other mid-race,” Granigan said. “With riders from all over the world, all with their own strengths and styles, we were quick to take all of that and create a really strong unit, which we demonstrated in the Miami Beach cup in the first race of the year.”

Development of the future

The experimentation is still ongoing, McCalvin said. The three events this year are all in different formats. The Miami event was held on Ocean Drive. The Denver event is held at a professional sports facility. The Atlanta event will be more private and VIPbased.

“We’re trying to figure out what the model is in relation to keeping it community-based and getting the local families and community involved. I want your aunt to go and have a good time. Not just you because you enjoy cycling,” McCalvin said.

But McCalvin knows the future

Hunger Free Colorado works with community partners across the state to get more people who qualify for food assistance enrolled. But after pre-pandemic SNAP work reporting requirements were reinstated, at least half a million Americans are expected to lose food assistance, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. An additional 750,000 are at risk after the debt-ceiling negotiations raised the age cap for reporting requirements to 55.

e majority of SNAP participants are children and people with disabilities, and Rose pointed out most people who can work, do. She added having to ll out paperwork documenting at least 20 hours of work or training activities per week does nothing to help people nd or maintain employment, it just makes the program more costly to administer.

“Taking away someone’s food does not make it easier to hold

of all sports is in broadcasting. The NCL events are all broadcast on the GCN+, the Global Cycling Network streaming service. It’s all about expanding the league’s reach and getting new fans invested and interested in the sport.

“We’re very excited about being at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park,” McCalvin said. “A big part of what we’re doing is development of the future. It’s one of our pillars. It’s the best thing in the community.”

At the Aug. 13 event, there will be free junior racing, free mountain bike crit racing for kids, and a community ride for fans of all ages.

In fact, everything involving the event is free: the parking, the tickets, the community-based activities involved, and watching the pro race. The only thing interested fans will need to purchase is food and souvenirs, unless they want VIP tickets, which can be purchased on www.nclracing. com.

“Now we’re the cycling team in Denver and Colorado, and that’s important to us,” McCalvin said.

“I remember when the Mammoth first started, and I remember when the Rapids first started. It didn’t quite happen all at once. It started semi-small-ish, and it’s grown into a [significant] fanbase and community staple.”

For more information on the NCL and the Denver Disruptors, visit the team’s website at www. nclracing.com/teams/0/denverdisruptors.

“Paint your faces, bring your flags, and come out and support!” McCalvin said.

down a job, or go to that job interview,” Rose contended. “It just creates more red tape for people to access the basic resources that they need.”

In 2017, SNAP added more than $700 million to local Colorado economies, with an overall economic impact of $1.25 billion, but the state loses more than $230 million each year in grocery sales by not having all eligible residents enrolled. Rose noted back in 2019, just 59% of Coloradans eligible for

SNAP got assistance.

“With the 2021 numbers, we’ve jumped up to 73%,” Rose acknowledged. “ at is a great improvement. But there are still 27% of our lowest-income Coloradans not accessing the program, so there is still a lot of room for us to continue this growth.”

Public Notices

Legals City and County

PUBLIC NOTICE

A public hearing will be held before the Arvada City Council scheduled for August 14, 2023 at 6:15 p.m., Arvada City Hall, 8101 Ralston Rd., Arvada, when and where you may speak on the

matter to consider a PUD Development Plan and a Major Subdivision Preliminary Plat, for a 5.44 acre parcel of land approximately located at 9367 McIntyre Street (including the east side of McIntyre St.)

CITY OF ARVADA CITY COUNCIL

/s/ Kristen Rush, City Clerk

Legal Notice No. 416699

First Publication: August 3, 2023

Last Publication: August 3, 2023

Publisher: Jeffco Transcript ###

ADMINISTRATIVE FEES AND COSTS SCHEDULE FOR THE CROSS-CONNECTION CONTROL PROGRAM

Article V of Chapter 102 of the City Code (Adopted pursuant to A.C.C. §2-261 and 2-262)

Water Shut-off (termination) Fee Water - All 102-37(a)(1),(4); 102-277(d); 102 $15.00 (As set forth in 102-37)

Restoration of Water Service (following termination) Fee

Signature of Approval for Administrative Fee Schedule

/s/ Lorie B. Gillis City Manager July 20, 2023

July 20, 2023 Published: August 3, 2023

Published: August 3, 2023

Public Notice Legal

Water - All 102-37(a)(2),(3) $15.00 (As set forth in 102-37)

e Public News Service story via e Associated Press’ Storyshare, of which Colorado Community Media is a member.