Arvada Press 091423

Olde Town Shindig brings art and fun to Arvada

City Council District 2 election update

Murl Hendrickson withdraws, Bob Loveridge switches races

BY LILLIAN FUGLEI SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

BY LILLIAN FUGLEI SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

e sun was shining and Olde Town was lled with art for the rst Olde Town Shindig: An Arts and Music Festival.

From Sept. 8 through Sept. 10,

vendors, artists and musicians took over the streets of Olde Town. e festival — organized by the Business Improvement District — featured a wide variety of booths with many local businesses for shoppers to choose from, as well as food trucks.

e Shindig brought a competi-

tive spirit as well, hosting several competitions, the rst of which was a mural competition. Over twenty artists were scattered throughout the festival, painting their murals on large pieces of plywood for festival

e race for Arvada’s District 2 City Council seat has thinned after two candidates — Murl Hendrickson and Bob Loveridge — have withdrawn.  Neither candidate is the rst to withdraw from the District 2 race. Current District 2 council member Lauren Simpson had initially led to run again for her seat but withdrew to shift her focus to running for mayor.  is leaves two candidates in the race — Michael Gri th and Shawna Ambrose.  After withdrawing from the District 2 race, Loveridge led to run for the at-large seat instead. He is now running against Kathleen Kennedy and Sharon Davis.

SEE ELECTION, P5

Kaitlin Ziesmer paints a mural as part of the Shindig’s mural competition — where artists competed for the chance to create a mural in Olde Town.

PHOTO BY LILLIAN FUGLEI

SEE SHINDIG, P2

attendees to watch. Murals were judged in two categories: People’s Choice and Judge’s Choice.

e People’s Choice winners were Corinne Trujillo in rst place, Grow Love in second place and Rachel Dinda in third place, while the Judge’s Choice winner was Bobby Magee Lopez. Because he won Judge’s Choice, Lopez will soon get the opportunity to create a mural in Olde Town.

e festival also featured several other competitions, including a pie eating contest sponsored by Rheinlander Bakery and a bloody mary competition.

“Really, our goal was to have so many awesome things going on that there’s no way that every single person could do everything that weekend,” said Joe Henglster, director of the Business Improvement District.

For even more festivities, the Shindig partnered with the Rocky Mountain Archtop Guitar Festival — a festival celebrating the unique

guitars with workshops, clinics and musical performances. Several performances were put on in Olde Town, with other shows sprinkled throughout Arvada.

Peter Henricksen, who organized the Archtop Festival, said that partnering with the Shindig made it “a much larger, more inclusive and more immersive event.”

2023  22nd Annual

Art Studio Tour

The Olde Town Shindig brought together artists, vendors, musicians and just a little competitive spirit.

Brit & The Boys perform on the Square Stage in Olde Town during the Shindig. Music was performed throughout the festival on a variety of stages.

Children run through the fountain in Olde Town Square during the Shindig on Saturday, Sept. 9.

Vendor booths lined the streets so attendees could shop from a variety of local businesses and artists during the Shindig.

PHOTOS BY LILLIAN FUGLEI

I Found Just One Marshall Fire Home Being Rebuilt With Fire Resistance in Mind

Following the December 2021 Marshall fire, I wrote several columns about how the homes lost in that fire could have been more fire resistant, and in one I reported on the homes that didn’t burn while all the homes around them did. Find those columns at www.JimSmithColumns.com

Last Saturday I visited 181 Mohawk Circle in Superior, which is being rebuilt with “EcoBlox,” a non-combustible masonry material. The home is in the Sagamore subdivision, which was completely destroyed in the Marshall Fire. Today that subdivision is abuzz with construction activity on virtually every lot, but all of the homes I saw are being rebuilt as wood-frame homes, except for this one.

The reason I happened to visit the home was that it was one of eight Boulder area homes on the Colorado Green Building Guild’s annual Green Homes Tour. This was one of just two homes on the tour that are still under construction, and it made by far the biggest impression on me.

Lisa Morey, founder of Colorado Earth LLC, was on-site to answer questions about the blocks which she makes and sells for home construction. After graduating with an engineering degree she got another degree in architectural design. She started building with adobe bricks while living and working in New Zealand in the early 2000s. There she gained experience from building nearly 50 homes, and from that work published a book, “Adobe Homes for All Climates,” in 2010.

Lisa’s mission is to scale the natural building industry by offering an affordable wall system made from locally obtained material. Through her company, she designs, manufactures, and builds EcoBlox, a structural block that is “fireproof, soundproof, bugproof, bulletproof, breathable, biodegradable, and mold resistant.”

The blocks are made using “overburden” material (earth) from a nearby

quarry and are not fired. The walls made from EcoBlox are finished with a limebased plaster that can last indefinitely. EcoBlox have lower embodied energy because, unlike regular bricks, they are not fired. The blocks have an average compressible strength of 1,200 psi. Two holes in the blocks are for rebar running the height of the walls. The holes are then filled with concrete. The mortar between the blocks is made from the same material as the blocks themselves. The exterior is then covered with lime plaster; the interior is left as exposed blocks with a thin lime wash.

While the exterior walls are made of the EcoBlox, interior walls are typically framed in the usual manner using 2x4s and 2x6s, although they can be constructed of narrower EcoBlox. The exterior walls are composed of two rows of the blocks as shown in this picture from Colorado Earth’s website. Between them electrical wiring and other utilities can be run before the gap is filled with perlite insulation. The blocks measure 6”x12” and vary in height from 2” to 5”. Typical height is 3.5”.

Earthen construction is nothing new, of course. We’re all familiar with adobe, and perhaps you’ve heard of “rammed earth.” The genius of these EcoBlox is that they provide a construction material that can be purchased by the pallet and used by masons to build homes.

The Great Wall of China was built of rammed earth in 5000 B.C. According to the company’s slide presentation, 30 to 50 percent of the world’s population currently lives in earth-based dwellings, including in over 100 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The Superior home is not Lisa’s first

Denver Ranch Back on Market with Refinished Floors

This charming brick ranch at 2670 Kearney Street in desirable Park Hill is only minutes from City Park, the Denver Zoo & the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. The home is on a double lot with extensive flower & vegetable gardens. The bathroom was completely remodeled in 2020 and the kitchen was renovated with new granite countertops. A new roof and Bosch dishwasher were installed in July 2023. All kitchen appliances and washer/dryer are included. The original hardwood floors were refinished last week. The home features new Anderson windows throughout. The main sewer line was completely replaced in 2009 when the seller purchased the property. Backyard includes newer storage shed & children's playground structure including swings & slide. The large concrete patio is great for summer entertaining. There are two bedrooms on the main floor, plus a non-conforming third bedroom in the basement. This delightful home is located on a wide, quiet street only one block from McAuliffe International Middle School. You can view my Narrated Video Tour at www.ParkHillHome.site, then come to Greg Kraft’s open house this Saturday, 11 to 1.

home built with EcoBlox. She has built other such homes throughout Colorado and the USA.

I love the advantages of earthen construction. Not only is it non-combustible and has a minimal carbon footprint, but studies have shown 50% less energy is needed for heating and cooling compared to a traditional wood-frame home. If you like a quiet environment, you’ll appreciate that the walls cut in half the intrusion of outside noise.

The machine that compresses the mixture of clay, dirt and lime into the blocks is made by Advanced Earthen Construction Technologies (AECT). The location of Colorado Earth’s machine is in Brighton. It can produce up to 480 blocks per hour from locally sourced clay and dirt. Being locally sourced further reduces the carbon footprint of EcoBlox.

“These machines are what builders will use when this industry really takes off, said Ryan Runge, president of AECT. Ryan says that the wood-frame style of home construction was originally a quick fix after WWII to build homes for returning soldiers, but the idea stuck. He thinks the construction industry will adopt building with products like EcoBlox now for many reasons, including fire resistance, lower carbon footprint and better insulation resulting in lower heating and cooling costs.

Lisa told me that she made a presentation to many homeowners who lost their

Another Green Homes Tour Is Coming on Saturday, Oct. 7th

The annual Metro Denver Green Homes Tour is based at the American Mountaineering Center (AMC) in Golden. More about that in next week’s column. Leading up to that tour, there are three free presentations you can attend:

Tuesday, September 19, 7 p.m.: Joe Burdick, installing your own solar PV

Tuesday, September 26, 7 p.m.: Heat pump homeowners panel

Thursday, October 5, 7 p.m.: Joan Gregerson, Taking advantage of Xcel Energy's Time of Use program.

All three presentations will be at Jefferson Unitarian Church, 14350 W. 32nd Avenue.

Price Reduced on Unique Wide Acres Ranch Home

Wide Acres is that quiet neighborhood tucked south of Colfax to the east of Colorado Mills. With 3,493 sq. ft. of finished living area, this 3-bedroom home at 1125 Zinnia Street is set back about 100 feet from the street on its 0.57-acre lot, making it even more quiet and secluded. The price is now $100,000 less than its original listing price, making it a great deal, too. Come to my open house this Saturday, noon to 2pm and see for yourself. This home is convenient to St. Anthony's Hospital, NREL, the Colorado School of Mines and downtown Golden. It is being sold by the same family that had it built in 1974. The indoor and outdoor living space is exceptional, as you’ll see when you view the narrated video tour at www.WideAcresHome.info or come to the open house. Or call me at 303-525-1851 to request a private showing.

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

“I cannot do all the good the world needs, but the world needs all the good I can do.” —Jana Stanfield

homes in the Marshall fire, but only the owners of 181 Mohawk Circle signed on to rebuild their home with her EcoBlox. You can reach Lisa at 720-556-0473.

More charges for Arvada rock throwers

Two men accused in rock-throwing spree charged in newly-revealed Arvada attack

BY OLIVIA PRENTZEL THE COLORADO SUN

Nearly three weeks before three men allegedly hurled rocks at moving

Meet Zebra Cakes!

vehicles around Westminster — killing a 20-year-old woman and injuring others — authorities say two of them were involved in another attack involving a statue head being thrown at a moving car.

Joseph Koenig and Nicholas “Mitch” Karol-Chik, both 18, are facing two new counts of attempted rst-degree murder and attempted second-degree assault in a previously unreported incident April 1 in Arvada, Brionna Boatright, a spokeswoman for First Judicial District Attorney Alexis King said Sept. 6. Evidence related to the new charges is expected to be presented in early September during a preliminary hearing for the three men, Boatright said. Additional details were not immediately available. e charges were led Aug. 30, she said.

e two men, along with Zachary Kwak, 18, already face murder charges in the April 19 death of Alexa Bartell, after police accused them of launch-

ing a rock from a pickup at Bartell’s yellow Chevy Spark as she was talking on the phone with a friend. e rock smashed through her front windshield and struck her in her head.

Police said Bartell’s car was the last car hit as the group hurled large landscaping rocks at a string of vehicles shortly after 10 p.m. on April 19 in Westminster. e men were also previously charged for hitting six other cars and injuring two other drivers in a rock-throwing spree.

Attorneys for Koenig and Karol-Chik did not immediately return requests for comment.

All three men remain in jail after a judge set a $2 million cash-only bond in June. Each faces 13 charges in the April 19 rock-throwing spree, including one court of rst-degree murder with extreme indi erence, six counts of attempted rst-degree murder, three counts of second-degree assault and three counts of attempted second-degree assault, court docu-

ments show. e extreme indi erence charges allege the men knowingly created “a grave risk of death,” without caring who was injured or killed, resulting in Bartell’s death.

After their arrests, the men told investigators that they returned to the crash site to take a photo of the car to serve as a memento, according to arrest a davits.

In interviews with police, two men accused each other of throwing the rock that killed Bartell. Karol-Chik said Kwak threw the rock while Bartell was driving on Indiana Street at about 10:45 p.m. Kwak said Koenig threw it. Koenig has refused to be interviewed by police.

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.

Loveridge noted that he believed his chances of winning were higher in the at-large race than they had been in District 2.

“I really wanted to go the simple route,” Loveridge said. “District 2 just got so crowded.”

He added that the seat doesn’t matter, as he knows the issues city-wide.

Hendrickson opted to withdraw from the election entirely, citing concerns regarding the possibility of Ambrose winning, should there be too many candidates in District 2.

“ is was concerning to me given Shawna’s far-left political views,” Hendrickson said. “ ey are not in line with those of the average Arvadan.”

Hendrickson said that after he saw Loveridge drop out of the race, he decided to do the same, expressing that he now supported Gri th in the District 2 race.

“A majority of progressive council members like Shawna and Lauren Simpson would take

Arvada down a path towards becoming indistinguishable from Denver or Aurora.,” Hendrick-

son added. “ at would not be a good thing for our city.”

Former District 2 candidates Bob Loveridge (left) and Murl Hendrickson (right).

COURTESY PHOTOS

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Arvada Improv group performing to benefit Robbie’s Hope

BY LILLIAN FUGLEI SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

During National Suicide Prevention Month, Ultimate Comedy Fighters is o ering a fun way to contribute to the cause — an improv show.

Proceeds from the show — which takes place at 7 p.m. on Sept. 15. — will bene t Robbie’s Hope, a Wheat Ridge-based foundation that aims to cut teen suicide rates in half by 2028.

Robbie’s Hope was started after founders Kari and Jason Eckert lost their teenage son Robbie to suicide. e foundation does a wide variety of work to combat teen suicide, from having teen ambassadors work within their communities to creating resources such as the “Robbie’s Hope Adult Handbook” to educate parents about talking with their teens.

For Gabe Creek — a board member of Ultimate Comedy Fighters — the partnership between Robbie’s Hope and Ultimate Comedy Fighters seemed like a natural one.

“It felt like an organization that everybody can just rally around and say, ‘Yes, teen mental health is important,’” Creek said.

Creek has been working with Ultimate Comedy Fighters for over 10 years, putting on performances to raise money for di erent organizations. Each show the group puts on bene ts a di erent organization. Some of their recent shows have bene ted Hope House, Walk With Me and Royal Family KIDS.

During the show, performers are

split into two teams that compete through a variety of improv games. For some games, the winning team is whoever can keep the scenes going for the longest, while for other games, the audience gets to pick a winner through applause.

“It’s pure silliness,” Creek said. “ e entire thing is just fun. e energy level is like an 11 on a scale of one to 10.”

As the show draws closer, anticipation is building among members of both organizations who planned the performance.

“I’m so excited,” said Kari Eckert. “ is is good community building. is is Arvada. is is (not only) where our roots are, but giving people an opportunity to have fun and laughter

and (be) together. Win-win.”

“Laughter is healing,” Creek added. “It breaks through barriers. You’re going to show up and just watch some people be silly and laugh at them. It really encourages people to come together. at’s the whole reason why we do it.”

IF YOU GO

When: 7 p.m. Sept. 15

Where: 14615 W 64th Ave., Arvada CO 80007

Tickets: $10 per person, available at eventbrite.com/o/the-ultimate-comedyfighters-63964860533 or at the door

This is an all-ages show, recommended for ages 5 and up

Je co students show gradual improvement in reading and math, still below pre-pandemic

BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Je co students are inching closer to pre-pandemic pro ciency rates in math and reading, according to the latest results of the Colorado Measures of Academic Success.

More students met or exceeded expectations in English Language Arts

and math than in 2022, but scores remained lower than in 2019.

Just over half of Je co’s third through eighth graders who took the test met or exceeded grade-level expectations on the English Language Arts portion, beating the state average of 43.7%. At 38.7%, math pro ciency rates also exceeded the state average of 32.9% and showed a 1.3% improvement over

2022.

While the district average hasn’t reached the ELA and math pro ciency rates it saw in 2019, there are some bright spots. More Je co fth graders, who were in second grade at the height of the learning disruptions, are on grade level in reading than four years

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Proceeds from each Ultimate Comedy Fighters performance benefits a di erent organization. For their show on Sept. 15, the group will partner with Robbie’s Hope.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GABE CREEK

Arvada Chamber of Commerce hosts candidate meet and greet

Advocacy After Hours at LUKI Brewery connects candidates and voters

BY LILLIAN FUGLEI SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

With the election just a few months away, Arvada Chamber of Commerce hosted an Advocacy After Hours + Candidate Meet & Greet on Sept. 6, creating a space to help voters get to know candidates.

e Meet & Greet hosted at LUKI Brewery had candidates from a variety of races impacting Arvada voters, including mayoral candidates John Marriott and Lauren Simpson, city council at-large candidates Sharon Davis and Bob Loveridge, District 2 candidates

Shawna Ambrose and Michael Gri th and District 4 candidates

RESULTS

ago. Also, more third- fourth-, and fth-graders met or exceeded math expectations this year than in 2019.

Jessica Fenske and Bob

ere also were candidates for the Je co Public Schools Board of Education present, including

“Like other areas in Colorado and the U.S., Je co students faced learning challenges due to the compounding impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said the district in a press release. “However, Je co students, including speci c groups like English Language Learners and those with Individualized Ed-

LUKI

ucation Plans (IEPs), are steadily returning to their pre-pandemic achievement levels.”

e district acknowledged that there’s more work to do and that some groups face academic challenges. While 58% of White students met or exceeded ELA expectations and 46.4% did so in math, only 30.3% of Black and 29.1% of Hispanic students achieved the same level in English and 13.1% and 17.3% in math, respectively.

Among economically disadvantaged students, 25% of those who qualify for free or reduced lunch met or exceeded expectations in English and 14% in math. Ninety percent of students with an IEP, a plan meant to help students with learning challenges achieve at the same academic level as their

beers were picked and named by mayoral candidates, who also helped to create the beers.

Simpson’s beer, “Blonde Ambition,” was a mango blonde ale, while Marriott’s beer was the “Ourvada Cream Ale.” Proceeds from both beers went to Hope, Connection and Community, the Chamber’s 2022 Nonpro t of the Year.

Kami Welch — president of the Arvada Chamber of Commerce — expressed gratitude for the city council and school board candidates who were present at the Advocacy After Hours.

“Bridging the gap between policymakers and businesses is paramount to the success of our community and economy,” Welch said. “ is event marks a signi cant stride towards fostering lasting connections and ensuring a seamless path forward.”

peers, aren’t on grade level for reading, and 91% aren’t for math. English language learners struggle the most, with only 8.2% meeting or exceeding expectations in English and 3.1% in math. e district said its strategic plan “aims to boost learning for all students, focusing on strengthening reading skills for younger students and math skills for older ones, ensuring all students are prepared for life after graduation.

Compared to other metro-area districts, a higher percentage of Je co students met grade-level standards in English than Denver and Cherry Creek school districts and in math than Denver. Je co is the second-largest school district in the state, serving more than 65,000 students across 140 schools.

Fifer. ]

Erin Kenworthy, Joel Newton and Michelle Applegate.

released two special smallbatch beers for the event. Both

District 2 candidate Michael Gri th talks with voters during the Meet & Greet on Sept. 6. PHOTOS BY LILLIAN FUGLEI

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Je co Sheri ’s O ce plans no further contact with Able Shepherd

Centennial-based organization recently protested local PrideFest

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

As other law enforcement agencies are evaluating their relation-

ships with tactical training organization Able Shepherd, the Je erson County Sheri ’s O ce has stated it plans no further contact with the group.

Able Shepherd, which is based in Centennial, protested at Castle Rock’s PrideFest last month. Since then, Arapahoe Community College cut ties with the organization, and the Arapahoe County Sheri ’s O ce recently prohibited the

group from participating as a vendor at its Safety in Faith summit.

e Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce, though, seems to have left the door open to continue working with the group, saying it didn’t have any plans currently.

e Je co Sheri ’s O ce hosted Jimmy Graham, Able Shepherd’s founder and chief executive o cer, as a speaker at its Aug. 3 Safety in Faith summit. JCSO spokesperson

Jenny Fulton con rmed the o ce paid Graham for his time, as it has with other summit speakers in the past.

A committee of JCSO personnel, local faith partners and others organized the 2023 Safety in Faith summit, and one of the committee members recommended Graham as a dynamic speaker, Fulton said.

Federal inflation funding aimed at water crisis

BY ERIC GALATAS PUBLIC NEWS SERVICE

is month marks one year since the passage of the In ation Reduction Act, the nation’s rst signi cant investment in addressing climate change, and policymakers are working to put some of the law’s $270 billion to work addressing a multistate water crisis.

e Colorado River, which supports 40 million people across the Southwest, has been greatly diminished due to a decadeslong drought exacerbated by a warming planet.

Naquetta Ricks, D-Aurora, explained the priorities facing the

region.

state’s steel plant.

“

e funding will allow us to make signi cant improvements on how we use water for our farmers,” Ricks pointed out. “Everybody is using this water, so we really need to look at that.”

e measure has already spurred $400 million in new investments in Colorado and added at least 850 new jobs, according to a Climate Power report. Hesperus Primergy Solar is building a 1,900 acre solar project, and CS Wind said it will expand the largest wind turbine factory in the world, located in Pueblo. e expansion will add two new buildings and triple the workforce, rivaling the

Alex Cornell du Houx, president and co-founder of the group Elected O cials to Protect America and a former state representative in Maine, said the In ation Reduction Act will advance the nation’s security, health and prosperity. He noted the new law is spurring a slew of private investments, including a new U.S. based manufacturing plant, which will produce enough batteries to power 10 million electric vehicles each year.

“It creates a clean energy future,” Cornell du Houx asserted. “In the last eight months, we’ve seen 96 gigawatts of new clean power announced. at’s enough to power

20 million homes, or one in seven homes in the U.S.”

Some 283 projects in Colorado have already been identi ed as priorities under the In ation Reduction Act. Ricks added the measure can also help an additional 750,000 Coloradans access a ordable high-speed internet for work, school, health and other necessities.

“ e digital divide is a huge issue within our state,” Ricks stressed. “16% of Coloradans do not have access to internet connectivity.”

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

Je erson County focuses on emergency preparedness for older adults

BY JO DAVIS JDAVIS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Preparing for an emergency is a bit di erent for independent older adults.

Essential actions in emergency planning like packing an emergency kit and deciding to evacuate or shelter in place come with special considerations.

To help Je erson County’s older residents, the county commissioners have proclaimed September as Emergency Preparedness Month.

e theme is “Preparing Older Adults.”

“ is year’s theme is ‘Preparing for Older Adults,’ and pre-planning is the best way to improve community resiliency from disaster,” the proclamation reads.

Je erson County Public Health is one agency that provides resources, information and more to help the community prepare this month.

“At JCPH, a large part of our work is making sure we are preparing our entire community for emergency events,” said Anjanette Hawkins, Emergency Preparedness and Response Coordinator at JCPH. “Older adults face even greater risks and challenges when it comes to preparing for emergencies, and as pillars of our community, we owe it to them to champion their wellbeing.”

One of the sites that Je co Public Health recommends is Ready.gov. e site is an o cial website of the US Department of Homeland Security. It focuses on emergency preparedness and has a special page for older adults. “As an older adult, you may have speci c needs after a disaster,” Ready.gov reads. “Use the information on this page to assess your needs and take simple, low-cost steps that help you get better prepared.”

is information urges families to add things to the emergency prep kit that would help an independent older adult after a disaster. is includes:

• Copies of medical insurance information;

• Extra medical supplies, especially batteries, glasses, oxygen, etc;

• Hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes for medical use; and

• A contact list of medical transport services and caregivers, including backup services in case there are issues reaching the home. Another resource, the older adult-targeted magazine AARP, o ers an Operation Emergency Prepare guide. It’s interactive and allows families and friends of older adults a way to create an emergency preparedness plan. ere are worksheets, checklists and other tools to help capture what an older adult would need after a disaster. ere are also actionable steps to get everyone moving toward implementing and practicing the plan.

FEMA and Ready.gov o er a pamphlet “Prepare for Emergencies Now: Information for Older Americans” that’s full of tips, ideas and considerations while creating the emergency plan. ey urge older adults to plan by:

• Adding a whistle to the emergency preparedness kit as an extra measure for signaling for help;

• Stockpiling a week of medications and medical supplies, or as many as the pharmacist will allow;

• Keeping tools to create a barrier to the dangerous air if the older adult cannot evacuate. ese items include tape, plastic sheets (for painting and covering furniture),

masks and more; and

• Securing and/or moving any items that could move or fall into the walkways. ese can impede an emergency evacuation for older adults with disabilities or illnesses

that impair mobility.

ere are many other special considerations that must be made when thinking about securing older adults in the family and community.

“As an older adult, you may have speci c needs after a disaster,” read the Je co Public Health announcement on National Emergency Preparedness Month. “ is is especially true for older adults who live independently, have low income, have disabilities, have chronic health issues or live in rural areas.”

To help families, Je co Public Health is hosting an emergency preparedness education and walkin clinic event from 8 a.m. to noon Sept. 20. Check the JCPH website for more information and a location when it’s determined. at information will also be included in the Je co Transcript newsletter. Sign up is free, do so today.

Heavy, fast and prolonged rainfall in September 2013 caused damaging flooding across Colorado, including in Je erson County in Coal Creek Canyon. This is why Je co Public Health recommends adding alternative evacuation routes to the emergency preparedness plan.

PHOTO BY JCPH

Pirates make annual landing at Northglenn

When you live in a landlocked state like Colorado, it’s probably a safe bet that you don’t really think of pirates all that often. I mean, why would you? ey live on those big bodies of water that are hundreds of miles away from us.

And yet, Pirate Festhas become one of Northglenn’s biggest events of the year and is back bigger than ever on Friday, Sept. 15 and Saturday, Sept. 16, at EB Rains, Jr. Memorial Park, 11701 Community Center Drive in Northglenn.

e free event has been split into two portions — Pirate Night on Friday and Pirate Fest on Saturday.

Pirate Night — 5-10 p.m. Sept. 15

• is component is geared towards those 18-years-old and older and will include live music, a mermaid encounter, dinner, the crowning of the “Pirate King,” and plenty of adult beverages.

• e live music schedule for the evening is:  5-6 p.m. —Big Paddy;

6:30-7:45 p.m. —Chancers Hooley;

8:15-10 p.m. — e McDeviants

According to provided information, costumes will be encouraged and the best dressed will be invited to participate in a costume contest for prizes.

Pirate Fest — 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Sept. 16

• is familyfriendly portion is the main event and features all kinds of fun ways to spend the day. For the children, there will be bounce houses, arts and crafts, contests, treasure hunts and maybe even a mermaid or two.

• For the adults, attendees can participate in shanty singing, cardboard boat watching (or racing), beverages and food and much more. e cardboard regattaportion of the festivities begin at 2 p.m., followed by awards when the races are complete.

• e live music schedule for the day is:11 a.m.-noon –nera ddler Duo;  12:30-2 p.m. – e Commoners;  2:30-4 p.m. —Celtic Chaos;  4:30-6 p.m. —Angus Mohr

All the details, including parking and FAQs, can be found at www. thepiratefest.com.

Rendezvous at The Fort with Tesoro Cultural Center

For the 21st year, the Tesoro Cultural Center is hosting the Rendez-

vous at e Fort, 19192 Highway 8 in Morrison, on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 16 and 17.

According to provided information, the annual event allows Tesoro the opportunity to host award-winning artists, professional historical interpreters and musicians, in an e ort to recognize the far western mountaineers and American Indians of the fur trade from the Bent’s Old Fort era. e weekend will feature a range of activities, including ceremonial song and dance demonstrations, historical storytelling, scavenger hunts, animal education and much more.

For all the necessary information, visitwww.TesoroCulturalCenter.org.

Chicken dance your way over to Colfax Chicken Fest

West Colfax is well-known for its unique events, and that streak continues with the Colfax Chicken Fest. e free, family-friendly party is from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 40 West Arts, 1560 Teller St. in Lakewood.

e event honors the HUB Building, which was once a Denver Drumstick restaurant, where diners could chow down on boxcar chicken dinners. Now the HUB will host everything from live music to chicken-inspired contests and art

activities to Drumstick 40 West Gallery exhibitions and chicken food trucks.

All the info you need on this delightful event can be found at https://40westarts.org.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Arctic Monkeys at Red Rocks

Back in 2013, England’s Arctic Monkeys looked like they were the last proper rock band around, thanks to the smashing success of “AM,” an album that did all the things a stadium rock record should and did them beautifully. In the two ensuing albums, including’s last year’s beautiful “ e Car,” the group has jettisoned the whole stadium star thing in favor of searching sci- and moody orchestral epics. Doesn’t get more rock star than that.

In support of “ e Car,” Arctic Monkeys are playing Red Rocks, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway in Morrison, at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 18 with Fontaines DC. at was an amazing sentence to write and I hope you take it seriously and get 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.

Cyclists can end the year by checking a 100-mile ride o their bucket list

Calling all cyclists! e Denver Century Ride is coming up. Time to get pumped for it (and then to pump up your tires). If you’ve been wanting to experience the city and surrounding metro area by bike, this is your chance. Or, if you’ve been riding a lot on your own, this is a great chance to meet other cyclists. e ride takes you through Denver out west all the way to Golden and then up, and over, Lookout Mountain before circling back. Not up for that big

Steadman

of an adventure?

ere are options for 25-, 50-, and 85-mile rides, too.

e best part is that you can bene t local nonpro ts while participating.

e event got its start in 2010 and its primary bene ciary is Bicycle Colorado,

a Denver-based nonpro t that uses “advocacy, education and passion to make Colorado one of the most bicycle-friendly states in the nation.” Learn more at BicycleColorado.org.

What I think is so cool about the century ride is that Bicycle Colorado is not the only organization that bene ts. e event allows other nonpro t organizations to use the ride as a fundraising platform. For example, Cycle for Strays is Denver Animal Protection’s team for the ride. Note that the ride’s registration

fees do not bene t charity a liates. Instead, a liates bene t from the cyclists’ pledges and donations. If you’re wanting to participate in the ride to raise funds for any of the a liates, visit DenverCenturyRide. com (look under the Cycle for a Good Cause tab at the top of the webpage) for instructions on how to do so.

Here are the basic details on the ride itself:

Clarke Reader

There’s such a thing as trail etiquette

The uppermost switchback on the Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park is eight feet wide. Yet the last time I hiked out, I was stymied by a group of young hikers walking down shoulder to shoulder, tapping on their phones.

Even when I said, “Ahem, excuse me,” I was unceremoniously nudged out of the way — not on the cli side, but still.

It shouldn’t need mentioning, but while walking on a rocky trail where one may fall to one’s death, it is best not to be watching one’s phone. And in case you were wondering, uphill has the right of way.

I am often told that people coming downhill should have the right of way because they might lose control and can’t easily stop. Well, on a shared trail, one should not be losing control, and certainly not on a trail where a fall could lead to dying, as above.

Uphill has the right of way because it is harder to stop and restart while climbing. Yes, some hikers want to stop and rest and that is their prerogative, but if I have my uphill mojo going, I don’t want to stop.

Downhill hikers also have a much wider eld of vision. Climbing up, I usually see only my feet, particularly if I’m wearing a sunhat. Since most injuries occur on the way down a trail, it might behoove one to slow down and pay attention, in any case.

Nor does this apply only to hikers. On a four-wheel drive road, the driver coming down must pull over for the driver coming up.

In mountain biking, uphill has the right of way as well, partly because if the uphill rider has to stop, they will likely be walking up the rest of the hill.

Standing at the top of a steep hill and yelling “Clear!” before bombing down is not su cient. Perhaps that is why more and more trails around Arizona have signs posted warning riders that if they cannot comply with the rules, the routes will be closed to bikes.

Mountain bikes are supposed to yield to hikers, but since I know how hard it is to stop and start on

WRITERS ON THE RANGE

a bike, I usually step out of the way anyway.

Marjorie Woodru

Yet all trail users must yield to horses. I have met horses that freak out upon seeing a piece of blowing paper, so I cannot imagine how they would react to a fast-moving bike.

Regarding those annoying downhill hikers and runners who say they “need” the right of way, I have not done the study, but I would bet they never yield no matter which direction they are heading. ey have important things to do and places to go, and maybe a phone to check.

As absorbing as it is to walk handin-hand with your sweetie, or arms linked with your BFF, you probably would not force people o the sidewalk into tra c just to keep your bestie right there. So why, on a trail, would you force other hikers to give way?

Faster hikers overtaking another party should politely make their presence known. A curt “on your left” as you elbow them out of the way does not su ce. Neither does stepping on their heels until they nally acknowledge you.

Speaking for myself, I often fall into a reverie while hiking, and I do not always notice someone dogging my footsteps. So please say something.

I’ve been startled more than once by a runner brushing against me as they sped past, sometimes on a trail narrow enough that had I stepped (or tripped!) to the side, I would have knocked the runner o the cli .

People are allowed to periodically pause on their treks. I was berated recently because I was standing with my pack facing the trail. I was informed hotly by an approaching runner that he had to slow down to pass me, and next time would I please move out of the way? I did not realize I was upsetting his Best Time Ever.

CLAIRVOYANCE AND COMPASSION

“I believe that everywhere that we’re at has spirits around us all the time,” Welte said. “It’s just that I was able to see them. So when I was 5, 6 years old, I would see the spirits walking up and down my hallway.”

BY LILLIAN FUGLEI SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

On a quiet street corner, a neon sign promises psychic readings, fortunes told for a small fee. Some signs advertise crystals, tarot, reiki or clairvoyance, a never-ending list of tools to peer into the other side.  Denver hosts a wide variety of psychics across the metro area. ough their work is often unseen, each practitioner brings their own set of skills to help give insight to their clients.

Starting out

Littleton-based practitioner Jen Welte grew up in a haunted house. She said her rst connections to the other side were the ghosts that lived in the home with her.

ough Welte had an early connection, it wasn’t until she attended a mediumship development class in 2016 that she began to hone her skills. A friend was going to the class, so Welte tagged along, not knowing what the class was for.

“I was just kind of her wingman because she was nervous to go by herself,” Welte said. “It was a mediumship development class. I had no idea there were classes for stu like this, I didn’t even know that I was a medium at this point. I just thought that I knew things and saw things.”

Mediumship is the practice of enabling communications between the living and the dead. Mediums may have messages conveyed in a variety of ways, such as clairaudience, hearing messages, clairvoyance, seeing messages, or claircognizance, simply knowing the message.

Welte continued to learn, taking classes from another local psychic — Kim Moore — and then a year-long mentorship with another psychic — Anthony Mrocka. Her mentorship occurred in 2020, which gave her the time to focus on developing her skills.

“I mean, the whole country was shut down,” Welte said. “I had no other responsibilities... So I took a year-long mentorship with Anthony. And he really, really helped me to re ne my abilities.”

For Broom eld-based practitioner Andarta, the spiritual path started with tarot card readings as a teenager. She continued to learn, receiving training to become a Reiki Master and becoming a Druid in the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids — a spiritual organization based in England.

Reiki is a form of energy work that facilitates healing. Practitioners guide energy through a client’s body to help them heal.

Andarta’s spiritual and academic paths have been connected, primarily through becoming a Priestess of Avalon.

“I’ve done a lot of studies on more of the Avalon path,” Andarta said. “Because that is not only my spiritual interest, but also my PhD is in medieval literature. What got me into medieval literature to begin with was my interest in the Arthurian legends, and Avalon and, and all of that, so I’ve really sort of crafted a lot of my own classes around that just my own personal studies, both from my academic background as well as my spiritual.”

Lakewood-based practitioner

Lizanne Flynn’s path was shaped by her time volunteering in an animal shelter. After taking several years o from working to raise her children, Flynn wanted to see what returning to work would look like for her. at desire led her to volunteer at Table Mountain Animal Shelter — now known as Foothills Animal Shelter.

“It was a good experience for me,” Flynn said. “What I didn’t expect was that when I went through the doors of the shelter, is that I would start to hear the animals. I would start to feel the animals.”

She would hear animals — par-

ticularly those that had been surrendered — asking for their families and homes.

“It was like there was an extra room and I had been given the keys to the door of that room that I could walk into,” Flynn added. “ ere was this telepathic communication with animals that was available to me, it still feels like that to this day.”

Getting to work

Welte — who started her business online during the pandemic — then applied to work with Discover Your Spiritual Gifts when she saw an opening for a reader.

“It is an amazing little shop,” Welte said. “I really enjoy being able to work there and (meeting) the people that have come in.”

Welte does tarot and psychic readings, but the main focus of her work is mediumship.

“What I want to do the most is be able to deliver to people without a shadow of a doubt information that there is life still beyond this, and that their loved ones are not in some tortured, horrible place there,” Welte said. “ ey’re right there with us.”

As a former college professor, Andarta’s switch to full-time work as a psychic was recent. ough she had been working part-time while teaching, she transitioned out of higher education this summer.

“ e fact that my psychic business is more stable than higher education, I think is a pretty crazy idea for our society,” Andarta said. “Sometimes there’s a struggle of adapting, complete career change is a little scary. And yet, I feel that there is more of a call in our society for alternate spiritual practices, and di erent beliefs, especially earth-based religions.”

Flynn’s work began with animal communication in 2008, but soon after that, she added a physical touch.

Flynn became licensed as a canine massage therapist. Canine massage is similar to massages performed on humans, helping to relieve tight muscles and stress in dogs. Flynn combines the techniques, communicating with the animals as she massages them.

She felt that the universe continued to push her towards new methods, such as Reiki, and incorporating them into her practice.

“ is is such a classic example of the universe going, ‘OK. Here’s your next step. Just go here,’” Flynn added. Her work now includes a wide va-

riety of practices, including animal communication, mediumship, Reiki and more.

As a Master Healer, Flynn resisted the title that goes with her work for a while. However, she came around to it once she realized the value of being a healer.

“ e actual de nition of a healer that I really vibe with is someone who holds space,” Flynn said. “A healer is someone who opens the door, they might turn on the light for you. But they’re not going to necessarily tell you where to look. ey’re not necessarily going to tell you what to do.”

The impact

For Welte, working as a medium has given her an opportunity to connect people, both living and dead.

“I love my work, I love helping people,” Welte said. “My main goal is just to help and let people know that we’re really not alone, that we really are all connected and that we really will get through this a lot easier if we’re just kinder to each other and more loving and more compassionate.”

Welte added that she wants to be a place people can come to heal through her work.

“For me personally, it’s very, very heart-centered,” Welte added. “I will sit there and I will cry with my clients, I will check on my clients, I will bend over backward because it truly comes from a place of love.”

Similarly to Welte, Andarta’s work is geared towards giving clients a space to heal.

“I call them clients, and yet I still see them as souls,” Andarta said. “I have great compassion for people. I think that people really resonate with that, that they know that I am there to try to help them.”

In addition to providing readings, Andarta teaches several classes related to spirituality. Her work as a teacher often means empowering her clients to engage in the services Andarta typically provides without her.

“What happens a lot of the times is that I have clients that work with me for quite a while, and then they’re like ‘Hey, I’m good,’” Andarta said. “I’m like, ‘ en go, go do it (yourself).”

is is not just to keep milking people for money,” Andarta added.

LEARN MORE

Jen Welte is Littleton-based and offers readings remotely and in-person at Discover Your Spiritual Gifts in Littleton on the second and fourth Sundays of the month. Her website is https:// www.jenmoonlightmystic.com/ Andarta is Broomfield-based and o ers readings remotely. Her website is https://psychichealersofavalon.com/ denver-colorado/

Lizanne Flynn is Lakewood-based and o ers readings remotely. Her website is https://lizanneflynn.com/

For Flynn, her work gives her an opportunity to give animals a voice, speaking for them and communicating with their owners. She emphasized the importance of simply asking animals what they’re feeling — and listening to what they say.

“Inside my animal communicator, self is going, you could just ask,” Flynn said. “I think (animals) would be happy to tell you, (for example) the life of the bee and how that works.”

While Andarta, Flynn and Welte’s practices di er, they all stressed the same idea — their talents are not unique.

“Every single human who has a physical body on this planet can do the work that I do,” Flynn said. “Absolutely everyone.”

For Andarta, Flynn and Welte, being able to do their work is simply a matter of practice and training.

“I feel like everybody has a connection to the other side, or whatever you want to call it,” Welte said.

“Everybody has a connection to spirit and that we are all connected.”

Andarta’s practices combine both her spiritual and academic background, following the Avalon Path. COURTESY OF ANDARTA.

SHEPHARD

He presented on “Developing a Safety Team rough Training,” and JCSO sent him a thank you letter for his time, based on an Able Shepherd social media post.

Fulton con rmed JCSO doesn’t plan to have any further contact with Graham or anyone else at Able Shepherd.

During Castle Rock PrideFest on Aug. 26, protesters delayed the start of a “G-rated” drag show

STEADMAN

at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. Approximately 75 men — wearing matching shirts reading “Stand To Protect Children” — blocked the stage, postponing the beginning of the show by 30 minutes.

Able Shepherd was responsible for organizing the protest. According to emails obtained by Colorado Community Media, Able Shepherd’s organization of the protest included details all the way down to what time to arrive, talking points for the protest and the coordination of matching T-shirts.

e Coldwell Banker Denver Century Ride takes place on Sept. 23 and starts early in the morning. Headquarters for the event is at e Shops at North eld, 8340 North eld Blvd., located in Denver’s Central Park neighborhood. As I noted above, there are four route options to choose from. is is a mostly urban ride, and each route o ers a unique way for cyclists to explore well-loved bike

routes. e 25- and 50-mile routes wind through scenic, even iconic cityscapes, like Cheesman Park and Coors Field. e 85-mile route takes cyclists through the metro area to picturesque spots, including Red Rocks and Deer Creek Canyon. e 100-mile route o ers those landmarks plus Golden’s Lookout Mountain climb and a speedy all-downhill descent on the other side. Cyclists come from all over the metro area – and the world – to do this climb. So, if it is on your bucket list, the ride might be the perfect opportunity for you to cross it o , as well as a century if you’ve

never done one before.

Aid stations will be stocked with water, food and cheerful volunteers along all of the routes, providing a chance to rest, recharge and meet folks along the way.

For those who are not interested in riding but still want to be involved, there are volunteer opportunities — everything from working aid stations to serving as a Motorcycle Marshal. e marshals act as escorts to support riders, creating a bu er between cyclists and tra c, especially at intersections. It’s important because the roads, which traverse several jurisdictions

WOODRUFF

More and more it seems, we must share our wilderness with all sorts of users.

Yes, we all get hot and sweaty and cold and tired and exhausted and hungry and thirsty, but we

0 10 15% %%

across the metro area, will not be closed for the event. ey’re open to the usual tra c, though drivers are certainly going to notice more than the usual number of colorful cyclists on the roads.

Lastly, don’t forget the post-ride party. It takes place from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at e Shops at North eld. It will include an expo with the event’s sponsors and exhibitors, family activities, beer stations and a variety of dining options from the restaurants at e Shops at Northeld.

Visit DenverCenturyRide.com to learn more.

can still be polite. To paraphrase the immortal Robert A. Heinlein, politeness is what characterizes a civilization.

Marjorie “Slim” Woodru is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonpro t dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. She is an educator in the Grand Canyon.

FROM PAGE 13

Members of Able Shepherd stand in front of the stage at Castle Rock PrideFest on Aug. 26 to block the “G-rated” drag show. After negotiations with event security, protesters eventually moved so that the stage was visible and the show could continue.

PHOTO BY MCKENNA HARFORD

FROM PAGE 10

powered by

Thu 9/21

Great American Beer Festival

@ 5:30pm

Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St, Denver

Rafe Williams: High Plains Comedy Festival 2023 @ 7pm Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Place, Denver

Fri 9/22

Great American Beer Festival @ 5:30pm

Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St, Denver

Erin Stereo at Bar Standard @ 9pm Bar Standard, 1037 Broadway, Denver

ENiGMA Dubz @ 9pm The Black Box, 314 E 13th Ave, Denver

Sat 9/23

Great American Beer Festival @ 5:30pm

Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St, Denver

23rd annual Naughty Ball - 2023 @ 8pm / $72.66-$267.83

Mirus Gallery & Art Bar Denver, 1144 Broadway, Denver. kevin@kevinlarsonpre sents.com, 720-507-1376

Sun 9/24

A Little Night Music @ 1:30pm

Rev. da IV @ 8pm

Mercury Cafe, 2199 California St, Denver

Denver Center for the Performing Arts, 1245 Champa St, Denver

Red Rum Club @ 8pm

Ogden Theatre, 935 E Colfax Ave, Denver

Mon 9/25

Soundularity: 360° Healing Music

Journey @ Intrinsic Collective @ 6pm Intrinsic Collective, 922 Washington Ave suite 200, Golden

The Red Pears @ 7pm / $15

Marquis, 2009 Larimer St, Denver

Tue 9/26

Keith Hicks @ 4pm

Renaissance Downtown City Center, Den‐ver

Lainey Wilson LIVE from Red Rocks @ 7pm

Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison

Relate. @ 7pm

Denver Comedy Lounge, 3559 Larimer St, Denver

Jared William Gottberg @ 8:30pm

The Bluegrass Coffee & Bourbon Lounge, 7415 grandview ave, Ar‐vada

Aluna @ 5pm

Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W Alameda Pkwy, Morrison

This Is Important Live!

@ 7:30pm Bellco Theatre, 1100 Stout Street, Denver

Industry @ 9pm

Goosetown Tavern, 3242 East Colfax Avenue, Denver

Victoria Monet @ 8pm Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom, 2637 Welton St, Denver

Shane Mauss @ 8pm

The Oriental Theater, 4335 W 44th Ave, Denver

Wed 9/27

Tenia Nelson Trio hosting the Roxy Jam @ 7pm Broadway Roxy, 554 S Broadway, Denver

A Little Night Music @ 7pm

Denver Center for the Performing Arts, 1245 Champa St, Denver

Sean Thompson's Weird Ears @ 8pm Lost Lake Lounge, 3602 E Colfax Ave, Denver

Calendar information is provided by event organiz‐ers. All events are subject to change or cancella‐tion. This publication is not responsible for the ac‐curacy of the information contained in this calendar.

Featured

Featured

Horse herd roundup begins

Federal roundup seeks to remove entire wild horse herd in western Colorado

BY JENNIFER BROWN THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado’s rst scheduled wild horse roundup this year is set to begin this month, when federal land managers plan to start removing the entire West Douglas herd in Rio Blanco County along the Utah border.

Starting in September, a low- ying helicopter will try to push all 122 horses, which are on public and private land, into temporary corrals before hauling them to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s holding pens in Cañon City.

e last roundup of West Douglas horses, in 2021, resulted in the removal of nearly 450 animals from rugged land the BLM has deemed unsuitable for mustangs. About onethird of those horses — 145 of them — died in Cañon City seven months later in an equine u outbreak.

Investigators determined that many of the horses, whose lungs were likely damaged by a wild re when they were living on the rangeland, were not vaccinated against the u after they were captured, in violation of federal policy.

Mustang advocates in Colorado

and nationally are protesting the latest roundup.

“ e Bureau of Land Management appears to have learned nothing from last year’s horri c disease outbreak at the Cañon City holding facility,” Joanna Grossman, equine program director for the Animal Welfare Institute, said in an emailed statement.

She called the federal plan “especially troubling” since Gov. Jared Polis signed a law this year that attempts to give the state greater authority over wild horse management, including by supporting fertility control programs and possibly a wild horse sanctuary. e governor, who tried but failed to stop a federal roundup in the Sand Wash Basin

in 2021, has said he wants more humane options than helicopter roundups.

Federal land managers plan to remove 20 horses from the Sand Wash Basin, in northwestern Colorado along the Wyoming border, at the end of September.

Across the highway from West Douglas, in what’s called the Piceance-East Douglas herd management area, the federal government has enlisted volunteers to shoot birth control darts into wild mares. e BLM this month announced it was awarding the volunteer group running the birth control program, the Piceance Mustangs in Meeker, a $120,620 grant to keep darting horses, and to buy water tanks to

keep horses alive when creeks in the basin are dry.

Last summer, the federal agency used a helicopter to remove 761 horses from the Piceance, which is dotted with sagebrush and oil pumps and has cli s and canyons where vehicles cannot go.

e rangeland still has about 750 horses, and it’s likely to see another roundup in the near future because federal land managers say the appropriate number for the 200,000 acres is 235 wild horses.

e appropriate number for West Douglas, the BLM says, is zero.

“

e West Douglas herd area is not managed for wild horses due to limited food and water, which causes the horses to stray into private lands,” the agency’s White River eld o ce manager Bill Mills said in announcing the roundup.

e West Douglas rangeland is not one of Colorado’s four o cial herd management areas and was deemed inappropriate as a mustang habitat in 1975. e area has limited water and grasses, and removal of the mustangs will “restore a thriving natural ecological balance,” the agency said. Mustangs in the area are impacting the habitat of other animals and have spread onto private property, Mills said.

e public lands where wild horses graze in Colorado are shared not only by deer, elk and other

Wild horses graze in the high desert of the Piceance-East Douglas Herd Management Area near Meeker in June.

PHOTO BY HUGH CAREY / THE COLORADO SUN

SEE ROUNDUP, P20

Help for Colorado parents to pay for preschool

BY ANN SCHIMKE CHALKBEAT COLORADO

Starting this fall, Colorado is offering 10 to 15 hours of tuition-free preschool to all 4-year-olds as part of the state’s universal preschool program. More than 40,000 families have already applied, but the application process is still open and will be available throughout the year. But what if you need more class time for your child than just 10 to 15 hours a week?

ere are several ways to get nancial help for those extra hours. e universal preschool program will pay for up to 30 hours of preschool a week for some children.

ey must be from low-income families and fall into one of the following categories: English language

learner, homeless, in foster care, or have a special education plan. Simply being from a low-income family is not enough to qualify for 30 hours.

We’ve compiled a list of other programs that may help cover extra hours of preschool, including Head Start, the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program, and, for Denver residents, the Denver Preschool Program. Summit County also o ers tuition assistance for preschoolers, through its Summit Pre-K Program, though the application window generally runs from May 1-31.

Military families may be eligible for nancial help through the Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood program, which is for families who can’t access military-operated

child care programs because of waitlists or the distance from their homes.

Finally, it’s worth asking your child’s preschool if they o er scholarships or discounts that could help lower the cost of care.

For questions about universal preschool or adding extra hours, contact the universal preschool help desk at 303-866-5223 or the local group in your county that is helping run universal preschool.

Here’s a quick look at some of the programs that can be combined with universal preschool to provide students with full-day classes.

What is it: A state program that helps low-income families pay for child care, including preschool. Parents must be working, looking for work, or attending school.

Who’s eligible: Families whose children are citizens or legal permanent residents and whose household income is 200% to 270% of the federal poverty line. at’s $60,000 to $81,000 for a family of four. Each county sets its own income criteria, so check here for details based on where you live.

Financial aid: CCCAP covers most of the cost of child care for qualifying families, with the amount varying based on how much care a child needs above their universal preschool hours. Families who qualify also have to pay a parent fee — a co-pay that varies based on income, family size, and the number of children in child care.

How to apply: Online in English

SEE PRESCHOOL, P20

or Spanish, or contact your county’s department of human services.

What to know about combining with universal preschool: Only some preschools participate in the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program. Ask the universal preschool provider you selected if they take CCCAP, or nd the provider name in the universal preschool application and click on the “View More Information” link. A pop-up box will tell you more about the provider, including if they take CCCAP or o er other nancial help.

Some families who qualify for CCCAP may not receive assistance because of funding shortfalls — particularly once federal COVID stimulus dollars run out in 2024.

What is it: A Denver program that

provides sliding-scale tuition help for 4-year-olds in preschool regardless of family income.

Who’s eligible: Denver residents who have 4-year-old children attending preschool regardless of immigration status.

Financial aid: Tuition credits range from $36 to $1,227 a month for up to 12 months, and are paid to the school on the family’s behalf. Use the Denver Preschool Program’s tuition credit calculator to estimate your monthly tuition credit. Credits are based on family size, income, and the quality of the preschool selected.

How to apply: Online any time in English or Spanish, or contact the Denver Preschool Program at (303) 595-4377 or info@dpp.org. Applications in PDF form are available in Chinese/Mandarin, French, Russian, Vietnamese, Somali, Amharic, and Nepali.

What to know about combining with universal preschool: Apply to universal preschool rst and once your child is enrolled in a preschool,

ROUNDUP

natural habitat, but cattle and sheep whose owners lease the land from the federal government.

After arriving in Cañon City, the horses will receive vaccinations and other veterinary care and, after a few months, will be available for adoption. ose not adopted will go to the BLM’s long-term pastures, which the agency leases from ranchers and other landowners in various parts of

apply to the Denver Preschool Program. is is necessary because the Denver Preschool Program application requires that families list the preschool their child is attending. Most Denver preschools participating in universal preschool also participate in the Denver Preschool Program, but there are a few that don’t. Check here to nd preschools participating in the Denver Preschool Program.

What is it: A federally funded program that provides free preschool, health services, and family support to children from low-income families, regardless of immigration status.

Who’s eligible: Children who are 3 to 5 years old in families with a household income at or below the federal poverty guideline. at’s $30,000 a year for a family of 4. Children who are homeless, in foster care, or whose families receive public assistance are also eligible regardless of income.

Financial aid: Head Start is a free preschool program that provides part-time or full-time hours to the children it serves.

How to apply: Search here for providers near you and contact the center directly to apply. For help nding a Head Start provider, call 866-763-6481.

What to know about combining with universal preschool: Only certain preschool providers o er Head Start. e universal preschool application also shows whether providers participate in Head Start. For help, contact the Head Start provider you’re interested in or the local group that helps run universal preschool.

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

the country.

e BLM removed more than 30,000 horses in 2021 and 2022 from rangeland across the West, including about 1,500 in Colorado. is year, the agency plans to remove about 6,000 horses nationwide.

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.

Colorado’s new universal preschool program mostly pays for half-day preschool, but several programs o er financial assistance for families that need more hours of care.

PHOTO BY ANN SCHIMKE / CHALKBEAT

FROM PAGE 18

Back to basics works as Ralston Valley dominates Grandview

BY DENNIS PLEUSS JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOL

ARVADA — An extra week to refocus is just what Ralston Valley’s football team needed.

“ e bye week was getting back to basics,” Ralston Valley coach Jared Yannacito said about what the Mustangs did with having two weeks to prepare for Grandview after playing Zero Week and Week 1. “We went back to basics … ring o the football, lining up correctly, having correct splits, focusing on things that takes no talent. e fundamentals of football.”

e Mustangs — No. 9 in this week’s Select Media Football Poll — picked apart No. 5 Grandview 30-15 late Friday night at the North Area Athletic Complex. e score actually didn’t indicate how much Ralston Valley (2-1 record) dominated Grandview (2-1).

Ralston Valley went up 24-0 midway through the third quarter on the second short touchdown run of the night by senior Brady Weldon.

e Wolves scored a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter after Yannacito put in the Mustangs’ back-ups.

“We just knew that our defense can play with anybody in the state,” Ralston Valley senior defensive lineman Tyrese Johnson said. “We just have to do the little things right and we’ll get it done.”

e Mustangs were coming o a 35-9 loss to No. 1 Cherry Creek (3-0). e Bruins outscored Ralston Valley 28-0 through the nal three quarters at Stutler Bowl on Aug. 25. “ e bye week was a blessing,” Johnson said. “It gave us time to recuperate after what happened against Creek. We saw the mistakes and xed them.”

Ralston Valley’s defense shut out Grandview through the rst three quarters putting constant pressure on senior quarterback Liam Szarka.

e Wolves came in averaging 43 points per game in blowout vic-

tories against Overland and Fossil Ridge.

“I’m extremely proud of our defense,” Yannacito said. “ ey held a very good team with a very good quarterback to very little points.”

O ensively, Ralston Valley scored on its rst three o ensive positions. Weldon had is rst touchdown with 7:31 left in the rst quarter to give the Mustangs an early lead in their home opener. Sophomore Cole

Pfeifer kicked a 24-yard eld goal in the nal seconds of the rst quarter to push the lead to 10-0.

“O ensively we took with the defense gave us,” Yannacito said of the balanced attack. “It was nice to have game lm of your opponent.”

Grandview had its best drive in the rst half in an attempt to cut the lead to one score, but the Wolves missed a 27-yard eld goal and Ralston Valley took advantage on

the most spectacular touchdown of the night.

Ralston Valley senior quarterback Logan Madden showed o his arm strength with a 50-yard throw to the end zone caught by senior Anthony Benallo with 2:29 left before halftime to extend the lead to 17-0.

“We had a double-move to Jackson (Hansen) actually,” Madden said talking about the 39-yard touchdown pass to Benallo. “Right before the play I looked to Anthony and told him to run it too. It was a last resort kind of thing.”

Madden got pressure from his left but was able to escape to his right and launch the pass o his back foot to Benallo.

“Logan is a clutch player. He makes clutch plays when you need clutch plays,” Yannacito said. “He has been doing it for me for two years now. It really doesn’t surprise

me.”

Ralston Valley opened up the second half with a 12-play, 80-yard scoring drive capped o by another short touchdown run by Weldon.

e Mustangs’ defense forced Grandview to turn the ball over on downs on the Wolves next possession.

Madden orchestrated another scoring drive that ended with a 21-yard touchdown pass to senior Jackson Hansen to give Ralston Valley a comfortable 30-0 lead with 9:26 left in the game.

“I challenged our team to go back to breathe and pause,” Yannacito said of getting back to business after the loss to Cherry Creek. “It’s one practice at a time. It’s one game at a time. Let’s not think about the future.”

e future this season will unfortunately be without receiver Liam Beattie. e junior had a big game in the Mustangs’ season opener against Mountain Vista, but Yannicito said that a knee injury will keep him sidelined for the remainder of the year. Beattie had ve catches for 103 yards against Mountain Vista.

“Losing Beattie is a big loss for us,” Madden said.

On the bright side, Ralston Valley will get to enjoy the friendly connes of the NAAC for the next two weeks. e Mustangs host Regis Jesuit (2-1) next Friday night at NAAC before a big showdown with Valor Christian on ursday, Sept. 21. e Eagles (1-2) defeated the Mustangs twice last season, including a dramatic overtime playo state semi nal game.

“It was great,” Johnson said of the Mustangs’ home opener at NAAC. “Having only a 12-minute drive from the school is amazing. Our crowd is amazing. We love our crowd. We are nally getting into the swing of things.”

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

Ralston Valley senior Anthony Benallo (4) breaks away from Grandview junior Sir Robinson (2) during the first quarter Friday, Sept. 8, at the North Area Athletic Complex. Benallo had a spectacular touchdown grab before halftime to put the Mustangs up 17-0.

PHOTO BY DENNIS PLEUSS / JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Columbine softball ready to make another title run pitch

BY DENNIS PLEUSS JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

AURORA — Patience has paid o for Columbine pitcher Liz Phillips.

e senior has been waiting in the wings to be the No. 1 pitcher for the Rebels’ softball program that has played in the Class 5A state championship game three times over the past four seasons — winning the state title in 2019 and 2022.

“It is de nitely di erent from last year,” said Phillips, who pitched just under 25 innings with a 2.27 ERA last season as a junior. “I think I pitched in four or ve games. Now I’ll be pitching in almost every single one.”

Araya Ogden was Columbine ace the last three years racking up an impressive 45-4 record in the circle over the past two years. Ogden had a 0.89 ERA last season during the Rebels’ run to the state championship.

With the graduation of Ogden, it’s Phillips’s turn.

“She (Phillips) has been very, very impressive,” Columbine coach Jim Santaniello said. “She had to have a lot of patience through her high school career. Now it is her time to be in the sun. She has completely exceeded expectations. We think she will just get strong as the season goes along.”

Phillips had a 4-0 record in limited action on the hill last season. She made it a point to work hard during the o -season to solidify her spot as the Rebels’ ace. She switched pitching coaches over the o -season to Mike Forsythe — pitching coach for Florida International University.

“It has helped me improve so much,” Phillips said of working with Forsythe. “My spins are so much better. My pitches move more. My rise ball has changed. Everything is working great.”

rough Sept. 8, Phillips had a 10-1 record with a 2.82 ERA for the Rebels that were No. 5 in the Class 5A softball CHSAA Seeding Index heading into the nal day of the Dave Sanders Memorial Tournament on Saturday, Sept. 9.

“I think Liz is going amazing,” Columbine senior catch Eva Martinez said. “She has been my best friend for a while. She is an amazing competitor, super smart and hard on herself. She knows what she is doing.”

Columbine went 3-0 in pool play with victories over Golden, Mountain Vista and Central of Grand Junction. e Rebels were scheduled to face Eaglecrest in the semi nals of the Diamond Bracket at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, at Aurora Sports Park.

“We are looking forward to playing that elite competition,” Santaniello said. “ at is what is going to get us to that next level and prepare us for league.”

e Rebels return the majority of starters from last year’s squad. e core of youth includes sophomores Livi Keiter, Nina Vargas and Mason Abraham that will anchor a strong defensive in eld with junior Ana Lovato at second base as well.

“ at is the foundation of this team, real strong defense even going back to last year,” Santaniello said.

“Whenever you have great defense you are always in the game.”

Columbine did get a good challenge from Mountain Vista on the morning game Friday. e Golden Eagles scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut Columbine’s lead to 6-4, but the Rebels got out of the jam with a strikeout-throw out to end the inning.

Phillips stuck out Kenzie Ezzell and Martinez threw out Lily Oss trying to

steal second.

“It was kind of a boom-boom thing,” Martinez said of the strikeoutthrow out to end the bottom of the sixth inning. “Liz and I both did our jobs. at was crucial at that point.”

Phillips helped out her own cause going 3-for-3 from the plate which included a 2-run home run in the third inning from her No. 8 hole position in the line-up.

“I feel like all of us are really good,” Phillips said of the Rebels’ line-up o ensive. “When one person is o

somebody else is going to be on. It’s a good mix.”

Columbine will be in the mix to win its fth 5A Je co League title over the past six seasons. e Rebels open conference play Wednesday, Sept. 13, at Arvada West High School. e Wildcats (12-2) were No. 2 in the 5A CHSAA Seeding Index to start the weekend.

Dennis Pleuss is the Sports Information Director for Je co Public Schools. For more Je co coverage, go to CHSAANow.com.

Columbine senior Eva Martinez is a key part of the Rebels’ o ensive attack that has already piled up double-digit victories before the start of the Class 5A Je co League season.

PHOTO BY DENNIS PLEUSS / JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Solution

TRIVIA

1. U.S. STATES: Which state is home to a giant sequoia tree named General Sherman?

2. ANIMAL KINGDOM: Is a rhinoceros an herbivore, omnivore or carnivore?

3. GEOGRAPHY: Which city in India is home to the Taj Mahal?

4. MOVIES: What is the title of the rst James Bond movie?

5. TELEVISION: What was the product featured in the rst TV advertisement?

6. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Which French fashion designer is credited with inventing the Little Black Dress?

7. FOOD & DRINK: What does it mean to julienne vegetables?

8. GOVERNMENT: What does the acronym GDP stand for in economic terms?

9. LITERATURE: What is the cat’s name in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”?

10. SCIENCE: Who is considered the father of the atomic bomb?

Answers

1. California, Sequoia National Park.

2. An herbivore, a plant eater.

3. Agra.

4. “Dr. No.”

5. Bulova watch.

6. Coco Chanel.

7. Cut into short, thin strips.

8. Gross domestic product.

9. Grimalkin.

10. J. Robert Oppenheimer.

(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

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State GOP seeks gender care ban

Colorado GOP leaders form committee to support a 2024 ballot measure to ban gender-a rming care for kids

BY JESSE PAUL AND SANDRA FISH THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado GOP Chairman Dave Williams formed an issue committee late last month to support a forthcoming 2024 ballot measure that would ban “child gender reassignment medical procedures” in the state.

Tom Bjorklund, treasurer of the Colorado Republican Party, is listed as the designated ling agent for the committee, called “Let Kids Be Kids.” e group’s address was originally listed as the Colorado GOP’s headquarters in Greenwood Village. It was changed to a post o ce box in Grand Junction, where Bjorklund lives. Williams on con rmed to e Colorado Sun that he formed the committee.

“ is is an issue that will certainly unite Republicans across Colorado,” Williams told e Sun, “but it’s a separate legal e ort apart from the party.”

e state’s Title Board hasn’t received a proposed 2024 ballot measure to ban medical procedures

related to gender-a rming care for children in Colorado. Williams said the initiative is still in the works.

“We are nalizing language soon and are using other state laws that have recently passed around the country as a framework,” Williams said. He said the de nition of “child gender reassignment medical procedures” is still being ironed out, but said the measure will generally aim to prevent children from receiving medications or surgeries related to gender-a rming care. at mayinclude hormone blockers that prevent teens from going through puberty.

Stopping juveniles from getting gender-a rming surgery or medical treatment has become a focus of Williams and right-wing Republicans across the country. Twenty-one states have banned gender-a rming care for people younger than age 18, according to the Human Rights Campaign. An additional seven states are considering such bans.

Colorado, where Democrats control the legislature and the governor’s o ce, is not among them.

In June, the Colorado GOP sent out an email saying, “Democrats support groomers who ‘teach’ your children about so-called gender a rming care … this is sick and the Colorado Republican Party will speak against it.”

Williams also blasted fellow Republicans who signed onto a May 1 letter asking the Montana House of

Representatives, which is controlled by the GOP, to reconsider its decision to prohibit transgender Rep. Zooey Zephyr from its chamber. Zephyr, a Democrat, was barred from the Montana House in April after refusing to apologize for saying that lawmakers in that state who supported a ban on gender-a rming care for kids would have “blood” on their hands.

Colorado is one of at least eight states that have laws protecting gender-a rming health care.

Rep. Brianne Titone, an Arvada Democrat and the Colorado legislature’s rst transgender lawmaker, was a lead sponsor of Senate Bill 188 this year, which prohibits state courts, law enforcement and regulators from recognizing or participating in outof-state criminal or civil proceedings around abortions or gender-a rming care.

Titone predicted voters would reject a proposed ban on gendera rming care if it were to end up on the ballot, just as Colorado voters have rejected ballot measures seeking to restrict abortion access.

“ is is abortion 2.0, and (Republicans are) losing on abortion,” she said. “So they’re trying to use this as their rallying call.”

One Colorado, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, said it will oppose Williams’ initiative.

“It would take life-saving medical care away from transgender youth. Colorado is better than this,” said

Executive Director Nadine Bridges. “Transgender youth should not be used for political gain or feeble attempts to seek attention, and we are con dent voters will reject this cynical proposal if it even makes it to the ballot.”

Getting a measure on the statewide ballot isn’t easy.

Williams and Bjorklund would need to get ballot language approved by the state’s Title Board and then gather more than 125,000 signatures from Colorado voters to get their question before voters in 2024.

Most groups pay signature gatherers to get their measure on the ballot, but that can cost well over $1 million — money the Colorado GOP, whose fundraising has been hamstrung, doesn’t have.

Colorado Republicans are in a historic minority in the state legislature and don’t have a reasonable chance at winning back power in the House or Senate until the 2026 election. ere are also no statewide-elected Republicans in Colorado, and the GOP is in a 7-3 minority in the state’s congressional delegation.

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.