Arvada Press May 23, 2024

Planning for wildfire

13 foothills agencies meet in Genesee Park for wildland fire training

BY JANE REUTER

In the midst of ghting a wild re, dense smoke can block the sun, turning day into night and familiar neighborhoods into foreign landscapes. Wind and heat often further

exacerbate the scene. ose atmospheric conditions combined with the e ort of coordinating multiple agencies to ght a re can create confusion and heighten an already tense situation.

On May 11, 13 west metro re and related agencies came together to

prepare for such circumstances. Eighty-two re ghters and other personnel brought 33 re rigs and related wildland vehicles to Genesee Park for several hours of wildre training, hosted by Foothills Fire and Rescue.

Groups of re ghters rotated

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Your dramatic rise in property taxation was part of an eight-billion-dollar windfall. The Colorado state house and Governor knew last year and only gave token reductions. They could have fixed it simply by saying taxes cannot be raised higher than 5.5%. This new senate bill will not reduce your recent property tax bill. They could have given you a refund but did not. The windfall will never be offset. Next year you will get a seven to ten percent reduction. The property tax cannot go up more than 5.5% in the future. So, they will give you a small reduction next year but allow for a 5.5% increase. Yes!. You can protest again. I will protest for FREE if you interview me if you ever sell your home.

among ve training stations, each equipped with tools and instructors skilled in structure triage, water supply, line digging, helicopter communications and operating a lookout station.

Firefighters from agencies throughout the west metro area practice digging a fire line during a May 11 wildfire training at Genesee Park.

PHOTO BY JANE REUTER

“If there is a big wildland re in this area, most of the agencies that were there will probably be responding,” said Foothills Fire training o cer Erik Alpine, who coordinated the event. “ is gives us an opportunity to interface with each other in a more casual setting than on an actual call, where you’re moving fast. Working with people builds trust, and an exercise like this also helps you learn the other departments’ capabilities and resources.”

Sta representing Foothills, Evergreen, Genesee, Golden, Indian Hills, Clear Creek and West Metro re rescue agencies, the Highland Rescue Team Ambulance District, Je Com 911, the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, Jefferson County Sheri ’s O ce and Je co Open Space all turned out for the day.

e team started the day as they would at a real wild re, with a check-in to determine the number of re ghters, vehicles and tools available, and the creation of an incident action plan.

en they fanned out in teams to the various stations.

At the structural triage station, reghters reviewed evacuation procedures, and how to assess whether a home is defensible or indefensible — an assessment that can determine how much time and e ort reghters will devote to attempting to save it. at decision often hinges on how well the homeowner has mitigated their property by trimming trees and other vegetation and removing combustible items from underneath decks and other areas. ey practiced using portable water tanks and pumps at the water supply station. Because rural areas like the foothills have few water hydrants, re ghting teams rely on water tenders, which often ll and re ll portable tanks at the site of the re. Pumps can move that water from the tank uphill to the scene of a re.

“We get to see and feel how little pressure you actually need to ght a re,” said EFR wildland captain James Estle, who oversaw the pumping exercise.

Teams also practiced hose packing and layout, an exercise that also allowed members of various agencies to compare and netune techniques.

SPEAK OUT!

“We pack our hoses in a certain way,” said EFR public information o cer Stacee Martin. “But Genesee might do it di erently and they might do it better.”

Crews practiced moving in an orderly line at the line digging station, calling out each action they took to ensure safety and e cient teamwork. During a wild re, re ghters use hand tools to scrape away vegetation and soil and build a re line, hard work that serves an often-critical purpose. Fire lines function not only as a break in a re’s fuel supply but can minimize soil erosion and protect streams and lakes from sedimentation.

Alpine led instruction at the lookout station, from which a re ghter is assigned to watch a re, weather and other factors that could have an impact on crews battling a wild re.

“On a large-scale wildland re, a lookout is a key position to have,” he said. “Many of the boots-on-theground are task-oriented — digging line, felling trees, clearing brush — and they don’t necessarily have a big picture. A lookout functions as their eyes and in some cases their ears, keeping track of the weather and what the re is doing.”

Alpine said the day’s training was a success, and one they’ll repeat. EFR hosted a similar training in May 2023, and the agencies aim to make it an annual event.

While wildland re ghters throughout the United States a set of

training and equipment standards through the National Wild re Coordinating Group, local training exercises are critical. Je erson County ranks number one in Colorado for high and extreme wild re risk areas, and Evergreen and Conifer rank among the highest risk areas, according to the Verisk/ISO Stateline Report.

Additionally, the behavior of wildre is shifting.

“Fire is a temperamental beast and it’s not doing what it’s always done, which makes it interesting for us,” Martin said. “At night, temperatures usually drop and re activity subsides. at not necessarily the case anymore.”

Colorado’s wild re season was once considered mid-summer. Today, the state experiences large res every month of the year, and the average core wild re season is 78 days longer than in the 1970s, according to the Colorado Division of Wild re Prevention and Control.

If there’s a positive among those facts, Martin said it’s that most foothills-area residents are well aware of the risk and making changes to diminish it.

“We get it, and we are mitigating,” she said. “I feel lucky our community gets it; I am very proud of our community.”

EFR and other foothills re agencies provide free guidance, resources and services to help their residents reduce their risk of wild re. For more information, visit your agency’s website.

EFR Wildland Captain James Estle talks with west metro area firefighters about shutting water and pumping during a May 11 training.

PHOTO BY JANE REUTER

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Aurora Model Home Event Was Uninspiring. Where’s the Innovation & Sustainability?

Last Wednesday, I joined 50+ metro area Realtors for a “progressive model home tour” at the Painted Prairie subdivision in Aurora, just south of the Gaylord Rockies resort near DIA. The weather was perfect, and the turnout must have exceeded expectations since the food ran out early at some of the seven model homes on the tour.

Six builders partnered in this event which was sponsored by the two metro area Realtor associations — Denver Metro and South Metro. It was well planned and executed, with registration happening at Honeysuckle Park. All the model homes were within walking distance, but free shuttles ran between them, too.

ades of showing and selling new homes.

Of these builders, Meritage has the best reputation for sustainability. Our office did a field trip to their Richards Farm subdivision in Arvada many years ago, and we were impressed at their use of spray foam insulation and conditioned attics. Instead of finding further progress toward sustainability, I found that only the front and back walls of the Painted Prairie homes have spray foam insulation, although they still have conditioned attics.

mentioned by any of the Painted Prairie builders.

All the builders promoted the fact that they will continue paying a co-op commission — typically 3% on the base price at closing — to agents who bring them a buyer. Given the turmoil in the real estate industry regarding buyer agent compensation, buyers can only be assured their agent will be compensated by the seller if that seller is a builder. Competition with fellow builders means they dare not eliminate commissions.

At registration we were given a map of the homes plus a bag for the food. The participating builders were KB Home, Berkeley Homes, David Weekley Homes, Meritage Homes, Remington Homes, and New Home Co.

KB Home had two model homes on the 7-home tour — one for their paired homes and one for single-family homes.

I had my own agenda for the tour. I wanted to know what innovations and sustainability features these builders were incorporating in their 2024 products. I saw very little of either. These were the same stick-built homes with gas forced air furnaces and gas water heaters that I have seen over two dec-

Metro District Taxes + HOA Dues

As in many new subdivisions, the infrastructure for Painted Prairie was funded by Metro Tax District bonds. The district has its own mill levy to pay off those bonds. While the HOA dues are spelled out on the MLS, the mill levy is not. At www.LifeAtPaintedPrairie.com the district mill levy is revealed — over 75 mills.

All the builders are installing highefficiency gas forced air furnaces (93% to 96% efficient). There wasn’t a heat pump system in any of the homes, nor was a heat pump upgrade possible. All the water heaters are gas units, half of them tankless, and a heat pump water heater is not available as an upgrade, despite the huge tax credits available.

Several of the builders were including 220V wiring to the garage for electric vehicles and prewiring or conduits for roof-top solar PV (making them “solar ready”), but both were options, if available at all.

All of the builders said their homes are “Energy Star certified,” except for one which claims to qualify for that certification but didn’t want to pay the EPA’s fee for it.

Last week I wrote about the new “Energy Star NextGen” certification, which requires all-electric design, not just Energy Star appliances. None of these builders even aspire to that certification. For that, you need to look at Thrive Home Builders, which is building all-electric homes in Broomfield, Loretto Heights and Lone Tree. See my article at right.

Thrive homes are also EPA Indoor airPLUS qualified, something not even

Just Listed: 4-Bedroom Arvada Home

Sustainability aside, there was one builder at Painted Prairie that I liked, a company I had never heard of before — New Home Co. What impressed me was their lack of upgrade fees. You can choose different styles of cabinets and

countertops, but you don’t pay extra for any of them. Also, they had some innovative electrical components, and they include a video doorbell. They also give buyers $30,000 to use for buying down the mortgage interest rate to 3.5% the first year, 4.5% the second year and 5.5% for the rest of a 30-year mortgage.

Where’s the Innovation & Sustainability? Look Here...

Following my disappointment in Aurora, I decided to visit Thrive Home Builders’ Loretto Heights development, where the kind of innovation and sustainability I was looking for is on full display.

I met with Stephanie Nobbs, who heads the sales office. The Loretto Heights project is all-electric—no natural gas service.

Hot water is created by the same Rheem heat pump water heater (at right) that I installed in my own home two years ago.

$750,000

You’ll love this move-in ready two-story home at 7885 Quail Street in the Oak Park section of Arvada. It is just two blocks from Alice Sweet Thomas Park to the west and Sierra Park to the east. The sellers have taken excellent care of this house since buying it 34 years ago. It has four bedrooms and 2½ baths and 2,021 main square feet plus an unfinished basement. The corner lot is just under a half acre and is beautifully landscaped. Built in 1978 of brick with wood framing, it has central A/C and gas forced air heating, plus a wood-burning fireplace. All appliances in the kitchen are included, as are the washer and dryer. Find magazine-quality photos and a narrated video tour at www.ArvadaHome.info, then call me at 303-525-1851 to request a private showing. I will be holding it open this Sunday, May 26th, from 11am to 1pm.

The heating systems are ducted heat pump systems. You can tell a heat pump by how it’s mounted on the building (right). Inside is an “air handler,” since the outside unit produces all the heat in the winter and cooling in the summer. Ducts carry the hot or cold air to each room, as in a conventional home. (It’s also much quieter.)

The homes are super-insulated, using blown-in insulation not only in the attic but in the exterior walls. Because they are air-tight, each home has Panasonic WhisperFresh unit mounted above the air handler (at left) to bring in fresh air, in communication with a WhisperGreen exhaust fan in the bathroom.

The ERV helps the Thrive homes to win the EPA’s Indoor airPlus certification in addition to the agency’s Energy Star NextGen certification that I wrote about in last week’s column.

“Concentrate

Heat pumps are not new technology, yet Thrive is the only home builder to make it standard, let alone available as an option, for both space heating and water heating. Research has shown that, although homes built like Thrive’s are more expensive to build, they save over $3,000 per year in utility costs for the homeowner.

The Loretto Heights model home where I met Stephanie is two stories plus a finished basement, which has a base price of $569,900. It doesn’t have enough roof space to make the home “net zero” with solar panels, but the panels that do fit on the roof generate 70% of the home’s electrical needs. And this subdivision is in Denver, which has the lowest property taxes in the metro area. There is a Metropolitan Tax District, which adds 65 mills to Denver’s 79.525 mill levy.

Thrive will be building single-family homes in Loretto Heights, but at this point only townhomes are ready to occupy, and several are. If I were in the market for a new home, I would definitely consider a Thrive “next generation” home over the kinds of homes I toured in Aurora. Call me if you have questions or if you would like to tour one of Thrive’s model homes.

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

Benny Blanco’s Slice of the Bronx to open pizzeria in Arvada

New York-style pizza shop set to open in former Goombas location in mid-July

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Arvada is getting a new pizzeria bringing New York-style slices to town by way of Denver. Benny Blanco’s Slice of the Bronx is set to open its Arvada location in mid-June, thanks to the hometown ties of CoOwner Holly Martinez.

Martinez, an Arvada native, has had her sights on bringing Benny Blanco’s pizza to town since Martinez and her husband Mike purchased the pizzeria — which already has a location in Denver’s Capitol Hill — in 2007.

e Arvada location of Benny Blanco’s will be located at 10050 Ralston Road, Unit B, 80004, which was previously occupied by Goombas Pizza Grinder until that location closed. e location has a special signi cance for Holly.

. “I was born and raised here,” Holly said. “And I remember when (Goombas Co-Owner) Nico (Papastergiou) opened up Goombas. I kind of was always slightly jealous that he opened up in Arvada, because at the

time, I was working in Cherry Creek, and I kind of hated driving back and forth all the time. So, I always thought that was a really cool place.”

Holly is leading the interior decorating e orts for the shop, which will feature a mixture of gra ti art pieces, murals and an Olde English exterior sign similar to the Cap Hill location.

As for the pizza, Holly said the shop’s New York roots speak for themselves, as do the massive slices of pizza. Since Benny Blanco’s house pies are 24 inches, the individual slices — which are also o ered a la carte — do much more than hold their own.

“We don’t have a premade sauce like marinara sauce, we make all of our own ingredients,” Holly said. “All of our dough (and) we are going to be o ering vegan and gluten-free. We have really awesome gluten-free crust. We have great vegan options. And a big thing that nobody else really does is we’re going to do big by the slices.”

While the Arvada location likely won’t be open quite as late as the Cap Hill shop — which stays open till 3 a.m. on weekends — it will still feature late night hours, which Holly sais she and Mike are still considering.

Benny Blanco’s owners Holly (left) and Mike (right) Martinez took over the pizzeria in 2007.

COURTESY PHOTO

SEE PIZZA, P5

Another priority for the owners is to place an emphasis on customer service. e goal, Holly said, is to create a pizzeria that o ers authentic fair served by kind people with an edgy exterior that she said Arvada is in dire need of.

“We’re going to focus on great customer service, good food, great atmosphere,” Holly said. “We’re a little bit more edgy. You know, we need something in Arvada that’s just a little bit more edgy, but friendly.”

“It means everything to me,” she said. “I’m putting my heart and soul into this. I don’t sleep at night. I love being from Colorado. I love being from Arvada. I take it very seriously. And this means a lot to me. So, you know, I’m just praying to God that we can pull this o .”

e Benny Blanco moniker comes from the 1993 lm”Carlito’s Way” in reference to a hot-headed gangster character played by John Leguizamo.

In addition to pizza, the shop will o er dessert items such as mini cakes, lemon bites and brownies. Holly said she is expecting the shop to open sometime in mid-June.

As for what it means to Holly to nally open her dream pizzeria in her hometown, she says there is simply nothing she values more.

REVERSE MORTGAGES MADE EASY

City of Arvada taking suggestions for permanent name of Holistic Health and Wellness Park

City team employing similar approach to Little Raven Park naming process

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A park currently under construction near the Red Rocks Community College Arvada campus will not be called its placeholder name of Holistic Health and Wellness Park after all. e City of Arvada is open-

ing up a naming process that will begin with community suggestions to determine the permanent name for the park.

As with the naming process for Little Raven Park, the Arvada Park Advisory Committee is leading the charge in nding a name for the park. Name ideas can be submitted

at speakup.arvadaco.gov or on the project webpage at arvadaco.gov/ holisticpark any time before May 31.

After that, the APAC naming subcommittee will convene and present a short list of nalists to Arvada’s City Council on June 17. Council will then decide on the ofcial name for the park on July 1.

“We’re excited to turn to the community to help name Arvada’s newest park,” Sean Star, Arvada’s Communications Manager for Vibrant Community and Neighborhoods, said. “I’m sure we’ll get a lot of great name ideas from our community members, much like we did for the Little Raven Park naming project last year.”

In last year’s process, resident Jennifer Hobbs suggested the “Little Raven” name to honor the area’s indigenous heritage. Little Raven Park is the rst park in Arvada to be named in a way that re ects the city’s indigenous roots.

e soon-to-be-renamed Holistic Health and Wellness Park is located at 10275 West 55th Avenue and is a partnership between the City of

Arvada and Red Rocks Community College, which it abuts.

e park is unique in that it will focus on whole-body health and offer a variety of uses for people of all di erent ages and abilities.

Arvada’s Director of Vibrant Community and Neighborhood Enessa Janes highlighted the di erent ways the park can be utilized at the June 27, 2022 city council meeting at which the park project was approved.

“ e park is designed to provide spaces for folks to recreate outdoors and have classrooms outdoors to learn about health and tness as well,” Janes said. “ ere have been design elements that include spaces for yoga, spaces for re exology, there’s been elements including an incline to increase cardio exercise in the park.

“Altogether, the focus of this park is to invite people to exercise outdoors, to mediate and to learn about health and tness,” Janes continued.

e park is set to open in mid to late July, according to the project website.

Map of the temporarily titled Holistic Health and Wellness Park, which will be renamed through a public naming process. COURTESY CITY OF ARVADA

Je co school support workers urge school board to hold district accountable amidst refusal to negotiate pay raises and more

BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Je erson County Schools bus drivers, custodians, food service workers, classroom aides and other education support professionals pleaded with the school board earlier this month to send district o cials back to the bargaining table after attempts to negotiate a pay raise, end outsourcing, provide healthier snacks and increase sta -to-student ratios abruptly ended. “We’re here to demand that Je co School Board President Mary Parker hold Tracy Dorlin (Je co Superintendent) and the district’s bargaining teams accountable for their refusal to negotiate and their deliberate act of hiring Brent Case, a union-busting lawyer, to represent them,” said Zander Kaschub, a food service employee and president of the Je co Education Support Professionals Association.

According to Kaschub, the union brought two issues forward during this year’s negotiations: student-centered sta ng and job stability. But after two contentious meetings, all dialogue stopped.

“We were met with a lawyer the district hired to outright reject our interests,” he said. “ ey didn’t counter our language or engage in any kind of negotiation or dialogue. ey simply just said no.”

Je co schools did not respond to a request for comment on why it ended its meetings with the union, but Kaschub said the district’s position is that they have the right to sta their schools as they see t.

While true, the union believes that refusing to hear its grievances violates its agreement with the district and is an example of bad-faith bargaining, where one party shows up without the intention of closing a deal or following through on commitments.

Kaschub said the union received a letter the day after the board meeting saying the district refuses to arbitrate their disagreements, which, according to the union’s contract, would be the next step in their grievance process.  “ e simple message for us to the district is to return to the negotiating table. Our issues are issues that we’ve identi ed through thousands of conversations with workers in Je co who need this support,” Kaschub said.

Pay raises

Kaschub argued the district is spending countless dollars to hire costly transportation services and special education support sta from outside the district without attempting to post open jobs on the district’s website. Yet, he said when they brought this concern to the district, they were told the district had no choice but to outsource these roles due to a state-wide sta ng shortage.

Yet, the union believes there’s a simpler reason the district cannot hire and retain sta .

“We’re paid so low in Je co that no one’s going to want to come here,” said Kaschub. “ e truth is we all want to survive in Je erson County, and we just can’t do it on a wage that Je co pays.”

Kaschub wasn’t the only one to express how di cult it is to live in Je co on the district’s wages.

“I am a homeless Je co employee,” said John Sanchez, who works as a custodian for the district. “I literally cannot a ord to work for Je co anymore. If our wages aren’t increased to a livable wage, and our health insurance isn’t made a ordable soon, I and many other ESPs will have no other choice to leave Je co, our students, our buildings, our communities and our homes.”

Amanda Garner, a fourth-grade teacher at Mitchell Elementary, ques-

tioned if the district values its critical support sta .

“When my friends talk about being paid poverty wages, they are not exaggerating. I know without a shadow of a doubt that my JESPA colleagues are invaluable to our school communities,” she said. “But, I have to wonder what their work is worth to you? Is it the position of this administration that JESPA employees somehow deserve to live in poverty?”

e union is asking for a $5-anhour base pay increase for all jobs, or roughly 20% on average, and an increase in the district’s contributions to health care premiums. Kaschub said he’s been told the district can’t a ord it due to declining enrollment, but he noted the school district is sitting on $211 million in reserves, according to the district’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report.

e Je co School District will also receive more funding from the state next year due to the elimination of the budget stabilization factor that diverted money earmarked for education to other state priorities and from an overhaul of the state funding formula.

“Je co has the money to support its workers,” Kaschub said. “It’s choosing not to.”

e district did not respond to a request for comment regarding sta pay or recruitment for open positions.

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Members of the Je co teachers union and Je co education support professionals union stand behind Zander Kaschub as he speaks during a recent school board meeting. SCREENSHOT

CASA Champions for Children Breakfast honors volunteers and o cials while raising awareness

BY JO DAVIS JDAVIS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e Court Appointed Special Advocates of Gilpin and Je erson Counties honored advocates, ofcials and families during a CASA Champions for Children Breakfast.

e theme was “Choose and See.”

“To see everyone in the room together supporting CASA’s mission of advocating for kids in the courtroom was heartwarming” CASA Jeffco/Gilpin Executive Director Leah Varnell said. “We hold this event to share the impactful work CASAs do with people who want to make a di erence in the lives of these children.”

e keynote speakers for the Champions Breakfast were two children, siblings Jayce and Janessa, who share an advocate.

ey were adopted together and said their advocate is a part of their family. Jayce and Janessa spoke about their experience with the family court system and praised the CASA program for helping them while they navigated it. eir adoptive mom, Jamie, also spoke.

e family’s experience is an important one to hear, according to Amber Ho meister, a former caseworker for the guest speakers.

“It’s so important to have someone in the courtroom that knows your story,” said Ho meister. She

La Ciudad ¡Hola!

helped pair the CASA children with their adoptive mother, who calls her children her “soul son and destiny daughter.”

e Champions for Children program held a surprise moment when CASA Je co/Gilpin honored Judge Ann Gail Meinster for 20 years of work. Meinster worked as guardian ad litem and a judge over her two decades of service. e judge is retiring in 2024, hence the honors.

Meinster shared her favorite part of the job with the attendees.

“I love CASA,” Meinster said. “ e swearing-in ceremonies for volunteers and adoption hearings are my happiest days.”

e event was also a fundraiser for the program. According to CASA, about 200 people attended from Je erson and Gilpin Counties. e agency reported $53,000 raised during the breakfast event. e agency served about 242 cases and over 300 children in 2023, according

to CASA’s press release on the event. To learn more about CASA Je co/ Gilpin and to support their mission, go to CASAJe coGilpin.com.

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Janessa (left), Jayce (right) and their adoptive mom Jamie (middle) were at the CASA Champions for Children Breakfast to celebrate advocates, court o cials and families.

Legislators adjust law to aid incarcerated students

BY JASON GONZALES CHALKBEAT COLORADO

Some incarcerated Colorado students who committed nonviolent o enses have taken college classes for the last year with the understanding they would earn an early release.

But because of a con icting law on the books, a law passed last year never worked as intended. Instead, state Rep. Matthew Martinez, a Monte Vista Democrat, said he got letters from incarcerated students and calls from families across the state because incarcerated family members couldn’t shave o as much time as promised from their sentences for earning an associates, bachelor’s, or master’s degree.

“ ere’s just been a lot of heartache that their student had made signi cant progress on their degree,” Martinez said. “And then they were being told that they weren’t able to receive the maximum amount of time.”

Martinez and the Colorado General Assembly say they’ve xed that problem this year, allowing students to get up to two years o their sentence. House Bill 1461 has passed both chambers and awaits Gov. Jared Polis’ signature.

Under the con icting state law, people incarcerated in the state’s prisons can only get up to 30% of their sentence forgiven. Martinez said the state corrections department was only granting students 120 days o their sentences, when

BATHROOM REMODELING DONE RIGHT

the law passed last year should have allowed them to get between six months and two years shaved o .

About 270 incarcerated students are taking college classes and eligible for a sentence reduction, Martinez said.

Under an expansion of the Second Chance Pell program, more incarcerated students are eligible to get federal funds to attend college. Colorado is one of the rst states in the nation to also employ incarcerated professors to help educate students in prison.

House Bill 1461 clari es that the state wants to give incarcerated students who committed a nonviolent o ense more of an incentive to get a college education. For earn-

ing a college certi cate, students can get six months of forgiveness. For earning an associate or bachelor’s degree, they can get one year. And for earning a master’s degree, students can get two years reduced from their sentence.

e “technical cleanup” bill restores hope and inspiration to students and families, Martinez said.

And he said it shows that education can help students nd a way out of prison, as well as stay out.

“ is is something that we can do that can not only get families back together, but really reduce the recidivism here in the state of Colorado,” Martinez said.

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

Colorado EV sales dropped o by one measure

But green economy enthusiasts say overall electric vehicle trends are strong

BY MICHAEL BOOTH

COLORADO SUN

Sales of clean fuel vehicles in Colorado slowed in the rst quarter of 2024 despite a growing stack of lucrative rebates available, according to the Colorado Auto Dealers Association, though some green economy enthusiasts said overall electric vehicle trends are strong.  Battery-only electric vehicles, the largest category of clean fuel combinations, went a bit soft at a time they’re supposed to be on a steady growth arc Colorado needs in order to reach 940,000 EVs on the road by 2030, a long-stated target. A climbing number of EV sales is crucial to both the ozone cuts needed to get out from under EPA sanctions, and to meet the state’s greenhouse gas reduction goals.

Perhaps extra worrisome is that the drop also came as a number of lucrative, stackable incentives

for buying EVs kicked in. Lowerincome buyers who qualify can pile up federal, state, Xcel and a special cash-for-clunkers deal to get as

much as about $21,000 o a new EV.

Despite the incentives, the share of full battery-electric vehicles newly registered in Colorado dropped to 13.8% for the rst quarter of 2024, from 16.3% in the last three months of 2023. e raw number of BEV sales was about 6,600, down from about 8,900 in late 2023. at’s out of total new vehicle registrations of

e drop also diverged from overall vehicle sales in Colorado, which rose 2.8%, slower than national sales growth averages but still welcome to dealers making up for sales lost during the pandemic shut-

Combining the two clean-vehicle categories, battery electric and plug-in electric hybrids, put Colorado’s share at 19% of overall sales so far in 2024, down from 20.4% in

e news follows signs of similar soft EV markets in California, always the market and policy leader for car sales, and across the rest of

e Atlas EV Hub information clearinghouse reported nationally that, “following record highs in December 2023, the EV market has been o to a slow start through

4)

THE

A row of Tesla chargers pictured at a Tesla Supercharger station in Thornton on Dec. 4, 2020. ANDY COLWELL/SPECIAL TO THE COLORADO SUN

the rst two months of 2024. January saw just over 119,000 light-duty EVs sold which was down 20% from the previous month. February saw sales slip another 10% to just over 107,000, representing the lowest total since February 2023.”

Colorado would have been worse o without all its EV incentives, which helped hold sales relatively steady, said Matthew Groves, chief of the Colorado Auto Dealers Association.

“We’d also like to think it’s because dealers are working collaboratively with the state, not antagonistically,” Groves said, including getting educated on incentives and having them taken o at the cash register whenever possible to ease the buying process.

‘Incredible progress’ despite slow work to set up Colorado incentives At least one green energy advocate in Colorado said quarterly changes in EV sales should not be alarming compared to the overall arc of clean fuel growth.

“When I look at the data, I see incredible progress,” said Travis Madsen, transportation program director at the nonpro t Southwest Energy E ciency Project. He noted that not all the cash Colorado incentives were available until April, as the Public Utilities Commission and Xcel worked out how many di erent rebates could be “stacked” together for one car.

“I’m not worried about market shifts from quarter to quarter,” he said. “I see a fundamental transformation of vehicle technology underway, I think it is unstoppable, and I think it o ers massive bene ts for our economy, our health, and our climate. ere’s a lot of work left to do to unlock the full bene t, and the transition is likely to happen with some ts and starts.”

Madsen pointed to di erent numbers kept on the state’s EV “dashboard.”

“ ere’s no slowdown visible,” he said. e state dashboard says new EV registrations climbed from 10.8% in the fourth quarter of 2023 to just under 11% in the beginning of 2024, Madsen said. Adding in plug-in electric hybrids, considered clean energy vehicles under state rules, and the share climbs from 15.6% in

the third quarter of 2023 to 17.1% last quarter.

Other databases may include cars that are bought elsewhere and registered for the rst time in Colorado, not just new Colorado sales, Madsen said.

Given the challenges of consistently hitting EV sales targets, CADA’s Groves said, the trade group is glad Colorado regulators did not follow other states in mandating 100% EV sales by 2035. Instead, Colorado settled on an 80% target for 2032, and did not try to mandate markets after that, Groves said.

“ ose states that are looking at an internal combustion engine ban in 2035 are looking at it as unattainable and unserious, given the national trendlines in consumer sentiment,” Groves said. “Colorado stepped back and gave a more serious goal, and I think industry got more serious about pursuing it.”

Potential EV sales hit the news again this week with President Joe Biden announcing a 100% tari on Chinese-manufactured EVs that have U.S. automakers very worried. e small EVs get great reviews for performance and are priced in China at the equivalent of just $12,000. e Colorado Energy O ce, the hub of clean energy and electri cation policy for the state, has echoed the view that moderate uctuations in new EV sales are expected. Incentives take time to fully kick in, companies phase out some models and consumers wait for new ones and higher interest rates on loans complicate decisions.

“We’re excited Colorado ranks third in the nation in EV market share, up from sixth this time last year, and that plug-in hybrid electric vehicles sales continue to increase, representing the largest PHEV market share in the country,” energy o ce chief Will Toor said. “We are also thrilled that the year-over-year growth is signi cant, with a 44% increase in total EV market share between Q1 2023 and Q1 2024, growing from 13.2% to 19%.”

News of a “bumpy ride,” Madsen said, “applies more to the national story, and we’re doing better in Colorado to manage those bumps with a very comprehensive policy environment.”

is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.

Each daily news cycle brings far too many reports of problems. A list may include “kitchen table” issues like high food, gas and housing costs. e list may also include state issues like high property taxes and poor road conditions, and national issues like open borders, unprosecuted crime, racial division and antisemitism, out-of-control government spending and incomprehensible foreign policy. Most Americans understand the impact of these issues and believe the country is headed in the wrong direction.

Perhaps these conditions arose from enthusiastic, well-meaning patriots whose primary desire was a superior America?  Perhaps these conditions are only prevalent in large cities or on elite college campuses like Columbia, Harvard, UCLA, or even CU? Perhaps, however, we need to look closer to home.

VOICES

End of civility?

JEFFCO REPUBLICANS

Don Ytterberg

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a potential vice presidential candidate, was invited to speak at a dinner on Saturday, May 3. e event was to be held at the Marriott-Denver West, right here in Je erson County. It would have been interesting to have a speaker with such prominence offer solutions to the problems originating with the federal government because changes are certainly required. Unfortunately, the event didn’t happen. Why? Because of violent threats against the governor, her sta , the hotel and the Je erson County Republican Party. e press release from the Je co GOP said “[t]he last threat received was a nasty voicemail message stating there would be ‘guns at the protest and people might get hurt.’” Of course, the safety of all involved took precedence over what would have been an interesting evening

Je co democrats look ahead

TJEFFCO DEMOCRATS

to hear from a politician with a national pro le. Good call, Je co GOP! It’s instructive to put into perspective that these threats were over a few comments Gov. Noem made in her new book that were deemed o ensive. How then can we expect to solve the myriad of today’s problems, if we cannot even tolerate the speech of people whose view of the world is di erent from our own? What is the motivation of those who oppose a public discourse that might yield solutions to real, challenging issues?

In light of Je co Commissioner Andy Kerr’s recent Facebook post stating “We did it” in regard to the cancellation of the Noem event, perhaps we should ask why politicians have become so partisan that they celebrate when physical threats are e ective in shutting o a public conversation they oppose? Are they that afraid of opposing ideas?

Conservatives and liberals approach public policy di erently. In

ABOUT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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

the most simplistic sense, liberals seek government driven solutions, while conservatives seek free market or individual driven solutions. Too often now both sides stridently decry the others’ positions, but solutions to our problems require both sides collegially working together.

e 2024 election season will likely be combative, but the outcome will determine whether our country charts a new direction that provides solutions to the key issues that affect all of us. As we contend with the current lack of civility in our public discourse, will we be able to discern who will make the best representatives to represent us or what policies will bring the best results for our common future? Listen hard to the rhetoric. Our future depends on the electorate making good choices. Don Ytterberg is a former chair of the Je erson County Republican Party.

vocating for or against a political candidate or ballot issue will not be published within 12 days of an election.

he 2024 Legislative Session ended on May 8. Je erson County Democrats were excited by the changes made to state laws during this session. Bipartisan e orts led to a prohibition on book banning in libraries, increased funding for Colorado public schools by eliminating the funding de cit known as the budget stabilization factor, more protections for marginalized students, and more opportunities for retired teachers to be hired while still drawing pension bene ts. New laws will save Coloradans money on housing and property taxes, better protect renters and slash childhood poverty by increasing tax credits for hardworking people and families. ere are also new protections for gig workers. All of this work was made possible by the Democrats from Jefferson County who serve in the Colorado Legislature. We are looking forward to the 2024 election, where we plan to elect Democrats across the board to continue the best service to the people of Je erson County and Colorado.

Kathryn Wallace

Kathryn Wallace is the Chair of the Je erson County Democratic Party.

• Email your letter to kfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com. Do not send via postal mail. Put the words “letter to the editor” in the email subject line.

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• Letters should be exclusively submitted to Colorado Community Media and should not submitted to other outlets or previously posted on websites or social media. Submitted letters become the property of CCM and should not be republished elsewhere.

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Kudos to Mark McGoff

ank you for highlighting the man and woman of the year in this most recent issue of the Arvada Press. I wanted to highlight a core pillar of the Arvada community and Pioneer award recipient, Mark McGo ! Mark has been

a community leader for many decades and has been a humble public servant that I hope to emulate in my own professional capacity. He not only serves on various boards and commissions throughout his tenure, but also served honorably on Arvada City

Council and continues to mentor the new generation of policy nerds, like myself. In between his community service roles, Mark has found the time to go on walks with me and my now-departed dog as he educated me on local history and the parks system.

OBITUARIES

WALTERS

Margaret Christa Walters

October 18, 1934 - May 7, 2024

Margaret Christa Walters passed away peacefully on May 7th, 2024 at her home on Bainbridge Island WA at the age of 89. Gretel was born October 18, 1934 at her grandfather’s home in Schwenningen Germany, the daughter of Christian and Martha Fleig Schnekenburger.

She was raised in Germany’s Black Forest region with fond childhood memories of hiking, biking and berry picking. ese memories were tempered by spending time in air raid shelters, food shortages, and living eight years without her father who spent four years in the German army during WWII and then four more years in a Russian prison camp.

In search of new adventures, Gretel emigrated to the U.S. in 1957 and Americanized her name to Margaret. She worked as an au pair and then for Lufthansa, rst in Boston and then Denver, before raising her family. She graduated at age 18 from a business apprentice school in Germany, but waited until after raising her children to pursue college, graduating with a BA in Foreign Languages from Metropolitan State College in Denver in 1995 at the age of 61.

Her joys in life were the mountains, travel, church, and family. Her love of skiing began in the Black Forest hills where she had to rst hike up to enjoy a ski run down. She was an active member of the Schwarzwaldverein Mountaineering Club, hiking and ski trekking throughout the Alps. In America she again sought out the mountains – rst in Stowe, VT and then in Colorado. She joined the ski patrol at Arapahoe Basin in 1963 and in 1964 decided to spend $5 for a lift ticket to try a new ski area called Vail that had opened two years earlier. ere, at the top of a ski lift, she met the love of her life, Charles Walters.

ey wed on August 7, 1965 and were happily married for 53 years until Chuck’s passing in 2018; they skied together for 52 of those 53 winters.

Travel was a lifelong passion that Margaret developed while working for Lufthansa thanks to free and discounted tickets. Later in life, she and Chuck travelled the world, experiencing 6 of the 7 continents and 68 di erent countries -- including a summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro at the age of 62.

Faith continually sustained Margaret, who was devoted to her spiritual community at Arvada Presbyterian Church for over 50 years and to Cross Sound Church after moving to WA in 2018.

Margaret loved and appreciated family and nurtured lifelong connections with everyone in her extended family. She enjoyed researching and creating detailed genealogy albums as well as documenting family vacations and reunions with her camera.

Margaret was predeceased by her husband, Chuck Walters; parents, Christian and Martha Fleig Schnekenburger; stepmother, Ilse Schairer Schnekenburger; sister, Hildegard Kaefer; and nephew, Wolfgang Kaefer. She is survived by her three sons, Fred (Liz) of Bainbridge Island, WA; Ken (Jodi) of Portland, OR; and Chris (Laurie) of Everett, WA; her seven grandchildren, Sarah, Ethan, Lauren, Paige, Claire, Margo, and Elise; her brother, Rolf (Gudrun) Schnekenburger; and ve nieces and nephews, Helga, Barbie, Christof, Ira and Kai.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, May 18th at 11am at Bainbridge First Baptist Church. e service will also be live streamed on Bainbridge First Baptist’s YouTube channel. Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or to Island Volunteer Caregivers of Bainbridge Island.

ENGDAHL

Jill Ann(Gill) Engdahl, of Arvada, was born on March 5, 1958 in Denver. She passed away on January 25, 2024 in Wheat Ridge. Jill graduated from Arvada HS in 1976. Following graduation, she was employed in the banking industry, by State Farm Insurance, and was a docent at the Denver Zoo for many years.

is world would be a better place if there were more humans like Mark and I wanted to ensure the community knows how lucky we are to have such passionate people in our community. Cheers to you and your award, Mark! Lisa Feret, Arvada City Council

March 5, 1958 - January 25, 2024

Jill loved gatherings with family and friends. She also enjoyed photography, good music, and planting owers to attract butter ies. Butter ies had been a life long favorite of hers.

Jill married Blaine Engdahl in 1979. ey were blessed with two daughters, Amanda Joy, and Alyssa Grace. A much loved granddaughter, HannaLynn Rose Engdahl joined the family in 2014.

Jill cherished her family, especially HannaLynn, and attended most of Hanna’s school functions, and sporting events. She loved photographing animals in the wild, especially moose, eagles, sand hill and whooping cranes. She loved traveling, and enjoyed a long held dream of an Alaskan road trip with Blaine in the summer of 2023.

Jill is survived by her husband of 44 years, Blaine, daughters Amanda, and Alyssa, granddaughter HannaLynn, sister JoLynne (Bill) Richter, brother Steven Gill, sisters-inlaw Kyla Engdahl, Lynnae(Gerald) Boyd, Susan Stitzel, ve nieces, numerous cousins, great nieces and great nephews, and long time friend, Candy Peterson.

Jill was preceded in death by her parents, Doug and Jeanne Gill, her in-laws, Claire and Lilla Engdahl, and nephew Eric Richter.

A service was held on February 2, 2024 in Wheat Ridge. Memorials are suggested to the Lupus Research Alliance at lupusresearch.org.

Jill Ann (Gill) Engdahl

Centennial State ranks highly for indie bookstores per capita; shopkeepers say neighborhoods benefit

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

As the school year comes to a close for some and the summer begins for all, Coloradans may be looking for something to ll their time. Luckily, they need to look no further than their local bookstores, which o er community, games and more, beyond books.

While big box stores and bookselling chains o er wide selections and thorough organizational systems, smaller stores allow for customers to converse with someone well-versed in the pages they spend each day around.

Here are six local independent bookstores worth checking out in the Denver metro area.

Capitol Hill Books | Denver

300 East Colfax Ave., Denver, Colorado 80203 | (303)-837-0700 | info@capitolhillbooks.com | capitolhillbooks. com |Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day

Bringing books to Denver for 44 years, Capitol Hill Books houses a large collection of used and rare books. Both its placement and longevity have made the store a neighborhood staple.

“Everyone has seen this store as they drive through town,” said owner Ben Hall, who has spent 15 years working there, the last year and a half as owner. “It’s one of the de ning features of Cap Hill, our sign that says used books.”

In addition to being a Colfax mainstay, Hall believes the store serves an

important place in the community.

“I think having a neighborhood bookstore is important,” Hall said. “A neighborhood used bookstore gives everyone in the neighborhood a chance to nd something to read. You can do that at a library too, but maybe you want to take it home.

“It just means more people in the neighborhood will spend time reading,” Hall added. “Maybe I’m biased, but I think that’s important.”

Petals and Pages of Denver

956 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, Colorado 80204 | info@petalsandpagesofdenver.com | petalsandpagesofdenver. com | Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, closed Mondays

Petals and Pages o ers a bit more than your average bookstore. e queer woman-owned shop is both a bookstore and ower shop — with a bakery coming soon.

e shop also serves as a community space, with a variety of events every month. With book clubs covering a range of genres—such as romance, poetry, social justice, fantasy, queer literature and more—any reader can nd a club for them. For those that simply want a place to read, the store also o er read-a-thons.

However, the events aren’t limited to books. From game nights to burlesque classes to oral classes to speed dating, Petals and Pages has many classes and events to bring people together.

“Support your local indie bookstore,” says a message posted outside Petals and Pages of Denver.

PHOTO BY RYLEE DUNN

The music books section inside Capitol Hill Books. The shop has been open for over 44 years.

BOOKSTORES

Sudden Fiction Books | Castle Rock

221 Perry St., Castle Rock, Colorado 80104 | (303)-856-8181 | hello@ sudden ctionbooks.com | suddenctionbooks.com| Open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays through ursdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays  Inside of Ecclesia Market, Sudden Fiction Books brings new and used books across many genres to Castle Rock.

“Our bookstore prioritizes working with the community and re ecting their interests,” said bookseller Luxe Palmer. “ e community builds us up. I think we keep a very good relationship with our patrons, which is something that big box bookstores are not able to do.”  e store not only o ers a place to shop for books, but a place to nd community, with book clubs and “Local Author Saturdays,” where a couple of local authors will spend the day hanging out and chatting about books.

“Working at an independent bookstore gives us a lot of opportunity to be able to interact with the customers and help them nd exactly what they need,” Palmer said. “It’s an absolute joy to work here.”

The Book Stop | Wheat Ridge

10840 West 44th Ave., Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033 | (303)-4254960 | srebooks@abookstop.com | https://www.abookstop.com/ | Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays

Since 1987, e Book Stop has brought books to Wheat Ridge.  e store has a bit of everything, o ering customers books across a wide variety of genres. With over 70,000 books in its inventory, e Book Stop has something for everyone, inviting customers to come get lost in the maze of bookshelves.

Black and Read | Arvada 7821 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada, CO 80003 | (303)-467-3236 | blackandread19@gmail.com | https:// blackandread.com/ | Open 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays  Bringing Arvada more than just books, Black and Read is an independent bookstore that also sells music and games.

For over 30 years, the store has

used books and rare books, but its inventory doesn’t stop there. e store also o ers a wide variety of physical media, ranging from vinyls and CD’s to DVD’s and cassettes. For gamers, the store has board games and role-playing games.

“I’m kinda the board game expert here,” said bookseller Ben Boskoss. “So they brought me on to help with that, and I’ve been learning more of the books side of things as well.”

With a maze of books and more at the ready, Black and Read is a shop to browse and enjoy.

“It’s always great seeing local shoppers coming in and out,” Boskoss said.

Spell Books | Littleton

2376 Main St., Littleton, Colorado 80120 | (303)-954-0094 | info@spellbooksco.com |spellbooksco.com |

Open noon to 5 p.m. Mondays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays

One of Main Street’s newest additions, Spell Books brings a curated selection to those looking for unique reads.

“We’re highly curated simply because we don’t have a lot of space,” said owner Corey Dahl. “I think we have a lot of small press and under the radar gems that people won’t nd at bigger stores.”

Dahl also said she focused on curating a good space, alongside a good book selection.

“We have a di erent vibe too,” Dahl said. “I did all the decor; it’s all thrifted. I just wanted to make it cozy; like grandma’s house, if grandma was a witch.”

In addition to housing books, the store is also home to several community events, including book clubs, poetry readings, writing workshops and “Friday Night Read ‘n Writes” — where attendees can spend a few hours reading or writing with others.

“Bookstores are a great community driver,” Dahl said. “You can buy a book online but you don’t get to talk to anyone about it, you don’t get to have that kismit moment of nding the book in person.”

With a variety of community events, Spell Books o ers a space to connect through books.

“Reading feels like it’s supposed to be a solitary activity but I think it’s the opposite,” Dahl said. “I think you’re supposed to connect with people through reading.”

Spell Books in Littleton hosts kids reading hours. COURTESY OF SPELL BOOKS

Black and Read seems to be an endless collection of books and other goodies, such as these comic books.

State plans to bring back another species

Wolverine reintroduction would be di erent, supporters vow

BY JASON BLEVINS THE COLORADO SUN

A new predator could be coming to Colorado’s high country but supporters are promising this reintroduction will be di erent.

Colorado lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved the return of wolverines to Colorado’s alpine landscape, with a plan “that is completely opposite from the wolf reintroduction process,” said Sen. Dylan Roberts, a Democrat from Avon who co-sponsored the legislation with Sen. Perry Will, a Republican from New Castle.

Roberts said the pair’s Senate Bill 171 marks “a responsible way to do wildlife reintroduction.” e bill is heading to Gov. Jared Polis’ desk for nal approval. If signed, the e ort will mark the rst-ever attempt to restore wolverines to a native range.   Roberts and Will are among the most outspoken critics of the state’s wolf reintroduction e ort and spent two years crafting the wolverine bill with input from Western Slope residents, the resort industry and wild-

life biologists.

e wolverine legislation allows the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to designate an experimental population in Colorado, which gives Colorado Parks and Wildlife the ability to manage reintroduction. at federal approval of a state-managed population of federally protected animals is allowed under section 10(j) in the Endangered Species Act. at 10(j) designation will require the federal government to review the reintroduction plan under the National Environmental Policy Act, which can take a year or longer.

Senate Bill 171 also establishes a funding tool so ranchers who lose livestock to wolverines can be compensated. ere is no deadline for when Colorado Parks and Wildlife should return wolverines to the state.

e 10(j), the lack of a deadline and a compensation program were crafted to avoid the pitfalls of wolf reintroduction, “where they just went to the ballot rst and then lled in all the safeguards afterwards,” Roberts said.

“I think the bipartisan support and sponsorship of this legislation re ects the long-term process this has gone through rather than rushing it though like wolves,” he said.  ere are somewhere between 300 and 400 wolverines in the lower 48

states of North America. e largest member of the weasel family is native to Colorado, but the last wolverine in Colorado was killed in 1919. CPW conducted a dozen surveys in the late 1980s to the mid 1990s searching for wolverines across the Western Slope and found none. Wolverines are extremely solitary and the 15-to-40-pound animals roam territories that are 8 times larger than needed for lynx.

e U.S. and Fish and Wildlife Service in 2020 declined to list the wolverine as threatened but a federal court overturned that decision. In November last year the federal agency designated the carnivore as threatened, citing updated threats based on climate impacts to high altitude snow coverage, fractured habitat and trapping activity.

Colorado wildlife o cials rst began planning wolverine reintroduction in the late 1990s but restoration plans were delayed as the state focused on restoring Canadian lynx. Wolverine reintroduction was delayed again in 2010 as federal ofcials weighed the protection status for wolverines.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife has already begun reigniting wolverine restoration work that began in 2010 as the state concluded reintroduction of Canadian lynx. e Colorado wildlife biologists presented an ear-

ly plan to CPW commissioners earlier this month at a meeting in Montrose. at theoretical plan calls for releasing up to 45 wolverines over three years — 30 females and 15 males — in three zones: north of Interstate 70, a central zone between I-70 and U.S. 50 and a southern zone in the San Juans.  at plan could yield a sustainable population of 100 wolverines in the next three or four decades, according to survival rate information from Sweden, where biologists have studied wolverines for 30 years.

“No agency has attempted this so we are on the cutting edge, I think,” wildlife researcher scientist Jake Ivan told the commissioner at the Montrose meeting. “We have done what we can to prepare ourselves for this but everything really is unknown to a degree at this point. I think our success will likely require our ability to adapt and roll with the punches.”

e legislation sets aside $103,000 to help cover the costs of increased sta ng and workload connected to the reintroduction. Wolverine attacks on livestock are rare but Utah wildlife o cials in March 2022 captured and collared a 4-year-old male after it attacked and killed rancher’s sheep.

Thu 5/30

Abby Anderson: Stevie Nicks @ 7pm Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Cir, Denver

Los Toms @ 7pm Hi-Dive, 7 S Broadway, Denver

Finn O'Sullivan @ 8pm Lost Lake Lounge, 3602 E Colfax Ave, Denver

Fri 5/31

Here to Climb @ 7pm

Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Speer Boule‐vard and Arapahoe Street, Denver

Kiss (Dj)

@ 10pm

Larimer Beer Hall, 2012 Larimer St, Den‐ver

Sat 6/01

Denver Makers Market

@ 10am / Free 6455 W Colfax Ave, 6455 West Colfax Avenue, Lakewood. denver makersmarket@gmail.com, 303505-1856

Sun 6/02

March To August @ 3pm

Ike Spivak

@ 6:30pm Dazzle Denver, 1080 14th Street, Denver

SSORBEATS

@ 9pm

Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St, Denver

Funky Lampshades @ 6pm

Jim's Place-House Concerts, 30 S Deframe Way, Golden Heights

The Mighty Pines & Coral Creek at The Little Bear @ 5pm

Little Bear Live, 28075 CO-74, Evergreen

Sammy May�eld @ 6pm The Oriental Theater, 4335 W 44th Ave, Denver

Mon 6/03

Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls @ 5:30pm

Summit Music Hall, 1902 Blake St, Denver

Sancho's Broken Arrow, 741 E Colfax Ave, Denver

Tue 6/04

Bad Suns @ 7pm

Bunny Blake Music: Miner's Saloon @ 6pm

Miners Saloon, 1109 Miner's Alley, Golden

Merch @ 8pm

Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W Alameda Pkwy, Morrison

Beauty School Dropout @ 7pm

Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W Alameda Pkwy, Morrison

Wed 6/05

Starlight and Pine @ 7:30pm

Herman's Hideaway, 1578 S Broadway, Denver

Lost Lake Lounge, 3602 E Colfax Ave, Denver

FLWRS. @ 8pm

Lost Lake Lounge, 3602 E Colfax Ave, Denver

Garrison Keillor @ 8pm

The Oriental Theater, 4335 W 44th Ave, Denver

‘The Prom’ ends Town Hall Arts Center’s 41st season

Spring is prom season, which makes it the perfect time for Littleton’s Town Hall Arts Center to host the Colorado premiere of the joyous Broadway musical, “ e Prom.”

“Some theaters are known for doing tried-and-true classics ey’re intended to entertain. Other theaters are known for producing newer ‘thinkers,’ or message-pieces. ey’re intended to inspire,” wrote Steven Burge, marketing manager at the arts center. “Town Hall Arts Center believes you can do both and ‘ e Prom’ is perfect for that intent.”

“ e Prom” runs at the Town Hall Arts Center, 2450 Main St. in Littleton, from Friday, May 24 through Sunday, June 23. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. ursday, Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. on

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Sunday. e show follows a quartet of Broadway stars who are trying to nd a good cause to champion as a way to get back into the spotlight. When they hear about a small town in Indiana that is refusing to allow a young woman to take her girlfriend to the prom, they think they’ve found what they’re looking for.

“It’s a classic forbidden love story that we’ve all seen and loved and rooted for, for years. But it is a couple’s story that isn’t told every day,” Burge wrote. “While entertaining and uplifting the spirits of our au-

ST. JOANOF ARC CATHOLICCHURCH

Proclaiming Christ from the Mountains to the Plains

www.StJoanArvada.org

12735 W 58th Ave · 80002 · 303-420-1232

Daily Masses: 8:30am, Mon-Sat

Confessions: 8am Tue-Fri; 7:30am & 4:00pm Sat

Saturday Vigil Mass: 5:00pm

Sunday Masses: 7:30, 9:00, 11:30am, 5:30pm

“Find Connection…Discover Faith” All Are Welcome

Sunday Worship 10:00AM

Green Mountain Presbyterian Church 12900 W Alameda Pkwy Lakewood, CO 80228 303-985-8733 www.gmpc.net

dience members is the overarching goal, if we can do that and amplify the voices of queer youth at the same time, that’s great.”

e show features music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin and the book by Bob Martin Beguelin. e cast is made up of new faces and longtime Town Hall favorites, like Margie Lamb and Sonsharae Tull, as well as Piper Lindsay Arpan, an actual Broadway performer who was a Radio City Rockette and performed in the Broadway production of Monty Python’s “Spamalot.”

Burge describes the music as very emblematic of contemporary musical theater show tunes, with some nods to Bob Fosse and Stephen Sondheim thrown in for good musical-theater-nerd measure.

When all of this is combined, it makes “ e Prom” the perfect show to end the theater’s season and welcome summer to the state.

edgepride.co.

Indian Market & Powwow returns to Tesoro Cultural Center

e Tesoro Cultural Center, 19192 CO-8 in Morrison, is hosting the 23rd annual Indian Market & Powwow, one of its most beloved events, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, and Sunday, June 2.

e event is a tribute to the American Indian nations that shaped the cultural community of Bent’s Old Fort and features nationally acclaimed and award-winning American Indian artists who sell and demonstrate authentic artwork in a juried show. Additionally, there will be a contest powwow that will include a number of categories for both men and women, and the top three dancers in each category will win prizes.

Advertise Your Place of Worship

“We hope folks will leave humming and smiling, and feeling a little bit lighter and happier than they felt coming into the theater,” Burge added. “We hope that people will see that there is quality, cultural theatrical entertainment to be experienced outside of Denver. Littleton community members, Highlands Ranchers and south suburbanites in general can nd award-winning musical theater right here on Main Street, Littleton.”

For tickets and information, visit www.TownHallArtsCenter.org.

Edgewater hosts 5th Annual Pride Parade

ere will also be food, exhibitions and the honoring of a Native veteran. More information can be found at https://www.tesoroculturalcenter.org/the-23nd-annualindian-market-and-powwow/.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Maggie Rogers at Red Rocks

To advertise your place of worship in this section, call Erin at 303-566-4074 or email eaddenbrooke@ColoradoCommunityMedia.com Living Water Spiritual Community (Unity) LGBTQ+ SAFE

We meet in person with extraordinary live music on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month from 10:30a.m. to noon at: Activity Options, 7401 W. 59th Ave., Arvada, 80003.

All other Sunday meetings are on zoom from 10:30a.m. to noon.

Please phone: 720-576-9193, or email: livingwaterspiritualcommunity@gmail.com

Our website is: www.livingwaterunity.org

Edgewater is getting ready to welcome both summer and June with its 5th annual Pride Parade, held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 1. e route launches at Edgewater Elementary, 5570 W. 24th Ave., and will end at Edgewater Public Market, 5505 W. 20th Ave, with a massive afterparty.

is year’s theme is “Interconnected,” and it’s a perfect theme for an election year and a time when LGBTQ+ rights are constantly under threat. e one-mile parade will be an opportunity for the community to gather and celebrate. All the details are at https://linktr.ee/

Maggie Rogers makes the kind of music that can sweep you away if you let it. Since her debut studio album, “Heard It in a Past Life” was released, she’s been a favorite of those looking for depth to go with their musical earworms. Just a month ago, Rogers released her third record, “Don’t Forget Me,” and it’s one of the year’s best. She’s said she wants the album to sound like a Sunday afternoon, and she certainly delivered.

In support of the album, Rogers is bringing her Don’t Forget Me Tour to Red Rocks, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway in Morrison, at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 27, and Tuesday, May 28. As opener, she’s tapped e Japanese House, one of my favorite alt rock performers. Get tickets at www.axs.com.

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

Clarke Reader is

WOLVERINE

e last wolverine con rmed in Colorado was in 2009, when a collared male traveled south from the Teton Range in Wyoming and hung out around Rocky Mountain National Park for several years. e wolverine eventually headed up to North Dakota, where it was shot in 2016 by a rancher who said it was threatening his cows.

Is another reintroduction being proposed too soon?

Colorado House co-sponsors Tisha Mauro, a Democrat from Pueblo and Rep. Barbara McLachlan, a Democrat from Durango, made sure to tell fellow lawmakers that “these are weasels, not wolves.” McLachlan, during discussion

on the Colorado House oor on May 2, said she spoke with cattlemen who were wary of the legislation “because wolverines sound too much like wolves.”

“Wolverines are much smaller. ey are scavengers,” she said. “ ey do not eat cattle. ey do not eat sheep. ey do not eat people.”

House Assistant Minority Leader

Ty Winter, a Republican from Trinidad, voted against the legislation but said on the House oor May 2 that the lawmakers sponsoring the bill “are doing it right” and doing “everything that should have been done with wolf reintroduction.”

Even though wolves were reintroduced in December in northern Colorado, far from Winter’s southern Colorado district, he said his constituents feel wolves arrived “with no real plan …and they’ve got heartburn from this still.”

Rep. Richard Holtorf, a Republi-

can from Akron, also opposed the legislation, saying “the agriculture community has not recovered from the introduction of the last predator species.”

“I think it’s better if we are going to do this to take time and not just try to rush the introduction of these animals that are not very compatible with so much of what is Colorado,” Holtorf said on the House oor May 2. “I fear the wolverine will not like it here.”

e lack of a deadline for Colorado Parks and Wildlife to return wolverines to Colorado and the requirement for U.S. Fish and Wildlife to permit an experimental population addressed concerns for both ranchers and the resort industry. Ski areas expressed some concern that the endangered status of wolverines would complicate operations without that 10(j) rule exemption from the federal

government. It’s expected that mining, agriculture, logging and ski industry representatives will be involved in the reintroduction e ort and the 10(j) designation review.

“ e 10(j) rule is the way to really address those concerns and make sure ski area operations can continue without major regulatory burdens,” said Megan Mueller, a conservation biologist with Rocky Mountain Wild. “I think Colorado Parks and Wildlife worked hard to include stakeholders in the wolf reintroduction and they are doing the best they can, but with legislation, stakeholders have real guarantees that their concerns will be addressed.”

is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.

University of Denver to make its electricity 100% solar

BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN

e University of Denver’s push for national name recognition in sports has proven wildly successful, with another hockey championship in 2024 and top programs in lacrosse, soccer and gymnastics. Now the southeastern Denver anchor is doubling down on becoming a green energy leader for its peers.  DU, with partner Pivot Energy, plans to build enough new solar panels on campus and at dedicated solar farms in surrounding counties to completely o set university electricity use within about three years.  e push to install 23 megawatts of panels dedicated to DU’s energy use is a key part of the institution’s commitment to become net zero in carbon emissions by 2030, said Lynn Bailey, director of energy and sustainability for the southeastern Denver campus.

Next up on the green energy list: cutting way back on natural gas used to heat DU’s buildings and hot water.

DU started its solar era in 2019, working with Pivot to install 2.2 MW of panels on 18 campus buildings. In the next phase, Pivot will add 1.2 MW more on campus, with a new array on the expansive rooftops of the Ritchie Center sports complex.

(Home of the hockey Pioneers, who last month won their 10th national championship and second in three years, accumulating more trophies than storied schools from Minnesota, Michigan and Massachusetts.)

Pivot will build the other 22.2 MW for DU at dedicated sites in Larimer, Adams, Mesa and Weld counties, over the next two to three years, Bailey said. In most cases, DU will be taking 100% of the power from

those far- ung solar arrays, providing Pivot certainty and simplicity among its energy customers.

e solar expansion alone will wipe out half of DU’s remaining carbon footprint as it seeks other projects to meet the 2030 net zero carbon goal.

“We’ve always been trying to gure out other ways to work with DU because we knew they had ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals,” said Pivot vice president of strategic partnerships Mat Elmore.

“It’s been a great match so far.”

Pivot says an added motivation for DU and other institutions who are landlords of large square footage are the Denver and statewide building emissions reductions mandated in recent rule changes. Colorado’s rules seeking greenhouse gas reductions from

sions by 20% in 2030.  ose rules are now subject to an injunction-seeking lawsuit led by major landlords like apartment associations, but remain in e ect for now and may survive the legal challenge.

Colorado law allows DU to get net metering credit for solar power it creates, even when at o site locations like Pivot’s community solar sites, Elmore said.

“ at program is really made for, in my opinion, large campuses or large energy users that just can’t install enough on-site generating capacity to meet their needs” but who have ambitious climate change targets, he said.

Pivot has developed 79 Colo-

rado solar projects producing up to 70.8MW of electricity, with 124 more in the pipeline that would bring on 530MW. Nationally, the company has developed 179MW and has 2,714MW in the pipeline. A megawatt can serve 400 to 1,000 households, depending on the size of the home or apartment and how many appliances are electric.  e number of o -site, net-metered megawatts allowed to come online in a given year is limited, according to Pivot, which says it is the largest solar developer in Colorado.

“Bottom line is we have far more demand than supply for this particular program,” Elmore said.  is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.

Solar panels atop the Burwell Center for Career Achievement, seen May 1, 2024, at the University of Denver.

PHOTO BY OLIVIA SUN THE COLORADO SUN VIA REPORT FOR AMERICA

BY DENNIS PLEUSS JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

DENVER — Ralston Valley sophomore Scarlett Lutz shook the hand of Cherry Creek sophomore Zoe Hochstadt after Lutz’s 6-2, 7-5 victory in the No. 3 singles match at the Denver Tennis Park on Tuesday morning.

But it wasn’t just any straight set victory. Lutz took a step over the net and was mobbed by all her teammates as the Mustangs could celebrate winning the Class 5A team title for the rst time in the program’s history.

“It has been 21 years in the making for me,” Ralston Valley longtime girls tennis coach Kim Greason said. “ e culture that we started when I rst started here. Building it up until this. Getting the girls to believe and buy in. ey were all in.”

Ralston Valley was the No. 1 seed for the 16-team 5A team tournament that began April 24. However, No. 2 Cherry Creek came in having won 25 team titles over the last 26 seasons, minus the COVID year where the Spring season of 2020 was cancelled.

“ is was a true team e ort. It’s Cherry Creek. We knew this wasn’t going to be easy,” Greason said of knocking o the 39-time state champions. “ ey have been here before. ey know what it is like and we didn’t. For our girls to pull through in this environment that they had never been in before and do what they did today … I’m in awe.”

Lutz, who according to Greason had a temperature of over 100 the night before, was able to get a key break in the second set to take a 6-5 lead and then served out the match.

“I didn’t think I had the strength or endurance to go three sets,” Lutz said. “Serving up 6-5 was really nerve-racking. After I got the rst two points I knew I had it.” e state team title also made history for Je co Public Schools. It is the rst time a Je co school has won the largest classi cation team title in girls tennis. D’Evelyn has won four 3A team titles over the

SPORTS

Ralston Valley girls tennis aces historic state championship

past decade.

“It means everything. We have been trying to go after Creek for so many years,” Lutz said. “ ey are so dominate in every sport, especially tennis. We believed since the beginning of the year that we could do it.”

Ralston Valley’s No. 1 doubles — juniors Adia Farling and Cassidy Gordon — got things going with a 6-1, 6-4 victory. Moments later, the Mustangs’ No. 3 doubles — freshman Mataya Farling and sophomore So a Elola — wrapped up a 6-3, 6-2 win to put Ralston Valley up 2-0.

Both the Mustangs’ No. 1 and No. 3 doubles teams captured 5A individual titles at the state tournament last Saturday at Denver City Park.

“ ey set the tone,” Greason said of the Mustangs’ No. 1 double team.

“ ey set the tone in practices. ey set the tone in matches. ey’re positivity and support for everyone across the line. ey pick each other up when they are down. at comes with playing two years in a row together.”

Cherry Creek’s state champion-

ship No. 2 — Riley Loehr and Zoey Hao — and No. 4 — Julie Karlberg and Beth Munro — doubles teams were able to get a pair of victories on the board for the Bruins. e pivotal match came when Ralston Valley sophomore Emerson Bonner defeated Cherry Creek senior Jisele Boker 7-5, 6-4. Boker had taken a 3-set victory in a state seminal match last week at the state tournament.

Ralston Valley senior Ally Lowe and No. 1 singles said in practice the day before they had worked on Boker’s style of play to have Bonner ready for the rematch. Lowe also gave the sophomore some good advice.

“I just told her (Bonner) to keep believing that she could win,” Lowe said.

Bonner had placed third in the individual 5A state tournament over the weekend after losing to Boker in the semi nals.

“She (Bonner) got down early in that rst set. I think she was down 5-2 and came back,” Greason said. “ at showed the grit, determina-

tion and focus.”

Ralston Valley held a 3-2 lead with just Lutz and the No. 1 singles match between Lowe and Cherry Creek senior Anika Sharma, remaining.

“I knew Ally had lost the rst set in her match and that was going to be a tough one,” Lutz said of the No. 3 and No. 1 single matches left on the court. “I knew it was going to come down to me. I knew I had all the support from my team and family. at helped a lot.”

Lowe was up 3-2 in the second set after dropping the rst set in a tiebreaker, but it didn’t matter. e No. 1 single match was stopped after Lutz’s win clinched the team victory.

“She is probably one of the biggest team players on our team,” Greason said of Lutz. “ is important to here and I think that is why she loved having that on her shoulders at that moment.”

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

Ralston Valley’s No. 1 doubles team of juniors Cassidy Gordon, left, and Adia Farling celebrate during their 6-1, 6-4 victory during the Class 5A girls tennis team state championship match Tuesday, May 14, at Denver Tennis Park. PHOTO BY DENNIS PLEUSS/JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Thornton gets its fresh water pipeline

Larimer adds 83 conditions to approval

BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e long-awaited and contentious nal 10-mile section of a water pipeline that will feed orton’s growth for the next several years, gained unanimous approval Wednesday night from the Larimer County Commissioners.

e decision to go ahead with ornton’s 1041 permit application came after two public hearings before the commissioners as well as lengthy meetings with Larimer residents about the impacts of the pipeline. Most of the 70-mile pipeline will run through Weld and Adams counties before ending south of ornton.

Larimer County residents and environmentalists worried the pipeline would damage and drain the Poudre River. ornton bought the water rights to the river in 1986 and city o cials say the water they are conveying is already being diverted at a point at the Larimer County canal. No additional diversions will be made once the pipeline is built, ofcials say.

ornton Interim City Manager Brett Henry said the commissioners’ decision signals a bright future for ornton’s further development and more protection for the Poudre River.

“We are immensely pleased that Larimer County has approved our 1041 permit application, representing a pivotal achievement in the ornton Water Project,” Henry said in an emailed statement.

“ is approval enables us to advance with the construction of a crucial water pipeline that will guarantee a sustainable and reliable water supply for our community,” Henry said. “Importantly, it reafrms our commitment to collaborative endeavors aimed at enhancing and safeguarding the Poudre River alongside partners like Poudre Flows and others.”

ornton has engaged in open and constructive dialogues with the local community, demonstrating a commitment to transparency and mutual respect, Henry said.

“Our approach has always been to not just meet but exceed regulatory and community outreach requirements, ensuring that our plans align with the broader goals of Larimer County and serve as a beacon for how communities can unite over signi cant projects, including water projects,” Henry said.

“As ornton moves forward,” Henry said, “we remain dedicated to minimizing construction impacts and maximizing the ecological and conservation-related bene ts of this project. We are not merely users of the Poudre River; we are deeply invested in its health and resilience. Our future, much like Larimer’s, is inextricably linked to the well-being of these critical water resources.”

Working with Larimer residents for a new route for the pipeline produced a new route that is signi cantly di erent than what was proposed in 2018 when Larimer County denied the plan, according to a city of ornton webpage.

e new alignment is 16.6 miles shorter than the previous one and includes a pump station located on private property owned by the Water Supply and Storage Company. e location is just two miles north of the site proposed in 2018, according to the city.

is new location is located further away from residential development and recognizes the sentiment expressed by Larimer County residents for the pump station to be located on private, non-residential property, the city said.

Lists of conditions

e county’s approval of the 1041 permit application comes with 83 conditions. ey include requiring ornton to retain a soil scientist, agronomist or agricultural engineer to help property owners impacted by the construction to protect or reestablish soil health.

orton can also review the alignment of the pipeline by 100 feet on either side if it doesn’t cross a property line, is approved by the property owner, and meets the overall criteria.

“We believe meeting the condition of approval is de nitely achievable,” City of ornton spokesman Todd Barnes said via email. “We agree with the conditions of approval and even provided the language for many of them.”

e Larimer County Planning Commission originally tacked on 75 conditions before voting 5 to 3 to recommend approval for ornton’s permit in April.

e city submitted its rst pipeline plan in 2018, which Larimer County denied a year later, saying the project failed to meet several criteria outlined in the 1041 process.

ornton sued Larimer County over that decision, but a state appeals court in 2022 ruled for the county.

e city then revamped its strategy and began reaching out to Larimer residents to get their opinions on the pipeline before resubmitting its application to Larimer County, Barnes has said.

e result is a new route that is 16.6 miles shorter than the previous one and includes a pump station located on private property owned by the Water Supply and Storage Company.

e location is just two miles north of the site proposed in 2018, according to the city.

is new location is located further away from residential development and recognizes the sentiment expressed by Larimer County residents for the pump station to be located on private, non-residential property, the city said.

If the pipeline is built, the city wants to tap into the new water source by 2027. e result would result in the construction of thousands of homes in the city and help address the rising costs of housing, according to the city.

Best of a bad solution

But Save the Poudre and other critics of ornton’s plan say the Poudre River water headed for ornton should remain in the river past Fort Collins. e water would be cooler and healthier than being run through a pipe, said Save the Poudre founder, Gary Wockner.

“We disagree with the Commissioners’ decision and are considering our options,” Wockner said via email ursday. “Using the River as the conveyance for ornton’s water is a common-sense win-win solution supported by the vast majority of Larimer County residents.”

Larimer County Commissioner Kristin Stephens said Wednesday that the conditions address issues over topsoil, wetlands, air quality,

A City of Thornton map showing the route Thornton’s water pipeline will take along the pipeline’s construction status. Portion F, marked as pending on the map, was approved by Larimer County May 8. CITY OF THORNTON

dark skies and migratory birds and helped the pipeline project meet the permit criteria, according to the Coloradoan newspaper.

“ e pipeline that is proposed by ornton is probably the best of what feels like a bad solution,” Stephens said. She added it is shorter, goes through fewer properties and ornton “did a pretty good job interacting with the community.”

She added, according to the Coloradoan, “I wish that was the option, that we could say just, you know, ‘Let’s send it down the river.’

“Because that is what our community wants, and it feels less harmful to our community…We can’t do that.”

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Environmentalists threaten suit over gas permits

Groups urge EPA to crack down after missed deadlines

BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN

e Colorado Air Pollution Control Division has missed its EPA deadline to rewrite permits for a Weld County oil and gas complex, and an environmental group says it will sue the federal agency for delaying its takeover of the permits.

e EPA on Jan. 30 said state regulators writing permits for Bonanza Creek Energy hadn’t guaranteed that aring operations would burn o pollutants and prevent air quality violations. e EPA order set a 90day clock ticking for state revisions.  “Colorado is e ectively giving the

oil and gas industry a free pass to pollute under illegal permits,” said Jeremy Nichols, a senior advocate at the nonpro t Center for Biological Diversity. “We need the EPA to intervene to ensure public health and the environment comes rst and put an end to Colorado’s dangerous foot-dragging.” e center noti ed the EPA it will le a lawsuit in the delays handling the allegedly awed permits.

e center says the EPA and state regulators have also failed to act quickly enough on other permits, including revisions to permits for the frequently ned Suncor Re nery in Commerce City.

“ ey seem to be at a loss when it comes to xing legally awed permits,” Nichols said.

Colorado o cials acknowledged the deadline has passed, but said they are working on it.

“We are evaluating EPA’s con-

cerns detailed in the order so we can respond appropriately,” division spokesperson Leah Schleifer said. Bonanza Creek’s permits are fully enforceable while the issues are worked out, she said. e division does not comment when issues move into litigation, she added.

Environmental advocates who won the January EPA order through petitions say the ruling could impact thousands of other oil and gas permits in Colorado and other states, because Colorado’s recent ozone failures mean far more drillers must get air pollution permits dictating how they will limit releases of ozonecausing chemicals. e EPA may now consistently order those drilling and processing sites to test the e ectiveness of their aring rather than rely on predictions of how the equipment will work, the advocates said.

e four Bonanza Creek oil and gas wells in question “are de ned

under the Clean Air Act as ‘major sources’ of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, which form ground-level ozone, the key ingredient of smog. e wells contribute to dangerous air quality in the Denver Metro-North Front Range area, a nine-county region home to more than 4 million people that has violated ozone health standards for nearly two decades,” the Center for Biological Diversity said.

e oil and gas industry says similar ares can burn o 95% of the targeted emissions, but the nonpro t groups say Colorado is not writing permits in a way that demands the most e ective aring equipment or monitoring afterward to prove the emissions are gone.  is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.