Good morning for day 4 of 2024 — and because everyone’s internal calendars are screwy from the holidays, here’s your reminder that yes, today is Thursday.
I’m behind on my new year’s traditions, so while all 15 varieties of beans (including black-eyed peas, of course) are soaking for my big cajun stew tonight, let me tell you about our busy calendar of events this month.
Starting with tonight (Thursday, 6 p.m.): Join our politics editor Jesse Paul for The Sun’s annual pre-legislative session talk with Gov. Jared Polis and statehouse leaders about what to expect this year under the golden dome. You still have plenty of time to reserve a free seat and submit a question, just head to coloradosun.com/2024PreLegislative to get registered.
Then later this month, we’re taking a deeper dive into our High Cost of Colorado series and the world of electric vehicles:
High Cost in Colorado. Tuesday, Jan. 16, 6 p.m. Join Colorado Sun reporters Michael Booth and Jennifer Brown as they bring the series High Cost of Colorado to the virtual stage. They will talk with panelists about the high cost of housing, food, personal entertainment, the strain on Coloradans’ budgets and what’s bothering our readers.— RSVP here The New Car Culture. Wednesday, Jan. 4, 6 p.m. Join Colorado Sun environment reporter Michael Booth as he brings together a panel of car and transportation policy experts to discuss — and debate — EV mandates and subsidies, the death of big highway building and a push for free transit.
— RSVP here
And that’s just for January! We’ve got a lot more than bean stew cooking for the rest of 2024, so keep an eye on coloradosun.com/events and follow us on Instagram to keep up on the latest.
We’ve got a whole lot of news to get through before 6 p.m., so let’s saddle up and start rounding up these dogies, shall we?
EVENTS
The cattle are coming: 4 things to know if you’re going to the National Western Stock Show
Wranglers on horseback herd longhorn cattle through Denver’s financial district, during the annual parade kicking off the National Western Stock Show in 2013. (Brennan Linsley, AP Photo)
From how to see the best art to where to get good coffee to which rodeo clowns to watch, our team has put together a great guide for one of the biggest events in the state.
Do large events like the National Western Stock Show bring a rise in human trafficking? Experts say no. While the demand for commercial sex work increases around large events, there’s no data supporting the myth that such events cause a spike in human trafficking, Olivia Prentzel reports.OUTDOORS
Vail ski instructor dies after he was found unresponsive on intermediate slope
Young snowboarders navigate toward the next chairlift at Vail ski area on Nov. 17, 2021. (Hugh Carey, The Colorado Sun)
A still-unnamed 69-year-old Vail ski instructor was found unresponsive on the Born Free run at the ski resort Dec. 28 and died days later after being taken to Denver. While this is the third Vail Resorts employee to die on the job since 2021, Jason Blevins reports that resort worker deaths in Colorado remain exceedingly rare.
ENVIRONMENT
Lawmakers and green advocates fear northern Colorado utility is falling behind on climate targets
Platte River Power Authority’s Rawhide Energy Station, north of Wellington, generates electricity using coal, natural gas and solar. (Ed Kosmicki, Special to The Colorado Sun)
Lawmakers and the Colorado Sierra Club are calling out the Platte River Power Authority’s “empty promises” for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to get into compliance with a new 2023 law. Michael Booth reports on the authority’s plans and how much of the path to greener energy it still has to walk.
MORE NEWS
Trump asks U.S. Supreme Court to review Colorado ruling barring him from the ballot over Jan. 6 attack. The former president asked the high court to reverse the ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court without hearing arguments.
— Summit Daily Colorado’s top 10 stolen vehicles in 2023. Although, let’s be clear, preliminary data shows that auto thefts here were down 20% compared with 2022.
— 9News Free things you didn’t know you could get from the Denver Public Library. Check out sewing machines, lawn mowers and book a recording studio. Free museum and state park passes. Meet with a librarian on how to start a business.
— Denverite How do I cut back on drinking? 10 tips for a successful Dry January. About 15% of U.S. adults participated in Dry January last year.
— The Denver Post 🔑
🔑 = source has article meter or paywall
— Patricia Garcia-Nelson, GreenLatinos Colorado
The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy and submit columns, suggest writers or provide feedback at [email protected].
One tradition during the Lunar New Year is to gift family members and acquaintances red envelopes with money. (Courtesy of Truong An Gifts, photo by Rainy T. Nguyen)
Year of the Dragon. In the Chinese zodiac, the upcoming lunar year, beginning Feb. 11, is the year of the wood dragon. And when Mimi Luong talks about someone on her “dragon team” she could be talking about any one of the small business owners, artists, chefs, Kung Fu experts, qigong masters, calligraphists or nonprofit organizations that she’s coalesced to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Luong and her family own the Far East Center, a hub of east Asian businesses on South Federal Boulevard in Denver. From now until Feb. 10, the date of their official Lunar New Year celebration, the center is hosting programs to introduce people to the skills, symbolism and traditions associated with the holiday.
Every week the center introduces a new theme — arts, storytelling, holistic health, food or traditions — and offers classes based around it. Take a free qigong class, delve into acupuncture and learn from a tai chi expert during the holistic health week. Fold dumplings, bake mooncakes and make kimchi during the culinary week. Dance in a KPOP class. Paint a dragon landscape. Learn calligraphy. All classes are free or donation-based.
The programming culminates in a weeklong Lunar Street Market, from Feb. 1-9, and the annual Lunar New Year celebration on Feb. 10-11.
Donation-based pricing; Jan. 2-Feb. 11; Far East Center, 333 S. Federal Blvd., Denver
The Crash Reel. “The Crash Reel” is a feature documentary about snowboarder Kevin Pearce’s decision to return to the sport after suffering a traumatic brain injury. The showing, part of Aspen Film’s “Science on Screen” series, will be followed by a discussion with Lucy Walker, the film’s director, and Amanda Boxtel, CEO of exoskeleton company Bridging Bionics. $20; 6:30 p.m., Jan. 10; Aspen Film Isis Theatre, 406 E. Hopkins Ave., Aspen First Fridays. For art lovers the phrase “First Friday” is synonymous with extended gallery hours, free museum entry and tiny, plastic half-cups of wine. While some cities shut down during the winter months, you can still catch a first Friday art walk in Steamboat Springs, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Greeley, Carbondale and the Arts District on Santa Fe in Denver. Free; Jan. 5; various locations. Stock Show. The National Western Stock Show kicks off today at noon with the annual parade down 17th Street in Denver, which means from now until Jan. 21 you’ll find everything Western ag — from mutton busting and catch-a-calf to PBR and the Mexican Rodeo Extravaganza — on Denver’s northside. For more tips on who to see, what to eat and how to get there, check out our Stock Show guide. General admission $17-25; Jan. 6-21; National Western Complex, 4655 Humboldt St., Denver
Thanks for cruising into your morning with us, and I hope we’ll see you all on YouTube tonight!
— Eric & the whole staff of The Sun
Corrections & Clarifications
Notice something wrong? The Colorado Sun has an ethical responsibility to fix all factual errors. Request a correction by emailing [email protected].
Type of Story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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