This year’s theme is “Honoring The Past. Celebrating Our Freedom. Building Our Future.”

As is tradition, the day starts early with the Front Range Fire Rescue firefighter pancake breakfast from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Milliken station at 101 S. Irene Avenue.

The annual parade starts at 10 a.m. and will come through downtown Milliken along Broad Street.

The majority of the day’s events will take place at the Milliken Athletic Complex, 320 S. Centennial Drive.

Starting at 11 a.m. and running throughout the day vendors, food trucks and free kid’s activities will be available. There will be a car show from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Judging will be conducted for both a bean contest and a sourdough contest.

A beer garden will be set up from 2 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Throughout the afternoon there will also be karaoke contests in the teen, youth and adult divisions.

From 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. there will be musical entertainment by Steve & the Cruisers, playing your favorite rock and pop hits from the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s and beyond.

At 6 p.m. there will be a free community BBQ meal (while food lasts).

From 7 to 9 p.m. there will be a “DJ Glow Party” where everyone is encouraged to wear their best black light outfi ts.

The day concludes at 9:15 p.m. with fireworks.

On Sunday, Milliken Presbyterian Church and Love Thy Neighbor Church will hold a “worship in the park” at Lola Park starting at 10 a.m. Following the service there will be a potluck meal.

This year’s honorees include Mark Hutton, the pastor of Milliken Presbyterian Church, who has been selected as this year’s Community Leader. Ashley Hartig, who started a food pantry on her front porch to help those facing food insecurity, has been named the Honored Citizen. JM Post 2585 is being recognized as the Honored Organization and Paradice Cream is this year’s winner of the People’s Choice Award.

Full profiles of the honorees are included in the Beef ‘N Bean Day Extra that went out to all Milliken households.

For more information, go to the Milliken Festival Committee’s Facebook page.

– will take place. We have a story with details in this week’s paper.

In a time where festivals like this might seem antiquated, we’re happy that Milliken (and Johnstown with BBQ Day) still provide events like this for neighbors to get together, kids to have fun, and for communities to celebrate.

Be sure to check out the special subscription offer that’s on the back page of the Beef ‘N Bean Day Extra that recently went out to Milliken households.

Explore your family genealogy at the Johnstown Historical Society’s FREE Family History Workshop this weekend. Whether you’re just getting started or have years of research behind you, this two-day event at the YMCA offers resources and guidance to help you uncover your roots. The event will be held Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Register at: https://jhsco. org/events/family-genealogy- workshop-event/.

The Johnstown Downtown Development Association (JDDA) is excited to announce that planning is underway for the 2026 Johnstown Fall Fest, taking place Saturday, September 12, from 1 to 5 p.m. in Downtown Johnstown. With 4,000-plus attendees expected, Fall Fest is a great opportunity for local businesses to connect with residents and visitors while showcasing your business to the community.

This year’s event will feature: a beer garden, live DJ and music, family-friendly activities, local businesses and vendors and fun for all ages.

Sponsorship and vendor opportunities are now available. Whether you are interested in sponsoring the event, setting up a vendor booth, providing an activity, or simply getting involved, you’re encouraged to participate. Interested? Visit www. visitdowntownjohnstown. com/fallfest to learn more and submit your sponsorship or vendor application.

Johnstown 55+ Scene Calendar

Aug. 6: Friendly Fork Volunteer Training 9:00 a.m.; T’ai Chi Chih in Parish Park 10:00 a.m.; Brewery Outing 1:30 p.m.

Aug. 7: Balance Exercises 9:15 a.m.

Aug. 10: Ukulele 1:00 p.m. Aug. 11: Exercise 9:15 a.m.; Chats & Crafts 10:00 a.m.; Reiki 10:30 a.m.

Aug. 12: Foot Care 9:00 a.m.; Hearing Aid Checks 11:00 a.m.; Friendly Fork Meal: Tuscan herb baked tilapia, scalloped potatoes, peas, apple-cranberry bar, 2% milk 11:30 a.m.; Bingo, Cards, & Pool 12:30 p.m.

Aug. 13: T’ai Chi Chih in Parish Park 10:00 a.m.; Lunch Outing 10:30 a.m.; Mahjongg 1:30 p.m.

Aug. 14: Exercise 9:15 a.m.

Hours vary based on scheduled events. Feel free to call before you come in or visit our website at johnstownco. gov/seniorcenter Holly Darby

970-587-5251 hdarby@johnstownco.gov

Milliken 55+ Calendar

Aug. 6: Tai Chi 10 a.m.;

Book Club 10 a.m.

Aug. 7: Matter of Balance 9 a.m.; Water Gun Painting 10 a.m.; Meal: Roasted Turkey with gravy , baked sweet potatoes with butter, steamed broccoli, grapes; Cards/Pool after lunch; Strong People p.m.

Aug. 10: Matter of Balance 9 a.m.; Blood Pressure Checks 10:30 a.m.; Menu: Hamburger on wheat bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, mustard, mayo and ketchup, California blend vegetable’s, orange slices; Senior Board Meeting 12 p.m.; Cards/Pool after lunch; Strong People 3 p.m.

Aug. 11: Lunch Outing to Big Bear Baked Potatoes in Longmont. Participants responsible for own lunch. Bus fee of $2.00 payable at time of trip. Reservations required. Call Dawn 970-660-5035.

Upcoming Events: Aug. 17: Audio Nova Ear Clinic and Ice Cream Social 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Hearing Aide cleaning and checks free of charge. Call Dawn 970-6605035 to reserve yours; Aug. 21: Young Hearts Duo 10 a.m. Call Dawn for reservations 970-660-5035 Kathy Kindsfather

970-660-5040 kkindsfather@millikenco.gov

Just drove by Cookie Island on Highway 60 on my way downtown. What a great upgrade has been done to the sign welcoming folks to our town.

I’m sure that everyone (including Brownie Troop 360 from back in the day) who had anything to do with that project will feel gratified. It’s looking spiffy! Thank you to all who made this happen – you know who you are!

Janet Liniger

Johnstown Editor’s Note: This letter was accompanied by a photograph of Cookie Island. The photo may be found on page 3.

At 16, I knocked on doors because I believed ordinary people could shape their communities. At 18, I became a Democratic National Convention delegate because I believed democracy depended on participation. I saw politics not as a path to branding, but as a responsibility to listen, organize and serve.

Today, after nearly a decade of organizing and working around Colorado politics, I find myself asking: When did politics become more about performance than public service?

Disagreement is not the problem. Democracy requires debate, competing ideas, and contested elections. What concerns me is that our political culture increasingly rewards visibility over substance.

Social media has transformed campaigns into branding exercises. Candidates are judged by how effectively they communicate online rather than the depth of their work. Outrage spreads faster than nuance. Somewhere along the way, we began mistaking being loud for being effective.

But a digital presence is not inherently a problem. Leaders like New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani demonstrate that communication strategies can coexist with grassroots organizing and policy advocacy. The lesson is not to abandon communication, but to ensure visibility is matched by substance.

A viral post can start a conversation, but it cannot replace listening to constituents, building coalitions, negotiating, and delivering results.

When I first became involved in Colorado politics, success was measured by relationships and results – not visibility. We disagreed, but we still knocked on doors and made phone calls because lasting change required trust.

Those moments rarely go viral. But they are the foundation of democracy.

Today, too often, politics feels driven by internet battles, ideological purity tests, and public call-outs. People are judged by whether they use the “right” language or belong to the “right” group rather than whether they can solve problems.

This year’s Colorado primaries reminded me how important trust is. Across races involving candidates with different backgrounds and priorities, I found myself asking: Before we divide volunteers, donors and communities into competing camps, have we done enough to build relationships with one another first?

Competition is healthy in democracy. Primaries give voters choices and strengthen accountability. But competition should not replace collaboration.

How often do candidates with similar values sit down over coffee before launching campaigns? How often do we ask whether communities would be better served by building coalitions rather than brands?

These questions are not about any one candidate or election. They are about the political culture we are creating.

Before every election, voters should ask: What are we actually rewarding? Experience? Character? Integrity? Policy knowledge? The ability to build coalitions? Or are we simply rewarding whoever dominates our social media feeds?

There are important questions and legitimate debates surrounding organizations and candidates, but instead of finding answers, people are often met with vitriol from voices chasing online attention rather than solutions. If someone’s goal is to “win” an argument instead of approaching the conversation with the intention of understanding or persuading they distort the very candidate or cause they claim to represent.

In an era of algorithms, AI summaries, and social media feeds, it has become harder to distinguish reporting from commentary and evidence from opinion. Verifying information requires time, and time is limited in today’s world.

That reality should not make us less willing to engage. It should make us more willing to seek context, ask questions, and approach difficult con- versations with humility.

Despite everything, I haven’t lost faith in democracy – I’ve lost faith in a political culture that rewards internet warriors over bridge-builders, performative victories over practical solutions, and outrage over organizing and service.

Colorado deserves a culture where leadership is measured not by followers or viral moments, but by humility, integrity, trust and the work of serving communities.

Jeeva Senthilnathan is a Colorado- based engineer and government affairs professional with a background in public policy, civic engagement, and community organizing.

Riverbend Estates Partners LLC requested approval of the final plat and development plan from the town. In addition to this request, there were an improvement agreement and a water and sewer service agreement up for approval.

Riverbend Estates Filing No. 1 contains about 76 acres and is located south of Weld County Road 46 and west of Parish Avenue. The Little Thompson River runs along the south side of the property.

About 331 single-family detached homes are planned for the development, according to the applicant’s presentation. The development is planned to have lots of open space, parks and trails for residents and the public. A representative at the meeting said that a trail connecting to the Little Thompson River would be available to the public.

The area where the development is located was prone to natural flooding prior to development. The developer worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to remove a significant portion of the site from the floodplain. The remaining area will stay in the floodplain, but flood protection and stormwater improvements will be added.

Councilmember Jesse Molinar Jr. asked about emergency access points in the neighborhood and whether the neighborhood had enough exit points. Town staff said that the plan did meet these regulations.

After some discussion, the council voted on accepting Riverbend Estates’ final plat, final development plan along with two agreements. All four items related to Riverbend Estates were all passed unanimously. In other business: -- Councilmember Nick Bashford presented an amendment to change the wording of a motion that was accepted at the June 22 meeting regarding the Johnstown Community YMCA. The original motion read, “To continue our partnership with the YMCA and have Town staff meet with the YMCA staff and come together and negotiate the possible update or changes to the current contract with a 90-day cap to come to a mutual agreement and to work to mend the damage in reputation by false or vile attacks and mend our community and our relationship with the YMCA.”

Bashford proposed changing the language of the motion to, “To continue our partnership with the YMCA and have Town staff meet with the YMCA staff and come together and negotiate the possible update or changes to the current contract with a 90-day cap to come to a mutual agreement, and to work to ensure that public communications regarding the operating partner are factually accurate and consistent with the Town’s audited financial reporting, and that Town staff and operating partner employees are treated with respect and professionalism in all public forums.”

Councilmember Dianne Morris said that she was concerned about the amount of time spend on “rehashing decisions,” and clarified what the original motion’s intentions were. The item failed 2-3, with Bashford and Mayor Michael Duncan voting yes.

-- Multiple residents spoke during the public comment period. Topics ranged from the Johnstown YMCA to data centers.

-- Councilmembers Dee Anne Menzies and Damien Berg were absent.

Council next meets on August 17 at 7 p.m. in the council meeting room at Town Hall. Meetings are open to the public.

Dungeons & Dragons first made its appearance in 1974 under the publishing title of Tactical Studies Rules, according to Paul Scriven of RMIT University. From there, it began to grow, especially during the 1970s and 1980s. Though only a select group of youth at the time took part in this kind of gameplay, today, Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) has found a larger audience among modern youth.

In the Johnstown and Milliken communities, along with other communities throughout the United States, there is high interest in Dungeons and Dragons, especially in the rise of clubs for this type of gameplay in middle schools and “geek clubs” in high schools. Thompson Rivers Parks and Recreation is now offering the game to residents.

D&D comes in different formats: fully digital, hybrid, or pencil-and-paper – whatever your group wants to do. It appeals to kids and young adults across America because of its storytelling.

In the digital age, D&D provides a real-time video- game-style for role playing games (RPG). Also contributing to the D&D boom are shows like Critical Role and Dimension 20.

Thomas R. Wilson of R&H Creative Advocacy and Storytelling hypothesizes that children need a healthy sense of escapism, and D&D provides that for them.

Wilson said, “I know a lot of parents don’t want their kids on screens, so to have a real-time game where you can be silly, have fun, and kind of make ‘unsafe decisions’ in a safe way is really empowering.”

Wilson also noticed that during the period when most of America was “social distancing,” there was a strong desire for online interaction and creativity. That’s when D&D increased in its presence online and on television.

Dungeons and Dragons is being moved into educational spaces due to how it teaches math, problem-solving, teamwork, and creative thought.

Recreation centers are holding Dungeons and Dragons camps. And, while schools have clubs that play, adults of many ages are also taking part in this half-century- old tabletop role playing game (TTRPG).

In 2021, the Parker Recreation Center enlisted Wilson to bring youth D&D camps to life. From there, D&D at the Parker Rec Center took off.

“We had four camps reach max capacity and that’s huge,” Wilson said.

The appeal of these Dungeons and Dragons camps is that, in an expensive economy, the creators of the camp at the Parker Rec Center tried to make it as low-cost as possible for families. Wilson, along with his helpers, also has a background in serving those with mental health difficulties, neurodivergence, and youth.

Though Wilson has seen benefits for neurodivergent kids in the use of technology like iPads and cell phones, he doesn’t think that – despite what the media says – kids want to stay on that technol- ogy due to how much weight and overwhelming content is present.

“It’s harder than it’s ever been to be a kid…. I think a lot of kids don’t always want to be on their screen because of all of the stuff happening,” Wilson said.

Joining D&D campaigns or one-shots in person recreates that escapism, similar to what video games and technology do.

Wilson says that a good D&D game requires an empathetic and strength-based lens because D&D groups can act like support groups. This is where kids can meet best friends and have a space where their ideas are heard and valued.

Wilson thinks that this can be a way of healing through trauma or bullying as a kid or adult.

Wilson points out that people tend to play D&D as a lifelong storytelling game they love, playing with family and friends or meeting new people from different walks of life.

Wilson also points to D&D as socially accepted play for adults, taking off the pressures of adulthood while they play.

Wilson said, “Chances are that a five-year-old wants an adult to play with them, and often, if the adult enjoys playing, they become free, relaxed, have fun, smile, and laugh – all kinds of good things.”

To Wilson, D&D brings back an immersion of joy adults have not felt since they were kids. The childlike wonder of D&D is a special element that brings people back for more gameplay.

At Thompson River Parks and Recreation, Recreation Coordinator Erin Parks hopes that D&D can be an activity that includes young adults in the community.

“One of our big focuses for TRPR is trying to find ways to have young adults included in activities, things that are financially low cost, low commitment, low energy,” Parks said.

She hopes to create opportunities that are low-cost and low-commitment, given the current economic climate, work hours, and job constraints many adults face.

Parks has seen various Facebook groups seeking people interested in joining these types of communities.

“You see people online saying they want to play, but they don’t know where to start or don’t have the community to start on their own. We’re trying to listen and throw out our fishing line,” she said.

Parks tells the story of her and a group of friends playing Dungeons and Dragons on Halloween. They dressed up as characters from the game to hand out candy, but no one showed up to the cul-de-sac. After advertising on Facebook, many people showed up for the full-size candy bars and to join the D&D game.

This opened Parks’ eyes to the possibility of bringing people together over this TTRPG.

“We had cars lined up around the neighborhood, people came because they wanted to play D&D or watch us play. There’s a community there,” she said.

The Thompson Rivers Parks and Rec Office acknowledges that when school years end or breaks start, there are few communities for kids to join, so they want to provide a space for kids and adults to continue playing.

In terms of a young adult age limit at Thompson River Parks and Recreation, they are focusing on ages 18 to about 25 but are willing to adapt their setup to whoever is interested in playing.

The hardest challenge in creating D&D camps is bringing the necessary number of people to play. More people often sign up than a space can hold, so more campaigns and games have to be created. Finding more help to lead each session can be difficult.

To alleviate burnout in camps for kids playing Dungeons and Dragons, Wilson finds that movement breaks and snack breaks help break up time in the game.

In the world of D&D, Wilson advises making sure that there is a game master who is patient, kind, and supportive. He points out that some game masters see leading the game as a way to control a group and a story, rather than collaborating and using creativity.

D&D is currently being offered by Thompson River Parks and Recreation as a new activity. They are flexible with schedules and ages and hope the community can enjoy this game together.

For more information on how to get involved, contact TRPR at 970-660-8750.

A wall is a wall is a wall, until you put some art on it. Then it becomes the healing power of paint.

That’s the goal of 15-year-old Heather Mazur of Johnstown, who is finishing up the requirements to achieve the Girl Scout Gold Award – the equivalent of Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts. Mazur, who will be a sophomore at Roosevelt High School this fall, has spent most of her summer painting murals at the Cottage Collective in Milliken.

The Cottage Collective, located at 266 S. Irene Avenue, is a one-stop shop for clothing, food and basic necessities for students in the Weld RE5J School District. Additionally, Johnstown and Milliken residents can shop for clothing and food.

Going for the Gold Award is no small feat. When done, Mazur will have committed 80 hours to the project. Only 5.4 percent of eligible Girl Scouts earn the award. Other notable recipients include Illinois United States Senator Tammy Duckworth, supermodel Tyra Banks and award-winning actress Dakota Fanning.

And oh yes, also Mazur’s mother, Heidi, who signed her daughter up for Girl Scouts when she was in kindergarten.

Part of the process for achieving the award is addressing a global issue. Mazur took on how art increases mental wellbeing. On the website she developed as part of the project, she writes, “Art is like exercise for your feelings.”

When kids draw, paint, dance, sing, or make thing their brains light up in happy ways. She goes on the say list some ways art impacts us: Art helps you relax – When you focus on colors, shapes, or making something, your brain slows down and your body feels calmer.

Art helps you express feelings – Sometimes feelings are hard to talk about. Art lets you show them with pictures, colors, or movement.

Art makes your brain stronger – Creating art helps your brain practice problem- solving, imagination, and paying attention.

Art boosts confidence – Finishing a drawing or project makes kids feel proud and brave enough to try new things.

Art helps you connect with others – Making art with friends or family helps kids feel included, supported, and part of a team.

Mazur also conducted a survey on the website that seems to prove out her theories. According to her research, 95 percent said that artwork in your community can improve people’s mood or mental wellbeing (by feeling happier or calmer, for example). Eighty-five percent said that artwork in a public space encourages you to spend more time there. Seventy-eight percent said that these murals improve the feeling of the space at The Cottage Collective a great deal. After seeing the transformation of art in the Cottage Collective, 76 percent said it made them feel happier. And 90 percent said that they would like to see more public art in community spaces in the Johnstown/Milliken area.

Ali Ham, with Weld RE5J that runs the Cottage Collective, said Heather and her mother approached her last spring about wanting to do something to help. “With Heather’s love of art, I told her the Cottage could use some love,” Ham said. “Heather was more than happy to do some mural work, and it just kept expanding. The effect has been fantastic. It brings new life to the space.”

Ham described Mazur as “incredible for her age.”

“She has a great vision and the ability to articulate that vision. She has made the space so much better than I could have ever dreamed up. We’re just grateful to have community members like her willing to help. I’m excited to see what she does next.”

Mazur said she has been interested in art since elementary school. One of her favorite subjects is drawing dragons. She will conduct a teen art workshop on “How to Draw a Dragon” on September 2 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Glenn A. Jones Memorial Library.

“I’ve just always been fascinated by them,” she said. “When I was a kid, I hated dinosaurs because I thought they were just a rip off of dragons. I guess I’ve always been interested in drawing magical creatures with wings that can breathe fire.”

As part of her project, Mazur has also tried to help others with their art. Over the summer she has collected well over 1,000 art supplies from the community including paint, paint brushes, easels, canvases, paper, crayons, scissors and glue, and markers to be donated to the community for inspiring artists.

“What I’ve come to realize is that there are a lot of families out there that need art supplies, but maybe they can’t afford them,” she said.

And what are Mazur’s thoughts on AI generated art?

“I have grown a deep hatred,” she deadpanned.

“It (AI art) is just a quick way to get art for people who don’t know how long it really takes to create,” she said. “I’m inspired by artists that take their time to create something that looks really good.”

And which makes you feel really good.

Johnstown 55+ Scene Calendar

July 30: T’ai Chi Chih in Parish Park 10:00 a.m.

July 31: Exercise 9:15 a.m.

Aug. 3: Happy Monday! Aug. 4: Exercise 9:15 a.m.; Chats & Crafts 10:00 a.m.; JSC Board Meeting 10:30 a.m.

Aug. 5: Friendly Fork Meal: Shepherd’s pie, wheat roll with butter, side salad with low-fat ranch dressing, pear, 2% milk 11:30 a.m.;

Cards & Pool 12:30 p.m.

Aug. 6: Friendly Fork volunteer training 9:00 a.m.; T’ai Chi Chih in Parish Park 10:00 a.m.; Brewery Outing 1:30 p.m.

Aug. 7: Balance Exercises 9:15 a.m.

Hours vary based on scheduled events. Feel free to call before you come in or visit our website at johnstownco. gov/seniorcenter Holly Darby

970-587-5251 hdarby@johnstownco.gov

Milliken 55+ Calendar July 30: Tai Chi 10 a.m.; Toe Time $35.00. Appointment required. Call Dawn 970-660-5035 July 31: Matter of Balance 9 a.m.; WII Games and Cornhole 10:15 a.m.; Menu: Chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes with country gravy, roasted vegetables, apples; Cards / Pool after lunch; Strong People 3 p.m.

Aug. 3: Matter of Balance 9 a.m.; Watermelon Friend- ship Day; Menu: Chicken alfredo over wheat penne, herb breadstick, Capri vegetables, honeydew; Cards / Pool after lunch; Strong People 3 p.m.

Aug. 4: Tai Chi 10 a.m. Aug. 6: Tai Chi 10 a.m.; Book Club 10 a.m.

Upcoming events: Aug. 6: Field Trip to Denver Firefi ghter Museum. Cost $10 for museum entry payable at location. Reservation required. Contact Dawn, 970-6605035. Bus departs 10 a.m. $2 fee required; Aug. 7: Water Gun Painting 10 a.m. – Call Dawn for reservation, 970660-5035, cost $3.00; Aug. 11: Lunch outing to Big Bear Potatoes, Longmont. Participants responsible for own lunch. Bus departs 11 a.m., $2 fee required.

Kathy Kindsfather

970-660-5040 kkindsfather@millikenco.gov

The latest evidence is a new poll in the closely watched Democratic primary for a Senate seat in Michigan. The AOC-endorsed, Israel-hating insurgent, Abdul El-Sayed, has had momentum, but is now narrowly trailing the establishment candidate, Haley Stevens. According to a Detroit News survey, Stevens is ahead by about seven points, with demographic advantages that are very telling.

Stevens, a goofy white lady, leads El-Sayed by a 3-to-1 margin among black voters. On the other hand, El-Sayed, a person of color fully vested in the left’s Third Worldist agenda, leads among white voters, 51-39 percent. Stevens, a career apparatchik and politician, leads among non-college-educated voters, 5634 percent, whereas El-Sayed, who has been endorsed by the Working Families Party, is ahead with college-educated voters, 48-41.

The respective strengths of the two candidates run against the grain of what you might expect in a race between a conventional Democrat and a radical, yet accord with what we’ve seen in campaign after campaign.

Socialists may imagine themselves the champions of people of color and of workers, but their movement is, by and large, most attractive to Caucasian associate professors of sociology who think they haven’t achieved the station in life that they deserve.

It’s less a proletarian phenomenon than a project of frustrated Ph.D. candidates and medium-level professionals. Because many socialist candidates have immigrant backgrounds, it can be tempting to consider the movement as fundamentally a function of immigration, when that’s not true.

A 2021 survey of DSA members found that they were disproportionately white, at 85 percent, and disproportionately had college degrees (80 percent) or a higher degree (35 percent). This leaves them in a similar predicament to pioneering communists and socialists in Europe who talked up the prospect of a worker revolution, and then looked around the room and saw no workers, only intellectuals and activists like themselves.

The good news for DSAaligned candidates is that college- educated white people are very reliable voters who can make a big difference in the kind of low-turnout primaries where anti-establishment, leftwing candidates thrive. A recent analysis in The New York Times noted that Zohran Mamdani- endorsed socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat in a marquee New York City congressional primary while winning high-education and higher-income areas; Espaillat, in contrast, won in majority-Hispanic and lower-income areas.

Another Mamdani pick, Brad Lander, similarly wiped up in high-income and high-education areas while crushing Rep. Dan Goldman, whose strong performance in low-income parts of the district didn’t save him. Socialistic economics may have appeal to working-class voters in theory, but the DSA couples its economics with extreme views on cultural issues that have very little appeal with non-college-educated voters. Tax the rich? Sure. Transcend the gender binary? No, thanks – whatever that means.

That the average black Democrat is more moderate and pragmatic than the average white Democrat may prove the ultimate check on whether an AOC-type candidate can claim the big prize of the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028. It’s one thing to appeal to the so-called Commie Belt in New York City, the young, highly educated, diverse neighborhoods in Queens and Brooklyn that so strongly backed Zohran Mamdani; it’s quite another to win over the older, religious African American voters in, say, South Carolina’s I-95 Black Belt.

In the 2020 primaries, Bernie Sanders ran a campaign of great verve and ideological energy, while Joe Biden stumbled from one early setback to another – yet, black Democrats decided that the former vice president was the safer choice, and that was the end of Sanders. In short, the workers of the world may one day unite, but not behind a socialist vessel for the grievances of ideologically exotic, college- educated white people.

Rich Lowry is editor of the National Review. (c) 2026 by King Features Synd., Inc.

I am writing to express my concerns regarding the actions taken at the Town Council meeting on July 20, 2026.

At that meeting, the Council approved the creation of a Data Center Citizens Advisory Committee, consisting of seven Johnstown residents selected through an open application process. The Committee is intended to operate independently of the Town Council and evaluate all aspects of potential data center development, consider public and expert input, and submit a written report with recommendations – including proposed regulations and development standards – to the Council. One member of town staff would provide administrative oversight.

At the same meeting, the Council approved the Johnstown Public Art Plan. That Plan was the product of substantial and deliberate work by a steering committee, town staff, and Council members serving at the time. The process included stakeholder interviews, focus groups, community engagement pop-ups, community surveys, steering committee workshops, and two Town Council sessions.

In contrast, the Data Center Citizens Advisory Committee appeared to be added to the July 20, 2026, agenda late in the process. Because data centers can have major, longterm effects on our community, it is essential that the Advisory Committee be given the time, resources, and level of engagement needed to produce thoughtful, well-informed recommendations – not recommendations that refl ect a rushed or reactive effort.

Given the critical nature of data center proposals, the strong level of public interest, and the importance of sound decision-making, I urge the Council to ensure that the Data Center Citizens Advisory Committee is supported with the same seriousness, transparency, and commitment refl ected in the development of the Public Art Plan. This will help ensure the Committee’s recommendations reflect the best interests of the citizens of Johnstown.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I appreciate the Council’s commitment to responsible governance and meaningful public involvement.

Sincerely, Pauline Migliore Johnstown

The new partnership embeds a North Range Behavioral Health team member directly into Weld County Public Health outreach activities and mobile health operations, helping connect residents to mental health support, behavioral health navigation, case management, crisis support, and community resources.

The initiative is fully funded through support from The Weld Trust and reflects a shared commitment to improving access to care for Weld County residents, particularly in rural and underserved communities.

“Behavioral health access remains an important community health need in Weld County, especially for residents facing transportation, geographic, and other barriers to care,” said Shaun May, Division Director for Public Health Services at Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment. “By integrating behavioral health services into our mobile health outreach efforts, we are working to bring support directly into communities and create more accessible pathways to care.”

Under the agreement, North Range Behavioral Health will provide up to 40 hours per week of behavioral health support services through the mobile health program and outreach activities. Services may include behavioral health consultation, early intervention, psychoeducation, family support, referrals, community resource navigation, and crisis management services.

“This partnership represents the type of collaborative, community-based approach needed to address growing behavioral health needs across Weld County,” said Kim Collins, Chief Executive Officer for North Range Behavioral Health. “Meeting people where they are can make a meaningful difference in connecting individuals and families to care earlier.”

The Public Health Mobile Unit was launched to expand access to preventive and public health services throughout Weld County, with a focus on rural communities, underserved populations, and residents who may face barriers accessing care. The addition of behavioral health services further expands the mobile unit’s ability to provide integrated, community-centered care.

The Weld County Board of County Commissioners approved the agreement in April 2026 following a public work session discussion on the partnership.

“Weld County is a great place because people come together to solve problems and support one another,” said Chair Scott James of the Weld County Board of County Commissioners. “This partnership is another example of what can be accomplished when local organizations work together.”

For more information about the Weld County Public Health Mobile Unit, visit https://www.weld.gov/ Government/Departments/ Health-and-Environment/ Weld-County-Public-Health-Mobile-Unit.

There’s no other written record or resource that compares to the vast and rich collection of local stories recorded in weekly doses by numerous successive owners of the newspaper, delivered each and every week for the past 122 years. The JHS’s goal for this project is to help connect its community with that history, and they’re well on their way to finishing what they’ve started.

Last September, they kicked off the project with a story in The Breeze and an exhibit at the Glenn A. Jones M.D. Memorial Library to bring awareness to this community resource that was established in 1904. The JHS is happy to report that generous donors stepped forward, and there are now several years of The Breeze on Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection’s (CHNC’s) website: coloradohistoricnewspapers. org. A service of the Colorado State Library, the CHNC currently includes more than 8.4 million digitized pages, representing more than 1,035 individual newspaper titles published in Colorado from 1859 to 2025. New titles and issues are added on a regular basis, and the online database is free to the public.

The current years of The Breeze available online are 1907-1910, 1928-1962, and within the next few weeks, it will include 2007-2010. The JHS chose not to go in consecutive order to allow time to investigate options for having some papers re-scanned prior to digitization, if desired, for better quality. They also applied for and received CHNC grant funding for the 20072010 batch.

By the end of this year newspapers from 1907 through 1973 and the years 2007-2010 will be available on CHNC’s website. That’s a total of 73 years and approximately 21,700 pages so far. The JHS owes this progress to its donors and the CHNC.

The Breeze donated the first $1,000 to kick off the project last year, followed by donations from the Milliken Historical Society and individuals in both Johnstown and Milliken.

Sharon Morgan, board president of the Milliken Historical Society (MHS), recognizes the importance of preserving the history of both communities. “If MHS can provide even a bit of financial assistance to a sister museum, we’re willing to help them meet their goal,” she said. “It’s a step-by-step process because of the expense, but our board members are of the mindset to provide some support for Johnstown Historical Society’s much needed project.”

Other significant donors included Ardis Briggs-Tomlinson, who was a past Breeze owner; Billie DeLancey, Parish House Museum Director; and Patty York of Milliken, who is a devoted JHS fan and artifact donor.

The biggest surprise came when the JHS received an envelope in the mail from Cindy Sauer, formerly of Johnstown, that held a check for $15,000. This is likely the largest single donation from one donor that the JHS has received since its incorporation in 1988.

People give for different reasons. When asked of Cindy, what was it about the digitization project that inspired you to give such a sizable donation, she replied, “When I read about it (in The Breeze), I thought this is something that so many people can benefi t from and learn the history of the Johnstown area, and I thought, ‘that’s a good use of the funds.’ It touched me when I read what (the JHS) was doing, and I thought, why not? This is something I can do and help with.”

Cindy and her family also donated the land for the new Roosevelt High School. For Cindy, this family project is the most meaningful one of her philanthropic gifts. She feels both grateful and proud that she is able to pass along some of her good fortune in life to her community.

What makes her beam is when sitting in the RHS football stadium and looking out over the whole community, she feels grateful that she and her children were able to have a part in that progress, she said. She also has a soft spot in her heart for, and generously supports, the Colorado State University (CSU) football team as well as both men’s and women’s basketball.

Additional funding from CHNC through a grant the JHS applied for in February provided $3,750 in funding with a grant match of $750. The Colorado State Library had in their possession hard copies of The Breeze newspapers from 2007-1010 that remained in their inventory after the original Breeze newspapers were scanned back in the early 2000s. CHNC recommended the JHS have those papers digitized with the grant funding, so that all of The Breeze newspapers up to 2010 would be in a permanent electronic format.

Most recently, the JHS board of directors and the three employees took advantage of a challenge presented by Breeze co-owner Lesli Bangert. She and her husband and co-owner Matt Lubich personally offered to match a new collective donation from the JHS up to $1,000. The JHS achieved this goal and it adds $2,000 to the coffer collected so far this year.

We’re on a roll and looking forward to adding more papers through continued fundraising. The JHS would like to take this opportunity to extend an invitation to the Johnstown/ Milliken community to join them in this effort to reach their goal of having the remaining microfilmed reels digitized and made available to anyone in the world for free. They’re more than halfway there, and no donation is too small.

For more of Johnstown’s history, come to the Historic Parish House and Museum to see new artifacts being added regularly. The Parish House, located at 701 Charlotte St., is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and by appointment.

For more information on how to donate to the Johnstown Breeze Digitization Project, email: JHSCOmuseum@ gmail.com or donate directly online at: https://jhsco.org/the-johnstown- breeze-digitization/.

Billie DeLancey is the director of the Parish House Museum.

According to the county, mosquitoes trapped in Zone 2 have tested positive for WNV.

The number of Culex mosquitoes, which carry WNV, is below average for this time of year. Currently, there are no reported human cases of WNV in Weld County. However, officials at the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment expect this to change as the Culex mosquito season expands with the hot weather in July and August. The department will continue to take proactive measures to monitor the virus.

“Increasingly hot weather often creates favorable conditions for the Culex mosquito that carries West Nile virus,” said Jason Chessher, executive director of the Weld County Health Department. “The public needs to remain vigilant because West Nile virus has a permanent summer presence in Colorado.”

West Nile Virus symptoms can appear three to 14 days after an infection. Initial symptoms can include fever, headache, nausea and vomiting, muscle aches and weakness, and rash, but most infected people don’t exhibit any symptoms. If a person develops symptoms, they should see a health care professional immediately. There are no medications to treat or vaccines to prevent WNV infection. Less than 1 percent of infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, neuro- invasive illness.

Health officials recommend following the four “D’s” to prevent mosquito bites: DRAIN standing water around your house weekly. Remember to drain water from tires, cans, flowerpots, clogged rain gutters, rain barrels, toys, and puddles.

DUSK and DAWN are when mosquitoes are most active. Limit outdoor activities and take precautions to prevent mosquito bites during these times.

DEET is an effective ingredient to look for in insect repellents. Other repellents containing picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or para-menthane-diol are also effective against mosquitoes. Always follow the product label instructions carefully.

DRESS in long sleeves and pants, and a hat, in areas where mosquitoes are active.

For more information about preventing mosquito bites and WNV, including a map of mosquito zones and trapping and testing updates, visit www.weld.gov/go/zoonosis.

“It’s never too late to start.” That’s the word from a health professor at a large university on the topic of health behaviors as we age. Specifically she was talking about habits we need to prioritize in our 60s and 70s. The longterm goal: to maintain mobility and our independence as

we age further.

Here are two things they suggest:

Balance - Long-term studies show that seniors who can stand on one leg for 10 seconds or more had lower rates of mortality and falls.

Take at look at the Mayo Clinic site (www.mayoclinic. org). Do a search for “balance exercises” for good ideas on how to get the most out of this. Mayo recommends aiming for holding the balance position for 30 seconds. The biggest benefits are strengthening the legs, ankles and core.

Strength training - It was pointed out that it’s too easy to become weak as we age. Whether we follow the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services guidelines of getting 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a week or we focus on simple at-home exercises combined with daily walking, we just need to do something.

When it comes to how many daily steps we do, that’s going to depend on what “expert source” we read, because they vary. But most agree that if you’ve been very sedentary, try to start with 3,000 to 4,000 steps per day and ease your way up to the 6,000 to 8,000 range. If that seems like too much in a day, break it down into groups of perhaps 10 to 15 minutes at a time. It’s not how many you do all at once; it’s how many you do in a day or a week. It all adds up.

It you’ve been very sedentary, consider checking You-Tube for seated chair exercises. Remember, just do something! (c) 2026 King Features Synd., Inc.

The league, based out of Gering, Nebraska, was born in August 2024 with six founding member teams based in Colorado and Nebraska. It is comprised of summer collegiate wood-bat teams that operate in the same way as a professional minor league baseball team.

“We are proud to announce the addition of Greeley and Johnstown to the league and look forward to working with both cities to launch two great summer collegiate baseball teams as the FRL grows with professionally-operated franchises,” Front Range League President Chuck Heeman said. “Adding two teams in these great locations will allow us to play more Colorado- based teams and we invite all summer collegiate teams to visit us each summer. With our proximity to so much regional baseball talent we also look forward to attracting college ballplayers who want a great summer ball experience.”

The Greeley team will play 20 dates at Butch Butler Field between June 1 and August 8, 2027, and the Johnstown entry (still to be named) will play at home every Friday and Saturday in June and July 2027.

Team names, colors, social media outlets and more will be announced.

The 2027 season is scheduled to start June 1 and end August 8 with a 44-game season planned, followed by a best-of-three Championship Series.

To learn more: www.front rangeleague.com.

Attendees can enjoy demonstrations, stage presentations, giveaways, door prizes, and opportunities to learn about products and services designed specifically for seniors. Caregiver resources will also be available, making the event beneficial for families navigating the challenges and rewards of supporting aging loved ones.

Admission is free, but advance registration is strongly encouraged to help organizers plan for attendance. Only attendees who RSVP will be entered to win the grand prize.

Community businesses and organizations still have an opportunity to participate as sponsors or vendors. Sponsorship packages include booth space, stage presentation opportunities, recognition through the event sound system, door prize participation, logo placement on marketing materials, and additional promotional benefits. Vendor and sponsor registration remains open while space is available.

Register to attend: https:// ConnectedSeniorExpo. eventbrite.com

MILLIKEN – A new Town Manager – and fireworks for Beef ‘N Bean Day – are coming to Milliken.

Those were the two major items of news that came out of the Board of Trustees meeting on July 22.

Due to extremely dry conditions, Milliken announced earlier this summer that the annual fireworks show that traditionally brings Beef ‘N Bean Day to a conclusion would not happen this year. At least week’s meeting trustees discussed the matter again and decided to go ahead with the fireworks by Tri-State Fireworks. Precautions will be taken to reduce fire risk, like cutting the grass, watering down the ground, and more.

Following an executive session towards the end of the meeting the trustees voted to offer the vacant Town Manager position to Greg Brink. Brinck currently serves as assistant town administrator for Eaton and oversees daily operations, infrastructure projects and downtown revitalization. He has over a decade of leadership experience in Colorado municipalities.

Trustees liked his familiarity with Weld County’s challenges, upcoming projects and history.

According to information provided by the Town, “Throughout his career, he (Brink) has secured millions of dollars in grant funding, led complex capital projects, modernized organizational systems, and guided communities through significant challenges and opportunities. Known for his collaborative leadership style, commitment to organizational culture, and focus on employee development, he is dedicated to building strong communities through transparent, responsive, and effective local government.”

Brink previously served as Town Administrator in Cedaredge, Colorado, and holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Colorado Denver and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Kansas.

The other manager finalist was Brian Lujan, who has 25 years of experience in local government, public housing and military service. He recently served as Executive Director of the Alamosa Housing Authority. Additionally, Lujan served as a town manager for Center, Colorado for seven years.

Both candidates were highly qualified, the trustees said, so they also considered how the two candidates interacted with residents during a recent meet and greet. Leadership styles were another factor in making the decision.

Trustee BJ Cummins motioned to offer the town manager position to Brinck, which passed 4-3.

Amanda Nix, Riki Rarick and Elizabeth Austin voted no.

The Town will now have to negotiate a contract with Brink before the deal is finalized.

Milliken’s most recent town manager, Cheryl Powell, served the town for almost three decades before retiring in June. Currently, Steven Krolczyk is serving as interim town manager.

In other business:

-- A younger resident spoke during the public comment period to request more biking trails in Milliken, specifi cally in the Settlers Village neighborhood.

-- The board convened as the liquor license authority to hear two requests. Liquor licenses for Adult Swim Night hosted by TRPR and the Beef N’ Bean Day Beer Garden were approved.

-- A request for the town’s 2025 audit extension was approved.

-- An intergovernmental agreement with Weld County was recertified. The town gets access to apply for various grants through the agreement.

Milliken Town Board meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the community meeting room at the Milliken Police Department. Meetings are open to the public. The next meeting is on August 12.

Matt Lubich contributed to this story.

Data centers are large spaces that house IT infrastructure and are used by cloud service providers to store and manage data.

At the beginning of the meeting, many residents said during public comment that they are not supporting data centers in Johnstown. Speakers cited various reasons, including environmental concerns, energy use, sustainability, noise pollution and more.

The council met last week for a work session to discuss how the town should approach the issue. Many communities across the state have passed various forms of regulation regarding data centers.

Mayor Michael Duncan proposed creating a data center committee made up of interested Johnstown residents who would meet to discuss and research data centers before forwarding their recommendations to the council. Town Council would still have the final vote on items brought by the committee.

Mayor Duncan introduced the item and said that this group is not “for or against data centers.”

Councilmember Damien Berg was tentatively in favor of passing the committee because he said he felt like he didn’t have enough information on the topic.

After some further discussion, Duncan motioned to create the advisory committee consisting of seven Johnstown residents, and the council passed the item unanimously.

In another related item, the council was asked to consider passing a temporary one-year moratorium on data centers in Johnstown. The item came up as a result of the July 13 work session where the council discussed data centers. Milliken already has a one-year moratorium in place.

The moratorium temporarily bans accepting applications for data center development within the town and can be shortened or lengthened in time. The moratorium passed 5-1, with Nick Brashford voting against.

The moratorium will allow the newly established data center committee to do research and offer up regulations for the Town Council. Regulations can include banning them from Johnstown entirely or permitting them as a use in specific zoning districts with guidelines.

Members have not been selected for the committee yet, and more details for interested potential members will be released by the town.

The town council also voted to establish the Johnstown Public Art Plan.

In 2023, the town created the Arts and Cultural Fund to support art and cultural initiatives within the community. The fund receives 40 percent of revenues collected from the Library and Cultural Facilities Development fee. The money can be used to acquire, exhibit and maintain public arts, exhibits, support arts education as well as support cultural or historical programming.

In 2025, the town funded the development of a Public Art Plan and the full plan can be accessed online. The plan’s “vision” is to celebrate the community’s identity through public art.

The Public Art Plan could bring artwork like sculptures, murals, kinetic arts, lightbased works or even performances to the community. Some of the benefits that public art gives to a community include economic growth, strengthened identity, and growing people’s attachment to a place. Additionally, public art supports public health and belonging by creating welcoming environments and opportunities for gathering. The plan included potential public art locations throughout Johnstown as well.

In other business:

Councilmember Jesse Molinar Jr. was absent.

The preliminary plat and rezone for Whitehall Filing No. 2 was passed with some minor amendments. The plat proposed dividing up 163 acres of the property into seven tracts, two outlots and the associated public right-ofway.

Johnstown Town Council meets on the first and third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. in the council meeting room at Town Hall. Meetings are open to the public. The next meeting is August 3.

Johnstown 55+ Scene Calendar

July 23: Breakfast Outing 9:00 a.m.; T’ai Chi Chih in Parish Park 10:00 a.m.; Mah Jongg 1:30 p.m.

July 24: Balance Exercises 9:15 a.m.

July 27: Bunco 1:00 p.m.; Ukulele 1:00 p.m.

July 28: Exercise 9:15 a.m.; Chats & Crafts 10:00 a.m.; Reiki 10:30 a.m.

July 29: Friendly Fork Meal: Chipotle pork with BBQ sauce, potato wedges, carrot raisin salad, orange slices, 2% milk 11:30 a.m.; Bingo, Cards, & Pool 12:30 p.m.

July 30: T’ai Chi Chih in Parish Park 10:00 a.m.

July 31: Exercise 9:15 a.m. Hours vary based on scheduled events. Feel free to call before you come in or visit our website at johnstownco. gov/seniorcenter Holly Darby

970-587-5251 hdarby@johnstownco.gov

Milliken 55+ Calendar July 23: Tai Chi 10 a.m.; Colorado Railroad Museum and Train ride, Golden. $15.00 per person includes train ride and museum entry. Bus departs 9 a.m. Lunch to follow. All participants are responsible for their own lunch cost. Reservations required, space is limited contact Dawn 970-660-5035 July 24: Matter of Balance 9 a.m.; Vic Anderson music presentation 10 a.m.; Meal: Chicken teriyaki side of lite soy sauce, brown fried rice, sesame green beans, mango and almond cookie; Cards/ Pool after lunch; Strong People 3 p.m.

July 27: Matter of Balance 9 a.m.; Bingo 10:15 a.m.; Menu: Chicken Fajita on wheat tortilla with sour cream and Pico de Gallo, refried beans, roasted cauliflower, watermelon; Cards/Pool after lunch; Strong People 3 p.m.

July 28: Tai Chi 10 a.m.; Terry Bison Ranch, $23.00 per person. Pay there. Contact Dawn for reservations as space is limited. Lunch after. Participants responsible for own lunch cost. Bus departs 10 a.m.

All scheduled field trip bus rides will now require a $2.00 fee. When making reservations for field trips that require payment, full payment must be completed at the time of booking. Payments are accepted via cash only; refunds are not available. For long-distance trips (overnight trips or those lasting two hours or longer), an additional fee may apply for transportation. A minimum of five participants is required for all trips.

Upcoming Events: Aug 6: Denver Firefighters Museum, lunch at Cheddars. Admission $10.00 per. Lunch after. Participants responsible for own lunch. Bus departs 10 a.m.

Kathy Kindsfather

970-660-5040 kkindsfather@millikenco.gov

It felt fitting: Nicaragua had been seized and was being run as a family enterprise by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, according to Human Rights Watch. I snatched the book, sensing it would be relevant. What Trump did last week in his primetime address was not a policy speech. It was a page out of that handbook.

On July 16, Trump used a national address to revive claims the 2020 election was tainted, alleging China had covertly obtained 220 million voter files and citing a Department of Homeland Security review claiming roughly 278,000 noncitizens were registered to vote. He closed with a line that sounded protective but read like a threat: “We can never watch a stolen election again.”

None of it held up. NPR reported voter files are largely public records, and a declassified 2021 intelligence report already concluded “we have no indications that any foreign actor attempted to alter any technical aspect of the voting process.”

This was not new information his administration lacked. Trump’s own attorney general, William Barr, told the Associated Press weeks after the 2020 election, “To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome,” and his own Department of Homeland Security called that election “the most secure in American history.”

CBS News found neither Trump nor Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin explained how the administration reached the noncitizen number, and that its method is prone to false positives. David Becker of the Center for Election Innovation and Research said bluntly, “that data includes a ton of people, maybe even a majority of people, who are absolutely eligible voters.” Governor Gavin Newsom rejected the claim outright, saying “they have provided NO evidence,” and Senator Alex Padilla called it “a political stunt built on sham numbers.”

This is the part where the book on my shelf stopped being an abstraction and started reading like a roadmap. Bueno de Mesquita explains why authoritarian election theater exists: “Rigged elections are not about picking leaders. They are not about gaining legitimacy. How can an election be legitimate when its outcome is known before the vote even occurs?”

The book describes the mirror image of what Trump did nationally: a regime rigs a vote while making it look clean, so “observers will easily conclude that elections were free and fair” when “we can all recognize that they were neither really free nor fair” (The Dictator’s Handbook, p. 124). Trump ran that trick in reverse, inheriting a legitimate system and trying to make it look rigged, a cheaper manipulation since manufacturing doubt requires only a microphone and a willingness to lie. The objective is identical either way: make the public stop trusting the count.

Casting doubt on elections is not a side effect of authoritarian rule; it is a core tactic. Protect Democracy’s research on the authoritarian playbook identifies “corrupting elections” as one of seven defining moves wouldbe autocrats use, flagging Trump’s effort to block certification of the 2020 results as a textbook example.

This is not new. We have the private version on tape: on January 2, 2021, Trump called Georgia’s secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, asking him to “find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have, because we won the state.”

Raffensperger refused: “What I knew is that we didn’t have any votes to find.” It is also a documented pattern abroad: Kenneth Roth, former director of Human Rights Watch, noted that after Peru’s 2021 election borrowed the same fraud claims, Trump’s example “creates a bad example that other leaders and countries can follow.”

Researchers have connected these dots. The V-Dem Institute dropped the United States from the 20th most democratic country in the world to 51st, between Slovakia and Greece, and its director Staffan Lindberg did not hedge: “What we are seeing now is the greatest democratic backsliding the country has ever seen.” The rollback that took Orbán four years in Hungary, and a decade for Erdoğan and Modi in Turkey and India, took Trump about one. Manufacturing doubt about elections is part of what makes that speed possible: a public convinced its elections are already compromised is far less likely to mobilize in defense of the ones still ahead.

I did not expect to find a warning this precise on a shelf while an American foreign aid mission burned down around me in Managua. Bueno de Mesquita and Smith were not writing about the United States; they were describing a general theory of political survival that applies with equal force to any country willing to follow its rules. The president stood in the East Room last Thursday and, without evidence his own intelligence agencies say does not exist, told the country it can no longer trust its own democracy.

If Nicaragua, Venezuela, Turkey, and Hungary have taught me anything, the goal was never to fix an election. It was to make sure that when the next one does not go his way, enough people already believe it could not have been legitimate.

Jared O. Bell, PhD, syndicated with PeaceVoice, is a former U.S. diplomat and scholar of human rights and transitional justice, dedicated to advancing global equity and systemic reform.

At the time, Charney was an anthropology faculty member at CSU and deputy coroner for Larimer County. As a physical anthropologist with expertise in human skeletal remains, he was quickly called to help identify flood victims. Through his response, he left his mark on Colorado history. Charney worked with a forensic pathologist, who conducted autopsies to determine cause and manner of death, and a forensic odontologist, a specialized dentist who could compare physical remains to dental records. He would later urge law-enforcement and other agencies nationwide to improve and standardize victim identification using such scientific teams. He also advocated for policies that clearly outlined distinct roles and responsibilities in disaster victim identification.

It took Charney and his team more than two months to identify the flood victims. “It was an amazing contribution to the community,” said Jason LaBelle, an archaeologist in CSU’s Department of Anthropology and Geography. The department offers a minor in forensic anthropology.

“The flood was such a catastrophic event, and the casualties were so high that it propelled him into public awareness,” said LaBelle, who earned his bachelor’s degree in anthropology at CSU and took classes with Charney.

The disaster began the night of July 31, 1976, when a violent thunderstorm stalled over the Big Thompson Canyon west of Loveland, producing a wall of water that raged down the dark canyon. It was Colorado’s statehood centennial, which had drawn hundreds of tourists and campers to the picturesque canyon leading from Loveland to Estes Park; many could not escape the flash flood.

As floodwaters subsided, body recovery began – as did an identification challenge that none of the responders had ever confronted. Many victims were unrecognizable, preventing straightforward identification.

Charney and his colleagues forbade families from viewing the mass of collected corpses in an effort to identify loved ones. “These people have gone through enough trauma,” he told former CSU history Professor David Mc-Comb in an interview a month after the flood, as identification efforts were still underway.

That added to the pressure of making positive identifications by matching physical features, fingerprints, dental records and other distinctive characteristics, he explained. Charney also used a portable X-ray machine, now housed at the Loveland Museum, that allowed him to identify victims through, for instance, the healed fracture of a broken leg, a surgical hip replacement and the embedded BBs from an air-rifle accident. In some cases, he relied on his knowledge of bones and bone fragments to determine age, sex, ancestry and height.

“We don’t want to make mistakes because you’re dealing with people with extreme emotions,” he said in the oral history interview, held by the CSU Libraries. “I see my job as a scientific expert who can identify bodies with certainty and tell somebody, this is your husband, this is your brother, this is your uncle, your sister. I’m bringing to this work everything I’ve ever learned about this, and I’ve got to do as good a job as possible.”

When the flood occurred, Charney was 65 years old and had four decades of experience identifying human remains for law enforcement and other agencies, including the Texas Rangers. But he had never responded to a disaster with mass casualties.

Yet he and his colleagues soon consulted with public agencies across the country to explain the responsibilities and logistics they undertook so that others could use the practices in times of tragedy.

To further that work, Charney – in his role as a professor emeritus – established the Center for Human Identification at CSU in 1979. The university later closed the center as it emphasized other disciplines in anthropology.

Through the center, Charney consulted on many cases, conducted research related to body identification, and taught students skills including forensic facial reconstruction to aid with identifi-cation. Through the center, he also pushed for change, such as improved practices used by the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps Laboratory to identify servicemen killed in the Vietnam War.

As a teacher, Charney helped CSU students understand the estimations they could glean from the study of skeletons, said Diane France, a board-certified forensic anthropologist with a private laboratory in Fort Collins. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from CSU and assisted Charney in his campus laboratory before going on to earn a doctorate.

Charney’s laboratory was in a campus building called the Potting Shed off Laurel Street. People knew “the doctor was in” when they saw his parked white Porsche convertible with rusting side panels, according to a remembrance from Northern Colorado History.

In 1998, Charney died at the age of 86 at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Denver from complications of asthma.

Interested applicants for this volunteer position should submit a letter to the council stating their interest in the position and include any relevant qualifications. Applicants should also include a current resume with their submission.

Letters should be received at the County Council office no later than 5 p.m. on August 10. To be eligible for this position an applicant must have resided in Weld County for a consecutive period of not less than one year and be an eligible elector. The applicant must also be at least 21 years of age before assuming office and cannot be a county employee. Applicants for District 2 are required to reside in District 2 of Weld County.

Interested persons should submit their letter and resume to the Weld County Council by mail, P.O. Box 758, Greeley, CO 80632; hand deliver it to the Council, c/o Weld County Human Resources Offi ce located at the County Administration Building, 1150 O Street, Greeley, Colorado; or via email at countycouncil@ weld.gov. The council will schedule in-person applicant interviews for August 17 at the Weld County Administration Building in Greeley.

The incoming Council member will be appointed to serve beginning September 21, 2026, through the end of Councilwoman Teksten’s elected term, December 31, 2026.

The Weld County Council consists of five nonpartisan elected members, one representing each district and two at-large members. The council, created with the adoption of the Weld County Home Rule Charter, is a distinctive organization offering citizens of Weld County the opportunity to participate in county government.

In addition to reviewing all aspects of county government, the council has five primary functions described in the Weld County Home Rule Charter: 1) to set salaries of elected officials; 2) to fill vacancies on the Board of County Commissioners; 3) to suspend public officials charged with a crime; 4) to review confl icts of interest within county government; and 5) to consider requests from the Board of County Commissioners to grant an increased mill levy.

Weld County residents are welcome to attend council meetings to discuss ideas or concerns regarding county government. The council meets the third Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Weld County Administration Building in Greeley. For more information contact the council via email at countycouncil@ weld.com or by phone at 970-356-4000 x 4780.

The public is invited to join the Johnstown Historical Society and the YMCA for a free two-day genealogy workshop to learn both traditional research techniques and today’s latest AI and DNA tools to uncover your family’s past. The workshop will be held August 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. and August 8 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Johnstown Community YMCA. This workshop is part of the historical society’s efforts in 2026 to commemorate America’s 250th and Colorado’s 150th anniversaries, and it will help you explore how your family stories connect to the larger American and Colorado story.

All experience levels are welcome. Please bring a laptop or tablet and any information you’ve gathered on one or two ancestors – or simply come to listen, learn, and be inspired.

You can register by going to: https://jhsco.org/events/ family-genealogy-workshop- event/.

District general manager Sal Pace said Monday a limited service line between Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins would still be ready to open in three years even if the board declines going to a vote this year, or if voters reject the sales tax hike. Colorado’s statewide sales tax rate is 2.9 cents per dollar, though most local communities pay more for city government, local transit or other services.

Limited rail service for 2029 would send three roundtrip trains a day on the Denver to Fort Collins corridor, with the route heading northwest to Boulder and Longmont on the way to Larimer County. Fares are projected to be somewhat higher than local transit fares and will increase for longer distances traveled, the rail agency said in releasing a draft plan for the board to act on in August. Current RTD rail tickets are $2.75 for a three-hour pass, $5.50 for a day pass, and $10 for a day pass to and from Denver International Airport.

The rail agency says it can build out stations, buy train cars and prepare other services for the limited opening phase without the additional sales tax. The $332 million limited phase cost would come from a state transportation innovation fund built up by various fees, and RTD money set aside for FasTracks rail lines north of Denver that were never built. The state and RTD would split the $30 million to $36 million annual operating costs for that phase.

Full buildout down to Colorado Springs and Pueblo under the proposed sales tax would take a total of $2.7 billion for the newly named CoCo or Colorado Connector, and take five years from the vote to complete. The fully funded system would also feature more frequent service throughout the route. The full system would take $85 million to $116 million annually to operate.

Amtrak, experienced in inner city rail service, would operate CoCo for the rail district, the draft plan says.

Rail advocates are not advertising CoCo as a commuter rail line. The draft plan says only 11 percent of expected ridership would be work-related. A plurality of riders would jump on for entertainment or sports venues, the draft says. Another significant portion would be traveling to see family.

A fully built system should attract 2,300 daily trips between Denver and Fort Collins, though far fewer on the Denver to Pueblo segment. The rail agency’s planners used accepted national demographic formulas to predict ridership, based on metro area populations and growth of interest across America in passenger rail, Pace said.

The critical moments for long-studied Front Range Passenger Rail come as other transit options are in economic and cultural flux. RTD has in recent year lost 40 percent of its ridership among 3 million metro Denver residents, and has a budget deficit of more than $200 million to close. The agency, one of the largest west of the Mississippi, is calculating the consequences of potentially drastic service cuts ranging from 10 percent to 20 percent of the system’s routes and frequency.

Most of RTD’s funding comes from a 1 cent per dollar sales tax in its metro service area. In Denver and its suburbs, the Front Range district overlaps with RTD communities. The Front Range district has been reshaped so that only the communities where stations are planned will be taxed and have the right to vote on the new sales tax. Those include cities or communities from Pueblo to Sterling Ranch to Denver, Westminster, Louisville, Boulder, Loveland, Fort Collins and more.

Bustang, the long-distance passenger service managed by the Colorado Department of Transportation, has thrived in ridership growth, but operates at steep losses with ticket sales covering only a fraction of costs. State officials have been searching for revenue to fill gaps left by an end to some federal and state support.

The Front Range connector will be different, Pace said Monday, because planners have crafted budget savings and not overpromised service areas in the way FasTracks did. Instead of building expensive, dedicated rail lines, CoCo will run on existing privately held lines operated by BNSF and Union Pacific. The agency has already negotiated costs and complex sharing agreements with the railroads.

If a Front Range rail vote takes place and passes, $1.5 billion of the projected revenue would go to the cities hosting stops along the route for station development and other transit needs, Pace said.

The agency’s optimism about public acceptance remains high. “Ultimately, we have a plan of reaching New Mexico and Cheyenne, Wyoming,” Pace said.

This story originally ran on The Colorado Sun (coloradosun. com).

The organization’s seventh annual Pulse poll measured people’s attitudes on various concerns in the state. Respondents pointed to government, the cost of living and housing affordability as their top concerns, with a 12 percent bump in people naming the cost of living as a top concern. Eighty-five percent said housing costs and the cost of living were either extremely or very serious, and 82 percent said the same of healthcare costs.

The poll was conducted in the spring, and researchers contacted 2,240 people. The results have a 3.2 percent margin of error with 95 percent confidence.

“Rising costs are still a major concern for Coloradans,” Lucia Del Puppo, senior vice president at FM3 Research and Democratic pollster said in a statement. “After some slight improvements in 2025, those hardships have returned to prior levels, suggesting that recent cost increases have wiped out the improvements people saw when inflation eased.”

Nearly half of those polled said they postponed medical or dental care in the past year, and 29 percent said they delayed mental health care because of financial anxiety and rising costs. Nearly 75 percent of people reported cutting back on recreational and entertainment spending to help their budgets.

Of the 65 percent of people who said the cost of health care for their family increased over the past year, most were from the Denver metro area, but smaller shares were from the Colorado Springs area and the Western Slope. About 6 in 10 people said they were dissatisfi ed with the out-of-pocket expenses for their health care, like co-pays and deductibles, and nearly half are not happy with wait times to see a provider. The cost of healthcare was a bigger concern in the Eastern Plains.

In the state government category, poll respondents were most satisfied with efforts to make Colorado a safe and welcoming place. About 68 percent are not happy with the government’s ability to ensure effective use of taxes, with Republicans more likely to be very dissatisfied. There was also major dissatisfaction with how the government is responding to economic concerns.

“Coloradoans are generally dissatisfied with how the government is performing on these goals,” Del Puppo said during a briefing. “The one that they were net positive on was making Colorado a safe and welcoming place for everyone who lives here. But again, that was plus four points. It was pretty close.”

One-third of respondents said they worry about affording rent or their mortgage, a figure that has trended up since the first poll in 2020. Over half of renters worry, compared to 23 percent of homeowners.

Renters are increasingly likely to avoid asking their landlords to fix issues out of fear of rent increases. They also partake in other coping mechanisms to pay housing costs such as 28 percent working multiple jobs, 21 percent falling behind on other payments, and 24 percent taking on credit card debt. Among all Coloradans, 76 percent blamed high housing costs on stagnant wages and 69 percent blame private investors buying homes and apartments for profit. There was also a partisan split on where to place blame for high costs: 65 percent of Republicans said that government regulations make housing more expensive, compared to 30 percent of Democrats.

Around two-thirds of people said they are worried about being able to afford living in Colorado in the future, however, most people said they are likely to recommend Colorado as a place to live, with 20 percent saying they are very likely to do so and 14 percent saying they are not at all likely.

“There’s a little bit of a division there, and people feeling intensely,” Del Puppo said. “But in general, it’s a net positive recommendation and likelihood of recommending Colorado.”

This story originally ran on Colorado Newsline (coloradonewsline. com).

• One acre of peanuts can make 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches.

• The first Europeans to discover the Great Lakes named them the “Sweetwater Seas” and believed that China bordered their shores.

• The skin of a jellyfish is so thin that the animal can

breathe through it.

• Between 1930 and 1935, nearly 750,000 American farms were lost through bankruptcy or sheriff sales.

• A man once sued Anheuser- Busch with the claim that the company’s ads misrepresented his potential attractiveness to the opposite sex, if he would just drink their beer.

• The Persian epic “Explanation of Chatrang and the Invention of Nard” tells the story of chess being introduced to the royal court by an envoy from India.

(c) 2026 King Features Synd., Inc.