Seems like it was only yesterday when it was Christmas Eve and now it’s Christmas Day. Where does the time go? How quickly 2024 flew by. Time, of course, is that way. But before we focus too much on what’s ahead, let’s look back at our most recent ‘year of living dangerously.’
But before anything, it should be noted that for the last half century—since 1974—LaVozColorado has filled an important and vital niche for Latinos and everyone in Denver and up and down the Front Range.
LaVozColorado has reported on our chats with Presidents, on Denver’s first Latino Mayor, its first African American mayor, too. We have covered the election of Colorado’s first Hispanic U.S. Senator. For five decades, we’ve reported on so many firsts woven into the city’s and state’s amazing Latino tapestry. We’ve written about so many other uplifting and, sadly, heartbreaking moments, as well. The New Year won’t change our mission.
The past year has been dizzyingly fascinating, locally, statewide and, of course, nationally. All of our stories can now be read at the Colorado Historic Newspapers site where it was announced the journalistic history of LaVozColorado will now be memorialized, alongside The Denver Post and the now shuttered Rocky Mountain News.
In March, LaVozColorado spoke with Norma Anderson, a Republican icon, whose name is now preserved in the nation’s history. Anderson, the only woman to lead both houses of the Colorado legislature, is ‘the’ Anderson in the historic Supreme Court case, Trump v Anderson.
Anderson signed her name Colorado’s ruling that barred Donald Trump from appearing on the Colorado ballot because of his role in the January 6th insurrection. The U.S. Supreme Court later ruled Colorado’s and Anderson’s effort unconstitutional.
We also wrote in March about President Biden’s last State of the Union Address and Trinidad’s Temple Aaron. Temple Aaron, once allowed to shrivel into a historic afterthought, rose like a Phoenix and, as it did in its early 20th century heyday, it is once again serving Trinidad and southern Colorado’s Jewish community, albeit on a truncated schedule. It is the second oldest known synagogue in continuous service west of the Mississippi River.
As we left winter ’24, we introduced readers to Val and Vangie Sena, two pioneer educators instrumental in the founding of Denver’s Latin American Educational Foundation, LAEF.
As we hit the mid-year mark, U.S. history was made, and we wrote about it. A New York jury convicted Donald Trump of 34 felonies for concealing money paid to adult film actor, Stormy Daniels. Trump was recently unsuccessful in his request to have the felonies wiped off his record.
LaVozColorado also reported on the election of Mexico’s new president, Claudia Sheinbaum. Pardo is Mexico’s first female and Jewish president.
As July arrived, it marked the beginning of President Biden’s long goodbye. In the Presidential debate between Biden and Trump, Biden stumbled badly. Just weeks later, he withdrew from the race and named Vice President Kamala Harris as heir apparent.
But July’s political heat wasn’t the only heat on people’s minds. Colorado endured one of its hottest Julys on record. But it wasn’t simply July. Temperatures for the previous two months, said Keah Schuenemann, professor of Meteorology at Metropolitan State University Denver, were among the hottest ever recorded over a three-month period. Schuenemann warned that changing weather patterns are reestablishing record temperatures around the world. Look for the trend to continue, she predicted.
In late July LaVozColorado celebrated 50 years in business and published a special 50th Anniversary edition on August 7th.
As summer wound down, LaVozColorado wrote about our population’s paradigm shift impacting three of Colorado’s legacy colleges. Colorado State University-Pueblo, Greeley’s University of Northern Colorado and Metropolitan State University-Denver all now proudly wear the mantle of Hispanic Serving Institutions. Each school now serves Hispanic student populations at or above 25 percent.
We also reported on the undiluted hope placed on the shoulders of Democratic Presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. The Democratic National Convention in Chicago rocked with excitement. It turned out to be the political sugar high that preceded November. More on that to follow.
In September, we reported on one of the most serious and lingering problems in the state’s Latino population. Colorado’s Department of Public Health shared the bad news that Hispanic health is being rocked by too many premature deaths, many from diabetes, liver disease and drug overdoses. Infant mortality and low birth weights also plague our state’s Latino population.
Also in September, LaVozColorado owner and publisher Pauline Rivera was honored by the Denver Press Club as a 2024 selection to its Hall of Fame. Rivera joins some of Denver’s iconic names with this honor, including a number of Pulitzer Prize winners.
As Fall transitioned to winter, the U.S. was hit by not one, but two devastating hurricanes. Hurricanes Helene and Milton ravaged the southeastern United States causing several billion dollars in damage and loss of life. Two major storms in a matter of weeks, said MSU-Denver meteorologist Erin Robinson, may no longer be an anomaly.
“I think this is a reality we all have to address,” Robinson said. “I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of these intense storms, a lot more drought, impact on agriculture, impacts on food systems and impacts on poverty.”
In October, a Latina, Federal Judge Christine Arguello, our state’s first Latina federal judge, was immortalized in a portrait that now hangs in the federal courthouse alongside our state’s other judicial icons. The nearly life-like work of art was painted by Colorado artist Monique Crine. Crine also did the portrait of a former Arguello bench colleague, Wiley Daniel.
November arrived with the second Presidential Election win for Donald Trump. Despite a felony record, Trump won both the popular and Electoral College vote. Inauguration is January 20th, 2025.
The year 2024 now appears almost invisible in history’s rear-view mirror. What it has told us, however, is—just like always—the new year holds as many or more surprises, both good and bad.
From LaVozColorado, Happy Holidays and Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!
