The 27J Schools Board of Education is seeking applicants for a vacant seat following a board director resignation Board directors declared a vacancy at their Oct. 9, 2024 meeting following the resignation of director Annie Jensen, who informed the board she would be stepping down due to personal reasons. Jensen was elected in November 2023 in an unopposed race to serve Director District 6.
Eligible 27J community members are now invited to apply. To qualify, a candidate must be a current resident of School District Director District 6 and be an eligible elector and resident of 27J Schools for at least 12 consecutive months prior to submitting their name for consideration, with their eligibility validated in the books of Adams, Broomfield and Weld County Clerk and Recorder.
The appointed director will serve until November 2025. The director seat would then be up for election in November 2025 for a two-year term and the appointed individual would have the opportunity to seek election.
Key dates:
4:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 31 – Application Materials Due
7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 6 – Interviews conducted
7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 13 – Planned swearing in of new board member
Additional application information and qualification criteria can be found at bit.ly/3Y2Tnjt.
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the State of South Carolina and ordered Federal assistance to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by Tropical Storm Debby from August 4 to August 22, 2024.
Colorado Governor
Governor Polis, Department of Energy Deputy Secretary David Turk, Solid Power CEO and President John Van Scoter and other leaders visited Solid Power to celebrate the historic $50 million in funding the company will receive from the Biden-Harris administration to continue producing the batteries that help power electric vehicles.
Denver Mayor
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston traveled to Mexico City to take part in the eleventh Bloomberg CityLab, a global cities summit where more than 500 mayors and leading policymakers, innovators, and creatives convened to discuss effective local solutions that help shape international policy. They will discuss the experiences of cities experiencing two different sides of the mass migration crisis, lessons learned throughout the process, and effective policies that have helped cities succeed while navigating significant population changes.
Tito Mboweni, the first black central bank governor of South Africa, has passed away at the age of 65. Mboweni was a former anti-apartheid activist and spent nearly 10 years in exile in Lesotho. He also served as South Africa’s finance minister. His family said he suffered a short illness before he passed.
Media banned from discussing Cameroon president’s health
Officials in Cameroon have banned journalists from discussing the health of President Paul Biya. Rumors have recently spread of Biya’s death, which have been denied by Cameroon officials. Biya is 91 and has not been seen in public since Sept. 8 when he attended a forum in China. Several reporters said the consider the ban a violation of press freedom.
Asia
Indian politician killed
Baba Siddique, an Indian politician, was shot and killed by gunmen. He was a former local minister and a key politician in the Maharashtra state. Two people were arrested in connection to his killing, and officials called the incident a “cowardly attack.”
Atomic bomb survivors honored with Nobel Peace Prize
A Japanese group of atomic bomb survivors have been honored with the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize. The group, known as hibakusha, have been recognized by the Norwegian Nobel Committee for efforts to halt the use of and development of nuclear weapons. The organization was created in 1956, more than 10 years after a U.S.bomber dropped a uranium bomb that killed around 140,000 people.
Europe
Ukraine journalist dies in Russia prison
Officials in Moscow have confirmed that Viktoriia Roshchyna, a Ukrainian journalist, has died in a Russian prison. She was detained last year while reporting in Russian-occupied Ukraine. Roshchyna was 27 years old, and this past weekend friends gathered to remember her in central Kyiv.
Latin America
X allowed in Brazil again
Brazilians can now use X again in Brazil. The country’s Supreme Court lifted a ban on the social media platform after the company paid fines and blocked accounts accused of spreading misinformation. In total, X paid $5.1 million worth of fines and agreed to appoint a local representative. Brazil is home to more than 20 million X users.
Mexican mayor murdered
Alejandro Arcos, who just started as mayor of the Mexico city of Chilpancingo, was murdered. He was killed less than a week after taking office. The city is an area affected by drug violence and drug cartels who have killed dozens of politicians across Mexico. Arcos was found dead last weekend and came shortly after the city government’s new secretary, Francisco Tapia, was shot and killed.
North America
Canada to cover cost of contraception and diabetes medication
Canada has passed a new bill that will allow the government to cover the cost of contraception and diabetes drugs. This bill will cover 100 percent of the cost of diabetes and contraception medication for Canadians who do not have drug plan coverage. Now, nearly nine million Canadian women of reproductive age will have access to common types of contraception.
Ethel Kennedy passes
Ethel Kennedy, a human rights advocate and the widow of Robert F. Kennedy, passed away last week at the age of 96. Her family said she suffered a stroke. Kennedy launched the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights foundation while pregnant with her 11th child. President Joe Biden called her a “matriarch of optimism and moral courage” and “an emblem of resilience and service.”
With now only 26 days until the Presidential Election, the debates, both presidential and vice presidential, are over. Of course, with an unpredictable and ever-ready-to-shock candidate like Donald Trump, that pronouncement of no more debates may still be premature. But if it holds true, last Tuesday’s debate was a chance to see opposing VP candidates square off.
“I think the general rule,” said Metropolitan State University-Denver’s Rob Preuhs, “is ‘do no harm.’” Show up, answer questions and don’t make mistakes that might reflect negatively on who’s at the top of the ticket, he says. Preuhs, who heads the MSU-D political science department, says “I don’t know if they move the needle.”
Last Tuesday’s Vice Presidential Debate between Democrat Tim Walz and Republican JD Vance spent most of their 90-minute debate doing exactly that, trying to avoid gaffes. But there were a few times when each pegged the needle.
JD Vance Photo courtesy: congress.gov
One occurred when Vance soberly praised his running mate for “peacefully” handing over power on January 20th,” while somehow neglecting the failed insurrection that took place two weeks before.
On January 6th more than 140 Capitol police were injured, many seriously, hundreds were arrested, one insurrectionist, Ashley Babbitt, was fatally shot as she tried to enter the building. It would neither be Vance’s last unforced error nor his biggest.
With Vance standing camera-left and Walz occupying the other side of the screen, the difference between the two ‘number twos’ could not have been more stark.
Vance, in a bespoke suit, exuded calm and answered moderators with an Ivy League touch, thoughtfully, with an almost surgical precision, though not always substantively nor factually.
Tim Walz Photo courtesy: mn.gov
Walz, on the other hand, appeared nervous, scribbling notes as Vance spoke, as if his written words would blunt Vance’s precisely measured answers. He also belied his ‘Midwest nice’ replacing it with an almost comically clumsy answer on where he was the day of China’s Tienanmen Square army versus protestors showdown Walz has stated repeatedly that he was an eyewitness. This time his answer changed. “I misspoke,” he admitted. He was neither there nor even in the country at the time. “Many times I talk a lot. I will get caught up in the rhetoric…I’m a knucklehead at times,” he pleaded.
Still, while both candidates mostly stuck to the party plea of ‘do no harm,’ answering in platitudes and sometimes dispensing with answers to, instead, pontificate on policy, the debate, said Preuhs, gave the country an idea of who each man was.
“You saw probably what Americans were hoping to see, that is, details on policy,” civility and “toned down attacks to some extent.” The candidates showed discipline, demonstrated collegiality, Preuhs said, and “were able to agree on some things…things that the American public is thinking about.”
Those items, though ranked differently between the parties, include the economy, immigration and women’s health, specifically, abortion. In particular was Vance’s claim that Democrats were OK with ‘after birth’ abortion.’ Birth abortion is infanticide in all states.
Vance’s boss has made immigration, perhaps, the single most prominent thread in his campaign with Haitians his most immediate target followed closely by Mexican, Central and South American immigrants.
Walz’s ticket partner, Kamala Harris, regularly touts a resurging economy while attacking Republicans and the Republican-spiked Trump Supreme Court for killing Roe v Wade, a law that for more than half a century allowed for legal abortions.
What the country witnessed in the Vice Presidential debate were two men, each hueing closely to the party line for nearly the entirety of the hour and a half exchange. But, when they did ‘move the needle,’ it moved and moved wildly.
It moved after Vance had returned to the subject of the Haitian immigrants in his home state of Ohio. Vance misstated, among other things, that Haitians were the cause for exploding housing prices and also mischaracterized their legal immigration status. When his microphone was turned off, and his misstatement clarified, he incredulously addressed moderator Margaret Brennen, “Margaret, the rules were that you weren’t going to fact check.”
Walz had his own moment when, in an effort to address guns and school shootings, he hurriedly blurted out that he “had become friends with school shooters.” His intention, he said, was that he had become ‘friends’ with young people who had experienced school shootings.
The evening’s takeaway, though, belonged to Vance. As the debate wound down and each candidate was rushing to make a final additional point, Walz turned to Vance and asked directly, “Did he (Trump) lose the 2020 election?”
“Tim,” Vance responded stoically. “I’m focused on the future.” The Senator’s answer, at least to his boss, may have been pitch perfect. To Walz, as he looked directly into the camera, “That is a damning non-answer.”
“Republicans are not letting go of that,” said MSU-D’s Preuhs. “It still drives a lot of Republicans to the polls,” witness the fact that 90 percent of Republicans are still concerned about voter fraud. Still, it is things like this, said Preuhs, that “motivate the base.”
Courts, more than 60, have confirmed that the 2020 election was fair and transparent, not entirely perfect and without a glitch or two as most national elections usually are, but well good enough to be considered accurate.
Alex Renteria-Aguilar has fond memories of waking up to the smell of chorizo and eggs in her parent’s southwest Denver home.
On Sundays, her family, which she described as Chicano, would attend church at St Cajetan Catholic Church. And during the week when her parents would work, Renteria-Aguilar would spend time with her grandparents who she said played a big hand in raising her.
Photo courtesy: City and County of Denver
Her grandparents spoke Spanish but chose not to teach the language to family, believing that by doing so, they were protecting their children, she said. So eventually, Renteria-Aguilar learned to speak Spanish during her time at Kennedy High School and the University of Northern Colorado —a skill that has helped lead her to a successful career in communications. “It’s something that is very important — going back to our roots by knowing our native language,” said Renteria-Aguilar.
Today, Renteria-Aguilar serves as the Director of Communications for Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s office. Her previous roles within Denver include working as the Director of Communications at Denver International Airport (DEN) and Manager of Media Relations for Denver Public Schools.
“The mayor’s office is overseeing an actual city with all the departments that keep the wheels turning. If one thing fails, the rest could fail,” said Renteria-Aguilar. “It’s a really interesting job in that we are all working together and collaboratively. What’s been most interesting is I’m part of a new administration.” “It was coming into an organization where people were used to what the city was like for 12 years. A new administration means changes, updates, and a mayor with a brand new vision.”
Already in her role with the city, Renteria-Aguilar has worked on projects involving migrants, the city’s effort to curb homelessness, and a social media campaign for Mayor Johnston highlighting Latino-owned businesses for Hispanic Heritage Month. One of her favorite memories throughout her career was creating a viral moment in which Denver International Airport installed a talking Gargoyle that would talk to people walking by.
In the past, Renteria-Aguilar was named in Airport Business Magazine’s Airport Business Top 40 Under 40. She also graduated from the University of Denver’s Latino Leadership institute and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications Studies from the University of Northern Colorado.
Outside of work, Renteria-Aguilar and her husband are raising a two-year-old daughter Renee and her five-month-old twins Pascal and Ricardo.
For Renteria-Aguilar, Hispanic Heritage Month means passing on her cultural traditions and pride to her children, and hopefully their children, and on and on.
“To me, Hispanic Heritage Month is about finding moments to really celebrate our culture,” said Renteria- Aguilar.
Sports coverage for LaVozColorado has been predominantly about the major professional teams in Colorado. But something remarkable happened this weekend that couldn’t have happened at a better time.
Photo courtesy: @VandyFootball X (Formerly Twitter)
About a six and a half hour drive from Denver south on I-25 will get you to Albuquerque New Mexico, which is where this story begins. Diego Pavia begins his early football career at Volcano Vista High School where he committed to play for New Mexico Military Institute. In 2022 Pavia transferred to New Mexico State and experienced some struggles in his first starts under center.
It wasn’t until his game against the Liberty Flames (Virginia) where NMSU was 24-point underdogs, and Pavia really shined. Pavia led NMSU with 214 yards, three touchdowns and 125 yards rushing. Pavia later led NMSU to a Bowl Game win over Bowling Green in the Quick Lane Bowl and became the bowl MVP.
On December 23, 2023, Pavia announced he would be entering the transfer portal and on January 18, 2024, Pavia and Vanderbilt head coach Jerry Kill, announced his transfer to Vandy.
Over the weekend number 7 Alabama was in Tennessee to face Diego Pavia and the Vanderbilt Commodores (Diego Pavia Y los Vandy Commodores) in what had to have been the greatest feeling for the young New Mexico quarterback.
Vanderbilt came out fast, scoring on their first drive. On Alabama’s ensuing drive, Vanderbilt came up with a pick-six after the ball was deflected, giving Vandy a 13-0 (missed extra-point) lead halfway through the first quarter. Alabama answered before the end of the first quarter with a touchdown of their own cutting the lead to 6.
Vanderbilt led through the entire game with Alabama scoring late in the fourth to cut the lead to five (35-40). Alabama had an opportunity to stop Vanderbilt with just over two minutes to play but it was a first down pick-up by Pavia with 1:10 to play that sealed Alabama’s fate and secured the win for Vanderbilt.
The story of this young man embodies the will and determination that young Latinos have when trying to accomplish their goals.
In other sports the Denver Broncos won their third straight game while also ending their losing streak to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. Sunday’s game started off like many Bronco games of recent, with lots of head scratching and grumbling.
Denver was already down 10-3 when Las Vegas was threatening to score again and Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew rolled out to his left and threw an errant pass to his tight-end which sailed over his head and into the arms of Patrick Surtain II for a 100-yard pick-six.
Denver’s defense dominated while their offense took most of the first half to wake up. Denver beat Las Vegas 34-18.
Next weekend the Broncos will face their divisional opponents, the Las Angeles Chargers on Sunday in Denver at 2:05 p.m. L.A. is coming off a bye week after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs on September 29th (17-10).
There was a time, not that long ago, when Taos, New Mexico, native Anita Graves-Martinez came to a crossroads and decided continuing on the proverbial well-traveled road might not be best for her. It was a combination of things that forced her to reevaluate the direction of her life.
Photo courtesy: Anita Graves-Martinez
“I used to work in advertising,” recalled Graves-Martinez. But one day, she said, “It ended. I just didn’t have a job.” It was a job she’d begun when her daughter was barely two months old.
Out of a job and with no real idea of why, Graves-Martinez found herself in a mid-life quandary. But as focused and her spin slowed, she realized that losing her comfort zone and having to rethink the direction of her life, was both a sign and a blessing.
Today, Graves-Martinez is owner of Barreista Studio in Taos, a full-service health and fitness boutique that offers nutritional counseling, personal training, on-line sessions and a very holistic approach to better mental and physical health. Of course, the path from out-of-work ad professional to certified trainer/nutritionist was not as simple as going from ‘Point A to Point B.’
Before plunging into the health guru/entrepreneurial world, Graves-Martinez did a little self-maintenance—personal, professional and spiritual.
The personal was a matter of reevaluating who she was. While she wasn’t ill, she knew she didn’t feel as good as she could or should. Her path to feeling better started with walking. In no time, “my walks turned into hikes, then runs,” she said. Today, she gushes that “trail running is what I really love.”
The walking, while falling well short of life saving, was life altering and led to dramatic transformation of her own life. “I probably went from size 12 to size 2,” she said. Dropping pounds, of course, is not that difficult when a ‘walk’ entails periodic forays to nearby Wheeler Peak, New Mexico’s highest mountain. Today, a trek to the top of the 13,000-foot mountain is “no big deal,” she says, an understated confidence in her voice. She also hikes with her husband and two children.
In becoming the person she is today, Graves-Martinez also totally retooled her diet, eschewing what is normal fare to most people. First, she said, “I went off dairy,” followed by pork, beef, chicken and turkey. “I also really cut back on sugar,” while, of course, focusing on exercise and education. Now, fully vegan and certified in both exercise and nutrition, the New Mexico native said there are few days when she doesn’t feel at the top of her game, mentally and physically.
Surrounded by mirrors and, of course, ballet bars, Graves- Martinez takes enormous pride in the business she has built. The thousand-square-foot studio that she proudly describes as “absolutely beautiful,” was built entirely “by my husband.” The mirrors invite the Taos sunlight and give it an ‘infinity pool’ and welcoming quality.
But, beyond optics, of course, is the interaction Graves-Martinez has with her clients, many of whom are seasonal Taos residents. But even when they leave to return to their homes, many of which are scattered across the country, she remains connected, regularly ‘zooming’ with them, repeating exercise regimens, discussing nutrition or just spending time.
Her clients, she said, have been instrumental in her adventure. Many of them, she said, are no longer just clients. They have also become friends.
After dedicating so many years to working to improve herself and reaching a point where she’s happy with her life and business, her immediate goal now is to simply enjoy what she has built and, of course, continue adding quality of life to those who have had a hand in her amazing journey.
“I always tell my clients that it’s not always how you look; it’s how you feel.” As seasons change and loyal clients begin their long migrations back to Taos and to the comfort of her studio, Graves-Martinez knows that she is doing exactly what she was destined to do. And what she was always destined to do is not what a light years-ago advertising gig could ever provide.
For more information on Graves-Martinez studio, visit her website at Barreistastudios.com.
David Conde, Senior Consultant for International Programs
Latino Heritage Month this year includes a heavy dose of a womanhood that incorporates human dynamics of the feminine principle asserting its will as a genuine partner in providing direction to the country. On a personal level, Latino Heritage month also includes my mother’s birthday, a day that reminds me that strong women come from all walks of life.
I have many memories of mom (rest in peace) as a leader that solved problems and managed people. One of the many highlights was of her managing crews of men in the Texas cotton fields.
Despite her relatively young age of 27, the stares of men on her beautiful profile and the tough task of weighing the cotton and keeping the books for every individual, her demeanor and presence of authority never left her. Above all, she inspired people to join in special efforts to make a difference in the life of the family and community.
Very recently, LaVozColorado newspaper’s own leader, publisher, editor and owner, Pauline Rivera, was inducted into the Denver Press Club Hall of Fame. Her work to conserve and expand the primacy of the first bilingual newspaper in Denver, despite major challenges throughout its 50-year history, is a model of creativity, persistence and stewardship.
During an era of the diminution of the written press, Pauline Rivera has pushed forward to increase the readership and circulation of the award-winning newspaper statewide. In addition, the digital design has doubled the visitors to its content.
In Mexico, Dr. Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo assumed the presidency of the country on October 1st. She is the first woman President in the 503 years history of the country that began with the invasion and conquest of the Mexico-Tenochtitlan by Spain.
It was only 71 years ago that Mexican women achieved the right to vote. During that time, many of the ideals if not the words enshrined in the Constitution of 1917 fell by the wayside as the social, economic and political elite equated progress with power.
As a university student, young Claudia Sheinbaum joined a movement that would bring the country back to the democratic concepts elaborated in the drive for Mexican independence, the Juarez reforms of the mid-19th Century and the Revolution of 1910. President Sheinbaum was eventually one of the founders of what is called the 4th Transformation, a bloodless revolution that is bringing these reforms to fruition. By a combination of circumstances, Vice President
Kamala Harris surged to the forefront to become the candidate of the Democratic Party for President of the United States in the 2024 election. It is the second time that a powerful woman seeks the highest office in the nation.
The persistence of highly qualified women to answer the call to lead the country is firsthand testimony of the profound changes occurring in American in the 21st Century. Much of the turmoil and division continuing for the foreseeable future is caused by the minority becoming the majority and by woman realizing their destiny.
It is the year of the woman. The fact that Kamala Harris is a woman of color adds to attractiveness in the eyes of the new majority of young people populating America.
The new generation is not only the most diverse in the history of the United States, but also appears committed to each other more than to the ethnic and racial groups from which they come. In this generation, gender is paramount as it seeks to leverage the voices of change. It is the year of the woman.
Photo courtesy: LaVozColorado, The White House, and Claudia Sheinbaum Instagram
The views expressed by David Conde are not necessarily the views of laVozColorado. Comments and responses may be directed to News@lavozcolorado.com.
The LaVozColorado annual Student of the Week (SOTW) program returns. We are excited to once again feature Colorado’s top students from statewide high schools. Featured students are then entered into an opportunity to receive a scholarship.
LaVozColorado’s Student of the Week 2024-2025 program begins October 18, 2024, and will run through mid-May 2025. In mid-June 2025, our internal committee will review nominations and select one student for a scholarship award. Once the winner is selected and confirmed, the selected winner will be featured in mid-June.
We encourage Colorado high school administrators, counselors, and teachers across the state to send us nominations of your top students who deserve public praise and accolades. We would like to remind everyone, including parents, to reach out to your student’s counselors, teachers, coaches etc., about your student.
The Student of the Week program participants have a great opportunity to add their published profile to their student college portfolio and resume.
Our Student of the Week nomination packet is available for download at www.lavozcolorado.com. You may also view last year’s featured students, and the Student of the Week scholarship winner online in the Student of the Week section of our website.
If you have questions about our Student of the Week program, please email Diana Russell at drussell@lavozcolorado.com or Brandon Rivera at Bmrivera@lavozcolorado.com or call us at 303-936-8556.
The Office of the Denver Clerk and Recorder’s Elections Division has published the Ballot Information Booklet for the upcoming General Election. Similar to the State’s Blue Book, the Denver booklet details information about Denver-specific ballot measures and includes public comments in favor of and opposed to the measures. Voters can expand their knowledge about Denver-specific ballot measures, which will help in making informed decisions this election.
Denver is required by law to print and mail all tax issues to every active registered voter’s household, known as the Ballot Issue Notice. This year, Denver measures that are not tax issues will appear in the Ballot Information Booklet which can be found online. This change is saving taxpayers nearly $200,000 in printing and mailing costs. Voters who prefer a printed version of those measures can pick one up at any Denver Public Library branch, any of the 39 Voter Service and Polling Centers across the city, or at the Denver Elections Division main office at 200 W. 14th Ave. Voters can also request one be mailed to them by contacting us via email at elections@denvervotes.org or by phone at 720-913-VOTE.
“By moving non-tax measures online, it allows us to continue to be proper stewards of taxpayer funds, of our environmental impact, and our duty to ensure everyone has the information they need to research and return their ballots.” says Denver Clerk and Recorder Paul López. “I also want to recognize our partnership with the Denver Public Library and thank them for working with us to increase access to the democratic process.”
The Ballot Issue Notice, which includes tax-related measures were mailed to registered voters on Friday, Oct. 4, in advance of ballots being mailed out on Oct. 11. The Office of the Denver Clerk and Recorder encourages Denver voters to return their ballots early using of the city’s 45 secure, 24/7 drop boxes, by mail with two first class postage stamps, or in person at a Voter Service and Polling Center.
To find your nearest Voter Service and Polling Center or for information about the upcoming election, visit denvervotes.org. Source: Office of the Clerk and Recorder
