The parched Colorado Trail

Good morning, Colorado. Where I come from, the Iron Bowl between Auburn and Alabama dominates the sports calendar and tears families apart.

I’ve noticed in my few years here that the Rocky Mountain Showdown isn’t quite as intense (even with Deion Sanders’ squad courting all sorts of controversy and adding some vitriol). That’s not a bad thing, as I’m one of many Alabamans who will tell you that football is a little too important in the South.

The annual CSU-CU clash highlights this weekend’s college football schedule, and below in our Opinion section you’ll find an op-ed co-authored by CSU’s president and CU Boulder’s chancellor on how the schools, though rivals, find common ground. As a Southerner, it’s good to know some schools keep sports in perspective.

But before another weekend of football, let’s look at today’s news from The Sun.

Kevin Jeffers

Product Team

P.S. Get your SunFest tickets! We’re just a couple weeks away, and we’d love to have you join the conversations on how we can get to a better Colorado.

THE NEWS

WATER

Is climate change making the Colorado Trail a thirst trap? It’s complicated.

Water supplies along stretches of the Colorado Trail are under more stress as the state faces rising temperatures and prolonged drought. That’s something hikers Heidi Steltzer and Karin Ahern recently found out for themselves, finding no water where their guide book said it was going to be. Shannon Mullane has their story, and looks at how a trail that passes through five river systems can be so uninviting for even experienced hikers.

READ MORE

HOUSING

Does Denver have too many gas stations? City Council pushes new limits to save space for affordable housing.

Some members of the Denver City Council are bringing a proposal forward that would build buffers between new gas stations, mass transit stops and residential housing. It’s part of a movement by some on the council to emphasize building new affordable housing, and providing the space to do it. Michael Booth has more.

READ MORE

CRIME AND COURTS

Teen boy shot by Colorado town council member after looking for a homecoming photo spot on private property, sheriff says

A 17-year-old boy was shot in the face after he and another teen hopped a fence onto private property in Conifer to scope out a good place for homecoming photos, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday. Brent Metz, a member of the Mountain View Town Council, was arrested in the shooting. Jennifer Brown has the details.

READ MORE

WILDFIRE

Loveland man posed as firefighter after sparking Alexander Mountain fire, officials say

Authorities say a 49-year-old Loveland man donned fake gear and posed as a firefighter to get past roadblocks and enter restricted areas as actual firefighters fought the flames he sparked. Jason Alexander Hobby, 49, was arrested Tuesday and faces first-degree arson charges. Olivia Prentzel has more.

READ MORE

MORE NEWS

• Colorado avoided big funding cuts for schools. But relief for districts could be short-lived. A new funding formula — about 30 years in the making — is slated to take effect next year. But, as Erica Breunlin writes, competing priorities and state budget constraints raise questions about pushing it forward.
• Colorado DA who oversaw abandoned prosecution in Suzanne Morphew’s disappearance should be disbarred, panel says. The panel issued a 2-1 ruling Tuesday to disbar 11th District Attorney Linda Stanley, who prosecuted Barry Morphew in the death of his wife, Suzanne Morphew.

Section by Kevin Jeffers | Product Team

COLORADO REPORT

• “We need some government oversight”: Colorado homeowners plan to push for greater HOA reform with rally at state capitol. Organizers say more state intervention is needed to protect homeowners who currently lack options for fighting predatory HOA practices
  — Summit Daily
• Lyft says it will pull bikes and scooters from Denver’s streets, suggesting its future includes docking stations. The company, which is licensed for nearly 3,600 scooters and bikes, currently allows users to park them virtually anywhere in the public right-of-way.
  — The Denver Post ????
• Catalytic converter thefts plummeted in Denver with new laws, lower prices. Thefts have plummeted by 95%.
  — Denverite
• Denver chef speaks out against slaughterhouse ban initiative. “Our state and our communities are always looking to understand how we can support our rural communities,” James Beard Award winning chef Alex Seidel said. “There’s obviously a lot of difference between suburban areas and rural areas, and rural areas struggle. And we’re losing our farms and we’re losing our ability to make food in this country.”
  — Denver Business Journal ????

???? = source has article meter or paywall

Section by Danika Worthington | Presentation Editor

THE OPINION PAGE

COLUMNS

• Kamala Harris easily won the debate against a rattled Trump, but what does she have to do to win the election?  Harris came to the debate with a game plan. Trump came with a list of grievances. Can you guess how that turned out?
  — Mike Littwin 

COMMUNITY

• From battleground to common ground, CSU and CU channel football rivalry to support civic engagement.  University leaders take seriously their role in democracy and developing graduates who engage in civic leadership
  — Amy Parsons, President of Colorado State University
  and Justin Schwartz, Chancellor of the University of Colorado Boulder

The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy and submit columns, suggest writers or provide feedback at opinion@coloradosun.com.

What’s Happening

Sept. 12-18

Colfax Canvas Block Party. Aaron Vega, curator of The People’s Building in Aurora, started the Colfax Canvas Mural Festival four years ago because he was tired of hearing the word “blighted” when people talked about his East Colfax neighborhood. He assembled a team of local muralists like Chelsea Lewinski, Casey Kawaguchi and Detour to paint local shopfronts and alleyways over a mid-summer week that culminated in a daylong block party and series of street art tours.

Since then, Colfax Canvas has generated more than 30 murals in the neighborhood. During this year’s festival, happening all week, nine Colorado artists and one Atlanta-based artist are working collaboratively on four new murals at Mango House, Scorpion Tax, DIA Market and the back of the Vintage Theater.

This year’s block party happens on Saturday and will feature a food court curated by La Victoria Healing Kitchen, a mobile bar with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks on tap, an artisan market, live DJ, guided tours and kids art activities. New this year, the festival is providing a shuttle between Stanley Marketplace and the festival site.

And that’s just the beginning. You can also catch upcoming mural festivals in Boulder, Denver, Fort Collins and Greeley.

Free; noon-5 p.m., Sept. 14; Fletcher Plaza, Aurora

• Small Press Fest. If the words lithography, risograph and offset mean anything to you, then the Fort Collins Small Press Fest is your scene. If they don’t, it’s still worth stopping by to discover work from more than 30 artists of printed matter — think zines, comics, posters, stickers, buttons, poetry and more.
  Free; 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Sept. 14; 316 Willow St., Fort Collins
• Blues and Brews Festival. Three days of music on two main stages, plus a handful of “juke joint shows,” the festival’s name for intimate evening sets played in venues throughout town. A lineup of outdoor activities like hikes, bike rides and morning yoga allow festivalgoers to take full advantage of Telluride in early fall.
  $300 full festival pass; Sept. 13-15; Telluride Town Park, 500 E. Colorado Ave., Telluride
• Festival Latino. Live mural painting and sculpture building, food and craft vendors, and two stages of music to highlight the Latino community of Adams County.
  Free; noon-7 p.m., Sept. 15; Riverdale Regional Park, 9755 Henderson Road, Brighton

Section by Parker Yamasaki | Reporter

See you tomorrow!

— Kevin & the whole staff of The Sun

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Corrections & Clarifications

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