WEEK OF MARCH 6, 2025
VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 36
FREE
Lawmakers offer more mental health help for youth
BUSINESS ROUNDUP
Bills tackle insurance coverage and cell phone use in schools
JEFFCO RESIDENTS TOUR P2 FUTURE LIBRARY
‘DETOUR’ MAKES WAY THROUGH DENVER ART P10 SCENE
BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The school building was built in 1882, pictured here not too far after.
COURTESY ARVADA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Schooled in history
Restaurant turns 10 with original team members still on board BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
ARVADA GIRLS HOCKEY HAS BIG FIRST YEAR P16
2025
VOTING STARTS
NOW!
Over 140 years after one of Arvada’s oldest buildings was constructed, a new legacy is beginning to take shape. School House Kitchen and Libations — located, fittingly, in the city’s first schoolhouse — has carved out a niche as one of Olde Town Arvada’s restaurant staples with the help of some longtime employees. In February, School House marked a decade in business, thanks in large part to two employees that Owner Scott Spears calls “the glue that holds the School House together,” Kitchen Manager Paula Hotaling and General Manager Andy Busold, who have been with the restaurant since opening day. Part of what’s kept Hotaling and Busold in the fold so long is the camaraderie of Olde Town Arvada. “I love the feeling of community, both inside the restaurant and throughout Olde Town Arvada,” Busold said. “Our staff is a fun-loving team of great people. They are the reason I enjoy coming to work each day. Making new con-
nections, meeting people from all walks of life, and having interesting conversations are some of the reasons I love my job. “My wife knows that if I say I’m on my way home, to expect 30 minutes or more, because I always get ‘caught up in conversation,’ ” Busold continued. “Olde Town Arvada has always felt like a small town within a big city. You can’t go down the street without seeing someone you know.” While the story of the schoolhouse building goes back to 1882, the restaurant’s history is a bit more recent. Spears, who also owns Scrumptious in Olde Town, was looking to build off the sweet shop’s success and believed he found the perfect location. “We purchased the building, as it is one of the most amazing and historic buildings in Arvada,” Spears said. “The location of it is amazing, and it really felt like a hub of town. We had a lot of success with Scrumptious in Olde Town and wanted to keep helping the community grow.”
FASHION TRUCK SETS UP MERMAID WALKING SHOP P4 MISSION BBQ COMING TO OLDE TOWN P10
VOICES: 8 | LIFE: 10 | CALENDAR: 13 | SPORTS: 16
SEE HISTORY, P23
Legislation aimed at improving the mental health of Colorado’s children is gaining ground after garnering bipartisan support among lawmakers, say bill advocates. “I think everyone is aware that there is a mental health crisis among our kids,” said Zach Zaslow, VP of Community Health and Advocacy at Children’s Hospital Colorado. “I think (lawmakers) are stepping up to be helpful in fighting this crisis.” Zaslow, Dr. Lauren Eckhart, clinical director for the Colorado Springs division of the Pediatric Mental Health Institute at Children’s Hospital Colorado and about 100 parents, health care providers and primary care physicians were at the State Capitol to hail the passage of two key bills — HB 25 1002 and HB 251135. Both measures passed the State House and now are headed for Senate hearings before they are voted on by the whole legislature. Zaslow said neither measure costs taxpayers but could likely save lives in the long term. HB 1002 tries to cut the disparities between standard physical health and mental health benefits. The measure would ensure private health insurance carriers are not denying coverage for medically necessary mental health and substance abuse services that a healthcare provider has prescribed and that should be covered under the patient’s health plan, according to the legislation. Advocates point to a report by health policy consultants Milliman that says that more than 75 percent of Coloradans with commercial insurance who have been diagnosed with a mental health condition have not received the care they need over the past year. There is still a “stigma” surrounding mental health and an associated reluctance among most insurers to cover its treatment, Zaslow said. SEE MENTAL HEALTH, P6
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