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SENTINEL EXPRESS C O M M E R C E

VOLUME 35 32

C I T Y

50cI

ISSUE48 3 ISSUE

WEEK ,OFNJOVEMBER ANUARY 19, TUESDAY 24,2023 2020

New COVID-19 restrictions will prohibit indoor dining, personalCouncil gatherings

appoints Millard-Chacon to Ward 3 seat

Our in-depth look at the housing crisis

BY SCOTT TAYLOR STAYLOR@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Trickling up:

A long line of cars outside the city of Brighton’s rapid testing site at Riverdale Regional Park. The site has had to close early many days in recent weeks due to high demand. Adams County’s 14-day test positivity rate was 15.9 percent, as of Nov. 17, according to Tri-County Health Department. How housing is becoming less affordable for more Coloradans Brighton and Commerce City’s test positivity rates were both higher than 13 percent. Forty-five people in Brightonsaid. and 29 in Commerce City have BY TAYLER SHAW AND LUKE ZARZECKI died from COVID-19 related Toelimit the spread of COVID-19, COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIAhealth issues. Th rising cost of housing in the Denver area made itindoor difficult at least 15 counties moved to tighter restrictions thathas prohibits and A home means everything to for her to afford a home. She spent personal gatherings. Shelley Gilson, a 50-year-old single years bounding around working mother of three girls who works as for low pay, including to several a guest service agent at an airline. affordable housing communities “It’s one word: priceless,” she across thePhoto state. by Belen Ward

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By Ellis Arnold Colorado Community Media

As Denver metro counties continue to inch closer to local orders Eventually, morestay-at-home than a decade ago, she found a system home of at coronavirusOrchard under Colorado’s Crossing Apartments Westminrelated restrictions, the in state announced ster. It is an affordable housing a new level of rules that prohibits indoor community that includes Section dining and personal gatherings — a 8 housing, the federal government change that applies to the majority program that provides vouchersoftothe low-income disabled Denver metrofamilies, area and the many counties in and elderly. other regions. The state’s COVID-19 SEE TRICKLING UP, P5dial, which has been in effect since September, is the set of different levels of restrictions that each

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LOCAL 3 2 • City tenders invite LOCAL •27J Schools moves 5 6 to Tuskegee OBITUARIES OBITUARIES Airmen online-only Dec. 1 LEGALS CLASSIFIEDS 8 8 • Page 3 11 10 CLASSIFIED LEGALS

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BUSINESS • Vestas to lay off 200

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A cultural educator targeting environmental racism in Commerce City became the newest City Councilor for Commerce City’s Ward 3. Councilors voted unanimously at their special Jan. 9 meeting to appoint Renee Millard-Chacon to replace Rick Davis, who resigned in December. “I want to change the status quo,” she said. “We cannot accept business as usual anymore.” Councilors interviewed six candidates to fill the spot, including one, Cassie Ratliff, who withdrew her application in favor of Millard-Chacon. “I humbly withdraw my application for Ward 3 city council and encourage this council to vote for Renee Chacon,” Ratliff told councilors. “She has the energy we need. She has the skills necessary to move the needle of equity in our city as she represents the voice of those who cannot speak up.” In her application letter, MillardChacon said she wants to support and educate the Commerce City community. “I come from local indigenous communities and know how crucial representation and equity with analysis to my to community county is is required follow basedimpacton the ed by local and federal severity of a state county’s local virusagenspread. cies balancing modern solutions The dial grew out of theleadership state’s safer-atand compassionate as a home ordershe — wrote. the policy that came after priority,” the stay-at-home this Instatewide her interview Jan. 9,order MillardChacon said it was important forof spring and allowed numerous types councilors to select an indigenous businesses to reopen. person to fill the spot. The state recently to had coloran “Commerce City switched has never identifiers — levels blue, yellow and indigenous representative, here, on orange rather thanshe numbered levels my homeland,” said. “My has— to been here for generations before avoid confusion. Until Nov. 17, level red Colorado was even aorder. state.” meant a stay-at-home Now, level But she said her main concern red — “severe risk” — is the secondis environmental equity. She has served on the Environmental Justice Please see RESTRICTIONS, Page 2 SEE CHACON, P2