Serving the community since 1926
WEEK OF JUNE 1, 2023
VOLUME 96 | ISSUE 28
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Honoring the lives of artists and creators
Snowmelt is swelling Colorado’s rivers Much more snow is still waiting in the high country BY SHANNON MULLANE THE COLORADO SUN
of passed loved ones surrounded by vibrant, colorful frames. Silk and plastic flowers also dot the wall and bright lights are strung throughout. He also has framed newspaper clippings that have detailed some of his most tragic losses. As he grew to further embrace his Indigenous cultural traditions, Garibay cultivated a love for art and creativity. He now dedicates his life to art and to making positive changes within his community as the program director for the Denver-
Floods, swollen rivers, road closures — Colorado’s spring runoff season is in full swing and much of the snow in the state’s mountains hasn’t melted yet. Colorado saw higher-than-average snowfall build up on the Western Slope this year, a boon for irrigators and other water users who rely on the Colorado River Basin which spans Colorado, tribal lands, six Western states and parts of Mexico. But the snowmelt, with the help of recent weather, is leading to high runoff and its adverse impacts are popping up around the state like a game of whack-a-mole. Beyond monitoring for mudslides and rockfalls loosened by rain and high runoff, the Colorado Department of Transportation is also watching bridges and roads for possible closures. “I’m seeing higher flows in almost every single drainage that we have over here (in western Colorado) than what we’ve seen probably in at least four or five years, if not longer,”
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SEE RIVERS, P2
Marcos Garibay’s home ofrenda dedicated to his mother.
Indigenous comic and arts festival comes to Denver June 9-11 BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Marcos Garibay fondly remembers his grandmother’s ofrenda. It was a traditional ofrenda permanently in the home — his grandmother kept it on her bedroom dresser. The ofrenda was covered with pictures of
Catholic figures, dozens of candles and countless colorful plastic flowers. An ofrenda is an ornate altar often found in Catholic, Mexican and Indigenous Mesoamerican cultures. It honors loved ones who have died. Even as a child, Garibay knew he would one day make his own ofrenda. And now an adult, Garibay has put his own, modern twist on the traditional ofrenda — he has an entire wall in his Denver home dedicated to the memorial. Honoring his mother who he lost at a young age, Garibay’s ofrenda has photos
VOICES: 12 | LIFE: 14 | CALENDAR: 11
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DISKS, SKATES AND WALLS, OH MY! Unique sports abound across Front Range
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