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Week of March 16, 2023
JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO
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INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 24
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VOLUME 18 | ISSUE 39
SUMMER CAMP LISTINGS In this week’s paper!
Thousands flock to Olde Town for St. Patrick’s Day
In Sierra Leone, local journalism is a lifeboat for women in rural communities BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Penny the Newfoundland decked out in her St. Patty’s Day attire.
PHOTOS BY RYLEE DUNN
Music, food, and lots of green accessories mark the festive occasion BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Olde Town Arvada was awash with green on March 11, as folks flocked to the historic district to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The celebration included live music, vendors, specials from local restaurants — calling all corned beef SEE PATTY’S DAY, P4
A sea of green on Grandview for St. Patty’s.
GAME ON AT LOCAL BARCADES P14
T S E B F THE O T S E B
2023
In the rural communities of Sierra Leone, women who are experiencing sexual abuse, gender-based violence and restricted bodily autonomy often have just one hope when seeking justice; the intrepid journalists at Media Matters for Women Sierra Leone. Now in its 10th year of operation, MMW has grown from a small local podcasting network to a nationwide community news service that serves over 60,000 listeners. In a traditionally patriarchal society where women are often not taught to read or write, MMW’s journalists create targeted podcasts translated into over 30 local dialects to reach and inform listeners — often in the country’s most remote corners. Recently, MMW’s Executive Director Florence Sesay and Senior Journalist Alinah Kallon traveled to New York and Colorado to attend the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women and convene with a data journalism team of grad students at the University of Denver, respectively. Sesay said the U.N. convening was particularly poignant because she and Kallon were able to feel SEE LIFEBOAT, P2
VOTE NOW through APRIL 15th ArvadaPress.com