News

• Childcare Funding Deficit Hits Home
• Telluride heads to Grease
• West End Trails Move Forward

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Childcare Funding Deficit Hits Home

Local child care advocates in Colorado face tough decisions ahead as a deficit in the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) funding will reshape how providers are paid throughout the state.

The Department of Human Services met with San Miguel County Commissioners on Wednesday, Jan. 29, to provide an update on the ongoing deficit discussions impacting childcare providers in the region.

Funding for local childcare typically comes from three primary sources: the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Strong Start, a voter-approved local funding initiative. These, along with individual child care center grants and families paying childcare fees, make up the landscape of childcare in San Miguel County.

This blend of funding helps families cover the costs of childcare and ensures providers are paid for their essential services. However, that CCAP funding is set to change, according to Linnea Edwards, director of Human Services.

“There was a deficit. The state is assuming there will be a deficit of CCAP funding across the state of $17 million. The counties are projecting it to be higher, by about $5 to $6 million,” Edwards said.

The deficit stems from unfunded mandates for increased provider pay and federal laws regarding enrollment requirements.

Jared Biggs, assistant county manager, said that a decision must be made on how to manage this deficit.

“Kind of one by one, as the funding continues to dry up, we’re waitlisting, we’re freezing, and everybody is managing this. There are two avenues we have here. We’re already working on maximizing, but we also need to have a conversation and get commissioner direction on which way we want to go to manage that deficit,” Biggs said.

The reduced CCAP funding means local providers will receive less payment, throwing the balance of childcare funding out of alignment.

Edwards added that this is a statewide issue, with larger counties also searching for solutions.

“So most of the big ten, big eleven counties have been pushing back. The directors have been meeting continuously with the budget since it came out with the Department of Early Childhood to say, ‘Hey, we can’t do this. You’re forcing us to overspend our allocations,’” Edwards said. “The bigger counties are looking at millions of dollars, even with freezes that started a year ago. There’s been pushback, and there have been letters written from commissioners to legislators at the state level saying, ‘Hey, help.’”

For now, putting prospective family child care assistance on a freeze or waitlist is the option most Colorado counties using CCAP funds are considering.

In San Miguel County, local nonprofit Bright Futures, the Strong Start program, and the Department of Health and Human Services are working to provide childcare resources, Biggs said.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have the people in this room working on this problem. And that we have three different sources that we are working very diligently to maximize our capacity,” Biggs said.

Commissioners agreed to take in the information, with a decision on next steps expected at their next official meeting on Feb. 5.

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Telluride heads to Grease

Walk into the Sheridan Opera House, and you’re transported to Rydell High School in the late 1950s, where there are Pink Ladies and Burger Palace Boys.

It’s the Sheridan Arts Foundation’s Young People’s Theatre production of Grease.

“It’s a very fun, silly, ridiculous, high school show about what it is to exist as a teenager,” said Leah Heidenreich, artistic director of YPT and director of the show.

“It’s a show about a cool guy and a square girl who fall in love. The cool guy is trying to figure out if he loves her more than he cares about what people think,” Heidenreich explained.

This year’s show features a cast of 31 students in grades 9-12.

“This is the most kids I’ve ever had in a show. I always have waitlists, but I couldn’t say no because it’s Grease. I have a lot of kids who came to YPT after a hiatus because it is Grease,” Heidenreich said.

The musical isn’t exactly the same as the well-known film adaptation, but the audience will still recognize characters like Danny Zuko, Sandy, Frenchy, Rizzo, Kenickie, and Jan.

Heidenreich noted that it’s a true ensemble production, as the students only had three weeks to put it together.

“I have been blown away by their commitment level, their passion,” she said.

For Heidenreich, she hopes those who come to see the show will be left with joy, happiness, and beloved pop songs wafting through their heads.

“The world is really scary and hard, and sometimes we just need work that is silly and fun,” Heidenreich said.

The Young People’s Theatre production of Grease will take place Friday, Jan. 31, to Sunday, Feb. 2, at the Sheridan Opera House. The show is at 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with a 4 p.m. matinee on Sunday. Tickets are available at sheridanoperahouse.com.

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West End Trails Move Forward

There’s a world of opportunity for mountain bikers and recreationalists in the West End of Montrose and San Miguel counties.

Behind the wide-open landscapes and historical mining roads is the West End Trails Alliance, a local nonprofit organization focused on the development and inventory of human-powered trails and recreation.

For the past six years, the Trails Alliance, or WETA, has focused on trail development just southwest of the town of Naturita. They’re working on a proposal for “more than 50 miles of trails, carefully designed to make the most of the topography, slopes, ruggedness, and scenic aspects of the area.”

For WETA board president, West End native, and owner of Paradox Cycles in Naturita, Brock Benson, the trails will offer something for everyone.

“A lot of that classic, technical, rocky, challenging high desert country—the terrain out here is really challenging and really rocky, so putting in a trail system that’s a little more flowy, a little more ease of use for a lot of our riders is what we’re looking for. Of course, we’re going to build more advanced trails, but we just want a nice system that’s reflective of other communities that have a robust biking population,” Benson said.

The project is funded through a combination of grants, donations, and memberships, and WETA has funded most of the necessary planning processes for these trails.

Now, the project goes to the Bureau of Land Management, which recently initiated a Naturita Area Travel Management Plan to analyze, map, and receive comments on the steps to begin the trail-building project.

Benson said the BLM is great to work with, but these projects take time to move through bureaucracy. With changing values in the new administration, Benson hopes this process can continue.

“With the new administration, I don’t know what that has in store for us, but I feel like backcountry access and all that is something that everybody is in favor of. So hopefully, we can continue with the process,” Benson said.

KOTO radio reached out to the Uncompahgre Field Office of the BLM for comment on this new planning process, but they were unavailable by press time.

Benson, who also organizes the local youth mountain biking club named Young Guns, says this project will add to the cycling community in the West End.

“I think the West End Trails Alliance is really excited to bring in a project that may have a little more direct impact on the community. I know that we talk about financial drivers and adding to that bucket, which I think is great, but for me the big thing is we want a trail system for our kids and the people that live here. Certainly, we want tourists to come and see, but in the past few years, the West End has developed into a very healthy cycling community,” Benson said.

The project timeline is highly dependent on the BLM planning process, with expected trail construction taking several years. Existing routes for non-motorized trails are available on WETA’s website at westendtrails.org.

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Night of Dance and Freedom of Expression at The Sherbino

Join us for a night of movement, freedom of expression, ambiance, and fun at The Sherbino. This immersive experience will open you to a state of flow and feeling, allowing for a journey of reconnection back to yourself. Come to move and groove in the high-vibe music, sacred space, and conscious community.

Whether you’re a dancing queen/king or think you have two left feet (you don’t!), this experience is for you. Dance is our birthright and the universal language of the soul. So, grab your friends, kick off your shoes, and dance the night away with us!

Our 3 Guidelines:

1. We Dance barefoot. This allows us to connect more fully with the ground. Socks are OK.
2. We Dance without words. We dance with body language. This makes it easier to be in a meditative flow state. No verbal instruction from the facilitators. No talking on the dance floor.
3. We Dance as we are. No alcohol. No phones. No cameras or video. No strong scents. No expectations. No judgments. Just be yourself with respect for ourselves, the space, and one another.

Visit www.wildacornwellness.com for more information or to contact the host.

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Mountain Village Movies: Dinner and a Show

Is there anything better than dinner and a show? If the answer is no, you are in luck.

This week, you have two great movies to choose from: The first movie will be Barbie this Friday, Jan. 31, and the second movie, The Wild Robot, will screen on Saturday, Feb. 1.

The movies will be shown at the Telluride Conference Center. Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for kids 18 and under, and tickets can be purchased online. Tickets are available at townofmountainvillage.com or at the door.

All movies screen at 6 p.m., with doors opening at 5 p.m.

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Colorado Bill Could Classify Nuclear Energy as ‘Clean Energy’

A bill recently introduced in Colorado’s state legislature would classify nuclear energy as “clean energy.” If passed, nuclear energy would count toward Colorado’s goals of 100% net-zero emissions by 2050. Rocky Mountain Community Radio’s Caroline Llanes has more on the bill, which has bipartisan support this year.

Story begins at 13:55.

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Changes to University Athlete Pay Coming in Colorado

Major changes are in store for how universities pay student athletes in Colorado. CPR’s Ben Markus reports.

Story begins at 15:23.

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ICE Raids May Increase in Rural Areas Following Executive Orders

President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders have drastically changed the landscape of immigration enforcement in the U.S. In just a few weeks, over 40 people were arrested in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid north of Denver. Raids in rural areas are less common, but immigrant rights groups and attorneys are warning Western Slope residents about possible changes. For Rocky Mountain Community Radio, Aspen Public Radio’s Halle Zander spoke with Glenwood Springs attorney Claire Noone about what to expect if ICE comes to the area.

Story begins at 16:15.