The Sunriser | Paws on the ground in Grand County

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Good morning, Colorado.

This holiday season, I’m doing my best to be intentional about what I buy and reduce my waste as much as possible. The few gifts I plan on giving will be wrapped in Trader Joe’s paper bags or newspaper and spruced up with pine branches I forage from a nearby trail. The garland hanging in my house is made of grapefruit, oranges and limes I dehydrated in the oven. And the wreath I snagged for free will be decorated with purely DIY ornaments.

It takes a lot more time and effort, but it’s these little things that bring me so much joy during a season I feel can be so full of waste.

I’m also going to make sure my gifts support local businesses and are practical ones that may be used any time of the year, instead of collecting dust in a corner after a few uses. (A Colorado Sun membership fits the bill!)

But without wasting any more time, let’s get to the news.

THE NEWS

ENVIRONMENT

What it looked like as Colorado wildlife officials released 5 Oregon wolves in Grand County

It was the first time ever that a state — not the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — introduced an endangered species into wildland in the U.S. Jason Blevins watched as five wolves were released from crates in Grand County, bounded across a meadow and disappeared into the forest for a moment many say is much bigger than these five wild animals.

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HIGH COST OF COLORADO

You think a pound of beef is expensive? Wait until you hear what it costs to produce it in Colorado.

In the past five years, the cost of beef has risen 28% at retail, and ranchers say they’re feeling the pinch from all sides. In The Sun’s latest installment of the High Cost of Colorado series, Tracy Ross looks at how much it costs for ranchers to produce Colorado’s second-favorite protein source (after poultry).

READ MORE

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SOCIAL SERVICES

Colorado could copy a Texas program that has had success tracking runaway foster kids

Among the team of 300 investigators in Texas, tasked with finding children and teens who run away from foster homes and residential treatment centers, there are many success stories. Colorado doesn’t have such a unit, but a state task force is looking at Texas’ model as a possible solution to why so many kids in Colorado are running away from out-of-home placements, Jennifer Brown reports.

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POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Another Colorado Democrat resigns from legislature, citing low pay and “vitriol” at Capitol

State Rep. Said Sharbini, a first-term Democrat from Brighton, is the second lawmaker to resign this month, saying his family could “no longer endure” the financial strain of serving in the legislature. Brian Eason and Sandra Fish have more.

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• State board blocks Douglas County’s creative attempt to provide property tax relief to its homeowners. Members of the board said the 4% reduction was unwarranted and expressed anxiety about the potential precedent it could set for other parts of the state.

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THE COLORADO REPORT

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

• Understaffed and neglected: How real estate investors reshaped assisted living. “How did this happen? This is one of the most expensive facilities in Boulder.” The lead anecdote in this deep dive into how investors have cut costs and reduced services in the assisted living industry is the tragic story of 97-year-old Mary Jo Staub, who froze to death outside of an upscale facility in Louisville last year.
  — The Washington Post 🔑
• City Council approves purchase contract for hotel shelter in Hampden neighborhood. Despite the largely hostile reception of Mayor Mike Johnston during a community meeting on the project, the purchase of the hotel has been approved. The city intends to use the hotel as a shelter and transitional housing space managed by the Salvation Army.
  — Denverite
• Nearly half of Colorado counties have 10 or fewer attorneys. A new grant aims to expand legal access for Coloradans. Only a few states in the U.S. are considered to be worse “legal deserts” than Colorado, according to the American Bar Association.
  — CPR News
• Steamboat Resort celebrates full launch of North America’s longest, fastest gondola. The 3.16-mile, 10-person gondola uses the world’s largest direct drive to get skiers to the top of Sunshine Peak in 13 minutes.
  — Steamboat Pilot & Today

SunLit

“Recorder of Deeds” author seizes one key task on 9/11: Remember

Catherine Underhill Fitzpatrick was a fashion reporter in New York, covering star-studded Fashion Week, when the 9/11 attack changed the world. Suddenly, she found herself running toward the mayhem, soaking up the dark and tragic details of that day and serving as essentially a war correspondent. Her memoir, “Recorder of Deeds,” chronicles her efforts to do justice to her collision with history and deal with the personal toll that followed her long afterward.

READ AN EXCERPT

• Interview with the author. Fitzpatrick reveals that her first manuscript glossed over the enduring impact that the experience of 9/11 had on her personally and professionally. Feedback from friends and her editor helped her confront some of the uncomfortable truths.

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Thanks for joining us and we’ll catch you here tomorrow.

— Olivia & the whole staff of The Sun

Corrections & Clarifications

Notice something wrong? The Colorado Sun has an ethical responsibility to fix all factual errors. Request a correction by emailing corrections@coloradosun.com.