The Sunriser | Build more housing or save the wetlands?

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Daylight saving time starts on Sunday at 2 a.m., so don’t forget to spring those clocks forward. But is it the bad daylight saving or the good one? If you’re a morning person who rises chipper with the sun, then, bad news. The sun will be hitting snooze for an extra hour and 7 a.m. will feel like 6. But if you’ve been pining for more post-work sunshine, then good news, you’re about to get a later sunset.

Speaking of changing times, earlier this week we published an article analyzing how a wave of union support affected more than 140 workplaces that have applied for union representation since the pandemic. The cutoff for that data was Feb. 29 — but since then, ski patrollers at Keystone announced they’ll have a second go at a union election, and workers at the Denver Art Museum and Jefferson County public libraries voted in favor of a union yesterday.

Keep up! Here’s the news.

THE NEWS

ENVIRONMENT

In Silverton, the tangled debate over how — and whether — to protect wetlands in town goes on and on

The high mountain town of Silverton, like many high country towns in Colorado, is grappling with a housing shortage. But plans to develop within town limits are becoming more and more complex as various agencies try to define how much of the town consists of wetlands, fens and peat bogs fanning out from the Animas River. As Tracy Ross reports, it’s more than just a battle of housing versus wetlands, since most people in town want both. The question is: How?

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OUTDOORS

Remote-controlled avalanche exploders have been on Berthoud Pass since 2015. Are they working?

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Last week the Colorado Avalanche Information Center triggered just one of its 54 remote-controlled avalanche systems, launching a D3 avalanche — a “very large avalanche” that can bury a car, damage a truck and destroy a small building — that slid across U.S. 40 on Berthoud Pass. That’s the fifth time that Berthoud Pass has been closed for avalanche mitigation this season, including a whopping 78-hour closure over the MLK holiday weekend. Jason Blevins takes a closer look at these remote-controlled systems, why Colorado uses them and whether they are effective.

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OUTDOORS

Keystone ski patrollers announce plans for union vote

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So far this winter, patrollers at five ski areas across the West have announced plans to unionize, citing rising housing costs, wage compression and a demoralized workforce. This past week, patrollers at Keystone bumped that number up to six. Keystone patrollers held a union election in 2021, which failed by one vote, but organizers hope that examples of effective organizing among patrollers over the past three years will push the election toward a union this time around. Jason Blevins has the story.

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MORE NEWS

• States in Colorado River Basin pitch new ways to absorb shortages but clash on the approach. Lower Basin states want to split water cuts 50-50 with upper basin states if water storage falls below 38% of its capacity. Upper Basin states, which include Colorado, say that their users live within the river’s means and shouldn’t be subjected to cuts.
• River Grabowski, an MFA candidate at CSU, named SunLit Writer-in-Residence on the Eastern Plains. Grabowski will spend a week at Prairie Sea Projects connecting with the community of Joes and enjoying the environs of a century-old home.

THE COLORADO REPORT

• Two administrators shot by East High School student plan to sue the staff members, district and school board. The notice of claims for Jerald “Wayne” Mason and Eric Sinclair, shot by a 17-year-old student, represents a preliminary procedure before a lawsuit is filed.
  — Denverite
• First train rolls as Colorado leaders rally for passenger rail linking Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins by 2027. “We’re going to get it done,” Gov. Jared Polis declared before boarding a ceremonial, 90-minute ride from Union Station to Longmont.
  — The Denver Post
• Concern rises as fake Colorado temporary license plates become easily available online. If you’ve noticed a lot of temporary or expired-looking license plates on the road, it’s partly because there are a lot of easy-to-obtain fake ones online.
  — 9News
• Aspen School District parents ask families to “Wait Until 8th” to give students smartphones. Aspen parents are urging others with elementary and middle schoolers to join a national movement that encourages parents to wait until eighth grade to give their kids smartphones.
  — The Aspen Times

🔑 = source has article meter or paywall

THE OPINION PAGE

COMMUNITY

• Coloradans need greater protection from evictions, and our legislation will help protect renters. For Cause Eviction legislation would prevent arbitrary, retaliatory or discriminatory evictions by setting standards into law.
  — Rep. Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge and state House majority leader

CARTOONS

In “What’d I Miss?” Myra considers the idea of “tradwives,” and figures it probably wouldn’t make a great fit for her. Much like some workout clothing …

CARTOON

Drew Litton wonders where the Broncos turn next — FEMA? — after the kitchen fire that resulted from the Russell Wilson experiment.

CARTOON

The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy and submit columns, suggest writers or provide feedback at opinion@coloradosun.com.

Podcast Playlist

CONVERSATION

Each weekday The Daily Sun-Up podcast brings you a bit of Colorado history, headlines and a thoughtful conversation. We keep it tight so you can quickly listen, or stack up a few and tune in at your leisure. You can download the Sun-Up for free in your favorite podcasting app, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or RSS to plug into your app. This week our topics ranged from Mickey Mouse Mountain to unionizing at Meow Wolf.

• Did you know Walt Disney wanted to build a ski resort? Co-authors of “Disneyland on the Mountain” chat with the SunLit editor Kevin Simpson about their book, and the fate of a massive proposed California ski development in the 1960s.
  LISTEN
• Why is an 1800s-era schoolhouse in a tiny Colorado town reopening? After being vacant for decades, the old schoolhouse in Garcia is getting retooled. Education reporter Erica Breunlin talks about her field trip to learn more about the 1860s building.
  LISTEN
• New water-quality requirements for Colorado’s controversial oil refinery. Suncor in Commerce City is hit with tougher “forever chemicals” and toxins limits in its latest Colorado water permit, and environmental reporter Michael Booth puts it into perspective.
  LISTEN
• Liability relief coming for private landowners in Colorado who welcome recreation. After a few tries, the legislature finally made changes to a state statute that will help landowners who open up their properties. Outdoors reporter Jason Blevins breaks down the updates.
  LISTEN
• What’s happened in Colorado since workers at more than 100 other companies started to unionize? Business reporter Tamara Chuang and cultural reporter Parker Yamasaki talk about labor union organizing and why some employees, such as Starbucks workers, haven’t been able to reach a contract while others, like Meow Wolf workers, have.
  LISTEN

🗣️ Remember, you can ask Siri, Alexa or Google to “play the Daily Sun-Up podcast” and we’ll play right on your smart speaker. As always we appreciate your feedback and comments at podcast@coloradosun.com.

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Things are getting brighter.

— Parker & 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.

Type of Story: News

Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.