Michael Mojica was up for anything, so when a neighbor asked if he wanted to climb a 14er, a surefire induction for any new Colorado resident, he agreed to it. “Sure,” the transplanted Texan replied. “What’s a 14er?” A few days later, Mojica topped out on the summit of Mount Yale. His eyes blurred with […]
Dan England
Special to The Colorado Sun
Twitter: @DanEngland
Posted inNews, Outdoors
As more people turn to extreme sports, Colorado doctors are rethinking how they treat athletes
Doctors took a look at Ian Mitchard’s body four years ago and assumed his career was over. That’s why Steph Davis brought him along to a talk she gave to doctors: She wanted them to see what was possible. To be fair, it’s probably the conclusion many would reach after Mitchard crashed while paragliding alone. […]
Posted inColoradans, Education, Equity, News, Politics and Government
Fired teen librarian in Colorado files discrimination complaints, cites canceled LGBTQ and anti-racism programs
When Brooky Parks thought about developing programs for teens at the Erie Community Library, her experiences as a mother were a powerful touch point. And while she didn’t necessarily program the calendar for Madeline, now 18, and Jack, who will turn 16 very soon, they were very much on her mind in her work as […]
Posted inColoradans, Education, Environment, Equity, News, Outdoors
Plastic hippos are out. Colorado playgrounds are getting a more natural makeover.
Before 2016, Grant Frontier Park was touted as a place where prospectors first discovered gold in the South Platte River near Denver. No one seemed to care. “I never saw anyone in the park,” Gordon Robertson, director of planning design and construction at Denver Parks and Recreation Department, said of the three-block long park that […]
Posted inBusiness, Climate, COVID, Environment, News, Transportation
Colorado dangles free transit on bad pollution days. But will there be anyone to ride? Or drive?
Way back in 2019, when most of us wore masks only at Halloween, Jayne Neimann considered the Bustang a vital part of her life. The bougie commuter bus run by the state transportation department offered Wi-Fi, cushy seats and a chance to relax with her phone for an hour on her way to Denver, where […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News, Outdoors
Dark-sky designations bring the promise of starry nights — and tourist dollars — to rural Colorado
ORCHARD — The first weekend Jackson Lake State Park received its certification from the International Dark-Sky Association, ranger Amy Brandenburg saw more than the Milky Way on her night patrols. Campers gathered like the moths and midges that used to swarm around the buildings at night before the park went dark. The grounds were full […]
Posted inColoradans, Culture, Environment, Outdoors
More Colorado fishing holes have closed this year than in the past 10. Anglers are rushing to fill their freezers.
GREELEY — Juan Jiminez comes to Poudre Ponds for the peace. The fish are a bonus. Jiminez, 47, of Greeley works the graveyard shift stocking shelves at King Soopers. He loves to unwind after work at the pond, so much so that he rarely changes out of his khakis. The pond, in fact, seemed to […]
Posted inCOVID, Education, Health
How students stuck in Colorado dorms re-create college life by themselves
A romantic could look at Jade Brolly and her situation and find a little poetry there. Brolly spends most of her time — yes, probably 23 hours — in a room no bigger than a jail cell, with a bed, a desk and a bathroom. Brolly, 32, had a job in health care, a solid, […]
Posted inBusiness, Coloradans, COVID, Culture, Music, News
Hard work made Greeley’s downtown hip and happening. Two months of social distancing could make it all disappear.
GREELEY — Ely Corliss’ phone rang in his office at the Moxi Theater on the morning of March 12. Typically, that meant opportunity. But that morning, the ring kicked off the worst day in his life. Corliss used his business acumen and experience as the band booker and sound guy for AF Ray’s, a Garden […]
Posted inColoradans, Outdoors, Politics and Government
A new Greeley park showcases skateboarding’s latest trick: community involvement
GREELEY — As soon as the fences went up, Tyler Lundstrom begged his mother, Jessica, to drive by Centennial Park every day so he could check on the progress of a new skate park being built there. “I was super excited,” Tyler said. “I still am super excited. It’s just really, really fun, and I […]