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05_22_24_am_headlines Jackie Sedley
Auraria Campus reopening
Buildings on the Auraria campus in Denver are reopening today for the first time since last week.
The buildings have been restricted to critical personnel and operations since Friday because of demonstrations by pro-Palestinian protestors. Those demonstrations have ended, and the encampment set up by protestors has been taken down.
Campus officials said in a statement that its buildings are opening today with Campus ID access, and that faculty, staff and students should coordinate with their respective institutions for additional information.
The Auraria campus is shared by Community College of Denver, Metropolitan State University, and CU-Denver.
Cleanup of the encampment site on the Tivoli Quad is underway. But the quad is closed until further notice.
DU encampment
Meanwhile, at the University of Denver, pro-Palestinian demonstrators have defied an order to close an encampment there. The DU administration issued that order yesterday, according to Denver7, giving the protestors until nine o’clock last night to leave the portion of campus they’ve occupied in protest of the war in Gaza.
DU officials allege that there has been what it called a “sharp increase in reports of discriminatory and harassing behavior both inside and outside the encampment.” Members of the group DU for Palestine set up their encampment on May 9th.
CO GOP schools directive
The Colorado Republican Party is calling on its members to take their children out of public schools, saying that Democrats are using schools to, “turn more kids trans.”
That message went out in an email blast from the state GOP yesterday, according to 9News.
Darcy Schoening, the former leader of the El Paso County Chapter of the conservative group Moms for Liberty, said in the email that if a male child decides he wants to identify as a girl because he’s angry with his parents, or because all his friends are doing it, the Colorado government will encourage him.
That message went to Republicans all over Colorado yesterday.
Gender initiatives
At the same time, LGBTQ advocates in Colorado are organizing against two proposed ballot initiatives they say are aimed at an already vulnerable group of kids.
One of the two ballot initiatives would ban biological males in K-12 schools from taking part in girls’ sports. The other would require schools to notify parents whose children express what the initiative calls “gender incongruence.”
A group called “Protect Kids in Colorado” is collecting signatures to get the measures on the November ballot. The group is led by former Republican State Senator Kevin Lundberg, and Erin Lee, a Fort Collins parent.
The group said in a news release that the education system is attempting to “blur the lines between girls and boys, despite their obvious natural differences.”
Colorado Politics is reporting that it isn’t clear who is financing Protect Kids in Colorado. The group has no registered issue committee, although state campaign finance law requires one.
A spokesperson for Out Boulder County said that the two initiatives have nothing to do with protecting kids, and urged Coloradans not to sign anything that would help place the initiatives on the ballot.
Los Seis de Boulder
The City of Boulder will dedicate a new sculpture next week, to mark the fiftieth anniversary of “Los Seis de Boulder.”
That refers to the six CU students, alumni, and students from other campuses that were killed in two separate car bombings in 1974. They were all active in the Chicano Student Movement.
The first of the two fatal bombings happened in Chautauqua Park on May 27, 1974, and the second one on May 29th, in a parking lot at 28th and Canyon. No one was ever charged in connection with the killings.
At the time of the bombings, members of United Mexican American Students were occupying Temporary Building 1 on the CU campus, demanding continued financial aid and Educational Opportunity Programs, according to a press release. The six who died were active in the organization.
An earlier memorial was dedicated on the CU campus in 2019. The new memorial, by the same artist, was installed at 17th and Pearl Streets earlier this month. Next Tuesday’s dedication begins at 6pm.
Rabid bat in Arapahoe County
An infected bat was found on the sidewalk at Quincy Avenue and Santa Fe Drive in Englewood earlier this month. Two people are being treated for rabies after contact with the animal.
According to data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, there were 55 cases of animal-borne rabies in Colorado last year—47 of those were in bats. So far this year there have been four identified cases of rabies in Colorado – two of these were rabid bats found in Arapahoe and El Paso counties on the Front Range.
Bats and skunks are the most common animal sources of rabies in Colorado. Other wildlife that may carry rabies include raccoons and foxes. Exposure to rabies generally results from a bite or scratch by an infected animal.
If you suspect exposure, wash the wound with soap and water and seek medical attention immediately. And if you see an animal acting strangely or appearing to be sick, keep your distance and contact your local animal control or Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Denver migrant shelter
The City of Denver has signed off on the purchase of a building it’s already using for newly-arrived migrant families. At its meeting Monday night, Denver City Council agreed to buy the building and a neighboring property for $4 million.
The city has been leasing the 10,000-square-foot former gymnasium from its current owner since last year, according to the Denver Post. The building, located at 375 South Zuni Street, can house up to 120 people for day or nighttime shelter.
The purchase is expected to be finalized by the end of next month.
