OMG, Bucket Listers! In just a week and a half of our #newsCOneeds end-of-year fundraising campaign, Bucket List Community News raised over $10,000 of our $12,500 goal. As we watch our barometer tick up, we are overwhelmed with gratitude. Add in the fact that the Colorado Media Project, Kathy Neustadt, Tom Walsh and Jerry Bell are matching all of your contributions, and we have a lot to be happy about this week. But we’re not resting on our laurels. We still have two and a half weeks to raise the remaining amount (or more!) Please join your neighbors in supporting community journalism.
Breaking Up the Boy’s Club
While white men have historically dominated the engineering field, CU Boulder and the Colorado School of Mines are changing that. Both schools have thriving programs, with some of the highest percentages of female engineering students in the country. Helena Fox-Mills interviewed current students to learn more about what it is like to be a women engineering student and to report on the issues that need to be addressed to make the field more equitable.
Granny Dances and Enhances Cleo Parker Robinson Dance
“Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum,” Cleo Parker Robinson Dance’s annual holiday tradition, returns for its 33rd season, transporting viewers on a healing journey around the globe. This year, during the company’s fundraiser to complete construction on its historic expansion, Cassis Tingley reports that “‘Granny’ is a good metaphor for” the organization’s change. Check out her story on the show and the organization’s $20 million+ project to construct a Center for the Healing Arts.
Bryant Webster’s Mariachi Program Fosters “Connection”
Band practice at Bryant-Webster Dual Language ECE-8 School may sound a little different than other schools, and that’s the point. The twenty-year-old youth mariachi program aims to help Hispanic students connect with their culture. Arianna Balderrama describes her experience at a mariachi rehearsal, including the valuable lessons she learned from students and teachers.
Raise a Glass (or Two!) to the Holiday Season
Frustrated by how child-centric all of the seasonal outings feel? Miracle at Union Station offers adult-only holiday fun with Christmas-themed cocktails and festive decor. This pop-up bar is open daily from 4 p.m. to midnight until December 24 and will reopen for one last night on New Year’s Eve. PJ Guidry spent an evening at the location and shares his observations to help you make the most of your experience.
Stuff We Noticed
If you’ve been putting off filling up your car, we have some good news for you! According to AAA, gas prices have dropped to their lowest level in three years. The average gas price in America is now $3.03! However, it gets even better for Colorado residents, as the association reports that the average here is $2.875. While it is not as inexpensive as Hockley County, Texas, which has the lowest county average in the country at $2.30, it is far from the record highs seen in 2022 and 2023.
If you have recently gone grocery shopping and had trouble finding eggs, there are a few reasons why. Experts believe it is due to a combination of bird flu spreading, low summer production and the upcoming implementation of a state law passed in 2020 that requires all eggs sold in the state to be cage-free beginning in January 2025. Due to the egg shortage, prices have skyrocketed, prompting many Colorado residents to seek out alternatives from local farms such as Skinny P Ranch and Skål Farm.
Denver resident Johnnie Earl Williams has received an early holiday present—a presidential pardon. On December 12, President Joe Biden announced that he would reduce the sentences of 1,500 Americans and pardon 39 others, including Williams, in what is now modern history’s largest single-day act of clemency. Williams was convicted of a nonviolent offense, and the White House stated that in the years since his conviction, he has worked as a criminal justice specialist and addiction counselor and gives back to his community through volunteering and church service. Williams was the only Coloradoan pardoned at this time.
That’s it for this week, Bucket Listers! Thank you to everyone who has already contributed to our fundraising campaign. Your gift motivates us to continue our efforts to provide trustworthy local news to the Denver area and mentor the next generation of journalists. Those who have been planning to give but have yet to do so, now is the time to act. You can contribute until December 31 and still have your gift matched. But why wait? Check off supporting community journalism from your holiday list today. See you next week!
Warmest Regards,
Toni Tresca
Editor/Bucket List Community News
🟢 Visit our website for the latest stories and to contribute.
🟡 Sign up for our weekly newsletters.
⚫️ Follow our daily news feeds on Facebook and Instagram
🔴 Contact us with your story ideas.
🟡 Listen to our Podcasts on Apple Podcasts and Spotify
