Colorado

Opinion: As a first-time voter, I feel empowered knowing I can make a difference in Colorado and the country

Published

4 weeks ago

October 23, 2024

Opinion: As a first-time voter, I feel empowered knowing I can make a difference in Colorado and the country

At nearly 6 years old, I remember the feeling of the living room carpet under me as I sat in front of a monitor displaying Barack Obama’s determined face during the 2012 presidential election debates. As the smell of a dinner in progress wafted in from the kitchen, the speakers slightly warbled his voice.

My eyes concentrated on Obama’s face and I noticed that with every word he uttered, he did it with grace and an overbearing belief that instilled confidence in me. As a voice called me to join them for dinner, I reluctantly pulled myself from my spot in front of the TV, eyes still stuck on the screen. Leaving the room, I still remember feeling a thick aura of hope hanging in the air.

From that point forward, politics and government have been an integral part of my life. For as long as I can remember, it has been a family tradition to sit over steaming hot food at the dinner table and hear my parents and siblings — and when I got older, even me — debate and discuss what was happening in the world. Sometimes we would argue loudly at a divided table, but that was all a part of another lesson my parents taught me, that passion was a good thing, especially in politics.

Day after day at the dinner table, I would gather little bits of information that would help me realize what was most important to me as an American, a Muslim, a woman and a human.

Being part of a politically aware family, I have always known that the 2024 election would be the first I would be eligible to vote in. However, the weight of that decision only dawned on me recently with November 5th looming.

My parents and communities have always instilled in me the knowledge that contributing to society through civic and political engagement is the best way to be a good American, and the epitome of that is voting. As a young kid, seeing the colorful red, white and blue “I Voted” stickers that came with my parents’ ballots, I eagerly looked forward to earning one of my own.

I am inspired by people like Ida B. Wells and Martin Luther King Jr., and I recognize and believe in the immense opportunity that voting gives to our hope-ingrained Republic.

Besides at home, my social studies classes have been instrumental to my learning about the importance and privilege of voting.

Last year, one of the most influential ways I learned to see current events through the eyes of history was in my American Government class. My teacher explained the importance of voting through the perspective of those who dedicated their lives to gaining the right to vote and tried to put us in their shoes.

He impressed upon us the fact that had we been alive before the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a majority of us would not have been allowed to vote. After giving us a moment to think about this, he asked why any of us would be unwilling to vote when we have that right.

Still, it is hard not to feel like voting is like having all the world’s power while also having none. Being just one person in a country with millions can be intimidating and make you question the importance of just one vote. In close elections, local or national, one vote can make the difference in electing an individual who is fit to serve the people and one who isn’t.

I know that when I vote, even if the outcome is not what I want, I make the decision to let my voice be heard and that is what voting is all about.

I often feel at a loss between frustration and worry about how our current government functions and where it is headed. However, there is always the possibility of a better world fueled by the fundamentals of democracy, which at its core is voting. Voting is not only a vehicle of hope but also a tool to empower our society.

Of all of the emotions I have around voting for the first time, the most prevalent is the feeling that I can make a difference in my country. Most of all, I want to embrace this feeling and celebrate the freedom to vote in order to work toward creating a better future on Nov. 5 along with my fellow Americans.

I hope that every eligible young adult joins me in voting and embraces the opportunity to help shape this country to uphold the values we hold dear.

Ayah Al-Masyabi lives in Aurora and is a student journalist and creative who attends Branson School Online. Ayah was part of The Colorado Sun’s Rise & Shine Journalism Workshop for high school students.

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. Learn how to submit a column. Reach the opinion editor at opinion@coloradosun.com.

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Seeking Revenge Against the Capitals | Colorado Avalanche

Published

4 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

Seeking Revenge Against the Capitals | Colorado Avalanche

Colorado Avalanche (10-9-0) @ Washington Capitals (13-4-1)

5 p.m. MT | Capital One Arena | Watch: Altitude, 9News, My20, Altitude+ | Listen: Altitude Sports Radio (92.5 FM)

For the second time in six days the Colorado Avalanche will faceoff against the Washington Capitals. Colorado will battle to split the season series after a 5-2 loss at Ball Arena on November 15.

Soaring Past the Flyers

The Avalanche beat the Flyers 3-2 at Wells Fargo Center on Monday. Cale Makar posted his 10th-career multi-goal game and Casey Mittlestadt added a goal. Additionally, Mikko Rantanen recorded two assists and Justus Annunen made 24 saves. Following a scoreless first period, Makar opened the scoring with a wrist shot from the slot at 8:30 of the second period after receiving Nathan MacKinnon’s set-up feed. Makar thought he had his second of the game at 10:44 of the middle frame, but the goal was taken off the board due to a successful Flyers challenge for goaltender interference. However, Makar would eventually double Colorado’s lead on the power play with his eighth tally of the season at 15:08 of the middle frame with a shot from the point that deflected off a Flyers player on its way in. The Burgundy and Blue took a 3-0 lead at 8:34 of the third period when Mittelstadt dispatched the rebound created by Rantanen’s shot into the net for his seventh goal of the season. The Flyers answered with goals from Owen Tippett at 11:48 and Tyson Foerster at 13:32 to cut their deficit to one, but the Avs held on to secure their 10th victory of the season.

Leading the Way

MacKinnon leads the NHL in points (34) and assists (27).

Makar leads NHL blueliners in goals (8), assists (19), and points (27). He’s tied for seventh among NHL skaters in points and tied for fifth in assists.

Rantanen is tied for sixth in the league in goals (12) and tied for seventh in points (27).

History

The Avalanche are 18-20-4 in 42 previous regular-season games against the Capitals. Colorado is 4-1-0 in its last five matchups against Washington dating back to the 2022-23 season.

Winning Out West

The Capitals beat the Utah Hockey Club 6-2 at the Delta Center on Monday. Alex Ovechkin scored twice, and Charlie Lindgren made 24 saves. Utah opened the scoring with a goal by Jack McBain at 3:05 of the first period but the Capitals responded with tallies from Dylan Strome at 7:46, Nic Dowd at 7:56, and Ovechkin at 11:05. Ovechkin extended Washington’s lead to three with a goal at 5:38 of the second period before Nick Bjugstad scored for Utah at 11:44 to make it 4-2 in favor of Washington entering the third period. Ovechkin did leave the game midway through the third period with a lower-body injury and has been placed on injured reserve and ruled week-to-week. The Caps added two more goals in the third period from Brandon Duhaime at 7:30 and Aliaksei Protas at 9:56 to win 6-2.

Putting Up Numbers on the Potomac

MacKinnon has posted 28 points (11g/17a) in 20-career matchups against the Capitals including 11 points (5g/6a) in 10 road matchups against them.

In eight previous meetings with Washington, Makar has recorded six points (2g/4a).

Rantanen has registered 19 points (8g/11a) in 14 previous games against Washington including eight points (4g/4a) on the road.

Capitals’ Contributors

Strome leads the Capitals in points (28) and assists (22).

Connor McMichael is second on the team in goals (12) and third in points (19).

Aliaksei Protas is fourth on the team in points (18), third in goals (7), and tied for third in assists (11).

A Numbers Game

10

Makar became the first defenseman in franchise history to record 10 multi-goal games.

3

The Avalanche have three players (MacKinnon, Makar, and Rantanen) in the top 10 in points. No other team has more than one.

165

The Avs have registered 165 high-danger shots on goal, which ranks sixth in the NHL.

Quote That Left a Mark

“Juice is great. I think he’s been great all year. [He made] some big saves, especially at the beginning there…So [it was a] heck of a job from Juice for sure.”

— Casey Mittelstadt on Justus Annunen’s performance on Monday

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Residents rally to save Colorado Springs library on brink of closure

Published

12 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

Residents rally to save Colorado Springs library on brink of closure

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – Hundreds of Colorado Springs residents showed up at the Pikes Peak Library District Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday night in a last-ditch effort to save the Rockrimmon Library.

The library is set to close December 1. This comes after the board voted to not renew the library’s lease due to financial issues.

In a statement posted on their website on November 8, the board called the decision to close Rockrimmon a difficult one.

“A library provides access to resources and materials to everyone in the community, so considering a closure goes against the grain of our hopes for PPLD. However, our District provides access to nearly 700,000 people across El Paso County. We must make decisions that sustain the entire District.”

More than 250 community members showed up to Wednesday’s board meeting to show their support for keeping the Rockrimmon location open with another 119 tuning in virtually.

Former Rockrimmon Library manager Steve Abbott said he was glad to see the turnout.

“It shows that the community will not give up and they are going to fight to keep this library open,” he said.

For most of the almost five-hour meeting, 43 speakers took turns pleading with board members to postpone the library’s closure, extend the lease another year, and reconsider their decision to close the library in the first place.

One of those who spoke before the board, Abbott said closing the library will leave a massive gap for the 30,000 people who live in the area.

“It leaves a big library desert in the Rockrimmon area,” he said. “For a child to use a library now, they’ll have to go over I-25, under I-25, over Academy, under Academy to get to a library, and it’s six miles away from where Rockrimmon was.”

Speaker and Rockrimmon resident Jennifer Walker said closing the library would also deprive the area of a much-needed community center.

“There is no YMCA, there’s nothing else,” she said. “This is where we meet other moms when we’re desperate to talk to another human being that’s not a toddler, this is where we go to work when we need a quiet space, this is where the elderly come to use the computer or to check out books.”

The fate of the Rockrimmon Library was not on the board’s agenda and those who left the meeting tell 11 News the meeting ended with no resolution.

Walker said residents are still exploring their legal options.

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What’s the latest on the Colorado River negotiations?

Published

20 hours ago

November 20, 2024

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What’s the latest on the Colorado River negotiations?

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released a breakdown Wednesday of five potential paths forward for the fragile state-to-state negotiations surrounding Colorado River operating guidelines that must be updated by 2026.

The Colorado River, which is Southern Nevada’s primary source of water, holds a precarious future as the basin experiences historic drought and state leaders disagree on how to deal with shortages. The range of alternatives is possibly the last major announcement about negotiations to come from the Bureau of Reclamation under the Biden-Harris administration.

“We have worked tirelessly over the past several years to bring Colorado River Basin stakeholders together for a transparent and inclusive post-2026 process,” Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton said in a statement. “Today, we show our collective work. These alternatives represent a responsible range from which to build the best and most robust path forward for the Basin.”

What to know heading into 2025

The breakdown between two coalitions of states, the Upper and Lower Basins, centers around whether the Upper Basin — Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming — should be required to take cuts to its water allocation past what’s known as the river’s “structural deficit,” or the 1.5 million acre-feet lost to evaporation and transport. The Upper Basin has argued that it takes too many cuts already because of its reliance on snowpack instead of big reservoirs.

The Lower Basin also has called for smaller reservoirs in the Upper Basin states to be included in discussions about cuts in water usage across the system.

Notably, one of the five alternatives is based on proposals from Native American tribes, calling for the government to account for undeveloped tribal water.

The acknowledgement of the ongoing duel between the Upper and Lower Basins is the “Basin Hybrid” alternative, which appears to fall somewhere down the middle of the two coalition’s proposals.

In a statement, Upper Basin Commissioner and Colorado negotiator Becky Mitchell said it’s too early to speak directly about the five alternatives from the Bureau of Reclamation.

“Colorado continues to stand firmly behind the Upper Division States’ Alternative, which performs best according to Reclamation’s own modeling and directly meets the purpose and need of this federal action,” she said.

The Lower Basin states of Nevada, California and Arizona didn’t immediately release a statement when the announcement was released at 1 p.m.

All seven state negotiators will convene in Las Vegas in early December at the Colorado River Water Users Association conference, where experts and officials will discuss what’s to come from negotiations under President-elect Donald Trump.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Contact Alan Halaly at ahalaly@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlanHalaly on X.

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