Home Care In Arvada, CO

A new program in the Denver metro area is designed to help visitors, businesses and unhoused community members in Arvada's Olde Town.

The City of Arvada says the program will improve the experience for those visiting and working in Olde Town. Four ambassadors will help provide increased security, offer informational assistance for visitors and businesses and help those experiencing homelessness connect with community services.

"The ambassador program will help us meet some major goals for the Olde Town district," said Deputy City Manager Allison Scheck. "Having a small team to increase a sense of safety for visitors and businesses, keep the area clean, and just generally offer friendly faces to go to with questions or problems will help us improve the experiences of everyone who visits our downtown core."

The city says the program is made possible by a partnership with Block by Block, an organization that helps improve public spaces. Some other duties the ambassadors will help with include returning shopping carts and reporting light outages and damage to buildings or planters in the area. They will also keep things clean by power washing streets and sidewalks.

Scheck says visitors and businesses want more safety and litter and graffiti removal in Olde Town.

"We want to do all we can to support a thriving business and cultural district in the area, because it is a point of pride for Arvadans and one of our most visited parts of the city," said Scheck.

Block by Block ambassadors will be in Olde Towne Wednesdays through Sundays from 1 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., beginning Oct. 1.

Arvada has signed a $439,000 annual contract with Block by Block that will provide services to the community for the next three years. When the contract is complete, city officials say they'll reassess the program and its progress.

While many Coloradans may be acquainted with Stephen King’s infamous hotel horror story set in their home state, another of King’s Colorado novels is set to start the Arvada Center’s 2026-27 season with a fright.

On Sept. 4, “Misery” will open at the Arvada Center to kick off the theatre’s season, and run until Oct. 11. The play is based on the movie adaptation of King’s novel, “Misery.”

“Misery” follows author Paul Sheldon, who wakes up in the home of his “number one fan” — Annie Wilkes — after a roadside accident. As the days pass and Annie cares for Paul, her sweet demeanor turns more menacing.

For actress Jacque Wilke, who plays Annie, stepping into the role was an opportunity to show audiences a different side to Annie. While the character is often associated with Kathy Bates portrayal in the film adaptation, Wilke wanted to bring out the human side of Annie.

“The character of Annie Wilkes is such a meaty, fascinating kind of person to dive into,” Wilke said. “I think looking at the way we not only view but also as an actor portray mental health and mental illness in a different time, 2026 versus 1986, seeing how that looks and how we tell that story.

“Everybody has such a strong idea of what this character is,” Wilke continued. “So I wanted to approach her with a lot more empathy and consideration of her as a human being, and not just this character of horror.”

Wilke wants her portrayal to “make the audience feel bad” for Annie throughout the show — even as the obsession grows and Annie makes “some mistakes.”

“I really wanted to try to imbue as much as I could into her with all of the empathy that we can have for somebody that's you know unmedicated and obsessed and all of the things that Annie is,” Wilke said.

In addition to portraying Annie with more empathy, Wilke said she read the book and took note of the way King writes about Annie’s movements, so that she could incorporate it directly into her acting.

With two primary characters taking the stage for most of the show, the cast is a small one, with only three actors appearing on the stage each night. Wilke has enjoyed getting to know her co-star, even if their roles have made that a bit awkward at times.

“(We’ve been) diving into this really weird world of me being obsessed with him and his character, and also being extremely violent towards him,” Wilke said. “It's just like dive into the deep end, and we're we're we've done a really beautiful job of learning each other as human beings and learning how we work with one another.”

While the cast is small, that doesn’t mean the production has been a small undertaking. Wilke said the show was a “perfect example of collaboration,” because so many different crews had to work together to ensure the atmosphere for the show every single night.

“We have to go for that same mood and that same tone of how are we going to make those lights and how are we going to do this set and how is this all going to you know be choreographed together in such a way that keeps everybody on board, even if they know what's going to happen,” Wilke said. “We still want to have moments of our own version of storytelling.”

As opening night approaches, Wilke is looking forward to seeing how the audience reacts each night, from what scares them to what makes them laugh.

“Stephen King wrote a lot of humor and finding where those moments are, and if people are going to be willing to laugh a little and have a little bit of levity within the suspense,” Wilke said. “Just feeling their reaction because we have a lot of things that are really special little nuggets for the audience, just for the Arvada Center production that have not necessarily been done before.”

While the story of Paul and Annie has been told already in several formats, Wilke hopes audiences will come with an open mind to see a new take on the tale.

“I just hope people come out and see it, and I hope they have an open mind about very famous cinematic characters,” Wilke said. “So come see what we've done with them.”

“Misery” opens Sept. 4 and runs through Oct. 11, with performances Wednesday through Sunday at 7 p.m. and Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 1 p.m. ASL interpreted performances will be held Sept. 16 and 26. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit

This November, residents of the Arvada Fire Protection District (AFPD) will vote on Ballot Question 6C, which would raise sales tax by 1% in order to help fund the fire department.

If enacted, the ballot question would raise the AFPD’s annual budget by a projected $23 million. Arvada Fire’s operating budget for 2025 was $70.6 million. The special district includes Arvada, parts of northern Wheat Ridge, Fairmount, and unincorporated Jefferson County.

While the fire department says it needs the funding increase to continue providing the level of service its customers have become accustomed to, detractors say that the sales tax increase would unfairly burden low-income residents and could harm local businesses.

The ballot question exempts certain necessities, such as groceries, prescription medications, diapers, and school activities.

Ryan Weir, president of Arvada Professional Fire Fighters Association (Local 4056), said AFPD hasn’t asked for a tax increase since 2010 (a property tax increase that raised the mill from 9.48 to 14.71), and is struggling to meet the needs of residents amid rising costs and inflation.

“The increase in property taxes has helped extend that budget, but just like what everybody else is dealing with — cost of inflation, cost of things going up such as fire trucks, equipment, things like that — is what has spurred this on a lot,” Weir said. “And then on top of it, just you know, we were responding to more calls.

“More calls means more resources, means more things getting used,” Weir continued. “So that's what has caused this (strain) on our budget.”

Weir added that certain expenses for the fire department are about to come up. The department’s air packs (breathing apparatus) are set to expire and will need to be replaced; a ladder truck that cost $950,000 in 2009 now costs $2.6 million and takes four years to build.

These expenses — and the time they take to acquire — have caused the department to look ahead.

However, some Arvada residents feel that AFPD’s ask is imprudent.

Former Arvada City Councilmember John Marriott, who owns a business (Larson’s Ski and Sport) within AFPD’s boundaries, has organized the group Arvada For Common Sense, which is urging voters to vote no on the ballot question.

Marriott said his group has nothing against the fire department, but is concerned about the economic impact 6C could have if passed.

“One thing you won't hear out of us is anything negative towards the fire department,” Marriott said. “I think we have a first-rate fire department…Our concerns here are economic concerns. One of the biggest (concerns) is that changing the sales tax by one full percent pulls approximately 23 million dollars out of our local economy.

“And you know, for every business out there, our customers will have less money to spend,” Marriott continued. “It doesn't affect just us, but it affects the people we buy our printing from, or the people that come and do our janitorial, or the people that replace the roofs on our buildings…it has a very large ripple effect.”

Weir said that the decision to pursue a sales tax increase came from the department’s board of directors, who conducted a survey which found that 70% of respondents were in favor of the move. He added that as a special district, AFPD cannot receive funding from the City of Arvada.

“The sales tax helps spread it out for those that live, work, and play within our fire district,” Weir said. “And that's the other piece to it; we aren't a city fire department, so we get no funding, nothing from the City of Arvada. We are our own entity, and the money that we collect, we don't share — but we still have to have human resources, building maintenance, mechanics, firefighters.”

Marriott argued that a sales tax increase would disproportionately hurt low-income residents of the district.

“One of our concerns is that sales tax is the most regressive tax there is, and it hurts the poor people in our community far more than the wealthy people,” Marriott said. “And so that's a concern that you'd be delivering this giant amount of money to the fire department, largely on the backs of those who are not as well off as others.”

Weir said he is aware that the tax increase might put people in a difficult position, but said that the department was left with very few options. Proposition HH, enacted in 2023, limited property tax increases for special districts like the AFPD.

A year after Proposition HH was passed, the Colorado state legislature passed SB24-194, which allows special districts to use sales tax revenue to overcome budgetary shortfalls.

“It's tough on anybody when you have to raise taxes, and with everything going up and the price of everything going up, we know it's going to be difficult,” Weir said. “But I mean, the fire department isn't immune to inflation and the cost of everything going up, just like every other business. And so that's why we're here.”

Marriott also expressed concerns that sales tax could be an unpredictable revenue stream for the fire department, bringing up the COVID-19 pandemic as a time when sales tax revenue unexpectedly plunged for a prolonged period.

“I also have concerns that sales tax is really a bad way to fund emergency services because sales tax can be a very variable source of revenue,” Marriott said. “It goes up and it can go down depending on economic conditions. But the need to provide an EMS service doesn't ever go down. It's not variable.

“It can change a bit from year to year, but they really need a steady, solid funding source, and sales tax is just not it,” Marriott continued.

However, people associated with the fire department said that sales tax revenue is the best option at the moment.

While Marriott pointed to a 17% revenue increase in the department’s budget from 2024 to 2025 as a reason the department should not need sales tax revenue, Arvada Fire Public Information Officer Brady Johnson said the revenue increase has not kept up with rising costs. Because of that, the district has been forced to rely on its reserves to stay afloat.

“The natural growth Arvada has experienced over the last four years has resulted in increased property tax revenue; however, the operational demands associated with maintaining and expanding emergency services for a larger population have not kept pace with that revenue growth,” Johnson said.

“The district has supplemented ongoing property tax revenue with the use of reserves to fund capital needs,” Johnson continued. “While this approach has allowed the district to address significant capital and operational demands without immediately increasing the burden on taxpayers, it is not a sustainable long-term strategy.”

Johnson added that Arvada Fire’s merger with Fairmount Fire in 2025 was largely responsible for the recent property tax revenue increase that Marriott mentioned, but said the increase in service calls largely cancelled out that gain.

“Arvada Fire did experience a 14% increase in property tax revenue from 2024 to 2025,” Johnson said. “However, this increase was largely attributable to the consolidation with Fairmount Fire Protection District and the resulting expansion of the district’s tax base, rather than organic growth in Arvada’s existing property tax revenue.

“At the same time, the district assumed responsibility for providing emergency services to a larger geographic area and population, creating additional operational demands and costs,” Johnson continued.

Marriott also raised concerns about where a sales tax increase would leave Arvada in the context of the broader metro area.

According to an impact analysis completed by the City of Arvada, if 6C is passed, the Adams County portion of Arvada would have the highest sales tax rate of any municipality in the Denver metro area, at 9.21%. The Jefferson County portion of Arvada would be fifth-highest, at 8.96%. Arvada currently has one of the lowest sales tax rates in the metro area.

“I think when you move us to the top or near the top of the sales tax heap, all across the metro area, it just makes everything less competitive,” Marriott said. “I think as a community, there's a strength in having the best economic opportunities and climate in the metro area.

“It helps our businesses do better,” Marriott continued. “It helps our workers do better. It helps those who are in the nonprofit world do better because as the community does better economically, nonprofits are more easily able to raise money. So economic strength is way underrated and it's very fragile. And I don't think we should allow it to be taken away from us.”

Voters in the Arvada Fire Protection District will decide on Ballot Question 6C on Nov. 3.

For more information about the Arvada Professional Fire Fighters Association and their affirmative position on 6C, folks can visit asaferarvada.com. For more information about Arvada For Common Sense, folks can visit arvadaforcommonsense.com. To learn more about 6C from the fire department, folks can visit talkarvadafireco.com.

ARVADA — The quest for a conference three-peat couldn’t have got off to a better start for Arvada West.

The Wildcats defeated cross-town rival Ralston Valley 25-6 on Monday night under the lights at the North Area Athletic Complex to remain alone atop the Class 5A Jeffco League standings.

“I know we can do it,” A-West junior Grace Schillie said of the Wildcats (4-1, 2-0 in league) going after the three-peat. “Our program has been an elite program since (flag football) started.”

A-West posted a 29-6 record of the first two seasons since flag football became a CHSAA-sanctioned sport. The Wildcats won the state title when it was a pilot sport in 2024.

“Winning league is our first goal,” A-West coach Deven DelReal said. “Moving past that is a higher goal, that we’ll try to reach. It is still one play at a time. One game at a time.”

Ralston Valley (2-5, 1-2) gave everything the Wildcats could handle Monday night. The Mustangs jumped out to an early lead after a long touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Eva Connelly to junior Shelby Colosimo midway through the second quarter.

“After a play like that, we just have to kind of learn from our mistakes,” Schillie said of Colosimo’s long touchdown catch that gave the Mustangs a 6-0 lead at halftime. “After that play you just have to move on. I felt like we mentally reset and went from there.”

A-West battled through a 6-0 halftime deficit, lightning delay and periodic rain in the second half to take the key league victory.

“After that lightning delay we kind of got it together,” Schillie said.

Just before the delay, A-West converted on an interception by senior Macie Ferguson that set up the Wildcats deep in Ralston Valley territory. Junior quarterback Emerson Drake scored on a short touchdown run to tie things up 6-6.

Then it turned into the Schillie Show. The junior two-way player scored three touchdowns over the span of 8 minutes in the fourth quarter.

“We had a conversation when we were walking back onto the field after the delay and I told her (Schillie) to so close out the game,” DelReal said. “She is very talented and works hard. She is a leader on this team. A captain on this team. She is a two-way play that rarely comes out. She is a gamer.”

Schillie finished the pair of scoring drives in the fourth quarter on short touchdowns passes from Drake. A-West went to the short passing game after Ralston Valley’s defense intercepted Drake three times.

“A lot of teams play real deep,” DelReal said of A-West adjusting its offense to take the short underneath passes in the second half. “The short game is open. It’s simple football. It might be boring, but ultimately we are here to win football games.”

Schillie finished the game in style returning an interception for a touchdown with 1:40 left to play to make the final score 25-6.

“It felt great to kind of secure the win,” Schillie said of her pick-6. “It was just a great team win and a great team effort.”

A-West continues league play on Wednesday, Sept. 2, at Trailblazer Stadium. The Wildcats will face Columbine (3-3, 0-1) at 5 p.m. in Lakewood. Ralston Valley plays Chatfield (3-2, 1-1) in the second game of the doubleheader at Wednesday night at Trailblazer Stadium.

“Honestly, we like games like this,” DelReal said of the tight game against the Wildcats’ chief rival. “It shows you what kind of character and what kind of athletes you have. It makes the girls dig deep and want it more.”