BECAUSE YOU ASKED
Q: It’s that motorcycle time of year again, and it seems I am often awakened by someone revving their very loud engine at any time of day – 2 a.m. when they come home from bars; 7 a.m. when they go to work. Are there noise ordinances that motorcycles fall under?
A: There is no state statute that covers noise. Those ordinances are determined by individual municipalities. You might want to call your local police and ask if your city has a noise ordinance.
There is a statute stating that an exhaust system cannot be altered outside of the manufacturer’s specification. Altering a muffler may increase the noise level, and the person who altered it can be cited.
Sources: Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office; Colorado State Patrol
Q: It seems motor scooters have recently become very popular, especially with the high price of gas. Do riders of scooters have the same safety restrictions as motorcycle riders? Are riders required to wear protective eyewear and helmets?
A: Scooter riders must wear eye cover with lenses made of safety glass or plastic, but helmets are not required in Colorado. That’s also the case for motorcycle riders.
Source: Colorado State Patrol; Denver Municipal Code (www.municode.com/resources/gateway.asp?pid=10257&sid=6); Motorcycle Operator Safety Training Program, Colorado Department of Transportation
– Bonnie Gilbert
HAVE A QUESTION?
Have you ever wondered how to register your child for school? What a political caucus is and how to get information about one? How many “fourteeners” Colorado has? If you’d like information about something in the state outside Denver, send questions by e-mail to
becauseyouasked@denverpost.com or mail to Because You Asked, Denver Post, 1560 Broadway, Denver, CO 80202. Include your name, city of residence and phone number.
REGIONAL NOTES
FORT COLLINS
Dowdy Lake facilities to be closed
The Dowdy Lake use area, near Red Feather Lakes in Larimer County, will be closed July 7 through Jan. 1. The Dowdy Lake Campground is already closed and will remain so until Jan. 1.
Both areas are closed to help protect life and property during reconstruction, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
There will be no parking available at the day-use parking lot or on the roads in the area. Individuals or groups violating the closure will be ticketed.
After reconstruction, the day-use area will have additional parking and picnic areas, helping accommodate the ever-increasing use in the area. Other improvements include paving the main road.
CENTENNIAL
Hints on digital photography
A free educational session on digital photography will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Smoky Hill Library, 5430 S. Biscay Circle.
The class will cover the differences between traditional and digital cameras, understanding resolution, resizing photographs and e-mailing versus printing photographs.
Prerequisites include some experience using the digital camera and basic computer skills. A digital camera is not required for class. The program is free, but registration is required. For more information, call 303-693-7449.
AURORA
Kids to be focus of free festival
More than 40,000 people are expected to attend the 11th annual KidSpree Aurora festival, climbing ladders, meandering through a giant maze or painting a car.
The free outdoor festival for children will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 15 and 16 at Aurora’s 29-acre Bicentennial Park, 13655 E. Alameda Ave.
From car art and life-size board games to stilt walkers and living statues, the award-winning festival features more than 60 hands-on activities and entertainers, including jugglers and magicians.
Parking is free at the Town Center at Aurora’s southwest parking lot, with a free shuttle transporting visitors to the park, at East Alameda Avenue and Potomac Street, just west of Interstate 225. For more information, go to www.auroragov.org/kidspree.
DENVER POST STAFF REPORTS
