Raising Canes Chicken Fingers comes to Brighton
Brighton residents line up to sample popular chicken finger chain restaurant
More than 100 people lined the driveway in cold temperatures on Dec. 10 to celebrate the ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening of Raising Canes Chicken Fingers in Brighton’s Prairie Center. e store, the 186th restaurant for the company and the 21st in Colorado, is located at 1986 Prairie Center Parkway.
“We are excited, and we have a huge community wel-
come, “ said Raising Canes’ area leader Jesse Maha ey.
“So far, we had over 3,000 applicants of crew members who wanted to work here. We hired over 100 crew members just for this opening alone.”
“We are excited to have another option here for people to enjoy, and people seem to love their chicken ngers.
I know there’s one on almost every corner now, and people will enjoy having choices over here,” said Brighton Mayor Greg Mills.
Maha ey said the company’s plan to open the Brighton location has been in the works for more than a year.
“We chose Brighton because it’s a growing community, and this is our 21st restaurant in Colorado, so we’re always looking at locations
that have growth potential and need chicken ngers, which is just about every city in the United States,” Maha ey said.
At 28 years old, the fried chicken brand has had impressive growth thanks to owner and founder Todd Graves, Maha ey said.
“Todd is an amazing gentleman, and it’s the best company I’ve ever worked for. He started for Raising Canes in 1996 outside the gates of Louisiana State University,” he said.
Graves had the idea for the restaurant but had a difcult time nding investors, eventually working odd jobs around the country to nd the money.
“He went to California to raise money, worked in the oil elds, then went to Alaska
to do some salmon shing to raise more money,” Maha ey said. “And then came back and opened up the rst restaurant outside Louisiana State University’s gates.”
e Brighton Raising Canes grand opening featured a variety of activities, giveaways, and a DJ spinning tunes. ey held a “Lucky 20” drawing to award 20 customers free chicken ngers for a year.
e rst 100 customers to purchase a combo box got a commemoritive beani and a free Canes Box Combo card.
Maha ey also brought along a $1,000 donation for the Brighton Legacy Foundation, a non-pro t charitable organization that supports community needs.
About $24 million was spent to benefit Caraveo, who lost to Evans by about 2,500 votes
BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN
e nal price tag of the race in Colorado’s highly competitive 8th Congressional District this year was about $40 million, with three-quarters of that sum being spent by super PACs.
Most of the money — or about $24 million — was spent to bene t incumbent U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo, a Democrat. But it wasn’t enough, as she lost to Republican state Rep. Gabe Evans by about 2,500 votes, or about 1 percentage point.
Caraveo’s campaign raised about $8.1 million for her reelection bid, spending all but about $90,000 of that through Election Day, according to her campaign nance report led ursday with the Federal Election Commission. e report re ected fundraising and spending from Oct. 17 through Nov. 25.
Caraveo spent more than $2 million in the nal weeks of the campaign, most of that on advertising.
Evans’ campaign raised and spent about $2.5 million to beat Caraveo. at includes $642,000 in the nal weeks of the contest, with most of that money going to advertising. e campaign paid Evans $3,000 in salary in November, and still owed $128,000 to vendors on Nov. 25, mostly for victory bonuses.
e campaign had about $88,000 left in cash on Nov. 25.
e single-biggest super PAC spender on the contest was the Congressional Leadership Fund, which is tied to House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican. e group dropped about $6.7 million on the contest, the outcome of which helped Republicans keep their narrow majority in the U.S. House. House Majority PAC, a Democratic group, was the second-biggest super PAC spender on the race, at $6 million. Caraveo also bene tted from $2.3 million in spending by Fairshake PAC, a group that
The employees standing in line created a tunnel to honor Abby Garza as the first person to enter the restaurant. She was there by 3:00 a.m. PHOTO BY BELEN WARD
Veteran news innovator to helm CCM
Brooke Warner brings vast experience in digital transformation
Brooke Warner, a veteran news industry innovator who has guided legacy organizations toward a more resilient future, has joined Colorado Community Media as its executive director.
In this role, Warner will lead CCM’s continued transformation into a sustainable community news business. She comes to CCM with extensive experience in digital media, organizational transformation and revenue growth.
“We’re thrilled to have Brooke Warner take the helm at Colorado Community Media,” said Elizabeth Hansen Shapiro, CEO and co-founder of the National Trust for Local News. “She brings a passion for our mission along with deep experience in digital media, leading transformational change, and diversifying revenue. Our organization will bene t from her leadership as it works to create a sustainable future for community news in Colorado.”
Prior to joining CCM, Brooke served as general manager at Swift Communications in Nevada, where she managed a portfolio of 25 local media brands. She also was vice president of Draper Digital Media and WBOC-TV in Maryland, where she launched the rst interactive division at one of the state’s largest television stations.
“I’m thrilled to join Colorado Community Media. It has been my mis-
sion to help local news companies grow and thrive to meet the needs of readers, advertisers, and communities,” Warner said. “With the support of the National Trust, I’m excited to lead CCM’s continued development into a sustainable community news business for Colorado.”
e National Trust for Local News started in Colorado in 2021 with the acquisition of Colorado Community Media, the primary source of local news for communities across the Denver metro area. Over the last two years, the National Trust has unveiled a comprehensive overhaul of CCM’s websites and digital news products, and expanded its news offerings to serve growing bilingual audiences in greater Denver.
e Trust also just announced the launch of the Trust Press to print CCM’s newspapers and o er commercial printing services for news organizations and other clients throughout the region. Warner will oversee those operations, as well.
Warner’s position replaces the publisher role recently vacated by Linda Carpio Shapley, who is now CCM’s director of Editorial and Audience Engagement.
Police identify cold case remains from 1973
Detectives ID 15-year-old Roxanne Leadbeater, look for cause of death
BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
e Weld County Sheri ’s o ce has identied a set of remains found in 1973 along the St. Vrain River west of Platteville as that of Roxanne Leadbeater, a teen who disappeared in 1972 from the Los Angeles area.
However, police are still investigating the circumstances that brought her to Weld County and the cause of her death.
“ is is our oldest cold case; I am glad Roxanne has nally been identi ed, and some of her remaining family members have gotten answers about what happened to her,” said Detective Bryon Kastilahn in a Dec. 5 press release.
“In the future, I hope to discover what events led to her death and how she ended up in Colorado.”
According to o cials, Leadbeater’s remains were found near the bank of the St. Vrain River Nov. 19, 1973, north of Highway 66, four miles west of Platteville.
Kastilahn, of the Weld County cold case team, took over the investigation in 2021 and requested the unidenti ed woman’s remains be exhumed from Lin Grove Cemetery in Greeley in 2022. Her remains were submitted for a DNA for a genetic genealogy test, according to o cials.
ose results came back this year. Melissa Kraker, a forensic genealogy analyst with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, identi ed the body as that of Roxanne Colleen Lead-
beater. Leadbeater’s parents and brother have died, so her closest relatives are rst cousins.
Kastilahn contacted the cousins and found they lived in di erent states. However, they heard she had gone missing in 1972 at age 15. According to o cials, the family had no connection to Colorado and her cousins did not know why she lived there or if she had run away.
According to o cials, one of the cousins approved providing her DNA to the CBI to test whether Leadbeater was related to them. Kraker’s forensic genealogy analyst results con rmed that Leadbeater’s DNA was related to the cousin.
According to o cials, when Leadbeater went missing, her cousins thought she and her family lived in the Redondo Beach area of Los Angeles. Kastilahn contacted several law enforcement agencies in California seeking a record of the missing girl, including Redondo Beach Police, Huntington Beach Police, Inglewood Police, Hawthorne Police, Los Angeles Police and the Los Angeles Sheri ’s Department.
ose Los Angeles law enforcement agencies had no records of Leadbeater being reported as a runaway or missing person.
Now, the task for Det. Kastilahn is nding out what happened to Leadbeater. Her cause of death is still unknown. e investigation will remain active, and identifying who she is is vital to solving what happened to her, Kastilahn said in the press release.
“ is case highlights the importance of preserving evidence, even for decades-old crimes,” said CBI Director Chris Schaefer. “ advancements in DNA technology have given us a powerful tool to help solve cold cases and bring long overdue answers to the families of victims who were never forgotten.”
Brooke Warner
What
Are the Costs of
This is one article you’ll want to read at http://RealEstateToday.substack.com, where the buyer and seller settlement statements at right appear much larger on your computer screen. I have anonymized the actual closing statements from a property I sold for $698,000 this year which had an HOA, a seller loan to pay off, and a buyer loan to fund. This should cover most of the expenses that a buyer or seller might encounter when closing on a home sale or purchase.
We’re blessed in Colorado when it comes to the cost of buying and selling real estate. In many states, there are transfer taxes imposed by state or local jurisdictions, but not here by Colorado or in metro Denver. Also, in some states, both buyer and seller need to hire a lawyer, not just a real estate agent to complete a transaction. Long ago the State of Colorado passed a law giving licensed real estate brokers limited legal authority to explain state approved contracts, so it’s rare for a client to spend money on a lawyer. The exception is when a buyer purchases a new home, because builders have lawyers create their own contracts, and we would be practicing law without a license if we were to interpret those contracts and their provisions for our buyer.
Buying
or Selling a Home? Homeowners & Investors Need to Know
ance renewal), but that escrow can't be credited on your closing. You’ll pay for the property taxes at closing and get a refund of your escrow balance from your lender 30 days or so after closing. On this seller’s settlement statement, the HOA dues are also pro-rated to the date of closing, and since the closing was on the 30th of August, the statement refunds two days’ worth of HOA dues, which the seller had paid on August 1st.
The biggest deductions for the seller (other than property taxes) are the real estate commissions and the title insurance policy. The purchase contract specifies whether the buyer or seller will pay for the buyer agent’s commission and the owner’s title insurance, but it is still common for the seller to pay both agents’ commissions plus the title policy, as in this case.
There are HOA fees which can also be paid by either party but are typically paid by the seller. Typically, the title company which is closing the transaction pays those fees (for status letter, documents, transfer fee, and more), so those fees are shown here as being reimbursed to the title company rather than paid to the HOA.
statement. If the buyer were paying cash, he or she would have very few expenses other than recording the deed for $10. The biggest costs associated with buying the home are related to the loan, especially if the seller has paid the buyer’s real estate agent and paid for the owner’s title policy.
ing takes place. In this case the buyer is being debited for 3 months of insurance coverage and 5 months of property taxes.
So let’s look at the seller’s settlement statement first. Not all the debits on this statement are considered the cost of selling. For example, the property taxes for the current year, pro-rated to the date of sale, are not a cost of selling. Since property taxes are paid in arrears (not due until April of the following year), you’re always going to find that pro-ration of property taxes on the settlement statement. If selling in December, that’s almost an entire year’s tax bill. In January through April, if your taxes haven’t been paid, you will find the full year’s taxes plus a portion of the current year’s taxes deducted from your proceeds.
If you have a mortgage, your lender has probably been charging you each month to escrow for next year’s tax bill (and insur-
In addition to paying off the seller’s loan, based on payoff numbers the title company obtains directly from the lender, the closer will deduct a few extra days of interest to cover the time it takes to get the payoff to the lender. If that’s an overcharge, the seller will get a check for the surplus from the title company within a few weeks.
The title company will also escrow a few hundred dollars to pay the final water and sewer bill (unless water is included in the HOA dues), and will refund the excess after they pay the final water/sewer bill. This is the only utility which the title company pays and transfers on your behalf, because an unpaid water/sewer bill would result in a lien against the property, and the title company’s job is to assure the buyer that they are getting the home clear of any liens.
Now let’s look at the buyer’s settlement
Moving, Even Locally, Can Cost You a Lot
At Golden Real Estate, we like to save you money wherever we can. For example, we have a handyman who can help you get your home ready to show or fix inspection issues at a client-only rate of $30/hour.
We also have a box truck which you can use prior to, during and after closing, not just for moving to your new home, but making those dump runs or runs to Goodwill for donating all that stuff you accumulated over the years!
packing material, including bubble wrap, so don’t buy any of those items yourself.
We’ve been offering the use of this truck since 2004. In fact, this is our second truck. It’s hard to estimate how much money this perk has saved both our buyers and sellers, but it must be several hundred thousands of dollars.
We also provide free moving boxes and
We also make the truck available free to non-profits and local organizations, such as Family Promise and BGoldN, which uses it to pick up food from Food Bank of the Rockies for their Golden food pantry.
Those loan costs are large and varied, as is detailed in the buyer’s settlement statement above. There’s the origination fee, from which the loan officer is paid. There is also the cost of appraising the home (in this case paid prior to closing), underwriting, credit report, flood certification, and a couple other lesser fees.
The buyer’s lender wants to be sure the home is insured, so you see that debit on the last line of the buyer’s settlement. (A cash buyer might choose not to insure.)
Not only does the buyer have to pay all those expenses, the buyer is charged for a title policy that covers the lender for the amount of the loan ($500 in this case) and a loan closing fee ($450). The lender will probably want to escrow for property taxes and insurance and will require a deposit for both those expenses that will vary depending on when in the calendar year the clos-
There is one big credit which the buyer receives from the seller. The funds which were deducted from the seller’s proceeds for the current year’s property taxes are credited to the buyer, not paid to the county. That’s because the buyer will paying the current year’s entire property tax bill when it becomes due. You see that credit — almost $3,000 — near the top of the above settlement statement.
There could also be a concession for repairs that the seller agreed to in the inspection resolution, although not in this case. Sometimes that concession takes the form of a price reduction, which does not appear as a line on the settlement statement.
Notice that the closing services (notary) fee of $360 is shared 50/50 in this case, as is commonly done, $180 for each party.
As mentioned above, visit our blog for more readable copies of those documents and more discussion of transaction costs.
FHA Loan Limits Have Been Raised
Each year, the FHA raises the limits on its federally guaranteed loans. The limits are based on the median sale price of homes in each county.
Because the Denver metro area’s median home price was calculated by FHA at $710,000, the loan limit for single-family homes was raised to $816,500 this year. That is the loan limit, not the purchase price, although FHA only requires a 3.5% down payment.
The loan limit for a duplex/2-family home was raised to $1,045,250. For a three-family home it was raised to $1,263,500, and for a four-plex, it was raised to $1,570,200.
Boulder County’s limits in each category are slightly higher, starting at $856,750 for a single-family home.
In the country’s lowest-cost counties, the loan limit is $498,257 for a single-family home, and in the highest-cost areas (Alaska, Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands), the limit is $1,724,725, rising to $3,317,400 for a 4unit property. (Whether 1-unit or 4-units, the borrower has to live in the subject property.)
Non-FHA (“conventional”) loan limits are slightly lower for 2024. In most areas, the conforming conventional loan is limited to $766,550. Alaska, Hawaii and high-cost areas have a conforming conventional loan limit of $1,149,825 for a single-family home. FHA loans are attractive because they only require a 580 credit score (as low as 500 with a 10% down payment), and your debt-toincome ratio only needs to be below 57%.
The biggest negative of FHA loans is that they require a mortgage insurance premium (MIP) of 1.75% at closing, plus an annual premium which varies based on your loan-tovalue ratio. MIP is for the life of the loan, unless your downpayment is at least 10%, and remains in effect no matter how low the loan-to-value ratio falls (i.e., how much your equity increases). If your down payment was 10% or higher, the MIP goes away after 11 years. Otherwise, most 15- or 30-year FHA mortgages should be refinanced once the owner can qualify for a conventional loan, hopefully at a better interest rate, to get rid of the MIP.
NOTE: All prior “Real Estate Today” columns are archived at
Starting the season
A listing of holiday events in the Northern Metro area
Thursday, Dec. 19
Get ready to light up the holiday season with the Fort Lupton Holiday Lighting Contest, proudly sponsored by United Power.
Show o your festive spirit and creativity by decorating your home or business with dazzling lights. City residents and those who live within ve miles of the Fort Lupton City limits can register with the Chamber of Commerce to have their home holiday displays reviewed and
Judging will take place in person by the Chamber Board at 5:30 p.m., Dec. 19 so make sure your display is sparkling bright. Winners will be announced on Dec. 20, so stay tuned to see who takes home the holiday lighting honors! Don’t miss out on the chance to bring extra cheer to our community this season!
Contact Allison Johnson at executivedirector@fortluptonchamber.org for more information visit the chamber online at www.fortluptonchamber.org.
Saturday, Dec. 21
e Second City: e Good, e Bad and the Ugly Sweater: e Second City improvisational group continues its 65-year tradition of delivering innovative, fast-paced satirical comedy with
a fresh take on festive fun and presents an evening stu ed with seasonal songs, sketches and a generous helping of Second City’s world-famous improv comedy. Festive family gatherings, o ce parties, classic holiday movies… nothing is o limits!
Tickets range from $36-$40 at the Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14 and 2 p.m. Dec. 15. Visit https://northglennarts.org/ for more information or to purchase tickets.
Monday, Dec. 23
Westminster Winter Camp for Grades 1-8: Join Westminster’s City Park Recreation sta for daily trips and activities designed to stop the winter blues. e camp runs from 7 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. Dec. 23, 27, 30, 31 and Jan. 2, 3 and 6. For more information, go to www.westminsterco.gov/WinterSpringCamp.
Friday, Dec. 27
Hannukah Celebration with Congregation B’Nai Torah: Celebrate the festival of lights at 5:30 p.m. Temple B’Nai Torah, located at 3990 W. 74th Ave. in Westminster, will host a potluck followed by a Hannukah celebration and shabbat.
Sunday Dec. 29
Menorah Lighting Celebration at Orchard: Westminster’s Orchard Town Center celebrates Hanukkah with live music, latkes, donuts, hot beverages and a variety of performances from 4-5 p.m. on e Orchard entertainment stage.
With the fourth light lit, the Dec. 10 celebration continues at the Orchard Town Square in Westminster. SCOTT TAYLOR
Winter Market showcases unique craft gifts by artists in the area
BY BELEN WARD
e City of Brighton hosted a Winter Market at the Armory, with unique homemade crafts by local artist.
Sandie MacKenzie, an artist and a gallery member at Main Street Creative worked with with the Brighton Cultural Arts Committee to organize the art market at the armory. is is her second year curating the event, and she said she hopes to make it an annual event.
McKenzie said the market features unique, one-of-a-kind artworks and is
Santa drops by the Fort Lupton Public & School Library
hopeful that the event will continue to grow in recognition.
“Last year, we had it here, and decided I wanted to make it bigger, and every year, it’s just growing. I’m excited about all the artists that we have. ey’re unique and one of a kind, and I love featuring them.
I’m hoping we can have it every year here at the Armory, and more people will hear about this,” said MacKenzie. e celebration continued later in the evening with a tree light ceremony at Founder Plaza, various food vendors, and a free concert by Face Vocal Band on Dec. 7.
BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Fort Lupton Public & School Library hosted its annual Cookies & Cocoa with Santa on Dec. 7, a sweet shot of Christmas cheer.
Santa, dropped o by his reindeer, came into the library, bringing Christmas joy as families lined up with their
children to take a photo with Santa. e recreation room o ered cookies, cocoa, and a place for children to create Christmas crafts for their Christmas trees. e sta had a scavenger hunt for the children to participate in and a gingerbread house contest.
e High Plains Library District mobile library bus sat outside the library so families could go inside and read books.
The Winter Market at the Armory was busy with folks shopping for Christmas gift ideas.
PHOTO BY BELEN WARD
Dustin, Amanda, and Elleanna Barnes are taking a photo with Santa Claus. PHOTO BY BELEN WARD
VOICES
Understanding the taxes that may apply after death
BMany people worry about the potential tax implications their families may face after their passing. Fortunately, for most individuals, the tax burden is not as heavy as anticipated. However, understanding the di erent types of taxes that may apply can help you plan e ectively and ensure your loved ones are nancially prepared.
Here’s an overview of the key tax considerations after death:
Federal Estate Tax
Unleash the power of creativity in new year
As we prepare to enter the new year, we have a unique opportunity to tap into the power of our imagination and dream about what lies ahead. Last week, I explored how we can nish strong and start the new year even stronger. is week, I want to challenge you to unleash your imagination, dream beyond boundaries, and create a vision for the year ahead that excites and inspires you.
WINNING
box, let’s forget the box entirely. In this era, there is no box. ere are no limits except those we impose on our-
One of my favorite activities when my children were younger, and now with my grandchildren, is gazing up at a cloud- lled sky. Together, we look for shapes and gures in the clouds. With a little creativity, we’ve spotted trains, dinosaurs, hearts, dolphins, Santa Claus, snowmen, and countless other formations. It’s remarkable how, when we let our imaginations roam free, young and old minds alike can conjure up incredible visions.
So, as we approach the new year, let’s ask ourselves: What do we see in the clouds of our own future? Are we allowing ourselves to imagine with boundless creativity, or are we playing it safe, constrained by the familiar?
Ask yourself: What does a year of unlimited possibilities look like? If failure weren’t an option, what would you aim to achieve? What form would it take if you could sprinkle a bit of magic into your daily life? What would you do di erently if guided by your most creative and uninhibited self?
For example, imagining a year lled with travel might prompt you to start a dedicated savings plan or research destinations you’ve always dreamed of visiting. Dreaming about a career change could inspire you to enroll in a course, expand your network, or schedule informational interviews. e act of imagining opens doors and sets a foundation for action.
e federal estate tax applies to the value of an individual’s estate at the time of death. However, most people won’t need to worry about this tax due to a generous exemption amount. As of 2024, estates valued at less than $13.61 million are exempt. is means that if your estate falls below this threshold, no federal estate tax will be due.
For those with larger estates, there are strategies to minimize tax exposure. For instance, assets left to a spouse or charities may be exempt. However, it’s important to note that this exemption will be reduced to approximately $7 million on January 1, 2026, so planning ahead is essential.
State estate and inheritance taxes
While Colorado does not impose an estate or inheritance tax, some other states do. If you own property or have residency in a state with these taxes, it’s worth consulting with a tax professional to determine whether taxes may apply.
Capital gains tax relief
One bene cial aspect of the U.S. tax system is the “step-up” in basis that applies to certain assets upon death. For example, if you own stocks or real estate, their tax basis is adjusted to the fair market value at the date of your death. is adjustment reduces (or eliminates) the
capital gains tax liability when the asset is sold by your heirs. However, this process can be more complex for assets held in business entities like partnerships, LLCs, or corporations. Understanding these nuances is key to ensuring your heirs bene t from the step-up in basis.
Income tax on retirement accounts
If you hold retirement accounts such as a traditional IRA or 401(k), it’s important to understand that these accounts carry income tax obligations. You pay income tax as you withdraw funds during your lifetime, and the same applies to your heirs after your death.
For example, if your IRA is passed to a beneciary, they will be required to take distributions and pay the corresponding income taxes. Planning for these taxes can help your heirs better manage their tax burden.
Planning ahead
While the idea of taxes after death can be intimidating, many estates fall below the federal exemption threshold, and Colorado residents do not face additional state estate taxes. However, each family’s situation is unique, and tax laws are constantly evolving.
Meeting with an experienced estate planning attorney can help you understand the speci c taxes that may apply to your situation and explore strategies to reduce or eliminate those taxes.
For Colorado residents, the opportunity to ensure your family’s nancial well-being starts with education and preparation.
For some, the year ahead might hold dreams of a new role within your current company, an opportunity to stretch into leadership, or explore a di erent area of the business. Others may be thinking about starting their own ventures, nally bringing to life that business idea they’ve nurtured for years. Perhaps your dreams center on carving out more intentional time o , traveling to places that have long been on your bucket list, or spending quality time with family and friends.
e new year also brings opportunities for celebration. Signi cant milestones like birthdays, anniversaries, or graduations often call for creativity and intention to make them truly memorable. What if you could dream up ways to make these events extraordinary? Perhaps it’s planning a surprise party that will leave your loved ones speechless or organizing an experience that becomes a cherished memory.
For those of us who already meticulously plan the year, here’s an added challenge: Layer your planning with imagination. Move beyond traditional goal-setting and practical to-do lists. Instead of just thinking outside the
e key is to imagine without judgment or fear of overreaching. Remember those clouds we stared at as kids? No one told us our dinosaur didn’t look like a dinosaur, and no one said a train couldn’t appear in the sky. We saw what we wanted to see and reveled in the joy of discovery.
As you stand on the brink of this new year, take a moment to look up, not just at the sky but at the endless possibilities that await. Use your imagination to shape your dreams, plans, and life. Forget the box. Dream big, dream bold, and dream without limits. Let this year be the one where you surprise yourself with what you can create, achieve, and experience. After all, when we combine imagination with action, the sky isn’t the limit, it’s just the beginning. I would love to hear your story and how you imagine the year ahead at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can tap into the power of our imagination, it really will be a better-thangood life.
Michael Norton is an author, a personal and professional coach, consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator of individuals and businesses, working with organizations and associations across multiple industries.
Jennifer Spitz is a shareholder at Lyons Gaddis in Longmont, specializing in estate planning and tax law.
GUEST COLUMN
Jennifer M. Spitz
George “Ron” Ronald Neely April 7, 1936~ November 28, 2024
George Ronald Neely, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, uncle, and friend, passed away on November 28, 2024. He was born in Ogallala, Nebraska, on April 7, 1936, along with his twin brother, Don, to Glenn and Mary Ann Neely. e family lived in Nebraska for a brief time before moving back to Colorado when Ron’s father found work as a meat cutter in Ft. Lupton. e Neely family then settled on Ron’s grandfather’s farm in Wattenberg, where Ron spent much of his childhood.
Growing up on the farm was a formative experience for Ron, as he worked alongside his grandfather and great uncle farming with horses. e family had three teams of horses, and limited use of tractors, making it a truly hands-on, oldfashioned farming life. Ron and his twin brother attended Wattenburg Elementary School through the 8th grade before moving on to Ft. Lupton High School, where they graduated in 1954. Both were active in athletics, playing football, basketball, wrestling and track. Ron and Don both played on the 1953 state championship basketball team and then the 1954 state runner-up team.
coach and junior high sports coach. Ruth continued her nursing career in Burlington, Colorado. ey purchased and moved into an 8’x42’ trailer, as housing was scarce in the area. Teaching and coaching in Stratton presented challenges, but Ron’s coaching made a lasting impact on the students, and he was proud of their team successes and achievements.
In 1961, Ron and Ruth celebrated the birth of their rst child, Jerry. at same year, they left Stratton and moved to Prospect Valley. Ron taught high school biology and chemistry and coached wrestling at Weld Central High School. e family later moved to Brighton, where Ron continued teaching science and coaching wrestling, football, and track at South Junior High (now Vikan Middle School). Over these years, the family grew with Sherry, Greg and Pam joining Ron and Ruth’s home.
In 1967, Ron transitioned from the classroom to the assistant principal role, serving in that capacity for seven years before becoming the principal of Vikan Middle School. In 1971, Ron earned his master’s degree in Secondary Education from Adams State University. He served as principal until his retirement in 1991.
During the summer months, Ron and Don helped their parents in the family-owned grocery store, Neely’s Grocery, in Commerce City. ey also worked on the Stieber farm during the haycutting season, where Ron learned the value of hard work, family and community.
After high school, Ron attended Colorado State University (CSU) on a basketball scholarship for a year before transferring to the University of Northern Colorado (UNC). While in college and during summer he worked part-time at the Safeway warehouse, spending 13 years in the frozen food department.
In 1955, Ron met Ruth Ann Dahl on a blind date arranged by his brother, Don. ey dated for two years before marrying on June 8, 1957. June 8th was a signi cant date for Ruth’s family, as it was the wedding anniversary of Ruth’s grandparents, parents, aunt and uncle, Ruth’s younger sister, Pat, and then their daughter Pam.
After Ruth completed her nursing program at St. Luke’s Hospital and University of Denver in the spring of 1957, the newlyweds moved to Greeley. Ron then continued his studies at UNC and Ruth began her nursing career at Weld County Hospital. In the nal two years of college, Ron worked as an evening manager at Gordon’s Downtown Food Liner.
After he graduated in 1959, the couple moved to Stratton, Colorado. Ron began his teaching career as a high school science teacher, varsity wrestling
During retirement, he enjoyed spending his time in various hobbies, including traveling the world, hunting, shing, wood working, gol ng and decorating for holidays. He spent many days building elaborate holiday displays, especially for Christmas, with sixteen wooden reindeer and a gingerbread cottage populated by Santa’s elves.
Ron also loved attending athletic events, never missing a family member’s game. He was in almost every high school and college gym in Colorado following his children and grandchildren to hundreds of basketball games. He also endured numerous freezing and scorching softball, baseball, and football games and track events. If they played, him and Ruth were going to attend. He enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren talking about school and sports. He was very proud they all received college degrees and with all their athletic success.
Ron is preceded in death by his parents, Glenn and Mary Ann Neely, his wife, Ruth and twin brother, Don. Ron is survived by his four children Jerry (Deb) Neely, Sherry (Tim) Barnard, Greg (Sandy) Neely, Pam Smith, along with six grandchildren Alexandra (Omar), Curtis (Ashley), Caitlyn, Kylie (Trent), Courtney, Mick, one step-grandchild Stephanie (Zach), three greatgrandchildren Audra, Nakoa, Henry, one stepgreat-grandchild Trace, his sister-in-law Patricia Lambert and by many nieces, nephews, cousins and close friends who will miss him deeply.
NEELY
BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
While the holiday season marks a time to relax with family and friends, the lead-up to the moment can often feel chaotic and overwhelming, and nding time to get and wrap gifts can be di cult.
However, there are businesses around the Denver metro area that provide gift-wrapping services to those who are overwhelmed by the holiday hustle and bustle.
“People shouldn’t feel like they have to do it all,” said Megan Trask, co-founder and CEO of TULA Life Balanced. “It’s more important to enjoy the season than to feel stressed or burdened by all the things that come with the holiday to-do list.”
TULA Life Balanced is an on-demand personal and family assistance platform that operates similarly to companies like Uber. TULA matches clients with an assistant to complete tasks ranging from grocery shopping and laundryto meal prep.
Having a to-do list to complete when people get home from a regular job can be overwhelming, and Trask said TULA aims to give busy people and their families a little more time in their days to do what matters most to them.
“(It’s) to create a way that people could ask for help without feeling kind of guilty about it,” Trask said.
While the assistants — who are fully vetted — are available year-round, Trask said the business sees about a 30% to 40% increase in services starting in October to mid-January.
During the holiday season, TULA Life Balanced can source gifts, wrap them and deliver them. Also, based on certain preferences, the company can create a list for the client to be able to quickly make purchases.
e clients pay for the materials, whether they provide wrapping materials or the assistants stop at a store to pick up supplies.
Although she is the co-founder of the business, Trask loves to wrap gifts and said she is more than happy to take gift-wrapping requests.
“It’s kind of like a nice break to just wrap somebody else’s gift beautifully,” Trask said. “What better gift to give than somebody getting the gift of time back?”
Always looking for ways to be creative, Kammy Witulski, a Highlands Ranch resident, also loves gift wrapping for others and started her home business, Wrap Paper Scissors, about a decade ago.
Witulski used to be an area manager for a high-end retail company in which one of the services provided was gift wrapping. After she had her daughter, Witulski felt she needed to take a few years o .
One of Witulski’s friends from her retail job had reached out to Witulski because she no longer had the ability to wrap the gifts herself. Witulski told the woman she would wrap gifts for her. While the two chatted, one thing led to another, and the idea of the
“It just started as a holiday type of job,” said Witulski. “It’s built up and now we operate year round — but the bulk of our business still comes from the Christ-
Witulski o ers several types of services. People can call, make an appointment and tell Witulski what they would like to see, such as certain colors or styles. ere is also no charge for canceling an
From the paper to the tag, Witulski provides all the supplies and will even remove price tags. However, people can also bring their own supplies. In those cases, the client will only be charged for the actual service.
Witulski does a majority of the wrapping herself as she said it brings her joy to meet people and help others during the holiday season. Nonetheless, Witulski has a team of four to ve people she can call when she needs help with big requests like corporate events or
Kammy Witulski, the owner of Wrap Paper Scissors, wraps around 2,000 gifts a year for customers who need help wrapping gifts.
From the paper to the ribbons to the tags, Kammy Witulski of Wrap Paper Scissors provides all the supplies, however, people can also bring their own materials.
One of the most important things when it comes to gift wrapping is to not leave the task to the last minute.
PRESENTS
Gift wrapping tips and tricks
For those who have time to wrap gifts or enjoy the task, Trask and Witulski have some helpful tips.
e rst one is to invest in quality supplies like sharp scissors and thicker-grade wrapping paper.
“While you are saving money on the less expensive paper and scissors, the time that it takes you to correct the tearing or sometimes needing to rewrap is where you end up spending more time and more money,” Witulski said.
While searching for wrapping paper online can be good due to the variety of patterns and colors, Witulski said it’s important to pay attention to the dimensions of
Gift wrapping experts recommend investing in quality supplies, which includes sharp scissors and thicker grade paper.
the wrapping paper. e dimensions for a standard roll of paper can di er depending on the brand type and type of paper.
Trask agrees that measuring before wrapping is the foundation to beautiful gift wrapping. Once the paper is picked out, measure straight lines before cutting the paper to ensure a clean look. It’s also helpful to have all of the supplies in one place instead of making multiple trips to stores as you are wrapping.
One of the most important tips from Trask and Witulski is to not leave gift wrapping to the last minute and to take 10 to 15 minutes to wrap gifts as you purchase them. And don’t forget about those gifts you’ve been hiding in the closet, attic or under the bed.
“ at’s much easier to do than to try to block out like three, four hours on Christmas when you’re already trying to clean your house, cook for company or maybe you’re having a party,” Witulski said.
To learn more about their services, visit TULA Life Balanced at tulabalanced.com and Wrap Paper Scissors at wrappaperscissors.com.
PHOTOS BY HALEY LENA
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BRIEFS
Riverdale Ridge hosts internship clearinghouse
27J School District is hosting an Internship Fair from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Jan. 13 Riverdale Ridge High School, 13380 Yosemite St. in ornton.
Juniors and Seniors from Brighton High School, Prairie View High School and Riverdale Ridge High School will have the opportunity to interview with 50 di erent companies/organizations in Adams County. For more information, email kgarcia1@sd27j.net or call (720) 685-1861.
Historical Society seeks craft show help e Adams County Historical Society & Museum is looking for volunteers to help with various activities including our craft shows.
For more information contact Denise @ 303-659-7103.
Riverdale Animal Shelter o ers holiday discount
contact Abby Martinez at the City of Brighton O ce of Youth Services, at 303-655-2186 or agmartinez@brightonco.gov.
Students invited to Name that Slide e Brighton Recreation Center is installing a brand-new waterslide and needs help naming it. Students in grades K-6 who reside in Brighton and are at least 48 inches tallare invited to submit their best and most creative name for the new waterslide in our Name that Slide Contest. Please note, you must be 48 inches tall to ride the waterslide, so we will not be accepting entries from students shorter than 48 inches.
Adams County’s Riverdale Animal Shelter is o ering discounts for all pet adoptions through Christmas Eve. e shelter’s Home for the Holidays promotion o ers all pet adoptions of animals a year old and older for $25. Fees at the shelter range from $100 to $300 for dogs older than six months, $25 and $75 for cats and $5 and $60 for small animals. ose fees cover appropriate vaccinations, spay and neutering, microchip identi cation, a rabies tag and a temporary leash or pet carrier. ey also include a complementary visit with a participating veterinary o ce.
e shelter is located at 12155 Park Blvd., south of the Adams County Fairgrounds.
For more information or to browse the adoptable animals currently living in the shelter, go to https://animalshelter.adcogov.org/animal-adoption.
Nominations needed for 2025
Students in grades K-6 can submit their best name by Dec. 31. To read the contest rules and submit a name, go to https:// brightonco.gov/3222/Nameat-Slide-Contest on the city’s website.
e winner will be given the opportunity to be the rst person down the slide during the grand opening celebration, in addition to having their winning name on a plaque displayed by the slide. e winner will be noti ed by Jan. 10.
Brighton accepting 2025 Creative
Community Grants proposals
Adams County Mayors and Commissioners Youth Awards
Adams County commissioners and the mayors of municipalities in the county are asking for nominations for the 2025 Adams County Mayors and Commissioners Youth Awards. is award focuses on youth who have triumphed over great odds and serve as inspiration and role models for their peers.
e construction project will add a variety of amenities and upgrades, including two new playgrounds, a new irrigation system, a skate park expansion, new shelters, new lighting, supplemental landscaping, and a walking trail on the east end of the park.
e parking lot along Southern Street will be closed but access to drive through is permitted. Portions of the parking lot adjacent to the splash pad at the northwest corner of the park will be closed. School access will be allowed.
e path along the east side of the park will be closed in sections and the skate park, Disc golf course, playground and all shelters will be closed. Sports programming will be relocated to other parks during the work.
Local legislators to speak at Jan. 7 breakfast
Commuting Solutions will host a breakfast discussion with Metro North legislators and municipal o cials Jan. 7 in the Glenn Miller Ballroom on the University of Colorado-Boulder Campus.
Business Center. ose interested should work with their Business Center case manager or call 720.523.6898 to get established with a case manager.
Water audit program
e city of Brighton and Resource Central teamed up to provide a free water audit for businesses and homeowner associations. e program aims to help residents and cities increase water use e ciencies and reach conservation goals. Call 303-999-3824 or visit https://www.brightonco. gov/589/Water-Audit-Program
Each year, the City of Brighton awards grants to support activities that strengthen economic development, fund special events, assist cultural arts programs, and promote tourism, lodging and related activities that inspire people to spend money and time in Brighton. ese grants are funded by the City’s Lodging Tax, a tax charged on short-term lodging within the City.
Organizations with projects attracting new visitors and business to the community are encouraged to apply online.
e deadline to apply is Dec. 29. Applications will be reviewed monthly by the City’s review committee. e committee will determine which applications will be awarded and the award amount.
is program recognizes young people in grades 6-12 (up to 20 years old) who have overcome personal adversity to create a positive change in their own lives or for those around them. If you know of an individual who has had this impact on others but is not in a school setting, those nominations will also be accepted.
If you’d like to nominate a student for the ACMCYA, please complete the online nomination form. e deadline to submit nominations is Jan. 31, 2025, but please nominate as soon as possible.
Commuting Solutions is a nonpro t community group based in Louisville that focuses on transportation alternatives, like rail, bicycling and ride-sharing. It’s made up of businesses and government o cials from the northern Metro Denver area, especially those along the Interstate 36 corridor. is will be the 16th legislative breakfast the group has hosted.
e 2025 edition of the breakfast will discuss the areas where transportation issues and climate intersect. Topics that are expected to be discussed include Innovations in transit-oriented communities, rail development and funding and e orts to expand statewide transit.
Brighton Police o er online reporting
Brighton Police Department has launched an online reporting system at its newly updated website at www.brightonco.gov/ police.
e online reporting system allows community members to submit a report directly to the police department from their smartphone or computer. It can be used to report criminal tampering, identity theft, lost property, theft, vandalism, and other matters.
All cases led using the online reporting system will be reviewed by a police sergeant. is tool can only be used when the incident is not an emergency; no one was injured, no known suspects, and no physical evidence. All incidents that do not meet this criteria should be reported by calling our non-emergency line at 303-288-1535. Emergencies should always be reported by calling 911.
Projects must be completed by November 30, 2025 and endof-year reports must be given to the City by December 31, 2025. Unused funding may only be carried forward into future years with prior approval from the City. Grant funds are contingent on the approval of the City’s annual budget and completion of all required contracts, agreements, and follow-up reporting on the part of the applicant.
For more information, visit www.brightonco. gov/3004/28800/Brighton-Creative-Community-Grants or contact Kristen Chernosky at kchernosky@brightonco.gov or 303-655-2061.
e breakfast is scheduled from 7:45-9:45 a.m. Jan. 7 in the University Memorial Center on the CU campus. Tickets are $100 for Commuting Solutions group members, and $135 for nonmembers. For more information and to register, go to https:// commutingsolutions.org/ event/16th-legislative-breakfast/ on the group’s website.
Museum volunteers
e Brighton City Museum needs volunteers to help with visitors, research, and collection project-based duties. Call Bill Armstrong, museum specialist, at 303-655-2288.
Internships available with Adams County
‘Taking No Chances’
e 17th Judicial District Attorney’s O ce and e Link, a community resource and assessment center in ornton, o er free, 10-week programs to families of Adams County teenagers to help develop personal and interpersonal drug-resistance skills. Sessions are from 5:30 to 6;30 p.m. Wednesdays. Call 720-292-2811.
Are you interested in learning more about working for local government? Adams County currently has paid internships available.
Block Party trailers return
Unincorporated Adams County residents can apply and reserve a complimentary Block Party trailer for their next event.
e Block Party Trailer is intended to build and strengthen neighborhoods in Adams County. e Neighborhood Services division in the Community Safety and Well-Being Department administers the program on a rst-come, rst-served basis. For more information, go to https://adcogov.org/block-party, call 720 523-6465 or email blockparty@adcogov.org
If you have questions, please
Benedict Park renovations ongoing
Renovations at Benedict Park at 1855 Southern St. are underway, resulting in limited public access to sections of the park through June 2025.
Opportunities include a cook ($16.48/hour) and classroom aide ($15.62/hour) for Head Start, an IT intern ($17/hour) for the Sheri ’s O ce, and a Healthy Farmers Market intern ($17/hour).
ese opportunities are available through the Workforce &
e Access to Justice Committee hosts a free, legal self-help clinic from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on the rst Tuesday of every month. e program is for customers without legal representation who need help navigating through legal issues.
Volunteer attorneys are available to discuss family law, civil litigation, property, and probate law.
Roedel reflects on long coaching career at Fort Lupton
Longtime
coach talks 18 years and counting of Bluedevil basketball
BY STEVE SMITH
SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
If there’s one name that’s synonymous with Fort Lupton High School and its sports programs, it has to be that of Jim Roedel.
He graduated from Fort Lupton in 1993. He left for a time to play football at what is now Mesa State College. Roedel returned to the campus and is in the midst of his 18th season as the varsity boys basketball coach.
For six seasons, he doubled as the coach and the rst chief operations o cer in the Weld Re-8 School District. He also did double duty as the basketball coach and athletic director from 2015 to 2021.
Roedel is approaching 200 career wins and has won 56% of the games he’s coached. e school record for wins belongs to former coach Kerry Brunton, who won 207. Roedel’s team won a career-best 22 games in the 2023-2024 season and advanced to the second round of the state basketball tournament.
“Longevity matters,” Roedel said during a recent episode of the Bois Only Podcast. “When you start out as a young coach, the very rst thing is you’re building a program from the bottom up. You don’t know what happened before you. It became an expectation, spring basketball, where we play 30, 40, 50 games. at
builds the success.”
e Bluedevils eld a team of nine seniors this season. Roedel said previous success helps with turnout every season.
“Winning helps,” Roedel said. “We have fun. We play a fun style. We’re fair but consistent. In the end, they value that. ey need that. at’s what keeps them
coming back.”
Styles have changed, too. At one point, basketball was an inside game. Now it’s a game largely dictated behind the 3-point
“We went to a philosophy of dribble drive,” Roedel said. “If you took a midrange jump shot, I was mad. I had kids who loved to shoot. Some of my kids, you wouldn’t want them shooting a basketball.” en there is an upper intensity of commitment. Roedel spoke to that after a recent morning practice.
“ ere is no way I’m buying burritos (for practice). e sad part is they will get here, but they will roll in at 8:28 a.m.,” Roedel said. “I’d let them watch lm, go home and make sure they are committed. I struggle getting them here.”
Another di erence is a lack of tryouts for available slots on the Bluedevils’
“We used to have 46 in the gym. Now, we have 26, 27 kids now. ey know they are going to make the team, and I love it,” Roedel said. “ ey don’t necessarily have to compete. If I can get a sophomore group and a senior group to battle, that makes my job easier.”
Roedel would like to see crowds return
“When I played here, it was the House of Pain,” he said. “We chanted some things. One of our guys played the drums and the national anthem. ose are the moments in high school that you just cherish. I wish I could go back and do that again.”
Keep up with Bluedevils this season by searching “Fort Lupton boys basketball” on MaxPreps.com.
The DeAngelis Center Foundation offers a variety of trainings and services supporting school and community safety. Our mission is to teach proper response and past lessons learned to help prevent and avoid traumas. Helping to create more beautiful futures for our children and every person living in our community.
Fort Lupton’s Jim Roedel tries to motivate his team going into the second half of their first round 4A state playo game in February 2023 in Fort Lupton.
Thu 12/19
Family Christmas Bird Count
@ 9am / Free
Colorado Ballet w/ The Nutcracker @ 7:30pm
Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver
Jerry Joseph with Eric Martinez @ Cervantes' Other Side - Denver, CO @ 8pm
Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom & Other Side, 2637 Welton St, Denver
Fri 12/20
Breakfast Burrito Bingo (12/20) @ 9am
Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-289-3760
Barr Lake State Park, 13401 Picadilly Rd, Brighton. 303-659-4348 ext. 53
Holiday Tea @ Colorado History
@ 9:30am Offsite, 6060 E Parkway Drive, Commerce City. 303-289-3760
December Birthday Celebration EP (12/19)
@ 1pm
Eagle Pointe Recreation Center, 6060 E. Park‐way Dr., Commerce City. 303-289-3760
Teen Zines: Unleashing Your Creative Power
@ 5pm
Anythink Perl Mack, 7611 Hilltop Cir‐cle, Denver. amartinez@anythinkli braries.org, 303-428-3576
Let's Get Messy @ 6pm
Eagle Pointe Recreation Center, 6060 E. Park‐way Dr., Commerce City. 303-289-3760
Colorado Symphony BrassHoliday Brass
Bounce Empire - Santa, Mrs. Clause & The Grinch @ 6pm
Bounce Empire, 1380 S Public Rd, Lafayette
Family Fun Friday- Holiday Cookie Decorating @ 6pm
Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-289-3760
Colorado Ballet - The Nutcracker @ 7:30pm Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Speer Boulevard and Arapahoe Street, Denver
Carla Sciaky @ 7:30pm Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St, Boulder
Kings of Prussia @ 8pm The Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St, Boulder
Sat 12/21
Mon 12/23
The Second City: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly Sweater @ 7:30pm / $40 Parsons Theatre, 1 East Memorial Parkway, Northglenn. Mstricker@north glenn.org
Bounce Empire - Pineapple Paradise ENM Takeover @ 10pm Bounce Empire, 1380 S Public Rd, Lafayette
Sun 12/22
Candy Cane Course - Denver @ 9am / $20-$40 West�eld Village Park, 11550 Wolff St., West‐minster
Funny Girl @ 2pm
Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre, 1400 Curtis Street, Denver
Denver Nuggets vs. Phoenix Suns @ 8pm / $80-$4260 Ball Arena, Denver
Wed 12/25
Santa Fe Christmas Feast @ 6am
Table Mountain Grill & Cantina, 1310 Washing‐ton Ave, Golden. sales@tablemountaininn.com
Christmas @ 10am Hotel Boulderado, 2115 13th Street, Boulder. sales@boulderado.com
Thu 12/26
LIS Winter Holiday Goalkeeper Clinic 2024/25 @ 12am Dec 26th - Jan 1st
Longmont Indoor Soccer, 795 South Sherman Street #8, Longont. 303-440-0809
Eric Golden @ 5pm
@ 6:30pm / Free Boettcher Hall, 1000 14th Street, Den‐ver. billy@eventvesta.com
Holiday Brass
@ 7:30pm Boettcher Hall, Denver
Cass Clayton Band - CHRISTMAS OF SOUL
@ 7:30pm
Nissi's Entertainment Venue & Event Center, 1455 Coal Creek Dr unit t, Lafayette
Colorado Mammoth vs. Halifax Thunderbirds @ 7pm / $31-$999 Ball Arena, Denver
BIS Winter Holiday Goalkeeper Clinic 2024/25 @ 12am Dec 26th - Jan 1st
Boulder Indoor Soccer, 3203 Pearl St, Boulder. 303-440-0809
The Stillery, 10633 Westminster Blvd #900, Westminster
Colorado Avalanche vs. Seattle Kraken @ 6pm / $83-$999 Ball Arena, Denver
Tony Medina Music: Thursday Nights at The Bluegrass-Old Town Arvada @ 6pm
The Bluegrass Coffee & Bourbon Lounge, 7415 grandview ave, Arvada
Tony Crank @ 6pm Bootstrap Brewing, 142 Pratt St, Longmont
backs candidates open to the cryptocurrency, and $1.6 million from the Mainstream Colorado Fund, a PAC funded in large part by nonpro ts that don’t disclose their donors.
Evans bene ted from about $850,000 in spending by America PAC, the group funded by billionaire Elon Musk, as well as infusions from the Republican Jewish Coalition Victory Fund and Americans for Prosperity Action.
e 8th Congressional District spans from Denver’s northern suburbs along U.S. 85 into Greeley. It’s expected to be just as competitive in 2026.
In Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes the Western Slope and sweeps into Pueblo and southeastern Colorado, Democrat Adam Frisch’s campaign spent nearly $18 million. But the former Aspen city councilman still lost to Republican attorney Je Hurd, a Grand Junction attorney and rst-time candidate whose campaign spent $2.7 million.
About a quarter of Hurd’s total spending — or $633,000 — came in the weeks leading up to the election, according to his latest FEC report. His campaign still owed $105,000 to vendors as of Nov. 25. Frisch spent $1.7 million in the nal weeks — most of it on advertising — and still had $417,000 in campaign cash left on Nov. 25.
Hurd beat Frisch by 5 percentage points.
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert’s campaign spent nearly $5.7 million as the Windsor Republican successfully moved to the 4th Congressional District on the Eastern
Plains from the 3rd District. She spent about $250,000 in the nal weeks of the campaign, and had $288,000 in cash re-
paign spent more than $4 million to try to beat Boebert, including nearly $808,000 in the nal weeks. She had $57,000 in campaign cash leftover as of Boebert won by nearly 12 percentage e super PAC spending in the 3rd and 4th districts was a fraction of what it was in the 8th District.
e Colorado GOP brought in $631,000 between Oct. 17 and Nov. 25, while spending nearly $684,000. But $589,000 of that spending was on money sent to the Republican National Committee in an apparent return of dollars raised by a joint fundraising committee with President-elect Donald Trump and other state Republican parties.
Chairman Dave Williams’ consulting rm received $24,000 from the Colorado GOP, bringing the total Fox Group Ltd. has been paid during Williams’ term — which began in March 2023 — to $144,500. e party also paid $22,000 to two law rms between Oct. 17 and Nov. 25 and had $276,000 in cash leftover at the end of the reporting period.
Colorado Democrats raised $2.1 million and spent nearly $2 million in the nal weeks before Election Day, ending with $431,000 in leftover campaign cash on Nov. 25. e state party sent $1.3 million to the Democratic National Committee during the reporting period after receiving $1.5 million from a joint fundraising committee with Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign and other state Democratic parties.
Colorado Sun correspondent Sandra Fish contributed to this report. is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.
HOLIDAY WORSHIP
maining in her campaign account on Nov. 25.
Democrat Trisha Calvarese’s cam-
Republican U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, left, joined GOP state Rep. Gabe Evans on Oct. 6, 2024, at a campaign stop in Colorado as Evans battled to unseat Democrat Yadira Caraveo in the 8th Congressional District. Evans won the closely watched race by about 1 percentage point.
PHOTO BY BENTE BIRKELAND / CPR NEWS
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FOR JANUARY 21, 2025, TO DETERMINE IF THE APPROXIMATELY 2.859 ACRE PARCEL, TO BE KNOWN AS THE PETERS PROPERTY ANNEXATION, COMPLIES WITH STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCH ANNEXATION.
WHEREAS, pursuant to the laws of the State of Colorado, a Petition for Annexation to the City of Brighton (the “Petition”), was presented to the City of Brighton; and
WHEREAS, the Petition requests the annexation of approximately 2.859 acres of contiguous unincorporated territory, situated, lying, and being in the County of Adams, State of Colorado, as more particularly described in EXHIBIT A, attached and shown in EXHIBIT B, attached, hereto (the “Property”), into the City of Brighton; and WHEREAS, William E. Peters (the “Applicant”), submitted the Petition, attached hereto as EXHIBIT C; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Brighton, Colorado, has reviewed the Petition and has determined that the Petition is in substantial compliance with the applicable laws of the State of Colorado and with the City of Brighton’s requirements for a Petition; and WHEREAS, the City Council desires to adopt, by resolution, its findings in regard to such Petition and to set a public hearing in regard to such petition.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of Brighton, Colorado, as follows:
Section 1. The City Council hereby finds that the Petition, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference as EXHIBIT C, substantially complies with the applicable requirements of C.R.S. § 31-12-107.
Section 2. The City Council of the City of Brighton, Colorado will hold a public hearing for the purpose of determining if the proposed annexation complies with Colorado Revised Statutes, Sections 31-12-104 and 31-12-105, as amended, at the following time, date, and place:
Tuesday, January 21, 2025, 6:00 p.m. City Council Chambers 500 South 4th Avenue Brighton, Colorado 80601
Any person may appear at such hearing and present evidence relative to the proposed annexation.
Section 3. Upon completion of the hearing, the City Council of the City of Brighton, Colorado shall set forth, by resolution, its findings of fact and its conclusion based thereon with reference to the eligibility of the proposed annexation, whether the statutory requirements of the proposed annexation have been met, and whether an election for the annexation is required.
Section 4. This Resolution is effective as of the date of its adoption.
RESOLVED this 3rd day of December 2024.
CITY OF BRIGHTON, COLORADO
By: /s./Gregory Mills, Mayor
ATTEST: By: /s./Natalie Hoel,
APPROVED
By: /s./Yasmina Gibbons, Deputy City Attorney
EXHIBIT A Legal Description
Approximately 2.859 acres of property located in the Southwest Quarter of Section 10, Township 1 South, Range 66 West of the Sixth Principal Meridian, County of Adams, State of Colorado.
[A full legal description may be obtained in the Community Development Office during normal business hours.]
EXHIBIT B Annexation Map
[Annexation Map may be obtained in the Community Development Office during normal business hours.]
EXHIBIT C Annexation Petition
[Annexation Petition may be obtained in the Community Development Office during normal business hours.]
Legal Notice No. BSB3529
First Publication: December 19, 2024
Last Publication: January 9, 2025 Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade
Failure on the part of any claimant to file such verified statement of claim prior to such final settlement will release said Rocky Mountain Rail Park Metropolitan District, its Board of Directors, officers, agents and employees, of and from any and all liability for such claim. BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ROCKY MOUNTAIN RAIL PARK METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
By:/s/ Nicole Peykov Legal Counsel to the District
Legal Notice No. BSB3532
First Publication: December 19, 2024
Last Publication: December 26, 2024
Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Public Notice
NOTICE OF FINAL PAYMENT
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that final payment will be made on or after January 6, 2025, to JHL Enterprises, Inc d/b/a JHL Constructors, Inc. (“Contractor”), 9100 E. Panorama Dr., Suite 300, Englewood, CO 80112, in connection with payment for all services rendered, materials furnished, and for all labor performed pursuant to AIA Document A141, Design-Build Amendment #14 – Task Order #18 dated September 27, 2024 entered into between JHL Constructors, Inc. and Rail Land Company LLC (“Owner”), for the Rocky Mountain Rail Park Project, all being within or adjacent to the boundaries of the Rocky Mountain Rail Park Metropolitan District and Adams County, Colorado.
of the Clerk and Recorder of the County of Adams, State of Colorado. The foreclosure is based on a default under the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions of Norfolk Place Owners Association recorded on 04/10/1984 at Reception Number: 496753 in the records of the Clerk and Recorder of the County of Adams, State of Colorado. The Declaration establishes a lien for the benefit of Norfolk Place Owners Association against real property legally described as follows:
Lot 58, Block 1, Norfolk Place Subdivision Filing No. 1, County of Adams, State of Colorado.;
And also known as: 16353 E. 17th Pl., #C, Aurora, CO 80011
IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED.
The attorney representing the legal owner of the above described lien is: Kate M. Leason, Reg No. 41025, Altitude Community Law P.C., 555 Zang Street, Suite 100, Lakewood, Colorado 80228-1011, 303.432.9999
Legal Notice No. BSB3479
First Publication: November 21, 2024
Last Publication: December 19, 2024
Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Public Notice
PROPERTY AND IMPROVEMENTS.
You may have an interest in the real property being affected or have certain rights or suffer certain liabilities or loss of your interest in the subject property as a result of said foreclosure. You may have the right to redeem the real property, or you may have the right to cure a default under the instrument being foreclosed. Any Notice of Intent to Cure must be filed no later than fifteen (15) calendar days prior to the date of the foreclosure sale. A notice of intent to cure filed pursuant to section 3838-104 shall be filed with the officer at least fifteen (15) calendar days prior to the first scheduled sale date or any date to which the sale is continued.
If the sale date is continued to a later date, the deadline to file a notice of intent to cure by those parties entitled to cure may also be extended.
A notice of intent to redeem filed pursuant to section 38-38-302 shall be filed with the officer no later than eight (8) business days after the sale.
In this regard, you may desire and are advised to consult with your own private attorney.
ADAMS COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER AUTHORITY NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED 2025 BUDGET
Notice is hereby given that a proposed budget for fiscal year 2025 has been submitted to the Board of Directors (Board) of the Adams County Communications Center Authority (ADCOM). A copy of the proposed 2025 Budget is available to the public for inspection at ADCOM’s office located at 7321 Birch Street, Commerce City, CO 80022. The proposed 2025 Budget will be considered at a public hearing of the ADCOM Board at 7321 Birch St., Commerce City, CO 80022 on December 19, 2024, at 8:30 am., where final action to approve the proposed 2025 Budget may be taken.
Any interested elector within ADCOM’s service area may inspect the proposed 2025 Budget and file or register any objections thereto at any time prior to the final adoption of the 2025 Budget.
Dated: December 4, 2024
ADAMS COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER AUTHORITY
BY: Jim May, Board President
Legal Notice No. BSB3528
First Publication: December 12, 2024
Last Publication: December 19, 2024
Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade
Bids and Settlements
Public Notice
NOTICE OF FINAL PAYMENT
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Rocky Mountain Rail Park Metropolitan District of Adams County, Colorado, will make final payment at the offices of the District’s Accountant, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, 8390 E. Crescent Parkway, Suite 300 Greenwood Village, CO 80111, on or after January 6, 2025, to JHL Enterprises, Inc d/b/a JHL Constructors, Inc., 9100 E. Panorama Dr., Suite 300, Englewood, CO 80112, in connection with payment for services rendered, materials furnished, and for all labor performed pursuant to Task Order #5-Engineering, Pre-Construction Services, and Grading & Erosion Control (Northern Parcel – 470 Acres) dated August 3, 2022 and Change Order #009 TO#5 Final Contract Reconciliation dated 10/24/2024, entered into between JHL Constructors, Inc. and Rail Land Company LLC, for the Rocky Mountain Rail Park Project, all being within or adjacent to the boundaries of the District and in Adams County, Colorado.
Any person, co-partnership, association of persons, company or corporation that has furnished labor, materials, provisions, or other supplies used or consumed by such contractor or his subcontractor in or about the performance of the work contracted to be done or that supplied rental machinery, tools, or equipment to the extent used in the prosecution of the work whose claim therefore has not been paid by the contractor or the subcontractor, may file a verified statement of the amount due and unpaid on account of such claim. Said verified statement must be filed with the Rocky Mountain Rail Park Metropolitan
Any person, co-partnership, association of persons, company or corporation that has furnished labor, materials, provisions, or other supplies used or consumed by such contractor or his subcontractor in or about the performance of the work contracted to be done or that supplied rental machinery, tools, or equipment to the extent used in the prosecution of the work whose claim therefore has not been paid by the contractor or the subcontractor, may file a verified statement of the amount due and unpaid on account of such claim. Failure on the part of any claimant to file such verified statement of claim prior to such final settlement will release said Rail Land Company, LLC, its members, officers, agents and employees, of and from any and all liability for such claim.
RAIL LAND COMPANY, LLC
By: /s/ Brian Fallin, CEO
Legal Notice No. BSB3533
First Publication: December 19, 2024 Last Publication: December 26, 2024 Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade
Summons and Sheriff Sale
Public Notice
DISTRICT COURT, ADAMS COUNTY, STATE OF COLORADO CIVIL ACTION NO. 2024CV030379, Division/Courtroom C COMBINED NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE OF REAL PROPERTY (Publication Notice)
NORFOLK PLACE OWNERS ASSOCIATION, Plaintiff, v. SOPHIA H YESIKI; WELLS FARGO BANK, NA; and ADAMS COUNTY PUBLIC TRUSTEE, Defendant(s).
TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS,
Please take notice:
You and each of you are hereby notified that a Sheriff’s Sale of the referenced property is to be conducted by the Civil Division of the Sheriff’s Department of Adams County, Colorado at 9:00 O’clock A.M., on the 16th day of January 2025, at 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, CO 80601, phone number 303-6553272. At which sale, the above described real property and improvements thereon will be sold to the highest bidder. Plaintiff makes no warranty relating to title, possession, or quiet enjoyment in and to said real property in connection with this sale.
BIDDERS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE CASH OR CERTIFIED FUNDS SUFFICIENT TO COVER THEIR HIGHEST BID AT THE TIME OF SALE.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE LIEN BEING
FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN ON THE SUBJECT PROPERTY. Judgment is in the amount of $18,959.28.
First Publication: November 21, 2024 Last Publication: December 19, 2024 Published In: Brighton Standard Blade
This is to advise you that a Sheriff’s sale proceeding
et seq. by Norfolk Place Owners Association the holder and current owner of a lien recorded on November 21, 2023 at Reception No. 2023000065018 in the records
DISTRICT COURT, Adams COUNTY, STATE OF COLORADO
CIVIL ACTION NO. 2024CV030194
DIVISION NO. W
INITIAL COMBINED NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE OF REAL PROPERTY AND RIGHT TO CURE AND REDEEM
Plaintiff, Riverdale Farm Homeowners’ Association v. Defendants, FRANSISCO ANTONIO ESPINOZA CHAVERO et al
Regarding: Lot 5, Block 5, Riverdale Farm Residential 2nd Filing, County of Adams, State of Colorado.
Also known as: 8430 Madison Way, Thornton, CO 80229 TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS, Please take notice:
You and each of you are hereby notified that a Sheriff’s Sale of the referenced property is to be conducted by the Civil Division of the Sheriff’s Office of Adams County, Colorado at 9:00 A.M., on the 30th day of January 2025, at 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, CO 80601: phone number 303-655-3272. At which sale, the above-described real property and improvements thereon will be sold to the highest bidder. Plaintiff makes no warranty relating to title, possession, or quiet enjoyment in and to said real property in connection with this sale.
**BIDDERS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE CASH OR CERTIFIED FUNDS SUFFICIENT TO COVER THEIR HIGHEST BID AT TIME OF SALE. **
Further, for the purpose of paying off, curing default or redemption, as provided by statute, intent must be directed to or conducted at the above address of the Civil Division of the Sheriff’s Department of Adams County, Colorado.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE LIEN BEING FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN ON THE SUBJECT PROPERTY.
First Publication: December 5, 2024
Last Publication: January 2, 2025
Published In: Brighton Standard Blade
NOTICE OF RIGHT TO CURE AND RIGHT TO REDEEM
RE: Sheriff’s Sale of Real Property pursuant to Order and Decree of Foreclosure and C.R.S. 38-38-101 et seq.
This is to advise you that a Sheriff sale proceeding has been commenced through the office of the undersigned Sheriff pursuant to a Court Order and Decree dated August 15, 2024, and C.R.S. 38-38-101 et seq., by Riverdale Farm Homeowners’ Association, the current holder of a lien recorded on July 31, 2023 at Rec. No. 2023000043594, in the records of the Clerk and Recorder of the County of Adams, State of Colorado. The judicial foreclosure is based on a default under the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions of Riverdale Farms Subdivision, recorded on August 12, 2010 at Reception No. B592466 in the records of the Clerk and Recorder of the County of Adams, State of Colorado. The Declaration and notices, as recorded, establish a lien for the benefit of Riverdale Farm Homeowners’ Association, WHICH LIEN BEING FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN ON THE SUBJECT
IF THE BORROWER BELIEVES THAT A LENDER OR SERVICER HAS VIOLATED THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT IN SECTION 38-38103.1 OR THE PROHIBITION ON DUAL TRACKING IN SECTION 38-38-103.2, THE BORROWER MAY FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE COLORADO ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE FEDERAL CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BURAU (CFBP), OR BOTH. THE FILING OF A COMPLAINT WILL NOT STOP THE FORECLOSUE PROCESS.
Colorado Attorney General 1300 Broadway, 10th Floor Denver, Colorado 80203 (800) 222-4444
www.coloradoattorneygeneral.gov
Federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau P.O. Box 4503 Iowa City, Iowa 52244 (855) 411-2372 www.consumerfinance.gov
Further, you are advised that the parties liable thereon, the owner of the property described above, or those with an interest in the subject property, may take appropriate and timely action under Colorado statutes, certain sections of which are attached hereto.
In order to be entitled to take advantage of any rights provided for under Colorado law, you must strictly comply and adhere to the provisions of the law. Further, you are advised that the attached Colorado statutes merely set forth the applicable portions of Colorado statutory law relating to curative and redemption rights; therefore, you should read and review all the applicable statutes and laws in order to determine the requisite procedures and provisions which control your rights in the subject property.
DATED in Colorado this 7th day of November 2024.
Sheriff of Adams County, Colorado
By: Kathy Grosshans Deputy Sheriff
ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF: ORTEN CAVANAGH HOLMES & HUNT, LLC 1445 Market Street, Suite 350 Denver, CO 80202
Statutes attached: §§38-37-108, 38-38-103, 38-38-104, 38-38-301, 38-38-304, 38-38-305, and 38-38-306, C.R.S., as amended.
Legal Notice No. BSB3519
OPENING
“We can use the money to buy Christmas Gifts to donate,” said Erin Kelm, City of Brighton Deputy City Clerk, who is involved with the charity.
Customer were eager to bring the popular brand to Brighton.
Johna Garrison, CEO and President of the Brighton Chamber of Commerce said her daughter is nuts about this place. Garrison said her daughter stayed home from school today to be among the rst 100 in the door.
“I like Canes; it puts Brighton on the map,” Garrison said. “It tells me we’re growing and becoming a thriving town, and it was amazing to see this community come out and support us in the freezing weather. It’s exciting to see what’s coming, and I can’t wait.”
Colorado’s 21st Brighton restaurant is open Sunday through ursday from 10 to 1 a.m. and for extended hours on Friday and Saturday from 10 to 2 a.m.
internet. Information on how to attend the hearings will be provided in the agenda as posted on the City’s website, www.fortluptonco.gov.
Further information is available through the City Planning and Building Department at (720) 928-4003.
ALL INTERESTED PERSONS MAY ATTEND.
LEGAL DESCRIPTION
LOT A OF RECORDED EXEMPTION NO. 1469-10-03 RECX17-0199 LOCATED IN THE SOUTH 1/2 OF THE SOUTHWEST 1/4 OF SECTION 10, TOWNSHIP 1 NORTH, RANGE 67 WEST OF THE 6TH P.M., COUNTY OF WELD, STATE OF COLORADO.
Legal Notice No. FLP1176
First Publication: December 19, 2024
Last Publication: December 19, 2024
Publisher: Fort Lupton Press
City of Ft. Lupton
Public Notice
On December 17, 2024, the Fort Lupton City Council accepted the resignation of Carlos Barron, Ward III Councilmember, declared a vacancy and established the appointment process to fill the vacancy. At the November 5, 2024, General Election, Councilmember Carlos Barron was elected to House District 48. Persons interested in becoming a candidate for this vacant Councilmember position must meet the following requirements: 1.Be a registered elector. 2. Be at least 18 years of age on the date of the appointment. 3. Must have resided within Ward 3 for a period of at least 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the date of appointment. Applications and additional information will be available at City Hall or https://www. fortluptonco.gov/181/Election-Information beginning December 18, 2024. The deadline to submit an application is January 15, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Applicants that meet all minimum requirements will be interviewed by City Council at the Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, and an appointment will be made at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, February 4, 2025. Any questions may be directed to the City Clerk, Mari Peña, at cityclerk@fortluptonco.gov
L.G. Everist, Incorporated has filed an application amendment to their Reclamation Permit with the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board under the provisions of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Act for the extraction of construction materials. The mine is known as the Fort Lupton Sand and Gravel Mine (permit # M-1999-120) and is located in parts of Sections 19, 30 & 31, T-2-N, R-66-W and parts of Sections 25 & 36, T-2-N, R-67-W, 6th Principal Meridian, Weld County, Colorado. The date of commencement for this mine was 1999 and the proposed date of completion December 2050. The proposed future use of the land is as developed water storage. Additional information and the tentative decision date may be obtained from the Division of Reclamation, Mining & Safety, 1313 Sherman St., Suite 215, Denver, CO 80203 (303) 866-3567, or at the Weld County Clerk to the Board’s office, 1150 “O” St., Greeley, Colorado 80632, or the above named applicant.
Comments must be in writing and must be received by the Division of Reclamation, Mining & Safety by 4:00 p.m. on January
Courtney Cizauskas, the restaurant leader of Brighton Raising Canes Restaurant, is cutting the ribbon with Brighton Mayor Greg Mills, Brighton Chamber of Commerce members, and Jesse Maha ey, the area leader of restaurants in the North Markey area.
Hannah Thelosen, Caitlyn Garza, Milan Thrieu, and Abby Garza were at Raising Canes by 3:00 a.m. to be the first in line.
PHOTOS BY BELEN WARD
Albertsons calls o Kroger merger in wake of rulings
Colorado waits for decision in antitrust case, but that may now be moot
BY TAMARA CHUANG
THE COLORADO SUN
A day after two judges in two lawsuits ruled against the proposed $24.6 billion supermarket merger, Albertsons Companies said Dec. 11 it would end its merger agreement with Kroger.
“Given the recent federal and state court decisions to block our proposed merger with Kroger, we have made the di cult decision to terminate the merger agreement. We are deeply disappointed in the courts’ decisions,” Albertsons CEO Vivek Sankaran said.
At the same time, the Idaho grocery chain, which owns 105 Safeway and Albertons grocery stores in Colorado, also led a lawsuit against Kroger for breach of merger agreement because the larger supermarket chain “ignored regulators’ concerns,” the company said in a statement.
As part of the merger proposal, if the deal failed to go through, Kroger must pay “an immediate $600 million termination fee” to Albertsons, the company said. e company is also seeking billions of dollars in damages from Kroger as it seeks to regain value for shareholders.
Kroger operates 118 King Soopers and 32 City Market stores in Colorado. e company called Albertsons’ claims
“baseless and without merit” and looks forward to another day in court, said a Kroger spokesperson.
“Kroger refutes these allegations in the strongest possible terms, especially in light of Albertsons’ repeated intentional material breaches and interference throughout the merger process. is is clearly an attempt to de ect responsibility following Kroger’s written noti cation of Albertsons’ multiple breaches of the agreement, and to seek payment of the merger’s break fee, to which they are not entitled,” the company said.
On Tuesday, a federal judge in Oregon overseeing the Federal Trade Commission antitrust case issued a preliminary injunction to give federal regulators additional time to consider implications of the merger. at temporarily halted the merger from moving forward. A judge in a second lawsuit in the state of Washington issued a permanent injunction later that day.
Colorado’s trial opposing merger
Colorado already had a preliminary injunction to block the merger in the state.
Attorney General Phil Weiser had sued the companies in February alleging that the two grocery chains already demonstrated anticompetitive behavior during the King Soopers worker strike in January 2022, when management discussed not poaching striking workers or marketing to King Soopers pharmacy customers who were trying to avoid crossing the picket line.
e nearly four-week hearing in Denver district court wrapped up in late Oc-
tober where Colorado attorneys making their case why a merger reduces competition and would harm consumers, employees, farmers and local suppliers.
ey also shared evidence that Kroger raised prices in mountain towns where there was little grocery competition.
Attorneys for Kroger pushed back on allegations of anticompetitive behavior and said its prices, which are 10% lower than Albertsons, are better for consumers. e chain planned to invest $40 million in the Colorado stores it acquired from Albertsons to lower prices and update those stores, as well. And grocery stores no longer compete just against other local grocery stores, but companies like Walmart, Amazon and Costco, supermarket attorneys had argued.
e Colorado case is pending a decision by Denver District Court Judge Andrew J. Luxen, who said that if a decision came down from the FTC or Washington state, he would hold a conference with all the sides. He did not say when he would rule on the case.
Where Colorado’s case stands
In a news conference Wednesday, Weiser said his o ce has not heard from the court and continues to wait for the judge’s decision. But even though Albertsons called o the merger, it’s not nal. Kroger hasn’t agreed and has challenged the decision in the FTC case.
“We still expect the court to engage in its work and to rule,” Weiser said. “If the parties want to make a showing that somehow this merger is completely dead, that is their burden to make. But
unless the judge concludes that, this merger challenge is still alive in the Colorado courts and, for that matter, in other courts insofar as the case could still be appealed.”
But Weiser, who said he brought the case to court after a 19-city listening tour to hear concerns of locals, said he has a good feeling about Colorado’s case.
“I think we can say that the statements Albertsons is making are supportive of our case and we can say for sure that the two rulings are very supportive of our case,” he said. “I do not believe this merger is going to happen.”
e Denver judge still must weigh in on the AG’s lawsuit alleging King Soopers and Albertsons managers had a nopoach and no-solicitation agreement.
“Competition is the American way,” Weiser said. “ at’s why we have antitrust laws.”
Nationwide, the union would increase Kroger’s size to nearly 5,000 grocery stores in all but two states. To meet regulator approval, Kroger planned to divest 579 stores to C&S Wholesale Grocer in New Hampshire. C&S aimed to build a new retail business.
In Colorado, Kroger planned to continue operating its 150 King Soopers and City Market stores, and acquire 14 Safeways from Albertsons. Kroger proposed selling the remaining 103 Safeways and two Albertsons stores in Colorado to C&S.
is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.
