Commerce City Sentinel Express March 21, 2024

Founder of Be The Change charter seeks to support a di erent type of learning

ere are striking parallels between traditional and charter public schools. While both models rely on state funding and are subject to identical academic and nancial accountability, charter schools operate under a contractual agreement that allows for more autonomy and exibility in serving the community. In last week’s edition of La Ciudad, we interviewed Dr. Karla Loria, and initiatives unfolding at the Adams 14 School District. However, our exploration doesn’t stop there: ere’s another education venture right here in our community:Be e Change Community School.

Amanda Marquez, one of the founders of the charter school, wanted to share with La Ciudad readers about this small, single-site free public charter school set to launch this fall in Commerce City, o ering classes for ninth and 10th graders.

the community. Founded by two former special education teachers and school leaders with ties to Commerce City aims to re ect the needs and values of the community. We took the opportunity to learn more about it.

is article has been edited for clarity and length.

La Ciudad: Please share how Be The Change Community School started.

Amanda Marquez: It started way back in 2018, almost six years ago. I was in a program called Moonshot Edventures, which takes underrepresented leaders in school and education and supports them in ventures.

I was working with another woman in the program, Amanda Gonzalez. We were both traditional public school leaders at the time, and we wanted to know what students wanted in a high school, and we wanted

them, if they could dream up anything, what would it be? We thought that they would want escalators and ying cars.

But really, they said that they wanted to know why they were learning what they were learning. Like most high school students, they wanted the school to be more fun, and the learning to be more engaging and connected to their future. ey also wanted to be in a place where they felt seen heard by adults and felt respected by adults.

ey wanted a place that brought the environment inside, and they wanted to feel the connection. We started there in developing a school program. We talked to educators, parents and community members in general to say, if we were to develop a school, what would we want it to be?

Commerce

City youth join forces for a better tomorrow

BY IVONNE OLIVAS SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNTIY MEDIA

As the COVID-19 pandemic inltrated daily life, Aliyah Acevedo was urgently searching for an escape. She wanted a distraction from school and home where she could make a real di erence. Acevedo joined the Commerce City Youth Commission at a school resource fair, and, now, at 17 years old, she is making meaningful changes in her community.

“I want to show (young people) that this is what you can do, this is who you can be,” Acevedo said.

Growing up in a city with a high percentage of Latinos, Acevedo voiced the isolation and distress that many rst-generation children face. e Adams 14 School District has 90% minority enrollment and many are children of immigrants.

“I’m very much about working with immigrants and working with people who don’t speak English to make them comfortable in this nation and this community… and bring them closer together,” Acevedo said.

e Youth Commission provides young people in Commerce City and surrounding areas a safe place to speak about frustrations and form a community with like-minded individuals. Youth have the opportunity to meet with Commerce City Council members and venture into the intimidating world of the legislature. For Acevedo, the commission has opened doors for her voice to be heard in law-making spaces.

“I’m very passionate about gun and domestic violence, and going to legislation to increase and enforce those di erent restrictions,” Acevedo said.

An innovative new school founded by two former special education teachers and school leaders with ties to Commerce City aims to reflect the needs and values of the community. COURTESY PHOTO

County seeks Healthy Farmers Markets input

Adams County is looking for feedback and opinions regarding the series of farmers markets they helped o er in 2023. Information from an online survey, located at https://bit. ly/4879uzr, will help determine how the markets will operate in 2024.

In 2023, the Adams County Health Department and Human Services partnered to provide Healthy Farmers Markets for residents. e departments are planning to provide those

again in 2024, and they’d like to hear from you.

e county helped schedule the markets on Tuesdays and ursdays at the Anythink Library Wright Farms and Huron Street branches. e survey asks about location preferences, dates and timing preferences and what kinds of o erings and other services should be o ered.

Adams City ‘84 alums seeking missing classmates

Adam City’s class of 1984 is sched-

uled to host its 40th class reunion at 5 p.m. Aug. 30 at the 30/70 Sports Bar and Grill, 18856 W. 120th Ave. in Westminster.

Organizers are trying to contact a few remaining missing graduates. If you attended ACHS with the class of 1984 or have a family member who did, please get in touch with Susan Zale Vanness (303) 513-1333 or vannessrealty@ comcast.net or Tracey Snyder (303) 921-2114 tjsnyder07.ts@gmail.com

‘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.

Alliance Business Assistance Center grants available

e Alliance Business Assistance Center is excited to announce that 2024 business grants are now available to support your business endeavors. Sta at the center can assist residents by helping to identify grants that align with their business goals and industry, providing guidance

through the application process, ensuring that they have the best chance of success and providing other valuable resources for local business. To get started, visit our website at https://businessinthornton.com/local-business/small-business-supportprograms/business- nancial-assistance.

Submit names for new park Commerce City is accepting recommendations for the o cial name of Oasis Park, one of two new parks. Based on these recommendations, city sta will compile the list of names, and the Parks, Recreation, and Golf Advisory Board will recommend them to the City Council.

e Oasis Park site is located within the natural setting of Second Creek Open space, just west of the Bu alo Highlands neighborhood on the south side of E. 96th Avenue. e park has open space for informal recreation, relaxation, and community gatherings; a children’s playground with shade structures, public restrooms, an embankment slide, and an overlook plaza.

To learn more and submit your recommendation visit c3gov.com/SCFOasis.

‘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.

Commerce City seeking Snow Guardians Commerce City Code Enforcement is introducing the new Snow Guardians program to help residents be good neighbors by o ering free snow removal services to residents who

qualify.

Snow Guardians assist residents who are not able to clear their sidewalks of snow and ice to comply with the municipal code due to age, disability, or some other condition. Commerce City municipal code requires property owners are responsible for clearing public sidewalks adjacent to their property of snow and ice within 24 hours of the last snowfall.

Contact Code Enforcement to apply to keep you in compliance with the code and help keep our sidewalks safe!

To qualify, you must be a resident with limited nancial resources and be unable to shovel due to age, disability, or other conditions. Learn more about the program and apply at c3gov.com/CodeEnforcement.

LEAP provides energy assistance to lower home heating costs.

LEAP proporciona asistencia de energía para bajar los gastos de calefacción.

Do you need help paying your utilities this winter? Colorado’s Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) may be for you. LEAP helps Colorado families, individuals, older adults and those with a disability to pay a part of their winter home heating costs.

UnitedWay-Weld.org/LEAP 1-866-HEAT-HELP (1-866-432-8435)

What’s Behind the Buzz About ‘Indoor Air Quality’ & ‘Sick Building Syndrome’?

I remember decades ago, back in New York City, first hearing the term “sick building syndrome.” It had something to do with the chemicals from materials such as new carpet outgassing negatively affecting the health of office workers and home occupants.

More recently, we began hearing about “indoor air quality,” an issue that was addressed by HVAC and other vendors.

In recent years, Americans and others became aware that plastic is not being recycled nearly enough, and in the past year we discovered that microplastics are even in bottled water. Fish in the ocean, it appears, have now consumed so much plastic that micro plastic is even in our sushi. Add that to reports of mercury contamination.

Next we started hearing about “volatile organic compounds” which was the name given to those chemicals that were out-gassing not just from carpeting but even from the paint applied to your walls. Merchants started advertising “low-VOC” products, not just paint and carpeting, that had less or none of the chemicals which could be harmful to human health.

But I digress. This is a real estate column, not a political column, and not a nutrition column, so let’s talk about the “healthy home movement” and how it’s expressed by different home builders and renovators.

ever a gas burner is on, not just when your food is smoking. And let’s not forget the ever-present risk of home explosion in a home plumbed with natural gas. Now, that would be unhealthy!

That’s quite a list of health-impacting hazards added to the out-gassing from carpeting and wall paints of volatile organic compounds.

Since some of these hazards, unlike lead pipes and lead-based paint, are still legal, there’s a space in the housing market for builders who go to great lengths to reduce any and every possible hazard that could contribute to an unhealthy home. I’ll mention a couple below.

home cleaner.”

ERVs and HRVs are easy to install in new construction, but difficult to install as a retrofit, because they require the installation of extensive new ductwork of their own. Indeed, introducing such an appliance might be impossible in many homes. In such cases, an air scrubber would be an ideal solution, because it is simply installed within existing ductwork.

It has all culminated in what we know as the “healthy home movement.” Some home builders now promote the homes they build as healthy, not just efficient.

I appreciate this focus on making our homes healthier, especially for those with compromised immune systems.

Flint Michigan’s 2014 crisis involving lead in the water drawn from the Flint River and leaching from that city’s lead pipe service lines brought that issue to our consciousness and saw cities all around the country, including Denver, invest in replacing lead service lines in their older housing stock. Nothing epitomizes an unhealthy home quite as much as when the water from its faucets poisons those who live there, especially the children.

It was back in 1935 — before even my oldest sibling’s time — that DuPont introduced the advertising slogan “Better Living Through Chemistry,” and we all remember that one-word advice to Benjamin Braddock in the 1967 movie, “The Graduate” — “Plastics.”

Founded in 1992, the National Center for Lead-Safe Housing reflected the awareness of more wide-ranging in-home hazards when it changed its name to the National Center for Healthy Housing in 2001. (Its website is www.nchh.org )

One very serious home health hazard that was not recognized until 1986 was toxic black mold. Its scientific name is stachybotrys chartarum. Mold spores are all around us, including in our homes, but black mold can kill. The public became more aware of it following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. As the waters receded from homes, black mold soon covered the walls that had been underwater or experienced water intrusion.

In the real estate business, we are used to inspecting for lead and mold, but also for radon gas (which can cause lung cancer) and asbestos, which can be in drywall from China and in popcorn ceilings. It’s even in some of the glues that have been used to lay vinyl flooring.

Just within the last year, there has been new attention to the hazard of methane and carbon monoxide emissions from gas cooking ranges. You are advised to always run the exhaust fan (assuming it’s ducted to the outdoors, not just recirculating through a filter) when-

Price Reduced on 2-Bedroom, 2-Bath Arvada Condo

$335,000

Increasingly, home builders in America (and elsewhere) are taking to heart the need to look more deeply at the components and materials they put into the homes they are selling.

In the profiles of homes featured in the Metro Denver Green Homes Tour last October, there was frequent mention of Heat (or Energy) Recovery Ventilators (HRV or ERV). The best of these devices not only condition fresh air for temperature as it is brought into the home to replace air being exhausted, they also test for high levels of carbon dioxide (which is considered a pollutant at high levels), and also for VOCs in the home’s air.

From studying high performance homes including those in the green homes tours (both Denver and Boulder), I personally view an HRV, ERV or even a CERV (which contains a heat pump), an essential appliance in any modern home intended to be both energy efficient and healthy.

A fellow cruiser just told me about the air scrubber which he installed in his house. He reported that he and his wife felt the difference in just one day. I googled the phrase “air scrubber” since I hadn’t heard of this appliance, and they do exist as either an inline unit for your forced air ductwork or free-standing if you don’t have ductwork (such as in a home with hot water heat).

I have not seen a lot of progress among Denver area home builders when it comes to sustainability, so I’m not real hopeful for progress in addressing indoor air quality. When I represented a buyer in Jefferson County last year, I attended the meeting at which upgrades were discussed. All the homes were being outfitted with high-efficiency gas furnaces and A/C units. An upgrade to a heat pump system was simply not available.

Builders are also fighting laws which would require all-electric homes — that is, no natural gas lines serving new subdivisions. Such laws are being passed in other states or cities.

The US EPA has a program called “Indoor airPLUS” which sets a standard for achieving a healthy home by addressing all the contaminants mentioned above. Colorado-based Thrive Home Builders builds only Indoor airPluscertified homes and has won the EPA’s Leader Award eight years in a row. They are currently building homes starting at $449,900 in Broomfield, Lone Tree and Denver’s Loretto Heights. Call me or one of my broker associates below if you’d like us to show you those homes and represent you in a purchase.

Meritage is another Colorado builder of Indoor airPLUS-certified homes, but I was unable to get more information.

This week’s topic was inspired by an article I read on Probuilder.com titled “Breathe Easier — Healthy Homes Go Mainstream.” You’ll find a link to it at http://RealEstateToday.substack.com

Archive of Past Columns Is Online

To quote RhoadsEnergy.com’s blog post on air scrubbers, “It removes air pollution, VOCs, surface contaminants, pet dander, odors and dust. It provides a cleaner, healthier and more efficient home. This low maintenance device uses proprietary light waves along with a specialized catalytic process to keep your

This 2-bedroom, 2-bath condo at 7700 Depew Street #1501 is in the well-maintained Wood Creek community that includes a pool and ample parking for you and your guests. Step inside to an open living room with a wood-burning fireplace and built-in shelves, dining area with patio doors and an all-white kitchen with tile floors. There is a bar-height counter between the living room and kitchen (see picture). The living and dining rooms are carpeted and freshly painted. The two bedrooms are at opposite ends of the condo, separated by the living area (see floor plan below). Both bedrooms have extensive closet space. Your private covered patio off the dining room has a secure storage closet with plenty of room and built-in shelves. The washer and dryer are included. Little Dry Creek trail is right outside your door. Walk to parks, shops, restaurants and transit. View a narrated video tour, drone video and magazine-quality still photos at www.GRElistings.com, then call listing agent Kathy Jonke at 303-990-7428 to request a showing. If you prefer, you can come to the open house she will be holding this Saturday, Mar. 23rd, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“Concentrate

Over the past two decades this column has appear in the Denver Post, and during that time I’ve written about every conceivable topic related to real estate, You can search that archive, listed by headline, and downloadable with a single click at www.JimSmithColumns.com

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Colorado Community Media owner purchases printing press, o ers lifeline to local news

BY SUZIE GLASSMAN

SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Colorado Community Media’s two dozen newspapers will get a muchneeded lifeline in the form of a printing press, allowing it to bring printing needs in-house while reducing costs and providing a longer-term solution for other publishers along the Front Range.

e National Trust for Local News, which owns Colorado Community Media, purchased the press after raising $900,000 in grant funding toward the project. e donations came through the Colorado Media Project and its coalition of funders: the Bohemian Foundation, Gates Family Foundation and the Colorado Trust.

Amalie Nash, head of transformation for NTLN, said the hope is to start printing CCM’s newspapers on the press, located in northeast Denver, by the end of May. By summer, the Trust plans to o er printing services to other newspapers seeking a more a ordable solution.

e e ort to buy the press began after Gannett Publishing Co., which owns the USA TODAY Network, an-

Helping Your Family

nounced it was closing its plant in Pueblo last August. With few places left to turn, more than 80 Colorado publications that relied on the Pueblo press, including those at CCM, scrambled to nd alternative solutions.

“We were faced with a decision point and had to gure out where to print instead,” Nash said. “So we started seeking bids and trying to gure out how we were going to continue to provide print products that people want.”

CCM wasn’t alone. e Colorado Media Project, a nonpartisan philanthropic initiative dedicated to supporting and sustaining local news, surveyed publishers impacted by the Gannett press closure and found that one publication was forced to close. Several others were wrestling with whether to go digital-only, and at least three publishers of multiple papers opted to consolidate titles.

In October, e Colorado Sun reported that the ndings of a working group on the future of printing in Colorado, published by the Colorado Press Association, Colorado News Collaborative and the Colorado Me-

dia Project “underscored the blow of the Pueblo closure and highlighted the nearly exhausted printing capacity statewide and ‘unsustainable’ cost increases. e report voices concern that continuing those trajectories could lead to the demise of a ‘sizeable number’ of publications.”

Nash said CCM ultimately chose to contract with e Denver Post for printing, but did not consider it a long-term solution.

“Since the National Trust for Local News purchased Colorado Community Media in 2021, our printing costs have gone up 60%, which was obviously very signi cant for an operation of this size,” said Nash, adding that “we started having discussions around these larger commercial printers closing and the fact that there aren’t very many options in the Front Range. So, we asked: what if we came up with an option. What would that look like?”

NTLN began researching, talking to funding partners, and putting together a plan to buy a press.

“It’s heartening to think that we have an opportunity that helps us regulate our press costs better and that

we have a real opportunity to help the media ecosystem in that way,” CCM Publisher Linda Shapley said.

While the print newspaper and magazine market has steadily declined since the mid-2000s, it’s still projected to earn $123.5 billion in the U.S. this year. Many communities still lack reliable internet access, and some people continue to prefer printed news, according to Nash.

And getting a paper copy to commemorate an event is still meaningful for many. Recently, parents whose children were featured in a bilingual newsletter dedicated to Commerce City reached out to Shapley, asking if there were printed copies available.

“You can show the story on your phone or a computer, but it’s just not the same,” she said.

At the same time, CCM has focused on its digital transformation, relaunching its websites last fall and introducing new newsletters. Shapley said it’s important to give people news in all the formats they want it.

“As much as people talk about how print is going away, the fact of the matter is that it’s still here, and it needs support,” Shapley said.

FROM PAGE 1 SUPPORT

And that’s how Be e Change Community School was born. Over time, our mission developed and changed and evolved. Now we want to cultivate shapers of change who are leading toward justice. So of course, academics is at the core of everything that we do. We are founded on a strong culture of belonging. We want our kids to be able to go out and transform the future and change the world, and so we’re very excited to be able to have worked with our community to make that happen.

La Ciudad: How many students do you plan to have, and which are the grades that you are o ering this special education?

Marquez:We are opening up in the fall of 2024. We’ll be opening with both ninth and 10th-grade students. We are opening up as a very small school, with a maximum of 100 students. Really what that allows us to do is be a culture of belonging.

We need to start small so that all of our students know one another, and all of our sta and families and students can take that time to get to know each other deeply. ( e need to) feel connected and be in community with each other so that our students feel that sense of belonging (and) have a great learning experience.

Our learning model is di erent than many traditional schools. We use a problem-based learning model, which is a form of project-based learning. Everything we do is connected to the real world for students. We want to make things hands-on: connected to the real world and very engaging.

Students aren’t sitting at desks just listening and lling out worksheets or writing essays. ey’re solving problems.

ey’re presented with problems and challenges that might be happening in the community, our country or in the world, and they have to work together and collaborate with other students to come up with solutions.

ey then present that to not just the school but experts in the eld and community members within Commerce City and in the Denver metro area. So they’re presenting to a real audience. So everything that they do is connected to the real world.

La Ciudad: What are the hopes that you have with this di erent education? What are you hoping to see in the students?

Marquez:I think our big vision is that we want our young people to transform the future.

We want them to make the world a better place for everybody. We use the term revolutionary con dence. One of our values is con dence, and we want our students to have that. Revolutionary con dence means to cause great change, and we want our young people to develop the belief in themselves, the pride in themselves that they have what it takes to cause great change in this world.

We also believe strongly that to cause great change, you have to have community engagement. You have to go be a part of your community, have a pride and sense of belonging and sense of ownership in your community, and that you have to engage and make a positive difference. at’s really what we are working with our young people so that once they go out and are living their lives beyond high school, into their post-secondary learning or into their careers, that they’re making a di erence, no matter where they go. We want them to be that change.

La Ciudad: Because it’s a small school, are you still going to do everything that is required? For example, to prep those students to go to college and get the exams that they need to get, like the SAT?

Absolutely. Our students take English, history, science, and mathematics. We also use Spanish as one of our core classes as well. So all of our students take four years of Spanish and English and they are prepared for college and career readiness. All of our students take the SAT suite of assessments, their PSAT and SAT, when they get into 11th grade.

e project-based learning is akin to what we’re seeing in college classrooms. When you talk to business professionals and di erent industry leaders, the skills that you develop, through this projectbased learning of collaboration, critical thinking, and problem solving are exactly what you need to be successful in the college classroom and in any career that you enter into.

We are so very excited about that. We are very accountable for the core of our students to go out and transform the future and lead toward justice. Of course, they have to be pro cient in reading and mathematics before they graduate. And so we make sure that our students are growing every year.

We do internal assessments to make sure that our students are showing growth every year. We also support our students with practice state tests. When you’re in high school, the state test that you take is the SAT and their college entrance exam, so our students are prepared for all of those things that they need to be successful in their post-secondary careers.

La Ciudad: What are you doing to support students so they that in a way, learn di erently?

For me personally, it’s one of the reasons that I am so passionate about being the change.

I was the kid in high school who didn’t like to go. My poor mother every morning would have to rip the covers o of

me and try to get me out of bed to go to school because I was one of those students who learned di erently. I never knew why I was learning what I was learning.

It wasn’t until I went to beauty school. I have a vocational degree in cosmetology. I have my degree in business, and that is when I realized that I love to learn, and that a traditional high school education just wasn’t for me. I think I learned that it just didn’t meet my learning style. ere are many students out there who have that. What I discovered with the hands-on, real-world learning in vocational and cosmetology school and business school was that I learn best when I know why I’m learning, what I’m learning when I’m solving a problem, when I’m doing work with my hands and working with others.

at’s what the project-based learning model allows us to do for students, and so we support students who learn in all di erent types of ways. For students who might have a learning di erence or a learning disability, project-based learning allows more accommodations and individualized education.

It lends itself to gifted and talented students, allowing them to express their creativity and use their strengths and skills to solve problems in unique ways for students who are learning the language. ere’s a presentation component for project-based learning, and it helps with the development of language skills.

Ultimately, our goal is for all of our students to graduate with a Seal of Bi-literacy, to be literate in English and Spanish. So our students have the option of doing their presentations in either language so that they can showcase their language learning. All of our students are language learners of English, even if it was our rst language.

With over 40 years of experience in the utility industry, and an understanding of our community, I will be able to keep your best interest in mind.

Thank you for your support & your vote of con dence.

GET THE WHOLE STORY ONLINE

This question and answer session has been edited to fit the space.

To read the full discussion between Rossana Longo Better and Be The Change Community School founder Amanda Marquez, visit our website at https://coloradocommunitymedia. com/2024/03/14/ amanda-marquezfounder-be-thechange-charter-school/

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At the monthly meetings, the Youth Commission o ers lessons in life skills, career insights, legislature and emotional well-being, among other topics.

In the coming meetings, the commission will nalize plans for the Kickstart to Adulthood Conference. e commission members have planned a day for youth in eighth through 12th grade to attend workshops. e work-

shops will guide them toward becoming independent adults and ease the transition from school into college, trade school or the military.

Most importantly, Acevedo emphasized the importance of youth in the community feeling supported.

“You don’t think that people are here for you, but I’m here for you. e commission has inspired me to create a change in my community and inspire others to make a change,” Acevedo said.

e Youth Commission meets once a month and is always accepting new members.

Aliyah Acevedo, 17, is part of the Commerce City Youth Commission, and says she feels supported to make a di erence in her community.

COURTESY PHOTO

Federal dollars are siphoned to infrastructure projects in north metro cities

Senator Bennet secured funding from latest federal appropriations bill

BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A new water treatment plant in Westminster is one the bene ciaries of nearly $6.9 million in infrastructure projects in the north metro area secured recently by U.S. Senator Michael Bennet.

In all, Bennet helped lock down

$91.5 million for 78 projects across that state that passed as part of the rst round of federal appropriation bills last week, according to a news release from Bennet’s o ce. e U.S. Senate is currently working to pass a second round which could include additional funding for other Colorado projects.

e bill includes $959,751 for the water treatment facility being built on Westminster Boulevard just north of 98th Avenue. Crews began working at the site in fall 2023.

A water rate structure the Westminster City Council approved in 2022 underwrites the plant’s construction, according to city o cials.

e new plant, which rests on 40 acres, will reliably provide 15 million gallons of water per day and will allow Westminster to retire portions of the aging Semper Water Treatment facility located o 90th Avenue and Pierce Street, according to the city of Westminster.

e new plant is estimated to cost $196 million, plus an additional $15 million for ozonation, though it may cost more with in ation, according to the city. Ozonation is a process that injects pure oxygen into the water to kill a wide range of biological contaminants to oxidize metals.

e nearly $1 million in federal

funding will allow Westminster’s water plant to implement “critical upgrades (to) ensure safe, clean, and a ordable drinking water for generations to come,” according to Bennet’s news release.

e $6.9 million also included funding for:

$4,116,279 for CDOT’s Chambers Avenue Widening in Commerce City. is project will widen Chambers Avenue by installing a 4-lane divided roadway with a median, and will include upgrades to the Second Creek bridge, landscaping, sidewalks/ trails on either side of street, and signalizing.

Aircraft noise and leaded fuel are the targets of a proposed bill winding its way through the legislature

BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Critics of local airports are hailing legislation that targets noisy ight patterns over homes and schools and the use of leaded fuel in small aircraft as a step forward toward safer aviation practices.

e bill — HB 24-1235 — is backed by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser who said in a statement that the proposal uses other means other than regulation to get local airports to make their operations safer for their

neighbors.

“Colorado may be unable to regulate ight patterns, but we can use state funds to reward airports that choose to have e ective noise plans in place that are approved by the federal government,” Weiser said in his statement.

“Colorado may be unable to mandate that aircraft transition to safer unleaded fuel, but we can create funding incentives to encourage that transition.”

Colorado can also ensure that communities impacted by ight noise have a voice and a seat on the state board that administer state grants to airports

through HB24-1235, Weiser said.

Finance hearing next

e bill is likely to be challenged by airport lobbying groups as unconstitutional, he said. However, the ideas behind the legislation are thoughtful and re ective. “And, if necessary, I am prepared to defend this bill in court,” Weiser said.

After more than seven hours of testimony Wednesday, the bill passed the state House’s Committee on Transportation, Housing and Local Government and is now headed to the House

Finance Committee. A hearing date has not been set yet.

e bill creates a state income tax credit for owners of aircraft who transition from using lead fuel to the unleaded variety.  Advocates say aircraft powered by leaded fuel leaves a deadly toxic trail over homes and schools.

According to the legislation, Colorado’s state aviation grant program would give grants to general aviation airports and commercial airports to fund infrastructure changes that allow the sale of unleaded aviation gasoline at those airports.

A LETTER TO OUR READERS AND ADVERTISERS

To our loyal supporters,

We’re excited to tell you about a major expansion of our Colorado operation. We are launching a printing press to serve our publications, along with many other newspapers across the Front Range.

is unique project is a crucial step toward stabilizing our costs and ensuring you can continue to receive our news in all the ways that you want.

When the nonpro t National Trust for Local News purchased our 23 news brands in metro Denver in 2021, no one imagined we’d establish a new printing press. Our focus was squarely on digital transformation e orts that have included relaunching our websites and adding a series of new news products in the communities we serve.

However, rapidly rising costs associated with printing and distribution le us and many other publishers across the Front Range in a perilous position. While we know digital is our future, we also know many of our subscribers and advertisers still greatly value the printed newspaper, especially in areas where digital access may be limited.

Funds from the Colorado Media Project, Gates Family Foundation, Colorado Trust, and Bohemian Foundation enabled us to purchase a community printing press and secure a facility in Denver to begin operating it. We’re excited to kick o soon, with our newspapers set to be printed starting in May. We’ll bring on other publishers by the summer.

e new press should allow us to lower manufacturing costs – for ourselves and for other small local publishers – that will stabilize the bottom line and ultimately lead to reinvestments in our reporting resources and digital expansion. We’re strengthening our own business while supporting our fellow publishers.

We believe every community deserves a strong local news source. Your continued support fuels our passion and drive to innovate, adapt, and thrive in an ever-evolving media landscape. Together, we are shaping the future of local journalism in Colorado and beyond.

ank you for being part of this exciting milestone with us.

Elizabeth Hansen Shapiro CEO National Trust for Local News

Linda Shapley Publisher Colorado Community Media

Garage and Estate Sales

Garage Sales

Moving Sale

March 23, 9am – 5pm Saddle, tack, pannier, tools, windows, garden tools and much more! Cash only

14641 County Rd. 10, Ft. Lupton

Miscellaneous

Prepare for power outages today with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 7-Year warranty with qualifying purchase* Call 1-855-9486176 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move. Water damage cleanup & restoration: A small amount of water can lead to major damage and mold growth in your home. Our trusted professionals do complete repairs to protect your family and your home’s value!

Call 24/7: 1-888-872-2809

kitchen is a must see with the best thing about the property being the open space kitchen and amazing floor plan.

The property is 1,560 square feet with a completely separate 560 sq. foot ADU with 2 car garage and space for RV parking--the unit has solar.

The property is an outstanding family home, all on one level, if financing is required the payment can be offset by renting out the Main Unit or ADU -and live in the other -- to offset the monthly payment. The short term rental (STR) market is always thriving in the central Colorado area with so many individuals and families that want to come to Colorado for an adventure and see the myriad of attractions Red Rocks Parks, Garden of the Gods, Buffalo overlook, The Air Force Academy, Estes Park or of course to check out our great skiing, food and and beer. If you decide to take advantage of the STR market we will list the property on Air BNB and or VRBO for no charge and run the rental for 90 days at no charge and hand over to you turnkey.

Safe Step. North America’s #1 Walk-in tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-the-line installation and service. Now featuring our free shower package & $1600 off - limited time! Financing available. 1-855-417-1306

!!OLD GUITARS WANTED!! GIBSON, FENDER, MARTIN, Etc. 1930’s to 1980’s. TOP DOLLAR PAID. CALL TOLL FREE 1-866433-8277

DIRECTV Stream - Carries the most local MLB Games!

Choice Package $89.99/ mo for 12 mos Stream on 20 devices at once. HBO Max included for 3 mos (w/ Choice Package or higher.) No contract or hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-866-859-0405

We offer partial owner financing with a 720 FICO score, or higher, and at least $25K in savings IE Retirement Plan. The home has solar so there will limited power bills

Legals

Bids and Settlements

Public Notice

WINDLER PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY

WINDLER –Neighborhood C

Sealed Bids will be received by Windler Public Improvement Authority, hereinafter referred to as OWNER, at the office of the Authority Engineer, Merrick & Company, 5970 Greenwood Plaza Boulevard, Greenwood Village, CO 80111, until 10:00 AM local time on April 19, 2024, for:

WINDLER - Neighborhood C

This Contract provides for the construction of the following: Furnish and install 8-inch water line with appurtenances; 8-inch sanitary sewer line with appurtenances; and water and sanitary services in over 2 miles of residential streets and alleys. Also, furnish and install 18-inch to 48-inch storm sewer pipe with appurtenances and install over 2 miles of street improvements and concrete alleys. Bidders may bid on Part A (grading), Part B (utilities), and/or Part C (roadway). Neighborhood C is located southeast of 56th Ave and Denali Street.

Copies of the Bidding Documents may be requested from the Windler Public Improvement Authority, at the email of the Authority Engineer, barney.fix@merrick. com, beginning March 21, 2024. NO PAYMENT REQUIRED. REPRODUCTIONS ARE PROHIBITED.

Bidders must be licensed Contractors in the State of Colorado.

Bids will be received providing unit price for items; however, the price given will be on a maximum not-to-exceed amount, as described in the Bidding Documents.

The Work is expected to be commenced within thirty (30) days after the Date of Contract.

Bid Security in the amount of five percent (5%) of the total Bid Price must accompany each Bid in the form specified in the Instructions to Bidders.

The Successful Bidder will be required to furnish a Performance Bond, Labor and Material Payment Bond guaranteeing faithful performance and warranty bond for two-years after Substantial Completion, and the payment of all bills and obligations arising from the performance of the Contract.

The OWNER reserves the right to award the contract by sections, to reject any or all Bids, and to waive any informalities and irregularities therein.

For further information, please contact Barney Fix at Merrick & Company at 303-751-0741.

Legal Notice No.

CCX1307

First Publication: March 21, 2024

Last Publication: April 4, 2024

Publisher: Commerce City Sentinel Express

Non-consecutive Publications

Public Notice

WINDLER PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY

WINDLER –Neighborhood F

Sealed Bids will be received by Windler Public Improvement Authority, hereinafter referred to as OWNER, at the office of the Authority Engineer, Merrick & Company, 5970 Greenwood Plaza Boulevard, Greenwood Village, CO 80111, until 11:00 AM local time on April 19, 2024, for:

WINDLER - Neighborhood F

This Contract provides for the construction of the following: Furnish and install 8-inch water line with appurtenances; 8-inch sanitary sewer line with appurtenances; and water and sanitary services in over 1 mile of residential streets and alleys. Also, furnish and install 18-inch storm sewer pipe with appurtenances and install over 1 mile of street improvements and concrete alleys. Bidders may bid on Part A (grading), Part B (utilities), and/or Part C (roadway). Neighborhood F is located southeast of 56th Ave and Denali Street.

Copies of the Bidding Documents may be requested from the Windler Public Improvement Authority, at the email of the Authority Engineer, barney.fix@merrick. com, beginning March 21, 2024. NO PAYMENT REQUIRED. REPRODUCTIONS ARE PROHIBITED.

Bidders must be licensed Contractors in the State of Colorado.

Bids will be received providing unit price for items; however, the price given will be on a maximum not-to-exceed amount, as described in the Bidding Documents.

The Work is expected to be commenced within thirty (30) days after the Date of Contract.

Bid Security in the amount of five percent (5%) of the total Bid Price must accompany each Bid in the form specified in the Instructions to Bidders.

The Successful Bidder will be required to furnish a Performance Bond, Labor and Material Payment Bond guaranteeing faithful performance and warranty bond for two-years after Substantial Completion, and the payment of all bills and obligations arising from the performance of the Contract.

The OWNER reserves the right to award the contract by sections, to reject any or all Bids, and to waive any informalities and irregularities therein.

For further information, please contact Barney Fix at Merrick & Company at

303-751-0741.

Legal Notice No. CCX1308

First Publication: March 21, 2024

Last Publication: April4, 2024

Publisher: Commerce City Sentinel Express Non-Consecutive Publications

Public Notice

WINDLER PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY

Connector Roads #1 – Utilities

Sealed Bids will be received by Windler Public Improvement Authority, hereinafter referred to as OWNER, at the office of the Authority Engineer, Merrick & Company, 5970 Greenwood Plaza Boulevard, Greenwood Village, CO 80111, until 11:00 AM local time on April 5, 2024 for:

Connector Roads #1 – Utilities

This Contract provides for the construction of the following: Approximately 2.5 miles of utility (water, sanitary, and storm) improvements. The utility improvements are located in future collector roads located south of E. 56th Avenue and north of E. 52nd Avenue between E-470 and Harvest Road.

Copies of the Bidding Documents may be requested from the Windler Public Improvement Authority, at the email of the Authority Engineer, barney.fix@merrick. com, beginning March 7, 2024. NO PAYMENT REQUIRED.

Bidders must be licensed Contractors in the State of Colorado.

Bids will be received providing unit price for items; however, the price given will be on a maximum not-to-exceed amount, as described in the Bidding Documents.

The Work is expected to be commenced within thirty (30) days after the Date of Contract.

Bid Security in the amount of five percent (5%) of the total Bid Price must accompany each Bid in the form specified in the Instructions to Bidders.

The Successful Bidder will be required to furnish a Performance Bond, Labor and Material Payment Bond guaranteeing faithful performance and warranty bond for two-years after Substantial Completion, and the payment of all bills and obligations arising from the performance of the Contract.

The OWNER reserves the right to award the contract by sections, to reject any or all Bids, and to waive any informalities and irregularities therein.

For further information, please contact Barney Fix at Merrick & Company at 303-751-0741.

Legal Notice No. CCX1301

First Publication: March 7, 2024

Last Publication: March 21, 2024

Publisher: Commerce City Sentinel Express

Non-Consecutive Publications

Public Notice

WINDLER PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY

E. 45th Place

Sealed Bids will be received by Windler Public Improvement Authority, hereinafter referred to as OWNER, at the office of the Authority Engineer, Merrick & Company, 5970 Greenwood Plaza Boulevard, Greenwood Village, CO 80111, until 10:00 AM local time on April 5, 2024 for:

E. 45th Place

This Contract provides for the construction of the following: Approximately ½ mile of roadway infrastructure including, approximately 1,600 FT of 6”, 8” & 12” PVC waterline, 1,900 FT of 8” PVC sanitary sewer, 1,700 FT of 18”-42” RCP storm sewer, and a WQ pond. The project spans along E. 45th Place from Wenatchee Street to Tibet Road. Bidders may bid on utility or roadway items or bidder’s may bid on both utility and roadway items.

Copies of the Bidding Documents may be requested from the Windler Public Improvement Authority, at the email of the Authority Engineer, barney.fix@merrick. com, beginning March 7, 2024. NO PAYMENT REQUIRED.

Bidders must be licensed Contractors in the State of Colorado.

Bids will be received providing unit price for items; however, the price given will be on a maximum not-to-exceed amount, as described in the Bidding Documents.

The Work is expected to be commenced within thirty (30) days after the Date of Contract.

Bid Security in the amount of five percent (5%) of the total Bid Price must accompany each Bid in the form specified in the Instructions to Bidders.

The Successful Bidder will be required to furnish a Performance Bond, Labor and Material Payment Bond guaranteeing faithful performance and warranty bond for two-years after Substantial Completion, and the payment of all bills and obligations arising from the performance of the Contract.

The OWNER reserves the right to award the contract by sections, to reject any or all Bids, and to waive any informalities and irregularities therein.

For further information, please contact Barney Fix at Merrick & Company at 303-751-0741.

Legal Notice No. CCX1300

First Publication: March 7, 2024

Last Publication: March 21, 2024

Publisher: Commerce City Sentinel Express Non-Consecutive Publications

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