Clear Creek Courant August 22, 2024 by Colorado Community Media

A ﬁrst look inside the new Carlson Elementary P2

BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

County, city and town leaders have continued to discuss the creation of a multi-jurisdictional Housing Authority that would advocate for available and a ordable housing in Clear Creek County.

e housing authority would be a separate government entity that represents a group of local governments that come together to support a ordable housing in the county, according to plans laid out at an Aug. 13 meeting. e plans detail the speci cs of the proposed authority in nearly 100 subsections.

Currently, the ve jurisdictions crafting the agreement and authorization are Idaho Springs, Empire, Georgetown, Silver Plume and Clear Creek County.

e authority would include a board of directors and an executive director, who would be hired to direct the authority, according to city and county leaders.

e initial cost of funding for the au-

Students and parents check out the new Carlson Elementary in Idaho Springs Aug 12.

PHOTO BY CHRIS KOEBERL

A ﬁrst look inside the new Carlson Elementary

The newly remodeled school’s ribbon was cut for the 2024-25 school year

BY CHRIS KOEBERL

CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Years of planning, raising money and negotiation were settled as the new Carlson Elementary on Highway 103 in Idaho Springs opened its doors for a celebration with parents and future students.

Young students dragged parents up the several ights of brightly colored ramps to nd their classroom the rst day the building was open to the public Aug. 12.

Well over 100 parents and kids joined county commissioners, police o cers, school board members and the superintendent waiting for three pairs of scissors, held by students, to cut the red rope and open the school for the rst time.

Frosted lights hung from the ceilings

and down the center of the ramps and common area below.

“It is a beautiful building and my room is huge, it is going to be really nice having di erent learning spaces so we can pull the kids out in small groups and di erentiate the learning to them,” Kindergarten teacher Kate Foy said.

e building is designed with wideopen spaces, a large cafeteria and a larger auditorium/gym. A separate entrance and playground for preschoolers is also part of the design.

Some of the original planners and designers were also there to see how this project started almost a decade before it was realized, including former district Superintendent Karen Quanbeck.

“We had folks sitting around a table in the old o ce and we just kept asking people, ‘Do you think this is possible?’” she said.

e old building had served, since 1969, as the high and middle school for the county until the new school was built in Evergreen

Current school board member Kelly

Flenniken graduated high school from the old school.

“It feels joyful and exciting, (seeing) happy faces ready to learn. I’m really proud of our community for delivering something so amazing for our kids,” she said.

Food was served so parents and their kids were the rst to sit on the benches and tables of the new cafeteria during the event that lasted several hours.

Kids and parents also got to meet their teachers for the new school year. Idaho Springs residents Nichole Nemmers and her daughter November met November’s 4th-grade teacher Michael DaNardo.

“We’re really excited, it’s been a long time coming and I think the kids are excited,” Nichole Nemmers said. “Look how colorful it is. Super stoked it’s not on a gas station corner anymore.”

“I like it, my favorite thing about it is the cafeteria is bigger and the gym is so perfect, way better,” November added.

e giant gymnasium sported fresh, bright paint on the walls and the hardwood oors were un-scu ed and polished to a shine.

“Some of the things in here just amaze me,” Superintendent Tom Meyer said. “It’s a dynamic place for kids and our sta . I think the community aspect to see something done with this building when it was sitting empty is great.”

e school board put the issue of renaming the elementary school, as well as changing the mascot or school colors on a local ballot last year to gauge local reaction, board members said.

A vast majority of locals agreed to keep the historic Carlson name, the cougar mascot and gold and blue colors.

“It is better than what I envisioned, it’s bright and beautiful which is what every kid deserves for a learning space. ere’s open learning spaces, there’s access to the outside right here,” Quanbeck said.

A group of 6th graders seemed especially excited about the upcoming year when they learned they would be the rst elementary students to attend the new Carlson and its rst graduating class.

Carlson Elementary students cut the ribbon to their new school in Idaho Springs Aug. 12. PHOTOS BY CHRIS KOEBERL

Superintendent

Tom Meyer walks the cafeteria area of the new Carlson Elementary in Idaho Springs.

Transplanted boreal toads now breeding

in this project has poured their heart and soul into it,” Cammack said, calling it a “really special day.”

Now, biologists will watch to see if the tadpoles turn into toadlets and then into adult toads. It will become only the second place in Colorado where transplanted toads have had tadpoles that grew into toads. e

rst is near Cameron Pass, outside of Fort Collins.

Boreal toads are the only highelevation toad in the Rocky Mountains and are an endangered species in Colorado. ey live at elevations from 7,500 to 12,000 feet, just below

Weather Observations for Georgetown, Colorado

Colorado is helping the endangered toads make a comeback

BY JENNIFER BROWN THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado wildlife o cials are celebrating some long-awaited good news — the mountain toads are making tadpoles!

For seven years, biologists have been toting tadpoles to high-elevation bogs and ponds in a massive effort to save the inch-long boreal toad. And for the rst time at a mountain wetland above Pitkin, they’ve discovered that those transplanted toads are making their own babies in the wild.

“It’s a really big deal,” native aquatic species biologist Daniel Cammack said in a Colorado Parks and Wildlife news release.

Boreal toads, which live in wetlands around 11,500 feet and spend their winters buried under multiple feet of snow, have been dying o at a rapid pace across the Rocky Mountain states. A fungus that infects the toad’s skin with a cluster of spores, then

bursts and spreads through the water to other toads, is to blame.

Colorado biologists have been trying to stop the fungus by dipping the tiny toads in a wash nicknamed “purple rain” and have been taking new tadpoles from a hatching center in Alamosa and dropping them in wild ponds.

is summer, when Cammack went to check on his transplanted toads above Pitkin, northeast of Gunnison, he found they were reproducing, a discovery that Colorado Parks and Wildlife called “potentially gamechanging.”

Cammack’s team has been bringing tadpoles to the wetland since 2018, which is about the length of time it takes for a female toad to reach reproductive age.

e state wildlife agency has stocked about 20,000 tadpoles at the Pitkin bog, most of which began as eggs that were collected from the backcountry and raised to tadpoles at the Native Aquatic Species Restoration Facility in Alamosa. In 2022, biologists threw in 570 tadpoles from the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance.

Before the relocation e orts, there were no boreal toads at the Pitkin bog.

“Everyone who has been involved

Week of August 5, 2024

Each day at about 8 a.m. a local National Weather Service volunteer observer makes temperature and precipitation observations at the Georgetown Weather Station and wind observations at Georgetown Lake. “Max” and “Min” temperatures are from an NWS digital “Maximum/Minimum Temperature System.” “Mean daily” temperature is the calculated average of the max and min. “Total Precipitation” is inches of rainfall plus melted snow. “Snowfall” is inches of snow that accumulated. T = Trace of precipitation or snowfall. NR = Not Reported. “Peak wind gust at Georgetown Lake” is the velocity and the time of the maximum wind gust that occurred during the 24 hours preceding the observation time. Historic data are based on the period of record for which statistical data have been compiled (about 55 years within the period 1893-2023). Any weather records noted are based on a comparison of the observed value with the historical data set.

Day and date of observation (2024)

A yearling boreal toad gets a shower after being found in an alpine wetland above Buena Vista in 2019.

PHOTO BY NINA RIGGIO/SPECIAL TO THE COLORADO SUN

HOUSING

thority would be split by a variety of factors to be determined by thenal agreement of the ve-member jurisdictions.

e current cost-sharing model is based on a jurisdiction’s portion of the estimated overall population in the county, reported to be 9,500 residents. e ve jurisdictions would pay a percentage of the overall costs, according to data compiled by the county:

• Idaho Springs with a population of 1,780 residents would pay 19% or $41,221 for the authority.

• Georgetown with a population of 1,200 would pay 13% or $27,789.

• Clear Creek County with a population of 5,980 would pay 51% or $138,484.

• e remaining $12,506 of the overall $220,000 budgeted for the authority to start would be covered by Silver Plume and Empire with an estimated combined population of 540 residents, according to county

statistics provided at the meeting.

A draft agreement was presented to leaders for the rst time at an Aug. 13 meeting.

e 14-page agreement outlines multiple plans, proposals and contingencies and leaders spent the morning debating minor points or placements of language.

Although the group was enthusiastic about the progress made so far, Georgetown Police Judge Lynette Kelsey raised the concern that some of her Board of Selectmen were not on board yet and wanted more information.

e township said it plans on reaching out to other areas where this has been done for direction to possibly “learn from their mistakes.”

Idaho Springs Mayor Chuck Harmon said he’s excited about the idea of the housing authority, but he realizes it’s going to be a long process.

“Frankly it may take a few years for us to have fruit and actually have units and it to be able to carry its own weight, but I really think the reward is well worth the e ort when we’re done,” Harmon said.

Clear Creek County leaders discussed plans for a housing authority in Idaho Springs Aug. 13.

PHOTO BY CHRIS KOEBERL

TOADS

treeline, and hibernate beneath the snow for six to eight months of the year. Researchers say that when the toads are stressed, they release a secretion that smells similar to peanut butter.

e toads were once abundant, even sitting under Buena Vista lamp posts at night in the 1960s to feast on insects that swarmed to the light, according to historical articles reviewed by CPW. en the fungus came, killing o thousands of

the tiny creatures in the 1980s and 1990s.

e fungus — Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis— is blamed for the death of amphibians all over the world, including in Australia, Asia and South America. Aquatic biologists say the toads lived in Colorado before humans and are an important part of the high-elevation ecosystem, where they eat bugs and serve as food for snakes, birds and weasels.

In Colorado, some transplanted tadpoles have received antifungal bacterial baths before they are packed into plastic bags and released into mountain bogs and

ponds. e wash is called “purple rain” because of its lavender tint. In one project, University of Colorado researchers injected boreal toads with either a spot of pink or green dye, visible through amphibian skin when they held a toad up to the sunlight. Green-spotted toads got the antifungal bath, while pinkspotted ones did not. en they tried to capture the toads the following summer, searching for them in a pond above Buena Vista, to see whether they were infected with the deadly fungus.

A “Boreal Toad Recovery Team,” which includes biologists from Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyo-

ming, has been working to save the toads for 20 years.

“ e boreal toad is a truly unique and resilient amphibian,” said Cammack, calling the discovery of the new tadpoles a monumental day in his career. “We are up at 11,500 feet, at timberline practically. ey gut out big winters covered by multiple feet of snow and experience only three to four months of warm growing season.”

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.

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Colorado school districts working on new ways to ﬁnd gifted students

BY YESENIA ROBLES CHALKBEAT COLORADO

About a decade after schools in Colorado started using universal testing to identify students who are gifted, white students and those from higher socioeconomic backgrounds still make up the vast majority of students in gifted programs.

So educators are taking new steps to make sure students who have long been underrepresented in gifted programs across the country, including students of color, English language learners, and those from lower income families, are better represented.

Districts and organizations are now focusing on new data analysis, looking at multiple tests, and training teachers to identify behaviors that might signal high abilities among students of di erent cultures.

Some districts are closing gaps and are identifying more students, although statewide the gaps remain.

White students and those from higher socioeconomic backgrounds make up

50% and 54% of the population respectively, but white students make up more than 69% of students in gifted programs and those from higher economic backgrounds make up 80% of students in gifted programs in Colorado.

Statewide, Black students make up 4.6% of all public school students, but only 2.1% of students identi ed as gifted. Hispanic students make up 35.5% of all students, but only 16% of students identied as gifted.

By other measures, gaps are more signi cant. Students who qualify for subsidized meals, a measure of poverty, make up 45.7% of all students in the state, but only account for 19.9% of students who are identi ed as gifted. And students who are identi ed as multilingual learners, learning English as a new language, make up 13% of all students in the state, but only account for 2.3% of gifted students.

In the past, identi cation depended on a teacher or parent advocating for a child to be tested. Now, barriers include biases in tests themselves or in observations from educators, who are also still largely white. Sta ng limitations in some districts also limit how much work gifted teams can do.

Closing the gap and identifying students matters, leaders say, because students need to be challenged and so educators can provide better resources. But

also for self-knowledge.

Nisia Patalan, the gifted coordinator for the districts of the San Juan BOCES in southwest Colorado, said student identication matters in part so students can understand themselves better.

“Understanding who they are and how they see the world di erently and then just being accepted,” Patalan said. “I just think about how isolating it is to be a gifted student. I think those kids aren’t getting what they need if they aren’t struggling if they aren’t struggling enough to get noticed. ey’re masking because of their giftedness.”

Educators use data to ﬁnd more students

Identifying students who are multilingual is a recent area of focus for many districts in the state. About ve years ago, the Colorado Department of Education started creating guidance that now allows districts to use the scores of the ACCESS test — an English uency exam that students identi ed as English learners already take every year — as a way to identify gifted students.

Students who gain pro ciency in English much more rapidly than average can be agged for identi cation.

Brad Russell, assistant director of teaching and learning and gifted and talented

Students learn about the journalism pathway o ered at Englewood High School.

PHOTO BY ELISABETH SLAY

programming in Mapleton, participated in a group with the state to help create the guidance for districts to use that test.

So in his district, just north of Denver, where 80% of students are Hispanic and about 40% are English learners, leaders who were working with an outside partner on making sure teachers were teaching to grade level standards, also started to think about how few students were being identi ed as gifted.

Four years ago, just 2.5% of the district’s students were identi ed as gifted, so they set a goal to get to 5% within one year. Now, 8% of the district’s students are identi ed as gifted. Of those gifted students, 70% are Hispanic, which Russell said is close to the 80% of Hispanic students in the district.

To get there, every year, Russell creates a spreadsheet with every student and the scores for all tests they may take. He pulls out all the students who have scores in the 80th percentile and starts looking for trends over time. is means he looks for longer term patterns instead of how a student performs on one test at one point in time.

“Having that formal data review annually, that is step one for everyone,” but he added, “we want to make sure we’re going beyond that.”

Next, he reaches out to the student’s school teachers and has them use a formal rating scale to make observations about the student’s behavior. Sometimes families will also be asked to ll out an observation form about their child, and other student work might be used as well to create enough evidence to formally identify the student.

Traditionally, students were identied as gifted based on a high score on a cognitive ability test. ose are the tests used for universal screening. In Mapleton, all second and sixth graders are tested. But if those tests don’t ag a student as gifted or if students somehow miss that test, Russell’s data review and other teacher observations can also be used to identify a student who is advanced. Denver Public Schools started a similar data review last year.

In the rst year of reviewing about ve years worth of student scores on the ACCESS language test, Denver

leaders identi ed more than 300 students who could be gifted based on their accelerated ability to learn a language.

About 26% of the district’s students are learning English as a new language, but only about 3% of gifted students were multilingual learners. After that rst year of data review, it inched up to 4% of the approximately 6,900 identi ed gifted students. More students are in a group being evaluated and observed to possibly be identi ed within the next year or two.

“It’s really exciting, our gifted teachers are so thrilled about this,” said Meryl Faulkner, senior manager of gifted and talented for the Denver school district.

e district is in the process of reviewing data again this year.

DPS also piloted last year a new cognitive test, the NGAT, for its universal screening at some schools, which Faulkner believes made a di erence in identifying more Black and multilingual students, she said. is fall, all second graders in the district will take the new cognitive test.

And when teachers ll out observational ratings to identify students, Faulkner said, the district tries to have a teacher of the same cultural background as the student ll it out. “Cultural mismatches can occur, misunderstanding, or misinterpreting what their behaviors actually are,” she said.

Shalelia Dillard, founder of SCD En richment Program, a nonpro t organi zation trying to help schools diversify their gifted populations, is also in the process of getting a new teacher ob servation tool nationally recognized.

For example, she noted that “ques tioning authority is an across the board characteristic of many gifted students,” but stereotypes of black women being argumentative might al low an educator to think, “ is is just a little black girl trying to have an at titude with me.”

Another example she likes to use for thinking about the di erent ways gifted abilities show up is when young students have to translate for adults.

“Students that had to read their parents bank statements at six years old and having to navigate that and translate that into respectful children language, it takes a high level cogni tive pro le,” Dillard said. “You’re us ing both hemispheres of your brain. at’s a huge one.”

State o cials also pointed to San Juan BOCES as one area seeing posi tive improvements in closing gaps in

who is identi ed as gifted. BOCES, which stands for boards of cooperative educational services, are groups of small districts that share resources.

Across the eight districts in the BOCES group, more than half of students qualify for free or reduced price lunches, a measure of poverty. In 2020-21, just 26.5% of gifted students did, but that number has jumped to 32% in 2023-24.

e BOCES districts with large populations of indigenous students have also seen improvements in their representation. For example, in the Mancos School District, 6.5% of enrolled students are identi ed at Native American, and among gifted students 6.7% are.

Many of the BOCES districts are using an alternative cognitive test, the same one DPS is moving to. And Patalan, the gifted coordinator, trains teachers every year, sharing di erent observational tools every month, including some geared speci cally to look at how traditional behaviors might be expressed di erently among di erent groups of students.

Among Native American students, for example, many of their traits are nonverbal, while an English learner who is trying to be expressive might use “inventive language” combining languages.

class. A teacher might purposefully pair two possibly gifted students together for assignments, for example.

And once they’re identi ed, state law requires students to have an advanced learning plan with goals speci c to their gifted abilities which are reviewed every year.

In the handful of schools where Dillard’s organization works, she hosts a class with mostly students of color who might be gifted. Some students are already identi ed, and some are not. In the class, they receive college prep skills, advanced supplemental learning in core content areas, and talk about how being gifted might impact their social and emotional abilities.

“ is is what it means to be gifted,” Dillard said. “It is a neurodiversity. With this particular neurodivergence, here’s how you can advocate for yourself, how you can connect with other students.”

Her program also hosts a weeklong summer program for students from across the metro area. e Mapleton district has also been hosting a summer program for students who are identi ed as gifted.

Last year, the online sign-up for Mapleton’s summer camp lled up in less than an hour. e district had planned for 90 students, and expanded to accommodate 122. Even more tried to enroll, leaders said, but had to be

In my July 2023 essay “Like I Used To,” I wrote about how even though I can’t do many of the activities like I could when I was a spry 50or even a 60-something, I still can do them, just not as quickly, as fast or as hard. e point was that we seniors don’t necessarily need to give up the ghost on activities we enjoyed in our younger years. Instead, we just need to acknowledge the vehicle that carried us to where we are now is inexorably wearing out and breaking down.

Twenty- rst-century technological and medical advancements have provided replacement parts and xes for many of the mechanistic aspects of our bodies—e.g., knees, hips, stents, prostheses—but they haven’t produced the elixir for the vital rest. Sclerosis sets in, muscles, even if regularly exercised, lose strength, and the brain’s neuroplasticity declines. While that’s true overall, it’s important to keep in mind that everyone ages di erently. For some, the mind declines rst, and for others, the body. Regardless, the reality is we all age. ere are no exceptions. No one gets out alive. It’s nature’s way of clearing out the old to make way for the new.

One of my late-life blessings is consorting with active friends who pursue a range of interests and skills. It’s

VOICES

Exiting with dignity

uplifting to see how to a one they don’t lose sight they have plenty of life in them despite their aches and pains. ey don’t need to be exhorted to “carpe diem” because they’ve already seized the day they have. Perhaps it’s because they recognize their remaining days are dwindling and their next one might not only be as good as the day they have now, it might be their last.

And it’s inspirational to watch octogenarians and nonagenarians pursuing unrelentingly their life’s work. Warren Bu et and multiple great performers, like the late Betty White, readily come to mind. It’s important to understand, however, their work doesn’t entail life-and-death consequences for the public writ large, like ensuring the security of the nation. en there are those who seemingly believe they’re exceptions to the immutable law of nature that says that which lives must die, and its corollary that says if it’s reached a ripened age, it’ll become feeble. ey muddle on and embarrass themselves by brag-

ging how they can still do something like they used to, like keeping their golf game’s handicap.

e political realm seems to be the major one in which age deniers hang on well past their prime. ey convince themselves they’re indispensable, that no one else can ll their shoes. It’s a form of denialism, delusionary self-aggrandizement, and egocentrism. What’s crazy is that they don’t seem to grasp that at some point in the not-too-distant future they’ll be dead and gone and another will take their place. Nature’s kind of funny that way.

e topic of aging was thrust front and center into our national conversation because of the potential of the two dominant political parties nominating for president two men well into their advanced years. One nally faced reality and exited the race with his dignity intact. e other dodders on.

Acceptance is the nal step in Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’s process of coming to terms with loss. She delineated it in relation to the end-of-life scenario, but it’s applicable to much more. Loss involves pretty much every aspect of our lives, from career to physical and mental abilities.

When forced to give something up

or if it’s taken away, a healthy, balanced mind nds and engages in worthwhile, ful lling activities. e less-so clings to whatever they held close or de ned them. ey do so for fear their new garb will pale in comparison to the golden ring, eece, or crown they’re currently wearing and that they’ll no longer be considered relevant and be in the spotlight.

In “As You Like It,” William Shakespeare wrote, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances.” Entrances are the easy part. Exits not so much.

In the theater, there’s a wisecrack line about an actor who refuses to exit the stage: “Get the hook!” It comes to mind when watching and listening to long-in-the-tooth elderlies trumpet they’re as t as the ddles they once were when it’s clearly evident they’re not.

Great character includes a plethora of noble attributes. One is accepting one has aged out and it’s high time to exit the stage while they have their dignity and before the audience yells, “Get the hook!”

Jerry Fabyanic is the author of “Sisyphus Wins” and “Food for ought: Essays on Mind and Spirit.” He lives in Georgetown.

Wildlife Olympics: There’s no contest!

e Olympic Games present a thrilling glimpse into the world of extremes.

Athletes have varying heights, musculatures, skin colors and genders. At any Olympic event, there may be many languages spoken and a variety of cultural norms observed. Despite these seemingly wide disparities, only one species is present: homo sapiens. In the world of wildlife, such a test of superiority would be a much more intriguing albeit complex event. How does one compare the winged vs the scaled, the furry vs the shelled, the hoofed vs the pawed?

Perhaps judging the Wildlife Olym-

INSIDE THE OUTDOORS

pics is less about choosing which creature should earn the highest honor of gold, silver or bronze but rather a recognition of the ways in which our nonhuman animal cousins have blossomed into spectacular and unique adaptations and skills which outshine our own. Yet, there are some clear gold medal winners. You may be surprised by who has earned the respect

and praise of scientists who are the true judges of the Wildlife Olympics. What would be the measure of an Olympic category for eyesight? e eye of a mantis shrimp, a crustacean the size of your pinkie nger, has 16 photoreceptors compared to a paltry 3 photoreceptors for humans. Researchers believe that the quantity of photoreceptors of the mantis shrimp’s eyes may allow visual information to be preprocessed by the eyes instead of the brain. Scientists have already awarded the mantis shrimp the gold medal for the most complex eyes of any species in the animal kingdom. e mantis shrimp is lauded for a

second characteristic. Appendages which are folder under the animal’s carapace (giving the shrimp an appearance similar to the mantis insect) can smash prey with the power of a .22 caliber bullet. To compete with the shrimp, a human would have to punch through steel (and walk away with an intact hand).

Elephants may be the gold medalist, but the silver goes to our neighbor, the black bear. eir sensitive noses can follow a scent for miles. Bears can smell your burger on the grill from the next town over.

JERRY FABYANIC

Columnist

Christie Greene

balin e held for comor and considered Shakestage, merely their easy wisecrack exit to to trumpet once they’re plethora accepting time their yells, “Siought: in

Vote for Steve Ferrante for District 49

As a pastor Steve Ferrante was leading the Colorado assembly in prayer. He learned as a citizen present he could speak during public comment time and observed what was happening in the sessions of the state legislature. is lead him to decided to run for state representative.

Believing the state should foster an environment good for families is a personal motivator for Steve Ferrante. As a 20 year law enforcement

GREENE

Bears are about to enter “hyperphagia” which means packing on 20,000 calories per day. e usually shy creatures become bold during this time. Keeping trash, bird feeders and other attractants out of sight and securely locked is imperative.

In Colorado, bears are under a “twostrike” policy-the rst infringement will earn a bear an ear tag and relocation. A tagged bear breaking into a home may be killed by wildlife ocers due to the risk to human safety. A tragedy that is completely avoidable, killing of habituated bears is the worst outcome for the o cers, homeowners, and bears.

If wildlife put their heads together (the ones that have heads), they might award the Gold to the humble tardigrade, the most magni cent animal

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veteran and pastor he has observed improvement needs to be made on how the government has been treating families.

Dignity and respect are important traits in Steve and he cares to foster such mannerisms. I look forward to his style of governance and I am proud to support his e orts to represent our community.

Learn more at electstevecolorado. com.

Michael Hocevar, Georgetown

you didn’t know exists. Also called water bears, the tiny creature, 0.059 inches, survives conditions that make the rest of us whine (or die).

Exposure to extreme temperatures, radiation, starvation, dehydration, and astoundingly high and low pressures does not stop this diminutive microfauna in its quest to outcompete every other species. Related to nematodes, tardigrades can suspend their metabolism and live without food and water for more than 30 years. e animals can later rehydrate and continue with the business of living.

Bonus — at least 17 species of tardigrades live in Colorado! Found in lichen and moss, these animals can be seen under a microscope! You could have little moss pigs living right outside your door.

Congratulations to our medalists and a huge round of respect and awe for the countless and priceless beings whose superpowers have yet to be discovered.

OBITUARIES

VALDEZ

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Mary (Sanchez) Valdez August 6, 2024

Mary Valdez, 87 of Dumont Colorado died August 6th 2024 after a short illness. Mary was born in Mogote, Conejos County, Colorado to Juan Francisco Sanchez and Angelina Quintana. Mary grew up in Leadville, Colorado. She was preceded in death by parents; her husband of 56 years, Solomon (Sam) Valdez; her brother James Sanchez and her sister Elvira Urda. Mary is survived by sons Kenneth (Jamie); James (Andi); granddaughter Maya Valdez; sister Patricia Rau and numerous nieces and

Mary was a Deputy County Clerk at the Clear Creek County Courthouse for 40 years where she greeted everyone with a smile and was known for her kindness

and generosity. She was very proud of the fact that she knew almost everyone from the county. She was a long standing member and o cer of the Idaho Springs Ladies Elks Club and was always known for organizing all kinds of activities, such as craft shows, teas and serving dinner at the Elks. Mary was a member of the Clear Creek Advocates. She had many roles serving her beloved community. Mary dearly loved her family, friends, neighbors along with her crocheting and knitting. She has left a great void in many lives and will forever be in our hearts.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday September 14th at 11:00 a.m. 2024 at Elks Lodge #607, 1600 Colorado Blvd, Idaho Springs, CO.

We’d like to know about events or activities of interest to the community. Visit www.clearcreekcourant.com/ calendar/ and post your event online for free. Email ckoeberl@coloradocommunitymedia.com to get items in the newspaper. Items will appear in

UPCOMING

Immersive Survival Camping: Sept. 6-8 at Tomahawk Ranch in Bailey. e trip includes information on shelter building, plant identi cation, re making and water gathering. Sign up at ticketsignup.io/immersivesurvivalcamping.com or with CCMRD by calling 303-567-4822.

Annual Floyd Hill Neighborhood Picnic: 12-3 p.m. Sept 14 at Evergreen Park 333 Beaver Brook Canyon Road in Evergreen. Sandwiches, snacks and drinks provided by Neighbors of Floyd Hill.

Clear Creek County Commission: Regularly scheduled meeting of the county commission at 8:30 a.m. Sept 17 at the County Building at 405 Argentine St. in Georgetown.

Georgetown BigHorn Sheep Festival: 10 a.m. Nov. 9. 600 6th St. in Georgetown. Gateway Visitor Center o ers trained volunteers with bin-

oculars and spotting scopes to help viewers locate bighorn sheep and offer a brief lesson on the animals.

ONGOING

CASA of the Continental Divide seeks volunteers:CASACD promotes and protects the best interests of abused and neglected children involved in court proceedings through the advocacy e orts of trained CASA volunteers. Be the di erence and advocate for the youth in our community. e o ce can be reached at 970-513-9390.

Test sirens scheduled: In an effort to notify people in the town of Georgetown of potential ooding due to the unlikely event of a dam failure at Xcel Energy’s Cabin Creek or Georgetown hydroelectric plants, sirens will be tested the rst Wednesday of every month.

ing someone from the re department to make sure smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly. To request a visit, ll out the form at clearcreekcounty.us/1388/ Community-Outreach.

Clear Creek Democrats: e Clear Creek Democrats meet from 5-7 p.m. the third ursday of the month at the Vintage Moose in Idaho Springs. Join them for conversation and social time.

Blue Spruce Habitat volunteers needed: Blue Spruce Habitat for Humanity is looking for volunteers. A variety of opportunities and exible schedules are available on new construction sites as well as for exterior minor home repairs. No previous construction experience needed. Contact volunteer@bluesprucehabitat.org for information.

Clear Creek EMS/Evergreen Fire Rescue Launch Mugs for Rugs Campaign: Bring an old throw rug and you’ll leave with a bright green mug! You can bring them to Station 1A in Dumont, 3400 Stanley Road, or you can email captains@clearcreekems. com and CCEMS will come to you to make the trade. Clear Creek EMS also o ers fall-risk assessments by bring-

Be prepared before the next power outage.

Receive a free 5-year warranty with qualifying purchase* - valued at $535.

Call 866-977-2602 to schedule your free quote!

Walk-in vaccine clinics: Walk-in vaccine clinics for adults and children needing u and other vaccines are available from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesdays at the Clear Creek Health and Wellness Center, 1969 Miner St., Idaho Springs. No appointments required for the vaccines, though you can pre-register by calling 303-670-7528.

Clear Creek Rotary 2000 meetings: Clear Creek Rotary 2000 meets at 7:30 a.m. Wednesdays at Marion’s of the Rockies. 2805 Colorado Blvd., Idaho Springs. For more information, email loe er806@comcast.net.

Support after suicide loss: A safe place to share and learn after losing a loved one to suicide. is group meets every fourth Wednesday of the month from 5:30-7:30 p.m. via Zoom or in person at the Resilience1220 ofce. For ages 14 and up. Suggested donation for this group is $15. Register at resilience1220.org/groups.

Storytime with Miss Honeybun: Storytime with Miss Honeybun is at 11:15 a.m. Tuesdays at the Idaho Springs Public Library and at 11:15 a.m. ursdays at the John Tomay Memorial Library in Georgetown.

Resilience1220 counseling: Young people 12 to 20 can get free counseling through an Evergreen-based organization called Resilience1220. Composed of licensed therapists, Resilience1220 serves individuals and groups in the foothills including Clear Creek County. ey also facilitate school and community groups to build life skills in wellness and resilience among youth. For more information or to schedule a counseling session, visit R1220.org, email Resilience1220@gmail.com or call 720282-1164.

Dental clinics: Cleanings, X-rays, dentures, tooth extractions and more. Most insurances are accepted including Medicaid. Sliding scale/low-cost options are also available. No appointment necessary. is is a mobile dentist that comes once a month. Call program manager Lauralee at 720205-4449 for questions.

Sensitive collection: Resilience1220 strives to inform and support highly sensitive people to live healthy and empowered lives. It meets the third Wednesday of each month from 6-7 p.m. and is o ered via Zoom or in person at the Resilience1220 o ce. Register at resilience1220.org/groups.

Public Health o ering sexual health and family planning: Clear Creek County Public Health is now o ering Sexual Health and Planning Services at the Health and Wellness Center in Idaho Springs. Public Health o ers counseling, emergency contraception, pregnancy testing, STI and HIV screenings, basic infertility services and birth control options and referrals. ese services are condential. Public Health can also now bill Medicaid and most private insurance. However, if you do not have insurance, fees are based on a sliding scale — and no one will be turned away if they are unable to pay.

Clear Creek County Lookout Alert: e CodeRED alerts have been replaced by the Lookout Alert. Residents can sign up for emergency alerts county-wide by signing up at www.lookoutalert.co. e new site replaces CodeRED following the switch to Je Com911 for emergency dispatch earlier this year.

BY JASON GONZALES CHALKBEAT COLORADO

5 tips for paying o student loans

Almost 796,000 Colorado borrowers hold more than $29 billion in federal student loan debt, contributing to the nation’s $1.6 trillion student debt load.

To help borrowers understand how to manage their debt, Young Invincibles and other Colorado advocates and government o cials recently held a series of clinics. ese services are especially important now that payments have restarted after a pandemic pause and new college graduates are beginning to repay their loans.

Cameron DeTello, Young Invincibles’ Rocky Mountain engagement manager, said the goal of the clinics is to ease the burden on borrowers, for example by showing them how to make payments more manageable. Young Invincibles is a national nonpro t that advocates on issues a ecting young adults, and also helps educate them on issues such as economic mobility and nancial choices.

DeTello said many young adults hold o on buying homes or having kids because of student debt.

“We’re hoping that by giving them more information, some of them might be eligible for forgiveness, or they’ll be able to save on some income-driven options, or maybe they’ll just feel better about their situation,” she said.

On average, Colorado student loan borrowers owe about $37,000 each — or roughly the average cost of a midsize

SUV. It’s a daunting amount for adults who are also managing other costs, but experts say there are ways to make repayment easier.

“While it’s hard, we need to remain informed borrowers,” said Kelsey Lesco, Colorado student loan ombudsman, and one of the clinic’s panelists.

Here are ve tips Young Invincibles shared for managing student loan debt:

Learn how to navigate the Federal Student Aid website

Getting familiar with the Federal Student Aid O ce student loan website is a great starting point. e student aid website holds a wealth of information about public student loans, DeTello said.

Federal student loan borrowers can create a login on the student aid website. ere they can view their loans and nd repayment options, DeTello said.

Know the makeup of your student loans

How much is your student loan interest rate and how much of your repayment goes to that interest? What type of loans do you have? Are they all federal loans, or do you have separate private loans?

ese questions can be answered easily, but borrowers sometimes don’t know the answers, Lesco said. It’s hard to gure out how to manage loans unless you know their makeup, she said.

“It seems basic, but you just really need to know what’s coming,” Lesco said.

Apply for student loan repayment programs

ere are seven types of student loan repayment programs, according to Lesco.

Lesco and DeTello said borrowers should familiarize themselves with the di erent options. Some might cut down monthly payments or the number of payments borrowers must make.

For instance, income-driven repayment programs — where payments are limited to a percentage of a borrower’s income — are popular options that can make the monthly bill more manageable. Some borrowers are eligible for a public-service loan forgiveness program if they work for a qualifying employer, such as a government entity or nonpro t organization. e program forgives the balance after 120 payments.

Learn what di erent repayment programs can do for you by visiting the student aid o ce’s loan simulator.

Watch for scams

You can access everything you need on your account through the student aid website, Lesco said. at means no one from the U.S. Department of Education will call you about forgiving your loans. ey also won’t ask for payment over the phone.

If someone claiming to be from the department contacts you this way, don’t fall for it.

is is especially important during uncertainty about repayment pro-

Don’t go it alone.

grams, such as the recent court ruling blocking a Biden administration repayment program, she said.

“Scammers are always targeting student loan borrowers,” she said. “And it’s a constant danger during periods of seeming instability or confusion.”

Coloradans who suspect a scam can le a complaint with the state attorney general’s o ce.

Can’t ﬁgure it out?

There are people to help. e federal student loan services website has a dedicated help line and ombudsmen to help borrowers troubleshoot.

Lesco said the Colorado ombudsman can also help with complaints. Her o ce can help investigate, report on, and settle complaints related to student loans.

“We’ll help them navigate problems that they’re experiencing with their student loan,” she said.

She’s worked with borrowers who have issues getting their payment counted, whose servicers aren’t getting in touch with them, or who have had issues with their schools, such as colleges that have committed wrongdoing.

And Colorado’s O ce of Financial Empowerment also has plenty of nancial literacy resources, Lesco said.

is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with Chalkbeat Colorado, a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools.

THE POWER OF MUSIC

Arvada nonproﬁt aims to create bridges through collaboration, exploration and fun for kids in the metro area

BY JANE REUTER

Studies on music’s bene ts repeatedly show its positive impact to mental and physical health. Research also shows it can build bridges.

Children who participate in group music activities exhibit more cooperation than kids who don’t, according to the journal “Evolution and Human Behavior.” Furthermore, researchers found children who regularly play music, sing and dance together can more easily empathize with others.

at’s something today’s world needs more of, believes ornton resident Dustin Olde, and that he hopes his music school can foster. A lifelong musician, Olde runs Colorado AMP (After-school Music Program), a low-cost, nonpro t kids’ music school in Arvada. e three-year-old business draws students from the heart of Denver and throughout the suburbs. “Kids can take music lessons online anytime,” he said. “ e whole point is we want them in-person, working together. We’re trying to get people to get along. at’s where we as a society are struggling. How can we all get along and understand each other? e music is just the gateway, the language by which they communicate.”

His students’ words suggest Olde is having an impact.

“When I thought of music before, I really thought more about, this note is A or B,” said Westminster’s Cullan Wright, 13, who’d played French horn in his school band before enrolling at Colorado AMP. “Now I understand it’s more about chords, how di erent things meld together.

“Before when I was playing, I was only thinking about my part,” he continued. “I would use someone else as a cue to come in. But for the most part, I wasn’t listening to other kids.”

Olde also discovered the power of music while playing with his peers. As a teen at Littleton High School,

he experienced bene ts that went far beyond music’s immediate psychological rewards.

“At 15, I formed a band with some friends; that was a huge piece of what got me through high school,” Olde said. “ ose were my best friends, and the band was a fundamental part of my self-esteem. It gave me the con dence I needed to get through high school.”

ose bonds went so deep that 35 years later, Olde is still playing with one of his high school bandmates in the group Trouble Bound. e band recently played at Evergreen’s Aug. 3 Mountain Music Fest.

Olde was a college music major and early in his career, worked with at-risk kids as an AmeriCorps teacher. at experience sparked his interest in a music school open to children from families of all income levels.

“We were teaching anger and con ict management skills to kids,” said Olde, a father of two. “I learned that the time when kids get in the most trouble is between when school ends and when Mom and Dad get home from work. at’s the time I want kids to be doing something positive.”

Colorado AMP is designed for children ages 10 to 15 who love music. Skill level or family income is

not a factor. e school o ers sliding scale fees and full scholarships. Drawing kids from di erent backgrounds is key to ful lling Olde’s mission.

“My vision has always been that we’d have a kid from Sterling who likes country and one from Aurora who likes hip hop,” he said. “In real life, the two would never meet. But here, they hear one another’s music and play together. You start to understand somebody else’s perspective.

“It’s not hugely di erent from School of Rock,” he continued. “But our goal is to get to those kids who can’t a ord School of Rock.”

While Colorado AMP was intended to be primarily an after-school program and o ers individual lessons, specialty workshops and after-school programs, its summer music camps generate the highest turnout.

During the camps, kids practice in small groups for two weeks and then do a live performance. Students can choose to play guitar, bass guitar, drums, keyboards or sing. Olde typically contracts with teachers to instruct the summer programs.

Broomﬁeld’s Davis Maurney, 11, focuses during an end-of-camp performance at Colorado AMP.

PHOTO BY LINDA MAURNEY

MUSIC

Westminster parent Kerstin Wright’s two sons have gone to Colorado AMP’s summer camp for two years running.

“I was a little skeptical when we went the rst time that by the end of two weeks we’d be attending a concert with them playing these instruments,” she said. “My kids had never had any experience with playing a bass guitar, an electric guitar or drum set. I was astonished. It was such a huge fun surprise to see them up on stage that rst time.”

Not only did her sons learn to play the instruments, they created a band name and logo, and produced a promotional video.

“ ey just had some very cool and di erent experiences they’d never had anywhere else,” Wright said. “ ey met some new kids, and some really awesome adults who have a passion for music and kids. at was also a win.”

Cullan Wright said it’s changed the way he listens to music.

“Whenever I’m listening to a song now, I can hear the piano part or the bass part,” he said. “I really do appreciate how much time they have to put into everything.”

Eleven-year-old Cooper Wright also saw his musical world expand after the summer camps.

“It’s opened up some more music genres,” he said. “(Before) it was kinda like whatever is on for me. I knew about bands like Nirvana and Green Day. But once we played a Nirvana song, I really got into it. Now I think I listen for more genres than just whatever.”

Cooper played both drums and guitar during his two Colorado AMP summer camps.

“ ey’re really good at simplifying things to make it kid-friendly,” he said. “I like the other kids there, and just getting to play and learn new instruments is pretty fun.”

It’s been fun for their mother, too, who said she now hears them talking in the car in great detail about a song playing on the stereo.

“So much of what kids do nowadays is screenbased; I feel like they don’t get a lot of opportunity to get creative,” she said. “For me, it’s important to create those opportunities that are meaningful and interesting to them.”

Broom eld’s Linda Maurney and her son and daughter had a similar experience. Son Davis, 11, has done the summer music camp for three years. Davis already owned a guitar but before Colorado AMP, he said he barely touched it.

“Now I’ve learned new things and it’s more fun to play guitar,” he said. “It really helped me practice.”

Davis said his favorite moment at each camp is the nal performance.

“It’s fun to play on a stage,” he said. “You come together as a band, and it’s fun to see how you sound.”

Linda Maurney said she’s watched her children’s musical con dence grow with each camp experience.

“My son’s talking about starting his own band,” she

LEARN MORE ABOUT COLORADO AMP

Address: 8141 N I-70 Frontage Road, Unit 7B, Arvada, CO 80002.

Website: https://coloradoamp.org/ Phone: 303-862-6294

You can apply for camps and classes or make a donation online.

said. “He brought two of his friends to camp, and now they do it together. ey’re engaged with other kids, for a common purpose. ey’re listening to and reading music, trying to gure it out. You can almost see that their brains are more activated.”

So far this summer, about 60 students have participated in Colorado AMP’s summer camps. While this basic formula’s been a winner, Olde is experimenting with alternative ideas, too. Earlier this year, the school hosted a Taylor Swift workshop, a four-Saturday program in which students learned and performed three Swift hits.

As the program has evolved, so too have its participants.

“ is year I had a student who was missing a hand,” Olde said. “In that same camp, I had a kid with a speech disability. We’ve had kids with autism. …I think a lot of kids on the spectrum gravitate toward music. ey can nd their voice through it. So that’s been cool.”

For Olde, the best moment of any program comes at the end — when students take everything they’ve learned and showcase it to friends and family.

“ at last day of camp when they do their performance is my favorite,” he said. “We try to have as polished a performance as we can. at sometimes means we as teachers are in there playing with them. We want them to think, ‘Whoa, this sounds really good.’ ey feel so proud of themselves. Everything’s worth it for that day.”

Students rehearse at Colorado AMP during a summer music camp. They include Julian Luby from Wheatridge on piano, Anya Beneski (wearing glasses) from Wheatridge on vocals, Molly Roman from Lakewood on vocals, Isaac Press from Lakewood on bass, and Khalil Foster from Arvada on guitar.

Cooper Wright and Davis Maurney show o their Colorado AMP IDs during a recent summer camp. COURTESY PHOTO

PHOTO BY JANE REUTER

Hip-Hop, EDM, Funk & Soul

BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

At 15 years old, Mario Rodriguez found himself at a house party hosted by proli c American hip-hop and breaking group Rock Steady Crew. Local artist Hen-G was DJing the event. Rodriguez was fascinated by DJ HenG, completely enamored by the emotion he evoked with his music and his elaborate electronic setup. Noticing Rodriguez’s interest, Hen-G encouraged him to try the turntables, leaving them overnight to use.

Rodriguez didn’t sleep that night and then spent all day DJing until HenG returned. It was at that moment in 1993 that Mario Rodriguez knew that honing his skills at the turntable was

Mount Evans brings healing

scene after winning a local radio DJ competition. He subsequently competed and won several regional and national competitions, paving the way for him to share the stage with mega stars like Dr. Dre, Eminem, e Roots and Snoop Dogg. He later hosted shows for KS107.5 (KQKS-FM), a popular Denver Top 40 radio station.

In 2018, along with DJ Staxx, DJ Chonz founded the Denver DJ School, an organization that empowers and teaches youth and adults the art of DJing. Since its inception, Denver DJ School has taught over 5,000 students interested in DJing and podcasting. e school currently has eight instructors specializing in DJing, scratching, music production and podcasting. ey teach 20 to 25 weekly classes at their North Denver location, with its teachers also providing lessons to more than 200 students at Lake Middle School during the school year.

“I always thought a DJ school was a great idea, especially for DJs like me who want to stay connected to the scene without constantly being in

clubs,” DJ Chonz said. “As an instructor, sharing my passion for music with aspiring DJs is incredibly rewarding. It’s just as ful lling as being in a night-

“ e Denver DJ School is an outlet for my students who do not have an outlet to express themselves,” DJ Chonz continued. “Additionally, I wanted to challenge myself and prove that I could build something after many setbacks.” e school’s student population varies wildly, drawing in people from all backgrounds, ages and walks of life.

“Our students come from diverse age groups and backgrounds, ranging from 8 to 62 years old. ey are doctors, lawyers, professional athletes, reality TV show stars and professional DJs, all who want to level up with our master classes,” explained DJ Chonz.

“We are also fortunate to have programs like MySpark that allows DPS middle school students to experience DJing who do not have the funds to attend our school or buy equipment from us.”

Student Mia Reyes, a 16-year old sophomore who attends Denver North High School, has been taking classes since she was in sixth grade with both DJ Chonz and DJ Nes. Since a very

Mia Reyes, student at the Denver DJ School. PHOTO COURTESY OF MIA REYES

The Denver DJ School builds a sense of community through music

Winning strategies for supporting teen mental wellness

DJ SCHOOL

young age, Reyes has been exposed to all types of music. Her father is a musician, inspiring Reyes with his musical talents. It was her father who encouraged her to take DJing classes.

“ e Denver DJ School is special to me because it’s given me so many cool opportunities as a DJ to put myself out there in the world. It’s an incredible organization to be a part of,” Reyes said. “ e best part of being a DJ is bringing people together with music. Seeing people’s faces light up when they hear a certain song motivates me to keep going.”

To both DJ Chonz and Reyes, the school is ultimately a place for bringing artists together and building a diverse and thriving community.

“We are building a sense of com-

munity through the art of music. Our school welcomes you regardless of your preferred genre – hip-hop, EDM, funk or soul,” DJ Chonz said. “Growing up, I spent time at a hip-hop shop called Casa Del Funk, where I absorbed music and culture. I want our students and customers to experience that same sense of belonging and inspiration when they come to the Denver DJ School.

“We are always here to support you, even after you complete the Denver DJ School program,” DJ Chonz added. “We often give our recent graduates DJing opportunities to get paid for what they learned, thus recouping their investment. We also book established DJs working in the industry with our clients, such as the Ameristar Casino, ompson Denver Hotel, Elitch Gardens and more.”

Learn more about DJ Chonz and the Denver DJ School at djchonz.com and denverdjschool.com.

Students gather around a table for a scratching class. PHOTO COURTESY OF DENVER DJ SCHOOL

FROM PAGE 14

Who Beneﬁts From Denver’s Public Art?

BY JACQUI SOMEN SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

As you drive throughout Denver, you may notice some stunning art pieces displayed outside residences and in public spaces. Not just garden gnomes and wind chimes, but large-scale pieces created by reputable artists. What does it take for these pieces to come to life? It turns out that most of the metro area’s public art installations are highly intentional, part of a phenomenon often guided by developers to transform public spaces into areas of vibrant community activity, something they call “placemaking.” Placemaking is about more than just beautifying a neighborhood. A 2018 study funded by Americans for the Arts Public Art Network Council, “Why Public Art Matters,” detailed bene ts such as activating imagination, encouraging learning, engaging social interaction and acting “as a catalyst for community generation or regeneration.” Studies also point to public art’s ability to increase property values.

e bene ts of public art are so compelling that some local governments now require it in large-scale developments, considering art a cultural amenity that contributes to communities and economies. For example, according to the website for the new development Aurora Highlands, more than 20 art installations will be placed in the area’s Hogan Park, with several sculptures and murals already installed.

e colorful muraled walls and activated alleyways of RiNo must be noted in a conversation about public art and community in Denver.

e neighborhood’s revitalization seemingly hinged entirely on giant, colorful murals. Unfortunately, this type of development doesn’t come without its downsides. Growth spurred by investment can drive up prices, often displacing long-standing businesses and marginalized communities. Perhaps in response to these concerns, many developers now turn to local artists to help keep communities involved as the neighborhood evolves.

Babe Walls, an organization founded by local artist Alexandrea Pangburn, coordinated a mural festival in collaboration with property owners Christina and Mike Eisenstein in which 12 buildings across a community in Westminster were painted.

Mural festivals, an international phenomenon in which artists ock to a neighborhood and paint murals over a few days, “help bring a sense of vibrancy and life to a particular area, whether that is a couple square blocks or over the course of an entire city,” Pangburn said.

“ e festival scenario is where there can be a sense of greater community because you’re not only involving the artists, but also the community and the installations and creating more hype and business around the event,” Pangburn added.

Public art projects also bene t artists. Pangburn started Babe Walls as a way to highlight local, female, and nonbinary artists who weren’t getting as many opportunities as their male counterparts.

Public art proposals face so much rejection that an entire exhibit dedicated to the topic, I Regret to Inform You…Rejected Public Art, is current-

ly on display in Arvada.

And according to “Why Public Art Matters,” public art also “brings artists and their creative vision into the civic decision-making process,” allowing artists to participate in decision-making during city planning.

Sometimes individual residents display public art on their private property. David omson, a vice president of private client services at Kairoi Residential, has worked with

local artists on a variety of development projects, including e Edison in RiNo.

omson brought an original piece, “INhabit,” to the front yard of his University Park home. e sculpture, by Joshua Wiener, features three large stones, signifying omson and his two sons, created from materials pulled from Boulder Canyon. What began as an art installation went on to become a memorial for omson’s son, who died in a car crash in 2020, not far from where the stones had been pulled.

While beautiful, omson detailed an arduous process of obtaining permits and protecting the sculptures from theft. ere were also signi cant costs associated with commissioning a large art piece from an accomplished artist. ese aspects likely make installation art at this level prohibitive for most people. Regardless of who pays for it, the bene ts of public art can be farreaching. When created in collaboration with the community, public art can enhance the neighborhood experience for residents, visitors, businesses, developers and artists alike.

Mural art adorns walls and streets in Denver’s RiNo Art District. PHOTO BY JACQUI SOMEN

Colorado counted fewer start-ups this year

Research notes sharpest decrease in new businesses since 2005

BY TAMARA CHUANG THE COLORADO SUN

A 21.7% dip in folks ling to start a business in Colorado during the second quarter was largely attributed to the end of a program more than a year ago that reduced ling fees to $1, according to the latest quarterly data from the Colorado Secretary of State’s O ce.

“It was the sharpest decrease yearover-year in the state (that) we’ve been tracking since 2005. at’s both in percentage terms and absolute numbers,” said Brian Lewandowski, executive director of University of Colorado’s Business Research Division, which analyzed the data for the Secretary of State’s O ce. New business lings reached a second-quarter high last year at 54,940. e fee returned to $50 in June 2023 and now, one year later, lings dropped to 43,029 for the quarter. at’s still above prior

Main Street in Littleton boasts many businesses.

PHOTO BY NINA JOSS

years, including years before the pandemic.

Lewandowski called it “a normalization of activity because of that somewhat anomalous growth we experienced with that fee reduction a year ago,” he said during a recent news conference.

e new-business decline, however, coincided with a higher number of companies delinquent in renewals or ling proper documents. e number of delinquencies is up by almost 91,000 from a year ago. Overall though, the state has more companies in good standing to 963,373, up 17,500 from a year ago.

“Colorado businesses are staying in business,” Secretary of State Jena Griswold said. But, she added, “ e cost of renewing a business just went up and that is because the state

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legislature two years ago passed increased reimbursements for county elections without funding it from the general fund.”

at means her o ce has to come up with extra funding, so it’s tapping business registration fees to support the reimbursements, the o ce said. Filing fees for a company’s periodic reports are $25. It’d been at $10 since 2006.

e quarterly report also pointed to positive data in a weaker economy. While Colorado’s job growth has slowed from last year, the number of new jobs added is up 1.4% through June and ranked near the middle of all U.S. states for job growth.

e number of job openings for every unemployed Coloradan is no longer two per unemployed worker, but dropped to 1.4. However, that’s better than the national ratio of 1.2 openings per unemployed worker. Colorado’s GDP also improved 2.3% between fourth quarter 2023 to rst quarter this year, ranking the state 18th nationwide.

spending slowing and their rising debt.

“We are seeing increased delinquencies on auto loans and credit cards at this particular point in time,” he said. “ ere seems to be a slowing of use of credit cards even by the higher income folks who still have excess savings and the wherewithal.”

Interest rates are still high and there’s still in ation. But ultimately, the two economists are not translating the indicators as signs that the economy is receding.

“Our o ce does not believe the U.S. is currently in a recession. We also don’t believe that one is imminent,” Lewandowski said. “Seeing GDP growth, seeing continued employment growth, albeit slow, seeing growth in income, seeing the labor force growth, seeing the in ation really moderate — all of this we think is good news and it doesn’t really signal that we’re on the precipice of a sharp downturn in economic activity.”

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But some other nancial data is concerning, said Richard Wobbekind, faculty director of CU’s Leeds School of Business who works with Lewandowski. It’s about consumer

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SPORTS

Georgetown to Idaho Springs half marathon draws more than 1,000 runners

The annual half marathon is a beneﬁt for the Clear Creek County Booster Club supporting the high school and middle school in Evergreen

BY CHRIS KOEBERL

In just over 1 hour and 12 minutes, Ben Hanson of Denver crossed the nish line at the Idaho Springs ballelds for the annual 13.1-mile race that started in Georgetown and raised $75,000 for area students and faculty this year, according to organizers. e Clear Creek County Booster Club sponsors and organizes this race as a fundraiser for the high and middle school in Evergreen, according to Booster Club President Pam Ginter.

e club is made up of parent volunteers who are there to help the students and the school. Ginter said the Booster Club provides student scholarships and capital items like the new scoreboard on the baseball eld in Evergreen.

“We try to put money aside to make sure if the school needs it, they have it,” Ginter said.

is year more than 1,100 people signed up to run in the mostly downhill race. Hanson was the rst to cross the nish line with an average running speed of just over 10 miles per hour.

“Course and the scenery are great,” Hanson said.

Hanson also said he used the race as a tune-up for another marathon in September in Berlin, Germany.

“I’ve been running a lot of miles. I ran like 100 miles last week, so yeah, I’m a pretty serious runner,” Hanson said between breaths.

Alli Armstrong from Westminster nished a close second with a time of 1 hour and 17 minutes.

“It was amazing, I hadn’t done this race before but my Dad had done it 20-30 years ago and he loved it so I thought it was nally time to come out here,” Armstrong said.

As a rst-time runner in this half marathon, Armstrong said she was captivated by the course,

“ e area is absolutely incredible. I love that it kinda runs from one city to the other. Both are just super charming,” Armstrong said. “Super great places to take the dog for a walk or go on a picnic or go trail running, you drive between the two all the time but to do it on foot was super special.”

e booster club provided plenty of snacks, carbs and hydration after the race including several small swimming pools lled with cut watermelon.

After the event, no one seemed to be in a hurry to leave. People stuck around to recover and talk to friends made along the course.

Talking to some of the runners, it became clear there is a small tightknit group that participates in mara-

thons around the world.

Phillippa Keast, originally from New Zealand but now an Idaho Springs resident, said she was also training to compete in the Berlin marathon in September.

“It was so awesome, I had a really great day. e last part was so hard because they put a little hill in, just at the end which was nice,” Keast said.

Her reason for running, she said, is relaxing.

“Honestly I’ve got a really busy mind and I nd when I’m running is the only time it stops, it’s my time to completely zone out,” she said.

After the race was over and the ball elds were cleaned, the boosters club started planning how to distribute the money raised to the schools and how to do the half marathon all over again next year, Ginter said.

“I just like being at the school and knowing all the kids, there’s usually a core group of us that are around for everything, but we’re always looking for volunteers — we desperately need more volunteers,” Ginter said.

Attendees wait on family and friends to ﬁnish the Georgetown to Idaho Springs half marathon Aug. 10. PHOTOS BY CHRIS KOEBERL

Snacks, carbs, watermelon and hydration were provided to runners after the Georgetown to Idaho Springs half marathon Aug 10.

Can people convicted of felonies vote in Colorado?

BY JUSTIN GEORGE THE COLORADO SUN

People convicted of felonies who have served their entire sentences can vote in Colorado. So can people on probation and parole.

ose convicted of felonies who are imprisoned or con ned to detention as part of their sentence cannot vote. ey regain their voting eligibility after they have completed their “full term of imprisonment,” according to the Colorado Secretary of State.

“ e day you are released from detention or incarceration is the day your eligibility to register to vote is restored,” the o ce stated on its website.

Defendants facing criminal charges in jail who are pretrial detainees or out on bond awaiting trial can vote. In May 2024, the General Assembly passed a law requiring county clerks to work with county sheri s to allow voting in jail for at least one day, give detainees information on voting eligibility and provide them with instructions on how they can verify or change voter registration.

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. e Colorado Sun partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-size fact-checks of trending claims.

The Robert A. Christensen Justice Center in the Castle Rock area, pictured in August 2023, houses the Douglas County jail.

PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD

Fireﬁghters talk smack before Evergreen’s Big Chili Cook-o

in the re ghters’ chili contest.

Fire ghters are already con dent about who’ll take home top honors.

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

If re ghters know one thing, it’s heat. And they’ll get a chance to showcase that knowledge during the Big Chili Cook-o , an annual fundraiser for foothills re agencies in which re ghters and individuals compete in a chili-tasting contest.

e Sept. 7 festival at Buchanan Park also includes live music, art booths, beer tents, a re ghter challenge course and kids mini-challenge course — all in the name of raising money to support seven Conifer/Evergreen re agencies.

Fire ghters and individuals will o er tastings in two separate events during the day. is year, the Je erson County Sheri ’s O ce will join

“We’re looking forward to winning each of the chili categories and the re ghting challenge,” said Evergreen Fire/Rescue spokesperson Einar Jensen.

Elk Creek Fire begs to di er.

“Elk Creek has a long record of chili domination, and we don’t intend to stop,” said spokesperson Bethany Urban.

Indian Hills Fire Chief Mark Forgy said Elk Creek can have the chili win; they’ll be taking home rst place in the re ghters’ obstacle course.

“We won two years ago, and we were only one or two seconds o from winning last year,” he said. “Of course we’re going to win.”

On a more serious note, Jensen conceded the event isn’t just about winning.

“Most importantly, we’re looking forward to sharing this tasty day with our friends and neighbors,” he said. “We’re grateful for the Big Chili

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and its ongoing support.”

Its support is signi cant. In 2023, the event raised a record $70,000, contributing $10,000 each to the Evergreen, Elk Creek, Inter-Canyon, North Fork, Foothills, Indian Hills and Platte Canyon re districts, said event coordinator Lora Knowlton.

e Big Chili Cook-o started in the wake of 9/11 to support rst responders. Colorado’s 2002 Hayman re only added to locals’ incentive to give back to those on the front line.

“Fire ghters were in the media a lot, and a small group of community folks said we need to do something to help these guys,” Knowlton said.

“When the event started, volunteer re ghters had to buy their own gear and it was extremely expensive. Today, the dynamics between paid and volunteer re ghters has changed in each department. So we issue the funds to use however they see t. Oftentimes they’ll put it toward the cost of some equipment they need. “

e event typically draws between

2,000 and 3,000 people — rain or shine. In 2022, organizers feared the worst when they woke to drizzle and temperatures in the mid-40s. e crowds turned out anyway, bundled in winter coats, hats, and gloves. “ at proved to us that no matter what the weather does, we really don’t need to worry,” Knowlton said, adding it’s not just the chili that draws attendees, but the cause. “I think re ghters are often out of sight, out of mind until you need them. And when you need them, you love them.”

Despite its popularity, Knowlton said the event has its challenges, including a dearth of volunteers.

“Our expenses have increased, and our biggest challenge is we are short volunteers,” she said. “Please consider donating funds. But more importantly, come out, have some fun, be part of the event and volunteer.”

e event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 7. For tickets or to volunteer, visit bigchili.org.

1. GEOGRAPHY: Where is the Parthenon located?

TRIVIA

Answers

2. TELEVISION: What game are the younger characters in “Stranger ings” playing at the start of the series?

3. MOVIES: Who was the rst African American actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor?

4. LITERATURE: What is oo powder used for in the “Harry Potter” book series?

5. U.S. CITIES: Which U.S. city’s nickname is Beantown?

6. AD SLOGANS: Which ride-share company’s slogan is “Move the way you want”?

7. ART: Which artist painted a work titled “ e Potato Eaters”?

8. MUSIC: Who wrote the song “God Bless America”?

9. HISTORY: Who became U.S. president after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated?

10. ANIMAL KINGDOM: Which animal can hold its breath for up to ve minutes underwater?

1. Athens, Greece.

2. Dungeons & Dragons

3. Sidney Poitier, “Lilies of the Field.”

4. Rapid transportation.

5. Boston.

6. Uber.

7. Vincent van Gogh.

8. Irving Berlin.

9. Andrew Johnson.

10. Hippopotamus.

FLASHBACK

1. Which group released “Come a Little Bit Closer”?

2. Who released “Saturday Night”?

3. Which Dave Clark Five song pushed the Beatles o the top of the U.K. charts when it came out?

4. Name the group that released “Forever by Your Side.”

5. Name the song that contains this lyric: “Hello, I don’t even know your name, but I’m hoping all the same, is is more than just a simple hello.”

Answers

1. Jay and the Americans, in 1964. e “Jay” in this case was the second one, formerly known as David Blatt until he changed his name to Jay Black. He joined the group when the original “Jay” left the group.

2. e Scottish group Bay City Rollers in 1975. It was their rst U.S. chart topper. e song debuted via satellite link on “Saturday Night Live.”

3. “Glad All Over,” in 1964. Except for the Beatles, the DC5, as

they were called, was in the rst wave in the British invasion, which included groups such as the Rolling Stones and the Bee Gees.

4. e Manhattans, in 1983.

5. “ e Last Time I Felt Like is,” 1978, from the lm “Same Time, Next Year” starring Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn. e theme song was performed by Johnny Mathis and Jane Olivor.

OFFICER I for Town of Georgetown

Full-time, year-round position. Required quali cations: Colorado P.O.S.T. certi cation, valid driver’s license, ability to pass extensive background check, psychological assessment, and interview. Patrol experience is preferred. The successful candidate must reside within 50 miles of Georgetown. The salary range is $55,000 - $72,500 depending on quali cations. Excellent bene ts including fully paid medical insurance, vision, dental, disability and retirement for employee. Full job description and application form are available at Town Hall, 404 6th Street, Georgetown and online at www.town.georgetown.co.us/employment.htm. For more information call 303-569-2555 x3.

Email Cover Letter, Resume, and completed Application to townadmin@townofgeorgetown.us. Posting will remain open until 5:00 p.m. December 31, 2024, or until lled. Serious applicants are encouraged to apply immediately, and interviews may begin when quali ed applicants are reviewed.

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Public Notices Legals

Public Trustees

Public Notice

COMBINED NOTICE -

PUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103 FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 2024-006

To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust:

On May 20, 2024, the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in the County of Clear Creek records.

Original Grantor(s)

Steven J. Graeber

Original Beneficiary(ies)

Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as beneficiary, as nominee for Stearns Lending, Inc., its successors and assigns

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt

NewRez LLC d/b/a

Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing Date of Deed of Trust

May 02, 2013

County of Recording Clear Creek

Recording Date of Deed of Trust May 09, 2013

Recording Information (Reception No. and/or Book/Page No.)

268629 Book: 871Page: 159

Original Principal Amount

$255,000.00

Outstanding Principal Balance

$157,665.79

Pursuant to CRS §38-38-101(4)(i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to make timely payments as required under the Evidence of Debt and Deed of Trust

THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.

LOT 80, ECHO HILLS SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 2, COUNTY OF CLEAR CREEK, STATE OF COLORADO.

Purported common address: 1042 Lodgepole Drive, Evergreen, CO 80439.

THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST.

NOTICE OF SALE

The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.

THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, 09/19/2024, at The Clear Creek County Public Trustee’s Office, 405 Argentine Street, Georgetown, Colorado, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.

First Publication 7/25/2024

Last Publication 8/22/2024

Name of Publication

The Clear Creek Courant

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;

DATE: 05/20/2024

Carol Lee, Public Trustee in and for the County of Clear Creek, State of Colorado

The name, address, business telephone number and bar registration number of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:

Amanda Ferguson #44893

Halliday, Watkins & Mann, P.C.

355 Union Blvd., Suite 250, Lakewood, CO 80228 (303) 274-0155

Attorney File # CO23209

The Attorney above is acting as a debt collector and is attempting to collect a debt. Any information provided may be used for that purpose.

Legal Notice No. CCC920

First Publication: July 25, 2024

Last Publication: August 22, 2024

Publisher: Clear Creek Courant

City and County

Public Notice Paid Bills July 2024

Fund 01 General

1903 Solutions, LLC $185.00 Services

AAAC Wildlife Removal $365.00 Services

Accrued Payroll $753,529.85 Fees

Air-O-Pure Portables $315.00 Services

Allegiant Receivables Solution Inc $2.91 Services

Alpinaire Healthcare Inc $270.00 Services

$11,564.06 Supplies American Professional Manufacturing $1,954.60 Supplies Animal Care Equipment & Servic $70.03 Supplies Aspen Smart Networks $1,640.00 Services AT&T Mobility $4,259.46 Services

Auto-chlor

Boulder County $2,250.00 Services

Central Clear Creek Sanitation $1,470.50 Services

Century Link $7,614.09 Services

Cigna $965.88 Benefits

City Of Idaho Springs $101.00 Services

Clean It Supply $80.46 Supplies

Clear Creek Economic Dev.

Clear

ClearStar

Colorado

Colorado Barricade Co. $22.50 Supplies

Colorado Bureau Of Investigati $327.50 Services

Colorado Support Registry $2,038.44 Fees

Comcast Cable $95.00 Supplies

Companion Veterinary Health Services LLC $40.00 Services

CORE Electric Cooperative $39.30 Services

CRA $83,558.54 Benefits

Curtis Blue Line $1,926.76 Supplies Cynthia C. Neely $583.75 Services

Delta Dental $12,299.60 Benefits

Delta Dental Plan Of Colorado $988.00 Benefits

Denver Health $115.34 Services

Denver Health & Hospitals $41.06 Services

Denver Metro Security Inc. $420.00 Services

Denver Regional Council Of Governments $4,200.00 Services

Desert Snow $1,398.00 Services

Dogma $224.95 Supplies

Dominion Voting Systems, Inc. $2,558.72 Services

Economy Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. $2,205.50 Services

Empire Town Of $6,934.60 Fees

Eric Soderquist $3,650.00 Services

Fed Ex $93.92 Supplies

Ferrellgas $1,186.15 Services

First Veterinary Supply $328.49 Supplies

George Douvas DDS $149.00 Services

Georgetown Town Of $12,131.50 Services

Goliath Tech, LLC $148.00 Services

Goodyear Auto Service Center $1,705.42 Supplies

Government Leasing and Finance, Inc $19,632.77 Leases

Green to Sheen Studio $10,560.00 Services

IHS Pharmacy $1,410.05 Supplies

$270,396.96 Taxes iWebVisit.com $1,750.00 Services

Jeffcom911 $109,475.75

Fund

Total Fund 21 $6,616.52

Fund 25 Clinic

City Of Idaho Springs $326.30 Services

Minnesota Elevator, Inc $315.00 Services

Xcel Energy $1,569.11 Services

Total Fund 25 $2,210.41

Grand Total $2,643,708.34

Legal Notice No. CCC940

First Publication: August 22, 2024

Last Publication: August 22, 2024

Publisher: Clear Creek Courant

PUBLIC NOTICE

COMMUNITY MEETING FOR CENTRAL-CITY CLEAR CREEK SUPERFUND SITE

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Environmental Protection Agency will be hosting a public meeting on Wednesday, August 28 from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the Idaho Springs City Hall to provide an update on the status of the Central City-Clear Creek Superfund Site. The meeting will also provide a forum for community members to ask questions about the Site.

There are several ways to participate: ● Join community members in-person at the Idaho Springs City Hall (1711 Miner Street, Idaho Springs, CO 80452).

● Join via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89851289063?pwd= Rd1Iak1L4yNWBLWM0bk09rxsPa pYZR.1 (password: 743195)

● To participate by phone (no video): 1-719359-4580, pin 88639942552#, password 743195#

General information about the Site and access to resources related to health safety can be found at https://cdphe.colorado.gov/hm/central-cityclear-creek.

To sign up for email notifications about the Site, including public notices and upcoming public meetings, go to https://cdphe.colorado.gov/hm/sign-up-hmupdates and select “Remediation - Superfund - Clear Creek” at the bottom of the page.

If you have technical issues connecting to Zoom or prefer not to ask your questions publicly, please contact Branden Ingersoll at 720.810.7912 or Branden.Ingersoll@state.co.us.

Legal Notice No. CCC936

First Publication: August 15, 2024

Last Publication: August 22, 2024

Publisher: Clear Creek Courant

Summons and Sheriff Sale

Public Notice

DISTRICT COURT, CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, STATE OF COLORADO 405 Argentine P.O. Box 367 Georgetown, CO 80444 (303) 569-0820

Case Number: 2023CV30021 Division: C

Plaintiff: THE BANK OF NEW YORK-MELLON F/K/A THE BANK OF NEW YORK, as Trustee for the Certificate holders of the CWABS, Inc., Asset-Backed Certificates, Series 2006-26, v. Defendants: CHARLES H. HUTAFF a/k/a CHARLES HAMILTON HUTAFF; VIRGINIA K. HUTAFF a/k/a

VIRGINIA KATHERINE HUTAFF; CHARLES L. HARMON; MICHAEL W. PHILLIPS; ERIN PHILLIPS; JFQ LENDING, LLC, an Arizona limited liability company; and CAROL LEE, in her capacity as Clear Creek County Public Trustee.

Attorneys for Plaintiff: Nathan G. Osborn, #38951 James C. Taravella, #55179 MONTGOMERY LITTLE & SORAN, PC 5445 DTC Parkway, Suite 800 Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111 Phone Number: (303) 773-8100 Fax Number: (303) 220-0412 E-mail: nosborn@montgomerylittle.com jtaravella@montgomerylittle.com

SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED and required to file with the Clerk of this Court an answer or other response to the attached Complaint. If service of the Summons and Complaint was made upon you within the State of Colorado, you are required to file your answer or other response within 21 days after such service upon you. If service of the Summons and Complaint was made upon you outside of the State of Colorado, you are required to file your answer or other response within 35 days after such service upon you. Your answer or counterclaim must be accompanied with the applicable filing fee.

If you fail to file your answer or other response to the Complaint in writing within the applicable time period, the Court may enter judgment by default against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint without further notice.

The subject matter of this action is as follows:

Property Desc.: 2663 S. SPRING GULCH RD., IDAHO SPRINGS, COLORADO 80452

Property Desc.: 2597 S. SPRING GULCH RD., IDAHO SPRINGS, COLORADO 80452

This case is an action to quiet title under C.R.C.P. 105 as to Plaintiff’s property.

Dated: July 24, 2024 s/ Nathan G. Osborn, Esq. Signature of Attorney for Plaintiff

Montgomery Little & Soran, PC 5445 DTC Parkway, Suite 800 Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111 (303) 773-8100

This Summons is issued pursuant to Rule 4, C.R.C.P., as amended. A copy of the Complaint must be served with this Summons. This form should not be used where service by publication is desired.

WARNING: A valid summons may be issued by a lawyer and it need not contain a court case number, the signature of a court officer, or a court seal. The plaintiff has 14 days from the date this summons was served on you to file the case with the court. You are responsible for contacting the court to find out whether the case has been filed and obtain the case number. If the plaintiff files the case within this time, then you must respond as explained in this summons. If the plaintiff files more than 14 days after the date the summons was served on you, the case may be dismissed upon motion and you may be entitled to seek attorney’s fees from the plaintiff.

TO THE CLERK: If the summons is issued by the clerk of the court, the signature block for the clerk or deputy should be provided by stamp, or typewriter, in the space to the left of the attorney’s name.

Legal Notice No. CCC929

First Publication: August 1, 2024

Last Publication: August 29, 2024

Publisher: Clear Creek Courant

Water Court

Public Notice

DISTRICT COURT, WATER DIVISION 1, COLORADO JULY 2024 WATER RESUME PUBLICATION

TO: ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN WATER APPLICATIONS IN WATER DIV. 1

Pursuant to C.R.S. 37-92-302, you are notified that the following is a resume of all water right applications, and certain amendments filed in the Office of the Water Clerk during the month

Public Notices

of JULY 2024 for each County affected. (This publication can be viewed in its entirety on the state court website at: www.coloradojudicial. gov)

CASE NO. 2024CW3110 (2015CW3177) APPLICATION FOR FINDING OF REASONABLE DILIGENCE IN ADAMS, WELD, JEFFERSON, PARK AND CLEAR CREEK COUNTIESSOUTH ADAMS COUNTY WATER AND SANITATION DISTRICT c/o Richard J. Mehren, Evan R. Weis, Moses, Wittemyer, Harrison and Woodruff, P.C., 2595 Canyon Blvd., Suite 240, Boulder, CO 80302 1. Name, address, and telephone number of Applicant: South Adams County Water and Sanitation District (“South Adams”), c/o Tyler Dunich, 6595 E. 70th Avenue, P. O. Box 597, Commerce City, Colorado 80022 STORAGE WATER RIGHT 2. Description of conditional storage water right: 2.1 Name of structure: Mann Lakes Reservoir. 2.2 Original decree: Case No. 2015CW3177, District Court, Water Division No. 1, entered on July 19, 2018 (“15CW3177 Decree”). 2.3 Previous diligence decree: N/A. 2.4 Legal description and location: Mann Lakes Reservoir is an off-channel, lined gravel pit reservoir complex consisting of three interconnected cells known as Mann Lake No. 1, Mann Lake No. 2 and Mann Lake No. 3 located in Section 34 and the SE1/4 of Section 33 all in Township 1 South, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M. as shown on the map attached as Exhibit A. 2.5 Total capacity of reservoir: Estimated to be 3,741 acre-feet. 2.6 Source: Surface water from the South Platte River. 2.7 Appropriation date: December 30, 2015. 2.8 Name and legal description of the diversion facilities for filling Mann Lakes Reservoir: 2.8.1 Brantner Ditch: The headgate of the Brantner Ditch is located on the west bank of the South Platte River at a point in the NE1/4 of the SW1/4 of Section 4, Township 2 South, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M. at a point approximately 2,550 feet from the South section line and 2,150 feet from the West section line of said Section 4. 2.8.2 Mann Lakes South Platte River Diversion: The point of diversion for the Mann Lakes South Platte River Diversion to Mann Lakes Reservoir will be located at a point in the SE1/4 of the SW1/4 of Section 34, Township 1 South, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M., at a point approximately 787 feet from the South section line and 2,300 feet from the West section line of said Section 34. The UTM Coordinates for this location are: 510594.64mE, 441848.41mN, Zone 13 North, NAD 83. A map showing the location of the Mann Lakes South Platte River Diversion structure is attached as Exhibit A. The Mann Lakes South Platte River Diversion will not divert ground water. 2.9 Outlet for Mann Lakes Reservoir: The outlet for Mann Lakes Reservoir will be located in the SE1/4 of the NE1/4 of Section 34, Township 1 South, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M., as shown on the map attached as Exhibit A, and having the UTM Coordinates: 511179.79mE, 4419130.4mN, Zone 13 North, NAD 83. The actual location of the outlet for Mann Lakes Reservoir may change from the location identified on Exhibit A but will be located in the E1/2 of Section 34, Township 1, South, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M. The outlet will release water to the South Platte River upstream of the Henderson gage, and will have a capacity of 27.41 cfs. 2.10 Amount: One fill and one refill in each water year, equal to the lesser of (a) the actual, as-built total volume of the Mann Lakes Reservoir; (b) 3,741 acre-feet, or (c) the amount of the Mann Lakes Reservoir storage capacity that is ultimately allocated to South Adams, at the following rates: 2.10.1 Brantner Ditch: 110 cfs; 2.10.2 Mann Lakes South Platte River Diversion: 21 cfs. 2.11 Decreed uses: Use, reuse and successive use to extinction for augmentation and replacement purposes, including within the South Adams Augmentation Plan (as defined in the 15CW3177 Decree), and for all municipal purposes, including but not limited to domestic, industrial, commercial, irrigation out of South Adams’ municipal system, stock watering, recreation, fish and wildlife preservation and propagation, fire protection, aquifer recharge, sewage treatment, mechanical, manufacturing, street sprinkling, substitution, and exchange purposes, including for all of the above-described purposes, by application to such purposes after storage in Mann Lakes Reservoir, or after storage and subsequent release from Mann Lakes Reservoir and re-diversion to storage in the following structures: 2.11.1 Wattenberg Reservoir: Located in Sections 25 and 36, Township 1 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M. and in Section 30, Township 1 North, Range 66 West of the 6th P.M. Water may be delivered to Wattenberg Reservoir by use of the Brighton Ditch or South Platte Diversion I. The Brighton Ditch headgate is located on the west bank of the South Platte River in the SE1/4 SE1/4, Section 11, Township 1 South, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M. South Platte Diversion I will divert only surface water from the

South Platte River, at a point that is on the west bank of the South Platte River in the W1/2, Section 30, Township 1 North, Range 66 West of the 6th P.M, at UTM Coordinates: 514808mE, 4430245mN, Zone 13 North, NAD 83. 2.11.2 North Reservoir Complex: Howe-Haller, Hazeltine, Road Runner’s Rest II, Brinkmann-Woodward, Tanabe and Dunes Reservoirs (referred to herein as the “North Reservoir Complex”) located in portions of Sections 2, 3, 4, 9 and 10, Township 2 South, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M. Water may be delivered to the North Reservoir Complex by use of the appropriative rights of exchange described in paragraph 3, below, authorizing the exchange of the Mann Lakes Storage Right upstream to the Fulton Ditch. Use of the Mann Lakes Storage Right will occur within South Adams’ service area, as it exists and as it may be modified in the future. Any use of the Mann Lakes Storage Right (as defined in the 15CW3177 Decree) outside of South Adams’ service area, as it currently exists or as it may be modified in the future, shall be in conformity with the terms and conditions of the 15CW3177 Decree and will be limited to the following: (i) use on property owned or managed by South Adams (including property co-owned or co-managed by South Adams); (ii) use pursuant to water supply contracts in existence at the time the 15CW3177 Decree was entered, including but not limited to the Mann Lakes IGAs (as defined in the 15CW3177 Decree); (iii) metered treated water taps supplied by South Adams; (iv) pursuant to contracts of limited duration of 5 years or less, subject to paragraph 21.15 of the 15CW3177 Decree, for use in decreed augmentation plans or substitute water supply plans approved by the State Engineer pursuant to § 37-92-308, C.R.S., or successor statutes; (v) use pursuant to water trade agreements whereby South Adams is obligated to deliver water to a party in return for deliveries by said party to South Adams of an equivalent amount of water from alternate sources; and (vi) use in any location in which South Adams has augmentation or water replacement obligations pursuant to South Adams’ current and future water court decrees. APPROPRIATIVE RIGHTS OF EXCHANGE 3. Description of conditional appropriative rights of exchange: 3.1 Original decree: The subject conditional appropriative rights of exchange were originally decreed in Case No. 2015CW3177, District Court, Water Division No. 1, entered on July 19, 2018 (“SACWSD 15CW3177 Exchanges”). 3.2 Previous diligence decree: N/A. 3.3

Description of the SACWSD 15CW3177 Exchanges: The SACWSD 15CW3177 Exchanges are or will be operated to exchange fully consumable water returned to the river from downstream ditch augmentation facilities or released from downstream storage upstream to storage in Mann Lakes Reservoir, and to exchange water released from Mann Lakes Reservoir upstream to the Fulton Ditch headgate for subsequent storage in the North Reservoir Complex and/or to the Depletion Reach (as defined in the 15CW3177 Decree”). A map depicting the structures involved and the exchange reach is attached as Exhibit B. The exchange matrix attached as Exhibit C summarizes the SACWSD 15CW3177 Exchanges as described below and also includes the UTM coordinates for the exchange-to points and the exchange-from points as described below. 3.4 Description of exchange reach: The exchange reach extends from its furthest downstream terminus at the location of the confluence of Grafflin Slough and the South Platte River, as described in paragraph 3.5.1.1, below, upstream to the furthest upstream terminus at the location of the confluence of Sand Creek and the South Platte River, as described in paragraph 3.5.2.4, below. South Adams will operate two sub-sets of exchanges: exchanges of water into Mann Lakes Reservoir (“Exchanges To Mann Lakes”), and exchanges of water released from Mann Lakes (“Exchanges From Mann Lakes”). The Exchanges to Mann Lakes will exchange water from the exchange-from points identified in paragraph 3.5.1 below, to the exchange-to-points identified in paragraphs 3.5.2.1 and 3.5.2.2, below. The Exchanges from Mann Lakes will exchange water released from Mann Lakes Reservoir at the Mann Lakes Reservoir Outlet, described in paragraph 3.5.1.13, below, to the exchange-to points identified in paragraphs 3.5.2.3 and 3.5.2.4, below. 3.5 Name of structures involved and legal descriptions: 3.5.1 Exchange-from points: 3.5.1.1 Meadow Island No. 1 – End of Ditch Augmentation Station: Located in the E1/2 of the E1/2, Section 27, Township 3 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M., near the quarter section line between the NE1/4 and the SE1/4 to release water down Grafflin Slough which flows into the South Platte River in the NW1/4 of the NW1/4 of Section 24, Township 3 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M. 3.5.1.2 Meadow Island No. 1 – Little Dry Creek Augmentation Station: Located in the SE1/4, Section 13,

Township 2 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M., to release water down Little Dry Creek which flows into the South Platte River in the SE1/4 of the NE1/4 of Section 12, Township 2 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M. 3.5.1.3 Lupton Bottom - East Lateral Augmentation Station: Located in the SE1/4 of the SE1/4, Section 12, Township 2 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M., to release water down Little Dry Creek which flows into the South Platte River in the SE1/4 of the NE1/4 of Section 12, Township 2 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M. 3.5.1.4 Lupton Bottom - West Lateral Augmentation Station: Located near the center of Section 36, Township 2 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M., to release water down Little Dry Creek which flows into the South Platte River in the SE1/4 of the NE1/4 of Section 12, Township 2 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M. 3.5.1.5 Lupton Bottom – End of West Lateral Augmentation Station: Located in the W1/2 of the E1/2, Section 27, Township 3 North, Range 67 West, near the quarter section line between the NE1/4 and the SE1/4, to release water down Grafflin Slough which flows into the South Platte River in the NW1/4 of the NW1/4 of Section 24, Township 3 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M. 3.5.1.6 Brighton Ditch – Big Dry Augmentation Station: Located in an existing ditch turnout in the NW1/4 of the SW1/4, Section 12, Township 1 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M., to release water down Big Dry Creek which flows into the South Platte River in the NW1/4 of the NW1/4, Section 7, Township 1 North, Range 66 West of the 6th P.M. 3.5.1.7 Brighton Ditch – Wattenberg Augmentation Station: Located in the SW1/4, Section 25 or NW1/4, Section 36, Township 1 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M., to release water to the South Platte River in the NW1/4 of the SW1/4 or SW1/4 of the NW1/4, Section 30, Township 1 North, Range 66 West of the 6th P.M. 3.5.1.8 Fulton - County Line Augmentation Station: Located in the SW1/4 of the NE1/4, Section 5, Township 1 South, Range 66 West of the 6th P.M., to release water to the South Platte River near the north section line of Section 6, Township 1 South, Range 66 West of the 6th P.M. 3.5.1.9 Fulton – Ft. Lupton Augmentation Station: Located in the NW1/4 of the SW1/4 of Section 9, Township 1 North, Range 66 West of the 6th P.M., to release water to the South Platte River near the NW1/4 of the SE1/4 of Section 31, Township 2 North, Range 68 West of the 6th P.M. 3.5.1.10 Fulton - Gravel Lakes Augmentation Station: Located in the SE1/4 of the NE1/4, Section 9, Township 2 South, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M., to release water to the South Platte River near the north quarter corner of Section 3, Township 2 South, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M. 3.5.1.11 North Reservoir Complex Outlet: Located in the NW1/4 NE1/4 of Section 3, Township 2 South, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M. 3.5.1.12 NTP Outfall to the South Platte River: Located near the City of Brighton in Weld County at the headgate of the Branter Ditch, as described in paragraph 2.6.1 above. 3.5.1.13 Mann Lakes Reservoir Outlet to the South Platte River: Located as described in paragraph 2.7, above, to release water to the South Platte River in the SE1/4 of the NE1/4 of Section 34, Township 1 South, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M. 3.5.2 Exchange-to points: 3.5.2.1 Brantner Ditch headgate: as described in paragraph 2.8.1, above. 3.5.2.2 Mann Lakes South Platte River Diversion: as described in paragraph 2.8.2, above. 3.5.2.3 Fulton Ditch headgate: in the NE1/4 of the NE1/4 of the SE1/4 of Section 17, Township 2 South, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M. 3.5.2.4 Depletion Reach: The locations where South Adams’ wells deplete the South Platte River (the “Depletion Reach”) as described in paragraph 36.d of the decree in Case No. 01CW258 (“01CW258 Decree”) which begins at an upstream point which is at or below the confluence of Sand Creek near the south quarter corner of Section 1, Township 3 South, Range 68 West of the 6th P.M., and extending downstream to a point in the City of Brighton at the Colorado State Highway 7 bridge at the southerly section line of Section 1, Township 1 South, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M. (“01CW258 Depletion Reach”).

3.5.2.4.1 Depletion Reach 1 is located along the South Platte River from the confluence with Sand Creek to just upstream of the Fulton Ditch headgate and is approximately 6.07 miles long. The upstream-most point of Depletion Reach 1 is on the South Platte River at the confluence with Sand Creek, near the south quarter corner of Section 1, Township 3 South, Range 68 West of the 6th P.M. The downstream-most point of Depletion Reach 1 is on the South Platte River just above the headgate of the Fulton Ditch, located Section 9, between Sections 16 and 17, Township 2 South, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M.

3.5.2.4.2 Depletion Reach 2 is located along the South Platte River from just below the Fulton Ditch headgate to just upstream of the Brantner Ditch headgate and is approximately 2.22 miles long. The upstream-most point of Depletion

Reach 2 is on the South Platte River just below the headgate of the Fulton Ditch. The downstream-most point of Depletion Reach 2 is on the South Platte River just above the headgate of the Brantner Ditch, located as described in paragraph 2.8.1, above. 3.5.2.4.3 Depletion Reach 3 is located along the South Platte River from just below the Brantner Ditch headgate to just upstream of the Brighton Ditch headgate and is approximately 6.75 miles long. The upstreammost point of Depletion Reach 3 is on the South Platte River just below the headgate of the Brantner Ditch. The downstream-most point of Depletion Reach 3 is on the South Platte River just above the headgate of the Brighton Ditch, located in the SE1/4 of the SE1/4 of Section 11, Township 1 South, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M. 3.5.2.4.4 Depletion Reach 4 is located along the South Platte River from just below the Brighton Ditch headgate to the end of the Depletion Reach and is approximately 1.58 miles long. The upstream-most point of Depletion Reach 4 is on the South Platte River just below the headgate of the Brighton Ditch. The downstream-most point of Depletion Reach 4 is the end of the Depletion Reach on the South Platte River at the southerly section line of Section 1, Township 1 South, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M. Depletion Reach 4 is described herein for completeness, but it is not an Exchange-To point for the appropriative rights of exchange decreed herein. 3.6 Sources of substitute supply: 3.6.1 For the Exchanges to Mann Lakes Reservoir, which have an exchangeto point at the Brantner Ditch headgate, as described in paragraph 2.8.1, above, and at the Mann Lakes South Platte Diversion, as described in paragraph 2.8.2, above, the sources of substitute supply for the exchange include the following: 3.6.1.1 01CW258/10CW304 Water Rights, as described in paragraph 7 of the 15CW3177 decree, as each water right is available at South Adams’ augmentation stations described in paragraph 3.5, above, or after the 01CW258/10CW304 Water Rights have been put into storage and subsequently released through the Wattenberg Reservoir augmentation station and/or through the outlet of the North Reservoir Complex; 3.6.1.2 South Adams’ 5K Water, as described in paragraph 30.1 of the 15CW3177 decree, as available at the outlet of the North Reservoir Complex on the South Platte River, and/or after storage and subsequent release through the Wattenberg Reservoir augmentation station; 3.6.1.3 5K/PV Wastewater Reusable Return Flows, as described in paragraph 30.3.2 of the 15CW3177 decree, as available at the Regional Northern WWTP Outfall with the South Platte River and/or after storage and subsequent release through the Wattenberg Reservoir augmentation station and/or through the outlet of the North Reservoir Complex. 3.6.2 For the Exchanges From Mann Lakes, which have an exchange-from point at the Mann Lakes Reservoir Outlet, the sources of substitute supply for the exchange will include water stored in Mann Lakes Reservoir, which in turn includes the 01CW258/10CW304 Water Rights, as described in paragraph 7 of the 15CW3177 Decree; South Adams’ 5K Water, as described in paragraph 30.1 of the 15CW3177 Decree; 5K/PV Wastewater Reusable Return Flows, as described in paragraph 30.3.2 of the 15CW3177 Decree; and the Mann Lakes Storage Right, as described in paragraphs 12 through 27 of the 15CW3177 Decree. 3.7 Date of Appropriation: December 30, 2015. 3.8 Use of exchanged water: Municipal, irrigation, augmentation, domestic, industrial, commercial, stock watering, recreation, fish and wildlife preservation and propagation, fire protection, aquifer recharge purposes, sewage treatment, mechanical, manufacturing, street sprinkling, substitution and exchange, and replacement including both immediate application for such purposes and storage for subsequent application for such purposes. South Adams intends to use, reuse, successively use and fullyconsume the exchanged water, and subject to the terms and conditions decreed herein, the exchanged water may be used to extinction for the uses described herein either directly or after diversion or re-diversion to storage. CLAIM FOR FINDING OF REASONABLE DILIGENCE 4. Outline of work and expenditures during the diligence period towards completion of the appropriation and application of water to a beneficial use: The conditional storage water right decreed to Mann Lakes Reservoir described in paragraph 2 above and the conditional appropriative rights of exchange described in paragraph 3, above are referred to collectively herein as the “Subject Conditional Water Rights.” The diligence period for the Subject Conditional Water Rights is July 2018 through July 2024 (“Diligence Period”). The Subject Conditional Water Rights are integral to South Adams’ overall water supply system, and during the Diligence Period, South Adams has and will continue to pursue development and beneficial use of these water rights as growth

continues and water demands increase within the District. South Adams provides water and wastewater services to more than 68,000 customers in Commerce City and Adams County. South Adams maintains a diverse portfolio of water rights – both conditional and absolute – in order to provide potable and non-potable water to its present and future customers. The Subject Conditional Water Rights are part of South Adams’ integrated water supply system to supply water for municipal purposes. “When a project or integrated system is comprised of several features, work on one feature of the project or system shall be considered in finding that reasonable diligence has been shown on the development of the water rights for all features of the entire project or system.” C.R.S. § 37-92-301(4) (b). Consequently, all work and expenditures by South Adams in connection with its municipal water system directly and indirectly constitute part of South Adams’ reasonable diligence in developing the Subject Conditional Water Rights. The Subject Conditional Water Rights, in conjunction with the operation of South Adams’ plan for augmentation, will be used by South Adams to augment stream depletions or to exchange South Adams’ fully consumable water associated with certain sources of substitute supply into storage for use within South Adams’ municipal system and/or for subsequent release for augmentation purposes. During the Diligence Period, South Adams worked to develop the Subject Conditional Water Rights, complete the appropriations, and place the water to beneficial use, as demonstrated by the following representative but nonexhaustive list of activities and expenditures. 4.1 South Adams participated in regular meetings with Todd Creek Village Metropolitan District and Adams County regarding Mann Lakes Reservoir. The discussion topics included: (a) design and rehabilitation of the storage cells; (b) design and construction of the interconnect pipelines; and (c) design and construction of the inlet and outlet infrastructure. 4.2 Mann Lakes Reservoir is a major component of South Adams’ water system. It is included in South Adams’ master plan and ongoing water system operations model, which is utilized by South Adams for its augmentation plan planning. 4.3 South Adams has incurred an average of approximately $5.4 million per year in general costs and expenses in support of its municipal water supply system and for maintaining, protecting, and expanding this system. 4.4 Over the Diligence Period, South Adams has incurred an average of $4.2 million per year in engineering fees for engineering work in support of its municipal supply system generally, and has incurred additional engineering fees each year associated with specific capital improvement projects. 4.5 On average during the Diligence Period, South Adams spent approximately $28 million per year on capital improvement projects associated with its municipal supply system including without limitation: (a) completion of a water transmission main from Wells 21, 47, and 88 to South Adams’ Klein Treatment Facility; and (b) construction of a state-of-the-art water softening plant at South Adams’ Klein Water Treatment Facility. South Adams has an ongoing water distribution and main rehabilitation program and is currently constructing a state-of-the-art ion exchange treatment facility at South Adams’ Klein Water Treatment Facility. 4.6 South Adams incurred a total of $1.4 million in engineering fees associated with maintenance of its existing water supplies, including but not limited to such activities as accounting for South Adams’ water use, operation of and accounting for South Adams’ plan for augmentation, protecting South Adams’ water rights from injury by opposing water court applications, and assisting South Adams with daily water operations.

4.7 South Adams paid $1,440,323.00 in legal fees to obtain decrees for water rights that are part of South Adams’ integrated water system and for participating as an opposer in various Water Court cases to protect South Adams’ water rights against injury from other water users.

4.8 South Adams completed a comprehensive Water System Master Plan in 2020. South Adams has spent $715,000 on updating its Water System Master Plan during the Diligence Period.

4.9 South Adams has and continues to work with the City of Commerce City on planning, growth projections, and water supply demand projections, as South Adams’ service area is primarily within the City’s boundaries. In addition to in-house staff time at South Adams, South Adams incurred $0.75 million in consultants’ fees for water supply planning-related work during the Diligence Period. 5. Names and addresses of owner(s) of the land upon which any new diversion or storage structure, or modification to any existing diversion or storage structure is or will be constructed or upon which water is or will be stored: 5.1 Mann Lakes South Platte River Diversion and Mann Lakes Reservoir: Adams County, 9755 Henderson Road, Brighton, Colorado 80601. 5.2 Wattenberg Reservoir: City

Plans underway for second Mountain Music Fest after successful debut

Students want to make event “bigger and better”

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Plans are already underway for a second Mountain Music Fest after its successful inaugural Aug. 3 event.

e event drew an estimated 2,000 people to Evergreen’s Buchanan Park, event organizers said.

Designed as a fundraiser for the Wooden Hawk Foundation, organizers say they don’t yet know how much money it raised for the nonpro t. e foundation is aimed at supporting the mountain community school system.

Firefall headlined the largely student-run, full-day event, which featured eight bands. Evergreen High School students also sta ed booths that showcased many of EHS’ sports and clubs. Students raised money through activities and donations during the event.

e festival’s goal was to help them defray the costs associated with extra-curricular activities, many of which were once largely funded through the public school system.

“We were so pleased with the amount of creativity and involvement from the students,” said foundation president Pam LushLindquist. “ e students I’ve spoken with have already said they want to

of Westminster, c/o Director of Public Works, 4800 West 92nd Avenue, Westminster, CO 80030. 5.3 North Reservoir Complex: The City and County of Denver, acting by and through its Board of Water Commissioners, 1600 West 12th Avenue, Denver, Colorado 80204. 5.4 South Platte Diversion I: City of Westminster, 4800 West 92nd Avenue, Westminster, Colorado 80030. WHEREFORE, South Adams respectfully requests that the Court enter a decree (i) granting this application; (ii) finding that South Adams has exercised reasonable diligence in completing the appropriation of the Subject Conditional Water Rights during the Diligence Period; and (iii) continuing the Subject Conditional Water Rights in full force and effect for an additional diligence period.

THE WATER RIGHTS CLAIMED BY THESE APPLICATIONS MAY AFFECT IN PRIORITY ANY WATER RIGHTS CLAIMED OR HERETOFORE ADJUDICATED WITHIN THIS DIVISION AND OWNERS OF AFFECTED RIGHTS MUST APPEAR TO OBJECT WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY STATUTE OR BE FOREVER BARRED.

collaborate on how to make it bigger and better next year.

“Right now, we’re in the information-gathering stage for next year’s

Public Notices

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that any party who wishes to oppose an application, or an amended application, may file with the Water Clerk, P. O. Box 2038, Greeley, CO 80632, a verified Statement of Opposition, setting forth facts as to why the application should not be granted, or why it should be granted only in part or on certain conditions. Such Statement of Opposition must be filed by the last day of SEPTEMBER 2024 (forms available on www.courts.state.co.us or in the Clerk’s office), and must be filed as an Original and include $192.00 filing fee. A copy of each Statement of Opposition must also be served upon the Applicant or Applicant’s Attorney and an affidavit or certificate of such service of mailing shall be filed with the Water Clerk.

Legal Notice No. CCC939

First Publication: August 22, 2024

Last Publication: August 22, 2024

Publisher: Clear Creek Courant

event. We’re taking all comments, good or bad, from the community and students,” Lush-Lindquist continued. “We want to build something

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

Public notice is given on July 31, 2024, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Clear Creek County Court. The petition requests that the name of Linda Sue Callahan be changed to Donbi Yo Callahan Case No.: 24 C 38

By: Deputy Clerk

Legal Notice

that bene ts as many as we possibly can.”

Firefall co-founder and Westminster resident Jock Bartley was so moved by the event and its mission that he’s allowing the Wooden Hawk Foundation to use one his song “Call on Me” in their work.

Bartley wrote the song about calling on a friend during hard times to help with suicide prevention. Bartley is a spokesperson for suicide prevention and has worked with the American Association of Suicidology and the Kristin Brooks Hope Center. He’s performed with Firefall in bene t concerts that raised funds for a national crisis line.

“I told (Lush-Lindquist) she could use my song in whatever way she wanted to,” he said. “I told her if she could use it with suicide prevention, to do it.”

Wooden Hawk Foundation founder and Evergreen resident Michele Peeters Vanags also serves as a board member for Resilience 1220, another Evergreen nonpro t that provides free counseling services to foothills youth.

Lush-Lindquist said both the foundation and Resilience 1220 will nd e ective ways to use the song, and said Bartley o ered to perform the song at a future fundraiser.

“It’s such a nice gift and would be a very special way to support what Resilience is doing and the foundation’s goal of supporting students,” she said.

Firefall, with Jock Bartley on guitar, plays during the Aug. 3 Mountain Music Fest in Evergreen.

PHOTO BY JACKIE WEAVER

As the Real Estate Market Shifts, We’re in Uncharted Territory Thanks to NAR Settlement

Sunday was the deadline for one very significant change in the practice of real estate, as the result of a March 15th settlement between the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and a group of Missouri home sellers who claimed that the sharing of listing agent’s commission with the buyer’s agent was somehow a violation of anti-price fixing laws and just plain “unfair.”

Although I, along with most Realtors (and, in fact, NAR), disagreed, the parties agreed to a settlement in which MLSs may no longer display how much a buyer’s agent will earn if he brings a buyer to the table.

Real Estate, we’re not so worried.

Below is a picture of the yard sign that in front of the solar-powered listing featured at the bottom of the page. Do you notice anything new about it? Yes, it has a sign rider telling both buyers and their agents that the seller will pay a 2.5% commission to an agent who represents the buyer of this home.

The brochure in the brochure box has that same information. You could say that “nothing has really changed,” and you’d be almost right. What has changed is that we are not “splitting” our listing commission with the buyer’s agent. Ra-

ther, the seller has agreed (at my suggestion) to incentivize agents to bring their buyer, knowing that their client will not have to pay him, because the seller will. The sellers who sued to end the practice of commission splitting will finally recognize that compensating the agent who represents their buyer is a practical way to sell a home. They had hoped that buyers would now have to pay for their own professional representation, but if, as I expect, the vast majority of home sellers agree to compete with each other for the buyer’s business, which home do you think the buyer will offer to buy?

That’s how I see these coming weeks

and months shaking out. Some sellers will say, “Hey, I don’t have to offer compensation,” and a few may succeed with that strategy. But one thing is for sure: the universe of potential buyers will be smaller, because a significant percentage of buyers can’t afford to pay for representation on top of the other fees I listed in last week’s column.

I do expect that many buyers will feel they should only deal with listing agents directly, but when they see our sign rider, they may do the right thing for themselves, which is to have a professional working in their best interest instead of the seller’s. Stay tuned!

MLS Now Has Fields for Audio & Video Recording

That change took place at midnight last Thursday and many real estate professionals are concerned about how it will affect them personally. At Golden

Do You Know or Care Where Your Realtor Stands Politically?

Real estate is not the only profession where the “rule” is never to talk politics or religion. I agree about religion, but in today’s divisive political climate, I feel differently about revealing my political leanings, which are liberal. As a seller, I would not be comfortable hiring an agent who was a Trump fan. Someone else may prefer hiring a fan of Trump.

Recently, a Denver agent referred a Golden seller to me. When I told him that his home would be advertised next to my weekly real estate column, he said, “I don’t read newspapers anymore because they’re all fake news.”

Okay, we’re not a fit — and that’s okay with me.

Archive of Past Columns Is Online

Over the past two decades, this column has appeared in local weeklies and the Denver Post, and during that time I’ve written about every conceivable topic related to real estate. You can find and search that archive online at www.JimSmithColumns.com

New: Solar-Powered Green Mountain Home

$795,000

The seller of this 3-bedroom/2½-bath home at 14038 W. Amherst Ave. provided this springtime picture of their crabapple tree in bloom. Not visible from the front is the seller-owned 5.98-kW solar array which reduces the Xcel monthly electric bill to under $10 year-round. The oversized garage has an extra 5'x18' workshop/storage area with natural light. The workbench, shop light and pegboards are all included. There’s another workshop area in the unfinished basement, plus a 10'x11' wood laminate dance floor! The cul-de-sac location makes this home a quiet place to enjoy life with friendly neighbors. The 8'x25' composite deck off the eat-in kitchen is half-covered, with stairs down to the backyard with its lush grass, garden beds and linden tree. The other half of the deck is shaded by the house itself in late afternoon. The 6'x8' front porch is also covered. Visit www.JeffcoSolarHomes.com to view a narrated video walk-through and drone video, plus magazine-quality photos and floor plans. The seller replaced the windows on the first floor and most of the second floor with high-end Marvin windows. The windows are energy efficient double-paned windows with aluminum clad wood frames. The frames are powder-coated white, requiring no routine maintenance. Come to the open house Saturday, 11-1, or call broker associate Kathy Jonke at 303-990-7428 to see it. Note: Seller offers 2.5% buyer broker compensation.

With surveillance systems becoming more and more common in American homes, buyers can never be sure that what they say to each other and their agent during a showing isn’t being monitored remotely by the seller.

Personally, I advise my buyers to assume that everything they say is being heard by the seller and to monitor their conversation accordingly. There are any number of things a buyer could say while

touring a home that would disadvantage them when it comes to negotiating a contract or inspection issues.

REcolorado, Denver’s MLS, now has fields for indicating whether there is audio and/or video recording inside and/or outside the listing, but buyers should not count on privacy if those fields are not checked. I recently sold a home where the fields weren’t checked but cameras (and Alexa) were definitely present.

Just Listed: 20-Acre Apple & Peach Orchard

Our former broker associate, Kim Taylor, is now an independent broker in Cedaredge and just listed this interesting agricultural property nearby. With 4.8 shares of surface creek water, the meticulously managed fruit is thriving again this year, and there is a leased rental house that was recently remodeled. The orchard contains blocks of apples and peaches and has been a successful producer for over 20 years. The property also has a 1500 sq. ft. cooler with loading dock, a tractor barn with electric, and two 30-amp electric and water hook ups for RVs. Located in the county, this agricultural property sits literally on the edge of Cedaredge city limits, only 1/2 mile from town center. Property taxes run less than $500/year. Come take a closer look! The Cedaredge area is a great location for the outdoor enthusiasts! Just 20 minutes away is the Grand Mesa, the largest flat top mesa in the country with over 300 lakes for fishing, lots of space for camping, hiking and biking, miles of groomed Nordic ski trails, Powderhorn Ski Resort, snowshoeing, and miles of snowmobiling — not to mention that the Gunnison River is only 15 minutes south, and the greater area is Colorado wine country, with an airport just 45 minutes away! Seller also has 10 more acres with blocks of apples, peaches and grapes that would make a great addition to this property. Learn more at www.OrchardCityHome.info, then call Kim at 303-304-6678 to arrange a visit.

$850,000