Serving the community since 1926
WEEK OF FEBRUARY 8, 2024
VOLUME 97 | ISSUE 10
$2
DENVER LOOKS TO ESTABLISH COMPREHENSIVE HOMELESSNESS SOLUTIONS
as Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s senior advisor on homelessness resolution. “We don’t believe that people should have to sleep on the streets of our city, and so we’re going to continue to do everything we can to bring people indoors, and then help get them into long term permanent housing outcomes.” SEE SOLUTIONS, P2
SEE ADUS, P16
COURTESY OF DENVER’S DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING STABILITY
House1000 goal was met by the new year but efforts to transition people into permanent housing, prevent future homelessness are ramping up Two weeks after the City of Denver’s House1000 initiative ended — which aimed to get at least 1,000 unhoused individuals into shelter by the end of 2023 — Denver experienced some of its coldest temperatures in the past century. Between Jan. 12 and 16, the low hit negative 19, and adding in the
wind chill, made it feel as cold as negative 30. At these temperatures, frostbite can set in within 30 minutes and hypothermia risks rise dramatically. For someone experiencing street homelessness, a freezing weekend like that can be deadly. “We’re just completely thrilled that (more) people are not having to stay outside in the cold,” said Cole Chandler, who serves
VOICES: 10 | LIFE: 12 | CALENDAR:15
BY BRIAN EASON AND JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN
Single-family homeowners in the most populous parts of Colorado would be allowed to build accessory dwelling units on their properties under a bill introduced in late January in the legislature aiming to override local zoning rules in areas that currently prohibit them. House Bill 1152 is the first of several marquee bills that Democrats at the Capitol, in partnership with Gov. Jared Polis, are expected to introduce this year that would target city and county land use regulations in an effort to tackle Colorado’s affordable housing crisis. A similar push last year ended in a political dumpster fire for the governor when he tried to pack an array of changes into one measure that ultimately failed after weeks of animosity between him and local leaders. In 2024, Polis plans to pursue the same policy changes, albeit through bite-sized pieces of legislation — the first of which is the accessory dwelling units bill introduced Tuesday. Accessory dwelling units, also called ADUs, granny flats or casitas, are secondary residences that are either attached or adjacent to single-family homes. They’re often rented out or used for visiting family members and have long been seen as a way to boost Colorado’s housing stock and drive down the cost of living. Homeowners also rent them out to tourists as short-term vacation rentals. Research by Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored housing corporation, has found that ADUs are far more affordable than apartments and standalone housing units, but local prohibitions have limited their proliferation in all but a handful of places across the country.
The Clara Brown Commons is an affordable housing development in the Cole neighborhood that opened in January.
BY NATALIE KERR SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Dems launch second attempt to allow more ADUs
DENVERHERALD.NET • A PUBLICATION OF COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
PEOPLE MOVER PEOPLE
Meet the faces that make DIA’s trains run P12
2 Denver Herald
February 8, 2024
Before and after photos of an encampment near a downtown Denver post office that was recently cleared.
SOLUTIONS FROM PAGE 1
The House1000 initiative surpassed its goal of sheltering 1,000 individuals by Dec. 31. As of Jan. 29, of the 1,181 total people who moved indoors, 24% are in permanent housing while the remainder are in temporary shelter. The Point-in-Time count, an annual 24-hour count of unhoused people living both unsheltered and in temporary shelters, recorded 5,818 homeless individuals in Denver County on Jan. 30, 2023. The 2024 Point-in-Time count occurred on Jan. 22 and numbers are expected to be released later this
year. Denver has faced dramatic increases in homelessness in the last decade. As part of Denver’s efforts to reduce chronic homelessness, the House1000 initiative sends street outreach teams to encampments across the city and offers every individual a path to housing if they choose to participate. Approximately 95% of offers were accepted, Chandler said. “We were really thrilled with the outcome of so many people accepting that offer,” Chandler added. Prior to House1000 and Mayor Johnston’s State of Emergency declaration on July 18, 2023, due to homelessness, encampments were cleared after a seven day notice, often just moved down the street with
no one obtaining indoor shelter. In years prior, the Denver Street Outreach Collaborative, the longest running street outreach program in the city, was able to house 265 people annually. Mayor Johnston’s new program brought four times as many people inside in less than six months. Denver Street Outreach also utilized Safe Outdoor Spaces, which are supervised and staffed outdoor campsites with sanitation and other services, which the city no longer regards as shelter, Chandler said. The new model uses microcommunities and converted hotels which can shelter individuals, families and pets while they work with Denver’s housing and other basic needs services to identify a permanent housing solution. Micro-communities are a huband-spoke model, in which a person lives in a private bedroom – the spokes – but uses communal bathrooms, kitchens, offices and community spaces – the hub – for their other needs. Converted hotel rooms include private bathrooms and may have a kitchenette. Residents at both shelter types are offered three meals per day and both shelter types also include wraparound services, such as individual case management, to identify permanent housing, and physical and behavioral health care. The city currently operates 1,173 units in five converted hotels – three being in north Denver and one in southeast Denver – and three micro-communities, which are located in the Central Park, Overland and Golden Triangle, respectively. Permanent housing options differ based on an individual’s needs, Chandler said, but can include supportive housing, which means every person in the building has experienced homelessness; the home of a friend or family member who can support them; or subsidized housing.
COURTESY OF THE DENVER MAYOR’S OFFICE
House1000 Progress Dashboards
The city has been making its progress on House1000 available to the public on its House1000 Progress Dashboards on its website. However, one caveat to the success reported on the dashboards are factual errors that occurred in late 2023. On Dec. 14, 9News reported that the dashboards showed the total number of people who moved indoors for any length of time, even if they later returned to homelessness, thus inflating the success of the initiative. “There was never a discrepancy between the number of people moved indoors on the dashboard and the possibility that some of those individuals may have returned to homelessness,” the mayor’s office wrote in an email. “During the early days of the initiative, the administration set a 14-day ‘internal measure of success.’ That timeline was set after referencing the federal guidelines of one day. The dashboard has consistently shared correct data. However, the issue arose when we learned the numbers on the dashboard didn’t reflect the 14-day timeline.” House1000 is far from over, Chandler said. Denver will continue this initiative in 2024 and is adding additional services to improve outreach, create more shelter units and transition more people to permanent housing, he said. “The primary piece of our strategy is that all 800 people that have come indoors during encampment resolution will … get into permanent housing,” Chandler added. Housing is out of reach for many
The city is also investing in the socioeconomic factors that contribute to people entering the homelessness cycle. These investments include eviction protection, rental assistance and extended unemployment. Creating more affordable housing is also a top priority for the city. SEE SOLUTIONS, P6
Denver Herald 3
February 8, 2024
Forest Service seeking comments on old-growth logging restrictions BY ERIC GALATAS PUBLIC NEWS SERVIC
The timber industry is pushing back against the Biden administration’s proposal to limit commercial logging in the nation’s last old-growth forests. The move announced last month would put restrictions on harvesting within a small fraction of lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Josh Hicks, conservation director for The Wilderness Society, sees the proposal as an important step to conserve the remaining 8% of old-growth forests so they can do what they do best: store carbon and stabilize ecosystems. “After centuries of logging, and
now more recently climate-driven impacts from severe wildfire and drought, there’s not a lot of old growth left in the country or in Colorado,” Hicks pointed out. “It’s just a fraction of what it used to be.” Forests absorb carbon pollution directly from the air, and are seen as an important tool for mitigating climate change. But industry groups worry the proposal will prompt lawsuits aiming to block logging projects, including those seen as necessary to reduce the scale of wildfires. Some environmental groups say protections should be extended to mature forests currently managed for timber production. Hicks acknowledged the new pro-
posal, which is open to public comment through Feb. 2, will need industry to help clear out heavy fuel loads which can lead to bigger and more powerful wildfires. But he noted economics will no longer be the driving factor in some forest management decisions. Managers would prioritize ecological concerns involving old growth conservation. “The younger trees that come out of the forest to reduce the fuel loads, the companies that pick up these contracts can still find economic value for this,” Hicks contended. “This is not to remove industry, and in fact I feel like industry is part of the solution here.” Old-growth forests are home to an
abundance of diverse plant and animal species, and Hicks argued keeping the ecosystems intact can help preserve biodiversity as the fallout from climate change takes hold. He added the new policy would not only conserve the last stands of old growth, it will also foster the creation of more old-growth forests for future generations. “We are facing an extinction crisis,” Hicks stressed. “Given that these oldgrowth forests are more resilient to these climate stressors, they will become increasingly important for the survival of many species. “ This story comes via The Associated Press’ Storyshare, of which Colorado Community Media is a member.
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‘Empty Nest’ Baby Boomers Own Twice as Many Big Homes as Millennials With Kids A recent study by Redfin found that 28% of “empty nester” baby boomers owned homes with three or more bedrooms, while only 14% of millennials with children had homes with 3+ bedrooms. The study was based on 2022 census data, the most recent available. Looked at another way, 45.5% of empty nester boomers own big homes. Only 27% of millennials with kids own a big home, and only 3% of Gen Z families with children own a big home. Those are national numbers. Here are the numbers for Denver and three other cities: Denver Los Angeles San Francisco New York City
Boomers Millennials 25.0% 15.1% 23.7% 9.4% 26.1% 10.9% 23.9% 11.8%
Gen Z parents with children are even worse off. The report states that almost none of them (0.3%) own homes with 3+ bedrooms. Remember, the key word here is “own.” Gen Z and many millennial families are more likely to be renters than homeowners. (Adult Gen Zers are 19 to 25 years old, millennials are 26 to 41, Gen Xers are 42 to 57, and baby boomers are 58 to 76.) Rita and I, as baby boomers, are part of a trend I expect to grow — selling our big home and becoming renters. As our fellow boomers get older, they are already wanting to downsize, not only because of the empty bedrooms in their oversized home. They want freedom from home maintenance, lawn care, and other household responsibilities. Buying a condo or renting an apartment (as we did) has the additional advantage of creating a “lock and leave” situation, allowing seniors to go on vacation — to see their grandchildren or take a cruise. What surprised me was that ten years earlier, the numbers were almost equal for those two groups, according to Redfin; “In 2012, empty nesters of the silent generation (who were 67 to 84 at the
time) took up 16% of homes with 3+ bedrooms. That’s a smaller share than Gen Xers (who were 32 to 47 at the time) with kids, who took up 19% of those large homes.” I can think of several possible explanations for the most recent statistics. For starters, change is hard. It’s uncomfortable, especially if you are elderly. For the 54% of boomers who own their home free and clear, the cost of staying put is low, and the cost of moving is high. For boomers who have a mortgage, it is at a very low rate if, like the rest of us, they refinanced into loans around 3% or even lower. They can’t take that mortgage with them to a replacement home, and current rates (6 to 7 percent) seem really high given what they’re paying now. The failure of boomers to put their large homes on the market has reduced the supply of bigger homes for millennials to purchase. Additionally, millennials who don’t currently own a home wouldn’t have any equity to help them with a down payment on a new home. Affordability remains a big obstacle for millennials, and Redfin estimates that 19% of them don’t even want to purchase a new home. Also, many like to live “where the action is” in center cities, where big homes are scarce. Whether or not they are waiting for the opportunity to buy a large home, millennials with kids already make up the largest age group that is renting homes with three or more bedrooms — 24.8%. Millennials without kids are the next biggest age group renting homes with 3+ bedrooms — 11.6%. The third largest age group renting such homes is us empty-nest baby boomers — 11.4%. Rita and I are renting a 3-bedroom apartment because I need an office and we wanted to have a room for guests. I am on a world cruise until May 6 (see
http://WhereAreJimandRita.substack.com),
but it’s a “working vacation.” I answer my cell phone and return emails, so feel free to reach out to me with your real estate needs and questions!
No Real Estate Brokerage Exposes Your Home to As Many Buyers As Golden Real Estate Does
If you choose one of our broker associates or me to list your home, it will be featured in this weekly ad. But did you know how many newspapers publish this column? It appears every Thursday in all editions of the Denver Post’s YourHub section, plus the following weekly newspapers: Arvada Press, Brighton Standard Blade, Canyon Courier, Castle Pines News-Press, Castle Rock News-Press, Centennial Citizen, Clear Creek Courant, Commerce City Sentinel Express, Denver Herald-Dispatch, Douglas County News Press, Elbert County News, Englewood Herald, Fort Lupton Press, Golden Transcript, Highlands Ranch Herald, Hustler 285, Jeffco Transcript, Littleton Independent, Lone Tree Voice, MetroWest Advertiser, Northglenn-Thornton Sentinel, Parker Chronicle, South Platte Independent & Westminster Window. The total circulation is over 300,000!
Older baby boomers might want to make the same calculation Rita and I made when we sold our big home. We realized that, because of the increase in market value of our home, we could net a substantial amount of cash by selling our home, even after paying capital gains above the $500,000 marital exclusion. Our home’s equity was not paying us any dividends sitting in our house, and it wouldn’t pay us dividends if we sequestered it in, say, a patio home. Thanks to Medicare, we realized that by investing the net proceeds from the sale of our house we would generate a monthly income greater than the rent we would be paying, and that’s without dipping into the Social Security income that we were already earning. The big increase we were seeing in our property tax added to that calculation, as did my hunch that the surge in home values may have peaked and could decline in future years. It was a good time to sell. If you’re a senior citizen sitting on substantial equity, you might reach the same conclusion we did — that selling and renting is, surprisingly, the smart
thing to do. (I never thought, especially as a Realtor, that renting would make more sense, but, at our age, it actually does.) And consider this: If you sell your home and don’t buy another one, the “lock-in effect” of your current low-rate mortgage no longer applies.
Beware of Cloned Realtor Voices
I Recommend Subscribing to Big Pivots
This & That: Smaller Topics Not Worth Full Articles The Colorado Association of Realtors recently warned that a new use of artificial intelligence involves cloning the voices of trusted real estate professionals to scam them and their clients. One CAR member had this done. CAR made these suggestions for staying safe: Intercept Suspicious Calls: Be cautious of robocalls that pressure you to act immediately, particularly from unknown numbers. Confirm Identities: If you receive a robocall or suspicious call claiming to be someone you know, hang up. Contact that person directly using a number you trust to verify the call. Limit Public Information: Consider the personal information you share online. Scammers can use this to tailor attacks like robocalls. Report and Block: If you receive a robocall that seems like a scam, report it to the authorities. You can also block the number to prevent future calls.
Big Pivots® is a Colorado-based nonprofit. It aims to document, understand, and educate about the changes made necessary by climate change. Those changes include the energy, water, and other areas of urgent attention in the 21st century and beyond. Subscribe free at www.BigPivots.com. The latest bi-monthly issue (#81) included a dozen topics on 23 printable letter-size pages. Editor Allen Best does an incredible job providing statewide information that matters.
EVs Could Drive Down Electric Costs
On my posting of this article online at RealEstateToday.substack.com, there is a link to a report about several studies which conclude that EVs will actually contribute to more efficient utilization of the electric grid and thereby drive down electric costs for all consumers. One reason is that most EV charging is done overnight, creating a revenue stream for utilities during hours of low electric demand.
Jim Smith
Broker/Owner, 303-525-1851 Jim@GoldenRealEstate.com 1214 Washington Ave., Golden 80401 Broker Associates: JIM SWANSON, 303-929-2727 CHUCK BROWN, 303-885-7855 DAVID DLUGASCH, 303-908-4835 GREG KRAFT, 720-353-1922 AUSTIN POTTORFF, 970-281-9071 KATHY JONKE, 303-990-7428
“Concentrate on giving and the getting will take care of itself.” —Anonymous
4 Denver Herald
February 8, 2024
Colorado deadlier for pedestrians and cyclists
A pair of cyclists use the recreational pathway along the frozen surface of Dillon Reservoir in May 2023. PHOTO BY HUGH CAREY, THE COLORADO SUN BY OLIVIA PRENTZEL THE COLORADO SUN
The number of pedestrians killed on Colorado streets reached an alltime high last year, painting a grim picture of traffic safety, a year after the state recorded the largest number of road deaths in more than four decades. While traffic deaths saw a slight dip last year, the picture isn’t getting any brighter for those traveling by foot or bike. Data from the Colorado Department of Transportation shows the number of cyclist deaths jumped by 33% last year to 20, up from 15 in 2022, and the number of pedestrians
killed on Colorado’s streets reached a new high. Colorado saw a significant uptick in pedestrian deaths in 2020 when 93 people were killed while walking along or across the state’s streets compared with 76 in 2019, and the number has continued to rise. Last year, at least 131 pedestrians were killed — an overwhelming majority of them at night. “A lot of people die just moving from point A to point B,” said Pete Piccolo, executive director of the advocacy group Bicycle Colorado. “And it seems as though unless you’re impacted by traffic violence, it’s almost normalized.” “The fact that 12,982 people died
in Colorado (since 2002) going to school, going to work, going to the grocery store, it is really an unbelievable thing that we cannot figure out how to move around our communities without killing each other,” Piccolo said. Preliminary data shows that last year, 712 people were killed on Colorado’s roads, including 20 cyclists, 134 motorcyclists and scooter riders and more than 300 drivers. In 2022, 764 people were killed in traffic crashes. The causes aren’t easy to identify and there are several theories to explain how driver and pedestrian behaviors, road design and vehicle size all fit together.
While rising pedestrian deaths match a nationwide trend, it isn’t one that has occurred in other countries of comparable wealth, where pedestrian and cyclist deaths have generally been declining, not rising. The number of pedestrians killed by drivers in the U.S. has been climbing for more than a decade and in 2022, they reached a 40-year high when more than 7,500 pedestrians were killed. The Colorado Sun parsed last year’s data on traffic deaths and spoke to experts about the numbers. Here’s what we found: More than 2 in 3 pedestrians were SEE CYCLISTS, P5
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CYCLISTS FROM PAGE 4
killed last year between sunset and sunrise. In Colorado last year, 67% of pedestrians died while walking across or along the road in the dark, data from CDOT shows. The data shows that of the people who died at night, 65 were in areas with streetlights and 16 were in areas that had no lights at all. “A lot of times you’ll have street lights, but not necessarily a really visible crosswalk,” said Annelies Van Vonno, CDOT’s bicycle and pedestrian planning coordinator. Since crash data from 2023 is still being evaluated, final data could vary. Officials expect the year’s total number of traffic crashes to represent a 5% decrease from 2022, a spokesman said. The pedestrians who were killed included three people age 10 and younger and eight people between the ages of 11 and 20. More than three-quarters of the pedestrians killed were male and all but one of the cyclists killed on Colorado’s roads were male, preliminary data shows. “(Men) are overwhelmingly represented as both victims and offenders in traffic crashes,” said Sam Cole, CDOT’s safety communications manager. “They tend to be young. And what do we know about young men? They tend to be risk-takers.” Research also shows that more men tend to bike compared to women and men could have the tendency to walk more often at night compared to women, Van Vonno said. Cycling deaths are on the rise After three consecutive years without an increase in cyclist deaths, the number of people killed while riding
a bike in Colorado jumped to 20 last year. Among the bicyclists killed in 2023 were 13-year-old Liam Stewart, who was struck by a car while riding his bike to his middle school in Littleton, and 17-year-old Magnus White, who was training for the upcoming world championships in Scotland when he was struck near Boulder by a driver who fell asleep and drifted from her lane. Colorado’s growing population could be contributing to the rise in traffic deaths with more people on foot, bike, electric scooters and vehicles sharing the road, said Piccolo, with Bicycle Colorado. Five times the number of cyclists died in 2023 compared with 2003, when three cyclists were killed. The state’s population has also soared in the past two decades with census data swelling to 5.8 million in 2023 from 4.5 million in 2003. “We’ve got a lot more cars, a lot more people on bikes, a lot more people on foot and one-wheeled scooters, within this essentially the same built environment,” Piccolo said. Generally, data shows that more deaths happen in urban areas, with more cars and bikes on the roads and more people walking or biking to public transportation, and a higher number of commuters are killed compared to recreational riders, Piccolo said. But in the end, the deaths don’t discriminate. “It is everyone,” Piccolo said of the demographics. “At the end of the day, it is young and old. It is rural and urban, it is a commuter and recreational rider. It has impacted everyone now.” Lawmakers this year are considering two bills intended to make Colorado’s roads safer for cyclists. It’s currently illegal in Colorado
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to text and drive. But Senate Bill 65, also known as the “hands-free bill,” would ban all cellphone use while driving, unless drivers are using a hands-free device. Current law only prohibits drivers under the age of 18 from using a cellphone while driving. Senate Bill 36 would provide transportation funding for bike lanes, pedestrian walkways and crosswalk lighting, among other safety improvements, by imposing a small fee for each driver during registration in Colorado’s 12 most populous counties —calculated based on a vehicle’s weight. Senate Bill 65 has been introduced in prior years and failed to pass, Piccolo said. “This is one public health crisis where we know what the solutions are,” he said. “So the challenge isn’t figuring out what to do, the challenge is finding the will to implement them.” The highest number of pedestrian deaths happened in urban, more populated areas Denver saw the highest number of pedestrian fatalities with 24, followed by 15 in Adams County, and 14 in El Paso County, data shows. Urban arterial roads are overwhelmingly the most dangerous for pedestrians because of the high speed of cars and the extended exposure for pedestrians before reaching the other side, Van Vonno said. “When you have to cross six or eight lanes of traffic, it just takes a longer time,” she said. Arterial roads are designed similarly to highways, but with more cross streets, and often have a limited number of crosswalks. “If it’s gonna take you a quartermile, half a mile to walk to the nearest crosswalk, you might just take your chances in traffic and try to dash across the road,” Van Vonno
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said. While it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what causes each crash, distracted driving is a growing concern, Colorado State Patrol Master Trooper Gary Cutler said. A recent report from The Schiller Kessler Group, a Florida-based law group, which used data from the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, shows that Colorado has the highest number of pedestrian deaths occurring at intersections in the country. Of the 433 pedestrian deaths recorded in Colorado between 2017 and 2021, 138 were at intersections, accounting for nearly 32% of pedestrian deaths, data shows. Nationwide, pedestrian deaths occur at intersections 17% of the time, according to NHTSA data. Last year, Colorado State Patrol recorded 36 pedestrians or bikers who were struck, but not necessarily killed. Twenty-five of those crashes were a result of a driver failing to yield to a pedestrian at a crosswalk and three collisions happened at a crosswalk where there were flashing lights, Cutler said. Three bikers were hit when a driver failed to yield to a cyclist in a bike lane. “I believe we’re just getting as a society that we’re trying to push the limits of what we should be doing on the roadways and trying to get there faster and quicker and it’s not safe to do that,” Cutler said. Smartphones and the distractions they offer both drivers and pedestrians could be playing a huge factor in traffic fatalities, especially in the U.S. where the ubiquity of automatic transmissions frees up a driver’s hands for other uses. A CDOT survey in 2022 found that more than half of drivers in Colorado use their phone while driving.
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6 Denver Herald
February 8, 2024
An encampment near 21st and Curtis streets in Denver that has recently been cleared.
SOLUTIONS FROM PAGE 2
The Colorado Sun reported that Colorado is the eighth most expensive state to rent or purchase a house in. The cost of living in Denver is 5% higher than the state average and 11% higher than the national average, according to RentCafe, which compiles data from the annual Cost of Living Index. Many people end up homeless because they’ve lost their home and can’t afford to be rehoused, which often requires an upfront payment for the first and last month of rent and a security deposit, as well as proof of income and the cost purchasing furniture, said Cathy Alderman, chief communications and public policy officer for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. “Housing is extremely out of reach for most folks, especially those living on lower incomes, fixed incomes or who are currently experiencing homelessness,” Alderman said. “There’s just not enough housing available to those households, either.” The coalition operates about 2,000 units of housing in Colorado and also provides health care services, education and advocacy outreach programs. People expe-
riencing homelessness often can’t meet their health needs, and street homelessness typically exacerbates a mental health condition or substance use disorder, Alderman said. Denver’s Department of Housing Stability, or HOST, engages individuals who may be at risk for becoming unhoused, those in temporary shelters and those currently unhoused to help meet their individual needs and pull them out of the cycle of homelessness. Those needs can vary from shortterm rent or utility assistance to comprehensive support, said Lana Dalton, interim deputy director of Housing Stability & Homelessness Resolution at HOST. “It’s really important that when we’re looking at how we make sure that folks are staying in their homes – and they’re staying stable where they’re living – that we are making sure that we’re providing the appropriate resources for those individuals,” Dalton said. This kind of support is also crucial in ensuring people who come into contact with housing services don’t fall back into housing instability, and the city’s investments in permanent, affordable housing and homelessness prevention are integral to the long-term success of House1000, Dalton said. “This was just a first step, now we’re really trying to work on those permanent housing solu-
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COURTESY OF THE DENVER MAYOR’S OFFICE
tions,” Dalton said. “We provided a life-saving measure, particularly around cold weather months, to get people into non-congregate shelters and micro-communities. But now is really the time to start working on – and ramping up – getting people into a permanent solution.” For some, this support may need to be extensive, or even lifelong, to maintain stable housing, health and basic needs. The ability to provide this kind of long-term support often relies on what resources are available locally or federally, Dalton said. Currently, resources available to provide this kind of care in Denver don’t match the existing needs in the community. “We don’t have permanent supportive housing available for everybody that needs it right now, that’s active in our community, and that’s really unfortunate,” Dalton added. But affordable housing is increasing with new programming. HOST helped open 61 new affordable apartments in the Cole neighborhood in January, all of which are income restricted to up to 80% of the area median income, which is $66,300 for a single-person household. One-third of the apartments serve households earning less than 30% of the area median income, according to a Denver press release. A total of 2,131 affordable units that have received city financing are currently under construction at 29 sites throughout Denver, according to HOST. An additional 291 income-restricted units are in the planning stage. Often, supportive housing and wraparound services are less expensive to provide than relying on emergency services like hospitals, jails and temporary shelters, Alderman, with the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, said. Ideally people can access these services as long as they need until they can
graduate away from needing them, she added. For example, the coalition helped found the Denver Social Impact Bond program in 2016 to provide housing and supportive case management services to homeless individuals who frequently accessed emergency services. The program saves the city an average of $29,000 per resident in emergency-related costs, and only requires half as much money to house them and provide support services. This kind of service is a “housing first” model, which relies on the concept that without stable housing, it is difficult or even impossible for an individual to address any other challenges contributing to their homelessness. But this can’t be “housing only,” because without supportive services, many people will fall back into the cycle of housing instability, Alderman said. “We’re always going to have higher-need individuals in our communities,” Alderman said. “It’s our responsibility to take care of them, especially if they can’t take care of themselves.” Johnston’s commitment to solving homelessness in Denver is a symbol of the dramatic shift in how the state is addressing housing and homelessness, Alderman said. “This really is a new approach to bring people off the streets indoors to safer places, and it is going to save people’s lives,” Alderman said. The city is hopeful that this comprehensive approach will not only help get more individuals into stable, permanent housing, but also prevent others from entering the homelessness cycle. Though the mayor’s office is proud to have reached its 1,000 person goal by the deadline, it only marks the beginning of its intentions to end homelessness in Denver, Chandler said. “We will keep working until every single person on our streets has a safe place to be,” Chandler said.
Denver Herald 7
February 8, 2024
Englewood students learn from media pathway, even the ones that don’t want to be journalists participate and that excitement showcases everything in our school.” Gambrell said she plans to pursue investigative journalism or criminal justice and advises younger and future students interested in the program to remain open to its variety. “Just be yourself with it. Learn and see where you fit in as a media student and just let your creativity flow,” Gambrell said.
BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Englewood Public Schools offer many different career pathways, including a well rounded media literacy program. Educator Karla Shotts said many classes and opportunities are available to students. “The media pathway is one of the most encompassing pathways that we have in Englewood schools because it includes broadcast journalism ... yearbook and some design aspects,” Shotts said. Englewood High School media student and senior Daniella Tobias said she joined the program when she was a freshman. “I didn’t really have an idea of what I wanted,” Tobias said. “As the years went on, I realized this was something that I wanted to do.” Tobias is planning to attend Colorado State University and will major in journalism with plans to specialize in broadcast journalism. “They get the basics,” Shotts said. “Then they hone their skills. Then they get a leadership role so these kids leave this program knowing good writing, good interviewing, strong journalistic ethics. They make sure that they understand media literacy for social media, the difference between local media, national media and it’s just so much for them to learn those pieces.” Tobias said the program is important to students because of its variety in classes and learnable skills. “You can do all kinds of different things but at the end of the day you’re still learning,” Tobias said. “I know I am going to go into this in college so it just gives me a good idea of what I am going to be doing and what I am going to be learning about.” Shotts said many students stay in the pathway throughout high school. Typically, about five to six end up want to go on with college education that could lead to a profession in journalism. Shotts has 30 years of TV news experience enjoys passing on her knowledge to the next generation of media professionals. “The best part of dealing with high school students is finding that love for a different type of writing,” Shotts said. “They’re not writing for English class, they’re writing about their fellow students.” Senior Marco Lopez said
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During the final week of the Fall semester Englewood High School media students complete their final PHOTO BY ELISABETH SLAY projects.
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he and his brother worked hard on live streams for the district. He said he has loved his time in the program. “I’ve enjoyed all the experiences and stuff I’ve done with (Shotts) and my peers,” Lopez said. Lopez said he will pursue a real estate career and feels the skills he has learned from the program will help him in the future. “It’s an important program (because) if you don’t enjoy school you can come to these kinds of classes and you can learn a skill you can use after high school or get a career in it,” Lopez said. “I think it can really help me with the media aspect of it as I could record my own video and I know how to use editing software now.” Shotts said media students cover a little bit of everything. “We like to say the yearbook is the love letter to the school so lots of positive memories that you can look back on years from now,” Shotts said. “We operate EHS Media away from Englewood schools. The state legislature has given us free reign to ethically cover things that are good, bad, ugly, fantastic and I think that the kids drive the sto-
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ries that we do.” Shotts said the students know what’s going on in their schools and they know what changes they want to see and their media coverage reflects that. The educator said coverage ranges from school lunches to the class schedule to curriculum to diversity. Additionally, she said students localize national events and cover local politics. “There’s a lot of content and every student gets a chance to publish whether it’s a two paragraph story because it’s their first one… to long form six or seven interview stories,” Shotts said. Shotts said the students take their content creation seriously because they know they’re work will be seen by the public. Over time Shotts said the program has evolved from three computers in a small room to state of the art equipment and a larger class room to accommodate the increase in student interest. “We really are trying to make it feel like a newsroom,” Shotts said. “You have to get your story, get your interview and turn it in as quickly as you can.”
Junior and Pirateer Editor-in-Chief Serenity Gambrell said she started taking media classes last year because it “piqued her interest.” “For me it’s just how much freedom I have,” she said. “How much freedom I have to tell different stories, to talk to different people, to ask as many questions as I would like, to get as much information as I can.” She said she loves bringing together different perspectives on an issue and coordinating it all into her own story. “I feel like this is an important program because it is one of those things that shows people how much you can actually do and actually learn if you just sit and dig a little deeper,” Gambrell said. Shotts said regardless of where students end up in life, the media program allows them to engage in their community and share their perspectives. “The kids are finding something that they love. Something that they can expand their knowledge base on whether they’re going to be journalists or not,” Shotts said. “They seem to really love it and they get excited to
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8 Denver Herald
February 8, 2024
Free preschool: what parents need to know ment, the match will be confirmed immediately. To ensure you get a preregistration link, talk to your current preschool or child care provider about your plans to stay with the program for universal preschool. The provider will then let the state know about all continuing families. Families not eligible to preregister can still fill out the universal preschool application starting in late February, but they won’t be matched to a preschool until April. Families who apply after that will get their preschool matches in June. Starting in late June, walk-ins will be allowed. That means families can apply for universal preschool by calling or visiting a local preschool directly. If that preschool is participating in the state program and has space, staff there will help families apply and secure a spot.
BY ANN SCHIMKE CHALKBEAT COLORADO
Colorado families can start applying for the state’s free preschool program for the 2024-25 school year in late February. The $322 million program, which launched in August, is open to all 4-year-olds and some 3-year-olds. More than 39,000 4-year-olds are currently enrolled in the program — about 62% of that age group in the state. About 10,000 3-year-olds are also enrolled. After a chaotic and confusing application rollout last spring and summer, state officials made several changes to this year’s process. The goal is to make it easier for families already connected to a preschool to stay with that program for universal preschool. The state also is making a change to ensure that children in poverty get access to full-day tuition-free preschool. Here’s what families need to know about the preschool program and the online application. Who gets free preschool and how much do they get?
Two groups of children qualify: All 4-year-olds and some 3-year-olds who need extra help. The preschool program is primarily designed for children in the year before they go to kindergarten — children who turn 4 before the state’s Oct. 1 cutoff date. Most 4-year-olds will get 15 hours of preschool a week, though some preschool providers offer only 10 houra-week schedules. Starting this year, 4-year-olds from families with incomes at or below 100% of the federal poverty level —
Auraria Early Learning Center in Denver is among more than 1,900 Colorado preANN SCHIMKE CHALKBEAT schools participating in the state’s universal preschool program.
up to $31,200 for a family of four — will qualify for 30 hours of tuitionfree preschool a week. In addition, 4-year-olds in families with income between 100% and 270% of the federal poverty level — $31,200 to $84,240 for a family of four — who also fall into at least one of the categories below qualify for 30 hours a week: Speak a language other than English at home; have a special education plan, also known as an IEP; homeless; in foster care. Remember, not every preschool offers a 30-hour a week schedule — or if they do, has open seats available. That means qualifying for 30 hours of free preschool through the state isn’t a guarantee that a child
will get it. Compared to 4-year-olds, only a small number of 3-year-olds — children two years away from kindergarten — qualify for tuition-free preschool. This year, about one-third of 3-year-olds in universal preschool are children with disabilities and the rest are from low-income families or have other risk factors. Only 3-year-olds who have special education plans are guaranteed free preschool. The number of hours depends on what’s spelled out in their special education plan. If there’s enough funding, 3-year-olds with one of the other risk factors listed above may get at least 10 hours of free preschool a week. If you’re not sure whether your 3-year-old will qualify, fill out the state application just in case. What about 5-year-olds who aren’t in kindergarten yet?
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A small number of 5-year-olds are eligible for free preschool in the year before they attend kindergarten. Specifically: Those living in school districts with kindergarten cut-off dates earlier than the state’s Oct. 1 cut-off whose birthdays fall between the two cut-off dates. For example, a child in a district where children must turn 5 by July 30 to attend kindergarten, will qualify for free preschool if they turn 5 in August or September. Five-year-olds who could go to kindergarten but have been held out by their families — a practice often called redshirting — aren’t eligible for free preschool in that year. When can I fill out the universal preschool application?
This year’s application will open in late February, about a month later than last year. Starting then, certain families will get to preregister, specifically those who want to send their child to the preschool where the child is currently enrolled, where a sibling is enrolled, or where the parent is employed. These families will get an email from the state that links to a universal preschool application preloaded with their current preschool. Once the family accepts the place-
What do I need to fill out the application? Are there income requirements?
If you qualify for preregistration, you’ll receive a link from the state with a prepopulated application. If not, you’ll create your online application using an email address or phone number. Most families will need about 15 minutes to fill it out. The application is offered in English, Spanish, and Arabic. Families with incomes at or below 270% of the federal poverty line will need to upload proof of income, such as pay stubs or tax forms, when they apply for universal preschool. My child has a disability. What’s the application process?
Families will get a link from the state with a preloaded universal preschool application if their child will be 3 or 4 next school year, has a special education plan — also known as an IEP — and are already getting services for their disability through their local school district. If the family of a child with a special education plan is not currently connected to their local district — perhaps they recently moved — they can fill out the universal preschool application when it opens. Once they indicate on the application that their child has an IEP, the district will reach out to them about next steps. Most preschoolers with IEPs will be placed in classrooms run by their school districts. Parents who are worried their preschooler may be delayed in speech, learning, or development but don’t have a diagnosis or IEP, should contact Child Find, a state program that screens children suspected of having a disability. Check this list for Child Find coordinators by region. Can I pick my 4-year-old’s preschool?
Yes. Families who don’t qualify for preregistration or want a program other than the one their child currently attends will be asked to pick up to five preschools and will be able to rank their choices. Options include school-based preschools, faith-based preschools, preschool programs inside child care centers, and state-licensed home-based programs. SEE PRESCHOOL, P9
Denver Herald 9
February 8, 2024
PRESCHOOL FROM PAGE 8
Search and map functions are available within the universal preschool application to narrow down the choices. There are some cases where preschool providers can turn down a universal preschool applicant. For example, a school-based preschool might turn away a child who lives outside district boundaries or an employer-based preschool that mainly provides care to children of company employees may decline a child of a non-employee. Can I pick my 3-year-old’s preschool?
Possibly, but you won’t have as
CYCLISTS FROM PAGE 5
The New York Times reported that Americans spend nearly three times as much time interacting with their phones while driving compared to drivers in Britain, according to data collected by Cambridge Mobile Telematics, a company that tracks dangerous driving. The data showed that distracted driving in the U.S. — detected when phones are tapped or in motion in vehicles traveling faster than 9 mph — typically peaks in the evening hours, the Times reported. Experts say bigger cars on the road could also play a factor, though car sales haven’t dramatically changed in the last few years.
many choices as 4-year-olds do. It all depends on your school district since districts are in charge of placing 3-year-old preschoolers. Some districts primarily serve 3-year-olds in district-run classrooms while others work with community child care programs to serve 3-year-olds. When you fill out the universal preschool application, you’ll select your school district and then work with them on preschool placement. My district’s school choice application is due before the universal preschool application opens. What should I do?
Families who want to send their child to a district-run preschool run may have to fill out two applications. First up is the district’s school choice form. Next, fill out the universal pre“As cars have gotten bigger, longer, taller, heavier, they’re hitting pedestrians and bicyclists with more force,” Van Vonno said. “The heavier a car is, the longer it takes to stop that car. Brakes are slower when you have a heavier vehicle and you have a lot of vehicles nowadays that have a very tall hood and instead of hitting a person at the leg or knee level, it’s hitting people in the chest.” In 2023, the most registered car in Colorado was a Ford F-150, followed by the Chevrolet Silverado, two massive trucks with high front ends, according to data from the Division of Motor Vehicles. The best-selling car nationwide in 1990 was a Honda Accord, a much smaller sedan. “At the end of the day, when a car and a bike come into conflict, it’s the
school application when it opens. If your child or a sibling already attends your favored district-run preschool, or you work there, the state will send you a preregistration link to a universal preschool application preloaded with your preschool choice in late February. If you have no current affiliation with a district-run preschool, the state will send you a link to the general universal preschool application using your contact information from the school choice form. Fill out the application and choose your top five preschools and you’ll find out your child’s preschool match in April.
above and beyond what the state covers for free, as long as the preschool offers more hours. You can also see if you qualify for financial help through other means, such as the state’s child care subsidy program or a local tuition assistance program. Here’s a rundown of the options.
What if I need more hours than what my preschooler is eligible for?
You can still pay for extra hours
Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.
pedestrian who’s going to lose,” she said. “A person in a car might be safe, but you might kill somebody and I don’t think anyone wants to be responsible for that.” 226 people were killed in an impairment-related crash Impairment-related crashes were down last year compared with 2022, but still 226 people lost their lives. “There’s not a soul in the U.S. that doesn’t know if you get behind the wheel (while impaired) that you could end up killing somebody. So getting behind the wheel, knowing that information, is selfish, it’s careless and reckless,” Cutler said. A variety of factors could contribute to the dip in traffic fatalities in 2023, Cutler said, including increased technology in newer cars that reminds drivers to fasten their
seatbelts. Enforcement is also up, with a team of state troopers stationed in parts of the state to target impaired driving and various campaigns to warn against dangerous driving behaviors, including aggressive driving, he said. For safer roads, drivers need to stop thinking about pedestrians and cyclists as an afterthought, Cole with CDOT said. “We need a wholesale shift in the way drivers think about safety and sharing the road,” Cole said. “Too many people drive without a consideration to the increasing number of roadway users out there.” This story was printed through a news sharing agreement with The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonprofit based in Denver that covers the state.
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I have more questions. What should I do?
Contact the local group that’s coordinating the universal preschool program in your county or region. The state calls them Local Coordinating Organizations or LCOs.
10 Denver Herald
W
LOCAL
February 8, 2024
VOICES Consistently confident and courageous
hen dreams whisper just out of reach, our instinct is often to shrink back, feeling underqualified for bold pursuits. But buried beneath self-doubt, embers of our true potential still glow. Now is the time to fan those embers into flames. It’s time to embrace our created purpose with confidence and courage. Confidence silences the nagging inner critic. It drowns out voices shouting, “Who do you think you are?” Confidence straightens slumped shoulders and lifts the chin. It declares, “I am filled with strengths and talents to offer this world. I have a rightful place and voice.” Our fright shrinks because our confidence believes the best about us. Initially this column started out as piece that would help salespeople understand the importance of confidence in their profession. Many sales leaders today share that confidence has become a major issue as advancement in technology, fierce competition, and other factors are causing sellers to doubt themselves. My guidance has always been that sellers need to master three levels of confidence: confidence in themselves, confidence in their products and services, and confidence in their company to stand behind their products and services and fully support their customers.
But as I socialized the idea for this column, my inner circle encouraged me to make it about all people because there is so much disruption going on in the world coupled with fear and uncertainty, that we could all use a shot of conMichael Norton fidence and courage. Courage is confidence on fire, propelling us past paralysis into action. Courage says, “I feel afraid but will forge ahead anyway.” It risks failure for the sake of fulfilling our calling. As we move forward while still trembling, courage builds muscle memory for our next brave act. Our capabilities multiply as we climb the stairsteps of growth. And remember that our confidence and courage are built while we take the stairs and avoid the false promises of an easy elevator ride. With inspired confidence and courage, we break free from confining expectations and dead-end jobs. We pivot into purpose-fueled vocations that energize us. We build platforms sharing hard-won wisdom. Our authentic voice leaves a unique impact on those we live and work with. With confidence and courage, we escape stagnancy. We learn new
WINNING WORDS
skills, then launch inspiring ventures. We adopt healthier rhythms and mindsets. We enrich community through our gifts. We turn stumbling blocks into steppingstones, where once we teetered and wobbled, but now thrive and conquer. True confidence is not arrogance that fluctuates with circumstance. Lasting confidence emanates from an identity rooted in unconditional love. This soul-deep assurance fuels consistent courage to live out purpose, no matter the cost. With confidence as our foundation, consistency abounds. The world peddles counterfeit confidence based on achievement and approval. But when statuses change or critics attack, false confidence crumbles. Basing our worth on shifting sand leads to inconsistency, soaring in success but plunging at the first sign of failure. Genuine confidence stands on the bedrock of our faith-based foundation. When we internalize the grace and blessings that surround us, our confidence stabilizes. Our moods, mistakes and critics no longer control us. Confidence coupled with our inner strength sees us through our weaknesses, helping to liberate us from fear while living boldly. Confidence-fueled consistency manifests in persevering despite hardship, staying true to values amid temptation, and speaking
truth with grace not judgement. Consistent confidence steps up when others retreat. It keeps believing the best about people and possibilities when cynicism abounds. Living confidently also means resisting perfectionism that sabotages consistency. Progress over perfection is grace in action. When we stop berating ourselves, consistency builds momentum. Small consistent steps compound into massive transformation. As our true confident consistent courageousness increasingly defines us, restlessness gives way to deep purpose and joy. We show up authentically without pretense. Our glow comes from within. We finish each race with heads high, already eager for the next. How might the world change if you bravely stepped into your full potential? Your gifts are irreplaceable. It’s time to stand tall, claim divine affirmation, and let courage have its way. You were made to shine. As always I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com and when we can be consistently confident and courageous, it really will be a better than good life. Michael Norton is an author, a personal and professional coach, consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator of individuals and businesses, working with organizations and associations across multiple industries.
Girl Scout cookies can make cold February days a lot sweeter
F
ebruary is the time of year that there’s just a lull. The weather is cold and we still have roughly a month before we ‘spring forward’ to longer, warmer days. But there is one thing that brings a little sweetness to this month – Girl Scout cookies. I love Girl Scout cookie season for a couple of reasons. First, I don’t think a cold Friday or Saturday night can be better spent than snuggling up with some warm throw blankets – and my cats – and streaming a beloved movie while munching on some yummy cookies. Secondly, it’s fun to support local Girl Scouts because I know that every purchase goes to a good cause. Cookie season is when the Girl Scouts have an opportunity to apply and practice lifelong skills. These include – but are certainly not
FROM THE EDITOR
limited to – goalsetting, decisionmaking, money management, people skills and business ethics. All of the proceeds stay local, too. Girl Scouts can use their cookie sales revenue to fund individual troop needs. Christy Steadman For example, they can use their cookie money to purchase supplies for a community project, or to pay for each troop member’s admission to a museum. Of course, they can also use the money for fun things like a day at Elitches or to send each troop member to summer camp. But any way that they choose to spend their cookie money will provide an invaluable life experience and price-
less memories for them. In turn, cookie customers can be assured that they are purchasing a quality product. None of the Girl Scout cookie varieties contain trans fat, and every cookie ingredient and other nutritional information can be found on littlebrowniebakers. com. Some cookies even adhere to dietary needs – Thin Mints are vegan and Toffee-tastics are gluten-free. Speaking of being a quality product, Girl Scout cookies remain affordable – while everything else seems to be affected by inflation, Girl Scout cookies still cost $5 or $6 per package. And all of your favorites will be available. This year’s cookie season runs from Feb. 4 through March 10, and there are two ways to get cookies. 1. The tried-and-true booth sales: You will probably see Girl Scout booths set up at various retailers,
but there is a mobile app or the Cookie Finder online to help you find them. To use the latter, visit girlscoutsofcolorado.org, and select Find Cookies. Enter your zip code and a new window will provide you with a list of dates, times and locations of a local Girl Scout cookie sales booth. 2. The Digital Cookie: If you know a Girl Scout, this might be the most direct way to get your cookies. Your Girl Scout might send you an invite to purchase cookies from her Digital Cookie site, but you can also ask her for her Digital Cookie link. Through Digital Cookie, you pay online and cookies can be shipped. If you are local to the Girl Scout you are ordering from, you can also inquire about delivery. Happy Girl Scout cookie season, Denver. I can’t wait to get my hands on some Thin Mints and Samoas!
nities and others in metro Denver are truly blessed with numerous opportunities to participate in and attend performing arts groups. I have sung with the Cherry Creek Chorale for over 40 years for the
same reasons that were named by instrumentalists in the article. The tag line for this volunteer choir is “Creating Community, Artistry and Excellence.” Communities thrive when arts are available. I encourage
all residents to attend and support the arts groups in and around their areas. Also, let’s continue to support the arts in our schools so that they flourish far into the future. Leslie Stevenson, Highlands Ranch
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Do your part for art
I greatly enjoyed the recentlypublished “Bringing New Life To Music” article that highlighted orchestras in Jefferson County, Littleton and Lone Tree. These commu-
Denver Herald 11
February 8, 2024
7 things to know before you go to Casa Bonita BY JO DAVIS JDAVIS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
An invitation to dine at Casa Bonita is still considered a “golden ticket” in Jefferson County. The restaurant is still in Beta Testing mode and using email invites as the way into the reservation system. It’s not possible to call up the restaurant and reserve a table. There are several other things that you should know about Casa Bonita before you embark on a journey to the place. The process begins in an email and ends with a walk past the wall of names of former employees. In between, an unforgettable experience can be enjoyed with the proper preparation. The stars aligned to finally give me a chance to go to Casa Bonita recently. Colorado Community Media publisher Linda Shapley broke through the reservation waitlist and got that golden invite to dine at Casa Bonita. I joined Linda, her family and a family friend for a mid-afternoon dining experience at Casa Bonita. 1. Getting the Golden Ticket
Linda’s biggest advice when it comes to securing a ticket is to be patient. “After signing up in May (with four different emails) and getting no response, I went the same route that got me a job interview at The Denver Post nearly 30 years ago: A constant, friendly barrage of communication,” she said. “I signed up anew at least every couple of weeks. I sent a still-unanswered email to PR asking about holding a company event. I went to Facebook groups and signed up through that portal. And it only took seven months!” 2. Using your Golden Ticket
Linda’s continued advice is to keep that patience! “I sat down after Christmas Day dinner, when the rest of the fam was napping, and started looking for dates to attend,” she said. “Of course, I wanted to take as many people as I could, so I started looking for availability for the maximum 8 allowed. I checked nearly every date, starting
with the latest available date offered, and starting with the earliest available time.” Nothing seemed to be available. “So I did the same with seven attendees. Then six. Then, things started to loosen up with five people. I found a time at 4:30, right when they opened,” Linda said. “While at first I was taken aback by the early time, I was glad we were there that early once I was inside,” she continued. “By the time we left the pink palace at 8ish, it was packed at nearly every attraction.” 3. Surviving security
You need the email that comes with the Casa Bonita invite. In fact, bring it with you. You cannot get into the restaurant without that reservation. Someone scans it before you even get to the door. Then be prepared for the metal detectors and bag search. You will have to empty your pockets and walk through a pair of metal detectors at the door. The next table is a bag search. They will open all bags, including gift bags and gifts, something I learned the hard way. So, don’t wrap any gifts that you bring along. Consider a gift bag instead. Make security go a bit faster by leaving backpacks and oversized purses in the car. 4. Some notes on the food
The ordering process is different and may catch diners by surprise. The menu is available online. Check it out and consider your choices before going in to make the process easier. Take a moment to look around and snap a few photos. For the best pic of the reservation area, go to the opening of the hallway to the bathrooms. Get low by kneeling if possible, facing the open space. Point your camera upward. Adjust as needed and snap. Once you get to the food preparation station, there are a few choices to be made, but not many. Relax a little here and take in the space. The wait staff will take your food to the table. Just follow along.
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You can only order drinks at the table if you have an armband that shows your ID has been checked and you are of age to drink. Get that band when ordering the food. Sopapillas come in 5 to 6 sopapillas baskets that cost $1 a basket. They come hot, with honey and wet napkins. Hoard the wet napkins because the honey gets everywhere. 5. Some tips about the entertainment
The characters the inhabit Casa Bonita will shock guests who have never experienced the place. They are actors in full costume, ready to bring guests into their mini-dramas. Expect Manbearpig to just pop in to see what you are doing. A Wild Westera sheriff may come along to enlist you on a mission or to make sure you are enjoying the experience. There are several different characters roaming the place. Don’t be surprised to see two characters sitting and arguing amongst themselves. It’s part of the entertainment. The hardest part initially may be learning what’s upstairs and what’s downstairs. However, it does not take long to acclimate yourself to the landscape. Expect a few rooms to feel like you left Casa Bonita and entered a new place. For example, the magic show took place in a room that was decked out like a Las Vegas-style diner and showroom from the 1970s. After the show, it took a moment to get oriented back into the Casa Bonita experience. Also, don’t try to get photos or videos of the puppet show. Expect a light tap on the shoulder and a stern warning from security if you do. A note on Black Bart’s Cave: Don’t worry about people waiting to grab or jump out and scare you. The new cave uses light shows, loud sudden sounds and puffs of air to replace the human presence. 6. Before you leave...
Stop by the gift shop. Everything
there is kind of pricey. If your budget is tapped from the meal, look for the stickers and magnets. They are souvenirs of your visit for less than $5. On the way out, slow down and take in the wall of employees. The wall seems to be missing the crew from the early 60s. However, the number of people who worked in Casa Bonita in previous years is immense. Snap a picture if you see the name of someone you know. Casa Bonita is an unforgettable experience for everyone. Those who remember the old version will love comparing notes. The newcomers will love the T.A.R.D.I.S. of a place and all it holds. Take plenty of pictures (where pictures are allowed) to remember your night. 7. Don’t ask The one curious item to note is the hush-hush nature of the restaurant. Any questions asked about the opening are met with a smile and some form of an “I don’t know” answer from staff. The staff members we found near the live mariachi band gave the same answer. Questions about anything that didn’t pertain to the visit at hand were not answered. The Jeffco Transcript reached out to Casa Bonita for an interview with general manager Marti Winer. The restaurant’s public relations team answered our email and ultimately declined the opportunity to cooperate with the article. It seems that Casa Bonita is (partially) open for business, but not for questions. For more information, go to CasaBonitaDenver.com. Jo Davis is a reporter for the Jeffco Transcript, one of Colorado Community Media’s two dozen local weekly newspapers. She also writes a weekly newsletter about Jefferson County happenings, which you can subscribe to at https://ccm.bluelena. io/f/1.
ABOUT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Colorado Community Media welcomes letters to the editor. Please note the following rules: • Email your letter to csteadman@ coloradocommunitymedia.com. Do not send via postal mail. Put the words “letter to the editor” in the email subject line. • Submit your letter by 5 p.m. on Wednesday in order to have it considered for publication in the following week’s
newspaper. • Letters must be no longer than 400 words. • Letters should be exclusively submitted to Colorado Community Media and should not be submitted to other outlets or previously posted on websites or social media. Submitted letters become the property of CCM and should not be republished elsewhere.
12 Denver Herald
February 8, 2024
Meet some of the people behind the new automated trains at Denver International Airport BY JO DAVIS JDAVIS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Twenty-six new automated trains are coming to Denver International Airport this summer, according to operators. Currently, 31 automated trains carry ticketed airport passengers from the three active concourses. About half the fleet has been in service since the airport opened in 1995 and has run over 1.4 million miles, so replacements are sorely needed, according to the airport. The new trains are also automated, but more than 73 people are responsible for keeping them running every day around the clock. “Passenger traffic at Denver International Airport is expected to reach more than 78 million by the end of this year alone, and 100 million annual passengers are expected within the next three to five years. We are preparing for the future in a variety of ways, including renovating the Great Hall, adding gates to concourses and adding capacity to the trains to the gates,” DIA CEO Phil Washington said. “New train cars will increase the number of passengers that can be moved to the gates by approximately 850 per hour. They will reduce the time between arriving trains and allow us to run a more effective operating schedule. These efficiencies are going to be felt by passengers and make for a more seamless experience at DEN.” The first of the new trains arrived in December 2023 and will be tested through the next six months. Everyone is excited, from the director of operations to the mechanic who maintains the trains. The new trains may be automated, but the people who keep them running are skilled, working people who are eager to enter the next era of moving people around DIA.
The automated people mover and airport nerd stuff
The trains are important to the operation of the airport, according to DIA Senior Director of Operations Matt Robb. “You can’t get to B and C concourse. The only way you can get there is on the train,” Robb explained. “It is a single point of failure, which is why we put such a heavy emphasis on maintaining (the trains). If we get the train doesn’t move, the airport doesn’t move.” Robb said that trains and airports have been his passion since age 13, when he took a trip through the O’Hare International Airport. “There were so many people here. So many airplanes. So much space. The logistics of operating a place like that, the challenges, again, it’s all about the movement of people,” Robb said. “So how they could operate a place like that was beyond what my 13-yearold brain could comprehend. So really, this is like some next-level airport nerd stuff.” Robb fell in love with airports as a teen, taking trips with his dad to airports in Oklahoma City and Dallas Forth Worth. “We just ride the train around and walk around the airport and spend a morning and afternoon just in the airport,” Robb said. His love of airports and moving people started there. Robb explained that the DIA trains are operated by Alstom, a contractor that manufactures French rails. “They build a lot of surface rail trains, the traditional trains actual trains,” Robb said. According to Robb, besides himself, only one other DIA employee, the automated guideway transit system administrator, works with the train system inside the airport. The rest of the people behind the trains work for Alstom. SEE PEOPLE MOVER, P13
Roberto Cortez, of Commerce City, has been working on the trains at DIA for Alstom for 24 years. He explained how his military background (maintaining helicopters) and experience as an auto mechanic helped when he started learning to fix the trains. PHOTO BY JO DAVIS
The new trains are at the shop and being tested by a special team right now. RJ Henessy Alstom DIA Site Production Manager and Maintenance Manager, said the new train PHOTO BY PETER SCOTT BARTA is testing now, with styrofoam bumpers on the sides to ensure that measurements and other stats keep the train from bumping into the walls.
Denver Herald 13
February 8, 2024
Alstom, the company contracted to operate and maintain the DIA trains, has a display of flags in its shop. The flags represent the United States, Colorado and the branches of the military represented by their staff. According to Matt Fasbender, human resources manager, more than half of the people who work for Alstom are military veterans. PHOTO BY JO DAVIS
PEOPLE MOVER FROM PAGE 12
Keeping the trains running around the clock
Robb noted that the trains are not actually trains on a track. They have wheels and tires. “We call the train the AGTS, which is an automated guideway transit system,” Robb explained. “We also sometimes call it an APM, which is an automated people mover. It’s not, it is a train. But really, they’re just like big, automated buses, they run on big rubber wheels. And then there’s a guideway in between that kind of keeps them going where they are supposed to, but there’s no rail or anything.” Alstom makes the trains and also operates a section of the airport accessed beneath the concourses by way of the tunnel system. Alstom owns and operates the shop where the trains are maintained, repaired and tested. According to Aurora resident and Environmental Health and Safety Manager for Alstom DIA Marcus Huff, the site had gone 812 days without an accident at the time of Colorado Community Media’s interview at DIA. Because of the importance of the trains, Huff said safety is a top priority. The reason, according to Alstom DIA Operations Manager Shawn Bingham, also from Aurora, is because of the downtime commitment between Alstom and Denver. Bingham said the trains have to be available 99.94% of the time that the airport is open. And the airport never closes. “In a 31-day month, there are 44,600 minutes in that month,” Bingham explained. “We have about 20 minutes of downtime out of those 44,600 minutes every month. So, we can try to paint that picture for taking such a small
amount of downtime on average every month out of those 44,600 available minutes. And that’s about 99.94% availabilities.” Alstom DIA Site Production Manager and Maintenance Manager RJ Hennessy, from Brighton, explained that up to seven trains run each day to keep up with the demand. The highest demand for the trains is in the spring and summer, not during the holidays, Hennessy said. “Don’t get me wrong. We typically have (high demand) maybe two days around each of those holidays,” Hennessy said. “That’s it. The people coming in for the holiday season and the people leaving for the holiday season are pretty much it. So, it’s two days around the Thanksgiving timeframe. And around the Christmas timeframe. That’s it — just two days. In the summertime — take those two days and now put them over probably two weeks. And it starts at spring break.” Keeping the trains going all year, with only 20 minutes of downtime per month takes the help of all 73 Alstom employees, according to Bingham. Who keeps the trains running
Alstom DIA Senior HR Manager Matt Fasbender said the Alstom team is more than 50% military veterans. The employees come from all over the Denver Metro area. Many of the Alstom team members have been working at DIA for more than 20 years. “About 27 people have 25 years or more,” Fasbender said. Roberto Cortez, a mechanic from Commerce City, is one of those military vets with a long tenure at the site. “I had like I had 10 years in the Marine Corps,” Cortez said. “So, I had already been through a lot of oopsies and the mistakes when you start turning wrenches. It made the transition pretty easy.”
Cortez said that his experience working on cars and military helicopters helped when he started working on the DIA trains 24 years ago. “It’s not that technology is the same, but technical aspects and using logic, stuff like that is,” he said. Ryan Parrish, a train mechanic for Alstom DIA from Thornton, agreed that his military background prepared him for work on the trains. “I was in the army for five years. I worked on the Patriot missile system,” he said. “I guess I wanted work that kind of translated.” Parrish went to Spartan College of Aeronautics in Broomfield to acquire more skills. His counselor at the college directed Parrish to Alstom. “I mean, there’s no money in the civilian world for taking out aircraft, but money is in fixing things,” he said. Parrish has been with Alstom at DIA for six years. Carlos Alvarez is a helper mechanic from Aurora with two years at Alstom DIA. Alvarez was also educated at Spartan College. He worked on wind turbines before coming to Alstom. His previous skills helped ease the learning curve when he came to work on the trains. “Once you know how to read schematics and turn wrenches, it’s all the same,” Alvarez said. The mechanics, managers and everyone else at Alstom are eager to get their hands on the new train. Cortez said they are just “peeking over the shoulders” of the new train’s testers for now. “They don’t want us to touch it,” Cortez said. “But the testing process is a little regimented so that they’re not gonna let us put our hands on the train until they figure it out. And get it going. Then, they’re gonna give it to us so we can tear it up. I mean, so we can work on it.”
“We have a team that is here specifically for introducing the new trains,” Bingham said. “And they have a very, as (Alvarez) said, regimented plan that they follow, testing and making sure the train functions the way it’s supposed to. That it assimilates into our system the way it’s supposed to.” He said the train must run 300 hours without fail before Cortez and the others get to it. According to Bingham, the new trains should be online and transported by the public this summer. Until then, these people will see to the trains, and to moving people throughout the Denver International Airport. For more information on the new train system, Alstom and the Denver International Airport, visit FlyDenver.com.
DIA TRAINS BY THE NUMBERS 26 new trains will come online at DIA by the end of 2024 6,500 passengers ride the trains every day 78 million passengers expected in 2024 100 million passengers per year by 2027 31 trains in the fleet before the new trains 16 of the old trains were in operation for 29 years 1.4 million miles run by the old trains being retired 41 trains will be in the DIA fleet by the end of 2024 15 minutes maximum amount of downtime allowed for the train system each month. 812 days since the last accident in the Alstrom DIA shop (as of Jan. 11, 2024) 73 employed by Alstom to operate and run the trains at DIA 2 DIA employee works with the train system
14 Denver Herald
February 8, 2024
300 college dropouts to get associate degrees BY JASON GONZALES CHALKBEAT COLORADO
Colorado state leaders are celebrating the first 300 students to receive an associate degree through a program meant to award students who earned at least 70 college credits but never finished their four-year degree. Colorado is believed to be one of the first states in the country to offer this type of program, which was launched in 2021 through $1 million in pandemic relief funds. The state estimates that more than 25,000 former college students statewide may be eligible for an associate degree under the Colorado Re-Engaged Initiative, or CORE. Several thousand students are also expected to become eligible to take part in the program each year, according to a news release from Gov. Jared Polis’ office. “CORE is a great opportunity for Coloradans to get a degree and advance their careers,” Polis said in the release. “So many Coloradans who are forced by their circumstances to step away from education have invested so much time and money, yet don’t have the degree to reflect their hard work. I am proud that Colorado is providing students and institutions with the tools they need
Colorado’s CORE Initiative seeks to get associate degrees to students who completed at least 70 hours of their four-year education but dropped out. PHOTO BY ELI IMADALI FOR CHALKBEAT
to help Coloradans get degrees and fill in-demand, good-paying jobs.” So far, seven colleges and universities have participated in the
program, including Colorado State University’s Fort Collins and Pueblo campuses; Fort Lewis College; Metropolitan State University of Denver;
University of Northern Colorado; and University of Colorado’s Colorado Springs and Denver campuses. Western Colorado University plans to take part in the program starting this year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that students who have completed some college, but did not earn a degree make about $935 a week on average. Meanwhile, an associate degree increases weekly pay by about $70 more a week. The governor’s office said the program also increases the number of Coloradans with a degree or certificate and helps them secure employment in higher paying careers. The program also may entice former students to return to college, the release says. Lawmakers and school officials across the state have applauded the impact of the program. Beth Myers, an associate vice chancellor at CU Denver, said it’s life-changing for students. “I heard one graduate tell her mother that her coursework wasn’t for nothing,” Meyers said in the news release. “It was worth the investment.” Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.
Building trends to blame for Marshall fire, experts say BY ERIC GALATAS PUBLIC NEWS SERVICE
Wildland-urban fire disasters, including the Marshall Fire in Boulder County that killed two people and destroyed over a thousand homes, are not actually a wildfire problem, according to new analysis published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Report co-author Dave Calkin said these events are actually urban fires that just happened to be sparked by wildfire. To prevent future disasters, communities need to address what makes buildings vulnerable to igni-
tion. “It becomes a matter of how the community is designed, and how the structures are built, and their immediate surroundings that really define survivability,” said Calkin. A series of large-scale fires - including the Camp Fire in Paradise, California that killed 85, the fire in Lahaina, Hawaii that killed 98, and others - may have started where human development borders on wilderness areas. But under dry and windy conditions, homes and other structures quickly became fuel that helped fire spread rapidly and consume more buildings.
Because these fires immediately overwhelmed firefighting efforts, Calkin said the work to make neighborhoods less vulnerable needs to be an all hands on deck effort. Insurance companies, which have started denying coverage after facing significant losses, also need to be at the table. “It’s going to take support from all levels of government,” said Calkin. “And it’s going to take engagement from the insurance industry, and most importantly, the homeowners themselves.” Calkin said reducing fire risk in a changing climate will require a better understanding of wildfire behavior,
and the materials and vegetation that make buildings tinder-boxes. Better evacuation planning is also critical. Calkin added what makes resilience work in Southern California or Montana may be very different from what will work in Colorado. “Creating resilient communities both to wildfire and to climate change is going to require local solutions,” said Calkin. “But it’s going to require state and national level commitments to supporting those local solutions.” This story comes via The Associated Press’ Storyshare, of which Colorado Community Media is a member.
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February 8, 2024
ADUS FROM PAGE 1
In Denver, for instance, a residential lot must be a certain size or in a certain area to be zoned for an ADU to be legally built. Getting a variance can be difficult. Bill sponsors told The Colorado Sun they view ADUs as a small piece of solving Colorado’s housing crunch, one that can appeal to senior citizens and workers alike. “People are struggling to live where they work,” said Sen. Kyle Mullica, D-Thornton. “This is an opportunity to try to solve that and put more affordable units on the market.” Rep. Judy Amabile, D-Boulder, said that before she joined the legislature, she built a shower and a kitchenette in a room above her garage for her son, who suffers from mental illness and needed a separate living space. The city cracked down on the illegal unit, and her son was left homeless for months, she said, spending the night in shelters and occasionally in a sleeping bag on her porch. “That shouldn’t be happening,” Amabile said. “It’s about your own personal property rights.” The rules in House Bill 1152 would only apply to communities covered by a metropolitan planning organization, including Denver and much of the Front Range, as well as Grand Junction. Cities with fewer than 1,000 people would be exempt, as would unincorporated communities with fewer than 10,000 residents.
The sun peeks over an Accessory Dwelling Unit, or ADU, and garage built by Curtis Park homeowners Rob Price and Gerald Horner PHOTO BY ANDY COLWELL / SPECIAL TO THE COLORADO SUN and photographed on November 2, 2019 in Denver.
Mountain resort communities would also be exempt, said House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a nod to concerns that homeowners there will promote them as short-term vacation rentals rather than provide housing to Coloradans. The measure would also create two new programs to promote the construction of ADUs. One would provide grants to local governments that could be used to waive permitting fees for ADUs. Another would provide low-interest financing to low- to moderate-income homeowners who want to build accessory
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units on their properties. To qualify, homeowners would have to rent their units at an affordable rate. Local governments are skeptical of the measure — a sign that months of negotiations leading up to the session have not resulted in broad support for Polis’ housing plans. Kevin Bommer, who leads the Colorado Municipal League, which represents cities and towns across Colorado, called the bill “a good start.” But he worries that it “undermines local decision-making.” “The state should absolutely be in the business of incentives,” he told The Sun, “but this legislation, as introduced, also crosses a wellestablished line of unconstitutional preemption of home rule land use authority.” Bommer said that applies to a number of housing bills introduced at the Capitol this year. Amabile acknowledged the complaint. But she suggested local officials aren’t united on the matter. “I’ve gotten two kinds of feedback – one is, we don’t want the state telling us what to do,” Amabile said. “The other feedback is please get this done because we know our community members want it, but we have these loud, very vocal groups that are shutting down any progress.” The Democratic majority at the Capitol is also expected to bring legislation that would require cities to allow denser residential zoning around bus and train stops, as well as a measure that would limit residential parking requirements. “Transit-oriented and connected communities can create a better future for our state and drive our prosperity and our enjoyment with less traffic, more housing people can actually afford, better air quality,” Polis said in his State of the State address this month. The legislature is already debating a few other major housing measures. One is House Bill 1007, which would prohibit local governments from limiting the number of unrelated people who can live together, except for health and safety reasons, like fire code and water quality regulations. The legislation passed out of the House Transportation, Housing and Local Government Committee
by an 8-3, party-line vote in late January. It now heads to the full House for more debate. Senate Bill 2, which passed unanimously recently out of the Senate Local Government and Housing Committee, would give local governments more leeway to create property tax rebate programs aimed at boosting affordable housing. Awaiting its first hearing is House Bill 1098, which would prohibit landlords from evicting tenants before their lease is up unless they have legal cause to do so, such as situations when a property is unlawfully occupied, rent goes unpaid or a tenant otherwise violates their lease. Landlords could still evict a tenant if they plan to take the home off the rental market. A similar measure failed last year. The measure has some high-profile support: McCluskie and House Majority Leader Monica Duran, a Wheat Ridge Democrat who is a lead sponsor of the bill. Nevertheless, Senate President Steve Fenberg, a Boulder Democrat, cast doubt Tuesday on whether House Bill 1098 would make it across the finish line in 2024, given doubts about the measure in his chamber and how Polis has been a vocal skeptic of the idea. The governor worries it would actually drive up housing costs. “I don’t know that the political landscape has changed since last year,” he told reporters. “I don’t think Jared Polis has changed since last year. I think the question is: Can people come together and figure out the path forward on these various bills that pleases the folks who are advocating the bills and also is done in a way that has 18, 33 and one.” It takes 18 votes for a bill to pass the Senate and 33 votes for a measure to pass the House. The governor then must approve any bill before it becomes law — hence the one. “I think it’ll be a tight vote, one way or the other — win or lose by a vote or two,” Fenberg said. The legislative session runs through May 8. This story was printed through a news sharing agreement with The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonprofit based in Denver that covers the state.
Denver Herald 17
February 8, 2024
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February 8, 2024
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PUBLIC NOTICES
Public Notices call 303-566-4123 Legals Notice to Creditors Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Norman Clark Lane, A/K/A Norman C. Lane, A/K/A Norman Lane, Deceased Case Number: 2024 PR 30067 All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 8, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred. Charles N. Lane Personal Representative 10 S. Cody Court Lakewood, CO 80226 Legal Notice No. DHD263 First Publication: February 8, 2024 Last Publication: February 22, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of REGINALD JACK UNSELL (a.k.a. REX J. UNSELL), Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31439 All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 8, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred. KIMBERLY RUDDELL, Esq. Attorney for Personal Representative 1801 California Street, Suite 2400 Denver, CO 80202 Legal Notice No. DHD260 First Publication: February 8, 2024 Last Publication: February 22, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of JAMES RYAN WILSON, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31352 All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before May 25, 2024, or the claims may
be forever barred. Sarah Pheral P.O. Box 229 Hygiene, CO 80533 Legal Notice No. DHD238 First Publication: January 25, 2024 Last Publication: February 8, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of RAMON P. STOCKHAM, a/k/a RAMON PAUL STOCKHAM, a/k/a RAY P. STOCKHAM, Deceased Case Number: 2023PR031521 All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 10, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred. Linda Quade, Personal Representative 8470 County Road 24 Fort Lupton, CO 80621 Legal Notice No. DHD1002 First Publication: February 8, 2024 Last Publication: February 22, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of DAVID FERDON MILNER, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 635 All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 8, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred. Eunice Milner Personal Representative 2963 S Zenobia St. Denver, Colorado 80236 Legal Notice No. DHD264 First Publication: February 8, 2024 Last Publication: February 22, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of: MUNOZ, FILBERTO M., Deceased Case Number: 2023PR560 All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to pres-
legals2@coloradocommunitymedia.com
ent them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado, on or before June 8, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred. Date: January 26, 2024. Mark Munoz, Personal Representative 2534 W. 100 Avenue Federal Heights, CO 80260 Legal Notice No. DHD1030 First Publication: February 8, 2024 Last Publication: February 22, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of THEDORA REGISTER JACKSON aka THEDORA R. JACKSON aka THEDORA JACKSON, Deceased Case Number: 2024 PR 30011 All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 8, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.
Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Mark Lloyd Huisinger aka Mark L. Huisinger, Deceased Case Number: 2024 PR 030079 All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 1, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred. Tamra A. Palmer c/o 6060 Greenwood Plaza Blvd., #200 Greenwood Village, CO 80111 Legal Notice No. DHD252 First Publication: February 1, 2024 Last Publication: February 15, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Lance Throneberry, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31547
Quimby Jackson Personal Representative c/o NADYA VECCHIET-LAMBERT, ESQ. 6855 S. Havana Street, Suite 370 Centennial, CO 80112
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 8, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.
Legal Notice No. DHD259 First Publication: February 8, 2024 Last Publication: February 22, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Julia M. Fee Personal Representative 5045 Central Park Blvd. Denver, CO 80238
Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of LARRY JOHN HALSTEAD (a.k.a. LARRY J. HALSTEAD), Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31440 All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 8, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred. KIMBERLY RUDDELL, Esq. Attorney for Personal Representative 1801 California Street, Suite 2400 Denver, CO 80202 Legal Notice No. DHD254 First Publication: February 8, 2024 Last Publication: February 22, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Legal Notice No. DHD256 First Publication: February 8, 2024 Last Publication: February 22, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Joann I. Litvak, a/k/a Joni Litvak, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR30032 All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 10, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred. Ronald Dale Litvak, Personal Representative 2250 Stuart Street Denver, CO 80212
Denver Herald Dispatch February 8, 2024 * 1
22 Denver Herald
February 8, 2024
Public Notices
Legal Notice No. DHD255 First Publication: February 8, 2024 Last Publication: February 22, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of FRANCES LUCILLE CILIBERTI, a/k/a FRANCES L. CILIBERTI, a/k/a FRANCES CILIBERTI, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 577 All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before May 25, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred. Baysore & Christian Fiduciary Services, LLC Personal Representative 7000 E Belleview Ave., Suite 150 Greenwood Village, CO 80111 Legal Notice No. DHD237 First Publication: January 25, 2024 Last Publication: February 8, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Anna Kay Duer, a/k/a A. Kay Duer, a/k/a Kay Duer, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31518 All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before May 25, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred. Beth A. Hessel-Kirkman Personal Representative c/o Carleton H. Hutchins 1999 Broadway, Suite 1400 Denver, CO 80202 Legal Notice No. DHD236 First Publication: January 25, 2024 Last Publication: February 8, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Kenneth Ivan Wynkoop, a/k/a Kenneth I. Wynkoop, a/k/a Ken Wynkoop, a/k/a Kenneth Wynkoop, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31580 All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 1, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred. Marlene Wynkoop Personal Representative 2479 S. Clermont
Street,
#422 Denver, Colorado 80222 Legal Notice No. DHD253 First Publication: February 1, 2024 Last Publication: February 15, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Joan Chilcott McKenna, a/k/a Joan C. McKenna, a/k/a Joan McKenna, Deceased Case Number: 2024 PR 30016 All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 8, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.
77 S. Ash Street, Denver, CO 80246 Legal Notice No. DHD1003 First Publication: February 8, 2024 Last Publication: February 22, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Eileen M. Hahn, a/ka Eileen Marie Hahn, a /k/a Eileen Hahn, Deceased Case Number: 2024 PR 030053 All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 8, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.
Roo M. Duncan Personal Representative 1150 Lovall Valley Road Sonoma, CA 95476
William F. Hahn Personal Representative c/o Douglas A. Turner, P.C. 602 Park Point Drive, Suite 240 Golden, CO 80401
Legal Notice No. DHD261 First Publication: February 8, 2024 Last Publication: February 22, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Legal Notice No. DHD258 First Publication: February 8, 2024 Last Publication: February 22, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Public Notice
Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Richard N. Bernhardt, a/k/a Richard Neil Bernhardt, a/k/a Dr. Richard N. Bernhardt, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31419
NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Carol A. March, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31563
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 1, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred. Shirley A. Bernhardt Personal Representative c/o Linda Sommers, Esq. Sommers Law Group 390 Union Blvd., #280, Lakewood, CO 80228 Legal Notice No. DHD249 First Publication: February 1, 2024 Last Publication: February 15, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Ved P. Nanda, a/k/a Ved Nanda, a/k/a Ved Prakash Nanda, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR30012 All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before Monday, June 10, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred. Anjali Nanda Personal Representative
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 1, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred. Joshua Wilmsmeyer Personal Representative c/o M. Carl Glatstein, Esq. Glatstein & O’Brien, LLP 2696 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite 350 Denver, Colorado 80222 Legal Notice No. DHD251 First Publication: February 1, 2024 Last Publication: February 15, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Vera P. Gasch, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31541 All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before May 28, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred. Ilka Poncelet Personal Representative 785 S. Alton Way, 9A Denver, CO 80247 Legal Notice No. DHD239
First Publication: January 25, 2024 Last Publication: February 8, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of MARGIE M. DUFF, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31513 All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before May 25, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred. Patrick H. Duff Personal Representative 19365 Cypress Ridge Terrace, Unit 916 Leesburg, Virginia 20176 Legal Notice No. DHD244 First Publication: January 25, 2024 Last Publication: February 8, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of MARK RICHARD CAMERON, aka MARK R. CAMERON, aka MARK CAMERON, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31539 All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 1, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred. Carole L Cameron Personal Representative c/o Matthew P. Zanotelli 5347 S. Valentia Way, Ste. 335 Greenwood Village, CO 80111 Legal Notice No. DHD245 First Publication: February 1, 2024 Last Publication: February 15, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Vicki Lynn Manton a/k/a Vicki L. Manton a/k/a Vicki Manton, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 031618 All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 1, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred. William Allen Steckler Personal Representative c/o Michael P. Miller Miller & Steiert, P.C. 1901 W. Littleton Blvd. Littleton, CO 80120
Denver Herald Dispatch February 8, 2024 * 2
Denver Herald 23
February 8, 2024
Public Notices
Legal Notice No. DHD250 First Publication: February 1, 2024 Last Publication: February 15, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of James C. Campbell, aka James Carl Campbell, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31546 All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 8, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred. Stephen M. Brainerd Personal Representative 1550 17th Street, Suite 500 Denver, Colorado 80202 Legal Notice No. DHD257 First Publication: February 8, 2024 Last Publication: February 22, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Ann Josephine Russo a/k/a Ann J. Russo a/k/a Anna J. Russo a/k/a Anna Russo, Deceased Case Number: 2024 PR 30114 All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 8, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred. John Joseph Russo Jr. a/k/a John J. Russo Personal Representative 45 Fairway Lane Littleton, CO 80123 Legal Notice No. DHD262 First Publication: February 8, 2024 Last Publication: February 22, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Kenneth Grimes, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 611 All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 1, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred. Troy Grimes Personal Representative 374 Nome St Aurora, CO 80010 Legal Notice No. DHD248 First Publication: February 1, 2024 Last Publication: February 15, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Denver, Colorado 80203 Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of DONNA C. KETTENBACH, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31573 All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before May 27, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.
(Adoption/Guardian/Other)
Date: February 22, 2024 Time: 8:00 AM Room 230 Address: Denver Probate Court, 1437 Bannock Street, Denver, Colorado 80202
Denver County Probate Court Address: 1437 Bannock Street, Rm. 230 Denver, CO 80202 (303) 606-2303
Daniel Chapman Attorney for Personal Representative 7900 East Union Avenue, Suite 1100 Denver, CO 80237
Ronald W. Servis, Esq. attorney for Dustin Parsons 11616 Shaffer Place, Unit S-102 Littleton, Colorado 80127 303-237-5020
Legal Notice No. DHD242 First Publication: January 25, 2024 Last Publication: February 8, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Legal Notice No. DHD243 First Publication: January 25, 2024 Last Publication: February 8, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Public Notice
Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Bartholomew Joseph Connolly V, a/k/a Bartholomew J. Connolly, a/ka Bart J. Connolly, a/k/a Bart J. Connolly, aka B.J. Connolly, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31549
NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of RONALD K. SCHIFF, a/k/a RONALD KAY SCHIFF, a/k/a RON SCHIFF, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31533
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 1, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred. Bartholomew Joseph Connolly IV a/k/a Bart Connolly Personal Representative c/o Katherine K. Fontenot, Esq., Attorney for Personal Representative Robinson & Henry, P.C. 7555 E. Hampden Ave. Suite 600 Denver, CO 80231 Legal Notice No. DHD246 First Publication: February 1, 2024 Last Publication: February 15, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice District Court, 2nd Judicial District, County of Denver, Colorado 1437 Bannock Street, Room 230 Denver, Colorado 80202 In the Matter of the Estate of: BRUCE EDWARD LONGO, a/k/a BRUCE E. LONGO, a/k/a BRUCE LONGO, Deceased. Case Number: 2023 PR 31603 NOTICE OF HEARING BY PUBLICATION PURSUANT TO§ 15-10-401, C.R.S. To: Longo, Unknown Heirs
Children Services
A hearing on Amended Petition for Formal Probate of Will and Formal Appointment of Personal Representative for the Estate of Bruce Edward Longo, Deceased will be held at the following time and location.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before May 25, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred. Michael W. Reagor, Atty. For Personal Representative 8400 E. Prentice Ave., Suite 1040 Greenwood Village, CO 80111 Legal Notice No. DHD240 First Publication: January 25, 2024 Last Publication: February 8, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Margaret Von Feldt, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 171 All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before February 25, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred. Sherry Hardiman Personal Representative c/o Megan Jury, Atty for estate Robinson & Henry PC 7555 E Hampden Ave, #600 Denver, CO 80231 Legal Notice No. DHD265 First Publication: February 8, 2024 Last Publication: February 22, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Public Notice
In the Interest of: Michael Enrique MENJIVAR RIVERA Respondent/Minor Case Number: 23PR31510 Division: 1 Courtroom: 300 Attorney for Petitioner: Kathleen M. Glynn, #39115 Grob and Eirich, LLC 12596 W. Bayaud Ave., #390 Lakewood, CO 80228 Phone Number: 303-679-8266 E-mail: katie@grobeirich.com FAX Number: 303-679-8960 Cell Number: 720-255-6383 NOTICE OF HEARING BY PUBLICATION PURSUANT TO § 15-10-401, C.R.S. To: Oscar Antonio Menjivar Herrera A hearing on the Petition for Appointment of Guardian for Minor will be held at the following time and location or at a later date to which the hearing may be continued: Date: March 5, 2024 Time: 3p.m. Courtroom: 300 Division: 1 Address: 1437 Bannock Street, Denver, CO 80202 The hearing will take approximately 60 minutes PLEASE NOTE: This hearing will take place remotely via the Webex videoconferencing platform. To join the Virtual Courtroom via Web (from a cell phone or computer), download Cisco Webex, and then enter the following link at 3:00p.m. on March 5, 2024: https://judicial.webex.com/join/ courtroom300 To join the Virtual Courtroom via Phone at 3:00p.m. on March 5, 2024, call 720-650-7664, then enter meeting number/access code 920 159 400, then push # and # again. Kathleen M. Glynn 12596 W. Bayaud Ave., Suite 390 Lakewood, CO 80228 Legal Notice No. DHD241 First Publication: January 25, 2024 Last Publication: February 8, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch ###
Last Known Address, Unknown, c/o Attorney General Phil Weiser, 1300 Broadway, 10th Floor,
Denver Herald Dispatch February 8, 2024 * 3
24 Denver Herald
February 8, 2024
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