Denver Herald Dispatch June 20, 2024

Celebrating 50 years of Pride in Denver

Decades of progress toward liberation and fair treatment will be celebrated during this year’s

Pride Month

BY NATALIE KERR

SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON PARK PROFILE

In 1976, Christi Layne, the stage name of renowned drag performer Christopher Sloane, stood with one of their best friends at the head of the very rst Pride March in Denver, after having gone through some back-and-forth with the city and the state to get a permit.  ey had expected a crowd of 200 people. But as they looked back at the gathering of more than 1,200,

Layne’s friend turned to them and, with tears in his eyes, said, “now I know I’m not alone.”

June is observed as national Pride month, with LGBTQ+ community celebrations taking place across the nation. Here in Denver, e Center on Colfax hosts the region’s largest annual Pride event, which has a rich history and roots going back to that rst march in 1976.

LGBTQ+ community members reminisced on Pride’s history and its importance to a community that had to ght to be celebrated after centuries of being forced into shame and secrecy.

A history of activism

Fifty years ago, clandestine gay and lesbian bars were some of the only safe spaces for LGBTQ+ people, and even then, the threat of a police raid loomed over the patrons, said Phil Nash, who served as

VOICES: 8 | LIFE: 10 | CALENDAR: 13

the rst coordinator of e Center on Colfax and is the author of the visual history book “LGBTQ Denver,” which was published in April this year.

In Denver, homosexuality used to be considered a major political and social problem for the city. Police would lure gay men in by advertising gay-friendly spaces, but once there, the men would nd themselves being handcu ed for sodomy. LGBTQ+ individuals were always in danger, no matter where they were, Nash said.

“ e vice squad of the Denver Police Department was constantly harassing gay bars,” Nash said. “ ey set up mechanisms to entrap gay men and arrest them, and this got out to the public. ey were at risk of losing their housing and their jobs and their reputations.”

Colorado invests in bilingual preschool amid migrant surge

BY JENNIFER BROWN THE COLORADO SUN

Londis Ramirez knew her plan was working when a preschooler making a self-portrait asked her, “Can you help me draw my panza?”

Panza means belly in Spanish, which is not the child’s rst language. But a Head Start program tested last year and expanding this fall in Je erson County is o ering preschool in Spanish and English, one of many e orts in the works across Colorado as the state tries to get more Spanish-speaking students into preschool and assimilate new migrants from South America. It also comes as Gov. Jared Polis signed a new law last week to create a bilingual licensing unit within the state Department of Early Childhood, targeting $360,000 in state funds next year to help Spanishspeaking child care providers get licensed and to expand bilingual preschool options.

Next fall, Je erson County Head Start will have three bilingual classrooms in Arvada — for kids who speak Spanish at home and whose parents speak only Spanish, and for English-speaking children whose parents want them to learn Spanish.  Ramirez, who supervises the county’s bilingual Head Start program, spent the past year building a plan to serve the area’s growing Spanish-speaking population. Several of the families who’ve enrolled are recent migrants from Venezuela and Colombia, she said. e nonpro t Head Start provides free preschool to low-income families. In Je erson County, 200 children, from infants to 5 years old, are enrolled in 16 classrooms in Arvada and Wheat Ridge. Until this year,

PHOTO ON LEFT: The 1981 Pride Parade passes the corner of East Colfax and Lafayette. Three decades later, the vacant Metropolitan Industrial Bank would be purchased, renovated and transformed into The Center on Colfax, the first building to be owned by the LGBTQ+ organization.

PHOTO BY PHIL NASH

In October 1973, the newly founded Gay Coalition stormed city hall during a council meeting, with men and women demanding safety as rightful citizens of the city.

ough it didn’t mean complete safety for the LGBTQ+ community, the protest helped usher in calmer relations with the police, with bars starting to police their own establishments and public displays of homosexuality engendering less harassment.

ough Denver’s rst o cial Pride parade was in 1976, a “gayin” in 1974 was a huge turning point for a community that hadn’t before been able to gather publicly and proudly, and is considered by many to be the very rst Pride celebration.

“It was a family that wasn’t wanted, it was the black sheep of the

city,” Layne said. “But we were all together, and in the numbers and the strength that that projected, you could feel that there would be a future.”

Nash’s book uses historical images to document this history as part of the 50th anniversary celebration as a direct challenge to people who are trying to suppress LGBTQ+ history and education across the country, he said.

“It’s long overdue that we have a book available that would work for somebody who just really wants to know the history,” Nash added.

Denver Pride carries on its legacy of activism 50 years later, even as Pride today has evolved to be a spirited, rainbow- lled, monthlong party. It continues to raise money for e Center on Colfax, a nonpro t organization supporting the LGBTQ+ community by ensuring community members are safe and supported with resources and education, promoting pro-LGBTQ+ legislation and speaking out

against homophobia, said the organization’s CEO Rex Fuller.

Anti-trans legislation and homophobia has far-reaching and sinister e ects. e FBI’s 2022 annual crime report documented 1,947 instances of violence relating to a victim’s sexual orientation — a 13.8% increase from 2021 in reported hate crimes based on sexual orientation and a 32.9% increase in reported hate crimes based on gender identity.

“ e bottom rung of the theatrical ladder is a boy in a dress. e bottom rung of the social community is a boy in a dress. e bottom rung of the straight community is a boy in a dress,” Layne said.  ough Layne could comfortably take o their dress and heels at the end of their performance, they know transgender people who were isolated and scorned on a daily basis because of their appearance.

Ruby Slippers is the theme for Layne’s 2024 PrideFest speech. It is a reference to “ e Wizard of Oz’’ and an analogy to how LGBTQ+ people have to publicly step

into their identity, despite knowing there could be consequences. It was a nerve-wracking decision in 1976, and in the current political climate, it is just as nerve-wracking today, Layne said.

But a life of secrecy can be the worst fate of all, Layne said. Pride is meant to show people that they are not alone, and that they have a home in the LGBTQ+ community.

“Just be you, because the exciting part of being you is it doesn’t matter what you wear on the outside, it should re ect who you are,” Layne said. “Have con dence in that always, because if you be you, there’s no place anybody can take you, but home.”

Celebrating the community e Center on Colfax is hosting its annual Denver PrideFest June 22 and 23. e two-day festival includes the Denver Pride 5K, hundreds of exhibitors and food vendors, live entertainment and the Coors Light Denver Pride Parade.

The first Pride Parade in Denver took place on June 27, 1976. Prior to that, in both 1974 and 1975, the gay and lesbian community celebrated Pride with “Gay-Ins” at Cheesman Park.

PHOTO BY BILL OLSON

Pride is important both for people who have attended dozens of times and for people who have never been to Pride and may be open about their gender or sexuality for the rst time, Fuller said.

“A few years ago, two guys showed up for volunteering. One of them was 18 years old, and the other was 80, and it was for both of them, their rst Pride,” Fuller said.  is year, PrideFest will also be recognizing its 50-year legacy by honoring key gures in the history of Denver’s LG-

BTQ+ community, including Layne, Fuller and Nash among others, including some LBGTQ+ elected ocials.  is is also e Center’s main fundraising event, meaning attendance helps support its mission and the well-being of the LGBTQ+ community in Denver. In particular, e Center is hoping to bolster its mental health and youth programs this year with funds raised from the festival.

The significance of Pride

Every year when Pride comes around, Layne is reminded about what it took to get to this point: e protests and permits, the police and the push-

Wouldn’t It Be Great if You Could

Most mortgage loans are not assumable, but VA loans are assumable when certain conditions are met. Here’s what I have learned about that.

There are many sellers who are veterans and obtained a VA loan on the home they are now selling. If they don’t need to regain their certificate of eligibility for a VA loan on their replacement home, they can sell their home to anyone — not just a veteran — and let that person assume their VA loan. For the seller to regain their eligibility for a VA loan on their replacement home, the buyer would have to be able to qualify for a VA loan as a veteran.

back. But they are also reminded of how many people have stood alongside them to make it possible, and the progress the LGBTQ+ community has made through the decades.  Back in 1976, despite being a leader in the community, Layne didn’t have a solid idea of what a Pride celebration meant. e de nition a friend gave them has stuck ever since.  “ e Declaration of Independence says we all are created equal,” Layne recalled hearing. “Are you treated equally? I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Well, do you think you’re a good person? Are you an asset to this world?’ (I said) ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘that’s your Pride, and that pride deserves to be shared.’”

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Assume the Seller’s Low-Interest Loan? Maybe, if It’s a VA Loan

values, that’s not very likely.

Wendy Renee, our in-house lender at Golden Real Estate, helped me learn the rules for assuming a VA loan.

Rocket Mortgage has an excellent website explaining those rules and is the source for the following. I’ll post a link to their webpage on our company blog, http://RealEstateToday.substack.com

The good news is that a buyer can assume a VA loan, even if they would not qualify for a VA loan for themselves. If the seller has a VA mortgage at, say, 2.75%, a buyer would get to take over that loan and make the same payments. Not bad, given today’s loan rates over 6 percent!

Conventional loans guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not

assumable. Sellers with a VA loan will want to take advantage of this crucial selling point over competing listings on the MLS. Every seller who has an existing VA loan should have his listing agent emphasize that fact in the MLS, pointing out its interest rate and that it’s assumable. However, if it’s important to the seller that he regain his entitlement to a VA loan for his replacement home, then it should be noted in the MLS that the seller will only allow an eligible veteran to assume the loan. Hooray for that veteran, because a new VA loan would probably have an interest rate over 6%.

Although the buyer will not need to meet the military eligibility, he or she will need to meet the financial eligibility requirements of the lender. The lender, not the VA, must approve the assumption. If the lender approves your financial qualifications, you can proceed with the assumption. Note: Lenders are not required by the VA to allow assumption.

Most lenders have a minimum FICO score to qualify for a loan. With Rocket Mortgage, that score is 580. Other lenders require a minimum score of 620.

VA loans don’t require a down payment, but in assuming a VA loan, you may be asked for a down payment. Considering that most homes for sale have plenty of equity due to the rise in home

Megan’s Insights on the June Real Estate Market

By MEGAN ALLER

First American Title

As we navigate the real estate market for the week of June 5th-12th, 2024, it is clear that the market continues to retract. Increased inventory and hesitant buyers have led to significant shifts in market dynamics. Now the key points:

Retraction persists as more inventory enters the market and pending transactions decline, leading to a higher months’ supply of inventory than usual for the second week of June.

The growing inventory and shrinking buyer pool have caused prices to fall slightly as we transition into summer.

Our average daily active listings have increased week over week, with inventory significantly higher compared to the same period last year.

New listings have shown an upward trend, and this activity is expected to continue growing until September. However, pending transactions have declined compared to the previous weekend.

The odds of selling have decreased

compared to last week, trending historically below the average for June in previous years.

To balance the market with a 6-month supply of inventory, we would need a significantly higher number of total listings, indicating we are currently far from market equilibrium.

Showings last week were down slightly, with the average number of showings per property and the number of showings required to go under contract showing some fluctuations.

Price reductions were more prevalent this week, with a notable portion of units going under contract after reducing their price. The size of these reductions has remained consistent.

If you are wondering when to list your property this summer, it is advisable to list as soon as possible. Growing inventory and a diminishing buyer pool could lead to longer days on market and potential price reductions. Listing earlier in the summer may help achieve the best possible price for your home.

VA loans require the payment of a funding fee, and that is true for the buyer who assumes a VA loan. That funding fee is 0.5% of the loan amount. As with the original borrower, that fee can be waived if the buyer is a disabled veteran or the spouse of a deceased veteran with a service-related disability.

Compensating for that 0.5% funding fee is the fact that you won’t have other fees, including paying for an appraisal.

A processing fee of $250 to $300 will be charged to the buyer in addition to the funding fee.

Note that the VA is not the lender The loan is merely guaranteed by the VA. The underwriting requirements may differ from lender to lender.

So, how do you find a home on which the seller has a VA loan? Unfortunately, that is a not a searchable field on the

MLS, even for us MLS members. However, if you find a home you want to buy, we can find that property on Realist, an app within the MLS, which tells what kind of loan, if any, was taken out by the seller. And, of course, we can ask the listing agent if that VA loan is still in place and what the current balance and interest rate is. Depending on the buyer’s cash reserves, it may be necessary to apply for a second mortgage. When the loan is assumed, the seller needs to request a release of liability from the lender. Without that, the seller could be responsible for late payment fees or even default by the new borrower. Ask your lender in advance of agreeing to the assumption whether you will receive a release. If they won’t, that could or should be a deal breaker. If you’d like help finding a home with a VA loan in place, call us (below).

Coming: A 5-BR Home in Scenic Heights

The sellers designed this 4,603-sq.-ft. home at 6714 Field St. in Arvada for entertaining and were the general contractor when building it in 1985. Spaces for entertaining abound both indoors and on the large wraparound deck, which was rebuilt with Trex two years ago. There's an indoor hot tub in its own room that is well ventilated to avoid moisture-related issues. Oak hardwood floors are on the main level, while the upstairs and the mostly finished basement have wall-to-wall carpeting. All bathrooms and the kitchen are tiled. There is not only a separate den on the main floor, but also a reading room and sewing room upstairs. This home is an early example of passive solar design for exploiting solar gain through thermal mass in the winter but staying cool in the summer. In addition to the solar thermal panels on the roof which provide hot water for the home, there are solar thermal panels built into the south wall of the living room to capture solar gain in the winter for dispersal inside the house after dark. The backyard includes a large garden area and a shed with electricity which has two compartments — a storage area with a concrete floor and a south-facing area with gravel floor and windows to capture solar gain for starting plants in the late winter. There is no HOA and there’s a gate on the north side of the house for parking an RV next to the garage. Take a narrated video tour at www.GRElistings.com, then come to my open house on June 22, 11am to 1pm.

“Concentrate on giving and the getting will take care of itself.”

A map of the first Denver Pride parade in 1976.

COURTESY OF CHRISTI LAYNE

Lead common across Colorado’s school districts

Analysis shows schools have work to do to remove lead from water

BY JASON GONZALES

CHALKBEAT COLORADO

Nearly two-thirds of the roughly 2,200 sources of drinking water found roughly a year ago to have excessive lead contamination in Colorado’s 10 largest school districts still need to be xed. at’s according to a new Colorado Public Interest Research Group

analysis of state data. e group found that since testing began last year, districts haven’t addressed the high lead levels of lead in the majority of water xtures since May of last year.

e organization, which focuses on health and other public policy issues, released the analysis using publicly available data from May 1 — a year since the state began requiring the testing of lead levels in Colorado schools and child care centers drinking sources.

“We would like to see them prioritize this to provide a safer, healthier learning environment,” said the group’s Kirsten Schatz, referring to

schools. “Drinking water in schools should be of paramount importance, and we’d like to see them get that done.”

e analysis pulls from a statewide report required by a 2022 law that required schools to test water from sources like drinking foundations and make xes if lead levels are 5 parts per billion or higher. e law set aside $21 million for testing and repairs. Schools and child care centers were required to test by May 31 of last year.

Lead is a dangerous neurotoxin that can cause learning disabilities and behavior problems in children, and even low levels of

exposure can impact a child’s IQ. Although lead levels in American children have decreased dramatically since the 1970s, studies show many children still have detectable levels.

Studies have shown that 72% of Colorado children under 6 who were tested for lead had trace levels in their blood. However, many kids in Colorado have never been tested.

Schatz said the group focused on the state’s 10 largest districts because they educate the majority of Colorado’s students.

DISTRICTS

e analysis shows of the 2,201 water xtures with contamination levels above 5 parts per billion and needing remediation, only 784 have been xed since testing began in May 2023. at means 1,417 sources still need a x to bring levels below the threshold, according to the analysis.

Schatz said the statewide school data shows some districts have taken action after they began reporting lead levels. e organization analyzed data from Denver, Adams 12, Aurora, Cherry Creek, Je erson County, Academy, Douglas, Boulder, St. Vrain Valley, and Poudre school districts.

e report found Aurora Public

JOINUSFOR

Schools had the greatest need for remediation of contaminated drinking sources, with 88% of water xtures reported to have excessive lead levels still needing remediation. Meanwhile, about 83% of Denver Public Schools’ water xtures with excessive lead levels still needed remediation. Out of the ten biggest districts, only St. Vrain Valley School District showed no xtures needing remediation.

e analysis identi ed some extreme high levels of lead. One xture at Eagleview Elementary School in Adams 12 tested as high as 4,500 parts per billion — or 900 times the state’s threshold. e xture has since been replaced, according to the report.

GETBEAUTIFULPERMANENTJEWELRYWITHIRONHUSKY** SPENDTIMESNUGGLINGADORABLEANIMALSINTHEADULTS’COWBOY CRITTERCORRAL,ORSNAPFREEPHOTOSWITHBOTHEALPACA,BETH THEDONKEYORANATHEMINICOWATTHEPHOTOBOOTHSPONSORED BYLEAFFILTERS*

Kirsten Schatz, an advocate with the Colorado Public Interest Research Group, speaks at a press conference calling for districts to do more to mitigate lead contamination in school drinking water on June 6, 2024, outside the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment o ce in Cherry Creek, Colorado. CHALKBEAT

BILINGUAL

all of the classes were taught in English, which was leaving out a large segment of the community, including parents who speak only Spanish and were unsure how to access the program, Ramirez said.

When she started working at Head Start three years ago, the program had only three or four Spanish-speaking families.

“I was like, ‘Why not? Where are these people? Where is the gap?’” she said.

Ramirez developed a pilot program, which recently let out for summer vacation, and word has been spreading. Je erson County

Head Start now has eight bilingual teachers, plus two bilingual mental health specialists and two bilingual support specialists who help families access food assistance and other human services programs.

Bilingual teachers use curriculum kits, or daily lesson plans, that come in Spanish and English. Books in the bilingual classrooms are in Spanish or English, and sometimes both at once. On some days, the teachers will speak mainly in English, and on others, mostly in Spanish.

One bilingual class for the fall is already full with 20 students and a second class is nearly full with just a handful of spots left, Ramirez said.

Colorado has 77 licensed child care providers who identi ed Spanish as their primary language, with

25 additional pending applications, according to the state early childhood department. e state did not provide a count of how many of the 297 Head Start providers statewide o er bilingual options.

About 16% of the population in Colorado speaks a language other than English, including 11% who speak Spanish, according to the latest census. Colorado lawmakers who passed House Bill 1009, recently signed into law by Polis, said they were concerned that the language barrier is keeping kids in Spanish-speaking families from enrolling in preschool programs and keeping Spanish-speaking child care providers from getting licensed.

Sun Jr., a ‘psych mountain rock’ experience at the Mile High Hoedown

BY JO ANN M. COLTON

If you yearn to fly back to the sounds of yesteryear, you will love soaring to new heights with Boulder’s own Sun Jr, appearing at the MILE HIGH HOEDOWN later this month! The band’s sound is a blend of psychedelia, cosmic cowboy and Americana with indie-folk influences.

Friends Nod Norkus (drums), Jim Heekin (guitar/singer), Matt Kubis (banjo/singer), Jon Schimek (pedal steel guitar), and Jeremiah Streets (keys/ bass/organ) launched the band in 2013. They practiced in the evenings in Jim’s basement (“The Bottoms”), where they have become a “band of brothers.”

Sun Jr. hit the stage with a style all their own and immediately made an impression. From a spot on the “Gentleman of the Road” tour in Salida with Mumford & Sons, Dawes and the Flaming Lips in 2015, they’ve grinded their way into a stellar act that you cannot miss.

During the 2020 COVID pandemic, the band leaned heavily into long basement jams, taking notes from the likes of Pink Floyd and late ’60s bands that played for art’s sake. They branched into livestreaming to reach out to more folks and have continued to do so.

“In February 2024, (Heekin) posted a TikTok video of our song ‘Buttercorn’ from a live performance at Dharma Farm

— and it went viral,” Norkus said. “The post garnered 2.3 million views and about 40,000 new fans.”

The post was the mega break that has opened more doors to some of Colorado’s best venues and a “second media wave” of the post expanded their reach even farther, he said.

“We started receiving invitations to play in California, Texas, and points beyond the U.S.,” Norkus said.

The band’s current goal is

mostly to ignore national invites and build an ardent local fan base. To stay connected, they are partnering with Chris Wright of Violet Recording to capture their Colorado live shows to share more broadly. Wright will also engineer a series of in-studio live recordings, possibly capturing two albums from this dual recording process.

Visit sunjrband.com for the latest band information (recordings, play dates — and more)! Then, “go down” to the MILE HIGH HOEDOWN and enjoy Sun Jr.’s “Psych Mountain Rock” ex-

perience LIVE at the Stampede, 2431 S. Havana Street, in Aurora.

MILE HIGH HOEDOWN attendees can enjoy food truck food and beverages, learn new line dances with instructor/choreographer Laurie Burkardt, “creative cut” or screen print their own T-shirt with Ink & Drink, purchase a custom hat from hat shaper Parker Thomas, get a “flash” tattoo from Ace of MR. ACE Art & Tattoos; and visit Little People Face Painting for cool, but not permanent, body/ face/hair art — you’ll be sure to sparkle during Sun Jr.’s LIVE, never-to-be-duplicated hoedown performance!

Get the “low down” on the MILE HIGH HOEDOWN, which is 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, June 29, by heading to coloradocommunitymedia.com/ mile-high-hoedown. And GET A MOVE ON, partners! We’re running a limited-time buy-oneget-one promotion. Entry ONLY tickets are $20/each ($25 at the door). Don’t miss out and BUY YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

Stu ed animals, or peluches in Spanish, are tucked in a basket in a Head Start classroom. COURTESY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY

‘We have a proud and

Latino authors and mentors group releases anthology

BY KATHRYN WHITE KATHRYN@DENVERNORTHSTAR.COM

Poet Ricardo LaFore turned the insult, “What have your people ever done?,” into a poem.

“My Ancestors Built the Pyramids” appears in a new anthology to be released this month by the Colorado Alliance of Latino Mentors and Authors (CALMA).

“Ramas y Raíces: e Best of CALMA,” edited by Mario Acevedo, contains essays, poetry and short stories by 24 writers who live or have spent signi cant time in Colorado. e book’s title, which translates as “Branches and Roots,” re ects the breadth and depth of its themes, as well as the range of genres and literary forms contained within. Seeds for both the anthology and the organization were planted decades ago.

“I grew up at a time when I never ever ever saw a Spanish surname on a book,” said Dr. Ramon Del Castillo, a longtime activist, educator, researcher and poet. “ ere was a void, there was a link missing about who I was, about who we were. Until the advent of Chicano studies in the 1960s during the Chicano movement, when one of the issues that came up was literature and poetry. And out of that, you had the birth of thousands of poets now, and a whole body of literature that will compete with anybody’s writing.”

LaFore said the anthology seeks to encourage new writers, but also to preserve and protect what’s already been written.

“We felt that there was a void in our community,” LaFore said. “We recognized from the beginning that in a functioning democracy, all voices have to be heard. Our poetry, our literature, our writing, all have to be part of the American literary tradition. Otherwise, we don’t have a functioning democracy that values all voices. We have a proud and noble history, but it’s rarely known beyond our own community. And we had to x that.”

CALMA itself started with a conversation. It was 2019, and Frank Dávila had published his memoir, “An Outburst of Dreams.” Written largely for his children and grandchildren, Dávila conducted extensive genealogical research in order to preserve and pass along family history. He wove in stories about his growing-up years picking cotton as a migrant worker, speaking Spanish and learning English as his second language. He wanted his family to know about the discrimination he faced.  at same year, Dávila helped fellow writer Christina Montoya with edits to her rst book.

“We ought to think about forming a group,” Dávila said to Montoya, “where writers can support each other like this.”

Each knew a few others, and a small gathering at Raíces Brewing Company in west Denver followed. By early 2020, the group had six founders, was hosting Zoom sessions and had grown to more than 30 Latino authors, both published and aspiring.

CALMA went on to host book fairs, lead workshops and make presenta-

noble history’

Delgado visited a classroom at the University of Northern Colorado, where he met Del Castillo and noticed

thing you’ve got Ramon. Your humor,

ever in 2021. We promoted and advocated for him. And then, Lalo Delgado was selected last year, posthumously.”

Abelardo “Lalo” Delgado (19312004), known as the grandfather of Chicano poetry, published 14 books and inspired many, including Del Castillo and LaFore. In the early 1970s,

Public Meeting Notice

Let’s Talk: Howcan AdventHealth Porter bring more whole-person care to our community?

“Ramas y Raíces” opens with the Mexican proverb, “Quisieron enterrarnos, pero no sabían que éramos semilla ( ey wanted to bury us, but they didn’t know that we were seeds),” setting the stage for a volume demonstrating the many ways love, family, personal struggle and the ght for justice have borne fruit.

“Ramas y Raíces” will be available for purchase at a book launch event, which takes place from 2-4 p.m. on June 29 at Lakewood United Methodist Church, 1390 Brentwood St. The event is free and open to the public. Learn more about CALMA at calmaco. org.

You areinvitedtoattend AdventH ealth’s Communit y Health Improv ementPublicMeeting!WeneedYOU R voic e t o guide AdventHealth’s e orts to create a happier, healthier community.

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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Columnists & Guest Commentaries Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Independent.

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Book cover of “Ramas y Raíces: The Best of CALMA.” COURTESY PHOTO

‘Man up’ can lead to man down

Growing up, independence and self-su ciency were always synonymous with masculinity for me. e idea that I could do it on my own, that I would be “less than” if I asked for a helping hand, was an ideal I not only believed in, but strived to live up to. I asked for as little help as possible. Facing the di cult task of processing my emotions as I entered adolescence, I was overwhelmed and underequipped. Seeking support never crossed my mind. e more pain I endured, the more resolute I became to conquer it on my own. I found a magic solution — the illusion of control via drugs and alcohol.

e immediate oblivion brought on by substances allowed me to trick myself into believing I had taken control. However, the escape I found in substances lessened over time, leaving me without the relief I so desperately needed. For years my stubborn worship of self-suciency kept me in the living hell of addiction. When I was nally beaten down enough to ask for help, I was morti ed, disgusted by my weakness, and convinced of my failure as a man.

is is the unfortunate reality for many men grappling with addiction. “Man up” far too frequently becomes the mantra for many tragic stories of demise into alcoholic insanity and death. at story nearly became my reality.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, mental illness is less prevalent in men than women, but it often goes untreated in men. Men are two

We’ve all seen the recent headlines: “Boomers aren’t moving” or “Empty nesters holding on to McMansions.” e cost of moving or owning a home is making it very di cult for everyone. Not making the headlines, however, is just how expensive it is to simply age in this country.

As we age, we want the resources, economic freedom and peace of mind to live where we feel most comfortable — whether that means at home or in our community. At least 77% of adults 50 and older want to age in a place where they are comfortable, according to AARP, yet 70% of older adults will need nancial and health care support to do so. In 2021, an all-time high of nearly 11.2 million older adults were “cost burdened,” meaning they spent more than 30% of their income on hous-

to three times more likely to misuse drugs than women, and according to Mental Health America, men die by suicide at a rate four times higher than women.

To become a healthy man, I had to learn to accept that I needed help, and then practice asking for it. e rst time was excruciating, then it became less so over time. It’s become the foundation on which my recovery from addiction has been built, the gateway to nding a level of peace and serenity I never thought possible. I’m thankful for the opportunity to become an example to other men and help lift the stigma around asking for help. is is a process. Six years into my recovery I still have di culty asking for help and fall into old patterns of arrogance and independence. e more I ask for help, the easier it is to keep asking. Practicing reaching out for small pieces of advice on a regular basis helps me seek support when I’m dealing with a deeper and heavier problem. Building relationships over time makes me feel safe and comfortable.

ankfully, we live in a di erent world than I experienced in my childhood, where I learned to worship the false belief of self-su cient masculinity through our culture. I now embrace masculinity and femininity not as opposing forces, but as two sides of the same coin of humanity. While change continues

in our culture, there is still a long way to go. Awareness still needs to be raised. Recovery stories such as mine need to be heard.

One way I strive to do this is through Colorado’s Recovery Cards Project (recoverycardsproject.com).

I had the privilege of designing two greeting cards that can be sent to loved ones struggling in the early stages of recovery. rough this program, I have shared my story and helped others open up about theirs. e free cards are an easy and accessible way for friends and family to show support and encourage our loved ones on a path to vulnerability and recovery.

ing, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies.

Colorado is the third most expensive state for home health care to support aging in place. Only 14% of single people over 75 can a ord a daily visit from a paid caregiver, and just 13% can a ord to move to assisted living, according to MarketWatch. e median monthly cost of assisted living in the U.S. is $4,500 — while the average monthly social security check is just $1,700. e evidence is clear — we need more a ordable support services and systems that allow all of us to maintain autonomy and connections to our community as we age.

Speci cally, we need more a ordable housing or homelessness prevention programs, creative solutions for in-home wrap-around services, and policies that support caregiver or direct care workforce support and services.

ankfully, our state and community have some real leaders working hard to make aging less expensive. Colorado is using federal funds to substantially raise base wages for thousands of direct care workers providing a range of services to older adults.

Locally, Bell Policy Center in Denver designed and conducted a cost study of Colorado’s direct care ecosystem for older adults that examined the economic conditions for older adults, their families, and paid and unpaid caregivers. is study identi ed state-level data gaps on direct care, as well as provided tools for advocates looking to make systems

June is Men’s Health Month, an opportunity to continue these discussions. It’s not a responsibility to be passed onto others or to place the burden of change at men’s feet. It’s a collective e ort we can all take part in, to love and support each other so that we may feel safe and comfortable reaching out for help.

A Colorado professional artist, David Swartz works with various water-based paints to create bright and energetic artwork with a humorous twist. He believes connection enriches the world and creates a sense of unity and compassion throughout humanity.

and policy changes to bene t older adults.

And Housing Resources of Western Colorado in Grand Junction addresses the housing shortage in Mesa County that is impacting young people and older adults by developing an intergenerational village that will provide homes for older adults at risk of homelessness and for youth transitioning out of the foster care system.

Creative collaborative solutions are what we all need to help make living here less expensive. But we should all do a better job of advocating for ourselves as we age so that future generations have the luxury of aging a ordably.

Peter Kaldes, Esq., is the president and CEO of Next50, a national foundation based in Denver. Learn more at next50foundation.org.

Peter Kaldes

How to avoid challenges in your will or trust

Although you may have taken the time to create a welldesigned will and/or trust that distributes your property as you desire upon your death, there are some common challenges which may present themselves upon your passing. Disputes among your  bene ciaries can result in bitter family relationships, costly court proceedings and nancial devastation. e following are some proactive measures you can take to avoid common challenges and ensure your documents accomplish your intended goals. Treat children equally: Family dynamics may have you questioning whether your assets should be divided equally between your designated bene ciaries who are often your children.  In order to avoid potential complications, especially if there is already discord, equal distribution may be a wise decision. If you have two children, leave each child half of all assets. Setting up a trust for a child with bad spending habits can be a useful tool to help protect and manage their assets. is way, a designated trustee will have the responsibility of managing assets for their benet. e trust may specify how assets can be utilized, establish incentives to encourage good behavior and set restrictions to prevent erratic

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COLUMN

spending. Regarding control of your estate, delegate positions according to skill level or select a corporate executor or trustee to avoid anyone from feeling slight-

Distribute tangible property through speci c bequests: While monetary assets can be divided easily, it can be di cult to determine the true value of items of sentimental value and tangible property. Statements in wills or trusts which divide all “tangible personal property” among your bene ciaries in substantially equal shares may not be enough instruction for your bene ciaries. Substantive value can be based upon several characteristics including emotional and sentimental worth. Discuss this issue with your bene ciaries to determine the personal signicance of certain items. By inserting speci c bequests into your will or trust, you can mitigate squabbles regarding that antique lamp in the living room or your grandmother’s diamond ring. Account for gifts given during lifetime: If you gifted money

or property to a bene ciary in the past, make sure to account for it in your plan. Since your goal is to treat all your children equally, you might want to address this gift in your will or trust. Classify any gift as an advancement, with the value of the gift counting as part of the “residuary” money you will leave to that bene ciary. For example, if you gave your daughter $5,000 toward student loans, you would speci cally state under her residuary share “less $5,000 gifted for student loan payments during my lifetime.”

Insert a no-contest clause in your will: Typically, a no-contest clause will state that if a beneciary challenges the validity of the will and fails, that bene ciary will forfeit any inheritance they would have received. e clause acts as a threat and discourages those seeking to receive a bigger piece of the pie. If you know a bene ciary is prone to con ict, inserting this statement can prevent heated legal battles and ensure your estate is distributed as intended.

Prove your Competence: e bene ciary contesting the will or trust will often claim the maker of the document was incompetent, under undue in uence from another bene ciary, or under duress during the signing of their will. To avoid these allegations, you may

want to consider obtaining a medical evaluation which will con rm you are mentally competent and understand the nature and consequences of signing a will. is statement can be included in the will or presented to a court if the will is challenged. Another way to prove competence when signing a will is to have witnesses present at the signing. Witnesses can attest to the individual’s mental capacity and ability to understand the nature and consequences of signing a will, and to a rm that they believe the individual is of sound mind and not under any form of duress.

Disinherit any heirs: Leaving certain family members out of your will can be a source of contention among bene ciaries. If you are going to disinherit someone, make sure it is noted clearly in your will or trust so there can be no question as to whether you intended to exclude them.

Carolyn Moller Duncan’s Duncan Legal, PC is located in Centennial with a practice emphasis on estate planning, probate and trust administration. Carolyn has over 22 years of experience practicing law in Colorado. Carolyn is a member of the Colorado Bar, Trust & Estate Section, Family Law Section and Denver County Bar Association.

Northglenn Youth Theatre has been ‘feeding the souls’ of young performers for 30 years

BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

ight and bespectacled, 14-year-old Lilly Sergeef is eyeing Broadway. She is a veteran actor and has been in commercials for insurance companies and Village Inn since age 6. But she is especially drawn to the stage, where she has never felt intimidated by the audience or other performers.

“Broadway is my goal,” ornton resident Sergeef said. “Being before an audience is never something I dread … it’s something I grew up on.”

A determined Vienna Frey also sees acting on Broadway in her future. e Broom eld resident said her parents are performers and she began acting when she 6. She’s starred in several plays and musicals including “Percy Jackson and Lightning ief” and “Shrek Junior.” Frey savors always diving into the characters she played.

“I just enjoy playing other people and getting into their stories,” said the 14-year-old Frey.

Both are veteran performers at Northglenn Youth eatre, which has been tutoring, supporting and ushering actors as young as 8 onto the local stage. Over 1,000 young performers have inhabited roles at Northglenn Youth eatre — or the NYT as the locals call it.

is year, NYT is celebrating its 30th anniversary, a testament to the wide-ranging support the theater has enjoyed even as cultural programs at local schools have scaled back their performances, said Kimberly Jongejan, Northglenn’s Cultural Programs Director and the NYT director.

“Funding for arts programs is not always solid, especially in elementary and middle schools,” Jonge-

Most of NYT’s students come from communities outside of Northglenn because there is a dearth of theater programs in the north metro area, she add-

Northglenn o cials, meanwhile, have long supported the arts and the NYT, said Jongejan, who was hired in 1996 to help lead the arts program in North-

“It’s aways been this way,” she said. “ e city has always seen its arts and culture as a growing and thriving part of Northglenn.”

For example, Northglenn is the only city to include a state-of-the art performing arts space — the Parsons eatre — as part of its new recreation center, Jongejan said. e entire theater and recreation complex opened in 2021.

Brothers Grimm Spectacular” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

the-scenes production process, Jongejan said.

e Northglenn Arts & Humanities Foundation — NAHF — provides funding for the NYT as well as for public art and other cultural ventures in Northglenn, according to the city. Other sponsors include Colorado Creative Industries, Scienti c & Cultural District, Tour West, WESTAF and the National Endowment for the Arts, the city states.

Jongejan said the NYT has sent some of its graduates to Broadway and O -Broadway. Mostly, NYT students become teachers and perform at dinner theaters and other community productions.

Above all, NYT serves a higher purpose of stoking the dreams of young performers, she said, adding, “We feed kids’ souls.”

Each year, NYT puts on six productions performed at the Parsons eatre, three productions for 12- to 18-year-old performers and three for the NYT Jr., program, which include eight to 12 performers. ey are tutored by professional actors on a tight schedule that calls for auditions on Monday, rehearsals during the rest of the week and performances usually over two nights.

Productions this year include “Sister Act,” “Cinderella and e Fairy Godmother’s Spell,” “ e

e NYT Academy also o ers acting basics for young performers through drama activities, scenes, songs and visual arts. One dance class is Broadway Basics, which o ers kids ages 9-12 “ball change kicks, jazz squares and more while dancing to the tunes of Broadway’s best ballads,” according to the course description. e cost of that class is $38-$46.

Jongejan said registration fees for NYT Jr. productions are $200; NYT productions are $250.

NYT Academy classes range from $25-$120 depending on duration and whether a participant is a resident of Northglenn or not, she said.

Scholarships are needs-based and are awarded via an application process. ese scholarship awards range from 50% to 100% of fees being covered through the Northglenn Arts and Humanities Foundation, Jongejan said.

NYT’s more advanced classes teach how to manipulate an actor’s voice and body to create a memorable character, a “Fosse Posse” focuses on dancing for actors and a tap dance also teaches the basic steps and combination used in musical theater, according to the course guide.

Jongejan said the NYT is also offering a screenwriting course for Hip-Hop theatre. Students can also take technical theatre workshops for a glance at the behind-

“We want our students to get a good, well-rounded look at what goes into a theater production and how important stage development, lighting and other behind-thescenes work is so important,” she said.

For 13-year-old Ian Amaro, character development is key to his acting. He is starring as the main character in “Shrek Jr. e Musical,” which is running from June 28-30.

“I like to write notes down for my character and get the back story,” he said. “I think that makes acting much more e ective.”

Amaro, who lives in ornton, admits acting isn’t really what drew him to NYT.

“School can be rough for some people,” Amaro said, adding his stutter is sometimes an obstacle. “I needed friends badly, then NYT popped up for me and the light bulb in my head went o .”

So far, Amaro has not bumped up against any diva behavior among his cast mates.

“ e people are absolutely fantastic,” he said. “Everyone has been so helpful.”

irteen-year-old Aksel Gangji’s two sisters gave him a nudge toward acting and NYT where he started performing in 2019. He still su ers from some stage fright but powers through it with the help of his castmates. Gangji attends Rocky Top Middle School in ornton.

ey often cross their arms together and then say “Break a leg” before a performance, Gangji said. Actors also pass around a “Kudos” coin before they go on stage and tell each other something positive about their work.

“Usually by then, you are saying ‘Oh great, I am going to perform,’” Gangji said.

He is also considering pursuing a career as a stage technician. “Sound, costumes, it’s what brings it all together,” Gangji said. “You can’t see the actors without the lights.”

Performing is a tradition in 14-year-old JJ Witmer’s family. His mom toured internationally with Up With People and he took his rst role as an actor at 6 as Tiny Tim in a high school production.

“It was really fun,” he said. He attends Riverdale Ridge High School in ornton.

He enrolled at NYT in 2018 and has acted in several productions including “Peter Pan” and “ e Little Mermaid.”

He’s learned to act with an English accent to play Hamlet and dyed his hair for another role.

“I like getting into a role and becoming more of that character,” Witmer said.

After “Hamlet” ended, he remembers talking with an English accent for two weeks.

“It just happened,” he said. “ at’s what you do when you get into a role.”

Ian Amaro (center) in a production of “Game of Tiaras.”

COURTESY OF NYT

The Alps meet the Rockies at summit on snowmelt

BY ALEX HAGER KUNC

Colorado, with its dramatic mountain landscapes, deep winter snow and thriving ski industry, has been referred to as the “Switzerland of America.” Gov. Jared Polis even once used the phrase.

e similarities were are more than just a name. A delegation of experts from Switzerland visited Boulder in early June for a summit on melting snow and ice. Mountain guides, climate scientists, artists and policymakers shared notes on the impacts of climate change on high-mountain landscapes.

ose experts painted a fairly bleak picture as they described the role of warming trends in reshaping the snow and ice that de ne the Rockies and Alps.

Perhaps the most striking accounts of those changes came from mountain guides, who lead groups of climbers and adventurers on trips through the peaks. Angela Hawse, a Ridgway-based guide and vice president of the International Federation of Mountain Guides Association, shared videos of icefalls and rockfalls from around the world, showing how large pieces of mountains are falling apart as the ice and snow that holds them together disappears.

the sun and melting faster. at phenomenon makes it harder to capture and share water from the Colorado River, which is used by 40 million people across the South-

In Switzerland, Saharan dust blown across the Mediterranean is a factor in the quickening melting of glaciers. e nation’s glaciers lost 10% of their total volume in 2022 and 2023, the same amount that melted in the three decades between 1960 and 1990.

Emily Zmak, a deputy chief at the Colorado Water Conservation Board who focuses on interstate water policies, remarked at the many similarities between the challenges facing both Colorado and Switzerland, and the potential solu-

“ ere’s also a sense of optimism,” Zmak said. “We haven’t lost all of our snowpack, we still have time to adapt and be smart, to build community resilience to build resilience at a state or federal government

Ambassador Balz Abplanalp, the Swiss representative for the Western U.S., organized the conference and said international collaboration will be a key part of global climate change solutions going forward.

Hawse and Switzerland-based Urs Wellauer, the association’s president, both expressed optimism in nding xes to climate problems through collaboration. Hawse re ected on a trip the binational group took to Boulder County’s Brainard Lake as part of the conference.

“It really brought us together as

a bunch of individuals that have di erent perspectives on life,” she said, “ at have di erent professions, that have di erent ways of looking at the mountains and ways of understanding how we can work together to communicate our experiences for that shared experience of moving forward.”

Climate scientists from both countries presented data about a

number of climate factors that are rapidly changing the behavior of high-altitude snow and ice. Temperature and precipitation patterns in the Rockies and Alps are changing, and the two regions share even more granular similarities.

Researchers explained how windblown dust in Colorado is landing on top of snow, making it darker, absorbing more radiation from

“We can learn from experts from another domain,” he said, “How they tackle the issue in order to be inspired. is is 360 degree inspiration that we can generate.” is story is part of ongoing coverage of the Colorado River, produced by KUNC in Colorado and supported by the Walton Family Foundation. KUNC is solely responsible for its editorial coverage.

Orange dust from the Sahara Desert covers ski slopes in Verbier, Switzerland on March 15, 2022. Climate scientists said dust on snow is among a number of factors that are accelerating snowmelt in both Colorado and Switzerland.

PHOTO BY ALEX HAGER

Thu 6/27

dogtired @ 6pm

Keddjra @ 8pm

Town Hall Collaborative, 525 Santa Fe Dr, Denver

Dead Original @ 8pm HQ, 60 S Broadway, Denver

Fri 6/28

Concerts in The Canyon: Antonio Lopez Band / Spirit

Voices & Janis Kelly @ 6:30pm

House concert, 11753 Hillcrest Road, Golden, CO, Golden

Tonguebyte @ 8pm

Hi-Dive, 7 S Broadway, Denver

StoneyBertz @ 7:30pm Your Mom's House, 608 E 13th Ave., Den‐ver

Mon 7/01

Tue 7/02

The Grass Project Live @ Denver Botanic Gardens (Evenings Al Fresco) @ 4:30pm Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St, Denver

Hi-Dive, 7 S Broadway, Denver

Priceless @ 9pm Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St, Denver

Sat 6/29

The Imaginaries @ Historic

Downtown Louisville @ 7pm Louisville UMC, Louisville Rock Machine @ 8pm Herman's Hideaway, 1578 S Broadway, Denver

Sun 6/30

KB ANGEL: BBQ ICRME @ 11am Cheesman Park, Denver

Naomi Raine: Girls Night OutDenver @ 7pm Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Place, Denver

Xana @ 7pm Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St, Denver

Blushing @ 7pm Skylark Lounge, 140 S Broadway, Denver

Ben Beal @ 8pm

Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom & Other Side, 2637 Welton St, Denver

Bktherula @ 8pm

Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom & Other Side, 2637 Welton St, Denver

Christopher Paul Stelling @ 8pm Skylark Lounge, 140 S Broadway, Denver

Wed 7/03

Western Wednesday w/ Sugar Britches and White Rose Motor Oil @ 8pm Skylark Lounge, 140 S Broadway, Denver

Beezwax @ 8pm Lost Lake Lounge, 3602 E Colfax Ave, Denver

Calendar information is provided by event organiz‐ers. All events are subject to change or cancella‐tion. This publication is not responsible for the ac‐curacy of the information contained in this calendar.

Careers

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Public Notice

June 20, 2024

NOTICE TO MORTGAGEES IN THE MARSTON COVE COMMUNITY

Notice is hereby given to all mortgagees within the Marston Cove community in Denver County, Colorado, that the Marston Cove Homeowner Association is seeking mortgagee approval of a proposed Amended and Restated Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, Restrictions and Easements for Marston Cove (the “Proposed Amendment”). The Proposed Amendment can be obtained at the following address: Altitude Community Law P.C., 555 Zang Street, Suite 100, Lakewood, CO 80228-1011. Failure of any mortgagee to deliver a negative response to the Marston Cove Homeowner Association, c/o Altitude Community Law P.C., 555 Zang Street, Suite 100, Lakewood, CO 80228-1011, within 60 days shall be deemed consent on behalf of the mortgagee.

Legal Notice No. DHD 3171

First Publication: June 20, 2024

Last Publication: June 20, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Summons and Sheriff Sale

Public Notice

DISTRICT COURT, DENVER, STATE OF COLORADO

Denver County District Court 1437 Bannock St Denver, CO 80202

Case No.: 2024CV030813 Division: 424

Plaintiff: THE BELVEDERE TOWER CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, INC., a Colorado nonprofit corporation v. Defendants: CHARLES J. VANSTROM REVOCABLE TRUST; COUNTRYWIDE BANK FSB; MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC.; DENVER COUNTY PUBLIC TRUSTEE

Attorneys for Plaintiff:

Orten Cavanagh Holmes & Hunt, LLC

Hal R. Kyles, #23891

1445 Market Street, Suite 350 Denver, CO 80202

Phone Number: (720) 221-9780

Matter ID #2787.0025

SUMMONS

[BY PUBLICATION] THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS:

You are hereby summoned and required to appear and defend against the claims of the complaint filed with the court in this action, by filing with the clerk of this court an answer or other response. You are required to file your answer or other response within 35 days after the service of this Summons upon you. Service of this summons shall be complete on the day of the last publication. A copy of the complaint may be obtained from the clerk of the court.

If you fail to file your answer or other response to the complaint in writing within 35 days after the date of the last publication, judgment by default may be rendered against you by the court for the relief demanded in the complaint without further notice.

This is an action of foreclosure pursuant to Rule 105, C.R.C.P. to the real property situate in Denver, Colorado more particularly described as Parcel A: Condominium Unit 6B, The Belvedere Tower, A Condominium Community, According to the Condominium Map recorded August 22, 2000 at Reception No. 2000120009 and as defined and described in the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions recorded August 8, 2000 at Reception No. 200113225, together with the exclusive right to use Storage Space 33, City and County of Denver, State of Colorado. Parcel B: Garage No. 74 The Belvedere Tower, A Condominium Community, According to the Condominium Map recorded August 22, 2000 at Reception No. 2000120009 and as defined and described in the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions recorded August 8, 2000 at Reception No. 200113225, City and County of Denver, State of Colorado.

Dated: May 28, 2024.

ORTEN CAVANAGH HOLMES & HUNT, LLC

By:/s/Hal R. Kyles

Hal R. Kyles, #23891

This Summons is issued pursuant to Rule 4(g), Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure.

Legal Notice No. DHD 3156

First Publication: June 6, 2024

Last Publication: June 20, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Misc. Private Legals

Public Notice

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that West

4th Holdings, LLC, the duly appointed receiver (“Receiver”) for Bellrock Brands, Inc., BRB DB Holdings, Inc., BRB Mary’s Holdings Corp., Dixie Brands (USA) Inc., Mary’s Operations, LLC, Mary’s Pets, LLC, Mary’s Nutritionals, LLC, DB Finance Nevada, LLC, DB Oklahoma, LLC (collectively, the “Receivership Defendants”), has established a procedure for asserting claims by claimants unknown to the Receiver against the Receivership Defendants and the Receivership estate, pursuant to this Court’s March 25, 2024, Order re: Forthwith Motion for Immediate Appointment of Receiver-Manager Pursuant to C.R.C.P. 121, § 1-15(4) (the “Receivership Order”).

THE DEADLINE FOR UNKNOWN CLAIMANTS TO FILE CLAIMS WITH THE RECEIVER IS FORTY-FIVE DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLISHING OF THIS NOTICE

If you have a claim against the Receivership Defendants, or any of them, you must submit a completed claim form for each claim to the Receiver no later than fortyfive days from the date of publishing of this Notice. If you have a claim against more than one Receivership Defendant, you must file a separate Proof of Claim against each such Receivership Defendant.

Claim forms may be obtained from and submitted by hand delivery, courier, email (as an attachment in portable document format (.pdf)), facsimile or U.S. mail addressed to:

West 4th Holdings, LLC

c/o Jordan Factor, Esq. Allen Vellone Wolf Helfrich & Factor, P.C.

1600 Stout Street, Suite 1900 Denver, Colorado 80202

Tel. No. (303) 534-4499

Fax No. (303) 893-8332

Email: jfactor@allen-vellone.com

Proofs of Claim filed in any other manner, including with the Court, will not be considered properly submitted. Prior submissions by Claimants will not be treated as properly filed Claims; such Claimants must submit completed and signed Proof of Claim Forms to the Receiver on or before the applicable Bar Date. Each Proof of Claim submitted to the Receiver must conform substantially to and contain all of the information sought in the Proof of Claim Form approved by the Court.

Any Claimant who is required to submit a Proof of Claim, but fails to do so in a timely manner or in the proper form, will be: (a) barred, estopped, and enjoined to the fullest extent allowed by applicable law from asserting, in any manner, such Claim against the Receiver, the Receivership Defendants

and their respective estates or property, (b) not be permitted to object to any distribution plan proposed by the Receiver on account of such Claim, (c) be denied any distributions under any distribution plan implemented by the Receiver on account of such Claim, and (d) not receive any further notices on account of such Claim. Further, the Receivership Defendants will be discharged from any and all indebtedness or liability with respect to such Claim.

Legal Notice No. DHD3170

First Publication: June 20, 2024

Last Publication: June 20, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Notice to Creditors

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of SANDRA L. ALBRECHT, aka SANDRA LEE ALBRECHT, Deceased Case Number: 2023PR031364

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 September 29, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Michael P. Sasin

Attorney to the Personal Representative Kumpf Charsley & Hansen, LLC 9565 S. Kingston Court, Suite 100 Englewood, CO 80112 Main: 720-473-8000

Legal Notice No. DHD 3176

First Publication: June 20, 2024 Last Publication: July 4, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of CLARA D. CUTFORTH, a/k/a CLARA CUTFORTH, DARLENE CUTFORTH, Deceased Case Number: 2024-PR-30600

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 October 14, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Christopher P. Seerveld, Attorney for Personal Representative Dymond Reagor, PLLC 8400 E. Prentice Ave., Suite 1040

Public Notices

Greenwood Village, CO 80111

Legal Notice No. DHD 3161

First Publication: June 13, 2024

Last Publication: June 27, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of DONALD SCOTT WEDUM, (a.k.a. DONALD S. WEDUM), Deceased Case Number: 2024PR30355

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative (SCOTT DONALD WEDUM) or to DENVER PROBATE COURT (1437 BANNOCK STREET, DENVER, CO 80202) on or before October 6, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

/s/ Erin McCurdy Levy

ERIN MCCURDY LEVY, Esq.

Attorney for Personal Representative 8354 Northfield Blvd, Suite 3700 Denver, CO 80238

Legal Notice No. DHD 3152

First Publication: June 6, 2024

Last Publication: June 20, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS JOHN GRIFFITH, aka JOHN H. GRIFFITH, aka JOHN GRIFFITH JR, Case Number 2024PR254

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, October 21, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Kellie Adam of CS AdvoCare Inc. Person Giving Notice

7500 E Arapahoe Rd , Suite# 101 Centennial Colorado 80112

Legal Notice No. DHD 3177

First Publication: June 20, 2024

Last Publication: July 4, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of James Preston Mosser, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR030437

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court, Colorado on or before October 6, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Dated: May 22, 2024

CURTIS LAW FIRM, LLC

/s/ Cory M. Curtis

Cory M. Curtis, #40549

10333 E. Dry Creek Rd., Suite 210 Englewood, CO 80112

720-263-4600

cmcurtis@cmcurtislaw.com

Legal Notice No. DHD 3158

First Publication: June 6, 2024

Last Publication: June 20, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of JENNIFER L. ISBILL, a/k/a JENNIFER LYNN ISBILL, a/k/a JENNIFER ISBILL, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR30570

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, October 14, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Personal Representative: Sevier Bonnie, III

c/o Curtis J. Bankers, Esq. Sherman & Howard L.L.C. 675 Fifteenth Street, Ste. 2300 Denver, Colorado 80202

Legal Notice No. DHD 3160

First Publication: June 13, 2024

Last Publication: June 27, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of LYNN SUNAHARA, Deceased

Case Number 2024PR000140

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 October 20, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Donna Sunahara, Personal Representation

c/o Solem, Woodward & McKinley P.C. 750 W. Hampden Ave, Suite 505 Englewood, Colorado 80110

Legal Notice No. DHD 3167

First Publication: June 20, 2024

Last Publication: July 4, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Anthony William Delgado, also known as Anthony W. Delgado, also known as Anthony Wm. Delgado, also known as Anton Delgado, Deceased Case Number 2023PR31252

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 Monday, October 7, 2024, or the claims

may be forever barred.

Louise Ann Delgado

Personal Representative Post Office Box 1446 Canon City, Colorado 81215

Legal Notice No. DHD 3155

First Publication: June 6, 2024

Last Publication: June 20, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Debra Lynn Lanzi, a/k/a Debra L. Lanzi, a/k/a Debra Lanzi, a/k/a Debra Lynn Montana, a/k/a Debra L. Montana, and Debra Montana, Deceased Case Number: 2024 PR 30579

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court on or before October 6, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Monica Ashley Lanzi

Personal Representative 8849 Mancos River St. Littleton, CO 80125

Phone: (303) 868-9926 lanzi458@gmail.com

Legal Notice No. DHD 3153

First Publication: June 6, 2024

Last Publication: June 20, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Charles Leroy Hopwood, a/k/a Charles L. Hopwood, a/k/a Charles Hopwood, and Chuck Hopwood, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR30624

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, October 21, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

David C. Hopwood, Personal Representative c/o M. Carl Glatstein, Esq. Glatstein & O'Brien, LLP 2696 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite 350 Denver, Colorado 80222

Legal Notice No. DHD 3169

First Publication: June 20, 2024

Last Publication: July 4, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of John Delos Zimmerman, a/k/a John D. Zimmerman, a/k/a John Zimmerman, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR30433

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 October 14, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Elizabeth Lovato, Personal Representative

Patrick R. Thiessen (40185) FRIE, ARNDT, DANBORN & THIESSEN P.C.

7400 Wadsworth Blvd, Ste. 201 Arvada, CO 80003

Phone Number: 303-420-1234

Attorney for Elizabeth Lovato Personal Representative

Legal Notice No. DHD 3164

First Publication: June 13, 2024

Last Publication: June 27, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Levi Gallegos, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR030467

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 Monday, October 21, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Michael P. Sasin

Attorney to the Personal Representative Kumpf Charsley & Hansen, LLC 9565 S. Kingston Court, Suite 100 Englewood, CO 80112 Main: 720-473-8000

Legal Notice No. DHD 3175

First Publication: June 20, 2024 Last Publication: July 4, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Janet Lee Brigham, also known as Janet Lee Bruce; aka Janet L. Brigham; aka Janet Brigham, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR30428

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, October 21, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

3i Law, LLC, Personal Representative 2000 S. Colorado Blvd. Tower 1, Suite 10000 Denver, CO 80222

Legal Notice No. DHD 3174

First Publication: June 20, 2024 Last Publication: July 4, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Public Notices

Estate of Edward B. Wasson, also known as Edward Bassett Wasson, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR30569

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 October 20, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Kate B. Wasson

Co-Personal Representative 215 Kearney Street Denver, Colorado 80220

AND Mary O. Wasson

Co-Personal Representative 10594 N. 65th Street Longmont, Colorado 80503

Legal Notice No. DHD 3168

First Publication: June 20, 2024

Last Publication: July 4, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of William Joseph Taylor, aka William J. Taylor, aka William Taylor, aka Bill Taylor, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR30576

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before October 25, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Baysore & Christian Fiduciary Ser -

vices, LLC, Personal Representative Patrick R. Thiessen (40185) Frie, Arndt, Danborn & Thiessen P.C. 7400 Wadsworth Blvd., #201 Arvada, Colorado 80003 303/420-1234

Attorney for Personal Representative

Legal Notice No. DHD 3165

First Publication: June 13, 2024 Last Publication: June 27, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Children Services

1.Family Case

You (the Respondent) are now a part of a court case to resolve a family legal matter. Along with this summons, you will get a document called a Petition. The Petition will let you know more about the case and what the Petitioner wants the Court to do.

You are further notified that said Petition is set for an Initial Status Conference on July 1, 2024 at 1:30 PM at the Denver District Court located at 1437 Bannock St., Denver, CO 80202 in courtroom 368.

2.Your Next Steps

You must file a written response to that Petition.

As soon as you receive this Summons, you must obey these orders:

a) Do not disturb the peace of the other parent or parties in this case.

b) Do not take the children in this case out of the state without permission from the Court and/or the other parent (or party).

Court, Denver County 1437 Bannock St. Denver, CO 80202

In re the Parental Responsibilities concerning: Itzel Rodriguez Agustin

Petitioner: Maria del Carmen Agustin Valle And Respondent: John Doe Case Number 2024DR30658 Courtroom: 368

Attorney for Petitioner: Luke Niermann, #55462

Joseph & Hall, P.C. 12203 E. 2nd Ave. Aurora, CO 80011

Phone: (303) 733-4382

Email: luke@immigrationissues.com

NOTICE AND SUMMONS BY PUB-

a) You may use form JDF 1035 – Response to the Petition.

b) Forms and resources are found online at [www.courts.state.co.us/Forms/family]

c) Your response is due within 21 days of receiving this summons. That deadline extends to 35 days when served outside of Colorado or if notified of the case by publication.

d)File online at: [www.jbits.courts.state.co.us/efiling] Or file by mail or at the courthouse. (The Court’s address is in Box A above.)

e) Pay the filing fee. Or request a fee waiver. (Use forms JDF 205 and JDF 206).

3.Consequences

If you do not file a Response, the Court may decide the case without your input. You may not receive further notice about court filings and events. You are still required to obey any orders the Court issues.

4.Automatic Court Orders (Temporary Injunction)

c) Do not stop paying, cancel, or make any changes to health, homeowner’s, renter’s, automobile, or life insurance policies that cover the children or a party in this case or that name a child or a party as a beneficiary. Exception: You may make changes to insurance coverage if you have written permission from the other parent or party or a court order, and you give at least 14 days’ Notice to the other party. C.R.S. §§ 14-10-107, 108. You must obey these orders until this case is finalized, dismissed, or the Court changes these orders. To request a change, you may use form JDF 1314 – General Motion.

5.Note on Genetic Testing

You can request genetic testing. The Court will not hold this request against you when deciding the outcome of the case. You must do testing and submit the results before the Court establishes who the parents are (parentage) and issues final orders. After that time, it may be too late to submit genetic testing evidence. The law that directs this process is C.R.S. § 14-10-124(1.5).

Submitted by:

Luke

Niermann,

Attorney for Petitioner

Legal Notice No. DHD 3157

First Publication: June 13, 2024

Last Publication: July 11, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

DISTRICTS

Although the Colorado Public Interest Research Group’s analysis focuses on only the state’s largest districts, statewide data shows it’s an issue that also a ects many smaller

BILINGUAL

e state’s early childhood department had used federal pandemic relief funds to hire three bilingual employees and provide 35 licensing training sessions in Spanish, but those temporary funds will run out

schools. e organization also created a resource guide for parents who want to analyze the statewide data for themselves.

Schatz said while she commends school districts for starting to take action, no student or parent should have to worry about lead in their water, and that there should be no lead in any source of drinking water.

in September. e new funding will allow the department to o er child care licensing applications in Spanish and provide translation services throughout the process.

In Je erson County, 17 students were in the Head Start program’s rst bilingual classroom last school year, including about a dozen who spoke Spanish and ve who spoke only English — at least when the

Her group recommends that parents worried about lead contamination send their students to schools with ltered water.

e American Academy of Pediatrics has set a safety threshold of 1 part per billion in drinking water. Most states have set the limit at 5 or 10 parts per billion.

“We know that there’s no safe level

class began.

Ramirez marveled at how easily all of the kids in the class began to incorporate vocabulary in a new language. When the teacher asked who wanted milk, it didn’t matter if she said it in English or Spanish — everyone understood. Many of them were speaking some form of Spanglish, or “code-switching” with a mix of the two languages, by the

of lead exposure for people, and especially children who are still developing, because it causes so many health harms,” she said. “ e most important thing is that we provide a safer and healthier learning environment.”

is story runs permission of Chalkbeat, a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools.

end of the year.

“You could de nitely see a difference,” Ramirez said. “Children code-switch a lot, which I do, too. Even the kids who were monolingual, they were understanding, too. is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.