Denver Herald Dispatch September 26, 2024

Denver doctor recognized for humanitarian contributions

Dr. Susan Ryan joined by zero-judgment

who comforts colleagues and patients alike

BY LONDON LYLE

SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

If you ever pay a visit to physician Susan Ryan, chances are high you’ll have the pleasure of meeting her most trusted con dante: award-winning “Dogtor” Peppi, a yellow labrador who works as a permanent facility dog in the emergency department at Rose Medical Center in Denver.

Dr. Ryan’s contributions to the medical eld and extensive philanthropic

work with nonpro t Canine Companions have led to her winning the Frist Humanitarian Award for HCA Healthcare’s Continental Division. Ryan is among only 15 Americans to win the award in 2024.

e Frist Award, created in 1971 and named after HCA co-founder Dr. omas F. Frist, is given to those who “demonstrate a level of commitment and caring that goes beyond everyday kindness. eir sel essness serves as both challenge and inspiration to others to nd a way to do good in this world,” states HCA HealthcareMag.   Ryan’s sel essness certainly stands out in conversation. Re ecting on the day she received the award, Ryan recalled, “In truth, I was walking out of a patient’s room, and I saw a whole bunch of administrators. I turned the corner the other way to hide. I was

VOICES: 10 | LIFE: 12 | CALENDAR: 14

like, what are they doing?” she said.

After being assured that she was not getting red, but instead was receiving an award for her 34 years in medicine and philanthropy, Ryan was shocked.

“I was thinking, humanitarian? I’m not Mother eresa,” she said.

Mother eresa or not, Ryan’s career has always revolved around helping others. When she’s not sporting a pair of scrubs, you might nd the Congress Park resident lecturing at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where she has twice been named Teacher of the Year; serving on Canine Companions’ Southwest Region Board of Directors, or practicing mindfulness techniques at equine therapy.

Grad ‘fits in our community’ Regis GLOBAL makes work connection

BY XAVIER BARRIOS SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

For students, graduation season marks the completion of one chapter and the start of another. But this season also began a new story of diversity, equity and inclusion as one group of students, adorned in caps and gowns, walked across the stage at Regis University. is chapter was written by the inaugural class of ve graduating GLOBAL Inclusive students, the rst to complete the university’s program designed to give students with intellectual or developmental disabilities an opportunity to have a traditional college campus experience. In 2022, e Denver North Star reported on the GLOBAL Inclusive program’s launch, and then again in 2023 for a year-in report.  e unknown of postgraduation was waiting for GLOBAL Inclusive student Jordan Stewart, who said the milestone was thrust upon him whether he wanted to graduate or not.

For Stewart, the hardest part of his graduation was that he would no longer see his friends and peers daily. His routine switched from saying, “See you later,” to the harder, more formal, “Goodbye,” Stewart said.

TRUTH IS OUT THERE

Colorado has a long history with UFOs

Peppi listens intently to Dr. Susan Ryan at Rose Medical Center ER.

PHOTO BY LONDON LYLE

‘dogtor’

Colorado nurse: exposure to screens can harm health

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Tempted by social media, streaming services and video games, it’s nearly impossible for people, young and old, to escape the screens of their digital devices. Research has shown how time on phones, tablets, and big screens can have a negative e ect on the body.

at’s why AdventHealth Nurse Practitioner Jill Hefti-Breed works with parents and children on solutions to reduce screen time — and to be safe while visiting cyberspace.

“Technology is an amazing thing,” said Hefti-Breed. “But it’s just nding the balance to help our kids continue to be social, healthy, interactive beings.”

In spring of 2023, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory concerning the effects social media use has on youth’s mental health.

“Children are exposed to harmful content on social media, ranging from violent and sexual content, to bullying and harassment,” Murthy said in a statement. “And for too many children, social media use is compromising their sleep and valuable in-person time with family and friends.”

Murthy said he is often asked by parents if social media is safe for their kids. ere is not enough evidence to say it’s safe, he said, but there is growing evidence that social media is associated with harm, particularly to mental health.

Pair that trend with the fact that children 11-17 years old have increased their screen time an average an hour a day since the pandemic, according to a recent study from the National Library of Medicine. Children in that age group have increased their screen time up to seven hours in a few years.

e COVID pandemic, which included lockdowns and virtual classes at many schools, was an accelerator for screen time use for people of all ages.

“I think it turned not only kids, but it turned adults to staying inside and doing more online,” said Hefti-Breed.

A Pew Research Center report published in January found about 41% of U.S. adults reported being online “almost constantly,” and for those between 18-29 years of age, the rate was even higher: 62%.

Hefti-Breed talks with kids and their parents about how social media has bene ts, but also understands the pitfalls, including negative e ects on mental health, physical health and overall safety.

“People just don’t understand the power of their kids with that phone,” said Hefti-Breed.

Brain development and overall health e brain’s prefrontal cortex manages one’s mood, memory and judgment. Just as alcohol and drugs a ect the development of the cortex, so does using a phone, said Hefti-Breed. It’s concerning in young people because the brain isn’t fully developed

until the mid-to-late 20s, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

“Studies show they shouldn’t even have social media before the age of 15 because they don’t have the understanding to be able to di erentiate that that’s not important,” said HeftiBreed.  erefore, giving them access to sites and parts of the internet they mentally cannot comprehend a ects their focus, social skills and sense of self worth. And being on the phone or computer for hours on end establishes a certain threshold for being judged and limits their ability for con ict resolution.

It can also become addicting. e ding of a noti cation sends endorphins to the brain that says you have to check it, said Hefti-Breed. Having the phone in the room at night is tempting for kids and adults and can disrupt the quality of sleep.

When Hefti-Breed talks with kids during their physicals, she asks them how long they spend on their phones or video games and how much time they spend walking. e answers typically range from three to four hours behind the screen and zero time walking.

“You get consumed and all of the sudden, time goes away and all you’ve done is be sedentary, scrolling through your phone, so you’re not getting the endorphins that you would get from exercise,” said HeftiBreed. “You’re not giving your heart a good workout, you’re slowing your metabolism, putting yourself at risk for weight gain, and decreasing cardiac stamina.”

She added that algorithms can be harmful to mental health as it can feed information about subjects like depression or eating disorders, which is why she speaks to parents about putting parameters on content and not introducing a phone until it’s needed. If parents feel a phone is needed, she says to refrain from allowing them to have social media.

“If you don’t have the brain maturity, it can lead you down a hole of depression and anxiety or just feeling worthless about yourself,” said HeftiBreed. “ ey don’t understand that even an apple looks perfect from one angle with a bite taken out of the back.”

The Digital Futures Initiative

Kids today tend to live in a world of likes and dislikes. Hefti-Breed described them as “digital natives.”

Originally created to teach in schools, Hefti-Breed formed a nonpro t, Digital Futures Initiative, with her husband. It works to empower parents and communities with information and resources to help guide today’s digitally connected youth.  e tools and training programs are utilized by school resource ocers and media teachers across Colorado, including Douglas County. It is also used elsewhere in the country and in several other countries. ere are even parent academies to show parents how to keep an eye on their children and how easy it is, for instance, for kids to hide things on their phones that parents should know about.

Centered around the idea of safe and judicial use of phones and computers, the website helps adults instruct kids and teens on more responsible internet and device usage as well as manage challenges that arise. She also takes on myths, such as it is safer for children to stay inside rather than play outside.

“Worry about your kids’ safety because they’re going to probably run into more predators online than they ever will outside,” said Hefti-Breed.

Online concerns involve cyberbullying, harassment, identity theft, child exploitation, cat shing, swatting, distracted driving and drug trafcking or use.

e website has a guide to apps and websites, which describes the purpose and the potential danger of each one. Other resources include proactive parenting plans, family device agreement, tech controls for parents, protecting children’s phone content and more.

With easy access to social media and the internet, Hefti-Breed understands that adults cannot simply hide youth from it.

“What we just want to do is help them to be able to have the understanding and to now look for acceptance through online measures,” said Hefti-Breed.

More: Hefti-Breed has provided free downloads to resources at www. d now.org/downloads/.

Casa Bonita set to begin taking reservations

Iconic Lakewood restaurant taking names for Oct. 1 public debut

BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

For more than a year, those wanting a glimpse inside Lakewood’s newly renovated Casa Bonita needed to win the lottery. While receiving an exclusive invitation to dinner at the iconic Mexican restaurant wasn’t quite akin to winning the Powerball, the odds of being chosen in Casa Bonita’s lottery system weren’t exactly in their favor.

Hundreds of thousands who signed up hoping to receive an invitation still remain on the waitlist, making it one of Denver’s most exclusive dining establishments.

All of that is changing. After decades of walk-in-only dining, the beloved establishment, nicknamed the “Disneyland of Mexican restaurants,” famous for its cli divers, immersive theme park atmosphere, and, more recently, its new ownership by “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, is set to begin accepting reservations for the rst time in its history.

Guests can now book their visits in advance through the restaurant’s website. ose visits are set to begin on Oct. 1. According to the website, the restaurant plans to announce additional changes based on guest feedback as they are introduced. Since re-opening in June 2023, guests are no longer required to pay for their meal before entering the dining area and instead receive table service.

Walk-in dining remains unavailable.

Jill Hefti-Breed, a nurse practitioner with AdventHealth talks with kids and adults about the length of screen time and the potential health and safety concerns. SHUTTERSTOCK

Casa Bonita entrance. FILE PHOTO BY JO DAVIS

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Some Thoughts on Keeping Your Death From Being an Undue Burden on Your Heirs

Seniors don’t want to be a burden to their children while they’re alive, and there are ways to reduce their burden after they die.

If you’ve ever served as a “personal representative” (aka, “executor”) for a person who has passed, you know that it can be a long and burdensome process. There are actions that you can take now so that handling your estate is less burdensome.

First, of course, you need to write a will, and make sure that it can be found upon your death. You can find law firms that specialize in estate planning which can help you with composing a will plus other tools such as a medical power of attorney, living will, living trust, and, for real estate, a beneficiary deed.

gave unused bicycles to the Optimist Club’s Bicycle Recycle Program, and took several car loads of clothes, dishes, silverware, small appliances and you-name-it to Goodwill. Since I was our own Realtor in the transaction, I cleverly inserted in the contract of sale that “the seller can leave anything he doesn’t want,” which included countless tools and other stuff in our garage. That was in addition to selling most of our furniture to the buyer for $10,000 paid by check outside of closing.

An unbelievable sense of lightness and peace of mind filled Rita and me from the experience of disposing of so much stuff that would have only been a burden to our heirs if we had died while living in that home.

Is a Heat Pump Right for You? Here Is Some Info.

More and more builders and homeowners are looking at the possibility of switching from gas forced air to heat pumps for heating homes and domestic hot water, especially with the huge tax credits offered under the Inflation Reduction Act.

The following is adapted from an article I saw on CustomBuilderOnline.com

How do heat pumps work?

A heat pump moves heat, it doesn’t generate heat.

A furnace combusts fuel — oil, gas, or propane — and that fuel heats a metal component called a heat exchanger. A fan blows air over it, and that’s how a home heats up, explains Matt Rusteika of the Building Decarbonization Coalition.

pump,” says Rusteika.

How much does switching to a heat pump cost?

With rebate incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), switching to a heat pump could be more attainable.

Thanks to the IRA, heat pumps are now affordable for low-income households and we’re seeing a lot of heat pumps in those homes now, says Unger. Rebates under the IRA are as high as $8,000 for the heat pumps and $6,500 for the wiring to support them, he says.

Searching for “estate planning” on the internet produces an abundance of easy-to-understand advice from multiple trust-worthy websites ranging from wikipedia.com to fidelity.com to the American Bar Association, nerdwallet.com and the National Council on Aging. One website I clicked that had excellent and thorough advice was investopedia.com

A good piece of advice I read was to add the person you designate as your personal representative to your bank accounts, the title of your vehicles, and to your credit card accounts, so those are not frozen and unavailable to him or her after your death. And you might want to dispose of excess property that is otherwise cluttering up your basement and garage.

When Rita and I downsized from our 4,000-sq.-ft. home to an 1,100-sq.-ft. apartment, we did our heirs a great favor, because doing so required us to dispose of an immense amount of stuff that was cluttering up our basement. We

Notice that I did not advise you to add your heirs to the title of your house. If you do, your heirs will not only inherit the house, they will also inherit your capital gain when they go so sell it. The better strategy is to create a beneficiary deed naming your heir(s) as the beneficiary. A beneficiary deed, also known as a transfer-on-death (TOD) deed, is a legal document that allows a property owner to transfer ownership of their real estate to a designated beneficiary after they die. The deed is effective upon the owner's death and bypasses the probate process. This approach, like leaving the property to your heirs in your will, allows your heirs to avoid the capital gain on your home, because its value is “stepped up” to the value of the home at the time of your death. If they sell the home soon, they will probably owe zero in capital gains tax.

For more estate planning advice, contact a lawyer specializing in that field. I can recommend one if you’d like.

List With Me & Get Totally Free Local Moving

It has long been my practice — and that of some of my broker associates — that if you hire me to list your current home and to purchase your replacement home, I will not only reduce my commission for selling your current home but provide totally free local moving using our company moving truck (similar to a large U-Haul) and our own moving personnel. We also provide free moving boxes and packing paper/bubble wrap.

using traditional moving companies, you know that our totally free moving can save you thousands of dollars, even for a move within the metro area.

In heat pumps, there is a compressor which moves a liquid/gas through copper pipe coils located outside and inside the home, operating on two laws of physics: gases get hotter under pressure, and heat moves from hot to cold. Compared to combustion, the heat pump doesn’t burn fuel, rather, it uses energy from the pump and compressor to harvest heat and move it.

“Heat goes into the coil, gets pumped through the compressor, the compressor puts it under pressure so it’s very hot. It goes inside, air blows over the inside coil, deposits the heat in the house, comes back outside, and starts the cycle again,” explains Rusteika. During cooling operation, the cycle is merely reversed, pumping heat out of the house.

What are the negatives of heat pumps?

Heat pump efficiency drops as temperatures get colder, explains Russell Unger, principal at Rocky Mountain Institute. Early heat pumps were not efficient at very cold outdoor temperatures, and some contractors are unaware of the improvement in efficiency that is now common. Nowadays there are cold-weather heat pumps which can draw heat out of the air even at subfreezing outdoor temperatures, says Unger. He points to the state of Maine, which has very cold winters but has the highest percentage of homes heated with heat pumps.

In 2019, Maine Governor Janet Mills announced a goal to install 100,000 heat pumps in the state by 2025. That goal was achieved in July 2023, and now Gov. Mills has a new goal of 175,000 more by 2027.

“When you look for a heat pump, you need to look for a climate-appropriate heat

When a homeowner needs to replace an existing heating system, the wisest move may be to install a heat pump. The Department of Energy estimates that efficient electric heat pumps can save families approximately $500 to $1,000 annually

Heat pumps are being installed in great numbers in Maine because the marginal cost of switching to a heat pump is pretty small, explains Unger. Where there is a need for both heating and cooling, a heat pump provides a complete solution. The heat pump replaces two separate components — a furnace and A/C compressor — with a single component using the same ducts. And if a homeowner installs solar, earning additional IRA tax credits, there’s great synergy, since the heat pump uses only electricity and uses it very efficiently. How popular are heat pumps?

Revised building codes have increased the adoption of heat pumps within the last few years. Still, a lot of HVAC contractors remain skeptical. Many of them tried older heat pumps and it didn’t work as well in cold climates, so getting them to revisit the option has proven difficult, but needs to be encouraged, says Unger.

Heat pumps have outpaced furnace sales every month for the past two years, in addition to solar generation increasing about 40% in the last 20 years, and battery sales up 70% in the last 10 years,

“There’s a big shift happening right now. To remain competitive, to get ahead of what customers want, this is something for contractors to start paying attention to,” says Unger.

In the posting of this article online at http://RealEstateToday.substack.com, I have added hyperlinks to Maine’s experience and the rebates available under the Inflation Reduction Act.

Just pack and unpack. We will even pick up your flattened boxes and packing materials after you unpack!

If you have ever priced moving costs

I bought our first moving truck in 2004. We replaced it with a newer truck (above) in 2016. I calculate that we’ve saved clients hundreds of thousands of dollars in moving costs over the years.

Westminster joins Rocky Flats group exodus

Other cities dropping out of stewardship

council prompted the move by Westminster

BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e City of Westminster is joining other local governments that are pulling out of the Rocky Flats Stewardship Council.

Westminster City Councilors voted 7-0 to leave the oversight group. e move was not a surprise as six other communities have already voted to leave the stewardship council, said City of Westminster spokesman Andy Le.

e stewardship council – or RFSC – includes 10 local government members and has served to provide a platform for mayors and city council members to have say on the management of the closed Rocky Flats

nuclear facility. e agreement that formed the RFSC began in February 2006, according to a city sta report.

e terms of the agreement states that the RFSC ceases to exist if six government members drop out. In recent weeks, Golden, Superior, ornton, Northglenn, Broom eld and Boulder County have said they will leave, the sta report states.

e dissolution of the RFSC will not alter the Department of Energy’s management responsibilities of Rocky Flats or its obligations to provide updates and reports, the sta report states.

Councilors also postponed an executive session to discuss the city’s next move regarding the Rocky Mountain Greenway Trail.

Activists have urged the City of Westminster to stop building the trail, which would link the city with the abandoned Rocky Flats Plant, saying local recreation will disturb soil still contaminated with deadly plutonium.

Parker and Stone o cially bought Casa Bonita in September 2021. e purchase came after the restaurant led for bankruptcy in 2020 due to nancial struggles exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. e pair, who were long-time fans, famously catapulted Casa Bonita to cult-like status after featuring the restaurant in a 2003 “South Park” episode. During a 2023 interview, Parker joked that they went over budget by $40 million upgrading the kitchen, improving safety features, modernizing lighting and sound systems, and making the restaurant ADA-compliant while keeping its nostalgic charm.

MEET YOUR NEW PERSIAN MOTHER — PLAYED BY HER OWN SON

Parker and Stone also hired award-winning chef Dana Rodriguez to elevate the menu and provide a better culinary experience.

Reviews on Yelp since the restaurant’s soft opening in June 2023 are

mainly favorable. More than half of the 456 responses gave it 4 or more stars out of 5, while one-third gave the experience just one or two stars. For those who can’t get enough of Casa Bonita, a new documentary titled “¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!” is now playing in select Denver-area movie theaters. e lm explores the restaurant’s history and cultural signi cance, along with the deep love and a ection fans and employees have for the restaurant.

Center Theatre Company presents the Olney Theatre Center production of

View of Rocky Flats from one of Michael Ketterer’s air filter collection sites. COURTESY PHOTO

GLOBAL

Navigating this unknown isn’t an easy feat.

Stewart said he quickly realized his “bad thoughts” didn’t provide him much guidance, so he turned to “positive thoughts” to help him avoid anxiety. To provoke these happy thoughts, he said he turns to the movie theater as a source of positivity.

Stewart said the unknowns of graduation were also easier to navigate with the familiarity of his internship-turned-job at Booyah Advertising in downtown Denver.

While in the GLOBAL Inclusive program, students can participate in an internship or an on-campus job, according to their career development coordinator Lauren Gray. Stewart’s internship was through the digital advertising company that manages over $100 million in media each year for brands like Western Union, Unilever, Discover Card and Aspen Skiing Company, according to the company’s website.

Dr. Jeanine Coleman, associate professor and the program’s director, said people with disabilities have been historically rejected from higher education, the workplace and other institutions.

“Nationwide, 16% of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are competitively employed,” Gray wrote in an email to e Denver North Star. “In Colorado, that number is above average at 26%, but that number is still very low.”

“[People with disabilities] are part of our community,” Coleman said. “ ey want all the same things that anybody else wants, they want to

go to college, they want to make friends, they want to get a job — they want these experiences.”

Booyah CEO Troy Lerner got in-

volved with Regis’ GLOBAL Inclusive through his wife, a professor at Regis who was having a positive experience working with the program

and its students. Lerner said he is actively trying to “make the world a better place,” and this is one of the ways that provides growth to Stewart, other Booyah workers and himself, as well as society at large.

“ is just feels like a natural t,” Lerner said. “It doesn’t feel like we are trying to force something to meet a mission statement or a mandate. Instead we have found somebody that ts in our community.”

During the rst year of the program, Gray teaches a career development class, in which she asks students their career goals and interests. From there, Gray said she takes the information and tries to nd the best individualized pairing through on- and o -campus internship opportunities.

Students, Gray said, have interests in opening their own businesses like restaurants, coaching sports teams or working in paleontology. Once a placement has been found, Gray works alongside the company to develop the student’s role.

“I reach out to employers that are in the industries that our students are interested in,” Gray said, “and explain what our program is, explain the internship structure and ask if they would be interested in collaborating.”

Working at Booyah Advertising has been “pretty easy” for Stewart, so far. He said he enjoys his work and his schedule — two days of four-hour shifts per week working on animated in-house announcements such as community engagement opportunities and company outings.

e GLOBAL Inclusive program, Stewart and Booyah are opening doors in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion. While these community members are marking history — the chapter on inclusion is just beginning.

Coworkers Devin Ra erty and Jordan Stewart enjoy a break outdoors near Booyah’s downtown o ce. COURTESY OF BOOYAH ADVERTISING

School attendance rates are still lower than before pandemic

Many kids are missing class after COVID reshaped how parents view school

BY ERICA BREUNLIN THE COLORADO SUN

High rates of students missing at least 10% of school days in recent years — meaning they have been chronically absent either with or without permission — have triggered alarm across the country and in Colorado communities, with national and statewide e orts to boost student attendance trickling down to individual schools.

Students miss school for a wide range of reasons, state o cials say, including struggles to access transportation, the need to help a family member with a debilitating disease and a deteriorating sense of safety among students while in school.

Other factors at play stem from the chaos-laden days of pandemic learning, district administrators told e Colorado Sun, as some parents and students rethink what learning looks like, question how to navigate sick days and continue to cope with housing and economic hardships.

“It’s a change in perspective about what school has to o er,” said Desiree Quintanilla, schools intervention services coordinator in Brighton’s 27J Schools. “I think there is a group of parents still really concerned about health issues. I think

DOGTOR

As CarePoint Health CEO Mark Kozlowski put it in the organization’s press release, “When I think of philanthropy, I think of Dr. Ryan. Her dedication and compassion have not only helped her receive this award but have also made a positive and lasting impact on our clinicians, our healthcare partners and most importantly, our patients.”

families have a lot on their plate, and I think the pandemic is something that showed us how hard day-to-day life can be. So I think we have families struggling with issues outside of school related to our economy, related to employment, related to housing, that sometimes when you’re worried about a lot of other pretty foundational aspects of life, school can sometimes not be the priority on any given day.”

Student attendance in Colorado schools last year began to tick in the right direction, with student attendance rates hitting 91.5%, up from 90.8% the year before, according to state data. Most of the state’s school districts and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services — clusters of districts that share resources — saw their attendance rates jump last year. Still, average statewide attendance was higher before the pandemic — 92.8% during the 2019-20 school year.

And while chronic absenteeism among students dropped by 3.4 percentage points last year to 27.7%, that is still signi cantly above gures from 2019-20, when an average 22.6% of students were marked as chronically absent.

e ongoing challenge around emptier classrooms in recent years is a nod to a change in the way some families see the role of traditional schooling in their children’s lives, said Cori Canty, school improvement planning and attendance systems manager for Denver Public Schools.

“School leaders will say we’ve

Peppi is not the only one of Ryan’s dogs to earn celebrity status. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, it brought a wave of uncertainty along with it, hanging over rst responders like a dark storm cloud. Ryan was raising her third Canine Companions puppy at the time, 1-year-old Wynn. (Fun fact: Wynn is the daughter of Winnie, the rst service dog Ryan ever raised, and was selected to be a breeder instead of a service dog.)

One particularly draining day in early April 2020, Ryan posted a

seen a shift in values since the pandemic, whether it’s values that we need our teenagers to work to help nancially get us through or values in my child’s mental health is not worth going to school today to we’re going to take these once-ina-lifetime trips,” Canty said. “ ose values have shifted for a variety of reasons.”

Other parents, however, are taking every step they can to make sure their kids are participating in class every day, said Lorena Garcia, executive director of the Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition. e nonprofit provides programs, classes and resources that help parents play an active role in their child’s education to help set them up for success. Many of the families the organization works with are immigrants and include parents and caregivers who don’t speak English.

“ ey are wanting to do everything they can to support their kids in school,” Garcia said, adding that attitudes toward school haven’t changed as much as family circumstances have.

Struggles born from COVID continue to hamper low- and middleincome families, she said, with ination on the rise, federal stimulus funding for schools expiring and di culties accessing early childhood centers. at sometimes means parents must choose between equally distressing options: keeping an older student home to care for their younger sibling or foregoing work and a paycheck to stay home, themselves.

photo of herself and Wynn sitting on the oor at Rose ER. e photo quickly went viral, appearing on Good Morning America and the Today Show. e image of an exhausted Ryan in a mask and a face shield with Wynn by her side resonated with many nurses, ER doctors and hospital sta across the country during a time when hospitals were overwhelmed with patients and highly understa ed.

It also led to a surge in popularity for little Wynn, who became a source of comfort to many in the hospital.

“ at photo that went viral of me in my headgear with Wynn beside me … I was experiencing anticipatory fears and cranial ight. We thought we were all gonna die. Resources were so limited. ere were times we had to reuse our masks – we literally used Hefty bags as protective equipment at one point. It was a weird time,” Ryan said. “We were heroes for a little bit, maybe two months. Next thing you know, we had a country divided and people coming into the ER full of hate and violence. I never anticipated in my career that science would become so politicized.”

Today, Ryan’s approach to care is largely informed by those early experiences during the pandemic. erapy and support meetings have become integral parts of a healthy work environment at Rose ER. And seeing how Wynn boosted the ER sta ’s morale and improved their mental health, when it was time to turn her in for advanced training,

“ is has been happening for as long as we’ve had public schools,” Garcia said. “ ere’s constantly this tension between acknowledging family circumstances and the expectations and requirements within schools.”

‘This is not a blame game on parents’ With students’ frequent absences weighing on Colorado Education Commissioner Susana Córdova and the Colorado Department of Education, the state has joined 13 other states in a push to slash rates of chronic absenteeism by 50% in the next ve years.

SEE RATES, P9

she applied for a permanent facility dog from Canine Companions. Enter our friend Peppi. At 4-yearsold, or 28 in dog years, the yellow lab has become a sort of mascot for the hospital, providing relief, comfort and happiness to patients and sta alike. Peppi is a facility dog, not a therapy dog, meaning she doesn’t make individual rounds to patients’ rooms. Rather, she mostly hangs out with the sta , often perched on an unoccupied bed, receives pets and makes everyone’s day a little brighter.

Rose ER nurse Kara Nelson noted that Peppi’s presence alone raises sta ’s dopamine levels, and lowers their cortisol levels.

“Having Peppi is great. She’s just a zero-judgment being,” said ER nurse Kellie Kenly.

ER paramedic Angela Rice takes Peppi on her afternoon walks, which she said gives her a much-needed break from calls.

Peppi o ered no comment, but her tail wagging seemed to a rm the sta ’s assertions.

For Ryan’s part, she plans to continue her work as a philanthropist and a physician. In true humanitarian fashion, she would like to dedicate more time to her role at CU School of Medicine in the next few years, noting that while she loves practicing medicine, it exhausts her more than it used to.

“I love teaching the residents and the med students,” she said. “ at, to me, is our salvation – investing in the next generation.”

Little Raven Elementary School students meet their teacher on the field at the beginning of their first day of school on Aug. 13. COURTESY OF LITTLETON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Ghosts, murder and East High 1979

Cynthia Swanson’s new book is ‘Anyone But Her’

BY TEAGUE VON BOHLEN SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Denver author Cynthia Swanson has strong roots in the city — and so does her new novel “Anyone But Her.” e book, which takes place in 1979 and 2004 Denver, is about East High and Colfax Avenue, violence and memory — and what lingers in their aftermath.

Luckily, Swanson’s personal story is far less dramatic. She grew up in Wisconsin and spent some time on the east coast before falling in love, as so many do, with Colorado’s Front Range. She moved to Boulder in 1993, and then to Denver in 2000, where she lived in the Berkeley neighborhood for a time before nally landing in Wash Park, where she’d write and raise a family.

Swanson’s kids didn’t go to East High, despite the book being set there. “It’s just so iconic for the city of Denver,” she said.

“But when I started doing research for the book, I asked friends who went to East in the 70s and 80s what they remembered. People came out of the woodwork to share stories and o er up details. eir continued passion for East was remarkable.

“So many great details didn’t make it into the book, because in the end I just had too much material. But I still loved hearing those stories of the stoners hanging out on the south lawn near Colfax or the preppie kids on the Esplanade,” Swanson continued, laughing. “Little funny things like that. It was so great to hear people’s stories.”

Place plays a major part in “Anyone But Her,” and with a speci c purpose, according to Swanson. “I wanted that neighborhood, I wanted Cap Hill,” she said. “I love that part of town. I’d love to live there someday.”

Indeed, Swanson said she includes walks in Cheesman Park as part of her writing process. “I tend to do my writing at home, where I can hole up and just get to work,” she said. “But sometimes I have to get out of the house. I love the Botanic Gardens, and when I go I’ll also usually walk around Cheesman Park since it’s right there.”

Swanson admitted to having something of a minor obsession with Cheesman Park. “I have such a draw to that place,” she said. “I don’t really know what it is. It’s just this place that I keep coming back to.”

Despite the major role of a ghost in “Anything But Her,” Swanson claimed to have never seen a ghost at one of Denver’s notably “most haunted” locales. “But I’ve gone looking!” she laughed.

“And setting is so important to me when I’m writing a book. I need to be

out there, feet on the ground, walking.”

Not that the process of writing “Anyone But Her” was a walk in the park. “ is one took a long time,” Swanson said of her third novel (she also edited the award-winning collection “Denver Noir”), which is also her rst to be self-published. She had a complete draft she considered almost nished when she met with another writer friend at a national conference.

“I described the plot to her,” Swanson recalled, “and she said it all sounded great…but who’s the villain? She was totally right. I was completely inspired all over again and rewrote the whole book.”

But nothing is ever easy, especially in publishing today. With the maelstrom caused in part by the post-pandemic year, Swanson and her agent parted ways. She found a new agent for her work, but at the same time fell in love with indie

publishing.

“I just trust in this book so much,” she e used. “I trust in the characters. Sometimes it’s best to go through the standard protocols in publishing, but for this project, in the end, I just didn’t think it was. Now it’s exactly what it wanted to be from the beginning, and it’s near to my heart.”

And, it must be said, to Denver’s as well.

Cynthia Swanson’s “Anyone But Her” o cially launches at e Bookies Bookstore in October. For information on that event and Swanson’s other work, visit cynthiaswansonauthor.com.

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Wash Park writer Cynthia Swanson set her upcoming book “Anyone But Her” in Capitol Hill. PHOTO BY GLENDA CEBRIAN PHOTOGRAPHY

“Anyone But Her” takes readers through familiar haunts of Cap Hill as its protagonist tries to solve a decades-old murder. COURTESY OF CYNTHIA SWANSON

Short-term rental owners, advocates work to combat ‘heavy-handed regulation’

BY JASON BLEVINS THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado is the birthplace of short-term rentals. And the state is ground-zero for local regulation of the booming industry.

After several years of reactive, defensive responses to increased regulation and taxation legislation, the state’s short-term rental owners and managers are organizing with an educational campaign and lawmaker lobbying plans. Colorado House Speaker Rep. Julie McCluskie, a Democrat from Dillon, earlier this month warned that short-term rental legislation “is highly likely” in either the special session or next year’s session.

“We know that short-term rentals have become a signi cant part of the guest experience,” she said at a rally of short-term rental owners, managers and representatives from Vrbo in Silverthorne last week. “In order for our tourism economies to thrive, we need short-term rentals in places where the world wants to be.”

With no short-term rental legislation during the special session where lawmakers hammered out a plan for property tax relief, “it does feel like we dodged a bullet,” said Julie Koster, the executive director of the Colorado Lodging and Resort Alliance and the Summit Alliance of Vacation Rental Managers.

Property owners and short-term rental advocates are planning to lobby and court policymakers heading into next year’s legislative session, hoping to sti e increased limitations on vacation rentals. Earlier this year, as the legislature debated Senate Bill 33 — legislation that would have quadrupled property taxes on vacation rental homes — McCluskie elded more than 2,000 emails from constituents in one week. e thirdterm representative said she has never received so many emails.

She urged the short-term rental advocates gathered inside the Silverthorne Pavilion earlier this month to reach out now to lawmakers and share data — not just anecdotes — about va-

cation homes that rent to visitors.

“Short-term rentals are the new frontier for how we experience life. People are letting go of buying things and they are embracing ‘What happened to me yesterday,’” she said. “How do we ensure that there are short-term rentals available? How do we nd balance?”

Balance is the top talking point for owners and managers who rely on vacationers renting private homes.

e owners on Tuesday discussed the need for all owners to pay lodging taxes and comply with local regulations as they lobby local and state lawmakers to steer clear of what they call “heavy-handed regulation.”

Senate Bill 33, which was voted down in by the Senate Finance Committee, posed “an existential crisis” for the short-term rental industry in Colorado, said Tim Rosolio, who heads up vacation rental partnerships for Vrbo parent the Expedia Group.

“In Colorado, we kind of got to the brink there,” he said.

e crackdown on short-term rentals in cities like New York, Chicago and San Francisco is spilling into resort markets and it’s important that owners and managers organize to help build rules that protect the industry while alleviating concerns from neighbors and contributing revenue to housing challenges.

“ e answer is not ‘no regulation,’ Rosolio said. “It’s important for us to land on something that is balanced … while making sure that we understand what a big economic driver short-term rentals and tourism are for the community.”

Tourism slowdown in 2024

Colorado overnight visitors spent $6.3 billion on lodging in 2023, generating $1.8 billion in local and state tax revenue and supporting 9,450 jobs. Visitors spent $28.2 billion in total in 2023 and vacationers who rented privately owned homes spent $4.1 billion.

In nine Western Slope mountain counties anchored by ski areas, visitors in short-term rental homes and

condos — not hotels and motels — spent $1.2 billion in 2023, up from $1.1 billion in 2022 and 2021.

at compares to $2.3 billion spent on traditional hotels and motels in 2023 and 2022.

Since 2019, the number of vacationers renting private homes has increased by 27%.

e taxes generated by tourism in Colorado equate to about $308 per resident. But in places like Summit County, the $96.3 million in state and local taxes paid by tourists in 2023 equals more than $3,150 per resident.

e Colorado Tourism O ce collects annual spending gures and shares that data far and wide. at is part of the o ce’s mission to empower local communities so they can share their own plans for balancing the quality of life for local residents with tourist-based economies.

“What is the value of tourism? Where are you on the tourism cycle in your communities” said Colorado Tourism O ce boss Tim Wolfe, who says the revival of international tourism is a key component for sustainable visitation in high-pro le destinations like metro Denver and Summit County. He’s seeing more communities backing away from intense regulation of short-term rental properties as visitation and lodging tax collections ebb in the rst half of 2024.

Proposition 123, passed by voters in 2022, last year directed $80 million toward a ordable housing across the state. at river of revenue is owing again this year as more housing plans unfold, Wolfe said.

“Are we giving this a chance to take root or are we going to pass three more things before this actually has a chance to take root and start generating housing,” Wolfe told the vacation rental advocates, urging a wariness of statewide regulation that could slow the ow of tourists into Colorado. “We have to be careful. If we make dramatic changes this (slowdown in visitation) could continue to accelerate.”

Hundreds of property owners and managers have united as part of the

Salida has a list of regulations for owners of short-term rental properties who must keep local representatives on call to respond to any issues. They also must collect and remit local and state lodging and sales taxes. PHOTO BY

JASON

Colorado Lodging Resort Alliance, which rallied dozens of advocates to urge opposition to Senate Bill 33 earlier this year.

e group is again rallying its troops to thwart legislation that could impact vacation rentals. e Colorado Association of Ski Towns advocating for legislation that would enable local communities to ask voters to approve a tax on vacant homes that could include properties that are rented to vacationers. Another proposal by Colorado Counties Inc. would raise the cap on lodging taxes levied by counties to 6% from 2%, just like Colorado municipalities.

“ is could give counties the opportunity to increase revenue for advertising and marketing local tourism, housing, childcare services, and facilitating and enhancing visitor experiences bene ting their county residents,” reads a legislative position statement from Colorado Counties Inc.

“ ere are some scary things out there looming around on the horizon,” Koster said.

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.

BLEVINS THE COLORADO SUN

Loveland Ski Area to start making snow in early October

Popular ski destination in Dillon will start using snow guns in anticipation of the upcoming season

BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Loveland Ski Area will make it snow in early October in anticipation of opening its rst lifts by early Novem-

RATES

ber, according to Marketing Manager Dustin Schaefer.

e ski area’s plan is to start making snow using snow guns at the top of Chet’s Dream ski run and work their way down to the base as conditions allow, Schaefer said.

e ski area also recently announced a price freeze from last season’s 4-Paks and 3-Class Passes, meaning rates won’t go up for the 2024-25 season e price deadline for season passes is Dec. 5, and the deadline for

“We see it as incredibly important if we’re going to keep meeting the student outcome goals that we want to meet as a state,” said Johann Liljengren, director of CDE’s Dropout Prevention and Student ReEngagement O ce. “We see this as part of it. We need kids engaged in learning, and we think that that’s going to help us make progress.”

A national survey conducted by the National Parents Union in March found that most kids are missing school because they are sick or have an appointment. When asked about the reasons their kids were absent from school, 64% of parent respondents said physical illness while 48% indicated their child had some kind of medical, dental or other appointment.

One of the best ways schools can double down on the need for students to show up to school regularly is by communicating academic progress results with parents, said Ariel Smith, senior director of policy and action with the National Parents Union.

“I think parents are under the impression that their students are doing just ne and the schools are not having those conversations with urgency,” said Smith, previously coexecutive director and co-founder of Denver organization Transform Education Now. “It’s really important that this is not a blame game on parents but instead it’s a real look at how our schools are doing at engaging kids.”

Time in the classroom, Smith added, is a critical part of the equation behind a student’s success.

“Life happens, but every day that kids miss is like a day where they’re falling farther behind in school,” she said. “At this point when we talk about student progress, we should really talk about it in the context of time. e amount of time that you have is important and critical to the amount of learning that you get done.”

Many parents also underestimate the number of days of school their student misses and have a hard time understanding when and for how long to keep a sick kid at home after a lot of mixed messaging during the pandemic, said Canty, of DPS.

“Coming out of that,” she said, “we haven’t re-normed that message as a society very well.”

e district — in which 37.1% of

4-Paks is Nov. 24.

“Loveland’s opening day terrain will include Catwalk, Mambo and Homerun, offering 1,000 vertical feet of tree-to-tree coverage with an 18-inch base,” Schaefer said.

An exact opening date is yet to be announced and will depend heavily on the weather conditions, Schaefer said. Last year’s opening day was Nov. 10.

It typically takes about two weeks of continuous snowmaking to get the mountain ready, Schaefer added.

students missed at least 10% of school days last year — launched an attendance initiative in July, convening a districtwide committee of more than 30 people from 20 departments all focused on reducing chronic absenteeism. Among their priorities: helping schools implement evidence-based practices to curb student absences and working with families and students facing additional challenges that often prevent them from making it to school regularly.

Nearby in Adams County, the enormous task of drawing more kids back into classrooms every day has fallen on more than schools alone. Adams County Collaborative Management Program, a group of school districts and local agencies, has elevated chronic absenteeism as a communitywide concern. Districts and community agencies have banded together to raise awareness of how many kids in the county aren’t making it to school every day and the impacts that could have on generations to come, said Quintanilla, of 27J Schools in Brighton.

Close to 27% of students in her district were chronically absent last year. Community momentum to improve student attendance ramped up in the spring with an inaugural attendance summit in which districts, agencies, county commissioners, businesses and other community partners took a hard look at attendance data and shared strategies on how to boost student turnout. Last month, the collaborative pulled state education o cials and elected o cials into the conversation during a call to action and a kicko for September’s destination as attendance awareness month.

It’s one of a variety of ways that Adams 12 Five Star Schools — where 31.1% of kids were chronically absent last year — is taking a more proactive approach in encouraging families to usher their kids back into the classroom. e district asks families what kind of support they need rather than chastising them, said Lori Bailey, director of student engagement initiatives for the district.

“Why not involve our community?” Bailey said. “When we have uni ed resources in our community and we’re not just piecemealing things together, I think we have a greater chance at success.”

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.

GREEN HOMES TOUR

Saturday, October 5, 2024 Self-Guided Tour 9am–4pm • $15/adult $25/couple

Vehicle Roundup 3pm–5pm

Parking Lot: 14350 W. 32nd Ave • Golden, CO

& Green Expo 4:30 – 6:30pm at JUC

Appetizers & Local Beverages Live Music! • Renewable Energy & Sustainable Living Exhibits

“Real people telling real stories about their path to electrification.” – Mark N.

“There’s simply nothing more inspiring than seeing green homes features in person!” — Angela K.

“The tour gave me a lot of ideas for improving my older home.” — Kelsey Z.

Loveland Ski Area will start making snow in early October for the upcoming ski season. COURTESY PHOTO

There isn’t just a single layer to history. Events and stories are built on top of each other, in uencing the future in ways both expected and surprising. De la Tierra: Re ections of Place in the Upper Río Grande, a new exhibit at the Colorado History Center, uses a blend of art, culture and artifacts to explore the historical and societal region of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico.

VOICES

De La Tierra tells story of Upper Río Grande Region

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Grande region.

“ is exhibit provides the opportunity to re ect on past and contemporary works and see how they interpret traditions from the region,” said Lucha Martinez de Luna, associate curator of Hispano, Chicano, Latino History and Culture with Colorado History. “When visitors walk into the exhibit space, they will be transported to this region and its cultures.”

De La Tierra is on display at the History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway in Denver, through April 6, 2025. e center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

According to Martinez de Luna, the area is the northernmost frontier of the Spanish empire and later Mexico and includes the San Luis Valley. To put together the exhibit, she and Jeremy Morton, exhibition developer and historian for History Colorado, worked with contemporary artists who are either from or have family ties to the Upper Río

“ is is a multigenerational artistic exhibit, which highlights the continuation of the region’s cultural traditions in contemporary art,” Martinez de Luna explained. “We’ve broken it into three themes: land and water, cultural expressions and lifeways.”

Visitors will get to learn about the daily tasks of the people who lived in the region by checking out historical artifacts, like tools for shearing sheep, textile work and cooking. When paired with a range of artistic works, the exhibit is more clearly able to provide a glimpse into life and the e ects of colonization in the Upper Río Grande.

For Martinez de Luna, who herself has ties to the region and artistic community, working on De La Tierra was an opportunity to work on one of her true passions — presenting voices from the community that usually aren’t featured in museums.

“Many people in the community were co-curators on the exhibit, donating photos, images and more. It’s an important reminder that museums are for the people,” she said. “When I started working at museums,

I dreamed of opportunities like this.” e hope is that when people leave the exhibit, they’ll have learned something new about Colorado history and gained a greater appreciation for the state’s diversity.

“ ere’s been a continuation of cultural erasure for a long time, so I’d love it if people walk away understanding how complex and diverse Colorado is,” Martinez de Luna said. “We’re still striving for many of the same things now that people were back then. We’re really not as di erent as some would like us to believe we are.”

More information is available at www.historycolorado.org/exhibit/ de-la-tierra.

Silent Film Festival Returns for 11th Year

Denver Film’s annual Silent Film Festival is the best way to experience these unique and groundbreaking lms: on a big screen with live musical accompaniment. is year’s event runs from Friday, Sept. 27 through the 29th at the Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave. e festival includes nine silentera feature lms and a shorts program, and features live music from local musicians like the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, e Dollhouse ieves and more. Schedule and tickets are available at denver lm.org/denver-silentlm-festival/.

Accidents happen! Understanding urinary incontinence in women

We all know the feeling of when you got to go, you got to go. When you experience urinary incontinence, stressing about your next bathroom break or where the closest bathroom is can start to control your habits, thoughts and life.  More than 50% of women over the age of 50 experience urinary incontinence daily, according to the Mayo Clinic. As women get older, their bodies begin to change, creating needed life adjustments, habits and proper education. Accidents happen – but as an adult woman, it can feel embarrassing. It’s more common than you think and there are many di erent reasons for experiencing urinary incontinence.

For women, urinary incontinence is caused by a few di erent things, including stress, diet, pregnancy, age and bladder over ow. Other than being pregnant, these factors can be hard to distinguish from one another.

Urinary incontinence caused by stress happens when unexpected pressure – like coughing, sneezing, laughing, intense exercise and heavy lifting – is put on the bladder. After pregnancy and as women get older and go through menopause, the body’s production of estrogen is decreased. Estrogen helps keep your bladder lining, muscles and urethra healthy and strong. When your body gets less estrogen, your muscles become weaker, causing more leakage and accidents to happen.

Urgent urinary incontinence happens when the urgency to urinate comes at frequent unexpected times. is can be caused by in-

‘James & The Giant Peach’ Sails into Northglenn

Author Roald Dahl is responsible for some of the most popular stories for children and young adults (let’s be honest, adults, too). Everyone has their favorites, and I’ve always been partial to “James & e Giant Peach.” So, I was really excited to see “James & e Giant Peach Jr.” is coming to Northglenn’s Parsons eatre, 1 E. Memorial Parkway, from Friday, Sept. 27 through Sunday, the 29th.

Staged as part of the city’s Northglenn Youth eatre Jr. program, the musical takes audiences on a magical journey across the ocean on a colossal peach.

Get information and tickets at northglennarts.org/upcomingevents/.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — The Zen Diagram Tour at Fiddler’s Green e National and e War on Drugs are two of indie rock’s biggest bands. Each has its own approach — e National has been around for more than 20 years and are experts at music that can go from moody and introspective to sweeping and magisterial, while e War on Drugs makes heartland rock that can feel as vast as the landscape itself.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Stop mountain lion trophy hunting

WOMEN’S WELLNESS

Dr. Terry Dunn

fections like urinary tract infections, neurological disorders, a family history and obesity. Usually happening at night, the bladder can lose control causing leakage and discomfort. Foothills Urogynecology recommends having a doctor run urine tests to understand if an infection or disorder is present, stopping any future issues.

Talking to a doctor about your experience with urinary incontinence can help determine why you are experiencing symptoms and can provide you with ways to handle and prevent future accidents and discomfort. Medications like Myrbetriq, Gemtessa, Oxybutynin and Vesicare can be prescribed to calm and reduce incontinent bladders. Beyond medication, there are other treatments available to minimize symptoms.

By training your bladder and lower abdominal muscles, maintaining a healthy diet, monitoring uid intake, and reducing ca eine, drug and alcohol intake, you can take control of your bladder so you can worry less about your next bathroom stop.

To learn more about urinary incontinence, visit Foothills Urogynecology at www.urgyns. com.

Dr. Terry Dunn is the owner of Foothills Urogynecology, a Denver-based practice specializing in women’s health.

I plan to vote yes on Colorado’s ballot measure to end trophy hunting of mountain lions for their heads and skins and ban baiting and trapping of bobcats for fur which is often sold to China.

I am from Denver, Colorado, and I volunteered to get signatures for this proposition, because I care about the environment and the ecological balance wildlife provides. While I do understand standard hunting, I do not believe in animal cruelty. Mountain lions contribute to our ecology by helping to cull deer and elk populations. ey pick o weaker animals that suffer from wasting disease. A scienti c article written by Jim Keen, DVM, Ph.D., entitled “A Scienti c Review of Mountain Lion Hunting and Its E ects” explains these ecological issues. is proposition would also o er a common-sense solution to wild animal management. ere are exceptions in the proposition allowing the killing of lions if they threaten livestock or property. is proposition does not ban regular hunting

of lions. Trophy hunters often pay $8,000 for a guaranteed kill. ey use packs of dogs with radio collars to tree the cat and then the hunter walks out and kills it. is method is cruel, non-sportsmanlike and unnecessary. Hunting mountain lions by tracking them still remains totally legal.

Killing of lactating female mountain lions is not allowed due to abandonment of cubs and great potential loss of lion population. In 2023-2024, 235 female lions were killed, which amounts to 47% of the 500 licenses given. is is an unacceptable percentage and needs to end.

Some of the best conversations I have had while gathering signatures were with regular hunters. ey almost always signed my petition. ey fully understand the frivolous cruelty and ecological disregard of the majority of trophy hunters. It is in these regards that this proposition just makes good sense. Let’s not continue to cruelly kill Colorado cats while providing exceptions to protect people and property.

Karla Heeps,

Denver

Clarke Reader

Arvada Center reimagines the classic tale of ‘Dracula’

‘This is one of those Halloween, over-the-top, ridiculous bloody shows’

BY LILLIAN FUGLEI SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

e Arvada Center is bringing a spooky story to the stage just in time for Halloween. Filled with vampires and vampire hunters, “Dracula” is mostly made up of one thing: men. However, that won’t be the case on stage.

“Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really” o ers a twist on the classic tale, with several characters — such as Ren eld and Van Helsing — played by women. e show reimagines Dracula’s story, with women at the center of the ght against him.

We’ve all heard the phrase, “Home is where the heart is,” but as we ofcially head into the fall, there’s something special that truly makes us feel it. Whether it’s the turning of the leaves, the crisp coolness of the evenings, the smell of rewood burning, or the cozy embrace of a favorite sweater or denim jacket, this season seems to tug at our hearts in a way no other time of year can. It might even be as simple as slipping into our favorite team’s T-shirt or jersey, or perhaps it’s the scent of a freshly baked apple or pumpkin pie that lls our homes with warmth and love. Whatever the reason, there’s a sense of home that becomes unmistakable as fall settles in. As someone who has spent much of my professional life traveling, experiencing major metropolitan cities, quiet suburbs, and rural communities around the world, I’ve often fantasized about what it would be like to live in each of those places. Could I actually do it? Would my family be up for the adventure,

“I think that borrows a little bit of like Bu y the Vampire Slayer vibes,” said Jessica Austgen, who plays Rein eld. “We now have these women kicking ass and beating the bad guy.”

While Ren eld and Van Helsing are now women, women from the original story — Mina Harker and Lucy Westenra — also get to step into the spotlight.

“(Women) are there to be pretty and be safe, to give the men something to love and ght for, and somebody to rescue,” said Austgen, referencing the original story. “In this show, Van Helsing, aided by Nina, now does a lot of the rescuing. I think giving those folks power to complete the mission of defeating Dracula, it’s really impactful to see that.”

SEE DRACULA, P13

Home is where the heart is

WINNING

just as eager and curious as I was? More often than not, these thoughts remained just that, fantasy. After all, by the time my journey in each city was over, I’d typically ruled out most of those places

One of my favorite pastimes is hopping on a real estate website like Zillow, randomly picking cities, and seeing what’s available. I’ve shared this with a few people over the years, and it turns out I’m not alone, many of us love to indulge in virtual house hunting. As I’ve traveled, I’ve spoken with people in the cities and towns I’ve visited, or met new friends on ights who talk up their hometowns, and here’s something I’ve learned: For the most part, people love where they live. Regardless of whether it’s a bustling city, a sleepy suburb, or a quiet rural area, there’s something about their home that lls their hearts.

ABOUT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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I’ve been blessed to have lived in a few di erent places myself, spending some of my time in the mountains and some near the beach. For me, both places hold a special connection, and I refer to them both as home. Whether it’s the serenity of the mountains or the calming rhythm of the waves, my heart is full in either place because it’s where I nd connection with my family, friends, and community.

For those of us who travel often, we know the undeniable feeling of the return ight home. After days of living out of a suitcase, dealing with airports, hotels, and the hassle of travel, there’s no better feeling than knowing we’re on our way back to our own bed, our own space, and most importantly, our loved ones.

at rst step through the front door, no matter how far we’ve traveled or how great the adventure, brings a sense of peace that can only be found at home.

So whether you’re like me, a virtual real estate shopper, daydreaming about what life could be like in different cities or countries, or you’re

content in the town you’ve always called home, remember this: wherever your heart is, your home will be there too. It’s not about the location, the size of the house, or the view outside the window, it’s about the love, warmth, and connection we share with the people and memories that ll our lives. Home is where we nd comfort. It’s where we wrap ourselves in familiar scents and sounds, where laughter echoes, and where love resides. No matter how far we wander, home is always waiting for us, wherever our hearts lead us back to. As always, I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail. com, and when our heart is connected to our home and home life, 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.

opener, audiences will be treated to a performance by Lucius, an indie pop band that has been a constant presence in the scene for years.

It’s a truly inspired idea to pair the groups for e Zen Diagram tour, which stops at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, 6350 Greenwood Plaza Blvd. in Englewood, at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28. For an

Get tickets for a guaranteed great night at www.axs.com.

Clarke Reader is an arts and culture columnist. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail.com.

“Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really” reimagines Dracula’s classic tale-with women front and center. COURTESY OF LESLIE SIMON

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Since the 1950s, pop culture has had a profound in uence on the idea of extraterrestrials and mysterious ying objects. Whether exemplifying the public’s fears or hopes of the existence of another life form, TV shows, movies and comics have helped form a fascination with the unknown.

As we develop into a more digital world, some confusion has accompanied the fascination, building a culture of conspiracy, assumptions and growing questions, according to an Enigma Labs consultant Alejandro Rojas.

“ e public really wants to be part of the club that has seen something extraordinary,” said Seth Feinstein, president and state director of the Colorado Mutual UFO Network.

COMUFON is a chapter of an international nonprofit organization, MUFON, which has been around since 1969 to investigate sightings, collect data and establish a worldwide database in hopes of educating the public.  e idea of “ ying saucers” became a national interest in the late 1940s when a rancher in Roswell, New Mexico found remnants of a ying object.

A black “fish-shaped” object can be seen in the sky above a traditional commercial aircraft. Kevin Benham, who provided the photo, has been investigating Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena for years after seeing one in Aurora, Colorado. COURTESY OF KEVIN BENHAM

CURIOSITIES

By 1952, the U.S. Air Force coined the term UFO — unidenti ed ying object — as part of Project Blue Book, a program that investigated and analyzed UFO reports. e project was closed in 1969 and since then, the records have been with the National Archives.

Just like “ ying saucers,” the term “UFO” became synonymous with alien spacecraft. In an e ort to avoid speculation, investigators have now been referring to them as UAPs – unidenti ed anomalous phenomena – as they do not know the nature of the objects.

As documentaries and novels studying the phenomena continue, there has been more transparency from the national level. ere have been multiple Congressional hearings surrounding the topic, the Director of National Intelligence writes annual reports on UAP sightings by the military and NASA as a UAP-independent study.

Earlier this year, the Department of Defense’s Alldomain Anomaly Resolution O ce put out a statement that the department doesn’t believe sights of UAPs are of “extraterrestrial activity.”

Whatever it may be, people are interested in the unknown. As researchers continue to gather information, many residents across the metro area are attending talks and studying the subject themselves.

“It’s part of the mystery,” Rojas said.

Did you see that?

e mystery is what attracts people.

e Highlands Ranch Historical Society sponsors over ten programs on various topics throughout the year, one that focuses on UFOs and the supernatural. Each year, it’s the most attended program, said McKeag.

DRACULA

“Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really” places women front and center in the ght against Dracula. However, it’s still the same story, and it’s lled with plenty of blood.

According to costume designer Clare Henkel, the show’s bloodiness proved to be its own challenge.

“Sometimes the blood is

Over the summer, the society invited researcher, investigator and author Katie Paige to speak about strange occurrences that have happened along the front range. Paul McKeag, a former board member of the historical society, had known of Paige and has had an interest in the phenomena from an early age.

“I have never seen one, but I’ve had close family members that have experienced them,” McKeag said.

He grew up in a sparsely populated area of Nebraska on a farm. When he was about ve years old, his parents had friends from out of state visit. One night, he had gone to bed when his parents heard the cattle making strange noises.

McKeag said when his parents went to look, the cattle were circling around the young and there was a sulfur smell in the air. at’s when they noticed a disc shaped object not making any noise, but slowly rotating. He remembers them telling him the next morning that they watched it for some time before it shot straight up in the air.

Sara Lebofsky, a current Highlands Ranch Historical Society board member, was a skeptic up until a little over a decade ago.

“I have become more and more convinced that we’re not alone,” Lebofsky said.  Lebofsky rst became interested when she saw a ballot measure in Denver calling for the city to accept reports of UFO sightings. Although the measure failed in 2010, it was enough for Lebofsky to start reading about the phenomenon.

One day, Lebofsky’s husband was looking out the front door and suddenly called her over. After she rushed to the door, she said they both saw a large object with lights on the bottom. She recalls the object moving straight up and down, then to the east and back before suddenly disappearing.

“We just stood there trying to come up with what

coming out of somebody’s mouth, so it has to be edible,” Henkel said. “Other times it’s fresh. Dried blood looks di erent than fresh blood.”

For Henkel and the rest of the creative team, blood posed a special challenge because it was used in so many di erent ways throughout the show.

“We have charts, we have graphs,” Henkel said. “We’ve tested blood on all these di erent fabrics. It’s a lot.”

it could be,” said Lebofsky. “But everything that we tried to think that it might be was not possible.”

In 2020, numerous reports were coming in across the metro area.

Micki Trost, strategic communications director of the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said the division worked with local law enforcement and most reported sightings were identi ed as Starlink Satellites, aircraft landing at Denver International Airport and drones used by utility companies.

When asked how the division handles reports of sightings, Trost said in an email that the division recommends if someone has a safety concern to contact local law enforcement through the non-emergency phone number if it isn’t an immediate life safety issue or 911 it is a life safety issue.

“(People) should always report any concerns to local law enforcement,” Trost said. “Our role is to support local law enforcement and government.”

Using science to understand what’s going on

When Kevin Benham witnessed a solid black sphere with no lights or sound moving at an incredible speed in 2014 near southeast Aurora, he wanted to learn more.

Benham, now retired, became a eld investigator with Colorado Mutual UFO Network in 2016.

“Everybody who’s involved in MUFON is passionate about the truth behind UFOs,” said Seth Feinstein, state director.

All eld investigators are trained in the most up-to-date programs. Using the scienti c method, the investigators use the Jacques Valet

Preparations for the show even included a “blood rehearsal” — a special rehearsal before the dress rehearsal where all the blood-related e ects were practiced.

“ is is one of those Halloween, over-the-top, ridiculous bloody shows,” Austgen said.

While the show makes some changes to the classic “Dracula” tale, it’s still the same story.

“You’ll get the whole ‘Dracula’ story, all of that,”

classi cations as a guide and a photo analysis team analyzes photos to authenticate the image or video to help identify the object.

Feinstein, who is also the Case Management System coordinator and leader of the Photo Analysis Team, became interested when he was a teenager with friends in a suburban Long Island, New York park when he said a silent craft with “lights swirling all around” ew silently over them.

Now, he has been studying the subject for about 35 years, adding that the use of cell phone cameras has created a shift in the amount of sightings being reported.

Cell phone cameras are essential to what is being done at Enigma Labs. e company, based out of New York, describes itself as a “community-driven product” that aims to provide tools for analyzing and discussing sightings with an overall goal of being the rst unidenti ed anomalous phenomena sightings alert network.

“We would like to have a real time alert system

so people can be noti ed when something’s being seen near them,” Rojas said. With hundreds of reports being uploaded to their app per week, Rojas said Enigma has built a community where researchers can crowdsource the data as scienti c investigation and data collection is critical.

For nearly two decades, Rojas has been working with di erent nonpro t organizations, writing and researching the topic. But before that, he was a Colorado journalism student, with a focus on science, and he was skeptical about the subject.

“I started hearing about a lot of stories that I didn’t see in the news where there were credible people claiming incredible things,” Rojas said. “It took o from there.”

ere is a perception that UFOs or UAPs mean alien spacecraft. While Rojas doesn’t believe there is strong enough evidence to determine that, there is the ability to collect and analyze more data, just as the Department of Defense and NASA are doing.

As characteristics are beyond any known commercial or military technology, Enigma Labs suggests UAPs can manifest in various forms. Some hypotheses include: natural weather phenomena, human time traveling from the future, interdimensional entities, ancient probes from prior civilizations or arti cial intelligence that is further ahead than society realized.

However, there are people who are convinced that it’s aliens visiting.

“If they have a strong belief that they know what it is, they should be encouraging science to do more data collection and analysis,” Rojas said. “Because if they’re right, science will prove them right.”

Henkel said. “It’s very bloody. It’s really scary, but it’s also very funny. So it’s, got something for everyone. It’s just really fun.”

For patrons who may be wary of the show’s title, Austgen says not to worry.

“I think some people are immediately put o when they see the word ‘feminist’ because they think it’s going to be uptight and no fun and male bashing,” Austgen said. “But our version isn’t that. If you like Bu y the Vampire Slayer

or True Blood, where you can have all of these kickass men and women, this is the show for you. is is not a lecture. is is an adventure.”

“Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really” runs from Sept. 26 through Nov. 3, with performances at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday as well as 1 p.m. on Wednesdays and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.  Tickets and more information can be found on the Arvada Center’s website.

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Public Notice

DISTRICT COURT, COUNTY OF DENVER, COLORADO

Court Address: 1437 Bannock Street, Denver, CO 80202

Plaintiff: Wilmington Trust, N.A., not in its individual capacity, but solely as trustee of MFRA Trust 2021-1 vs.

Defendants: 9x Capital LLC, a Colorado Limited Liability Company; Albert Washington; and all unknown persons who may claim an interest in the subject matter of this action.

Attorneys for Plaintiff: Amanda Ferguson, #44893

Heather L. Deere, #28597

Halliday, Watkins & Mann, P.C.

355 Union Blvd., Suite 250 Lakewood, CO 80228

Ph: 303-274-0155 Fx: 303-274-0159

E-mail: infoco@hwmlawfirm.com

File No: CO23053

Case Number: 2024CV31857 Division: 269

SUMMONS

To the Defendants named above: 9x Capital LLC, a Colorado Limited Liability Company and Albert Washington

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED and required to file with the Clerk of this Court an answer or other response to the Complaint filed in this action. You are required to file your answer or other response within 35 days after such service upon you. Your answer or counterclaim must be accompanied with the applicable filing fee. Service of this Summons shall be complete on the day of the last publication.

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

A copy of the Complaint may be obtained from the clerk of the court. This is a judicial foreclosure action regarding the property more particularly described in the Complaint. This Summons is issued pursuant to Rule 4 of the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure.

Dated: September 18, 2024

By: Amanda Ferguson, #44893

Legal Notice No. DHD 3291

First Publication: September 26, 2024

Last Publication: October 24, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Misc. Private Legals

Public Notice

JUVENILE COURT, COUNTY OF DENVER STATE OF COLORADO 520 West Colfax Avenue, Room 125 Denver, CO 80204

UPON THE PETITION OF:

JEWEL LYNNETTE SHEFFIELD, For the Adoption of a Child Case Number: 24JA30012 Division: 2H

TO: BAPTISTE CLEMONS, Respondent

Pursuant to § 19-5-208, C.R.S., you are hereby notified that the above-named Petitioner has filed in this Court a verified Petition seeking to adopt a child.

An Affidavit of Abandonment has been filed alleging that you have abandoned the child for a period of one year or more and have failed without cause to provide reasonable support for the child for one year or more.

You are further notified that an Adoption hearing is set on October 30, 2024, at 10:00 am in the court location identified above.

You are further notified that if you fail to appear at said hearing, the Court may terminate your parental rights and grant the adoption as sought by the Petitioner.

Legal Notice No. DHD 3261

First Publication: September 5, 2024

Last Publication: October 3, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

TO: JULIA M ARMSTRONG : You are notified that you have 10 days after publication for this notice of levy to file your claim of exemption with the District Court of Denver County, 1437 Bannock, Room 256, Denver, CO 80202 in Case 2019CV33943 entitled: WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. v. JULIA M. ARMSTRONG $401.51 garnished at USAA Federal Savings Bank, 10750 McDermott Fwy, San Antonio, TX 78288.

Legal Notice No. DHD 3244

First Publication: August 29, 2024

Last Publication: September 26, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Storage Liens/Vehicle Titles

Public Notice

Broncos Towing, 303-722-3555 (office) will be applying for title to the following vehicles, abandoned.

1)2013 Audi Q5 blue 029574

Legal Notice No. DHD 3275

First Publication: September 19, 2024

Last Publication: October 10, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Notice to Creditors

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of THOMAS LAVERE TIPPETTS, a/k/a THOMAS L. TIPPETTS, a/k/a TOM L. TIPPETTS, a/k/a TOM TIPPETTS, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR30909

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 January 19, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Sarah Skousen Tippetts, Personal Representative c/o Carl H. Hutchins, Esq. Hutchins & Associates LLC 1999 Broadway, Suite 1400 Denver, Colorado 80202

Legal Notice No. DHD 3285

First Publication: September 19, 2024

Last Publication: October 3, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Loretta DeWitt, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR030880

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, January 13, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Colorado Estate Planning Law Center

Attorney to the Personal Representative 6870 W. 52nd Avenue, Suite 103 Arvada, Colorado 80002

Legal Notice No. DHD 3271

First Publication: September 12, 2024

Last Publication: September 26, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald Dispatch

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Donald Ray Bain, a/k/a Donald R. Bain, a/k/a Donald Bain, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR30761

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 January 19, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Sherry Choi, Personal Representative c/o 3i Law, LLC 2000 S. Colorado Blvd Tower 1, Suite 10000 Denver, CO 80222

Legal Notice No. DHD 3281 First Publication: September 19, 2024 Last Publication: October 3, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The Estate of William Kirk Scheitler, aka Kirk Scheitler, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR30988

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 & County of Denver, Colorado, on or before January 20, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Samantha Scheitler

Personal Representative c/o Dana Petersen, Attorney 8811 E. Hampden Avenue, Suite 217 Denver, CO 80231

Legal Notice No. DHD 3283 First Publication: September 19, 2024 Last Publication: October 3, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Betty Lee Milberger, Deceased

Case Number: 24 PR 356

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, January 27, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Kenneth M. Milberger

Personal Representative

Public Notices

9238 Sugarstone Circle

Highlands Ranch, Colorado 80130

Legal Notice No. DHD 3290

First Publication: September 26, 2024

Last Publication: October 10, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Eric Andrew Holm, a/k/a Eric A . Holm, a/k/a Eric Holm Deceased Case Number: 2024PR30885

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 January 19, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Ruth Holm, Personal Representative 7770 Owl Creek Circle Littleton CO 80125

Legal Notice No. DHD 3276

First Publication: September 19, 2024

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

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Robert Brian Nelson, a/k/a Robert B. Nelson, a/k/a Robert Nelson, a/k/a Bob Nelson, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31047

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, January 27, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Legal Notice No. DHD 3289

First Publication: September 26, 2024

Last Publication: October 10, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Paul Eric Smith, AKA Paul E. Smith, AKA Paul Smith, Deceased Case Number 2024PR30927

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, January 13, 2025 , or the claims may be forever barred.

Kimberly Raemdonck, Attorney for Personal Representative, Aaron P. Smith 2485 W Main Street, Suite 200 Littleton, CO 80120

Legal Notice No. DHD 3270

First Publication: September 12, 2024 Last Publication: September 26, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Idene T Carrillo, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR191

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 January 27, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Randolph Carrillo, Personal Representative 802 E River Street Pueblo, CO 81001

Legal Notice No. DHD 3288

First Publication: September 26, 2024

Last Publication: October 10, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of LOUIE BENJAMIN SUTHERLAND, JR. a/k/a LOUIE B. SUTHERLAND, JR., Deceased, Case Number 2024PR30969, Denver Probate Court, City and County of Denver, State of Colorado

All persons having claims against the above-named Estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to:

The Clerk of the Denver Probate Court, 1437 Bannock Street, Room 230, Denver, CO 80202 on or before January 12, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

/s/ Anthony D. Damon

Attorney for Personal Representative The Damon Law Firm, LLC 4465 Kipling Street #101 Wheat Ridge, CO 80033

Legal Notice No. DHD 3273

First Publication: September 12, 2024

Last Publication: September 26, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Allen Dale Voth, also known as Allen D. Voth, and Allen Voth, Deceased

Case Number 2024PR31005

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, January 27, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Donald James Voth

Personal Representative 516 Stone Creek Dr Newton, KS 67114

Legal Notice No. DHD 3287

First Publication: September 26, 2024

Last Publication: October 10, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Sandra Brener Rosenthal, a/k/a Sandra B. Rosenthal, and Sandra Rosenthal, Deceased Case Number: 2024 PR 31028

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 January 21, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Stephen Rosenthal, Personal Representative c/o Poskus & Klein, P.C. 303 East 17th Avenue, Suite 900 Denver, Colorado 80203

Legal Notice No. DHD 3277

First Publication: September 19, 2024

Last Publication: October 3, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Mark Gerard Swanson, Deceased Case Number 2024PR31058

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 January 20, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

/s/ Robert S. Sutton Attorney to the Personal Representative 14143 Denver West Pkwy., Suite 100 Golden, CO 80401

Legal Notice No. DHD 3280

First Publication: September 19, 2024 Last Publication: October 3, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of William Emil Degner, a/k/a William E Degner, a/k/a William Degner, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31019

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 1/19/25, or the claims may be forever barred.

Name of Person Giving Notice:

Erika Manley, 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. DHD 3279

First Publication: September 19, 2024 Last Publication: October 3, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Sally B. McLagan, a/k/a Sally Burch McLagan, a/k/a Sally McLagan, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR030979

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 January 19, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Katherine M. Augustyn and Kent H. McLagan Co-Personal Representatives c/o Tuthill & Hughes LLP 55 Madison Street, Suite 555 Denver, CO 80206

Legal Notice No. DHD 3282

First Publication: September 19, 2024 Last Publication: October 3, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of David Alan Anderson, a/k/a David Anderson, a/k/a David A. Anderson, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR30798

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 January 19, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Stephanie F. Dahl, Attorney for Personal Representative 4725 S. Monaco St., Suite 320 Denver, CO 80237

Legal Notice No. DHD 3278 First Publication: September 19, 2024 Last Publication: October 3, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch ###

Withoutpublicnotices, thegovernmentwouldn’t havetosayanythingelse. Publicnoticesare acommunity’swindow intothegovernment.Fromzoning regulations tolocalbudgets,governments haveusedlocalnewspaperstoinform citizensofitsactionsasanessentialpart ofyourrighttoknow.Youknowwhereto look,whentolookandwhattolookforto beinvolvedas acitizen.Localnewspapers provideyouwiththeinformationyou needtogetinvolved.

Noticesaremeantto benoticed. Readyourpublic noticesandgetinvolved!