Denver Herald Dispatch October 31, 2024

Something wicked on Wadsworth

How does Colorado keep noncitizens and dead people from voting?

Protections involve everything from the DMV database to what’s known as the ‘death list’

BY CAITLYN KIM CPR NEWS

As the election draws nearer, Coloradans have a lot of questions around voting — about how the process works, and also, what protections are there to ensure ineligible people aren’t casting ballots.

It’s a perennial concern in every election, but one that has heated up this year, that somehow large numbers of non-citizens — and the dead — will manage to cast ballots.

Weld County Clerk and Recorder Carly Koppes has been elding versions of these fears since she rst started working in the o ce in 2004. e Republican, who was rst elected Clerk in 2014, is on her 6th presidential cycle.

“ is isn’t the rst presidential election that we’ve got a lot of voters asking, ‘what about the illegals?’” she said.

BY MONTE WHALEY

Josh Holder doesn’t know exactly how many mutilated, decapitated and mentally diseased bodies are dangling or lurking inside the Frightmare Compound his family has run for the past 41 years.

His best guess is that about 20 or more poor, tortured souls inhabit the site’s wooden barn and other structures on the four-acre site that squats on 108th Avenue

and Wadsworth Boulevard.

“ e bodies are all fake,” the 39-yearold Holder said.

“Mostly,” he added, with a quick smile.

An iconic Westminster landmark, the Frightmare Compound was started by his dad, Brad, a Halloween connoisseur and lover of horror movies, Holder said. He built Frightmare on old swamp land and began piecing together a haunted house for the metro area.

When his dad died in 1999, the family kept the compound and poured their creative energy into all things wicked to keep the compound and its terrifying attractions fresh and running.

“We always try and do something different than last year,” Holder said. “We want to keep things scary and memorable for everyone.”

e family attends Halloween conventions to keep up with the latest costumes and trends. ey also travel, sometimes to Europe, for ideas. e compound’s haunted church which includes a small portal to hell, is a small replica of a church the family inspected on the British Isles. e compound includes rusted pickups, mining equipment and – Holder’s favorite – old shovels that have done their fair share of digging. “I don’t know, I’ve just always liked shovels,” he said. ere is even an old Cessna, dropped into the compound to simulate an airplane crash.

All have been collected over the years by the Holders to add authenticity to every scene at the compound.

Despite no widespread evidence of voter fraud in the 2020 election, an NPR poll shows that a majority of Americans are concerned that there will be fraud this time around, in large part due to former President Donald Trump’s false statements. A majority of respondents in that survey said they believe noncitizens will be able to vote in the upcoming presidential election.

A number of audits, investigations and studies con rmed the results of the 2020 election, which President Joe Biden won.

e checks to ensure only eligible voters end up on the voter rolls start with the rst question asked of anyone registering to vote in Colorado.

“On the form it says, ‘Are you a citizen of the United State? Yes or No?” Koppes said, pointing to a printed copy of Colorado’s o cial voter registration form.

The Frightmare Compound has terrified people for more than 40 years. Here, a masked driver taunts kids during the 2023 Arvada Harvest Festival parade.

Millions of aging Americans face dementia by themselves

BY JUDITH GRAHAM KFF HEALTH NEWS

Sociologist Elena Portacolone was taken aback. Many of the older adults in San Francisco she visited at home for a research project were confused when she came to the door. ey’d forgotten the appointment or couldn’t remember speaking to her.

It seemed clear they had some type of cognitive impairment. Yet they were living alone.

Portacolone, an associate professor at the University of California-San Francisco, wondered how common this was. Had anyone examined this group? How were they managing?

When she reviewed the research literature more than a decade ago, there was little there. “I realized this is a largely invisible population,” she said.

Portacolone got to work and now leads the Living Alone With Cognitive Impairment Project at UCSF. e project estimates that that at least 4.3 million people 55 or older who have cognitive impairment or dementia live alone in the United States.

About half have trouble with daily activities such as bathing, eating, cooking, shopping, taking medications, and managing money, according to their research. But only 1 in 3 received help with at least one such activity.

Compared with other older adults who live by themselves, people living alone with cognitive impairment are older, more likely to be women, and disproportionately Black or Latino, with lower levels of education, wealth, and homeownership. Yet only 21% qualify for publicly funded programs such as Medicaid that pay for aides to provide services in the home.

In a health care system that assumes older adults have family caregivers to help them, “we realized this population is destined to fall through the cracks,” Portacolone said.

Imagine what this means. As memory and thinking problems accelerate, these seniors can lose track of bills, have their electricity shut o , or be threatened with eviction. ey might stop shopping (it’s too overwhelming) or cooking (it’s too hard to follow recipes). Or they might be unable to communicate clearly or navigate automated phone systems.

A variety of other problems can ensue, including social isolation, malnutrition, self-neglect, and susceptibility to scams. Without someone to watch over them, older adults on their own may experience worsening health without anyone noticing or struggle with dementia without ever being diagnosed.

Should vulnerable seniors live this way?

For years, Portacolone and her collaborators nationwide have followed nearly 100 older adults with cognitive impairment who live alone. She listed some concerns people told researchers they worried most about: “Who do I trust? When is the next time I’m going to forget? If I think I need more help, where do I nd it? How do I hide my forgetfulness?”

Jane Lowers, an assistant professor at the Emory University School of Medicine, has been studying “kinless” adults in the early stages of dementia — those without a live-in partner or children nearby. eir top priority, she told me, is “remaining independent for as long as possible.”

Seeking to learn more about these seniors’ experiences, I contacted the National Council of Dementia Minds. e organization last year started a biweekly online group for people living alone with dementia. Its sta ers arranged a Zoom conversation with ve people, all with early-to-moderate dementia.

One was Kathleen Healy, 60, who has signi cant memory problems and lives alone in Fresno, California.

“One of the biggest challenges is that people don’t really see what’s going on with you,” she said. “Let’s say my house is a mess or I’m sick or I’m losing track of my bills. If I can get myself together, I can walk out the door and nobody knows what’s going on.”

An administrator with the city of Fresno for 28 years, Healy said she had to retire in 2019 “because my brain stopped working.” With her pension, she’s able to cover her expenses, but she doesn’t have signi cant savings or assets.

Healy said she can’t rely on family members who have troubles of their own.

(Her 83-year-old mother has dementia and lives with Healy’s sister.) e person who checks on her most frequently is an ex-boyfriend.

“I don’t really have anybody,” she said, choking up.

Denise Baker, 80, a former CIA analyst, lives in a 100-year-old house in Asheville, North Carolina, with her dog, Yolo. She has cognitive problems related to a stroke 28 years ago, Alzheimer’s disease, and serious vision impairment that prevents her from driving. Her adult daughters live in Massachusetts and Colorado.

“I’m a very independent person, and I nd that I want to do everything I possibly can for myself,” Baker told me, months before Asheville was ravaged by severe ooding. “It makes me feel better about myself.”

She was lucky in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene: Baker lives on a hill in West Asheville that was untouched by oodwaters. In the week immediately after the storm, she lled water jugs every day at an old well near her house and brought them back in a wheelbarrow. ough her power was out, she had plenty of food and neighbors looked in on her.

“I’m absolutely ne,” she told me on the phone in early October after a member of Dementia Friendly Western North Carolina drove to Baker’s house to check in on her, upon my request. Baker is on

the steering committee of that organization.

Baker once found it hard to ask for assistance, but these days she relies routinely on friends and hired help.

Her daughter Karen in Boston has the authority to make legal and health care decisions when Baker can no longer do so. When that day comes — and Baker knows it will — she expects her longterm care insurance policy to pay for home aides or memory care. Until then,

“I plan to do as much as I can in the state I’m in,” she said.

Much can be done to better assist older adults with dementia who are on their own, said Elizabeth Gould, co-director of the National Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center at RTI International, a nonpro t research institute. “If health care providers would just ask ‘Who do you live with?’” she said, “that could open the door to identifying who might need more help.”

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.

Denise Baker, a former CIA analyst, lives alone in a 100-year-old house in Asheville, North Carolina. She has cognitive problems related to a stroke 28 years ago, Alzheimer’s disease, and serious vision impairment. With help from a few artist friends, she throws ceramic pots about six days a week. “I’m a very independent person and I find that I want to do everything I possibly can for myself,” Baker says. “It makes me feel better about myself.”

LORENA RUSSELL FOR KFF

Cooperative Living Presents an Attractive Alternative for Downsizing Seniors

The first time I heard about Village Cooperatives was a few years ago when I listed the Lakewood home of an elderly couple who had a deposit on an apartment at Village Cooperative Lakewood, near Wadsworth and Jewell, which was then under construction. They ended up canceling their reservation, so I didn’t think more of it, including in March 2020 when Rita and I sold our Golden home and moved into a 55+ rental called Avenida. If I had looked into Village Cooperatives, I think Rita and I might have made a different decision.

pro-rated to the portion of the year, so it wouldn’t actually be 9% unless you bought after exactly 3 years.

There are between 50 and 70 apartments in each of the cooperatives. All but this one are 3 stories with a garage in the basement. There are a few 1-bedroom units, but most are 2 bedrooms, and some of those also have a den. They range from under 900 to over 1,700 square feet, and there are over 20 floor plans. During the tour, I got to see all three types.

Two weeks ago, I got an invitation to visit the Village Cooperative building in Centennial from a reader who had moved there from Avenida the same year we moved in. I attended a 2-hour talk and tour of the facility last week, and learned enough to consider getting on a waiting list for a 2-bedroom unit with a den.

Ten of the 45 Village Cooperatives built so far are in Colorado. Five of the 10 are in the Denver metro area, stretching from Longmont to Centennial, and the only ones that aren’t sold out are in the Columbine area of Littleton and in Longmont. All the others have waiting lists. The company that builds them is based in Minnesota.

The details and numbers I’ll quote below are for the Centennial location, but the other locations are probably comparable.

Buying into a cooperative is not at all like buying a condo. You are buying a share in the ownership of the building. The price of the share is set originally and appreciates by 3% per year, without compounding. For example, in the Centennial cooperative, the original prices ranged from about $160,000 to $240,000 when it opened three years ago. If you could purchase a share which had an original price of $200,000, you’d pay $218,000 (3% increase x 3 years). The 3% per year is

Real estate agents play no role in the purchase. You pay a refundable $500 deposit to get on the waiting list, and you will be notified when shares become available. You can pass on any unit that becomes available and not lose your place on the list.

The monthly fees — it’s not considered “rent” — are about $2,000 per month and consist of four components: your pro-rated share of the monthly payment on the building’s 40-year construction mortgage; your share of the property tax on the building, and a management fee, including your share of the building’s contract with Comcast for internet access, cable TV and a landline. The fourth component is contribution to reserves. Gas and electric are individually metered.

The cooperative is managed by a board of directors consisting of your fellow shareholders. Members also are encouraged to join committees focused on finance, maintenance, and social activities.

One parking spot in the secure basement garage is assigned to each unit. There is a high-pressure car wash bay with vacuum, too.

Amenities include a fitness center, a library, storage rooms, a meeting/game room, and two hotel-style guest rooms that residents can reserve for $50/night.

I was impressed by the sizes of the rooms in each of the apartments. In our current apartment, the master bedroom is

Just Listed: 5-Bedroom Brick Ranch in Wheat Ridge

10’ by 11’ — barely big enough for our king-size bed and one dresser. The master bedrooms in the cooperative’s units are more like 12’x15’, and the smallest guest bedrooms are bigger than the master bedroom in our Golden apartment.

A member can sell their share at any time and get back their investment plus the 3% per annum appreciation paid by the replacement member, minus deduction for repairs, etc. Members can pay for upgrades such as better appliances, countertops, backsplashes, fixtures, flooring, etc. and expect an additional direct payment for those upgrades by the buyer, as negotiated between buyer and seller.

A gas forced-air furnace is in a locked closet accessed from each unit’s balcony. Central hot water is included in the monthly fees.

You can’t finance your purchase with a mortgage, because it’s not real estate. It’s a cash purchase, and you have to demonstrate that you can afford the monthly fees. If you are planning to sell your current home when your wait for a unit is up, one strategy is to borrow the $200,000

via a home equity line of credit (HELOC) that is paid off when your home sells.

The purchase price and the monthly fees for a cooperative are roughly half what a comparable condo purchase and dues would be, making the decision an easy one if you have the liquid funds to buy the share.

Village Cooperative only began in 2011 and has grown impressively. You can learn more and see its many locations at www.VillageCooperative.com. In the posting of this article on my blog, http://RealEstateToday.substack.com, I have links to a few YouTube videos I recorded during my tour.

Some Buyers Pay ‘Admin Fees’

A couple weeks ago I wrote that almost no buyers are paying a commission to their agents, despite the recent NAR settlement. Sellers are still paying buyer agents’ commissions. However, many brokerages have a long-standing practice of charging a 3figure “administrative fee” to buyers — usually around $300. Golden Real Estate does not charge buyers such a fee.

Water Cremation: Going Green in the End

$750,000

The seller has owned and loved this brick ranch at 7085 W. 32nd Place for 43 years! The basement, with two doors to the backyard, includes a large wet bar for entertaining plus a sound-proofed musical studio which could be a bedroom with ensuite bathroom. The home has 500-amp electrical service, with 240-volt outlets in the detached garage/ workshop. There are four separate sheds in the backyard. Well water is used for irrigation. The asphalt driveway was recently seal coated. There’s a fenced dog run and pre-wiring for a hot tub. You’ve got to see this home to believe it! Visit www.WheatRidgeHome.info to see lots of interior and exterior photos and to take a narrated video tour. Kathy Jonke will be holding it open this Saturday from 11 to 1, or call her at 303-990-7428 to request a private showing.

Joined

in 2014 Licensed in 2001

Joined us in 2010

Licensed in 2000

Joined

in 2014 Licensed in 2000

I don’t recall how I learned about it, but last week Rita and I visited an open house at Be A Tree, a company which offers water cremation as a green alternative to conventional flame cremation. Conventional flame cremation uses natural gas. Water cremation is what it sounds like. Also known as alkaline hydrolysis, it uses a mixture of 95% water and potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide to dissolve fats and tissues in a body, reducing it to components of liquid and bone. The process takes place over 18 hours in a pressure vessel heated to around 200°F.

The bones are then ground into a powder referred to as ashes, although no flame was used. For an extra fee, those ashes can be molded into white stones which can be shared among loved ones.

The 150 gallons of nutrient rich water generated by the process, called Tree Tea, can be used as fertilizer, hence the

name of the company, Be A Tree. Rita and I had always thought that cremation was the best way to go when we die, but we had done no pre-planning and this approach is much more appealing to us, so we have now pre-planned for water cremation with Be A Tree. If this concept appeals to you, learn more at www.BeATreeCremation.com or call 720-782-2782.

“You can’t just rest on your laurels,” Holder said. “ ere is always something new we can bring in to keep people really scared.”

Highly rated terror

Newcomers often join long-time patrons to the Frightmare site which consistently draws top-notch reviews.

A list published by  eScareFactor. com in 2023 highlighted the six great haunted houses around Colorado, which included  e Frightmare Compound.

Rated 8.56 of 10 in e Scare Factor’s 2022 review of the attraction, e Frightmare Compound scored the highest in the ‘customer service’ category of criteria, with the sta described as friendly and helpful, according to the Colorado Gazette.

While customer service was a leading factor in the high rating received by e Frightmare Compound, the haunted house scored well across the board –from costuming to entertainment to immersiveness to value, according to the Gazette.

As many as 50 employees dress as ghouls, ax-wielding maniacs or zombies to harass customers, some of whom don’t even make into the compound, Holder said. “ ey get totally psyched out. But we welcome them back if they want to return.”

Frightmare workers, including high school students and retirees, are schooled by an acting coach who teaches them how to be scary while also preserving their voices.

“If you are screaming at someone for more than three hours, that really puts a

strain on your voice box,” Holder said. Holder, his mom and sisters, along with close friends, spend most of the year coming up with new ideas for the compound. ey also add to the site’s Monster Museum which features costumes and artifacts from classic horror movies, including Freddie Krueger and e Predator.

Holder admits he’s riding a popular wave around Halloween, with booming sales for costumes and scary movies. “I guess people just like that adrenaline rush of being scared,” Holder said. “It’s just something built inside our brains. It will be with us forever.”

A 1988 article from the Westminster Window about Frightmare and Josh Holder’s father Brad Holder is proudly displayed among other media coverage.

Josh Holder checks on some the masks and costumes his actors wear for their roles in the haunted house.

PHOTOS BY BELEN WARD

After-school arts programs in and near Denver

BY JACQUI SOMEN SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

A lot of parents think that a child banging on drums behind closed doors won’t get them into the college of their dreams, but they needn’t be so quick to judge. Researchers at University College London have found that participation in arts programs has many developmental bene ts, including improvements in memory, problem-solving and executive function. If Denver parents want to tap into these developmental treasures or just allow their children a chance to nurture selfexpression, after-school and weekend arts programs in the area are plentiful. Here are some programs within a reasonable driving distance:

Theater and acting

e Arvada Center for Performing Arts and Humanities o ers playmaking and acting classes for ages 6-18. 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada, CO 80003.

Apex Performing Arts Collective offers improv, acting, broadway dance and other classes for children and teens in grades K-12. 209 Kalamath St., Unit 16, Denver, CO 80223.

Denver Center for the Performing Arts has acting classes, musical theater, improv and more for children and teens. 1101 13th St., Denver, CO 80204.

Dance

Lakewood Dance Academy hosts a variety of dance classes from creative movement for ages 3-4 to ballet, tap, contemporary, modern and acrobatic for older children and teens. 9635 W. Colfax Ave., Lakewood, CO 80215.

Arvada Center o ers a variety of dance classes from creative movement to ballet, jazz, tap and hip-hop for ages 3 to adult. 691 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada, CO 80003.

TaDa in Highland has hip-hop classes for ages 4-10. 4433 W. 29th Ave., #103, Denver, CO 80212.

Colorado Ballet Academy has ballet

and tap classes for children of all ages. 1075 Santa Fe Dr., Denver, CO 80204.

Visual arts

Sweet Ridge Studios provides stopmotion and mural classes for teens and tweens at their Wheat Ridge studio this fall. ey also provide after-school programming at many schools in the area. 7530 W. 38th Ave., Wheat Ridge, CO 80033. Arvada Center o ers instruction in various visual arts methods including clay, anime and digital arts. Class ages vary and range from ages 6-18. 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada, CO 80003.

Music

Swallow Hill Music hosts music classes in various disciplines for ages 1-18. 71 E. Yale Ave., Denver, CO 80210. Altitunes o ers music lessons for children 3-7-plus. With locations in Wheat Ridge and Lakewood; nearest to North Denver is 5630 W. 29th Ave., Wheat Ridge, CO 80214.

Musical Life Denver provides private lessons plus jam sessions and rock concerts for children and teens. 2842 S. Broadway, Englewood, CO 80113.

Creative writing

Denver Writes hosts a number of afterschool writing clubs and workshops on the Regis University campus and other locations around Denver.

Lighthouse Writers Workshop has workshops for young people ages 9-18 at 3844 York St., Denver, CO 80205. Denver Public Library hosts writing workshops for teens at least once a month at Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales Branch and Smiley Branch as well as at other branches.

Swallow Hill House of Rock is one of many programs that gets kids banging on drums and reaping the benefits of arts experiences.

PHOTO BY KIT CHALBERG

What does it mean to have a bond measure on your ballot?

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

When voters go to ll out their 2024 ballots, there’s a good chance they’ll be asked to decide on a bond measure, whether for parks, schools or libraries.

In an e ort to help inform voters, Colorado Community Media spoke with Byron Isaak – a bond broker and dealer at Lakewood-based Isaak Bond Investments who has worked in the industry for more than 40 years – about how bonds work.

Bonds are a way for municipalities or special districts, like school districts or library districts, to take on debt to fund infrastructure and capital investments, such as buildings, sidewalks, roads, parks and water and sewer lines.

A popular kind of bond used by municipalities and special districts is a general obligation bond, which Isaak said works similarly to a homeowner’s mortgage,

VOTING

Next to the question, the document says, “if you answered No, do not complete this form.”

“So, it’s a self-a rmation. We are hoping that you are answering that question correctly,” Koppes explained. But “when we start registering you to vote in the voter registration system, we do verify and check.”

where debt repayments can be spaced out over a long period of time with interest.

“ ey can issue a large amount of debt and put it in a ladder form, so there are bonds that will mature from one to 30 years and spread out the payment requirement,” Isaak said.

Municipalities and special districts rely on property taxes to repay their debt in a general obligation bond, and Colorado requires that voters approve that debt.

Sometimes a bond measure will require a tax increase to cover the debt, but not always. Isaak said a bond could be tax neutral if the municipality is getting enough revenue from existing taxes to cover the payments, which might happen when a municipality has paid o older bonds, re nanced debt or grown its tax base.

“What I would look for is what the anticipated annual requirement for the debt service will be and their projected revenue,” Isaak said. “If those numbers

In other words: trust, but verify. Clerks and the Secretary of State’s ofce rely on a long list of databases to ensure their voter lists are clean, something even the right wing Heritage Foundation agrees Colorado does a good job on; it ranked the state third in the nation for accuracy of voter registration lists. When it comes to preventing non-citizens in particular from voting, the verication process starts with two other pieces of information on that form – your drivers’ license number or, if you don’t have that, the last four of your Social Security num-

match up, you don’t have a tax increase.”

Once a general obligation bond is issued, if the municipality or special district doesn’t receive the revenue needed to pay it back, it can raise taxes to make the payment. Isaak said that can happen if the municipality overestimated the growth in its tax base.

“ ey are required and obligated to levy a tax on all taxable property (in the district) in order to make the debt service,” Isaak said.

Another type of bond voters might see is a revenue bond, where a municipality or special district is paying o debt with service fees instead of taxes. Isaak said this is a common bond for water and sewage providers.

In general, Isaak said bonds are a very secure way for entities to take on debt to nance infrastructure.

“Municipal bonds as a whole have a great deal of history of very low default ratios,” Isaak said.

ber.

By double-checking those, “we will be able to know if it is a valid U.S. citizenissued Colorado ID or driver’s license or Social Security number,” Koppes said.

While Colorado is a state that allows non-citizens, including people without legal status, to get a driver’s license, there are guard rails in place for them.

“we get information when Coloradans pass away from two spots… the Department of Public Health and Environment and also the Social Security Administration.”

Clerk Koppes said the Social Security list is aptly named the Death List.

“When I worked in the elections department every day doing data entry, I would always make the joke, I see dead people,” she said, citing the lm “ e Sixth Sense.” And like the movie, the issue of dead people voting comes with a bit of a twist: some of the ballots counted on Election Day may legitimately belong to people who’ve died.

“ ere’s a nice big old black bar that’s actually put onto those issued IDs that clearly states this is not used for federal identi cation or voting purposes,” she explained. “Because they’re already agged within the Department of Revenue system, if they do try to get used as a voter registration, when we hit that system, it’s going to go ‘nope’ and (that) stops it right there.”

Koppes said with all these di erent checks and veri cations, it’s exceedingly rare for a non-citizen to get onto a voter list. And if a non-citizen does actually manage to vote, the consequences can be severe: a ne, jail time and deportation.

“I’ve known people and I’ve grown up with some people who have not been U.S. citizens and the last thing that they want to do is put that ability to eventually become a U.S. citizen in jeopardy,” Koppes said.

It might not sound sexy, but voter list maintenance is a big part of the job of clerks and the Secretary of State’s o ce.

“Under Colorado law, if a voter casts a ballot during the early voting period and then passes away before Election Day, that vote will count,” explained Koppes.  Here again there is a veri cation process — in this case, with the signature on the ballot envelope.

Every voter has to sign the envelope when they return their ballot and if you’ve been voting in Colorado for a while, your clerk’s o ce has all those signatures on le.

e databases they turn to don’t just allow o cials to check for noncitizens and keep track of deaths, there are many, many more that help clerks, such as ensuring people aren’t voting in two locations and spotting when people move out of state. is work does not just happen in the months leading up to an election, but year-round.

“We update our voter lists daily using information about driver’s license and address updates from the Colorado Department of Revenue. And (we get) incarceration updates from the Colorado Department of Corrections,” explained Democratic Secretary of State Jena Griswold (Colorado bans people from voting while they’re serving a felony sentence).  e state also gets federal information from the SAVE database to see if someone previously issued a non-citizen driver’s license has obtained their citizenship and is now eligible to vote.

As for dead people voting, Griswold quipped, “a dead person is dead.”

“But in all seriousness,” she went on,

“It is extremely rare that somebody is going to be – even a family member – is going to able to duplicate your signature,” Koppes said. “Because even if you sat down right now and did your signature ve times in a row, you’re going to notice there’s ve di erent little nuances every single time.”

Elections judges have extensive training on signature veri cation. And here’s the thing, they’ve caught people who tried to cast another person’s ballot.

“We actually, in the 2016 election, did catch an ex-husband trying to vote his exwife’s ballot,” Koppes recalled.

In that case, the o ender, a former chairman of the Colorado Republican Party, was sentenced to four years of probation. Even if you don’t trust traditional media, election o cials urge you not to take your questions to Google or social media. Both Koppes and Griswold had the same advice: call your county clerk’s o ce.

“We’re the ones that do this and know and understand the responsibility that we have. It’s a huge responsibility,” said Koppes.

One they take extremely seriously. is article comes courtesy of the Colorado News Collaborative and the statewide project, “Voter Voices,” which Colorado Community Media is a part of.

Are unchecked opinions in Colorado’s local TABOR books misleading voters?

BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

As voters sit down to ll out their ballots, they often refer to their local TABOR book, commonly known as the “gray book,” for more information about local ballot initiatives. Whether it’s a school bond measure, like in Douglas and Arapahoe counties, or an elimination of a TABOR limit in Je erson County, the gray book provides voters with information to decide whether to vote for or against a proposal.

However, many may not realize that the public comments included in these guides are not factchecked, according to the Colorado Legislative Council’s TABOR Blue Book guidelines. ese guidelines note that arguments for and against ballot measures are submitted by proponents and opponents and are not veri ed for accuracy.

According to reporting by Colorado Community Media two years ago, misinformation in Douglas County’s booklet regarding the school district had its administrators up in arms. e district’s Superintendent, Erin Kane, spoke out against comments opposing the district’s mill levy override and bond measures, calling them “untrue” and “misrepresentative.” is year, a statement opposing proposition 1A in Je erson County claims a “yes” vote would eliminate the property tax cap from TABOR.

guidebooks explicitly state that comments aren’t verified.

However, a “yes” vote would allow the county to keep its share of property tax funds “without increasing any tax rate or mill levy rate,” according to the ballot language.

e mill levy rate, which varies by county, determines the amount taxpayers owe in property taxes.

According to state law, any registered voter within a local jurisdiction can submit comments for or against a ballot issue. However, the government entity is not responsible for fact-checking or verifying the accuracy of the submitted comments.

Local guidebooks explicitly state

that comments aren’t veri ed, but readers may skip over this information as they ip to the issues.

“We include an explanation in the packet that my o ce isn’t able to warrant the accuracy or truth of the contents of the notices, but we do provide the contact information for the designated election ofcial,” said Je erson County Clerk and Recorder Amanda Gonzalez. “ is allows voters to reach out if they need more information about the content in their city, county or district booklet.”

Gonzalez said it’s important to remember that the TABOR book is one of many good resources for

learning more about what’s on your ballot.

Voters can also look to county election websites, local news reporting or nonpartisan organizations like the League of Women Voters, which produces voter guides without endorsements or political bias. In a time of heightened awareness of misinformation in our elections, sorting fact from opinion may seem more important than ever. State law makes it clear that the responsibility for evaluating the accuracy of the information ultimately falls on the voters themselves.

Mental health voters guide now available

Publisher said voters need to know how local candidates view mental health issues

BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Colorado o ce seekers routinely make their stances known on issues like the economy, taxes, energy development and gun control.

But as more people struggle with teen suicides, depression and anxiety, the state’s politicians vying for votes on Nov. 5, also should let voters know how they stand on mental health policy, said Renata Hill, publisher of Moodfuel.

“ ere are just so many Coloradans su ering from unmet mental health needs, and there really hasn’t been a focus on mental health and it should be a focus on mental health in the election,” Hill said.

e on-line Moodfuel  serves

Coloradans with unmet mental health needs through inclusive, solutions-based articles, resources and diverse content, according to its website.

To let voters know how local candidates lean on mental health issues, Moodfuel produced the state’s rst-ever Colorado Mental Health Voters’ Guide.

e guide presents factchecked, nonpartisan information about state legislative candidates and ballot measures through the lens of mental health, according to a Moodfuel news release.

“Now, Colorado voters can better assess the people who will lead and legislate for them and the measures a ecting their ability to achieve mental wellness,” the news release states.

Hill said she sent out 219 emails asking for responses to a threequestion survey to all state legislative candidates.  She received 24 responses in all. “I actually thought that wasn’t too bad considering it was out rst time at this,” Hill said. Responses were split evenly be-

tween Republicans and Democrats, she said, while third-party and una liated candidates also provided plenty of answers.

Moodfuel summarized the recurring themes using symbols for easy skimming and highlighted signi cant comments, Hill said. Verbatim responses are included in additional web pages for state senate candidates and state house candidates.

“I appreciated those who took the time to respond in such thoughtful ways,” Hill said. “Some wrote signi cantly long responses, I really appreciate that,” she said.

George Mumma, retired chief of the Morrison Police Department, is a candidate for House District 25 and told Moodfuel, in part, that he was a founder of the Je erson County Juvenile Assessment Center that provides assessment and referrals to appropriate services to the families of teens struggling with mental health issues.

“As a law enforcement o cial, I know that it is di cult to nd mental health agencies and providers that meet the needs of the

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diverse populations in Colorado, this should be evaluated and we must work to provide more options for care,” Mumma said.

Cathy Kipp, a Democrat who currently serves as the State House Representative for House District 52, wrote in the survey that she has supported “essentially all legislation to help those living with mental health challenges get the help they need.”

Kipp is seeking a seat in the Colorado Senate representing District 14.

“Mental health has impacted some of my close family members and the families of so many others who live in my community and throughout the state,” Kipp told Moodfuel. “I just know that mental health challenges are real and much more prevalent than I knew.”

Caryn Ann Harlos, the Libertarian Party candidate for Senate District 2, told the survey “ e government should let people try alternative therapies. I am a Libertarian anarchist. Other people’s health and choices are not my business,” Harlos wrote.

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Local

Do yourself a favor and get a watch that counts your

As someone who admittedly hates going to the gym and needs my workouts to be fun, I highly recommend a watch that counts your steps. After my ance surprised me with one for my birthday in September, I’ve been hooked, and determined to get my daily average up since.

Take advantage of the beautiful Colorado weather and simply take more walks. Whether you step away from your desk for 10 minutes or take the dog out on a longer trek after work, you’ll soon nd chasing those step counts is infectious.

The perfect imperfection of a 5-year-old’s playroom

In today’s world of fastidiousness and perfectionism, it’s easy to get swept up in the idea that every space, even a child’s playroom, should be pristine, everything in its place, every toy neatly stored. For many of us, there’s a sense of satisfaction in organization, a belief that tidy spaces promote tidy minds. But there’s a delicate balance to strike, especially regarding the space of a 5-year-old. Children are naturally chaotic in the best possible way, their creativity and curiosity spilling into their surroundings. As adults, we must ask ourselves: Should their playroom re ect the organized world we strive for, or should it be a canvas for their boundless imagination?

WINNING

My grandson’s playroom, which we share as part of our “o ce,” is a perfect example of this tension between order and the joy of childhood. Just the other day, as I walked through his side of the room to get to my desk, I noticed a few Hot Wheels cars scattered across the oor. His room wasn’t a mess, not by any stretch, but those minor signs of play, those tiny cars on the ground, warmed my heart. It reminded me of my childhood, the rooms I used to play in, and the way toys seemed to be a part of my world, rather than something to be stored away when I was done. My daughter came down shortly after, concerned by the stray toys, and tried to clean them up quickly. I stopped her. “Leave it,” I said. ere was something so comfort-

ing, so genuine about those scattered toys. ey reected his world, his creativity in action, and his freedom to just be a child. e room wasn’t chaotic; it was alive with the essence of a 5-year-old’s spirit. Of course, we want to instill good habits in children from a young age. We want them to learn the value of cleanliness and to understand that everything has a place. But as I stood in that playroom, looking at the handful of cars and blocks, I realized there is a difference between fostering good habits and enforcing perfectionism. Kids, especially at the tender age of ve, are just learning about the world around them. eir play is their work, their toys are their tools, and their spaces are an extension of their minds. By expecting rigid tidiness, we risk sti ing that creativity.

ere’s a certain magic in a 5-year-old’s playroom. It’s not meant to be a showroom but a space where they can dream, build, and imagine. Sure, they must learn to pick up after themselves, but that doesn’t mean their room must be perfect every moment. Sometimes, those scattered toys tell the story of an adventure in progress, one that will continue when school is over

when the day winds down, and when they return to their world of make-believe.

As I sit at my desk, writing this, I can still see those few cars spread out on the oor, waiting for my grandson to return from kindergarten. I know that later, when my workday is done, I’ll lie down on that oor with him, and together, we’ll push those cars around, maybe build a city with his blocks or race the cars along some imaginary track. If you can even call it that, the mess will be part of the joy we share in that moment.

Children need space to express themselves; sometimes, that expression comes in mid-play toys, waiting for the next spark of imagination. e perfectionist in us may want to tidy everything up to create an environment that feels controlled and orderly, but that’s not what childhood is. Childhood is messy, creative, and beautifully imperfect.

Embracing the balance is the key, and I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can remember what Dr. Maryann Rosenthal said, “Strive for excellence and not perfection,” 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.

steps

Not only will it boost your mental health (walking has been proven to boost mood by increasing blood ow and circulation to your brain and body), but the physical health e ects can’t be denied. Personally, this bene t has been undeniable for me.

I don’t want to preach. Sometimes you just don’t want to do anything. I get it completely. But try taking a brief walk every day for just three days and see how you feel.

Plus, get yourself a motivator, like a watch that counts your steps, mileage, calories and more. It’s addicting to try to get to that round number each day and inch your daily average up. Use milestones like 2,000, 4,000 or 10,000 steps per day and you’ll surprise yourself with how much distance you’re tackling.

Getting to 2,000 steps is equal to about a mile. So, 10,000 steps spread throughout the day in varying increments get you to about ve miles per day.

You’ve probably heard the 10,000 steps thing before and with good reason. According to the Mayo Clinic, the average American walks 3,000 to 4,000 steps per day.

But getting closer to 10,000 can help boost your overall physical health, including reducing your risk for heart disease, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and depression. But everyone’s goals shouldn’t be the same. It’s all about nding ways to be more active than you were before. Depending on your age, body type and a plethora of other factors, 10,000 steps might not make sense for you.

Try setting more achievable goals to start and slowly build from there. Also, keep in mind you’ll need more water per day as you stack your steps.

To increase your step count, try these easy ways below:

• Take the stairs - skip the elevator and take the steps more often

• Give the dog a bonus walk - they’ll thank you for it

• Try standing as you work or taking more breaks to get brief walks in during the workday

• Save your favorite podcast, playlist or sports show - this will give you something to look forward to on your next walk

• Park farther away

• Take your phone calls or meetings on your walk if you can

• Schedule a weekly park day or hike

• Before you know it, you’ll be a walking machine.

Take my word for it: it’s so satisfying to get that daily average up and it’ll be as big of a mental boost as a physical bene t.

NEXT STOP: SPORTSLAND

Stay ahead of the game with Sportsland, your weekly online newsletter for comprehensive coverage across the Denver metro area! Whether you’re passionate about preps, local leagues or college teams, Sportsland editor John Renfrow delivers timely updates, in-depth analysis and stories that matter to your community.

Menopause is a natural phase of life that all women must go through. However, it is overwhelmingly stigmatized. Many women feel embarrassed to talk about it and su er in silence, but this shouldn’t be the case. ere are a lot of resources and information to better equip you for this transitional phase of your life.

Menopause has four di erent stages: premenopause, perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause.

During premenopause, you will not experience any menopausal symptoms and your menstrual cycle will function regularly.

Your body rst begins the transition with perimenopause. During this period of time, your body will start producing less estrogen and progesterone, hormones that stimulate the menstrual cycle. is is when a woman begins to notice symptoms and changes in her menstrual cycle.

All about menopause

WOMEN’S WELLNESS

As millions of Americans now evaluate their health plan options during this fall’s open enrollment season, a new survey nds that 3 in 5 Americans incorrectly de ned key health care terms. is knowledge gap may result in less-than-ideal selections, which could cause you to miss out on plans that might better suit your needs and o er potential cost savings.

Enrollment timing: For people with coverage from their employer, open enrollment typically happens during a two- or three-week period between September and December. For those eligible for Medicare, the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 each year. Coverage selections made during the fall will take e ect on Jan. 1, 2025. For people shopping for individual plans on the Health Insurance Marketplace, open enrollment begins Nov. 1, 2024, and ends Jan. 15, 2025, in most states. Enroll by Dec. 15, for active coverage on Jan. 1, 2025.

Here are a few tips to consider when choosing a plan that may help lead you to better health and cost savings:

Plan ahead. Take time to understand the bene ts, services and costs of plans available – including what might have changed with your current coverage. Pay attention to more than just the monthly premium, also understanding what out-of-pocket costs like deductibles, copays and coinsurance you may be responsible for.

Medicare members and caregivers: As you weigh your options, assess the di erences between  Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage Visit MedicareEducation.com to nd answers to questions about eligibility, plan choices, prescription coverage and more.

Help prevent unexpected costs. Check if your doctor is in your plan’s provider network, since visiting innetwork providers can help reduce out-of-pocket costs. Make sure your medications will be covered next

Dr. Terry Dunn

Some symptoms include mood changes, changes in libido, depression, di culty concentrating, headaches, night sweats, hot ashes and trouble with sleep. Your period may start to become irregular and often many women notice longer time between periods or longer or shorter cycles.

Most perimenopause symptoms are manageable on their own, but there are medications and other treatments available should you need them. Perimenopause can start at di erent ages. Most women start perimenopause in their 40s and it will usually last around 4 years. Although fertility decreases during perimenopause, it’s important to keep in mind that you can still get pregnant.

5 tips for choosing your health benefits for 2025

year by the plan you choose.And consider lling your prescriptions at an in-network pharmacy or with home delivery – more coste cient options.

Medicare members and caregivers: Original Medicare doesn’t generally cover prescription drugs. Consider enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan with prescription drug coverage to help keep medication costs in check. Explore mental health coverage. Beyond in-person mental health care, you may have access to a virtual network of therapists and psychiatrists, along with  advocates to help nd the right behavioral health care or resources.

Medicare members and caregivers: Look for plans that o er virtual mental health care with a $0 copay. Look into specialty bene ts.  Additional bene ts, such as dental, vision, hearing, or critical illness insurance, are often available and may contribute to overall well-being.

Medicare members and caregivers: Original Medicare doesn’t cover most dental, vision and hearing services, but many Medicare Advantage plans do.

Consider wellness programs. Many health plans o er incentives for taking healthier actions, like completing a health survey or exercising. Others providepersonalized support to those living with common chronic conditions like  Type 2 diabetes.

Medicare members and caregivers: Many Medicare Advantage plans o er gym memberships and wellness programs for members at no additional cost.

Marc Neely is CEO of UnitedHealthcare in Colorado and Wyoming.

Menopause begins when you don’t get your period for 12 consecutive months. Menopause usually begins between the ages of 45 and 55, but it can happen earlier or later.

Some women don’t experience any symptoms, but others will notice symptoms similar to perimenopause such as hot ashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, sleep issues, mood changes, decreased libido, weight gain and di culty concentrating. In some cases, these symptoms can last for years after menopause. If needed, a medical professional can help you gure out ways to manage menopause symptoms. ere are a wide range of options available such as hormonal therapy, non-hormonal medications and lifestyle changes.

Post-menopause is the nal stage of menopause and starts after your last period and continues for the rest of your life. During post-menopause, your body will begin to adjust to lower hormone

levels, instead of uctuating as they did in pre and perimenopause. Some menopausal symptoms may continue into post menopause, like vaginal dryness or hot ashes. ankfully, these symptoms can continue to be managed with various treatments.

Menopause is an inevitable and natural process of life. During the month of October, World Menopause Month, we can all strive to ensure that women need not be embarrassed or ashamed about these transitions in their bodies.

Women may encounter many or none of the menopause symptoms listed above, which is completely normal. Whatever your experience is, there are plenty of resources to better help you understand and manage your symptoms. e best advice is to talk frankly with your doctor.

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

Joy to you and me

It was a Christmas night like the ones over the years. Close to three dozen of us gathered into our family’s eight hundred square foot house. e little ones played in the cellar and the older kids mingled with the adults who congregated mainly in the dining room, where we sang songs like “Pu , the Magic Dragon,” “Blowin’ in the Wind,” and “Deck the Halls” as Dominick — sister Helen’s husband and family Chet Atkins — played guitar. My mother, who had taken refuge in her bedroom for a while, emerged and surveyed the scene. “Sing ‘Joy to the World,’” she said On cue, one of her teenage grandsons let loose with “Jeremiah was a bullfrog!” He was quickly joined by his siblings and cousins who nished the verse and then the chorus, wishing joy to everyone, even the sh in the deep blue sea, and ending with “Joy to you and me.”

eir grandma smiled and shook her head while the rest of us roared. It was moment of family joy.

In “Desert Solitaire,” Edward Abby speculates about the role joy might’ve played in evolution. Interestingly he writes about joy in context of the spadefoot toads’ croaking, whose vocalizations are not exactly harmonious to the human ear. Abbey wonders whether their croaking is more than about attracting a mate or communicating with neighbors. Perhaps it’s done, he muses, out of “spontaneous love and joy, a contrapuntal choral celebration” celebrating the recent rainfall after an extended dry period. And possibly out of love for their existence and everyday life. What? A song about the joy of life? Better yet, how about a symphony? Like Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy?”

Joy is experiencing a revival, strangely because of politics. Now there’s an anomaly: mean-spirited politics making bedfellows with joy. More than pause; it jolts because joy hasn’t just been divorced from politics, it’s been ostracized, expelled, exiled, like Napolean to Elba. We can debate whether joy’s demise is a cause of our social-political miasma or the result of sinister forces seeking to crush it, but I’ll leave that to you to consider.

In “Finding Joy and Engaging in the Dance of Life,” Allison Abrams states that studies show about half of human happiness is genetically predisposed and ten percent circumstantial. at means we control forty percent of our happiness quotient. And that means each of us has plenty of space to amp it up. But, she says, it takes hard work and a

strong willingness to make it happen. Nonetheless, evidence shows happiness and, by extension, joy is largely a choice. Which means if you’re not feeling it and there are no painful circumstances preventing it, consider taking a good look into your psychological mirror. Abbey believes joy is correlated to the survival rate in evolution. He avers the morose and fearful eventually go extinct because courage depends on joy. Without courage, animals—Sapiens included—shrink, tremble, and hide in terror. It’s hard to feel happy and joyful if you’re waiting for a bomb to explode or if you’re a target for hate, yet our friends in the animal kingdom seem to feel it in spite of their fraught environment, like the frogs and toads who croak incessantly despite the presence of predators like snakes, owls and whatnot.

When I read Abbey’s musings, I wondered whether there was a link between them and ree Dog Night’s “Joy to the World,” since Abbey published “Desert Solitaire” in 1968 and TDN’s hit followed two years later. But I found no evidence to support that. Nevertheless, it seems too coincidental that Abbey and Hoyt Axton, who wrote the song, correlated joy with croaking toads and frogs. Happy little critters, it seems, despite many of them destined to be dinner or objects for experimentation by high school biology students. Joy is happiness on steroids. As such, it’s a high, an upper. Even though it’s short-lived like any high, it leaves an imprint, an indelible etching in the psyche. Like a healthy diet, it’s needed. Although Abbey wasn’t a psychologist or evolutionary scientist, he put his nger on an essential truth: ere’s a strong correlation between long-term survival and one’s sense of happiness and joy. It’s from that we can meet life head on with undaunted courage.

Mum’s joy was evinced by the one Christmas song she requested. Not “Silent Night” or “Adeste Fidelis,” but “Joy to the World.” Even though her grandkids hijacked her request, we knew she felt it. We were her family. And that’s where she found joy.

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

JERRY FABYANIC

Columnist

Dress to e x p r e s s

Denver-area costume shops foster community of creativity

BY ELISABETH SLAY

Acolorful array of Denver-area costume shops intertwines creativity and camaraderie, with each shop revealing its own distinct charm. From elaborate corsetry to an immersive haunted house and engaging games and puzzles, these shops go beyond competition and collaborate to foster a community centered on self-expression and oneof-a-kind experiences.

The Wizard’s Chest: ‘An experience’ Kevin Pohle, co-owner of the Wizard’s Chest in Denver, describes his shop as “an experience.”

Pohle said the store at 451 Broadway, which is decked out from top to bottom with magical trinkets, towering skeletons

and quirky long-bearded wizards, is always changing and has something for everyone.

“It’s not supposed to be a retail store,” Pohle said. “It’s supposed to be a place to come and hang out and see cool things and pick up cool things and then feel the need to take something home that you didn’t know you needed until you saw it.”

For 20 years, Pohle and his partners David Boyce and Brad Brickley have owned and operated Wizard’s Chest, which originally opened in 1983.

Wizard’s Chest is divided into two oors. e rst oor contains costumes, accessories, decorations and more, while the bottom oor provides a plethora of puzzles and games for people of all ages.

Over the years, Pohle said, the store has leaned into providing clothing that people can wear in their regular wardrobe.

“So it’s not just a costume, it’s a piece

that has more than one use,” Pohle said. “It’s a piece that’s versatile.”

When comparing Wizard’s Chest to other local shops, Pohle said his store has its own unique aspects, as do others in the community.

“ e thing about costume stores in Denver is we’re all cooperatively competitive,” Pohle said. “We don’t really compete with each other. We try to send people to each other. Disguises in Lakewood does rentals, which we don’t do. Reinke Brokers in Littleton does a haunted house, which we don’t do.”

It’s their di erences that allow the shops to work together.

“So there’s no need for us to ght with each other,” Pohle said. “We keep it as a local community.”

For more information about the shop, visit wizardschest.com.

Crimson Rose Masquerade: ‘Out of a fairy tale’

Also on Broadway in Denver is Crimson Rose Masquerade, a “high-end costume boutique that treats dressing up as an expression of self-love,” said owner Kitty Krell.

e frocks that her clientele chooses to express themselves look as though they’ve “stepped out of a fairy tale” and include Renaissance dresses, pirate coats and more.

“It’s alternative chic, Ren faire chic … it’s for anyone who ever felt like they didn’t quite t in,” Krell said.

Also among the garments in the shop at 1456 S. Broadway are Krell’s own creations, including intricate corsets for many occasions. She began her craft at the age of 15 after needing a corset for her costume during her rst job at a Renaissance festival.

“So I went, ‘How hard can it be to make one?’” Krell said. “I had just recently started sewing, and I think because I didn’t know what I was trying to do was impossible, I did it, and since then, I’ve continued to make corsets.”

Krell said she also makes corsets for those with certain medical needs after starting to wear them for herself about eight years ago, to address a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

“It’s great for scoliosis, for EhlersDanlos, for anxiety, because it can act as a human thunder jacket,” Krell said. “I do a lot of work with people who have very physical jobs and are constantly lifting and messing up their backs.”

For Krell, one of the best aspects of her job is knowing that her pieces are making people happy.

“It’s one of my favorite feelings to know that I contributed something that makes someone’s quality of life better,” Krell said.

Krell said she enjoys being a part of the costume shop community in Denver because of its collaborative nature.

“It’s a bunch of weirdos who found this world, or found each other in this world that doesn’t really want us to,” Krell said. “Denver is especially great for that because Denver is very live-andlet-live.”

For more information about the shop, visit crimsonrosemasquerade.net.

Photo above: Denver resident Anthony Coularelli tries on a rabbit hat and sunglasses at Wizard’s Chest. Coularelli needed a quick costume for an Alice in Wonderland themed event and said Wizard’s Chest is a great local place for costumes. PHOTO BY ELISABETH SLAY

Reinke Brothers Store: A haunted house

From aliens greeting people at the door to skeletons serenading customers, Reinke Brothers Store sells experiences, said Greg Reinke, who co-owns the store with his brother Chris Reinke.

Located at 5663 S. Prince St. in Littleton, Reinke Brothers contains a long and immersive haunted house lled with di erent scenes and animatronics concocted by Greg Reinke and his sta .

Originally, Reinke said his haunted houses — which he and his brother began when they were young — were gory and quite scary for children, but as time went on, he realized that wasn’t the best way to intrigue them.

“People that get the living tar scared out of them when they’re little don’t enjoy my particular venue when they get older,” Reinke said. “So I said, ‘How can we correct this?’ And that’s when we stopped doing chainsaws and knives and blood and guts and torsos ripped in half and we made it more of an entertainment haunted house.”

e Reinke Brothers Store now o ers tours of the house with the lights on for children and others who have a hard time going through the attraction when it’s in full swing.

Along with the haunted house, Reinke’s shop is also jam-packed with wigs, masks, makeup, props, decorations and anything else one might need to create the perfect costume or their own spooky experiences.

While he has a plethora of items, Reinke said his shop also takes part in the camaraderie of similar establishments in the Denver area.

“If we’re out of something, I’ll call over at (Disguises), or I’ll call over at Wizard’s Chest and ask that, and then I send my customers there,” Reinke said. “And I think the customers appreciate that also. ese are local guys. So we protect each other.”

Going forward, Reinke hopes to continue making people happy with costumes and haunted houses for as long as possible.

“I plan to be dead back there someday, just draped over a gravestone or a prop or something,” the 65-yearold said. “A lot of people want to retire to enjoy the end or whatever. What would I retire to? I’d make monsters for a living and most people retire to do what I’m doing.”

For more information about the Reinke Brothers shop, visit reinkebrothers.com.

Disguises: ‘Three to four businesses under one roof’ Disguises in Lakewood is another costume shop in the area that o ers a multitude of costume options, including makeup, wigs and more.

“We also have the other side of our retail store, which is our Et Cetera boutique,” co-owner Todd Belanger said. “ is has formal wear, retro dresses, Renaissance dresses, stockings, sexy wear, corsets, shoes, goth clothing, steampunk, clothing, festival and rave wear. Many people in the community shop for everyday clothing here all year.”

Belanger said his store at 10500 W. Colfax Ave. in Lakewood also has one of the largest stocks of rental clothes in the nation.

Belanger owns the store with his wife, Michelle Belanger.

“ e store was started by another individual in the mid-’90s and it was successful and grew out of its original location and moved into a larger location,” Belanger said. “I actually was a nurse by training and so is my wife and we began buying small rental houses, but after owning a few of those, I quickly realized that I wanted to replace my income as a nurse.”

Belanger and his wife were able to purchase their business, which they love.

“We currently have over 200 active vendors that we purchase products from represented in the store. It does make the store very unique and it makes shopping here like a treasure hunt because you’re never quite sure what you’re going to nd,” Belanger said.

Belanger describes the “caddie shack community” in Denver as unique and varied and explained it’s important to have shops such as Disguises because they’re establishments that make “the world a richer and less boring place.”

Going forward, Belanger said he hopes people will continue to visit Disguises throughout the year.

For more information about Disguises, go online to disguisescostumes.com.

Business owner and seamstress Kitty Krell works on a corset in her high-end costuming boutique Crimson Rose Masquerade, which is located on Broadway in Denver.

PHOTOS BY

ELISABETH SLAY

Co-owner of Reinke Brother Store in Littleton Greg Reinke laughs with first-time customers as he shows them one of his favorite animatronics.

DFF47 Is bigger and more inviting than ever

With all the streaming options available to modern audiences, it’s easy to think that you can just watch whatever you want at any time and have the same experience as you would at the theater. But that’s just not the case, and in fact, that’s one of the things that makes events like the annual Denver Film Festival so important.

“ ere’s a special sauce to a lm festival. You’re not just going to the theater and seeing a lm. You’re part of a communal experience,” said Matthew Campbell, Denver Film artistic director. “You have the opportunity to talk to lmmakers and audience members, and there are few other forums like that anymore. Audience members can go a step beyond having a passive experience and really sink their teeth into the artform.”

e 47th annual Denver Film Festival  will be held from Friday, Nov. 1 through Sunday, Nov. 10 at several venues across the metro area , like the Sie FilmCenter, Denver Botanic Gardens and the MCA Denver at the Holiday eater.

e festival kicks o on Nov. 1 with “ e Piano Lesson,” an adaptation of an August Wilson play produced by Denzel Washington, featuring Samuel L. Jackson and John David Washington. And it closes with on Nov. 9 with “September 5,” a lm that centers on the 1972 Mu-

COMING ATTRACTIONS

nich Olympics terrorist attacks.

For all the details, visit Arts ornton. com.

Clarke Reader

As usual, there will be screenings of lms in all kinds of genres from all over the world, including some major award contenders like “Nickel Boys,”“Emilia Perez,”“Blitz” and “ e Brutalist.” And lm fans can explore all manner of movies, including shorts, animation, and themes like Social Issues/Activism, Asian Diaspora and Colorado Spotlight.

“I think one of the best ways to start for people who have never participated in the festival is to pick a theme that interests you and check out some of those movies,” Campbell said. “I always encourage people to be adventurous, and pick some random lms that they know nothing about and see if they like them.”

Some notable Colorado-based lms that are part of this year’s festival include “Lovers,” which is largely set in the Hi-Dive on South Broadway, and “Half-Life of Memory,” a lm about Rocky Flats. ere will be special postlm discussions following screenings of this lm, including former Rocky Flatts employees and members of groups like Rocky Flats Downwinders.

Another special aspect of lm festivals are the featured guests and events. is

year’s festival features legendary actress and director Joan Chen, screenwriter Virgil Williams, screenwriter and director Malcolm Washington, actors Gabriel LaBelle and Cory Michael Smith, and Academy Award-winner Andrew Wyatt. Add in the opening and closing night parties, as well as numerous lmmaker conversations, and there’s so much to be a part of.

“ e festival is a great opportunity to be taken out of your normal existence and put in a di erent reality for a while,” Campbell said. “ ere’s no better way to be put in another person’s shoes and also learn about a subject you don’t know anything about.

e full schedule and tickets are available at https://denver lmfestival.eventive.org/welcome.

Thornton Hosts 8th Annual Day of the Dead/ Día de los Muertos Cultural Celebration

Get ready to dress up in your nest Día de los Muertos out t and celebrate this important day at McAllister Park Center, 750 W. 96th Ave. in ornton, from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2. e event will feature music by Chicano Heat and Mariachi Sangre Mexicana, dancers from Cultural Dance Productions and Fiesta Colorado, along with face-painting, stilt walking and magicmaking, ancestor altar, photo booth and local artisan market

LUMC Hosts World-Class Classical Concert e Littleton United Methodist Church’s Fine Arts Series continues with a performance by two stellar musicians, violinist Harumi Rhodes and pianist Tamara Goldstein. Violin Sonatas will be held at the church, 5894 S. Datura St. at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1. e duo will be performing music by Mozart, Brahms and others.

More information on the free concert is available at https://littletonumc.church/ fas/.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Sabrina Carpenter at Ball Arena

Nobody is having more fun with pop music this year than Sabrina Carpenter Her album “Short N’ Sweet” isn’t just full of bangers, but brims with tongue-incheek jokes and risqué references scienti cally designed to make you smile. It’s a shot of sunshine we could all use.

In support of the album, Carpenter will be performing at Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle in Denver, at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1. She’ll be joined for the evening by opener Declan McKenna Get tickets at www.ticketmaster.com.

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

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New Image Brewing Company - Wheat Ridge, 9505 W 44th Ave, Wheat Ridge

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Seventh Circle Music Collective, 2935 W 7th Ave, Denver

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Meow Wolf Denver Convergence Station, Den‐ver

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DISTRICT COURT, DENVER COUNTY, COLORADO

1437 Bannock St., Ste 256 Denver, CO 80202

Plaintiff: Sylvia A. Vigil, an Individual; v.

Defendants: Allen K. Vigil, an Individual; Donna K. Vigil aka Donna Ulibarri, an Individual; Claudia C. Olmedo, an Individual; Claude S. Vigil aka Claude S. Vigil III, an Individual; and Irene Torres, an Individual

Attorneys for Plaintiff, Sylvia A. Vigil Sandra M. Sigler, #44522

Kayla R. Nelson, #46242

Sigler & Nelson LLC

390 Union Blvd., Ste. 580 Lakewood, CO 80228

Phone: (303) 444-3025

Fax: (866) 421-2093

E-mail: Sandra@SiglerLawCO.com

E-mail: Kayla@SiglerLawCO.com

Case Number: 2024CV32621

SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANT: ALLEN K. VIGIL

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

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

This is an action for partition concerning the real property situated in the City and County of Denver, State of Colorado, and legally described as:

ALL THAT PARCEL OF LAND IN DEN-

VER COUNTY, STATE OF COLORADO, AS DESCRIBED IN DEED BOOK 2696, PAGE 534, ID# 0506106018000, BEING KNOWN AND DESIGNATED AS:

LOT 37-38, BLOCK 2, WEST COLFAX.

MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS 1453 QUITMAN ST, DENVER, CO 80204.

BY FEE SIMPLE DEED FROM SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AS SET FORTH IN BOOK 2696 PAGE 534

DATED 04/14/1982 AND RECORDED 11/22/1982, DENVER COUNTY RECORDS, STATE OF COLORADO.

also known and numbered as: 1453 Quitman St., Denver, Colorado 80204.

Dated: October 3, 2024

Sandra M. Sigler, #44522

Attorney for Plaintiff

Legal Notice No. DHD 3301

First Publication: October 17, 2024

Last Publication: November 14, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Telecommunications

Public Notice

In accordance with Sec. 106 of the Programmatic Agreement, AT&T plans a ROOFTOP ANTENNA MODERNIZATION at 303 West Colfax Avenue Denver, Colorado 80204. Please direct comments to Gavin L. at 818-391-0449 regarding the site COL01220. 10/23, 10/24/24 CNS3852946#

Legal Notice No. DHD 3322

First Publication: October 31, 2024

Last Publication: November 7, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Notice to Creditors

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of OLIVIA O. FARMER, Deceased

Case Number: 2024PR31200

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 March 1, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

R. Michael Jackson, Attorney to the P ersonal Representative

355 S. Teller Street, Suite 200 Lakewood, CO 80226

Legal Notice No. DHD 3324

First Publication: October 31, 2024

Last Publication: November 14, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of GLEN WILLIAMS, also known as GLEN WILLIAMS, SR. Deceased Case Number: 2024 PR 31068

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado, on or before February 17, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Dazha L. S. Williams, Personal Representative 5136 Crystal Street Denver, CO 80239

Legal Notice No. DHD 3304

First Publication: October 17, 2024

Last Publication: October 31, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate-of Gordon Ray Miller, a/k/a Gordon R. Miller, a/k/a Gordon Miller, Deceased Case Number: 2024 PR31091

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 February 24, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

John W Gollub, Attorney to the Personal Representative 351 S Pennsylvania Street Denver CO 80209

Legal Notice No. DHD 3314

First Publication: October 24, 2024

Last Publication: November 7, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of LANCE CHRISTOPHER ELKINS, a/k/a LANCE C. ELKINS, Deceased

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 February 24, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

John J. Vierthaler

Personal Representative 8441 W. Bowles Ave., Ste. 210 Littleton, CO 80123

Legal Notice No. DHD 3312

First Publication: October 24, 2024

Last Publication: November 7, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Diana Cross, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR031029

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 February 28, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Dee Ann Sundstrom

Personal Representative

2011 N. Ogden St. Denver, CO 80205

Legal Notice No. DHD 3320

First Publication: October 31, 2024

Last Publication: November 14, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of GEORGIA L. LONG, aka GEORGIA LOUISE LONG, and as GEORGIA LONG, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31193

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 March 6, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Joseph K. Long, Co-Personal Representative 9267 N. Surrey Dr. Castle Rock, CO 80108

Timothy P. Long, Co-Personal Representative 7615 W. 9th Ave.

Public Notices

Lakewood, CO 80215

Legal Notice No. DHD 3328

First Publication: October 31, 2024

Last Publication: November 14, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Elaine R. Kaplan, aka Elaine Rose Kaplan, aka Elaine Kaplan, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31154

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 February 24, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Francine Kaplan Fisher, Personal Representative

c/o Katz, Look & Onorato, P.C., 1120 Lincoln St., Ste 1100 Denver, CO 80203

Legal Notice No. DHD 3306

First Publication: October 24, 2024

Last Publication: November 7, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Gene Seth Goldenberg, aka Gene S. Goldenberg, aka Gene Goldenberg, Deceased Case Number 2024PR30924

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 02/28/2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

James McQuade Attorney to the Personal Representative 12737 E. Euclid Drive Centennial, Co 80111

Legal Notice No. DHD 3327

First Publication: October 31, 2024

Last Publication: November 14, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Robert C. Clesen, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR030696

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 February 24, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Patrick Ridgeway, Personal Representative

c/o 3i Law, LLC

2000 S. Colorado Blvd

Tower 1, Suite 10000

Denver, CO 80222

Legal Notice No. DHD 3309

First Publication: October 24, 2024

Last Publication: November 7, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Mary Louise Bradley, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR499

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 February 28, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Lynda Leigh Berryman, Co-Personal Representative 3226 E. Easter Place

Centennial, Colorado 80122

/or/

Lissa L. Albertson, Co-Personal Representative 26768 Twin Ponds Road

Clovis, California 93619

Legal Notice No. DHD 3325

First Publication: October 31, 2024

Last Publication: November 14, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of JOYCE ANNE DECK, a/k/a, JOYCE A. DECK, a/k/a JOYCE DECK, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31204

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 February 24, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

WILLIAM DEWAYNE DECK, Personal Representative 4630 Washington Street Denver, CO 80216

Legal Notice No. DHD 3317

First Publication: October 24, 2024

Last Publication: November 7, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of CAROLYN HAMBIDGE, a/k/a CAROLYN BATES, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31149

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 March 3, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Jonathan Michael Hambidge, Personal Representative

c/o Carl H. Hutchins, Esq. Hutchins & Associates LLC

1999 Broadway, Suite 1400 Denver, Colorado 80202

Legal Notice No. DHD 3326

First Publication: October 31, 2024

Last Publication: November 14, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of EILEEN RUTH PRICE, Deceased Case Number 2024PR30855

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 March 1, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Kevin M. Wein, Counselor at Law 8557 W Quarles Place Littleton, CO 80128

Legal Notice No. DHD 3310

First Publication: October 24, 2024

Last Publication: November 7, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of: Jason T. Guerrero, a/k/a Jason Theodore Guerrero a/k/a Jason Guerrero, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31063

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 February 17, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

/s/ Jerome A. DeHerrera

Jerome A. DeHerrera, Esq. Attorney to the Personal Representative ACHIEVE LAW GROUP, LLC 146 W. 11th Avenue Denver, CO 80204

Legal Notice No. DHD 3303

First Publication: October 17, 2024

Last Publication: October 31, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of RAFAEL GALLEGOS, a/k/a RALPH L GALLEGOS, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR30549

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 February 24, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

John J. Vierthaler Personal Representative

8441 W. Bowles Ave., Ste. 210 Littleton, CO 80123

Legal Notice No. DHD 3311

First Publication: October 24, 2024

Last Publication: November 7, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Jeannie Zuk, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31194

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 February 28, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Michael Avina, Personal Representative c/o Baker Law Group, LLC 8301 E. Prentice Ave., Suite 405 Greenwood Village, CO 80111

Legal Notice No. DHD 3329

First Publication: October 31, 2024 Last Publication: November 14, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Roque Richard Morales, also known as Roque R. Morales, and Roque Morales, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR031008

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to Lauren Anne Gonzales c/o Hedberg Law Firm, LLC, 5944 S. Kipling Parkway, Suite 200, Littleton, CO 80127; or to:

Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before February 24, 2025 or the claims may be forever barred.

Lauren Anne Gonzales, Personal Representative c/o Hedberg Law Firm, LLC Brian Hedberg, Attorney for Lauren Anne Gonzales 5944 S. Kipling Parkway, Suite 200 Littleton, CO 80127

Legal Notice No. DHD 3313

First Publication: October 24, 2024 Last Publication: November 7, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Jeanette Roybal, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31074

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 February 17, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Lilly Kathryn Roybal

Compare hospital costs for specific procedures, insurance plans

BY JOHN INGOLD THE COLORADO SUN

If you have a medical procedure on the horizon in Colorado, there’s a new way to shop around for the best price.

Gov. Jared Polis on Tuesday announced a new website —ColoradoHospitalPrices.com— where people can look up various procedures performed at a hospital and see a list of prices based on insurance carrier. e tool, then, potentially allows people with upcoming medical care to shop around and see which hospitals available in their insurance network can o er the lowest price.

At a news conference, Polis said he hopes the website is the rst step in an effort to apply market pressure to hospitals to reduce their prices. With health insurance premium prices set to rise for many next year, lowering what patients — and insurers — pay for health care is vital to reducing overall health care spending

“One of the key failings of the market is the lack of pricing transparency that doesn’t allow for the competition to work as it does in any normal market, to bring down costs,” he said.

e website was launched in partnership with the national organization PatientRightsAdvocate.org. Colorado’s website is the rst of what the organization hopes will be a nationwide network of price transparency tools for patients. e new website also adds to the list of local tools in Colorado that give patients the ability to search for hospital prices based on their insurance carrier — that last part is crucial because the prices that di erent insurers pay at the same hospital for the same procedure can vary widely, while not all hospitals will be covered under a speci c insurance plan.

Just last month, the state Department

of Health Care Policy and Financing launched its price-lookup site, which relies on the same data as the website announced Tuesday but o ers a di erent search experience. e data comes from prices that hospitals are required to report under state and federal law. Polis said the connection to a national network of price-transparency sites made it worthwhile to launch a second website.

“ e more ways to make it easier for people to access that information, the better,” he said.

e Center for Improving Value in Health Care, a nonpro t that administers a state database for insurance claims information in Colorado, also has a shopfor-care tool. Unlike the other two web-

Public Notices

Personal Representative

14904 Maxwell Place

Denver, CO 80239

Legal Notice No. DHD 3302

First Publication: October 17, 2024

Last Publication: October 31, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Chelsea Rae Autrey, aka Chelsea R. Autrey, aka Chelsea Autrey, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31175

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 February 24, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Julian Billotte, Personal Representative 829 Moultrie Street San Francisco, CA 94110

Legal Notice No. DHD 3316

First Publication: October 24, 2024

Last Publication: November 7, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of DARLENE G. SILVER, a/k/a

DARLENE GROUSSMAN SILVER, DARLENE SUE SILVER, DARLENE S. SILVER, AND DARLENE SILVER, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31106

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to pres-

sites, the CIVHC tool allows users to see quality and patient-experience scores for particular hospitals.

But all of these tools — as well as various other e orts to get hospitals to reveal their prices — come with challenges that may limit their value to consumers.

Hospital prices are not a basic menu. ere are thousands of billing codes for various procedures, and some procedures could be billed under di erent codes, depending on the hospital’s operating standards. For instance, there are over 70 di erent billing codes for an X-ray, depending on the body part being scanned and the number of views needed.

Insurance companies, too, o er multiple plans, which may have di erent

negotiated prices. So it’s not enough to know your carrier — you have to know the speci c plan name, too.

And, on top of that, di erent hospitals may use di erent names for things. As a portion of an instructional video Polis showed Tuesday explaining how to use the new website put it: “Remember the descriptions may be di erent as you shop across hospitals, because descriptions vary according to the hospital. Now look for your payer from the list. Payer names can also vary according to the

Even more confusing, the prices presented for a speci c procedure may not be the “all-in” cost. In other words, there may be other charges for scans, anesthesia, medications and services not included in the procedure price.

Depending on the hospital and how they sta their doctors, patients may also receive a separate bill for physician charges that are not included in the hospital’s posted procedure price.

Polis acknowledged the complexities but said it’s important to start somewhere in making health care prices more transparent.

“It starts with saying, ‘Hey, why is my lung X-ray $600 at this hospital and $1,500 at this other hospital? e plan I have is paying twice as much as another plan,’” Polis said. “ at’s the kind of pressure we need to bring down rates.” Polis said insurance companies may also use the sites to see what their competitors are being charged and then use that as leverage in future negotiations with hospitals.

Cynthia Fisher, the founder of PatientRightsAdvocate.org, echoed Polis, saying the website is a rst step toward “the great reveal of the absurdity of price variation that’s going on across Colorado and across the country.”

“No one should have this level of price variation,” she 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.

ent them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before March 1, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Gary Pashel, Personal Representative 2801 East Cedar Avenue Denver, CO 80209

Legal Notice No. DHD 3321

First Publication: October 31, 2024

Last Publication: November 14, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of JOHN A. LOGAN, a/k/a JOHN ANDREW LOGAN, a/k/a JOHN LOGAN, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31137

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the co-personal representatives or to the Denver Probate Court of Denver County, Colorado on or before February 28, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Kelly A. Logan, Co-Personal Representative

Kjirsten M. Logan, Co-Personal Representative c/o Michael J. Bland, Esq. Harrison LLP

210 University Blvd., Suite 340 Denver, CO 80206

Legal Notice No. DHD 3307

First Publication: October 31, 2024

Last Publication: November 14, 2024

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch ###

October 31, 2024 * 3

A patient room in Lutheran Hospital, as showin during a July 20 open house.

PHOTO BY CORINNE WESTEMAN