Plans are taking shape to add housing to the Looking Glass community in Parker and new job opportunities at a data center.
e Parker Town Council approved sketch and preliminary plans for a section of the Looking Glass development on the south side of Stroh Road and west of Chambers Road. e plan calls for the creation of lots for future residences, along with infrastructure, including drainage and roads, as well as parks and open space.
e nearly 28 undeveloped acres is part of what’s called the Hess
Ranch Planned Development. e applicants, Dream Finders Homes, are planning to develop 146 attached duplex homes.
Steve Allen, a landscape architect and community planner with Henry Design Group, told the council that each home will be on a public street and includes a driveway and a twocar garage.
Plans also include a nearly threeacre access restricted park on the southern end of the neighborhood. e park will be designed with amenities such as a pool, clubhouse, pickleball courts, bocce ball, a shade structure, trials and more. An additional three acres accounts for open space.
“After full buildout, Looking Glass residents will have over 11 miles of trails interconnecting the homes with over 80 acres of parks and over 280 acres of dedicated open space,” said Allen.
Mike Childers, regional vice president of land ordinance operations at Dream Finders Homes, said their current intent with the 28 acres is for it to be age restricted for older residents, but it is not de nite.
Council members were supportive of the idea of an age-quali ed neighborhood.
“It’s those little things that folks over 50 are looking for in general,” said Council member Laura Hefta. “And we do have an aging population.”
Although the sketch and preliminary plan does not formally create the lots, Childers said they hope to commence development later this year and complete the development in 2026.
e town council also unanimously approved rezoning of about 26 acres of the Compark Village Planned Development from commercial retail to business employment and permitting a data center overlay.
e business employment planning area has a list of permitted uses such as employment and light industrial uses, said Stacy Nerger, senior planner for the town.
“So any of those uses, if they wanted to come in, could be permitted,”
said Nerger. “ e data center overlay adds an additional layer to that. It also has speci c standards in place.”
Nealy 390 acres, Compark Village Planned Development is a mixeduse development located on both sides of E-470 and west of Chambers Road, however, the data center only applies to the 26 acres being rezoned.
With support from various local agencies such as the Parker Chamber of Commerce and CORE Electric, Principal of Westside Investment Partners Larry Jacobson said there is a need for data centers because of things like arti cial intelligence, Cloud Storage and E-Commerce.
“Make it usable for the town, so that we can attract employees and additional tax revenues,” Jacobson said.
e data center would generate approximately 30-50 new employees and consultants and contribute nearly $1.5-$1.7 million in additional revenue to the Town, said Jacobson.
All council members were in support of the data center.
“ e one thing we don’t have is a data center,” said Mayor pro tem John Diak. “To have something come up to us to suggest that we should do something a little di erent, I view it as a complimentary use to what is happening in that area in addition to the emerging of what’s happening online.”
Douglas County sheri ’s deputies had 29-year-old Alexander Reighart in handcu s in the back of a patrol car. Somehow, he got out and got away, leaving the Sheri ’s O ce to turn the public’s help to track him down.
Reighart, 5’10” and 160 pounds, was last seen wearing green pants, a green jacket and a light gray hoodie at the 7-Eleven on Town Center Drive and U.S. Hwy. 85 at 9:15 p.m. Feb. 20.
Deputies were responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle that led them to two individuals, including Reighart. ey eventually detained him, alleging he had out-
Reighart
standing felony warrants for nancial crimes and drug violations.
Reighart managed to escape out of the back of the patrol car, while in handcu s. Deborah Takahara, a spokesperson with the sheri ’s o ce, could not provide more details about the escape, citing an ongoing investigation.
When asked where deputies believe he could be or who he might be with, Takahara said deputies are following up on all leads.
More than once have I reminded readers that only members of the National Association of Realtors can call themselves “Realtors,” and only Realtors are bound by the Realtor Code of Ethics. Violation of the Code can subject a Realtor to discipline up to and including termination of their Realtor membership.
There are several ways that we Realtors might violate the Code without even realizing it, and since ethics complaints can be filed by clients, not just fellow Realtors, let me share with you some of the practices that constitute violations. If your agent is not a Realtor — and only half of all licensed agents are Realtors — he or she isn’t subject to the Code, but they might still be violating state or federal housing laws. See whether one or more of the following scenarios sounds like something you experienced.
ly loved my listing and needed to close because they’d be homeless once their current home closes next month/whenever. That’s a violation which I’m free to exploit by telling my seller to play hardball because of what I know.
As a listing agent, it’s a violation for me to say my seller will take less than the asking price — unless I was specifically authorized to do so. The typical authorization is that I can say my seller is “motivated.” Buyers’ agents know what that means.
Not explaining fully any document presented to a client is a big no-no and a violation of Article 9. It’s so easy with today’s electronic documents to send them by email and say, “call if you have any questions,” but we are expected to be more pro-active than that.
person who calls us or visits our open house if they are working with an agent before offering to work with them. Failing to do so could lead to “sign crossing.”
Misleading a seller on the true value of their home in order to get a listing is a violation of Article 1. The Colorado Real Estate Commission can also discipline you for this. The agent is obligated to advise the seller of the home’s value based on his or her professional expertise, and to advise the pitfalls of overpricing it.
Not presenting all offers received prior to closing is another Article 1 violation. A truly low-ball offer from a house flipper can be demoralizing, but you still have to present it unless you get in writing (as I’ve done once) from the seller that you’re relieved from presenting any offers below a certain price.
Divulging confidential information, especially if it could disadvantage your client, also violates Article 1. I once had a buyer’s agent tell me that their buyer real-
Not disclosing that I have an unrepresented buyer for my listing, if asked, is a violation. If I have a variable commission (meaning that the commission paid by the seller is lower if I don’t have to pay a buyer’s agent), I must disclose that differential. I do not have to disclose the price of each offer in hand, but I get permission from my sellers to do that when there are multiple buyers.
Not following showing instructions or showing up at a time other than what was set with the showing service is a violation.
Showing your listing on a day that your MLS listing says showings are not allowed is a violation of Article 3.
Not disclosing the status of a listing, for example if the home is under contract, is also a violation of Article 3. I’ve had listing agents tell me they weren’t going to change their listing to “Pending” on the MLS until the earnest money was received or inspection objection passed. The MLS will also discipline an agent for that.
Not getting verbal agreements in writing is a violation of Article 9. I always request at least an email instruction from my client, and I create amend/extend documents when appropriate.
Article 12 of the Code is about “truth in marketing.” Misrepresenting one’s level of success is a violation of this article. There’s a bus shelter ad I have seen for years by an agent saying he’s the top agent in our county, but I did the research, and it’s not true. That’s a violation not only of Article 12 but of real estate commission rules (as are most Code violations).
I once complained to the commission about bus benches on which an agent claimed he sells a home every 4 days. It wasn’t true, and he had to change them.
Knowingly giving inaccurate information about one’s listing is another violation of Article 12.
Inducing a client to terminate if you change brokerages is a violation of Article 16, as is soliciting a listing that is currently subject to an exclusive agreement with another broker. Another broker’s unhappy client can call you, but you can’t call them. Also, we must always ask a
When a listing expires without selling, the homeowner can expect to be deluged by phone calls, texts, letters, postcards and even door knocking by agents whose business model involves soliciting expired listings. When one of my listings expires, I tell the seller to be prepared for that deluge. A common error by such agents is to fail to check whether that listing is already active on the MLS with another agent or brokerage. Another error is to mistake the “withdrawn” status for the “expired” status. “Withdrawn” indicates that while the listing may be withdrawn from active status, it is still subject to a valid listing agreement. When you get such a solicitation, get the name of the agent and share it with your listing agent so he or she can at least contact that agent and tell him/her of the violation.
As I mentioned above, non-Realtors don’t have to abide by the Realtor Code of Ethics, but, as I also said, many violations of the Code are also violations of law and/ or real estate commission rules. They depend on you and me to report violations.
6127
High-end improvements and Hyatt Lake membership make this home special. At the end of a cul-de-sac, a gate on the back fence draws you to Hyatt Lake for swimming and non-gas-power boating, paddleboarding, and fishing. The seller-owned rooftop solar panels, not visible from the street, meet most or all of this home's electric needs. Although it’s a 2-story home, the primary suite is on the main floor with its own access to the 16’x16’ covered deck. Two guest bedrooms with a shared bathroom are on the top floor, and a 4th bedroom is in the walkout basement. The seller is a woodworker, and his work and attention to detailed improvements is visible throughout, such as the hanging shelves in the great room. His workshop (not included) takes up one space of the 3car garage which is heated and cooled by a mini-split unit. A Tesla charging station in the garage is included. The kitchen has special touches, too, like the quartz countertops, undercabinet lighting, Schuler brand ultra-high-end cabinets, Bosch superquiet dishwasher, LG refrigerator with a cold-saver door. The upgrades are so extensive that I urge you to look at the room-by-room details spelled out on the MLS and at JeffcoSolarHomes.com. There are also two narrated video tours for the same reason — one for the interior and one taking you on a roundtrip walk to Hyatt Lake through open space to which this home backs. Call Kathy Jonke, 303-990-7428, to see it.
An article on CustomBuilderOnline.com argues that propane is the ultimate uninterruptible energy source, and it actually makes some sense and will appeal to people worried about natural disasters disrupting the power grid. The article makes the point that having a tank of propane on your property plus a propane powered electric generator can keep you warm or cool and able to cook even if you have an all-electric home. Because propane does not degrade and can last forever in a tank (and can supply gas at even the lowest temperature), it’s the best way to make sure life goes on for you, no matter what happens with other energy sources.
An article on ProBuilder.com reports on three certified passive-house homes built in Boston MA by Brucewood Homes. Architect Mike DelleFave says they achieve PHI-certified status by adhering to three passive house principles: air-tight construction, highperformance windows, super insulation of the building envelope, thermal bridge-free
framing, and heat recovery ventilation. All three 2500-SF homes were sold for about $1.4 million each before they were completed, proving the demand for such homes.
A Denver Post article last week told of a non-profit which helps seniors living alone in a big house to find roommates, not just for companionship, shared expenses and mutual caregiving, but as a way to “age in place” instead of selling and finding a smaller resident or apartment.
This reminds me of how I, a bachelor at the time, justified my first Denver home purchase in 1997. I asked a male friend, Dave Garton, if he would be interested in sharing a home if I bought it. He said yes, and I bought a home with a walk-out basement. We shared the kitchen, but we each had our privacy. When I met Rita, Dave bought his own home and Rita and I bought a new house.
Links to all three of the above articles are at http://RealEstateToday.substack.com. I welcome your topic suggestions!
KATHY JONKE, 303-990-7428
Amache, a former Japanese internment camp in far southeastern Colorado, is now o cially part of the national park system.
e site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994, and later named a National Historic Landmark in 2006. President Joe Biden signed the Amache National Historic Site Act in 2022, pushing the site even further to national park status.
But the land still had to be transferred by the town of Granada before it could be o cial. Without that piece, no federal funding could be put into the site.
“As a nation, we must face the wrongs of our past in order to build a more just and equitable future,” said Deb Haaland, the Secretary of the Interior, in a press release. “Today’s establishment of the Amache National Historic Site will help preserve and honor this important and painful chapter in our nation’s story for future generations.”
Before becoming part of the National Park system, a local history
heirlooms from survivors to display.
“I think without them, there would not be Amache as a national park,” Carlene Tinker, an Amache survivor, said. “I really feel that way.”
Many survivors like Tinker have
fought for greater recognition of the site for their whole lives. She was three years old when she was forced
SEE AMACHE, P5
to live at the camp.
“My rst reaction was nally, okay, nally,” she said. “It’s a very proud moment. I’m thinking about all the people who endured the incarceration experience, and that nally their story is being told.
At its peak, Amache — also known as the Granada Relocation Center — housed more than 7,000 JapaneseAmericans during the 1940s. ey were forced to live behind barbed wire in poorly-insulated rooms. is was one of ten other Japanese internment camps that existed during World War II, with some being located in the Mountain West.
Mitch Homma’s grandparents and their kids were also imprisoned at the camp. He wishes more of his relatives were alive to see this historical moment.
“My dad’s older sister just passed away,” he said. “She was hoping she was gonna be around and see it come to fruition and stu . But, you know, we got it done.”
e camp served meals that were di erent than what they were used
to — eggs, potatoes and hot dogs, to name a few. Homma’s dad died at the camp after not eating the food. He re ected on what his dad would have said about the news.
“I think he would have been totally surprised,” he said. “ e one statement he said back then was, ‘ ey didn’t care about us in 1942, and I don’t think enough people care about us now,” he said, getting emotional. “And now it’s happening and, you know, it’s pretty special.”
Some survivors, like Gary Ono, are happy that younger people are taking an interest in the park before he and many others pass away.
“I just turned 84 last week, so I know that I feel my mortality,” he said. “As we all pass on, we just hope that our history will continue. So just having Amache as a National Park Service site will help to preserve and keep telling the story.”
Amache is open to the public now, and will start to undergo some improvements of transforming the signage and working on the roads.
ere will be an o cial ribbon cutting ceremony on May 17th.
is story runs via e Associated Press’ Storyshare, of which Colorado Community Media is a member.
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Buried near the end of a belated Valentine’s Day-themed message in Douglas County Commissioner Abe Laydon’s newsletter was an announcement that made o cial what many may have suspected. He isn’t going to run for Congress.
“After much prayer and consultation, I have made the decision to stay here and nish the job you chose me for, where I believe I can have the greatest opportunity for impact and to e ectuate good ideas with purpose,” Laydon wrote in the newsletter.
It was no surprise he won’t seek the Congressional District 4 seat given that campaign season is already well underway and packed with Republicans looking to replace U.S. Rep. Ken Buck, who is retiring.
Laydon told Colorado Community Media that supporters had urged him to run — partly in response to U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert’s decision to run for the seat.
“When she announced, there was this urry of calls and messages saying, ‘You gotta run,’” Laydon said.
In a move that has shaken the Republican political landscape in Colorado, Boebert said she would leave her seat in the state’s 3rd District on the Western Slope and instead run in the 4th District, which spans from Douglas County in the south Denver area to Loveland up north, along with most of Eastern Colorado.
Boebert’s decisiondrew swift criticism from several opponents, with some observers saying the move by the incumbent means the Republican Party is likely ceding the 3rd District to Democrats.
Asked about his sense of how Republicans in Douglas County feel about Boebert running, Laydon said: “Yeah, they don’t like it.”
“I haven’t heard from a single individual that has been pleased with her changing districts, moving here and running here,” Laydon said.
One of the main reasons he considered running for the seat is that he feels Congress needs to change, Laydon added.
“Gone are the days where the average citizen wants to support bomb throwers and media personalities that get little done but have a lot to say,” Laydon said.
Now in his second term as a Douglas County commissioner, Laydon’s tenure as one of the county’s three leaders lasts through 2026.
With the years ahead, he hopes to bring changes to areas of governance that Douglas residents see in their own backyard.
“Locally, we have this amazing mandate from citizens around parks, open space and historic resources,” Laydon said in reference to a voterapproved, 15-year extension of the county open space sales tax. “So (I’m) focusing on dedicating what will be $330 million over the next 15 years, over the life of that ballot measure.”
“ e intent there that I have is iconic recreational opportunities
SEE LAYDON, P7
that really provide a sense of place, where people as far away as Munich or somewhere in Sydney might say, ‘ ey did that — in Douglas County?’ e goal is ‘iconic,’” Laydon said.
He’s also focused on reducing homelessness — particularly among veterans but also throughout the county for all populations.
“I want to support that (work) to the point where panhandling and homelessness has completely dried up in our county,” Laydon said.
A less-public issue also weighs on his mind: the challenges families face at home.
A project he started called the Douglas County Healthy Families Initiative aims to educate young families about “infant mortality (and) mental health, particularly for
place Nov. 15 at the Douglas County School District Legacy
young moms and dads dealing with postpartum depression,” Laydon said.
It also meant to help “young dads and (address) domestic violence, which often goes unreported on in
Douglas County.”
Another factor keeping his energy at home was a desire to focus on his family.
“My main goal is to make my precious three children, their moth-
er, and my incredibly supportive friends and communities, both new and old, my main focus and priorities in the coming year. is Valentine’s I am reminded that it is each of them and you I care about the most and my heart will remain at home,” Laydon wrote in his newsletter.
Laydon declined to comment on what a Boebert win could mean for Douglas County.
But he said: “I think at this point, it’s a statistical reality that the faith that the average citizen has in Congress is incredibly low. And until we have (someone) that has a track record of getting things done, we will continue to struggle from a congressional level.”
Asked whether he is leaving the door open to running for Congress in 2028, he said: “I’ll go where I can make a di erence.”
“I’m not saying never, just not now,” Laydon said.
In the wake of Colorado voters’ approval of psychedelic mushrooms, the Town of Parker has updated its municipal code. e town can establish certain regulations for natural healing centers and natural medicine businesses.
In November 2022, Colorado approved Proposition 122, which with Senate Bill 23-290, has acted to decriminalize the personal possession, growing, sharing and use of psychedelic mushrooms and related substances by people 21 and older.
“ ese substances are referred to
as ‘natural medicine,’” said Assis-
At Colorado Construction & Restoration, we’re more than just hail restoration
palities to not allow marijuana dispensaries. It is illegal to consume or use retail and medical marijuana in public places in Parker, according to local police.
“We can’t prohibit these businesses,” Maloney said of natural businesses. “Little bit di erent than marijuana where we had a local option, there really is no local option here.”
e rst ordinance establishes the location for natural healing and natural medicine businesses in the Town as well as time, place and manner regulations for when and how the businesses operate.
Natural healing centers will be limited to business and commercial districts and the purpose of the center is to allow for supervised use of these substances by a “facilitator.”
“Essentially, the initiative is creating these centers as akin to a medical o ce, which are allowed in a business or commercial district,” said Maloney. Council member Joshua Rivero asked what the quali cations were to be a facilitator, but Maloney said there are no regulations at the moment, but expected those will be
forthcoming.
Additionally, customers will not be allowed to purchase the psychedelics at these centers.
Businesses that cultivate, manufacture and test natural medicine would be limited to the light industrial district, which are subject to a distance of 1,000 feet between the business and residential areas, schools and childcare facilities.
“Fully applying those 1,000-foot distance requirements,” said Maloney. “ ere are very few sites within the town in both commercial and business as well as limited industrial areas where you can have these uses.”
As Proposition 122 and Senate Bill 23-290 also criminalize the unlawful cultivation of natural medicine, Parker’s second ordinance establishes penalties for personal cultivation of areas of more than the legal square footage, as well as for failures to enclose and lock areas and/ or allow underaged people access to
natural medicine being cultivated. e ordinance limits the size of the cultivation on private property, similar to marijuana, said Maloney. Under Parker’s code, residents can grow marijuana on private property and are limited to six plants. Similarly, mushrooms can be grown on private property but the size of the cultivation cannot exceed 12-by-12 feet.
“ is is the state statue,” said Maloney. “We are not inventing anything new here, we are simply taking from the state statute and applying it locally so our police have
the authority to enforce these provisions and run them through our municipal court.”
All council members expressed dissatisfaction about these types of businesses. Council member Laura Hefta felt there was “nothing natural about it.”
Council member Brandi Wilks felt the council had to approve the changes that create a pathway for the businesses in Parker.
“We are doing this to create safe boundaries since we don’t have a legal way to say ‘No, you can’t have this in our town,’” said Wilks.
e ring sparkled: 18-karat white gold, double-banded, with a 1.5-carat diamond at its center.
It was the ring that Cathy WoodsSullivan’s late husband had given to her on their wedding day, a family heirloom. Other than their two teenage daughters, it was the most precious thing she had left.
She handed it forward to the pawnbroker feeling sick to her stomach.
He looked at her, then at the ring, then back up at her.
“I’m going to hold onto it for a little while,” he said.
But Woods-Sullivan knew she wouldn’t be back.
She needed the money to pay o a debt to UCHealth, Colorado’s largest hospital system, one that collects more than $6 billion a year in revenue from patient care.
“We improve lives,” UCHealth touts in its mission statement.
But this same system sues thousands of its patients like WoodsSullivan every year, according to a 9News/Colorado Sun investigation done in partnership with the Colorado News Collaborative and KFF Health News.
What’s more, many of these lawsuits are shielded from public scru-
tiny through a system in which collection companies working with UCHealth le lawsuits in their own names. Taken together, UCHealth and these companies led 15,710 lawsuits from 2019 through 2023, UCHealth revealed in response to questions from 9News and the Colorado Sun. at is an average of 3,142 lawsuits per year, or more than eight per day.
In the last four years, virtually none of the lawsuits have been led in UCHealth’s name.
“ ey are essentially deliberately using those third-party collection agencies to obscure the fact that they are the ones suing the patients,” said
Adam Fox, the deputy director of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, a consumer-advocacy group that helps patients in disputes over medical bills. “It makes it really hard for the patient to untangle.”
One of these debt collection companies working for UCHealth sued Woods-Sullivan over a bill from an emergency visit for chest pains. She tried at rst to ght in court, then eventually entered into a payment plan to settle the case.
But when the stress of arguing with the debt collector over how much she still owed after every check was
Saturday, March 9th, 2024, 8:30 am to 12 pm
Pre-Register at www.dougcodems.org/caucus2024 or scan the QR code.
Caucus is your opportunity to become a local voice for the county, state, and national Democratic Party. Volunteer to become a precinct organizer, county delegate, and/or election judge. Only registered Democrats may participate.
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County-wide Races
Commissioner - District 2
Angela Thomas
Julien Bouquet
County Commissioner - District 3 TBD
Legislative Districts
House District 39 - Eric Brody
House District 43 - Rep. Robert Marshall (Incumbent)
House District 43 - Alyssa Nilemo
House District 45 - Chad Cox
Senate District 02 - Jennifer Brady
City Council Races
Castle Rock City Council - TBD
Parker City Council - TBD
Multidistrict races
House District 61 - Rep. Eliza Hamrick (Incumbent)
Judicial District 23 - TBD
Congressional District Races CD 4
Karen Breslin
Trisha Calvarese
Ike McCorkle
John Padora
State Board of Education - Krista Holzman
CD6 - US Rep. Jason Crow (Incumbent)
Statewide Races
CU Regent At-Large
Elliott Hood
Charles Johnson
and other candidates.
too much, she decided she wanted to be done.
She looked through her house for something she could sell.
“It was beautiful, beautiful,” she said of her ring. “But I had to do what I had to do. I was tired of getting the runaround.
“It was all I had.”
Woods-Sullivan owed UCHealth $1,634.34.
e health system, which as a nonpro t community institution is exempt from paying taxes, recorded $839 million in total pro ts last year.
In a given year, UCHealth’s network of 14 hospitals and more than 200 clinics treats almost 3 million unique patients — a number equivalent to roughly half the state’s population.
From those patients, UCHealth estimates that 99.93% of bills are resolved without involving the courts.
“Our job is to stay out of the courts,” UCHealth’s chief legal o cer, Jacki Cooper Melmed said. “ at is the very last resort.”
Until now, no one outside UCHealth knew how many lawsuits the system had actually led, though, due to the collections practice UCHealth has adopted. e hospital system “assigns” the debt to a debt collector without relinquishing ownership of the debt. e debt
collector — UCHealth currently uses two and has used a third in the past — then les the lawsuits against the patients in its own name, which is often nondescript. Credit Service Company. CollectionCenter, Inc.
e debt collector gets a cut of whatever money comes from the lawsuit — Cooper Melmed did not say how much — with the rest going back to UCHealth.
Most often, no publicly avail-
able court document contains UCHealth’s name, making the system’s involvement in these suits invisible to lawmakers, to state regulators and to the public at-large.
Woods-Sullivan said she initially had no idea who was suing her.
“It was so confusing to me,” said Woods-Sullivan, who is now a plainti in a lawsuit challenging the legality of UCHealth’s debt lawsuits. “I spent two days trying to reach out
suits in sometimes pitals ating.
tice,” o is in tients hospital it patients and nonpro ing sue like of
to people ... just going through the process of trying to resolve the issue with the bill.”
e amount UCHealth collects from lawsuits is about $5 million per year, according to the health system. at represents 0.07% of the net patient revenue that UCHealth reported receiving last year.
UCHealth o cials argue the law-
suits are an unfortunate necessity in the health care business, where sometimes bills go unpaid and hospitals need money to continue operating.
“I can tell you it is a common practice,” Cooper Melmed, the chief legal o cer, said. “I don’t think UCHealth is an outlier here.”
But not all large hospital systems in Colorado choose to pursue patients this way. e second-largest hospital system in the state, for-profit HealthONE, says it does not sue patients over debt. AdventHealth and Banner Health, two other large nonpro t hospital systems operating in Colorado, also said they do not sue patients.
SCL Health, which is a nonpro t like UCHealth, had sued hundreds of patients in Colorado per year un-
der its own name, according to an analysis of court records. But when the system merged with Intermountain Health in 2022, it stopped. “ is was done to better align with our mission,” Intermountain spokeswoman Sara Quale wrote in
an email.
Debt collection lawsuits are among the most devastating products of a medical debt crisis that now burdens some 100 million people in the U.S., threatening patients’ homes, their savings, even their health.
Aninvestigation by KFF Health
News in 2022 found that about twothirds of hospitals across the country have policies that allow them to sue or take other legal action against patients, including garnishing wages. But in recent years, major hospital systems in other states have chosen to stop suing patients over medical debt, often following negative publicity.
One way to avoid that publicity is to sue under a debt collector’s name. e nonpro t Pew Charitable Trusts, which has researched debt collection litigation across the country, found third-party collectors suing on behalf of creditors in Oregon and Utah.
Noam N. Levey of KFF Health News and Anna Hewson of 9News contributed to this report. is story runs via e Associated Press’ Storyshare, of which Colorado Community Media is a member. A full version of this story can be found at www.ColoradoSun.com
Is it just me, or does it seem like people and organizations alike are putting o making both minor and major decisions? Even when all of the information has been gathered, they still hesitate, kick it down the road for a while, doing nothing. Or they just move slower than a herd of turtles swimming through a sea of peanut butter in making their decisions.
In the fast-paced world we inhabit, decisions are omnipresent. From the mundane choices of what to eat for breakfast to the signi cant determinations in business and personal life, decisions shape our daily existence. However, there’s a tendency, often subconscious, to procrastinate decisionmaking. Whether it’s due to fear of failure, uncertainty about outcomes, or simply an aversion to commitment, delaying decisions can lead to a myriad of problems, both immediate and long-term.
One of the most apparent consequences of postponing decisions is stagnation. When decisions are put o repeatedly, progress halts, and opportunities slip away. In the business world,
SEE NORTON, P40
Signi cant changes in the Town of Castle Rock’s revenue sources are prompting the evaluation of alternative funding options to maintain town services.
Records show 2023 was the slowest year of new home construction in Castle Rock since 2012. Last year, 685 new single-family homes and multifamily units were permitted, which is signi cantly lower than the ve-year average of 1,144, and lower than it has been since 2012.
While many in our community may appreciate this “breather,” given the higher pace of growth over the last decade, this does impact the resources the town has available.
Every new housing unit constructed in Castle Rock is assessed fees that help pay to develop the town’s systems like parks, sewers, streets
and water delivery.
David L. CorlissWhen construction slows, so do associated fee revenues.
In addition, the town’s nancial capabilities to increase the capacity of streets, build new parks and recreation facilities, and more also decline.
With the slowdown in new construction in 2023 also came a slowdown in sales tax revenue — the town’s primary funding source for several services, including re and police protection.
In 2023, the town’s sales tax collections were only 2.8% higher than 2022 collections, while 2022’s sales taxes were 10.8% higher than 2021 collections. e percentage of sales tax growth in 2023 was the lowest it has been in more than 12 years. Sales tax is the town’s largest source of tax
revenue, which means the slower rate of sales tax growth has a big impact on resources available within the town’s budget, which must be balanced.
Sales tax growth is essential to operating critical town services, such as police, re and road maintenance.
e town continues to seek opportunities to grow its sales tax base. Combined with slower residential construction and a greater percentage of the town being built out, the town will be challenged to nd resources for all of the community’s needs.
On top of lower new construction fees and sales tax revenue, the town’s property tax mill levy rate declined to 0.920 in 2024. e town charter allows for up to 5.5% growth in a property tax year-over-year, and so the reduction is necessary due to the 2023 property reassessment. e
rate represents a 46% reduction to the town’s property tax mill levy over the last decade. is means the average Castle Rock homeowner will pay the town about $40 in property tax this year for services.
Castle Rock’s municipal property tax mill levy is the lowest of any fullservice Front Range municipality. And, since the town provides parks and recreation and re protection, Castle Rock residents don’t pay separate, additional mill levies for those services as do residents in many neighboring communities.
With all of this nancial information in mind, the town will be examining options going forward to continue to ensure high-quality services to the Castle Rock community.
David L. Corliss is the Castle Rock town manager.
Change Hilltop speed limit
follow the updated limit.
e writer of this letter understands the reasoning behind choosing this speed limit. e speed limit was chosen not only as a result of the guidelines set by the Colorado General Assembly, but also to protect residents of the surrounding community and students at Iron Horse Elementary School. However, as previously stated, there are protections that would stay in place for these groups. e speed limit change would mostly be a formality to help the drivers of Parker.
Zachary Lulay, 18 Legend High School Parker
Along the approximately 1.5mile stretch of Hilltop Road stretching from the intersection with South Parker Road to Hess Road, the speed limit is a sluggish 35 miles per hour. is particular stretch of road has a speed limit much reduced compared to the adjacent roads. e speed limit for the stretch of Hilltop leading up to the Hilltop-Hess intersection is 45 mph, the section of Hess Road past this intersection is 45mph, and immediately after the intersection with Parker Road is Twenty Mile Road with a speed limit of 40 mph. All of the similar adjoining roads near Hilltop have a speed limit of 5-10 mph over this stretch of road. I propose raising the speed limit on this stretch of road from 35 mph to 45 mph. Although in a residential district, there are sound barriers to protect residents from most noise or danger from cars. e crosswalks will maintain their ashing lights to warn oncoming tra c, and the school zone for Iron Horse Elementary school will still exist at 20 mph but only when school is starting in the morning or letting out in the afternoon. I believe that this change would be primarily a formality. Anyone who drives this road can attest that if you are driving 35 mph on this section of road, you would be passed as if you were standing still. All that this change would result in is the legalization of what most people already do. In fact, it may reduce the average speed driven on this road. e 35 mph barrier is essentially ignored by everyone except the police who seem to always have someone pulled over around the Tallman intersection. With a more reasonable speed limit, not only would the police make fewer stops on Parker’s residents, but people might be more inclined to
Teens need hangout spaces
Have you ever been trying to buy groceries for your family when a bunch of teens come galavanting around Walmart? Parker doesn’t have enough places for youth and teenagers. ese spaces are also known as third places, which are de ned as places that are separate from home and work. ese are incredibly important, and Parker has a profound lack of them.
As teenagers, we know that a lack of youth spaces will result in teenagers hanging out at places that are not meant to be used that way, such as grocery stores and fast food chains. Implementing places for high schoolers to hang out instead will lower the number of teens in people’s places of work.
While Parker does have a handful of spaces that could be considered “for youth,” it is not enough. e only places that are free to visit and accessible to young people that come to mind are the Railbender skatepark and the library.
According to the 2022 Parker
Colorado Community Media welcomes letters to the editor. Please note the following rules:
• Email your letter to michael@coloradocommunitymedia.com. Do not send via postal mail. Put the words “letter to the editor” in the email subject line.
• Submit your letter by 5 p.m. on Wednesday in order to have it considered for publication in the following week’s
newspaper.
• Letters must be no longer than 400 words.
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Conifer nonprofit helps veterans, service people and civiliansBY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Former Lakewood police ocer Erick Perez’s life changed forever in December 2021 when a mass shooter killed ve people, injured his partner and shot at him. But with the help of Conifer nonpro t Faithfully K9 and his dog Chispa, the change marked an unexpected evolution in his life of service — not the end of it.
Chispa, originally adopted as a family pet, is now a service dog. And Perez is a trainer with Faithfully K9 who’s also pursuing a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling.
“It’s been amazing,” Perez said. “Because I went through that therapeutic healing myself, I fell in love with it.
“We’ve been conditioned to be hard and suck it up,” he continued. “But much like we go see a doctor when something hurts in our body,
I think it’s also important to look at our mental health. And a service dog, with its unconditional love and the bond you have, makes a di erence. It’s amazing what a dog can do in your life.”
Conifer resident Cathy Kowalski founded Faithfully K9 in 2018 to help those with disabilities or su ering the e ects of trauma. Unlike service dog organizations that match people with a puppy — requiring years of training — Faithfully K9 works with an individual to train their own dog or puppy as a service dog. Training typically takes 7 to 12 months.
“I saw a void,” said Kowalski, formerly a trainer with Englewoodbased Freedom Service Dogs. “Many times, people had a great dog at home they already had a relationship with, but had to add an already trained dog to their household.
“We also feel these dogs save lives because their owners don’t have to wait 3 to 5 years to get a dog,” she continued. “We work with a lot of veterans who have PTSD. If you have PTSD, you don’t have years to wait.”
Regardless of breed, she said, the canine’s character traits make it uniquely quali ed to be a service animal.
“Dogs don’t judge you,” Kowalski
said. “ ey love you no matter what. ey just want to please you and be there for you — and they bring a smile to your face.”
In 2023, with the help of three trainers, Faithfully K9 graduated 30 dogs from its program. At least 50% of the dogs it trains were adopted as rescues, and training is provided at no cost to veterans or active duty military. Civilians pay a signi cantly discounted rate.
Not every dog makes it through the program, or quali es to participate. Kowalski and her fellow trainers pull on ears, pick up paws and do a variety of other physical tests on each candidate dog. While many service dog programs use speci c breeds, Kowalski said any dog has the capacity to serve.
“A dog must be comfortable with a stranger handling it, not afraid of loud noises, or a tug on the tail,” she said. “If a dog’s growling at me, we’re done. e few dogs that don’t make it usually fail because of problems with people.”
Faithfully K9 trainers work for about a year with each owner/dog pair, typically training in the client’s home and community. eir clients’ range extends from Broomeld south to Castle Rock, and Aurora west to Conifer. Clients from
Saved by a dog
outside those areas also travel to train with the team.
Fort Lupton resident Gabriel Griego is among those clients who felt he had run out of time. e former Marine was medically discharged from the service after suffering an injury. He said he was diagnosed with PTSD stemming in part from childhood and sexual trauma, and struggled with substance abuse. Griego tried multiple medications, but could not shake his dark thoughts and feelings.
“I always joked I took every pill imaginable,” he said. “Half of them made me more suicidal. A lot of it just didn’t work for me and continued to make me feel worse. After my last suicide attempt in 2022, my wife said, ‘We need to gure something out.’”
Griego learned about Faithfully K9 through WarriorNOW, a nonpro t aimed at helping veterans with mental health and other challenges. Kowalski helped him nd Nala, a lab/masti mix who is now a year-and-a-half old. e two began training together when Nala was a puppy.
e change in Griego’s quality of life has been dramatic. With Nala at his side, his previous struggles with loud noise, crowds and people approaching him from behind have eased. Depression still haunts him, but when it descends, Nala is a warm and soothing presence.
“A year and a month into the training, there are days where it’s still difcult,” he said. “Nala is the one who pulls me out of those days. And the di erent training we do connects me back to myself and to Nala, and calms me down.
“She also helps my wife because Nala realizes when I’m going through a funk,” he said. “She’ll lay on me and just stare at my wife, like she’s saying ‘It’s OK, I got him.’ I’ve put my wife through so much with all the mental health stu ; I’m so grateful that now she can take that breather.”
Griego has also been substance free for two years, which he credits in large part to the help Faithfully K9 has provided.
“I was shocked by everything they do for veterans and rst responders — something so truly life saving at absolutely no cost to us,” he said. “Every veteran I know, we don’t stop ghting. e reason so many of us succumb to suicide is we just want the pain to end.
“ ere are so many people like me that have gone down these dark paths who I hope can stop trying to end their pain in a di erent way,” he continued. “Instead, hang out with a four-legged best friend all day. ings will be a little bit more ok.”
Griego is now working with Suicide Prevention Coaliton of Colorado, where he is focused on helping veterans. And in imitation of her owner, Nala is also extending her reach to help others.
“I take Nala into some of my meetings,” he said. “She’s awesome at picking up on the needs of other people. You see her tail wagging because she’s so excited to help anyone she can.”
Training for success
Kowalski and her team train dogs
in the owner’s homes, and in public. e dogs must learn to ignore distractions — like food, crowds, other dogs and enthusiastic children — and keep the focus on their owner. at makes shopping centers like the Castle Rock Factory Outlets ideal.
Kowalski recently met there with Colorado Springs client Levi Francis, and his six-month goldendoodle Finn. Francis su ered both mental and physical trauma while serving in the military and in childhood. Due to an injury, he also has screws in his feet that make it tough for him to balance.
Francis had been searching for a support dog since 2021 with no success. Other agencies turned down his request for a variety of reasons. Because Francis and his wife foster a variety of animals with disabilities, one said the environment would be too chaotic for training a service dog.
Faithfully K9 saw it di erently. Kowalski said “yes” to Francis’ request, and a nonpro t for which Francis volunteers led him to Finn.
At six months, Finn is tall and broad, and uncharacteristically calm for his age. His copper curls and teddy-bear features draw the attention of children and adults alike, but Finn is nearly unwavering in his focus — which is Francis.
“He’s a giant, dopey, lovable dude,” Francis said. “Our ferrets sleep next to him. He ts in perfectly with our family. We’re training really fast. Overall, he’s pretty amazing. O leash, he acts like a puppy. In training, he’s always listening.”
Like Nala, Finn has learned to sit or stand between Francis’ legs on command, a posture that allows Francis to physically connect with the dog, diverting his focus from any fears or anxiety-inducing distractions. Because of his size, Finn also helps his owner with balance issues resulting from the screws in his feet.
work with.”
He’s an ideal helpmate for Francis, whose hypervigilance and triggers are slowly easing.
“I’ve been able to go out a lot more,” he said. “I’m being less watchful just because he distracts me. My wife was surprised the other day because I o ered to go to the movies. He’s a fantastic partner to
Faithfully K9 has a thick book of similar success stories. It also has far more demand for services than resources to meet it.
“We have over 60 clients we’re working with, and I have more people calling me every day,” Kowalski said. “We have dogs working with therapists and psychiatrists in schools. We do skilled companions for rst responders. We work with a
lot of re ghters and police o cers. We are always struggling to nd donations.”
Despite those ongoing struggles, Kowalski is tireless in her mission. For her, it is a calling.
“I do this to help people,” she said. “I believe that’s why we’re here on this planet. Just making a di erence in one person’s life is worth it.”
For more information or to donate, visit faithfullyk9.com.
population estimate, about 26% of the population living here is under 18, meaning that these two locations are unsuitable for providing safe third places for a fourth of the population. We propose that we create a safe place for juveniles where they can go to interact with each other free of cost, just simply a place to go whenever they want. is place would include a variety of activities such as art, sports, and games. e upkeep could be from teens volunteering, which would create a cycle of teen-driven volunteers coming in to get hours and other teens coming to hang out and enjoy a safe space.
is idea is not unheard of elsewhere, as towns like Aurora already have established centers for adolescent opportunities and teen-oriented organizations. Parker is just behind the curve of establishing these spaces. However, we believe that with proper planning and organization, these kinds of spaces can be established and built in the future and bene t all teenagers living in Parker. e bottom line is that teenagers need somewhere to hang out. ese third spaces are crucial to the social health and well-being of us as Parker’s youth.
Emi Miller, 17Cash Connors, 16
Isabelle Hagan, 17 Legend High School Parker
An open letter to Parker Town Council:
In Parker, the search for a ordable housing presents a complicated challenge. Having a ordable housing in Parker is very important because it provides residents, regardless of income, access to a safe and stable home. Doing this we can help citizens maintain a diverse community, support the local economy, and prevent long-term residents in the area from being forced to relocate as the community grows and develops. Another reason a ordable housing is important is because it provides opportunities for lower-income families, and this increases social equity by proving that everyone has a fair chance for living in a safe environment. Knowing this, it also allows people to live closer to their families, schools, workplaces and essential services. In the long run, this would reduce driving time and improve everyone’s quality of life.
A solution for increasing a ordable housing in Parker is to make a plan that all citizens will agree with. First, we can start by changing zoning laws to allow more housing like townhomes and apartments. is would make it more a ordable to build and rent homes. Adding onto this, we would expand the capacity of resources available to citizens such as more bike lanes, and increase bus stops to get from Parker to Lincoln Station. Furthermore, o ering di erent incentives to develop and include a ordable units that establish community land leads citizens to trust, contribute, and to a ordable housing options.
Bella Bujanda, 17
Mikayla Green, 16 Legend High School Parker
For a state with weather as erratic as it is, one would expect Colorado’s government’s response to such weather to be su cient. Yet for many of us residents of Parker, it is commonplace for snowy conditions to make many roads overly hazardous. Multiple roads are left unplowed until they turn into the consistency of an ice rink rather than pavement. As of 2022, around 6,500 car crashes occurred due to snow and ice in Colorado. Furthermore, 52% of accidents that cause injury or death happen within ve miles of driver’s homes, along with unplowed residential roads, endangering citizens when leaving the house. e roads are also being a ected. When snow melts and refreezes in the asphalt, it increases pressure leading to cracks.
As it stands now, major roadways are the priority, and seemingly only target of plows when there’s snowfall. is stems from Parker’s policy to only plow residential streets when there is 6 inches of snowfall. Instead, smaller streets are left to melt naturally, but realistically many end up lumping into seemingly unmeltable sheets of ice; remaining for up to weeks on end.
Parker’s current solution leaves many residents to deal with the annoyance. Instead, Parker should choose to either lower the snowfall threshold or choose to plow based on the observable street conditions throughout the town. If Parker lacks su cient ability to do such, it’s unlikely a little more funding into snow removal would do much harm. Help us make Parker even just a little better.
Tristan Farrell, 17 Matthew Dinges, 17 Delana Snively, 17 Legend High School, Parker
Teague Starbuck
@ 6pm
Featured Featured
Brewability Lab, 3445 S Broad‐way, Englewood
Jesus Trejo
@ 7:30pm
Comedy Works South, 5345 Land‐mark Pl, Greenwood Village
Christopher Morse: South South Broadway Variety Show @ 8pm
Western Sky Bar & Taproom, 4361 S Broadway, Englewood
Fri 3/01
ViV @ 8pm
Swallow Hill Music, 71 E Yale Ave, Denver
Electric Avenue: Parker ArtsParker, CO - SOLD OUT @ 8pm
Parker Arts, Culture & Events Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker
Sat 3/02
No Bueno! /w POOR ME @ 7pm
Moe's Original BBQ, 3295 S Broadway, Englewood
Featured Featured
Dexter and The Moonrocks @ 8pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Englewood
The Mike G Band @ 8pm
Sheabeens Irish Pub, 2300 S Chambers Rd #A, Aurora
Marcia Ball and CJ Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band at Lone Tree Arts Center @ 8pm
Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St, Lone Tree
Featured Featured
C.J. Chenier @ 8pm
Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St, Lone Tree
Mon 3/04
Unlimited Beach Training - March
@ 12am / $300
Mar 4th - Mar 28th
The Island, 2233S Geneva St, Denver. 720-524-4136
4 Pack - Junior Beach TrainingMarch
@ 12am / $160
Mar 4th - Mar 28th
The Island, 2233S Geneva St, Denver. 720-524-4136
Soccer: Youth - Coed Ages 12 to 14 - Outdoor - Spring 2024
@ 11pm
Mar 4th - May 4th
Stroh Ranch Soccer Field, 18775 Stroh Road, Parker
Tue 3/05
Art: Fun Acrylic Landscapes (16+yrs)
@ 12:30am
Mar 5th - Apr 8th
PACE Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker
Otoboke Beaver
@ 8pm
Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood
おとぼけビ〜〜 バ〜〜 - Otoboke
Beaver: Otoboke Beaver2024 North American TourDenver @ Gothic Theatre w/ DBGC
@ 7pm
Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Englewood
Thu 3/07
Art: Transferring an Idea to Canvas (16yrs+)
@ 12am
Mar 7th - Mar 6th
PACE Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Ave., Parker
Flag Football: Kinder - Ages 4 to 6 - Spring 2024
@ 12:30am
Mar 7th - May 4th
AH - Kinder Field 2, 11682 Bradbury Ranch Rd., Parker
Soccer: Kinder - Ages 4 to 6Spring 2024
@ 12:30am
Mar 7th - May 4th
AH - Kinder Field 3, 11682 Bradbury Ranch Rd., Parker
Ryan Beatty
@ 8pm
Gothic Theatre, 3263 South Broadway, Englewood
Calendar
All events are subject to change or cancella‐tion. This publication is not responsible for the ac‐curacy of the information contained in this calendar.
At age 24, Bryan Jump didn’t expect to put together a living will and have a tough conversation with his parents about his nal wishes.
It was the height of the pandemic and Jump was diagnosed with stage 3B pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma.
“It’s not a call that anybody wants to get regardless of your age,” said Jump. “But certainly not at my age.”
After a life-saving surgery and treatment, Jump, now 28, survived.
e Highlands Ranch man aims to make the most of his life by helping others.
“With everything that I’ve been through, I have a deep passion for accessibility and disability integration,” said Jump. “Bridging some of the inequalities between able bodied people in society versus disabled bodied people.”
Before his diagnosis, Jump was a seemingly healthy and inspired young man.
After struggling with his own mental health battle, he felt a calling towards youth ministry and nonpro t work. He made friends, enjoyed dancing, worked in the health and wellness industry and, in college, worked towards a degree in communications and sports medicine. at’s what made the diagnosis even more confusing and surprising.
Acinar cell carcinoma is a rare form of pancreatic cancer and accounts for about 1% of all pancreatic cancer patients, according to a
review published in the National Library of Medicine.
e average age of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer is 70 and according to the American Cancer Society, the average risk of pancreatic cancer is about 1 in 58 in men and 1 in 60 in women.
Early pancreatic cancers often don’t show signs or symptoms. By the time they do, the cancers have already often grown or spread.
For years leading up to the pandemic, Jump experienced intense pain in his abdomen along with gastrointestinal issues. At one point in college, he was admitted to the emergency room, but was told he had ulcers.
“I was told to take some medication, reduce my stress and that would mitigate the issue,” said Jump. It helped a little, but as time went on, symptoms came back and became increasingly more intense, causing Jump to skip work. And due to his poor insurance, he resisted care, fearing too much out-of-pocket expenses. He told his roommate to only take him to the emergency room if he passed out.
en, on a Monday in early 2020, Jump’s mom called him in a panic because she dreamed he had died in his sleep. He assured her he was ne, yet he was experiencing pain.
Jump would often let the hot water of the shower hit his stomach to alleviate some of the cramping and discomfort, but that day his mom had called, he became violently ill, vomiting eight times in 30 minutes.
He told his mom and she drove
from Colorado Springs to her son in Denver, starting what would become a six-week process involving various tests like CT scans, MRIs, sonograms, a colonoscopy, an en-
“You name it, I had it done,” said Jump. “And they thought it was any-
thing but cancer.”
Doctors eventually ruled out Celiac Disease, Crohns, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers and even when they found a growth on Jump’s pancreas, they thought he was too young to have this type of cancer.
Believing it was just a pancreatic cyst, a biopsy was done. Results came back negative for everything doctors tested for, meaning it was more rare than anticipated. e biopsy was then sent to the Mayo Clinic and a week later Jump got the dreaded call that he had cancer in late April of 2020.
But in some way, Jump felt relieved.
“ ere was a certain aspect of knowing what we were up against was encouraging,” said Jump. “Because I had gone for so long being
like, ‘What is wrong with my body?’”
Jump began treatment with AdventHealth Porter in Denver with a few months of chemotherapy before surgery.
Although the cancer hadn’t metastasized to any organs, it had spread to his lymphatic system. In a 14-hour procedure, doctors removed his gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, part of his liver and 45 lymph nodes from his belly button all the way up to his throat.
When doctors removed his pancreas, a small portion of his small intestine was removed, too, and reattached to the stomach.
Jump was released from the hospital after 16 days and proceeded with eight months of chemotherapy and radiation, 20 sessions alone due to the pandemic. But he soon found a new friend in his alert dog, Lilly.
“When they remove your pancreas, you become a very dangerous type of diabetic,” said Jump. “You have no blood sugar regulation
Bryan Jump sits in between his father and little brother who shaved their heads in support of Jump when he shaved his head. Jump battled a rare form of pancreatic cancer in the height of the pandemic but found support through his family, friends, doctors and church.
whatsoever.”
Lilly helps Jump maintain his blood sugar regulation and alerts if
it’s at dangerous levels.
e recovery has been a long process and has often felt like two steps forward and one step back but has also found support through Lifegate Church in Denver. ey helped him nancially and people would even physically hold him up because he was so weak.
During the process, Jump went from 165 pounds to just 92. He is gaining his weight back, continues his work in ministry and has even started “Crippled Charisma,” a podcast based on faith and philosophy from a disabled perspective and can be found on Spotify, iHeart Radio and Google podcasts.
e word “charisma” has a double meaning, said Jump, the root word is Greek and means “gift.”
“ at’s part of what we explore,” said Jump. “We tend to think of disability and illness as only a bad thing. ere are actually some really cool perspectives and blessings that can come from that.”
Amid the hustle and bustle of Parker’s Dransfeldt Road sits e Sensory Spot, a place where parents can relax as their children develop their cognitive skills and explore their creativity through play.
It’s an open space with textured walls that kids walk up to and feel, tactile items and rotating sensory bins. ere are objects to be sorted, stacked and organized as well as various art stations, including chalk and white board walls to give them
the freedom to express themselves however they choose.
“It really allows them to explore without any sort of guideline,” said Kayla Pallace, who opened e Sensory Spot. “It provides them a way to explore their feelings, explore what speaks to them, what feels good to them in a super low pressure way.” e spot encourages mindfulness activities to promote a di erent way of problem solving.
With an eight-month-old son, who is neurotypical as far as they know, Pallace and her husband began taking their son out to play, but the situation for him and the Pallaces was overwhelming. ey also noticed many museums and venues would hold low sensory hours, but struggled to nd options that were more sensory based play.
“And that was just so sad to me be-
cause there’s just so many kids who need it,” said Pallace.
Pallace doesn’t have a speci c background in child development, but she holds a master’s degree in psychology. With that, Pallace began research into kids who experience the world di erently, including those with autism, sensory processing disorders and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Pallace decided e Sensory Spot should be a place where both neurodivergent and neurotypical kids could play in a supportive and creative environment.
“I want my son to know how many kids come from di erent back-
grounds,” said Pallace. “I wanted somewhere where he could feel safe and comfortably interact with kids that were di erent from him.”
Harvard Medical School says neurodiversity “describes the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in di erent ways,” and there is no correct way of learning, thinking or behaving.
Additionally, an article from the Child Mind Institute states the environment the person is in can also have e ects and part of the neurodiversity movement is to focus on making changes in the environment to make them more open to
those who learn, think and process di erently.
Alexa Smith, an employee at e Sensory Spot was a registered behavior technician and worked with children with autism. Smith says neurodivergence di ers because each person’s cognitive skills develop independently.
“Our neurodivergent community, the kids can get overwhelmed very quickly and there’s not many activities that you can see or nd in normal play spaces that would necessarily be liked by those kids,” said Smith.
While only allowing 25 people in the building at a time - which can be tracked on their websitethe spot o ers comfort items, such as weighted lap pads and blankets, blackout tents, noise-canceling
headphones, dget toys and a small library.
To create a community feel, the spot holds special events such as movement classes, sensory friendly movie nights, concerts and therapy dog visits
Pallace also wanted to create a space where parents can feel comfortable, whether watching their kids, playing with them or working remotely. Sta ers reset the stations and clean them to ensure everything is sanitized.
With the goal to promote understanding and raise awareness of sensory sensitivities and neurodiversity, e Sensory Spot partners with schools, healthcare providers and other community organizations as well as provide resources
“Just giving neurodivergent kids a space where they can really relax,” said Smith. “And also giving neurotypical kids a space where it’s just a place where you can learn and nd things to do.”
The Sensory Spot is an open space that has multiple textured walls that kids walk up to and feel. The spot includes white board and chalk board walls to give kids freedom to express themselves however they choose.
20 Mile Athletic Center provides training, development for all ages
BY JOHN RENFROW JRENFROW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COMOne might think of gymnastics as stressful, di cult, exhausting – and only for the extremely disciplined. at would be correct. Many athletes begin gymnastics at an early age, but fall o for one reason or another, from burnout to injury to simply developing other interests.
But 20 Mile Athletic Center, or 20 MAC, is a 15,000-square-foot gymnastics training ground for athletes of all ages in Parker, and its owner, Cesar Cantu, says positivity and balance are the keys to longevity in the sport.
“With the sport, because it is so demanding, we try to balance the amount of time spent in the gym where a kid can still excel in school,” Cantu said. “We rmly believe school and health, in general, are super important to it. We want them to be able to have fun. ere are other
gyms where they demand more time … One thing that’s always worked for us is having a good balance in life where athletics is supported with their scholastics as well as their time at home.”
Colorado roots
Cantu is a Centennial native and former gymnast. He’s worked for 20 MAC for more than 10 years now and wears many hats. He was even sweeping the oor during this interview.
Cantu started as a boys team coach for the rst six years before being promoted to gym manager. He became the owner and director of operations last September.
e gym provides fundamental development and training for kids as young as 18 months to beginner, intermediate and advanced classes for boys and girls into high school, as well as tumbling.
“Gymnastics is a sport like no other,” Cantu said. “If you take basketball, soccer, football … any of the typical culturally-dominant sports … you start doing, from the very beginning, what the professionals do. If you look at LeBron James, you know
from day one, he took a basketball and started bouncing the ball. He started learning how to pass and shoot the ball.”
building process that takes time to advance through.
said. “If you don’t have a strong core of the fundamentals, it easily breaks. You want to make it rock solid in that foundational point rst.”
USAG – Competitive boys gymnastics 20 MAC has competitive teams as
well. On the boys side, Cantu said the program has roughly 40 athletes varying between level and age group. When it comes down to age-wise, we’re kind of a mixed bag,” he said. “What you’ll nd in gymnastics, because it is a very demanding and difcult sport, at the youngest ages and the lowest levels, you’ll always have
“As you get farther along, typically kids, because of overuse, injuries, burnout, just wanting to try new
things … so many factors or variables that at the higher levels you’ll have less and less athletes,” he added. His numbers per level generally support this theory. Competitive levels range from Level 3 being the lowest to Level 10 being the highest. Levels below 3 are considered preteam levels and aren’t competitive.
Athlete-level breakdown: Preteam – 3 athletes Level 3 – 11 athletes Level 4 – 8 athletes Level 5 – 7 athletes Level 6 – 1 athlete Level 7 –8 athletes Level 8 – 2 athletes
Cantu said a coach in San Diego, California compiles team scores from across the country. 20 MAC’s athletes hold top-50 rankings na-
tionwide in Level 3 (38th), Level 5 (46th) and Level 7 (12th) categories.
“For the kids who need to keep their bodies busy, this has been an extremely positive outlet,” said Sarah Nolan, a parent and fundraising chair for the Parker gym. “Many parents at 20 MAC talk about how their boys need gymnastics. e level of strength and maturity that they gain from this sport is astounding.”
Nolan added that while there are over 80 colleges and universities that o er women’s gymnastics, only 14 o er men’s gymnastics.
In the competitive gymnastics world, Levels 3-6 are considered compulsory levels and Levels 7-10 are considered optional levels, Cantu explained.
“When you are at a compulsory
level, there is already a predetermined, nationally-created routine that you must perform,” Cantu said.
In those routines, there are also bonus skills. If these skills are added to the routine, an athlete can get bonus points. When these bonus skills are performed successfully, you can achieve a score higher than a base score.
If a boy at 20 MAC can perform a certain percentage of the bonus skills, combined with displaying maturity, physical ability and other factors, their coaches can move them up the levels accordingly.
“Once you get to the optional level, that’s where coaches pre-create routines that the athletes can perform,” he said. “ at means that we look at
their physical ability, the skills that they can perform and what they’re capable of developing.”
From there, coaches use the USA Gymnastics manual and Optional Code of Points to choreograph a speci ed routine for their athletes.
“So how do you move up to a level? Well basically, the better skills you can do, as long as you do them, you can move up in levels,” he said. “ ere are certain requirements age-wise and ability-wise once you move up a level.”
Girls Xcel Program
20 MAC also o ers a competitive girls program called the Xcel
program.
e Xcel Program “is sanctioned by USA Gymnastics and is designed for the gymnast who wants to experience competitive level gymnastics without the time and nancial commitment of the USA Gymnastics Junior Olympic program,” according to the gym.
Cantu said there is currently no Junior Olympics girls program, but it’s in the works for the gym.
ere are roughly 40 girls in the Xcel program, ranging from Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond skill levels.
For more information on the Xcel Program, www.20mileathleticcenter.
com/xcel-program.
A positive culture, love for the sport
Cantu credited his sta for helping to build such a strong culture at 20 MAC.
He has like-minded coaches who have grown with him and helped lead his vision for the gym.
“One of my favorite things I have with my sta is, there are very few people, at least in Colorado, that look to make gymnastics a career,” he said. “I’m blessed enough to have over 20 ex-athletes that I’ve coached at some point in time or helped that are on my sta … I’ve also been blessed to have a very low turnover in coaches.”
Cantu admits there are fewer boys in gymnastics than there were when he was a young competitor. But the outlook for the sport is strong.
Were you aware that there’s a one-year deadline to submit a property damage claim to your insurance provider for the hailstorms that occurred in May and June of 2023? Although the repair work can be carried out after this one-year submission window, it’s crucial to le your claim within this timeframe.
Construction and Restoration for speci c
of ling, before you le your claim.
day.
fall in love with gymnastics and develop into a promising athlete and strong person.
feelings to know that I was able to give back a healthy, safe, positive environment as a coach and now as an owner to the youth,” Cantu said.
age is. Being able to provide them with a safe and healthy place has been my personal number-one goal. And seeing them wanting to return and calling this a second home is probably one of the coolest things
For more information about 20 MAC’s programs, teams and events, visit www.20mileathleticcenter.com. is story has been shortened for
A ransomware attack last month and a water main break at the Highlands Ranch library have proved challenging for Douglas County Libraries. e issues have impacted the availability of some services and even resulted in closures.
e Highlands Ranch Library reopened in late January, with ongoing repair work after hours, but some issues are lingering. Services, such as the online research database and new library card sign-ups, are not available at times.
e problems are temporary, according to Amber DeBerry, director of community engagement for Douglas County Libraries.
“We are hoping to restore full services soon,” said DeBerry. “Although we do not have a time estimate on when all services will be restored.”
e study room reservation system were impacted and a new process has been created for customers where they can call and make reservations. Coming later this year will be a new platform with online reservation capabilities.
DeBerry said via email that the IT
issues a ecting certain services are linked to a ransomware attack. e library is working with external cybersecurity specialists to address the problems.
According to the nation’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, ransomware is a form of malware designed to encrypt les on a device, therefore, blocking access to data and systems.
Some of the most common techniques for a ransomware attack is through email phishing campaigns, software or desktop vulnerabilities.
DeBerry said there is no more information the library can provide at this time.
Although most services have been restored, the libraries are occasionally experiencing various outages due to the recovery process and some services may be sporadic. People can still get a library card online, but if that service is not available, DeBerry said to call the main number for assistance in getting one.
“We wish we could provide more exact information and timelines,” said DeBerry in an email. “ e team is still working through the e ects of the incident.”
For generations, the Friday sh fry tradition during Lent has been a cornerstone of Catholic communities, serving not only a delicious meal but also cherished opportunities for fellowship and connection.
e practice of abstaining from meat, particularly on Fridays, has roots in biblical tradition. Many Catholics abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent as a form of penance and re ection.
Lent is the period of 40 days leading up to Easter Sunday. Fish-fry events have become a popular tradition for Catholic churches to hold as a way to bring people together to share in timeless rituals of faith, food and community. ese local events are open to the public, not only members of the church.
Our Lady of the Visitation Catholic Church in Kiowa, located at 34201 County Road 33, is hosting Fish FryDays every Friday during Lent from 4:30-7:30 p.m. While the cost of dinner was not available on the website, the meal is wild-caught Alaskan cod and a side of fries, baked potato, coleslaw or mac and cheese.
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Castle Rock Fish Fry events are held Fridays throughout Lent from 5-8 p.m. at 2746 Fifth
take place Fridays from 4-6:50 p.m.
A meal for a family of four or more is $35 and kids under 5 eat free.
Elizabeth resident and Ave Maria’s Grand Knight, Je Cannella, described what it takes to pull o these weekly sh-fry events. “We have about 50 knights every Friday who dedicate time to assisting with this event. ey will have di erent shifts throughout the day and it really is
sh fries provide important opportunities for people to come together.
e proceeds of these events go towards various community initiatives so they also are very bene cial for fundraising e orts.
For our local community, these sh fries are a longstanding tradition that adds to the identity of the area. Ave Maria has been proudly hosting these events for 23 years and
For Cannella, it is a time he immensely enjoys. “We love hosting this event,” he said. “We are serving the community with a delicious full meal for a reasonable price. Families can all come and know their meal is being made with care. It is also one less thing for busy families to have to plan — just come on over and we will feed you. It brings us all together during this holy time.”
A sh fry during Lent is more than just a meal. It acts as a hub for community engagement, support and celebration.
“My
When some people turn 18, they might head to the convenience store to buy their rst lottery ticket. ey might then stop by the county clerk’s o ce to register to vote.
But not Chuck Pfae e. Instead, he’s planning to spend his 18th birthday with his grandkids.
“We’ll just smile, give hugs, be happy,” he said. “Just something simple. Especially at this point, my needs are simple.”
No, this isn’t the Curious Case of Benjamin Button. And it’s not inaccurate, but it does take some math to understand. Chuck was a Leap Day baby, born on Feb. 29, 1952. While he’s enjoyed 72 trips around the sun, he’s only been able to o cially celebrate his birthdays every four years.
For some people, living life with a quarter of everyone else’s birthdays would be a huge bummer. But for Chuck, it has become something better. Call it a metaphor, a mantra or maybe even an excuse — “the 29th” inspires him to live his life to the fullest.
As his wife, Cathy Pfae e, said, “He’s just a little boy who hasn’t grown up yet.”
For instance, the invincible daredevil within him is still strong. Last summer, he mountain biked down Pikes Peak, the famed fourteener that hovers over Colorado Springs.
“I’ll be doing it again this year, since I’ll still be a teenager,” he said.
Sitting in a basement decked out with pirate memorabilia, posters of satellites and photos of Navy jets, Chuck smiled.
e room, in the couple’s house near Littleton, speaks of his exten-
sive passions. In one corner, there’s a large, brightly-colored pinball machine. e low ceiling nearby is protected with foam padding so Chuck — at 6-foot-2 tall — won’t hit his head. Next to a desk on the other side of the room are two bicycles set up for indoor riding.
And, when the weather is right, he turns to his mountain bike.
“I started o with an old bike, got a mountain bike,” he said. “For a time, if I went out for a ride, I would complain (that) if I came back without any blood, it was a boring ride.”
Even though Chuck said he no longer aims for the excitement of scratches and crashes, he is grateful just to be able to ride.
“I don’t take it for granted,” he said. “Because I know a lot of people can’t (cycle) regardless of age and
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at Globalfaces Direct Corp in Greenwood, CO. multiple openings. Recruit, hire, train & manage professional fundraisers for multiple nonprofit accounts. Up to 15% regional travel. Reqd: HSD; 1 yr exp fundraising consultant or mgr or related in prof fundraising mgmt. 1 yr exp in CRM tech, sales, & recruiting. Apply at globalfacesdirect.com/ careers/
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We have a rare property with a fully permitted Additional Dwelling Unit (ADU) near the west highlands (one of Denver's best places to live). The property is 90% completed to allow for customization.
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The property is best as an investment property with the main unit renting out as a Short Term Rental for around $5000/month. The ADU will rent out $4000/month for a total of $9K/month. There are so many individuals and families that want to come to Colorado for an adventure and see Red Rocks Parks, Garden of the Gods, The Air Force Academy and of course check out our great skiing and beer. We will list the property on Air BNB and or VRBO for no charge and run the rental for 90 days at no charge and hand over to you turnkey.
The property has an amazing open space kitchen with a large master bed room, large walk in closet and wow en-suite. bathroom. The property is superb for entertaining with a large deck and breakfast nook.
The 2nd buyer is a young couple that would live in one unit and rent out the other to cover their payment. We are offering a 2-1 buydown for a full price offer. The interest rate will be around 5% in year one and 6% in year 2.
The 3rd buyer is a family care situation where one will support the other but do not want to be too close.
The last buyer would be a mid to older age couple who would like to have additional space for guest and for them to have private space. The home is all on one level.
Any buyer who does not take the 2-1 buydown and does give a full price offer will get a custom package for $20,000.00. The upgrades could include and of these: Private garden, custom front porch, hottub, man cave in the garage or custom tile and paint throughout the home, RV parking or off street parking for the ADU.
Please call Alan Davis at 303-378-7537 or alandavis@levelengineering.com
Located one-quarter mile from the Town of Elbert, CO., this property is listed on the Colorado State historic register. Built in 1915, the church and rectory were moved to its current location in 1935. Both the church and rectory have been lovingly restored.
The rectory features 2.5 bedrooms, one bath, a kitchen with attached dining room, living room with a “sitting room” or office space, and a beautiful entry. Original hardwood floors, transoms, and woodwork throughout. Also, covered front and back porches.
The rectory has an unfinished basement and attic. The property features an oversized two car cleary garage, original garage and hay room. Fenced paddock with an enclosed loafing shed. Ponderosa pines and cottonwood trees fill the yard and there is a natural spring as well. New roof, windows, and HVAC system. The church was listed in the “White Churches of The Plains” book and was originally the “Sacred Heart Catholic Church”. It has a new roof, flooring and updated electrical. A new pellet stove and chandeliers have also been added.
A charming and unique property.
Acreage:1.48
Zoned: R1
Price: $810,000
For appointment to see call: 303/909-2724 or 303/648-3611
the fact that I can — that’s where, I’ll say, some of the 70-year-old shows up because you are thankful (for) being able to do those things. And then, you know, in the back of my head, the 18-year-old is screaming, ‘Let’s go faster!’”
Cathy said that when Chuck rides, he grins and laughs uncontrollably and joyfully. As the two of them talked in the basement, his childlike joy spilled into many more topics. In fact, one of the things that makes
Chuck most excited in life is what covers the walls of the room — relics of his career in aerospace.
“It’s just something that has always been in my soul — to y,” he said. “And then things associated with that were of interest to me.”
Chuck jokes that Leap Day probably played a role in what became his 50-year-long career. An understanding of planetary motion was crucial to explain his birthday to childhood friends.
After earning his degree in aerospace engineering, Chuck worked at an aerospace company that evolved into Northrop Grumman. ere, he was involved with building aircrafts
for the U.S. Navy.
He then moved on to what is now Lockheed Martin, working in the satellite program. He worked on satellites that orbit, photograph and map planets and other solar system activity, such as comets and solar wind. He was even part of the last servicing mission for the famous Hubble Space Telescope, which captures images of planets, stars and galaxies.
Chuck said his favorite part of his work was the “cool factor” of being a part of such fascinating aerospace technology and space missions.
“ ere’s just no way to describe it otherwise — it’s just so cool that you could be involved with all of these
things,” he said.
Aerospace even brought Chuck and Cathy together. She worked on an executive director’s sta and in the satellite technology testing labs, and they met at work.
e two share a mindset that a person is never too old to have fun and embrace life. ey have even gotten several tattoos together, and they want more. One is a Jolly Roger on Chuck’s right calf, which ties into the pirate decorations on his walls.
“Why should you not do something just because you reach a certain age?” Cathy said. “ at’s ridicu-
A FIRST LIEN.
The property described herein is all of the property encumbered by the lien of the deed of trust.
Legal Description of Real Property:
LOT 41, STONEGATE FILING NO. 21A, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO.
Which has the address of: 17545 Celestine Court , Parker, CO 80134
The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust described herein, has filed written election and demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.
THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that on the first possible sale date (unless the sale is continued*) at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, April 17, 2024, at the Public Trustee’s office, Philip S Miller Building Hearing Room, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, I will sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law. If the sale date is continued to a later date, the deadline to file a notice of intent to cure by those parties entitled to cure may also be extended.
First Publication: 2/22/2024
Last Publication: 3/21/2024
Publisher: Douglas County News Press
Dated: 12/19/2023
DAVID GILL DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee
The name, address and telephone numbers of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:
ARICYN J. DALL
Colorado Registration #: 51467 216 16TH STREET SUITE 1210, DENVER, COLORADO 80202
Phone #: (720) 259-6714
Fax #: (720) 259-6709
Attorney File #: 20CO00068-12
*YOU MAY TRACK FORECLOSURE SALE DATES on the Public Trustee website: https:// www.douglas.co.us/public-trustee/ Legal Notice No. 2023-0208
First Publication: 2/22/2024
Last Publication: 3/21/2024
Publisher: Douglas County News Press
PUBLIC NOTICE
Parker NOTICE OF SALE
Public Trustee Sale No. 2023-0201
To Whom It May Concern: On 12/7/2023 8:17:00 AM the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in Douglas County.
Original Grantor: CHRIS JON HAMMERBERG
Original Beneficiary: MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. AS NOMINEE FOR FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION, ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS
Current Holder of Evidence of Debt: COLORADO HOUSING AND FINANCE AUTHORITY
Date of Deed of Trust (DOT): 6/1/2018
Recording Date of DOT: 6/5/2018
Reception No. of DOT: 2018033623
DOT Recorded in Douglas County.
Original Principal Amount of Evidence of Debt: $314,204.00
Outstanding Principal Amount as of the date hereof: $291,384.25
Pursuant to C.R.S. §38-38-101 (4) (i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Borrower's failure to make timely payments as required under the Evidence of Debt and Deed of Trust.
THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
The property described herein is all of the property encumbered by the lien of the deed of trust.
Legal Description of
Which has the address of: 17605
The
secured by the Deed of Trust described herein, has filed written election and demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.
THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that on the first possible sale date (unless the sale is continued*) at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, April 3, 2024, at the Public Trustee’s office, Philip S Miller Building Hearing Room, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, I will sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law. If the sale date is continued to a later date, the deadline to file a notice of intent to cure by those parties entitled to cure may also be extended.
First Publication: 2/8/2024
Last Publication: 3/7/2024
Publisher: Douglas County News Press
Dated: 12/7/2023
DAVID GILL DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee
The name, address and telephone numbers of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:
DAVID R DOUGHTY
Colorado Registration #: 40042 9540 MAROON CIRCLE SUITE 320, ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO 80112
Phone #: (303) 706-9990
Fax #: (303) 706-9994
Attorney File #: 20-024128
*YOU MAY TRACK FORECLOSURE SALE
DATES on the Public Trustee website: https:// www.douglas.co.us/public-trustee/
Legal Notice No. 2023-0201
First Publication: 2/8/2024
Last Publication: 3/7/2024
Publisher: Douglas County News Press
Elbert
FROM PAGE NORTON
delaying decisions on strategic moves or investments can result in missed opportunities for growth or competitive advantage. Similarly, in personal life, delaying decisions about career changes, relationships, or personal development goals can lead to missed chances for ful llment and success.
Problems rarely disappear on their own; instead, they tend to escalate when left unaddressed. is phenomenon applies to decision-making as well. Postponing decisions often allows small issues to snowball into larger, more complex problems. For instance, delaying the resolution of a con ict within a team can lead to resentment and decreased productivity. Similarly, neglecting to address minor maintenance issues in a home can result in signi cant repair costs down the line.
e weight of pending decisions can contribute signi cantly to stress and anxiety levels. As decisions linger unresolved, they occupy mental space, causing worry and indecision. is prolonged state of uncertainty can take a toll on mental well-being, leading to increased stress, anxiety, and even decision paralysis. e longer a decision is delayed, the greater the mental burden becomes, impacting overall productivity and quality of life.
We have all probably read or heard the thoughts about having to swallow a frog and doing it rst thing in the morning. If we don’t, that frog is only going to get bigger and uglier as the day progresses. It’s the same with decision making, the longer we hold out, the bigger and uglier that decision becomes.
In professional contexts, consistently delaying decisions can erode trust and credibility. Stakeholders, whether they are employees, clients, or investors, expect timely and decisive
action from leaders. When decisions are repeatedly postponed, it can convey indecisiveness or a lack of competence, damaging trust and tarnishing reputation. Similarly, in personal relationships, consistently deferring decisions can strain trust and lead to frustration or resentment from those a ected by the delay.
Delaying decisions can also strip individuals of their sense of control and autonomy. Rather than actively shaping outcomes, they become passive observers, subject to the whims of circumstance or the decisions of others. is loss of agency can be disempowering and detrimental to both personal and professional growth. Without taking decisive action, individuals may nd themselves trapped in undesirable situations or unable to pursue their goals and aspirations.
While it’s natural to hesitate or seek additional information before making important decisions, the costs of prolonged delay can outweigh the bene ts. From missed opportunities and escalating problems to increased stress and diminished trust, the consequences of postponing decisions can be far-reaching and profound. To mitigate these risks, it’s essential to
cultivate a proactive approach to decision-making, embracing uncertainty and taking calculated risks when necessary. By confronting decisions head-on and taking timely action, individuals and organizations can navigate challenges more e ectively and seize opportunities for growth and success. Remember, in the journey of life, indecision is often the heaviest burden to bear.
As David Sandler said, “A decision not to make a decision, is still a decision.”
What are you seeing in your circle of family, friends, coworkers, and customers? Are they wrestling with all decisions both big and small? I would love to hear your decision-making story at gotonorton@gmail.com and when we can have the courage to make decisions when we know in our heart and mind that it’s the right thing to do, it really will be a better than good life.
lous. If you want to do it, why not?”
Recently retired, Chuck stays more than entertained. In the mornings, he goes to the backyard to feed the squirrels, sometimes even letting them sit on his shoulder. When he’s not biking, he enjoys taking photos, cooking for Cathy and spending hours in his shed xing the wind chimes that have fallen apart in the couple’s backyard.
“ ere’s just so many things,” Chuck said. “Learning never ends. ere’s always something new.”
More likely than his birthday, Chuck thinks his perspective on life comes from his father.
“ at perspective of — the glass isn’t even half-full but you see it that way — that may just be something that’s genetic in me as well,” he said. “You try to see the bright side of things.”
Chuck is carrying a lifetime’s worth of wisdom into his 18th birthday on Leap Day.
“And the 29th?” he said. “Yeah, maybe that just is kind of a turbocharger for it at times.”
Cathy and Chuck Pfae e smile with their dog, Leia. Going along with the space theme, the dog was, indeed, named after the princess in Star Wars. PHOTO
BY NINA JOSS