Elbert County News May 23, 2024

Meet the Democrats running for Congress in Colorado’s District 4 race

BY SUZIE GLASSMAN

A Democrat hasn’t won the U.S. House seat in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District since Betsy Markey in 2008. Two years later, Republican Cory Gardner pushed her out and held the seat until he successfully ran for the U.S. Senate in 2014.

en came Ken Buck, a Republican from Weld County, who had a lock on the seat for more than nine years until his shocking retirement earlier this year.

And, Republicans vying to replace Buck have grabbed almost all the headlines, especially Lauren Boebert, the Western Slope congresswoman who wants to switch to the 4th District.

But Democrats Trisha Calvarese, Isaac “Ike” McCorkle and John Padora seek to o er an alternative to the status quo.

ey face an uphill battle. In the past two presidential elections, District 4 voters have favored Republicans at a rate of 13 percentage points higher than the national average, leading many people to believe whichever Republican wins the primary election in June will have a lock on winning the seat in November.

Yet, the three Democrats say not so fast. With 46.4% of the district’s

voters registered as uwna liated and 16.7% Democrat, each believes Democrats have a chance at winning the district. Here’s why.

About the Democratic Candidates

Trisha Calvarese is a native of Highlands Ranch and the only Democratic candidate born and raised in the 4th District. She was working for the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, the country’s largest federation of unions, in Washington, D.C., when her mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She moved home to pro-

vide end-of-life care when her dad also got sick and later died. Running for o ce became a gift to herself and her parents, who were the rst to endorse her candidacy.

Calvarese’s top priorities are health care, including defending seniors and restoring reproductive rights and expanding access to education, job training programs, and infrastructure like broadband internet in rural communities. She’s also focused on democracy in American leadership, both domestically and globally, in areas like technology and national security.

Rock Church takes

over homeless

to federal court

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e Rock Church is taking its lawsuit to allow the church to provide temporary housing for homeless people in Castle Rock to federal court.

e lawsuit, led in the U.S. District Court for Colorado, argues the Town of Castle Rock is violating the church’s religion freedom by prohibiting it from o ering short-term shelter to people in need.  e church has used an RV and a trailer on its property to temporarily house people who otherwise would have nowhere to sleep and shelter from the weather. Last year, town determined the arrangement was not permitted by the church’s zoning. e church hasn’t provided shelter since.

In addition to prohibiting shelter in the RV and trailer on the property, the lawsuit also alleges Castle Rock prevented its e orts to provide emergency shelter through partnerships with the Red Cross and Douglas County’s Homeless Engagement, Assistance and Resource Team.

Jeremy Dys, an attorney for First Liberty Institute, a nonpro t Christian conservative legal organization based in Texas that is representing e Rock, said the church considers providing shelter to be a core part of its religious mission.

It’s not just Republicans, including Lauren Boebert, who are facing a primary in June for the Congressional District 4 race. Three Democrats – from left, Ike McCorkle, Trisha Calvarese and John Padora – are also vying to be on the fall ballot.

IMAGES PERMISSION CANDIDATES’

Dys said the goal of the lawsuit is to defend the church’s First Amend-

are, frankly, desperate in terms of housing, to nd a safe place to stay for a short period of time,” Dys said.

SPEAK OUT!

ity of communities,” and otherwise would not comment, citing pending litigation.

In January, the Rock led a complaint in the Douglas County District Court against Castle Rock over the same allegations. Dys said the federal suit will supersede that complaint.

e church is asking the courts for an injunction to provide shelter while the lawsuit is ongoing.

“Every single day the church is not able to do what they are called by God to do, this ministry, is a denial of their civil rights,” Dys said. “ e town can’t simply come in and say you can be a church that operates from 9 a.m to noon on Sundays, Wednesday nights and a couple Bible studies. e Constitution takes a dim view of the state or the town dictating to a religious entity what their religious practice is or ought to be.”

Shelter for unhoused people is a hot button issue across Douglas County, which has no o cial shelter and paused its winter shelter network in 2023. e Rock participated in that network and Polhemus sits on the Douglas County Homeless Initiative.

e county’s main approach to unhoused residents is the Homeless Engagement, Assistance and

The Rock Church is talking to people in its neighborhood to get their feedback on a potential a ordable housing development, which is stoking controversy in Castle Rock even though a formal plan has not been submitted to the town.

Resource Team, which utilizes sheri ’s deputies and co-responders to connect people with services. According to the annual Point in Time Count, there were 72 people experiencing homelessness in Douglas County on a single day in January of 2023.

In June 2023, Douglas County Commissioners approved a camping ban for public property in the unincorporated parts of the county.

Previous conversations about building a shelter or o ering temporary housing in Douglas County and Castle Rock have been controversial, with one devolving into shouting.

Dys said the lack of shelter in the surrounding area helps bolster the church’s contention that it is working to ll that gap.

“ e town should be coming to the church and thanking them for helping solve an intractable problem, but instead they’re punishing them and telling them they’re not wanted as part of the community,” he said.

In addition to temporary shelter, e Rock had been working on a plan to build income-restricted housing on its property, which has since been paused, according to the lawsuit. ough the lawsuit only asks for a ruling on the temporary housing, it’s unclear what impact it would have on a future a ordable housing development.

COURTESY THE ROCK CHURCH

Aurora Model Home Event Was Uninspiring. Where’s

Last Wednesday, I joined 50+ metro area Realtors for a “progressive model home tour” at the Painted Prairie subdivision in Aurora, just south of the Gaylord Rockies resort near DIA. The weather was perfect, and the turnout must have exceeded expectations since the food ran out early at the seven different builder sales centers on the tour.

Six builders partnered in this event which was sponsored by the two metro area Realtor associations — Denver Metro and South Metro. It was well planned and executed, with registration happening at Honeysuckle Park, and the sales offices of the builders all within walking distance. Free shuttles ran constantly, too.

gas forced air furnaces and gas water heaters that I have seen over the last decade at new-home subdivisions.

the

Innovation & Sustainability?

tification but didn’t want to pay the EPA’s fee for it.

Of these builders, Meritage has the best reputation for sustainability. Our office did a field trip to their Richards Farm subdivision in Arvada many years ago, and we were impressed at their use of spray foam insulation and conditioned attics. Instead of finding further progress toward sustainability, I found that only the front and back walls of the Painted Prairie homes have spray foam insulation, although they still have conditioned attics.

Last week I wrote about the new “Energy Star NextGen” certification, which requires all-electric design, not just Energy Star appliances. None of these builders even aspire to that certification. For that, you need to look at Thrive Home Builders, which is building allelectric homes in Loretta Heights, Baseline (Boulder), and Lone Tree. Thrive homes are also EPA Indoor airPLUS qualified, something not even mentioned by any of the Painted Prairie builders.

At registration we were given a map of the sales offices. The participating builders were KB Home, Berkeley Homes, David Weekley Homes, Meritage Homes, Remington Homes, and New Home Co.

KB Home had two sales offices on the 7-stop tour — one for their paired homes and one for single-family homes. I had my own agenda for that day. I wanted to know what innovations and sustainability features these builders were incorporating in their 2024 products. I saw very little of either. These were the same stick-built homes with

All the builders are installing highefficiency gas forced air furnaces (93% to 96% efficient). There wasn’t a heat pump system in any of the homes, nor was a heat pump upgrade possible. All the water heaters are gas units, half of them tankless, and a heat pump water heater is not available as an upgrade, despite the huge tax credits available.

Several of the builders were including 220V wiring to the garage for electric vehicles and prewiring or conduits for roof-top solar PV — making them “solar ready” — but both were options if available at all.

All of the builders said their homes are “Energy Star certified,” except for one which claims to qualify for that cer-

Just Listed: 4-Bedroom Arvada Home

If I were in the market for a new home, I would certainly look at a Thrive Home Builders community.

All the builders promoted the fact that they will continue paying a co-op commission — typically 3% on the base price at closing — to agents who bring them a buyer. Given the turmoil in the resale market regarding buyer agent compensation, a new home is the one purchase in which buyers can have professional representation without paying for it themselves. This will not be going away.

Sustainability aside, there was one builder at Painted Prairie that I liked, a company I had never heard of before — New Home Co. What impressed me

was their lack of upgrade fees. You can choose different styles of cabinets and countertops, but you don’t pay extra for any of them. Also, they had some innovative electrical components, and they include a video doorbell. They also give buyers $30,000 to use for buying down the mortgage interest rate to 3.5% the first year, 4.5% the second year and 5.5% for 28 years.

Metro District Taxes + HOA Dues

As in many new subdivisions, the infrastructure for Painted Prairie was funded by Metro Tax District bonds. The district has its own mill levy to pay off those bonds. While the HOA dues are spelled out on the MLS, the mill levy is not. At www.LifeAtPaintedPrairie.com the district mill levy is revealed — over 75 mills.

Polis Signs Bill Mandating Accessory Dwelling Units

$750,000

You’ll love this move-in ready two-story home at 7885 Quail Street in the Oak Park section of Arvada. It is just two blocks from Alice Sweet Thomas Park to the west and Sierra Park to the east. The sellers have taken excellent care of this house since buying it 34 years ago. It has four bedrooms and 2½ baths and 2,021 main square feet plus an unfinished basement. The corner lot is just under a half acre and is beautifully landscaped. Built in 1978 of brick with wood framing, it has central A/C and gas forced air heating, plus a wood-burning fireplace. All appliances in the kitchen are included, as are the washer and dryer. Find magazine-quality photos and a narrated video tour at www.ArvadaHome.info, then call me at 303-525-1851 to request a private showing. I will be holding it open this Sunday, May 26th, from 11am to 1pm

One of the housing bills signed by Gov. Jared Polis this month was one which requires larger municipalities and unincorporated communities to allow the building of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on lots zoned for single family homes. Like the other new housing laws, this one is designed to address the shortage of housing units by increasing density.

The new law emphasizes that ADUs provide compact, affordable housing options in established neighborhoods with minimal impact on infrastructure, addressing various housing needs such as rental income generation for homeowners and intergenerational living arrangements.

The law underscores ADUs’ role in addressing childcare deserts and facilitating aging in place, particularly significant as Colorado's population ages. ADUs are noted

for their energy efficiency, environmental benefits, and cost-effectiveness, aligning with the state’s goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and meeting climate targets.

Furthermore, the law acknowledges the impact of local land-use regulations on ADU construction and affordability, advocating for more permissive regulations to increase housing supply, stabilize costs, and promote equitable homeownership. It emphasizes the need for consistent regulations to foster a robust ADU market and facilitate affordable housing solutions statewide.

Ultimately, the law declares increasing ADU construction or conversion as a matter of mixed statewide and local concern, recognizing the broader implications for housing affordability and community development across Colorado.

We proudly provide free use of this moving truck to our sellers and buyers, along with free moving boxes, bubble wrap and packing paper.

Non-profits and community organizations also put lots of free miles on it!

Jim Smith

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

CANDIDATES

e last Democrat to enter the race and substantially behind the others in fundraising, Calvarese said she gained her party’s support to win topline billing on the primary ballot by knocking on doors and making phone calls. e Democratic party also chose Calvarese ahead of Padora as its nominee to run in the June 25 special election to ll out the remainder of Buck’s term.

She believes her message resonates because she’s a “daughter of the district” and has extensive experience in Washington, D.C., bringing opposite sides of an issue together.

Calvarese, who was raised by a conservative father in a Catholic household, said she understands those values and believes the district’s constituents have far more in common than they think.

“When you remove the labels and remove the rhetoric, we all want the same thing. We all love our kids, our communities and our country,” she said.

She knows her stance on protecting women’s access to abortion may put her at odds with some of her constituents. “I would never impose a onesize- ts-all solution on everyone,” she said. “I’m also hearing concern about access to things like IVF (in vitro fertilization). Douglas County has one of the highest rates of IVF in the country, and we need access to care without inserting the will of politicians.”

Losing her parents to cancer taught her that death doesn’t discriminate. “It doesn’t care if you’re Republican or Democrat, so let’s make our systems work better.”

Ike McCorkle is a retired Marine Corps Ocer and Purple Heart recipient from a long line of family members who dedicated their lives to military service. Running for o ce is an extension of his devotion to public service.

McCorkle ran for the 4th District seat in 2020 and 2022, losing to Buck both times. As a result, he says he’s learned that it can take years of hard work and commitment to win over hearts and minds, especially those of the opposing party, but he’s con dent this year will be di erent. “ e lessons, data, experience, donor network, and knowledge we have gained over three cycles of work will lead us to victory,” he said. “I have a committed professional sta and the ability to do the targeted outreach needed to reach the persuadable una liated and Republican voters in district four.”

McCorkle’s top priorities are defending democratic values, protecting women’s rights, and defeating those who seek to steal elections and undermine our system for personal gain. In his talks with the district’s constituents, McCorkle said he’s heard they are extremely concerned about maintaining the foundations of democracy and see Boebert as a threat.

He also believes many politicians say they want to x the immigration system but don’t back efforts to do it.

“ ey are more concerned with preserving their political talking points than with national security,” said McCorkle.

If elected, he would seek to nd bipartisan support for the measure.

“I know that there are Republicans and Democrats in Congress who want to work together on the big issues facing us, and I will nd those leaders immediately and get to work. We not only need to nd common ground in Congress, but we need to nd it among our constituencies in CD4. I rmly believe that we have more in common than not, and many of our constituents have been lied to about what and who will work best for them,” said McCorkle.

McCorkle was arrested earlier this year for allegedly violating a protection order led after a family dispute and faces a misdemeanor charge. Soon after his arrest, he told the Douglas County News-Press that he sent an email to his family member intending to reconcile and hoped the issue would be resolved soon. McCorkle is scheduled to appear in court on May 28.

John Padora grew up in a working-class community in Pennsylvania and was inspired to become active in the wake of a severe car accident he linked to prescribed painkillers. A stint in the county prison inspired him to rehabilitate himself and advocate for policy changes like a drug diversion program to keep nonviolent o enders out of prison.

He has spent summers and winters in Boulder and Estes Park and relocated to Severance in 2021.

“I got into the race for House Representative because I felt like we needed to give people another Democratic choice, and we needed a fresh

perspective from someone who can talk to folks with conservative values,” he said.

Padora’s top priorities are economic, foreign, and environmental policy. Within economic policy, his goals are making healthcare more a ordable, lowering in ation, paying workers higher wages and o ering subsidies for rst-time homebuyers to help rebuild the middle class. He also wants to advocate for small businesses and family farms.

His priorities include reducing government waste in military spending and pursuing a twostate solution for Israel and Palestine. Within environmental policy, he endorses a green energy transition, protecting fossil fuel workers and ensuring long-term water sustainability and clean air and water.

When it comes to immigration, Padora believes what’s happening at the border is a humanitarian crisis and that both major political parties have been passing the buck from one administration to the next without a plan to address it.

“I would like to see less militarization of the border, more resources devoted to deporting criminals who don’t belong in our country and the creation of an expedited path for citizenship for everyday families seeking refuge,” he said.

Pandora de nes himself as an unconventional Democrat who learned how to communicate with people of all types, citing his youth on a farm in southwestern Pennsylvania with a conservative family.

“People don’t want these blue dog Democrats to come into the district with the same types of policies they would embrace in California or New York,” he said. “ ey want people that are pragmatic, centrist and progressive who can listen to both sides of the equation.”

A ballot drop box sits on Feb. 14 in Highlands Ranch outside Douglas County’s parks and trails administration building.

PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD

Parker police release sketch of suspect in alleged school abduction attempt

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A composite sketch of a suspect involved in an alleged attempted abduction on May 8 near an elementary school in Parker has been released by local police in an attempt to identify the man.

e Parker Police Department is asking residents near Frontier Valley Elementary School and Cimarron Middle School to review their security cameras for video from the morning of Wednesday, May 8, between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. ey are seeking video of the

incident, the victim or the suspect.

e suspect has been described as a white male, about 50 years of age, with graying hair and a mustache. e suspect was driving a black Audi 4-door car with Colorado plates, including tinted windows and a rack.

In the 23000 block of East Bay Oaks Avenue at about 7:50 a.m., an elementary-aged male was walking to school when the car allegedly approached him. A child reported the incident to a sta member at the elementary school and the school, along with

four surrounding schools, were put into a “secure status” for a few hours as police canvassed the area.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call the Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 or submit an online tip metrodenvercrimestoppers.com/ submit-a-tip.

The Parker Police Department released a composite sketch of a potential suspect involved in an attempted abduction in Parker on Wednesday, May 8.

COURTESY OF THE PARKER POLICE DEPARTMENT

to the Ben Franklin Academy Class of 2024!

A very special group of students are graduating from BFA this year! We’re very proud of this imaginative, supportive and enthusiastic group of students. We’re going to miss their caring nature, their spunkiness and the way they’ve contributed their many talents to enriching the BFA community. During their time at BFA, they explored new interests, began life-long friendships, and grew into responsible, independent and intelligent young adults.

Graduates - We know your positivity and determination will inspire others and help you excel as you transition into high school. We wish you the very best!

Introducing our exceptional eighth grade graduates:

Peyton Agnew

Afton Ahlstrom

Riley Baker

Dillon Baldwin

Elyssia Barwind

Sabine Beasley

Aubrey Benitez

Brady Blanchard

Lucy Burgess

AnnaLivia Calahan

Soraya Chandler

Maya Chrzanowski

Mark Citrin

Nathaniel Day

Blake Dehner

Natalie DeLaO

Jacob Dillman

Joseph Domenico

Cooper Doolittle

Sawyer Doolittle

Olivia Emanuel

Vivienne Epstein

Ryan Fillmore

Jacob Gautier

Lucas Greer

Alexis Grissom

Isaac Grissom

Levi Haufschild

Lynna Ho

Charlotte Hope

Ian Johnson

Cambrya Jones

Ava Keen

Tanner Kimball

Chase Kinley

Carly Knudsen

Noah Kolbo

Elijah Kotzker

Derek Lam

Grayson Lee

Aubrey Leverson

Mia Levy

Brooke Libner

Annalys Longo

Maggie Marino

Keian Martinez

McClain Mayka

Charlee McChesney

Riley McMeekin

Liliana Molieri

Alexandra Monis

Dominic Montelongo

Anya Motazedi

Anna Mundackal

Charlie Murphy

Grayson Murry

Taylor Neale

Rajeev Nelson

Wendy Nguyen

Joshua Olson

Evan Paul

Genevieve Paulson

Kalina Perry

Lainey Pierce

Zachary Pooler

Thomas Reager

Sophie Runyon

Avani Saboo

Luke E. Smith

Luke P. Smith

Maily Smith

Natalia Solis Aceves

Evan Southwick

Ruby Speer

Trevor Spykerman

Alexa Staib

Finley Stockton

Chase Stolte

Kailah Sugiyama

Lillian Sutherland

Chase Svanda

Jace Trenck

Ella Turtle

Jack Vaughan

Talon Wagner

Rowan Warner

Jackson West

Brooke Wilson

Grayson Wilt

Luke Wood

John Young

Legislators adjust law to aid incarcerated students

BY JASON GONZALES CHALKBEAT COLORADO

Some incarcerated Colorado students who committed nonviolent o enses have taken college classes for the last year with the understanding they would earn an early release.

But because of a con icting law on the books, a law passed last year never worked as intended. Instead, state Rep. Matthew Martinez, a Monte Vista Democrat, said he got letters from incarcerated students and calls from families across the state because incarcerated family members couldn’t shave o as much time as promised from their sentences for earning an associates, bachelor’s, or master’s degree.

“ ere’s just been a lot of heartache that their student had made signi cant progress on their degree,” Martinez said. “And then they were being told that they weren’t able to receive the maximum amount of time.”

Martinez and the Colorado General Assembly say they’ve xed that problem this year, allowing students to get up to two years o their sentence. House Bill 1461 has passed both chambers and awaits Gov. Jared Polis’ signature.

Under the con icting state law, people incarcerated in the state’s prisons can only get up to 30% of their sentence forgiven. Martinez said the state corrections department was only granting students 120 days o their sentences, when

the law passed last year should have allowed them to get between six months and two years shaved o .

About 270 incarcerated students are taking college classes and eligible for a sentence reduction, Martinez said.

Under an expansion of the Second Chance Pell program, more incarcerated students are eligible to get federal funds to attend college. Colorado is one of the rst states in the nation to also employ incarcerated professors to help educate students in prison.

House Bill 1461 clari es that the state wants to give incarcerated students who committed a nonviolent o ense more of an incentive to get a college education. For earning a college certi cate, students can get

six months of forgiveness. For earning an associate or bachelor’s degree, they can get one year. And for earning a master’s degree, students can get two years reduced from their sentence.

e “technical cleanup” bill restores hope and inspiration to students and families, Martinez said. And he said it shows that education can help students nd a way out of prison, as well as stay out.

“ is is something that we can do that can not only get families back together, but really reduce the recidivism here in the state of Colorado,” Martinez said.

Chalkbeat is a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools.

REVERSE MORTGAGES MADE

Outdoor preschools could soon get state licenses

BY ANN SCHIMKE CHALKBEAT COLORADO

Fourteen preschoolers sang “Eggs, larva, pupa, adults,” on a recent morning, curling up on the grass, wriggling around like caterpillars, lying still, and then apping their arms in search of wild owers. e song, along with redwing blackbird calls and a bit of tra c noise, was the soundtrack of their morning circle, which kicked o near a wetland in southeast Denver. e children weren’t on a eld trip. ey were attending preschool outside like they always do, under the supervision of teachers from Nature School Cooperative. It was early May and, although the 3- and 4-year-olds didn’t know it, a momentous week for schools like theirs.

Colorado lawmakers were about to pass a bill that would allow outdoor preschools — sometimes called forest schools — to be recognized with state child care licenses adapted to their format.

Advocates say the great outdoors is an ideal classroom, giving young children the chance to move freely, learn about the natural world, and assess risks and solve problems in a way indoor classrooms don’t allow. ey say licensing will open the programs to a wider swath of families by unlocking public dollars available through Colorado’s universal preschool and child care subsidy programs.

Candace Johnson, whose two children attend Nature School Cooperative ve days a week, said the

BATHROOM REMODELING DONE RIGHT

school is a big expense, but worth it because her kids get so much out of it, even on cold, snowy days.

She said it would be “invaluable” if the schools could be licensed and access funds to cut costs for parents.

Gov. Jared Polis is expected to sign the bill, which received support from some Republicans, into law in the next few weeks. Colorado will then become the second state after Washington to license outdoor preschools. State o cials still have to hammer out detailed rules, so it will be a year or two before Colorado begins handing out licenses.

In the meantime, advocates are celebrating the creation of a clear, state-approved pathway for outdoor preschools.

“We are just very excited and thankful,” said Jennifer Kollerup,

who heads the Colorado Collective for Nature-Based Early Education. Ryan Pleune, who co-owns Nature School Cooperative, said he was thrilled when lawmakers passed the bill. He hopes someday his program can be tuition-free for every family.

State rules aren’t tailored to outdoor preschools

Matt Hebard cried when he was testifying in support of the outdoor preschool bill in February. He began pushing for state recognition for outdoor preschools more than a decade ago, when he worked for what was then Colorado’s O ce of Early Childhood and is now the Department of Early Childhood.

Stampede to Read keeps literacy on pace

Rodeo sponsors program that aims to motivate kids

BY COURTNEY BAKOS SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

e Stampede to Read program, a community initiative sponsored by the Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo since 2007, aims to promote literacy and cultivate a lifelong love for reading among local children. is longstanding community program, made possible by the commitment of dedicated individuals and the support of the community and local schools, o ers educational enrichment and impacts the lives of countless young readers.

By setting attainable reading goals for students on a daily and weekly basis, the Stampede to Read program fosters a love of reading. Students who successfully complete their reading goals are rewarded for their achievements with a coveted ticket to the Elizabeth Stampede.

Earning a ticket to the Stampede encourages children to actively engage with reading and allows students and their families to enjoy a fun community event.

Carol Williams, who has served as the Stampede to Read coordinator for the past 13 years, radiates enthusiasm when recounting the program’s impact. “I love seeing the kids light up at the kicko assemblies,” she shared. e excitement is palpable as the barrel man from the rodeo takes center stage at school assemblies, regaling eager students with stories of his job and role at the rodeo. “He gets everyone involved and excited,” Williams recounted.

“He creates a bull riding event at the assembly and asks for student volunteers to help him.”

“I also love the stories I hear from parents saying how their child is now excited to sit down and read a book and hear that their child’s reading has improved,” said Williams.

e success of this program is highlighted by the increase in par-

Elbert County school to replace a reading program that had been cut has expanded to four participating schools within the county. It also draws participation from Franktown Elementary and Cherry Valley Elementary in neighboring Douglas County as well as local homeschool children.

Last year, roughly 600 elementary school-aged children earned their free Stampede tickets through this program. Not all who earn the tickets end up attending the event.

“About 140 are actually redeemed at the event,” said Williams, who

says the purpose of this program is to support literacy and encourage families to attend the Stampede. e Stampede to Read program thrives in our local community with the support of sta like Carol Williams, the community, participation from local schools and encouragement from parents. e Elizabeth Stampede and Rodeo takes place June 6-9, 2024 at Casey Jones Park in Elizabeth. If you would like your school or your homeschool child to participate, call the Elizabeth Stampede o ce at 303-646-0308 or send an email to info@elizabethstampede. com.

Weekly Carrier Routes Available

Castle Rock, Lone Tree, Parker & Highlands Ranch Areas

Part-time hours

Adaptable route sizes

• No suit & tie required! revious carrier experience encouraged; reliable vehicle and email access, required. no telephone inquiries - but email us at:

The Stampede to Read program aims to help instill a lifelong love of reading in children.

LOVE YOUR EYES

CLEAR VISION IS WITHIN REACH

Colorado Eye Consultants is dedicated to the preservation of sight and providing patients with the quality of life they deserve. Our patients receive personalized care by knowledgeable and experienced board-certified ophthalmologists to ensure the clarity needed to see the most important things in their world. Your vision is our utmost priority and we offer same day appointments to ensure you get the care you deserve!

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Elizabeth

Cemetery will be site of ceremony on May 27

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A legal newspaper of general circulation in Elizabeth, Colorado, the Elbert County News is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110.

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BY NICKY QUINBY SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Elizabeth’s American Legion EhrlerFinkbinder Post 82 will host its annual Memorial Day ceremony at Elizabeth Cemetery on May 27 at 11 a.m.

Elizabeth Cemetery is located at 598 W. Kiowa Ave., on the south side of Highway 86 just east of Elizabeth Street.

After the ceremony at Elizabeth Cemetery, the crowd will move to the Elizabeth Brewing Company at 239 Main St. for a traditional Burger Burn after the ceremony. In what is truly a unifying community event, the Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts will help post the ags, both the Elizabeth Stampede and Kiowa Rodeo queens will hand out ags, and the American Legion will hand out poppies. e police and re departments will also be there to show their support.

Post 82 Cmdr. Tedd Lipka said that his “hope is that, by continuing to make this ceremony a staple of Memorial Day in Elizabeth, we demonstrate to the town and the wider Elbert

County community that small-town values are alive and well. We remember our history, we honor those who gave the last full measure, and we will never be ashamed of pushing forward the founding principles of this great nation.”

e American Legion Auxiliary has also been handing out poppies ahead of the ceremony at the Elizabeth Walmart. Attendees are encouraged to wear the poppies in memory of those who have given their lives for our country. e red poppy became a symbol of the blood shed during battle after the poem “In Flanders Fields” was written by Lt. Col. John McCrae.

Lipka said the poppies help pass on Memorial Day history. “Too many people have forgotten that freedom means sacri ce, instead they increasingly rely on others, daily trading freedom for perceived security,” he said. Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, began as a series of small ceremonies honoring the fallen shortly after the Civil War and didn’t become a federal holiday until 1971.

Post 82 is almost as old as the American Legion itself. e Legion site reads: “We support our community through youth education programs, burger burns, honor guard details, remem-

brance ceremonies at our local veterans monument, and an annual food drive.”

Post 82 has been holding these ceremonies for more than 25 years. Lipka said the ceremony, formerly held by the cemetery maintenance building, started out much smaller. e ceremony has grown ever since dedicated citizens raised the money to build the Elizabeth Veterans Memorial in 2013. e memorial’s purpose is to “provide a place where our brave men and women from all branches of the service, past, present and future will be honored for their service to the United States of America in order that we may all live free.”

e American Legion, chartered and incorporated in 1919, is the nation’s largest non-partisan veterans service organization and is “committed to mentoring youth and sponsorship of wholesome programs in our communities, advocating patriotism and honor, promoting strong national security, and continued devotion to our fellow servicemembers and veterans.”

For more information about the Elizabeth American Legion or renting out the Legion hall, visit aml82.org or call Nancy Shannon at 909-720-1494.

The Elizabeth Cemetery Veterans Memorial is located at the entrance to the cemetery o Highway 86 at 598 W. Kiowa Ave. The memorial includes a veterans wall featuring bronze plaques for all five military branches. For Veterans Day 2013, a pentagon-shaped tower was built surrounded by five pillars with these inscriptions: pride, honor, courage, freedom and sacrifice. The cemetery will be the site of American Legion Ehrler-Finkbinder Post 82’s Memorial Day ceremony starting at 11 a.m. on May 27.

PHOTO BY NICKY QUINBY

School board leaning toward $490 million bond vote

Measure would be replay of request turned down in 2023

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Douglas County School Board members appear to favor asking voters to approve a $490 million capital improvement bond issue, essentially a replay of the bond request voted down by 52% of voters in 2023. e board is hoping a bigger voter turnout, given the 2024 presidential election, and growing awareness of the county’s schools state of disrepair, will lead to passage.

e board hasn’t yet voted on the

potential bond issue. Superintendent Erin Kane presented options for a potential bond, ranging from $490 million to $725 million, to the school board in May. Kane said the district needs funding to address repairs and building upkeep, noting that delaying xes often makes solutions more costly.

“Our capital maintenance backlog is crazy,” Kane told the school board.  e lower amount would cover the district’s maintenance needs for one year, fund two new elementary schools and one middle school expansion. e larger amount would pay for maintenance through 2028,

Douglas County School District headquarters in Castle Rock. FILE PHOTO

BOND

three new elementary schools, a middle school expansion and school improvements.

Douglas County has some growing neighborhoods that currently don’t have schools, including Sterling Ranch, the Canyons and Ridgegate. Students in those neighborhoods are being bused to over ow schools.

In 2023, the district asked voters for a $488 million bond to fund maintenance for three years, build three new elementary schools and expand two middle schools, but it failed with 52% of voters opposing. e district last passed a bond in 2018, which addressed capital maintenance through 2021.

Kane said the goal is to get back to passing bonds on a regular schedule of every three to four years, which the district did from 1984 to 2006.

She added that in ation has made construction and maintenance more expensive, explaining why the latest proposal would accomplish somewhat less than 2023’s; also, as maintenace is deferred, its cost expands.

Recent polling of roughly 400 people found that 56% of voters would support a $490 million bond, which would not increase taxes. Larger bonds would raise taxes; a $725 million bond, for instance, was estimated to increase taxes by $126 per year for a $1 million home.

If a bond is not placed on the ballot or if it fails, property taxes will decrease by an estimated $94 per year for a $1 million home.

is is the last year Douglas County can ask for a bond without increasing taxes due to the way that its debt payments are structured.  “As we structure debt over time, we look at our payments for where we can step down and potentially ll in with new debt,” Kane said, adding that the district needs taxpayer permission to take on new debt.

e board seemed to favor the

idea of asking for a $490 million bond because it’s tax-neutral and voter support shown in polling.

“Some of the results we saw in the polling is because it’s clear it would be without an increase on your current taxes,” said board member Susan Meek. “I don’t want to risk not passing a bond this time around because we’re asking for more money.”

Board president Christy Williams said she is “gun-shy” about asking voters to support a bond for a third year in a row when voters have previously opposed the bonds.

But Todd Vitale, a consultant, said this year will have a much larger voter turnout because of the presidential election and the electorate is likely to skew more in favor of school funding.

“We just barely fell short last November,” Vitale said. “Sometimes it takes two or three bites at the apple before voters are both educated about what’s happening, have learned what the need is, and over time (become) more comfortable.”

Board member Tim Moore was also initially hesitant, but now leans in favor of asking for a bond because of the nancial impact of delayed maintenance and lack of schools.

“ e longer I’m here and learn about what’s really going on behind the scenes, what the need is and why it exists, I tend to lean in favor of (the $490 million bond),” Moore said.

Passing a tax-neutral bond now means that future bonds will require more signi cant tax increases, Kane, the superintendent, warned.

Kane said a $725 million bond would allow the district to keep on top of maintenance needs and open the potential for future tax-neutral bonds.

“It sets us up for getting to a place where we can stay within the (tax) rate while we continue to maintain and invest in our capital,” she said. “It isn’t just one and done, we have to continue to invest in our buildings over time.”

Building trust in an untrusting society

In a world where skepticism often takes precedence over trust, fostering genuine connections can feel like an uphill battle. e adage that “people will talk with people they like, but they will do business with people they trust,” rings particularly true in our interactions both in personal life and in business. Trust and open, honest communication are not merely additives to relationships but essential ingredients that determine their health and longevity.

e process starts with communication — open, transparent and honest. Communication is the vehicle through which trust can be established. When people communicate clearly and openly, they lay down the groundwork for understanding and reliability. Honest communication does not just mean sharing the good; it also means being open about the bad and the ugly. It’s about being vulnerable and true to one’s feelings and intentions. When such transparency is reciprocated, it creates a strong bond that is di cult to break.

WINNING

Trust is also about consistency. People trust those who act consistently over time—those whose actions match their words. is consistency needs to be evident in all aspects of one’s behavior, from the way one handles commitments to how one responds in crises. It’s the predictability in behavior that comforts people, giving them a sense of security that they know who you are and what you stand for.

Another cornerstone in building trust is giving others the bene t of the doubt. is concept might seemw counterintuitive in a society that encourages us to be wary. However, extending the bene t of the doubt can be a powerful tool. It means treating initial misunderstandings or mistakes not as deliberate breaches of trust, but as human errors. is approach does not mean being naive; rather, it’s about tempering judg-

Here in the Douglas County School District, we have some of the most dedicated teachers, principals and support sta who give their all each and every day to ensure that our students receive the best possible education. Because of their e orts, the 2023-2024 school year was full of celebrations!

Did you know?

For the rst time in a decade, DCSD is the top-scoring district in the Denver metro area!

DCSD is one of the only districts in the country to have met or exceeded our 2019 (pre-pandemic!!) scores in every subject and every grade.

DCSD is one of the only school districts in the state to increase prociency levels across all student subgroups.

ment with empathy until proven otherwise. When you approach interactions with this mindset, you not only encourage a more forgiving and understanding environment but also promote a culture where others feel safe to be honest and forthcoming.

is is not to suggest that trust should be unconditional and unlimited. Indeed, discernment is necessary, as blind trust can lead to exploitation. Rather, it’s about creating a baseline of trust that allows relationships to ourish while maintaining the vigilance necessary to protect oneself from deceit.

Encouraging trust also involves acknowledging and addressing the realities of previous betrayals. Trust cannot be rebuilt without recognizing past failures and actively working to prevent future breaches. is may involve systemic changes to ensure transparency, justice and fairness. It also involves personal commitments to not repeat past mistakes, to learn from them, and to grow.

Building trust in an untrusting society requires e ort from individuals

A look back at 2023-2024

and institutions alike. It requires a commitment to honest communication, consistency in actions, and a willingness to give the bene t of the doubt. It also demands an understanding of when to extend trust and when to guard it. As we navigate our daily interactions, let us strive to be agents of trust, fostering relationships that are not only functional but also enriched with integrity and respect. In doing so, we not only enhance our personal connections but also contribute to the broader societal good, paving the way for a more trusting and cohesive community. How about you? Are you a trust rst person, or an earn my trust rst person? I would love to hear your story of trust at gotonorton@gmail. com, and when we can expand our trust horizons, it really will be a better than good life.

Michael Norton is an author, a personal and professional coach, consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator of individuals and businesses, working with organizations and associations across multiple industries.

DCSD is one of the leaders, nationwide, in “blurring the lines” between PK-12, higher education and industry through our incredible Concurrent Enrollment/ Career and Technical Education offerings (over 20K seats!) and our partnerships with multiple higher education institutions, providing students additional pathways to success after high school, whether they choose college or go straight to industry. Finally, DCSD ranked number 11 on the list of the 250 “most envied” school districts in the country by Test Prep Insight (DCSD is the only Colorado school district in the top

65!).

Award-winning academic success irty- ve of our schools received the 2023 John Irwin Award of Excellence from the Colorado Department of Education.

Ten of our schools received the 2023 Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award from the CDE. Parker Core Knowledge Charter was named a 2023 Colorado National Blue Ribbon School.

The future is bright! What’s next for DCSD?

In the coming school year, we will ask our community to join us in conversations about our future. Looking ahead 10 years to 2035 and beyond, together we will:

PARTNER: Continued partnerships with our families, students and sta to remain in that number

one spot! Together, we will take on issues that impact our kids, like social media.

DREAM: Community conversations around what we want for DCSD 10 years from now and beyond.

DECIDE: Determine what we want our kids to know and be able to do in 2035 and beyond.

EXPLORE: Prepare students for the workforce and life after high school as it looks in their future. is means leveraging (safely!) the world of Arti cial Intelligence (AI) and whatever else is to come. ank you for an incredible 20232024 school year. We are very grateful for our students, families, teachers, sta and community members.

#ProudtoBeDCSD

Erin Kane is the Superintendent of the Douglas County School District

Erin Kane

‘The Prom’ ends Town Hall Arts Center’s 41st season

Spring is prom season, which makes it the perfect time for Littleton’s Town Hall Arts Center to host the Colorado premiere of the joyous Broadway musical, “ e Prom.”

“Some theaters are known for doing tried-and-true classics ey’re intended to entertain. Other theaters are known for producing newer ‘thinkers,’ or message-pieces. ey’re intended to inspire,” wrote Steven Burge, marketing manager at the arts center. “Town Hall Arts Center believes you can do both and ‘ e Prom’ is perfect for that intent.”

COMING ATTRACTIONS

“ e Prom” runs at the Town Hall Arts Center, 2450 Main St. in Littleton, from Friday, May 24 through Sunday, June 23. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. ursday, Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday.

e show follows a quartet of Broadway stars who are trying to nd a good cause to champion as a way to get back into the spotlight. When they hear about a small town in Indiana that is refusing to allow a young woman to take her girlfriend to the prom, they think they’ve found what they’re looking for.

“It’s a classic forbidden love story that we’ve all seen and loved and rooted for, for years. But it is a couple’s story that isn’t told every day,” Burge wrote. “While entertaining and uplifting the spirits of our audience members is the overarching goal, if we can do that and amplify the voices of queer youth at the same time, that’s great.”

e show features music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin and the book by Bob Martin Beguelin. e cast is made up of new faces and longtime Town Hall favorites, like Margie Lamb and Sonsharae Tull, as well as Piper Lindsay Arpan, an actual Broadway performer who was a Radio City Rockette and performed in the Broadway production of Monty Python’s “Spamalot.”

Burge describes the music as very emblematic of contemporary musical theater show tunes, with some nods to Bob Fosse and Stephen Sondheim thrown in for good musical-theater-nerd measure.

When all of this is combined, it makes “ e Prom” the perfect show to end the theater’s season and welcome summer to the state.

Clarke Reader

“We hope folks will leave humming and smiling, and feeling a little bit lighter and happier than they felt coming into the theater,” Burge added. “We hope that people will see that there is quality, cultural theatrical entertainment to be experienced outside of Denver. Littleton community members, Highlands Ranchers and south suburbanites in general can nd award-winning musical theater right here on Main Street, Littleton.”

Indian Market & Powwow returns to Tesoro Cultural Center

e Tesoro Cultural Center, 19192 CO-8 in Morrison, is hosting the 23rd annual Indian Market & Powwow, one of its most beloved events, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, and Sunday, June 2. ere will also be food, exhibitions and the honoring of a Native veteran. More information can be found at https://www.tesoroculturalcenter. org/the-23nd-annual-indian-market-and-powwow/.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Maggie Rogers at Red Rocks

Maggie Rogers makes the kind of music that can sweep you away if you let it. Since her debut studio album, “Heard It in a Past Life” was released, she’s been a favorite of those looking for depth to go with their musical earworms. Just a month ago, Rogers released her third record, “Don’t Forget Me,” and it’s one of the year’s best. She’s said she wants the album to sound like a Sunday afternoon, and she certainly delivered. In support of the album, Rogers is bringing her Don’t Forget Me Tour to Red Rocks, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway in Morrison, at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 27, and Tuesday, May 28. As opener, she’s tapped e Japanese House, one of my favorite alt rock performers.

Get tickets at www.axs.com.

Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail. com.

Centennial State ranks highly for indie bookstores per capita; shopkeepers say neighborhoods benefit

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

As the school year comes to a close for some and the summer begins for all, Coloradans may be looking for something to ll their time. Luckily, they need to look no further than their local bookstores, which o er community, games and more, beyond books.

While big box stores and bookselling chains o er wide selections and thorough organizational systems, smaller stores allow for customers to converse with someone well-versed in the pages they spend each day around.

Here are six local independent bookstores worth checking out in the Denver metro area.

Capitol Hill Books | Denver

300 East Colfax Ave., Denver, Colorado 80203 | (303)-837-0700 | info@capitolhillbooks.com | capitolhillbooks. com |Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day Bringing books to Denver for 44 years, Capitol Hill Books houses a large collection of used and rare books. Both its placement and longevity have made the store a neighborhood staple.

“Everyone has seen this store as they drive through town,” said owner Ben Hall, who has spent 15 years working there, the last year and a half as owner. “It’s one of the de ning features of Cap Hill, our sign that says used books.”

In addition to being a Colfax mainstay, Hall believes the store serves an

important place in the community.

“I think having a neighborhood bookstore is important,” Hall said. “A neighborhood used bookstore gives everyone in the neighborhood a chance to nd something to read. You can do that at a library too, but maybe you want to take it home.

“It just means more people in the neighborhood will spend time reading,” Hall added. “Maybe I’m biased, but I think that’s important.”

Petals and Pages of Denver

956 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, Colorado 80204 | info@petalsandpagesofdenver.com | petalsandpagesofdenver. com | Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, closed Mondays

Petals and Pages o ers a bit more than your average bookstore. e queer woman-owned shop is both a bookstore and ower shop — with a bakery coming soon.

e shop also serves as a community space, with a variety of events every month. With book clubs covering a range of genres—such as romance, poetry, social justice, fantasy, queer literature and more—any reader can nd a club for them. For those that simply want a place to read, the store also o er read-a-thons.

However, the events aren’t limited to books. From game nights to burlesque classes to oral classes to speed dating, Petals and Pages has many classes and events to bring people together.

“Support your local indie bookstore,” says a message posted outside Petals and Pages of Denver.

PHOTO BY RYLEE DUNN

The music books section inside Capitol Hill Books. The shop has been open for over 44 years.

BOOKSTORES

Sudden Fiction Books | Castle Rock

221 Perry St., Castle Rock, Colorado 80104 | (303)-856-8181 | hello@ sudden ctionbooks.com | suddenctionbooks.com| Open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays through ursdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays  Inside of Ecclesia Market, Sudden Fiction Books brings new and used books across many genres to Castle Rock.

“Our bookstore prioritizes working with the community and re ecting their interests,” said bookseller Luxe Palmer. “ e community builds us up. I think we keep a very good relationship with our patrons, which is something that big box bookstores are not able to do.”  e store not only o ers a place to shop for books, but a place to nd community, with book clubs and “Local Author Saturdays,” where a couple of local authors will spend the day hanging out and chatting about books.

“Working at an independent bookstore gives us a lot of opportunity to be able to interact with the customers and help them nd exactly what they need,” Palmer said. “It’s an absolute joy to work here.”

The Book Stop | Wheat Ridge

10840 West 44th Ave., Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033 | (303)-4254960 | srebooks@abookstop.com | https://www.abookstop.com/ | Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays

Since 1987, e Book Stop has brought books to Wheat Ridge.  e store has a bit of everything, o ering customers books across a wide variety of genres. With over 70,000 books in its inventory, e Book Stop has something for everyone, inviting customers to come get lost in the maze of bookshelves.

Black and Read | Arvada 7821 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada, CO 80003 | (303)-467-3236 | blackandread19@gmail.com | https:// blackandread.com/ | Open 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays

Bringing Arvada more than just books, Black and Read is an independent bookstore that also sells music and games.

For over 30 years, the store has

used books and rare books, but its inventory doesn’t stop there. e store also o ers a wide variety of physical media, ranging from vinyls and CD’s to DVD’s and cassettes. For gamers, the store has board games and role-playing games.

“I’m kinda the board game expert here,” said bookseller Ben Boskoss. “So they brought me on to help with that, and I’ve been learning more of the books side of things as well.”

With a maze of books and more at the ready, Black and Read is a shop to browse and enjoy.

“It’s always great seeing local shoppers coming in and out,” Boskoss said.

Spell Books | Littleton

2376 Main St., Littleton, Colorado 80120 | (303)-954-0094 | info@spellbooksco.com |spellbooksco.com |

Open noon to 5 p.m. Mondays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays

One of Main Street’s newest additions, Spell Books brings a curated selection to those looking for unique reads.

“We’re highly curated simply because we don’t have a lot of space,” said owner Corey Dahl. “I think we have a lot of small press and under the radar gems that people won’t nd at bigger stores.”

Dahl also said she focused on curating a good space, alongside a good book selection.

“We have a di erent vibe too,” Dahl said. “I did all the decor; it’s all thrifted. I just wanted to make it cozy; like grandma’s house, if grandma was a witch.”

In addition to housing books, the store is also home to several community events, including book clubs, poetry readings, writing workshops and “Friday Night Read ‘n Writes” — where attendees can spend a few hours reading or writing with others.

“Bookstores are a great community driver,” Dahl said. “You can buy a book online but you don’t get to talk to anyone about it, you don’t get to have that kismit moment of nding the book in person.”

With a variety of community events, Spell Books o ers a space to connect through books.

“Reading feels like it’s supposed to be a solitary activity but I think it’s the opposite,” Dahl said. “I think you’re supposed to connect with people through reading.”

Spell Books in Littleton hosts kids reading hours. COURTESY OF SPELL BOOKS

Black and Read seems to be an endless collection of books and other goodies, such as these comic books.

Douglas County looks to sell Lone Tree property to restaurateur

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Douglas County o cials are poised to sell a property in Lone Tree, near Park Meadows mall, pivoting away from a plan to use the property to expand services for seniors.

O cials are in the process of selling the property, owned by the county, to a restaurateur. e space’s new user will likely be the group behind e 303 Sports Grill, an operation seeking to expand in the south metro area, according to the City of Lone Tree.

“We think that (is) probably a much better t for the future plans of Lone Tree’s entertainment district,” said Tim Hallmark, the county’s director of facilities.

e deal is expected to be completed in the weeks ahead.

Eye on senior services expansion

e county had purchased the property for $3.9 million in December in hopes of expanding services provided by Aging Resources of Douglas County, an organization that assists seniors with resources like meal delivery and transportation.

Before voting to sell the property, county Commissioner George Teal

said he remained committed to nding a new “home base” for Aging Resources that can provide food and even include a sit-down eating space.

e prospective buyer o ered to pay $4.1 million for the property, county o cials said.

“And considering the bene ts that it’ll present to have a taxable entity there, to collect sales tax on behalf of the City of Lone Tree, yeah, I think it’s a great idea,” Teal said.

Commissioner Abe Laydon, who addressed a Lone Tree o cial at an early May county meeting, spoke about the economics of the move.

“One of the commitments we made when we looked at this property was, ‘Look, if you identify a business that makes sense in this location, we absolutely want to partner with you,’” Laydon said.

e county appears it could make a roughly $200,000 pro t on the sale, but a county spokesperson said that remains to be determined as an outcome of the sale process.

On whether the county could take the roughly $4.1 million — or a portion of it — and use it for purposes other than buying a new property for Aging Resources, the county said in a statement that county leaders have “reiterated on the record their intent to dedicate the funds for the

planned expansion of ARDC programming.”

Commissioners voted to do so in an “executive session” meeting April 29 ahead of the May 7 special public meeting where they unanimously voted to move forward with the sale process, according to the statement.

ere is no timeline for when the county might buy a property that Aging Resources can use as its second location, the statement said.

In the ‘entertainment district’

e county property sits at 9228 Park Meadows Drive, near Yosemite Street south of the C-470 highway.

At that spot, it ts into Lone Tree’s goal of revamping its “entertainment district” area, a large stretch of land that the city says has faced challenges associated with aging development.

Adding the potential new restaurant o ers “something that we don’t have, believe it or not, a lot of in the entertainment district,” said Je Holwell, Lone Tree’s director of economic development.

“We have lots of wonderful restaurants, but a type like this is something that I think will really be appreciated by our residents,” Holwell said at the meeting.

With the “growing opportuni-

ties” in the entertainment district, “I think it’ll create an energy in that area that will hopefully make all these entities successful,” Holwell added.

County o cials expect the sale of the property to be nalized in early July.

The building at 9228 Park Meadows Drive in Lone Tree, which has housed the Brewery Bar III. Douglas County bought the property but has decided to sell it.

COURTESY OF GOOGLE STREET VIEW

Thu 5/23

Subtronics

@ 10:59pm

Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

Fri 5/24

Dear Marsha,: Dear Marsha supporting Women on Wheels at Brewability @ 5pm

Meadow Mountain: "June Nights"

Album Release Show @ 7pm

daniels hall, 71 E Yale Ave, Denver

Meadow Mountain + The Grass

Project Live at Swallow Hill @ 7pm

daniels hall, 71 E Yale Ave, Denver

The Mike G Band @ 7pm The Alley, 2420 W Main St, Littleton

Ryan Chrys & The Rough Cuts @ 7pm

Wild Goose Saloon, Parker

Los Herederos De Nuevo Leon

@ 7:30pm

Stampede, 2430 S Havana St, Aurora

Sat 5/25

Meadow Mountain at McAwesome Festival @ 5pm

Tue 5/28

Full Summer Camp Registration (Douglas County) @ 6:30am / Free May 28th - Aug 6th

Parker Fieldhouse, 18700 E Plaza Dr., Parker. 303-805-6315

Brewability Lab, 3445 S Broad‐way, Englewood

Eric Golden @ 6pm Wild Goose Saloon, Parker

Judy Collins

@ 6:30pm

Caffeine and Chrome – Clas‐

sic Cars and Coffee at Gate‐way Classic Cars of Denver @ 8am

Gateway Classic Cars of Denver, 14150 Grasslands Drive, Engle‐wood. marketing@gatewayclassic cars.com, 618-271-3000

Wednesday @ 6pm

Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

Wednesday @ 7pm

Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

Wed 5/29

McAwesome Ranch, 3039 Haystack Rd, Castle Rock

DJ Rockstar Aaron: Forbidden Bingo Wednesdays - 'Bout Time Pub & Grub @ 7pm

Tommy Saxman Foyer: Tommy Saxman Duo at Studio@Mainstreet @ 4pm

Studio@Mainstreet, 19604 Mainstreet, Parker

CHADZILLA MUSIC: Jeffrey Dallet

Album Release Show @ 6:30pm

Swallow Hill Music, 71 E Yale Ave, Denver

Jeffrey Dallet @ 7pm

Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St, Lone Tree

Swallow Hill Music, 71 E Yale Ave, Denver

Opie Gone Bad @ 8pm

Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Englewood

Mon 5/27

K-2 Week 1 - Full Day @ 8am / Free May 27th - May 31st

Kiddie Academy - Lone Tree, 10344 Park Meadows Dr, Lone Tree. 515-708-0433

Fitness: MURPH Memorial Day Challenge Event (15+ yrs) S/S24 @ 1pm

Parker Recreation Center, 17301 E Lincoln Ave., Parker

Bout Time Pub & Grub, 3580 S Platte River Dr A, Sheridan

Thu 5/30

Henry Cho @ 6:30pm

Comedy Works South, 5345 Land‐mark Pl, Greenwood Village

Toni Romiti @ 7pm

Herman's Hideaway, 1578 S Broadway, Denver

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

State partners with driving schools to educate teens about cannabis-impaired driving

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e national public service announcement often heard during commercial breaks, “If you feel different, you drive di erent,” could be dismissed as background noise. But to driving school instructors, law enforcement and family members, it is potentially a matter of life and death.  at’s why the state Department of Transportation is partnering with driving schools across the state to bring more awareness to teens about the dangers and consequences of driving while high.

“Just one hit o a marijuana vape or something, and you feel di erent, you’re gonna drive di erent,” Mark Ashby, Colorado drug recognition expert said. “Even small amounts impair people.”

Before becoming a drug recognition expert with the state and a state coordinator for standardized eld sobriety testing, Ashby spent about three decades as a police o cer. Twelve of those years, he worked on responding to fatal car crashes, and had the di cult task of telling families that a loved one had died.

With over 200 deaths in Colorado a year linked to impaired driving, Ashby said it’s preventable, which is something driving school instructors and the state are educating teens on.

A DriveSafe Driving School in Highlands Ranch is partnering with the Colorado Department of Transportation in a statewide initiative to help educate teens on the e ects, dangers and consequences of driving while under the influence of cannabis. Any impairment while driving can result in a DUI.

much of an impairment as being drunk.

A National Highway Tra c Safety Administration’s Drug and Alcohol Crash Risk study showed that marijuana users are more likely to be involved in crashes as one of the e ects of THC, a component in cannabis, hinders a person’s ability to multitask.

Some students at a DriveSafe school in Highlands Ranch said they didn’t understand the totality of the issue, one saying there’s a lot of destigmatization around cannabis.

“Coverage tends to focus on drunk driving and emphasizing not getting behind the wheel when you’re intoxicated,” student Braden Kie er said.

“Why wait for the bad thing to happen instead of realizing that all of the information and all of the data is out there, proving how dangerous it is,” Dinwiddie said.

Expanding the outreach

When marijuana was legalized in the state, Sam Cole, department of transportation tra c safety communications manager, said outreach was originally geared towards adults.

Now, o cials are focusing their ef-

Jake Dinwiddie is a senior instructor with DriveSafe Driving Schools. He has over a decade of experience and believes too many people have a habit of waiting for the bad thing to happen before they learn a lesson.

forts on those under the age of legal consumption for cannabis. e state is partnering with drivers education programs and the Colorado Department of Revenue’s Division of Motor Vehicles in a “Drive High, Get a DUI” campaign, warning about nes and penalties.

“ ey need to understand at an early age, when they’re learning how to drive or they just got their license, that DUI’s involve cannabis as well as alcohol,” Cole said.  roughout his years of teaching, Dinwiddie has noticed teens tend to assume that being high is not as

Part of their educational process, state Department of Transportation o cials conduct annual driver behavior surveys. e 2023 survey revealed that drivers ages 16-24 are the most likely age group to believe cannabis-impaired driving was OK.

When Dinwiddie asked the students about the age to purchase and consume marijuana, some thought a person only had to be 18 to consume marijuana. However, the legal age is 21 or older to buy or use marijuana recreationally in Colorado.

“Even though it’s illegal for them [teenagers] to consume cannabis, we know that some of them are consuming cannabis and that’s why we want them to know all the facts,” Cole said.

PHOTO BY HALEY LENA

DRIVING

The e ects of cannabis

Studies have shown that THC stays in the body’s system longer than alcohol, and it slows reaction time, reduces focus and temporarily weakens problem solving skills.

People who drive high often have trouble knowing if they are staying in their lane and struggle to keep a steady distance between them and the vehicle ahead of them, according to the National Highway Tra c Safety Administration.

People also lose the ability to form short-term memories, added Ashby, a state drug recognition expert.

“When you’re driving, short-term memories are remembering what the speed limit is, remembering to put your seatbelt on, remembering that there’s a car next to you or that

you have to get o at your exit,” Ashby said.  ose under the in uence of cannabis tend to forget to vary their speed, said Ashby, so if they go from the highway to a more residential road, they may maintain the highway speed.

Like Ashby, there are over 200 ocers that are active Drug Recognition Experts representing law enforcement agencies across the state. ese o cers, along with those who have Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement training, are able to recognize impairment by cannabis versus alcohol.

e Douglas County Sheri ’s Ofce currently has zero Drug Recognition Experts, said Deputy Cocha Heyden, a spokesperson with the sheri ’s o ce.

Since the beginning of 2024, there have been 86 DUI arrests made in the county, with the top age category being 25-34, according to the latest Colorado Crime Statistics. ese

numbers have steadily increased the past few years, with 297 arrests in 2023.

“When we look at a person, we look for impairment,” said Ashby. “ e primary goal is never necessarily to place a substance with a person.”

Clear indicators may be the smell of the person or vehicle, but o cers also look at the driver’s eyes. Drugs such as antidepressants cause the eyes to move in a staggered way, whereas cannabis causes the pupils to dilate.

Ashby said the roadside tests were designed to rule out medical conditions for the purpose of seeing impairment and people under the in uence of cannabis tend to forget some of the instructions.

DriveSafe instructor, Dinwiddie wants teens – and adults – to know how many levels of one’s life a DUI could impact, no matter the substance.

“Instead of shaming people and

just trying to scare them into not doing it, let’s have good, openminded communication and have you guys be truly educated on just how many aspects of your life it could impact in a negative way,” Dinwiddie said.

Consequences include possible jail time, a mandatory interlock on vehicles, loss of license, community service and being ineligible for high school activities, college programs or scholarships.

ose a ected in the slightest by drugs or alcohol can be arrested for a DUI, which can cost up to $13,500, or a DWAI (Driving While Ability Impaired). Even medical cardholders can be at risk.

“You can have whatever opinion on smoking, nicotine or cannabis as you want, but behind the wheel, there’s an obvious e ect and it is not something that you should be doing,” student Braden Kie er said.

‘Imagination Tree’ inspires children’s book

Creators Joan Bast and Joanie Bolton of Centennial already have their next work in mind

BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Two-year-old Nolan Bursey ventures along a stretch of the High Line Canal Trail in Littleton, his excitement palpable as he approaches a peculiar tree.

e whimsical foliage grows taller, eventually towering over Nolan as he approaches the tree. Casting his gaze upward, Nolan attempts to climb the tree for the umpteenth

time, drawn to the trinkets and tokens tucked within the crooks of its twin trunks.

Higher above the crevice, adorned with painted rocks, rubber duckies and baubles that were added over the years, carved wooden planks read, “Imagination Tree,” a place “Where Dreams Begin.” e sign is just past the bark-embedded horse and swaying cowbell.

“It’s kind of this family tradition of sorts, of just always visiting the tree on our journeys,” said Ashley Bursey, Nolan’s mom. “I (love) the whole purpose of the ‘Imagination Tree,’ and (how) he is absorbed in the tree.”

Unbeknownst to the Bursey family, the towering greenery also serves as an unexpected link between

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To sign up for La

Centennial resident Nolan Bursey, 2, attempts to climb the “Imagination Tree” that sits along the High Line Canal Trail on April 30, 2024. Bursey visits the tree frequently with his parents to adorn it with trinkets and gifts.

PHOTO BY ELISABETH SLAY

IMAGINATION

Centennial residents Joan Bast and Joanie Bolton, two women who were so inspired by the tree that they created a children’s book and ful lled a lifelong ambition.

“I came across the tree and I was like, ‘ ere has to be a story there,”’ said Bast. “ ere are a lot of cottonwood trees along the canal and yet they chose this tree in particular to put the sign up and that’s where I rst came up with the idea.”

Inspired by the tree’s name, Bast’s “Imagination Tree” book features a tree “rooted in the backyard” of a girl named Janie’s house.

“ e tree is telling the story,” Bast said. “ is story really is a story about a child’s connection to nature, and especially this tree.”

Tree’s perspective

e book shows the tree’s perspective and how it connects with Janie through imagination, play and dreams. Bast was a kindergarten teacher for 25 years.

“ is book in my mind has a lot of di erent levels,” Bast said. “I recently read at the old school I taught at in Littleton and it was interesting what the kindergarten and rst-graders took away versus like second, third and fourth.”

She said it’s interesting to see how both children and adults engage differently with her book.

“From a parent’s or grandparent’s point of view, or whoever is reading to the children, I think there’s a lot there for them too, just about the importance of imagination and keeping dreams alive and connecting with nature,” Bast said.

Bast comes from a “family of storytellers,” and said it was always in the “back of (her) mind” to write a children’s book.

“It’s kind of about keeping your dreams alive and so the fact that this

came true is really amazing to me,” Bast said.

Further proving the “magic” of the tree, Bast said the tree brought her the illustrator of the book, Bolton, who is the mother of one of Bast’s former students.

e two bumped into each other about a year ago while walking on the High Line Canal. As they reconnected, Bast told Bolton about the book she was working on.

“I knew she was a preschool teacher (but) I never realized she was an artist,” Bast said.

Later, Bolton drew a picture of the tree and sent it to Bast.

“I don’t know how to explain it but it was such the right illustration for the way the story is,” she said.

Bolton, a lifelong artist, said the book was a new avenue for expressing her artistic abilities.

“I worked with preschool children for several years doing art and I currently volunteer at a preschool working with them with art,” Bolton said.

“I do a lot with my grandkids, and growing up my children I worked a lot with them with art.”

It was actually her play time with her grandchildren that inspired the images in the book.

“When I am with my grandkids, my favorite thing to do is draw or paint with them or whatever they feel like creating,” Bolton said.

Yearlong process

Bast said it was about a yearlong process to put the book together, and after sending it to a few publishers, the two were able to get the book published by local company Living Springs Publishers, in Centennial.

“We’re their rst children’s book,” Bast said. “So, it’s been really nice how that’s all come together and they were absolutely wonderful to work with.”

Bolton said the process of publication has been a “journey of learning” as they go.

Creators of the now-published children’s book, “The Imagination Tree, Where Dreams Begin,” author Joan Bast and illustrator Joanie Bolton, admire items left in the crook of the tree that inspired it all.

PHOTO BY ELISABETH SLAY

Parker sets schedule of signature events

One of the many reasons Parker citizens choose to live in our town is the special sense of community that exists here. Community gatherings are the heartbeat of Parker and help foster a sense of belonging and togetherness among our residents. ese family-friendly events provide opportunities for neighbors to connect with each other and create lasting memories.

e Town of Parker is excited to announce its 2024 Signature Events lineup, consisting of ve major celebrations planned to help residents and visitors enjoy our community’s unique spirit. Each opportunity features a variety of low-cost activities to ensure anyone can participate.

about cycling-related resources in our area. e Parker station will be open along the Cherry Creek Trail, between Pine Lane and E-470, from 6 to 9 a.m.

Independence Day Fireworks

Bike to Work Day Breakfast Station

June 26

July 4

(weather dependent) and viewable throughout many di erent areas of our community.

Parker Fall Fest

Sept. 21 to 28

Parker Fall Fest was expended into a full- edged signature event for the rst time in 2023, creating a new opportunity for residents to gather in the heart of our community. is celebration in O’Brien Park features family-friendly activities throughout the week and is capped by Fun and Games Day on Sept. 28. is nal day features lawn and carnival games, street hockey and a straw bale maze for kids, a beer garden for adults, live music, and a drone light show to close out the week.

Mayor’s Holiday Lighting

Lighting at 5:30 p.m., followed by holiday entertainment provided by local community groups.

Hometown Holiday Kick-o

Nov. 30

To the delight of our residents, in 2023, the town brought back its annual Independence Day reworks display in an all-new format—a remote-viewing experience. is same show will be held again in 2024, with reworks launching from Salisbury Park starting at 9:30 p.m.

Nov. 29

One of Parker’s most treasured celebrations, the annual Mayor’s Holiday Lighting opens the holiday season in style the day after anksgiving. O’Brien Park and the downtown area come alive with the o cial Town Tree and Grand Park

ABOUT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Colorado Community Media welcomes letters to the editor. Please note the following rules:

• Email your letter to staylor@coloradocommunitymedia.com. Do not send via postal mail. Put the words “letter to the editor” in the email subject line.

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• Letters must be no longer than 400 words.

• Letters should be exclusively submit-

Join us in downtown Parker for the Hometown Holiday Kick-o celebration. Take pictures with Elsa and Olaf, Buddy the Elf and other friendly holiday characters. Catch a train ride around O’Brien Park on the Parker Express, or learn about and meet Santa’s Reindeer! en, Dec. 1 through 15, weekends continue to be a festive time in downtown thanks to holiday-themed activities and decor. Take a leisurely stroll from O’Brien to Discovery Park, grab a sel e or a family picture by the Town Tree, say “Hi!” to Buddy the Elf and his friends, and view the lights adorning our downtown parks or holiday decor attractions along the way.

I hope to see you at one of the 2024 Signature Events! For more information about the 2024 lineup, visit ParkerCO.gov/Events. Je Toborg is the mayor of Parker.

ted to Colorado Community Media and should not be submitted to other outlets or previously posted on websites or social media. Submitted letters become the property of CCM and should not be republished elsewhere.

IMAGINATION

“Working with Joan has just been a delight because we would get together and look at things together and make little changes together and share ideas,” Bolton said. “I feel like that whole process has been the most creative and exciting for me.” e book came out in late February and Bast has read it at di erent schools and libraries. Students have been very engaged in the story, she said.

tions about the writing process,” Bast said. “It was really fun to just talk back and forth about writing.”

As for the real tree, Bolton brings her grandchildren to it from time to time.

“It was fun to see their reaction to the tree,” she said. “ ey were so excited when they saw it on the trail and they wanted to climb it and get up as high as they could. eir enthusiasm and curiosity was very fun to see.”

spired by her brother, Steve, who is developmentally disabled but “a great whistler.”

“ e story is about how some things come really easily toward us and how some things are a bit of a struggle, so it’s completely di erent,” Bast said.

Both Bolton and Bast said they are working toward publishing the next book and look forward to moving ahead with that.

“I think the one that surprised me the most is they had so many ques-

Nolan’s visit to the real tree was the rst time Bast ever saw a child actually interact with the Imagination Tree and she said it was such a special moment to witness.

“It’s a really neat story and that’s something I hope we can work on together for sure,” Bolton said.  e tree is in the middle of the High Line Canal about a mile from the intersection of Caley Avenue and Broadway in Littleton. FROM PAGE 23

Bast has written another story in-

Colorado’s medication collection boxes increase safety

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A couple times a year, drivers might see a sign on the side of the road with bold letters that state, “Prescription Drug Take-Back” and take part by bringing unused or expired medications to their local police department. What they might not know is that there is a free and convenient way to properly dispose of medications year-round.

Just as the Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce and the Douglas County Health Department partner with the state to o er a safe way for residents to discard prescriptions and medications, the Parker Police Department also takes part in the semi-annual take-back days.

“When we did them, we had a line the entire two hours that we held the event,” said Josh Hans, spokesperson for the Parker Police Department.

Like other areas in the county, the department saw a high demand for the service, said Hans, leading them to the decision to work with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and put a medication collection box in the lobby of their department.

Importance of proper disposal

In 2016, the CDPHE established a Household Medication and Sharps Take-Back program. Bright green metal boxes are located throughout the county to accept and destroy unused or expired over-the-counter and prescription medications generated by households.

“We don’t want children or young adults to have access to expired or no longer needed medications,” Je Stalter with the division of Environmental Health and Sustainability for the CDPHE said.

About 47% of teens say it’s easy to get prescription drugs from a parent’s medicine cabinet, according to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Since the start of the program, more than 232,000 pounds of household medications has been collected – about 16,600 pounds in the rst year, said Stalter – and there was a 23% increase in the 2022 scal year.  ese gures parallel what is being seen in Douglas County.

“Some weeks, we empty the box twice because we have so much medication that’s dropped o ,” said Hans.

Douglas County and the state

If you are a senior or have a senior family member, this Douglas County “All ings Senior” event is for YOU!

Wednesday June 5th 2024 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Douglas County Events Center 500 Fairgrounds Road in Castle Rock

FREE to the public

• Seniors and family members can visit with partnering senior organizations & businesses including housing, home care, insurance, transportation, estate planning, assistance and services, along with activities for socializing and keeping busy

• Program Book for all attendees with contacts and information for now or for your future needs

• Attend seminars & demonstrations of interest to the senior population including insurance, navigating senior care, vision and hearing loss, senior living, keeping the mind t, long-term care and much more

• Giveaways and free door prizes throughout the show with concessions available for purchase

• NO pets / Only registered service animals allowed on-site. Owner must accompany service animal using discretions and provide urgent clean up detail as needed.

Organized by the Castle Rock Senior

encourage residents not to ush or rinse their medications down a drain as it can potentially a ect water and natural resources.

Peter Bong, the director of water and water treatment operations at the Centennial Water and Sanitation District, says ushing these substances puts compounds in the treatment plants that are challenging to remove.

“By not ushing them down

the drain, they don’t get into the wastewater plant and have the risk of getting to the rivers or streams,” said Bong. “ e concern is that that water can eventually get back in the drinking water system farther downstream.”

However, the Federal Drug and Food Administration has a list of

PHOTO BY HALEY LENA

certain products that can be ushed, which can be found at https://shorturl.at/rWXY1.

Collection boxes

ere are 16 medication take-back boxes in Douglas County, and all accept prescribed controlled substances such as Vicodin, Xanax and Percocet. A licensed and certi ed Drug Enforcement Agency consultant picks up the medications at least monthly and the medications are incinerated.

“What they can’t drop o are obviously illicit materials, chemotherapy drugs, medical tools and supplies or any infectious waste,” Stalter said.   ese include marijuana, LSD, needles, syringes, thermometers and personal care products.

“Outside of those, including overthe-counter vitamins, old Advil and those could all be dropped o ,” Stalter said.

e state department encourages people to conserve space in the collection boxes by pouring pills and capsules into a zip-lock bag and recycling the containers separately. ey added that it’s important to strike out personal information that may be on pill containers.

A map of these locations can be found on the CDPHE website or on the My Colorado App.

Castle Rock:

Castle Rock Police Department, located at 100 Perry St.

CVS Pharmacy, located at 4050 Future St.

Kaiser Permanente (inside the lobby), located at 4318 Trail Boss Dr. Safeway Pharmacy, located at 880 S. Perry St.

Castle Pines:

Walgreens, located at 7370 Lagae Road.

Highlands Ranch:

Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce Highlands Ranch Substation, located past security, next to the reception desk at 9250 Zotos Dr.

Kaiser Permanente (inside the lobby), located at 9285 Hepburn St.  Safeway Pharmacy, located at 9255 S. Broadway.

Walgreens, located at 6650 Timberline Road.

Walgreens, located at 9141 S. Broadway.

Littleton area:

Safeway Pharmacy, located at 8355 N Rampart Range Rd.

Lone Tree:

Kaiser Permanente (in the pharmacy), located at 10240 Park Meadows Dr.

Safeway Pharmacy, located at 9229 E. Lincoln Ave.

Parker:

CVS Pharmacy, located at 16920 Lincoln Ave.

Parker Police Department (inside the lobby), located at 18600 E. Lincoln Meadows Pkwy.

Safeway Pharmacy, located at 11051 S. Parker Rd.

Other disposal options

e state encourages people to not throw away sharps such as needles, EpiPins and insulin and to nd sharp collection programs or a way to properly dispose of them to avoid the possibility of transmitting blood-borne infections.

Douglas County does not have sharps disposal locations, however, the CDPHE has a map with nearby locations that include facilities and nonpro ts in Arapahoe, Je erson and Adams counties such as Upper Plaza at Little Dry Creek in Englewood and BHG Westminster Treatment Center in Westminster. In 2022, the CDPHE program collected over 1,500 pounds of needles.

Another disposal option is utilizing a mail-in sharps container. ese can be purchased with mail-in labels at some pharmacies, medical supplies stores and various websites.

e CDPHE also o ers directions for proper trash disposal if necessary. is includes using a sharps container, never paper or plastic jugs, and labeled “sharps” or “biohazard waste.” ese are not recyclable. Not only could they pose an infection risk to workers at recycling facilities, but they can render a whole batch of recyclables unusable.

Stalter, who is with the CDPHE, said when sharps are properly picked up, they are usually put under high heat to destroy pathogens and bacteria.

Although there are national takeback days, residents are able to properly dispose of unused or unwanted medications and sharps at any time, even when running errands.

“It’s easy to do and [they] do a whole lot of good,” Stalter said.

Cute Pets

LICENSES

“It just didn’t really get a whole lot of traction,” said Hebard, who now lives in Alaska.

In 2020 Hebard founded Denver Forest School, an outdoor school that serves more than two-dozen children ages 2 to 7 at Blu Lake Nature Center on the city’s eastern edge.

It’s one of about 45 outdoor early childhood programs in Colorado, according to Kollerup. Some, called hybrid programs, operate in a building part of the time and outdoors part of the time and have a traditional child care license.

Others operate entirely outdoors and follow rules that make them “license exempt” — for example, by having only four children in the group, requiring parents stay for the session, or focusing on a single skill the way a gymnastics class does.

But these arrangements are more or less workarounds since the highly regulated child care licensing system was never designed for outdoor preschools. And since licenseexempt programs aren’t generally eligible for public funding, most families have to pay full tuition.

In Washington, which began licensing outdoor preschools in 2019, 17 such programs are licensed. Together, they have space for about 330 children, and 57 children enrolled in them receive state child care subsidies, according to a spokesman for the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families.

Colorado o cials say new rules for hybrid programs and part-day outdoor programs will be nalized by the end of 2024, with licenses available in early 2025. Licenses for full-day outdoor programs will take until 2026, in part because rules will be customized based on each

program’s geographic location and features. e outdoor preschool bill includes $260,000 for 2024-25 for new licensing specialists who will focus on full-day outdoor preschool programs.

“ is legislation actually gives us that sta ng and ability to do those site-speci c risk-bene t analysis and risk mitigation plans,” said Carin Rosa, director of the licensing division at the Colorado Department of Early Childhood.

e ability to get licensed could bring a variety of bene ts to outdoor preschools, including allowing them to enroll more children,

tive one half-day a week and a traditional preschool run by the Denver school district the other four days.

extend their hours, and serve more low-income and working families. Licenses may also grant more exibility in what children can do, potentially allowing activities like tree-climbing, using sharp tools, or gathering around a re pit.

Although some parents worry their kids will end up miserable in bad weather — with cold hands or wet feet — outdoor educators say with the right gear and planning, that rarely happens.

Parents see the benefits of outdoor schools

Johnson grew up in Houston, a

Outdoor preschool is his favorite — he likes pulling on his yellow rain boots, digging in the dirt, and climbing anything he can. Sigl said they tried gymnastics, but Leonardo couldn’t focus on it and made a game of running away from the class. at doesn’t happen when he’s at outdoor school. In fact, teachers there told Sigl that Leonardo is a natural leader, staying with the group and helping other children.

“Every single time after picking him up he’s on cloud nine,” Sigl said.

Chalkbeat is a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools.

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Legals Water Court

Public Notice

DISTRICT COURT, WATER DIVISION 1, COLORADO

APRIL 2024 WATER RESUME PUBLICATION

TO: ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN WATER APPLICATIONS IN WATER DIV. 1

Pursuant to C.R.S. 37-92-302, you are notified that the following is a resume of all water right applications, and certain amendments filed in the Office of the Water Clerk during the month of APRIL 2024 for each County affected. (This publication can be viewed in its entirety on the state court website at: www.courts.state. co.us)

2024CW3057 SHIRLEY M. AND GARY E. HANSEN, 10630 Woodhaven Ridge Rd, Parker, CO 80134. Eric K. Trout, McGeady Becher, P.C., 450 E. 17th Ave, Suite 400, Denver, CO, 802031254. APPLICATION FOR UNDERGROUND WATER RIGHTS AND PLAN FOR AUGMENTATION IN ELBERT COUNTY. Subject Property:

2 non-contiguous parcels totaling 81.05 acres generally located in the E1/2 of the NW1/4 of Section 34, Township 7 South, Range 65 West of the 6th P.M., also known as 316 Ponderosa Ln, Elizabeth, Elbert County, State of Colorado. The Applicants will only be adjudicating the groundwater and using the proposed augmentation plan on Parcel 1. Parcel 1: A parcel totaling 80 acres located in the E1/2 of the NW1/4 of Section 34, Township 7 South, Range 65 West of the 6th P.M., as shown on Exhibit A (“Subject Property”). Parcel 2: A parcel totaling 1.05 acres located in the NW1/4 of the SW1/4 of Section 34, Township 7 South, Range 65 West of the 6th P.M. Lien Holder Certification: Applicants are the sole owners of the Subject Property and there are no mortgage or lien holders, therefore no notice is required under C.R.S. § 37-92-302(2)(b). Well Permits: There is one existing Upper Dawson Aquifer exempt well on the Subject Property under Well Permit No. 268937. This well will be re-permitted under the plan for augmentation requested in this application. Additional well permits will be applied for prior to construction of additional wells. Exhibit A shows Well Permit No. 209399 as located on the Subject Property; however, this is incorrect. Based on the information from the Division of Water Resources (“DWR”), Applicants believe this well is mapped incorrectly in the DWR CDSS and is located elsewhere. Prior Case: The groundwater underlying the Subject Property was erroneously adjudicated in Case No. 2013CW3163, District Court, Water Division 1, due to an incorrect legal description of the overlying property in that case. A Verified Motion to Vacate Final Judgment and Decree was filed in Case No. 13CW3163 on April 11, 2024. The Order Vacating Final Judgment and Decree was granted and signed by Water Court Judge Taylor on April 19, 2024. Source of Water Rights: The Upper Dawson Aquifer is not-nontributary as defined in C.R.S. § 37-90-103(10.7), and the Lower Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, and Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers are nontributary as defined in C.R.S. § 37-90-103(10.5). Estimated Amounts: Applicants desire to leave no groundwater unadjudicated. Applicants do not seek to withdraw the groundwater from each Parcel on the other Parcel. Applicants estimate the following amounts may be available for withdrawal: Parcel 1 – Subject Property:

Proposed Uses: Groundwater withdrawn from the not-nontributary and nontributary aquifers underlying the Subject Property will be used, reused, and successively used to extinction for all allowable beneficial uses, including, but not limited to, domestic, including in-house use, commercial, irrigation, stock watering, fire protection, recreational, fish and wildlife, and augmentation purposes, including storage. The water may be immediately used or stored for subsequent use, used for exchange purposes, for direct replacement of depletions, and for other augmentation purposes, including taking credit for all return flows resulting from the use of such water for augmentation of, or as an offset against, any out-of-priority depletions. The water may be leased, sold, or otherwise disposed of for all the above uses both on and off the Subject Property.

Jurisdiction: The Court has jurisdiction over the subject matter of this application pursuant to C.R.S. §§ 37-90-137(6), 37-92-203(1), 37-92302(2). Summary of Plan for Augmentation:

Groundwater to be Augmented: 7.35 acre-feet per year for 300 years of not-nontributary Upper Dawson Aquifer groundwater. Water Rights to be Used for Augmentation: Return flows from the use of not-nontributary and nontributary groundwater and direct discharge of nontributary groundwater. Statement of Plan for Augmentation: The not-nontributary Upper Dawson Aquifer groundwater will be used in up to seven (7), or more, wells, each well withdrawing up to 1.05 acre-feet per year for in-house use in up to two (2) single-family dwellings (0.6 acre-feet per year per well, 4.2 acre-feet per year total), irrigation of up to 8,000 square-feet of home lawn, gardens, trees, and pasture (0.4 acre-feet per year per well, 2.8 acre-feet per year total), livestock watering of up to 4 large domestic animals (0.05 acre-feet per year per well, 0.35 acre-feet per year total), fire protection, and storage before use anywhere on the Subject Property. Applicants reserve the right to amend the amount and uses without amending the application or republishing the same. Sewage treatment for in-house use will be provided by non-evaporative septic systems. Return flow from in-house use will be approximately 90% of that use and return flow from irrigation use will be approximately 15% of that use. During pumping Applicants will replace actual depletions pursuant to C.R.S. § 37-90-137(9)(c.5). Depletions occur to the Cherry Creek and Running Creek stream systems and return flows accrue to those stream systems and are sufficient to replace actual depletions while the subject groundwater is being pumped. Applicants will reserve an equal amount of nontributary groundwater underlying the Subject Property to meet post-pumping augmentation requirements. Applicants request the Court approve the above underground water rights and augmentation plan, find that Applicants have complied with C.R.S. § 37-90-137(4) and water is legally available for withdrawal, find there will be no material injury to the owners of or persons entitled to use water under any vested water right or decreed conditional water right, and grant such other and further relief as is appropriate. 5 Pages.

THE WATER RIGHTS CLAIMED BY THESE APPLICATIONS MAY AFFECT IN PRIORITY ANY WATER RIGHTS CLAIMED OR HERETOFORE ADJUDICATED WITHIN THIS DIVISION AND OWNERS OF AFFECTED RIGHTS MUST APPEAR TO OBJECT WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY STATUTE OR BE FOREVER BARRED.

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that any party who wishes to oppose an application, or an

Elbert Legals

amended application, may file with the Water Clerk, P. O. Box 2038, Greeley, CO 80632, a verified Statement of Opposition, setting forth facts as to why the application should not be granted, or why it should be granted only in part or on certain conditions. Such Statement of Opposition must be filed by the last day of JUNE 2024 (forms available on www.courts.state.co.us or in the Clerk’s office), and must be filed as an Original and include $192.00 filing fee. A copy of each Statement of Opposition must also be served upon the Applicant or Applicant’s Attorney and an affidavit or certificate of such service of mailing shall be filed with the Water Clerk.

Legal Notice No. ECN 1506

First Publication: May 23, 2024

Last Publication: May 23, 2024

Publisher: Elbert County News

Public Notice

DISTRICT COURT, WATER DIVISION 1, COLORADO

APRIL 2024 WATER RESUME PUBLICATION TO: ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN WATER APPLICATIONS IN WATER DIV. 1

Pursuant to C.R.S. 37-92-302, you are notified that the following is a resume of all water right applications, and certain amendments filed in the Office of the Water Clerk during the month of APRIL 2024 for each County affected. (This publication can be viewed in its entirety on the state court website at: www.courts.state. co.us)

2024CW3056 CURTIS D AND SONJA J INGALLS, 9365 Las Ramblas Ct, Unit B, Parker, CO 80134. Eric K. Trout, McGeady Becher P.C., 450 E. 17th Ave, Suite 400, Denver, CO 80203-1254. APPLICATION FOR UNDERGROUND WATER RIGHTS AND PLAN FOR AUGMENTATION IN ELBERT COUNTY.

Subject Property: a parcel totaling approximately 40.216 acres generally located in the NE1/4 of the NE1/4 of Section 27, Township 9 South, Range 65 West of the 6th P.M., also known as 25995 County Road 5, Elbert, CO 80106, as shown on Exhibit A (“Subject Property”). Lien Holder Certification: Applicants have provided notice to all mortgage or lien holders as required under C.R.S. § 37-92-302(2)(b). Well Permits: There is currently on Upper Dawson exempt well on the Subject Property under Permit No. 302480, which will be re-permitted under the augmentation plan applied for in this application. Well permits will be applied for prior to construction of additional wells. Source of Water Rights: The Upper Dawson Aquifer is not-nontributary as defined in C.R.S. § 37-90-103(10.7), and the Lower Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, and Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers are nontributary as defined in C.R.S. § 37-90-103(10.5). Estimated Amounts: Applicants desire to leave no groundwater unadjudicated. Applicants estimate the following amounts may be available for withdrawal, based on a 300-year withdrawal period:

other augmentation purposes, including taking credit for all return flows resulting from the use of such water for augmentation of, or as an offset against, any out-of-priority depletions. The water may be leased, sold, or otherwise disposed of for all the above uses both on and off the Subject Property. Jurisdiction: The Court has jurisdiction over the subject matter of this application pursuant to C.R.S. §§ 37-90-137(6), 37-92-203(1), 37-92-302(2). Summary of Plan for Augmentation: Groundwater to be Augmented: 6.2 acre-feet per year of not-nontributary Upper Dawson Aquifer groundwater for 300 years. Water Rights to be Used for Augmentation: Return flows from the use of not-nontributary and nontributary groundwater and direct discharge of nontributary groundwater. Statement of Plan for Augmentation: The not-nontributary Upper Dawson Aquifer groundwater will be used in up to four (4) wells, each providing up to 1.55 acre-feet per year. Each well provide in-house use in up to three (3) single-family dwellings or their equivalent (0.9 acre-feet per year per well, 3.6 acre-feet per year total), 10,000 square-feet of irrigation for home lawn, garden, pasture, and trees (0.5 acre-feet per year per well, 2 acre-feet per year total), watering of up to 12 large domestic animals (0.15 acre-feet per year per well, 0.6 acre-feet per year total), fire protection, and storage anywhere on the Subject Property. Applicants reserve the right to amend the amount and uses without amending the application or republishing the same. Sewage treatment for in-house use will be provided by non-evaporative septic systems. Return flow from in-house use will be approximately 90% of that use and return flow from irrigation use will be approximately 15% of that use. During pumping Applicants will replace actual depletions pursuant to C.R.S. § 37-90-137(9)(c.5). Depletions occur to the South Platte River stream system and return flows accrue to that stream system and are sufficient to replace actual depletions while the subject groundwater is being pumped. Applicants will reserve an equal amount of nontributary groundwater underlying the Subject Property to meet post-pumping augmentation requirements. Applicants request the Court approve the above underground water rights and augmentation plan, find that Applicants have complied with C.R.S. § 37-90-137(4) and water is legally available for withdrawal, find there will be no material injury to the owners of or persons entitled to use water under any vested water right or decreed conditional water right, and grant such other and further relief as is appropriate. 3 pages.

THE WATER RIGHTS CLAIMED BY THESE APPLICATIONS MAY AFFECT IN PRIORITY ANY WATER RIGHTS CLAIMED OR HERETOFORE ADJUDICATED WITHIN THIS DIVISION AND OWNERS OF AFFECTED RIGHTS MUST APPEAR TO OBJECT WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY STATUTE OR BE FOREVER BARRED.

WATER DIVISION 1, COLORADO

APRIL 2024 WATER RESUME PUBLICATION TO: ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN WATER APPLICATIONS IN WATER DIV. 1

Pursuant to C.R.S. 37-92-302, you are notified that the following is a resume of all water right applications, and certain amendments filed in the Office of the Water Clerk during the month of APRIL 2024 for each County affected. (This publication can be viewed in its entirety on the state court website at: www.courts.state. co.us)

Proposed Uses: Groundwater withdrawn from the not-nontributary and nontributary aquifers underlying the Subject Property will be used, reused, and successively used to extinction for all allowable beneficial uses, including, but not limited to, domestic, including in-house use, commercial, irrigation, stock watering, fire protection, recreational, fish and wildlife, and augmentation purposes, including storage. The water may be immediately used or stored for subsequent use, used for exchange purposes, for direct replacement of depletions, and for

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that any party who wishes to oppose an application, or an amended application, may file with the Water Clerk, P. O. Box 2038, Greeley, CO 80632, a verified Statement of Opposition, setting forth facts as to why the application should not be granted, or why it should be granted only in part or on certain conditions. Such Statement of Opposition must be filed by the last day of JUNE 2024 (forms available on www.courts.state.co.us or in the Clerk’s office), and must be filed as an Original and include $192.00 filing fee. A copy of each Statement of Opposition must also be served upon the Applicant or Applicant’s Attorney and an affidavit or certificate of such service of mailing shall be filed with the Water Clerk.

Legal Notice No. ECN 1505

First Publication: May 23, 2024

Last Publication: May 23, 2024

Publisher: Elbert County News

Public Notice

DISTRICT COURT,

2024CW3060 (16CW3059) CONCERNING THE APPLICATION FOR WATER RIGHTS OF THE UNITED WATER AND SANITATION DISTRICT IN ADAMS, ARAPAHOE, DENVER, DOUGLAS, ELBERT, MORGAN, AND WELD COUNTIES (“Applicant”). ROBERT LEMBKE, 8301 East Prentice Ave. #100, Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111 and JOSH SHIPMAN, 8301 East Prentice Ave., #100, Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111. Please send all pleadings and correspondence to: Tod J. Smith, Esq., Law Office of Tod J. Smith, LLC, 2919 Valmont Road, Suite 205, Boulder, Colorado 80301, tod@tjs-law.com (Attorney for Applicants). Names and Legal Descriptions of Structures Decreed in Case No. 16CW3059 (“Decree”) with Updated Diligence Information: Name of Structure: Milliken Reservoir. Mining of the Milliken Reservoir site is on-going. Description of Milliken Reservoir: Milliken Reservoir is a lined off-channel reservoir currently designed to be located within Sections 26, 34, and 35, Township 4 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M. in Weld County, Colorado. Milliken Reservoir will consist of a series of lined, interconnected gravel pit cells. In Case No. 16CW3059, the conditional storage right included cells in the northern portion of the site, including cells C1, C2, D1, D2, and the Sharkey Pit. Cell C-1 was lined and approved prior to entry of the Decree. Cells C2 and D1 were reconfigured and now encompass what was originally identified as Cell D2. A map showing the reconfigured cells is attached as Exhibit A. Cells C2 and D1 were lined during the diligence period and have been preliminarily leaked proof approved. Letters providing provisional approval for meeting the August 1999 State Engineer’s Guidelines for Lining Criteria for Gravel Pits (“1999 SEO Guidelines”) are attached as Exhibits B-1 and B-2. The Applicant filed notice to all opposers in Case No. 16CW3059 of the provisional liner approvals on April 22, 2024, which is attached as Exhibit C. Water has been stored in in-situ storage in Cell C1, the original cell, which continued to be mined during the diligence period. The State Engineer’s final approval will be sought when construction and mining are completed. The final configuration of cells comprising Milliken Reservoir may be changed as development proceeds. All additional cells will be lined and approved by the State Engineer, before being used for storage. United will serve written notice on all Opposers when it receives approval of the lining of any additional cells in Milliken Reservoir. Surface Area: The preliminary designed surface area of Milliken Reservoir is approximately 417 acres at the high water mark, which may change upon completion of the Reservoir. Capacity: The planned capacity of Milliken Reservoir is approximately 18,465 acre-feet, which may change upon completion of the Reservoir. Legal Description of Points of Diversion and Outlet Structures. Surface water may be diverted into and released from Milliken Reservoir through the following structures and facilities. South Diversion. Located adjacent to the Jay Thomas Ditch Diversion Dam on the east bank of the South Platte River in the NW1/4 of the NW1/4 of Section 11, Township 3 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M., in Weld County, Colorado. A diversion facility at the Jay Thomas Ditch Diversion Dam will only be constructed and used by United pursuant to an agreement with the owner, Public Service Company of Colorado. North Diversion. Originally decreed at a point on the South Platte River downstream of the confluence with the St. Vrain River in the NE1/4 of the

Public Notices

SW1/4 of Section 26, Township 4 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M., in Weld County, Colorado. The North Diversion was constructed during the diligence period and is located in the NW1/4 of the SE1/4 of Section 26, Township 4 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M., in Weld County Colorado. The as-built location of the point of diversion is 133 feet from the quarter section line between the originally decreed NE1/4 of the SW1/4 of Section 26, and the as-built location in the NW1/4 of the SE1/4 of Section 26, which is within the 500 feet allowed under paragraph 44 of the Decree. There are no intervening points of diversion between the originally proposed location and the as-built location. The North Diversion Structure is currently equipped with two temporary 10 cfs pumps which will be replaced with a permanent 50 cfs pump and controls which can be expanded to 100 cfs. The Applicant filed notice to all opposers in Case No. 16CW3059 of the as-built location of the diversion structure on April 22, 2024, which is attached as Exhibit C. Milliken Pump(s). See paragraph 2.1.4.2, North Diversion above. A pump was formerly located and operated in the SW1/4 of the SW1/4 of Section 35, Township 4 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M. in Weld County, Colorado (Pump Station No. 1), and United may again place a pump at that location in the future. A pump may also be installed near the confluence of the South Platte River and the St. Vrain River in Section 34, Township 4 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M., in Weld County, Colorado (Pump Station No. 2). The Milliken Pump(s) divert surface water only to storage in Milliken Reservoir. Western Mutual Ditch Company Headgate. The point of diversion for the Western Mutual Ditch headgate is located on the South Platte River in the SE1/4 of the SW1/4 of Section 11, Township 3 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M., in Weld County, Colorado, at a point that is 268 feet from the South section line and 2,688 feet from the East section line. Water will be delivered to Milliken Reservoir through an interconnect between the Western Mutual Ditch and the reservoir. The Western Mutual Ditch is owned by the Western Mutual Ditch Company, P.O. Box 282, LaSalle, Colorado, 80645, and water diverted into the Western Mutual Ditch and/or delivered from the ditch to the reservoir pursuant to this Decree will be pursuant to a written agreement with the Western Mutual Ditch Company or other legal authority. Milliken Reservoir Outlet Structures. Milliken Reservoir will have several outlets with the capability of returning water to the South Platte River at the following locations: (1) the SE1/4 of the NW1/4 of Section 2, Township 3 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M., in Weld County, Colorado; (2) the NW1/4 of the NW1/4 of Section 35, Township 4 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M., in Weld County, Colorado; and (3) the SW1/4 of the NE1/4 of Section 26, Township 4 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M., in Weld County, Colorado. The North Diversion structure described above can also operate as an outlet from Milliken Reservoir. Source: South Platte River. Name of Structure: 70 Ranch Reservoir. Construction of 70 Ranch Reservoir was completed during the diligence period. The Applicant filed notice to all opposers in Case No. 16CW3059 regarding the 70 Ranch liner approval on April 22, 2024, which is attached as Exhibit D. The State Engineer approved the construction of the dam and liner on January 16, 2020, which was filed in Case No. 16CW3059 on April 22, 2024, and is attached as Exhibit E. See also Exhibit C. Description of Structure: 70 Ranch Reservoir is a lined off-channel reservoir located in the S1/2 of Section 3, Township 4 North, Range 63 West and a portion of the NE1/4 of Section 10, Township 4 North, Range 63 West all of the 6th P.M, Weld County, Colorado. Surface Area: The surface area of the completed reservoir is 162.96 acres. Storage Depth: The storage depth of the completed reservoir is 44 feet. Capacity: The capacity of the completed 70 Ranch Reservoir is 5,496.8 acre-feet. The Applicant filed notice on all opposers in Case No. 16CW3059 of the stage area capacity curve on April 30, 2024, which is attached as Exhibit F. Legal Description of the Point of Diversion and Outlet Structure: During the diligence period the diversion and outlet works which divert water from and release water to the South Platte River were constructed and are operational: 70 Ranch Reservoir diversions and releases can be made through a bidirectional pipeline whose point of diversion/release is located on the South Platte River in the NW1/4 of the SE1/4 of Section 34, Township 5 North, Range 63 West of the 6th P.M., approximately 1,596 feet from the East section line and 1,675 feet from the South section line of said Section 34 in Weld County, Colorado. Water is conveyed to 70 Ranch Reservoir in a sealed pipeline. There is a totalizing meter located on the pipeline between the point of diversion and the point of discharge into the Reservoir. Releases from the bi-directional pipeline are also made to the South Platte River

through a separate outlet located within in the SE1/4 of the SE1/4 of Section 34, Township 5 North, Range 63 West of the 6th P.M. approximately 690 feet from the East section line and 270 feet from the South section line of said Section 34 in Weld County, Colorado. The Applicant filed notice to all opposers in Case No. 16CW3059 of the as-built locations of the diversion and outlet structures on April 22, 2024, which is attached as Exhibit C. Source: South Platte River. Conditional Decreed Storage Water Rights: Conditional Milliken Reservoir Right. The location and description of Milliken Reservoir and its decreed points of diversion are set forth above in paragraph 2.1. Appropriation Date: April 29, 2016. Rate of Diversion. South Diversion – 260 cfs. North Diversion – 260 cfs. Milliken Pumps – 260 cfs. Western Mutual Ditch Headgate – 185 cfs. Maximum combined Diversion Rate – 260 cfs from all diversion points combined. Volume Decreed. 3,000 acre-feet per year, with one refill in the amount of 3,000 acre-feet per year, conditional. The total amount that can be in storage at any one time under the Milliken Reservoir Right, including the refill right, is 3,000 acre-feet, provided that the amount of both the first fill and the refill right shall be reduced if the final as-built storage volume made available to United is less than 3,000 acre-feet. Conditional 70 Ranch Reservoir Right. The location and description of 70 Ranch Reservoir and its decreed points of diversion and outlet are set forth above in paragraph 2.2. Appropriation Date. February 1, 2016. Rate of Diversion. 100 cfs – The Applicant has constructed a pump station with a 50 cfs capacity and an outlet to South Platte River with a 50 cfs gravity flow capacity. The pump station has the ability to expand to 100 cfs capacity. Volume Decreed. 6,000 acre-feet per year conditional, with one re-fill in the amount of 6,000 acre-feet per year, conditional. The total amount that can be in storage under the 70 Ranch Reservoir Right at any one time, including the refill right, is 6,000 acre-feet, provided that the amount of both the first fill and the refill right shall be reduced if the final as built storage volume made available to United is less than 6,000 acre-feet. Conditional Decreed Uses of Milliken and 70 Ranch Reservoir Water Rights. 70 Ranch. Use on the 70 Ranch for irrigation of up to 5,000 acres, stock watering (excluding concentrated animal feeding operations as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture), oil, gas, and mineral production occurring on 70 Ranch, industrial, commercial, and indoor uses within the 70 Ranch machine shop, farm equipment maintenance, washing, and dust suppression activities. Lower Latham Farms. Use on the Lower Latham Farms for irrigation of up to 400 acres and farm equipment maintenance, washing, and dust suppression activities. Fort Morgan Farms. Use on the Fort Morgan Farms for irrigation of up to 468 acres and farm equipment maintenance, washing, and dust suppression activities. DeSanti Parcel. Use on the DeSanti Parcel for irrigation of up to 15 acres and farm equipment maintenance, washing, and dust suppression activities pursuant to pending Case No. 19CW3073. (Case No. 16CW3053 was dismissed and no decree was entered.) Highlands Development. Use on the Highlands Development for municipal, commercial, domestic, irrigation and farm equipment maintenance, washing, and dust suppression activities, including carry-over of water from year-to-year to allow such uses during periods of drought. ECCV and ACWWA Service Areas. Use for the ECCV and ACWWA service areas shall be limited to the amount necessary to replace losses incurred by United in conveying water from the original point of diversion to the ECCV water treatment plant located in the Beebe Draw (“Delivery Losses”) to fulfill United’s Contractual Obligations. Use within the ECCV and ACWWA service areas of any water delivered by United to replace Delivery Losses shall be for municipal, industrial, domestic, irrigation, and commercial purposes with the right to use, reuse, and successively use such water subject to the requirements of paragraph 8.2.7 and the volumetric limits of paragraph 13.22 of the Decree, including carry-over of water from year-to-year to allow such uses during periods of drought. Right to use, reuse, and successively use to extinction. United may fully consume and use, reuse and successively use to extinction water diverted under the water rights decreed herein at the places and for the uses described above; however, prior to any reuse and successive use, United shall file a new application with the Water Court and obtain a decree from the Water Court quantifying the rate, timing, and, except as determined in paragraph 29.1.1 of the Decree for the purpose of use as substitute supply in the appropriative rights of exchange decreed herein, the location of reusable return flows available for such reuse and successive use, and approving the points of diversion or re-diversion for the reusable return flows available

for such reuse and successive use. Use after Storage. The water storage rights decreed herein, after storage and subsequent release, may be used to replace Delivery Losses as described in paragraph 8.8 of the Decree and for the purposes described above on the 70 Ranch, Lower Latham Farms, and Fort Morgan Farms. Use in Augmentation Plan. Water diverted pursuant to the water rights decreed in Case No. 16CW3059 may be used for and is approved for use as a source of augmentation supply in the augmentation plan described in the Decree. Use in Exchanges. United will use the water storage rights as a source of substitute supply in the appropriative rights of exchange decreed in Case No. 16CW3059. Use as a source of substitute supply in any future appropriative rights of exchange may only occur pursuant to a subsequent decree of the Water Court that authorizes such use. Use in Future Exchanges, Augmentation Plans, and Recharge Projects. Uses on lands other than those identified in paragraph 8.1 of the Decree and/or for uses other than those described in paragraph 8.2 of the Decree will be permitted only if the water rights decreed herein are subsequently changed in water court for such uses at alternative locations, or approved pursuant to a substitute water supply plan approved by the State Engineer pursuant to C.R.S. § 37-92-308(4), or successor statutes, subject to the terms and limitations of the Decree including the limitations of paragraphs 8.7 and 51 of the Decree. Disposition of Water Rights. The water rights decreed in Case No. 16CW3059 are dedicated to use in and on, or for augmentation of well pumping on, the areas depicted in Exhibit A attached to the Decree, and the uses described in paragraph 8 and its subparagraphs of the Decree, and shall not be sold, leased for a period exceeding five years (“Long Term Lease”), or otherwise permanently disposed of by United for uses other than those authorized by the Decree, except under the conditions set forth in paragraph 51 of the Decree. Use of any conditional water right decreed herein under any lease may not be used as evidence to demonstrate diligence with respect to that water right or as the basis to make the water right absolute. Use in ECCV and/or ACWWA Augmentation Plans. Subject to paragraphs 8.1 and 8.2.6 of the Decree, water diverted pursuant to the decreed water rights may be used to fulfill Applicant’s Contractual Obligations to provide water to ECCV and ACWWA, provided that any use of the water in any existing ECCV or ACWWA augmentation plan or exchange, including but not limited to those decreed in Case Nos. 02CW403, 02CW404, 03CW442, 10CW306, and 13CW3026, must be pursuant to the terms and conditions of those decrees for adding additional sources of augmentation supplies, including any notice provisions set forth therein. Conditional Appropriative Rights of Exchange: Exchange-From Points. Accretion Point for 70 Ranch Irrigation Return Flows. The most downstream point at which 70 Ranch irrigation return flows accrue to the South Platte River is located at the west section line of Section 23, Township 4 North, Range 62 West of the 6th P.M., in Weld County, Colorado, as the section line intersects with the South Platte River. 70 Ranch Reservoir Outlet Structures. Described above in paragraph 2.2.5. Haren Recharge Facility Accretions. The point at which water recharged at the Haren Recharge Facility accretes to the South Platte River is located in the SW1/4 of Section 8, Township 4 North, Range 66 West of the 6th P.M., in Weld County, Colorado. Use of recharge credits from the Haren Recharge Facility shall be subject to the terms and conditions of Paragraph 52 and its subparagraphs of the Decree. Milliken Reservoir Outlet Structures. Described above in paragraph 2.1.4. St. Vrain Confluence. The confluence of St. Vrain Creek and the South Platte River which is located in the SW1/4 of the NE1/4 of Section 34, Township 4 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M., in Weld County, Colorado, from which the water will be exchanged to the St. Vrain Pipeline located at one of the following locations or any point between these two locations: (1) 500 feet west and 200 feet north of the SE corner of Section 20, Township 3 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M., in Weld County, Colorado; or (2) the NW1/4 of the NW1/4 of Section 10, Township 3 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M., in Weld County, Colorado. St. Vrain Pipeline. The point of discharge from the St. Vrain Pipeline to the South Platte River will be located in one of the following locations: (1) at a point located upstream of the Highway 66 Bridge as it crosses the South Platte River which will deliver water to the South Platte River in the SW1/4 of the SW1/4 of Section 19, Township 3 North, Range 66 West of the 6th P.M., in Weld County, Colorado; (2) at a point upstream of the Highway 66 Bridge as it crosses the South Platte River, which will deliver water to the South Platte River in the SE1/4 of the SE14 of Section 24, Township 3 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M.,

in Weld County, Colorado or the E1/2 of Section 25, Township 3 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M., in Weld County, Colorado; or (3) at a point near the SW1/4 of the SE1/4 of Section 11, Township 3 North, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M., in Weld County, Colorado. Brighton Lateral Reservoir Intake/Outlet Facility. The point of discharge from the Brighton Lateral to the South Platte River will be located within either the NW1/4 of the NW1/4, or the NE1/4 of the NW1/4, both in Section 18, Township 1 North, Range 66 West of the 6th P.M., in Weld County, Colorado. United Reservoir No. 3 Discharge. The point of discharge from United Reservoir No. 3 to the South Platte River is located on the east bank of the South Platte River in the SW1/4 of Section 26, Township 1 South, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M., in Adams County, Colorado, located 1,636 feet east of the west line and 1,531 feet north of the south line of said Section 26. Exchange-To Points. 70 Ranch Reservoir Diversion Point. Described above in paragraph 2.2.5.1. United Diversion Facility No. 1 (Riverside Canal Headgate). The existing headgate for the Riverside Canal Intake is located on the north bank of the South Platte River in the SW1/4 of the SW1/4 of Section 20, Township 5 North, Range 63 West of the 6th P.M., in Weld County, Colorado. This is a surface diversion. Milliken Reservoir Diversion Points. Described above in paragraph 2.1.4. St. Vrain Pipeline Diversion. Described above in paragraph 4.1.5. Brighton Lateral Reservoir Intake/Outlet Facility. The Brighton Lateral Reservoir Intake/Outlet Facility can function as an outlet (Exchange-From) point or a diversion (Exchange-To) point. The location of the Facility is described in paragraph 29.1.7 of the Decree. United Diversion Facility No. 3. United Diversion Facility No. 3 is located on the east bank of the South Platte River in the SW1/4 of Section 26, Township 1 South, Range 67 West of the 6th P.M., in Adams County, Colorado, located 1,636 feet east of the west line and 1,531 feet north of the south line of said Section 26. Burlington Canal Headgate. The headgate of the Burlington Canal (also known as the “Burlington Ditch”) is located, pursuant to a changed point of diversion decreed in Case No. 02CW403 Water Division No. 1 (“403 Decree”), at a point on the east bank of the South Platte River in the NE1/4 of the SW1/4 of Section 14, Township 3 South, Range 68 West of the 6th P.M., in the City and County of Denver, Colorado. The headgate is located at approximately latitude 039° 47’ 24.69” N, longitude 104° 58’ 9.97” W. The UTM coordinates are approximately NAD 1983 UTM Zone 13S 502616.89 mE 4404471.42 mN. Nothing in this Decree shall be construed so as to abrogate, alter, supersede, or otherwise affect any legal rights and obligations set forth in the agreement dated July 1, 1921 among FRICO, Burlington, and Henrylyn. The City of Thornton has a September 24, 1981 agreement with FRICO, Burlington, and the Wellington Reservoir Company for use of the first 200 cfs of excess capacity in the Burlington Ditch and a July 18, 1985 agreement with Henrylyn for use of the first 100 cfs of excess capacity in the Burlington Ditch. United’s use of the Burlington Ditch will be subject to and limited by Thornton’s prior rights. Sources of Substitute Supply. United’s Milliken Reservoir Right, described in paragraph 10 of the Decree and above in paragraph 3.1. United’s 70 Ranch Reservoir Right, described in paragraph 12 of the Decree and above in paragraph 3.2. Irrigation return flows from irrigation of the 70 Ranch, subject to the limitations of paragraph 29.1.1 of the Decree. Accretions from the Haren Recharge Facility to the South Platte River available to United through the Haren Recharge Allocation Agreement, as described in paragraph 18.4 of the Decree. Use of recharge credits from the Haren Recharge Facility are subject to the terms and conditions of Paragraph 52 and its subparagraphs of the Decree. United’s water described in paragraphs 29.3.1 through 29.3.4 of the Decree that is stored in Brighton Lateral Reservoir. United’s water described in paragraphs 29.3.1 through 29.3.4 of the Decree that is stored in United Reservoir No. 3. Maximum Rates of Exchange. From 70 Ranch Irrigation Return Flows – 4 cfs. From 70 Ranch Reservoir discharge – 100 cfs.

From the point of accretion of Haren Recharge Facility credits – 11 cfs. From Milliken Reservoir discharge – 260 cfs. From the St. Vrain Pipeline discharge – 50 cfs. From the Brighton Lateral discharge – 50 cfs. From United Reservoir No. 3 discharge – 50 cfs. The maximum exchange rate for any exchange shall be no greater than the final as built capacity of the Exchange-From and Exchange-To points, if less than the identified maximum exchange rates. Aggregate Limits. The maximum total aggregate rate of exchange for the simultaneous operation of two or more of the exchange rights decreed herein shall not exceed 360 cfs. Volumetric Limits. The total volume of water that may be diverted under the decreed exchange rights is limited as follows: 70 Ranch

Irrigation Return Flow Exchange-From Point. Limited to a maximum of 1,100 acre-feet annually. 70 Ranch Reservoir Exchange-From Point. Limited to a maximum of 7,200 acre-feet annually. Haren Recharge Facility Exchange-From Point. Limited to a maximum of 4,333 acre-feet annually. Milliken Reservoir Exchange-From Point. Limited to a maximum of 3,600 acre-feet annually. United Reservoir No. 3 and/or Burlington Canal Exchange-To Points. Limited to a maximum of 4,000 acre-feet. Appropriation Date. April 29, 2016. Uses. The uses of water diverted at the Exchange-To points under the appropriative rights of exchange decreed herein are described in the Decree at paragraph 8, and above in paragraph 3.3. Outline of Work Performed or Actions Taken Toward Completion of the Appropriation and Application of the Water to Beneficial Use as Conditionally Decreed. During the diligence period, the Applicant: Milliken Reservoir. See paragraph 2.1.1 above. Constructed slurry walls lining Cells C2 and D1. The slurry walls were tested and a preliminary leak test was approved. A copy of that approval is attached to the Application as Exhibits B-1 and B-2. The Applicant also constructed the diversion structure and a wet well, located as described above in paragraph 2.1.4.2., which, when permanent pumps are installed, will initially have a 50 cfs inlet and outlet capacity that can be increased to 100 cfs. Gravel mining is ongoing in Cell C2. Applicant expended approximately $6,000,000 during the diligence period on these construction activities at Milliken Reservoir; 70 Ranch Reservoir. See paragraph 2.2 above. Completed construction of 70 Ranch Reservoir and its inlet and outlet infrastructure. A Certificate of Substantial Completion was signed on October 10, 2019 and is attached to this Application as Exhibit E. The Applicant spent approximately $5,500,000 constructing and completing 70 Ranch Reservoir; United Reservoir No. 3 (exchange-from and exchange-to point). Constructed a pump station which delivers water to the Beebe Pipeline for delivery to the Beebe Draw where the Highlands Development and the DeSanti Parcel are located. The Applicant spent approximately $7,000,000 during this period on the construction and completion of the pump station; Spent approximately $400,000 on engineering fees related to the construction at Milliken and United No. 3 Reservoirs described above; Diverted and stored 221 acre-feet in Milliken Reservoir at a maximum rate of 10.04 cfs during Water Year 2019 (see paragraphs 6.1 and 6.2 below); Diverted and stored 2,224 acre-feet in 70 Ranch Reservoir at a maximum rate of 52.1 cfs during Water Year 2023 (see paragraphs 6.3, 6.4 and 6.5 below); Exchanged 186.7 acre-feet from the Haren Recharge Accretion Point to Milliken Reservoir at a maximum rate of 1.3 cfs (see paragraph 6.6.1 below); Exchanged 371.5 acrefeet from 70 Ranch Reservoir to the United Diversion No. 1 (Riverside Headgate) at a maximum rate of 7.42 cfs (see paragraph 6.6.2 below); Filed a new application in Case No. 19CW3073, to provide, in part, additional mechanisms to convey United’s water decreed in this case into the Beebe Draw for delivery to the Highlands Development, the DeSanti Parcel, and to replace ECCV and ACWWA Delivery Losses. All opposers in Case No. 19CW3073 have stipulated in the case and a final proposed decree will be submitted to the Water Court; Negotiated, together with ECCV and ACWWA, with the Farmers Reservoir and Irrigation Company (“FRICO”) and consummated agreements which, in part, confirm the Applicant’s ability to deliver its water through the FRICO system in the Beebe Draw; Beneficially used water stored under the 70 Ranch Reservoir Right and exercised decreed conditional exchanges as set forth below in paragraph 6. Spent substantial amounts of money and devoted hundreds of man hours to the development, operation, maintenance, and improvement of its water delivery infrastructure and water rights portfolio. As part of the overall effort, the Applicant retained engineering consultants and attorneys to assist in the operation, maintenance, improvements, and protection of its water delivery infrastructure and it water rights: Spent approximately $1,200,000 in legal fees, protecting the Applicant’s water rights and facilities, and negotiating agreements with FRICO, ACWWA, and ECCV; Spent approximately $1,800,000 in engineering fees and expenses, operating its water delivery system, evaluating additional water rights and facilities for incorporation into its water supply system, protecting the Applicant’s water rights and facilities, and negotiating agreements with FRICO, ACWWA, and ECCV. Installation of Webcams. Pursuant to paragraph 30.5.1 of the Decree, the Applicant has installed digital cameras (webcams) at the Riverside Canal headgate, Empire Canal headgate, and Western Ditch headgate. The webcams are connected to the internet and can transmit images of the flow of the South Platte River in real time. The images can be replayed

Environmentalists threaten suit over gas permits

BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN

e Colorado Air Pollution Control Division has missed its EPA deadline to rewrite permits for a Weld County oil and gas complex, and an environmental group says it will sue the federal agency for delaying its takeover of the permits.

e EPA on Jan. 30 said state regulators writing permits for Bonanza Creek Energy hadn’t guaranteed that aring operations would burn o pollutants and prevent air quality violations. e EPA order set a 90day clock ticking for state revisions.

“Colorado is e ectively giving the oil and gas industry a free pass to pollute under illegal permits,” said Jeremy Nichols, a senior advocate at the nonpro t Center for Biological Diversity. “We need the EPA to intervene to ensure public health and the environment comes rst and put an end to Colorado’s dangerous foot-dragging.” e center noti ed the EPA it will le a lawsuit in the delays handling the allegedly awed permits.

e center says the EPA and state regulators have also failed to act quickly enough on other permits, including revisions to permits for the frequently ned Suncor Re nery in Commerce City.

“ ey seem to be at a loss when it comes to xing legally awed permits,” Nichols said.

Colorado o cials acknowledged the deadline has passed, but said they are working on it.

“We are evaluating EPA’s concerns detailed in the order so we can respond appropriately,” division spokesperson Leah Schleifer said. Bonanza Creek’s permits are fully enforceable while the issues are worked out, she said. e division does not comment when issues move into litigation, she added.

Environmental advocates who won the January EPA order through petitions say the ruling could impact thousands of other oil and gas permits in Colorado and other states, because Colorado’s recent ozone failures mean far more drillers must get air pollution permits dictating how they will limit releases of ozone-causing chemicals. e EPA may now consistently order those drilling and processing sites to test the e ectiveness of their aring rather than rely on predictions of how the equipment will work, the advocates said.

e four Bonanza Creek oil and gas wells in question “are de ned under the Clean Air Act as ‘major sources’ of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, which

Public Notices

and reviewed for up to 60 days from the date of transmission. The Applicant filed notice to all opposers in Case No. 16CW3059 of the installation of the webcams and links to the sites on April 23, 2024, which is attached as Exhibit G. The Applicant spent approximately $10,000, on the installation of the webcams. ECCV and ACWWA Delivery Losses. Pursuant to paragraph 13.1 of the Decree, the Applicant has entered into an agreement confirming its legal obligation to provide up to 500 acre-feet annually to replace ECCV and ACWWA Delivery Losses. The Applicant filed notice to all opposers in Case No. 16CW3059 of the agreement on April 30, 2024, which is attached as Exhibit H. The work performed and actions taken by the Applicant during the diligence period demonstrate its continuing intent to develop the conditional water storage rights and appropriative rights of exchange originally decreed in Case No. 16CW3059. The Applicant has shown that it can and will implement the conditional water storage rights and appropriative rights of exchange, which will be completed and exercised with diligence within a reasonable time. Water Applied to Beneficial Use and Made Absolute. The Applicant seeks to have decreed absolute the following: Milliken Reservoir Right (Volume). Stored 221 acre-feet during Water Year 2019 for subsequent beneficial use. A determination that the storage of this water can be made absolute is subject to the terms set forth in paragraph 13.20 of the Decree; Milliken Reservoir Right (Diversion Rate). 10.04 cfs diverted into storage on May 10, 2023; 70 Ranch Reservoir Right (Volume). Stored

2,224 acre-feet during Water Year 2023 for subsequent beneficial use. A determination that the storage of this water can be made absolute is subject to the terms set forth in paragraph 13.20 of the Decree; 70 Ranch Reservoir Right (Diversion Rate). 52.1 cfs diverted and stored on June 7, 2023. 70 Ranch Reservoir Right (Volume). 371.5 acre-feet of the water stored was subsequently used for oil and gas development on the 70 Ranch from December 29, 2022 to March 30, 2023, see paragraph 13.20 of the Decree; Exchanges Claimed Absolute. Haren Recharge Credits exchanged from the Haren Recharge Accretion Point to Milliken Reservoir – 186.7 acre-feet exchanged from July 13, 2020 to September 30, 2020, at a maximum rate of 1.3 cfs on September 19, 2020; 70 Ranch Reservoir Right exchanged from 70 Ranch Reservoir to United Diversion No. 1 (Riverside Headgate) – 371.5 acre-feet exchanged from December 29, 2022 to March 30, 2023, at a maximum rate of 7.42 cfs on December 30, 2022. Date of Filing of the Application. This Application for finding of reasonable diligence and to make absolute has been filed on or before April 30, 2024, in accordance with the Court’s Notice Concerning Conditional Water Right dated January 30, 2024. Decreed Terms and Conditions. If not repeated in this Application, the terms and conditions imposed in the Decree issued in Case No. 16CW3059, are applicable and will be included in a decree entered in this case, unless the term and condition applied only during the first diligence period and has been addressed. Requested Relief WHEREFORE, the

form ground-level ozone, the key ingredient of smog. e wells contribute to dangerous air quality in the Denver Metro-North Front Range area, a nine-county region home to more than 4 million people that has violated ozone health standards for nearly two decades,” the Center for Biological Diversity said.  e oil and gas industry says similar ares can burn o 95% of the tar-

Applicant, United Water & Sanitation District, respectfully requests entry of decree: Decreeing that the storage of 221 acre-feet of water in Milliken Reservoir, as described above in paragraph 6.1, has been made absolute; Decreeing that the diversion into Milliken Reservoir at the rate of 10.04 cfs, as described above in paragraph 6.2, has been made absolute; Decreeing that the storage of 2,224 acre-feet of water in 70 Ranch Reservoir, as described above in paragraph 6.3, has been made absolute; Decreeing that the diversion into 70 Ranch Reservoir at the rate of 52.1 cfs, as described above in paragraph 6.4, has been made absolute; Decreeing that 371.5 acre-feet of the 70 Ranch Reservoir Right for oil and gas development on the 70 Ranch, as described above in paragraph 6.5, has been made absolute; Decreeing that the exchange of 186.7 acre-feet at a rate of 1.3 cfs from the Haren Recharge Accretion Point to Milliken Reservoir, as described above in paragraph 6.4.1, has been made absolute; Decreeing that the exchange of 371.5 acre-feet at a rate of 7.42 cfs from 70 Ranch Reservoir to the United Diversion No. 1 (Riverside Headgate), as described above in paragraph 6.3, has been made absolute; Confirming that work on one feature of United’s single, unified, and integrated water supply project shall be considered in finding reasonable diligence in the development of all features of its water supply project; and Determining that the Applicant has demonstrated reasonable diligence in the development of the conditional water storage rights and appropriative rights of exchange originally decreed in

geted emissions, but the nonpro t groups say Colorado is not writing permits in a way that demands the most e ective aring equipment or monitoring afterward to prove the emissions are gone.  is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.

Case No. 16CW3059 and continuing the remaining portions of those conditional water rights in good standing and setting a date by which the Applicant must file a subsequent finding of reasonable diligence. (The Application is 12 pages with nine exhibits.)

THE WATER RIGHTS CLAIMED BY THESE APPLICATIONS MAY AFFECT IN PRIORITY ANY WATER RIGHTS CLAIMED OR HERETOFORE ADJUDICATED WITHIN THIS DIVISION AND OWNERS OF AFFECTED RIGHTS MUST APPEAR TO OBJECT WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY STATUTE OR BE FOREVER BARRED.

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that any party who wishes to oppose an application, or an amended application, may file with the Water Clerk, P. O. Box 2038, Greeley, CO 80632, a verified Statement of Opposition, setting forth facts as to why the application should not be granted, or why it should be granted only in part or on certain conditions. Such Statement of Opposition must be filed by the last day of JUNE 2024 (forms available on www.courts.state.co.us or in the Clerk’s office), and must be filed as an Original and include $192.00 filing fee. A copy of each Statement of Opposition must also be served upon the Applicant or Applicant’s Attorney and an affidavit or certificate of such service of mailing shall be filed with the Water Clerk.

Legal Notice No. ECN1504

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13-16, 2024

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