Building relationships with newcomer families
ulation of multilingual families,” said Lindsay Marino, the district’s English Language Development coordinator.
BY NINA JOSS
Taped to a wall, dozens of cloudshaped pieces of paper were covered with words expressing dreams and goals.
In green marker, one cloud read, “I want to be a teacher.” In Spanish, another one said, “Move forward and help my family.”
Other clouds highlighted desires to become a doctor, have a car, go to Disney and, simply, to be happy.
During a recent event at the East Community Center, the cloud-covered wall showcased the dreams of students and families who are new to Littleton from other countries.
It was the rst Multilingual Family Night, where Littleton Public Schools sta invited newcomer families from across the district to share food, gather resources and learn about programs available to them.
“We have seen an increase in our pop-
“ ey’re new to our school district, and they’re new to Colorado and many of them are new to the U.S. — and so it was just a way to gather and get to connect with families and have them connect with the resources available to them.”
e district plans to have another Multilingual Family Night in April to continue building relationships and sharing resources with new families.
e English Language Development department has 30 teachers who work throughout the district to support multilingual students as they learn English and academic content, Marino said.
Across the district, students who participate in English Language Development programs speak 58 di erent languages, Marino said. e most common primary language for these students is Spanish, and the second most common is Vietnamese, she said.
“We work with families very closely,” she said. “It’s a big lift to learn English and whatever grade-level curriculum they’re doing.”
e event, organized by Marino’s team and the East Community Center, included dinner, crafts, dancing and the option
to take winter clothing and boots home. Families also had the opportunity to connect with local nonpro t organizations that provide healthcare, workforce training, food assistance and more. e nonpro t Sweet Dream in a Bag also offered new bedding, free of cost, to families who wanted it.
Jose Cardenas, executive director of the East Community Center, said collaborating with the district and local organizations to serve families was a great part of the event.
“Hopefully, they leave feeling that this is a safe place for them where they could get their needs met,” he said.
Ana Ramos, whose son attends Euclid Middle School, said she appreciated the event.
“It makes us very happy and it helps us a lot,” she said.
Ramos and her family use the East Community Center often for food assistance, and they said they appreciated the meal at the event.
Erin Wise, an English Language Development instructional coach, said she loves events where people can share an experience together, regardless of language and background.
Englewood voters approve $41.5 million parks bond
Bond for changes, upgrades will go into e ect next year
BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Englewood voters have approved the 2024 parks bond question that appeared on the ballot in the Nov. 5 election. Results from the Arapahoe County clerk on Nov. 15, which is the latest update of uno cial results available as of press time, show 8,637 people voted yes and 8,365 people voted no.
Christina Underhill, director of parks, recreation, library and golf, said the city is thrilled by the passage of the bond. “ e passage of the Parks GO Bond represents a shared vision for vibrant parks and recreation spaces that will serve our residents for years to come,” Underhill said. “ is is a monumental step forward for Englewood and we’re excited to get started.”
e bond asked citizens if the city’s debt should be increased by about $41.5 million, “with a maximum repayment cost of up to $72 million, and shall city taxes be increased up to $4 million annually for the purpose of improving, repairing, equipping and upgrading the city’s parks and recreation facilities and areas to include, based on available funds.”
City spokesperson Chris Harguth said the bond will go into e ect in January or February.
“ e next steps involve detailed planning and ensuring community engagement at each stage,” Harguth said.
“Beginning in spring 2025, you’ll see construction begin on various projects, with the majority of them expected to be completed by 2028.”
Improvements will be made to the following parks: Barde Park, Belleview Park, Clarkson-Amherst Park, Cushing Park, Miller Field, Northwest Greenbelt, Rotolo Park, Emerson Park, Englewood Recreation Center and Pirates Cove, as well as new recreational facilities and irrigation updates to replace aging existing irrigation systems.
On its website, the city states that the annual cost of the bond is about $27.70 per $100,000 of a home’s value. For example, for a $500,000 home, the cost would
Students at the Littleton Public Schools Multilingual Family Night on Nov. 21 wrote their dreams on paper clouds and taped them to a paper on the wall.
PHOTO BY NINA JOSS
Proposed change in zoning divides Littleton residents
The change could allow multifamily dwellings in all residential areas
BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Littleton’s planning commission has recommended a controversial zoning change to the city council, bringing the city a step closer to allowing duplexes and multiplexes in all residential areas — including those that are now primarily zoned for single-family homes.
During a planning commission meeting on Nov. 18, residents expressed a passionate and wide range of opinions on the potential change, which the city says is intended to expand “missing middle” housing options in the city.
In the proposed code changes, city sta recommends allowing duplexes and multiplexes in areas zoned as “acreage residential” and “large lot residential,” said Senior Planner Zareen Tasneem. Both of those zonings currently primarily allow single-family detached homes, with limited agricultural, civic and institutional uses.
e recommended code changes would also allow more of a variety of structures in “medium lot residential” and “small lot residential areas.” Medium lot residential areas – which currently allow single-family homes and cottage court communities — would also allow duplexes, multiplexes and three-to-fourunit townhomes under the new code.
Small lot residential areas — which currently allow single-family homes, cottage court communities and, when approved by a public hearing, duplexes — would also allow multiplexes and three-to-four-
unit townhomes.
Tasneem said some properties in the city that are governed by planned development zoning regulations would still only allow single-family detached homes.
e proposed changes also include adjustments to regulations surrounding accessory dwelling units to bring the city’s code in line with new state laws.
Sta also recommended relaxing permitting processes, parking requirements, minimum site areas and other elements of building middle housing types.
Many residents who oppose the changes said they were concerned that allowing “missing middle” housing types in these areas would back re, creating more expensive housing instead of more a ordable housing.
“Are we actually solving the problem we’re setting out to do?” said resident Steven Natali. “What I anticipate is developers going in, scraping every single place just like they have in West Highlands (in Denver), and putting up these giant multiplexes and then selling them o at a million dollars apiece and walking o with huge pro ts. It (will be) nothing more a ordable than it is now.”
Another resident, in support of the zoning change, shared a personal story about how “missing middle” housing types have played a role in his homeownership journey.
“In 2021, we were looking to buy a house,” said resident Ben Traquair. “After touring several dilapidated singlefamily homes that were already beyond our budget, we purchased half a duplex. It was cheaper and nicer than anything we had toured before. It gave us a chance to own a home and nally become a permanent member of a community.”
Residents expressed concerns about added tra c and street parking from
these kinds of housing. ey also said they were worried about the ability of the sewer system to handle added demand.
Tasneem said parking standards in the land use code require minimum parking per unit for duplexes, multiplexes, townhomes and cottage court communities, and that these parking spaces would be on-site, not on the street.
Tasneem said the city’s public works sta looked at a projection of potential redevelopments of “missing middle” housing types and determined that the city’s current sewer system would be able to handle added demand.
Some residents also said they were concerned that new housing types would be taller than surrounding homes. Tasneem said the proposed zoning changes do not change maximum allowed heights in the a ected residential zones. e maximum height limit will remain 30 feet for any kind of housing type in these zones, and units will have to follow other rules to ensure height “compatibility” with adjacent homes, she said.
Some residents also said they were concerned about the character of their neighborhoods changing if the new zoning regulation passes.
“Many people, like me, wanted to seek out a neighborhood that had character, that had, in this instance, a mid(modern) … ranch-house type setting with wide lots,” said resident Mark Harris, who lives in a neighborhood called Aberdeen Village. “It has a character of its own. ere has to be a place for singlefamily neighborhoods, like Aberdeen Village, without kind of a bait and switch.”
Former District 4 City Councilmember Kelly Milliman spoke at the meeting, publicly supporting the zoning change. As an example of how “missing middle” housing options can help communities, she spoke about a vacant property in her
neighborhood that was recently almost developed into a cottage court community, but it failed due to neighborhood resistance.
“Not only would this have been a great opportunity to introduce ‘single-family homes’ in a very gentle, dense development, it also would have contributed either funds or a potential a ordable house through our inclusionary housing ordinance,” she said. “But because of public outcry … it could be three or four very expensive homes on quarter-acre lots. You want to talk about community character? at stinks, I think.”
Resident Pam Chadbourne said she is worried the new code proposal is “planned for developers to make a lot of money,” not for accessible, a ordable and sustainable housing.
“It will only raise the pricing,” she said. “ is (code change) will produce housing that developers and pro t-takers love.”
Resident Spencer Hanks said he thinks the zoning change would not likely create a “tidal wave” of change to the community, and it would be a step in the right direction towards more a ordability.
“Small, gentle changes are what you’re going to see,” he said. “Middle housing is not going to be a panacea — and it’s honestly not guaranteed to make a dent in pricing. What is guaranteed is that doing nothing, building nothing and allowing nothing to change will absolutely keep us on the exact path that has led us to this a ordability crisis.”
After a discussion including many differing opinions, the planning commission unanimously approved a motion to recommend the change to city council. e city council plans to discuss and vote on the proposed zoning change at its Jan. 7 meeting. ere will be an opportunity for public comment on the topic.
Department of Justice Objects to Key Part of the NAR Settlement as Anti-Competitive
When the National Association of Realtors (NAR) agreed on March 15th to a $415-million-dollar settlement with a class of home sellers in Missouri, there were two changes which NAR agreed to make.
The first was to remove from the nation’s MLSs all mention of commissions being shared cooperatively with buyer brokers. The second was that all buyers must sign an agreement with any broker (other than the listing agent) before showing another agent’s listing.
If a buyer were to call one of us to see a listed home, we would want to make sure they were a qualified buyer before taking the time to show them a listing, but few of us would bother with any paperwork unless and until they wanted us to compose an offer to buy that or another listing. And we universally got away with that approach.
Last week, the judge in that case was scheduled to affirm or deny that settlement, and on Sunday, Nov. 30th, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a 5-page “statement of interest” stating that, in the DOJ’s opinion, the latter provision was anti-competitive and should be struck down.
So it was a bit of a pain (and an annoyance to the buyer) when we were told that from now on we had to get any prospective buyer to sign a “showing agreement” or a “buyer agency agreement.”
provision of the settlement. And let it be said that this rule was pretty meaningless in the context of the complaint on which the NAR settlement was based, namely that listing agents shouldn’t be sharing their commission with buyer’s agents.
Regarding the other requirement of the NAR settlement outlawing commission sharing and the publishing of “cooperative” commissions on MLSs, it has had little effect here in Colorado. All that happened was that offers of compensation were rephrased on listing agreements and on contracts to buy real estate.
judge in the settlement case deny that aspect of the agreement, too? Perhaps, but one can always hope!
The Origin of the 2.8% Co-op
At press time for this column, the judge had not yet affirmed the settlement, so maybe this is old news to readers, but I wanted to share it with you in case you haven’t heard about the DOJ filing.
We Realtors had taken a grin-and-bearit attitude toward both rules, and I personally hadn’t considered what the DOJ is now espousing — namely, that when you ask a buyer to sign a representation agreement with one broker just to see a home, no matter how short the term of that agreement, you are limiting the ability of other brokers to compete for that buyer’s business.
Prior to the NAR rule, it was considered proper practice to provide a buyer with whom we interact with a “Brokerage Disclosure to Buyer” stating that they are a “Customer” and not a client, but I don’t know any brokers who actually did that.
Since the NAR settlement didn’t say what kind of agreement that should be, I created a simple “Showing Agreement” which I printed up for our broker associates and gave to them, padded, to keep in their glove compartments. Before entering a listing, they were to fill in the blanks and have the buyer sign it before entering the listing. That copy would be given to the buyer, and I suggested that our broker associates take a picture of it on their smartphone — not to print and file it, but just to keep it on their phone as a record.
The fact remains that there is no one to audit whether this form is completed, although I suppose there could be “secret shoppers” who would test agents to see if they are doing that. But, remember, this is a NAR rule, not a state law, so any audits by the Real Estate Commission would not include verifying that such forms were being completed. For that reason, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear of agents who simply ignore that NAR rule.
Regardless, it would be a relief if, following this DOJ filing, the judge in the NAR settlement case were to deny that
Now, the listing agreements still state the same total commission — 5 to 6 percent, or whatever — but instead of saying how much of that commission the listing agent will offer to an agent for the buyer, the listing agreement now says how much the seller will offer to an agent for the buyer and then says that, if that amount is indeed paid to a buyer’s agent, that percentage will be deducted from the commission paid to the listing agent. In other words, no change except in phraseology.
Why the amount the seller is offering can’t be stated on the MLS makes no sense. Would it be too much to have the
Have you ever wondered why 2.8% became the typical or standard commission offered to “cooperating brokers” who represent buyers? Here’s a history lesson. It was explained to me that, before the U.S. Department of Justice said that the Denver Board of Realtors (DBOR) was engaging in price fixing by dictating commission rates, DBOR set the listing commission at 7%, and dictated that 40% of that amount, or 2.8%, was the proper amount to be shared with agents representing buyers.
After price-fixing was outlawed, listing commissions declined, but the 2.8% co-op remained a fixture, so to speak, because sellers and their agents didn’t want buyer agents to avoid their listings in favor of listings still offering 2.8%.
Nowadays, with buyers doing their own searching online (where that co-op commission was hidden from consumers), the reluctance to offer less than 2.8% diminished and now is far less important.
My Feb. 17, 2022, column reported that the percentage of listings offering less than 2.8% had grown from 2% in 2015 to 30%.
Is Your Home Fully Prepared for Winter?
Now that our warm autumn is giving way to the cold spells of winter, have you done everything you should to prepare for cold weather?
Frozen pipes should be your number one concern, given the damage burst pipes can cause. Are your outdoor hose bibs the kind that resist freezing? They’re easy enough to install. They work because the valve itself is deep within the unit so that it benefits from the warmth within your house.
Does the caulking around your windows need refreshing? Leakage around windows is a major source of lost heat.
ommend annual cleaning and servicing of HVAC systems.
If you have a wood-burning fireplace, when was the chimney last cleaned? Chimney fires are all too common.
Tree trimming is expensive, but should be considered, given the increase in hurricane-force winds due to climate change. Is there a tree that could fall on your home? Consider removing it, or at least trimming threatening branches.
This is a good time to test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and maybe install fresh batteries.
$750,000
Condos in this building at 722 Washington Avenue (called Washington Station) are in great demand because of its location right in downtown Golden. This new listing is for Unit 201, which has a great corner location directly above the unit’s deeded parking spot. Moreover, the stairs to the parking garage are right next to the door to this unit. (There’s also an elevator, of course.) This is a mixed use building, with commercial units, including the Golden Bike Shop, on the main ground floor. The unit itself features an open floor plan, with slab granite countertops and cherry cabinets with handles, and an island with breakfast bar to complement the dining area. At left is the view from the 5.5’x11.3’ balcony outside the living room. That view is also from both bedrooms. The bathrooms and kitchen have ceramic tile floors, and the rest of the unit has carpeting in like new condition. There’s a 7’-deep storage room and laundry closet with vinyl flooring. Take a narrated video tour at GoldenCondo.info, then come to the open house this Saturday, 11am to 1pm.
There’s so much to love about this home at 7085 W. 32nd Pl.! For starters, it’s a handyman’s delight with an oversized 2-car garage that is heated and has 200 Amps of power, including two 240-Volt circuits! Also, one of the basement bedrooms has been converted into a sound studio with professional soundproofing such that neighbors and the people upstairs wouldn’t be aware of it! Altogether, including that studio with its ensuite bathroom, this home has five bedrooms and three full bathrooms. And it has a full-size bar with bar stools next to that studio in the basement that is to
Check your dryer vent for built-up lint, a major cause of house fires.
Change the filter in your forced-air furnace to improve its efficiency. I rec-
Clean your gutters so water doesn’t collect, freeze and back up on your roof. We have vendors to recommend for each of these tasks under the “Resources” tab at www.GoldenRealEstate.com
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Big Price Reduction on Brick Ranch in Wheat Ridge
Just Listed: 2-BR Condo in Downtown Golden
Help kids skip seasonal bruises and breaks this holiday season
Experts o er tips to help children avoid serious injuries
BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
As families prepare for the holiday season, it’s also the time to take extra precautions to help children avoid serious injuries.
Children’s Hospital Colorado tends to see a higher rate of injury related to toys, winter sports and activities, and motor vehicle crashes during this time of the year. Injuries at home, which includes falls, are always a top cause of injury consistently year over year, followed by motor vehicle crashes.
“As humans, we always have this idea that bad things aren’t going to happen to us,” said Britney Lombard, injury prevention expert at Children’s Hospital Colorado. “What we need to do is set all of these things in place to prevent any injuries from happening.”
To empower and educate parents and caregivers with prevention tools, the trauma program and injury prevention community health outreach teams at Children’s Hospital Colorado recently secured a proclamation by the Aurora mayor to establish Nov. 18 as National Prevention Day.
Car seat safety
Last year, motor vehicle crashes were the second leading cause of serious traumatic injury for patients seen across the Children’s Hospital Colorado system of care. From January to June of this year, there were more than 70 pediatric visits to Colorado hospital emergency departments for motor vehicle incidents.
According to Children’s Hospital Colorado, about 29% of children between the ages of 2 and 8, and less than half of children age 9 and up, were properly wearing a seatbelt in the crash.
“We’re seeing older kids in vehicle crashes at higher rates than we see the younger kids,” said Lombard. “It is really important that families don’t get complacent and make sure they’re still following those safety recommendations.”
Earlier this year, CDOT released a statement that nearly 80% of Colorado parents and caregivers are not using a car seat correctly.
e most common car seat misuse in 2023, according to CDOT, was the harness, either being loose or an incorrect placement of the harness slots. Other forms of
misuse found were children moving from a booster too soon, and the car seat being the incorrect size for children.
CDOT’s Car Seats Colorado suggests parents and caregivers refer to the car seat manufacturer’s manual and vehicle owner’s manual for car seat installation instructions, ensure the child is in the correct seat for their size and age, and periodically check for any recalls.
“We know that the back seat is safest for children, it keeps them away from the airbag,” Lombard said, adding that airbags deploy at high speeds and with lots of power. “Children’s skeletons just are not able to handle those forces.”
Going into e ect in early 2025, HB241055 will enhance car seat laws to better protect children by changing the child restraint system requirements.
e new legislation will require children to use a booster seat in the car until they’re at least 9 years old, which is an extra year from what previous law currently required, Lombard said. e law will also require children under the age of 2 to be in a rear facing car seat.
“( is) is following best practices or what we’ve known to be safest for many years,” said Lombard. “We have a lot of work to do making sure that families have the information and resources to get those car seats checked.”
Fire prevention and avoiding other hazards e holiday season also brings an uptick in the number of patients treated at Children’s Hospital Colorado due to injuries from within the home.
Lombard said it’s important to focus on re prevention and ensuring children can’t get into dangerous things that could contain hazards. Some holiday decorations that could be hazardous are holiday lights, breakable ornaments and anything with buttons or batteries as they can pose a hazard if ingested.
“We want to make sure that all of those extra items we’re adding into our house, that we’re considering the safety of those items,” said Lombard.
She added that parents and caregivers might consider putting up child safety gates, especially around the replace, and
other home proo ng tools, avoid standing water, ensure rearms are locked up and that ammunition is stored separately from those rearms.
Children’s Hospital Colorado does work through Safe Kids Colorado coalition, which provides tools and resources to help prevent choking, kitchen safety tips and winter safety.
Some of the winter safety tips recommended are putting on sunscreen, removing pu y winter coats before putting children in their car seats, always having an adult present during winter activities and to stay hydrated.
Many injuries seen at Children’s Hospital Colorado system of care can be prevented, said Lombard, which is why she wants parents and caregivers to take time this holiday season to be preventative.
“When we’re trying to prevent these injuries, the best way that we can prevent them is through layers of protection,” said Lombard.
For more, visit childrenscolorado.org/ community/community-health/injuryprevention/.
Children Hospital Colorado o ers tips on how to keep children safe during the holiday season, as hospitals see an uptick in emergency room visits this time of the year.
PHOTO BY HALEY LENA
be $138.50. Additionally, the annual cost of the bond for a commercial property owner is $95 per $100,000 of a commercial property’s value, and a $500,000 property annual cost would be $475.
Bond details
According to the city, “a parks and recreation bond, approved by voters in 2001, provided funding for facilities like Pirates Cove, and expanded and improved the recreation centers. at bond was paid o in 2023, resulting in a decrease in property taxes in Englewood between 2023 and 2024. e previous bond annual payment was $16.80 per $100,000 of a home’s value or $84 for a $500,000 home.”
ere are 12 projects included in the current bond:
Barde Park: which is estimated to cost $700,000, will include a bridge removal, ADA compliance for walkways, park benches, new shade trees and a small nature play area.
Belleview Park: which is estimated to cost about $9 million, will include a renovated tennis court, ball eld lighting, train and farm improvements, ADA compliance and the replacement of deteriorating steps.
Clarkson/Amherst Park: which is estimated to cost about $400,000, will include a new park sign, community garden, park benches and a small nature play area.
Cushing Park: which is estimated to cost about $600,000, will include a fenced-in o -leash dog area, wood chip surfacing, solar lighting, replacement of playground, boulders, benches, dog bag dispensers and trash cans.
Miller Field/Park: which is estimated to cost nearly $7 million, will include a com-
munity play area, the preservation of the Miller Field gate, main entry/drop-o , native planting, splash pad, angled parking, multi-use elds, enhanced crossing, group picnic pavilion and restrooms.
Northwest Greenbelt: which is estimated to cost $940,000, will include educational signs, nature planting, picnic table on a pad, shrub planting to screen the parking lot, picnic shelter, new shade trees, ush toilet and an ADA-compliant concrete path.
Rotolo Park: which is estimated to cost $755,000, will include concrete drainage pan, native planting, paved area between
existing 4-foot-wide walk and curb, connected path to South Jason Street curb, connected path to West Stanford Drive, ush toilet, relocated park sign and enhanced crossing to Southwest Greenbelt.
Emerson Park: which is estimated to cost $600,000, will include widening sidewalks, picnic shelter, trees for screening and a play area.
Englewood Recreation Center: which is estimated to cost upwards of $7 million, will include a pickleball court, updated locker rooms, improved landscaping, spa and new pool decking.
Pirates Cove: which is estimated to cost
$6.3 million, will include a lounge and play pool, removal of large pool, and replacement of inner-tube slides.
Additionally, Pirates Cove will get a new irrigation system, which is estimated to cost $3 million, and drought-tolerant plants which is estimated to cost $500,000.
“We’ll be holding public meetings and distributing community surveys to gather input on designs and improvements to ensure these spaces meet the needs and expectations of our residents,” Harguth said. “It’s going to be a collaborative e ort, and we’re looking forward to engaging with everyone.”
“A splendidly festive tradition” – BroadwayWorld
A Christmas Carol By Charles Dickens
Adapted by Richard Hellesen Music by David de Berry
Directed by Anthony Powell
Families play in Big Dry Creek in Englewood’s Belleview Park in July 2024. Passage of the parks bond will result in $41.5 million in changes to the city’s parks and recreation facilities, with a repayment cost of around $72 million.
PHOTO BY ARIA MARIZZA
Judith Westveer’s juniper Christmas tree in 2023. Westveer is the assistant director of the Southern Plains Land Trust.
Eastern Plains can provide Christmas trees, too
The Southern Plains Land Trust has junipers to give away
BY ANDREA CHALFIN CPR NEWS
It’s Colorado tradition for folks to head to mountains and national forests for their Christmas trees around this time of year.
But for some others? Well, they look no further than their own backyard for a tree that — though not a r tree or even a Charlie Brown tree — is su cient for hanging ornaments: junipers.
And now, they’re o ering one to you, too. e little junipers are cut like a traditional Christmas tree and don’t come with any roots.
Judith Westveer is the assistant director of the Southern Plains Land Trust and a resident steward of the organization’s Heartland Preserve in Bent County. It’s 43,000 acres of shortgrass prairie — home to prairie dogs, bison and other critters. It’s also home to a phenomenon known as “woody encroachment.”
On the Heartland Preserve, it refers to the junipers that naturally occur on mesas, but are now making their way into the grasslands.
” e grassland is, by nature, an open area without many trees,” Westveer said. “But because we don’t have any natural res going on anymore, these juniper trees are slowly encroaching, turning grasslands into shrubland.”
Westveer said their goal is to keep the land open as a prairie so that grassland birds and other mammals “have space to roam.”
As a result, they work to remove the invading junipers and, due to the success of last year’s inaugural program, they’re once again o ering them as holiday trees.
”Last year we were kind of amazed by the success of it,” Westveer said. “We didn’t expect many people to respond, but we ended up driving multiple times to
PICK UP A PRE-ORDERED JUNIPER TREE IN CENTENNIAL
The homes of two Southern Plains Land Trust board members are the pick-up locations for pre-ordered juniper trees this year.
Pick-up dates are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 30 for Centennial and Colorado Springs; and Sunday, Dec. 1 for Centennial only.
The junipers must be pre-ordered and are free, but the Southern Plains Land Trust is asking for a donation to help with expenses.
Pre-order a juniper through the Southern Plains Land Trust’s website at https://southernplains.org.
the Front Range.”
Most people were happy with their junipers, she said, even if they’re not the same as a classic Christmas tree.
“One person called it her Frankenpine,” she said.
Last year, they delivered them to people’s homes. is year, to save time and cut down on expenses, you’ll have to meet them. Westveer said they have two locations — one in Colorado Springs and one in Centennial — where people will be able to go pick up their pre-ordered juniper tree.
Westveer recommends putting it in a bucket of water and hanging your favorite ornaments on it.
ey’re free — “we cut these juniper trees from the prairie anyway” — but the Southern Plains Land Trust does ask for a donation to help with expenses. Last year, Westveer said they received around $3,500 in donations.
Visit the website for the Southern Plains Land Trust to pre-order your tree, or email them at info@SPLT.org for more information.
is story is from CPR News, a nonpro t public broadcaster serving Colorado. Used by permission. For more, and to support Colorado Public Radio, visit cpr.org.
SCHOOLS
Wise teared up when asked what she wishes the greater Littleton community understood about her students.
“ e families we work with are so unbelievably resilient and persistent … in having a
Watch
better life for themselves and their families, to learn a whole new culture and language and have to navigate so, so much in a short period of time,” she said.
“Despite all odds, they do it.”
Wise said these families make a positive di erence in the community.
“ e value and the richness they bring to our community is hard to put into words,” she
said. “It just makes our world more beautiful, more diverse and o ers more perspective that we normally wouldn’t have.”
Andrés Reyes and Andrea Hernández, whose son is in the English Language Development program at Goddard Middle School, said their family chose to live in Littleton because of Reyes’ job.
Reyes, who is from Mexico, said nding places to learn and practice English can be challenging. ere are also other “small shocks” to adjust to in a new country, like getting used to an economic system that relies heavily on building credit, he said. Despite the challenges that come with living in a new country, Reyes said people in the area have been very nice.
Melissa Briones-Siria, an English Language Development instructional coach, said it’s important for people to know that “a smile can go a long way” to someone who speaks a di erent language.
“You don’t have to know someone’s language, but you can give them a smile and say hello,” she said. “A smile is a universal language.”
Andrés Reyes, Andrea Hernández and Andrés Hernández chat while they eat at the Littleton Public Schools Multilingual Family Night on Nov. 21. PHOTOS BY NINA JOSS
Melissa Briones-Siria, an English Language Development teacher, speaks to a person about MOSAIC, a group for multilingual parents.
Students and a Littleton Public Schools employee dance the “Macarena” at the Multilingual Family Night.
Sinkhole opens under parked car near Englewood storm sewer project
BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A sinkhole that opened under a parked car near the ongoing storm sewer project in the area around Englewood’s Rotolo Park was promptly repaired.
e incident occurred on West
Stanford Avenue near South Jason Street. e city received a report around 5 p.m. on Nov. 24 regarding damage on the north side of Stanford. It was repaired by the next day.
e unoccupied car was towed out of the hole, said city spokesperson Chris Harguth. ere were
no injuries.
“Following an inspection, Public Works believes the damage may be connected to the South Englewood Flood Reduction Project and the associated tunnel boring activities,” Harguth said on the morning of Nov. 25.
e South Englewood Flood
Law on phone use while driving about to change
BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Colorado drivers face a new law that prohibits people from using a mobile electronic device – including a cell phone – while driving unless they use a hands-free accessory.
e penalties for violating the prohibition include a $75 ne and license suspension points, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
To prepare drivers for the new law, which goes into e ect Jan. 1, 2025, CDOT is launching an awareness campaign over the next several months to ensure all Coloradans know about the law and best practices. e campaign will include outreach e orts through social media, paid ads and collaboration with key stakeholders, according to a CDOT news release.
e goal with the new law is to reduce distractive driving in Colorado, as studies have shown that using a mobile device while driving increases the risk of a crash by two to six times, according to CDOT.
“ is new legislation is a crucial step toward making Colorado’s roads safer for everyone,” Shoshana Lew, executive director of CDOT, said in the news release.
“By encouraging drivers to focus solely on the task of driving, we can reduce the number of distracted driving incidents
and prevent crashes that often come with such behavior,” Lew said. “ is law aligns with best practices from across the nation and re ects our commitment to protecting all road users, whether in a vehicle, on a bike or walking.”
According to CDOT’s 2024 Driver Behavior Report, 77% of Colorado drivers admitted to using their phones while driving, with 45% saying a handsfree feature in their car would stop them from using their phone.
Distracted drivers pose a particularly high risk to vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and bicyclists. From 2015 to 2023, deaths among pedestrians and bicyclists increased by 50% and 112.5%, respectively, while Colorado’s population grew by less than 8% during the same period, the news release states.
Colorado joins 29 other states in prohibiting the use of handheld mobile devices while driving. States with similar laws have reported decreases in distracted driving crashes. In Michigan, a 2023 law banning hand-held cellphone use led to a 12.8% decrease in distracted driving crashes within the rst year, the news release states.
Penalties for violating the new law start with a $75 ne and two license suspension points for the rst o ense. First-time violators can have the charge dismissed if they provide proof
Reduction Project is a $23 million project the city broke ground on last year.
e project seeks to connect and create new detention ponds to help with ood reduction in the South Englewood drainage basin.
According to the city’s website, major construction on this proj-
of purchasing a hands-free accessory. Repeat o enders face higher nes and more license suspension points, according to CDOT.
“For a long time, troopers have been able to detect when someone is driving distracted by a vehicle weaving between lanes, delayed starts at stop signs and lights, not to mention seeing a phone or other device in a driver’s hand,” said Col. Matthew Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol in the news release. “ is legislation allows us to address risky and careless behaviors in a proactive way to increase the safety of all roadway users.”
As the January 2025 deadline approaches, CDOT urges all drivers to begin putting down their phones when driving, ensuring they are prepared when the law takes effect, the news release states. Drivers are encouraged to acquire hands-free accessories such as dashboard mounts and car speakerphone systems to comply with the new law.
e law includes exemptions for individuals reporting emergencies, utility workers, code enforcement o cers, animal protection o cers, rst responders and individuals in parked vehicles. ese exceptions ensure that critical communications are not hindered in emergency or essential service situations, the news release states.
ect is expected to be completed this winter, with minor landscaping and nal touches to be completed in the spring. Harguth said the sinkhole will not impact the timeline of completion for the project.
For more information visit bit.ly/retention-ponds-tunnels.
Victim of October hit-run in Littleton survives
Suspect is being charged with attempted murder and other felonies
BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
After being hit and run over by a vehicle during an apparent road rage incident, the victim was recently released from the hospital, Littleton police said.
Milton Mora, 43, went to the hospital on Oct. 14 with “severe facial and cervical spine injuries and a substantial risk of death,” according to an arrest a davit from that day, when driver Rene Cooke, 41, allegedly ran Mora over with his car.
Littleton police responded to a call at around 8 p.m. that evening near the intersection of Broadway and West Powers Avenue, where Cooke and More had seemingly been involved in a minor car crash, according to a press release from the department. Witnesses said Mora exited his vehicle in what appeared to be an attempt to exchange information, according to the arrest a davit. Cooke, who was driving a Ford Fusion with a Papa John’s sign on top, allegedly attempted to drive around Mora to leave the scene, but Mora ges-
tured for Cooke to stop, the adavit states.
Cooke allegedly accelerated, striking Mora with his vehicle and sending him over the right side of the car. Cooke then allegedly ran over Mora’s chest and head and ed the scene, the afdavit states.
Mora was transported to a hospital in critical condition, a spokesperson for the Littleton Police Department said. e a davit states that three witnesses followed Cooke’s car from Littleton through Englewood to Denver, and noted that he was allegedly driving in a “reckless manner” with “a conscious disregard for other trafc.”
Cooke is facing multiple charges including felony charges of attempted second-degree murder, rst-degree assault, leaving the scene of an accident involving serious bodily injury and vehicular assault, according to a spokesperson for the district attorney’s o ce.
Cooke, who lives in Centennial, has a criminal record that includes convictions of reckless driving, forgery, criminal mischief, careless driving, reckless endangerment and driving without an active license.
Cooke is listed in the Arapahoe County Sheri ’s O ce’s inmate database online under a $50,000 bond.
The sinkhole at Stanford Avenue near Jason Street in Englewood.
The sinkhole at Stanford Avenue in Englewood was repaired after caving in.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CITY OF ENGLEWOOD
Brightening the holiday season
Englewood Schools to host 2024 holiday store on Dec. 14
BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
In the heart of Englewood, a beloved community tradition is brightening the holiday season for families: the Englewood Holiday Store.
e Englewood Holiday Store, now in its 12th year, is a festive pop-up shop that o ers low-priced gifts, free clothing and other essentials to local families.
With the support of volunteers and donations, the store provides not just material goods, but a sense of hope and togetherness for those who could use a little extra support during this time of year.
“ e Englewood Holiday Store is an annual event designed to make the holiday season more a ordable, attainable and memorable for families in the Englewood community,” store director Laura Cooper said. “On the second Saturday of December, we transform Bishop Elementary School into a winter wonderland retail shopping experience where families can purchase brand new gifts valued at $25 or more at a signi cant discount.”
Cooper said the store was started over a decade ago by Journey Church and it initially focused on helping a few families at Bishop Elementary School.
“Over the years, it has expanded to serve over 200 families and 700 students annually across six Englewood schools,” Cooper said. “It’s now a true community
e ort, involving volunteers and donors from every sector of the City of Englewood.”
Cooper said the community has responded well to the holiday store.
“ e generosity and compassion of Englewood residents have made the store a success year after year,” Cooper said. “We have many people sign up to volunteer year after year. Families appreciate the opportunity to provide their children with new, desirable gifts at an a ordable price. And the community’s support has been crucial in sustaining and growing the event.”
Cooper explained the store will be similar to past years, but this year, two additional families from other Englewood
schools will be able to shop at the store.
“ e shop is available to families enrolled in Englewood schools,” Cooper said. “Shopper registration is conducted through the schools to ensure that the immediate community bene ts from the event. Families will be invited through their school.”
Cooper said there are many ways for the general community to get involved, including the following:
Give a gift: Walmart and Target register and ship a gift directly, or drop o physical gifts at the Englewood Grand in exchange for a free drink. Gifts must be new and valued at $25 or more. e gift deadline is Dec. 8.
Make a nancial contribution: Make a
tax-deductible donation through the “Donate” tab on the website — all funds will go directly to purchasing gifts for families.
Volunteer: Sign up to help on the day before or the day of the event through the “Volunteer” tab on the website. Volunteers are needed on Dec. 13 and 14.
“ e holidays are an especially challenging time for families struggling nancially,” Cooper said. “Parents are often choosing between buying holiday gifts for their children and paying their bills. e holiday store seeks to alleviate that stress.”
Cooper said the holiday store is unique to other gift giving programs because it allows parents to pick and choose their gifts.
“When kids open their gifts on Christmas morning, (they’re) hand-picked for them by their parents,” Cooper said.
For Cooper, the best aspect of the holiday store is that it’s a community event that “embodies the spirit of generosity, compassion and neighborliness.”
“If you volunteer with us, you’ll run into neighbors, City of Englewood sta , local business owners and the occasional city council member,” Cooper said. “Every year, we have families who shop at the store (who) also volunteer for a shift, which is really special.”
Going forward, Cooper said she hopes to expand the holiday store to help meet the needs of the entire community.
“No Englewood family should have to choose between Christmas gifts for their children and paying their bills,” Cooper said.
For more information on the store visit englewoodchristmasstore.com.
With brilliant choreography and a beloved score by Tchaikovsky, Parker Arts’ and Denver Ballet Theatre’s production is a festive treat for the entire family!
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GIVE THE GIFT OF THEATER!
Learn more at
In a world where “What can I get for free?” seems to be a growing mentality, I can’t help but notice the pattern of entitlement and discontent it creates. ere’s no better place to observe this than in restaurants, where I’ve occasionally overheard people at nearby tables complaining about a perfectly ne meal, only to get an item comped from the bill. What’s astonishing is that these diners enjoyed their food, shared laughs, and appeared to be having a wonderful time until the check arrived. It’s as if they felt a moral victory in walking away with something for nothing. But when did getting a free ride become so celebrated, and what does it say about how we approach life?
I’ve thought about this mentality, and one analogy comes to mind: people who sit by a replace, expecting heat without ever adding wood to the re. ey expect warmth without contributing any fuel, just like those who expect more from life without ever making deposits of their own. is notion extends beyond restaurants and replaces; it in ltrates many aspects of life. People complain about others who have more or live more luxuriously, begrudging them their bigger homes, fancier cars, or exotic vacations. But instead of acknowledging the e ort it took those people to achieve such success, they resent the fact that they themselves aren’t living that way. It’s a mindset that chooses envy over e ort and dissatisfaction over discipline. is attitude isn’t con ned to just a few. I’ve seen it spill over into the workplace, especially in younger or newer salespeople who see top performers taking an afternoon o to golf or sh and wonder, “Why can’t I do that?” What they often fail to see, however, is the years of hard work, rejection, and persistence it took for those salespeople to reach a place where they could take that time o without jeopardizing their success. ose new to the eld can be quick to judge but slow to recognize the grind that their role models endured. ey want the freedom, the rewards, and the lifestyle without understanding the discipline, the work ethic, and, yes, even the sacri ces that made it possible.
Entitlement is alluring because it o ers a shortcut that promises reward without investment. But these shortcuts are often illusions that breed dependency rather than fulllment. People who spend their energy looking for freebies or shortcuts miss out on the deep satisfaction of building something themselves. ere’s an empowerment that only comes when you’ve earned what you have; it’s a condence that isn’t easily shaken, a pride that doesn’t require validation.
In contrast, a “What can I get for free?” mentality robs people of the joy and satisfaction they seek. While they may get temporary wins, a discounted meal here, a small perk there, these victories are hollow. In time, these individuals become disillusioned, wondering why they’re not as happy or ful lled as those who do the work. ey become like those who stare into a replace, frustrated that there is no warmth, never realizing that they’ve failed to build a re worth stoking.
As individuals, we must shift our mentality from “What can I get for free?” to “What can I contribute?” ere’s something profoundly rewarding about putting in the wood, the work, and the sweat equity, knowing that the warmth you’ll receive isn’t a gift; it’s a return on your investment. We shouldn’t be looking to game the system but rather to engage in it fully, understanding that the most gratifying successes aren’t free. Instead, they result from consistent e ort, meaningful contributions, and a commitment to growth.
In the end, life gives us what we put into it. When we start by stacking the logs, fueling the re with our e ort, we can sit back and enjoy the warmth that radiates from our labor. How do you see it? I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com. And when we take an empowered approach to life instead of one of entitlement, 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.
Is the Aurora Sentinel a ‘citizen’?
The Colorado Supreme Court is examining whether a newspaper is considered a “citizen” and therefore entitled to attorney fees when prevailing in open meetings lawsuits.
GUEST COLUMN Je rey A. Roberts
A year ago, in a victory for the Aurora Sentinel, the Court of Appeals ordered Aurora to publicly release the recording of an executive session in which city council members ended censure proceedings against a fellow councilor.
But the three-judge appellate panel decided not to award reasonable attorney fees to the Sentinel, even though the Colorado Open Meetings Law (COML) requires it when citizens successfully challenge violations in court. e Sentinel doesn’t meet the Mer-
riam-Webster dictionary de nition of a citizen as “a native or naturalized person who owes allegiance to a government and is entitled to protection from it,” Judge David Furman wrote for the court. at opinion was “erroneous as a matter of law and must be reversed to avoid undermining the General Assembly’s intent to encourage — not only individual litigants but any and all members of the press and public — to challenge clear violations of the COML,” argues a Supreme Court brief submitted for the Sentinel by attorneys Rachael Johnson of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and Steve Zansberg, president of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition.
Women’s Wellness: The e ects of symptomatology
SGUEST COLUMN
Dr. Terry Dunn
ymptomatology is the branch of medical science that focuses on the study of disease and overall symptom patterns shown by a patient or associated with a speci c disease. is is important, especially for women, where care can often be informed on the basis of symptoms and signs. It’s central to understand that not all conditions can be detected early on. A symptom is something an individual experiences, while a sign is something a medical professional notices. Subjective symptoms can only be known if acknowledged by the individual experiencing those conditions and cannot alone constitute a diagnosis.
For example, pelvic pain, irregular periods, brain fog and fatigue are all considered symptoms. Objective symptoms are those clear to the observer and called physical signs such as pulse rates and temperatures.
No matter who observes the symptoms or signs, it is the body’s way of signaling something might not be functioning properly. Each body creates symptoms and signs uniquely, and every woman reacts in a unique way. Some experiencing the conditions show no symptoms at all. Another person may be hypersensitive to the signs and symptoms experienced.
Everyone is di erent, which can pose challenges for identifying treatment. As a physician, it’s important to know our patients to discern between what is an alert versus a non-urgent concern. One symptom by itself usually means very little. It is its relationship to other symptoms that may be signi cant.
For instance, frequent bathroom visits and frequently having to start and stop while using the bathroom may indicate pelvic oor dysfunction, while a feeling of heaviness around the lower tummy or a dragging discomfort in the reproductive organs could lead one to suspect something causing pelvic organ prolapse. Whether it is a symptom or sign, talking to your doctor is the rst step.
As a physician, I rely on patients to share what symptoms or signs they may be experiencing. Ongoing appointments are recommended for the most accurate evaluation and success of treatment options. It’s a must to understand a patient’s background, determining abnormal ndings if any and weighing the patient’s problem(s) with the pattern of the known disease processes. It’s important to know your body and to “listen” to the signs it is giving to ensure health issues are not overlooked.
Dr. Terry Dunn is the owner of Foothills Urogynecology, a Denver-based practice specializing in women’s health. To learn more, visit www.urogyns.com.
“News organizations regularly stand in the shoes of the public and provide a check on government institutions; Colorado sunshine laws are crucial to this e ort,” the brief says. “With local news organizations across Colorado and the country facing ever-increasing nancial barriers to taking on public records and open meetings litigation, news organizations like e Sentinel must be able to rely on the availability of fee recovery when deciding to pursue an open meetings violation in court.”
If it’s not reversed, the Court of Appeals ruling “will make fee recovery unavailable to news organizations even in cases involving the most agrant violations of the COML, leading to less news reporting and a lesser-informed public — a result that would directly contravene the purpose of the COML,” it adds.
Under the open meetings law, the courts have jurisdiction to enforce violations “upon application by any citizen of this state.” In “any action in which the court nds a violation of this section, the court shall award the citizen prevailing in such action costs and reasonable attorney fees.”
If the Sentinel is a “citizen” for purposes of bringing litigation to enforce the law, “it should also be a ‘citizen’ for purposes of fee recovery provided for in the very same section of the Law,” Johnson and Zansberg argue.
ere is nothing in the legislative history of Senate Bill 91-033, which added the attorney fee provision to the open meetings law, to indicate state lawmakers “intended to permit only natural persons (not corporate persons or entities) from recovering fees,” the Sentinel’s brief says. To the contrary, legislators during a 1991 Senate committee hearing noted that “quite often, it is the press who takes the lead” on open meetings issues.
e Court of Appeals’ ruling is inconsistent with prior legal interpretations of the open meetings law and the Colorado Open Records Act, it adds, citing several instances in which Colorado courts have awarded fees to corporate entities in those types of cases.
A brief submitted by Aurora earlier this
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week argues against the Sentinel’s status as a “citizen” and asks the Supreme Court to reverse the appellate court’s nding that the city violated the open meetings law. In an amicus brief, the Colorado Municipal League also asks for a reversal of the appellate ruling. e statute, the city’s brief says, “grants anypersonstanding to challenge an OML violation, but only allows acitizenof this state to be awarded its attorney fees.” If the General Assembly “meant to award attorney fees to any ‘person’ or the ‘prevailing party’ under the statute, it would have simply done so, and used a di erent term” other than citizen, it adds.
Prepared by attorney Corey Homann, Aurora’s brief also says that each case cited by the Sentinel in which prevailing corporate entities were awarded attorney fees “had, as plainti , at least one citizen who was entitled to an award of fees and costs.”
In the Sentinel case, the Court of Appeals concluded that Aurora council members violated the open meetings law by inadequately announcing a Mar. 14, 2022, closed-door meeting and improperly deciding in secret to halt a censure action against Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky for comments she made about Aurora’s then-police chief and deputy chief.
Aurora claimed the executive session recording shouldn’t be released to the newspaper because it contains privileged attorney-client communications. But the city council waived any privilege “by describing everything that occurred” during the executive session in a letter included in a public meeting packet two week later, according to the appellate judges.
In its Supreme Court brief, the city argues that the Court of Appeals’ holding “erodes the protections of the attorneyclient privilege and destroys the very basis of convening an executive session for purposes of receiving legal advice if the client cannot direct its attorney to prepare a document for Council consideration based on the legal advice it received from its counsel.”
Je rey A. Roberts is executive director for the CFOIC, the voice for open government in Colorado. Find more information, or donate to the nonpro t group, at coloradofoic.org.
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BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Educators Je Kagan and Paige Doughty are a married children’s musical duo in Colorado who have performed together for 20 years. ey focus on teaching science in English and Spanish through music and theater at summer camps and educational school assemblies.
“To see the joy on their faces and the connections they make through their bodies and minds when dancing and singing about these complex subjects” is what makes it all worth it, Doughty said.
“I love creating something at home or sitting by a stream, a song, or an entire performance piece and then seeing how a large group of three to eight-year-olds responds to that when we present it,” Kagan added.
Doughty was not born in Colorado but considers it her home.
“It was the rst place that felt like home to me,” Doughty said. “I’ve been here a long time. I can’t claim I’m a native, but it feels like home.”
Doughty has undergraduate degrees in English Literature and French Language.
“When I was teaching middle school and high school, I realized I wanted to teach experientially about the is-
sues happening in the world around us,” Doughty said. “So I went back to school and I got a degree in Environmental Education.”
While pursuing that degree, Doughty met Kagan, who was inspired into the line of study after teaching residential environmental education at a camp for middle school students on the East Coast.
“Once a week, the entire sixth-grade class would come to a camp in the Adirondacks, which would be their curriculum for the week,” Kagan said. “I just fell in love with both the content and all the creative ways that teachers were using the natural world to get these kids excited about science and nature.”
After Doughty and Kagan completed their environmental education, they ended up in Boulder where they started leading programs through the City of Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks.
“We started doing those programs to get families outdoors to enjoy music. rough those programs, I started writing songs about the actual ecology of the places we were sitting in, and now we have seven albums,” Kagan said.
Kagan and Doughty made these programs their fulltime work in 2011.
Paige Doughty and Je Kagan are
science educators.
SCIENCE
When the duo performs, they sing and perform theatrically about science and nature while Kagan plays the guitar.
Doughty said they started adding the Spanish language to their music and theater science programs in
the last ve years and are trying to add more Spanish every time they perform.
“It’s important to us to be inclusive, and it feels exciting to use another language involved in our educational act,” Doughty said.
Doughty said they are called for performances at events mainly in the front range, but all over Colorado.
“In our 20-year history, we’ve been to many places. … Since we had our kids, we have stuck a little bit closer to
home and love traveling for work when we can and reaching more people with our live performances,” Doughty said.
e couple also has a YouTube channel and music available to stream.
Doughty said they teach kindergarten through fth grade, and babies and toddlers come to their shows, too.
“With fth graders, especially in the upper grades, I see them letting loose, nding themselves in the joy of their movement, and presenting it as their learning. It feels right we tend to deprive our kids so much these days, and we expect them to grow up so fast,” Doughty said.
Doughty said that occasionally over the years, she received feedback from people who said they wouldn’t bring the fth graders to their assembly because it was too babyish for them.
“I said they’re the ones that need it much more than the kindergarteners,” Doughty said.
e duo works as a nonpro t, so they do a lot of fundraising to support their programming and o er as much as they can for free to audiences, Doughty added.
“ ere’s so much work we must do in the background to plan the shows, rehearse, write and produce the music. It feels delightful, and it’s worth it,” Doughty said.
“It’s uplifting. It feels like we are ultimately doing what we are called to do, and the kids are having a great time, especially in a school context, that they’re getting to move their bodies and learn about these subject matters in a fun and artistic way,” Kagan added. “It’s what I want to do until my hair is entirely gray.”
For more information about Je and Paige, visit www.je andpaige.org. To see their performances, visit www.youtube.com/je andpaige.
Paige Doughty and Je Kagan dress in di erent nature and animal costumes. COURTESY OF PAIGE DOUGHTY
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Downtown Denver’s ice skating rink is now open for the season
Construction may prevent the pop-up rink from opening for the 2025-26 season
BY KEVIN BEATY DENVERITE
Denver’s annual pop-up skating rink has ocially opened at Skyline Park for a winter of icecapades beneath the Daniels & Fisher clocktower.
Get your gliding in now, because the ice rink is set for a hiatus next season. It probably will not return in 2025-’26. at’s due to planned construction of more permanent ice and water features near the clocktower.
“ is time next year, this will be under construction, creating a new signature ice rink in winter that converts into an interactive water feature in summer,” said Denver Parks & Recreation Director Jolon Clark. “We are so excited.”
e city has big ideas for Skyline Park.
e city has planned for years to install more permanent facilities for the ice rink. It’s part of a larger reimagining of Skyline Park, which covers three blocks on Arapahoe Street.
“ ere will be re lounges and warming areas around the rink. ere will be food and beverage around the rink, public restrooms, an enhanced tree canopy providing shade and urban nature, and a new Colorado garden,” Clark told a crowd gathered on ursday.
In the meantime, there’s still a winter’s worth of ice to shred.
Skate rentals are $12 for adults, and $9 for kids 12 and under. Clark said kids with a MY Denver card can get skates for free, and anyone with their own skates can jump on the ice without paying.
Clark also said there may still be skating next year, if they can gure out a good place to put it elsewhere in the park. e jury is still out on that decision.
e rink will be open through Feb. 2, seven days a week. It closes at 10 p.m. on weekends.
is story is from Denverite, a Denver news site. Used by permission. For more, and to support Denverite, visit denverite.com.
A ‘Miracle’ comes to Town Hall Arts Center
There are few things about Christmas that are as joyful as a child’s excitement about a visit from Santa Claus. So, can you imagine the thrill when a child meets the real Santa at Macy’s Department Store?
ting to its original roots. She said this allows the story to better capture a time of innocence in the world.
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CORRECTIONS
Colorado Trust for Local News asks readers to make us aware of mistakes we may have made.
Email linda@cotln.org if you notice a possible error you would like us to take a look at.
at’s just what happens to 6-year-old Susan in Meredith Willson’s “Miracle on 34th Street: e Musical,” which is running at the Town Hall Arts Center, 2450 St. in Littleton, through Sunday, Dec. 29. Performances are at 7:30 p.m.
ursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Clarke Reader
“When I saw Town Hall was doing this show, I immediately remembered the 1947 movie so well,” said Billie McBride, director of the show. “I thought this was just my cup of tea and I know it will be for the audience as well.”
Based on the classic lm, the show follows Doris Walker and her daughter Susan as they navigate the holiday season in New York City. When Doris’ neighbor, Fred, volunteers to take Susan to meet Kris Kringle at Macy’s, she nds herself face-to-face with someone claiming to be the real Santa Claus. And so begins a songand-dance- lled magical journey to discover if he’s the genuine article.
e original version of the musical moved the time frame from the 1940s to the 1960s, but for this production, McBride returned the set-
“ is story is a fairy tale and I think it is harder to tap into that during the 1960s, with all that was going on at the time,” she said. “ e story needs the simplicity of a di erent time, and so we opted to return to 1947.”
A cast of the size “Miracle” requires a lot of work from McBride and the behind the curtains team — everyone from the musical director and the choreographer have worked hard to get the performers to their holiday best. And McBride is particularly proud of the cast, which she said was selected to re ect the way New York City actually looks.
e show is really about celebrating the magic of the season and McBride hopes the production will give audiences some muchneeded Christmas fun.
“To sit a whole bunch of people down and give them a live production of a wonderful show is a gift we give them for Christmas,” he said. “It’s an old-fashioned, feel good musical with magic and we consider it a gift to the community.”
Information and tickets are available at https://townhallartscenter.org/event/meredith-willsons-miracle-on-34th-street-the-musical/.
At SeeSaw Art, PRESENT is a Present For its nal show of the year, SeeSaw Art Gallery, 5 W. Radcli Ave. in Englewood, has
unveiled PRESENT Company, a group show highlighting small works. It runs at the gallery through Sunday, Jan. 12. e exhibition features 27 artists (most local to Colorado) and more than 65 unique artworks. e works have been curated with the holiday season in mind and require the same skill, technique and creativity as any large piece you might come across. Visitors can see work in a range of mediums, including painting, mixed media, drawing, ber and sculpture. More details at www.seesawgallery.com/.
Clarke’s Concert of the Week — brent Forever: The Tour at Mission Ballroom
It seems like you don’t hear many musical duos these days, which makes the partnership between Connecticut’s Chelsea Cutler and New Jersy’s Jeremy Zucker such a special treat. Both musicians have worked together o and on since 2018, specializing in the kind of lovedrunk melancholy pop that we’ve all needed from time to time.
All three of the pair’s albums have been named “brent,” so it’s only tting now that they’ve just released “brent iii,” that they take the show on the road. brent Forever: e Tour is coming to the Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St. in Denver. e opening act for the evening will be Paige Fish. Get tickets at www.axs.com.
Clarke Reader is an arts and culture columnist. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail.com.
Some people ice skate at the pop-up ice rink at Denver’s Skyline Park a couple of years ago. The rink is now open for this season through Feb. 2.
FILE PHOTO BY CHRISTY STEADMAN
Thu 12/12
Neil Z @ Earls Kitchen + Bar @ 6pm
Earls Kitchen + Bar, 8335 Park Meadows Center Dr, Lone Tree
Fri 12/13
Christmas Movie Night at AMC Castle Rock
@ 5pm / Free AMC Castle Rock 12, 3960 Limelight Avenue, Castle Rock. kmcsparran@mis sionhills.org, 303-794-3564
Colorado Holiday Bazaar
Riders in the Sky
@ 7:30pm
Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Com‐mons St, Lone Tree
Voices West Presents: 'Here Comes Santa Claus' Concert (With an Appearance by Santa Claus, Himself!)
@ 1pm / $10
Douglas H. Buck Community Recre‐ation Center, 2004 West Powers Av‐enue, Littleton. marketingteam@voic eswest.org, 303-683-8622
@ 5pm / Free Dec 13th - Dec 15th 3950 River Point Pkwy, 3950 River Point Parkway, Englewood. denvermakers market@gmail.com, 303-505-1856
Will Roland Music: Cheezmin Park with Chili Powder, and Trash @ 7pm
Moe's Original BBQ, 3295 S Broadway, Englewood
Jay_Martin
@ 7:30pm Rocker Spirits, 5587 S Hill St, Littleton
Ryan Chrys & The Rough Cuts: Santa's Guitar - Rough Cuts Christmas Show @ 8pm Wild Goose Saloon, Parker
Shovels & Rope @ 8pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Englewood
Sat 12/14
Kids Cooking: Great Christmas Cookies (6-12yrs) @ 9am PACE Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker
KB ANGEL: Waf�es and Wigs A family friendly Brunch
@ 12pm Pizzability, 3445 S Broadway, Englewood
Art: Little Elves Art Workshop (6-12yrs) @ 12pm PACE Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker
Amahl and The Night Visitors
@ 1:30pm Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons Street, Lone Tree
Amahl and The Night Visitors @ 4pm
Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons Street, Lone Tree
The King Stan Band: KSB's Annual Ugly Sweater Party @ 7pm
Paradise Tavern, 9239 Park Meadows Dr, Lone Tree Nine Wide Sky @ 7pm
Moe's Original BBQ, 3295 S Broadway, Engle‐wood
The Nu Wav Band: The New Wave @ 7:30pm Wild Goose Saloon, Parker
Sun 12/15
Climbing Wall: Intro to Adaptive Climbing (16+ yrs) December @ 10:30am Parker Fieldhouse, 18700 E Plaza Dr, Parker
Santa in the Hangar at Exploration of Flight @ 11am / $12.95
Exploration Of Flight - Centennial Air‐port, 13005 Wings Way, Englewood. info@wingsmuseum.org
Denver Gay Men's Chorus @ 3pm St Andrew United Methodist Church, 9203 S University Blvd, Highlands Ranch
Tue 12/17
The Erwin Family: Cherry Hills Commu‐nity Church / 2024 CHRISTMAS TOUR @ 6:30pm Cherry Hills Community Church, 3900 Grace Blvd, Highlands Ranch
Wed 12/18
Tony Medina Music: The Open Mic Hosted by Tony Medina @ 6:30pm The Alley, 2420 W Main St, Littleton An Afternoon of Brass @ 1:30pm Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Com‐mons Street, Lone Tree
Eric Golden @ 6pm The Pint Room, 2620 W Belleview Ave, Littleton
Ladies Night @ 6pm / $16.51 Stampede, Aurora
Don McMillan @ 7:30pm Comedy Works South, 5345 Landmark Pl, Greenwood Village
DJ Rockstar Aaron: Forbidden Bingo Wednesdays - 'Bout Time Pub & Grub @ 8pm Bout Time Pub & Grub, 3580 S Platte River Dr A, Sheridan
Colorado marijuana sales — and tax dollars — are still falling
BY BRIAN EASON THE COLORADO SUN
Forget the pandemic boom in marijuana sales — Colorado now collects fewer marijuana tax dollars than it did in 2018.
About half the country now has joined Colorado in legalizing recreational marijuana, with a total of 24 states and Washington, D.C., regulating cannabis. e spread of legalization has taken a toll on Colorado’s more established market, with the wholesale price of legal marijuana falling to its lowest recorded level, according to state budget documents.
But a new analysis by Joint Budget Committee sta found that there’s another factor to blame for the decline of Colorado’s marijuana industry: the rise of intoxicating hemp.
In 2018, Congress legalized hemp through the federal Farm Bill, a change that was aimed at allowing its use for things like textiles, not recreational drugs. ere’s a limit on how much THC can be present in legalized hemp. But the federal changes have nonetheless resulted in the creation of a $2.2 billion quasi-legal market for intoxicating hemp products, including THC-infused seltzers, brownies and gummies that are now popping up in gas stations, farmers markets and CBD stores across the country.
“You’ve put a pretty robust regulatory structure in place around marijuana, and you have this product that is sort of laughing in the face of that structure,” Craig Harper, the JBC sta director, told lawmakers at a budget hearing last week.
California’s governor recently issued an emergency order banning intoxicating hemp products, while Colorado in 2023 passed a bill to restrict them to licensed marijuana sellers. Intoxicating hemp is produced by converting CBD derived from hemp, which is legal, into chemicals similar to the THC contained in cannabis.
State attorneys general, including Colorado’s Phil Weiser, are pushing Congress to put stricter limits on hemp, saying their own e orts to crack down on the industry have been stymied by legal uncertainty.
But in the meantime, Colorado’s legal marijuana sellers are seeing less consumer interest in their highly regulated products.
Marijuana sales — and the tax revenue they generate — peaked in Colorado in the 2020-21 budget year, when the state collected $424 million in sales and excise taxes. at fell 41% to $248 million in the 2023-24 budget year.
For years, budget o cials have warned that the boom times would not last once consumer behavior returned to pre-pandemic levels. Today, however, marijuana tax collections have even fallen below
what they generated in 2018 and 2019 — and it’s not clear if we’ve reached rock bottom.
e governor’s O ce of State Planning and Budgeting expects revenue willnally level o this budget year, increasing slightly to $267 million, then $285 million next year. But Colorado Legislative Council Sta isn’t so sure; they’re projecting tax collections to fall again this budget year to $242 million, before ticking up to $250 million next year.
Not all of that money winds up in the Marijuana Tax Cash Fund, either. In last year’s budget, lawmakers had about $131 million in the fund to spend on things like health services and law enforcement. e rest gets transferred to schools and local governments.
Marijuana taxes are among the few sources of state funding that can grow without restriction in Colorado, because voters exempted them from the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights revenue cap.
So in a year where the TABOR cap is going to force the legislature to make around a billion dollars in spending cuts, the marijuana tax downturn stings.
Last budget cycle, lawmakers already
had to cut services funded by marijuana taxes — including a $20 million payment to BEST, a public school construction grant program that the JBC voted to delay until the 2025-26 budget year.
Expect more cuts in the 2025 legislative session.
For starters, Gov. Jared Polis has proposed cutting the BEST payment again — but even that might not be enough to balance the marijuana fund budget.
As of now, JBC sta projects that lawmakers must cut an additional $19 million in marijuana spending from Polis’ budget request to avoid dipping into the fund’s reserves. And that’s under the more optimistic forecast from the governor’s o ce. If the legislative sta forecast is closer to reality, lawmakers could need to cut more than double that amount.
Colorado’s not alone; other states that were early legalizers of marijuana have seen revenues plummet as well. Sales have fallen 3.3% this year in Washington state, which legalized the drug in 2014, while California’s sales declined 3.4%, according to Cannabis Business Times. But no state saw a decline as large as Colorado’s 8% drop, which saw the industry lose
$100 million in annual sales. e downward trend has put new pressure on budget writers to enact new guardrails around how the money can be spent.
After voters legalized recreational marijuana in 2012, the General Assembly passed a law directing the tax dollars it generated to a handful of areas related to drug use: prevention and treatment programs, public health and safety, and efforts to protect youth from drugs.
But over time, lawmakers have expanded the possible uses for marijuana taxes to as many as 21 categories, including housing, entrepreneurial programs, trial courts and veterans services.
“My rst few years in the legislature, it was seen as, oh, that’s where you go to pay for your bills, because there’s not enough general funds,” said JBC chair Je Bridges, a Democratic senator from Greenwood Village. “It wasn’t a good thing. And now there’s a bunch of stu in there that maybe shouldn’t be in there.”
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.
The Dispensary is located on Littleton Boulevard in Littleton.
PHOTO BY NINA JOSS
Englewood Schools safety director Mandy Braun poised to retire
BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
After nearly three decades of service to Englewood Schools, Mandy Braun is retiring from her role as the district’s director of safety and security at the end of December.
As the rst-ever person to hold this role, Braun leaves behind a legacy of dedication, innovation and commitment to the safety and well-being of students, sta and community.
“I really loved my time as the director of safety and security,” Braun said. “I enjoyed the work – building a comprehensive safety and security system that ensures the district has well-dened protocols and procedures to respond to various emergency situations.”
Additionally, Braun said she enjoyed her interactions with students, sta and faculty and the Englewood Police Department.
“ ey have embraced and supported me and my work, and treated me as one of their own,” Braun said. “ ey have been incredible partners and it was an honor working with them.”
Braun’s connection to Englewood Schools runs deep, as she was raised in Englewood and part of the district from the beginning – attending Maddox Elementary, Flood Middle School and Sinclair Middle School be-
fore graduating from Englewood High School in 1986.
After high school, Braun earned a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado. She then began her teaching career in 1990 with Denver Public Schools and returned to Englewood in 1995 to teach special education.
Braun eventually became principal of Englewood Middle School, and then in 2016, she accepted the role of safety director.
“When asked to be the rst district director of safety and security for Englewood Schools, I was excited to bring my expertise of systems, protocols and procedures that we had already established at (Englewood Middle School) to the district level to prevent and respond to emergency situations,” Braun said.
In her role, Braun worked to build a comprehensive safety framework, developed detailed emergency protocols, conducted sta safety training and coordinated with the re marshal and the Englewood Police Department to ensure compliance with all safety regulations.
While she found her position rewarding, Braun said it hasn’t been without its struggles.
Braun explained that as the only person in the position, she had to focus on the demands of overseeing the safety of the entire district while also being
available to respond to emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“ e work can be challenging as a department of one,” Braun said. “Knowing I am responsible for the safety and security of the entire district can be exhausting at times without having a team around me.”
After several years in education and in this position, Braun said she decided it was time to retire.
“Retiring was a very di cult decision to make, but also the right decision,” Braun said. “I have accomplished a great deal during my time in Englewood ...
e district is in a good place and has a solid safety (and) security framework for managing emergency situations because of this.
e framework supports the district’s decisions to make changes (or) adjustments, as needed, and execute their response plan moving forward.”
For Braun, retirement means more time with her loved ones.
“Now is the right time to retire not just for me, but for my family,” Braun said.
Looking back on her career, Braun said she is thankful to Englewood Schools and the community.
“I have spent more than half my life working in this district, and during my time here, I have had the honor and privilege of working with some amazing people,” Braun said.
At the end of December, Mandy Braun is retiring from her role as the director of safety and security for Englewood Schools. COURTESY PHOTO
Surviving political debates and keeping your cool
BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Navigating political debates during the holidays can feel like walking a tightrope: one wrong step, and you’re in a heated argument instead of enjoying the pumpkin pie. Whether it’s a wellmeaning relative dropping a divisive comment or a spirited family member pressing you for your stance, these moments can quickly escalate.
Denver-based behavioral scientist
Susanna Park, Ph.D., shared practical advice for navigating these tricky conversations without losing your cool — or your relationships. Here are her top tips, drawn from her expertise and personal experience.
1. Know your goal
Before diving into any political discussion, Park advises asking yourself a critical question: What’s my goal?
“Is it to actually change the other person’s mind, or is it to just be able to speak your thoughts and feel heard?” she asked. If you know the likelihood of changing minds is slim, adjust your expectations.
“The way you talk to them is going to change … because you know it’s not going to happen,” she continued. Reframing your goal can prevent conversations from spiraling into heated debates where both people fight to win.
Pro Tip: If validation is your goal, frame the conversation with open-ended questions to encourage dialogue, not debate. If you sense things heating up, redirect to common interests or shared values.
2. Recognize your limits
It’s okay to step away if the conversation becomes too overwhelming.
“You’re not losing an argument,” Park said. Instead, you’re saving yourself unnecessary stress and prioritizing quality family time. Remember, you’re allowed to decide how you want to spend your evening. Peacefully enjoying dessert beats a shouting match any day.
Pro Tip: Have an exit strategy ready. For instance, excuse yourself to grab a drink or offer to help in the kitchen when tensions rise. Physical distance can also give you mental space.
3. Set boundaries
Sometimes, the best approach is to set clear limits upfront. A mutual agreement to leave politics at the door can help maintain harmony. If some feel strongly about discussing it, they can find other outlets while respecting the collective agreement at the gathering.
“There is something to be said about permitting yourself to not engage,” Park said. “Others in the community are with you and doing that work as well. Just because you’re not engaging in that one moment with your family doesn’t mean that you’re a bad person or that the situation will change for better or worse.”
Pro Tip: Frame the boundary as a shared goal to keep the event positive. For example, say, “Let’s make this about catching up and celebrating, not debating politics.”
4. Find common ground
Park emphasized the value of connecting with family members on shared interests outside of politics.
“If you care about animals, nd people who care about animals,” she said. Whether volunteering at a shelter or attending a local event, community work can bridge divides and bring people together.
Pro Tip: Suggest activities that focus on shared values. Whether it’s a food drive, local park cleanup or holiday decorating, working toward a common goal can strengthen bonds despite di ering views.
5. Take care of yourself
Self-awareness is key, from managing social media algorithms to recognizing physical signs of stress.
Emotions are just information for us to then take in and tell us what the next steps are,” Park said.
Recognize physical signs of anxiety, like a racing heart or shallow breathing and step back if needed.
Park also advised that we don’t have to scroll through everything the algorithm shows us.
“I think it’s really important for people to recognize that they have the power to change how they feel about social media — how they feel going into it and coming out of it.”
And don’t underestimate the basics: “Get sleep,” she urges. e holiday chaos, compounded with election fatigue, means selfcare is more critical than ever.
Pro Tip: Balance your media diet. Follow uplifting or educational accounts alongside news, and take regular social media breaks to reset your mindset.
6. Embrace the long game
Park said to remember that meaningful change and understanding take time, so there’s no need to resolve deep political divides in a single conversation over a holiday meal. Advocacy and change are marathons, not sprints.
Park likened activism to the airplane oxygen mask rule: take care of yourself rst. “If you’re feeling burnt out and fatigued, then your capacity is decreasing,” she said. Step back when needed and trust others in the community to carry the torch.
“It’s OK to take that moment. It may feel sel sh, but it’s really not,” Park said.
Pro Tip: Instead of diving into arguments, focus on small, impactful actions that align with your values, like sharing a thoughtful article, asking open-ended questions or simply listening. ese quieter approaches can build bridges without overwhelming yourself or others.
7. Practice empathy and kindness
At the end of the day, the holidays are about connection. “ ere’s a need for more empathy and grace for each other,” Park said. You don’t have to ignore the world’s challenges, but facing them together with kindness can make all the difference.
Pro Tip: Use humor to defuse tension. Sometimes, a light-hearted comment can help everyone remember what matters most: your connection, not your con icts. With these strategies, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the post-election holiday season with grace and sanity intact.
“ e holidays are rough for a lot of people,” Park said. “So just be kind.”
Surviving holiday political debates can be challenging no matter how you voted. SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE
Parker hospital program o ers companionship to those at the end of life
The new program seeks additional ‘compassionate companions’
BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Katherine Wiley, a volunteer at AdventHealth Parker, was in the hospital’s emergency department when she saw rst-hand how being alongside a stranger during their nal moments of life can have a profound impact on those around them.
Wiley sat with an elderly woman who was dying with no one around. e patient’s sons were trying to get to the hospital from Colorado Springs but didn’t make it in time.
“When they got there, I told them that I had been with their mom so she was not alone and they were very grateful,” said Wiley.
Wiley shared this story with the CEO of the hospital, Michael Goebel, at the annual volunteer luncheon last year, and the following week, the No One Dies Alone program was being set up.
“We can provide companionship to patients in the dying process who are truly alone,” said Wiley. “In doing so, (it) provides a gift of respect and dignity to another human being at the end of life.” e volunteers of the program are called “compassionate companions.” ey do not provide medical care, but they assist
with comfort care measures — they sit beside the patient, hold their hands, play soothing music or read to the patients.
For as many circumstances there are that lead a person to be hospitalized, there are also as many reasons why a patient is alone.
e patient could have outlived other family members and friends, said Wiley, or are estranged from their family. It could be because the patients themselves don’t want to have their family see them die, but don’t want to be alone. Or they could be a John/Jane Doe who was in an
accident.
“We want to be there for them, whatever those reasons are,” said Wiley. “ is sort of thing feeds my soul.”
Death is not foreign to Wiley. Leading up to the program, Wiley said she had a “colorful background,” as she was involved with the Douglas County Victims Assistance Unit for several years.
“Of all the things that I did with the program, the thing that touched my soul the most was the death noti cations,” Wiley said, adding that although it sounds bizarre, it was a way of connecting with
people in a real compassionate manner.
While she is more comfortable with death than some, Wiley feels she can bring some calm and support to people in those scary moments.
e program’s rst vigil took place in September. It was for a 91-year-old woman who had been ill for a long time. e patient’s daughter needed to take a step back to refocus, so a group of volunteers took shifts sitting with the patient.
“ e people that have volunteered for this program — that I have been so incredibly blessed to come to know — are amazing people,” said Wiley. “You have to have something real special to make this something you are willing to do.”
ere are currently about 35 fully vetted volunteers in the program. e volunteers don’t need to have a medical background, but Wiley said it’s a lengthy process to get vetted. e program is not for people who have a morbid curiosity about what it is like to see people die, Wiley said.
As Wiley continues to move forward with the program, she wants to get more people from the community to volunteer. She will be holding orientations, and if people are interested, they can go through the vetting process and sign up for training.
“My feeling is that if we can get one person to sit with this individual for a twohour shift, we have bene ted that individual,” Wiley said.
If interested in learning more about No One Dies Alone, contact Volunteer Coordinator Katherine Wiley at Katherine.Wiley@AdventHealth.com.
Katherine Wiley, right, speaks with one of the chaplains at AdventHealth Parker. Wiley was a volunteer in the hospital’s emergency department before becoming the volunteer coordinator for the new No One Dies Alone program.
COURTESY OF KATHERINE WILEY
Check out the calendar of events!
Contact Erin Addenbrooke, 303-566-4074 eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com
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SERVICE DIRECTORY
LOT 18, BLOCK 3, WOLHURST LANDING, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.
Purported common address: 6921 S BRYANT ST, LITTLETON, CO 80120. THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST.
NOTICE OF SALE
The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.
THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 01/08/2025, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said
Grantor(s), Grantor(s)' heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys' fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.
First Publication: 11/14/2024
Last Publication: 12/12/2024
Name of Publication: Littleton Independent
IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED;
DATE: 09/06/2024
Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado
By: Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee
The name, address, business telephone number and bar registration number of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:
Anna Johnston #51978 Joseph D.
First Publication: 11/14/2024
Last Publication: 12/12/2024
Name of Publication: Littleton Independent COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103 FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0410-2024
To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust:
On September 10, 2024, the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in the County of Arapahoe records.
Original Grantor(s) Susan Short Original Beneficiary(ies)
MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. AS NOMINEE FOR MANN MORTGAGE, LLC, DBA MORTGAGE WEST, ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS
Current Holder of Evidence of Debt NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC
Date of Deed of Trust
December 05, 2013
County of Recording
Arapahoe
Recording Date of Deed of Trust
December 12, 2013
Recording Information (Reception No. and/or Book/Page No.) D3147931
Original Principal Amount
$190,900.00
Outstanding Principal Balance
$155,148.26
Pursuant to CRS §38-38-101(4)(i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the evidence of debt secured by the deed of trust and other violations thereof.
THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
LOT 11, BLOCK 3, WALNUT HILLS FILING NO. 1, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.
A.P.N.: 2075-28-2-02-012
Purported common address: 6895 South Ulster Circle, Centennial, CO 80112.
THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST.
NOTICE OF SALE
The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.
THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 01/08/2025, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)' heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys' fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.
First Publication: 11/14/2024
Last Publication: 12/12/2024
Name of Publication: Littleton Independent
IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED;
DATE: 09/10/2024
Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado
By: Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee
The name, address, business telephone number and bar registration number of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:
Alison L Berry #34531
N. April Winecki #34861
David R. Doughty #40042
Nicholas H. Santarelli #46592
Lynn M. Janeway #15592 Janeway Law Firm, P.C. 9540 Maroon Circle, Suite 320, Englewood, CO 80112 (303) 706-9990 Attorney File # 24-033032
The Attorney above is acting as a debt collector and is attempting to collect a debt. Any information provided may be used for that purpose.
©Public Trustees' Association of Colorado Revised 1/2015
Legal Notice NO. 0410-2024
First Publication: 11/14/2024
COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103
FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0431-2024
To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust:
On October 1, 2024, the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in the County of Arapahoe records.
Original Grantor(s)
Charles E. Brockman, Jr.
Original Beneficiary(ies)
MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. AS NOMINEE FOR ONE REVERSE MORTGAGE, LLC, ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS
Current Holder of Evidence of Debt
LONGBRIDGE FINANCIAL, LLC
Date of Deed of Trust
March 25, 2020
County of Recording Arapahoe
Recording Date of Deed of Trust
April 03, 2020
Recording Information (Reception No. and/or Book/Page No.)
E0040566
Original Principal Amount
$510,000.00
Outstanding Principal Balance
$139,799.38
Pursuant to CRS §38-38-101(4)(i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the evidence of debt secured by the deed of trust and other violations thereof.
THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
THE LAND REFERRED TO HEREIN BELOW IS SITUATED IN THE COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO, AND IS DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: LOT 18, QUINCY ACRES.
PARCEL ID: 031987636
Purported common address: 4348 S Jason St, Englewood, CO 80110.
THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST.
NOTICE OF SALE
The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.
THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 01/29/2025, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)' heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys' fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.
First Publication: 12/5/2024
Last Publication: 1/2/2025
Name of Publication: Littleton Independent
IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED;
DATE: 10/01/2024
Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado
By: Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee
The name, address, business telephone number and bar registration number of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:
Alison L Berry #34531 N. April Winecki #34861
David R. Doughty #40042 Nicholas H. Santarelli #46592 Lynn M. Janeway #15592 Janeway Law Firm, P.C. 9540 Maroon Circle, Suite 320, Englewood, CO 80112 (303) 706-9990
Attorney File # 24-032982
The Attorney above is acting as a debt collector and is attempting to collect a debt. Any information provided may be used for that purpose.
©Public Trustees' Association of Colorado Revised 1/2015
Legal Notice NO. 0431-2024
COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103
FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0414-2024
To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust:
On September 20, 2024, the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in the County of Arapahoe records.
Original Grantor(s)
KRISTIN M. BROWN Original Beneficiary(ies) MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. AS NOMINEE FOR ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC, FKA QUICKEN LOANS, LLC
Current Holder of Evidence of Debt
ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC
F/K/A QUICKEN LOANS, LLC
Date of Deed of Trust
April 22, 2022
County of Recording Arapahoe
Recording Date of Deed of Trust April 28, 2022
Recording Information (Reception No. and/or Book/Page No.)
E2047078
Original Principal Amount
$321,530.00
Outstanding Principal Balance
$311,890.26
Pursuant to CRS §38-38-101(4)(i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust and other violations of the terms thereof
THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
LOTS 40 AND 41, BLOCK 28, SOUTH BROADWAY HEIGHTS, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.
Purported common address: 4237 S LOGAN ST, ENGLEWOOD, CO 80113-4728.
THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST.
NOTICE OF SALE
The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.
THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 01/15/2025, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)' heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys' fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.
First Publication: 11/21/2024
Last Publication: 12/19/2024
Name of Publication: Littleton Independent
IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE
PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED;
DATE: 09/20/2024
Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado
By: Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee
The name, address, business telephone number and bar registration number of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:
Anna Johnston #51978
Joseph D. DeGiorgio #45557
Carly Imbrogno #59533
Randall M. Chin #31149
David W. Drake #43315
Ryan Bourgeois #51088 Barrett, Frappier & Weisserman, LLP
1391 Speer Boulevard, Suite 700, Denver, CO 80204 (303) 350-3711
Attorney File # 00000010244762
The Attorney above is acting as a debt collector and is attempting to collect a debt. Any information provided may be used for that purpose.
©Public Trustees' Association of Colorado
Revised 1/2015
Legal Notice NO. 0414-2024
First Publication: 11/21/2024
CRS §38-38-103
FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0420-2024
To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust:
On September 20, 2024, the undersigned
Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in the County of Arapahoe records.
Original Grantor(s)
Jeneanne Hester
Original Beneficiary(ies) Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. ("MERs") as nominee for Academy Mortgage Corporation, Its Successors and Assigns
Current Holder of Evidence of Debt
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
Date of Deed of Trust
June 05, 2019 County of Recording Arapahoe
Recording Date of Deed of Trust
June 20, 2019
Recording Information (Reception No. and/or Book/Page No.)
D9059827
Original Principal Amount
$373,500.00
Outstanding Principal Balance
$347,897.91
Pursuant to CRS §38-38-101(4)(i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows:
Failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the evidence of debt secured by the Deed of Trust and other violations thereof
THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
LOT 13, BLOCK 42, BROADWAY ESTATES FILING NO. TWO, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.
Purported common address: 6491 S Marion Street, Centennial, CO 80121. THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST.
NOTICE OF SALE
The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.
THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 01/22/2025, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)' heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys' fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.
First Publication: 11/28/2024
Last Publication: 12/26/2024
Name of Publication: Littleton Independent
IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED;
DATE: 09/20/2024
Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado By: Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee
The name, address, business telephone number and bar registration number of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:
Erin Croke #46557
Steven Bellanti #48306
Holly Shilliday #24423
Ilene Dell'Acqua #31755
McCarthy & Holthus LLP 7700 E Arapahoe Road, Suite 230, Centennial, CO 80112 (877) 369-6122
Attorney File # CO-24-997495-LL
The Attorney above is acting as a debt collector and is attempting to collect a debt. Any information provided may be used for that purpose.
©Public Trustees' Association of Colorado Revised 1/2015
Legal Notice No. 0420-2024
First Publication: 11/28/2024
Last Publication: 12/26/2024
Name of Publication: Littleton Independent COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103 FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0429-2024
To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is
The
THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 01/29/2025, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)' heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys' fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.
First Publication: 12/5/2024
Last Publication: 1/2/2025
Name of Publication: Littleton Independent
IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE
PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED;
DATE: 10/01/2024
Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado By: Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee
The name, address, business telephone
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners will consider the following budget amendments to the 2024 Annual Budgets; and WHEREAS, this matter has been published pursuant to Section 29-1-109, C.R.S., as required by law. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of Arapahoe County to amend the adopted 2024 Annual Budget as follows:
a. Recognize and appropriate $728,300 in the General Fund, Sheriff’s Office, for the expansion of the RISE Program, and increase the authorized headcount by 4.0 FTE.
b. Transfer $3,816,400 from the unappropriated balance of the General Fund, Sheriff’s Office, to cover the overage in overtime and other expenditures.
c. Transfer $364,036 from the unappropriated balance of the General Fund, Administrative Services Department for potential overages in accounts other than salaries and benefits for the Sheriff’s Office by year end.
d. Transfer $18,519 from General Fund, Sheriff’s Office, and recognize and appropriate the same in the Central Services Fund, Sheriff’s Office, to cover additional upfitting costs to a Chevrolet Tahoe.
e. Transfer $108,000 from Grant Fund, Sheriff’s Office, and recognize and appropriate the same in the General Fund, Sheriff’s Office, for the purchase of a capital asset for the construction of the K9 enclosure.
f. Transfer $8,245 from Grant Fund, Sheriff’s Office, and recognize and appropriate the same in the General Fund, Sheriff’s Office, for the increased cost to the court security door intercom capital asset.
g. Transfer $59,000 from Grant Fund, Sheriff’s Office, and recognize and appropriate the same in the General Fund, Sheriff’s Office, for the purchase of one capital asset for a training shooting simulator.
h. Transfer $38,000 from the unappropriated balance of the General Fund, Coroner’s Office, for the annual warranty of an x-ray machine.
i. Transfer $16,921,280 from the unappropriated balance of the Board Designated Fund, Administrative Services, and recognize the same in the General Fund, Administrative Services, to consolidate the reserve amounts in one fund.
j. Transfer $12,134,674 from the Grant Fund, Administrative Services, and recognize $11,761,801 in the General Fund, Administrative Services and recognize $372,873 in the Road & Bridge Fund, Public Works & Development, for the reimbursement of general government expenses provided by the ARPA revenue loss provision.
k. Transfer $11,761,801 from the unappropriated balance of the General Fund, Administrative Services, for various projects.
l. Transfer $372,873 from the unappropriated balance of the Road & Bridge Fund, Public Works & Development, for various projects.
m. Transfer $11,356 from the General Fund, Public Works & Development, and recognize and appropriate the same in the Central Services Fund, Public Works & Development to cover the cost difference for the purchase of a replacement pool vehicle.
n. Transfer $300,000 from the unappropriated balance of the General Fund, Administrative Services, and recognize and appropriate the same in the Self Insurance Liability Fund, County Attorney, for additional cost of claims.
o. Transfer $400,000 from the unappropriated balance of the General Fund, Administrative Services, and recognize and appropriate the same in the Workers Compensation Fund, County Attorney’s Office for additional cost of claims.
p. Transfer $240,000 from the unappropriated balance of the General Fund, Administrative Services, for the County Line landfill maintenance and repair costs due to flooding.
q. Recognize $65,000 and appropriate $68,644 in the Building Maintenance Fund, Facilities & Fleet Management, for a reimbursement and continuation of landscaping projects.
r. Transfer $108,000 from the unappropriated balance of the Central Services Fund, Public Works & Development, for the purchase of a capital asset that was previously approved for replacement.
s. Transfer $127,804 from Open Spaces Sales Tax Fund, Open Spaces, and recognize and appropriate the same in the Central Services Fund, Open Spaces for the purchase of three capital assets.
t. Transfer $22,000 from the unappropriated fund balance of the Central Services Fund, Facilities & Fleet Management, for the purchase of two capital assets.
u. Recognize and appropriate $441,614 in the Grant Fund, Sheriff’s Office, for the 2024 Force Metric and Court Security grant awards.
v. Recognize $1,093,505 and appropriate $700,000 in the Social Services Fund, Human Services, for earned Medicaid Incentives and upgrades to the HSConnects system.
w. Recognize and appropriate $14,000 in the General Fund, Sheriff’s Office for funds received by the United States Secret Service to reimburse the cost of forensic software.
x. Recognize and appropriate $9,940 in the General Fund, Public Works & Development
for reimbursement from Open Spaces for capital project management services.
y. Recognize and appropriate $4,682 in the General Fund, Coroner’s Office, for the toxicology reimbursements received from Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
z. Recognize and appropriate $78,679 in the Forfeited Property Fund, Sheriff’s Office for revenue received from various cases.
aa. Recognize and appropriate $969,462 in the Infrastructure Fund, Public Works & Development for funds received from the Dry Creek Improvement IGA and for the rural transportation improvement and impact fees received.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Budget Officer shall file a certified copy of this Resolution with the Division of Local Government and with the affected spending agencies.
Legal Notice No. 540107
First Publication: December 5, 2024
Last Publication: December 5, 2024
Publisher: Englewood Herald Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen
Public Notice
CITY OF CENTENNIAL
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING AN APPLICATION FOR A HOTEL AND RESTAURANT LICENSE DECEMBER 18, 2024
Notice is hereby given that the Centennial Liquor Licensing Authority will conduct a public hearing on Wednesday, December 18th at 10:30 a.m., via Virtual Meeting, to consider an application for a new hotel and restaurant license.
The applicant is a Corporation: Udom Thai, INC.
7412 South University Blvd. Centennial, CO 80122
Public comment will be heard at the virtual hearing or written communications regarding the issuance of this license may be submitted to the Liquor License Administrator, via email at mpalmer@centennialco.gov by no later than December 17, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.
By order of Christina Lovelace, City Clerk
Legal Notice No. 530108
First Publication: December 5, 2024
Last Publication: December 5, 2024
Publisher: Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen
Metro Districts
Budget Hearings
Public Notice
NOTICE OF 2025 BUDGET HEARING PLATTE CANYON WATER AND SANITATION DISTRICT
SUBDISTRICT NO. 1
JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that pursuant to §29-1-106, C.R.S., as amended, a proposed Budget has been submitted to the Board of Directors of the Platte Canyon Water and Sanitation District Subdistrict No. 1 for calendar year 2025. A copy of said proposed Budget is on file at Platte Canyon Water and Sanitation District, 8739 W. Coal Mine Avenue, Littleton, CO 80123, where the same is available for inspection by the public Monday through Friday during normal business hours, (i.e., 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the Board of Directors of the Platte Canyon Water and Sanitation District Subdistrict No. 1 will consider the adoption of the proposed 2025 Budget at a public hearing to be conducted during a regular meeting of the Board of Directors to be held on Friday, December 13, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. at Platte Canyon Water and Sanitation District, 8739 W. Coal Mine Avenue, Littleton, CO 80123.
Any interested elector of the Platte Canyon Water and Sanitation District Subdistrict No. 1 may inspect the proposed 2025 Budget and file or register any objections or comments thereto.
Dated this 31st day of October 2024.
PLATTE CANYON WATER AND SANITATION DISTRICT
SUBDISTRICT NO. 1
By: /s/ Cynthia Lane, General Manager
Legal Notice No. 540083
First Publication: December 5, 2024
Last Publication: December 5, 2024
Publisher: Littleton Independent
Public Notice
NOTICE OF 2025 BUDGET HEARING AND NOTICE OF 2024 BUDGET AMENDMENT HEARING
SOUTHWEST METROPOLITAN WATER AND SANITATION DISTRICT ARAPAHOE, DOUGLAS AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES, COLORADO
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that pursuant to §29-1-106, C.R.S., as amended, a proposed Budget has been submitted to the Board of Directors of the Southwest Metropolitan Water and Sanitation District for calendar year 2025. A copy of said proposed Budget is on file at Southwest Metropolitan Water and Sanitation District, 8739 W. Coal Mine Avenue, Littleton,
CO 80123, where the same is available for inspection by the public Monday through Friday during normal business hours, (i.e., 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).
NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN to all interested parties that the necessity has arisen to amend the Southwest Metropolitan Water and Sanitation District’s 2024 Budget; that a copy of the proposed Amended 2024 Budget is on file in the District office located at 8739 W. Coal Mine Avenue, Littleton, CO 80123, where the same is available for inspection by the public Monday through Friday during normal business hours, (i.e., 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the Board of Directors of the Southwest Metropolitan Water and Sanitation District will consider the adoption of the proposed 2025 Budget and the proposed amendment of the 2024 Budget at a public hearing to be conducted during a regular meeting of the Board of Directors to be held on Friday, December 13, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. at Southwest Metropolitan Water and Sanitation District, 8739 W. Coal Mine Avenue, Littleton, CO 80123.
Any interested elector of the Southwest Metropolitan Water and Sanitation District may inspect the proposed 2025 Budget and 2024 Budget Amendment and file or register any objections or comments thereto.
Dated this 31st day of October 2024. SOUTHWEST METROPOLITAN WATER AND SANITATION DISTRICT
By: /s/ Cynthia Lane, General Manager
Legal Notice No. 540087
First Publication: December 5, 2024
Last Publication: December 5, 2024
Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice
NOTICE OF 2025 BUDGET HEARING VALLEY SANITATION DISTRICT
ARAPAHOE AND DENVER COUNTIES, COLORADO
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that pursuant to §29-1-106, C.R.S., as amended, a proposed Budget has been submitted to the Board of Directors of the Valley Sanitation District for calendar year 2025. A copy of said proposed Budget is on file at the office of Platte Canyon Water and Sanitation District, 8739 W. Coal Mine Avenue, Littleton, CO 80123, where the same is available for inspection by the public Monday through Friday during normal business hours, (i.e., 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the Board of Directors of the Valley Sanitation District will consider the adoption of the proposed 2025 Budget at a public hearing to be conducted during a regular meeting of the Board of Directors to be held on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. at Platte Canyon Water and Sanitation District, 8739 W. Coal Mine Avenue, Littleton, CO 80123.
Any interested elector of the Valley Sanitation District may inspect the proposed 2025 Budget and file or register any objections or comments thereto.
Dated this 31st day of October 2024.
VALLEY SANITATION DISTRICT
By: Board of Directors of Valley Sanitation District
Legal Notice No. 540088
First Publication: December 5, 2024
Last Publication: December 5, 2024
Publisher: Littleton Independent Englewood Herald
Public Notice
NOTICE OF 2025 BUDGET HEARING PLATTE CANYON WATER AND SANITATION DISTRICT ARAPAHOE AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES, COLORADO
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that pursuant to §29-1-106, C.R.S., as amended, a proposed Budget has been submitted to the Board of Directors of the Platte Canyon Water and Sanitation District for calendar year 2025. A copy of said proposed Budget is on file at Platte Canyon Water and Sanitation District, 8739 W. Coal Mine Avenue, Littleton, CO 80123, where the same is available for inspection by the public Monday through Friday during normal business hours, (i.e., 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the Board of Directors of the Platte Canyon Water and Sanitation District will consider the adoption of the proposed 2025 Budget at a public hearing to be conducted during a regular meeting of the Board of Directors to be held on Friday, December 13, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. at Platte Canyon Water and Sanitation District, 8739 W. Coal Mine Avenue, Littleton, CO 80123.
Any interested elector of the Platte Canyon Water and Sanitation District may inspect the proposed 2025 Budget and file or register any objections or comments thereto.
Dated this 31st day of October 2024. PLATTE CANYON WATER AND SANITATION DISTRICT
By: /s/ Cynthia Lane, General Manager
Legal Notice No. 540082
First Publication: December 5, 2024
Last Publication: December 5, 2024
Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice
NOTICE OF 2025 BUDGET HEARING PLATTE CANYON WATER AND SANITATION DISTRICT SUBDISTRICT NO. 2
JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that pursuant to §29-1-106, C.R.S., as amended, a proposed Budget has been submitted to the Board of
Directors of the Platte Canyon Water and Sanitation District Subdistrict No. 2 for calendar year 2025. A copy of said proposed Budget is on file at Platte Canyon Water and Sanitation District, 8739 W. Coal Mine Avenue, Littleton, CO 80123, where the same is available for inspection by the public Monday through Friday during normal business hours, (i.e., 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the Board of Directors of the Platte Canyon Water and Sanitation District Subdistrict No. 2 will consider the adoption of the proposed 2025 Budget at a public hearing to be conducted during a regular meeting of the Board of Directors to be held on Friday, December 13, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. at Platte Canyon Water and Sanitation District, 8739 W. Coal Mine Avenue, Littleton, CO 80123.
Any interested elector of the Platte Canyon Water and Sanitation District Subdistrict No. 2 may inspect the proposed 2025 Budget and file or register any objections or comments thereto.
Dated this 31st day of October 2024.
PLATTE CANYON WATER AND SANITATION DISTRICT SUBDISTRICT NO. 2
By: /s/ Cynthia
Bids and Settlements
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of County Commissioners of Arapahoe County, Colorado shall make final settlement with Custom Fence and Supply, Inc for its work completed for Arapahoe County. The work performed under this contract generally consisted Construction of the Windstream Privacy Fence Project. Work consisting of approximately 1350 linear feet of precast panel privacy fence along Iliff Avenue & Dayton Street for the Windstream Condominium Development.
Any person, co-partnership, association of persons, company or corporation that has furnished labor, materials, team hire, sustenance, provisions, provender or other supplies used or consumed or any of its subcontractors or that has supplied rental machinery, tools, or equipment to the extent used by Custom Fence and Supply, Inc or any of its subcontractors in or about the performance of the work done within Arapahoe County, whose claim has not been paid by Custom Fence and Supply, Inc or any of its subcontractors may file a claim with the Board of County Commissioners of Arapahoe County, 5334 S. Prince St., Littleton, CO 80166, at any time up to and including Monday, December 16, 2024.
This Notice is published pursuant to §38-26107, C.R.S., and all claims, if any, shall be filed in accordance with this statutory section. Failure on the part of any claimant to file such verified statement and/or claim prior to the aforementioned date for filing claims shall release Arapahoe County, its officers, agents and employees from any or all liability, claims, and suits for payment by Custom Fence and Supply, Inc.
Joan Lopez, Clerk to the Board
Legal Notice No. 540069
First Publication: November 28, 2024
Last Publication: December 5, 2024 Publisher: Englewood Herald Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen
Public Notice
NOTICE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to § 38-26-107, C.R.S., that on December 23rd, 2024, final settlement with Diaz Construction Group. will be made by Platte Canyon Water & Sanitation District for the “2024 DCIP Water Main Replacement Project” subject to satisfactory final inspection and acceptance of said facilities by the District. Any person, co-partnership, association of persons, company or corporation that has furnished labor, materials, team hire, sustenance, provisions, provender, or other supplies used or consumed by such contractor or his or her subcontractor in or about the performance of the work contracted to be done or that supplies, laborers, rental machinery, tools, or equipment to the extent used in the prosecution of the work whose claim therefore has not been paid by the contractor or subcontractor, at any time up to and including the time of final settlement for the work contracted to be done, may file a verified statement of the amount due and unpaid on such claim with Platte Canyon Water & Sanitation District, c/o, Mr. Timothy Flynn, Attorney, Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe, PC, 1660 Lincoln Street, Suite 3000, Denver, CO 80264. Failure to file such verified statement or claim prior to final settlement will release the District and its employees and agents from any and
AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; BANKERS INSURANCE COMPANY; CREDIT SYSTEMS INC; SPRING OAKS CAPITAL SPV, LLC; EVERBRIGHT, LLC; CITY OF AURORA NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORT DIVISION; ARAPAHOE COUNTY PUBLIC TRUSTEE
Regarding: LOT 13, BLOCK 48, THE CONSERVATORY SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 1, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.
Also known and numbered as: 3081 S Jericho Way, Aurora, CO 80013
TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS, Please take notice:
You and each of you are hereby notified that a Sheriff's Sale of the referenced property is to be conducted by the Civil Unit of Sheriff's Office of Arapahoe County, Colorado at 10:00
Kevin G. Quinn
Personal Representative c/o Keith L. Davis, Esq. Davis Schilken, PC 4582 S. Ulster St. Ste. #103 Denver, CO 80237
Legal Notice No. 540097
First Publication: December 5, 2024 Last Publication: December 19, 2024 Publisher: Littleton Independent
Notice
Estate of BARBARA L. DONALDSON, aka Barbara Lynn Donaldson, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31182
All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of ARAPAHOE County, Colorado on or before March 28, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
WILLIAM JAMES DONALDSON, II Personal Representative 2010 46th Ave., Unit 45 Greeley, CO 80634
Legal Notice No. 540072
First Publication: November 28, 2024 Last Publication: December 12, 2024 Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Lucille Margaret Clark, a/k/a Lucille M. Clark, a/k/a Lucille Clark, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31125
All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or tot he District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before March 21, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Gregory D. Clark
Personal Representative c/o 3i Law 2000 S. Colorado Blvd Tower 1, Suite 10000 Denver, CO 80222
Legal Notice No. 540035
First Publication: November 21, 2024 Last Publication: December 5, 2024
Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Carol Ann Lewis McCahill, also known as Carol Ann McCahill, aka Carol A. McCahill, aka Carol Lewis McCahill, aka Carol L. McCahill, and Carol McCahill, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR031141
All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to Thomas Michael McCahill c/o Hedberg Law Firm, LLC, 5944 S. Kipling Parkway, Suite 200, Littleton, CO 80127; or to: The District Court of Arapahoe, County, Colorado on or before March 28, 2025 or the claims may be forever barred.
Thomas Michael McCahill, Personal Representative c/o Hedberg Law Firm, LLC Brian Hedberg, Attorney for Thomas Michael McCahill 5944 S. Kipling Parkway, Suite 200 Littleton, CO 80127
Legal Notice No. 540079
First Publication: November 28, 2024
Last Publication: December 12, 2024
Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of NANCY LOUISE SAFE, also known as NANCY L. SAFE, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31191
All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to District Court of Arapahoe County, County, Colorado on or before April 5, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Ann E. Holt Minard a/k/a Ann E. Minard
Personal Representative 5353 N. River Road Janesville, WI 53545
Legal Notice No. 540098
First Publication: December 5, 2024
Last Publication: December 19, 2024
Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Patricia A. Mast, a/k/a Patricia Mast, Deceased Case No. 2024PR031195
All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before March 22, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
James Arthur Mast, Personal Representative c/o Brian Landy, Attorney 4201 E. Yale Ave., Suite 110 Denver, CO 80222
Legal Notice No. 540057
First Publication: November 21, 2024
Last Publication: December 5, 2024
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Wilma K. Gelroth, a/k/a Wilma Gelroth, Deceased
Case Number:2024PR31139
All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the co-personal representatives or to District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before April 7, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Amanda Lynn Gelroth and Ebony Dawn Gelroth c/o Kathryn T. James, Esq. Folkestad Fazekas Barrick & Patoile, P.C.
18 South Wilcox Street, Suite 200 Castle Rock, Colorado 80104
Legal Notice No. 540102
First Publication: December 5, 2024
Last Publication: December 19, 2024
Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of MINDELL L. P. LAMBERT, a/k/a MINDELL L. LAMBERT, a/k/a MINDELL LOUISE-PAYNE LAMBERT, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31170
All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before March 28, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Kimberly Lambert Personal Representative 8421 Galvani Trail, Unit D Littleton, CO 80129
Legal Notice No. 540080
First Publication: November 28, 2024
Last Publication: December 12, 2024
Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Dean Renner, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31166
All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before March 21, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
R. Joe Hartwig #46488
Attorney to the Personal Representative 390 Union Blvd. #580 Lakewood, CO 80228
Legal Notice No. 540041
First Publication: November 21, 2024
Last Publication: December 5, 2024
Publisher: Englewood Herald Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of SUE A. FRANCIS, a/k/a SUE FRANCIS
a/k/a SUE ANN FRANCIS, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31179
All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before March 21, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Gary F. Miller, Personal Representative 14240 Mohler Road, P.O. Box 490 Neapolis, OH 43547
Bette Heller, Esq.
Attorney to the Personal Representative 19671 E. Euclid Dr., Centennial, CO 80016
Phone Number: 303-690-7092
E-mail: bhelleresq@comcast.net FAX Number:303-690-0757
Legal Notice No. 540044 First Publication: November 21, 2024 Last Publication: December 5, 2024 Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of BRENDA LISBETH BROWN, a/k/a BRENDA L. BROWN AND BRENDA BROWN, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31079
All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before March 28, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Scott Johnson, Personal Representative 4730 S. Downing Street Cherry Hills Village, Colorado 80113
Legal Notice No. 540074
First Publication: November 28, 2024
Last Publication: December 12, 2024
Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Whitney Bernard Siebert, AKA Whitney B. Siebert, AKA Whitney Siebert, AKA Whit Siebert, Case Number: 2024PR31142
All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before March 24, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Personal Representative 7621 S. Monaco Way Centennial, CO 80112
Legal Notice No. 540052
First Publication: November 21, 2024
Last Publication: December 5, 2024
Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice
District Court, Arapahoe County, Colorado 7325 S. Potomac Street Centennial, CO 80112
In the Matter of the Estate of:
Samuel Joseph Jones, aka Samuel Joe Jones, aka Samuel Jones, aka Sam Jones
Attorney:
Attorney for Successor Personal Representative, Baysore & Christian Fiduciary Services, LLC
Patrick Thiessen, Esq. Reg. # 40185 Frie, Arndt, Danborn & Thiessen, P.C. 7400 Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 201 Arvada, CO 80003
Phone: 303-420-1234 Fax: 303-431-7644
E-mail: prthiessen@friearndt.com
Case Number: 2023PR369
NOTICE OF HEARING BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO § 15-10-401, C.R.S.
To: John Wright, Jr.: Michael Wright: Jennifer Tinnean: Patty Wright, aka Patty Larkin: Todd Wright: Chad Dollarhide: Brad Dollarhide
Last Known Address, if any: Jennifer Tinnean - Lincoln, NE, Patty Wright aka Patty Larkin- Nebraska, Todd Wright - Nebraska
A hearing on Petition for Formal Probate of Will and Formal Appointment of Personal Representative (title of pleading) for Samuel Joseph Jones (brief description of relief requested) will be held at the following time and location or at a later date to which the hearing may be continued:
Date: 1/10/2025 Time: 8:00 a.m.
Court: Arapahoe District Court Address: 7325 S. Potomac St. Centennial, CO 80112
The hearing will be without appearance pursuant to C.R.P.P. 24.
Legal Notice No. 540101
First Publication: December 5, 2024
Last Publication: December 19, 2024
Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of ELISA REEVES, aka ELISA LUISA REEVES, aka ELISA L. REEVES, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR512
All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before March 21, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Kellie Adam, Personal Representative c/o CS AdvoCare, Inc, 7500 E. Arapahoe Rd. Ste. 101 Centennial, CO 80112
Legal Notice No. 540063
First Publication: November 21, 2024
Last Publication: December 5, 2024
Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Kamrooz Roosta, Deceased Case Number 2024PR31071
All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before March 28, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Sandra Marie Roosta, Personal Representative c/o Michael M. Noyes, Esq. 1873 S Bellaire St, Suite 1550 Denver, CO 80222
Legal Notice No. 540089
First Publication: November 28, 2024
Last Publication: December 12, 2024
Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of SHIRLEY A. CROSS, Deceased Case Number: 24 PR 31073
All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of ARAPAHOE, County, Colorado on or before APRIL 5, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Kenton H. Kuhlman, No. 9433
Attorney to the Personal Representative Kuhlman and Kuhlman, P.C. 8843 Swan River St Littleton, CO 80125
Telephone: 303-770-6664
Email: kk@kenkuhlmanlaw.com
Legal Notice No. 540100
First Publication: December 5, 2024
Last Publication: December 19, 2024
Publisher: Littleton Independent
PUBLIC NOTICE
Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name
Public notice is given on October 24, 2024, that a Petition for a Change of Name of a minor child has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.
The petition requests that the name of Jackson Luke O'Brien be changed to Jackson Vito O'Brien Dumont Case No.: 24C100914
By: Sarah Ingemansen Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk
Legal Notice No. 540045
First Publication: November 21, 2024
Last Publication: December 5, 2024
Publisher: Littleton Independent
Public Notice
Public notice is given on November 18, 2024, that a Petition for a Change of Name of a minor child has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.
The petition requests that the name of Muhammad Musab Atif be changed to Musab Atif Case No.: 24C101058
By: Sarah Ingemansen
Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk
Legal Notice No. 540103
First Publication: December 5, 2024
Last Publication: December 19, 2024
Publisher: Littleton Independent
PUBLIC NOTICE
Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name
Public notice is given on September 26, 2024, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.
The petition requests that the name of Quinci Elizabeth O'Brien be changed to Quinci Elizabeth O'Brien Dumont Case No.: 24C100920
By: Sarah Ingemansen
Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk
Legal Notice No. 540046
First Publication: November 21, 2024
Last Publication: December 5, 2024
Publisher: Littleton Independent
PUBLIC NOTICE
Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name
Public notice is given on October 28, 2024, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.
The petition requests that the name of Jaclyn Taylor Smith be changed to Jaclyn Bea Taylor Case No.: 24C101021
By: Judge Colleen Clark
Legal Notice No. 540051
First Publication: November 21, 2024
Last Publication: December 5, 2024
Publisher: Littleton Independent
PUBLIC NOTICE
Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name
Public notice is given on November 18, 2024, that a Petition for a Change of Name of a minor child has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.
The petition requests that the name of Adair Lorraine Cousins be changed to Adaira Lorraine Cousins Case No.: 24C101070
By: Sarah Ingemansen Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk
Legal Notice No. 540106
First Publication: December 5, 2024
Last Publication: December 19, 2024
Publisher: Littleton Independent
PUBLIC NOTICE
Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name
Public notice is given on November 14, 2024, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.
The petition requests that the name of Ling Hong be changed to Mark Ling Case No.: 24C100990
By: Sarah Ingemansen Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk
Legal Notice No. 540097
First Publication: December 5, 2024
Last Publication: December 19, 2024
Publisher: Littleton Independent
PUBLIC NOTICE
Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name
Public notice is given on November 4, 2024, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.
Name Changes
Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice
Kirsten Lee Siebert,
The petition requests that the name of Nkechinyere Shirley Emeziem be changed to Nikki ChiChi
Castle Rock approves Costco site plan
BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Costco’s upcoming Castle Rock store is in early stages of development following the approval of a site plan for a 160,000 square-foot building.
e Castle Rock Town Council unanimously approved the site plan for Costco on Nov. 19. It will be located o Interstate 25 on the future Dawson Trails Boulevard.
e building will be just under 160,000 square-feet and the site will include a 16pump gas station with queueing space and 886 parking spaces. Tara Vargish, the town’s director of development services, said sta worked with the developers to optimize the site for tra c.
“What sta did in working with Costco is make sure that this fueling station had an adequate path coming o the closest road so vehicles can get into the site and queue up without causing congestion at
the entrance,” Vargish said.
e store plans to open in 2027 when construction on the Crystal Valley Interchange nishes.
e store will employ roughly 300 people, and the location will dedicate 1% of pretax pro ts to charitable organizations.
e town also expects to see signi cant sales tax revenue once the store opens.
“Overall, Costco brings a lot of opportunity from an employment basis to the town,” said Stacey Weaks, a representative for the project with Norris Design. “Also, (Costco is) recognized for community involvement, which we’ll be looking forward to as the site matures.”
Council members were supportive of the plan and are looking forward to opening day.
“A gas station on that side of town will be more welcome than it would have been a few years ago,” Councilmember Tim Dietz said, adding he’ll be an early customer.
NEWS BRIEFS
Artist collective in Centennial holds holiday market
Shop local for handmade gifts, pottery, knitted items, herbal products, paintings, class gift certi cates and more artful treasures. Fifteen percent of proceeds are to be donated to Littleton Public Schools to support grants to teachers that support creative classroom projects.
e event runs at 2154 E. Commons Ave., Suite 306, in Centennial from 3-7 p.m. Dec. 13 and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Dec. 14.
Experience holidays on ice with South Suburban parks and rec
Glide on the ice with Santa and his elves at Skate with Santa events. Enjoy free holiday gure skating ice shows at the Sports Complex or Family Sports Center. Regular public skate admission rates apply for Skate with Santa events.
e South Suburban Sports Complex sits at 4810 E. County Line Road in the Highlands Ranch area. e Family Sports Center is located at 6901 S. Peoria St. in the Centennial area.
Schedules listed below:
— Dec. 13 at Sports Complex: Holiday Ice Show from 6-7 p.m. and Skate with Santa from 7-8 p.m.
— Dec. 14 at Sports Complex: Skate with Santa from 2:15-3 p.m. and Holiday Ice Show from 3:15-4:15 p.m.
— Dec. 14 at Family Sports: Skate with Santa from 2:15-3 p.m.
— Dec. 15 at Sports Complex: Skate with Santa from 1:15-2 p.m.
Littleton’s Bemis library hosts holiday book sale
e Friends of the Littleton Library and Museum are putting on their holiday used book sale.
Books and media will be like new and in gift-worthy condition. ere will also be some vintage books as well as rare and specialty items for sale.
e sale was to begin Nov. 30 and run through Dec. 22. It will be open during regular holiday hours.
Paws to read with animals at Littleton library Children in grades K-5 can practice reading with a therapy dog or cat at Bemis Public Library.
e event takes place Dec. 14 at various times. See tinyurl.com/BemisPaws for more information.
Visit the children’s desk or call 303-7953961 to register.
— Dec. 15 at Family Sports: Skate with Santa from 2:15-3 p.m. and the Holiday Ice show from 3:15-4:15 p.m.
Douglas County ‘safety net’ programs get grant money
e Douglas County commissioners — the county’s elected leaders — have selected 19 nonpro t programs to share $135,000 in grant funds from the county’s 2024 portion of the Philip S. Miller Trust. ese awards continue the legacy of philanthropy established by Philip S. Miller and his wife Jessie, who dedicated so much of their lives to helping others in Douglas County and continue to do so through this gift, according to the county. ese vital programs cast a wide safety net throughout the county by delivering services such as suicide prevention, therapy, medical assistance, emergencynancial assistance and support for seniors
and school-age children.
See a list of organizations that received funding at tinyurl. com/2024nonpro tsDouglas, and visit that page to learn more about the grant program, quali cations and how to apply for future awards.
ose interested in giving charitable donations can visit coloradogives.org/community/Douglascountygives.
Arapahoe County seeks holiday donations for neighbors in need
You can bring holiday joy to children and adults in crisis, victims of abuse or neglect, or those experiencing nancial hardship.
Arapahoe County Human Services, in partnership with the Arapahoe County Foundation, is seeking gift donations for all ages to ll the shelves of the Winter Wonderland Gift Shop.
nial area
7 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
— Colored Red
13960 E. Mississippi Ave. in Aurora
7 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday is special event, supported by Journey Christian Church in Aurora and Elevate Hope Centennial, is only possible through the generosity of the community. If you have any questions, email kslater@ arapahoegov.com or call 303-795-4400.
Some of the needed items include blankets, gently used winter gear, family games, gift cards (such as Target, Walmart), toys and books for children, as well as learning toys for toddlers and infants.
Donations can be dropped o through Dec. 12 at the following locations:
— Arapahoe County Human Services, Aurora location
14980 E. Alameda Drive (second oor lobby)
8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday — Arapahoe County Human Services, Littleton location 1690 W. Littleton Blvd. (second oor lobby)
8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday — Arapahoe County Sheri ’s O ce 13101 E. Broncos Parkway in the Centen-
‘Centennial Snow Force’ seeks your creative names for snowplows e city has launched its inaugural Centennial Snow Force naming contest. From classrooms to roadways, this initiative invites kids ages 13 and under to put their creativity to work by naming one of Centennial’s hardworking snowplows. e contest runs through Dec. 15. e contest is open to all Centennial youth ages 13 or younger, which includes residents or attendees of a Centennialbased elementary or middle school. Submissions are limited to one per person and must be 25 characters or fewer, no more than three words and cannot be named after an individual or character. Winners will be announced on Dec. 20.
Read the full contest rules at tinyurl. com/CentennialSnowplowNaming. e winning snowplow names will be displayed on the city’s snowplows all winter long. Winners will receive an award and a photo opportunity with their named snowplow truck.
You can contact communications@centennialco.gov or call 303-325-8000 with questions.
A rendering of the future entrance of Costco in Castle Rock. The town council unanimously approved a site plan for the store, which is expected to open in 2027. PHOTO
By Jason Harris of Foothills Kitchen & Bath
It’s widely accepted in the scientific community that Thag Urk’s greatest invention occurred one million years ago when he rubbed two sticks together to create fire. What’s lesser known is there isn’t consensus on why it’s such a magnificent achievement.
Was it because it produced more heat than sleeping next to curled up bears? Or because food evolved from sushi to flambéed? Sure, all important milestones, but hear me out, because I posit that there is a direct line between fire and indoor lighting. And while we might have more moths now, there are far less stubbed toes.
The most common lighting in our homes is ambient, a word whose Latin origin meant “going round,” though we tend to think of it today as something in the background, such as sound, heat or light. Any fixtures that cast light over the bulk of the room fit this category. Your grandparents’ bulb with a pull string in the middle of the room was ambient; chandeliers, sconces, cans or track lighting are ambient; floor or table lamps also belong.
With endless materials, whether man-made or au natural, lighting fixtures can provide architectural statements that are limited only by the imagination of designers: chandeliers that look like jellyfish, a driftwood table lamp, sconces repurposed from hubcaps. But what if American Express hasn’t been kind enough to add another digit to your credit line, how do you enhance your room without spiking your heart aflutter?
Take advantage of technology, because today‘s LED lighting is amazing and increasingly affordable. LED stands for “Light Emitting Diode”; electricity passes through a microchip and creates light via electrolu-
minescence. With no filaments to break, they, uh, claim to last thousands of hours and not produce heat I’ll buy the low heat, but apparently my “thousand” is higher than theirs.
In the past, we’d buy bulbs based on wattage, whereas now we have to retrain ourselves with LED‘s to think in Kelvins and lumens. Kelvin refers to the color temperature of light, and runs from red to purple; the lower end is considered warm, while the higher Kelvins are cool. Maybe your preference is daylight — 5000-6000 K — but how bright do you want it? That’s where lumens come in, because as the lumens increase, the light becomes more intense or brighter.
But back to setting the mood. Clients constantly request more fixtures throughout a room, and our weapons of choice are thin profile retrofit LED’s. Initially, they came at specific Kelvins, then they were selectable prior to installation, before finally evolving to being adjustable on your phone. You can choose daylight for cleaning, then scale back to cool colors for entertaining, or party with red and green for Christmas or orange and purple at Halloween.
That’s more fun than one person deserves, so we’ll gloss over accent lighting — those that are directed toward specific architectural elements — to discuss the heavy lifting that gets done. Task lighting illuminates areas where projects are performed, such as over countertops or computers or reading. The most common example would be undercabinet lighting, but pendant lights above an island or directional mini-spots attached to the headboard are others.
We’re a kitchen and bath store, after all, so let’s talk about design ideas for kitchen lighting: Place under-
cabinet lights at the front of the cabinets; this not only directs the lights to the middle of your counters, it also decreases shadowing in your backsplash; that said, for a corner cabinet, place the light more toward the middle or add a second light, else the corner will seem darker. You’ll want either slim profile lights, or you’ll need light rail molding, but be aware light can bleed through the gap between the rail and the frame.
Consider glass shelves with puck lighting for cabinets with glass doors. Install motion detectors that turn on lights when doors or drawers are opened. Toe kick lighting is gorgeous. Tape lighting is less expensive, but projects a dotted reflection on your counters. My friend always referred to hidden wires as proper wire hygiene; with good planning, you can keep the wires behind the drywall before the backsplash is installed.
This isn’t lighting, but have you ever seen a beautiful backsplash that was marred by bad cuts in the tile to make room for electrical outlets? That’s a thing of the past as you can now have custom length, hard-wired power strips installed beneath the back of the cabinets. Dimmer switches are now touch sensitive for boomers; or wireless for millennials and Gen Z.
Whoops, must finish...article...but it’s suddenly... getting dark....daaarrk inside my eyezzzz....
