Water billing problems frustrate Englewood residents
City hopes January bills will display correct amounts
BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Since about mid-summer, Englewood residents have been dealing with waterbill issues stemming from problems with the city’s new utility billing system.
Hundreds of emails from September to mid-December obtained by the Englewood Herald through a Colorado Open Records Act request show people asking for help or clari cation on issues such as inconsistent amount totals and access to accounts.
“It is unacceptable that your systems have not been working properly to communicate with each other since June,” one resident said in an email to the city’s utilities department in November. “I am super frustrated as I am sure many of us are in the City of Englewood.”
Englewood Utilities has suspended late fees and shuto s for non-payment through March 2025 to provide customers with more time to make payments due to these issues.
‘Your website is cactus’ e issues began last summer with problems in the implementation of the system, which the city said it had resolved in September.
e city bills around 11,000 people in Englewood each month for water, sewer, stormwater and concrete services; and bills 35,000 people outside of the city for sewer treatment services.
Many emails show customers requesting assistance with accessing their accounts under the new system, as their old login information wouldn’t work.
“Just trying to pay my water bill,” one resident said in an email. “Didn’t recognize my valid username or password. Reregistered, con rmed my password (and) the password I ‘just’ registered is showing me: ‘Your login and/or password is not valid’ … at’s not the case. I copy and pasted. Your website is cactus.”
Many residents also questioned the inconsistent amounts on their bills that have occurred for the last several months. Several people feel their water usage is being tracked incorrectly.
“I understand the utility system conversion has been a disaster and still not completely resolved,” one resident wrote in an email to Mayor Othoniel Sierra in November. “I need some assistance get-
ting the issues with the utility bills resolved. ey’re so inaccurate and I am uncertain how to get this resolved.”
e email goes on to say that from July to October in 2023, the customer’s water usage was about 35,000 gallons. For the same time frame in 2024, it was billed at about 78,000 gallons. e customer explained they live alone in a small house.
Additionally, many people in and outside of Englewood have had issues receiving physical copies of their water bills.
“What the heck is going on with the water bills,” a customer asked in an email thread with Englewood Utilities from November and December. “I used to get a paper bill in the mail, and have my online payment method all set up. ey used to be so simple to get and to pay.”
Many residents and customers state in their emails that they also attempted to directly call the utilities department for assistance with these issues, but the wait times were too long.
People have also requested to see their billing and payment history prior to the implementation of the new system as they can’t access the history in the new system.
‘Dig Out Your Neighbor’
Arapahoe County is seeking volunteers to take part in snow shoveling program
BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Mike Gent says helping his neighbors following a snow event is a great way to start the day.
Gent is Littleton’s deputy city manager and he volunteers with the Arapahoe County’s Dig Out Your Neighbor program, which matches volunteers with neighbors to help shovel snow. He shovels for a neighbor who is older and is unable to do so herself.
“I love the idea of people being able to live where they want to live,” Gent said. “When there’s an older adult in our community who wants to stay in their home, and they have needs — like shoveling their sidewalk — that are legally required of them, or just access (needs), like shoveling their driveway so they can get to their medical appointments … I love the idea of helping someone live their desired life.”
With 70 households throughout Arapahoe County requesting help and only 30 active volunteers, the Dig Out Your Neighbor program is seeking more individuals who can assist their neighbors when it snows this winter.
“ e (Dig Out Your Neighbor) program helps older adults to age independently in their homes,” said Courtney Stryker, the county’s division manager for senior resources and veterans services. “ is small task can be helpful for those who have trouble walking or lifting heavy snow. Clear sidewalks also help prevent nes from (homeowners associations) or cities.”
rough the program, volunteers are paired with someone who lives within eight minutes of their home address, Stryker said. Many volunteers take on two households, but it is not required, she added.
Every time it snows two or more inches, the volunteer is expected to call the person they are shoveling for to con rm they need help. en, they make arrangements for when the volunteer can go shovel within 24 hours of the snow stopping, Stryker said.
The Charles Allen Water Treatment Plant, located on Layton Avenue at Windermere Street, treats Englewood’s drinking water that is pulled from the South Platte River. PHOTO BY SCOTT GILBERT
Colorado feels brunt of crisis in home insurance
Ice,
fire, ‘wildly di erent market’ come together to squeeze owners
BY ISHAN THAKORE CPR NEWS
A homeowners insurance crisis fueled by escalating natural disasters has arrived in the Centennial State.
Home insurance now costs $818 more per year on average compared to 2020, and Colorado now has the fourth-highest insurance premiums nationwide, according to a July research paper by Benjamin Keys and Philip Mulder. In places like Philips County, home insurance is now 55 percent more costly than just four years ago, the data show. Even ling a single claim can now be a permanent scarlet letter, agents and insurance ocials say.
“ ere is a real risk right now that insurance companies will not renew you if you le a claim,” said Michael Conway, Colorado’s insurance commissioner, during an October insurance town hall.
“Does it make sense for people to be non-renewed if they led one claim in 20 years?”
Places like Grand County, Colorado have seen insurance nonrenewals increase by around 77 percent in 2023 compared to 2018, according to new data from the U.S. Senate Budget Committee.
Colorado homeowners are also scrambling to stave o cancellation notices and keep their mortgages.
In October, Trevor Donahue and Trish Krajniak bought their mountain dream home in Nederland and moved from Littleton with their two little kids. e couple bought homeowners insurance from Allstate — the only major carrier that would insure them. ey needed insurance to close on the home and for their mortgage; Donahue was surprised by how cheap the rate seemed.
An Allstate agent told them there was “nothing incredibly serious” to x after their home inspection, according to an email shared with CPR News.
A few weeks after closing, an insurance cancellation letter arrived from Allstate. Initially, the company gave them until Jan. 11, 2025, to conduct extensive wild re and hail mitigation on their property, or risk losing their insurance, defaulting on their mortgage and losing their home.
“None of it was outlandishly unreasonable, what they were asking,” said Donahue. “ e biggest problem is that they gave us a 60-day deadline from when we closed. We’re covered in snow, there’s ice on the roof, and they’re making no exceptions for an extension whatsoever.”
Next year, Colorado lawmakers will debut two major bills to rein
in home insurance. e state will also begin selling insurance plans to homeowners who are no longer o ered insurance in the private market, likely in the rst few months of 2025.
For Donahue and Krajniak, having an “insurer of last resort” can’t come fast enough.
“We have a gun held to our head right now,” Krajniak said.
“I have no guarantee if we complete all of these steps, and spend the several thousand dollars, that [Allstate] will actually continue to insure us.”
In mid-December, after the couple led a complaint with Colorado’s Department of Regulatory Agencies, the company offered them an extension to complete their mitigation, allowing them to hold onto their insurance for the time-being.
e couple’s Allstate agent did not return a request for comment about their policy, and Allstate’s corporate o ce did not answer questions about cancelling homeowner policies before mitigation work is complete.
Fire and ice — and climate change
Colorado is facing both insurance a ordability and availability challenges, which means that carriers are issuing fewer home insurance policies in certain areas, while policies now cost more per year on average.
“Our market in Colorado is wildly di erent than what it was at the end of 2022,” Conway said during a July insurance town hall with residents struggling with insurance availability.
In March 2023, the state released an industry report, which showed that small and mediumsized insurance carriers were issuing fewer policies. But the top ve insurers – Allstate, State Farm, Liberty Mutual, USAA and American Family — were picking up the slack. at has now changed.
Colorado “has seen some of those top ve insurers start to write fewer policies. And we do have little pockets of availability concerns popping up,” Conway said. Areas that are now seeing insurers pull back include corners of Je erson County, like Evergreen, and the Boulder and Colorado Springs foothills.
While availability issues are primarily driven by wild re risk, insurance una ordability is being driven primarily by hail damage.
“Hail is by far the biggest driver of losses in most years for the homeowners insurance market,” Conway said. “In 2023, [hail reports] went up dramatically over the previous highest year … both in the overarching number of events, but also in the severity of those events, too.”
Conway estimates that 55 to 70 percent of home insurance premiums on average in the state are driven by hail.
Colorado recorded nearly $2 billion in overall losses from a single hail storm that pelted the Denver metro area in May. Brief and violent hailstorms can cause hefty damages to roofs and cars, and occur several times a year. Since 1980, the number and se-
verity of all types of billion-dollar disasters have dramatically increased in the state.
Across the country, the highest risk areas are seeing much larger premium increases than lower risk areas, according to Benjamin Keys, a real estate professor at the University of Pennsylvania.
“Living in harm’s way has become more expensive,” Keys said during a July insurance town hall.
Third-party modeling and reinsurance add to woes
Insurers rely on “reinsurance” — basically insurance for insurance companies — to help companies o oad some of their risk.
Reinsurance costs have roughly doubled since 2017, which is partly driven by higher rebuilding costs after catastrophes and high interest rates, Keys said during a July town hall.
“A lot of these challenges for insurance companies will continue, and that they’ll be passing these costs on in the primary market to homeowners,” Keys said during the town hall.
Insurance companies also rely on analytical models to map out risky areas. An insurance carrier is more likely to ratchet up rates, or call it quits altogether, in high risk areas.
On a state and community level, mitigation e orts to reduce wild re risk involve pruning trees, prescribing burns, and grazing grassland. Mitigating for homeowners involves installing hail-resistant shingles, de-
limbing nearby trees and sealing homes so embers can’t waft in. Structural adjustments, and clearing nearby vegetation, can reduce a home’s wild re risk by up to 75%, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
But Conway worries that models – which assign wild re risk scores – are not actually reducing rates even after mitigation e orts.
“If [models] are not sophisticated enough to incorporate mitigation work that both individual property owners are doing, that communities are doing, we’ve got a signi cant problem in our market,” Conway told CPR News.
He was more blunt to homeowners.
“ ird-party companies are doing a terrible job of building mitigation into their models,” he said during a separate October town hall. “And it really pisses me o . And it should really piss you o too.”
Playing defense on the front lines
Chris Dirolf cased the perimeter of a large, wood-paneled home in Nederland, trudging through a foot of snow to tag trees to cut down.
For two hours on a frigid Wednesday, Dirolf used an iPad to tick through a 50 question assessment prepared by Wild re Partners, a Boulder County program that mitigates wild re risk. Since 2014, Wild re Partners has
Trish Krajniak and Trevor Donahue outside the home they recently bought Nederland. After closing on the home, they suddenly had their home insurance canceled on them, and at first had until January to conduct extensive mitigation on their property. They were just granted a reprieve by Allstate, but they worry about their insurance being canceled in the future. Trish is holding Declan, 3, and Trevor holds Arlo, 1.
PHOTO BY HART VAN DENBURG/CPR NEWS
Statistics Confirm That the Seller’s Market Evaporated by the End of 2024
Now that 2024 has ended, we can see quite clearly that the seller’s market created during the Covid pandemic is now a thing of the past. December was a particularly slow month in a year that saw a great increase in the number of active listings, but little or no corresponding increase in sales, plus some other negative metrics, as shown in the charts at right.
As always, I derive these statistics from REcolorado, the Denver MLS, within a 25-mile radius of downtown Denver instead of using the multicounty “metro Denver” stats reported by the Denver Metro Association of Realtors.
that there were now more homebuyers than homes for sale, which fostered competition and drove home prices to unforeseen levels. From the start of the pandemic in March 2020 until the Federal Reserve began hiking rates in March 2022, home prices grew 37%, per Case-Shiller.
All Charts Are for Last 5 Years
Expired Listings
The most obvious indicator of a slowing market is how many listings expire without selling, and that number reached nearly 3,000 in December, about triple the figures for the first two Decembers of the pandemic, 2020 and 2021.
The ratio of closed price to listing price is another key indicator of a seller’s market. It peaked at 106.1% in April 2022, but has been as low as 92.0% since then.
The median sold price has leveled off but is still higher this December than all previous Decembers. It’s just that sellers are still overpricing their homes when they first put them on the market, producing that lower ratio.
The median time on market stayed well below 10 days throughout the pandemic, but has risen steadily since the fall of 2022 and is at its highest level in recent history now — 39 days. The average days on market is at 56 days. This compares to 30 days and 47 days respectively a year ago.
A big factor in the real estate market is always the cost of mortgage loans. At right is a graphic from USNews that charts the impact of interest rates on home prices from 1987 to present. Here’s that website’s interpretation of the chart:
“In late 2022, home sales activity came to an abrupt halt when mortgage rates climbed from about 3% to above 7% in a matter of months. Buyers are still facing higher mortgage rates than they've seen in recent memory – on top of that, home prices are still staying stubbornly high after the pandemic housing boom. For many, especially first-time homebuyers who lack tappable equity, monthly mortgage payments have become too expensive at these new interest rates.
“The housing market is in a mortgage rate stalemate: Homebuyers are priced out, and homeowners are reluctant to sell and trade in their low mortgage rates.”
So what should we expect in 2025?
Whenever there’s a market slowdown, it produces pent-up demand later on. And I foresee that pent-up demand expressing itself this month and this year in a more balanced market. The big increase is inventory shows that sellers are accepting that interest rates
“With mortgage rates at 3% or even lower, more homebuyers could afford to enter the market in the early 2020s. Home sales activity picked up, but housing inventory was insufficient to keep up with demand. Decades of housing underproduction in the U.S. meant
will stay at present levels, so they are no longer waiting for them to go down before sacrificing their current low interest rate loan to purchase a replacement home. Likewise, I see buyers accepting current interest rates as the “new normal” and getting off the fence.
Open House at 2-BR Condo in Downtown Golden
Nearly one-quarter of Americans say local and national politics highly influence their decision about where to live, according to a recent survey from Realtor.com. In some age groups, that percentage is even higher.
“With both local and national politicians making decisions that impact daily life, both socially and fiscally, it makes sense that many would prefer to live in areas where the politics align with their own beliefs,” according to Danielle Hale, Realtor.com’s chief economist.
Many of the respondents to a Realtor.com survey said their political views do not align with those of their neighbors, and 17% have considered moving for that reason.
That percentage was 28% for the millennial generation, who are also the most likely –at 33% - to report that their decisions about where to live are highly influenced by national politics. Among Gen Z respondents, 25% say politics influence their decisions, and among Gen X, it’s 21%. Only 16% of baby boomers felt that way.
Now a company called Oyssey has entered the home search business with an app that includes all the usual criteria plus neighbor-
hood politics — even block-by-block. Calling Oyssey an “app” minimizes the company’s intention, which is to replace Zillow as the go-to real estate search engine by providing more information about listings — including neighborhood politics.
Currently, the app is sold to individual real estate brokers who can invite individual buyers to access it. It’s strictly a buyer’s tool, and brokers will still be using their current MLS for listing homes for sale. The idea is that Oyssey would replace buyer tools, such as email alerts, built into the MLS, and that the buyer agency agreements now required by the NAR settlement would be built into its functionality.
Ultimately, the company wants to partner with the nation’s MLSs to have their app be an included feature of that MLS instead of something brokers need to purchase on the side.
The app was introduced last month in south Florida and some New York cities, but should be available elsewhere, including Colorado, by the end of March 2025.
I am the first Colorado broker to have signed up for it when it comes to our market.
Condos in this building at 722 Washington Avenue (called Washington Station) are in great demand because of its location right in downtown Golden. This listing is 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.) This is a mixed use building, with commercial units on the main 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. There’s a balcony outside the living room. It an all windows have mountain view. 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 www.GoldenCondo.info, then come to the open house this Saturday, 11am to 1pm. Or call Kathy Jonke at 303-990-7428 to request a private showing.
$650,000
Originally listed for $750,000, the price is now $100,000 less! 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 die for. Under the new state law, the basement could be adapted into a 2-bedroom/1-bathroom accessory dwelling unit (ADU) to provide extra income for the owner. To fully appreciate this impressive home, which has been owned and lovingly maintained by the seller for 43 years, take the narrated video tour at www.GRElistings.com, then come to the open house this Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Or call Kathy at 303-990-7428.
NOTE: All prior “Real Estate Today” columns are archived at www.JimSmithColumns.com.
Jim Smith
Broker/Owner, 303-525-1851 Jim@GoldenRealEstate.com 1214 Washington Ave., Golden 80401 Broker Associates:
Big Price Reduction on Brick Ranch in Wheat Ridge
Expert tips for Colorado winter driving
Preparation, driving techniques are key elements of staying safe
BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
With colder temperatures comes snow blanketing the streets, and roads can get slippery and dangerous for Colorado drivers — new and native to the state.
Experts say it’s important to be prepared for the di cult task of driving in the winter, and Colorado AAA o ers a few tips that can help keep drivers safe when traveling in the harsh winter climate.
“ e rst sustained major weather event is always a useful reminder to Coloradans — regardless of whether you grew up here or if you’re new to town — to brush up on winter driving fundamentals. Slow down, don’t tailgate and don’t slam on the gas or brakes,” said Skyler McKinley, regional director of public a airs.
Prepare the vehicle
Colorado AAA urges drivers to ensure their vehicles are ready for winter. is includes checking the battery and electrical systems, testing all uid levels — such as antifreeze, transmission uid, brake uid and engine oil — and making sure all lights are functioning properly.
Additionally, drivers should inspect their tires, brakes, windshields and windshield wipers and windshield wiper uid.
“Remember, too, that four-wheel drive does not mean four-wheel stop. We’ve
another way drivers who may end up stranded, whether by sliding o the road or getting stuck in tra c during a closure,
Keep an emergency kit Ensuring the vehicle is prepared is
“Keep an emergency kit in your car with tire chains, abrasive material such as sand or kitty litter, a small shovel, ashlight with extra batteries, ice scraper, rags or paper towels, ares or other warning devices, booster cables and a rst aid kit,” Colorado AAA said on its website.
to help keep them warm, such as blankets, jackets, hats and gloves for themselves and passengers. People should also pack water and snacks, such as energy bars, and bring pet food if they’re traveling with their animals.
“Finally, remember that an ounce of preparation is worth a pound of cure. Your battery likely tried to warn you it wasn’t up to the task of starting your engine in sub-zero temperatures, likely through dimming headlights or sluggish starts in warmer weather,” McKinley said.
Driving on icy roads
When navigating icy roads, Colorado AAA urges drivers to slow down and exercise caution when accelerating, turning or braking. Each action should be gradual.
“Adjust your speed to the road conditions and leave yourself ample room to stop. Allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you,” the company advises on its website.
Tailgating should be avoided, and drivers should remain alert to the trafc ahead of them. It’s also important to avoid unnecessary lane changes and be particularly cautious on bridges and overpasses.
“Black ice typically forms rst in shaded areas of the roadway and on bridges and overpasses that freeze rst and melt last,” McKinley said. “Although the road leading up to a bridge may be ne, the bridge itself could be a sheet of ice.”
For more information and tips, visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/winter-driving-
SHOVELING
Anyone who needs help with shoveling can sign up for assistance through the program. However, there is currently a wait list because there are more than twice as many households that need help as there are volunteers, Stryker said.
Gent said the county makes it comfortable and easy to help out, and it o ers support and exibility when needed. For example, Gent broke his ankle last winter and had to adjust his volunteering commitment.
In addition to his commitment through the program to shovel for the woman mentioned above, Gent goes out most snowy mornings to shovel for some of his more direct neighbors who need help. e program, he said, is a great way to be able to
help even more members of his community.
“It’s one thing to help your neighbors who you know every day, but helping someone who maybe you’re not familiar with — it’s nice to have a program that’s associated with it that can support it,” he said Stryker said people can sign up to volunteer at any time, and the program asks that volunteers try to commit to helping their assigned neighbor through March. e program covers all parts of the county, she said. Englewood residents are referred to the city for its own volunteer snow removal program.
ose who want to volunteer for Arapahoe County’s Dig Out Your Neighbor program can sign up at https://www. arapahoeco.gov/your_county/about_ arapahoe_county/volunteer_connections. php and indicate “Snow Shovel/Dig out Your Neighbor” as their interest. A background check is required.
Driving in the snow can be scary if drivers don’t take precautions.
PHOTO BY ELISABETH SLAY
A person shovels snow o of steps.
SHUTTERSTOCK
Englewood police dog Flo supports victims
Owner says canine provides ‘non-judgmental calm, constant presence’
BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORAODOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
With her gentle eyes, calming presence and a desire for a ection, Flo, the victims facility dog at the Englewood Police Department, brings a sense of stability to those facing chaos during their pursuit of justice.
“She supports victims of crime and traumatic events as they tell their stories to the police,” said Nancy Wenig, Flo’s owner who is also the victims assistance coordinator with EPD.
Wenig said Flo’s job is to support individuals who have experienced a crime, especially in cases involving abuse, violence or sensitive investigations.
“It can look like a variety of
things,” Wenig said. “So victim assistance, we go everywhere, like wherever the crime is. So that could be Walmart, the bank, the hospital, some people’s houses (and) court.”
Flo helps the department when o cers interview children who are victims or witnesses of sexual abuse, homicide or other violent crimes.
“She can sit with the kids through their interview (or) she can sit with a family when a kid is doing their interview,” Wenig said. “You know, those types of crimes, especially for kids, are really traumatic and impactful for the whole family. So she’s not just there for the kid for the interview, she’s also there for the whole family.”
Additionally, Flo is certi ed to assist people who are testifying in court proceedings.
“She can stand with them at the podium as they’re testifying and people really love that,” Wenig said. “It’s a huge help,
because courtrooms are very intimidating. So just to have a nonjudgmental calm, constant presence with you during that time is really impactful.”
Wenig said there are studies that show petting an animal during times of stress can be benecial to people.
“So it’s not just comfort. It’s actually a scienti c and biological response that she’s helping,” Wenig said. “So, hopefully when people are in a calm space, they can remember details better, and feel safe to tell their story.”
Flo came to the department in February of 2019 after being birthed, housed and trained by Canine Companions, a service dog training organization based out of California.
“So puppy raisers sign up to raise puppies through Canine Companions, and they have them for about a year to 18 months. And then the puppies go to what they call college, but it’s the kennel, and they learn
their advanced commands. So she knows over 40 commands,” Wenig said.
According to Wenig, Flo is one of many dogs from Canine Companions that’s utilized throughout Colorado.
Wenig said though dogs like Flo are trained for many purposes, Canine Companions tries to pair the dogs with the service they enjoy doing most.
“So that’s really important to them as an agency, that the dog is happy working, and that it’s a good match,” Wenig said. “So she is so calm and this is what she likes to do. So this is why she was matched with us.”
Wenig said she went to California for two weeks and went through her own training so she was prepared to work with Flo.
In addition to being Flo’s handler at work, Wenig said she is Flo’s pet owner as well, and at home, Flo is a normal family dog.
“She sleeps in our bed. She gets lots of treats … She has a lot
of fun. She has doggy play dates,” Wenig said. e 8-and-a-half year old is still owned by Canine Companions in the event that she would need to go back, but Wenig said when Flo retires from police business, she will stay with her.
Along with supporting victims and witnesses, Wenig said Flo is also just a calming presence for EPD sta members.
“So she’s really here to just kind of bring joy and comfort and help regulate their nervous systems as well,” Wenig said. Wenig said it can be challenging having to care for Flo as she is on a particular routine and her needs are important, but overall she loves working with Flo.
“I get emotional thinking about watching her work,” Wenig said. “It’s just really impactful to me how much comfort and care she can bring to people — and people that really struggle to feel love feel the love from her. And that is just the best part.”
Flo is the victims facility service animal at the Englewood Police Department. She helps victims and witnesses of crimes during phases of the process such as interviews or testifying.
PHOTOS BY ELISABETH SLAY
Englewood Police Department Victims Assistance Coordinator Nancy Wenig with victims facility service dog Florentine or Flo in the lobby of the EPD o ce on Dec. 18.
Driver charged in fatal Englewood motorcycle crash
Motorist in ICE custody after collision at Logan and U.S. 285
BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORAODOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
e driver of a vehicle in a Dec. 21 collision that killed a motorcyclist at South Logan Street and East Je erson Avenue (U.S. 285) in Englewood is currently in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.
Eric Ross, 18th Judicial District media relations director, said Enderson Jose Velasquez, 23, of Denver is currently in ICE custody and faces charges of careless driving resulting in death and driving without a license.
“ ere is a pre-trial conference hearing scheduled for Jan. 21 at 8:30 a.m. in Room 405,” Ross said.
Additionally, the Arapahoe County
Coroner’s O ce con rmed on Dec. 30 that Beau Menchaca, 32, of Aurora, was the motorcyclist killed in the crash.
Menchaca died from multiple bluntforce injuries.
Documents show Velasquez’s country
of origin is Venezuela and that he was subject to an “alien inadmissibility” status last April.
Additionally, the arrest a davit says Velasquez told Englewood o cers that he was delivering food and trying to turn left from westbound U.S. 285 onto southbound Logan Street when the collision occurred.
He said a truck prevented him from seeing Menchaca at rst. He said it was when he started to turn left at the interaction that he saw Menchaca riding his motorcycle eastbound. Velasquez said Menchaca hit the front of his car. e document goes on to say Velasquez was charged with careless driving resulting in a death for not yielding to Menchaca, who was riding his motorcycle eastbound on a green light when Velasquez had a ashing yellow. Two witnesses to the crash told police that the motorcyclist was traveling at a high rate of speed, according to the a davit.
Englewood SWAT responds at home that is subject of city focus
Incident occurred following report of robbery in Denver
BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The Englewood Police Department said it and the Denver Police Department secured the scene of a standoff at a South Inca Street home in Englewood,
following a robbery suspect search on Dec. 29.
EPD said the scene was turned over to the Denver Police Department and is now Denver’s case.
This comes after EPD assisted Denver in the search of several people and a car involved in an alleged robbery on Dec.
29. An EPD press release said Englewood officers were dispatched around 3:48 p.m. to assist in the search.
“While Englewood officers were en
route, Denver Police advised they had located the suspects and vehicle and were actively following it,” the press release said. “The vehicle traveled to the area of West Mansfield Avenue and South Inca Street, where officers observed multiple suspects fleeing on foot and entering a nearby residence on South Inca Street.”
EPD SWAT personnel then responded to the scene at South Inca Street and successfully ordered several individuals
to exit the house.
The incident comes after a resident who lives at Inca and Mansfield spoke to the Englewood City Council in an October meeting about various incidents there. She said those incidents include criminal activity, a dog attack, loitering, a constant police presence, code violations and more. Since then, three council reports written by city staff have focused on the history of police interactions and code enforcement actions.
Englewood police arrested and charged a Denver man with careless driving resulting in a death after a motorcyclist was killed in an accident on Dec. 21. PHOTO BY ARIA MARIZZA
Sheri s raise alarm about burglaries of Asian business owners’ homes
O cials also point to ‘dinnertime burglaries’ at expensive homes
BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
For months, thieves have burglarized the homes of Asian businesspeople in Arapahoe and Douglas counties, and the local sheri s came together to urge the public to take steps to protect against the crimes.
“You could be the hero that solves all of these cases just by making a call to law enforcement,” Douglas County Sheri Darren Weekly said.
Flanked by a longtime cop and an ofcial from the local district attorney’s ofce, the sheri s encouraged the public to contact law enforcement and report suspicious activity in their neighborhoods. O cials are also concerned about a string of burglaries at high-value homes during the hours when people normally eat dinner.
Collectively, the burglaries may have cost victims a total of millions of dollars, according to law enforcement.
At a sheri s’ town hall event in December, o cials focused especially on the burglaries of Asian residents’ homes, speaking to Asian community members in the audience. Brian Sugioka, a chief deputy district attorney, mentioned his own heritage as he discussed the issue.
“Of course, there’s a general sense of unease that certain ethnic groups may feel” and “as a person of Japanese descent
myself, I understand,” Sugioka said.
Although the incidents have been thefts, the crimes still present the risk of violence, Sugioka said.
“One of the things that makes home burglaries so dangerous is the possibility that perhaps the suspects think nobody’s home but they’re wrong, and before you know it, there’s gun re,” Sugioka said.
O cials are concerned that not all victims are reporting the crimes or aren’t reporting in a timely manner, Weekly said.
For those who may struggle with a language barrier, law enforcement can use a
translator to help, Weekly said.
Even small details that seem suspicious might help o cials if the public reports them, according to the Arapahoe County Sheri ’s O ce.
It’s OK to “be suspicious of people loitering around your home,” Arapahoe County Sheri Tyler Brown said, adding: “We would rather drive by and have it be absolutely nothing than be investigating a burglary.”
Burglaries pile up e Douglas County sheri ’s jurisdic-
tion in mid-December listed 13 reported burglaries of Asian business owners’ homes in 2024, with seven of those having occurred since September.
e sheri ’s jurisdiction includes unincorporated Douglas County — areas outside of city and town boundaries — along with Castle Pines and Larkspur.
At least about a dozen burglaries of Asian business owners’ homes have occurred from October 2023 through early December 2024 in the Arapahoe County Sheri ’s O ce jurisdiction, according to the o ce.
e Arapahoe County sheri ’s jurisdiction includes unincorporated Arapahoe County areas, along with Centennial, Bennett, Fox eld and Deer Trail.
‘Taking advantage’ Asian business owners could be the target of burglaries because thieves have recognized some apparent cultural di erences, such as the idea that Asian people may distrust banks and instead keep large amounts of money at home, Brown said.
“ ey’re taking advantage of that,” Brown said of the burglars.
Along with that string of crime, o cials also have their eye on a separate pattern of burglaries that took place at high-value homes in Arapahoe County during the hours when people normally eat dinner — incidents that have been dubbed the “dinnertime burglaries.”
e nine dinnertime burglaries took place at homes in Cherry Hills Village, Columbine Valley, Littleton and unincorporated Arapahoe County from February to October 2024, according to the sheri ’s
Arapahoe County Sheri Tyler Brown, left, speaks next to Douglas County Sheri Darren Weekly at a December town hall event at the Arapahoe County Sheri ’s O ce that focused on burglaries and how the public can protect against them.
PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD
o ce. e homes hit in the Arapahoe dinnertime burglaries back up to a greenbelt or an open area, Cohn said.
O cials said the nine thefts total almost $1 million in stolen goods.
e Douglas sheri ’s o ce is only aware of one case of a dinnertime burglary, Weekly said.
Arapahoe sheri ’s Sgt. Brett Cohn noted that dinnertime is usually when people are home — but, he said, thieves are taking steps to make sure people aren’t there.
“We’re talking about groups of people that are working together to hit these homes,” Cohn said.
Persons of interest
One question at the town hall asked whether the burglars are part of a “South American theft group,” a term that has circulated in news media coverage.
“We don’t have any indication or any evidence in our dinnertime burglaries that the suspects are coming from one particular nation or another,” Brown said.
When asked whether there is any evidence that suspects in the burglaries of Asian business owners’ homes in the Arapahoe sheri jurisdiction are coming from one nation or demographic, Ginger Delgado, an Arapahoe sheri spokesperson, said: “ is is something investigators are still working together to gure out.”
For his jurisdiction, Weekly said, “In Douglas County, we believe they are Colombian nationals.”
Asked why o cials believe that Colombian nationals are involved, Weekly referred to “people that have been identi ed in relation to the investigations” of Asian business owners’ home burglaries.
“We have several people identi ed that we believe are persons of interest in the cases,” Weekly said, adding: “We are closer than we’ve ever been to making arrests and cracking this (case) wide open.”
Asked whether the alleged Colombian nationals are believed to also be U.S. citizens or legal immigrants, undocumented immigrants or migrants who are seeking asylum, Deputy Cocha Heyden, a spokesperson for the Douglas sheri ’s o ce, said: “Until we make arrests, we won’t know all those details.”
She added in a December statement that it is “hard to know” the number of 2024 burglaries of Asian business owners’ homes in Douglas County that Colombian nationals are believed to have committed.
“In regards to our belief that the suspects may be from (Colombia), this is still part of the investigation and we can’t release anything else on that right now,” Heyden said.
Sugioka, the chief deputy district attorney, said “we should not assume” that every burglary is committed by one group. He noted the concept of “copycat” crimes.
“It could be one group with add-ons, it could be multiple groups, but certainly when you’re looking at (this) speci c pattern, there’s at least a group,” Sugioka said.
‘Minutes count’
O cials also described how the crimes appear to work.
In burglaries that a ected Asian business owners, the suspects may employ “sophisticated tactics” to track their victim’s activity before the burglary by placing hidden cameras in the area to determine when the homes are unoccupied, according to the Douglas sheri ’s o ce. Weekly urged the public to report suspi-
PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD
cious activity, adding that “we can catch these people in the act.”
“ ese suspects are trying to look like cable guys, repairmen, phone repairmen,” Weekly said, adding: “If it’s a legitimate person working on the line, that’s ne, but let us get out there. We’ve been close to catching these guys (before).”
“You don’t even have to give your name. You can give the address” and hang up, Weekly added. “Minutes count when these things are happening.”
Cohn, the Arapahoe sergeant, said ocials believe criminals are also watching the businesses.
“If a vehicle is following you, take two left turns,” Cohn said, adding: “If you’re an Asian business owner, talk to your neighbors (and say) ‘I need your help.’”
Other states are being hit as well, Weekly said.
“We’re working with other states as well, and we may (involve) our federal partners,” Weekly said.
Tips on staying safe
O cials also o ered advice on how to guard against burglary.
“You want to make your home an unattractive target,” Sugioka said. “ ese guys are opportunists.”
“Install cameras not only on the exterior of your home, but put them on the interior,” Brown said, adding that it’s important to keep homes lit up outside.
Dogs can act as a deterrent, Cohn said, adding that criminals “don’t want to be bit.”
ieves also burglarize garages. Don’t put keys and valuables right by your door, Cohn said.
“Make sure your garage door opener is hidden,” Cohn said, adding: “Keep your cars clean. Keep any identifying information out of your vehicles” because criminals can use it to target your home.
Other security tips from the sheri s include:
• Lock doors and windows when you’re leaving home.
• Install motion-sensor lights outdoors.
• Talk to your neighbors.
• Hide jewelry or place it in a safe secured to the oor.
“Put those valuables in a bank,” Weekly said. “ e reason they keep hitting is because it’s lucrative.”
O cials emphasized talking to law enforcement.
If you report about a car that seems not to have a reason to be in the area, that may not be a crime — but if the car pops up again, that may be relevant information to law enforcement, Sugioka said.
O cials have victim’s advocates who can provide services to victims of crimes, Brown said.
“You can come to us, and you can share what happened, and it’s (a) judgmentfree zone,” Brown said.
ARAPAHOE COUNTY
All County o ces will be closed Monday, Jan. 20 in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.
Common Plant Diseases
Attend a free information session on the most common plant diseases in Colorado. The class will be held at the Aurora Central Library, Jan. 16, 2025, 4–5 p.m. Learn about the symptoms and signs to look for on your landscape plants, and how to tackle each disease properly. Register now at https://bit.ly/CSUPlantDisease
We’re looking for one-time volunteers for the annual Point in Time Count on Jan. 28 to help survey those experiencing homelessness. For more information, visit arapahoeco.gov/volunteer
or scan
Brian Sugioka, a chief deputy district attorney, speaks at a December town hall event at the Arapahoe County Sheri ’s O ce that focused on burglaries and how the public can protect against them.
A positive outlook for the new year
It’s no secret that the world has seen its fair share of chaos and confusion in recent times. With constant upheaval, many of us have become conditioned to approach life with a sense of cynicism, keeping our guard up as a natural self-defense mechanism.
It’s an understandable response when life throws curveballs, it’s easier to expect the worst and shield ourselves from disappointment.
But what if we chose a di erent approach?
Imagine if, instead of defaulting to skepticism or negativity, we intentionally shifted our initial reactions to focus on the positive. What if we looked for potential and opportunity rather than questioning, challenging, or seeking out aws? is isn’t about ignoring reality or pretending problems don’t exist. It’s about approaching life with trust, abundance, and optimism.
The glass is always refillable
We’ve all heard the debate: Is the glass half full or half empty? Some argue that it’s neither, it’s simply re llable. is perspective is powerful because it reminds us that our outlook isn’t static. We can choose how we see the world and, more importantly, how we respond to it.
Choosing to see the glass as re llable requires vulnerability. It asks us to trust again, even when past experiences have left us burned. It means embracing a mindset of abundance, where we believe that goodness and opportunity are not nite resources but are available to us if we’re willing to look for them.
From scarcity to opportunity
e shift from negativity to positivity starts with reframing how we perceive change and challenges. Too often, new products, services, or initiatives are met with harsh criticism, not because they lack merit but because the people evaluating them have experienced change fatigue. e skepticism isn’t rooted in the o ering itself but in an emotional exhaustion from adapting to constant ux.
But what if we approached these situations di erently? What if, instead of immediately looking for what’s wrong, we asked, “What’s possible?” is shift in perspective opens the door to creativity, collaboration, and innovation. It helps us see potential solutions rather than dwelling on the problems.
The courage to be vulnerable
Changing our outlook requires courage. Positivity is not about naivete, it’s about being brave enough to hope, trust, and believe in the possibility of good outcomes. It means lowering our defenses and embracing the idea that not every change or new idea will hurt us. is vulnerability doesn’t make us weak; it makes us resilient. When we choose to trust, we free ourselves from the fear and scarcity that cloud our judgment and limit our potential. Positivity doesn’t guarantee success but fosters the environment needed to grow, learn, and thrive.
A resolution for the new year
As we enter this new year, let’s set a simple yet powerful goal: to adopt a positive outlook. is isn’t about pretending everything is perfect; it’s about choosing to see the good, even in imperfect circumstances. Here are a few ways to start:
Pause before reacting: When faced with change or challenges, take a moment to look for the potential before responding. Ask yourself, “What’s the opportunity here?”
Celebrate wins, big and small: Acknowledge progress, even if it’s incremental. Positivity grows when we focus on achievements rather than shortcomings.
Practice gratitude: Regularly re ect on what you’re thankful for. Gratitude shifts our focus away from scarcity and toward abundance. Encourage others: Be a voice of support for those around you. Positivity is contagious, and encouraging others helps create a culture of optimism.
Finding the good in the world
Choosing positivity doesn’t mean ignoring the bad; it means not letting it de ne us. It’s about recognizing the goodness, opportunities, and potential that coexist with the challenges. Focusing on the good makes us more likely to nd solutions, build stronger connections, and live a more ful lling life.
As you enter this new year, challenge yourself to see the glass not as half empty or half full but as endlessly re llable. Look for the good, embrace opportunities, and trust in the possibility of positive outcomes. I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com and when we live a life viewed through the lens of positivity, it is a life lled with potential, a resolution worth keeping, and one that will make it a betterthan-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.
What brightens you?
Igrew up in a family where stories were a nightly part of our meals. My father, a great storyteller, came from a family of nine, seven boys and two girls. His baseball team-sized family gave him a huge volume of tales to share on seemingly endless topics. While my father told many stories around the dinner table, there were moments when the storytelling would come from my mom. Mom had tales of her father’s work as a traveling salesperson, her time in high school and many “neighborhood” stories. When Mom told us her favorite story, her face would light up and she would talk about dancing. In that story, she did not spend much time talking about speci c performances, her attempts to make every child born into the extended family a dancer, or even her time learning from and eventually teaching for Colorado Ballet founders Lillian Covillo and Freidann Parker. What she talked about was her love of motion. She would explain that as a teenager her favorite game was to walk quickly through a crowd of people without touching any of them but coming within a few inches of every person she passed. She would describe feeling the air as she passed individuals, appreciating the uidity of her motion and the fact that so many people were gathered, allowing her to play her game.
I loved the story partly for the vision it created of Mom as a teenager, but more for the absolute passion you could feel in the words she shared. When she told this story, you gained an insight into the way she viewed the world. You under-
stood that she saw things di erently than others. at the daily mundane physical tasks most people muddled through were, in her mind, a dance; a beautiful dance to be appreciated. e joy in Mom’s face is still fresh in my mind even though it has been more than 35 years since I last heard her share the story. is memory will never fade for me.
We all need things in our lives that ll us with such joy that it is re ected on our faces whether we are engaging in the activity or telling the story of it. We need things that color our vision, helping us to see the beauty that surrounds us.
Take time this week to think about the things that are so exciting to you that they light your face when you mention them.
During struggles, unmitigated joy is a tonic that will help each one of us.
If you would be willing to share, I would love to know what creates joy for you, I can be contacted at jim.roome@gmail.com .
As always, I hope that you will nd inspiration in my words and share those words of encouragement with those who need it. ank you to all who have shared stories with me so far, I love hearing from you as you nd helpful morsels in these columns and nd ways to encourage those around you.
Jim Roome lives in Arvada with his wife Beth. He spent 34 years in public education. Lessons learned from the one two punch of being diagnosed with MS shortly before his best friend was diagnosed with terminal cancer led him into a new pursuit as a freelance writer and speaker. He uses his life experiences and love of stories to inspire, educate and encourage local, national and international audiences.
AG Weiser declares for 2026 governor’s race
BY MEGAN VERLEE CPR NEWS
As Coloradans returned from the New Year’s holiday, the state’s top elected lawyer announced a major resolution: to run for governor in 2026.
Democrat Phil Weiser is midway through his second term as attorney general. Over his six years in o ce he made a name for himself ghting the rst Trump administration in court, as well as suing opioid manufacturers and social media companies.
Attorney general is Weiser’s rst elected o ce. He previously served as dean of the University of Colorado law school. He also held posts in the Obama administration, including deputy assistant attorney general in the anti-trust division and as an advisor to the national economic council.
With Gov. Jared Polis term limited, political watchers expect a long list of Democrats to enter the race to replace him. e left-leaning group Healthier Colorado, and right-leaning Magellan Strategies recently surveyed 630 Democratic and una liated voters on four of the potential primary candidates.
October 20,
- December 21, 2024
After combating cancer for six and one-half years, Mary Winifred Weingarth Newton passed away on December 21, 2024, at age eighty- ve. She was born October 20, 1939, in Kansas City, MO, and at an early age, moved with her family to San Mateo, CA, where she attended St. Mathew’s Catholic School through elementary grades. Moving to CO, she attended Littleton Middle School and Littleton High School. At LHS, she was a majorette and cheer leader, was Homecoming Queen, and graduated in 1957. She attended Colorado State College (now the University of Northern Colorado), graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Education. She was a member of Pi Kappa Sigma Sorority (later merged into Alpha Phi) and served as a pledge trainer. She was a member of Spur, a scholastic honorary. She served as president of Angel Flight, an Air Force ROTC auxiliary, and was selected as CSC Homecoming Queen in her junior
Twenty percent of those polled said they’d support congressman Joe Neguse in a theoretical Democratic primary, 16% went for Secretary of State Jena Griswold, 11% for former Interior Secretary and U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar and 8% for Weiser.
On the Republican side, state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, and outgoing 4th Congressional District Rep. Greg Lopez, who was selected to ll out the last few months of Ken Buck’s term, are potential contenders.
Other than Weiser, none of those potential contenders has yet con rmed they’re interested in the o ce.
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.
Carolina University in Greenville, NC, Mary assumed philanthropic fundraising responsibilities associated with ECU’s student art gallery and the university women’s scholarship creation program, and John Paul II High School’s development activities. Arriving in Coppell, TX, in 2017, she joined women’s groups in St. Ann Catholic Church and the Coppell community, became an advocate for safe beauty products, and established a shopping mall antique booth, Mimi’s Attic.
Mary is preceded in death by her parents Frederick Charles Weingarth II and Agnes Jelinek Weingarth and is survived by: her husband, Ronald James Newton; her children Courtney Christopher Newton (Jennifer Royston Newton), Brooke Allison Newton Minteer (Scott Alan Minteer); her grandchildren Taylor Sage Newton (21), Grace Ella Minteer (18), Sam Newton Minteer (16), Hazel Jelinek Newton (15); and her brother, Frederick Charles Weingarth III (Janice Kleinberg Weingarth).
Mary’s wonderful lifetime can best be personi ed as a response to the biblical exhortation of Peter (1 Peter 4:10): “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” Exploiting her unique capabilities in helping others, she constantly displayed her unsel sh kindness and generosity. She made a positive di erence in the lives of her family, friends, colleagues, and coworkers. e world is a better, more hopeful place because Mary lovingly walked among many as their servant.
In lieu of owers, contributions can be made to: e University of Northern Colorado, e Laura Dreier and James Elmer Newton Scholarship Fund, e UNC Foundation, Judy Farr Center, 1620 Reservoir Road, Greeley, CO 80631. www.give2unc.org/donatenow
NEWS BRIEFS
The Love Letter Project is Valentine’s Day season, join Aspen Grove, ROX Arts Gallery and the U.S. Department of Veterans A airs for e Love Letter Project — a heartfelt initiative to thank and honor local Colorado veterans. is annual community event is open to everyone. Whether you write a simple “thank you” or share words of love and encouragement, every letter makes a difference. Deadline for the cards is Feb. 2. Cards can be dropped o at the mailbox outside of ROX Arts Gallery or they can be dropped o in person inside the gallery. ROX Arts Gallery is located at 7301 S. Santa Fe Drive, Suite 222, in Littleton. Its hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Learn more about ROX Arts Gallery at https://roxartsgallery.com.
Game Show Night at the Highlands Ranch Southridge Rec Center
e community is invited to Game Show Night, which will take place from 7-8:30 p.m. Jan. 17 at the Highlands Ranch Southridge Recreation Center, 4800 McArthur Ranch Road.
Ron Evans will guide the audience through exciting rounds of your favorite TV game shows like Family Feud, Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy and Press Your Luck. e event is an audience participation event and attendees will have the chance to win prizes — and enjoy a night of laughter and friendly competition. A cash bar will be available but food will not be served at this event.
Game Show Night is a family-friendly event. Questions will be answerable by
attendees age 15 and older, but the content will not be inappropriate for younger attendees.
Tickets cost $15 and can be purchased online at https://hrcaonline.org.
Active Minds: The Roaring Twenties
It has been a century since the economic boom in the U.S. known as the Roaring Twenties led to an era of mass consumerism and cultural expression. It was the age of jazz, appers, the Charleston, the Harlem Renaissance and more.
Active Minds will explore the origins, manifestations and legacy of this colorful era during a presentation at the Douglas County Libraries Castle Rock Event Hall A, 100 S. Wilcox St. e presentation will take place from 2-3 p.m. on Jan. 15.
Registration is requested, and can be done online at www.dcl.org.
Lost Ski Areas of Colorado presentation Colorado’s mountains still draw droves of skiers to the slopes. However, many of the historic runs and areas that were popular over the past century — some near the current resorts of Aspen, Breckenridge, Crested Butte, Vail, etc. — no longer exist.
e community is invited to a presentation about the state’s lost ski areas by authors Caryn and Peter Boddie from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Jan. 21 at the Bemis Public Library, 6014 S. Datura St., in Littleton. e “Lost Ski Areas” books will be available for purchase and a book signing will follow the presentation. Learn more at https://bemis.libcal. com/event/13359856.
Meeting in college, Mary married Ronald James Newton in 1961, and the couple resided in CO where she taught home economics, typing, and theater at Nunn High School. Moving to Fair eld, CA, she taught elementary students at Travis Air Force Base, then relocated with Ronald to Cheyenne, WY, to teach junior high school home economics. Starting in 1966 and nancially supporting her graduate student husband at Texas A&M University, she served as an academic clerical assistant, a bank executive secretary, a dental assistant, and a Tupperware salesperson. Utilizing her innate entrepreneurial spirit, she and a friend established an art/craft consignment shop, Little Dickens, followed by her singular establishment of the co ee/tea shop, PrioriTEAS. Later, she opened a combined co ee/tea shop and restaurant, Ka ee Klatsch. As a business owner in the Bryan-College Station, TX community for thirty years, she was active in community a airs, particularly the B-CS Chamber of Commerce. She served as a Board Director, and as an e ective membership recruiter, she was the rst woman selected for the prestigious B-CSCC Blazers. She hosted a TV show, Show of Hands, featuring the handcraft talent of local creative artists.
Recognizing her business acumen, she was solicited to teach entrepreneurship at Texas A&M University College of Business. Mary was an alum advisor and president of the House Corporation Board for the Epsilon Omega chapter of TAMU’s Alpha Phi Sorority. She was a Board Director for both the Bluebonnet Psychiatric Center and the Boys Club and a volunteer for the American Red Cross.
When Ronald became a liated with East
Under Designation choose “Other”. In the notes eld, direct your donation to “James Elmer and Laura Dreier Newton Scholarship Endowment.”
A Rosary prayer service will be held on Wednesday, January 8th @ Rolling Oaks Memorial Center, Coppell starting @ 6:30 with the rosary @ 7:00pm.
Mary’s funeral & Going Away Party (her words) will be held ursday January 9th @ 10a at St Ann Catholic Parish in Coppell. Lunch will be served following at the church.
We look forward to seeing you & sharing scriptures, songs, memories & recipes that Mary chose for this beautiful occasion.
NEWTON
Mary Winifred Newton
1939
Democrat Phil Weiser is midway through his second term as attorney general.
2023 FILE PHOTO BY CHRIS KOEBERL
BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
new kind of social scene is quietly brewing in the Denver metro area, one that’s less about the buzz of alcohol and more about the calm of connection. Across the city’s vibrant neighborhoods, kava bars are emerging as popular alternatives to traditional bar scenes.
O ering a range of holistic, non-alcoholic beverages, calming atmospheres and a focus on plant-based medicinal drinks, these venues are rede ning what it means to “go out” in Denver’s metro area.
Once a niche concept relegated to tropical destinations like south Florida, where they are widely popular, kava bars are now nding their place in Colorado’s social landscape.
Rooted in the ancient South Paci c tradition of drinking kava for relaxation and social bonding, these bars have become gathering spaces for those seeking refuge from alcohol-infused spaces.
Central to this experience is the tradition of saying
“Bula” before drinking kava. Derived from Fijian culture, “Bula” is more than just a toast. It’s a wish for good health, happiness and a long life.
Many kava bars also o er wellness-centric community spaces, often featuring activities like yoga, meditation sessions and social events, link bingo or trivia, providing new ways for people to connect without the haze of alcohol.
e appeal of alcohol-free spaces is clear. As health consciousness grows, particularly among millennials and Gen Z, so does the demand for spaces that promote relaxation, self-care and authentic connection.
For some, it’s about living a “sober curious” lifestyle; for others, it’s a preference for experiences that prioritize well-being over intoxication. Whatever the reason, the rise of these venues signals a shift in the social habits of Denver area residents, o ering fresh options for those looking to unwind without the side e ects of a hangover.
The Karma House — Lakewood’s spiritual hub
Just past the entrance of the Karma House in Lake-
wood sits several cozy couches ahead of a long bar busy with patrons sipping kava, herbal teas or plantbased beverages like kratom or other adaptogenic drinks believed to help the body resist stress. e space is warm, friendly and packed with the sounds of social chatter, even in the middle of the afternoon.
With a “zero tolerance” policy for alcohol and illegal substances, e Karma House identi es as a welcoming alcohol-free space vs. a sober bar. is distinction re ects its focus on o ering natural, mood-altering beverages like kava and kratom, which, according to research, promote relaxation, focus and pain relief.
“It’s de nitely not a sober bar,” said Deonna Lupola, who is one of the Karma House’s three owners, adding that their goal is to maintain a safe, transparent space for patrons seeking a calm, mindful, alcohol-free experience.
“A lot of people that come here are in recovery. ey’re looking for an alternative place to hang out and get the bar atmosphere without the booze,” she said.
Kava is a plant-based drink made from the roots of the Piper methysticum plant, which is native to the South Pacific islands. SHUTTERSTOCK
CONNECTION
“I’ve been coming here since 2021, and it’s become a vital part of my support system,” said Tanner O’Leary, a frequent patron who is six years sober. “ e community here is like no other. Everyone’s looking out for each other. It’s a place where I’ve found real connections and friendships.”
Operating as a nonpro t, Lupola said the Karma House uses revenue from its beverage sales to support community events, wellness programming and fundraising initiatives. It hosts daily activities like yoga, Reiki and cultural workshops. Lupola said the owners also prioritize harm reduction and education, o ering patrons guidance on the safe use of plant-based substances. Its “Harm Reduction Hive” teaches customers how to identify and navigate risky situations, empowering them to make informed choices.
Patrons can also attend “Self-Care Sundays” and
TOP PHOTO: Patrons at That’s Kava in Englewood enjoy a relaxed hangout where they can socialize, work or play games.
BOTTOM: “Bula” (pronounced boo-lah) is a Fijian word meaning “life” or “to live” and is often used as a toast, similar to “cheers” in Western cultures. PHOTOS BY
other wellness events o ering practical tools for daily life.
“ e idea is that you have the best tools to succeed each and every day, no matter what obstacles come your way,” Lupola said.
That’s Kava — Englewood’s plant-based social scene e atmosphere at at’s Kava in Englewood reects its open-minded philosophy. With a tropical motif re ective of kava bars popular in Florida, its brightly painted walls invoke a party vibe meant to welcome people who might initially come in looking for a “regular bar” experience but are curious enough to stay.
Owner Ryan Gieski is quick to state that his place isn’t as recovery-focused as others.
“I don’t care what you do on the weekends, as long as you’re chill when you walk in,” Gieski said. is philosophy ensures that everyone, from those in recovery to those just seeking a new experience, feels at ease in the space.
at’s Kava is designed to be a true social space, not just a beverage counter. As one visitor explained,
“ is place feels like a social hangout. You might see bingo or trivia once a week, but most nights, it’s just a space to chill, work on a laptop or have a conversation.”
Gieski’s place emphasizes conscious consumption, focusing on education and transparency. Sta are well-versed in the properties of kava, kratom and other botanicals, and they actively educate customers on how to make informed decisions.
New patrons are often walked through the di erent types of beverages and their e ects.
“I’m big on education,” Gieski said. “Our bartenders go through days of training to ensure they understand the products they’re serving and how to best help serve our customers.”
e beverage menu is larger than most, featuring not just traditional kava and kratom but also teas and kratom alternatives like velvet bean. Gieski believes the range of o erings showcases the di erent properties of each drink while accommodating diverse preferences.
He is proud that customers can try unique blends incorporating natural spices like turmeric, ginger and black pepper for added health bene ts and improved taste. Gieski also regularly tests his products to ensure they’re free from contamination.
“We tested all commercially available kava in the market and 78% of it came back contaminated,” he said. As a result, he continues to test all of the products he buys and urges consumers to buy from only reputable sources.
at’s Kava isn’t a nonpro t, but Gieski said he doesn’t take a paycheck, and customers regularly raise money for friends and community members in need.
Why are kava bars becoming the new social haven?
Gieski and Lupola believe their establishments o er a sense of community and connection that can be hard to nd in traditional bars.
When Lupola quit drinking, she discovered how much she disliked being around people who were. “ en I found Kava bars,” she said. “And I stopped wanting to go out and party. It was a natural transition.”
Gieski said while there are around seven or eight kava bars in the Denver area, he expects that number to grow exponentially in the coming years.
What’s driving this shift? According to a 2022 report by the Food Institute, the rise of non-alcoholic alternatives re ects broader social trends around reducing alcohol intake and cites improving mental health as the main reason adults are limiting their consumption.
With their focus on mindful consumption and meaningful interactions, kava bars o er a clear solution for those wanting to socialize without the booze.
e market shows no sign of slowing down, either. e global demand for kava root extract is expected to grow from $1.4 billion in 2023 to $4.6 billion by 2031, according to market research. Analysts attribute part of the increased interest to a greater concentration on mental health and wellbeing.
So, whether you’re raising a cup of kava, served in a traditional coconut shell, with old friends or sharing stories with new ones, many say there’s no better way to end the night than with a communal wish for well-being.
Bula!
What is Kava?
Kava is a plant-based drink made from the roots of the Piper methysticum plant, which is native to the South Paci c islands. Traditionally consumed in ceremonial and social gatherings, kava holds signi cant cultural importance in places like Fiji, Vanuatu and Tonga. e drink has a long history of being used to promote relaxation, ease anxiety and foster social bonding.
e active compounds in kava, known as kavalactones, are responsible for its calming e ects. Unlike alcohol, which impairs cognitive function, kava induces a state of relaxation and mental clarity without a ecting alertness. is unique e ect makes it an appealing choice for those seeking a mindful way to relax or socialize. Kava is legal in Colorado and is not classi ed as a controlled substance at the federal or state level, but you must be 21 or older to consume it.
Kava doesn’t come without risks. According to the Cleveland Clinic, kava works similarly to alcohol and some anxiety and Parkinson’s medications, and it can be dangerous to combine them. Some components of kava are also known to be toxic to the liver.
Talk to a healthcare provider before trying kava or any other plant-based medicinal drink.
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Englewood Herald (ISSN 1058-7837)(USPS 176-680)
A legal newspaper of general circulation in Englewood, Colorado, the Englewood Herald is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110
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RTD seeks equal access comments
Riders asked for thoughts on Title VI program changes
BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
e Regional Transportation District is asking the public to comment on the agency’s update of its Title VI program, which is a federal law that ensures riders
BILLING
‘An unforeseen software issue’ Pieter Van Ry, director of Englewood Utilities, acknowledged the ongoing issue with the physical paper bill, which he said isn’t properly displaying the water consumption data on customers’ bills.
“ e new bill was designed to include this feature originally. However, an unforeseen software issue has prevented water usage from displaying correctly on bills since the system went live in July,” Van Ry said. “We acknowledge this feedback from our customers and this continues to be our top priority to x. We are actively working with the software vendor to resolve the issue.”
equal access to transit services including buses and commuter trains.
RTD is accepting community feedback about the proposed updates through Jan. 31.
RTD’s Transit Equity O ce updates its Title VI Program every three years and is seeking feedback on proposed updates to three key policies, according to a RTD news release:
e Major Service Change Policy, which would rede ne both “adverse e ect” and what consti-
Sarah Stone, Englewood’s deputy director of business solutions, said there were many challenges when the system was rst implemented in the summer. e new system replaced the city’s previous system that was more than 20 years old.
Stone said initial issues with the new system were due to data migration struggles, and one issue caused a bug in the system that didn’t allow the bill template to generate printed bills as designed.
e emails from hundreds of people in recent months show confusion and frustration as their bill totals have continuously been inconsistent and, in many cases, display extremely high amounts of water usage.
tutes a major service change.
e Low-Income De nition, which would rede ne low-income populations as those whose household incomes are at or below 200% of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services poverty guidelines.
e Fare Equity Policy, which would clarify what constitutes a fare change and when a fare equity analysis would be required in accordance with the FTA.
Community members can provide feedback on the proposed
structure is “a modern technology that allows for remote and automated reading of water meters. It replaces traditional metering systems with digital devices that provide more accurate and timely data,” the city states on its website. e implementation of these new meters began in April 2024.
“ is transition to the new meter is also contributing to our customers’ confusion as they may have seen zero usage on one bill and then multiple months of usage on the next bill,” Van Ry said.
changes on RTD’s Title VI Program page (recommended) or by sending an email to transitequity@rtddenver.com with “Proposed Title VI Policy Changes” in the subject line.
RTD’s current Title VI program started in 2022 and runs through mid-2025. e agency’s updated program will be in e ect from mid2025 to 2028. e public is encouraged to visit the Program page to learn more about the proposed updates and contribute feedback through the end of January.
of residents’ concern regarding being overbilled or underbilled, and whether they will be reimbursed in cases of overpayment.
“We understand these concerns, and we want to assure residents that the metering system is accurately recording water consumption,” Van Ry said. “ e issues are related to how the data is being displayed on the bill, not the actual water usage. In all cases, if a customer feels that their bill is inaccurate, we encourage them to reach out to our customer service sta to complete a review of their bill.”
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.
Van Ry said the department is currently working with Cogsdale Corporation, the software company implementing the new system, and hope to have consumption and a simpli ed graph on the bills in January.
e city selected Cogsdale Corporation in January 2021 to revamp its utilities billing system, records show. Per the 2021 contract between Cogsdale and the City of Englewood, the total contract costs through implementation are $1,180,125, plus yearly costs of $108,175.
“While the billing system calculations are working as intended, the display of consumption data on the new bill has been a challenge due to (the) unforeseen software issues,” Van Ry said. “ is is compounded for our customers because as old meters are replaced as part of the new Advanced Metering Infrastructure project, integration of the data and transition to the new meter is confusing when the consumption information cannot be found on the bill.”
“ e billing system calculations for consumption and charges are working properly and when we have analyzed customer bills over the course of several months, it is in line with what would be expected based on historic use for that customer.”
Van Ry said the city hasn’t allocated any additional funds to the project due to the issues, but there has been an increase in Englewood Utilities sta hours to support testing of the vendor software xes as they are developed.
“ e city plans to continue working with the software vendor to ensure the water usage data appears on customer bills, and any remaining issues with this implementation are corrected,” Van Ry said.
Addressing concerns
Van Ry said city sta are aware
Van Ry said the department’s standard practice is to reimburse customers appropriately if a review of these concerns uncovers a leak that has caused high consumption.
“Some customers may have experienced gaps in billed water usage due to the timing of their meter upgrades,” Van Ry said.
“People have not been overbilled for their water usage, however, it could appear that way as a result of being billed for multiple months of usage on one bill and then zero usage on the next bill.”
While late fees and shuto s have been suspended, customers can make partial payments, and call or email the Englewood Utilities Department at 303-762-2635 or utilities@englewoodco.gov to review their bill.
RTD is accepting community feedback about the proposed updates to its equal access policies.
PHOTO BY MERYL PHAIR
Thu 1/16
Man Cub & MEDZ
@ 7pm Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St, Denver
Secret Recipe Music
@ 8:30pm
Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom & Other Side, 2637 Welton St, Denver Luci
@ 9pm / $14.95
The Church Nightclub, Denver
Fri 1/17
Patrick Dethlefs
@ 7pm
The Thin Man, 2015 E 17th Ave, Denver
party iconic presents: LONG LIVE ERAS - 18+
emalkay @ 9pm Club Vinyl, 1082 N Broadway, Denver
Sat 1/18
Wild Love Tigress: Album Release Show @ 7pm
Mon 1/20
Beyond Laser Light Experience @ 12pm Denver
Lana del Rabies @ 7pm
Hi-Dive, 7 S Broadway, Denver
Tue 1/21
Free Castle Rock Business Networking Rockstar Connect Event (January, CO) @ 4:30pm
@ 8pm / $17-$23 Marquis, Denver
Jono Zalay: Don't Tell Comedy @ RINO
@ 8pm
RiNo District, 2700 Block of Larimer St., Denver
Bellakeo - 2000's Reggaeton Night - 21+
@ 9pm / $15-$25
Summit, Denver
Dechen Hawk
@ 9pm
BurnDown Denver, 476 S Broadway, Denver
Lost Lake Lounge, 3602 E Colfax Ave, Denver
Broadway Rave @ 8pm
Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St, Den‐
Ashes Fallen @ 8pm
Skylark Lounge, 140 S Broadway, Denver
High Altitude @ 9pm Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St, Denver
Benny Benassi (21+ Event) @ 10pm
Temple Nightclub Denver, 1136 Broadway, Den‐
ver
Sun 1/19
Ben Barnes @ 7pm
Summit Music Hall, 1902 Blake St, Denver
Kevin James Doyle: After Endgame @ 7pm
Chaos Bloom Theater, 70 S Broadway, Denver
Vampires Everywhere @ 8pm HQ, 60 S Broadway, Denver
The Of�ce Co. Bar & �itchen, 230 Third Street #Ste 100, Castle Rock. sde@ rockstarconnect.com
Continental League Honor Music Festival @ 7pm
Finney Fan Page: Interrogation:
Crime Stories @ 7:30pm Comedy Works South, 5345 Landmark Pl, Greenwood Village Jesus Christ Taxi Driver @ 8pm
Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Place, Den‐
Thu 1/23
glaive @ 8pm Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave, Denver Beyond Laser Light Experience @ 4pm
Boettcher Concert Hall, 1400 Curtis Street, Denver
Natalie Jane @ 7pm
Bluebird Theater, 3317 E Colfax Av, Denver
Wed 1/22
Beyond Laser Light Experience @ 4pm Denver
Back to the Future - The Musical @ 7:30pm
Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre, 1400 Cur‐tis Street, Denver
DJ Rockstar Aaron @ 8pm Bout Time Pub & Grub, 3580 S Platte River Dr
@ 9pm / $14.95
Mayor by night, wine expert by day
Tips from Littleton’s Kyle Schlachter to boost your wine game this year
BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
e world of wine can be intimidating. From guessing what to serve with a let mignon to struggling through an incomprehensible wine list at a fancy restaurant, it can seem like there is a large barrier to entry.
But if you want to impress your friends at dinner parties this year, fear not — Littleton Mayor Kyle Schlachter has answers to help you.
Although many know him only as the man in the center of the dais, Schlachter is also a wine professional. In his day job as the executive director for the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board, Schlachter works to promote and develop the state’s wine industry, largely through marketing and research.
To help those who want to up their wine game this year, Schlachter broke it down to the basics.
Why are wines di erent colors?
When you look at a bottle of wine from the U.S., it often lists one or several words — like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir or Chardonnay, Schlachter said. ese words, which most wine drinkers are familiar with, are the names of di erent kinds of grapes.
“ ey all have slightly di erent charac-
teristics with the size of the grapes, the sizes of the bunches — are they real big bunches or small bunches? e skin — do they have thick skin or light skin?”
Schlachter said. “It’s those characteristics that then get passed on into the wine.”
Schlachter said you can think of these di erent kinds of grapes — called cultivars — like dog breeds. e wine grapes are part of the species Vitis vinifera, just like how domestic dogs are Canis lupus familiaris. Within the species, there are di erent dog breeds — like masti s and golden retrievers — just as there are different grape cultivars, like Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.
Wine grapes are di erent from the grapes people eat as a snack, Schlachter said. Although many people think red wine comes from red grapes and white wine comes from green grapes, this is not entirely accurate. Almost all wine grapes have “yellowish, clearish esh and juice” if you peel the skins o , Schlachter said. Red wine is made when skins and seeds of red grapes are crushed and fermented with the juice, whereas white wine does not include the skin and seeds.
“ at pigment leaks out when you crush them all together and mix them up,” Schlachter said. “ at’s where it gets the color. at’s why you can make white wine from red grapes if you don’t let the skin get in contact with the juice that you crush.”
For example, Schlachter said, three main grape varieties are used to make Champagne, and two of them are red grapes. e skins and seeds are not included in the process, so the well-known
sparkling wine is white or light yellow in color.
Rosé wines can be made a few di erent ways, Schlachter said. One of the more traditional ways is to use red grapes and include the skins just a little bit, so the wine picks up a small amount of color.
Orange wine is made when the greenish-yellow skins of white grapes are involved in the fermentation process, Schlachter said.
How do you choose which wine to serve with a meal?
When it comes to wine pairing, Schlachter has very simple advice.
“ e number one rule, I would say, is drink what you like — or at least have options for people to drink what they like,” he said.
Typically, the guideline is to drink red wine with red meat and white wine with sh, vegetables or white meat, Schlachter said. e whole point of pairing is to create an experience where both the food and wine taste better when you have them together. But there is no reason to limit yourself to these rules, Schlachter said.
“It doesn’t mean that you can’t have a white wine with steak,” he said. “If you don’t like red wine, don’t force yourself to drink something that you don’t like.”
He also said it’s good to explore new kinds of wine, especially when hosting.
“If you’re going to have your family over, don’t just have one bottle,” he said. “Get two or three. Have a white, a red and a rosé, or a white, a red and a sparkling open, so people can try di erent things and explore and just have fun.”
How does region make a di erence in a wine?
Beyond kinds and colors, trying wine from di erent regions can bring out new avors, Schlachter said.
“It all comes down to the place where the grapes are grown — how the soils, and the sun and the proximity to water a ects it,” Schlachter said.
e way that a region’s unique climate, soils and terrain a ect the taste of wine is called “terroir,” as de ned by the wine education company Wine Folly.
“What’s in a bottle of wine re ects that uniqueness,” Schlachter said. “ at’s why you can taste a Merlot from France, a Merlot from Argentina, a Merlot from California, and they all taste similar, but di erent — because it’s based on the different soils, the di erent weather.”
Schlachter said Colorado’s environment and high elevation makes it a unique wine-growing atmosphere. He said there are more than 160 wineries in the state, with most of the vineyards in the Palisade area.
“We’re one of the highest grape-growing regions in the world,” he said. “ at’s unique, because we’re very dry. Humidity is very low here, so the grape growers don’t spray pesticides nearly as much here in Colorado.”
Whether you are hosting a dinner party or visiting your local winery this winter, Schlachter said the most important thing to remember is to drink what you like.
“If it tastes good to you, that’s the important thing,” he said. “ at’s what wine is for — it’s to compliment food, and it’s something that should taste good and it’s something that you should enjoy.”
Red wine is made when the skins and seeds of red, purple or black grapes are crushed and fermented with the grape juice. SHUTTERSTOCK
The color of a wine comes from skins and seeds that ferment with the juice during the winemaking process. If no skins and seeds are included, or they are included for a shorter period of time, the wine will be lighter in color.
SHUTTERSTOCK
Mayor Kyle Schlachter holds a glass of sparkling wine at the Littleton State of the City event in 2024. COURTESY CITY OF LITTLETON
Evergreen’s annual lake plunge returns to kick o the new year
BY TIM WEIGHART
SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
New year’s day at Evergreen Lake this year had the perfect weather to bundle up and celebrate the holiday on the lake: blue skies, a vibrant sun and just a bit of chill in the air. However, for roughly 400 people from across the state, bundling up was only a temporary luxury as they prepared to jump into the ice-cold water.
e annual Evergreen Lake Plunge is a longstanding tradition run by the nonpro t Active4All to raise money for its INSPIRE program, which aims to provide inclusive recreational activities to kids with disabilities. Last year’s plunge hosted a record number of jumpers who collectively raised over $40,000 dollars for INSPIRE.
John DuRussell, president of Active4All, said INSPIRE hopes to use donated funds to build an ADA accessible playground and work on a skate park and amphitheater.
While a few bold souls have been taking the yearly plunge since long before Active4All started running the event, many more experienced the grueling waters for the rst time in 2025.
“ is is just one of the rst challenges we’ll overcome this year,” said rst-timeplunger Jeremy Salter from Strasburg. Jeremy and his daughter wore matching Bluey shirts as they jumped, getting in on the trend of wearing matching out ts or costumes when jumping into the lake. Other attendees wore onesies portraying animals or ctional characters, including Emily and Leo from Parker, who dressed as Mike and Sully from Monsters Inc., and Rosalie from Denver, another
rst-timer, who dressed as a shark.
“I just really love sharks, and I gured a shark might be a good thing to get into chilly water with,” Rosalie said, laughing. “ is seems crazy, but also like a really fresh way to start the new year.”
Second-time plunger PJ Holtz from Evergreen was also looking for a fresh start through the plunge.
“It was a little warmer last year,” Holtz said, bouncing up and down to stay warm in his singlet and shorts. “I do triathlons, and this is the start of my March tri season — my rst open water swim of the year.”
Regardless of whether you do the plunge once or do it annually, it’s guaranteed to leave an impact, something that DuRussell knows all too well thanks
to his friend and long-time plunger Paul Regan pressuring him into it six years ago. “I only did it one time, and it was ve degrees and windy,” DuRussell recalled. “I told Paul that I wasn’t going to do it again, and he told me ‘You either do it again, or you run it!’ So I said, ‘Okay, I’ll run it.’” And the event has been a yearly staple for DuRussell and Active4All ever since.
As the event began, plungers stored their towels and belongings in plastic crates before lining up behind the jumpo point. e rectangular hole cut out of the ice had a ladder on the opposite end, meaning everyone had to swim about ten meters across the dark water before they could get refuge from the brutal cold.
Regardless of their con dence or their nerves, most plungers looked shocked and ready to get back on land as soon as they hit the water.
Exposing so many people to such cold water would be impossible without the supervision and safety practices implemented by the Evergreen Fire/Rescue squad, ensuring that everyone got in and out of the water safely.
“It’s always exciting to see so many people join, and to see their facial expressions,” said Doug Matheny, a volunteer captain who has overseen the event for nine straight years. “ e department’s here to help out the community, make sure it’s safe, and get the ice ready for them.”
e Fire/Rescue squad is always on standby to keep the ladder out of the pool steady, watch out for each person currently in the pool, and stay ready to jump in to help out anyone who is too shocked by the cold water to swim out on their own.
“We’ve pulled a lot of people out. Once you get them out, they’re ne, but the shock in that cold water can get you in the moment,” Matheny said.
Even though more and more people from across the Denver metro have come up to the lake in recent years, the Evergreen Lake Plunge still feels like a vibrant celebration of the local community. e sponsors, rescue team and the skate park company where the plunge is located are all locally based and dedicated to helping Evergreen be the fun and welcoming town that it is.
Cheers to everyone who makes the plunge possible, and for many more plunges in the years to come.
Emily and Leo from Parker took the plunge in matching ‘Monsters, Inc.’ onesies. PHOTO BY TIM WEIGHART
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I sold at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on 9/11/24,
Purported common address: 8140 S Fillmore Cir, Centennial, CO 80122.
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, 03/05/2025, 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: 1/9/2025
Last Publication: 2/6/2025
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: 11/01/2024
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:
CUSTODY OF THE STATE TREASURER IF YOU DO NOT CONTACT US BEFORE 3/11/2025 as part of the "Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act", pursuant to Colorado law.
First Publication: 12/19/24
Last Publication: 1/16/25
Name of Publication: Littleton Independent
Date: 12/3/24 Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado By: Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee
Legal Notice NO. 0195-2024
First Publication: 12/19/24
Last Publication: 1/16/25
Name of Publication: Littleton Independent
COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103 FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0491-2024
To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given
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 # 24-033360
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. 0491-2024
First Publication: 1/9/2025
Last Publication: 2/6/2025
Name of Publication: Littleton Independent
COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103
FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0439-2024
To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust:
On October 4, 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)
Colorado Home Services LLC, a Colorado limited liability company
Original Beneficiary(ies)
RFLF 7, LLC, a Delaware Limited Liability
Company Current Holder of Evidence of Debt
U.S. Bank Trust Company National Association, not in its individual capacity but solely as trustee of Homeward Opportunities Fund Trust 2024-RTL1
Date of Deed of Trust
January 13, 2023
County of Recording
Arapahoe
Recording Date of Deed of Trust February 01, 2023
Recording Information (Reception No. and/or Book/Page No.)
E3006554 Book: N/A Page: Original Principal Amount
$914,000.00
Outstanding Principal Balance
$914,000.00
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 92, HOMESTEAD IN THE WILLOWS FILING 1, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.
7165 South Oneida 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, 02/05/2025, 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: 12/12/2024
Last Publication: 1/9/2025
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: 10/04/2024
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:
Alexis R. Abercrombie #56722
Scott D. Toebben #19011
Aricyn J. Dall #51467
David W Drake #43315
Randall S. Miller & Associates PC 216 16th Street, Suite 1210, Denver, CO 80202 (720) 259-6710
Attorney File # 24CO00368-1
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. 0439-2024
First Publication: 12/12/2024
Last Publication: 1/9/2025
Name of Publication: Littleton Independent
COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103
FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0450-2024
To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust:
On October 15, 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)
Orchard Falls Operating Company LLC
Original Beneficiary(ies)
Ladder Capital Finance LLC
Current Holder of Evidence of Debt
Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee for the registered holders of Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Trust 2014LC16, Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2014-LC16
Date of Deed of Trust April 11, 2014
County of Recording Arapahoe
Recording Date of Deed of Trust
April 14, 2014
Recording Information
(Reception No. and/or Book/Page No.)
D4030422
Original Principal Amount
$19,000,000.00
Outstanding Principal Balance
$16,333,357.41
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 when due one or more payments required under the Deed of Trust.
THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
See Exhibit A, attached hereto.
Purported common address: 7800 East Orchard Road, Greenwood Village, CO 80111.
THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY
ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST.
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, 02/12/2025, 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: 12/19/2024
Last Publication: 1/16/2025
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: 10/15/2024
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:
Craig K Schuenemann #41068
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP 1700 Lincoln, Suite 4100, Denver, CO 80203 (303) 866-0431678
Attorney File # M28000452
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
0450-2024 EXHIBIT A LEGAL DESCRIPTION
Lot 1, Block 1, Orchard Falls, according to the Plat thereof recorded July 29, 1981. at Reception No. 2091463, County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado.
TOGETHER WITH an Easement for Ingress and Egress created pursuant to those documents recorded August 8, 1981 in Book 3468 at Page 82 and recorded August 27, 1981 in Book 3479 at Page 116 of the Arapahoe County, Colorado, Records.
TOGETHER WITH all additional lands, estates and development rights hereafter acquired by Grantor for use in connection with the Land and the development of the Land and all additional lands and estates therein which may, from time to time, by supplemental deed of trust, mortgage or otherwise be expressly made subject to the lien of this Deed of Trust;
TOGETHER WITH the buildings, structures, fixtures, additions, enlargements, extensions, modifications, repairs, replacements and improvements now or hereafter erected or located on the Land (collectively, the “Improvements”);
TOGETHER WITH all easements, rights-ofway or use, rights, strips and gores of land, streets, ways, alleys, passages, sewer rights, water, water courses, water rights and powers, air rights and development rights, and all estates, rights, titles, interests, privileges, liberties, servitudes, tenements, hereditaments and appurtenances of any nature whatsoever, in any way now or hereafter belonging, relating or pertaining to the Land and the Improvements and the reversion and reversions, remainder and remainders, and all land lying in the bed of any street, road or avenue, opened or proposed, in front of or adjoining the Land, to the center line thereof and all the estates, rights, titles, interests, dower and rights of dower, curtesy and rights of curtesy, property, possession, claim and demand whatsoever, both at law and in equity, of Grantor of, in and to the Land and the Improvements and every part and parcel thereof, with the appurtenances thereto;
TOGETHER WITH all “equipment,” as such term is defined in Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code (as hereinafter defined), now owned or hereafter acquired by Grantor, which is used at or in connection with the Improvements or the Land or is located thereon or therein (including, but not limited to, all machinery, equipment, furnishings, and electronic data-processing and other office equipment now owned or hereafter acquired by Grantor and any and all additions, substitutions and replacements of any of the foregoing), together with all attachments, components, parts, equipment and accessories installed thereon or affixed thereto (collectively, the “Equipment”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, Equipment shall not include any property belonging to Tenants under Leases except to the extent that Grantor shall have any right or interest therein;
by Grantor which is so related to the Land and Improvements forming part of the Property that it is deemed fixtures or real property under the law of the particular state in which the Equipment is located, including, without limitation, all building or construction materials intended for construction, reconstruction, alteration or repair of or installation on the Property, construction equipment, appliances, machinery, plant equipment, fittings, apparatuses, fixtures and other items now or hereafter attached to, installed in or used in connection with (temporarily or permanently) any of the Improvements or the Land, including, but not limited to, engines, devices for the operation of pumps, pipes, plumbing, cleaning, call and sprinkler systems, fire extinguishing apparatuses and equipment, heating, ventilating, plumbing, laundry, incinerating, electrical, air conditioning and air cooling equipment and systems, gas and electric machinery, appurtenances and equipment, pollution control equipment, security systems, disposals, dishwashers, refrigerators and ranges, recreational equipment and facilities of all kinds, and water, gas, electrical, storm and sanitary sewer facilities, utility lines and equipment (whether owned individually or jointly with others, and, if owned jointly, to the extent of Grantor’s interest therein) and all other utilities whether or not situated in easements, all water tanks, water supply, water power sites, fuel stations, fuel tanks, fuel supply, and all other structures, together with all accessions, appurtenances, additions, replacements, betterments and substitutions for any of the foregoing and the proceeds thereof (collectively, the “Fixtures”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, “Fixtures” shall not include any property which Tenants are entitled to remove pursuant to Leases except to the extent that Grantor shall have any right or interest therein;
TOGETHER WITH all furniture, furnishings, objects of art, machinery, goods, tools, supplies, appliances, general intangibles, contract rights, accounts, accounts receivable, franchises, licenses, certificates and permits, and all other personal property of any kind or character whatsoever (as defined in and subject to the provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code as hereinafter defined), whether tangible or intangible, other than Fixtures, which are now or hereafter owned by Grantor and which are located within or about the Land and the Improvements, together with all accessories, replacements and substitutions thereto or therefor and the proceeds thereof (collectively, the “Personal Property”), and the right, title and interest of Grantor in and to any of the Personal Property which may be subject to any security interests, as defined in the Uniform Commercial Code, as adopted and enacted by the state or states where any of the Property is located (the “Uniform Commercial Code”), superior in lien to the lien of this Deed of Trust and all proceeds and products of the above;
TOGETHER WITH all leases and other agreements affecting the use, enjoyment or occupancy of the Land and the Improvements heretofore or hereafter entered into, whether before or after the filing by or against Grantor of any petition for relief under 11 U.S.C. §101 et seq., as the same may be amended from time to time (the “Bankruptcy Code”) (collectively, the “Leases”) and all right, title and interest of Grantor, its successors and assigns therein and thereunder, including, without limitation, cash or securities deposited thereunder to secure the performance by the lessees of their obligations thereunder and all rents, additional rents, revenues, issues and profits (including all oil and gas or other mineral royalties and bonuses) from the Land and the Improvements whether paid or accruing before or after the filing by or against Grantor of any petition for relief under the Bankruptcy Code (collectively, the “Rents”) and all proceeds from the sale or other disposition of the Leases and the right to receive and apply the Rents to the payment and performance of the Obligations including the payment of the Debt;
TOGETHER WITH all awards or payments, including interest thereon, which may heretofore and hereafter be made with respect to the Property, whether from the exercise of the right of eminent domain (including but not limited to any transfer made in lieu of or in anticipation of the exercise of such right), or for a change of grade, or for any other injury to or decrease in the value of the Property;
TOGETHER WITH all proceeds in respect of the Property under any insurance policies covering the Property, including, without limitation, the right to receive and apply the proceeds of any insurance, judgments, or settlements made in lieu thereof, for damage to the Property;
TOGETHER WITH all refunds, rebates or credits in connection with any reduction in real estate taxes and assessments charged against the Property as a result of tax certiorari proceedings or any other applications or proceedings for reduction of same, in each case, irrespective of the time period to which they relate;
TOGETHER WITH the right, in the name and on behalf of Grantor, to appear in and defend any action or proceeding brought with respect to the Property and to commence any action or proceeding to protect the interest of Lender in the Property;
TOGETHER WITH
APN#: 032444803
Purported common address:
NOTICE OF SALE
TOGETHER WITH all Equipment now owned, or the ownership of which is hereafter acquired,
TOGETHER WITH
to the Property, and all rights to naturally occurring oil, gas, minerals, geothermal resources, timber and crops under, through, upon, or appurtenant to the Property; and
Without limiting any of the other provisions noted above, to the extent permitted by applicable law, Grantor expressly
TOGETHER WITH all agreements, contracts, certificates, instruments, franchises, permits, licenses, plans, specifications and other documents, now or hereafter entered into, and all rights therein and thereto, respecting or pertaining to the use, occupation, construction, management or operation of the Land
PUBLIC NOTICES
THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
Attached as Exhibit "A"
Purported common address: 313 West Lehow Avenue 21, 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, 02/19/2025, 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: 12/26/2024
Last Publication: 1/23/2025
Name of Publication: Littleton Independent
IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF
DATE: 10/18/2024
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:
Amanda Ferguson #44893 Heather Deere #28597
Toni M. Owan #30580 Halliday, Watkins & Mann, PC 355 Union Blvd., Ste. 250, Lakewood, CO 80228 (303) 274-0155
Attorney File # CO23806
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
0456-2024 Exhibit “A” Condominium Unit 21, Building 3A, South Slope Condominiums, amended, according to the Condominium Map recorded March 18, 1981 in Plat Book 49 at Page 44 and the Second Amended Condominium Map recorded November 16, 1983 in Plat Book 70 at Page 22 and the Third Amended Condominium Map recorded April 4, 1985 in Book 82 at Page 58 and the Condominium Declaration recorded March 3, 1981 in Book 3373 at Page 550 and amended Declaration recorded October 7, 1982 in Book 3988 at Page 154 and Ratification Agreements recorded November 10, 1983 in Book 4015 at Page 691 and January 11, 1984 in Book 4063 at Page 238, County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado.
Legal Notice NO. 0456-2024
First Publication: 12/26/2024
Last Publication: 1/23/2025
Name of Publication: Littleton Independent COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103
FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0445-2024
To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust:
On October 11, 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) Robert Richard Richardson, The Robert Richard Richardson Trust,
WOOD ADDITION, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.
Purported common address: 891 E Applewood Avenue, 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, 02/12/2025, 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: 12/19/2024
Last Publication: 1/16/2025
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: 10/11/2024
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-24-996680-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. 0445-2024
First Publication: 12/19/2024
Last Publication: 1/16/2025
Name of Publication: Littleton Independent COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103 FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0442-2024
To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust:
On October 9, 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) Orchard & Greenwood LLC, a Delaware limited liability company Original Beneficiary(ies)
Wells Fargo Bank, National Association Current Holder of Evidence of Debt Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee for the registered holders of Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Trust 2014LC16, Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2014-LC16 Date of Deed of Trust May 02, 2014
County of Recording Arapahoe
Recording Date of Deed of Trust May 02, 2014
Recording Information (Reception No. and/or Book/Page No.) D4036650
Original Principal Amount
$28,000,000.00
Outstanding Principal Balance
$28,000,000.00
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 when due one or more payments required under the Deed of Trust.
THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
See Exhibit A, attached hereto.
Purported common address: 7600 East Orchard Road, Greenwood Village, CO 80111.
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, 02/05/2025, 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: 12/12/2024
Last Publication: 1/9/2025
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: 10/09/2024
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:
Craig K Schuenemann #41068
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP 1700 Lincoln, Suite 4100, Denver, CO 80203 (303) 866-0431678
Attorney File # M780922606
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
0442-2024 EXHIBIT A LEGAL DESCRIPTION
Lot 1, Block 1, Harlequin Plaza Subdivision Plat, County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado.
TOGETHER WITH an Easement for Ingress and Egress of motor vehicles and pedestrians, as more particularly described in the Reciprocal Easement Agreement recorded March 12, 1984 in Book 4108 at Page 362, County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado.
TOGETHER WITH all additional lands, estates and development rights hereafter acquired by Borrower for use in connection with the Land and the development of the Land and all additional lands and estates therein which may, from time to time, by supplemental mortgage or otherwise be expressly made subject to the lien of this Security Instrument;
TOGETHER WITH the buildings, structures, fixtures, additions, enlargements, extensions, modifications, repairs, replacements and improvements now or hereafter erected or located on the Land (collectively, the "Improvements");
TOGETHER WITH all easements, rights-ofway or use, rights, strips and gores of land, streets, ways, alleys, passages, sewer rights, water, water courses, water rights and powers, air rights and development rights, and all estates, rights, titles, interests, privileges, liberties, servitudes, tenements, hereditaments and appurtenances of my nature whatsoever, in any way now or hereafter belonging, relating or pertaining to the Land and the Improvements, and the reversions and remainders, and all laud lying in the bed of any street, road or avenue, opened or proposed, in front of or adjoining the Land, to the center line thereof and all the estates, rights, titles, interests, rights of dower, rights of curtesy, property, possession, claim and demand whatsoever, both at law and in equity, of Borrower of, in and to the Land and the Improvements, and every part and parcel thereof, with the appurtenances thereto;
TOGETHER WITH all machinery, equipment, fixtures (including, but not limited to, all heating, air conditioning, plumbing, lighting, communications and elevator fixtures), furniture, software used in or to operate any of the foregoing and other property of every kind and nature whatsoever owned by Borrower, or in which Borrower has or shall have an interest, now or hereafter located upon the Land and the Improvements, or appurtenant thereto, and usable in connection with the present or future operation and occupancy of the Land and the Improvements and all building equipment, materials and supplies of any nature whatsoever owned by Borrower, or in which Borrower has or shall have an interest, now or hereafter located upon the Land and the Improvements, or appurtenant thereto, or usable in connection with the present or future operation and occupancy of the Land and the Improvements (collectively, the "Personal Property"), and the right, title and interest of Borrower in and to any of the Personal Property which may be subject to any security interests, as defined in the Uniform Commercial Code, as adopted and enacted by the state or states where any of the Property is located (the "Uniform Commercial Code"), and all proceeds and products of the above;
TOGETHER WITH all leases, subleases, subsubleases, lettings, licenses, concessions or other agreements (whether written or oral) pursuant to which any Person is granted a possessory interest in, or right to use or occupy all or any portion of the Land and the Improvements, and every modification, amendment or other agreement relating to such leases, subleases, subsubleases, or other agreements entered into in connection with such leases, subleases, subsubleases, or other agreements and every guarantee of the performance and observance of the covenants, conditions and agreements to be performed and observed by the other party thereto, heretofore or hereafter entered into, whether before or after the filing by or against Borrower of any petition for relief under
any Creditors Rights Laws (collectively, the "Leases") and all right, title and interest of Borrower, its successors and assigns therein and thereunder, including, without limitation, cash or securities deposited thereunder to secure the performance by the lessees of their obligations thereunder and all rents, additional rents, rent equivalents, moneys payable as damages or in lieu of rent or rent equivalents, royalties (including, without limitation, all oil and gas or other mineral royalties and bonuses), income, receivables, receipts, revenues, deposits (including, without limitation, security, utility and other deposits), accounts, cash, issues, profits, charges for services rendered, and other consideration of whatever form or nature received by or paid to or for the account of or benefit of Borrower or its agents or employees from any and all sources arising from or attributable to the Property, including, all receivables, customer obligations, installment payment obligations and other obligations now existing or hereafter arising or created out of the sale, lease, sublease, license, concession or other grant of the right of the use and occupancy of property or rendering of services by Borrower or Manager and proceeds, if any, from business interruption or other loss of income insurance whether paid or accruing before or after the filing by or against Borrower of any petition for relief under any Creditors Rights Laws (collectively, the "Rents") and all proceeds from the sale or other disposition of the Leases and the right to receive and apply the Rents to the payment of the Debt;
TOGETHER WITH all insurance proceeds in respect of the Property under any insurance policies covering the Property, including, without limitation, the right to receive and apply the proceeds of any insurance, judgments, or settlements made in lieu thereof, for damage to the Property (collectively, the "Insurance Proceeds");
TOGETHER WITH all condemnation awards, including interest thereon, which may heretofore and hereafter be made with respect to the Property by reason of any taking or condemnation, whether from the exercise of the right of eminent domain (including, but not limited to, any transfer made in lieu of or in anticipation of the exercise of the right), or for a change of grade, or for any other injury to or decrease in the value of the Property (collectively, the "Awards");
TOGETHER WITH all refunds, rebates or credits in connection with reduction in real estate taxes and assessments charged against the Property us a result of tax certiorari or any applications or proceedings for reduction;
TOGETHER WITH the right, in the name and on behalf of Borrower, to appear in and defend any action or proceeding brought with respect to the Property and to commence any action or proceeding to protect the interest of Lender in the Property;
TOGETHER WITH all agreements, contracts, certificates, instruments, franchises, permits, licenses, plans, specifications and other documents, now or hereafter entered into, and all rights therein and thereto, respecting or pertaining to the use, occupation, construction, management or operation of the Land and any part thereof and any Improvements or any business or activity conducted on the Land and any part thereof and all right, title and interest of Borrower therein and thereunder, including, without limitation, the right, upon the happening of any Event of Default hereunder, to receive and collect any sums payable to Borrower thereunder;
TOGETHER WITH all tradenames, trademarks, servicemarks, logos, copyrights,goodwill, books and records and all other general intangibles relating to or used in connection with the operation of the Property;
TOGETHER WITH all reserves, escrows and deposit accounts maintained by Borrower with respect to the Property, including without limitation, the Accounts and all cash, checks, drafts, certificates, securities, investment property, financial assets, instruments and other property held therein from time to time and all proceeds, products, distributions or dividends or substitutions thereon and thereof;
TOGETHER WITH all proceeds of any of the foregoing items set forth in subsections (a) through (m) including, without limitation, Insurance Proceeds and Awards, into cash or liquidation claims; and
TOGETHER WITH any and all other rights of Borrower in and to the items set forth above
Legal Notice NO. 0442-2024
First Publication: 12/12/2024
Last Publication: 1/9/2025
Name of Publication: Littleton Independent COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103
FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0474-2024
To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust:
On October 29, 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)
DeClutter Me Now, LLC
Original Beneficiary(ies)
Premier Capital Group, LLC
Current Holder of Evidence of Debt
Premier Capital Group, LLC
Date of Deed of Trust
June 30, 2022
County of Recording Arapahoe
Recording Date of Deed of Trust
October 13, 2022
Recording Information
(Reception No. and/or Book/Page No.)
E2102949
$308,595.90
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 Make Payment
THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
Lots 12 & 13 Ex S 8 Ft Lot 12, Blk 4 Ridgeview Hills South, 1st Flg, County of Arapahoe, STATE OF COLORADO
Purported common address: 7434 S. Cherry Ct., Centennial, CO 80122. 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, 02/26/2025, 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: 1/2/2025
Last Publication: 1/30/2025
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: 10/29/2024
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:
Ralph Cantafio #16280 Cantafio Law P.C. 1927 Market Street, Unit 1A, Denver, CO 80202 (970) 819-2371 Attorney File # Rule 120
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. 0474-2024
First Publication: 1/2/2025
Last Publication: 1/30/2025
Name of Publication: Littleton Independent
COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103
FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0453-2024
To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust:
On October 18, 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)
Sandra L. Schoob
Original Beneficiary(ies) OPTION ONE MORTGAGE CORPORATION
Current Holder of Evidence of Debt
WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION as Trustee for ABFC 2006-OPT3 Trust, Asset Backed Funding Corporation
Asset-Backed Certificates, Series 2006-OPT3
Date of Deed of Trust
July 28, 2006
County of Recording Arapahoe
Recording Date of Deed of Trust
August 02, 2006
Recording Information (Reception No. and/or Book/Page No.)
B6111039
Original Principal Amount
$254,800.00
Outstanding Principal Balance
$262,043.34
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 22, BLOCK 34, SOUTHGLENN - FIFTH FILING, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.
Purported common address: 7173 S Clarkson Street, Centennial, CO 80122-1223.
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,
PUBLIC NOTICES
Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen Public Notice
ARAPAHOE COUNTY NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CASE NO SD24-002, EASTGATE METRO DISTRICT NOS 1-6 / COMBINED SERVICE PLANS
PROPOSAL: Jeffrey Erb, Erb Law, LLC, is proposing to establish six metropolitan districts in accordance with Article 1 of Title 32, Colorado Revised Statutes, to serve the development known as Eastgate, located at the southwest corner of Interstate 70 and Monaghan Road, 27500 and 27450 E Colfax Avenue, and is requesting approval of the Combined Service Plans for such districts. The proposed special districts would serve approximately 405,000 square-feet of commercial, retail, and light industrial property and approximately 1,000 single-family attached and multi-family residential units.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on February 11, 2025, at 9:30 A.M., or as soon thereafter as the calendar of the Arapahoe County Board of County Commission permits, a public hearing will be held; at which, all interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard concerning the Combined Service Plans and metropolitan districts proposed in Case No. SD24-002, Eastgate Metro District Nos 1-6 / Combined Service Plans. The agenda will typically be posted by the Friday afternoon preceding the hearing and can be viewed on our website at https://arapahoe.legistar.com/Calendar. You can also listen to, or speak at, the meeting by calling 1-855-436-3656. To join the speaking queue, press *3 on the telephone keypad.
More information about this proposal is available at the offices of the Arapahoe County Public Works and Development Department, Planning Division, 6924 S Lima St., Centennial CO 80112 (please call ahead to schedule an appointment if you plan to walk-in), by calling 720-874-6650, or by emailing planning@ arapahoegov.com during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday).
Joan Lopez, Clerk to the Board
Legal Notice No. Arap 2014
First Publication: January 9, 2025
Last Publication: January 9, 2025
Publisher: Englewood Herald Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen
Public Notice
CITY OF CENTENNIAL NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A HOTEL AND RESTAURANT LICENSE January 22, 2025
Notice is hereby given that the City of Centennial received a liquor license request for a H&R Liquor License to be held at 5616 S. Gibraltar Way; Unit A, Centennial, CO 80015.
By: Christina Lovelace, CMC
January 9, 2025
Publication: January 9, 2025
Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen
Notice
COUNTY
OF PUBLIC HEARING
NO. ASI24-001, EASTGATE / REGULATIONS GOVERNING AREAS AND ACTIVITIES OF STATE INTEREST (1041 REGULATIONS), MAJOR WATER AND SEWER PROJECT & CASE NO. GDP23-003, EASTGATE / GENERAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
PROPOSAL: The applicant and property owner, Property 292, LLC (John Wakeman and Sharon Dowhan), are requesting approval of a 1041 Permit for a Major Water and Sewer Project and for approval of a General Development Plan to serve the development known as Eastgate, located at the southwest corner of Interstate 70 and Monaghan Road, 27500 and 27450 E Colfax Avenue. The proposed water and sewer extension to be considered for the 1041 permit would serve the development and the General Development Plan would approve zoning for approximately 405,000 square-feet of commercial, retail and light industrial property and approximately 1,000 single-family attached and multi-family residential units.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on February 11, 2025, at 9:30 A.M., or as soon thereafter as the calendar of the Arapahoe County Board of County Commission permits, a public hearing will be held; at which, all interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard concerning the above-described ASI24-001, Eastgate / 1041, Major Water and Sewer Project & GDP23-003, Eastgate / General Development Plan. The agenda will typically be posted by the Friday afternoon preceding the hearing and can be viewed on our website at https://arapahoe.legistar.com/Calendar. You can also listen to, or speak at, the meeting by calling 1-855-436-3656. To join the speaking queue, press *3 on the telephone keypad.
More information about this proposal is available at the offices of the Arapahoe County Public Works and Development Department, Planning Division, 6924 S Lima St., Centennial CO 80112 (please call ahead to schedule an appointment if you plan to walk-in), by calling 720-874-6650, or by emailing planning@ arapahoegov.com during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday). Joan Lopez, Clerk to the Board
MOVAL OF SNOW FROM SIDEWALKS. The public hearing will be held in person at 13133 E. Arapahoe Road, Centennial, Colorado 80112. Copies of Ordinance No. 2025-O-02 are available for inspection by the public on the City’s website: www.centennialco.gov. Interested parties may file written comments with the City Clerk, at: www.cityclerks@centennialco.gov or via mail at: 13133 E. Arapahoe Road, Centennial, Colorado 80112, and must be received by 1pm on January 21st, 2025. Any written comments received will be read into the record during the Public Hearing. Citizens wishing to speak during the Public Hearing must attend the City Council Regular Meeting which will be held on January 21st, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at 13133 E. Arapahoe Road, Centennial, Colorado 80112.
/s/Christina Lovelace, City Clerk
Legal Notice No. Arap 2020
First Publication: January 9, 2025
Last Publication: January 9, 2025
Publisher: Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen
Public Notice
CITY OF CENTENNIAL
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Centennial, Colorado will conduct a public hearing on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. regarding Ordinance No. 2025-O-02, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CENTENNIAL, COLORADO AMENDING ARTICLE 9 TO CHAPTER 11 OF THE CENTENNIAL MUNICIPAL CODE CONCERNING THE REMOVAL OF SNOW FROM SIDEWALKS AND PROVIDING A PENALTY FOR VIOLATIONS OF THOSE PROVISIONS. The public hearing will be held in person at 13133 E. Arapahoe Road, Centennial, Colorado 80112. Copies of Ordinance No. 2025-O-02 are available for inspection by the public on the City’s website: www.centennialco.gov. Interested parties may file written comments with the City Clerk, at: www.cityclerks@centennialco.gov or via mail at: 13133 E. Arapahoe Road, Centennial, Colorado 80112, and must be received by 1pm on January 21st, 2025. Any written comments received will be read into the record during the Public Hearing. Citizens wishing to speak during the Public Hearing must attend the City Council Regular Meeting which will be held on January 21st, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at 13133 E. Arapahoe Road, Centennial, Colorado 80112.
/s/Christina Lovelace, City Clerk
Legal Notice No. Arap 2021
First Publication: January 9, 2025
Last Publication: January 9, 2025
Publisher: Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen
PUBLIC NOTICE
CITY OF CENTENNIAL
A virtual hearing will be held upon request or by determination of the Liquor Hearing Authority held on January 22, 2025.
The applicant is an LLC: Freedom Pizza Pies, LLC 5616 S Gibraltar Way; Unit A Centennial, CO 80015
Public comment can be emailed to mpalmer@ centennialco.gov or mailed to 13133 E. Arapahoe Rd. Centennial, CO 80112 by no later than January 17, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.
By order of Christina Lovelace, City Clerk
Legal Notice No. Arap 2022
First Publication: January 9, 2025
Last Publication: January 9, 2025
Publisher: Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen
PUBLIC NOTICE
CITY OF CENTENNIAL
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Tuesday, January 7th, 2025, the Centennial City Council passed on first reading:
ORDINANCE NO. 2025-O-01
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CENTENNIAL, COLORADO REZONING CERTAIN PROPERTY LOCATED WEST OF SOUTH ALTON COURT AND NORTH OF EAST DRY CREEK ROAD FROM BUSINESS PARK 75 (BP75) TO EMPLOYMENT CENTER - MIXED USE 75 (ECMU-75) UNDER THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, AND AMENDING THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP
(CASE NO. RZONE-24-00005)
The full text of the ordinance is available for public inspection in the office of the City Clerk. The ordinance may be obtained by contacting the City Clerk, 303-754-3324. The full text of the ordinance is also available on the City’s web site, www.centennialcolorado.com.
By: Christina Lovelace, CMC City Clerk
Legal Notice No. Arap 2019
First Publication: January 9, 2025
Last Publication: January 9, 2025
Publisher: Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen
Public Notice
CITY OF CENTENNIAL NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Centennial, Colorado will conduct a public hearing on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. regarding Ordinance No. 2025-O-02, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CENTENNIAL, COLORADO AMENDING ARTICLE 8 TO CHAPTER 11 OF
Notice is hereby given that Littleton Public Schools in the county of Arapahoe will on January 16, 2025 pay retainage and make final settlement with Norcostco, Inc. for services related to the theater lighting project at Heritage High School. Any person, co-partnership, association of persons, company or corporation that has furnished labor, material, team hire, sustenance, provisions, provender or other supplies used or consumed by the contractor identified above or any subcontractor thereof in or about the performance of the work contracted to be done or that has supplied 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, must file a verified statement of the amount due and unpaid on account of such claim, which statement must be filed on January 16, 2025. Claims must be submitted to the Board of Education of Littleton Public Schools at the school district’s Property Management Department, 5776 S. Crocker Street, Littleton, CO. 80120 January 16, 2025. Final Settlement will be made and verified claims must be timely filed with Littleton Public Schools. Failure on the part of the claimant to file such statement prior to or on the established date will relieve the School District from any and all liability for such claim, Dated: December 13, 2024
Legal Notice No. 540166
First Publication: December 26, 2024
Last Publication: January 9, 2025
Publisher: Littleton Independent Not consecutive publications
Summons and Sheriff Sale
Public Notice
DISTRICT COURT, ARAPAHOE COUNTY STATE OF COLORADO 7325 S. Potomac Centennial, CO 80112
Case Number: 2024CV32231
Division: 14
Plaintiff: CINDY J. BOOK SP. NEEDS TRUST LINDSEY BOOK TTE; v. Defendants: JAMES H. GHRIST JR.; BRUCE M. GIEBLER; SHERRY J. GIEBLER; WINDMILL CREEK ASSOCIATION; and all unknown persons who may claim any interest in the subject matter of this action.
Attorney for Plaintiff: Reagan Larkin (No. 42309) GORDON REES SCULLY MANSUKHANI LLP 555 Seventeenth Street, Suite 3400 Denver, Colorado 80202
Phone No.: (303) 200-6888
Email: rlarkin@grsm.com
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Tuesday, January 7th, 2025, the Centennial City Council passed on second and final reading:
ORDINANCE NO. 2024-O-20
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CENTENNIAL, COLORADO, AMENDING SECTION 4-8-20 OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE ENTITLED “SPECIAL FUNDS” AND THEREBY DELETING THE FIBER FUND
The full text of the ordinance is available for public inspection in the office of the City Clerk. The ordinance may be obtained by contacting the City Clerk, 303-754-3324. The full text of the ordinance is also available on the City’s web site, www.centennialcolorado.com.
By: Christina Lovelace, CMC City Clerk
Legal Notice No. Arap 2018
First Publication: January 9, 2025
Last Publication: January 9, 2025
Publisher: Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen
Bids and Settlements
Public Notice
INVITATION TO BID
BOWLES METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
SUNSET PARK PLAYGROUND PROJECT
Notice is hereby given that the Bowles Metropolitan District (“District”) seeks bids from qualified contractors for the construction of the Sunset Park Playground in Littleton, County of Jefferson, Colorado (“Project”) as outlined in the Sunset Park Playground Bid Package, dated January 13, 2025 which can be obtained by contacting the District as follows:
Todd Wenskoski, Liveable Cities Studios
E-Mail: twenskoski@liveable-cities.com
Subject Line: Bowles MD Sunset Park Playground Bid Documents Request
Sealed Bids are due by February 6, 2025, not later than 12:00 P.M. MT to the District via email to twenskoski@liveable-cities.com. Bids not received by 12:00 P.M. MT will not be considered. Bids will not be publicly opened and read.
BY ORDER OF THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
BOWLES METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
Legal Notice No. Arap 2015 First Publication: January 9, 2025
Last Publication: January 9, 2025
Publisher: Littleton Independent
Public Notice
NOTICE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT Heritage High School Theater Lighting Project
DISTRICT COURT, ARAPAHOE
STATE OF
7325 S. Potomac Street Centennial, Colorado 80112
In the Interest of: Alexander Ifeoluwa Adeniran; a/k/a Alexander I. Adeniran; a/k/a Alexander Adeniran; a/k/a Alex Adeniran
Respondent
Attorneys for Adenike Milliner Aaron L. Evans, #27270 Andrew Rogers, #52188 Devin McIlvain, #54140 Evans Case, LLP 1660 South Albion Street, Suite 1100 Denver, Colorado 80222
Phone Number: (303) 757-8300
E-mail: evans@evanscase.com; rogers@ evanscase.com; devin@evanscase.com Case Number: 2024 PR 31207 Division: 12
NOTICE OF HEARING BY PUBLICATION PURSUANT TO §15-10-401, C.R.S
To: Philip Adeniran Last Known Address: Unknown in Arapahoe County
A hearing on the Petitioner for Appointment of Guardian for Adult and Petition for Appointment of Conservator for Adult will be held at the following time and location or at a later date to which the hearing may be continued:
Date: January 15, 2025 Time: 2:00 p.m. Division: 12 Link: https://judicial.webex.com/meet/D18ARAP-Div12 Meeting ID: 2598 388 7751# Phone: (720) 650-7664
Legal Notice No. 540161
to Creditors
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 May 9, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO
TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS: ALL UNKNOWN PERSONS WHO MAY CLAIM ANY INTEREST IN THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THIS ACTION.
You are hereby summoned and required to appear and defend against the claims of the Complaint filed with the Court in this action, by filing with the Clerk of the Court an Answer or other response. You are required to file your Answer or other response within thirty-five (35) days after the service of this Summons upon you. Service of this Summons will be complete on the day of the last publication. A copy of the Complaint may be obtained from the Clerk of the Court.
If you fail to file your Answer or other response to the Complaint in writing within thirty-five (35) days after the date of last publication, judgment by default may be rendered against you by the Court for the relief demanded in the Complaint, without any further notice.
This action involves the Complaint under C.R.C.P. 105 For Quiet Title concerning the following real properties legally described as: CONDOMINIUM UNIT G-4-D, WINDMILL CREEK AMENDMENT NO. 2 ACCORDING TO THE CONDOMINIUM MAP RECORDED ON JULY 15, 2002, AT RECEPTION NO. B2128075, AND AS DEFINED AND DESCRIBED IN THE CONDOMINIUM DECLARATION FOR WINDMILL CREEK RECORDED JANUARY 3, 2002, AT RECEPTION NO. B2001524, IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK AND RECORDER, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO, AND ANY AND ALL AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS THERETO. COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO
Dated this 16th day of December, 2024. GORDON REES SCULLY MANSUKHANI LLP /s/ Reagan Larkin Reagan Larkin,
Kristine Marie Theiler Personal Representative 6178 E. Princeton Circle Englewood, CO 80111
Legal Notice No. Arap 2016
First Publication: January 9, 2025 Last Publication: January 23, 2025 Publisher: Englewood Herald
Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of ROYAL EUGENE ENGLISH, a/k/a ROYAL E. ENGLISH, AND GENE ENGLISH, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31286
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 May 2, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Angela Dupre, Personal Representative 17056 Blue Mist Grove Monument, Colorado 80132
Legal Notice No. Arap 2011
First Publication: January 9, 2025
Last Publication: January 23, 2025
Publisher. Englewood Herald Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of HELEN LUKENS, also known as HELEN L. LUKENS, Deceased Case Number: 24PR31250
All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or toDistrict Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before Monday, April 28, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Frederick Edward Lukens Personal Representative 7475 S. Washington Circle Centennial, CO 80122
Legal Notice No. 540177
First Publication: December 26, 2024 Last Publication: January 9, 2025 Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS ESTATE OF CHERYL D. SUHR, a/k/a CHERYL DEMPSEY SUHR, a/k/a CHERYL SUHR, a/k/a CHERYL R. DEMPSEY,
INSURANCE
o ered a homeowner certi cation program, which starts with an assessment, leads to property-level mitigation and ends with a certi cate that homeowners can send to insurers.
Wild re Partners hopes the certi cation can drive down insured losses and save homes using the best available science, according to a July presentation by program manager Jim Webster.
e program can be laborious – on average, a homeowner will spend thousands of dollars and over a year to get certi ed. Certi cation is only o ered in the foothills and mountainous parts of Boulder County, though the county does o er other mitigation inspections in urban areas.
But it does save homes. In 2016, the Cold Springs Fire ripped through Nederland and destroyed eight homes and seven additional structures. Within the burn zone, eight homes were certi ed by Wild re Partners, and all eight survived.
e re came within a few dozen feet of Darrin Harris Frisby’s home, leaving a giant burn scar, a thinned canopy and sweeping views of the Indian Peaks. Frisby, a Boulder realtor, called Partners to assess his home after attending a training for realtors.
Dirolf pointed out numerous areas for improvement, like patching and caulking holes in Frisby’s siding, which could let in embers, and pruning smaller lodgepole trees. e two rounded the corner to potentially the biggest issue, an open shed near the house, which Frisby called a “bomb lled with wood.”
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it, but yeah,” Dirolf said.
e certi cation may not lower a homeowner’s insurance premium, or guarantee them a renewal. But that may be besides the point, at least until the market accurately re ects mitigation in prices.
“People in our community aren’t mitigating for any discount,” Webster said during a July townhall. “ ey’re doing it to save their homes.”
Looking for a fix
Conway expects lawmakers to introduce two bills during this upcoming legislative session to x the market. One, sponsored by Rep. Kyle Brown (D-Boulder) and Rep. Brianna Titone (D-Je erson), would nudge models to better account for mitigation performed at the homeowner, community and state level.
e bill would also allow homeowners to appeal their wild re risk score so they can get credit for mitigation work they’ve done, and release more information to homeowners about insurance discounts.
Another bill would set up two major programs in the state. One would help homeowners install hail resistant roofs so they can qualify for insurance discounts. Eventually, Conway hopes the program will drive down hail claims and make insurance more a ordable statewide. e second program would set up a state reinsurance fund in order to o set wild re insurance costs embedded in premiums.
“If [insurance companies] want to be part of that reinsurance program, they’re going to have to o er coverage in the highest wild re areas of the state,” Conway said.
e bill would also require a “loss-ratio” for insurance companies, so that they spend a certain percentage of each dol-
PUBLIC NOTICES
Deceased Case Number: 24PR31321
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 26, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
John Christman Personal Representative C/O The Law Office of Dana Hall, LLC 4465 Kipling St, Ste 101, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
Legal Notice No. 540176 First Publication: December 26, 2024 Last Publication: January 9, 2025 Publisher: Englewood Herald Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of JAMES BEATY ANDREWS, JR. a/k/a JAMES B. ANDREWS, JR., a/k/a JAMES B. ANDREWS, a/k/a JAMES ANDREWS, JR., a/k/a JAMES ANDREWS a/k/a JIM ANDREWS, Deceased Case Number 2024PR30989
All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representatives or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before May 2, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
JAMES R. ANDREWS
Personal Representative 16641 Autumn Rock Cove Parker, CO 80134
Legal Notice No. Arap 2008
First Publication: January 2, 2025
Last Publication: January 16, 2025
Publisher: Littleton Independent
Public Notice
lar they earn paying out claims. Conway said the requirement could help balance out the models, and make sure insurers don’t o oad all of their risk, in the form of higher bills, onto homeowners.
“A loss-ratio requirement will really spread the risk back, so that the insurance companies are carrying part of that risk,” Conway said.
In 2023, Colorado lawmakers passed the FAIR plan to provide insurance for homeowners and businesses shut out of the regular market. But the coverage is limited, and premiums may still be exorbitant because the plan is not meant to compete directly with the private market.
Still, Conway estimates that tens of thousands of homeowners and businesses are eligible for the plan and may enroll next year.
‘It just feels like a money grab’
When Donahue and Krajniak received their cancellation notice, they said Allstate o ered to help them nd other insurance on the “excess market.” But Allstate, and a broker the couple found through the state, could not nd another option, they said.
State law requires insurance companies to give 60 days notice before cancelling a home policy. e couple feels that All-
state insured them for the minimum time before cancelling – and incentivized them to purchase auto insurance – even as other insurers declined coverage upfront.
“It just feels like a money grab,” Krajniak said.
e couple’s Allstate agent did not return a request for comment about their policy, and Allstate’s corporate o ce did not answer questions about cancelling homeowner policies o ered as part of a policy bundle.
With their deadline extension, the couple no longer have to spend Krajniak’s vacation time raking pine needles buried beneath feet of snow. But they worry about whether they’ll be able to secure insurance in the future, even after they complete mitigation work. Risk seems everywhere – their house in Littleton was technically in a oodplain and required ood insurance.
“ ere’s massive relief that we don’t have this looming deadline,” Krajniak said. “But I am very concerned if Allstate decides to drop us in the future, we’re in the same place. It’s scary.”
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.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Rebecca Diane Sobus, also known as Rebecca D. Sobus and Rebecca Sobus, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31280
All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to District Court, Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before April 28, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
/s/ NADYA VECCHIET-LAMBERT, ESQ.
Attorney for Shirley Sobus, Personal Representative 6855 South Havana Street Suite 370 Centennial, CO 80112
Legal Notice No. 540165
First Publication: December 26, 2024 Last Publication: January 9, 2025
Publisher: Littleton Independent
Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of RITA M. LAGRENADE, ALSO KNOWN AS RITA M. LA GRENADE, aka RITA LAGRENADE, aka RITA LA GRENADE, AND AS RITA MONICA LA GRENADE, Deceased Case Number 2024 PR 31310
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 May 9, 2025 or the claims may be forever barred.
Gail Marie La Grenade
Personal Representative
23372 E. Chenango Place Aurora, CO 80016
Legal Notice No. Arap 2012
First Publication: January 9, 2025
Last Publication: January 23, 2025
Publisher: Englewood Herald
Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name
Public notice is given on December 3, 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 MiguelAngel Lopez Garcia be changed to Miguel Angel Lopez Garcia Case No.: 24C101110
By: Sarah Ingemansen
Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk
Legal Notice No. 540158
First Publication: December 26, 2024
Last Publication: January 9, 2025
Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice
Public notice is given on November 27, 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 Norah Madison Rudnick be changed to Quinn Madison van Mourik-Rudnick Case No.: 24C101107
By: Kim Boswell
Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk
Legal Notice No. Arap 2007
First Publication: January 2, 2025
Last Publication: January 16, 2025
Publisher: Littleton Independent PUBLIC NOTICE
Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name
Public notice is given on December 10, 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 Emilio Reyna Rios be changed to
Emilio Reyna Martinez Case No.: 2024C101136
By: Sarah Ingemansen Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk
Legal Notice No. Arap 2006
First Publication: January 2, 2025
Last Publication: January 16, 2025
Publisher: Littleton Independent PUBLIC NOTICE
Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name
Public notice is given on November 19, 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 Fidelina Elvira Ramirez be changed to Fidelina Elvira Reyes Case No.: 24C101073
By: Kim Boswell
Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk
Legal Notice No. 540173
First Publication: January 2, 2025
Last Publication: January 16, 2025 Publisher: Littleton Independent
NOTICE
Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name
Public notice is given on December 10, 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 Sena Tekliye Mehret be changed to Ruth Tekliye Mehret Case No.: 24CV368 l Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk
Legal Notice
South Metro firefighters stand ready to protect homes on Skydance Drive in Douglas County while an air tanker prepares to drop fire retardant in June 2020. COURTESY OF SOUTH METRO FIRE RESCUE
