Colorado’s Caraveo opens up about her struggle with depression
Congresswoman said it’s her responsibility to discuss mental health
BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Yadira Caraveo said her public admission this week of her struggle with chronic depression is like helping passengers trying to survive an airliner in distress.
“When an airplane is in trouble and the oxygen masks come down, you make sure your mask is on safely, then you want to help the passenger next to you get their mask on as well. is so everyone can survive,” the 43-year-old Caraveo said this week. “I just think it’s my responsibility as a public gure to come forward and talk about mental health.”
Caraveo is nishing up her rst term as Colorado’s representative in the newly minted 8th Congressional District. A Democrat, Caraveo is also a pediatrician and is the rst Latina congressperson in Colorado history.
But while she climbed to the heights of the medical profession and achieved national prominence in politics, Caraveo has been followed by a dark shadow of depression.
“It is something I’ve dealt with since I was a teenager,” Caraveo said while in her Northglenn o ce. “I thought at rst it was just being in the throes of puberty and adolescence. It wasn’t until medical school that I realized I needed help and got treatment for depression.”
By then, society was starting to shift its perception of clinical depression, she said.
Big surgery for a tiny baby
Platteville parents pleased with daughter’s recovery from abdominal surgery
BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Expectant parents anticipate the 20-week ultrasound scan to get a better look at their baby, and that was the case for Amanda Sullivan and Roy Mendez of Platteville. e 20-week pregnancy scan, about halfway through the pregnancy, can allow parents to see their baby’s face, hands and legs. ey might catch a glimpse of the baby sucking their thumb or their beating heart.
But doctors use the scans to check on the baby’s health and pre-natal development, looking for things such as the growth of the brain, the bones or the kidneys.
In Sullivan’s case, the scan of her unborn daughter Emilia showed a mismatch in her small intestine, one that would need to be corrected with surgery right after she was born.
As her first birthday approaches,
baby Emilia has a long way to go. But despite her challenges, Children’s Hospital Colorado said the doctors and sta will help her grow into a healthy girl.
PHOTO BY AMANDA SULLIVAN
When you’re in an electric cul-de-sac and in the dark
Microgrids could bring reliability to Colorado electricty
BY ALLEN BEST
SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Aspen and Spring eld have almost nothing in common other than being county seats in Colorado. ey also happen to be in electrical cul-de-sacs, at the end of transmission lines.
Microgrids may help both in their relative electric isolation — and other Colorado communities, too, from Fort Lupton to Nederland as well as DIA, Alamosa and Arvada.
Aspen, of course, has a mountain backdrop that inspires calendar photographers and has several dozen billionaires among its residents. It also has daily plane service for those who can’t a ord their own jets. inkers from around the globe gather to puzzle through the world’s problems. It’s a small town unlike nearly all others on the planet.
Spring eld is a more humble place, its scenery esoteric, its economy more sketchy, with the most productive farms dependent on the declining Ogallala and other aquifers. Oklahoma lies a half-hour south, Kansas just a bit farther east. ere’s just one real restaurant, and it closes after 2 p.m. on Sunday, remaining so until Tuesday morning.
Both places have gone dark in the past when transmission has been disrupted. Might microgrids help soften the isolation?
A new round of state grants is helping Spring eld and others plan microgrids. Other microgrids were created without state aid. at includes Aspen.
An electric island
Aspen came close to going dark on its very busy Fourth of July weekend in 2018. e Lake Christine wild re had started burning one of the transmission poles that delivers electricity from the lower Roaring Fork Valley. Had re ghters arrived just a little later, Aspen might have been unelectri ed on one of its busiest weekends.
A microgrid nearing completion will not keep Aspen fully electri ed if something similar happens, but a few core functions will continue to get power.
e site is located along Highway 82 near the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport, adjacent to the Pitkin County public works headquarters and a bus barn for Roaring Fork Transit.
Concrete foundations have been poured and two batteries the size of shipping containers will be arriving in August and installed this autumn. ey were ordered in June 2023. Switching and communication control equipment that will pilot the system won’t be operational until the middle of 2025.
Gerald Fielding, a Pitkin County engineer, describes this microgrid as a little island. It will have maximum electricity consumption at the airport and the two other facilities for two hours — longer yet, if some demands can be shaved. None of this includes electric charging of buses.
e airport already has backup electricity via a natural gas generator, as required by the Federal Aviation Administration. ese batteries will provide a secondary and non-fossil fuel backup.
Batteries aren’t just for emergencies, though. e microgrid will be managed by Holy Cross Energy, an electrical cooperative whose service territory includes about half of Aspen and the rest of the Roaring Fork Valley. e batteries should be drained twice a month, and Holy Cross can incorporate their capacity into its operations.
If transmission to the upper Roaring Fork Valley were disrupted, this microgrid would help only a little.
e batteries will have su cient capacity to satisfy just 2.9% of the total peak winter demand for the Aspen area. at includes downtown Aspen, which is served by the municipal electricity provider.
To be able to provide a complete backup for all maximum power needs in the upper Roaring Fork would require far more investment. is small island so far costs $3.35 million. To quadruple the batteries and directly tie in production from a 5-megawatt solar project a few miles away would
escalate the cost to $25 million.
Ben Luck, a Holy Cross engineer, says because of their great expense, other microgrids in the Holy Cross service territory will likely be community-driven.
“By de nition, a microgrid is a large investment that bene ts one small part of our system,” he explains. “ is project was driven by Pitkin County. We will play a supporting role, but the driving force will have to come from the community to which it will deliver bene ts.”
Microgrids have been de ned in various ways. A draft microgrid roadmap ordered by Colorado legislators uses a de nition with a broad scope. It could include individual buildings, universities or other campuses, even entire communities. Or something in between.
Other de nitions use the analogy of an island. In normal times, the island has connections to the mainland, i.e. the broader electrical grid. It can, however, function solo.
“A microgrid can connect and disconnect from the grid to enable it to operate in both grid-connected or island-mode,” according to the U.S. Department of Energy de nition.
Microgrids are not particularly new, though. Hospitals and other critical infrastructure have long had backup generators that typically burn diesel or other fuels.
Today’s microgrids hew to this same idea of providing backup power that, aided by batteries, can create larger islands.
Lessons from a hurricane
Interest has been spurred by an uptick in violent weather. Boulder resident Peter Lilienthal, former chief executive at HOMER Energy, a company specializing in microgrids and other electrical innovations, points to Hurricane Sandy in 2012 as a pivotal event.
Lilienthal, speaking on a recent webinar sponsored by Boulder’s Empower Our Future, explained that the multi-day power outages provoked by the hurricane illustrated the need for alternatives when the electric grid goes down.
“You are realizing that it’s not just hospitals that need backup generation,” he said. “Grocery stores and gas stations become critical infrastructure.”
Colorado’s Baca County abuts Kansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. But the county seat, Springfield, gets all of its power from one transmission line.
PHOTO BY ALLEN BEST
What Knowledge and Skills Should You Expect Your Real Estate Agent to Have?
Some people would say that real estate agents are overpaid, but that varies greatly with the agent. If your agent doesn’t know what he’s doing, he could cost you money, and he should pay you!
It’s all about experience, commitment, fidelity to the client, and a multitude of trainings and skills.
Some skills are “hard” skills, such as how to set up searches on the MLS or write a contract, but even those hard-skill tasks typically require “soft skills” which can come from experience but just as importantly from an intention to be of service to client over self.
ence of Zillow, but we consult other software and nearby sales of comparable homes when doing our “Comparative Market Analysis.” Myself, I consult Realist (an MLS app), Realtor Property Resource (available only to Realtors), and ATTOM, a commercially available property valuation tool.
Knowing the value of a home is only the starting point. We need to assess the real estate market in that neighborhood, paying close attention to existing listings. It’s important that the pricing of other listings helps to sell your home, rather than the pricing of your home helps to sell theirs.
with matching search criteria. Not all listing agents know how to find and use that list of agents whose clients have received an alert about their listing.
(MLS alerts, by the way, are a big reason why no seller should consider trying to sell his or her home off-MLS.)
What agents need to know (and exploit) is that every time there’s a price reduction, it triggers a new alert with the tag “Price Reduced.” That’s a powerful marketing tool, another reason to lower the price quickly and regularly, reminding buyers that this home is still available and matches their search criteria.
have in real estate. Needless to say, they are not taught in real estate school or measured in the licensing exams!
When representing buyers, many of those same skills, practices and knowledge come into play for the good real estate agent. Once a buyer decides to make an offer on a listing, I use the same tools to determine its value and what my buyer should offer, paying attention to the sale of comparable homes.
Of course, representing sellers and representing buyers calls for different skills and knowledge, although there are some overlapping skills and knowledge.
When representing sellers, the most important skill is that of coming to agreement on the most effective listing price. To the seller, who has probably been watching neighborhood sales, there may be a price point which is appropriate based on relative condition and location, but it may not be the most effective price for going to market.
I’m not just talking about whether the market is rising or falling. And I’m not talking about what the home would appraise for. The most effective price is the one that will draw immediate interest from multiple buyers. Buyers invariably look at Zillow’s “Zestimate” and will decide whether your home is overpriced or underpriced based on what Zillow says — sad but true! Nevertheless, it’s important to know.
We professionals recognize the influ-
However, the market is unpredictable. If the seller and his or her agent agree on a price but the home attracts few or no showings and no offers within a week, then the market is telling you that it’s overpriced, assuming the home was put on the MLS and had other reasonable promotion, such as the kind we provide with this ad. The price should be reduced within a week or 10 days. Don’t wait until the listing gets “stale.”
Most agents and buyers are familiar with the concept of MLS alerts. A buyer’s search criteria are entered into the appropriate search fields on the MLS, and when a new listing matches that buyer’s search criteria, he or she receives a computer-generated email alert from the MLS about it.
For example, the listing below, which is deep in the mountains, 120 miles from Denver, had 97 buyers who received an email alert about it when it went on the MLS. Last week’s featured listing in Lone Tree triggered 230 alerts to buyers
Has Your Time Come to Enjoy Mountain Life?
This 3-bedroom, 2-bath home at 48 Lang Street is in Twin Lakes, halfway between Leadville and Buena Vista at the foot of Independence Pass. It could be your escape from the Front Range rat race! This is a year-round mountain home, solar-powered, with a hightech greenhouse with “earth battery” for near year-round veggies! Enjoy the quiet mountain life of Twin Lakes Village (population 23). In summer, enjoy the drive over Independence Pass to Aspen. In winter, drive over Fremont Pass to Copper Mountain. Escape those I-70 traffic jams, too! Closer to home, enjoy hiking the Colorado Trail, which passes through town. This home was built in 2000 with all the modern conveniences, yet you're in a historic and charming mountain town. Thanks to high-speed CenturyLink internet, some of the residents have city jobs but work from home. If you’ve been hankering for a slower lifestyle, this mountain home may be your escape. Visit this listing’s website at www.TwinLakesHome.info to take a narrated video walk through of this home and see lots of photos, then come see it on Saturday, September 7th, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. NOTE: Seller offers 2.8% commission to buyer’s broker.
Price Reduced to $712,000
Because it’s important for sellers and their listing agent to keep current on the MLS activity near their listing, I have made a practice of setting up an MLS alert around each of my listings and sending it to both my sellers and myself.
Now, look at the picture for the listing below. Before changing the price on the MLS, I changed the primary MLS picture to one that included the day and time of the open house so those buyers receiving the “price reduced” alert know about the open house, which is not mentioned in the alert itself. After the open house, I’ll remove the photo with that information. That’s an example of another skill (in this case, a practice) that a good agent might have.
Some sellers dismiss open houses as a tool for agents to generate leads, not sell that house, which is admittedly rare. It does happen, however. Indeed, all three of my most recent closed listings sold to buyers who came to the open house. Note: It’s important to enter open house dates and times on the MLS. They are populated to Zillow and hundreds of other websites, and doing so draws far more visitors nowadays than the “open house” signs we put in the ground.
According to Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies, “Soft skills are as almost as important as hard skills, In fact, they often define success more than expertise does.” Communication, active listening, social cues, negotiation, patience and tactfulness are cited as the most crucial soft skills to
I also look at the listing history of the property — days on market, price reductions, previous contracts that fell, and prior MLS listings by this or another agent. I have an app that can tell me about the seller, including what other homes they have purchased or sold. I can also evaluate the level of experience and therefore skill of the listing agent.
On ShowingTime, I can see whether there are other showings scheduled or whether the listing is sitting on the market. I also call the listing agent to see if they have other contracts expected or in hand. If a previous contract has fallen, I can ask the circumstances.
I ask whether the seller has a preferred closing date or other things that would make them happy. (Furniture to sell? Post-closing occupancy needed?)
I also ask where the seller is moving to. If they’re moving locally, I can mention that our moving truck is available free to them, along with free moving boxes and packing materials. If I learn that a bidding war is possible and they are moving locally, I might include free labor and gas along with the free truck in my buyer’s contract. I may also insert an escalation clause under additional provisions, indicating that the buyer will beat any competing offer.
Lastly, there’s a new question I need to ask: Is the seller willing to pay my commission? They probably are, and I need to enter that percentage in Sec. 29 of the contract and discuss with my client adjusting the commission in our own agreement to reduce or eliminate what that client pays out of pocket for my professional representation.
Jim Smith
Broker/Owner, 303-525-1851
Golden Real Estate lists and sells residential properties across the Denver metro area.
Aims adds professional dog training certification
Dog trainer courses to begin this
fall
BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
With the growing pet industry and demand for jobs, Aims Community College will begin o ering a Professional Dog Training program this fall.
Angela Murray is the course’s instructor and a certi ed behavior consultant through the Certication Council Professional Dog
Trainers, according to an Aug. 22 news release.
“An ideal trainer should be compassionate and able to mediate the relationship between people and pets. A program like this sets people up to succeed in the industry because they have more education and experience,” Murray said. “It is impactful; you can make a huge difference in someone’s life living with their dog.”
Murray has more than 30 years of comprehensive experience with expertise in teaching group classes,
Brighton gets RTD grant
BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
e City of Brighton will split funding from the Regional Transportation District with three other pilot projects aimed at improving mobility throughout the Denver area.
Services related to the four projects will begin next year. In this latest round of project funding, RTD will allocate $1.3 million in 2025 to the recipients, $1.9 million in 2026 and $1.65 million in 2017, according to an RTD news release.
Local jurisdictions and transportation management organizations were eligible to apply for RTD’s Partnership Program funding.
e news release said that the three other metro area projects that got funding were:
Northeast Transportation Connections Transportation Management Association - e association provides a micro-transit shuttle service to connect commuters between RTD’s 40th and Airport Boulevard Gateway Park Station, which serves the A line, and the Majestic Commer Center employment center.
City of Aurora - e city’s ondemand, point-to-point, and doorto-door transportation for Aurora residents aged 60-plus via a microtransit service primarily serving the area of the city west of I-225.
Brighton’s portion will help fund its micro-transit shuttle service to assist residents with limited parking capacity in the downtown and ful ll rst-mile and last-mile connections to existing transportation resources, according to the news release.
Denver South Transportation Management Association – extends on-demand microtransit service Link-on-Demand operated by Via Transportation through 2027. e Link is a partnership between the City of Lone Tree, Douglas County and Denver South.
providing private lessons and addressing canine behavioral challenges in diverse environments.
e dog training program is designed to educate students and equip them with practical skills. It ensures that students gain handson experience while also requiring them to complete additional dog training hours to be eligible for exams.
After completing the program, students are fully prepared to embark on their dog training careers.
ey can immediately join
various organizations’ training programs, including doggie daycares and veterinarian o ces. Additionally, they can start their own dog training business, o ering services like dog walking, pet sitting, and dog training.
According to the American Pet Product Association’s annual survey data, the U.S. pet industry is experiencing a surge in demand for dog training services. With an estimated spending of about $150.6 billion and approximately 58 million U.S. households owning dogs, the potential for a successful career in dog training is signi cant.
Visit aims.co/dog-trainer for information and register for the program.
Unbeatable Savings on HVAC Services!
Aims Community College plans to add a dog training certification program this fall. PHOTO STOCK VAULT
A publication of
Call first: 143 S. 2nd Pl., Brighton, CO 80601
Mailing Address:
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Phone: 303-566-4100
Web: FtLuptonPress.com
To subscribe call 303-566-4100
LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com
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Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Press. We welcome letters to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone. Email letters to staylor@coloradocommunitymedia.com Deadline Tues. for the following week’s paper.
Fort Lupton Press (USPS 205880)
A legal newspaper of general circulation in Ft. Lupton, Colorado, Fort Lupton Press is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 143 S. 2nd Pl., Brighton CO 80601. .
PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID AT Ft. Lupton and additional mailing o ces.
POSTMASTER: Send address change to: Fort Lupton Press, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110
BRIEFS
Fort Lupton Clean Up Day is Sept. 14
Fort Lupton Clean-Up Day is a free and convenient opportunity to dispose of household items and yard debris.
e one-day drop-o collections is limited to residents of the City of Fort Lupton only. e Public Works sta will be on-site to assist residents who need help disposing of their items. If you have questions, please call 303-857-6694.
Residents can bring their clean-up items to 800 12th St., along with a copy of a utility bill or driver’s license to prove residency. Residents can drop o up to two pickup-sized truckloads of items.
e following items are allowed: furniture, cabinets, mattresses, bicycles, outdoor toys, carpets, doors, and lawn/yard equipment. Also, bundled or contained branches and yard waste can be dropped o . Metal items and appliances should be taken to 1352 N. Main St. during the event.
Industrial or commercial waste items, concrete debris, household hazardous waste, regular curbside trash, don’t important documents to be shredded and freon-based appliances will not be accepted.
Tires will be accepted for a fee and all rims must be removed.
e tire is $4 for car/truck tires, $10 for semi tires and $15.00 for tires that are bigger than semi tires.
Electronics, computers, CRT TVs and monitors can also be dropped o for a fee. Screens smaller than 25 inches will be charged $25. Screens up to 32 inches will be charged $30 and the fee to recycle larger screens is $50. Flat-screen TVs and miscellaneous electronics can be recycled for a $5 fee.
Curbside clean-up collections are Sept. 12
Mt. Calvery Lutheran Church Craft Bazaar, Lunch and Bake Sale
Mt. Calvery is hosting a Craft Bazaar, Lunch, and Bake Sale on October 19th from 9 to 3 at 650 S. Park Ave., Ft. Lupton, CO 80621. ey will have many crafters with a variety of items available. If you have any questions, call 303-857-6827.
South Platte Valley Historical Society Fundraising Pancake Breakfast
e fundraiser is on Trapper Days, Saturday, September 7, from 7 to 10 a.m. at the Fort Lupton Lupton Fire Station 1, 1121 Denver Ave., Fort Lupton Lupton. All you can eat pancake breakfast, sausage, co ee, orange juice, or water. e cost is $12 cash. Kids under six years old eat free.
Tomato Festival & Market at Trapper Days
e city’s Clean Up Day curbside collections for seniors and disabled residents will occur on Sept. 12. ose planning on using the collections service should call 303-857-6694 before Sept. 10. To schedule their collections.
Please have all items at the curb/alley and easily accessible for a speedy pickup. Public Works cannot leave the street to pick up items, we encourage friends, family, & neighbors to assist those who need help getting items to the curb. No items that need to be broken down for disposal, such as hot tubs and camper shells, will be collected and all branches must be in ve-foot bundles. e city will collect one pickup-truck-sized load per address.
Dating back over 115 years, e Tomato Festival @ Trapper Days City Tour is one of the oldest celebrations of Colorado heritage celebrating our pioneers, past, present and future,
Attendees enjoy a full day of fun just as it was done 100 years ago!
e pancake breakfast is scheduled from 7-10 a.m. at Fire Station #1, 1121 Denver Ave. Breakfast costs $10 per person.
e parade steps o at 10 a.m. at 10th and Denver Ave. and continues to 4th Street.
To limit the negative impact on nearby businesses and downtown neighbors, and address safety concerns, all activities after the parade have been moved to the Rec. Center, 203 S. Harrison Ave. ose include a Family Resource Fair inside the Rec. Center with more than 50 vendors, a cooking contest with awards, a kids craft and game zone, food trucks, a beer garden, funnel cakes, snow cones and more!
Tires and electronics will not be collected because of the fees associated with disposing of those items.
use their voices to positively impact their communities.
e cost to attend is $25. Registration is now available at brightonimagesummit. org and early registration is recommended.
‘I Voted’ design competition opens to high school students
Image Summit Youth Leadership Conference registration open
Brighton Youth Services will host the Image Summit Youth Leadership Conference on Nov. 5 & 6 at Riverdale Regional Park, 755 Henderson Road. e Summit is open to Colorado youth in grades 5 - 12. is two-day summit will feature keynote speakers, engaging workshops ranging from art to diversity, an opportunity to interact with elected o cials from across the state, an American Ninja Warrior obstacle course, a food truck alley (all food included with registration fee), networking and more.
e goal of the youth conference is to empower youth, build con dence, teach leadership, and inspire young leaders to
e Colorado Secretary of State’s O ce is inviting high school students to participate in its “I Voted” digital sticker competition. e winning design will be sent to voters via BallotTrax after they vote in the upcoming General Election. It will also be featured on the Secretary of State’s website, media channels, press releases and in media coverage. Sta from the Colorado Secretary of State’s O ce will also present the award during an assembly at the artist’s school. e entry deadline is Sept. 2. More information can be found at https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs//elections/votedSticker/contest.html.
Unscrambling the 2024 November ballot over breakfast
A fur ban, property taxes, school choice, the fate of mountain lions and more are topics before Colorado voters in November. e nonpartisan Common Sense Institute will highlight these issues in its 2024 ballot guide, a resource for voters that includes data, analysis and a description of the issues. A discussion costs $25 and will take place from 7:30-9 a.m. Sept. 10 at the Dome at AMG, 6295 Greenwood Plaza Blvd., Greenwood Village. Link: https://tinyurl.com/mvanhk27.
Trappers Days Rendezvous 2024
Fort Lupton’s annual Trappers Days Rendevous runs from runs from Sept. 5 through 7 this year. It features an array of events and demonstrations, such as primitive shooting and archery, knife and hawk throwing, re starting, adult and kid games, and more. e park opens from 10:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information, call 303-8571710 or visit the South Platte Historial Society at www.spvhs.org. It is located at 2001 Historic Pkwy, Fort Lupton, CO 80621.
Blessings in a Bag
Fort Lupton’s Backpack Program helps school children in need with a backpack of healthy food. It’s an all-volunteer program and is in need of volunteers. If interested in volunteering or donating, call 303-718-4440. Mail donations to Blessings in a Bag, 306 Park Ave., Fort Lupton 80621.
SURGERY
“I didn’t induce labor; we wanted to keep Emilia in my belly as long as we could and had more frequent doctor visits to ensure Emilia wasn’t under any stress,” Sullivan said.
Emilia, now seven months old, was born just before New Year 2024 with a congenital condition called Jejunal Atresia. is rare but serious condition has meant several surgeries over the child’s young life and more can be expected.
Children’s Hospital Fetal Care Center surgeon Dr. Jonathan HillsDunlap said there were two underlying issues with Emilia’s gastrointestinal system.
“One was that the intestine
wasn’t connected correctly, and the other was that her downstream intestine had formed an abnormal con guration that puts her at risk for life-threatening problems in the future as a result of that conguration,” he said.
Connecting a highway to a one lane road
Sullivan went in for one of the more frequent scans just before Christmas and it showed Emilia’s belly was swollen, with uid unable to pass through her intestine.
By Dec. 26, Sullivan began having contractions and Emilia was born two day later, premature at 33 weeks and weighing just four pounds and 15 ounces.
Doctors didn’t waste any time, scheduling her rst surgery just three days later. Dr. Hills-Dunlap said there was a signi cant size
mismatch between the ends of the intestine that he needed to sew together.
“My job as a surgeon is to connect the two blind ends of the intestine back together, but sometimes the upstream blind pouch is much bigger than the downstream blind end; we call it a mismatch,” Hills-Dunlap said. “You can think about it as though I’m connecting a 10-lane highway to a one-lane highway and hoping that there won’t be too bad of a tra c jam.
at’s exactly what Emilia has, a 10-to-1 size mismatch. at’s how much bigger her upstream intestine was compared to her downstream intestine.”
It’s a di cult, delicate procedure, the surgeon said. e surgery took seven hours.
Emilia was born premature at 33 weeks on Dec. 28, weighing four pounds and 15 ounces.
SEE SURGERY, P8
PHOTO BY AMANDA SULLIVAN
“(Operating on) a baby with intestines that small is like reattaching two pieces of angel hair pasta,” HillsDunlap said of the surgery. “I used a surgical telescope to magnify the operation done through an incision over the belly, and she recovered beautifully from that operation.”
Procedures ongoing
At seven months old, Emilia is on a speci c protein-sensitive formula and breastfed diet and is doing well but having some trouble vomiting. at led to another procedure in August.
Hills-Dunlap worked with gastroenterologist Dr. Robert Kramer to put an endoscope – a special camera
– down into Emilia’s stomach and then into the rst part of her small intestine to the site of her rst surgery, Hills-Dunlap said.
“He then puts a special expanding balloon across this connection and in ates it,” he said. “What we’re trying to accomplish here with Emilia is to expand the connection in order to make the passage wider. erefore, we hope she can continue eating and growing and avoid any more major surgeries for as long as possible.”
She may need to have the procedure again as she grows, he said. Hills-Dunlap said Emilia takes her nutrition orally. She’s growing appropriately and Emilia is a happy and healthy baby. eir only challenge is that her intestinal connection narrows back down to that onelane road every few months.
“When the anastomosis (the sur-
gical connection) narrows down, we need to open it back up again, but we hope her body will continue to accommodate to this slight abnormality over time,” he said. “She may need more dilation procedures, and potentially another major operation in the future to surgically revise the connection.”
But he’s pleased with how she’s doing.
“ e fact that she’s now over seven months old, is taking all of her nutrition by mouth, and is growing and thriving otherwise is an amazing outcome for her and her family,” he said.
“ ese patients - in cases like this –there’s no textbook answer to it. We do the best we can with the available technology and expertise we have with tremendous – advanced endoscopy. Many others worldwide are not able to do using highly special-
ized techniques. We do it safely and successfully here at Children’s Hospital Colorado—it’s tremendous. ,” he said.
Hills-Dunlap said this family and patients like Emilia are why people like him enter this eld.
“It’s gratifying to help patients and the most vulnerable. is is a small baby that can’t eat; she can’t survive it,” he said. “(It’s) extremely rewarding to help patients, to give Emilia the ability to eat and grow and be happy and healthy.”
Hills-Dunlap, who has a slightly older child than Emilia, a ectionately calls Emilia “his girl,” Sullivan said.
“Amanda knows we have a way to go with Emilia, but she will tackle every challenge, and we are thrilled with how well she is doing,” HillsDunlap said. “She holds a special place in my heart.”
MENTAL HEALTH
“It’s not just being a part of your mood, it’s something deeper,” Caraveo said.
Someone may need help if a gloomy period lasts more than two or three weeks, Caraveo said.
“It’s when you are down and hopeless and you are not sure exactly why,” she said. “It usually has nothing to do with life’s circumstances and you should be on top of the world. But you are not.”
Friends and family have helped Caraveo deal with her depression through the years. She also found a new ally in U.S. Senator John Fetterman, whose battle with depression and anxiety led to his seeking treatment at Walter Reed National Medical Center in Washington D.C. in 2023.
“He went through a di cult campaign, and he said even though he won, he felt he lost,” said Caraveo, who has sought his advice in her ght with depression.
She said this spring she went through a period of “darkness” and her depression became more severe. is was as she was ful lling her job as a U.S. Representative and not missing votes.
“I was still functioning, I was still doing my job,” Caraveo said. “If you are going through the same thing, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have hopes and dreams. You can have a disability…and still lead a normal life.”
Still, Caraveo said, “I just got to a point of hopelessness.” She decided to get treatment from a team at Walter Reed.
“I am grateful for the time and attention their team provided me with- the type of care every American deserves,” she said in her statement this week.
Evans thanks Caraveo
Major depression is one of the most common mental illnesses, a ecting more than 8% (21 million) of American adults each year. Meanwhile, 15% of youth (3.7 million) ages 12-17 are a ected by major depression, according to Mental Health America.
Caraveo’s Republican opponent
in the 8th District race - Gabe Evans – said he is aware of the problems presented by depression and anxiety. Evans also thanked Caraveo for going public with her struggle.
“My heart goes out to her, and I wish her only the best,” Evans said in an emailed statement. “I’m glad to hear she is getting the treatment she needs.”
“As someone who has witnessed and consoled several friends and colleagues who have faced depression privately,” Evan said, “I’m glad to see her discuss her challenges publicly.”
Caraveo said she has introduced legislation that focuses on Americans getting help with depression and anxiety.
at includes a youth mental health package that ensures that National Suicide Foundation (NSF) funding for suicide prevention considers childhood stressors, helps states increase the supply and accessibility of pediatric mental health care under Medicaid and CHIP and establishes a national campaign to improve mental health among Latino youth, according to her website.
“I think I have been able to represent the people of the 8th well because I have a deeper understanding of what many people are going through right now, I think it’s made me a better representative,” she said.
U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo, Colorado 8th Congressional District, discusses how she is dealing with depression. BELEN WARD
Suicide: A personal reflection
From time to time, we’re shaken by the news that someone we personally knew or knew about took their own life. In moments like that, we’re often taken unawares, stunned and bewildered by the revelation. It makes us wonder, question why it happened and why we missed clues they were at extreme personal risk. at’s particularly true when the person who died by suicide is young or never exhibited suicidal tendencies.
A primary reason we’re blindsided is that the idea of suicide ranks near the bottom of our conversational topics. Suicide more than causes consternation; it invokes an intense mental, emotional and moral discomfort. at is, until it’s someone within our inner circle or community.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2021 suicide was the eleventh leading cause of death in the U.S., the second among individuals between 10-14 and 25-34, and the third among individuals between 15-24. It was striking to learn in 2023 there were nearly twice as many suicides (48,183) as there were homicides (26,031). But which makes the headlines and leads the nightly news?
It’s been four years since my friend ended his life. For months afterward, I felt completely distraught. My grief and anger were driving me into a depressive state. What had been theoretical about the stages of grief became reality. I con ded in very few as I worked to project a semblance of balance and not to wear my emotions on my sleeve, even with close friends. In time, I was able to articulate in a more coherent way my overwhelming sadness and the anger I felt toward the forces and people that drove him down. Writing about it and sharing my thoughts in a public forum, however, presented a bigger challenge. I’m now able to and in so doing, I hope to do justice to my friend and to the broader topic.
In “ e Myth of Sisyphus,” Albert Camus asserts suicide is the only serious philosophical problem. ose who commit suicide, he says, have concluded life is no longer worth living. at not only seems obvious, it begs the question of why certain people decide to throw away their most precious gift, one that we instinctively protect and defend. I surmise Camus doesn’t provide a substantive answer for a simple reason: ere’s no one answer. Broadly, the reasons range from shaming and social exclusion to mental illness and in amed anger. But speci cally, they equal the number who commit suicide. In the end, no suicide is inexplicable. ere’s a reason behind each. And a person who was loved and cherished.
Still, what Camus posits is worth consideration because it gets to the fundamental question about the meaning and purpose of life. He prompts the reader to consider why, if someone concludes their life no longer has meaning or purpose and/or is lled with irreconcilable pain, they should hang on to it. e answer lies, he suggests, not in the mind where we make rational choices but in the silence of the heart. I interpret that to mean that suicide, even though ultimately an act of will, is generally not borne out of reason but out of emotion. Readers of Edgar Allan Poe, Joseph Conrad and kindred authors who explored the depth of the human soul know that is something great writers have delved into over the ages.
When I got the news of my friend’s death, I was stunned and shaken, but I wasn’t surprised. Even during the time he was getting professional help and taking prescribed meds, I had “talked him o the ledge” several times. During one episode, I sat with him while he talked with a support person at a suicide crisis center. For a couple of days after, I stayed on suicide watch. He pulled through, like he had each of the preceding times, but it further enhanced my sense of foreboding that at some point he would end his life.
Despite the front my friend projected as a charming, social and intelligent man who had it together, I knew full well of his inner turmoil. He had shared
with me heartbreaking stories, speaking plaintively about the calumny and shame rained down upon him because of his sexual orientation, something I identi ed with having experienced similar. e opprobrium exacerbated the sensitivity he felt because of other aspects of his nature, like his repressed artistic talent and his heightened sensitivity to light, color and sound that con icted with what had been drilled into him about masculinity.
Shaming is among the worst of human tortures. Ironically, those who should feel ashamed about their behavior often never feel it because they don’t give a rat’s behind about what others think of them. However, for those who internalize shaming and don’t have the inner strength to turn it back on those who maliciously dole it out, it can be lethal.
As noted earlier, having been shamed is not the only reason someone takes their life, but there is a thread running through every suicide: su ering. In Buddhist belief, su ering arises from desire and attachment. However, some desires and attachments are not only not injurious to a person, they are necessary for their sound physical, mental and emotional health. ey’re called people, and not just people broadly, but nonjudgmental people who are loving, supportive, inviting, embracing and accepting.
JERRY FABYANIC
Columnist
FABYANIC
When one is rejected, marginalized, belittled, shamed or unaccepted, especially in their youth, they grow increasingly vulnerable and at risk. ey can become reclusive and embittered and disillusioned, and when that happens, their su ering metastasizes. Even if they survive the treacherous mine elds they’re forced to negotiate and make it to
adulthood, even to late adulthood like my friend, they still can conclude, as Camus states, life is not worth living. And much too often after they reach that conclusion and end their lives, the world wonders why before it quickly averts its gaze and moves on.
It’s been ten years since the great actor Robin Williams took his life. e news of it stunned the world. How could such a gifted actor and comedian get to that point? What drove him to it? I don’t know and won’t speculate, but I suspect that
beneath that joke-cracking facade lay a soul in anguish. Robin donned many masks in the range of roles he played, but the cover for his inner pain was his most powerful performance. Like with my friend, it makes me wonder about how many others mask their true anguish behind a pleasant, have-it-all-together, even mirthful persona.
September is National Suicide Prevention Month, thus a perfect time to increase your awareness of and get yourself more educated about the telltale signs of suicide.
You can easily nd resources online, including the National Alliance on Mental Health — https:// www.nami.org/ — and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: https://afsp.org/.
As one PSA reminds us, the more you know. It might help you intervene with someone you cherish before it’s too late.
Jerry Fabyanic is the author of “Sisyphus Wins” and “Food for ought: Essays on Mind and Spirit.” He lives in Georgetown.
BY ALEX K.W. SCHULTZ SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
They came, from near and far, to behold the spectacle.
Men and women, boys and girls, young and old — tens of thousands of them.
Buses shuttled them in and out of swanky Castle Pines Village, nonstop, for four days straight. Signs o local highways and roads warned of heavy tra c and delays. An economic impact of $30 million was expected for the area. A purse of $20 million was up for grabs for the ones swinging the clubs.
At long last, more than two years after PGA o cials said it was coming, it was here — the BMW Championship at Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock.
Some of the 150,000 spectators expected to show up over the four-day tournament from Aug. 22-25 were rabid golf fans. Others just wanted to be there, to see the Jack Nicklausdesigned course, to hear the “oohs” and “ahhs” of the crowd ripple through the Ponderosa
pines, to catch a glimpse of some of the game’s biggest stars — stars like Scottie Sche er, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Justin omas. Attendees couldn’t be blamed for their excitement. After all, the last time the BMW was played in Colorado was a decade ago, when Billy Horschel hoisted the trophy at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village. e last time a professional golf tournament was played at Castle Pines? at was nearly two decades ago, in 2006 (Castle Pines hosted the now-defunct e International Tournament from 1986 to 2006).
So, yes, Coloradans were beyond thrilled to have professional golf back in their backyard once again.
“It’s pretty cool that they’re all here in Colorado,” 14-year-old Vivian Halaby, a Cherry Creek High School student, said of the 50 golfers vying for the $3.6 million rst-place prize. “It’s neat to see famous people come and go through here.”
PARADISE
Vivian’s brother, 12-year-old Tripp Halaby, was busy trying to get some of those famous people’s autographs. He’d already gotten McIlroy, Tony Finau and Ludvig Aberg, among several others, to pen his oversized golf ball, but the youngster didn’t plan to stop signature-hunting anytime soon.
“It’s life-changing,” Tripp, who attends West Middle School in Greenwood Village, said of his experience at the tournament.
Tripp called himself a “big Nick Dunlap fan” but said he couldn’t help but root for the local kid. at would be last year’s U.S. Open champion and 2012 Valor High School graduate Wyndham Clark, the 30-year-old making his Colorado homecoming.
Clark found himself in 22nd place after the rst day but made things interesting after shooting a 4-under and 3-under the next two days, putting him in a tie for fth entering the fourth and nal round.
e “Valor Grad Wins PGA Tournament in Return to Home State” headlines weren’t meant to be, however, as Clark carded a 2-over on the last day to nish in a nine-way tie for 13th place at 5-under overall. Clark still fetched a $344,111 payout for his e orts.
“It’s been amazing. Denver showed out great,” Clark said at the post-tournament press conference. “I had tons of support. It was all in all an amazing week with all the support and friends coming out and all the love I felt.”
One of the more exciting moments for Clark came on the last day on hole No. 10, where he boomed his drive, stuck his approach shot and rolled in a 24-footer for birdie, bringing the hundreds of fans surrounding the green to their feet.
Not far away from the green where Clark had just buried his birdie was Mignon Stetman, who lives right o the 10th fairway.
“We love it. We’ve had a blast,” Stetman said of watching all the people, including the golf pros, walk within a stone’s throw of her home every day.
“I think (the fans) are as much in awe as we are.”
e retired hotel sales director said she was pull-
ON
Spectators cheer as Wyndham Clark, a 2012 Valor High School graduate, sinks a long birdie putt at the BMW Championship golf tournament on Aug. 25 at Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock. Clark finished in a nine-way tie for 13th place.
ing for Horschel because he, like her, graduated from the University of Florida. Horschel nished in a tie for 22nd place.
Meanwhile, Stetman said her husband, Greg, was hoping either 44-year-old Adam Scott or Keegan Bradley would win.
Now a seven-time PGA Tour champion, Bradley did win in the end, fending o fellow American Sam Burns, the Swede Aberg and South Australia’s Scott, who all nished one shot behind the winner.
Up by the 18th green, as Bradley and Scott, partnered on the last day, made their way in from the fairway for their last putts, fans crammed in tight, craning their necks and holding up their phones, trying to savor the tournament’s final moments.
“It was incredible,” Parker resident Coleman Harris, who was sitting nearby, said of the day and the tournament. “I go to the Waste Management Phoenix Open in Arizona every year. is was just so much better. I loved it. It was awesome.”
Now, the collective hope is that it won’t be another 10 years before professional golf is back in Colorado.
PHOTO ON PAGE 13: Fans surround the 18th green at Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock on Aug. 25 during the BMW Championship golf tournament. Roughly 150,000 spectators were expected to show up over the four-day tournament.
PHOTO
PAGE 12:
PHOTOS BY ALEX K.W. SCHULTZ
CCM publisher to lead state press group
BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Colorado Community Media Publisher Linda Carpio Shapley was named the current president of the Colorado Press Association at the organization’s 2024 conference.
“It feels like such a tremendous honor,” Carpio Shapley said. “One of the things that they have listed in the convention manual is all of the presidents that have served and … I am so honored that I get an opportunity to be considered among them.”
Carpio Shapley feels “very proud” to be the next leader
of the CPA and said she “feels history” around her which inspires her to “want to continue to do good things” for the organization and journalism.
Carpio Shapley began her tenure as publisher of Colorado Community Media in August 2021.
She has worked for a number of Colorado newspapers, including the Collegian at Colorado State University and her hometown paper the Greeley Tribune.
Carpio Shapley also worked at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Kansas City Star before heading to e Denver Post, where she went from
copy editor and designer to managing editor in her 21-year tenure. She also led a political team at Colorado Politics prior to becoming the CCM publisher.
e Colorado Press Association serves the state’s news media outlets. Shapley was unanimously approved.
“Along with upholding the good work of past presidents, in the ever-changing media landscape, CPA evolves to champion media rights, press freedoms and professional development across the state,” the organization said.
Colorado Community Media Publisher Linda Shapley has been named president of the Colorado Press Association. She is pictured with association CEO Tim Regan-Porter.
COURTESY BRITTANY WINKFIELD
Our newsroom wins 14 state press awards
BY COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA STAFF
Colorado Community Media’s “Long Way Home” series, a deep dive that unraveled the whys and hows of the escalating housing crisis across the Front Range, took home top honors during state press awards.
e 14-story, newsroom-wide e ort was named Best Public Service Project in Class 6 of the Colorado Press Association awards. Earlier this year, the series won rst place for General Reporting, Series or Package at the esteemed Top of the Rockies Excellence
in Journalism, hosted by the Colorado chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
In all, the newsroom received 14 awards, eight of them for rst place, during the Colorado Press Association awards, a friendly competition held among newsrooms of all sizes from around the state.
e newsroom’s “Long Way Home” series interviewed ordinary Coloradans about how the rising costs of housing impacts their lives. e series identi ed barriers many younger residents and people of color face as
they pursue homeownership and explored potential solutions. Every reporter in the newsroom contributed to the series by interviewing dozens of local residents, elected leaders and experts. It was led by Editor in Chief Michael de Yoanna with West Metro Editor Kristen Fiore, North Metro Editor Scott Taylor, former South Metro Editor elma Grimes and former Digital Editor Deborah Grigsby. It also relied on assistance from editors Scott Gilbert and Christy Steadman as well as initial contributions from former chief editor Lisa Schlichtman.
Clear Creek Courant Reporter Chris Koeberl won rst place in the Best Series or Sustained Coverage category for his aggressive reporting on criminal justice proceedings for deputies charged in the death of Christian Glass.
Koeberl also took home rst place honors for his coverage of the renaming of the iconic Mount Evans to Mount Blue Sky.
Reporters Nina Joss and McKenna Harford won rst place in the Best Political Reporting category for “Shades of Red” in the Douglas County NewsPress, looking at divergent views among south metro area Republicans regarding how to present a uni ed front to voters.
Senior Reporter Ellis Arnold joined with Harford and Joss for a rst place honor in Best Social Justice or Equity Reporting for their stories about Douglas County PrideFest in 2023, including protests and reactions surrounding it.
Highlands Ranch Herald Reporter Haley Lena won rst place for Best News Story for her reporting on a trafc death and a mother’s determination to honor her son.
Former Northglenn- ornton Sentinel Reporter Luke Zarzecki won rst place for Best Agricultural Story for his “Unfruitful” reporting, which examined how supermarket locations and transportations can contribute to neighborhood food deserts.
Page Designer Ben Wiebesiek received a rst place Best Page Design award for “Max out your chill.”
North Metro Bureau Editor Scott Taylor and Zarzecki were honored with a second place in Best Politics Reporting for their coverage of politi-
cal candidates who alleged they were the victims of a harassment campaign by a local resident.
Reporter Belen Ward won second place for Best Social Justice or Equity Reporting for her feature on a Brighton trucker o ering sanctuary and hope to Indigenous women.
Golden Transcript Reporter Corinne Westeman also took home a second-place award in the Sports or Sports Event category for “Role Players: Orediggers work behind the scenes to elevate football team’s performance.”
Lillian Fuglei, who has reported part time for the Arvada Press, won second place for Best News Story for reporting on the One Small Step program that is working to address homelessness.
Page Designer Leah Neu won second place for Best Cover Design for “Century of Sound” in the Washington Park Pro le.
Former Je co Transcript Reporter Jo Davis won second place in the Crime and Public Safety Reporting category for her story about animal control ofcers with the Je erson County Sheri ’s O ce aiding Hawaii after res. In May, Colorado Community Media’s newsroom received 10 additional honors for its journalism at the regional Top of the Rockies contest.
A few members of Colorado Community Media’s newsroom at the Colorado Press Association awards in late August. The newsroom won 14 awards and Colorado Community Media Publisher Linda Shapley (center, in glasses) was named president of the press association. FILE PHOTO
Thu 9/05
Mark Schultz: Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center @ 9am
Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center, 6700 N Gaylord Rockies Blvd,, Aurora
Amazing Athletes
@ 1pm
Sep 5th - Sep 26th
Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-2893760
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Face Vocal Band
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KYGO WORLD TOUR
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DICK'S Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City
Tue 9/10
Cheyenne Horse Palace Casino @ 8:30am
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The Stillery, 10633 Westminster Blvd #900, Westminster
Parenting for Success: The Courageous Parents Framework @ 6:30pm Sep 10th - Oct 1st
Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-2893760
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Thu 9/12 Calendar
ELECTRIC
is summer’s Hurricane Beryl seemed to prove the point in Houston. Microgrid Knowledge reported that grocery stores and homes with microgrids weathered outages for more than a week.
“It is past time to start recognizing that the 20th century ‘Big Grid’ model doesn’t work well as weather gets increasingly extreme in the 21st century,” said Boulder’s Leslie Glustrom in pass-
ing along the story.
Interrelated with the rise of microgrids is the growing role of electricity in our lives. If we’re going to ask the grid to deliver power not just for our lights and dishwashers but also to heat our homes and power our cars, we need some backup strategies, right?
Microgrids along the Front Range
At Fort Lupton, the local electrical cooperative, United Power, plans a microgrid at the city-owned water treatment plant with aid of a $6.1 million grant. e project includes a 900-kilowatt oating solar array coupled with a
1,720 kilowatt-hour battery and a natural gas generator.
United expects to begin work on the microgrid on Oct. 1 and complete it in autumn 2025, creating improved electrical resilience at the treatment plant and, because of the solar panels, reducing water evaporation.
Xcel Energy is also completing work on six microgrid pilot projects that resulted from 2018 state legislation. ose microgrids seek only to provide backup power for individual buildings, including the Alamosa Recreation Center, the Arvada Center, and Nederland Community Center. Work is also underway at the Denver Rescue Mission.
Xcel explains that the sites were selected after communities were encouraged to submit projects that would support facilities they deemed critical in nature. e Arvada Center - a concert and arts venue - was chosen because it was designated as a recovery and shelter hub in the city’s disaster recovery plan.
Spring eld and its wholesale supplier, Arkansas River Power Authority, will use to explore backup power and microgrid opportunities.
Other grants went to microgrids projects in or near Ridgway, Estes Park, and Livermore, along with re stations in the Longmont and Brighton areas. “ e Livermore microgrid will create another resiliency hub at the local school, re department, convenience store, and other essential infrastructure locations,” explained Je Wadsworth, the chief executive of Poudre Valley REA.
Previous grants have been for microgrids at Bergen Park, in the foothills southwest of Denver; in Montrose County and Delta plus, one in the Beulah-Gardner area of the southern Front Range.
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e calculus for Denver International Airport was a little di erent. ere, the battery system will have 4,500 kWh for the tram that moves passengers between the main terminal and the three concourses.
Rural areas exhibit greater need. For example, Red Feather Lakes, an unincorporated hamlet in the foothills northwest of Fort Collins, has had a small microgrid since 2018 to power crucial services if deliveries from the electric grid get disrupted, as nearly happened during the wild res of 2020. It won’t provide power for outlying cabins but does provide power for the volunteer re department, the community building, post o ce, area businesses, and other buildings.
Electrical cooperatives, as the state law suggested was necessary, are getting the bulk of grants. e program was abetted by $10.3 million in federal money received by Colorado in 2023. e Colorado Microgrid Roadmap now in draft form emphasizes the rising extreme weather. It cites the National Centers for Environmental Information in reporting that Colorado has had 70 con rmed weather/climate events since 1980 with economic losses exceeding $1 billion. e draft emphasizes functionality of the “small network of interconnected electrical components … when necessary, such as during extreme weather events.”
Transmission lines can be vulnerable to extreme heat, cold and wild re. Renewable energy resources can also be weather-dependent.
In addition to more climate-driven natural disasters, the roadmap points to social vulnerabilities, places where populations are particularly susceptible to the impacts of outages.
Colorado legislators had rural areas primarily in mind in 2022 when they passed HB22-1013 with strong bipartisan support. Tellingly, the bill used the word “rural” 16 times but urban not once. It says that microgrids can “help increase a community’s resilience regarding severe weather or natural disaster events that can a ect the electricity grid by providing the community with an alternative, reliable source of electricity that is not dependent on the electric grid.”
e law ordered a microgrid roadmap but also allocated $3.5 million for seed money for microgrid planning and implementation. e Microgrids for Community Resilience Program recently announced $2 million in grants, including much of the $40,000 that
Five distinct regions with the highest combined vulnerabilities and risk attributes are identi ed in the draft roadmap. e regions cover parts of 19 of Colorado’s 64 counties and have 10% of the state’s population:
• Pueblo, Las Animas, Bent, and Otero counties;
• Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Rio Grande, and Saguache counties;
• Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma, and San Miguel counties;
• Mesa, Mo at, and Rio Blanco counties; and
• Lake and Grand counties.
Allen Best chronicles Colorado’s energy and water transitions at BigPivots. com, an e-magazine about Colorado’s energy and water transitions. Subscriptions are free.
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NOTICE OF MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO AMEND THE BYLAWS OF UNITED POWER, INC.
DATE OF NOTICE: September 5, 2024
NOTICE OF PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS OF UNITED POWER, INC.,
500 COOPERATIVE WAY, BRIGHTON, COLORADO 80603.
The Board of Directors Proposes to amend the Bylaws of United Power, Inc. as follows:
• Establishes eligibility requirements for any director candidate to assure he/she is in good standing with the cooperative.
• Extending the required period of membership for eligible director candidates from two (2) years to three (3) years.
• Extending the required period for a prior cooperative employee, prior employee of a statewide association of electric cooperatives, an electric generation and transmission cooperative, material supply cooperative, financial cooperative, national electric cooperative, or other entity in which the electric cooperative is a member, or has been a member, or a close relative of a prior employee of the cooperative must wait before being eligible to serve as a director from three (3) years to ten (10) years.
• Defines the requirements a person representing a legal entity must meet to be eligible to be a candidate for a director.
A complete redline of the proposed changes is available on the cooperative’s website at www. unitedpower.com, or members may obtain a hardcopy at any United Power office, or via mail by calling 303-637-1300 and requesting that a copy be mailed to them at the address on file with the cooperative.
Pursuant to Article 11, Section 8 of the Bylaws of United Power Inc., you are hereby notified that the Board of Directors of United Power, Inc. proposes to adopt the following amendment(s) to United Power’s bylaws at a meeting of the Board to be held on October 23, 2024, unless a written petition is filed at United Power’s headquarters before close of business on October 22, 2024, signed by 100 or more Members, protesting the proposed amendments.
UNITED POWER, INC.
By: /s/ Stephen Whiteside, Secretary of
the Board
Legal Notice No. BSB3104
First Publication: September 5, 2024
Last Publication: September 5, 2024
Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Public Notice
Brighton Housing Authority Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) Notice of Waiting List Opening
Wednesday, September 4, 2024, at 8:30 AM – Thursday, September 5, 2024, at 5:00pm –Applications will be available online only at www. brightonhousingauthority.org. Applications will not be available for in-person pickup at BHA offices.
All accepted online entries will be held in a pool and drawings will be conducted throughout 2025 for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program by Brighton Housing Authority for the 2025
calendar year. The names drawn will be eligible to apply for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program. Applicants will be notified by mail and will receive instructions to complete the application and eligibility process. Cards not selected for the 2024 calendar year and all previous years will be destroyed.
The Brighton Housing Authority (BHA) administers approximately 255 Vouchers. The number of units BHA can subsidize is determined by Congressional funding. With a voucher, a family is able to select a home in the private rental market and if the family chooses to move, the assistance is transferable. The selected home must be inspected by BHA to ensure the housing unit meets Housing Quality Standards prior to the Lease Agreement and on an annual or biannual basis. In addition, BHA annually reviews the tenant’s income and family composition for program eligibility and rent calculations.
If you are a disabled individual and require Reasonable Accommodation, please contact 303.655.2160.
Legal Notice No. BSB3296
First Publication: August 22, 2024
Last Publication: September 5, 2024
Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade
Misc. Private Legals
Public Notice BEFORE THE ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO
IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION BY EXTRACTION OIL & GAS, INC. FOR A RULE 502.B VARIANCE FROM RULE 1202.C NO SURFACE OCUPANCY REQUIREMENTS FOR OPERATIONS IN THE WATTENBERG FIELD, ADAMS COUNTY AND THE CITY AND COUNTY OF BROOMVIELD, COLORADO
CAUSE NO. 1 DOCKET NO. 240800202 TYPE: VARIANCE NOTICE OF HEARING
Extraction Oil & Gas, Inc. (Operator No. 1459)
(“Applicant”), filed an Application for a Rule 502.b Variance from Rule 1202.c No Surface Occupancy requirements for the proposed Washington Oil and Gas Location (Document No. 403099558) (“Proposed Washington Location”) to be located in the below-described lands (the “Application Lands”). This Notice was sent to you because the Applicant believes you may be an interested party in the Application Lands.
The Commission will hold a hearing only on the above referenced docket number at the following date, time, and location:
Date: October 23, 2024
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: Virtual Hearing with Remote Access via Zoom
To participate virtually navigate to https://ecmc. state.co.us/#/home and locate the Zoom meeting link on the left side of the webpage.
Energy and Carbon Managemen Commission
The Chancery Building
1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 801 Denver, CO 80203
PETITIONS
DEADLINE FOR PETITIONS BY AFFECTED
PERSONS: September 23, 2024
Any interested party who wishes to participate formally must file a written petition with the Commission no later than the deadline provided above. Please see Commission Rule 507 at https://ecmc. state.co.us/#/home, under “Regulation,” then select “Rules.” Please note that, under Commission Rule 510.l, the deadline for petitions may only be continued for good cause, even if the hearing is continued beyond the date that is stated above. Pursuant to Commission Rule 507, if you do not file a proper petition, the Hearing Officer will not know that you wish to formally participate in this matter and the date and time of the hearing may change without additional notice to you. Parties wishing to file a petition must register online at https://oitco.hylandcloud.com/DNRCOGExternalAccess/Account/Login.aspx and select “Request Access to Site.” Please refer to our “eFiling Users Guidance Book” at https://ecmc.state. co.us/documents/reg/Hearings/External_EfilingSystemGuidebook_2023_FINAL.pdf for more information. Under Commission Rule 508, if no petition is filed, the Application may be approved administratively without a formal hearing.
Any Affected Person who files a petition must be able to participate in a virtual prehearing conference during the week of September 23, 2024, if a virtual prehearing conference is requested by the Applicant or by any person who has filed a petition.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For more information, you may review the Application, which was sent to you with this Notice. You may also contact the Applicant at the phone number or email address listed below.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if any party requires special accommodations as a result of a disability for this hearing, please contact Margaret Humecki at Dnr_ECMC_Hearings_Unit@state.co.us, prior to the hearing and arrangements will be made.
ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO
By: Elias J. Thomas, Commission Secretary
Dated: August 23, 2024
Extraction Oil & Gas, Inc. c/o Joseph C. Pierzchala
Anthony M. Roeber
Welborn Sullivan Meck & Tooley, P.C. 1401 Lawrence Street, Suite 1800 Denver, CO 80202
303-830-2500
jpierzchala@wsmtlaw.com aroeber@wsmtlaw.com
Legal Notice No. BSB3106
First Publication: September 5, 2024
Last Publication: September 5, 2024
Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Public Notice
BEFORE THE ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO
IN THE MATTER OF THE PROMULGATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF FIELD RULES TO GOVERN OPERATIONS FOR THE NIOBRARA, FORT HAYS, CODELL, AND CARLILE, FORMATIONS, WATTENBERG FIELD, ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO
CAUSE NO. 407
DOCKET NO. 240600159
TYPE: POOLING
SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO
TO THE following interested parties: the Estate of Leslie Orr McWilliam, deceased
You are hereby summoned and may appear and respond to the Application filed with the Commission in this docket. Pursuant to C.R.S. §§ 34-60101 – 130, Extraction Oil & Gas, Inc. (Operator No. 10459) (“Applicant”), filed an Application for an order to pool all oil and gas interests on belowdescribed lands (“Application Lands”):
Township 1 South, Range 66 West, 6th P.M.
Section 26: All
Section 27: All
Section 34: All
Section 35: All
The Commission scheduled this matter for hearing on:
Date: October 9, 2024
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Place: Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission
The Chancery Building 1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 801 Denver, Colorado 80203
To oppose the Application, you must file a written petition with the Commission pursuant to Commission Rule 507. You must file your protest on or before September 9, 2024. Please see Commission Rule 507 at https://ecmc.state.co.us/#/ home, under “Regulation,” then select “Rules.” Please note that, under Commission Rule 510.l, the deadline for petitions may only be continued for good cause, even if the hearing is continued beyond the date that is stated above. Pursuant to Commission Rule 507, if you do not file a proper petition, the Hearing Officer will not know that you wish to formally participate in this matter and the date and time of the hearing may change without additional notice to you. Parties wishing to file a petition must register online at https://oitco.hylandcloud.com/DNRCOGExternalAccess/Account/Login.aspx and select “Request Access to Site.” Please refer to our “eFiling Users Guidebook” at https://ecmc.state.co.us/ documents/reg/Hearings/External_Efiling_System_Handbook_December_2021_Final.pdf for more information. Under Commission Rule 508, if no petition is filed, the Application may be approved administratively without a formal hearing.
If you file a petition, you must be able to participate in a prehearing conference during the week of September 9, 2024, if a prehearing conference is requested by the Applicant or by any person who has filed a petition.
If you fail to file a timely petition, the Commission may enter an order affecting your interests in the Application Lands without further notice. This matter may be continued to a future Commission hearing date, but that does not change your petition deadline. A copy of the Application may be obtained from the Commission’s eFiling system or Applicant’s attorney.
ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO
By Elias Thomas, Commission Secretary
Dated: August 12, 2024
Energy & Carbon Management Commission 1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 801 Denver, Colorado 80203
Attorney for Applicant: Jillian Fulcher Ryan McKee Beatty & Wozniak, P.C. 1675 Broadway, Suite 600 Denver, CO 80202 303-407-4499 jflulcher@bwenergylaw.com rmckee@bwenergylaw.com
Carpio Shapley said the CPA faces challenges similar to what the industry itself faces, including an outdated revenue model, “the good ght against misinformation” and the need for more journalists.
“Colorado Press Association is wanting to do what it can to be supportive in that way, but Colorado
Press Association also has those same challenges of just trying to do it on a bigger scale,” she said.With around 160 newsrooms in the Colorado Press Association, Carpio Shapley said it can be di cult to serve everyone’s needs.
“ ey go from one-person newsrooms … to news organizations like e Denver Post,” she said. “So how do you serve them both when they have so many di erent issues?”
Carpio Shapley said while it’s challenging to help with these issues, she
Public Notices
First Publication: August 29, 2024
Last Publication: September 12, 2024
Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of MARYLIN SHEAHAN MILLER, aka MARYLIN S. MILLER, Deceased Case Number: 24PR030618
All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the rnstrict Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before December 30, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.
Neal K Dunning Brown Dunning Walker Fein Drusch
Attorneys for Personal Representative 7995 E Prentice Ave Ste 101 E Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Legal Notice No. BSB3103
First Publication: August 29, 2024
Last Publication: September 12, 2024
Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade PUBLIC NOTICE
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of MARILYN ANN HAFFNER, a/k/a MARILYN A. HAFFNER, a/k/a MARILYN HAFFNER, Deceased Case Number: 2024 PR 30467
All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before December 29, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.
Ellen Toomey-Hale Attorney for Bryan Haffner, Personal Representative PO Box 1008 Platteville, CO 80651
Legal Notice No. BSB3304
First Publication: August 29, 2024
Last Publication: September 12, 2024
Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade PUBLIC NOTICE
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of PAUL A. VIGIL, Deceased Case Number: 2024 PR 307
All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before December 29, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.
PAUL A. VIGIL
Personal Representative 2492 GRANBY WAY AURORA CO 80011
Legal Notice No. BSB3312
and the CPA need to be aware of these problems and work together to support the Colorado journalism community.
“I’m lucky enough to have a board that is really supportive in trying to help me to do that work and I just want to keep moving forward,” she said.
e CPA is actively trying to get public policy in the Colorado legislature to allow for more public support for informing communities.
“To me that’s one of the things that I
want to continue to advocate for, and I want to make sure that everybody who is a member of CPA has an opportunity to reach out to me and learn about me and know that I am committed to this ght,” Carpio Shapley said.
Additionally, Carpio Shapley said she hopes to help the masses see the “public good” of journalism.
“We want to make sure that we’re doing good work and we need to make sure the public understands the great work that we’re doing,” she said.
Brighton Standard Blade
Name Changes
NOTICE
Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name
Public notice is given on August 13, 2024, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Adams County Court.
The petition requests that the name of Davon Orlando Burnley be changed to Davon Orlando Robles Case No.: 24 C 1422
Martin J. Flaum II By: Aaams County Court Judge
Legal Notice No. BSB 3105
First Publication: September 5, 2024
Last Publication: September 19, 2024
Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade
NOTICE
Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name
Public notice is given on August 21, 2024, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Adams County Court.
The petition requests that the name of Joshua Anthony Ortega be changed to Josue Antonio Ponce Gonzalez Case No.: 24 C 1489
By: Deputy Clerk
Legal Notice No. BSB3314
First Publication: September 5, 2024
Last Publication: September 19, 2024
Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade ###
First Publication: August 29, 2024 Last Publication: September 12, 2024
Fort Lupton Press Legals
2025 Annual Plan and pertinent documents will be available for review at the Housing Authority of the City of Fort Lupton office located at 400 2nd Street, Fort Lupton, Colorado 80621, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, except holidays.
Julie Murphy Executive Director 303-857-4400
Legal Notice No. FLP1096
First Publication: September 5, 2024
Last Publication: September 5, 2024
Publisher: Fort Lupton Press
Misc. Private Legals
PUBLIC NOTICE
Coors Energy Company (PO Box 4030, Golden, CO 80402) has applied to the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS) for a permit revision to amend the approved post-mining land use for the Keenesburg Mine (DRMS Permit C-1981-028, approved November 3, 1981). This permit revision would allow renewable energy development as an approved industrial/commercial post-mining land use on this site along with the currently approved rangeland and other designated industrial/commercial post-mining land uses.
The Keenesburg Mine is located 7 miles north of Keenesburg, CO and is accessed by Weld County Road 59. The permitted area is portions of Sections 25 and 36, Township 3 North, Range 64 West of the 6th Principal Meridian, Weld County, CO on the Klug Ranch and Tampa USGS 7.5-minute quad maps. Copies of the application may be viewed at the Weld County Clerk and Recorder’s Office (1402 N 17th Ave, Greeley, CO 80631), the Keenesburg Town Hall (140 S. Main, Keenesburg, CO), and at the DRMS (1313 Sherman St, Room 215, Denver, CO 80203). All comments, objections, and requests must be submitted in writing to the DRMS at 1001 E 62nd Ave, Room 215, Denver, CO 80216. The public comment period extends for 30 days following the last date of publication of this notice.
Legal Notice No. FLP1097
First Publication: September 5, 2024
Last Publication: September 26, 2024
Publisher: Fort Lupton Press
Notice to Creditors
TO CREDITORS
Estate of Florencia Rodriguez De Valdez, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR30448
All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the
personal representative or to the District Court of Weld County, Colorado on or before January 3, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Dated: August 27, 2024
CURTIS LAW FIRM, LLC
/s/ Cory M. Curtis
Cory M. Curtis, #40549 10333 E Dry Creek Rd, Suite 210 Englewood, CO 80112
Legal Notice No. FLP5100
First Publication: August 29, 2024
Last Publication: September 12, 2024
Publisher: Fort Lupton Press
PUBLIC NOTICE
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of BETTY MARGARET BERKELEY a/k/a BETTY M. BERKELEY a/k/a BETTY BERKELEY a/k/a MARGARET ELIZABETH WOODWARD BERKELEY a/k/a MARGARET ELIZABETH WOODWARD, Deceased Case Number: 2024 PR 30413
All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Weld County, Colorado on or before December 29, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.
ROBERTA L. MORRILL
Personal Representative 424 La Verne Street Redlands, CA 92373
Legal Notice No. FLP1087
First Publication: August 29, 2024
Last Publication: September 12, 2024
Publisher: Fort Lupton Press
PUBLIC NOTICE
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Joanne P. Windschell, a/k/a Joanne Pauline Windschell and Joanne Windschell, Deceased Case Number: 2024 PR 30446
All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Weld County, Colorado on or before December 30, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.
Jeri Hellwig
Personal Representative 1420 Burgundy Court Monument, CO 80132
Legal Notice No. FLP1088
First Publication: August 29, 2024
Last Publication: September 12, 2024
Publisher: Fort Lupton Press
Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of SHARON ANN ARNUSCH, a/k/a SHARON A. ARNUSCH, Deceased Case Number: 24PR30450
All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Weld County, Colorado on or before Monday, January 6, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
FRANZ P. ARNUSCH,
Personal Representative
Patrick A. Schilken, P.C. 7936 E. Arapahoe Court #2800 Centennial, CO 80112
Legal Notice No. FLP5101
First Publication: September 5, 2024
Last Publication: September 19, 2024 Publisher: Fort Lupton Press PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of John Edward Owen a/k/a John E. Owen a/k/a John Owen, Deceased Case Number: 2024 PR 30432
All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Weld County, Colorado on or before January 5, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
