Fort Lupton Press January 9, 2025

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Expert tips for Colorado winter driving

Preparation, driving techniques are key elements of staying safe

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

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 fourwheel drive does not mean

deals with are related to dead batteries, at tires and engine issues.

Keep an emergency kit

Ensuring the vehicle is prepared is another way drivers who may end up stranded, whether by sliding o the road or getting stuck in trafc during a closure, can help themselves.

“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

Nine Colorado education stories to watch in 2025

For Colorado schools, 2024 was a year of big changes in funding, continued concerns about declining enrollment even amid the arrival of thousands of new immigrant students, and the growing popularity of a free preschool program that faces big legal challenges.

Here are some of the issues we’re watching in 2025.

How might Trump’s immigration policies a ect migrant students?

In 2024, at least 85 Colorado school districts enrolled more than 8,000 migrant students combined. Many came from Venezuela and other South American countries. State lawmakers sent districts an additional $24 million to help serve new students who arrived mid-year.

Migrant students boosted enrollment in districts where there had been declines, including Denver. Teachers scrambled to support them, both academically and with basic needs like housing. Some of those e orts were beautiful. Others were hard. And some were both.

towels, ares or other warning devices, booster cables and a rst aid kit,” Colorado AAA

Additionally, drivers should bring items 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.

WESTMINSTER WINDOW

“ e bright spots are the growth of our kids and our community,” Valdez Elementary Principal Jessica Buckley told Chalkbeat in February. “ e challenge is resources.”

It’s unclear how President-elect Donald Trump’s promise of increased immigration enforcement — and potential mass deportations — will impact migrant students, their families, and the schools that serve them. Some Colorado school district leaders are already preparing: e Colorado Association of School Boards recently invited a Nebraska superintendent who had experienced an immigration raid to talk to state leaders about his experience. His advice?

“Be prepared,” former Superintendent Steve Joel told Colorado school o cials. “Your community, your parents, your leaders, your state, they’ll appreciate you for it.”

Driving in the snow can be scary if drivers don’t take precautions. PHOTO BY ELISABETH SLAY

United Power formalized $262 million grant

Provider completes agreement for green energy grant from USDA

United Power will get $262 million in grants for the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will boost clean energy and jobs and bring down taxes, the energy provider said.

United Power submitted its formal agreement letter to receive $262 million in new grant funding ) for its Rural Utilities Service in the new program, “Empowering Rural Americans” (ERA)”, according to a Dec. 30 news release.

“ ese grant funds will be used to o set a portion of the costs United Power has and will incur for seven di erent power purchase agreements,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power’s President and CEO. “ e projects represent new, clean energy sources that have already signi cantly reduced our greenhouse gas emissions since the exit from our former wholesale power supplier on May 1. Additionally, the projects are bringing tax dollars and jobs to each area where the systems are located.”

United Power announced in September that it would be awarded $262 million in grant funding to help with the cost of the new generation clean energy portfolio, which will purchase more than 760 megawatts of renewable resources for United Power by 2030. According to ocials, the USDA completed its underwriting to award United Power.

United Power submitted a Community Bene ts Plan in November that is required to receive funds from e Empower Rural Ameri-

EPA objects to another Suncor permit

United Power was awarded a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture for its Rural Utilities Service in the new program called

can. e plan calls for investing $1 million in several approved community projects and programs to improve the lives of United Power members and its communities. ose include programs to help people with xed incomes with electric costs, support farmers and ranchers, and fund the new ERA project facilities. e Community Bene t funding also will award four Lineworkers scholarships of $7,500 each to train students for certi cations from local Colorado colleges.

“Receiving this scholarship means a lot to me,” said Kate Killinen, one of the United Power lineworker scholarship recipients.

“It means that I can go through the Mesa Lineworker Program without going into any school debt and focus more on my studies rather than how to get the money I need to get through it. Receiving this scholarship will help my long-term career goals of working for an electric cooperative by helping me get

through an amazing program that is the foundation of my whole career.”

According to o cials, United Power plans to distribute Community Bene ts Plan grant funding over the next 10 years. United Power investments have increased because the cooperative has already saved through its numerous annual community support.

“As a cooperative, supporting our communities and investing in education have always been key directives in our annual planning,” said Gabriel. “We have been awarding scholarships, supporting education in our industry, and providing leadership and investment dollars to assistance organizations that serve our members for decades. Now we will be able to do even more.”

To learn more about United Power’s long-term energy vision for the future, read visit Cooperative Roadmap at www.unitedpower. com/roadmap.

Weld selects new energy department head

e Weld County Board of Commissioners appointed Brett Cavanagh as the new director of the Weld County Oil and Gas Energy Department, according to a news release on Dec. 31.

“I’m excited to have Brett on board. We were looking for a director who would continue to look for ways to make our permitting processes e cient and e ective while helping to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the public,” said Kevin Ross, Weld County Commissioner Chair. “We believe Brett’s experience in the private sector in many di erent roles makes him well-suited to meet those goals.”

Cavanagh will replace Jason Maxey, who will be seated as District One Weld County Commissioner in January, according to o cials. Cavanagh has 16 years of experi-

ence working in the oil and gas industry, he worked in land management, transmission management, and project management with several di erent energy companies, such as recently Western Midstream,  formerly Anadarko, and Bear Peak Power LLC, in their Denver locations, according to o cials.

According to o cials, Cavanagh brings experience and knowledge about Weld County’s oil and gas operations and pipeline processes.

“Being able to see how the county’s permitting process impacts companies is bene cial to understand how it impacts companies from a planning and nancial perspective. It’s allowed me to see if and where our processes can be improved,” Cavanagh said.

Cavanagh was appointed on Monday, Dec. 30, but started his position on Oct. 1. According to o cials, he worked with Maxey to familiarize himself with the role,

Agency demands more oversight and assurances at Commerce City refinery

e Environmental Protection Agency found problems Dec. 30 with another Colorado-issued permit for Suncor’s re nery operations in Commerce City and ordered revisions. Regional and national EPA o ces made the same objections and demanded revisions to a di erent state permit for Suncor in 2022 and 2023.

e EPA, reviewing petitions from environmental advocates, sent the proposed state permit for Suncor plants 1 and 3 back to the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division to answer detailed questions or make outright revisions to the permit mandates. e order signed by acting EPA administrator Jane Nishida agreed in part with the advocates’ claims that the state permit may not properly monitor and calculate pollutants such as nitrogen oxide, particulate matter and volatile organic compounds emanating from the big re nery.

“Once again, EPA found Colorado is failing to ensure adequate monitoring of toxic air pollution and failing to ensure Suncor is held fully accountable to safeguarding clean air and public health,” said Jeremy Nichols of the Center for Biological Diversity, which objected to the plants 1 and 3 permit — the west side of the sprawling complex — alongside the Sierra Club.

“While this is an important win for clean air, it’s still beyond disappointing that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment refuses to do the right thing here,” Nichols said.

e division said it was reading through the 39-page permit objection and did not have comments as of Dec. 31. e objections from the advocates that were endorsed this week by the EPA are similar to criticism of a 2022 permit update granted by the state to Suncor’s plant 2, the eastern portion of the re nery. e EPA’s Region 8 o ce based in Denver rst objected to the state’s plant 2 permit draft in 2022. e state made revisions, but environmental advocates in 2023 successfully petitioned the EPA for more changes.

e permit for plants 1 and 3 was issued by the state in March, and survived an EPA initial review. But the Sierra Club and Center for Biological Diversity led formal petitions.

“Everything EPA agreed with us on were issues the agency already objected to in relation to the plant 2 permit,” Nichols said.

Major air polluters in Colorado are allowed to continue operating on the terms of expired permits as long as they are complying with deadlines for renewals. Colorado has been far behind in issuing updated permits. Various forms of the Suncor plants 1 and 3 permit have been up for renewal and state drafts since 2016, according to the EPA’s new ruling.

transition, and administrative duties required as the oil and gas energy director.

Weld County Oil and Gas opened in August 2019, according to ofcials. e board’s acceptance of 1041 Authority gave the county local control over mineral resources in unincorporated Weld County.

According to o cials, Cavanagh went to work on Dec. 2, writing a letter to the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) on behalf of the Weld County Oil and Gas Energy Department.

“It’s a passion of mine,” Cavanagh said of the energy industry before mentioning what he’s most looking forward to as OGED director. “I’m looking forward to building relationships with both the industry and ECMC to improve transparency and collaboration, which are key to an important industry in Weld County.”

Suncor, the only re nery in Colorado, produces gasoline and other petroleum products for transportation, as well as aviation fuel for airports. e Canadian-owned public company has been a frequent violator of Colorado air pollution laws.

e EPA and state regulators in July hit Suncor with a new round of pollution violation notices for the past two years, despite a $10.5 million settlement for similar 2021 transgressions that state o cials vowed would set the re nery on a path to cleaner operations.

A 140-page litany of alleged new violations compiled by the EPA’s regional o ce in July accused Suncor of continued releases of benzene and other toxins into the air and water around the Commerce City plant.

e newest violations, including in some areas the EPA had not pinpointed in previous inspections, boosted criticism from neighbors and environmental groups that small nes have not altered the course of Suncor’s multi-billion dollar business.

“ e Commerce City re nery has been subject to state air enforcement actions by the (state Air Pollution Control Division) annually for at least the past 10 years,” the EPA’s new notice of violations emphasized.

is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.

Empowering Rural Americans.
COURTESY UNITED POWER

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

REAL ID requirements are coming in 2025

As the year comes to a close and people prepare for what comes next, many things linger in their minds that can perhaps impact the way 2025 plays out.

For those who have been traveling, you have likely seen several signs at Denver International Airport announcing the upcoming REAL ID Act that will be enforced starting in May 2025. (According to e (Fort Collins) Coloradoan, most Colorado IDs have been compliant since 2012.)

According to the Department of Homeland Security, REAL ID was passed by Congress in 2005, as a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission, for the federal government to establish minimum security standards for state issued driver’s licenses and identi cation cards for travel and to access certain federal and government buildings. Forms of identication that don’t meet the standards of REAL ID will be rejected by certain federal agencies.

However, it’s been somewhat of a challenge to fully enforce the act. Deadline extensions have taken place due to “lack of full state compliance with the requirements for issuing the more secure driver’s licenses,” according to NBC News in 2022.

e COVID-19 pandemic also caused a delay in enforcement because it was harder for people to obtain new identications through various lockdowns and sta reductions at various departments of motor vehicles. e original deadline for the REAL ID to be put in place was October 2021, before it was extended to May 2025.

While the REAL ID has been enforced for entrance to certain federal buildings and facilities, the enforcement of REAL ID will be the standard requirement across the country after the deadline. e main concern, and the area that will be primarily a ected, is air travel.

e DHS states that the Transportation Security Administration’s security checkpoints will require a REAL ID or other acceptable alternatives, such as a U.S. pass-

RTD seeks equal access comments

Riders asked for thoughts on Title VI program changes

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 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 constitutes 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 changes on RTD’s Title VI Program page (recommended) or by sending an email to transitequity@rtd-denver. 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 mid-2025 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.

port or state issued driver’s license.

To determine if your driver’s license or state photo identity cards are REAL ID compliant, they must have a star marking on it. ose who travel without a compliant form will not be permitted through security checkpoints.

E ects on the immigrant community

Because REAL IDs and Enhanced Driver’s Licenses are only issued to those who have lawful status, immigrants are concerned on how this can impact travel. REAL ID allows states to issue driver’s licenses and identi cation cards to those whose identity can’t be fully veri ed or their legal status hasn’t been con rmed. However, these will be considered noncompliant forms of identi cation and must clearly indicate that they are not acceptable for REAL ID purposes and have a di erent design or color that di erentiates them from compliant cards.

Texas immigration law rm Davis and Associates stated on their website that this “will change the way undocumented immigrants present identi cation for

Misdemeanors

many purposes.”

e DHS wrote on their website that the “possession of a non-compliant card does not indicate that the holder is an undocumented individual, given that individuals may obtain non-compliant cards for many reasons unrelated to unlawful presence.”

“If fully implemented, the law would facilitate the tracking of data on individuals and bring government into the very center of every citizen’s life. By de nitively turning driver’s licenses into a form of national identity documents, REAL ID would have a tremendously destructive impact on privacy,” wrote the American Civil Liberties Union on their website.

For bene ciaries of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the act allows states to issue temporary REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and ID cards to applicants “who provide valid, documentary evidence that they have ‘approved deferred action status.’ ”

For more information on the REAL ID Act and what will come after the deadline, visit dhs.gov/real-id.

filed for abandonded infant

Christina Thurman and Jarvis Sims facing a judge in Adams County

e parents who are accused of leaving their one-month-old baby in the median on Pecos Street in Adams County on Christmas morning will be formally charged with misdemeanors by prosecutors.

Christina urman, 33, and Jarvis Sims, 41, will be charged Monday with misdemeanor child abuse (knowingly/recklessly no injury) and reckless endangerment. Sims was also charged with violation of a protection order, also a misdemeanor, according to a 17th Judicial District news release.

A spokesman for 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason declined to say why the couple faces no felony charges.

“I can’t discuss the speci cs of a charging decision on a pending case, but we weigh the facts against the law in making all of our ling decisions,” said DA spokesman Chris-

topher Hopper. e case drew wide media attention last week after a woman told deputies she found the baby on Christmas in the 7400 block of Pecos Street near U.S. Highway 36. She told deputies that she saw a couple arguing and then saw a man walk to the media where he set down a car seat and walked away. Deputies said the baby was only wearing a pair of diapers.

An arrest a davit states after deputies took the baby to a local hospital, a urine test revealed the child tested positive for cocaine. e woman who found the baby yelled at the man to come back and get the child, and he responded by yelling, “ at’s her kid, give it to her,” according to an a davit. e couple’s next court date was scheduled for Dec. 30.

Sims Thurman

EDUCATION

Appeals court could decide Colorado’s Catholic preschool case

A federal appeals court could decide in 2025 whether religious schools in Colorado’s state-funded preschool program have to abide by non-discrimination rules protecting LGBTQ children and families.

at’s the issue at the heart of a lawsuit brought by two Denver-area Catholic parishes that run preschools. e Catholic preschools wanted to join the state preschool program, but didn’t want to admit LGBTQ children or children from LGBTQ families. e lawsuit is one of several cases involving the state’s universal preschool program.

A lower court judge largely ruled against the Catholic parishes in June, but they’re now appealing. Experts say the case, which pits religious liberty against LGBTQ rights, could wind up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Colorado faces budget challenges that could impact education

In November, Gov. Jared Polis released a proposed budget that showed the state could have less revenue during a time when its nancial obligations for programs like Medicaid have gone up. Recent revenue projections have improved, but the state is still facing a budget hole.

Polis’ budget calls for cuts, including a big change to how the state doles out funding to school districts based on student enrollment and scaling back a new funding formula passed last year. (More on that new formula below.) Meanwhile, Polis’ budget calls for higher education to get a modest $12.1 million increase.

Lawmakers on the powerful Joint Budget Committee have the most say in crafting the budget. ey will have plenty to sort through in the coming months.

How much is adequate education funding in Colorado?

Colorado lawmakers approved a brand new funding formula last year — the rst major revamp since 1993. However, the formula didn’t say whether the new funding levels were enough.

So how much money do school districts need to adequately teach students?

Colorado commissioned two “adequacy studies” to understand the answer. ose studies are due at the beginning of the year.

Colorado could require more emphasis on climate science

In recent months, numerous Colorado high school students have told the State Board of Education they’ve learned little or nothing about climate change during their K-12 careers.

In December, the board took a prelimi-

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

nary step to address those concerns by asking education department o cials to recommend changes to the state science standards that would put more emphasis on climate science.

e science standards — basically a big list of knowledge and skills Colorado students should have in various areas — are due to be revised in 2025.

e state’s current science standards reference climate change in middle school and high school, but not elementary school. If the standards change, teachers will have to adapt their lessons over the next few years to match the standards.

School closures will prompt decisions about vacant buildings

Seven Denver schools will close in the spring of 2025, and three more schools will partially close, due to declining enrollment in Colorado’s largest school district. at decision was controversial, and a parent group has led a lawsuit to try to stop it.

e Je co and Aurora school districts have also closed schools recently because of declining enrollment, and Douglas County School District is expected to do the same in 2025.

e school closures will leave districts grappling with another big question: what to do with the vacant buildings. Denver has promised not to sell any schools and to consult with the community on future uses. Meanwhile, Je co is in the midst of several sales that could be nalized next year, and Aurora is still deciding what to do with at least one building.

Low-income families face child care hardship

Many Colorado families who qualify for state child care subsidies could be out of luck next year. at’s because the program

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-drivingtips.

is facing a funding shortfall and state ofcials expect most counties to institute subsidy waitlists or freezes by June.

ese measures won’t cut o families who currently receive subsidies. But it will limit the number of new families who can join.

So far, at least seven counties have already instituted a subsidy waitlist or a freeze: Adams, Boulder, Douglas, El Paso, Gunnison, Je erson, and Larimer. Some communities that have passed lodging taxes or tapped other local funding may be able to ll the gap created by subsidy waitlists or freezes. But that will be a partial x at best.

Future of DACA teachers unclear as Trump takes over

During his rst administration, Trump tried to end a program that protects undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children, a group known as Dreamers, from deportation. But his e ort to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program stalled in the courts.

Now, there are signs Trump has had a change of heart. In a Dec. 8 interview on Meet the Press, when asked if he wants to let the so-called Dreamers stay in the country, he said, “I do … I think we can work with the Democrats and work something out.”

But given his promise of mass deportations and his past vacillation on whether Dreamers deserve protection, some immigrants rights groups are skeptical. Colorado has about 12,000 DACA recipients and some are public school teachers.

Colorado’s career and college readiness programs hit crossroads

In 2022, Colorado lawmakers commissioned a report on how to improve postsecondary and workforce readiness. Released in late 2023, it o ered 13 recommendations for streamlining a fragmented system of state programs meant to prepare students for college and careers.

State lawmakers then commissioned a study, released this month, that called for big changes, including bringing the disparate programs under one roof. e report also recommended either ending or reworking a popular fth-year high school program called ASCENT.

Jason Gonzales and Melanie Asmar contributed to this article.

Reprinted with permission from Chalkbeat, a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.

LEAP helps eligible Coloradans pay a portion of their winter

LEAP ayuda a los residentes elegibles de Colorado a pagar una parte de sus gastos de calefacción de invierno.

Students from Thimmig Elementary in Brighton test a hydro flume that demonstrates how electricity can be made by moving water.
PHOTO BY BELEN WARD

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

WINNING

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.

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:

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

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

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 understood 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.

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 dene 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 better-than-good life.

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

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.

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Columnist Jim Roome’s mother always brightened when she talked about dancing. What makes you feel brighter?
PHOTO COURTESY OF JIM ROOME
WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT
Jim Roome

Legislators hear concerns over open meetings law

Current standard lets lawmakers keep their discussions secret

Government transparency advocates expressed their frustration with recent changes made to Colorado’s open meetings law during a public hearing on Dec. 30, though there is no guarantee the law will get amended again.

e Colorado General Assembly approved the change last March in an attempt to update the open meetings law for a world with email, cell phones and text messages, which did not exist when voters adopted the law in 1972. Sponsors and supporters also said the changes allow legislators to brainstorm and have informal conversations.

Critics, however, contend that the update allows for secret policy negotiations that fall outside of formal votes and committee hearings. is could deprive members of the public, they argue, of a meaningful view of how policies are formulated and instead allow public access only to formal votes without substantive discussion.

“As a watchdog, it’s important for the press to also have access to the work that you do — not just the public votes, but understanding how you reach your decisions. We’re concerned that (Senate Bill 24-157) weakens that ability and makes it easier for those discussions to happen in private,” Kevin Dale, the executive editor

Our Family Helping Your Family

CARPENTER

of Colorado Public Radio News, told legislative leaders on Monday.

e opportunity for public testimony before the end of 2024 was a requirement in the law. e Legislative Council has the power to consider changes on an annual basis until 2026.

e original law de nes an open meeting, which requires a notice and ability for public observation, as a gathering between at least two lawmakers to discuss public business. e update, which applies only to the General Assembly and not local public bodies such as city councils, redenes public business as “introduced legislation” or “proposed legislation” prepared by the O ce of Legislative Legal Services and under discussion by a quorum of a committee and excludes “matters that are by nature interpersonal, administrative, or logistical or that concern personnel, planning, process, training, or operations.” Previously, the law de ned public business as the formation of public policy. at new de nition was the basis for the exclusion of reporters from Democratic caucus meetings over the summer that went over the possibility of a special summer session on property taxes. ere was no introduced legislation at the time of the caucus meetings.

“It was startling and disturbing to hear that journalists and the public were excluded from caucus meetings before the August special session on property taxes using the new de nition of public business. Caucus members were given copies of the tax proposal during meetings, but leaders told the Colorado Sun there re-

Nancy Jean Carpenter

December 19, 1939 - December 13, 2024

Nancy Jean Carpenter, 84, passed away at home in Ponca City, Oklahoma on Friday December 13th, 2024.

Nancy loved her family deeply and she was always willing to help. She had a great smile and the best laugh.

Nancy is survived by her sister, Patricia (Mickey) Fitzgerald, brother, Chuck (Jeanne) Jorgensen, daughter, eresa (Michael) Barnett, sons, Timothy (De) Eidenschink, omas (Ava) Eidenschink,

Todd (Angie) Eidenschink, and Tracy Eidenschink, 10 grandchildren, 16 greatgrandchildren, 9 great-great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Nancy was preceded in death by her parents Arthur and Cleone, her sister, Sally Jenkins, and a nephew.

Cremation services were provided by Grace Memorial Chapel, Ponca City, Oklahoma. An online guest registry is available at gracememorialchapel.net.

Mary Lucile Allen

November 17, 1931 - December 28, 2024

Mary was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. She grew up on the Western Slope in Eagle, Ri e and Meeker, CO. When Mary was 8 years old her father passed away, so her maternal grandparents helped raise her and her sister. She moved to Broom eld and then Denver when she was a teenager. Mary married Bill Allen in 1948, and they lived most of their married life in Brighton, CO, where they raised their daughters.

e Arthritis Foundation, and as a “Friend of the Library” for Anythink Brighton.

Mary also loved to spend as much time as she could with family and friends at their travel trailer in Estes Park or roaming most of the United States with Bill hauling the trailer behind his pick-up. ey also traveled to Europe several times.

ally wasn’t a policy conversation,” said Je Roberts, the executive director of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition.

House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat, said that the August meetings had substantial conversation about the campaigns for and against a pair of property tax measures that were on the November ballot. e risk of those measures was the impetus for the special session, but the campaigns were not identi ed as public business.

Since then, McCluskie said House Democrats started posting notices for meetings that could contain policy discussion even if there are not introduced bills involved.

Both Dale and Roberts, as well as Colorado Press Association CEO Tim ReganPorter, want to see all caucus meetings subject to the open meeting law.

“Until such a change is made, we urge all caucuses to voluntarily adopt this standard as a matter of good faith and accountability,” Regan-Porter said.

It is possible that the Legislature will consider bills next session to address the open meeting issue.

“I do believe that we need to continue to move forward in guring out how to — openly, before the people — craft the best policy possible,” Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, a Monument Republican, said. Lundeen voted against the bill this year. “We need to nd out how to do the public’s business in front of the public in a way that still preserves the fact that creating legislation is very relational.”

e General Assembly reconvened on Jan. 8.

Mary worked as a speech aide for Brighton schools and then spent 15 years working for Valley Bank and Trust. After retiring Mary lled her time as a volunteer with Meals on Wheels, United Methodist Women, Cottonwood Homeowners Association,

Mary is survived by her daughters, Debra Wittke and Patricia Aguirre, and her grandsons, David Wittke and Alex Aguirre. She is preceded in death by both of her parents, Lemuel Miller and Lucile (Miller) Robertson, her husband William (Bill) Allen, and her sister, Juanita (Dowd) Walling.

AVEY

Colleen June Avey Obituary

is story is from Colorado Newsline. Used by permission. For more, and to support the news organization, visit coloradonewsline.com.

Colleen June (Kissler) Avey June 6, 1937 - December 20, 2024

Colleen Avey, 87, passed away peacefully to be with the Lord on Friday, December 20, 2024. Colleen will always be remembered as a loving and caring wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother by all that loved and knew her. Colleen was born on June 6, 1937 to Frederick and Clara (Tautfest) Kissler.

Colleen is survived by her 2 sisters Joyce (Paul) Flot and Judy (Harold) Corliss and her 4 Children: Lyle Avey, Pamela (James) Fuller, Paula (Robert) Cook, and Alison (Erik) Keefer. She has 7 grandchildren, 14 Great Grand Children and 2 Great-Great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 68 years.

She married Leo Avey on June 7, 1953 in Brighton, CO. Colleen was a homemaker for the entirety of their marriage and raised 4 wonderful children, that she thought and worried about constantly. In her years, after Leo’s death, she moved to Whitewater, CO with her daughter, Alison and Erik Keefer, where she was able to experience the history of the Western Slope culture and history. She enjoyed that so much that she bought books regarding the

subjects of the Grand Mesa and surrounding areas. She enjoyed learning about what she would see from the front window and while sitting on the patio at her new home living with her daughter, Alison. She would often talk about what she had learned with family. Colleen was involved with the Platte Valley Ri e Association in target shooting with Leo. In 1964 they moved to Fort Lupton, CO to live on the Farm with Leo’s folks, at that time, they took up bowling and they traveled all over the United States bowling in the National Bowling Association tournaments. In 1987, Colleen took up archery hunting to participate with Leo. ey were always doing things together. Colleen retired from bowling in April of 2015 which she enjoyed very much. She was a member of the Brighton Senior Center, which was very enjoyable for her. Cribbage was her favorite game with family and friends.

A graveside service will be held with the immediate family on January 4, 2025 at Olinger Highland Mortuary Heritage Hall. Interment will follow at Olinger Highland Cemetery in the Mausoleum. Celebration of Life will be in 2025 at a date to be determined at a later time.

The Colorado state Capitol, pictured in 2023. FILE PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD
ALLEN

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: Customers 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 saying “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.

SUZIE GLASSMAN

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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. .

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POSTMASTER: Send address change to: Fort Lupton Press, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110

BRIEFS

Fort Lupton seeks new City Councilor

e Fort Lupton City Council accepted the resignation of Ward 3’s Carlos Barron, Dec. 17, declared his seat vacanct and beginning the appointment process to fund his replacement.

ose interested in becoming a candidate for the position must meet be a registered voter who is at least 18 years of age and must have lived in Ward 3 for the past year.

e deadline to submit an application is 5 p.m. Jan 15.

e City Council will interview at the Jan. 28 Town Hall meeting the new councilor is scheduled to be appointed at the City Council meeting on Feb. 4.

Any questions may be directed to the City Clerk, Mari Peña, at 720-466-6101 or cityclerk@fortluptonco.gov.

Free bingo games at the Fort and win prizes

You are invited to see what’s happening at the Fort. It is open to the public, and bring snacks to share on January 6 from 6:00 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Fort Rendezvous room. A brief membership meeting will follow for members.

At the South Platte Historical Society, 2001 Historic Pkwy. Fort Lupton On Highway 85, the Northside of Fort Lupton, Turn West on 14-1/2. e parking will be on the right.

Colorado Contractors to replace the water meters in town.

Over time, meters age and require replacement to ensure accurate measurement and e ciency of water use. e majority of the meters in the City are reaching their useful life prompting this program. e replacement of the meters is entirely free of charge to residents.

According to the city, the current meters continue to work properly, however, some meters do not transmit the data from the meter to the system. e meter must then be read manually.

Accounts with meters that can’t be manually read, will be estimated. If the actual amount consumed is lower than the estimated amount previously billed, then the bill will be adjusted to re ect the higher usage. When the new meter is connected, it will re ect the correct usage moving forward.

Fort Lupton 2025 Business Resource Fair set Fort Lupton ‘s Business Resource Fair provides a consolidated forum for businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs to learn about the resources available to start, grow, or sustain their businesses. e fair is scheduled from 2-4:30 p.m. Jan. 16, at Aims Community College in Fort Lupton.

Contact Michelle Magelssen in the Fort Lupton Economic Development o ce for more information on these and other programs that may bene t your business in 2025: mmagelssen@fortluptonco.gov or 720466-6119.

Saturday pancakes

e Fort Lupton Public Library hosts a simple pancake breakfast on the last Saturday of each month in the library’s community rooms. is month’s pancake breakfast runs from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Jan. 25. e library is located at 370 S. Rollie Ave.

Contractors will notify residents when they will replace meters in their vicinity. For houses with meters that are outside and accessible, the contractors will let residents know when they plan to replace the meter. For houses that have inaccessible meters that are inside, in a basement or a crawl space, residents should contact Public Works to schedule an appointment.

More information can be found herehttps://www.fortluptonco.gov/1240/WaterMeter-Replacement-Program.

Chamber banquet is Jan. 17 e Fort Lupton Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual banquet at 5 p.m. Jan. 17 at the Fort Lupton Recreation Center, 203 S. Harrison Ave.

e event is combined with the library’s weekly reading program, so families can ll up with a good meal while listening to popular cult classic children’s stories that never get old. Breakfast starts at 9:30 and readaloud starts at 10 a.m. Every last Saturday of the month.

All ages are welcome.

Library seeking trustees

e Fort Lupton Public and School Library is accepting applications for a Board Trustee member vacancy. e position begins on Jan. 1. Visit the library’s website at https://www. fortluptonco.gov/1179/Board-Application to download an application in English or in Spanish.

Completed applications can be emailed to kmerrell@highplains.us at the library. Applications can also be obtained and submitted in person at the Fort Lupton Public & School Library, 370 S. Rollie Ave.

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.

Hard Bean Co ee 107 Dales Place. e next scheduled event runs from 8-9:30 a.m. Jan. 8 at Dales Co ee.

Co ee with a Cop is an easy way to get to know the men and women who serve our community and let them know about the issues that matter most to you. Remember that you can always reach our police department through our non-emergency number 720652-4222.

Acts of Connection seeks to lessen loneliness

Weld County and North Range Behavioral Health are working to target social isolation and build personal connections throughout the county with the Acts of Connection Initiative.

e evening includes a silent auction and performances by Liza Jo and a BBQ dinner catered by Halliburton. A cocktail hour is sponsored by Bank of Colorado.

e chamber is currently accepting donations for the silent auction and looking for event sponsors. If you or your business would like to contribute, please contact Allison Johnson at executivedirector@fortluptonchamber.org for more information or visit the chamber online at www.fortluptonchamber.org.

Local legislators to speak at Jan. 7 breakfast

Commuting Solutions will host a breakfast discussion with Metro North legislators and municipal o cials Jan. 7 in the Glenn Miller Ballroom on the University of ColoradoBoulder Campus.

Commuting Solutions is a non-pro t community group based in Louisville that focuses on transportation alternatives, like rail, bicycling and ride-sharing. It’s made up of businesses and government o cials from the northern Metro Denver area. is will be the 16th legislative breakfast the group has hosted.

e library’s board of trustees includes seven members, three appointed to represent the city, three appointed to represent the school district and a seventh member. Meetings are scheduled for the third ursday of each month in the Multi-purpose room at the library. e next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 16.

To watch the trustee meetings, use the link https://meet.goto.com/481492221 online.

Fort Lupton replacing water meters

e City of Fort Lupton has hired Northern

e 2025 edition of the breakfast will discuss the areas where transportation issues and climate intersect. Topics that are expected to be discussed include Innovations in transit-oriented communities, rail development and funding and e orts to expand statewide transit.

e breakfast is scheduled from 7:45-9:45 a.m. Jan. 7 in the University Memorial Center on the CU campus. Tickets are $100 for Commuting Solutions group members, and $135 for non-members. For more information and to register, go to https://commutingsolutions.org/event/16th-legislative-breakfast/ on the group’s website.

According to the group, four of ve adults younger than 24 and seniors older than 66 all reported feeling lonely at some point. e campaign encourages everyone to nd ways to connect with others, build relationships, and promote a stronger sense of wellbeing and a culture of connection for all. e group has sponsored a website at https://actsofconnectionweld.org/ to survey members of each group, o er some tips to help and take pledges to connect to the community and connect with other members of the community.

Visit the e ort’s website at https://actsofconnectionweld.org/ for more information.

Blessings in a Bag

Fort Lupton’s Backpack Program helps schoolchildren in need with a backpack of healthy food. It’s an all-volunteer program and needs volunteers. If interested in volunteering or donating, call 303-718-4440.

City committees need members

Fort Lupton is looking for several community-minded individuals to ll openings on several boards that advise the City Council and help run city programs.

e Cemetery Committee, Parks and Recreation Committee, Golf Committee, the Library Board, Public Safety Committee and the Senior Advisory Committee have openings. e openings consist of a two-year term running through the end of 2024. If you or anyone you know is interested in serving on a committee, please complete a committee application at https://www.fortluptonco. gov/966/I-Want-To-Apply-for-a-Committee on the city’s website.

Help for vets

Quali ed Listeners, a veteran and family resource hub serving northern Colorado and southern Wyoming, has several power chairs, scooters, and electric wheelchairs available.

Co ee with a cop Fort Lupton Police set aside one morning each month to share a few cups of co ee with residents.

Co ee with a Cop is a chance for police to meet with community members and discuss many topics including parking regulations on the 1st Wednesday of each month at

e VA o ers urgent care services to eligible veterans at VA medical facilities or several in-network urgent care clinics that are closer to home.

To nd the closest facility to you, visit www. va.gov/ nd-locations or call 720-600-0860. Quali ed Listeners also needs volunteers to drive veterans to and from appointments, run errands for veterans who cannot get out, handyman services, help administer veteran and family resource guide inventory in local libraries, and veterans to be trained to become quali ed listeners.

Donation time

e Fort Lupton Food & Clothing Bank is asking for donations of canned fruits and nuts, varieties of dry pasta and pasta dinners, peanut butter and canned meat such as tuna (including the pouches).

Other potential donations could include chicken, Vienna sausages, spam and salmon. e bank also needs personal items, such as toiletries and baby needs.

Drop o donations at the food and clothing bank’s back door, 421 Denver Ave., on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Call 303857-1096.

Denver to Pueblo in 11 minutes? Hyperloop tests start soon

Company working on test track a mile long

Imagine slipping into a sleek capsule at a train-like station in Pueblo and arriving in Denver 11 minutes later. Regardless of the weather.

at’s the vision that drives Swisspod Technologies as it works to complete a one-mile, full-scale hyperloop test track on the grounds of the former Pueblo Army Depot in southeastern Colorado.

In November, Swisspod unveiled 25 steel tubes atop concrete pillars stretching across 218 yards of prairie. You could look through the tunnel-like structure from one end to another. Seemingly, pretty basic stu .

But they are the rst pieces of an elliptical test track for an intriguing, futuristic mode of high-speed transportation in which capsules carrying cargo or people would levitate through vacuum tubes.

“As fast as a plane and as convenient as a train,” Swisspod CEO Denis Tudor said as onlookers peered at or clambered into the empty tubes.

While enthusiasm for hyperloop technology fueled a decade ago by design competitions sponsored by Elon Musk and SpaceX has cooled signi cantly, Tudor and his company are unabashedly forging ahead. He expects to begin testing at the Pueblo track in late 2025.

e 43-acre hyperloop testing facility is part of another dream too: the conversion of the former Pueblo Depot into a sprawling complex of businesses and industry to provide jobs in Pueblo County.

“Swisspod’s hyperloop test track falls right into our research and development plans,” said Chris Bolt, vice president and chief operating o cer for PuebloPlex, the redevelopment authority for the former Army post.

Swisspod’s vision

Tudor was 25 years old when he began working on hyperloop technology in 2015. A student at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), he co-founded the rLoop and EPFLoop teams that competed in the Space X Hyperloop Pod competitions that ran from 2015 to 2019.

e teams won awards for best design (2016), best innovation (2017), best engineering (2018), and third place for speed (2018). e EPFLoop team also took third place overall in 2018 and 2019.

e competitions ended but in 2019 Tudor and fellow engineer Cyril Dénéréaz incorporated Swisspod Technologies with the goal of making hyperloop transportation a reality.

Two years later they were building a

one-quarter scale test loop in Lausanne in cooperation with EPFL and the School of Engineering and Management Vaud, a branch of the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland. at same year, Swisspod announced a partnership with Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (now MxV Rail) to build the full-scale test track at the PuebloPlex. e rst steel tubes were installed in October 2023.

Meanwhile, various tests began at the Lausanne track in 2022, and the capsule prototype was completed in 2023.

In June 2024, it completed the longest-ever hyperloop test trial, sending its autonomous capsule 11.8 kilometers (about 7 miles) along the test track in Lausanne. e capsule reached speeds of about 25 mph.

A key di erence between Swisspod’s e ort and other hyperloop developers is that the infrastructure is cheaper to build because nearly all of the electri cation and controls are in the pods rather than the track, Tudor explained at the Pueblo track unveiling.

He estimated that a fully electri ed rail system costs about $100 million per mile, whereas the Swisspod concept would cost $12 million to $15 million per mile. e rail itself would contain only vacuum pumps and some sensors; the rest of the controls will be on the pod, which can be manufactured as needed.

“We took the electri cation o the rail — which is where the cost of high-speed rail is — and put it on the pod,” said Sotiris Pagdadis, a Swisspod board member and director who spoke at the Pueblo event.

He and other investors and board members touted the moxie of the engineering team that is working to transform transportation.

“Four years ago a bunch of crazy scientists and engineers had the vision to set up two test sites,” Pagdadis said.

“ ey had the audacity to believe they could do something that hadn’t been done.”

Andy Jesik, head of infrastructure for the company at PuebloPlex, said nearly everything at the test track is built in Colorado. e large steel tubes are built in Denver by H&L Pipe and Steel, for example.

e test track is elevated atop concrete columns, but the track could also be underground, he said. Either way, the system is immune to weather conditions for operations.

While the land where the test track is being constructed east of Pueblo is wide open and weather for construction is generally good, Jesik noted that building on a former Army facility came with some hazards.

“When we started soil testing we had to watch a video on unexploded ordnance,” he said with a chuckle. “ at’s when I knew this was going to be an interesting project.”

But so far one of the biggest challenges has been getting the rails into the tube and aligning them, he said.

When completed, the mile-long track will be the largest hyperloop test track in the world and the second-large vacuum chamber in the United States, Swisspod head of marketing Madalina Stoicescu said in an email.

Hyperloop activity wanes

Elsewhere, there is less enthusiasm for the so-called fth mode of transportation (after cars, trains, planes and boats), especially since the ballyhooed Hyperloop One shut down a year ago.

Started in 2013 as Hyperloop Technologies by Silicon Valley investor Shervin Pi-

shevar, the company underwent numerous transformations and name changes as its engineers developed technology. It became Virgin Hyperloop after entering into a partnership with Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, then reverted back to Hyperloop One in 2022 after Branson pulled his company out of the endeavor, according to the BBC. e company shifted its focus to cargo instead of people and investment dwindled. It also endured scandal, with directors accused of embezzlement and sexual misconduct, the BBC reported. It shut down completely in December 2023.

A view of the interior of Swisspod’s hyperloop test track that’s under construction at the Pueblo Plex. When completed in 2025, the 1-mile, 43-acre test site will be the world’s largest hyperloop testing faciltiy.
PHOTO BY MIKE SWEENEY /

Other startups around the world continue to pursue the technology, and India and China are particularly interested. Swisspod has a memorandum of understanding to operate in India and to collaborate with TuTr Hyperloop at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Stoicescu said.

In September, Hardt Hyperloop announced that it has successfully tested a levitation vehicle at its European Hyperloop Center in the Netherlands, e Associated Press reported.

Tudor noted that the technologies being pursued could have multiple applications, including in space exploration and high-speed rail, and the concepts have been around for a long time.

Although there has been some government interest — and investment — many, including in Colorado, are waiting for hyperloop to further develop. Colorado Department of Transportation Director Shoshana Lew said at a 2019 conference that CDOT was focused on available technologies.

“We are excited to see any new technology being researched, but for our projects that are on the horizon for the near term, such as mountain rail from Denver to Craig, we are envisioning the use of available technologies,” CDOT spokesperson Tim Hoover said this month.

Southern Colorado connection

O cials in southern Colorado are a bit more excited about hyperloop and the test track under construction at PuebloPlex.

Pueblo Mayor Heather Graham attended the unveiling of the rst sections

of the test track and said it will bring attention to the city and the developing PuebloPlex.

It’s exciting to see “the reuse of the chemical depot site in a new way,” she said.

Bolt, the COO of PuebloPlex, said it is great to have cutting-edge technology companies as a part of the complex.

e rst 5,000 acres of PuebloPlex was transferred in July from the Army to the redevelopment authority. Eventually, the full 23,000 acres of the depot, which in its history stored and maintained missiles and other ordnance, including 780,000 mustard agent- lled munitions, will be available for redevelopment.

PuebloPlex is working with the Army and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on the ongoing cleanup of the grounds as it recruits businesses to locate there.

MxV rail moved its railroad research and development operations in 2022 from the federal Transportation Technology Center just north of PuebloPlex.

MxV is a subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads.

e company spent $60 million over three years to repurpose facilities and build test tracks at PuebloPlex, MvX CEO and President Kari Gonzales, a Pueblo native, said. e company has about 250 employees, mostly in southern Colorado. It is the anchor tenant at PuebloPlex and has classrooms and meeting space, along with a cafeteria. MxV o ers courses on such things as alternative fuels and for rst responders who might be called to a derailment or re.

PuebloPlex also is home to manufacturer Cooper and Turner, which makes anchor bolt assemblies for wind turbine foundations.

And all of the secure igloos that once housed chemical weapons are leased for

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storage of such valuables as classic cars and artwork, Bolt said.

He noted that PuebloPlex is “just getting started” and he’s excited to see what it will become.

“We evaluate each prospect as they contact us and do our due diligence,” he said. “We’re open to talk to any prospect and then determine if they’re a good t. ere’s a lot of opportunity out here so we want to make sure we see the big picture for years to come.” is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.

Denis Tudor, co-founder and CEO of Swisspod, at the site of his company’s hyperloop testing facility at PuebloPlex, the former Chemical Depot, east of Pueblo Nov. 20, 2024. Swisspod says when completed in 2025, its 1-mile, 43-acre facility will be the largest hyperloop test facility in the world.
PHOTO BY MIKE SWEENEY / SPECIAL TO THE COLORADO SUN

Umpires must earn tournament berths, too

Committee picks umps based on team neutrality, schedule availability

Teams that qualify for the state baseball tournaments each spring must pass a series of tests, namely playo games.

According to George Demetriou, the baseball rules interpreter for the Colorado High School Activities Association, umpires follow the same type of script.

“We have a playo test, which is a slightly more difcult test than the regular test umpires have to take for membership,” he told CHSAA’s baseball committee this fall. “To be eligible, they have to achieve 90% on that test and be an umpires association member in good standing .. meeting requirements and attending the master clinic.”

Once the list of eligible umpires is in place, then it’s time for nominations and recommendations from area directors. After a committee screens that list to make assignments, then comes the question of neutrality.

“We try to avoid having umpires do games from schools that the regulars see during the regular season,” Demetriou said. “ e big exception to that is Denver. If it’s two Denver schools in a game, we don’t see that as a neutrality con ict. If it’s a Denver versus non-Denver school, then we wouldn’t have umpires from either area working the game.”

Availability

Postseason tournaments start on Fridays, which makes the list of available and quali ed umpires somewhat smaller.

“We’ve had Friday games for many years because of the double-elimination format,” Demetriou said. “It’s a di cult day to get umps. Most of the umpires have a full-time job. ey either have to take time o from work or they aren’t available. We’ve been able to manage through the years. If we add many more Friday games, that will be a challenge. We also have to take into account the travel time associated with that.”

Demetriou said adding more Friday playo games isn’t a fatal aw “but it’ll de nitely be a challenge.”

“With the regionals, especially on a Friday, we have pretty much tried to use local umpires. We have not followed the strict neutrality standards that we do for the state tournament,” he said. “We don’t have the numbers to do that. If there are four schools at a Denver site, the umpires will almost certainly be from Denver. en you will end up with Denver umpires in a game between a Denver school and a non-Denver school. We have not had any issues with that throughout the years.”

WENDELSTEDT HISTORY

The late Harry Wendelstedt took over his umpiring academy from Al Somers in 1977. Wendelstedt had been the chief instructor at the academy for several years.

Wendelstedt umped in the big leagues for 32 years. One of his noted calls came in 1968 when the Los Angeles Dodgers played the San Francisco Giants. Dodger pitcher Don Drysdale was in the midst of a scoreless inning streak (it hit 58 innings) when

he hit Giants catcher Dick Dietz with a pitch. The bases were loaded at the time, and the play would have ended the streak. Wendelstedt, who was working the plate, ruled that Dietz made no e ort to get out of the way of the pitch. Drysdale retired Dietz, and the scoreless inning streak stayed intact. Orel Hershiser eventually broke the scoreless inning streak record in 1988.

Umpires confer with Pomona coach EJ Mapps and Mountain Range coach D.J. Yeager in this 2021 file photo. Umpires have to earn the right to be at state playo and championship games.
PHOTO BY DENNIS PLEUSS/JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Thu 1/09

Global Sips and Savories (1/9)

@ 10am

Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-289-3760

Amazing Athletes

@ 1pm

Jan 9th - Jan 30th

Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-289-3760

Amazing Tots

@ 2pm

Jan 9th - Jan 30th

Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-289-3760

Kids Café at Anythink Huron Street @ 3:30pm

Anythink Huron Street, 9417 Huron Street, Thornton. swhitelonis@anythin klibraries.org, 303-452-7534

Eric Golden

@ 6pm

Brett Hendrix: The StilleryWestminster @ 9pm

The Stillery, 10633 Westminster Blvd #900, Westminster

Sat 1/11

National Western Stock ShowColorado vs The World Rodeo @ 9am

Brett Hendrix: The StilleryWestminster @ 9pm

The Stillery, 10633 Westminster Blvd #900, Westminster

Sun 1/12

Colorado Symphony Orchestra w/ Peter Oundjian @ 1pm Boettcher Hall, Denver

Mon 1/13

Biggest Loser 2025 @ 5am

Tribute to Dr Martin Luther King Jr @ 7:30pm Boettcher Concert Hall, 1400 Curtis Street, Denver

Wed 1/15

Lunch Out - Grateful Gnome @ 11am Offsite, 6060 E Parkway Drive, Commerce City. 303-289-3760

Denver Coliseum, 4600 Humboldt Street, Denver

Six Pack Series Winter 2 Mile & 5k @ 9am / $35-$35 10600 Westminster Blvd, Promenade Terrace, Westminster

Teens: Colorado Eagles Game @ 5:30pm Fort Lupton Community / Recreation Center, 203 S. Harrison Avenue, Fort Lupton. 303-8574200

Jan 13th - Feb 17th

Fort Lupton Recreation & Parks Depart‐ment, 203 S Harrison, Fort Lupton. 303-8574200

Cooking Cultures- Jan @ 10am

Jan 13th - Jan 27th

Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-289-3760

EP Lyrical-Begin-Perform-age 10-17 (Mon) @ 5:30pm

Jan 13th - May 26th

Eagle Pointe Recreation Center, 6060 E. Park‐way Dr., Commerce City. 303-289-3760

Nerf War @ 6pm

Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-289-3760

The Stillery, 10633 Westminster Blvd #900, Westminster

The Temptations & The Four Tops

@ 7:30pm / $49.95-$109.95 Paramount Theatre, Denver

Fri 1/10

Crafty Corner (1/10)

@ 10am

Eagle Pointe Recreation Center, 6060 E. Park‐way Dr., Commerce City. 303-289-3760

Denver Nuggets vs. Brooklyn Nets

@ 7pm / $50-$2615

Ball Arena, Denver

Nordic Daughter: Halfway to Renfaire @ 7pm @ Cheers, 11964 Washington St, North‐glenn

Professional Bull Riders @ 7pm Denver Coliseum, Denver

Tue 1/14

National Western Stock Show @ 9am

Offsite, 6060 E Parkway Drive, Commerce City. 303-289-3760

Brunchin’ at Bison (1/14) @ 10am

Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-289-3760

Professional Bull Riders @ 7pm Denver Coliseum, Denver

Denver Nuggets vs. Houston Rockets @ 7pm / $20-$1965 Ball Arena, Denver

Professional Bull Riders @ 7pm Denver Coliseum, Denver

Thu 1/16

American Sign Language - Beginner @ 4:30pm Jan 16th - Feb 20th

Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-289-3760

Restorative Yoga Jan 16 @ 7pm Jan 16th - Feb 6th

Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-289-3760

Colorado Avalanche vs. Edmonton Oilers @ 7:30pm / $50-$999 Ball Arena, Denver

Legals

Notice

RESOLUTION NO. 2024-93

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF BRIGHTON, COLORADO FINDING

SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE OF AN ANNEXATION PETITION, AND SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR JANUARY 21, 2025, TO DETERMINE IF THE APPROXIMATELY 2.859 ACRE PARCEL, TO BE KNOWN AS THE PETERS PROPERTY ANNEXATION, COMPLIES WITH STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCH ANNEXATION.

WHEREAS, pursuant to the laws of the State of Colorado, a Petition for Annexation to the City of Brighton (the “Petition”), was presented to the City of Brighton; and

WHEREAS, the Petition requests the annexation of approximately 2.859 acres of contiguous unincorporated territory, situated, lying, and being in the County of Adams, State of Colorado, as more particularly described in EXHIBIT A, attached and shown in EXHIBIT B, attached, hereto (the “Property”), into the City of Brighton; and

WHEREAS, William E. Peters (the “Applicant”), submitted the Petition, attached hereto as EXHIBIT C; and

WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Brighton, Colorado, has reviewed the Petition and has determined that the Petition is in substantial compliance with the applicable laws of the State of Colorado and with the City of Brighton’s requirements for a Petition; and

WHEREAS, the City Council desires to adopt, by resolution, its findings in regard to such Petition and to set a public hearing in regard to such petition.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of Brighton, Colorado, as follows:

Section 1. The City Council hereby finds that the Petition, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference as EXHIBIT C, substantially complies with the applicable requirements of C.R.S. § 31-12-107.

Section 2. The City Council of the City of Brighton, Colorado will hold a public hearing for the purpose of determining if the proposed annexation complies with Colorado Revised Statutes, Sections 31-12-104 and 31-12-105, as amended, at the following time, date, and place:

Tuesday, January 21, 2025, 6:00 p.m. City Council Chambers 500 South 4th Avenue Brighton, Colorado 80601

Any person may appear at such hearing and present evidence relative to the proposed annexation.

Section 3. Upon completion of the hearing, the City Council of the City of Brighton, Colorado shall set forth, by resolution, its findings of fact and its conclusion based thereon with reference to the eligibility of the proposed annexation, whether the statutory requirements of the proposed annexation have been met, and whether an election for the annexation is required.

Section 4. This Resolution is effective as of the date of its adoption.

RESOLVED this 3rd day of December 2024.

CITY OF BRIGHTON, COLORADO

By: /s./Gregory Mills, Mayor

ATTEST:

By: /s./Natalie Hoel, City Clerk

APPROVED AS TO FORM:

By: /s./Yasmina Gibbons, Deputy City Attorney

EXHIBIT A Legal Description

Approximately 2.859 acres of property locat-

Legal Notice No. BSB3529 First Publication: December 19, 2024 Last Publication: January 9, 2025 Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Summons and Sheriff Sale

Public Notice

DISTRICT COURT, ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO Court Address: 1100 Judicial Center Dr., Brighton, CO 80601

Plaintiff: EASTLAKE ESTATES HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., a Colorado non-profit corporation

Defendants: JACQUELYN KOSINSKI; COLORADO HOUSING & FINANCE AUTHORITY; DECKER & JONES, P.C.; CAPITAL ONE, N.A.; ALEX VILLAGRAN, AS PUBLIC TRUSTEE AND TREASURER FOR ADAMS COUNTY; UNKNOWN TENANT(S) IN POSSESSION

Case Number: 2024CV030916

Attorneys for Plaintiff: WINZENBURG, LEFF, PURVIS & PAYNE, LLP

Wendy E. Weigler #28419 Address: 350 Indiana Street, Suite 450 Golden, CO 80401 Phone Number: (303) 863-1870

SHERIFF’S COMBINED NOTICE OF SALE AND RIGHT TO CURE AND REDEEM

Under a Judgment and Decree of Foreclosure entered on September 17, 2024, in the abovecaptioned action, I am ordered to sell certain real property as follows:

Original Lienee Jacquelyn Kosinski Original Lienor Eastlake Estates Homeowners Association, Inc. Current Holder of the evidence of debt Eastlake Estates Homeowners Association, Inc.

Date of Lien being foreclosed February 25, 2022

Date of Recording of Lien being foreclosed March 17, 2022 County of Recording Adams Recording Information 2022000024246

Original Principal Balance of the secured indebtedness

$1,011.35

Outstanding Principal Balance of the secured indebtedness as of the date hereof $12,947.48

Amount of Judgment entered September 17, 2024

$11,551.08

Description of property to be foreclosed:

Lot 12, Block 4, Eastlake Estates Subdivision, County of Adams, State of Colorado.

Also known as: 2195 E. 126th Way, Thornton, CO 80241.

THE PROPERTY TO BE FORECLOSED AND DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN.

THE LIEN BEING FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.

The covenants of Plaintiff have been violated as follows: failure to make payments on said indebtedness when the same were due and owing.

NOTICE OF SALE

THEREFORE, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that I will, at 9:00 o’clock A.M., on February 20th, 2025, on the front steps of the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, located at 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, CO 80601, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property described above, and all interest of said Grantor and the heirs and assigns of said Grantor, for the purpose of paying the judgment amount entered herein, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law. Bidders are required to have cash or certified funds to cover the highest bid by noon on the day of the sale. Certified funds are payable to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.

First Publication: December 26, 2024

Last Publication: January 23, 2025 Name of Publication: Brighton Standard Blade

NOTICE OF RIGHTS

YOU MAY HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE REAL PROPERTY BEING FORECLOSED OR HAVE CERTAIN RIGHTS OR SUFFER CERTAIN LIABILITIES PURSUANT

FORECLOSED. A COPY OF THE STATUTES WHICH MAY AFFECT YOUR RIGHTS ARE ATTACHED HERETO.

A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE PURSUANT TO §38-38-104, C.R.S., SHALL BE FILED WITH THE OFFICER AT LEAST FIFTEEN (15) CALENDAR DAYS PRIOR TO THE FIRST SCHEDULED SALE DATE OR ANY DATE TO WHICH THE SALE IS CONTINUED.

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.

A NOTICE OF INTENT TO REDEEM FILED PURSUANT TO §38-38-302, C.R.S., SHALL BE FILED WITH THE OFFICER NO LATER THAN EIGHT (8) BUSINESS DAYS AFTER THE SALE, EXCEPT THAT, IF THE PERSON IS DEEMED AN ALTERNATE LIENOR PURSUANT TO §38-38-305.5, C.R.S. AND THE LIEN BEING FORECLOSED IS A UNIT ASSOCIATION LIEN, THE ALTERNATE LIENOR HAS THIRTY (30) DAYS TO FILE THE NOTICE WITH THE OFFICER OF THE ALTERNATE LIENOR’S INTENT TO REDEEM.

IF THE BORROWER BELIEVES THAT A LENDER OR SERVICER HAS VIOLATED THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT IN C.R.S. 38-38-103.1 OR THE PROHIBITION ON DUAL TRACKING IN C.R.S. 38-38-103.2, THE BORROWER MAY FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE COLORADO ATTORNEY GENERAL AT THE COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF LAW, RALPH L. CARR JUDICIAL BUILDING, 1300 BROADWAY, 10TH FLOOR, DENVER, CO 80203, 720-508-6000; THE CFPB, HTTP://WWW. CONSUMERFINANCE.GOV/COMPLAINT/; CFPB, PO BOX 2900, CLINTON IA 527332900 (855) 411-2372 OR BOTH, BUT THE FILING OF A COMPLAINT WILL NOT STOP THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS.

The name, address and telephone number of each of the attorneys representing the holder of the evidence of the debt is as follows: Wendy E. Weigler #28419 Winzenburg, Leff, Purvis & Payne, LLP 350 Indiana Street, Suite 450 Golden, Colorado 80401 303-863-1870

THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED MAY BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.

Date: November 26, 2024. By: Gene R. Claps Adams County Sheriff Adams County, Colorado

Statutes attached: §§38-37-108, 38-38-103, 38-38-104, 38-38-301, 38-38-302 , 38-38304, 38-38-305, and 38-38-306, C.R.S., as amended.

Legal Notice No. BSB3536 First Publication: December 26, 2024

Last Publication: January 23, 2025

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Public Notice

DISTRICT COURT, ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO Court Address: 1100 Judicial Center Dr., Brighton, CO 80601

Plaintiff: LAKESHORE AT HUNTERS GLEN HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, a Colorado non-profit corporation,

Defendants: KENNETH ALLEN MARUSKA; SELECT PORTFOLIO SERVICING, INC; HUNTERS GLEN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC.; DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY - INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; LISA CULPEPPER AS PUBLIC TRUSTEE FOR ADAMS COUNTY; LISA CULPEPPER AS TREASURER FOR ADAMS COUNTY; UNKNOWN TENANT(S) IN POSSESSION.

Case Number: 2022CV030011

Attorneys for Plaintiff: WINZENBURG, LEFF, PURVIS & PAYNE, LLP Wendy E. Weigler #28419

Address: 8020 Shaffer Parkway, Suite 300, Littleton, CO 80127 Phone Number: (303) 863-1870

SHERIFF’S COMBINED NOTICE OF SALE AND RIGHT TO CURE AND REDEEM

Under a Judgment and Decree of Foreclosure entered on July 14, 2022, and a Renewed Order and Decree entered on August 14, 2024, in the above- captioned action, I am ordered to sell certain real property as follows:

Original Lienee Kenneth Allen Maruska Original Lienor Lakeshore at Hunters Glen Homeowners Association,

Date

County of Recording Adams

Recording Information 2021000024701

Original Principal Balance of the secured indebtedness

$4,365.00

Outstanding Principal Balance of the secured indebtedness as of the date hereof $5,969.90

Amount of Judgment entered July 14, 2022

$16,538.45

Description of property to be foreclosed: Lot 120, Hunter’s Glen, Lakeshore Subdivision, Filing No. II, Amendment #1, recorded January 4, 1996, at Reception No. C0136141, County of Adams, State of Colorado.

Also known as: 1158 E. 130th Avenue, #C, Thornton, CO 80241.

THE PROPERTY TO BE FORECLOSED AND DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN.

THE LIEN BEING FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.

The covenants of Plaintiff have been violated as follows: failure to make payments on said indebtedness when the same were due and owing.

NOTICE OF SALE

THEREFORE, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that I will, at 9:00 o’clock A.M., on February 27, 2025, at Adams County Sheriff’s Office, located at 1100 Judicial Center Dr, Brighton, CO 80601, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property described above, and all interest of said Grantor and the heirs and assigns of said Grantor, for the purpose of paying the judgment amount entered herein, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law. Bidders are required to have cash or certified funds to cover the highest bid by noon on the day of the sale. Certified funds are payable to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.

First Publication: January 2, 2025

Last Publication: January 30, 2025

Name of Publication: Brighton Standard Blade

NOTICE OF RIGHTS

YOU MAY HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE REAL PROPERTY BEING FORECLOSED, OR HAVE CERTAIN RIGHTS OR SUFFER CERTAIN LIABILITIES PURSUANT TO COLORADO LAW AS A RESULT OF SAID FORECLOSURE. YOU MAY HAVE THE RIGHT TO REDEEM SAID REAL PROPERTY OR YOU MAY HAVE THE RIGHT TO CURE A DEFAULT UNDER THE LIEN BEING FORECLOSED. A COPY OF THE STATUTES WHICH MAY AFFECT YOUR RIGHTS ARE ATTACHED HERETO. A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE PURSUANT TO §38-38-104, C.R.S., SHALL BE FILED WITH THE OFFICER AT LEAST FIFTEEN (15) CALENDAR DAYS PRIOR TO THE FIRST SCHEDULED SALE DATE OR ANY DATE TO WHICH THE SALE IS CONTINUED.

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.

A NOTICE OF INTENT TO REDEEM FILED PURSUANT TO §38-38-302, C.R.S., SHALL BE FILED WITH THE OFFICER NO LATER THAN EIGHT (8) BUSINESS DAYS AFTER THE SALE, EXCEPT THAT, IF THE PERSON IS DEEMED AN ALTERNATE LIENOR PURSUANT TO §38-38-305.5, C.R.S. AND THE LIEN BEING FORECLOSED IS A UNIT ASSOCIATION LIEN, THE ALTERNATE LIENOR HAS THIRTY (30) DAYS TO FILE THE NOTICE WITH THE OFFICER OF THE ALTERNATE LIENOR’S INTENT TO REDEEM.

IF THE BORROWER BELIEVES THAT A LENDER OR SERVICER HAS VIOLATED THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT IN C.R.S. 38-38-103.1 OR THE PROHIBITION ON DUAL TRACKING IN C.R.S. 38-38-103.2, THE BORROWER MAY FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE COLORADO ATTORNEY GENERAL AT THE COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF LAW, RALPH L. CARR JUDICIAL BUILDING, 1300 BROADWAY, 10TH FLOOR, DENVER, CO 80203, 720-508-6000; THE CFPB, HTTP://WWW. CONSUMERFINANCE.GOV/COMPLAINT/; CFPB, PO BOX 2900, CLINTON IA 527332900 (855) 411-2372 OR BOTH, BUT THE FILING OF A COMPLAINT WILL NOT STOP THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS.

The name, address and telephone number of each of the attorneys representing the holder of the evidence of the debt is as follows: Wendy E. Weigler, Esq. Winzenburg, Leff, Purvis & Payne, LLP 350 Indiana Street, Suite 450 Golden, CO 80401 303-863-1870

THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED MAY

BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.

Date: November 14, 2024.

By: Sarah Tedesco Adams County Sheriff Adams County, Colorado

Statutes attached: §§38-37-108, 38-38-103, 38-38-104, 38-38-301, 38-38-302, 38-38304, 38-38-305, and 38-38-306, C.R.S., as amended.

Legal Notice No. BSB3507

First Publication: January 2, 2025

Last Publication: January 30, 2025

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Public Notice

DISTRICT COURT, ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO Court Address: 1100 Judicial Center Drive Brighton, 80601

Plaintiff: DEER RUN HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., a Colorado non-profit corporation d/b/a SUMMERCREEK HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION;

Defendants: JUSTIN MAAG; CAM M. MAAG; LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; PROFESSIONAL FINANCE COMPANY, INC.; ADAMS COUNTY TREASURER; UNKNOWN TENANT(S) IN POSSESSION.

Case Number: 2024CV031206

Attorneys for Plaintiff: THE DUPONT LAW FIRM, LLC

Stephane R. Dupont, #39425 Address: PO Box 1073, Castle Rock, CO 80104

Phone Number: (720) 644-6115

Email sdupont@dupontlawco.com

SHERIFF’S COMBINED NOTICE OF SALE AND RIGHT TO CURE AND REDEEM

Under a November 3, 2024 Order on Motion for Default Judgment of Foreclosure and Order and Decree of Foreclosure in the above- captioned action, I am ordered to sell certain real property as follows: Original Lienee(s) Justin Maag and Cam M. Maag

Original Lienor Deer Run Homeowners Association, Inc. Current Holder of the evidence of debt Deer Run Homeowners Association, Inc.

Date of Lien being foreclosed August 31, 2023

Date of Recording of Lien being foreclosed September 3, 2023

County of Recording Adams

Recording Information 2023000052141

Original Principal Balance of the secured indebtedness

$666.25

Outstanding Principal Balance of the secured indebtedness as of the date hereof

$10,350.46

Amount of Foreclosure Judgment entered November 3, 2024

$9,086.46

Description of property to be foreclosed:

Lot 34, Block 3, Deer Run Planned Unit Development, County of Adams, State of Colorado

Also known as: 5001 East 124th Way, Thornton, CO 80241

THE PROPERTY TO BE FORECLOSED AND DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN.

THE LIEN BEING FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.

The covenants of Plaintiff have been violated as follows: failure to make payments on said indebtedness when the same were due and owing.

NOTICE OF SALE

THEREFORE, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN

that I will, at 9:00 am o’clock A.M., on March 6, 2025, at the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, 1100 Judicial Center Dr, Brighton, CO 80601 located at sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property described above, and all interest of said Grantor and the heirs and assigns of said Grantor, for the purpose of paying the judgment amount entered herein, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.

First Publication: January 9, 2025 Last Publication: February 6, 2025 Name of Publication: Brighton Blade

NOTICE OF RIGHTS

YOU MAY HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE REAL PROPERTY BEING FORECLOSED, OR HAVE CERTAIN RIGHTS OR SUFFER CERTAIN LIABILITIES PURSUANT TO COLORADO LAW AS A RESULT OF SAID FORECLOSURE. YOU MAY HAVE THE RIGHT TO REDEEM SAID REAL PROPERTY OR YOU MAY

Colorado minimum wage rises 39 cents with New Year

Outside handful of cities, state rate is now $14.81

Colorado’s minimum wage increased by 39 cents an hour starting on Jan. 1. at brings it to $14.81 an hour for jobs that don’t receive tips and $11.79 for those that do.

Colorado’s minimum wage rises annually based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). is year’s increase comes to 2.7% or about $811 more annually for a full-time worker and means Colorado’s wage is now more than double the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.

A handful of Colorado cities and counties have chosen to raise their minimum wages even higher, and the hourly rates in those places will increase even more than the statewide one.

Proponents of the local minimum wage argue that it acknowledges that cost of living can vary a lot between communities.

“It actually adjusts the minimum wage really for what is happening in Denver, the place where those workers are working and living, rather than based on what’s happening at the national level or even the regional level,” said Markus Schneider, an associate professor of economics at the University of Denver.

Denver’s minimum wage increased from $18.29 to $18.81, the highest in the state.

Business groups warn that the rising wage can be hard for some employers to absorb, year after year.

“Small businesses in Colorado are facing mounting challenges,” Carly West, the Denver Metro Chamber’s Vice President of Government A airs, said in a statement to CPR. “Adding a minimum wage increase to this mix, especially for labor-intensive businesses with slim margins, raises serious concerns.”

West noted that more than 200 restaurants closed in Denver last year. “A stark reminder,” she wrote, “of the pressures small businesses face as they work to keep their doors open.”

e city sets its minimum wage increases based on the Denver-AuroraLakewood CPI, which determines costs in the metropolitan area by looking at the average change in the price of goods and services.

But is the minimum wage correctly keeping up?

According to the Colorado Fiscal Institute, a liberal economic think tank, the answer is no.

Sophie Mariman, a labor policy analyst at CFI, argues that even though the wage now rises with in ation, it still doesn’t allow workers to truly support themselves in high cost areas.

“At the end of the day, I think it’s really reframing what is economic prosperity

PUBLIC NOTICES

Children Services

(Adoption/Guardian/Other)

Public Notice DISTRICT COURT, ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO Court Address: 1100 Judicial Center Drive Brighton, CO 80601

Child: Dawn Sky Tatman

Respondents: Amanda Neill, David Tatman

Special Respondents: Patrice Neill, Jason Neill

Case Number: 23JV30168 Div: S ORDER OF ADVISEMENT

NOTICE TO THE ABOVE-NAMED RESPON-

DENTS,: Amanda Neill and David Tatman

YOU ARE HEREBY ADVISED that the Petitioner, has filed a Motion to Terminate the Parent-Child Legal Relationship which now exists between you and the above-named child(ren);

YOU ARE FURTHER ADVISED that the Motion has been set for hearing in Division S of the District Court in and for the County of Adams, Adams County Justice Center, 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, Colorado, on the 17th day of January, 2025, at 9:00 am, at which time the Petitioner must prove by clear and convincing evidence that: 1) That the child(ren) was adjudicated dependent or neglected; 2) That an appropriate treatment plan has not reasonably been complied with by the parent or has not been successful; 3) That the parents are unfit; 4) That the conduct or condition of the parent or parents is unlikely to change within a reasonable time; no less drastic alternative to termination exists, and 6) That it is in the best interests of the child(ren) that the parent-child legal relationship which exists between the child(ren) and the respondent(s) be terminated and severed.

OR 1) That the child(ren) has been abandoned by parent or parents in that the parent or parents have surrendered physical custody for a period of six months and during this period have not manifested to the child(ren), the court or to the person having physical custody a firm intention to assume or obtain physical custody or to make permanent legal arrangements for the care of the child(ren); and 2) That it is in the best interests of the child(ren) that the parent-child legal relationship which exists between the child(ren) and the respondent(s)

be terminated and severed. OR 1) That the child(ren) has been abandoned by parent or parents in that the identity of the parent of the child is unknown and has been unknown for three months or more and that reasonable efforts to identify and locate the parent in accordance with section 19-3603 have failed; and 2) That it is in the best interests of the child(ren) that the parent-child legal relationship which exists between the child(ren) and the respondent(s) be terminated and severed.

If a grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother, or sister of the child is requesting guardianship or legal custody of the child such request must be filed within twenty days of the filing of this motion.

YOU ARE FURTHER ADVISED that you have the right to have legal counsel represent you in all matters connected with the Motion to Terminate the Parent-Child Legal Relationship.

If you cannot afford to pay the fees of legal counsel, you are advised that the Court will appoint legal counsel to represent you at no cost to you upon your request and upon your showing of an inability to pay.

If you have any questions concerning the foregoing advisement, you should immediately contact either your legal counsel or the Court.

Done and signed on: November 7, 2024

BY THE COURT: District Court Judge/Magistrate

Legal Notice No. BSB3562

First Publication: January 9, 2025

Last Publication: January 9, 2025 Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Public Notice

STATE OF COLORADO IN THE DISTRICT COURT COUNTY OF ADAMS Division D1 No. 24JV30214

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO IN THE INTEREST OF:

Neveah Flynn A Child, and Concerning

Amanda Phillips, Zachary Flynn Respondents:

S U M M O N S

To the parents, guardian, or other respondents named above, GREETINGS: Amanda Phillips

You are hereby notified that a verified petition has been filed in the above named Court in which it is represented to the Court that said child are alleged to be dependent and neglected; for the reasons set forth more fully in said petition, a copy of which is attached

in Colorado and is it more than just this index that keeps us up with in ation?” said Mariman. “Where did the bar start and what’s been happening in the context over the last few decades of wage stagnation, skyrocketing cost of living, skyrocketing cost of housing in Colorado? In ation isn’t necessarily the right measure for a living wage.”

Mariman points to Boulder for example, which has one of the highest minimums in the state, and also an extremely high cost of living. According to the self su ciency wage tool crafted by the liberal Colorado Center on Law and Policy, a single person would need to earn $23.09 an hour to make ends meet, a far cry from the city’s $15.57 minimum wage next year.

Colorado’s minimum wage has long been set to increase with in ation, but it started rising by leaps and bounds under a ballot measure approved by voters in 2016. at policy brought the minimum up to $12 an hour by 2020.

In 2019, state lawmakers voted to let cities and counties set their wages even higher than the state oor, something a handful have done.

As the minimum wage increases, many wonder how it a ects local businesses.

A meta study of minimum wage research since 1992 found that raising the wage can lead to lost jobs, in particular among younger workers and those with less education, as employers nd ways

to get their work done with fewer people on their payroll.

Closer to home, a researcher for the business-oriented Common Sense Institute looked at proposals to raise the minimum wage in a number of Boulder County communities and concluded that, for every person pulled out of poverty in the next 15 years, the wage increases would cost between four and 12 jobs.

However, when it comes to small businesses in particular, a 2023 study from researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, found that minimum wage increases didn’t reduce how many people those businesses employ overall. e researchers also noted that higher wages should help with employment retention, saving business owners in the long run.

Mariman from CFI also argues that, the more people make, the more they’re able to contribute to the local economy, eventually putting more money back into the pockets of businesses.

“After raising its wage, Denver saw higher job growth, higher earnings, and higher sales tax revenues,” Mariman said. “ ese increased wages help boost local spending, especially on food and drink outside of the home.”

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.

hereto and incorporated herein by reference for greater certainty.

You are further notified that the parent-child legal relationship may be terminated by this action, if prayed for in the petition.

You are further notified that the Court has set said petition for hearing on the 22nd day of January, 2025 at the hour of 9:30 a.m. You are hereby notified to be and appear, at said time, before this Court located at the Adams County Justice Center, 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, CO 80601.

Witness my hand and seal of said Court this 27rd day of December, 2024.

Alana Percy Clerk of the District Court

Legal Notice No. BSB3563

First Publication: January 9, 2025

Last Publication: January 9, 2025

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Public Notice

District Court, Adams County, State of Colorado 1100 Judicial Center Dr. Brighton, CO 80601

In re the Parental Responsibilities: Petitioner: BESSIE LIM PONCE MARIN and Respondent: JUAN CARLOS ALANIZ ULLOA

Case Number: 2024DR30655 Div/Ctrm: A

Attorney for Petitioner:

Name: Alan Davis, Esq., 49870

Emily A. Jones, Esq., 49932

The Law Office of Emily A. Jones

Address: 3900 E. Mexico Ave., Suite 300 Denver, CO 80210

Phone: 720-679-6055

Email: Alan@EmilyJonesLaw.com; Emily@EmilyJonesLaw.com

NOTICE OF ALLOCATION OF PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES PROCEEDINGS AND SUMMONS

To the above-named Respondent:

You are hereby notified that a Petition for Allocation of Parental Responsibilities has been filed. This Summons serves as notice to appear in this case.

If you were served in the State of Colorado, you must file your Response with the clerk of this Court within 21 days after this Summons is served on you to participate in this action.

If you were served outside of the State of Colorado or you were served by publication, you must file your Response with the clerk of this Court within 35 days after this Summons is served on you to participate in this action. You may be required to pay a filing fee with your Response. A response form, as well as other forms that may be required in this matter may be found at: www.courts.state.co.us by clicking on the “Self Help/Forms” tab.

The Petition requests that the Court enter an Order addressing issues involving the child such as child support, allocation of parental responsibilities (decision-making and parenting time), attorney fees, and costs to the extent the Court has jurisdiction.

Notice: Colorado Revised Statutes §14-10123, provides that upon the filing of a Petition for Allocation of Parental Responsibilities by the Petitioner and Co-Petitioner, or upon personal service of the Petition and Summons on the Respondent, or upon waiver and acceptance of service by the Respondent, an automatic temporary injunction shall be in effect against both parties until the Final Order is entered, or the Petition is dismissed, or until further Order of the Court. Either party may apply to the Court for further temporary orders, an expanded automatic temporary injunction, or modification or revocation under §14-10-125, C.R.S.

A request for genetic tests shall not prejudice the requesting party in matters concerning allocation of parental responsibilities pursuant to §14-10-124(1.5), C.R.S. If genetic tests are not obtained prior to a legal establishment of paternity and submitted into evidence prior to the entry of the final order, the genetic tests may not be allowed into evidence at a later date.

Automatic Temporary Injunction – By Order of Colorado law, you and the other parties:

1. Are enjoined from molesting or disturbing the peace of the other party; and 2. Are restrained from removing the minor child(ren) from the state without the consent of all parties or an Order of the Court modifying the injunction; and 3. Are restrained, without at least 14 days advance notification and the written consent of all other parties or an Order of the Court, from cancelling, modifying, terminating, or allowing to lapse for nonpayment of premiums, any policy of health insurance or life insurance that provides coverage to the minor child(ren) as a beneficiary of a policy.

If you fail to file a Response in this case, any or all of the matters above, or any related matters which come before this Court, may be decided without further notice to you.

Respectfully submitted September 17, 2024.

/s/Alan Davis Alan Davis, Esq., 49870 The Law Office of Emily A. Jones Attorney for Petitioner

Legal Notice No. BSB3564

First Publication;

Popular black license plates power disability programs

Founder of Englewood trade school is director of new state o ce

Colorado’s throwback license plates — especially the cool black ones — are powering a new state o ce created to help people with disabilities get jobs and live independently.

e Colorado Disability Opportunity O ce, called the “C-Doo” among government o cials, will give out $5 million this scal year to organizations working to support people with disabilities. e o ce was created by the legislature in June and its inaugural director, Danny Combs, is the father of a son with autism and founder of a trade school in Englewood that teaches young people with autism how to become auto mechanics, welders, carpenters and electricians.

e o ce gets $25 per retro license plate sold. ose include the long-popular green mountains on a white sky, as well as the reintroduced white COLORADO on a solid blue background, on a red background, and the most popular, on a black background. e three plates, dating to 1914, 1915 and 1945, had been retired and were brought back into circulation in 2021.

About 20% of Coloradans have one or more disabilities, according to the new o ce. And programs that provide assistance are spread across multiple state agencies, including the state education department, the health and human services department, and the state agency that oversees Medicaid government insurance. e goal of CDOO is to coordinate all those e orts to create more e ciency and less overlap, as well as ll in the gaps where services aren’t covered.

It’s telling that the state selected Combs, who started his new job Nov. 12. In 2016, Combs founded Teaching the Autism Community Trades, or TACT, the rst trade school in the nation speci cally for young people with autism. He said he wanted more for his son, who has

an interest in rebuilding cars and writing, and would not be satis ed with a job bagging groceries or washing dishes. It’s also signi cant to note that the new o ce is housed within the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, which signals a focus on helping people gain self-su ciency.

“Traditionally, solutions to disability issues are often considered from a human services and poverty approach,” the o ce said in announcing its opening a few months ago. “Disability policy will be framed through an opportunity lens with the goal of helping those with disabilities get on a path to self-su ciency, so more people with disabilities can prosper.”

e Department of Labor and Employment also houses the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, which helps people with disabilities get job training and operates under the motto that “anyone with a disability who wants to work, can work, regardless of the type or severity of their disability.”

Combs reports directly to the governor’s o ce, as well as to Joe Barela, executive director of the labor department. His role is to make recommendations after gathering input from disability advocates, boards, committees and state agencies that run programs in schools or support people with disabilities living at home.

“ ere are leaders that are working so hard but they are unaware of what others are doing,” Combs said.

So far, CDOO has just one other employee besides Combs but the plan is to hire two more as soon as possible.

e o ce recently announced a new round of $2 million in grants, which is in addition to $1 million distributed earlier this year and another $2 million planned before the end of the scal year on June 30. e awards are determined by the Colorado Disability Funding Committee, which was transferred to the new o ce from the state Department of Personnel and Administration. e committee has 13 governor-appointed members, more than half of whom must have a disability or “have rsthand experience working with someone who does.”

e focus of the latest round of funding is for nonprofits or county human service agencies that are helping people with disabilities navigate the complex process of

The all-black, all-red, all-blue and the retired green-and-white license plates were among those Colorado began o ering in 2023, allowing people to choose from among four historic license plates, with revenue benefiting the Colorado Disability Funding Committee. COURTESY THE

applying for state and federal bene ts. Combs believes many Coloradans with disabilities are unaware that they qualify for services and unsure how to get them. “ ere are so many agencies doing great work but it can be kind of tricky,” he said.

His long-term goals as director include improving transportation options for people with disabilities, as well as increasing access to services, particularly in rural areas. “Being a statewide agency, we will be able to start supporting not just the Front Range corridor but all of Colorado,” he said.

Combs said New York is the only other state he is aware of with a similar disability o ce and that he is meeting with that state’s disability director next week.

Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera said in a news release that the grants re ect Colorado’s “unwavering commitment to empowering Coloradans with disabilities to achieve independence and thrive.” is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.

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