Parker Chronicle June 20, 2024

Two Democrats in tussle to unseat Commissioner George Teal

Angela Thomas and Julien Bouquet face o in Douglas County’s District 2

We are asking Coloradans what they want candidates to focus on

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Incumbent Douglas County Commissioner George Teal, a Republican, is running unopposed in the upcoming June 25 primary. at places him automatically on the ballot for November, where he will face a Democratic challenger.

e question for Democratic voters in the county is: Which one? Angela omas and Julien Bouquet are on the party’s primary ballot. Both Democrats are posi-

“We have to bring people back together and make decisions that are good for all the people of the county, not just a certain demographic,” said omas, a former chair of the Douglas County Democratic Party.

Thousands of respondents express frustration with polarization

ousands of Coloradans responding to a survey by their local newsrooms say candidates competing for their votes this year need to be focused primarily on several broad issues: democracy and good government, the economy and cost of living, the environment, climate and natural resources, immigration and abortion. Which concerns weigh most heavily on respondents’ minds changes with their politics. Conservatives in the survey prioritized immigration and the economy, followed by the state of the government. Moderates and liberals, in contrast, chose democracy and good government as their top issue by a wide margin.

“If we don’t have free and informed citizens with equal access to the ballot box, then we won’t have

BY TINA GRIEGO, MEGAN VERLEE, NEWS STAFF COLORADO NEWS COLLABORATIVE, CPR NEWS, COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Julien Bouquet

Angela Thomas

Convergint donates $500K in upgrades to Douglas County outdoor education facility

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Hundreds of volunteers completed nearly $500,000 in security and accessibility updates at Stone Canyon Outdoor EdVenture campus in Larkspur at no cost to the district, thanks to a partnership with the security company Convergint.  Convergint, an international company with a location in Centennial, o ers a program called Step Up, which donates labor and equipment for security upgrades at schools. On June 6, Stone Canyon, part of the Douglas County School District, became the latest recipient of the pro-

Stone Canyon Outdoor Edventures facility received around a half-million dollars worth of security and accessibility upgrades, including a new gazebo for the outdoor classroom space. All of the upgrades were completed on June 6.

PHOTOS BY MCKENNA HARFORD

gram.

In total, about three months of work got done in one day at Stone Canyon. Projects ranged from installing a new loudspeaker system across the property to building a new gazebo for one of the outdoor classrooms to painting the base camp building.

Other security improvements include a license plate reader at the entry gate and a video surveillance system.

Stephen Fisher, director of business development for Convergint, said the work done at Stone Canyon is the biggest Step Up donation since the program started in 2018.

“Every part of this campus is being touched,” Fisher said.

e Stone Canyon facility is a sprawling 99-acre camp that features ropes courses, a zipline, indoor and outdoor classrooms and other recreational amenities like archery. It mostly hosts fth and sixth grade classes from around the metro area, but also o ers summer camps and company team building retreats.

Jolee Jones, director of organizational development and experiential learning for the school district, said the campus teaches students outdoor skills, like re building and Leave No Trace principles, and les-

sons in science and nature, as well as works on teambuilding, communication and critical thinking.

“We want students to understand the environment they grow up in and have an appreciation for it, and learn about one another,” Jones said. “Out here, kids get to shine and thrive in an entirely di erent way and then they learn to appreciate one another in that way.”

Jones said the upgrades will help address emergencies like wild re, dangerous wildlife and potential human threats.

“We want to make sure that our facility is safe and taken care of and that we’re thinking about the needs of all of our students and sta , like those who are deaf or hard of hearing,” Jones said. “With the new message boards, if they can’t hear the (emergency) sirens, they can see the board, so it’s bringing a lot of accessibility.”

Deputy superintendent Danelle Hiatt said Convergint’s donation helped the district make upgrades that it otherwise couldn’t a ord.

“We’re really excited to be able to have this partnership,” Hiatt said. “ ese projects that have been worked on today will really enhance the student experience when they participate in outdoor education.”

A volunteer from Convergint, an international security company with o ces in Centennial, paints the Stone Canyon Outdoor Edventures building on June 6 in Larkspur. Convergint partnered with Douglas County School District to donate nearly $500,000 worth of upgrades to Stone Canyon.

well commuunderstand and learn “Out in then another help re, huour and needs like hearmesthe the accesDanelle donation upgrades to said. been enhance they

ADVERTISEMENT

Wouldn’t It Be Great if You Could Assume the Seller’s Low-Interest Loan? Maybe, if It’s a VA Loan

Most mortgage loans are not assumable, but VA loans are assumable when certain conditions are met. Here’s what I have learned about that.

There are many sellers who are veterans and obtained a VA loan on the home they are now selling. If they don’t need to regain their certificate of eligibility for a VA loan on their replacement home, they can sell their home to anyone — not just a veteran — and let that person assume their VA loan. For the seller to regain their eligibility for a VA loan on their replacement home, the buyer would have to be able to qualify for a VA loan as a veteran.

Wendy Renee, our in-house lender at Golden Real Estate, helped me learn the rules for assuming a VA loan.

Rocket Mortgage has an excellent website explaining those rules and is the source for the following. I’ll post a link to their webpage on our company blog, http://RealEstateToday.substack.com

The good news is that a buyer can assume a VA loan, even if they would not qualify for a VA loan for themselves. If the seller has a VA mortgage at, say, 2.75%, a buyer would get to take over that loan and make the same payments. Not bad, given today’s loan rates over 6 percent!

Conventional loans guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not

assumable. Sellers with a VA loan will want to take advantage of this crucial selling point over competing listings on the MLS. Every seller who has an existing VA loan should have his listing agent emphasize that fact in the MLS, pointing out its interest rate and that it’s assumable. However, if it’s important to the seller that he regain his entitlement to a VA loan for his replacement home, then it should be noted in the MLS that the seller will only allow an eligible veteran to assume the loan. Hooray for that veteran, because a new VA loan would probably have an interest rate over 6%.

Although the buyer will not need to meet the military eligibility, he or she will need to meet the financial eligibility requirements of the lender. The lender, not the VA, must approve the assumption. If the lender approves your financial qualifications, you can proceed with the assumption. Note: Lenders are not required by the VA to allow assumption. Most lenders have a minimum FICO score to qualify for a loan. With Rocket Mortgage, that score is 580. Other lenders require a minimum score of 620.

VA loans don’t require a down payment, but in assuming a VA loan, you may be asked for a down payment. Considering that most homes for sale have plenty of equity due to the rise in home

Megan’s Insights on the June Real Estate Market

By MEGAN ALLER

First American Title

As we navigate the real estate market for the week of June 5th-12th, 2024, it is clear that the market continues to re-

tract. Increased inventory and hesitant buyers have led to significant shifts in market dynamics. Now the key points:

Retraction persists as more inventory enters the market and pending transactions decline, leading to a higher months’ supply of inventory than usual for the second week of June.

The growing inventory and shrinking buyer pool have caused prices to fall slightly as we transition into summer.

Our average daily active listings have increased week over week, with inventory significantly higher compared to the same period last year.

New listings have shown an upward trend, and this activity is expected to continue growing until September. However, pending transactions have declined compared to the previous weekend.

The odds of selling have decreased

values, that’s not very likely.

VA loans require the payment of a funding fee, and that is true for the buyer who assumes a VA loan. That funding fee is 0.5% of the loan amount. As with the original borrower, that fee can be waived if the buyer is a disabled veteran or the spouse of a deceased veteran with a service-related disability.

Compensating for that 0.5% funding fee is the fact that you won’t have other fees, including paying for an appraisal.

A processing fee of $250 to $300 will be charged to the buyer in addition to the funding fee.

Note that the VA is not the lender The loan is merely guaranteed by the VA. The underwriting requirements may differ from lender to lender.

So, how do you find a home on which the seller has a VA loan? Unfortunately, that is a not a searchable field on the

MLS, even for us MLS members. However, if you find a home you want to buy, we can find that property on Realist, an app within the MLS, which tells what kind of loan, if any, was taken out by the seller. And, of course, we can ask the listing agent if that VA loan is still in place and what the current balance and interest rate is. Depending on the buyer’s cash reserves, it may be necessary to apply for a second mortgage.

When the loan is assumed, the seller needs to request a release of liability from the lender. Without that, the seller could be responsible for late payment fees or even default by the new borrower. Ask your lender in advance of agreeing to the assumption whether you will receive a release. If they won’t, that could or should be a deal breaker. If you’d like help finding a home with a VA loan in place, call us (below).

Coming: A 5-BR Home in Scenic Heights

compared to last week, trending historically below the average for June in previous years.

To balance the market with a 6-month supply of inventory, we would need a significantly higher number of total listings, indicating we are currently far from market equilibrium.

Showings last week were down slightly, with the average number of showings per property and the number of showings required to go under contract showing some fluctuations.

Price reductions were more prevalent this week, with a notable portion of units going under contract after reducing their price. The size of these reductions has remained consistent.

If you are wondering when to list your property this summer, it is advisable to list as soon as possible. Growing inventory and a diminishing buyer pool could lead to longer days on market and potential price reductions. Listing earlier in the summer may help achieve the best possible price for your home.

The sellers designed this 4,603-sq.-ft. home at 6714 Field St. in Arvada for entertaining and were the general contractor when building it in 1985. Spaces for entertaining abound both indoors and on the large wraparound deck, which was rebuilt with Trex two years ago. There's an indoor hot tub in its own room that is well ventilated to avoid moisture-related issues. Oak hardwood floors are on the main level, while the upstairs and the mostly finished basement have wall-to-wall carpeting. All bathrooms and the kitchen are tiled. There is not only a separate den on the main floor, but also a reading room and sewing room upstairs. This home is an early example of passive solar design for exploiting solar gain through thermal mass in the winter but staying cool in the summer. In addition to the solar thermal panels on the roof which provide hot water for the home, there are solar thermal panels built into the south wall of the living room to capture solar gain in the winter for dispersal inside the house after dark. The backyard includes a large garden area and a shed with electricity which has two compartments — a storage area with a concrete floor and a south-facing area with gravel floor and windows to capture solar gain for starting plants in the late winter. There is no HOA and there’s a gate on the north side of the house for parking an RV next to the garage. Take a narrated video tour at www.GRElistings.com, then come to my open house on June 22, 11am to 1pm.

Jim Smith

Broker/Owner, 303-525-1851

Jim@GoldenRealEstate.com 1214 Washington Ave., Golden 80401

Broker Associates:

JIM SWANSON, 303-929-2727

CHUCK BROWN, 303-885-7855

DAVID DLUGASCH, 303-908-4835

GREG KRAFT, 720-353-1922

AUSTIN POTTORFF, 970-281-9071

KATHY JONKE, 303-990-7428

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

CANDIDATES

democracy and the country won’t be worth preserving,” Marcus Pohlmann, a Highlands Ranch resident and a professor emeritus of political science, wrote in a comment that was echoed by many others.

An issue’s ranking reveals its importance to voters, but not the nuances of their views. ose nuances are emerging in the answer to the survey’s core question: “What do you want candidates to talk about as they compete for your vote?”

So far, more than 4,500 Coloradans have answered that question. e vast majority to date self-identify as white and liberal or moderate and live along the densely populated — and deeply blue — Front Range. But voters in red, rural communities and purple suburbs are also responding. And lots of people have lots they want to say to politicians regarding what’s important:

From Arvada: “Will candidates truly be a voice for the citizen and not just vote party lines? In recent years, I have seen the state take over more and more control on what happens in our local communities. I want a candidate who listens to the people.”

From Highlands Ranch: “How to heal the divisions in our society. Foreign a airs Treating refugees and immigrants with dignity, breaking the broken system.”

From Lakewood: “Education - our teachers aren’t paid enough for what they must handle. Crime - it’s out of control. Don’t see cops patrolling anymore, speeds are unchecked, guns are the solution to disagreements. Competitive wages - people can’t make a living wage.”

From Littleton: “Candidates should speak to the wealth gap in USA, it’s causes, remediation, and prevention.”

From ornton: “How willing they are to address climate change and to preserve/strengthen a woman’s right to make her own decisions about her own body.”

From Fort Collins: “ e pursuit of unsustainable (population) growth is inexcusable and should be dropped. is includes the ridiculous YIMBY (aka real estate developer) policies.”

From Fort Morgan: “I would like them to talk about how high and unreasonable the cost of living has become. Do we pay rent and insurance but go hungry?”

From Denver: “Housing, housing, housing. e cost of living is too high

and it is primarily driven by the high cost of housing. We need to break down legal barriers and construct housing of all types, especially in dense urban areas and around transit.”

From Fremont County: “Illegal immigration, violations of our constitutional 2nd right amendment, stopping the Trump tax cuts which will result in higher taxes, economy/cost of living, increasing oil and gas production.”

From Durango: “ e homeless situation is out of control. Vets, young families, panhandlers on corners, and those without jobs, how do states handle this?? Immigrants brought in who are seeking asylum?? Monies going out to countries in need vs. our own country… I think we need to focus on our economy and our homeland rst.”

From Alamosa County: “How they plan on limiting government involvement in my life. De ne their priorities so that I may determine how they align with mine.”

From Monte Vista: “Water equity, rural equity, less guns, state bank for small biz loans, less throw-money-atthem public transportation…”

From Aurora: “What would you do to reduce wealth inequity? Would you support/subsidize starter homebuilding initiatives? Would you support before and after school childcare for elementary students?”

From Colorado Springs: “Enshrining marriage equality in the Colorado constitution… LGBTQIA+ rights are at the top of my list. I identify as lesbian/ queer, and my wife (they/them) is nonbinary and masc-presenting. e threat to our personal liberty from the right is terrifying.”

Joe Brooks, a 53-year-old father of elementary-school-age children who lives in ornton, summed up a common sentiment while acknowledg-

ing political reality.. “I’d love to hear them talk more about what’s really really at stake, which is personal liberty and freedom. Everybody really wants that, but people disagree on how that looks.”

Among other highlights from the survey so far:

Many self-identi ed conservatives, who chose immigration as top concern, are calling for closure of the southern border and the deportation of both recent asylum-seekers and people who’ve lived here long term without documentation.  ose who identi ed as liberal named “abortion” as a top-three concern, closely followed by the economy and then social justice and equity.

Young people, those 18-29, put the economy and cost of living in the No. 1 spot, followed by democracy, then the environment. Social justice and equity comes up No. 4. However, this group, like conservatives, is underrepresented in the responses so far.

Survey respondents express much higher trust in the fairness of local elections than in national ones, but conservatives indicate far more distrust in both. Six in 10 self-identi ed conservatives say they have no condence in the fairness of the national election and nearly a quarter express the same lack of faith in the local elections.

Looking at survey responses overall, without accounting for political lean, urban, suburban and rural residents who responded to the survey share the same top concerns in the same order: Democracy, economy, environment, immigration and abortion. But rural respondents follow that up with “personal liberty” as their nexthighest concern while urban and suburban residents named “social justice and equity.”

National and international politics course through the responses and many survey respondents have litmus-test questions for candidates: Do you believe Trump won the 2020 election? Do you support the overturn of Roe v. Wade? Do you support continued funding for Ukraine? For Israel? Do you have a plan to address climate change? Do you support the complete separation of church and state?

While national politics dominate these bright-line questions, there is no shortage of questions about local concerns. People responding to their local newsrooms’ surveys are asking about tra c on Tower Road, Front Range air quality, rebuilding the Douglas County health department, homelessness on the Western Slope, health care on the Eastern Plains, land-use policies (everywhere), low-income housing for seniors in Mesa County, and workforce housing in Routt County.

A note on the survey itself: is is not a scienti c poll. Data on race and ethnicity was awed and will be included in later stories.

One of the most striking takeaways from the survey so far is how many respondents answered the question of what they want candidates to talk about with how they want candidates to speak. Without rancor, without partisanship, posturing or platitudes, and with commitments to compromise, transparency and pragmatism.

“How they will get over petty partisan bickering and actually do the job they were elected to do,” Tim Samuelson, a 42-year-old self-described moderate who lives in Denver, wrote in his survey response. “Form policies together that aren’t fringe issues that the majority of the public doesn’t think about on a daily basis. Get to work, quit the gamesmanship.”

Put more bluntly by another survey respondent: “How they plan to x this mess, not what a jackass the other guy is. We already know that.”

Hyper-partisanship is a perennial lament about politics. But the sharp — and sometimes plaintive — edge in the call for candidates to work together seems in part intensi ed by the sense among respondents that the stakes are just too high now to do otherwise. at sentiment surfaces in the bigpicture responses: democracy in peril, the planet in danger, our personal and civil liberties under attack. But anxiety also simmers in respondents’ dayto-day concerns, worries that can be summed up with: can’t buy a house, can’t a ord rent, our roads are bad, our schools need help, farming is un-

CANDIDATES

der threat, taxes are unfairly assessed and distributed, tra c is killing us, our healthcare system is broken, the gap between the haves and have-nots has become a chasm and I’m never, ever, making it to the other side.

In the face of all that, Samuelson, who is also the father of three young children whom he worries will grow up with fewer opportunities and more threats, nds the partisan sniping not simply intolerable, but irresponsible.

“I just get the feeling from so many politicians that it’s about being heard and seen and having that platform instead of the desire to govern,” he said in an interview.

More than 300 miles southwest, Bay eld resident Evanne Caviness shares Samuelson’s frustration and builds upon it.

In her response to the Durango Herald’s survey, Caviness emphasized a point made by other respondents: She and her husband, and the things that concern them, cannot be reduced to one side of the partisan line or the other.

“I’m progressive in social issues, but I’m also a rural rancher,” she wrote in her survey. “So we don’t t neatly in a box like many candidates treat us.”

Caviness lives in the ird Congressional District, the massive, sprawling home to mansions and mobile home parks, to the mountains that nestle Aspen west through farmland and

public lands, south into tribal nations, through villages built on Spanish land grants and working-class Pueblo neighborhoods into the southeastern Plains.

Caviness wants it made plain that she is as complex as her district. She is 27. She is Latina, Indigenous and white. She married her high school sweetheart and they are now rstgeneration farmers and ranchers who sell grass-fed beef, and, so, yeah, they’d like a word with Gov. Jared Polis about his “MeatOut” day. But Caviness also works for the nonpro t National

Young Farmers Coalition and she is dedicated to eliminating systemic barriers that have kept young people and people of color out of agriculture.

She wants a candidate eager to sit on the House Agriculture committee. She wants a candidate who will recognize structural racism as real. She wants a candidate who knows what the price of land and cattle is doing to farmers and ranchers. She wants a candidate who understands that she can hold down a full-time job and help her husband on the ranch and still need to go to a local food program twice a month

to ease the strain on the grocery budget. She wants a candidate to do more than sympathize with the fact that she has to drive two of the couple’s three young children nearly six hours to Denver to see a medical specialist because they can’t get the care they need in rural Colorado.

Caviness doesn’t agree with some of the politics of her older, conservative neighbors, but says that she and her husband will drop everything to answer their call for help with the cows or anything else. “ at’s just who we are as a community.”

And so she wants that, too, a candidate who has a concrete plan to build on common ground rather than exploit divides.

“So long as we are distracted by whatever is trending on social media at the moment, whatever outrageous thing we have to be mad about now, it’s, like, OK, but yeah, young farmers are still not going to be able to buy land,” Caviness says.

“My kids are still going to have to go to Denver to go to the audiologist and I have to pay for that out of pocket. ese are issues that are still happening while you are debating something ridiculous that doesn’t a ect us on the day to day.”

Tina Griego is the managing editor of the Colorado News Collaborative, which is leading the Voter Voices project. Megan Verlee is the public a airs editor at Colorado Public Radio, the project’s lead partner. Colorado Community Media is among local news organizations across the state participating in the Voter Voices project.

CREATED WITH DATAWRAPPER

Say goodbye to gutter cleaning for good

No clogging*, No cleaning No leaking, No water damage No ladder accidents

Receive a $50 Visa Card with your FREE in-home estimate

*All participants who attend an estimated 60-90-minute in-home product consultation will receive a $50 Visa card. Retail value is $50. Offer sponsored by Leafguard Holdings Inc. Limit one per household. Company procures, sells, and installs seamless gutter protection. This offer is valid for homeowners over 18 years of age. If married or involved with a life partner, both cohabitating persons must attend and complete presentation together. Participants must have a photo ID and be legally able to enter into a contract. The following persons are not eligible for this offer: employees of Company or affiliated companies or entities, their immediate family members, previous participants in a Company in-home consultation within the past 12 months and all current and former Company customers. May not be extended, transferred, or substituted except that Company may substitute a card of equal or greater value if it deems it necessary. Card will be mailed to the participant via first class United States Mail within 10 days of receipt of the promotion form. Not valid in conjunction with any other promotion or discount of any kind. Offer not sponsored and is subject to change without notice prior to reservation. Except in the states of MD, NY and DC, where the card offer is limited to $25. Offer not available in the states of CA, IN, PA and MI. Expires 7/31/24.

* Guaranteed not to clog for as long as you own your home, or we will clean your gutters for free.

Colorado Community Media to Hold its First 5K Run

BY JO ANN M. COLTON

There is no better way to appreciate the beauty of Colorado than by witnessing all the sights and sounds of the great outdoors.

from walking and/or running along our state’s many wonderful paths and scenic nature trails.

Join Colorado Community Media as we host our first-ever 5K run on Saturday, Aug. 24, at Clement Park, 7306 W. Bowles Ave. in Littleton.

And, before the run, we want you to submit your own “Trail Tales,” including photos, to your local newspaper (events@coloradocommunitymedia. com). Tell us where you most enjoy going for a walk or a run in your commuor elsewhere in Colorado.

In turn, we will share many of those adventurous tales with the readers of our two dozen community newspapers in the weeks ahead of the run.

There are no prizes associated with the event and participants will not receive a “standard” T-shirt. Instead, registered participants will receive a pair of custom running socks. The Share Your Trail Tales 5k Run is open to people of all ages. Participants have the option of making it a fun-filled day for the entire family. Registration fees are $35 for adults (ages 17 & up), $15 (ages 5 to 16), and free for children (ages 4 and under ). Parking for run participants and event attendees is available in the west parking lot, which can be reached as you enter Clement Park through the Library entrance on W. Bowles Avenue.

Park is currently being firmed up to feature other activities throughout the day including food and beverage purchase options offered by local food trucks, vendor booths, and live music entertainment.

“Your support of this event as a race participant and/or as an attendee is paramount to the success of our first Share Your Trail Tales 5k Run and it will help us sustain our ability to support local news,” Scott said. “We encourage the engagement of our readers and future readers to be part of this and future events at Colorado Community Media.”

About the 5k: It is scheduled to loop around Johnston Reservoir from 9:30 a.m. to noon. It will start and end on the bike path near Shelter P. The event is different from most 5k runs in many ways. For starters, the sole purpose of this event is to simply provide an opportunity for people across Colorado to come together, interact, and share their personal experiences gained

Colorado Community Media publications span eight counties along Colorado’s majestic Front Range — Weld, Adams, Jeffco, Clear Creek, Douglas, Elbert, Arapahoe and Denver. As a nonprofit organization, community is important to us and we are eager to reach out and meet members of the communities our news organization serves.

Carlie Scott, Colorado Community Media’s events director, stated that the program for the Aug. 24 run in Clement

Colorado Community Media could not put on events like this 5k run without the help of its dedicated supporters and sponsors. Sponsorship provides an ideal marketing prospect for your business and positive brand recognition. The organization offers many levels of sponsorship and opportunities for involvement. As a sponsor, you can be part of a fun community event that promotes health and wellness.

To register for the Share Your Trail Tales 5k please visit our website

Lead common across Colorado’s school districts

Analysis shows schools have work to

do

to remove lead from water

BY JASON GONZALES CHALKBEAT COLORADO

Nearly two-thirds of the roughly 2,200 sources of drinking water found roughly a year ago to have excessive lead contamination in Colorado’s 10 largest school districts still need to be xed.

at’s according to a new Colorado Public Interest Research Group analysis of state data. e group found that since testing began last year, districts haven’t addressed the high lead levels of lead in the majority of water xtures since May of last

year.

e organization, which focuses on health and other public policy issues, released the analysis using publicly available data from May 1 — a year since the state began requiring the testing of lead levels in Colorado schools and child care centers

Kirsten Schatz, an advocate with the Colorado Public Interest Research Group, speaks at a press conference calling for districts to do more to mitigate lead contamination in school drinking water on June 6, 2024, outside the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment o ce in Cherry Creek, Colorado. CHALKBEAT

drinking sources.

“We would like to see them prioritize this to provide a safer, healthier learning environment,” said the group’s Kirsten Schatz, referring to schools. “Drinking water in schools should be of paramount importance, and we’d like to see them get

that done.”

e analysis pulls from a statewide report required by a 2022 law that required schools to test water from sources like drinking foundations and make xes if lead levels are 5 parts per billion or higher. e law set aside $21 million for testing and repairs. Schools and child care centers were required to test by May 31 of last year.

Lead is a dangerous neurotoxin that can cause learning disabilities and behavior problems in children, and even low levels of exposure can impact a child’s IQ. Although lead levels in American children have decreased dramatically since the 1970s, studies show many children still have detectable levels.

Studies have shown that 72% of

REVERSE MORTGAGES MADE

WATER

Colorado children under 6 who were tested for lead had trace levels in their blood. However, many kids in Colorado have never been tested.

Schatz said the group focused on the state’s 10 largest districts because they educate the majority of Colorado’s students.

e analysis shows of the 2,201 water xtures with contamination levels above 5 parts per billion and needing remediation, only 784 have been xed since testing began in May 2023. at means 1,417 sources still need a x to bring levels below the threshold, according to the analysis.

Schatz said the statewide school data shows some districts have taken action after they began reporting lead levels. e organization analyzed data from Denver, Adams 12, Aurora, Cherry Creek, Je erson County, Academy, Douglas, Boulder, St. Vrain Valley, and Poudre school districts.

e report found Aurora Public Schools had the greatest need for remediation of contaminated drinking sources, with 88% of water xtures reported to have excessive lead levels still needing remediation. Meanwhile, about 83% of Denver Public Schools’ water xtures with excessive lead levels still needed remediation.

Out of the ten biggest districts, only St. Vrain Valley School District showed no xtures needing reme-

diation.

e analysis identi ed some extreme high levels of lead. One xture at Eagleview Elementary School in Adams 12 tested as high as 4,500 parts per billion — or 900 times the state’s threshold. e xture has since been replaced, according to the report.

Although the Colorado Public Interest Research Group’s analysis focuses on only the state’s largest districts, statewide data shows it’s an issue that also a ects many smaller schools. e organization also created a resource guide for parents who want to analyze the statewide data for themselves.

Schatz said while she commends school districts for starting to take action, no student or parent should have to worry about lead in their

water, and that there should be no lead in any source of drinking water. Her group recommends that parents worried about lead contamination send their students to schools with ltered water.

e American Academy of Pediatrics has set a safety threshold of 1 part per billion in drinking water. Most states have set the limit at 5 or 10 parts per billion.

“We know that there’s no safe level of lead exposure for people, and especially children who are still developing, because it causes so many health harms,” she said. “ e most important thing is that we provide a safer and healthier learning environment.”

is story runs permission of Chalkbeat, a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools.

A publication of

Call first: 115 Wilcox St., Suite 220, Castle Rock, CO 80104

Mailing Address:

750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225 Englewood, CO 80110

Phone: 303-566-4100

Web: ParkerChronicle.net

To subscribe call 303-566-4100

LINDA SHAPLEY

Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

MICHAEL DE YOANNA Editor-in-Chief michael@coloradocommunitymedia.com

HALEY LENA Community Editor hlena@coloradocommunitymedia.com

ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager abrooks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

ERIN FRANKS Production Manager efranks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LINDSAY NICOLETTI

Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com

COMMISSIONERS

Bouquet — a middle school teacher for Douglas County School District — said he wants to focus on the county’s wellbeing. He thinks county leaders have been “way too political.”

“I think this county commissioner board has made huge mistakes when it comes to taking advantage of political opportunities (that) appeal to the farthest right-wing groups that are supporting them,” Bouquet said.

Both candidates spoke to the Douglas County News-Press about their campaigns and stances on the issues.

omas also has three years experience as a marketing director for an oil company, worked as a small-business owner and ran an independent print shop.

Bouquet serves as a member of the RTD board of directors, representing the transportation district’s region G, which includes most of Parker, Lone Tree, and portions of Centennial and Aurora. Bouquet won election to the RTD board in 2020.

omas and Bouquet are facing o in county commissioner District 2, the vast region that covers Castle Rock and the southern portion of the county, including much of Douglas’ rural areas.

Given the high number of registered Republicans in the county, either Democrat would face a di cult race in the November election.

Columnists & Guest Commentaries

Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Chronicle. We welcome letters to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone.

Email letters to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Deadline Tues. for the following week’s paper.

Parker Chronicle

A legal newspaper of general circulation in Parker, Colorado, the Chronicle is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 115 Wilcox St., Suite 220, Castle Rock, CO 80104.

Send address change to: Parker Chronicle, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110

Douglas County commissioners are elected “at large” fromone of three geographic districts. at means commissioners are required to reside in di erent districts, but voters throughout the entire county cast ballots for each seat.

Commissioners are the county’s policy-making body, approving Douglas’ annual budget and passing local laws that govern “unincorporated” areas, or those outside of city and town limits. at includes Highlands Ranch and many other parts of the county.

In addition to the District 2 race, the District 3 race is also competitive — three Republicans are battling for the northwest Douglas County seat. at district’s population center is Highlands Ranch. ose Republicans, Priscilla Rahn, state Sen. Kevin Van Winkle and John Carson, are running to replace outgoing Commissioner Lora omas, who cannot run for reelection because of term limits.

In District 3, one Democrat — Josh Smith — has led documentation to run for the seat and is also unopposed in the primary.

For a look at District 3’s candidates,

see the News-Press’ earlier story attinyurl.com/DouglasDistrict3.

Here’s what District 2’s Democratic hopefuls had to say on the issues and their backgrounds.

‘Understand the county’

Angela omas says her background prepared her for handling commissioner duties.

“One of the things that the county commissioners do is oversee the (county) health and human services departments,” omas said, adding that those are topics “I have experience and expertise in.”

She says she worked with budgets in the business world.

“I did contracts with people to provide them printing materials, those kinds of things,” omas added.

Bouquet has taught for several years at Rocky Heights Middle School in Highlands Ranch, where students learn lm editing in his class. He taught photojournalism as well.

He also served as a substitute, teaching in schools around the county.

“I understand the county really well and the families,” Bouquet said. He added: “I’ve gotten to know them well, got to know their children well and got to know what their concerns are honestly.”

Talking

housing

Bouquet lamented that house prices in the county make it di cult for teachers to own a home. He wants leaders to talk to developers about needing diversity in housing types — like condominiums.

“If you make these developments that are actually a ordable for working families, for teachers, for nurses, for seniors, for rst responders and young families, you’re going to see people want to live in the county,” Bouquet said. omas echoed that, hoping for “some small bungalow-style homes that are designed for a single person or a young couple to start out in.”

She’d like to see more low-income apartments in the county while also acknowledging families with children

Julien Bouquet, a Democrat, speaks during an April 24 forum in in Highlands Ranch for candidates running for Douglas County commissioner. He’s flanked by another Democratic candidate, Angela Thomas, and Commissioner George Teal, a Republican, on left.

who need more than an apartment.

“We need to have places for people to live who work here,” omas said. “Because people working in our hospitality industry here, they aren’t making 80, 90, $100,000 a year. ey’re making $50,000 or less.”

Cheaper, or “starter,” homes for families allow them to begin building their own wealth, “and I think we need to get back to that in some way,” omas said.

“I want people to recognize that not everybody in this county is a uent, and probably more people than they’d like to imagine aren’t a uent,” omas said. “ ey’re just struggling to get by.”

Looking at ‘RWR’ plan

e Democrats also talked about what’s known as the Renewable Water Resources plan, an idea that has drawn controversy in county politics. at’s a proposal to pump about 22,000 acre-feet of water per year to the county from the San Luis Valley in the south part of the state.

An acre-foot is the equivalent of a one-foot-deep pool about the size of a football eld.Renewable Water Resources, often called RWR, is the private company that proposed the project.

In 2022, Commissioner Abe Laydon joined Lora omas in deciding not to move forward with the project, and Teal continued to support it.

Angela omas does not support the RWR project.

“ e San Luis Valley already struggles for water,” omas said. “No one should be taking it from them.”

Bouquet said the project “just doesn’t seem right.”

“It’s not right for us as a growing suburb and community” to pump water from that area, he added.

e balance of how Douglas County allows development is tied to the issue of water supply, Bouquet noted.

“Are we building infrastructure that is quality growth and looking into using the best amount of water as possible?” Bouquet said. “I think that’s what we need to encourage as a county commissioner.”

PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD

Douglas County asks drivers to avoid Quebec and Lincoln/University intersection for one day in June

Landscaping, pavement striping to follow

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

After months of heavy construction at the Quebec Street and Lincoln Avenue/University Boulevard intersection, Douglas County ofcials are promising to complete the project before school starts in fall. However, there are some things drivers should know, including one day coming up in June that it is better to avoid the intersection if possible.

at day is June 22, starting at 5 p.m. until 5 p.m. the next day, June 23. O cials say it’s for the safety of drivers and to help increase eciency as crews complete paving a nal piece in the middle of the intersection.

ere will be limited access through the intersection that day. Drivers are encouraged to consider alternate routes. ese include Wildcat Reserve Parkway, McArthur Ranch Road, Gleneagles Village Parkway, Park Meadows Drive, Lone Tree Parkway Timberline Road, South Yosemite Street, Interstate 25 and Colorado Highway 470.  If drivers choose an alternate route, they should give themselves extra time, abide by posted speed limits and be mindful of residents in neighborhoods.

With major concrete work com-

plete, crews will continue to work on landscaping and striping the roads, which is expected to require daily intermittent lane closures.

If drivers do go through the intersection, they can expect multiple delays and tra c impacts as well as tra c control set-up. Here’s what is expected:

• Full closure through the intersection from eastbound Lincoln Avenue/University Boulevard

• One through lane on northbound and southbound Quebec Street

• One through lane on westbound Lincoln Avenue/University Boulevard

• No left-turns throughout the intersection.

Right turns will be allowed in all directions to help maintain access, which was one of the reasons the county has said it wouldn’t shut down the intersection completely.

During a town hall in April, Dan Roberts, assistant director of public works operations said the intersection couldn’t be closed all at once because emergency vehicles may need to pass through.

e roads were originally built in the 1980s. e county’s goal with reconstruction is to build roads that will last upwards of 50 years. e $13 million project that started in August 2023 will result in additional lanes, raised pedestrian safety islands and updated tra c signals.

More: Visit https://rb.gy/d8l020 to stay up to date on the construction or sign up for text updates by texting “QLUnews” to 21000.

JOINUSFOR

FLASHTATTOOSWITHMR.ACE**

MAKECUSTOMHATSWITHPARKERTHOMAS**

LEARNPOPULARLINEDANCESWITHLAURIEBURKHARDT

BODYART/FACEPAINTING&SPARKLEHAIRWITH LITTLEPEOPLEFACEPAINTING**

SCREENPRINTYOUROWNT-SHIRTANDLEARNHOWTOCREATIVECUT

YOURT-SHIRTSWITHINK&DRINK**

GETBEAUTIFULPERMANENTJEWELRYWITHIRONHUSKY**

SPENDTIMESNUGGLINGADORABLEANIMALSINTHEADULTS’COWBOY CRITTERCORRAL,ORSNAPFREEPHOTOSWITHBOTHEALPACA,BETH THEDONKEYORANATHEMINICOWATTHEPHOTOBOOTHSPONSORED BYLEAFFILTERS*

In a world that constantly demands more from us, maintaining passion in whatever we do has never been more critical. Passion is the lifeblood of innovation, the driver of excellence, and the key di erentiator between success and failure. It’s the internal re that fuels our purpose and performance, propelling us to raise the bar and set new, higher expectations. But how do we sustain this passion? e answer lies in our ability to remain curious, to continuously ask questions, and to let hope guide our journey.

At the heart of passion lies curiosity. It’s the relentless desire to know more, to understand deeper, and to explore uncharted territories. Curiosity compels us to ask questions, not just of others

Fueling success through curiosity and purpose

VOICES

Gbut of ourselves. How can we improve? What can we do di erently? Where can we nd new opportunities? ese questions drive us to push beyond our comfort zones, to innovate, and to seek excellence in everything we do. But curiosity alone is not enough. We need to couple it with hope and purpose. Hope is the belief that our e orts will lead to positive outcomes. It’s the optimism that fuels our determina-

‘Man

rowing up, independence and self-su ciency were always synonymous with masculinity for me. e idea that I could do it on my own, that I would be “less than” if I asked for a helping hand, was an ideal I not only believed in, but strived to live up to. I asked for as little help as possible. Facing the di cult task of processing my emotions as I entered adolescence, I was overwhelmed and underequipped. Seeking support never crossed my mind. e more pain I endured, the more resolute I became to conquer it on my own. I found a magic solution — the illusion of control via drugs and alcohol.

e immediate oblivion brought on by substances allowed me to trick myself into believing I had taken control. However, the escape I found in substances lessened over time, leaving me without the relief I so desperately needed. For years my

up’ can lead to man down

stubborn worship of self-su ciency kept me in the living hell of addiction. When I wasnally beaten down enough to ask for help, I was mortied, disgusted by my weakness, and convinced of my failure as a man. is is the unfortunate reality for many men grappling with addiction. “Man up” far too frequently becomes the mantra for many tragic stories of demise into alcoholic insanity and death. at story nearly became my reality.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, mental illness is less prevalent in men than women, but it often goes untreated in men. Men are two to three times more likely to

misuse drugs than women, and according to Mental Health America, men die by suicide at a rate four times higher than women.

To become a healthy man, I had to learn to accept that I needed help, and then practice asking for it. e rst time was excruciating, then it became less so over time. It’s become the foundation on which my recovery from addiction has been built, the gateway to nding a level of peace and serenity I never thought possible. I’m thankful for the opportunity to become an example to other men and help lift the stigma around asking for help. is is a process. Six years into my recovery I still have di culty asking for help and fall into old patterns of arrogance and independence. e more I ask for help, the easier it is to keep asking. Practicing reaching out for small pieces of advice on a regular basis helps me seek support when I’m dealing with a deeper and

heavier problem. Building relationships over time makes me feel safe and comfortable.

ankfully, we live in a di erent world than I experienced in my childhood, where I learned to worship the false belief of self-su cient masculinity through our culture. I now embrace masculinity and femininity not as opposing forces, but as two sides of the same coin of humanity. While change continues in our culture, there is still a long way to go. Awareness still needs to be raised. Recovery stories such as mine need to be heard.

One way I strive to do this is through Colorado’s Recovery Cards Project (recoverycardsproject. com). I had the privilege of designing two greeting cards that can be sent to loved ones struggling in the early stages of recovery. rough this program, I have shared my sto-

Michael Norton

How to avoid challenges in your will or trust

Although you may have taken the time to create a welldesigned will and/or trust that distributes your property as you desire upon your death, there are some common challenges which may present themselves upon your passing. Disputes among your  bene ciaries can result in bitter family relationships, costly court proceedings and nancial devastation. e following are some proactive measures you can take to avoid common challenges and ensure your documents accomplish your intended goals.

GUEST COLUMN

Treat children equally: Family dynamics may have you questioning whether your assets should be divided equally between your designated bene ciaries who are often your children.  In order to avoid potential complications, especially if there is already discord, equal distribution may be a wise decision. If you have two children, leave each child half of all assets. Setting up a trust for a child with bad spending habits can be a useful tool to help protect and manage their assets. is way, a designated trustee will have the responsibility of managing assets for their bene t. e trust may specify how

SWARTZ

ry and helped others open up about theirs. e free cards are an easy and accessible way for friends and family to show support and encourage our loved ones on a path to vulnerability and recovery.

June is Men’s Health Month, an opportunity to continue these discussions. It’s not a responsibility to

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Thanks for journalism

Local politics are always the most di cult to research, particularly nding information about candidates that isn’t from the candidate or their opposition. e Parker Chronicle has delivered solid and concise summaries of hopefuls and their policy stances for years, and

assets can be utilized, establish incentives to encourage good behavior and set restrictions to prevent erratic spending. Regarding control of your estate, delegate positions according to skill level or select a corporate executor or trustee to avoid anyone from feel-

Distribute tangible property through speci c bequests: While monetary assets can be divided easily, it can be di cult to determine the true value of items of sentimental value and tangible property. Statements in wills or trusts which divide all “tangible personal property” among your bene ciaries in substantially equal shares may not be enough instruction for your bene ciaries. Substantive value can be based upon several characteristics including emotional and sentimental worth. Discuss this issue with your bene ciaries to determine

be passed onto others or to place the burden of change at men’s feet. It’s a collective e ort we can all take part in, to love and support each other so that we may feel safe and comfortable reaching out for help.

A Colorado professional artist, David Swartz works with various water-based paints to create bright and energetic artwork with a humorous twist. He believes connection enriches the world and creates a sense of unity and compassion throughout humanity.

we greatly appreciate the work. e previous school board election interviews were invaluable — it gave me the chance to see who said anything about actually doing the job. ank you for all you do to help voters stay informed!

Shannon Allred Parker

SEE DUNCAN, P39

Northglenn Youth Theatre has been ‘feeding the souls’ of young performers for 30 years

BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Slight and bespectacled, 14-year-old Lilly Sergeef is eyeing Broadway. She is a veteran actor and has been in commercials for insurance companies and Village Inn since age 6.

But she is especially drawn to the stage, where she has never felt intimidated by the audience or other performers.

“Broadway is my goal,” ornton resident Sergeef said. “Being before an audience is never something I dread … it’s something I grew up on.”

A determined Vienna Frey also sees acting on Broadway in her future. e Broom eld resident said her parents are performers and she began acting when she 6. She’s starred in several plays and musicals including “Percy Jackson and Lightning ief” and “Shrek Junior.” Frey savors always diving into the characters she played.

“I just enjoy playing other people and getting into their stories,” said the 14-year-old Frey.

Both are veteran performers at Northglenn Youth eatre, which has been tutoring, supporting and ushering actors as young as 8 onto the local stage. Over 1,000 young performers have inhabited roles at Northglenn Youth eatre — or the NYT as the locals call it.

is year, NYT is celebrating its 30th anniversary, a testament to the wide-ranging support the theater has enjoyed even as cultural programs at local schools have scaled back their performances, said Kimberly Jongejan, Northglenn’s Cultural Programs Direc-

tor and the NYT director.

“Funding for arts programs is not always solid, especially in elementary and middle schools,” Jongejan said.

Most of NYT’s students come from communities outside of Northglenn because there is a dearth of theater programs in the north metro area, she added.

Northglenn o cials, meanwhile, have long supported the arts and the NYT, said Jongejan, who was hired in 1996 to help lead the arts program in Northglenn.

“It’s aways been this way,” she said. “ e city has always seen its arts and culture as a growing and thriving part of Northglenn.”

For example, Northglenn is the only city to include a state-of-the art performing arts space — the Parsons eatre — as part of its new recreation center, Jongejan said. e entire theater and recreation complex opened in 2021.

e Northglenn Arts & Humanities Foundation — NAHF — provides funding for the NYT as well as for public art and other cultural ventures in Northglenn, according to the city. Other sponsors include Colorado Creative Industries, Scienti c & Cultural District, Tour West, WESTAF and the National Endowment for the Arts, the city states.

Jongejan said the NYT has sent some of its graduates to Broadway and O -Broadway. Mostly, NYT students become teachers and perform at dinner theaters and other community productions.

Above all, NYT serves a higher purpose of stoking the dreams of young performers, she said, adding, “We feed kids’ souls.”

NYT Academy classes range from $25-$120 depending on duration and whether a participant is a resident of Northglenn or not, she said.

Each year, NYT puts on six productions performed at the Parsons eatre, three productions for 12- to 18-year-old performers and three for the NYT Jr., program, which include eight to 12 performers. ey are tutored by professional actors on a tight schedule that calls for auditions on Monday, rehearsals during the rest of the week and performances usually over two nights.

Productions this year include “Sister Act,” “Cinderella and e Fairy Godmother’s Spell,” “ e Brothers Grimm Spectacular” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

e NYT Academy also o ers acting basics for young performers through drama activities, scenes, songs and visual arts. One dance class is Broadway Basics, which offers kids ages 9-12 “ball change kicks, jazz squares and more while dancing to the tunes of Broadway’s best ballads,” according to the course description. e cost of that class is $38-$46.

Jongejan said registration fees for NYT Jr. productions are $200; NYT productions are $250.

acting. He is starring as the main character in “Shrek Jr. e Musical,” which is running from June 28-30.

Scholarships are needs-based and are awarded via an application process. ese scholarship awards range from 50% to 100% of fees being covered through the Northglenn Arts and Humanities Foundation, Jongejan said.

NYT’s more advanced classes teach how to manipulate an actor’s voice and body to create a memorable character, a “Fosse Posse” focuses on dancing for actors and a tap dance also teaches the basic steps and combination used in musical theater, according to the course guide.

Jongejan said the NYT is also offering a screenwriting course for Hip-Hop theatre. Students can also take technical theatre workshops for a glance at the behind-the-scenes production process, Jongejan said.

“We want our students to get a good, well-rounded look at what goes into a theater production and how important stage development, lighting and other behind-thescenes work is so important,” she said.

For 13-year-old Ian Amaro, character development is key to his

“I like to write notes down for my character and get the back story,” he said. “I think that makes acting much more e ective.”

Amaro, who lives in ornton, admits acting isn’t really what drew him to NYT.

“School can be rough for some people,” Amaro said, adding his stutter is sometimes an obstacle.

“I needed friends badly, then NYT popped up for me and the light bulb in my head went o .”

So far, Amaro has not bumped up against any diva behavior among his cast mates.

“ e people are absolutely fantastic,” he said. “Everyone has been so helpful.”

irteen-year-old Aksel Gangji’s two sisters gave him a nudge toward acting and NYT where he started performing in 2019. He still su ers from some stage fright but powers through it with the help of his castmates. Gangji attends Rocky Top Middle School in ornton.

ey often cross their arms together and then say “Break a leg” before a performance, Gangji said. Actors also pass around a “Kudos” coin before they go on stage and tell each

other something positive about their work.

“Usually by then, you are saying ‘Oh great, I am going to perform,’” Gangji said.

He is also considering pursuing a career as a stage technician. “Sound, costumes, it’s what brings it all together,” Gangji said. “You can’t see the actors without the lights.”

Performing is a tradition in 14-year-old JJ Witmer’s family. His mom toured internationally with Up With People and he took his rst role as an actor at 6 as Tiny Tim in a high school production.

“It was really fun,” he said. He attends Riverdale Ridge High School in ornton.

He enrolled at NYT in 2018 and has acted in several productions including “Peter Pan” and “ e Little Mermaid.”

He’s learned to act with an English accent to play Hamlet and dyed his hair for another role.

“I like getting into a role and becoming more of that character,” Witmer said.

After “Hamlet” ended, he remembers talking with an English accent for two weeks.

“It just happened,” he said. “ at’s what you do when you get into a role.”

Ian Amaro (center) in a production of “Game of Tiaras.”

COURTESY OF NYT

The longest day of the year is nearly upon us and we’ve still got two months of summer ahead. In other words, we’re living the good life right now. Colorado is such a great place to be during the summer — there is so much to do, both indoors and outdoors, no matter how active or laid back you are. ere are so many options, in fact, that I thought I’d help out and gather some highlights from all over the metro area. Whatever your interests are, there’s something for you. Get out and enjoy.

Colorado activities to keep your summer bright COMING

ATTRACTIONS

‘T. REX’ Stomps into the Summer at the DMNS ere are few better options when it comes to getting out of the summer heat than escaping to the cool of a movie theater. However, this season is looking a little bleak on the movie release front, but fear not — the Denver Museum of Nature & Science’s, 2001 Colorado Blvd. in Denver, In nity eater has you covered with the release of “T. REX” on Friday, June 21. is 3D lm makes use of stateof-the-art CGI and cutting-edge paleontological insights to bring the world’s most famous dinosaur to life in a way audiences have never seen before. Not only will audiences learn about the famous Cretaceous

carnivore, but will get to experience its world and other inhabitants.

e lm runs daily at 10:30 a.m., 12:45 p.m. and 3 p.m., at 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 7 p.m. on Friday. More information and tickets are available at https://www. dmns.org/visit/in nity-theater/.

Golden Throws a Party for the Artistic Community

If you’ve spent any time in Golden, then you know it’s one of the most artistic communities around. e city is celebrating this creative yen with the 2024 Artsweek Golden Festival. e event runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 22 and Sunday, June 23.

According to the provided information, the free, juried festival features 70 local and national artists in downtown Golden at 12th and Arapahoe Streets, just outside the new Foothills Arts Center Astor House. Attendees will get to check out wonderful art, open houses at galleries and other locations, as well as music and children’s art activities.

For details about the festival, including parking locations, visit www.visitgolden.com/events/

PACE Goes for Summer Fun with ‘Legally Blonde The Musical’ e best summer music is full of joy and energy, so the Parker Arts, Culture and Events Center’s (PACE) decision to produce “Legally Blonde e Musical” during the season makes perfect sense. e show runs at PACE, 20000 Pikes Peak Ave., from Friday, June 28 through Sunday, July 21. Performances are at 2 and 7:30 p.m.

Based on the much-loved Reese Witherspoon lm, the show follows Elle Woods as she goes to Harvard Law to prove to her ex she can. While there, she struggles with everything from her classmates and teachers to stereotypes and sexism. But Woods does everything with determination and fun and that makes the musical wildly enjoyable. Find information and tickets at https://parkerarts.org/.

Thornton Pride Asks All to be Friends of Dorothy e ornton Arts, Sciences & Humanities Council is going all out to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community with its Second Annual ornton Pride event, which will be held at the ornton Arts & Cul-

ture Center, 9209 Dorothy Blvd. e event will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 29. According to the provided information, the theme for this year’s party is “Are You a Friend of Dorothy?” to highlight the ongoing need for LGBTQIA+ members to nd community and safe places to be themselves. It harkens back to the 1990s when LGBTQIA+ people had to be cautious about who they interacted with.

e pride event will feature local artists, vendors, food, familyfriendly entertainment, and indoor and outdoor activities. All you need to know can be found at https:// www.thorntonco.gov/arts/Pages/ tashco.aspx.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Nas and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra at Red Rocks

If you’re a rap fan, then you must have an appreciation of Brooklyn’s Nas. He’s in almost every conversation about the greatest rappers of all time and his 1994 debut album, “Illmatic,” is one of the best examples of the storytelling power of the medium. Since then, Nas has gone on to have a storied career, churning out years of great music and being an advocate for the power of rap.

Clarke Reader

Thu 6/20

WaterFest 2024 @ 2pm

South Platte Renew, 2900 South Platte River Drive, Englewood. ebartlett@englewoodco.gov, 720753-2411

Sunny War @ 5pm

Levitt Pavilion Denver, 1380 W Florida Ave, Denver

Sophie Seng @ 5pm

The Alley, 2420 W Main St, Littleton

Pattie Gonia

@ 6:30pm

Gothic Theatre, Englewood

Fri 6/21

Strutter: Wide Open Saloon @ 7pm

Wide Open Saloon, 5607 US-85, Sedalia

SCFD Free Day At Exploration Of Flight @ 8am

Exploration of Flight (Centennial Airport), 13005 Wings Way, Engle‐wood. info@wingsmuseum.org

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy: Lone Tree Arts Center @ 6:30pm Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St, Lone Tree

Sat 6/22

14th Annual Corey Rose Wishes and Heroes Bene�t Concert @ 2pm

Breckenridge Brewery, Littleton

Ice Cream Social with Perpetual Motion @ 6pm

Little Man Ice Cream, 3455 S University Blvd, Englewood

Yolanda Del Rio @ 7pm

D’Cartier event center 2, 3181 W Alameda Ave, Denver

Cecelia @ 7pm

Herman's Hideaway, 1578 S Broadway, Denver

Mon 6/24

Girls Basketball Camp K-2

@ 7:30am / $189

Jun 24th - Jun 27th

Valor Athletic Building, 3775 Grace Blvd, Highlands Ranch. 303-471-3000

Girls Basketball Camp 3-5 @ 7:30am / $189

Jun 24th - Jun 27th

Valor Athletic Building, 3775 Grace Blvd, Highlands Ranch. 303-471-3000

Yetman Farms: Rodney Rice with band @ 5pm Yetman Farms, 2995 S. Estes Street, Lakewood

Sun 6/23

Brett Hendrix: Wild Goose Saloon @ 12pm Wild Goose Saloon, Parker

IV and the Strange Band @ 6pm

Boys Lacrosse Camp 6-8 @ 12pm / $199

Jun 24th - Jun 28th

Valor Athletic Stadium, Fields, and Courts, 3775 Grace Blvd, Highlands Ranch. 303471-3000

Tue 6/25

Noah Kahan @ 6pm

Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre, 6350 Greenwood Plaza Blvd., Greenwood Vil‐lage

Wed 6/26

Juice O'The Barley: Littleton Museum Summer Concert Series @ 5:30pm

Littleton Museum, 6028 S Gallup St, Lit‐tleton

Noah Kahan @ 6pm

Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre, 6350 Greenwood Plaza Blvd., Greenwood Vil‐lage

Thu 6/27

Flag Football: Adult- FREE AGENTS- Thurs- Coed-Summer 2024 @ 11:30pm

Moe's Original BBQ, 3295 S Broadway, Englewood

Jim Messina @ 6pm Gothic Theatre, Englewood

Jun 27th - Sep 19th

Parker Fieldhouse, 18700 E Plaza Dr, Parker

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

Media barred from Rittenhouse event in Douglas County

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A Colorado gun-rights group scheduled Kyle Rittenhouse, a prominent name in the national conversation about rearms, to speak at its fundraising event at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, but the entrance to the banquet bore signs that read: “Not open to media.”

“We’re not allowing any media in the event tomorrow for obvious reasons,” Taylor Rhodes, head of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, told the Douglas County News-Press a day before the June 15 event.

He declined to elaborate on why the organization chose not to let media in.

In April, the organization said on social media that the event would also feature “Random rearm and accessory drawings.”

e social media post added: “Every 30 minutes, we’ll be giving away a stripped lower.” at appears to be a reference to a rearm part.

”We gave a bunch of guns, optics, accessories and thermoses away — as well as Kyle gave away 100 of his books,” Rhodes said after the event. “All combined we had over 300 giveaways winners.”

Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, a group that describes itself as a “no-compromise gun rights lobby concentrating on Colorado,” is the Colorado a liate of the National Association for Gun Rights.

e national organization helped fund Rittenhouse amid his legal case when he “was in trouble,” Rhodes

said. at’s a reference to when the then-17-year-old Rittenhouse shot three men, killing two of them and wounding the third, during a protest over police conduct in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2020. Rittenhouse argued that he red in self defense after men attacked him and was acquitted of all charges.

Rhodes guessed that Rittenhouse would talk about the case at the fairgrounds event in Castle Rock, saying RMGO didn’t tell him what to speak about other than Second Amendment-related topics.

In the aftermath of his court case, Rittenhouse wrote a book, “Acquitted,” and recently set out on a series of college speaking events.

While Rhodes said promoting his book is not the reason Rittenhouse was set to come to Douglas County, he said the speaker would likely talk about it.

Asked about not allowing media into an event at a county facility, Rhodes said it’s a private event.

“I paid a fee to be there,” Rhodes said, adding that he is a taxpayer in Douglas County himself.

To those who won’t see what’s said at the event due to media being barred, Rhodes said: “Buy a ticket and come next year.”

“We sold out of this event,” selling nearly 750 tickets, Rhodes said. He expected around 650 to show up. e RMGO also expected U.S. Rep. omas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, to speak at the event.

Rhodes’ organization billed the event as “not just a celebration of

our Second Amendment rights but a strategic e ort to ght against antigun legislation in Colorado.”

Money raised will fuel the group’s e orts to fund pro-gun litigation, maintain legislative pressure for pro-gun votes and “support election season accountability for pro-gun candidates,” the organization wrote on social media.

In Rittenhouse’s court case, a jury found him not guilty of ve felony charges, including a murder charge that could have carried a life-in-prison sentence, the Associated Press reported.

Rittenhouse was charged with homicide, attempted homicide and reckless endangering for his shootings with an AR-style semi-automat-

ic ri e during a tumultuous night of protests over the shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake, by a white Kenosha police o cer.

e teenage Rittenhouse said that he went to Kenosha to protect property from rioters but that he came under attack and feared for his life.

Rittenhouse had also been charged with possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18, a misdemeanor that carries nine months behind bars and appeared likely to lead to a conviction, the AP reported.

But the judge threw out that charge after the defense argued that the Wisconsin law did not apply to the long-barreled ri e used by Rittenhouse.

A sign on a door at the entrance of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners’ June 15 event at the Douglas County Fairgrounds says: “Not open to media.” PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD

$20 million Juul settlement to go to youth mental health

BY MELANIE ASMAR CHALKBEAT COLORADO

Colorado will spend $20 million of a $31.7 million lawsuit settlement with e-cigarette manufacturer Juul Labs Inc. on a grant program aimed at improving youth mental health, state Attorney General Phil Weiser has announced.

e program will prioritize collaborations between school districts and community organizations. e aim is to address children’s mental health so they don’t turn to vaping as a way to cope.

“When you think about a challenge like youth vaping, you can think about addressing the symptom — the fact that people are vaping — or

the underlying cause,” Weiser said in an interview after the announcement. “We’ve chosen to address the underlying cause.

“We know that because of mental health issues, people turn to substances like vaping. at’s why we’re going to the source to ask: How do we build better connections?”

e “how” will be up to the school districts, which will be invited to apply for grants later this year. e long lead time is intentional; Weiser said the goal is for districts to collaborate with one another and with local community organizations to come up with programs that help develop young people’s connections to trusted adults and to one another. Several Colorado foundations have o ered

to help facilitate those collaborations over the next six months.

“We do not want to prescribe what you need to do,” Weiser told a room full of educators at a Colorado Education Initiative summer conference, where he made the announcement. “We want to o er a broad opportunity around holistic youth mental health and leave it to you to think about what collaboration, what partnership, what strategies make sense in your community.”

Colorado sued Juul in 2020, alleging that it targeted youth with deceptive marketing and played down the health risks of vaping. e state was one of several that settled with the company. Juul did not admit to any wrongdoing in the settlement.

irty percent of Colorado high school students reported having vaped at least once, according to the most recent data from the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, which is administered every other year. Sixteen percent of students said they’d vaped in the last 30 days.

e $20 million grant program is the largest of three programs that Colorado is spending the Juul settlement money on. e others are a $6 million grant program aimed at nonpro t organizations and government agencies, and an $11.4 million grant program for school districts to address the youth vaping crisis. ose grant programs are already

Consumer Groups, Patients, & Providers Applaud Colorado Legislators for Holding Big PhRMA Accountable, Protecting State’s

AARP Colorado, along with a broad coalition of consumer groups, patients, and medical providers celebrated the end of the 2024 legislative session after fending off coordinated efforts by drug manufacturers to undermine the Colorado Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB), the state’s only tool to reign in out-ofcontrol drug costs. As a rare cancer patient currently in remission, I’m deeply grateful for the broad coalition that fought to ensure that the voices of patients were heard.

The Colorado State Senate stood alongside advocates to defeat SB24-060, which sought to prevent the PDAB from reviewing the costs of, and setting limits on, hundreds of the most high-cost and commonly-prescribed prescription medications. In fact, it would have exempted 67% (more than 400 medications) of the approximately 600 drugs eligible for review by Colorado’s PDAB because they have some form of orphan drug designation – including many of the most expensive and most commonly prescribed medications in the state. The bill was part of a national strategy being pushed by pharmaceutical companies

to make it impossible for PDABs across the country to bring down the cost of prescription medications. Lawmakers laid the bill over indefinitely on April 15th, sending a strong message: Colorado refuses to let the pharmaceutical industry continue to put profits over patients, especially as the PDAB is just beginning its critical work. In addition, 115 medical professionals across Colorado released a letter opposing Senate Bill 60.

Big PhRMA continues to use the defeat of SB24-060 and the ongoing work of the PDAB to stoke fear in patients of rare diseases. Unfortunately, these very patients are among the most harmed by out-of-control drug costs and deserve access to affordable, lifesaving drugs through Colorado’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board. To ensure these critical voices are front and center, SB24203 “Prescription Drug Board Consider Rare Disease Council’’ legislation was introduced on April 8th by Senators Ginal and Kirkmeyer, and Representatives Harstook and Ortiz. The legislation passed with strong bipartisan support and will ensure greater

Prescription Drug Affordability

stakeholder engagement from the rare disease community in the work of Colorado’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board without exempting any medications.

We thank the lawmakers who championed these efforts and refused to let Big PhRMA play games with Colorado’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board. This work is more important than ever, with 1-in-3 Coloradans struggling to afford the medications they need to stay healthy. AARP has a vested interest in ensuring drug prices are affordable for all. Over 80% of adults over 50 take at least one prescription medication regularly, with many older adults skipping or stretching their life-saving medication because of the high cost. Older Coloradans are the highest utilizers of prescription drugs in the state and many of our own members have expressed their frustration and concerns with rising health care costs. Adults 65 and older tend to spend the most on health care; and skyrocketing drug prices are driving up health care costs for all. This economic pressure piles on top of the emotional, physical, and psychological toll that patients

Board

face on an almost daily basis. The Colorado Legislature created the PDAB with the passage of SB 21-175. Since 2023, the PDAB has reviewed three medications, and determined one of those medications, Enbrel, to be unaffordable for Coloradans. The PDAB is slated to complete affordability reviews on two additional medications in June.

Debbie Hornor

AARP Colorado State President 6427 S. Kline St., Littleton, CO 80127

Paid Advertisement

50-something, and finding optimism and possibilities

Change Makers program based at University of Colorado-Denver now accepting applications for fall 2024 semester

BY ANNE BUTTON SPECIAL TO THE DENVER HERALD

Last November, Diane Amdur was at a crossroads. e Denver resident had run a public relations consulting rm for more than 20 years, and she was looking for a professional refresh. In her mid-50s, she wasn’t ready to retire, yet she knew something needed to shift. e question was what.

country that help older adults transition well from one life stage to another. Most of these programs are yearlong and in residence, in places like Palo Alto, California, and Cambridge, Massachusetts and cost between $60,000 and $80,000. Change Makers was designed to be an accessible option. It is one semester long in duration and costs $3,400. Sessions take place in the evenings, so those who work on weekdays can attend. Tuesday sessions are virtual, and Wednesdays take place in-person on the university’s campus in downtown Denver.

‘I feel energized and curious’

Amdur is not alone. Many people 50 and older want to make the most of the 20 to 30 extra years of healthy living our generation can expect compared to a century ago. But they don’t know what to do, whether in mid-career or beyond.

meaningfully.

Amdur was pondering these questions when she saw a story on the television news about the Change Makers program at the University of Colorado-Denver.

“It really spoke to me at a time when I was looking to recharge my work and my personal life in a way where both had more meaning, more purpose and more energy for the encore years,” she said.

A community sharing and shaping their stories together

So in January, Amdur joined a group of 23 Change Maker fellows who met twice a week through May.

Among them were Mark and Lori Quick, a Denver couple who enrolled in the program together. Mark had been struggling with the loss of identity he felt after retiring from 32 years in the re service. Lori, a recently-retired nurse, had been “playing too much pickleball and needed purpose,” she said.

Drawing on readings, group discussions and guest-speaker presentations, the cohort examined what has worked and what hasn’t in their lives, what made the later-stage career years meaningful for others, and the pathways, obstacles and opportunities they face in designing a meaningful next chapter.

“It was re ective, meaningful work, and it really made me look back on where I’ve been and gave me ideas on where I wanted to go in this next chapter,” Lori Quick said.

By May, the fellows had developed 12-week plans to launch their next chapters. Mark Quick’s plan includes helping refugees and Lori Quick’s plan involves getting her pilot’s license and working on her Spanish.

“You may not see the nish line in week one or two,” Mark said, “but when it starts to materialize later in the class, you feel like you’re on the right path, and you have hope again.”

Amdur’s plan includes refocusing her business toward serving more nonpro t clients, while also creating space for more community involvement and volunteer service travel.

“I see things di erently, for myself and my community — and all the opportunities in between,” she said. “Instead of feeling like there’s a dead end, I feel energized and curious for what’s next, both professionally and personally.”

With professional backgrounds ranging from medicine to engineering to nonpro t management, the fellows had built successful careers. ey came to the program ready for a change — to gure out how to use their hard-earned skills in new ways, to work di erently or volunteer

“ e mix of guest speakers covered all the di erent angles, from curiosity to creativity, that we’re trying to build within ourselves,” Amdur added.

A new kind of university program, Change Makers is one of a handful of university programs across the

communities, it might be a Boys and Girls Club. In other communities, it might be a library teaching kids to read.”

To learn more about the University of Colorado-Denver Change Makers program, visit ucdenver.edu/ change-makers.

Editor’s note: Anne Button is the founding director of the University of Colorado-Denver Change Makers program.

7,500 students will be eligible for $750,000.

underway, and Weiser said the recipients will be announced soon. Weiser said he sees the $20 million program as especially impactful because of the power of collaboration. “Schools are free to work with whoever in their community is serving young people,” he said. “In some

Grant applicants whose school districts serve a combined 23,000 students or more will be eligible for a $2.5 million grant over a threeyear period, Weiser said. Applicants whose districts serve between 7,500 and 23,000 students will be eligible for $1.75 million over three years, and districts that serve fewer than

Late last year, Colorado led a coalition of 42 attorneys general nationwide that sued Meta in a similar lawsuit alleging that its social media platforms, including Instagram, used deceptive practices to harm children and teens and addict them to social media.

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

Diane Amdur, center, participates in a discussion with other Change Maker fellows. The Change Makers program is o ered at the University of Colorado-Denver for people 50 and older. COURTESY OF ANNE BUTTON/UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO-DENVER CHANGE MAKERS PROGRAM

Special thanks to

William Mutch and Corey Hoffmann, for the Town of Parker

Adam Stapen, Attorney for the Chamber, Dill & Dill P.C.

Town Councilmembers Joshua Rivero and Brandi Wilks

State Senators Jim Smallwood and Rachel Zenzinger

State Representatives William Lindstedt and Lisa Frizell

Jack Gilmartin, Staff of Rep. Hartsook

With gratitude for support from Dr. Frederico Pacheco, Mainstreet Chiropractic

Kelly Benson, Beautiful Art Framing

Colorado Competitive Council, Rachel Beck

South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce, Jeff Keener & Garin Vorthmann

Vail Valley Partnership • Gunnison Chamber of Commerce

Aurora Chamber of Commerce • Golden Chamber of Commerce

Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce sounds alarm about ‘gold bar scams’

FBI issued warning to the public on schemes aimed to steal money

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Local and federal o cials are warning people to be vigilant amid a string of “gold bar scams,” a type of crime that can put people, particularly older residents, at risk of losing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In the past few months, the Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce has received reports of residents being instructed to purchase gold bars and then hand deliver them to suspects, according to a news release.

“No one gets to come to Douglas County, prey on our elderly residents, steal their life savings, and get away with it,” Douglas County Sheri Darren Weekly said in a prepared statement.

It’s a type of crime the FBI also issued a public warning about this year. Here’s a look at how crimes in Douglas County reportedly played out.

How the crimes allegedly unfold

Sheri ’s detectives arrested two suspects in late May in a sting op-

eration in a parking lot near Interstate 25 and Castle Pines Parkway. A 76-year-old victim helped detectives in their e orts to apprehend the suspects.

e victim reported that she received a pop-up message on her iPad in March, which prevented her from using it. e message directed her to call a phone number, which she called. She was told that “some of her identity and accounts had been compromised” and that she was being forwarded to the “bank’s fraud department,” according to the news release. She spoke with someone claimed to be “agent Richard Parker, badge #GS7408.”

She wasn’t talking to an ocial. She was talking to a scammer, who told the victim that fraudulent checks had been written for pornography sites. He also said there was a gag order on the case and she should not speak with anyone about the incident, including her husband.

e man directed the victim to withdraw funds from her accounts to purchase gold bars. He told her the gold bars would be delivered to her safe deposit box.

(In this kind of crime, scammers tell victims their nancial accounts were hacked or are at risk of being hacked and, as a result, their funds need to be protected. Scammers then instruct victims to purchase

WANTED: 5 HOMES IN YOUR AREA THAT NEED SIDING AND WINDOWS

gold or other precious metals, telling victims they will safeguard the assets in a protected account on their behalf, according to the FBI. In reality, victims never hear back from the scammers and lose their money.)

rough the investigation, detectives worked closely with the victim to gather information. When the two suspects arrived to pick up the gold bars, detectives arrested them.

e charges include theft and crimes against at-risk persons.

In a separate case in late March, an 81-year-old woman reported a similar scam. e victim purchased $429,000 in gold bars and dropped them o to a man waiting in a black SUV in a parking lot in the Littleton area.

She wrote down the vehicle’s license plate information, and a Douglas County detective tracked the suspect to Illinois.

Illinois state police detained the suspect and recovered $1.1 million in gold bars, and detectives have identi ed additional victims in other parts of the country, according to the news release.

FBI provides tips to stay safe

e FBI in January issued a warning about scammers instructing victims to convert their assets into cash “and/or buy gold, silver, or other precious metals to protect their funds.”

From May to December 2023, the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3, saw an uptick in the activity, with aggregated losses of over $55 million.

e FBI o ered the following tips

to avoid being scammed:

• e U.S. government and legitimate businesses will never request you purchase gold or other precious metals.

• Protect your personal information and never disclose your home address or agree to meet with unknown individuals to deliver cash or precious metals.

• Do not click on unsolicited popups on your computer or links sent via text messages. (Be careful of email links and attachments.)

• Do not contact unknown telephone numbers provided in popups, texts or emails.

• Do not download software at the request of unknown individuals who contact you.

• Do not allow unknown individuals access to your computer.

If something “feels o or raises suspicion, trust your gut instincts,” the sheri ’s o ce added.

“Seek advice from trusted family members, friends, or law enforcement before proceeding with any nancial transactions,” the news release said.

e FBI requests victims report these fraudulent or suspicious activities atwww.ic3.gov as quickly as possible.

Victims aged 60 or over who need assistance with ling an IC3 complaint can contact the Elder Justice Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 or 833372-8311.

More: Information on scams is available at the FBI’s site at tinyurl.com/FBIscamalert.

The Alps meet the Rockies at summit on snowmelt

BY ALEX HAGER KUNC

Colorado, with its dramatic mountain landscapes, deep winter snow and thriving ski industry, has been referred to as the “Switzerland of America.” Gov. Jared Polis even once used the phrase.

e similarities were are more than just a name. A delegation of experts from Switzerland visited Boulder in early June for a summit on melting snow and ice. Mountain guides, climate scientists, artists and policymakers shared notes on the impacts of climate change on high-mountain landscapes.

ose experts painted a fairly bleak picture as they described the role of warming trends in reshaping the snow and ice that de ne the Rockies and Alps.

Perhaps the most striking accounts of those changes came from mountain guides, who lead groups of climbers and adventurers on trips through the peaks. Angela Hawse, a Ridgway-based guide and vice president of the International Federation of Mountain Guides Association, shared videos of icefalls and rockfalls from around the world, showing how large pieces of mountains are falling apart as the ice and snow that holds them together disappears.

Hawse and Switzerland-based Urs

Wellauer, the association’s president, both expressed optimism in nding xes to climate problems through collaboration. Hawse reected on a trip the binational group took to Boulder County’s Brainard Lake as part of the conference.

“It really brought us together as a bunch of individuals that have different perspectives on life,” she said, “ at have di erent professions, that have di erent ways of looking at the mountains and ways of understanding how we can work together to communicate our experiences for that shared experience of moving forward.”

Climate scientists from both countries presented data about a number of climate factors that are rapidly changing the behavior of high-altitude snow and ice. Temperature and precipitation patterns in the Rockies and Alps are changing, and the two regions share even more granular similarities.

Researchers explained how windblown dust in Colorado is landing on top of snow, making it darker, absorbing more radiation from the sun and melting faster. at phenomenon makes it harder to capture and share water from the Colorado River, which is used by 40 million people across the Southwest.

In Switzerland, Saharan dust blown across the Mediterranean is

a factor in the quickening melting of glaciers. e nation’s glaciers lost 10% of their total volume in 2022 and 2023, the same amount that melted in the three decades between 1960 and 1990.

Emily Zmak, a deputy chief at the Colorado Water Conservation Board who focuses on interstate water policies, remarked at the many similarities between the challenges facing both Colorado and Switzerland, and the potential solutions.

“ ere’s also a sense of optimism,” Zmak said. “We haven’t lost all of our snowpack, we still have time to adapt and be smart, to build community resilience to build resilience at a state or federal government lev-

el.”

Orange dust from the Sahara Desert covers ski slopes in Verbier, Switzerland on March 15, 2022. Climate scientists said dust on snow is among a number of factors that are accelerating snowmelt in both Colorado and Switzerland.

PHOTO BY ALEX HAGER

Ambassador Balz Abplanalp, the Swiss representative for the Western U.S., organized the conference and said international collaboration will be a key part of global climate change solutions going forward.

“We can learn from experts from another domain,” he said, “How they tackle the issue in order to be inspired. is is 360 degree inspiration that we can generate.”

is story is part of ongoing coverage of the Colorado River, produced by KUNC in Colorado and supported by the Walton Family Foundation. KUNC is solely responsible for its editorial coverage.

Kiowa-area farm is dream come true

Highland cattle will be showcased at Elizabeth Celtic Festival

BY COURTNEY BAKOS SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Established in 2020 by Ben Brandon, the 40-acre Brandon Farms is located outside of Kiowa and is home to 50 chickens, 14 Highland cows and three dogs. For Ben, farming is more than a profession — it’s a way of life that he has cherished since his childhood.

Growing up in a small farm town

Public Meeting Notice

Let’s Talk: Howcan AdventHealth Parker bring more whole-person care to our community?

in Massachusetts, Ben was immersed in the rhythms of country living from a young age. His early years were spent working on a hay farm during high school, where his appreciation for the outdoors and rural life deepened. “I loved the feeling of being out in a eld all day and relaxing by a re at the end of the day,” he reminisces.

Despite a period spent in the fast-paced environment of the city, Ben’s heart was always in the countryside. “When the opportunity to have 40 acres at the end of a dirt road came along, I had to take it!” he says. is decision marked the beginning of Brandon Farms, where Ben could fully embrace the life he

loved.

You areinvitedtoattend AdventH ealth’s Communit y Health Improv ementPublicMeeting!WeneedYOU R voic e t o guide AdventHealth’s e orts to create a happier, healthier community.

AdventH ealth Parker will also use thistime torepor t our 3-5PM August 1st 9395 Crown Crest Blvd, Parker, CO 80138 Conference Room Inspiration B 2023 CommunityBenefitinvest ment s and solicityour feedback onthe H ospital TransformationProgram.

Please registerby scanning theQ R code. Time

Running a farm is no easy feat; it requires steady dedication and a genuine passion for the work. Ben’s days include morning and evening walks to check water levels, food supplies and the well-being of each animal. Weekly chores involve cleaning barns and coops, rotating pastures and maintaining the animal enclosures. “ ere are also always bigger projects on a farm, so I stay busy,” Ben explains.

e rewards of farm life extend beyond daily routines. Brandon Farms, in collaboration with Charnobragan Acres near Elizabeth, recently participated in the Elizabeth Stampede to promote the bene ts of Highland beef. “ eir unique coats lead to leaner, healthier meat than most other cattle breeds,” Ben notes. e event also provided an opportunity for visitors to interact with the friendly Highland cattle, an

READER

experience Ben encourages. “All of the animals love people and treats, and we are encouraging everyone to interact with them,” he says.

For those who missed the Highland cattle at the Stampede, another opportunity awaits. Brandon Farms and Charnobragan Acres will be showcasing their cattle at the Elizabeth Celtic Festival at Casey Jones Park on July 20-21.

For Ben, the most rewarding aspect of farming is the deep bond he forms with his animals and the haven he creates for friends and family. “ e relationship between a farmer and their animals is unique and rewarding. I also love this is a place my friends and family can visit to get a break from everyday life. I wouldn’t trade this life for anything,” he says. Brandon Farms is not just a place; it’s a lifestyle rooted in hard work, dedication, and the simple joys of rural living.

June 30. I love it when the symphony pairs with hip-hop artists — the resulting music is always exciting and di erent than you expect. Get tickets for this unique show at www.ticketmaster.com.

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

For a really exciting pairing, Nas is teaming with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra for a concert at Red Rocks, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway in Morrison, at 6 p.m. on Sunday,

Ben Brandon with one of his Highland cattle at Brandon Farms near Kiowa.

COURTESY OF BEN BRANDON

Sun Jr., a ‘psych mountain rock’ experience at the Mile High Hoedown

BY JO ANN M. COLTON

If you yearn to fly back to the sounds of yesteryear, you will love soaring to new heights with Boulder’s own Sun Jr, appearing at the MILE HIGH HOEDOWN later this month! The band’s sound is a blend of psychedelia, cosmic cowboy and Americana with indie-folk influences.

Friends Nod Norkus (drums), Jim Heekin (guitar/singer), Matt Kubis (banjo/singer), Jon Schimek (pedal steel guitar), and Jeremiah Streets (keys/ bass/organ) launched the band in 2013. They practiced in the evenings in Jim’s basement (“The Bottoms”), where they have become a “band of brothers.”

Sun Jr. hit the stage with a style all their own and immediately made an impression. From a spot on the “Gentleman of the Road” tour in Salida with Mumford & Sons, Dawes and the Flaming Lips in 2015, they’ve grinded their way into a stellar act that you cannot miss.

During the 2020 COVID pandemic, the band leaned heavily into long basement jams, taking notes from the likes of Pink Floyd and late ’60s bands that played for art’s sake. They branched into livestreaming to reach out to more folks and have continued to do so.

“In February 2024, (Heekin) posted a TikTok video of our song ‘Buttercorn’ from a live performance at Dharma Farm

— and it went viral,” Norkus said. “The post garnered 2.3 million views and about 40,000 new fans.”

The post was the mega break that has opened more doors to some of Colorado’s best venues and a “second media wave” of the post expanded their reach even farther, he said.

“We started receiving invitations to play in California, Texas, and points beyond the U.S.,” Norkus said.

The band’s current goal is

mostly to ignore national invites and build an ardent local fan base. To stay connected, they are partnering with Chris Wright of Violet Recording to capture their Colorado live shows to share more broadly. Wright will also engineer a series of in-studio live recordings, possibly capturing two albums from this dual recording process.

Visit sunjrband.com for the latest band information (recordings, play dates — and more)! Then, “go down” to the MILE HIGH HOEDOWN and enjoy Sun Jr.’s “Psych Mountain Rock” ex-

perience LIVE at the Stampede, 2431 S. Havana Street, in Aurora.

MILE HIGH HOEDOWN attendees can enjoy food truck food and beverages, learn new line dances with instructor/choreographer Laurie Burkardt, “creative cut” or screen print their own T-shirt with Ink & Drink, purchase a custom hat from hat shaper Parker Thomas, get a “flash” tattoo from Ace of MR. ACE Art & Tattoos; and visit Little People Face Painting for cool, but not permanent, body/ face/hair art — you’ll be sure to sparkle during Sun Jr.’s LIVE, never-to-be-duplicated hoedown performance!

Get the “low down” on the MILE HIGH HOEDOWN, which is 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, June 29, by heading to coloradocommunitymedia.com/ mile-high-hoedown. And GET A MOVE ON, partners! We’re running a limited-time buy-oneget-one promotion. Entry ONLY tickets are $20/each ($25 at the door). Don’t miss out and BUY YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

Purchase Tickets

How to stay safe in the water this summer

Centennial swim school provides safety tips

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Drowning is the leading cause of death for children aged 1 to 4 years old. And for children aged 5 to 14, it’s the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after motor vehicle crashes.

That’s according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which says formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning.

In the Centennial area, one business owner stresses the importance of swim lessons.

“I wasn’t a bad swimmer throughout my years, but I wasn’t great by any means, and I never really felt safe in the water,” said Wendy Skaalerud, who lives in Centennial. “And that’s really one of the reasons my husband and I were led to purchase and bring Big Blue to our community because feeling that lack of confidence as adults and especially as a parent, not feeling safe or confident in the water is a really awful thing.”

WATER SAFETY

They wanted to enable kids to feel sure of themselves “so they never feel the same fears I did as an adult,” said Skaalerud, who owns the Big Blue Swim School location near Smoky Hill Road and Himalaya Street.

Her location opened in May 2021, and she’s come a long way from feeling uncertain in the water. She’s now a certified lifeguard, and she offered some tips that can help you stay safe this summer.

Staying alert

Safety is crucial wherever people swim, whether it’s a backyard pool, a beach on a family vacation, a lake or a neighborhood pool, Skaalerud said.

She shared the “SAFER” acronym that Big Blue uses to help people remember ways to avoid danger.

• Swim with a buddy and get a “water watcher” — an adult to keep an eye on you. “Rotating people out doesn’t hurt so they’re fresh and they’re not getting vision fatigued,” Skaalerud said.

• Acquire CPR and first-aid training. “We encourage all of our parents, nannies, caregivers, older siblings” to get training, she said.

“We have someone certified on staff who can give CPR and firstaid training. They also can give lifeguard training.”

• Find and reduce water hazards. Put fences around pools at home, and don’t leave toys or items out that would entice a small child to go near a pool, Skaalerud said. Ensure proper-fitting life jackets are available for any water activities.

• Enroll in swim lessons to improve skills.

• Respond fast and call 911 in emergencies. “A drowning incident isn’t always obvious,” Skaalerud said, adding: “Never hesitate.”

Don’t forget

Always be diligent around water even in laid-back situations, Skaalerud said.

“People get really comfortable especially if they’re in social environments and eating and drinking and enjoying the sun,” she said.

But “always make sure you’re aware of your surroundings and the people around you.”

Even good swimmers can be at risk of water accidents, she added.

“We just don’t want to take for granted what kids know and what they don’t know,” Skaalerud said.

About the school

Her swim school location teaches kids at different ages, including a baby level that focuses on breath control and back floating, and a level for toddlers between 3 and 5 that focuses on skills like balance.

“At that age, it’s important that they enjoy coming to class, so we do use some games, some songs and some stories that help them get excited,” Skaalerud said.

For kids 6 and up, the lessons progress to shape “proficient and strong swimmers,” she said.

Her swim school is large, so families can schedule multiple age groups at the same time, “which is really convenient for parents,” she said.

“We also do water safety presentations in schools,” said Skaalerud, adding that that includes speaking at public and other types of schools. “And we love it.”

Business Analysts, Centennial, CO: JOB DUTIES. Build/maintain data warehouse for Heavy Civil Construction Business using SQL Server Analysis Services; Develop/ automate Orchestration & Transformation Jobs using Extraction, Loading & Transformation toolMicrosoft Data Flows; Perform timely project revenue, cost & risk audits using Microsoft Power BI. Salary: $113,734 - $130,000/ yr. Send res to: SEMA Construction, Inc., hr@ sema.inc.

Special Education Paraprofessional

Full-Time Special Education Paraprofessional needed for 2024-25 School Year in our West Area Center-Based Learning Programs located in Strasburg

• Competitive pay and benefits including individual health insurance . $16-$19 per hour depending on experience

• Questions contact Tracy at 719-775-2342 ext. 101 or tracyg@ecboces.org

• To apply for this position, please visit our website ecboces.org and click on the "Jobs" page, click on the job you are interested in & then click on the green button "Apply Online" at the bottom of the job listing. EOE

MARKETPLACE

Health & Beauty

WIDOWED MEN AND WOMEN OF

A social club offering many exciting activities and life long friendships. Social hours for all areas of Metro Denver. Visit Widowedamerica.org for details In your area!

VIAGRA and CIALIS USERS!

50 Generic Pills SPECIAL $99.00

100% guaranteed. 24/7 CALL NOW! 888-445-5928 Hablamos Espanol

Medical

Miscellaneous

Wesley Financial Group, LLC Timeshare Cancellation Experts Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt & fees cancelled in 2019. Get free info package & learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. Call 833-308-1971

Aging Roof? New Homeowner? Got Storm Damage?

Attention oxygen therapy users! Discover oxygen therapy that moves with you with Inogen Portable Oxygen Concentrators. Free information kit. 1-866-4779045

Miscellaneous

You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind their work. Fast, free estimate. Financing available. Call 1-888-878-9091

Professional lawn service: Fertilization, weed control, seeding, aeration & mosquito control. Call now for a free quote. Ask about our first application special! 1-833606-6777

Health & Beauty

Dental insurance from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 400+ procedures. Real dental insurance - not just a discount plan. Get your free Information Kit with details! 1-855-526-1060 www.dental50plus.com/ads #6258

DIRECTV Stream - Carries the most local MLB Games! Choice Package $89.99/ mo for 12 mos Stream on 20 devices at once. HBO Max included for 3 mos (w/ Choice Package or higher.) No contract or hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-866-859-0405

Water damage cleanup: A small amount of water can cause major damage to your home. Our trusted professionals dry out wet areas & repair to protect your family & your home value! Call 24/7: 1-888-872-2809. Have zip code!

Diagnosed with lung cancer & 65+? You may qualify for a substantial cash award. No obligation! We’ve recovered millions. Let us help! Call 24/7 1-877-707-5707 MobileHelp America’s premier mobile medical alert system. Whether you’re home or away. For safety & peace of mind. No long term contracts! Free brochure! Call 1-888489-3936

Jacuzzi Bath Remodel can install a new, custom bath or shower in as little as one day. For a limited time, waving ALL installation costs! (Additional terms apply. Subject to change and vary by dealer.) Offer ends 6/30/24. Call 1-844-501-3208

MARKETPLACE

Miscellaneous

Don’t let the stairs limit your mobility! Discover the ideal solution for anyone who struggles on the stairs, is concerned about a fall or wants to regain access to their entire home. Call AmeriGlide today! 1-833399-3595

Home break-ins take less than 60 seconds. Don’t wait! Protect your family, your home, your assets now for as little as 70¢/day! 1-844-591-7951

Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule free LeafFilter estimate today. 20% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-833-610-1936

Become a published author We want to read your book! Dorrance Publishing trusted since 1920. Consultation, production, promotion & distribution. Call for free author`s guide 1-877-7294998 or visit dorranceinfo. com/ads

Prepare for power outages today with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 7-Year warranty with qualifying purchase* Call 1-855-9486176 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move.

Replace your roof w/the best looking & longest lasting material steel from Erie Metal Roofs! 3 styles & multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer up to 50% off install + Additional 10% off install (military, health & 1st responders.) 1-833-370-1234

Get DISH Satellite TV + Internet! Free Install, Free HD-DVR Upgrade, 80,000 On-Demand Movies, Plus Limited Time Up To $600 In Gift Cards. Call Today! 1-866-479-1516

Miscellaneous

!!OLD GUITARS WANTED!!

GIBSON, FENDER, MARTIN, Etc. 1930’s to 1980’s. TOP DOLLAR PAID. CALL TOLL FREE 1-866433-8277

Safe Step. North America’s #1 Walk-in tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-the-line installation and service. Now featuring our free shower package & $1600 off - limited time! Financing available. 1-855-417-1306

Bath & shower updates in as little as 1 day! Affordable pricesNo payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & military discounts available. 1-877-543-9189

Colorado Statewide Network

To place a 25-wordCOSCAN Network adin 91 Colorado newspapers for only $300, contact your local newspaper or email Colorado Press Association Network at rtoledo@colopress.net

DIRECTV

DIRECTV, Sports Pack 3 Months on Us! Watch pro and college sports LIVE, Plus over 40 regional and specialty networks included. NFL, College Football, MLB, NBA, NHL, Golf and more. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-888-725-0897

PORTABLE OXYGEN

Doodle Puppies

Golden Doodles and Bernedoodles Home-Raised Heath Tested and Guaranteed Standard and Mini Size available Schedule a visit today! (970)215-6860 www.puppylovedoodles.com

Wanted

Donate Your Car to Veterans Today! Help and Support our Veterans. Fast - FREE pick up. 100% tax deductible. Call 1-800-245-0398

Be the 1st to rent one of these great

• Offices are located

to: Cleary Building Corp: 755 Crossroads Circle, Elizabeth, Colorado Contact 303-660-0420 or 800-373-5550

Legals

City and County

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION

East Central BOCES, along with our 20 member school districts; Agate, Arickaree, Arriba/ Flagler, Bennett, Bethune, Burlington, Byers, Cheyenne Wells, Deer Trail, Genoa/Hugo, HiPlains, Idalia, Karval, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Liberty, Limon, Strasburg, Stratton, and Woodlin does not unlawfully discriminate against otherwise qualified students, employees, applicants for employment, or members of the public on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, national origin, religion, ancestry, or the need for special education services. Discrimination against employees and applicants for employment based on age, genetic information, and conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth is also prohibited in accordance with state and/or federal law. The East Central BOCES including its member districts does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices.

This notice is provided as required by Title VI & VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, and Colorado law. Questions, complaints, or requests for additional information regarding these laws may be forwarded to the designated compliance coordinator.

East Central BOCES

Jason Westfall, Executive Director 820 2nd Street Limon, Colorado 80828 (719) 775-2342

Legal Notice No. ECN 1520

First Publication: June 13, 2024

Last Publication: June 20, 2024

Publisher: Elbert County News

PUBLIC NOTICE

SCHOOL DISTRICT RECORDS

The East Central BOCES Member School Districts keep records on each student to use in the instruction and guidance of each student. The records contain information about the student and his/her education, including attendance, achievement, aptitude, description, assessment and progress. Parents of students under 18 and eligible students have the right to review these records.

Student records are kept in the school building the student attends. If records are not kept in the school the student attends, this will be noted by the person in charge of records in the building. The principal is responsible for maintenance of student records in each building.

To review a student’s records, the parent(s) of students under 18 or the eligible student should contact the records custodian. The records will be shown to you as soon as possible and in no case more than three days after the request. If you desire a copy of the educational record, a

charge of 10 cents per copy may be charged, unless this fee prohibits your access. The records will be explained to you at your request.

Parents of eligible students may question the content of the records. Any other access to student records will only be allowed if written consent is obtained, upon court order or by any legally issued subpoena.

Student records are reviewed and inappropriate material removed periodically. Those records not of permanent importance must be destroyed at the parents request after graduation or when the student stops attending permanently. Parents of students with disabilities or eligible students will be notified before any personally identifiable information is removed from a record and destroyed.

A record of those persons reviewing the records will be kept by the records custodian and can be reviewed by the parent or eligible student.

A school official may release directory type information to the public. To prevent the public release of such information, a parent or eligible student must file a written objection with the records custodian within ten days after receiving this notice. For more detailed information about records, procedures and policies or to file a complaint, contact the local school district administrator, the East Central BOCES Executive Director or the Special Education Director. Letters may be addressed to: Jason Westfall, Executive Director, East Central BOCES, P. O. Box 910, Limon, CO 80828. Unresolved complaints can be appealed using the established appeals process.

The East Central BOCES member schools are: Bennett, Strasburg, Byers, Deer Trail, Agate, Woodlin, Arickaree, Limon, Genoa-Hugo, Karval, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Cheyenne Wells, Arriba-Flagler, Hi-Plains, Stratton, Bethune, Burlington, Idalia, & Liberty.

Legal Notice No. ECN 1519

First Publication: June 13, 2024

Last Publication: June 20, 2024

Publisher: Elbert County News

Bids and Settlements

Public Notice

INVITATION TO BID

The Town of Elizabeth will receive sealed Bids for the Main Street Streetscape project at Elizabeth Town Hall, 151 S. Banner Street, Elizabeth, Colorado until 2:00 p.m. Mountain Time, July 10, 2024. At such time, Bids received will be publicly opened and read aloud. A description of the Work to be performed is – Removal and replacement of existing curb and gutter, sidewalk, and a portion of the existing concrete pavement; installation of storm drain pipe, inlets, and manholes; construction of intersection bulb-outs and floating concrete curb extensions; and installation of landscaping, irrigation, and streetlighting infrastructure. Bid Packages are available beginning June 13, 2024 online through Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing (https://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado).

A mandatory Pre-Bid Conference will be held at the Elizabeth Town Hall at 2:00 p.m. Mountain Time on June 26, 2024. Bids will only be accepted by those bidders that have been recorded as having attended the Pre-Bid Conference. Bids will be received on a unit price basis. Bidders must be licensed contractors in the State of Colorado.

Elbert Legals

Last Publication: June 20, 2024

Publisher: Elbert County News

Summons and Sheriff Sale Public Notice

District Court, Elbert County, Colorado Court Address: 751 Ute Avenue, Kiowa, CO 80117

Plaintiff: Lois Ariel Lo v. Defendant: Oscar Daniel Brand

Party Without Attorney:

Name: Lois Ariel Lo

Phone Number: 323-548-9153

E-mail: loisbustamante@yahoo.com

Case Number: 2024DR030018 SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS:

You are hereby summoned and required to appear and defend against the claims of the petition filed with the court in this action, by filing with the clerk of this court an answer or other response. You are required to file your answer or other response within 35 days after the service of this summons upon you. Service of this summons shall be complete on the day of the last publication. A copy of the petition may be obtained from the clerk of the court.

If you fail to file your answer or other response to the petition in writing within 35 days after the date of the last publication, judgment by default may be rendered against you by the court for the relief demanded in the petition without further notice.

This is an action for legal custody of a child.

Dated: May 31st, 2024

By: /s/ Lois Ariel Lo

Legal Notice No. ECN 1517

First Publication: June 13, 2024

Last Publication: July 11, 2024

Published in Elbert County News

Water Court

Public Notice

DISTRICT COURT, WATER DIVISION 1, COLORADO

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

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

CASE NO. 2024CW3075 BLACK SUN LLC, PO Box 1869, Elizabeth, CO 80107. James J. Petrock, Hayes Poznanovic Korver LLC, 700 17th Street, Suite 1800, Denver, CO 80202. APPLICATION FOR AMENDMENT OF A PRIOR DECREE IN ELBERT COUNTY. Subject Property: Approximately 960 acres generally located

in Section 29 and Section 20, Township 6 South, Range 64 West of the 6th Meridian, County of Elbert, State of Colorado as described in Exhibit A attached (“Subject Property”). Applicant is the sole owner of the Subject Property. Decree for which Amendment is Sought: Case number 1989CW235 decreed July 31, 1990, and associated with the Subject Property (“89CW235 Decree”), as amended by Order of the Court entered February 21, 2021 (“Court Order”), removing 36 acre feet of nontributary Denver Aquifer groundwater from the 89CW235 Decree for use on property not involved in this application. No wells have been drilled on the Subject Property pursuant to the 89CW235 Decree. By quitclaim deed attached as Exhibit B, Applicant is the owner of 50 acre feet per year nontributary groundwater in the Denver Aquifer underlying the Subject Property, as decreed in 89CW235, and 25 acre feet of that water is the subject of this Application. Jurisdiction. The Court has jurisdiction over the subject matter of this application pursuant to CRS 37-90-137(6), 37-92-203(1) and 37-92-302(2). By contractual agreement, attached as Exhibit C, Arapahoe County Water and Wastewater Authority, as owner of all water rights adjudicated in the 89CW235 Decree not previously deeded to applicant, has agreed also allow removal of nontributary Denver Aquifer groundwater underlying the Subject Property from the 89CW235 Decree, for exempt wells or other exempt purposes. Previous Amendments. The Denver Aquifer ground water underlying “Parcel M” as described in te 89CW235 Decree, and as amended by the Court Order, now constitutes all Denver Aquifer ground water adjudicated in the 89CW235 Decree, as follows: 89CW235 Decree Paragraph 7.B.

Denver Aquifer

Parcel Designation: Parcel M

Acreage: 1920 acres

Sand Thickness: 320 feet

Specific Yield: 17%

Avg Annual Amount: 1008 acre ft*

* 1044 acre feet decreed in 89CW235 less 36 acre feet removed by Court Order

Amendment Requested by this Application:

Applicant seeks amendment of the 89CW235 Decree to remove 25 acre feet of nontributary Denver Aquifer water underlying the Subject Property from Parcel M of the 89CW235 Decree. The 25 acre feet per year will be used for the drilling of exempt wells on 35 acre parcels within the Subject Property or other exempt uses. The remaining 25 acre feet of Denver Aquifer groundwater owned by applicant and decreed in 89CW235 will remain subject to the 89CW235 Decree. Paragraph 7.B. of the 89CW235 Decree as amended by this request for amendment:

Denver Aquifer

Parcel Designation: Parcel M

Acreage: 1920

Sand Thickness: 320 feet

Specific Yield: 17%

Avg Annual Amount: 983 acre ft.*

*1008 acre feet less 25 acre feet.

Other than as requested herein, no other provision of the 89CW235 Decree will be changed by this Application. Applicant requests that the Court approve the requested amendment of the 89CW235 Decree, find that Applicant has complied with CRS 37-90-137(4) and that water is legally available for withdrawal, find that there will be no material injury to owners of or persons entitled to use water under any vested water right or conditional water right, and grant such other and further relief as may be proper. 3 pages.

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

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

Legal Notice No. ECN 1523

First Publication: June 20, 2024 Last Publication: June 20, 2024 Publisher: Elbert County News

Public Notice

DISTRICT COURT, WATER DIVISION 1, COLORADO MAY 2024 WATER RESUME PUBLICATION TO: ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN WATER APPLICATIONS IN WATER DIV. 1

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

CASE NO. 2024CW3063 BLACK SUN LLC, PO Box 1869, Elizabeth, CO 80107. James J. Petrock, Hayes Poznanovic Korver LLC, 700 17th Street, Suite 1800, Denver, CO 80202. APPLICATION FOR AMENDMENT OF A PRIOR DECREE IN ELBERT COUNTY. Subject Property: Approximately 960 acres generally located in Section 29 and Section 20, Township 6 South, Range 64 West of the 6th Meridian, County of Elbert, State of Colorado as described in Exhibit A attached (“Subject Property”). Applicant is the sole owner of the Subject Property. Decree for which Amendment is Sought: Case number 1989CW236 decreed July 31, 1990, and associated with the Subject Property (“89CW236 Decree”), as amended by Decree in Case 2021CW3198 (“21CW3198 Decree”). No objections were filed to the Application in Case 89CW236 or 21CW3198 and no wells have been drilled on the Subject Property pursuant to either Decree. Applicant is the owner of all not nontributary groundwater in the Lower Dawson Aquifer underlying the Subject Property, as evidenced by Quitclaim Deed attached hereto as Exhibit B. Applicant is the owner of 162 acre feet of not nontributary Lower Dawson aquifer water underlying the Subject Property adjudicated in the 89CW236 Decree. Jurisdiction. The Court has jurisdiction over the subject matter of this application pursuant to CRS 37-90- 137(6), 37-92-203(1) and 37-92-302(2). By contractual agreement, attached as Exhibit C, Arapahoe County Water and Wastewater Authority, as owner of all water rights adjudicated in the 89CW236 Decree and 21CW3198 Decree not deeded to applicant, has agreed to allow Applicant to withdraw all of the Lower Dawson

tion and resilience. When we have hope, we are more likely to persevere through challenges and setbacks. Hope gives us the strength to keep going, even when the road gets tough.

Purpose, on the other hand, gives our passion direction. It’s the reason behind our actions, the “why” that motivates us to keep pushing forward. When we have a clear sense of purpose, we are more focused and driven. Our e orts become more meaningful, and our passion becomes more intense. Purpose helps us stay committed to our goals, even

DUNCAN

the personal signi cance of certain items. By inserting speci c bequests into your will or trust, you can mitigate squabbles regarding that antique lamp in the living room or your grandmother’s diamond ring.

Account for gifts given during lifetime: If you gifted money or property to a bene ciary in the past, make sure to account for it in your plan. Since your goal is to treat all your children equally, you might want to address this gift in your will or trust. Classify any gift as an advancement, with the value of the gift counting as part of the

when the initial excitement fades. To maintain our passion, we must constantly set new and higher expectations for ourselves. We must raise the bar wherever and whenever we can. is doesn’t mean we should be constantly dissatis ed with our achievements. Rather, it means we should celebrate our successes while also striving for continuous improvement. By setting higher expectations, we challenge ourselves to grow and evolve. We push our limits and discover new potentials.

One of the most signi cant bene ts of maintaining our passion is that it sets us apart from the competition. In any eld, there are countless individuals who possess similar skills and knowledge. What distin-

“residuary” money you will leave to that bene ciary. For example, if you gave your daughter $5,000 toward student loans, you would speci cally state under her residuary share “less $5,000 gifted for student loan payments during my lifetime.”

Insert a no-contest clause in your will: Typically, a no-contest clause will state that if a beneciary challenges the validity of the will and fails, that bene ciary will forfeit any inheritance they would have received. e clause acts as a threat and discourages those seeking to receive a bigger piece of the pie. If you know a bene ciary is prone to con ict, inserting this statement can prevent heated legal battles and ensure your estate is distributed as intended.

Prove your Competence: e

guishes the successful ones is their passion. Passionate individuals are more likely to go the extra mile, to put in the extra hours, and to come up with innovative solutions. eir enthusiasm and dedication are evident in their work, making them stand out from the crowd.

Passion is contagious. When we are passionate about what we do, we inspire others to feel the same. Our energy and enthusiasm can motivate our colleagues, employees, and even our clients. is creates a positive and dynamic environment where everyone is driven to perform at their best. In such an environment, success becomes a collective e ort, and the chances of achieving great results are signicantly higher.

bene ciary contesting the will or trust will often claim the maker of the document was incompetent, under undue in uence from another bene ciary, or under duress during the signing of their will. To avoid these allegations, you may want to consider obtaining a medical evaluation which will con rm you are mentally competent and understand the nature and consequences of signing a will. is statement can be included in the will or presented to a court if the will is challenged. Another way to prove competence when signing a will is to have witnesses present at the signing. Witnesses can attest to the individual’s mental capacity and ability to understand the nature and consequences of signing a will, and to a rm that they believe

Passion is the key to unlocking our full potential. It’s the driving force that propels us towards excellence and sets us apart from the competition. By remaining curious, asking questions, and continuously seeking new ways to improve, we can sustain our passion.

I would love to hear your story of hope, passion, and purpose at gotonorton@gmail.com and when we realize that our passion is the key to unlocking our fullest potential, it really will be a better than good life.

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

the individual is of sound mind and not under any form of duress.

Disinherit any heirs: Leaving certain family members out of your will can be a source of contention among bene ciaries. If you are going to disinherit someone, make sure it is noted clearly in your will or trust so there can be no question as to whether you intended to exclude them.

Carolyn Moller Duncan’s Duncan Legal, PC is located in Centennial with a practice emphasis on estate planning, probate and trust administration. Carolyn has over 22 years of experience practicing law in Colorado. Carolyn is a member of the Colorado Bar, Trust & Estate Section, Family Law Section and Denver County Bar Association.

The Lower Dawson ground water underlying “Parcel M” as described in the 89CW236 Decree, and as amended in the 21CW3198 Decree, now constitutes all Lower Dawson ground water adjudicated in the 89CW236 Decree, as follows: Paragraph 7.C. 1989CW236, as amended by 2021CW3198:

Lower Dawson Aquifer

Parcel Designation: Parcel M

Acreage: 1280 Acres

Sand Thickness: 85 feet

Specific Yield: 20%

Avg Annual Amount: 218 acre feet *

*after removal of 640 acres and 108 acre feet under 2021CW3198.

Amendment Requested by this Application:

Applicant seeks amendment of the 89CW236 Decree to remove the Subject Property, and 162

acre feet of Lower Dawson ground water underlying the Subject Property, from Parcel M. The 162 acre feet per year will be used for the drilling of exempt wells on 35 acre parcels within the Subject Property or other exempt uses. Paragraph 7.C. of the 89CW236 Decree as amended by this request for amendment:

Lower Dawson Aquifer

Parcel Designation: Parcel M

Acreage: 320 Acres

Sand Thickness: 85 feet

Specific Yield: 20%

Avg Annual Amount: 56 acre feet

*Consisting of the East ½ of Section 31, Township 8 South Range 64W 6th P.M. County of Elbert, CO. Other than as requested herein, no other provision of the 89CW236 or 2021CW3198 Decrees will be changed by this Application. Applicant requests that the Court approve the requested amendment of the 89CW236 Decree, find that

Applicant has complied with CRS 37-90-137(4) and that water is legally available for withdrawal, find that there will be no material injury to owners of or persons entitled to use water under any vested water right or conditional water right, and grant such other and further relief as may be proper. 3 pages.

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

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that any party who wishes to oppose an application, or an amended application, may file with the Water Clerk, P. O. Box 2038, Greeley, CO 80632, a verified Statement of Opposition, setting forth

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

Legal Notice No. ECN 1522

First Publication: June 20, 2024

Last Publication: June 20, 2024 Publisher: Elbert County News

Name Changes