Parker Chronicle October 17, 2024

Keeping up with growth: Council, mayor candidates speak about the future of Parker

Local chamber

hosts forum at Black Bear course

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNTIYMEDIA.COM

As candidates across Douglas County are asking people for their vote, those running to become elected o cials for the Town of Parker continue to focus on how to better Parker for its residents.

Mayor Je Toborg and opponent Councilmember Joshua Rivero were joined by Mike Drennan and incumbents Todd Hendreks, Laura Hefta and John Diak at the Black Bear Golf Course in Parker to address topics ranging from economic development to public safety to housing.

As with any forum this election season, there was talk of education and whether there is a need for more county commissioners in the county. However, much of the conversation

Rueter-Hess Reservoir nears end of season

Only

a short time left for recreation on the water

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Temperatures are cooling and summer is o cially over — but there’s still time to paddleboard, kayak, canoe or windsurf at Rueter-Hess Reservoir through the end of October.

centered around Parker. While the candidates agree that Parker is doing good, they say it could be even better.

Keeping up with growth

Whether it be through

new businesses or families moving to the town, there is no doubt that Parker is growing. With that growth, Mayor Pro Tem Diak points to other special districts such as Parker Water & Sanitation and South Met-

ro Fire Rescue.

“Anytime an application comes in, we refer out to ensure that they can handle what growth is coming into this town,” said Diak.

Near Parker and Castle Pines, the reservoir’s early fall water recreation hours run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. e Rueter-Hess area also o ers catch-and-release shing and an incline challenge and trail. e reservoir is a Parker Water and Sanitation District drinkingwater storage facility. Here’s a look at the allowed activities at the reservoir.

On the water

You can bring your own paddleboard, canoe, kayak or windsurf board.

Candidates running for Parker mayor and town council participate in a forum at Black Bear Golf Course in Parker. From left to right: Todd Hendreks, Mike Drennan, Mayor Je Toborg, Joshua Rivero, Laura Hefta and John Diak.

PHOTO BY HALEY LENA

Concerns rise as Looking Glass Development puts school near livestock, shooting range

Neighbors look to establish mitigations

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

As the nal portion of the Looking Glass Development in Parker is set to be built out, some residents and councilmembers are concerned about a planned elementary school being located near livestock and a shooting range.

“Development happens; I will recognize that,” resident Peter Kyte said, who owns a farm at the edge of the proposed development. “I will say that the nature of the suburb coming right up to our property is totally out of character.”

Southwest of the future intersection of Chambers and Stroh roads is a 436-acre property, zoned for the rest of the Looking Glass Development. e property is currently undeveloped and is adjacent to the Rueter-Hess Reservoir and Anthology North.

e development will create 907 lots for single-family homes, about 99 acres of open space and regional parks, 44 acres of community and neighborhood parks and an elementary school.

In 2022, Dream Finders Homes relocated the planned elementary school site because of concerns expressed by the Douglas County School District of the original location, which had steep topography. e school was moved to a atter piece of land with more acreage.

Mike Childers, a developer for Dream Finders Homes, said the school is about 300 feet from the adjoining neighbors. One of those neighbors is Kyte, who owns a rural property that houses goats, cattle and bison.

“I’m sure nobody wants bison stampeding through an elementary school or parks or homes,” Kyte said.

He and other neighbors have been in conversation with Dream Finders Homes about possible modi cations or mitigations that could be integrated. For example, the build-

ers could add an electric fence to keep livestock out, as well as a berm and trees along the adjoining properties to mitigate noise, according to a public comment statement.

A type of sound barrier would be useful, as there is a shooting range nearby and the noise of gun re near a school and homes may draw complaints, Kyte said.

“We regularly exercise our Second Amendment rights on our property,” he said. “I think anything that can be done, let’s just put it this way, so parents don’t have concerns about hearing gunshots close to the school.”

Councilmember Brandi Wilks is supportive of the development, but as a mother of four children who go to school, she said hearing gunshots near a school might be alarming. She also brought up the concern that children might want to approach the livestock.

“I just want to make sure that with a school so close to awesome wild-

life and a legal shooting range, that we’ve addressed that and can mitigate that concern,” Wilks said.

Childers assured the Parker Town Council that conversations about mitigations have been, and are continuing to be, made.

Creating ‘responsible growth’

With two other community developments built and under construction, the Looking Glass Development project has been in the making for nearly 40 years.

“It’s the remaining piece of the Looking Glass Master plan,” Childers said. “ is has always been a more suburban portion of the Parker community.”

Steve Allen, landscape architect with the Henry Design Group, highlighted the additional parks, which brings the total to three large community parks and 12 neighborhood parks in the area.

e two large community parks will be designed to focus on pre-

serving natural landscape and enhancing the drainage ways while offering abundant passive and active recreation opportunities.

One community park will include a playground, climbing spire, tness loop, shelter with table games, baseball eld, tennis courts, frisbee golf and leisure garden areas, while another will include a downhill park, a Ninja Warrior obstacle course, zip lines, a playground, basketball courts and a multi-use sports eld.

“After the nal buildout of Looking Glass, residents will have over 11 miles of trails interconnecting the homes with over 80 acres of parks and over 299 acres of dedicated open space,” Allen said.

Councilmember Anne Barrington said the development is “responsible growth” and will make a positive impact on the community.

“ is has been going on for a long time,” said Barrington. “We did not just rubber stamp this through.”

A vicinity map of where Looking Glass Segment 2B is located inside the boundaries of Parker. The new development is adjacent to Rueter-Hess Reservoir, which is just outside the town limits. COURTESY OF THE TOWN OF PARKER

Almost No Buyers Are Having to Compensate Their Agents as Result of NAR Settlement

Leading up to the changes on August 17th which prohibited MLSs from displaying compensation for buyer brokers, I said that I would be surprised if any buyers ended up compensating their own agents. So, last week I did some research of my own and solicited input from others to see if my prediction had come true.

It has. I sent emails to listing agents who had closings in September, and every one who replied said that their seller had compensated the broker representing the buyer of their listing.

My friends at First Integrity Title did a few “spot checks” on transactions which closed post-NAR settlement to verify what they were hearing based on actual data. The challenge was that they would have to open every file individually, but the consensus was that, as I expected, the seller has continued to compensate the buyer’s agent.

“It really has not changed from the past,” I was told by Pam Giarratano, our sales rep at First Integrity Title.

Here is the response Pam got from her VP of Operations:

“I can tell you that I’ve asked the same question multiple times; I’m just trying to understand how much has changed since the NAR settlement. I can tell you that I am repeatedly told that people have not seen any buyers paying their own agents.”

From Pam’s VP of Sales:

“I looked at settlement statements for a dozen closed files, and the seller paid the buyer’s agent’s commission on all of them.”

Pam asked closers and lenders, and the

consensus was that the seller still pays. A lender who conducted a CE class in Westminster told Pam that they are still seeing the seller pay, but that sometimes if the seller is offering a buy-side compensation of 2.5% and the buyer’s agent has an agreement of 2.8%, the buyer is making up the .3% difference, or it is included in the contract as a seller credit.

That was exactly the case with one of my own listings in September. I told the buyer’s broker that the seller was offering 2.5%, and he submitted a contract with the seller paying 2.5% and the buyer paying an additional 0.3%.

Pam told me, “It looks like nothing has changed as far as the seller paying commissions. I think homeowners still want their houses looked at.”

Here’s the bottom line: Real estate is a free market. Just like builders who feel they must offer commissions to buyers’ agents because other builders are doing so, individual sellers are being counseled to offer the buyer broker commission because they realize that most buyers are represented by agents and they’re not going to buy a home if the seller requires them to compensate their own broker.

I chatted with my broker associates about this, and they are comfortable with the new rules which essentially bring more transparency to the process.

At the closing table, it has always been that the commissions paid to listing agent and buyer’s agent were listed separately on the settlement statement as being paid by the buyer. Naturally, some sellers objected to paying the buyer’s agent’s com-

Understanding Different 55+ Communities

Last week I was in a Zoom conversation with 14 of my high school classmates. We have been meeting like this every week since our 2020 reunion was canceled due to Covid. Three of us had moved into senior communities and we were answering questions about the options which we Baby Boomers face.

We are all healthy 77-year-olds (or thereabouts), but we all realize that the clock is ticking and that it’s not a matter of if but when we will need some sort of assisted living. Should we “age in place,” enter an “independent living” facility now, or wait until we need “assisted living”?

If you have 90 minutes of free time, I could share with you the URL of the recorded Zoom meeting, but for now, let me share some of the insights.

Laird lives at Windcrest, where he paid a 6-figure “entrance fee” and pays about $4,000 per month rent for a 1bedroom plus den apartment. He gets 30 meals per month in a dining room, but also has a kitchen for other meals. 90%

of his entrance fee is returnable if he leaves or dies. One thing I learned was that if by chance he runs out of money and can’t afford the rent, it is taken out of his entrance fee instead of having to leave. If assisted living is needed later, he stays in the same apartment, but the services and rent increase dramatically.

“They promise this can be my home for life,” Laird said.

Rita and I had moved into a pure rental 55+ community with no entrance fee. In fact, we paid no security deposit, and we got the first month free. We since moved to a regular apartment building.

I shared what I had learned about Vi at Highlands Ranch, where you must be healthy with no degenerative disorders, but you are promised no increase in rent when/if you need to enter assisted living, nursing care or even memory care.

The entrance fees at both facilities are reduced if you agree to only 50% or none of it being returnable when you leave.

Call me if you’d like to get more info or chat, or if you’d like that Zoom URL.

mission, forgetting that they had listed their home for x% and agreed that part of their listing agent’s commission would be offered to any agent who produced the buyer.

In other words, the commission to the buyer’s agent was coming out of the listing agent’s pocket, but it sure looked like the seller, not his agent, was compensating the buyer’s broker.

As I predicted, nothing has changed except the wording. The revised “Exclusive Right to Sell” contract still states the total commission to be paid at closing, but it lists a smaller amount that the seller will pay to the buyer’s agent, and states that the listing commission will be reduced by that amount.

Of course, in a real estate transaction, what rules are the provisions in the “Contract to Buy & Sell” between the buyer and seller. Section 29 of that document has lines to enter the compensation paid to the buyer’s broker by (1) the seller, (2) the buyer, and (3) the listing agent.

In some cases, the buyer’s agent will find out what the seller is offering, since it is no longer specified on the MLS listing. (Our listings specify that amount on the listing’s website and on a sign rider.) Regardless, the buyer’s agent will submit a contract which specifies how much the seller will pay the buyer’s agent, and the seller can counter that provision. It’s simply another element of the offer to be negotiated between buyer and seller through their agents.

Just last month, to win a bidding war, one of our broker associates submitted a contract asking the seller to pay only 1.5%, which tells you not only that buyer broker compensation is negotiable but that the amount of buyer broker compensation is going down. That was predicted, and is coming true. Listing agent was paid 3%.

In the past that listing probably would have displayed at least 2.5% buyer agent compensation in the MLS, and that amount would have been paid without negotiation or discussion.

So what did the plaintiffs in the NAR settlement expect to achieve, and what did they get?

At least in Colorado, they did not relieve sellers from compensating buyer agents. Listing agents are probably get-

ting the same compensation as before, but some sellers (like in the transaction mentioned above) are saving on the compensation paid to buyers’ brokers.

In some cases, listing agents may actually be earning more. I know of one multimillion-dollar listing which had a 4% commission specified in the listing agreement. The listing agent negotiated a 1% commission paid to the buyer’s agent, leaving 3% for the listing agent. Under pre -settlement rules, that listing would likely have offered 2% co-op commission on the MLS, netting the listing agent only 2%. Thus, the listing broker earned 50% more, thanks to the new rules.

As Realtors, my broker associates and I are okay with this new arrangement. It clarifies that the seller is paying both agents, but makes the amount more transparent and thus more negotiable. With sign riders and listing brochures, it’s not hard to inform buyer brokers of the compensation which the seller (not the listing agent) is offering, and the buyer can submit whatever compensation amount he or she wants in the contract to buy and sell.

Given the minimal end result of the NAR settlement, it will be interesting to see if there is further litigation on this matter. I don’t see any legal basis for denying a seller the right to offer compensation to the broker who produces the buyer for his home.

The Habitat for Humanity Pumpkin Patches Are Open

Every October, Jeffco Interfaith Partners sells pumpkins to raise money to sponsor a Habitat for Humanity home. In the past 20 years, they have funded over a dozen metro area Habitat homes.

The pumpkin patches are on the corner of Garrison & Alameda in Lakewood, and at 78th & Wadsworth in Arvada. The pumpkins are more expensive than elsewhere, but 40% of the purchase price is tax deductible, and it’s an easy way to donate to a worthy charity.

And the selection of pumpkins is great! They also sell carving kits and other Halloween paraphernalia.

What to do if you see a wild animal with distemper

Douglas County experts say it’s best to leave the creatures alone

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Highlands Ranch resident Kelly Simmons is used to seeing families of raccoons near her home. Her house backs up to an open space, and she recently had an encounter with a raccoon displaying odd symptoms and quickly decided there was not much she could do to help the animal.

“ is little guy has been like a lone soldier for a while now,” said Simmons. “He walked up to me, stumbling like he was drunk.”

Simmons thought the raccoon had gotten into someone’s trash and was potentially poisoned. As she continued to watch, the raccoon started approaching her like it was her cat.

She called the Highlands Ranch Metro District and was passed on to a district park ranger who told her they get about 20 calls a day and there is really nothing they can do about it.

“ is poor animal just had to suffer,” said Simmons. “I am de nitely concerned about the wellbeing of the raccoons.”

According to Simmons, the raccoon had most likely picked up distemper, a viral disease that a ects wild and domestic carnivores.

“We refer wildlife issues like this to Colorado Parks & Wildlife since they

are the stewards of wildlife in Colorado,” said Sherry Eppers, the Highlands Ranch Metro District’s community relations manager.

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the virus is spread among animals through direct contact. ere is a wide range of symptoms that include abnormal behavior, incoordination, weakness, crusting around the eyes and nose, coughing, thickened paw pads, vomiting and diarrhea.

While the virus cannot be transmitted to humans, it can be transmitted to unvaccinated domestic pets. e Park’s and Wildlife website also states that these sick animals usually don’t survive, and that the virus cannot be clearly distinguished from rabies without testing the brain of the animal.

“Distemper is not a risk to people,” said Michael Hill, director of the

The Douglas County Health Department encourages homeowners not to touch raccoons and other wildlife that show distemper symptoms.

SHUTTERSTOCK

Douglas County Health Department. “It could be to your pets if they are not properly vaccinated.”

What to do

Simmons was told she could call a wildlife removal or rehabilitation company to come pick up the animal, but when she looked into it, she realized it’s expensive.

“It’s not cheap, but they’ll do that,” Hill said.

If homeowners come across a raccoon showing symptoms of distemper, Hill said the best bet is to leave it alone.

As any animal could be carrying a disease, such as rabies, the health department encourages residents to not touch, feed or interact with the animals; teach children to leave them alone; and keep pets away from them.

“If they don’t bite you or your pet

— or don’t do something silly and try to pet them — then you should be ne,” said Hill.

Staying away from the animal is not only for your own safety, said Hill, but sometimes for the safety of the animal.

“Animal control only deals with domesticated animals, not wildlife,” said Cocha Heyden, spokesperson for the Douglas County Sheri ’s Ofce.

e Douglas County Sheri ’s Ofce agrees that it’s best to leave wild animals alone, especially if it is young. e scent of a human will often deter a parent from returning or can attract predators.

e sheri ’s o ce suggests putting secure- tting lids on outdoor garbage cans, regularly cleaning outdoor grills, supervising domesticated pets, and ensuring dogs and cats are up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations.

e Rocky Mountain Wildlife Alliance, a nonpro t hospital and rehabilitation center in Douglas County, also states on its website that often, the best outcome for the animal is for it to be left alone.

Animal control cannot remove wild animals that are alive, according to the health department. Hill said if a wild animal is deceased on your property, use gloves and double bag the animal and put it in the trash outside.

If you have touched a dead or sick animal, contact the Douglas County Health Department at 720-643-2400 or report the exposure online at shorturl.at/wkykj.

Recycle electronic waste

Electronics contain heavy metals like lead and cannot be disposed of in landfills in Colorado. Check with your local health department for e-waste services or events.

ELECTRONICS

5 takeaways from Douglas County candidate forum

Hopefuls for state Senate, House and county commissioner seats speak in Parker

BY ELLIS ARNOLD AND HALEY LENA EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In the heart of Parker, candidates for seats in the state legislature and on the county board of leaders spoke their mind on issues ranging from crime to water to the everdiscussed Colorado Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, known as TABOR.

e forum included candidates running for state Senate District 2 in the Parker and Castle Rock areas, state House District 44 in much of the Parker area, state House District 45 in the Castle Rock area, and state House District 43, which includes much of the Highlands Ranch area.

e event also included candidates running to become Douglas County commissioners, who are elected at large from one of three geographic districts in the

HARVEST FESTIVAL annual

Anthony Hartsook, the incumbent Republican representative in state House District 44, speaks at an Oct. 7 forum for candidates running for state legislature and county commissioner seats. Behind him sits state Rep. Bob Marshall, a Highlands Ranch Democrat. The event took place at the Parker location of Douglas County Libraries.

PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD

FORUM

county. Commissioners are required to reside in their respective districts, but voters throughout the entire county cast ballots for each commissioner seat.

See Colorado Community Media’s election home page online for more on candidates’ positions at coloradocommunitymedia.com/elections-2024.

Below, CCM drills down on ve topics that came up at the forum, which took place at the Parker location of Douglas County Libraries and was hosted by the Parker and Castle Rock chambers of commerce.

Crime on the mind

Some candidates painted conicting pictures of crime in Douglas County.

“ e evidence shows that crime is down in Douglas County versus going up,” said Angela omas, a Democrat running for a county commissioner seat. She added: “I think that all too often, we get into a fearmongering situation.”

Her opponent, incumbent Commissioner George Teal, said the county receives information from the sheri . Teal, a Republican, spoke of “organized crime rings that come into our community.”

Republican state Rep. Lisa Frizell, who represents House District 45 and is running for the Senate District 2 seat, also spoke of Colorado being a dangerous state.

So what does the data say?

For 2023, the most recent full year of data, the state’s database shows about 31,100 violent crimes reported in Colorado. at’s down from about 32,600 in 2022 but remains higher than the pre-pandemic recent high of about 26,100 in 2018.

Violent crime in the data includes murder, non-consensual sex o enses, aggravated assault and robbery.

For the Douglas County Sheri ’s Ofce, the state’s database shows about 480 violent crimes in 2023, down from the recent pandemic-era high of about 510 in 2021. e 2023 number is close to the pre-pandemic recent high of about 460 in 2018.

e sheri ’s o ce is the law enforcement agency for Douglas areas outside of cities and towns — known as unincorporated places, such as Highlands Ranch — along with Castle Pines and Larkspur.

Colorado’s history puts recent crime

upticks in a di erent context.

Colorado’s 2020 violent crime rate is the highest recorded since 1995, though it remains lower than the rates recorded each year between 1985 and 1995, e Denver Post reported.

And the state’s property crime rates declined steeply since 1985, the Post reported. While the 2020 property crime rate is the highest since 2008, it is less than half the record high in 1986, the newspaper added.

Federal data show “dramatic declines in U.S. violent and property crime rates since the early 1990s, when crime spiked across much of the nation,” an analysis by Pew Research Center states.

Between rural and urban

Whether on health care, school funding or water resources, the state legislature candidates’ conversation continued to come back to what could be done at the local level and whether the state should be involved in local decisions.

“Right now, the Democrats control every single seat of power in the state government,” said Anthony Hartsook, the incumbent Republican representative in House District 44. “We are looking to bring balance — we are looking to bring common sense back because one size does not t all.”

From open land with livestock to tighter suburban communities, Douglas County is faced with balancing urban interests and those of the morerural areas, on issues like transportation, housing, land use, local control and state mandates.

“Leave it up to the local areas, the local regional areas, to decide what’s best for their area,” said Max Brooks, a Castle Rock town councilmember who is running for House District 45.

It’s that local control that Chad Cox, a Democrat running against Brooks, says is only representing and supporting a certain group of people, re ected in housing and the inability of people to live where they work.

“We’re led in a very monolithic way of thinking,” Cox said. “It ends up leaving out a sect of our community that doesn’t have a voice.”

Coloradans in urban and rural areas may have di erent needs, but there are similar values like wanting a voice, wanting to be successful and wanting to feel comfortable and welcomed in the community, Cox said.

Having worked on legislation focused on the agriculture community, Hartsook said he understands what works for Denver won’t work for areas of Parker.

Hartsook spoke about a rancher

who runs a milk farm in the eastern Parker area and says milk cows don’t operate on a 40-hour work week.

Talking taxes

A consistently hot political topic, TABOR, also came up at the forum. e Colorado Constitution includes a section, “ e Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights,” that limits the amount of money that the state government can collect and spend or save each year. If money is collected above the limit, the excess must be refunded to taxpayers. is is called a TABOR refund.

Amid the topic of how to better fund public schools, Cox said: “Maybe it’s reworking TABOR.”

Brooks, his opponent, responded to that comment by saying: “Let me put that in three words: steal your money.”

“I did not say steal your money, nor would I,” Cox replied.

On the topic of TABOR, Brooks, a Republican, also referenced Proposition HH. at was last year’s e ort from Colorado Democrats to o er property tax relief ahead of a spike in the cost of property tax bills due to Colorado’s expensive home prices.

Opponents pointed out that Prop HH could also shrink the tax refunds Coloradans receive under TABOR, and they noted much of the funding the state would keep under Prop HH would go toward education, not relief for homeowners.

Colorado voted Prop HH down, but discussions about whether to retool the state’s property tax system, and Colorado’s education funding, could continue.

On water

Coming from an agricultural family in the San Luis Valley, state House District 44 candidate Alyssa Nilemo said her family’s farm was lost due to “buy and dry,” which refers to the practice of buying water from agricultural land and moving the water elsewhere.

Nilemo, a Democrat, said she understands the complexity of water rights, arguing that “buy and dry,” and building properties that rely on aquifers for water, doesn’t work.

“ ere’s not a single entity that can solve or resolve this problem,” Nilemo said. “ is is one where we have to work across all levels of government and across all communities.”

She supports a focus on sustainability, such as addressing the amount of Kentucky bluegrass in the state.

Brooks pointed to the renewable water e orts of Castle Rock Water, supporting the idea of solving water sustainability issues at the local level.

Looking at the growth of the com-

munity, Hartsook said housing is tied to water because without water, homes cannot be built, which is why he believes it’s important to work with di erent water districts.

“You can respect water rights and build reservoirs,” Hartsook said. “It’s not a ‘one or the other.’”

E ort to add commissioner seats

Amid the often-contentious relationship among the current Douglas County commissioners, Bob Marshall, a Highlands Ranch Democrat in the state House, supported a bill that would have expanded the number of members on a county’s board of commissioners to ve. e bill would have a ected several Front Range counties with large enough populations, including Douglas County, whose board has become known for its bitter con icts and 2-1 votes.

“All I know is we’ve got two people running the whole county,” Marshall said previously.

He added: “Everyone was saying, ‘Marshall is just trying to get a Democratic commissioner’” elected in Douglas County. But his proposal “doesn’t mean a Republican couldn’t represent Highlands Ranch well.”

He noted there are conservative areas of Boulder County that may feel “locked out” of decisions without a Republican commissioner. e proposal — which would also have required at least some of the commissioners to represent speci c areas of their counties — met defeat in the state legislature last year.

During the forum, Hartsook said of the bill: “I voted no and I’ll vote no again.”

“We have the state sticking their nose into (local and) county business,” Hartsook said.

Marshall, who also spoke at the forum and is running for reelection in state House District 43, is still concerned about county commissioner boards with three seats.

Two people in Je erson County can control “a billion-dollar budget,” Marshall said.

Other candidates

Jennifer Brady, a Democrat running against Frizell in Senate District 2, also participated in the Oct. 7 forum, along with Democrat Josh Smith, a candidate for a Douglas commissioner seat.

Matt Burcham, the Republican running against Marshall, did not attend the event.

State Sen. Kevin Van Winkle, the Republican running against Smith, also did not attend.

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Huntington’s Disease Society of America’s Education Day

e Rocky Mountain chapter of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America will host the Denver area’s 2024 Education Day on Oct. 19 at the University of ColoradoAnschutz Medical Campus, 12700 E. 19th Ave., in Aurora. e event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. is informational event represents a local opportunity for members of the local Colorado

Huntington’s disease community to come together and learn with friends, family, neighbors and the community at large to raise awareness and funds to support the HDSA. All proceeds support HDSA’s mission to improve the lives of people a ected by Huntington’s disease and their families.

To learn more about Huntington’s disease, visit www.hdsa.org. For details on the event, visit cumovement.org/annual-hd-day.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Parker’s population grew about 7.2% between the spring of 2020 and the summer of 2023. While the census estimates the population in 2023 was slightly over 62,700, the Town of Parker website states the population is about 67,300 people residing in the town’s boundaries as of January 2024.

Due to the growth, residents have raised concerns about public safety and infrastructure.

In regards to roads, the candidates see the congestion. As Parker Road is a primary commercial artery for Parker, Drennan said he appreciates the current council working to put more roads in an e ort to ease the infrastructure.

Diak added that the town has leveraged county and federal dollars to improve roads.

Many of the candidates feel condent when it comes to emergency preparedness because the town coordinates with Douglas County, South Metro Fire Rescue and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, also known as FEMA.

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Additionally, the Parker Police Department will be hiring an emergency preparedness liaison, Hefta said.

e candidates also agree that funding the police will continue to improve safety. e police department is currently funded with about $25 million, according to the town’s open budget.

“Towns can’t eliminate crime,” said Hefta. “But they can seek to address (it) by creating excellent policy, funding their police departments and have outstanding training for the police departments.”

Data o ered by the Parker Police Department indicates that while calls for services have been lower this year

compared to 2023, personal crimes –homicide, robbery, sex o enses and assault – have increased.

Drennan, who has run for council previously, said the town needs to work on its scal management. Instead of expanding town hall, he said, the town should be expanding law enforcement and putting more school resource ocers in schools.

“I’m not sure how a city hall is going to really improve the quality of life of everybody here in this community,” said Drennan.

Economic development and housing

According to Toborg and fellow councilmembers, Parker prides itself on supporting businesses and providing jobs for the community. Its economic development council – and collaboration with the Douglas County Economic Development Group – offers incentive policies and engages in expanding businesses.

Although Parker has invested in software to show applicants in real time how their permits are processed, Diak said the biggest challenge for Parker is the external referral agencies.

“Parker gets an application, (and) we have to then turn it around again, give it to the school district, to water, to re,” said Diak.

What the town lacks, according to Toborg, are more high-tech and bioscience careers. Toborg cited Parker Aerospace, which builds components for satellites; and the town’s rst data center, which is estimated to bring back a couple of million in excise and franchise taxes each year.

“We need to build on these items,” said Toborg. “(We) need to be on a more metro scale.”

Toborg also agrees with citizens that there needs to be more light industrial businesses. However, the challenge is Parker is running out of land to provide those options.

The Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America held its annual golf tournament recently. The chapter will host the 2024 Education Day for the Denver area on Oct. 19 at the University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus.

When asked about what the town can do to bring in higher wage jobs, candidates agreed that part of it comes down to accessibility. For Diak, it’s utilizing E470, however, Drennan doesn’t believe paying tolls is a better way to go.

Hendreks supports the idea of looking into other transportation methods such as the City of Lone Tree’s free transportation system, Link On Demand, which enables people in the city to get to their destination or to a light rail station.

“It (RTD) just doesn’t t here,” said Hendreks. “A di erent kind of model like the shuttle service (that) Lone Tree has.”

While accessory dwelling units and joining the county in an a ordable housing partnership were mentioned, construction defect reform was at the forefront.

e Construction Defect Reform Act passed in 2001 aimed to decrease the number of “defect-related” lawsuits, including repairs. is legislation has led to a decrease in the amount of condominiums being built, said Toborg and Rivero.

Rivero added that this issue plays a role in why Parker is an expensive community to live in, which results in di culty in retaining and recruiting workers in careers such as health care.

“When you don’t have a wide variety of housing situations for the workforce at all di erent levels, you’re missing that little gap,” said Rivero. “You don’t get those folks who are starting out.”

Other candidates

Also running for Town Council but did not attend the event were Tim Lynott, Abdulla Zubair and Brain Carruthers.

See Colorado Community Media’s online election home page to learn more about the candidates at coloradocommunitymedia.com/ elections-2024.

PHOTO BY SEAN CALAHAN

RESERVOIR

Plan for some walking. Parking closest to the water is about a ve-minute walk away. Additional parking is up to 10 minutes away. You can drop o gear near the shoreline and return to the parking area, according to the county. Rules to know for water activities include:

• Lifejackets must be worn by all participants while on the water

• People ages 2 to 7 may share a watercraft with a guardian. ose ages 8 to 15 may have their own watercraft, but a registered adult guardian must be present on the water

• Pets are allowed on trails only. Dogs are not allowed on or near the water or shoreline

• No swimming

• No rafts or in atable tubes except blow-up paddleboards and multichambered kayaks

• No alcohol or glass containers

• Oversized vehicles and trailers are not permitted.

For fishing

A limited number of adult anglers with valid Coloradostate shing licenses will be allowed to sh each day the reservoir is open to the public until ice forms on the reservoir.

Fishers younger than 16, who are not required by the state to have a license, are required to also make a reservation to sh, according to the county.

Generally, you can sh from the shore or a paddleboard, kayak or canoe. Motorized or belly boats are not allowed.

After watercraft season, anglers may sh from shore until ice forms on the reservoir, according to the county. e reservoir has been stocked with walleye, yellow perch, largemouth bass, wiper (striped hybrid bass), channel cat sh, black crappie and blue gill, according to the county.

Rules to know for shing include:

• No live or scented bait

• Catch-and-release shing only

• Single pole shing, regardless of stamp

• Only single barbless hooks are allowed

• Arti cial ies and lures only

• All tackle boxes and shing licenses will be checked.

Land activities

e incline challenge features 132 steps, and the Rosie Rueter Trail loop that leads to and from the parking lot is just over a mile long, according to the county.

“ e incline o ers 232 feet of elevation and a spectacular view,” the website says.

e incline is open one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset, seven days a week, according to the county.

Other rules

All vehicles entering the reservoir area must have an online reservation. e cost for parking is $10 per day

REVERSE MORTGAGES

per vehicle. You canregister at tinyurl. com/RueterHessReservation. To maintain the water quality of the reservoir, swimming is not allowed. No bodily contact is allowed with the water unless authorized by the Parker Water district and o cials, the website says.

Getting there

e reservoir area sits o Hess Road just west of Heirloom Parkway, generally between the City of Castle Pines and the Town of Parker.

It’s accessible about 4 miles east of the interchange of Interstate 25 and Castle Pines Parkway, which becomes Hess Road, or about 4 miles west of the intersection of Parker Road and Hess Road.

Its address is 9343 Double Angel Road.

e incline and trailhead parking lot sits at 13930 Ancestry Drive. Reservations are not required for the incline challenge and trails, according to the county.

More than 30 butchers compete in annual meat cutting challenge

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Dozens of competitors stepped onto the ice at the South Suburban Sports Complex in Highlands Ranch to one of their favorite songs blasting through the speakers of the arena.

But instead of a hockey stick in hand, they held mallets and knives, ready to slice meat.

More than 30 butchers from across Colorado, New Mexico, South Dakota and Wyoming took part in the rst round of the National Meat Cutting Challenge on Oct. 2.

“It’s a tribute to a unique profession that blends artistry with expertise,” said Nick Carroll, who is the regional senior product coach for Texas Roadhouse.  e competition is part of the

A ‘rib-eye’ on the prize

Meat Hero program, created in 2001, to recognize the daily e orts of Texas Roadhouse meat cutters. Each contestant is responsible for hand-cutting every steak served at their local Texas Roadhouse.

Spending about seven hours a day in a 34-degree walk-in cooler, the professional meat cutters cut about $1 million worth of meat in an average year.

“Our meat cutters are the backbone of what we do inside our restaurants every day,” said Regional Product coach Carroll.

As the national meat-cutting challenge highlights the extraordinary skill and precision of the local meat cutters, the ice rink was kept at a cool 34-degrees to ensure fresh and quality meat.

Each participant was given 20-30 pounds of beef to compete with.

Judged on speed, quality and the number of pieces, the competitors had one hour to cut three muscles — sirloin, let and ribeye — according to Trevor Droogan, managing partner for the Sheridan and Englewood Texas Roadhouse locations. He

Extraordinaire

added that there was a speci c speck size to meet for each type and di erent cuts have individual qualities.

At the end of the hour, each contestant placed their work in a numbered tin, then the product coaches judged the meat anonymously.

“If it has too much fat or too much gristle, they’ll kick it,” said Droogan.

After the meat was judged, it was grilled outside for everyone to enjoy, including the sta at South Suburban Sports Complex.

“We like to take care of the community and sta here,” said Stephanie Keck, senior marketing coach.

Several of the contestants represented Littleton, Parker and Brighton, but it was Gelacio Sanchez Fermin of ornton and Auder Revolorio of Sheridan who moved on to compete at the regional level.

In January, the top scoring chal-

lengers in the region will advance to the semi- nals, which will take place in Las Vegas. Five will then move on to the 2025 National Competition in Louisville, Kentucky in the spring. e winner of the national competition will win a $25,000 grand prize and be crowned Meat Cutter of the Year.

But it’s not exactly the end for the local competitors who did not win a spot in the regional competition. Once the market competitions are over at the end of the year, a couple of ”wildcards” will be chosen to have another chance to compete.

“Having a good meat cutter versus having an experienced meat cutter is huge for us,” said Droogan. “It’s (the competition) just a really good way to reward them and kind of keep them hungry (for their profession).”

Auder Revolorio, the professional butcher for the Texas Roadhouse in Longmont, was one of the two competitors who moved on to compete to the next level.

COURTESY OF STEPHANIE KECK

Opponents argue Amendment 80 opens door for public funds to private schools

School choice is a part of the fabric of Colorado’s education system, and proponents argue that adding this right to the state constitution grants greater legal advantages than can be a orded through state law.

BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

At rst glance, Amendment 80 might seem like a simple a rmation of school choice that Colorado’s families have enjoyed for more than 30 years. e amendment, which appears on this year’s election ballot, seeks to enshrine open access to a broad array of education options in the state’s constitution.

Opponents don’t argue with protecting school choice but rather with how the measure de nes school choice to include public neighborhood and charter schools, private schools, home schools, open enrollment options and future innovations in education.

Groups like the Colorado Education Association, the Colorado PTA, the Christian Home Educators

Percent of students enrolled in Colorado public and private schools by ethnicity.

Classic Western action joins forces with music, drinks, food, vendors

BY NICKY QUINBY

SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

e ElizaFest and Community Rodeo at Casey Jones Park enjoyed record turnouts this year. Formally called ElizaFest, A Toast to Elizabeth, the Elizabeth Area Chamber of Commerce event featured live music, beer, wine, food and unique vendors.

e shady trees at Casey Jones Park o ered a respite from the early autumn sun and an ideal spot to stroll, shop, and enjoy an adult beverage and some delicious food. Cornhole tournaments and lawn games were also available.

ElizaFest ran from noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28 in collaboration with the Community Rodeo, which took place both Friday and Saturday nights. Mary Martin, Elizabeth Area Chamber of Commerce president, said ElizaFest has been a community favorite since its introduction in the early 2000s.

“It was originally named Pints in

ElizaFest, Community Rodeo are crowd-pleasers

the Pines,” she said, “then transitioned to Pints in the Park when it became a regular event at Casey Jones Park. Now the event has been rebranded to be ElizaFest, with a focus on community, fun, partnerships … we have partnered with the Elizabeth Stampede’s Community Rodeo, to create a full day of fun that suits all ages.”

is year’s ElizaFest saw such large numbers of people that by 5:30 the refreshment stand had sold out of almost all of their supplies and three food vendors ran out of food completely. “I’m guessing we had several thousand people come through during the Community Rodeo and our ElizaFest event,” Martin said.

Martin is excited for what this might mean for ElizaFest’s future. “Everyone was happy and it looked like people had a blast. Next year is going to be even bigger and better, and the chamber may even move to a Friday night-Saturday event alongside the Community Rodeo.”

Next year the chamber has plans to add more children’s activities and possibly additional bands to keep the event growing and gaining in fun each year.

e Community Rodeo, presented by the Elizabeth Locker Plant, also

saw a huge turnout. Lea Anne Russell, Elizabeth Stampede Board vice president, said there were an estimated 1,000 people in attendance. She added that the 2024 spectator numbers were among the highest, if not the highest, they have ever had for a community rodeo.

e Community Rodeo includes roughstock events, mini-buckers, open barrel races and mutton bustin’. On Friday night there were a whopping 98 entries for the barrel race.

“ e Community Rodeo is intended to celebrate our rodeo roots,” Russell shared. “We all start at di erent levels and contestants need an opportunity to compete in the highest level arenas to hone their craft. Be it a young rider who is on their rst bull with dreams of the National Finals Rodeo or a young barrel racer headed to the biggest professional stages, the community or amateur rodeos provide a valuable step in the process.”

“Our goal for the community rodeo is to continue the traditions that were vital in the early days of Elbert County so that they survive long into the future. We want to create and celebrate the next generation of professional rodeo athletes,” Russell added.

e Elizabeth Area Chamber of Commerce started a foundation last year to add a charitable component to their business. e goal is to bring awareness to and help other nonpro ts, animal-related nonpro ts, military and veteran organizations, and other underserved individuals and populations. Martin said they are looking for founding donors or sponsors and seeking grants to jump-start the e orts to better serve in the community.

e chamber is also generally looking for more volunteers to help with vendor check-in, event setup and cleanup, and distributing yers. More speci cally, the Chamber needs help for their upcoming Veterans Appreciation event on Nov. 16. Martin is looking for choral groups or student bands to play patriotic music as well as groups to help with the event itself. Contact Martin at mary@elizabethchamber. org or call 303-646-4287. More information is available at elizabethchamber.org.

More information about the Elizabeth Locker Plant can be found at elizabethlocker.com.

For detailed information about the Community Rodeo, go online to elizabethstampede.com/ community-rodeo.

The vendors and businesses at ElizaFest were an eclectic bunch, from those selling Lifetime Windows and Doors to homemade crafts and wares. PHOTOS BY NICKY QUINBY

One of the vendors at ElizaFest o ered homemade candy. Passersby stop to take a look and taste test.

SCHOOL CHOICE

of Colorado, Colorado Democrats, Stand for Children and the ACLU Colorado worry that making private schools a constitutionally protected right would allow the government to direct public tax dollars to private education.

“Disguised as a measure seeking to protect school choice in the state constitution, which Colorado families already have, 80 takes a permanent rst step towards creating a voucher system, which would use taxpayer dollars to bankroll elite private school tuition,” the Colorado Education Association said in a statement.

Advance Colorado, a conservative action committee that doesn’t disclose its donors, is behind the measure. e group’s policy analyst, Michael Tsogy, wrote in a recent re-

port titled “Protecting Educational Freedom: Why School Choice Must be Placed in the Colorado Constitution” that the amendment is necessary “due to a rising attack against the right to school choice for all.”

“In Colorado, which has one of the best school choice statutes in the nation, the next move is to preserve school choice for future generations by cementing it as a right in the Colorado Constitution,” writes Tsogy.

Proponents have downplayed the inclusion of private schools, saying the measure isn’t about diverting public school funding to a voucher system. However, Tsogy’s report mentions why parents send children to private schools and states that Colorado’s private school enrollment has risen since the pandemic.

“Colorado falls into the category of a state with public charter school laws but without a private school choice program,” Tsogy said. “ is means that Colorado allows multiple school choice options but does

Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution establishing the right to school choice for children in kindergarten through 12th grade, and, in connection therewith, declaring that school choice includes neighborhood, charter, and private schools; home schooling; open enrollment options; and future innovations in education?

A “yes” vote creates a constitutional right to school choice that can’t be changed based on which party controls the state legislature or governor’s o ce.

not fund private or home school options with state dollars.”

What Amendment 80 asks voters to approve Here’s the exact language voters will see on their ballot:

A “no” vote keeps the current system of school choice in state law.  e amendment needs 55% of the vote to pass. If voters approve the measure, student enrollment opportunities will remain the same. Parents will have the same options as before, but state lawmakers could change their policies around school choice, and courts could be asked to interpret local school district policies according to the ballot language.

Staying positive when facing adversity

In a world that often feels drenched in negativity, it can be all too easy for a single bad moment to spiral out of control. One unfortunate encounter in the morning might cloud our entire day, and before we know it, that one wrong moment is bleeding into everything we touch, turning a brief struggle into a prolonged season of negativity.

Sometimes, we fall into the trap of looking for things to go wrong. We brace for the bad, and in doing so, we invite it into our lives. It’s as if focusing on the problem blinds us to the solutions that might be right before us.

When we decide to look for the good, we tend to nd it. e same goes for the bad; when we x our eyes on the negative, it multiplies. is principle applies to how we wake up and how we go to sleep. Mornings set the tone for the day, and how we greet the dawn can pro-

Looking back 39 years to October of 1985, I nally completed my studies for the certi ed nancial planner certi cation and was itching to share my knowledge with others. Having just completed almost three years of coursework where I was often the only female in the room, I decided to learn more about why there were not more women in nance. is revealed a myriad of other issues that to this day continue to plague women preparing for retirement. I set o to teach classes at the local library and start writing a nance column for this newspaper to empower others to be nancially prepared

VOICES

foundly impact how we handle what follows. If we wake up with gratitude, love, and appreciation, we’re more likely to carry those feelings into every situation. e same is true of our nights. e thoughts we fall asleep with often greet us the next morning. If we end the day ruminating on everything that went wrong, those thoughts will likely follow us the next day. But if we close our eyes with a heart full of love, peace, and contentment, we wake up ready to embrace the goodness around us.

Staying motivated and nding

happiness in the face of a life-threatening illness or some other form of devastation can feel like an almost impossible task. When our world is turned upside down by something that challenges our very existence, it’s hard to nd a reason to keep smiling, let alone keep pushing forward. Yet, there’s often an unspoken expectation, whether from ourselves or those around us, to put on a brave face to show the world that we are still standing tall, even when everything inside us is crumbling.

Women’s financial security may be at risk

for an unknown future.

Fast forward to the present day, and I come across a recent UBS study that states 85% of high-net-worth women across every generation still tend to leave long-term nancial decisions to their male counterparts.¹ is includes women running businesses, households and managing daily nances for themselves and their families, often spanning three generations.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Pine Canyon is bad idea

Early in my career, I studied the di erent investment styles by gender, which helped me signi cantly when working with couples who were not always on the same page. I was able to give them permission to think about money di erently, because it often means different things depending on if you are the rainmaker or the caretaker. Being on a career track myself, as well as a wife and mother and, yes, daughter, I too was juggling three generations along with both my and my husband’s businesses. I get it: ere is not enough time in the day, and you must prioritize.

I read the article about the Pine Canyon Development in the Oct. 3 publication. It is worth noting that the impacts on the surrounding residents are signi cant.

e tra c study performed by the developer indicates that the project will result in 22,054 vehicle trips per day. is equates to over 8 million per year. By developing in the county the project avoids paying sales taxes and impact fees to the Town of Castle Rock. e lost taxes and fees equate to $80 to $100 million.

e taxes and fees are necessary to mitigate the impacts on roads, police and re protection. Pine Canyon is the center of the doughnut surrounded by the town. If Commissioners Laydon and omas approve the project, the result is bad governance as town residents will be forced to pay for the impacts of the project.

Steve Snodgrass, Castle Rock

Time for a commissioner change

Voters in Douglas County on Tuesday, Nov. 5 have the opportunity to change one of our DC commissioners — George Teal. George Teal, along with Abe Laydon, have bullied their way through the county, selecting issues they want, and distributing taxpayer funds as they see t. Often ignoring the input from Lora omas. It is about time that this behavior stops.

George does not have the deeds and actions that bene t the county and its residents. George and Abe make decisions based on what is good for them, not the taxpaying citizens. It also appears that they make up the rules as they go. Limiting public comments at the business meetings, lling voluntary boards with their candidates, displacing committee members who do not follow

CORRECTION

A story on the Douglas County Commissioner District 2 race published in the Oct. 10 newspaper incorrectly stated a Douglas County Board of Commissioners’ decision. e board removed Frank Johns from the county Water Commission on a 2-1 vote.

LETTERS

their rules and the whims of their supporters. Look at what George has done with Frank Johns on the Water Commission, Meghann Silverthorn on the Library Board, and very recently, Jerrod Taylor on the Parks Board. George also selected several of his RWR supporters for the Water Commission, which was formed at George and Abe’s request, despite the fact that the County is not a water provider. Is this how we want the elected commissioners to discharge their duty to do what’s best for Douglas County — n0.

Angela omas is running against George Teal, and I strongly encourage our Douglas County voters to vote for Angela omas. We need an independent thinker as commissioner, not someone who will follow the lead of Abe Laydon.

Let us take advantage of this election opportunity and elect Angela omas to replace George Teal and bring a new and fresh perspective to the Douglas County commissioner’s o ce.

Jim Weglarz, Larkspur

Proposition 127 deserves yes vote I am writing in regards to Proposition 127 which seeks to ban trophy hunting of mountain lions for their heads and fur and to ban trapping of bobcats for their fur which is then often sold to China. ese acts enact intense cruelty to animals.

Trophy hunting in Colorado is the same as is done in Africa. Many so-called hunters pay $8,000 for a guaranteed kill, which utilizes dogs to hunt down and tree the cat. e dogs’ radio collars then send a signal whereby the hunter comes out and shoots the cat.

If you love dogs, you should denitely vote yes on Proposition 127, because trophy hunters have “surplus dogs” since they know that dogs will be killed during the hunt. Bobcats su er from extreme terror and cruelty as they are often left for long periods of time in extremely frigid conditions before the “hunter” comes along and bludgeons them to death. ese hunters then bene t monetarily by selling their fur to foreign markets. is is a totally cruel and heinous act that serves no good purpose.

Mountain lions are a self-regulating species, meaning they do not over-populate. Just look at the case in California where trophy hunting has been banned for 52 years. ey have not experienced an increase in population.

Let’s take it from the experts. Dozens of wildlife scientists — some neutral on the measure — o er a letter to inform voters that hunting is not managing populations. ese are the Ph.D.-level independent, academic and agency researchers.

Karla Heeps, Denver

School bond biggest ever

e latest round for a debt increasing school tax proposal will increase Douglas county property owners’ long term debt by almost $1/2 billion. Repayment cost is $895 million. In a time such as this when people need every nickel and dime to make ends meet, the school board wants to increase debt and taxes again. In ation is eating people alive and further debt will make things worse on overburdened taxpayers. If that’s not enough the school board is planning another $371 million bond in four more years.

e school board claims that selling unused land (land speculation) won’t help much toward building new schools or maintenance needs, but why not? Get rid of unused land which will not only provide supposedly needed funds but will also increase the tax base for school owned land which is currently untaxed.

School taxes are not county taxes but are separate from any county control or oversight. Colorado state law requires counties to collect the imposed tax for the school district and deposit the funds in the school bank account. School taxes are controlled solely by the school board under state oversight. e school board is an extension of state government with federal control included.

Reading pro ciency is 57% which leaves 43% are not pro cient! Is the school system really working? It depends on how you look at it. Costs increase yearly while performance decreases. Is that the goal? Superintendent Erin Kane has a salary of $258,000 so she’s a happy camper no matter what! Just say no to new taxes!

Dana Mason, Kiowa

LETTERS

Wrong time for charter

Elizabeth Schools Superintendent Dan Snowberger wrote a notice about a nancial crisis and the Elizabeth School Board instructed him to nd an additional $500,000 through budget cuts. Mr Snowberger says since salaries are the highest expense he will start by not replacing one sta member who resigned and one who was promoted.

Mr. Snowberger says this nancial crisis is in part because school enrollment is lower than expected. is is surprising since Elizabeth has been growing at a rapid pace. One could speculate on why enrollment is down. But rst, why is the School Board considering a new charter school when our public schools have declining enrollment?

What is going on with Elizabeth Schools? ose who follow the goings on at the ESB know that over a year ago three conservative, registered Republican, school board members resigned. ey stated the reason being a negative environment and even harassment by the two newest board members at that time. e con ict between the board members seemed to be a disagreement over the level of concern needed for certain issues. ose new board members, and now the full board with members elected last year, have been raising fears about children being in uenced by things like Drag Queen Reading time, which had never happened in Elizabeth and not likely to happen, and other potential concerns.

e new board produced a document called Parents Rights and Responsibilities. It was presented as some sort of solution to the problems that did not exist before this

board’s campaign of fears. And all the rights in that documents are rights that parents already had. So it was a fabricated solution to make them seem like they gave something new to parents.

I encourage you to seek information about Woodland Park Schools who have gone through this same thing. e radicals on their school board fueled fears, banned books, approved two new charter schools and then closed two public schools and eventually changed the public school curriculum to match that of the charter schools. e new curriculum will not prepare kids for the real world because it does not teach sensitive topics like slavery and the Holocaust. Current a airs discussions are discouraged because they don’t want to involve political topics. But everything about these changes is political.

Even one new charter school is too many if our public schools are dropping in enrollment. And many of us are still concerned about the direction of this school board as they seem to duplicate the occurrences in Woodland Park with even the same lawyer.

Gail Segreto Elizabeth

Say yes to Proposition 127

Let’s step forward into the modern era and vote “yes” to protect our Colorado wild cats from trophy hunting and trapping. With a “yes” vote on Proposition 127, Coloradans have an opportunity to express our current values and connect our minds with our hearts. A chance to end the ecologically unsound, unsporting and cruel practice of chasing down hundreds of mountain lions each year with packs of dogs for nothing other than heads and hides. is harassment and killing of our mountain lions is indefensible. A wealth of science shows it is not nec-

essary. Science shows mountain lion numbers will not explode out of control. Deer and elk numbers will not go down.

Last season about 50% of mountain lions killed were females. Long after weaning from mother’s milk, kittens still need their mothers to survive. e great toll on females inevitably orphaned kittens last year, left alone and starving in the middle of winter.

e ecologically unsound, unnecessary assault on our Colorado wild cats doesn’t end there. Our bobcats are trapped, beaten to death or strangled without limit; furs then sold for pro t outside the USA.

If trophy hunting and trapping of our Colorado wild cats serves no ecological purpose and is clearly inhumane and cruel it must stop. A “yes” vote on Proposition 127 will reect the hearts and educated minds of Coloradans.

Lynn Ackerman

Highlands Ranch

Is school bond necessary?

I think the Douglas County School Board should be able to better explain why they don’t have su cient revenue to pay for the investments they wish to make in the schools? In 2024, my property tax bill in Highlands Ranch increased 40% from $5,528 in 2023 to $7,733 with 49% of this earmarked for DCSD. Where has all of this additional tax revenue gone?

I am still open minded to consider voting for the bond issue, but only after I better understand how DCSD is managing the revenue they already have.

Bill Jackson

Highlands Ranch

Vote yes on school bond

vestments provided my classmates and me with incredible opportunities, helping to make our district a sought-after destination for families. So much so, that my husband and I chose to return to Douglas County to raise our children here.

Now, as a parent of two HRHS graduates and a current student, I’m concerned that our community may be losing sight of the vision that made our schools great. Maintaining a destination district requires ongoing support, responsible funding, and a commitment from all of us.

e Douglas County School District needs our help to continue offering the best education and facilities for our students. One bond measure (2018) in 16 years simply isn’t enough. Our school buildings are aging and in need of repairs and upgrades. Our students deserve access to more career and technical education opportunities. And with the growth happening across the county, we need to ensure that our schools can accommodate all students.

is year is a critical moment. It’s the last year we can restructure existing debt to secure new bond funding without increasing our current taxes. Voting yes this November means we can gain the funding needed to support our schools without adding any additional tax burden on our community.

Let’s keep our current tax rate steady while investing in the future of our children, our neighbors, and our property values. By voting yes to a new bond this fall, we can continue the legacy of excellence that has dened our district for generations. It’s not just an investment in our schools — it’s an investment in the strength and future of our entire community.

Let’s come together, as we have in the past, to support our schools and secure a bright future for Douglas County. Vote yes this November.

I am a Coloradan with a passion for exploration and over three decades of experience as a travel consultant. I’ve had the privilege of helping countless adventurers turn their dreams into reality. Call me, let’s talk about your travel dreams.

As a proud Highlands Ranch High School alumna, I was fortunate to bene t from the strong community support that funded our schools through bond measures. ose in-

Julie Gooden Lone Tree

Sometimes, the hardest part isn’t just dealing with the illness or devastation itself but the responsibility of staying motivated for others. We become the rock, the pillar of strength, for those who love us, even though we struggle. ey look to us for hope and

KUMMER

Gender di erences proved fascinating in learning about the hunter-gatherer versus the nurturer. Even though we don’t live in caves anymore and women and men equally have successful careers, those nurturing or hunting instincts never go away. erefore (and what I love about my husband), men always seem willing to run faster, work harder and do whatever it

reassurance, and we give it to them, often at the cost of our emotional reserves. We smile when we don’t feel like smiling, talk about silver linings when all we see are clouds, and o er words of encouragement when we really want someone to o er them to us.

Yet, when we’re the most vulnerable, it’s OK to admit that we don’t always want to put on the game face. It’s OK to acknowledge that some

takes to succeed, in my opinion. is hunter mentality is often mirrored in the male’s investment style. is may include switching out of investments prematurely if they are not performing or always looking for another advantage. Women are more likely to want a plan and be loyal to it for long periods of time before making changes. Both types of investing have their pros and cons.

e female’s nurturing character and the juggling act often left her career or her self-needs last on the priority list. is can equate to lower Social Security

days are harder than others and that sometimes, staying motivated for others keeps us going. We don’t have to be invincible. ere’s a certain grace in allowing ourselves to feel the weight of the situation while still nding a way to rise above it. In the end, it’s about what we choose to focus on. Surround your mind and heart with thoughts of love, kindness, and possibility, and you’ll be amazed at how much better your

due to an erratic work life or time o to stay at home with children or parents — or even following the hunter-gatherer around the globe for his career. Women and their family members need to know that pensions and Social Security may be lower than those of their male counterparts, and investments may be more conservative. Women also tend to live longer, therefore needing more money. Married women with families may have had less of an opportunity to fund a 401(k) plan, especially if they worked parttime for a while or earned lower wages.

days can be. I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can maintain our positivity in the face of adversity, 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.

It is important to plan well considering these circumstances.

It is crucial to meet with an adviser and start your retirement plan if any of this information sounds familiar for you or someone you know. Education is key, and taking action is now a priority to prepare for the future.

1 “Women Put Financial Security at Risk by Deferring Long-Term Financial Decisions to Spouses,” March 2019. UBS.

Patricia Kummer has been a managing director for Mariner Wealth Advisors.

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLOROADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

All week, Paige Becker had noticed an extra level of excitement and buzz around the Colorado School of Mines campus.

Becker, a Mines alumna and faculty member from the Broom eld/Westminster area, said the students were more energetic than usual. At the same time, employees were busy getting the campus ready for an enormous in ux of visitors.

And their energy was rewarded when thousands of Orediggers from near and far returned to their alma mater Sept. 26-28 to celebrate the university’s 150th anniversary for Homecoming Weekend.

“It’s the most exciting Homecoming I’ve ever witnessed,” Becker said.

e university amped up its traditional Homecoming celebrations with expanded or new events, including the Sept. 27 Blaster’s Bash party to commemorate the new Sesquicentennial Bell outside Guggenheim Hall.

About 4,800 Mines students, alumni, faculty, sta and other supporters packed Kafadar Commons that night. But that was just a taste of the crowd that turned out for the football game the following day, when almost 7,000 Orediggers packed the Marv Kay Stadium stands to set a new stadium record.

While Orediggers from across the Denver area said they love visiting the campus regularly for Homecoming and/or other events, they described how the 150th anniversary made this year’s Homecoming unique.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event to celebrate as an alumnus,” said Julian Liu, a Littleton resident and a Class of 2020 graduate.

Lakewood’s Darien O’Brien, valedictorian of the Class of 1983, added how the Homecoming Weekend’s incredible turnout only enhanced that feeling.

“It’s a special weekend,” O’Brien said. “It’s tremendous … seeing all generations of Orediggers interacting together.”

The Golden years

With Mines history now spanning 150 years, the Orediggers at the Sept. 27 Blaster’s Bash enjoyed deciding which academic or calendar year was their favorite.

Some like O’Brien picked the year they graduated.

O’Brien’s two children and their spouses also went to Mines, so he had several years to pick from beyond his own time at the university. But, he said 1983 was a pivotal year for him because he not only got his degree in petroleum engineering – a di cult eld – but he also founded the Mines chapter of Pi Epsilon Tau. e academic fraternity for petroleum engineering students is still active, he said.

Wheat Ridge’s Kendall Armitage and Castle Rock’s Natalie Mudd also picked the year they graduated: 2023.

e two received their undergraduate degrees in quantitative biosciences and engineering. But more than that, 2023 was also the year they saw how much progress had been made on campus, with things reopening after the COVID-19 pandemic and with various construction projects starting or concluding, they described.

Some Orediggers named other years that were important to them. Liu said 2017-18 was his favorite year because it was when he was most active and involved in student organizations.

Colorado School of Mines stu-

run in the Sept. 28 Homecoming 5K along Clear Creek. Thousands of Orediggers from near and far returned to campus Sept. 2628 to celebrate Homecoming Weekend and the university’s sesquicentennial.

dents

COURTESY OF COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES

HELLUVA YEAR

Golden’s David Matlock, a professor emeritus of metallurgical and materials engineering, has been teaching at the university since the early ‘70s and had more than 50 years to choose from. He ultimately picked 1999 because it was the year his son graduated from Mines, but he added that he enjoyed seeing so many former students at the sesquicentennial celebration.

Several Orediggers picked this year, though, but for di ering reasons. Freshman Harshith Jayadeva said 2024

was his favorite by default, adding how tight-knit the Mines community is. He appreciated how many clubs and opportunities there are “where you can share your passion for engineering.”

Junior Clara Henckler-Davis, of Littleton, said 2024 was her favorite so far.

She’s double-majoring in civil engineering and economics.

Becker graduated from Mines with an undergraduate degree in 2017 and a master’s in 2018 but said 2024 has been her favorite thus far. She’s enjoyed being back on campus as a faculty member, describing how it’s all the nostalgia but “without the pressures of being a student.”

Andrea Passman, a Class of 1998 grad-

Paige Becker, Mines alumna and faculty member

uate, picked 2024 for the unique sesquicentennial celebration.

“It’s wonderful seeing so many generations celebrate together,” she said. “I’m proud to be a part of it. … I hope to see the 200th anniversary celebration.”

‘A really special school’

Mines has been observing its 150th anniversary all calendar year with special events and revived traditions like the Engineer’s Hats.

e centennial celebration in 1974 was “very different,” Matlock said.

Students built Mineral City — a fake 1874-style mining town — on the main quad, he recalled. Various fraternities, student groups and other Orediggers combined their e orts to build it, and even the governor stopped by to appreciate the atmosphere, he said.

While the centennial celebration was a “really nice event,” Matlock said Blaster’s Bash for the sesquicentennial drew a much bigger crowd. e university has grown in recent years — both in terms of facilities and enrollment — so there are more Orediggers to return every time their alma mater invites them.

After all, being an Oredigger means being invested in school spirit and involved in events, HencklerDavis said.

In front, mascots Marv the Miner and Blaster the Burro celebrate the Sept. 28 Homecoming football game with Colorado School of Mines fans. The game had record attendance, as thousands of Orediggers returned to campus to celebrate Homecoming Weekend amid the university’s 150th anniversary. COURTESY OF COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES

Armitage and Mudd said they’ve appreciated all the opportunities to meet fellow alumni and hear how much the university has changed in living memory.

ey described how Mines’ graduating classes 50 years ago had a much lower ratio of female students, but they’re encouraged that women now make up roughly 30% of Mines’ student body.

Passman, who’s also a University of Denver alumna, commended Mines President Paul C. Johnson and his sta for all their work to expand and improve the university since Johnson became president in 2015.

“ is is the greatest institution Colorado has to offer,” she said.

Becker felt likewise, calling Mines “the MIT of the West, but better.” She described seeing students wearing funny T-shirts where the jokes are math equations.

But more than that, she continued, there’s a special camaraderie among the Orediggers, because of the university’s emphasis on STEM and the challenging curriculum. It’s something students and alumni instantly understand, she said, summarizing it as: “I get it; I went to Mines.”

As the university’s sesquicentennial year draws to a close, the Orediggers hoped to see their “really special school,” as Becker described it, leave its mark around the world until the bicentennial in 2074 and beyond.

ASherlock Holmes teams with artists to solve mystery

rthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes is one of the world’s most recognizable characters. If you see his name, you know you’re in for all kinds of mind-bending fun.

And that’s certainly the case (see what I did there?) with “Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Elusive Ear,” which is running at Miners Alley Playhouse. e show runs at the theater, 1100 Miners Alley in Golden, through Sunday, Nov. 10. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on ursday, Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday. e story not only features wellknown Holmes (Christian Ray Robinson) characters Dr. John Watson (Chas Lederer) and Irene Adler (Colleen Lee), but also famous real-life gures.

We spoke to director Heather Beasley about the show, blending art and mystery, and more.

Interview edited for brevity and clarity.

Tell me what the show is about? is is the rst in a trilogy of plays by writer David MacGregor, in which he brings real historical gures into the ctional world of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. In this story, Vincent Van Gogh seeks out Holmes to solve the mystery of his missing ear, while Watson brings Oscar Wilde to Baker Street after meeting the fellow writer at a dinner. e result is a clever, comic combination of well-loved ction with art and literary history.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

How do you go about bringing a character as wellknown as Sherlock Holmes to the stage?

Most lovers of detective ction already have a favorite Holmes in mind, whether from stage, lm or the small screen.

e bene t of his fame is that people will be more likely to give this regional premiere play a try, based on the title alone. e challenge is that true Conan Doyle fans may have bones to pick with some of the literary license being taken. Although, to be fair, this story does align well with the style and tone of the original short stories, as well as with the Strand Magazine illustrations by Sidney Paget. What makes for a good stage mystery?

e worst stage mysteries get bogged down in exposition and explanation. e best ones give audiences a lot to watch and a lot to listen to. And I award bonus points for mysteries that stay one step ahead of the audience’s deductive powers. What do you hope audiences come away from the show with?

is show is a roller-coaster ride, mixing comic shenanigans, serious sword ghting, and intellectual detective work. I hope audiences will have a great time, and perhaps talk

Weekly Carrier Routes Available

Castle Rock, Lone Tree, Parker & Highlands Ranch Areas

a bit on the way home about what they think the place of art and artists should be in our modern society today.

More information and tickets are available at https://minersalley. com/shows/sherlock-holmes-andthe-adventure-of-the-elusive-ear/.

Walker Fine Art studies the nexus of construction and nature

Humans are having to nd a way to live in the intersection between urban and natural landscapes. is is the theme behind Nexus, the latest exhibition at the Walker Fine Art gallery, 300 W. 11th Ave., Suite No. A, in Denver.

Featuring the work of Sabin Aell, Rob Mellor, Heather Patterson, Angela Piehl, Martha Russo and Melanie Walker, Nexus lets each artist use a variety of mediums, including ceramic sculpture, installation, painting, collage and photography, to explore the relationship between these two regions.

Find more information at www. walker neart.com/nexus.

A haunted mansion experience for adults

Halloween isn’t only for kids, and adults looking for an opportunity to have a spooky night out shouldn’t miss the Spirits with the Spirits Tours at Highlands Ranch Mansion & Historic Park, 9950 E. Gateway Dr. in Highlands Ranch.

Held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Oct. 23, this 21-and-older event lets visitors

enjoy spirits of the boozy variety while exploring the mysteries hidden within the 19th-century mansion. Guides will take guests through “the dimly lit halls and historic rooms to hear real-life tales and mysterious, spine-chilling experiences collected throughout the years.”

More information on this fun seasonal o ering is available at https://highlandsranchmansion. com/2023/12/18/spirits-with-thespirits-2/.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week —

The Heavy Heavy at the Fox Theatre e Heavy Heavy (founded by Georgie Fuller and William Turner) specializes in folk-rock you just don’t hear too often. Taking inspiration from legendary gures in the genre like Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and e Band, their music is wistfulbut not too nostalgic with a rock-and-roll heart that keeps things from being too laid back. eir debut album, “One of a Kind,” sounds great in a car.

In support of the album, the group is coming to the Fox eatre, 1135 13th St. in Boulder, for an evening of excellent harmonies and infectious rock. ey’ll be joined by singer/ songwriter Dylan Leblanc as the opener.

Get tickets at www.ticketmaster. com.

Clarke Reader is an arts and culture columnist. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail.com.

• Part-time hours

• P

•Adaptable route sizes

• Adaptable

• No suit & tie required!

Previous carrier experience encouraged; reliable vehicle and email access, required.

no telephone inquiries - but email us at:

Clarke Reader

Thu 10/24

Strings and Heart

@ 6pm

Fri 10/25

Sat 10/26

Thrive church, 9830 Lone Tree Pkwy, Lone Tree

Josiah Queen @ 6pm

Thrive Church, 9830 Lone Tree Pkwy, Lone Tree

Monica Nevi: Comedy Works South - Denver

@ 6:30pm

Trouble Bound: PROBLEMAS en el callejón (Trouble in the Alley) @ 6:30pm

The Alley, 2420 W Main St, Little‐ton

Chris Koza @ 6:30pm

Rocker Spirits, 5587 S Hill St, Littleton

Trunk or Treat Caffeine and Chrome – Gateway Classic Cars of Denver @ 8am

Gateway Classic Cars of Denver, 14150 Grasslands Drive, Engle‐wood. marketing@gatewayclassic cars.com, 618-271-3000

Daily Bread @ 10:45pm Gothic Theatre, Englewood

HeathenSun: STRANGE DAZE

2 TOUR W/ KOTTONMOUTH KINGS, REHAB, & HEATHEN

SUN @ 6pm

Wild Goose Saloon, Parker

Tue 10/29

Enter Shikari @ 6pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

Jacob Larson Band Funk & Soul: Rockstar Music Hall @ 7pm

Comedy Works South, 5345 Land‐mark Pl, Greenwood Village

RockStar Music Hall & Event Cen‐ter, 15755 E Arapahoe Rd, Cen‐tennial

Sun 10/27

Mark Masters Comedy: Castle Rock Comedy Show @ 6pm

Spotlight Theater, 680 Atchison Way Suite 100, Castle Rock

Yours Truly @ 6pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

You Me At Six @ 6pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

Enter Shikari w/ You Me at Six @ 6pm Gothic Theatre, Englewood

Thu 10/31

Destroy Boys @ 7pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

Calendar information is provided by event organiz‐ers. All events are subject to change or cancella‐tion. This publication is not responsible for the

curacy of the

Colorado student enrollment grows at most public four-year universities, despite FAFSA issues

BY JASON GONZALES CHALKBEAT COLORADO

Enrollment at nearly all of Colorado’s four-year universities is up, despite delays and glitches this year that made it harder for students to ll out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

It’s an outcome that de es the widespread fear that the FAFSA snafus would lead to lower college enrollment, especially among students from low-income families.

Instead, the all-hands-ondeck response that many high schools and universities took to helping students ll out the FAFSA in this troubled year seems to have paid o .

“We were not going to just leave our students hanging,” said Federico Rangel, who works at Denver’s West High School as a Denver Scholarship Foundation adviser.

“We were going to do what we needed to do to make sure students could access their goals and their potential.”

Only about 42% of high school seniors statewide completed the FAFSA this year, which is about 3,000 fewer students than last year. But most of Colorado’s 13 public universities, including the University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University System’s three schools, Metropolitan State University of Denver, and Colorado Mesa University, enrolled more students than last year.

2%, as well as increased Pell enrollment. Kerline Eglaus, executive director of nancial aid and scholarships, said the number of students eligible for a grant increased by 989 students, to 38.5% of all students. at’s an 18.5% increase over last year, she

MSU Denver and every university across the state put more resources into helping students get to college as they struggled to ll out the FAFSA, she said. e school also helped students who were already enrolled ll out the new FAFSA. roughout the year, schools worked together so as many students as possible had the resources they needed to gure out the Better FAFSA, she said. She said it’s fair to say that support from schools and advisors helped incoming and current students navigate a difcult year.

Schools will continue those lessons to help even more students in the future.

“One of the things that we learned was just really trying to create a better student experience through increased outreach and communication,” she said.

Enrollment is also up among students eligible for federal Pell grants, which provide free money for college for students from low-income families. Federal changes raised the Pell grant income limits which allowed more students to qualify.

e federal government

revamped the FAFSA form last year, which is now called the Better FAFSA.

e form, typically released in October, was released months late on Dec. 31, shortening the completion window for students and families. en, while the Better FAFSA proved to be shorter and easier, technical glitches marred the process.

Issues have lingered, and a few rst-year students are still trying to nish the FAFSA even now that they are enrolled in college, said Natasha Gar eld, Denver

Scholarship Foundation scholarships and nancial aid director.

Despite problems, schools posted strong enrollment numbers over last year.

e Colorado School of Mines increased enrollment by 6% as well as boosted enrollment of Pell Grant students over last year by 23% — from 859 students to 1,059. Both Colorado School of Mines and the University of Colorado Boulder have historically enrolled a lower share of students from lower-income backgrounds.

CU Boulder increased un-

dergraduate enrollment by 3.4% this year, as well as the number of Pell Grant recipients — to 5,307 students, up from 4,846, a 9.5% increase.

Enrollment and the student makeup at smaller regional schools varied. But most recorded increases.

Western Colorado University was one of the few with declines. It enrolled about 30 fewer Pell eligible students, or a 6.5% decrease.

Enrollment also dropped from 3,761 to 3,453 students.

Meanwhile, Metropolitan State University of Denver increased enrollment by

Angie Paccione, Colorado Department of Higher Education executive director, said in some ways the enrollment increases defy explanation, especially after the FAFSA problems. Colorado isn’t alone, and, nationwide, some states such as Texas and North Carolina have touted increased enrollment

However, Paccione said Colorado colleges and universities have stepped up and made students feel more welcome — directly and indirectly.

Colorado Mesa Univer-

Students rest on the oval at the Colorado State University campus in Fort Collins. The public fouryear university, like others across the state, recorded high enrollment this year despite FAFSA issues nationwide. PHOTO BY ELI IMADALI FOR CHALKBEAT

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sity, for instance, issued financial aid packages without FAFSA information to students, helping families make decisions early. That led to the school’s largest ever freshman class. The “Prime Effect,” or the appointment of Deion Sanders as head coach of the University of Colorado Boulder’s football team, has translated to a 50% increase in Black student applications, Paccione said. It’s the students who didn’t make

it to college or decided not to go that Paccione worries about. Statewide, FAFSA completion, which is an indicator of whether students will go to college, must increase, she said. Colorado ranks near the bottom in FAFSA completion and only about half of all Colorado high school students end up on a college campus.

The state’s highest paying jobs require a college education, whether a certificate, two-year, or four-year degree.

“How do we get the other half to realize that college is affordable and is within reach and worth it?” she said. “We have to help them

see that the jobs that are available for just the high school diploma really don’t compare to jobs with even an associates or a bachelor’s.”

The difficulties students faced in the spring aren’t expected to linger into the next FAFSA cycle, although it is again slated to open late on or before Dec. 1.

The U.S. Department of Education has been working on fixes, and advisers that support students are hopeful of a better experience.

A later-than-expected FAFSA release still worries some. Rangel said he’s concerned that Colorado once again won’t be able to get students filling out the FAFSA until a

couple months later than usual. He feels that after the issues he and others have learned a lot about how to keep students on track — and the resilience of students.

“We’re obviously going to remain hopeful,” he said. “I can’t say enough how incredible the students that I work with are in just persevering through issues.”

Used with permission. Jason Gonzales is a reporter covering higher education and the Colorado legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado, a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools, partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

Public Notice

District Court Elbert County, Colorado

P.O. Box 232, 751 Ute Avenue Kiowa, Colorado 800117

In re the Marriage of:

Petitioner: Cale B. Pickrel, Pro Se and Respondent: Kendal L. Pickrel, Pro Se

Party Without Attorney: Cale B. Pickrel P.O. Pox 801, Kiowa, Colorado 80117

Phone Number: 720-276-5202 Case Number: 24DR28

SUMMONS FOR: DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE

To the Respondent named above, this Summons serves as a notice to appear in this case.

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

If you were served outside of the State of Colorado or you were served by publication, you must file your Response with the clerk of this Court within 35 days after this Summons is served on you to participate in this action.

You may be required to pay a filing fee with your Response. The Response form (JDF 1103) can be found at www.courts.state.co.us by clicking on the “Self Help/Forms” tab.

After 91 days from the date of service or publication, the Court may enter a Decree affecting your marital status, distribution of property and debts, issues involving children such as child support, allocation of parental responsibilities (decision-making and parenting time), maintenance (spousal support), attorney fees, and costs to the extent the Court has jurisdiction.

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

This is an action to obtain a Decree of: Dissolution of Marriage or Legal Separation as more fully described in the attached Petition, and if you have children, for orders regarding the children of the marriage.

Notice: §14-10-107, C.R.S. provides that upon the filing of a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage or Legal Separation by the Petitioner and Co-Petitioner, or upon personal service of the Petition and Summons on the Respondent, or upon waiver and acceptance of service by the Respondent, an automatic temporary injunction shall be in effect against both parties until the Final Decree is entered, or the Petition is dismissed, or until further Order of the Court. Either party may apply to the Court for further temporary orders, an expanded temporary injunction, or modification or revocation under §14-10-108, C.R.S.

A request for genetic tests shall not prejudice the requesting party in matters concerning allocation of parental responsibilities pursuant to §14-10-

Elbert Legals

124(1.5), C.R.S. If genetic tests are not obtained prior to a legal establishment of paternity and submitted into evidence prior to the entry of the final decree of dissolution or legal separation, the genetic tests may not be allowed into evidence at a later date.

Automatic Temporary Injunction – By Order of Colorado Law, You and Your Spouse are:

1. Restrained from transferring, encumbering, concealing or in any way disposing of, without the consent of the other party or an Order of the Court, any marital property, except in the usual course of business or for the necessities of life. Each party is required to notify the other party of any proposed extraordinary expenditures and to account to the Court for all extraordinary expenditures made after the injunction is in effect;

2. Enjoined from molesting or disturbing the peace of the other party;

3.Restrained from removing the minor children of the parties, if any, from the State without the consent of the other party or an Order of the Court; and

4.Restrained without at least 14 days advance notification and the written consent of the other party or an Order of the Court, from canceling, modifying, terminating, or allowing to lapse for nonpayment of premiums, any policy of health insurance, homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, or automobile insurance that provides coverage to either of the parties or the minor children or any policy of life insurance that names either of the parties or the minor children as a beneficiary.

Date: Oct. 7, 2024

Signature of the Clerk of Court/Deputy

Legal Notice No. ECN 1561

First Publication: October 17, 2024

Last Publication: November 14, 2024

Publisher: Elbert County News

Notice to Creditors

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of JOYCE ANN BOSS, a.k.a. JOYCE A. BOSS, a.k.a. JOYCE BOSS, Deceased Case Number 2024 PR 30048, Division 1

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the Elbert County District Court, Kiowa, Colorado, on or before February 10, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

MICHAEL JASON BOSS

Personal Representative 42247 Kingsmill Circle Elizabeth, Colorado 80107 Telephone: 303-408-3541

Legal Notice No. ECN 1556

First Publication: October 10, 2024

Last Publication: October 24, 2024 Publisher: Elbert County News Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Brice Christopher Hadley, aka Brice C. Hadley, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR30044 All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present