Denver Herald Dispatch February 27, 2025

OF FEBRUARY 27,

Pickleball courts may come to Civic Center area

BY MERYL PHAIR

SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Pickleball may soon come to Denver’s Civic Center as the city considers plans for installing six courts for the popular pastime at the corner of Lincoln Street and Colfax Avenue.

e empty lot is owned by the Cheeseman Family Trust and is leased to the Regional Transportation District (RTD), which has since constructed the remodeled Civic Center Station on part of the site. e transportation agency has longterm plans for the use of the empty lot but nothing for its immediate future and pickleball has worked its way up to one of the possible uses of the site in the interim.

Evan Dreyer, deputy chief of sta for Mayor Mike Johnston, said the plans are still in the concept phase but they are trying to move as quickly as they can.

“I hope that this fall, the project is complete and people can play pickleball on what has been a vacant, underused piece of

property in the heart of downtown,” Dreyer said. Whether plans will be actualized in that time frame remains to be seen as the city works through the approval process.

During the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, the mayor’s o ce said that the city was addressing public safety and public health-related challenges in the area, including at Civic Center Park and the Lincoln Veterans Park across the street.

“As we worked to address and try to solve those challenges, we also started to think about if there was a way to positively activate the vacant lot,” Dryer said.

rough an outreach process to stakeholders including the Mayor’s O ce, the Downtown Denver Partnership, City Councilmember Chris Hinds, the Civic Center Conservancy, RTD, a public visioning session was hosted by the city in January 2024. Ideas for the use of the site ranged from basketball courts, a state park, dog park, food trucks, tennis and an urban garden.

“Of all the ideas that were put on the ta-

ble, the one idea that rose to the top was pickleball,” Dreyer said. “It seemed to generate the most interest and excitement.”

e city has since contracted with engineering rm Stantec Architecture, Inc., which has drafted a concept design for the site. e site would utilize the existing shade structure, placing six pickleball courts with amenities like seating, a central kiosk for a pickleball attendant and storage and landscape improvements such as trees.

One complication to construction is the lot is on a slope and would need to be graded for courts to be installed. e site is also used to collect stormwater runo and drainage in the busy intersection, and Dreyer said the detention pond would be required to remain on the west side of the property. ere’s also the question of who would maintain the site with the city either subcontracting a pickleball vendor or having Denver Parks and Recreation run it.

Denver taps the brake on new gas stations

New law a ects projects already proposed

BY KYLE HARRIS DENVERITE

e Denver City Council on Feb. 18 blocked the construction of gas stations near train stops, low-density residential neighborhoods and existing gas stations.

e sponsors say the ban will open up more land for housing, restaurants and other uses.

“Gas stations consume a large amount of land for the purposes of vehicle parking and maneuvering, and are known for low‐wage retail jobs,” a report from the city planning o ce stated.

But commercial real-estate developers objected to the new law as an unconstitutional overreach that would sti e development in Denver.

City Councilmembers Diana Romero-Campbell, Amanda Sawyer and Paul Kashmann sponsored the bill. It passed on a 12-1 vote, with Councilmember Flor Alvidrez opposing it.

Where gas stations are now banned e code change prohibits the construction of new gas stations:

• Within a quarter mile of an existing gas station.

• Within a quarter mile of a rail transit station platform.

• Within 300 feet of low-intensity residential zone districts, dedicated to single- and two-unit buildings. Existing stations also could face new limits if they fall into those categories. ey could be blocked from adding more gas pumps, though they could add electric vehicle chargers and replace existing gas pumps.

e law would still allow the city’s zoning administrator to waive restrictions if the new gas station is coupled with large grocers and other retailers. e new law wouldn’t apply to non-public stations,

Players on Team Trans, an international collective of trans and non-binary hockey players, compete in a hockey game.

Schools, groups react to Trump’s transgender order

Some athletic programs defer to CHSAA, while others hold to their own positions

BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Various school districts and sports organizations in Colorado are weighing in on a recent executive order, Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports, issued by President Donald Trump in early February.

e order has raised concerns and sparked discussions regarding the participation of transgender individuals in school athletics, particularly in women’s sports.

Keira, a representative from Team Trans, an international collective of trans and non-binary hockey players, expressed concerns over the executive order’s implications. (Keira requested to not include her last name due to safety concerns.)

“It’s a non-issue that not only lacks scienti c support but is also so minuscule — consider that only 12 athletes in the NCAA identify as trans out of over 500,000,” Keira said. “ e fact that this has become a major focus for this administration and the preceding election is not just a waste of time and e ort, but also dangerous.”

e Colorado High School Activities Association has been a key organization involved in the conversation. In response to the executive order, a representa-

tive from CHSAA said the organization is aware of the order and is monitoring both state and federal statutes.

In a Feb. 10 email to Littleton Public Schools obtained by Colorado Community Media from a Colorado Open Records Request, CHSAA updated school districts on the steps it’s taking.

“ e order aims to bar transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports, creating a direct con ict between federal directives and existing Colorado state law,” documents state.

“We recognize that this development places our member schools and CHSAA as a whole in a di cult position, as it raises legal and operational questions that are not yet fully answered. As always, when federal actions con ict with state law, our goal is to ensure clarity, compliance and support for our membership as we navigate this complex landscape.”

CHSAA goes on to state that it’s still trying to determine answers to questions regarding the impact and the legality of the order.

“While questions have been raised regarding the intersection of this order with Title IX and Colorado state law, we will do our best to nd answers to those questions and to provide appropriate guidance,” CHSAA said. “As the legal landscape continues to evolve, we will remain engaged and provide updates as new information emerges.”

Additionally, CHSAA clari ed that Colorado state law remains in e ect and protects people from “discrimination and harassment in schools based on disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender ex-

pression, family composition, religion, age, national origin, or ancestry.”

“CHSAA is committed to understanding the potential implications of these new federal directives, and we will share more information with you as it becomes available,” the organization said.

Many school districts — including Englewood Schools, Je erson County Public Schools and Westminster Public Schools — have said they will follow CHSAA’s lead.

Douglas County School district Superintendent Erin Kane said at the school board’s Feb. 11 meeting that the district is already following an injunction that kept it in line with Title IX in 2020 and the district’s policies are consistent with those rules.

“Our biggest takeaway is that we need to let the dust settle and gure out where everything lands because right now, there are federal departments making recommendations as to what happens next,” Kane said.

Westminster Public Schools has 7,661 students and district spokesman Steve Saunders con rmed that, as of now, CHSAA’s policies regarding transgender athletes remain unchanged.

Je erson County Public Schools said it will continue to follow all Colorado state laws when it comes to how the district treats students, sta and families.

“Physical education, intramural and interscholastic activities are managed in accordance with district policy regulation, which includes the CHSAA’s Transgender Inclusion Bylaw & Policy,” the district said. “ e policy states, ‘students should be permitted to participate

in physical education classes and intramural sports in a manner consistent with their gender identity. With regard to interscholastic activities, the district will follow the CHSAA Transgender Policy Statement.’”

South Suburban Parks and Recreation, which manages youth sports programs and doesn’t receive any federal funding, said it would not be making any changes to its policies.

“Our goal at South Suburban is to provide safe and inclusive recreation opportunities for all members of our community,” said Becky Grubb, South Suburban communications manager.

South Suburban also referenced its existing transgender and non-binary policy, and a rmed that no changes would be made in light of the new directive.

When asked how common it is for transgender women to participate in women’s sports at South Suburban, the organization replied that it does not track this information.

Keira, from Team Trans, pointed out that the debate surrounding transgender athletes goes beyond the concerns of trans individuals, with cisgender women, particularly women of color, facing discrimination based on arbitrary expectations of their bodies.

In 2022, a cisgender high school girl in Utah was investigated for being trangender after placing rst in a state championship. Complaints from the parents of her competitors who came in second and third place prompted the investigation.

As Cities Deal With Homelessness & Affordability, Look for a Greater Focus on Manufactured Homes

Two weeks ago, this column was about Colorado’s new law requiring jurisdictions to facilitate the construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on parcels zoned single-family.

houses in a factory seemed impractical. However, with our patented shipping technology, merging housing with assembly line mass production could be a game changer.”

portant factor is solving our housing shortage.

Toward the end of that column I promoted two companies, Verdant Living and Boxabl, which sell ADUs which are factorybuilt and assembled onsite.

This week’s topic was inspired by the following statement contained in an email last week from Boxabl: “Did you know that car factories, like Ford, can output one car per minute? Why hasn’t anyone done that in the housing industry?

“It’s shocking to hear that homelessness in the U.S. reached an all-time high last year. At Boxabl, we’re committed to making a difference. We’re working hard to solve the problems that have stopped factory-built housing from gaining market share.

“Before Boxabl, the concept of building

Buyers

In earlier columns I have written about modular and manufactured homes by other companies, including my Oct. 12, 2023, column featuring Dvele (Norwegian for “dwell”) whose website (www.Dvele.com) boasts that it has already delivered nearly 300 “modules” of “precision engineered sustainable homes.”

Dvele defines the problem thus: “We’re facing multiple crises in housing, availability and affordability, energy, security, health issues, and a changing weather system. With Dvele, we sit at the intersection with our mass produced, high performance, health centric homes. And they’re improving the future for everyone.”

Dvele claims that by manufacturing homes in a factory and assembling them onsite, they reduce construction time by 80% — an im-

On May 18, 2023, I wrote about another company, Liv-Connected, which specializes in small homes that are “ready to ship and install within 12 weeks. These are small homes, although they offer versions up to 2,500 square feet, including a 2-story model. Homes can be delivered on standard flat-bed trailers and can be installed onsite in as little as a day, once site preparation (foundation, etc.) is complete. Like Boxabl, they also sell a model that is on wheels built to RV standards. Their website is www.Liv-Connected.com

With prices as low as $165,000 for a 500square-foot home, Liv-Connected’s singlefamily Conexus model (pictured at left) has been selected by Hawaii and Texas for disaster response initiatives, according to the website.

I look forward to hearing more about manufactured housing in the future, especially as it relates to homelessness.

U.S. Farmers Are Turning Less Soil

Modern, mechanized tillage had become an ecological disaster, killing all that was alive in the soil while worsening erosion and runoff. But this is all changing, primarily because farmers recognize the economic benefits — less fertilizer and diesel fuel to buy, lower labor costs, higher crop yields and profits — that can come with no-till farming or reduced tillage…

The shift has been gradual, but sweeping over time. In 1973, 82.2 percent of U.S. cropland was managed by conventional tillage, according to the Agriculture Department, and only 2 percent was managed by “no-till” methods, with the remaining 15.8 percent using reduced tillage. Half a century later, only 27 percent of U.S. cropland uses conventional tillage, with 38 percent now using no-till and 35 percent using reduced tillage, according to the USDA’s 2022 agricultural census, released last year. The acreage under conventional tillage dropped by 8 percent between 2017 and 2022 alone.

—Dana

Millbank, Washington Post

Need and Deserve Professional Representation, But Here’s Why They Shouldn’t Have to Pay for It

It should be clear by now that “not much has changed” regarding sellers compensating the buyer’s broker in most real estate transactions. What has changed is that buyer agents must use other means than the MLS (e.g., calling the listing agent) to find out what compensation is offered for each listing.

First, let me outline the important services that are required in any transaction. Let’s start with all transactions, whether or not the buyer is taking out a mortgage loan.

Although the purchase contract can move some of these expenses to the seller’s side, that is rare, because it will make the purchase offer less attractive, with the buyer losing out:

For All Home Purchases:

Recording the deed with the county

Tax certificate

State document fee

Half of the closing services fee

Appraisal (if ordered)

HOA fees (if applicable, per contract)

Water & sewer adjustments

Additional Costs with a Mortgage:

Mortgage title policy & endorsements

Mortgage closing fee

Recording the deed of trust with county

Tax service (if charged by lender)

First year’s insurance premium

2 to 3 months’ insurance reserve (escrow)

1 to 2 months’ property tax reserve

Loan origination and discount fee

Survey (if required by lender)

Credit report

Interest on loan (based on closing date)

Mortgage insurance (if over 80% LTV)

Flood certificate & insurance if required

How much do these closing costs add up to for the buyer? In the cash scenario, they are not that much, and just over 20% of closings

are for cash nowadays. For closings that involve mortgage financing, however, those costs can really add up. My buyer who closed on a $630,000 purchase two months ago paid $7,144 in closing costs, which computes to 11.3%. If she had to pay my commission that would have been 14.1% The seller’s closing costs on the same transaction came to $2,834, which computes to 4.5% of the purchase price. Paying my commission raised the seller’s cost to 7.3%, still far lower than the 11.3% paid by the buyer without paying me anything for my services representing her.

From a purely cash standpoint, it should be remembered that the seller is the only one walking away with cash from the transaction. In the above case, not counting the deduction for property taxes and mortgage payoff, the seller netted $591,444.74, or about 94% of the purchase price, even after paying both agents’ compensation.

Buyers’ agents perform a variety of important services, which someone has to pay for, but the seller is the only party coming away with money, and the buyer is already stretched by those other expenses detailed at left.

The services provided by a buyer’s agent are important and significant, but the plaintiffs in the class action suit a year ago asserted that compensating the buyer’s agent should be added to the buyer’s other significant closing costs. The 2024 survey of buyers and sellers by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) asked what services buyers most appreciated from their agents:

Helped them understand the process (61%)

Pointed out unnoticed features/faults with the property (58%)

Negotiated better contract terms (46%)

Provided a list of good service providers, such as inspectors (46%)

Improved buyers’ knowledge of search areas (45%)

Negotiated a better purchase price (33%)

Shortened their home search (23%)

Expanded their search area (21%)

I contend that it is appropriate that sellers compensate the buyer’s agent, and that this is common in other industries besides real estate. Look at Amazon. When you purchase a product through that website, Amazon is your agent for the vendor, which pays Amazon 8% to 45% as a “referral fee.” When you purchase something through an app on your

iPhone, you pay the same price as on the vendor’s website, but Apple keeps 30% of the purchase price as a commission. If Amazon or an app were to charge you a fee on top of the list price… well, it simply wouldn’t work. If you hire an auto broker (as I did in 2012 for a hard-to-find car), the dealership, not you, pays the auto broker a commission. Likewise, virtually every new home builder offers a 3 percent commission, typically, to the agents who represent buyers. To offer less puts them at a competitive disadvantage. Why should it be different in the resale market?

Golden Real Estate lists and sells residential properties across the entire metro area.

Remembering Anne Marie Hochhalter

Columbine survivor lived life to the fullest

BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Two months before the 26th anniversary of the 1999 attack at Columbine High School, Anne Marie Hochhalter died due to complications from injuries she sustained during the shooting, which left her paralyzed.

She died on Feb. 16 at the age of 43, said Sue and Rick Townsend, who were close to Hochhalter and who lost their daughter, Lauren, in the shooting on April 20, 1999.

e Townsends were planning to have lunch with Hochhalter on Feb. 16, but when they didn’t hear from her, they asked police to perform a welfare check. Sue Townsend said that’s when police found that Hochhalter had died in her sleep.

“Anne Marie was our acquired daughter,” Sue Townsend said. “We became very close after Columbine happened … and I was looking for a way to heal after losing Lauren and I heard that Anne Marie’s family was struggling.”

Sue Townsend explained that in addition to her injuries, Hochhalter lost her mother to suicide six months after the shooting. Sue Townsend o ered to help 17-year-old Hochhalter during her initial recovery.

“ at’s how the relationship started,” Sue Townsend said. “Over the years, we just became very close. She became part

of our family. She spent holidays with us. She went on vacation with us.”

Hochhalter was one of 21 people injured on April 20, 1999. She was shot during the attack that killed 12 students and one teacher. e shooters also took their own lives.

“My wounds were the worst ones the doctors saw that day, and a few months later, one of them told me that when I get older, I have to be prepared for it to catch up to me,” Hochhalter said in a Facebook post on the 24th anniversary of the Columbine shooting. “I’ve appreciated the many years of decent health, being able to go on amazing trips with friends and family, making memories, and I’ve truly lived the best life possible in honor of those whose lives were forever cut short that day.”

‘The best life possible’ ough she struggled, Sue and Rick Townsend said Hochhalter really did live her life to the fullest.

“She was fun-loving,” Sue Townsend said. “She had a great sense of humor. She was ercely independent. She advocated for others in the disability community … She wanted to be known as a survivor.”

Former Columbine High School principal Frank DeAngelis, who was the Columbine principal in 1999, said Hochhalter was an inspiration who persevered.

Hochhalter was a junior when the shooting happened, and was in the marching band prior to her injuries, he said.

“I can remember her continuing to be with the marching band and doing that,

and when she reentered the school … she continued to help and be an inspiration to others,” DeAngelis said. “She was just a phenomenal human being.”

Dog lover with a sense of humor e Townsends said Hochhalter loved dogs, would foster them and work with a local rescue. She had had four dogs throughout the entire time they knew her.

“She probably knew all of the dogs in her neighborhood, and not necessarily the neighbors,” Sue Townsend said. “She was drawn to dogs.”

Additionally, Sue Townsend described Hochhalter as a lover of science ction movies and someone with a fun sense of humor.

“One of my last memories is of her being here this last Christmas. Anne Marie and one of our other daughters and our granddaughter were all sitting around — and all three of them were all talking at once and laughing,” Sue Townsend said. “It was just kind of chaotic when I looked at how they could all talk and hear at the same time. She just brought a lot of joy to people who were around her.”

Rick Townsend said Hochhalter loved being active as she would frequently join the family on trips to Breckenridge. She didn’t let her injuries slow her down, he added.

“She’d go out on canoes and pontoon boats,” Rick Townsend said. “She drove, graduated college. She did all of this when she was in constant pain. She had phantom pains in her leg that were terrible. It would come and go but it was frequent.”

Hochhalter endured many complications due to her spinal injury, but she did her best to move forward.

“She’d have times when she’d get discouraged and get down, but then she’d pull herself back up and be right back in there ghting again,” Sue Townsend said.

Columbine shooting survivor and dog lover Anne Marie Hochhalter with her dog Georgie. Hochhalter died on Feb. 16 at the age of 43. Georgie was taken in by her neighbors who plan to adopt him.

COURTESY OF RICK AND SUE TOWNSEND

GAS STATIONS

like the ones that serve government eets and rental cars.

e bill does not include any particular incentives for developers to build housing instead of gas stations.

Developers object: ‘patently unfair’ e law would apply retroactively, allowing the city to block new gas station proposals that were submitted after May 13, 2024. Backdating the law could violate the Colorado constitution, according to commercial real estate groups.

“It just seems patently unfair — and according to the legal analysis, unconstitutional — to suddenly say, ‘Oh, just kidding, we’re changing the zoning back to a date before you started your process.’” said Kathie Barstnar, the executive director of NAIOP Colorado, a commercial developers’ association

Mike Quinlan, with NavPoint Real Estate, estimates seven projects will be affected by the backdating of the law.

Doing so, Barstnar said, will ultimately erode trust in the city, with developers fearing lawmakers will change development rules even after project plans are submitted.

Advocates countered that the city had enough gas stations.

“What our residents have said is, ‘We want to see housing. We want to see small businesses. We want to see co ee shops where we can go hang out with our friends that we can walk to down the street from our house,’” said Councilmember Sawyer, when the bill was rst introduced in June 2024. “Nowhere in any of that feedback did we hear from people, ‘We want more gas stations.’”

Most of the opposition at Tuesday’s council meeting came from the convenience chain QuikTrip and landowners, attorneys and developers partnering with the company.

Public comment

Nearly 30 people were signed up to speak.

Many argued for the environmental bene ts of slowing down gas station development, especially near residential neighborhoods.

David Pardo, a spokesperson with YIMBY Denver, said his pro-housing organization generally supported the measure. But members were concerned that gas stations could still be built near apartment buildings and condos.

Matthew Colby spoke in opposition. He said he represented a retired woman who had planned to sell a plot of land to a gasstation builder, whose retirement is now at stake.

e retroactive nature of this “violates the state’s constitution and private property rights,” he said.

David Sirota, the journalist and former political professional, described the absurdity of having nine gas stations in his southeast Denver area.

“ ese facilities are not good — environmentally speaking, ecologically speaking, public health speaking — for our residential neighborhoods,” Sirota said.

Jill Osa expressed gratitude for the proposal and how it would a ect her children.

“While gas stations are a necessity, the reality is Denver doesn’t need more of them,” she said.

Representatives of QuikTrip spoke against the ban, as did residents who had planned to sell property to the company.

ey were joined by academics, attorneys and real estate industry leaders, with much of their criticism focusing on the ret-

roactive nature of the law.

Many described the bill as illegal, and some pledged taking legal action if it passed, arguing it would waste taxpayer dollars.

Anshul Bagga, of the City Attorney’s ofce, said the city objects to the notion that the law would be unconstitutional, though he didn’t explain why.

One councilmember opposed the bill. e council voted 12-1 to pass the measure.

“Developers and their lawyers are an interesting breed. ey tell compelling stories about property rights and [their] own project, not caring at all about its e ect on adjacent properties,” said Councilmember Kashmann of the bill’s critics.

Kashmann questioned whether the bill is restrictive enough, pointing to other communities that have capped the number of gas stations that can be built.

Sawyer pointed out gas stations can still be built on 10,000 acres in the city. She also hinted she might be looking at similar restrictions on drive-thru restaurants.

“Building new gas stations now is like building more Blockbusters in the age of Net ix,” said Councilmember Chris Hinds, arguing Denver doesn’t need more gas stations.

Flynn said he was concerned “about the retroactive nature of this.” Nonetheless, he supported the general goals of the bill and decided to vote in favor of it.

Flor Alvidrez was the sole councilmember who opposed the bill, arguing it would not serve as an a ordable housing x. She liked the idea that residents could get food and a bathroom at a gas station.

Councilmember Gilmore, meanwhile, objected to the idea that gas stations are a x to food deserts.

“My residents deserve something better than a bag of Doritos, a banana and a Coke,” she said. “I hope we never again talk about gas stations as food access, healthy food access for residents.” is story is from Denverite, a Denver news site. Used by permission. For more, and to support Denverite, visit denverite. com.

Two gas stations near the intersection of Evans Avenue and Monaco Parkway. July 30, 2024.

PHOTO BY KEVIN J. BEATY / DENVERITE

Financial literacy becoming a high school requirement

Most get no knowledge about taxes, savings, loans or investments

BY JENNY BRUNDIN, LUCAS BRADY WOODS AND JESSE PAUL COLORADO CAPITOL NEWS ALLIANCE

When state Rep. Anthony Hartsook was a commander in the U.S. Army, he’d see soldiers try to explain why their checks bounced at the PX or Army store.

“ ey go, ‘Well, I have a credit card, right? I have checks in my checkbook’ … ey just simply didn’t understand.”

Hartsook would order the soldier to attend a nancial literacy class.

“ ey would come back and go, ‘ at class was great.’ ey learned things they simply hadn’t any experience before in life … how to deal with the expenses of living, buying a car … they understood the basics of nances that would set them up for success in the future.”

e Douglas County Republican was surprised to learn that nancial literacy is not a required course in Colorado schools. at’s when he signed on as a sponsor to a bipartisan bill to require all students to take a one-semester course in nancial literacy in order to graduate.

Right now, most Colorado students go out into the world with no knowledge about taxes, savings, loans or investments. Bill sponsors said just 13 percent of students are guaranteed access to a personal nance course before graduation. And today’s students are more vulnerable than ever to online gambling, cryptocurrency schemes and other get-rich-quick apps online, they say.

Colorado’s largest district, Denver Public Schools, adopted nancial literacy as a graduation requirement starting with the class of 2027 after a group of DPS alumni advocated for it.

Still, just a quarter of districts require personal nance to graduate Colorado has nancial literacy standards, which were updated in 2021. ey include topics like saving, investing, debt, credit, leasing versus buying, insurance premiums, managing student loan debt, and retirement plans. While the state board strongly encourages local school districts to require personal nance courses, only about a quarter of

the state’s 178 districts include personal nance as a requirement to graduate.

“Encouraging just simply hasn’t been getting the job done,” said Hartsook. “We have red and blue states across the country that have found this to be very successful. We need kids to graduate to enter the workforce who understand nancial literacy, balance sheets, credit cards, their banks, … and just having it as a recommendation simply isn’t achieving enough of what we need to do.”

e bill would also make lling out a federal or state nancial aid form, the CAFSA or FAFSA, a condition for graduation. It would, however, allow students to opt-out.

Colorado ranks 46th in FAFSA completion. About 37 percent of high school seniors completed the FAFSA last year, well below the national average. State o cials say Coloradans are leaving an estimated $30 million on the table in unclaimed aid each year.

“A lot of low-income families qualify for free aid, and they just don’t know and they haven’t lled out these forms,” said Yanely Espinal, an advocate at NGPF Mission 2030 Fund, a non-pro t organization that has lobbied to get similar bills passed and other states and is a liated with Next Gen

Personal Finance. “ e goal is to increase access to free aid for those who qualify and (access) to low interest rate loans so that students aren’t riddled with private student debt.”

One study shows a lifetime positive bene t of $116,000 per student in Colorado when they take a semester personal nance course before graduation. Bill backers also point to other studies showing nancial education’s impact on a number of factors from frequency of payday borrowing to retirement savings.

Other states

Currently, 26 states require students to take a personal nance course in order to graduate from high school. A handful of other states require nancial literacy coursework to be integrated into other subjects.

Utah was the rst state to adopt a nancial literacy requirement during the Great Recession. A 10-year study of the e ort shows, “when you get, that every single student has access to this course and they have better savings rates, they make better choices about borrowing if and when they do borrow,” said Espinal.

In particular, studies show rst-generation students make much smarter deci-

“I don’t know why anybody would want to object to something that is going to teach students how to handle their finances and be more successful in life.”

Yanely Espinal, an advocate with the Next Gen Personal Finance Mission 2030 Fund

sions in terms of the interest rates they get for loans and have better credit scores in the future. ey are able to comparenancial services better and have money in savings accounts that yield higher rates, she said.

“ at’s just not true for students who don’t know any better, who’ve never been taught that, and they don’t understand the di erence between those interest rates private versus federal,” said Espinal. “ ey don’t understand unsubsidized loans versus subsidized loans, and these are all topics that are taught explicitly in a semester of personal nance.”

Hartsook said after Alabama adopted a FAFSA requirement it went from 34th to 9th in completion rates, bringing millions more in student aid to families. A Texas FAFSA requirement saw a 2 percent increase in college enrollment for schools with historically lower nancial aid completion rates. Sponsors say completing aid forms also connects students to more support to learn about post-secondary and career pathways.

“When you start implementing these requirements, the kids start submitting it, families get involved, they nd there’s more money, and they get much further ahead in life and a better job that’s going out there to contribute to society,” he said.

SEE LITERACY, P7

Why Denver is selling this motel for $10

The city bought the old Stay Inn for $9 million in 2023 with plans to turn it into transtional housing

BY PAOLO ZIALCITA DENVERITE

Nearly two years after buying a motel in northeast Denver for $9 million, the city is listing it for sale at just $10 — although there’s a reason for the steep discount.

e city bought the partially renovated site in 2023, with plans to make it into transitional housing. e plan was to open the building and its 95 guest rooms to people exiting homelessness by the end of 2023.

But the city’s plan stalled, and the four- oor Stay Inn remains unused and empty to this day.

Now, city o cials want to sell the property to an organization that can complete the mission and turn the site into transitional housing.

So, what happened?

e city originally got $2 million of federal funding from Housing and Urban Development to help make the purchase. Most of the rooms had recently been remodeled with kitchenettes, a re sprinkler system, laundry and more.

Julia Marvin, a spokesperson for the Denver Department of Housing Stability, said that a private entity would be better equipped to transform the property.

“We are looking for a partner who is wellequipped to handle the complexities of renovations, managing the project, and operating it as supportive housing,” she said in an email.

e city recently put the property on sale for $10, a price point that would entice prospec-

HOCHHALTER

Support from Columbine community

tive buyers, according to Marvin.

“ e selected partner will need to fund the acquisition, all due diligence prior to closing, and renovations/maintenance (expected to be around $5 million), so a sales price of $10 makes this project much more nancially viable,” Marvin wrote.

e city said it was unable to disclose the number of applications it received to purchase the hotel. ose are now under review.

Whoever buys the property will have to agree to keep it as transitional housing for 99 years. It could be o ered to veterans, families, indi-

ORDER

DeAngelis said there has been a lot of support from the “Columbine alumni family” since Hochhalter’s death.

Sue and Rick Townsend said they’ve received an overwhelming amount of support from their family, the Columbine community and beyond.

“We’re getting a lot of support from our community here, where we live,” Rick Townsend said. “ en also I just call it the Columbine community. It’s a big and supportive group.”

Sue Townsend said that when something such as Hochhalter’s death occurs, it brings up the 1999 Columbine shooting.

“We were all so bonded through that experience and so those people have just been phenomenal in o ering comfort and reaching out to us,” Sue Townsend said. “It has been very heartwarming.”

During her life, Hochhalter would speak in other communities where shootings took place.

“She was always available to help anybody that needed it, and shared her story. If she thought it would help you in any way, she was more than willing to do that,” Sue Townsend said.

Over the years, Hochhalter and DeAngelis stayed in touch. e last time he saw her in person was during a vigil in 2024 for the 25th anniversary of the shooting.

“I got a chance to talk to her,” DeAngelis said. “She never considered herself a victim. She would always go out, whether it be after the shootings in Aurora, wherever those events would be, Anne Marie would be there to o er support.”

Funeral arrangements are still being made for Hochhalter, but once plans have been made, the Townsends said they will share that information.

Additionally, in 2023 a 9-year-old girl in Canada was accused by an adult man of being transgender while she was competing in a track meet.

“ is ‘debate’ has led to cisgender women and girls — especially those of color — being subjected to discrimination simply for being perceived as ‘too manly,’” Keira said.

Keira said that many trans athletes view

LITERACY

FROM PAGE 6

Bill sponsors anticipate some opposition Colorado’s school districts control curriculum, budgets and make their own graduate requirements.

Some could chafe at the requirement. e state’s big education organizations, including Colorado’s main teacher’s union and the associations for school boards and superintendents, haven’t yet taken a position on the bill, which has the support of Gov. Jared Polis.

Bill backers note that other local control states like Michigan and Oregon have successfully passed nancial literacy legislation. e bill wouldn’t increase the credits needed for graduation. Schools would have the exibility to count the course as a math or another subject credit.

“ at way each school district will have the exibility to gure out when and where they

viduals or couples.

Any proposed sale would have to be approved by Denver City Council.

Plans for the property go far back to at least 2021. U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette said she wanted to buy the property using a mix of city and federal funds and convert it into supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness. at plan, however, stalled due to budget negotiations in Congress.

is story is from Denverite, a Denver news site. Used by permission. For more, and to support Denverite, visit denverite.com.

their participation in sports as vital to their well-being and mental health, and that no one is “pretending to be a woman” to succeed in athletics, but rather, to survive due to concerns for their safety.

Keira also pointed out the potential harm the executive order could cause to trans youth, whose rights may be threatened as a result.

“Trans kids are watching their rights being actively taken away, and we risk losing them,” Keira said. “ at is not OK. ey deserve to grow up in a world where they feel safe, seen and supported — and it’s on all of us to ensure that happens.”

want to put that in their curriculum. But the bottom line is, I don’t know why anybody would want to object to something that is going to teach students how to handle their nances and be more successful in life.”

Espinal said there are many high-quality free nancial literacy curricula available.

e Colorado Department of Education maintains a nancial literacy resource bank and there is free teacher training through Junior Achievement, the Council for Economic Education, and other high-quality resources from the Federal Reserve, banks and credit unions.

House Bill 1192 hasn’t yet been scheduled for a hearing.

is story was produced by the Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS and e Colorado Sun, and shared with Rocky Mountain Community Radio and other news organizations across the state. Funding for the Alliance is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

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CORRECTIONS

A story on the Edward S. Curtis exhibit at the Lone Tree Arts Center that ran in the Feb. 20 edition was updated to correct information about the exhibit and the correct spelling of Steve Fisher’s name. To read the updated version, visit the story online at https://tinyurl.com/CCMCurtis-LoneTreeArts. Denver Herald-Dispatch (ISSN 1542-5797)(USPS 241-760) A legal newspaper of general circulation in Denver, Colorado, the Herald-Dispatch is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 1624 Market St., Suite 202, Denver, CO 80202.

The old Stay Inn at 38th Avenue and Peoria Street at the edge of Denver’s Central Park neighborhood. Jan. 17, 2023. PHOTO BY KEVIN J. BEATY

FROM PAGE 2

Colorado students explore government protocols

High schoolers visit state capitol in YMCA program

MEDIA

About 100 high schoolers from across the state visited the state capitol in late November to gain knowledge and leadership skills about the inner workings of the government.

e students were all participants in the YMCA of Metro Denver’s 70th Youth in Government Conference, which provided the high school students with a unique experience in the legislative process. e students participated in mock legislative sessions in downtown Denver at the Lindsey Flanigan Courthouse as as members of the House, Senate or judiciary branches, and acted as lobbyists or members of the press. e opportunity provided a deeper understanding of how state and local governments operate and the importance of young people’s involvement.

“ e most impactful part for me is seeing everyone’s perspectives,” said Luka Nieto, who is future student lieutenant

governor from Lakewood High School.

“So many di erent backgrounds and classes, all at Youth in Government.”

e event focused on issues that are prevalent in today’s society, allowing students to draft bills, debate and vote on mock legislative measures. rough these activities, they learned the practical skills needed in the political world, along with many important skills used in daily life.

Programs like Youth in Government offer students an opportunity to bring fresh perspectives and ideas to politics. eir involvement can raise awareness about important issues and help shape policies that impact their generation.

Youth In Government also helps students develop leadership skills and promotes a sense of responsibility towards society.

“ is year speci cally, I loved how people worked together,” said participant Jonah Morris, a junior at Resurrection Christian School in Loveland.

“It’s an interesting spin on mock government emulating an actual government setting,” added Ari Hon Gupta, a freshman at Cherry Creek High School.

When asked about his experience at the conference, Gupta said, “I am very, very happy I came and guarantee I am going

oated, but Dreyer said the site’s proximity to a public transit such as Civic Center Station would have clear bene ts for the site.

to do it again next year.”

e YMCA’s Youth in Government Conference provides an opportunity for young people to gain knowledge, leadership skills and a sense of empowerment for the future. Guest speakers, such as state legislators and community leaders, also share their experiences, motivating students to consider careers in public service and to get involved in their communities.

“Experiencing the inner workings of a mock government has opened my eyes to how important it is to know how our country is run,” said this year’s Youth in Government Editor in Chief Avery Gra , from Resurrection Christian School. “It has truly taught me more than any government class could.”

Learn more about the YMCA’s teen advocacy programs, including Youth In Government, at https://denverymca.org/ teen-programs.

e 2025 Youth in Government media relations team consists of Avery Gra , Resurrection Christian School; Avani Moreschini, Pueblo County High School; Lucia Blanch eld, Fairview High School; Luke Yowell, Resurrection Christian School; and Nayive Garcia, Pueblo West High School.

Concerns about the e ects on the bus service along with parking have been

“Civic Center Station is an important piece of the region’s transportation network, so we’re not going to do anything to

disrupt the transportation service that operates out of that hub,” Dreyer said. “ e courts would draw from people who live and work within walking distance and being so close to Civic Center Station, there’s no shortage of public transportation that would take people virtually right to the

pickleball courts.”

e site wouldn’t o er parking, but Dreyer noted the area has ample on-street parking and nearby public parking lots.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to provide this kind of amenity downtown that people could walk to,” said Dreyer.

Jonah Morris, a junior at Resurrection Christian School in Loveland, speaks during the YMCA of Metro Denver’s 70th Youth in Government Conference in late November.

Thu 2/27

Jennifer Deann Scott: Absinthe + Elm @ 6pm

Denver Beer Co. Olde Town Arvada, 5768 Olde Wadsworth Blvd, Arvada

Pretend Friend @ 6pm

New Terrain Brewing Company, 16401 Table Mountain Pkwy, Golden fox n' vead

@ 6:30pm Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 Clarkson St, Denver

no fauna @ 7pm

Hi-Dive, 7 S Broadway, Denver

Ren Q. Dawe: Hai Comedy @ 7pm

Sushi Hai, 3600 W 32nd Ave, Denver

Black Market Translation: Punketry! @ 7:30pm Mutiny Comics & Coffee, 2 S Broadway, Denver

Slick Portal @ 9pm The Dahlia, 119 S Broadway, Denver

Fri 2/28

One More Time: A Tribute to Daft Punk @ 8pm Meow Wolf Denver, Denver

Ray Rock @ 9pm BurnDown Denver, 476 S Broadway, Denver

Judith Hindle, Everlasting Everything, Rose Cold, and Assistance: LIVE AT D3 @ 6pm D3 Arts, 3614 Morrison Rd, Denver

Smokin' @ 8pm

Buffalo Rose, 1119 Washington Ave, Golden

Phat Daddy @ 8pm

Tue 3/04

Cocktails in Cool Places: Welton Street @ 4:45pm / $35

Blair Caldwell Library, 2401 Welton St., Denver. asalutz@historicdenver.org

Monarch Casino Black Hawk, 488 Main St, Black Hawk

Ari Shaf�r �21+ Event� @ 9:45pm

Comedy Works - Larimer Square, 1226 15th Street, Denver

Sun 3/02

Beyond Laser Light Experience @ 12pm Denver

Queen City Jazz and Pancake Supper @ 5:30pm / $10-$45

Teague Starbuck @ 7pm The Arvada Tavern, 5707 Olde Wadsworth Blvd, Arvada

Sat 3/01

Sábados de Orquesta En Vivo en La Rumba! @ 7pm / $25.18 La Rumba, Denver

Wild Love Tigress: The WoodCellar @ 8pm The Woodcellar Bar & Grill, 1552

Opera Colorado - La Boheme @ 2pm

Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Speer Boulevard and Arapahoe Street, Den‐ver

Royal Street Ramblers @ 6pm

Dazzle Denver, 1080 14th Street, Denver

Mugshot @ 6pm

Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St, Denver

Mon 3/03

Dead Heat @ 6pm

Summit Music Hall, 1902 Blake St, Denver

Nessa Barrett @ 6:30pm

Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 Clarkson St, Denver

Nathan Tasker: Trust Again Tour @ 7pm

Riverside Church, 2401 Alcott St, Denver

3OH!3: 303 DAY @ 7pm Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St, Denver

Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church, 11500 West 20th Avenue, Lakewood. reception@soth.net, 303238-2482

No Cure @ 6:30pm

Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St, Denver

Varials @ 6:30pm Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St, Denver

Matt Rife Parking @ 7:31pm

Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 West Alameda Parkway, Morrison Beeson @ 8pm Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St, Denver

Wed 3/05

Annie in the Water: Cervantes Other Side @ 7pm

Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom & Other Side, 2637 Welton St, Denver

Polish @ 7pm

Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St, Denver

Bergen Pkwy #101, Evergreen

Harnessing technology while doing the work

Technology and arti cial intelligence (AI) are accelerating growth across industries, revolutionizing personal and professional development at an unprecedented pace. From AI-driven tness equipment to sales enablement tools, we are surrounded by innovations designed to enhance performance, automate tasks and drive e ciency. But while technology is a powerful enabler, it does not replace the need for e ort, discipline, and the fundamental work required to achieve real results. Finding the right balance between leveraging technology and doing the work ourselves is key to maximizing success. Take tness, for example. e latest AI-powered gym equipment can personalize workouts, monitor progress, and even provide real-time coaching. As someone who appreciates the newest advancements in the gym, I love the insights and structure these tools o er. However, no machine can push me beyond my limits quite like I can. Sometimes, I need to set aside the AI recommendations and pick up free weights, relying on my own discipline and intensity to achieve growth. e same principle applies in business, particularly in professional selling, where technology enhances performance but does not replace the core fundamentals of success.

Finding lessons for life, one brushstroke at a time

DIn the sales world, thousands of AI-driven tools exist to support prospecting, pipeline building, research, pre-call planning, and customer relationship management. Managers, too, have access to sophisticated software that helps them track performance, analyze behaviors, and coach their sales teams more e ectively. ese tools provide a distinct advantage, equipping sales professionals with data-driven insights and e ciency-enhancing capabilities.

However, no technology can replace the human element of selling, the preparation, the practice, the role-playing, the prospecting, and the relationship-building that separate top performers from the rest.

Consider AI-powered sales assistants that can generate email templates, predict customer needs, and recommend next-best actions. While these tools undoubtedly streamline processes, they do not replace the necessity of meaningful human interactions. A well-crafted AI-generated email is helpful, but it cannot replicate the authenticity and nuance of a personalized message tailored from

uring the initial pandemic shutdown there were six adults living together in our house. Five of us had jobs that occupied several hours of our days, but we still found ourselves with many hours of time that had always been lled doing things outside of the house.

As a family, we seized this unique opportunity to learn new skills. We learned sign language, cooked amazing meals, played di erent instruments, and even tried watercolor painting.

My youngest daughter, Carly, an art major with a psychology minor and a creative perspective on life, taught us the basics of watercolor painting. On the day of our rst lesson, she handed out the supplies we needed and began by telling us to create a base of water over the area on our paper where we wanted to paint. As we created our water foundation, she explained that the base makes all the rest of the painting possible. With the base in place, she told us to take a tiny bit of paint and begin to create whatever we wanted to design.

For my rst piece, I wanted to paint a co ee cup with steam rising from the drink. I established my base, took my rst color, and brushed it onto the page. As I applied the paint, I was amazed that it actually began to resemble a cup. About 15 minutes into the lesson, Carly stopped me, gave me a quick compliment, and said, “To improve this, you need to add dimension and depth.”

She explained that to achieve this e ect, I needed to manipulate the paint that was

WORDS

already on the page.

Following her advice, I lightly wet my brush and began to move the existing color, adding to some areas and reducing others. e result was a cup that had depth—something I could genuinely be proud of as a novice.

As I worked on this art project, I was struck by the wisdom of needing to start everything we do with a good base. e water on the page starts everything o right. In our lives the base is equally critical — faith, family, friends and many other things can be central to that base. Everyone’s base is di erent, but we all must have that foundation to be successful.

Beyond the base, I found the idea fascinating that all the color I needed was already present on the page. When I rst examined what I had on my paper, I thought Carly was mistaken; there was no way I had the necessary color. However, she was right. To create something with depth, I just needed to manipulate what was already there.

In our everyday lives, it’s easy to feel like we lack the things we need. In reality, while we may need to rearrange “the colors,” everything we require is so often already available.

I encourage you to take some time to notice, re ect on and celebrate the areas of your life that are vibrant and full

of color. When you look closely, you can nd those wonderful aspects of your life — whether it’s your relationships, family, friends, routines or cherished memories. All that vibrancy can be applied to the areas where you feel a struggle or where the color seems too faint.

Moving that color might involve asking for help or taking time for a conversation. It could also mean nding opportunities to assist others or trying something new. Whatever approach you choose, it can be as simple as adding a little water to your brush and blending those colors as needed.

e rich colors of your life make a di erence, but before you can move them, you need to see them.

You have got this.

I hope my words inspire you, and that you will share them with those who need encouragement. ank you to everyone who has shared their stories with me so far; I truly appreciate hearing about the valuable ideas you nd in these columns and how you use them to uplift those around you.

Jim Roome lives in Arvada with his wife, Beth. He spent 34 years in public education. Lessons learned from the one two punch of being diagnosed with MS shortly before his best friend was diagnosed with terminal cancer led him into a new pursuit as a freelance writer and speaker. He uses his life experiences and love of stories to inspire, educate and encourage local, national and international audiences. Contact him at jim.roome@gmail.com.

OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Jim Roome

Abstract watercolor landscape. Silhouette white snowy mountain n light sky. The shape of fir forest. A tall beautiful Christmas tree. Winter season. Gradient sky. Hand drawn watercolor illustration SHUTTERSTOCK

We have been talking for several months now about a slowing economy, which is now coming to fruition. is economic slowdown was originally based on the natural progression of the business cycle. Recent events, however, may speed that up.

e rst place we look for help in guring out where we are in the business cycle is the Federal Reserve Board. Jerome Powell’s recent testimony may have caught some investors o guard, as the Fed chose to do nothing and hold steady. is concerned the pessimists, who think that mortgage rates could remain high while their savings accounts earn less. Also, the economic growth measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been slowing, so a decline in interest rates could have boosted growth. e optimists are happy because the Fed’s neutral stance could mean every-

Frederick Douglass observed:

“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.” is observation resonates today in Colorado’s outdated “atlarge” voting for county commissioners. At-large voting is when all voters of a political subdivision vote for all the candidates. Multiple Colorado counties now have populations of hundreds of thousands, with budgets in the hundreds of millions. Yet their political structures remain the same from more than a century ago: electing three commissioners at-large. At-large voting excludes political minorities from a voice in their local government, no matter who is the political minority. Early in American history, a majority of states voted at-large to elect congressional delegations. e resulting unrepresentative political power led Congress in 1842 to mandate all states use district-based elections for Congress that we know today, over the objections of “States Rights” and “Local Control” made by opponents to that reform. Unfortunately, at-large voting in local elections became normalized after the Civil War to exclude racial political mi-

Outlook positive but subdued

FINANCIAL STRATEGIES

thing is good and there is no need to make any changes. e Fed admits, however, that we are not yet down to their 2% target for in ation.

e U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that shelter, or housing, makes up the largest sector of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures in ation.

Shelter makes up 32% of the CPI with a year-over-year increase of 5%. is is the largest driver behind stickiness in the current in ation rates, according to William Greiner, chief economist at Mariner. All other items excluding shelter had an in ation rate in 2024 of 1.9%, so perhaps the Fed thought we were getting close to their target. en enter the new administration in

experience and genuine understanding of a client’s needs. Likewise, AI can analyze call recordings and provide feedback on tone and word choice, but a salesperson still needs to practice, re ne their delivery, and build con dence through real conversations.

e key is to work smarter, leveraging technology where it provides the greatest advantage while ensuring we remain actively engaged in the work that truly drives success. Sellers who rely too heavily on AI to do their jobs for them may nd themselves

Washington. No matter where your political allegiance lies, every day is a whirlwind of new information. It is too soon to see how tari s will a ect everything, but at rst glance, they could lower economic growth and increase in ation. While the Fed does not have an economic growth target, it does consider growth rates when determining where interest rates should be. After in ation, the second mandate of the Fed is that unemployment and jobs creation remain strong. Unemployment sheds a bright light on immigration and potential deportation. As our labor force shrinks, we may see a higher cost of housing and laborintensive services such as food processing. Consumers will foot the federal decit bill through higher cost of goods and services, higher taxes or both. ere is a theory that tari s could help reduce the federal de cit better and faster than raising income taxes. How this plays out will

be interesting, but I believe we will feel some negative e ects of these changes, at least initially.

Investors can see this uncertainty in the stock market volatility as the markets try to grasp how these changes a ect corporate America and stock valuations. I suspect most companies will be weaning themselves o of high pro t margins, which could bring down some valuations. We are already seeing some of the high- yers from previous years, such as Nvidia, declining. is could be a challenging year for investors who do not have a strong but exible strategy in place. Ask your advisor about how to plan around these new policies and how to diversify properly in the changing economy.

Patricia Kummer is managing director for Mariner, an SEC-registered investment adviser.

norities from local government. In the 1980s, the Department of Justice and NAACP dismantled these at-large voting systems throughout most of the country under the Voting Rights Act. Since then, attempts by local governments to adopt at-large voting systems have been struck down by federal courts as transparent attempts to exclude rising political minorities from a voice in government. Given this history, Colorado’s large counties must modernize their electoral structures. Colorado escaped scrutiny in the 1980s because no identi able racial minority was systematically excluded from political participation by at-large voting. But now, multiple Colorado counties are on trajectories where the discriminatory nature of at-large elections is evident.

at’s why I am introducing legislation along with several colleagues to require counties with populations greater

outpaced by those who blend AI’s capabilities with traditional sales fundamentals. e highest performers in sales are those who embrace technology as an enhancement rather than a substitute for e ort. is principle extends beyond sales into all aspects of work and life. Whether it’s using AI to automate tasks, relying on machine learning to optimize strategies, or integrating smart tools into our daily routines, technology o ers an undeniable advantage. But ultimately, we must put in the time, e ort, and dedication required to achieve exceptional outcomes. AI can assist in writing a business proposal, but it cannot replace the deep thinking and strategic vision required to craft a truly compelling pitch. It can analyze market

than 250,000 to elect ve commissioners through district-based or proportional voting, as chosen by the voters. is legislation ensures minority groups are not denied voices in the most important governing decisions made in their daily lives.

e bill will not change political power – a majority is still a majority. But it will bring di erent voices into local government to represent the interests of politically marginalized areas and groups.

Some may argue that this reform infringes on local control or imposes unfunded mandates. “Local control” echoes the same arguments made against federal election intervention in state and local matters, both in 1842 and during the civil rights era. Local control fails when political power is concentrated in a few hands, resisting change. Outside action, therefore, becomes necessary to break the status quo.

Counties are also political subdivisions of the state, not independent entities. When their electoral systems fail to ensure fair representation, the state has the responsibility and authority to intervene.

Opponents of this reform also argue that adding two additional commis-

trends, but it cannot build trust with a client. It can provide workout recommendations, but it cannot physically lift the weights for us.

As AI continues to evolve and integrate into every facet of our lives, the most successful individuals will be those who master the art of combining cutting-edge technology with a strong work ethic. ose who work hard and work smart, harnessing the power of AI while still putting in the sweat equity, will achieve accelerated growth both personally and professionally.

sioners in large counties constitutes an unfunded mandate or unnecessary government growth. is misses the broader issue: while Colorado’s large counties experienced explosive growth, their political representation stagnated. Just as no county is allowed to elect only one commissioner, it is not unreasonable to require larger counties to elect additional representatives to re ect growing populations. Requiring a modest change in only ve of Colorado’s 64 counties is a small adjustment that will bring meaningful, fair representation without imposing an undue burden.

e need for reform is urgent. e status quo is no longer acceptable for residents whose voices are excluded in an unrepresentative electoral system. By adopting district-based elections or proportional voting we can create a system that better represents the diversity of our communities and increases trust in government — from racial and ethnic minorities to suburban and rural areas.

State Rep. Bob Marshall, a Democrat, represents most of Highlands Ranch in House District 43.

At the end of the day, success is not just about having the best tools; it’s about knowing when and how to use them while never shying away from doing the work that truly matters. I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can increase our slight edge in everything we do, it really will be a betterthan-good life.

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

Bob Marshall

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

hat started with an old video camera in a French resort and a syndicated kids’ program about ocean conservation has become an award-winning Colorado-based commercial video production company, claiming high-pro le national brands like Apple, Disney, Under Armor, Noodles and Co., and Seagate Technology as clients.

And now, Boulder’s La Storia can put breaking the sound barrier on the company’s resume.

“My brother and I started the company in North Carolina mainly because we had a couple contacts there who we thought might be interested in videos,” said La Storia cofounder RC Walker. “

“We were two brothers from Aspen with no background in lmmaking. ankfully, we met incredible people early on who believed in us, plugged us in, and helped us get connected. We’ve learned and evolved from there.”

e Boulder couple behind La Storia Productions, Walker and his wife Molly McKinney-Walker, made history this past January when their company was hired to document Boom Supersonics’ XB-1 aircraft breaking the sound barrier — the rst civilian company to do that — over the Mojave Desert.

“Our partnership with Boom has been unique. We essentially have served as a key creative partner for the brand overseeing many of their photo and video campaigns and 3-D animation,” Walker said.

“ e Boom event itself was a phenomenal milestone for aviation, but working with the engineers and ground crew on the team was such a fascinating experience for us as lmmakers. ey’re the lifeblood of operations like this, so it was empowering to see this mission through their eyes and build that into the story we were telling in front of a live audience.

e La Storia crew used 18 cameras — seven on the ground and 11 in the air — to capture every angle of the historic moment with Boom’s Supersonic XB-1 experimental aircraft.

Trading accounting for adventure

Walker said he was a nance accounting graduate from the University of Colorado looking for adventure when he got interested in lmmaking.

“After graduating from CU Boulder with a degree in Finance, I decided to play ‘hooky’ and spent a few years living in Hawaii before going to France. I worked in the Alps, where I had an old camcorder, and my roommates and I started making short lms. Films had always inspired me, but this moment of creativity behind the lens ignited a deep love of cinematography and changed my life trajectory.”

“But my brother had been working in North Carolina for a non-pro t, so he at least had a small network of connections. So in 2013, I moved to Charlotte, and we o cially launched La Storia Productions out of our tiny apartment,” Walker said.

“ ankfully, our love and passion for storytelling, along with lots of hard work, introduced us to some incredible people who we still consider some of our closest friends, and they helped us tremendously,” Walker said.

“ ey connected us with the Charlotte creative community and helped us collaborate with like-minded clients. But the best of these introductions during this time was that Geo and I each met our wives on our own lm sets and still get to work alongside them today.

Meanwhile, his future bride made a name for herself on children’s television. Molly McKinney-Walker said her background started in television with a commercial when she was three.

“I got into the industry at an early age and was incredibly blessed to have had the positive experiences I’ve had. My rst big opportunity was at seven years old when I was cast to host the TV, Aqua Kids, an environmental children’s TV show about protecting marine and aquatic environments,” McKinney-Walker said.

“I continued to host this show until I was 24 years old, and I learned so much during this time, both as a talent in front of the camera and lmmaking behind the camera.”

LEFT: RC Walker is filming on location for a La Storia production with American Airlines. RIGHT: Brian Bell on set while discussing the next shot for a commercial with Noodles & Co. and the Fortnight Collective agency.

LA STORIA

She began trading her spot in front of the camera for a producing role, where she interviewed scientists and animal educators on camera.

“ is is actually how I fell into becoming an Executive Producer, since it started making sense to plan and pre-interview the scientists and animal educations I would eventually be working with on-camera,” McKinney-Walker said.

After graduating college and moving on from the show, she started freelancing, producing at La Storia for nine months before she was hired full-time.

After graduating college and moving on from the show, she started freelancing, producing at La Storia for nine months before she was hired full-time.

Both McKinney and Walker settled in Charlotte, North Carolina for a while but relocated to Boulder just before COVID-19 hit. McKinney-Walker said they got the Boulder o ce and nished remodeling it in December 2019 but couldn’t use it for a few months due to COVID-19.

“We had a brick-and-mortar location in North Carolina and planned on keeping it and opening a second mid-west location to compete with the Los Angeles market, but as with so many other industries, COVID-19 changed that plan for us,” McKinney-Walker said.  e La Storia team had even built a whole new set for a major tech company client on their campus in San Jose, Calif., but they never used it due to the pandemic. “It was beautiful with painted wood walls and a multi-functional background,” Walker said. “But with COVID, we couldn’t get into the o ce, so we ended up pivoting and rebuilding the entire set in our home basement to lm the content our client needed. I guess that’s one of the perks of a cinematographer and a producer being married and quarantining together. We were able to utilize our available resources and help our clients solve problems,” Walker said.

The story behind La Storia

Walker said they came up with the name La Storia early on.

“We wanted to choose a name with international

air. I had spent time living in France but phrase story had a complex spelling in French, so we aimed for simple and memorable,” Walker said. “My brother had spent time living in Italy, and in Italian, the translation for ‘ e Story’ has a dual meaning. It captures history and modern-day storytellers, sharing the importance of timeless stories that must be told.”

McKinney-Walker said one of La Storia’s longeststanding clients, Seagate Technology, one of the largest tech companies that makes hard drives in the world, has worked with their company for almost 11 years.    McKinney-Walker said being a creative partner is something they can o er their high-caliber clients.

“I think our high client retention rate with high pro le clients re ects the relationship and partnership mentality we have with our clients. Ironically, as a production company that provides photo and video marketing solutions for our clients, we’ve never done marketing for ourselves. We truly operate on a word-of-mouth referral system, which works for us. I always say when think about our clients, we take their brands on as our own,” McKinney-Walker said.

“It de es a typical traditional agency model with established brands; we already have a strong in-house marketing team,” she said. ” We can provide triage support when they are overworked or need help scaling up for something they don’t have the in-house resources for, like the project we traveled to the Mojave Desert for recently, to lm Boom Supersonic.”

Walker said it was fascinating working so closely with the Boom team and getting the honor of telling their story, learning and understanding the process, cadence of the tests, crew safety, and camera angles.

“I’ve worked in daily communication with Kaden Colby, Head of Creative Production and Events at Boom Supersonic, for over a year to prepare for their supersonic test ight. is was the sixth ight we’ve shot for them,” Walker said.

McKinney-Walker said Boom wanted to be authentic and live on the day of the shooting, so they wanted people to feel like they were there. Event coverage had not been done to the extent their team pulled it together, with many partners involved, to make that possible from a story brand standpoint.

“As a company specializing in creating 30-second commercials for many of the brands we work with, getting to have a project like Boom’s supersonic ight was

taxiing out,” is a massive moment for this team, but it’s often not shown in the movies.”

McKinney-Walker said that for them, it’s never just about showing up and doing a job; they felt the emotion of getting to know them for a year. When they handed the aircraft over to Geppetto, it was uncertain whether he would return from that ight. It’s about life and visually communicating these people’s trust in each other and the unknowns from pushing innovative boundaries.

“With clients like Boom who are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, it’s a contagious energy that encouraged us to push the realm of what had been done for our industry as well for events like this,” McKinneyWalker said.

“ e Boom event was unique, and we wanted to capture the immersive moment. However, we’re responsible for ensuring no safety issues present or distract the ground crew from performing their duties,” Walker said.

“We took tremendous care in the choreography of our cameras so they could do their job, ignore us and stay focused. From a safety standpoint, they knew when our cameras were in position, where our guidelines were, and most importantly, after a year together, they trusted us.”

For more information about La Storia, visit https:// lastoriaproductions.com/

General Inquiries:  info@lastoriaproductions.com

Interested in Hiring La Storia:  molly@lastoriaproductions.com

For information about LSP Film Rentals, Cyc studio, Cinema Camera Rental House & Prep Space, please visit https://www.lsp lmrentals.com/.

Studio and Rental Inquiries:  cheers@lsp lmrentals. com

LEFT: RC Walker and Molly McKinney-Walker owners of La Storia Production.

RIGHT: Molly McKinney Walker and Alfredo Jones were on-location at Mojave Air and Space Port, documenting the first supersonic flight of the XB-1 aircraft for La Storia client Boom Supersonic.

CROWSSUPDRO ELZZ

1. TELEVISION: e show “Happy Days” is a spino of which older sitcom?

2. LITERATURE: Which author created the character Hercule Poirot?

3. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Where is Barack Obama’s presidential library located?

4. GEOGRAPHY: What river forms part of the border between the United States and Mexico?

5. ASTRONOMY: Which planet in our solar system has the strongest gravitational eld?

6. U.S. STATES: Which four states intersect at the Four Corners monument?

7. SCIENCE: What is anemophily?

8. MOVIES: How much does an Oscar award trophy weigh?

9. WEATHER: What is a haboob?

10. MEASUREMENTS: How many millimeters are in a meter?

TrIVIa

Answers

1. “Love, American Style.”

2. Agatha Christie.

3. Chicago, Illinois.

4. e Rio Grande.

5. Jupiter.

6. Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado.

7. Pollination by the wind.

8. 8.5 pounds.

9. An intense dust storm.

10. 1,000.

(c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.

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Public Notice

February 27, 2025

NOTICE TO MORTGAGEES IN THE JASMINE CONDOMINIUMS COMMUNITY

Notice is hereby given to all mortgagees within the Jasmine Condominiums community in the City and County of Denver, Colorado, that the Jasmine Association is seeking mortgagee approval of a proposed Amendment to the Condominium Declaration for Jasmine (the “Proposed Amendment”). The Proposed Amendment can be obtained at the following address: Altitude Community Law P.C., 555 Zang St., Ste. 100, Lakewood, CO 80228. Failure of any mortgagee to deliver a negative response to the Jasmine Association, Inc., c/o Altitude Community Law P.C., 555 Zang St., Ste. 100, Lakewood, CO 80228, within 60 days shall be deemed consent on behalf of the mortgagee.

Legal Notice No. DHD 3474

First Publication: February 27, 2025 Last Publication: February 27, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Misc. Private Legals

Public Notice

Denver Probate Court Denver County, Colorado 1437 Bannock Street, Room 230 Denver, CO 80202

In the Interest of:

AUSTIN MITCHELL, Respondent

Attorney: Christopher Brock, Atty. Reg. No. 47703 1385 S. Colorado Blvd. #610-A Denver, CO 80222

E-mail: cbrock@ccdconline.org Phone Number: 937-248-5016

FAX Number: 303-568-7419 Case Number: 24PR31509

NOTICE OF HEARING BY PUBLICATION PURSUANT TO § 15-10-401, C.R.S.

To: Joshua Mitchell Last Known Address, if any: n/a

A hearing on Petition for Appointment of Guardian for Adult. Appointment of permanent guardian for Mr. Austin Mitchell,

an adult, after notice and hearing will be held at the following time and location or at a later date to which the hearing may be continued:

Date: March 25, 2025 Time: 3:00 PM

Courtroom or Division: 300

Address: Virtual via Webex: https://judicial.webex.com/join/courtroom300; meeting number: 920 159 400 Or appear by telephone: 720-650-7664; meeting number: 920 159 400

The hearing will take approximately 30 minutes.

Legal Notice No. DHD 3447

First Publication: February 13, 2025

Last Publication: February 27, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

CAUSE NO. 16680-PCD THE STATE OF TEXAS

ESTATE OF GLADYS TOLIVER, DECEASED

YOU ARE HEREBY COMMANDED TO SUMMON THE PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES AND/OR HEIRS AT LAW OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT TOLIVER JR., DECEASED, all of whose whereabouts are unknown and cannot be reasonably ascertained by Rodrick Williams, in his capacity as the Dependent Administrator of the Estate of Gladys Toliver, Deceased, by publication of this Citation once, at least ten (10) days previous to the return day hereof, in some newspaper published in your County, to appear at the next regular term of the County Court at Law 1 sitting as the Probate Court of Brazos County, Texas, after service has been perfected, to be held in the Brazos County Courthouse, 300 E. 26th Street, Suite 1430, thereof in Bryan, Texas, the same being Tuesday, the 4th day of March, 2025, or any date thereafter when the Court will consider the Amended Account for Final Settlement, and there to file a written contest or contest to the Amended Account for Final Settlement, filed in said Court on the 13th day of February, 2025, in a probate action now pending in said Court in the above numbered and styled Estate on the Probate Docket of said Court; the Amended Account for Final Settlement is now on file in the Brazos County Clerk’s office.

Legal Notice No. DHD 3477

First Publication: February 27, 2025

Last Publication: February 27, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Notice to Creditors

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Karen Green, a/k/a Karen Kaye Green, a/k/a Karen K Green, a/k/a Karen Worley, a/k/a Karen Kaye Worley, a/k/a Karen K. Worley, Deceased Case Number: 24PR31381

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 13, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Kate Green-Mularski

Co-Personal Representative 6060 E 67th Ave Commerce City CO, 80022

Jeremy Garcia

Co-Personal Representative 2767 W Iliff Avenue #1 Denver, Colorado 80219

Legal Notice No. DHD 3449

First Publication: February 13, 2025

Last Publication: February 27, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of THOMAS GABOR KESMARKI (a.k.a. THOMAS G. KESMARKI), Deceased Case Number: 2024 PR 031445

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative Representative (BEATRIX ADKINS) or to DENVER PROBATE COURT (1437 BANNOCK STREET, DENVER, CO 80202) on or before June 20, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

/s/_Kimberly Ruddell KIMBERLY RUDDELL, Esq.

Attorney for Personal Representative 8959 East 40th Avenue, Suite 160 Denver, CO 80238

Legal Notice No. DHD101

First Publication: February 13, 2025

Last Publication: February 27, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of LORETTA LAVERN KING, aka LORETTA L. KING, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30001

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 13, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Tamra A. Palmer

Attorney to the Personal Representative c/o 6060 Greenwood Plaza Blvd #200 Greenwood Village, CO 80111

Legal Notice No. DHD 3448

First Publication: February 13, 2025

Last Publication: February 27, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of GERALD R. ARMSTRONG, a/k/a GERALD RALPH ARMSTRONG, a/k/a GERALD ARMSTRONG, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30031

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 13, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Sidney K. Methner

Personal Representative 3383 W. 114th Cr., Unit F Westminster, CO 80031

Legal Notice No. DHD 3452

First Publication: February 13, 2025

Last Publication: February 27, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Eileen F. Schoen, a/k/a Eileen Schoen, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31540

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 13, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Mark D. Schoen, Personal Representative c/o KATZ, LOOK & ONORATO, P.C.

Public Notices

1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 1100 Denver, CO 80203

Legal Notice No. DHD 3540

First Publication: February 13, 2025

Last Publication: February 27, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Sean Aaron Carnahan, Deceased Case Number: 2024 PR 31529

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before: June 20, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Kimberly Hunter

Personal Representative

c/o Whitcomb Selinsky, PC

300 Union Blvd., Ste. 200 Lakewood, CO 80228

Legal Notice No. DHD 3468

First Publication: February 20, 2025

Last Publication: March 6, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Jimmie Richard Knutson, aka Jimmie Knutson, aka Jimmie R. Knutson, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR031449

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 20, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Kristina Strausser

Personal Representative

14822 E. Kansas Pl. Aurora, CO 80012

Legal Notice No. DHD 3469

First Publication: February 20, 2025

Last Publication: March 6, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Jerald B. Miller, Deceased Case Number, 2024 PR 31461

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before: June 20, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Mario Mejia, Personal Representative

c/o Whitcomb Selinsky, PC

300 Union Blvd., Ste. 200 Lakewood, CO 80228

Legal Notice No. DHD 3466

First Publication: February 20, 2025

Last Publication: March 6, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of David Aaron Fullerton, aka David A. Fullerton, aka David Fullerton, aka Dave Fullerton, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30030

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 13, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Christine Farrington Fullerton, Personal Representative 375 Lafayette Street Denver, CO 80218

Legal Notice No. DHD 3456

First Publication: February 13, 2025

Last Publication: February 27, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of John Harold Oliver, also known as Harold Oliver, also known as John H. Oliver, also known as John Oliver, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30041

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 20th, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Mary Lynn Green Personal Representative 2520 South Downing Street Denver, CO 80210

Legal Notice No. DHD 3465

First Publication: February 20, 2025 Last Publication: March 6, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Mary Helen Hillary, a/k/a Mary H. Hillary, a/k/a Mary Hillary, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR030156

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 27, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Gerald D. Brennan and 3i Law, LLC, Co-Personal Representatives 2000 S. Colorado Blvd Tower 1, Suite 10000 Denver, CO 80222

Legal Notice No. DHD 3480

First Publication: February 27, 2025

Last Publication: March 13, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Doroteja Gruntar, also known as Doroteja Mordej Gruntar, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30067

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 20, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Michael R. Smith, PC Attorney to the Personal Representative 2437 S Xenon Way Lakewood, CO 80228

Legal Notice No. DHD 3460

First Publication: February 13, 2025

Last Publication: February 27, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Sherry Mamasian, also known as Sherry A. Mamasian, Deceased Case No: 2025PR30040

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 20, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Edward Christopher Lee Robinson

Personal Representative 4395 East 122nd Ave. Thornton, CO 80241

Legal Notice No. DHD 3467

First Publication: February 20, 2025

Last Publication: March 6, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of KATHLEEN M. O'DONNELL, ALSO KNOWN AS KATHLEEN MARIE O'DONNELL, AND KATHLEEN O'DONNELL, Deceased Case Number 2025 PR 30004

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the PROBATE COURT OF CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER, COLORADO, on or before June 18, 2025 or the claims may be forever barred.

Joseph A. O'Donnell

Personal Representative 2530 S. High Street

Denver, CO 80210

Legal Notice No. DHD 3458

First Publication: February 13, 2025

Last Publication: February 27, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Alfonso Victor Galluzzo, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30157

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 27, 2025 or the claims may be forever barred.

Vito Anthony Galluzzo Personal Representative 5066 S. Oak Street Littleton, CO 80127

Legal Notice No. DHD 3479 First Publication: February 27, 2025 Last Publication: March 13, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Rufus Franklin Gay Jr., Deceased Case Number: 25 PR 55

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 13, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Barbara Wright, Personal Representative 3423 Colfax B Place Denver, Colorado 80206

Legal Notice No. DHD 3451

First Publication: February 13, 2025 Last Publication: February 27, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of MARIAN E. LYONS, also known as MARIAN ELIZABETH LYONS, aka MARIAN LYONS, AND MARIAN ELIZABETH CARPENTER, Deceased Case Number: 2025 PR 30020

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the PROBATE COURT OF CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER, COLORADO, on or before July 3, 2025 or the claims may be forever barred.

Carol Rea Smith, Personal Representative

266 Melrose Avenue Encinitas, CA 92024

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