Littleton Independent February 27, 2025

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 representative 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 expression, 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 ex-

isting 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.

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 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.”

COURTESY OF MEREDITH BREUER-WILLIAMS

As

Cities Deal With

Homelessness

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.

& Affordability, Look for a Greater Focus on Manufactured Homes

portant factor is solving our housing shortage.

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

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

Need

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

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.

A sign on the door of the permanently closed GraceFull

where they can find meals for a few weeks.

Cafe

tells

Littleton’s GraceFull Cafe closes doors

Pay-what-you-can eatery helped struggling people

BY ISABEL GUZMAN

GraceFull Community Cafe, a pay-whatyou-can lunch and breakfast restaurant in Downtown Littleton, announced its permanent closure in a Facebook post on Feb. 15.

“Over the last two years we have seen increasingly challenging times. In our hearts, we always wanted to be able to end well as we were entrusted with much,” the post from cafe owners Troy and Heather Greenwood reads. “Unfortunately, it has become too much for us to sustain this work in a healthy way for our family. It is with heavy hearts, we are sharing that GraceFull Community Cafe is permanently closed.”

According to the Facebook post timeline of events, the cafe closed for the day on Feb. 8. en, it closed again from Feb. 11-15 due

to personal matters, according to the Facebook posts, and the cafe permanently shut down on Feb. 15.

they “have entrusted the transition process of the foundation’s mission to the GraceFull Foundation Board and its executive director, Shantelle, who will help guide the next steps.”

Two minutes after the owner’s post, the GraceFull Foundation’s board of directors shared statements, saying they are “deeply saddened by the announcement from Troy

and Heather, but fully support their decision” and their “primary goal during this transition is to uphold the spirit of (Gracee board also said the GraceFull Foundation is partnering with Life Center Littleton and Cafe 180 for the next few weeks to provide those who relied on GraceFull Cafe for a meal, access to food and other resources. Life Center Littleton will be o ering free lunch Monday through Friday until March 17, and then will go down to two days a week for an additional two weeks.

6 more arrested after event center shooting

Woman was hurt; deputy killed man outside venue

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce on Feb. 20 announced the arrests of six additional people in relation to the two shootings at Main Event entertainment center in Highlands Ranch that happened earlier this month.

Shortly after the shooting, 23-year-old Denver resident, Nevaeha Crowley-Sanders, was arrested Feb. 9 and is currently being held on a $1 million bond and is facing 104 charges.

Charges include one count of attempted murder in the rst degree-after deliberation, four counts of attempted murder in

the rst degree-extreme indi erence, one count of assault in the rst degree, 47 counts of felony menacing-real/simulated weapon, one count of criminal mischief, one count of carrying a concealed weapon-knife/gun, one count of prohibited use of a weapon- rearm, one count of prohibited use of a weapon-reckless with gun, and 47 counts of reckless endangerment.  After conducting witness interviews, reviewing surveillance footage and going through pieces of evidence, authorities have also arrested the following people on the following charges:

Niyonii Crowley-Sanders, 21, of Denver. Niyonii faces one count of accessory to attempted rst-degree murder, nine counts of accessory to attempted murder in the rst degree-extreme indi erence, four counts of accessory to assault in the rst degree, 10 counts of accessory to illegal discharge of a rearm, 47 counts

accessory to menacing, one count of accessory to criminal mischief, 47 counts of accessory to reckless endangerment, one count of accessory to unlawful carrying of a weapon, and one count of accessory to prohibited use of a weapon.

Keylonie Fenery, 23, of Aurora. Fenery faces one count of accessory to attempted rst-degree murder, nine counts of accessory to attempted murder in the rst degree-extreme indi erence, four counts of accessory to assault in the rst degree, 10 counts of accessory to illegal discharge of a rearm, 47 counts accessory to menacing, one count of accessory to criminal mischief, 47 counts of accessory to reckless endangerment, one count of accessory to unlawful carrying of a weapon, and one count of accessory to prohibited use of a weapon.

Lorine Stegall, 22, of Arvada. Stegall faces one count of felony menacing-real/

simulated weapon and carrying a concealed weapon knife/gun.

Devonta Jackson-Keys, 29, of Denver. Jackson-Keys faces charges of tampering with physical evidence and accessory to the crime of menacing.

Kiacia Jackson, 22, of Denver. Jackson faces charges of assault in the third degree, disorderly conduct- ghting in public, and unlawful possession of a controlled substance

Ajie Fair-Munoz, 24, of Denver. FairMunoz faces charges of assault in the third degree and disorderly conduct- ghting in public

All six additional suspects have bonded out, according to the sheri ’s o ce.

As this is an ongoing investigation. Authorities encourage anyone with information related to the incident to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913STOP(7867).

Community

in Littleton

people

GraceFull Community Cafe, located at 5610 S. Curtice St. in Littleton, permanently closed without advance notice on Feb. 15. The restaurant had played a crucial role in feeding homeless and struggling people in Littleton. PHOTOS BY SCOTT GILBERT

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 prin-

“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.”

Anne Marie Hochhalter

in there ghting again,” Sue Townsend said.

Support from Columbine community

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.”

cipal 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

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.

PLAZA

think that’s a beautiful concept to continue to build on.”   e city approved the rezoning of the property from MU-B-1, which is the central business district, to Englewood Plaza Planned Unit Development. e property is in the Englewood Transit Station Area Overlay District, and this will also be removed with the proposed rezone for the planned development.

At-large Council Member Rita Russell didn’t approve the project, citing concerns that she feels will negatively impact the city.

“I appreciate all the work that Kimco has done on this and I do like the fact that it is medium size, but I have some huge concerns about this,” Russell said. “We need to leave it retail, but we also need to help the people in the retail sections so they can make the retail survive. I cannot support this because we are going to put in a sea of humanity with no retail at all. And that is going to create a nightmare for the City of Englewood.”

Currently, the property is a shopping center that housed Hobby Lobby until 2023, and it still hosts smaller businesses such as a daycare and a liquor store.

Planning and zoning conditions

e approval was contingent on conditions from the Englewood Planning and Zoning Commission, which includes a ordable housing compliance, o site tra c improvements, impact fees and park and open space fees, input from the Englewood Downtown Development Authority, permitted uses and the drainage report.

“ e project will meet all a ordable housing requirements in e ect at the time of building permit submission, including applicable requirements recommended by the A ordable Housing Task Force that have been adopted by the Englewood City Council or required by city council at the time of their decision on this application,” city documents state.

ere was another condition recommended by the Englewood Downtown Development Authority that encouraged Kimco to dedicate up to 10% of the proposed units at monthly rents a ordable to people earning 80-120% of Area Median Income.

During the Feb. 18 meeting, the council unanimously voted to strike this from the list of conditions citing a concern for confusion and possible contraction with the Planning and Zoning Commission’s rst condition addressing a ordability.

Additionally, in a 5-2 vote the council struck Kimco’s proposed parking requirement of .5 spaces per hotel room and instead required Kimco to revert to the city’s hotel parking regulation which is .75 spaces per hotel room.

e project will need to meet various o site tra c improvements, including tra c calming measures on South Cher-

okee Street, multi-modal fee contribution

ment of all required impact fees and park and open space fees for all phases of the project as required by the city’s municipal code.

Kimco did have to accept other conditions set forth by the Englewood Downtown Development Authority including accessibility and the changes to the Little Dry Creek Greenway Trail.

e development authority also recommended that at least 5% of units should meet fully accessible ADA standards to meet the needs of those in the community.

e development authority also mentioned that the planned Little Dry Creek Greenway Trail is no longer contemplated on the public easement through the land. So, in exchange, the development authority asks that Kimco set aside a 1015 foot setback on the property along Cherokee Street and have streetscape improvements such as trees, landscape and pedestrian lighting to create an attractive and safe bu er next to the greenway trail on the west side of Cherokee Street.

e last two conditions set forth by the Planning and Zoning Commission include the addition of dependent care as a permitted use within the Planned Unit Development list of uses, and updating the drainage report at the time of building permit to address any adopted o site analysis in the area.

Community input

e approval comes after residents expressed their opinions about the project during the Feb. 3 public hearing. e main issues people voiced their concerns or support about were density, a ordability and parking.

Kimco’s proposal allows for a lower density for a multifamily development project than what is allowed in the transit station overlay district. Additionally, the proposal includes 260 residential units in a four-to- ve story structure, a separate parking structure and a site for a potential hotel, or an additional 140 residential units in a separate structure.

City documents show that developments in the transit station overlay require residential uses to be constructed at a minimum of 75 dwelling units per acre with a maximum of 125 dwelling units per acre. at means, without the requested rezoning, the project would need to contain 465-775 residential units.

e site does have some issues, including a 40-foot-wide drainage easement that runs diagonally through the entire property, from the northwest corner to the southeast corner. is easement contains a large active stormwater pipe, and part of the existing structure is constructed on top of this easement.

For more information on the project, updates and the PUD process, contact Englewood’s community development department at commdev@englewoodco. gov or 303-762-2347.

ARAPAHOE COUNTY

Hot Water Bath Canning: Grape Jelly

Hot Water Bath

Learn how to make grape jelly using the hot water bath canning technique. The hands-on workshop will be held March 5, 7–8:30 p.m. at the Arapahoe County CSU Extension O ce in Centennial.

Register now at https://bit.ly/CSUGrapeJelly.

Apply now to serve on the Board of Review

Our Board of Review is seeking new members and is the perfect place to marry your experience in building construction with the interpretation and enforcement of Arapahoe County’s building codes. Board members hear requests for variances from applicants who wish to deviate from the building code. They also consider statements and evidence before voting on requests.

Learn more and apply at arapahoeco.gov/citizenboards. Share your passion–Get involved

Three ways to weigh in on draft concepts:

March 6 open house | March 12 virtual meeting Online survey Feb. 20–March 16

Learn more at arapahoeco.gov/bijoubasin

Englewood Plaza, located at 401 Englewood Parkway, is the site of Kimco Development’s proposed project recently approved by the Englewood City Council during their Frb. 18 meeting. The project would include apartments, parking and possibly a hotel. PHOTO BY ELISABETH SLAY

Three women work to make a play come alive

Town Hall Arts Center drama will have limited run

BY MARC SHULGOLD

SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

The plot seems simple enough. In theater parlance, Marsha Norman’s 1983 Pulitzer-winning “’night, Mother” is known as a two-hander. Just two characters — a mother, Thelma, and her adult daughter, Jessie. That’s all. But don’t be fooled. As we witness a day and a night spent with these two, they talk about their lives in ways they had never imagined when the sun came up.

This brilliant drama — sometimes sad, sometimes funny, inescapably revealing — opens on Feb. 28 for a limited run at the Town Hall Arts Center in Littleton, starring two of the Front Range theater’s most admired actors (and experienced collaborators), Billie McBride as Thelma and Megan Van De Hey as Jessie. Bringing an equal dose of know-how (and, importantly, a deep respect for the pair) is director Joye CookLevy.

In separate phone interviews, Van De Hey and CookLevy shared their thoughts on the preparations and insights that the threesome employed to bring Norman’s play to the Littleton theater’s stage.

“Hey, a lot of your work (as a director) is already done with these two,” Cook-Levy remarked, in praise of her two veteran actors.

In the small world of local theater, everyone knows everyone — or knows of everyone, which makes life easier when the allotted rehearsal period is only three weeks. She added that, a year ago, the cast had been asked who they wanted to work with and both called out for Cook-Levy. That was the easy part.

“You have to do your homework,” Van De Hey said of the

preparation process. And that goes way beyond learning the lines — it’s a team effort. “We create this thing together, the three of us. I’ve done onewoman plays, where you can do what you want. But these two-handers are something special. They’re beautiful, terrifying, gratifying. What makes it so special is that you feel so energized working with real pros.”

At this point, it’s time for a mini-spoiler alert. As CookLevy explained, “Norman believes that a playwright should share with an audience what their characters are about in the first eight minutes.” And so, about eight minutes into

“’night, Mother,” Jessie makes a casual announcement as she calmly cleans her late father’s gun. Thelma hears it as a joke at first, until Jessie repeats it with full seriousness: She intends to kill herself. What follows is an extraordinary glimpse into the lives of these two — the daughter resolute and meticulously prepared, the mother confused, pleading, smiling, grieving. Emotions travel all over the map as we learn important family history along the way.

“We peel back one layer after another, and there are dark layers in a mother-daughter relationship,” Van De Hey said. “After awhile, you start

to see how helpless Jessie feels — that she never did anything correctly. She feels empty, but that she believes she’s doing the best thing for herself and her mom.”

From a director’s point of view, having two veteran actors who enter rehearsals with such experience and a deep insight into their roles is invaluable. But it’s just the beginning of the process. So, how did Cook-Levy prepare before her first day of rehearsal — besides reading the script multiple times?

“I worked with the (stage) designers, making some sketches of the set, suggesting a picture window, a chair

IF YOU GO

Town Hall Arts Center, 2450 Main St. in Littleton, is presenting Marsha Norman’s “’night, Mother” through March 9. For more information, visit https:// townhallartscenter.org or call 303-794-2787, ext. 5.

placement, things like that. We had to have a kitchen, a master bedroom, a door. I had also done a lot of reading. I like to read reviews of other productions — what was successful, what worked. And some academic reviews,” Cook-Levy said.

One of them compared the play to the Greek myth of Persephone and her mother Demeter. Another article pointed to Norman’s numerous references to sugary items and terms of sweetness. Little details.

Then rehearsals commenced with a full reading, the second day spent blocking (positioning actors as they moved about).

“I’m never about controlling my actors,” Cook-Levy said. “On the first pass, I always let the actors dictate. Then I can ask questions.”

As work continued, she broke up sections into what she called beats, giving some of them titles. The play runs continually with no scene breaks or an intermission.

All this preparation can go only so far. Once the house lights dim, the audience quiets and the stage lights brighten, everything shifts. That’s the magic of live theater — and it never gets old.

“Adding that audience — it changes the piece,” Van De Hey said. “You’re so close to them. Each night is different. Each night you continue to strive.”

This coverage comes courtesy of a grant from the Littleton Arts and Culture Program. As a matter of policy, funders exercise no control over editorial decisions.

A promo image for “night, Mother,” which will show for a limited run at the Town Hall Arts Center in Littleton.

PHOTO BY COLLEEN LEE OF COLLEEN LEE PHOTOGRAPHY/COURTESY OF TOWN HALL ARTS CENTER

Thu 3/06

Palomino Blond + High. + Moonpool + Blackberry Crush @ 7pm

Hi-Dive, 7 S Broadway, Denver

Friends of Chamber Music Denver:

Benjamin Beilman, violin and Steven Osborne, piano

@ 7:30pm

Newman Center for the Performing Arts, 2344 E Iliff Ave, Denver

Josh Wolf

@ 7:30pm

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

Jehry Robinson

@ 8pm

Oskar Blues Grill & Brew, 1624 Market St, Den‐

ver

Fri 3/07

Dotsero @ 7pm

Dazzle Denver, 1080 14th Street, Den‐

Mike Clark & The Sugar Sounds: Album Release, Denver CO @ 8pm

Skylark Lounge, 140 S Broadway, Den‐ver

Sat 3/08

Tantra Speed Date® - Denver! (Meet Singles Speed Dating)

@ 5:30pm / $50-$150 Circus Collective, 4459 Jason St. Unit 3, Denver. help@tantrany.com

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

Voices West's 'Before Their Time' Concert: Choral Selections from Music Legends, Gone Too Soon @ 2pm / $25

ver Sparkle

@ 7pm

Ski House, 2719 Larimer St, Denver

Mind's Eye @ 8pm

Hi-Dive, 7 S Broadway, Denver

Flight Facilities (18+ Event)

@ 10pm

The Church Nightclub, 1160 Lincoln Street, Denver

SolOverLuna @ Wild Goose Saloon @ 8pm

Wild Goose Saloon, Parker

The Black Box & Recon present: Nookie w/ Mister Shifter, Goreteks @ 9pm The Black Box, 314 E 13th Ave, Denver

SAM WOLFE (USA) @ 10pm The Dahlia, 119 S Broadway, Denver

Sun 3/09

Adam Bodine @ 11:30am Dazzle Denver, 1080 14th Street, Denver

Anjelah Johnson-Reyes @ 6pm

Paramount Theatre Denver, 1621 Glenarm, Den‐ver

Tue 3/11

RuPaul - House of Hidden Meanings (16+ Event) @ 5pm

St. Timothy's Episcopal Church [+ Livestream], 1401 East Dry Creek Road, Littleton. marketingteam@voic eswest.org, 303-683-8622

Reverend Horton Heat @ 7pm

Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave, Denver

Mon 3/10

Comeback Kid "Wake The Dead" Anniversary Tour @ 5pm

Summit Music Hall, 1902 Blake St, Denver

Modern Swing Mondays 2025 @ 5:30pm / $16.51 Stampede, Aurora

Lime Cordiale (16 & Over) @ 7pm Gothic Theatre, Englewood

Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 Clarkson St, Denver

High Country Dance @ 6pm / $16.51

Stampede, Aurora

Eric Thorin: Enion Pelta Band @ 6pm Dazzle Denver, 1080 14th Street, Denver

Arch Echo @ 6:30pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, En‐glewood

Wed 3/12

Ladies Night @ 5pm / $16.51 Stampede, Aurora

Shady Oaks @ 6:30pm Skylark Lounge, 140 S Broadway, Denver

Thu 3/13

Velvet Daydream @ 6pm Hi-Dive, 7 S Broadway, Denver

Low�ve @ 6pm Roxy on Broadway, 554 S Broadway, Denver

Jueves Pa" Gozar en La Rumba @ 7pm / $8.73

La Rumba, Denver

Steelo Suave @ 10pm Larimer Beer Hall, 2012 Larimer St, Denver

Harnessing technology while doing the work

TWINNING

echnology 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.

In 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 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 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 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.

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.

Finding lessons for life, one brushstroke at a time

During 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 filled 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 different instruments, and even tried watercolor painting.

My youngest daughter, Carly, an art major with a psy-

chology minor and a creative perspective on life, taught us the basics of watercolor painting. On the day of our first 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 first piece, I wanted to paint a coffee cup with steam rising from the drink. I established my base, took my first color, and brushed it onto the page. As I applied the paint, I was

Fabyanic: Can we live past our regrets?

Regret is an interesting concept. We generally use it when thinking about stupid decisions we made, harmful acts we performed, or positive acts we should’ve done but didn’t.

ly not the case since the roots of the two words are distinct from one another.

But they both imply a negative. Regression certainly does that, and while regret sometimes is used in a future reference such as not being able to do something or go somewhere, it’s usually expressed within a backward looking context.

We also use it trivially, like being invited to a gathering and the invitation says, “Regrets only.” at usage, however, could be problematic for recipients if they didn’t want to attend the soiree in the rst place. Should they lie and say they regret not being able to make it? Such is the quandary we humans can nd ourselves in. For some reason, I consider regret to be a cousin of regression. Etymology wise, that’s apparent-

Feeling regret could be directed at not having lived your life as fully as possible, having given so much attention to others that it interfered with you moving forward and doing good things for yourself, or having chosen to follow a professional or life path where your heart wasn’t.

You might then feel stuck with no way out. If so, and you fail to extricate yourself from it, when old age arrives, which invariably does if you stick

JERRY FABYANIC

Columnist

WORDS 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

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 effect, I needed to manipulate the paint that was 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. The 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. The water on the page starts everything off 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 different, 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 first 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.

FABYANIC

around long enough, you’ll understand in stark terms what F. Scott Fitzgerald means in “ e Last Tycoon” when he wrote that there are no second acts in American life.  Fitzgerald, though, was writing about the uber-wealthy, those who lead shallow, empty lives, since all they know is how to make piles of money and how to gain and wield power. e rest of us, those of us not hellbent on becoming the GOAT (the Greatest Of All Time) know that. We simply try our best to live a good and meaningful life as we roll and, at times, bumble through it.

Note that I wrote “good,” and not perfect, for we’re all awed creatures prone to do dumb stu . When we did, those poor decisions might’ve done harm to others or to ourselves. Nicely put, they neither were in our best interests nor served us or others well. Which might make you think that you could’ve done better if only you had used your head, behaved better, or gotten o your du and…?

But could you have? Maybe, but then again, maybe not. It was where you were at that point in time and stage of life, so you were neither privy to the experience and good sense you’ve amassed over the decades nor the font of wisdom you’ve become. And just maybe you were caught in a downward spiral due to a mental health issue or a crisis that you got swept up in.  I believe those who have led ethical lives, albeit with occasional lapses, often judge themselves too harshly for past failings. It’s like how some judge historical characters by today’s stan-

I encourage you to take some time to notice, reflect on and celebrate the areas of your life that are vibrant and full of color. When you look closely, you can find 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 finding 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.

The rich colors of your life make a difference, 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. Thank you to everyone who has shared their stories with me so far; I truly appreciate hearing about the valuable ideas you find 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.

dards.

Not only that was then and this is now for them, it’s true for you. If you’re one prone to beat yourself up over stu that’s long in the past, consider giving yourself a little space and a dose of selfcompassion. Even the Buddha lived the life of a benighted nabob before he set forth on his path to enlightenment.  In “My Way,” written by Paul Anka, Frank Sinatra sings about facing thenal curtain. at makes sense given his profession, but a curtain-closing could symbolically work for you if you consider it in context of Shakespeare’s line about the whole world being a stage and each of us being an actor playing a part. But no matter how you see your exit, it’s not unusual to look back, survey your life, and, in so doing, express regrets and rue that you didn’t do better.

Surveys show that when seniors do a scan of their lives, no one wishes they had worked harder and spent more time doing chores like vacuuming, mowing, and the like. e most regretted choices were not spending more quality time with those they love along with not traveling, reading, and pursuing their creative talents more. As cold as it might seem, I liken our Earth time to a product’s shelf life. Each of us has an expiration date. If you’re reading this, it’s obvious yours hasn’t arrived yet. And contrary to Fitzgerald’s assertion, there can be second acts for those who are not onetrick ponies. So with that in mind, one pledge you should make—and keep— hereon: No more regrets.

Jerry Fabyanic is the author of “Sisyphus Wins” and “Food for ought: Essays on Mind and Spirit.” He lives in Georgetown.

BORDEN

OBITUARIES

Clifford R Borden

February 16, 1934 - January 14, 2025

90, Littleton, CO. Died at his home surrounded by family. He is survived by his daughters: Lynne Borden (and Mike Henning), Debra (and Dennis) Anthony, Pamela (and omas) Rozendaal, Gayleen Borden; grandchildren: Rachel Anthony, Neal Anthony, Kayla Albing (and Greg), Kyle (and Heather) Rozendaal, Peter Rozendaal, Lindsey Dorman (and Christopher), Marleen Gray, Kristen Gray; great grandchildren Emily, Alex,Elliott and Lucas Rozendaal; brother; eo (Marge) Borden;

sister, Lila Gilley; sister-in-law, Sue Cox, and many nieces and nephews.

Cli ord was preceded in death by his wife Meredith, parents, brothers Dean, Oscar, Lewis and Lloyd Borden, and sister Altha (Borden) Ely.

His Celebration of life will be 1:00 pm with a reception to follow on Saturday April 5, at Centennial Covenant Church, 401 W. Mineral Ave, Littleton CO.

Ronda was born to Wesley & Marie Liesman on November 22, 1943, in Lincoln, Illinois. Raised on a farm in Mason City along with her brother and sister, and surrounded by aunts, uncles and cousins, Ronda was truly a farm-girl at heart. She loved 4H, cooking & baking, gardening, and being outdoors. After high school, she pursued her dream of becoming an LVN and worked in Spring eld until she married her high school sweetheart, Dick Reuss, on June 16, 1963. Dick’s career path took them from Mason City to the Peoria area, the Chicago area, and onto the Denver area where they lived until he passed away in 2007. While in Peoria, they had three kids and Ronda became a full-time, amazing homemaker, a role that she cherished as it put her at the center of the lives of those she loved most. Once the kids were older, she became a dedicated volunteer at the Children’s Hospital in Denver, she volunteered as a “Big Sister” and was always ready to help-out at their church. Ronda was ever-present to provide love and care to family, friends, neighbors, and strangers, and she was truly loved by anyone who had the chance to know her. She enjoyed golf and tennis, both for the competitiveness and the time with good friends, and she was pretty good at both! As a grandma, she

shared all of her passions with her grandsons, and they appreciated her exceptional baking skills and adventures with her in the golf cart around their neighborhood. Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s became a part of her life earlier than any of us would ever imagine. She relocated to Southern California in 2012 to live closer to her daughter and family and even as her memory faded, she remained a happy, loving, and very caring woman. We will miss her every day and are grateful for the love she so generously shared with all of us. Ronda was predeceased by her husband, Dick, her son and daughter-in-law, Je & Andrea, and her parents. She is survived by her sister, Sue, and brother, Roger, her son and daughter-in-law, Tim & Patty, her daughter & son-in-law, Stacy & Krister, and her three grandsons, Dane (Kaitlyn), Erik and Nate. Her burial will take place on Friday, March 7 in Littleton, Colorado. A funeral service will be held at 11am on Saturday, May 24th at Christ Lutheran Church in Mason City, Illinois. In lieu of owers, please consider making a gift to the Children’s Hospital in Denver, Colorado (www.childrenscolorado.org) or to acharity of your choice that cares for children.

REUSS Ronda Diane (Liesman) Reuss November 22, 1943 - February 14, 2025

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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 onesemester course in nancial literacy in order to graduate.

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Email letters to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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Littleton Independent (ISSN 1058-7837)(USPS 315-780)

A legal newspaper of general circulation in Littleton, Colorado, the Littleton Independent is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110

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CORRECTION

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. A publication of

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 getrich-quick apps online, they say.

Colorado’s largest district, Denver Public Schools, adoptednancial 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 personalnance 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 ocials 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 rstgeneration students make much smarter decisions in terms of the interest rates they get for loans and have better credit scores in the future. ey are able to compare nancial 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.

Bill sponsors anticipate some opposition

Colorado’s school districts control curriculum, budgets and make their own graduate requirements.

Some could chafe at the re-

quirement. 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 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.

Colorado students explore government

High schoolers visit state capitol in YMCA program

BY STUDENTS WITH THE 2024-2025

YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT PROGRAM

SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY 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 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.

BEST OF THE BEST VOTING STARTS MARCH 1!

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. COURTESY OF THE 2024-2025 YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT PROGRAM STUDENTS

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

of the

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?

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TrIVIa

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2. Agatha Christie.

3. Chicago, Illinois.

4. e Rio Grande.

5. Jupiter.

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10. 1,000.

(c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.

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address: 4581 South Kalamath Street, Englewood, CO 80110.

THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST. NOTICE OF SALE

The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.

THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 03/26/2025, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)' heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys' fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.

First Publication: 1/30/2025

Last Publication: 2/27/2025 Name of Publication: Littleton Independent

IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE

PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED;

DATE: 11/22/2024

Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado By: Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee

The name, address,

On November 22, 2024, the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in the County of Arapahoe records.

Original Grantor(s) Gary D Richardson Original Beneficiary(ies)

Chase Manhattan Mortgage Corp.

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt Towd Point Mortgage Trust 2018-5, U.S. Bank National Association, as Indenture Trustee Date of Deed of Trust July 23, 2004

County of Recording Arapahoe

Recording Date of Deed of Trust

July 30, 2004

Recording Information

(Reception No. and/or Book/Page No.)

B4136191

Original Principal Amount

$187,200.00

Outstanding Principal Balance

$139,086.88

Pursuant to CRS §38-38-101(4)(i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows:

Failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the evidence of debt secured by the Deed of Trust and other violations thereof

THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.

LOT 4 AND 5, BLOCK 1, CHURCH'S GARDENS, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO

Purported common address:

607 E Cornell Ave, Englewood, CO 80113. THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST.

NOTICE OF SALE

The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.

THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 03/26/2025, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)' heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys' fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.

First Publication: 1/30/2025

Last Publication: 2/27/2025

Name of Publication: Littleton Independent

IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED;

DATE: 11/22/2024

Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado

By: Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee

The name, address, business telephone number and bar registration number of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:

Erin Croke #46557 Steven Bellanti #48306 Holly Shilliday #24423

Ilene Dell'Acqua #31755 McCarthy & Holthus LLP

7700 E Arapahoe Road, Suite 230, Centennial, CO 80112 (877) 369-6122

Attorney File # CO-24-1001738-LL

The Attorney above is acting as a debt collector and is attempting to collect a debt. Any information provided may be used for that purpose.

©Public Trustees' Association of Colorado Revised 1/2015

Legal Notice No. 0521-2024

First Publication: 1/30/2025

Last Publication: 2/27/2025

Name of Publication: Littleton Independent

COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103

FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0559-2024

To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust:

On December 13, 2024, the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in the County of Arapahoe records.

Original Grantor(s)

SHANNON DANIELLE FALTAK

Original Beneficiary(ies)

MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION

SYSTEMS, INC., AS NOMINEE FOR V.I.P. MORTGAGE, INC.

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt

NEWREZ LLC D/B/A SHELLPOINT

MORTGAGE SERVICING

Date of Deed of Trust

October 05, 2021

County of Recording Arapahoe

Recording Date of Deed of Trust

October 12, 2021

Recording Information (Reception No. and/or Book/Page No.)

E1155673

Original Principal Amount

$235,000.00

Outstanding Principal Balance

$242,924.33

Pursuant to CRS §38-38-101(4)(i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust and other violations of the terms thereof

THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.

SEE ATTACHED LEGAL DESCRIPTION

Purported common address: 2854 W CENTENNIAL DR UNIT F, LITTLETON, CO 80123.

THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST.

NOTICE OF SALE

The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.

THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 04/16/2025, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)' heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys' fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.

First Publication: 2/20/2025

Last Publication: 3/20/2025

Name of Publication: Littleton Independent

IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED;

DATE: 12/13/2024

Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado

By: Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee

The name, address, business telephone number and bar registration number of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:

Anna Johnston #51978

Joseph D. DeGiorgio #45557

Carly Imbrogno #59533

Randall M. Chin #31149

David W. Drake #43315 Ryan Bourgeois #51088

Barrett, Frappier & Weisserman, LLP 1391 Speer Boulevard, Suite 700, Denver, CO 80204 (303) 350-3711

Attorney File # 00000010257038

The Attorney above is acting as a debt collector and is attempting to collect a debt. Any information provided may be used for that purpose.

©Public Trustees' Association of Colorado Revised 1/2015

0559-2024 LEGAL DESCRIPTION CONDOMINIUM UNIT F, THE STEEPLECHASE III CONDOMINIUMS, TOGETHER WITH GARAGE NO. F, ACCORDING TO THE CONDOMINIUM MAP THEREOF, RECORDED ON NOVEMBER 10, 1998 AT RECEPTION NO. A8187114 IN THE RECORDS OF THE OFFICE OF THE CLERK AND RECORDER OF THE COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, COLORADO, AND AS DEFINED AND DESCRIBED IN THE CONDOMINIUM DECLARATION FOR THE STEEPLECHASE III CONDOMINIUMS RECORDED ON MAY 28, 1997 AT RECEPTION NO. A7062094, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.

Public Notice NO. 0559-2024

First Publication: 2/20/2025

Last Publication:3/20/2025

Name of Publication: Littleton Independent

City and County

Public Notice

CITY OF CENTENNIAL

NOTICE OF LEGAL PUBLICATION MIGRATION TO CITY’S WEBSITE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that legal notices for Centennial public hearings, proposed legislative actions, and final approvals are now available online. Visit centennialco.gov/ legalnotices to see when City Council or the Planning and Zoning Commission will review proposed legislation and determine next steps. Public hearings provide an opportunity for community members to share comments on proposed actions.

The Planning and Zoning Commission holds public hearings for land use cases on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month, with City Council making the final decision at a future meeting. Regular Council meetings, including public hearings, take place on the first and third Tuesday of each month. View meeting agendas at centennialco.gov/agendas.

/s/ Christina Lovelace, CMC City Clerk

Legal Notice NO. Arap 2238

First Publication: February 27, 2025

Second:March 6, 2025

Third: March 13, 2025

Fourth:March 20, 2025

Fifth: March 27, 2025

Sixth: April 3, 2025

Seventh:April 10, 2025

Eighth:April 17, 2025

Ninth: April 24, 2025

Tenth: May 1, 2025

Eleventh:May 8, 2025

Twelth: Last Publication: May 15, 2025

Publisher: Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen

Metropolitan Districts

Public Notice

The Arapahoe Libraries Board of Trustees (the “Board”) invites interested residents to apply foran open position.

The Board is a seven-member governing, policy-making board. The Board is responsible fora $43million budget, ninefacilities, and the policies for funding and operating these facilities.

Arapahoe Libraries serves all of Arapahoe County except the cities of Littleton, Englewood and Aurora. It also serves a small portion of Adams County that is within the Deer Trail School District. New Trustees are recommended by the Board and confirmed by the Arapahoe County Board of County Commissioners and the Deer Trail School District Board of Education, the two governmental entities that formed the District in 1966.

The time commitment for Trustees is substantial. The Board meets on the third Tuesday of every month beginning at 5:30 p.m. (dates and times are occasionally changed.) Meetings are scheduled on a rotating basis at the various District libraries. In addition to the 2-4 hours of reading to prepare for each meeting, trustees must also commit to attending some library events, study sessions, and occasional workshops, conferences and related meetings. An iPad will be provided for Board reading material.

Besides your time and interest in the Library, the most important qualification is a sincere commitment to provide the best possible library service to the residents of the entire District. Experience interpreting financial statements is also encouraged. Applicants must live within the Arapahoe Library District service area to serve on the board.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals to perform the functions of the volunteer position.

Interested persons should complete the online application found at https://arapahoelibraries.org/board-of-trustees. Applications must be received by Sunday March 2, 2025at 4:00 pm For further information please contact Oli Sanidas, Executive Director, at 303-792-8987.

Legal Notice No. Arap 2171

First Publication: February 13, 2025

Last Publication: February 27, 2025

Publisher: Littleton Independent

Bids and Settlements

Public Notice NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Sealed bids in an envelope marked: SWMWSD - 2025 DCIP WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT PROJECT

will be received and opened by Southwest Metropolitan Water and Sanitation District

Offices at 8739 W. Coal Mine Avenue, Littleton, CO 80123, until 10:00a.m. on Friday, March 21, 2025.

The SWMWSD-2025 DCIP WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT PROJECT includes the replacement, of approximately 1250 LF of 8” water main and 1000 LF of 6” water main with PVC pipe, and approximately 43 water service reconnections, 3 wet taps to concrete asbestos (CA) water lines and asphalt patch paving, roto-milling and overlay per Jefferson County. There is approximately 70 LF of 8” and 6” concrete asbestos (CA) water line removal at connection points. The project is situated in the Southwest Metropolitan Water and Sanitation District, in Littleton, Colorado.

The schedule is as follows:

•February 28, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. - Drawings, Specifications and Bid Forms may be obtained online at rgengineers.com under “Project Bidding”.

•March 21, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.Bids will be received and opened at 8739 W. Coal Mine Avenue, Littleton, CO 80123.

• November 21, 2025 – Project Completion.

Bids may not be withdrawn for a period of forty-five (45) days after the time fixed for bid closing.

The Owner reserves the right to waive irregularities or technical defects, so the best interests of the District may be served, and may reject any and all bids, and shall award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder as determined by the District.

Legal Notice No. Arap 2198

First Publication: February 20, 2025

Last Publication: March 6, 2025

Publisher: Littleton Independent

Summons and Sheriff Sale

Public Notice

DISTRICT COURT, ARAPAHOE COUNTY, STATE OF COLORADO Court Address: Arapahoe County District Court 7325 S Potomac St Centennial, CO 80112 303-649-6355

Case Number: 2025CV030015 Div.: 15

Plaintiff: SPINNAKER RUN II CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, INC.

v. Defendants: MILIE A. SANDS; THE KNOWN AND UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DEVISEES OF MILIE A. SANDS; Attorneys for Plaintiff: ORTEN CAVANAGH HOLMES & HUNT, LLC

Hal R. Kyles, #23891 1445 Market St., Suite 350 Denver, Colorado 80202

Phone Number: (720) 221-9780

Matter ID #1200.0091

SUMMONS [BY PUBLICATION] THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS:

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

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

This is an action of foreclosure pursuant to Rule 105, C.R.C.P. to the real property situate in Aurora, Colorado more particularly described as CONDOMINIUM UNIT NO. 302, BUILDING NO. B4, SPINNAKER RUN II CONDOMINIUMS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DECLARATION RECORDED ON MAY 15, 1981 IN BOOK 3414, AT PAGE 741, AND CONDOMINIUM MAP RECORDED ON MAY 15 1981 TN BOOK 50, AT PAGE 62, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE. STATE OF COLORADO.

Dated: February 14, 2025. ORTEN CAVANAGH HOLMES & HUNT, LLC

By:/s/Hal R. Kyles

Hal R. Kyles, #23891

This Summons is issued pursuant to Rule 4(g), Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure.

Legal Notice No. Arap 2224

DU professor Dali Sun makes strides in technology, cancer research

BY TIM WEIGHART

SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

It’s no secret that cancer is a di cult disease to research and treat.  e notorious illness is almost undetectable in its earliest stages, and while there are e ective treatments, they are expensive and harmful to regular cells in the body. Cancer research has also hit multiple roadblocks due to a lack of accessible devices that can detect cancer cells.

Enter Professor Dali Sun of the University of Denver’s Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science. e researcher has used his multifaceted academic background to develop more accessible technologies for researching and treating cancer.

“Many scientists only focus on one eld,” Sun said, “but a lot of my research has bene ted from incorporating other elds of study. I’m always bringing in students from other elds to help with my research.”

Sun’s background in computer science was especially useful in the development of his new, smaller spectrometer that can detect cancer cells, chemicals and microplastics in concentrated samples.  e device will be much cheaper and more accessible than the CD spectrometer, the only other device that can successfully detect cancer cells.

“ is is called an Elliptical Dichroism (ED) machine. We invented Elliptical Dichroism,” Sun explained. “While Circular

Dichroism (CD) is the standard practice for molecular research, ED is actually the simpli ed version of CD.”

Dichroism is a practice that shades different molecules in di erent colors based on the molecules’ behaviors. Spectrometers are able to use dichroism by exposing molecules to light before analyzing their behavior over time.

While the lens used in CD spectrometers is perfectly circular, the elliptical— or oval-shaped—lens in Sun’s device is asymmetrical, which makes it easier for the spectrometer’s algorithm to analyze the molecules’ behavior and color them accordingly without the assistance of the CD’s more complicated operating system.

Sun’s rst ED spectrometer is smaller than a shoebox — at least three times smaller than the CD spectrometer — but he is currently developing an even smaller, cheaper model to be sold to labs, schools and hospitals in the hopes that the device’s visual representation of different molecules could increase the public’s understanding of molecular science.

“We are focusing on cancer detection and treatment, but the spectrometer itself could be a bene t to all labs,” Sun said. “Even at an elementary level, it could increase kids’ interests in the science and stem elds, which would bene t the (scienti c) community.”

Sun’s team plans to complete the smaller version of the ED spectrometer within a year before sending it to testers. Sun has also done extensive research on

PUBLIC NOTICES

Estate of Kathryn Joan Moore, AKA Kathryn J. Moore, AKA Kathryn Moore, Deceased Case Number: 25PR30138

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

Kimberly Raemdonck, Attorney for Personal Representative, Patrick Moore 2485 W Main Street, Suite 200 Littleton, CO 80120

Legal Notice No. Arap 2210 First Publication: February 20, 2025

Last Publication: March 6, 2025

Publisher: Littleton Independent

Name Changes

PUBLIC NOTICE

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

Public notice is given on February 3, 2025, that a Petition for a Change of Name of a minor child has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

The petition requests that the name of REY ANTHONIO ADAME be changed to REY ANTHONIO CABRERA Case No.: 25C100084

By: Sarah Ingemansen

Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk

Legal Notice No. Arap 2223

First Publication: February 27, 2025

Last Publication: March 13, 2025

Publisher: Littleton Independent

PUBLIC NOTICE

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

Public notice is given on January 31, 2025, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

The petition requests that the name of Botanesh Eyasu Aflegn be changed to Bethlehem Eyasu Aflegn Case No.: 25C100091

By: Kim Boswell

Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk

Legal Notice No. Arap 2228

First Publication: February 27, 2025

Last Publication: March 13, 2025

Publisher: Littleton Independent

creating a much cheaper, side e ect-free cancer killer.

“We have found that a natural molecule has the ability to kill the tumor cells without introducing side e ects,” Sun said. “Most cancer treatments, chemotherapy, for example, introduce more side e ects than the therapeutic impact. ey’re not only killing the tumor cells but they also harm a lot of normal cells.”  e molecule, a speci c type of amino acid, could be mixed into water and drunk by cancer patients without causing any additional harm to normal cells.

However, Sun’s side e ect-free treatment still needs to undergo extensive research and clinical trials before being ready for distribution, something that will be di cult without pharmaceutical funding.

“It’s low-cost, so it’s not pro table for the pharmaceutical industry to produce this,” Sun said. “And since we’re using natural molecules, it’s not actually patentable, and the companies can’t put protections on it.”

As a result, the lab is turning to crowdfunding through DU to gain nancial support for their vital research. You can help support Sun’s research on a side e ectfree cancer killer by donating at this link and listing your giving priority as “Sidee ect Free Cancer Treatment.”

Cancer is still a deadly and mysterious disease, but if researchers like Sun can keep making promising progress on detection and treatment, it could become a

PUBLIC NOTICE

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

Public notice is given on February 3, 2025,, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

The petition requests that the name of Dashawn Jerome Evans be changed to Dashawn Jerome Washington Case No.: 25C100093

By: Kim Boswell

Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk

Legal Notice No. Arap 2231

First Publication: February 27, 2025

Last Publication: March 13, 2025

Publisher: Littleton Independent

PUBLIC NOTICE

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

Public notice is given on January 27, 2025, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

The petition requests that the name of Corinna Antoinette Pabon be changed to Corinna Antoinette Gonzalez Case No.: 25 C 100076

By: Deputy Clerk

Legal Notice No. Arap101

First Publication: February 13, 2025

Last Publication: February 27, 2025

Publisher: Littleton Independent

PUBLIC NOTICE

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

Public notice is given on January 27, 2025, that a Petition for a Change of Name of a minor child has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

The petition requests that the name of Suheeb Abdirahman Salad be changed to Suheeb Abdirizak Hashi Case No.: 25C100077

By: Kim Boswell

Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk

Legal Notice No. Arap 2227

First Publication: February 27, 2025

Last Publication: March 13, 2025

Publisher: Littleton Independent

PUBLIC NOTICE

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

Public notice is given on January 27, 2025, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Arapahoe

County Court.

The petition requests that the name of Jacqueline Pettis be changed to Jacqueline Perez

Case No.: 25C100068

By: Sarah Ingemansen

Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk

Legal Notice No. Arap 2163

First Publication: February 13, 2025

Last Publication: February 27, 2025

Publisher: Littleton Independent PUBLIC NOTICE

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

Public notice is given on January 28, 2025, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

The petition requests that the name of Ljiljana Cer be changed to Lilly Cer Case No.: 25C100081

By: Kim Boswell

Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk

Legal Notice No. Arap 2236

First Publication: February 27, 2025

Last Publication: March 13, 2025

Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice

PUBLIC NOTICE OF PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME

Public Notice is given on February 14, 2025. that a Petition for a Change of Name of an Adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

The Petition requests that the name of Neal

a/k/a Larry Alfonzo Neal

a/k/a Bradley Roosevelt

a/k/a Bradley Roosevelt Neal

a/k/a Alfonzo Neal

a/k/a Larry Roberts

a/k/a Larry Alfonso Roberts

a/k/a Jerry Alfonso Roberts

a/k/a Larry Alfonso Neal a/k/a Larry A Roberts

a/k/a Larry Neal be changed to Larry Alfonzo Roberts Case Number: 25C32684

By: Sarah Ingemansen

Clerk of Court/Deputy Clerk

Legal Notice No. Arap 2226

First Publication: February 27, 2025

Last Publication: March 13, 2025

Publisher: Littleton Independent PUBLIC NOTICE

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

Public notice is given on January 24, 2025, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has

more manageable illness in the years to come.

“Cancer is still a really severe clinical situation, and most new therapies are still in the developing phase. Our work could shorten that development,” Sun said. “I don’t think this research is in the interest of the pharmaceutical industry, but it is in the interest of cancer patients.”

been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

The petition requests that the name of Kara Ann Schar be changed to Kara Ann Schwartz Case No.: 25C100066

By: Judge

Legal Notice No. Arap 2158

First Publication: February 13, 2025

Last Publication: February 27, 2025

Publisher: Littleton Independent

Public Notice

PUBLIC NOTICE OF PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME

Public Notice is given on 2/7/2025 that a Petition for a Change of Name of an Adult has been filed with the District Court.

The Petition requests that the name of Annabelle Rose Tashma be changed to Andi Annabelle Rose Tashma Case Number: 25CV30342

By:Clerk of Court/Deputy Clerk

Legal Notice No. Arap 2214

First Publication: February 20, 2025

Last Publication: March 6, 2025

Publisher: Littleton Independent PUBLIC NOTICE

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

Public notice is given on January 22, 2025, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

The petition requests that the name of Olivia Ewert be changed to Olivia Kay Daily Case No.: 25C100059

By: Kim Boswell Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk

Legal Notice No. Arap 2160

First Publication: February 13, 2025

Last Publication: February 27, 2025

Publisher: Littleton Independent

PUBLIC NOTICE

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

Public notice is given on January 24, 2025, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

The petition requests that the name of Saige TK Lafferty be changed to Saige Elias Ornelas Case No.: 25C100062

By: Sarah Ingemansen Clerk

Associate professor Dali Sun, arriving at the University of Denver as a professor in 2023, has been researching cancer for 10 years.