Sentinel Colorado 7.6.23

ADDICTION, DOLLARS AND A PLAN

Billions of settlement dollars from the opioid epidemic trickling down to where the problems are

Ready to rodeo?

Get ready for an unforgettable rodeo experience like no other!

Colorado proudly hosts the world’s longest-running gay rodeo, showcasing all the beloved rodeo events you know and love, from bucking bulls to racing horses.

But gay rodeo wouldn’t be gay without a few spectacular twists — imagine wigs and stilettos soaring through the air as drag queens ride wild steers across the arena.

For the adventurous, there’s the Community Goat Dressing relay, where you and a friend compete to dress a goat with underwear in record time.

Don’t miss out! Join in on July 8 & 9 at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds for the Rocky Mountain Regional Gay Rodeo.

Tickets available at: www.CGRArodeo.com

Let’s Rodeo!

Proudly sponsored by Sentinel Colorado

PERRY Editor

Nothing says equality and free speech like justice for 6, weddings, websites and hate

Summer’s here, and the Supreme Court is really turning up the hate.

Far-right activist jurists on the court made good last week on their confirmation-hearing promises to drag the nation toward theocracy.

Six justices agreed that it’s fine — just fine — to discriminate against gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transexuals — or fillin-the-blank — as long as the hateful inspiration was heaven sent.

Now hang on. If you’re a closeted homophobe or racist, don’t get too excited yet. There are a few rules that come with this newly created idea of legalized gay-bashing. It’s not legal, yet, to walk up to two guys sitting on the same side of the booth and say, “we don’t serve your kind here.”

You absolutely, however, can now freely tell folks that their “money is no good here” — if you can twist the tale enough to make it look like, as a business owner, your free speech rights are being impugned.

You get a bye on letting just anyone buy who might be two guys kissing, or speaking Spanish, or totally not being from mothers of the same race, if you play this game right.

The gay-bashing heated up again this week after the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 for metro-area website maker Lorie Smith, who owns 303 Creative. The high court’s far-right extremists said that Colorado’s law barring businesses from discriminating against anyone because of their race, gender or sexual orientation violates Smith’s right to free speech.

The court says that wedding photographers, website makers and invitation printers are artists, and that what they do when taking clip art, bridal registry website links, cheesy quotes from the Bible or Shakespeare and coding for Google Maps, is an expression of artistry and, thus, free speech.

OK.

Actually, Smith says she’s an artist, and so everything she does is art. And art is expression, and that invokes the First Amendment. And that spells “trouble” with a Capital “T,” friends. And so if other people like Smith don’t like whom you kiss or the color of your skin or how you sound — because the Bible tells them so — their free speech is the ticket to making the people loathed into second-class citizens.

Equal protection under the law is for everyone, except for people who aren’t straight, as defined by Smith’s interpretation of the first and new testaments.

This high court revives the debunked and disgraced Plessy vs Ferguson ruling from 1896. That legal club was used to brutally justify the “separate but equal” exception allowing for legalized discrimination against Blacks for decades after.

Just like this week, far-right justices argued that the Consti-

tution’s 14th Amendment can’t be invoked by Smith’s gay customers because she says God tells her that women marrying women is icky. Smith’s lawyers say that selecting website clip art for two women is the same thing as having to attend their wedding, buy a gift and throw rice.

“Plessy” argued that as long as Black people can get equal accommodations from a school that teaches Black children, or a fountain that allows for Black drinkers, it’s all constitutionally sound to allow for discrimination.

Taking America back to the past, Justice Neil Gorsuch argues in writing the opinion for the majority that gay couples aren’t being discriminated against, because they can just take their business elsewhere.

You can see where this contorted legal logic is going.

Who are you to argue that the “Art of French” cooking isn’t actually artistic expression? Wedding caterers and the local diner can easily assert that their inspirational menus and expressive salad du potato is protected by the Supreme Court’s new Jim Crowish ruling.

“Sorry, I was taught to believe that the Curse of Hamm means no sandwich for you, because you’re not white. It’s a blaspheme thing. But there’s a Taco Bell just down the road.”

Don’t think for a second this is a stretch. This is a court that thought decades of courts before them were smoking legal crack on the Roe vs Wade thing. Privacy is what some justices expect when it comes to hiding their serious vacation graft habits, not a woman’s expectation to control her own body.

Sure, it’s just me and about 70% of the nation that sees this gay-bashing and women’s rights scheme as a negative thing.

The twitterverse was filled with hurrahs from far-right extremist political types from here and afar with the news that some business customers are more equal than others in the United States.

The chairperson of the Colorado Republican Party mass emailed a hate-meme with the subject line: “Pride is evil.” It came with a huge graphic that pulled the word “demon” from the center of “pridemonth.”

“Ultimately, these LGBTQ+ reprobates want to groom your children and sexually exploit them so they can normalize pedophilia,” Williams wrote. “Enough is enough. The Colorado Republican Party will no longer be silent on this subject.”

Williams and the super-six on the high court want to turn back the clock to a better time for them, when the founding fathers decided who in America would have rights, and who wouldn’t.

Follow @EditorDavePerry on Mastodon, Twitter and Facebook or reach him at: 303-750-7555 or dperry@SentinelColorado.com

DAVE

Lorie Smith, a Christian graphic artist and website designer in Colorado, right, accompanied by her lawyer, Kristen Waggoner of the Alliance Defending Freedom, second from left, speaks outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Monday, Dec. 5, 2022. In a defeat for gay rights, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority ruled Friday, June 30, 2023, Smith who wants to design wedding websites can refuse to work with same-sex couples. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

Editorials Sentinel

APS school board racism allegations warrant public scrutiny

Silence is not a viable option for the Aurora Public Schools Board of Education.

That’s the tactic the school board is taking after a bombshell report of racism was published by the Sentinel two weeks ago.

The report from an outside special investigator summarized that two Black school board members had for months, possibly longer, racially harassed outgoing Superintendent Rico Munn. Munn is also Black.

The controversy became public June 20 when the Sentinel reported that APS Board members Stephanie Mason and Tramaine Duncan on numerous occasions reviled Munn for not being supportive enough of Black APS employees or working hard enough to recruit more, according to a report from an investigator who specializes in scurrilous employment claims.

They told Munn he wasn’t “Black enough,” according to the investigation report by employment attorney and investigator Doug Hamill.

Board directors Michael Carter and Anne Keke, both of whom are Black, and board member Vicki Reinhard and interim Superintendent Mark Seglem all said in interviews with an investigator that Mason and Duncan described Munn as not being Black enough or not protecting Black employees.

Keke told the investigator that Duncan wanted Munn to “act Blacker.”

An outside consultant, who has been working for the school board for several years, told the investigator that Munn’s “Black card” had been scrutinized by some school board members regularly.

Munn, who has led the district for the past 10 years, announced earlier this year that the board would not renew his contract. Neither Munn nor the board would specify details about the split, only that it was a difference in vision for the district.

The report that stemmed from the investigation was much more than unsavory rumors. The allegations against Duncan and Mason were made repeatedly and separately.

Not only did board members apparently repeatedly make disparaging and racist remarks to Munn, but the investigator summarized that the harassment effectively pushed Munn out of the district.

While the entire saga is surreal, the report is well documented and up to this point, undisputed.

Asked June 20 by a reporter to comment on the allegations, officials said they couldn’t, or wouldn’t, until after the school board met in closed session June 28.

After an hour in executive session that night, the board convened a public meeting, with no members of the public there, and announced, publicly, they had no comment and were taking no action.

Munn, in complaint documents, and the investigator, called for either censure, resignation, or at the very least, human relations training for Duncan and Mason, and the rest of the school board.

The ill-conceived decision to say nothing and do nothing makes the harm created by the documented harassment even more damaging to the school board and the district.

It’s likely that the board members are couching further action behind previous separation agreements with Munn, dictating that neither side publicly comment. Or the school board has been advised that the district is now ripe for a lawsuit filed by Munn. Total silence, however, and the lack of transparency only makes the situation worse.

It seems impossible for Duncan and Mason to justify their repeated remarks about Munn’s “Blackness,” and with so many witnesses it would be ludicrous for them to attempt to deny it.

But it’s inconceivable and unacceptable for the school board to ignore such an inflammatory and repulsive scandal.

The public deserves an explanation of the behavior of Duncan and Mason, and to know what the board will do to prevent such a debacle in the future, possibly with the next APS superintendent, Michael Giles. He started this week, and he is also Black.

Biden bumpkin parodies strike out

If TV writers had been on strike during the run up to the 1976 election, it’s possible that Gerald Ford wouldn’t have lost to Jimmy Carter. Ford was a punching bag for NBC’s new “Saturday Night” (later “Saturday Night Live”) beginning with its debut when Chevy Chase coined a campaign slogan for Ford: “If he’s so dumb, how come he’s president?”

That was hardly the worst of it. Three weeks later Chase played Ford in a sketch in which he bumbled, stumbled, and spoke incoherently:

“My fellow Americans, ladies and gentlemen, members of the press, and my immediate family. First, may I thank you all for being here, and I am, and my immediate family. First, may I thank you all for being here, and I am and my immediate family. Thank you all for being here.”

He tries to drink water from an empty pitcher, bangs his head on the podium, falls to the floor twice, and then hurts his hand pounding the podium. He trips over two folding chairs — a reminder to viewers that four months earlier Ford had slipped on rain-soaked steps while exiting Air Force One. It was a seminal moment in political comedy: Chase’s showbiz career took off, while Ford’s political career crashed.

If members of the Writers Guild of America had been on strike, as they are now, Ford’s image might have remained that of a college football star and Yale graduate with a distinguished 25-year career in Congress, who served admirably as vice president and then president when Richard Nixon resigned.

Joe Biden is a lot luckier. When he tripped over a sandbag — carelessly left on a stage at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs where the president was speaking on June 1 — it got a lot of attention,

but thanks to the strike there was no one like Chevy Chase to broaden it into an over-the-top TV comedy routine.

It’s easy to imagine what that might have looked like. Ten days after the Colorado incident, Dana Carvey, arguably history’s most gifted presidential mimic, walked on stage as Biden before 1,300 people at the Golden State Theater in Monterey, Calif., and proceeded to fall flat on his face. He jumped up and walked slowly while pumping his arms furiously which, Carvey pointed out, “doesn’t qualify as jogging.” In his spot-on Biden voice: “Feeling good. Watch me run — cause I know how to run!”

In my book “Playing POTUS: The Power of America’s ‘Acting Presidents’,” I examine how impressionists, led by the cast of SNL, have influenced presidential elections over the years. Darrell Hammond’s droll depiction of Al Gore, obsessing over the term “lockbox,” certainly didn’t help Gore in the extremely tight 2000 race. Eight years later, Tina Fey’s brilliantly brutal Sarah Palin (“I can see Russia from my house”) had such a devastating affect on both Palin and her running mate John McCain, that political scientists refer to it as “The Fey Effect.”

I’m guessing that President Biden is secretly hoping the WGA strike drags on. As Gerald Ford wrote after leaving office, “For those people who wanted to see me in less than ‘grand and presidential’ circumstances, Chevy Chase and ’Saturday Night Live’ provided them with plenty of grist for their mills.”

PETER FUNT, CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST

Peter Funt’s latest book is “Playing POTUS: The Power of America’s Acting Presidents,” about comedians who impersonated presidents.

AURORA ROLLS BACK HEIGHTENED RESTRICTIONS ON LAWN WATERING

BY MAX LEVY, Sentinel Colorado Staff Writer

Aurora lawmakers last week voted to scale down restrictions on residents watering their lawns in response to rebounding water levels at the city’s reservoirs.

The council voted in February to limit residents to two days of lawn watering per week rather than three, reflecting the fact that the city had less than 30 months’ worth of water stored between its reservoirs and the snowpack at the time.

But with the ample rain that has fallen since then, and the decision of residents not to irrigate outdoor landscaping, Aurora Water on Wednesday asked the council’s permission to ease the restrictions.

“At this time, we are comfortable recommending to council that we restore normal watering conditions,” said Marshall Brown, director of Aurora Water. “We feel that we’re in good shape for the remainder of this year and prepared well headed into next year.”

Brown said the city’s reservoirs were about 85% full as of Wednesday. Though opponents of the restrictions questioned whether the policy had

any impact, Brown said the actions of Aurora Water customers meant outdoor water use had been below average and said the majority of single-family homes complied with the rules.

Council members Curtis Gardner and Danielle Jurinsky took the opportunity to slam the utility for asking the council to limit outdoor water use in the first place. Jurinsky argued that the city should refund the surcharges paid by some residents who used significantly more water than they did on average between December and February.

She also criticized the city’s messaging around water conservation and questioned why the city was asking residents to cut back while also maintaining the spacious “Great Lawn” outside of the Aurora Municipal Center.

“The ‘rules for thee, but not for me’ type government doesn’t work for me,” Jurinsky said. “This rain season was definitely due to God, not Marshall Brown.”

Gardner said he would support a bill suggested by Jurinsky refunding the surcharges, which Jurinsky said total around $600,000.

Councilmember Alison Coombs re-

sponded to Jurinsky to say that the restrictions were introduced in response to the water shortage that the city was experiencing at the time and that one year of rainfall did not negate ongoing problems of water scarcity.

“I think it was the responsible and right decision to make at that time. And for the people who chose to turn on their irrigation systems … knowing that surcharges were coming forward, that was a choice they made,” Coombs said. “You’ve been living here just as long as I have. We’ve been in a drought for our entire lives.”

Mayor Mike Coffman also brought up how nearly half of the city’s water goes to outdoor irrigation, and the city doesn’t get that water back. He argued that man-made climate change was a reality and that the city needed to deal with the related problem of water scarcity by conserving.

The council voted unanimously to roll back the enhanced restrictions on lawn watering to allow watering as often as three times per week. Residents will still be limited to watering outside the hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Sept. 30.

MORE MEANS MORE: City water officials dialed back drought restrictions last week, adding another day of allowed water for landscaping and lawns/Sentinel File Photo

Aurora school

board

won’t take any action on report into discrimination

The Aurora school board came out of a closed-door session June 28 and voted, with no discussion, to take no action on a report that substantiated a discrimination complaint from former superintendent Rico Munn.

The public vote was unanimous.

The executive session meeting lasted about an hour. The board agenda did not list a public meeting, but a spokesperson for the district had said the board would decide whether to meet publicly after the closed session.

Colorado law generally requires that public meetings be announced 24 hours in advance.

The former superintendent alleged racial discrimination by the board, and specifically two members, Stephanie Mason and Tramaine Duncan. Munn said the board members had called his

Blackness into question in part because they didn’t think he was doing enough to retain Black educators.

An initial fact-finding report in May concluded the claims weren’t backed up because the board members are also Black, because Munn resigned rather than being fired, and because the Board didn’t admit to making some of the statements Munn alleged they had made. A second decision-making report completed in June used the fact-finding report, but found that Munn was effectively pushed out or fired and that racial discrimination did play a role.

That report recommended that the board censure Mason and Duncan, that the report be published on the district’s website for the public to read for at least a year, and that the board receive training on the district’s anti-discrimination policy and on federal Equal Employment Opportunity laws.

With the vote, it appears the board will do none of these things. Three of the seven board members, including

Mason, are up for re-election this November.

A new superintendent, Michael Giles, started July 1.

— YESENIA ROBLES, Chalkbeat Colorado

Aurora police share new video of officer fatally shooting 14-year-old suspect

Aurora’s Police Department has released more video footage of an officer’s fatal shooting of Jor’Dell Richardson, 14, earlier this month, nonetheless leaving questions about what prompted the decision to shoot.

Aurora police released five videos Monday in addition to the body-worn camera footage that had been released earlier this month, filmed from the perspective of the officers who confronted Richardson.

Three of the videos capture different perspectives of Richardson and his young associates fleeing after what police described — after the call to the location — as an armed robbery of a convenience store. A fourth video shows an alley near where Richardson was shot and captures audio of the shooting.

The fifth video, filmed from an alley surveillance camera, shows officer James Snapp taking Richardson to the ground and struggling with the teen before Richardson is shot by officer Roch Gruszeczka.

Like the body-worn camera footage, the video offers little clarity as to what precisely Richardson was do-

ing at the moment he was shot. At one point, Richardson’s right arm is extended away from officers as he is pinned on his back, but the arm moves or is moved closer to his body before the fatal shot, after which Gruszeczka tosses Richardson’s pellet gun away.

Richardson’s left arm is not visible at the moment of the shooting. When asked whether the department had released all of the video evidence in its possession, police spokeswoman Sydney Edwards said, “there could be other video that was collected as part of the entire investigation, but at this time we have not been made aware of other video.”

“What we have been able to release so far has been the most important video evidence collected,” she said.

Members of the public have been calling for police to share all available recordings of the shooting for weeks, following the revelation that interim police chief Art Acevedo’s initial comments that Richardson had a firearm were incorrect.

The shooting and police response has led to calls for Acevedo to step down. The conduct of the officers involved is currently being scrutinized as part of probes by the 18th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team and the department itself.

An attorney for Richardson’s family, Siddhartha Rathod, said the video shows Richardson never threatened officers with a weapon.

“There is no evidence from any of the videos released to date that shows this shooting of a 14-year old child was justified,” he said. “What the videos do

demonstrate is that the Aurora Chief of Police cannot be trusted to be objective.”

— MAX LEVY, Sentinel Staff Writer

BEYOND AURORA

In Colorado case, Supreme Court makes it harder to convict threatening stalkers

The Supreme Court ruled last week to make it more difficult to convict a person of making a violent threat, including against the president or other elected officials.

The Biden administration had warned that the internet and social media have expanded the number and kinds of threats in recent years, including online harassment, intimidation and stalking. And they warned the case could affect the ability to prosecute threats against public officials, which have increased in recent years.

The high court was ruling in a case that involves a man who was sentenced to more than four years in prison in Colorado for sending threatening Facebook messages. The man’s lawyers had argued that he suffers from mental illness and never intended his messages to be threatening.

The question for the court was whether prosecutors must show that a person being prosecuted for making a threat knew their behavior was threatening or whether prosecutors just have to prove that a reasonable person would see it as threatening.

Justice Elena Kagan wrote for a

METRO

majority of the court that prosecutors have to show that “the defendant had some subjective understanding of the threatening nature of his statements.”

“The State must show that the defendant consciously disregarded a substantial risk that his communications would be viewed as threatening violence,” she said.

Seven justices agreed with the outcome. Two conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Amy Coney Barrett, dissented.

The Biden administration had been among those arguing for the lower “reasonable person” standard.

“Threats of violence against public officials in particular have proliferated in recent years, including threats against Members of Congress, judges, local officials, and election workers,” the Biden administration had noted, saying the case could affect prosecutions in those cases.

Speech of all kinds is generally protected by the free speech clause in the Constitution’s First Amendment but so-called “true threats” are an exception.

The specific case before the justices involved Billy Counterman. He contacted a musician through Facebook in 2010 to ask her if she would perform in a benefit concert he said he was organizing. The woman, Coles Whalen, responded but nothing ever came of it.

Whalen forgot about the exchange, but four years later, Counterman began sending her Facebook messages again. He ultimately sent hundreds of messages including ones that were rambling and delusional and others that were quotes and memes. Whalen never responded and blocked Counterman several times, but he would just create a new account and continue sending messages.

Counterman believed Whalen was responding through other websites and Facebook pages. Whalen became concerned after Counterman’s messages — including “You’re not being good for human relations. Die. Don’t need you.” and “Was that you in the white Jeep?” — suggested he was following her in person. Eventually, the messages were reported to law enforcement, and Counterman was arrested. He was convicted and lost an appeal.

The justices’ ruling is a victory for Counterman and sends his case back to lower courts for another look. In a statement, his attorney John Elwood said that they are “gratified that the Supreme Court agreed with Billy Counterman that the First Amendment requires proof of mental state before it can imprison a person for statements that are perceived as threatening.”

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, whose office prosecuted Counterman, said in a statement that the decision will make it “more difficult to stop stalkers from tormenting their victims.”

The case is Counterman v. Colorado, 22-138.

— JESSICA GRESKO, Associated Press/Report for America

Colorado legislators study overhaul of state child welfare system

A committee of state lawmakers

is digging into Colorado’s child welfare system this summer in an attempt to fix long-standing problems with racial inequity, a shortage of caseworkers and kids who are the subject of calls to the state’s child abuse hotline but never get help.

The review has the potential to create the broadest overhaul of the system in the last 10 years.

The 11-member group, which includes state senators and representatives, is allowed to submit five bills to the legislature when lawmakers return to the Capitol in January. They will decide on that legislation after a series of meetings over the summer and fall in which they are taking testimony from county caseworkers, state child welfare officials and people who have been involved in the system.

Lawmakers said they asked for the interim committee because they are tired of addressing problems in the foster care system with separate, narrow pieces of legislation. While Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, a Commerce City Democrat, said the committee “is not looking at poking fingers at anybody,” the committee’s first meeting Tuesday included sharp statements from legislators during a 90-minute back-and-forth with leaders of the state Office of Children, Youth and Families.

“Anything we don’t acknowledge, we are not working on,” said Rep. Junie Joseph, a Boulder Democrat who questioned why child welfare officials did not bring data about racial inequities in foster care to the hearing.

Among the problems brought to the committee:

Racial, disability inequities

Black children are involved in Colorado’s child welfare system at rates far higher than all other kids, and the racial bias exists at every level of the system — from the number of calls to the hotline to the number who “age out” of foster care.

Black teens were more than three times as likely as kids of other races to age out of foster care in 2020, according to data previously provided to The ColoradoSunfrom the state human services department. Black children are the focus of calls to the child abuse hotline 1.27 times more than their percentage of the population in Colorado. White kids, meanwhile, are underrepresented in hotline calls compared with their portion of the state population, at a rate of 0.64.

Sen. Rhonda Fields, an Aurora Democrat, asked state child welfare officials to produce more data delving into racial inequity in the system, including information about ZIP codes with higher levels of child welfare involvement.

The Office of Respondent Parents’ Counsel, which represents parents whose children are in the child welfare system, asked the committee to consider the inequities faced by parents with disabilities.

About half of indigent parents accused of child abuse or neglect in Colorado have a disability, which is more than double the percentage of people with disabilities in the state, the office said in a brief. And while 70% of parents without a disability end up reunited with their children, less than 50% of parents with a disability are reunified, the office said.

Caseworker shortage

Many Colorado counties are failing to meet requirements that caseworkers meet face-to-face each month with families involved in an open child abuse or neglect case. This includes parents whose children have been placed with foster families.

In the past five years, the statewide compliance with this rule hasn’t risen above 47%, with some counties reporting just 10% compliance.

In one case reported to the committee by the Office of the Child Protection Ombudsman, a caseworker saw a parent 13 times in 22 months, rather than monthly as required. Relatives of the mother were concerned that she was using drugs, had mental ›› See METRO, 10

Close Up

Fan-tastic

More than 100,000 fans of pop culture flooded the Colorado Convention Center, June 29 through July 1, to attend the Denver Fan Expo.

The eager attendees filed into the Denver convention center over the weekend, anxious to meet their favorite voice actors and movie and television stars, sport a vast universe of costumes and characters, as well as shop for all sorts of pop culture collectibles and art.

The Fan Expo is the largest producer of pop culture conventions in the world and hosts more than 1 million fans throughout their yearly calendar of events.

The top guests of this year featured the likes of Anakin Skywalker himself, Hayden Christensen, Tom Felton, from Harry Potter, Richard Dreyfus and Chevy Chase. A Scream reunion also took place with members of the original cast, including Skeet Ulrich, Neve Campbell, Jamie Kennedy and Matthew Lillard.

The show has continually been a success in the Mile High City and is expanding their run dates to four days instead of the usual three.

While the celebrity lists have yet to be decided, the expansion of an extra day will surely show the conventions growth and entice the large name celebrities that we have become used to seeing during the con.

health issues and that her children, who were living with her, were being physically abused by her boyfriend.

The ombudsman’s office wrote in a memo to the committee that it “is acutely aware” that the system is short on caseworkers and that county

departments are also concerned they are not meeting the requirements.

“They have routinely cited a consistent lack of support and resources as one reason this issue persists,” the memo said.

Caseworkers from various counties told lawmakers that they are overworked, underpaid and constantly

criticized.  Andrea Woods, a caseworker supervisor for Arapahoe County Department of Human Services, said caseworkers are required to go into dirty homes with bugs on the floor, meet with people who are using illegal drugs, investigate people who have committed violent crimes including domestic

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violence and homicide, and question people about children who were killed.

All the while, they are criticized publicly — whether they allow kids to stay with parents or make the “gut-wrenching” decision to put them in foster care, she said.

“It is our fault that a child dies at the hands of a caretaker,” Woods said. “It is our fault when the public thinks we have overreacted.”

Lawmakers said they were moved by a panel of caseworkers who shared their stories of door-to-door casework, often working up to 60 hours per week.

“I don’t know what we would do without you,” Michaelson Jenet said. “I’m sorry people call you names and worse.”

Broken computer system

The statewide information system that holds confidential information about child abuse and neglect cases has long been a source of frustration for counties.

The system, called Trails, fails on a regular basis, most recently shutting down six weeks ago for about eight hours. “It really creates an unsafe situation with the families we are engaging with,” said Jamie Ulrich, director of Weld County Department of Human Services, noting that caseworkers need all the information available as they knock on doors.

Also, while the system is going through upgrades, caseworkers have had to enter data into two systems, which causes gaps in information and a higher likelihood of errors, county officials testified.

Reporting bad caseworkers

Colorado has no process or law to revoke the certification of caseworkers who have violated the law or put children in danger. The state also has no requirement that counties inform other county child welfare departments about “gross misconduct” or ethical breaches, according to the child protection ombudsman. The ombudsman first raised concerns about this seven years ago.

“As such, their certification to work with children remains in place and they are able to move from county to county undetected,” according to an ombudsman brief provided to the committee.

Since 2015, four caseworkers have been criminally charged with falsifying records, most for lying about checking on kids. In at least one case, the worker was hired by another county before the criminal action was filed, the ombudsman’s office said.

Fewer children are removed from homes

The statewide child abuse hotline received more than 113,000 reports last year, a 51% increase from a decade earlier. Of those, about 34,000 were “screened in” for further review by a caseworker and 3,654 became child welfare cases, according to data presented to the committee.

In the past year, about 4,500 children were in foster placements in Colorado, which is a 41% decrease in the past decade.

— JENNIFER BROWN

The Colorado Sun

Preps

Right: Regis Jesuit junior shortstop Andrew Bell had a fantastic season at the plate that saw him lead Aurora players in home runs (8) and tied for first in Class 5A with 44 RBI to earn a spot on the 2023 Sentinel Colorado All-Aurora Baseball Team.

Middle: Grandview sophomore Jax Pfister received Centennial League Pitcher of the Year honors for the 2023 season after which he also lands on the All-Aurora team.

Below: Seniors Bowen Tabola, left, and Tommy Munch were instrumental in Cherokee Trail’s spirited run to the 5A state championship game, and both made the All-Aurora team as well.

PHOTOS BY COURTNEY OAKES/SENTINEL COLORADO

It was a healthy season on the baseball diamond around Aurora, as the 2023 season came to an end with two city programs (Cherokee Trail and Regis Jesuit) among the last four teams standing in the Class 5A Championship Series.

The Cougars — who finished as the 5A runner-up to Valor Christian — and the Raiders (who were eliminated with a loss to Cherokee Trail), plus Centennial League regular season champion Grandview have plenty of representation on the 2023 SentinelColoradoAll-Aurora Baseball Team, which is picked by the Sentinel in conjunction with voting of city coaches.

ALL-AURORA BASEBALL

On the infield, Regis Jesuit featured junior shortstop Andrew Bell, who was one of the state’s top offensive threats. The All-Continental League first team selection hit .436 with a team-high 41 hits (20 for extra bases), which ranked fourth in 5A. Eight of his extra base hits were home runs, which easily led city sluggers and tied him for fourth in 5A. He also tied for first in the state with 44 RBI, which that included seven in a Championship Series win. In one torrid six-game stretch late in Continental League play, Bell hit 13-for-22 (.591) with five home runs, five doubles, 13 RBI and 15 runs scored.

Diamond goods

Cherokee Trail’s run to the 5A state championship game included the development of some young players coupled with a steady backbone of experience from seniors Bowen Tabola and Tommy Munch. Coach Jon DiGiorgio’s Cougars were filled with contributors, though they didn’t earn an abundant amount of postseason accolades.

BY COURTNEY OAKES Sports Editor

Munch earned a spot on the All-Centennial League first team as a utility player as he saw some time behind the plate until he knicked up, pitched on occassion and played primarily at first base. He led the Cougars in batting average (.378) and hits with 31. Tabola assumed the full-time catching job for the stretch run for Cherokee Trail and his play was pivotal to its success. The Western Carolina University signee led his team in RBI with 23, while his six home runs were second among city players.

Regis Jesuit had the area’s top pitcher in Hudson Alpert, who had a fantastic freshman season in which coach Matt Darr never hesitated to deploy him against the toughest teams. The right-hander finished with an unblemished 7-0 record — with a win total that tied him for fourth in 5A — and he also led Aurora pitchers in ERA with 1.78. He yielded just 11 earned runs in 43 1/3 innings pitched. In his only 5A Championship Series appearance, Alpert threw a 1-hit complete game in a 7-1 win over Chaparral.

Sophomore Christian Lopez put his legs to good use to cover ground in the outfield for Regis Jesuit, but he was also the area’s most dangerous table setter offensively. Lopez finished with a team-best batting average of .448, which came with the help of 39 hits, which tied him for fifth in the classification. He led Aurora players in both runs scored (46) and stolen bases (25), which put the All-Continental League first team pick second and third in 5A, respectively.

Grandview had the Centennial League’s Pitcher of the Year in sophomore Jax Pfister, whose 49 1/3 innings pitched topped Aurora hurlers. In those appearances, he finished with a 5-2 record to go with a save. Pfister finished behind only Alpert in ERA among Aurora starting pitchers at 1.84, which saw just 13 earned runs cross the plate. He started and won the Wolves’ biggest game of the regular season as he scattered three hits and struck out seven in a complete game 4-2 win over Cherry Creek that landed his team the regular season league title.

The Wolves’ infield was a definitely strength as three players — seniors Clifford Goldy and Tanner Pachorek and junior Tony Crow — made the All-Centennial League first team. Goldy fills the All-Aurora role at designated hitter with a sparkling batting average of .444 that led his team, while he also finished second among Aurora players with 34 RBI. That total also led Centennial League players. Pachorek also had an outstanding season at the plate with a healthy .429 average and had some memorable defensive plays, including one in the Wolves’ visit to Coors Field.

com/preps

Right: Grandview senior Naomi Clark (2), a Washington State signee, finished tied for the most points scored among Aurora girls soccer players for the 2023 season.

The Centennial League Player of the Year has a spot on the Sentinel Colorado All-Aurora Girls Soccer Team.

Below right: Rangeview senior Caden Surratt (10) scored an Aurora-best 19 goals and tied for the most points among city players to earn her way onto the All-Aurora team.

Middle right: Regis Jesuit junior Lexi Meyer earned a spot on the All-Aurora team with a season that saw her score 15 goals to go with eight assists.

Bottom right: Versatile senior Micala Boex piled up 15 goals to help Eaglecrest to a seven-win season and earned herself a place on the All-Aurora Team.

It was an abnormally early end to the girls soccer season for Aurora teams in 2023, but that didn’t reflect the talent present in city squads.

Only three programs — Grandview, Cherokee Trail and Regis Jesuit — qualified for the Class 5A state playoffs, and none of the three made it past the opening round, creating a rare occasion where the last 16 teams included no city representation.

ALL-AURORA GIRLS SOCCER

Despite the team results, the individual talent spread around the city remained at a high level. It is reflected in the composition of the 2023 Sentinel ColoradoAll-Aurora Girls Soccer Team — which is selected by the Sentinel in conjunction with balloting of city coaches — which includes a mix of talent from mul-

counted for nearly 60 percent of the season output for coach Vic Strouse’s Raiders.

Surratt racked up her goals with five performances of two or more goals — all wins for the Raiders — with a season-high of six coming against Overland. The All-City League first team pick also registered six assists to finish second on her team.

Offense also came in bunches from Regis Jesuit junior Lexi Meyer, who tripled her production from the previous season in terms of goals for coach Will Cropper’s Raiders.

Coming off a winter season playing basketball, Meyer started fast on the pitch and she finished with 15 goals, which put her in a tie for third among city players and two of them won games (vs. Cherry Creek and Ponderosa). She also notched eight assists to finish in a five-way tie for second among Aurora players.

Pitch performers

tiple programs.

Grandview won the 2022 Class 5A state championship, but suffered a first-round exit this season with a loss to Chatfield on penalty kicks as the massive amount of change due to graduation proved too much to sustain the program’s recent tradition of deep postseason runs.

BY COURTNEY OAKES Sports

Eaglecrest had a 7-61 record, and coach Ashley McKillups’ team had some central forces in the Boex sisters: Micala, a senior, and sophomore Annika, who both made the All-Centennial League first team. They were the most high-scoring duo on any team in the area, as they combined for 74 points and accounted for nearly 60 percent of the Raptors’ goals.

Editor

Coach Brian Wood’s Wolves did feature the area’s biggest difference maker in senior Naomi Clark. The hero of last season’s state title game — when she scored a hat trick in the second half of Grandview’s win over Broomfield — signed with Washington State and went on to earn Centennial League Player of the Year and CHSAA All-State first team honors as in her senior season.

Clark drew the focus of opposing defenses, but still couldn’t be stopped. She finished tied for the most points among Aurora players with 44, which came via 18 goals — which led the Centennial League — and eight assists, which tied her for second.

Aurora’s co-points leader along with Clark was Rangeview senior forward/midfielder Caden Surratt, who notched a city-best 19 goals, which ac-

Micala — a Northern Arizona University recruit — played in a variety of places for Eaglecrest, and she finished with a team-high 15 goals plus three assists. Annika was the only area player to finish in double figures in both goals and assists as she tallied 14 goals to go with a city-best 13 assists.

Cherokee Trail got into the postseason in less dramatic fashion than in 2022 (when it had to win its last game to make it in) as coach Jose Rosales’ team notched 10 victories and finished as the Centennial League regular season runner-up before a one-goal opening round loss to Rocky Mountain.

Junior Kiana Sparrow played a big role in that success, as she was deployed in a variety of places and contributed everywhere she ended up. Sparrow led her team with eight goals (the Cougars won all six games in which she had at least one goal,) and she added an assist on her way to All-Centennial League first team honors.

Forthefull2023SentinelColoradoAll-Aurora GirlsSoccerTeams,pleasevisitsentinelcolorado. com/preps.

PHOTOS BY COURTNEY OAKES/SENTINEL COLORADO

Left: Regis Jesuit senior midfielder Fletcher Sullivan, who signed with Monmouth University, helped Regis Jesuit make it to the Class 5A boys lacrosse semifinals and earned a spot on the Sentinel Colorado All-Aurora Boys Lacrosse Team.

Below top: The Cherokee Trail boys lacrosse team made it to the Class 5A postseason with the help of junior Nate Gilmore (2), who earned a spot on the All-Aurora team.

Below middle: Rangeview sophomore Shylin Collins, right, led Aurora girls lacrosse players with 77 goals to secure a spot on the Sentinel Colorado All-Aurora Girls Lacrosse Team.

Below bottom: Sophomore Maddy Jokerst scored 56 goals to lead the way for a Regis Jesuit team that made it to the Class 5A state title game and also netted a spot on the All-Aurora team.

As has become a regular occurance, Regis Jesuit was the last Aurora program standing in the Class 5A boys and girls lacrosse playoffs, but there was plenty of talent elsewhere in town.

The 2023 SentinelColoradoAll-Aurora Boys Lacrosse and All-Aurora Girls Lacrosse teams — which were picked by the Sentinelin conjunction with balloting of city coaches — certainly have their fair share of Raiders, but also individual standouts from a variety of other places.

had an offensive force in junior Nate Gilmore, who notched 46 goals plus 11 assists.

Aurora’s goal leader again had the last name of Alie, as Grandview junior Joe Alie — whose now graduated brother John led city players last season in goals —had that distinction with 52 goals. Alie was a constant in a big season of change for the Wolves.

ALL-AURORA GIRLS LACROSSE

The Regis Jesuit girls lacrosse team made it all the way to the Class 5A state championship game for the first time in program history.

Lax tracks

In what turned out to be the final season after 32 years for Regis Jesuit boys coach Jim Soran, the Raiders made it to the Class 5A state semifinals before they were eliminated by Valor Christian, which went on to fall to Mountain Vista in the state final.

BY COURTNEY OAKES Sports Editor

Regis Jesuit had standouts throughout the field and found success more with a deep lineup rather than a bunch of superstars. Offensively, the Raiders had quality weapons in a lot of places, including senior midfielder Fletcher Sullivan, who is headed to Division I Monmouth University. Sullivan’s numbers weren’t gaudy (30 goals, 9 assists), but he was a major presence. Junior attackman Jamie Rosenzweig led Aurora players with 32 assists, while he also registered 21 goals. Senior Ethan Hughes racked up 31 goals to lead the team.

Senior Ryan Coughlin in the faceoff circle came up big in key moments, including a faceoff win and goal in Regis Jesuit’s victory over previously undefeated Cherry Creek to close out the regular season.

In the back, Regis Jesuit had one of the state’s best defenders in senior Jack Casey, who in a retun from injury earned his way onto the CHSAA All-State first team. In the goal, the Raiders featured stellar senior Spencer Day, who yielded just 6.525 goals per game against a slew of quality opponents.

Cherokee Trail had an outstanding season in the debut year of coach Matt Cawley, as it defeated rival Grandview to win the Predators Cup for the first time, qualified for the 5A postseason and advanced a round with a thrilling overtime win. The Cougars

Coach Crysti Foote’s Raiders were unable to stop the juggernaut that is Colorado Academy — which won its eight straight state title — but they were conpetitive until the end.

Sophomore Maddy Jokerst paced Regis Jesuit’s attack with 56 goals to go with 19 assists, which put her just outside the top 10 in 5A in total points. She made CHSAA’s All-State second team along with senior midfielder Carly Kennedy and senior defender Charlotte Ford, who also earned All-Aurora nods. The Raiders also had an impact player in the goal in freshman Rayn Parker, who had Aurora’s lowest goals against average of 6.5 per game, while her accumen in the crease also helped diffuse opposing offenses. Cherokee Trail qualified for the 4A playoffs for a second straight season and again earned an opening victory in the postseason before falling in the second round. Coach Blake Macklin’s Cougars had two CHSAA All-State honorable mention picks in junior midfielder Aubrey Benton and junior defender Cassie Bruning, who were two of the best around at their respective positions.Benton, one of the team captains, racked up 59 goals (six more than junior teammate Kyla Bieker) plus six assists and also ranked in the top 10 in 4A in draw percentage.

Rangeview sophomore Shylin Collins was the most productive offensive player in the city with a whopping 77 goals, which ranked her sixth in the state regardless of classification and more than doubled her output of 33 from 2022. Collins had a 13-goal outburst against Eaglecrest and also reached double figures in a game against St. Mary’s Academy for the Raiders, while she also had three assists.

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nelcolorado.com/preps

PHOTOS BY COURTNEY OAKES/SENTINEL COLORADO

Preps

BASKETBALL Betts, USA AmericaCup team 2-0 in Mexico

Former Grandview High School basketball star Lauren Betts and the USA Women’s AmericaCup team is off to a 2-0 start at the 2023 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup tournament currently going on in Leon, Mexico.

The 6-foot-7 Betts helped lead the Wolves to three Class 5A state title game appearances and one victory before she signed with Stanford, where she played for a season before transferring to UCLA. Betts, 19, made the cut for the AmeriCup Team — which also features Angel Reese of national champion LSU — and has come off the bench for the team coached by Washington State’s Kamie Ethridge. Betts contributed 10 points and 11 rebounds July 1 as the U.S. team defeated Argentina 65-56. Betts had a late putback in a two-point game with just over two minutes remaining that helped the Americans. She logged 17-plus minutes in the U.S. team’s opener (an 8054 win over Venezuela) in which she had four points and seven rebounds.

The U.S. team returns to Group A play at the tournament on July 4 against Brazil followed by a July 5 matchup with Cuba. Quarterfinals are schedule for July 7, semifinals on July 8 and medal games on July 9.

Betts is no stranger to international play, as she played on American teams that won gold medals at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup in Hungary, and the 2019 FIBA Americans U16 Championship in Chile.

SOFTBALL Colorado 4th of July event wraps up in city

The softball invasion of Aurora and Colorado is over, as more than 1,000 fastpitch teams from all corners of the

country in several age groups have departed after the end of Triple Crown Sports’ Colorado 4th of July event.

Competition in age groups 12U, 14U, 16U and 18U took place at several venues around Aurora, including the Aurora Sports Park, Arapahoe Little League Complex, Olympic Park, Horseshoe Park and others, as well as several other places.

In just over a week, the tournament saw more than 1,100 teams compete in 4,000-plus contests that were overseen by more than 500 umpires. Many of the elite teams in the country had rosters filled with future Division I prospects, while the tournament also provided plenty of exposure for players as more than 500 college coaches of various levels were in attendance.

Colorado’s severe weather definitely had an impact, as some games were wiped out by rain, lightning and hail, while contests were held from early morning to late night.

BASKETBALL Ross, Lottie to play in NBA Summer League

Two former Aurora prep basketball stars will be in Las Vegas to compete in NBA Summer League play July 7-17.

NBA teams announced their list of invitees to play at minimum of five Summer League games and among those set to play are former Eaglecrest star Colbey Ross and Cherokee Trail standout Jaizec Lottie.

Ross led Eaglecrest to a Class 5A state championship before going on to a stellar college career at Pepperdine University. The sweet-shooting 6-foot-1, 180-pound guard played with the Portland Trail Blazers in last season’s Summer League before he went on to play in Italy with Pallacanestro Varese. Ross has signed to play with the Utah Jazz in the Summer League. Lottie’s path after a strong prep career at Cherokee Trail took him to Arkansas-Little Rock before he ended up at Flagler College in Florida, where he was a National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-American twice. Lottie also played abroad last season in Switzerland. The 6-2, 190-pound guard will play with Portland in the Summer League.

LEFT: Players on the OC Batbusters White Hudson team based out of Anaheim, California, pose with the championship trophy and banner after winning the 14U National Power Pool championship game on July 2 at the Aurora Sports Park. More than 1,000 fastpitch softball teams from across the country visited Aurora and the metro area for more than a week and played more than 4,000 contests . ABOVE: Celestina Daniels of the Impact Gold 2K9 National team celebrates a walk-off home run to send her team to the 14U National Power Pool final July 2 at Aurora Sports Park. (Photo by Courtney Oakes/Sentinel Colorado)

A NEW CHAPTER

The horrific story of mass addiction now sees settlement dollars into communities

BY CARINA JULIG, MAX LEVY AND THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Thousands of local governments nationwide, including Aurora and Denver, are receiving settlement money from companies that made, sold or distributed opioid painkillers, like Johnson & Johnson, AmerisourceBergen and Walmart.

These companies are shelling out more than $50 billion total in settlements from national lawsuits. Aurora’s take in the settlements is $334,150 for the first year, according to state reporting records. The city is slated to receive about $3 million over 18 years.

An additional $24 million or so is being steered by Arapahoe County’s Regional Opioid Abatement Council, led by elected and appointed officials from Aurora and nearby jurisdictions. Denver, which is a city and a county, is slated to receive close to $1.2 million this year and $10.4 million over 18 years.

Colorado has not been a stranger to the opioid epidemic, which has claimed thousands of lives in the state. In recent years, many people have fallen victim to the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl, which law enforcement and other monitors warn has tainted the supply of street drugs and can unknowingly poison people who believe they are taking other substances.

In 2021, the most recent year for which data is available, 1,881 people died of a drug overdose in the state, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. More than two-thirds of those were from opioids.

Colorado will receive about $270 million in settlement money over the next 15 years from drug makers Teva and Allergan and pharmacies CVS and Walgreens, according to a press release from the Colorado At-

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torney General’s Office. The majority of the funds will be distributed to local communities through 19 Regional Opioid Abatement Councils, including Arapahoe County’s. The state has received about $400 million from previous settlements as well.

“Holding the companies that created and fueled the opioid crisis responsible continues to be a top priority for me and my team,” Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a statement. “Just like with previous settlements secured by our department and other attorneys general across the country, this money will go directly towards supporting the people and communities in Colorado who continue to battle the harms of drug addiction and misuse.”

Finding out the precise amount each city or county is receiving on a national scale has been nearly impossible because the firm administering the settlement hasn’t made the information public until recently.

After more than a month of communications with state attorneys general, private lawyers working on the settlement and the settlement administrators, Kaiser Family Foundation Health News obtained documents showing the exact dollar amounts — down to the cent — that local governments were allocated for 2022 and 2023.

More than 200 spreadsheets detail the amounts paid by four of the companies involved in national settlements. (Several other opioid-related companies will start making payments later this year.)

For example, Jefferson County, Ken-

tucky — home to Louisville — received $860,657.73 from three pharmaceutical distributors this year, while Knox County, a rural Kentucky county in Appalachia — the region many consider ground zero of the crisis — received $45,395.33.

In California, Los Angeles County was allocated $6.3 million from Janssen, the pharmaceutical subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, this year. Mendocino County, which has one of the highest opioid overdose death rates in the state, was allocated about $185,000.

Access to “this information is revolutionary for people who care about how this money will be used,” said Dennis Cauchon, president of the nonprofit advocacy group Harm Reduction Ohio.

Some states, like North Carolina and Colorado, have posted their distribution specifics online.

But in most other places, tracking payment amounts requires people to make phone calls, send emails and file public records requests with every local government for which they want the information.

Thus, gathering the data across one state could mean contacting hundreds of places. For the country, that could translate to thousands. Cauchon has been seeking this information for his state since April 2022.

“Opioid remediation work is done at the local level, at the individual level, and, now, for the first time, local people working on the issues will know how much money is available in their community,” he said.

On the cover: A community member holds a hot cup of coffee at the Savage Sisters’ outreach storefront in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, Wednesday, May 24, 2023. Xylazine, a powerful animal sedative that’s moving through the illicit drug supply is complicating the U.S. response to the opioid crisis, causing gruesome skin wounds and scrambling longstanding methods for treating addiction and reversing overdoses. AP Photo/Matt Rourke

Above: Registered nurse Kathy Lalli treats Ellwood Warren’s injuries at the Kensington Hospital wound care outreach van, parked in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, Tuesday, May 23, 2023. In humans, xylazine can cause breathing and heart rates to drop. It’s also linked to severe skin ulcers and abscesses, which can lead to infections, rotting tissue and amputations. Experts disagree on the exact cause of the wounds, which are much deeper than those seen with other injectable drugs. AP Photo/Matt Rourke

Below: Boxes of syringes are stacked at the Harm Reduction Action Center. The center distributes clean syringes and other kits to users, providing for safe injection. Photo by PHILIP B. POSTON/Sentinel Colorado

Aurora narrowing options

Francoise Bergan, an Aurora City Council member who also serves as vice chair of the Arapahoe County regional council, said the council has so far identified six categories where money will be spent.

Expanding walk-in detox programs is on the list. Currently, hospitals shoulder part of the burden in Arapahoe County, but those facilities tend to discharge patients after just a few days, Bergan said. Sober living programs have also been tabbed for funding, as have services focusing on peer navigation, harm reduction and youth leadership.

Ceilique Hatcher, a consultant with the Steadman Group serving the council in a facilitator role, said youth leadership and outreach is particularly important for the council, which hopes to steer individuals away from substance abuse at a young age.

“The council really wants to focus on at what age substance abuse usually sets on, and sometimes it starts at youth, so what can they do to abate that and alleviate that by providing programs for youth?” she said.

Law enforcement co-response programs pairing officers with social workers or mental health clinicians in jurisdictions where the demand outstrips available resources might also benefit from regional funds.

The group began meeting in July of last year and developed requests for proposals earlier this year.

Bergan said the amount of settlement funds controlled by the region currently could grow by another $10 million, depending on the outcomes of other pending settlements. As of right now, the region has yet to make final decisions about where the money it controls will be spent.

But Bergan said the county urgently needs more resources to help treat individuals trapped in the cycle of opioid abuse. She said the problem is personal for her, having multiple family members who have struggled with drug and alcohol abuse.

“One of my cousins committed suicide as a result of his addiction,” she said. “I just think it’s a crisis, and unfortunately it’s a hodgepodge of services that aren’t coordinated to solve this problem right now.”

Bergan said the council hopes to issue awards out of the first few years of funding totaling close to $5.5 million later this month. The city, too, has yet to decide on how its first tranche of opioid settlement dollars should be spent.

Aurora has opted to control its own share of settlement money, along with most larger communities, while the regional council’s spending will go toward programs that benefit the larger Arapahoe County area.

The national opioid settlements are the second-largest public health settlement of all time, following the tobacco master settlement of the 1990s.

The money is meant as remediation for the way corporations aggressively promoted opioid painkillers, fueling an overdose crisis that has now largely transitioned to illicit drugs, like fentanyl. More than 105,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year.

So far, state and local governments have received more than $3 billion com-

bined, according to a national summary document created by BrownGreer, a settlement administration and litigation management firm that was court-appointed to handle the distribution of payments. In each state, settlement funds are divided in varying percentages among state agencies, local governments and, in some cases, councils that oversee opioid abatement trusts.

Payments began in 2022 and will continue through 2038, setting up what public health experts and advocates are calling an unprecedented opportunity to make progress against an epidemic that has ravaged America for three decades. KFF Health News is tracking how governments use — and misuse — this cash in a yearlong investigation.

The latest trove of documents was obtained from BrownGreer. The firm is one of the few entities that knows exactly how much money each state and local government receives and when, since it oversees complex calculations involving the varying terms and timelines of each company’s settlement.

Even so, there are gaps in the information it shared. A handful of states opted not to receive their payments via BrownGreer. Some directed the firm to pay a lump sum to the state, which would then distribute it to local governments. In those cases, BrownGreer did not have figures for local allocations. A few states that settled with the opioid-related companies separately from the national deals are not part of BrownGreer’s data, either.

Roma Petkauskas, a partner at BrownGreer, said the settlement agreement requires the firm to send notices of payment amounts to state and local governments, as well as to the companies that settled. It shared documents when KFF Health News asked, but it is not clear if the firm will continue doing so.

Petkauskas wrote, “Settlement Agreements do not provide that such notices be made public,” indicating such disclosure was not a requirement.

People harmed by the opioid crisis say they want more transparency than

the bare minimum requirements. They say, currently, it’s not only difficult to determine how much money governments receive, but also how those dollars are spent. Many people have reached out to local officials with questions or suggestions only to be turned away or ignored.

Christine Minhee, founder of OpioidSettlementTracker.com, found that, as of March, only 12 states had committed to publicly reporting the use of 100% of their settlement dollars. Since then, just three more states have promised to share detailed information on their use of the money.

Legal and political experts watching the settlements say the lack of transparency may have to do with political leverage. State attorneys general have touted these deals as achievements in glowing press releases.

“Attorney General [Daniel] Cameron today delivered on his promise to fight back against the opioid epidemic by announcing a more than $53 million agreement with Walmart,” read one press release issued late last year by the state of Kentucky.

“Thousands of our neighbors have buried their loved ones throughout the opioid epidemic,” and “I am proud to have delivered this great agreement to them,” said Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, in a July 2021 announcement when one of the earliest settlements was finalized.

Greater transparency, including the specific payment amounts for each local government, may take the wind out of some of those press releases, Minhee said. “It’s hard to politicize things when you can’t present the numbers in a vacuum.”

If one community compares its several-hundred-dollar payout to another community’s multi-thousand-dollar payout, there may be political fallout. Concerns have already arisen in rural areas hit hard by the crisis that the distribution formula weighs population numbers too heavily, and they will not receive enough money to address decades of harm.

Still, experts say making this data public is a crucial step in ensuring the settlements fulfill the goal of saving lives and remediating this crisis.

Solutions have to be community-led, said Regina LaBelle, director of the addiction and public policy initiative at Georgetown University’s O’Neill Institute. “In order to do that, the communities themselves need to know how much money they’re getting.”

If their county is receiving $5,000 this year, it wouldn’t make sense to advocate for a $500,000 detox facility. Instead, they might focus on purchasing naloxone, a medication that reverses opioid overdoses. Knowing the yearly amount also allows people to track the funds and ensure they’re not being misspent, LaBelle added.

For Cauchon, of Harm Reduction Ohio, the local-level payment data is key to ensuring settlement dollars are put to good use in each Ohio county.

“Knowledge is power and, in this case, it’s the power to know how much money is available to be used to prevent overdoses,” he said.

Above: Michelle Wilson puts together a bag of supplies for someone who came in to get clean syringes and other items, March 11, 2022, at the Tri-County Health Department’s syringe access services building.

Photo by PHILIP B. POSTON/ Sentinel Colorado

A new threat for an existing threat

A powerful animal sedative in the illicit drug supply is complicating the U.S. response to the opioid crisis, scrambling longstanding methods for reversing overdoses and treating addiction.

Xylazine can cause severe skin wounds, but whether it is leading to more deaths— as suggested by officials in Washington — is not yet clear, according to health and law enforcement professionals on the front lines of efforts in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. In fact, early data suggests the drug may inadvertently be diluting the effects of fentanyl, the synthetic opioid behind most overdose deaths.

Federal health officials say the drug has been reported in 48 of 50 states during the last two years, including Colorado.

“Working with the Boulder County Drug Task Force, Boulder County Public Health has learned that xylazine is being distributed in the county’s illicit drug supply, and residents should take extra precautions to stay safe,” Boulder health department officials said in a statement in May.

There is broad agreement, however, that much more information is needed to understand xylazine’s impact, to craft ways of disrupting illegal supplies and to develop medicines to reverse its effects.

“We don’t know whether xylazine is increasing the risk of overdose or reducing the risk of overdose,” said Dr. Lewis Nelson of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, who advises federal regulators on drug safety. “All we know is that there are a lot of people taking xylazine and a lot of them are dying, but it doesn’t mean that xylazine is doing it.”

In almost all cases, xylazine — a drug for sedating horses and other animals — is

added to fentanyl, the potent opioid that can be lethal even in small amounts. Some users say the combination, dubbed “tranq” or “tranq dope,” gives a longer-lasting high, more like heroin, which has largely been replaced by fentanyl in U.S. drug markets.

Like other cutting agents, xylazine benefits dealers: It’s often cheaper and easier to get than fentanyl. Chinese websites sell a kilogram for $6 to $20, no prescription required. Chemicals used to produce fentanyl can cost $75 or more per kilogram.

“Nobody asked for xylazine in the drug supply,” said Sarah Laurel, founder of Savage Sisters, a Philadelphia outreach group.

“Before anybody knew it, the community was chemically dependent on it. So now, yes, people do seek it out.”

Xylazine’s effects are easy to spot: Users experience a lethargic, trance-like state and sometimes black out, exposing themselves to robbery or assault.

“It’s a delayed reaction. I could be walking down the street, it’s 45 minutes later,” says Dominic Rodriguez, who is homeless and battling addiction. “Then I wake up, trying to piece together what happened.”

In humans, the drug can cause breathing and heart rates to drop. It’s also linked to severe skin ulcers and abscesses, which can lead to infections, rotting tissue and amputations. Experts disagree on the exact cause of the wounds, which are much deeper than those seen with other injectable drugs.

Naloxone, a medication used to revive people who have stopped breathing, doesn’t reverse the effects of xylazine. Philadelphia officials stress that naloxone should still be administered in all cases of suspected overdose, since xylazine is almost always found in combination with fentanyl.

“What it is doing is making the deadliest drug we’ve ever seen, fentanyl, even deadlier,” Anne Milgram, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, told attendees at a recent conference.

Above: Cookers, tourniquets and sterile water are used in kits distributed to users by the Harm Reduction Action Center. Photo by PHILIP B. POSTON/Sentinel Colorado

Below: A box of Narcan sits in the Savage Sisters’ community outreach storefront in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, Wednesday, May 24, 2023. Generically known as naloxone, the medication used to revive people who have stopped breathing, doesn’t reverse the effects of xylazine. Philadelphia officials stress that naloxone should still be administered in all cases of suspected overdose, since xylazine is almost always found in combination with fentanyl.

AP Photo/Matt Rourke

The Magazine

Osi Sladek shares his humble recollection of the horror of the Holocaust

BOOK REVIEW

BY CARINA JUILIG, Sentinel Colorado Staff Writer

As a young boy, Osi Sladek lived a relatively carefree life with his Jewish family in present-day Slovakia. But after the Nazis came to power and occupied his country, his world fell apart.

Now 87, Sladek spoke Tuesday night in Aurora about he and his parents’ experience surviving the Holocaust, which included being smuggled back and forth across the Hungarian border and fleeing into the mountains with the Partisans.

Along with telling his story, Sladek spoke passionately about the importance of standing up for democracy and emphasized that it’s not something that can be taken for granted.

A longtime musician and performer, Sladek moved to Israel with his family after the war before coming to the U.S. in the 1950s, which he described as “the first time I felt like I really felt free.”

“There’s no better place than the United States of America, no one can convince me,” he said to applause.

Sladek has been speaking about his experience for many years, and last year he also published a memoir, titled Escape to the Tatras: A Boy, A War and a Life Interrupted. Before Tuesday’s event he donated a copy to the Aurora Public Library, which will be available to readers.

The event was a partnership between the City of Aurora’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Mizel Museum in Denver. More than 100 people attended the event in person at Aurora’s city council chamber, with more watching on a livestream.

Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman and Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky introduced Sladek. Coffman described the Holocaust as “among the most horrific events in human history” and said it’s important to remember those who were lost.

“Programs like these serve as a stark reminder of the importance of standing up to ha-

tred and injustice,” Coffman said, which he said is especially important for a city as diverse as Aurora.

Jurinsky, who is Jewish, said that Sladek’s story speaks to the importance of standing up to antisemitism and reminded her of the value of living “in a free nation.”

“One day we will have no survivors left and we must continue to teach the horrors of the Holocaust to the younger generation,” she said.

The event began with the viewing of a prerecorded talk from Sladek where he discussed his family’s life before and during WWII in the city of Prešov. Prior to the rise of Hitler Sladek said that Czechoslovakia was a good place for Jews to live, but that antisemitic propaganda turned people against his community and persisted after the war.

“It’s not so easy to get rid of brainwashing,” he said.

After the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, Jewish people in his town began to be rounded up and deported to concentration camps. A Christian judge who was a friend of the family helped warn them of when raids were coming, but Sladek’s family decided to smuggle him across the border to Hungary to live with a relative. His mother told him that he had to pretend to be an orphan if he wanted to survive.

Sladek lived in Hungary for a year, but it was then also occupied by the Nazis, and his parents decided to bring him back. He was smuggled back across the border inside a hay wagon, and said at one point at a checkpoint Nazi soldiers stabbed their bayonets into the hay barrels, almost catching him.

His family ultimately escaped into the Tatra mountains with a group of other civilians following the Partisan fighters, who’s bravery and courage Sladek said he remembers with fondness. That’s where they were when the war ended in 1945.

Despite everything he went through, including losing all

of his cousins and many other family members in the Holocaust, Sladek said he rejected bitterness and still chose to trust in other people.

“I don’t know how to hate,” he said. “I went through all those things, all those difficult times, but I guess God didn’t give me that special ability to hate. I love people.”

After the video, Sladek answered questions from the audience. His natural humor and charm shone through despite the dark subject matter, and he drew laughs on a number of occasions. One man said that Sladek had been his teacher at a Denver synagogue 57 years ago.

“I probably did the right thing by you, right? If I was a nasty teacher you wouldn’t be here today,” he joked.

Sladek said watching his country slide into fascism as a child made him passionate about the importance of safeguarding democracy, something he always emphasizes when speaking to groups of young people.

“Even though we live in a democracy, there’s no guarantee that next week we are still going to be in a democracy,” he said.

He said he’s also concerned by a rise in antisemitism, which is something he said he never expected to have to be worried about in the U.S. However, he said he feels very safe in this country in part because unlike Slovakia, where Jews were one of the only minority groups, the U.S. is a diverse nation.

“If society decides to persecute a certain segment, we are all a victim of that,” he said.

The fact that a room full of people from various backgrounds were all sitting together and listening to him share his story is an example of the way things should be, he said. He encouraged the audience to stand up to displays of bigotry.

“We are people who love other people and we believe in a society that is made up of all kinds of people,” he said. “That’s what I believe in.”

ESCAPE TO THE TATRAS, Oscar Sladek

Hero’s Pizzeria and Tavern Free Car ShowSunday Fundays

10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. July 23, at 16070 E. Dartmouth Ave. Aurora, CO 80013. Visit http://alturl.com/jx63r for more information.

The free monthly car show at Hero’s Pizzeria and Tavern comes back around on July 23. There are slots for more that 100 hot rods and street machines, with no registration needed. The car show is a great event for the whole family.

Classic tunes will be cranked out by Cruisin’ Dave, and door prizes and great food are also on tap.

So bring the fam down and check out some sweet muscle machines in these hot rods.

And if there is interest in participating, all makes and models are welcome.

Let Us Know All Your scene & herd

Colfax Art JamsSecond Saturdays; Taste the Fax

their best vendor friends for a fun afternoon, chock full of entertainment, eating and shopping.

Bringing lawn chairs or blankets is highly encouraged, ya know, for that additional comfort while hangin’ in the sun, catching the vibes, supporting local businesses and sipping on a refreshing beverage.

And be sure to check on the theme for the day before heading out. It’s always a little fun to dress on theme for sunny day parties.

Havana Street Night Market at Sam’s No. 3

12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. July 8, at 9800 E. Colfax Ave. Aurora, CO 80010. Visit http://alturl.com/paj99 for more information.

It’s Second Saturday, again. Where oh where does the time go? Fortunately, while we mull this everlasting paradox that is life, we can stuff our faces at the Taste the Fax segment of Second Saturdays at Fletcher Plaza.

A bevy of dishes from a melange of local food purveyors will be ripe for the sampling. And after you’ve gotten your fill of the local delicacies, you can speak with the chefs and learn about their roots and what inspires them to create such delicious fare.

And as is tradition to this event, live music and local vendors will also be on tap.

Summer Jams and Storytime with Gora Gora Orkestar at Utah Park

Take Advantage of the Summer Days with Horseback Riding at 12 Mile Stables

5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. July 15, at 2580 S. Havana St. Aurora, CO 80014. Visit http://alturl.com/z6sb4 for more information.

The second Havana Street Night Market is just around the bend. What’s been dubbed as the “hottest event happening in Aurora this summer,” offers a diverse group of vendors contributing to the electric vibe that can only come with nighttime markets.

Live music will be cranked out as you meander through the aisles of local vendors and small businesses, surely to offer a fun Saturday night. Grab a crafted cocktail from Sam’s while you’re at it. Nothing like a little courage juice to increase the need for shopping. And who doesn’t like supporting local small businesses?

See you this weekend.

Stanley Summer Series at Stanley Marketplace

Second Sunday of the Month from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. 2501 Dallas St. Aurora, CO 80010. Visit http://alturl.com/owfwh for more information.

We might have found your Sunday plans for you. Well, the second Sunday of the month anyways. Stanley Marketplace is bringing in live music and performers as well as

4:30 p.m. July 12, at 1800 S. Peoria St. Aurora, CO 80012. Visit http://alturl.com/hvfvw for more information.

Aurora Public Libraries and Cultural Arts Division has put together an exciting new summertime event in Summer Jams and Storytime. The event starts with storytime from the new bookmobile for the kiddos as well as a craft or activity. After which, a dance performance will take place from the Aurora Dance Hearts. The concert in the park will begin immediately after the dance performance, with the concert running from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. And no need to fret parents, the concerts are appropriate for all ages.

Taste of Colorado at Civic Center Park

Aurora’s 12 Mile Stables, located within Cherry Creek State Park. Visit horserentalsdenver.com for information.

For those equipped with their own equine, there’s no shortage of places to have a trot in Colorado. Along with a lot of plains trails in Cherry Creek State Park and some “mountain track” in nearby Jefferson County, even some metro-area trails are down with horsin’ around. Locally, 12 Mile Stables in Aurora or Chatfield Stables in Littleton can put you in the saddle and on the trail in no time. Those who want the full cowboy experience might look into one of many “dude ranch” vacations in the Centennial State. VHS copy of “City Slickers” not provided.

8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., July 9, at Civic Center Park 101 14th Ave. Denver, CO 80202. Visit https:// www.atasteofcolorado.com/ for more information.

Who’s hungry? You better bring your appetite to the third Taste of Colorado event of the year, down at Civic Center Park in Denver. Good food, local music, time spent with family and a bevy of other activities to easily fill the eight hour day of gluttony and fulfillment.

Upon arrival you will find a healthy line of food trucks, a stage with local music acts and even a family-friendly activation zone where you can decorate bike helmets, get your faces painted and play a variety of games.

Oh yeah, and there’s definitely a bar for the adults to quench their thirst with some delicious libations.

FLORIDA CENTER SAYS ‘GREY TEAM’ TECHNOLOGY, EXERCISE HELP VETERANS OVERCOME PTSD AND OTHER AILMENTS

BY TERRY SPENCER, Associated Press

Before Fred Kalfon began exercising at the Grey Team veterans center a couple months ago, the 81-year-old rarely left his Florida home.

Parkinson’s disease, an inner ear disorder and other neurological problems, all likely caused by the Vietnam vet’s exposure to the infamous defoliant Agent Orange, made it difficult for him to move. His post-traumatic stress disorder, centering on the execution of a woman who helped his platoon, was at its worst.

Treatment through the federal Department of Veterans Affairs didn’t work, he said.

“I felt stupid the way I walk around and stumble,” said Kalfon, who led a medical aid unit as a first lieutenant in 1964-65. “I was depressed.”

a 90-day program targeted at improving physical and mental health.

“It’s the machines, sure. It’s the therapy you are taking. It’s the [staff’s] encouragement — they are there all the time for you. They are caring. Caring makes a difference,” Kalfon said.

The nonprofit center, located in a converted warehouse in Boca Raton, Florida, gets its name, in part, from the brain’s nickname: “gray matter.” Many of the vets who apply and are accepted into the free program suffered head trauma in battle or have PTSD.

is easier because the center doesn’t accept clients who are homeless or have uncontrolled addictions.

“I wish we had the funding to tackle” those issues, he said.

The Grey Team’s program features an array of machines using infrared light, lasers and sound waves meant to relieve stress, heal mental and physical wounds and help the vets sleep without the use of pharmaceuticals. The program is run by a primary team of seven, including a medical director.

effects or cause harms,” Bryan said. “Exercise is a common feature of many therapies and treatments that have demonstrated efficacy for PTSD, depression and suicide risk.”

University researchers are collecting data that Reichbach said he believes will show his program’s treatments work.

U.S. Army veteran Ed Reichbach, 93, works out at the Grey Team veterans center, Wednesday, May 17, 2023, in Boca Raton, Fla. The center is helping veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental and physical ailments get back into the civilian world.

But after months in a veteran-specialized gym and recovery program, the retired pharmaceutical researcher and sales manager is socializing and has thrown aside his walker for a cane.

He’s among the latest of 700 veterans of all ages working with the Grey Team, a 7-year-old organization combining personalized workouts, camaraderie, community outings and an array of machines in

“What we have created here is really magical,” said Grey Team co-founder Cary Reichbach, 62, a physical trainer and former Army police officer. The goal, he said, is to get the vets off medications for their mental and physical ailments when possible. Even after completing the program, participants can still workout, hang out and participate in outings.

With the government saying vets are 50% more likely to kill themselves than non-veterans, Reichbach is proud the center helps combat that statistic.

“We want to tackle the suicidal ideation before it even starts,” he said.

He concedes suicide prevention

Drugs are overutilized in other veteran programs, such as those in VA hospitals, often because “they have a budget and they have to spend it,” Reichbach said.

Ohio State University psychologist Craig Bryan, a former executive director of the National Center for Veterans Studies, said the successes of the Grey Team program are not surprising given the selective participant pool.

“They are selecting from a subgroup with less severe problems,” said Bryan, a former Air Force captain who now works with the VA.

His skepticism also extends to the effectiveness of the machines.

“To my knowledge, they’ve never been rigorously studied so it’s hard to know if they have any benefit at all and/or if they have side

Reichbach’s 93-year-old father, Ed, offers hugs and back slaps to everyone entering the Grey Team lobby. Sometimes the Army vet and former university professor drops to give 10 rapid-fire pushups — a demonstration to give older vets a jolt on their first visit.

“We have to get them in here, that’s the difficult part,” he said.

Upstairs in the center’s “safe space” community area, Navy vet Bill Tolle discussed his service as a meteorologist and oceanographer from 1983 to 1990. As a petty officer second-class stationed in Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Antarctica, he never experienced combat.

But in 1988, Tolle witnessed a plane crash at his Antarctic base that killed two people. A year later, he sustained a back injury in a helicopter crash. The back-to-back traumas left him with PTSD. He

›› See GREY TEAM, 23

AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

Medical credit cards may lead patients to overpay for their health care, Democrats warn

that sometimes the cards are used in lieu of need-based programs that hospitals and other health organizations should apply to a patient’s finances before forcing them to take on debt.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which oversees consumer financial markets, previously highlighted these issues in a report issued in May. The bureau has not taken any action since the report came out, but groups of consumer advocates are pushing for the agency to consider writing new regulations for medical credit cards.

BY TERRY SPENCER,

Agroup of Democratic senators is asking the nation’s consumer finance watchdog to take action against medical credit cards such as CareCredit, saying use of these cards can result in patients paying much more for their medical care than they should.

Medical credit cards have historically been used for elective

procedures like cosmetic dentistry, dermatology, vision and in veterinary clinics. They come in handy for patients who can’t pay a medical bill all up front.

But the lawmakers, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., say the cards’ deferred interest features are confusing and often lead to consumers paying high interest rates after an initial promotional period has ended. They also say

“Our investigation shows that medical credit cards can pose a significant threat to patients’ finances. We urge CFPB to take action to curb these harms,” wrote Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., to the bureau. Warren’s letter was signed also by Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vermont, and Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass.

CareCredit has existed for decades as a popular way for patients to pay for out-of-pocket medical expenses at doctors’ or dentists’ offices. Americans spent $3.7 billion on CareCredit in the first three months of 2023, according to Synchrony Bank, the parent company of CareCredit.

Americans have roughly $12 billion in outstanding loans with CareCredit.

Wells Fargo also has a medical credit card under the name Wells Fargo Health Advantage.

But what used to be a product just for elective medical procedures has slowly evolved into a credit card accepted at major doctors offices and hospitals.

CareCredit has long offered to customers a deferred interest promotional feature, which means a patient would pay no interest on a purchase if paid off within a certain period of time, usually 12 months. But if a patient failed to pay off that charge within the time limit, the interest that’s accumulated over the last year can be billed all at once to the customer.

The senators note that roughly one out of four CareCredit customers end up paying interest on their purchase, while one out of five Wells Fargo customers pay interest.

“The CFPB must take immediate action to protect patients from these shady practices, starting with putting an end to deferred interest for medical credit cards,” Warren said to The Associated Press.

The senators raise a concern that has been echoed by consumer advocates that CareCredit and Wells Fargo’s expansion into traditional doctors’ offices could potentially be problematic, as hospital billing and insurance is never a straightforward process and often what a patient is billed is not what a patient will pay in the end. The senators are concerned patients could be charging these cards before the hospital bill is settled.

The senators ask the CFPB to potentially look for ways to make sure medical credit cards are used only after insurance and needbased aid is exhausted without violating a patient’s medical privacy rights.

“We are also concerned by the prevalence of medical billing errors, which may put patients on the hook for charges they do not owe,” the senators write.

In a statement, Synchrony Bank said it looks forward to working with the bureau and with Congress on how medical credit cards are accepted and used.

“Protecting consumers is of paramount importance, and we are committed to continue to educate all stakeholders about the fair and transparent way we offer our products,” the bank said.

303-770-ROOF

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks during the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs hearing on oversight of the credit reporting agencies at Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, April 27, 2023.

AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

Associated Press

worked as a firefighter and then a registered nurse in an inner-city emergency room. His PTSD led to alcoholism.

“I really wasn’t familiar with what PTSD was. I always thought it was combat-related,” Tolle said. “For years I went untreated and it got progressively worse.”

He finally was diagnosed in 2016 but didn’t get treatment until 2020 through a residential VA program. He then lived at the Salvation Army, which introduced him to the Grey Team.

Tolle is a believer in the center’s machines.

“My thinking was foggy, at best. A lot of short-term memory stuff. I would forget. I can now think things through, resolve things,” he said. “My whole cognitive function is sharper.”

In the center’s gym, Kalfon talked about walking through Vietnam jungles still wet with Agent Orange, the herbicide sprayed by the U.S. from planes to kill the brush where enemy soldiers hid. It has been linked to veterans’ health problems.

His health began failing about seven years ago. First, a heart attack and quintuple bypass. Then the neurological problems. His health insurance agent told him about the Grey Team, and he applied, seeing it as a last hope.

For about two months, Kalfon has been coming to the center three times weekly. He can now walk up stairs and has set a goal to jog 3 miles (5 kilometers).

“When I can do that,” he said, “I think I will have accomplished everything I need.”

U.S. Navy veteran Bill Tolle, 60, talks about his experiences after a workout session at the Grey Team veterans center. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

COMBINED NOTICEPUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103

FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0137-2023

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

On March 31, 2023, 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)

Celeste Trevino

Original Beneficiary(ies)

MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. AS NOMINEE FOR CHERRY CREEK MORTGAGE CO., INC., ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt COLORADO HOUSING AND FINANCE

AUTHORITY

Date of Deed of Trust

September 24, 2009

County of Recording

Arapahoe

Recording Date of Deed of Trust

October 21, 2009

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

B9115545

Original Principal Amount

$158,574.00

Outstanding Principal Balance

$124,791.45

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.

SEE ATTACHED LEGAL DESCRIPTION.

LEGAL DESCRIPTION

CONDOMINIUM UNIT NO. 7, BULIDING 24, WINDSONG CONDOMINIUMS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH AND SUBJECT TO THE DECLARATION OF COVENANTS, CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS OF THE WINDSONG CONDOMINIUMS RECORDED ON JULY 12, 1983 IN BOOK 3912 AT PAGE 441 AND MAP RECORDED ON JULY 12, 1983 IN BOOK 65 AT PAGE 47, IN THE RECORDS OF THE COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, TOGETHER WITH THE RIGHT TO THE EXCLUSIVE USE OF PARKING SPACE NO. 443, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO

Also known by street and number as: 7474 East Arkansas Avenue #2407, Denver, CO 80231.

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, 08/02/2023, 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 6/8/2023

Last Publication 7/6/2023

Name of Publication Sentinel

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: 03/31/2023

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

By: /s/ 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:

Alison L Berry #34531

N. April Winecki #34861

David R. Doughty #40042

Nicholas H. Santarelli #46592

Lynn M. Janeway #15592

Janeway Law Firm, P.C. 9800 S. Meridian Blvd., Suite 400, Englewood, CO 80112 (303) 706-9990

Attorney File # 21-025965

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

COMBINED NOTICEPUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103

FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0148-2023

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

On April 7, 2023, 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)

CHERI M CRAWFORD

Original Beneficiary(ies)

MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. ACTING SOLELY AS NOMINEE FOR QUICKEN LOANS INC.

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt

ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC F/K/A

QUICKEN LOANS, LLC F/K/A QUICKEN LOANS INC.

Date of Deed of Trust

December 20, 2016

County of Recording

Arapahoe Recording Date of Deed of Trust

December 23, 2016 Recording Information (Reception No. and/ or Book/Page No.)

D6149891

Original Principal Amount

$202,730.00

Outstanding Principal Balance

$179,744.03

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 22, BLOCK 3, OLDETOWN SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 1, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO. Also known by street and number as: 293

S NOME ST,, AURORA, CO 80012-1212. 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, 08/09/2023, 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 6/15/2023

Last Publication 7/13/2023

Name of Publication Sentinel 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: 04/07/2023

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

By: /s/ 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

Ryan Bourgeois #51088

Joseph D. DeGiorgio #45557

Randall M. Chin #31149

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

Attorney File # 00000009761586

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

COMBINED NOTICEPUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103

FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0170-2023

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

On April 14, 2023, 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)

Alejandra Gomez AND Jessica A Gomez

Original Beneficiary(ies) MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. AS NOMINEE FOR FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION, ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt COLORADO HOUSING AND FINANCE

AUTHORITY

Date of Deed of Trust

December 09, 2021

County of Recording

Arapahoe

Recording Date of Deed of Trust

January 19, 2022

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

E2006869

Original Principal Amount

$476,215.00

Outstanding Principal Balance

$469,093.25

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 35, BLOCK 1, HIGHPOINT SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 4, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO. PARCEL ID NUMBER: 031600588

Also known by street and number as: 4102 S Andes Way, Aurora, CO 80013.

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, 08/16/2023, 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 6/22/2023

Last Publication 7/20/2023

Name of Publication Sentinel 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: 04/14/2023

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

By: /s/ 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:

Alison L Berry #34531

N. April Winecki #34861

David R. Doughty #40042

Nicholas H. Santarelli #46592

Lynn M. Janeway #15592 Janeway Law Firm, P.C. 9800 S. Meridian Blvd., Suite 400, Englewood, CO 80112 (303) 706-9990

Attorney File # 23-029685

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

COMBINED NOTICEPUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103

FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0174-2023

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

On April 18, 2023, 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)

Thongchai Sorawet

Original Beneficiary(ies)

MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. AS NOMINEE FOR PARAMOUNT RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE GROUP, INC., ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt

COLORADO HOUSING AND FINANCE

AUTHORITY

Date of Deed of Trust

December 07, 2021

County of Recording

Arapahoe

Recording Date of Deed of Trust

December 10, 2021

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

E1187458

Original Principal Amount

$448,725.00

Outstanding Principal Balance

$442,014.38

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 8, BLOCK 2, RED WILLOW SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 1, AMENDMENT NO. 1, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.

APN #: 1975-07-4-30-008

Also known by street and number as: 138 S. Granby Court, Aurora, CO 80012.

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, 08/16/2023, 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 6/22/2023

Last Publication 7/20/2023

Name of Publication Sentinel

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: 04/18/2023

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

By: /s/ 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:

Alison L Berry #34531

N. April Winecki #34861

David R. Doughty #40042

Nicholas H. Santarelli #46592

Lynn M. Janeway #15592

Janeway Law Firm, P.C. 9800 S. Meridian Blvd., Suite 400, Englewood, CO 80112 (303) 706-9990

Attorney File # 23-029649

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

COMBINED NOTICEPUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103

FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0160-2023

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

On April 11, 2023, 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) Bekhzod Eshkobilovich Abdiev

Original Beneficiary(ies) MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. AS NOMINEE FOR SOUTHWEST FUNDING, LP., ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt COLORADO HOUSING AND FINANCE

AUTHORITY

Date of Deed of Trust

September 07, 2021

County of Recording

Arapahoe Recording Date of Deed of Trust

September 16, 2021

Recording Information (Reception No. and/ or Book/Page No.) E1144413

Original Principal Amount $504,591.00

Outstanding Principal Balance $494,488.47

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 10, BLOCK 14, SADDLE ROCK HIGHLANDS FILING NO. 1, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO

Also known by street and number as: 3710 S Nepal Court, Aurora, CO 80013.

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, 08/09/2023, 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 6/15/2023

Last Publication 7/13/2023

Name of Publication Sentinel 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: 04/11/2023

Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for

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 12, BLOCK 6, PARKBOROUGH SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 4, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO. Also known by street and number as: 5821 South Netherland Circle, Centennial, CO 80015.

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, 08/30/2023, 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 7/6/2023

Last Publication 8/3/2023

Name of Publication Sentinel 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: 04/28/2023

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

By: /s/ 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:

Amanda Ferguson #44893

Heather Deere #28597

Toni M. Owan #30580

Halliday, Watkins & Mann, PC 355 Union Blvd., Ste. 250, Lakewood, CO 80228 (303) 274-0155

Attorney File # CO21581

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

COMBINED NOTICEPUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103

FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0188-2023

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

On April 28, 2023, 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)

David J. Goodman

Original Beneficiary(ies)

MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. AS NOMINEE FOR CITYWIDE HOME LOANS, A UTAH CORPORATION, ITS SUCCESSORS AND AS-

SIGNS

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt

FEDERAL HOME LOAN MORTGAGE CORPORATION , as Trustee for the benefit of the Freddie Mac Seasoned Loans

Structured Transaction Trust, Series 2021-

1 Date of Deed of Trust

April 29, 2016

County of Recording

Arapahoe

Recording Date of Deed of Trust

May 04, 2016

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

D6046110

Original Principal Amount

$340,000.00

Outstanding Principal Balance

$299,045.45

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 19, BLOCK 7, WILLOW TRACE SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 3, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.

APN #: 2073-11-2-07-019

Also known by street and number as: 4579

S. Jebel Ct., Centennial, CO 80015. 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, 08/30/2023, 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 7/6/2023

Last Publication 8/3/2023

Name of Publication Sentinel 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: 04/28/2023

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

By: /s/ 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:

Alison L Berry #34531

N. April Winecki #34861

David R. Doughty #40042

Nicholas H. Santarelli #46592

Lynn M. Janeway #15592

Janeway Law Firm, P.C. 9800 S. Meridian Blvd., Suite 400, Englewood, CO 80112 (303) 706-9990

Attorney File # 23-029503

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

COMBINED NOTICE -

PUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103

FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0190-2023

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

On April 28, 2023, 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)

Richard K. Richard, II

Original Beneficiary(ies)

WASHINGTON MUTUAL BANK, FA

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt

MCLP Asset Company, Inc.

Date of Deed of Trust

August 30, 2002

County of Recording

Arapahoe

Recording Date of Deed of Trust

September 05, 2002

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

B2164410

Original Principal Amount

$201,275.00

Outstanding Principal Balance

$124,690.81

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 14, BLOCK 5, KELLY CREEK SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 2, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.

Also known by street and number as: 3279 South Biscay Way, Aurora, CO 80013.

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, 08/30/2023, 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 7/6/2023

Last Publication 8/3/2023

Name of Publication Sentinel IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE

David R. Doughty #40042

Nicholas H. Santarelli #46592

Lynn M. Janeway #15592

Janeway Law Firm, P.C. 9800 S. Meridian Blvd., Suite 400, Englewood, CO 80112 (303) 706-9990

Attorney File # 23-029674

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

COMBINED NOTICE - AMENDEDPUBLICATION CRS §38-38-109(1)(b)

FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0292-2019

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

On March 24, 2023, 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)

CHRISTOPHER A PURVIS AND TRICIA

R PURVIS

Original Beneficiary(ies)

MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. ACTING SOLELY AS NOMINEE FOR MORTGAGE RESEARCH CENTER, LLC DBA VETERANS

UNITED HOME LOANS.

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt

U.S. Bank National Association, not in its individual capacity but solely as trustee for RMTP Trust, Series 2021 Cottage-TT-V

Date of Deed of Trust

June 20, 2016

County of Recording

Arapahoe

Recording Date of Deed of Trust

June 27, 2016

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

D6067388

Original Principal Amount

$297,680.00

Outstanding Principal Balance

$283,810.78 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 6, BLOCK 8, SUMMER VALLEY SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 7, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO. Also known by street and number as: 3723 S WALDEN WAY, AURORA, CO 80013. 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, 08/09/2023, the date to which the sale has been continued pursuant to C.R.S. 38-38-109(1)(b), 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.

Amended First Publication 6/22/2023

Amended Last Publication 7/20/2023

Name of Publication Sentinel Colo-

rado

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: 6/14/2023 Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado

By: /s/ 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:

Amanda Ferguson #44893

Heather Deere #28597

Toni M. Owan #30580

Halliday, Watkins & Mann, PC 355 Union Blvd., Ste. 250, Lakewood, CO 80228 (303) 274-0155

Attorney File # CO10926

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

NOTICE OF UNCLAIMED OVERBID FUNDS CRS 38-38-111(2.5b)(3a,b,d)(5)

PUBLIC TRUSTEE SALE NO. 0563-2022

To: Obligor/Grantor(s) on the evidence of debt and/or Deed of Trust or other person entitled. You are advised that there are overbid funds due you. This Notice is given with regard to the following described

Deed of Trust:

Name of Obligor/Grantor(s) on the evidence of debt and/or Deed of Trust

Shannon L. Kaschnigg

Address of Obligor/Grantor(s) on the evidence of debt and/or Deed of Trust

14324 East Hawaii Circle #D, Aurora, CO 80012

Recording Date of Deed of Trust

January 31, 2017

Recording Information D7011869 Book: N/A Page:

Legal Description of Property LOT 57, BLOCK 1, SAN FRANCISCO

SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 2, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.

Street Address of Property 14324 East Hawaii Circle #D, Aurora, CO 80012

NOTICE OF UNCLAIMED OVERBID FUNDS

I sold at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on 3/8/23, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, to the highest and best bidder for cash, the real property described above. An overbid was realized from the sale and the funds must be claimed by the Obligor/Grantor(s) on the evidence of debt and/or Deed of Trust or other persons entitled thereto within six months from the date of sale. THE STATE OF COLORADO REQUIRES US TO NO-

TIFY YOU THAT YOUR PROPERTY MAY BE TRANSFERRED TO THE CUSTODY OF THE STATE TREASURER IF YOU DO NOT CONTACT US BEFORE 9/8/2023 as part of the “Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act”, pursuant to Colorado law.

First Publication 6/15/23

Last Publication 7/13/23

Name of Publication Sentinel Colorado

Date: 6/1/23

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

By: /s/ Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee

©Public Trustees’ Association of Colorado

Revised 9/2012

City of Aurora, CO

Notice of Funding Opportunity

2023 Summer Community Investment Financing Round

July 6, 2023

Housing and Community Development Division

15151 E. Alameda Pkwy Aurora, CO 80012 303-739-7924

The City of Aurora will open applications for the 2023 Spring Round of Community Investment Financing on Monday, July 10, 2023, at 8 A.M., MST. The purpose of the Community Investment Financing application is to provide resources for developers interested in creating and/or preserving affordable housing opportunities in the City of Aurora. The city’s housing priorities are established in the recently adopted Housing Strategy and guided by six policies informed by best practices and extensive community input. Applications will be evaluated based on alignment with the policies and goals of the Housing Strategy. It is expected that applications for the Community Investment Financing Summer 2023 round will be extremely competitive. Not all applications will receive awards.

The following funds are made available to support the City’s housing goals included in the Housing Strategy. For the Summer 2023 round of Community Investment Financing, the following funds and amounts are available for application. If applying for multiple funds, please submit a separate application for each fund.

1. HOME Funds – $1,028,745

2. CDBG – $2,700,000

3. CDBG-CV - $1,700,000

For more information or to apply, please visit the Community Investment Financing page for the City of Aurora at auroragov. org. Application(s) will close on July 28, 2023, at 12 A.M./midnight EST.

*Please note the City of Aurora has transitioned to using the Neighborly Software system for grant and loan applications and tracking. Please reach out if you have questions.

Thank you for your commitment and interest in creating and preserving affordable housing in Aurora!

Publication: July 6, 2023

Sentinel

Ciudad de Aurora, Colorado

Aviso de Oportunidad de Financiamiento

Ronda de financiación de inversiones comunitarias de verano de 2023

6 de julio de 2023

División de Vivienda y Desarrollo Comunitario 15151 E. Alameda Pkwy Aurora, CO 80012 303-739-7924

La ciudad de Aurora abrirá las solicitudes para la ronda de financiamiento de inversiones comunitarias de primavera de 2023 el lunes 10 de julio de 2023 a las 8 a. m., MST. El propósito de la solicitud de Financiamiento de Inversión Comunitaria es proporcionar recursos para los desarrolladores interesados en crear y/o preservar oportunidades de vivienda asequible en la Ciudad de Aurora. Las prioridades de vivienda de la ciudad se establecen en la Estrategia de vivienda adoptada recientemente y se guían por seis políticas informadas por las mejores prácticas y una amplia contribución de la comunidad. Las solicitudes se evaluarán en función de la alineación con las políticas y metas de la Estrategia de Vivienda. Se espera que las solicitudes para la ronda de financiación de inversiones comunitarias de verano de 2023 sean extremadamente competitivas. No todas las solicitudes recibirán premios. Los siguientes fondos están disponibles para apoyar los objetivos de vivienda de la Ciudad incluidos en la Estrategia de Vivienda. Para la ronda de financiación de inversión comunitaria de verano de 2023, los siguientes fondos y montos están disponibles para su solicitud. Si solicita fondos múltiples, envíe una solicitud por separado para cada fondo.

1. Fondos de CASA - $ 1,028,745

2. CDBG – $2,700,000

3. CV-CDBG - $1,700,000 Para obtener más información o para presentar una solicitud, visite la página de Financiamiento de inversiones comunitarias de la Ciudad de Aurora en auroragov.org. Las solicitudes se cerrarán el 28 de julio de 2023 a las 12 a. m./medianoche EST. *Tenga en cuenta que la ciudad de Aurora ha hecho la transición al uso del sistema Neighborly Software para las solicitudes y el seguimiento de subvenciones y préstamos. Comuníquese si tiene preguntas. ¡Gracias por su compromiso e interés en crear y preservar viviendas asequibles en Aurora!

Publication: July 6, 2023 Sentinel

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

As required by the Colorado Liquor Code, as amended, notice is hereby given that an application for a Retail Fermented Malt Beverage and Wine Off Premises Liquor License has been received by the Local Licensing Authority for the granting of a license to sell Fermented Malt Beverage and Wine for Consumption Off Premises Only. The application was filed on June 9th, 2023, by Naser 6 Enterprise & 7-Eleven, Inc. dba 7-Eleven Store 42018A for a location at 200 N Gun Club Road, Aurora, CO 80018. The corporate officer lives in Colorado.

A Public Hearing to consider the application has been scheduled to be held before the Local Licensing Authority on August 8th, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. The hearing will be held virtually. Please contact Lisa Keith at 303-739-7568 for meeting information.

Provided either the applicant or protestant(s) desire to use petitions to prove the needs of the neighborhood, and the desires of the inhabitants, the petitions may not be circulated before July 6th, 2023 and must be returned by 12:00 noon on July 31st, 2023 for review and verification by the City of Aurora Liquor Licensing staff.

Information as to the application, procedures, or remonstrances, may be handled with the Liquor Licensing Office up to and including the date of the public hearing.

Lisa Keith Licensing Officer 303-739-7568

Publication: July 6, 2023 Sentinel

By: /s/ Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee

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

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Case Number: 2018-1006-13

Applicant: Planning and Development Services

Application Name: Unified Development

Ordinance Amendment - Prairie Dogs

You are hereby notified that a public hearing will be held on July 17, 2023, starting at 6:30 p.m. at the regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Aurora, Colorado. The meeting will be held in the Council Chambers in the Aurora Municipal Center located at 15151 E. Alameda Parkway, Aurora. PUBLIC HEARING AND INTRODUCTION OF AN ORDINANCE FOR AN AMENDMENT TO THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE TO IDENTIFY OPTIONS FOR THE HUMANE RELOCATION OR EXAMINATION OF PRAIRIE DOGS. This meeting also has a virtual attendance option. Please visit the city website, at auroragov.org for instructions on virtual attendance.

Site Location: Within city boundaries

At said meeting any person in interest may appear and be heard on the requested approval.

/s/ Kadee Rodriguez City Clerk

Publication: July 6, 2023

Sentinel

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Case Number(s): 2023-2004-00

Applicant: Prusse Development

Application Name: The Overlook at Kings

Point South - Zoning Map Amendment

You are hereby notified that a public hearing will be held on July 17, 2023, starting at 6:30 p.m. at the regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Aurora, Colorado. The meeting will be held in the Council Chambers in the Aurora Municipal Center located at 15151 E. Alameda Parkway, Aurora. INTRODUCTION OF AN ORDINANCE AND PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE APPROVAL OF A ZONING MAP AMENDMENT TO INITIALLY ZONE 20.0 ACRES, MORE OR LESS, TO R-1 (LOWDENSITY RESIDENTIAL). This meeting also has a virtual attendance option. Please visit the City website, at auroragov. org for instructions on virtual attendance.

Site Location: Northeast Corner of E Lookout Drive and E Spur Lane

Site Size: 20.0 acres

At said meeting any person in interest may appear and be heard on the requested approval.

/s/ Kadee Rodriguez City Clerk

Publication: July 6, 2023

Sentinel

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD ON JULY 17, 2023, STARTING AT 6:30 P.M. AT THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO TO FIND AND DETERMINE WHETHER A CERTAIN PARCEL OF LAND LOCATED IN THE SOUTH ONE-HALF OF THE SOUTHWEST QUARTER OF THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF SECTION 2, TOWNSHIP 6 SOUTH, RANGE 66 WEST OF THE SIXTH PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO, MEETS THE APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS OF COLORADO CONSTITUTION ARTICLE 2, SECTION 30 AND C.R.S. §§ 31-12-104 AND 31-12-105, AND IS CONSIDERED ELIGIBLE FOR ANNEXATION. THE HEARING WILL BE HELD UPON THE ATTACHED RESOLUTION IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS IN THE AURORA MUNICIPAL CENTER LOCATED AT 15151 E. ALAMEDA PARKWAY, AURORA, COLORADO 80012 OR VIRTUALLY (PLEASE GO TO THE CITY OF AURORA WEBSITE AT AURORAGOV.ORG FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON PARTICIPATION).

AT SAID MEETING ANY PERSON IN INTEREST MAY APPEAR AND BE HEARD ON THE REQUESTED APPROVAL.

/s/ Kadee Rodriguez City Clerk

RESOLUTION NO. R2023-62

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO, FINDING A PETITION FOR ANNEXATION OF A CERTAIN PARCEL OF LAND LOCATED IN THE SOUTH ONE-HALF OF THE SOUTHWEST QUARTER OF THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF SECTION 2, TOWNSHIP 6 SOUTH, RANGE 66 WEST OF THE SIXTH PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO, TO BE IN SUBSTAN-

TIAL COMPLIANCE WITH SECTION 3112-107(1), C.R.S., AND GIVING NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED ANNEXATION (Overlook at Kings Point South) 19.937 ACRES.

WHEREAS, a petition for annexation of a certain parcels of land, described herein in Exhibit A attached hereto, has been filed with the City Clerk of the City of Aurora, Colorado (the “City”); and

C.R.S.; and WHEREAS, the City Council has been advised by staff, and has taken official notice of all maps, records, and other information and materials on file with the City regarding said petition.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO:

Section 1. The petition for annexation of certain land more particularly described in Exhibit A, attached hereto and incorporated herein, is hereby determined to be in substantial compliance with Section 31-12107(1), C.R.S.

Section 2. The City Council shall hold a public hearing on the proposed annexation on July 17, 2023, at 6:30 p.m., in the City Council Chambers, Aurora Municipal Center, 15151 East Alameda Parkway, Aurora, Colorado, or, if the hearing is not held in person, then by such telephonic or electronic means accessed as described on the City’s website Auroragov.org, to determine if the proposed annexation complies with Sections 31-12-104 and 31-12-105, C.R.S., or such parts thereof as may be required to establish eligibility for annexation.

Section 3. The City Clerk is hereby directed to publish this Resolution and a Notice of Public Hearing once each week for four consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the area proposed to be annexed.

MIKE COFFMAN, Mayor

Exhibit A

(Legal description of property to be annexed) A PARCEL OF LAND SITUATED IN THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF SECTION 2, TOWNSHIP 6 SOUTH, RANGE 66 WEST OF THE 6TH PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO, BEING ALL OF THAT CERTAIN UNPLATTED LAND RECORDED AT RECEPTION NO. 01050949 IN THE RECORDS OF THE DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO CLERK AND RECORDER’S OFFICE, SAID CITY, COUNTY AND STATE, MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:

THE SOUTH ONE-HALF OF THE SOUTHWEST QUARTER OF THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF SECTION 2, TOWNSHIP

6 SOUTH, RANGE 66 WEST OF THE SIXTH PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO; SUBORDINATELY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: BEGINNING AT THE WEST QUARTER CORNER OF SAID SECTION 2, WHENCE THE WEST LINE OF THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF SAID SECTION 2 BEARS NORTH 00°13’36” EAST, A DISTANCE OF 2,581.08 FEET WITH ALL BEARINGS HEREIN REFERNCED TO SAID LINE, ALSO BEING THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF SAID UNPLATTED LAND; THENCE ALONG THE WESTERLY, NORTHERLY, EASTERLY AND SOUTHERLY BOUNDARIES OF SAID UNPLATTED LAND, THE FOLLOWING FOUR (4) COURSES:

1. NORTH 00°13’36” EAST, ALONG THE WEST LINE OF THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF SAID SECTION 2, A DISTANCE OF 647.35 FEET;

2. SOUTH 89°35’51” EAST, A DISTANCE OF 1,338.15 FEET;

3. SOUTH 00°19’39” WEST, A DISTANCE OF 651.20 FEET TO THE EASTERLY PROLONGATION OF THE NORTHERLY BOUNDARY OF SMITH’S SUBDIVISION RECORDED AT RECEPTION NO. 238083 IN SAID OFFICIAL RECORDS;

4. ALONG SAID NORTHERLY BOUNDARY, NORTH 89°25’58” WEST, A DISTANCE OF 1,337.03 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING. CONTAINING AN AREA OF 19.937 ACRES, (868,458 SQUARE FEET), MORE OR LESS. ALL LINEAL DISTANCES ARE REPRESENTED IN U.S. SURVEY FEET.

First Publication: June 15, 2023

Final Publication: July 6, 2023

Sentinel

Deputy Clerk Publication: July 6, 2023

Sentinel District Court Adams County, Colorado

1100 Judicial Center Dr. Brighton, CO 80601 NOTICE OF HEARING BY PUBLICATION TO INTERESTED PERSONS AND OWNERS BY DESCENT OR SUCCESSION PURSUANT TO § 15-12-1303, C.R.S.

Case Number: 2023PR030405

Division T1

In the Matter of the Determination of Heirs or Devisees or Both and of Interests in Property of:

(1) Robleigh H. Marr a/k/a Robleigh Hulport Marr a/k/a Robleigh Marr, deceased

To all interested persons and owners by descent or succession (List all names of interested persons and owners by descent or succession):

Sherri Lee Berthrong

George Charles Brown

John Berthrong McCulliss Oil & Gas Inc.

Jeffrey David Brown

C.O.T.A. Resources Inc.

A petition has been filed alleging that the above decedent(s) died leaving the following property (including legal description if real property):

Property 1

Description of Property

Oil, gas and other minerals

Location of Property

TOWNSHIP 1 SOUTH, RANGE 67 WEST, 6th P.M.

Section 13: Plot five (5), Broadview, less and except that part conveyed in that certain Warranty Deed dated May 9, 1960 and recorded in of Adams County, Colorado at Reception No. 608106 more particularly described as follows: “That part of Plot 5, Broadview, Adams County, Colorado described as beginning at the Northeast corner of said Plot 5 thence West 286.23 feet along the North line of Plot 5; thence South at right angles 81.52 feet; thence East at right angles 248.11 feet to a point on the Westerly R.O.W. line of County road No. 31; thence N25°04’ E, 90 feet along said R.O.W. line to the true point of beginning.”

Containing 4.541 acres, more or less. Adams County, Colorado

The hearing on the petition will be held at the following time and location or at a later date to which the hearing may be continued:

Date: Thursday July 27, 2023

Time:8:00 a.m.

Address: 1100 Judicial Center Dr., Brighton, CO 80601 Courtroom or Division: T1

The hearing will take approximately (this is a non-appearance hearing).

Note: You must answer the petition on or before the hearing date and time specified above.

Within the time required for answering the petition, all objections to the petition must be in writing, filed with the court and served on the petitioner and any required filing fee must be paid.

The hearing shall be limited to the petition, the objections timely filed and the parties answering the petition in a timely manner. If the petition is not answered and no objections are filed, the court may enter a decree without a hearing.

Attorney (Name and Address): Chris Michael Ball More Lowe PLLC c/o Industrious 1801 California Street, Suite 2400 Denver, CO 80202

Phone Number: (720) 907-7897 Email: cmichael@bml.law

time and location or at a later date to which

the hearing may be continued:

Date: July 28, 2023

Time: 9:30am Courtroom or Division: T1

Address: 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, CO 80601

The hearing will take approximately ONE

HOUR

Attorney for Daisy Hill: M. Kaitlyn Davis, Esq., #55908 Gendelman Klimas, Ltd. 517 East 16th Ave Denver, CO 80203 720-213-0687 Kaitlyn@GendelmanKlimas.com

First Publication: June 22, 2023

Final Publication: July 29, 2023

Sentinel

NOTICE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to § 38-26-107, C.R.S., that on July 13, 2023, final settlement with Velocity Constructors, Inc will be made by East Cherry Creek Valley Water & Sanitation District, for the “ECCV NBPS & SBPS Surge Valve Project” subject to satisfactory final inspection and acceptance of said facilities by the District. Any person, co-partnership, association of persons, company or corporation that has furnished labor, materials, team hire, sustenance, provisions, provender, or other supplies used or consumed by such contractor or his or her subcontractor in or about the performance of the work contracted to be done or that supplies, laborers, rental machinery, tools, or equipment to the extent used in the prosecution of the work whose claim therefore has not been paid by the contractor or subcontractor, at any time up to and including the time of final settlement for the work contracted to be done, may file a verified statement of the amount due and unpaid on such claim with East Cherry Creek Valley Water & Sanitation District, c/o, Mr. Dave Kaunisto, District Manager, 6201 S. Gun Club Road, Aurora, Colorado 80016. Failure to file such verified statement or claim prior to final settlement will release the District and its employees and agents from any and all liability for such claim and for making final payment to said contractor.

East Cherry Creek Valley Water & Sanitation District

First Publication: July 6, 2023

Final Publication: July 13, 2023

Sentinel

Probate Court Adams County, Colorado

NOTICE OF HEARING BY PUBLICATION TO INTERESTED PERSONS AND OWNERS BY DESCENT OR SUCCESSION

PURSUANT TO § 15-12-1303, C.R.S. Case No. 2023PR030418

In the Matter of the Determination of Heirs or Devisees or Both and of Interests in Property of: PEARLE M. MADDEN, Deceased.

To all interested persons and owners by descent or succession (List all names of interested persons and owners by descent or succession):

Rock A. Bron, Greta L. Bron, Brien Eric Bron, Chris Robin Bron

A petition has been filed alleging that the above decedent(s) died leaving the following property (including legal description if real property):

First Publication: June 22, 2023

Final Publication: July 6, 2023

Sentinel

WHEREAS, the petition has been referred to the City Council of the City for a determination of substantial compliance with requirements of Section 31-12-107(1),

ARAPAHOE COUNTY

AMENDED NOTICE OF HEARINGS COUNTY BOARD OF EQUALIZATION

PURSUANT TO COLORADO REVISED

STATUTES § 39-8-104, Notice is hereby given that the Board of County Commissioners of Arapahoe County, Colorado and/or its designated referees, will sit as the County Board of Equalization (“CBOE”) to review the assessment roll of all taxable property located in Arapahoe County, as prepared by the County Assessor, and to hear appeals from determinations of the Assessor. Said hearings will be held via video and/or telephone conferencing commencing on or after August 15, 2023 and concluded by the close of business on November 1, 2023. All decisions of the County Board of Equalization will be rendered by November 1, 2023.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO Joan Lopez, Clerk to the Board

By: Karen Thompsen,

FAX Number: (720) 897-8651

Atty. Reg. #: 44661

First Publication: June 29, 2023

Final Publication: July 13, 2023

Sentinel

DISTRICT COURT, ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO NOTICE OF HEARING BY PUBLICATION PURSUANT TO §15-1-401, C.R.S. Case No. 2022PR133

In the Matter of: Diane Kae Hill, Deceased.

To: Shawn Wetzbarger and Attorney General Last Known Address, if any: 9064 Orleans Street, Federal Heights, CO 80260

A hearing on the Petition for Breach of Fiduciary Duty and Removal of Personal Representative, filed into the abovenamed case will be held at the following

Description of Property A 100% undivided mineral interest in: Township 1 South, Range 67 West Section 36: E/2NW/4SW/4

Location of Property Adams County, Colorado

The hearing on the petition will be held at the following time and location or at a later date to which the hearing may be continued:

Date:July 7, 2023

Time: Non Appearance Hearing

Courtroom or Division: T-1

Address: 1100 Judicial Center Dr., Brighton, CO 80601

The hearing will take approximately Non Appearance Hearing

Note: You must answer the petition on or before the hearing date and time specified above. Within the time required for answering the petition, all objections to the petition must be in writing, filed with the court and served on the petitioner and any required filing fee must be paid.

The hearing shall be limited to the petition, the objections timely filed and the parties answering the petition in a timely manner. If the petition is not answered and no objections are filed, the court may enter a decree without a hearing.

PUBLIC NOTICE

CellCo Partnership and its Controlled Affiliates Doing Business as Verizon Wireless (Verizon Wireless) proposes to install a 60-foot stealth communications pole at the approx. vicinity of 22675 East Aurora Parkway, Aurora, Arapahoe County, CO 80016, Lat: [39-34-34.62] Long: [-104-43-27.33].

Public comments regarding potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Trileaf Corp, Kelly Carr, k.carr@trileaf.com, 66 South Logan Street, Denver, CO 80209, (314) 997-6111.

Publication: July 6, 2023 Sentinel

Tri-County Health Department v. Adams County, Colorado, et al., Dist. Ct. Arapahoe Cty, Colorado, Case No. 2022-CV-031492

NOTICE OF BAR DATE AND PROCEDURE FOR FILING CLAIMS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Receiver Cordes & Company, LLC (“Receiver”), in its capacity as the duly Court appointed receiver for Tri-County Health Department (“TCHD”), has established a procedure for asserting claims against TCHD or the receivership estate of Tri-County Health Department (“Receivership Estate”).

THE DEADLINE FOR FILING CLAIMS WITH THE RECEIVER IS JULY 31, 2023

If you have a claim against TCHD or the Receivership Estate, you must submit a separate Claim Form for each such claim to the Receiver, no later than 5:00 p.m. (prevailing Mountain Time) on Monday, July 31, 2023. The Claim Form must be received by the Receiver by this date and time, and may be submitted via e-mail, U.S. Mail or overnight delivery such that the completed Claim Form arrives on or before the bar date, at the following:

Cordes & Company, LLC

Attn: Thomas Plumb 5299 DTC Boulevard, Suite 600 Greenwood Village, CO 80111 E-mail: tplumb@cordesco.com

The Court approved Claim Form for submitting claims against TCHD or the Receivership Estate is available and may be obtained by contacting the Receiver at tplumb@cordesco.com.

YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED THAT ANY AND ALL OTHER PENDING SUITS OR PROCEEDINGS AGAINST TCHD OR THE RECEIVERSHIP ESTATE HAVE BEEN STAYED, AND YOU ARE PROHIBITED UNDER THE ORDER APPOINTING RECEIVER FROM PROCEEDING WITH OR COMMENCING ANY SUIT OR PROCEEDING IN ANOTHER FORUM WITHOUT THE RECEIVER’S PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OR LEAVE OF THIS COURT. SUBMISSION OF A CLAIM FORM IN THIS MATTER IS YOUR FINAL OPPORTUNITY TO ASSERT A CLAIM AGAINST TCHD OR THE RECEIVERSHIP ESTATE.

First Publication: July 6, 2023

Final Publication: July 27, 2023

Sentinel

NAME CHANGE

PUBLIC NOTICE OF ORDER FOR CHANGE OF NAME OF A MINOR ARAPAHOE COUNTY COURT, COLORADO Case No. 2022DR30004

PUBLIC NOTICE is given on June 8, 2023, that an Order was entered for a Change of Name of a Minor has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

The Order entered that the name of Marley Raye Parker be changed to Marley Raye Grimm.

First Publication: June 29, 2023

Final Publication: July 13, 2023

Sentinel

/s/ Judge

NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION

PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2023PR30649

Estate of Jeri Carson, Deceased.

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver County Court, on or before October 29, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Susan Chester Personal Representative 6416 Del Norte Lane, Dallas, TX 75225

Attorney for Personal Representative Michael P Barry, Atty. Reg.#: 35342 Ball & Barry Law, PLLC 2701 Lawrence St., Ste 101 Denver, CO 80205

Phone: 720-536 4660

First Publication: June 29, 2023

Final Publication: July 13, 2023

Sentinel

TO

Public Notices www.publicnoticecolorado.com

NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION

PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S.

Case No. 2023PR000201

Estate of Melvin Eugene Nelson aka Melvin Nelson aka Melvin E. Nelson, Jr., Deceased.

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 November 13, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Janai Nelson, Personal Representative

c/o CHAYET & DANZO, LLC

650 S. Cherry St., #710

Denver, CO 80246

Phone: 303-355-8500

First Publication: June 29, 2023

Final Publication: July 13, 2023

Sentinel

NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION

PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S.

Case No. 2023PR30655

Estate of Dorothy Shaffer Cutler aka Dorothy S. Cutler aka Dorothy Cutler, Deceased.

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 October 22, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Laura S. Cutler-Emery Personal Representative 43523 Tylman St. Temecula, CA 92592

Attorney for Personal Representative

David M. Kirch, Esq.

Atty Reg #: 5259

Kirch Rounds Bowman & Deffenbaugh, PC

Marketplace Tower II 3025 S. Parker Road, Ste. 820 Aurora, CO 80014

Phone: 303-671-7726

First Publication: June 22, 2023

Final Publication: July 6, 2023

Sentinel

NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION

PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S.

Case No. 2023PR30734

Estate of Napoleon Williams, Deceased.

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver County Court, on or before October 29, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Lisa Williams

Personal Representative 13101 Lackland Dr., Denver, CO 80239

Attorney for Personal Representative

Michael P Barry, Atty. Reg.#: 35342

Ball & Barry Law, PLLC 2701 Lawrence St., Ste 101 Denver, CO 80205

Phone: 720-536 4660

First Publication: June 29, 2023

Final Publication: July 13, 2023

Sentinel

NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION

PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S.

Case No. 2023PR30160

Estate of Marilyn Jane Perkins aka Marilyn Perkins aka Marilyn J. Perkins, Deceased.

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before October 29, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Attorney for Personal Representa- tive

Alan B. Hendrix

Atty Reg #: 10524 602 Park Point Dr., #240

Golden, CO 80401 Phone: 303-759-9111

First Publication: June 29, 2023

Final Publication: July 13, 2023

Sentinel

NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION

PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S.

Case No. 2023PR30682

Estate of Josephine Webster, Deceased.

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 October 30, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Ronald P. Webster

Personal Representative 6523 S. Piney Creek Circle Aurora, CO 80016

Attorney for Personal Representative David M. Swank Atty: Reg. #: 23408 Swank Law Firm, LLC 4600 South Syracuse Street, Suite 900 Denver, CO 80237

Phone: 303-773-2000

First Publication: June 29, 2023

Final Publication: July 13, 2023

Sentinel

PUBLIC NOTICE OF ORDER FOR CHANGE OF NAME OF AN ADULT ARAPAHOE COUNTY COURT, COLORADO Case No. 2023CV31071

PUBLIC NOTICE is given on June 5, 2023, that an Order was entered for a Change of Name of an Adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

The Order entered that the name of Roberto Gutierrez be changed to Roberto Bustillos Montoya.

/s/ Ben L. Leutwyler, III District Court Judge

First Publication: July 6, 2023

Final Publication: July 13, 2023 Sentinel

PUBLIC NOTICE OF PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME OF AN ADULT ARAPAHOE COUNTY COURT, COLORADO Case No. 23C100364

PUBLIC NOTICE is given on May 30, 2023, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an Adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court. The Petition request that the name of Adam Tristan Garcia be changed to Romeo-Adan Tristan Ventura.

First Publication: June 22, 2023

Final Publication: July 7, 2023 Sentinel

/s/ Judge

NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION

PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S.

Case No. 2023PR30638

Estate of Jack M. Greenwood aka Jack Martin Greenwood aka Jack Greenwood, Deceased.

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 October 22, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Allison M. Keller

Personal Representative 1336 S. Dogwood Ottawa KS 66067

Attorney for Personal Representative Charles E. Round, Esq.

Atty Reg #: 37786

Kirch Rounds Bowman & Deffenbaugh, PC

Marketplace Tower II 3025 S. Parker Road, Ste. 820 Aurora, CO 80014

Phone: 303-671-7726

First Publication: June 22, 2023

Final Publication: July 6, 2023

Sentinel

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