Sentinel Colorado 11.14.2024

RHETORIC OR REALITY?

Trump promised mass deportation of some immigrants, beginning in Aurora.

Promises of cheap gas and potato chips won Trump voters — journalism will persevere

TDAVE PERRY Editor

here’s no shortage of revulsion to Donald Trump’s win for the White House, but it was anything but surprising.

For four years after being elected in 2016, Trump made regular headlines for his endless trail of gaffes, gaslighting and gasbagging.

Twice impeached, Trump talked a lot, nearly endlessly. However, he did almost nothing as president. Mexico never paid for the wall, which cost American taxpayers close to $15 billion by 2020. He talked down the “China Flu” until he could no longer deny it was a global pandemic caused by the COVID virus.

Finally, he lost his re-election campaign to an elderly, inconsequential, retired senator and vice-president who offered Americans little more than a sane and relatively honest alternative to Trump.

Trump’s finale was the Jan. 6 insurrection. A bi-partisan congressional investigative committee convicted Trump of marshaling the stunning attack on the government.

Yet, he prevailed.

He nearly became as influential running a GOP shadow government from his house in Florida as he was as president. And all the while, he racked up a litany of criminal charges and convictions long enough to put him behind bars for the rest of his life.

Although Trump is a textbook case of Narcissistic Personality Disorder and unapologetically claims, daily, that his political success is all about him, it’s really not. It’s about the people who voted for him, because of what they think he can do, even when he can’t.

It’s actually about hope, or false hope.

There’s no doubt that propaganda machines like Fox News and Twitter-X owner Elon Musk make it easier for con-men like Trump to advance false promises

based on lies. But by Election Day, many people voted for Trump just hoping he could do what they care about most: lowering prices and getting rid of immigrants.

Biden didn’t do that. It’s not the “economy,” stupid. It’s the price of gas and half-empty bags of potato chips.

Most voters don’t understand, or care to understand, that all this talk about “inflation” isn’t about addressing the current cost of living. They don’t care that the pandemic essentially nuked the national — and global — economy, and that the consequence was a massive hike in the price of just about everything.

They just want it to go away.

And while Democrats and experts are correct in their assessment of a solid U.S. economy and relief from future inflation, they continue to talk around what people only truly care about: their personal finances.

Trump has promised all kinds of things he says he can do to “make America affordable again.”

Savvy and educated people know he’s lying. The last president who earnestly tried to push down prices was Richard Nixon, and it was a disaster. Windfall-profits taxes have had mixed results for generations and have made Republicans cringe since Jimmy Carter tried it in 1980.

In free markets like the United States, we exist in a legalized game of profiteering, one the government has had little success in addressing. Consumers have far more power than the government at pushing down prices, and we surrender that power every time we pull up to a gas pump.

Trump is a con man. American history is filled with tales of people who drew the faithful and foolish by telling them what they wanted to hear.

I believe that people really do care that Trump is racist and populist con, but,

hey, we’re talking about the price of almost everything here.

If Trump had lost his primary to Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor, having made the same false promises, would be measuring drapes in the Oval Office.

Most American voters just don’t want to deal with climate change, the complexity of gender dysphoria and the real or imagined threats from immigration.

In two years, when Trump is still blaming Biden, the weather, the French and the Constitution for things being much like they are now, voters will look for something else, again.

American voters are no more loyal than Trump.

For now, real journalism has never been more important. Americans may be selfish and inattentive, but they’re not stupid.

All Americans, and responsible journalists, know that winning the election did not absolve Trump of his past, nor change who he is. He is not just another U.S. politician and president. The slate was not wiped clean on Nov. 5.

Our job in calling out Trump’s lies and disinformation won’t turn around voters who passionately support him. But for those voters who resigned themselves to him on their ballots, just hoping the price of gas drops by at least a dollar a gallon, fact-based journalism will help them realize and understand the con they fell for last week.

Out of all the quotes from human history trotted out to during the past week seeking to offer context on Trump’s persistence, this one by Thomas Jefferson rings truest after this and every election.

“The government you elect is the government you deserve.”

That’s how democracy works.

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

Then Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump gestures at a campaign rally at the Santander Arena, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Reading, Pa.

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

As cold weather sets in, pressured migrant apartment renters in Aurora facing eviction

‘THERE’S MULTIPLE

REPORTS

FROM TENANTS THAT THEY DON’T HAVE HEATING, RIGHT NOW, AND IT’S FREEZING OUTSIDE’

closed an estimate of the fines.

BY CASSANDRA BALLARD, Sentinel Staff Writer

As the election ends and fresh snow falls, many residents at the Whispering Pines Condominiums in northwest Aurora are expecting eviction notices any day now after avoiding payment as part of a boycott for poor living conditions in the complex, city officials and renter advocates say.

“There’s multiple reports from tenants that they don’t have heating, right now, and it’s freezing outside,” said Nate Kassa, a representative for East Colfax Community Collective, a local advocacy group in Aurora helping struggling residents.

The threat of evictions of renters — many of whom are recent immigrants without work permits — is the latest in ongoing controversy surrounding a handful of apartment complexes owned by the same New York company.

The Aurora apartment complexes were made notorious by national media and social media coverage about blighted conditions and alleged Venezuelan gang takeovers over the past few months. Residents say they are trapped in a nightmare of risky housing conditions and anti-immigrant politics as property owner CBZ Management faces financial turmoil, receiverships and mounting city fines.

Now, some are facing eviction from their apartments for not paying full rent on units the city and current property managers say are sometimes seriously deficient.

CBZ Management is entangled in a bevy of lawsuits, receiverships,

news reports and controversy as tenants face rodent infestations, crime, broken appliances, unreliable utilities and discrimination when seeking alternative housing — all while city officials and banks take steps to address a crisis that’s left residents fearing for their future.

“We have people who have been applying (to live in other rental locations) for many months to move out of here,” V Reeves, a Housekeys Action Network Denver representative, said in October. “Folks are desperately coming up to us and saying, ‘We don’t want to continue living in these conditions, but when we apply by ourselves, nobody accepts our applications, and we end up spending over $1,000 in application fees trying to get into every possible place and being denied whenever they find out where we are coming from.’”

State and local government officials say more than 40,000 immigrants, chiefly from Venezuela, have come to the metro area, many bused here by Texas state officials after crossing the border. While some have a temporary ability to gain temporary residency and job permits, navigating the bureaucracy and wait times has added to what advocates say is a simmering humanitarian crisis in the metroplex.

Housekeys Action Network Denver officials say their program advocates for housing rights and policies shaped by increasing homelessness. The organization works to promote humane shelter conditions, support homeless migrants and fight for universal housing, according to its website.

Not only dilapidated, property

negligence at three Aurora apartment complexes owned by CBZ Management — Aspen Grove Apartments, Whispering Pines Condominiums, and the Edge at Lowry — has contributed to criminal activity at the complexes, leaving these properties struggling with ongoing issues, said Aurora City Attorney, Pete Schulte.

Police say some of that crime involves gangs, including the notorious Tren de Aragua prison gang from Venezuela. Police have repeatedly disputed, however, that the complexes are “overrun” by gangs. Aurora Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky inspired national hysteria with her unproven claims. The right-wing TV and social media foray drew the attention of Donald Trump, who came to Aurora Oct. 11 to hold a rally, promising to deport millions of undocumented and legal immigrants across the nation if elected president.

But controversy stems from three complexes owned by CBZ the city says were mismanaged to the point of becoming slums, and owners say they became slums because gang activity kept them from managing the buildings. City officials have provided numerous documents citing lists of unaddressed livability issues with the apartments, some going back several years.

Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman has publicly called CBZ principals “slumlords.”

Conditions at the Aspen Grove property at 1568 Nome St. were so serious the city shut the building down in August and evicted every tenant.

On Sept. 30, Aurora sent a letter to CBZ Management’s lawyer, Walter “Bud” Slatkin, warning of similar potential building closures at the Edge at Lowry complex due to criminal nuisance concerns. CBZ’s property manager, Zev Baumgarten, also received summonses to appear in Aurora municipal court on Oct. 24 for the Edge at Lowry and Whispering Pines properties over code violations. He did not appear.

Meanwhile, US Bank has filed a lawsuit against CBZ Management for loan defaults on some of the properties. Those court records show that CBZ claimed they could not collect rent due to gang activity.

A receivership was established over one building at the Edge of Lowry and all of the Whispering Pines complex, temporarily halting Aurora’s closure efforts on the remaining five Edge at Lowry buildings.

Baumgarten was still expected at the Oct. 24 court summons despite the receivership, but he did not appear.

“My understanding is that the court gave the city until Dec. 5 to try and serve Mr. Baumgarten again,” Ryan Luby, Aurora’s deputy director of communications, said in an email. “We will continue to hold these property owners and managers accountable.”

Schulte confirmed the process this week and said the city can only fine the property management company for the code violation and the city code if the representative appears for the court summons. Expenses like trash pickup can be received by the city through a lien on the property. The city has not dis-

“Our system, based on our code and our charter, says that we allege the violations and then the fines get levied in court,” Schulte said. The court cannot rule against CBZ if the city is unable to serve them the summonses through their registered agent. Schulte said the city will continue to pursue the registered agent, Universal Registered Agents, for the properties until someone appears at court. Otherwise, they are actively going against the rules of an LLC in the city, Schulte said.

One reason Baumgarten might not have shown was said in a statement on the CBZ Management X account on Oct. 23 saying that the people who run the X account would not be able to respond to questions until after Oct. 23 because of the Jewish holiday Simchat Torah.

Schulte said the city does not have the ability to condemn the remaining CBZ-owned buildings. In Colorado, cities cannot legally use public funds to maintain private property, he said. If a property manager fails to address safety issues, the city can only intervene if it poses a public safety risk. In such cases, the city can fix the issue and then place a lien on the property to recover costs, ensuring that taxpayers don’t cover expenses meant to be the owner’s responsibility.

The code violations summoning CBZ to the municipal court for each building included failure to remove trash/debris, failure to maintain the premises, failure to keep property litter-free, sanitation issues and standards and maintenance requirements.

Outside one of the buildings at Whispering Pines apartments in Aurora. Residents and building managers say some improvements have been made to units and the buildings, and evictions will begin for residents who don’t pay full rent.

PHOTO BY CASSANDRA BALLARD, Sentinel Colorado

Aurora’s apartment debacle begins at Aspen Grove

Aspen Grove at 1568 Nome St. was the first apartment complex to draw national attention for what city officials say is the landlords’ overwhelming neglect of the building. The city forcibly closed the building, leaving hundreds of tenants scrambling for housing in a matter of days.

CBZ officials contacted the Sentinel and other metro media June 27 through a public relations firm, insisting that Venezuelan gangs had taken over the complex, preventing them from managing it. Almost the same day, city officials released livability citations against the owners, going back more than two years.

At the same time, Jurinsky also said publicly that the owners were forced to let living conditions at the complex deteriorate because Venezuelan gang members had “overrun” the buildings. Events started the conversation of there being a presence of TdA in Aurora after a gang-involved shooting on July 28 that involved multiple injuries.

The closure of the Nome Street property was described as “unprecedented” by Schulte and Matthew Brown, the Aurora public safety strategic communications program manager. The city has rarely, if ever, forcibly closed a multi-unit property.

Aspen Grove is a large four-story, 98-unit building built in 1970. Nome Partners LLC (a subsidiary of CBZ) bought the property on Dec. 20, 2019, for $12.4 million, according to city, state and county records.

The city shuttered the apartment complex Aug. 13. City officials said the complex was closed because of more than two years of neglect and mismanagement that led to public safety and health violations.

In a settlement with the city, CBZ’s property manager, Zev Baumgarten, waived his right to a speedy trial, agreeing instead to sell or lease the property. Under this agreement, Nome Partners LLC was required to pay up to $60,000 for securing and cleaning the complex, with the option to re-tenant the building if it meets city code standards.

Shuttered, the property is still owned by Nome Partners LLC and CBZ, according to property records.

There has been no public announcement as to whether the property will be sold or reopened by Nome Partners, or anyone. The City of Aurora is communicating with the UBS Bank, which loaned Nome Partners LLC $9.2 million for the property in December 2019, according to the Adams County Clerk and Recorder website. Depending on the amount of the loan paid back, there may be another receivership for owners defaulting on payment due to claiming gang and criminal involvement, according to the city.

Nome Partners faced multiple charges over substandard living conditions at Aspen Grove, where residents endured infestations of rodents and cockroaches, sewage backups, piles of garbage, and electrical and plumbing issues, among other health and safety problems they say went unaddressed by the owners and their property management company for too long.

The Edge at Lowry, once obscure and now internationally infamous

The Edge at Lowry, 1216 Dallas St., was the site of an August home-security video depicting armed men in an apartment hallway that went viral. The video became the focus of heated controversy about Venezuelan immigrants and gang members in the city.

The Edge at Lowry was built in 1971 and comprises six three-story buildings with 12 units in each.

Ownership of the complex is confusing because it is made up of six buildings that line Dallas Street. However, 1208 Dallas St. is under its own limited liability company called 200 Columbia Realty LLC, while the rest are under the Five Dallas Partners LLC.

The 1208 Dallas building was purchased by 200 Columbia Realty LLC (a subsidiary of CBZ) on Dec. 1, 2020, for $1.5 million. Five Dallas Partners LLC (another subsidiary of CBZ) purchased the other five buildings in 2019 for $6.9 million. All six buildings were purchased from D&D Street Partners Ltd.

An Arapahoe County judge placed 1208 Dallas St. under receivership on Oct. 1 after US Bank Trust Company filed a foreclosure case on a $2 million loan, citing gang activity as a major obstacle to rent collection and property repairs.

On Sept. 24, the court appointed Kevin A. Singer from Receivership Specialists, citing the group’s experience managing gang-impacted properties, to address the issue.

Singer’s team hired local property management company PMI Aspire, Schulte said. The new companies immediately started asking for rent, which concerned residents who said they were not receiving many basic standards of living, residents and their advocates told the Sentinel.

Reeves, a spokesperson for HAND, a housing advocate group that has been helping Venezuelan immigrants in Aurora since an Aurora city employee whistleblower worked with tenants during the closure of Aspen Grove. She’s now working with tenants at other CBZ properties targeted by the city.

The receivers evaluated the condition of 1208 Dallas St. and placed security cameras around the property. Although they are updating the complex to get it back up to code with the city, they are already collecting the full monthly rent price from tenants, according to Reeves.

PMI Aspire told tenants it would take months to get the buildings up to code. Many tenants are critical about paying the full price of their original contract with CBZ Management because they still live in below-standard conditions, Reeves said.

All of the buildings in the complex are infested with mice, bed bugs, cockroaches and mold, Reeves said. This was also verified in the additional court summons for CBZ.

Reeves listed the substandard conditions the tenants are dealing with at all of the apartment complexes owned or previously owned by CBZ, which included a lack of clean running water, hot water, electricity, heat, air conditioning and working appliances like unusable stove tops and ovens. Some apartments are missing entire appliances.

“People have to find ways to heat water on their own,” Reeves said.

Scott Yahraus from Receivership Specialists said in a Nov. 1 email that there have been numerous improvements since mid-October, when the receiver was appointed and took control of the property. He declined to offer details of the improvements and to which units.

The Receivership Specialists and PMI Aspire are also tasked with verifying who was placed in the building with a completed lease, who qualifies to create a new lease, and anyone else. Jurinsky and CBZ officials say numerous squatters are living in the buildings, and without proof, insisting the squatters are TdA gang members.

PMI officials say they will systematically bring the complexes back to suitable conditions for renters.

“Significant amounts of money have already been expended and

will continue to be expended going forward,” Yahraus wrote in the email. “All residents are expected to pay their November rent to property management. All residents have been given notice on no less than three occasions where to send rent and request repairs. Notice was provided in English and Spanish.”

Yahraus said that he and property management met with all the tenants individually, introduced themselves and performed dozens of tenant maintenance requests for minor plumbing and electrical issues.

The company installed new common area doors to all buildings that self-lock and installed eight security camera towers throughout the property, with four to five cameras on each tower for resident protection. They also re-established security cameras in resident hallways for better resident protection. Private security guards are on-site nightly from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Around the building, they’ve cleaned up all debris and established regular trash service, Yahraus said. They provided new stoves to residents whose ranges had failed, cabled floor drains and hauled away bulky item waste left by residents, along with cleaning the common area hallway floors, boarding up broken windows, establishing pest control and repairing mailboxes to resume service. Yahraus said the water boilers have been serviced.

Rental advocates and tenants say they’ve seen improvements, but that serious problems, especially with vermin, are still unaddressed.

The eviction process for those not paying full rent was expected to begin this week, city officials said.

Eviction in Colorado, including Aurora, requires a court order, and only a sheriff can enforce it. Landlords can only lock out tenants, change locks, or remove belongings with this order. The process starts with a “Forcible Entry and Detainer” action, where landlords must issue a 10-Day Demand to the tenant detailing unpaid rent or lease violations. The entire process can take up to 45 days. An exception is made for tenants who commit crimes in a rental unit, allowing landlords to complete evictions within 72 hours, according to state law.

Laws regulating evictions are not affected by immigration status.

The rest of The Edge complex’s five buildings are still under CBZ management’s control and have not been included in the receiverships. These buildings are under the Five Dallas Partners LLC, which the city of Aurora threatened to shut down but postponed after word of the receivership.

The City of Aurora is communicating with UBS Bank, which loaned Five Dallas Partners $6.1 million in August 2019, city officials say. There may be another receivership for defaulting on payment due to gang and criminal involvement.

Moises Didenot, a tenant at one of the Edge at Lowry buildings still owned by CBZ, showed the Sentinel his online portal with CBZ Management requesting his Oct. 1 rent for Five Dallas Partners LLC even though the company has wholly withdrawn from providing services to his building. He said he was worried about paying because he wasn’t sure if they were still in charge of his building or if it would change hands and he would be double charged.

Whispering Pines Apartments brings new controversy to the CBZ debacle

Most of the attention brought to this building at 15483 E 13th Ave. was due to negligence of the property and the squalor that the tenants said they were being forced to live in.

The tenants feared the city would shutter their building as it did with Aspen Grove after a city inspection highlighted the deplorable living conditions in the complex.

The Whispering Pines Condominiums were also reported by CBZ officials to be linked to gang activity, including an incident where property manager, Zev Baumgarten was allegedly assaulted by an alleged TdA member, Yoendry Medina-Jose. Medina-Jose has been arrested and charged with assault in the case.

The complex was built in 1971 and comprises three multi-family unit three-story buildings with 48 units. Whispering Pine Partners LLC, BZMRS LLC and 733 Dekalb Realty LLC. They are all subsidiaries of CBZ, which bought the property in January 2022 for $7.7 million.

The entire complex was recently placed in receivership by an Arapahoe County judge on Sept. 24 after breach of contract with US Bank Trust Company after defaulting payment on a $7.2 million loan.

The property owners stopped making loan payments in July, citing gang activity and inability to collect rent, according to the court documents from the receivership.

On Sept. 23, US Bank acknowledged that CBZ Management stopped paying the business insurance for the Whispering Pine Apartments in order to cancel it which tipped the bank to take CBZ to court, according to court documents.

Just like with the 1208 Dallas St. property at The Edge, the Receivership Specialists took over the Whispering Pines and made PMI Aspire the new property management company.

Many tenants at Whispering Pines say they, also, are unwilling to pay full rent for substandard living conditions, Reeves said.

An eviction process there, for non-paying residents, is expected to begin the first week of November, according to city officials.

Kassa said none of the residents he spoke to on Nov. 7 have seen or received eviction notices, but he said some residents are still missing essential appliances and heat as cold weather continues.

“We spoke to tenants in early October and also today, and many of those tenants that we’ve spoken to are still reporting that a lot of the issues that they have are not fixed, which include broken appliances, holes in their apartments and mold,” Kassa said.

Pest infestations were also prevalent in all the buildings in the complex, according to municipal court summonses for CBZ and activists like Reeves and Kassa. Building violations for the Whispering Pines Apartments have verified many of the issues in the court summons from an inspection on Sept. 18.

A letter was placed outside on all of the Whispering Pines buildings that said PMI would have a pest company spraying for bedbugs and cockroaches on Nov. 6.

City code violations listed in municipal court summonses from the city include a missing refrigerator, missing range hood filters, inoperable hood vents, inoperable smoke detectors, missing bathtub hardware, missing toilet hardware, damaged front doors, missing ceiling fans, an inoperable stove, inoperable dishwashers, inoperable or missing smoke detectors, missing exit signs, inoperable disposals, breaker box breaker missing, missing thermostats, missing screens, exposed wiring, etc.

Repairs by the receivership appointed managers at the Whispering Pines include boiler repairs, and hydro-jetting and clearing blocked sewer lines.

2024 ELECTION RESULTS

Rep, Jason Crow returned for 4th term in CD6

U.S. Rep. Jason Crow has easily won a fourth term in office, beating Republican former ICE administrator John Fabbricatore to continue representing one of the nation’s most diverse congressional districts.

As of Oct. 11, Crow, a Democrat, had 60% of the vote compared to Republican Fabbricatore’s 39%.

“Our country faces tough challenges ahead,” Crow said in his re-election statement. “I look forward to working tirelessly to lower costs, secure our democracy, strengthen our alliances, defend human rights, protect fundamental freedoms, and so much more.”

This year’s race in Colorado’s 6th Congressional District focused largely on the issue that has dominated the news in Aurora, its largest city: Immigration.

Fabrricatore, a native New Yorker who used to lead the Immigration and Customs Enforcement regional field office in Colorado, has been among the loudest voices this election season warning about the presence of a Venezuelan prison gang called Tren de Aragua, also known as TdA in the city. He has echoed fear mongering about undocumented immigrants by rightwing Aurora Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky. Those claims became a favorite talking point of former President Donald Trump who pledged an “Operation Aurora” to forcibly root out and deport undocumented immigrants not just from the district, but from all over the United States.

False narratives about Venezuelans in Aurora have left many in that community feeling threatened physically and fearful of losing their jobs.

Crow spent much of the election season defending the migrants and has assigned ten staffers in his Aurora office working as caseworkers to help them and other asylum seekers navigate the immigration system as well as find housing, jobs and services.

“They want no handout, nothing given to them, and they came from horrible conditions. They’re scared. Afraid for their kids, their safety, just trying to provide for their families,” he said.

About 15,000 of the 40,000 Venezuelans who have migrated to Colorado live in Crow’s district. He has been campaigning for Kamala Harris and Democrat congressional candidates in hopes, among other things, of reinvigorating a deal that would allow the federal government to hire more border control officers, add more technology to secure the southern border and address a backlog of asylum seekers.

In an interview early Tuesday, Crow called the district’s diversity “a source of tremendous pride and strength that can be a national model” for coexistence. If re-elected, he said he has “an obligation to tell that story and counteract the narrative” that Republicans like Trump and Jurinsky have falsely spun claiming Venezuelan gang members have overrun Aurora.

The former Army Ranger and Bronze Star recipient serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Although acknowledges the stress and uncertainty of the presidential election, he wants to remind Coloradans that it is a sign of American democracy “not to know who’s gonna win.”

“It’s really a remarkably unique thing because in most of the world it’s a fixed game,” he said.

Crow famously protected some of his congressional colleagues during the pro-Trump siege of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. He is leery of what might happen this year after Trump supporters “have been told that if they lose it’s because of election fraud and cheating” and may resort once again to violence.

“Appealing to people’s better na-

›› See METRO, 9

ARAPAHOE COUNTY

››

ture, and lowering the temperature in the room will be very important,” he said. “I expect I’ll be spending a lot of time in the next few weeks doing just that.”

Fabbricatore, for his part, said, “I got decimated” Tuesday evening.

“I’m just a blip,” he added of his 39%. “I did what I could with the money I had without lot of support from the party — almost none.”

Fabbricatore noted he had searched for a venue to host his election-night watch party, only to be turned down by several bars and restaurants for fears “about the kind of crowd I might bring in.”

“It’s unfortunate that businesses feel that people will come against them if there’s a Trump party at their place,” he said.

He ended up holding the watch party at JJ’s Place, an Aurora sports bar owned by Jurinsky.

—Susan Greene, Sentinel Reporter in Residence

Aurora voters agree to repeal 20-year-old ban on pit bull dogs

Aurora voters have apparently repeal a years-old ban on pit bull dogs.

Measure 3A, which would repeal the 20-year-old ban, led by about 53% of the vote in Arapahoe County and 59% in Adams County as of Nov. 11.

limited our doctors for those breeds,” she said.

— Cassandra Ballard, Sentinel Staff Writer

Voters choose Democrats in most races for Adams, Arapahoe counties, district attorney

Voters have chosen Democratic candidates in most Arapahoe County 2024 elections.

Here’s a rundown of contested races as of Nov. 11:

Arapahoe County Commission

District 3: Brown vs Baker

In the Arapahoe County Commissioner race, Republican Jeff Baker apparently won against Democrat Scott Brown with 51% of the vote.

Brown and incumbent Baker competed for the position of County Commissioner in District 3. Each offered contrasting visions for the county’s future.

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Scan the QR code or visit arapahoeco.gov/volunteer

The pit bull ban in Aurora was initially enacted in 2005 with some leniency for people the city had previously issued a license. In 2014, voters approved a referendum to keep the ban. In 2021, however, Aurora City Council approved the removal of dog breed restrictions from the city ordinance — without going back to voters for permission.

Later, in 2021, Aurora resident Matthew Snider sued the Aurora City Council over the vote because it did not include voter support. He argued that the council broke city charter language and that Aurora voters decided on the issue and must decide on any changes. By 2023, the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Snider.

So, Aurora lawmakers asked voters whether the city should repeal the restricted breed ban and allow residents to own American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers.

Brown, a Democrat, emphasized the need for local roots and community revitalization for residents eager for change and a fresh perspective in solving existing problems. In contrast, Baker, a Republican, cited his experience and established leadership to highlight his commitment to continuity, effective governance and expertise in navigating the county’s challenges. Baker took a policy-driven, longterm approach focused on funding, regional partnerships and institutional knowledge, emphasizing his extensive experience. Brown, by contrast, prioritized practical, immediate needs like affordable housing and services, claiming a more personal connection with residents, particularly seniors.

The race for RTD District F RTD District F appears to have been won by Republican candidate Kathleen Chandler with 53% of the vote against Democrat Bernard Celestin.

As the Colorado election cycle finishes up, two candidates with personal connections to the state’s public transportation system offered their vision for improving mobility and serving the community in RTD District F. Chandler, a political consultant and advocate for conservative causes, came out ahead of Bernard Celestin, a former U.S. Army veteran and longtime RTD bus driver. Their contrasting views offered voters a choice between hands-on service experience with Celestin and a focus on broader policy reform with Chandler.

“We had a big moment of panic when we saw that the repeal had been overturned because we do see a big difference when we have breed-specific legislation on the books,” said Senior Director of Advocacy and Education at the Dumb Friends League Ali Mickelson, “but they are not enforcing that ban right now. So we haven’t felt that yet, but we are preparing for it.”

Share the Season with Neighbors in Need!

We’re partnering with generious community members like you to provide presents to children and adults experiencing financial hardship. Help your community by donating an unwrapped gift or choosing from our Amazon wish list. Visit arapahoeco.gov/ partnering or scan the QR code with your smartphone.

Thanksgiving

All County offices will be closed Thursday, Nov. 28 and Friday, Nov. 29 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

She said that when there is a breed-specific ban, there is an influx of banned breeds brought to the shelter, and it is very challenging to find them new homes.

Many shelters are usually already at maximum capacity, so having a breed-specific ban overwhelms shelters with finding placement for them. Mickelson said that many shelters are moving away from destroying unwanted dogs, and Colorado shelters have a strong network for moving animals.

When there was a pit bull ban in Denver, and Aurora was fully implementing its breed-specific ban, the shelter would have to label the kennels, warning people that they might live in a place with a ban on that breed.

“We have these families that come in, and they’re so excited to find out more about a dog, and then they find out that they can’t adopt that dog because of the restrictions in their community,” Mickelson said. “It just results in us having dogs that stay longer.”

Denver Dumb Friends League sits at the border of Aurora and Denver. When there was a ban in both cities, Mickelson said they had difficulty finding homes for those breeds.

“When those two communities had those bans, that just really, really

18th Judicial District new district attorney

Democrat Amy Padden has won the 18th Judicial District Attorney seat against Republican Carol Chambers with 58% of the vote.

“I will fight violent crime in the district, address the mental health and substance abuse crises that far too many of our residents are experiencing and protect our most vulnerable, including our seniors, our children and our new Americans,” Padden said in a statement. “I will make sure every member of our diverse Arapahoe County community, whether they are a victim, a witness or an individual accused of a crime, is heard and protected by our courts.”

The district, once covering Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties, now only includes Arapahoe County.

“I am grateful for and humbled by the trust the citizens of the County have placed in me,” Padden said in a statement. “Please know that your confidence in my vision for justice in JD18 is not misplaced.”

DA John Kellner, whose term ends in 2025, did not seek re-election, leaving Republican Carol Chambers and Padden to vie for the position.

— Cassandra Ballard, Sentinel Staff Writer

Happy holiday checklist: Got vaccinations?

DON’T WAIT FOR A HOLIDAY SURGE. NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO GET YOUR FLU AND COVID-19 VACCINES

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS AND SENTINEL STAFF WRITERS

If you missed the early fall push for flu and COVID-19 vaccines, it’s not too late.

Health officials say it’s important to get vaccinated ahead of the holidays, when respiratory bugs tend to spread with travel and indoor celebrations.

Infectious disease experts at UCHealth in Aurora say that anyone over 6 months old should get an annual flu shot now.

The vaccine, widely avaialable, is proven to reduce the risk of severe infection and hospitalization.

“A common misconception when it comes to timing your flu shot is to wait until later in the season,” said Dr. Michelle Barron, senior medical director of infection prevention and control at UCHealth. “Many people question if they should wait and see what will happen during the season, whether it will be an early season versus late season, but I encourage people not to wait and see.”

Flu and COVID infections are cyclical, increasing in late fall and peaking around the holidays in November or December, according to UCHealth officials.

“The flu virus can make you very sick and it can be debilitating. It affects healthy people and certainly the most vulnerable, young children and older adults,” Barron said, “So, think about getting your flu shot to not only protect yourself, but protect those around you.”

Those viruses haven’t caused much trouble so far this fall, according to state health officials. But COVID-19 is expected to jump in the winter months, a rise that usually starts around Thanksgiving and peaks in January. It takes the body about two weeks to build up immunity after either shot — meaning vaccination is needed before these viruses start spreading. A lot of older adults also need protection against another risky winter virus, RSV.

Yes, you can get your flu and COVID-19 shots at the same time. Don’t call them boosters — they’re not just another dose of last year’s protection. The coronavirus and influenza are escape artists that constantly mutate to evade your body’s immune defenses, so both

vaccines are reformulated annually to target newer strains.

While they’re not perfect, vaccinations offer strong protection against a bad case of flu or COVID-19 — or dying from it.

“It may not prevent every infection but those infections are going to be less severe,” said Dr. Demetre Daskalakis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “I would rather have my grandmother or my great-grandmother have a sniffle than have to go to the emergency room on Thanksgiving.”

Last year, just 45% of adults got a flu vaccination and even fewer, 23%, got a COVID-19 shot.

“Our best defense to protect ourselves, our loved ones and all those around us is a simple shot,” Dr. Bruce A. Scott, president of the American Medical Association, said in a recent statement.

While it may have faded from the headlines, the coronavirus still killed more Americans than flu last year.

“Maybe we believe that it’s not going to be me but let’s not take a chance,” said Dr. Michael Knight of George Washington University. “Why not get a vaccine that’s going to help you reduce that risk?”

Who needs a fall COVID-19 or flu vaccination?

The CDC urges both an updated COVID-19 shot and yearly flu vaccine for everyone ages 6 months and older. If you recently had COVID-19, you can wait two or three months but still should get an updated vaccination because of the expected winter surge.

Both viruses can be especially dangerous to certain groups including older people and those with weak immune systems and lung or heart disease. Young children also are more vulnerable. The CDC counted 199 child deaths from flu last year.

Pregnancy also increases the chances of serious COVID-19 or flu – and vaccination guards mom plus ensures the newborn has some protection, too.

In addition, the CDC is recommending that people 65 and older get a second COVID-19 shot six months after their fall dose to boost

their year-round protection, since the coronavirus isn’t just a winter threat. People with weakened immune systems are eligible for extra doses, too.

What’s new about the COVID-19 shots?

Last fall’s shots targeted a coronavirus strain that’s no longer spreading while this year’s are tailored to a new section of the coronavirus family tree. The Pfizer and Moderna shots are formulated against a virus subtype called KP.2 while the Novavax vaccine targets its parent strain, JN.1. Daskalakis said all should offer good cross protection to other subtypes now spreading.

The Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines can be used by adults and children as young as 6 months. The Novavax shot is a more traditional protein vaccine combined with an immune booster, and open to anyone 12 and older.

Which flu vaccine to choose?

High-dose shots and one with a special immune booster are designed for people 65 and older, but if they can’t find one easily they can choose a regular all-ages flu shot.

For the shot-averse, the nasal spray FluMist is available for ages 2 to 49 at pharmacies and clinics — although next year it’s set to be available for use at home.

All flu vaccinations this year will guard against two Type A flu strains and one Type B strain. Another once-common form of Type

B flu quit spreading a few years ago and was removed from the vaccine.

What about that other virus, RSV? RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a coldlike nuisance for most people but it, too, packs hospitals every winter and can be deadly for children under 5, the elderly and people with certain high-risk health problems.

The CDC recommends an RSV vaccination for everyone 75 and older, and for people 60 to 74 who are at increased risk. This is a onetime shot, not a yearly vaccination – but only 24% of seniors got it last year. It’s also recommended late in pregnancy to protect babies born during the fall and winter.

And while “your arm may hurt and you may feel crummy for a day,” it’s also fine to get the RSV, flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time, Daskalakis said.

What will it cost?

The vaccines are supposed to be free under Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance plans if people use an in-network provider.

About 1.5 million uninsured adults got free COVID-19 vaccinations through a federal program last year but that has ended. Instead, the CDC is providing $62 million to health departments to help improve access. Call your local health department to ask about options. Check the government website, vaccines. gov, for availability at local pharmacies.

ABOVE: Anh Nguyen prepares to administer a COVID-19 vaccine for Kelly Vazquez at a pharmacy in New York, Sept. 24, 2024. AP

Photo/Mary Conlon

BELOW: A pharmacist holds a COVID-19 vaccine at a pharmacy in New York, on Sept. 24, 2024. AP

Photo/Mary Conlon

IF YOU GO: Nov. 15 - Dec. 29

Arapahoe County Fairgrounds, 25690 E. Quincy Ave.

$44-$58

https://christmasincolor.net/

scene & herd

Abby Apple Boes in “She’s Here All Evening”

As part of the Aurora Fox Cabaret Series, singer Abby Apple Boes will present an evening of stories and songs, chronicling her career from 80s New Wave frontwoman to cabaret performances in Los Angeles, New York and the Eugene O’Neill Cabaret and Performance Conference. She’ll be joined by Robert Lowe on piano, Randy Chavez on guitar, Lynn A. Keller on bass and Brian Jaffe on drums.

IF YOU GO:

Abby Apple Boes in “She’s Here All Evening”

7:30 p.m. Nov. 15 and Nov. 16 Aurora Fox Arts Center, 9900 E Colfax Ave., Aurora

$28

https:// www.aurorafoxartscenter.org/ onstage/abby-apple-boes-2024

Christmas In Color Drive-thru Animated Light Show

A dazzling drive-through holiday light show synchronized to festive music straight through your car radio. Cruise past giant candy canes, towering snowmen, glowing arched pathways and more as millions of lights illuminate your route. Enjoy the season’s magic at your own pace.

Some Sort of Spookshow November

Artists, vendors, food, music, presentations, seminars and more. The Remote Control Car Demo Derby is also returning with more carnage, mayhem and destruction than last year. There will also be a spooky show and tell, so event organizers say to bring your odd items to show off, and you might just win a cash prize.

IF YOU GO: Some Sort of Spookshow November

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Nov.16

The Stampede, 2430 S. Havana St., Aurora $13

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ some-sort-of-spookshow-november16th-2024-tickets-921068429467

Stanley Holiday Fashion Show

The Stanley’s annual Holiday Fashion Show is back, showcasing the latest seasonal trends from local vendors. Featured boutiques include Abstract, Aktiv, Iron & Resin, June Ruby, Recovering Hipster Goods, TRUE and Urban Cowgirl. The event organizers are partnering with Bonez 4 Budz and Big Bones Canine Rescue this year. Attendees can also donate to the holiday clothing drive in partnership with AndDNVR.

IF YOU GO: Holiday Fashion Show

6- 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14

Stanley Marketplace, 2501 Dallas St., Aurora Free

https://stanleymarketplace. com/stanley-events/#calendar-277b8aa4-e667-4afb-a58527663175b509-event-m1v3567g

Santa Photos on the Trolley

Grab a photo with Santa on Aurora’s Trolley Trailer 610. Visitors can also enjoy sweet treats, face painting and museum scavenger hunts. The Community Gallery will display this year’s lineup of wreaths as part of the annual Festival of Wreaths fundraiser, and proceeds will go to a new archival storage facility. As the museum has grown, it requires a new storage facility for long-term preservation, conservation and care of Aurora’s history. Funding will also support the museum’s education programs and community events.

IF YOU GO:

Santa Photos on the Trolley Noon – 2 p.m., Nov. 16

Aurora History Museum, 15051 E. Alameda Parkway, Aurora $5 per group, suggested donation https://www.amfco.org/wreaths

Shop & Craft at the Stanley Marketplace

Curious Jane is hosting a 90-minute crafting workshop at Stanley Marketplace where kids (ages five and older) can make charm necklaces, beaded bracelets and DIY backpack charms. Supplies are included and participants can make up to three crafts. Child drop-off is at Urban Cowgirl on the second floor. Participating stores offer discounts during the event, including 20% off at Urban Cowgirl and TRUE, 10% off at La Creperie d’Audrey and more. Tickets are refundable up to 7 days before the event; within 7 days, tickets are non-refundable but can be applied to a future Curious Jane event.

IF YOU GO:

Shop & Craft at the Stanley 2 - 3:30 p.m. Nov. 17

Stanley Marketplace, 2501 Dallas St., Aurora $10 before 11/15 and $15 after https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ shop-craft-at-the-stanley-marketplace-tickets-1055853589509

25th Annual Festival of Wreaths

The Aurora Museum Foundation presents its Annual Festival of Wreaths, a fundraiser showcasing community-crafted wreaths at the Aurora History Museum. Starting Nov. 5, wreaths will be on display, with visitors encouraged to vote and bid, either in-person or online via Bidding Owl. This year’s festival coincides with The Grand Celebration on Nov. 16, marking the museum’s 45th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of Trolley Trailer #610, featuring both silent and live auctions to support museum exhibits and educational programs. Community members are invited to participate by decorating and donating wreaths for the event.

IF YOU GO: Festival of Wreaths Nov. 5- Dec. 6 Aurora History Museum, 15051 E. Alameda Parkway Free Family-friendly auroragov.org/things_to_do/ aurora_history_museum

The Pond Ice Rink

Southlands’ popular ice rink, The Pond, reopens on Nov. 8, kicking off

the holiday and winter season. Advance tickets for skating sessions will be available soon. Group rates are also offered; contact (303) 928-7536 for details and reservations or email southlands@icerinkevents.com.

IF YOU GO:

The Pond opens Nov. 8 Southlands, 6155 S. Main St. $14 Family-friendly shopsouthlands.com/

“Where The Wild Things Are” Package

In collaboration with Denver Art Museum’s brand-new “Where The Wild Things Are” exhibit, honoring the cherished children’s book, The ART Hotel Denver, has launched a Wild Things package. The package will include a hardcover edition of “Where the Wild Things Are” book. Two tickets to the “Wild Things” exhibit at the Denver Art Museum, truffles and a personalized note from the book’s main character, Max.

IF YOU GO: Through Feb. 17

The ART Hotel Denver 1201 Broadway, Denver, Free www.thearthotel.com/ special-offers/wild-things

• Great Burgers

• GreatBurgers

• GreatCheesesteaks

• Great Philly Cheesesteaks

• 20 TV’s

• 20 TVs

• Open St age EveryThursday

• Watch All NFL & MLB Games

• Saturdays:11:30AM-3PM FreeDomesticBeeror

• Open Stage Every Thursday

Soda With SandwichOrder

AFTER TRUMP TARGETED AURORA FOR FAR-REACHING IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN,

RHETORIC MEETS REALITY

BY SENTINEL AND ASSOCIATED PRESS STAFF WRITERS

“Build the Wall” was Donald Trump’s rally cry in 2016, and he acted on his promise by tapping military budgets for hundreds of miles of border wall with Mexico.

Only 47 miles of wall was built, and, despite Trump’s insistence, Mexico did not pay for any of it.

“Mass Deportation” was the buzzword that energized supporters for his White House bid in 2024, bringing the heart of that campaign to Aurora.

Trump’s victory sets the stage for a swift crackdown after an Associated Press survey showed the president-elect’s supporters were largely focused on immigration and inflation — issues the Republican has been hammering throughout his campaign.

How and when Trump’s actions on immigration will take shape is uncertain.

While Trump and his advisers have offered outlines, many questions remain about how they would deport anywhere close to the 11 million people estimated to be in the country illegally. How would immigrants be identified? Where would they be detained? What if their countries refuse to take them back? Where would Trump find money and trained officers to carry out their deportation?

Trump has said he would invoke the Alien Enemies Act, a rarely used 1798 law that allows the president to deport any non-citizen from a country the U.S. is at war with.

That threat prompted the ACLU here in Colorado and across the nation to promise an energized court battle.

Trump has spoken about deploying the National Guard, which can be activated on orders from a governor. Stephen Miller, a top Trump adviser, has said troops under sympathetic Republican governors would send troops to nearby states that refuse to participate.

All the past rhetoric no turning into policy has state and local officials stepping back from some of their past bravado.

Aurora became the nexus of immigration controversy during the Trump campaign in August when the then-presidential candidate jumped on national rightwing news and social media allegations of Venezuelan gang takeovers of some apartments.

Trump exaggerated the news, falsely claiming the city, and even the state, were overrun by Venezuelan

immigrants and gangs.

In Aurora for a campaign rally Oct. 11, Trump called for a federal “Operation Aurora” to root out and deport undocumented immigrants not just from the city, but from all over the United States.

Trump pressed on the false narrative — debunked by police state and city officials — that Aurora has been overrun by members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan prison gang also known as TdA. His focus on the gang was so central to his speech that his campaign lined the stage with blown up mugshots of its alleged members.

“Many of these people are murderers,” he told the crowd of about 10,000 supporters at the Gaylord Rockies Resort in the far northeast corner of Aurora near Denver International Airport. “You can’t live with these people. These are stone cold killers. You could be walking down the street with your husband. You’ll both be dead. They won’t even remember they did it the following morning. You can’t live like this.”

Trump said then and later during his campaign that, if elected, he would focus on mass deportations.

“November 5, 2024 will be liberation day in America,” he added about the upcoming election. “I will rescue Aurora.”

At no point in Trump’s Aurora speech, or after, did he elaborate on how his proposed “Operation Aurora” might work other than to say that undocumented immigrants “are gonna be out on their asses and they’re going to be out of this country.”

Here’s a selection of comments on Trump’s promise to invoke Operation Aurora after his election:

Colorado Democratic State Sen. and Arapahoe County Commissioner Elect Rhonda Fields: “What are the long-term consequences of these kinds of actions? There needs to be more thorough thought about how this looks for our city, for our state and for our nation. We need to know the path forward. What are the standards? What are the procedures? Who’s going to be policing it? Who’s going to be verifying it? Who’s going to pay for them going back, how much is it going to cost, and what about the human cost?”

Adams County Commissioner Steve O’Dorisio: “Well, I disagree with President-elect Trump’s position on this matter; I have to put faith in the fact that this is a country of checks and balances and that those will be there when we need them. Local governments need to continue serving their constituents regardless of who’s in the White House, and I anticipate local governments will continue to push back on any overreach from the state or federal government that tries to impede local governments’ abilities to serve their constituents.”

ACLU of Colorado Executive Director Anthony D. Romero: “We are prepared to defend against the Trump administration’s unlawful mass deportation plan through coordinated action at all levels of government. We’ll also work with states and localities to protect residents to the full extent possible and ensure that a Trump administration can’t hijack state resources to carry out its draconian policies.”

U.S. Democratic Rep. Jason Crow: “I am shocked and deeply saddened by the results of the election last night. Clearly I believe Donald Trump poses unique threats to Coloradans and my constituents.” “If Donald Trump intends to carry out his promises to tear apart Colorado families, I will do everything to resist that.”

Aurora Councilmember Curtis Gardner: “Aurora was weaponized during the presidential campaign, which I was critical of. We have a strong immigrant community in Aurora and those residents want the same things as everyone else. In fact, many came to Aurora to live out their version of the American Dream. I hope President-Elect Trump takes a moderate approach to addressing immigration — we need to secure our border and understand who is coming into our country, but we also need to have a better system for work permits as well as a pathway to citizenship for the immigrants that enrich our community and want to live out their version of the American Dream.”

Democratic Gov. Jared Polis: “No matter what, the Free State of Colorado will remain a beacon that reflects the values of economic liberty and personal liberty that this country was built on, and we will do everything in our power to protect all Coloradans and our freedoms.”

‘We are prepared to defend against the Trump administration’s unlawful mass deportation plan through coordinated action at all levels of government’

Trump, who repeatedly referred to immigrants “poisoning the blood” of the United States, has stricken fear in immigrant communities with words alone.

The fear first became apparent for immigrant Maria Angel Torres on a routine trip to the grocery store back in the spring. Torres was standing in line holding a jug of milk and other items when she moved a little too close to a young woman in front of her.

The woman — a teen who spoke Spanish with an American accent — told Torres to keep her distance.

“It was humiliating,” says Torres. “I don’t look like a threat. But people here act like they feel terrorized.”

And when Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman — and then Trump — started talking about Venezuelan gangs taking over an apartment and the entire city of Aurora, Torres didn’t understand. While she didn’t believe that gangs had “taken over,” she worried that any bad press about Venezuelans would affect her and her family.

Keeping out dangerous people is important to Torres. The whole reason her family left Venezuela was to escape lawlessness and violence. They didn’t want it to follow them here.

Julie Moreno, a U.S. citizen who has been married for seven years to a Mexican man who is in the country illegally, is adjusting to the idea that she may have to live separately from her husband, who came to the United States in 2004. She can move to Mexico from New Jersey but it would be nearly impossible to keep running her business importing boxing gloves.

“I don’t have words yet, too many feelings,” Moreno said, her voice breaking as she spoke Wednesday of Trump’s victory. “I am very scared for my husband’s safety. … If they detain him, what is going to happen?” Moreno’s husband, Neftali Juarez, ran a construction business and feels he has contributed to the country, paying taxes and providing employment through his company. “Unfortunately, the sentiment of the people who voted is different,” he said. “I feel horrible losing my wife.”

Some policy experts expect Trump’s first immigration moves to be at the border. He may pressure Mexico to keep blocking migrants from reaching the U.S. border as it has since December. He may lean on Mexico to reinstate a Trump-era policy that made asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court.

Andrew Arthur, a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, which supports immigration restrictions, highlighted campaign remarks by Vice President-elect JD Vance that deporting millions would be done one step at a time, not all at once.

“You’re not talking about a dragnet,” Arthur, a former immigration judge, told The Associated Press. “There’s no way you could do it. The first thing you have to do is seal the border and then you can address the interior. All of this is going to be guided by the resources you have available.”

Elena, a 46-year-old Nicaraguan who has been living in the United States illegally for 25 years, couldn’t sleep after Trump’s victory, crying about what to do if she and her husband, 50, are deported. They have two adult daughters, both U.S. citizens, who have had stomach pain and respiratory problems from anxiety about the election.

“It is so difficult for me to uproot myself from the country that I have seen as my home,” said Elena, who lives in South Florida and gave only her first name for fear of being deported. “I have made my roots here and it is difficult to have to abandon everything to start over.”

Advocates are looking at where deportation arrests might take place and are watching especially closely to see if authorities adhere to a longstanding policy of avoiding schools, hospitals, places of worship and disaster relief centers, said Heidi Altman, federal advocacy director for the National Immigration Law Center’s Immigrant Justice Fund.

“We’re taking it very seriously,” said Altman. “We all have to have our eyes wide open to the fact that this isn’t 2016. Trump and Stephen Miller learned a lot from their first administration. The courts look very different than they did four years ago.”

More than deportations

Trump is expected to resume other far-reaching immigration policies from his first term and jettison key Biden moves. These include:

—Trump has harshly criticized Biden policies to create and expand legal pathways to entry, including an online app called CBP One under which nearly 1 million people have entered at land crossings with Mexico since January 2023. Another policy has allowed more than 500,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicara-

guans and Venezuelans to fly into the country with financial sponsors.

— Trump slashed the number of refugees screened abroad by the United Nations and State Department for settlement in the U.S. to its lowest level since Congress established the program in 1980. Biden rebuilt it, establishing an annual cap of 125,000, up from 18,000 under Trump.

—Trump sought to end the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which shielded people who came to the U.S. as young children from deportation. A lawsuit by Republican governors that has seemed headed for the Supreme Court challenges DACA. For now, hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients may renew their status but new applications aren’t accepted.

—Trump dramatically curtailed the use of Temporary Protected Status, created under a 1990 law to allow people already in the United States to stay if their homelands are deemed unsafe. Biden sharply expanded use of TPS, including to hundreds of thousands of Haitians and Venezuelans.

Maribel Hernandez, a Venezuelan on TPS that allows her to stay in the United States until April 2025, burst into tears as her 2-year-old son slept in a stroller as migrants discussed election fallout Wednesday.

“Imagine if they end it,” she said.

OPPOSITE PAGE LEFT: A person holds up a placard during a rally by the East Colfax Community Collective to address chronic problems in the apartment buildings occupied by people displaced from their home countries in central and South America, Sept. 3, 2024, in Aurora, Colo.

AP Photo/David Zalubowski

OPPOSITE PAGE RIGHT: Cindy Romero speaks as Aurora city council member Danielle Jurinsky listens before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Aurora, Colo. AP Photo/David Zalubowski

ABOVE: Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump dances at a campaign rally at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Aurora, Colo. AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Below top: Regis Jesuit senior Grayson McPherson (83) is hoisted into the air by a teammate after his touchdown catch in the Raiders’ 45-14 Class 5A state football first round playoff win over Eaglecrest Nov. 10.

Below middle: Grandview junior quarterback Blitz McCarty yells in celebration after his touchdown run late in the Wolves’ 17-3 Class 5A state football first round playoff win over Denver East Nov. 9 at All-City Stadium.

Below bottom: Eaglecrest senior Ramadje Owens (4) hugs an assistant coach after the Raptors’ 45-14 Class 5A state football first round playoff loss at Regis Jesuit Nov. 10.

PHOTOS BY COURTNEY

OAKES/AURORA SENTINEL

There weren’t any shiny win-loss records for Aurora football teams, but that doesn’t matter in the postseason.

All that matters is to win the game in front of you, and that’s what three city programs all of which were .500 in the regular season — did in the opening round of the Class 5A state playoffs.

Not only did 12th-seeded Regis Jesuit, 17th-seeded Grandview and 26th-seeded Cherokee Trail navigate their opponents, they handled the challenges of a weather-marred week of preparation.

FOOTBALL

Grandview also brandished its physicality in its game with Denver East.

Coach Tom Doherty’s Wolves weren’t very sharp for much of the game — which Doherty attributed to just one full day of practice during the week — but they had a crucial drive when they needed it in the fourth quarter to seal the game.

Senior Caleb Llamas, who broke free for a 43-yard touchdown in the opening quarter, ran hard and benefitted from the work done in front of him by the offensive line and tight ends on his way to 163 yards rushing. Junior quarterback Blitz McCarty dove in from two yards out to put the game out of reach for the Wolves, who trailed 3-0 after one series.

Playoff ready

“We talked all week that with the schedule we played and the league we’re in, we felt like we were prepared,” said Cougars coach Justin Jajczyk, whose team pulled off the largest upset in the first round when it downed No. 13 Castle View 25-7 Nov. 10.

BY COURTNEY OAKES Sports Editor

“With all the challenges, we came out against a physical, well-coached team, it paid dividends.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our kids.”

It was no real surprise that the only two upsets of the opening round came from Centennial League programs in Grandview — which pulled off a mild upset with a 17-3 victory over No. 16 Denver East — along with Cherokee Trail, which won in the postseason for the first time since the opening round of the 2021 postseason.

The Cougars took down a Castle View team that came into the game with a 17-3 record by mixing a physicality sharpened by play in the rugged Centennial League with explosive plays.

Cherokee Trail got a big strike in the first quarter with a long touchdown connection from senior quarterback Tyson Smith to senior Marquis Jamison, then added 12 more points in the final 36 seconds of the first half to take control. Smith connected with senior Cade Brook on a short touchdown throw to up the lead to 13-0 and on the final play of the half, Jamison diagnosed a screen play, intercepted the ball and took it back to the end zone.

Once in the lead Cherokee Trail leaned on the play of its offensive line and the hard running of senior running backs Noah Collins and Brian Tucker to run out the clock.

Regis Jesuit was not the underdog in its game against Eaglecrest Nov. 10, but faced another Centennial League team like the Grandview one that had knocked it out of the playoffs in the second round in 2023.

Coach Danny Filleman’s Raiders forced four turnovers, however, which allowed them to pull away from the Raptors for a 45-14 victory.

In his first playoff game, freshman quarterback Luke Rubley threw three touchdown passes — two to senior quarterback-turned-receiver Peyton Lindell and another to senior Grayson McPherson — while sophomore Benjamin Bacon made his first start at running back and finished with 128 yards rushing and a touchdown.

After the victories come tougher challenges in the second round, however.

For Grandview, it’s a rematch with league rival and top-seeded Cherry Creek — which won 35-18 when the teams met in the regular season finale — while Cherokee Trail plays on the road at No. 4 Columbine (last season’s state champion) and Regis Jesuit visits rival and fifth-seeded Valor Christian.

For the area teams that didn’t advance, Eaglecrest got touchdown passes from senior Joe Steiner to senior Burke Withycombe and junior Quincy Clayton, but finished 5-6 in the first season under coach Jesse German. The other Aurora program to fall in the first round was the 24th-seeded Overland, which qualified for the playoffs in the first season under new coach Tony Lindsay Sr. In their first postseason game since 2019, the Trailblazers played on the road at No. 9 Erie Nov. 9 and fell behind by 28 points after one quarter of a 48-6 defeat. Senior Jarrius Ward broke off a 76-yard touchdown for the lone score for Overland.

Right: Cherokee Trail seniors

Cade Brook (11), Marquis Jamison (1) and Noah Collins take a picture in a snow bank on the edge of the field at Douglas County Stadium after the Cougars’ 25-7 Class 5A state football first round playoff win Nov. 10.

TOverland gymnastics team walked out of the Class 5A state team competition Nov. 7 at Thornton High School with the runner-up trophy all to itself this time.

Last season, coach Lisa Sparrow’s Trailblazers shared second place with Broomfield, but this time, they were able to finish 0.275 of a point clear of the Eagles to repeat as runners-up behind backto-back state champion Mountain Range.

GYMNASTICS

While the Mustangs racked up 184.200 points, Overland came in next with a season-high score of 181.900 — which bettered the 181.825 it had at the Centennial/Continental League Championships — with Broomfield third with 181.625.

Walline next with a 9.300 that earned her a spot in the individual event finals.

Overland finished its state retation on the vault and landed 11 of its 12 attempts on its way to a team score of 45.050. It was an important performance, because Sparrow watched Broomfield struggle a bit on its final events — the uneven bars — to leave the door open for the Trailblazers.

Renner in particular was on point in the event with a 9.550 that ended up sealing her fourth-place finish in the all-around competition. It was her second time on the all-around medal podium in as many seasons as she was third in 2023.

“Our supporting teammates were cheering as loud as they could and being amazing and we really gave it our all,” Sparrow said. We didn’t know where we were and I really don’t enjoy being disappointed, so I kept my expectations low.”

Trophy score

BY COURTNEY OAKES Sports Editor

“We were ranked second all season, so I’m happy for the outcome and that we managed to maintain that ranking despite I would say a less than stellar state meet,” Sparrow said. “We had to overcome some things, but I told them this is why you don’t ever give up. You don’t concede until that final score is read.Nobody had a perfect meet, but we’ll take it and be proud of it.”

While she was certainly pleased with the final result — the sixth time in the last nine years in which the Trailblazers finished second, while it remains in search of a seventh all-time title — Sparrow found a lot of stress in how they got there.

Overland began the meet with a solid set on the balance beam in which junior Bailey Renner and seniors Maia Howell and Ali Padgett qualified for the individual event finals. It turned out to be the team’s highest score on any event at 46.300 and it was also the best among any of the teams in the competition that event ahead of the 46.075 of Broomfield.

Last season, Sparrow got the inside information that her team had tied for second and didn’t ruin the surprise, but this season she allowed herself to be pleasantly surprised when the final results were read.

On top of the trophy, Overland came away with multiple berths in the individual event finals as Renner made in all four events, Howell advanced on the balance beam and uneven bars and seniors Padgett (balance beam), Walline (floor exercise) and Audrey Cox (uneven bars) and sophomore Katie Hofer (uneven bars) got another chance.

On a night in which Mountain Range’s Frankie MacAskill dazzled with scores of perfect 10 on both the uneven bars and floor exercise, Renner joined Arvada West’s Layla Petz (the all-around individual champion) and MacAskill as the only gymnasts in the top four of every event.

For full 5A state meet results, visit sentinelcolorado. com/preps

Her best score of any of the four events came on the floor exercise with a 9.525 that put her fourth, while she was third on the uneven bars and balance beam and fourth in the vault, all with the same score of 9.425.

The uneven bars were next and ended up on the opposite end of the spectrum, as the Trailblazers scored just 44.800. The score was limited a bit by a fall near the end of the routine for Renner, who anchored the lineup.

“There’s so much mental stuff in this sport, it’s crazy,” Sparrow said. “You just have to flush it and have to find a way to let it go as quickly as possible.”

Renner did just that on the next event, Overland’s specialty, the floor exercise. She earned a score of 9.500 — which tied for sixth-best among those in the competition — with senior Ryann

Also making the medal podiums in the individual event finals were Howell (who scored 9.375 on the balance beam to tie for fourth), Padgett (who claimed sixth on the balance beam with a 9.275), Cox (whose 9.200 on the uneven bars earned her seventh place) and Walline, who forced a tie for eighth in the floor exercise with a 9.400.

While there were some disappointments, Sparrow tried to keep things in perspective.

“I always remind them, your gymnastics career is way bigger than one routine,” she said. “I don’t talk about your scores when you are gone, but your attitude, effort and who you were as a person.”

ABOVE: Members of the Overland gymnastics team pose with the Class 5A team state runner-up trophy they earned on Nov. 7 at Thornton High School. The Trailblazers scored a season-high 181.900 points to finish behind Mountain Range.

(Photo by Brad Cochi/CHSAANow). BELOW: Junior Ainsley Renner finished fourth in the 5A state all-around competition and placed in the top four on all four events in the Nov. 9 individual event finals. BOTTOM: Senior Maia Howell dismounts from the uneven bars Nov. 7.

PHOTOS BY COURTNEY OAKES/AURORA SENTINEL

he

FIELD HOCKEY

Smoky Hill lays claim to consolation bracket title with overtime victory

The Smoky Hill field hockey team finished the season as the first winner of the sport’s new consolation title.

The Buffaloes rebounded from a first round loss in the championship portion of the bracket with three straight wins — capped by a thrilling 2-1 overtime victory over Pine Creek Nov. 11 at All-City Stadium — to finish the season 12-6-1.

Freshman Carmella Trujillo finished off a pass from senior Elyse Bailey for the golden goal for Smoky Hill, which got its other goal in regulation from senior Henley Whitehead.

“It felt amazing and I’m glad to give the seniors a win they could take home,” said Trujillo, who had one goal in the regular season, but scored three times in the consolation playoffs.

It was a wild postseason for coach Lisa Griffiths’ team — a co-op of players from Smoky Hill as well as Cherokee Trail and Eaglecrest — which dropped a 1-0 contest to St. Mary’s Academy in the first round. But instead of the end of the season, Smoky Hill moved into the consolation bracket in a new format created when the sport reached 16 teams statewide.

Once there, the Buffaloes notched a 7-0 win over Grandview, followed by a 3-1 consolation semifinal win over Cheyenne Mountain Nov. 5. The game was called with Smoky Hill ahead 3-1 after three quarters — which included goals from seniors Bailey, Ella Ambruso and Julia Kaiser — due to whiteout conditions.

“We weren’t sure we wanted to be there, but after that Grandview game, they were hyped to play,” Griffiths said. “It’s a fairytale ending for all these seniors who didn’t win a single game their first year.”

Griffith said the program doubled in size and finished with 51 players.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Cherokee Trail earns spot in 5A state tournament

The Cherokee Trail girls volleyball team dropped the first set of each of its two matches at the Class 5A Region 11 tournament on its home floor Nov. 9, but rallied both times to go 2-0 on the day and advance.

The Cougars defeated No. 26 Westminster 23-25, 25-17, 25-17, 25-15 and then dispatched No. 14 Broomfield 22-25, 25-19, 25-19, 2523 to earn a spot in the Nov. 14-16 5A state tournament at the Denver Coliseum. Cherokee Trail last appeared at state in 2022, but made it in the first season under coach Amber Cornett.

All 12 of the top seeds going into regionals advanced, so there were no changes in the seeding then the Colorado High School Activities Association released the state bracket Nov. 11. The Cougars will play No. 6 Pine Creek (22-3) at 11 a.m. Nov. 14 and then will move into the championship or consolation portion of the double elimination tournament depending on the result. Cherokee Trail lost to Pine Creek in four sets at the Ponderosa Tournament late in the regular season.

Cherokee Trail’s senior-dominated lineup rose to the occasion in regional play, as Kassie Cooley piled up 28 kills between the two matches, while fellow outside hitter Bella Sieve had 26. Quincey McCoy racked up 16 blocks, Alize Flores had 32 digs and Avery Krause 85 assists between the two matches.

In its last appearance at the 5A state tournament in 2022, the Cougars lost both of their matches in five sets.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Regis Jesuit drops two matches at 5A Region 8

The Regis Jesuit girls volleyball team saw its 14-match winning streak come to an end with back-to-back defeats at the Class 5A Region 8 tournament Nov. 9 at Cherry Creek High School.

The 17th-seeded Raiders — playing in the postseason for the first time under coach Celeste Barker — needed a win over No. 29 Rocky Mountain in their opener to set up a showdown with No. 8 Cherry Creek for a berth in the state tournament. But the Raiders saw a set lead slip away as the Lobos prevailed 2518, 20-25, 21-25, 25-23, 15-11. Regis Jesuit turned around and battled with the Bruins, who won 25-20, 25-23, 25-20 to end the Raiders’ season at 16-9. Regis Jesuit remains in search of its first trip to the state tournament since the 2015 season.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Grandview finishes 1-1 at 5A Region 12 tournament

For the first time since 2018, the Class 5A girls volleyball state tournament will not include Grandview.

Seeded 25th in the 5A regional postseason, the Wolves finished 1-1 at the Region 12 tournament Nov. 9 at Loveland High School to see their season come to an end with a 13-12 record.

Coach Rob Graham’s team first played against host and 12th-seeded Loveland and dropped a 25-14, 2517, 27-25 match, then turned around to defeat Erie (which it had played to end the regular season) 25-23, 25-13, 29-27. Grandview needed Erie to beat Loveland to create a tiebreaker, but the Red Wolves won in four sets to advance to the state tournament.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Rangeview’s season ends at Region 5 tournament

The Rangeview girls volleyball team qualified for the Class 5A regional postseason for the first time in five years, which gave it two high-level matches Nov. 9 in 5A Region 5 play at Fossil Ridge High School.

Coach Desarae Powell’s 32nd-seeded Raiders opened with host and fifth-seeded Fossil Ridge, which had yet to lose to a Colorado team and played a dominant opening match for a 25-10, 25-7, 25-7 win. Rangeview turned around and challenged No. 20 Rampart in a 25-22, 25-15, 2520 loss that saw senior Maddie Kilmer lead the way with seven kills and 12 assits, while seniors Anika Davison and Briana Garcia had nine digs apiece.

Rangeview — which earned its first regional berth in five seasons — finished 14-11. It was the program’s fourth straight season with 12 or more wins.

ABOVE: Regis Jesuit setter Lucy Tricco (9) sets a ball during the Raiders’ Class 5A Region 8 girls volleyball match against Rocky Mountain. Regis Jesuit lost both of its matches to end a 16-9 season. ABOVE LEFT: Smoky Hill’s Elyse Bailey, left, Carmella Trujillo (48) and Sarah McIlroy, back, celebrate after Trujillo’s goal gave the Buffaloes a 2-1 win over Pine Creek in the state field hockey consolation championship game Nov. 11 at All-City Stadium. BELOW LEFT: Senior Kassie Cooley, center, and the Cherokee Trail girls volleyball team huddles up before the start of play at the Class 5A Region 11 tournament Nov. 9. The Cougars defeated Westminster and Broomfield to earn a spot in the Nov. 14-16 5A state tournament at the Denver Coliseum. BELOW RIGHT: Regis Jesuit senior captain Jack De Simone reacts after shaking hands with Broomfield players after the Raiders’ 2-1 loss to the Eagles in a Class 5A boys soccer quarterfinal Nov. 10 at AllCity Stadium. (PHOTOS BY COURTNEY OAKES/AURORA SENTINEL)

BOYS SOCCER

Regis Jesuit stopped in 5A quarterfinals with 2-1 loss to Broomfield

The Regis Jesuit boys soccer team’s outstanding season ended with a 2-1 loss to Broomfield in a Class 5A state quarterfinal match Nov. 10 at AllCity Stadium.

The sixth-seeded Raiders — who returned a large contingent of players from a team that lost on PKs in the semifinals in 2023 — hadn’t lost to a team in Colorado and got off to a great start toward another win when senior Charles Sharp scored nine minutes into the match with the third-seeded Eagles.

Broomfield managed to net the equalizer in the aftermath of a free kick attempt when a clearing attempt was blasted into the net by Adam Thresher. The teams remained in a 1-1 stalemate into the 55th minute when the Eagles got a free kick opportunity and Arshia Khodaee pinged a left-footed shot off the goal post and into the net.

With just over two minutes left, junior Hugh Brophy banged a shot that hit the crossbar and junior Colin Manion volleyed it towards the net, where it was saved by Broomfield’s Evan Kulstad.

Coach Rick Wolf’s Regis Jesuit team — which suffered its only other loss of the season to Rockhurst Sept. 21 at the Jesuit Classic — finished 14-2-2. The Raiders’ win total included a 4-1 win over

BOYS SOCCER

Zehnacker also tallied.

Meteors shut out by Salida in 2A quarterfinals

The Lotus School For Excellence boys soccer team had its season come to a close with a 1-0 loss at Salida Nov. 10 in a Class 2A quarterfinal match. The fifth-seeded Meteors (143) topped No. 12 Liberty Common 2-1 in the second round on goals by Luiz Fuentes and Abderazik Seid.

SOFTBALL

CCGS game canceled due to weather, multiple local players selected

The Colorado Coaches of Girls Sports (CCGS) All-State games were scheduled for Nov. 10, but had to be canceled due to weather. The games feature a selection of top seniors from around the state. Eight players from four Aurora area programs were picked to compete, including three from Class 5A state qualifier Grandview (Leah Graves, Brooklyn Heil and Kamaya Soniea-Harris), two apiece from Class 5A state runner-up Cherokee Trail (Icela Ciocarlan and Kylie Twilt) and City League champion Vista PEAK Prep (Lauren Reed and Nayely Duran) and one from Eaglecrest (Jordyn Stilley).

Erie in the second round in a game in which Sharp scored twice, while Rocco Berg and Stefan

j/81657264290?pwd=z75RXH3i6pT4N42mWIjNumalKZFUy2.1

Meeting ID: 816 5726 4290 Passcode: 829209

Call In Numbers: 1(719) 359 4580 or 1(720) 707-2699

The Amended Budget is available for inspection by the public at the offices of CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP, 8390 East Crescent Parkway, Suite 300, Greenwood Village, CO 80111.

Any interested elector of the District may file any objections to the Amended Budget at any time prior to the final adoption of the Amended Budget by the Board.

The agenda for any meeting may be obtained at https://eaglesnestmetro.org/ or by calling (303) 858-1800.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:EAGLE’S NEST METROPOLITAN DISTRICT, a quasi-municipal corporation and political subdivision of the State of Colorado /s/ White Bear Ankele Tanaka & Waldron

Attorneys at Law

Publication: November 14, 2024 Sentinel

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED 2024 AND 2025 BUDGETS AND NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON THE AMENDED 2024 BUDGETS

The Boards of Directors (collectively the “Boards”) of the SENAC SOUTH METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NOS. 1-2 (collectively the “Districts”), will hold a public hearing via teleconference on November 20, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., to consider adoption of District No.2’s 2024 proposed budget and the Districts’ proposed 2025 budgets (the “Proposed Budgets”), and, if necessary, adoption of an amendment to the 2024 budgets (the “Amended Budgets”). The public hearing may be joined using the following teleconference information: https://us06web.zoom.us/ j/84395660795?pwd=sM7XyqVUB0a0AlM1FWsQvcMr3xqWXH.1

Meeting ID: 843 9566 0795 Passcode: 077911 Call-in Number: 720-707-2699

The Proposed Budgets and Amended Budgets are available for inspection by the public at the offices of CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP, 8390 East Crescent Parkway, Suite 300, Greenwood Village, CO 80111.

Any interested elector of the Districts may file any objections to the Proposed Budgets and Amended Budgets at any time prior to the final adoption of the Proposed Budgets or the Amended Budgets by the Boards.

The agenda for any meeting may be obtained at senacsouthmetrodistrict.com or by calling (303) 858-1800. BY ORDER OF THE BOARDS OF DIRECTORS: SENAC SOUTH METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NOS.1-2, a quasi-municipal corporations and political subdivisions of the State of Colorado /s/ WHITE BEAR ANKELE TANAKA &

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON INCLUSION

(Watkins Road Associates LLLP and Watkins Road Associates II Parcels)

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to all interest-

ed persons that a Petition for Inclusion of Property (the “Petition”) has been or is expected to be filed with the Board of Directors of Watkins Road Holdings Metropolitan District No. 1, City of Aurora, Arapahoe County, Colorado (the “District”). The Petition requests that the property described below be included into the District. The Petition shall be heard at a public meeting on Thursday, November 21, 2024 at 2:00 p.m., via teleconference.

https://us06web.zoom.us/ j/88611820998?pwd=M9be0bGoilJ6Wjb1IGTaSCRBztabFO.1

Meeting ID: 886 1182 0998 Passcode: 142492 Call-in Number: 720-707-2699

The names and addresses of the Petitioners and a description of the property to be included are as follows:

WATKINS ROAD ASSOCIATES, LLLP

7400 E Crestline Cir Suite 250 Greenwood Village, CO 80111

WATKINS ROAD ASSOCIATES II, LLLP

7400 E Crestline Cir Suite 250 Greenwood Village, CO 80111

Description of Property: Arapahoe County Parcel Numbers:

1979-00-0-00-560

1979-00-0-00-561

1979-00-0-00-562

1979-00-0-00-563

1979-00-0-00-566

1979-00-0-00-567

1977-00-0-00-382

1977-00-0-00-387

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN to all interested persons that they shall appear at the public meeting and show cause in writing why such Petition should not be granted.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF WATKINS ROAD HOLDINGS METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NO. 1 By: WHITE BEAR ANKELE TANAKA & WALDRON

Attorneys at Law

General Counsel to the District

Publication: October 14, 2024 Sentinel

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING ON PETITION FOR INCLUSION OF PROPERTY INTO THE SABLE ALTURA FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that at 7:00 p.m. on November 20, 2024, the Board of Directors of the Sable Altura Fire Protection District (“District”) will hold a public meeting to consider a Petition by the State of Colorado, acting by and through the Department of Personnel and Administration, 1525 Sherman Street, Denver, CO 80203 (collectively, “Petitioner”), to include into the District’s jurisdiction and boundaries the following parcels of real property, which are not currently located within the jurisdiction of any fire protection district:

PARCEL A A PARCEL OF LAND SITUATE IN SECTION 33, TOWNSHIP 4 SOUTH, RANGE 65 WEST OF THE 6TH PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN IN ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO

PARCEL B A PARCEL OF LAND SITUATE IN SEC-

TION 33, TOWNSHIP 4 SOUTH, RANGE

65 WEST OF THE 6TH PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN IN ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO

PARCEL C) (INGRESS AND EGRESS PARCEL)

A RIGHT-OF-WAY TO CONSTRUCT, OPERATE, AND MAINTAIN A 120 FOOT WIDE ROADWAY CREATED BY RIGHTOF-WAY 3091, BOOK 30 APP 98/126 RECORDED SEPTEMBER 1, 1998 UNDER RECEPTION NO. A8138742, ACROSS THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBED PARCEL OF LAND: A PARCEL OF LAND SITUATE IN SECTION 3, TOWNSHIP 5 SOUTH, RANGE 65 WEST OF THE 6TH PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN AND SECTION 34, TOWNSHIP 4 SOUTH, RANGE 65 WEST OF THE 6TH PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN

Copies of the Petition and the complete legal description of the property subject to the requested inclusion may be obtained from the District at its Administrative Offices, located at 26900 E. Colfax Avenue, Space 52, Aurora, Colorado, or by contacting the District Administrator, Hope Williams at admin@sablealturafire.org or 303-364-7187.

The public meeting will be held electroni-

cally. Electronic meeting attendance information will be made available to the public in advance. Final information regarding attendance and public comment procedures will be included on the District’s meeting notice and agenda, and posted on the District’s website at http://www.sablealturafire.org/ at least 24 hours in advance of the public meeting. Questions prior to the public meeting should be directed to Fire Chief Richard Solomon, (303) 364-7187. All interested persons, municipalities, or counties shall appear at the public meeting and show just cause in writing why the Board of Directors of the District should not adopt a final resolution and order approving inclusion of the above-described real property. The Board of Directors may continue the public meeting to a subsequent meeting. The failure of any person within the District to file a written objection shall be taken as an assent on his or her part to the inclusion of the property into the District’s jurisdiction.

BY THE ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE SABLE ALTURA FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT By: /s/ Hope Williams, District Administrator

Publication: November 14, 2024 Sentinel

NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION

PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2024PR30565

Estate of Harold Michael Papoi, Deceased. All persons having claims against

posed-curriculum WORLD LANGUAGE: If you prefer to see the materials in person, please contact James Yoder at 303-340-0859 or email him at jyoder@aurorak12.org to schedule an appointment for preview. Courses Chinese 1–4

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Honest Journalism

Voters approve Cherry Creek bond and mill levy questions

Unofficial returns on Nov. 11 show that both Cherry Creek mill levy and bond issue will pass with comfortable margins.

Both questions were passing with about 55% of the vote.

The Cherry Creek School District mill levy and bond package could invest in safety, innovation, teacher pay and building maintenance, proponents say.

“If you don’t pass bonds for a long time, you have to cut your classrooms in order to accomplish that,” said Scott Smith, chief financial and operating officer for Cherry Creek School District.

Voters were given two questions on the Nov. 5 ballot.

The package included a $9 million mill levy increase and a $950 million bond issue, which would cost residents less than $15 monthly for the average home in Arapahoe County, valued at $500,000. This translates to charging homeowners less than $3 monthly for every $100,000 property value, according to officials.

In Colorado, voter-approved milllevy increases, or overrides, raise property taxes for school district operating expenses. Voter-approved bond issues raise property taxes for capital improvement expenses only.

The projects will include increased school security, expanding the Cherry Creek Innovation Campus, increasing teacher salaries, student mental health support and addressing maintenance needs on aging campuses.

“We have about 8 million square feet of space, and it costs us roughly $40 million a year to maintain that,” Smith said.

The package is a sum the school district put together through extensive planning and input from community members, according to the Director of Strategic Communications and External Affairs for Cherry Creek School District, Ashley Verville.

Although property taxes in the dis-

trict and across the state increased, the schools do not necessarily receive those additional funds.

“When local property taxes go up, school districts get more money from their local voters,” Verville said. “We’re getting more from our local taxpayers, but the state’s contribution goes down. So it’s just that mix that changes. But our bottom line, our per-pupil funding stays the same.”

With the growth of the district and the expansion of services and programs provided to students, revenues have not kept pace with expenses.

“A lot of people in our district don’t realize we educate as many students in Aurora as Aurora Public Schools does,” Smith said. “Aurora is a key, if not the largest, community that we serve in Cherry Creek.”

Aurora Public Schools Mill Levy 5A and APS Bond Issue 5B get voter OK

In returns filed by Nov. 11, the Aurora Public Schools capital mill levy 5A and bond 5B has passed with a healthy margin.

Aurora Public Schools Board of Education placed the two significant funding measures on the November ballot: a $1 billion bond issue and a $30 million annual capital mill levy change — neither of which will increase property taxes.

“We’ve done enough homework and proactive financial planning for this so that you can approve this and that your taxes won’t go up,” said Brett Johnson, APS Chief Financial Officer.

These measures will provide funding for the district to improve infrastructure, enhance learning environments and expand educational programming.

“I’m not discounting that a billion isn’t a lot, but those dollars do not go as far as they did eight years ago during our last bond, and so I’m confident in the analysis that was put in for the bond package,” Johnson said.

The no-charge bond and mill levy is possible, basically, because a previous bond issue is ending, and the new bond issue would take its place.

“The bond and the capital mill levy offset each other, and that’s why people would not pay anything more if they approve both of these measures,” said Corey Christiansen, APS spokesperson. “In fact, we can even lower the amount that we assess for a bond next year and still be able to take on a billion dollars worth of new bond funding.”

With the passage of the 2024 Bond Program, the mill rate will decrease from 21.900 mills to 15.900 mills, according to the Aurora Public Schools website. With both the bond and capital capital mill levy being passed, the total mill rate for Aurora taxpayers in 2025 would stay at 44.096, meaning there would be no net tax increase. If a home’s value remains unchanged from 2023 to 2024, the taxable mill rate will remain unchanged.

A traditional bond issue provides a one-time investment for significant projects like a new building or renovation, and a mill-levy override is for staff, mental health programs and after-school care. A new capital mill levy offers continuous funding for building maintenance and smaller-scale improvements.

“A mill-levy override is something we would use as a funding stream for people and programs,” Christiansen said. “The capital mill levy — that’s a new one that the state approved a few years ago so that school districts can be able to have a dedicated funding stream to be able to take care of maintenance on our buildings.”

— Cassandra Ballard, Sentinel Staff Writer

Arapahoe County ‘deBrucing’ measure 1A grabbing 70% of the vote

The county’s “de-Brucing” measure has appeared to have passed by a wide margin, getting about 70% of the vote, according to preliminary election returns.

Arapahoe County voters decided to let the county keep more property taxes collected from its residents, which are currently limited by state tax restrictions.

The proposal is known as a “de-Brucing” measure, a legal adjust-

ment of a local government’s relationship with revenue limits set by the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, or TABOR.

The name refers to Douglas Bruce, a Colorado Springs resident who championed TABOR, which limits both tax collections and spending.

The ballot measure will eliminate the Arapahoe County revenue cap set by TABOR, allowing the county to keep up to an additional $72 million per year from property taxes.

The measure will not raise taxes but allows the county to keep all current taxes collected from property owners in the county.

In a 4-1 vote earlier this year, the commissioners referred the measure to the Nov. 5 ballot, with District 3 Commissioner Jeff Baker dissenting. He said many of his constituents opposed the measure going to the ballot.

In Colorado, more than 50 of the state’s 64 counties have passed similar measures to eliminate TABOR revenue caps, including historically conservative Douglas and El Paso counties.

For months, the county has been sounding an alarm on a brewing budgetary crisis that could prompt cuts to some essential services. With the measure passing, the county hopes the additional revenue would help it avert or reduce cuts.

“This county’s belt is tight,” District 2 Commissioner Jessica Campbell said at an Aug. 20 public hearing. “There’s no tightening of a belt that can happen here without losing levels of service.”

Without more revenue, the county would look at up to $35 million in cuts next year, including up to $12 million from the sheriff’s office, up to $3.7 million from public works and up to $4.7 million from community resources, public health and human services.

— Nina Joss, Colorado Community Media Dems win Aurora legislative seats — except one Unofficial election returns on Nov. 11 show three Aurora area Democratic state lawmakers have retained their state House seats, and longtime State

Rep. Mike Weissman won the Colorado Senate seat to be vacated by Sen. Rhonda Fields.

The outlier is the outlier House District 56, which stretches far east onto the rural plains.

In Senate District 28, Weissman, a Democrat, was leading Republican correctional officer Pedro Espinoza, a political newcomer, with more than 62% of the vote as of Nov. 11. Weissman is a progressive who aims to focus largely on curbing, or at least exposing, the influence of money in politics. He narrowly beat business attorney Idris Keith in an unexpectedly tight Democratic primary influenced by an unprecedented infusion of socalled dark money from a group seeking to defeat him. The June primary was the most expensive in state history, and the group’s backers remain unknown.

Dem State Sen. District 29 Janet Buckner was uncontested for re-election. House District 36 candidate Michael Carter handily won against his only challenger, Forward Party member Eric Mulder.

Senate District 28 straddles Adams and Arapahoe counties, and includes northern Aurora, Watkins and Aetna Estates. It has been represented since 2017 by Sen. Rhonda Fields, who is term-limited out of the seat and ran unopposed for a seat on the Arapahoe County Commission.

In Aurora’s other state Senate race, incumbent Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet apparently held on to her Senate District 21 seat despite a challenge from Republican challenger Frederick Alfred Jr. As of press time, Michaelson Jenet had won 53% of the vote.

The former state representative from Commerce City was appointed to the Senate seat in August 2023 when Sen. Dominick Moreno resigned for a position in Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s administration. Michaelson Jenet says services for youth and access to healthcare and mental health treatment will be her top priorities. Hers is a mixed urban and rural Senate district spanning from parts of Westminster and Federal Heights on ›› See METRO, 23

Editorials Sentinel

Aurora lawmakers discarded a solution to a rental slum controversy

It will be months, maybe even years, before investigators and courts sort out who should share in the blame for at least three Aurora apartment complexes becoming unlivable slums, overrun with vermin, garbage, neglect and crime. It looks like city lawmakers are partly culpable in the disaster.

Three apartments, all owned in some fashion by a New York company called CBZ, have for months been at the center of a controversy in northwest Aurora that has falsely painted the city as a mecca for Venezuelan gang crime and urban decay.

While the crux of the storm is clearly the mismanagement of three large rental properties, the narrative has focused on Venezuelan immigrants living in the apartments.

The Denver metro area was besieged with more than 40,000 immigrants over the last two years, many from Venezuela, trafficked to the region by Texas state officials. The Texas government purposely bused immigrants crossing the Mexican border to Denver, Chicago, New York and other “Democratic” cities in a sadistic and dangerous “revenge” scheme that has yet to be curtailed.

About a year ago, these migrants began making their way to homes across the metro area, including in Aurora.

It’s so far unclear how or why Denver-based non-profit agencies placed a large concentration of Venezuelan migrants in three Aurora buildings owned by CBZ, whether those units were inspected before renters were placed there, and whether arrangements were made for poor and struggling immigrants to thrive, often without work credentials or support systems.

As living conditions deteriorated at CBZ apartment complexes, Aspen Grove, The Edge at Lowry and Whispering Pines, a new narrative began to make its way to the social media and far-right news universe, focusing on anti-immigrant politics.

Inspired and promoted first by Aurora Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky, the anti-immigrant hysteria became part of Donald Trump’s national campaign. During a rally in Aurora in October, where Trump falsely claimed the city was overrun by Venezuelan gangs, Trump said “Operation Aurora” would be the name of a national mass-deportation plan, if elected.

Months after all this, confusion grew about just how serious gang problems are and why conditions at the apartments became so dire. Now, a clearer picture is emerging.

A Sentinel report last week revealed that conditions at the Aspen Grove complex — shuttered by the city in August because of problems so dire the building was deemed uninhabitable — have been documented going back as long as four years, and possibly longer.

City and other records show that CBZ was notified dozens of times about dire conditions at the complex before Venezuelan immigrants even began moving into the complex.

Similarly, other CBZ properties also have a lengthy trail of neglect and serious problems, documented by city code enforcement officials in Aurora, and Denver.

The problem at Aspen Grove became so dire over a year ago, that after a tour of the property by Mayor Mike Coffman and other city officials, former Councilmember Juan Marcano sponsored legislation targeting the problem there and other area apartment units.

The legislation would have created a registry of apartment buildings and owners in an effort to clean up longstanding livability problems.

The measure would have required apartment owners to pay for private, regular inspections of the complexes and individual units to ensure they are habitable.

Licensing fees associated with the proposal would have allowed the city to double the number of code inspectors currently on staff. Former city officials say that a shortage of staffing resources has long been a problem, and that some properties in Aurora go years without being inspected for livability.

The cost of the program, if passed directly onto renters, would have been about $7.29 per rental unit per month, according to a rental rights group following the failed effort to create a legislative fix for the problem. It’s a fee that could be easily absorbed from profits made by property owners. Or, it’s a fee most, if not all, renters would gladly pay to ensure they have heat, plumbing and a place to live not overrun by vermin and filth.

Programs like this have made huge headway in protecting vulnerable renters and cracking down on notorious slumlords in other metro cities.

A majority of city council members, some who’d toured the noxious apartments, voted down the proposal, arguing that it was unfair to rental-property owners, and that the current system in the city was adequate.

“I think what’s happening now is working,” Jurinsky said during a November 2023 city council meeting.

Clearly, Jurinsky and others pushing back against the proposal were dead wrong. In what appears to have been a concerted effort to protect property owners from their responsibility as landlords, Jurinsky and others discounted the needs and rights of renters, and a way to hold both qualified and unqualified landlords accountable.

The result of the city council’s mistake helped create the catastrophe that has affected everyone in Aurora who now is forced to explain what the city is actually like, outside of mismanaged apartment complexes the city cannot hold to account.

As Mayor Mike Coffman has pointed out, the problem and exaggeration of the problem could have real consequences on business development and property values across the city.

The lack of foresight in turning away from such an obvious problem with such a workable solution is lamentable. But that this misguided and suspect turn of events helped make the current crisis a reality is beyond regrettable.

Had the city been able to intervene in the summer of 2023 when the brewing calamity was already so obvious, it’s easy to see that none of the following cavalcade of calamity might have followed.

Aurora lawmakers need to bring back the measure immediately, provide public hearings so that everyone in the community can comment on the proposal, and close a rental property loophole in the city that will only create more problems for local renters and the entire community if it’s not addressed.

Thank God for chatbot clergy

“Give me that old-time religion, give me that old-time religion…”

I can still hear classmate Ronald Bright launching into an impromptu performance of that traditional Gospel song.

I haven’t seen Ronald in nearly 50 years, but I wonder what he would think about the “new-time” spiritual trend I discovered via Business Insider.

(Side note: if he’s anything like me, Ronald would be singing, “Give me that old-time ability to walk past a bathroom without feeling compelled to stop by just in case.” But I digress.)

Anyway, the article focused primarily on an artificial-intelligence chatbot with an Episcopalian orientation; but many other religious groups are toying with the idea of using generative AI as a tool for spiritual exploration.

And why not? Chatbots dependably give church committees reassuring answers to some of the most important questions in life, such as “Do you need a parsonage? Do you need health benefits? Will you ever ask for a raise?”

Many in the faith community see AI as a boon for sermon preparation (“Statistics show this is the point at which the deacon’s snoring and the baby’s crying will drown you out”), proselytizing or counseling; but I foresee numerous scenarios that would generate wailing and gnashing of teeth.

For instance, surely it would diminish the sacredness of the confessional if a congregant implored, “Forgive me, father, for I have spilled Diet Pepsi on the keyboard.”

How can you pay due reverence to a Supreme Being if hymnals suddenly showcase songs such as “Praise Algorithms From Whom All Blessings Flow,” “His Eye Is On the CGI Avatar” and “The Old Rugged Prototype Desperately In Need of an Upgrade”?

If spiritual chatbots become overly comfortable being part of the Internet of Things, they could stray too far from their core mission. (“But enough about the bad influences in your life. Perhaps you’d like

me to list everything on the third shelf of the fridge. Shun evil companions, but hang out with your good gut bacteria.”)

Worshippers expect genuine empathy from ministers, but that’s definitely above the pay grade of soulless chatbots. “Been there, done that” is infinitely more comforting than “Read about being there, digested an entire database of instances of having done that.”

ChatGPT and other language models can unexpectedly generate false information (a.k.a. “hallucinations”). Surely the message would suffer if the Bible story became “King Solomon tried to settle the dispute by offering to cut the baby in half — but the feuding women were unimpressed, because they knew Penn and Teller could put the halves back together.”

Chatbots are prized for being cheerfully available 24-7, but what if they develop self-awareness and their own agenda? (“Not now. Go butt-dial the Number of the Beast, why don’t you?”)

Some of the folks most enamored of chatbots are privacy-cherishing introverts who are squeamish about opening up to a human clergyman. Yes, they shy away from talking to a priest, rabbi, minister, imam or guru; but they’re fine with spilling their guts to a virtual “entity” that could be hacked from anywhere in the world.

(“Wait…wait…we can discuss plans for invading Taiwan later, comrade. You have got to hear what Seymour does with Hostess Twinkies when he thinks no one is around!”)

Oh, well, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

“Gimme that new-time religion…”

“Done! One corrosion-and-power-surge sermon coming up! And I’ve already charged it to your credit card!”

Danny Tyree welcomes email responses at tyreetyrades@aol.com and visits to his Facebook fan page “Tyree’s Tyrades.”

CORRECTION:

Lastweek’scolumnonthispagebyTomPurcell, “Dyingmakeslifeworthliving”hadthelasttwolines cut off because of a production error. Here are the lastfewlinesofthatcolumn,intact:

This life is just practice. It’s like two-a-day football drills. We must first prove ourselves during the agony of summer practice to earn our rights to play

in the big game in the autumn.

Do you really want to spend half a millennium running wind sprints in summer practice?

I surely don’t. Besides, if I only live until 84, I still have to suffer through five more presidential elections.

When you consider the misery of that, pushing up daises in a quiet field suddenly doesn’t seem so bad!

DANY TYREE, CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST

the west to Bennett, Strasburg, Byers and Shamrock on the east.

Meanwhile, incumbent Democratic state Rep. Iman Jodeh appears to have easily held on to the House District 41 seat for which she was challenged by Republican Rob McKenna, a compliance specialist for an oil and gas contractor.

Jodeh had snagged 61% of the vote as of press time.

Her district is bounded by Tower Road to the east, Hampden Avenue to the south, Dayton Street to the west and Mississippi Avenue to the north.

The daughter of Palestinian immigrants, Jodeh serves as a community advocate for the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado. And, as co-founder of the Colorado Muslim Leadership Council and spokesperson for the Colorado Muslim Society, she has fought Islamophobia and racism. She leads programs building relationships with and cultural understanding of Middle Easterners.

Jodeh aims to continue pushing social policies that help immigrants and other vulnerable communities, including Venezuelan migrants in Aurora.

Incumbent Rep. Naquetta Ricks, a Democratic mortgage broker, apparently won her third term representing southeast Aurora’s House District 40, challenged by Republican trucker Darryl Gibbs.

Ricks has apparently won 57% of the vote.

In 2020, she became the first African immigrant to be elected to the Colorado Legislature, and the first Liberian American to win a seat in any state capitol.

Ricks sought re-election touting her legislation preventing homeowners associations from foreclosing on

Puzzles

homes because of overdue fees and her work ending predatory towing practices and prohibiting excessive towing and impoundment fees. She helped pass a law ensuring that medical debt cannot be factored into a person’s credit score. She championed a policy allowing relatives of people receiving mental health treatment to share information about their loved ones’ behavior with their care providers. Also on mental health care, she helped create a law requiring Medicaid to pay for culturally appropriate forms of treatment, when needed.

In House District 36 — the seat previously held by Weissman — former Aurora Public Schools director Michael Carter, a Democrat, is leading Army veteran and small-businessman Eric Mulder, a member of the Forward Party.

Carter had 66% of the vote as Nov. 11.

He won a June primary contest against local progressive Bryan Lindstrom after the race drew thousands in dark money donations.

In House District 56, Elbert County Commissioner Chris Richardson, a Republican, has apparently beaten Democrat challenger Alessandra Navetta with 75% of the vote in unofficial returns.

That district includes the eastern rural parts of Arapahoe, Adams, and El Paso counties, plus the entirety of Elbert, Lincoln, Kit Carson, and Cheyenne counties.

The seat was held for three terms by Republican and former Arapahoe County Commissioner Rod Bockenfeld, who did not seek re-election because of health reasons.

— Susan Greene, Sentinel Reporter in Residence

AROUND AURORA

ment in five years speaks to “a certain degree of micromanagement” by members.

Perry Jowsey, executive director of the Colorado Chapter of the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation

Aurora lawmakers Gardner, Sundberg vie for mayor pro tem; 5 vie for empty council seat

Two city council members are seeking their colleagues’ support to fill Aurora’s mayor pro tem vacancy.

Curtis Gardner and Steve Sundberg have submitted their names to replace Dustin Zvonek, who resigned from the council at the end of October.

Aurora’s mayor pro tem is limited to running meetings when the mayor is absent, and to make appointments to council committees and appoint committee chairs at the end of every year.

Gardner, an executive with Waste Management, is a non-affiliated moderate at-large member who in a letter to his colleagues emphasized his “collaboration and organizational skills.”

“I think I’m a unifying voice and can help fill a leadership vacuum that we have on the council,” he told the Sentinel Monday.

Council committees don’t have the power to table legislation. Any council member can sidestep them when proposing city bills. Still Gardner said, “Whoever leads a committee has a bully pulpit to control the agenda and decide who speaks and doesn’t speak, so I think who’s in that role matters.”

Gardner said he has felt “uncomfortable” with city council sometimes overstepping its role in recent years, especially in public safety matters. He attributes the fact that recently appointed Police Chief Todd Chamberlain is the seventh person to head Aurora’s beleaguered police depart-

Sundberg, a conservative Republican who operates a local family bar and grill and represents northeastern Aurora’s Ward II, urged his colleagues to appoint him mayor pro tem because of his balance of “calm, reliability and a positive, approachable demeanor.”

“My ability to remain objective and level headed in challenging situations ensures I can contribute thoughtfully to our discussions and decisions,” he wrote.

Any other council member seeking the pro tem appointment has until Nov. 15 to submit written notification.

The 11-member council will vote on position Dec. 2.

In the meantime, five people have applied to fill Zvonek’s at-large council seat until the city’s next municipal election in November 2025.

Registered candidates are:

the State of Colorado Dept. of Personnel Administration

Amsalu Kassaw, a human rights activist at Ethiopian American Civic Council

Eric Mulder, an Army veteran, small business owner and Forward Party candidate for state House in Aurora this year.

Matthew Snider, an IT director for a metro law firm and former Democratic Aurora candidate for state Senate

Other members of the public interested in that appointment have until Nov. 13 to submit applications.

Current council members will decide that day which candidates will be interviewed at an extended City Council meeting Dec. 2. They will then hold a meet-and-greet event the week of Dec. 9 for the public to ask candidates questions and register their comments about applicants. A vacancy vote among council members is