1-20-22 Villager

VOLUME 40 • NUMBER 8 • JANUARY 20, 2022

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The tests available for order: • Are rapid antigen at-home tests, not PCR • Can be taken anywhere • Give results within 30 minutes (no lab drop-off required) • Work whether or not you have COVID-19 symptoms • Work whether or not you are up to date on your COVID-19 vaccines • Are also referred to self-tests or over-the-counter (OTC) tests Take an at-home test: • If you begin having COVID-19 symptoms like fever, sore throat, runny nose, or loss of taste or smell, or • At least 5 days after you come into close contact with someone with COVID-19, or • When you’re going to gather with a group of people, especially those who are at risk of severe disease or may not be up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines.

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For more information and other resources visit: www.covidtests.gov Images courtesy of www.covidtests.gov

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PAGE 2 | THE VILLAGER • January 20, 2022

District Court judge issues ruling that could impact municipal term limits

BY FREDA MIKLIN GOVERNMENTAL REPORTER

On October 29, Adams County District Judge Teri Vasquez issued a ruling in the case of Salazar vs. Kulmann in which she found that, “The mayor’s seat and council seats are part of one elected body and constitute the same office for purposes of term limits under Article XVIII, Section 11, of the Colorado Constitution.” The case came from the city of Thornton.

The referenced section of the Colorado Constitution says that the purpose of term limits is to “broaden the op-

portunities for public service and to assure that elected officials of governments are responsive to the citizens of those governments, no nonjudicial elected official of any… city… shall serve more than two consecutive terms in office, except that with respect to terms of office which are two years or shorter in duration, no such elected official shall serve more than three consecutive terms in office…

Terms are considered consecutive unless they are at least four years apart.”

It goes on to say that these provisions shall apply to every home rule county and every home rule city, but that the

“voters of any political subdivision may lengthen, shorten, or eliminate (these) limitations on terms of office.”

In this area, Centennial city council members and its mayor are each elected to four-year terms, limited to two consecutive terms.

In Cherry Hills Village, city council members are limited to two four-year consecutive terms and the mayor is limited to four two-year consecutive terms. In Greenwood Village, city council members are limited to four two-year consecutive terms and the mayor is limited to two four-year consecutive terms. In other words, elected officials are

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generally allowed to serve eight consecutive years in their position in all three cities. In Thornton, city council and mayoral terms and term limits mirror those of Centennial.

There is varying language in municipal codes that can make a big difference. In Thornton, the code says that the mayor is a member of the city council. In Greenwood Village, the code says that the mayor is not a member of the city council. In Cherry Hills Village, the code doesn’t address that question directly but says that the mayor is to attend, preside over and participate in discussions at city council meetings. In Centennial, the code says that, “The mayor shall have all the powers, rights and privileges of a councilmember,” hence the mayor votes like any other member of the council.

In GV and CHV, the mayor can only vote to break a tie, but in GV, the mayor has veto power over council-passed ordinances. In CHV, the code does not give the mayor that power and in Centennial, the code says specifically that the mayor has no veto power.

Another factor that could matter is that virtually every city council picks one of its members to serve as Mayor Pro Tem, a role in which that person can act in the mayor’s stead if the mayor is not available so there can be crossover between a council member’s role and that of the mayor.

The case that Judge Vasquez ruled on came about when a member of the Thornton City Council, Jan Kul-

mann, ran for and was elected mayor in 2019 after serving one full four-year term and two years of a second term on the city council. A citizen of Thornton, Cherish Salazar, sued, contending that Kulmann would be violating the eight-year term-limit rule by serving four years as mayor right after serving six years on the city council.

The judge found that Mayor Kulmann was not in violation of the term-limit rule, but only because she had not served out her second term on the city council, so that term didn’t count. The judge ruled that the eight consecutive years to which an elected municipal official of Thornton is limited should be counted by including the years of consecutive terms of elective service, whether as a city council member or mayor, thus Mayor Kulmann could serve one four-year term as mayor but not two.

Although the ruling from Adams County is not dispositive in Arapahoe County, the City of Thornton voted five to four to appeal the ruling on January 4, 2022. An appellate ruling has wider application and could affect cities beyond Adams County, depending on how the language in their individual charters and municipal codes is interpreted by the courts. In many Colorado cities, it has been common for city council members who have served up to eight years to then run for mayor immediately afterward, where they can serve up to another eight years on the same dais in a different role.

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January 20, 2022 • THE VILLAGER | PAGE 3

Schools are in crisis -and always have been

“Everything about American education is getting bigger all the time: the number of students enrolled, the amount of dollars it spends-and the vast amount of pedagogical gobbledygook. As it gets bigger, more and more people are insistently asking: is it any good? The complaining voice is not that of a few carping malcontents but a multitude of doubters deeply skeptical of what is being produced in the way of a people who should be personally content, socially responsible, and politically effective. Thoughtful parents – often aghast at what is being done and not being done – organize, agitate, protest and petition.”

While the passage above would seem to be an accurate reflection of contemporary America in 2022, the words actually come from an article entitled “U.S. Schools: They Face a Crisis,” which was published in LIFE Magazine on October 16, 1950.

Though we like to look to the past with nostalgic rose-colored glasses, all was clearly not well in the post-war years portrayed so placidly in television shows such as Leave It to Beaver and Happy Days. So much for “the Golden Age” of America when all kids were above average. For as long as there have been schools, people have been complaining about them. The kids complain about the work. The teachers complain about the kids. Parents and taxpayers complain about the teachers. And everyone complains about “schools these days,” decrying the state of public education and offering dire warnings about the future.

As I’ve noted before, the education system is simultaneously a great American success story and an inadequate institution which regularly fails to meet the needs of its most vulnerable members.

Every year when standardized test scores are released and seized upon by the print media and the talking heads of television, the country frets about the abysmal scores which would seem to indicate that few students can read.

The literacy battles will continue to wage over theories and pedagogy with terms like phonemic awareness, whole language, balanced literacy, and calls to simply get “back-to-basics.” However, anyone criticizing literacy today might want to remember that Rudolph Flesch wrote and published Why Johnny Can’t Read back in 1951.

Of course, it’s disappointing to learn that as few as 40% of middle and high school students read anything outside of assigned schoolwork. But is that any surprise considering all the toddlers and pre-school kids out there playing with their parents’ cell phones and watching endless videos online and on television? Can schools really have that much influence on literacy rates when teachers may be the only people to ever tell kids

to put the phone down, turn the TV off, close the laptop and pick up a book? In expecting schools to

and achievement. Educational institutions represent an opportunity for growth and learning.

And while the opportunity must be guaranteed, the outcomes gleaned from students, families, and communities are generally commensurate with what they put into the institution.

And that includes the faith, trust, and resources of stakeholders. With nearly fifty million children in K-12 education, the staffing of all those classrooms is no small task. Forbes and influence and change the behavior Bloomberg have recently reported of students, it’s helpful to remem- on the coming crisis in education, ber that between kindergarten and as fewer people enter the field high school graduation, children while an increasing number of will spend roughly 10% of their teachers are leaving at a time the WITH COMMISSIONERS time in school and 90% of it elsedemands and expectations placed where. on schools increase on what Obviously, schools and school- seems like a daily basis. ing are no guarantee of success The most important consid-

eration is to be pragmatic about what schools can and should be expected to do, as well as acknowledging and accepting the limitations. Many of the controversies, concerns, and criticisms about schools today are simply distractions at best, as are warnings of a crisis. The very nature of schools can be messy and unsettling at times. In a column on education and the role institutions play in our lives, David Brooks discussed a Harvard study on the purpose of education. According to the report, “The aim of a liberal [arts] education is to unsettle presumptions, to defamiliarize the familiar, to reveal what is going on beneath and behind appearances, to disorient young people and to help them to find ways to reorient themselves.”

Schools may be in crisis, but no more or less than they always have been.

Michael P. Mazenko is a writer, educator, & school administrator in Greenwood Village. He blogs at A Teacher’s View and can be found on Twitter @mmazenko.

You can email him at mmazenko@ gmail.com

It’s disappointing to learn that as few as 40% of middle and high school students read anything outside of assigned schoolwork. But is that any surprise considering all the toddlers and preschool kids out there playing with their parents’ cell phones and watching endless videos online and on television? Can schools really have that much influence on literacy rates when teachers may be the only people to ever tell kids to put the phone down, turn the TV off, close the laptop and pick up a book?

ARAPAHOE COUNTY C NVERSATIONS

Looking Ahead 2022 Join us for a series of virtual town hall meetings starting in February. Hear from Commissioners on what projects and initiatives are on tap for the County, and each district, during 2022. All meetings start at 6:30 p.m. Visit arapahoegov.com/townhall for details.

Upcoming dates: • • • • •

Wednesday, Feb. 2: Nancy N. Sharpe, District 2 Thursday, Feb. 3: Nancy Jackson, District 4 Wednesday, Feb. 9: Jeff Baker, District 3 Wednesday, Feb. 23: Carrie Warren-Gully, District 1 Thursday, Feb. 24: Bill Holen, District 5 Are you a baker or cook thinking of taking the next step to start a food production business out of your home? Register for one of our cottage food safety training classes in 2022. You’ll receive a food safety certificate and great resources to safely operate your business in accordance with state law. The first class is Friday, January 21, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Scan the QR code on your smartphone for details and to sign up!

arapahoegov.com

Visit arapahoegov.com/osmasterplan to read the DIVE summary report.

PAGE 4 | THE VILLAGER • January 20, 2022

The Villager

A matter of days before Ukraine falls American diplomats met with Russian counterparts last week to discuss the buildup of an estimated 100,000 Russian military forces along the Ukrainian border.

The U.S. effort was to deter the impending Russian invasion by Biden’s warning of strong U.S. sanctions against any Russian invasion of the former Soviet State.

There was little news coverage of the event, but it appeared to not be successful. Bottom line, Ukraine is not part of NATO so does not have the full backing of that longstanding military protection alliance primarily funded by the United States.

Ukraine would like to join NATO and reportedly there is an agreement with Russia that that should not occur. The Russians would like to have Ukraine back in their domain along with Crimea that they

took back in 2014 without a shot being fired.

There are two subjects that I’m well versed and the first is Russian history based upon my being one of 13 journalists sent to The Soviet Union in 1975 on an exchange program. It was a lifelong learning experience that I think about every day of my life. I’m so glad to be an American living in such a free godly country with a constitution and bill of rights. Back in 1975 the USSR was a cold, bleak communist nation with oppressed poor citizens. Only 13 percent of the USSR were communists, but they ran the country and later with the Soviet breakup became owners of what was left, primarily Russia. The Russian people are solid hard working people, with a lousy government that is paranoid about their borders.

The second topic where I’m knowlegible is in tank warfare as a graduate of the armor school at Ft. Knox, Kentucky. I spent part of my military experience operating tank firing ranges at the Fort.

I can relate that when 25 tanks come across a field with engines roaring and the thunder they make you don’t want to be in the way of their fire power. If the Russians decide to invade Ukraine those 100,000 tanks and vehicles will take back that divided country in a week. Much like the Afghanistan troop it is my guess that the local army will disappear fast as those Russian tanks, planes, and infantry attack.

Thankfully President Biden is only mentioning sanctions and not sending American troops with thousands of our military still stationed in Germany over 80 years after World War ll.

President Biden has already approved the completion of their new oceanic gas pipeline into Germany along with an oil pipeline that flows from Russia into Eastern countries. When I was in the USSR there were many Germans living in the Tourist hotel while constructing the new pipeline.

Bottom line, any U.S. sanctions against the Russians is a joke. They have become economically successful largely due to oil, agriculture, mining and owning 50 percent of U.S. uranium production. They have huge amounts of cash flowing in from selling energy to Eastern Europe.

Russia is not the major threat but their recent alliances with China is menacing because China is a real threat with expansion into Africa, and South America. It won’t be long before we have a showdown over Taiwan, and it will fall to the Chinese communists.

That is another challenge to America that could happen soon.

Office: 6972 S. Vine St., Suite 363, Centennial, CO 80122 • (303) 773-8313 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Arapahoe County, Colorado. (USPS 431-010) Published weekly by the Villager Publishing Co., Inc. 6972 S. Vine St., Suite 363, Centennial, CO 80122. Available for home or office delivery by U.S. Mail for $52 per year. Single copies available for $1 per issue.

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PUBLISHER & EDITOR Gerri Sweeney gerri@villagerpublishing.com PUBLISHER Robert Sweeney bsween1@aol.com CREATIVE MARKETING DIRECTOR Susan Sweeney Lanam 720-270-2018 susan@villagerpublishing.com VICE PRESIDENT/MARKETING Sharon Sweeney sharon@villagerpublishing.com LEGALS Becky Osterwald legal@villagerpublishing.com NEWS EDITOR Gerri Sweeney 720-313-9751 gerri@villagerpublishing.com GOVERNMENTAL REPORTER Freda Miklin fmiklin.villager@gmail.com 303-489-4900 REPORTER Robert Sweeney bsween1@aol.com FASHION & LIFESTYLE Scottie Iverson swan@denverswan.com

Football, football, and more football took up my weekend and the games did not disappoint. The take-away from the five games was a winning team better have a good quarterback and coach.

Buffalo and Kansas City have both, and they are strong contenders to advance to the Super Bowl.

Our beloved Broncos have talent but need a winning coach, quarterback, and ownership stability.

May the “force” be with them to once again join the playoff fray and join the playoff hunt. One other note, I did not detect any political statements or actions that have turned off fans in the past. The games were just hard nose football with some spectacular plays in closing seconds. It is time for good old Ben to retire. *** I’m sharing memories from my old hometown of Craig where one of my longest friends passed away December 25, 2021. Steve C. “Tom” Maneotis, age 87, left this world. “Tommy,” as I always called him, was a Greek war refugee and he and his younger brother George were placed in my fifth-grade class after World War ll around 1948.

Tommy spent his lifetime in Craig and was the “God Father” of the large successful Greek community centered around the sheep industry and agriculture Greeks immigrating to America arriving in the 1900s to tend flocks of sheep that became large bands of sheep over thousands of acres of land in Northwest Colorado. There are many Greek

families here in Denver related to Craigite families.

Tommy never was a sheep man but after a stint in a Greek grocery startup he joined Floyd Reid and Larry Cook in the local Chevrolet dealership. He later started his own successful car dealership that is ongoing to this day, family-owned and operated. His daughter Helen worked for me at the Daily Press as a typesetter and one of his sons Steve sold cars for “Dealin” Doug Moreland here in Denver before returning to Craig to join the family business and coach the local basketball team. Tony leads the team along with all the family members. They bring so much love and community spirit to Craig.

When they first brought Tommy into the classroom he was several years older than class members and was relearning English. He was shy, but a friendly, loving person that he continued to be during his entire lifetime.

Since he was tallest boy in the class at that time he became the star of our fifthgrade basketball team and we would just toss the ball to Tommy and he would put it in the hoop as we defeated all other teams at the local armory gym.

The last time I saw Tommy was a year ago at the funeral of Ron Higgins who was his first auto dealership partner in Northwest Sales. We both sat in the corner at the Higgins’ home, following the funeral, and reminisced about our life together in Craig and our many good memories of my newspaper career in Craig

and his life in the competitive car business.

Bad weather on Rabbit Ears Pass and snowy road conditions kept me away from the funeral, but I hear from Craig friends there were 275 friends at the public reception.

The Greek Orthodox church was packed, along with an adjacent Congregational church for his funeral service.

He was a great friend and a leading citizen in the community.

Tommy, in his lifetime, would always catch the ball and score for his team members. *** Another longtime friend and Sigma Chi brother Gary Oakley sent me a short piece that he wrote about his experience as a pilot several decades ago. Gary has been a successful businessman in Denver for years and now resides in Lakewood and Hawaii.

Recapping his article, he relates how he flew his granddaughter Molly to Montana State in Bozeman, Montana to consider attending school there. Grandfather Gary took off with his daughter Nancy and granddaughter Molly on the 600-mile flight to Bozeman in his newly purchased 320 twin-engine Cessna for the three-hour flight.

They overspent their time in Bozeman and left as the sun went down. Gary had to use his flight instruments to return home flying over rural Montana and Wyoming in the dark with almost no ground lights.

He had drifted off course and in the dark he realized that Longs Peak was close to Fort Collins and he was flying at 13,500 altitude and the Peak

was at 14,000 ft. He recalls, “I reminded myself of the old definition of private flying, ‘hour upon hour of boredom interrupted by a few moments of sheer terror.”

He relates pulling up the plane and suddenly seeing the lights of Fort Collins and the lights reflecting off of Longs Peak as they passed by the high mountain terrain that he had barely missed.

The experience taught me a lesson, he relates: “We must climb to a higher level in life to see what is ahead and be alerted to not only physical danger, but also mental and spiritual danger that may be lurking ahead.” He continues, “We can be going along comfortably, not knowing that tragedy is inevitable if we do not make the correct decision.

Evil is so subtle; tragedy can be so quiet. Our job is to come into the light and have the strength to change course when necessary,” He quotes a book called “It’s All Right To Cry.” The author says, “nobody is wise who does not know the darkness.”

Gary concludes that today Molly is a successful speech therapist with a great husband and four beautiful children.

I think Gary was sending me a message about COVID-19 and the dangers that we all face from this unsuspecting pandemic. Thanks for the story old friend and keep flying at that high altitude of life. *** More football next week, it just gets better and better!

DESIGN/PRODUCTION MANAGER Tom McTighe production@villagerpublishing.com ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Susan Lanam — 720-270-2018 susan@villagerpublishing.com Sharon Sweeney — 303-503-1388 Gerri Sweeney — 720-313-9751 gerri@villagerpublishing.com Scottie Iverson swan@denverswan.com Linda Kehr — 303-881-9469 linda@villagerpublishing.com Valerie LeVier — 303-773-8313 valerie@villagerpublishing.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Susan 720-270-2018 PHOTOGRAPHER Stefan Krusze — 303-717-8282 octaviangogoI@aol.com EDITORIAL COLUMNIST Robert Sweeney bsween1@aol.com The Villager is an award-winning, locally owned, independent newspaper. All letters to the editor must be signed. The contributor’s name, hometown and phone number must also accompany all letters to the editor for verification and we reserve the right to edit contributions for space. We attempt to verify all matters of fact but hold contributors liable for the content, accuracy and fairness of their contributions. All submissions become the property of The Villager and may be reused in any medium.

Reverend Martin Niemoller “In Germany, the Nazis first came for the communists and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a communist. Then they came for the Jews and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me and by that time there was no one left to speak for me!”

2020 Member

QUOTE of the WEEK QUOTE of the Be sure youWEEK put

your feet in the right place, then stand firm.

- Abraham Lincoln

January 20, 2022 • THE VILLAGER | PAGE 5

OPINION

About town Sunday afternoon, January 9th, was a perfect invitation to spend the day with the Colorado Symphony led by our former illustrious conductor, Marin Alsop. For over two hours we observed this extraordinary musical legend conduct the one-hundred-person orchestra with extreme precision.

Without a musical score, never missing a beat and communicating with her arms and body, Ms Alsop was able to extract the very best talent from each musician. The audience was captured in awe with her magical, musical leadership skills. She had every musician performing to their max, resulting in an extraordinary 100% perfect concert. If only our legislature could work so elloquently and together with a similar, magnificent outcome!

On the Friday before, I at-

tended the Legislative Breakfast hosted by South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce, Denver South and the city of Lone Tree. Highlights of that meeting were: $3.5 billion dollars will be coming to Colorado from the Federal Government; many bi-partisan bills expected on “how to spend”; Transportation and Affordable Housing will be at the top of the list and Colorado is now ranked #29 having fallen from #11 as the “Best state to do business.” Faulting our most recent public policy decisions was the reason, depending on which legislator was speaking.

The Centennial Arts & Culture Foundation is moving slowly as the founders: Mayor Stephanie Piko, City Councilwoman Tammy Maurer and myself explore opportunities

to promote arts & culture in Centennial. “Art Rocks” is our campaign, in case you haven’t seen the plethora of painted rocks around town.

After we complete the bureaucratic process of “start-up” watch for art, culture and music around town.

I attended the first Legislative Action Committee (LAC) meeting hosted by the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce. Our lobbyist reported on “what to expect” from the legislature this session. January 12 was the opening session where our elected officials will begin the arduous task of “what and how” to spend our tax dollars.

More to come...

Congratulations to my friend, Don Sheehan, who has been elected by his peers to serve as the temporary Mayor Pro Tem for the city of Centennial.

Kturley.villager@gmail. com Kathy Turley is a former City Councilwoman and Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Centennial

Boulder fires – new or history The recent Marshall fire in Boulder and neighboring communities was the most destructive fire in Colorado history, moving quickly and relentlessly, destroying over 1000 homes, leaving an apocalyptic level of destruction in its wake.

A confluence of weather events including high winds and lack of recent precipitation combined to fan the flames of this inferno literally and figuratively. The fire was quickly and predictably blamed on climate change, although a changing climate, including moisture and drought, are nothing new to Colorado and have been occurring long before gas guzzling SUVs and air conditioners were a staple of American life.

In fact, Colorado was once under water. Not recently but during both the Paleozoic and Cretaceous periods of the Earth’s history. Colorado was once home to rainforests and 70-foot-long sea creatures called plesiosaurs. Climate change is a staple of Earth and will continue to occur.

Are wildfires in Boulder a

new phenomenon or an unfortunate but natural part of history? The Boulder County website provides an answer.

Wildfires have always been a natural occurrence in Boulder County, but various land management practices,

BY BRIAN C. including fire JOONDEPH suppression, over the last 100 years have resulted in forests with vegetation densities 10 to 100 times their natural state.

Combine this with factors such as steep terrain, drought, high summertime temperatures, seasonal high winds, and an increased human presence in the form of development and recreational use, and the result is an environment prone to extreme wildfire behavior.

Note that wildfires are not new, only their severity. While the climate has changed, many times in fact, what is new is vegetation and population density. And of course, ever changing weather. Environmental activism, leading to a reluctance to cut and remove trees, and more homes placed closer together, creates a set up not only for fires but for far more damage.

When Boulder was sparsely or non-populated years and centuries ago, fires still occurred but no one was around to record them. They burnt themselves out and the fires actually helped manage forests by giving them a necessary haircut of sorts.

Think of Florida as an example. Once nothing but swamp land, ferocious hurricanes hit the Florida peninsula, bringing needed rain to the interior of the state, rejuvenating the swamps and wildlife.

Destruction was not an issue until the Florida coast was populated with homes, condos, and high-rise apartments, now in the path of destructive hurricanes.

Similarly, mountain homes in the middle of Western forests, surrounded by dead trees and debris, are sitting within a tinder box ready to ignite, independent of whatever the climate happens to be doing at the time.

This is not to dismiss or mitigate the damage of the recent Boulder wildfires, but to add another perspective. Simply blaming the ever-changing climate, something which we cannot control anyway, ignores measures that we can take, including forest management and housing density.

Goodbye 2021 and all its challenges!!

THE COVID EPIDEMIC HAD STRANGE AND UNIQUE CHALLENGES FOR ALL OF US AND FOR THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY IN PARTICULAR. ON THE POSITIVE SIDE: The values of our homes appreciated at an unheard-of pace, especially those that had updated floors, kitchens, and bathrooms.

But demand outstripped supply, even for those homes that had not kept up with design standards.

ON THE NEGATIVE SIDE: The ability to make a smooth, easy transition to a larger or smaller home within our highly desirable community was severely diminished by a historic lack of inventory, something I have not experienced in the 45 years that I have been at the top of the real estate profession in Colorado.

WHAT DO I EXPECT IN 2022: t influx of out-ofI expect a continued state buyers to escape escalating taxes and social upheaval in other states (although taxes and fees passed in the last session of the legislature make us far less competitive than states like Florida, Texas, and Arizona.) As long as inventory stays low, prices and the costs to live in our homes will continue to rise including taxes, energy costs and the costs of services.

WHAT DO I SUGGEST: MAKE THE DECISIONS THAT WORK FOR YOU TO SELL, MOVE, RELOCATE, OR STAY. BUT IF YOU OR YOUR FRIENDS OR FAMILY DO NEED A TOP PROFESSIONAL REALTOR, ONE WHO WILL GIVE YOU THE UPPER HAND IN ANY TRANSACTION. PLEASE CALL ME! SINCERELY,

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Submit your letters to: gerri@villagerpublishing.com or call 303-773-8313

AT THE TOP OF HER PROFESSION SINCE 1977 TOP 1.5% OF AGENTS IN THE USA

PAGE 6 | THE VILLAGER • January 20, 2022

Central City Opera Guild hosts Annual Membership Meeting

A light and fun luncheon was served at Glenmoor Country Club for the Central City Opera (CCO) Guild’s winter membership meeting, installation of officers and 2022 Festival Overview

by Pat Pearce. He also mentioned the very recent passing of revered John Moriarity, CCO’s artistic director emeritus who served the company for 20 years through the 1998 season. The notable Moriarity had conducted and stage directed productions throughout the U.S. Pat Pearce, who is transitioning to the roles of artistic director and Sr. VP while the search is on for a CEO, gave an overview of the summer productions. Director of Music Education for CCO, Elisabeth Murdock put together excerpts from the three. Her video trailers complemented Pearce’s presentation to the delight of the audience. The Light in the Piazza is also a movie and gives a look into the exciting wardrobes of the 1950s. The second show is one of celebration – Die Fledermaus.

The trailer was from Vienna State Opera’s 2016 production. Two Remain features stories of The Holocaust with only four performances and CCO trying for one more in Denver. CCO is only the second professional company to do this production and young apprentices will perform.

Executive Board members for the new term are: President – Louise Atkinson, President Elect – Nancy Hemming, Co-VPs Membership – Jane Ellison and Susan Stiff, VP Education – Kristin Bender, VP Historic Properties – Cathy Groene, Treasurer – Sarah Blackwelder, Secretary – Suzie Erzinger, Immediate Past

Officers in attendance who were installed: Jane Ellison and Susan Stiff - Co-VPs Membership, President Elect Nancy Hemming, VP Historic Properties- Cathy Groene, President Louise Atkinson, who received the President’s Bell from outgoing President Cindy Koch

LEFT: Cindy Koch received the traditional CCO outgoing president charm necklace from Christina Dinegar, former CCO Guild president and co-chair of planting

Susan Stiff and Pat Pearce, who has been with CCO for 25 years Founder of Central City Opera Guild Barbara Ferguson and winner of the organization’s Belle Award, Cathy Groene Photos by Scottie Iverson

President – Cindy Koch.”I am privileged and excited about the year ahead,” said new President Louise Atkinson. “I love Central City and went with my parents to look at the houses as a child.”

She bought tickets to the opera in San Francisco where her career in business began and when she

returned to Denver met Barbara Ferguson, founder of CCO Guild.

“It was a perfect fit,” continued Atkinson. “CCO became a family affair.”

Founded in 1932, Central City Opera is the fifth oldest opera company in the U.S. The Guild was founded in 1972.

“2022 is the 90th anniversary of Central City Opera and we are determined to be back inside the opera house!”

- Pat Pearce, Central City Opera

Cherry Creek Republican Women launch 2022 with Dan Caplis

Attorney Dan Caplis is one of the favorite speakers invited to present his view on a current topic to Cherry Creek Republican Women (CCRW). He is the founding partner of prestigious Dan Caplis Law, a firm based in DTC, and is an award-winning radio talk show host who has been part of many successful prime time shows in Colorado for more than 25 years. Many remember him with the intriguing Caplis & Silverman Show. Dan is currently syndicated throughout the state on iHeart Radio’s 630 KHOW from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

His topic for the January meeting of CCRW was “The Path to Victory.” His #1 declaration was to tell the truth about Governor Polis and Senator Bennet that includes lots of ammunition to deliver to voters: Facts. Evidence.Truth. He said Polis hid from the people of Colorado during the devastation in nursing homes. The failure on Covid early on caused Colorado to have the highest death rate west of the Mississippi. Secondly, the economy of Colorado fell drastically and its people were treated like children.

Third, he abandoned his post and allowed mobs to destroy our Capitol. It took the national media to reveal his hypocritical handling of taxes plus his recent obstruction of justice prevented a judge from sentencing. “We have to be problem solvers,” said Caplis. “We have to make lives better (public safety and protection) and cross party lines. In Colorado – the senate legalized crime. Criminals are viewed as victims and the real victims are seen as a nuisance.”

“Education is the tipping point of a moment in time and true school choice is needed – again across party lines.” About Sen. Bennet, he mentioned that he votes with Bernie Sanders 97% of the time including government medical care for illegals.

“There’s no respect in Washington, D.C. We need respect and influence.”

”Republicans take the risk of coming out in Covid because they believe in something. And, want to win!”

- Dan Caplis ABOVE: CCRW President Evie Ashmore, keynote speaker Dan Caplis and CCRW 2nd VP Lynne Cottrell ABOVE, RIGHT: C 2: Arapahoe County Treasurer Sue Sandstrom, Douglas County Sheriff candidate Holly Kluth and Caroline Cornell who is running for HD 61 RIGHT: Dora Monahan and her son Steven Monahan, Boo Dixon and Edie Marks Photos by Scottie Iverson

January 20, 2022 • THE VILLAGER | PAGE 7

Awaken your inner foodie with Dine & Delight at Park Meadows

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et ready to be rewarded as you take your tastebuds on an adventure! Dine & Delight is back at Park Meadows – Colorado’s Only Retail Resort and the state’s largest indoor shopping center! For a limited time, you will be rewarded when you cave into your cravings. Diners will earn $20 in rewards when they spend $50 or more at any of the 29 restaurants at Park Meadows! All you have to do to get started and cash in on this amazing offer is choose the spots where you want to indulge. If you prefer to cozy up to the fireplace in

the Grand Dining Hall while you eat, you can enjoy your favorite comfort foods at one of the 14 food retailers, including local and national favorites such as Shake Shack, Popeye’s, Chipotle, Panda Express and Renzios. If you enjoy the great outdoors and amazing views, you can head outside to the Vistas, where you’ll find a culinary grouping of several full-service and unique restaurants, including Perry’s Steakhouse, White Chocolate Grill, Yard House, GQue BBQ, Sukiya Ramen, Edo Higan Sushi and Fogo de Chão. Diners can also enjoy an incredible selection of dishes at The Cheesecake Factory, Earl’s, Seasons 52, PF Chang’s, Urban Village Grill

and more! Be sure to take a photo of your receipt(s), including restaurant information and date of purchase, then upload and complete a few easy steps to earn your $20 reward.

That’s it! The offer is valid for dine-in, takeout, or delivery options now through February 28th, 2022. Eligible receipt(s) must be uploaded by completing the form on DineDelights. com by or before March 30, 2022. You may redeem up to two rewards during the promotional timeframe. Redemption details will be sent electronically after validation and you must obtain your reward within three months of notification. For more information, visit ParkMeadows.com.

PAGE 8 | THE VILLAGER • January 20, 2022

January 20, 2022 • THE VILLAGER | PAGE 9

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PAGE 10 | THE VILLAGER • January 13, 2022

Covering business

in the DTC & Denver south SM

the

Covering business

in the DTC & Denver south SM

the

Denver Metro Assn of Realtors holds Economic Summit 2022

BY FREDA MIKLIN GOVERNMENTAL REPORTER

The Denver Metro Association of Realtors (DMAR) is comprised of over 8,000 realtors and industry partners across metro Denver. It is the largest local realtor association in Colorado and “strives to enable members to reach their maximum earning and career potential while offering the highest level of service to their clients and to the real estate community at large.”

DMAR held its annual Economic Summit 2022 on January 11 virtually. Nicole Rueth of Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation opened the program by pointing out that, “Liquidity is spurring demand, which is increasing the price of everything.”

She noted that, during 2021, “Real estate in the Denver area is up 18%,” and a median two-bedroom rental in metro Denver went from $1,545 to $1,805. She also noted that, “Quarter three (July-September 2021) added more than $250 billion to Americans’ already record levels of tappable equity on leveraged property. That doesn’t even include the 38% of Americans whose homes are paid in full.” Rueth also pointed out that 80% of Americans’ equity and 62% of their net worth is in their home.

Andrew Abrams, COO and

Nicole Rueth is a leading mortgage advisor with Fairway Mortgage

broker-owner of BSW Real Estate and the market trends chair of DMAR, presented data that showed that there were only 1,477 active listings of residential homes in metro Denver, including detached and attached homes, as of January 1, 2022, which was 34% fewer than a month earlier and 42% fewer than a year ago. As a result, all residential properties are drawing multiple offers and as much as $100,000 over the asking price.

Abrams also showed data for the past five years that indicated that the number of new listings in 2021 was only 4.2% fewer than the average of the previous four years and closings in 2021 were only 4.4% higher than the average of the previous four years, thus the volume of properties bought and

Andrew Abrams chairs DMAR’s market trends committee and is an active realtor.

Nadia Evangelou is a senior economist and director of forecasting at the National Association of Realtors.

sold did not fluctuate significantly in 2021. However, the average closing price in 2021 was 30% higher than the average closing price during the previous four years. Abrams said he does not expect the number of transactions in 2022 to keep up with prior years due to the lack of inventory.

Pointing to the net migration into metro Denver, Abrams said that in 1985, when the population in the 11-county metro Denver area was a little under 2 million, there was one active listing for every 45 housing units. In 2019, “You had to drive by 544 homes before you would see one openhouse sign.” He also noted that the average year-over-year appreciation in home prices was 7.5% in metro Denver over the past 30

years, compared with 3% nationally. Clearly, real estate is a great investment, according to Abrams, whether for one’s own home or investment.

Nadia Evangelou, senior economist and director of forecasting at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), reported that, “The economy is expanding.

Eighty percent of the jobs we lost during the first months of the pandemic are back, and the housing market continues to out-perform, with 2021 being the best year for the real estate market since 2006.”

The main driver for the housing market was the record-low mortgage rate, Evangelou said.

In the first week of 2021, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 2.65% compared to the historical

Patty Silverstein is president and chief economist of Development Research Partners. She is also consulting chief economist for Metro Denver Economic Development Corp. and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.

average rate of 8%. Since interest rates affect the amount of money people can borrow, millions of people rushed to benefit from these low mortgage rates, pushing up activity in the real estate markets. Pent-up demand and lifestyle shifts during the pandemic also drove the housing market. “People wanted to move to a bigger home so there would be plenty of space for them to work and their kids to play,” she explained.

Evangelou said she expects a more normal and predictable marContinued on page 11

Mark Samuelson, the longtime face of The Denver Post’s Real Estate pages, leaves the paper over contract issues

M

SUBMITTED BY SAMUELSON ASSOCIATES, INC.

ark Samuelson, for years the face on the cover of The

Denver Post’s weekend Real Estate section, left the paper last week over issues relating to his service arrangement.

For decades Denver Post

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readers had seen Samuelson’s features about builders, agents, and resale homes on Saturday and Sunday editions, where Real Estate was stacked behind of The Post’s Business section. Samuelson, always a contractor to the paper, announced his departure recently.

Samuelson neglected to provide specifics about his resignation; but noted that he had declined to accept a cut in compensation last year that management had reportedly asked of all of the paper’s outside contractors. He added that he departed on good terms with managers at the daily.

In 2010 the New Yorkbased hedge fund Alden Global Capital acquired The Denver Post’s parent company, MediaNews Group.

The Post’s Real Estate section is managed by paper’s advertising department; and Samuelson’s covers were typically sponsored content billed by The Post to its advertisers.

Samuelson’s stories often featured new home communities around Denver and the Rocky Mountain West; written in a style that eschewed advertising hyperbole, and showcased offerings that readers could tour that day, including specific homes and

prices. Samuelson also wrote about the Colorado market as it shifted in the face of broader winds emanating from national demographic swings and from the pandemic.

“Through the years we’ve learned more about the pragmatic side of real estate from Mark Samuelson’s columns than from any other columnist or source,” said Robert August, president of housing and development marketer North Star Synergies, market strategist for many of the Rocky Mountain region’s most prominent builders and developers, in commenting on Samuelson’s departure from the paper.

Samuelson’s final “On the Home Front” cover appeared in last Sunday’s Real Estate, about a former U.S. Navy flyer, later a space project

manager at NASA, who was selling his view-swept ranch in Roxborough Park. Stories over the past year had documented the unexpected boom in real estate activity that followed on the heels of the pandemic, as urban buyers sought added privacy and lower density. Others had featured a growing interest in renewable energy technology, and resort properties across the mountain west that were luring buyers from cities during the pandemic.

Mark Samuelson, president of Greenwood Village-based Samuelson & Associates, Inc., was a writer on energy technologies for the Solar Energy Research Institute (now the National Renewable Energy Laboratory) before starting his company.

His features first appeared in The Rocky Mountain News before moving back and forth between the two dailies as they battled over market share. Over following years his stories documented Colorado’s boom-and-bust cycles, the DIA project, the redevelopment of downtown, the emergence of home energy technologies, the arrival of the 55-and-older housing boom, and new-urban housing designed around the tastes of Gen Y and Gen Z homebuyers.

Covering business

January 20, 2022 • THE VILLAGER | PAGE 11

in the DTC & Denver south SM

the

Economic Summit 2022 Continued from page 10

ket ahead, especially with mortgage rates now going up. Already at around 3.5%, she expects them to go even higher, starting in May 2022, to address inflationary pressures. NAR estimates 5.9 million homes will be sold in 2022, which is 10% more than in pre-pandemic 2019. Nationally, as in Colorado, “housing inventories reached record lows in 2021,” she reported, noting, “Housing inventory has not been able to meet housing demands in ten years.”

Looking at the economics, Evangelou pointed out that unlike other goods and services, the supply of houses cannot respond to increased demand quickly since it takes around a year to build a single-family home and several years to plan a development of

This chart shows the increase in rental prices in metro Denver in 2021 compared to the three previous years.

Elliot Eisenberg Ph.D. is a nationally renowned economist who uses humor in his presentations.

Focusing locally, Evangelou pointed out that the population grew in metro Denver by 420,000 homes. “According to the data,” she reported, “We have underbuilt people or 17% in the past decade for the last decade.” NAR expects compared to 7% nationally, with the largest gain (33%) coming inventory from new construction in Broomfield. She noted that to increase in 2022 to its highest Denver “remains one of the most level in at least four years. popular places for millennials,” as well as people who move from New York and San Francisco. Finally, Evangelou shared that the luxury home market performed the best of all types of homes in the Denver area market in 2021.

Patty Silverstein, consulting chief economist This breakdown of Colorado’s population of 5.89 million was prepared by the for Metro Denver Economic Develstate demography office of the Colorado Division of Local Government. opment Corporation and Denver Metro Chamber of This graph from the National Commerce, told Association of Realtors shows DAR members that housing inventory for sale that, since the has decreased by nearly half pandemic began, over the past 20 years. $9.6 trillion in federal COVID relief funds has found its way into the U.S. economy in the form of direct payments, grants, loans and tax relief. Put into perspective, that amount represents 45% of the 2019 U.S. GDP. “This This chart illustrates the 3-year has had a tremeninflation rate in Denver and dous influence nationally. on the economy,” she pointed out, including the inflation rate, which she expects to slow down this

year. Pre-pandemic, the U.S. GDP expanded for 128 consecutive months, then contracted for two months between February and April 2020, Silverstein reported.

She expects it to “moderate to 3.5% to 4% (growth) in 2022, compared to the 5.5% to 6% range it grew in 2021.

Colorado has recovered 86% of its jobs lost during the pandemic as of November 2021 and Silverstein expects our state to recover the remaining lost jobs

by September 2022. The fastest growth in Colorado has come in

the Colorado Springs area with Denver at number two and Pueblo last.

As a result of market shifts to remote work, the office vacancy rate in metro Denver was 12.5% in the fourth quarter of 2021, compared to a much smaller 5% vacancy rate in industrial space.

Retail space “has been amazingly stable,” according to Silverstein, because little retail has been built recently and many retail spaces have been repurposed for enterContinued on page 12

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This graph shows the seasonality of housing demand and the decreasing availability of homes for sale in metro Denver.

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PAGE 12 | THE VILLAGER • January 20, 2022

Paton should tap Eric Bieniemy to lead Broncos The search for the next Red Miller/Dan Reeves/Mike Shanahan/Gary Kubiak has begun.

As required by the National Football League, Broncos general manager George Paton has Relive requested of several teams that are in the permission theplayoffs Rockies' to speak to assistant coaches on game, theirgreatest staffs.

The list of prospects to bein their come Denver’s next head footballgreatest coach is at least 10-names season long. And, reading the summaries of why any of these Search "Game 163list, book" candidates is on the it’s to an order online from Amazon. impressive array of talent.

But which one can lead the Also on sale at all Broncos back to the Promised Tattered Cover bookstores.

Land of Super Bowl victory?

Nathaniel Hackett, Brian Callahan, Kellen Moore or

Jarod Mayo—who all are high on the up-and-coming assistants list? Or Jonathan Gannon, Luke Getsy, Kevin O’Connell or Aaron Glenn—also popular, though unproven?

If you’re into someone with previous head coaching experience, how about Dan Quinn, who, many believe, is the odds-on favorite because, in different years with different teams, he was a Super Bowl assistant and head coach?

My nominee—also one of the 10 to be interviewed but unavailable until Kansas City is no longer in the playoffs— is former CU All-America running back Eric Bieniemy. And it’s not just because of his past local ties, which include two

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stints as an assistant coach for the Buffs.

Here are several reasons why Bieniemy might be the answer: 1. He has learned from one of the best coaches in the NFL, Andy Reid.

2. He has coached a team that has won a Super Bowl.

3. He’s also played on a collegiate national champion, and for another great coaching mind in Bill McCartney.

4. He has coached against the teams Denver must beat to return to prominence—the Chargers and Raiders of the AFC West (not to mention having a little inside knowledge on how to beat the Chiefs).

5. He has helped develop Patrick Mahomes to his dynamic full potential and the Chiefs’ offense to its explosive best.

6. Since 2018, when Bieniemy became offensive coordinator, the Chiefs have had won-lost records of 12-4, 12-4, 14-2 and 12-5, with Mahomes and Hill at the top of their list of threats.)

7. Teams frequently sign a player from the next opponent, just to get any inside scoop they can. So, why not hire a coach from the team that has beaten you 13 straight times?

There’s another reason, too, one that relates to the just-completed season that was Vic Fangio’s demise.

K.J. Hamler.

The Broncos made Hamler

their second-round draft pick in 2020 out of Penn State, with visions of a Tyreek Hill-type game-breaker. Hill is the jitterbug who ignites Kansas City’s offense (479 receptions for 6,630 yards and 56 touchdowns in six seasons, plus 93 rushes for 719 yards and six TDs).

Hamler showed flashes of Hill’s electricity in his first season, and in the first three games of 2021. Then he tore an ACL and was lost for the season. I think his loss is a big reason why the Broncos were so anemic on offense (and went from 3-0 to 7-10).

Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick and Jerry Jeudy are above-average receivers, but without Hamler, it was harder for them to get open. Opponents didn’t have to worry about the threat Hamler posed with his speed.

Consider what John Elway told Peter King of NBC Sports after drafting Hamler: “He had a 100-yard kick return against Michigan, and so we just figured we’d time him (in a 40-yard interval) on that play. We timed him at 3.93 in the 40, but of course he had a running start.

“He just has a different speed than anyone else. This has become such a speed game. Watch Kansas City.

“We love Courtland, we love Jeudy. Get Hamler in the slot against quarters coverage, releasing upfield at 4.3 or 4.32 speed, and that’s going to put a lot of pressure on safeties. I know that.”

It seems logical that the coach who has gotten so much

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Continued from page 11

tainment or other purposes. She expects 10 million square feet of additional industrial space to come into the market in 2022.

Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D. is the former senior economist for the National Association of Home Builders and a nationally acclaimed economist who intersperses humor with data. His company is called GraphsandLaughs, LLC. According to Eisenberg, the economy is improving because people are spending large amounts of money, although the government is not, one reason why he, like Silverstein, believes inflation will no longer be a problem by the end of 2022. He pointed to the pent-up demand for cars and light trucks that will result in high sales once the supply of computer chips is resolved. Retail sales overall have been high and will remain high as a result of all the money that went into the economy as COVID relief.

Eisenberg believes that the significant impacts of COVID will dissipate in 2022 as we learn to deal with Omicron and what-

ever variants follow it. Consumer behavior, as measured by people going to Las Vegas, has been coming back, as have hotel occupancy rates. Restaurant visits have fallen recently due to Omicron, but he expects them to come back soon, as well.

Real personal consumption expenditures in 2021, adjusted for inflation, were “above trend” but Eisenberg believes that those numbers will taper off as supplies increase and demand decreases as monetary policy is tightened up to bring down inflation. The small business confidence level is just all right but not great, primarily due to low inventories.

The inventory problem, according to Eisenberg, is that the COVID vaccine used in China does not protect well against Omicron, which is putting additional pressure on the supply chain because China makes so many goods and it locks down immediately whenever there is a threat that Omicron could take a foothold. He believes that Omicron will dissipate later this year, resulting in an increase of the supply of goods made in China.

Corporate profits have sky-

out of Tyreek Hill might be the one to exploit Hamler’s similar potential.

GM Paton has said that his top priority in hiring the next head coach is finding a leader.

Here’s what Andy Reid said about that a year ago when Bieniemy had numerous interviews for head coaching vacancies but never landed the job. “ . . . At the risk of being redundant, I have not seen many guys that are as great a leader as he is of men. And in this business, that’s huge.

“You’re never going to have to worry about Eric Bieniemy, never—on the field, off the field. He’s going to be honest with you and straightforward . . . to be a head coach, if you’re going to survive in this business, you better be honest with the people you deal with and you better have a plan for them.

“Guys want to know where they’re at and where they’re going . . . and when they don’t have that in place, then they drift. And that’s where teams fall apart.

“So, he knows how to do that part and do it well.”

It has been reported that the Minnesota Vikings—George Paton’s former employer— have Bieniemy at the top of their list. What a shame it would be if he winds up in Minneapolis instead of Denver.

Denny Dressman is a veteran of 43 years in the newspaper business, including 25 at the Rocky Mountain News, where he began as executive sports editor. He is the author of 13 books, seven of them sports-related. You can write to Denny at dennydressman@ comcast.net.

rocketed as prices have gone up, according to Eisenberg. GDP is 2% higher than it was before COVID while the cost of labor is 2% less, with most of the benefit going to larger businesses. As a result, firms are buying back their stock to the tune of over $1 trillion during the first ten months of 2021, a rate more than 200% higher than in 2020. In turn, the stock market has been going up, leading some people to retire earlier than they planned and others to leave jobs they don’t enjoy because of their robust 401K assets.

Household balance sheets, including savings, went up while enhanced unemployment benefits and fiscal stimulus checks were being pumped into the economy.

Conversely, as that money disappears, Eisenberg expects the economy and inflation to contract.

Even if the Build Back Better plan eventually passes in some form, Eisenberg doesn’t believe it will be inflationary, because the new spending is paid for and would occur over ten years. Overall, Eisenberg expects that the real GDP growth, adjusted for inflation, will return to trend, which is around 2%. fmiklin.villager@gmail.com

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PAGE 14 | THE VILLAGER • January 20, 2022

LEGALS

—Continued from previous page—

2017 FIRST

FIRST PLACE Best Public

2018 Notice Section NNA Better Newspaper

PLACE — Best Section

Advertising Contest

Award-winning Newspaper

COUNTY TREASURER

That said real estate was taxed or specially assessed in the name(s) of CYNTHIA L LARSON for said year 2016;

NOTICE OF PURCHASE OF REAL ESTATE AT TAX LIEN SALE AND OF APPLICATION FOR ISSUANCE OF TREASURER’S DEED

That said BUFFALO PLAINS 22, LLC, on the 29th day of November, 2021, the present holder of said Certificate, who has made request upon the Treasurer of said County for a deed to said real estate;

To Every Person in Actual Possession or Occupancy of the hereinafter Described Land, Lot or Premises, and to the Person in Whose Name the same was Taxed or Specially Assessed, and to all Persons having an Interest or Title of Record in or to the said Premises and To Whom It May Concern, and more especially to CYNTHIA L LARSON, SOUTHPARK HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, LITTLETON DELINQUENT STORM AND SEWER

That a Treasurer’s Deed will be issued for said real estate to the said BUFFALO PLAINS 22, LLC, on or about the 11th day of May, 2022, A.D., unless the same has been redeemed.

Said property may be redeemed from said sale at any time prior to the actual execution of said Treasurer’s Deed.

Witness my hand this 3rd day of January, 2022, A.D.

You and each of you are hereby notified that on the 2nd day of November, 2017, A.D., the then County Treasurer of the County of Arapahoe, in the State of Colorado, sold at public tax lien sale to CAPITAL INVESTMENTS CO13 LLC, the following described real estate situate in the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado, to-wit: LOT 162 SOUTHPARK SUB 9TH FLG aka 2880 W LONG CIR D and said County Treasurer issued a Certificate of Purchase therefore to FIG CAPITAL INVESTMENTS CO13 LLC; Whereas, the said FIG CAPITAL INVESTMENTS CO13 LLC did, on the 29th day of November 2021 duly assigned the certificate of the sale of the tax lien on the property as aforesaid, and all its rights, title, and interest in said property, to BUFFALO PLAINS 22, LLC. That said tax lien sale was made to satisfy the delinquent general taxes assessed against said real estate for the year 2016;

Sue Sandstrom Treasurer Arapahoe County Published in The Villager First Publication: January 6, 2022 Last Publication: January 20, 2022 Legal # 10566 ___________________________ NOTICE OF PURCHASE OF REAL ESTATE AT TAX LIEN SALE AND OF APPLICATION FOR ISSUANCE OF TREASURER’S DEED To Every Person in Actual Possession or Occupancy of the hereinafter Described Land, Lot or Premises, and to the Person in Whose Name the same was Taxed or Specially Assessed, and to all Persons having an Interest or Title of Record in or to the said Premises and To Whom It May Concern, and more especially to HUIJIE CHEN AND RUGONG PANG, TALLYN’S REACH MASTER ASSOCIATION, INC., XIQIN DOU You and each of you are hereby notified that on the 7th day of

SPECIAL DISTRICTS 00100 CHERRY CREEK VALLEY WATER AND SANITATION DISTRICT ILIFF AVENUE AND DAYTON WAY EMERGENCY DENVER WATER INTERCONNECT ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS 1.Confidential Proposals for construction of the Iliff Avenue and Dayton Way Emergency Denver Water Interconnect will be received by the Cherry Creek Valley Water and Sanitation District, 2325 S. Wabash Street, Denver, Colorado 80231, on or before 1:00 p.m., Friday, February 4, 2022 at which time the proposals will be opened. A summary of results will be distributed to plan holders shortly thereafter. Any proposal received after the above specified time will be immediately returned to the Bidder unopened.

The site of the work is within the Cherry Creek Valley Water and Sanitation District.

The work generally consists of: •Installation of a new 18’L x 8’W x 6’H precast concrete meter vault with 12-inch water meter, check valve, 12-inch bypass, and related components and accessories as shown on the Drawings.

•Installation of associated 12-inch water mains, valves, and connections to existing pipelines as shown.

•Associated site demolition and restoration work as shown.

2.The Contract Documents, containing the detailed Drawings and Specifications for the construction work, together with the proposed construction Contract, may be seen at the office of Merrick & Co., 2480 W. 26th Avenue, Unit B225, Denver, Colorado, 80211. PDF copies thereof may be obtained from Merrick & Company at no cost by e-mailing a request to plansrequest@merrick.com.

3.Bid security in the amount of 5 percent, unqualified, of the total Proposal price, will be required with each Proposal. Character and disposition of such bid security are stated in “Instructions to Bidders” of the Contract Documents. Included with the Contract Documents is a Bid Bond form to be used by Bidders not submitting a cashier’s check or a certified check.

4.Further information will be found in “Instructions to Bidders” of the Contract Documents. Each Bidder will be assumed to be familiar with all Contract Documents, including all Drawings and Specifications.

Cherry Creek Valley Water and Sanitation District

By John Warford Manager Published in The Villager First Publication: January 13, 2022 Last Publication: January 20, 2022 Legal # 10570 ___________________________ INVITATION FOR BID 2022 AIRFIELD IMPROVEMENTS AIP NO. 3-08-0029-056-2022 CENTENNIAL AIRPORT ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO Sealed bids for AIP No. 3-08-0029-056-2022, at Centennial Airport, Englewood, Colorado, will be received by the Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority, 7565 South Peoria Street, Englewood, Colorado 80112, until 10:00 a.m., local time, on February 23, 2022, and then opened, read aloud and canvassed.

The work involved includes the following: Schedule I Rehabilitate Runway 17R/35L and Taxiway B Schedule II Construct Midfield Runup Schedule III Reconstruct Midfield Apron Taxiway Schedule IV Reconstruct Taxiway A1 Runup Schedule V Miscellaneous Electrical Improvements

November, 2017, A.D., the then County Treasurer of the County of Arapahoe, in the State of Colorado, sold at public tax lien sale to FIG CAPITAL INVESTMENTS CO13 LLC, the following described real estate situate in the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado, to-wit:

Published in The Villager First Publication: January 6, 2022 Last Publication: January 20, 2022 Legal # 10567 ___________________________

LOT 27 BLK 3 TALLYN’S REACH SUB 14TH FLG aka 25381 E OTTAWA DR

DISTRICT COURT COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE STATE OF COLORADO 7325 So. Potomac Street Centennial, Colorado (303) 649-6355 Telephone

and said County Treasurer issued a Certificate of Purchase therefore to FIG CAPITAL INVESTMENTS CO13 LLC; Whereas, the said FIG CAPITAL INVESTMENTS CO13 LLC did, on the 29th day of November 2021 duly assigned the certificate of the sale of the tax lien on the property as aforesaid, and all its rights, title, and interest in said property, to BUFFALO PLAINS 22, LLC. That said tax lien sale was made to satisfy the delinquent general taxes assessed against said real estate for the year 2016; That said real estate was taxed or specially assessed in the name(s) of HUIJIE CHEN AND RUGONG PANG for said year 2016; That said BUFFALO PLAINS 22, LLC, on the 29th day of November, 2021, the present holder of said Certificate, who has made request upon the Treasurer of said County for a deed to said real estate; That a Treasurer’s Deed will be issued for said real estate to the said BUFFALO PLAINS 22, LLC, on or about the 11th day of May, 2022, A.D., unless the same has been redeemed.

Said property may be redeemed from said sale at any time prior to the actual execution of said Treasurer’s Deed.

Witness my hand this 3rd day of January, 2022, A.D. Sue Sandstrom Treasurer Arapahoe County

COURTS

PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO In the Interest of: NIXON BERGFELD Child, and concerning KISMET BERGFELD and JOHN DOE, Respondents.

Heather L. Tomka, Esq. #50963 Assistant County Attorney Attorney for the People 14980 East Alameda Drive Aurora, CO 80012 Tel: 303.636.1895 Case No: 21JV581 Division: 14 NOTICE OF TERMINATION OF LEGAL PARENTAL RIGHTS HEARING TO THE RESPONDENTS HEREIN: PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a Termination of Legal Parental Rights Hearing in this action regarding, KISMET BERGFELD and JOHN DOE has been set. The termination hearing is currently set for March 25, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. in Division 14.

IN ADDITION to the Termination of Legal Parental Rights Hearing, the Court has set a Pre-Trial Readiness Conference on March 3, 2022 at 2:00 P.M in Division 14

Schedule VI Groove Taxiway A (Non-Federal) A complete set of Plans and Bidding Requirements and Contract Documents may be obtained on or after January 24, 2022 on Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System at https://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado.

The major work items include variable depth milling, patching, crack repair, asphalt paving, and pavement marking along Runway 17R/35L and Taxiway B; earthwork, fly ash treated subgrade, crushed aggregate base course, asphalt paving, lighting, marking, drainage, underdrains, topsoil, and seeding for the midfield runup and midfield apron taxiway; and full depth pavement reconstruction and electrical improvements along Taxiway A1 runup.

All bidders are advised to examine the site to become familiar with all site conditions. The project will be discussed and shown to interested bidders at 10:00 a.m., local time on January 31, 2022, at the Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority, 7565 South Peoria Street, Englewood, Colorado 80112.

Each bid must be accompanied by a Certified Check or Cashier’s Check in the amount of not less than five percent (5%) of the total bid, made payable to the Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority, or by Bid Bond in like amount executed by a Surety Company.

of the Arapahoe County Justice Center, IN THE EVENT YOU FAIL TO APPEAR FOR THE HEARING ON March 25, 2022 at 9:00 a.m., THE PETITIONER WILL REQUEST THAT THE COURT ENTER A DEFAULT JUDGEMENT AGAINST YOU AND TERMINATE YOUR PARENTAL RIGHTS OF THE ABOVE NAMED CHILD, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COLORADO CHILDREN’S CODE. You have the right to be represented by an attorney during these proceedings; if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to represent you. In the event you fail to appear for the hearing at the date and time indicated, the Petitioner will request that the Court enter a default judgment against you and terminate your parental rights as to the above named child, in accordance with the Colorado Children’s Code.

Heather L. Tomka, Esq. #50963 Assistant County Attorney Attorney for the People 14980 E. Alameda Dr. Aurora, CO 80012 Published in The Villager Published: January 20, 2022 Legal # 10572 ___________________________

MISCELLANOUS INVITATION FOR BID GATE 1 DRIVEWAY IMPROVEMENTS CENTENNIAL AIRPORT ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO Sealed bids for Gate 1 Driveway Improvements, at Centennial Airport, Englewood, Colorado, will be received by the Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority, 7565 South Peoria Street, Englewood, Colorado 80112, until 10:00 a.m., local time, on January 26, 2022, and then opened, read aloud and canvassed.

The work involved includes improvements to Gate 1 driveway.

Major work items include removal of failed concrete panels, over excavation of over saturated material to depth of 12 inches, replacement with flow fill followed by 6 inches of hot mix asphalt pavement.

A complete set of Plans and Bidding Requirements and Contract Documents may be obtained on or after January 5, 2022 via email to

CONTRACT DOCUMENTS, complete with construction DRAWINGS and SPECIFICATIONS, will be available on https://www.bidnetdirect.com/ colorado/cherrycreekwat. Bidders that have registered with BidNet for this PROJECT (the “plan holder list”) will receive project addenda and other communication via BidNet. Acknowledgement of all addenda is required to submit a responsive bid.

BID(s) will be rejected if the CONTRACTOR’s name is not on BidNet’s plan holders list, which verifies the purchase of CONTRACT DOCUMENTS.

Published in The Villager First Publication: January 13, 2022 Last Publication: January 20, 2022 Legal # 10565 ___________________________

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of VIRGINIA ELAINE RATHBUN, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR15 All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to District Court of ARAPAHOE, County, Colorado or Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before MAY 14, 2022, or the claims may be forever barred.

DEANNA RATHBUN 2954 S ZURICH CT DENVER, CO 80236 Published in The Villager First Publication: January 13, 2022 Last Publication: January 27, 2022 Legal # 10571 ___________________________ NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Donald Edward Romby, aka Donald E. Romby, aka Donald Romby, aka, Don Edward Romby, aka Don E. Romby, aka Don Romby, Deceased Case Number 2021PR30838 All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to District Court of Arapahoe, County, Colorado or on or before May 18, 2022, or the claims may be forever barred.

Tina McGee, Personal Representative 952 S. Paris Court Aurora, Colorado 80012 Published in The Villager First Publication: January 20, 2022 Last Publication: February 3, 2022 Legal # 10573 ___________________________

Description of WORK: The primary work to be performed under this contract includes construction of improvements to Cherry Creek to stabilize and restore function to Cherry Creek. Construction includes, but is not limited to: mobilization, clearing and grubbing, surveying, traffic control, water control, erosion and sediment control items, removing and replacing existing fence and boulder edging, earthwork and haul off-site, topsoil excavation and replacement, soil riprap and riprap placement, repair of the crusher fines trail as needed, installation of steel sheet pile and steel sheet pile cap, and site stabilization including seeding, erosion control blanket, mulch, and willow stakes.

Additional steel sheet pile, steel sheet pile cap, and a concrete pad are included as add alternate bid items.

Location: Cherry Creek State Park 12-Mile Park Dog Off-Leash Area Estimated Construction Cost Range: $300,000 to $400,000 for the base bid and $450,000 to $550,000 for the total bid.

OWNER: Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority

Name:

Electronic bids for the above-referenced PROJECT will be received by Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority by 10:00 AM on February 4, 2022 and will be opened and recorded (BID OPENING). Any BID(s) received after the above-specified time and date will not be considered.

Bids will be submitted through the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing website (https://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado; “BidNet”) as more specifically defined below.

Any questions must be submitted to Molly McGuire, JACOBS, via email to Molly.McGuire@jacobs. com. Questions are due by 10:00 a.m., January 19, 2022. Questions received after this time will not be accepted.

A general statement of WORK is as follows:

Any questions must be submitted to Chris Dodge and Molly McGuire, JACOBS, via email to Christopher.dodge@jacobs.com & Molly.mcguire@ jacobs.com. Questions are due by 10:00 a.m., February 16, 2022. Questions received after this time will not be accepted.

Date: January 14, 2022

All bidders are advised that the right is reserved by the Sponsor to waive any informality in, or to reject any or all bids.

https://www.cherrycreekbasin.org.

By: (Signature)

CHERRY CREEK AT 12-MILE PARK PHASE III

Each bid must be accompanied by a Certified Check or Cashier’s Check in the amount of not less than five percent (5%) of the total bid, made payable to the Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority, or by Bid Bond in like amount executed by a Surety Company.

Date: January 13, 2022

All bidders are advised that the right is reserved by the Sponsor to waive any informality in, or to reject any or all bids.

Published in The Villager Published: January 20, 2022 Legal # 10574 ___________________________ 00 11 16 INVITATION TO BID

Molly.McGuire@jacobs.com.

Title: Published in The Villager First Publication: January 20, 2022 Last Publication: January 27, 2022 Legal # 10575 ___________________________ A CALL FOR NOMINATIONS (NOTICE BY PUBLICATION OF) §1-13.5-501, 1-13.5-1102(3), 32-1-905(2), C.R.S. TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, and, particularly, to the electors of the City of Cherry Hills Village Sanitation District of Arapahoe County, Colorado.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an election will be held on the 3rd day of May, 2022, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. At that time, 4 directors will be elected to serve 3-year terms. Eligible electors of the City of Cherry Hills Village Sanitation District interested in serving on the board of directors may obtain a Self-Nomination and Acceptance form from the District Designated Election Official (DEO): Kathy McKune (Designated Election Official) 3333 S Bannock St., Suite 360 Englewood, CO 80110 303-762-8222 Email: CHVSanDist@aol.com The Office of the DEO is open on the following days: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

No BIDDER prequalification is required for this PROJECT. However, upon evaluation of BID(s), the apparent low BIDDER must be prepared to demonstrate BIDDER’s qualifications by submitting evidence to OWNER such as financial data, previous experience, authority to conduct business in the jurisdiction where the PROJECT is located, and other requirements as may be specified in the CONTRACT DOCUMENTS.

The deadline to submit a Self-Nomination and Acceptance is close of business on February 25, 2022.

The required security, 5% of the bid, must be submitted electronically on BidNet. E-bond and electronic funds transfer (EFT) submissions are accepted by CCBWQA through BidNet. The Bid Bond must be executed by a surety acceptable to CCBWQA.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, an application for an absentee ballot shall be filed with the designated election official no later than the close of business on Tuesday preceding the election, April 26, 2022.

BIDDER(s) are invited to attend a pre-bid conference virtually at https:// teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZmEwNTZiYWMtNjR mZi00NDAzLTg3MzctY2Y4Nzk1M2VkOTk3%40thread.v2/0?context=%7 b%22Tid%22%3a%2237247798-f42c-42fd-8a37-d49c7128d36b%22%2c %22Oid%22%3a%22535b85c4-5228-498c-bb37-13c66e26af4a%22%7d or 469-214-8538, Conference Code 522071386# on January 28, 2022 at 10:00 AM. As its best interests may appear, OWNER reserves the right to reject any or all BID(s) and to waive informalities in the BID(s).

For public notice purposes documents are also on CCBWQA’s website

Affidavit of Intent To Be A Write-In-Candidate forms must be submitted to the office of the designated election official by the close of business on Monday, February 28, 2022.

Kathy L. McKune Designated Election Official Signature Published in The Villager Published: January 20, 2022 Legal # 10576 ___________________________

— End oftoLegals — — Continued next page —

January 20, 2022 • THE VILLAGER | PAGE 15

WHAT’S HAPPENING

SOUTH METRO DENVER CHAMBER ECONOMIC FORECAST BREAKFAST Jan. 28, 7-9 a.m. Marriott South at Park Meadows. Plated breakfast will be served. Tickets: visit best chamber. com/efb or call 303-795-0142 or email info@bestchamber.com Moderator, Kevin Pitts, Publisher of Denver Business Journal. Panelists, Henry Sobanet, CFO- Colorado State University; Elizabeth Gamer, State Demographer - CO Dept. of Local Affairs and Tuhin Halder, VP of Finance & Business Operations for Comcast Mountain West Region.

Member Ticket: $75; Non-Member Ticket: $85 also Tables and Table Sponsors for sale.

TESORO CULTURAL CENTER FREE LECTURES Jan. 22, “Boom & Bust Colorado: From the 1859 Gold Rush to the 2020 Pandemic” by Tom Noel. Jan. 22, 4:00 p.m. at Lone Tree Hub, 8827 Lone Tree Pkwy, Lone Tree; Jan. 23, 2:00 p.m., The Tattered Cover, 2526 E Colfax Ave., Denver and Jan. 23, 6 p.m. Dinner Lecture at The Fort, 19192 Hwy 8, Morrison. For registration: call 303347-5999 and for dinner/lecure call 303-839.1671.

ENGLEWOOD CHAMBER FRIDAY COFFEE NETWORK JAN. 21, 8-9:00 a.m. City Center Dental Group, 800 Englewood Pkwy, Suite A-201. Free event.

NEWMAN CENTER PRESENTS JOEY ALEXANDER Feb. 2, 7:30 p.m. June Swaner Gates Concert Hall. Joey is a pianistcomposer currently at work in Jazz. He is the youngest musician ever nominated for a Grammy Award in a jazz category.

Info: newmancenterpresents.com

ENGLEWOOD CHAMBER THOUGHT CO-OP JAN. 27, 8-9:00 a.m. Become informed of what is happening in the business community. Speaker, John Voboril - Long Range Planner - City of Englewood. Member: Free; Nonmember: $10.

SPINOSAURUS: LOST GIANT OF THE CRETACEOUS WITH NIZAR IBRAHIM Feb. 9, 7:30 p.m. Presented by the Robert & Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts at the Univ. of Denver with National Geographic Live at the June Swaner Gates Concert Hall. Tickets on sale at newmancenterpresents.com or phone 303-871-7720.

GREATER ENGLEWOOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 36TH ANNUAL BUSINESS AWARDS BANQUET Now accepting nominations through Jan. 31. Nominate businesses & individuals to recognize outstanding achievements & contributions made throughout the year. Categories Include: Emerging Business of the

The pathway to mental health I was in Florida helping my brother with a medical issue. A member of my office team called to inform me that one of our colleagues, a 44-yearold amazing husband, father and community leader had died from complications of Covid. I was shocked and speechless; how could this happen? It seems so unfair and so random. I was crushed. This news sent me into a grieving process that I could not control.

I cried so hard that my body ached. There were no words, just a raw moaning that emanated from the tips of my toes.

Since I was out of town, I was unable to be with others that were experiencing this pain, struggling to understand why this man who loved God, his wife, his 4 children and his community so well, died. There are just so many questions. I realized I was about to go through the cycle of grief which I have studied and explained to families as an ICU nurse. Even though I knew this, the pain was unbearable with nowhere to go. None of the people that knew and loved my colleague were with me. I had no one to hug or cry with. All I did is call my team, send texts and cry on the phone.

I wanted to fly home immediate-

ly to be with my supportive community.

This is exactly why we so desperately need to live in positive relationships and supportive communities. It is the antidote to grief and suffering. It is what heals and soothes our weary souls. Since this is the essence of mental health, I am concerned that we are continuing to isolate ourselves from others due to the pandemic. Schools are going virtual again and students continue to be isolated from their friends and supportive communities. The relational pathway to mental health is being stifled once again.

To diminish the effects of this isolation, we must call each other, text, Facetime and connect frequently. We need to share our pain, sorrows, and losses with those love us. We need to not take anything for granted, being thankful for our connections and relationships. We need to continue to cultivate community support networks. We need to create meaning and purpose for our lives, developing a plan to reach each benchmark towards our hopes and dreams. We need to be grateful for every day and acknowledge how precious and fragile life is. For me, it is moving toward my hope in God

Year, Business of the Year, Chamber Member of the Year, Community Organization of the Year, Lifetime Business Achievement Award and Resilience & Innovation Award.

MEOW WOLF DENVER POP-UP ACTIVATION Now thru JAN. 24. The Certified Memory Merchant features alien puppet ‘Norm’ who will be on hand to exchange Converged World zines & souvenirs for memories. Park Meadows Retail Resorts - Dillard’s Court. 11:a.m.- 7 p.m. Sundays: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

SOUTH SUBURBAN PUBLIC ART COMMITTEE ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR ATLARGE MEMBER Deadline: Feb. 16. SSPAC members must live within the District and be able to serve a minimum three-year term. Monthly meetings 8:30-10 a.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month.

Call 720-245-2602 for application.

A. C. COMMISSIONERS VIRUAL TOWN HALL MEEETINGS Startting in February. 6:30 p.m. Feb. 2: Nancy Sharpe, Dist. 2; Feb. 3, Nancy Jackson, Dist 4; Feb. 9, Jeff Baker, Dist. 3; Feb. 23, Carrie Warren-Gully, Dist. 1 and Feb. 24, Bill Holen, Dist.

5. Details: visit arapahoegov.com/ townhall

and in my faith, knowing that nothing happens without God’s permission.

Grief and suffering are purposeful because they are signals to slow down, think about our lives more introspectively, recalibrate living in a different reality without our friend, partner, or colleague. This is what allows us to bounce back from loss and create a new normal for our lives. Healthy relationships and supportive connections are the shock absorbers when nothing else will do.

I know in the coming days and weeks the grief that I feel today will lessen. I will never forget my colleague, his smile, his dedication to his calling, his love for his wife, children and family, his laugh as his head went back into a full sense of exuberance and joy, and his purposeful existence to honor God in whatever he did. I do not know why he was taken at such a young age when he had so much to live for. I just know that the community he built through love, healthy relationship development and friendship will help his wife, children and family adjust to this new reality. All who know him will honor him through stories and memories. God has another angel in heaven, and we have a lot of work to do to be supportive and connected to one another during this time of grief and loss. joneen@myrelation shipcenter.org

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Correction

On page 16 of the January 13, 2022 edition of The Villager, we mistakenly identified Kyle Faust as a Republican. The Villager regrets the error.

Celebrating 40 years of photos and events in The Villager

This photo was taken in Jan. 2011 at the Media party prior to the opening of the National Western Stock Show. T. Kevin McNicholas and his catering company had the concession contract for the Stock Show. He is surrounded by Pat & John Cavey of Littleton who chaperoned the queen contestants during the Stock Show.

Photo by Bob Sweeney

PAGE 16 | THE VILLAGER • January 20, 2022

Why George Brauchler believes Polis was wrong to reduce trucker’s sentence

BY FREDA MIKLIN GOVERNMENTAL REPORTER

On December 13, District Court Judge Bruce Jones sentenced truck driver Rogel Aguilera-Mederos to 110 years in prison for the death of four people who died instantly when the out-of-control truck containing lumber that Aguilera-Mederos was driving lost its brakes and crashed into stopped traffic on Interstate 70 near Colorado Mills on April 25, 2019.

In addition to four counts of vehicular manslaughter, Aguilera-Mederos was also found guilty of assault and driving offenses. The trucker was extremely remorseful for

what happened and the judge made it clear that the sentence would have been shorter had Colorado law applicable in these circumstances not required consecutive rather than concurrent sentences for conviction on multiple offenses arising from the same act.

Public opinion in favor of a lesser punishment for Aguilera-Mederos swelled immediately. Within two weeks, 5 million people, including many from outside Colorado, had signed an online petition asking for leniency for the trucker. Even the judge and the 1st Judicial District Attorney were on board and on December 27, a hearing in Judge Jones courtroom to reconsider the sentence was scheduled

for January 13.

On December 30, Governor Jared Polis commuted Aguilera-Mederos’ sentence to ten years. He will be eligible for parole after serving five years. The next day, former 18th Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler penned a column in the Denver Post criticizing Polis for what he termed a “hasty, poorly-informed, and hyper-political reaction,” that “hijacked the criminal justice system, derailed the judicial process, and violated (Polis’) own posted guidelines about clemency.”

To be clear, Brauchler did not disagree that, “the mandated 110-year sentence was excessive.”

In his talk to the Arapahoe County Republican Breakfast Club on January 5, Brauchler explained his position. “The Department of Corrections has the ability to reduce sentences such that those convicted of crimes of violence can be paroled after serving 50% of their sentence. Those convicted of nonviolent crimes can be paroled after serving one-third of their time,” he said.

Pointing to an earlier situation in which he believes Polis abused his discretion, Brauchler said, “When (former 17th Judicial District

George Brauchler is the former 18th Judicial District Attorney and was the Republican candidate for Colorado Attorney General in 2018.

Attorney) Dave Young decided that the Elijah MacLean case could not be proven, eight months later Gov. Polis gave the case to Atty. Gen. Philip Weiser after Change. org got 2 million signatures, and he (Weiser) indicted them on the same charges the truck driver was charged with.”

In September 2021, a grand jury indicted three police officers and two paramedics on 32 total counts, including manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide for each of them, in the August 30, 2019 death of McClain. Some defendants were also charged with assault, as was Aguilera-Mederos. The criminal

cases related to Elijah McClain’s treatment and death are pending but the City of Aurora agreed in November to pay $15 million to settle a federal civil rights case brought by McClain’s family.

Brauchler continued, “The district attorney offered the truck driver 20 to 30 years.

He rejected that offer even though (conviction on the charges required) mandatory minimum consecutive sentences. When the verdict came in October on 27 counts, they knew then he would get 110 years minimum.”

Brauchler pointed to the fact that the trucker’s attorneys did not act on the sentence they knew was coming until after it was pronounced and the public began to weigh in. In Brauchler’s opinion, “Change. org was untrue saying it was an accident. (Aguilera-Mederos) was found guilty of ‘extreme indifference to the value of human life,’ not negligence or recklessness, by a jury after testifying. After the Change.org petition hit 5 million signatures, Polis came in and reduced the sentenced to 10 years, which is really five.

The defendant can still appeal the sentence and get the conviction reversed.” fmiklin.villager@gmail. com

Meow Wolf Denver Pop-Up Activation at Park Meadows Retail Resort QUESTION: Going to the dentist is too expensive and I don’t have insurance!

ANSWER: Dental treatments become more expensive the longer you wait to be seen.

Preventative care, cleanings and checkups, are cheaper than emergency visits. At Sislow Family Dental, we also offer a dental savings plan for a low monthly rate for our patients without insurance. It covers your exams, cleanings, and routine x rays as well as a discount on ALL other dental services, without the preauthorizations, denials, or yearly maximums of traditional insurance!

Dr. Katherine Sislow, DDS 303-504-4000 8200 E Belleview Ave., Ste 515E, East Tower, Greenwood Village, CO 80111 www.sislowfamilydental.com

WHAT:

Meow Wolf Denver has set up its Convergence Station Newsstand Pop-Up Activation at Park Meadows – Colorado’s Only Retail Resort! The Certified Memory Merchant features alien puppet ‘Norm’ who will be on hand to exchange Converged World zines and souvenirs for memories.

WHO:

Park Meadows – Colorado’s Only Retail Resort

WHEN:

Wednesday, January 12 Monday, January 24 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Sundays 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

WHERE: Park Meadows Retail Resort Dillard’s Court 8401 Park Meadows Center Drive, Lone Tree DETAILS: Newsstand, Memory Merchant Exchange, Earth Essentials CONTACT: Pam Kelly Senior General Manager Cell: 303-210-8279 Pamela.Kelly@BPRetail.com