More international routes are in the hopper
BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUNTurkish Airlines has announced that it will begin ying from Denver to Istanbul on June 11.
At 6,130 miles, or between roughly 12 and 13 hours in the air, the ight will be the longest scheduled pas-
senger route to and from the Mile High City, eclipsing the 5,788-mile ight between Denver and Tokyo’s Narita International Airport operated by United Airlines.
Turkish Airlines is a Star Alliance partner airline, like United. at means passengers will be able to transfer to United Airlines ights once they arrive in Denver.
In Istanbul, passengers from Denver will be able to connect to destinations through Europe, Africa and Asia.
e ight will be operated three times weekly — Tuesdays, ursdays and Fridays — on an Airbus A350-900 aircraft. A fourth frequency, on Sunday, will begin on July 9.
e announcement comes as international ight options from Denver International Airport have proliferated in recent years. Flights to Paris, Dublin and Zurich have all been added recently, and United Airlines and Lufthansa have added frequencies to London, Munich and Frankfurt.
Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington said that the airport is trying to land ights to Amsterdam, Ethiopia’s Bole Addis Ababa International Airport and other parts of Japan.
“We are being very, very ambitious in terms of trying to increase our global connections around the world,” he said.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said the new route will lead to 350 new jobs in Denver and have a $20 million economic impact.
Douglas County Republicans are split in their responses to the removal of a journalist for e Colorado Sun at the state party assembly in Pueblo on Saturday.
Reporter Sandra Fish was asked to leave the GOP event, where party
delegates vote on candidates for the primary ballot, because state party Chair Dave Williams alleged her reporting has been “unfair.”
Williams did not provide any speci c examples and the Sun refuted Williams’ characterization of their work. Fish was the only reporter asked to leave, though several other journalists were in attendance.
Responses from Republican ocials to the decision to remove Fish have ranged from condemnation to approval, including at the local level.
State Rep. Brandi Bradley, who represents parts of Douglas County in the House, posted on X, formerly Twitter, that she had no qualms with Fish’s removal because she thinks the media “shuts down” conservatives. Bradley previously employed Williams as her legislative aide at the state Capitol.
“
ey never represent Republicans and why should they have access into a private organizations assembly,” Bradley wrote.
In another post, Bradley called the controversy around the decision a de ection from political battles at the statehouse, saying she would not “take the bait.”
e X account for the Douglas County GOP echoed Bradley’s comments in a post of its own, which incorrectly called Fish an activist for the Democratic National Committee. Fish is a data journalist who has reported since 1982, including covering seven former Republican assemblies in Colorado.
sioner Lora omas, state Rep. Lisa Frizell and Deborah Flora, a candidate for Colorado’s 4th Congressional District.
Flora, who was not at the assembly, called the move wrong and a violation of the First Amendment in a post on X.
“We need to instill pride in our party and win over Coloradans through our principles and shared values,” Flora wrote. “ is action goes against that.”
For her vocal disagreement, Flora was berated by the state party, which responded that Flora is a “dishonest, say-anything” politician and endorsed her competitor U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert.
omas said in her newsletter that she felt the action was wrong for many reasons, but mainly because she believes it was a violation of Fish’s constitutional rights.
“Constitutional rights apply to all,” omas said. “Not just the speech you like.”
Frizell, who represents Castle Rock in the Colorado House, also shared First Amendment violation concerns.
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“Is (the Colorado GOP) obligated to let DNC activists into a state party event,” the post falsely claims.
On the other side, Republicans speaking out against the move included Douglas County Commis-
Fish’s removal has been widely condemned by other news outlets and media organizations, including the Society of Professional Journalists and the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition.
The number of sellers opting to sell without a listing agent was surprisingly low even before the NAR settlement, which will have the effect of cutting in half the commission charged by listing agents thanks to the removal of a co-op commission for buyers’ agents, .
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has reported that only 7% of homes sold during 2023 were sold without the services of a listing agent. Another 4% of sellers began without an agent but ultimately changed their minds and decided to hire a listing agent.
mission cannot include the offer of compensation to a buyer’s agent, so listing commissions will henceforth be 2.5% to 2.8%, seriously reducing the appeal of trying to sell one’s house without professional assistance.
The main argument for going FSBO (for-sale-by-owner) has been to avoid paying the typical 5 to 6 percent listing commission. But that commission included the 2.5 to 3 percent commission shared with the agent representing the buyer. Under the NAR settlement (if approved by the courts), the listing com-
The Colorado Environmental Film Festival is celebrating Earth Day with two films: The Engine Inside (about bicycling) tonight, April 18; and Deep Rising (about seabed mining) on April 21. Ticket info is at https://ceff.net/earth-day.
In my real estate classes as a new agent at Coldwell Banker back in 2002, it was drummed into us that “listors last,” so we should focus on working with sellers instead of buyers. The NAR settlement has struck a serious blow to anyone who specializes in working with buyers.
In light of this, NAR is offering its Realtor members a free “Accredited Buyer’s Representative” (ABR) course, and, even though Golden Real Estate specializes in working with sellers, all of us have signed up for this course so we can receive the advice which it will offer when representing buyers in the changed landscape of real estate transactions.
Of course, I will share with you what I learn from that course, which I’m taking on June 17th. Hopefully, the court will have confirmed or rejected the NAR settlement by then, so we’ll know for sure what lies ahead.
As I wrote last week, the inevitable
I can’t take credit for this idea. Last year Pro Builder magazine had an article in its May/June issue about new ideas in kitchen design, and one in particular caught my attention: adding a “back/ messy” kitchen.
Nowadays, especially with open floor plans, the kitchen has become a center of entertaining. Guests gather around the host or hostess as they prepare and deliver various courses of food.
A back kitchen allows for dirty dishes to be out of sight immediately. This keeps the kitchen area clean and attractive — and quiet — throughout the evening. There could even be a second dishwasher in the back kitchen.
The back kitchen could also be where prepared courses are staged for bringing out during the party. Think of it as a “butler’s pantry” that is off the kitchen instead of between the kitchen and the dining room.
Most people nowadays have both a walk-in pantry and what’s being called a “Costco closet” for those bulk purchases so many of us are making these days. A larger pantry big enough to satisfy both needs could be attached to the back kitchen instead of the main kitchen, cleaning and simplifying the main kitchen design.
Another feature which makes a lot of sense is to have seating on two sides
(adjoining, not opposite) of the kitchen island instead of just one. This facilitates guests talking to each other, while still including whoever is at work on the business side of the island.
Open floor plans typically show the kitchen open to the family room, but not the formal dining room. How about an Lshaped open floor plan in which the dining room is open to the kitchen on the side, with the family room open to it at a 90degree angle?
Here’s a floor plan from Pro Builder showing this concept, in which ‘A’ is the island with 2-sided seating, ‘B’ is the pantry/Costco closet, ‘C’ is the back kitchen, and ‘D’ is a barn door for closing off the back kitchen/pantry.
effect of the NAR settlement will be that many or even most buyers will call listing agents directly instead of hiring an agent to represent them as a buyer. Only time will tell how that process will shake out.
If I worked solely as a buyer’s agent, I would be very nervous about what the future holds for me.
Buyer agents will still be able to earn a commission by selling new homes. Because the new home market is so competitive, builders are unlikely to reduce the commissions they currently offer to agents. Most builders, I have found, offer a 3% commission to agents who bring them a buyer, although that commission is applied to the base price,
not to the price after adding upgrades of flooring, appliances, counters, etc.
The challenge for real estate agents has always been getting buyers to call them before registering at a builder’s sales office, because most builders will not pay agents who did not register along with their buyer. We tell buyers to visit as many new home communities as they wish but not give their names until they are serious and want us to represent them. Then we can go with them on a return visit where they and we register together. That way, the buyer has the advantage of professional representation, and we are compensated for being their agent.
This column and the ’Back Kitchen’ article appeared in last Thursday’s Denver Post.
For most of 2023, the number of closed transactions fell while the number of active listings surged until some of them either expired or were taken off the market for the holidays. Starting in January there was a marked increase in sales, combined with more sellers putting their homes on the market.
The charts at right are from Denver’s MLS and cover the 15-month period from January 2023 through March 2024 for REcolorado listings only, limited to a 20mile radius of downtown Denver.
The second chart shows how sharply the median days a listing was active on the MLS rose through most of last year, peaking at over 30 days in January but plummeting, just like last year, in February and March. Meanwhile, the median sold price, which had been slumping slightly during the last half of 2023, turned sharply upward in January, February and March.
From studying current MLS data, this trend is continuing in April.
Of course, the real estate market varies greatly from city to city and from neighborhood to neighborhood. If you’d like to monitor the market in your city or your specific subdivision, any of our broker associates or I could create what we call a “Neighborhood Alert” for you. You define the area you want to monitor, and we pro-
Active Listings Closed Listings
Median Sold Price
Median Days in MLS
gram the MLS to send you an email notification every time a home in that area is listed, goes under contract, sells or expires. With our help, you’ll be the neighborhood expert where you live — or perhaps in a neighborhood where you want to buy. Call us; our phone numbers are below.
A church in Highlands Ranch doubles as a wildlife photography exhibit through the end of April, showcasing nearly 60 photos by 25 photographers through the Mile High Wildlife Photography Club. e display at St. Andrew United Methodist Church is the largest art exhibit the club has done in recent years, said Randy Anderson, who has been with the Denver-based club for nearly ve years and serves as its vice president. He added that several images can be purchased. “ ey always have art or quilts or paintings,” Anderson said of the church. “ ey’ve never really had photography.”
With art exhibits booked through 2025, the church hosts exhibits to help showcase artists’ work and to encourage others to nd their artistic side through joining art groups and meeting local artists.
While most of the exhibits include paintings or drawings, photography has made an appearance, representing another level of patience when it comes to artwork.
e Mile High Wildlife Photography Club, founded in 1976, provides members the chance to learn more about wildlife and scenic photography through practice and speaking with professionals who have traveled across the globe. Also a competitive club, they have twice won in the “nature’s best photography” category at the Windland Smith Rice International Awards.
With one image in the exhibit — not for sale — Anderson said the feedback has been fantastic.
“I think it just brings a real sense of the world around us and the nature that’s around us, even within our own cities,” Anderson said. “It creates kind of this visceral reaction. It’s almost like you’re there.”
Anderson added that most wildlife photographers are conservation focused, including himself, and want to help educate the public about the importance of protecting wildlife, public lands and parks.
“Having a show like this where maybe a lot of people are seeing your photographs that aren’t necessarily people that get out a lot — at least in the woods — makes them kind of realize how important it is that those types of things be saved
and conserved,” Anderson said.
e show runs Monday through ursday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. through the end of April. e club has been invited back for 2026.
e following show, starting in May, will feature the artwork of “Fling the Paint” artists.
Using mediums such as oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastels and gouache, “Fling the Paint” is a small
group of artists that meet monthly to paint indoors but will spontaneously go outside to create their pieces. eir work mostly involves landscapes and orals, but they often include still lifes, which will all be displayed at the upcoming exhibit.
A handful of the artists will be at the opening reception on May 5 from 10 a.m. to noon to speak with guests about their work. Some unframed artwork will be available for purchase.
One of the artists, Sheila Littlehorn, who works exclusively in oil, says it’s nice to be able to discuss the artwork with people who are interested in art.
“It’s just nice for any artist to get your work up on to an exhibit so that people can see it,” Littlehorn said.
To learn more about St. Andrew United Methodist Church’s art groups, visit their website at https:// gostandrew.com/arts/.
Grants will create 46 sites with a total of 290 ports
BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUNColorado will spend $21 million to expand fast charging networks for electric vehicles throughout the state, with new grants awarded for 46 sites encompassing 290 charging ports, state o cials announced. e expansion will boost Colorado’s existing public fast chargers by nearly 30%.
Private companies and governments will build the fast chargers to ll gaps federal o cials identied along alternative fuel corridors considered keys to smooth transportation ow. Direct-current fast
A set of DC fast electric chargers on the east side of Limon adds some muchneeded firepower to Colorado’s I-70 charging network, but the actual charging speeds experienced vary widely.
chargers can give EVs a signi cant mileage boost within 15 to 45 minutes of plugging in, depending on electrical service and how many other cars are plugged in at the same time.
State and federal EV boosters are scrambling to assure consumers
about “range anxiety” — fear of running out of battery charge before nding a convenient charging station — and vehicle pricing. EV sales have stagnated after climbing quickly in some states, with observers citing continuing high prices despite federal and state tax credits, and consumers reluctant to learn new fueling systems and locations.
More than 100,000 EVs are now registered in Colorado, the Colorado Energy O ce said, and with “the pace of adoption growing, the expansion of the charging network is necessary to meet consumer demand.”
“Colorado is building one of the most comprehensive EV charging networks in the country,” Colorado Department of Transportation Executive Director Shoshana Lew said, in the release announcing the
grants. “We believe that nearly every Coloradan will have access to DC fast-charging within a matter of years.”
e new charging stations will be funded jointly by federal money from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the state Community Access Enterprise. Future rounds of grant funding will continue to build out the public charging network, with an emphasis on guaranteeing charging access in communities disproportionately impacted by historic air pollution.
Most of the charging stations should be online by the end of 2025, state o cials said.
is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.
Andrew Buen stands before a jury on charges including second-degree murder
BY CHRIS KOEBERL CKOEBERL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COMAs many as 1,500 summonses were sent to Clear Creek County residents to nd a jury of 12 impartial people to sit as jurors in a trial over the death of Christian Glass.
Selected county residents began reporting for jury duty April 8 at the Clear Creek County courthouse.
Final questions, or “voir dire,” to jurors from attorneys and the judge were a major order of business for
the lengthy trial in Fifth Circuit Judge Catherine Cheroutes’ courtroom.
After jury selection, attorneys for the prosecution and defense for former Clear Creek County Sheri ’s Deputy Andrew Buen, who faces multiple charges, including murder in the second degree, were slated to make opening statements, highlighting the arguments they were to make before jurors.
Glass died on the night of June 10-11, 2022, when he was stranded in his car near Silver Plume. He had called 911 for help, saying he was trapped and, when o cers arrived, they asked Glass to leave his car. He refused in what turned into a long stando that ended when o cers broke Glass’ car window and used a Taser on him. Buen shot Glass ve times, killing him, according to an indictment.
As many as 1,500 summonses were sent to Clear Creek County residents to find a jury of 12 impartial people to sit as jurors in a trial for Andrew Buen in the death of Christian Glass.
e criminal trial is expected to take as many as three weeks, according to the Clear Creek County court schedule.
Updates on the trial will be available online at the Clear Creek Courant.
Douglas County School District is considering piloting an arti cial intelligence (AI) program for students and teachers at several schools next year.
e district is exploring a partnership with Khan Academy, a nonpro t educational company, to pilot an AI program called Khanmigo <https://www.khanmigo.ai/> in 28 schools.
Superintendent Erin Kane said it’s important for the district to be a leader on incorporating AI into education, so students are prepared for the workforce.
Kane said her philosophy is that AI won’t replace people, but people who can leverage AI tools will replace those who can’t.
“Our kids need to go into the workforce understanding this technology and how to leverage it, the guard-
rails, the ethics, all of the di erent pieces,” Kane said.
e school board voiced support for the pilot program and appreciation for the district’s approach to teach new tools while mitigating risks.
“I was super skeptical, but while it seems like there will be things to iron out, this seems like such a great opportunity,” board president Christy Williams said.
Douglas County is the rst school district in Colorado to considerlook at piloting the Khanmigo program, Kane said.
“ is is really the forefront, so we’ll be stumbling our way through together, but this is a great way for us to dip our toe in,” she said.
AI opportunities for students include personalized learning, tutoring, interactive learning tools, removing language barriers and more. Kane said those tools will help create an equitable learning environment
When it comes to decks, think outside the square.
because all students will have access to them.
“
e personalized learning component of this technology gives us a way to have culturally relevant lessons that we’ve never had before,” she said. “Now every student has a free tutor.”
For teachers, AI can help build rubrics and lesson plans, which Kane said could free up an average of ve hours per week.
Some risks the district is concerned about are plagiarism, hindering writing skills, false or misleading information, privacy issues and deepfakes, which are digitally altered videos or pictures used typically to spread misinformation.
e Khanmigo program will help the district mitigate many of the risks that come from open AI programs, such as privacy concerns and misinformation, Kane said.
“Just like anything else, if it’s garbage in, it’s garbage out,” she said.
“Khanmigo provides the guardrails we need for our students for privacy, cheating, all of that stu .”
A few of the unique elements of Khanmigo are a chat function with historical gures or literary characters, generated feedback on writing and breakdowns for math and science problems.
Kane described the program as a “framework” for students and teachers to learn how to use AI.
“So kids will have a writing sandbox where they’re following the writing process and researching, outlining, rough drafting, and the teacher has full visibility,” Kane said. “Khanmigo can tell the teacher if it thinks someone is stuck or if someone wrote their outline in four seconds.”
Steve Colella, district chief of sta , said the district is looking to create a task force focusing on AI implementation in the district and will continue to look for programs to help the district and students.
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experienced an uptick in suicides that made the update particularly timely.
showed a slight decrease in 2022 compared to 2021.
is article focuses on issues around suicide and may be distressing to some readers. If you are experiencing suicidal emotions or know someone who is, Colorado Crisis Services can be reached by calling 844-493-8255 or texting TALK to 38255. Other resources are listed at the end of this article.
e March 28 Elbert County Public Health Weekly Update focused on suicide prevention — and while National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month is not until September, Elbert County has
e update read, in part: “Elbert County is currently experiencing an unusually high volume of deaths by suicide. In less than three weeks, ve Elbert County residents have died by suicide. So far in 2024, six residents have died by suicide.” e entire county usually averages about eight deaths by suicide in a whole year.
e six lives lost to suicide in Elbert County in the rst three months of 2024 were two 22-year-old men, a 31-yearold woman, two 47-year-old men and a 60-year-old man. One death was in mid-January and the ve others were in an 18-day span of March.
From a statewide perspective, Elbert County Health Public Health Director Dwayne Smith explained, half of deaths by suicide are from rearms. Suicide rates in Colorado remain steady but
Elbert County is ranked as one of the healthiest counties in Colorado but even so, there will always be those who have mental or behavioral health struggles. Suicide rates are an important indicator of the overall health of a community and every community has a need for mental health awareness, support and resources.
Smith emphasized that suicide affects every member of the community and is a public health crisis. “Suicide is the second leading cause of death among Coloradans ages 10 to 44, which makes it likely we all know someone affected by this issue,” Smith said.
When asked what can be done to lower suicide rates locally, Smith said it’s important to create a culture open
to discussing mental health and advocating for public policies that make suicide prevention a priority.
is includes steps like ensuring access to mental health and substance abuse treatment and services, support for military service members and veterans, relevant school policies and personnel training, and training for health professionals.
To that end, Elbert County Public Health sta have participated in training to build their knowledge, skills and preparedness to lead more empathetic conversations on behavioral health.
ECPH has been working for years to destigmatize conversations about mental health. Fear of social judgment is a common barrier to seeking help and it is common in rural communities for people to assume these issues are private and do not need to be discussed. ECPH is working to actively raise awareness, share resources and normalize the conversation.
Later this year ECPH will launch an online platform to assist residents with stress, including parenting, caregiving, self-care and more. A resource residents can access in the privacy of their home can help alleviate some of the anxiety around
nding the right resources or meeting one-on-one with a provider. ECPH would also like to establish a local branch of the Co ee Break Project. e Co ee Break Project, rst developed in the southeastern Colorado community of Rocky Ford, CO, educates farmers and ranchers about agricultural stress and encourages them to check in on their neighbors. Smith said the initiative also coordinates weekly co ee breaks so “ag producers have an opportunity to connect and look after one another as closely as they do their crops or herd.”
Improving mental health is a community e ort; it’s not only up to organizations like Centennial Mental Health, ECPH, school districts or the faith community to address and nd solutions. From a public health perspective, Smith added, this is known as a “collective impact” approach. On an individual level, the University of New Hampshire recommends remaining calm if you discover or hear a friend is considering suicide. “Your friend has reached out to you for help — it may not feel like it in the moment, but this is good news,” UNH writes. “ is means that you may be able to facilitate your friend getting the help they need. It does NOT mean that you are responsible to solve the problem yourself.”
Sometimes friends experiencing a mental health crisis might not even show it. Social media is full of reminders to “check on your happy friends.” Even those who appear
happy could be managing something like high-functioning anxiety or depression. Simply checking in with someone can provide them an opportunity to communicate their real feelings.
Taking initiative to check in is also important because people with depression or anxiety can feel guilty sharing because they don’t want to bring others down, can act like everything is ne because they don’t want to acknowledge their uncomfortable feelings, or are just trying to “fake it until they make it.”
Colorado has several suicide prevention and mental health resources available, all of which are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Colorado Crisis Services at coloradocrisisservices.org provides free and con dential support from trained professionals and peer specialists, available by calling 844-493TALK (8255) or by texting TALK to 38255.
• Colorado Suicide Prevention Resource Center at sprc.org/states/ colorado.
• Crisis Text Line at crisistextline.org can be reached by texting HOME to 741741; Crisis Text Line is a nationwide resource connecting people with a live, trained crisis counselor. Counselors are trained to help with challenges like anxiety, bullying, depression, eating disorders, emotional abuse, gun violence and loneliness.
• Man erapy can be found at mantherapy.org. e majority of deaths by suicide in Colorado and in Elbert County are men. Man erapy was created several years ago by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s O ce of Suicide Prevention in an e ort to address the challenges of communicating with men about their mental health.
e Man erapy interactive mental health campaign uses humor to cut through stigma and tackle issues like depression, divorce and anxiety. e message is that men should treat their mental health like they would a broken leg and take necessary steps towards healing.
• Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is at 988lifeline.org. People can call or text 988 for support. Callers can also use 988 to chat if they are in crisis or worried about a loved one who may need support, including having thoughts of suicide or experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis.
• e Trevor Project is at thetrevorproject.org. e Trevor Project is a leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention for LGBTQ+ young people. Call, text or chat from their site or text START to 678-678.
To receive the Elbert County Public Health Weekly Updates, email Dwayne.Smith@elbertcountyco.gov or go to tinyurl.com/elberthealth.
Statewide suicide statistics are available at tinyurl.com/colo gures.
Thu 4/18
Bunny Blake Music: Earl's Kitchen + Bar @ 5pm
Earls Kitchen + Bar, 8335 Park Meadows Center Dr, Lone Tree
Sally Van Meter @ 6pm
Swallow Hill, 71 E Yale Ave, Den‐ver
Fri 4/19
INSOMNIUM + OMNIUM
GATHERUM + WILDERUN in Englewood @ 5pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood
ThxSoMch @ 6pm
Moe's Original BBQ, 3295 S Broadway, Englewood
Insomnium @ 6pm Gothic Theatre, Englewood
Noise Pollution: The AC/DC Experience: AC DC Tribute - Noise Pollution at Tailgate Tavern @ 6pm
Tailgate Tavern & Grill, 19552 Mainstreet, Parker
Ray Bonneville: Swallow Hill Music with Seth Walker @ 6:30pm
Swallow Hill Music Association, 71 E Yale Ave, Denver
Michael Carbonaro @ 1pm
Pace Center, Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker
Mark Masters Comedy: Castle Rock Comedy Show presents Am‐ber Autry with host Mark Masters @ 6pm
Spotlight Theater, 680 Atchison Way Suite 100, Castle Rock
La Reunion Norteña @ 8pm
Stampede, 2430 S Havana St, Aurora
Sun 4/21
Allegheny @ 6pm
daniels hall, 71 E Yale Ave, Denver
Missy Raines & Allegheny at Swallow Hill Music - Denver CO @ 6pm Swallow Hill Music, 71 E Yale Ave, Denver
Tue 4/23
SWEET SPINE @ 7pm
Omnium Gatherum @ 5pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Englewood
Holler Choir @ 6pm
Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood
Old 97's @ 7pm
Moe's Original BBQ, 3295 S Broadway, Englewood
Sat 4/20
Kalimba Intimo Tour USA @ 6pm D’Cartier event center 2, 3181 W Alameda Ave, Denver
Giant Rooks + Friedberg @ 7pm
Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Englewood
Old 97's @ 7pm
Gothic Theatre, Englewood
ElderPunk at Fraco’s in Littleton @ 7pm
The Toad Tavern, 5302 S Federal Circle, Littleton
Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Englewood
12U-18U Tryout @ 4:30pm / $30
Elevation Volleyball Club, 12987 E Adam Aircraft Drive, Englewood. 720-524-4136
Rotating Tap Comedy @ Coal Mine Ave Brewing @ 6pm
Coal Mine Ave Brewing Company, 9719 W Coal Mine Ave unit a, Littleton
Thu 4/25 Calendar
In the middle of a nothing-inparticular phone call, my dad in Indiana suddenly asked me: “Where is Columbine High School?”
“Four or ve miles southwest of here — why?” I said from our westfacing back porch in Denver’s south suburbs on a beautiful spring day in 1999.
My hyperactive dad, who had been watching a cable news channel while we talked, replied: “Somebody is shooting kids there.”
Within seconds, two air ambulance helicopters thundered low and fast directly over our house and streaked southwest.
I was a copy editor at the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, and as I watched the helicopters race toward Columbine, I knew that I should expect to be called in early for my night shift at the newspaper. I wanted to see our young sons before getting ready for work, so I got o the phone and trotted the block and a half to their elementary school.
In those pre-smartphone, lesswired days, the sta at our sons’ school didn’t yet know about the attack a few miles away. I walked past the open door of the teachers’ lounge, where a teacher I liked was
nishing his lunch break.
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“What brings you here?” he asked. When I told him the little I knew about what was happening at Columbine, he responded, “ at will de nitely be on Channel 9 tonight.”
Word of the attack reached the school administrators about that same moment, and a lockout began. I was a familiar volunteer at the school, and I was allowed to stop by our sons’ classrooms to see them for a few minutes before I returned home to prepare for work.
I wanted to listen to breaking news about Columbine while getting ready for work, so instead of showering, I lled the bathtub and placed a radio on the bathroom oor so I could hear updates. I was sitting in the tub when the Je erson County sheri con rmed that several kids had been murdered, and I broke into a series of uncontrollable sobs.
Work that rst night was frantic, with uid news stories changing as reporters and editors tried to distill
reliable information from the deluge of impressions, sights and interviews, plus the gut-punching images from our photographers. e ensuing nights at the newspaper were a slog through the bad nondream of Columbine, including a night when I worked the “makeup” editing shift in the composing room, making sure through multiple editions that yearbook photos of the children who had been killed were paired with the right captions: Cassie Bernall is the girl with the wide smile and hair parted on the side; Corey DePooter is the boy with the pronounced straight eyebrows; Rachel Scott is the girl who looks like my sister as a kid ... at was the night I ate a mayonnaise-heavy sandwich that had sat atop my warm computer terminal for hours before I was able to take a break, and the resulting case of brutal food poisoning felt bizarrely welcome because I needed so badly to puke my guts out.
All that was 25 years ago. Now, low- ying helicopters still ash me right back to the moment just after my dad told me about the attack in progress. ese days, I still can’t talk about the Columbine attack for more than a few seconds before my voice breaks. Our little
suburb has its markers of the tragedy — the trauma center where the most grievously wounded children were own, the pawnshop where a paralyzed girl’s mother asked to see a revolver and then hurriedly inserted a bullet that she used to kill herself at the counter — and I see those places many times each week and remember.
But I got o light. I got o easy. I’m an outgoing person who is always getting to know more people, and here in Denver’s south suburbs, that means I’ve gotten to know many people who were hit intimately by the Columbine attack, people who were there, people who helped save terribly wounded children, people who tried to save children who died, people who lost dear ones, people whose dear ones survived but were damaged in ways that can’t be undone. Every year I know more people with lifetime memberships in that undesired club.
People I trust tell me good things have been forged from the pain of that horrible day. I want to believe they’re right.
Scott Gilbert is an editor in our newsroom who worked for the Rocky Mountain News in Denver at the time of the Columbine attack.
who exude professionalism convey reliability, integrity, and competence, thereby instilling con dence in prospective clients.
ey understand the importance of punctuality, proper communication, and ethical conduct.
Coupled with professionalism is industry knowledge and expertise, indispensable assets that empower salespeople to navigate complex
landscapes with nesse. By staying abreast of industry trends, market dynamics, and product developments, sales professionals position themselves as trusted advisors.
Follow-up emerges as another crucial trait in the arsenal of successful salespeople. Beyond the initial pitch or meeting, diligent follow-up demonstrates commitment, responsiveness, and dedication to customer satisfaction.
Empathy, often hailed as the cornerstone of e ective communication, holds immense sway in sales interactions. Sales professionals who empathize with clients’ chal-
lenges, aspirations, and preferences forge deeper connections and foster genuine rapport.
Customer-centricity lies at the heart of successful sales endeavors. Sales professionals who prioritize customer needs over quota-driven agendas cultivate loyalty, advocacy, and repeat business. By placing clients’ interests at the forefront and delivering value-driven solutions, salespeople not only secure deals but also build enduring partnerships grounded in mutual respect and bene t.
Love letter to Douglas County
On March 27, 2022, my husband and I went mountain biking on the Hidden Mesa Trail in Douglas County. Sadly, about 20 minutes into the ride, he passed away very suddenly and without warning.
First responders included fellow riders, Douglas County Search and Rescue, Castle Rock Police, Franktown Fire Protection, and Castle Rock Fire and Rescue. My husband passed away in a very scenic place surrounded by the beauty of Colorado he loved so much.
is is a love letter to the Douglas County commissioners and Parks and Open Space sta who worked through my request to have a plaque placed on the bench near where he died. ere was no precedent for my request, but they gured out how to help me honor a good man in a way that was respectful to him and the beautiful place in Douglas County where he passed.
With all the negativity launched toward local, state, and federal government these days, it’s important to acknowledge this act of kindness. ere are no words to express the depth of my gratitude.
Karen Hancock, Denver
Look at water numbers
e Centennial Water column in the Herald along with an eNewsletter has been quite e usive over recent projects. What was lacking was the speci cs of cost associated with the project and how a bond is being used to nance. Recalling that last November voters rejected a bond, 5B, for new school construction might cause some wonderment as to how this bond was passed. Fact is “Speci cally, we (Centennial Water) do not fall under TABOR requirements. Our debt issuance does not need to be approved by voters.” So the stated claim that the bond “passed” is a bit misleading as it was never put to a vote.
quirements for the coming year, and the infrastructure fee may increase over time to fund future projects. Over the long term those increases will probably be similar to in ation.”
Seventy million dollars at 4.25% over 30 years is not $150,000,000 but the ~$30M delta is maybe so small as to be unimportant to Centennial.
e infrastructure fee mentioned is the monthly $7.50 fee recently added to every water bill which equates to approximately $4M per year, again not enough to pay $150M in 30 years.
And the statement of increasing the fee (for a xed loan amount) to o set in ation seems unclear as well.
All of this for a project to construct a hazardous chemical storage facility that can best be described a prepping for the unimaginable. To be followed by Phases 2, 3 and 4, their inherent costs and questionable merit, and the forthcoming new/increased fees to pay for them — that do not need to be approved by voters. Might want to think about that.
Bret Rogers, Highlands Ranch
Consider Calvarese
While Congressional District 4 (Douglas County and the Eastern Plains) is historically a Republican district, it may no longer make sense to return a Republican to Congress. Our previous Republican representative, Ken Buck, resigned from Congress citing the dysfunction of the Republican majority. He went further noting that he “got a lot more good work done with the Democrats in charge.”
Back to the question as to how much the Phase 1B bond value is and how will it be paid for. From Centennial Water: “ e debt issuance was $70m at an average interest rate of 4.25% over 30 years. If we don’t renance the debt or retire it early, we would pay about $150,000,000 (not adjusted for in ation or the time value of money) over the 30 year period. Yes, the infrastructure fee will cover the cost of this debt. We reassess our plan every year when we look at re-
August Jacob “Augie” Fischer
April 11, 1939 - February 15, 2024
On ursday, February 15, August Jacob Fischer Jr., beloved Husband, father/grandfather and avid golfer, passed away while at sea in the Antarctic Ocean. He was eighty-four. Born in Wall Lake, Iowa in 1939, to August and Maurine Fischer. Augie attended Saint John’s Preparatory School in Collegeville Minnesota where he excelled as a three-sport athlete. He ful lled his lifelong academic goal of enrolling and graduating from Notre Dame University in 1962. Immediately after graduation, he began working for the FDIC. Augie was drafted, served, and honorably discharged from the Army and moved to Colorado where he met Wendy Elizabeth Weirich. ey married on November 15, 1969 and had three children: Lisa, A.J. and Alex. Augie worked extensively
in the banking/ nancial industry, serving as President of Bank of the West (Parker) First National Bank of Castle Rock, and the Bank of Douglas County. He worked until retirement as a Financial Advisor for Edward Jones (Castle Rock). Augie volunteered his time serving on the local Water Board, 4-H, Rotary, Douglas County Fair Association Board of Directors, PACE Center, and on the chain crew for Ponderosa Football. Augie is preceded in death by his loving wife Wendy and brother Joe and is survived by his children Lisa, A.J. (Allyson), Alex, his grandchildren Colette, and Auggie. His brother William Fischer (Barbara) and sisters MaryAnn Tjaden (Steve) and Maureen Kay Shields.
Candidates of all stripes will make promises during the campaign, but Republican promises are of scant value because the Republican majority seems incapable of delivering results. Republicans barely keep the government open, much less fund the Farm Bill or pass a “right to repair” bill.
If you care about e ective government, it may be time to elect a Democrat to Congress that will help break the logjam of dysfunction. I would encourage you to consider Trisha Calvarese as our next representative. She grew up in Sterling and Highlands Ranch, is knowledgeable on the issues, enthusiastic, and well versed in the ways of Washington. She will be able to hit the ground running as our representative.
Douglas Willey, Highlands Rach
BY MICHAEL DE YOANNA EDITOR IN CHIEF
Twenty- ve years have passed since that April day that etched sorrow into the hearts of Columbine High School. Two armed students took the lives of 12 of their peers and a cherished teacher and then their own lives. e reverberations of that tragic day have rippled through the years, leaving a sad narrative of killers and victims often repeated in the mainstream media.
But what that narrative misses is Columbine’s story of recovery, resilience and triumph.
It is in the school’s very fabric, where the emphasis is that every individual, from the principal to the rst-day freshman, matters.
As Columbine sophomore Madison Price told us, “It’s just the kind of thing that you can feel.”
It’s kind of a soft nding for a newsroom that spent months parsing through stories of grief and perseverance in our interviews with survivors, past and present school o cials, teachers, security experts
and even media critics.
Our newsroom sought the answer to a simple question: How has the 1999 Columbine shooting changed the school over the years — and everything else?
On one hand, nothing has changed. Gun violence is rampant in the United States. Take, for instance, the stunning tally of deaths and injuries provided by the Atlas of American Gun Violence, tracking incidents across the country down to the neighborhood level. Such an atlas is only necessary because of the almost-daily barrage of headlines chronicling shootings. Yet some are so large and horri c that everyone knows them by name, like Sandy Hook, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, and Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas.
e specter of violence is woven into the lives of children in schools at an early age.
And schools across the country have increased security measures in the years since the Columbine shooting, which took the lives of students Cassie Bernall, Steven Curnow, Corey DePooter, Kelly
Fleming, Matthew Kechter, Daniel Mauser, Daniel Rohrbough,Rachel Scott, Isaiah Shoels, John Tomlin, Lauren Townsend and Kyle Velasquez, and teacher William “Dave” Sanders.
e Je erson County School District, which oversees the high school, points to classroom doors that lock from the inside. ere are single-point entry systems at schools that ensure students, sta and visitors pass through controlled checkpoints. Add to that security cameras, once a rarity, metal detectors and scanners.
Much of the changes are meant to ferret out people carrying guns. Yet our reporting did not take us to the raging debates over guns, like whether background checks are enough or if teachers should be armed.
Instead, we explored how chaos among rescuers during the Columbine incident led to improved coordination today, working to bridge gaps to make all schools safer.
And we looked at the media’s role during and after the shooting. One harsh takeaway from University of
Our series will run this week and next week.
This week, we focus on the stories of those closest to Columbine High School — the survivors and students and teachers. Next week, our series will look at how security has changed and the lessons learned from how the media covered events.
To read our entire series, go to www.ColoradoCommunityMedia .com.
Colorado Boulder professor Elizabeth Skewes was that news coverage of shootings can desensitize Americans and even be harmful to survivors. Knowing that helps explain the goals of Je erson County schools at the district’s recent media day for press organizations looking to report on the 25th anniversary of the tragedy.
Reporters who went to that event heard many of the same things we learned in our reporting, which often involved initially-reluctant sources opening up to trust our reporters and editors with their stories. ey wanted us, and our readers, to know that the shooting doesn’t de ne Columbine. Instead, what de nes it is a kind of indomitable spirit that emerged and evolved with intentionality since 1999. It plays out for many every April 20, the anniversary of the shooting, in the school’s Day of Service, now in its eighth year.
“We have turned that day into something so positive,” teacher Mandy Cooke told us. “And that is what I am most proud of — is making sure that our current students know how to be better humans in the world, instead of this awful, tragic thing that happened to us.”
And Cooke knows. She was a student at the school in 1999 and is among three survivors we interviewed who returned to the school to help it turn the page of the adversity to a brighter chapter.
In the days following the shooting at Columbine High School, its principal, Frank DeAngelis, started leaving his shoes untied. e loss of his students and a teacher, who was also a friend, left him feeling he had no control over his life.
“People would say, ‘Tie your shoe!’ and I said, ‘ at’s the only thing I have control over,’” he said. But piece by piece, and with the help of his community, DeAngelis started his journey toward healing. It was just like tying his shoes, one lace over the other.
He still thinks of the tragedy every day — reciting the names of the victims who were killed before he gets out of bed. But his journey to heal hasn’t been lonely. In the years following the tragedy, he has leaned on his community and channeled his energy to help others — and still does, even in retirement.
DeAngelis started working at Columbine in 1979, right after he graduated from college. Before he became the principal, DeAngelis had been a history teacher, football coach and baseball coach there.
He worked closely with students, and enjoyed that his role gave him the chance to get to know so many of them — in the cafeteria, on their sports teams and on the stage.
On the day of the shooting, like so many others, he said, his life changed forever.
After the tragedy, he led the school until every student in the area who was in class on April 20, 1999 — down to the preschoolers — graduated.
“Because they were impacted by it,” he said. “Even though they were not there, they saw everything.”
His leadership in those years is a common theme among students and sta connected to the school.
ey say DeAngelis helped the community to heal, and they call his leadership a model for how to live. ey consider him a bedrock for the community and say he brought people together in the wake of tragedy.
One Je erson County School District sta member said the community would not have recovered without DeAngelis — and that his impact goes far beyond Columbine.
We found a community guided by those who became united in shared pain with a fierce determination to heal.
In that regard, no name came up more often than former Principal Frank DeAngelis, who led
the school, its staff and generations of students out of the shadows of tragedy.
“People said that Columbine really needed me — I needed them,” he said.
For many, he is a beacon of hope, even in his retirement, as he aids others affected by similar hardships.
Now, as it has been for decades, Columbine is just anoth-
er high school. People look forward to football games. They’re studying for tests. Students are discovering who they are and who they might be when they become adults.
To Cris Welsh, a student at the time of the shooting who is now a teacher at Columbine, it’s all very ordinary, except for one thing.
“We exist to extend the notion
that one can recover,” he said. “That the awful things that happened to us are outside of our control, but how we respond to those awful things is totally within our control.”
Columbine is a symbol of hope, he said, not only to itself but well beyond.
“If you are determined to overcome the things that happen to you, you can do it,” he said.
On a mild Monday afternoon, Mandy Cooke was walking on a path near the high school where she teaches social studies. Nearby, a few students were warming up for track and eld practice. e team’s coach spotted his colleague and shouted, “ ere’s Mrs. Cooke!” and the students waved.
It was like any high school in America. e school’s colors — navy and white — accented the track as teens ran, stretched and laughed. Behind them, the word “Rebels” was painted on a shed near the eld. A coach blew a whistle and the kids came into a huddle, as others walked through the nearby parking lot with backpacks on.
But unlike other high schools in America, this scene happened close to a memorial with the names of 12 students and a teacher who were killed in a mass shooting on April 20, 1999.
Cooke sometimes gets concerned reactions when she tells people she works at Columbine High School.
“I still have teacher friends who are like, ‘I don’t know how you walk into that building,’” Cooke said.
She probably gets asked this question more than some other teachers, as Cooke is a survivor of the shooting. She was a sophomore at Columbine in 1999.
Twenty- ve years later, she works alongside several other survivors, hoping to support and care for students in the same way teachers and sta supported and cared for them in the wake of the tragedy.
Cooke works with friends she grew up with, including fellow teacher Cris Welsh and Noel Sudano, a school counselor.
Cooke and Welsh went to preschool together, and Cooke took piano lessons from Sudano’s
mom. ey all attended Dutch Creek Elementary School and then graduated together from Columbine in 2001. All three now live in the same neighborhood, where they are raising their own kids.
A similar call led them all back to their high school.
For Welsh, who teaches social studies, there was no other choice.
“I wanted to be there for my students in the same way that teachers had been there for me — I wanted to kind of pay that forward,” Welsh said.
In a time of “total, complete chaos,” he said, the teachers at Columbine represented stability. He drew a lot of strength from his relationships with his teachers in the months and years that followed the tragedy.
“ ey had gone through exactly what we had gone through,” he said. “ ey showed us kindness,
and consideration and compassion at a moment where so much of that seemed to be lacking in the world … I think, in each of us, there was a desire to extend that to another generation in what, regrettably, seems like an increasingly unstable world.”
Sudano said the adults at school were willing to show students their humanity, which was healing for her. One teacher, who was usually rather intimidating, gave her a hug a few days after the shooting.
“I just remember thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, this helps me understand the magnitude of what we went through,’” she said. “And, it also helped me feel that safety of like — even this authority gure, we’re all in the same situation, and we can all depend on each other.”
ese connections, the trio said, were a critical part of the healing journey for not just them, but
many of the Columbine survivors.
“Our generation grew up where we could only process through genuine communication with each other,” Welsh said. “And I think it made a big di erence.”
He said he wonders if social media — with its inherent social pressures and opportunities for criticism and damaging words — has prevented some victims of school shootings from processing their experiences e ectively.
“I would not want to have posted my opinions and ideas and emotions online for the world to see” after the shooting, he said. “I wanted friends, not the world.”
Because of the closeness and familiarity of being among people who understood what she had gone through, Cooke said she remembers never wanting to leave the Littleton area after she graduated.
“I was so comfortable because we bonded and came together, and I knew I was protected there,” she said. “And then, I knew going to school in Fort Collins, I wasn’t.”
Cooke started college at Colorado State University. She said the rst page of her psychology textbook was about the Columbine shooting.
“Going out of that bubble was very di cult for me,” she said.
Sudano had a similar experience as an undergraduate student at DePauw University in Indiana, where she learned “very quickly how just saying the word ‘Columbine’ triggered all sorts of reactions.”
Cooke, Welsh and Sudano said the students who attend Columbine are generally aware of the history, but mostly don’t think about it unless adults mention it. For them, Columbine is just their school. Going there is “not something that seems abnormal to
them until people around them tell them that it is abnormal,” Sudano said.
“I think their rst thought is not the shooting,” Welsh said. “ eir rst thought is, you know, the history test that I just made them take.”
So, for all three, working at Columbine is not strange. In the decades since the tragedy, they have come to know it as a tight-knit, service-oriented — and otherwise completely regular — high school.
“It was a high school, it always has been,” Welsh said. “If there is any special nature to Columbine, it has been the family or community atmosphere that we have created. It’s been the desire to aid and support and service others. If there is a di erence between us and other high schools, that’s it.”
Welsh said Columbine has been portrayed in many negative ways by the media. He, Cooke and Sudano said they want people to see Columbine as a wonderful place instead of the site of a national tragedy.
e Columbine community re-
members and honors the victims, but they do it in a way that is forward-thinking and hopeful, they said.
Sudano said she wants people to know that Columbine is “a school that’s thriving.” e employees say they don’t let the shooting de ne their experience there.
“It is such a hub in our community for everybody, kids and adults,” Cooke said. “( ey) go to basketball games, go to football games. It’s just such a rallying point for me, that I don’t think of the shooting every single day.”
“We have a job to do,” Welsh added. “I can’t be thinking about my students and getting ready for the AP test or whatever it is we’re focused on at the moment if I’m constantly obsessing about the past. I’m not saying it’s not there, to a certain extent, but you don’t walk in and immediately have ashbacks to April 20.”
Cooke said the employees are in a place where they are ready to never forget, but still move on with their lives. She is a mother and wants to spend her time and
energy focusing on her kids.
“I’m in a really good place in my life,” she said. “I don’t want to be sad.”
Her kids — who are in fth and seventh grade — look forward to going to Columbine someday.
It’s a place where students study for history tests and do chemistry experiments. ey laugh in the hallways and are late to class. Students change in the locker rooms for practice after school and look forward to things like football games and prom.
Columbine is like any high school in America, only it is stronger than it was before 1999. To Welsh, the school is a symbol of hope.
“We exist to extend the notion that one can recover,” he said. “ at the awful things that happened to us are outside of our control, but how we respond to those awful things is totally within our control … If you are determined to overcome the things that happen to you, you can do it. ere are people out there who have done it, and you need to look to them.”
In her home in Parker, Cindy Woodman gazed at trinkets that people sent to her daughter, Crystal Woodman Miller, following the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School. On the walls and a large wooden bookshelf — surrounding the ornaments, small sculptures and decorative boxes — paintings showcase columbine owers.
When Cindy looks at the knick knacks in her “Columbine Room,” named for both her favorite ora and the high school, they sometimes remind her of the day that would change their lives forever.
“Just to walk through there every single day is just a quick reminder, but it’s not that it puts me in pain or agony — it’s a happy reminder that I still have Crystal,” Cindy said.
Although the interview with Columbine survivor Crystal was conducted through FaceTime, her emotion was felt as she nodded in agreement with her mother and delved into the intricacies of how her life was in uenced after she went to school on April 20, 1999.
“I am so much of who I am today because of what I went through,” Crystal said. “ ough I am not de ned by Columbine, I am more of the woman, the mom, the wife, the friend, the philanthropist, the speaker, the author that I am today because of what happened that day.”
After the tragedy, Crystal had a decision to make: Fall apart or forge ahead. She chose the latter, and embarked on a journey that has spanned decades, where she helps the “survivors community.”
At the beginning of her journey, following the shooting, Crystal started sharing her story and eventually found her voice.
source for others,” Crystal said. “My work has been toward that e ort for almost 25 years, and so I want to continue to walk with this community and link arms with them and let them know that they’re not alone.”
Over the last several years, she’s been a speaker at schools and communities impacted by shootings. In addition, she’s assisted in opening a therapy retreat for survivors of mass shootings.
Additionally, Crystal has written three books: “Marked for Life,” which is about her journey, and two children’s books: “A Kids Book About School Shootings” and “A Kids Book About School Shootings: For Survivors.”
Her children’s books o er tools and advice for both students who survived a shooting or other trauma and parents and other adults to help them talk with children.
Crystal said among other things in her life, her experience at Columbine has impacted her perspective as a mother.
“Because of my perspective on life and how I view each day as a gift, I love being a mom and I love that I am given the opportunity in life to be able to raise and shape these young people to go far beyond anywhere I’ve been,” Crystal said.
As a mother, Crystal said she takes on the joy and responsibility to teach her children “what it looks like to live courageously in a crazy world.”
“I know what it’s like to have fear so rip your life that you can become paralyzed, and I want my kids to not have to walk through that,” Crystal said.
Crystal was thinking of her children and her perspective as a teenager in 1999 when writing her books. She wanted to re ect how she would address things with her children and how issues were addressed when she was younger.
“As school shootings and mass shootings became more commonplace, I saw myself really
starting to respond and just be there for others and to just be a re-
“We want to make sure kids are talking about the hard things and we’re giving them the language and the space to do so,” Crystal said. “We want to give them tools when they face their little fears and anxiety and we want to empower them to use their voice.”
Crystal said she has shared pieces of her story with her children and will continue to do so until they’re ready to hear it completely.
Cindy’s perspective
Cindy said the weeks and months following the shooting were hard for Crystal and their family, but over time, she saw Crystal overcome.
“I went through my tough times after that, but Crystal was always strong. She would amaze me,” Cindy said.
the screen, with tears in her eyes.
Like Crystal, Cindy said the Columbine shooting in uenced a lot of elements in her life.
“I am a di erent person today than I would’ve been had I not gone through that, and I think overall I am a better person because of that,” Cindy said. “I think one of the biggest things I mostly just learned is that I need to give myself grace.”
More to know
Crystal listened to Cindy’s words through Facetime during the interview happening at her home.
“I thank God that we still have her,” Cindy said while looking at her daughter, on the other side of
As a survivor of the Columbine shooting, Crystal said she has been “asked every question under the sun” about that day.
“I think the thing that I like to tell of (is) the hope and the goodness,” Crystal said. “I like to tell of the stories of resilience and the stories who’ve gone on to be impacted greatly, but have gone on to make an impact greatly.”
“He’s the reason today that schools all over this country are able to move forward after tragedy,” said John McDonald, who was the executive director of school safety for Je co Public Schools from 2008 to 2022.
DeAngelis recognizes that his community leaned on him for hope and survival, but said this relationship went two ways.
Crystal believes various elements have led to this point including families, culture, the media, guns and mental health.
“Just talking about one facet isn’t the end date of a much deeper, much greater conversation,” she said. “So, we really need to come to the table not screaming and yelling at each other because I think we’re closer on the issues than we are apart.”
For Crystal, it’s hard to visit communities and see that these tragedies keep happening.
“It’s so heartbreaking that this continues to be an epidemic that has swept the world,” Crystal said. “ at there’s countless … people who’ve had to now experience this — people who know the pain, who know the heartache.”
“People said that Columbine really needed me — I needed them,” he said. “If I would have gone somewhere else, I would always be concerned about them.”
Since retiring in 2014, DeAngelis has dedicated his life and career to helping others face tragedy in their own lives. He is a member of the Principal Recovery Network, a group of “current and former school leaders who have experi-
During her senior year, following the shooting, Crystal said she felt the community really come together.
Crystal now lives in Edmond, Oklahoma and she explained that the teachers, administrators and faculty of Columbine High School created a camaraderie and closeness that continues to reign in the hallways of the school today.
enced gun violence tragedies in their buildings” across the country.
“You can’t determine what happens to you, but you can determine your response,” DeAngelis said. “No one would ever wish that a Columbine (would) happen, but it did. And, so, how can I go out and help others?”
In the 25 years since the shooting at Columbine, mass shootings at schools have become tragically common.
DeAngelis has reached out to other school leaders in the wake of some of those tragedies, sharing advice on things that helped him — like going to counseling, nding a support system and taking care of one’s family and spouse.
umbine’ echoes in the halls of our school and in our hearts forever.”
Cindy said to this day, people will ask her how she and Crystal are doing and she’s grateful for the thoughtfulness of the community.
“ at just says how wonderful the community is,” Cindy said. “ at they still remember and they still have a heart for it all and still feel the pain and joy of it.”
“Our kids were on trajectory to go there,” Crystal said. “ ey were in the Columbine school district and there was a lot of pride even in my kids, sporting their Columbine sweatshirts and T-shirts, going to the football games and still showing up at Columbine because we love Columbine. ‘We are Col-
“I just talk about my journey and taking care of yourself,” he said. “(I talk) about where we were and lessons learned, but then also the recovery piece.”
Crystal said it’s important to remember that not all stories are “bright and cheery and happy.”
“ ere’s a lot of pain and people are still hurting deeply so we can’t forget those who are still thinking about it every single day,” Crystal said.
Crystal encourages people, especially in the Columbine community, to continue to reach out and support each other.
“Don’t do it alone, and know there are still people ghting on their behalf, love them and are here for them,” Crystal said. “We don’t forget the 13 beautiful lives that were lost. We don’t forget their families. We don’t forget to remember them because we carry them with us every single day. We carry their stories. We carry their legacies.”
the school for so many years, and what still drives his work in supporting and educating others today.
DeAngelis lives by his own advice. He still goes to counseling to take care of his well-being. Getting help and leaning on others are the main pieces of advice he gives to people recovering after tragedies.
“You’re not in the journey alone,” he said.
He said his remembrance of the 13 victims each morning helps drive him forward.
“ ey give me a reason to do what I’m doing,” he said.
He is also part of the Je Co/ DeAngelis Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting school and community safety. DeAngelis travels around the country, sharing wisdom with rst responders, administrators and students.
Part of the foundation, the Frank DeAngelis Center for Community Safety, trains law enforcement and school safety o cials to respond to emergencies in a real school environment. e center conducts about 200 training sessions a year, he said.
DeAngelis said his Catholic faith is a large part of what drives his work. He said there is no clear reason why his life was spared, but he believes God has a plan for it. at’s what drove him to stay at
He laments the world’s obsession with returning to the topic of the shooting at the school. DeAngelis said Columbine and the community that surrounds it, including its alumni, are focused on helping others, moving forward and working to make the world better.
Although he is not the principal anymore, DeAngelis is still intimately involved with the school and its community.
“I can assure you, 25 years later, our community is stronger than what it was,” he said. “Because that’s what happens when families go through troubled times or tragedy — they come together.”
After a 3,500-gallon fuel spill, o cials don’t expect incident to a ect water quality
The spill happened on I-25 in the Castle Pines area in late March
BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COMAfter a diesel-fuel tanker crashed on Interstate 25 in the Castle Pines area and spilled thousands of gallons of fuel along the highway, crews worked to pump pooled liquid out of the nearby ditch. But fuel still seeped into the land — roughly 1,500 gallons remained on the ground.
Amid the rolling hills of Castle Pines, o cials don’t think the massive spill has a ected the community’s water quality — at least so far. “ e spill has been contained, mitigation measures are doing their
job and no diesel made it into the stream,” said Ron Redd, manager of Parker Water and Sanitation District, adding: “At this time we have no concerns.”
Parker Water serves the east Castle Pines area. On the city’s west side, water provider Castle Pines North Metropolitan District says the fuel spill won’t impact the district’s water supply.
Meanwhile, crews are working to nish the cleanup, remove contaminated soil, and replace it with new soil and seed, according to the City of Castle Pines. at process could take weeks, according to Colorado State Patrol.
Here’s a look at what happened and how local o cials reacted to the accident.
Vehicle drifted, crashed In the middle of the night, the fuel
tanker, hauling 9,500 gallons, rolled over about a quarter of a mile south of Castle Pines Parkway on southbound I-25.
No other vehicles were involved in the March 30 crash.
e driver, a 32-year-old man from Longmont, was cited for careless driving, according to the state patrol.
“ e investigation shows the vehicle drifted into the center barrier and then overcorrected back across the interstate leading to the accident,” said Sgt. Patrick Rice, a spokesperson for the state patrol. “ e exact cause of the drifting is unknown.”
In the aftermath, crews transferred 6,000 gallons of fuel from the rolledover vehicle into a new tanker and pumped 2,000 gallons out of the ditch near the highway. But 1,500 gallons remained on the ground, and that fuel was not able to be pumped out, Rice said.
O cials speak on water supply
South Metro re ghters built ve dams in the ditch to stop the spill from advancing, according to the re agency.
“
e diesel fuel was completely stopped approximately 100-150 yards from the tanker,” said Brian Willie, a spokesperson for South Metro Fire.
e spill was on the Colorado Department of Transportation right-ofway, said Camden Bender, spokesperson for Castle Pines.
e city doesn’t expect the fuel to a ect water supply in the area.
“South Metro Fire Rescue’s response team was able to contain the fuel spill and prevent it from spreading to any areas that could have impacted water supply,” Bender said on April 4. “Additional soil testing has been done to con rm that fuel has not spread toward water supply areas since the initial accident.”
Castle Pines North Metro District’s manager, Nathan Travis, said the fuel won’t have any impact on the district’s water supply.
“Our renewable water comes from Chat eld Reservoir,” Travis said. “And our wells (draw water from) a con ned aquifer, which are, by denition, not in uenced by surface events.”
As for the east Castle Pines area, Redd said the spill is in Parker Water’s watershed but about 2 miles from the agency’s reservoir.
“We will for the foreseeable future test the tributary to the reservoir and monitor for any changes to the water quality,” Redd said. “We also have an emergency response plan that would place oating barriers to contain the fuel.”
Redd added: “ e important thing is (workers) have built interception pits to collect any diesel that may ow or leach through the soil towards the stream and there is no sign of it getting past that area.”
Sterling Ranch mom Cori Levinson is used to having to travel to Castle Rock or Denver to take her son Ricki, 6, to an accessible playground. However, thanks to feedback from Levinson and her neighbors, they will soon have an inclusive park within minutes of their homes.
e unincorporated Douglas County community in April broke ground on Prospect Park, which will feature an accessible playground and pool for people with disabilities.
A group of residents, including parents of children with disabilities, were heavily involved in planning the park features and shared their excitement at the groundbreaking.
Levinson said it means a lot to know Ricki will be included and feel “like he belongs.”
“I’m really proud that our community came together and heard a lot of our voices,” she said. “ is is a very special moment. As a parent,
you just want to see your kid be able to play alongside others and that a community or a place thought of them, too.”
e playground is expected to open this fall with the addition of the pool following in spring of 2025. e park will also include locker rooms and bathrooms, a concession stand, a bandstand, a basketball court and turf elds.
Jessica Towles, director of community experience and resident support with Sterling Ranch, said the goal is to bring together residents of all ages and abilities in a space everyone can enjoy.
Towles said the resident feedback helped make the park not just compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, but truly inclusive.
“We want it to be a place where kids with disabilities can play with others and engage to break down the stigma,” she said. “We have so many residents who will bene t from this beyond those with special needs, like our veterans and seniors.”
e park costs around $5 million and was funded in part by the
Sterling Ranch mom Cori Levinson and her children Ricki, 6, and Camila, 2, celebrate the groundbreaking of a new accessible playground and pool at Prospect Park. Levinson is part of a group of residents who advocated for the park to be inclusive for people with disabilities.
nonpro t Miles for Madison, which works to build more inclusive parks and playgrounds. Douglas County also contributed $2.5 million to the project.
Douglas County Commissioner
George Teal said the resident engagement was the key for the commissioners to support the neighborhood amenity.
“Parks are not just pools and playgrounds, but they’re a place where families can come to be a part of the community and where our children learn, from taking turns on the swing set to helping a kid up when they fall,” Teal said. “ at’s where community is taught.”
Embracing the concept of equal business stature empowers sales professionals to engage with clients as strategic partners rather than mere vendors. By demonstrating respect, con dence, and a collaborative mindset, salespeople elevate discussions to a peer-to-peer level, fostering mutual trust and transparency.
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Assertive salespeople learn to strike a balance between con dence and respect in their approach. Assertiveness involves advocating for one’s o erings and recommendations while still acknowledging and respecting the autonomy and preferences of the client. Assertive salespeople are adept at articulating their value proposition, overcoming objections, and guiding clients through the decision-making process. ey exude con dence without resorting to manipulative tactics or pressure. In contrast, the stereotypical aggressive salesperson employs highpressure tactics, coercion, and manipulation to close deals at any cost.
Aggression is characterized by a win-at-all-costs mentality, disregard for client boundaries, and a transactional approach to sales. Aggressive salespeople prioritize short-term gains over long-term relationships, often leaving a trail of disgruntled clients in their wake.
Ultimately, the key di erence between professional, assertive, and aggressive salespeople lies in their approach to client interactions and relationship-building. While professionalism and assertiveness foster trust, collaboration, and mutual respect, aggression erodes trust and undermines the foundation of sustainable business relationships. By embodying professionalism and assertiveness, salespeople can navigate the sales landscape with integ-
rity, con dence, and empathy. We have all had some level of interaction with salespeople, and we all probably have horror stories from our awful experiences with the less than professional salesperson. As always, I would love to hear your stories and experiences at gotonorton@ gmail.com. And if we nd ourselves in sales or working with salespeople, when professionalism coupled with the right amount of assertiveness is present, it really will create a better than good purchasing experience for everyone.
Michael Norton is an author, a personal and professional coach, consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator of individuals and businesses, working with organizations and associations across multiple industries. FROM PAGE
I am writing to express my wholehearted endorsement of Marissa Harmon for mayor of Lone Tree. Having closely observed Marissa’s dedication,
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propelled our city on a path of success, and I am con dent that under her guidance, Lone Tree will continue to prosper.
She possesses a rare ability to listen, understand, and translate ideas into actionable plans. With a dedicated team of supporters, she consistently achieves remarkable results for our city. I acknowledge that we are fortunate to have two exceptional candidates vying for the position of Mayor. However, it is Marissa’s exceptional qualities and proven track record that
compel me to endorse her candidacy wholeheartedly. I urge all members of our community to join me in supporting Marissa Harmon for mayor. Let us come together to ensure that Lone Tree continues to thrive under her leadership. ank you for considering my endorsement.
P.S. Drop o your ballot at Lone Tree Municipal Building 9220 Kimmer Drive or mail it in before May 7.
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Elizabeth High School senior Joey McKeown played a ery rendition of “ e Star-Spangled Banner” on his electric guitar to kick o the 2024 Elizabeth Education Foundation STARS Banquet.
e Elizabeth High School Orchestra also provided music while attendees were led to their seats in the EHS cafetorium on April 6. Previous STARS winners and students from the National Junior Honor Society assisted with everything from setting up for the banquet, to checking attendees in, to guiding attendees to their seats.
Banquet coordinator Keleen Staneld says the annual event is hard work but is worth it. “ is is all for the kids, that’s what’s most important,” she remarked.
Stan eld got involved in decorating for the EHS Volleyball Booster Club Banquet and was asked to help with the STARS Banquet last year. e rest was history. “I just love this,” Stan eld said. Stan eld says there really aren’t that many student recognition programs in Elbert County, so the STARS award lls a gap.
e Elizabeth Education Foundation, or EEF, organizes and sponsors the STARS banquet, which stands for Students Taking Accountability and Responsibility Seriously, every spring. During January and Febru-
ary, Elizabeth School District teachers nominate a total of 50 students spanning fth through 12th grade.
According to the EEF website, students are recognized for demonstrating some of the following characteristics:
• Model responsible behavior
• Accountable for their actions
• Spends time involved with clubs or organizations at school and/or actively supports the community
• Committed to learning, motivated to do well in school, actively engaged in learning, and cares about his/her school
• High value on caring and helping other people and accepts personal responsibility
• Makes good choices, has empathy, sensitivity, friendship skills, and resists negative peer pressures
Stan eld describes the award winners as kids who “aren’t typical, that are really special.” ey really are “bright shining stars,” she said. ey are the type of students who have untapped leadership potential.
For the rst time last year, the Rotary Club o ered RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award) scholarships to a leadership camp in Estes Park. Lori Burke from the Summit County Rotary Club and Marc Solnet, from the Denver Southeast Rotary, reached out to EEF to o er the scholarships. Five award winners were chosen at random to receive the scholarships.
Stan eld said it added an “extra layer of awesome” to the banquet.
“ ese kids aren’t given these sorts of opportunities,” she said.
Estelle Norwood, 2023 STARS
Award Winner and recipient of a RYLA Scholarship, said she loved the STARS Banquet. “It was a great environment with food and music.
e camp was an awesome opportunity to learn about leadership and also to make new friends.”
e banquet was expanded this year; it was longer and included a complimentary catered bu et dinner rather than only dessert. “North of the Border Grill was fantastic to work with and fed our guests with a delicious meal,” Stan eld said.
Jace Glick, who has been master of ceremonies for the last 16 years,
donated to EEF personally and also facilitated a donation from the Elizabeth Stampede Foundation. is year there was also a professional photographer available to take pictures of winners with their awards.
“A lot of work goes into this banquet and I could not do it alone,” Stan eld shared. “ ere were easily more than 150 combined manhours from just our EEF team that culminated into last night. ere was a core subgroup of EEF ladies that worked tirelessly in every detail,
truly a success because of them. “All of our student volunteers, morning and evening, really made all the magic happen. Couldn’t do it without them or a single person who contributed. We’re so grateful for the amazing EHS custodial team, the support of Superintendent Dan Snowberger, and the generosity of our donors. We are humbled and blessed to be a part of something so meaningful and special for 50 incredible kids.”
Stan eld said everyone involved is important to creating a successful banquet. “I really want the students to know that they are so special that we want to put in the work,” she said.
e Elizabeth Education Foundation is a nonpro t, donation-based organization founded in 1998 to support the Elizabeth School District teachers, students and community. e Town of Elizabeth recently made a sizable donation of $5,000 to EEF using American Rescue Plan Act funds. Stan eld called the donation amazing and believes it is the single largest donation in EEF history.
e foundation provides additional services and educational programs to further educational excellence, supplements existing programs and creates new, innovative programs when district funding is not available.
e foundation achieves its goals through teacher grants, graduating senior scholarships and the STARS awards. As of December, Stan eld explained that EEF has given out $10,000 worth of teacher grants. EEF works in conjunction with the Elizabeth School District and is involved with the community, like the Town Tree Lighting and the Friday Night Markets, as well as various fundraising events.
e EEF website lists the STARS honorees, in alphabetical order, as:
Mateo Angulo Alfaro, Lacie Antinora, Marshall Barker, Easton Baumgartner, Trenton Cammalleri, Amanda Casaretto, Leonora Casaretto, Lesly Castellano, Nataliyah Chavez, Eliana Claveau, Zachary Colby, Logan Crump, Crew Diede, Jan Duenas-Ruiz, Alexis Einspahr, Kathrine Facundus, Morgan Ferland, Lily Hayes, Maggie Heap, Kailee Henderson, Ryder Hubbard, Violet Jones, James Julien, Dakota Kinsey, Brendan Kraus, Conner Kucewesky, Rylie Lokken, Julio Mata-Bautista, Joseph McKeown, Emily Millsapps, Noah Monchak, Olivia Monchak, Brian Moran-Gonzalez, Jack Perry, Erik Pinela Gomez, Felicity Quinby, Bradley Richardson, Zane Sample, Brenna Shannon, Elana Siefers Algarin, Ricky Sierra, Augustus Springeld, Taylor Spring eld, Kealene Timm, Cooper Tobler, Neika Toupin, Isabella Weinischke, Emma Wendel, Skylar Whittaker and Logan Zander. For more information or to donate to the Elizabeth Education Foundation, visit elizabethef.org.
Colorado Community Media is hiring an Operations Assistant to work with managers and staff to ensure tasks are completed as needed.
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Colorado is working on alternatives to a discount internet program
BY TAMARA CHUANG THE COLORADO SUNAn extra $30 a month may not mean much to most people, but to Kathryn Beerline, a Lakewood resident, the monthly federal subsidy that has paid for her internet service has helped her save money to buy a 15-year-old used car for herself so she could give her even older vehicle to her son.
e subsidy ends in May when funding for the A ordable Connectivity Program is expected to run out. While supporters, including the White House, are scrambling to get Congress to extend the program, internet providers and ACP customers have to nd alternatives. Beerline said she switched this week to Comcast’s least expensive service, at $9.99 a month for 50 Mbps down,
which is half the speed she’d received under ACP but one-third the price, which she’ll now pay. She’s grateful for the extra assistance.
“ACP has been paying my $29.99 bill every month and it has been a tremendous boost as I am a single mom,” Beerline said in an email when she rst learned that ACP was ending in February. e $30 means a lot to someone like herself “who chooses not to ever eat out, get a Starbucks and only treat myself and my son to seeing a movie at a theater maybe two to three times/year so I can put the only extra (money) left after paying bills into savings.”
Beerline is one of the estimated 251,506 Colorado households enrolled in the program. at’s 1 in 9 households in the state and 23 million households nationwide, according to the Federal Communications Commission. While a proposal in Congress has gained momentum to use $7 billion to extend ACP funding through the end of the year, the bipartisan bill doesn’t have enough support yet.
“Nearly half of the households that are in ACP are military families. About a quarter of them are seniors. And because of the programs, so many of those folks are able to pay a small reasonable, a ordable price for internet and for people who are low income, a lot of them are able to access it for free. at’s a big deal and it is something that we ought to make sure is maintained,” said Jon Donenberg, a deputy director on President Biden’s National Economic Council.
Colorado searches for alternative
Colorado o cials have been scrambling to nd an alternative should ACP end. In January, when it awarded $113.5 million to 27 mostly rural projects to build better berbased broadband, the Colorado Broadband O ce required internet providers to include a low-cost option equivalent to or better than the ACP.
An even larger amount — the previously announced $826.5 million that Colorado is getting from the federal Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program — is set to be doled out later this year. State o cials have been working with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to gure out if they could add a lowincome requirement. at nally appears to be moving forward, said Lauren Francis, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Broadband O ce.
“After working on several drafts with NTIA, we intend to go with the requirement that providers o er a low-cost broadband service rate not to exceed $50, if the ACP subsidy is no longer o ered by the federal government,” she said.
She added that the NTIA hasn’t approved Colorado’s proposal yet. And it is unlikely there will be a state
solution by May, when ACP funding runs out.
“ e loss of this program will denitely have impact,” Francis said.
ACP grew out of federal COVID-19 relief aid to help low-income households pay for internet service during the pandemic, which decimated school attendance and made remote learning a challenge for students with limited or internet access. Initially, the amount was $50 a month as part of the Emergency Broadband Bene t. ACP replaced EBB in January 2022 and cut the amount to $30 a month. Households on tribal lands received $75 a month.
Both programs were open to residents already eligible for other government-assistance programs, such as Medicaid, food stamps or free and reduced school lunch.
But neither broadband program ever attracted the majority of eligible users. Early on, internet providers criticized the challenges of getting customers enrolled while digital divide advocates said there was no funding for outreach. ose issues were addressed in the ACP rollout, which still had mixed results. Only about one-third of Colorado’s eligible 761,000 households are enrolled in ACP. Some potential customers worried about what happens when the money runs out. But ultimately, more than 250,000 enrolled in Colorado.
In Colorado, ACP enrollees are largely outside the Denver area, which has the second highest number of participants, according to FCC data. e state’s 3rd Congressional District has the highest, with more than 51,292 households enrolled and 18% of the community, according to FCC data.
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, who rep-
resents CD3, said she doesn’t support additional spending.
“We are approaching $35 trillion in debt and the federal government ruins nearly everything,” she said. “I don’t think that more federal subsidies towards projects like that are what’s our necessity right now.”
Donenberg, who advises Biden on economic policy, said the president’s hope is that there is a permanent program and this could buy Congress more time to gure out what that could be.
“ e president has indicated in his
budget for this year that we would like to see a long-term, sustainable funding solution here for maintaining the program, because I think what we learned during the pandemic was that access to a ordable and reliable high speed internet wasn’t just a pandemic problem, it is an American problem,” he said. “ is is a requirement really for participation in the economy and for effective participation in the society.”
Colorado Sun reporter Sandra Fish contributed to this story.
is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.
Starting in June, hundreds of thousands of low-income Colorado families will get $120 per child to pay for groceries during summer break.
e program, called Summer EBT, aims to help parents of children who attend preschool through 12th grade in public schools pay for food when free school meals are unavailable or harder to access. State o cials expect families of more than 300,000 children to bene t.
A Colorado law passed during a
special legislative session in November enabled the state to join the new program, which is mostly funded by the federal government with a small contribution from the state. Nearly three dozen states are o ering the program this year.
In recent years, Colorado has taken several steps to reduce the number of children who go hungry in the state. Starting this school year, the vast majority of Colorado students can get free school meals regardless of family income because of a universal meal program approved by voters in 2022. A program similar to Summer EBT was in place during the pandemic, but it expired last summer.
Colorado families are eligible for Summer EBT cards if they receive public bene ts such as SNAP, Medicaid, or Colorado Works, or
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if their children qualify for free or reduced-price school meals.
Most families will automatically receive a letter in May for each child eligible for Summer EBT, with preloaded cards arriving in the mail shortly after. To access the money on the card, families must set up a personal identi cation number. ey can do this by calling 888-328-2656, entering the card number, and following the prompts.
Families who believe their child is eligible for Summer EBT, but who didn’t receive an eligibility letter can contact the Summer EBT Support Center at 800-536-5298 (text 720-741-0550) or email cdhs_ sebt_supportcenter@state.co.us.
Chalkbeat is a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools.
The Summer EBT program will provide thousands of low-income Colorado families with grocery cards preloaded with $120 per schoolage child.
Eng 3, SW Dev & Eng – Comcast Cable Comm, LLC, Englewood, CO. Dsgn & dev new sw & web apps; Reqs: Bach or forgn equiv in CS, Engin or rltd; 2 yrs exp prfrmg Hadoop admin in a Data Wrhse envrmnt, use SQL & Hive queries; 1 yr exp incl use at least 2 of follow: HDFS, Map Reduce, Spark, or Kafka. Salary: $87,443 to $130k/yr. Benefits: https://jobs.comcast.com/life-at-comcast/ benefits. Apply to: Job_Candidates@comcast.com
Ref Job ID# 3330. App window: 30 days (+/- depend on # of applicnts).
Eng 3, SW Dev & Eng – Comcast Cable Comm, LLC, Englewood, CO. Dsgn & dev new sw for data pltfrms; Reqs: Bach or forgn equiv in CS, Engin or rltd; 2 yrs exp dev sw for data pltfrms; admin big data pltfrms use Hadoop, Hadoop File Sys, & Hive; 1 yr exp incl use Spark, Kafka, & MapReduce. Salary: $87,443 to $125k/ yr. Benefits: https://jobs.comcast.com/life-atcomcast/benefits. Apply to: Job_Candidates@comcast.com
Ref Job ID# 1010. App window: 30 days (+/- depend on # of applicnts).
Eng 4, SW Dev & Eng – Comcast Cable Comm, LLC, Englewood, CO. Prov tech ldrshp in dsgn & dev new SW & web apps; Reqs: Bach or forgn equiv in CS, Eng or rltd; 5 yrs exp dev apps; use Java/J2EE techs, Spring, Hibernate, Web Srvcs, Soap UI, Toad & Oracle; 3 yrs use Spring MVC, Spring Boot, HTML or HTML5, GIT, Eclipse & Elastic Search. Salary: $128,448-$140,000/yr. Benefits: https://jobs.comcast.com/life-atcomcast/benefits. Apply to: Job_Candidates@comcast.com Ref Job ID# 2827. App window: 30 days (+/- depend on # of applicnts).
Eng 3, SW Dev & Eng – Comcast Cable Comm, LLC, Englewood, CO. Dsgn & dev new SW & web apps in Agile dev environ, use Scrum frmwrk; Reqs: Bach or forgn equiv in CS, Eng or rltd; 2 yrs dev REST & SOAP websrvcs use Java; dev & deploy cloudbased apps in Spring or Spring Boot; wrk w/i Agile dev environ & use Scrum frmwrk; process DB ops use PL/SQL; use Maven for build automate; prfrm version ctrl use Git; build & deploy SW use CI/CD tools incl GoCD & Concourse; deploy apps into Pivotal Cloud Foundry; use operational tools incl App Dynamics; 1 yr dev prgrm & automate tasks use Linux shell script. Salary: $87,443$125,000/yr. Benefits: https://jobs.comcast.com/life-atcomcast/benefits. Apply to:
Job_Candidates@comcast.com Ref
Job ID# 3993. App window: 30 days (+/- depend on # of applicnts).
Eng 3, SW Dev & Eng – Comcast Cable Comm, LLC, Englewood, CO. Dsgn & dev new SW & ETL scripts use Python, Spark & Scala; Reqs: Bach or forgn equiv in CS, Eng or rltd; 2 yrs exp dev SW & ETL scripts use Python; prfrm data analysis & profile use SQL; dev DB archtctr use Teradata, Oracle & MySQL DBs; 1 yr build single pg apps in Angular, use HTML & TypeScript; & create & host DB apps use AWS RDS & AWS EC2. Salary: $87,443$130,000/yr. Benefits: https://jobs.comcast.com/life-at-comcast/ benefits. Apply to:
Job_Candidates@comcast.com Ref Job ID# 7440. App window: 30 days (+/- depend on # of applicnts).
Remote or in person FT or part time Speech-Language Pathologist or SLPA Positions
Available for the 20242025 school year. Open to School Internships. No Contract Agencies. Able to provide supervision for CFY hours. Join our dynamic, multi-disciplinary team of professionals for the 202425 school year. Complete assessments, attend IEP meetings, provide direct services and indirect services for students in PreK-12th grades. Competitive salaries: SLP - $50,450-$56,050 & SLPA- BA $41,000- $46,600 based on 186 day contract. Salaries given are based on a full-year contract. Salary commensurate upon experience. May also be eligible for loan forgiveness! Excellent benefits, including full health benefits & mileage reimbursement. For in person providers there is flexible scheduling with the opportunity to complete some work at home.
Questions contact Tracy at (719) 775-2342, ext. 101. To apply for this position, please visit our website ecboces.org and click on the “Jobs” page, click on the job you are interested in & then click on the green button “Apply Online”, located at the bottom of the job listing. EOE
Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
East Central BOCES is seeking a Part-Time 3 day a week Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing for the 2024-2025 school year. Salary Range- $27,750$32,790 for 112 days dependent on experiences and education. Hold or be able to attain a Colorado Teaching License with an endorsement as a Special Education Specialist- Deaf/ Hard of Hearing required. Complete assessments, attend IEP meetings, provide direct and indirect special education services. Excellent benefits including access to a company vehicle or mileage reimbursement and fully paid health insurance, including vision and dental. May be eligible for loan forgiveness program. Flexible scheduling with the opportunity to complete some work from home. To apply for this position, please visit our website ecboces.org and click on the “Jobs” page, click on the job you are interested in & then click on the green button “Apply Online”, located at the bottom of the job listing. Questions contact Tracy at (719) 775-2342, ext. 101. EOE
Seasonal Groundskeeping Jobs
For a significant needs program located at the Strasburg School District for 2024-25 School Year. Current Colorado Special Education Teacher license required. BA salary range $41,000$47,300 & MA salary range $46,250-$52,550, based on experience. Excellent benefits. including full health benefits! Collaborative work environment with lots of free continuing education opportunities available. May be eligible for Student Loan Forgiveness. Questions contact Tracy at (719) 7752342, ext. 101 or tracyg@ ecboces.org. To apply for this position, please visit our website ecboces.org and click on the “Jobs” page, click on the job you are interested in & then click on the green button “Apply Online” at the bottom of the job listing. EOE
Full-Time School Psychologist or Intern to join our dynamic, multi-disciplinary team of professionals for the 202324 school year - School Districts East of Limon Area Requirements: Educational Specialist (Ed.S.), Colorado certified. Provide PreK12 intervention including assessment, development of IEP’s & consultation services. Competitive salaries: ED.S $57,800$66,200 & Intern $53,590$59,550, both commensurate upon experience. Excellent benefits including dental, vision, and medical insurance. Flexible scheduling with the opportunity to complete some work at home. May also be eligible for loan forgiveness. Flexible schedule. Use of a car or mileage reimbursement. Questions contact Tracy (719) 775-2342, ext. 101. To apply for this position, please visit our website ecboces. org and click on the “Jobs” page, click on the job you are interested in & then click on the green button “Apply Online”, located at the bottom of the job listing. EOE
Misc. Notices
WIDOWED MEN AND WOMEN OF AMERICA.
A social club offering many exciting activities and life long friendships. Social hours for all areas of Metro Denver. Visit
Widowedamerica.org for details In your area!
COMMUNITY SHREDDING DAY
BRING YOUR DOCUMENTS
April 27th
SATURDAY, 10AM – 1PM ON SITE UNLIMITED PROFESSIONAL SHREDDING
1400 S. University Blvd
St. Michael & All Angels’ CHURCH PARKING LOT behind the church
$7.00 / banker box or $25/car trunk load/ pick-ups negotiable
TELL YOUR FRIENDS
Merchandise
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that
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amendments
(This publication can be viewed in its entirety on the state court website at: www.courts.state.co.us) 2024CW3028 HENRY K. LOGAN TRUST, STEFAN TAUGER, CANDICE TAUGER. 300 Ponderosa Lane, Elizabeth, CO 80107. Please forward all correspondence and pleadings to Chris D. Cummins, W. James Tilton, Paul J. Raymond of Monson, Cummins, Shohet & Farr, LLC, 13511 Northgate Estates Drive, Suite 250, Colorado Springs, CO 80921 (719) 471-1212. APPLICATION FOR UNDERGROUND WATER RIGHTS AND ADJUDICATION OF DENVER BASIN GROUNDWATER IN ELBERT COUNTY. The Henry K. Logan Trust, c/o Candice Tauger, Stefan Tauger and Candice Tauger (hereafter “Applicants”) seek to adjudicate the Denver Basin groundwater underlying their adjacent properties, as defined below. Applicants therefore seek to quantify the Denver Basin groundwater underlying the Applicants’ Property. Property Description. Applicants own two adjacent parcels in Elbert County, Colorado. Parcel 1, owned by the Henry K. Logan Trust, is located in the NW1/4 of the NW1/4 of Section 34, Township 7 South, Range 65 West of the 6th P.M., recorded as Parcel No. 7534200193 containing approximately 40 acres. Parcel 2, owned by Stefan and Candice Tauger, is located in the SW1/4 of the NW1/4 of Section 34, Township 7 South, Range 65 West of the 6th P.M., recorded as Parcel No. 7534200194 containing approximately 40 acres. Together these two parcels are approximately 80 acres in size covering the W1/2 of the NW1/4 of Section 34, Township 7 South, Range 65 West of the 6th P.M. (Applicants’ Property”). Applicants’ Properties are depicted on the attached Exhibit A map, located in the W1/2 NW1/4 of Section 34, Township 7 South, Range 65 West of the 6th P.M., and more particularly described as 300 Ponderosa Lane, Elizabeth, CO 80107. Existing Well. There is one existing, exempt domestic well pursuant to C.R.S. § 37-92-602(3)(b)(II)(A) with Division of Water Resources Permit No. 162342 for the Upper Dawson aquifer (“Tauger Well No. 1”), permit attached as Exhibit B. It is drilled to a total depth of approximately 363 feet, and is located 1,840 feet from the North Section Line, and 1,040 feet from the West Section Line. Applicants intend for this well and any replacement wells to remain exempt. Land Ownership. The land upon which the existing and proposed wells will be constructed is owned by Applicants. Water Source. Not-Nontributary. The ground water to be withdrawn from the Upper Dawson aquifer underlying the Applicants’ Property is not-nontributary as described in C.R.S. § 37-90-103(10.7). Pursuant to C.R.S. § 37-90-137(9)(c.5), the augmentation requirements for wells in the Upper Dawson aquifer will require the replacement of actual stream depletions. Nontributary. The groundwater that will be withdrawn from the Lower Dawson, Denver, Arapahoe, and Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers underlying the Applicants’ Property is nontributary as described in C.R.S. § 37-90-103(10.5). Estimated Rates of Withdrawal. Pumping from the wells will not exceed 100 g.p.m. The actual pumping rates for each well will vary according to aquifer conditions and well production capabilities and any limitations pursuant to a subsequently entered augmentation plan. The Applicants request the right to withdraw ground water at rates of flow necessary to withdraw the entire decreed amounts. The actual depth of each well to be constructed within the respective aquifers will be determined by topography and actual aquifer conditions. Estimated Average Annual Amounts of Ground Water Available. Applicants request a vested right for the withdrawal of all legally available ground water in the Denver Basin aquifers underlying the Applicants’ Property. Said amounts may be withdrawn over the 300-year life of the aquifers as required by Elbert County, Colorado Subdivision Regulations Article IV. PRELIMINARY PLAT, A., which is more stringent than the State of Colorado’s 100-year life requirement pursuant to C.R.S. § 37-90-137(4). Applicants estimate that the following values and average annual amounts are representative of the Denver Basin aquifers underlying Applicants’ Property:
Decreed amounts may vary from the above to conform with the State’s Determination of Facts. Pursuant to C.R.S. § 37-92-305(11), the Applicants further requests that the Court retain jurisdiction to finally determine the amount of water available for appropriation and withdrawal from each aquifer. Requested Uses. The Applicants request the right to use the ground water for beneficial uses upon the Applicants’ Property consisting of domestic, irrigation, domestic animal and stock watering, dust suppression, equestrian facilities, agricultural, commercial, fire protection, recreation, fish and wildlife, aesthetic, and also for storage and augmentation purposes associated with such uses. The Applicants also request that the nontributary water may be used, reused, and successively used to extinction, both on and off the Applicants’ Property subject, however, to the requirement of C.R.S. § 37-90-137(9)(b), that no more than 98% of the amount withdrawn annually shall be consumed. Applicants may use such water by immediate application or by storage and subsequent application to the beneficial uses and purposes stated herein. Provided, however, Applicants shall only be entitled to construct wells that are not exempt or use water from the not-nontributary Upper Dawson aquifer pursuant to a decreed augmentation plan entered by this Court, covering the out-of-priority stream depletions caused by the use of such not-nontributary aquifers in accordance with C.R.S. § 37-90-137(9)(c.5). Well Fields. Applicants request that they be permitted to produce the full legal entitlement from the Denver Basin aquifers underlying Applicants’ Property through any combination of wells. Applicants request that these wells on Parcels 1 and 2, as described above, be treated as a well field. Averaging of Withdrawals. Applicants request that they be entitled to withdraw an amount of ground water in excess of the average annual amount decreed to the aquifers beneath the Applicants’ Property, so long as the sum of the total withdrawals from all the wells in the aquifers does not exceed the product of the number of years since the date of issuance of the original well permit or the date of entry of a decree herein, whichever comes first, multiplied by the average annual volume of water which the Applicants are entitled to withdraw from the aquifers underlying the Applicants’ Property. Owner of Land Upon Which Wells are to Be Located. The land upon which the wells are and will be located as well as the underlying groundwater is owned by the Applicants, as explained in paragraph III. A. Application 6 pages.
agency on property within 2,000 feet of a working pad surface included in the OGDP; or 3) be otherwise entitled to notice pursuant to Commission Rule 303.e.(1).
S½
Surface Lands: Township 13 South, Range 57 West, 6th P.M. Section 24: SE¼SW¼
DATE, TIME, AND LOCATION OF HEARING (Subject to change)
A Commission hearing on the above-referenced docket number is currently scheduled for the following date, time, and location:
Decreed amounts may vary from the above to conform with the State’s Determination of Facts. Pursuant to C.R.S. § 37-92-305(11), the Applicants further requests that the Court retain jurisdiction to finally determine the amount of water available for appropriation and withdrawal from each aquifer. Requested Uses. The Applicants request the right to use the ground water for beneficial uses upon the Applicants’ Property consisting of domestic, irrigation, domestic animal and stock watering, dust suppression, equestrian facilities, agricultural, commercial, fire protection, recreation, fish and wildlife, aesthetic, and also for storage and augmentation purposes associated with such uses. The Applicants also request that the nontributary water may be used, reused, and successively used to extinction, both on and off the Applicants’ Property subject, however, to the requirement of C.R.S. § 37-90-137(9)(b), that no more than 98% of the amount withdrawn annually shall be consumed. Applicants may use such water by immediate application or by storage and subsequent application to the beneficial uses and purposes stated herein. Provided, however, Applicants shall only be entitled to construct wells that are not exempt or use water from the notnontributary Upper Dawson aquifer pursuant to a decreed augmentation plan entered by this Court, covering the out-of-priority stream depletions caused by the use of such not-nontributary aquifers in accordance with C.R.S. § 37-90-137(9)(c.5). Well Fields. Applicants request that they be permitted to produce the full legal
Applicants will reserve 300 acre feet of Upper Dawson aquifer water to be utilized by existing well permit no. 162342, reducing the total amount available in the Dawson aquifer to the amounts estimated above.
THE WATER RIGHTS CLAIMED BY THESE APPLICATIONS MAY AFFECT IN PRIORITY
Decreed amounts may vary from the above to conform with the State’s Determination of Facts. Pursuant to C.R.S. § 37-92-305(11), the Applicants further requests that the Court retain jurisdiction to finally determine the amount of water available for appropriation and withdrawal from each aquifer. Requested Uses. The Applicants request the right to use the ground water for beneficial uses upon the Applicants’ Property consisting of domestic, irrigation, domestic animal and stock watering, dust suppression, equestrian facilities, agricultural, commercial, fire protection, recreation, fish and wildlife, aesthetic, and also for storage and augmentation purposes associated with such uses. The Applicants also request that the nontributary water may be used, reused, and successively used to extinction, both on and off the Applicants’ Property subject, however, to the requirement of C.R.S. § 37-90-137(9)(b), that no more than 98% of the amount withdrawn annually shall be consumed. Applicants may use such water by immediate application or by storage and subsequent application to the beneficial uses and purposes stated herein. Provided, however, Applicants shall only be entitled to construct wells that are not exempt or use water from the notnontributary Upper Dawson aquifer pursuant to a decreed augmentation plan entered by this Court, covering the out-of-priority stream depletions caused by the use of such not-nontributary aquifers in accordance with C.R.S. § 37-90-137(9)(c.5). Well Fields. Applicants request that they be permitted to produce the full legal entitlement from the Denver Basin aquifers underlying Applicants’ Property through any combination of wells. Applicants request that these wells on Parcels 1 and 2, as described above, be treated as a well field. Averaging of Withdrawals. Applicants request that they be entitled to withdraw an amount of ground water in excess of the average annual amount decreed to the aquifers beneath the Applicants’ Property, so long as the sum of the total withdrawals from all the wells in the aquifers does not exceed the product of the number of years since the date of issuance of the original well permit or the date of entry of a decree herein, whichever comes first, multiplied by the average annual volume of water which the Applicants are entitled to withdraw from the aquifers underlying the Applicants’ Property. Owner of Land Upon Which Wells are to Be Located. The land upon which the wells are and will be located as well as the underlying groundwater is owned by the Applicants, as explained in paragraph III. A. Application 6 pages.
Parties to this hearing will be notified if this date, time, or place changes. For the most up-to-date information regarding the Commission’s hearing schedule, please visit https://ecmc.state.co.us/#/ home, click on “Commission Hearings,” and click on “Preliminary Agendas.”
1 Applicants will reserve 300 acre feet of Upper Dawson aquifer water to be utilized by existing well permit no. 162342, reducing the total amount available in the Dawson aquifer to the amounts estimated above.
Any party may file a public comment for the review of Commission Staff related to the abovedescribed OGDP. All public comments will be included in the administrative record for the OGDP proceeding. Parties wishing to file a public comment on the above-described OGDP may find the “eFiling Public Comment Portal” under “Hearings” on the ECMC homepage or use the eFiling system outlined below.
PETITIONS
DEADLINE FOR PETITIONS BY AFFECTED PERSONS: May 6, 2024
Any interested party who wishes to participate formally in this matter must file a written petition with the Commission no later than the deadline provided above. Please see Commission Rule 507 at https://ecmc.state.co.us/#/home, under “Regulation,” then select “Rules.” Please note that, under Commission Rule 510.l, the deadline for petitions may only be continued for good cause, even if the hearing is continued beyond the date that is stated above. Pursuant to Commission Rule 507, if you do not file a proper petition, the Hearing Officer will not know that you wish to formally participate in this matter and the date and time of the hearing may change without additional notice to you. Parties wishing to file a petition must register online at https://oitco.hylandcloud.com/ DNRCOGExternalAccess/Account/Login.aspx and select “Request Access to Site.” Please refer to our “eFiling Users Guidebook” at https://ecmc.state.co.us/documents/reg/Hearings/External_EfilingSystemGuidebook_2023_FINAL.pdf for more information. Any
Person
APPLICATIONS IN WATER DIV.1
Pursuantto C.R.S.37-92-302,you are notified thatthe following isa resume ofallwaterrightapplications, and certain amendmentsfiled in the Office ofthe WaterClerk during the month of MARCH 2024 foreach County affected.(This publication can be viewed in its entirety on the state court website at: www.courts.state.co.us)
entered augmentation plan.The Applicantrequeststhe rightto withdrawgroundwateratratesofflow necessary to withdraw the entire decreed amounts. The actual depth of each well to be constructed will be determined by topography and actualaquiferconditions. Estimated Annual Average Amounts of Groundwater Available.Applicantrequestsan absolute waterrightforthe withdrawalofalllegally available groundwaterin the UpperDawson and LowerDawson aquifersunderlying the Applicant’s Property.Said amountsmay be withdrawn overthe 100-yearlife ofthe aquifersassetforth in § 37-90137(4)(b)(I),C.R.S.Applicantestimatesthatthe following valuesand average annualamountsare representative ofthe UpperDawson and LowerDawson Denveraquifersunderlying the Applicant’s Property:
2024CW3030COYOTE RIDGE,c/o David Quatrochi,3855 Mountain ViewMeadowCircle,Parker, Colorado 80134.Please direct all correspondence and pleadings to Ryan W.Farr and Sedona E.Chavez ofMonson,Cummins,Shohet&Farr,LLC,13511 Northgate EstatesDrive,Suite 250,ColoradoSprings, CO80921,(719) 471-1212.
APPLICATIONFORUNDERGROUNDWATERRIGHTSAND
ADJUDICATIONOFDENVERBASINGROUNDWATERIN ELBERT COUNTY. Applicant is seeking an adjudication quantifying the amountofUpperDawson and LowerDawson aquifergroundwater underlying itsproperty.Property Description.Applicantownssix contiguouspropertieslocated in the S1/2 ofSection 19,Township 6 South,Range 64 Westofthe 6th P.M.,County ofElPaso,State ofColorado, specifically being the NW1/4 ofthe SW1/4,the SW1/4 ofthe SW1/4,the E1/2 ofthe SW1/4,NW1/4 of the SE1/4,the SW1/4 ofthe SE1/4,and the NE1/4 ofthe SE1/4,allin Section 19,Township 6 South,Range 64 West of the6th P.M.,asshown on the attached Exhibit A,containing 254 acres,more orless (“Applicant’sProperty”).PriorAdjudication.The Denver,Arapahoe,and Laramie-FoxHills aquifers underlying the Applicant’sProperty were previously quantified and adjudicated by decree dated January 14,2004 in Case No.03CW55,DistrictCourt,WaterDivision 1 (“03CW55 Decree”).Such prorated amountsowned by the Applicantbased on the ownership of254 acresofthe 290 acressubjectofthe 03CW55 Decree are asfollows:
Pursuant to C.R.S. 37-92-302, you are notified that the following is a resume of all water right applications, and certain amendments filed in the Office of the Water Clerk during the month of MARCH 2024 for each County affected. (This publication can be viewed in its entirety on the state court website at: www.courts.state.co.us)
2024CW3030 COYOTE RIDGE, c/o David Quatrochi, 3855 Mountain View Meadow Circle, Parker, Colorado 80134. Please direct all correspondence and pleadings to Ryan W. Farr and Sedona E. Chavez of Monson, Cummins, Shohet & Farr, LLC, 13511 Northgate Estates Drive, Suite 250, Colorado Springs, CO 80921, (719) 471-1212. APPLICATION FOR UNDERGROUND WATER RIGHTS AND ADJUDICATION OF DENVER BASIN GROUNDWATER IN ELBERT COUNTY. Applicant is seeking an adjudication quantifying the amount of Upper Dawson and Lower Dawson aquifer groundwater underlying its property. Property Description. Applicant owns six contiguous properties located in the S1/2 of Section 19, Township 6 South, Range 64 West of the 6th P.M., County of El Paso, State of Colorado, specifically being the NW1/4 of the SW1/4, the SW1/4 of the SW1/4, the E1/2 of the SW1/4, NW1/4 of the SE1/4, the SW1/4 of the SE1/4, and the NE1/4 of the SE1/4, all in Section 19, Township 6 South, Range 64 West of the 6th P.M., as shown on the attached Exhibit A, containing 254 acres, more or less (“Applicant’s Property”). Prior Adjudication. The Denver, Arapahoe, and Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers underlying the Applicant’s Property were previously quantified and adjudicated by decree dated January 14, 2004 in Case No. 03CW55, District Court, Water Division 1 (“03CW55 Decree”). Such prorated amounts owned by the Applicant based on the ownership of 254 acres of the 290 acres subject of the 03CW55 Decree are as follows:
Requested Uses: The Applicant requests the right to use the groundwater for beneficial uses upon the Applicant’s Property consisting of domestic, commercial, indoor and outdoor irrigation, stock water, municipal, industrial, recreation, wildlife, wetlands, fire protection, and for storage and augmentation associated with such uses. Provided, however, Applicant shall only be entitled to construct a well or use water from the not-nontributary Upper Dawson and Lower Dawson aquifers for non-exempt purposes pursuant to a decreed augmentation plan entered by this Court, covering the out-of-priority stream depletions caused by the use of such not-nontributary aquifers in accordance with § 37-90-137(9)(c.5), C.R.S. Well Fields: Applicant requests that it be permitted to produce the full legal entitlement from the Upper Dawson and Lower Dawson aquifers underlying Applicant’s Property through any combination of wells. Applicant, therefore, requests that these wells be treated as a well field. Averaging of Wells: Applicant requests that it be entitled to withdraw an amount of ground water in excess of the average annual amount, so long as the sum of the total withdrawals from all the wells does not exceed the product of the number of years since the date of issuance of the original well permit or the date of entry of a decree herein, whichever comes first, multiplied by the average annual volume of water which the Applicant is entitled to withdraw from the Upper Dawson and Lower Dawson aquifers underlying the Applicant’s Property. Name and Address
BY
Water Source.The groundwaterin the Upper Dawson aquifer and Lower Dawson aquifer underlying Applicant’s Property are not-nontributary.Pursuantto § 37-90-137(9)(c.5),C.R.S.,augmentation requirementsfornot-nontributary withdrawalsfromboth Dawson aquiferswillrequire the replacementof actualstreamdepletionsto the extentnecessary to preventany injuriouseffect. Estimated Rates of Withdrawal.The actualpumping ratesforany wellconstructed on the property willvary according to aquiferconditionsand wellproduction capabilitiesandany limitationsimposed pursuantto a subsequently
Water Source. The groundwater in the Upper Dawson aquifer and Lower Dawson aquifer underlying Applicant’s Property are not-nontributary. Pursuant to § 37-90-137(9)(c.5), C.R.S., augmentation requirements for not-nontributary withdrawals from both Dawson aquifers will require the replacement of actual stream depletions to the extent necessary to prevent any injurious effect. Estimated Rates of Withdrawal. The actual pumping rates for any well constructed on the property will vary according to aquifer conditions and well production capabilities and any limitations imposed pursuant to a subsequently entered augmentation plan. The Applicant requests the right to withdraw groundwater at rates of flow necessary to withdraw the entire decreed amounts. The actual depth of each well to be constructed will be determined by topography and actual aquifer conditions. Estimated Annual Average Amounts of Groundwater Available. Applicant requests an absolute water right for the withdrawal of all legally available groundwater in the Upper Dawson and Lower Dawson aquifers underlying the Applicant’s Property. Said amounts may be withdrawn over the 100-year life of the aquifers as set forth in § 37-90-137(4)(b)(I), C.R.S. Applicant estimates that the following values and average annual amounts are representative of the Upper Dawson and Lower Dawson Denver aquifers underlying the Applicant’s Property:
Requested Uses:The Applicantrequeststhe rightto use the groundwaterforbeneficialusesupon the Applicant’s Property consisting of domestic,commercial,indoor and outdoor irrigation,stock water, municipal, industrial, recreation, wildlife, wetlands, fireprotection,and forstorage and augmentation associated with such uses.Provided,however,Applicantshallonly be entitled to constructa welloruse water fromthe not-nontributary UpperDawson and LowerDawson aquifersfornon-exemptpurposes pursuantto a decreed augmentation plan entered by thisCourt,covering the out-of-prioritystream depletionscaused by the use ofsuch not-nontributary aquifersin accordance with § 37-90-137(9)(c.5), C.R.S. WellFields:Applicantrequeststhatitbe permitted to produce the fulllegalentitlementfromthe Upper Dawson and Lower Dawson aquifers underlying Applicant’s Property through any combination of wells.Applicant,therefore,requests that these wells be treated as awell field. Averaging of Wells: Applicant requests that it be entitled to withdrawan amount of ground water in excess of the average annual amount,so long asthe sumofthe totalwithdrawalsfromallthe wellsdoesnotexceed the productofthe numberofyearssince the date ofissuance ofthe originalwellpermitorthe date ofentry ofa decree herein, whichever comes first,multiplied by the average annual volume of water which the Applicant is entitled to withdrawfromthe Upper Dawson and Lower Dawson aquifers underlying the Applicant’s Property. Name and AddressofOwnerofLand Upon Which Wellsare to Be Located:The land upon which the current wells and any future wells may be constructed is owned by the Applicant.Application 5 pages.
Subject
application seeks a decree adjudicating all the nontributary and not nontributary ground water in the Denver Basin aquifers underlying the Subject Parcel. Such aquifers may include the Upper Dawson, Lower Dawson, Denver, Upper Arapahoe, and Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers; the actual aquifers will be those that are determined to be available underlying the Subject Property in accordance with the Denver Basin Rules (2 CCR 402-6). There is one exempt well located on the property, permitted under well permit no. 214697. The source of water for this well is the Upper Dawson aquifer. Applicant seeks to adjudicate the water in the Upper Dawson aquifer that may be withdrawn through this exempt well. The estimated amounts of water in each aquifer is as follows: NNT Upper Dawson: 18.98 AF average annual appropriation (“avg”); NT Lower Dawson: 10.57 AF avg; NT Denver: 16.01 AF avg; NT Upper Arapahoe: 16.14 AF avg; NT Laramie Fox-Hills: 11.17 AF avg. The final decreed amounts may vary from the above to conform with the State’s Determination of Facts.
Requested Uses: Applicant requests the water be approved for all beneficial uses, and the specific uses will be determined when an application for permits to withdraw such water is filed. Applicant also requests that the nontributary water may be
used, reused, and successively used to extinction, both on and off the Subject Parcel, subject to the requirement of C.R.S. § 37-90-137(9)(b) that no more than 98% of the amount withdrawn annually shall be consumed. Applicant may use such water by immediate application or by storage and subsequent application to beneficial use. Applicant requests approval to produce the full legal entitlement from the Denver Basin aquifers underlying the Subject Parcel through any combination of wells and that such wells be treated as a well field. Applicant claims the right to withdraw more than the estimated average annual amounts described above pursuant to Rule 8A of the Statewide Rules, 2 C.C.R. 402-7. Applicant requests the right to revise the estimates upward or downward, based on better or revised data, without the necessity of amending or republishing this application. Applicant requests this Court approve the above-described underground water rights, find that Applicant has complied with C.R.S. § 37-90-137(4) and water is legally available for withdrawal, and grant such other and further relief as is appropriate. Plan for Augmentation: Name of structure to be augmented: Fiorella Upper Dawson Well, permit no. 214697. Legal description of structure: The permitted well location is in the SW1/4 NE1/4 of Section 22, Township 9 South, Range 65 West of the 6th P.M., at a distance of 1,940 feet from the North Section line and 1,420 feet from the East Section line. Appropriation Date: N/A. Amount: 18.98 acre-feet per year average annual withdrawal. Source: The Upper Dawson aquifer underlying the Subject Parcel. Use: Household, domestic, irrigation, stock water, and fire protection uses on the Subject Parcel, and for storage and augmentation purposes associated with such uses. Complete Statement of Plan for Augmentation: Applicant will rely on the determinations of the amount, timing, and location of depletions by the staff of the State and Division Engineers’ office. Depletions to affected streams during pumping will be replaced by return flows from water that is not consumed through beneficial use, including domestic return flows from a nonevaporative septic system. For the replacement of any injurious post-pumping depletions that may occur, Applicant will reserve water available in the nontributary aquifers adjudicated in this application as necessary to replace any injurious post pumping depletions. Applicant also reserves the right to substitute other legally available augmentation sources for such post pumping depletions upon further approval of the Court under its retained jurisdiction. Even though this reservation is made, under the Court’s retained jurisdiction, Applicant reserves the right in the future to prove that post pumping depletions will be non-injurious.
Name(s) and address(es) of owner(s) or reputed owner(s) of the land upon which any new diversion or storage structure, or modification to any existing diversion or storage structure is or will be constructed or upon which water is or will be stored, including any modifica-
tion to the existing storage pool: Applicant. THE WATER RIGHTS CLAIMED BY THESE APPLICATIONS MAY AFFECT IN PRIORITY ANY WATER RIGHTS CLAIMED OR HERETOFORE ADJUDICATED WITHIN THIS DIVISION AND OWNERS OF AFFECTED RIGHTS MUST APPEAR TO OBJECT WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY STATUTE OR BE FOREVER BARRED.
THE WATER RIGHTS CLAIMED BY THESE APPLICATIONSMAY AFFECT IN PRIORITY ANY WATER RIGHTSCLAIMED OR HERETOFORE ADJUDICATED WITHIN THISDIVISION AND OWNERSOFAFFECTED RIGHTSMUSTAPPEAR TO OBJECT WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY STATUTE OR BE FOREVER BARRED.
YOUAREHEREBYNOTIFIEDthat any party who wishes to oppose an application,or an amended application,may file with the WaterClerk,P.O.Box 2038,Greeley,CO80632,a verified Statementof Opposition, setting forth facts as to why the application should notbe granted,orwhy itshould be granted only in partoron certain conditions.Such StatementofOpposition mustbe filed by the lastday of MAY 2024 (formsavailable on www.courts.state.co.usorin the Clerk’soffice),andmustbe filed asan Original and include $192.00 filing fee.A copy ofeach StatementofOpposition mustalso be served upon the Applicant or Applicant’s Attorney and an affidavit or certificate of such service of mailing shall be filed with the Water Clerk.
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that any party who wishes to oppose an application, or an amended application, may file with the Water Clerk, P. O. Box 2038, Greeley, CO 80632, a verified Statement of Opposition, setting forth facts as to why the application should not be granted, or why it should be granted only in part or on certain conditions. Such Statement of Opposition must be filed by the last day of MAY 2024 (forms available on www.courts.state.co.us or in the Clerk’s office), and must be filed as an Original and include $192.00 filing fee. A copy of each Statement of Opposition must also be served upon the Applicant or Applicant’s Attorney and an affidavit or certificate of such service of mailing shall be filed with the Water Clerk.
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MAIN STAGE – Live Music ALL Day
HEADLINERS:
Friday, June 14 presented by 8:00 pm – 10:30 pm: Kory Brunson Band
Saturday, June 15 presented by 8:30 pm – 10:30 pm: Wash Park Band
Sunday, June 16 presented by 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm: That Eighties Band
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:
®
parkerdaysfestival.com
CARNIVAL RIDES & GAMES:
presented by
BUY DISCOUNTED UNLIMITED CARNIVAL RIDE WRISTBANDS ONLINE
Single-Day Unlimited Carnival Rides: $35 each Good any one day during the festival
Sold online through 12 noon Wed. June 12
4-Day MEGA Unlimited Carnival Rides: $89 each Good all 4 days of the festival
PURCHASE DURING THE FESTIVAL
Single-Day Unlimited Carnival Rides: $40 each
TICKETS FOR INDIVIDUAL RIDES
Food, Beverage & Ride Tickets may be purchased at Festival Ticket Booths.
CORE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
Community Stage – Entertainment ALL Day
supported by Allegro Music
Parker Days Festival is brought to you by the Parker Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation