Brighton Standard Blade May 22, 2025

VOLUME 122 | ISSUE 21 WEEK OF MAY 22, 2025

A HISTORY OF ART Brighton Arts Committee looks back on its works P2

Oil well blowout in Weld exposed people to benzene

BY MARK JAFFE

COLORADO SUN

e oil well blowout last month in rural Galeton, which sparked the evacuation of nearby homes, spewed dangerous levels of toxic chemicals as far as 2 miles away, according to preliminary tests by a Colorado State University team.

Benzene, a known carcinogen and respiratory irritant, was found in concentrations 10 times above federal standard for chronic exposure, and was among dozens of chemicals detected.

“People were potentially exposed to a chemical soup,” said Emily Fischer, a CSU professor of atmospheric science.

e uncontrolled blowout of the Chevron Bishop well in Galeton, a community of 256 about 7 miles northeast of Greeley, began the evening of April 6, sending a white geyser of water, crude oil and gas high into the air.

It was almost ve days before the well was secured and sealed. e failure of wellhead equipment caused the blowout and it was not related to either drilling or fracking the well, Chevron said in its preliminary assessment.

“We know the when,” said Kristen Kemp, a spokesperson for the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission, which oversees oil and gas drilling. “And we know the what: an uncon-

trolled release of wellbore uid due to a failed barrier. … We are still investigating the why.”

Chevron, CDPHE report lower emissions levels e ECMC is overseeing the investigation and the remediation of the site, but deferred to state air regulators on emissions.

Both Chevron and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment have been conducting air quality tests and have not detected levels as high as those measured by the CSU team.

Drive underway to remember the Flight 629 bombing

First ever plane bombing over U.S. soil killed 44, changed lives of rescuers

BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A group of Coloradans are helping to erect a memorial to mark the bombing of United Air Lines Flight 629 on November 1955 over southwest Weld County.

A dynamite bomb placed in the checked luggage of the airliner – also known as the Denver Mainliner – exploded and became a reball seen from as far as 20 miles away, only 10 minutes after the ight left Denver’s Stapleton Airport.

All 44 passengers and crew of Flight 629 were victims of the rst plane bombing on U.S. soil and at the time, one of the worst mass murders in American history.

“ is is such a part of Colorado history, and American history, but most people have no idea this even happened,” said Greg Raymer, whose father was a United Airlines mechanic who passed on the story of Flight 629 to his son.

Raymer is leading a small committee of residents who are trying to raise money for the memorial, at 11413 Weld County Road 13 near Longmont. e committee – called Flight 629 Memorial And Unsung Heroes Across America – wants to create “meditative and esthetically beautiful place” on the former beet elds where the bodies and pieces of the aircraft fell after the bombing, according to the group’s website.

e memorial will honor not only those on the ight but also the 500 or so Weld County residents who rushed to the elds the night of the bombing and worked in freezing darkness throughout the night in search and rescue operations, said Becky Tesone, vice president of the committee.

“ ese are people from all walks of life, from farmers to volunteer remen, police o cers, veterans from

Arts committee looks back on its accomplishments

With guide due out, group showcases its collection of public art

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

With a new guidebook coming that showcases all the art and sculptures around Brighton and their locations, the Brighton Public Art Committee is taking some time to re ect on where they’ve been and what they’ve accomplished.

e committee was established in 2012 to enhance the community by introducing public art that beauti es the City of Brighton, said Wilma Rose, the chair of the committee since its inception.

“To date, we’ve added 14 sculptures and two and a half murals, as we also contributed to the mural at 7 a.m. Somewhere Co ee Shop,” Rose said. “Our primary goal and mission are to bring public art to the community to bene t residents and visitors. Overall, we’ve been a very active committee, with several city representatives also on the committee. Everyone who has served on it has given 100%; otherwise, we couldn’t accomplish all this.”

e city disconnected from the arts committee in 2022, leaving them to reorganize independently, Rose said.

“We received funding from the Scienti c and Cultural Facilities District SCFD and the lodging tax until last year; funding is signi cant. We need matching funds for the SCFD grants, which help us add more art,” Rose said.

In addition to creating the guidebook and promoting the arts, the committee has other jobs.

“We’ve also initiated the cleaning and restoration of all the art pieces to ensure our art remains in good shape and form. We used a company from Loveland,” Wilma said.

Wilma said they collaborate with the City Parks and Recreation Department and the Streets Department to assist them in placing art in designated spots.

“We couldn’t have achieved this without the many individuals, whom we thank for their assistance in completing it all,” Wilma said.

Wilma said the committee is currently working on bringing a sculpture called “ e Well.”

“It’s called ‘where we water and how we grow,’ and we call it Brighton,” Rose said.

Art on loan

e committee’s sculptures are part of a loan program. e Arts Committee and Kathy Wardle selected the artwork to showcase in the city.

Wardle, an artist herself, was president of the Brighton Cultural Arts Commission for about 12 years. Wardle said Rose, then a Brighton City Councilor, discussed ways of bringing the best art to Brighton.

“She volunteered to be president of the organization, which initially had a group of around 15 in 2019. We decided to form a public art committee to promote art, establish a call for submissions, and implement a judging rubric to ensure we feature excellent art in the parks and throughout the city,” Wardle said. “Every year, we have ve to eight pieces of sculpture displayed in Carmichael Park. We will purchase some of those on loan pieces and display them as public art.”

“We’ve been fortunate to select some sculptures as permanent additions for the city, and every sculpture we acquired was donated to the town,” Rose said.

One of those pieces was a bronze sculpture Wardle made, located at the Brighton Memorial Armory, 300 Strong St. Wardle said her sculpture commemorates a historical bicycle race that had been run from Brighton to Greeley every year since the city’s establishment in 1887.

“ is was a race from Brighton to Greeley between the 1800s and 1900s. en, another went from Denver, starting at Con uence Park, through Brighton to Greeley.  ese were signi cant events, with about 1,000 bicycle riders, and the winners were those who rode from Denver to Brighton, a relatively common

monthly race,” Wardle said.

Wardle said the winner was awarded a jug of buttermilk. Back then, it was like Gatorade; a little boy would carry a jug to the winner, and it energized him.

Wilma’s husband Dave has volunteered with the Public Arts Committee for the past two or three years.

“Wilma and I have been directly involved with the arts committee, which has been trying to bring visual art and art activities to Brighton,” he said. “We hosted a hoedown at a rustic farm near Brighton Berry Patch Farms last year. We had a live band, drawings, and square dancing, which provided a unique and successful way to appreciate the arts in Brighton.”

“We have put up a couple of murals,

one of which is the ‘Women of Inspiration mural on the H& R Block wall. It was very successful, and people seem to enjoy it. Without the committee, I’m not sure these art pieces would have existed,” he said.

Event worthy

Dolly Garcia has been involved with the Brighton Cultural Arts Commission since 2021. She joined after receiving the Excellence in Arts Award for her work with the Readers eater at the Eagle View Adult Center.

“I was excited to join BCAC because I love art and felt I could contribute to the beauti cation of Brighton. Last year, I was the chair of our Art Heals the Heart.” at event brought in a psychologist who invited the audience to draw pictures of what was most important or dear to them.

“ ose pictures were beautiful and displayed on a six-by-six card, showcased at the Armory and the Main Street Creatives,” Garcia said.

Another event featuring Garcia was the Literary Circus, which focused on books and collaborated with the local library and a publisher who conducted a small workshop on how to publish.

Gary Wardle, Kathy’s husband, has been working on public art for 15 years and loves art because his wife is an artist.

“I served as Brighton’s director of Parks and Recreation for 20 years. I began collaborating on public art projects with the Cultural Arts Committee, installing sculptures in Benedick Park,” he said.

“We installed two in Benedick Park that private citizens donated. One was memorializing her son, and the other was memorializing her daughter, who had passed away young.”

“When I was the director, we installed the rst kinetic windmill downtown, and the next one they purchased at Founders Plaza Park and planned the mural on the wall of the Wells Fargo building,” Gary said.

Open Heart is a metal sculpture by M.L. Du y in Brighton’s Founders Plaza. BELEN WARD

Members of the Brighton Arts Committee stand before a mural by Amy Berman at the 7 a.m. Somewhere Co ee Shop on Main Street. From left to right: Dave Rose, Wilma Rose, Dolly Garcia, Kathy Wardle, and Gary Wardle. BELEN WARD

Home Sharing Helps Single Seniors Deal With Finance and Loneliness,

Married seniors living in long-time family homes that are bigger than they need often call me and other Realtors about downsizing, and I have written many times about the options they face, including the option that Rita and I chose, which was to sell our home and move into a 55+ rental community.

Widowed seniors face a more pressing problem. The retirement income, including Social Security, which supported them and their late spouse is now reduced as much as by half, and maybe it’s not enough to support them in their beloved home.

That’s where a Denver non-profit called Sunshine Home Share Colorado comes in. Sunshine completes background and credit checks on all participants in the program. All applicants must have three verifiable references. Home seekers must provide proof of income. Sunshine also completes a 1-2 hour social work intake with each program participant, assessing for mental health, emotional health, physical health, and substance abuse.

Allowing Them to Age in Place

A senior homeowner with no mortgage or lots of equity may be able to do what we did — sell the home and live off the proceeds, plus his or her reduced retirement income, for the rest of their expected life. Another solution is to take out a reverse mortgage, even if he or she owns it free and clear, and live of that equity for the rest of their life.

But there’s another option which not only addresses finances but also that big killer of seniors — loneliness. You could consider taking in a roommate — or “boommate” — but how do you find and screen such a person so it doesn’t lead to something even worse than running out of money?

Home providers must be over 55 years old; home seekers only need to be over 18. The rent could be up to $1,000 per month, reduced by mutual agreement when the home seeker provides services such as snow shoveling, housekeeping, lawn care, taking out the trash, or providing transportation to the home provider for medical appointments, etc.

Home seekers do not provide any personal care such as showering, toileting, and assistance transferring between bed and chair. For that, the home provider would have to secure appropriate professional service providers.

The matching process typically takes eight weeks, which includes a 2-week trial period. The organization provides periodic check-ins later on to make sure that the fit still works.

Home in Golden’s Village at Mountain Ridge Listed by Jim Smith

OPEN May 24, 11am - 1pm

Homes in this late-’90s subdivision backing to the foothills come on the market rarely and sell quickly. This one at 165 Washington Street is especially sweet, with the most awesome chef’s kitchen you’ve likely ever seen. Beautiful hardwood floors grace the main floor, with newer berber carpeting upstairs and in the walk-out basement. The Table Mountain views from every level, but especially from the primary suite, will take your breath away. If you’re a soccer fan, the pix and awards in the main-floor study will leave you wishing for autographs! Sorry, the seller won’t be at the open house this Saturday from 11 to 1. A narrated video walk-through is posted at www.GRElistings.com

$1,495,000

4-Bedroom Tri-Level in Arvada Listed by Kathy Jonke

The housemate has to have an income to support their rent payments and is expected to be gone for employment purposes most days. Typical “service exchange” work can range from 5 to 20 hours per week. The more work is done, the less rent the home seeker is expected to pay, all negotiated up front.

All home shares are month-to-month, with the average home share lasting only a year, but they could last five years or longer. Having the third-party involvement of Sunshine makes it easy for either party at any point to say, “sorry, this isn’t working for me.”

One of the biggest problems faced by single or widowed seniors is loneliness. It’s a big reason that moving into a 55+ community makes sense, and I have seen that work in person from living in such a community — especially for the single residents. However, many seniors want to “age in place,” to stay in their long-time home as long as possible, and home sharing can make that possible not only financially but by providing some healthy companionship.

Sunshine Home Share operates throughout the Denver metro area. If you think this idea would work for someone in another state, check out the National Shared Housing Resource Center at nationalsharedhousing.org

This Column Now Appears Bi-Weekly “Real Estate Today” will be on this page every other week, so the next time you’ll see it will be June 5th. On those alternate weeks, you will find a half-page ad on a related topic. Next week it will be on a topic related to sustainability. One June 12th it will be about well-being.

The organization’s website provides stories of matches they have made and FAQs. Go to www.SunshineHomeShare.org. Their phone number is (720) 856-0161. Their office is in north Denver.

Our Attempt to Resurrect Our Free Box Truck Has Not Succeeded

You may recall that we launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to get our truck back on the road so that multiple non-profits, not just our clients, would have it to use for free. Well, we only raised $2,000. Rather than return that money, we are going to divide the proceeds among those nonprofits that used it the most, including BGoldN, Family Promise and the International Rescue Committee.

Here Are Some of My Previous Columns on Related Topics

Find and download each of them online at www.JimSmithColumns.com

Jan. 2, 2025 —Is a Reverse Mortgage Right for You?

Oct. 31, 2024 — Cooperative Living Presents an Attractive Alternative to Downsizing Oct. 17, 2024 —Understanding the Different Kinds of 55+ Retirement Communities (CCRCs)

Sept. 26, 2024 — Keeping Your Death from Becoming an Undue Burden on Your Heirs

Aug. 8, 2024 — Seniors Might Consider Downsizing into a Rental, Not a Smaller Home

Also: Trusts as an Estate Planning Strategy

Feb. 8, 2024 — ‘Empty-Nest’ Baby Boomers Own Twice as Many Big Homes as Millennials with Children

Aug. 17, 2023 —Should You Consider a Reverse Mortgage as Part of Your Retirement Plan?

Mar. 16, 2023 — Here Are Some Ways to Make Your Home More Senior-Friendly Dec. 29, 2022 — Have You Considered Cohousing — An Explanation and Some Examples July 28, 2022 — Aging in Place vs. Moving to a 55+ Community: Some Considerations

Townhome-Style Condo in Centennial Listed by Chris Sholts

$489,000

$575,000

This updated, 4-BR/2-bath tri-level at 6337 W. 68th Place is in a quiet, established neighborhood. Each level has been thoughtfully renovated. The vaulted main level has new luxury vinyl plank floors, and there’s new paint throughout. The galley kitchen has new cabinets, complemented by white appliances. The upper level has 3 bedrooms with new carpet and an updated full bathroom. The lower level has a spacious family room with a red brick fireplace and above-grade windows. There is a 4th bedroom, laundry, and updated 3/4 bathroom on this level. The windows and siding were replaced in 2018, and a new roof is being installed! A video tour is posted at www.GRElistings.com. Call Kathy at 303-990-7428 to request a showing.

This updated 2-story condo at 5555 E. Briarwood Ave. has a finished basement, offering the perfect blend of comfort, style, and convenience. Located in the heart of the Summerhill neighborhood, this home has thoughtful upgrades and a bright, open floorplan. The main level is ideal for entertaining with its inviting family room, complete with wood-burning fireplace. It flows into the formal dining area and opens to a private patio. The updated dine-in kitchen boasts stylish countertops and laminate wood flooring. All appliances are included. A stylish half bath with tile flooring rounds out the main floor. Upstairs, the vaulted primary suite has dual closets and a beautifully updated ensuite bath. The finished basement has a large recreation room, laundry area, and ample storage. A private patio is just steps from the neighborhood pool and hot tub. More information at www.GRElistings.com

Fort Lupton Boys & Girls Clubhouse closes

Lower financial support, costs behind decision to end the operation

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Economics are behind the Weld County Boys and Girls Club’s decision to shut down the Fort Lupton Clubhouse on May 16.

“We are saddened to have to close the Boys & Girls Club of Fort Lupton Clubhouse,” said Emily Stan ll, CFO of the Boys & Girls Club of Weld. “After years of serving the community, the decision was reached due to a combination of factors, including the rising cost of operations and a shift in support dollars.”

ere is hope it will return, however.

“While the closure duration is unknown, we hope that the closure is ultimately temporary, as we will be working to assess and determine how best to serve Fort Lupton and South Weld County going forward,” Sand ll said.

Stand ll said the Boys & Girls Clubs of Weld County receives funding from several sources, with the majority coming from individuals and corporations. ey receive a minimal amount of pass-through funds from the state through the Boys & Girls Clubs in Colorado Alliance as well as a small amount of government funds.

Stand ll said current programming will continue throughout the school year as they work to support families in nding other alternatives in the near term.

“Our commitment to helping young

people reach their full potential remains steadfast, and we appreciate the community’s understanding of the need to make this change,” Stand ll said.

e Fort Lupton Clubhouse began as discussions in 2014, according to Advisory Board member Cody LeBlanc. He joined the advisory board as the youth member, joining Geri and Tommy Holton, Arlen and Julie Engbarth, Isabel Guerrero-Zapien, Janet Green, Rosalie Martinez, and the late Art Samson. at group started meeting with the Weld County Boys & Girls Club, which had opened in 2015.

“It never blossomed into what we had all hoped for and wanted to see, our Boys & Girls club facility,” LeBlanc said. “We have done a lot of fundraising for that.

Even though the city got on board and contributed lots of money towards a capital campaign, they kept it in their co ers until the ground was ready to be built.”

“Sadly, it never came to fruition,” LeBlanc said.

LeBlanc said the club provides a muchneeded service to the community, particularly to some underserved individuals, o ering learning and educational support.

Weld County Boys & Girls Club board met regularly until about 2019, Leblanc said, but has not met in an o cial capacity over the years.

“As a former school board member, seeing what the Boys and Girls Club offered kids, after-school programming that provides a safe space for them instead of causing trouble, also presents an opportunity for them to learn and build lasting relationships,” LeBlanc said. “Watching this program disappear is truly troubling.”

Lacking community contact

Isabel Guerrero-Zapien said she got involved when Geri Holton contacted her in 2014.

“We discussed the need in our community for kids, after-school programming, tutoring, and a safe place for them to be, so a group got together to plan it,” she said.

Guerrero-Zapien said COVID threw a wrench in some fundraising events, but the most signi cant fundraiser was a Boot Scoot event featuring a live country band and a dinner gathering. e event included Wholly Stromboli, which scheduled a Pizza Day at the club, teaching the kids how to make pizza and enjoy dinner.

She said she was unaware that the closing was imminent.

found that 74% of the kids were on free and reduced lunch at the school. So, there is a need here.”

Guerrero-Zapien said Weld County’s Boys & Girls Club other operations have standalone clubhouses, with club provided transportation between buildings and for picking up kids.  e Fort Lupton Clubhouse operated out of the city’s schools and did not have to pay overhead or for transportation. e most signi cant expense was the sta , she said.

“It could have been handled di erently,”  Guerrero-Zapien said. “If they had reached out to the community, knowing it was on the chopping block, we could have made a di erence. I believe they were not considering the best interests of our children when it was closed abruptly.”

ey are not giving up, however.

“I was sad that no one reached out to any of the core members who had started it. If they had contacted us earlier, we could have raised thousands to start our clubhouse and continued from there,” Guerrero-Zapien said. “So there will be no summer programming anymore. Our kids don’t have a lot of money. When we considered the Boys and Girls Club, we

“We will nd a way for the kids moving forward, whether it involves a boys and girls club or something more local,”  Guerrero-Zapien said. “We have a passion for it. We are driven by it. We see the need, so we’ll put something together.”

Twombly Elementary kids get a new STEM program

BY BELEN WARD

Twombly Elementary celebrated the addition of the SmartLab Learning/ STEM Education Project-Based Learning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 12.

nology; it’s the beginning of a new way of learning—a space where curiosity meets creativity.

“I am very excited to be able to bring our students the Smart Lab experience. I look forward to students having the opportunity to extend their learning of math and science throughout the school day,” said Stephanie Mehnert, Principal of Twombly Elementary

Johan Van Nieuwenhuizen, Interim Assistant Superintendent, said the program is a great opportunity for students, providing hands-on, project-based learning to master 21st-century skills such as teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving—all necessary for success in the modern world.

Van Nieuwenhuizen said the launch of SmartLab is more than a room with tech-

“Our kids get to explore hands-on, project-based learning challenges to think critically, solve problems, collaborate, and innovate to shape their futures as scientists, artists, or leaders in the community,” Van Nieuwenhuizen said.

Van Nieuwenhuizen said Twombly received a $170,000 grant from the Weld Trust, a great gift to bring this year. is gift is about more than dollars; it invests in believing in our kids’ potential, he said.

“We started working with the SmartLab organization, and they made all of this happen quickly,” he said.

Kelly Fitzsimmons, Colorado SmartLab regional sales manager, said she is excited to bring a smart lab into this school, with the help of Van Nieuwenhuizen and the Weld Trust organization.

The Boys & Girls Club closes at Butler Elementary. BELEN WARD

CCM papers acquired in deal with Arizona group

Blade, press staying with nonprofit, 21 papers moving to Times Media Group

CCM STAFF

e National Trust for Local News on May 13 announced a restructuring of its Colorado operations — known as Colorado Community Media — that centers on a partnership with Times Media Group.

e National Trust will transfer ownership of 21 local publications concentrated in metro Denver to Times Media Group (TMG), a community news publisher based in Tempe, Arizona, whose owner has personal roots in Colorado.

e National Trust will retain ownership of seven publications stretching from Brighton to Idaho Springs, and will continue to grow and operate the Trust Press, a community printing press that serves the Front Range media ecosystem. e organizations will enter into a strategic partnership around shared services and print production.

“ rough this strategic partnership with Times Media Group, we can reduce our footprint in greater Denver without reducing local journalism there, all while positioning ourselves to grow in the parts of Colorado where the need for our unique model is greatest,” Will Nelligan, chief growth o cer at the National Trust for Local News, said in a statement. “While it wasn’t an easy decision, we think it’s a positive outcome from all perspectives that sets the stage for a more resilient, equitable, and vibrant media ecosystem in the state.”

e seven newspapers retained by the National Trust are the Brighton StandardBlade, Fort Lupton Press, Canyon Courier, Clear Creek Courant, Northglennornton Sentinel, Westminster Window and Golden Transcript. ese titles will become part of the Colorado Trust for Local News, a subsidiary of the National Trust dedicated to building an equitable, resilient, and vibrant future for local news across Colorado.

Times Media Group owns and operates more than 60 publications in Arizona and California — free weekly newspapers, magazines, specialty publications and robust digital platforms that reach hundreds of thousands of readers. e news brands shifting to Times Media Group include newspapers like the Arvada Press, Littleton Independent and Parker Chronicle, as well as two shoppers.

e majority of Colorado Community Media’s employees were o ered positions with Times Media Group, while others will stay with the Colorado Trust for Local News.

“We couldn’t be more excited to serve the communities in Colorado. We know how much community news means in this state, and we understand the terri c legacy created over the years by these publications and their teams,” said Steve Strickbine, president and founder of Times Media Group. “ is partnership is a good t for Times Media Group and the National Trust for Local News. I look forward to the great journalism ahead and the new ways we’ll create for our advertisers to reach their customers and clients.”

e National Trust for Local News acquired Colorado Community Media in 2021 to ensure its nearly two dozen news-

papers had a future and would not become news deserts. Leadership told employees that e Trust was approached by Times Media Group in recent months and discovered the company shared its mission of preserving and growing local news.

Last fall, the National Trust opened the Trust Press in Denver, a community printing press designed to serve publishers across Colorado who are struggling with the rising costs of producing their jour-

nalism. e press has now taken on its rst seven printing partners. As part of the transaction, TMG will print with the Trust Press.

As another part of the transaction, TMG will provide shared services to the Colorado Trust for Local News, including page design, digital infrastructure, advertising sales, and circulation management. Other terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Leadership for Times Media Group, Director of Operations Nadine Johnson and founder and President Steve Strickbine, were in the Colorado Community Media o ces on May 13, 2025, to announce the deal.

PHOTO BY COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA STAFF

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Weld Re-8 Superintendent Alan Kaylor noti ed the community on May 9 about a dangerous TikTok challenge involving a lead pencil inserted into USB ports on electric devices — particularly laptop computers.

“We are reaching out to inform you of a deeply concerning trend circulating on social media, particularly TikTok, that poses a risk to students and school communities,” Kaylor said. “ is challenge encourages individuals to insert pencil lead or other conductive objects into the USB or charging ports of personal or schoolissued electronic devices, attempting to short-circuit them.”

e Denver Public Schools have issued notices regarding the dangerous TikTok challenge across the Denver metropolitan area.

“ is activity is dangerous. It can cause sparks, smoke, toxic fumes, and in some cases, res due to a condition known as

Schools warn of dangerous TikTok challenge

thermal runaway,” Kaylor said. “Such incidents threaten the safety of all students and sta , can damage school property, and may require emergency response services — diverting critical resources from true emergencies.”

“Please discuss the serious risks involved with your child regarding social media challenges like this one. Our school community’s safety is our top priority, and we must take this issue seriously,” Kaylor said.

Kaylor said any student found participating in this activity will face disciplinary action. Also, students and families will be held nancially responsible for any damage caused to school-issued devices or property.

“We ask for your support in monitoring your child’s social media use and reinforcing the importance of making safe, responsible choices. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your building principal or my o ce.   ank you for your partnership in keeping our schools safe,” Kaylor said.

the local American Legion to just about anybody else to come out and help,” said Tesone.

Making a memorial

Supporters want to raise funds to have ribbon cutting ceremony and commission a home for a monument to recognize the 70th anniversary of the bombing on Nov. 1. So far, a GoFundMe site has raised $3,882 for the memorial with a goal of $1 million.

Flight629. Org, a non-pro t, is hosting a fundraising concert May 10 at the Mead High School Auditorium. Colorado’s top Elvis Tribute artists, George Gray and e Elvis Experience Band, will perform. e 90-minute concert will also highlight the Mead Special Needs percussion band.

Changing forensics

e airplane bombing led to changes in investigating airline disasters, including how the FBI altered its forensics techniques, say those who examined the bombing years later.

ose included Marian Hobgood Poeppelmeyer, who wrote a book about the bombing entitled “Finding My Father,” who was a passenger on Flight 629. Denver lawyer Andrew J. Fields – “Mainliner Denver – e Bombing of Flight 629,”  also wrote one of the de nitive works on the bombing.

In another rst, photographers and lm cameras were allowed into a courtroom

for the trial of John Graham, who was convicted and later put to death for his role in the bombing. Graham wanted to kill his mother, Daisy King, and put 25 sticks of dynamite with a homemade timer in her suitcase. Graham reportedly wanted his mother dead so he could collect on an insurance policy he took out on her just before the ight.

Ghosts in the field Conrad Hopp was among those who

were nishing up his supper when a loud boom from the airline’s explosion shook the windows of his farmhouse in southwest Weld County. Hopp and other volunteer citizen responders hurried to the beet elds that covered the area to help with rescue e orts. What they found stunned and shocked them.

“I’ve never been able to talk about it,” Hopp, then 85, told the Longmont Leader in 2022.

On the night of the crash, Hopp and his

older brother Kenneth sprinted out from the warm security of their home with their ashlights and headed to give aid. e younger Hopp wandered onto a hellscape. e airplane had split in two with the tail and nose landing nearly a mile and a half from each other, Hopp said. Most bodies were found near the nose and tail.

Hopp, already a member of the Colorado National Guard, was ordered to use a tractor to mark where the bodies were located so someone could be stationed there to ward o looters. He returned the next day to recover the wildly contorted remains of the passengers.

Still, he’s mostly kept to himself about what he found and did the day after the bombing.

“Picking them up and putting them in a body bag was something you can’t forget … ever,” Hopp told the Leader. “You just pick up a ve-foot hunk of jelly. It’s hard to describe how that feels.”

His brother Kenneth, who helped the FBI during the recovery e orts, also kept to himself about what he experienced after the crash.

“We just never really talked about it,” Hopp said. “We just never could get there.” His whole family heard the echoes of the Denver Mainliner crash for years even though they tried to keep the memories bottled up, Hopp told the Leader. “My dad never really went out into the dark after the crash. Something out there scared him.

“And my brother said he thought there were ghosts out there,” Hopp said, nodding at the few remaining elds near his house in Firestone. “I think he was only half-kidding.”

A dangerous TikTok challenge could cause a fire at schools. BELEN WARD

Charges filed on Lyft driver for unlawful sexual contact

Defendant allegedly acted as a rideshare driver at the time of the o ense.

BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A man posing as a ride share driver who allegedly sexually assaulted a lawmaker while she was using Lyft last year in Northglenn, was charged Tuesday by the Adams County District Attorney.

Mukhammadali Mukadyrov, 42, faces a felony charge of unlawful sexual contact for the attack on State Rep. Jenny Willford on Feb. 24, 2024, according to a news release.

Mukadyrov was allegedly acting as a ride share driver while using the vehicle and account of another individual at the time of the o ense. A warrant has been issued for Mukadryov’s arrest.

Willford, a Democrat representing Adams County, sued Lyft in January  and told reporters and others of her experience at the State Capitol.

“I’m one of the thousands of people who have been sexually assaulted by a Lyft driver,” Willford said. “ er driver started asking questions like if I was married, and then it quickly escalated to inappropriate com-

Adams Sheri asks for help in locating 16-year-old

ments about what he wanted to do to me and how he felt that my husband wouldn’t mind if we had sex.”

Willford co-sponsored a bill in this year’s legislative session that added more safety rules for ride-share companies. e legislation bars drivers from giving passengers food or water and requires tougher background checks for drivers. Gov. Jared Polis has not signed yet signed the bill.

Emily Castelo last seen on April 15 getting into a car

BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e Adams County Sheri ’s O ce is asking for help in nding a 16-year-old female who has been missing for nearly a month.

Emily Castelo has been missing since the afternoon hours of April 15. She is described as Hispanic, 5 feet 1 inch, 125 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair.

She was last seen by witnesses getting into an unidenti ed silver Acura sedan that was missing a front bumper and driven by a younger Hispanic male around 6990 Pecos St., in unincorporated Adams County, according to the sheri ’s o ce.

Emily was last seen wearing a dress and white sandals. If someone contacts Emily, they are being asked to notify Senior Detective MacDonald at 720-322-1217 or JMacdonald@ adcogov.org

O cials are looking for Emily Castelo, last seen at 70th and Pecos.

State Rep. Jenny Willford FILE PHOTO

Feds end grant to support student mental health care

BY JENNY BRUNDIN CPR NEWS

A federal grant to support the state’s students with mental health challenges was canceled in early May by the Trump administration, which said the grant conicts with priorities of the new government.

e $1.5 million ve-year grant was aimed at confronting Colorado’s critical shortage of school-based mental health professionals.

“We are deeply disappointed by this decision,” the Colorado Department of Education said in a statement. “Addressing the mental health needs of students remains one of the most urgent priorities identi ed by school and district leaders throughout Colorado.”

e cuts, which total $1 billion nationwide, appear to re ect the Trump administration’s broad attack on diversity, equity and inclusion e orts. e loss of the grant likely means many youth experiencing mental health challenges will not get the support they need at school. Rates of anxiety and depression in youth began spiking during the pandemic, and social media use has worsened trends.

In October, the federal Department of Education awarded the School Based Mental Health Grant to expand mental

OIL WELL

CSU reported its initial ndings to CDPHE, but the department said its Air Pollution Control Division had not yet received or reviewed the university’s full air monitoring data.

e di erence in readings comes from a di erence in the way researchers did their sampling.

CSU’s data show higher levels because researchers followed the pollution plume streaming from the well.

Emissions from a point source — like a smokestack — move on the wind, forming a band that becomes more diluted as it travels farther from the source and is less dense at its edges than in its center.

Using a mobile air lab in a Chevy Tahoe, CSU graduate student Lena Low and Matthew Davis, a postdoctoral researcher, tracked the plume while the geyser from the well was at full force.

On the evening of April 8, Low tracked the plume taking samples at about 1 mile downwind from the well, with the highest reading 35.5 parts per billion of ben-

health services for students across Colorado. e grant, which would have provided $1.5 million each year from 2025-29, was aimed at helping school districts recruit and retain mental health professionals. It would have also helped re-specialize existing mental health professionals to serve students in school settings.

Push for funds after Uvalde

After a teenage gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at a school in Uvalde, Texas, in 2022, Congress sent $1 billion to the grant programs to help schools hire more counselors and school psychologists. e Biden administration gave more points to applicants who planned to train counselors to work with students from diverse backgrounds. Research shows reports of mental health struggles among students of color were higher than white students during the pandemic.

In a statement, the federal department of education said the awards “were not advancing Administration priorities.” It found several things about the grant problematic including goals to ensure some of the counselors were counselors of color, training sta to address racial trauma and stress and challenging “the pervasiveness of white supremacy.”

“ ese grants are intended to improve American students’ mental health by

zene at the plume’s edge — that yielded a calculation of about 100 ppb at the center.

Low used a canister to grab a sample of the air for laboratory analysis.

ere was no question of heading into the plume. Even at the edge, “it smelled horrible and felt hot,” Low said. “It was very unpleasant.”

At 2 miles, just using the instruments in the Tahoe, the methane level was about 20 ppm.

e federal Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry sets the long-term exposure level at no more than 9 ppb. Colorado’s health guideline value is the same.

Davis sampled the area midday April 8 and recorded levels of 22 ppb of benzene a mile away and 5.4 ppb 2 miles away.

Fourteen families within a half-mile of the wells voluntarily evacuated with Chevron providing help with living and housing expenses.

Most of the houses are now wrapped in plastic and being decontaminated.

“ e whole area looks like Chernobyl,”

Carol Hawkins, a Weld County activist opposing drilling, said after driving through the area from her home in Ault.

funding additional mental health professionals in schools and on campuses,” said Madi Biedermann, deputy assistant secretary for communications at the department. “Instead, under the deeply awed priorities of the Biden Administration, grant recipients used the funding to implement race-based actions like recruiting quotas in ways that have nothing to do with mental health and could hurt the very students the grants are supposed to help.”

Monitoring at nearby elementary will continue e emissions readings are dependent on meteorological and atmospheric conditions, CSU’s Fischer said. For example, multiple measurements were taken at the Galeton Elementary School, which is next to the well site, but was upwind and all those readings were comparable to the ambient background level of 2 ppb. e school had been closed from April 11 to April 22.

But during the early morning, when the air cools and becomes more dense, the benzene likely became more concentrated leading to even high emission levels.

CDPHE sent its Mobile Optical Oil and Gas Sensor of Emissions air monitoring van, known as MOOSE, to the area after the incident soon after the well failure and stayed through April 11. e MOOSE recorded maximum levels of 9 ppb to 10 ppb of benzene about 2 miles downwind of the incident location on two di erent deployments.

On April 11, CDPHE also placed a stationary monitor at the school and said it will continue monitoring until the school year ends May 23. CDPHE said it has not observed any measurement above the state’s health guideline value for benzene since beginning measurements at the school.

“Chevron has multiple air monitors in and around our locations. e night of the Bishop well incident, our on-going air monitoring was in place,” the com-

O cials from Colorado and several other states were noti ed that the grant would not be continued after Dec. 31, 2025. It was in its early implementation phase and no funds had yet been distributed. However, schools in some states appeared to keep their grants.

is story is from CPR News, a nonpro t public broadcaster serving Colorado. Used by permission. For more, and to support Colorado Public Radio, visit cpr.org.

pany said in a statement.

Chevron conducted air monitoring and collected approximately 3,000 measurements that were analyzed by independent laboratories.

“Air monitoring continues in and around the area surrounding the site and the community, and all measurements that we have received from the laboratories have been below levels of concern,” the company said.

Monitoring at the school will continue for the “next few years” according to a note to parents from Kim Hielscher, the school’s principal, and Jay Tapia, the district superintendent.

Measurements of exposure to emissions can be elusive, said Andrew Klooster, who as the Colorado eld advocate for the environmental group Earthworks uses an infrared camera to document emissions violations.

“Chevron probably had air monitors at the edge of its site but this pollution plume ew right over them,” Klooster said. “What happened in Galeton is rare. is isn’t something we routinely encounter.”

“It is a cautionary tale for even with Chevron having all these best management practices in place it happened,” he said. “Galeton is rural. What if it happens in proximity of homes and growing communities as we see on the Front Range?” 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.

Posters that were part of a public service campaign on mental health and suicide prevention at William Smith High School. PHOTO BY JENNY BRUNDIN / CPR NEWS

Chorus groups take the Parsons stage for Pride month

Theatre features Denver Feminist Chorus and Gay Men’s Chorus

BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COMN

Northglenn’s Parsons eatre is hosting a PRIDE show on Sunday, June 8 that will feature the Denver Feminist Chorus and Denver Gay Men’s Chorus. e two groups will stage Leather and Lace, a collaborative Pride month event featuring both choruses performing a concert together for the rst time since 2019, according to a news release.

Re ecting on resilience, love, and impact, the concert explores how everyone is bound together in community, embracing each other’s di erences from leather to lace, highlighting the uniqueness of everyone’s gender expression and sexuality, according to the news release.

Featuring empowering songs like “I’m Every Woman” and “Togetherness,”  Leather and Lace invites the audience to re ect on themselves while celebrating humanity’s vibrant diversity.

e Parsons eatre show is on Sunday, June 8 at 3:00 pm. Leather and Lace continues June 14 at the Historic Elitch eatre in Denver, and again Sunday, June 15 at the Arvada Center.  More info and tickets can be found at denverchoruses.org.

Miller moths are coming, and experts say: relax

The moths are a critical part of our ecosystem

BY KYLE HARRIS DENVERITE

An untold number of miller moths, who have been hatching in the Great Plains, will y into Denver in the days ahead as they utter their way to the Rocky Mountains.

Some Denverites will fear them — maybe even kill them. Others will celebrate their role in the ecosystem as nighttime pollinators and delicious snacks for birds,

reptiles and even bears.

After hatching from cocoons on crops, miller moths travel more than 100 miles in their few-month lifespan. ey follow the light of the moon.

In Denver, they often nd themselves smacking into lightbulbs until they realize their destination is elsewhere. Others die here, lost in the big city.  e migration through Denver is likely to start any day now and continue for several weeks. It’s unclear yet how this wave will compare to some in the past. ere’s a lot that lepidopterists (moth experts) don’t know about miller moths. How many y into Denver? What is their survival rate? How is climate change

impacting their migration patterns? We don’t know.

Currently, there’s not enough information out there to predict how large a migration will occur in any given year, though weather patterns likely in uence it, said Francisco Garcia, the Butter y Pavilion’s director of science and conservation.

Invertebrates represent 97 percent of all the species on the planet, he said. And they are often misunderstood — even feared.

ere are many challenges in studying them.

“ ey have very short life cycles,” Garcia said. “ ey’re very small. And they also y all over the place.”

Another obstacle: e Trump administration is slashing federal funding for the sciences, which Garcia worries will slow down moth research critical to understanding climate change and ecosystems.

Moths, unlike butter ies, are often underappreciated — in part, because nighttime is stigmatized and they’re far less colorful.

People think miller moths will bite, eat their clothes, and attack pets and children.

“ ey are completely harmless,” Garcia said. “ ey are just passing through for a while.”

Denver Gay Men’s Choir will perform at the Parsons Theatre in Northglenn on June 8 COURTESY

SEE MILLER MOTHS, P!!

I’ve begun reading Peggy Noonan’s latest book. It’ll take me a while to complete. e reason isn’t because it’s extraordinarily long or complex or that it’s one of several I’m immersed in. It’s because it’s an exceptionally thoughtful and calming read.  Peggy was a speechwriter for Ronald Reagan and is currently a Wall Street Journal columnist. As such, friends and long-time readers might be surprised that I’m winding my way through her work, but they ought not to be. My reading on social-political and religious-spiritual topics ranges wide, from philosophically liberal to conservative. e salient requirement for me to read such a work is that the author present their thoughts in a coherent, intelligent, deliberative manner. Peggy does that. Given that, “A Certain Idea of America” deserves, even requires, a leisurely pace.

I must confess, though, her book wouldn’t have pinged my radar screen if it weren’t for New York Times columnist Bret Stephens referencing it. I was immediately struck not only by the literary allusion but also of the notion itself: a certain idea of America. It’s a vague concept and not easily pinpointed. If we surveyed the American populace for their ideas, we would have a vast array of interpre-

An uncertain idea of America

tations since we’re a multi-racial, multi-religious, multicultural nation.

In the Foreword, Peggy states she drew the idea for the title from the World War II general and later president of France, Charles de Gaulle, who began his memoir by stating that throughout his life he had “a certain idea of France.” What could it have been? Not being French, I have no right to speculate, but being an American, I can about our country.

A ood of ideas bursts forth. First and foremost, liberty and freedom of expression and action. en there’s love of country. Allegiance to the Constitution. Rule of law. Equal justice under the law. Cultural, racial, ethnic, religious and spiritual pluralism and tolerance. Economic opportunity. Due process. And more.

But how to bundle those in a compact, easily understood statement or document? Even a professional writer like Peggy would likely nd it a daunting task. Like her, I frequently write pieces that

re ect and express the values I hold. Of course, I’m only one of three hundred million plus people. As you are. And my opinions and yours are as valid as all others. I suspect, though. that your take— your listing—would considerably overlap with mine.

However, I’m neither delusional nor pollyannaish about the total makeup of the American citizenry. ere are those who not only don’t share my values but are also willing to go to great lengths to ensure they’re mitigated and even erased from the national conscience. Nevertheless, like it is with me embracing the whole of American history, from the heroic and triumphant to the gut-wrenching, I embrace them as fellow Americans. And being a civil libertarian, I defend their right to express their opinions, even those that I nd contemptible. With all that in mind then, there’s no doubt that it’d be a mess if we tried to synthesize the range of beliefs and values Americans today hold into a certain idea of America.

Fortunately, a bunch of guys did that for us 249 years ago. ey wrote the Declaration of Independence, which begins with, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are equal … ”

About a decade later, a related group produced our Constitution that lays out

Don’t forget that you can change lanes

Insights and encouragement can show up in the most unexpected places.

the framework of our government. ey even took time to explain their action by crafting and adding the Preamble: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

We’re coursing through what I consider to be a turbulent and perilous period. But we’ve survived lethal challenges before. Each time our ancestors rose to the occasion and saved the republic. We can point to the speci c acts they took, but it’s essential to keep in mind they held true to that certain idea of America our Founders eloquently expressed in those documents.

So there’s no need for us to ponder as much as to re ect upon the most serious question before us: Will we pass those Blessings of Liberty—that certain idea of America our Founders bequeathed to us—on to our posterity?

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

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

The politics around ‘our safety’s sake’

Just about a week ago, I was heading across town to run some errands and found myself stopped at a light. ere were three lanes going in my direction, and I sat in the middle lane, with cars to the right and left of me. Directly in front of my car was a rather large truck covered with ladders and other work items.

When the light turned green and we started to move forward, I was a bit frustrated because the truck, which I could not see around, was going a little bit under the speed limit. I sat behind that truck, frustrated that we were not going the speed limit. I was laser-focused on the back of the truck. I knew its license plate number, how many ladders were on the machine, and I even recited to myself the “How’s my driving” number on the bumper. I could not see around the truck, but I had plenty of time to memorize it.

I stayed in that spot for several blocks, more than a mile, the whole time not angry but mildly frustrated by wanting to go a little faster. For whatever reason, I eventually took my eyes o the back of that vehicle and realized that there were open lanes on both sides of

me. When I put on my blinker and moved one lane over to the right, I found no other cars on the road with us.

I had been so focused on the truck right in front of me; I did not even notice the possibilities around me.

Quite frankly, it was a bit embarrassing to recognize what I had been doing. And doing to myself!

As I re ected on that embarrassing mile, it struck me how often, when faced with di culties, we actually do the same thing. We get focused on the hardship, the struggle, what we cannot seem to overcome, and we miss the paths that are open to us, the multitude of opportunities that are available, and the people ready to help.

I know whatever struggle you are facing is di cult; mine is as well. But on those days when things

seem the most daunting, when your struggle seems to be all that you can see in front of you, I would encourage you to take a moment and make sure that you have looked at the space around you. Do not miss the opportunity to change lanes.

A deep breath and a look around will do wonders for your view.

You have got this.

Jim Roome lives in Arvada with his wife, Beth. He spent 34 years in public education. Lessons learned from the one two punch of being diagnosed with MS shortly before his best friend was diagnosed with terminal cancer led him into a new pursuit as a freelance writer and speaker. He uses his life experiences and love of stories to inspire, educate and encourage local, national and international audiences. Contact him at jim.roome@gmail.com.

While I agree that U.S. and Colorado political beliefs are well divided today. I deeply disagree that “America today is like England” of its past, Jerry Fabyanic’s May 1 editorial perspective and the headline, “For our own safety’s sake.”

U.S. citizens today are no more in trouble safety wise now than when the Democrat Party recently led this country. Politically opposed people will even argue we are less in trouble.

I, like Jerry, love our country and am a student of American history but I know of more dark periods than simply disagreeing with U.S. political ideologies such as the Communism scares, he is writing to of the 20th century. I also know of more egregious violations of our Fifth Amendment and in Colorado’s assistance in helping create the 14th Amendment with the Sand Creek Massacre. No punishments to those who committed these atrocities even as the people of Denver then cheered their e orts as they displayed their grisly trophies on parade.

territorial governor who was personally responsible for the depriving of these lives of American men, women and children. e current multiple medias battles of selected words to scare U.S. citizens against the current federal administration are my greatest safety concerns. is is also the reasoning why the Arvada Press is the only newspaper allowed in my own Arvada home. As a “freedom-loving” American I gasp at the multiple news media scare attacks and the current practice of select justice system’s judge’s rulings placed over another branch of our government’s executive branch’s orders.

is is why a single piece of justice Colorado accomplished for this xenophobia act with the renaming of the peak that overlooks Denver, to Mount Blue Sky from Mount Evans. is past name of Colorado’s

It is past time all our government representatives understood they are working for all the people in our country, not one political party. at all people in the USA are di erent with multiple desires, issues, needs and wants. Mistakes are going to happen even with due process laws for “all,” which happened to this criminal and El Salvadorian citizen Mr. Garcia. e Alien Enemies Act was not a wartime creation in 1798. It was a lawful e ort by a very new country to quickly remove dangerous individuals. So, please stop all these political boosts and threats for one or the other U.S. political parties. Gary Sco eld, Arvada

JERRY FABYANIC

Columnist

SHUTTERSTOCK

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Jim Roome

Business filings tell story of uncertainty

BY TAMARA CHUANG THE COLORADO SUN

A high number of new business lings in Colorado in the rst quarter this year helped put the state back on a normal growth rate post pandemic, according to the latest data shared by the Secretary of State’s O ce on May 5.

More than 48,600 businesses started up during the quarter, up 19% from the December quarter. at was the highest quarterly number since second quarter 2023, when the state o ered a ling fee discount to reinvigorate small business post COVID.

But the gain was probably more about seasonality than anything else, said Brian Lewandowski, executive director of University of Colorado’s Business Research Division at the Leeds School of Business, which works with the Secretary of State to produce the quarterly report.

“It’s a seasonal pattern,” Lewandowski said. “In fact, when I look back over time from 2005 and onward, it’s even a little bit lower than the average increase (of) 23% or 24%. e point is, this is the usual increase.”

Richard Wobbekind, a senior economist at Leeds who works with Lewandowski, called the uptick “encouraging, especially in light of the current uncertain economic environment.”

On the other hand, the number of companies that led to dissolve their business also increased, to 16,929, just barely up 0.7% from a year ago. But the number of companies in good standing continued to

Our Family Helping Your Family

grow, up 1.1% from a year ago to 973,615 at the end of March.

Whether folks are starting a new business because of a lost job or the uncertainty they feel about the economy, other economic indicators seem to have Colorado holding steady with no large increases or declines.

Job growth continues, though the 2,300 jobs gained in March from a year ago was a mere 0.1% growth. Colorado’s unemployment rate of 4.8% in March was higher than the nation’s 4.2% in April. e state still has a high level of adults who work, ranking sixth-highest nationwide for its labor force participation rate, at 67.8%.

Lewandowski said that he feels the job

growth numbers are underrepresented based on how the Bureau of Labor Statistics is analyzing the data. According to his division’s forecasts, they’re projecting meager job growth for the next two quarters in Colorado.

“Some of our models even have a loss of jobs. But that’s not our baseline forecast,” he said. “ ere are scenarios where, if we enter into a recession, we actually could see some job loss. But I’m not quite there yet. I think we could see some really thin job growth later this year.”

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.

He likens Denver to an Airbnb for miller moths. ey settle here for a few days and “ e best we can do is not harming them, turning o our lights during the night and then allowing these migrations to go through and nish,” Garcia said. “We need these pollinators. We need them pollinating all these di erent plants in the ecosystem and also feeding reptiles, birds and all these di erent animals.”  Miller moths also fuel the agricultural economy by pollinating crops worth millions of dollars. And ultimately, they help propagate the wild owers and other native plants of the Rockies.  ey may be small, but their role in the ecosystem is huge.  Garcia describes them as “tiny, little giants … our heroes.”   is story is from Denverite, a Denver news site. Used by permission. For more, and to support Denverite, visit denverite.com.

A dead miller moth is found in a Denver home in 2020. PHOTO BY KEVIN J. BEATY / DENVERITE

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Email staylor@coloradocommunitymedia.com if you notice a possible error you would like us to take a look at.

BRIEFS

Brighton Cemeteries o ering discounts

Brighton Cemeteries is o ering a 10% discount on any preneed property sales at Elmwood Cemetery or Fairview Cemetery through May 31. is o er cannot be used on opening/closing, perpetual care, or vault lowering. e discount is available to both residents and non-residents with the mention of this promotion.

Elmwood Cemetery is located at 14800 Old Brighton Road, while Fairview Cemetery is located at 102 N. Telluride St.

Post o ce seeks new location in Hudson

Due to space constraints, the Postal Service must relocate retail services to a yet-to-be-determined location within the zip code of 80642, which includes Hudson and the surrounding area.

e desired size of the new facility needs to be approximately 2,750 square feet with adequate parking.

written citation and court summons for more than three violations.

Brighton hosts Day in AA 2025 Brighton Alcoholics Anonymous is hosting the District 9 Day In AA 2025 for District 9 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on June 14 at their location, 147 Second Place in Brighton.

e Day in AA includes eight meetings, three meals and one solution that will be delivered over the course of 13 hours.

e meeting is open to anyone in Colorado’s AA District 9, which includes the entire Metro Denver region and Boulder.

e relocation project will consist of procuring a suitable substitute location, as close as reasonably possible to the existing location. Retail Services will continue at the current location until necessary preparations are completed at the new location.

Instead of a public meeting, the Postal Service is inviting residents and property owners to send comments on the proposal to “United States Postal Service, Attn: Hudson, CO MPO Relocation, PO BOX 27497, Greensboro, NC 27498-1103.”

e Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Contact Brighton Cemeteries at 303-655-2090 to set up an appointment for purchase.

Art in the Park announces call for artists

e City of Brighton will host its annual Art in the Park festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, at Carmichael Park, 650 Southern St.   ose artists interested in showcasing and selling their artwork can visit www.brightonartinthepark.com for more information and to apply. e deadline for booth applications is Aug. 15.   is one-day festival brings together talented artists, live performances, interactive activities, and a vibrant artist market.

For more information, contact Communications & Engagement Director Kristen Chernosky at 303-655-2146 or kchernosky@ brightonco.gov.

the community more e ectively and enhance the way the county builds and sustains partnerships, both internally and with external organizations.

e team is led by Adminstrator Daniela Garcia, who played a key role in establishing SPARC for Adams County. She leads e orts to secure diverse funding, promote equitable resource distribution, and empower communities to foster resilience and prosperity.

e team will collaborate with partners to foster ongoing engagement with programming and organizations in the community, and remain a reliable place where anyone can turn when challenges arise and resources are needed.

Learn more at sparc.adcogov. org.

Historical Society tea tickets on sale

e Adams County Historical Society & Museum is hosting its annual – and popular – Spring Tea from 1-3 p.m. Saturday May 17 at Ho man Hall, located on the Riverdale Regional Park campus.

golf course, playground and all shelters will be closed. Sports programming will be relocated to other parks during the work.

Internships available with Adams County

Are you interested in learning more about working for local government? Adams County currently has paid internships available.

Opportunities include a cook ($16.48/hour) and classroom aide ($15.62/hour) for Head Start, an IT intern ($17/hour) for the Sheri ’s O ce, and a Healthy Farmers Market intern ($17/hour). ese opportunities are available through the Workforce & Business Center. ose interested should work with their Business Center case manager or call 720.523.6898 to get established with a case manager.

Tickets for the tea are on sale now and going quickly. Volunteers can accept credit cards to reserve tickets. For more information or to buy tickets, call 303-6597103 and visit https://www.adamscountymuseum.com/events online for more information.

Water audit program

e city of Brighton and Resource Central teamed up to provide a free water audit for businesses and homeowner associations. e program aims to help residents and cities increase water use e ciencies and reach conservation goals.

Call 303-999-3824 or visit https://www.brightonco. gov/589/Water-Audit-Program

Legal advice

School District 27J accepting openenrollment applications

Garden In A Box kits on sale

Watering restrictions begin Brighton’s lawn watering and irrigaiton restrictions o cially began May 1, limit how long and how often residents can water their property.

According to the rules, lawn watering and irrigation is allowed three days per week, depending on the last numbers in the property’s address. ose with even numbered street addresses can water Sunday, Tuesday and Friday. ose with odd numbers or properties without assigned street address can water their lawns on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

e Brighton Utilities Department has once again partnered with conservation nonpro t Resource Central to o er to Brighton residents the Garden In A Box Program.

City of Brighton utility customers can receive a $25 discount o each individual purchase of the program’s water-wise garden kits, while supplies last. Purchase your garden before they sell out.

Sales are now open to the public. Residents can choose from 13 Garden In A Box kits with the $25 discount. Box kits include anywhere from nine to as many as 30 starter plants, with selections ranging from vibrant hardy xeric (low-water) perennials to a pollinator-friendly vegetable garden. Gift certi cates are also available for purchase.

Watering is not allowed during the hottest part of the day, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and residents should not allow irrigation runo to pool or ow into gutters or streets.

e restrictions last untl end of September. e city also does not allow placing of sod during that time.

ese pre-designed kits are tailored to Colorado soil, and the simple plant by number maps take the guesswork out of buying and planting. Plus, the garden kits can help you save around 7,300 gallons of water over the garden’s lifetime compared to a traditional lawn.

Kit pickup will be in the spring — details will be released when they become available.

For more information, visit brightonco.gov/gardeninabox, email gardeninfo@resourcecentral.org or call 303-999-3820 ext. 222.

Adams County School District 27J announced that Choice of Schools applications are now being accepted for the 2025-2026 school year. 27J Schools allows any student to apply to attend any 27J school or program on space/ program availability and the applications are being accepted for the district’s 14 elementary schools, six middle schools and ve high schools — including the district’s online academy.

For the full list of available schools, an application and a list of frequently asked questions, visit https://www.sd27j.org/enrollment/accepting-applications online.

e Brighton-based school district operates schools in Brighton, Henderson, Commerce City and ornton.

Benedict Park renovations ongoing

Renovations at Benedict Park at 1855 Southern St. are underway, resulting in limited public access to sections of the park through June 2025.

e Access to Justice Committee hosts a free, legal self-help clinic from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on the rst Tuesday of every month. e program is for customers without legal representation who need help navigating through legal issues.

Volunteer attorneys are available to discuss family law, civil litigation, property, and probate law. Call 303-405-3298 and ask for a Legal Self-Help Clinic at least 24 hours before.

Get trained to administer Naloxone e Adams County Health Department’s Harm Reduction Team will supply all Automated External De brillator cabinets in government buildings with Naloxone this month. Naloxone will be made available to take home after these trainings.

If you have any questions about the training or other resources, contact our Harm Reduction team at 303-363-3077 or by email: harmreduction@adcogov.org

e construction project will add a variety of amenities and upgrades, including two new playgrounds, a new irrigation system, a skate park expansion, new shelters, new lighting, supplemental landscaping, and a walking trail on the east end of the park.

Violators will get warnings from the city for their rst two violations, but face nes of up to $125 for homeowners or $1,500 for commercial properties after three violations and could be given

Adams County o ers O ce of Strategic Partnerships

Adams County’s O ce of Strategic Partnerships & Resilient Communities is meant to serve

e parking lot along Southern Street will be closed but access to drive through it is permitted. Portions of the parking lot adjacent to the splash pad at the northwest corner of the park will be closed. School access will be allowed.

e path along the east side of the park will be closed in sections and the skate park, Disc

Sidewalk, curb, and gutter program e city of Brighton’s 50.50 Sidewalk, Curb, and Gutter program is underway. According to a statement, the program helps ease the nancial costs of maintenance and replacements. Property owners are responsible for that maintenance work. e program halves the replacement costs between the city and the property owner.

e program began in 2004. Last year, it assisted 14 homeowners. e city says the program has saved about $75,000 worth of repairs.

Visit www.brightonco.gov/5050 to apply. Call 303-655-2036 with questions.

Sports betting revenue keeps rising

Coloradans love to gamble on sports. And the addition of new ways to wager, like parlays and live bets, have helped to boost industry revenues, despite the randomness of sporting events that can leave sportsbooks occasionally at a loss.

Because at the end of the day, the house rarely loses for long.

Gambling companies, including DraftKings and FanDuel, brought in $475 million in gross gaming revenue in Colorado last year (wagers minus payouts), a 21% increase over 2023, according to data from the Colorado Department of Revenue. It’s almost double the rate of revenue growth in 2023, which was 11%.

e new data shows the industry has yet to fully mature, about ve years after Colorado allowed the rst legal sports wagers.

e increased interest in sports betting means more tax revenue for Colorado.

Last year, Colorado collected $31.9 million from those bets. And Colorado will get to keep all that money thanks to the recent passage of Proposition JJ, which allows the state to keep tax revenues over the previous TABOR-mandated cap of $29 million. e money goes to a variety of things, most notably for water plan projects.

Parlay bets increased profits

It’s unclear if there are more people betting in Colorado or if the people betting are just wagering more. One of the biggest changes in the industry is the growth of parlay bets, where gamblers string together a series of things like: Nuggets to win,

Nikola Jokić to record a 30-point game, and total points to go over 200 points. It’s a higher-risk, higher-reward bet that the apps heavily promote through incentives, like bigger payo s.

Parlays are a win-win for the industry.

“ ese parlays make the sportsbooks more money, but people also like to bet them; it’s more fun for the bettor,” said Ryan Butler, who covers the industry for Covers, a gambling website.

ere are many apps on o er in Colorado for sports bets, but DraftKings and FanDuel now control about 70 percent of the U.S. betting market, in part because they added enticing parlay options to their apps. “So DraftKings and FanDuel created that technology quicker than anyone else, that’s why they rose to the top,” said Butler.

He said younger bettors in particular prefer parlay bets. “ ey just like the lottery ticket aspect of it.”

e vast majority of sports gamblers will not develop an addiction, the national rate is estimated at up to 3 percent. But there’s concern that addiction rates are higher among young men, who are growing up with unlimited sports gambling on their phone.

Colorado has granted millions to behavioral health providers and educational campaigns. e Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission announced $2.9 million in grants in February, up from $2 million the year before.

Beyond parlays

e sportsbook has long been a relatively small part of casino pro ts, so the app developers are looking ahead to a more lucrative business: fully online casinos,

things like poker and blackjack, not just sports.

“Everything is based o of that goal,” said Butler.

Only a handful of states allow online casino games, but they are hugely pro table. In the rst quarter of this year, DraftKings reported $881 million in sports betting revenue across 25 states and Washington DC, and $423 million revenue in the just ve states that allow it to operate casino games online.

Any such plan would face a lot of hurdles in Colorado. e handful of physical casinos operating in the state, which are mandated by law to be located in three historic mining towns, would likely ght any proposal to expand online gambling to phone apps.

Sports are unpredictable

While last year saw large growth in sports bets and revenue, there are periods when the house loses. In Colorado, sports gaming revenues dropped 20 percent in March, compared to March of last year.

Sportsbooks said that’s because more favorites won than anticipated in the recent March Madness men’s basketball tournament. DraftKings reported that more than 80 percent of favorites won, the most in more than 40 years. And bettors tend to put their money on the favorites. at’s just the nature of sports.

“ at’s why people watch sports and want to bet on sports, it’s part of what makes the customer experience great,” said Jason Robins, CEO of DraftKings, on a Friday investor conference call. “So there are periods where you’re gonna have quarters two, three in a row sometimes with bad outcomes.”

Colorado bettors are the best?

Butler has data on hold percentage by state, and Colorado has the lowest hold percentage in the U.S. Hold percentage is the money that sportsbooks keep for every dollar wagered.

“So one can extrapolate that Colorado has the best bettors,” said Butler. “It makes sense: higher education level, really loyal fans, pretty a uent demographic.” So when it comes to sports betting, Colorado is winning in more ways than one. is story is from CPR News, a nonpro t public broadcaster serving Colorado. Used by permission. For more, and to support Colorado Public Radio, visit cpr.org.

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

When Comedy Works owner Wende Curtis’ attorney rst took her to the future site of her second club in Greenwood Village’s Landmark complex, she was lost.

“My tiny world is downtown and Cherry Creek,” she said. “I had to follow him out there. I didn’t know where the hell I was.But I knew I wanted to expand in that direction. I needed to open another club; I felt like the city could handle it. And if I was going to go to a suburb, my gut instinct was that I’d go to where there was more money per household.”

Zip code scanners Curtis got for her downtown location in 2004 had already given her the data to back the decision up. It showed a lot of the downtown club’s customers were driving in from the suburbs. But she suspected there were potentially many more.

“We were very busy downtown, and I felt I was missing a part of the population

Comedy boom

Curtis and other metro-area comedy venues are riding a nationwide wave.

Stand-up comedy ticket sales have tripled over the last decade, and many credit the internet and social media — and speci cally Net ix — for transforming the industry.

According to Bloomberg, Net ix started funding new stand-up comedy in 2013, with specials from Mike Birbiglia, Iliza Shlesinger and Aziz Ansari.

“ e company saw stand-up as an underexploited genre, a low-cost way to get hours of programming and some famous names on the platform,” according to the Bloomberg article.

Net ix quickly scaled the business from a handful of specials annually to dozens, paying high dollars for big names like Jerry Seinfeld and Kevin Hart.

Competing services rst viewed Net ix’s investment in comedy as irrational, but comedians didn’t. And while other streaming services have since gotten on board, Net ix remains the king of comedy.

in the Denver metro area,” she said. “If you live in Castle Pines and you’re driving downtown ve days a week, are you going to drive down there again on Saturday?”

While the downtown Comedy Works is dark and intimate, Curtis designed the Greenwood Village site very di erently — with not only more seating capacity but more space overall. e nished 21,000-square-foot Comedy Works South that opened in October 2008 includes a restaurant and martini bar. ese features are not available at the original site. Also unlike downtown, parking is free and easy to nd.

While those added amenities attract customers, they also re ect what Curtis felt suburban customers wanted.

“I knew when I built something in the suburbs I was going to have to make it roomier,” she said. “Downtown is tight. People move to the suburbs to have space, and I think they expect it.”

Comedy Works South is a Landmark anchor that’s stood the test of time, with numbers that consistently exceed Curtis’ expectations and reinforce her initial instincts that suburban residents would support a comedy venue.

e exposure it gave comedians brought their talents to a wider audience, and the appreciation for comedy spun into the real world. Ticket sales for live comedy shows topped $900 million in 2023.

Why is comedy so popular? It’s not just because it’s funny.

Comedians use humor to speak truth to power while giving audiences a bit of relief from the absurdities and emotions of everyday life.

“ eir craft allows them to push boundaries and provoke deeper thought through laughter, sparking joy, conversations and, sometimes, fresh perspectives,” according to an article in Medium.

It also has health bene ts. Laughter releases chemicals in our bodies and brains that instantly relieve stress and boost mood. And it helps bring people together, crossing political, cultural and societal barriers in a way few other things can.

For all those reasons, Comedy Works is just one comedy business venturing beyond the city limits.

Rotating Taps

Denver comedian Steve Vanderploeg is now a regular performer at Comedy Works. But a few years ago, that wasn’t the case. So he started his own suburban comedy business.

“Within a few years, it started winning local awards,” Vanderploeg said. “It turns out breweries are very good locations for comedy because they need entertainment just as much as other venues.”

He’s since expanded to breweries throughout the metro area, including Arvada, Brighton, Lakewood and Littleton. Most of the shows are free, as many brewery owners wanted to keep their regulars happy. But it also makes comedy fans happy. Many can’t a ord or don’t want to pay for tickets, food and drinks — a two-item food or beverage minimum is required at Comedy Works. And scattering shows at breweries in neighborhoods throughout the area makes seeing a show logistically easier.

“One thing that makes us di erent is we actually bring comedy to these deeper pockets of the ‘burbs,” Vanderploeg said. “A lot of times people don’t want to go downtown. Bringing the comedy to them has helped grow the love for comedy around Denver.”

“I thought Comedy Works was never going to pass me — which means you get paid to work on the weekends,” he said. “I thought I’d never get that opportunity, so I needed to build opportunities for myself.”

Vanderploeg suspected breweries could be good venues for stand-up comedy. Not everyone agreed.

“I had a couple comedians telling me breweries were terrible locations for comedy shows,” he said. But like Curtis, Vanderploeg followed his instincts, launching Rotating Tap Comedy in spring 2019. He started at south metro Denver’s Chain Reaction Brewing — the owners were his childhood hockey buddies.

A Rotating Taps venue is also a good place for new comedians to test their stand-up chops. Vanderploeg typically books a mix of newer and more experienced comedians together. “ ese are mostly locals I work with — it’s a big network,” he said. “We like to give opportunities to those coming up because that’s why I started it — to give myself opportunities. But in order to keep it sustainable, we also have to bring in seasoned pros that

e newest metro-area entertainment venue is part comedy club, part variety show theater and part arcade. Husband-and-wife team Brandon Riks and Stacey Bell opened Gnarly’s in late December, taking over the former Miners Alley Playhouse site in down-

COMEDY

Riks and Bell believe their business lls a gap in the popular tourist town.

“ ere’s a lot of stu to do in Golden, but we feel it’s geared toward an older crowd,” Riks said. “ ey’ve got the playhouse, where you can catch an awesome musical or play, and the Bu alo Rose, plus lots of good places to eat and drink. But there’s not really a good hangout place for families or college kids, for comedy or some other type of adult-themed variety show.”

e couple has some history to back their theory up. While they’re new to comedy, Riks and Bell are experienced in business, running Lakewood’s Gnarly Toybox vintage toy store since 2018.

Riks and Bell carried that theme to Gnarly’s in Golden, including a vintage toy museum with everything from He-Man to Ninja Turtles to Garbage Pail Kids. Harkening back to simpler times, all Gnarly’s arcade games are set to free play.

“As long as you have a ticket to the show or a wrist band for the arcade, games are set on free play,” Riks said.

Because the theater only holds about 100 people, Riks and Bell shifted their plans from doing comedy full time.

“We know quite a few comics, and we’d always talked about how Golden would do really well with a comedy club because there’s nothing anywhere near,” Riks said. “But with 100 seats, our original thoughts of pulling famous comedians into the theater seemed a little bit unreachable. We’d have to charge too much for the tickets to pay them.

“So the plan is to become someplace cool enough and well known enough that when other comics are in town, they want to do a set at Gnarly’s,” he said. “And also to maximize the abilities of the space. We landed on making it a variety show theater on top of a comedy club.”

While most of Gnarly’s comedians will focus on adult content, the variety shows are designed to be family

friendly, featuring ventriloquists, magicians and jugglers. Riks plans to o er six-to-eight half-hour variety shows daily. Gnarly’s has a liquor license but for its day shows, it’ll accent an old-school soda bar and exotic snack bodega.

In Riks’ vision, it will o er something for everyone.

“Dad can sit down and have a beer, let the kids run in the arcade and catch a quick juggling show,” he said. Riks and Bell aim to o er three-to-four comedy shows a week and keep the price friendly, too. He expects it will generally be $20 a ticket.

What If Theatre

found it a little calculated. I was trying really hard to nd the points within my act to gauge what would get maximum laughter from the audience. With improv, you are feeling out the audience and your teammates for what works best with the people who are in this space, at this time. And it will never be repeated.”

Carletti sees a di erence in demographics in suburban audiences. People in their 20s and 30s tend to frequent downtown venues.

Well-rehearsed stand-up comedy is one way to get laughs. But in Lakewood, Joy Carletti and Colin Iago McCarthy are placing their bets on improv. e two opened What If eatre in October 2023, producing six inhouse shows a year and bringing in improv troupes from throughout the Front Range.

“I feel like our audiences skew both older and younger. I see people who live here coming to see the shows, and I’m very grateful for that,” she said. “I think the arts should be accessible to people – you should have art where you are. Asking people to come to the city is not for everyone. So let’s meet people where they are.”  Evergreen also has an improv group. e Evergreen Players Improv Comedy troupe, known as EPiC, performs twice each year at the Center Stage eater. It also offers classes and ensemble groups for all experience levels and ages.

e business taps into not only their love of improv, but for each other. e two met while doing improv in San Francisco, returning to McCarthy’s home town of Lakewood to eventually open the theater.

ey follow a form of improv called the Harold, a longform improvised format that emphasizes patterns, themes and group discoveries instead of a traditional plot or story. So while their shows are designed to be funny, they’re carefully constructed to include much more than just humor.

e house ensemble, for instance, goes by the name Streaky Bacon — inspired by a Charles Dickens quote.

“It basically says good plays should have comedy and drama in as equal layers as in good, streaky bacon,” Carletti said. “We believe yes, we’re creating comedy, but there should be some drama and vulnerability because that makes the comedy brighter.”

e shows typically revolve around familiar themes, including “Law and Order,” or a version of “Vacation.”

Another show featured a teenager who saves the world.

“A suburban audience that might not have seen an improv show doesn’t know what they’re going to get,” Carletti said. “We feel thematic or genre shows tend to hook a suburban audience more.”

Hooking suburbanites on improv is exactly what the couple hopes to do. She believes it o ers a very di erent experience than stand-up.

“I wanted a place where folks who were more of a theater audience could see improv and feel like it was accessible to them,” Carletti said. “Improv is collaborative. It is about listening and teamwork. It allows people to tell their own stories and it’s very human.”

While Carletti appreciates stand-up comedy, she sees improv as a di erent comedic art form — one that requires coordination with fellow actors and the audience.

“I’ve done stand-up. at’s one person alone on a stage. My own experience is it was a little isolating, and I

Comedy in Denver metro

agree the

Whether it’s stand-up or improv, all four business owners agree that Denver and its suburbs are among the top places to see comedy — or to be a comedian.

Curtis believes decades of bringing top-notch comedians to the city has made metro-area residents a sophisticated comedy audience.

“Comedy Works is the Red Rocks of comedy in the country,” she said. “I have leverage even with the bigger acts because it’s Comedy Works. e reputation gives me clout.We’ve developed people that like stand-up comedy. e Denver crowds are smart. You give them smart comedy and they respond. It’s turned into a great place for comedy and comedians.”

Vanderploeg agreed, saying the many stages that offer chances for new and more seasoned comedians to practice their material has improved the quality of local comedy for everyone.

“Denver is one of the best comedy scenes in the country,” Vanderploeg said. “Denver has shows most nights of the week, so there are opportunities for comedians to get up and develop, practice. Just by sheer stage time, we blow pretty much every other city out of the water. It’s kind of in the culture here. ere’s something about Denver that loves standup.”

Beyond developing the comedy business, Carletti sees laughter as not an option, but a necessity for individuals and our modern world.

“It’s so important to have small theaters and small comedy venues, not just in Denver but everywhere,” Carletti said. “ ere’s something about being in a room with a lot of people laughing and experiencing it live, whether it’s improv, stand-up or whatever. Live theater is phenomenal. And the need to laugh right now is so

Comedian Steve Gillespie entertains the crowd at Stranahan’s Distillery as part of Rotating Taps Comedy. SPAWOLOGY PRODUCTIONS

Comedian George Lopez on stage at Comedy Works South in Greenwood Village.COURTESY OF COMEDY WORKS

FROM PAGE 14

Gnarly’s co-owner Brandon Riks stands in front of the bar at the comedy/variety show venue he and his wife Stacey Bell launched recently in downtown Golden.COURTESY OF GNARLY’S

Thu 5/22

Documentary Discovery: Hover Trains (5/22)

@ 8:30am Offsite, 6060 E Parkway Drive, Commerce City. 303-289-3760

Colorado Rockies vs. Philadelphia Phillies

@ 1:10pm Coors Field, Denver

Birds of Play @ 7pm

The Times Collaborative, 338 Main St, Long‐mont

Cory Mon

@ 8pm

100 Nickel, 100 Nickel St, Broom�eld

Fri 5/23

Friday Bingo at Eagle Pointe (5/23)

@ 1pm

Eagle Pointe Recreation Center, 6060 East Park‐way Dr., Commerce City. 303-289-3760

Colorado Rockies vs. New York Yankees @ 6:40pm Coors Field, Denver

Wendy Clark Band at Odde's Lounge

@ 8pm

Northglenn Artisan Fair

@ 10am / Free 341 W 104th Ave, 341 West 104th Av‐enue, Northglenn. events@colorado markets.com, 303-505-1856

Low�ve @ 7pm Old Man Bar, 4381 W 120th Ave, Broom�eld

Colorado Rapids vs. St. Louis City SC @ 7:30pm

Alternative Sound at Prost (Northglenn) @ 5pm

Odde's Music Grill, 9975 Wadsworth Pkwy, Westminster

Sat 5/24

Family American Sign Language @ 10am

Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-289-3760

Denver Onyx vs Boston Banshees

@ 1pm

In�nity Park, Denver

DICK'S Sporting Goods Park, Com‐merce City

Sun 5/25

Prost Brewing Company, 351 W 104th Ave Unit A, Northglenn

Tony Medina Music: Tony Medina at‐tending Case Madden at La Dolce Vita @ 6pm La Dolce Vita, 5756 Olde Wadsworth Blvd, Ar‐vada

Red Rock Vixens @ The Armory Performing Arts Center @ 7pm

Armory Performing Arts Center, 300 Strong St, Brighton

Those Crazy Nights @ 11am To Be Announced, Commerce City

Tue 5/27

:

by Frame - E.T. The Extra Terrestrial @ 1pm

Colorado Rockies vs. New York Yankees @ 1:10pm Coors Field, Denver

Kohanna @ 5pm Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St, Denver

Nick Critchlow @ 6pm The Old Mine, 500 Briggs St, Erie

Mon 5/26

Commerce City 60th Annual Memorial Day Parade @ 9:30am

Wed 5/28

Food That Built America: Baked

Chain Station @ 5:30pm Sun�ower Farm, 11150 Prospect Rd, Longmont

Thu 5/29

Jeff and Paige: Lafayette Library Summer Reading Kickoff Concert @ 12pm Festival Plaza, 311 S Public Rd, Lafayette

Veterans Memorial Park, 6015 Forest Drive, Commerce City. mtorres@c3 gov.com, 303-289-3600

Dinner Out: 3 Margaritas (5/26) @ 4pm Offsite, 6060 E Parkway Drive, Commerce City. 303-289-3760

Eric Golden: Hesters @ 6pm Odde's Music Grill, 9975 Wadsworth Pkwy, Westminster

Prairie View sets school record for athlete commits

18 planning to move on to college athletics

BY STEVE SMITH SPECIAL TO COLORADO TRUST FOR LOCAL NEWS

It’s an understatement to say that the dais at Prairie View High School was a busy place on May 13.

A school-record 18 Prairie View High School students signed letters of intent to move into the world of college athletics.

“We preach to our athletes to do the right things the right way,” said PVHS Athletic Director Jason Humphrey. “We have a ton of kids who have done just that.”

Here is a breakdown of all the signees moving on.

Jerry Stone – Colorado Northwestern Community College

Stone, who was a four-year baseball starter for the underHawks, is moving on to Colorado Northwestern Community College in Rangely.

He compiled a .403 career batting average and drove in 101 runs. He also won 18 of 23 decisions and recorded 245 strikeouts in his four years at Prairie View.

Fabian Gaeta Acosta – Colorado Northwestern Community College

Acosta, who also started all four years for Prairie View baseball, is joining Stone at Colorado Northwestern Community College.

His high-school career batting average is a lofty .407, which included 121 hits and 84 RBIs. He also pitched for the underHawks. He won 24 of 30 decisions and had a 2.12 earned-run average. He struck out 270 batters and allowed just 55 earned runs.

Romani Perez – Morningside University

Perez, another four-year baseball starter at Prairie View, signed with Morningside University in Sioux City, Iowa. His career batting average stands at .351; he just picked up his 100th career hit last week. He drove in 84 runs and had a batting average of .351. He struck out 78 batters in 59 ⅔ innings and registered ve saves.

Giovanni Tarin Trillo – York University

More on the diamond: Tarin, a fouryear letter-winner at Prairie View, takes his baseball skills to York University in Toronto, New York.

He played center eld for the underHawks and batted .318 in his career. He pounded out 94 hits, scored 93 runs and stole 34 bases. His coach, Mark Gonzales, said Trillo batted .600 in the state baseball tournament a season ago. e underHawks advanced to the nal four for the rst time in school history.

Noah Hernandez – York University Hernandez, another four-year starter at Prairie View, joins Trillo on the baseball eld at York University. His on-base percentage this year was .433.

He scored 62 runs and had a elding percentage of .935. In four years, he committed just 15 errors. Hernandez is batting .299 this year with 20 hits and nine RBIs.

Chidiebere Okotaobi – Springfield Tech

On the basketball court, Okotaobi is heading for Spring eld, Massachusetts, Technical Community College. He nished among the top rebounders in the state, according to MaxPreps, averaging almost 8.5 caroms per game.

He also averaged a blocked shot per game, which put him 11th in the state.

After a decorated basketball career at Prairie View High School, Chidiebere Okotaobi is heading to Springfield Technical Community College in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Akotaobi was chosen to participate in the Class 5A/6A Rocky Mountain all-star game this spring. e underHawks nished 12-11, 6-6 in conference play.

Joel Peralta Martinez – York University Martinez is the third member of the underHawks baseball team to head for York University.

In 20 contests, he’s batting .250. ree of his 10 hits are for extra bases, and he’s swiped seven bases. His elding percentage is .979.

Preston Miller – Iowa Lakes Community College

Miller played just one baseball season at Prairie View High School. He signed with Iowa Lakes Community College in Estherville, Iowa. His elding percentage is .982 through 23 games. He has nine stolen bases en route to a .339 batting average. Seven of his 21 hits are for extra bases, including two home runs.

Peyton Trujillo – University of Northern Colorado

Trujillo, who is heading to the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley for

cheer, also earned athletic letters in softball and track.

As a freshman, she earned her rst letter and led PVHS to a ninth-place nish in the state meet.

Wyatt Hunter – Colorado Mesa University Hunter chose Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction to continue playing football. He averaged more than three “pancake blocks” per game this season. In six games, he recorded 25 tackles, 13 of which were solo e orts, two sacks and recovered a fumble. Gonzales, the school’s football and baseball coach, said Hunter had several NCAA Division II offers before signing with the Mavericks.

Ryker Searle – Kansas Wesleyan University

Seare, who chose Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, Kansas, to play football, completed 59 percent of his passes for an average of 203 yards per game in four games, according to stats from MaxPreps. Eight of his 56 completions went for touchdowns. He also gained 37 yards on the ground and scored a rushing touchdown.

Delilah Gallegos signs on with John Carroll University to continue wrestling.

Fabian Gaeta Acosta is heading to Colorado Northwestern Community College to continue playing baseball after a strong career at Prairie View High School. PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH

1. ACRONYMS: What phrase does the acronym URL stand for?

2. MOVIES: What is the name of the ghost that haunts the girls’ bathroom at Hogwarts (“Harry Potter” series)?

3. HISTORY: Which decisive battle ended the Revolutionary War?

4. LITERATURE: What is the pseudonym of the author Eric Arthur Blair?

5. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Which of the national parks is the most visited in the United States?

6. TELEVISION: Which medical series is based at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital?

7. GEOGRAPHY: What is the capital of Denmark?

8. U.S. STATES: In which state is Glacier National Park located?

9. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Who was the rst vice president to die in o ce?

TrIVIa

10. SCIENCE: What are elements like neon, helium and radon called?

Answers

1. Uniform resource locator.

2. Moaning Myrtle.

3. e Battle of Yorktown.

4. George Orwell.

5. Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

6. “House, M.D.”

7. Copenhagen.

8. Montana.

9. George Clinton.

10. Noble gases.

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NOTICE IS GIVEN that a vacancy has occurred on the Board of Directors of the District (the “Board”). One director may be appointed by the Board to serve until the next regular election of the District in May of 2027.

Any eligible elector of the District interested in serving on the Board may submit a letter of interest to the offices of the District’s legal counsel at: Law Office of Michael E. Davis, LLC, 1151 Eagle Drive, Suite 366, Loveland, CO 80537. The Board may fill the vacancy by appointing a qualified elector pursuant to § 32-1-808, C.R.S., ten (10) days after the publication of notice, which date is Sunday, June 01, 2025.

ADAMS EAST METROPOLITAN DISTRICT

By: /s/ LAW OFFICE OF MICHAEL E. DAVIS, LLC

Legal Notice No. BSB3876

First Publication: May 22, 2025

Last Publication: May 22, 2025

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Summons and Sheriff Sale

Public Notice

DISTRICT COURT, ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO Court Address: 1100 Judicial Center Drive Brighton, Colorado 80601

Plaintiff: DAMIAN BAGBY

Defendants: ANTHONY ALBO, et al.

Case No.: 2023CV030408 Division: W NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE BY VIRTUE OF an Amended Writ of Execution issued by the District Court of Adams County and State of Colorado, and to me directed, whereby I am commanded to make the sum of $54,346.19 dollars and costs of suit, the amount of a certain Judgment recently obtained against Your Choice Wheel & Tire, LLC, and in favor of 7160 Irving Street, LLC out of the business property of Your Choice Wheel & Tire, LLC. I have levied on the following property, to-wit:

Equipment: Quantity

1. Next Gen Tire Changer; Model R980XR; Serial No: 17289-001-035 (1) 2.

Inventory (Rims/Wheels):

1.Avati AV11 22155MBF; Matte Black Machined Face; 22 x 10.5 AV1122155MBF (2)

2.RDR Twister RD/16 Red Machined Gloss Black; 20 x 12 RD16201206208-44GBMLTR RDROFFROAD.COM (4)

3. K9 K20 Black Red Mill; 20 x 8.5 K2028.551153574.1 GBRM K9WHEEL.COM (4)

4. Avat SA-3 2085 Matte Black Aluminum Inner; 5 x 120 W2016F021146JT(4)

5. IROC 6-22 Matte Black 22 x 9.5; C82229501S-418 (4) 6.2 Crave ME.5 Gloss Black Mill Face; 18 x 8; ME5-1880kk35fgbmf (4)

7. Mayhem Tripwire 8110 Gloss Black Prism Red 20 x 9 8110-2936BTR18 mayhemwheels. com (4)

8. RDR Twister/RD 16 Gloss Black, Red Accents-Mill Spoke 20 x 9 9RD16209006208+OOGBMWTRM RDROFFROAD.COM (4)

9. Axe Zeus Gloss Black-Mill Accents/Letters; 20 x 10 Quick code 4002 axe wheels.com (3)

Inventory Tires:

1.RDR 33x12.50 R18LT 118Q(4)

2.RDR 285/75 R16 10PR (4)

3. Federal Xplora M/T 33x12.50 R18LT 10PR (4)

4.Federal Xplora L/T 285/70 R18LT(4)

5.Nankang 245/45 R18 NS-25(8)

6.Nankang 225/35Z R20 NS-25(8)

THEREFORE, according to said command, I shall expose for sale, at Public Auction, to the highest and best bidder for cash, all the right, title, and interest of the above-named business property of Your Choice Wheel & Tire LLC, in and to the above described property on the 2nd day of June, 2025, at 10:00 o’clock a.m., at 7160 Irving Street, Westminster, Colorado, in the County of Adams, State of Colorado.

NOTICE: THE LIEN BEING FORECLOSED UPON MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.

DATED this 25th day of April 2025.

GENE R. CLAPS, Sheriff of Adams County, Colorado

By: Kathy Grosshans, Deputy Sheriff Legal Notice No. BSB3845

First Publication: May 8, 2025 Last Publication: May 29, 2025 Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Misc. Private Legals

Public Notice DISTRICT COURT, ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO 1100 JUDICIAL CENTER DRIVE BRIGHTON, CO 80601 (303) 659-1161

Case Number: 2025CV30459 Div: C

Petitioner: METRO WATER RECOVERY, a Metropolitan Sewage Disposal District of the State of Colorado, v.

Respondents: ALTHEA E. STORM; ALL UNKNOWN HEIRS OF ALTHEA E. STORM; and ALEX VILLAGRAN, in his official capacity as the COUNTY TREASURER OF ADAMS COUNTY.

Attorneys for Petitioner: M. Patrick Wilson, No. 26303 Daniel P. Harvey, No. 49863 Hoffmann, Parker, Wilson & Carberry, P.C. 511 Sixteenth Street, Suite 610 Denver, CO 80202 (303) 825-6444 pwilson@hpwclaw.com dph@hpwclaw.com

NOTICE OF CONDEMNATION

ACTION TO OBTAIN FEE SIMPLE TITLE TO REAL PROPERTY

TO RESPONDENTS: ALTHEA E. STORM; ALL UNKNOWN HEIRS OF ALTHEA E. STORM

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a Petition in Condemnation has been filed in this Court by the above-named Petitioner seeking fee simple title to real property pursuant to Colorado law; said property located in Adams County, Colorado in which you may have an interest being more particularly described as follows: A PARCEL OF LAND CONTAINING 3,846 SQ. FT. (0.088 ACRE), MORE OR LESS, LOCATED IN THE NORTHEAST ¼ OF THE NORTHWEST 1/4 OF SECTION 1, TOWNSHIP 3 SOUTH, RANGE 68 WEST, OF THE 6TH PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, IN ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO, SAID PARCEL BEING MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:

COMMENCING AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE NORTHWEST 1/4 OF SAID SECTION 1, THENCE COINCIDENT WITH THE NORTH LINE OF THE NORTHWEST

1/4 OF SAID SECTION 1, S89° 55’ 09”W, A DISTANCE OF 1,031.57 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING;

THENCE, S00°28°31”E, DEPARTING SAID NORTH LINE OF THE NORTHWEST 1/4 OF SECTION, A DISTANCE OF 200.00 FEET; THENCE, S89°55’09”E, A DISTANCE OF 19.92 FEET;

THENCE N00°04’51”W, A DISTANCE OF 200.00 FEET TO A POINT ON SAID NORTH LINE OF THE NORTHWEST 1/4 OF SECTION 1;

THENCE, ALONG SAID NORTH LINE OF THE NORTHWEST 1/4 OF SECTION 1, N89° 55’ 09”E, A DISTANCE OF 330.00 FEET TO SAID POINT OF BEGINNING.

BASIS OF BEARINGS: BEARINGS ARE BASED ON THE NORTH LINE OF SAID NORTHWEST 1/4 OF SECTION 1, TOWNSHIP 3 SOUTH, RANGE 68 WEST, 6TH PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, BETWEEN A 3-1/4” ALUMINUM CAP AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE NORTHWEST 1/4 OF SAID SECTION 1 AND A 3-1/4” ALUMINUM CAP IN A RANGE BOX AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF SAID SECTION 1 BEING S89° 55’ 09”W.

You are hereby required to file an Answer or other response in the Adams County District Court, 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, CO 80601, no later than June 19, 2025, to answer or otherwise respond to said Petition. If you fail to file an Answer or other response by that date, the Court will proceed to ascertain the compensation to be paid to the owners and title to the above-described property interest will be vested in Petitioner, as provided by law.

DATED this 21st day of April, 2025.

Legal Notice No. BSB3835

First Publication: May 1, 2025

Last Publication: May 22, 2025

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Public Notice

DISTRICT COURT

ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO Court Address: 1100 Judicial Center Dr. Brighton, CO 80601

In the Interest of:

YESENIA ARRIAGA RANGEL Minor/Respondent.

Attorneys for Plaintiff Shannon McLeod, #52758 Matlin Injury Law 26 W. Dry Creek Cir. Ste. 600 Littleton, CO 80120

Phone Number: (720) 464-3600

Fax Number: (720) 464-3006

E-Mail: shannon@matlininjurylaw.com

Case Number: 25PR30268

Division: T1

NOTICE OF HEARING BY PUBLICATION

PURSUANT TO § 15-10-401, C.R.S.

To: Juan Arriaga-Pachicano

Last Known Address, if any: Unknown

A hearing on Petition for Approval of Settlement Claim for injuries sustained in a motor vehicle collision on October 1, 2024.

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

Date: July 9, 2025

Time: 9:00am MST

Courtroom or Division: T1

Via Webex: https://judicial.webex.com/ meet/D17-BRGT-DIVT1

The hearing will take approximately 1 hour

Legal Notice No. BSB3855

First Publication: May 15, 2025

Last Publication: May 29, 2025

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Public Notice

DISTRICT COURT ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO Court Address: 1100 Judicial Center Dr. Brighton, CO 80601

In the Interest of:

ISAIAH ARRIAGA RANGEL Minor/Respondent.

Attorneys for Plaintiff Shannon McLeod, #52758

Matlin Injury Law

26 W. Dry Creek Cir. Ste. 600 Littleton, CO 80120

Phone Number: (720) 464-3600

Fax Number: (720) 464-3006

E-Mail: shannon@matlininjurylaw.com

Case Number: 25PR30267

Division: T1

NOTICE OF HEARING BY PUBLICATION PURSUANT TO § 15-10-401, C.R.S.

To: Juan Arriaga-Pachicano

Last Known Address, if any: Unknown

A hearing on Petition for Approval of Settlement Claim for injuries sustained in a motor vehicle collision on October 1, 2024.

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

Date: July 9, 2025

Time: 9:00am MST

Courtroom or Division: T1

Via Webex: https://judicial.webex.com/ meet/D17-BRGT-DIVT1

The hearing will take approximately 1 hour

Legal Notice No. BSB3854

First Publication: May 15, 2025

Last Publication: May 29, 2025

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Public Notice

BEFORE THE ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO IN THE MATTER OF THE PAYMENT OF PROCEEDS FROM THE PRODUCTION OF OIL AND GAS AS ESTABLISHED BY SECTION 34-60-118.5, C.R.S., NIOBRARA, FORT HAYS, CODELL, AND CARLILE FORMATIONS, WATTENBERG FIELD, ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO

CAUSE NO. 1

DOCKET NO. 250500084

TYPE: PAYMENT OF PROCEEDS NOTICE OF HEARING

Blackwell Energy, LLC (“Payee”) filed a Form 38, Payment of Proceeds Hearing Request (Form 38) pursuant to Rule 503.g.(5) and C.R.S. § 34-60-118.5, for an order awarding payment of proceeds and interest due to Payees for production attributable to the below-described Wells, which are operated by PDC Energy, Inc. (Operator No. 69175) (“Payor”) and located in Adams County, Colorado. This Notice was sent to you because the Applicant believes you may own oil or gas (“mineral”) interests in the Wells identified below and or are responsible for making payments to the owners of mineral interests.

WELLS

Gus LD #34-363 HC (API No. 05-001-10513)

Gus LD #34-366 HC (API No. 05-001-10506)

DATE, TIME, AND LOCATION OF HEARING (Subject to change)

The assigned Hearing Officer will hold a hearing only on the above-referenced docket number at the following date, time, and location:

Date:July 30, 2025

Time:9:00 a.m.

Location: Virtual Hearing with Remote Access via Zoom

To participate virtually navigate to https:// ecmc.state.co.us/#/home and locate the Zoom meeting link on the left side of the webpage.

Energy and Carbon Management Commission

The Chancery Building 1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 801 Denver, CO 80203

PETITIONS

DEADLINE FOR PETITIONS BY AFFECTED PERSONS: June 30, 2025

Any interested party who wishes to participate formally 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. Under Commission Rule 508, if no petition is filed, the Application may be approved administratively without a formal hearing.

Any Affected Person who files a petition must be able to

PUBLIC NOTICES

Lewellyn Orr, Deceased;

Eliza Jane Orr, Deceased;

[Leslie Orr McWilliams’s father and mother]

Crawford McWilliam, a/k/a Crawford McWilliam, Jr., Deceased;

Maggie B. McWilliams, a/k/a Maggie B. McWilliam, a/k/a Margaret B. McWilliam, Deceased;

[Record title owner]

Leslie Orr McWilliam, Deceased;

[Leslie Orr McWilliam’s paternal aunts and uncles]

Eliza Jane McWilliam, a/k/a Lizzie McWilliam, Deceased;

Samuel McWilliam, Deceased;

William Andrew McWilliam, Deceased;

Mary Jane Crawford, Deceased; Thomas McWilliam, Deceased;

John McWilliam, Deceased;

Margaret Elizabeth Drake, Deceased;

[Leslie Orr McWilliam’s maternal aunts and uncles]

Foster A. Orr, Deceased;

Mary Elizabeth Parker, Deceased;

Martha A. Orr, Deceased;

Edwin Elsworth Orr, Deceased;

[Leslie Orr McWilliam’s cousins, their spouses, and their heirs or devisees]

Jennie McWilliam, Deceased; Elizabeth Morris, Deceased;

Glenn James Morris, Deceased;

Hettie A. Conner, Deceased; Clyde C. Conner, Deceased;

Bertha M. Giles, Deceased; Marion Wayne Giles, Deceased;

Aven Crawford McWilliam, Deceased;

Learah D. McWilliam, Deceased;

James Crawford McWilliam, Deceased; Chester Ray McWilliam, Deceased; Eleanor Ollie Ross, Deceased; Elmer Dewey Ross, Deceased; Robert Samuel Ross, Deceased;

Bertha M. Ross, Deceased; Lois Irene Ross, Deceased; Renee Ross Vetter, Deceased; Cora Helen Bailey, Deceased; Lee H. Bailey, Deceased; William Lee Bailey, Deceased; and William Lee Bailey, Jr., Deceased

Attorney: Aaron D. Bieber – CO Bar 41983

The Law Offices of Aaron D. Bieber, PLLC Sugar Land, TX 77479 (713) 899-3893

aaron@aaronbieberlaw.com

Case Number:

3.Michele Cervantes

/s/

May 29, 2025

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of CORDELIA ROSE MORAN AKA CORDELIA R. MORAN, Deceased Case Number: 2025 PR 30137

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before September 24, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Kenneth Lee Moran aka Kenneth Moran

Personal Representative 1115 W. Swallow Road, Unit 3 Fort Collins, CO 80526

Legal Notice No. BSB3873

First Publication: May 22, 2025

Last Publication: June 5, 2025

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Melissa Dawn Randall, Deceased Case Number: 2025 PR 79

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before September 22, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Bertha Randall Cobb

Personal Representative 712 Fulton Ave Brighton, CO 80601

Legal Notice No. BSB3867

First Publication: May 22, 2025

Last Publication: June 5, 2025

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Lori Anne Promenschenkel a/k/a Lori A. Promenschenkel a/k/a Lori Promenschenkel a/k/a Lori Anne Uhing a/k/a Lori A. Uhing

a/k/a Lori Uhing, Deceased Case Number: 2025 PR 150

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before September 8, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Austin Promenschenkel

Personal Representative 5250 Warrior St., Frederick, CO 80504

Legal Notice No. BSB3848

First Publication: May 8, 2025

Last Publication: May 22, 2025

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of DOUGLAS MICHAEL CLARK, Deceased Case Number: 2025 PR 30253

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before September 10, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

DEBBY CLARK

Personal Representative 7982 Meade St., Apt. 2 Westminster, CO 80030

Legal Notice No. BSB3841

First Publication: May 8, 2025

Last Publication: May 22, 2025

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Martin Chairez, aka Martin Chairez Juarez, aka Martin C. Juarez, aka Martin Juarez, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30315

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before September 15, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Brenda Chairez-Moreno

Personal Representative

c/o Baker Law Group, PLLC 8301 E. Prentice Ave. #405 Greenwood Village, CO 80111

Legal Notice No. BSB 3160

First Publication: May 15, 2025

Last Publication: May 29, 2025

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Mary Lanor Taylor, a/k/a Lanor Taylor, Deceased Case Number: 2025 PR 30298

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before September 22, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Kimberly A. Taylor

Personal Representative 15315 Gadsden Ct. Brighton, CO 80603

Legal Notice No. BSB3870

First Publication: May 22, 2025

Last Publication: June 5, 2025 Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Name Changes

PUBLIC NOTICE

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

Public notice is given on April 30, 2025, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Adams County Court.

The petition requests that the name of Anthony Vargas be changed to Anthony DeLaCruz

Case No.: 25 C 0740

By: Deputy Clerk

Legal Notice No. BSB3861

First Publication: May 15, 2025

Last Publication: May 29, 2025

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Services

(Adoption/Guardian/Other)

Public Notice STATE OF COLORADO IN THE DISTRICT COURT COUNTY OF ADAMS Division D1 No. 25JV30067

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADOIN THE INTEREST OF: Juliet Mecillas A Child, and Concerning

Kit Trujillo, Benjamin Mecillas, Jr.

Respondents: S U M M O N S

To the parents, guardian, or other respondents named above, GREETINGS: Juliet Mecillas

You are hereby notified that a verified petition has been filed in the above named Court in which it is represented to the Court that said child are alleged to be dependent and neglected; for the reasons set forth more fully in said petition, a copy of which is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference for greater certainty.

You are further notified that the parent-child legal relationship may be terminated by this action, if prayed for in the petition.

You are further notified that the Court has set said petition for hearing on the 9th day of July, 2025 at the hour of 9:00 a.m. You are hereby notified to be and appear, at said time, before this Court located at the Adams County Justice Center, 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, CO 80601.

Witness my hand and seal of said Court this 9th day of May, 2025.

Alana Percy Clerk of the District Court

Legal Notice No. BSB3866

First Publication: May 22, 2025

Last Publication: May 22, 2025

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Public Notice

DISTRICT COURT, ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO Court Address: 1100 Judicial Center Drive Brighton, CO 80601

Children: Jezabel Martinez Chavez-Padilla

Respondents: Destiny Rose Padilla, Juan Martinez-Chavez

Special Respondent: Theresa Padilla

Case Number: 21JV106 Div: D Ctrm.:

ORDER OF ADVISEMENT

NOTICE TO THE ABOVE-NAMED RESPONDENTS,: Destiny Rose Padilla, Juan Martinez-Chavez

YOU ARE HEREBY ADVISED that the Petitioner, has filed a Motion to Terminate the Parent-Child Legal Relationship which now exists between you and the above-named child(ren);

YOU ARE FURTHER ADVISED that the Motion has been set for hearing in Division D of the District Court in and for the County of Adams, Adams County Justice Center, 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, Colorado,

on the 28th day of July, 2025, at 9:00 a.m., at which time the Petitioner must prove by clear and convincing evidence that: 1) That the child(ren) was adjudicated dependent or neglected; 2) That an appropriate treatment plan has not reasonably been complied with by the parent or has not been successful; 3) That the parents are unfit; 4) That the conduct or condition of the parent or parents is unlikely to change within a reasonable time; no less drastic alternative to termination exists, and 6) That it is in the best interests of the child(ren) that the parent-child legal relationship which exists between the child(ren) and the respondent(s) be terminated and severed. OR 1) That the child(ren) has been abandoned by parent or parents in that the parent or parents have surrendered physical custody for a period of six months and during this period have not manifested to the child(ren), the court or to the person having physical custody a firm intention to assume or obtain physical custody or to make permanent legal arrangements for the care of the child(ren); and 2) That it is in the best interests of the child(ren) that the parent-child legal relationship which exists between the child(ren) and the respondent(s) be terminated and severed. OR 1) That the child(ren) has been abandoned by parent or parents in that the identity of the parent of the child is unknown and has been unknown for three months or more and that reasonable efforts to identify and locate the parent in accordance with section 19-3603 have failed; and 2) That it is in the best interests of the child(ren) that the parent-child legal relationship which exists between the child(ren) and the respondent(s) be terminated and severed.

If a grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother, or sister of the child is requesting guardianship or legal custody of the child such request must be filed within twenty days of the filing of this motion.

YOU ARE FURTHER ADVISED that you have the right to have legal counsel represent you in all matters connected with the Motion to Terminate the Parent-Child Legal Relationship.

If you cannot afford to pay the fees of legal counsel, you are advised that the Court will appoint legal counsel to represent you at no cost to you upon your request and upon your showing of an inability to pay.

If you have any questions concerning the foregoing advisement, you should immediately contact either your legal counsel or the Court. Done and signed on: May 9, 2025

BY THE COURT:

District Court Judge/Magistrate Legal Notice No. BSB3868

First Publication: May 22, 2025

Last Publication: May 22, 2025

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Public Notice

STATE OF COLORADO IN THE DISTRICT COURT COUNTY OF ADAMS Division S No. 24JV30261

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADOIN THE INTEREST OF:

January Haley A Child(ren), and Concerning

Caroline Haley, Kevin Flannigan, John Doe

Respondents:

S U M M O N S

To the parents, guardian, or other respondents named above, GREETINGS: Kevin Flannigan and John Doe

You are hereby notified that a verified petition has been filed in the above named Court in which it is represented to the Court that said child are alleged to be dependent and neglected; for the reasons set forth more fully in said petition, a copy of which is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference for greater certainty.

You are further notified that the parent-child legal relationship may be terminated by this action, if prayed for in the petition.

You are further notified that the Court has set said petition for hearing on the 30th day of May, 2025 at the hour of 9:30 am. You are hereby notified to be and appear, at said time, before this Court located at the Adams County Justice Center, 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, CO 80601.

Witness my hand and seal of said Court this 8th day of May, 2025.

Alana Percy Clerk of the District Court

Legal Notice No. BSB3864

First Publication: May 22, 2025

Last Publication: May 22, 2025

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Public Notice

STATE OF COLORADO IN THE DISTRICT COURT COUNTY OF ADAMS Division D1 No. 25JV30098

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADOIN THE INTEREST OF:

Adellah Ramirez A Child, and Concerning

Delilah Ramirez, Hector Rivera, John Doe Respondents: S U

or

named above, GREETINGS: John Doe

You are hereby notified that a verified petition has been filed in the above-named Court in which it is represented to the Court that said child is alleged to be dependent and neglected; for the reasons set forth more fully in said petition, a copy of which is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference for greater certainty.

You are further notified that the parent-child legal relationship may be terminated by this action, if prayed for in the petition.

You are further notified that the Court has set said petition for hearing on the 10th day of June 2025 at the hour of 10:00 a.m. You are hereby notified to be and appear, at said time, before this Court located at the Adams County Justice Center, 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, CO 80601.

Witness my hand and seal of said Court this 9th day of May 2025.

Alana Percy Clerk of the District Court

Legal Notice No. BSB3865

First Publication: May 22, 2025

Last Publication: May 22, 2025

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Public Notice

District Court

ADAMS COUNTY, STATE of COLORADO

Court Address: 1100 Judicial Center Dr. Brighton, Colorado 80601

In the Matter of the Petition of: MORRIGAN SARA GARCIA For the Adootion of a Child

AMBERDAWN GARCIA 16544 E 99TH CITY, AVE COMMERCE CO 80022

NOTICE OF HEARING

To: Jenifer Kay Garcia (Full Name of Parent).

Pursuant to §19-5-208, C.R.S., you are hereby notified that the above-named Petitioner(s) has/have filed in this Court a verified Petition seeking to adopt a child.

* If applicable, an Affidavit of Abandonment has been filed alleging that you have abandoned the child for a period of one year or more and/or have failed without cause to provide reasonable support for the child for one year or more.

You are further notified that an Adoption hearing is set on 06/30/2025 (date), at 9:00 AM (time) in the court location identified above.

You are further notified that if you fail to appear for said hearing, the Court may terminate your parental rights and grant the adoption as sought by the Petitioner(s).

Legal Notice No. BSB3856 First Publication: May 22, 2025 Last Publication: May 22, 2025 Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Public Notice

STATE OF COLORADO IN THE DISTRICT COURT COUNTY OF ADAMS Division D No. 24JV30060

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADOIN THE INTEREST OF: Stephen Williams, James Williams Judith Williams, Philip Prols Children, and Concerning

Melissa Jean Williams, AKA Melissa Brown, AKA Melissa Brown Williams, James Michael Williams, Arnis Prols Respondents:

S U M M O N S

To the parents, guardian, or other respondents named above, GREETINGS: Arnis Prols

You are hereby notified that a verified petition has been filed in the above named Court in which it is represented to the Court that said child are alleged to be dependent and neglected; for the reasons set forth more fully in said petition, a copy of which is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference for greater certainty.

You are further notified that the parent-child legal relationship may be terminated by this action, if prayed for in the petition.

You are further notified that the Court has set said petition for hearing on the 24th day of July, 2025 at the hour of 2:00 p.m. You are hereby notified to be and appear, at said time, before this Court located at the Adams County Justice Center, 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, CO 80601.

Witness my hand and seal of said Court this 13th day of May 2025. Alana Percy

state: “Request

All

Proposal

p.m. (MST)

(“Submission Deadline”).

Deadline will not be considered. Applications must be submitted by email to Gary Cahill at the following email address: cahill@dunakilly.com. The subject line for the email must state: “Request for Submission – Training & Maintenance Campus”.

Contractors are solely responsible for ensuring that their emailed Applications have been received by the District. The District will not search for emailed Applications that are not delivered or are delivered to “spam” or “junk” folders. Contractors may contact Gary Cahill at 720.346.8377 to confirm that their emailed Application has been received. Contractors preparing and submitting an Application do so solely at their own expense. Each Application must conform and be responsive to the standard application form provided by the District. Any deviation from the standard application form or failure to provide the required information may be considered non-responsive

&

Ethan Lehnig – Tabor College Lehning, a wide receiver on the underHawks’ football team this season, found Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas, to his liking. He caught seven passes for 90 yards, according to four games’ worth of stats available on MaxPreps. His longest reception was for 34 yards. His all-purpose yardage was fourth-best on the team.

Benjamin Hopper – Knox College Hopper, a tackle and linebacker for the underHawks, signed on with Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.

In nine games, he totaled 53 tackles (34 of those were solo e orts) for an average of just less than six tackles per game. He recorded a team-high 10.5 sacks and recovered a pair of fumbles.

Iasiah Liptac – Knox College Liptak, who played linebacker for Prairie View on the football team,

joins Hopper at Knox College. In ve games, he registered two sacks and 48 total tackles. Seven of those stops resulted in lost yardage. Prairie View won twice in nine starts this season.

Francis Ojowa – Colorado State University

Ojowa, who quali ed for two events at this year’s state track-andeld meet, signed on to compete at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. He nished third in the 300-meter hurdles at the state meet last year.

He played football for Prairie View before giving it up to focus solely on track and eld. His top time this year in the 300-meter hurdles is 37.36 seconds, tops among the quali ers at state. He also turned in a time of 14.67 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles.

Delilah Gallegos – John Carroll University

Gallegos, who joined Prairie View’s girls wrestling program as it was starting, opted to compete and study at John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio.

She was an all-conference recipient, a state tournament qualier and a team captain during her career at Prairie View. She won 86 matches in her career.

Michelle Ramirez – Iowa Lakes Community College

Ramirez is heading to Estherville, Iowa, to continue her studies and her wrestling at Iowa Lakes Community College.

When she joined the underHawks’ program, she had some experience in jiu-jitsu but none in wrestling. Along the way, she earned all-conference honors, quali ed for the state meet, was a team captain and earned 65 victories.

Jaydon

Vigil – Northeastern Junior College

Vigil is heading to Sterling to study and wrestle at Northeastern Junior College. He won two varsity letters with the underHawks.

He missed a third letter by one victory. Wrestlers have to earn 15 wins during this season to qualify. He had a half-season of experience when he went to high school.

“It’s just such a wonderful, incredible experience that I know these students will have to give them a new perspective and a new way to think about learning,” Fitzsimmons said. “Like I mentioned, it’s really turning them from consumers of information to producers of information, and giving them the opportunity to experience di erent industries, di erent careers, and occupations that they never would have thought about had they not had the chance to explore within the smart.”

RK Hancock teaches STEM to all grades; it is a specialized class at Twombly Elementary.

“I am very excited about the Smart Lab,” Hancock said. “ is is my rst year teaching STEM here at Twombly, and so far, I’ve been using lessons I created in my curriculum. It will be nice to have a more structured curriculum and more materials that I can use.”

“ roughout this year, I’ve engaged in a lot of science and engineering using the materials we already had at school,” Hancock said. “Now, I’ll be able to incorporate much more math and technology with the materials provided through the Smart Lab. Here are a couple of examples: I’ll go to Snap Circuits, and we’ll be able to do a lot of work with coding.”

“I want to thank you, everyone, for making this possible. We’re looking forward to using the SmartLab equipment to help our students learn more; it’s about planting seeds that will blossom for years,” Van Nieuwenhuizen said.

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