Brighton Standard Blade 021623

Eagle Ridge eyes upcoming playo s

Kent Denver

takes win from Warriors, but confidence is high

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Even though Eagle Ridge’s boys’ basketball had some trouble down the stretch against Kent Denver on Feb. 9 – the Sundevils won the game 76-70 – the Warriors appear ready to march into the playo s and exceed the results from a year ago.

ERA advanced to the quarter nals for the rst time in school history.

e team takes a 14-4 mark (6-3 in the class 3A/4A Metropolitan League through Feb. 9) into the last week of the regular season. e state tournament begins Wednesday, Feb. 22.

“It’s going to show us what a playo game feels like,” said guard Peyton Torres. “Every loose ball matters. Every rebound matters. It shows us where we need to improve. We need to have great help defense.”

e two teams stayed between six and eight points of one another through most of the contest. e Sun Devils took advantage of some Warriors’ mistakes to pull away in the last two minutes.

“We went up big in the third

Brighton slowing residential roads

of di erent communities, from Vision Zero nationwide,” said Christopher Montoya, Brighton’s assistant director of public works.

PUC responds to Polis’ call for utility relief

Searching for answers

BY JOSHUA PERRY THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado’s Public Utilities Commission on Feb. 8 discussed addressing bill price hikes in response to Gov. Jared Polis’s utility cost-reduction directive, but it isn’t clear what the rst steps will be.

Chairman Eric Blank said that the PUC has been tasked with a wide range of objectives to ease an a ordability crisis that made consumers’ utility bills 52% higher on average in December. Some consumers saw their bills double or even triple.

“Among other things, the governor has asked us to identify ways to support customers in the most dire circumstances, improve access to and the capacity of the bill assistance program, nd ways to incentivize utilities to reduce customer costs, analyze approaches for limiting bill spikes, and to expand public engagement on these issues before the end PUC,” he said.

BY SCOTT TAYLOR STAYLOR@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Brighton’s residential streets will get slower speed limits, dropping from 30 miles per hour to 25, City Councilors agreed Feb. 7.

“ is is an initiative amongst a lot

Vision Zero is an international e ort to reduce tra c deaths to zero that started in Sweden in the 1990s. It encourages local and state governments to prioritize road planning and policies that make road travel safer for all manners of tra c, from bicycles and pedestrians to cars.

Montoya noted that only Brighton and Commerce City allow speed limits above 25 miles per hour in

residential areas in the northern Front Range. Most, including Erie, Lafayette, Northglenn, ornton and Westminster, have the same 25-miles-per-hour limit.

“We have one neighbor that has a limit of 20 miles-per-hour, and that’s Boulder,” Montoya said.

Councilors approved the change by a 6-1 vote, with Councilor Matt Johnston opposed. Johnston said there were better ways to slow down tra c. A second reading is set for

Blank said he didn’t know how the PUC would take action on this directive right now, but they would continue addressing a ordability in the coming weeks.

One way the PUC can make progress is driving down base rates, Commissioner Megan Gilman said. Under the current rules, a utility seeking to add new infrastructure, such as transmission lines or a power plant, must rst convince PUC regulators that it is necessary. If PUC agrees, it issues a certi cate of public convenience

Eagle Ridge’s Hunter Hill finishes a first-half dunk against Kent Denver Feb. 9 in Brighton.

PHOTO BY STEVE SMITH

City Council favors five mile-per-hour drop for some streets

Brighton leaving Ward 4 seat open

Councilors say to little time before November vote

BY SCOTT TAYLOR STAYLOR@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e Brighton City Council will work through the rest of 2023 without a councilor on Ward 4, councilors agreed at their Feb. 7 meeting.

For City Councilor Matt Johnston, the timing of former Ward 4 Councilor and Mayor Pro-Tem Adam Cushing’s announcement the week before that he had moved out of his ward made replacing him di cult.

Councilors had the option of scheduling a special election to ll the seat or of seeking candidates for an appointment. Councilors agreed to take no action, leaving the seat

open until the November election. Neither option made sense, Johnston said, because the newly seated Ward 4 councilor would only have to turn around seek election again, in the city’s regular Nov. 4 election.

“ e problem with appointing someone right now is de nitely because of the months it will take just to get the appointment done,” Johnston said. “We are down to a very small amount of months they will actually serve before they have to run for re-election. I think that’s troublesome.”

Councilors agreed. Ward 4 Councilor Peter Padilla said he knows of multiple Ward four residents who would be good ts for the council and he liked them all, making choosing di cult.

“People in my ward don’t want to go unrepresented for a long amount

of time,” Padilla said. “But my challenges in doing an appointment become complicated. I am loathe to have government pick winners and losers. I don’t like rules and policies that favor one company, one set of people or one industry over another and I endeavor to not picked winners or losers when we can avoid it. I would be challenged to name somebody as the incumbent running in the November election.”

Councilor Ann Taddeo said she is aware of at least six considering a run for the Ward 4 seats.

“My rumor mill is I’m getting six people running for that, so that makes it even harder,” she said. “We might be a way to whittle it down to two or three, but in the end, unfortunately, I don’t think we’d be able to come to a consen-

sus on any of the candidates.”

Four city council seats, one in each ward, are up for election this November, with new terms beginning in January 2024. Including the currently vacant Ward 4 seat, the seats of Tom Green in Ward 1, Mary Ellen Pollack in Ward 2 and Clint Blackhurst in Ward 3 all expire in January 2024. Blackhurst new Pro Tem Cushing’s move didn’t just leave a vacancy in Ward 4, but also in the mayor’s backup role, the Mayor Pro Tem. The pro tem fills in for Mayor Greg Mills to lead council meetings if he is absent.

Mills polled the councilors, asking each if they had any interest in job. Only Ward 3’s Blackhurst did, and councilors appointed him to the position unanimously.

27J Schools stay in-house for new superintendent

Pierce sole remaining candidate to follow Fiedler

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

27J Schools didn’t have to go very far to find its new superintendent.

The school board tabbed Will Pierce as the sole finalist for the job that becomes vacant next year. The current superintendent, Chris Fiedler, announced his plans to retire when his contract expires.

Pierce has been in the district for 24 years. He’s been a dean, a prin-

cipal, a director and the district’s chief academic officer. He also served a short stint as the boys’ basketball coach at Brighton High School. He’s the present deputy superintendent and oversees the district’s student achievement department

A press statement said Pierce redesigned the student achievement department and developed programs to support increased academic achievement in the district.

As an example, the district said he redesigned graduation requirements to meet state guidelines and to be sure that students show “competency toward a career and a future beyond graduation.”

The design of the district’s dashboard was one of Pierce’s projects. It helps show parents, staff and the community what sort of progress the district is making toward academic, social and emotional goals, the statement said. He also was in charge of the development and opening of two elementary schools, West Ridge and Pennock.

“We’re thrilled to name Will Pierce as our sole finalist for the superintendent’s position in 27J,” board President Greg Piotraschke said in the statement. “Being a local school board member who’s active in state and national education groups, I know the caliber of candidates you have to have to

hire a successful superintendent. There is no better candidate than Will Pierce.”

Several districts lost their superintendents in the past few years, which led to outlays of money for searches.  Piotraschke said 27J has a proven leader who’s established many of the hallmarks that earned the district five straight years of increased graduation rates.

The board plans to host a community engagement/meet and greet for finalist meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 1, in the district’s training room, 80 S. Eighth Ave. The board is expected to make its hiring decision during its March 8 regular business meeting.

IRS to Coloradans: Don’t file your taxes yet

BY SARAH MULHOLLAND COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO

Coloradans may owe federal taxes on last year’s TABOR refunds.

e IRS says the state’s residents should hold o on ling their tax returns until the agency gures out how it’s going to handle the issue.

e IRS issued the directive to residents of several states that received refunds or special payments in 2022.

Coloradans shouldn’t have to pay any taxes on TABOR refunds,

according to the state’s revenue department. TABOR, which stands for the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, goes back to 1992 in Colorado. e law requires the state to return excess state revenues to taxpayers.

“We have done so on various occasions and through various statutory methods,” Dan Carr, a spokesperson for Colorado’s revenue department, said in an emailed statement. “We have provided this information to

SEE IRS, P3

Mountain Range students work to fulfill kid’s dreams

Students raise MakeA-Wish money to send 6-year-old to Disneyworld

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A Brighton six-year-old dreams of visiting Disneyland came one step closer, thanks to Mountain Range High School students.

Mountain Range students participating in the Colorado “Kids for Wish Kids” program helped raise the money to send Brighton’s Arhyaih Matheson, to the theme park with her family.

“We are excited and ready to make new memories and have talked about it all week,” said Arhyaih’s Mom Shaughnessy Matheson.

Arhyaih had stomach cancer, she said, but doctors removed it, and he went through chemotherapy for about six months. He’s doing better, she said.

Kids for Wish Kids is a program under the umbrella of Colorado’s Make-A-Wish Foundation, where kids manage the wish-granting. In Arhyaih’s case, it culminated in a Feb. 10 rally in the high school’s gymnasium.

e students created a week of fundraising activities to send Arhyaih to Disneyland. ey played Super Smash Bros gaming competitions, dodgeball, and basketball tournaments. For the closing ceremony, the kids surprised Arhyaih with a gym decorated with Disneyland themes and had activities.

According to Make-A-Wish, this is the Mountain Range students second year raising funds for Kids For Wish Kids. ey raised more than $16,000 in 2022 for the Kids for Wish

Kids program, as well as another $20,000 this year to help Make-AWish give tuition to two kids.

“We are excited particularly with Mountain Range. ey go above and beyond for Make-A-Wish and for the kids we serve,” said Hannah Burrin, Development Manager for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. “ e students all week have fun activities and celebrate Arhyiah with di erent ways to fundraise. ey are learning philanthropy and learn valuable leadership skills and also plan all the Make-A-Wish events.”

paid this spring, but Gov. Polis and the legislature moved up the timeline to last summer.

E AGLE VIEW A DULT C ENTER

Eagle View Adult Center Update –Feb 15-22, 2023

Eagle View Adult Center is open Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call 303-655-2075 for more information. e January and February Newsletter is available. Cards, Games and Pool

If you like to play games like bridge, pinochle, dominos, scrabble and pool… Eagle View is the place to get connected. Check out the newsletter for playing times. VOA Lunch

the Internal Revenue Service in response to the questions they’ve raised to many states. We will continue to monitor the IRS process and be clear on our position that these refunds are not taxable.”

Colorado’s excess tax revenues totaled about $3 billion last year. That resulted in sizable refund checks of $750 for individuals and $1,500 for joint filers. Normally those refunds would have been

ROADS

FROM PAGE 1

March 7.

“As a speeder, on record as a speeder in Brighton in my past, the reality is people are not going to see the sign and change their habit,” Johnston said. “If we can’t enforce it, there are going to be issues .” He said he’d rather see the money needed to replace speed limit signs with installing speed humps and road changes to slow tra c.

Last year, 19 states offered special tax refunds and payments, according to the Associated Press. Many were meant to provide relief from inflation. Colorado’s TABOR refunds, though not prompted by inflation, were issued at the same time as the other states’ checks.

This story is from CPR News, a nonprofit news source. Used by permission. For more, and to support Colorado Public Radio, visit cpr.org.

“I don’t think this resolves the issue, but I respect where we are at,” Johnston said.

Councilor Tom Green noted that it does not apply to the city’s larger streets and arterials, like 27th Avenue, Bridge Street and Bromley.

“Anything can help,” he said. “I’m all for anything that’s going to make our neighborhoods safer.”

Montoya noted that most Brighton residential streets don’t have speed limit signs.

“If you don’t see a sign, assume that the speed limit is 25 miles-perhour,” he said.

A hot, nutritious lunch is provided by Volunteers of America, Mondays and ursdays at 11:30 a.m. Please reserve your VOA meal in advance: For Mondays reserve the ursday before, for ursdays reserve the Monday before.! Call Eleanor at 303-655-2271 between 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Mon. & urs. Daily meal donations are appreciated.

$2.50 Donation per meal if age 60+. $8.50 Mandatory charge if under 60 Eagle View Adult Center will be closed Mon. Feb 20 for President’s Day.

e Remarkable Life of George Washington

Just in time for Presidents’ Day, join Paul Flanders for a presentation on our rst president. is Commander in Chief provided the early republic with leadership in the rst years of the new Constitution. 1:30 p.m. urs. Feb 16. $4. Deadline: Wed. Feb 15

Mardi Gras Merriment

We’re far from Bourbon Street but we still know how to have some Mardi Gras fun! e Chris Cheslin Duo will be here to perform New Orleans jazz followed by light Cajun-style refreshments.

2:00 p.m. Fri. Feb 17. $6. Deadline: Mon. Feb 13

Feathered Friends: Merlin

A small winter falcon will be the guest for this month’s Feathered Friends. e Merlin arrives in our state by September of each year, but they’re tough to see until the leaves fall o the trees.

1:00 p.m. Tues. Feb 21. $5. Deadline: Fri. Feb 17

Low Vision Support Group

Beyond Vision invites Lorrie Spoering to explore low-vision reading options available through Colorado Talking Book Library. 1:00 p.m. Wed. Feb 22. Free. Deadline: Fri. Feb 17

Brighton 80601

Arhyaih Matheson entered the gym as the students were cheering his name.

Mountain Range students fill the gym to celebrate sending Arhyaih Matheson to Disneyland. PHOTOS

Arhyaih Matheson playing musical chairs with students and won.

27J Stream Club

Join a STREAM session for unique and fun learning from noon to 3 p.m.

Mondays through Feb. 27, at Henderson Elementary School, 12301 E. 124th Ave.

STREAM is a club focused on science, technology, reading, engineering and math open to all 27J students in second to sixth grade. Each month brings a theme and host sessions around this theme. Each session is di erent, so kids can attend one session or all three. For the month of February, the topics are avors and textures in food.

e cost per session is $35. Register today!olor: transparent; display: inline; animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: inherit;” tabindex=”0” target=”_blank”>bit.

ly/27JSTREAM

Brighton Cultural Arts Commission grants

e Brighton Cultural Arts Commission is accepting proposals for the use of 2023 lodging tax funds for Brighton organizations directly involved in promoting the community to visitors and businesses. Grants support activities that strengthen economic development, fund special events, assist cultural arts facilities, and promote tourism and related activities that inspire people to spend money in Brighton.

e committee seeks organizations and teams that have demonstrated the ability to administer cultural projects, contributed to the community, and have demonstrated ability to create overnight stays.

Visit www.brightonco.gov/190/Brighton-Cultural-Arts-Commission. e deadline to apply is 5 p.m. Monday,

Feb. 27. Applicants will be interviewed Monday, March 6.

All awarded lodging tax grant purchases must be made by Nov. 30. Contact David Gallegos at dgallegos@ brightonco.gov.

Performance and Leadership Academy is now open to external applicants

e City of Brighton is opening its Performance and Leadership Academy to external applicants who work for government or non-pro t organizations.

e academy is a ve-week program that teaches participants skills for identifying, analyzing, and solving problems in their day-to-day work and empowers participants to be leaders, to build winning teams and deliver exceptional customer service both internal and external.

Participants in the academy attend four-hour training sessions each ursday for ve weeks. Sessions are held from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at Brighton City Hall, 500 S. 4th Ave. e cost to apply for external candidates is $1,800. Upcoming sessions can be found here. To learn more about the academy and to apply, visit the Performance and Leadership Academy website. For more information, contact budget@brightonco.gov.

ONGOING

‘Taking No Chances’

e 17th Judicial District Attorney’s O ce and e Link, a community resource and assessment center in ornton, are o ering free, 10-week programs to families of Adams county teenagers to help develop personal and interpersonal drug-resistance skills. Sessions are from 5:30 to 6;30 p.m.

Wednesdays. Call 720-292-2811.

Brighton adds new ChargePoint stations

e city of Brighton announced it was opening three new charging stations for electric vehicles.

e stations are at the Brighton Recreation Center at 555 N. 11th Ave. Eagle View Adult Center at 1150 Prairie Center Parkway. and Platte Valley Medical Center at 1610 Prairie Center Parkway.

e rst hour of charging is free at each location. e locations have two stalls and two charging stations each that operate much like a parking meter, with a $2-per-hour charging rate after the rst hour.

For other ChargePoint station locations, visit https://uk.chargepoint.com/ charge_point. For more information, please contact Assistant Director of Public Works Chris Montoya at cmontoya@brightonco.gov.

Museum volunteers

e Brighton City Museum needs volunteers to help with visitors, research and collection project-based duties.

Call Bill Armstrong, museum specialist, at 303-655-2288.

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-AuditProgram

Legal self-help clinic

e Access to Justice Committee hosts a free, legal self-help clinic from 2 to 3:30 p.m. the rst Tuesday of every month. e program is for customers who don’t have legal representation and need help navigating through legal issues.

Volunteer attorneys are available to discuss such topics as family law, civil litigation, property and probate law.

Call 303-405-3298 and ask for Legal Self-Help Clinic at least 24 hours in advance.

Sidewalk, curb and gutter program

e city of Brighton’s 50.50 Sidewalk, Curb and Gutter program is underway. e program helps ease the nancial costs of maintenance and replacements, according to a statement.

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/50-50 to apply. Call 303-655-2036 with questions.

American Legion meets in Brighton

American Legion Post 2002 meets regularly the second ursday of each month, and all veterans are invited to attend. e meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the United Power headquarters building, 500 Cooperative Way.

Senior meals

rehab team and Walk With A Doc will host monthly walks with Dr. Christopher Cannon, an interventional cardiologist at Brighton Heart and Vascular Institute.

is is a walking program for everyone interested in taking steps for a healthier lifestyle. After a few minutes to learn about a current health topic from the doctor, spend the rest of the hour enjoying a healthy walk and a fun conversation. It’s a great way to get out, get active and enjoy all the bene ts that come from walking.

Hearts in the Arts’ rental assistance program begins

e Brighton Urban Renewal Authority began the Brighton Hearts in the Arts rental assistance program. It’s designed to help local artists who occupy physical space in the downtown urban renewal area with rent costs. It’s open to arts-focused nonpro ts, according to a statement, plus for-pro t art galleries and art studios. Some of the ‘Need-to-meet” criteria include a 501(c)(3) designation and to be sure that the function and mission of the facility is to exhibit, create, present and sell artwork in several forms of media. Artists can apply for grants that will cover up to half of their annual or monthly lease but no more than $15,000 per year. Visit brightonura. org/176/Brighton-Hearts-the-Arts. Call 303-655-2150 or email aherrera@ brightonedc.org.

Meet the mayor

Brighton Mayor Greg Mills wants to meet the public during new, one-onone meetings. It’s a chance to learn about current projects, new developments and share issues.

Meetings are the third Friday of every month in 15-minute slots, starting at 10:30 a.m. Reserve a time slot at https://www.signupgenius.com/ go/10c0d4caaa62fabf9c34-meet. Indicate whether you want to meet in person at City Hall, 500 S. Fourth Ave., or virtually. Call 303-655-2042.

Mental health Community Reach Center o ers in-person intake assessments from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesdays at the Brighton Learning and Resource Campus, 1850 E. Egbert St. in Brighton. Call Community Reach Center at 303-853-3500. For walk-in intake, bring an ID and insurance information. For those who would prefer to complete the intake forms and schedule an appointment, the intake forms are available online at www.communityreachcenter.org. ere will be a short screening for u-like symptoms before entering the center to ensure safety and wellness for everyone.

Anyone feeling unsafe or suicidal should call Colorado Crisis Services at 1-844-493-8255, text 38255, or visit the Behavioral Health Urgent Care (BHUC) Center at 2551 W. 84th Ave., Westminster.

rough an arrangement with e Colorado Spirit Program, there is support for feelings of worry, hopelessness, anger, loss, isolation and disconnection that many individuals are experiencing as a result of the pandemic.

Zion Lutheran School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs and activities accorded the students of our school. Accredited by National Lutheran Schools Accreditation.

Eagle View Adult Center will serve hot VOA lunches on Mondays and ursdays. Advance reservations are required. Call EVAC 303-655-2075 for more information.

Walk with a doc

Platte Valley Medical Center’s cardiac

It’s free and con dential. Services include virtual individual and group counseling. community networking and support, assessment and referral to community resources and psychoeducational materials and emotional support. Email J.Sheehan@CommunityReachCenter.org.

Adams County celebrates Black History Month

BY SCOTT TAYLOR STAYLOR@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Paying attention to the progress people of color have made in the country at large and Adams County specifically, staff and officials kicked of the county’s Black History Month celebration Feb. 7.

“We honor those who have come before to celebrate how far we have come as a society but we also honor those who continue to fight

today,” said Femmi Clemons, Adams County’s Veteran’s Services officer. “The struggle is still far from over.”

Clemons said she’s proud of her role.

“I am an example of progress, being the first woman of color to hold this position,” Clemons said.

Adams County staff and officials noted the month of February as Black History Month during a brief ceremony at the start of busi-

ness Feb. 7.

Later, County Commissioners approved a proclamation declaring the month, from Feb. 1 through March 1, 2023 as Black History Month.

February has been set aside as a month to review and celebrate the achievements of Black Americans since 1976, but the event was discussed and called for more than 100 years ago. It has its roots in the original Negro His-

tory week that typically celebrated during the second week of February - bracketed by the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln, on Feb. 12, and Frederick Douglas on Feb. 14. Douglas later died on Feb. 20, 1895.

“We do not have to go all the way back in history to see the effects of institutional racism in our country,” Clemons said. “You can go back to events that happened the lifetimes of many people here.”

Tuskegee Airmen coming to Commerce City

Group featured guests at Black History Month celebration

Survivors of the legendary World War 2 ghter pilots the Tuskegee Airmen and their support crew will come to Commerce City for a city Black History Month celebration. e city will host a celebration of

Black History Month at 6 p.m. Feb. 23 at the Civic Center, 7887 E. 60th Ave.

Black History Month is held every February to honor the triumphs and struggles of African Americans throughout U.S. history. is year, Commerce City’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission invited Tuskegee Airmen to come to Commerce City.

e Tuskegee Airmen were a group of 932 ghter and bomber pilots and their support crews who trained at Tuskegee Army Air eld

in Alabama. Of that group, 355 ew some 1,500 missions in Europe between 1942 and 1946. e pilots were mostly African American and they were the rst aviation unit of their kind during a time when the U.S. military was still racially segregated and many U.S. states still had Jim Crow laws on their books.

e unit had an excellent combat rating, was highly praised by military commanders and earned six Distinguished Unit Citations while its members earned 96 Distinguished Flying Crosses.

RUGGIERO

Virginia Jean “Ginny” (Vincent) Ruggiero October 11, 1925 - December 19, 2022

Virginia Ruggiero 1925 – 2022. Virginia Jean Vincent Clark Ruggiero aged 97 passed away peacefully December 19, 2022. She was born October 11, 1925 in Ft. Lupton, CO to Elizabeth and Rollie Vincent. For full

HAMMERLUND

obituary go to www.crownhillfuneral.com.

Memorial service Saturday Feb. 25, 4PM at Alli Event Center, 100 S 3rd Ave, Brighton, CO 80601

George Hammerlund

April 8, 1924 - December 4, 2022

George H. Hammerlund of Brighton Colo. He was laid to rest along with Harriet Hammerlund Dec.27th 2022 at Fort Logan National Cemetery.

George and Harriet are survived by their 5 children , 9 grand children , 17 great grand children and 3 great great grand children. ey will be greatly missed.

ROMERO

Eva Romero

March 20, 1934 - February 3, 2023

Eva was born on March 20th, 1934 in Brighton, Colorado, were she was also raised. She was widowed and raised 8 children.

Eva enjoyed a career in healthcare. She was a very loving Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, and Great-Great Grandmother. She was a wellloved member of the Brighton Community. She raised her children in California before returning to Brighton, Colorado in 1986 where she remained a resident until her death. Eva loved shing, bingo, gambling up the hill and trips to the beautiful Rocky Mountains. She loved to wear hats, bracelets and you

would often see her in a vest.

She is preceded in death by her husband Ernest Romero, her son Gerald Romero, and her siblings Bertha, Tony, and Eloy.

She is survived by her brother Candido Sanchez, her children Carmen (David) Castro, Vicki (Oscar) Soto, Rachel (Rudy) Ramirez, Cynthia ( e late Robert) Bowman, Adam ( e late Gretchen) Romero, Anthony Romero, Amy (Danny) Huizar, 21 grandchildren, 40 great grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren.

Eva will be missed by her entire family and her dear friends.

Members of the 477th Bomb Group, a unit of the Tuskegee Airmen, pose for a picture in 1944. Commerce City is inviting speakers from the group to come for a Black History Month celebration.

We cannot manage what we do not know

As a partner and potential sales channel to the enterprise selling team, they were faced with a decision to make about an interaction they had with a new account executive they had just started working with. ere was a lack of follow-up on the account executive’s part and the partner was torn between letting the young account executive’s boss know, or not.

Ultimately, he decided to call their boss because they wanted to provide a coaching opportunity for the young new hire. e leader was grateful and said, “ ank you as I cannot x something that I do not know is broken, and I cannot manage what I do not know.”

ere is so much sensitivity around what we can say and what we cannot or should not say. We fear that it may not be our place to say anything at all, after all we may become the one where others choose to point the nger of blame. We would rather keep our mouth shut and let the next person who receives bad service or experiences a problem be the one to share their concerns. Maybe they are braver than we are in those moments.

We survived 2022, but will 2023 be better? One could hope but some of the same economic issues still haunt us. erefore, volatile nancial markets may continue for a bit.

Many investors may recall a mantra, “As January goes, so goes the year.” is is referring to how well the stock market performs the rst month of the year and could be an indicator for the entire year’s returns. Bill Greiner, CFA, chief economist for Mariner Wealth Advisors, states this is correct 72% of the time. at is good news since January was a positive month for the S&P 500.

Many issues still linger though, such as an increasing probability of a recession. One reason is the Federal Reserve Board’s indication to continue increasing interest rates to help curb in ation. We may also see corporate

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WINNING WORDS

their head and said, “No.” is was a simple or minor issue that, if the manager had known or been told, could have been easily resolved.

We know parents who have approached the o cials of the school where their child was being bullied.

e o cials were given the opportunity to x what was broken.

Michael Norton

e question becomes this, wouldn’t we want to know if something that we, or someone in our family, circle of friends, or company was doing something, or had done something, that wasn’t right and could potentially be harmful to others or to our family or business? Most of us would answer the same way, of course we would.

In the case above, the leader did use it as a coaching moment and the young account executive embraced the feedback and became determined to make a change in his response times and doing what they said they would do when they said they would do it.

Another friend I know stopped going to the same co ee shop they had been stopping by every morning for years. When I asked them why, they said that the shop had started serving co ee that wasn’t as hot as it should be. I asked them if they let the manager know. ey shook

ey now knew what they had to manage, yet they refused to take action. e nal outcome was that the child was transferred to another school and thankfully, was met with a new set of friends who they became very close with, enjoying a wonderful and safe high school experience.

It’s no di erent at home or in any relationship. If we do not know what is broken, we cannot manage or x what we do not know. We have to provide others a safe environment to share what they see as a problem or an area that can be improved, and then be vulnerable enough to acknowledge that it can be better and then take the steps necessary to x the problem.

Two of the most important ingredients to any successful relationship, husband-wife, parent-child,

An economy in flux

FINANCIAL STRATEGIES

earnings begin to wane after holding up well last year. is could be due to higher costs of borrowing along with the labor shortage.

Consumers are tired. Tired of winter, tired of economic uncertainty and in ation. Business owners are drained from trying to nd workers, rising lease rates and higher cost of goods. Investors are weary of stock market declines and interest rate increases. e war in Ukraine continues. COVID seems to have reappeared. is is when people are most pessimistic. And that creates opportunity. While everyone is crying in their soup, you could be taking advantage of

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bad news that puts your favorite stocks or sectors on sale. Greiner states that if there is a recession in 2023, “It will probably be a light, quick recession.”

erefore, the rally days on the stock market indicate investors may be looking past a brief recession and trying to lock in some gains in the future.

Recessions are healthy for the economy, and they are what gives us the business cycle. Hitting the reset button to reprice goods and services and trim o excesses that are not sustainable is a good thing.

ere are other possibilities if there is not a recession. We could remain in the stag ation from last year, which could actually be worse, in my opinion. Stag ation is typically high in ation and low growth. is could drag out the e ects of rising interest rates causing the Fed to need to ght in ation even longer.

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teacher-student, employer-employee, company-customer, or any other relationship are communication and trust. And when we can honestly and openly share with others what needs to change or be managed better, most times we will be seen as being helpful as again, none of us can x or manage what we do not know is broken or a problem in the rst place.

How about you? Do you feel safe and comfortable sharing with your boss, partner, co-worker or the manager of a store where you frequently shop what is broken or needs to be managed better or di erently? Or would you rather someone else take that responsibility? I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can be open to managing and xing what we know to be broken, it really will be a better than good life.

Michael Norton is an author, a personal and professional coach, consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator of individuals and businesses, working with organizations and associations across multiple industries.

e Fed could pull o a soft landing, where they pause interest rate hikes just in time to get the perfect combination of curbing in ation without halting too much growth. Most economists put this scenario at a very low probability.

Prepare for some continued economic and market uctuations especially in the rst half of the year while the Fed is expected to continue hiking rates. If in ation continues to roll over, then we could see interest rates plateau and growth start to return. We’ll see a year from now how 2023 turns out: stagnant, recessed or the perfect landing.

Patricia Kummer has been a certied nancial planner professional and a duciary for over 35 years and is managing director for Mariner Wealth Advisors.

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BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

While working out at a gym in Golden recently, someone approached Ty Scrable and asked if he was associated with Colorado School of Mines. Scrable had to explain that, no, he’s just a Golden resident.

Unfortunately, Scrable said, this isn’t the rst time it’s happened.

“I get that a lot,” he said. “People think I’m a student, professor or tourist because I’m Black.”

Systemic racism stubbornly remains in Golden. But, as Scrable said, it has morphed from Ku Klux Klan demonstrations in the 1920s and racist housing policies in the 1940s to something less overt but still widespread and endlessly frustrating.

Because White people make up the overwhelming majority in the city and, thus, are seen as the norm, Scrable said, “many people don’t view me as part of my own community.”

In the wake of Black Lives Matter demonstrations in the summer of 2020, many cities and newspapers across the United States have started reckoning with their pasts, examining how they’ve contributed to systemic racism, learning what they can do to be more inclusive and fair. e Golden community has started the process, and now it’s the Golden Transcript’s turn.

e newspaper, which now is part of Colorado Community Media, isn’t immune to biased coverage. is report is the product of its journalists attempting to examine the paper’s coverage of the Black community since the Civil Rights era and own up to its mistakes.

Since 1866, the Golden Transcript — known as the Colorado Transcript for its rst 103 years — has been a record keeper for Je erson County. While its stories are extensive and valuable, the paper contains original and reprinted content that was harmful to the Black community and other marginalized groups.

Just one example is its coverage of the Black Panther Party, a group that gained national attention in the late 1960s for its response to policing in Black communities across the country.

Between 1969-1971, the newspaper published approximately 170 articles that referenced the Black Panther Party. Nearly all of these articles

BEYOND THE GOLDEN TRANSCRIPT: Our efforts to reconcile racial mistrust begins with this story

In our newspaper this week, you’ll see an article about the Golden Transcript. It’s one of two dozen newspapers owned by Colorado Community Media, which also owns this paper. The article tackles the issue of systemic racism in the Transcript’s pages.

The idea for the project started in 2020, when the Colorado News Collaborative, Colorado Media Project and Free Press convened the Black Voices Working Group, which was made up of Black leaders, community members and journalists. The group addressed media coverage and focused on how to improve trust in mainstream media among the Black community. Acknowledging past harm was the No. 1 recommendation made by the group.

A few months later, I attended a Denver Press Club event where Jameka Lewis, a senior librarian at the BlairCaldwell African American Research Library, illustrated biases in mainstream local media coverage of the Black Panther Party in the 1960s and ’70s while exhibiting rare prints of the Black Panther Press. Many of Lewis’ examples came from the Transcript.

Most articles were wire stories from other cities, but editors still chose to run them, affecting perceptions of the party in Golden.

We pursued and were awarded a grant from the nonpartisan Colorado Media Project to explore, uncover and analyze this issue in the form of the special report that is in this edition of your newspaper.

Our newsroom, which is predominantly White, also participated in the Maynard Institute’s diversity, equity and inclusion Fault Lines training along the way. West metro editor Kristen Fiore was a speaker at the Advancing Equity in Local News convening with journalists from publications like the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Washington Post to talk about this project.

We believe this story is important beyond Golden — and we hope to spark conversations in our communities across the Denver area about race and inclusion and how our news coverage impacts those issues.

Linda Carpio Shapley is publisher of Colorado Community Media, which runs two dozen weekly and monthly publications in eight counties. She can be reached at lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Linda Shapley

presented the group in a negative light, with words such as “fugitive,” “thugs” and “militants.” And, the Transcript appeared to rarely cover the Black community in the city and wider region. Because of this, their voices are missing in archives, now online as an important chronicling of Colorado’s history.

By not including these voices in an accurate light, and by publishing stories that reinforced harmful stereotypes and/or recorded Black people’s traumatic experiences in an apathetic or ippant way, the Golden Transcript’s coverage contributed to systemic racism, according to researchers and Black community leaders.

Jameka Lewis, senior librarian at the Denver Public Library’s Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library and a freelance researcher on this report, said Transcript readers may have had their beliefs about the Black Panther Party, and the Black community in general, shaped by the Transcript’s negative portrayals.

“ ere is harm when it comes to media and the Black community in Denver and Colorado,” Lewis said. “If we want to repair the harms, we have to acknowledge that (they are) factual.”

Alfonzo Porter, editor-in-chief at Denver Urban Spectrum and a journalism professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver, said mass media has been at the epicenter of “propagating negative images and re ections of the AfricanAmerican community.”

“It really stems out of our country’s background, and we’re still dealing with those biases,” he said.

While almost all of the Transcript’s stories about the Black Panther Party were from wire services like United Press International, Porter said the Transcript and other newspapers are accountable for reprinting those stories.

“It’s exactly like original reporting, because … the editorial sta sat in a room, looked at this piece, determined that it was appropriate and ran with it in the paper,” he said.

The Black Panther Party

e Black Panther Party for Self Defense started in 1966 in Oakland, California. Founders Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale started the organization as a response to police brutality there and in other Black communities, according to Lewis’ research.

e party had a 10-point program that included demands for Black liberation and societal

THE COVERAGE

How national, Denver-area papers covered the party Sisters Ida Daniel, Pat Rogers and JoEllen Greenwood grew up in Denver and graduated from East High School in the ’60s and early ’70s. ey recalled reading e Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News and watching the nightly news on TV. ey also listened to the city’s Black radio station, KDKO, and read Black-oriented magazines like Ebony and Jet.

Overall, the three didn’t recall a lot of news stories about Black people in the mainstream press, unless it was negative. e news covered Black people who were arrested for murder, robbery, rioting and other crimes. Rogers summarized the coverage as: “Be afraid of Black people.” at kind of coverage played out with the Black Panthers. In 2016, e New York Times analyzed stories about the Panthers, noting “journalists were at once fascinated and frightened by them” and their activities in the 1960s and ‘70s.  Coverage about the Denver Panthers in Black newspapers in the area at the time was scant. Of those Lewis researched, the Black-owned publication e Denver Blade published the most articles on the group’s activities, both locally and nationally, in 1969.

Its coverage appears to be fairly balanced, Lewis said.

One Blade article discussed the Panthers’ orga-

improvement. Eventually, the Black Panthers led more than 35 community programs across the country, like the Free Breakfast for School Children Program — also known as e Free People’s Food Program, which helped feed Black children from economically disadvantaged families.

In Denver, a chapter gained recognition in 1967. Led by Lauren Watson, the chapter’s history was largely erased or ignored, Lewis said, adding that the Denver Panthers were instrumental in the ght for civil rights in Colorado.

It’s important to note that many Black community members both then and now have mixed feelings about the Panthers and their work, Lewis stressed.

Longtime Denver residents she interviewed formed their opinions largely based on what they read about the Black Panthers in newspapers and saw on TV. Yet that coverage contrasts with what many in the community saw the Denver Black Panthers doing. ey were involved in school board and City Council meetings, provided free meals for children, and worked to

nizing a meeting to discuss policing and police presence at Cole Jr. High School in Denver’s diverse Whittier neighborhood. It chronicled the Black community’s e orts to address a racial gap between teachers and Black students. One possible solution, and likely at the suggestion of the Denver Black Panthers, was to establish Cole as a Freedom School, a concept that focused on Black pride and Black liberation in academics.

In contrast, the Denver Post also covered the meeting but didn’t mention the Panthers’ involvement in organizing the event or the Freedom School proposal. In a review of Post archives, the story focused on arrests. e Denver Blade coverage did not mention any Black Panther arrests.

“Oftentimes, it was up to Black news media to cover this group in a more comprehensive way, which I believe e Denver Blade did,” Lewis said. “It covered all aspects of the local and national Panthers, and o ered readers a more balanced view of the members of this group.”

e Denver Blade stopped operating in 1970.

How Golden’s newspapers covered the Panthers

e Transcript published approximately 170 articles that used the terms “Black Panther” or “Black Panthers” between 1969-1971. Almost all of these were reprinted stories from wire services, which seldom described anything positive about the party or its members.

improve the welfare of their neighborhoods and its residents.

“Many Black people believed what the media said about the Panthers,” said Terry Nelson, a lifelong member of the Denver community. “ … It depended on the source. We recognized that the newspapers weren’t telling the truth about the members. … We knew that the Denver members were active in schools, speaking with teachers and parents. We never saw that in the major newspapers.”

Tracie Keesee, a former Denver police captain and co-founder of the Center for Policing Equity, described how during this tumultuous period, the press played into the hands of government o cials.

Newsrooms considered police as trustworthy and well-respected sources, so it was easy for them to hand reporters a story and have it taken at face value, Keesee said.

Keesee added: “We see it now, right? at divisiveness in the media, the stories that are being told — or not being told.”

e only article referencing the party’s free breakfast program was published April 30, 1970, about Baltimore police rounding up Black Panthers suspected of killing a patrolman. After searching party headquarters, police searched a school where it conducted its breakfast program, among other locations.

In contrast, the Colorado School of Mines student paper, e Oredigger, published at least two stories about the Black Panther Party. Both were straightforward accounts of Lauren Watson, the head of the Denver chapter, visiting Golden.

Ultimately, while coverage of the Black Panthers varied by publication, the Golden Transcript failed to cover the party’s community initiatives or involvement. It did, however, print dozens of wire stories about the party’s supposed criminal activity and police raids associated with the group.

e coverage used negative language to describe the Panthers, their neighborhoods and any activities they were involved in. Because of this, Golden-area residents absorbed and believed what they heard and saw in the news coverage, Lewis stated.

e role of the press in forwarding racial inequality really shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, Keesee said, especially to communities of color.

“It’s not just that person that wrote the story,

Jameka Lewis is a senior librarian at the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library and a researcher on this project. COURTESY PHOTO

FOR THE RECORD

that person had an editor, right?

ere wasn’t anything in that editor’s mind that said, ‘Yeah…this seems a little biased. Did you even go into the community, or did you just take that o the wire and repeat it?’”

ere’s no excuse for sloppy journalism, as it is harmful and contributes directly to a larger narrative, Keesee said.

“When you talk about media coverage, there were only three channels on the television, back then; there was no social media,” she said, adding, “the newspapers were cranking out those stories overnight and you were waiting for your morning paper. Nobody was up waiting for breaking news. So, the news that was coming out, it was more focused and easier to control.”

And when news was breaking, “it

THE COMMUNITY

Golden in the 1960s and ’70s

Built on lands traditionally inhabited by the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Ute and other tribes, Golden City was founded in 1859. According to Allan Tellis, a doctoral student of political science at the University of Colorado-Boulder and freelance researcher on this report, Golden has never had a signi cant Black population.

Census data from 1960 shows that the Golden division of Je erson County had 28 Black residents. By 1970, that number had increased to 86. Overall, those numbers represent 0.15% and 0.27% of the total population, respectively, according to Tellis.

As of 2020, Golden had 388 Black residents, representing 1.9% of the city’s population.

Longtime Golden residents recalled how many of the city’s Black residents in the late 1960s and early ’70s were associated with Colorado School of Mines as students, professors or their family members. As far as discussions about the Black Panther Party speci cally or race relations in general, longtime White residents said the topic didn’t come up much because there wasn’t a large Black population in the area.

Rick Gardner, a resident who has studied Golden’s history extensively, said the community had “other preoccupations at the time,” such as labor clashes at the Coors brewery and the Vietnam War.

John Akal, a longtime Goldenite and current columnist for the Transcript, described how he spent his summers in Chicago, where it was “a whole di erent situation.” Because of the 1968 Chicago riots, which were sparked by the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Akal remembered a lot of racial tension in the city at the time.

But that was Chicago.

Golden was di erent, but not necessarily better.

The KKK in Golden Overt discrimination in Golden against Black people and other

was breaking only one way, and those narratives were pretty narrow,” she added.

The newsroom

During this timeframe, the Transcript was a daily paper with a small sta of six and a wire service that provided regional and national news.

Neil Paulson, who was managing editor from 1970-75, said the paper relied on United Press International reports to cover many issues, including the Black Panthers.

“It was a terrible service, especially for a small paper,” he said. “It cost us a little more, but eventually we went to e Associated Press.”

e only dictate from the paper’s owners, e Kansas City Star and the Great (Kansas) Tribune, was to run a local story on the front page, Paulson said. National and regional stories ran inside.

Paulson noted that Golden’s population at the time, as it is today, was

communities peaked with the Ku Klux Klan, which had a strong presence in the city and throughout Colorado, particularly in the 1920s.

e Klan began in Denver in 1921 and eventually “all but took possession of the state of Colorado,” according to a report in the Steamboat Pilot. Klan members throughout Denver gathered on Golden’s South Table Mountain for cross-burnings and other rituals. According to Golden History, the mountain could attract up to 10,000 members.

Overall, the Klan helped prevent or deter unknown numbers of Black people from carving out lives in the area. History Colorado recently released ledgers of KKK membership that show seven members of the terrorist organization resided in the Golden area, Tellis added.

Racist housing policies, practices

While the Klan’s activities are certainly one reason Golden has a small Black population, it’s not the only reason. Discriminatory housing practices also contributed.

Don Cameron, a former Jefferson County teacher and current Golden city councilor, has researched zoning history and discriminatory housing policies and practices, including some accounts recorded in the Transcript.

While many Black residents in Denver were constricted by redlining, their counterparts in Golden faced other challenges.

“Starting in the ’20s and into the ’40s, it was common for people to say that they would only sell their individual property to those of the Caucasian race, or non-Negro race individuals,” Cameron stated in a self-published article about Golden’s zoning history.

“ e courts backed up this right because they were protecting the homeowners’ use of their land and had no civic duty to prevent this discrimination,” the article continues. “Blacks were excluded from being shown properties in these restrictive neighborhoods, and if they tried to purchase them, (they) might have it taken away soon

predominantly White.

He knew two Black Goldenites during his years as editor. One was Monroe Jordan, an assistant chef at downtown Golden’s historic Holland House, who later worked at the nearby Ace-Hi Tavern.

When Jordan died, Paulson ran a story on the front page that brie y memorialized him but mostly discussed an attempt to nd his relatives, as no one had come forward to claim Jordan’s body nearly two weeks after his death.

Readers didn’t react positively to the front-page piece.

“I got a couple of nasty phone calls, but no one admitted to their bias,” Paulson said. “ ey refused to apologize, of course. ey said I shouldn’t have put that on the front page. In typical Golden fashion, there was nothing speci c, other than to say, ‘You shouldn’t have done that.’ e thought of another race didn’t exist.”

For the Transcript’s newsroom, Paulson said there was no “codi ed

policy on racism” during his time there.

“We condemned it, but we made little e ort to actively attack it,” he said. “( e) Black Panthers seem remote from Golden, where there were few Black families.”

One place where Paulson thought racism showed up was on the editorial page. e paper had four syndicated columnists every day who lived outside the community. ey were selected by the publisher because “they were cheap and not already being published by the two Denver dailies,” he stated.

Paulson said he had no doubt the paper could be accused of racism for its coverage in those days.

“But I’d like to think it was by omission rather than intent,” he said. “We rarely spoke of racism and did little to come out against its pernicious e ects. I don’t remember anyone on the sta making racist remarks, and I think I would have remembered that.”

after.”

Perhaps the most evident example of this was in 1942, when Logus Butler and Susie A. Allison paid $1,500 for 30 acres near present-day Boyd Street in north Golden. ey planned to build on it, but they were forced to sell a few months later after Golden residents drove them out.

“A large number of citizens appeared before the City Council

Wednesday evening,” the Transcript reported Oct. 22, 1942, “and stated that a group of colored people had taken possession of the land recently purchased by them east of the Clark’s Garden addition, within the city limits of Golden, and were apparently staking out some building sites.”

After Butler and Allison were

A photo circa late 1960s or early 1970s shows the Seymour family gathered for a portrait in their family home in Denver. In this photo, the siblings — Ida Daniel, Pat Rogers, JoEllen Greenwood and Winfred Semour Jr. — were teens. COURTESY PHOTO

FOR THE RECORD

forced to sell the land, plots on the same land were listed for sale two

THE IMPACT

In the community

While growing up in Denver in the ‘60s and ‘70s, Daniel and her sisters used their education and life experiences to help them decipher which news stories were biased and which were reputable. ey also relied on family and friends’ advice.

“I don’t think news at the time covered Blacks in the world that they lived in,” Daniel said. “To me, the general stories about how Blacks lived, what they did, what their concerns were and some of their needs, were not covered.”

The sisters felt this trend in coverage didn’t change until the ’80s, when news about Black people and Black communities became more prominent.

As an example, Daniel described how The Denver Post did a feature article on her late husband, Wiley Y. Daniel, who was a prominent attorney and

THE FUTURE

For Goldenites

In more recent years, especially in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the Black Lives Matter rallies in the summer of 2020, the Golden community has started examining the long reach of systemic racism in and around the city. e City of Golden started work on its Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, and groups like Golden United and Golden Anti-Racism Collective formed.

While these are good rst steps, real change has to start with people’s attitudes, GAC members Scrable and Michele Minihane said.

Although many Goldenites are open-minded and inclusive, Minihane personally believed there are still some residents who “do not value an integrated community and don’t feel like it’s important to make people of color feel welcome.”

She added: “I don’t get the sense that (attitudes) have changed a lot in 40 or 50 years.”

Scrable agreed that tangible changes, whether in attitudes or policies, have been slow. He said it’s going to take time and everyone working together to make Golden a more welcoming and inclusive place.

e two described how the Golden Anti-Racism Collective has become a place where people can share their experiences, examine systemic racism’s impact on the community, and nd ways to improve Golden for current and future generations.

As of last month, GAC has about

years later. Ownership was restricted to “members of the Caucasian race.”

ese accounts are just glimpses of Golden’s treatment of people of color, but Tellis emphasized how they demonstrate “institutionalized

the state’s first Black U.S. district court judge. She also recalled how

e Post’s society section ran pictures of positive stories happening in the Black community.

“I do think it began to change in the ’80s,” Daniel continued. “ ere were positive stories (but) … the stereotypes were still going on.”

Diversity in the newsroom also seemed to improve during this timeframe, the sisters said. They recalled Reynelda Muse, the first Black person to anchor a newscast in Colorado, and Bertha Lynn, who started in Denver television in 1976.

While a lot has changed in how traditional outlets cover Black people and Black communities, the sisters believe there’s still plenty of bias. Rogers admitted that she avoids local news because there are still more negative stories about Black people than positive ones.

“I think there absolutely still is biased coverage,” she said. “I don’t want, every day, to hear

400 members on an email list and a few dozen who come to its regular meetings. ere are several subgroups within the Golden Anti-Racism Collective that tackle di erent topics such as policy and policing, education, and books and media.

While the bulk of the members are White, any Goldenites of color are welcome to join and participate as they’re able, the members said.

e group has established a unique partnership with the Golden Police Department, as some of its members sit on the department’s community engagement group, GAC member Sandra Knecht explained. GAC and other community members have given feedback on various department policies, particularly around use of force.

GAC members also try to comment on City Council discussions and participate in other local matters, including education, youth outreach and a ordable housing. In doing so, the group has developed partnerships with Shelton Elementary, the Golden Library, Colorado School of Mines student groups, Golden United and other groups that share GAC’s goals.

Similar to GAC, Golden United formed after the 2016 election as “there was a fair amount of division, nationally and locally,” Ronnie Rosenbaum said. e group sought to bring people together and encourage respect for those who have di erent ideas and opinions.

Rosenbaum, who’s vice president on Golden United’s board of directors, described the partnership between Golden United and

anti-Black behaviors and norms” in the area. So, he said, it’s no surprise that the Black Panther Party, an organization that “unapologetically called for Black liberation and the dismantling of White supremacist power structures, would catch the

about, ‘there’s another Black person who got in trouble.’”

In the country

Going back through American history, the Urban Spectrum’s Porter described other incidents where media outlets didn’t give Black people the bene t of the doubt. He listed the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and the Emmitt Till lynching as examples of the media portraying those involved as “guilty until proven innocent,” adding how the trend has persisted into today’s coverage of police shootings and similar incidents.

“And it seems as though that mentality continues to manifest in those organizations in their treatment of our community,” he said. “And so, it’s always the bad news. ere’s really never any positive re ections.”

Regarding news coverage of the Black Panther Party, the journalism professor described it as a peaceful organization that was responding to violence “against

GAC, saying the two groups and others joined forces for a rally in summer 2020 and pushed City Council to approve the “Golden Stands with Black Lives” banner on Washington Avenue.

Minihane stressed how the GAC believes systemic racism impacts all Golden residents, regardless of race, and recommended locals read “ e Sum of Us” by Heather McGhee to learn more about that impact.

For the City of Golden

In summer 2020, the Golden City Council produced a series of resolutions meant to address its history of racial exclusion and racist domination of non-White groups, Tellis stated.

ese resolutions included:  Resolution 2736 – Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis

Resolution 2747 - Declaring Support for Black Lives and Racial Equity rough a Public Display, and

Resolution 2748 - Declaring A Commitment to Anti-Racism Actions

Resolution 2736 states, “the Golden City Council recognizes that racial inequities have become institutionalized in the policies and practices of many agencies, governmental and otherwise. Council recognizes the need to examine seemingly neutral policies and practices to determine whether they are contributing to inequity and, where needed, change or eliminate the policy or practice as cities have a long history of decision and policy making that have resulted in classist and racist outcomes.”

ire of local reporting.”

Tellis added: “Golden has displayed a deep commitment to the marginalization of Black people. To re ect on this legacy is pivotal if we desire to not replicate the racial strife and injustice of our past.”

African-American people in an attempt to say, ‘We will protect our community.’”

“ e idea was that Black folks with guns clearly scared the hell out of people,” Porter continued. “Because obviously, if you’ve got a gun, then you’re going to be violent. And it’s only that mentality because of our profession (as journalists). Our profession has continued to promote that re ection — still does, to this day.”

As for Golden and the Transcript’s coverage of the Black community, Porter believed it likely made Black residents feel unsafe and unwelcome, saying, “ ey know that any coverage of them will not be balanced and fair.”

Fairness and racial equity are concepts Golden, Denver, the United States and journalism as a profession need to work on, he stated.

“I don’t see our profession doing enough work in that area,” Porter said. “I hear the talk. But I’m not seeing anything to back it up.”

Building on that, the city hired a consultant in June 2021 to develop a Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan based on community input. After developing it for more than a year, the plan outlined four goals:

Create a culture of inclusion and belonging throughout the community of Golden; Increase access to services and resources for diverse community members;

Foster an organizational culture and environment within the City of Golden that’s committed to racial equity, diversity and inclusion; and Expand economic opportunities for diverse businesses.

Along with the REDI Action Plan, the consultants also recommended dozens of strategies toward these goals and an implementation plan.

For instance, public documents and other information should be available to those who don’t speak English or have di erent abilities. City boards and commissions should have a more inclusive recruiting process to ensure diversity among their members.

e city also should host training about Golden’s history, structural racism and implicit bias.

e City Council adopted the REDI Action Plan in December 2022 and called on the community to ensure Golden achieves the four goals in a timely, e ective way.

e plan was developed with race as the leading element because of how widespread and

FOR THE RECORD

damaging racial inequalities are in the United States, according to city consultants. However, the REDI Action Plan is overall intersectional, examining how to make Golden a better place for people of all ages, abilities, gender identities, sexual orientations, socioeconomic backgrounds, religions and other demographics.

O cials said the next step is to assemble an implementation team of community members and city sta ers to make recommendations to City Council on how to achieve goals. Golden expects to assemble the team this spring.

In a Feb. 10 email, Mayor Laura Weinberg highlighted city o cials and community members’ ongoing work to “live up to our value as a welcoming and inclusive city.”

“I applaud the Golden Transcript’s work to identify its role in racial inequities in the past and its role in systemic racism,” she stated. “ e City of Golden has undertaken similar work … (and) I look forward to this year’s actions to take the information from our new REDI plan and put community-driven solutions into practice.”

For the Golden Transcript

While the Transcript’s ownership and newsroom has changed greatly since the late 1960s and early ‘70s, it’s not immune from the biases and attitudes that riddled its past coverage and contributed to systemic racism in and around Golden.

Scrable said reading the Transcript’s past coverage of the Black community can be “demoralizing,” but even recent stories have failed to represent Black voices.

He pointed to an Aug. 31, 2020 Transcript story about City Council’s decision to display a “Golden Stands With Black Lives” banner over Washington Avenue. e story said the banner would be displayed for 60 days, “an amount of time intended to symbolize how long it took for slave ships to cross the Atlantic.”

Scrable and his GAC co-chairs did advocate for 60 days, but they never assigned any symbolism or signicance to the number.

“It might’ve been said (in the meeting), but it wasn’t us,” Scrable said of GAC. “It was a misquote.”

After the Aug. 31, 2020 story, Scrable received about 20 phone calls from people upset about the supposed symbolism. He felt the Transcript hadn’t done enough research and ultimately misrepresented the facts, and that insensitivity created a

A banner reading “Golden Stands with Black Lives” hangs from the iconic “Welcome to Golden” sign over Washington Avenue in September 2020. After declaring racism as a public health crisis in 2020, among other e orts, Golden recently adopted a Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan.

very frustrating experience.

He wanted the Transcript to ensure there are positive stories about people from historically marginalized groups, and do better educating Goldenites about their neighbors’ achievements and experiences.

Scrable added: “I’m looking to the Transcript to paint a positive picture for all people of color … and representing ‘all’ versus ‘a few.’”

e Colorado Community Media newsroom acknowledges it has work to do, and this February 2023 report is only the rst step in what the team hopes will open a wider conversation about systemic racism and media coverage for years to come. Working on this report brought CCM sta members faceto-face with outdated practices and implicit biases.

Going forward, CCM’s goal is to include more voices of color in the newsroom and on the pages of its two dozen publications, Publisher Linda Shapley said. CCM wants to ensure all local voices are heard and included, while also re ecting on racial equity, diversity and inclusion. CCM will strive to consider the lenses through which the sta decides to cover stories in the rst place. Appreciating di erences in CCM’s coverage areas, like history and culture, will guide the newsroom in its e orts.

Other newspapers such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, e Kansas City Star, Philadelphia Inquirer and more have done similar analyses of their past coverage, and the Transcript encourages other newspapers in the region and across the country to do so as well, Shapley said, adding that it wouldn’t have been possible without a Colorado Media Project grant.

For all journalists, Porter stressed the importance of continuing to diversify newsrooms and ensuring fair, balanced and objective coverage and “stop convicting people without evidence.”

He called on more publications to review their past coverage and acknowledge its harmful impacts, saying it’s important to shine a light on the truth, to be honest and to be transparent.

“If we’re ever going to get past this, it’s going to take some truth-telling,” he said. “It will be hard. It will be difcult. But it really is one of the last vestiges to make this country what it said it was in the beginning — freedom and liberty for all. Which has not been the case for us.”

Jameka Lewis, Allan Tellis, Kristen Fiore, Rylee Dunn, Christy Steadman, Steve Smith and Deborah Grigsby contributed to this report. Greg Moore contributed as an editor.

COURTESY OF THE CITY OF GOLDEN

Early education program raises concerns

populations, could slip through the cracks as their families encounter confusing terminology, bureaucratic barriers, and uncertainty about their rights.

preschool program that will end after this school year.

families who have children with disabilities.

BY ANN SCHIMKE CHALKBEAT OF COLORADO

As state leaders prepare to launch Colorado’s free preschool program next fall, some educators and advocates fear young children with disabilities will lose out under the new system.

ey say 3-year-olds could be rejected for a spot and 4-year-olds could receive less preschool than they’re due because of the narrow way the state asks about children with disabilities on its preschool application form.

In addition, school district ocials say that unanswered questions about special education funding and confusion over how two state agencies will work together on the preschool program are a troubling sign for a major new program that will start in a matter of months.

While many early childhood advocates and providers have praised Colorado’s plan to signi cantly expand publicly funded preschool, there’s ongoing concern that the rollout is being rushed.

“I think the [Colorado Department of Early Childhood] was pushed into something very quickly,” said Callan Ware, executive director of student services in the Englewood district south of Denver.

Ashley Stephen, business services director for the Platte Canyon district, said she’s excited about universal preschool, but also nervous because communication from the state “so far has been a little bit harried and a little bit unclear.”

e 7-month-old Department of Early Childhood is responsible for running the new preschool program, with the Colorado Department of Education overseeing some aspects related to students with disabilities.

e program will o er 10 to 15 hours a week of tuition-free preschool to 4-year-olds statewide, with some eligible for 30 hours. Some 3-year-olds will be eligible for 10 hours a week. Despite concerns about how the preschool program is unfolding, there’s no option to slow things down. In the last 2½ weeks, more than 22,000 families have applied for a seat and thousands more are expected to join them in the coming months.

Amid this surge, advocates worry that some children with disabilities, especially those from marginalized

“I support and appreciate the idea of universal preschool programming,” said Pam Bisceglia, executive director of Advocacy Denver, an advocacy group for people with disabilities. “My question is whether those programs are going to be lled with children of parents who enjoy privilege.”

Preschool application poses challenges

Children with disabilities are supposed to get priority for 10 hours a week of class time at age 3 and 30 hours a week at 4.

But Heather Hanson, whose 9-year-old son was diagnosed with a speech delay as a toddler and later with dyslexia, believes the state’s new preschool program will make it even harder than it is now for young children with disabilities to get the help they need.

e universal preschool application is part of the reason. It asks parents if their child has “an active Individualized Education Program” — a fancy name for a federally required learning plan for students 3 and older with disabilities.

But many children don’t get such plans until after they enroll in school. A young child with a delay may not even have been evaluated or received a diagnosis. Even when children are identi ed as toddlers, their plan has a di erent name and acronym than the one on the preschool application.

Hanson, who served on a special education subcommittee during the universal preschool planning process, called the wording on the application “horrible” and “discriminatory.”

“All of those really big words should not be used,” she said. Even the word “disability” might deter some parents.

Lucinda Hundley, who heads the Colorado Consortium of Directors of Special Education, said, “We don’t want to miss children because of an answer on a computerized registration system.”

Risk factors change under universal preschool

Currently, Colorado children with disabilities can be routed to state-funded preschool in one of two ways. ose who have Individualized Education Programs get classes through thepreschool special education program. Another group of children who have one of 10 risk factors — such as language delays or poor social skills — qualify for a state

Kids in that second group don’t have to have a diagnosis or special learning plan to qualify for free preschool.

But under the new universal preschool program, the state will use fewer risk factors to decide who can attend for free at age 3 and get extra hours at age 4. One of them is the Individualized Education Program.

e others consider whether the child is homeless, an English learner, in foster care, or comes from a lower-income family.

Hundley said there’s no way for a parent who suspects their child might have a disability to ag their concern when applying for universal preschool.

O cials from the early childhood department and education department said in an email that state law requires the Individualized Education Program criteria on the universal preschool application. Hundley said it’s unlikely the law would disallow additional criteria that might help capture students with potential disabilities.

Several advocates said the wording should be simpler and more general: “Do you think your child could use some extra help?” or “Do you have concerns about your child’s speech or behavior?

Laurie Noblitt, director of elementary and early learning for the Fountain-Fort Carson district, said her district has elded calls from parents whose 3-year-old children don’t qualify for free preschool according to the application system.

ey say things like, “I’m really worried about my child’s language, they’re only speaking in one- or twoword phrases,” she said.

In such cases, Noblitt said, the district helps get the child evaluated and into preschool, but she worries about the families who don’t make that phone call.

ree-year-olds whose parents don’t know how to navigate the system stand to lose out on free preschool altogether and 4-yearolds with disabilities could get just 15 hours a week, half what they’re supposed to.

Hanson said those extra hours can make a big di erence since students with disabilities sometimes need double or triple the repetition and exposure to classroom learning compared with their typically developing peers.

e low number of hours o ered to 3-year-olds also puts a burden on parents, said Elisa Aucancela, executive director of El Grupo Vida, a nonpro t that supports Hispanic

Her brother, who has a 3-year-old daughter with a disability, is “still struggling due to the part-time [hours] for 3-year-olds” she said. “It’s a really di cult challenge for some families because what are they going to do for the other half of the time when they need to work?”

Special education funding in question

Several school district leaders worry about how the state is handling $33 million that used to go to school districts to help cover preschool special education costs. ey fear the money — which amounts to $36,000 a year in small districts like Englewood and up to $4 million in large districts — now will be mixed into the general universal preschool funding pot, and won’t be set aside for services for students with disabilities.

If that happens, districts will have to use local dollars to cover lost state money since they’re legally required to cover special education services. Hundley said that means funding for sta like psychologists and speech therapists who provide mandated services to students with disabilities gets diverted from other district priorities. Even thoughstate funding for special education has increased in recent years, districts still cover about twothirds of those costs out of their local budgets.

State o cials estimate they’ll spend at least $33 million — and possibly more — on what they call “general education” seats for students with disabilities. But Hundley said school districts want the state to direct that money speci cally to special education services, which is how it has been used in the past.

Beyond money, the uncertainty about funding raises questions about how two state agencies — the early childhood department and the education department — are divvying up overlapping responsibilities.

In response to Chalkbeat’s questions about funding for preschoolers with disabilities, the education department rst referred questions to the early childhood department. Afterthe two agencies signed an agreement this week outlining how they’d work together, the early childhood department referred questions to the education department. On Friday, the two departments released emailed answers together. Neither granted an interview.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Fears flare that free preschool could shortchange kids with learning delays

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Mountain Rose at Odde's Music Grill @ 8:30pm

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Black Market Translation @ 7pm Trailside Saloon, 10360 Colorado Blvd, Thornton

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Prairie View’s Vigil gets shot at third straight state title

Four T-Hawks advance to state 5A wrestling tournament

LITTLETON – Prairie View’s Ane’e Vigil served notice at the class 5A Region 4 wrestling tournament at Chat eld High School. He wants a third straight state championship.

“ is has been my best season so far,” he said after a quarter nal round win against Fountain-Fort Carson’s Dayton Albrecht. “I’ve been the most con dent I’ve ever been. I’ve trained way harder this year than any other year. I’ve been working out two times a day seven days a week. I’m very con dent in my training.”

Vigil captured a regional title at 113 pounds by beating Pine Creek’s Sir Israel Pulido of Pine Creek by a major, 16-7 decision. It was the only match that required Vigil to wrestle all three periods.

He also admitted to being a little older and wiser this year.

“Everything has played out the way I thought it would .. no surprises,” Vigil said. “ ere’s always something that goes wrong. I can’t think of anything that’s gone wrong.”

PLAYOFFS

quarter. ey came back, had a big game, broke our defense down,” Torres said. “ ey are de nitely one of the top teams in (class) 4A. ey can shoot the ball. ey play highpressure defense. We need to keep our composure, be able to make the right reads, make the right shots. We need to play situationally.”

“We did a good job closing out on shots,” said coach Jay Powell. “We stopped doing some of the stu that works for us. We competed. We got a couple of our guys in foul trouble, and that hurt.”

Torres and Powell think “there’s a strong possibility” the two will meet again in the postseason.

larreal at 120 pounds. He placed fourth. Donovan Archuleta took fourth at 126 pounds. Lukas Villalobos wound up third at 215 pounds. pounds.

Vigil, who sports a record of 37-2, picked up one of those wins in the quarter nals against Albrecht. Vigil needed 1:41 to record the pinfall

“ ey shot well. ey hit some well-contested shots. We kind of gave it away,” the coach said. “We both played well. We’re hoping to be a No. 1 seed still, but we’ve got to go ahead and nish what we started. Kent did a good job, and their style of play really frustrated us. We know everybody has been swinging uphill. We’re taking everybody who comes like it’s a playo game.”

“We’re playing well. Our biggest thing is playing great help defense,” Torres said. “One of our issues is we’re slow on the help side. We’ve de nitely improved the last two weeks.”

“I want us to be stronger with the ball,” Powell said. “We have to do a lot better to get to our bigs (players with size) and playing inside out. If we do that, we crush teams.”

was trying to do.” e state tournament begins at 4:30 p.m. ursday, Feb. 16, at Ball Arena.

“I know I have a target on my

title,” Vigil said. “I don’t want to say

PVHS was 10th in the team standings.

His way to work around the pressure of being the defending state champ?

“I hate losing,” Vigil said.

ERA’s Torres finds a college to his liking

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Manhattan Christian College in Manhattan, Kan., is about seven hours from Brighton, and it will be Peyton Torres’ new home for four years of school and basketball.

He made his choice the second week in February. He’ll sign the letter of intent later this spring.

“Coaching, the culture out there.

It feels like a real family,” said the Eagle Ridge Academy basketball player. “He (coach) showed a genuine interest in my basketball ability. He said he’ll be able to set me up for a coaching job or a graduate assistant job after my four years there.”

Torres is aiming for this sort of bachelor’s degree in business and ethics and has his eye on coaching after his playing days end.

“I can make an impact on the court and o the court and still be in the sport of basketball,” Torres said. “I don’t need to be playing. I can go help kids get the opportunities they need. I like that idea.”

Torres took his visit in the rst part of February.

“I feel like that’s the best place God wanted me to be,” he said. “I was kind of thinking about it (before his o cial visit). My parents

found a weekend where we could go. I was like, ‘Yeah, this is it’ after the rst day.”

rough 14 games, Torres averaged about 10 points, ve assists and four rebounds per contest.

“I’m de nitely excited. I’m not too nervous anymore,” Torres said. “My biggest nerve thing was picking the wrong one. I’m going to play college basketball. at’s the next biggest thing in my life.”

Eagle Ridge’s Christian Seifert drives toward the basket against Kent Denver’s Aryon Molavi during a Feb. 9 game in Brighton.

PHOTO BY STEVE SMITH

Prairie View’s Ane’e Vigil ties up Fountain-Fort Carson’s Dayton Albrecht in the quarterfinal round of 113-pound matches at the class 5A Region 4 tournament at Chatfield High School Feb. 10. Vigil pinned Albrecht in 1:41, won the regional championship and qualified for the state tournament.

PHOTO BY STEVE SMITH

Riverdale Ridge defeats Fort Morgan

92-14 in ornton Feb. 9. scored 25 points for the Ravens. Cimione Martinez tossed in 13. Payton

uted 12, and Alissa Neurauter added RRHS takes an 18-3 record into the state 4A playo s begin Tuesday, Feb.

Brighton’s Braaden Heinz is about to wrap up a quarterfinal round win over Chatfield’s Shiloh Van Overmewen at the class 5A region 4 tournament at Chatfield High School Feb. 10. Heinz, who won this match by pinfall in 43 seconds, won the 120-pound regional title and earned a spot in the state meet.

Riverdale Ridge’s Brihanna Crittendon soars above Fort Morgan’s BElla Philliops for this field-goal attempt during a Feb. 9 game in Thornton.

PHOTO BY STEVE SMITH

Age is not a factor in heart disease risk

Heart issues can attack all ages

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

It is a common myth that heart disease does not a ect the younger population. However, Dr. Je Park, a cardiologist with Aurora Denver Cardiology Associates at e Medical Center of Aurora says that is a common myth.

“High long standing blood pressure issues with long standing cholesterol issues, long standing diabetes, yeah, that puts you at higher risk for sure,” said Park. “But there’s de nitely a genetic component.”

Heart disease can present itself in many ways to di erent people and may not always be obvious.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, diabetes and unhealthy eating patterns are appearing among younger people and placing them at a higher risk for heart disease.

“ e patients are getting younger, we’ve had heart attacks in patients who are in their twenties,” said Park.  ere are certain genetic conditions where individuals are at increased risk of having a heart attack, Park said. Cholesterol issues is a primary indicator.

One example given by Park is a condition called familial hypercholesterolemia, or FH. is is a genetic disorder where people have high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. People have a predisposition for heart disease at that point as the body can-

not recycle bad lipids, Park said.

“You’re like ‘I’m too young to see a doctor’ and I’m guilty of that same concept, you know, but it’s a matter of if you get identi ed early on, it’s a matter of your treatment starts earlier and you’re protected early,” said Park.

Park says it’s never too soon to check one’s heart health. e American Heart Association has ways to help prevent heart disease throughout each stage of life, starting when at 20 years and older.

Heart disease is a man’s disease

“ at’s a false, false, false statement,” said Park. “I think I’ve treated more women than I have treated men, or at least equally, and I guess it’s a matter of what’s the cause of the heart disease that you’re talking about.”

According to Park, heart disease and heart attacks in women present them-

selves di erently from men.

It might notbe the typical chest pain and it might not be the typical exertional component that people tend to think about, said Park. Women can feel some indigestion but end up having a heart attack.

A map presented by the CDC shows heart disease death rates among women 35 and older across the U.S.

According to the CDC, between 2018 and 2020, the Colorado average estimated heart disease death rate for all races and ethnicities in women 35 and older was 195 per 100,000 people. e average estimated number for Douglas County was 154.

Symptoms do not always occur while the body is doing physical activity, Park said, symptoms can arise while the body is resting.

“Even if you’re feeling great, you never know,” said Park.

Report on long COVID sees big numbers

Anshutz. Jolley is also the medical director of the UCHealth Post-COVID Clinic, one site of a national study looking at recovery after COVID.

Chelsey B., 49

after COVID.”

BY JOHN DALEY COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO

State o cials have released their rst estimate of how many people in Colorado have been hit by long COVID-19. e gure is staggering: Data suggest that between 230,000 and 650,000 Coloradans may have been a ected.

With a state population of nearly 6 million, the data suggest as many as one in 10 Coloradans have experienced long COVID, according to the report from e O ce of Saving People Money on Healthcare in the lieutenant governor’s o ce. And many of them have struggled to nd treatments and answers about what can be a life-altering illness.

People with post-COVID conditions can have a wide range of symptoms, including fatigue, brain fog and headaches, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ose may be prolonged, lasting weeks, months, or even years after infection.

Some patients described their challenges in a January segment on CPR’s Colorado Matters.

“I think that’s what’s so unclear about long COVID and potentially concerning about those numbers is that we certainly know some people recover,” but most haven’t, said Dr. Sarah Jolley, a researcher with CU

Jolley said only 30 to 40 percent of long COVID patients have returned to their individual health baseline so far, based on what she’s observed and seen in research.

“ ere are a number of folks where symptoms persist much longer and so it’s hard to estimate what proportion of that 600,000 will have longerterm symptoms versus shorter-term long COVID symptoms,” she said. “I would say the minority of individuals that we’ve seen have had complete recovery.”

e implications of that are enormous, Jolley said, both in terms of so-called long-haulers’ quality of life as well as Colorado’s workforce, education, health care and other systems.

Jolley said the best protection and prevention against long COVID is getting fully vaccinated, including the latest booster. “We know that vaccination lessens the risk of long COVID, lessens the severity of initial disease,” she said, noting the lagging number of people getting the omicron booster in Colorado. Currently, only about a quarter of eligible people in the state have received the omicron booster, according to the state’s vaccine dashboard, far below the uptake for the initial series of vaccines.

e report includes testimonials from Coloradans that provide a window into what its authors described as the “immense human costs” of the illness:

“I went from being a t, active, successful and nancially secure professional in the prime of life to a broken — and broke — person,” Chelsey reported. “COVID kills some people outright; many of us with long COVID are dying, too — just very slowly and painfully.”

Melissa, 54

“Four months after my initial symptoms in March 2020, my heart still raced even though I was resting,” Melissa reported. “I could not stay in the sun for long periods; it zapped all of my energy. I had gastrointestinal problems, brain fog, extreme fatigue, ringing in my ears and chest pain.”

Melissa said her condition improved but reported that she was still feeling symptoms nearly three years after her initial COVID infection.

Amanda, 35

Amanda reported testing positive for the coronavirus in November 2020. “COVID has wrecked the person I thought I was before. I now have been forced to go back to full time work against my cardiologist recommendations,” she said.

“ is was in fear of losing my job I’ve had for 7 years! I am 35 years old and have heart problems I’ve never had before,” including a racing heart rate that becomes elevated from a laying down position to standing.

“I am newly engaged and scared to think about having children due to what COVID has done to my body. I am 100 percent a di erent person

e report also notes there’s a signi cant overlap between long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. One resident named Jane described suffering from that condition.

“ e illness severely limits my participation in my grandchildren’s lives, and my own daily life. I can only be vertical for one to one and a half hours at a time, and then I have to rest for an extended period,” she said. “I miss out on so much, and activities of daily living such as housekeeping, exercising, and socializing are severely limited.”

e long COVID report is the rst such annual summary authored by e O ce of Saving People Money on Healthcare for the governor and lawmakers.

e state aims to develop baseline data and monitor the e ects of COVID-19 on Colorado’s economy, workforce, medical and long-term care needs, health care a ordability and educational attainment.

e report notes the illness is uncharted territory, both for medicine and government policy. It recommends better data collection and disease surveillance, collaboration between various institutions and improved care access for patients facing challenges at home, work or school.

Another data point about the impact of long COVID comes from insurance claims. e Center for Improving Value in Health Care provided the state with a dataset of

SEE COVID, P23

As many as 1 in 10 Coloradans could have been a ected

Libraries keep closing for meth

Should they solve the problem?

BY OLIVIA PRENTZEL AND JENNIFER BROWN THE COLORADO SUN

Librarians will tell you the role of public libraries hasn’t changed — they’ve always been a community space open to all, with a mission to educate and serve.

What changes is the world outside, and whatever is going on in society, will go on in the library. e rise in homelessness, untreated mental illness and drug use have forced libraries to adapt, from extensive sta training in how to de-escalate outbursts to hiring social workers and security guards. is winter, though, libraries across suburban Denver were hit with a new challenge. One by one, they tested for methamphetamine residue in their bathrooms and air vents, fearful that sta and the public were in danger from the toxic contamination left behind by patrons smoking drugs in the bathrooms.

In an extraordinary domino e ect, four libraries, some of the last public spaces welcome to everyone, closed.

Some libraries hoped the public would see the closures as a wake-up call, opening eyes to what they deal with every day, according to emails of library directors obtained by e Sun through public records laws. Other libraries emailed to nd out whether the rst libraries to close had overreacted or if they should test, too. All were concerned upon hearing the test results about the health of their employees.

Boulder Public Library tested in December, after the library director worried about the health of his two-person cleaning team repeatedly sent into the bathroom after reports of putrid smoke. Englewood Public Library, also plagued by meth clouds, discovered in mid-January that its bathrooms were contaminated. Littleton, “in the interest of being proactive,” was next, also nding levels of meth residue exceeding the state health department’s legal limit. Arvada followed last week.

Pikes Peak Public Library District said Jan. 19 it would remain open as samples are taken from all 15 locations

in Colorado Springs as a “proactive action” though there was no known meth exposure. It later scaled back, deciding to test only the bathrooms at three of the most popular branches.

e meth closures in Colorado made national news, from People magazine to e New York Times. Public reaction vacillated between accusing the libraries of causing hysteria to wondering how far society has sunk.

Of the four libraries that closed, only Boulder has reopened, though the bathrooms are sealed o by a temporary wall and plastic until they are cleaned by a professional meth lab remediation company. e Boulder library was closed for three weeks. Englewood has been shut down for nearly a month, and Littleton for two and a half weeks. Arvada closed more than a week ago.

Boulder library director David Farnan doesn’t regret closing the doors, even though he said he learned from local and state health o cials within a few days of the closure that no one’s health was ever at risk. After 14 incidences of drug use in about three weeks, he’d already had a policy in place to shut down the bathrooms and not let anyone — even the cleaning crew — enter if there were fumes in the air.

But just because no one’s health was at risk, that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable, he said.

“We have to do everything we can to prevent this from ever happening again,” Farnan said. “We can’t have a public library and have meth use going on in the bathroom. at’s just a nobrainer.”

So the library will again nd a way to adapt. e plan is to keep the restrooms closed to the public, except for children accompanied by their parents and people who have a medical condition. It’s the best way Farnan sees to preserve the library’s mission to serve all, whether they are parents and kids coming to story time, seniors using the internet or people who sleep outside.

“It’s one of the few places where anyone can go, everyone is treated with decency and you don’t have to buy anything,” he said. “ at’s rare. e value of having a public place is extraordinary.”

Colorado’s standard for meth

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contamination isn’t based on public settings

Here is how many reports of patrons a ected by meth contamination the libraries received:

Zero.

Two Boulder library employees reported feeling “dizzy” after walking into a smoke- lled room in late November and were checked out by paramedics, but both had normal vital signs and no evident symptoms of narcotics exposure.

And for public health experts who have studied meth exposure, that doesn’t come as a surprise.

“I think the health risks when we nd that amount — by design — are negligible,” said Mike Van Dyke, whose research on meth exposure helped establish the state’s decontamination procedures and sampling requirements.

In Colorado, a space is considered contaminated if meth residue is detected at levels above 0.5 micrograms per 15.5 square inches. e threshold is based on a child being exposed for a long period inside a home.

“It was really established for the worst-case exposure, which would be a toddler living 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in a contaminated home crawling over carpets, putting their hands in their mouth, doing all of those things,” said Van Dyke, now a professor at Colorado School of Public Health.

But public restrooms are a far di erent setting than one’s living room.

Nonporous tiled oors and countertops make it easy to wipe o meth residue, which is very water soluble. People don’t spend much time in a public restroom and typically try to avoid touching surfaces to limit the spread of germs.

“So let’s say you touch a surface, you wash your hands before you leave. You’ve generally washed the vast majority of meth o of yourself even if you were exposed,” he said.

“ ere’s really low opportunity for exposure.”

Even so, libraries are being held to an “inappropriate” standard not designed to measure meth exposure in public settings.

“ e only standard they have is one that’s inappropriate, and from a risk-

management perspective, their only real recourse is to clean it up to that one standard that exists,” Van Dyke said.

At the libraries in Boulder, Littleton and Englewood, meth residue that exceeded the state’s threshold was detected in the exhaust ducts in the bathrooms and on bathroom surfaces. Cleanup will cost tens of thousands. Englewood received an estimate of $38,000 to $45,000 for state contractors to decontaminate the library, according to an email sent to its sta . Boulder’s bill is tallying $105,000 so far, with an additional $68,000 in cleaning costs expected.

resholds requiring a space to decontaminate detected meth residue vary per state, with some states having much higher limits than Colorado. In Wyoming, for example, the threshold requiring decontamination is set at 1.5 micrograms, according to a 2019 review by e International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

But few, if any, have standards set for public spaces.

Colorado’s threshold is used for all spaces where meth is detected, but it was designed around longer exposure times, speci cally where someone is exposed to that level of meth for 24 hours, then reduced by 25 as a safeguard for toddlers, said Dr. Karin Pacheco, an allergist and occupational medicine expert at National Jewish Health.

“And that’s the case for most of these government levels — there is a protection factor built in to account for the more vulnerable people who may be exposed,” Pacheco said. “We need to look at where it’s being used and make sure that that usage is reduced, but the actual exposure itself, it’s unlikely to be harmful.”

Symptoms after being exposed to meth for a short period of time can include irritability, jitteriness and a fast heart rate. For kids, symptoms will likely be more severe.

Tests are limited in what they reveal — meth contamination could be present for long periods of time before it’s ever detected. Like in air ducts, for example.

SEE METH, P23

and necessity to approve the request.

Once the project is in operation, the cost of the investment is passed on to consumers through an increase in base utility rates. PUC also has the power to set a return on investment rate, which determines the pro t that utility companies get from these investments. at ROI rate can contribute to higher prices as well.

Base rates have been increasing for years. Higher base rates make periods of extreme price pressure — usually resulting from high fuel costs or unusually cold weather conditions — even worse. e PUC can’t control those factors, but they can drive base rates down in the long run by limiting unnecessary investments by utility companies, Gilman said.

“What are we doing to really try to ensure that rate-payers are protected in the long run and (ensure) that those utility investments that end up being repaid by rate-payers are really the best use of that money, and the best option available?” she said.

Blank said that managing base rates will be part of the discussion on a ordability moving forward. Later at the meeting, the commission also approved updates to its policy for service disconnection reporting, which now will include data on areas with the highest proportions of disconnections in order to identify geographic disparities in

access to utility services.

Additionally, they made plans to meet with assistance program coordinators and utility companies to improve the e ectiveness and accessibility of low-income quali ed programs.

Access to sources of assistance like the Percentage of Income Payment Program, which limits utility costs for low income families to up to 6% of their monthly income, must be

improved, according to Gilman. e PUC has taken some steps already to make its process open and easy to understand, she said, but there’s still much room for growth when it comes to working in a mode that engages the public on addressing longterm a ordability moving forward.

“ is is a massive issue, to take this agency and all of the sudden try to humanize, try to improve accessibility, try to improve language access,

try to improve these opportunities,” Gilman said. “By no means do we have it all gured out.”

is story is from e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support e Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. e Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

Families are facing higher utility bills this year. Gov. Jared Polis is putting pressure on the state to find answers.

PHOTO BY TAYLER SHAW

CROWSSUPDRO ELZZ

TRIVIA

1. TELEVISION: What was the name of the saloon in the 1960s series “Gunsmoke”?

2. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE:

To date, how many people have walked on the moon?

3. GEOGRAPHY: What is the capital of the Canadian province Nova Scotia?

4. MOVIES: How many “Police Academy” movies have been produced?

5. U.S. STATES: Why is Indiana known as “ e Hoosier State”?

6. FOOD & DRINK: What percentage of a cucumber is water?

7. HISTORY: Which company published its rst mail-order catalog in 1872?

8. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What does the armadillo’s name mean in English?

9. LITERATURE: What is author Mark Twain’s real name?

Solution

10. CELEBRITIES: What is one of singer/actor Frank Sinatra’s famous nicknames, based on a physical attribute?

Answers

1. Long Branch Saloon.

2. 12.

3. Halifax.

4. Seven, including the original movie and six sequels.

5. e name became popular in the 1800s, likely from the poem “ e Hoosier’s Nest.”

6. 96%.

7. Montgomery Ward.

8. Little armored one.

9. Samuel Langhorne Clemens.

10. Ol’ Blue Eyes.

(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

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Public Notice

Town of Lochbuie, Colorado Ordinance No. 2023-680

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TOWN OF LOCHBUIE, COLORADO, REZONING CERTAIN PROPERTY LOCATED AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF BONANZA BOULEVARD AND EAST 168TH AVENUE FROM PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT TO COMMERCIAL DISTRICT UNDER THE LOCHBUIE LAND USE REGULATIONS AND AMENDING THE OFFICIAL ZONING DISTRICT MAP OF THE TOWN OF LOCHBUIE, COLORADO

Ordinance No. 2023-680 was passed at the February 7, 2023, regular meeting of the Town Board and will take effect on March 17, 2023. The full text of the ordinance is available for public inspection and acquisition in the Town Clerk’s Office, 703 Weld County Road 37, Lochbuie, CO 80603 and on the Town’s website at: Lochbuie.org

Heather Meierkort

Town Clerk

Legal Notice No. BSB2167

First Publication: February 16, 2023

Last Publication: February 16, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

City of Brighton

Public Notice

NOTICE OF HEARING

NOTICE is hereby given of a public hearing before the City Council of Brighton, Colorado, at 6:00 p.m. of the 7th day of March, 2023, in the City Council Chambers located in City Hall, 500 South 4th Avenue, 1st Floor, Brighton, Colorado 80601, for the purpose of considering the adoption by reference of the Model Traffic Code for Colorado, 2020 Edition, as the traffic ordinance of the City of Brighton, Colorado.

Copies of the Model Traffic Code for Colorado, 2020 Edition are on file at the office of the City Clerk and may be inspected during regular business hours. If enacted as an ordinance of this City the Model Traffic Code for Colorado, 2020 Edition will not be published in full, but in accordance with state law, copies will be kept on file.

The Model Traffic Code for Colorado, 2020

Edition is published by the Colorado Department of Transportation, Safety and Traffic Engineering Branch, 4201 East Arkansas Avenue, EP 700, Denver, Colorado 80222. The subject matter of the Model Traffic Code for Colorado, 2020 Edition relates primarily to comprehensive traffic control regulations for the City. The purpose of the ordinance and the Code adopted therein is to provide a system of traffic regulations consistent with state law and generally conforming to similar regulations throughout the state and the nation.

Following the hearing on March 7, 2023, the City Council will consider passage of the adopting ordinance on second reading.

This notice given and published by the order of the City Council.

CITY OF BRIGHTON, COLORADO

/S/ Natalie Hoel, City Clerk

Legal Notice No. BSB2169

First Publication: February 16, 2023

Last Publication: February 23, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Public Notice

ORDINANCE NO.

INTRODUCED BY: Padilla

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BRIGHTON, COLORADO, REPEALING ORDINANCE NO. 2383; ADOPTING THE MODEL TRAFFIC CODE, 2020 EDITION; SETTING FORTH DELETIONS, MODIFICATIONS, AND ADDITIONS THERETO, INCLUDING MODIFYING THE SPEED LIMIT IN ANY RESIDENCE DISTRICT FROM 30 MILES PER HOUR TO 25 MILES PER HOUR

INTRODUCED, PASSED ON FIRST READING AND ORDERED PUBLISHED THIS 7th DAY OF February, 2023.

CITY OF BRIGHTON, COLORADO /s/ GREGORY MILLS, Mayor

NATALIE HOEL, City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM:

MICHAEL DAVIS, Assistant City Attorney

COPY OF THE ORDINANCE IS

303-566-4123

The Brighton Housing Authority (BHA) is preparing its annual submission of the Moving to Work (MTW) Supplement and is seeking public comment and feedback. The draft plan will be available for review on BHA’s website at www. brightonhousing.org with a 45-day comment period beginning on February 20, 2023 and ending on April 7, 2023. A copy of the draft plan will also be available for public inspection at BHA offices at 22 S. 4th Avenue, Suite 202, Brighton, CO 80601. Comments regarding the supplement may be emailed to info@brightonhousing.org or mailed to 22 S. 4th Avenue, Suite 202, Brighton, CO 80601

Attn: Andrew Dall, Deputy Director.

The public hearing will take place at BHA offices located at 22 S. 4th Avenue, Brighton, CO 80601, at 3:00 P.M. Immediately following the public hearing for the Moving to Work activities, there will be a public hearing to review the 2023 MTW Supplement.

If you are a person with disabilities and are in need of a reasonable accommodation to access this information or public hearing, please call BHA offices at 303-655-2160.

If you have limited English proficiency and are seeking language assistance to access this public hearing, please call the office at 303-655-2160.

Legal Notice No. BSB2174

First Publication: February 16, 2023

Last Publication: March 30, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Summons and Sheriff Sale

Public NOtice District Court Adams County, Colorado Court Address: 1100 Judicial Center Drive Brighton, CO 80601 303-659-1161

Plaintiff(s)/Petitioner(s): FRED MIDCAP AS PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF JAMES THOMAS MIDCAP, JR., AKA J. THOMAS MIDCAP, JR., AKA TOM MIDCAP, AKA JAMES THOMAS MIDCAP, AKA J. THOMAS MIDCAP, DECEASED v.

Defendant(s)/Respondent(s): ALL UNKNOWN PARTIES WHO MAY CLAIM ANY INTEREST OF THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THIS ACTION

Case Number: 2023CV30129

Attorney or Party Without Attorney (Name and Address): McClary, P.C. Andrew F. McClary, Atty. Reg.#: 13363 507 Warner St., PO Box 597, Fort Morgan, CO 80701

Phone Number: (970) 867-5621; Fax Number: (970) 867-3703

SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANT(S):

You are hereby summoned and required to appear and defend against the claims of the complaint [petition] filed with the court in this action, by filing with the clerk of this court an answer or other response. You are required to file your answer or other response within 35* days after the service of this summons upon you. Service of this summons shall be complete on the day of the last publication. A copy of the complaint [petition] may be obtained from the clerk of the court.

If you fail to file your answer or other response to the complaint [petition] in writing within 35* days after the date of the last publication, judgment by default may be rendered against you by the court for the relief demanded in the complaint [petition] without further notice.

This is an action: Complaint for Declaratory Judgement in Quiet Title and to Terminate Trust

Dated: January 30, 2023

/s/ Andrew F. McClary Attorney for Plaintiff(s)/Petitioner(s)

Legal Notice No. BSB2150

First Publication: February 9, 2023 Last PublicatioMarch 9, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

v. Defendant(s): ANTHONY J HEPP

Case No.: 2022C037257

Div: 1

Attorney: Jeffrey B. Smith, Esq.

Firm Name: Altitude Community Law P.C.

Address: 555 Zang Street, Suite 100 Lakewood, Colorado 80228-1011

Phone Number: 303.432.9999

email: jsmith@altitude.law

Atty. Reg. #:40490

SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO

TO: ANTHONY J HEPP

You are hereby summoned and required to file with the Clerk of the Court an answer or other response to the complaint filed against you in this case. You are required to file your answer or other response on or before:

March 23, 2023 at 8:00 A.M., in the Adams County Court, 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, CO 80601.

The nature of this action is a proceeding in rem.

The relief sought by the Plaintiff(s) is an Injunction which will affect the following property:

1420 Swan Ave., Brighton, CO 80601-4344, also known as SUB:PLATTE RIVER RANCH FILING NO 5 BLK:14 LOT:23, Adams County, State of Colorado. (the “Property”).

If you fail to file your answer or other response on or before the date and time shown above, the relief sought may be granted by default by the Court without further notice.

Dated at , Colorado, this day of , 2023.

CLERK OF THE COURT

By: Deputy Clerk

This summons is issued pursuant to Rule 304(e), Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure. This form should not be used where personal service is desired.

WARNING: ALL FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE. IN SOME CASES, A REQUEST FOR A JURY TRIAL MAY BE DENIED PURSUANT TO LAW EVEN THOUGH A JURY FEE HAS BEEN PAID.

Legal Notice No. BSB2125

First Publication: February 2, 2023

Last Publication: March 2, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Public Notice

COUNTY COURT, COUNTY OF ADAMS, STATE OF COLORADO

Court Address: 1100 Judicial Center Drive Brighton, CO 80601

Phone Number: 303-659-1161x143

Plaintiff: PLATTE RIVER RANCH SOUTH METROPOLITAN DISTRICT

v.

First Publication: February 2, 2023 Last Publication: March 2, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Misc. Private Legals

Public Notice Notice of Demand

On August 19, 2022, Dale M. Doughman, Personal

Representative for Howard and Irene Doughman, did file a notice in accordance with C.R.S. 7-42-114 to 7-42-117 which states the following:

COMES NOW Dale M. Doughman, , Personal

Representative for Howard and Irene Doughman, after first being duly sworn, does state under oath that the Farmers’ High Line Canal and Reservoir Company certificate number 5331 for one quarter (0.25) share has been lost, mislaid, or destroyed and that said certificate is the property of Howard and Irene Doughman and has not been transferred or hypothecated by the said stockholder. Demand for issuance of a duplicate certificate in accordance with C.R.S. 7-42-114; 7-42-115 and 7-42-117, is hereby made.

Farmers’ High Line Canal and Reservoir Company will issue on or after March 19, 2023, a duplicate certificate to Howard and Irene Doughman or their legal representative or assignee, unless a contrary claim is filed with the Farmers’ High Line Canal and Reservoir Company, prior to March 19, 2023.

Legal Notice No. BSB2074

First Publication: January 19, 2023

Last Publication: February 16, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Public Notice

BEFORE THE OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO

IN THE MATTER OF THE PROMULGATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF FIELD RULES TO GOVERN OPERATIONS FOR THE NIOBRARA FORMATION, DJ HORIZONTAL NIOBRARA FIELD, ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO

CAUSE NO. 535

DOCKET NO. 220400082

TYPE: OIL & GAS DEVELOPMENT PLAN

NOTICE OF HEARING

Crestone Peak Resources Operating LLC, (Operator No. 10633) (“Crestone Peak” or “Applicant”) filed an Application with the Commission for an order to establish an Oil & Gas Development Plan (“OGDP”) on the lands identified below.

Generally, an Oil & Gas Development Plan is the process whereby an applicant obtains approval to develop oil or gas resources at one or more oil and gas location by drilling a specific number of wells. Importantly, an OGDP is not a pooling application.

Guidance/Info%20Sheet_303.e.(2).D%20Public%20Comment_20210309.pdf, or may use the eFiling system outlined below.

PETITIONS

DEADLINE FOR PETITIONS BY AFFECTED PERSONS: March 6, 2023

Any interested party who wishes to participate formally in this matter must file a written petition with the Commission no later than the deadline provided above. Please see Commission Rule 507 at https://cogcc.state.co.us, 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 http://cogcc/ documents/reg/Hearings/External_Efiling_System_Handbook_December_2021_Final.pdf for more information.

Any Affected Person who files a petition must be able to participate in a prehearing conference during the week of March 6, 2023, if a prehearing conference is requested by the Applicant or by any person who has filed a petition.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For more information, you may review the Application, which was sent to you with this Notice. You may also contact the Applicant at the phone number or email address listed below.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if any party requires special accommodations as a result of a disability for this hearing, please contact Margaret Humecki at Cogcc. Hearings_Unit@state.co.us, prior to the hearing and arrangements will be made.

OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO

By Mimi C. Larsen, Commission Secretary

Dated: January 31, 2023

Applicant Crestone Peak Resources Operating LLC c/o Jamie L. Jost Kelsey H. Wasylenky Jost Energy Law, P.C. 3511 Ringsby Court, Unit 103 Denver, CO 80216 720-446-5620 jjost@jostenergylaw.com kwasylenky@jostenergylaw.com

Legal Notice No. BSB2160

First Publication: February 16, 2023 Last

Defendant(s): TODD A GARRISON

Case Number: 2022C037256

Div.: 1 Ctrm.:

Attorney: Jeffrey B. Smith, Esq.

Firm Name: Altitude Community Law P.C. Address: 555 Zang Street, Suite 100 Lakewood, Colorado 80228-1011

Phone Number: 303.432.9999 email: jsmith@altitude.law

Atty. Reg. #:40490

SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO

TO: TODD A GARRISON

You are hereby summoned and required to file with the Clerk of the Court an answer or other response to the complaint filed against you in this case. You are required to file your answer or other response on or before:

March 23, 2023 at 8:00 A.M., in the Adams County Court, 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, CO 80601.

The nature of this action is a proceeding in rem. The relief sought by the Plaintiff(s) is an Injunction which will affect the following property:

1218 Bluejay Ave., Brighton, CO 80601-7394, also known as SUB:PLATTE RIVER RANCH FILING NO 3 BLK:5 LOT:1, Adams County, State of Colorado. (the “Property”).

If you fail to file your answer or other response on or before the date and time shown above, the relief sought may be granted by default by the Court without further notice.

Dated at , Colorado, this day of , 2023. CLERK OF THE COURT

This Notice was sent to you because the Applicant believes you may: 1) be an Owner of oil and/or gas (“mineral”) interests to be developed by the proposed OGDP; 2) own, reside, or operate a first responder agency on property within 2,000 feet of a working pad surface included in the OGDP; or 3) be otherwise entitled to notice pursuant to Commission Rule 303.e.(1).

APPLICATION LANDS

Mineral Development:

Township 3 South, Range 65 West, 6th P.M.

Section 31: All

Section 32: All

Section 33: All

Township 3 South, Range 66 West, 6th P.M.

Section 36: All

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

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

Date:April 5, 2023

Time:9:00 a.m.

Place:Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission

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

Parties to this hearing will be notified if this date, time, or place changes. For the most up-to-date information regarding the Commission’s hearing schedule, please visit https://cogcc.state.co.us/#/ home, click on “Commission Hearings,” and click on “Preliminary Agendas.”

PUBLIC COMMENT

Any party may file a public comment for the review of Commission Staff related to the abovedescribed OGDP. All public comments will be included in the administrative record for the OGDP proceeding. Parties wishing to file a public comment on the above-described OGDP may follow the instructions at https://cogcc.state.co.us/ documents/sb19181/Guidance/Mission_Change_

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to District Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before June 02, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred. Della M. Seaton

“Exhaust vents really show what’s been in the air for a week, two weeks,” Pacheco said. “It doesn’t tell you the time of the exposure.”

Libraries found needles, white rocks, bag of meth ere’s no state regulation that requires public spaces to be tested regularly for meth, so testing won’t happen unless there is reason to believe meth is being used in a speci c area.

At Boulder Public Library, the rst to close for cleanup, sta suspected drugs were being used inside the restrooms at the main branch downtown for months.

Incident reports e Sun obtained

COVID

FROM PAGE16

claims from a database of state insurance carriers, including Medicaid and Medicare.

under the Colorado Open Records Act show that 19 people were banned from the library for 364 days under drug-related suspensions last year — with most of them in November and December with seven suspensions respectively.

Burned aluminum foil was found in the stall Dec. 1. On six separate occasions that month, sta complained of a strong chemical smell coming from a stall where someone was inside. Library workers heard people discussing drugs in the bathroom stalls.

Last January, police found a woman inside a bathroom stall with a needle in her arm and three other syringes with meth in them, reports from the library show. Six months later, a patron told the library’s security that they needed help and turned in a bag of meth.

In September, someone reported that

It found around 16,000 Coloradans had gotten a long COVID diagnosis between Oct. 1, 2021, and Aug. 31, 2022. e report’s authors said that was likely an undercount based on several factors.

e o ce has also hired a senior policy advisor on long COVID, Dr.

Public Notices

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Donna Hughes, a/k/a Donna L. Hughes, a/k/a Donna Lee Hughes, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 30092

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 June 16, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Casey L. Williams, #39117

Attorney for Kristine E. Ocker

Personal Representative 203 Telluride Street, #400 Brighton, CO 80601

Legal Notice No. BSB2163

First Publication: February 16, 2023

Last Publication: March 2, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

PUBLIC NOTICE

Bertha Beisel, Decedents

Case Number: 2023PR030086

Div.: T Ctrm:

Attorney for Petitioner Law Offices of Maria Petrocco Maria Massaro Petrocco, Esq. 8690 Wolff Ct. #200 Westminster, CO 80031

Phone Number: (720) 216-5175

FAX Number: (303) 650-1450

E-mail: maria@petroccolaw.com

Atty. Reg. #: 11401

Martha

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Norman Pence also known as Norman E. Pence, Norman Eugene Pence, Dr. Norman E. Pence and Norm Pence, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 30037

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 June 2, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

drugs were being used in the secondoor men’s bathroom and guards said they started experiencing symptoms from the smoke and fumes. Sta closed, the restrooms, but the person left the library before employees could issue a suspension.

Similar problems were reported in Englewood, where last July, workers and patrons saw a man using a small, white tube to snort a white powdery substance o a table in the back of the computer lab. In September, the city’s library sta found a pile of burned tin foil, a capped syringe and a plastic capsule of saline inside a handicap bathroom stall. Sta also found a backpack with needles and drugs inside the lobby, where security footage showed a man and a woman using the drugs minutes earlier.

More than once, patrons slipped sta

Mirwais Baheej, who was unavailable for an interview.

“As far as we know, there are no other states undertaking similar work at this time although the White House has published two reports on long COVID,” said Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera in an introductory letter

c/o Alison E. Zinn, Esq. Lathrop GPM LLP 675 15th Street, Suite 2650 Denver, Colorado 80202

Legal Notice No. BSB2171

First Publication: February 16, 2023

Last Publication: March 2, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Children Services (Adoption/Guardian/Other)

notes saying that they believed drugs were being used in the men’s bathroom.

Less than a month before shutting down, a patron said he found what he thought was “a cooking kit.” Inside the small, black zippered case, there were several blades, a small plastic tube and a few small white rocks.

Days later, a nurse visiting the library advised workers to shut down the bathrooms because two people had been smoking fentanyl in the men’s room and the smoke was at dangerous levels.

This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

to lawmakers and the governor. “We do hope to partner with the federal government as we move forward.”

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

obtain personal service on the Respondent(s) at any address available; and that such efforts have failed or efforts to obtain same would have been to no avail. that the Respondent(s) cannot be found for personal service, and that the address of the Respondent(s) remain(s) unknown

Therefore, the Motion is granted.

The Court orders that the Petitioner(s) shall complete service by publication in a newspaper pubhshed in this county or as otherwise specified by the Court. Such publication shall be made as follows:

As required by Rule 6.1 of the Colorado Rules of Juvenile Procedure

Magistrate

Legal Notice No. BSB2172

First Publication: February 16, 2023

Last Publication: February 16, 2023

conduct or condition as a parent renders you unable or unwilling to give the child reasonable parental care.

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.

YOU ARE FURTHER ADVISED that a grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother or sister of the child must file a request for guardianship and legal custody of the child within twenty days of the filing of the motion to terminate parent/child legal relationship.

THE

Jayden Harrison A Child, and Concerning Valentina Burnham, John Doe Respondents S U M M O N S

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

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Public Notice DISTRICT COURT, ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO Court Address: 1100 Judicial Center Drive Brighton, CO 80601

Case Number: 21JV254 Div.: S Ctrm.:

Children: Mishaela Cottrell, Isabel Henry, Gwenyth Trout

Respondents: Jessica Henry, Jay Cottrell, Anthony Montanez, Joel Trout

Attorney or Party Without Attorney:

Name: Meredith Karre

NOTICE OF NON-APPEARANCE HEARING BY PUBLICATION INTERESTED PERSONS AND OWNERS BY INHERITANCE PURSUANT TO §15-12-1303 C.R.S. ******Attendance at this hearing is not required or expected. ******

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS:

David W. Beisel, Jr. 937 Oakmoor Dr. Fenton, MO 63026

Dorothy A. Douglas 2801 Black Hills Court Imperial, MO 63052

A non-appearance hearing on the Petition for the Determination of Heirs or Devisees or Both, and of Interest in Property is set on the following date, time and location:

Date: April 7, 2023

Time: 8:00 a.m.

Address: 1100 Judicial Center Dr.

Division T Brighton, CO 80601

A Petition has been filed alleging that the above named Decedents died leaving the following property:

Undivided interest in oil, gas and other minerals located in the South Half of the Northeast Quarter (S2NE4) of Section 1, Township 1 South, Range 68 West of the 6th P.M., Adams County, Colorado.

Note:

• You must answer the Petition within 35 days after the last Publication of this Notice.

• Within the time required for answering the Petition, all objections to the Petition must be in writing and filed with the Court.

• If no objection is filed, the Court may take action on the Petition without further notice or hearing.

Legal Notice No. BSB2166

First Publication: February 16, 2023

Last Publication: March 2, 2023

Todd A. Bower Personal Representative 27081 East Long Circle Aurora, CO 80016

Legal Notice No. BSB2114

First Publication: February 2, 2023

Last Publication: February 16, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Gilbert R. Michaud, a/k/a Gilbert Rene Michaud, a/k/a Gilbert Michaud, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 30004

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 June 3, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Casey L. Williams, #39117

Attorney for Rita I. Fuselier

Personal Representative 203 Telluride Street, #400 Brighton, CO 80601

Legal Notice No. BSB2118

First Publication: February 2, 2023

Last Publication: February 16, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

NOTICE

TO CREDITORS Estate of DENNIS WILLIAM STUDER, A/K/A DENNIS W. STUDER, A/K/A DENNIS STUDER, Deceased Case Number: 2022 PR 30982

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 June 16, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

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 15th day of March, 2023 at the hour of 11:00 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 3rd day of February, 2023.

Alana Percy Clerk of the District Court

Legal Notice No. BSB2162

First Publication: February 16, 2023

Last Publication: February 16, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Public Notice Adams County Justice Center 1100 Judicial Center Dr Brighton, CO 80601

Date Filed: January 26, 2023

Case Number: 22 JA 191

In Th Matter of the Petition Of: Luis Luna

For the Adoption Of A Child: Jovan Quiñones

Order for Publication and Mailing

The Court having considered the Motion and Affidavit of the Petit1oner(s), 1s satisfied that the Pet1t1oner(s) has/have used due d11Jgence to

Address: 11860 Pecos St. Suite 3300 Westminster, CO 80234

Phone Number: (720) 523-2950

Fax Number: (720) 523-2951

Atty. Reg. #: 39049

ORDER OF ADVISEMENT

NOTICE TO THE ABOVE-NAMED RESPON-

DENTS: Jessica Henry, Anthony Montanez

YOU ARE HEREBY ADVISED that the Guardian ad litem, has filed a Motion to Terminate the Parent-Child Legal Relationship which now exists between you and Mishaela Cottrell and Isabel Henry;

If you have any questions concerning the foregoing advisement, you should immediately contact either your legal counsel or the Court.

Done and signed this 3rd day of February, 2023. BY THE COURT: District Court Judge/Magistrate

Legal Notice No. BSB2164

First Publication: February 16, 2023

Last Publication: February 16, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Public Notice STATE OF COLORADO IN THE DISTRICT COURT COUNTY OF ADAMS Division D1 No. 22JV155

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO IN THE INTEREST OF:

Ariel Banda, Axel Banda, Alileth Gonzalez Children, and Concerning Alicia Almader-Ortiz, Guillermo Penaloza-Castro, Jesus Gonzalez Respondents S U M M O N S

To the parents, guardian, or other respondents named above, GREETINGS: Guillermo Penaloza-Castro

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.

4) That the parents are unfit;

YOU ARE FURTHER ADVISED that the Motion has been set for hearing in Division S of the District Court in and for the County of Adams, Adams County Justice Center, 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, Colorado, on the 19th day of , May 2023, at the hour of 9:30 a.m., at which time the Petitioner must prove by clear and convincing evidence 1) It is in the best interests of the child, that the parent-child legal relationship which exists between you and the child be terminated and severed; 2) That the child was adjudicated dependent or neglected; 3) That an appropriate treatment plan has not reasonably been complied with by the parent or has not been successful;

5) That the conduct or condition of the parent or parents is unlikely to change within a reasonable time; OR

1) That the child have been abandoned by their 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, 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 and 2) That it is in the best interests of the child that the parent-child legal relationship which exists between the child and the respondents be terminated and severed.

The Court, before it can terminate the parent-child legal relationship, must find that a continuation of the relationship is likely to result in grave risk of death or serious injury to the child or that your

You are further notified that the Court has set said petition for hearing on the 27th day of March, 2023 at the hour of 2:30 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 3rd day of February, 2023.

Alana Percy Clerk of the District Court