Centennial Citizen 071323

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

JULY 4

Centennial community celebrates P2

TIME FOR FUN

County fairs coming P3

LIVE BOMB

Englewood deals with house issues P4

County fairs coming to Arapahoe and Douglas counties

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Rodeos, carnival rides, live music, barbecue and more are in store for families this summer as two jam-packed fairs approach in the south metro region.

Arapahoe County Fair

e Arapahoe County Fair is returning for its 117th year, boasting a schedule of many long-time favorite events.

“It’s fun for the whole family,” said county spokesperson Anders Nelson. “Whatever you can imagine, the fair has this year.”

e event will run from July 27 to July 30 at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds, located at 25690 E. Quincy Ave. in Aurora.

Tickets, which cost $25 per day, include unlimited carnival rides, stunt dog shows, live music on the main stage, reworks, rodeos, tractor pulls, a petting farm, 4-H shows, art exhibitions and more.

Admission is free for children under three feet tall.

In addition to the shows

and rides, there will be hands-on activities and demonstrations about western history at “Heritage Hall.” Families can learn about bee keeping, meet alpacas, weave baskets and more. ere will also be contests, including a “longest potato peel” and jigsaw puzzle competitions.

New to the fair this year, a ying acrobatics show called Cirque Adventure will have performances throughout the weekend, Nelson said. e mutton busting event, in which children ride sheep, is free to watch and

costs $15 to participate in.

On ursday, the Arapahoe County Commissioners will kick o the weekend with a Western dinner full of food, music and networking, called “Boots Not Suits.” Tickets will be $50 per person and include general fair admission for ursday.

On Friday, adults can enjoy craft beer samples at the Pours on the Plains event from 6:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m., which will also include axe throwing, lawn games and live music. is event is not included in fair admission.

Saturday and Sunday will feature Colorado Pro Rodeo Association events, which will be included in general admission.

Tickets include free parking. e fair will happen rain or shine and tickets are nonrefundable.

Douglas County Fair & Rodeo

Further south, the Douglas County Fair & Rodeo will start just a day after its neighboring fair begins, with events running from July 28 until Aug. 6. e series of events will take place at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, located at 500 Fairgrounds Drive in Castle Rock.

Ticket prices vary based on speci c events, with general fair admissions at $16 on Aug. 4 and 5, the days with the most events.

During other days, admissions to the grounds are free and hours and events vary. A full schedule is available at https://www. douglascountyfairandrodeo. com/p/schedule/schedule1.

Highlights include rodeo events from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association

on Aug. 4, 5, and 6, as well as a free hometown rodeo with local contestants of all ages on July 29.

e 2023 county fair and rodeo royalty will also be crowned at the hometown rodeo event.

Llamas, dogs, horses, pigs and poultry will show o their skills and beauty at various livestock and other animal shows over the course of the fair.

Other competitions will also take place, including quilting, baking, agriculture and oriculture, 4-H and more.

On July 28, Randy Houser and Chase Bryant will perform at the outdoor arena, with general admission tickets costing $25.

On July 30, the Farm to Table event will o er a lunch bu et with locally and organically sourced ingredients and the opportunity to meet the chef and local farmers. e event is ticketed separately and will cost $70 for general tickets and $35 for kids ages two to 10. ere will also be a carnival, petting zoo, a car show, mutton busting and a parade.

A sheep takes o in the wrong direction during the mutton bustin’ event.

PHOTO BY SARA HERTWIG

Human Services Job Fair

The home at 4945 S. Delaware St. in Englewood was fenced o and boarded up July 7 after the city issued an emergency abatement order that bars anyone from living there for now because of numerous fire code violations. Authorities reported finding apparent explosive-making materials and a pipe bomb there in the days leading up to the crackdown.

City seals home after bomb found

Property can’t be inhabited until authorities give OK

BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e City of Englewood issued an emergency abatement order on July 7 for 4945 S. Delaware St., the residence where two men were arrested June 29 after one of them allegedly admitted a plan to make explosives, and where a “viable” pipe bomb was found on July 3.

e Englewood Police Department announced the emergency abatement order, which prohibits occupancy of the home, shortly after noon July 7 on social media, and the home was fenced o and boarded up within a few hours.

e police department said the emergency order was issued “in response to recent events and no additional incidents have been reported at this time.”

Englewood Director of Communications Chris Harguth provided the Englewood Herald with a copy of the order, which lists conditions deemed hazardous within the 4945 S. Delaware St. residence.

According to the order, a site inspection was conducted July 7 to check for re code violations.

e inspectors found a multitude of violations such as barricaded and

NEIGHBORHOOD HAS UNSOLVED INCIDENTS

The recent discoveries of explosive ingredients and a pipe bomb at 4945 S. Delaware St. in Englewood are not the neighborhood’s first scares related to explosives or suspicious devices. Three unsolved incidents in 2021 — which police have not publicly connected to the recent discoveries — were all in the same general area.

On Jan. 16, 2021, a passerby discovered a pipe bomb in the field beside Colorado’s Finest High School of Choice, which is directly across Delaware Street from the home where the recent discoveries were made. The Arapahoe County Bomb Squad determined it was a real explosive.

On Jan. 20, 2021, a woman walking her dog spotted a man leaving a suspicious device just feet from the playground at Rotolo Park at Huron Street and Radcli Avenue. The device at Rotolo Park was cylindrical and covered in black tape, but it was later determined not to be a real bomb.

The man who left the device at Rotolo Park was described as a white male with red hair and a short beard, Englewood police said at the time.

The third case, on March 26, 2021, also involved a real explosive device. It was found at Bannock Street and Union Avenue.

The 2021 cases resulted in no deaths, injuries or arrests.

ENGLEWOOD HERALD PHOTO

inaccessible windows and doors, storage of combustibles in large quantities and “hoarding conditions,” no smoke detectors present, and interior and exterior accumulation of trash, per the order.

e order said the site conditions pose a “serious risk / hazardous conditions which are immediately dangerous to emergency responders.”

“ e City Manager has (authorized) Code Enforcement and the Fire Marshal’s O ce to take all steps necessary to abate this threat to public safety as soon as practicable under their emergency abatement authority,” the order stated.

According to the order, the property is uninhabitable until authorization is obtained from the City of Englewood.

Homeowner was recently arrested

Michael Steven Lubotsky, 50, an owner of 4945 S. Delaware St., was arrested at the home on June 29 and was charged with possession of an explosive device. Another man, Brian Gessing, now 51, was also arrested and was charged with possessing an explosive device and drug paraphernalia.

Police and emergency responders had gone to the house after the second report of an explosion there in a fourday span. ere they reportedly found apparent bomb-making materials, cut PVC pipe, and explosive ingredients

including potassium nitrate.

Lubotsky, who allegedly admitted to a plan to make explosives, was booked into the Arapahoe County Jail June 29 but he was released a few days later on a $5,000 surety bond, records show.

Gessing was also booked into jail and remained there a little over a week. Both men were formally charged July 6 and online records show neither was held in the jail at press time.

e discovery of a “viable” pipe bomb at the residence occurred July 3, Englewood police said.

Police said they received a call around 1:39 p.m. July 3 from a resident of the home who said they found what they believed to be a pipe bomb outside the home near an air-conditioning unit.

Police shut down the 4900 block of South Delaware Street and told nearby residents to shelter in place.

e Arapahoe County bomb squad came to the scene, determined the pipe bomb was a “viable” explosive device, and rendered it safe.

e Englewood SWAT team carried out a search warrant at the home and items of evidence were seized, police said. Police did not announce any arrests in the July 3 incident.

Records from the last ve years show Englewood police have been dispatched to the home dozens of times.

In addition to the Englewood police and Arapahoe County bomb squad, other agencies that have taken part in the recent incidents include Denver Fire, which serves Englewood, and the FBI.

ARAPALERT WILL WARN OF DANGER

On July 7, in the announcement that authorities are taking control of the property at 4945 S. Delaware St. after explosive materials and a bomb were found there, the Englewood Police Department said that, if needed, an alert will be sent to any residents in the immediate area through

ArapAlert.

ArapAlert is a system that residents can sign up for to get warnings from public safety agencies. Alerts are sent through texts, calls or emails.

Residents can sign up for ArapAlert online at ace911.colorado.gov/arapalert

303-770-ROOF

Brian Gessing, now 51, was arrested June 29 following the second report of an explosion over a four-day span at 4945 S. Delaware St.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ARAPAHOE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Michael Steven Lubotsky, 50, was arrested June 29 at the Englewood home he owns after allegedly admitting to a plan to make explosives.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ARAPAHOE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Tuskegee ‘Top Gun’ James Harvey turns 100

BY DEBORAH GRIGSBY DGRIGSBY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

James Harvey remembers when there were two Air Forces.

“One comprised us, and the other was for the whites,” explained the soonto-be centenarian from his home in Lakewood, Colorado.

Harvey knows this as fact because he’s one of just a handful of remaining Tuskegee Airmen, a group of Black military pilots and airmen who fought not only against enemy aircraft but against overt racism in the same Air Force they pledged to serve.

Born July 13, 1923, in Montclair, New Jersey, James H. Harvey III was the oldest of four children born to James and Cornelia Harvey. He attended high school in Pennsylvania, where he was an outstanding student, the captain of the basketball team, class president, and graduated as valedictorian.

Harvey said he never encountered much racism until he raised his right hand, swore an oath to serve and protect his country — and entered the segregated U.S. Army.

Drafted in 1943, he was soon reassigned to the Army Air Corps, the predecessor of today’s modern U.S. Air Force.

Harvey will tell you in great detail that things in the military were di erent back then.

Very di erent — especially if you were a Black man.

“You just go with the ow,” said Harvey of how he coped. “You just go with the ow or something happens — something mysteriously happens. So, I just went with the ow.”

When asked why he did, he replied, “Because I wanted to live.”

Harvey settled into military service, classi ed as an engineer. As the war in the Paci c raged, engineers were needed to build and maintain the many makeshift jungle runways used by American forces. But Harvey was more interested in ying planes than building places for them to land. So, he applied to the Aviation Cadet Training Program in hopes of being accepted into the Tuskegee Flight Training Program in Alabama, a separate school designated for Black pilots.

In 1925 the U.S. Army War College released called “ e Use of Negro Manpower in War.” Many say this report “set the overall tone” for how the military viewed Black men.

e report stated they “lacked intelligence and were cowardly under combat conditions” and lacked the “ability

to operate complex machinery.”

To prove this, the U.S. Army set up an “experiment” in 1941 to prove the ndings of the War College Report.

Tuskegee was an experiment that was designed to fail — to prove that Black men didn’t have the capacity to y.

But instead, the program produced some of the nation’s most pro cient ghter pilots.

“I applied. I was accepted,” said Harvey. “However, I had to take an examination rst, and there were 10 of us that reported to Bolling Field to take this test — nine whites and myself.”

Both Black and white candidates took the same preliminary tests to get into the Aviation Cadet Program. Black pilots, however, would be trained at a segregated eld in Alabama.

Testing for this program was known among servicemembers to be notoriously rigorous and particularly unforgiving.

“Well, we took the examination, did everything they wanted us to do, and when the dust cleared, there were only two of us standing — this white guy and myself,” Harvey said.

Long were the hours and challenging were the tasks for Harvey, a selfdescribed perfectionist.

“If everything is perfect, there’s no challenge after that,” he said. “I never dreamed or thought about washing out in ying school. I knew I was gonna make it because I did everything right.” Because, as a Black man, he had to.

“You only had so many hours or days to learn something and if you didn’t, you were out. It’s that simple,” Harvey said. “You only had a certain amount of time to learn something and if you exceeded that time, you were gone.”

When asked if he’s still a perfectionist, he grins.

“Well, I’m back at it,” he laughs. “I got married, so that was kind of the end of the perfectionism, but my wife passed, so I’m back at it again.”

Perfectionism.

“I’ve always been that way,” Harvey said. “Like Disney, when I was growing up… the Disney characters, I’d sit down and draw them — they were better than what Disney put out!”

His favorite?

“Mickey Mouse, of course… I don’t think Minnie was on the scene yet.”

So, what should we call you?

Harvey earned his wings at Tuskegee Army Air Field on Oct. 16, 1944, near the end of the war. A graduate of Class

You’ll rarely find Tuskegee ‘Top Gun’ James Harvey III without his wings, trademark red coat and “Top Gun” hat. The hat and the coat not only represent his incredible accomplishments in a once-segregated military but an invitation to talk about — and with — history.

PHOTO BY JOHN LEYBA

Former fighter pilot who served in the once-segregated U.S. military talks missions, a missing trophy and which ‘Top Gun’ movie he prefers

Retired Lt. Col. James Harvey III looks forward to his big birthday bash to celebrate his 100th year. The former fighter pilot and Tuskegee “Top Gun” says when it comes to the Tom Cruise “Top Gun” movies, “I liked the first one better.”

PHOTO BY JOHN LEYBA

The 1949 Air Force Annual “Top Gun” Weapons Meet winners pose for an o cial photo with the competition trophy. This would be the last time they would see the trophy — until more than 50 years later. (Left to right) 1st Lt. Halbert Alexander, 1st Lt. James Harvey III, Capt. Alva Temple and 1st Lt. Harry Stewart Jr. COURTESY OF U.S. AIR FORCE

TOP GUN

44-4, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and began his career as a ghter pilot.

While many Tuskegee Airmen were already ying in Europe, protecting heavy bomber aircraft on their way to strategic targets, Harvey did not get that opportunity.

“ at’s because Hitler knew I was coming and he gave up the following month,” he joked. “I was supposed to ship in April 1945. And I had my bags packed, ready to catch the train, and I got a message the war was over and they expected the wind-up of the whole European theater.”

On July 26, 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981, creating the President’s Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services and banning segregation in the Armed Forces.

Harvey says the order was a step in the right direction, but it also meant his unit would be disbanded and its personnel integrated into other units that would “have” them.

Harvey explains how that became complicated for Black pilots.

Prior to his departure, he, and another Tuskegee Airman, Eddie Drummond, were to be transferred from Lockbourne Air Force Base in Ohio to a base in Japan. However, before they arrived, their personnel les — which included their o cial photos — were forwarded to the gaining military unit.

“So, you see, the wing commander had our picture,” Harvey said. “So, Eddie and I report to Misawa, Japan, and before we got there, he had all the pilots report to the base theater and he told them, ‘We have these two Negro pilots coming in and they will be assigned to one of the squadrons.’ e pilots said, ‘No way are we going to y with them. No way.’”

Harvey said he and Drummond were told about the meeting by the pilots themselves.

Regardless of the sentiment, Harvey and Drummond were there to stay and were assigned to a unit ying the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star.

As they wrapped up their initial meeting, Harvey said the man who would be their new wing commander casually asked, “So, what do you want us to call you?”

An uncomfortable moment of silence ensued.

“I said, ‘Well, I’m a rst lieutenant and Eddie Drummond is a second lieutenant… how about lieutenants Harvey and Drummond?’”

First ‘Top Gun’

In January 1949, the newly-recognized Air Force, thanks to the National Security Act of 1947, issued a directive to all ghter squadrons about an intramural weapons competition.

Each unit was to select its top three pilots to represent their ghter group at the rst-ever aerial gunnery meet

to be held at Las Vegas Air Force Base, Nevada.

It was o cially called the United States Continental Gunnery Meet, which would later evolve into the USAF William Tell Competition. Other derivatives would include Gunsmoke and Red Flag.

Harvey’s unit, the 332nd Fighter Group, selected 1st Lt. Harvey III, 1st Lt. Harry Stewart Jr., and Capt. Alva Temple. ey were all Black pilots, including the alternate pilot, 1st Lt. Halbert Alexander.

“We met with Col. Davis (Col. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.), prior to leaving for the competition,” Harvey said. “We chit-chatted, and his nal remark was, ‘If you don’t win, don’t come back.’ And with those words of encouragement, o we went.”

It was May 1949.

e competition for “Top Gun” would prove formidable in the conventional piston category, ying the North American P-51 Mustang and the North American F-82 Twin Mustang.

ese were some of the best pilots and aircraft maintenance teams in the country ying some of the most advanced aircraft in inventory.

“And we’re ying the obsolete P-47 underbolt,” Harvey said “It was big, clumsy — and heavy.”

e lineup consisted of two missions of aerial gunnery at 12,000 feet, two missions of aerial gunnery at 20,000 feet, two dive-bombing missions, three skip-bombing missions, and a panel-stra ng mission.

“Well, we won the meet,” said Harvey. “Our closest competitor was the P-51 out t… they were only 515,000 points behind us.”

They were the winners, but…

Each year, the Air Force Association publishes an almanac citing overall force strength, statistics and such — including all winners of the weapons meet from 1949 through the present day.

“But, each year when that almanac came out, the winner of the 1949 weapons meet was mysteriously listed as ‘unknown,’” Harvey points out. “We didn’t nd out, we, meaning us, the Tuskegee Airmen, didn’t nd out about this magazine until 1995.”

It was only by chance Harvey’s group commander stumbled across an almanac and noticed the winner of the 1949 U.S. Air Force Weapons Meet was “unknown.”

e almanac was corrected in April 1995 to show the 332nd Fighter Group as the o cial winners of the 1949 weapons meet.

ough the records were xed, one more mystery would remain.

‘That trophy will never be on display’

As winners of the rst Air Force “Top Gun” competition in the pistonengine division, Harvey and his team were brought into a hotel ballroom where the almost 3-foot-tall stainless steel victory cup sat on a table. at was in 1949.

ey had a photo made with the trophy and it was the last day any of

them would see it until more than half a century later.

In 1999, Zellie Rainey-Orr got involved with the Tuskegee Airmen as the result of a Tuskegee Airman pilot from her Mississippi hometown who died in combat — 1st Lt. Quitman Walker.

Rainey-Orr confesses, until that day, she never knew much about the Tuskegee Airmen.

She was about to get a rsthand lesson from the men who were there.

“I thought I was just gonna go and put a ower on the grave of Quitman Walker,” she said. “I assumed he was buried here in Indianola, Mississippi and that’s when I would learn that no one knew where he was buried.”

Rainey-Orr reached out to the Walker family in an attempt to help locate the airman’s remains. rough her quest to help, she would eventually meet Alva Temple, the captain of the 1949 “Top Gun” team at a 2004 event to award Walker’s medals posthumously, at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi.

It was there that she learned of the missing trophy.

“I just felt a connection,” Rainey-Orr said.

Unable to resist, she began a quest to locate it.

Not knowing what the trophy looked like, and with Temple, at that time, in failing health, she reached out to the family in hopes of nding more details.

Someone in Temple’s family mentioned that there was a newspaper story covering the event, dated May 12, 1949, on a bedroom dresser. at clipping provided Rainey-Orr with enough information to start contacting military bases and museums.

Within a week, she received a response from the National Museum of the United States Air Force, in Dayton, Ohio.

“ ey said they had the trophy and attached a photo,” she said.

Rainey-Orr called Temple’s family on Sunday, Aug. 29 to share the good news, but was told Temple had passed the day before.

“It was almost like his spirit guided me,” she said. “I didn’t know the story or the impact. I was just looking for a trophy.”

Oddly, while it took Rainey-Orr less than a week to locate a trophy that had been missing for more than 50 years, it would take her much longer to get the U.S. Air Force to agree to bring it out of mothballs.

“I was talking to the historian at the Air Force Museum, the one who sent the photo, and I said I’d love to come see it,” she recalled. “And he (the historian) said, ‘It’s not on display — and it will never be on display.’”

Rainey-Orr was confused.

She thought that this was an important piece of Air Force history, it was the rst nationwide gunnery competition since the end of the war and it was the rst time that Black pilots had participated.

Why wouldn’t they want the trophy displayed?

After a lot of back-and-forth negotiations, the Air Force agreed to let the trophy be shown.

In December of the same year, Air Force Museum representatives took the trophy out of storage and delivered it to Detroit, Michigan, the home of another Tuskegee Top Gun, Harry Stewart, for its rst unveiling at the National Museum of the Tuskegee Airmen’s annual banquet.

After the banquet, the trophy was returned to the museum where it went on permanent display in early 2006.

Harvey was unable to attend the 2004 banquet in Detroit, but RaineyOrr, who is now an author and Tuskegee Airman historian, prompted him to make the journey to Ohio in 2006.

When asked how he felt upon seeing the trophy on display, Harvey smiled and said, “Feels good. Feels very good — very, very good. Mission accomplished.”

About that 100th birthday

Harvey plans to celebrate his 100th birthday with true ghter pilot air.

He says close to 270 friends, family and guests from around the country, many of them “military brass,” will join him for a private gala celebration in Centennial, Colorado.

ere will be three birthday cakes, one fashioned into the shape of a Corvair F-102 Delta Dagger — “made of gluten-free marble and cappuccino,” of course.

What does one hope for after blowing out all of those candles?

“Continued good health,” he said. “Continued excellent health.”

And what does 100 years feel like?

Harvey will tell you.

“It doesn’t feel any di erent than the rst year,” he joked. “ Actually, I don’t remember the rst year, but I do remember the second — that’s when I got measles.”

His secret to longevity?

“I try to be a nice person to everybody — until they prove otherwise,” he said. “Just be nice to people. My motto has always been, ‘Do unto others as you have them do unto you.’ I live by that one and it works.”

Rainey-Orr agrees, and describes Harvey, whom she rst met in 2005 as “caring and compassionate.”

“I just like to say he is a real example of what we sow, we get to reap,” she said. “He is a rst in many areas, including becoming the rst Black pilot to y jets in Korea — and often unless he told the stories, they were forgotten.”

While saddened that she’ll miss Harvey’s birthday bash, Rainey-Orr is happy for her friend.

“I’m just so happy he got to live long enough to see the day, and to understand that people really do appreciate his sacri ces in the service of our country,” she said, “because he had comrades who did not. ey survived the war, but didn’t get to see the respect.”

But the big question is, what does the rst “Top Gun” think of the new “Top Gun: Maverick” movie?

“I liked the rst one better,” Harvey said.

Property valuation appeal responses to start going into mail this week

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Arapahoe County property owners who appealed their property valuations this year may soon start receiving responses from the Assessor’s O ce, with the rst batch of Notices of Determination being mailed the rst week of July.

Others who appealed could receive responses into the

rst half of August.

In a year with a record number of property valuation protests, the Arapahoe County Assessor’s O ce will now have an extra month and a half to send out responses to appeals.

e Board of County Commissioners elected to use the alternate schedule for the tax year 2023 protests, extending the original deadline to Aug. 15 from the original deadline

LOVE YOUR EYES

CLEAR VISION IS WITHIN REACH

of June 30.

e county saw an almost 42% increase in residential values since the last assessment year, according to County Assessor PK Kaiser. is led to 30,772 property valuation protests this year, setting a record for the county, according to a post on the county’s Facebook page. After property owners receive their Notice of Determination, they may further

appeal that decision to the County Board of Equalization within 30 days of the notice. is board will hold virtual hearings through late October and will have until Nov. 1 to make its decisions on appeals.

If still not pleased with their valuation decision at that point, property owners may appeal further within 30 days of receiving their decision from the County Board of

Equalization. ere are three options for next round of appeals, including the Board of Assessment Appeals, District Court or to an arbitration process with the county. is will be the rst time Arapahoe County has used the extended schedule. Other nearby counties, including Je erson and Douglas Counties, also are using the extended schedule this year.

Colorado Eye Consultants is dedicated to the preservation of sight and providing patients with the quality of life they deserve.

To learn more, or to schedule a consultation, please contact us at (303) 730-0404.

Bipartisanship declines at state Capitol

BY SANDRA FISH THE COLORADO SUN

More than 88% of the 474 bills passed during Colorado’s 2023 legislative session that became law received bipartisan support.

e bipartisan rate was somewhat lower this year than in recent years. ere were also fewer unanimous votes and more straightparty-line votes during the 2023 lawmaking term. e data comes after a session dominated by partisan and intraparty con icts stoked by Democrats’ expanded majorities in the House and Senate.

e Colorado Sun analyzed nal House and Senate oor votes on each of the 474 bills that became law to parse out the data. It’s the fourth year e Sun has examined voting patterns in the state legislature.

More than 78% of the 617 bills introduced in the Colorado General Assembly this year were passed, the second highest percentage in the past 11 years. But the number of bills introduced was the third lowest since 2013.

Democratic Gov. Jared Polis vetoed 10 of the 484 bills passed by the legislature, the highest number since he became the state’s chief executive in 2019. All 10 of those measures received Democratic and Republican “no” votes, and all but one had at least one Republican voting “yes.” Half of the vetoed bills had bipartisan sponsorship,

and half were sponsored solely by Democrats.

Despite bipartisan support for all but 56 of the bills that became law this year, partisanship was more pronounced in 2023 at the Colorado Capitol than in recent memory:

11.8% of bills passed with no GOP support, which was nearly double the rates in 2019, 2021 and 2022. (In some instances, Democrats joined Republicans in voting “no.”) About 7% of the bills — 32 — passed along party lines with only Democratic support and all Republicans objecting. At least one Democrat voted “no” on 125 of the bills that became law. at happened more often in the House, where Democrats have a 46-19 supermajority, than in the Senate, where Democrats have a 2312 majority. Sixty measures passed with unanimous support, representing about 13% of the bills that became law.

While divisions among Republicans at the statehouse have been common in recent years, Democrats also exhibited dissension in 2023, typically between moder-

ates and more progressive lawmakers and often in the House.

Dickey Lee Hullinghorst, a Democrat who served as House speaker from 2015 to 2016, said the Democratic discord isn’t unexpected, especially with a signi cant number of new lawmakers in the Capitol, as there were this year.

“When you do have a really strong majority there tends to be more disagreement,” she said. “ ere are so many di erences in opinion. You reach sort of a critical mass where there are just certain issues that all Democrats don’t agree on.”

Republicans and Democrats had divisions within their House caucuses this year. And that was made clear by their nal votes.  e Sun de nes nal votes as third-reading votes, readoption after an opposing chamber’s amendments and readoption after a conference committee report, whichever came last. (A conference committee is where senators and representatives form an ad hoc committee to work out changes to a bill.)

Moderate Democrats sided with Republicans in voting “no” on some more liberal measures, while progressive Democrats sometimes voted against their more moderate colleagues, especially on criminal justice bills. House Democrats needed help from the GOP to get four measures passed because not enough of the 46 members of their caucus voted for the bills. ose measures were: House Bill 1135, which increased penalties for indecent exposure in certain instances when it’s committed in front of a child. Democratic House members rejected the bill, with 27 voting against the measure and 18 voting for it, but all 19 Republicans in the chamber voted for the legislation. In the Senate, the bill passed unanimously. Senate Bill 25, which created a new “In God We Trust” license plate. House Democrats voted 27-19 for the bill, while Republicans voted 17-1 for it. If it weren’t for the GOP support in the House, the legislation would have failed. e bill passed the Senate 22-7, with all the “no” votes coming from Democrats. Senate Bill 34, which modi es the de nition of “severe bodily injury” in the criminal code. Seventeen House Democrats and one in the Senate voted against the measure, while all 31 Republicans in the legislature voted for it. Without the GOP, the measure would have failed in the House. Senate Bill 110, which is aimed at improving transparency for metropoli-

tan districts. House Democrats opposed the bill, with 23 voting against the measure and 22 voting for it, while the House GOP supported it 18-1. e Senate passed the measure 29-3, with only Democrats opposed.

e four House Democrats who voted “no” most often were:

Rep. Elisabeth Epps, of Denver (10%) Rep. Lorena Garcia, of Adams County (8%) Rep. Javier Mabrey, of Denver (7%) Rep. Bob Marshall, of Highlands Ranch (6%)

e other 42 Democrats in the House voted “yes” on 96% or more of the bills that became law. at compares with all House Democrats voting “yes” on 95% or more of the bills that became law in 2022. Epps didn’t respond to Colorado Sun requests for comment.

Garcia said she weighs how a bill will impact people before deciding how to vote.

“All the positions that I take and the issues that I work on … are really about addressing root causes, to allow anyone and everyone to be able to have a strong economic future,” Garcia said. “So the bills that I voted ‘no’ on, from my perspective, were bills that did not address root causes — that might be attempting to address an issue that’s happening in our communities, but, at the end of the day, would do nothing to deter what’s actually happening.”

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The Colorado Senate on Jan. 9, the first day of the 2023 legislative session, in the Capitol in Denver. COURTESY OF THE COLORADO SUN

SEE LEGISLATURE, P27

Rock Canyon student wins national science contest

Develops pill for gluten intolerance

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Walking into the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas for the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, Aditi Avinash was overcome with nerves, but when she left, she took home an award and scholarship.

“I was absolutely shocked,” said Avinash, a Rock Canyon High School senior. “It was completely unexpected and I was over the moon.”

e annual competition is the largest science competition for high school students across the globe. It has also been a program of the Society for Science for over 70 years.

In mid-May for three days, more than 1,500 students from more than 60 countries competed in various categories, ranging from animal sciences to behavioral and social sciences to environmental sciences. Nineteen students represented Colorado.

ere are di erent levels that students must go through in order to have the chance to compete at the International Science and Engineering Fair. First student’s must compete at the regional level, where they can qualify to the state

level.

Avinash was one of four students representing the Denver Metro Regional Science and Engineering Fair and quali ed at the regional and state level.

Avinash took rst in the Transitional Medical Science category and was awarded a special award worth $52,000 in tuition

From Arizona State University during the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair.

Her project was a Model Validation and Preclinical Testing of Digestive Enzymes for Gluten Breakdown: A Move to Cure Gluten Intolerance and Celiac Disease.

While learning about enzymes and the lactate pill in a biology class during her freshman year, Avinash became curious as to why there wasn’t an option like the lactose pill for people who are gluten intolerant.

An idea sparked.

“Essentially what my project is trying to do is nd a solution for celiac gluten intolerance,” said Avinash.

Avinash realized in her everyday life, there are family members and friends who have gluten intolerance or celiac disease. Although there are some solutions such as gluten free diets and gluten free sections at the grocery store or restaurants, Avinash says those are avoiding the problem.

“ ey’re just telling people to not eat the food,” said

Avinash. “I wanted to create some kind of solution that tackles the problem more head on rather than just avoiding it.”

Building on her project each year, Avinash rst competed during her freshman year, however, it was during the pandemic, so the competition was held online.

Not able to conduct any research at her school or in a lab, Avinash focused on doing a literature review and conducted a preliminary test using a testing lab that she got online and shipped to her house.

Sophomore year, Avinash conducted the majority of testing at school with some supervised testing in a lab.

She presented this research at the International Science and Engineering Fair.

Once junior year came around, Avinash conducted research at a professional lab at the Anschutz Medical Campus where she had the opportunity to use equipment like a mass spectrometer.

Avinash conducted four main types of testing. One of which being an antibody test called ELISA Assay test.

“ at tests the prevalence of certain subjects,” said Avinash. “In 2020, COVID tests, those were all ELISA tests because they were testing how much COVID you had. In this case, I was testing how much gluten I had.”

Avinash also conducted

a Western blot test, which visualized how much gluten was present and used the mass spectrometry as a way to separate complex proteins.

e last test Avinash conducted was the Cytokine Assay to measure the amount of cytokine production. Cytokine is a wide group of signaling proteins and acts as humoral regulators that modulate functions of individual cells.

“How celiac disease occurs [is] by cells recognizing an amino acid sequence and causing an immune response,” said Avinash. “Cytokine Assay is measuring immune response.”

Between the biotechnology program at Rock Canyon and working with mentors at the lab, Avinash learned how to write and document in a legal lab notebook, pipette, do gel electrophoresis and run analyzers.

According to Avinash, the lactate pill has speci c enzymes that are able to break down milk and sugar.

rough Avinash’s lengthy research, she found three enzymes that work e ectively in di erent environments that break down gluten proteins.

“My hope is that these enzymes can be used to make some kind of pill for gluten intolerance and for celiac disease,” said Avinash.

As COVID restrictions were lifted, the competition was fully back this year and Avinash had nearly

80 people competing in her category, transitional medicine.

While standing at her booth, waiting for judges to come by, Avinash got to know the people next to her.

“I got to learn so much about di erent aspects of the eld we’re studying, but the interesting thing about the medical eld and, I guess, science in general is even though a lot of projects are clumped under a broad sphere, each project in that broad sphere is so di erent,” said Avinash.

Looking forward, Avinash wants to continue her research during her senior year of high school. And although she is not certain where she wants to attend college, Avinash is thankful for the Arizona State University scholarship.

Inspired by her love of research and medicine, Avinash aspires to become a MD-PhD as she believes some of the best doctors are those who have both the clinical aspect and compassion as well as the research knowledge about conditions and treatments.

“I think the reason I love the eld of medicine and the eld of research is it’s a eld that is constantly evolving and changing,” said Avinash. “And as someone who just loves learning, I just love the eld of medicine, so I just want to be completely involved in it to every extent possible.”

ChatGPT o ciates a wedding in Morrison

quickly. ey found a venue and decided that attendees would play kazoos to provide the music. ey found a wedding-cake baker, and the cake topper sported a bride and an Army soldier. ey bought their wedding attire.

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Reese Wiench and Deyton Truitt said their marriage vows in a church built in 1885. But couples who were wed there in decades past would never guess that the extensive planning for the service didn’t require much in the way of human expertise.

at’s because the couple turned to arti cial intelligence to create their wedding ceremony in Morrison recently.

Speci cally, ChatGPT planned the welcome, the speech, the closing remarks — everything except the vows — making ChatGPT, in essence, the wedding o ciant. Since arti cial intelligence is not recognized as a wedding o ciant by the state of Colorado, Reese’s dad Steve Wiench signed the marriage license.

ChatGPT provided a recording of the ceremony that was played through speakers on a stage in the front of the Historic Morrison Church, not far from the famed Red Rocks concert venue. To make it more interesting, the family bought a robot mask to put on top of the speakers to make it appear that someone was speaking at the June 24 event.

e couple decided to get married quickly because Truitt deploys next week for the Army, and they wanted to be married so Reese can join him after he completes basic training.

ey planned the entire wedding in ve days.

Reese said they were joking about how to get a wedding together that

But they didn’t have an o ciant.

“So, we decided to try using ChatGPT to write the ceremony,” Reese’s dad Steve Wiench said.

ChatGPT, which stands for Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer, was developed by research company Open AI. Users can ask questions or input data, and ChatGPT will generate a written response to the desired length, style and detail.

Arti cial intelligence is being used more often in weddings from writing vows to helping with planning.

Truitt is a rm believer in articial intelligence, noting that it will change people’s lives by doing jobs in minutes that take humans hours.

e family even used ChatGPT to write a press release announcing the wedding and a statement that was distributed to the 30 wedding guests.

According to the ChatGPT-generated statement handed out to guests:

“As the AI o ciant for Reese Alyson Wiench and Deyton Truitt’s wedding, I will focus on celebrating their unique journey of love and unity, highlighting the remarkable merging of human connection and technological innovation. I will emphasize the power of their union to inspire, unite and break barriers, capturing the attention of the world with a story that transcends conventional norms. During the ceremony, I will eloquently express the signi cance of this historic moment and the limitless possibilities that arise when love and technology intersect.”

While arti cial intelligence can help those with di culties expressing themselves in writing and is be-

coming more prevalent, some raise concerns that it may be used by in place of human-conducted research and writing.

Reese, 23, works at children’s summer camps at Mount Vernon Canyon Club, while Truitt, 26, will be a network communication systems specialist after basic training at Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina.

Truitt and Reese met on the Tinder dating site two years ago, and Truitt said he had such a good time with Reese from the beginning that “I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else.”

Truitt said ChatGPT was easier for the couple to use to create the wedding ceremony because “I didn’t want to curate what an o ciant said.” Instead, they had control over the themes the ChatGPT o ciant used.

As part of the ceremony, the ChatGPT o ciant quoted scripture and expounded on the passages as they related to love, marriage and the future.

However, the couple didn’t read the script before the ceremony

began, so it was new to them as they heard it at 8 p.m. during their wedding — having faith that the ceremony would be just what they wanted.

“I programmed (ChatGPT),” Truitt said. “I know it’s trustworthy.”

In the vows he wrote, Truitt told Reese he was sorry he couldn’t live up to what she deserved.

“I don’t have enough time on this Earth to give you all the love you deserve,” Truitt said, calling her kind-hearted, caring and genuine. “I love the person you are turning me into.”

Reese told Truitt she didn’t want to say anything cheesy or cliche, so she wrote him a love poem as her vows, ending with: “I know that you are with me because I am yours and you are mine.”

After the ceremony that included the ring exchange, the kiss and introducing the married couple, guests said they enjoyed the arti cial-intelligence generated wedding. Truitt and Reese were pleased, too.

“ChatGPT took something personal to humans like a wedding and enhanced it,” Reese said.

Reese Wiench and Deyton Truitt stand on either side of their o ciant, a cell phone running ChatGPT, a bluetooth speaker and a mask.

PHOTO BY SARA HERTWIG

Couple uses artificial intelligence to create the ceremony

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Wet weather brings uptick in ticks

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e wet weather this season means nature lovers should be on the lookout for ticks as they enjoy Colorado’s mountains, woods, parks and trails.

“ ere does seem to be a lot more ticks this year,” said Chris Roundy, a medical entomologist at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “ ey do like wet weather, so our wet spring has certainly created ideal environments for them.”

Types of ticks and diseases

e two most common ticks in Colorado are the Rocky Mountain wood tick and the American dog tick, which can both carry diseases, Roundy said.

e likeliness of getting a disease from a tick bite in Colorado, however, is relatively low.

“ ough we are seeing an increase in ticks, that doesn’t necessarily mean an increase in tick-borne diseases,” Roundy said. “If you are bitten by a tick, there’s still a very slim chance that they will transmit anything.”

Luckily, ticks in Colorado do not carry Lyme disease, a sometimes serious and long-lasting disease carried by ticks in other parts of the country, according to the Colorado State University Extension o ce.

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ey can instead carry Colorado tick fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever or tularemia, depending on the type of tick.

e seriousness of these diseases can range from having u-like symptoms to life-threatening conditions, Roundy said, but the latter is very rare.

If a person is bitten by a tick in Colorado, Roundy said they should watch for a headache, fever or rash and seek medical attention if they develop any of these symptoms.

Several of the diseases can be treated with antibiotics, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Prevention and tick collection

To prevent ticks, Roundy said people should wear long pants tucked into socks, use insect repellent with DEET and consider treating their

clothes with an insecticide called Permethrin if they will be outside for days at a time.

“If you’ve been spending signicant time outside — always a good idea to check for ticks,” he added. “ ey like to hang out in areas where they’ve got something helping them hold on. is might be in our armpits, waistband, back of the knee, in your hair.”

If someone nds a tick on themselves, a pet or outside, they can double-bag it and send it to the state health department to contribute to the Colorado Citizen Science Tick Surveillance Program.

In this program, Roundy determines the species of all submitted ticks and uses the data to better understand what types of ticks are found in Colorado and where they live.

“I have received upwards of 250 ticks so far this season in our surveillance program, which is great,” he said. “ e more submissions we get, the better understanding we have of the ticks in Colorado.”

Tick submissions have roughly mulitiplied by ve since last year, but Roundy said it’s di cult to accurately compare these numbers of because of the state health department’s increased messaging about the program this year. Roundy contributes the increase in tick submissions to both the expanded awareness of the program and the wet weather.

If a person nds a tick outside, Roundy said he does not recommend trying to capture it if it will put the person at risk of being bitten.

e Centers for Disease Control also warns people not to squeeze or remove a tick with their ngers. Instead, the CDC o ers the following tips:

1. Use clean, ne-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.

2. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. ...

3. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.

4. Never crush a tick with your ngers.

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Not seeing it

Since the Colorado General Assembly wrapped up the 2023 session with a bang, I’m still feeling uninformed.

By bang, I am referring to the Democrats passing the bill that will put Proposition HH on the ballot for us to decide in November.

For one — the majority party released this important piece of legislation seemingly at the last minute. OK, it was literally. It takes three days to pass a bill — they did it just in the nick of time. Hard to believe they did not have it planned until three days before.

Nonetheless, what’s done is done. Now, it’s up to voters to decide on whether to pass this proposition that we are being told will help homeowners deal with the major property tax increases.

Before getting too deep into the measure — I will agree that Colorado does have some of the lower property taxes in the nation. However, given the cost of living and struggles families are going through — we did not deserve to play catch-up on the national level all in one year. Instead, we are seeing 30%, 40%, and, in some areas, 60% increases. While I have not yet seen the numbers, this is just a guess, but I doubt that many of the tens of thousands of property valuation appeals are going to make a big di erence.

So, that leaves us with Proposition HH, where we are being told to approve it and we will get some property tax relief. However, in reading multiple stories about the measure and trying to understand it — I, as a property owner, am just not seeing how this is going to help me and my family.

I do, however, see how it is going to help the state get more

money. After all, lawmakers have been trying to nd a way around TABOR for quite some time.

Again, not making the connection on how I am going to see a true bene t by voting yes.

I wouldn’t say I am against the measure completely. I’d just like to really understand why I should vote yes.

Several articles recently came out about how families could get higher TABOR refunds this year.

at sounds good, since I am about to be paying a lot more in property taxes.

Tell me now — if I say go ahead and keep those TABOR funds — how do I come out ahead? e math is not adding up here.

As information trickles in about what happens with the proposition, especially if the Colorado Supreme Court rejects current challenges, there is still no answer.

In one article, I read that if voters do indeed vote on the measure in November, property owners will not have an idea of what they will pay in property taxes until long after the election. Given the state is asking me to vote yes on the measure — I’d like a rm answer before I vote.

To complicate the issue further, local government and taxing districts that rely on property taxes are also playing a guessing game for what it means to them. Will sta cuts be needed?

Commissioner Lora omas in Douglas County says it’s a possibility.

Larimer County imposed a hiring freeze due to the unknown.

To conclude — the question remains — how is giving you my TABOR refund going to result in a property tax break for me? How will this bene t our school district and our counties where this is the primary source of revenue?

elma Grimes is the south metro editor for Colorado Community Media.

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

MICHAEL DE YOANNA Editor-in-Chief michael@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Managing what appears to be unmanageable

When I relocated from New Jersey to Colorado, I had made the drive ahead of the moving truck. Crossing through Kansas and into the eastern plains of Colorado on Highway 70, I still couldn’t quite make out the mountains in the distance. However, the further into Colorado I drove, the purple mountains’ majesties began to appear in the distance. And even though it was July, I could still make out the snow-capped peaks standing tall against the sunset.

At the time I wasn’t familiar with Longs Peak, Mount Evans or Pikes Peak, just a few of the 14ers in the beautiful state of Colorful Colorado, but I still could see these massive mountain structures in the distance. ey were awe-inspiring for sure, but from a distance seemed much too di cult to think about trying to hike or climb them. And as my family and I settled into the foothills, the views of the mountains in the distance at both sunrise and sunset amazed us, as coming from New Jersey we were familiar with the oceans and hills of the east coast, but nothing compared to the grandeur of what now stood before us.

As newbies to Colorado at the time, we were anxious and nervous yet so excited to get into the mountains and

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do some exploring. Driving west on 70 those mountaintops didn’t disappoint — there are times along the road where their beauty is only exceeded by their ominous features. I remember my family thinking that maybe we should turn back. And we are all glad we did not turn back, we kept going and nally stopped in Beaver Creek. After leaving the exit, and making our way toward the mountain, we could still not quite see the top, and again from far away it looked like that day’s hike might be more di cult than we had anticipated.

Beaver Creek isn’t even a 14er (a mountain that is at least 14,000 feet in elevation), yet it seemed gigantic to us, almost unmanageable for rookies to the area. But as we got closer, we realized we could no longer see the top, as a matter of fact the closer we got to that mountain, the smaller it became. And when we looked at the trail map and out at the winding trail ahead of us, we realized that what was right in front of us was more than manageable for sure, so we readied ourselves and took o up the mountain.

What mountain are you looking at right now? Does it look ominous and frightening from where you are currently standing? Maybe it’s a new cancer diagnosis, a personal battle with addiction, or a family member or friend ghting addiction. Perhaps it’s a relationship challenge at home. You may be facing a

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Thelma Grimes

Trail areas in Douglas County being repaired after rainfall damage

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Douglas County wants outdoor recreators to be aware of damage to several trail spots that are under repair after heavy rainfall in June.

Hidden Mesa Trail and Open Space — along state Highway 83 in the Franktown area — saw damage after water washed out parts of the trail amid heavy rainfall. Repairs are underway, the county said in a July 3 news release.

“For safety, the trailhead at Hidden Mesa is closed, starting Saturday, June 24,” the county’s website says, adding: “As crews work on repairs, the trail will remain closed until further notice.”

See the county’s website at tinyurl. com/HiddenMesa for current closure information.

Spots along the Cherry Creek from Castlewood Canyon to the area just south of the Town of Parker have also seen heavy weather impacts, according to the news release.

“Recent heavy rainfall has destroyed all bridge crossings over

NORTON

nancial burden that seems to be getting bigger by the day. Your mountain could be a problem with your business or your team. If you are in sales and you are now halfway through the year and your numbers are way o , the chasm between your quota and where you currently are regarding your year-to-date sales seem like a much higher climb than you can conceivably make up in the next six months.

Whatever your mountain is, get closer to it. Stop looking at it from miles away. Find a guide, a coach, a family member, or a friend who you trust to help you build your trail map. Get to the base of the mountain, identify the trailhead and execute your plan. e mountain isn’t going

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Fireworks out of control

Are reworks against the law in the City of Littleton? Apparently not. We have had reworks going o every night since last Friday. I am not talking about a few sparklers, I am talking about the big ones that are purchased out of state. Not only do they shoot them for multiple days, but they start at 6 in the evening and continue until 1 in the morning. ere is no way the police cannot be aware of this, but nothing is done. is has been going on for the last ve years, at least. I am sure it will go on until the end of this week if prior history is any indicator. Luckily, we have had a wet year, but usually we don’t and it is a real re danger. If we are not going to punish

Cherry Creek in Castlewood Canyon State Park,” a June 27 news release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife said. Castlewood Canyon State Park sits in the Franktown area in rural eastern Douglas County.

e state parks agency warned visitors that “there is no path to cross the creek in the park at this time.”

“Hikers should consider any loop trails to be out-and-backs. Creek Bottom Trail also su ered signi cant damage,” the agency’s news release said.

Bridge repair work will take weeks and may not be complete before August. Park sta cannot begin construction until water levels recede.

Along Cherry Creek Trail to the north of Castlewood Canyon — on portions of the trail maintained by Douglas County — several intersections are also closed intermittently due to water damage, according to the county.

From state Highway 86 north to Scott Avenue, the county advised traveling with caution along the trail.

“Standing water and erosion have been found on the trail under High-

to climb itself, nor is it going to fall into the ocean and go away. You have more courage than you think, there is grit deep inside of you that needs to be surfaced to start the climb, and never underestimate your endurance to see it all through.

Is it time for you to get closer to the base of the mountain instead of imaging how di cult the climb might be from afar? I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can realize that what seems completely unmanageable from a distance can seem completely manageable the closer we get, 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.

the o enders, let’s make all reworks legal and the city can collect the tax dollars. On Monday, I saw an article stating Arapahoe County had 99 complaints, but chose not to act to ensure the safety of their police ocers. I don’t know how many complaints the Littleton Police received, but I am sure there were several and I believe they did nothing to stop them. e police could, at least, ne the perpetrators. I don’t believe they would be in danger unless the people were inebriated, which only makes the reworks more likely to cause harm.

Is everyone as fed up as I am?

Sharon Cissell Littleton

way 86, at Bayou Gulch Open Space Trail, just south of Scott Avenue and under Scott Avenue,” the county’s release said. “Crews are working to repair and maintain this trail and advise you to turn around if you encounter standing water.”

e impact of recent rainfall has been stark at Castlewood Canyon.

Castlewood Canyon has received 14.01 inches of rain since Jan. 1, according to the National Weather Service, as cited by the state parks agency’s June 27 news release.

“Creek levels are two feet above normal operating levels. e high level mark was recorded last ursday at 9.5 feet, with normal creek levels considered to be between two to three feet,” the agency’s June 27 release said.

Updates on construction and trail conditions at Castlewood Canyon

All

will be posted to the park’s Facebook page at facebook.com/CastlewoodCanyonPark and the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Northeast Region Twitter account at twitter.com/CPW_NE.

bridges at Castlewood Canyon State Park have been washed out from heavy rainfall. Pictured is the bridge on the Inner Canyon Trail, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. COURTESY OF COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE NORTHEAST REGION VIA TWITTER

A BIG PASSION FOR SMALL THINGS

Meet metro Denver’s active miniaturist community

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Several years ago, someone walking into Barbara Pontarelli’s home for the rst time may have gotten the feeling that they’d become a giant.

Hanging on the walls of her kitchen, small scenes exhibited the culinary décor of di erent eras. In one display box, tiny countertops of a retro 1950s kitchen popped with color. In another, little stainless steel appliances lled the space.

Miniature tables and chairs were laid out in parlor scenes in the house’s living room, and Pontarelli’s bathrooms were dentist-themed. Since her husband was a dentist, she honored his career with small recliners and minuscule toothbrushes on display.

“When I didn’t have enough space to display stu , I would empty closets,” said the Wheat Ridge resident, who now lives part-time in California.

Of the countless miniature scenes on display in her home, Pontarelli collected about a quarter of them.

e rest, she made herself.

“It’s, you know, how I express my artistic side,” she said. “I can’t explain the draw, but it’s de nitely a passion … I just nd this so satisfying — to produce something small to be as close as it can be to its full-size counterpart.”

Pontarelli is part of a passionate community of miniaturists, or people who enjoy the art, hobby or collection of miniature objects.

In the metro Denver area, it doesn’t take a magnifying glass to see that the miniaturist community is thriving — from meetup groups to classes, to a museum, the love of tiny things is big in the hearts of many.

A museum of tiny things

Pontarelli is a board member at the institution at the epicenter of the Denver metro miniaturist community: the Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys. In addition to its miniature collection, the museum displays and teaches visitors about antique toys and special dolls from over the decades.

e museum recently moved to 830 Kipling St. in Lakewood after spending almost 40 years in Denver’s City Park West neighborhood.

In its new location, Executive Director Wendy Littlepage said the museum welcomes about 5,000 visitors per year,

“( e museum) is so many di erent things to di erent people,” she said. “We have people that come in that love just the exactitude of the small scale, and then we have people that love the

SMALL THINGS

whimsy of the small scale. We have a lot of people that come for nostalgia … And then I think some people just like that it’s a bit of a mental break.”

One of her favorite things about miniatures is that they are for everyone. Some people come into the museum thinking that the collection, which includes several intricate dollhouses and other cases of miniature objects and artwork, is mainly for kids.

But the houses are full of detailed — and sometimes even functional — replicas of what one would see in a normal house, including cupboards, dressers, paintings, beds, sinks, animals and food.

Considering the familiarity and intricacies of the pieces, Littlepage said some of the collection’s biggest fans tend to be craftsmen.

“We had a nish carpenter come through, and he just said over and over, ‘ is is all insane! How did they get that nish?’” she said. “ ere’s one house where the plumbing is really exposed – and it’s not functional plumbing – but we had a plumber come through and he was just like, ‘ at’s what every house needs.’”

In one display case, tiny handmade food is almost microscopically detailed — including an orange that can be peeled to show the segments underneath and an onion with all of its layers. Other displays show miniature artwork by Indigenous artists that represent Indigenous homes.

For many miniature items, artists use the materials that the regular-sized objects would be made of, like wood and fabric. Paintings are painted, embroidered things are embroidered and knit clothing is knit with small thread.

But for other mini details, artists get more creative, using paper to make owers and polymer clay to construct food items.

While many miniatures are created by hobbyists and artisan creators, others are mass-produced. Just like with real furniture, Wendy said, collectors will determine which types to buy based on their speci c needs.

High-end artisan miniature pieces can sell for thousands of dollars, Littlepage said. e miniature art gallery in the museum was appraised at $18,000 about 15 years ago, so it’s likely worth even more now, she added.

Crafting classes

For those who like to make miniatures, there are clubs and classes to teach di erent skills. For a long time, Pontarelli was the president of one of these clubs, called Wee Wonders of Arvada.

e longstanding miniature group meets monthly at the museum to work on projects together or teach and learn new skills from each other, like how to make stained glass windows or create stucco.

“We have people at every level,” Pontarelli said. “I love getting together with these people and hearing what they’ve gured out and what they’re doing and always learning something new.”

In addition to crafting by hand, miniaturists also use new tools and technologies to create their artwork.

“I’ve noticed a change in the level of expertise over the years,” Pontarelli said. “Before, we used mini scroll saws and mini table saws and Dremel tools — we still use the Dremel quite a bit — but now that we can get laser-cut wood or 3D-printed items, it’s sort of changing the face of the miniature world.”

e museum also hosts classes for kids.

“ ere’s a whole in ux of young people into the hobby and for those of us who are in it, that’s kind of exciting, because, you know, we don’t want to

see it disappear,” Pontarelli said.

For her, miniatures are a great way for kids to explore their creativity.

“We’re just trying to nd any avenue to trigger their creativity, that’s really what it’s all about,” she said. “In this tech world, we need to foster any outside creativity activities that we can, because it’s really important that these kids exercise that part of their brain.”

To learn and wonder e dedication and ambition within the community of miniaturists is special, Littlepage said.

“My favorite thing about the miniature community is they’re such learners,” she said. “Like I have one of my volunteers who has been retired for a while … and she bought a laser cutter and has taught herself to program it.”

She said that problem-solving attitude, plus the childlike wonder of enjoying cute things, make miniaturists special.

Littlepage encouraged people to take a break from their busy lives to check out the museum, where tickets for adults are $5 and children and seniors are $4.

“It’s a great space because you have to slow down,” she said. “You come in fast, you miss a lot. So being able to come in, take a few breaths and just sort of nd the most ridiculous tiny thing you can nd.”

For those who have their interest piqued in the world of miniatures, Pontarelli said it’s never too late to start. Creating and collecting can be for anyone at any time and any age, she said.

And for those who don’t know where to begin, just remember — it’s OK to start small.

Wendy Littlepage shows the details of a miniature book titled “Trees of Minnesota,” which includes a hard cover and pages full of words.

A child points to a detail she found in a dollhouse as part of a scavenger hunt challenge at the Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys. PHOTOS BY NINA JOSS

The collection at the Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys includes several large dollhouses full of miniatures.

Chatfield Farms to hold Lavender Festival

Mo re than 2,000 lavender plants will perfume the air at Chatfield Farms’ Lavender Festival on July 15 and 16. This Littletonarea portion of the Denver Botanic Gardens is located at 8500 West Deer Creek Canyon Road. Admission is free for members and $10/$7 for nonmembers. Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., it also displays a large number of native plants. No pets allowed at this 700- acre native plant refuge. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. botanicgardens.org, 720865-3500.

Bemis family history

Maya Bemis DeBus, granddaughter of Ed Bemis, who was the Littleton Independent publisher and an active Littleton citizen, will make her annual visit to Littleton in August and will speak at Bemis Library, 6014 S. Datura St., in Littleton, at 3 p.m. on Aug. 3. Her subject: What about the Bemis women? Who were they

and what did they do? She is the granddaughter of Katherine Prescott Bemis and great granddaughter of Lizbeth Granger Bemis. She will share family lore and artifacts. She has recently uncovered more information about her family’s history.

Music of Aretha Franklin

The Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra presents “Ladies of Soul: Celebrating the Music of Aretha Franklin with Tatiana ‘LadyMay’ Mayfield” on July 15 at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada. Lawn tickets: $20, Reserved seats: $30-$42. Go to coloradojazz.org and click on “Concerts” or call 720-898-7200.

Vintage Theatre

Vintage Theatre is staging “In the Heights” by Lin Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegria Hudes through July 30. Vintage is at 1468 Dayton St., in Aurora. Directed by Jonathan Andujar. See vintagetheatre.org, 303-856-7830.

Curious Theatre

Curious Theatre, 1080 Acoma St., Denver, announces its next season, with single tickets on sale after July 1. Jada Suzanne Dixon is now artistic director

and Jeannene Bragg is managing director. “The Minutes” by Tracy Letts will start the season on Sept. 9-Oct. 14. It’s described as “a hilarious Broadway hit featuring 11 Curious Artistic Company members.” Five more plays will follow under this new management. See curioustheatre.org, 303-623-0524.

Music and ice cream

The Highlands Ranch Concert Band and Swing Shift will perform at the Highlands Ranch Ice Cream Social at 6 p.m. on Aug. 2 at Civic Green Park, 9370 Ridgeline Blvd. (Cash only.) Prepackaged ice cream treats will be available for $2. Proceeds will benefit a local nonprofit. 303791-0430.

Englewood Public Library

Englewood Public Library, in the Englewood Civic Center, 1000 Englewood Parkway, has a busy summer schedule planned: Legos on Friday afternoons at 2 p.m.; Monday movies in the children’s area; programs at 2 p.m. in the community room on level two: July 17, “Peanuts”; July 24, “Big Hero Six”; July 31, “Trolls.” There is also a series of Stories in the Park — at different parks — see tinyurl.com/englewoodlib.

Museum of Outdoor Arts

The Museum of Outdoor Arts, which has moved to Marjorie Park and Fiddler’s Green, has a group of new murals to show off. Free entry to Marjorie Park on the Third Monday of the month, through October. MOA members are admitted free and tickets for non-members cost $10; $5 for ages 5 to 20. Tours of the collection are available. SCFD free days will not take place if there is a Fiddler’s Green concert scheduled. Marjorie Park is at 6331 S. Fiddler’s Green Circle in Greenwood Village.

Parade of Homes

The Denver 2023 Parade of Homes, presented by Aurora Highlands Aug. 10-27, will showcase two communities, more than 50 homes throughout metro Denver on Thursdays to Sundays. More information soon.

Littleton Museum

Opening at the Littleton Museum, 6028 S. Gallup St., Littleton on July 13: “Below the Surface: How mining altered Colorado’s social and cultural landscape.” The opening will be from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and the exhibit will continue during museum hours through October 27. 303-795-3950.

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Olivia Harms: Wide Open Saloon @ 6pm Wide Open Saloon, 5607 US-85, Sedalia

Mark Masters Comedy: Comedy Night at Raccoon Creek Golf Club @ 5pm Raccoon Creek Golf Course, 7301 W Bowles Ave, Littleton

Cory Michael @ 12pm

Wide Open Saloon, 5607 US-85, Sedalia

Thu 7/27

Eric Golden @ 6pm

Discovery Park, 20115 Mainstreet, Parker

Fri 7/21

Little Feat @ 6pm Fiddlers Green Amphitheatre, 6350 Greenwood Plaza Blvd., En‐glewood

Sat 7/22

Alkaline Trio @ 12pm Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre, 6350 Greenwood Plaza Blvd, Greenwood Village

Rotating Tap Comedy @ Fiction Beer Company @ 7pm

Summer Salt @ 6pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Englewood

Tony Goffredi: Tony G @ Exchange Coffee House @ 4pm

The Exchange Coffee House™, 1415 Westbridge Dr, Castle Pines

CHADZILLA MUSIC: Deborah Solo

Trio at the Belleview Beer Gargen @ 5pm

Belleview Beer Garden (BVBG), 6751 E Chenango Ave, Denver

The Inablers at The Alley @ 7pm The Alley, 2420 W Main St, Littleton

Buddy Mondlock @ 6pm

Pyne Backyard House Concerts, Centennial

Sun 7/23

Fiction Beer Company, 19523 Hess Rd. #103, Parker Sean BE: Speaking Event @ 8am

Praise Center Church, 3105 W Florida Ave, Denver

The Mike G Band @ 11am

Takoda Tavern, 12311 Pine Bluffs Way # A, Parker

Addison Grace @ 7pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Englewood

95th Western Welcome Week coming soon

Littleton’s signature celebration returning for 10 days of fun

BY SONYA ELLINGBOE SELLINGBOE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Mark your calendars — and check the Western Welcome Week Facebook and Instagram pages for late additions to the schedule as Littleton’s longstanding celebration of community returns for its 2023 run.

A crowd will gather at Sterne Park in Littleton on the evening of Aug. 11 for a concert and a new laser show from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Picnics are in order.

A new art show, “Home on the Range,” will be open at Town Hall’s Stanton Gallery from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday and on Parade Day, August 19. Art will be presented by the Littleton Fine Arts Guild, which will also

present the annual “Best of Colorado” exhibit at the Depot Art Gallery, 2069 W. Powers Ave., Littleton.

On Aug. 12 the day will start with the 26th Gold Panning on the South Platte River, an event held at 9:30 a.m. at the Carson Nature Center at South Platte Park. e Littleton Elks will hold the Children’s Fishing Derby and in the evening from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., Sterne Park will be the site for Little Jam- e Petty Nicks Experience. Again, picnics are a nice addition for music lovers ...

On Aug. 13, the Annual Pancake Stampede 5K Fun Run and Walk starts at 8 a.m. at Hudson Gardens, 6115 S. Santa Fe Drive, Littleton. From 8 to 11 a.m., the 45th Pancake Breakfast will be held on the Geneva Lodge Lawn at the Littleton Center, which will also be near the location for the WWW Kids “Games of Old at Geneva Park” and the 27th Bruce Wolf Stick Horse Stampede at Geneva Park.

The Littleton Elks Lodge will be the site for the 14th Littleton

Elks Car Show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Aug. 12, while Mother Nature is in charge of a Perseids Meteor Shower from 8 to 11:59 p.m., which can be viewed from Carson Nature Center’s Star Party on August 12. (It could run later — hard to be precise, but it should be beautiful!

On Aug. 15, from 6 to 7 p.m., Carson Nature Center in South Platte Park will be the place to enjoy HawkQuest’s 26th Family Night Out, with live hawks for an up-close and personal visit and some conversation about them by experts. A really special experience for budding nature lovers, as well as their parents! At RiverPointe Senior Living on the 15th, the 27th RiverPointe Swing Dance will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. with Zing, the Great Big Band.

On Aug. 16, also at RiverPointe, Cycling Without Age Littleton-Rock and Roll Roundup will run from 4 to 8:30 p.m.

Aug. 17 will bring one of Historic

Littleton Inc.’s Downtown Historic District Walking Tours at 5 to 6 p.m. (Meet at the old courthouse on Littleton Boulevard.)

August 18 is the opening of the Annual Quilt Show and used book sale at First Presbyterian Church of Littleton as well as the Elks Hometown Pig Roast and Dance at the Elks Lodge.

Which brings us to Aug. 19, and the 94th Western Welcome Week Grand Parade from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and the 63rd Craft and Home Improvement Fair on Downtown Littleton’s Main Street and adjoining streets. A Day at the Elks Lodge is also included from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from noon to 4 p.m., e Honor Bell, a resounding tribute for Colorado’s heroes will be held downtown.

Sunday, Aug. 20, from noon to 2:30, will nd families cheering on rubber duckies along Little’s Creek, starting at the War Memorial Rose Garden (which is a mass of color and looking beautiful right now!).

installation charges, equipment upgrades/add-ons, and certain other add’l fees & chrgs. See directv.com/directv-fees/ for additional information. $10/MO. AUTOPAY AND PAPERLESS BILL DISCOUNT: Must enroll in autopay & paperless bill within 30 days of TV activation to receive bill credit starting in 1-3 bill cycles (pay $10 more/mo. until discount begins). Must maintain autopay/paperless bill and valid email address to continue credits. DIRECTV SVC TERMS: Subject to Equipment Lease & Customer Agreements. All o ers, packages, programming, promotions, features, terms, restrictions and conditions and all prices and fees not included in price guarantee are subject to change without notice. Package, Advanced Receiver Service Fee, Regional Sports Fee (varies by zip code) and equipment fees for TV connections are included in two-year price guarantee. Taxes, surcharges, add-on programming (including premium channels), protection plan, transactional fees, and Federal Cost Recovery Fee are not included in two-year price guarantee. Some o ers may not be available through all channels and in select areas. Di erent o ers may apply for eligible multi-dwelling unit. Visit directv.com/legal/ or call for details. Access HBO Max through HBO Max app or hbomax.com with your DIRECTV log-in credentials. Visit directv.com to verify/create your account. Use of HBO Max is subject to its own terms and conditions, see hbomax.com/terms-of-use for details. Programming and content subj. to change. Requires account to stay in good standing. Upon cancellation of your video service you may lose access to HBO Max. If you cancel your service,

Dragon Boat Festival is bigger than ever

ere’s nothing like reaching a major goal after years of work. is is a concept the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival is very aware of — not only has it grown by leaps and bounds in its more than two decades of existence, but this year it achieved a major milestone.

Th

“ is year we were able to purchase a eet of new boatsHong Kong-style BuK Dragon Boats,” said Sara Moore, Executive Director of Colorado Dragon Boat. “Getting these boats is 23 years in the making and we’re so excited to have them.”

Dragon boat racing is just one thing visitors can explore at this year’s annual Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, which will be held at Sloan’s Lake, 25th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard in Denver, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 22 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 23.

is year’s free festival is bigger than ever, which re ects the growing inter-

est from members of the Asian American Native Hawaiian Paci c Islander (AANHPI) community and those who want to learn about and celebrate the vibrant cultures represented at the event. Last year’s festival drew in more than 170,000 people, according to Moore, and this year is on track to match or exceed that number.

“We’re becoming more inclusive and working with the community to make sure everyone’s voices are heard,” she added. “We see a huge thirst and desire for Coloradoans to come out and support these organizations.”

e nonpro t organization puts hours and hours of work into the festival, which also doubles as a crucial fundraiser for Colorado Dragon Boat. All the festival’s beverage centers are run by local nonpro ts that also use the event as a fundraiser, so every dollar spent on a beverage is split between the nonpro t sponsor and Colorado Dragon Boat.

“We have great volunteers and sponsors who make the festival possible,” Moore said. “It is inspiring and empowering to see the community respond in such a needed way.”

In addition to the titular racing, visitors have a bevy of options for explor-

ing. ere’s the Asian Marketplace and Asian Craft Tent, both of which feature unique gifts and artworks. And speaking of art, the festival features three performance stages, where a range of performers will share traditional and contemporary Asian and Asian-American instrumental, vocal, choral and dance performances.

I can’t forget to mention the food, which is always delicious and can be found in the Taste of Asia Food Court.

ere are all kinds of options to select from, so regardless of what you’re in the mood for, you’re guaranteed to nd something that suits.

No mater where your interests or curiosities lead, the festival will provide an opportunity for enlightenment, entertainment and, most importantly, cultural connection.

“I love seeing the community coming together in celebration, especially since there aren’t enough events that highlight the contributions of the AANHPI community,” Moore said. “ e festival is a great way to tell the world we’re here, showcase all we’ve done and that we’re not going anywhere.”

All the details can be found at www. cdbf.org/summerinfo.

Celebrate Colorado creatives at Curtis Center

Colorado’s arts scene is constantly evolving and expanding in ways that

are both thrilling and imaginative. is makes the 40th Annual All Colorado Art Show at the Curtis Center for the Arts, 2349 E. Orchard Road in Greenwood Village, a great opportunity to explore just how talented artists in the state.

One of most the popular shows at the center, it runs through Saturday, Aug. 26. Visit https://www.greenwoodvillage.com/curtis for all the details.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Caamp at Red Rocks

Look, the actual concert of the week is Taylor Swift’s two-night run at Empower Field, but to score tickets to that, you’d probably need to shorten your child’s time at college by a year or so.

With that in mind, why not check out Ohio’s Caamp, who are performing two nights at Red Rocks, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway in Morrison, at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 19 and ursday, July 20.

e folk-rock band has been around since 2016 and had a major breakthrough with their third album, “Lavender Days,” which was released about a year ago. Fans of groups like e Lumineers and Nathaniel Rateli will nd a lot to love, so get tickets at www. ticketmaster.com.

Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail.com.

Clarke Reader

Local animal shelters full of dogs, cats

Cost of living, pandemic create issues

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Over 40 cats and 20 dogs are currently up for adoption at Castle Rock’s Buddy Center, a Dumb Friends League animal shelter, which is nearing its capacity as adoptions have slowed down.

Adrianne Glazer, a content and communications specialist for the Dumb Friends League, said the shelter has seen declining adoption numbers for the past three years since the start of the pandemic.

Glazer pointed to the pandemic’s impact on housing. Landlords increased pet rent fees and added more breed restrictions. e economy and rising pet-care costs have also resulted in fewer pet adoptions since 2020.

“Life is expensive, not only are housing costs and costs of living going up, but so is the cost of care,” Glazer said. “Providing basic care for pets is becoming less and less attain-

able for some people.”

ose same conditions, along with more people returning to work in an o ce, have also led to more animals being surrendered to local shelters, Glazer said.

e shelter’s current longest stay, a 6-year-old lab named Apollo, was surrendered to the shelter in April.

“Ultimately, the challenge is that our intakes are surpassing our adoptions,” Glazer said.

With fewer adoptions, the average amount of time a dog stays in the shelter’s care have doubled from 6 days in 2019 to 12 days in 2023. While the shelter provides a safe and caring environment for its animals, Glazer said it’s best for pets to have homes and families.

“ e shelter environment, even though they’re well taken care of, is not ideal long-term,” Glazer said.

“As much as we get attached, there’s nothing like seeing them be adopted.”

To be able to continue to help stray or surrendered animals, Glazer said adoption is key.

“In order to take care of more animals, we, at the Dumb Friends League and shelters all over, need to nd homes for the animals we do

have,” she said.

To help facilitate successful adoptions, not only do sta at the Buddy Center help pair animals and potential adopters, but the shelter also o ers a behavior hotline for questions, a complimentary vet visit, and a month of pet insurance.

Cats and dogs at the shelter are also spayed or neutered and microchipped before being adopted out. Glazer said adoption trends have switched recently, with cats becom-

The Buddy Center animal shelter in Castle Rock, run by the Denver Dumb Friends League, is near capacity with adoptable pets. Apollo, a 6-year-old Lab, has been at the shelter since April and is the shelter’s current longest stay.

ing more popular than dogs.

“We’re here to make those matches and keep people and their animals together,” Glazer said. “Our animals have so many unique attributes and they need homes.”

With lots of animals at the shelter, Glazer said the Buddy Center also needs volunteers and fosters.

To learn more about adoption, volunteering, fostering, or donating to the Buddy Center, go to www.dd . org/locations/buddy-center.

PHOTO BY MCKENNA HARFORD

One on one with Boston Celtics guard Derrick White

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Having grown up in Parker, Boston Celtics Guard Derrick White came back to his hometown where more than 400 kids took part in the 4th Annual Derrick White Basketball Academy.

“ is is where basketball began for me and where it all started,” said White. “So to have my own camp here to have - kids want to come to camp and have fun, it’s what it’s all about.”

White developed a series of camps with Nothing But Net - Elite Basketball Coaching, a local youth basketball development program run by Marcus Mason, previously a Division 1 coach.

Along with in-depth training, Mason spoke to the campers about the importance of keeping up academically.

“Make sure academics are in line rst, then you go to practice,” said Mason.

During his coaching career, Mason coached over 10 players who have played professional basketball, including White.

White is now NBA All-Defensive second-team with the Boston Celtics.

For four days, kids ages 6 to 10 came for three hours in the morning

and kids 11 to 17 in the afternoon to the Parker Fieldhouse to work with quali ed coaches and high school, college and professional athletes.

“I hope they learn something and really just have fun,” said White.

Using the basketball courts, the hockey space and the soccer eld in the eldhouse, kids were split up into groups, each with a coach working on fundamentals.

On the soccer eld, campers were focused on speed and agility while running. In the hockey space, groups focused on defense, dribbling and passing while sportsmanship was being built as games were going on the basketball court.  rough the Parker recreation program, Crystal Navarro registered her two sons, 8 and 6, to take part in the camp.

Navarro was thankful for the coaching sta and appreciates their experience and knowledge while her sons liked interacting with the sta .

“ e one on one time that they’re been able to do with Derrick White,” said Navarro. “ e rst hand advice.”

Campers had the opportunity to sit down with White in the new Chalk Talk with DWhite. As the Celtics provided game videos from the season, White walked through plays, talked about footwork and helped the campers get into the mind of the point guard.  the camp is watching the kids having around you.”

Derrick White autographs basketballs for the campers.

PHOTO BY HALEY LENA

at included criminal justice measures that increased penalties but didn’t address the root causes of crime, she said.

ere are 19 Republicans in the House. ree House Republicans voted “no” on 70% or more of the bills that became law: Reps. Stephanie Luck, of Penrose (74%); Scott Bottoms, of Colorado Springs (73%); and Ken DeGraaf, of Colorado Springs (71%). DeGraaf and Luck were prime sponsors of two House bills that became law. Bottoms cosponsored a Senate bill that became law — the “In God We Trust” license plate measure — but wasn’t the prime sponsor of any legislation that made it across the nish line.

e other 16 House Republicans voted “yes” on 43% or more of the bills that became law.

DeGraaf said he voted against bills in a few categories: those that would expand government, those that he felt misrepresented what they would actually do and those that haven’t been “properly vetted.” He added that he was disappointed by how little impact debate seemed to make for a bill’s success or failure.

“Once a bill reaches the oor, it seems virtually guaranteed to pass,” he said.

First-year GOP Rep. Rick Taggart, of Grand Junction, voted “yes” on 73% of the bills that became law. House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, of Wellington, voted “yes” on nearly 65% of the bills.

Taggart said he was surprised to learn he was the Republican who had voted for the most bills that became law. He said he focused less on who was sponsoring the legislation he was voting on and instead on the policies themselves.

“My approach from day one was to work on bipartisan bills that were good, not only for my community here in Grand Junction, but good for the state,” he said.

Democrats and Republicans were more uni ed in their nal votes in the 35-member Senate, which gave unanimous approval to one-third of the bills considered in the chamber that became law.

All but two of the 12 Republicans in the Senate voted “yes” 52% of the time or more on the 474 bills that became law. And all 23 Democratic senators voted “yes” 97% of the time or more.

Sen. Kevin Van Winkle, of Highlands Ranch, voted “no” on 56% of the bills that became law, while Sen. Mark Baisley, of Woodland Park, voted “no” on 55%.

“I just disagree generally with the direction Colorado’s moving, the way we’re being led by Democrats,” Van Winkle told e Sun earlier this year in explaining why he votes “no” on so many bills.

Democratic Sens. Kevin Priola, of Henderson, and Dylan Roberts, of Avon, voted “no” on only 14 of the bills that became law, but that was enough to make them the least likely to support measures clearing the chamber this year.

Priola switched his party a liation to Democratic from Republican in August. He previously was often the lone Republican “yes” vote on Democratic bills that became law. is year, he voted in favor of 97% of bills that became law, compared with 87% last year.

Priola said some of that can be chalked up to the natural di erences between each session. He added that now that he’s part of the Democratic caucus, he has changed the way he votes.

“ is year, those tweener bills that no one was upset about either way — that I didn’t think were bad policies but I wasn’t in love with them either — being in the other caucus I gave them the bene t of the doubt,” he said. “I’m going to support my caucus.”

is story via e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver that covers the state. For more, visit www.ColoradoSun.com. e Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, which owns Colorado Community Media.

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Educational Audiologist East Central BOCES is looking for a part-time Educational Audiologist for the 2023-24 school year

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East Central BOCES is seeking a Speech Language Aide and/or Occupational Therapy Aides for the 2023-24 School Year!

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I, JOAN LOPEZ, COUNTY CLERK AND RECORDER AND EX OFFICIO CLERK TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IN AND FOR THE COUNTY AND STATE AFORESAID, DO HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THE ABOVE AND FOREGOING IS A FULL, TRUE AND COR-

Public Notices

Public Notices

Legals

Public Trustees

COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION

CRS §38-38-103

FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0208-2023

To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust:

On May 9, 2023, the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in the County of Arapahoe records.

Original Grantor(s)

Miguel Casillas Guevara

Original Beneficiary(ies)

MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. AS NOMINEE FOR CITYWIDE HOME LOANS, LLC, ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt COLORADO HOUSING AND FINANCE AUTHORITY

Date of Deed of Trust

July 16, 2020

County of Recording

Arapahoe

Recording Date of Deed of Trust

July 23, 2020

Recording Information (Reception No. and/or Book/Page No.)

E0091408

Original Principal Amount

$386,863.00

Outstanding Principal Balance

$369,785.62

Pursuant to CRS §38-38-101(4)(i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the evidence of debt secured by the deed of trust and other violations thereof.

THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.

LOTS 12 AND 13, BLOCK 15, TOWN OF SHERIDAN, TOGETHER WITH THAT PORTION OF VACATED PARK PLACE, AS A RESULT OF VACATION, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.

Also known by street and number as: 3332 S Clay Street, Englewood, CO 80110.

THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST. NOTICE OF SALE

The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.

THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 09/06/2023, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)' heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys' fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.

First Publication: 7/13/2023

Last Publication: 8/10/2023

Name of Publication: Littleton Independent

IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER

DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED;

DATE: 05/09/2023

Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado

By: Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee

The name, address, business telephone number and bar registration number of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:

Alison L Berry #34531

N. April Winecki #34861

David R. Doughty #40042

Nicholas H. Santarelli #46592

Lynn M. Janeway #15592

Janeway Law Firm, P.C. 9540 Maroon Circle, Suite 320, Englewood, CO 80112 (303) 706-9990

Attorney File # 22-026877

The Attorney above is acting as a debt collector and is attempting to collect a debt. Any information provided may be used for that purpose.

©Public Trustees' Association of Colorado Revised 1/2015

Legal Notice NO. 0208-2023

First Publication: 7/13/2023

Last Publication: 8/10/2023

Name of Publication: Littleton Independent COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103 FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0173-2023

To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust:

On April 18, 2023, the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in the County of Arapahoe records.

Original Grantor(s)

KELSEY K. YAMASAKI

Original Beneficiary(ies)

MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. ACTING SOLELY AS NOMINEE FOR QUICKEN LOANS INC.

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt

ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC F/K/A QUICKEN LOANS, LLC F/K/A QUICKEN LOANS INC.

Date of Deed of Trust

May 11, 2016

County of Recording

Arapahoe

Recording Date of Deed of Trust

May 17, 2016

Recording Information (Reception No. and/or Book/Page No.)

D6050453

Original Principal Amount

$189,000.00

Outstanding Principal Balance

$165,312.63

Pursuant to CRS §38-38-101(4)(i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust and other violations of the terms thereof

THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.

SEE ATTACHED LEGAL DESCRIPTION

Also known by street and number as:

2755 W RIVERWALK CIR, UNIT F, LITTLETON, CO 80123-8989.

THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST.

NOTICE OF SALE

The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.

THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 08/16/2023, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)' heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys' fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.

First Publication: 6/22/2023

Last Publication: 7/20/2023

Name of Publication: Littleton Independent

IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER

DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED;

DATE: 04/18/2023

Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado

By: Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee

The name, address, business telephone number and bar registration number of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:

Anna Johnston #51978

Randall M. Chin #31149

David W. Drake #43315

Ryan Bourgeois #51088

Joseph D. DeGiorgio #45557

Barrett, Frappier & Weisserman, LLP 1391 Speer Boulevard, Suite 700, Denver, CO 80204 (303) 350-3711

Attorney File # 00000009755893

The Attorney above is acting as a debt collector and is attempting to collect a debt. Any information provided may be used for that purpose.

©Public Trustees' Association of Colorado Revised 1/2015

LEGAL DESCRIPTION 0173-2023

CONDOMINIUM UNIT F, BUILDING 2755, THE CANTERBURY AT RIVERWALK CONDOMINIUMS, ACCORDING TO THE CONDOMINIUM MAP THEREOF, RECORDED AUGUST 29, 2001 AT RECEPTION NO. B1146238 IN THE RECORD OF THE OFFICE OF THE CLERK AND RECORDER OF THE COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, COLORADO, AND AS DEFINED AND DESCRIBED IN THE CONDOMINIUM DECLARATION FOR THE CANTERBURY AT RIVERWALK CONDOMINIUMS RECORDED JULY 12, 2001 AT RECEPTION NO. B1113106 AND SECOND AMENDMENT TO CONDOMINIUM DECLARATION RECORDED AUGUST 29, 2001 AT RECEPTION NO. B1146237, IN SAID RECORDS, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.

Legal Notice NO. 0173-2023

First Publication: 6/22/2023

Last Publication: 7/20/2023

Name of Publication: Littleton Independent COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103 FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0192-2023

To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust: On May 2, 2023, the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in the County of Arapahoe records.

Original Grantor(s)

MASOUD MORADI AND JOSEPH KONON Original Beneficiary(ies) MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. AS NOMINEE FOR FAMILY FIRST FUNDING, LLC

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt

Great Lake Funding I Trust Date of Deed of Trust March 11, 2019 County of Recording Arapahoe

Recording Date of Deed of Trust March 26, 2019

Recording Information (Reception No. and/or Book/Page No.)

D9025671

Original Principal Amount $2,900,000.00 Outstanding Principal Balance $2,873,770.02

Pursuant to CRS §38-38-101(4)(i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to pay principal

and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust and other violations of the terms thereof

THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.

THE REAL PROPERTY, TOGETHER WITH IMPROVEMENTS, IF ANY, IN THE COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO, DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:

TRACT 20, PLAT OF RESUBDIVISION OF TRACTS 19 (PARTLY), 20, 21, 22, 23, COUNTRY HOMES, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.

Also known by street and number as: 49 SUNSET DRIVE, ENGLEWOOD, CO 80113.

THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST. NOTICE OF SALE

The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.

THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 08/30/2023, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)' heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys' fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.

First Publication 7/6/2023

Last Publication 8/3/2023

Name of Publication Littleton Independent

IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED;

DATE: 05/02/2023

Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado

By: Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee

The name, address, business telephone number and bar registration number of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:

Anna Johnston #51978

Randall M. Chin #31149

David W. Drake #43315

Ryan Bourgeois #51088

Joseph D. DeGiorgio #45557

Barrett, Frappier & Weisserman, LLP

1391 Speer Boulevard, Suite 700, Denver, CO 80204 (303) 350-3711

Attorney File # 00000009230798

The Attorney above is acting as a debt collector and is attempting to collect a debt. Any information provided may be used for that purpose.

Legal Notice No. 0192-2023

First Publication: July 6, 2023

Last Publication: August 3, 2023

Publisher: Littleton Independent COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION

CRS §38-38-103

FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0171-2023

To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust:

On April 14, 2023, the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in the County of Arapahoe records.

Original Grantor(s)

Angela Stapp

Original Beneficiary(ies)

Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Beneficiary, as nominee for Countrywide Bank, FSB, its successors and assigns

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt

U.S. Bank Trust National Association, not in its individual capacity but solely as trustee for LB-

Igloo Series IV Trust

Date of Deed of Trust

November 30, 2007

County of Recording

Arapahoe

Recording Date of Deed of Trust

December 04, 2007

Recording Information (Reception No. and/or Book/Page No.)

B7152502

Original Principal Amount

$192,600.00

Outstanding Principal Balance

$164,377.26

Pursuant to CRS §38-38-101(4)(i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the evidence of debt secured by the Deed of Trust and other violations thereof. THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A

3, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.

Also known by street and number as: 611 East Easter Avenue, Centennial, CO 80122

THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST.

NOTICE OF SALE

The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.

THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 08/16/2023, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)' heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys' fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.

First Publication: 6/22/2023

Last Publication: 7/20/2023

Name of Publication: Littleton Independent

IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED;

DATE: 04/14/2023

Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado

By: Michael Westerberg,

Public Trustee

The name, address, business telephone number and bar registration number of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:

Amanda Ferguson #44893

Heather Deere #28597

Toni M. Owan #30580

Halliday, Watkins & Mann, PC

355 Union Blvd., Ste. 250, Lakewood, CO 80228 (303) 274-0155

Attorney File # CO21348

The Attorney above is acting as a debt collector and is attempting to collect a debt. Any information provided may be used for that purpose.

©Public Trustees' Association of Colorado Revised 1/2015 Legal Notice NO. 0171-2023

NOTICE - PUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103 FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0199-2023

To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust:

On May 5, 2023, the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in the County of Arapahoe records.

Original Grantor(s) Earl T Brotten, Jr.

Original Beneficiary(ies)

CANVAS CREDIT UNION

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt

CANVAS CREDIT UNION

Date of Deed of Trust

February 18, 2022 County of Recording Arapahoe

Recording Date of Deed of Trust

February 24, 2022

Recording Information (Reception No. and/or Book/Page No.)

E2021989

Original Principal Amount $405,000.00

Outstanding Principal Balance $400,066.34

Pursuant to CRS §38-38-101(4)(i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the evidence of debt secured by the deed of trust and other violations thereof.

THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.

LOT 44, HOMESTEAD IN THE WILLOWS FILING NO. 3, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.

APN #: 207529204027

Also known by street and number as: 6703 South Locust Court, Centennial, CO 80112.

THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE

Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.

THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 09/06/2023, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)' heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys' fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.

First Publication7/13/2023

Last Publication8/10/2023

Name of PublicationLittleton Independent

IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER

DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED;

DATE: 05/05/2023

Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado

By: Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee

The name, address, business telephone number and bar registration number of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:

Alison L Berry #34531

N. April Winecki #34861

David R. Doughty #40042

Nicholas H. Santarelli #46592

Lynn M. Janeway #15592 Janeway Law Firm, P.C. 9540 Maroon Circle, Suite 320, Englewood, CO 80112 (303) 706-9990

Attorney File # 23-029786

The Attorney above is acting as a debt collector and is attempting to collect a debt. Any information provided may be used for that purpose.

Legal Notice No. 0199-2023

First Publication: July 13, 2023

Last Publication: August 10, 2023

Publisher: Littleton Independent

COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION

CRS §38-38-103

FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0169-2023

To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust: On April 14, 2023, the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in the County of Arapahoe records.

Original Grantor(s)

Jesse Quintia

Original Beneficiary(ies)

MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. AS NOMINEE FOR SWBC MORTGAGE CORP., ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt

COLORADO HOUSING AND FINANCE AUTHORITY

Date of Deed of Trust

November 20, 2017

County of Recording Arapahoe

Recording Date of Deed of Trust

November 20, 2017

Recording Information (Reception No. and/or Book/Page No.)

D7131853

Original Principal Amount $282,587.00

Outstanding Principal Balance

$264,714.82

Pursuant to CRS §38-38-101(4)(i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the evidence of debt secured by the deed of trust and other violations thereof.

THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.

LOT 9, BLOCK 7, SHERIDAN HILLS THIRD ADDITION, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.

APN #: 2077-05-2-12-020

Also known by street and number as: 3757 South Federal Boulevard, Englewood, CO 80110.

THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST.

NOTICE OF SALE

The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.

THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 08/16/2023, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)' heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys' fees,

the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.

First Publication: 6/22/2023

Last Publication: 7/20/2023

Name of Publication: Littleton Independent

IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER

DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED;

DATE: 04/14/2023

Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado

By: Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee

The name, address, business telephone number and bar registration number of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:

Alison L Berry #34531

N. April Winecki #34861

David R. Doughty #40042

Nicholas H. Santarelli #46592

Lynn M. Janeway #15592

Janeway Law Firm, P.C. 9 800 S. Meridian Blvd., Suite 400, Englewood, CO 80112 (303) 706-9990

Attorney File # 23-029708

The Attorney above is acting as a debt collector and is attempting to collect a debt. Any information provided may be used for that purpose.

©Public Trustees' Association of Colorado Revised 1/2015

Legal Notice NO. 0169-2023

First Publication: 6/22/2023

Last Publication: 7/20/2023

Name of Publication: Littleton Independent COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103

FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0202-2023

To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust:

On May 9, 2023, the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in the County of Arapahoe records.

Original Grantor(s)

Choice Property Investments LLC, a Colorado Limited Liability Company

Original Beneficiary(ies)

Merchants Mortgage & Trust Corporation

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt

Toorak Capital Partners, LLC

Date of Deed of Trust

March 21, 2022

County of Recording

Arapahoe Recording Date of Deed of Trust

April 08, 2022

Recording Information (Reception No. and/or Book/Page No.)

E2039861

Original Principal Amount $450,000.00

Outstanding Principal Balance $450,000.00

Pursuant to CRS §38-38-101(4)(i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to make timely payments required under said Deed of Trust and the Evidence of Debt secured thereby THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.

LOT 17 AND 18, BLOCK 20, JACKSON'S BROADWAY HEIGHTS, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO

Also known by street and number as: 4166 South Delaware Street, Englewood, CO 80110.

THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST.

NOTICE OF SALE

The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.

THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 09/06/2023, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)' heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys' fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.

First Publication: 7/13/2023

Last Publication: 8/10/2023

Name of Publication: Littleton Independent

IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED;

DATE: 05/09/2023 Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for the

County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado

By: Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee

The name, address, business telephone number and bar registration number of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:

Erin Croke #46557

Steven Bellanti #48306

Holly Shilliday #24423

Ilene Dell'Acqua #31755 McCarthy & Holthus LLP 7700 E Arapahoe Road, Suite 230, Centennial, CO 80112 (877) 369-6122

Attorney File # CO-23-955469-LL

The Attorney above is acting as a debt collector and is attempting to collect a debt. Any information provided may be used for that purpose.

©Public Trustees' Association of Colorado Revised 1/2015

Legal Notice NO. 0202-2023

First Publication: 7/13/2023

Last Publication: 8/10/2023

Name of Publication: Littleton Independent COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION CRS §38-38-103

FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0209-2023

To Whom It May Concern: This Notice is given with regard to the following described Deed of Trust:

On May 9, 2023, the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in the County of Arapahoe records.

Original Grantor(s)

Selena D. Barton

Original Beneficiary(ies)

UNION FEDERAL BANK OF INDIANAPOLIS

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Trustee for Bear Stearns Asset Backed Securities I Trust 2004-AC4, Asset-Backed Certificates, Series 2004-AC4

Date of Deed of Trust May 25, 2004

County of Recording

Arapahoe

Recording Date of Deed of Trust

June 03, 2004

Recording Information

(Reception No. and/or Book/Page No.)

B4100852

Original Principal Amount $75,091.00

Outstanding Principal Balance $68,886.73

Pursuant to CRS §38-38-101(4)(i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the evidence of debt secured by the deed of trust and other violations thereof.

THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.

LOT 138, BLOCK 1, HIGHLAND VIEW II, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.

PARCEL ID NUMBER: 2077-36-3-20-138

Also known by street and number as: 8106 South Fillmore Circle, LITTLETON, CO 80122.

THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN OF THE DEED OF TRUST.

NOTICE OF SALE

The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, described herein, has filed Notice of Election and Demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.

THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 09/06/2023, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of the said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)' heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys' fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will issue to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.

First Publication: 7/13/2023

Last Publication: 8/10/2023

Name of Publication: Littleton Independent

IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED;

DATE: 05/09/2023

Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee in and for the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado

By: Michael Westerberg, Public Trustee

The name, address, business telephone number and bar registration number of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:

Alison L Berry #34531

N. April Winecki #34861

David R. Doughty #40042

Nicholas H. Santarelli #46592

Lynn M. Janeway #15592

Impossible? Don’t tell Jordan Clark that

BY ALEX K.W. SCHULTZ SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

It was a shot heard ’round the world — ’round the La Liga world, at least. e shot also happened around the world, o the northeast coast of Spain, every bit of 5,000 miles away from the cozy suburbs of Denver.

On Oct. 2, 2021, in the 17th minute of a match between the Alaves and Barcelona women’s soccer clubs at Johan Cruy Stadium, Alaves’ Nerea Nevado dropped a corner kick into a cluster of players camped outside Barcelona’s goal. e set piece was headed into the upper left corner of the cage, past a diving Barcelona goalkeeper, for a 1-0 Alaves lead.

is was no small thing. Consider: Barcelona hadn’t conceded a single goal up to that point in the season, dismantling its four previous opponents by a combined score of 26-0.

Also consider: Barcelona didn’t lose a single game that season, stomping to a 30-0 record and outscoring the opposition 159-11 on its way to a third consecutive La Liga crown (Barcelona went on to win the La Liga title the following year as well).

Needless to say, scoring against Barcelona, an eight-time La Liga and ninetime Copas de la Reina champion, is a big deal.

You could easily call a moment like that “surreal” or “unbelievable” or one of life’s “top moments.”

at’s what the one who put the ball in the net called it, which was certainly warranted in and of itself but especially after everything she’d been through.

Her name: Jordan Clark, a Littleton resident and underRidge’s assistant boys tennis coach.

“To have that moment nally come through and be the rst one to score

against them, it was just total elation bursting out all in one second,” Clark said. “ e most unreal moment I could’ve imagined in my soccer career thus far, for sure.”

Listen closely. “ us far,” the soonto-be 34-year-old said. at’s right, the sun hasn’t set on Clark’s soccer career just yet.

Signed with Swedish club

Clark recently inked a contract to play for Sweden soccer club Vetlanda for the 2023-24 season. She’s set to leave for

Public Notices

Janeway Law Firm, P.C. 9540 Maroon Circle, Suite 320, Englewood, CO 80112 (303) 706-9990

Attorney File # 23-029835

The Attorney above is acting as a debt collector and is attempting to collect a debt. Any information provided may be used for that purpose.

©Public Trustees' Association of Colorado Revised 1/2015

Legal Notice NO. 0209-2023

First Publication: 7/13/2023

Last Publication: 8/10/2023

Name of Publication: Littleton Independent City and County

PUBLIC NOTICE

CITY OF CENTENNIAL

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, the Centennial City Council passed on first reading:

ORDINANCE NO. 2023-O-08

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CENTENNIAL, COLORADO APPROVING A VACATION OF RIGHT-OF-WAY

DIRECTLY WEST OF SOUTH BLACKHAWK STREET SOUTH OF EAST ARAPAHOE ROAD ADJACENT TO LOTS 1, 2, AND 3, BLOCK 1, CENTENNIAL EAST CORPORATE CENTER FILING NO. 2 AND LOT 1, BLOCK 1, CENTENNIAL EAST CORPORATE CENTER FILING NO.

CASE NO. VACP-23-00001. The full text of the ordinance is available for public inspection in the

the Nordic country on Aug. 5.

“I keep having to come to these potential crossroads where I have to almost `face my mortality’ as a professional soccer player,” Clark said. “I believe in it. I know I can still play. It’s just a matter of whether an opportunity’s

“If I just keep my head down and keep working hard and trying and hoping and believing that something’s there, so far, it’s worked out.”

Hard work, hope, belief, a neversurrender mentality — those are what have fueled Clark her whole life.

She started as a true freshman at the University of Akron in Ohio. Despite tearing her ACL the following year and redshirting, she went on to become a two-year team captain as an upper-

In 2012, a month before she graduated from Akron, the U.S.’s top-level professional women’s soccer league folded, forcing Clark to look elsewhere for an opportunity to continue playing the beautiful game.

at opportunity came from across the Atlantic, in Karlsruhe, Germany, home to second-tier club Karlsruher FC. Clark was the team’s leading scorer in 2013-14. Impressive, yes. Even more impressive: She played the whole season on a broken ankle.

“ at might not have been the wisest decision,” Clark said, chuckling.

After returning to the states, Clark participated in numerous tryouts for the new National Women’s Soccer League, but the answer was always the same: “I got told I did really well, but there was always some reason why I wasn’t going to get signed on and picked up.”

A few years later, Sola Abolaji, Clark’s connections-rich trainer, said there was a potential opportunity for his pupil in

office of the City Clerk. The ordinance may be obtained by contacting the City Clerk, 303-754-3324. The full text of the ordinance is also available on the City’s web site, www.centennialcolorado.com.

By:Barbara Setterlind, MMC, City Clerk

Legal Notice No. 531605

First Publication: July 13, 2023

Last Publication: July 13, 2023

Publisher: Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen

Public Notice

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO

PUBLIC NOTICE & OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Arapahoe County, Community Development Housing and Homeless Services staff will complete a study session with the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), to review funding recommendations for the County’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) programs, as well as the County’s Private Activity Bonds (PABs), and review proposed programmatic changes to revise CDBG and HOME program year start/end dates.

The BOCC study session will be held in person on Monday, July 17, 2023, at 1:45 pm, or shortly thereafter, in the West Hearing Room at the County Administration Building, located at 5334 S Prince Street, Littleton, CO, 80120. Interested parties can view and access the public study session through our website: https://www.arapahoegov.com/1617/ Public-Meetings-Live-Streaming or https://arapahoe.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. To comment virtually during the public comment

Austria. Clark boarded the rst plane she could get on. She landed in Vienna on her 32nd birthday.

Same story, though. “I played for several days. I played against Bayern Munich in a scrimmage. e coach said he wanted me, but the club had di erent reasons — nances, paperwork, whatever it was — for not being able to take me on.”

Clark stayed in Austria for a week with “nothing on the horizon,” she said. at is, nothing but hope, belief and a never-surrender mentality.

Future hopes

Clark said she ultimately wants to start her own sports academy and teach athletes young and old about important sports concepts like decisionmaking, reaction time, vision, recovery and pain management (Clark studied nursing as an undergraduate student and sports science and coaching as a graduate student at Akron).

She’s also refusing to completely let go of her long-held dream of playing for the U.S. women’s national team, which might sound crazy to some given that she’s closing in on her mid-30s. But Clark has turned crazy into reality many times before. She’s overcome broken bones and torn ligaments. She’s silenced a lot of naysayers. And, remember, she’s scored against and wounded the Barcelona machine when most others have only dreamed of doing so.

It’d be foolish to count her out at this point.

“Where I’m at now age-wise and experience-wise, it’s very, very unlikely,” Clark said of playing for the national team. “But I’m not taking it o the table completely, just because I’ve already done some impossible things. I can’t not believe in the impossible a little bit.”

period, interested parties may call 855-436-3656 and, when prompted to, press *3 to be entered into the speaking queue.

If you need special accommodations or translation services to attend a public meeting or submit comments, or if you would like to request related documents in a language other than English, please contact Elizzebeth Loomis at eloomis@ arapahoegov.com at least 36 hours prior to the start of the meeting to ensure we can accommodate your request.

Legal Notice No. Arap 1208

First Publication: July 13, 2023

Last Publication: July 13, 2023

Publisher: Englewood Herald Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen PUBLIC NOTICE CITY OF CENTENNIAL

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, the Centennial City Council approved the following ordinance on second and final reading:

ORDINANCE NO. 2023-O-07

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CENTENNIAL, COLORADO AMENDING CHAPTER 12 OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE (LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE) CONCERNING ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS

The full text of the ordinance is available for public inspection in the office of the City Clerk and is also available on the City’s web site, www.centennialcolorado.com. The ordinance may be obtained by contacting the City Clerk, 303-754-3324.

(First published June 22, 2023)

By:Barbara Setterlind, MMC, City Clerk

Legal Notice No. 531606

First Publication: July 13, 2023

Last Publication: July 13, 2023

Publisher: Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen Public Notice

ARAPAHOE COUNTY NOTICE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT

To whom it may concern: This notice is given with regard to items in the custody of the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office that have been released for public auction. The Sheriff’s Office will release numerous items including but not limited to, bicycles, jewelry, audio/ visual equipment, automotive parts, tools, sports equipment (such as camping, rafting, skiing gear, etc.), household goods and other items of personal property to a private auction company identified as Roller Auction. These items will be released for on-line bidding on the last Tuesday of each month. This Auction is open public.

If any citizen believes they have property in the possession of the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office that can be identified, and for which they can show proof of ownership associated with a written report that has been filed with the Sheriff’s Office prior to this announcement, can contact the evidence section of the Sheriff’s Office.

Joan Lopez, Clerk to the Board

Legal Notice No. Arap 1207

First Publication: July 13, 2023

Last Publication: July 13, 2023

Publisher: Englewood Herald Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen

Public Notice

ARAPAHOE COUNTY

AMENDED NOTICE OF HEARINGS COUNTY BOARD OF EQUALIZATION

PURSUANT TO COLORADO REVISED STATUTES § 39-8-104, Notice is hereby given that the Board of County Commissioners of Arapahoe County, Colorado and/or its designated referees, will sit as the County Board of Equalization (“CBOE”) to review the assessment roll of all taxable property located in Arapahoe County, as prepared by the County Assessor, and to hear appeals from determinations of the Assessor. Said hearings will be held via video and/or telephone conferencing commencing on or after August 15, 2023 and concluded by the close of business on November 1, 2023. All decisions of the County Board of Equalization will be rendered by November 1, 2023.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO

Joan Lopez, Clerk to the Board

By:Karen Thompsen, Deputy Clerk

Legal Notice No. Arap 1205

First Publication: July 13, 2023

Last Publication: July 13, 2023

Publisher: Englewood Herald Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen

###

Centennial Legals July 13, 2023

Jordan Clark, a Littleton resident and ThunderRidge’s assistant boys tennis coach, will play for Sweden soccer club Vetlanda for the 2023-24 season.

PHOTO BY ALEX K.W. SCHULTZ