Centennial Citizen 081023

Weighing action against Centennial Airport P10

STORY ON PAGE 6

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Toxic algae detected in Cherry Creek Reservoir

After discovering toxic algae in the Cherry Creek Reservoir, o cials are not permitting some recreational activities like swimming and paddleboarding in parts of the reservoir.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife, which announced the recreational closure in a July 30 news release, advises that people and their pets avoid contact with the water at the reservoir because a toxic, blue-green algae bloom was found on the shoreline.

Toxic algae can a ect the liver, skin, or neurological systems of people and pets, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife said swimming, paddleboarding and wading will not be allowed near the marina and the “west shades” area of the reservoir. ere are warning signs at the recreational closure areas.

“All skin-to-water contact should be avoided for humans and pets,” Cherry Creek Operations Manager

Larry Butter eld said in the release. “Contact with the water could cause minor skin rashes and make pets ill. Dogs need to be on-leash to keep them from drinking or playing in the (algae) bloom.”

Symptoms of toxic algae exposure for people may include skin irritation, nausea, diarrhea, fever, headache, liver damage, allergic reac-

tions and asthma are-ups, according to the state health department.

For pets, symptoms may include drooling, diarrhea, vomiting, low energy, not eating, stumbling and tremors.

If someone suspects that they or their pet was exposed to toxic algae, the state health department recommends showering immedi-

ately and contacting their healthcare provider, veterinarian, or poison control at (800) 222-2222.

Boating and shing, however, are not restricted in these areas of the Cherry Creek Reservoir. e state health department advises that boats avoid areas with toxic algae and to clean sh well and discard sh guts ap-

propriately.  e reservoir’s recreational closures came after water samples tested by the state health department showed a high, “red level” of microcystin, an algal toxin.

Microcystin is a potent liver toxin and possible human carcinogen, according to the

Image of Cherry Creek State Park swim beach being underwater.

PHOTO COURTESY OF COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE

Bus driver shortages pushes DCSD to do rolling cancellations

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

With more than 100 bus driver positions left un lled ahead of the school year, the Douglas County School District is moving to rolling cancellations for all bus routes.

Last year, Superintendent Erin Kane called transportation a “pain point” in the district because a lack of sta ng led to frequent day-of cancellations. Going into the 202324 school year, sta ng is down even more than last year.

In an e ort to avoid short-notice cancellations this year, the district surveyed parents and families on various short-term solutions until more sta can be hired.

Paula Hans, spokesperson for the district, said the district understands having rolling cancellations is hard for families and continues to look for solutions. e rolling cancellations will impact all general education routes.

“Of course, we recognize that none of the options were ideal, and we are committed to continuing our driver and assistant recruiting e orts over the course of this year,” Hans said in an email.

Hans said the district’s transportation team will email families in advance to notify them of which routes will be canceled. roughout the school year, each route will run for four weeks and then be o for one week.

Transportation sta ng is down 104 bus drivers and 32 transportation education assistants, who are responsible for monitoring special education students with moderate to severe needs and challenging or emotional di culties on school buses.

Hans said that even with rolling cancellations, some routes may still experience day-of cancellations.

“In the case where drivers or assistants are out, we will rst do our best to cover any vacant routes with internal sta prior to moving forward with a cancellation,” she said.

ARAPAHOE COUNTY

Already, the district has consolidated 30% of its bus routes, increased the outsourcing of special education routes to third-party transportation providers and reduced daytime eld trips to keep sta available.

Hans added that families who paid for an annual bus pass will receive a partial refund to o set the cancellations.

Compared to surrounding districts, Douglas County’s transportation pay is one of the lowest in the metro area. Douglas County starts bus drivers with commercial driver’s licenses at $22.86 per hour and transportation assistants start at $17.62 per hour.

e Cherry Creek School District starts bus drivers at $23.18 per hour and assistants start at $17.74 per hour.

Lauren Snell, a spokesperson for Cherry Creek schools, said the district is working to ll 30 open bus driver positions and isn’t facing the same transportation challenges as Douglas County.

However, Snell said hiring transportation sta isn’t particularly challenging.

“Right now, people want to come work for Cherry Creek,” she said.

Snell said no routes will be canceled this year and cancellations weren’t an issue last year either.

In an email to families, Kane said it’s hard for Douglas County to o er competitive pay because of limited district funding. Currently, the district is o ering paid training and $1,000 sign-on bonuses for select positions to try entice employees.

“While this is a challenge a ecting school districts across the country, our funding situation makes the challenge more acute for our district,” she said.

The school board will be voting on whether to put a $66 million mill levy override and $484 million bond on the 2023 ballot to pay more competitive salaries for staff and build new schools at the Aug. 8 meeting.

Arapahoe County encourages everyone to join in this observance and to recognize the important roles that parents, employers and community members play in ensuring that all children have the financial support they need to thrive. Learn more at arapahoegov.com/humanservices.

Time to hit the trails!

Lace up your sneaks for a timed 5K trail run presented by Les Schwab Tires, beginning at Tagawa Gardens and running along the Cherry Creek Regional Trail. Funds support trail maintenance and Arapahoe County Open Spaces. Includes dinner, craft beer or sports drink, and live music at the finish line. Walkers and all ages welcome!

Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023 | 5:30–7:30 p.m.

Get details: arapahoecountyeventcenter.com

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Justice System

Racial Equity Event

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Environmental Protection Agency. It is a type of cyanobacteria, which is also referred to as blue-green algae.  ese organisms naturally occur in Colorado but can become problematic when they multiply rapidly, resulting in a dense concentration of cyanobacteria, also referred to as a “bloom,” according to the state health department.

e blooms become harmful when the cyanobacteria produce toxins, the state health department said.

e state health department’s threshold for water recreational closure is 8 micrograms per liter of microcystin and above, which is considered a “red level,” according to the news release. e samples at Cherry Creek State Park showed concentrations of 10 micrograms per liter.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife said water samples will continue to be collected and tested, and the closures will remain in place until the level of microcystin decreases.

Updates on the recreational closure will be shared online at cpw. state.co.us/placestogo/parks/CherryCreek.

No RSVP necessary. Childcare will be provided.

Wednesday, Sept. 27 6:30–8:30 p.m.

Second Chance Center 224 Potomac St., Aurora

arapahoegov.com

FROM PAGE 4

EVEN WITH A HOUSING VOUCHER, METRO MAN FACES ENDLESS BARRIERS TO FIND DISABLED GRANDSON A HOME

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

George Vonesh drives an hour round trip each day to visit his grandson, Justin.

Justin is a kind, caring, nonjudgmental young man, says his grandfather. He keeps up on the news and likes to discuss current events. In his free time, Justin enjoys music, concerts and paranormal television shows.

He also lives with intellectual disabilities, which have impacted him since childhood. Yet, at 32 years old, Justin lives on his own in an apartment in Lafayette.

As Justin’s primary companion and caregiver, Vonesh has spent much of his life memorizing the ins and outs of programs and services that many adults with disabilities rely on — from Medicaid to food assistance programs, to housing choice vouchers and more.

“It’s taken me years to learn all this stu ,” Vonesh said.

At age 79, he is starting to worry about how he can sustainably support his grandson. e distance from Arvada — where Vonesh lives — to Lafayette is feeling more and more challenging to travel as the years go by.

He wants to move Justin closer, but for months he’s faced hurdle after hurdle. Despite all his research, paperwork, phone calls, meetings and more paperwork, Vonesh hasn’t been able to nd an apartment that will work.

e problem comes down to what’s commonly called a housing choice voucher.

Justin received a voucher in 2018, about a year and a half after applying for the rent subsidization program. He was luckier than many, as some people wait on lists for years — sometimes more than a decade — before being selected for the program that’s part of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD.

e program, sometimes known as Section 8, aims “to help very low-income families, the elderly and the disabled a ord decent, safe and sanitary housing,” according to HUD.

Justin is both low-income and disabled in the eyes of

the government. His income was about $800 per month — less than 7% of the area median income in his county — when he applied for a voucher. is money came from a monthly stipend for people with disabilities, called Supplemental Security Income.

Since then, however, Vonesh has learned that a voucher is not a guaranteed ticket to housing.

“It’s not easy,” he said, gesturing at a pile of paperwork full of handwritten notes and math problems. “Even now, with all this homework that I have, I still am never quite sure about all the exact steps.”

rough his deep dive into the program and its many intricacies, Vonesh has uncovered a system with pitfalls at every turn. Sometimes, these challenges come from administrative complexities of the program. Other times, they are rooted in discrimination.

As Vonesh has worked tirelessly to nd a home for his grandson, housing advocates have taken steps to strengthen laws meant to protect people like Justin.

A new law on this front, which goes into e ect this month, has resulted in resistance from Colorado landlords. While they concede that people with housing vouchers can struggle to nd

a place, they say the problem should be addressed by making the program more economically attractive — not mandating how landlords interact with it.

Moving Justin closer Vonesh has been living in the same Arvada home for over 50 years. Since his wife passed away a few years ago, he divides his time between taking care of his dog, Jasper, and his grandson.

“Jasper in the morning, Justin in the afternoon,” he said.

Justin’s disabilities, which impact his social interactions, have made it challenging for him to make friends over the years. Vonesh said that causes Justin to be sad sometimes, making the daily visits even more important.

“If I don’t go up there, he’s just by himself,” he said.

As Vonesh gets older, the long drive is becoming more challenging.

“It’s hard on me,” he said. “I’m getting old and that tra c is dangerous … so I’d like to get him closer. Otherwise, I’m telling him, we’re just gonna have to gure out some days a week that I take o .”

But Vonesh has had little luck since he began searching for a closer apartment eight months ago. Because Justin has a voucher, moving is a complicated process that

involves a staggering number of considerations.

First, prospective apartments need to qualify under a payment standard set by HUD. at means the unit, plus utilities, has to be at or under a speci c price.

Once Vonesh nds an apartment at the correct rate in a desired area, there has to be a vacancy that lines up with the end of Justin’s current lease. He also has to add time for a federally mandated inspection of the unit.

If the new apartment is in a di erent county, Vonesh would need to transfer Justin’s rental subsidy across housing authority lines. e process is possible, but it

adds extra steps that take time. In a fast-paced rental market where landlords want tenants con rmed as quickly as possible, the timeline of these extra steps can complicate options.

Add those requirements to the personal desires any person may have for an apartment — like in-unit laundry or a place to sit outside — and Vonesh has a puzzle on his hands.

It is a puzzle that gets more challenging when some landlords, Vonesh says, won’t even take a glance at Justin’s application.

“I have lost count of the

‘Even now, with all this homework that I have, I still am never quite sure about all the exact steps.’

George Vonesh

George Vonesh sits with his dog, Jasper, outside of his home in Arvada.

PHOTOS BY NINA JOSS

From his desk in Arvada, George Vonesh searches for apartments for his grandson, Justin.

VOUCHERS

apartment managers who told (me) that they don’t accept (vouchers)”

since Justin got a voucher in 2018, Vonesh said. “ ey don’t want to deal with the bureaucracy and perceived problems with low-income renters.”

Discrimination over source of income

e apartment managers who told Vonesh they wouldn’t accept housing choice vouchers — if they said so after January 2021 — could have been breaking the law.

at’s when House Bill 20-1332 took e ect, outlawing housing discrimination based on a person’s source of income. e state law added this category to other protected classes including disability, race, color, creed, familial status and more.

In practice, this law means landlords in Colorado with more than three rental units must accept housing choice vouchers. ey cannot use Justin’s federal aid as a reason to turn him away.

Despite facing this issue, Vonesh never led a complaint with state o cials. e process seemed cumbersome and time-consuming, and it was more important to him to put his time and energy toward nding Justin a home, he said.

Vonesh isn’t the only one concerned that landlords discriminate in this way. Housing advocates across the metro area say they’ve seen evidence of housing discrimination based on source of income.

“Complaints about housing vouchers — and landlords refusing to accept them or refusing to count the value of the voucher — is the number three source of complaint that we received (in the past 18 months),” said John Paul Marosy, outreach and education coordinator at the Denver Metro Fair Housing Center. e center is a private nonpro t or-

ganization that works to investigate matters related to housing discrimination across the metro region.

Although there may be some bad actors, Marosy noted that most discrimination against voucher holders comes from landlords who are unaware of the law.

“From our experience, the vast majority of landlords don’t intentionally discriminate in this way,” he said. “But it is incumbent on them to educate themselves.”

In a few cases, discrimination against voucher holders is outright. But more commonly, landlords create barriers for voucher holders without doing anything that appears to break the law, advocates say.

One of these barriers is the minimum income requirement. is is when a landlord requires a potential tenant to prove they make a certain ratio of income to rent.

Vonesh ran into this problem recently when he was checking out an apartment in Arvada for Justin. Right as he started to think it might work out, the apartment manager shattered his plan.

“ ey said, ‘Oh, you know, we can take a voucher, sure — but you still have to prove three times (the rent in) income,’” Vonesh said.

With Justin’s income — all from federal aid — this requirement was impossible to meet.

The income barrier

Aubrey Wilde, advocacy program director at Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, said income requirements are one of the biggest barriers for people with vouchers.

“We have folks with vouchers who technically should be able to use those vouchers, in most cases, being asked to prove that they earn three, four, ve — even eight — times the rent amount in income,” Wilde said, recounting numbers from her and other advocates’ work with people searching for housing.

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In Colorado, where discrimination based on source of income is illegal, some landlords are opposed to the mandate that they have to accept housing choice vouchers.

Drew Hamrick, a spokesperson for the Colorado Apartment Association, a leading state group of rental housing providers, said he thinks the vast majority of landlords follow the state law.

But across the nation, he said, many landlords resist participating in the voucher program. In some states, it is legal to reject a prospective tenant because they have a voucher. eir resistance is rooted in administrative costs.

“ ere’s so much red tape involved,” Hamrick said.

Although landlords do not care what the source of a person’s money is, Hamrick said, they care that they get paid. e voucher program is problematic because it adds the risk of additional expenses that landlords might not be compensated for, he said.

ese potential expenses include rent that can be lost while o cials inspect a unit to see if it meets federal standards. He also said there are other risks, like the chance that a tenant might not be able to a ord to pay for repairs needed for potential property damage.

Due to these concerns, Hamrick said the State of Colorado was unfair to mandate that landlords accept vouchers by approving House Bill 20-1332 in 2020.

“It was a bad legislative decision because, really, what you do when you (have) a problem like that is you x the program so that it’s more attractive to participate in, rather than saying, ‘Hey, we get the program doesn’t work that well, but you’ve got to play,’” he said.

A spokesperson from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, acknowledged that there are areas of the voucher program that can use improvement, but highlighted that many of the rules landlords oppose are necessary. For example, he said inspections are crucial to ensure units for voucher holders meet basic health, safety and quality standards.

“All of these kinds of rules to

ensure that the funds are used e ectively, I mean, it comes with red tape — and to some extent, there’s no way around that,” the spokesperson said.

e HUD spokesperson said the program cares about landlord concerns and has made changes in response to what they have heard. One of these changes is o ering virtual options to streamline the inspection process.

HUD also recently gave public housing authorities the right to use some of their administrative funding to cover potential nancial losses for landlords to incentivize them to accept vouchers, the spokesperson said.

But with public housing authority budgets varying across the country, some have the ability to provide incentives like this, while others’ budgets are already stretched too thin.

How much source-of-income discrimination is reported?

Nonpro t groups that work directly with people impacted by source-of-income discrimination tend to see more instances of it than are o cially reported.

According to the Colorado Civil Rights Division, which processes housing discrimination complaints, fewer than 10 complaints have been led on the basis of source of income since House Bill 20-1332 went into e ect in 2021.

But the division’s data does not accurately re ect how much discrimination is truly happening, said Katie O’Donnell, a spokesperson for the division.

“It’s absolutely happening all over Colorado,” she said. “We hear about a very small portion of it.”

Many instances of housing discrimination go unreported due to fear of retaliation and a lack of understanding about the process of ling, she said.

George Vonesh, for example, is a grandfather seeking a home for his disabled grandson who is on a voucher. Despite several incidents that could be considered discriminatory, Vonesh has never led a complaint with state o cials. e process seemed cumbersome and time-consuming, he said, and it was more important to him to put his time and energy toward nding his grandson a home.

The long drives from Arvada to Lafayette are becoming challenging for George Vonesh, who is 79 years old, to make every day to visit his grandson.

PHOTO BY NINA JOSS

VOUCHERS

Jack Regenbogen, deputy executive director at the Colorado Poverty Law Project, said he and other advocates consider this behavior to be a form of discrimination.

“ ey’re not saying anymore, ‘We won’t accept Section 8,’ but they are discriminating based on the amount of income,” Regenbogen said.

Although many voucher holders can’t meet income requirements, Marosy from the Denver Metro Fair Housing Center said the voucher itself is a dependable sign that the tenant will be able to pay their rent each month.

“If you look at it from the landlord’s point of view, this is a guaranteed source of income,” he said. “ ey know for a fact that this individual has this voucher and that money will be there for months and months to come.”

But House Bill 20-1332 sets no limit to the income level a landlord can require. And for

George Vonesh shows handwritten math problems calculating payment standards, income levels and his grandson’s voucher subsidy — complex calculations required to find his grandson a home. PHOTO BY NINA JOSS

people with vouchers, there’s no clarity about whether a minimum income requirement applies to the whole rent, or just the portion of rent a voucher holder is paying out of pocket. is legal blurriness has created a situation where landlords can reject a voucher holder for not making three or more times the full rent amount in income.

A new law rough months of lobbying and testifying, the Colo-

rado Coalition for the Homeless and the Colorado Poverty Law Project worked with legislators on a new law this year, Senate Bill 23-184, that addresses income requirement barrier for voucher holders. It will go into e ect in August.

“It caps the minimum income requirement at two times the cost of rent,” Wilde said.

e Colorado Apartment Association, a leading state group for landlords, was a vocal opponent of the bill. Spokesperson Drew Hamrick said the income requirement cap — which will allow people to spend 50% of their income on rent — will set tenants up for failure.

“Anyone signing a contract that they’re promising to pay that much of their income in rent is going to default under it,” he said. “No one can afford to do that.”

Hamrick said landlords do not care about the source of a tenant’s money — but they care that they get paid.

In landlords’ eyes, he said, the housing voucher program adds the risk of additional

expenses they might not be compensated for. ese potential expenses include rent lost while o cials inspect a unit to see if it meets federal standards. He added there are other risks, like the chance that a tenant might not be able to pay for repairing property damage.

Instead of mandating that landlords accept vouchers, Hamrick said, legislators should work to make the program more nancially attractive for landlords.

He said the new cap is not a sustainable decision for rental housing providers, who will have to accept tenants more likely to default on rent. He added that more defaults would likely make rents rise across the market over time.

“ e Colorado legislature has substituted their own business judgment for the judgment of the entire market and made a bad business decision here,” he said.

Regenbogen, however, said he thinks people paying half their income on rent will still be able to make ends meet. Low-income people, he said, have always had to be

resourceful — and housing is a necessity they deserve the opportunity to have.

“(Paying half of one’s income on rent is) not ideal, but what’s worse was the previous status quo where if people weren’t earning an arbitrary multiplier of what rent is, then they could very possibly nd themselves either in the homeless shelter or on the street,” he said.

He added that the new number re ects a reality in Colorado — where more than half of households are rentburdened, meaning they are paying more than the recommended 30% of their income on rent, according to recent U.S. Census Bureau data.

For people with vouchers, the new law also clari es that minimum income requirements must only apply to the portion of rent the tenant pays out of their own pocket.

requirement, been holders Hope is income generally of vast

VOUCHERS

VOUCHERS

requirement, has historically been a barrier for voucher holders in nding housing.

Hope for Justin

Vonesh said the new law is good for people at low income levels like Justin.

Since voucher holders generally pay 30% to 40% of their income on rent, the vast majority will now always

qualify in terms of income.

“I think (the law) will have a fairly signi cant positive impact,” Vonesh said, re ecting on the times Justin has been turned down on the grounds of income. “ at new provision, I think, takes that o the table.”

Vonesh said the more he knows and understands the laws, the more he is feeling prepared and empowered going into conversations with apartment managers.

“I was just waiting for them to say ‘We don’t accept

vouchers,’” he said, describing one recent meeting. “I was ready to pull out my printedout copies of the statutes that are all highlighted.”

But people who don’t know their rights don’t have that opportunity to stick up for themselves, he said.

To help educate more tenants and landlords on the rights and rules related to housing discrimination, the Denver Metro Fair Housing Center launched a campaign in April about source-ofincome discrimination.

CLEAR VISION

“Most prejudice is rooted in the lack of knowledge,” Marosy said. “We’re optimistic that as we get more knowledge out about the voucher program, we’ll see a decrease in the discrimination that we’ve been seeing against voucher holders.”

As months have gone by, laws have been passed and Vonesh has gotten help, he has maintained hope for Justin — but it hasn’t been easy. With the number of apartments that have not worked out for his grandson, Vonesh

was hesitant to say one law would x the whole process.

“I think some of these folks can be pretty creative if they really don’t want to accept vouchers,” he said. But the new law is a step forward, he said.

Armed with his stack of papers and knowledge of his rights, Vonesh is dedicated to continue trying — for the sake of himself, for the sake of Justin and for the sake of other Coloradans who have struggled to put a roof over their heads.

Residents pursue litigation to address Centennial Airport concerns

BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Following months of residents raising concerns about aircraft noise, tra c and lead emissions coming from Centennial Airport, a group has taken it a step further and created an organization called Safe Skies Colorado, Inc. to pursue legal action.

“We’re preparing to move forward with litigation,” said Nathan Winger, the president of Safe Skies Colorado.  e organization has retained a law rm that is helping examine di erent legal avenues it could pursue, Winger said.

Safe Skies Colorado has directed its attorneys to prepare a complaint, but it is still “up in the air” about who to bring the complaint against, he said.

“We are looking towardhow are we going to approach this situation? Does it mean pursuing legal action against the airport authority board, the county commissioners, individual ight schools?” Winger said.  e organization is looking at all angles, intent on pursuing whoever the residents believe they can get relief from, he said.

“We want to make sure that we’ve done our due diligence and that we’re bringing claims that we believe we can prevail on,” Winger said.

Winger says aircraft over homes ‘has increased significantly’

Centennial Airport, lo-

cated in Arapahoe County near Dove Valley Regional Park, is one of the 25 busiest airports in the nation, averaging 1,000 takeo s and landings per day, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

It is home to “numerous ight schools” and has “signi cant business jet and helicopter tra c,” according to the FAA’s website.

For months, residents have been attending meetings to raise concerns about increased air tra c, noise and lead pollution impact-

ing the community, speci cally those living north of Arapahoe Road. Some formed a group, Quiet Skies Over Arapahoe County, to advocate for changes to be made to address safety and noise concerns at Centennial Airport.

Winger, who moved to Greenwood Village about a year-and-a-half ago, believes something changed at the airport, saying there are more planes ying near residential homes now than there were one year ago.

“We knew we live by an

airport, and so we understood that there would be some tra c, you know, in and around our home and in and around our neighborhood — and that was ne,” Winger said. “Over the last year or so, it has increased signi cantly to the point where being in our backyard can sometimes be di cult.”

His two young children are routinely disturbed by aircraft while playing in the backyard, covering their ears from the noise, he said. Everyone in the neighborhood seems to talk about the

planes, he added.

“We really do feel the impacts, and we know that our neighbors do as well,” he said.

Winger and his wife began attending the airport’s community noise roundtable meetings, typically held the rst Wednesday of each month.

e roundtable is made up of local elected o cials from Arapahoe and Douglas counties, appointed community representatives,

Aircraft at Centennial Airport, located in Arapahoe County near Dove Valley Regional Park, on April 26, 2023. It is one of the 25 busiest airports in the nation, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

PHOTO BY TAYLER SHAW

airport to airport mitigate on the while become we in goals common and “ Centennial community remains table analysis tor the pattern rector the analysis. a the the the

SEE AIRPORT, P11

AIRPORT

airport sta , and others, according to Centennial Airport’s website.  Its purpose is to work with the airport to nd ways to reduce and mitigate the impact of aircraft noise on surrounding communities, per the website.

“We’ve been going for quite a while and we, and others, have become very frustrated with what we perceive as the lack of progress in trying to achieve any of these goals … of just trying to nd some common ground to be able to live and enjoy our home,” Winger said. “ at’s all we want.”

Centennial Airport’s e orts to address community concerns e reason why more aircraft are ying over nearby neighborhoods remains unclear.

During the February noise roundtable meeting, the FAA explained its analysis found that the primary factor was increased aircraft volume in the tra c pattern, causing the tra c pattern to elongate.

Centennial Airport Executive Director and CEO Mike Fronapfel said the airport disagrees with that initial analysis. e airport thinks that after a 2021 mid-air collision occurred, the FAA local control tower changed the way it managed the aircraft in the pattern, resulting in the pattern

getting extended more frequently over the community.

“Obviously, the FAA and the airport have disagreements about how we got here and why we’re having a problem,” Fronapfel said at the June noise roundtable meeting.

“But at the end of the day … we both acknowledge that the tra c has increased over the community.”

“Instead of focusing on what’s happened and how it happened, let’s focus on the solution and then move forward,” Fronapfel added.

One of the steps Centennial Airport leaders have taken to address community concerns is hiring e Normandy Group, a lobbying and advocacy rm based in Washington D.C.

Louis Dupart, founding partner of the Normandy Group, spoke during the June noise roundtable meeting.

He said he has been working with the airport, Centennial, Greenwood Village and Arapahoe County to get the FAA to join a sub-roundtable technical working group to address noise at the airport.

“Our goal is to have something happen quickly,” Dupart said.

Regarding concerns about lead pollution, airport and community leaders celebrated in early May when Centennial Airport became the rst in Colorado to o er unleaded aviation gas.

Aviation gasoline is the only transportation fuel in the U.S. to contain lead and is the fuel most commonly used in piston-engine aircraft, a

ccording to the FAA’s website.

It was a step several o cials credited, in part, to residents who raised concerns.

For example, Arapahoe County Commissioner Jessica CampbellSwanson said Centennial Airport would not be the rst airport in the state to make unleaded aviation fuel available without the community raising its voice.

Residents generating their own solution

Winger said he thinks it is great that the airport has taken steps such as o ering unleaded fuel and getting a lobbyist.

“Not to totally detract from the airport’s e orts — it’s just not enough, and it’s not fast enough,” he said.

Safe Skies Colorado provides an opportunity for residents to generate their own solution, in a sense, Winger said.

“If this works, or it’s a combination of other things which work to give us some relief and help us achieve our goal of coming to some resolution … that’s what we want,” he said.  “ at doesn’t mean one thing is better than the other,” he added. “ is is just something else to help move this process along.”

e idea to create Safe Skies Colorado came about after many conversations with people who were frustrated with what was happening at the airport, Winger said.

“We started with the idea of, you know, hiring attorneys and that was

kind of the stated goal, was to look for … attorneys to represent us and other people to be able to advise us,” he said.

e purpose of Safe Skies Colorado, in part, is to be able to serve as a representative for residents who are a ected by issues arising from the airport, he said.

“ e mission, though, is really to represent the community’s interest and make sure that our voices are heard,” he said.

e organization has garnered a lot of interest from the community, Winger said. It has hosted several community meetings and is raising donations to fund its legal e orts.

When asked what he would like for community members to know, Winger said, “It doesn’t have to be this way.”

“We believe that it’s possible to live … in unity or with an agreement with the airport and also be able to enjoy our communities and our neighborhoods,” he said. “ ere can be a way to live in harmony with an airport next to you.”

Winger said members of Safe Skies Colorado are open to having a dialogue with airport o cials.

“We now have this common problem,” he said. “It’s our hope that we can kind of work together to … get some kind of relief here.”

ose interested in learning more about Safe Skies Colorado and how to donate can visit www.safeskiesco. org or contact the organization by emailing info@safeskiesco.org.

Arapahoe County identifies its first human case of West Nile virus

BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Arapahoe County has identied its rst case of a person being infected with West Nile virus for the 2023 season, the county announced Aug. 3.

West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. e virus is commonly spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito.

Most people infected with West Nile virus do not have symptoms, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. However, some infected people can develop a serious and potentially deadly illness.

Given that there are no vaccines to prevent — or medications to treat — West Nile virus in people, health o cials are urging residents to take precautions at all outdoor locations to prevent mosquito bites.  Arapahoe County recommended the following steps to limit exposure to the virus:

Wear an insect repellent that is approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, such as one that includes the ingredient “DEET.” Arapahoe County said these repellents are proven safe and e ective for all people ages 2 months and up, including those who are pregnant and breastfeeding.  Stay indoors at dawn and dusk, as this is when mosquitoes are the most active.  Avoid recreating around standing water sources such as lakes and ponds. If you are camping, use mosquito netting.  Wear clothes to protect against mosquitoes, such as long-sleeved shirts and pants. Drain standing water sources including puddles, gutters, owerpots, tires, pool covers, boats

and tarps.  Prevent mosquitoes from getting indoors by using an air conditioner or fans rather than open windows. If you do have any windows or doors with openings, put a screen on them.  If you live on a property with a septic system, take steps to prevent mosquitoes by ensuring your tank is in good repair and any vents or openings are covered or sealed.

Symptoms of West Nile virus

Symptoms of West Nile virus generally appear about two to 14 days after exposure, the county said. One in ve people develop a fever, body aches, headache, and occasionally, skin rashes and swollen lymph nodes.

e county said mild symptoms of a West Nile virus infection usually pass on their own.

Less than 1% of people infected with West Nile virus will develop severe symptoms that a ect the nervous system, Arapahoe County said.

People who are older than 60 are at a higher risk, as well as people with medical conditions like cancer, diabetes and hypertension.

Severe symptoms of West Nile virus include tremors, high fever, coma, neck sti ness, paralysis, muscle weakness, confusion and disorientation.

e state health department said residents who develop severe headaches or confusion should contact their health care provider.

12 confirmed human cases in Colorado,

1 death

e rst human case of West Nile virus in Colorado for 2023 was con rmed in late July in La Plata County, according to the state health department.

As of Aug. 4, 12 people have been a ected by West Nile virus in

Colorado in 2023, according to data from the state health department.

e Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment con rmed on Aug. 4 the rst death of someone due to West Nile virus in Colorado in 2023. In a news release, Weld County said a 53-yearold resident died from neuroinvasive West Nile virus.

e state health department said mosquito populations are at “historic levels” in some parts of Colorado due to the high rainfall this year.

“ is unusually high mosquito activity along with known presence of the virus has caused an elevated risk of West Nile virus transmission to humans,” the department said in a news release.

7 Colorado counties have infected mosquitoes

Arapahoe County is among seven counties in Colorado that have con rmed West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes, the county said.

In July, environmental health experts detected West Nile virus in mosquitoes near the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds, marking the rst known presence of the virus in the county this year. e county said e orts to treat the surrounding area with insecticide were e ective. Environmental health specialists conducted a follow-up test to the same pool where the infected mosquitoes were found, and the samples reportedly came back negative.

However, in early August, it was announced that mosquitoes near Heritage High School in Littleton had tested positive for the virus.

“ e season for high mosquito activity typically runs through September, so public health experts caution that our community has a while to go before West Nile (virus) risk peaks and declines,” the county said in its news release.  ose interested in learning more about West Nile virus can visit cdc. gov/westnile.

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Arapahoe County has identified mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus near the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds. SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

Building ‘the world’s most beautiful ant farm’

Ant Life prompts human pondering in Denver

BY CHRISTY STEADMAN CSTEADMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

While Jacob Lemanski was circling the globe on his bicycle, the only thing he missed was his ant farm. It was one of the few possessions he’d kept before setting out on his adventure. He built it himself, using scrap sheets of plastic and he set a dim light behind it to illuminate the ant tunnels.

Lemanski’s cycling adventure entailed circling the world twice — a feat that took him 999 days, almost three years. Nearly all of his time was solitary, aside from the friendly waves and saying a casual hello to the thousands of people along his route, which consisted of traversing six continents.

During the long stretches of pedaling, Lemanski had a lot of time to re ect. He often thought about his ant farm. So, when he returned home, Lemanski, who has a background in mechanical and aerospace engineering, set out to build the “world’s most beautiful ant farm.”

Lemanski created a living habitat with a colorful backdrop of nebulae and stars that reacts to the colorchanging lights built within the frame.

Once built, Lemanski spent many hours looking

at it — observing the ants as they tunneled and watching the roots of various plants as they grew in the soil. Watching the ant farm became meditation for him.

“Every time I looked, it was di erent, and I was mesmerized,” Lemanski said. “Watching it become something is the fun of it.”

Lemanski then built a second ant farm, then a third. Eventually, it became a collection of eight. Lemanski got a patent on them, and in June last year, opened a space to publicly display them at 2150 Market St. in downtown Denver.

Today, he has 11 illuminated ant farms for everyone to enjoy. Filling a couple of the walls inside the larger Ant Life venue, Lemanski calls the display “the Ant Space.” Each of these framed ant farms is unique, and will be di erent with every visit. It’s living wall art, Lemanski said.

“It only exists in the present because it’s constantly changing,” he added.

Additional original artwork displayed inside Ant Life is what Lemanski calls Space Screens. ese are close-up images – some are photographs of plants and

other objects that Lemanski took on his cycling adventure – on dyed velvet that are hung from a light bar to create a dynamic, psychedelic wall hanging. He o ers Ant Life guests a pair of 3D glasses to enhance the viewing experience.

“Whenever I am at Ant Life, I feel a sense of peace staring into the art as the lights pulsate colors and shift my perception of what I see,” said Kelsey Armeni, who visits Ant Life on a regular basis. “I know that in the midst of an event, I can take a break from socializing to go and stare

and connect back to my breath and the simplicity of ants digging through the cosmos.”

Lemanski originally opened Ant Life as an art gallery — everything in it is available for purchase — but the space soon found its calling as an events venue.

Since its opening, Lemanski has hosted a variety of corporate and private events there — from birthdays and weddings to gaming and movie nights. e Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies even hosted one of its events at Ant Life when the association was in Denver in June for its Psychedelic Science conference. And about once a month, Ant Life hosts the popup market, Magic Makers Market.

“ is venue has been the biggest blessing to the event promoters here in Denver,” said Anthony Sabia, founder of Shroomski Magazine, who hosts events at Ant Life. “It’s designed with the intention to give you something fascinating to look at. e decorating has already been done, and any guest that comes in there is practically left speechless.”

Lemanski enjoys the variety of events that take place at Ant Life. And he happily schedules free, private tours of the space for anyone who wants to see it. He’ll carry on friendly conversations about the art and ask visitors what they see in it.

And “everyone sees something di erent,” Lemanski said.

Wall art called Space Screens cover the walls at Jacob Lemanski’s Ant Life in Denver. PHOTO BY CHRISTY STEADMAN

Not Trump — please VOICES

Iremember the year I turned 18 and the thought of registering to vote was so awesome. I couldn’t wait to vote for president.

I was proud to register as a Republican. Over the years — I have drifted more to the middle. In Arizona, when I covered more and more politics — it was more logical for me to become an independent. In this space, on more than one occasion, I have said I still lean right on a lot of issues.

However, I have to say, I do not get the Trump loyalty. I cannot gure out how he is still pulling so much support nationwide. He is being indicted for a lot. Whether you agree with the indictments or not — the reality is he’s still got a lot of legal troubles on his plate.

Yet — he still ies around the country touting his “amazing” leadership abilities, asking for money, which appears to be paying legal bills, and claiming he will still make a great president.

However, here is the reality — to those Republicans saying they are going to vote for Trump in the primaries — I ask, have you thought about the end game?

A man whom I’ve stayed friends with and whose family I knew growing up recently posted a plea to his Republican friends on Facebook. He begged his Republican friends to realize that Trump cannot win the whole thing and it’s time to go with another candidate. He speci cally brought up Ron DeSantis.

He speci cally said in ation and the economy are big reasons to look beyond Trump.

I have been a bit surprised that DeSantis has not gained more ground among Repub-

licans. Even with his recent stumbles I am surprised he has not gained more ground with the party.

In my friend’s plea, he stressed that Trump absolutely will not win the general election. I agree with him.

While Trump may carry the Republican vote — he will not carry the una liated and independent voters. He will not gain anything among Democratic voters.

To win the whole thing — a candidate has to get some votes beyond their own party. Trump cannot do it.

To those still wanting him to be president — it will not happen.

Nikki Haley, Mike Pence and Ron DeSantis have a better chance of getting the una liated voter over Trump.

To those sticking with Trump — do you want to win the entire thing and get Biden out of o ce — or do you want to stand by Trump and lose?

I’m not saying the Republican candidates have my vote as of right now, but I will say Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis have a better shot of getting me to vote Republican than Trump does.

I can’t say I’m over the top with the job the Biden/Harris ticket has done to date. A good, strong leader may get me to consider the other side.

I believe Trump has divided this country too much. I believe he has helped in creating the hateful country we are dealing with on both sides of the aisle. Is he solely to blame? No. But, he carries a lot of it.

We need a di erent leader. We need di erent people to represent the conservative party.

I hope the Trump-for-life supporters start questioning whether loyalty to him is more important than having new leadership in the White House in 2025.

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

As part of our company’s onboarding process, we are invited to connect with new hires at every level of the organization and wherever they may live. Technology of course makes scheduling these calls and having these calls very easy when we are connecting with new remote team members. e other day I had a wonderful call with our newest team member, Adam. What we found that we had in common was a love for reading. And it was a great reminder for me that each year around this time, I publish my reading list and recommendations.

e summertime is always a great way to reacquaint ourselves with reading if we have not been as diligent in our e orts. Vacations and staycations o er us that time to unwind and relax with a good book. For me, depending on what I am reading, a great book transports me to di erent places, in di erent times, inspires creativity, and helps me to learn and grow personally and professionally.

I love this quote by S.I. Hayawaka, “It

ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager abrooks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

is not true that we only have only one life to live; if we can read, we can live as many more lives and as many kinds of life as we wish.” So spot on.

We all have our di erent genres of the types of books we enjoy reading. For me, I go through a cycle of ve di erent types of books and then repeat the cycle. I start with a faith-based book, then a history book or biography, then move to a business book, add in a personal development book, and then go to a ctional book. I have found that the diversity in my reading keeps me wellrounded and a ords me the opportunity to engage in conversations with people regardless of their own reading preferences. Reading so many di erent types of books also inspires tremendous creativity.

So here is my current reading list, hopefully one or two may be of interest to you.

Faith-based books: “Mission Possible” by Tim Tebow, “All ings New” by John Eldridge, “If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat” by John Ortberg, “Let the Journey Begin” by Max Lucado, “ e Carpenter” by Jon Gordon

History or biography books: “ e Forgotten 500” by Gregory A. Freeman,

SEE NORTON, P17

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Reading to learn, grow, imagine, escape

Littleton o cer Michael Lopez cleared in fatal shooting

BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Littleton Police O cer Michael Lopez was cleared by the 18th Judicial District for any wrongdoing in the shooting that resulted in the death of Stephen Poolson Jr. on Feb. 2.

In the report, Chief Deputy District Attorney Clinton McKinzie said after reviewing the evidence provided by the Critical Response Team and applying the law to the facts of the incident, “I conclude that O cer Lopez was legally justi ed in using lethal force against Mr. Poolson. e police o cer’s use of force was reasonable, necessary, and appropriate to defend himself from the threat posed by Mr. Poolson.”

According to the report’s summary of facts, on Feb. 2 around 1:05 a.m., Lopez was on patrol in a fully marked police car near 5600 S. Bannock St. in Littleton. As he turned onto Powell Avenue he observed a man straddling a parked motorcycle outside an apartment building. e man was later identi ed as Poolson, 41.

Lopez took note that the motorcycle was on the sidewalk with no license plate. Lopez pulled the patrol car alongside Poolson. Rolling down his window, Lopez asked Poolson what he was doing. Poolson responded that he was waiting for friends.

According to the report, Lopez then asked where the motorcycle’s license plates were. Poolson did not respond. Lopez then asked if the bike had been stolen. Allegedly, Poolson said, “not yet.”

NORTON

FROM PAGE 16

“ e Last Stand” by Nathaniel Philbrick, “George Washington’s Secret Six” by Brian Kilmead and Don Yaeger, “ e Nine” by Gwen Strauss

Business books: “How to Sell to the Modern Buyer” by David Mattson, “10 Leadership Virtues for Disruptive Times” by Tom Ziglar, “Smart Brevity” by Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, Roy Schwartz, “Traction” by Gino Wickman

Personal development books: “ e Power of Who” by Bob Beaudine, “ e Power of Community” by Howard Partridge, “Becoming a Master Communicator” by Renee Marino, “What Drives You” by Kevin Miller, “Growth with Goals” by Jill Hellwig

Fiction books: “Dark Vector” by Clive Cussler, “Wild Fire” by Nelson DeMille, “ e Lion” by Nelson DeMille, “American Assassin” by Vince Flynn, “Transfer of Power” by Vince Flynn

Again, those are just my recent favorites and if you are looking for a good book in a speci c genre, hopefully this list helps or inspires you to

At this time, a masked male and female subject emerged from a nearby apartment building behind Poolson. When they saw Lopez talking to Poolson, they ran back inside.

Lopez drove his car forward to block the motorcycle’s path. Poolson then turned on the engine and began to push the motorcycle forward, Lopez collided with the bike, pushing it into a low wall.

Poolson fell o and ran toward the nearby apartments.

Lopez exited his patrol car to chase Poolson, drawing his handgun and calling on the radio to report he was in pursuit of the suspect on foot.

In the apartment complex’s courtyard, Lopez found Poolson trying to climb over a fence that led to a parking area behind the building. With his gun drawn, Lopez ran up to Poolson while reporting over the radio that he was tracking a white male wearing a black hoodie.

At that point, Poolson who was trying to climb the fence turned and pointed a handgun at Lopez. According to the investigation, at this point, the two men were standing 12 feet apart. Poolson told Lopez to “get back,” with the o cer responding, “don’t shoot.”

Repeating his order for Lopez to “get back,” Poolson kept the gun pointed at the o cer. Stepping behind the partial cover of a tree, Lopez red his weapon six times, striking Poolson who immediately fell to the ground.

Lopez immediately reported that he had shot Poolson, asking for a trauma kit. Another o cer

look at similar titles.

And remember what Mary Schmich says about reading, “Reading is a discount ticket to everywhere.” It is so true, we can let whatever it is we read to lead us into a new paradigm and bring us into a new place mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Reading broadens our knowledge and leads us to new horizons. And the only thing that we are bound by is our own time and willingness to commit to making the e ort to read and read more often.

How about you? What are you reading these days? I always love getting fantastic book recommendations from our community and sharing what we both get out of the reading. I would love to see your list at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can read to learn, grow, imagine and escape 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.

soon showed up with a trauma kit, followed by South Metro Fire and Rescue, which responded within minutes to provide Poolson medical care.

Poolson was soon pronounced dead, being struck by ve of the six bullets red.

According to the coroner’s report, the cause of death resulted in a gunshot wound directly to the chest.

At the scene, the investigation revealed that a Glock handgun loaded with 14 rounds of live ammunition was found next to Poolson.

McKinzie said investigators also learned that the motorcycle that started the entire stop had been reported stolen in Denver six months earlier.

According to the investigation, while Lopez did not activate his body-worn camera, it still captured

video without audio due to a feature that allows the camera to save the previous 30 seconds of video before being activated to record both audio and video.

McKenzie said in his report that the video is consistent with statement’s provided by Lopez after the shooting.

When asked why he did not activate the body-camera, Lopez told investigators that he wasn’t even planning on investigating a crime, admitting that he was only curious why the motorcycle did not have a license plate, noting that the situation developed quickly.

A surveillance camera located in the courtyard of the apartment complex captured both audio and visual footage of the shooting and is consistent with Lopez’s account of the incident.

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

For those who haven’t stopped by their local library in recent years, it’s not just a place to pick up and drop o books anymore.

In the post-pandemic era, libraries have become meeting places, remote work spaces, play areas and more. Rather than the repositories of books and other print media they once were, libraries are taking on more of a community center role, sta members at Denverarea library districts explained.

“ ey’ve always had that role,” said Holly Grant of the Clear Creek County Library District. “But now, it’s about … not just seeing (a library) as a storehouse of knowledge and scholarship.”

To that end, libraries have diversi ed the items and programs they o er to address community needs. Depending on the district, patrons can check out everything from camping equipment to virtual reality headsets. Additionally, patrons can access video- and audiobook-streaming services for free with their library cards.

Plus, along with children’s storytime and book clubs, library events and programs can range from puppy yoga to snowshoe hikes.

“It’s a very di erent library than what many of us grew up with,” Holly Whelan of Arapahoe Libraries said. “ … We have everything, everything, everything.”

Items and resources aplenty

Whelan’s words aren’t an exaggeration, as sta members from multiple districts said their libraries o er so much it’s hard for them to remember everything. So, before buying, renting or downloading something, check the library rst.

Along with books, movies and comics, districts have nontraditional items for check-out. Many o er laptops, iPads, Kindles, mobile WiFi hotspots, passes to local museums, cookware, GoPro cameras and science kits.

Mark Fink, executive director of Anythink Libraries — which has branches from ornton to Bennett — said his district’s TryIts collection includes musical instruments for various experience levels; lawn games; outdoor gear like snowshoes and backpacks; 3-D printers; sewing machines and crafting kits; and microscopes.

People have borrowed them for weekend barbecues, camping trips, one-o projects, or to see whether they’d want to buy their own. Fink said the TryIts collection has been so popular, Anythink Libraries has “expanded the level of items we provide.”

O ering items like these saves patrons money and helps the environment too, Grant pointed out, as people aren’t buying things they might only use once.

Along with physical items, districts have several online resources patrons can access with their library cards. rough these apps and online services, patrons can download e-books and audiobooks, stream movies and TV shows, and access tutoring services and online classes — all for free.

Lizzie Gall of Je erson County Public Library said patrons who used to spend money on Audible and Net ix

have saved money by nding their items through the library instead.

In-person services are also crucial, whether it’s answering technological questions or notarizing documents. Grant said Clear Creek patrons have asked for help setting up their Kindles and reviewing their emails, and tourists often stop into the Idaho Springs and Georgetown branches to ask questions about local sites and museums.

As Whelan summarized it: “If you think the library isn’t for you, or we don’t have anything to o er, think again. … We have something for everybody.”

Unique programs, events

Beyond summer reading and book clubs, libraries have expanded the type of events and programs they o er — ranging from outdoor and out-of-library adventures, to arts

and culture, to physical and mental health. Almost all are free and open to everyone, including out-of-district attendees. Some may require preregistration and/or tickets to cover event costs.

Clear Creek has hosted everything from snowshoe hikes to American Sign Language classes. It also has free present-wrapping stations in December, which are immensely popular, Grant said.

Both Je erson County and Arapahoe libraries have hosted after-hours laser tag for teens, which are well-attended and sometimes have fun themes like “Star Wars.” Gall highlighted other teen events, like this August’s Teen Iron Chef and the ongoing Coding Camp, which has expanded to include preteens.

Summertime outdoor concert series are

Local libraries o er nontraditional items and programs, preserve important ‘third place’

Eli Monreal plays Life-Size Clue during a March 31 teen event at Je erson County Public Library’s Golden branch.

FILE PHOTO BY CORINNE WESTEMAN

a seed library at one of its

EVERYBODY

popular at Anythink and Arapahoe library districts, with each concert drawing hundreds of attendees.

Fink noted how Anythink Libraries also has an artists-in-residence program through a partnership with the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art. e district’s also partnering with the City of ornton to build a 35,000-square foot nature library so people can engage with nature in an accessible way, he commented.

For Arapahoe Libraries, Whelan highlighted the Library For All program, which is for adults with disabilities and their caregivers. It also has a Memory Café for adults with memory loss, their caregivers and families.

Events like these have become crucial ways for participants to connect and interact with those in similar situations, Whelan described.

At Douglas County Public Libraries, the popular brew tour is return-

ing this year, which encourages patrons to support local breweries and co ee shops. Kerri Morgan, special events manager, said the district also hosts several literary trivia nights, library-wide scavenger hunts and similar events throughout the year.

Its thrice-a-year Storybook Holiday events are especially delightful, she added. ese themed nights at the library bring classic stories to life at springtime, Halloween and the winter holidays. is fall’s will be “ e Legend of Sleepy Hollow”themed, complete with interactive trick-or-treating.

“When you walk into the library, it’s almost like walking into a living expression of that piece of literature,” Morgan said of the Storybook Holiday events. “ … It’s all about making positive, lifelong memories inside the library.”

During the pandemic, virtual events became incredibly popular, and districts continue to o er hybrid options. Whelan said, for Arapahoe Libraries, it’s about engaging people no matter where they’re at — in the world, or in life.

“When we talk about getting people into the libraries, that doesn’t physically have to be walking through the doors,” she continued.

Preserving the ‘third place’

With libraries evolving as technology and community needs do, sta members emphasized how libraries are increasingly important meeting places. So, the buildings must re ect that.

More libraries now feature built-in cafes for people to relax, meet and/ or work. Fink said Anythink Libraries wanted its branches to feel like “high-end bookstores,” and help patrons “create special moments of joy or delight” through their library experiences.

Fink described how, in sociological terms, libraries fall into the “third place.” e premise is that a person’s “ rst place” is their home and their “second place” is work. us, “third places” like parks, churches, co ee shops and gyms are crucial for civic engagement and social interaction.

Libraries as “third places” are increasingly important for young

parents looking to get their children out of the house and meet other local families, Morgan described. eir popularity’s also growing among work-from-home folks who’ve lost their “second place” and want to work a free, o ce-type environment.

Morgan emphasized how, unlike some “third places,” libraries are completely free and open to everyone.

“It’s a place where, if you want, you can be entertained or educated,” she said. “It’s almost like a choose-your-own adventure.”

Gall, Grant and others emphasized how should re ect the people they serve, and adapt to their needs and interests. us, their districts are very responsive to patrons’ feedback for new items, events and programs.

“( e library)’s something that everybody can enjoy without feeling like there’s a price tag attached,” Grant continued. “ … If the library wasn’t there to o er all those elements of service, where would (people) get them from?”

Douglas County Libraries hosts a Halloween-themed Storybook Holiday event. The district hosts these events three times a year — in the spring, around Halloween, and in early December.

Brooks Bowland, 6, crosses the bridge during the Clear Creek County Library District’s snowshoe hike in February

FILE PHOTO BY SARA HERTWIG

Colorado funk band SuperMagick performs at Anythink Libraries’ Backyard Concert Series in 2016. COURTESY OF KENT MEIREIS AND ANYTHINK LIBRARIES

Arapahoe Libraries hosts

locations. Seed libraries have become a popular program among local library districts. COURTESY PHOTO

Tours set at water gardens

SONYA’S SAMPLER

The Colorado Water Garden Society will host the annual Water Blossom Celebration from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Aug. 12 at Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St., with tours of the water gardens and free aquatic plants, while they last. ere is a ne collection of water lilies, some carnivorous plants and information on how to grow them.

DBG members free, others pay an admission fee. See colowatergardensociety.org.

Newman Center

e Newman Center at the Univer-

sity of Denver begins its 2023-2024 season with “Dogman: e Musical” at 6 p.m. Sept. 8 and 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sept. 9, followed Sept. 22-23 with the Martha Graham Dance Company at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: 303871-7720. For the season program,

go to denvercenter.org/ticketsevents for a rich program of music, dance and lectures through the season in the Gates Auditorium.

Black Cube

Black Cube, a nonpro t nomadic art museum, located in Englewood, o ers tours of Marguerite Humeau’s 160-acre earthwork, “Orisons,” located in Hooper, Colorado, in the San Luis Valley. It transforms an unfarmable piece of land into “a place of reverence,” we are told. A series of 84 kinetic and interactive sculptures

“invoke the land’s histories” and a vast network of interrelations. ere are 77 kinetic, wind-activated sculptural works which lay on the seven large-scale net sculptures, inspired by sandhill cranes, which migrate through the valley in spring and fall. Open to the public by advance reservation only, but admission is free sunrise to sunset daily. Self-guided

tour includes a two-hour walk in sandy soil. Visitors with accessibility issues can contact the Black Cube sta at hello@blackcube.art for more information before reserving a visit. See blackcube.art.

Author honored Highlands Ranch author Claudia Cangilla McAdam was recently honored by the Colorado Authors League with a 2023 Writing Excellence Award for her children’s book, “Louie’s Lent.” It won third place in the Association of Catholic Publishers’ Children’s Book/Picture Book category. She has several other books in production as well.

Depot Art Gallery exhibit “Best of Colorado,” the next Depot Art Gallery exhibit, coinciding with Littleton’s Western Welcome Week,

Wonderbound season begins Oct. 19

BY SONYA ELLINGBOE SELLINGBOE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Wonderbound’s Artistic Director Garrett Ammon and Clay Rose created “Wicked Bayou,” which will open the contemporary ballet’s 10th season Oct. 19-29 in its new permanent home in Park Hill, at 3842 Dahlia St., Denver, according to a recent announcement.

e company has appeared at various venues in the metro area since its founding and moved into the new facility in May.

October performances will be with e Widow’s Bane, a band which is described as “a convergence of Creole and Cajun folklore.” (Ammons features live music.)

is will be a nal chance to see this band perform, as it will be saying farewell after this production, according to information we received. Wonderbound now has a 260-seat auditorium and will welcome its audience to performances on a large stage, where the company will rehearse and perform. e new facility also has administrative o ces. (We are told that there is parking at the new location and on the nearby street.) e organization is proud to have weathered the pandemic without furloughs or layo s or salary cuts ...

e “Wicked Bayou” ballet was created by Ammons and Rose, frontman for the Boulder-based band Gasoline Lollipops. e new work is a dark adventure, which includes a depraved

puppet master, an insatiable alligator and two young lovers who must ght for their lives ...

December will feature a new holiday production, “Icy Haught,” choreographed by Ammons and company dancer Sarah Tallman, on Dec. 7-17. We are assured that this is not standard holiday fare.

Ammon and Rose will also pair up for the season nale, a world premiere of “Samson and Delilah,” which will be set in Palestine, Texas in 1977, at the height of the ERA movement. All-new music in the psychedelic country genre will tell of Delilah, a beautician, and Sam, the local sheri , star-crossed lovers, who do not always see eye to eye.” Rose and his band will accompany on May 2-12,

2024.

Also included in the season will be “Awakening Beauty,” with Tom Hagerman and his band on Feb. 22 to March 3.

e dance company is described: “Lives at the convergence of tradition and innovation, vulnerability and courage and intimacy and openness. Under the leadership of husbandand-wife team Garett Amon and Dawn Fay, Wonderbound is committed to the development and sharing of the collaborative artistic experiences ... creations erase boundaries between mediums and engage artists and audiences in candid explorations of the human experience.” See wonderbound.com for subscription information.

The water gardens at Denver Botanic Gardens will be the subject of tours by the Colorado Water Garden Society on Aug. 12. PHOTO COURTESY OF DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS

Thu 8/17

Denver Broncos

@ 9am

Centura Health Training Center, 13655 E. Broncos Pkwy., Englewood

The Newarkansans live at The Inverness HIlton Denver @ 4pm

Hilton Denver Inverness, 200 Inverness Dr W, Englewood

Featured

TEN - Colorado Tribute to Pearl

Jam: TEN - A Tribute to Pearl Jam at Tailgate Tavern @ 6pm

Tailgate Tavern & Grill, 19552 Mainstreet, Parker

Sat 8/19

Crazy Dave, Bass Guitarist: Resonance Debuts | Tailgate Tavern @ 5pm Tailgate Tavern & Grill, 19552 Mainstreet, Parker

Fri 8/18

Cory Michael @ 1pm Wide Open Saloon, 5607 US-85, Sedalia

Electric Whiskey Experiment @ 5pm

Sunroom Brewing, 3242 S Acoma St, Englewood

Tom Mcelvain Music @ 6pm private House concert - Castle Rock, CO, Castle Rock

George Porter Jr.: Conscious Alliance All Star Bene�t @ 6pm Cherry Hills Village Community Develop‐ment, 2450 E Quincy Ave, Englewood

Kristopher James: Earth Angel Festival 2023 @ 6pm null, 7231 S Quintero St, Fo��eld

6 Million Dollar Band @ 6pm Pindustry, 7939 E Arapahoe Rd, Centen‐nial

Resist & Bite @ 6pm Wild Goose Saloon, Parker

Jude Brothers @ 7pm Swallow Hill Music, 71 E Yale Ave, Denver

Resist @ 7pm

Wild Goose Saloon, 11160 S. Pikes Peak Drive, Parker

Crazy Dave, Bass Guitarist: Fleatwood Mac Tribute | Tailgate Tavern & Grill @ 6pm

Tailgate Tavern & Grill, 19552 Mainstreet, Parker

Neil Z: Brightenstar @ Black Bear

@ 4:30pm Black Bear Golf Club, 11400 Can‐terberry Pkwy,, Parker

Fleming Mansion Walkthrough (about 45 days before event)

@ 6pm Fleming Mansion, 1510 S. Grant St., Den‐ver. 720-913-0654

Steve Everett: Earth Angel Fest @ 4pm

Earth Angel Barn, Fo��eld

Grayson Little Music: Grayson Little & The Sunday Drivers at Concert Under The Lights @ 6pm Festival Park, 300 2nd St, Castle Rock

Sun 8/20 Thu 8/24

Read Southall Band @ 6pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

Rotating Tap Comedy @ Coal Mine Ave Brewing @ 6pm Coal Mine Ave Brewing Company, 9719 W Coal Mine Ave unit a, Lit‐tleton

powered by

The Barlow Band takes to Arvada Center

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Ask any performer and they’ll tell you there’s something di erent about performing on a “home stage” — the stages they’ve seen heroes and peers perform on countless times in their life.

e Barthe Arvada Center’s outdoor amphitheater is one of those stages. So, getting the chance to open for alt-rocker Lucero at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 11 is a big deal for the band.

e Barlow — Shea Boynton on vocals, guitar and banjo, Troy Scoope on bass, Ben Richter on drums and Brad Johnson on guitar and vocals — have been a group since 2017 and draw inspiration from classic and contemporary country artists like Steel Woods, Cody Jinks, the Randy Rogers Band and Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.

We chatted with Boynton about the group’s history, performing at the Arvada Center and more:

Interview edited for brevity and clarity.

Tell me about the background of e Barlow.

Most of us have known each other since high school (Arvada Senior High) and played in di erent bands together at one point in time or another. We started e Barlow as a casual thing

— we were all itching to play and needed a creative outlet. e band came together naturally as we were already buddies. e rst couple years were us getting our foothold musically and playing around Denver/Colorado. Touring escalated after we released “Horseshoe Lounge” in Feb. of 2021 and we’ve been full steam since.

What’s it like being part of the Denver music scene?

Denver and Colorado are small, tight knit scenes. It’s always reasonable to assume we’ll run in to folks we know within production, promotion or other artists when we’re playing inside state lines.

We proudly wave the #coloradocountry ag and always tell folks we’re from Arvada. is is where we were raised, where we’re raising our children, and have built our lives here. We couldn’t be prouder to play country music from a place that’s less conventional than others.

What does it mean to be playing at the Arvada Center and opening for Lucero?

We’ve all driven by the Arvada Center a million times, so when the opportunity came up to play there we were elated. It’s home. Any chance to play among our friends and family always feel like a celebration. I’ve been listening to Lucero for more than 20 years, getting to share a stage with them is a huge privilege.

We pride ourselves on touching every genre within our lane that we can. As

musicians, we make memories for folks and we aim to do our job each night.

Find more information at www. thebarlowband.com/ and get tickets at https://arvadacenter.org/events/ lucero.

Mountains of fun at 4th ConiferFest

What better way is there to appreciate late summer in Colorado than by getting a little elevation and attending the Rotary Club of Conifer’s 4th annual ConiferFest?

Held from 11 a.m. until about 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 12, at the open space adjacent to Our Lady of the Pines Church, 9444 EagleCli Drive in Conifer, the fundraiser features live music from Who’s omas, Captain Quirk, Magoo the Band and Sam Gyllenhall Band. Attendees will be able to enjoy various beverage options (including margaritas), food trucks and more.

All you need to know can be found at https://coniferfest.com/.

Celebrate 15 years of CinemaQ Film Festival

Sharing the stories of the LGBTQIA+ community has rarely been as crucial as it is right now, with the community’s rights under constant assault. is makes the annual Denver Film CinemaQ Film Festival not just important, but worth celebrating.

It’s the festival’s 15th year and it is bigger than ever, with some truly incredible lms getting screened over its run

at the Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver, from ursday, Aug. 10 through Sunday, Aug. 13. Some of the highlights include “Chasing Chasing Amy,” “Bottoms,” “Our Son” and “Problemista.”

As is always the case with Denver Film, there will be great panels with lmmakers and other creatives. Get tickets, passes and all the details at www.denver lm.org.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — The Strokes at Red Rocks

e Strokes are one of the most important bands of this century, and their debut album, “Is is It” radically reshaped the direction of indie and alternative rock. I’ve pretty much loved all the group’s albums in their own way, and even if they don’t have the critical success they used to, they’re still legends that demand attention.  e group doesn’t tour often and so the fact that they’re playing Red Rocks, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway in Morrison, at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 14, is a massive deal. Despite the fact they’ve been around for 20 years, they’ve never played the mythical venue before, so this is going to be a special evening. ey’ll be joined by alt-rock vocalist Weyes Blood as the opener.  Purchase 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.

is juried by artist Christian Dore. He chose 60 works from 400 entries. Show runs Aug.8-Sept. 10. A reception will be from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Aug. 18 at the Littleton Fine Art

Guild’s Town Hall Arts Center gallery, where “Home on the Range” will run through Sept. 10. Admission is free on both galleries. Town Hall hours: 10-5 Monday-Friday, 2450 Main St., Littleton.

Bega Park

e Littleton Fine Arts Guild members will ll Bega Park in Downtown

Littleton with tents and art on Aug. 12. Visitors encouraged ...

Jazz Dazzle Jazz is collaborating with an El Chapultepec Legacy project to give space in its new location at the Denver Center for Performing Arts to a series of paintings and to piano jazz called “the late set,”

from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. on ursday, Friday, Saturday, starting in the fall. ePecLegacy.com is raising funds for the project. (Reach out to Anna@ thepeclegacy.com for information on becoming a donor.) Dazzle will have moved this past week to 1080 14th St. in the DPAC with ongoing concerts. Tickets will cost $15 to $45 via dazzledenver.com.

Clarke Reader

Colorado Symphony readies for centennial season

Tickets on sale now for more than 150 performances

BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

On Sept. 12, 2001, legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma was scheduled to perform Antonín Dvo ák’s Cello Concerto with the Colorado Symphony. e day prior to the performance, the United States was shaken by the events of 9/11, one of the most tragic losses of life in American history.

Colorado Symphony cellist, Margaret Hoeppner, vividly remembers Ma’s performance that night. Instead of playing the planned Dvo ák piece, Yo-Yo Ma decided to play Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto, a composition written in the aftermath of World War I. As the Colorado Symphony’s longest tenured member with 62 seasons under her belt, the performance after 9/11 is Hoeppner’s most powerful, moving memory as a part of the orchestra.

“Ma’s performance brought the audience and the orchestra a sense of solace and some comfort during that terribly di cult time. For me it was a sense that life will go on and that we will recover from this horrible tragedy,” said Hoeppner. “Because of the beauty of his performance, it gave us all hope. It gave me hope that we would survive and that this is something we would recover from.”

For the 2023-2024 Centennial Season of the Colorado Symphony, Yo-Yo Ma will return to Denver to play Elgar’s Cello Concerto, the same piece that brought comfort to concert-goers in the wake of 9/11. Ma will perform along with the Colorado Symphony at 7 p.m. on May 5 at Boettcher Concert Hall at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. is is one of more than 150 performances o ered by the Colorado Symphony throughout the season.

e Colorado Symphony is celebrating 100 years of symphonic music in Colorado. e 2023-2024 season is highlighted by a trio of must-see performances featuring Audra McDonald, Renée Fleming and, of course, the legendary Yo-Yo Ma. Led by Principal Conductor Peter Oundjian, Colorado Symphony patrons will be treated to a schedule teeming with incredible programming, renowned guest artists and revered symphonic works all season long. To kick o the Centennial Season, the Colorado Symphony will perform Beethoven’s Fifth along with several other works on Sept. 15-17.

“ is centennial season will highlight the best of the Colorado Symphony,” said Oundjian. “We’re doing some really huge projects. We will keep doing programs that I think

will engage people enormously. We are going to keep people excited with every performance.”

History of the Colorado Symphony

e Colorado Symphony has a rich history that dates back to 1922 when its predecessor, the Civic Symphony Orchestra, formed in Denver. Prior to 1922, there were several semi-professional music acts scattered across Denver, but no formal orchestra. At the height of the Great Depression, Helen Marie Black, publicist for the Civic Symphony Orchestra, helped form the Denver Symphony Orchestra in 1934. Her goal was to consolidate the local musicians, boost audience attendance and guarantee union wages. e orchestra held its rst concert at the Broadway eater in Denver on Nov. 30, 1934, led by Conductor Horace Tureman.

After a 55-year run, the Denver Symphony Orchestra disbanded in 1989 as the result of nancial hardship. It led for bankruptcy on Oct. 4 of that year. Musicians left the Denver Symphony Orchestra for the newly-formed Colorado Symphony, which played its rst concert on Oct. 27, 1989. e following year, the two groups merged to form one organization.

Since its inception in 1989, the Colorado Symphony has had ve recorded principal conductors, beginning with Marin Alsop in 1993. e current principal conductor, Oundjian, has served in the role since 2022.

One hundred years ago, the symphony in Colorado was di erent than it is today. From a small group of semi-professional local musicians, the Colorado Symphony has grown in size and in the diversity of its members. e Symphony currently has 80 full-time musicians, representing more than a dozen countries around the world.

The Colorado Symphony today

Denver is a vibrant city full of people who yearn to experience the arts. From taking in contemporary paintings at the Denver Art Museum to seeing hip hop concerts at Red Rocks, and from watching classic works performed by the Colorado Ballet to laughing at stand-up acts at Comedy Works, locals love to get out and experience the best of Colorado arts.

“Twenty years ago, people said Colorado was just a great place for the mountains — a great place for sport. at is what people were interested in. I feel there has been a huge shift in what people in Denver want,” Oundjian said. “We had the biggest crowds ever at Boettcher Concert Hall last year. Nobody moves to Denver to just sit inside and watch TV. Colorado is all about getting out there.”

roughout the 100 years of symphonic music in Colorado, performances and o erings have

shifted and grown to meet the needs and wants of the changing audience. e Colorado Symphony not only performs classical works from composers like Mozart, Brahms and Tchaikovsky, but it also performs contemporary pieces, pop songs and soundtracks from fan-favorite lms. is year the Colorado Symphony will have several performances outside of the classical genre. ese

include “Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert,” “Disney in Concert: Time Burton’s e Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Home Alone in Concert.” ere will also be performances for children like the “Halloween Spooktacular,” “Elf in Concert” and “Peter and e Wolf & e Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.”

Principal Conductor Peter Oundjian addresses the crowed at a performance of the Colorado Symphony. PHOTOS BY AMANDA TIPTON / COURTESY OF THE COLORADO SYMPHONY

Highlands Ranch resident Yvette Gunther celebrates 101st birthday

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Some say she’s amazing, others say she’s a wonder woman, but one thing for certain is Yvette Gunther is an energetic and caring mother, grandmother and friend.

To celebrate her 101st birthday, many of her closest friends came together at Northridge Park in Highlands Ranch.

“She means a lot to us,” said close friend Sue Jude. “She always has the sweetest, warmest greeting.”

ere was a lot of food to go around at the celebration as Gunther had a large birthday cake and guests brought other treats for a large potluck.

Wearing a purple happy birthday tiara, Gunther was joined by two of her daughters, Barbara and Susan, and her friends from her aerobics class.

Gunther goes to aerobics class three times a week where the other participants say they have to keep up with her.

“She’s very energetic,” said Barbara.

Since she can remember, Gunther has always been physically active.

While attending an all girls boarding school in Vancouver, Canada as a child, Gunther said there was not much to do, so she and some friends decided to stay active. In addition to walking and running around the school, she also played soccer.

One of her fondest childhood memories is the First of July events in Vancouver where there were fun activities all day long. Some of her favorites were running in

races and swimming.

“I’ve always been athletic,” said Gunther. “Since I’m older now, I still try to keep some of it.”

To stay active, Gunther plays with her grandkids when they come to visit and takes her dog, Toby, on a walk everyday.

Gunther also cherished Christmas at her grandmother’s house. And now, Gunther gets to continue to experience that love every holiday and birthday with her own growing family.

With her husband and ve children, the family would adventure on many road trips across the country and up to Canada.

“I loved every minute of it,” said Susan, Gunther’s eldest child.

Gunther met her husband Carl - who was a Navy O cer - on a blind date

“I would tell him I fell in love with his white uniform,” said Gunther.

Having lived in Seattle, Washington, the two had traveled to Colorado where he proposed to her in the mountains, followed by 59 years of marriage before Carl passed.

When they rst moved to Highlands Ranch, there were only a few houses on their street with an open view to watch the sunset every night.

Every year, the couple would go on an international

trip, going all around the globe to places like Japan to see Mount Fujiyama as well as Portugal and England.

Gunther said the only places she hasn’t gone are Russia, India and South America.

With beautiful clear blue water, Gunther said the South Paci c was her favorite destination. She and her husband went there on their 50th anniversary.

While in China, she fell in love with the art of traditional Chinese ribbon and fan dancing.

“ at’s where I saw this Chinese dancing,” said Gunther. “I saw those fans and those beautiful ribbons.”

Gunther knew she had to learn that style of dance.

She performed the style of dance for the talent portion of beauty pageants - where she tied for for Ms. Senior Colorado one year- and performed at her 100th birthday party.

Gunther’s life so far has been lled with loving people and amazing memories from around the world and she does not want to stop.

No matter what it is, Gunther encourages others to never stop moving.

“I o er everybody the choice to do something all the time,” said Gunther. “Don’t just sit around, look at TV, you want to live life.”

Castle Rock

Highlands Ranch resident Yvette Gunther celebrates her 101st birthday with friends and family at Northridge Park. Always full of energy, Gunther wears her purple happy birthday tiara as she enjoys the potluck.

PHOTO BY HALEY LENA

Families sue Douglas County schools over bias response

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

ree families are suing the Douglas County School District over its response to a pattern of what is being described as racial abuse at Castle Rock Middle School and Douglas County High School.

Filed Aug. 2 in the U.S. District Court for Colorado, the complaint alleges numerous students and sta at the schools targeted four Black or biracial students with harassment, racial slurs and threats, depriving them of equal access to education.

Parents of the students led the complaint. e complaint describes experiences of the children of Lacey Ganzy, Jon and Misty Martin, and Nadarian and Alexis Clark. It lists Douglas County School District, the school board and Castle Rock Middle School Principal John Viet as defendants.

e children are not named in the lawsuit to protect their privacy.   e complaint argues that the racial harassment of the students is a consequence of a district culture that doesn’t value educational equity, speci cally alleging School

Board President Mike Peterson and board members Kaylee Winegar, Becky Myers and Christy Williams contributed to that culture.  e complaint says the district violated the Civil Rights Act and the 14th Amendment by denying equal educational opportunities to the students involved.

Instead of a speci ed amount in the lawsuit, the families are requesting a jury trial to determine damages owed.

“Indeed, in a glaring act of callousness, the School District and Board of Education have yet to take formal action in their entity capacities, and many individual Board Members have yet to condemn these

well-documented injustices,” the complaint says. “ e indi erence of School District leaders explains how such levels of hate and racism were permitted to fester.”

In April, Ganzy and her son reported a group chat of more than 100 Castle Rock Middle School students where some allegedly used the n-word, threatened to shoot Black people, shared racist memes and spoke about bringing back the Holocaust.

Ganzy’s daughter, who was attending Douglas County High School, also shared during an April school board meeting that she was called racial slurs regularly and was asked by a teacher to debate in favor of Jim Crow Laws during a class activity.

Superintendent Erin Kane made a statement at a May 23 meeting addressing the Ganzy family.

“Racism in any form is unacceptable at DCSD and a direct policy violation,” Kane said.

e complaint sheds further light on the racism the Ganzys experienced, as well as two other students of Castle Rock Middle School.

e complaint alleges all four students were frequently called the n-word and “cotton pickers.” e three middle school students also were compared to monkeys by their classmates numerous times. One student allegedly had a photo taken of them using the bathroom that was posted to the internet.

“Peers and teachers subjected Plainti s to abuse and harassment that was so severe, pervasive, and objectively o ensive that it deprived Plainti s of access to educational opportunities or bene ts provided by the School District,” the complaint says.

According to the o cial complaint, each student reported what they were experiencing to teachers or administrators, alleging district sta either didn’t respond at all or didn’t take the reports seriously.

e students’ reports were not shared with their parents and the schools did not communicate to the parents what was happening.

e harassment reached a point where one student switched schools and two others moved to online classes.

Jeramiah Ganzy, a former student at Castle Rock Middle School who experienced racial harassment, including slurs and threats that caused him to leave school, protests outside the Douglas County School District building on May 23 over the district’s response to his reports of discrimination.

e complaint says only one student involved in the group chat was disciplined and sta did not follow through on creating safety plans for the minority students to return to in-person learning. It also notes that the district hasn’t implemented antidiscrimination training for sta or students.

Citing the contention around the district’s equity policy and rhetoric used in the 2021 campaign, the complaint alleges Peterson, Winegar, Myers and Williams oppose educational equity for minority students and “foment hate,” which emboldened students to harass minorities.

“To this day, Majority Board Members employ rhetoric harmful to minority students, and DCSD has failed to implement antidiscrimination trainings,” the complaint says. “Black and biracial students and parents, and discussions about racism against historically marginalized communities, continue to be portrayed as a problem and dismissed, resulting in an environment ripe for racial harassment and abuse of students.”

In an interview with Colorado Community Media, Ganzy said the district’s response has been unacceptable and she hopes the complaint prompts them to take action, like de ning the di erence between bullying and a hate crime in district policies.

“I’m disappointed we couldn’t reach any sort of resolution before making it to the state that we’re in today,” she said. “I never received any kind of conversation with (Superintendent) Kane or anyone from the school district who said they would reach out.”

Ganzy’s family has since moved out of Castle Rock and switched school districts, but she said she wants to prevent what happened to her children from happening to others.

“I’m hoping that by getting at the one thing that makes Douglas County move at all, which is money, that maybe we’ll get some resolution for the kids behind my son, because they de nitely failed him,” she said.  is story will be updated with any comments from the school district.

Around 50 students, parents and community members gathered outside the Douglas County School District building on May 23 to protest the district’s response to reports of discrimination. PHOTOS BY MCKENNA HARFORD

Legal filing alleges discrimination, inaction

Fishing now allowed for first time at Rueter-Hess Reservoir

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Local residents looking for a place for recreational shing now have Rueter-Hess Reservoir — near Parker and Castle Pines — as an option for the rst-ever time, Douglas County says.

Catch-and-release shing at the reservoir will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays, starting Aug. 4 and running through October.

“To maintain the vitality of the sh, a limited number of shing opportunities will be available each day the reservoir is open,” the county said in a news release.

Reservations are required and were to open online at 9 a.m. Aug. 2.

Each day that shing is open, 25 adult anglers with valid state shing licenses will be allowed to sh. ose younger than 16, who are not required by the state to have a license, are not required to register but may still sh, the news release says.

You can sh from the

shore or a paddleboard, kayak or canoe.

ere is no cost to sh at the reservoir, but the county asks that you reserve your spot ahead of time. ose planning to drive into the reservoir need a daytime parking pass, which costs $10 per vehicle.

You can register for shing and a parking pass at the same time at douglas.co.us/ rueter-hess-recreation/ reservations-rueter-hess.

e reservoir has been stocked with walleye, yellow perch, largemouth bass, wiper (striped hybrid bass), channel cat sh, black crappie and blue gill. Only arti cial lures and ies,

and barbless single hooks, are allowed, and bait is not allowed. Tackle boxes and licenses will be checked, the news release says.

ere is “no discussion at this time” on whether non-catch-and-release shing will be o ered at the reservoir in the future, said Wendy Holmes, county spokesperson.

Other water activities

e reservoir remains open for non-motorized water activities including paddleboarding, canoeing and kayaking from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays into late October. Motorized or

belly boats are not allowed.

(Swimming is also not allowed, Holmes said, noting that the reservoir is primarily a drinking-water source.)

Access to the reservoir is free. Again, those who want to drive and park at the reservoir need a one-day parking pass for $10 per vehicle.

New oversight of recreation

Douglas County’s elected leaders recently approved an agreement to take charge of recreation at Rueter-Hess Reservoir, in a move that the county said would allow for more access.

e change means more time for paddleboarding, canoeing and kayaking starting with this year’s water recreation season at the reservoir, now already underway.

Opportunities to enjoy the reservoir area were to expand based on the agreement by the county and the municipalities that sit near the water, providing more sta and a streamlined nancial structure for overseeing recreation.

e reservoir is a drinkingwater storage facility owned

and operated by the Parker Water and Sanitation District, the entity that provides drinking water to much of Parker and some nearby areas.

e county website describes the reservoir as a place for “history bu s, day hikers, dog walkers, watersport enthusiasts, and local anthropologists alike.”

Getting there

e reservoir area sits o Hess Road just west of Heirloom Parkway, generally between the City of Castle Pines and the Town of Parker.

It’s accessible about 4 miles east of the interchange of Interstate 25 and Castle Pines Parkway, which becomes Hess Road, or about 4 miles west of the intersection of Parker Road and Hess Road.

Construction to add a new pipeline near the reservoir is ongoing, so you may see construction tra c at the entrance, the news release says.

For more, see the county’s website at tinyurl.com/ BeforeYouGoRueterHess.

A man on a stand-up paddleboard cruises the waters of Rueter-Hess Reservoir.

PHOTO FROM DOUGLAS COUNTY OUTDOORS FACEBOOK PAGE

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101. To apply for this position, please visit our website ecboces.org and click on the “Jobs” page, click on the job you are interested in & then click on the grey button “Apply Online”, located at the bottom of the job listing. EOE

Help Wanted

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Job Location: Centennial, CO

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Registered Occupational Therapist/ COTA for 2023-24 School Year. OTR must have, or be eligible for appropriate Colorado licensure. Provide Pre-12 intervention, assessment, direct & indirect services just east of Denver on I-70, Bennett & Strasburg. Full Time Salary range: MA $50,450$56,050 PhD $55,700 -$61,300.

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Heritage Greens Community Garage Sale!

Friday, August 11th 8am-3pm & Saturday, August 12th 8am-2pm

The HG Community is located in Centennial | 3 Entrances to Community:

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Public Notices

OF TRUST.

Legals

Public Trustees

COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION

CRS §38-38-103

FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0237-2023

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

On May 23, 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)

REGINA BALAGUL

Original Beneficiary(ies)

MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. ACTING SOLELY AS NOMINEE FOR NORTHPOINTE BANK

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt

LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC

Date of Deed of Trust

December 11, 2020

County of Recording

Arapahoe

Recording Date of Deed of Trust

December 11, 2020

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

E1074447

Original Principal Amount

$240,000.00

Outstanding Principal Balance

$232,270.47

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.

LOT 5, BLOCK 5, SOUTHWIND SUBDIVISION FILING NO. 1, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.

Also known by street and number as: 7232 S SHERMAN ST, CENTENNIAL, CO 80122-1158.

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

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, 09/20/2023, 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: 7/27/2023

Last Publication: 8/24/2023

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: 05/23/2023

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 # 00000009804766

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. 0237-2023

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. 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

Arapahoe County Warrants

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 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 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. 0263-2023

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

On June 6, 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)

NOLAN W STAUFFER

Original Beneficiary(ies)

MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION

SYSTEMS, INC. ACTING SOLELY AS NOMINEE FOR CHANGE LENDING, LLC

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt CHANGE LENDING, LLC

DBA CHANGE HOME MORTGAGE

Date of Deed of Trust

September 24, 2022

County of Recording

Arapahoe

Recording Date of Deed of Trust

October 06, 2022

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

E2100823

Original Principal Amount

$320,512.00

Outstanding Principal Balance

$319,757.80

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.

LOT 11, BLOCK 6, SOUTHGLENN - FIRST FILING, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.

Also known by street and number as: 6550 S HIGH ST, CENTENNIAL, CO 80121.

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, 10/04/2023, 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: 8/10/2023

Last Publication: 9/7/2023

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: 06/06/2023

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 # 00000009815366

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. 0263-2023

First Publication: 8/10/2023

Last Publication: 9/7/2023

Name of Publication: Littleton Independent

COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION

CRS §38-38-103

FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0239-2023

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

On May 26, 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) Gina L Iacolino

Original Beneficiary(ies)

MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION

SYSTEMS, INC. AS NOMINEE FOR UNIVERSAL LENDING CORPORATION, ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt

Allied First Bank, SB dba Servbank

Date of Deed of Trust

February 16, 2018 County of Recording Arapahoe Recording Date of Deed of Trust

February 20, 2018 Recording Information (Reception No. and/or Book/Page No.)

D8016194

Original Principal Amount $240,580.00

Outstanding Principal Balance $244,946.02

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 thereof.

THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.

SEE ATTACHED LEGAL DESCRIPTION

APN #: 2075-29-2-29-067

Also known by street and number as:

6775 S IVY STREET UNIT A7, CENTENNIAL, CO 80112.

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, 09/27/2023, 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: 8/3/2023

Last Publication: 8/31/2023

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: 05/26/2023

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

By: Michael Westerberg, Public

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 0239-2023

CONDOMINIUM UNIT A-7, IN CONDOMINIUM BUILDING 17, OLDE MILL CONDOMINIUMS PHASE III, ACCORDING TO THE CONDOMINIUM MAP ENTITLED OLDE MILL CONDOMINIUMS PHASE III,AS RECORDED ON OCTOBER 22, 1985 IN BOOK 86 AT PAGES 13 TO 18 IN THE RECORDS OF THE ARAPAHOE COUNTY CLERK AND RECORDER'S OFFICE, AND ACCORDING TO THE DEFINITIONS, TERMS AND PROVISIONS IN THE CONDOMINIUM DECLARATION FOR OLDE MILL CONDOMINIUMS RECORDED OCTOBER 23, 1984 IN BOOK 4290 AT PAGE 150, AS MODIFIED AND SUPPLEMENTED BY THE AMENDMENT AND SECOND ANNEXATION OF ADDITIONAL LAND TO OLDE MILL CONDOMINIUMS RECORDED OCTOBER 28, 1985 IN BOOK 4583 AT PAGE 499, AND THE FOURTH ANNEXATION OF ADDITIONAL LAND TO OLDE MILL CONDOMINIUMS RECORDED OCTOBER 16, 1986 IN BOOK 4921 AT PAGE 525, AND ALL PREVIOUS ANNEXATIONS OF RECORD AS REFERRED TO AND DESCRIBED THEREIN, TOGETHER WITH THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO USE THE FOLLOWING COMMON ELEMENTS: COVERED PARKING SPACE #39 AND GARAGE #87, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.

Legal Notice NO. 0239-2023

First Publication: 8/3/2023

Last Publication: 8/31/2023

Name of Publication: Littleton Independent COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION

CRS §38-38-103 FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0224-2023

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

On May 16, 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)

Brian C Reseigh

Original Beneficiary(ies)

Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. as beneficiary, as nominee for Paramount Residential Mortgage Group, Inc.

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt

PennyMac Loan Services, LLC

Date of Deed of Trust

December 11, 2020

County of Recording

Arapahoe

Recording Date of Deed of Trust

December 15, 2020

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

E0175481

Original Principal Amount $259,000.00

Outstanding Principal Balance $251,159.26

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 FIRST LIEN.

See Attached Legal Description

Also known by street and number as: 9079 E. Panorama Circle #217, Englewood, CO 80112.

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.

and bar registration number of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:

Alexis R. Abercrombie #56722

Scott D. Toebben #19011

Aricyn J. Dall #51467

David W Drake #43315

Randall S. Miller & Associates PC 216 16th Street, Suite 1210, Denver, CO 80202 (720) 259-6710

Attorney File # 23CO00112-1

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 0224-2023

The land referred to herein is situated in the state of Colorado, County of Arapahoe described as follows:

Building A, Condominium Unit 217, Dry Creek Crossing Condominiums, according to the Condominium Map for Dry Creek Crossing Condominiums and as described in the Declaration of Condominium and of Easements, Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions of Dry Creek Crossing, recorded on September 1, 2006, in the office of the Clerk & Recorder of Arapahoe County, State of Colorado, at Reception No. B6126819 and Condominium Map for Dry Creek Crossing Condominiums recorded September 1, 2006 at Reception No. B6126818, County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado.

Building A, Garage Unit 51, Dry Creek Crossing Condominiums, according to the Condominium Map for Dry Creek Crossing Condominiums and as described in the Declaration of Condominium and of Easements, Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions of Dry Creek Crossing, recorded on September 1, 2006, in the office of the Clerk & Recorder of Arapahoe County, State of Colorado, at Reception No. B6126819 and Condominium Map for Dry Creek Crossing Condominiums recorded September 1, 2006 at Reception No. B6126818, County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado.

Legal Notice NO. 0224-2023

First Publication: 7/20/2023

Last Publication: 8/17/2023

Name of Publication: Littleton Independent

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.

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. 0222-2023

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

On May 16, 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)

Brenda Stokes

Original Beneficiary(ies)

Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as Beneficiary, as nominee for Nations Lending Corporation, it successors and assigns

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt Nations Lending Corporation

Date of Deed of Trust

April 16, 2021

County of Recording Arapahoe

Recording Date of Deed of Trust

April 22, 2021

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

E1066103

Original Principal Amount $480,260.00

Outstanding Principal Balance $468,991.12

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 36 AND 37, BLOCK 5, RESUBDIVISION OF BLOCK 1, 2, 3, 4, 13, 14, 15 AND 16 OF WINDERMERE GALLUP'S SUBURBAN HOME, SUBDIVISION, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.

Also known by street and number as: 5949 S Bemis St, Littleton, CO 80120.

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 # 22-027666

The Attorney above is acting as a debt collector

THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 09/13/2023, 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: 7/20/2023

Last Publication: 8/17/2023

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.

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.

DATE: 05/16/2023

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

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

THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 09/13/2023, 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: 7/20/2023

Last Publication: 8/17/2023

Name of Publication: Littleton Independent

Valles-Dominguez found guilty of shooting Littleton o cer

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A jury found Rigoberto VallesDominguez, 35, guilty after he shot and injured a Littleton police o cer in 2021.

During the July trial, VallesDominguez was found guilty on 13 counts, including attempted rst-degree murder after deliberation, aggravated robbery, prohibited use of a weapon, assault with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily injury and rst degree assault

SYMPHONY

FROM PAGE 21

“In the last 10 years, there has been a tremendous shift from the Colorado Symphony. It is one of the great leaders in the evolution of programming. ey collaborate with musicians from every possible musical genre and from lm,” said Oundjian. “We have absolutely cutting-edge music,

on a peace o cer.

On Sept. 20, 2021, Littleton Police Cpl. Je Farmer and O cer David Snook responded to a call of shots red, according to the police department.

A suspect, later identi ed as Valles-Dominguez, started running towards an apartment building, a press release from the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s O ce said. Farmer and Snook pursued the suspect on foot.

Valles-Dominguez red multiple rounds from a handgun, hitting

world premieres and also the beautiful performances of the great classics. Sometimes we perform these classics juxtaposed to a contemporary piece. We try to keep the program very alive so that the people are attracted to as much of it as possible. You’re not going to appeal to every person in Denver, every night. We try to present, over the course of the season, all of the great elements of the musical art form.”

Oundjian said the Colorado

Public Notices

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: 05/16/2023

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 # CO21434

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. 0222-2023

First Publication: 7/20/2023

Last Publication: 8/17/2023

Name of Publication: Littleton Independent

COMBINED NOTICE - PUBLICATION

CRS §38-38-103

FORECLOSURE SALE NO. 0259-2023

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

On June 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)

Larry J Idol

Original Beneficiary(ies)

MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. AS NOMINEE FOR FINANCE OF AMERICA REVERSE LLC, ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt

FINANCE OF AMERICA REVERSE LLC

Date of Deed of Trust

December 23, 2016

County of Recording Arapahoe

Recording Date of Deed of Trust

December 30, 2016

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

D6152681

Original Principal Amount

$531,000.00

Outstanding Principal Balance

$196,697.88

Pursuant to CRS §38-38-101(4)(i), you are hereby

Snook in the torso, arm and leg, the release states. Both o cers returned re, and Valles-Dominguez escaped.

Farmer, who was aware of the severity of Snook’s injuries, dragged Snook to safety and transported him to the hospital, according to the police department.

A subsequent investigation showed that Valles-Dominguez hid for several hours in the apartment complex and then carjacked a motorist and left the scene, according to the news release.

He was captured a few days later at

Symphony’s milestone could not have been reached without the longstanding and overwhelming support of the community.

an RV home in Brighton.

“ e defendant’s actions showed no regard for human life,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Jason Siers said in the press release. “While O cer Snook su ered serious injuries, it’s a miracle no one was killed.”

In May, President Joe Biden awarded Farmer a Medal of Valor, the highest national award for valor by a public safety o cer, for helping save Snook’s life during the incident.

Sentencing for Valles-Dominguez is scheduled for Sept. 25.

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 29, BLOCK 2, WILLOW CREEK TOWNHOUSES, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO.

Also known by street and number as: 8035 E Phillips Avenue, Centennial, CO 80112.

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, 10/04/2023, 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: 8/10/2023

Last Publication: 9/7/2023

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: 06/02/2023

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:

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

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. 0259-2023

Public

Notice ARAPAHOE COUNTY NOTICE

Peter Oundjian, the Colorado Symphony’s principal conductor. COURTESY PHOTO

The Office of the DEO is open on the following days: Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

State law requires 50 signatures from eligible electors on a Nomination Petition. The deadline to submit a School Board Candidate Petition is 4:00 p.m. on Friday, September 1, 2023 (not less than 67 days before the election). Earlier submittal is strongly encouraged. Affidavit of Intent to be a Write-In-Candidate forms must be submitted to the office of the designated election official by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, September 1, 2023.

Cherry Creek School District No. 5

District Name

/s/ Sonja S. McKenzie

PROPOSAL: Pure Cycle on behalf of Rangeview Metropolitan District is proposing to construct a sanitary sewage lift station to serve future development of the Sky Ranch Subdivision. This project will be located in Sky Ranch Filing No. 6, southeast of the intersection of Monaghan Road and East 6th Avenue (Parcel ID 1977-00-0-00-545).

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on September

5, 2023 the Arapahoe County Planning Commission will hold a Public Hearing at 6:30 P.M., or as soon as possible thereafter at 6954 S Lima St., Arapahoe Room, Centennial, CO 80112; at which, all interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard concerning the above-described Case Number LE23-001, Sky Ranch No 6 Tract N [Neighborhood D Lift Station] / Location and Extent. The agenda will typically be posted by the Friday afternoon preceding the hearing and can be viewed on our website at https://arapahoe. legistar.com/Calendar. You can also listen to, or speak at, the meeting by calling 1-855-436-3656. To join the speaking queue, press *3 on the telephone keypad.

More information about this proposal is available at the offices of the Arapahoe County Public Works and Development Department, Planning Division, 6924 S Lima St., Centennial CO 80112 (please call ahead to schedule an appointment if you plan to walk-in), by calling 720-874-6650, or by emailing planning@arapahoegov.com during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday).

Joan Lopez, Clerk to the Board

Legal Notice No. Arap 1226

First Publication: August 10, 2023

Last Publication: August 10, 2023

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 1224

First Publication: August 10, 2023

Last Publication: August 10, 2023

Publisher: Englewood Herald Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen

Metropolitan Districts

Public Notice

A CALL FOR NOMINATIONS (NOTICE BY PUBLICATION OF)

C.R.S. § 22-31-107

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, and, particularly, to the electors of the Cherry Creek School District No. 5 of Arapahoe County, Colorado.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an election will be held on the 7th day of November, 2023 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. At that time, three (3) directors will be elected to serve 4-year terms in Director Districts A, B and C for Cherry Creek School District No. 5. Eligible electors of Cherry Creek School District No. 5 who have resided in each District respectively for at least 12 months preceding the election and who are interested in serving on the school board may obtain a Board Candidate Packet for the Director District in which they reside, including a Nomination Petition from the District Designated Election Official (DEO) from August 9 through September 1:

Sonja S. McKenzie (Designated Election Official) 4700 S. Yosemite Street, Greenwood Village, CO 80111 720-554-4373

Designated Election Official Signature

Legal Notice No. 531664

First Publication: August 10, 2023

Last Publication: August 10, 2023

Publisher: Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen

Bids and

Settlements

Public Notice

ARAPAHOE COUNTY REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL RFP-23-48 CR 38 Bridge Repairs

Notice is hereby given that the Arapahoe County Purchasing Division will be accepting Arapahoe County is seeking Construction Services for repairs for repairs to CR 38 bridge due to rainfall and flooding on July 4th, 2023.

The Request for Proposal RFP-23-40, CR 38 Bridge Repairs document can be obtained on www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado. Questions and electronic submissions will be accepted online via Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System at www. bidnetdirect.com/colorado.

Submittals must be received electronically no later than 10:00 a.m. local time on August 31, 2023.

The County reserves the right to waive any or all informalities or irregularities and to reject any or all submittals.

Joan Lopez, Clerk to the Board

Legal Notice No. Arap 1225

First Publication: August 10, 2023

Last Publication: August 10, 2023

Publisher: Englewood Herald Littleton Independent and the Centennial Citizen

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