Commerce City Sentinel Express 030223

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2020

New COVID-19 restrictions will prohibit indoor dining, personal gatherings

Talking ‘Twin Victories’, new generation speaks

BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A study from Earthjustice blames the Suncor re nery in Commerce City and re ghting foam for leaching cancer-causing ‘forever chemicals’ PFAs into the municipal water supply for several Adams County cities. And it’s legal.

Story of Tuskegee

BY SCOTT TAYLOR STAYLOR@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Speaking to a small group Feb. 23 at the Commerce City Civic Center for the city’s Black History Month commemoration, Martin talked about growing up as the daughter of a Tuskegee Airman.

gave more personal accounts of growing up; learning about their fathers’ sacri ces, what it all meant and how it a ected them.

For now, Gabrielle Martin, speaks for her father as well as herself.

“Here we are in 2023, and we are still talking about getting recognition for the Tuskegee Airmen,” Martin said. “You talk about ghting the war. ey had to ght just for the right to be there.”

“ ey fought to serve their country and when they came home, they came home to a life of service,” Martin said. “ ey were teachers, instructors. Many stayed in the military to earn higher ranks so they could teach others. Many made a military career, something they could be proud of.”

A long line of cars outside the city of Brighton’s rapid testing site at Riverdale Regional Park. The site has had to close early many days in recent weeks due to high demand. Adams County’s 14-day test positivity rate was 15.9 percent, as of Nov. 17, according to Tri-County Health Department. Brighton and Commerce City’s test positivity rates were both higher than 13 percent. Forty- ve people in Brighton and 29 in Commerce City have died from COVID-19 related health issues. To limit the spread of COVID-19, at least 15 counties moved to tighter restrictions that prohibits indoor and personal gatherings.

Martin is the daughter of Capt. Robert Martin, retired, one of the original Tuskegee Airmen, a group of 932 ghter and bomber pilots and their support crews who trained at Tuskegee Army Air eld in Alabama during World War II, breaking records, making history and creating a legacy. Her father died in 2019.

She was joined by Daphne Rice-Allen, daughter of Price D. Rice, another member of the Tuskegee Airmen, and by John omas of Longmont, a re-enactor for the Denver-based Hubert L. “Hooks” Jones Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.

While omas spoke of their experiences in a deeply segregated U.S. during World War II, based on interviews and conversations with original members, the daughters

e group was invited to speak by the city’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion group. Mayor Pro-Tem Jennifer Allen- omas, a member of Commerce City’s DEI group, brought her father, a former City Councilor — who represented the same seat his daughter now holds — and a retired member of the U.S. Air Force himself.

A water source for ornton — the South Platte River — runs past that facility. According to City Spokesperson Todd Barnes, a portion of ornton’s water comes from the South Platte river, but they grab it before the Suncor facility.

By Ellis Arnold Colorado Community Media

“ ornton currently gets most of its South Platte surface water above where Suncor impacts the South Platte via the Burlington Canal,” he said.

Twin Victories

ey all spoke of twin battles the soldiers needed to ght, against an enemy in war but also against bias and discrimination at home.

As Denver metro counties continue to inch closer to local stay-at-home orders under Colorado’s system of coronavirusrelated restrictions, the state announced a new level of rules that prohibits indoor dining and personal gatherings — a change that applies to the majority of the Denver metro area and many counties in other regions.

Formed near the start of World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen’s rst class of 13 cadets began service in July 1941 in deeply segregated Alabama. ey grew to include

e state’s COVID-19 dial, which has been in e ect since September, is the set of di erent levels of restrictions that each

county is required to follow based on the severity of a county’s local virus spread. e dial grew out of the state’s safer-athome order — the policy that came a er the statewide stay-at-home order this spring and allowed numerous types of businesses to reopen.

However, Barnes said the city is concerned about PFAS from the Suncor facility impacting their water supply. ey are actively investigating their PFAS sources.

“ ornton is actively engaged in an investigation to determine the source(s) of our pollution and will identify and pursue those potentially responsible parties once that investigation is complete,” he said.

e state recently switched to color identi ers — levels blue, yellow and orange rather than numbered levels — to avoid confusion. Until Nov. 17, level red meant a stay-at-home order. Now, level red — “severe risk” — is the second-

Earthjustice pointed to a study

Please see RESTRICTIONS, Page 2

Photo by Belen Ward

City Councilor Jennifer Allen-Thomas reviews some information about the Tuskegee Airmen with her father, former City Councilor James Allen Feb. 23 at Commerce City Civic Center. Allen is an Air Force veteran himself.

‘Forever chemicals’ feared to be in water via legal loopholes

How politics, lobbying and safety concerns may be leaking PFAS into the municipal water supply

nearly 1,000 personnel — the group includes pilots but also ground crew and support sta — and served with distinction. Of that group, 355 ew some 1,500 missions in Europe between 1942 and 1946. e pilots were mostly African American and were the rst aviation unit of their kind during a time when the U.S. military was still racially segregated and many U.S. states still had Jim Crow laws on their books.

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

But members got the sense that they were never meant to succeed. Re-enactor omas explained how the 332 Air Group had trained on used and outdated equipment and monitored closely, with any infraction grounds for washing out of the program. ey could not practically leave the base, since it was located in the heart of Jim Crowe south.

When they nally were deployed, they were given unnecessary missions at rst. ey’d come up to their objective — a bridge to be blown up or a beach to patrolled — to nd that other pilots, their white counterparts, had already completed the mission.

“We said give us something to do, something we can be proud of,” omas said.

But they found their role, protecting the vulnerable, slow-moving

bombers, omas said. e Germans had learned that American pilots, seeking to improve their kill ratios, would leave the bombers vulnerable to engage the enemy ghters. en a second wave of German ghters would take out the bomber, he said.

e Army began sending ghters from the Tuskegee Airmen’s 332 Air Group, in their distinctive ghters with red-painted back ends, along.

“Pretty soon, the bombers’ squadron leaders didn’t know we were black,” he said. “ ey just said ‘We Want the Red Tails.’”

e unit gained a reputation as “Red-Tailed Angels.”

Despite their successes, the Army was still segregated and members of

the Air Group were not allowed to celebrate with their white peers in the o cers’ clubs. at was brought home as they disembarked from their ship at the war’s end.

“ e worst thing was coming back on the troop ship after the war and walking down the gangplank I see two signs,” omas said. “One goes this way, the other turns o , says ‘Colored.’ I put my life on the line every day, just like everyone else.”

Top Secret to Top Gun

In fact, their service was not acknowledged until 60 years later. Much of it was labeled “classi ed” meaning that the servicemen themselves were not allowed to speak of it.

at had not changed four years later in 1949 when the Air Force decided to host a competition for its best pilots. Called Top Gun, the namesake for the Tom Cruise movies, the contest pitted teams of pilots in six skills over the Nevada salt ats that would become Nellis Air Force

base. e teams competed in aerial gunnery — plane-to-plane shooting — at 12,000 and 20,000 feet, dive bombing, skip bombing, stra ng runs and ring rockets.

Four pilots from the 332 Air Wing competed — Capt. Alva Temple and 1st Lts. James Harvey, Harry Stewart and Halbert Alexander. ey not only fared well, they won the team competition.

eir win, like their service, was declared a classi ed secret and the trophy was boxed up, labeled “Do Not Open” and hidden in a closet. It was discovered in 2004 by a journalist. It, and a plaque commemorating the win, are on display in a trophy case at the Nellis base.

“Of course, it’s in a building that has no direct public access,” Martin said. “You know that sometimes if you call ahead and make arrangements, you can come see it.”

Rice-Allen and Martin said they didn’t know much of their fathers’ service growing up. Rice-Allen said she was in third grade when her father built storage cubbies in the house for the family to store there favorite things — ve cubbies in all, one for her, her brother and her sister and both parents. e children asked their father what he had to put in his cubby.”

“My mother was nudging him, saying ‘You need to tell them. If you don’t I will,’ Rice-Allen said.

He eventually showed them a map he had detailing a bombing mission he’d own to Berlin.

“He was somewhat reluctant,” she said.

Both agreed their fathers pushed them and their siblings to succeed and be the best they could be.

“ e family motto was, you are getting an education so failure is not an option,” Rice -Allen said. “If it doesn’t work the rst time, gure it out and make it happen. And I think that lesson has served me well: Never quit. Figure it out and make it happen.”

FROM PAGE 1 WATER

FILE PHOTO

“ ey have this large ume of contaminated groundwater that underlies the facility that is highly contaminated with PFAS from decades of using PFAS-containing foam,” said Caitlin Miller, senior associate attorney for Earthjustice.

She said that water leaks into the Sand Creek before it is treated by Suncor, which then makes its way down to the South Platte.

Miller said the study is credible because it’s based on Suncor’s own monitoring data and was independently done. e study was also peerreviewed.

Loa Esquilin Garcia, a spokesperson for Suncor, disagrees.

“ e Westwater report is inaccurate, misleading, and should not be relied upon. It signi cantly overstates Suncor’s PFAS contributions to the South Platte River by ignoring upstream PFAS sources in Sand Creek that are not from the re nery, ignoring other Non-re nery PFAS contributions to the South Platte River, and selectively using data from only ve days that are not representative of current conditions to exaggerate the PFAS contributions from Suncor’s Outfall 020A,” she wrote in an email.

Forever chemicals

ornton has a history of PFAS contaminating their drinking water. e Environmental Protection Agency set a new health advisory on June 15 at 0.0004 parts per trillion for PFOA and 0.02 parts per trillion for PFOS.

In May 2022, the ornton Water Treatment Plant measured 7.1 parts per trillion for PFOA and 3.5 parts per trillion for PFOS. e Wes Brown Water Treatment Plant saw 5.4 parts per trillion for PFOA and 2.0 parts per trillion for PFOS.

ose levels are over 1,000 times higher than the health advisories. Barnes said meeting the new advisory will be costly with the need to update and upgrade water treatment facilities.

On Jan. 30, e City of ornton announced they led suit in federal court against multiple chemical manufacturers, alleging that their products contaminated portions of their water supply with PFAS. ey want them on

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the hook for clean-up costs.

“ e city of ornton alleges in the lawsuit that re ghting foam made with these companies’ chemical products have unlawfully contaminated a portion of the city’s surface and ground water supply to various degrees over recent Environmental Protection Agency’s Health Advisory levels,” a news release from the city reads.  ornton Deputy City Attorney Adam Stephens said in the news release that the companies knew, or should have known, the chemicals were harmful to the environment and public health.

Politics, lobbying and safety

In 2019, the state passed HB19-1279 which restricted the sale of certain re ghting foams. But the bill had exemptions, like airports and re neries.

“For use at a gasoline special fuel, or jet fuel storage and distribution facility that is supplied by a pipeline, vessel, or re nery;” the bill reads.

HB22-1345, passed in 2022, aimed to close that loophole by repealing that section and the initially submitted bill did so. However, as the bill process moved forward, the repeal was taken out of the signed version.

Roger Hudson, a spokesperson for Colorado House Republicans, said that Republican Rep. Mary Brad eld, a co-sponsor of the 2022 bill, declined to interview and required written questions and answers. Hudson said in a phone call that Brad eld may not remember the process of the 2022 bill.

In Brad eld’s responses, sent to Colorado Community Media by Colorado House Republican sta members, she noted that her original bill, Suncor, was not exempt from regulations.   She didn’t see any loophole in the 2019 bill.

“In 2019, the focus was to eliminate as much PFAS as possible in re ghting foam and to take legislative steps to ensure this dangerous chemical would not leach into groundwater. As far as I’m aware, there was no intentional loophole,” Brad eld is attributed to writing.

Democrat Sen. Lisa Cutter, a cosponsor of the 2022 bill, said she knew

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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

SCOTT TAYLOR Metro North Editor staylor@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com

the original bill would need to be cut and amended.

“I wasn’t 100% thrilled with all the changes we made last year, but we passed a bill that was really signi cant and really meaningful, and that’s part of the process, negotiating along the way,” she said.

One of those negotiations came from re departments, she said. Cutter explained a concern with catastrophic res at places like Suncor played a role in keeping the exemption. She also noted federal lawmakers will soon address re ghting foam through their PFAS legislation, and alternatives may be on the horizon.

“We know that there’s alternatives coming out, and the PFAS will need to go away,” Cutter said.

Deputy Chief of Operations for North Metro Fire Je Bybee said their re district replaced all PFAS foams on their trucks in 2018. However, they do carry PFAS-containing foams at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport due to an FAA regulation and their ability to put out certain types of res.

It comes down to safety.

“ e FAA has required a PFAS containing foams at airports because that type of foam has exceptional lm formation properties,” he said. ose res are similar to those at re neries.

It’s a balance of safety because experts have warned that PFAS can lead to numerous health risks. Bybee said that’s why they eliminated all the PFAS they were able to, and are waiting for an alternative to replace the remaining ones.

The debate on health e ects

An opposing force to the 2022 bill was the American Chemistry Council, and they sent lobbyists to the Capital, according to records from the Secretary of State.  Cutter said the ACC “lobbied hard.”

In Brad eld’s attributed statement, she said the ACC identi ed products that contained intentionally added PFAS.

“ is helped us identify which products retailers would need to remove from their shelves and also helped in letting manufacturers know they

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AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager abrooks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

couldn’t market products that intentionally added PFAS in Colorado,” the statement reads.

Cutter noted that the ACC wanted to change the de nition of PFAS, but she wasn’t in favor.

“We did not want to mess with that because it’s not proven that any kind of PFAS is safe,” she said.

In an email, the American Chemistry Council said that not all PFAS should be categorized in the same way.

“PFAS are a diverse universe of chemistries with di ering health and environmental pro les. ese di erences have been recognized by various regulatory and scienti c bodies, including the EPA. All PFAS are not the same, and they should not all be regulated the same way,” the email reads.

e Council also said that health risks are di erent among PFAS.

“Most experts also agreed that it is inappropriate to assume equal toxicity/potency across the diverse class of PFAS. e US EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap and National PFAS Testing Strategy also recognize distinctions within the broad class of PFAS,” the email reads.

Dr. Ned Calonge, Associate Dean for Public Health Practice at the Colorado School of Public Health co-authored the report Guidance on PFAS Exposure, Testing, and Clinical Follow-Up.

“If people are trying to say ‘these PFAS don’t have any human health e ects,’ it’s likely because we haven’t studied them,” he said.

His report looked at seven di erent types of PFAS and said the health risks do vary. ey don’t have a molecular connection on how PFAS might cause human disease, but they have extensive evidence on the association between PFAS levels and human disease.

Given that, there still is uncertainty with PFAS due to the di culty to study them. Calonge said there’s enough uncertainty that people should try to reduce their exposure to the chemicals.

He said there’s su cient evidence of an association between PFAS and a decreased antibody response, increased cholesterol, decrease in infant and fetal growth and increased risk of kidney cancer.

“For me as a public health person, trying to come down to what I think might be the most protective of public health would be to treat them as a class and recognize that there may be some PFAS whose health risks are less or even negligible, but we just don’t know,” he said.

Cutter emphasized human health is more important than pro ts.

“Industry is important, what companies do to make our lives better every day is really important. But do we protect corporate pro t and corporate interests above health and human safety?” said Cutter.

Columnists & Guest Commentaries

Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Sentinel Express. We welcome letters to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone.

Email letters to staylor@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Deadline Wed. for the following week’s paper.

City Sentinel

Help CCPD “Cram the Cruiser” at King Soopers on Feb. 25

e highlight of Commerce City’s annual “Spread the Love” food drive comes Saturday, Feb. 25 as police o cers encourage residents to ll police vehicles with donations of peanut butter and jelly for local food banks. O cers will be posted in front of both King Soopers stores in Commerce City — at 4850 E. 62nd Ave. and 15051 E. 104th Ave. —from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the event to chat with shoppers and give kids a look at their patrol vehicles while they collect donations.

Donation boxes will also be set up at both local King Soopers locations through Feb. 25. Donation bins are also in place at the following city facilities throughout the month of February: Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Ave., Eagle

Pointe Recreation Center, 6060 E. Parkway Dr., Commerce City Civic Center, 7887 E. 60th Ave., Municipal Service Center, 8602 Rosemary St. Walk with a doc

Platte Valley Medical Center’s cardiac rehab team and Walk With A Doc will host monthly walks with Dr. Christopher Cannon, an interventional cardiologist at Brighton Heart and Vascular Institute.

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

bene ts that come from walking.

‘Taking No Chances’

e 17th Judicial District Attorney’s

O ce and e Link, a community resource and assessment center in ornton, are o ering free, 10-week programs to families of Adams county teenagers to help develop personal and interpersonal drugresistance skills.

Sessions are from 5:30 to 6;30 p.m. Wednesdays. Call 720-292-2811.

Boards/commissions’ openings

Commerce City has openings for several of its boards and commissions, including the city’s cultural council, the housing authority and the Derby review board.

Visit https://www.c3gov.com/ Home/Components/Form/Form/70

316b05422c448492c51da0f0e0fd86/ to sign up.

Legal self-help clinic

e Access to Justice Committee hosts a free, legal self-help clinic from 2 to 3:30 p.m. the rst Tuesday of every month.

e program is for those who don’t have legal representation and need help navigating through legal issues.  Volunteer attorneys are available to discuss such topics as family law, civil litigation, property and probate law. Call 303-405-3298 and ask for the Legal Self-Help Clinic at least 24 hours in advance.

Help for vets

Quali ed Listeners, a veteran and family resource hub serving northern

Colorado and southern Wyoming, has a number of power chairs, power scooters and electric wheelchairs available.

To nd the closest facility to you visit www.va.gov/ nd-locations.

Quali ed Listeners also need volunteers to drive veterans to and from appointments, run errands for veterans who cannot get out, handyman services, help administer veteran and family resource guide inventory in local libraries and veterans to be trained to become quali ed listeners. Call 720-600-0860.

COVID-19 testing

Here’s where you can receive a test for COVID-19:

Brighton Advanced Urgent Care, 2801 Purcell St. Call 303-659-9700 or visit https://advurgent.com/locations/brighton/

Brighton Salud, 1860 Egbert St. Testing is available on Tuesday, ursday and Friday. Visit https:// www.saludclinic.org/covid-testing

Fort Lupton Salud, 1115 Second St. Testing is available on Tuesday and ursday. Call 303-697-2583 or visit https://www.saludclinic.org/covidtesting online.

Mental health

Community Reach Center o ers in-person intake assessments from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesdays at the Brighton Learning and Resource Campus, 1850 E. Egbert St. in Brighton. Call Community Reach Center at 303853-3500.

For walk-in intake, bring an ID and insurance information. For those

who would prefer to complete the intake forms and schedule an appointment, the intake forms are available online at www.communityreachcenter.org. ere will be a short screening for u-like symptoms before the entrance to the center to ensure safety and wellness for everyone.

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

Warm Line up and running Community Reach Center is o ering a Warm Line (303-280-6602) for those who want to talk to mentalhealth professionals about anxiety, lack of sleep and strained relationships, among other topics. e professionals can facilitate referrals to other programs for assistance.

A press statement said the line is not for crisis intervention. ose feeling unsafe or suicidal should call Colorado Crisis Services (1-844-493-8255) or text 38255 or visit the Behavioral Urgent Care Center, 2551 W. 84th Ave., Westminster.

Also, the center’s COVID-19 Heroes Program is set up to assist healthcare workers during the pandemic. ose who live or work in Adams County can receive up to six free counseling sessions. Use the Warm Line for support and free counseling.

Brighton’s community intake location is at 1850 E. Egbert St., on the second oor. It’s open from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesdays.

Adams County honored for first -ever Pride event

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Adams County had its rst-ever Pride event last June at Riverdale Park featuring plenty of families, vendors, entertainment and a colorful parade.

Now that celebration has earned the county national recognition.

e Adams County Parks, Open Space Art’s dedication to the LGBTQ community went unnoticed, receiving the prominent “NonFair Facility Usage Award 2022” for hosting its rst Pride event in the county. e award, presented by the International Association of Fairs and Expos, recognizes successful events outside of the annual county fair.

“We are honored to accept an award celebrating an event that celebrates our LGBTQ+ community. e fact that this was our rst-ever Pride event makes the recognition even more meaningful,” said Board of County Commissioner Emma Pinter.

“Creating a culture where residents feel valued and accepted is incredibly important to

Our Family Helping Your Family

Born the youngest of six children to Juan and Louisa Vigil. Jane is survived by her brothers, Henry and Albert Vigil. She is also survived by nieces and nephews; David, Myra, and Lori and Families; Johnny and Tobin and their families; Diana, Rick and Anita and their families; Daniel, Genevieve, Sophia and

myself, and the Board of County Commissioners and last year’s event was just the beginning of our e orts to ensure we create a culture that celebrates diversity and inclusion throughout Adams County.”

e Adams County Pride event returns to Riverdale Park on June, 10. It’s a free event for families, entertainment, several types of activities with a drag queen show, vendors, and resources following an evening concert in the park with headliner multi-platinum artist Bebe Rexha’s debuts 70s hit song “Heart Wants What it Wants”, according to o cials.

“ e award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the county’s employees and residents who came together to make the event a reality,” said Adams County Manager Noel Bernal. “ e county is proud to support and celebrate its LGBTQ+ community and is committed to creating a more inclusive future for all residents.”

For more information, follow on Facebook and Instagram for the 2023 artist announcement and discounted tickets.

their families. Jane is also survived by an extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins and friends, who she loved and helped unconditionally.

We trust our beloved Jane into the presence of our heavenly father, may he keep her and grant her peace.

Performer Todrick Hall dances on stage at Adams County’s Pride Fest in 2022. The celebration has earned the county national award. FILE PHOTO

VIGIL

Mary Jane Vigil

March 7, 1953 - February 13, 2023

Holy Family beats Eagle Ridge Academy, advances in state 4A playo s

beat Eagle Ridge Academy 76-20 in the first round of the state 4A girls basketball tournament Feb. 21. No stats were available for Eagle

family with 17 points. Fiona Snashall in the second round.

Eagle Ridge Academy’s Megan Derby begins the fast break against Colorado Academy Feb. 13. See more on page 10.

PHOTO BY STEVE SMITH

Holy Family’s Essynce Contreraz lets fly with a jump shot during the first half of her team’s class 4A playo game against The Classical Academy in Broomfield Feb. 24.

PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH

It’s always been more than wins and losses

With two weeks to go, a sportswriter looks back

SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In most professional circles, it’s appropriate to give two weeks’ notice before departing.

So, here goes.

This ride of almost 35 years of covering prep sports, the chance to see other areas of the state — all while chronicling sports adventures of young athletes - sadly has to come to an end.

Come March 16, it’ll be time to follow Snagglepuss’ lead and exit stage left.

There are so many things to remember — not necessarily game scores.

The 200-point Golden High School basketball game in which dad bested his son.

Then-Fort Lupton High School freshman Saul Guerrero. He was scared to death. He smiled as broadly as his 14-year-old face would allow the next night when he won third place at the state wrestling tournament. The next year, he asked his coach if it was OK to talk. The third year, he was all ears -- and more smiles -- and needed no introduction or permissions. Guerrero also won three straight state titles; his son was on the Fort Lupton football team this

past fall. (Someone in this paragraph is clearly old).

Mikhail Sands, born without use of one hand, yet still wrestled, played football, rugby, was a state decathlon champ and ran track at Prairie View High School.

Anyone who signed a college letter of intent to continue their athletic endeavors somewhere.

The kids who tried new sports, new ventures in their post-school lives. To watch them grow as young men and women, to see them gain confidence they didn’t know they had and become contributing members of society leads to a lot of

The same applies to former co-workers, friends who passed through life for a short amount of time, yet stay in touch and are doing good things in their chosen

The athletes who called me “Mr. Smith,” even though the real Mr. Smith (my father) died in 2013. Attempts to take on the name “Old Steve” didn’t work too often. And that’s OK; it’s a sign of respect, something that says those kids’ parents did a real good job raising

The smiles on the faces of kids/ coaches/parents who were so genuinely appreciative of the efforts of the local paper to come and watch. The players who’d walk halfway across the field, climb out

After close to 34 years on the paper—as well as the court, the field and the stands—our own Mr. Sportsland, Steve Smith, will retire. While he insists “it’s more about the kids” than it is the game, Smith and his love of prep sports have left an indelible mark on athletic programs across the Denver Metro area, like Prairie View High School where he often spent time chatting with coaches and kids in the gymnasium.

PHOTO BY DEBORAH GRIGSBY

SEE LOOKING BACK, P11

CROWSSUPDRO ELZZ

©

TRIVIA

2. SCIENCE: At what temperature are Fahrenheit and Celsius equal?

3. TELEVISION: e comedy series “Frasier” is a spino of which sitcom?

4. LITERATURE: Which novel features a character named Katniss Everdeen?

5. FOOD & DRINK: What kind of beans are used in falafel?

6. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a beaver’s home called?

7. THEATER: Which musical features a character named Tracy Turnblad?

8. MOVIES: Which actress plays the young Wendy Darling in the movie “Hook”?

9. HISTORY: Who invented the game of lacrosse?

Solution

10. SCIENCE: What percentage of the world’s population has brown eyes?

Answers

1. e Danube River.

2. -40.

3. “Cheers.”

4. “ e Hunger Games.”

5. Chickpeas or fava beans.

6. A lodge, or a den.

7. “Hairspray.”

8. Gwyneth Paltrow.

9. Iroquois tribes in the eastern United States and Canada.

10. 70%-80%.

(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

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LOOKING BACK

of the stands or stroll across a basketball court to strike up a conversation with someone they saw just at games and events. They acted as though we’d been classmates for years.

Another memory? The Frederick High School basketball team that walked over to press row in appreciation of the interest in the then-Warriors as they advanced to the final four in 2022 .. a first for the program since 1956.

One of Golden High School’s senior classes took some of their extra money and bought a coaches’ jacket, complete with school colors and some dude’s name on the right breast pocket. That was 28 years ago, and the coat still fits.

Bradley Weinmaster of Riverdale Ridge High School, who wasn’t expecting to be in a playoff for a golf championship, then learned he was in, then won the state title on the first playoff hole, then broke down in joy as he recounted his efforts.

The pleasure of meeting so many people who did and are doing something on behalf of young men

and women. All shared a little part of their lives, an enriching part of this career. All are friends, including other reporters. (If you think people in the press don’t get to know one another, think again). Their collective knowledge was something they were only too happy to pass along to an old-timer. The numbers and names are too many and too frequent to name and recall. But thank you for your kindness and for sharing your knowledge and experiences.

Those are some of the things that come off the desk, out of the wadded-up lunch wrappers and stained coffee cups and into whatever the new chapter brings.

And you know what? It’s OK to say goodbye.

Really.

My older brother and I reached a point where it’s time to clean out our family home. It’s a process involving a lot of stuff - 66 years’ worth, plus things that belonged to our late younger brother — and a lot of time. Mom’s knitting machines (she had three), Dad’s hand-written tax forms and professional magazines (pictures of the tax forms!) and silverware and emergency evacuation packs that belonged to my late younger

brother, Brian, need new homes. (His Wile E. Coyote coffee cup made the trip back to Denver after the holidays.)

As a rule, a final house cleaning and a Zoom call aren’t compatible. It requires hands-on attention.

Nothing finer

The job for 35 years has been to chronicle events. The kids did the work - they competed, sank the baskets, scored the touchdowns, made the saves, ran circles around their opponents on the track, pinned their wrestling opponents. Credit to all their coaches, friends and families, too, for their collective encouragement. The “job” (it really wasn’t one .. honest) was to watch and tell you what they did, how well they did and what they learned about their sport and themselves. For an ardent sports dude, there has been nothing finer.

There was so much to see in the nastiest of weather, the warmest of weather, the smelliest of air masses and in the nastiest of public health crises through live streaming. Nothing need be changed. It was a grand and glorious ride through two areas of Denver that were as different as left and right.

Fort Lupton’s Scotty Sanders, a

former wrestler and football player with eyes on major-league baseball, said how sorry he was that the end of the professional line was near for someone who really enjoyed what he was doing. What came to mind was a thought from the late Vin Scully upon his retirement as the announcer for the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was a paraphrase at the time, but the quote reads, “Don’t be sad that it’s over. Smile because it happened.”

That concept is worth a lot of repeats these days and in the future — even with what a 64-year-old, soon-to-be-saggier and wrinklier face will allow — because it happened.

Mom and Dad always said to find that perfect job so you never think you work a day in your life. And you know what? They were right. As usual. These last 30-some years have been pretty close to perfect.

We had a lot of fun together for a long time and became friends along the way. For that - and so many other memories and kindnesses -- thank you deeply from the bottom of my heart. It’s been a joy to participate in and learn something from a profession I truly love.

And that’s -30-.

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of BARTOLO ONTIVEROS

SANCHEZ, Deceased

Case Number: 2023 PR 27

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before June 16, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Brenda Minette Medina

Personal Representative

13629 W San Miguel Ave

Litchfield Park AZ 85340

Legal Notice No. CCX901

First Publication: February 16, 2023

Last Publication: March 2, 2023

Publisher: Commerce City Sentinel Express

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Patty J. Hiner, aka Patty Jo Hiner, aka Patty Hiner, deceased

Case Number: 2023PR30100

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to District Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before June 23, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Terri Appel and Stacy Kinsella Personal Representative

6971 Kearney Street

Commerce City, Colorado 80022

Legal Notice No.CCX906

First publication: February 23, 2023

Last publication: March 09, 2023

Publisher: Commerce City Sentinel

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Paul Eugene Ciszek, a/k/a Paul E. Ciszek and Paul Ciszek, Deceased

Case Number: 2023 PR 30083

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before July 3, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Andrew Ciszek

Personal Representative

c/o Law Office of Byron K. Hammond,

LLC 4500 Cherry Creek Drive South, Suite 960 Denver, CO 80246

Legal Notice No. CCX908

First Publication: March 2, 2023

Last Publication: March 16, 2023

Publisher: Commerce City Sentinel Express Name Changes PUBLIC NOTICE

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

Public notice is given on January 24, 2023, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Adams County Court.

The petition requests that the name of Jessica Crystal Vinton be changed to Cybil Renee Peck

Case No.: 22 C 1992

By: Deputy Clerk

Legal Notice No. CCX900

First Publication: February 16, 2023

Last Publication: March 2, 2023

Publisher: Commerce City Sentinel Express

It’s your right to know what the city and county governments are changing and proposing.