Denver Herald 052523

GETTING JAZZY

Five Points Jazz Festival returns for 20th year

BY CHRISTY STEADMAN CSTEADMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

When saxophone player Rico Jones was just 14 years old, he got to jam alongside drummer Tom Tilton and jazz pianist Joe Bonner at Brother Je ’s Cultural Center in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood.

“Joe had performed with artists like Woody Shaw and Pharaoh Sanders,” Jones said. “It was one of the rst times I was so close to the authentic lineage of the music. I was beyond inspired.”

at was 2012. Today, Jones — a Latin-Indigenous artist who was born and raised in Denver — has been recognized with more than 10 national awards. He is one of about 40 musical artists slated to perform at this year’s Five Points Jazz Festival.

e event runs from noon to 8 p.m. on June 10. It will feature 10 indoor and outdoor stages along Welton Street between 25th and 29th streets.

e day kicks o with a parade led by the Guerilla Fanfare Brass Band. Attendees will also nd food vendors, a kid’s zone and artisan booths.

“People love a great music festival,” said Sonia Rae, the cultural a airs program manager for Denver Arts & Venues, which puts on the festival. “

ere’s a powerful and rich jazz community here in Denver – some of the nest local musicians are playing the festival.”

e festival is free and will feature a variety of jazz genres: Latin jazz, smooth jazz, soul, avant-garde, jazz

VOICES: 12 | LIFE: 14 | CALENDAR: 11

State sees growth in smaller communities

Larger cities level o , Census Bureau

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER AND SANDRA FISH THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado’s smaller cities and towns saw the greatest growth from 2020 to 2022, new U.S. Census Bureau estimates show, while the state’s largest cities and ski towns saw declining or stable populations. In Elbert County, the population of Elizabeth rose from 1,717 to 2,285 from 2020 to 2022, a 33.1% increase. e changes come as Colorado’s population ages and people search for more a ordable housing, state demographer Elizabeth Garner said.

Keenesburg, a Weld County town along Interstate 76 about 40 miles northeast of Denver, logged the most growth with a 65% population explosion over two years. at town grew to 2,080 in 2022 from 1,258 in 2020. e census estimates released ursday are based on births, deaths, people moving in and out and the number of housing units, Garner said. So they aren’t based on survey data like the census taken every 10 years or the annual American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Previous estimates showed the

Rico Jones performing at the 2022 Five Points Jazz Festival.

COURTESY OF RICO JONES

state’s total population in 2022 at just over 5.8 million people, up about 1% since 2020.

Of the top 15 cities and towns for growth between 2020 and 2022 most were under 10,000 population.

Six of the top 16 were all or partially in Weld County, with most of the top-growth towns north or east of the Denver metro area.

“ e area is ripe,” Garner said of the growth in so many small towns. “If you go out (I-76) east, you’re going to see the same thing, like in Wiggins. You’re going to see it east and north, because that’s areas where we have the most available land.”

Keenesburg saw signi cant growth after developers constructed hundreds of new homes in the small town in recent years. e project was expected to take about four years to complete. e homes were nished and sold in about 18 months, interim Town Manager Roger Tinklenberg said.

“Obviously there was pent-up demand in the area,” he said.

New residents say they moved to the area to get out of the big cities while still being able to commute to the Denver region for work, Tinklenberg said. Homes are also much more a ordable with a median

than in Denver, according to Zillow. e town is set to develop further with up to 10,000 more homes possible over the next 30 years.

Still, Tinklenberg says there hasn’t been any talk of changing the town’s motto: “Home of 500 happy people and a few soreheads.”

Some of those happy people (and maybe even the soreheads) are welcoming the growth, even if they don’t want to see it become anything close to a metropolitan area.

driver’s license school, said he’s hoping to see the town expand in a sustainable way.

“It’s going to impact infrastructure. … But at the same time, I think it’s going to bring some of the bene ts of growth, which could be more activities for the kids, maybe a rec center,” he said. “If the town doesn’t grow, it’s gonna get swallowed by the surrounding towns.”

e town of Timnath, which is just southeast of Fort Collins along I-25, saw the second highest growth, up 40%. at’s an increase of about 2,600 people.

“Northern Colorado just really is a very desirable place,” Timnath Town Manager Aaron Adams said. “I think that there’s a lot of things that are appealing to folks when they see those options, the options of new construction, new builds, a desirable school district, and then a town that they perceive to be well run and o ering a lot of things to draw them in.”

Adams said the town, which draws shoppers from throughout the region for its retail (including the area’s only Costco), works to maintain a “small-town feel” by consistently hosting local events.

Curious about options for

Over the next 15 to 20 years, Adams expects the town to reach its maximum capacity of about 35,000 residents, he said.

Castle Pines, 10th on the list, is one of the only two municipalities in the top 10 with more than 10,000 residents. Between 2020 and 2022, the city grew about 20% to 13,486 from 11,215.

City Manager Michael Penny told e Colorado Sun much of that expansion came from development agreements made in the 2010s that just recently came to fruition.

“I’m not surprised. I think it was intentional by the council,” Penny said. “ ere’s probably ex-council members that are thinking, ‘Finally, why’d it take so long?’”

Still, the city sees its growth as hav-

“I think that (growth) would have continued except for the economic worldwide issues that are out there and I think it’ll pick up again once that all gets gured out,” Penny said. Several mountain towns, including Vail and Aspen, were among the biggest population losers between 2020 and 2022.

at’s in part due to Colorado’s aging population.

“What we’re seeing is a lot of net migration out of the older adults,” Garner said.

About 75 municipalities saw less than 1% change in their population, including ornton, Steamboat Springs, Golden, Crested Butte, Englewood, Lakewood and Pueblo.

And the state’s largest population centers are also seeing slower growth, with the exception of Castle Rock in Douglas County, which grew 8.5% between 2020 and 2022.

Denver, the state’s largest city, saw a slight population dip, while Colorado Springs, the second largest city, saw a 1.2% gain. Boulder saw the largest drop among the largest 15 cities, losing 2.4% of its population.

“Colorado is slowing down in terms of growth,” Garner said. “Colorado is in the middle of a pretty big transition, especially with the aging.”

Rising housing prices and that aging population likely mean more population changes ahead for the state.

“It’s going to be harder for Colorado to attract and retain the best and the brightest and we’ve never had that struggle before,” Garner said. “If a place is going to be ghting for you that has lower housing costs, you’re going to go there.”

e Colorado Sun co-owns Colorado Community Media as a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy. It is a reader-supported news organization dedicated to covering the people, places and policies that matter in Colorado. Read more, sign up for free newsletters and subscribe at coloradosun.com.

Downtown Denver and the surrounding suburbs seen from above.

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roots, blues and more.

Tenia Nelson, a pianist with the Denver-based Tenia Nelson Trio — or TNT for short — served on this year’s Five Points Jazz Festival selection committee.

Nelson is looking forward to seeing all of the di erent kinds of bands performing this year, she said, “and just being around beautiful people enjoying themselves.”

“People enjoy watching live music because they get to see the bands in real time interacting with each other,” Nelson said. “When they see the bands having a great time and playing amazing music, then of course, they will also have a great time.”

Now in its 20th year, the festival draws a crowd of roughly 60,000 attendees. But its beginnings were humble. It started out with three bands on one stage in the parking lot of the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library on Welton Street.

However, Denver’s Five Points is no stranger to jazz. Known as the Harlem of the West, the neighborhood has drawn jazz greats for the better part of a century.

Historically, Black jazz musi-

cians would come to Denver to perform in White venues. However, they were not allowed to stay in those parts of town because they were Black. So, they would stay in Five Points.

“ ey would stay, and play, and jam all night long,” Rae said.

She added it’s important to honor the history of jazz in Denver because it tells a story of who Denver is.

“ e history of Denver is alive and well in Five Points,” Rae said. “And jazz is alive and well in Five Points.”

Music is something that can bring people of many backgrounds together, Rae said.

ose who already love jazz music will certainly enjoy the festival, but it’s also a good way to introduce people to the local jazz scene.

“Jazz is a music that is for the people by the people … People appreciate what is real, genuine and heartfelt,” Jones said. e

“Five Points Jazz Festival brings that to the people. And best of all, they do it in a historical place where many of the greats of jazz music performed in the early days of the art form.”

To learn more about the Five Points Jazz Festival, visit ArtsandVenues.com/FivePointsJazz.

For a 2023 band lineup, visit ArtsandVenues.com/FivePointsLineup.

State school budget short, despite $9 billion package

BY JASON GONZALES CHALKBEAT COLORADO

Gov. Jared Polis this month signed into law Colorado’s school nance act, laying the path toward eliminating a state practice used since the Great Recession that holds back money from schools.

In the 2023-24 school year, the state will spend more than $9 billion on education and withhold $141 million from schools. Statewide, spending per student next year will increase to $10,614, $1,000 more per student than this year.

e school nance bill also will fund state-authorized charter schools at a level similar to other schools starting in 2023-24, adding more than $42 million for those schools. State-authorized charter schools don’t get a cut of locally raised tax dollars as district schools do.

Rural schools will get $30 million more to help with their higher costs related to smaller student populations. Colorado rural schools have gotten similar state aid since 2017.

Polis, surrounded by lawmakers, educators, and students at ornton Elementary School, also signed two bills on May 15 that will boost special education funding and provide statewide support for math instruction.

Together, the bills represent a signi cant investment in K-12 education statewide and a promise to fully meet the constitutionally set minimum for education spending by the 2024-25 school year.

Polis said the school nance bill means a stronger education system for Colorado, including better teacher pay, smaller class sizes, and more funding for the arts.

“We are catching up to where we should be for

all public schools next year, and that’s very exciting news for Colorado kids,” he said during the bill signing.

Since 2009, lawmakers have diverted money that should go to K-12 schools to fund other priorities, a practice known as the Budget Stabilization Factor. is year’s school nance law, however, aims to eliminate that practice by the next budget year. e state has withheld over $10 billion from

schools since 2009.

e constitution requires Colorado to increase funding yearly by the rate of student population growth plus in ation. e state withholding, however, has meant schools haven’t gotten what’s required by its school nance formula.

State Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, an Arvada Democrat who chairs the Joint Budget Committee that helps craft the budget and school nance act, said the state will also meet its obligation to fully fund its share of special education.

e state will spend $40.2 million more next year on special education, increasing total spending to about $340 million, or a 13% increase.

Polis also signed a bill that will invest more in teaching math after state and national tests showed students lost ground in that subject during the pandemic. e state will spend $25 million via three-year grants for after-school math tutoring programs that will be run by school districts, charter schools, and community groups.

e bill also will provide optional training for teachers and parents, o er evidence-based resources for math programs, and require teacher preparation programs to train prospective educators in math instruction.

Zenzinger said now that the state is on track to fully fund schools within the next budget cycle, she wants lawmakers to rethink what it costs to fully educate a student.

“It’s going to be really, really important that once we have established full funding, whether that is then adequate,” Zenzinger said.

Chalkbeat is a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools.

Gov. Jared Polis has signed Colorado’s school finance act, agreeing to spend more than $9 billion on education. Statewide, spending per student will increase by more than $1,000 more per student in coming years. FILE PHOTO

Former NFL coach, Walmart manager and psychotherapist ditch jobs, become teachers

BY ERICA BREUNLIN THE COLORADO SUN

Overwhelmed by the unpredictable shu e between remote and in-person learning, scared of contracting a deadly virus, and tired of trying to make ends meet, many Colorado educators walked away from teaching during the pandemic with no intention of returning.

An already stressful job took on compounding pressures during the past three years, with teachers tending to more severe mental health struggles among students while grappling with their own. Meanwhile, political battles that found their way into classrooms and sustained community violence in schools stoked fear and frustration across the state.

But those stressors haven’t chased all teachers out of schools. Some newly minted educators have even sought out a career in a school amid the heavier

workload and heightened sense of scrutiny many teachers are facing, abandoning other jobs to spend their days with kids.

e newly trained teachers enter the eld as many schools struggle to nd quali ed educators to help them overcome shortages and retain experienced teachers, some of whom can barely nd a ordable housing in their school communities.

e Colorado Department of Education spelled out shortages during the 2021-22 school year, reporting that about 7,000 teaching and other sta positions referred to as special services providers — including counselors and nurses — needed to be lled for that year. ose gures represented 10% of all teaching and 16% of all service provider positions statewide.

Of more than 5,700 open

Todd Devers assists eighth graders with an advertising project during an introductory business class on May 12, 2023, at Hamilton Middle School in Denver. Devers, previously a strength and conditioning coach for the NFL and various college teams, recently completed his first year at Hamilton teaching middle schoolers and is working toward obtaining a master’s in secondary education from the University of Northern Colorado.

COURTESY OF THE COLORADO SUN SEE TEACHERS, P7

TEACHERS

teaching positions, 440 stayed un lled during the school year and more than 1,100 were sta ed through a shortage mechanism, by a sta er with an emergency license or an alternative teaching license, for example.

e Colorado Sun interviewed three Colorado teachers who pivoted to education later in life, catapulting into classrooms at a time schools are scrambling to ll sta gaps and stem the tide of outgoing teachers.

A longtime coach jumps from NFL players to middle schoolers

Todd Devers has a long history of teaching. But before he began instructing seventh and eighth graders about business and forensic science, his classroom on many days was a football eld or weight room.

Devers coached college and professional athletes in strength and conditioning, working with the Dallas Cowboys before he moved across the country to help University of Connecticut’s football team build endurance and reach peak performance on the eld.

From the outside, his career glamorous as he traveled the country with his teams and could be spotted on TV during games. And he got a

lot out of training and teaching athletes while watching them progress. But consistent stretches away from home — whether a quick weekend ying to another city for a game or an entire month for training camp, sometimes out of state — wore on him over the 15 years he spent as a strength and conditioning coach. So did holing up inside the training facility for more than 12 hours a day ve to six days a week.

Devers, 48, woke up one morning and told his wife that he was going to take a sharp turn with his career and become a teacher.

Now, after pursuing a master’s degree in secondary education at the University of Northern Colorado, Devers teaches two forensic science courses to seventh graders and two introduction to business classes to eighth graders at Hamilton Middle School in Denver, where he landed for student teaching. e educator will technically wrap up his student teaching in the fall, but with an urgent need for a teacher, the school hired him on as a long-term substitute teacher. By December, he will graduate with his master’s degree in secondary education and will earn a teaching license in science.

He’s found crossovers between coaching and the classroom, including the team atmosphere between teachers and administrators and the chance to shape young lives — on and o the eld and inside and outside school.

“Part of being a good coach is being able to relate to players and understand that they have stu going on outside of the game just like these middle schoolers,” Devers said. “ ey have stu going on outside of the classroom. Families, they may come from a divorced family. Dad may not be around. ey have a sibling that’s struggling with something.”

But with students in front of him, Devers added, “you get to teach and watch them learn and almost forget about what’s going on in the outside world. at’s rewarding.”

e former coach has had to adjust his expectations. Whereas athletes he trained habitually worked as hard as they could, not all his students have the same feverish drive.

Still, he sticks with each one of his students, determined to make whatever impact he can on

them. at, and the ability to be home with his family more, keeps the teacher coming back to the classroom, even as his salary was slashed by more than half.

“I love when I see a student or students who aren’t engaged early on, and you nally get it to click and they turn the corner and now they become that sponge and they want to learn more,” Devers said. “I love that. I love seeing that.”

is retail manager is reigniting her love of history alongside students

Most of Lena Withers’ career has been de ned by stress as a veteran manager of big-box stores. Between standing on her feet during 14hour shifts, forgoing family gatherings to cover holidays, working 20 hours straight during a blizzard and managing a ornton Sam’s Club

SEE TEACHERS, P8

TEACHERS

the day a high-speed police chase ended in the parking lot, she has learned how to cruise through all kinds of chaos.

So Withers barely inches at the idea of teaching high schoolers at a time teaching has become an exceedingly stressful profession, particularly in history classrooms where polarizing political views have colored the lessons communities want educators to cover.

Clashes over curriculum give her all the more reason to dig her heels in while student teaching at Loveland High School, where she can tie a thread between decades of the past and today.

“I see history repeating itself,” Withers said, particularly in the past year as long-standing abortion rights have been under attack across the country, coinciding with her students’ look into the civil rights movement.

“It’s important for people to understand how things could be if we don’t protect certain rights,” she said. “People need to understand how we got to where we are, and I think they need to understand that they can have a role in it as well.”

In pivoting to teaching, Withers, 40, has traced her way back to her passion of history — the focus of her rst master’s degree, which she earned at the University of Kansas. ere, Withers gravitated toward teaching while working as a graduate teaching assistant and assistant instructor on the path to earning a Ph.D.

But she also worried that she would never make enough to support herself as a high school teacher.

Withers held down a part-time job at a Walmart at the time and

veered away from her pursuit of a doctorate degree and was promoted while applying for other jobs. She found herself in retail management for a few years, working leadership roles at Sam’s Club and King Soopers locations throughout Colorado before stepping away at the onset of the pandemic, when her salary was cut by 25%.

Withers moved back in with her parents in Loveland and bounced through positions in o ce administration, management and human resources, but none of them brought her any closer to happiness.

She started to get serious about giving teaching a real try, and with her family’s nancial help, she returned to school for a second master’s degree in secondary teaching and a licensure in social studies at the University of Northern Colorado. A year later, she walked in the commencement ceremony and applied for her teaching license this month. In August, after Withers completes two more classes, she will receive her degree.

Withers student taught at Greeley West High School in the fall and also lled in as a substitute teacher before moving to Loveland High School this spring. She has shadowed and taken over social studies and U.S. history classes as well as helped out with economics and psychology courses.

Her search for a full-time teaching position spans beyond Colorado as she battles the state’s high cost of living and starting salaries that fall several thousand dollars short of the pay she earned in retail management and also trail compensation in other states.

“It’s important that we support our young people today in helping them to grow and to progress, and they’re the ones that are going to be out there running things soon,” Withers said. “I hope that I can help

guide them on their way to that.”

An addiction and recovery specialist takes an accidental turn into an alternative school

Hillary Higgins did not set out to teach, but once she stumbled upon an opportunity to work with kids at Red Canyon High School — an alternative school with two campuses in Eagle County — she couldn’t contemplate leaving.

e rst part of Higgins’ career thrust her to the Front Range, where she became a registered psychotherapist and worked in and out of addiction, recovery and mental health, including a stint developing curriculum framed around anger management and life skills for court-ordered clients.

Higgins, 35, moved back to Vail — where she grew up — ve years ago, ready for a change of scenery and eager to be near family again. A volunteer opportunity with a local nonpro t focused on stopping drunken driving connected her with Red Canyon High School by chance, planting her in the school to teach students life skills based on substance abuse prevention.

She was hooked almost instantly.

Higgins further tiptoed into teaching by taking over a consumer math class as a permanent substitute teacher at the school during the pandemic, shaking o her nerves over the idea of teaching a subject that has challenged her as someone with a learning disability. She had a chorus of educators rallying behind her who became the “catalyst” for her career in the classroom.

“ ey will stop and help you no matter what,” she said. “I felt so supported as a person who was teaching something I wasn’t very con dent in.”

Higgins, who already had bachelor’s and master’s degrees, decided to stay on even after the educator she was lling in for came back from maternity leave. Hig-

gins returned to school, herself, at Colorado Mountain College to complete the alternative licensure program. She nished her last class earlier this month after two years of a grueling workload, balancing full days of teaching with night classes and writing papers on weekends.

“It’s made me a much better teacher because I’m empathetic to the student perspective,” Higgins said.

She added that she would not have made it across the nish line for a job in any school besides Red Canyon High School, where fellow teachers and administrators have motivated her every step of the way, even practicing exam questions for her licensure test with her.

She understands why teachers struggle to stay in education after she took a pay cut and has worked a second job at a ski and snowboard shop owned by her parents. But Higgins still sees herself supporting students who have more signi cant learning needs long term, particularly since she gets to teach them an array of psychology and sociology classes, including the psychology of reality TV and fashion psychology.

She has found a family in the students she nurtures and the educators who have believed in her, and the sense of purpose that grew from her days of subbing has stuck, leading her to a career she never saw coming.

“I felt like I had so much purpose being here,” Higgins said. “I really felt it was kind of a crazy thing that happened. I loved it.”

e Colorado Sun co-owns Colorado Community Media as a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy. It is a reader-supported news organization dedicated to covering the people, places and policies that matter in Colorado. Read more, sign up for free newsletters and subscribe at coloradosun.com.

Ron Baker to get a year’s salary as severance

Former head of Colorado’s public pension system was fired May 1

BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN

e red head of Colorado’s $60 billion-plus public pension system will receive a year’s salary — more than $400,000 — as severance, under his contract and because of the way his employment was terminated.

Ron Baker was red May 1 by the 16-member Public Employees’ Retirement Association board nearly two months after he went on a leave of absence.

Neither the board nor PERA has disclosed why Baker was red, and Colorado Sun attempts over the past several months to contact Baker have been unsuccessful. Emails, texts and voicemail messages to Baker from e Sun, including for this story, were not returned.

Baker will get $412,108.80 in severance because the board terminated his contract without cause. Had he been red for cause, he wouldn’t have been eligible to collect the severance.

Baker’s contract says he could

only be red for cause if there was a breach of his employment agreement, for gross negligence, or if he had committed or pleaded guilty or no contest to a felony criminal charge. e contract says he could

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Ron Baker, executive director of Colorado’s Public Employees’ Retirement Association. COURTESY PHOTO

The sign on Colorado PERA headquarters in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Denver on Sept. 18, 2018.

Soil health at Chatfield Farms

Farmers do everything. ey are mechanics, botanists, naturalists, athletes and some even believe themselves to be meteorologists. In the age of the regenerative agriculture movement, farmers need to become biologists, or more speci cally, soil ecologists.

Soil ecology is the study of the seemingly limitless universe beneath our feet. In just a teaspoon of healthy soil, there are over one billion bacterial individuals and more than six miles of fungal mycelium. It would take seven years to recite the names of all the bacterial species in a compost pile. How do the trillions of soil microbes interact? It’s likely we’ll never truly know. A broad understanding of the soil ecosystem, however, can change a farmer’s mindset.

e most productive soil in the world from an old growth forest contains far less plant-available nutrients than are recommended for agricultural soil. How could ‘nutrient-de cient’ soil — teeming with soil microbes — produce the largest plants on the planet?

Nutrients are released when microscopic predators consume bacteria. Nematodes, protozoa and microscopic insects ‘poop’ out nutrients that plants are able to consume.

Plant roots absorb those nutrients through a web of fungi. Fungal networks expand the reach of roots and create highways inside root hairs. As satis ed plants then release ‘exudates,’ which attract more bacteria and fungi, the cycle continues. Without these characters to play their parts, soil turns into lifeless dirt.

Conventional soil management has disrupted the soil ecosystem. Without microscopic predators, bacteria or fungi to assist plant roots, farmers are forced to overfeed plants

with fertilizers. e excess nutrients that aren’t washed away are consumed by a monoculture of bacteria,

reproducing rapidly and unchecked by predators. Without predators to consume bacteria, the soil ecosys-

tem becomes unbalanced. e resulting population of disease-causing bacteria release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Realistically, not all farmers have the time to study microscopy. rough the eyes of a microscope, a farmer can witness the soil ecosystem in action, but studying soil ecology doesn’t require a microscope. Diversity in critters — worms, ladybugs, roly-polies, etc. — is an indication of a balanced biology.

Even without a microscope, understanding what healthy soil looks, feels and smells like can inform better practices. Undisturbed soil will evolve with its plant inhabitants. Rich brown, textured soil that smells like a forest will feed a vegetable plant on its own, without nutrient additives. A calculated ‘less is more’ soil management approach gives our soil a chance to breathe. Regenerative agriculture rede nes the farmers’ relationship with nature. Humans’ senses have evolved with plants — the smell of healthy soil triggers serotonin production in the human brain. Alternatively, our negative reaction to the putrid smell of greenhouse gases produced by harmful bacteria warns us of toxicity. ese ne-tuned deep intuitions can become regenerative farmer’s almanac.

By working in tandem with natural soil ecosystems, farmers can reduce the labor and expenses of disruptive soil tillage and chemical fertilizer application. Soil naturally wants to grow plants. By accepting help from nature, farmers can grow healthier plants more e ciently.

Rutger Meyers is a soil health technician for the Denver Botanic Gardens.

Rutger Myers, soil health technician for the Denver Botanic Gardens, performs a worm count.

PHOTO BY RUTGER MYERS

Thu 6/01

Sat 6/03

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Graduation moments

The season is here for high school and college students to walk across the stage to get that document saying they are o cially ready for the next level. What the next level will be largely depends on what they decide.

However, I love this time of year for re ection purposes. At the high school level, and to some degree, the college level — what these students accomplished is also due to the love and support of family.

I remember when I graduated from high school. I was so excited to be one of the rst in my family to go to college. I grew up in a family where women mostly stayed home with the kids and worked if they had to. On the male side — most, including my three brothers, went into the military after high school.

For me, becoming a journalist was a dream and I believed I could do anything. I did become a journalist and am de nitely proud of what I have accomplished on that level. However, believing I can do anything is something tampered down a bit by life’s realities.

But, those days after high school and college graduation are great feelings of accomplishment in our lives.

Moving years down the road, another graduation moment I will always remember is one with my daughter. While she was 16 when her mom died and mostly had me o cially adopt her to take my husband’s name and get her through her nal year of high school — it was challenging.

She struggling to nish school. We struggled together. When she nally walked across that school stage that windy, rainy night in Arizona — she handed me this fake carnation. e rule for the ower was for all graduates to hand it to someone who made an impact in their lives.

For her to give it to me after struggling for some time after her mom died and her life changed — I was moved to tears. After giving me the ower, she walked passed me and put her arms around my dad’s shoulders and they walked away together. at image of pride and happiness will always be embedded in my mind.

As so many graduates are taking the steps to the next stage this month — it is a time for them to not worry about the what the future holds or how to pay for college — but instead to take a moment and enjoy the accomplishment, be proud of the hard work and thanks those around them for helping get them there.

For parents, grandparents and other family members — smile and take a breath, or just enjoy the importance of the moment without questioning what the future holds.

I love graduation season because maybe these ceremonies, parties and celebrations do force us to re ect a bit more. Something we should all do more often in the happy moments of our lives.

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

Love, recognition and appreciation

Many years ago, I remember hearing this question posed to a group of people going through some training, “How often should you tell your spouse that you love them?” Take a moment to consider what your response might be, and I will share the answer a little later in this column.

In speaking with a friend of mine who is a salesperson, he shared with me that he recently lost one of his best accounts. When I asked him what happened, he didn’t blame his company, the competition, the economy or anything else. He took full responsibility for not paying enough attention to them once the agreement was signed, he took the relationship for granted, never showing the customer how grateful he was that they trusted him with their business.

ere is another story that I will share that came from a woman I know that I think we can all relate to. As she re ected on her relationship with her daughter, she said that she thought she was doing everything right when it came to raising her daughter, but like most of us parents who are far less than perfect, we miss things along the way. Her daughter grew distant and started making bad choices relative to the friends she was hanging around with.

CHRISTY STEADMAN

Editor csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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e woman said the one thing she could have done better is letting her daughter know just how much she loved her and appreciated her. Even though she did say those things, she felt like maybe it wasn’t enough.

Do you have your answers ready to the question of how often we should tell our spouses that we love them? e answer is this, before someone else does.

How often should we tell or show our customers how much we love and appreciate them? How often should we tell our children how much we love them and cherish them? How often should we let our friends know how much they mean to us? How often should we tell the people who report to us how grateful we are for all that they do? e answer of course to each one of these questions is, before someone else does.

A spouse who feels unloved will eventually turn to someone else for love. A customer who isn’t feeling the love from a company will bring their business elsewhere. A child who isn’t receiving love, recognition or time from us will be left to their own to decide where they can feel like they are wanted or where they belong. Even our closest friends will start to drift away if they feel ignored or feel like it is a one-sided friendship. And we know how hard it is to nd great people to join our team, and how hard it is to retain top talent, we know that people usually

SEE NORTON, P13

Columnists & Guest Commentaries

Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Herald-Dispatch.

We welcome letters to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone.

Email letters to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Deadline Wed. for the following week’s paper.

Denver Herald-Dispatch (ISSN 1542-5797)(USPS 241-760)

A legal newspaper of general circulation in Denver, Colorado, the Herald-Dispatch

Thelma Grimes

The U.S. dollar as world currency FINANCIAL STRATEGIES

There is a lot of news about the U.S. dollar (USD) and how sustainable it is as the world currency in the future. While I don’t expect a major shift away from the dollar during my lifetime, we do see currencies and their use gradually changing over time.

• Currently the USD represents 58 percent of the world’s central bank reserves. is is down from 75 percent in 2000. is reserve currency is a magnet for foreign investment in the United States, according to William Greiner, CFA

• Some of the reasons for the renewed interest in world currencies is due to Russia, China and India talking with Brazil and South America about creating a new currency to challenge the USD. ey want to trade directly with each other in their own currencies.

Let’s take a look at the current facts, according to JP Morgan.

• China’s currency the Renminbi (RMB) was the fth most traded currency in the world last year.

• e U.S. share of global trade is about twelve percent, and the U.S. share of global GDP is about 25 percent. Yet the dollar’s share of foreign exchange, trade, debt, and exchange reserve is much higher, which is why the dollar is known as the world’s reserve currency.

• About 35 percent of all Treasury bonds are owned by foreign investors.

• e dollar’s role in foreign exchange markets has been mostly unchanged over the last 20 years or more. In 2022, the dollar accounted for about 89 percent of all foreign exchange transactions. e dollar’s dominance in international nance is clear with the dollar used in about half of all trade invoicing—much higher than the twelve percent share in global trade.

• e dollar is still the dominant currency of choice for investment of foreign exchange reserves at about 60 percent.

• Some central banks are diversify-

ing holdings away from the dollar and the euro, but only 25 percent of the shift is explained by increased allocations to the Chinese RMB. Much of this was driven by Russia which holds one third of all RMB reserves.

• U.S. sanctions remain on many countries, most notably the freezing of Russian assets after the Ukraine invasion.

• Commodities such as oil are priced and traded in dollars worldwide.

• More foreign currencies are pegged to the U.S. dollar than any other currency including China’s. China is also our largest trading partner with foreign trades pegged to the dollar.

Investment Strategist Brett Lapierre, CFA® states, “I see some weakness in the USD over the next few years as it is fundamentally overvalued. is, combined with stronger economic growth outside of the U.S., higher interest rates and trade de cit, could all put pressure on the USD. A recession could mean the dollar bounces in the short term in a ight to quality trade but over time, I expect the dollar to weaken.”

Given these facts, the U.S. dollar is alive and well and remains the stronghold currency worldwide. is could change over time as we see improved economic growth in other countries, and as we incorporate more foreign trade.

In our opinion, it is important to make sure your investment portfolio is diversi ed based on your risk tolerance to include investments that can potentially bene t from these economic conditions.

Patricia Kummer has been a Certied Financial Planner professional and a duciary for over 35 years and is managing director for Mariner Wealth Advisors.

someone else does,” we will more than likely increase our frequency for showing love and appreciation for those that matter most to us.

FREE

FOR GRADS

don’t leave the company, they leave their leader or manager. Money isn’t the reason they leave either, it’s usually because they feel under appreciated. I have asked the same question to many groups over the years when I was conducting sales training or leadership training, so I have heard many of the responses that may have been running through your mind as you considered your response, every day, three times a day, all the time, every time you part company and every time you see each other again, morning noon and night, and many others. And these are all great answers, and when we can internalize the thought around, “Before

Are you making sure that the people around you are feeling loved and appreciated? Or was this a good reminder that even if we think we are saying it enough, we might be able to show it and say it a little bit more often? I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@ gmail.com and when we can let others know how much we love them before anyone else does, it really will be a better than good life.

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

The works of African-American composer Florence Price (1899-1952) have only lately been receiving the attention they are due, and her harmonically lush Mass in F for chorus and organ will be juxtaposed against another mass setting by a modern female composer, the “Tongues of Fire” Mass by Cecilia McDowall (b. 1951). McDowall was honored in 2021 by receiving the new carol commission from the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge for their annual Lessons & Carols Service, broadcast to millions on Christmas Eve, and she thus entered the history books as a choral composer of the first rank.

Isaiah Paris, a barbering student at Emily Gri th Technical College, gives a North High School graduate a haircut during a free haircutting event on May 18. The event provided Emily Gri th’s barbering students with hands-on experience, while giving North High School’s Class of 2023 an opportunity to look its best for its commencement ceremony.

EMILY GRIFFITH TECHNICAL COLLEGE

BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

On most Tuesdays and ursdays and some Saturdays, a team of bikers meets to explore Colorado’s network of trails.

e group connects at a co ee shop in downtown Denver. When the weather isn’t too hot, it’s after work around 4 or 5 p.m. In the dead of summer, it’s usually in the morning.

ey sip on espresso and decide where they want to ride that day. It could be on the bike lanes of Denver, the 36 Bikeway to Boulder, the Platte River Trail to Brighton or other suburbs. Most of the time, it involves a stop along the way.

“We would go down the Platte River Trail to the C 470 trail and then Krispy Kremes along there. We call it the Krispy 50. It’s a 50-mile loop,” said Ted Schultz, one of the riders in the group.

e group started after Schultz and two colleagues in his o ce space decided to start riding together after work. Schultz rode with a few others and combined the two groups.

After the ride, they go to a brewery to catch up with one another and relax after the ride.

Colorado’s network of trails

Part of the reason the group exists is due to Colorado’s extensive bike trail infrastructure. Schultz said it’s only improved in the past two decades.

“When you add up the miles of really good trails, it’s just mind-boggling,” he said.

Schultz, who grew up in Colorado, said understanding for cyclists sharing the road and building more infrastructure has vastly grown. In the 70s

and 80s, he could almost count on angry driver backlash during his rides. Now, not so much.

Much of that may be due to more focus on improving trails and streets.

e Denver Regional Council of Governments built a map that shows all the trails and bike lanes across the region. ey stretch all the way from Boulder to Clear Creek to Castle Rock.

And more may be coming. e Greenhouse Gas Planning Standard, a new rule adopted by the Transportation Commission of Colorado in December 2021, requires agencies to measure greenhouse gas emissions from transit projects, with limits on how high those emissions go.

BIKE PATH

With bike infrastructure providing the option for drivers to ditch their cars and bike, it can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Jacob Riger, multimodal transportation planning manager for the Denver Regional Council of Governments, said his group has already modi ed its 2050 Metro Vision Regional Transportation Plan based on the rule.

Emily Lindsey, active and emerging mobility program manager for DRCOG, said people are ready.

Of the 15 million daily trips in the region, 43% are less than three miles and 19% are less than one mile.  “So, super bikeable, even more so with e-bikes,” she said.

Chris Chen, one of the riders in the group, noted that some improvements are needed. Chen, who lives in Littleton, said there aren’t many bike lanes.

He said either more need to be

added or there need to be wider shoulders. He also said more education about how to share the road with bikers needs to be implemented, citing the death of Gwen Inglis in 2021.

Inglis was a national champion who was struck and killed by a driver in Lakewood.

“It’s been so long since I took the driver’s test, but I don’t know if they have incorporated anything into that,” Chen said.

He explained that it’s scary when vehicles go by fast, especially semi-trucks. e trucks, going fast enough, will push air to the side, which pushes the cyclist, but then will suck the air back in, bringing the cyclist in with it.

“If it’s really close, it’s really scary, not only the sounds of it and in the nearness of that fastmoving object, but the air actually pulling you in,” Chen said.

Compared to other places, Anthony Harvey, another member of the group, said the bike infrastructure ranks higher than the places he’s seen, including Texas, Califor-

nia and Chicago.

Benefits of riding e group ranges in age. Chen is one of the younger ones in his 40s with some of the older riders in their 60s. Meaning, biking is an activity for all abilities and ages.

Chen said he used to be a swimmer. But he didn’t like the fact he had to drive to the pool before 5 a.m. to be at practice in time.  at was too early for him, so he stopped swimming and started cycling more. Not only did it satisfy as a workout, but also was more convenient.

“I can combine commuting and exercise all together,” Chen said.  en he joined the group and it became a lot more fun. It was a way for him to make new friends, destress and get a workout. It also reminds him of his childhood.

“It’s the feeling of when you’re a little kid and you’re going fast and you’re like ‘this is awesome.’” Chen said. “It still feels like that. at sense of freedom.”

Harvey said he got into biking

after he was injured from MMA competitions and decided to switch sports. He participates in various races.

“I was able to actually race with bikes and can also stay t,” he said.

Benefi

ts of friendship

While the biking brings the group together, the camaraderie keeps them pedaling. Schultz, Chen and Harvey all talked about the importance of keeping up with each other, not just on the trail.

Each friend rides on their own and sees the bene ts of being alone. But with the group, they push each other to go faster and further and gives a chance to connect over a topic each is passionate about.

After each ride, they stop at a brewpub or a bar, with Chen’s recommendation for one with a food truck.

“ at’s when we can catch up on trips and things happening with the family and what new gadgets people have,” Chen said. “ at kind of stu .”

Ted Schultz points to the numerous bikes he has accumulated over the years.

Ted Schultz’s “cargo” bike that he often takes to work and to run errands.

PHOTOS BY LUKE ZARZECKI

Calls from Colorado’s incarcerated will soon be free

BY TATIANA FLOWERS THE COLORADO SUN

e high cost of calling home from inside Colorado prisons and youth detention centers can have lasting e ects on people who are incarcerated and their families. State lawmakers hope to reduce those impacts starting in September, under a new law that makes those phone calls free.

House Bill 1133 will make Colorado the third state in the nation to cover the cost of phone calls made by people who are incarcerated and their families in state facilities. Gov. Jared Polis hasn’t yet signed the measure but is expected to soon.

Currently, people incarcerated in Colorado pay about 8 cents per minute for a phone call and typically talk on the phone for about 7 minutes each day. e cost of those calls is covered by wages earned by people behind bars if they have a job, or by their families.

“At its core, this bill is about keeping families connected,” said state Rep. Mandy Lindsay, an Arapahoe County Democrat and prime sponsor of the bill. “We’ve heard from countless Coloradans who’ve racked up thousands of dollars worth of debt communicating with their incarcerated loved ones. Making prison phone calls free will allow family members, especially children, to stay in-touch with their loved ones which lays a strong foundation to life after incarceration and works to reduce recidivism.”

e state’s general fund will cover 25% of the total cost, or almost $265,000, for call services during the rst year of the program from Sept. 1 through June 30, 2024. e state will cover 35% of the total cost for calls, or $445,000, from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. Starting July 1, 2025, the Colorado Depart-

ment of Corrections will cover all costs for phone calls or about $1.3 million. e bill does not cover the cost of video calls or emails.

Research has shown that when people are able to stay in regular contact with their families, they fare

better while they’re incarcerated and when they reenter society, which improves safety for corrections o cers and members of the public. If people are connected to their families while incarcerated, they may have a better chance of securing housing with those loved ones, who can also help them prepare for release from prison, advocates said.  e positive impacts of regular communication, likewise, positively a ects families. e 1 in 28 children with an incarcerated parent, for example, fare better while at home and in school because regular communication with their mother or father can show kids how to build healthy attachments with others.

When the law begins operating in full e ect in 2025, the policy will also bring major relief to Colorado families who collectively pay $7.7 million a year for prison phone calls, according to Colorado Department of Corrections data given to leaders of Worth Rises, an advocacy group that helped draft the legislation along with families of people who are incarcerated, ProgressNow Colorado and Stand For Children Colorado, an organization working to advance educational equity and racial justice. About 50% of American families, who are disproportionately people of color and those with low incomes, already struggle to a ord basic housing and food needs. About 1 in 3 of these American families goes into debt just to stay in touch with a loved one who is incarcerated. And women carry 87% of the nancial burden to remain connected, according to the Ella Baker Center For Human Rights, which helps people a ected by crime and incarceration.

Janelle Jenkins, who lives in Denver and testi ed in support of the bill, estimates that she’s spent

Janelle Jenkins, of Denver, testified on behalf of a bill that makes phone calls free in Colorado prisons and youth detention facilities. She has advocated for several social justice bills in Colorado because, she said, she hopes to inspire others to speak out against oppression and injustice. “There’s power in numbers,” she said.

COURTESY OF JANELLE JENKINS

SEE CALLS, P23

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also be red for cause for “wilfully engaging in any activity which is contrary to the best interest of the association (for) which activity is uncured by the executive for a reasonable period of time after he receives written notice concerning such activity.”

A majority vote of the PERA board is all that’s needed under Baker’s contract to terminate his employment without cause, though that entitles him to 30 days notice and a severance payment of a year’s salary. e board met in closed executive session for more than six hours May 1 before voting unanimously to re Baker.

Under the contract, Baker would have been eligible for a retention bonus equal to ve months’ pay — or about $170,000 — if he was still employed by PERA on Sept. 30. e ve-year employment contract was also set to expire at that date.

Patrick von Keyserling, a spokesman for PERA, said the board will form an ad hoc search committee to select Baker’s replacement.

“ ey have not yet met to do so and have not set a time period for the search,” he said.

Amy McGarrity, PERA’s chief operating o cer and chief investment o cer, is serving as acting executive director. She assumed that role when Baker went on leave March 8.

Baker was hired as executive director in 2018 and was responsible for

PERA’s operations and its “strategy implementation,” according to the organization.

Baker started working at the organization in 1994 and was chief administrative o cer before taking on the top job. He became a member of PERA’s executive leadership team in 2009.

ere are about 150,000 people who receive PERA bene ts in Colorado and more than 200,000 people actively contributing to the pension system, according to the organization’s 2021 annual report. e employees of more than 500 government agencies and public entities in Colorado receive retirement and other bene ts from PERA.

e Colorado legislature has pumped hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars into PERA in recent years to shore up the pension system, which has a large unfunded nancial liability to its members. e liability was $27.2 billion as of Dec. 31, 2021, down $3.8 billion from the previous year, the annual report said.

PERA is a constant focus for the legislature because pension bene ts are considered one of the biggest perks of being a government employee in Colorado.

e Colorado Sun co-owns Colorado Community Media as a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy. It is a reader-supported news organization dedicated to covering the people, places and policies that matter in Colorado. Read more, sign up for free newsletters and subscribe at coloradosun.com.

TURN TO THE COLORADO SUN FOR NEWS ACROSS THE STATE

The Colorado Sun is a journalist-owned, award-winning news outlet that strives to cover all of Colorado so that our state — our community — can better understand itself.

In this way, The Sun contributes to a more vibrant, informed and whole Colorado.

The Sun, launched in 2018, is committed to fact-based, in-depth and non-partisan journalism. It covers everything from politics and

culture to the outdoor industry and education. Now, The Colorado Sun co-owns this and other Colorado Community Media newspapers as a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy. The Sun is CCM’s partner for statewide news.

For Colorado Sun stories, opinions and more, and to support The Sun’s misssion as a member or subscriber, visit coloradosun.com.

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Storage Liens/Vehicle Titles

First Publication: May 25, 2023

Last Publication: May 25, 2023

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Notice to Creditors

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Jacques John Bensard, a/k/a Jacques J. Bensard, a/k/a Jacques Bensard, a/k/a Jack Bensard, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 30501

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before September 18, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Christine M. Wiley

Personal Representative

Patrick R. Thiessen (40185) FRIE, ARNDT, DANBORN & THIESSEN P.C. 7400 Wadsworth Blvd, Ste. 201 Arvada, CO 80003

Phone Number: 303-420-1234

Attorney for Christine M. Wiley

Legal Notice No. DHD1109

First Publication: May 18, 2023

Last Publication: June 1, 2023

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of ELIZABETH EARSMAN, a/k/a BETTE EARSMAN, a/k/a ELIZABETH A. EARSMAN, a/k/a ELIZABETH ANN EARSMAN, Deceased Case Number: 2023PR30472

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before September 11, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Pauline B. Fumagalli

Personal Representative

8101 E. Dartmouth Avenue, #59 Denver, CO 80231

Legal Notice No. 82231

First Publication: May 11, 2023

Last Publication: May 25, 2023

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Robert Martin, also known as Robert L. Martin, Robert Lee Martin, Robert Martin II, Robert L. Martin II, and Robert Lee Martin II, Deceased

Case Number: 2023 PR 30323

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before September 11, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Robert Martin III

Legal Notice No. DHD1108

First Publication: May 11, 2023

Last Publication: May 25, 2023

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of LYNETTE FAYE DOLL, also known as LYNETTE F. DOLL, LYNETTE DOLL, LYN F. DOLL AND LYN DOLL, Deceased

Case Number: 2023 PR 30213

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before September 18, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Adam Doll

Personal Representative c/o Parker Law Group LLC 19590 E. Mainstreet, Suite 104 Parker, CO, 80138

Legal Notice No. DHD1110

First Publication: May 18, 2023

Last Publication: June 1, 2023

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of John Steven Cassaday a/k/a John S. Cassaday, John Cassaday, J. Steven Cassaday, Steven Cassaday and Steve Cassaday, Deceased

Case Number: 2023 PR 30467

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before September 11, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Carolyn Moller Duncan, Atty. No. 33766

Attorney for Personal Representative Duncan Legal, PC 6436 S. Racine Circle, Suite 227 Centennial, Colorado 80111

Phone No: 303-394-2358

Legal Notice No. DHD1100

First Publication: May 11, 2023

Last Publication: May 25, 2023

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of ALICE MAY HAMBELTON, A/K/A, ALICE M. HAMBELTON, A/K/A, ALICE HAMBELTON, Deceased Case Number : 2023PR30369

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before September 18, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Robert G. Hambelton, Personal Representative

c/o Donald F. Slavin, P.C., 4704 Harlan St., Ste. 685 Denver, CO, 80212-7493

Legal Notice No. 82236

First Publication: May 18, 2023

Last Publication: June 1, 2023

Publisher: Denver Herald Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of BONNAJENE FRANK, Deceased

Case Number: 23 PR 30515

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the PROBATE COURT OF CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER, COLORADO, on or before September 18, 2023 or the claims may be forever barred.

Gregory Theiss Frank, Personal Representative 7588 Pyrite Way Castle Rock, CO 80108

Legal Notice No. 82230

First Publication: May 11, 2023

Last Publication: May 25, 2023

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of ILONA NOHRDEN, a/k/a ILONA NORHDEN, Deceased

Case Number: 2023PR30081

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before September 18, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Faina Melamed, Personal Representative c/o Michael LaVigne, Esq. Glatstein & O’Brien, LLP 2696 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite 350 Denver, Colorado 80222

Legal Notice No. 82238

First Publication: May 18, 2023

Last Publication: June 1, 2023

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Barbara Jean Duran, Deceased Case Number 23PR28

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before September 18, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Elizabeth R. Fajardo

Personal Representative 8258 Balsam Way Denver, CO 80005

Legal Notice No. 82235

First Publication: May 18, 2023

Last Publication: June 1, 2023

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Lawrence Richard Brogan, a/k/a Lawrence R. Brogan, a/k/a Lawrence Brogan, a/k/a Larry Brogan, Deceased Case Number: 2023PR30525

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before September 25, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Brady McFarland & Lord, LLC

Attorney to the Personal Representative 6870 W. 52nd Ave, Suite 103 Arvada, CO 80002

Legal Notice No. 82246

First Publication: May 25, 2023

Last Publication: June 8, 2023

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Judith Lynn Sempson, A/K/A Judi Sempson, A/K/A Judith L. Sempson, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 30424

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before September 11, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Sera Sempson Personal Representative 2800 S. University Blvd. Unit 78 Denver, CO 80210

Legal Notice No. DHD1105

First Publication: May 11, 2023

Last Publication: May 25, 2023

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of ANSON MARK, A/K/A ANSEN MARK, Deceased Case Number: 23 PR 30489

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the PROBATE COURT OF CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER, COLORADO, on or before September 22, 2023 or the claims may be forever barred.

Andreas L. Mark, Personal Representative PO Box 305 Medical Lake, WA 99022

Legal Notice No. 82237

First Publication: May 18, 2023

Last Publication: June 1, 2023

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of CHARLES DWIGHT SAXTON, a/k/a CHARLES D. SAXTON, a/k/a CHARLES SAXTON, Deceased Case Number: 2023PR30504

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before September 18, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Jeffery Saxton, Personal Representative 3007 North 45th Street Omaha, NE 68104

Legal Notice No. 82242

First Publication: May 18, 2023

Last Publication: June 1, 2023

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Douglas Grant Willits, a/k/a Douglas G. Willits, and Douglas Willits, Deceased Case Number: 2023PR030553

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before 9/25/2023 or the claims may be forever barred.

By: /s/ Irdina A Irawati Willits

Irdina A Irawati Willits Personal Representative 6325 W Mansfield Ave #209, Denver, CO 80235

Legal Notice No. 82248

First Publication: May 25, 2023

Last Publication: June 8, 2023

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

DENVER COUNTY DISTRICT COURT STATE OF COLORADO 1437 Bannock Street, #230 Denver, CO 80202

In the Matter of the Estate of: Rosalie P. Jaramillo, Deceased

Counsel for Victor Jarmone Ramshur The McKenzie Law Firm, LLC

Daniel E. McKenzie, Esq. Atty. Reg. #: 39288

Andrew Z. Lepore, Esq. Atty. Reg. #: 54417

Mark C. Pirozzi, Esq. Atty. Reg. #: 53680 2305 East Arapahoe Rd., Suite 223 Centennial, Colorado 80122

Phone Number: (303) 578-2745

E-mail: dan@themckenziefirm.com

E-mail: andrew@themckenziefirm.com

E-mail: mark@themckenziefirm.com

Case Number: 2023PR030594 Division 3

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

To: Zachary Martinez

Last Known Address, if any: Unknown

A hearing on Petition for Adjudication of Intestacy and Formal Appointment of Personal Representative for (brief description of relief requested) seeking the appointment of the decedent’s spouse, Victor Jarmone Ramshur, as Personal Representative and beneficiary entitled to 100% of decedent’s estate. will be held at the following time and location or at a later date to which the hearing may be continued:

Date: July 3rd, 2023 Time: 8:30 AM

Division: 3 Address: 1437 Bannock Street, #230 Denver, CO 80202

The hearing will take approximately 30 minutes

Legal Notice No. 82247

First Publication: May 25, 2023

Last Publication: June 8, 2023

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Rodney D. Wicklund, aka R.D. Wicklund, aka Rod Wicklund, aka Rodney Dale Wicklund, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 30492

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before September 11, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Phyllis A. Wicklund

Personal Representative 8101 E. Dartmouth Avenue #57 Denver, CO 80231

Legal Notice No. DHD1107

First Publication: May 11, 2023

Last Publication: May 25, 2023

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Ben Sandoval, a/k/a Benjamin Sandoval, a/k/a Benny Sandoval, Deceased Case Number: 2023PR30303

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before 9/25/2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

/S/Brandon D. Rains, Esq., C/O Barbie Ellis 8400 East Crescent Parkway, Suite 600 Greenwood Village, CO 80111

Legal Notice No. 82245

First Publication: May 25, 2023

Last Publication: June 8, 2023

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Gerardo Barnett, also known as Jerry Barnett, Deceased Case Number: 2023PR30350

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before September 25, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Leslie Rosanne Capin Personal Representative 11400 E. Peakview Avenue, #1304 Centennial, CO 80111

Legal Notice No. 82250

First Publication: May 25, 2023

Last Publication: June 8, 2023

Publisher: Douglas County News-Press

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of ASHLEY KATHRYN BOOTHBY, a/k/a Ashley K. Boothby, Deceased

Case Number: 2023PR30394

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before September 18, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Contemporary Fiduciary Services, LLC

Personal Representative 300 Plaza Drive, Suite 200 Highlands Ranch, CO 80129

Legal Notice No. 82243

First Publication: May 18, 2023

Last Publication: June 1, 2023

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Marian L. Giannasi, a/k/a Marian Louise Giannasi and Marian Giannasi, Deceased

Case Number: 2023 PR 30461

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before September 12, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Sherrie E. Conway Personal Representative

CALLS

more than $40,000 calling her former husband, who has been incarcerated on and o for more than 20 years.

When their daughter was born 7 years ago, when calls ran 12 cents a minute, Jenkins started making more 20-minute calls to her child’s father, because she needed support as a new mother. She also wanted to maintain a relationship with her ex-husband to also help foster a positive relationship between him and their daughter.

“It has taken a lot of stress and strain o of me that he can continue parenting regardless of his situation,” she said last week. “His daughter needs him and he needs his daughter.”

Jenkins said people have criticized her for going into debt to keep her daughter in touch with her dad. “What else was I supposed to do? People need to be able to vent and I don’t want him to be in there creating another crime because he has no place to release his emotions,” Jenkins said. “I was just trying to help.”

Jails and prisons are supposed to be a place where people in custody can rehabilitate and start to rebuild, she said.

“You can’t say you want to help somebody and then cut them o from everything that would be bene cial to their well-being mentally and physically,” Jenkins added.

In 2021, about 15,000 people in Colorado’s prisons were spending just over 7 minutes on the phone each day, according to Colorado Department of Corrections data given to Worth Rises leaders. e corrections department expects that number to double to about 14.4 minutes daily when calls become free in 2025. In December 2021 alone, people in Colorado prisons made about 3 million minutes of calls, according to the data.

e Colorado rate of 8 cents per minute is moderate in comparison to other states, according to Federal Bureau of Prisons data. According to data from the Prison Policy Initiative, the cost of calls to and from Colorado prisons has ranged from a high of about 40 cents a minute in 2008 to the low of 8 cents today.

If people who are incarcerated don’t have nancial support from loved ones, they must pay for phone calls with their prison wages, Worth Rises’ Executive Director Bianca Tylek said.

“It’s quite a crazy thing to think about when you consider that somebody can be paid per hour what a phone call costs per minute and that’s if they have a job,” she said. If they have a job inside prison, “it’s usually a few cents per hour, so they have to work hours, potentially even days, to have a single 15-minute call — or they just don’t have calls. And that’s exactly why we’re doing this because the reality is many people don’t have support and don’t have any other way of communicating with people because they can’t a ord to.”

Colorado joins a growing list of cities and states that have made prison calls free. Connecticut was rst, in 2021, followed by California in 2022. Calls from jails are free in several cities, including New York, San Francisco, San Diego, Miami and Louisville, Kentucky. Worth Rises, an organization that says it’s working to rein in the $80 billion prison industry, is supporting other campaigns to make phone calls free in Minnesota, Michigan, Rhode Island and New Jersey.

Some departments of correction are more willing than others to work with advocacy organizations aiming to make prison calls free, Tylek said. For example, the Minnesota Department of Corrections has hoped to get a similar bill passed to make phone calls free, she said, while the Virginia Department of Corrections has fought against such a bill.

“In Colorado, I would put the DOC

Public Notices

c/o Law Office of Byron K. Hammond, LLC 4500 Cherry Creek Drive South, Suite 960 Denver, CO 80246

Legal Notice No. DHD1104

First Publication: May 11, 2023

Last Publication: May 25, 2023

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of CHARLES LELAND DORCHESTER, II, aka CHARLES LELAND DORCHESTER, JR. and CHARLES LELAND DORCHESTER, Deceased

Case Number: 2023 PR 30549

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before September 11, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Douglas S. Holden, Attorney at Law

3751 West 136th Avenue, Unit B4 Broomfield, Colorado 80023

Legal Notice No. DHD1103

First Publication: May 11, 2023

Last Publication: May 25, 2023

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

more on the side of wanting to make something work,” Tylek said. “ ey were not against the policy. It was just a matter of trying to nancially make it work, which was the question we were all contending with.”

e bill, sponsored in the House by Lindsay and Rep. Judy Amabile, a Boulder Democrat, and by Democratic Sens. Julie Gonzales and Robert Rodriguez, both of Denver, speci es the Colorado Department of Corrections is prohibited from receiving any revenue and the calls should be free for the people making and receiving them. e Colorado Department of Human Services, which oversees youth detention facilities, is bound by the same rules.

At rst, lawmakers and advocates had hoped to make video calls and emails free for people in prison and youth detention facilities. But Colorado Department of Corrections leaders estimated that would be far costlier.

Worth Rises leaders hope to propose similar legislation to make calls free in jails in the future, especially because costs are often more expensive at the jail level, Tylek said.

George Davis V, who testi ed before the House and Senate in support of the bill, said he often struggled to afford phone calls to his family.

He was incarcerated, starting in 2005, for vehicular homicide while driving under the in uence and said his time in prison was “horrible, but you make do.”

While he was in prison, Davis V worked in the kitchen and helped people get their GED, so that he could a ord hygiene products, food and phone calls, usually to his mother, brother, father and uncle. He was paid 10 cents per day or about $13 per month at the time and usually struggled to a ord calls, he said.

“I didn’t feel it was all right to be calling home any time I wanted to speak to my mom,” he said during an interview last week. “ ank God I wasn’t a father at the time. at too

was another reason that inspired me to testify (in support of the bill) because now I am a father and I know that there are fathers and mothers who hadn’t spoken to their children because of this same thing.”

Davis V, who now lives in Aurora, said he was grateful for every phone call that he ever made from prison and that he still remembers several phone calls he made to loved ones.

“I remember a phone call home to my stepfather that really helped remind me of who I am,” he said. “In prison, you don’t just have the option to talk to your mom or your dad or your brother. It’s a privilege that you don’t have and when you have a bad day in prison, things can go very badly for you very quickly. It’s not the best place to nd emotional support.”

e phone calls gave him a sense of what he was missing at home, which was at times comforting, and at other times, devastating, he said.

“ e phone call gives you an idea of what you’re missing. But sometimes it’s a reminder of where you’re not,” he added. Sometimes, Davis would call his loved ones, and hang up soon after he heard their voices and learned they were faring OK.

“Without having the experience of it, you really take for granted the ability of picking up the phone and calling anyone, let alone your family,” he said. “Written communication is great. But to be able to hear words from your family, it does so much more for the spirit, for the heart and for the body. when people are going through probably one of the hardest times of their lives.”

e Colorado Sun co-owns Colorado Community Media as a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy. It is a reader-supported news organization dedicated to covering the people, places and policies that matter in Colorado. Read more, sign up for free newsletters and subscribe at coloradosun.com.

Estate of Irwin Wagner, Deceased

Case Number: 23PR30443

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before September 18, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Bradley E. Noland Personal Representative 5399 S Clarkson St. Greenwood Village, CO 80121 Legal Notice No. 82239

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before September 12, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Jim Greenwell

Representative

E. Oxford Ave. Cherry Hills Village, CO 80113

Petition for a Change of Name of a minor child has been filed with the Denver County Court.

The petition requests that the name of ILIANA GARCIA be changed to PENELOPE JAE EUSTAQUIO

Case No.: 23 C 41

By: Deputy Clerk

Legal Notice No. DHD1101

First Publication: May 11, 2023

Last Publication: May 25, 2023

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Children Services

(Adoption/Guardian/Other)

Attorneys for Petitioners: Brandy Noriega, Esq., No.: 52846 J. F. Muhaisen, Esq., No.: 33875 MUHAISEN & MUHAISEN, LLC 2020 S. Parker Road, Unit L Denver, CO 80231 Phone Number: (303) 407-0453 Email: j@muhaisenlaw.com; brandy@muhaisenlaw.com

Case Number: 2022JA30012 Division: 2E

NOTICE OF ADOPTION HEARING

Please take notice that an Adoption hearing has been set in this matter for July 3, 2023, at 2:30 PM. The

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before September 11, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred. Stephen Philip Means

Petitioners: MICHAEL R. GIRON & RAQUEL GIRON Respondent: LUPITA ANGELA GIRON

June 1, 2023

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch ###