Denver Herald 092922

Preschool provides a base for learning

Denver Preschool Program expanding as statewide universal preschool comes

BY CHRISTY STEADMAN CSTEADMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Five-year-old Kaia Vegas loves to swim.

And thanks to the Denver Preschool Program, her mom was able to use the money that would have been used for preschool tuition to get Kaia involved with extracurricular activities, like swim lessons and dance classes.

“Education gives your kid an advantage,” Kalelia Vegas said. “It opens them up to so many things.”

Vegas is a single mom working fulltime as an engineer at a member’s club in Cherry Creek. She also has a son, AJ, who is junior at Denver South High School.

Both AJ and Kaia were able to attend preschool because of the tuition assistance Vegas got from the Denver Preschool Program.

The Denver Preschool Program has a mission to get children ready for kindergarten by providing resources and funding assistance so that all Denver families are able to send their children to preschool. It got its start in 2006 and is funded by a sales tax ballot initiative that Denver voters approved two years prior. Every 10 years, it goes back to voters for re-approval.

How it works is parents apply for the support, and funding is provided on a need-based sliding scale.

Statewide universal preschool will help expand the Denver Preschool Program

Soon, Colorado will have

Job app maker sees no restaurant labor shortage

Back-of-the-house jobs a tough fill

BY TAMARA CHUANG THE COLORADO SUN

The way Diego Montemayor talks about Chamba, his Denver startup, makes one wonder why it didn’t exist before. Chamba is another job app, but, as with most startups, there’s a twist.

Chamba launched a bilingual app in April 2020 that connects Spanish-speaking workers with the employers who need them. In late July, Chamba narrowed its focus to the restaurant industry. That seems like good timing if you’ve been paying attention to the restaurant staffing woes and how hard it’s been to find people, especially for jobs busing tables, in the kitchen and other nontipped “back-of-thehouse” work.

But Montemayor has a different perspective.

“There’s not a labor shortage. There’s a connectivity problem,” said Montemayor, Chamba’s cofounder and CEO. “And that’s what we’re solving here. We’re connecting restaurants to the talent that wants these kinds of jobs.”

Employers, he said, are “looking for talent in the same talent pool. They have not diversified where they search for talent and are looking in the same, common places.”

A number of companies are already promoting Chamba’s service

Kaia Vegas celebrates her preschool graduation day. Now heading into kindergarten, Vegas was able to attend preschool thanks to the tuition assistance her mother received from the Denver Preschool Program.

COURTESY OF KALELIA VEGAS

LEARNING

universal preschool, which means every family across the state will be able to send their 4-year-old to preschool at no cost to families. The Denver Preschool Program will serve as Denver’s Local Coordinating Organization.

There will be about 30 LCOs — which were determined geographically — in the state, and each LCO will have the ability to put together a community plan that will work best for that particular community, said Elsa Holguin, president and CEO of Denver Preschool Program.

Denver Preschool program is already well-established serving families with 4-year-olds, so it is focusing on expanding its programming to be able to serve even more Denver families, with statewide universal preschool coming.

Funding from the state for universal preschool will cover preschool for 10 hours a week per 4-year-old, Holguin said. Because the Denver Preschool Program already has funding from the sales tax to serve Denver’s 4-year-olds, statewide universal preschool will help supplement Denver Preschool Program in that it will be able to offer preschool for more than 10 hours a week, Holguin said. This means families in Denver will be able to send their child to full-day preschool, which helps families who are unable

to afford the cost of childcare beyond the 10 hours a week that

their children are in preschool, Holguin said.

And that’s not all — the Denver Preschool Program will be expanding its 3-year-old pilot program. The 3-year-old program allows families to enroll their child in preschool at 3 years of age, versus 4.

“This has been a dream of ours,” Holguin said. “Now, it finally has funding.”

Holguin said that the Denver Preschool Program has known there was a need for families to be able to send their children to preschool beginning at age 3 for a long time. The last time that Denver Preschool Program was on the ballot for re-approval was 2014, and back then, voters said yes to expanding the program to 3-year-olds, Holguin said.

Denver Preschool Program piloted its 3-year-old program last year with 300 children in highneed households. It will offer it to 600 children in high-need households for the 2022-23 school year. By the 2023-24 school year, all high-need households will be able to enroll their 3-year-old in preschool, Holguin said.

The Denver Preschool Program defines a high-need household as one that has an income of less than $60,000 a year for a family of four.

“For the first time in Denver, high-need families will be able to get two years of free, full-day preschool for their children,” Holguin said. “It is really exciting that we’re able to do this.”

Denver Preschool Program working to solve teacher challenges Denver Preschool Program

serves about 60% of all 4-yearolds in Denver.

It has a roster of about 260 providers it works with — 60% are Denver Public Schools and the other 40% are community providers, Holguin said.

All, however, are quality preschools. This means each school has to be licensed, insured and have a quality rating of three stars or higher from Colorado Shines, which is the state’s quality rating and improvement system provided by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood.

“The No.1 indicator of a quality preschool is having quality teachers who are supported and properly compensated,” Holguin said.

Therefore, Denver Preschool Program offers support to providers — including coaching and resources — to help them grow and ensure they meet the three-star or higher rating, Holguin said.

Additionally, Denver Preschool Program offers training programs for teachers, as well as grants, stipends and sign-in bonuses to help address the teacher shortages.

“Teachers are struggling,” Holguin said. “We’ll do anything we can to help teachers enter, and stay, in the early childhood profession.”

Preschool provides children with an advantage

Kalelia Vegas believes her son AJ had an advantage in his education because she enrolled him in a learning environment — preschool — at an early age.

“He got a base (for learning) that was built on year after year,” Vegas said.

Likewise, Vegas believes her daughter, Kaia, is at an advantage as she begins kindergarten this year.

Vegas said it’s like the old saying, “it takes a village to raise a child.”

Kaia attended preschool at Denver’s Hope Center, a Black-led nonprofit that offers early childhood education and a vocational program for adults with disabilities.

“She loved Hope Center,” Vegas said. “It helped mold her to become a successful kindergartener.”

Vegas said a child’s learning continues at home, and added that Kaia’s teachers at Hope Center “did the work during the day, and I did it at night.”

Kaia would come home and talk about everything she learned through the school’s programming, such as book club and international days, Vegas said.

“Every day, she had something to tell us,” she added.

As a mother, Vegas wants her children to be able to pursue any educational goal they want — whether it be college or any other path of their choosing.

“Knowledge is power,” Vegas said. “You never have to stop learning, no matter what age you get.”

Kaia Vegas’ family gathers for a photo on Kaia’s preschool graduation day. Thanks to the tuition assistance her mother received from the Denver Preschool Program, Kaia is able to get involved with other activities she enjoys such as swim lessons and dance classes.

COURTESY OF KALELIA VEGAS

To learn more about the Denver Preschool Program, visit dpp.org.

GOVERNOR

Heidi Ganahl,

founder of the nation’s largest pet care franchise, Camp Bow Wow, is running against Jared Polis next month to be Governor of Colorado. Heidi is a mom of four beautiful young children and a mom on a mission to restore common sense in Colorado. As a CU Regent for the past six years, Heidi has been a champion for students, free speech, school safety, and affordability.

Under Jared Polis, Colorado’s crime and drug use epidemic has risen to Under Colorado’s use epidemic unprecedented levels. Colorado has the second highest drug addiction rate and the sixth highest suicide rate amongst kids in the country; 60% of Colorado children cannot read, write, or do math at grade level. “Our kids are in a crisis!” is often heard at large rallies around the state, in support of Heidi Ganahl for Governor.

Colorado’s schools are in rapid decline, with the most affected being schools are rapid those in the major Colorado metro areas (Jefferson County, Denver County, Arapahoe County, El Paso County, etc). Including parents in what happens in the classroom and school-choice is a top priority for Ganahl. Teachers and other public servants have been hamstrung by spending on high-level administrators.

When Heidi defeats Jared Polis on November 8th, she will become the Heidi 8th, first mom to occupy the highest office in the state!

To learn more about Heidi Ganahl and her candidacy for Governor, visit www.heidiforgov.com.

Hispanic Restaurant Association celebrates Latin American culture

Through

BY LINDSEY FORD, ALEXIS KIKOEN ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

Breaking into the restaurant industry can be competitive, confusing and discouraging, especially for Hispanic American chefs and workers. That is where the Hispanic Restaurant Association (HRA) comes in.

The Denver-based nonprofit was founded in February 2021 as a way to help Hispanic individuals navigate and advance through the complexities of the restaurant industry, as well as educate the public about Hispanic culture and food. The organization recruits and connects new chefs with experienced culinary personnel, guides restaurateurs through byzantine processes like the food and beverage licensing system, and ultimately builds leadership skills in the restaurant community.

“You don’t really see a Hispanic chef; you always see Hispanics working in the dish pit or doing prep, so [the Hispanic Restaurant Association] kind of gives us the opportunity to allow people to take steps up in the culinary industry in Colorado,” said Salem Mares.

Mares is the pastry chef at Nomad Taqueria + Beer Garden, located inside Origin Hotel Red Rocks. She said that the HRA helped her “push her limits” when it comes to making food. Marez also explained that the restaurant industry can be very

competitive and people often have little to no support. But she said that that’s not the case with the HRA.

“No one is ever [like], ‘I’m above you,’” she explained. “It’s always, ‘We’re all equal individuals, we all learn from each other, we all gain from one another.’”

John Jaramillo and Selene Nestor co-founded the HRA during the pandemic. Nestor said she and Jaramillo saw a huge need for an organization to help support Hispanic-owned businesses. “Because as you know, the pandemic affected everybody but, especially minority-owned businesses,” Nestor explained. “And us being Hispanic, that’s where it hits home.”

Hispanic Americans experienced tremendous personal and financial loss during the pandemic. A 2021

survey by the Pew Research Center found that more than half of Latino adults knew a family member or close friend who was hospitalized or died from COVID-19. Additionally, the survey found that 49% of respondents or someone in their household either lost a job or took a pay cut during the pandemic.

Additionally, a study by American University’s Center for Latin American and Latino Studies found that Latino-owned businesses were disproportionately affected by the pandemic and that “Latino business owners were more likely to seek, but less likely to receive, funding from non-governmental sources than were white business owners.”

Nestor sees the future of the HRA as the main Hispanic serving institution that helps not only Hispanic people but all people. “We want to educate and elevate our community about what Hispanic cuisine actually is,” she said. “There’s a lot more to it than just tacos.”

The breadth of Hispanic cuisine is on display at Mares’ restaurant. The head chef, Pablo Aya, is passionate about infusing local Colorado food with traditional Mexican dishes.

“I have a really big passion for cooking,” Mares said. “I love messing with different flavors. I love messing with different food. I love putting smiles on people’s faces.”

Mario Martinez, a chef who works alongside Mares and Aya, explained that elk, venison and locally grown produce like microgreens are included in dishes. But Martinez’ fa-

vorite dish on the menu is one that reminds him of Mexican heritage: the cricket taco.

Martinez recalled visiting his grandmother’s house and how the first thing she always asked him was, “Mijo, did you already [eat] something?”

“So, in my heart right now … what talks to me is the food,” Martinez explained. “That, you know, you just want to welcome someone with something that you create with love.”

That personal touch is something Mares relates to: “I love giving people food that they’ve never tried before and different flavors that they’ve never tasted, and they can go home and say, ‘Hey, I got to have this today,’” where you touch someone with your food is what boosts my passion for food.”

As a way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, the HRA is launching Hispanic Restaurant Week, which begins Thursday, Sept. 22. Governor Jared Polis even signed a statewide proclamation recognizing the celebratory week. Day one of the festivities includes a Food Truck Festival at 6200 S. Syracuse Way in Greenwood Village. More information is available on the HRA website.

This story is from Rocky Mountain PBS, a nonprofit public broadcaster providing community stories across Colorado over the air and online. Used by permission. For more, and to support Rocky Mountain PBS, visit rmpbs.org.

Salem Mares, a pastry chef, said that the Hispanic Restaurant Association helped her “push her limits” when it comes to making food.

COURTESY OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

on the app’s site, including Brothers BBQ. Within two days of using the app, the Aaron Nelsen, the general manager for two of the Denver-based chain’s locations, arranged three interviews and made a hire. “We picked the best candidate out of those three interviews,” he said in a video testimony on Chamba’s site. The Spanishspeaking employee started work the next day.

Chamba service really just helps employers look in a place they probably weren’t looking before.

In a few short months, it’s helped 187 clients connect to workers in Denver and New York City, the only two cities covered so far. The app’s been downloaded more than 172,000 times from the Apple App store and 50,000 jobs have been posted, said Corina Hierro, Chamba’s community manager and a founding member. Co-founder and Chief Technology Offi cer David Ruiz oversaw the development of the app and led the team of developers in Colombia.

Chamba looks beyond the audience that typically relies on Indeed, LinkedIn and other English-heavy job sites. The app, available in Spanish and English, is marketed to the Latino community and helps job seekers create online resumes.

It also vets the employers by checking online reviews fi rst. If the company passes muster,

Chamba will talk to the owners or hiring managers to see how much investment they’re putting into workers. Employers that don’t seem to care can cause job seekers to feel lost, like they don’t matter, Montemayor said.

“If they’re spending a little bit of time with the talent, then that’s a good fi t for Chamba,” he said.

Chamba is offering Denver restaurants free access to the app to advertise their job openings.

Chamba, which employs about 15 people, has big plans for growth. It’s a venture-backed startup with more than $1.1 million in seed funding so far, with some of it coming from local

accelerator program Techstars last year. “Techstars became our megaphone,” he said. “It put us in front of people who were actually going to listen (to) the social impact that we were having on the community.”

To kick off the company’s Denver Startup Week presence, Montemayor was one of fi ve newer founders getting a place on stage to grill — and be grilled — by a Colorado unicorn, or a company that has raised so much investment, its valuation tops $1 billion.

Mark Frank, cofounder of SonderMind, which helps people with mental health issues connect to therapists, was that unicorn

founder. And the founders’ conversation focused on community, which is important to both companies. SonderMind, which employs 300 people, has raised more than $180 million, according to equitytracking site Crunchbase.

“So, how did you get to 300 employees,” Montemayor asked Frank.

“Well, it wasn’t that long ago that we were a team of 15. Actually, it was three years ago at this time, we were a team of 18,” Frank said. “For us, what the bigger challenge has been how do we maintain our culture, which has been a real driver of our success. … I would encourage everyone to fi nd ways to get together in person and do things virtually as well that can really home in on that community aspect.”

Montemayor said he considers Chamba a synonym for community.

“Everything we do is around community,” he said. “We build community by building trust and that’s by showing who is behind the product. We get people that look like the people that we are helping and people who are going through the same experience as us.”

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

Employees at the new Slim Chickens restaurant in Parker prepare meals during their first day open.

PHOTO BY ELLIOTT WENZLER

Voting questions answered

BY SANDRA FISH THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado Election Day is Nov. 8 with a U.S. Senate seat, eight congressional contests, races for four statewide offices, 100 state legislative jobs, 11 ballot initiatives and more at stake at the county and local levels.

As part of our 2022 election guide, we’re here to answer some questions about voting and how the election works. Let us know what other questions you have by filling out the form at the bottom of this article and we’ll do our best to answer them.

How do I register to vote?

Colorado has automatic voter registration if you get a driver’s license or interact in some other way with state government. But you may also register online with a valid driver’s license, Colorado identification card or Social Security number.

Is there a deadline to register?

No. Coloradans may register in person or online to vote through Election Day. To receive a ballot in the mail, you must be registered by Oct. 31, and you will have to return it to a drop box or vote center.

How do I check whether I’m registered?

Check your voter registration by entering your name, ZIP code and

date of birth. You may also change your address online. But if your name changed, you’ll have to fill out a paper form. If your registration says it’s “inactive,” that’s because you’ve missed voting more than once or your ballot was returned as undeliverable. You may re-register online or by submitting a paper request.

When will my ballot arrive?

Oct. 17 is the first day that ballots will go out in the mail to registered voters and must all be mailed by Oct. 21. If you want to receive a ballot in the mail, you must register by Oct. 31. If your ballot doesn’t arrive, contact your county clerk.

What if I don’t receive a ballot in the mail?

Contact your county clerk’s office and they will be able to help you.

How do I return my ballot?

Once you’ve filled out your ballot, sealed it in the return envelope and signed and dated the envelope, put it in the mail or take it to one of 400 drop boxes or 350 voting centers. (Most voters drop their ballots off.) Your ballot must be received by 7 p.m. Nov. 8. The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office says ballots should be deliver in person, not mailed, after Nov. 1.

You may sign up to use BallotTrax, and you’ll receive an email, text or both when your ballot is accepted.

What if I want to vote in person?

More than 350 voting centers will open Oct. 24 at the latest (some counties may open earlier). Contact your county clerk for nearby locations and hours where you may vote in person. Polls are open Saturday, Nov. 5; Monday, Nov. 7; and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 8.

Do I need identification to vote?

If you vote in person or are voting by mail for the first time, you must present identification such as a driver’s license, U.S. passport or other identification on this list.

Where can I find more information?

To register online, check your current registration and get key election information, GoVoteColorado. gov is the place to start. It includes a variety of election information.

Where can I get more information about the state questions on the ballot?

Every election, the Ballot Information Booklet (known as the Blue Book) is produced by the state. It provides voters with impartial analysis of each initiated or referred constitutional amendment, law or question on the ballot. It includes a summary of the measure, arguments for and against, and a brief fiscal assessment.

Download a copy at bit. ly/2xjpqAd.

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

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Good monsoon help fall colors thrive

BY HAYLEY SANCHEZ COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO

Cooler evenings, shorter days, all the pumpkin-themed drinks and foods you can think of — the start of fall is just a few days away. And that means seasonal fall colors are right around the corner, according to state forestry officials.

“It’s not an exact science,” said Dan West, a Colorado State Forest Service entomologist. Fall leaf colors will have average timing this year, he added.

When predicting fall colors, West breaks the state into thirds — northern, central and southern Colorado. By the end of September, northern Colorado should see changing leaves, then early October for central Colorado and mid to late October for the southern portion of the state.

The 2022 fall foliage prediction map predicts similar peak colors. It analyzes data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration like historical temperatures and precipitation, and other markers.

This year, monsoon moisture through the summer helped drought-stressed trees recover, West said.

That means leaves likely won’t have brown edges like they’ve had the last few years when drought was more prevalent. So while he said this year’s autumn colors will be quite average relatively, they’ll seem

more brilliant than in recent years.

fantastic for the state of Colorado for leaf colors,” West said. “I think that we’re gonna have a pretty good year as opposed to years past.”

The best fall foliage conditions are a combination of abundant sunshine to get rid of chlorophyll — which gives leaves their green color — and cool nights to produce sugars that create brilliant reds and purples. And you’re in luck because West said NOAA’s 30-day forecast predicts that kind of environment. (Word to the wise: We live in Colorado so you and I both know this weather forecast

When taking in the views, West said he likes to follow Colorado’s fall colors from north to south. He starts in Routt National Forest near Steamboat Springs and moves southwest near La Veta Pass into Alamosa and toward Durango.

“The Oaks give you a beautiful show of that red and orange in the bottom of the forest and then the aspens over top of that, it’s just, breathtaking,” West said.

Although many areas of Colorado should expect beautiful scenery, some places in the southwest part of

the state impacted by severe drought

and produce similar foliage. West’s best advice for checking out the scenery: “If things don’t look good in your favorite spot or where you normally drive, I’d say just keep for a couple more minutes and I think your chances are pretty good that you’re going to get into a good spot. Enjoy beautiful Colorado.”

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

As the colder temperatures arrive, the fall colors are expected in the mountains. Monsoons may help the colors. JON GRIMES PHOTO

Voters may end ‘lunch shaming’

Proposition on fall ballot could mean free meals for schoolchildren

BY SONIA GUTIERREZ ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

When Maria Judith Alvarez’ son was in elementary school, he once returned home from school with his lunch number written on his wrist. It was the school’s way of letting Alvarez know that her son owed lunch money.

“They weren’t going to give him any more food until I went to pay off the debt,” Alvarez told Rocky Mountain PBS in Spanish.

At the time, the family only had one car and one cell phone that Alvarez’ husband used most of the time for his job.

“Maybe they tried to get in touch with us with a phone call or a voicemail,” she said, “but with my husband working — you know how some men are — they don’t always answer the phone.”

Alvarez went to the school the following day to pay off the debt and put more money in her son’s account. “I wanted him to feel confident next time he stood in line for a school lunch,” she said.

Eight years have passed since that happened, but Alvarez said her son still doesn’t like to eat school lunch. “He waits until he comes home to eat,” Alvarez explained.

Her story and the stories she hears from many other moms in the Glenwood Springs are what motivated her to advocate for Healthy School Meals for All, a program that voters will decide on in the upcoming November election.

If voters approve Proposition FF,

the state will create the Healthy School Meals for All Program, which will provide free school meals to students in public schools; provide grants for participating schools to purchase Colorado grown, raised or processed products; increase wages or provide stipends for employees who prepare and serve school meals; and create parent

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

and student advisory committees to provide advice to ensure school meals are healthy and appealing to all students.

A “no” vote on Proposition FF means the current method of funding school meals will continue, where a family of four needs to be making less than $51,000 a year to qualify for free school lunch.

The program will be funded by limiting state income tax deductions for households that bring in more

Ashley Wheeland, director of public policy for Hunger Free Colorado, is an advocate of this ballot measure. “We know that when kids have food, they learn, they do better, [have] less behavioral issues and it decreases childhood hunger when school meals are available to any kid who needs it in school,” she said.

As part of COVID-19 relief, the federal government covered the costs of school lunch meals for all students over the last two years. However, that funding expired ahead of the 2022-23 school year and all school districts in Colorado — except for Greeley-Evans County School District 6 — returned to charging students for school lunch, except those who qualified for free

This ballot measure would continue that relief families felt for school lunches throughout the state. If passed, it will only impact the schools that sign up for the pro-

“If I’m being honest with you, families need to make the hard decision of paying for rent or food,” Alvarez said. “I have four jobs to be able to provide for my children. We all think about the basic necessities: where to sleep, a roof over their heads, what to wear, what to eat. But one of these necessities is always affected to be able to provide fully for them.”

This story is from Rocky Mountain PBS, a nonprofit public broadcaster providing community stories across Colorado over the air and online. Used by permission. For more, and to support Rocky Mountain PBS, visit rmpbs.org.

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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SIXTH ANNUAL LATIN BEATS

The Mexican Cultural Center and the Colorado Symphony present the sixth annual Latin Beats: Sonidos de las Américas at 7 p.m. Oct. 6 at Boettcher Concert Hall at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, 1000 14th St. This annual concert celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month and Latin culture’s influence on sound in the Americas. This year’s concert will feature the sounds of Brazil and showcase a fusion of traditional, classical and contemporary music augmented by the Colorado Symphony’s orchestrations. It will also feature a variety of special guest artists. Tickets are free and all seating is general admission. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis and a ticket does not guarantee a seat. Tickets are available online at tickets. coloradosymphony.org/latinbeats22 or at Boettcher Concert Hall’s box o ce. Box o ce hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

75TH SEASON BEGINS

The Denver Philharmonic Orchestra’s 75th anniversary season kicks o on Oct. 7. The season features six concerts and will run through May 25. The concerts will take place at Central Presbyterian Church, 1660 Sherman St. in Denver. Tickets cost $27 for adults, $19 for seniors, $12 for students and children age 12 and under are free. Season tickets are available for a discounted price. The Denver Philharmonic Orchestra is a nonprofit semi-professional symphony orchestra founded in 1948. To learn more or to see a lineup of the 75th anniversary season’s concerts or to purchase tickets, visit denverphilharmonic.org.

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PHOTO BY AMANDA TIPTON PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO BY AMANDA TIPTON PHOTOGRAPHY

Young teens in foster care don’t know about birth control say they are not educated

BY JENNIFER BROWN THE COLORADO SUN

Teenagers in the child welfare system have sex two years younger on average than other young people and are 2.5 times more likely to get pregnant.

New research from the University of Colorado points toward why: About two-thirds of eighth and ninth graders in metro Denver who have been involved with the child welfare system say they have never received information about birth control.

The teens interviewed were mostly 13 and 14 — not far off from 15, the average age that foster youth report first having sex.

Teens with an open child welfare case, whether placed in foster care or still living at home, have experienced many of the adversities that lead to risky behaviors, said the study’s lead author, Katie Massey Combs, with CU’s Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence.

Child abuse, neglect, domestic violence, community violence, incarcerated parents and other childhood traumas are all linked to risky behavior, including regarding sex, Combs said. On top of that, young people in the child welfare system are often missing out on opportunities available to other kids — possibly even sex education, she said.

“They are constantly missing opportunities that typical kids would get,” said Combs, who previously worked as a case manager for homeless teens.

“They miss school a lot. They might miss that one day or one week where there was a conversation about sex education. They miss relationships with trusted adults, whether it’s the coach or the aunt or mom and dad. They miss a lot of opportunities to learn about sex in positive ways.”

Combs and fellow researchers interviewed 245 eighth and ninth graders in four metro Denver counties, asking students whether anyone had told them about birth control and whether they were concerned about becoming pregnant.

About 65% of teens interviewed said they had never received information about birth control or family planning.

Almost half, however, said they knew how to get birth control if they needed it.

Most of the teens interviewed were confident they could avoid sex if they wanted to, and half said there was a high chance of pregnancy with unprotected sex. Nearly 40% said there was a high chance of contracting a sexually transmitted disease.

Girls were more likely than boys to have received information about birth control. And boys were less concerned than girls about the risks of unprotected sex.

The state child welfare division does not track how many young people in Colorado become pregnant while in foster care, spokeswoman Madlynn Ruble said. And there is no requirement under state law or Colorado Department of Human Services rules for kids in the system to learn about birth control, she said.

Data collection is a challenge across the country, Combs said. It’s one reason there are few studies about why young people in foster care get pregnant and how it affects them and their children.

“This is, nationwide, a problem. We have no way of counting this,” she said. When Combs worked as a case manager, she said, about half of her young clients had children of their own.

But through a handful of projects, including California research that links birth records to child welfare records, researchers know the pregnancy rate is 2.5 times higher for teens in the system. About half of young women in the U.S. child welfare system are pregnant by age 19.

Teenagers, on average, report first having sex at age 17, compared with age 15 for those in foster care. Foster youth also report having more sexual partners and more sexually transmitted diseases.

One big takeaway from the CU study, Combs said, is that the state’s efforts to increase access to birth control and sex education are not reaching everyone.

In 2017, Colorado became the third state in the nation to allow women to get prescriptions for birth control pills at a pharmacy instead of only from a doctor. The so-called morning-after

pill has been available over the counter at pharmacies in the state since 2013, and state and federal funds provide free and low cost IUDs — intrauterine devices that prevent pregnancy for five years or more — at community health clinics.

The efforts have reduced abortion rates, and a previous CU study found that high school graduation rates for teenage girls in Colorado have increased alongside access to contraception.

“The return on investment is really high,” Combs said. “But we still have these groups that are really marginalized. If they don’t know these programs and services are available to them, it might as well not be available.”

The study was published this month in the journal Children and Youth Services Review.

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

Thu 10/06

Art: Hands-On Introduction to DSLR Photography (16+yrs)

@ 12am

Oct 6th - Nov 2nd

PACE Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker

Evergreen Chamber Orchestra - Season Opener Concert (Denver)

Ballet Ariel presents 'Carnaval' and 'Sleeping Beauty's Dream'

@ 6pm / $20-$30

PACE Center Drive, PACE Center Drive PACE Center Drive, Parker. balletariel@comcast.net, 303-9454388

Trouble Bound: The Alley

Presents: A Night of Trouble

@ 6:30pm

The Alley, 2420 W Main St, Little‐ton

@ 2pm / $25

First Universalist Church of Den‐ver, 4101 East Hampden Avenue, Denver. board@evergreencham berorch.org, 303-670-6558

Adam’s Camp Reunion at the Ranch

@ 11am / $5-$25

Promise Ranch Therapies & Recreation, 873 Lake Gulch Road, Castle Rock. karli@ adamscamp.org, 303-563-8290

Big Head Todd and The Monsters: Breckenridge Brewery Hootenanny 2022

@ 11:30am

Breckenridge Brewery, 2920 Brewery Ln, Littleton

Bill Nershi

@ 6pm

Breckenridge Brewery, 2920 Brewery Ln, Littleton

Mon 10/10

Basketball: Youth-Girls - Ages 8 to 10 - Fall 2022

@ 9:30pm

Oct 10th - Dec 10th

Parker Fieldhouse, 18700 E Plaza Dr, Parker

Tue 10/11

Pusha T

@ 7pm

Gothic Theatre, 3263 South Broadway, Englewood

YS: 3-4 Sports Experience @ Eisenhower

@ 8pm

Oct 6th - Oct 27th

Denver Parks and Recreation (EIS), 4300 E Dartmouth Ave, Denver. 720-913-0654

Ipecac with Dead on a Sunday

@ 7pm

Moe's Original BBQ, 3295 S Broadway, Englewood

Dear Marsha,: DM at Brewabilty

@ 5pm

Brewability Lab, 3445 S Broadway, Englewood

Dirty Side Down Band: Dirty Side Down @ Q's Pub @ 7pm

Q's Pub and Grill, 10133 W Chat�eld Ave, Littleton

Sun 10/09

Jeremy Camp: I Still Believe Tour

@ 6pm

Cherry Hills Community Church, 3900 Grace Blvd, Highlands Ranch

Katy Nichole: I Still Believe Tour

@ 6pm

Cherry Hills Community Church, 3900 Grace Blvd, Highlands Ranch

Gaelic Storm at Gothic Theatre (Denver, CO)

@ 7pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

Water For People World Water Classic

@ 11:01pm / $30-$40

Oct 6th - Oct 16th

Virtual, Anywhere

Fri 10/07

Quilting- Beginner

@ 2pm

Oct 7th - Dec 16th

Heather Gardens Clubhouse, 2888 S. Heather Gardens Way, Aurora

Dead On A Sunday (album release show)

@ 6pm

Moe's Original BBQ, 3295 S Broadway, En‐glewood

Jane Monheit

@ 7pm

Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St, Lone Tree

Mikel Erentxun

@ 8pm Stampede, 2430 S Havana St, Aurora

Sat 10/08

Railroad Earth: Breckenridge Brewery Hootenanny 2022

@ 11:30am

Breckenridge Brewery, 2920 Brewery Ln, Littleton

First Annual Upstander 5K Run/Walk Bene�ting Bullying Recovery Resource Center

@ 11am / $20-$30 deKoevend Park and Shelter C, 6301 S University Blvd, Littleton

Wed 10/12

Ladies Night

@ 5pm / $5

Stampede, 2430 South Havana, Aurora

Alexander 23

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

Thu 10/13

Keith Hicks

@ 4pm Inverness Hotel, Englewood

Om (band)

@ 7pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

powered by

VOICES

Making use of birdhouse gourd

Since Japanese beetles came into to our garden life, it has been almost impossible to keep my grape vine presentable in Le Potager garden, as the beetles skeletonize almost all leaves in the summer.

GUEST COLUMN

Ebi Kondo

It looks terrible on the pergola in the middle of the garden, as the brown grape vine contrasts with the rest of garden, which looks so lush and green.

I decided to matchmake this sad grapevine with birdhouse gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) to cover up the destroyed leaves. It worked perfectly. The gourd climbed up on the grape vine happily and produced aromatic white flowers, which later became the humorously-shaped fruits, perfect for craft projects. Now I must think whether I should make bird houses or flasks.

You can grow birdhouse gourd very easily. Seeds can be directly sown into the fertile garden bed in late May — after the last frost date in your area — or start a few weeks earlier indoors, then transplant to your garden. The gourd vine likes a sunny site with well-drained fertile, moist soil. Once your seedling starts taking off, let it grow until the main vine can reach the structure where you would like your gourd to climb on. Then, prune it to develop the lateral branches to encourage it to produce more female flowers.

The gourds produce both male and female white flowers on the same vine. You can easily identify the female flower, as the bottom of the flower is swollen into the shape of a small gourd.

Birdhouse gourd is a type of tropical hardshelled squash (which is part of the cucumber family, Cucubitaceae) native to northern Africa. It was cultivated by people 10,000 years ago and spread all over the world because it is easy to grow, and the fruits were used as a water bottle or flask, food storage, floating devices, musical instruments and more.

There are many ways to dry the gourds, but the easiest way is to keep the gourd fruits on the vine until the first freeze, then harvest and store them in a cold, dark and dry area like a basement or garage. Check them once a while and turn each gourd to prevent molding. After the gourds are dried, you can drill a small hole to make your birdhouse.

In late fall in the garden, the humorouslyshaped gourds hanging from the garden structure always remind me of the story, “The Secret of the Magic Gourd,” which I stumbled upon when I was a third-grade grade elementary student in Japan. The book was written by a Chinese author,

Zhang Tianyi, in 1958. It is about a young boy named Wang Pao who discovers a magic gourd while he was fishing. The gourd grants him anything he wants, yet the power of the magic gourd changes his life upside down. This book’s slightly dark storyline — and a latter half of psychological suspense — gave me a strong impression I still remember: Looking at a pile of gourds I have harvested, I cannot help feeling if one of these gourds might have some magical power to grant me anything I want…

Ebi Kondo is the associate director of horticulture for the Denver Botanic Gardens

Whenever he finished an amazing run, resulting in a touchdown, and having weaved his way through the defense and even running over a defender or slipping past another with some lightning-quick footwork, he never carried on, didn’t even spike the football, he just glided over to the referee and handed him the ball. The NFL Hall of Famer and icon I am speaking about is Barry Sanders.

When Barry Sander retired, he had played in 159 games, had 110 touchdowns, 3032 receiving yards, and 15,655 rushing yards, for a total of 18,805 yards. Known as one of the fiercest and hardest-to-tackle running backs to ever play the game, but also recognized as one of the classiest players to ever take the field. Plenty of accomplishments with zero arrogance.

We all have completed something in our life where we had that tremendous sense of accomplishment. Maybe it was something in our personal life where we achieved a health, fitness, or financial goal. Or perhaps we completed a small

WINNING WORDS

project or much bigger endeavor where we took pride in the work we have completed. At work, we may have been promoted, received an award, or we were recognized for contributing to the growth of the organization. Again, it feels good, and whether we are recognized or not, we know in our hearts that we got the job done.

joy those moments in time. Arrogance is when we change our demeanor, look down on others, walk with a new sense of entitlement, sharing and boasting of incredible deeds. The impact of arrogance can wreak havoc on relationships and even when making first impressions.

Michael Norton

Pride without the arrogance NORTON,

And as we accomplish our goals or contribute to success, people have an even greater appreciation and respect when we walk humbly regardless of what we have achieved.

There are times where the accomplishment or achievement is so amazing that we cannot help but jump for joy and let out a shout or two. Celebrating is much different than arrogance. Especially when it’s a big win, or it’s been a long-term goal that was met or exceeded. Yes, for sure, party it up and celebrate while we en-

Recently I had an opportunity to spend a weekend with my in-laws. My brother-in-law and his wife, as well as her parents, had hosted his parents and my wife and I for the weekend at their summer home in Ocean City, Maryland. They had only bought the home recently, so it was our first time visiting them in their new summer home. When we arrived, the first thing on the agenda was to go for a tour on the boat. My brother-in-law took us around the bay and pointed out all the things and places they were excited about. We stopped at a couple of places for some drinks and food, and then made our way home.

What stood out to me as I watched my brotherin-law was his sense of

Denver Herald-Dispatch 1542-5797)(USPS 241-760) newspaper in Denver, Colorado, the Herald-Dispatch is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 1624 Market St., Suite 202, Denver, CO 80202.

PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT DENVER, COLORADO and additional mailing o ces.

POSTMASTER: Send address change to: Denver Herald, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110 303-566-4100

Birdhouse gourd can complement a garden, and the harvest can be used for craft projects such as birdhouses or flasks.

PHOTO BY EBI KONDO

Open the door to Denver’s spaces

For many of us, we don’t exactly know what makes a piece of architecture or interior design appealing. There’s just something about it we respond to.

Fortunately, there are organizations like the Denver Architecture Foundation and its annual Doors Open Denver event, which provide the opportunity to not only peek into some exclusive spaces, but help to put our finger on why we like a piece of design so much.

“This year we are exploring the ways in which large institutions have influenced the architecture and design of Denver,” said Pauline Herrera, president and CEO of the foundation, in a provided statement. “Attendees will get insider access to some incredible spaces and be encouraged to ask big questions about some of our most significant educational and cultural campuses.”

Doors Open Denver returns from

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Monday, Sept. 26 through Sunday, Oct. 26, and features both new in-person and virtual tours as well as archives featuring virtual tours from previous years.

The 2022 event features 24 inperson tours that highlight Denver’s cultural and education hubs, including the Denver Zoo (which is being showcased with tours for the first time), the University of Denver, the Auraria Higher Education Center and the Denver Center of the Performing Arts complex.

In addition to the in-person options, the curious can use eight new virtual free experiences to explore spaces in the metro area and Colorado Springs — including the

Historic Elitch Theatre, Red Rocks and the United States Air Force Academy.

In addition to the tours, there’s the annual Y/OUR Denver photography competition, which is hosted by the architecture foundation and the Colorado Photographic Arts Center. It is open to all photographers and participants are invited to submit their photos of architectural spaces in the metro area that capture their imagination. According to provided information, all forms of architectural imagery are welcome: black and white, color, exterior, interiors and detail images. 30 images will be selected from the submissions to be showcased on an online exhibit in December.

No matter what kind of spaces connects with you, you’re bound to learn something and get a healthy dose of inspiration. For all the necessary information, visit denverarchitecture.org.

Walker Fine Art examines the natural world

It takes only a casual news reader to see that there’s a reason so many people are worried about the state of the climate and environment. Mixed in with all the beauty the world offers are danger and fear about the future of the planet.

“Environmental Reflections,” the latest exhibit at Walker Fine Art, 300 West 11th Ave., No. A, in Denver, gives six artists — Theresa Clowes, Elaine Coombs, George Kozman, Bryan Leister, Heather Patterson and Zelda Zinn — the opportunity to explore their understanding and appreciation of landscape, climate and habitat.

The exhibit runs at the gallery through Saturday, Nov. 18. Find all the information at www.walkerfineart. com.

Clarke Reader is an arts and culture columnist for Colorado Community Media. He can be reached at Clarke. Reader@hotmail.com.

Are oasis lawns just right for this climate?

BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN

The term and the technique of xeriscaping was invented by Denver Water for the high desert, but it’s often been a hard aesthetic sell among consumers. Some thought of it as “zeroscaping” — as in zero appeal — and weren’t impressed with how much landscaping water the desert-style designs could save in their home yards.

But urban and suburban dwellers on the Front Range are starting to realize the days of unlimited expanses of unquenchable, green lawns are over. They suck down way too much Colorado River water, and they’re getting outlawed in some big cities, such as Aurora.

So, is an “oasis” home landscape the Goldilocks solution, just right for both water use and city climate comfort?

A new study from the Desert Research Institute and scientists at two Western universities seems to think so. The researchers compared both water use and air temperatures at three different levels of landscape: mesic, or traditional turf surrounding thirsty trees; what they call xeric, a dry landscape featuring drip-fed desert plants surrounded by dry rock or mulch; and a middle ground, oasis, where shade trees or shrubs and small turf islands break up a drier, resource-friendly landscape.

Play areas and structures give a nod to a more natural landscape

NORTON

accomplishment in life. He is only 38 years old, and I have watched him grow personally and professionally. He has risen through the ranks at work and now leads a team. His team walks with the

inside the High Prairie Park.

The study of different scenes around Phoenix found the oasis style could be a winning compromise for arid urban climates like those in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Southern California. The oasis uses far less water than turf lawns, and still keeps ambient temperatures within the comfort range produced by the shadier, greener turf.

Air temperatures in the xeriscape plots averaged 5.4 degrees higher than the oasis or mesic, tree-turf style, according to the study, published in the journal Hydrology.

Researcher Rubab Saher of DRI’s Department of Hydrologic Sciences says this “best-of-both-worlds” effect is key to persuading the public, developers and city planners to go

same sense of achievement, but no arrogance, they are there to get the job done. He works out and keeps himself in top physical condition. He practices his golf game and gets better all the time. When he gets a par or birdie, he is excited, but knows the next hole needs his focus. And now he is a part owner of a summer home with his in-laws. As I watched him last weekend, I

with the oasis style: They need to be confident that a water-friendly design won’t worsen urban “heat islands” that can make less thoughtful sections of metro Denver, Las Vegas or Phoenix a daytime hellscape.

Plus, the oasis designs are just more pleasant in the eyes of many residents.

“Removing turf grass from the landscape is an excellent approach for saving water, but if we remove all the turf grass, the temperature will go up,” Saher said. “For every acre of turf grass removed, we also need to plant native and/or rainfed trees to make arid cities livable in the long run.”

Water analysts praised the report, and mentioned both the number of metro areas cutting back on turf and

was truly happy for him and his wife, they showed pride, but more than that they showed growth, appreciation, and joy, no arrogance.

We should take pride and experience joy when we achieve our goals, big or small, we should celebrate and let ourselves feel that true sense of accomplishment. I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we

the plethora of places in Colorado that are demonstrating the oasis techniques on the ground.

“There’s just more and more momentum even in the last year,” said Lindsay Rogers, water analyst with the nonprofit Western Resource Advocates. “I’m glad these institutions are trying to get a better understanding of the landscape materials that could reduce or exacerbate urban heat island effect, because this is a critical issue when we talk about water-wise landscaping best practices, and it comes up a lot.”

Rogers would like to see the same scientific study of Colorado city environments to measure whether onthe-ground practices produce lower temperatures than similar designs in Arizona or Nevada.

Colorado landscapers tend to use more wood-based mulch than rock to replace large grass areas, and she wonders if those different materials would change the heat island measurements.

Colorado developers and water researchers are demonstrating various levels of the oasis style up and down the Front Range in an encouraging display of drought and climate adaptation, Rogers said.

The Painted Prairie housing development in Aurora is building water savings into its public parks and homebuilding sites. Northern Water, which supplies dozens of north Front Range communities,

can enjoy pride of accomplishment without the arrogance, 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.

Clarke Reader

The backyard of Christopher Stimpson, who chose to keep a small portion of grass during his xeriscaping e orts.

PHOTO BY LUKE ZARZECKI

BY LUKE ZARZECKI COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Perhaps Americans took the title of Walt Whitman’s book of poems to his beloved country, “Leaves of Grass” too literally when they considered the American Dream.

“Whatever satisfies the soul is truth,” he wrote, and in the 1950s a growing satisfaction came from the American lawn.

Drive around Westminster’s Hyland Greens neighborhood and you’ll see that: a typical residential area with single-family homes fronted by wellmanicured, lush, beautiful lawns.

Zoom into one of the cul-de-sacs off Lowell Boulevard, however, and find something different. It’s a microcosm of a larger paradigm shift starting to occur across the United States.

One of those cul-de-sac homeowners is Emily Brooks, who maintains an 11,598-square-foot yard.

Until last year, those yards were two green Kentucky bluegrass lawns. In 2021, she and her husband embarked on a project to replace more than 50% of the lawn with rocks, gravel and native plant species.

Saving water and investing in their home proved to be their driving force for the change. It wasn’t something they were used to. The two hail from the Midwest and Emily grew up in a Wisconsin home with a half-acre lot.

“It was all grass,” she said. “My dad bought himself a riding lawn mower and his weekend project in the summer was taking care of that lawn. Everybody took care of their lawn, that was the culture. The pride of ownership was reflected in what your lawn looked like.”

That viewpoint is changing with her own home in Colorado. She and her husband bought their first home in Hudson, Wisconsin with a brook running through their half-acre backyard. After moving to Colorado, water remains an important concern for her.

“There was water everywhere, but we don’t have that (in Colorado),” she said.

So she yanked out the portions of both her lawns, replaced them with less water-intensive plants and created walkways with gravel.

She did what made sense — the majority of the change took place in her front yard since her dogs use the grass in her backyard. In the particularly sunny spots in the front, she replaced it with gravel since the grass didn’t grow well in the sun. She used gravel on the side of her house and made a utility space for trash bins.

Her backyard takes in a lot of heat and sun, making it hard to keep the Kentucky bluegrass alive. Still, she wanted the grass aesthetic and plans to replace a portion with native grasses that don’t require much water and thrive in the sun. She added a patio as well.

She isn’t finished with the project

but already saw large reductions in water. In July 2020 their household used 35,000 gallons of water. In 2022, they used 22,000 gallons.

Her neighbors took notice of the change and jumped in. Two homes in the cul-de-sac hired the same landscape designer and changed their yard to about 50% native species or xeriscape.

A 15-minute drive from the Brookses lives Christopher Stimpson with his wife. They replaced almost 75% of their outdoor space with less waterintensive options.

While Brooks decided to pay for a landscape designer and hire a company to do the dirty work, she realizes not everyone has the financial means. Or, they just want to do it themselves.

Stimpson decided to get his hands dirty and do it himself. Most of his costs came from buying rocks and gravel.

In his front, rocks and pebbles lie beneath a tree. Like Emily, the grass proved difficult to maintain because of the beating sun. In the back, a small patch of grass in a shady spot provides room for his dog and chairs to enjoy outside without the need for sunscreen.

Next to it is a deck with a vine climbing up the side to provide shade for a table. Even farther is a gravel area where his grandson used to enjoy digging and playing with the gravel.

“When my grandson was three, the thing he loved best was sitting in the gravel with a spade and a bucket,” he said. “Filling it up, emptying it, filling it up. He didn’t care about the grass.”

For Stimpson, who originally moved from London to New Jersey and then to Colorado, climate played a role in his decision. Not only was his grass not doing well due to the weather, but he felt a moral responsibility to switch it out.

“It’s been true for many years that we’ve got a drying planet. The effects of water stress are going to be the chief impact of climate change on a state like Colorado, so anything we did to reduce our personal responsibility for that water stress was a positive move,” he said.

Even though Brooks and Stimpson both began replacing their lawns, they don’t doubt the benefits of lush grass. Brooks noted her dogs enjoy running in the grass and Stimpson enjoys sitting in his chairs that are on the grass. They’re good for recreation, too.

However, too much of a good thing isn’t always a good thing.

The roots of grass

Matthew Makley, a professor of history at Metropolitan State University of Denver, said the popular Kentucky bluegrass isn’t native to the United States at all.

Most historians believe the lawn started in Europe, most likely in France and England. Castles would

A xeriscaped section of Emily Brooks’ front yard.

Emily Brooks showcases the front of her house where she xersicaped over 50% of her outdoor space.

PHOTOS BY LUKE ZARZECKI

The front of Emily Brooks’ home in Westminster.

clear the land around their immediate vicinity to allow for clear visibility in case of foreign advances.

Later during medieval times, Monks brought cuts of turf into their mon astery gardens and cultivated them because of the connection between the color green and rebirth.

In the 1500s and 1600s, lawns began to grow more popular within the wealthy classes of Europe for both recreation and enjoyment. Due to the time and labor required to main tain the lawn, it became a symbol of wealth.

Taking root in the new world

Then the English began sailing to North America, landing in Jamestown in 1607. Their livestock could not toler ate the native grasses of the new land, and so Kentucky bluegrass began to take root.

“Bluegrass that we think of today with American lawns is actually in digenous to parts of North Africa and Europe,” Makley said.

Seeing the odd crop not just as a sup port for livestock, there is a status to having a lawn — and the 17th-century American colonies were status-bound. Social classes were clearly articulated and observed.

“American colonists were desirous, they wanted to establish themselves as wealthy landholders and it was critical for them to do that in a new place. They were planting not just the grasses, but a new social order, a new economic order as well,” he said.

It’s tied to colonization and democ racy, too.

“Often we find moving lockstep with colonization is the fundamental trans formation of the landscape, and then over generations, a reimagining of what has happened to fit the conquest narrative,” Makley said.

That reimagination may be taking place today.

Lawns today

Lawns are ingrained in American culture and imposed by convention.

That’s what Paul Robbins, dean of the Nelson Institute for Environmen tal Studies at the University of Wiscon sin-Madison, found in his research for his book “Lawn People: How Grasses, Weeds and Chemicals Make Us Who We Are.”

His research showed lawns in America mostly began to boom in the 1950s, and rarely are lawns peoples’ first choice. Homeowners associations

enforce their upkeep, construction companies lay out single-family home lots with leftover space and social pres sure for green grass to maintain prop erty values is imposed by neighbors.

Backing that up, he conducted a na tional survey that showed the people who use lawn chemicals are more likely to say those chemicals are bad for water quality, children and human health than those who don’t.

“People who are intensive lawn man agers feel really crappy about it. They feel guilty, but they feel that they have to do it for their neighbors because of the homeowners association, or what ever else,” he said.

He did find that there are many people who feel great satisfaction from mowing their lawn, and the smell of fresh-cut grass brings nostalgia.

However, he learned that most felt ambivalent about lawns.Which led him to ask — why do they exist, then?

Much has to do with the chemical industry that needs to dump agricul tural chemicals somewhere. In other countries around the world, those mar kets topped out and farmers remain efficient in their use of nutrient inputs and pesticides.

Scott’s, a leading company in the lawn care industry, figured out push advertising. Robbins believes that’s a reason they’ve been successful.

“Scott’s learned that you say, ‘Here’s a product that will solve all your prob lems. Go ask for it by name.’ It totally changed the industry because they need people to buy this stuff. There’s an economy behind it, it employs a lot of people and it has to keep going. That’s pretty depressing,” Robbins said.

There are benefits. Lawns provide space for kids to play in, they serve as an aesthetic and cool off the urban heat island.

Even so, other options can provide those benefits. Parks can socialize the cost of lawns, and native plants can provide another aesthetic while cool ing off urban areas.

“The benefits are marginal, whereas the costs are enormous,” he said.

As well, his research also found chemicals used for lawns end up indoors. In one experiment, analytic chemists walked across chemically treated lawns with white boots and then walked indoors. They measured the amount of chemicals that ended up inside and how long they persisted. Turns out, the chemicals remain in house dust for a long time — chemicals that are known to cause mutations and can cause cancer.

“There’s no question that the health costs outweigh the health benefits of having an intensively managed lawn,”

Robbins said.

Class, morals and values

Just as they were hundreds of years ago, lawns today are also seen as a status symbol. Beyond that, Robbins’ research showed respondents often said “What goes on outside the house tells you what goes on inside the house,” indicating they are also an in dicator of morals. That’s tied to social psychology. Many places in the world don’t maintain lawns, so it’s a learned behavior.

“Lawn care companies who are trying to expand their markets have to really work hard when they go outside the United States to convince people that it’s worth putting the money and the time into having a lawn,” Robbins said. “If they’re going to expand the number of intensive lawn care users, they have to teach people to care about it.”

However, lawn social psychology in the U.S. seems to be changing.

Kelly Moye, a realtor in Boulder and Broomfield counties, has been selling homes since 1991 and she’s seen a shift away from lawns in buyers’ demands.

In the 1990s and 2000s, she said a bright green, lush lawn was a real selling point for single-family homes. Now, people are more environmentally and cost-sensitive — they see lawns as requiring more money for mainte nance and using water where it isn’t needed.

The decision to have a lawn or a xeriscaped garden doesn’t affect the home value either, she said, as long as it looks well kept.

Robbins noted that the money used for maintaining a lawn could be used to remodel a kitchen or a bathroom, which can increase the value of a home more so than a lawn.

“What will change the value of the house is if it doesn’t look nice. If it’s just dirt and it’s kind of scratchy and it’s got weeds and it’s not well kept, that will deter from the price of the home,” Moye said.

In fact, she said most people prefer a native species or xeriscape garden in the front of their house and grass in the back for dogs, kids and barbecues.

However, it depends on the location and the neighborhood.

“I believe it goes back to the neigh borhood. Well-groomed landscaping in Cherry Creek will carry more value, I believe, than a well-groomed yard in Boulder,” said Tom Cech, the found ing director of One World One Water Center.

In Moye’s experience, attitudes among people are trending more to wards sustainability. Moye said buyers want smaller spaces, smaller carbon

footprints and less grassy lawns.

Stimpson has seen that change walk ing around his neighborhood. Many of his neighbors already have or started to change what their outdoor spaces look like. Although, he still notes a divide within the community.

“The divide I think is people with the big lawns feel that they worked hard to get this aesthetic addition to their lives and that this is important enough to them,” he said. “They don’t want to let it go and they think of xeriscaping as an inferior alternative.”

Judging alternatives

Robbins noted it’s important to consider whether alternatives to lawns are actually sustainable. He said arti ficial turf is an interesting case. With turf’s growing popularity, questions remain: how much oil does it take to produce the plastic? How will turf affect water runoff? Will water coming off the turf be contaminated with plas tic and get into the drinking water?

He doesn’t know the answer to these questions, but they’re worth asking.

“What we replace lawns with is the next most important question,” he said. “I don’t think we got a good answer for that yet.”

He said replacing grass with native species can be a great alternative, though it may not serve all the func tions a homeowner may want it to serve. For example, walking barefoot on it can be difficult and not maintain ing it properly can turn into a mess.

However, native species can support pollinator species and reduce the need for fertilizer.

“They tend to not need a lot of fertil izer because they’re sort of adapted to our climate and soils,” said Mari John ston, a natural resource extension agent at Colorado State University.

As well, they create miniature habitats in backyards for birds, insects and pollinators. Planting native spe cies helps native insects because they support each other and the entire ecosystem.

“By including native plant species in our gardens, we’re not only ensur ing that those species continue to play their key parts in the Colorado ecosys tem, but we’re providing much-needed resources to insects and to birds and other Colorado wildlife — food, shelter, materials for rearing their young,” said Ashley White, the Butterfly Pavil ion’s Community Habitats Manager.

Despite what the future holds, the tide seems to be turning when it comes to lawns in the American West.

“People are unlearning what they learned and learning something very different, which is water is more im portant than that lawn,” Robbins said.

Legislators face inflationary budget crunch

Risk of recession grows

BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN

Inflation and rising interest rates aimed at reining in rising consumer costs are causing Colorado’s economy to slow and stagnate, according to two economic and tax revenue forecasts presented Sept. 22 to the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee.

The governor’s Office of State Planning and Budgeting warned the risk of a recession in the next 18 months has risen since June to 50%. And nonpartisan Colorado Legislative Council Staff said there are a host of economic risks, including fallout from the war in Ukraine and the effects of the Federal Reserve tightening monetary policy even further.

“A recession could be a real possibility that you could be faced with,” said David Hansen, senior economist with Legislative Council Staff. “We don’t want to shy away from saying that.”

The upside is that the state’s job market remains strong, with unemployment hovering around 3% and two job openings available for every unemployed person in Colorado from March to July. And the governor’s office forecasts that the state’s economy is “expected to rebound by the end of 2023 and return to historical growth in 2024” as infla-

policy circumstances that we’re currently under will lessen the amount of labor demand,” said Bryce Cooke, the chief economist with OSPB, who said he expects the unemployment rate to hit 3.9% in 2023. “But we don’t think it will get to the point where it’s a one-to-one ratio (of unemployed people and open jobs).”

Despite the headwinds, tax revenues are still forecast to increase by hundreds of millions of dollars over the next several fiscal years.

“Colorado’s economy is strong and will continue to grow in the months ahead,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a written statement. He is expected to unveil his 2023-24 fiscal year budget,

But the reality for state budget writers on the JBC is that while they are expected to have $1 billion more to spend for the 2023-24 fiscal year, according to Legislative Council Staff, about 90% of that increase is expected to be consumed by the General Assembly’s existing funding plans.

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In other words, state lawmakers will have just $85 million to allocate to new initiatives when they convene in January after two years of unprecedented spending fueled by

a stronger-than-expected economy and billions of dollars in federal aid. The news caused some jaws to drop — literally — Thursday among the six members of JBC.

That’s not fully accounting for the effects of inflation on the cost of governing, which could effectively mean the budget will have to shrink.

“I think we’re in the red before we even start the race,” said state Sen. Chris Hansen, a Denver Democrat and the incoming chair of the JBC.

State Sen. Bob Rankin, a Carbondale Republican who sits on the JBC, is anxious about the prospect of not being able to raise the pay of state employees as a result.

The Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, the 1992 constitutional amendment passed by Colorado voters, limits increases in government growth and spending each year to the rates of inflation and population growth. But the inflation rate used to determine the cap comes from the previous calendar year, or six months before the start of each fiscal year.

Given high inflation rates, some JBC members have complained that the TABOR cap is lagging and thus constraining the budget, a problem that compounds over time as inflation keeps rising.

The TABOR cap for the 2022-23 fiscal year, which began July 1, was set using a 3.5% inflation rate when the inflation rate in the 2021 calendar

The annual process to discuss and approve a budget for Castle Rock is o cially underway. SHUTTERSTOCK

CCM writers, sta net 19 newspaper awards

CPA hosts annual event

STAFF REPORT

Colorado Community Media reporters and staff received 19 awards in the Colorado Press Association’s annual Better Newspaper Contest, which honored the state’s best journalism work for 2021.

Leading the honorees named during a Sept. 17 ceremony at Coors Field was west metro reporter Rylee Dunn. Dunn, who primarily covers Arvada, received two first-place honors. Dunn received the top prize in the Best Series or Sustained Coverage in the Class 4 division for the work on the Olde Town Arvada shooting and aftermath, and a firstplace award in the Best Business/ News Feature category for her work on Namiko’s 30-year history spanning two generations.

Dunn also took second place for Best News Story for her investigative work on a former political candidate being charged with felony identity theft.

Douglas County reporter Elliott Wenzler also took home several awards, including first place for Best Health/Enterprise Story for an interview with Dr. John Douglas, the head of Tri-County Health Department, after one year of the COVID pandemic.

Wenzler received two second-place honors for feature (H2O’Brien Pool) and news photography (Homeless issues in Douglas County); in addition, she and former reporter Jessica Gibbs were honored in the breaking news category for their coverage of the STEM school shooting trial.

Gibbs took second place for Best Education Story on school districts addressing racial equity issues.

West metro reporter Olivia Jewell Love was excited to receive her first professional award, taking home second-place honors in the health category for an article on Evergreenarea RNs tackling nurse burnout through healing groups, resources.

South Metro Editor Thelma

Members of the Colorado Community Media team attend the Colorado Press Association awards ceremony held at Coors Field on Sept. 17.

Grimes took first and second place in the Best Sustained Coverage or Series In the Class 6 division. She won first place a series on the Douglas County mental health program that has set standards at the state and national levels. She took second place for a series on delayed medical care due to COVID.

Senior reporter Ellis Arnold took home a second-place honor in the news writring category for his coverage of Xcel Energy’s concerns for health, property values in south metro Denver.

Former reporter David Gilbert won two first-place honors for his indepth investigation on the Colorado Center for the Blind’s handling of sexual assault allegations.

In another first-place honor, former Jeffco Transcript reporter Bob Wooley won for his feature story on the aftermath in the decades since the 1999 Columbine High School shootings.

Washington Park Profile Editor Christy Steadman won second place for Best Health Enterprise story for her work on Denver Hospice.

In advertising and design, the CCM team took home four separate awards, with designer Tina Meltzer winning first- and second-place awards for print ad design in the Class 4 division. In the Class 6 division, designer Tom Fildey placed second for best print ad.

Designer Ben Wiebesiek won second place in the Lone Tree Voice for Best Page Design.

CROWSS ELZZ

STAFF PHOTO

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Colorado

Legals

Misc. Private Legals

Public Notice

Comfort Dental Denver patients: Records of dental patients that have been inactive for a period of seven years or longer will begin to be destroyed starting 12/1/2022. Please contact us before then if you would like to obtain a copy of your records.

Comfort Dental Denver 4450 W 38th Ave, Suite 110 Denver, CO 80212 (303) 455-2273

Legal Notice No. 81843

First Publication: September 22, 2022

Last Publication: October 13, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

To: KEYONDRE CRAIG: You are notified that you have 10 days after publication for this notice of levy to file your claim of exemption with the District Court of Denver County, 1437 Bannock, Room 256, Denver, CO 80202 in Case 2021CV031817

entitled: NORTHARROW, LLC v. KEYONDRE CRAIG $1069.70 garnished at Huntington Bank f/d/b/a TCF Bank, 4100 W 144th Ave., Broomfield, CO 80023.

Legal Notice No. 81842

First Publication: September 8, 2022

Last Publication: October 6, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

Notice to obtain title- The following vehicles were towed and abandoned; 1) VIN 5J6RE48739L018757

2009 Honda CRV, 2) VIN 5J6YH286X4L014552

2004 Honda Element, M1 Towing lot address 2810 W. 62nd Ave, Denver, Co 80221, 720-364-1160 is applying for title.

Legal Notice No. 81860

First Publication: September 29, 2022

Last Publication: September 29, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE OF INTENT TO MODIFY WEATHER

Notice is hereby given that North American Weather Consultants, Inc. (“NAWC”), is filing with the Director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board an application for a Permit to conduct a weather modification program within the State of Colorado. NAWC shall conduct this program for the St Vrain and Left Hand Water Conservancy District.

The initial Target Area for the five-year Weather Modification Permit is defined as: The St. Vrain Watershed including primary tributaries located at or above 6,500 ft in elevation. The primary focus of this program is to seed the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, and besides the St. Vrain Wa tershed, seeding may occur in Larimer, Boulder, Gilpin, Clear Creek, Park, Jefferson, Douglas, and Teller counties at or above 6,500 ft. Counties that may be affected by seeding operations on the western slope are Jackson, Grand, Summit, Lake, Chaffee, and Fremont counties.

Section 36-20-112 CRS requires that this notice be published in counties adjacent to the Target area, this includes the following: Jackson, Grand, Summit, Lake, Chaffee, Fremont, El Paso, Elbert, Arapahoe, Denver, Adams, Broomfield and Weld Counties.

The expected duration of operations is November 1st, 2022 through April 15th, 2023 for the first year of operations and November 1st through April 15th for the subsequent four years.

The intended effect of the weather modification operations is to increase snow pack on the east slope of the Rocky Mountain Range as a mean of increasing spring runoff in designated water networks.

Complete details of the operations are available upon request from: North American Weather Consultants, Inc. 8180 So. Highland Dr., Ste. B-2, Sandy, UT, 84093 or from Andrew Rickert, Colorado Water Conservation Board, 1313 Sher man St. Room 718, Denver, CO 80203.

A public hearing on this application for a permit to conduct this weather modification program will be held on September 30th, beginning at 1:00pm. This meeting is open to the public and can be joined remotely via zoom. Contact Andrew Rickert at andrew.rickert@state.co.us to gain Zoom ac cess information.

Storage Liens/Vehicle

Public Notice

Broncos Towing, 303-722-3555 (office) will be applying for title to the following vehicles, abandoned.

1) 1)2005 Trailer Black. 2063422

2)1999 Jeep Ch White 560019

3)1995 Jeep wag white 278579

4)1978 Bass boat brown TX1753CW

Legal Notice No. 81835

First Publication: September 8, 2022

Last Publication: September 29, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Notice to Creditors

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Thomas W. Metzler, aka Thomas Wilbert Metzler, aka Thomas Metzler, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR31094

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the co-personal representative’s or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before January 23, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Kathy Voorhis aka Kathleen J. Voorhis, Rich Nicholas and Rich Phillips aka Richard M. Phillips, Co-Personal Representatives c/o Katz, Look & Onorato, P.C. 1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 1100 Denver, CO 80203

Legal Notice No. 81853

First Publication: September 22, 2022

Last Publication: October 6, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Lorraine A. Perea, Deceased Case Number: 22PR379

All persons having claims against the abovenamed 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 January 23, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Rosemary Bryant Personal Representative 6459 W. 5th Avenue Lakewood, Colorado 80226

Legal Notice No. 81851

First Publication: September 22, 2022

Last Publication: October 6, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of GARY MARTIN AMBLE, A/K/A GARY M. AMBLE, A/K/A GARY AMBLE, A/K/A MARTY AMBLE, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR031198

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the co-personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City & County of Denver, State of Colorado on or before January 23, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Greg Alan Amble Co-Personal Representative of the Estate of Gary Martin Amble 2701 S. Jefferson Ave. Sioux Falls, SD 57105

Jeremy P. Cohen, Esq., Atty. Reg. #:15942

Attorney for Co-Personal Representatives 6400 S. Ste. 1000 Greenwood Village, CO

Phone Number: (303) 796-2626

FAX Number: (303) 796-2777

E-mail: jcohen@bfwlaw.com

Legal Notice No. 81845

First Publication: September 22, 2022

Last Publication: October 6, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE CREDITORS

Estate of Richard William Richard W. Richard William Steven, Richard W. Steven, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR31164

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 January 30, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Susan Sadako Nakano

Personal Representative 1674 Olive Street

Denver, CO 90220

Legal Notice No. 81859

First Publication: September 29, 2022

Last Publication: October 13, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

DISTRICT COURT, DENVER COUNTY, STATE OF COLORADO 1437 BANNOCK STREET, ROOM 230 DENVER, COLORADO 80202 (303) 606-2303

In the Matter of the Determination of Heirs or Devisees or Both and of Interests in Property of: Jeanette Rutherford, Deceased.

Counsel for Petitioner Bret A. Padilla

Name:Brian J. Cosper, #55414

Address:FIDELITY NATIONAL LAW GROUP 8055 E. Tufts Avenue, Suite 300 Denver, Colorado 80237

Phone No.: (720) 671-3954

Fax No: (602) 889-8155

E-Mail: brian.cosper@fnf.com Case No. 2022PR31252

NOTICE OF HEARING BY PUBLICATION TO

INTERESTED PERSONS AND OWNERS BY DESCENT OR SUCCESSION PURSUANT TO § 15-12-1303, C.R.S.

To all interested persons and owners by descent or succession (List all names of interested persons and owners by descent or succession

A petition has been filed alleging that the above decedent(s) died leaving the following property (including legal description if real property):

Description of Property: Location of Property Property 1: See below

Lot Nineteen (19), Block Three (3), Burns Brent wood Subdivision, Filing No. 1, together with all Improvements thereon, City and County of Denver, State of Colorado.

Also known by street and number as: 1949 South Julian Circle, Denver, Colorado 80219-5330

Date: 11/14/22 Time: 08:00 a.m.

Division: Probate Address: 1437 Bannock Street, Room 230, Denver, Colorado 80202

The hearing will take approximately 2 hours

Note:

•You must answer the petition on or before the hearing date and time specified above.

• Within the time required for answering the peti tion, all objections to the petition must be in writing, filed with the court and served on the petitioner and any required filing fee must be paid.

• The hearing shall be limited to the petition, the objections timely filed and the parties answering the petition in a timely manner. If the petition is not answered and no objections are filed, the court may enter a decree without a hearing.

Legal Notice No. 81861

First Publication: September 29, 2022

Last Publication: October 13, 2022

Publisher: Douglas County News-Press Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of GREGORY GERARD SAUBER, a/k/a GREGORY G. SAUBER, a/k/a GREGORY SAUBER, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR31125

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 January 23, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Neil Houston, Personal Representative 375 S. Gilpin Street Denver, CO 80209

Legal Notice No. 81852

First Publication: September 22, 2022

Last Publication: October 6, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Anne Dolores Finnefrock, a/k/a Anne D. Finnefrock, Deceased Case Number: 2022 PR 31113

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 January 23, 2022, or the claims may be forever barred.

Byron Finnefrock, Personal Representative 5560 S. Eaton Littleton, CO 80123

Legal Notice No. 81849

First Publication: September 22, 2022

Last Publication: October 6, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of MARCUS ANDREW STAERKEL, aka MARCUS A. STAERKEL, aka MARCUS STAERKEL, Deceased. Case Number: 2022 PR 31166

All persons having claims against the abovenamed 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 February 5, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

W. Douglas Hoak, Reg. #43148

Attorney to the Personal Representative 8055 East Tufts Avenue, Suite 1350 Denver, Colorado 80237

Legal Notice No. 81846

First Publication: September 22, 2022

Last Publication: October 6, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Susan Bell Trickett, a/k/a Susan Mary Bell Trickett, a/k/a Susan B. Trickett, a/k/a Susan Trickett, a/k/a Sue Trickett, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR31147

All persons having claims against the abovenamed 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 January 30, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

L. Shelley Brown, Personal Representa tive 1011 S. Valentia Street, #125 Denver, CO 80247

Legal Notice No. 81858

First Publication: September 29, 2022

Last Publication: October 13, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Margaret E. Crandell, also known as Margaret Crandell, and Peggy Crandell, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR31123

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

Richard E. Crandell Co-Personal Representative 4669 E. Links Parkway Centennial, CO 80122

Karen L. Manning Co-Personal Representative 118 South Ocotillo Ridge Montgomery, TX 77316

Legal Notice No. 81836

First Publication: September 15, 2022

Last Publication: September 29, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Dennis Lee Studer, Deceased Case No.: 2022PR000333

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the Denver County Probate Court on or before January 15, 2023 or the claims may be forever barred.

Tig Ann Studer, Personal Representative c/o CHAYET & DANZO, LLC 650 S. Cherry St., #710 Denver, CO 80246 (303) 355-8500

Legal Notice No. 81835

First Publication: September 15, 2022

Last Publication: September 29, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of FLORENCE M. DOI, also known as FLORENCE DOI, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR31174

All persons having claims against the abovenamed 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 January 30, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

T. Michael Carrington Attorney to the Personal Representative 8400 E. Prentice Ave., Ste. 1500 Address Greenwood Village, CO 80111

Legal Notice No. 81856

First Publication: September 29, 2022

Last Publication: October 13, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

Estate of Margaret Serafina Purchatzke, a.k.a Margaret S. Purchatzke, a.k.a Margaret Purchatzke, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR31080

All persons having claims against the abovenamed 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 January 15, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Hammond Law Group, PC 2955 Professional Pl. Ste. 300 Colorado Springs, CO 80904

Legal Notice No. 81837

First Publication: September 15, 2022

Last Publication: September 29, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of BEVERLY VERNER, aka BEVERLY A. VERNER, aka BEVERLY H. VERNER, aka BEVERLE VERNER, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR031063

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 January 29, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Michael Verner, Personal Representative c/o 3i Law, LLC 2000 S. Colorado Blvd. Tower 1, Suite 10000 Denver, CO 80222

Legal Notice No. 81863

First Publication: September 29, 2022

Last Publication: October 13, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of MARGOT G. HACKSTAFF, also known as Margot Grater Hackstaff, and Margot Hackstaff, Deceased. Case Number: 2022PR31072

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Probate Court for the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before January 23, 2023 or the claims may be forever barred.

Diana Gates, Personal Representative 5041 W. Portland Drive Littleton, CO 80128

Legal Notice No. 81854

First Publication: September 22, 2022

Last Publication: October 6, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Richard J. Bernick, deceased Case Number: 21PR0454

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 January 15, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Philip Bernick, Personal Representative 2021 S. Ventura Dr. Tempe, Arizona 85282

Legal Notice No. 81834

First publication: September 15, 2022

Last publication: September 29, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald Dispatch

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Murray T. Smith, deceased Case Number: 2022PR31025

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 January 29, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Amy E. Stone, Personal Representative 600 Seventeenth Street, Suite 2800 S Denver, Colorado 80202

Legal Notice No. 81864

First publication: September 29, 2022

Last publication: October 13, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of WILLIAM T. CANIGLIA, a/k/a WILLIAM CANIGLIA, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR031187

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 January 23, 2022 or the claims may be forever barred.

year in the Denver-AuroraLakewood area is more like 8%. While the 2023-24 fiscal year TABOR cap will reflect that higher rate, it only builds off the TABOR cap set using the 3.5% rate.

And because of inflation, the state is expected to collect billions of dollars in tax revenue above the TABOR cap over the next three fiscal years, according to both economic forecasts presented to the JBC on Thursday. That money will have to be refunded to taxpayers, however, so it can’t be used to combat the effects of inflation on governing.

Legislative Council Staff forecast revenue above the TABOR cap to be $3.63 billion in the current 2022-23 fiscal year, $2.28 billion in the 202324 fiscal year and $1.9 billion in the 2024-25 fiscal year.

The forecast from the governor’s Office of State Planning and Budgeting was far less rosy. The Polis administration forecast the revenue cap to be exceeded by $1.9 billion in the current 2022-23 fiscal year, $685 million in the 2023-24 fiscal year and $742 million in the 2024-25 fiscal year.

“On the surface, things looks great,” said Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, an Arvada Democrat who sits on the JBC. “We have to deal with the stuff that is under the surface.”

Complicating the situation further are two measures on the November ballot that could reduce the TABOR cap excess by hundreds of millions of dollars in future fiscal years, if not eliminate the excess entirely.

Proposition 121 would cut Colorado’s income tax rate to 4.4% from 4.55%, a reduction estimated to slash state tax revenue by $412.6 million in the 2023-24 fiscal year. Proposition 123 would set aside up to 0.1% of taxable income each year for affordable housing, which is estimated to shrink revenue by $145 million in the current fiscal year and $290 million in the 2023-24 and subsequent fiscal years.

Under the OSPB tax revenue forecasts, the TABOR

cap excess would effectively be eliminated by the passage of Propositions 121 and 123. Should there be a mild recession and tax revenue be lower than what’s forecast by OSPB, Propositions 121 and 123, should they pass, could go beyond eliminating the TABOR excess and force the legislature to reduce the size of its budget.

More TABOR refunds coming

The majority of Colorado taxpayers already have received TABOR refund checks — $750 for single filers and $1,500 for joint filers — for the previous fiscal year. But they can expect even more money in April.

The amount of money taxpayers will receive is based on their income level and is expected to range from $160 for the lowest earners (people who make up to $48,000) who are single filers to $506 for the highest earners (people making more than $266,000) who are single filers. The refund range jumps to $1,012 from $320 for joint filers based on their income levels.

Greg Sobetski, chief economist with Colorado Legislative Council, said the amounts will be finalized in the coming weeks as the state finishes its accounting for the 2021-22 fiscal year, which ended June 30.

Coloradans who filed their 2021 tax returns before June 30 have already received their $750 or $1,500 checks or will receive them by Sept. 30.

Late filers who submit their returns before Oct. 16 will receive their checks by Jan. 31.

More information on the refund checks can be found at https://tax.colorado.gov/ cash-back.

It’s unclear whether Coloradans will get TABOR refund checks in future years given the uncertainty around the economy and the passage of Propositions 121 and 123.

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

RECENT NURSING GRAD RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS AWARD

Danielle Ryan, a class of 2021 graduate of the Denver College of Nursing who is currently employed at Denver’s Rose Medical Center, recently received the prestigious Diseases Attacking the Immune System (DAISY) Award for extraordinary nurses. “The DAISY Award is an international recognition program that recognizes registered nurses who exemplify nursing values by exhibiting extraordinary compassion, courage and integrity in every situation,” states a news release. The Denver College of Nursing, 1401 19th St., is a higher education institution dedicated exclusively to educating students for the diverse opportunities o ered by careers in the medical field. To learn more, visit denvercollegeofnursing.edu.

and University of Nevada Las Vegas, also looked at landscape impact on nighttime temperatures, and even whether placement of buildings or houses causes its own

The middle-ground oasis style, while cooler in the daytime, did not show cooler temperatures than xeriscaping overnight, Saher said. The oasis design does not cool as fast at night as a more traditional green turf lawn. They can’t fully explain why that

And it appears that building placement can create cooling effects similar to turf lawns through strategic orientation of the shade the structures produce.

“We’re seeing many of our cities include parameters in their turf replacement programs that recognize the benefits of living plant materials, from reducing temperatures to creating more pollinator habitat and providing shade,” Rogers said. That may include a minimum percentage of live plant materials or a minimum number of trees.

“They’re really trying to balance the need to reduce landscape water use with all of those other essential benefits that our landscapes need to provide for us,” she said.

The Desert Research Institute study, with co-authors from Arizona State University

Saher says her next project will involve comparing the official watering recommendations from the increasingly stingy Southern Nevada Water Authority to how residents are actually watering their lawns.

“To see how far off or how close we are,” she said.

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

Estate of Frances Anne Hinson, Deceased

Case Number 2022PR30776

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 February 1, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Kathryn J Goff, Attorney for Personal Representative

3015 47th Street, Suite #E-1 Boulder, CO 80301

Legal Notice No. 81862

First Publication: September 29, 2022

Last Publication: October 13, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of MARCUS ANDREW STAERKEL, aka MARCUS A. STAERKEL, aka MARCUS STAERKEL, Deceased

Case Number: 2022 PR 31166

All persons having claims against the abovenamed 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 February 5, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

W. Douglas Hoak, Reg. #43148

Attorney to the Personal Representative 8055 East Tufts Avenue, Suite 1350 Denver, Colorado 80237

Legal Notice No. 81850

First Publication: September 22, 2022

Last Publication: October 6, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

COURTESY PHOTO