Denver Herald 111722

Getting kids into music

Voters approve free school meals program

Plan will reduce tax breaks for wealthy

BY ERICA BREUNLIN THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado public school students will have access to free school meals after voters approved Proposition FF on Nov. 8, slashing tax breaks for households that earn more than $300,000 in federal adjusted gross income starting in tax year 2023 to help pay for a new school meals program.

The measure passed with more than 55% of voters approving it.

the Orchestra.

BY BRUCE GOLDBERG SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Don’t be surprised when children driven by the lively music at an Inside the Story performance form a conga line and show the adults how it’s done.

“We have had very lively kids jump up on the stage with the teaching artists,” said Shelby Mattingly, executive director of Inside

Inside the Orchestra is a nonprofit organization that brings orchestra music to children in the Denver area to cultivate music appreciation and strengthen their education. Inside the Story performances fall under the nonprofit’s umbrella.

Performances can combine music, dancing, acting and live storytelling, and the organization calls the show “immersive” because of its unique setup. The orchestra surrounds the children and other attendees, and the conductor faces the audience. The hope is that the kids will be so inspired by the music and the performers that they’ll

develop musical interests of their own.

It seems to be working. The kids examine the instruments up close after the performance and ask questions of the musicians and other artists as their curiosity takes over.

The organization recently renewed its fall Tiny Tots in-person series — designed for children 7 and younger and their families — after a three-year hiatus. It began with two 45-minute performances of “A Surprise for Rabbit” on Oct. 22.

Each child at the performance

The success of the measure means that all kids in public schools, no matter their family’s income, will be able to eat free school breakfasts and lunches, reflecting the critical role schools play in helping students facing food insecurity. The state’s new school meals program — the Healthy School Meals for All program — will take the place of a federal initiative that provided free meals to all kids through the first two years of the pandemic.

“This is a win for our fight against childhood hunger,” said Ashley Wheeland, director of public policy for Hunger Free Colorado, a nonprofit that helps people struggling with hunger. “Many more children that need food will now have access to it with their learning, and this is something that we’ve needed for a

Inside the Orchestra allows children to interact with musical instruments and ask questions to the musicians.

PHOTO COURTESY OF INSIDE THE ORCHESTRA

Record surge for outdoor recreation economy fuels push for legislation

Contributed $11.6B in 2021

BY JASON BLEVINS THE COLORADO SUN

Outdoor recreation delivered $454 billion to the U.S. economy in 2021, accounting for 1.9% of the nation’s economic activity and marking a huge rebound from the pandemic.

The fifth annual report from the Bureau of Economic Analysis shows outdoor recreation regaining lost ground from the pandemic impacts to travel and tourism in 2020. The record surge in 2021 — when adding outdoor recreation job earnings the industry delivered an $862 billion overall impact to the U.S.economy — is pushing industry advocates to call for more federal support of recreation.

“Outdoor recreation is one of the few areas where we are seeing bipartisan support,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, the president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association. (Boating was red hot in 2021, with boat buyers and manufacturers contributing $50.4 billion to the outdoor recreation economy, making it the industry’s largest sector.) “This is one of the few industry sectors that has the ability to reach across the partisan divide and bring people together to improve our economies and our quality of life.”

The federal government first started measuring the outdoor recreation economy in 2017, following the Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act. The annual reports from the Department of Commerce show outdoor recreation users, manufacturers, service providers, retailers and supporting industries like travel and tourism driving an economy larger than the agriculture, energy, pharmaceuticals or electronics industries.

Since 2017, 18 states have created offices of outdoor recreation. Congress passed the Great American Outdoors Act in 2020, the largest conservation investment in decades directing billions into recreational access and infrastructure. The recent American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act directed even more into recreation infrastructure.

Outdoor recreation cheerleaders are urging federal lawmakers to pass the America’s Outdoor Recre-

ation Act, which would streamline federal permitting for outdoor recreation across all land management agencies.

President Joe Biden this year reconvened the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation, or FICOR, which was first formed by President Barack Obama in 2011, bringing together leaders from the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce and Defense departments to work together on expanding outdoor recreation opportunities.

The legislative momentum, support from the president and now economic numbers showing recreation as one of the strongest industries in the country are fueling outdoor recreation advocates to champion something “bigger than one piece of legislation,” said Jess Turner, president of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, which represents dozens of outdoor trade groups working for more than 110,000 outdoor businesses.

“FICOR is wonderful,” said Turner, who hopes to see a federal outdoor recreation office in Washington D.C.

“Having a national recreation office and someone in the office and in the White House who is focused on this economic sector and making sure all of these agencies are at the table as well as state and state directors, that would be our long-term goal,” Turner said.

The rebound from 2020 is the industry’s best argument for increased federal support. Many are quietly lobbying the Biden Administration to create a national office and an undersecretary of recreation, perhaps in the Department of Commerce. This week’s strong support for Democrats gives even more momentum to the push.

“There is a lot of wind at our backs right now,” said Conor Hall, the director of Colorado’s outdoor recreation office.

It wasn’t that long ago that outdoor recreation was not acknowledged as an economic engine. But now the recreation industry has growing economic and political clout.

The outdoor recreation economy’s $861.5 billion in economic output compares to $659.7 billion in 2020. The 2020 numbers showed outdoor recreation declining 19% from 2019,

compared with a 3.4% decline in the national overall economy.

All 50 states saw declines in outdoor recreation dollars in 2020 compared with 2019. Colorado endured a 19.5% decline in 2020.

The 19% annual growth in the national outdoor economy in 2021 comes as the overall national economy grew 6% last year.

Most of the growth in 2021 came from a rebound in trips and travel around outdoor recreation. In 2020, traveling for outdoor recreation collapsed to $149.6 million in direct spending, investment and wage dollars supporting the outdoor recreation economy, compared with $291 million in 2019. The contribution of travel and tourism climbed to $257.9 million in 2021, floating the entire recreation economy to a record high.

The surge in travelers included a lot of campers, said Toby O’Rourke, the chief executive of Kampgrounds of America, the country’s largest network of independently owned campgrounds.

KOA counted 2021 as its best year in its 60-year history, with revenues up 33% over 2019, O’Rourke said. More Americans than ever consider themselves campers, she said. And like many sectors of the outdoors,

participation grew during the pandemic when outdoor activities were a respite from urban shutdowns.

“The pandemic catapulted our business,” O’Rourke said.

Colorado’s outdoor recreation economy employed 125,244 workers in 2021 who earned $6.1 billion, accounting for 2.5% of all wages paid in the state. That compares to 120,063 jobs in 2020 with workers earning $5.7 billion.

Add those wages to the overall outdoor recreation industry in Colorado and the outdoor recreation economy contributed $11.6 billion to the state in 2021, accounting for 2.7% of the state’s GDP. That economic output in Colorado is up 20% from 2020.

Hall sees Colorado playing a leading role in the push for a federal recreation czar.

“Colorado is looking at more than 20% growth in one year. We are far outpacing every other industry in this state. This is the perfect time to see if we can create a federal office,” said Hall, noting the effort has the support of Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper. “We have the buy-in. This is a big step and it’s an ambitious swing. But I think we have the momentum to make it happen.”

Leif Henry navigates a new mountain bike track.

PHOTO BY DEB HURLEY BROBST

long time.”

The demand for food assistance swelled during the pandemic, with 68,000 more Colorado kids participating in school lunch programs supported by federal funds, said Wheeland, whose organization has supported the ballot measure since it was first referred by Democrats in the Colorado legislature this year through the passage of House Bill 1414. This school year, with the federal initiative no longer in place, school meals are reaching fewer students, she said.

Proposition FF will limit the amount that households earning more than $300,000 can claim in state income tax deductions to cover many of the costs of the new school meals program. It will also require school meal providers to take advantage of federal reimbursements to help ease program costs for the state.

The restriction will impact a taxpayer’s standard deduction or itemized deductions, which include charitable contributions, state and local taxes and mortgage interest.

Taxpayers who make more than $300,000 will be able to deduct no more than $12,000 for single filers and no more than $16,000 for joint filers. Currently, taxpayers who earn more than $400,000 can claim a maximum of $60,000 in state income tax deductions for a joint filer and a maximum of $30,000 for

a single filer, caps that were passed under House Bill 1311. Taxpayers whose income is between $300,000 and $400,000 are not limited in how much they can deduct from their state taxable income.

Proposition FF will increase income tax revenue in the state by an estimated $100.7 million during the first full year of the tax change, fiscal year 2023-24, which begins on July 1, 2023.

School meal providers will be reimbursed for providing meals to all kids, and any school meal provider can benefit, whether they serve one or more school districts

or charter schools. Currently, 183 school meal providers serve kids throughout the state and cover the costs of providing free and reduced-price lunches with state and federal funds and by charging families whose income exceeds federal poverty levels. Students might qualify for free or reducedprice meals, depending on their household income, but Colorado students who are eligible for reduced-price meals get free meals instead because the state funds their portion of the meal cost.

Denver resident Noah Hayden, 25, voted in favor of Proposition FF

so that all students have enough to eat while trying to learn.

Hayden, an unaffiliated voter, teaches social studies at a charter school in Broomfield, and while most of his students come from families who can afford meals, he knows not all kids have the same resources.

“I just think it’s better that every kid is always ensured a lunch throughout the day,” Hayden said after voting at ReelWorks Denver Tuesday evening.

Joey Chester, 30, an unaffiliated voter from Westminster, came to the polls with at least one thing in mind: school lunches.

Chester, who grew up in Aurora, voted “yes” on Proposition FF. He said he sees hope in the proposition.

“When I grew up, my mom gave us 40 bucks a month for school lunches, and I got lazy and would just burn it out and then have to make my own lunch finally for the rest of the year. I knew kids that didn’t always get meals, and I know things have gotten worse,” Chester said.

He added: “I hope it’s going to pass and the people that it’s going to tax are not going to be whiny about it.”

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.

PHOTO BY DEB HURLEY BROBST

Colorado is second state to legalize ‘magic mushrooms’

Measure passed by thin margin

BY JENNIFER BROWN THE COLORADO SUN

Ten years after legalizing the use and sale of marijuana, Colorado became only the second state in the U.S. to legalize the use of psilocybin mushrooms.

The ballot measure, Proposition 122, squeaked across the finish line as ballots were tallied the day after Election Day, receiving 51% of the vote.

Proponents called it a “truly historic moment.”

“Colorado voters saw the benefit of regulated access to natural medicines, including psilocybin, so people with PTSD, terminal illness, depression, anxiety and other mental health issues can heal,” co-proponents, Kevin Matthews and

Veronica Lightening Horse Perez said in emailed statement Wednesday evening.

Natural Medicine Colorado, which got Proposition 122 on the ballot, spent nearly $4.5 million to promote the measure. In contrast, the primary opposition, Protect Colorado’s Kids, raised about $51,000.

The measure will allow people 21 and older to grow and share psychedelic mushrooms, as well as create state-regulated centers where people could make appointments to consume psilocybin, the hallucinationinducing compound derived from psychedelic mushrooms. It calls for licensed “healing centers” to give clients mushrooms in a supervised setting, but — unlike marijuana — does not include an option for retail sales.

Once again, Colorado passed a drug measure that’s illegal under federal law. Psychedelic mushrooms became illegal in the U.S. in 1970 under the Controlled Substances Act.

Even with Proposition 122’s passage, psilocybin remains federally classified as a Schedule 1 controlled substance, like heroin, for which there is no current medical use.

Colorado became the first to legalize marijuana a decade ago, and is second only to Oregon in legalizing psilocybin.

Luke Niforatos, chairman of Protect Colorado’s Kids, said he was concerned as a parent and for Colorado’s public health.

“We now need to have a very frank and public conversation about who is in charge of medicine,” he said. “This is now the second time our state has rejected the FDA process.”

Niforatos, who is also executive vice president of the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions, said Colorado has allowed “billionaires, startups and entrepreneurs” to take control of medicine in this state instead of “scientists, medical doctors and the FDA.”

Niforatos said that if opponents of

the measure had been able to raise enough money to educate the public about the dangers of allowing the use of drugs with no regulated dosage amounts or prescriptions, Proposition 122 would have failed.

“We can’t compete with $4 million from out of state,” he said, adding that proponents of the measure and the psilocybin industry will benefit from its passage while his side had no payoff to entice big-money donors.

He’s also concerned that the opening of psychedelic healing centers and advertising of the drugs in cities across Colorado will normalize drug use among young people, leading to more teens using psilocybin. There is no opt-out provision in Prop 122 for cities and counties that do not want psychedelic healing centers, although cities and counties could enact rules about where the centers could open and their hours

SEE MUSHROOMS, P17

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How sober curiosity can turn into a lifestyle change

Movement has grown after influential book

BY DANA KNOWLES ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

Sydney Golden battled various unknown health issues for 20 years; everything from allergies, headaches, bloating, joint pain, fatigue, depression and anxiety. Visits to medical specialists didn’t give her any concrete answers and she was repeatedly told nothing was wrong with her.

“I would walk around as a healthylooking person, but I felt horrible,” Golden said.

Even though Golden was never a heavy drinker, she decided to make a lifestyle change and stop consuming alcohol four years ago, and the results were surprising. Golden emphasizes that even when she would have only one or two drinks, her body always felt it the next day, but not anymore.

“When I don’t drink, there’s no brain fog, there’s no lethargy, there’s no fatigue. There’s a totally different feeling,” she added, saying that her mood immediately improved. “I have motivation, I have no aches, I have no pains in my body. I have no more bloating, no more stomach issues. It’s just better for me.”

Caitlin Opland is a licensed clinical social worker who works for Thriveworks, a mental health com-

pany. Opland says over the last few months, she has been working with more and more clients who are on a similar journey of wanting to cut out alcohol, not because of a problem, but because they want explore a different way of living.

“I’ve had many clients come to me and say, ‘I don’t think it’s a problem, but …,’” she explained, adding that she typically asks clients what’s influencing their curiosity about sobriety and the possibility of no longer drinking. “Many people hesitate because they don’t want to have to label themselves as an alcoholic, but they still want to make a lifestyle change.”

The “Sober Curious” movement has grown in recent years after author Ruby Warrington published the book called “Sober Curious” in late 2018. A CivicScience survey published last month, shows a greater percentage of people report they are curious about living a sober lifestyle, from 12% in 2020 to 19% this year.

Opland feels that educating her clients about what’s considered too much alcohol according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA, helps people make more informed decisions. “The guide for healthy drinking limitsfor women is eight drinks a week and for men it is 15,” she added, saying that most people are surprised when she tells them. “That educational piece actually tips them over from being

curious to actually taking that first step.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, also says that even minimal amounts of alcohol of any kind increase a person’s risk for several types of cancer. “The benefits [of being alcohol-free] are it’s better for your kidneys, your liver, your skin. You’ll feel better, but you’ll also sleep better and eat better,” said Opland.

Opland added that one of the biggest barriers to people exploring an alcohol-free lifestyle is peer pressure from society itself.

“The media influences us, families influence us, holidays coming up influence us, work influences us,” Opland said.

Both Golden and Opland say the best advice they can give anyone who might be sober-curious is to start by setting boundaries.

“You can have a mocktail or a club soda,” said Golden. “It looks like a drink, in case you’re not ready to tell people you don’t want to drink anymore.”

“Is it a last family gathering? Is it Grandpa’s last visit? Do you actually want to go? Is it a champagne toast at a wedding where you can just put Sprite in the glass?” Opland added, explaining that she encourages her clients to ask themselves these types of questions. “Are there alterations to drinks so you can still participate? Sometimes the temptation is too big, and that’s okay.”

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.

Draft beer PHOTO COURTESY OF HOPS N DROPS

O er valid 11/17/2022-11/20/2022 in CO only.

Valid in-store, on the Total Wine app and at TotalWine.com. For in-store purchases, must present coupon at time of purchase. Limit one online code per customer. Not valid on previous purchases or deliveries. Cannot be combined with any other Total Wine & More wine coupon or discount.

Limit 6 btls PLU 8398

O er valid 11/17/2022-11/20/2022 in CO only.

Valid in-store, on the Total Wine app and at TotalWine.com. For in-store purchases, must present coupon at time of purchase. Limit one online code per customer. Not valid on previous purchases or deliveries. Cannot be combined with any other Total Wine & More spirits coupon or discount.

Limit 2 btls PLU 8401

O er valid 11/17/2022-11/20/2022 in CO only. Valid in-store, on the Total Wine app and at TotalWine.com. For in-store purchases, must present coupon at time of purchase. Limit one online code per customer. Not valid on previous purchases or deliveries. Cannot be combined with any other Total Wine & More wine coupon or discount. Limit 6 btls PLU 8398

O er valid 11/17/2022-11/20/2022 in CO only. Valid in-store, on the Total Wine app and at TotalWine.com. For in-store purchases, must present coupon at time of purchase. Limit one online code per customer. Not valid on previous purchases or deliveries. Cannot be combined with any other Total Wine & More wine coupon or discount.

Limit 6 btls PLU 8398

O er valid 11/17/2022-11/20/2022 in CO only.

Valid in-store, on the Total Wine app and at TotalWine.com. For in-store purchases, must present coupon at time of purchase. Limit one online code per customer. Not valid on previous purchases or deliveries. Cannot be combined with any other Total Wine & More spirits coupon or discount. Limit 2 btls PLU 8401

O er valid 11/17/2022-11/20/2022 in CO only.

Valid in-store, on the Total Wine app and at TotalWine.com. For in-store purchases, must present coupon at time of purchase. Limit one online code per customer. Not valid on previous purchases or deliveries. Cannot be combined with any other Total Wine & More spirits coupon or discount. Limit 2 btls PLU 8401

A look inside yearslong push to change how schools teach reading

BY ANN SCHIMKE CHALKBEAT COLORADO

A roomful of second graders spent a recent fall morning learning about a bossy mother named “Mama E” who follows her kids around reminding them to say their names.

The whimsical story was part of a phonics lesson at Denver’s Bradley International School. The point was that adding an “e” at the end of a word changes the first vowel from short to long — for example, pin becomes pine because the “i” says its name.

Teacher Megan Bobroske challenged the children sitting elbow to elbow on a rainbow striped rug in front of her — could Mama E live at the front of the word instead of the back? A little boy named Peter piped up: “She has to be at the end of the word.” he said. “Imagine if she’s on the front of the line, she’s going to be too busy saying her name.”

Peter and his classmates were learning a rule about the English language that they applied over and over that day — when reading and writing “hope,” “cute,” “tape,” and “slide.” Such lessons reflect both a districtwide and statewide shift in how children are taught to read in Colorado.

Gone by the wayside are reading programs that encourage children to figure out what a jumble of letters says by looking at the picture or using other clues to guess the word — a debunked strategy still used in

some popular reading curriculums. Now, there’s a greater emphasis on teaching the relationships between sounds and letters in a direct and carefully sequenced way. It’s part of the science of reading, a large body of knowledge about how children learn to read.

Some teachers are pleased with the new reading curriculums rolling out at their schools, but there are bumps, too — confusing technology, new ways of grouping students, or an overwhelming amount of material, to name a few.

The hope is that better curriculum materials combined with a recent statewide teacher training effort will transform reading instruction — and boost reading achievement — across Colorado.

“Those are definitely the biggies,” said Floyd Cobb, associate commissioner for student learning at the Colorado Department of Education.

But is it enough to propel a statewide reading turnaround? And if so, when?

Cobb said the timeline isn’t clear — in part because curriculum shifts are still underway in some districts and because the most immediate results will show up in routine K-3 reading assessments given by school districts rather than state tests given at the end of third grade. Scores from those routine assessments aren’t posted publicly in a central location like state test results are.

This year, about 41% of Colorado third graders scored at or above

grade level on state literacy tests, which combines reading and writing. While that proportion matches 2019 levels — a piece of good news after pandemic-era declines — it still means that tens of thousands of children are struggling with basic literacy skills.

Krista Spurgin, executive director of Stand for Children Colorado, said she believes the state’s curriculum and teacher training initiatives have changed the mindset about how reading should be taught in Colo-

rado.

“I’m really hopeful that in a couple years, we’ll start to see outcomes for third graders,” she said.

Big districts make the switch Colorado’s largest school districts, including Denver, Jeffco, Douglas County, Cherry Creek and Aurora, are among those phasing in new reading curriculum. A major state reading law passed in 2019 prompted the shift by requiring schools to

Leila reading about herself in the new children’s book.

use scientifically based reading programs in kindergarten through third grade.

Previously, Colorado schools were allowed to pick any reading program or none at all. Now, there are tighter guardrails in place — though districts can still pick from more than a dozen core programs. A year ago, state officials began enforcing the stricter curriculum rules, ordering a host of districts to replace unacceptable programs.

The move was unprecedented and some districts initially pushed back, arguing that they layered in state-approved programs with staterejected ones. State officials didn’t relent.

The second grade teachers at Bradley International knew something needed to change in early 2021, even before state oversight came into play. Their reading program at the time had big holes when it came to phonics. Often, if students got stuck, they were told to “look at picture clues and guess what would make sense or even just skip the word,” Bobroske said.

Lessons didn’t clearly state — and consistently review — how letters and sounds work together. She said, for example, that students might have learned part of the “Mama E’’ rule, without understanding that a consonant sound must occur between the vowel and the “e” at the end of the word. That omission would lead students to misapply the

rule and get frustrated when words didn’t make sense.

“Students did not have the tools to actually break down the words and there was a lot of guessing and hoping for the best,” she said.

Bradley’s second grade team began using the phonics portion of a new reading curriculum — Core Knowledge Language Arts — and saw impressive results. The following year, when the school piloted the whole program in some grades, Bobroske’s students made 1½ years worth of reading growth.

“It was crazy,” she said. “In all honesty, I’ve never seen anything like that happen before.”

Besides a stronger focus on phonics, new reading programs in Denver and some other districts include science and social studies-themed units meant to build students’ background knowledge about the world — an approach that helps students understand what they’re reading.

Molly Veliz, a Denver teacher who works with struggling readers at Marie L. Greenwood Early-8 school, said the knowledge-building units of Core Knowledge Language Arts have grabbed students’ attention.

“First graders can tell me every body system and how they work together and [they’re] using appropriate vocabulary,” she said.

Strengths and weaknesses

Ibeth Leon Ariza teaches at a dual language immersion school in western Colorado where all elementary students get both English and Spanish instruction. She said the old reading program included Spanish passages that were inauthentic translations and didn’t capture the

meaning conveyed in the English version. Leon Ariza, a native Spanish speaker from Colombia, tried to fix such shortcomings by substituting more appropriate vocabulary or modifying the stories.

She doesn’t have to do that now. The district’s new state-approved curriculum, Into Reading and its Spanish counterpart ¡Arriba La Lectura!, has better Spanish materials.

About half of all Colorado students identified as far below grade level in reading are also English learners, raising questions about whether schools are detecting weak reading skills or limited English proficiency, and whether students have access to appropriate instruction. A recent state audit of Colorado’s reading efforts flagged both issues and recommended changes.

While Leon Ariza generally likes her district’s new reading program, which rolled out last year, there are weaknesses too. She finds the online platform hard to navigate and said teachers can’t fit everything the lessons suggest into the daily reading block.

“We are still having struggles with time,” she said.

Along with the inevitable learning curve that comes with new curriculum, many Colorado schools continue to face a host of challenges that impact student learning, including staff turnover, residual COVID disruption, and family stress. Rocky Mountain Elementary in the Adams 12 district north of Denver is one of them.

“The historical story of our school is that it had been chronically underperforming for almost

a decade. I’m their fourth principal in 10 years,” said Principal Kate Vogel, who took the reins during the pandemic.

Last spring, nearly 40% of the school’s kindergarten through third grade students were significantly behind in reading. In addition, about half the school students are English learners and nearly 90% qualify for subsidized meals, a measure of poverty.

On a recent morning in Megan Neitzel’s classroom, third graders worked on writing a summary of “The Tale of King Midas,” which was one of the stories in their new curriculum, Benchmark Advance 2022. For some students, it was easy. One girl blazed through her retelling of the Greek myth to a visitor, correctly noting which part was the climax of the story and explaining the king’s bad choice. (He turned his daughter to gold.)

Meanwhile, other children struggled. In a small group gathered at a table around Neitzel, one boy asked “What’s a setting?” He also struggled to spell “castle.”

“Sound it out,” she said. “What do you hear?”

When the boy mumbled a non-response, she prompted him through it.

Neitzel likes the new curriculum so far — the way phonics and vocabulary are taught and because her students are excited about reading. Some bring their full-color workbooks home to read passages to younger brothers and sisters, she said.

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‘Spamalot’ parodies King Arthur’s realm

King Arthur’s court opens with giggles as Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora, unwraps its gift to holiday audiences with “Spamalot.” Performances run through Dec. 11: Friday/Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets: $20-$38. 303-8567830; vintagetheatre.org. (Lots of free parking available.)

SONYA’S SAMPLER

Firehouse Theater

Firehouse Theater will celebrate the holidays with “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley” by Lauren Gundeson and Margot Melcon. Director is Littleton’s Linda Suttle. A sequel to Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” set two years after the novel ends. Address: 7653 E. 1st Place, Denver. 303-562-3232, firehousetheatercompany.com.

Holiday Craft Show

Gifts galore: Colorado Community Media Holiday Craft Show and Mini-Market at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, 500 Fairgrounds Road, Castle Rock. Nov. 26, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Nov. 27, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. tgrimes@coloradocommunitymedia.com.

Benchmark Theatre

Running at Benchmark Theatre through Dec. 10: “The COVID Wife” by Douglas County’s Suzanne Nepi, based on her experiences while her husband was ill and how she started helping other affected families. Nepi and Tanis Joaquin Gonzales perform. 1560 Teller St., Lakewood; benchmarktheatre.com.

Andy Marquez

Andy Marquez photographs, including 15 new images, will be available online Nov. 15-17 at andymarquez.com.

CJRO

CJRO — the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra — with vocalist Marion Powers performs “Songs of the Season Past and Present” at 3 p.m. Dec. 4 at Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Parkway, Lakewood. Tickets start at$27. 303987-7845 or lakewood.org. Children 5 and over will enjoy this program.

Hudson Christmas

A Hudson Christmas returns to Hudson Gardens and Event Center, 6115 S. Santa Fe Drive, Littleton, on Nov. 25 and 26; and on Dec. 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 15-24, 26-31. Doors open at 5 p.m. Tickets can be redeemed anytime from 5 to 9 p.m. Dated tickets: Adult $15, age 4-12 $12, under4 free. hudsongardens.org.

Stories on Stage

“Making Merry” returns to Stories on Stage, with a visit from

COURTESY

actor Jamie Horton. Dec. 17, 2 p.m. Nomad Theater, Boulder; Dec. 18, King Center, Denver. Virtual premiere Dec. 18, 7 p.m. 303-494-0523, storiesonstage.org.

Sensory-friendly `Nutcracker’

Colorado Ballet will add a sensory-friendly performance of “The Nutcracker” on Nov. 27 at 5:30 p.m. Tickets: $20-$40, coloradoballet. org, 303-837-8888, ext. 2.

Curtis Center

Curtis Center for the Arts at 2349 E. Orchard Road, Greenwood Village, continues its “Instructors Showcase” exhibit through Dec. 22. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. 303-797-1779, greenwoodvillage.com/curtis.

Botanic gardens

“Blossoms of Light” continues nightly through Jan. 7 at Denver Botanic Gardens York Street garden and “Trail of Lights” is open Fridays through Sundays Nov. 25 to Jan. 1 at Chatfi eld Farms in Littleton. Combine with a visit to Littleton Main Street for extra sparkle. See botanicgardens.org for details.

Michelangelo

Cherry Creek Shopping Center hosts an exhibit of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel artwork through Jan. 15, with an audio tour guide available. Ticketed. shopcherrycreek.com.

Denver Art Museum

Coming to the Denver Art Museum: “Speaking With Light: Contemporary Indigenous Photography,” which focuses on Native voices and perspectives. Ticketed. Opens Feb. 19. denvertartmuseum. org.

College gallery

“Shared Visions” runs through Jan. 19 at Colorado Gallery of the Arts at Arapahoe Community College. Closed Nov. 21-25 and Dec. 22-Jan. 2. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays. Collaboration between Colorado Center for the Blind and ACC Art Students. Free. 5900 S. Santa Fe Drive, Littleton.

Cole Henson, Mike Martinkus, Markus Warren and Eric Crawford are among performers in “Spamalot” at Aurora’s Vintage Theatre through Dec. 11.

PHOTO

Thu 11/24

Sun 11/27

18th Annual Turkey ROCK Trot

@ 7:30am / $40

Douglas County Events Center, 500 Fairgrounds Road, Castle Rock. jason@runtochange lives.org, 303-907-5410

Twenty Hands High: Black Friday Blowout

@ 7pm

Pindustry, 7939 E Arapahoe Rd, Centennial

Polo Urias - Los Norteños de Ojinaga - Del Rancho Al Norte @ 9pm / $50

Stampede, 2430 South Havana, Aurora

Sat 11/26

Parker Parks and Recreation

Turkey Day 5K FUN Run/Walk

@ 8am / $30

17301 E Lincoln Ave., Parker

Gobble Wobble Run

@ 8:30am / $30

7306 W Bowles Ave, Littleton

Immersive Monet & The Impressionists - Denver @ 11am

Lighthouse Denver, 3900 Elati Street, Den‐ver

Andrew Callaghan

@ 7pm

Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom, 2637 Welton St, Denver

Fri 11/25

The Black Friday Showcase

Hosted By Sly Tha Deuce - 16 AND UP

@ 7pm / $15

Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St, Denver

Chase Bryant

@ 8pm / $22

Grizzly Rose, 5450 North Valley Highway, Denver

Santa Clause and the Colorado Community Media Craft Show @ 10am

Nov 26th - Nov 27th

Douglas County Fairgrounds, 500 Fairgrounds Road, Castle Rock. tgrimes@coloradocommunity media.com, 520-909-4882

Collabratory Holiday Qoncert - 16 AND UP

@ 7pm / $15

Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St, Denver

Firehouse Theater Company's "Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley"

@ 7:30pm / $12.50

John Hand Theater, 7653 E. 1st Place, Denver

Hype 90s & 2000s Dance Party @ 9pm / $24-$28

Ophelia's Electric Soapbox, 1215 20th St, Denver

The Immersive NutcrackerDenver

@ 10:30am

Mon 11/28

Ryan

Friends of Chamber Music Denver: Friends of Chamber Music presents Junction (JCT) Trio @ 7:30pm Newman Center for the Performing Arts, 2344 E Iliff Ave, Denver

Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Place, Denver

Alice 105.9's Alice In Winterland with OneRepublic @ 6:30pm / $59.50-$89.50

Fillmore Auditorium (Denver), 1510 Clark‐son, Denver

OneRepublic @ 6:30pm

Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 Clarkson St, Denver

Trash., Mr. Atomic, Scuffed @ 8pm / $15

The Black Buzzard at Oskar Blues, 1624 Market St, Denver

Financial control and domestic abuse

Financial control is used by domestic abusers to gain power in a relationship.

It is a tactic that controls a victim’s ability to maintain monetary independence. Those who are victimized financially may be prevented from working and may have their own money restricted or stolen by the manipulator.

As CEO of Warren Village, a Denver-based organization that offers transitional housing for single-parent families who are experiencing homelessness or are unstably housed, I want to take this opportunity to talk about ways our nonprofit helps those coping with the aftereffects of living in an abusive relationship.

Denver has had 1,651 domestic

violence crimes reported so far this year, an average of 169.6 per month. Each of these cases represent a victim living in fear and financial insecu-

Claire was one such case who lived in our 92-apartment housing facility on Gilpin Street

Prior to her stay at Warren Village, Claire experienced domestic violence for seven-and-a-half years. Eventually, she was determined to find a place where she could excel as a student and as a

mother. So she made the difficult decision to leave the abusive situation with her young son, and here at Warren Village, she felt safe and comforted from being around other single parents facing similar challenges.

Claire graduated from Colorado State University with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 2011.

Claire’s success story illustrates how the counseling work of our staff supports people who are often dealing with such traumatic and controlling behavior.

Our Family Services staff focuses on financial independence with residents who have experienced domestic violence. They work with them to find jobs that pay a living wage.

Warren Village is a nonprofit and we always need your help to support the families who come to our facilities so we can continue providing safe, consistent and affordable housing for people such as Claire.

So whether you are interested in rolling up your sleeves and volunteering, making a monetary donation, or attending, sponsoring, or hosting an event, your contribution is more than a gift. It is an investment in our community as a whole.

Choose to support Warren Village this Colorado Gives day on Dec. 6.

Ethan Hemming is the president and CEO of Warren Village.

To love my children

Ihad that dream again.

I was shopping for my son in a children’s clothing store. As I looked through the different racks, thinking about which items he would want or need, I suddenly realized there was no point, because my son was dead.

Each time I found something in his size that I thought he’d like and went to pull it off the rack, I stopped myself because it was only then that I remembered that my son died (he was dead in the dream, not in real life). Then I’d somehow forget he died and keep shopping. But every time I pulled a piece of clothing from the rack, I’d have that sudden shock of remembrance happen over and over again. After going through this cycle five or so times, I eventually resigned myself to a seat by the changing rooms in the back of the store and sobbed uncontrollably.

Then I woke up.

It was the middle of the night. I knew my son was alive and well, but I still felt the intense emotion of losing him. I would never get back to sleep while being so emotional so I decided to do what I would wish I could do if he died - I crept into his room, climbed into his bed and snuggled next to him while gently laying my hand on his back. It felt so good to hear his

strong breath and feel his warmth. The reassurance that he was alive and with me was finally what lulled

This dream had a profound impact on me because I’ve been mulling a question over in my mind for a few

What does it really mean to love

Countless times I’ve heard, “just love them” from media, on the playground and from friends and

But I am so wary of this phrase when there’s so much harm and abuse done in the name of “love”.

As parents, we spank our children in the name of “love”.

We shame their food choices in the name of “love”.

We shame them for being gay out of “love”.

We argue and show immense disappointment when they leave the faith, we taught them out of “love”.

We criticize their every move out of “love”.

We pressure them to get good grades, practice their sport or instrument out of “love”.

But we also protect them from unhealthy friends… or don’t, out

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher

lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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

THELMA GRIMES South Metro Editor tgrimes@coloradocommunitymedia.com

of “love”.

We monitor their media use… or don’t, out of “love”.

We make them go to school… or don’t, out of “love”.

We keep them from drugs and alcohol... or teach them how to use them, out of “love”.

We get them vaccinated… or don’t, out of “love”.

What tactics are reasonable to encourage them to make choices I see as healthy? What is reasonable to prevent them from making choices I see as dangerous? And which ones are borderline abusive?

And does loving my kids mean I am at their beck and call, even when I don’t want to be?

Using the L-word doesn’t teach me what to do.

From my own experience, my response to any questioning of my parenting techniques has always been because I “love” them.

But as I self-reflect, that’s not exactly true.

When I yell, it’s because I have no more patience for their behavior. I don’t care about best practices to get them to stop, I just want them to stop. That’s not love, it’s control.

When I constantly demean what they find as funny, it’s not because I love them, it’s because I’m embarrassed by them.

When I refuse to be happy with any grade less than an “A”, it’s not love, it’s my ego.

And then there are many, many

CHRISTY STEADMAN Editor csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com

ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

times where I just need a nap. So, whatever keeps them safe and quiet is what they’ll get, whether it’s healthy or not.

I’m suspicious of anyone who begins an answer to these questions with the words,

“It’s simple, you just…”.

Because it’s not simple. Parenting is anything but simple. It’s a delicate balance that requires constant self-reflection, intense self-awareness and continuing education.

But my dream/nightmare this week taught me something:

At the end of the day, if I end up being one of the unlucky parents who has to bury her child, what will I regret? What can I do today that will help soothe the bitterness of that loss?

These new questions have become my north star in managing how to “love” my children.

No matter their choices, no matter their mistakes, at the end of every day, I will put all of my frustrations behind me, and I will cherish them. I will hold them with my arms and with my eyes and “will” them to feel my joy for them simply existing.

At the end of the day, I will err on celebrating how far they’ve come rather than how far they must go.

Columnists & Guest Commentaries

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

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

Email letters to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Deadline Wed. for the following week’s paper.

Denver Herald-Dispatch (ISSN 1542-5797)(USPS 241-760) A legal newspaper of general circulation in Denver, Colorado, the Herald-Dispatch 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

Stacey Carruth is a mother of four who lives in Arapahoe County.

What does that really mean?

Vegan swaps for Thanksgiving

Twelve years ago, my life changed after reading a book by Kim Barnouin. Tears streamed down my cheeks after reading behind-the-scenes reports from undercover journalists revealing the horrifying treatment of animals on factory farms. I am certain that I had just eaten a chicken sandwich for dinner prior to my nightly reading. But that night, I decided to go vegan cold turkey. I didn’t know what being vegan would be like, but that information upset me so deeply, I wanted to do everything I could to not contribute to the mistreatment of animals anymore.

And so my vegan journey began. At first, I didn’t know a thing about cooking because everything I ate came from a box, bag or from the freezer. Without meat as a main, what would I eat? I had to un-learn everything I’d known about food. At the time, I lived in Cleveland with family, including a self-proclaimed “carnivore” uncle who ate the typical midwestern diet of steak and potatoes. Family poked fun

GUEST COLUMN Elicia Hesselgrave

at my sensitive nature, which made holidays especially uncomfortable, but my conviction remained unwavered.

I remember my first Thanksgiving as a vegan. We gathered at my grandmother’s home and I offered to bring a dish to share, but she would not allow it. So, I came prepared with my own hummus and veggies and sat proudly with my unique, but simple plate of animal-friendly foods. I laugh now, thinking back on that holiday as I was so new to veganism and still learning my way around the kitchen. My cooking skills have grown significantly, and I have made many vegan Thanksgiving meals since, mostly from scratch.

A vegan-friendly Thanksgiving isn’t all that hard to accomplish if you’re willing to have a bit of patience and do a little research. As interest in veganism has increased, so has the market for plant-based, animal-free products. A vegan novice these days won’t face as many

challenges as I did and so many others before me.

I challenge you to try these vegan swaps.

Rather than using our feathered turkey friend as the main dish, opt for one of these vegan alternatives: Field Roast brand Celebration Roast, Gardein’s Holiday Roast or the most affordable Turkey-less Stuffed Roast from Trader Joe’s.

Daiya makes a good packaged vegan and gluten free macaroni and cheese, but I recommend this recipe: The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese (Classic, Baked) found on Loving It Vegan. (lovingitvegan. com/baked-vegan-mac-and-cheese)

Most homemade dinner rolls are “accidentally vegan,” but here’s a tried and true recipe: Vegan Dinner Rolls found on Nora Cooks. (noracooks.com/vegan-dinner-rolls)

For mashed potatoes, follow a traditional recipe, but swap out the dairy for vegan options. I like unsweetened soy or almond milk — I would avoid coconut milk as it can add a hint of sweetness. As for butter, the number of plant-based but-

Thank a veteran

Each year we celebrate Veterans Day on Nov. 11, but the appreciation we should be showing service men and women goes so far beyond one day. These men and women did not just serve our country in a military compacity. Many of these men and women also work hard to make communities nationwide better.

These men and women can often be found participating in volunteer opportunities and clubs to donate time and skills and to raise funds for a variety of community improvements such as scholarships and betterment.

Every year, as I meet more veterans in my personal and professional life, I am always proud of the dedication these men and women show to the towns they live and the country they love.

Veterans are some of the country’s most dedicated citizens. They carry a heavy burden, especially those who have been in war, and they oftentimes still want to help others.

One of the veterans I often pay tribute to this time of year is my own dad. I have written in this space before that while I am in my 40s and he is in his 70s, it is only recently that I have gotten to know and understand him a lot better.

He served in Vietnam, serving aboard a helicopter with the sole purpose of landing and picking up wounded American soldiers. Serving as a gunner on that aircraft could not have been easy. The things he must have seen. One can only imagine.

It was only last year that he told me that is what he did in the war. In a more recent conversation, I asked him what it was like coming home. He talked about the

EDITOR’S COLUMN

anger of a nation toward a controversial war and the soldiers who had fought in it.

story and to this day think about the strength it took for him to sit and talk to me that hour that day.

Our veterans are honored members of our community and I hope we can

ters has grown significantly since I became vegan. I have tried most of them and Miyoko’s brand has the closest flavor notes as dairy butter, but is often the most expensive.

My favorite Thanksgiving dish is stuffing, and this is my go-to recipe: Vegan Cornbread Stuffing (GF) found on Jessica in the Kitchen. (jessicainthekitchen.com/glutenfree-cornbread-stuffing-recipevegan)

For dessert, if you want to buy packaged pies, many of Marie Callender’s pies are “accidentally vegan,” including the Dutch Apple Pie, Lattice Apple and Peach Pies. Whole Foods typically sells vegan pumpkin pies. Top your pie with dairy-free ice creams, truwhip or cocowhip. I would avoid the spray cans as my experience has not been so positive in the past.

However you celebrate, and whatever you celebrate, I hope you enjoy.

Elicia Hesselgrave is a vegan, animal-lover and contributor for Colorado Community Media.

thank them more than just one day a year.

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

Estate Planning for the Holidays!

Thelma Grimes

He talked about the stress of not always being supported for one of the toughest things he would ever do in his life. When I asked how he dealt with it emotionally, he looked me straight in the eyes and said, “You didn’t. You just learned to bury it inside and move on with life.”

The sadness I felt in the moment was strong — knowing that when my dad was a young adult, he saw things no one should have to see, and then was told by society to bury it and forget about it.

I respect that my dad buried it. He and my mom raised me and my brothers. He worked hard. My work ethic definitely comes from him.

But what might have happened if he talked about the experience, got it out in the open and dealt with it? Would he have been different as we grew up?

Did we take something from him and other soldiers by not helping them focus and address it?

As a journalist, I have sat down with many veterans and active military over the years. I have interviewed a general, young soldiers and older. I am always honored when they are willing to open up to me about what they gained and lost in service.

During the Iraq War, I will never forget a young soldier in his 20s telling me that he lost more friends in his young adult life than he had fingers. I told his

It’s that time of year where most of us will wind down by spending time with loved ones, sipping hot cocoa, and overeating until the point of exhaustion. All of this before we ring in the New Year! The average American will travel on average 214 miles for Thanksgiving, and 275 miles for Christmas. With the holidays quickly approaching, make sure your affairs are in order!

All that long distance travels means that the risk of any accident or injury go up tremendously. That’s why we at Davis Schilken P.C., want you to be sure that your family is taken care of in the event of tragedy.

Its important to remember that our Estate Plans will ALWAYS change. With that in mind, there is almost no better time to make sure your changes are made than before the holidays. Things you might consider are: • Changes in Distribution Patterns • Changes to your Will • Changes to your Trust • Updated Powers of Attorney • Accurate HIPAA Authorizations • Airtight

Living Wills

Proper Asset Funding

It’s never too early to review your plans, please don’t wait until it’s too late. Whatever your goals are, let the Davis Schilken, PC team help you achieve them! It’s important to remember that setting up an effective Estate Plan is one of the only ways to ensure that you and your loved ones are taken care of were something to happen to you or your family.

With a properly established and funded Estate Plan, we can ensure that you have the ability to give what you want, to whom you want, when you want, the way you want. During that process we can help you save money on every court cost, legal fee, professional fee, and tax fee legally possible.

Estate planning is never about how much you have, but how much you care about what you have.

Contact the Davis Schilken, PC team with any of your Estate Planning needs (303)6709855. We offer no obligation in person or virtual meetings. We make estate planning simple!

Visit our comprehensive website for more tools www.dslawcolorado.com

Davis Schilken, PC – Let our deep experience meet your heartfelt goals!

Celebrating Native American Indian Heritage Month

BY ELICIA HESSELGRAVE SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

The Denver area today is a hub for Native Americans.

It was approximately between 1945 and 1965 when Native Americans found Denver to be a desirable place to find work, said Cheryl Crazy Bull, president of the Denver-based American Indian College Fund. This time period is known as the Relocation and Termination period, when Native Americans were removed from reservations and relocated to urban areas, Crazy Bull said.

Awareness of the plight of Native American communities rose in the 1960s and `70s, and this included concern for the lack of representation and visibility of tribal members in every corner of American life, Crazy Bull said.

“We saw a desire in Native American communities to create pathways for more people in public to see us,” Crazy Bull said. “Native American Heritage Month and Indigenous Peoples’ Day emerged out of a desire for that kind of visibility.”

In 1990, President George H. W. Bush established Native American Indian Heritage Month, which is celebrated every November.

“Native American Indian Heritage Month is a focused educational time,” Crazy Bull said.

‘Our own way of knowing the world’ Crazy Bull grew up in South Dakota and takes pride in being a citizen of the Sicangu Lakota nation, part of the Seven Council Fires. Each of the Council Fires is made up of individual tribal bands, based on kinship, dialect and geographic proximity.

“Indigenous people have our own way of knowing the world and our own knowledge system focusing on kinship and relationships,” Crazy Bull said. “We believe in generosity and industriousness, and being responsible in our actions and the gifts that people bring to us in their talent.”

How to celebrate Native American Heritage Month

The American Indian College Fund offers a number of ways to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. It begins with Indige-Bration, an exclusive virtual concert. The celebration continues with a month-long Facebook challenge that includes a Walk and Learn event, an instructional social dance video, book clubs, watch parties and panels. Crazy Bull will cap the celebration month with a live discussion.

A Native American dancer performs during the American Indian College Fund’s Indigenous culinary event on June 15.

PHOTO BY CHRISTY STEADMAN

Recognizing Native Americans during

in November is a pathway to honoring Indigenous people yearround

Thanksgiving

“A lot of people have come to learn that the history behind Thanksgiving dinner (and) the stories we learned in school, are not exactly correct,” said NancyJo Houk, chief marketing and development officer for the American Indian College Fund. “I think it’s wonderful that people are starting to hear and understand that the truth behind the story of Thanksgiving isn’t what we all thought that it was.”

Houk said there are ways to celebrate the holiday while also honoring Native Americans. She suggests reciting a land recognition or incorporating a traditional native dish to the meal. The college fund also provides resources of accurate history to share and discuss during the meal.

Beyond Native American Heritage Month

The idea is that Indigenous people will be honored beyond the month of November. That starts with research and self-education, Crazy Bull said. Her suggestions include taking advantage of opportunities to meet people of different cultures at social gatherings, work or club meetings. She said to also pay close attention to how Native American people are represented in schools, and take note of historical references in coursework to ensure there is representation of Indigenous peoples, Crazy Bull said.

Additionally, the Front Range boasts many nonprofits that serve Indigenous communities across the U.S. that people can learn more about. For example, the American Indian Science and Engineering Society on the University of Colorado-Denver campus and the American Indian Academy of Denver. And, there’s the Native American Rights Fund based in Boulder and Longmont’s First Nations Development Institute.

There’s also the American Indian Academy of Denver, a free charter school focused on studentdriven STEAM curriculum that was established to support Native American and Latinx students.

It provides a “learning in an environment where children get a lot of opportunity to honor their Indigenious community,” Crazy Bull said.

Also in Denver, the city and county’s Commission of Indian Affairs “strives to support visibility of Native people in Denver, and also legislation,” Crazy Bull said, adding that “Colorado itself has passed some laws that were really important, like banning mascots, (and) legislation supporting tuition support of members of tribes.”

For the arts, Crazy Bull points to the North American Indian Cultures exhibition hall at the Denver Museum of Nature &

Science and the Denver Art Museum’s Indigenous Arts of North America gallery. Both offer opportunities to experience Native American culture any time of the year.

Another resource is the NativeLands app, which helps people discover what lands were the traditional homes of specific Indengous peoples.

Other suggestions to celebrate and honor Native Americans include learning how to cook traditional native foods and supporting Native American-owned businesses, such as Denver’s own Tocabe, an American Indian eatery. There are also volunteer opportunities with organizations such as the Denver Indian Resource Center, the Denver Indian Center or Spirit of the Sun.

“In the U.S., there’s this practice of trying to celebrate diversity in framed ways, so Native American Heritage Month is an example of that social practice of drawing attention to groups of people by setting aside time for them to be recognized,” Crazy Bull said.

“But we are here everyday. And we view Native American Heritage Month as just an opportunity to showcase the different accomplishments and different challenges Native Americans face.”

To learn more about the American Indian College Fund, visit collegefund.org.

Cheryl Crazy Bull is a citizen of the Sicangu Lakota nation and serves as the president and CEO of the American Indian College Fund. COURTESY PHOTO

Children facing early, intense respiratory virus season

Health o cials concerned

BY JENNIFER BROWN THE COLORADO SUN

An alarming number of Colorado children with the respiratory virus called RSV are filling emergency rooms and intensive care beds as the state experiences an “early and intense” start to the flu season, state health officials and Children’s Hospital Colorado warned.

“It’s truly like nothing we’ve ever seen before at Children’s Hospital Colorado,” said Dr. Kevin Carney, a pediatric emergency physician and Children’s associate chief medical officer.

The hospital’s in-patient and ICU beds across the state are operating at or above maximum capacity, and emergency room and urgent care visits for respiratory illness are 30% higher than the busiest days of a normal flu season, which typically runs January through March.

Children’s is now postponing surgeries and other procedures in order to have the staff and space to treat children with RSV, the flu and COVID-19, he said.

Statewide, there’s a shortage of available pediatric intensive care beds, according to state health department officials who joined Children’s Hospital for a news conference. The number of available pediatric beds has hovered between zero and 5 the last several weeks,

instead of the typical average of 22 open beds.

Children’s Hospital and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment held the news conference to warn parents and urge vaccinations after watching levels, especially for RSV, spike in recent weeks.

“What’s different this year is how early and severe this reference respiratory season has been for the children in our community,” Carney said. “Our emergency departments are seeing a record volume of patients.”

While RSV, which stands for respiratory syncytial virus, causes mild symptoms in most people, it can cause severe illness or even death in young children and older adults. Of the 554 people who have been hospitalized in the Denver area in the last few weeks, 95% were children. Health officials have counted 144 outbreaks statewide at schools and child care centers.

Infants and children under age 2 are most at risk for dangerous cases of RSV, as are people over age 65 or with lung issues. Colorado is seeing “unprecedented levels” of RSV transmission, said state epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy.

She asked people to get vaccinated, both for the flu and COVID-19, and to stay home if they are sick, even with mild symptoms.

“A mild infection in me or you can translate to a life-threatening infection to a young child or an older

adult,” she said.

The flu, COVID and RSV are all different illnesses, but it’s possibly for people to have more than one at the same time. The symptoms of RSV are runny nose, decrease in appetite, coughing, sneezing, fever and wheezing, which can make it difficult for parents to tell the difference between RSV, the flu and COVID.

The COVID-19 pandemic “disrupted” regular patterns for the respiratory virus season, pushing it back to early fall rather than winter. While the reasons aren’t entirely understood, it’s partly due to the health precautions taken during the pandemic —including isolation and masks — that also suppressed transmission of other respiratory illnesses, Herlihy said.

Health officials are seeing RSV spread during the summer and increase in the fall, and last year, saw an uptick in flu transmission late into the spring — both unusual timelines, she said.

“We really don’t fully understand, but it’s very clear that the pandemic has been disruptive to how these viruses are spread and when they’re spread,” Herlihy said.

Hospitalization numbers for influenza are still lower than typical

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peak levels, but they are higher at this point in the season than the most severe flu season on record in Colorado, which was in 2017-18, she said. Health officials said they are unsure when the illness might peak.

The number of doses of influenza vaccine given this year in Colorado are on par with 2021, but lower than 2020 levels, said Scott Bookman, director of public health response for the state health department.

“So we do have an opportunity here to increase our influenza vaccination rates as we head into this flu season,” he said.

Children’s Hospital officials encouraged parents to first check with their pediatrician if they are unsure whether their child needs to go to the emergency room. The state health department, meanwhile, is spreading word about the uptick in RSV and flu to schools, preschools and child care facilities.

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.

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 nonpartisan journalism. It covers everything

from politics and culture to the outdoor industry and education.

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

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Health o cials expect an early, long season for flus and respiratory viruses for kids.

FROM

was given a bilingual — English and Spanish — copy of “A Surprise for Rabbit,” which is a storybook written by Denise Vega.

Inside the Orchestra lined up a lot of talent to help with the show. The Lighthouse Writers Workshop and the Art Students League of Denver were partners for the program. Illustrations were provided by Kristina Maldonado Bad Hand and Leah Stephenson. Charles Denler, an Emmy Award-winning composer, created the orchestral score. The Hannah Kahn Dance Company choreographed the dancers. Local character actor Brian Kusic played the character of the rabbit. Storyteller Iliana Lucero Barron from the Denver Center for the Performing Arts was also involved.

“The cool thing about Inside the Story programs is it’s part of an original work we did with other organizations,” Mattingly said. “So the concerts will be focused on reading this storybook while the musicians play an original symphony written for the book.”

Also planned are holiday concerts set for Dec. 10, 17 and 18, with two performances of Christmas music each day.

Teaching artists will narrate the programs thanks to a partnership with DCPA. Circus Foundry will supply break dancers during a song from “The Nutcracker.”

MUSHROOMS

FROM PAGE 5

of operation.

Proposition 122 also will allow facilities to expand to three plantbased psychedelics in 2026. Those are ibogaine, from the root bark of an iboga tree; mescaline, which is from cacti; and dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, a natural compound found in plants and animals. Mental health centers and substance abuse treatment clinics also could seek licenses to offer psychedelic treatment.

The natural medicines, used to treat anxiety and depression, are obtained now through friends who grow them or from underground “trip guides” who sit with clients during a psychedelic experience, then help them process afterward.

Three years ago, Denver residents voted to decriminalize psychedelic

Inside the Orchestra was founded in 1958 and raised grant money for music education programs. The organization’s leaders later saw a need for more active versions for children, leading to its first season in 1985. Today, the organization presents programming all over the Denver area for in-person events and also offers online programming.

Cassandra Tompkin has brought her 2-year-old daughter Emery to several performances and looks forward to when her 1-year-old son Gavin can join them at these events.

“The four that we’ve taken her (Emery) to, she’s really had fun at every one,” Tompkin said.

“We stayed after and have been some of the last people to leave because she’s standing there and watching the clarinet, oboe and harp.”

Tompkin said she would love for her daughter to play an instrument someday.

“If she’s not interested, that’s fine — I won’t push her. But I do want her to have an appreciation for music, for her to understand music outside of current popular music,” Tompkin said.

“Overall, I really love Inside the Orchestra, and they do a lot more with schools and community groups beyond what I have experienced.”

TO LEAN MORE

To learn more about Inside the Orchestra, visit insidetheorchestra.org.

mushrooms, making possession a low priority for law enforcement.

With the passage of Proposition 122, Gov. Jared Polis has until Jan. 31 to appoint 15 members to the National Medicine Advisory Board, which will report to the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.

The board’s first recommendations are due by Sept. 30, and regulated access to psilocybin would become available in late 2024. Then by June 2026, the state Department of Regulatory Agencies could expand access to the three other plant-based psychedelics.

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.

for power outages today

Maldonado Bad Hand and Leah

Fewer metro area property owners are challenging assessments

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

As home prices in the counties around Denver shot up over the last decade, tens of thousands of residents argued officials incorrectly estimated the values of homes and other properties. They demanded their taxes be reduced. But that trend, practically a rite in some regions, reversed in recent years. Challenges filed with county assessors declined as homeowners apparently acknowledged the rising cost of real estate.

“People today understand that values have been going up dramatically,” said Scot Kersgaard, the Jefferson County assessor. “Day after day, week after week, it’s been in the newspaper constantly.”

The news is also on websites, like Zillow, Redfin and Trulia, which track the value of homes. But the last word on the value of those homes, as far as the government is concerned, belongs to Kersgaard’s office. His office determines how much homeowners will owe government entities in taxes.

For years, rises in those taxes have led to lines at county offices and stacks of filings as property owners submit protests against assessors’ valuations.

In 2013, Jefferson County saw about 5,700 protests. That number reached about 11,200 in 2017, but fell to 7,200 in 2021.

Acceptance of the realities of rising prices is a theory as to why protests are declining. Kersgaard said local policies to make more information accessible could have played a role.

“In Jeffco, we’ve done things that have been designed frankly to reduce (protests),” Kersgaard said.

But the trend seen in Jefferson County is mirrored in the other

counties surrounding Denver, according to annual reports from the state Division of Property Taxation.

In Adams County, there were about 2,600 protests in 2013, 11,200 in 2017 and 6,000 in 2021.

In Arapahoe County, there were about 4,800 protests in 2013, 9,200 in 2019 and 4,700 in 2021.

In Douglas County, there were about 5,200 protests in 2013, 7,200 in 2019 and 4,700 in 2021.

It is unclear exactly what is driving recent declines in protests.

The idea that property owners are more resigned to the realities of the real estate market is a common one.

“The real estate market is on fire,” said Corbin Sakdol, a former Arapahoe County assessor and executive director of the Colorado Assessors’ Association.

‘Agnostic about taxes’

Another factor could be approach. Kersgaard said when he came into office, he told his staff

not to be lenient with protests.

“What I tell them is if we get the value right, defend the (protest),” Kersgaard said. “Don’t just give them something so they go away. If we’re wrong, grant it.”

The staff was “delighted that I had their back,”he added.

Kersgaard estimates that around 3%-5% of people file appeals in any given year. If an assessor’s office grants an appeal that isn’t justified, “then you’re punishing the other 95% of people who didn’t file appeals.”

A slightly higher share of the tax burden would fall on those who didn’t get a break in taxes, he added.

Kersgaard is a Democrat, a party that’s often accused by Republicans of being pro-taxation. But he said party politics don’t drive his work.

“I tell people when I’m campaigning, ‘Yes. I’m a Democrat, but when I walk into the office I become a technocrat,’” Kersgaard said.

He said the process is intricate. Local bodies, such as school districts, are able to establish tax rates, but assessors must deter-

mine the fair values of the properties that rates are applied to.

“I’m totally agnostic about taxes,” he said.

Sakdol, the former Arapahoe County assessor, served as a Republican. He thinks Democrats and Republicans tend to handle assessment protests the same way.

“My experience with assessors across the state of Colorado, they’re most interested in making sure the value is correct,” Sakdol said.

Sakdol’s successor, PK Kaiser, a Democrat who took office in 2019, also said politics don’t drive assessments.

“We look at the protest and see what information is provided and reject (or) adjust the values based on the information provided,” said Kaiser, who was on track to win reelection by a large margin as of Nov. 10.

Gary Salter, a 60-year-old homeowner in unincorporated Jefferson County south of Lakewood, bought his home in 1999. He remembers filing six or seven protests since the early 2000s.

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Home values have been a source of contention between assessors and citizens for years but decreased recently. However, market fluctuations could increase tensions again.

SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

VALUE

“They lowered (the value) every single time,” said Salter, who has noticed no differences across assessors.

New tech may help understanding

During Kersgaard’s term, the Jefferson assessor office updated its website so people can view a map that shows recent property sales in their neighborhoods and see how they compare to their own houses. His office made the upgrade around early 2021.

Kersgaard guessed that type of technology may be a reason why some Denver metro counties have seen protests decline.

“People can look at their house and look at the other houses that are sold in their neighborhood and go, ‘Wow, we’re not actually overvalued,’” Kersgaard said.

Kaiser’s office in Arapahoe also created a map online so people can see how assessed property values have changed near where they live or in other areas.

But given that the decline in protests has occurred in so many counties, “some of it is just driven by the market” and that people today may better understand that home prices have been rising dramatically, Kersgaard said.

Since the start of 2010 — when the median single-family home price in metro Denver was about $200,000 — the median price has roughly tripled, according to a report by the Colorado Association of Realtors based on data as of this August. Statewide, it had tripled as well, according to the association.

Are politics at play?

Some Jefferson County protests arise simply because people are unhappy that their taxes are so high, said Kersgaard, who took office in 2019. (He was also on track to win reelection by a large margin as of Nov. 10.)

The public often doesn’t understand the assessor doesn’t decide tax rates.

The assessor’s job is to establish

accurate values of all properties — residential, commercial, agricultural, vacant land and more — in his or her county, a process meant to ensure that the amount of taxes property owners pay is fair and equitable.

Property taxes partly fund county governments, but they also fund school districts, fire and library districts, other local entities, and cities and towns.

Unless residents “go to their fire district meeting and their school board meeting and their county commissioners, they really don’t have any recourse,” Kersgaard said.

Another confusing wrinkle: Assessors’ offices do their work based on the value of properties as of June 30 of the prior year — they don’t report those values until the following May.

So the assessed value a homeowner receives isn’t based on the property’s current value, Sakdol said.

Assessor’s offices look at sale prices of homes in the same area to determine the value for a given property, Sakdol said.

Protests could swing back up

Rising home prices amid the economic disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic could be informing homeowners about market trends, Kersgaard said.

“They’ll see it’s not just the assessor’s office that says their value is going up,” Kersgaard said.

Kersgaard acknowledges the impact of higher assessed values can hit some people hard, like retirees on fixed incomes.

And while home prices might see a slowdown, increases from the assessors office may still be on the upswing. That’s because valuations from assessors are based on data that lags roughly by a year, Sakdol said.

“They’re looking at what was the value of your property as of June 30, 2022,” Sakdol said. “However, they don’t report those values until May 2023.”

That means assessors could be busy next year as homeowners attempt to control those costs through protests.

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Legals

Metro Districts Budget Hearings

Public Notice

NOTICE AS TO PROPOSED 2022 AMENDED BUDGETS AND THE 2023 BUDGETS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that amended 2022 and proposed 2023 budgets have been submitted to Denver Rock Drill Metropolitan District. A copy of such proposed budgets have been filed at the office of Pinnacle Consulting Group, Inc., 550 West Eisenhower Blvd., Loveland, Colorado 80537, where the same is open for public inspec tion. The Board of Directors will consider the adop tion of the proposed budgets of the District at a Special Meeting of Denver Rock Drill Metropolitan District to be held via teleconference on Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. Any interested elector of Denver Rock Drill Metropolitan District may inspect the proposed budgets at the offices of Pinnacle Consulting Group, Inc., 550 West Eisenhower Blvd., Loveland, CO 80537 and file or register any objections at any time prior to the final adoption of the budget.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: DENVER ROCK DRILL METROPOLITAN DISTRICT

By: /s/ Jordan Wood, Administrator

Legal Notice No. 81941

First Publication: November 17, 2022 Last Publication: November 17, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Shannon Montour, Personal Representative 9357 E 59th N Place Denver, Colorado 80238

Legal Notice No. 81928

First Publication: November 10, 2022

Last Publication: November 24, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Christian Andrew Laursen, a/k/a Christian A. Laursen, a/k/a Chris Andrew Laursen, a/k/a Chris A. Laursen, Deceased Case Number 2022PR31335

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 March 3, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Olga Laursen, Personal Representative 2000 Little Raven Street, Unit 401 Denver, Colorado 80202

Legal Notice No. 81916

First Publication: November 3, 2022

Last Publication: November 17, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Carol C. Grimmer, a/k/a Carol Grimmer, Deceased Case Number: 22PR31178

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 March 17, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Contemporary Fiduciary Services, LLC Personal Representative 300 Plaza Drive, Suite 200 Highlands Ranch, CO80129

Legal Notice No. 81939 First Publication: November 17, 2022 Last Publication: December 1, 2022 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

Legal Notice No. 81938

First Publication: November 17, 2022

Last Publication: December 1, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

Denver Probate Court Denver County, Colorado Court Address: 1437 Bannock St., #230 Denver, CO 80202

In the Matter of the Estate of: Shirley Diane Melemans, aka Shirley D. Melemans, aka Shirley Melemans, aka Diane Melemans, Deceased

Justin W. Blow, Esq. #41085

Colorado Estate Matters, Ltd. 3000 Youngfield Street, Suite 100 Wheat Ridge, CO 80215

Phone: (303)713-9147 E-mail: justin@coestatematters.com Case Number: 2022PR31412

HEARING

NOTICE OF

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

****** Attendance at this hearing is not required or expected. *******

To: Unknown or Unascertained Heirs of Shirley Diane Melemans, aka Shirley D. Melemans, aka Shirley Melemans, aka Diane Melemans, deceased.

A hearing without appearance on the Petition for Formal Probate of will and Formal Appointment of Personal Representative, for a probate of the Last Will and Testament of the Shirley Diane Melemans and appointment of Personal Representative, will be held at the following time and location or at a later date to which the hearing may be continued:

Date: December 9, 2022 Time: 8:00 a.m.

Address: 1437 Bannock St., #230, Denver, CO 80202

IMPORTANT NOTICE*****

*****

Any interested person wishing to object to the above Petition must file a written Objection (Ob jection form JDF722) with the court on or before the hearing. If no objection is filed, the court may take action on the Petition.

Legal Notice No. 81926

Last publication: November 24, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Kathie Anderson, a/k/a Kathie Mae Anderson, a/k/a Kathie M. Anderson, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR31428

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 March 10th, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Jamie Owens, Personal Representative PO BOX 462 Indian Hills, CO 80454

Legal Notice No. 81929

First Publication: November 10, 2022 Last Publication: November 24, 2022 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Ruth Ann Walsh, aka Ruth A. Walsh, aka Ruth Walsh, Deceased Case Number : 2022PR31300

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 March 3, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

David Walsh, Personal Representative c/o The McKenzie Law Firm 2305 E Arapahoe Road, #223 Centennial, Colorado 80122

Legal Notice No. 81920

First Publication: November 3, 2022 Last Publication: November 17, 2022 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Patricia Helen Sandoval, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR31170

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Clayton Neubert, Deceased Case Number : 2022PR30515

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 March 10, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Denise Reading, Personal Representative C/O Law One 1434 Blake Street, Ste. 200 Denver, CO 80202

Legal Notice No. 81923

First Publication: November 10, 2022 Last Publication: November 24, 2022 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Carolyn P. McBride, deceased Case Number: 22PR567

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 March 17, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Mary E. McBride

Personal Representative 6199 E. Princeton Circle Englewood, Colorado 80111

Legal Notice No. 81937

First publication: November 17, 2022 Last publication: December 01, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of James Edward Greichen, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR31392

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 March 3, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

James P. Greichen

Legal Notice No. 81942

First Publication: November 17, 2022

Last Publication: November 17, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Notice to Creditors

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Erma Janet Sherrow, Deceased Case Number: 2022 PR 031226

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 March 10, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

5038 S. Independence Way Littleton, Colorado 80123

Legal Notice No. 81933

First Publication: November 10, 2022

Last Publication: November 24, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

TO CREDITORS

NOTICE

Estate of GLEN LESTER GROSS, a/k/a GLEN L. GROSS, a/k/a GLEN GROSS, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR031146

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representatives or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before Saturday March 4, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Dawn M. Gross, Personal Representative 2735 S. Ames Way Denver, CO 80227

Legal Notice No. 81911

First Publication: November 3, 2022

Last Publication: November 17, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of BRITTANY ANN DURAN, a/k/a BRITTANY A. DURAN, and BRITTANY DURAN, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR31422

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

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

AMENDED

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: January 4, 2023 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.

First Publication: November 10, 2022 Last Publication: November 24, 2022 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Virginia A. Stone, Deceased Case Number: 2022 PR 532

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 March 17, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Kristine Fabrello Patterson, Personal Representative c/o Katz, Look & Onorato, PC 1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 1100 Denver, CO 80203

Legal Notice No. 81936

First Publication: November 17, 2022 Last Publication: December 1, 2022 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of JOHN W. REGIER a/k/a JOHN WILLIAM REGIER, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR31354

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 March 10, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

William W. Regier, Personal Representative 120 S. Monroe St Denver, CO, 80209

Legal Notice No. DHD114

First Publication: November 10, 2022 Last Publication: November 24, 2022 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of NOLA JEAN HEBERLEIN, deceased Case Number: 22PR554

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 March 10, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

MATTHEW JAMES HEBERLEIN

Personal Representative 13815 MENASCO COURT HOUSTON, TEXAS 77077

Legal Notice No. 81930

First publication: November 10, 2022

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative KENNETH ANTHONY SANDOVAL or to DENVER PROBATE COURT, (1437 Bannock Street, Denver, CO 80202) on or before MARCH 10, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

/s/ Jane M. Roberson Law JANE M. ROBERSON, Esq. Attorney for Personal Representative 999 18th Street – Suite 3000-S Denver, CO 80202 303-893-0833

Legal Notice No. 81932 First Publication: November 10, 2022 Last Publication: November 24, 2022 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of VIRGINIA HOWE RESEUTEK, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR031326

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 March 3, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

s/Jeffrey M. Villanueva Jeffrey M. Villanueva, #10001 Attorney for Personal Representative 1755 Blake Street, Suite 225 Denver, Colorado 80202

Legal Notice No. 81921

First Publication: November 3, 2022

Last Publication: November 17, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Gail Susan Bernstein, a/k/a Gail S. Bernstein, and Gail Bernstein, Deceased Case Number: 2022 PR 31341

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 March 10, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Ralph Bernstein, Personal Representative c/o Poskus, Caton & Klein, P.C. 303 East 17th Avenue, Suite 900 Denver, Colorado 80203

Legal Notice No. 81922

First Publication: November 10, 2022

Last Publication: November 24, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

Personal Representative 1185 South Downing Street Denver, Colorado 80210

Legal Notice No. 81919

First Publication: November 3, 2022 Last Publication: November 17, 2022 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Herbert J. Kopff, a/k/a Herbert John Kopff, Deceased, Case Number 2022PR31371

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 March 3, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Aaron R. Kopff, Personal Representative c/o Keith L. Davis, JD Davis Schilken, PC 7887 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 820 Denver, CO 80111

Legal Notice No. 81917

First Publication: November 3, 2022 Last Publication: November 17, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of ELIZABETH WHEELER, a/k/a ELIZABETH NICHOLSON WHEELER, a/k/a ELIZABETH N. WHEELER, a/k/a BETTY WHEELER, Deceased Case Number 2022PR31431

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 March 10, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Will F. Nicholson III, Personal Representative 37 Polo Club Circle Denver, CO 80209

Legal Notice No. 81925

First Publication: November 10, 2022

Last Publication: November 24, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Susan Anne Rember, aka Susan A. Rember, aka Susan Rember, aka Susie Rember, aka Susie A. Rember , Deceased Case Numbe: 2022PR031106

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate

Carolyn F. Sherrow Personal Representative

Vogel believes the new curriculum, along with state-mandated reading training, and recent district efforts to dig deeply into reading standards have made a difference.

“I just think teachers have a much better understanding now that … we’re focused on the science of reading,” she said.

Checking the to-do list Some of Colorado’s biggest reading improvement efforts have been underway for just a few years, but evidence from inside and outside the state suggests they could eventually make a difference.

One promising case study comes out of Mississippi, where state offi cials launched a slew of reading initiatives starting a decade ago, including teacher training on the science of reading.

In 2013, the state was at the back of the pack for fourth grade reading achievement on a test called the National Assessment of Educational Progress. By 2019, Mississippi ranked fi rst in the country for reading gains, with its fourth graders matching the national average for the fi rst time.

Within Colorado, a literacy grant program begun in 2012 produced impressive literacy gains at many participating schools. The three-year awards were given to schools that agreed to overhaul reading instruction, using the same kinds of levers — strict curriculum rules and guidance for educators — that are now kicking

in statewide.

But the gains often faded after the grants ran out, sometimes because of staff or principal

turnover. Program leaders also said some teachers didn’t have the grounding in the science of reading that they needed to sustain

the coaching and other help they received through the grant.

But things are different today.

The vast majority of Colorado’s K-3 teachers have completed statemandated training on reading instruction. Several prominent teacher preparation programs have revamped their reading coursework. And prospective elementary teachers must now pass a separate exam on reading instruction to earn their state licenses.

The state has more on its reading to-do list, including additional reviews of teacher prep program reading coursework and the rollout of a new state-mandated training for elementary principals and teachers who work with struggling readers in fourth through 12th grade.

Spurgin, of Stand for Children, also believes the addition of tuitionfree full-day kindergarten in 2019-20 and the launch of tuition-free preschool for Colorado 4-year-olds next fall will help boost students’ reading skills.

For now, she’s optimistic about changes unfolding in Colorado classrooms.

“We have talked to teachers who are already seeing improvements in their classrooms, which just feels really energizing,” she said.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

This story is from Chalkbeat Colorado, a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. Used by permission. For more, and to support Chalkbeat, visit co.chalkbeat.org.

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 31, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Bridgette

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Legal Notice No. 81918

First Publication: November 3, 2022

Last Publication: November 17, 2022 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Jerome Allen Chadwick, Deceased Case Number: 22PR536

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Diane