Denver Herald 121522

Celebrating sobriety through comradery

Denver continues work to meet immediate sheltering need for migrants

Some of the roughly 120 migrants who arrived in downtown Denver in recent days used social media to plan the trip themselves, Denver city leaders said on Dec. 8 as they pledged to help the people find long-term shelter.

The mayor’s deputy chief of staff said the migrants were not sent to Colorado by another state’s governor. Officials, however, are still trying to learn more where the migrants came from, including the origin point of a bus that delivered roughly 90 people to the city in the evening on Dec. 5.

Denverite Dylan Boxer has a friend who is in recovery from drug and alcohol addictions.

“He would wake up in the morning, and instead of thinking about `where am I going to live (or) get food,’ it was, `where will I get drugs today,’” Boxer said.

Boxer’s friend now is sober and in the tail-end of his treatment, which includes therapy and counseling.

“He (has) been clean for a while, and is adapting and adjusting to this new way of life,” Boxer said. “But he’s noticed a lack of sober activities.”

at’s when Boxer and a group of others realized the need for Jewish

“There was sort of an informal gathering on social media among those folks themselves,” said Evan Dreyer, the Denver mayor’s deputy chief of staff. “This does not appear to be anything that was organized by another government entity to direct people to Denver. We do not think that was the case — no evidence of that.”

Denver leaders held a news conference on Dec. 8 to answer questions from reporters and offer updates after migrants arrived in the city earlier this week. Dreyer called it a spike in an otherwise steady stream of arrivals in recent months, about 300 people in all.

On Dec. 7, the city stood up an emergency shelter at a city-owned

SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Jewish Sober Connections’ first event, a pumpkin-carving party, took place on Oct. 25.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Arye Schwartz, left, and sister Shira Schwartz are two of the founders of the new group, Jewish Sober Connections.

TATIANA FLOWERS AND DELANEY NELSON THE COLORADO SUN

RSV viruses raise concern for children

Season starts early, strong

Mom Brianne Price knew respiratory illnesses could be a concern because her baby was born prematurely. Then her other child, her 4-year-old boy, came home with a cough. Soon after, Price was calling a nurse help line. Her baby also had something, except it was worse. Her baby had trouble breathing. It landed her baby in the hospital.

The girl, just shy of 6 months old, had a virus commonly called RSV. She was placed on oxygen.

The baby recovered after spending days in the hospital. Now Price, from the Littleton area, is sounding the alarm for other parents, hoping they take the spread of illnesses seriously.

“Keeping your kids home when they’re sick is super helpful,” Price said.

Her remarks came during a news conference that included Children’s Hospital Colorado officials. It turns out that her daughter was one of more than 1,400 RSV-related hospitalizations in the Denver metro area from Oct. 1 through late November, part of a season where RSV, respiratory syncytial virus, and other viruses, including the flu and COVID, are causing more infections, prompting concerns from public health officials.

At times in recent weeks, just two intensive-care hospital beds for children were available in the entire state of Colorado. Hospital departments took patients that they normally wouldn’t and health care professionals braced themselves for a marathon season that hopefully won’t put severe strains on hospitals, like those seen during the worst spikes of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Please note that some families with less urgent health concerns may experience longer wait times in our emergency departments,” an alert message on the Children’s Hospital Colorado website says. A cough or runny nose may not seem like a cause for concern. But health officials want people to think twice about it and take extra

precautions to protect their families, classmates, coworkers and neighbors.

“We know that a mild respiratory infection in one person can be potentially a deadly infection in someone else,” Dr. Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist, said.

Triple threat Amid an earlier-than-usual — and more severe — RSV season, Children’s Hospital Colorado saw record numbers of patients with respiratory illnesses in its emergency departments. By itself, health officials might manage the

upsurge. But flu and COVID are also circulating, fueling concerns about stretched resources.

One children’s health official wasn’t sure how the combination of a holiday school break and holiday gatherings might affect the trends. But one thing’s for sure: Health care workers expect the situation to continue into the new year, said Dr. Kevin Carney, associate chief medical officer for Children’s Hospital Colorado.

That’s even if RSV slows down — because the flu started ramping up in November, Carney said.

“We are pretty much mentally preparing to have no break between these respiratory infections,” Carney said, adding, “I don’t see a scenario in the next month or two where we don’t have very busy emergency departments and inpatient units.”

Then there’s COVID. Colorado listed 440 people as “currently hospitalized” with coronavirus the week of Nov. 29, with numbers trending upward. For instance, there were just 145 hospitalizations the week of Sept. 20.

The state also posted a sevenday average of eight deaths among COVID cases on Nov. 19, up from an average of three deaths about a month earlier.

But when it comes to kids, health officials are focused on RSV.

“For influenza, most of our hospitalizations have been among adults, and then we see really the inverse of that for RSV,” Herlihy said, emphasizing the risk to children, during a separate news conference.

Most children get an RSV infection by the time they are 2 years old, according to the state health department. Some infants and young children may be at higher risk for more-severe illness from RSV, such as bronchitis or pneumonia.

The illness is more pervasive this year because young children now have less built-up immunity, according to a University of Chicago Medicine article.

Earlier in the pandemic, due to masking and social distancing, young children were not exposed to common germs, according

Brianne Price holds her daughter, Lily, who was hospitalized with a virus commonly known as RSV in November.

COURTESY OF CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL COLORADO

The truth behind the Sand Creek Massacre

History Colorado opens new exhibit enhanced with Native American perspective

BY BRUCE GOLDBERG SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

ese are the words of Fred Mosqueda, a Southern Arapaho language and culture coordinator who spoke at the late-November opening of the new “Sand Creek Massacre: e Betrayal that Changed Cheyenne and Arapaho People Forever” exhibit at History Colorado.

“ is is the beginning of (learning). It educates you about what an Arapaho or Cheyenne are,” Mosqueda added. “ is is a truthful story, as close as they can put it.”

The Sand Creek Massacre

Con icts between Native Americans and white people worsened as more people migrated West. It led to a tragic confrontation on Nov. 29, 1864, when members of the Colorado Territory militia under the leadership of U.S. Army Col. John Chivington attacked a peaceful village of Cheyenne and Arapaho people who had been promised military protection. More than 230 women, children and elders were killed. e village was located in

northeast Kiowa County. e new exhibit at History Colorado puts on display the stark truth about how the U.S. federal and state governments mistreated Arapaho, Cheyenne and other Native American tribes — breaking treaty after treaty.

“As you walk through there, and see the photos and pictures, those are truthful statements from our Cheyenne and Arapaho people,” Mosqueda said.

Listening stations allow attendees to hear oral histories from descendants of survivors of the Sand Creek Massacre. Numerous display boards about the history of the Arapaho and Cheyenne tribes allow people to learn more about their way of living. Additional exhibit highlights include tipis built in Cheyenne and Arapaho styles, Native American clothing and historical documents from investigations of the massacre. Audio guides are available in four languages: Cheyenne, Arapaho, Spanish and English.

A partnership a decade in the making Cultural appropriation “is not solely a story in Denver. It’s an international problem,” said Sam Bock, exhibit developer and historian at History Colorado. “Museums are reckoning with this long history of (taking) the cultures of native tribes, even stealing stu

learn more, visit historycolorado.org

The Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site is located in rural southeastern Colorado. To learn more or to plan a visit to the site, visit nps.gov/sand.

“You see us, but you don’t know who we were.”

Cheyenne and Arapaho Village at the site of early Denver, 1858.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HISTORY COLORADO

Site of the Sand Creek Massacre.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF HISTORY COLORADO

History Colorado’s new exhibit, “The Sand Creek Massacre: The Betrayal that Changed Cheyenne and Arapaho People Forever,” is now open at the History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway in Denver. To

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recreation center to house the newest arrivals, from Central and South America, including Venezuela. City officials previously said most are in their 20s and 30s, and two are children.

Denver leaders are still trying to determine basic details about the bus or buses that brought them, Denver spokeswoman Jill Lis said. More migrants are expected in coming days, officials said.

“Definitely we are excited to welcome any kind of support from different community groups and there have been some different community groups that have stepped up to (help),” Lis said. “And that’s exactly why we’re here in the emergency operations center to mobilize and coordinate the collaboration between city agencies and other community groups to make sure we can meet the needs of these folks.”

Now, city leaders will continue to try to better understand how and why Denver has become a destination for migrants.

“They are here and we have a responsibility to try and take care of them and that’s what we are doing to the best of our ability,” Dreyer said. “We think this is probably an ongoing situation and we are working on longer-term solutions.”

The immediate concern for city leaders is to ensure, in the cold weather, migrants are cared for, he said.

The city is paying to house migrants through the general fund and it is seeking federal reimbursement support to help cover the costs, Dreyer added. He could not provide a cost estimate or say how much has been spent so far.

Denver is a so-called sanctuary city and county, meaning it doesn’t cooperate with federal immigration officials in attempts to deport residents living in the city without legal documentation.

U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, suggested on Dec. 7 the arrival was part of “partisan games” over immigration — a reference to recent moves by governors in Texas, Florida and Arizona to transport migrants to Democrat-led states, on the claim that they should share in the expense of managing the costs of immigration.

Representatives of the governor’s offices in Texas and Arizona previ-

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from the tribes.”

History Colorado opened its original Sand Creek exhibit in 2012, but it drew criticism almost immediately. Native Americans were unhappy about not being consulted about its construction and alleged inaccuracies. Descendants of survivors of the attack demanded changes to the exhibit. The museum closed the display in June 2012 and started working

ously told The Colorado Sun their offices weren’t involved in sending migrants. A spokesperson for the Florida governor’s office did not immediately return requests for comment.

Texas said it has transported nearly 14,000 migrants to New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., since April.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has said the practice is intended to expose what he calls inaction by the Biden administration over high numbers of migrants crossing on the southern border.

Asylum seekers who recently arrived in Denver are being interviewed to help local leaders understand whether the city is their final destination. If it is not, Denver leaders are arranging transportation to their final destination, said Mimi Scheuermann, CEO of Denver Human Services.

Denver has been coordinating with local nonprofits for the past two to three months to prepare resources in the event of a surge of migrants.

Laura Lunn, director of advocacy and litigation at the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network, said it’s crucial the city provides resources to migrants, such as information about how to proceed with the legal system, so that they can seek asylum.

“I would hope Denver remains a beacon of hope for people fleeing violence and persecution,” she said.

Denver’s Office of Emergency Management advised against bringing items to the Denver Rescue Mission or emergency shelters to help the migrants. The agency said it was only accepting monetary donations as of Dec. 7.

Immediate sheltering and housing needs are the biggest challenge for city leaders, Dreyer said. Now, Denver leaders are calling on faith-based organizations, nonprofits and other groups to help provide assistance for shelter and eventually longer term solutions. Those interested in donating or volunteering can visit denver.gov/ oem for more information.

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.

with Native Americans to produce a new, enhanced exhibit. Thus, a 10-year partnership between History Colorado and the three tribal nations — the Northern Cheyenne in Lame Deer, Montana; the Northern Arapaho in Riverton, Wyoming; and Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes in Concho, Oklahoma — began.

“The Sand Creek Massacre is sacred,” said Gail Ridgely, Northern Arapaho, in a news release. “Historic remembrance, educational awareness and spiritual healing are very important for the Cheyenne and Arapaho people.”

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to the article. Now, some 1- and 2-year-olds are experiencing their first RSV infection, the article says.

Carney, the Children’s Hospital doctor, told news reporters his buildings are packed.

“Our hospital continues, at all of our sites, to be really functioning at 100% capacity in all of our units,” Carney said.

Possible peak, but more around corner

It is possible RSV cases have peaked, but the hospital is still contending with high numbers of patients — and it has seen a

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Sober Connections — a new, local organization that promotes sobriety through community gatherings.

The plan is for JSC to host a gathering in the Denver area every month or every couple of months, Boxer said.

“There are a lot of recovering addicts out there who try to avoid gatherings with drugs and alcohol because they don’t want to jeopardize their progress,” Boxer said. But “in doing so, they miss out on

“significant uptick” in the number of patients showing up who have known influenza, Carney said.

It all adds up to mean that the end of respiratory illness season is a long way off, Carney said.

“It’s the million-dollar question what’s going to happen after Thanksgiving for us. Historically, we can sometimes count on when kids are out of school that infectious diseases will decrease,” Carney said.

But as people travel and get together with family and friends, viruses tend to spread, Carney added.

Colorado has seen 517 flu hospitalizations from Oct. 2 through Nov. 26, according to the state’s flu data webpage. And the flu season could be more severe than in

socializing.”

JSC helps fill that void and welcomes anybody and everybody, Boxer said.

“All are invited, not just Jewish people,” he said. “We accept people from all walks of life. The concept (is to welcome) people from any race, gender, orientation and everything in between.”

JSC’s foundation is to celebrate sobriety through comradery and to prove that the absence of alcohol and drugs doesn’t mean the absence of community. But, not all who are involved with JSC are recovering from an addiction, Boxer said. Some who attended the first event — a pumpkin-

recent years, officials say. Hospitals scramble to handle child patients

As of Nov. 17, there were only two pediatric intensive-care unit, or ICU, beds available in Colorado, according to the state health department.

More recently, there were still just two available pediatric ICU beds out of 94 in the state as of Nov. 29, the department told CCM.

“The number of hospital beds is dynamic and refers to staffed beds, not physical beds,” the department said in a statement. The number depends on how many qualified health care professionals are available to work those beds.

Hospitals have taken action to expand capacity, with adult hos-

carving party on Oct. 25 — simply wanted to find drug- and alcoholfree opportunities, Boxer said.

Fifteen people attended the pumpkin-carving party in the Denver home of Andy and Sandi Schwartz. They served macaroni and cheese, butternut squash soup, candy, cookies and warm, festive nonalcoholic beverages — all on autumn-themed dinnerware.

“Our intention for these events is to give everyone — not just Jewish people — a safe place to interact with other like-minded individuals,” said Arye Schwartz, one of the JSC founders who has familial relation to the hosts of the

pitals “starting to admit teenagers into their adult ICUs that they previously wouldn’t have seen,” Scott Bookman, director of the state Division of Disease Control and Public Health Response, said.

“They are also starting to bring much younger patients into their neonatal intensive-care units that traditionally wouldn’t serve this population,” Bookman said.

He added: “We’re also seeing adult hospitals simply being able to hold onto many of these children at their facilities rather than needing to transfer them to a pediatric center.”

Children’s Hospital Colorado, a system with locations around the Denver metro area and in Colorado Springs, has asked for help from adult hospitals, Carney said.

Oct. 25 event. “It’s important to have safe spaces so that those who don’t want to drink aren’t alienated.”

Jewish Sober Connections is hosting a drug- and alcohol-free Hanukkah party at 7 p.m. Dec. 19. Attendees will decorate cookies and there will be a ceremonial lighting of the menorah. Festive warm beverages such as cider and hot chocolate will be served. The event is free to attend, but donations to cover the cost of hosting the event are encouraged. Location will be disclosed upon registration. For more information, contact Shira Schwartz at jewishsoberconnections@ gmail.com.

Lead is heavy on our

minds.

Though the water we provide is safe, clean and lead-free, lead can get into the water as it moves through customerowned plumbing. So we’re replacing customer service lines, one impacted property at a time. To nd out if you’re one of them, visit our website.

Learn more at DenverWater.org/Lead

State releases drug list from Canada

Asks feds for approval

BY JOHN INGOLD THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado took another step toward importing lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada on Dec. 5 when it submitted a formal application to the federal government for approval of the program.

The application for the first time reveals which drugs Colorado hopes to import — 112 of them in all, at an average cost savings of 65% over U.S. retail price. An analysis by the state Department of Health Care Policy and Financing estimates that the importation program could save Coloradans $53 million to $88 million annually on prescription drug spending.

“It’s a huge step for us,” said Lauren Reveley, the drug importation program manager at HCPF, which is overseeing the program. “It’s a significant milestone.”

The drugs on the list contain quite a few familiar names. There are EpiPens, which the state estimates it can get at a 66% price reduction from Canada — $91.13 per pop, instead of the $264.89 the HCPF analysis says they cost in the U.S. There are drugs to treat diabetes, cancer, multiple sclerosis, asthma and irritable bowel syndrome. There are drugs to help people stop smoking.

The most expensive drug on the

list — the HIV treatment medication Cabenuva — could be imported from Canada for more than $3,000 less per dose, according to the state’s analysis. The least-costly drug on the list, the thyroid medication Synthroid, costs 95 cents per dose in the U.S. but can be had for 7 cents per dose in Canada — a savings of 93%.

“Colorado’s Drug Importation Program is a major piece in our

work to lower the cost of prescription drugs, and this final step gets us even closer to making lower health costs a reality for Coloradans,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement.

Assembling the drug list

The drug list was created by looking at drugs that “are high cost or high volume drugs that Colorado consumers struggle to afford,” the

state wrote in its application to the federal government. To make that determination, the state used data from the Colorado All-Payer Claims Database, a warehouse for information on what Colorado consumers and insurers are actually paying for health care and prescription drug costs. That makes the numbers uniquely tailored to Colorado.

The program is not allowed to import biologic drugs, which is why a medicine like insulin is not included. And the drug list also contains a number of other important caveats.

For one, the list is “aspirational,” according to the state’s application. In order to actually be able to import the drugs, Colorado will need not only the approval of the U.S. federal government but also the OK from the Canadian government and the agreement of the drugs’ manufacturers.

“We anticipate our initial list for the early years of the program to be significantly more narrow than the list presented,” the state wrote in its application. “In large part, this is due to likely modest participation from manufacturers in the short term, with a focus on small innovator companies and generic manufacturers. We believe, however, that with proof of the importation concept, more manufacturers will agree to participate due to

Colorado continues to work towards providing residents with lower cost prescriptions.

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How the program will work

To pull off the importation program, Colorado has created a complicated system of importers, exporters and drug testers.

It will start with a Canadian wholesale company called AdiraMedica buying drugs from the manufacturers. AdiraMedica will then ship the drugs across the border using the port of entry in Buffalo, New York. From there, the drugs will be shipped to the designated importer, a company called Premier Pharmaceuticals, at its facility in Boise, Idaho.

Premier will send a small batch of each shipment to a lab to test for quality and authenticity. It will then route the rest of the shipment to another company to be relabeled. Once it gets the drugs back from the re-labeling company, Premier will be able to sell the drugs to participating pharmacies in Colorado.

The drug-importation program is designed to save money for Coloradans with private health insurance or Medicare. Because of the large rebates it enjoys, Colorado’s Medicaid program already is able to buy drugs at Canada-level prices, meaning the importation program is not expected to save HCPF, which administers Medicaid in Colorado, any money.

But Kim Bimestefer, the HCPF executive director, said the program could save money for the state via more affordable employee health benefits or on better deals for prescription medicines for people incarcerated in prisons.

Since the program is designed to be largely free-market, the state government doesn’t expect to spend huge money financing it.

The long wait ahead

It is unclear when the federal government may decide on whether to approve the state’s application. Colorado is the second state to submit an application to import drugs from Canada. The first state, Florida, has had its application pending for two years and has filed a lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration to move

TURN TO THE COLORADO SUN FOR NEWS ACROSS THE STATE

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

vibrant, informed and whole Colorado.

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

things along. In a response filed last month, the federal government denied that it is dragging its feet on approving Florida’s application.

Bimestefer said Colorado worked to keep FDA officials in the loop as it developed the program, hoping that will lead to a shorter time frame. Reveley said the FDA has told the state the initial review timeline will take six months.

“We would hope that six-month review ends with an approval, but no guarantees,” Reveley said.

Even if the FDA gives its OK, other major hurdles remain. The Canadian government has said it will not allow U.S. state importation programs to threaten Canada’s pharmaceutical supply.

Bimestefer called the guidelines Canada has in place reasonable and said the state has committed never to try to import a drug that has been in shortage in Canada. None of the drugs on the list of 112 are in short supply in Canada, Reveley said.

“We’ve made commitments to our Canadian friends, and we will honor those commitments,” Bimestefer said.

Even if both governments sign off, there are still potential chal -

lenges from the health care industry. The pharmaceutical industry could sue to block implementation of the state plans, and Colorado’s application to the FDA also speculates that insurance companies, which sometimes benefit from pharmaceutical rebates on drugs bought in the U.S., could also challenge the import plans.

“Some parties, who enjoy the benefits of the status quo, stand ready to litigate and push back on our program through policy and other mechanisms,” the state wrote in its application.

Bimestefer said the state plans to begin negotiating with drug manufacturers soon. Reveley said state officials, along with representatives from Premier Pharmaceuticals, will tour Colorado in the coming months to talk to pharmacies interested in participating.

education.

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

statewide news.

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

The Governor’s Residence Preservation Fund’s 2022 holiday ornament is now available. The 14th in the collectable holiday ornament series, the 2022 ornament is inspired by the 1914 Steinway grand piano that sits in the drawing room at the Governor’s Residence at the Boettcher Mansion, 400 E. Eighth Ave. in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. The ornament costs $35 plus shipping. Proceeds benefit the Governor’s Residence Preservation Fund, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that ensures the ongoing preservation and use of the Governor’s Residence at the Boettcher Mansion. To learn more, visit coloradoshome.org/gift-shop.

COURTESY PHOTO

Thu 12/22

The Immersive NutcrackerDenver @ 1:30pm

Lighthouse Denver, 3900 Elati Street, Den‐ver

Ballet Ariel's The Nutcracker @ 2pm / $25-$40

Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 South Alli‐son Parkway, Lakewood. balletariel@com cast.net, 303-987-7845

Dave Abear and Friends Holiday Spectacular - New Terrain Brewery @ 8pm

New Terrain Brewing Company, 16401 Table Mountain Pkwy, Golden

Red Stinger @ 9pm Hi-Dive, 7 S Broadway, Denver YULTRON @ 9pm The Church, 1160 Lincoln St, Denver

Fri 12/23

Jubilingo Live at the Woodcellar @ 8pm

The Woodcellar Bar & Grill, 1552 Bergen Pkwy #101, Evergreen

Christmas

Bend & Blaze Denver @ 10am 2828 Speer Blvd, Denver, CO 80211, USA, Denver

Phoenix Suns at Denver Nuggets @ 8:30pm Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle, Denver

Teague Starbuck

@ 5pm

Mountain Toad Brew‐ing, 900 Washington Ave, Golden

THE MAN CUBS W/ IPECAC + HRZN

@ 7pm

Lost Lake Lounge, 3602 E Colfax Ave, Denver

Jay_Martin @ 6pm

The Bluegrass - Can‐delas, 18068 W 92nd Ln #400, Arvada

Soul Gloss: A Lipgloss & Mile High Soul Club Holiday Party @ 9pm / $10

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

Sat 12/24

Mean Girls @ 2pm

Buell Theatre, 1031 13th St., Denver

The Unreal Garden

Cory Pearman Music: Monday Open Jam @ 6pm

Antero Hall @ Eck's Saloon, 9890 W Girton Dr, Lake‐wood

The

Korey Foss: Rock Candy @ 6pm

In the Zone, 15600 W 44th Ave, Golden

Taylor Scott Band

w/ Float Like A Buffalo, Connor Terrones @ 8pm

Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom & Other Side, 2637 Welton St, Denver

Lost Cause @ 8pm

Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St, Denver

The Goonies 80's XMAS Party @ 8pm / $10-$15

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

Beauty And The Beast @ 7:30pm

Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Ar‐vada

KOAN Sound @ 9:30pm The Black Box - Denver, Denver

Jeff Jenkins @ 6pm Dazzle Denver, 1512 Curtis St, Denver Loop Story at Revival Public House @ 7pm Revival Denver Public House, 630 E 17th Ave, Denver

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A positive direction

Last year, I wrote a column about wanting more kindness in the world and a lot less politics in the public. I used our annual craft show as an example.

EDITOR’S COLUMN

In 2021, we had to have someone removed who was spreading his political views and making a lot of people uncomfortable. We had complaint about not requiring masks. We had complaints from those not in masks.

In reality, it was a pretty negative day, leaving my husband and me feeling a little de ated and pessimistic about the state of our local communities.

is year, we hosted the same craft show at Douglas County Fairgrounds over anksgiving weekend. I can’t even begin to explain the di erence in attitudes with our vendors and public.

In general, everyone was happy. ey were kind and seemed genuinely happy to be out and about supporting local businesses and the local community.

We had thousands of people come to the show and everyone had bigger smiles and better attitudes, and they left my husband and me feeling a lot better about the community this year.

Are things perfect? No. We still have a lot of anger out there. We still have a lot of people believing only one side of a political debate is right — that being theirs.

However, we have a lot less of it in places where it is not welcome. At community events, people are coming out and showing kindness to one another. We have a lot more human decency over anger and disdain at local events.

I often say the pandemic brought out the worst in the world. From fear and anger to misinformation and political views — We did not behave at our best as a society in the face of controversy and trouble. Are we nally recovering from that? I truly hope so.

I am of the belief that most people in this world are good. I believe most are well-intentioned. I believe anger and lack of kindness was a blip and we have learned we can disagree or be upset — but we do not have to make it about everything we do and everywhere we go.

Here’s to our local residents and community leaders who have worked to set a better example in 2022 and create a much more friendly atmosphere for something like a holiday craft show. I realize with all the hate crimes, tragedy and continued violence that is unnecessary in this world — this seems like a small drop in the bucket but it is something to build on. I cannot begin to express the sadness I had after the 2021 craft show when so many were hateful and angry through the two-day event.

Let’s hope the work to be better, happier and more accepting continues in 2023. Let’s hope in 2023, we can have fewer tragedies and more positives to build on as I believe we did in 2022.

Some unspoken words

One of the more di cult things about the holiday season is something that impacts so many people is grieving the loss of someone who is no longer with us. And for those of us who have lost someone where a particular holiday meant so much to our family, it doesn’t matter if it was many years ago or just recently, the pain may ease, but it never truly goes away. And you know what? at’s a good thing as it stirs beautiful and loving memories that we want to hold onto forever.

is came up during a few conversations and email exchanges that I had over the anksgiving holiday and weekend. And during two of those conversations those that I was speaking with shared that their biggest regret was not having the chance to clear the air about a misunderstanding or grievance, or more importantly, their pain was coming from the fact that during their last visit together, whether in person or by phone, they missed the opportunity to tell them that they loved them. And for both individuals, it was weighing heavy upon their hearts.

Are some things better left unsaid? I believe so. We all have heard the expression, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” It’s absolutely true, if what we are about to say is coming from a place of anger or if we are simply trying to stir up trouble. It’s di erent if there are things we need to say, especially if it’s something others need to hear,

WINNING

even though they may not want to hear it. e problem is this, if we miss an opportunity to share information that could help someone, but we lack the courage to confront them, they may not be able to address or x what they do not know.

I love this quote by Audre Lorde, “When we speak, we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So, it is better to speak.” Some words are better left unspoken, until they are not.

Each one of us can probably think of a time when we forgot to say something or wish we had said something. Good or bad, right or wrong, we then get mad at ourselves for not having had the courage to speak up, or we promise ourselves we will speak up next time. Hoping that there will indeed be a next time.

As we are right here in the middle of the holiday season, and as some of us are experiencing grief and the loss of a loved one who will not be celebrating with the family this year, may we lovingly remember them. And if we think we forgot to say “I love you” one last time, or that we were sorry, or anything else

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher

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

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GUEST COLUMN

Navigating today’s economic environment

In October 2018, I revved the engine of my food truck - a 1978 VW Combi Bus - and hit the road. While I wasn’t going very far, I knew I had a long journey ahead. I parked my truck on Larimer Street in Denver, opened up the service window and waited for my first customers.

And just like that, my business was born.

port of third-party platforms, I was able to keep my business alive. I’m a strong believer in food delivery because it has proven to help me grow my business and over time, its benefits have been incalculable.

Alejandrro Flores-Muñoz

Now a few years later, I have three food concepts across the greater Denver area - Stokes Poke Food Truck, Fresco Fridge Vending Machines and Combi Cafe. But my businesses make up only a small part of who I am - I’m also a Mexican immigrant, a proud member of the LGBTQ community, and a recipient of — and vocal advocate for — the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Especially as a person of color, my path to owning these small businesses was far from easy. In 2020, the pandemic resulted in me losing almost 90% of my business, and I nearly had to close my doors.

It was an obvious choice to pivot my business to delivery and, with the sup-

NORTON

FROM PAGE 12

else where we might have regrets, I encourage us not to focus on that one last time where we may have missed it, instead focus on all the times it was said and heard. May we use this as a reminder for all those that are still with us and who we love so very much. May another day pass by where we forget or lack the courage to

ABOUT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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A few months ago, I came across a newsletter from DoorDash that had information about how its Accelerator for Local Restaurants cohort was coming to Denver. The program offers local restaurant owners a $20,000 grant, training and education courses, one-on-one customized business advising and marketing benefits. I applied, and a few weeks later, I was delighted to hear that I was accepted into the program, alongside 19 other Denver-based small business owners.

I’m now nearing the end of the program, and I’m beyond grateful for the opportunities it has opened for me and my businesses. I’ve heard from industry experts, such as Denver’s own James Beard Award Semifinalist Manny Barella, who spoke to our group about balancing creativity and practicality to create a delicious menu that’s both financially and environmentally

share with others just how grateful we are for having them in our lives, how much we love them, how much we appreciate all they do, and that they have been forgiven for any foolishness that may have come between us.

How about you, are there people you will miss this holiday season? Can you remember all the times that you did share with them just how special they were to you and how much you cared for them and loved them? Is there someone that

• Publication of any given letter is at our discretion. Letters are published as space is available.

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sustainable. I’ve also been introduced to the program’s nonprofit partners — the Hispanic Restaurant Association of Colorado and Accion Opportunity Fund, a mission-based small business support organization. I’ve even been able to meet other Denver-based business owners, learn from them, and try their food.

The $20,000 grant has also been instrumental in supporting our bottom line. As a business owner of color, I’ve long found it difficult to access capital to boost my business. But now, I finally have the funds to do things like improve my branding and expand my advertising efforts. All of this will help me reach more customers.

It’s humbling to look back at how far I’ve come since I first set out with my food truck. I’m proud of how I’ve been able to grow my businesses, especially through a thorny challenge like the pandemic. I’m grateful to DoorDash for all the ways they’ve been able to support the evolution of my business.

Alejandro Flores-Muñoz is an entrepreneur, mentor and activist in Denver.

needs to hear and know that you do care for them and love them, and maybe even forgive them? I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can say the words that need to be spoken, it really will be a better than good life.

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

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BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN

e lettuce is blooming nicely on the rollaway walls.

According to the farmer’s iPad, the calibrated nutrients are owing smoothly and accurately through the tubes.

It’s 30 degrees outside, but there’s a tantalizing garden of tangy, restaurant-ready produce inside this cozy, pristine shipping container.

Somewhere behind and among the pawn shops and the gas stations and the used tire traders and the body shops along South Broadway, on a former used car lot on Acoma Street, a couple

of snazzy high-tech containers are parked to start an urban farming revolution.

Ullr’s Garden, launched a few months ago by a couple of brothers who want to save the world and sell some sustainable arugula, is growing the equivalent of a 10-acre farm on a dusty 7,500-square-foot lot. e lettuce and arugula and basil and romaine grow horizontally, while hanging from moveable walls packed inside the climatecontrolled trailers. e farmers sit at a folding table in the nearby shed and plot their next expansion: stackable farm containers.

Nick Millisor, one of the brothers behind Ullr’s Garden, still can’t believe they’re doing what they’re doing.

“We are growing local produce, in the middle of Denver, on an old used car lot, the kind you used to roll your car windows up when you

drove by,” Millisor laughs.  Vertical farms don’t stint on avor

And their stu tastes great. e emerald green basil snaps with a hint of licorice. e arugula is laced with a wild mustard avor. e butter lettuce, sold with root ball intact, has an earthy avor belying the fact the growing walls are purposefully insulated from any local dirt.

One trailer with 365 days of optimal growing conditions can produce the equivalent of a 5-acre seasonal farm, Nick and Luke Millisor say. Employing a closed loop for the water and nutrients, each trailer uses up only ve gallons a day from water bu aloes they ll o site.

“We don’t even have a water tap here yet,” Nick laughed.

And when the weather turns truly frigid, say 10 degrees from a recent overnight snow, a conscientious farmer can check on the baby bibb while sitting at home in bed with a laptop.

“If anything isn’t running opti-

mally, the farm will literally send me a text message,” Nick said, waving his iPhone over the transplanting tables. Sensors throughout the trailer are connected to wi- .

Urban farming and hydroponics a great mix, experts say

Independent experts on vertical, hydroponic farming say they can’t predict the success of Ullr’s business model, but agree the revolution in well-designed shipping containers could indeed preserve the environment and extend better nutrition to remote consumers.

Rising world population, scarce water amid climate change and urban neighborhoods neglected by fresh food stores, “these are the multifaceted reasons why we’re seeing this surge in interest,” said Josh Craver, an assistant professor in controlled environment horticulture at Colorado State

Ullr’s Garden grows tangy artisanal arugula in climate-controlled trailers

University.

“It’s not hard to see pretty quickly that you can produce, per square foot, way more food in these containers than you can in the field,” Craver said.

We are growing local produce, in the middle of Denver, on an old used car lot, the kind you used to roll your car windows up when you drove by.

The Ullr’s Garden name for their parking lot container farm honors the brothers’ time growing up skiing in Breckenridge, home to the Ullr Fest winter sports party. Nick Millisor comes at farming with all the technical skills of a self-described liberal arts eclectic and sci-fi nerd. He’d been toiling in real estate when the strange winds of COVID and climate change turned his 2021 upside down and he went in search of a meaningful project to better the world.

There was a week where Germany flooded and the West was burning and a Canadian heat wave was cooking shellfish alive in the ocean.

“I didn’t want to deal with super-rich people’s problems with real estate anymore,” Nick Millisor said. “And so I convinced my brother to join me, and then my cousin, and I was like, ‘You just want to do something crazy and start growing food in a container?’ And they said yes.”

Luke Millisor supplied the actual technical knowledge, from his experience managing a neuroscience lab at University of Colorado. Colorado’s increasing water challenges led them toward water-stingy hydroponic farming and to the equipment catalogs of storage container outfitters.

“We’re not the only ones doing this you know. I would love to say that we’re the pioneers behind this, but a lot of smarter people have basically led us to this point where this technology is almost automatic,” Nick Millisor said. “It’s so easy. I mean, I have zero experience farming, other than growing some stuff in my mom’s garden as a kid.”  Ullr’s Garden sent itself to indoor farm training

The container outfitters supplied a two-day boot camp on vertical farming.

The would-be farmers learned there’s almost zero water use in the latest designs, no contamination of runoff with excess fertilizer or pesticides, precise control of nutrients, efficient LED lighting powered by clean electricity. They have two electric vehicles to deliver produce within a 5-mile radius, boosting their effort to become carbon neutral with the overall operation. Leaving the root ball on a head of lettuce helps it last on the shelf for a couple of weeks and reduces food waste.

A fully outfitted container,

with 24,000 individual LED pinpoint lights and temperature controlled at 68 to 70 degrees, costs about $170,000, Nick Millisor said. Ullr’s Garden can grow 500 varieties of produce to meet the whims of the market, and tweak the grow lights for goals as esoteric as the optimal color of a red lettuce leaf.

Accelerating efficiencies in lighting and heating have powered the surge in hydroponic container farms, said CSU’s Craver. Old grow lamps built up too much heat, while improved LEDs produce precise photons that the plant can employ for photosynthesis.

“So we really are sitting on the shoulders of giants on this one,” Nick Millisor said.

Vertical and remote, but not out of touch

As the water drips down the wall channels and then recirculates, sensors constantly check pH and mineral levels, among other growth factors. Reserve tanks dribble in supplement adjustments to the mix at the touch of the iPad. Key in siting the containers is pouring concrete footings at a 2% tilt to guarantee the water flow.

Most varieties started from seeds are ready in six to seven weeks. Harvesting means clean scissors trimming the walls, or pulling whole heads with root balls.

Now, about that business model. Negotiating with individual restaurants may not be the full answer, though Ullr’s Garden is in talks with a few looking for local supply and input into the varieties. The next challenge for the Millisors, joined by cousin and chief financial officer Ian Randall, is to launch a farm share program.

Other farm share subscriptions are popular in summer and fall, with buyers picking up or getting delivered a box of outdoors-grown seasonal items ranging from lettuce to tomatoes to squash. But the outdoor shares run out by late fall, where Ullr’s Garden can deliver lettuce, herbs and other greens year-round. The company has 150 shares on sale now, to be delivered within the 5-mile radius.

A prime calculation in closequarters farming, Craver said, is which plants draw top dollar for the space they take up. Corn is all fibrous scaffolding, producing a handful of kernels that sell for 25 cents an ear. Root ball lettuce is nearly 100% edible, and can retail for $5 or $6 a head.

There are large hydroponic operations in metro Denver that appear to be thriving, Craver said, and smaller operations like Ullr’s Garden are busy figuring out their costs and a workable scale.

“When you look at the business model, it definitely does work,” Craver said.

I didn’t want to deal with super-rich people’s problems with real estate anymore … I was like, ‘You just want to do something crazy and start grow -

ing food in a container?’ And they said yes.

Of course, there’s a lucrative container model selling billions of dollars of product a year in Colorado — marijuana. The Millisors, though, are adamant they want to feed the world, not medicate it.

Denver’s zoning office is well organized to approve urban farming, Nick Millisor said, but they did have to address the elephant in the container.

“I was like, ‘I’m doing a hydroponic garden,’ and you could just see it in their eyes, oh no, there’s another one, and I was like, ‘Not marijuana! Not marijuana!’ And she’s like, okay, STAMP, get out of here.’ ”

Container farms could be stackable

The Ullr’s Garden trio plots their next move from underneath the modest shed looking out on the lot. If marketing picks up and the consumerdirect shares work out, there’s room for expansion with ground space for two or three more containers.

Plus, as anyone who’s seen a modern port city can tell you, they’re stackable. Ullr’s Garden anticipates going at least a second story of vertical, and perhaps more if the zoning folks are feeling frisky.

They’re considering transforming the shed into an events and education space, knowing that schoolchil -

dren would thrive on a cool hydroponics and LED lesson. As for the pro duce, they’re still considering winter decorative flowers, edible flowers that could draw top dollar, and radishes. One grower figured out how to do hops indoors, another grew berries, though that may not scale up to be useful.

One constant, besides the 68 degrees inside the trailers, is how welcoming and helpful everyone in vertical farming has been in sharing tips with Ullr’s Garden, Nick Millisor said.  “Everyone has the tool. Now everyone’s kind of figuring out how best to use it,” he said. “And that’s what I think is most exciting for me.”

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.

Fundraiser for Club Q shooting victims surpasses $800,000

BY AMANDA HORVATH ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

When tragedy hit close to home, Faith Haug immediately looked for a way to support the victims.

“I went online to try to donate to somewhere, and there was nowhere set up. So, I set up a GoFundMe. at was it,” she said.  at was far from it.

Faith co-owns Good Judy Garage with her spouse CC Haug. Together they started this business just outside of Denver in late 2021 to create a safe space for those in the LGBTQ+ community and beyond when dealing with car repairs. Everything they do, down to the name, is intentional.

“ e reference comes from Judy Garland, who was a supporter of LGBTQ rights. So, somebody that was a supporter of the community, a friend of the community, was referred to as a ‘Good Judy,’” CC explained to Rocky Mountain PBS last year. “So, we kind of took that on because … we want to be there for the community.”

ey don’t take that responsibility lightly. On Saturday, Nov. 19 just before midnight, a shooter killed ve people and hurt 17 others at Club Q, an LGBTQ+ club in Colorado Springs. For Faith, she felt like she had to do something, especially as a queer business owner.

“If I have the platform to get something like that out, that’s my responsibility. And, you know, this is not about our shop whatsoever, but being able to spread that on our social media through the shop and all of that does have an e ect,” said Faith.

So she started a GoFundMe, specically for the victims and those directly impacted by the shooting.

“You know, one fund can’t meet every need. Our fund is to give direct, you know, cash check payments to the victims that were directly involved,”

Faith said, pointing out there are other funds for club employees, people facing trauma but weren’t physically present and federal grants coming in for things like memorials.

Over the matter of a few days, the fundraiser quickly gained traction, garnering support from people all over the world. Just two and a half weeks after the tragedy, people have donated more than $800,000 to the fund.

“I’m amazed by it, but I’m not surprised because the community shows up,” said Faith.

From celebrities, to bars, to tattoo shops to anonymous donors, the fundraiser continues to grow every day, which, among other factors, led Faith to partner with the National Compassion Fund. is nonpro t organization was started in partnership with victims and family members of past mass shootings, including the Aurora eatre shooting.

Partnering with this fund, Faith said, will help make sure all money intended to directly help the victims truly benets them. Over the past two weeks, she said she has spoken to many previous

victims of mass shootings and many of them spoke about the di culties of receiving funds after a tragedy. For example, if someone is receiving federal bene ts for something unrelated, receiving funds from GoFundMe will be seen as more income and disqualify them from that bene t.

“ e responsibility I have with this fund is to make sure that it only helps,” Faith explained. “In trying to help, I can’t … I don’t want to cause harm. And so that’s the reason that it’s being done this way.”

One of the frequently asked questions Faith addressed in the fundraiser posting is: why is the money not going to the Colorado Healing Fund? at fund was also created to help victims of mass shooting and was initially funded by the Colorado Attorney General’s O ce. It often is pointed to as a place to donate after tragedies in Colorado. However, Faith said donors have speci cally asked them not to give the money raised to that fund.

“Because they are unhappy with how funds from the SolTribe tragedy and others have been handled, high

administrative fees, and the inability to have much say in where the funds go. We are not bad-mouthing the CHF –any donation is a good donation!” she wrote in the GoFundMe description.

On Dec. 6, the Colorado Healing Fund, or CHF, announced that it secured underwriting support to cover the majority of expenses for administration of the fund for Club Q victims. In the announcement, CHF said this means the $1.9 million raised to date and all future funds raised for Club Q will be dedicated entirely to victim assistance.

For Faith, it’s all about keeping the victims in mind even during an emotional and trying time she’s experienced through this fundraiser.

“It’s heavy. It’s a lot of responsibility to a lot of people, and it has to be done the proper way. And so it’s been ... it’s been stressful, but I’m not dead and I’m not shot. So it’s really nothing in comparison to what, what those people are going through,” Faith explained.

e Good Judy Garage fundraiser is still open in hopes it continues to grow after receiving advice from survivors of other mass shootings to keep it open as long as possible to raise more money. People can donate through the GoFundMe or by going through the National Compassion Fund site. All of the money goes to the same place with the same intention — to help the victims.

Faith’s message to those who want to support: “Just keep sharing it and hopefully we can continue to grow it so that there’s more for the victims at the end of it.”

is story is from Rocky Mountain PBS, a nonpro t 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.

Free meals coming to most school districts

Of two dozen districts surveyed by Chalkbeat, 16 plan to o er universal free meals next year. But some districts remain undecided, including two of Colorado’s largest districts — Denver and Douglas County.

BY ANN SCHIMKE CHALKBEAT COLORADO

Many Colorado school districts, including Je co, Cherry Creek, Aurora, and Adams 12, plan to o er free school meals to all students starting in the fall of 2023 through a new state program funded with a voterapproved tax measure a ecting high earners.

Brehan Riley, director of school nutrition at the Colorado Department of Education, said of school district o cials, “ ere seems to be a lot of interest, but people are still unsure. ey want to understand it a little bit better.”

Called Healthy School Meals for All, the program is meant to ensure students are getting the nutritional fuel they need to learn and eliminate the stigma that sometimes comes with

the current income-based method for doling out free meals. e initiative comes on the heels of two school years where the federal government waived income eligibility requirements for federally subsidized meals, allowing schools to o er free breakfast and lunch to all students.

e waivers expired this fall, but lawmakers and advocates found a way to bring back the free meals for next year by asking Colorado voters to approve new funding through Proposition FF. Voters said yes.  e measure will generate more than $100 million a year by reducing income tax deductions available to households earning $300,000 or

more.

Many district o cials are enthusiastic about the prospect of feeding more students as they did during the rst two years of the pandemic. When school meals were free under the waivers, Boulder Valley o cials saw a 40% increase in students eating school meals, District 27J saw a 2030% increase, and Aurora saw a 7-10% increase.

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

Following the news of the deadly shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs, a queerowned auto shop started a fundraiser for the victims. In just two weeks, it grew to have more than $800,000.

COURTESY OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

‘Master Class’ launches new year

Terrence McNally play will run Jan. 12-15 at Town Hall Arts Center

BY SONYA ELLINGBOE SELLINGBOE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Proli c American playwright, librettist and screenwriter Terrence McNally (1938-2020) created plays, musical theatre, operas, lms and television shows during a really astonishing and lengthy career. Awards included Tonys, including a special Tony for Lifetime Achievement in the eatre; Drama Desk Awards, Primetime Emmy, 1994 Pulitzer for Drama and many more recognitions for a lifetime of creative work.

Littleton’s Town Hall Arts Center audiences will enjoy a brief run in January of McNally’s Tony Award-winning “Master Class” which is described as “a play — with music.” Scheduled Jan. 12-15, it tells a story about world-famous diva Maria Callas (1923-1977) in her later years, as she tries to share perspectives on performance — and life — with up-and-coming operatic artists.

Well-known Denver area actor Megan Van De Hey will perform the lead part.

Callas actually did teach master classes at Juilliard in late 1971 and early 1972 and people have said she did not behave as she is depicted by McNally in the play. (He is said to have been a fan of this world-famous singer and the play has been criticized as unfair to Callas.)

“Master Class” ran on Broadway from November 1995 to June 1997, while many other productions ran abroad. It will seem relevant to today’s audiences as it explores the burdens of geniuslevel talent on a highly gifted individual. Zoe Caldwell won a Tony for her performance.

Bio information about McNally says his parents

enjoyed Broadway musicals and took him to see Ethel Merman in “Annie Get Your Gun” when he was 8 years old and later to see Getrude Lawrence in “ e King and I.” He was hooked from the start and was encouraged to write by a high school teacher.

His interest deepened at Columbia College and his bio information says he was hired by author John Steinbeck to tutor his two sons while the family traveled. During that time, McNally nished a beginning draft of a rst act of “And ings at Go Bump in the Night.”

He was hired as stage manager at Actors Studio in New York, although they turned down the rst play he submitted. By 1962 it was produced in an actor’s workshop and next came “And ings at Go Bump in the Night,” dealing with homosexuality, which was a op. His plays continued to address social issues and moved into farce. He kept working, writing for television as well. “Lips Together, Teeth Apart” in 1991 was followed the next year by a collaboration with Kander and Ebb on “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” which won a Tony in 1993 for Best Book of a Musical--Mc Nally’s rst.

Opera was also a part of his life, which would have led toward “Master Class” eventually. From 1979 to 2008, McNally served on the Texaco Opera Quiz panel that was involved with weekly “Live From the Met” radio broadcasts and he wrote the libretto for “Dead Man Walking,” adapted from the popular book by Sister Helen Prejean. e Kennedy Center programmed three of McNally’s plays that focused on opera in 2010: “Golden Age,” Master Class” and “ e Lisbon Traviata.”

McNally died in March 2020 from complications of COVID, leaving an incredible body of work that I’ve only touched on. I’ll hope to nd the American Masters Series documentary about him, which PBS aired in 2019.

IF YOU GO

“Master Class” will play Jan. 12 to 15, 2023 at Littleton Town Hall Arts Center, 2450 W. Main Street in downtown Littleton. townhallartscenter.org. 303794-2787, ext. 5

Megan Van De Hey will play the lead role of Maria Callas in “Master Class” at Littleton’s Town Hall Arts Center in mid-January. COURTESY PHOTO

Colorado has no training on how to investigate school sexting

BY SHANNON NAJMABADI THE COLORADO SUN

A student sends a nude image. A parent tells the school. Administrators investigate.

It’s a near-weekly occurrence on many high school campuses, but under the law, underage sexting is far from minor: It’s child pornography. Unwitting educators who make copies of the explicit exchanges could be charged with felonies. In some states, consenting 16- and 17-yearolds who create and receive the images could be prosecuted, too.

Take the case of Bradley Bass, a 32-year-old high school principal in Colorado, who faces 12 years in prison and the possibility of being branded a sex o ender.

No one has accused him of having ill-intent when he investigated a parent’s tip that explicit images were being shared on Brush School District campuses last spring. He found photos on several boys’ phones and used his work cellphone to take photos of the students’ devices with the images displayed. e photos were then transferred to a con dential school server where other disciplinary evidence, like photos of vape pens and con scated marijuana, was stored.

Bass didn’t know that doing so was legally akin to sexual exploitation of a minor. He’d never received training about how to investigate such a case.

Still, he’s guilty, at least under the rigid terms of state law. He’s considering taking a plea deal — which would charge him with the misdemeanor of obstructing justice — so that he can continue to parent his toddler and baby boy.

“To have him labeled as a sex offender is the most ludicrous thing in the world,” said Bass’ mother, Sonya, a lifelong Brush resident.

Many sexting laws nationwide were drafted in the 1970s and 1980s, before cellphones and applications like Snapchat made it easy to share nude images. Some states, including Colorado, have decided teenagers who consensually sext shouldn’t face criminal charges.

But few, if any, states have carved out exceptions for adults who possess sexts without ill intent. And few, if any, require that teachers and administrators receive training about the legal liability they could face while investigating a report of sexting, experts say.

“I think the assumption is they know better, know how to respond. But in my experience, many don’t,” said Justin Patchin, a criminal justice professor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, who has researched cyberbullying and sexting laws.

In Colorado, the attorney general’s o ce and the education department don’t o er training on how to investigate sexting cases. e Colorado School Safety Resource Center, within the Department of Public Safety, provides information about consent and what charges juveniles could face for sexting, but not administrators’ liability.

Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Patricia Billinger said they recommend school administrators work with law enforcement on investigations, because sexting is potentially a criminal o ense, and that law enforcement in turn should work closely with district attorneys.

Most educational associations declined to comment or did not respond to questions about whether they o ered training or model policies on sexting investigations.

And Charles Russo, a past president of the Education Law Association, said school board members typically “don’t do enough to educate sta on sexting” or to stay informed about what’s happening on the ground in schools.

“With technology, you’ve got to keep up and be aware of what’s out there,” he said.

Brush School District Superintendent Bill Wilson declined to comment on behalf of the district

and school board, saying they were continuing to “follow the legal processes.” e district is still working on a sexting policy, and will have a training for employees on the subject in January, Wilson said at a November court hearing.

Bass does not fault the school for lack of training.

e fact that teenagers sext is “not a surprise”

e lack of mandatory training comes as sexting has become nearly ubiquitous on school campuses nationwide.

More than a quarter of students between the ages of 12 and 17 had received a sext, and nearly 15% had sent one, according to a 2018 analysis of research ndings. e numbers are slightly higher in Colorado, according to research from the Cyberbullying Research Center, which is co-directed by Patchin. Nearly 27% of adolescents received a sext in 2019, up from 15% in 2016. About 20% had sent one.  e prevalence of sexting and its spread to younger ages re ects how widespread cellphone use is and how easy it is to send explicit images, said Je Temple, an expert in adolescent health and social media whose 2011 research popularized the term “sexting.”

“ e fact that 17-year-olds, 16-year-olds, 15-year-olds are sexting is not a surprise,” he said. “If we had phones back in the 1400s, those same ages would be sexting as well.”

Some legal and education experts believe attitudes and laws around sexting should change to re ect how common the practice is among teen-

agers naturally interested in sex.  Temple, for example, initially looked at sexting as a risky behavior, like using drugs or alcohol. His views have changed over time and he now believes coerced — but not consensual — sexting should be criminalized.

“If a 17-year-old is not interested in sex, I’d be worried — as a psychologist, I’d be worried,” said Temple, who is director of the Center for Violence Prevention at UTMB Health, part of the University of Texas system.

Few legislatures are willing to draw a clearer distinction between child porn and consensual sexting because of how politically unpopular it is to loosen laws around child exploitation, said Jonathan Phillips, a private attorney and former prosecutor in Fairfax, Virginia, who now advocates against stringent sexting laws.

He worked three times with a Virginia lawmaker to try to get passed a measure that would let prosecutors give teenagers who consensually sext a lighter sentence. It failed each time — driven by fears it could be exploited by a pornography “kingpin” or pedophile, Phillips said.

“ at’s enough to scare them,” he said. “‘Oh, gosh, that anecdotal example could happen.’”

Refusing to create a separate process to handle consensual sexting cases means an adult possessing images of children being sexually abused is treated the same under the law as an administrator who makes a copy of an explicit image without lascivious intent, said Amy Hasino , a communication professor at the University of Colorado Denver who wrote the 2015 book “Sexting Panic: Rethinking Criminalization, Privacy, and Consent.”

“Penalties for child pornography are so incredibly harsh. ey’re designed for what we imagine as an adult sexually abusing a child, lming it for their own grati cation and then distributing it, selling it, providing it to others,” she said. “Pretty much everyone agrees that’s horri c. But that’s not what’s happening in all cases.”

Hasino advocated for a 2017 Colorado law that made consensual sexting a civil infraction punishable with a ne or an educational program. But she remembers hearing from opponents at the time that they didn’t want to encourage kids to sext by relaxing the penalties. She likened the reasoning to the thinking behind abstinence-only sex education.

Training to handle school sexting allegations is scarce the penalties for not doing it right are harsh.

SHUTTERSTOCK

SEXTING

FROM

UP

ELZZ

“We are unable to rst acknowledge that teenagers are having sex and they’re going to. And then because of that, we then don’t provide them with the resources they need to do it in safe and healthy ways,” Hasino said.  Experts warn of a chilling e ect Experts say the case in Brush could make students less likely to report harmful sexting incidents — those that aren’t consensual — because Bass was prosecuted. e alleged victim, the girl in the photos, and her parents have said they were happy with how Bass handled the sexting investigation and have asked police and the 13th Judicial District Attorney’s o ce to drop the case against the administrator. Prosecutors generally have broad discretion in choosing what cases to pursue and how to expend their resources.

“I don’t believe the decision to prosecute the administrator is doing anything to protect the girl from sexual exploitation — which is the intent of such laws,” Hasino said. “Instead, their decision to prosecute is likely making her life more di cult.”

irteenth Judicial District Attorney Travis Sides said that in most criminal cases, victims’ lives are made more di cult by a prosecution because they’re having to deal with the court system in addition to the psychological fallout of the original crime.

Many victims also oppose prosecutions, he added.

“A lot of victims of cases that get led — not just in our jurisdiction but across Colorado, across the country — if they had a perfect world, they would prefer that charges not be led. But as a prosecutor,” he said, “when you look at what the law requires, it requires us to enforce the law, and if there are violations of the law, to le charges.”

Sides spoke with Bass’ supporters outside the courthouse one afternoon not long after the case began. As he walked to his car, one woman told Sides it was hard

to believe he wanted fairness for Bass and the school district, according to a video recording of the exchange.

“Well ma’am let me ask you this,” he responded, “do you want men to have nude images of your daughter on their phone?”

Sides cited Colorado’s child exploitation law, which says that each time child pornography is viewed, the person pictured is “revictimized.”

“We’re not going to see things just smooth out”

Jesse Weins, an Arizona State University researcher with expertise on sexting laws, said training for sexting investigations could be easily added on to mandatory training on the federal gender equity law Title IX, or may already overlap with antibullying and sexual harasment training required in some states. However, he said many educators already feel “trained to death” and view training as just a box to check each year.

Weins added it would be smart to have one administrator whose job it is to keep up to date on sexting laws and procedures. Other teachers would forward cases to that person when needed, similar to how educational institutions are now required to have a coordinator devoted to handling alleged Title IX violations.

Training on how to investigate sexting cases has been a topic at industry conventions for years, and Weins said he would be surprised if many teachers aren’t already familiar with the topic.

But he thinks the issue will continue to be messy.

“We’re not going to see things just smooth out,” he said, “as long as we keep a harsh line on what we mean by child pornography — that all of this is just regular child pornography — and kids keep having phones with cameras.”

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

Careers

Help Wanted

Denver Public Schools District 1 seeks the following positions in Denver, CO:

Job duties for below positions: Follow DPS curriculum to instruct students.

ELA-S Elementary Teacher

*multiple positions available* Req: Bachelor’s (or foreign equivalent) in Teaching English Speakers of Other Languages, Education, Modern Languages, Elementary Education, Foreign Language Education or related. Will accept 3 or 4 year degrees. Must possess a valid Colorado Department of Education Teacher’s License with appropriate endorsement in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education (K12), Elementary Education (K-6), Spanish (K-12), or ability to obtain. Ability to speak, read, and write both in English and Spanish. Ref 1260

Science Secondary Teacher

*multiple positions available* req: Bachelor’s degree (or foreign equivalent) in Education, Curriculum and Instruction, Biotechnology, STEM Leadership, or related. Must possess valid Colorado Department of Education Teacher’s License with appropriate endorsement in Science Education (7-12), or ability to obtain. Ref 0464

Foreign Language Spanish Secondary Teacher *multiple positions available* req: Bachelor’s degree (or foreign equivalent) in Education or related. Will accept 3 or 4 year degrees. Must possess a valid Colorado Department of Education Teacher’s License with appropriate endorsement in English Language Arts (7-12) or Spanish (K-12), or ability to obtain. Ability to speak, read, and write both in English and Spanish. Ref 0463

Mathematics Secondary Teacher

*multiple positions available* req: Bachelor’s degree (or foreign equivalent) in any field. Must possess valid Colorado Department of Education Teacher’s License with appropriate endorsement in Mathematics Education (7-12), or ability to obtain. Ref 0474

resumes to Fatima Puelles with ref number, Fatima_puelles@dpsk12.net

Legals

Storage Liens/Vehicle Titles

Public Notice

James Brennan, Personal Representative P.O. Box 9296 Avon, CO 81620

Legal Notice No. 81976

First Publication: December 15, 2022

Last Publication: December 29, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of LOIS ANDRES KAHN, aka LOIS A. KAHN, and LOIS MARY ANDRES KAHN, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR31407

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 April 21, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Carolyn Bradley, Personal Representative 8197 S. Portal Way Sandy, UT 84903

Legal Notice No. 81984

First Publication: December 15, 2022

Last Publication: December 29, 2022

Denver, CO 80246

Legal Notice No. 81953

First Publication: December 1, 2022

Last Publication: December 15, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of JoAnn L. Castillo-Rau, aka JoAnn Louise Castillo, aka JoAnn Rau aka JoAnn Castillo-Rau, aka JoAnn L. Rau, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR30694

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 21, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Pamela L. Castillo-Feldhauser

Personal Representative 5175 Benton Street Denver, Colorado 80212

Legal Notice No. 81983

First Publication: December 15, 2022

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of J. William Bensberg; a/k/a William Bensberg; a/k/a Bill Bensberg; a/k/a John William Bensberg, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR031419

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

Myka M. Landry, ATL and Personal Representative P.O. Box 2276 Elizabeth, CO 80107

Legal Notice No. 81962

First Publication: December 8, 2022 Last Publication: December 15, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Alejandra Rodriguez DeMedina, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR31548

Legal Notice No. 81980 First Publication: December 8, 2022 Last Publication: December 8, 2022 Publisher: Denver Herald Dispatch

NOTICE

Estate of MAUREEN A. HAYES, a/k/a MAUREEN HAYES, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR031346

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

Gary Cox and Denise Cox Co- Personal Representatives 4801 East 9th Avenue, Unit 110 Denver, Colorado 80220

Legal Notice No. 81981

First Publication: December 15, 2022 Last Publication: December 29, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of WILLIAM A. WIDHALM, a/k/a WILLIAM ALOYSIUS WIDHALM, and WILLIAM WIDHALM, Deceased Case Number: 2022 PR 31508

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before April 10, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Peter Eugene Widhalm Personal Representative 3860 Vrain St. Denver, CO 80212

Legal Notice No.81970

First Publication: December 8, 2022

Last Publication: December 22, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of FAYE LAVON LATIMER, a/k/a FAYE L. LATIMER, a/k/a FAYE LATIMER, Deceased Case Number: 22PR31489

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before April 1, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

/s/

Lance E. McKinley

Lance E. McKinley, #33274

o/b/o Estate of Faye Lavon Latimer Solem Woodward & McKinley, P.C. 750 W. Hampden Ave. Ste 505 Englewood, CO 80110

Legal Notice No. 81958

First Publication: December 1, 2022

Last Publication: December 15, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Karen Elizabeth Brennan, Deceased Case Number 2022PR31673

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

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of EVA SUJANSKY, Deceased Case Number: 2022 PR 31525

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before April 8, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Personal Representative 200 Highland Terrace Woodside, CA 94062

Legal Notice No.81971

First Publication: December 8, 2022

Last Publication: December 22, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of SHIRLEY A. BURKHART, also known as Shirley Ann Burkhart, Deceased Case Number: 2022 PR 31494

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before April 10, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Amy L. Hoppens

Personal Representative 4241 S. Center St. Casper, WY 8260

Legal Notice No.81972

First Publication: December 8, 2022

Last Publication: December 22, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Elsie E. Swensen, aka Elsie Swensen, aka Elsie Elizabeth Swensen, Deceased Case Number: 22 PR 542

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

C. Crispin Sargent, CSA of CS AdvoCare, Inc.

Person Giving Notice 7500 E Arapahoe Road Suite 101 Centennial, CO 80112

Legal Notice No. 81954

First Publication: December 1, 2022 Last Publication: December 15, 2022

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Adam Joseph Nagle, a/k/a Adam J. Nagle and Adam Nagle, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR31510

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to:

Denver Probate Court City and County of Denver, Colorado 1437 Bannock St., #230 Denver, CO 80202 on or before April 1, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Joseph P. Nagle, Personal Representative c/o Law Office of Byron K. Hammond, LLC 4500 Cherry Creek Drive South, Suite 960

Last Publication: December 29, 2022 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of John Patrick McHugh, a/k/a John P. McHugh, a/k/a John McHugh, a/k/a Jack McHugh, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR31532

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

Shelley J. Cook, Personal Representative Robert G. Frie (1796) Frie, Arndt, Danborn & Thiessen P.C. 7400 Wadsworth Blvd., #201 Arvada, Colorado 80003 303/420-1234

Attorney for Personal Representative

Legal Notice No. 81982

First Publication: December 15, 2022 Last Publication: December 29, 2022 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of John Michael Moon, Deceased Case Number: 22PR31464

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before April 17, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Carol Jo Larkin, Personal Representative 1515 Lafayette Ave., Unit 417 St. Louis, MO, 63104

Legal Notice No. 81987

First Publication: December 15, 2022 Last Publication: December 29, 2022 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of KENT G. MARLATT, Deceased Case Number 2022 PR 31472

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

Patricia K. Van Der Gang, Personal Representative 3566 S. Poplar St., #105 Denver, CO 80237

Legal Notice No. 81952

First Publication: December 1, 2022 Last Publication: December 15, 2022 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of ANWAR AHMED AL-SHAKHS, Case Number: 2022PR31350

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

Daniel R. Klein Attorney to the Personal Representative 7535 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 400 Denver, CO 80231

Legal Notice No. 81957

First Publication: December 1, 2022 Last Publication: December 15, 2022 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

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 April 8, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Maria Guadalupe Medina

Personal Representative 3240 South University Blvd. Denver, Colorado 80210N

Legal Notice No. 81963 First Publication: December 8, 2022 Last Publication: December 22, 2022 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Sarah Jamie Kelly, aka Jamie Kelly, aka Sarah Jamie Blakeway, and Sarah Jamie Binion, Deceased Case Number: 22PR31591

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

Meggin Rutherford Attorney to the Personal Representative 8795 Ralston Rd, Ste, 113 Arvada, CO 80002

Legal Notice No. 81979

First Publication: December 15, 2022 Last Publication: December 29, 2022 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

Notice to Creditors

Estate of Ron Sailors, a/k/a Ronald Forrest Sailors, a/k/a Ronald F. Sailors, a/k/a Forrest Sailors, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR31332

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

Michelle R. Smith Attorney for Jessica Farrar, Personal Representative 4 W. Dry Creek Circle, Ste. 100 Littleton, Colorado 80120

Legal Notice No. 81978

First Publication: December 15, 2022

Last Publication: December 29, 2022 Publisher: Denver Herald Dispatch Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Claude Merle West, a/k/a Claude M. West, and Claude West, Deceased Case Number: 2022 PR 31567

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

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

Legal Notice No. 81985 First Publication: December 15, 2022 Last Publication: December 29, 2022 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

SANDERS Case Number: 22C01205 Courtroom : 170

Attorney or Party Without Attorney (Name and Address): Shayla Sanders 3610 Ivy Street Denver, CO 80207

NOTICE TO NON-CUSTODIAL PARENT BY PUBLICATION

Notice to non custodial parent.: John DoeFather of Kameran Dior Sanders-Bradley

Notice is given that a hearing is scheduled as follows:

Date: December 30, 2022

Time: 10: 45 a.m.

Location: Virtual Courtroom 170 Number: 720-600-4350 Conference ID: 608 643 14#

For the purpose of requesting a change of name for Kameran Dior Sanders-Bradlley

At this hearing the Court may enter an order changing the name of the minor child.

To support or voice objection to the proposed name change, you must appear at the hearing

Date: December 1, 2022 /s/ Shayla Sanders, parent

Legal Notice No.: 81977

First Publication: December 15, 2022 Last Publication: December 29, 2022 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Children Services

(Adoption/Guardian/Other)

Public Notice

AMENDED NOTICE OF ADOPTION TO MOTHER

Mary Wilson is notified that a petition for adoption of a child, named Joshua Wilson born to Mary Wilson on October 28, 2015 was filed in the office of the clerk of the Lake County Superior Juvenile Court, 3000 W. 93rd Avenue, Crown Point, Indiana 46307. The petition for adoption alleges that the consent to adoption of Joshua Wilson is not required because the child has been in the care of Petitioner and for at least one year prior to the filing of the petition, Mary Wilson has failed without justifiable cause to significantly communicate with the child or has knowingly failed to provide for the care of the child.

If Mary Wilson seeks to contest the adoption of the child, she must file a motion to contest the adoption in accordance with IC 31-19-10-1 in the above-named court not later than thirty (30) days after the date of service of this notice.

If Mary Wilson does not file a motion to contest the adoption within thirty (30) days after service of this notice the above-named court will hear and determine the petition for adoption. The consent to adoption of Joshua Wilson will be irrevocably implied and Mary Wilson will lose the right to contest either the adoption or the validity of Mary Wilson’s implied consent to the adoption.

No statement made to Mary Wilson relieves Mary Wilson of Mary Wilson’s obligations under this notice.

This notice complies with IC 31-19-4.5-3 but does not exhaustively set forth a person's legal obligations under the Indiana adoption statutes. A person being served with this notice should consult the Indiana adoption statutes.

Dated at Crown Point, Indiana, this 14th day of November, 2022.

Michael A. Brown, Clerk of the Lake Superior Juvenile Court, Crown Point, Indiana

By: LH Deputy

Legal Notice No. 81951

First Publication: December 1, 2022

Last Publication: December 15, 2022 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch ###

Walter Sujansky

District / County Court City & County of Denver, Colorado 1437 Bannock Street, Denver, CO 80202

In the Matter of the Petition of: Petitioner Parent(s): SHAYLA SANDERS For Minor Child: KAMERAN DIOR SANDERS-BRADLEY (John Doe Bradley) to Change the Child's Name to: KAMERAN DIOR

STATE OF INDIANA IN THE LAKE SUPERIOR COURT JUVENILE DIVISION COUNTY OF LAKE CROWN POINT, INDIANA IN THE MATTER OF: THE ADOPTION OF: CAUSE NO.: 45D06-2206-AD-00060 JOSHUA WILSON