Denver Herald Dispatch December 14, 2023

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WEEK OF DECEMBER 14, 2023

VOLUME 97 | ISSUE 2

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Findings: Denver Basic Income What is the Project shows promising results so far reason for power cost increases?

Colorado utility bills keep growing although the price of electricity is static

BY MARK JAFFE THE COLORADO SUN

A Denver Basic Income Project participant holds a sign at a rally in Denver earlier this year.

800 participants of the project received money to help keep them out of homelessness

BY GANNON ROTHMAN SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

A project that has paid more than 800 of Denver’s residents experiencing homelessness is gaining confidence and showing life-changing results, according to the Denver Basic Income Project’s quantitative interim report.

The Denver Basic Income Project is a 12-month program that has given

no-strings-attached cash payments to adults experiencing homelessness.

The project hopes to fight income inequality for those who are unhoused.

“Everyone can see we have an ongoing problem,” said Mark Donovan, the project’s founder. “We have a housing crisis and we have a lack of sufficient affordable housing. We’re facing an eviction crisis in 2024 and we also have an influx of migrants, so we have really big challenges as a community.”

The project’s cash payments were broken into three groups. Group A received monthly payments of $1,000 for 12 months. Group B received $6,500 the first month followed by $500 a month for 11 months. Group C receives $50 a month for 12 months totalling $600.

CALENDAR: 9 | VOICES: 10 | LIFE: 12

After a six month follow-up, participants in the program reported spending their cash payments on vital things such as housing, transportation and obtaining a job.

Donovan said he initially thought the project was going to be a small program, but after various foundations – including The Colorado Trust, The Colorado Health Foundation and The Denver Foundation – got behind it, the program was able to put up more money. So far, the Denver Basic Income Project has reached nearly $6 million, with most of the money coming from a total of 19 partner organizations, including $1.5 million from the Colorado Trust.

Bill Levis has tracked the ups and downs of utility bills for the past 14 years, first as director of the state Office of Consumer Counsel and then as a consultant for AARP, which represents retirees and older citizens.

And when it comes to electricity bills, especially from the state’s largest provider Xcel Energy, the trend has gone in only one direction — up.

Since 2019 the average monthly residential bill, for 600 kilowatthours of electricity, has risen 38% to $92.12, based on company figures.

Utility bills are one of the biggest regular dings to any household’s budget, and with every Xcel announcement, the High Cost of Colorado marches upward.

“We know it is going to go even higher as we go to renewables and they phase out coal-fired plants,” said Levis, whose office was the predecessor to the Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate.

Electricity bills aren’t subject solely to the same market forces as food, or even rent.

There are a host of things that go into rising electricity bills from the price of natural gas to run turbines to the cost of building new power stations and transmission lines to a raft of state mandated clean energy programs.

SEE RESULTS, P2

SEE INCREASES, P4

COURTESY OF ARMANDO GENEYRO DENVER BASIC INCOME PROJECT

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2 Denver Herald

December 14, 2023

To learn more about the Denver Basic Income Project, visit denverbasicincomeproject.org.

Mark Donovan, founder of the Denver Basic Income Project, speaks a rally in Denver earlier this year.

RESULTS FROM PAGE 1

“I really believe basic income has incredible potential to create widespread societal good,” Donovan said.

“We’re thriving just in equitable communities and it’s so simple.”

The project’s participants were recruited through homelessness service-providing agencies in Denver.

Eligibility included being at least 18 years of age, not having severe and unaddressed mental health or substance abuse needs, and experiencing homelessness as defined by the project. Enrollment took place for four months, from November 2022 through February 2023.

In coordination with University of Denver’s Center for Housing and Homelessness Research, the Denver Basic Income Project released its in-

terim report in October, showing key findings halfway through the experiment. Participants were surveyed and were asked questions about their housing situation, mental health, sense of safety and well-being.

Key findings

All three groups reported improvements in their living situations after six months. At the time of enrollment, participants in all three groups reported that between 21% and 26% of them were sleeping at a shelter.

After the six-month follow-up, 34% of the participants in Group A – those who receive $1,000 a month – reported they were sleeping in housing they either rented or owned.

Of these 154 participants in Group A that completed the six-month survey, no one reported sleeping outside. Group B – who received the lump sum of $6,500 in the first month – reported that 40% of them were

COURTESY OF ARMANDO GENEYRO DENVER BASIC INCOME PROJECT

sleeping in rented or owned housing. Thirty-one percent of Group C – those who got $50 a month – reported they were sleeping in rented or owned housing.

Changes in the participants’ distress and anxiety also showed some improvements. Participants in both Group A and Group B showed decreases in distress, while participants from Group C showed an increase in distress at the six-month survey mark than at the time of enrollment. Fulltime employment for participants in Group A and Group B also increased while Group C showed no change.

Hope during a dark time

Moriah Rodriguez, a participant in the Denver Basic Income Project, first learned about enrollment through her daughter’s employer.

She said she didn’t believe it at first, but decided to apply because she had “nothing to lose.”

Rodriquez was put in Group A. She said the program helped her and one of her children who has a disability find permanent housing.

“I was able to pay for my phone with the money, and that was a big barrier to being able to connect with

people,” Rodriguez said. “I was able to build my credit (and) not worry about going to food banks. (And) it was a big burden taken off not having to borrow money from people.”

Rodriguez has a brain injury and is considered disabled. She has been working on her GED since the start of the program.

With the Denver Basic Income Project now finished with the cash payments to the group Rodriguez was in, she said she’s worried on what to do next now that payments have stopped, but is grateful for the project for giving her a good starting place.

“I’m just really thankful that there was an opportunity with the program. I know it made a difference.

It gave me some kind of foundation to start on,” Rodriguez said. “It gave me a lot of hope when I was in a dark place.”

Before the Denver Basic Income Project, Rodriguez said she was living out of her car. Though she isn’t sure on what’s ahead, she hopes there are some kind of wrap-around services to keep her out of homelessness.

SEE RESULTS, P4

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Denver Herald 3

December 14, 2023

Church blesses ski equipment in Aspen for the season ahead

BY KAYA WILLIAMS ASPEN PUBLIC RADIO

In some Catholic communities, where agriculture or fishing drive the economy, a priest might bless farm equipment or a fleet of boats. But in Aspen, where the main industry is recreation and hospitality, parishioners bring their skis and other winter sports equipment to church for a good dousing of holy water.

The “Blessing of the Skis and Snowboards” is an annual tradition at St. Mary Catholic Church. Father Joe Grady invoked St. Bernard, the patron saint of the Alps (and of skiers, snow-

boarders, hikers and climbers) during the blessing on a recent Sunday.

“Bless, O Lord, we pray, these skis — that all who use them in traversing mountains, heights and precipices, in powder and in snow, in blizzard and in tempest, may be preserved from all danger and catastrophe, traveling without harm on their journey and returning safely to their homes,” Grady prayed.

Deacon Phil Harrington also led a series of prayers for “peace, prosperity and safety,” for “abundant snowfall,” and for the hospitality and resort workers who welcome visitors to Aspen and support the community’s

economy.

“And we pray for all those who have died on these mountains, especially those who worked in the silver mines, or skied on these hills, for their quick entry into paradise, and for the peace and consolation of their families,” Harrington prayed.

The ceremony is unusual, even for a ski town, but it’s fitting for the community at St. Mary: parishioners sometimes attend mass in their ski clothes, and a former pastor, Father Darrick Leier, hit the slopes with a custom snowboard that had “Ave Maria” printed on the base. This winter, Grady said he hopes to organize some

community ski days as a “less intimidating” way for new people to connect with the church.

“What we do during the week is not disconnected from what we do here on Sunday,” Grady told those who came for the blessing.

Editor’s note: This story was produced with assistance from the Public Media Journalists Association Editor Corps supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

This story via The Associated Press’ Storyshare, of which Colorado Community Media is a member.

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Zillow Predicts More Homes for Sale and Improved Affordability Next Year

Zillow’s prediction for the housing market in 2024 rings true for me, as an active real estate broker. Early expectations that mortgage interest rates would fall back below 5% kept some would-be buyers from pulling the trigger, but now it’s beginning to sink in that interest rates will stay high, probably in the 7% range.

Home prices are also moderating a little, so buyers who can tolerate higher interest rates are coming off the fence, just as sellers are noticing that homes are selling well in the current environment, albeit for slightly less than they might have received last year.

Meanwhile, would-be home sellers who locked in 3% or lower interest rates on their current home have been described as “rate locked,” unwilling to give up their low mortgage rate and move up (or down) to another home with a higher interest rate. But Zillow feels that a growing number of such would-be sellers have grown weary of waiting for rates to drop and are ready to bite that bullet.

Another option not mentioned by Zillow in their article is that of selling and moving into a rental, especially if they are seniors who will have a big capital gain (after taxes) that will outlive them, or if they want to keep their options open for

buying in the future or moving to another city, state or country.

Another strategy suggested by Zillow is to hold onto one’s current home as an investment property, generating more than enough rental income to pay for a rental elsewhere. The article assumes that you’ll maintain your current low interest rate on your home, although that rate was for owner-occupied property, not an investment property. If your home has a reverse mortgage, you must pay it off if you move out, which likely means you’d have to sell your home, not put it on the rental market.

Here’s their prediction of the national market for next year: “Zillow’s latest forecast calls for home values to hold steady in 2024, falling 0.2%. Predicting how mortgage rates will move is a nearly impossible task, but recent inflation news gives the impression that rates are likely to hold fairly steady as well in the coming months. Taken together, the cost of buying a home looks to be on track to level off next year, with the possibility of costs falling if mortgage rates do.”

Meanwhile, as we approach the holidays, look at the market statistics in this chart of last week’s MLS activity on REcolorado within 18 miles of downtown Denver. It’s no surprise to me that the biggest number is that of price reductions, yet we are still seeing a healthy number of new listings, listings that went under contract and listings that closed last week. In other words, this is a market that is not stagnating. It is just waiting for more right-priced listings to satisfy pent-up demand by buyers, not all of whom are off the fence — yet.

I’m often asked whether winter is a good time to sell a home. Well, I just listed a $1.5 million home in Golden, and in the first 24 hours of it being “coming soon” on the MLS, over 10 agents with buyers set a showing for it. It drew multiple offers — the first one before showings began — and sold above it’s asking price

in 4 days. I have another listing going on the market in mid-January, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it gets the same reception.

It’s all about knowing the right price in that listing’s neighborhood. These two listings just happen to be in highly desirable subdivisions and in excellent condition. A listing elsewhere might get fewer showings and end up becoming one of the “price reduced” statistics.

Winter, I’ve found, is a great time to list a home because there are still lots of buyers getting automated email alerts of new listings, and there are fewer listings competing for their attention.

The amount of new construction in the Denver metro area, especially of apartment buildings, has been dazzling. All year, for example, I’ve been following the construction of a 340-unit apartment building across from my 2-bed-room rental at Solana Lakewood, and last week Rita and I moved into a 3-bedroom rental in GW Apartments, a brand new building on South Golden Road. A block away on the other side of South Golden Road, there’s a yellow rezoning sign stating that a 353unit mixed-use project is planned on what is currently vacant land.

Yes, new single-family homes are still being built, but they are far outnumbered by rental apartment buildings, and it’s not slowing down.

About a decade ago, the construction of condos stalled because of a surge in construction defect litigation by lawyers representing condo associations the way personal injury lawyers operate. Legislation was eventually passed to reduce the incidence of such lawsuits, but it didn’t bring

back the construction of condos as many observers had expected.

Developers accelerated the building of rental units as condo development stalled, and it just kept accelerating after that construction defect issue was mitigated. The completion of the FasTracks’ light rail and commuter rail project created a boom in TOD — transit-oriented development, almost entirely rental apartment buildings — within blocks of virtually every light rail and commuter rail station.

Now, with the cost of mortgage lending so much higher — more than doubled in the past 20 months — the boom in apartment construction and demand remains unabated. Meanwhile, we’re seeing a slowdown in single-family construction, with the emphasis on higher-density multi-unit construction.

There is also a new emphasis on local governments allowing single-family lots to add ADUs — accessory dwelling units — which is further increasing housing density across the metro area.

This Column Will Henceforth Appear Here In Every Issue

For nearly two decades this “Real Estate Today” column has been published in three Jefferson County weekly newspapers as well as every Thursday in the Denver Post’s YourHub section.

We’re pleased to add this newspaper to the list of newspapers carrying our column. I hope you find it informative.

You can see the variety of topics I’ve written about over the years by visiting the complete archive of this column at www.JimSmithColumns.com.

Expect More Housing Density, Mostly Apartments

Jim Smith

Broker/Owner, 303-525-1851 Jim@GoldenRealEstate.com 1214 Washington Ave., Golden 80401 Broker Associates: JIM SWANSON, 303-929-2727 CHUCK BROWN, 303-885-7855 DAVID DLUGASCH, 303-908-4835 GREG KRAFT, 720-353-1922 AUSTIN POTTORFF, 970-281-9071 KATHY JONKE, 303-990-7428 “I cannot do all the good the world needs, but the world needs all the good I can do.” —Jana Stanfield

4 Denver Herald

December 14, 2023

RESULTS FROM PAGE 2

Finding a solution

The future of the Denver Basic Income Project ultimately depends on policies and continuing to build on

INCREASES FROM PAGE 1

And let’s not forget, in addition to all those requirements Xcel Energy is also a business in search of a profit, which means there are shareholder and bondholder expectations to be met.

The rates customers pay are set by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission based on the investments Xcel Energy makes to run its grid and meet demand. Xcel Energy gets to recover its investment plus a return set by the PUC. It is growing these investments, the so-called rate base, that raises bills and fuels profits and shareholder dividends. When Xcel Energy built the coal-fired Comanche 3 power plant for $1 billion, customers paid for it. Customers will pay for the $1.7

the project’s initial results. Donovan said it’s about acknowledging people who are unhoused with respect and helping support the project through additional funding with the individual donors and foundations that have already supported the Denver Basic Income Project. Donovan said project leaders are working on the

next steps to build on these successful results.

“A large percentage of our population is kind of one emergency away from being in a really tough situation.

That creates a lot of stress,” Donovan said. “Most people can benefit from $1,000 a month.”

A final report on the Denver Basic

Income Project will be available in June 2024 with the overall findings from the 12-month long experiment.

“Denver is unique in that we’re the largest to focus specifically on our unhoused neighbors,” Donovan said. “And that’s really important because we’re showing what’s possible.”

billion Power Pathway transmission line being built.

Customers will also pay nearly $1 billion closing three coal-fired plants, most of it for the unamortized part of Comanche 3 which has suffered chronic breakdowns since it opened in 2010.

“It is never the energy company that ends up paying for mistakes, such as Comanche 3,” Levis said. “The frustration consumers have is that the energy company has no downside.”

And if customers are unhappy, they don’t have the option of shopping around for a new provider of electricity or natural gas like they can with cars, insurance or food. Xcel has a franchise that makes it a monopoly in the areas it serves.

Xcel Energy is now proposing another $10 billion in rate base investments as part of its Clean Energy Plan, which will cut the utility’s greenhouse gas emissions 87% over 2005 levels.

“The legislature has also played a role in raising bills,” Levis said. “I don’t think they realize the impact.”

In the last five years the General Assembly has passed at least 14 bills directing the state’s utilities and PUC to initiate programs to do such things as such as promote energy efficient appliances and electric vehicles, and to develop clean energy plans.

Those laws allowed utilities to do things like add charges to customer bills for new programs. Or they enabled Xcel Energy to accelerate recovery of funds or include performance incentives, offering a bonus if the utility contains project costs and meets deadlines.

Xcel Energy in its filings with the PUC points out that base rates have not risen much above the rate of inflation, and that its price per kilowatthour in Colorado is lower than the national average. In 2022, the average Xcel Energy residential charge was 12.7 cents a kilowatt-hour compared with a national average of 15 cents, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Utilities are also allowed to pass the cost of fuel directly to customers from the Energy Cost Adjustment. That adjustment “goes up and down,” Levis said. “With something like Storm Uri you get a big charge.”

That winter storm in Texas shutdown natural gas fields in February 2021 and sent natural gas prices soaring 300%. Xcel Energy incurred an ex-

tra $500 million in charges that Colorado customers are now paying off in installments over 30 months.

Last winter natural gas prices spiked again, doubling and tripling utility bills (mainly for natural gas heating) and sent thousands of families scrambling for help with their bills from government and non-profit organizations.

Meanwhile, Xcel Energy has met or exceeded its earnings guidance for shareholders for 18 consecutive years and between 2018 and 2022 corporate profits rose 38% to a record $1.7 billion.

“They never take a write-off against shareholders for something like Storm Uri,” Levis said. “It is always on the ratepayers.”

Those ratepayers, or customers, are left with a cryptic electric bill with 13 different charges pumped up by four rate increases, one on top of another, since 2020 — a phenomenon consumer advocates call pancaking.

So, the High Cost of Colorado series serves you a full stack, along with an overdue side of explanations.

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This story was printed through a news sharing agreement with The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver that covers the state. This story is also part of the Sun’s ongoing series talking to Coloradans about their challenges, their fears and their solutions to the rising costs of living. More at www.ColoradoSun.com

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Denver Herald 5

December 14, 2023

Emily Griffith auto collision repair students try their hands at statue repair Students take on Ronald McDonald House project

BY CHRISTY STEADMAN CSTEADMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Students in Emily Griffith Technical College’s automotive collision repair program gather for a photo with the Ronald McDonald House statues that they refinished.

Stephanie Nicole Monroy paints details on a Ronald McDonald House statue as a project for Emily Griffith Technical College’s automotive collision repair program. PHOTOS COURTESY OF EMILY GRIFFITH TECHNICAL COLLEGE

statues included working with an airbrush, so the project provided him with hands-on experience using an airbrush, which he’ll use in his profession.

Moreover, the students enjoyed the Ronald McDonald statues project because they were helping to spruce up the community for years to come.

Ronald McDonald Houses serve families who have a sick child by providing temporary lodging at no cost while the child is treated at a nearby hospital.

Balogh remembers noticing the statues when he and his family would drive by them during his childhood.

“Seeing them made me happy,” he said. And working on the project, he added, “felt good to be able to help other little kids feel joy.”

2023

Photo by Rich Luck

in

For four months, a handful of automotive collision repair students at Denver’s Emily Griffith Technical College worked on a rather unique project. It wasn’t a beat up jalopy that they took on. Instead, they plied their skills on four life-sized statues of Ronald McDonald.

The statues from the Ronald McDonald Houses in Denver and Aurora, each about two decades old, had become damaged and faded due to exposure to the sun and other natural elements.

It took the students about 300 hours to completely refurbish and refinish the statues. They sanded the statues, applied sealer and primer, painted a base coat and detailing, and put on decals. The tasks required for the statues aligned closely with the students’ studies in that it gave them experience using techniques and equipment they will use in the industry.

Evan Balogh, one of the students who worked on the project, is planning to enter a career as an auto repair technician following graduation in February.

Repairing the damage to the statues was similar to repairing body damage on a vehicle, Balogh said.

“I enjoyed it so much because of the detailed painting,” Balogh said.

He added that he has always enjoyed painting and plans to do lowrider art on cars and motorcycles. Painting the

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December 14, 2023

Colorado’s runaway truck ramps, fixtures for decades, see renewed focus

BY KEVIN SIMPSON THE COLORADO SUN

On the rising, falling, twisting 90mile stretch of Interstate 70 from the foothills outside Denver to Vail, truckers can play recorded audio of C.W. McCall — stage name for the late artist who recorded the chart-topping novelty song “Convoy” — talking them through the dangers of Colorado mountain driving.

“Make absolutely sure your brakes are in good shape,” McCall says with the same deep drawl he brought to his 1975 hit that capitalized on the CB radio craze of that era. “If you got a good set of brakes, and a head full of common sense, we can just about guarantee you’re gonna have a safe trip across these big ol’ beautiful Rocky Mountains. Piece of cake.”

The recording, which guides drivers mile marker by mile marker along the interstate, was created as a cassette tape giveaway by the Colorado Motor Carriers Association in 1990, updated to CD in 2006 and remains available on digital files. McCall, known in real

life as Bill Fries, a former mayor of the town of Ouray, goes on to warn that the I-70 drive is not for the faint of heart, but “full of steep hills, deep canyons, sharp curves, drop-offs into long, scary downgrades, runaway truck ramps everywhere.”

For decades these ramps have branched off — and usually sharply upward — from highways, offering last-chance reprieves for mostly out-of-state truckers barreling helplessly downhill thanks to overheated brakes, mechanical failure or unfamiliarity with driving conventions on Colorado’s treacherous slopes.

Now, they’re getting renewed attention amid a broader campaign, a public-private safety collaboration called “The Mountain Rules.”

“We have more runaway trucks in this state than anywhere else in the country, hands down,” says Greg Fulton, president and CEO of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, one of the partners in the campaign.

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front of them and say, ‘Hey, you gotta be prepared for this. This is different than probably almost anything else you’ll see out there.’”

There are 13 runaway truck ramps across the state. They stretch from the Mount Vernon ramp on eastbound I-70 near Genesee to eastbound U.S. 141 by Slick Rock near the Utah border. The farthest north covers Rabbit Ears Pass near Steamboat Springs, while others mark problematic downhills between Ouray and Durango — a stretch McCall no doubt knew well — on U.S. 550 as well as either side of Monarch Pass along U.S. 50.

Farthest south are two emergency ramps on U.S. 160 over Wolf Creek Pass, a particularly dangerous area where, between 2015-19, 47 semitruck drivers crashed on the west side of the pass, near the scenic overlook area, and three drivers died. From 2019-23, the pass saw 11 total uses of its two ramps, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Perhaps most significantly, in terms of sheer traffic and topography, four ramps dot I-70 between the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel and Vail — part of the corridor targeted by McCall’s downhome trucker narrative. Drivers heading westbound toward Silverthorne have a striking view of two ramps, the second one known as the Lower Straight Creek ramp — the most used in the country (some venture the world) thanks to a dangerous 5.5 miles of 7% downhill grade.

Colorado’s runaway truck ramps were used 13 times in 2019, though CDOT suspects that some uses may

have gone unrecorded, resulting in what appears to be a statistical outlier in comparison to subsequent years.

In 2020, 30 uses were recorded, while 2021 had 32 and 2022 spiked to 44. So far this year, 31 trucks have taken advantage of them.

“What we’ve been trying to do over the past several years is to get higher efficiency on our reporting and make sure that we’re recording this so that we know how often they’re used,” says Keith Stefanik, chief engineer for the Colorado Department of Transportation.

There’s no charge for barreling up (usually) a steep incline cushioned with deep, loose gravel or sand designed to combine gravity with increased friction to slow massive vehicles to a stop. However, most cases require a towing service to extricate a truck, often a pricey proposition that also triggers notification of the Colorado State Patrol — though the CSP makes a point of not ticketing drivers for taking advantage of the safety feature, for fear of discouraging use.

“We don’t want that to be their mindset of, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m going to get a ticket if I do this,’” CSP Master Trooper Gary Cutler says.

More concerning are the times drivers, careening down a mountain highway with failing brakes or other malfunctions, fail to employ runaway truck ramps at all — whether out of panic, simple poor judgment or fear of legal or professional repercussions from aborting their commercial route.

SEE RUNAWAY, P7

Denver Herald 7

December 14, 2023

RUNAWAY

should have been in a lower gear.’”

Often, he says, they’re shaken and scared that they’ll be cited when a state trooper arrives to make a report. The entire experience has made some rethink their career choice.

“We’ve had drivers that just quit right there,” Stubblefield says. “They get out of their truck and they’re like, ‘Take me to an airport, please. I really don’t want to talk to anybody. Get me an Uber. I want to go to an airport and I’m done. I’m going home.’ We’ve had that happen on multiple occasions.”

FROM PAGE 6

“We have had devastating situations when they should have been used and they haven’t been used,” Cutler says. “My personal opinion as a state trooper, I’d rather see them use it as a precaution if they think they’re going to have problems before they get down than to bypass one and say, ‘You know, I probably should have taken that but I didn’t.’”

One of the tragic situations Cutler alludes to also triggered new attention to the ramps and to the larger safety conversation around heavy trucks and mountain driving.

In 2019, a Texas driver whose brakes failed as he descended Mount Vernon Canyon on I-70 was responsible for a horrific crash and a 28-vehicle pileup that killed four people and injured six others.

The driver, 25-year-old Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos, testified that by the time he lost his brakes he didn’t see the last two signs for the Mount Vernon ramp, and noted that the ramp’s configuration — running downhill and parallel to the interstate instead of branching off uphill — was unfamiliar.

Convicted on four counts of vehicular homicide and nearly two dozen additional charges, Aguilera-Mederos was sentenced to 110 years in prison. Gov. Jared Polis eventually determined that the mandatory sentence was “arbitrary and unjust” and commuted the sentence to 10 years.

The crash — and the missed opportunity to avoid it — refocused the attention of CDOT, the freight industry and others on runaway truck ramps. Stefanik says CDOT started tracking the numbers more closely in recent years, and determined the three most frequently used ramps.

The Lower Straight Creek ramp has been used 75 times over the past five years — by far the busiest.

The second highest usage comes on the recently rebuilt ramp at mile marker 182, toward the bottom of Vail Pass, with 27 uses in the same period. And the third highest is along U.S. 40, at mile marker 142 just south of Steamboat Springs, with 10 uses.

The state focused particular attention on the Mount Vernon ramp — the one announced by reminders, after a substantial descent, that truckers still aren’t all the way down yet. In the wake of the 2019 crash, low usage of the ramp prompted officials to seek feedback from trucking industry groups on ways to change that. One thing they heard was that better entrance signage could raise awareness of the ramp as a viable option for drivers.

SEE RUNAWAY, P11

A publication of

Runaway trucks drove into Colorado’s 13 ramps, 44 times in 2022. The Lower Straight Creek ramp, shown here, is by far the busiest in the state, stopping 75 trucks in five years. PHOTO BY HUGH CAREY / THE COLORADO SUN

They also recognized that the ramp, built in the late 1970s, could use some structural upgrading. This week, CDOT and its contractor will close the ramp for work to improve the design, structure and signs alerting drivers to its availability.

Stefanik notes that emergency ramp design hasn’t changed much over the years, except for a recently incorporated environmental element — a water-oil separator that acts like a manholesized drain that separates potentially hazardous material, like diesel fuel, and returns clean water to the storm sewer system.

“We don’t have to get in there and do the hazardous material mitigation,” Stefanik says. “We’re able to get that truck out and then get that truck ramp back open.”

The Mount Vernon ramp differs from most of the others in Colorado in part because it doesn’t rely on topography — and gravity — to slow a barreling semi. Instead, it leans heavily on friction from the aggregate material on the ramp’s arrestor bed. The new construction will increase the depth of that material to 36 inches to achieve a faster stop on the downhill grade.

CDOT will implement a number of other tools to both encourage greater use in an emergency and more safely and effectively bring a truck — or trucks, as the ramp has been improved to accommodate potentially up to three vehicles — to a safe halt.

Larger barriers between the ramp and the steep embankment to the right add another safety element, plus give drivers added confidence. Industry input revealed that drivers felt the old barrier looked too small, especially from their elevated perch, to keep them from launching over the edge.

“I think there’s a nervous-

ness when you’re looking at it,” CMCA’s Fulton says. “To some extent it’s a little bit different than some of the others and it almost looks like it’s going to drop off there.”

The retooled ramp also will employ cameras and lighting to notify officials when it’s in use to improve response and reset time. Although the improved ramp will be shorter than the original, the new design will make it more visible, and where once drivers might have thought they missed the entry to the ramp, the new configuration allows them to line up for entry from the start of the arrestor bed.

The ramp will remain closed until completion of the improvements in late May or early June. Use of ramps tends to decline in the winter months as weather conditions often demand slower speeds, but CDOT and CMCA, along with other stakeholders, have collaborated on a communications campaign to keep drivers advised that the ramp will be closed so they can be especially cautious on that stretch of highway.

“We take a look at risks both ways — risk of having it down, and risk of not reconstructing and not making those improvements,” Stefanik says.

“We try to outlay that and make an educated decision.”

Veering into the narrow corridor of a runaway truck ramp looms as a daunting proposition, though the instructions for doing so are straightforward. Maneuver to the far right lane on approach. Aim straight ahead and keep the wheels aligned.

Try to remain in the center of the gravel bed to avoid tipping over. When the rig slows to a stop, call 9-1-1.

Once accomplished, the experience isn’t often repeated.

“I haven’t run across anybody that’s done it twice,”

notes CSP’s Cutler.

On the ramps that dot the busy I-70 corridor, the first person many runaway truck drivers see after their ordeal is Charlie Stubblefield, owner of Mountain Recovery, who oversees 19 trucks and 30 employees out of locations in Vail, Silverthorne and Golden. He brings a message of encouragement.

“We always applaud those guys for taking that leap of faith and using that runaway ramp, because that’s a super scary thing,” he says. “And it takes some balls to do that.

Some guys try to wait it out and they pass those runaway ramps up and then they end up crashed or rolled over at the bottom of the Silverthorne exit — with possibly people hurt and killed and multiple other vehicles involved.”

While Stubblefield has found drivers’ emotion to run the gamut when he arrives to help pull them out of the ramp, he does recognize a recurring theme: They tend to immediately blame the mechanic or whomever last worked on their brakes.

So he turns the encounter into a teachable moment, recounting that when he started Mountain Recovery and towed loaded semis down the mountain — 80,000 pounds’ worth attached to his 50,000-pound wrecker — he never used his brakes to maintain a safe speed.

“We know that in the tallest, steepest, longest grades in North America here that we’re dealing with, your brakes will not stop you,” Stubblefield explains. “You need your engine brake; you need your downshifting; you need your transmission to slow you down and stop you.

“Once I tell them that they’re like, ‘Oh, maybe it is my fault. I was using my brakes and I probably shouldn’t have been. I

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December 14, 2023

Colorado poll finds voters skeptical of college, more supportive of career ed rado voters. Magellan Strategies surveyed a representative group of 1,550 Colorado registered voters in September. The survey has a margin of error of 2.5%.

Magellan Strategies has done regular polling about education attitudes for several years. This is the first time the firm has included questions about CTE and higher

BY ERICA MELTZER CHALKBEAT COLORADO

It’s more important for Colorado schools to prepare students for the workforce than to prepare them to attend college.

That’s the opinion of more than 60% of respondents in a recent poll of education attitudes among Colo-

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education attitudes.

Respondents cited the high cost of college and questioned how useful college is to helping graduates get jobs, even though the majority of the respondents had a bachelor’s degree or higher themselves. Registered voters as a group have higher education and higher income levels than the general population.

Magellan Strategies CEO David Flaherty said some Republicans and conservatives brought up ideological concerns — such as colleges being hotbeds of “woke” thinking — but across the political spectrum, respondents wondered about the value of higher education, sometimes citing their own experiences of high student debt and lowpaying jobs. Others worried about increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence systems doing away with jobs.

“You can feel that skepticism about the availability of a whitecollar job at the other end,” Flaherty said.

Magellan’s findings echo those of a national poll of Gen Z students earlier this year that also found growing skepticism among young people of the value of a four-year degree. Those respondents still thought education after high school was important, but they were more interested in trade schools, indus-

Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter Go to ColoradoCommunityMedia.com and click “Sign up for newsletters” at the top of the page!

try certificates, and two-year programs that would help them get good-paying jobs with less debt.

Flaherty said colleges should take note of the findings, especially as they brace for declining enrollment. They need to get costs under control and show families and policy makers that an education is worth the investment of time and money, he said.

The flip side is that career and technical education scores very well with voters and helps counter concerns among conservative voters that schools are on the wrong track, Flaherty said.

Magellan found that more than half of respondents weren’t sure if their local school districts offered career and technical education, but more than 86% would have a more favorable view of their school district if they knew about such programs, which can range from auto mechanics and cosmetology to health sciences and graphic design.

The poll showed that nearly half of voters think that schools are on the wrong track, and less than a third think they’re on the right track. That’s a worse view of education than voters had before the pandemic but similar to more recent polls.

SEE SKEPTICAL, P19

Denver Herald 9

December 14, 2023

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10 Denver Herald

I

n what feels like a lifetime ago,

I was a waitress. First, at a pizza place in the town where I grew up. Eventually, after I got married, I worked at the CoCo’s restaurant chain. I was a waitress until I could get my first job as a journalist.

In those days, I relied on tips. Not to age myself too much, but as a college kid in my late teens, I thought getting a $5 tip was awesome. Today, a $5 tip would just get you labeled as cheap.

My husband was also a waiter when we met. He worked at a dog track in Tucson. We both relied on tips to make ends meet at the start of our marriage.

Because of that work, my husband and I have always been good tippers.

We understand how working with the public in that capacity is not easy.

However, he and I both agree that the world of having to tip every-

LOCAL

December 14, 2023

VOICES Tip not included where is getting out of hand. It’s getting harder to be a generous tipper when you are being asked to hand it out everywhere.

Let me stress, I am still a good tipper.

Whenever I have extra and we are at our favorite MexiThelma Grimes can restaurant in Parker, I have on more than one occasion been happy to leave $50 just to be kind.

The reason I bring up tipping is because of a recent news story I read about Walmart self-checkout screens asking us to leave a tip. Really? We are scanning, bagging and paying without help, but now we should be tipping.

EDITOR’S COLUMN

Walmart is one of the wealthiest corporations in the world. We know that for a fact here locally given they bought the Denver Broncos. I think Walmart should start paying their employees a living wage and stop guilting us into doing it for you.

A November story in USA Today touched on this very topic and made a great point. The rise of digital checkouts and technology has made it easier for businesses to ask for tips, including industries like Walmart where we wouldn’t ordinarily expect to even be asked such a question.

The idea of tips is spreading everywhere. We are being asked to leave a tip for someone who simply hands off food. For someone who may click a button for you. We are being told to tip in everything, even when it does not require too much work.

USA Today’s Blueprint division surveyed Americans on the topic of tipping. The results are interesting as 63% of those who responded said too many places are asking for tips and 48% said they are just tired of being asked for a tip altogether.

The tough part of this, being one of those who is tired of being asked to tip everywhere I go, is that I understand the need. The employees are likely underpaid. They are the ones these tips benefit.

But I must ask: When is it time to draw the line? When is it time for corporations and employers to foot the bill and pay a living wage instead of relying on the kindness of a tired society?

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

Manage behaviors and measure results Reducing disease risk in modern life A s the year is drawing to a close, for many leaders and managers it is time for year-end performance reviews. As I have been preparing for the performance reviews for each member of my team, I found myself focusing on both the behaviors and the results. As a younger leader who mostly focused mostly on the results, I was missing the critical area of the behaviors that drive results.

A very wise mentor of mine taught me this many years ago: We need to manage behaviors and measure results. And when evaluating people during review time, focusing on the leading indicators first is more helpful for both the leader and the person being evaluated. The lagging indicators certainly follow, but setting proper expectations around the required behaviors is a better indicator of consistent success.

Reaching ambitious goals requires vigilantly tracking progress through both leading and lagging indicators. Leaders who monitor these twin metrics can course correct issues before they escalate and celebrate wins before the finish line.

Leading indicators signal future results. They measure the activities and inputs that build capacity for success. Leading indicators include things like quality of hiring, employee engagement, product development cycles and customer satisfaction.

Lagging indicators report past results. They confirm if efforts actually produced the desired outcome.

Lagging metrics include profits, revenue, market share, project delivery and other definitive scorecards.

Both types of indicators are essential, though leaders often focus heavily on lagging while neglecting leading ones. This limits their ability to anticipate and adapt. It’s

like driving while only looking in the rearview mirror.

Say your goal is to reduce customer churn. Leading indicators like Net Promoter Score show early warning signs of dissatisfaction you can address before cusMichael Norton tomers defect. Lagging indicators like churn rate confirm if retention improves.

To create a healthy rhythm, examine leading indicators weekly or monthly. Review lagging indicators quarterly or annually. Let leading metrics guide your actions. Use lagging ones to evaluate strategy.

This balanced monitoring system enables decisiveness and accountability.

Mastering both types of indicators takes work. Leaders must get good at extracting meaning from data to separate signals from noise.

They must ask tough questions to diagnose root causes, not just treat surface symptoms.

In leadership, a common pitfall is micromanaging processes while neglecting results. We obsess over how work gets done without evaluating if it achieves the intended impact. For organizations to thrive, leaders must flip the script — manage behaviors and measure results.

Managing behaviors means providing clear expectations, then focusing on how people show up, not just what they produce. Do they collaborate well? Innovate? Are they developing? Managing behavior looks at culture and problemsolving ability, not just output.

Measuring results flips from tracking activities to assessing outcomes. Did the project reduce costs and increase customer satisfaction?

Are sales improving? Sharp met-

WINNING WORDS

rics provide objective insights on what’s working so strategies can be strengthened. Managing behaviors and measuring results must work in tandem. Behavioral expectations should tie directly to result targets.

Progress isn’t real until both improve.

This dual focus takes discipline and clarity. Leaders must define sharp metrics and commit to analyzing them. Otherwise, the results get fuzzy. They must also resist micromanaging execution. Empower people with clear goals, then let them determine how to achieve them. When leaders manage behaviors and measure results, teams thrive. People know exactly how they are expected to show up. They see how their work ladders up to make an impact. Purpose fuels performance.

With rigorous tracking of leading and lagging indicators, teams reach new heights. You spot roadblocks early when they are still small. You double down on what’s working.

These indicators act as navigational guides signaling the path to success.

By taking this balanced approach, leaders enable their organizations to flourish. Behaviors and results are the twin engines that propel high achievement. Master them, and your team can reach new heights.

Are you establishing clear metrics and goals for yourself and your team? Are you actively tracking both the leading and lagging indicators? I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can remember to manage behaviors and measure results, it really will be a better than good life.

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

T

he speaker at the January meeting of the Seniors’ Council of Douglas County will look at why humans are at risk for disease and how to reduce that risk.

Whereas the 19th century was dominated by infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and pneumonia, the 20th century saw an emergence, and then overwhelming domination, of what has been termed the “metabolic” diseases. Obesity increased from a prevalence in 1900 of 1% of adults to over 40% of adults today.

Likewise, type 2 diabetes increased from just one case per 50,000 individuals to one in eight people today.

The epidemic rise of these two conditions has also been accompanied by a remarkable rise in the frequency of hypertension, heart disease, fatty liver, chronic kidney diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease. What is especially interesting is that these conditions tend to cluster in individuals, suggesting some underlying common risk factors for their development.

The classical thinking has been that these diseases reflect our success as a species, as we have been so successful with our technologies that we no longer need to exercise, and that with the grocery stores filled with readily available food, that we can simply overindulge on a daily basis.

Too much food and too little exercise must follow the laws of physics — the excess energy from calories is stored as fat, and it is the reason we are becoming fat and diabetic. Unfortunately, if it was simply a matter of just changing our habits, it would seem to not be that difficult to reverse obesity.

However, if one looks at the hundreds of books, podcasts, programs, diet SEE RISK, P11

Denver Herald 11

December 14, 2023

RUNAWAY FROM PAGE 7

Even Stubblefield, when he finds himself atop the often-used Lower Straight Creek ramp below the Eisenhower tunnel, admits to being a little awestruck by the dizzying vertical rise.

“Just looking at it from the bottom doesn’t do it justice,” he says. “No video will ever do it justice. It’s just being there — outside your vehicle and standing there as a human being on that ramp. It’s pretty spectacular.”

For trucking companies, an easy removal by a tow truck might run $1,500, but they can go much higher.

Stubbefield is aware of one job that wound up costing $35,000, after a driver mistakenly took an adjacent access road rather than the actual

RISK FROM PAGE 10

companies, etc., that are in the market, it is apparent that preventing and or reversing these conditions remains a difficult task.

We then discovered that there is only one nutrient that activates this biological switch. Our discovery, and the fact that we can get (or make) this nutrient from a variety of foods, including foods that contain sugar or high fructose corn syrup, from starchy foods, from salty foods, and from certain types of meats is life-changing. The net effect is that there are ways we can help prevent, and even reverse, these serious metabolic conditions. Details will be presented at the January Seniors’ Council of Douglas County meeting

runaway truck ramp on Vail Pass and sent his rig airborne over an embankment and into the trees.

The lower ramp on Vail Pass that CDOT revamped a couple years ago now has contours that make recovery relatively easy. Instead of trucks running up a steep hill, they settle in more of a valley. That stands in contrast to the Lower Straight Creek ramp, where once a truck’s momentum has been stopped near the top, it can reverse and jackknife or roll, depending on the condition of the truck’s brakes and whether the aggregate is soft or frozen hard — further complicating the recovery.

“There’s so many variables that come into play,” Stubblefield says.

CDOT continues to look at the data to identify where they’ve seen hot brake issues and accidents to analyze those locations to determine whether an additional truck escape ramp

on Thursday, Jan. 4 beginning at 10 a.m. at Morning Star, 10100 Commons Street, Lone Tree.

Dr. Richard Johnson is a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado. He has made major research contributions to understanding the cause of obesity and diabetes and has been funded by the National Institutes of Health since the 1980s. He has published over 800 research articles and reviews and has lectured in over 45 countries, and he is one of the highest cited scientists in the world.

The Seniors’ Council of Douglas County advocates for, educates, and engages older adults. Meetings are free and open to the public. Verify meeting dates and locations at https://www.douglas.co.us/community-services/services/senior-services/seniors-council/.

would be useful.

“For the most part, I think we have them at the correct locations,” Stefanik says, “but we’re always looking to improve safety so we’ll continue to take a look.”

Technology continues to aid the safety effort. Thermal sensors help avert overheating brakes. Subscription-based, in-cab alert systems notify drivers of steep grades and locations of runaway truck ramps and other services. An algorithm-based warning system geared to the size of the truck, still in the planning stage, could eventually deliver safe downhill speeds to drivers.

Colorado also has taken legal steps to encourage drivers to focus attention on mountain habits.

The state legislature earlier this year

passed a bill that, effective Jan. 1, allows CDOT to establish “steep downhill grade zones” — defined by grades of 5% or greater — where violations of the posted speed limit can cost the driver doubled fines plus surcharges.

But when preventative measures fail, there are still 13 last-ditch opportunities to dodge disaster.

“There’s not one single thing that’s going to take a huge chunk out of fatalities and serious injuries,” Stefanik says. “It’s going to be a whole system.

I think truck escape ramps are a component of that.”

This story was printed through a news sharing agreement with The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver that covers the state.

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12 Denver Herald

December 14, 2023

LOCAL

LIFE

Board games are rising in popularity, and local shop owners say the games mean a lot to people

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

W

hen game shop owners

throughout the metro area talk about the reasons they got into the business, they all use the same word: Community.

Games stores are more than just a center for play or a place to buy games. They serve as social hubs, something shop owners say is increasingly hard to find and ever more valued in today’s society.

While church attendance continues to plummet, politics becomes ever more divisive, and tech devices are a growing part of our daily lives, the human need for physical connection remains. Sitting across a table from others and playing games, while temporarily setting aside worries that today often range from personal to global, is one way to fill that void.

“It really fosters an alternative for people who are not interested in religion or some other types of traditional community. And ours is a lot more welcoming in ways, too,” said Shannon Mills, who co-owns Littleton’s Mythic Games with her husband Mike Agnew. “We know everybody here, and we’re all here for the same kinds of reasons.”

In fact, a recently opened Thornton game shop took its name from that philosophy.

“We were kicking around what to call it, and a friend said, ‘Call yourself what you’re trying to do. You’re trying to build a community, to do good,’” said Jessica Willman, co-owner of Thornton’s Do Gooder Games.

“Gaming is almost entirely about the community aspect,” said Jeff Kokx, co-owner of Enchanted Grounds, which has stores in both Highlands Ranch and Littleton. “I don’t think any game store owner is actually in it to make a mint. I think we do it because we enjoy it. We like the people that come in. We like community.”

Whatever the reason, board gaming is hot. In fact, the Washington Post recently described now as the golden age of board games, and there are no signs of its slowing. The global board games market is expected to double in the next several years, growing from about $13 billion in 2023 to $26 billion by 2030.

Board games promote sportsmanship, family, teamwork and competitiveness, and studies show they increase self-confidence. For kids who today spend hours each day interacting with technology, playing board games gives them time away from the screen, directly interacting with others.

“I think the value of in-person communication and collaboration is very important,” said Gabby Mann, who co-owns the Golden Game Guild with her husband Ryun Valdez. “Hopefully that doesn’t get lost in this wild world we live in now. I’m glad we have opportunities for that here, especially for kids.”

“Our society is losing places to meet in person,” Valdez said. “There needs to be places besides just bars, especially for families, where people can go.”

Having a sense of community is also key to a successful game store’s business model.

“Building community is building value,” Do Gooder Games’ partner Dan William said. “Once you’ve built the community, then revenue follows.”

Mythic Games’ Agnew agrees. With ever-growing competition from other game shops and online shopping, brick-and-mortar stores have to distinguish themselves.

“We never want to win customers on having the lowest prices,” he said.

“That generates a very cheap and temporary loyalty. They’re not loyal to you; they’re loyal to the price.

“There’s no competing with Amazon,” his wife Shannon said. “So we have to provide interest in different ways. We keep our space super clean, fun and open, and are always adding different events. It’s all about bringing people together.”

Pandemic and game innovation fuels growth

The game shop formula is a winning one, particularly in recent years — a fact business analysts attribute to increased innovation in board game creation and the rise of game shops.

The pandemic likely helped fuel that growth, as many people not only rediscovered board games while in lockdown but emerged from months of isolation craving social interaction and mental stimulation.

“In the end, I think COVID(-19) was good for business,” Shannon Mills said. “People were so starved for human interaction. You can only play so many video games before you want to see somebody face-to-face.”

Much of the industry’s growth is fueled by Gen Z. About 40% of game board players were born between 1997 and 2012, and forecasts suggest they’ll continue to be the industry’s most significant consumers. But it’s kids who dominate the industry.

Players aged 5 to 12 are the global market’s biggest consumers.

To meet all that demand, the industry produces more than 3,000 new games each year. And for those who haven’t played in a while, they’ve come a long way from Battleship and Aggravation. On today’s board game menu, there is literally something for everyone.

“People will come in and say, ‘I don’t like games,’” said Mann, of Golden Game Guild. And we say, ‘You haven’t played the right game yet.’”

Consider games like Wingspan, a

card-based game about birds. Using hand-painted cards, players control a piece of land, on which they’re tasked with populating a bird preserve. Many describe playing Wingspan as a soothing, Zen-like experience. It’s clearly struck a chord. Since its 2019 release, Wingspan has sold 1.7 million copies and won numerous awards.

Or Pandemic, a game in which plays are disease-fighting specialists battling the spread of several global plagues. Each player has a unique role, and must strategize, racing the clock with their fellow players to conquer the diseases. This highly rated, award-winning game is not simple, but players love it for both its complexity and emphasis on teamwork.

The tabletop role playing game Dungeons & Dragons, once a niche and secretive pastime played in basements and private rooms, is a feature act at almost any modern game shop.

Almost all set aside one night for D&D, which often draws complete strangers together to craft their own fictional characters, worlds, and adventures. Created in the 1970s, the game is today at an all-time popularity peak.

Fans also flock to game shops to play “Magic: The Gathering,” the oldest known trading card game. It casts players as wizards who get their powers from a universe of cards that are bought, sold and traded.

And among the younger set, Pokémon trading cards remain a strong seller.

Boosting the industry, celebrities are onboard with D&D and other games.

“The stigma that once surrounded D&D has been removed,” Kokx said. “There are people who are very much in the limelight that play this D&D publicly — Vin Diesel, Jason Momoa, Joe Manganiello, Wil Wheaton … many have created podcasts and YouTube channels to promote the game.

SEE BOARD GAMES, P13

Denver Herald 13

December 14, 2023

BOARD GAMES FROM PAGE 12

“A lot of that is because our generation grew up with these games in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Now we’re older with disposable income, and introducing our kids to it. And it’s significantly more accepted.”

In an effort to accommodate the growing interest in in-person gaming and the vast library of available games, shops are growing. Enchanted Grounds opened a second location. Mythic recently expanded to a whopping 6,300 square feet, giving them more space for games but more pockets within the store in which groups can play specific games together.

And while many game shops cater specifically to the gaming community, offering sandwiches, snacks, soda, tea, and even limited alcohol sales, they’ve also broadened their focus to draw more customers.

Do Gooder Games and Enchanted Grounds specialize in high-end, local coffee, and Do Gooder Games sells sandwiches, even drawing employees from local businesses for lunch. That’s not just good for the customer base, it’s almost vital for gamers.

“Some of these games take 4-6 hours to play,” said Do Gooder’s Jessica Willman. “Sitting down and playing a six-hour game without any food or breaks is hard.”

With its emphasis on quality coffee, Enchanted Grounds draws a broad range of customers. A Navy veterans group regularly meets there to talk and drink coffee. Women’s groups gather for mahjong and canasta. Remote workers in neighboring homes and apartments stop by to work for a few hours. All are part of the game shop community.

Do Gooder Games includes a room that can be used to record podcasts, space for community meetings and an employee who teaches newcomers to the business how to play games.

“Success to me will be defined by who successful the community is a the end of the day,” Dan Willman said. “We are thinking how to work with our community, and also how to help but also disrupt the industry.

To break down the barriers and the stereotypes of (game shop customers) being white and male-dominated, you need to cater to new people.”

And just maybe, those new customers will find a game they love.

“There’s a game for everybody, and it’s almost never Monopoly,” Mythic Games’ Shannon Mills said.

“Gaming is like a walk-in closet; it’s way bigger than you thought it would be.”

The Golden Game Guild’s chalkboard calendar, on display in the shop, is packed with events. Most game shops host regular events, often dedicated to specific board games.

Husband and wife Ryun Valdez and Gabby Mann co-own the Golden Game Guild in downtown Golden, which draws students from the Colorado Schools of Mines, kids and families.

Jessica and Dan Willman, with their son Theodore, recently opened Do Gooder Games Cafe in Thornton.

Their goal is to build the store into a regular gathering PHOTOS BY JANE REUTER place for the community.

14 Denver Herald

December 14, 2023

© 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.

Solution

TRIVIA 1. GEOGRAPHY: Which famous highway that stretches across the United States is sometimes known as the Will Rogers Highway?

2. MUSIC: Which country did the pop group ABBA come from?

3. TELEVISION: What article made Frosty the Snowman come to life in the popular TV special?

4. FOOD & DRINK: What is colcannon?

5. U.S. STATES: Which state is home to the Volcanoes National Park?

6. MOVIES: What is the name of the acapella group that Anna Kendrick joins on “Pitch Perfect”?

7. INVENTIONS: Who invented the Barbie doll in 1959?

8. MATH: How many tablespoons are in 1 cup?

9. LITERATURE: What is the title of the sequel to “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” by Roald Dahl?

10. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which elected president is the only one to fail to gain his party’s nomination for a second term?

Answers 1. Route 66.

2. Sweden.

3. A magic hat.

4. Mashed potatoes and cabbage.

5. Hawaii.

6. The Barden Bellas.

7. Ruth Handler.

8. 16.

9. “Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator.”

10. Franklin Pierce. (c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

Crossword Solution

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PUBLIC NOTICES

Public Notices call 303-566-4123 Legals Misc. Private Legals Public Notice TO: OSCAR SANTANA: You are notified that you have 10 days after publication for this notice of levy to file your claim of exemption with the District Court of Denver County, 1437 Bannock, Room 256, Denver, CO 80202 in Case 2022CV031577 entitled: SIGNS BY TOMORROW-DENVER, d/b/a SIGNS BY TOMORROW v. OSCAR SANTANA, a/k/a OSCAR CASTREJON SANTANA, a/k/a OSCAR C. SANTANA, d/b/a FUSIONS $2,583.90 garnished at Chase Bank, 5800 S Parker Rd, Aurora, CO 80015 Legal Notice No. DHD 1001 First Publication: December 14, 2023 Last Publication: January 11, 2024 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice DISTRICT COURT, DENVER COUNTY, STATE OF COLORADO Court Address: Denver County District Court 1437 Bannock St Denver, CO 80202 Plaintiff: WINDSOR GARDENS ASSOCIATION, a Colorado nonprofit corporation v.

Defendants: WG APARTMENT ONEA LLC; VECTRA BANK COLORADO, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION; DENVER COUNTY PUBLIC TRUSTEE Case No.: 2023CV031014 Division: 203 Attorneys for Plaintiff: Orten Cavanagh Holmes & Hunt, LLC Hal R. Kyles, #23891 1445 Market Street, Suite 350 Denver, CO 80202 Phone Number: (720) 221-9780 Matter ID #1031.0561 SUMMONS [BY PUBLICATION] THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANTS: You are hereby summoned and required to appear and defend against the claims of the complaint filed with the court in this action, by filing with the clerk of this court an answer or other response. You are required to file your answer or other response within 35 days after the service of this Summons upon you. Service of

this summons shall be complete on the day of the last publication. A copy of the complaint may be obtained from the clerk of the court.

If you fail to file your answer or other response to the complaint in writing within 35 days after the date of the last publication, judgment by default may be rendered against you by the court for the relief demanded in the complaint without further notice.

This is an action of foreclosure pursuant to Rule 105, C.R.C.P. to the real property situate in Denver, Colorado more particularly described as Block Eighteen, Windsor Gardens East, Filing No. 2, City and County of Denver, State of Colorado.

Dated: November 3, 2023.

ORTEN CAVANAGH HOLMES & HUNT, LLC By: /s/Hal R. Kyles Hal R. Kyles, #23891 This Summons is issued pursuant to Rule 4(g), Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure.

Legal Notice No. DHD162 First Publication: November 16, 2023 Last Publication: December 14, 2023 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE OF INTENT TO CREATE BINDING USE RESTRICTIONS ON 29X Apartments at 4900 W 29th Ave, Denver, CO, 80212 29x Landco LLC and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) provide notice of their intention to impose binding environmental use restrictions (EURs) on the 29x Apartments located at 4900 W 29th Ave, Denver, CO 80212. The EURs restrict the apartment to its current use unless approved otherwise, and no subterranean groundwork can be done without approval also. Pursuant to § 25-15-318.5, C.R.S., once the EURs have been finalized, they are binding on all current and future owners of the land and any persons possessing an interest in the land. CDPHE is accepting public comments on the draft EURs. Copies of the proposed EURs and a legal description of the affected property are available by contacting Fonda Apostodopoulos at 303-692-3411 and fonda.apostolopoulos@state.co.us.

All comments must be submitted to fonda. apostolopoulos@state.co.us by January 16th, 2023.

Legal Notice No. DHD190 First Publication: December 14, 2023

legals2@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Last Publication: January 11, 2023 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Storage Liens/Vehicle Titles Public Notice TKO Towing LLC 2810 W 62nd Ave Denver, CO 80221 (303)520-2404 Towed by TKO 2001 49 ft Car Hauler(3 Axle) Red 4P2W544334U022637 2015 Dodge Challenger Grey 2D 2C3CDZBG6FH705281 2016 Mercedes AMG White WDDHF7GB1FB157797 2010 WANC RF White 1JJV532B0AL335354

and County of Denver, Colorado on or before April 8, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Gary M. Clexton Personal Representative Patrick R. Thiessen (40185) FRIE, ARNDT, DANBORN & THIESSEN P.C. 7400 Wadsworth Blvd, Ste. 201 Arvada, CO 80003 Legal Notice No. DHD177 First Publication: December 7, 2023 Last Publication: December 21, 2023 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of LLOYD STEPHEN HAGOOD a/k/a L. STEPHEN HAGOOD a/k/a STEPHEN HAGOOD a/k/a STEVE HAGOOD, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31360

2011 Mazda CX-9 Black JM3TB3CA5B0320714

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 8, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Legal Notice No. DHD192 First Publication: December 14, 2023 Last Publication: December 14, 2023 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Margaret R. Hagood Personal Representative 3233 S. King Way Denver, Colorado 80236

1950 Chevy CP

5HK-C22758

1949 Chevy PK

5GD -3823

Public Notice Broncos Towing, 303-722-3555 ( Office ) will be applying for title to the following vehicles, Abandoned.

2002 Nissan Xterra Silver 572816 Legal Notice No. DHD180 First Publication: December 7, 2023 Last Publication: December 7, 2023 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Notice to Creditors Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Leslie Nichols Crispelle, Jr., a/k/a Leslie N. Crispelle, Jr., a/k/a Leslie N. Crispelle, a/k/a Leslie Crispelle Jr., a/k/a Leslie Crispelle, a/k/a Les Crispelle, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31273 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

Legal Notice No. DHD185 First Publication: December 7, 2023 Last Publication: December 21, 2023 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of FRANK X. KUENZ, II aka FRANK KUENZ, II aka FRANK X. KUENZ aka FRANK KUENZ, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31292

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 8, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Theodore B. Kuenz Co-Personal Representative c/o Katz, Look & Onorato, P.C. 1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 1100 Denver, Colorado 80203 Legal Notice No. DHD186 First Publication: December 7, 2023 Last Publication: December 21, 2023 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Denver Herald Dispatch December 14, 2023 * 1

18 Denver Herald

December 14, 2023

Public Notices NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Delores Trujillo, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 031340

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Adele J. Dyer, also known as Adele Dyer and Adele Jane Dyer, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31258

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 8, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

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 8, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

NADYA VECCHIET-LAMBERT, ESQ. On behalf of Christopher M. Solano, Personal Representative 6855 South Havana Street, Suite #370 Centennial, CO 80112 (303) 734-7131

Kevin L. Dyer Personal Representative 9308 Surface Hill Rd. Mint Hill, NC 28227

Public Notice

Legal Notice No. DHD182 First Publication: December 7, 2023 Last Publication: December 21, 2023 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Grace Burgdof Nelson, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31181 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 30, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Grace Burgdof Nelson Personal Representative 18623 East Powers Lane Aurora, Colorado, 80015 Legal Notice No. DHD175 First Publication: November 30, 2023 Last Publication: December 14, 2023 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of JOAN MARIE SIEMANN, also known as Joan M. Siemann, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31350 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 14, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

John W. Siemann Personal Representative 324 Blake Circle Hampton, VA 23669 Legal Notice No. DHD193 First Publication: December 14, 2023 Last Publication: December 28, 2023 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice

Legal Notice No. DHD181 First Publication: December 7, 2023 Last Publication: December 21, 2023 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Diane J. Gallogly, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 031335 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 15, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Lucas Crawford Personal Representative 730 Alma Flourney Rd. NE Ludowici, GA 31316 Legal Notice No. DHD194 First Publication: December 14, 2023 Last Publication: December 28, 2023 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of RODNEY R. WOODHAM, a/k/a RODNEY ROOSEVELT WOODHAM, a/k/a RODNEY WOODHAM, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31309 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 21, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

David Barton Woodham Personal Representative 3355 Longwood Avenue Boulder, CO 80305 Legal Notice No. DHD176 First Publication: November 30, 2023 Last Publication: December 14, 2023 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of ANDREW W. DAVIS, De-

ceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31321 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 8, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Christopher P. Seerveld, Atty for Personal Representative 8400 E. Prentice Ave., Suite 1040 Greenwood Village, CO 80111 Legal Notice No. DHD189 First Publication: December 7, 2023 Last Publication: December 21, 2023 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Troy Ann Robertson a/k/a Troy A. Robertson a/k/a Ann Robertson, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 031303 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 8, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

David E. Robertson Personal Representative 4685 W. Temple Place Denver, CO 80236 Legal Notice No. DHD183 First Publication: December 7, 2023 Last Publication: December 21, 2023 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Justena V. Dryden, aka Justena Von Dryden, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31169 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 8, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Stephanie D. Dryden Personal Representative c/o Daniel R. Klein 8310 S. Valley Highway, Suite 300 Englewood, CO 80112 Legal Notice No. DHD178 First Publication: December 7, 2023 Last Publication: December 21, 2023 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Thomas Schaefer, a/k/a Tom Schaefer, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31356

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 15, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Mary Jane Schaefer Personal Representative 501 West Drive St. Louis, MO 63130 Legal Notice No. DHD191 First Publication: December 14, 2023 Last Publication: December 28, 2023 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Evelyn L. Whisman, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31282

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 30, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Ronald K. Whisman Co-Personal Representative 183 Lo Meadow Lane Bailey, CO 80421 AND Donald J. Whisman Co-Personal Representative 3283 Shadow Ridge Ct. Clifton, CO 81520 Legal Notice No. DHD174 First Publication: November 30, 2023 Last Publication: December 14, 2023 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of RAHMATOLLAH GHAMARI, a/k/a RAHMAT GHAMARI a/k/a RAY GHAMARI, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31382

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 8, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Paymon Ghamari Personal Representative c/o Arlene S. Barringer, Esq. Glatstein & O’Brien LLP 2696 S. Colorado Boulevard, Suite 350 Denver, Colorado 80222 Legal Notice No. DHD184 First Publication: December 7, 2023 Last Publication: December 21, 2023 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of James Howell Parker III,

Denver Herald Dispatch December 14, 2023 * 2

Denver Herald 19

December 14, 2023

SKEPTICAL FROM PAGE 8

Among conservatives, negative views of schools appeared to be shaped by national conservative media, Flaherty said, with respondents noting concerns about how schools handle gender identity and whether books in school libraries contain sexual content. Progressive voters are concerned about low

funding and what they see as conservative attacks on public education.

Compared to last year, more Colorado voters said schools would provide a better education if they had more money — 61% compared with 56% in April 2022. But nearly half of respondents said they doubted their local school district was managing its finances wisely.

Asked about their top priorities, respondents said schools should focus on attracting and retaining

high-quality educators, raising pay to keep pace with inflation, and preparing students for the workforce.

Magellan also asked respondents how they feel about the prospect of closing schools. With lower birth rates, many Colorado school districts are seeing fewer students, which in turn means less state funding. Jeffco Public Schools, the state’s second largest school district, closed 21 schools in the last two years, despite pushback from parents. Others, such as Denver

Public Schools, have balked at widespread closures in the face of community backlash.

When the downsides of small schools — such as offering fewer students services and less arts programming due to budget constraints — were explained to respondents, more than half said that school districts should consider closing schools.

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

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AKA James Howell Parker, AKA James Howell Parker Jr, AKA Howell Parker, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31206 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 30, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Thomas C. Neira Personal Representative 8290 S. County Rd. 149 Bennett, CO 80102 Legal Notice No. DHD173 First Publication: November 30, 2023 Last Publication: December 14, 2023 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Lawrence Litvak a/k/a Larry Litvak, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31351 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 8, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Ronald Dale Litvak Personal Representative 2250 Stuart Street Denver, CO 80212

Legal Notice No. DHD179 First Publication: December 7, 2023 Last Publication: December 21, 2023 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of WILLIAM MARK SCHAEFER a/k/a WILLIAM M. SCHAEFER a/k/a BILL SCHAEFER, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 61691 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 8, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Frederick Walker Schaefer Personal Representative c/o Arlene S. Barringer, Esq. Glatstein & O’Brien, LLP 2696 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite 350 Denver, Colorado 80222 Legal Notice No. DHD188 First Publication: December 7, 2023 Last Publication: December 21, 2023 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of RUSSELL JAY SASAKURA, a.k.a. RUSSELL J. SASAKURA, a.k.a. RUSSELL SASAKURA, a.k.a. RUSS SASAKURA, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 31392

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 8, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

GRETCHEN SASAKURA Personal Representative 1278 Clermont Street Denver, Colorado 80220 Legal Notice No. DHD187 First Publication: December 7, 2023 Last Publication: December 21, 2023 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Mindy S. Quiat, a/k/a Mindy Susan Quiat, Deceased Case Number: 2023PR31370 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 14, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.

Person Giving Notice: Laurin D. Quiat 1021 S. Elizabeth Street Denver, CO 80209 Legal Notice No. Den 1234 First Publication: December 14, 2023 Last Publication: December 28, 2023 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch ###

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