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September 30, 2021

ELBERT COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

ElbertCountyNews.net

VOLUME 126 | ISSUE 33

Pines & Plains Libraries touts card signup September a big month for new library members BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

being a part of Parker’s growth,” said Trevey, the company’s managing director. “We want to be a part of the success of Elizabeth and do a thoughtful, diligent job at what comes to town.” The extended Wild Pointe Ranch Marketplace will include a new McDonald’s at the corner of Highway 86 and Legacy Circle as well as Anna’s Car & Dog Wash between

It may be the end of September, but the month is National Library Card Sign-up Month, and library lovers can show their support for the Pines & Plains Libraries branches in Elbert, Elizabeth, Kiowa and Simla and get a new card in return. Libraries play an important role in meeting residents’ informational, educational, recreational and social needs. Library patrons can read the local news, surf the internet, find employment resources, learn how to use computers and take home music, movies and books with a free card. That little piece of plastic also provides access to more than 45,000 eBooks and audiobooks.

SEE DEVELOPMENT, P7

SEE LIBRARIES, P20

A map shows planned sites for new commercial construction near the Walmart in Elizabeth.

COURTESY PHOTO

New commercial development coming to Elizabeth McDonald’s, drive-thru coffee shop among new additions BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

New commercial development is making its way to Elizabeth. Behind the Walmart on Highway

86, big-name international, national and regional businesses will be making their way into the area within the next couple of years. In an extensive interview with Mitch Trevey and Nick Beach of Trevey Commercial Real Estate on Sept. 15, they shared their plans for the new development, some hopeful retail additions, and some of the future plans for the development of “West Elizabeth.” “We’ve got a 30-year history of

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2 Elbert County News

September 30, 2021

Oil & gas firm slapped with Colo.’s 2nd-largest state fine ever KP Kauffman has wells in Weld, Adams, Arapahoe counties BY MARK JAFFE THE COLORADO SUN

After concluding that oil and gas operator KP Kauffman Co. had engaged in “a pattern of violations,” fines for the company were boosted to $2 million, the second-largest penalty ever issued by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. In August, the commission levied a $1.8 million fine on the Denverbased company, known as KPK, for 22 violations at seven sites, but at a recent hearing the COGCC staff argued that the company’s failures were not isolated incidents and that an “aggravating” multiplier should be applied. The largest fine, $18.25 million, was issued in 2020 to Occidental Petroleum Corp., the state’s largest operator, for a 2017 house explosion in Firestone that killed two people. Jeremy Ferrin, the commission’s enforcement supervisor, said KPK was “a poster child” for the use of additional enforcement tools such as the multiplier or suspension of operating certificates. “This is a situation where we need to do something.” The five members of the commission unanimously agreed, boosting the fine Sept. 21.

An oil well pumpjack at sunrise in eastern Colorado. PHOTO BY DARIN ECHELBERGER/SHUTTERSTOCK

“There was persistent disregard for the commission’s authority on multiple occasions,” Commissioner Priya Nanjappa said. “There was a pattern of violations.” Commissioner John Messner said he “found many of the facts around this hearing to be very disturbing … there were systematic deficiencies.” KPK operates low-producing oil and gas wells on the Front Range, wells mainly acquired from other companies.

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According to DrillingEdge, KPK has 1,250 wells in Weld County, 125 in Adams County, 53 in Arapahoe County and seven in Elbert County, among others. It has a field office in Fort Lupton. The majority of the wells produce the equivalent of less than a barrel of oil a day, and only five of the company’s wells produce more than 10 barrels a day, according to an analysis by the League of Oil and Gas Impacted Coloradans, or LOGIC, a nonprofit community group. Some of the violations centered on flow lines, which carry oil, gas and water to collection tanks and have been a source of leaks and spills, according to COGCC inspections. One of the violations was for trucking contaminated soil away from a well site and spreading it on a field behind a company office without a permit. The notice of alleged violations, referred to in testimony as NOAVs, for the seven sites followed an order in April to shut 87 wells and clean up 29 sites for violations that included fouling farm fields and covering a road with oily waste. Those earlier infractions were not part of the case before the commission this week. In commission testimony over Zoom, Kevin P. Kauffman, 65, KPK’s founder and CEO, said that the collapse of oil prices and the pandemic had hobbled the company’s ability to operate and deal with compliance issues. “We have not performed as well as we might have under these difficult situations,” Kaufman said. He also conceded that relations between KPK and the commission staff have deteriorated. “I am truly sorry.” “We are committed to improving,” Kauffman said. “I hope you will give me a chance to show what an excellent operator KPK can be.” Over the course of the hearing Kauffman and other KPK staff gave a litany of reasons for problems at their sites, including historic contamination that was there when they took over the properties, other oil and gas operators damaging their flowlines, COGCC not getting back to company requests in a timely manner,

and landowners not letting the company onto to their property to correct violations. “It seems that a lot of these situations were somebody else’s problem,” Messner said. “Are you trying to insinuate that the majority of the NOAVs, the spills, these situations are not KPK’s responsibility?” “Without breaking it down,” Kauffman replied, “it is difficult to answer your question.” The commission still has to decide whether to impose other penalties, such as suspending KPK’s certificates of clearance, which allow it to sell its oil and natural gas, and to determine the company’s ability to pay the $2 million fine. In testimony, company officials said KPK could not even pay half of the proposed fine. KPK is already dealing with a a $3.5 million settlement with federal and state air quality regulators over emission violations from its tanks that included $2.5 million in equipment upgrades and a $1 million civil penalty. “Enhancing already steep penalties will not achieve the [goals] we want to achieve,” Kirk Mueller, an attorney for KPK told the commission. A majority of the commission appeared to agree. “I want to see compliance, this is more important to me than the penalties,” Commissioner Bill Gonzalez said. Messner proposed suspending part of the penalty pending completion of a remediation plan with tight deadlines. The hearing was adjourned until October to give KPK and COGCC staff time to work out a proposed remediation plan. Commission Chairman Jeff Robbins will oversee the negotiations. “We have a very bright future,” Kauffman said, “if the commission will allow.” 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.

Elbert County News 3

September 30, 2021

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Come shop for unique gifts and special items during the annual Colorado Community Media Holiday Craft Show and Mini-Market; With more than 100 exhibitors filling the Douglas County Fairgrounds, this is the best place to find that special, personal gift for friends and family. The show will feature handmade crafts in all areas from metal and leather, to flowers, baskets, ceramics, and so much more.

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Vendor applications being accepted now. Apply Today Contact Event Producer Thelma Grimes at tgrimes@coloradocommunitymedia.com All applications must be approved to participate

4 Elbert County News

September 30, 2021

Local musician receives lifetime award signed by Biden

Gerald Albright recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award that bears the signaCOURTESY PHOTOS ture of President Joe Biden.

Jazz/R&B performer celebrates lengthy career, gives back to community BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

With an independent career spanning decades and playing with some of music’s top performers such as Anita Baker, Whitney Houston and The Temptations, it is no surprise that Gerald Albright was recently recognized with a President’s Lifetime Achievement Award signed by President Biden. The jazz icon recieved the award for volunteering 30 years of his time to bring the world music. Albright, a Castle Pines resident, said he is humbled and honored to be recognized with the award from Biden. Albright said he had heard is name was offered up for a Lifetime Achievement Award, but he did not expect it. “It just surprised me completely,” he said. “I was happy to just make that recommendation list. When I first got word that I had been selected, I was a little hesitant. There are a lot of scams out there. I just felt like maybe it was too good to be true.” When he got confirmation that it was not a scam, the 64-year-old Albright said: “It was the ultimate for me. I am not in this vocation for awards though. I have always worked to produce the best music I can for the world. Music keeps me young, balanced and it is always therapeutic.” Albright’s love of music started at the young age of 8. At the beginning, his parents enrolled him in piano classes. Albright said it was clear from the start that piano would not be his path to a musical career. “After several lessons where I was not prepared and had not practiced,” Albright said, “the teacher talked to my parents about maybe trying something different.” By the age of 9, Albright found his musical calling through playing the saxophone. “From there, I started putting the time in and truly learning my craft,” he said. Before going to college to major in music, Albright said he played in garage bands and ensembles while working continuously to get better. After enrolling in the University of Redlands in California, Albright was already a talented saxophone player. However, after seeing Louis Johnson play in concert, he switched to the bass. A few months after graduating from college, Albright joined jazz pianist/R&B singer Patrice Rushen, who was in the process of forming her own band. Later, when her bassist left in the middle of a tour, Albright replaced him and finished the tour on bass guitar. As he continued to tour with Rushen, Albright’s reputation grew and his name started circling the industry. Playing both sax and

Gerald Albright, of Castle Pines, is a Grammy-nominated jazz musician.

bass, Albright started working in the 1980s with big names such as Anita Baker, Ray Parker Jr., Atlantic Starr, The Temptations, Maurice White and Whitney Houston. In the late 1980s, Albright launched his solo career in the infancy of what became the smooth jazz format, with “Just Between Us” in 1987. In the 1990s he also fronted a big band for and toured with pop star Phil Collins and did a dual recording with vocal great Will Downing. Through his own record label and solo career, Albright has seen success, being nominated for eight Grammys over the last 20 years in producing 22 CDs. While proud of his continued success in the industry, Albright said he is particularly proud of his most recent work, “G-Stream.” The 2021 work, Albright said, was for his audience to find something positive in a tough time in the world. “My audience and people around the world during COVID did not have a lot to lean on,” he said. “We put out the ‘G-Stream’ project to put out a message of positivity and a message of hope. It is about bringing therapy through music.” While known for his talents on the world stage, Albright also works to give back to his local community. The 16-year Douglas County resident has started the music series, “Lone Tree Sessions with Gerald Albright.” Using his connections in the music world, Albright said, he has brought in many talents to perform for local residents. “We have an awful lot of music lovers in our community,” he said. “I wanted to create a platform for them to see some talents they may not have seen. We have one big musical family here.” In the future, Albright said he will seek partnerships in other communities, including Castle Rock and throughout the rest of Douglas County. With more new music set to be released in the first quarter of 2022, learn more about Albright’s work at geraldalbright.com.

Elbert County News 5

September 30, 2021

Colo. Republicans decide to stick with 2022 primaries But party may challenge state’s open primary system in court BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado Republicans on Sept. 18 rejected a contentious push to opt out of next year’s primaries, which would have blocked the state’s 1.7 million unaffiliated voters from helping to select the GOP’s 2022 general election candidates. The vote, taken at a meeting in Pueblo of the party’s central committee members, was 241 opposed to opting out and 172 in favor, far less than the 75% support — or 380 votes — needed to pass. The opt-out question received the support of just 34% of the Colorado GOP central committee. Backers of the initiative knew it was likely they would come up short of the 75% threshold, but were hoping to break 50% and send a clear message and potentially prompt a lawsuit challenging Colorado’s law allowing unaffiliated voters to participate in partisan primaries. The central committee ultimately did vote to authorize the state party to file a legal challenge to the law, but it’s not clear if the lawsuit could proceed fast enough to effect the 2022 election. The decision ends weeks of fractious debate over the question by

the Colorado GOP, whose leaders are trying to preach unity ahead of next year’s elections. Supporters of opting out in favor of the caucus and assembly process argued their route was a way to ensure party purity and stop potential voter fraud. “The argument for me is clear,” Randy Corporon, a conservative talk radio host and Republican national committeeman from Colorado, said as he argued in favor of opting out. “Should Republicans and only Republicans be choosing our general election candidates? Or do we continue the steady decline?” Opponents warned that opting out would continue to relegate Republicans to minority-party status in Colorado. The Colorado Springs Gazette’s conservative editorial board recently said the call to opt out was “nothing short of a plan for political suicide.” Kay Rendleman, a member of the Colorado Republican Party’s central committee and a former chair of the El Paso County GOP, on Sept. 18 voted against opting out because she wants to ensure all of her party’s 1 million voters can participate in selecting general election candidates. She loves the caucus and assembly process, but said that it can limit participation since it requires people to show up to voice their opinion at a specific place and time. “I think it’s just critical, critical that we empower as many of our Republicans to be involved in the selection of our nominees,” Rendle-

Members of the central committee of the Colorado Republican Party vote at the Pueblo Convention Center on Sept. 18, 2021, on whether their party should opt out of PHOTO BY JESSE PAUL/THE COLORADO SUN the 2022 primaries.

man said. “Having the primary, even though it allows unaffiliateds to vote — the voice of the Republicans needs to be heard.” Unaffiliated voters made up 43% of registered voters in Colorado at the end of July, compared with Republicans at 26% and Democrats at 29%. GOP leaders have been trying to tweak their messaging to win over unaffiliated voters in 2022 and reverse two election cycles of defeat. Colorado GOP Chairwoman Kristi Burton Brown unveiled a “Commitment to Colorado” this summer specifically aimed at attracting unaffiliated voters and highlighting party priorities like school choice and tackling crime. “We are focused on 2022 and winning over all voters in Colorado,” Burton Brown said in a written statement after Saturday’s vote. She didn’t take a public position on the

opt out question. Colorado voters passed Proposition 108 in 2016 giving unaffiliated voters the ability to vote in partisan primaries. There is only one Republican — University of Colorado Regent Heidi Ganahl — who holds statewide elected office. She was elected in 2016 and is now running to unseat Democratic Gov. Jared Polis in 2022. No Republican running for statewide office has secured more than 45% of the vote in the past two election cycles. The GOP is also in the minority in the state Senate and House. This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

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6 Elbert County News

September 30, 2021

Colo. schools that require masks have lower COVID rates State public-health officials urge universal masking in schools BY JOHN INGOLD THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado’s school-aged children are experiencing the highest rates of coronavirus infection among any age group in the state right now. But state health officials on Sept. 23 presented new data showing that requiring kids to wear masks while in school is associated with lower rates of COVID-19. The data back up guidance from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment recommending that all schools implement universal masking policies for students, staff and visitors, regardless of vaccination status. “The lower case rates are associated with districts that are requiring masks in schools, again showing a clear impact that masks are having in decreasing transmission in our school settings,” Dr. Rachel Herlihy, the state epidemiologist, said during a briefing with reporters. Communities with higher rates of vaccination among school-aged children also have lower rates of coronavirus infection, according to CDPHE data. You’ve heard over and over that

Young students stand in line at Rolling Hills Elementary School in unincorporated Arapahoe County on Aug. 18, the first day of the PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD academic year with all grade levels in school in the Cherry Creek School District.

this is now a pandemic of the unvaccinated. Well, a huge chunk of the unvaccinated statewide are

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kids — either those too young to be eligible for vaccination or those who are eligible but haven’t gotten the shot. Since school started in mid-tolate August, Colorado kids ages 6 to 11 and ages 12 to 17 have had the highest coronavirus case rates in the state. For 12-17 year olds, an age group where kids are eligible for vaccination, infection rates rival the peaks of last winter. For 6 to 11 year olds, who are not yet eligible for vaccination, these are the highest infection rates they’ve seen during the pandemic. Parents of kids in this age group received likely welcome news this week when the drug company Pfizer announced promising results in its tests of the vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 and indicated it would soon seek authorization for the vaccine to be administered widely. Kids who are generally not yet school age, those up to age 5, have the lowest infection rates in the state. The picture looks a little different at the local level in Colorado’s largest counties. Some counties have infection rates among schoolaged kids that are more than double the infections rates in others. Among the state’s 10 largest counties, Weld County has the highest rates for kids ages 6 to 17. El Paso and Larimer counties follow closely behind. On the lower end are Boulder and Denver, each with case rates among school-aged kids that are less than half of Weld County’s. One of the big points that state health officials hoped to get across during the Sept. 23 briefing is the importance of getting vaccinated. Counties with higher vaccination rates among school-aged kids are generally the ones with lower case

rates. A Weld County, for instance, has the second-lowest vaccination s rate for kids ages 12 to 17 among T the state’s 10 biggest counties — c around 40%. Boulder, which has a t vaccination rate around 70% for w kids 12 to 17 has the second-lowest n case rate. “We see this clear correlation l between high vaccination rates t and low case rates, and that’s true a not just for the adult population e but also holding true for our chil- d dren,” Herlihy said. “So this could t certainly be one reason that we B are seeing differences in pediatric rates across the state right now.” a Lastly, CPDHE looked at aget adjusted case rates for kids in P 48 school districts, split into two i groups by whether the districts arec h requiring masks in schools. Case rates among the two groups S u tracked pretty closely until lateE August, around the time when school started. Rates increased for r both groups after that, but with W a twist: Districts not requiring masks saw faster growth in cases k T and hit a higher peak than disB tricts requiring masks. By mid-September, case rates in t L the non-masking districts were significantly higher — about 20% m higher — than the rates in the districts with masks policies.More P w than three-quarters of Colorado kids now attend school in a district d b that has a mask mandate. d C This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the t state. For more, and to support The t E Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun. com. The Colorado Sun is a partner D in the Colorado News Conservancy, t f owner of Colorado Community i Media.

Elbert County News 7

September 30, 2021

Have late-season gardening questions? The red area on the map shows the location of Wild Pointe Ranch Marketplace. COURTESY PHOTO

Reach out to your Douglas County Master Gardeners - they are ready and waiting to help 7 days a week. Send your questions to dcmgardenr@gmail.com or learn more at douglas.extension.colostate.edu/horticulture/mastergardener/

Funds available to veterans Emergency assistance is available for veterans struggling with housing (mortgage/rent), transportation, employment, healthcare or other emergency needs. To apply for the veterans assistance funds visit douglasveterans.org or call 303-663-6200.

Behind on your rent caused by COVID-19 impacts?

A sign shows where a McDonald’s is planned near Walmart in the western part of PHOTO BY CHANCY GATLIN-ANDERSON Elizabeth.

DEVELOPMENT FROM PAGE 1

AutoZone and Murphy Oil. There is also a drive-thru coffee shop under contract. Though the Trevey developers could not disclose the name of the coffee shop, they were excited to share that it will be a large regional-chain business. One local resident of Spring Valley Ranch exclaimed when hearing the news of a new coffee shop in the area. “I hope it is a Ziggi’s! or maybe even a Scooter’s!” The Trevey developers did, however, note that the new coffee shop was not a Dutch Bros. Coffee, but would be similar. The developers also noted food and retail business that were likely to move into the extended Wild Pointe Ranch Marketplace, including an automotive store and day care. They also indicated their hopes for a Cabela’s or Bass Pro Shops, though thought that was unlikely given the current size of Elizabeth and the surrounding area. The area will also see extended roadway and infrastructure for the West of Wild Pointe Ranch Marketplace beginning in late 2021. Trevey and Beach indicated that Beverly Street will be extended past the Elizabeth Library to connect to Legacy Circle near the Walmart. In addition to the new commercial and retail spaces at Wild Pointe Ranch Marketplace, the area will also see the addition of more developed “Elizabeth West.” Elizabeth West will extend from the new development behind the Walmart to County Road 3. Elizabeth West is a proposed master-planned residential community that was annexed into the Town of Elizabeth in 2019. The Planned Unit Development (PUD) was submitted for approval in December 2020 for 950 residential units, including single-family and townhomes.

Development for Elizabeth West is slated to begin in early 2022. Elizabeth West will also have some space set aside for retail and commercial businesses. The Trevey developers strongly anticipate the addition of a King Soopers at the corner of Highway 86 and Legacy Ridge Street. When plans for the new development were shared on Facebook by interested locals in late August, there was a whirlwind of both excitement and criticism. Many commenters were very excited to learn of the new business. “Let’s think of the good things this will bring. Jobs and business taxes, all of which are needed in our county!” said one longtime resident of Elbert County. “Let’s support these businesses coming in! What great jobs for our teens and young adults! It’s here … so let’s find the good.” The social media announcement, however, sparked strong criticism from some locals who are angry about change in their quickly developing town. “It’s a matter of a way of life that is now dying. If we wanted to live in the city, we would live in the city,” said an anonymous Facebook user on April 23 in response to learning about the incoming development. “The traffic, the people, the land, and the historical value are all now compromised. Soon Elizabeth will be Parker and swallowed by the progress of city creep.” In the interview from Sept. 15, Mitch Trevey hoped to reassure the Town of Elizabeth and Elbert County that development in the area would be planned with intention and careful thought. “I expect Elizabeth to maintain its character more than Parker has,” said Trevey. “Elizabeth will certainly grow more like Parker than Castle Rock, though Parker didn’t have a lot of effective planning. If done right, Elizabeth can maintain its character.”|

Funds are available to assist Douglas County residents who rent an apartment or house and are impacted by COVID-19 and struggling to pay their utility bills or rent. See if you qualify and apply today at douglas.co.us/ rent-assistance

Skip the trip - motor vehicle services just a click away Renew your driver license or motor vehicle registration and more from the convenience of your smartphone, tablet, desktop or laptop. You can also renew vehicle registrations at MVExpress kiosks. Find information at DouglasDrives.com

Need a COVID-19 vaccine or test? Vaccinations are being offered throughout Douglas County by various providers. Visit douglas.co.us/ covid-vaccination-information to find a provider near you. Douglas County also has three FREE drive-thru testing locations. Visit douglas.co.us/covid19testing/ for locations.

Live Town Hall meetings Did you know Douglas County offers Live Town Hall meetings, inviting you to engage in the local issues of importance to you and your neighbors? Register at douglas.co.us/townhall to ensure you are contacted about all future Live Town Halls – it’s always your choice whether or not to participate. Registering will also allow you to receive surveys so that you may share what topics YOU want to hear more about.

Coordinated Election NOVEMBER 2, 2021 Ballots arrive the week of October 11.

@douglascountyco

LIFE of a BALLOT

Watch now: douglasvotes.com/life-of-a-ballot

VOTE EARLY. NEAR YOU. LEARN MORE AT

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8 Elbert County News

LOCAL

LIFE Climber reaches for dream

Local teen finished seventh in Tokyo Olympics BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

When Colin Duffy first laid eyes on an indoor climbing wall, he was only 3 years old.

The colorful holds drew his attention and he begged his parents to let him give the sport a try. By 7, he was climbing in full-sized gyms. And now, at 17, Duffy was the youngest competitor in the first-ever Olympic sport climbing event. “I think I just love how unique of a physical challenge it is,” he said about the sport. “Not only do you have to be strong enough to solve the climbs and problems but you also have to use your brain, figuring out body position and what the best strategy is going to be for each route.” Duffy, a Broomfield resident and a student of Stargate Charter School in the Adams 12 district, grew up climbing in the area. He frequents local rock climbing gyms like G1 Climbing + Fitness, and his favorite local spot to climb outdoors is Rocky Mountain National Park. Duffy qualified for this year’s Olympic Games in 2020 when he won the International Federation of Sport Climbing’s Pan American Championship in Los Angeles. “I was kind of just awestruck after qualifying,” he said. “It didn’t really feel real.” Then, the Olympic Games were delayed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Leading up to the Tokyo Olympics, Duffy, like many Olympic athletes, had to face a variety of new training methods due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For several months, gyms were closed and Duffy had to practice his climbing on an at-home wall in his basement.

When gyms opened, he adjusted to training while wearing a mask. Then, two weeks before the climbing competitions started, he traveled with the rest of the four-person U.S. team to Tokyo in early August. Once in Japan, Duffy and his colleagues began to work on acclimating to the humid, hot weather they’d be competing in. “I think the most noticeable difference for me was the heat,” Duffy said. “I’ve always been used to dry heat and a lack of humidity, so being in such an intense climate and having to compete outdoors in that was really kind of hard to adjust to.” Sport details At this year’s Olympics, the sport climbing event displayed three disciplines of indoor climbing: bouldering, lead climbing and speed climbing. In the bouldering event, athletes attempt to scale short, challenging pre-set routes, also known as problems, which are made up of plastic imitation rocks of various shapes and sizes. The walls in this event are about 15 feet high and surrounded by large pads. Climbers don’t use any rope for this event. During lead climbing, the athletes are tied into a rope as they see how high they can get on a wall more than 50 feet high. As they climb, the competitors attach their rope into clips placed along the wall. On the ground, a belayer attached to the same rope is ready to catch the climber if they fall or finish the route. While each route and problem in the lead climbing and bouldering disciplines is unique and never-before-seen by the athletes, the speed climbing event is different in that it presents the same route in every competition. Athletes dart up this standard route to see how quickly they can press a touchpad at the top. The fastest speed at the finals of the Olympics was 6.02 seconds. In this year’s Olympics, climbers were required to participate in all

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Colin Duffy, who placed seventh in the first-ever sport climbing competition in the Tokyo Olympics, competes in a lead climbing event in Innsbruck, Austria. PHOTO BY DANIEL GAJDA

three events, with their score being determined by how they ranked in each one. Some in the sport criticized this format because of the inherent differences between speed climbing and the other two disciplines. Duffy’s favorite climbing events are bouldering and lead climbing, he said. In the next Olympic games, there will be one competition for speed climbing and one combining bouldering and lead. Duffy was one of eight climbers who made it into the Olympic finals out of 20 male athletes. In the finals, he finished seventh overall. In the speed competition he ranked fifth, with 6.35 as his fastest time. In the bouldering event he finished in fourth place, and in the lead competition he ranked third. Nathaniel Coleman, the other male climber from the U.S., took silver in the competition. Brooke Raboutou — from Boulder, Colorado — placed fifth in the women’s competition. “I had a lot of fun,” Duffy said. “I think a lot of people probably look at it as the most intense event possible, but I think outside of the competition days, being around the village and being surrounded by so many incredible athletes, everyone is always smiling and just happy to be there with their teammates.” Enjoying the games As the youngest climber there, Duffy felt like he was able to relax

and not put too much pressure on himself, he said. “I think it allowed me to climb pretty loosely, especially in the qualifiers, I felt like I had nothing to lose being the youngest one there,” he said. “I know I’ll have other opportunities in the future, and being so young, there’s really no pressure or expectations on me, so my main goal was just to have fun.” Due to the pandemic, Duffy’s family was not able to attend the games in person and instead had to wake up each night of the event about 2 a.m. to watch the competition in real time. But Nancy Duffy, Colin’s mom, said it wasn’t difficult to stay alert. “When your kid is going, you’re nervous,” she said. “So it’s easy to stay awake at that point.” Duffy hopes to compete again in the next Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024, he said. “I just hope in the future that climbing continues to gain recognition. I think it’s a sport that … people are really fascinated by,” he said. “It’s much different than the traditional sports you’ll see. Hopefully people that watch the Olympics really enjoy it and it starts to gain more traction.” For those curious about the sport, Duffy has one main piece of advice: “Search for a local gym around you,” he said. “Everyone should try climbing. It’s a very fun sport,” he said. “And probably very different than most people are used to.”

Elbert County News 9

September 30, 2021

Evergreen gallery hosts watermedia exhibition

enter for the Arts Evergreen, 31880 Rocky Village Drive in Evergreen, hosts the annual Rocky Mountain National Watermedia ExSONYA’S hibit through Oct. 30. Steve Griggs SAMPLER was juror and selected 65 works from 485 entries. In addition to traditional transparent watercolor, paintings are executed in egg tempera, acrylic, gouache and mixed media. Sonya Ellingboe Awards were announced on Sept. 24. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. 303-674-0056, evergreenarts.org. ‘Print Renaissance’ The Littleton Museum hosts “Print Renaissance,” an exhibit of prints by mid-century American masters of printmaking, including lithographs and silkscreens, through Oct. 16. Artists included in the exhibit include Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg, Frank Stella and Robert Rauschenberg. The exhibit includes 18 artworks and is part of the University of Colorado Art Museum’s Polly and Mark Addison Outreach Exhibition Program. 303795-3950, littletongov.org/city-services/city-departments/museum.

Reminder The 2021 Friends of the Littleton Library/Museum’s Annual Craft Fair will be held on Oct. 2 at Ketring Park, 6000 S. Gallup St., Littleton, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Time to start the holiday shopping! Depot Art Gallery A new members’ exhibit runs through Oct. 17 at the Depot Art Gallery, 2069 W. Powers Ave., Littleton. Hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Free admission. 303-795-0781, depotartgallery. org. Littleton Symphony The Littleton Symphony, under the direction of Jurgen de Lemos, begins its 38th season at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 15 at Littleton United Methodist Church, 5894 S. Datura St., Littleton. Pianist Katie Mahan will perform Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” The program will also include Beethoven’s Egmont Overture and Borodin’s Polovetsian Dances from “Prince Igor.” Tickets: $22/ adults; $19 seniors, $5, 21 and under. littletonsymphony.org, 303-933-6824. Oak Ridge Boys The Oak Ridge Boys will perform at the PACE Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Ave. in Parker, on Oct. 3. Tickets 303-805-6800, parkerarts.org. Lone Tree Arts Center Andrea McArdle and Donna McKechnie will perform at 8 p.m.

“Unraveled” by Georgia artist Jacqueline Dorsey was named Best of Show in the Rocky Mountain Watermedia Exhibition at Evergreen’s Center for the Arts. COURTESY IMAGE

on Oct. 16 at Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St. Tickets: $45-$60, lonetreeartscenter.org, 720-509-1000. Exhibit seeks artists Entries for the Heritage Fine Arts Guild’s annual “This is Colorado” exhibit will be accepted Oct. 18-22. The juried show will be at Arapahoe Comunity College’s Colorado Gallery of the Arts from Nov. 29 to

Dec. 21. Details: heritage-guild.com.

Call for artists Denver Arts and Venues seeks to commission an artist or team of artists to create original public artworks for the renovation of Denver’s 16th Steet Mall. The request for qualifications is open now through Oct. 18 at CallForEntry.org. The budget is $700,000.

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How Colorado health care is changing, and what it means for you.

A wide-ranging panel with news reporters and experts from Denver Health, Peak Vista and Kaiser Permanente discussing: Telehealth The changing patient experience How patients can stay ahead of the curve

10 Elbert County News

September 30, 2021

Man shares story of fight against atrial fibrillation Fatigue, rapid heart rate can be symptoms of a serious condition BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

For many years, Zach Ward thought his racing heartbeat was because he had too much coffee, exercised too much or got up too fast. In reality, he was suffering from a condition many Americans have without ever knowing — atrial fibrillation, or AFib. It was not until three years ago when Ward stood up, passed out and hit his head on a dresser that he was officially diagnosed. Had he not been taken to the hospital to look at his head injury, Ward said, he does not know if he would have ever found out about the heart condition. The ER doctor sent Ward to the hospital, who then sent him to a cardiologist for treatment of a condition 47-year-old Ward is suspected have having for more than 20 years. “I remember standing up and just could not get enough oxygen,” said Ward, a Castle Pines resident. “I just fell over and completely passed out. Until that day, I had no idea how common AFib really is and how often it never gets treated.” Atrial fibrillation is an irregular and often rapid heart rate that can increase a person’s risk of strokes, heart failure and other heart-related

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Zach Ward, of Castle Pines, was diagnosed with AFib three years ago. Since then, he has had surgery and taken steps to keep his PHOTO BY THELMA GRIMES heart beating at a normal rate.

complications. During atrial fibrillation, the heart’s two upper chambers beat chaotically and irregularly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the U.S. there are more than 454,000 hospitalizations a year with AFib being the primary diagnosis. AFib is the contributing factor to more than 158,000 deaths per year. Because AFib symptoms can be subtle, or rationalized as Ward did, they are often ignored. Symptoms of AFib include irregular heartbeat, heart palpitations (rapid, fluttering, or pounding), lightheadedness, extreme fatigue, shortness of breath and chest pain. HealthOne physician Dr. Charles Fuenzalida, a cardiac electrophysiologist with The Medical Center of Aurora, said that, like Ward, many people just do not realize the variety of symptoms they are experiencing is due to a serious heart condition. With September being AFib Awareness Month, Ward said it is important for people to realize how something that seems like a minor symptom that can be blamed on coffee or fatigue can be something serious. “I would get out of breath walking up a flight of stairs and think it was because I was out of shape,” Ward said. “Had I not hit that dresser, I would have never bothered to go to a doctor about it.” In treating Ward, Fuenzalida said it has taken several steps over three years to get his heart in a place where he can return to biking and

regular exercise. At first, Ward started taking blood pressure medications and blood thinners. On two occasions, Ward went through a cardioversion procedure. Cardioversion is a procedure used to return an abnormal heartbeat to a normal rhythm. The problem, Ward said, was that the procedure costs $10,000 every time it must be done, and it is not permanent. Ward went through cardioversion twice. In treating patients with AFib, Fuenzalida said, one of the biggest concerns is stroke. When a person has AFib, blood can pool in the heart’s upper chambers and form blood clots that can break off and travel to the brain. When medicine and the cardioversion treatments were not working to stabilize his heart, Fuenzalida recommended Ward go through a different procedure called ablation. Ablation uses small burns or freezes to cause some scarring on the inside of the heart to help break up the electrical signals that cause irregular heartbeats. This procedure allows the heart to return to a normal rhythm. After having a friend die from AFib, Ward agreed to have the surgery done in the spring of this year. With about a dozen doctors and nurses in the room, Ward said, he was impressed with the technology used to conduct the procedure, with the doctor going through a vein, starting in the thigh, through the lungs and into the heart. The procedure took about six hours

AFIB RISK FACTORS The risk for AFib increases with age. High blood pressure, the risk for which also increases with advancing age, accounts for about 1 in 5 cases of AFib. Risk factors for AFib include: Advancing age High blood pressure Obesity European ancestry Diabetes Heart failure Ischemic heart disease Hyperthyroidism Chronic kidney disease Moderate to heavy alcohol use Smoking Enlargement of the chambers on the left side of the heart Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention altogether. Now, Ward said he is feeling the difference, and has gotten back to regular exercise and biking without being as worried. Technology is also helping Ward stay vigilant. Some of the most popular smartwatches on the market can monitor a person’s heart rate. Ward said he can constantly monitor his heart rate. Fuenzalida said he believes smartwatch technology is a game-changer in identifying and diagnosing AFib. Fuenzalida said each year more patients are being referred to heart specialists based on smartwatch data.

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Elbert County News 11

September 30, 2021

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12 Elbert County News

LOCAL

September 30, 2021

VOICES

The 5 C’s for retaining top talent starts with connection

his is the first in a five-part series on best practices for attracting, hiring and keeping top talent. Over the next several weeks we will explore the 5 C’s that can help us better understand our employees and team members and how we can create WINNING a top performing WORDS organization that attracts the very best people. Those 5 C’s are Connection; Collaboration; Change; Consistency; and Culture. In a recent review of why people leave their jobs and Michael Norton looking at results from across multiple industries and organizations, it seems like the notion that people are leaving jobs only because of a better earning potential elsewhere is not entirely accurate. Sure, everyone would like to earn as much as possible, but no longer are they willing to work in conditions or situations that are not in alignment with personal preferences, expectations and goals. Nor do they want to work in a place that

makes them miserable. Money is certainly a motivator, but depending on the data or source, money typically is a lower priority or reason that inspires someone to leave their current position. When we look closely at the current rate of job openings and the difficulty companies are having filling key positions, we might find the solution in the first C, “Connection,” when it comes to attracting and retaining top performers and the future leaders of our organizations. When I look at company websites and interview current employees and leadership, I look for ways that the company connects team members at every level with the goals and objectives of the organization. Every business is in business to provide goods, service or solutions to their clients. The question I like to ask is this, “Is everyone on the team connected to the impact that the products or services provide to the client?” And whatever their role is, the next question is, “Do they feel a sense of ownership, accomplishment and fulfillment regardless of how big or small their contribution?” Creating connection means

that we help our team members know that their work matters and is connected to the overall success of the company, their coworkers, the customers, the customer’s customer and the community. A strong desire to be connected to the community is something that we are seeing more and more of these days. I try and determine if there is a community connection that goes beyond the walls or virtual walls of the business. Do they come together for a local, national or global cause? Do they have programs in place to provide volunteer opportunities to serve others, including coworkers or team members who may need assistance? And although we are living in a virtual world, does the company make a strong effort in team-building? Why does connection matter so much? For the most part, we all want to be connected to something that we truly believe contributes to the greater good. We want our work to matter. And when we can do it in such a way that we are proud of where we work, proud of our teammates and proud of the product or service we offer, that feeling of connection cements us together. It forms a bond that connects our

“what we do” with our “why we do it.” “We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads and along those these sympathetic fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results.” — Herman Melville Start asking your team if they feel connected. Then ask them how important feeling connected is to their job and role satisfaction. The answers may surprise you. And if it turns out that “Connection” is important, you still have time to make changes before you lose another very talented person from your team. How about you? Do you value “Connection”? What are some of the ways you and your company work towards being connected? I would love to hear your story at mnorton@ tramazing.com, and when we can connect all those thousands of invisible threads, it really will be a better than good year. Michael Norton is the grateful CEO of Tramazing.com, a personal and professional coach, and a consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator to businesses of all sizes.

Colo. needs the right plan to expand early education

his summer, Gov. Jared Polis signed a historic bill to support universal Pre-K education in Colorado. The legislation’s passage represented a major milestone in a decades-long quest to expand educational opportunities for young learners. But the hard work is not done. The way we move the plan forward, and how we decide to use the funds for universal Pre-K, will have huge consequences for Colorado families and their children. Our Pre-K program can set a positive example for other states, but only if we make the right choices now in our planning. COVID-19 widened severe opportunity and achievement gaps for children from low-income families, children of color, multilingual learners, and other underserved populations. Currently, only 40% of eligible children are able to access preschool through the Colorado Preschool Program. Funding for universal Pre-K will help, but only if all students have

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access to high-quality choices. Money alone will not be enough. The state’s new Department of Early Childhood must start with a strong blueprint to design a high-quality program. Our youngest kids have unique potential and unique needs that can guide these plans. Supporting every child’s potential starts with improving teacher trainCathrine Floyd ing and paying and Deborah J. early educators what they’re really Leong worth. Colorado educators who work with children ages 0-4 make an average of $26,875 a year — far below the state’s percapita income of about $41,000. Clear definitions of quality and a

GUEST COLUMN

streamlined bureaucracy also will go a long way toward helping Colorado families find the best learning options for their kids. To receive full-day funding for their child, parents may have to use money managed by two different state agencies — Colorado Preschool Program dollars, through the Department of Education, and the Child Care Assistance Program, through the Department of Human Services. Many parents don’t have the resources to identify high-quality programs in such a complex system. High-quality choices should be readily available to every family. Measures of quality should be grounded in the science of child de-

velopment. High-quality programs should include consideration of equity, exploration, and other principles of ideal learning environments — both for the parents seeking the right program for their kids, and for the children in the classroom. The best early learning programs use these principles to personalize learning and meet every child where they are. They champion play as central to a child’s growth and learning, and value childhood as a unique time when kids learn through close relationships with their teachers and peers. They’re committed to engaging and empowering families as active participants SEE EDUCATION, P13

LAST WEEK FOR ELECTION LETTERS Readers: Please note that this is the last edition of this newspaper before the Nov. 2 election deadline in which letters to the editor advocating for or against a political candidate or ballot issue will be published. Under our published letters policies, we do not to publish election-related letters within 30 days of Election Day. For our full set of letter rules, go online to tinyurl.com/CCM-LettersPolicy

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Columnists & Guest Commentaries Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Elbert County News. We welcome letters to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone. Email letters to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com Deadline Wed. for the following week’s paper.

ELBERT COUNTY NEWS (USPS 171-100) A legal newspaper of general circulation in Elizabeth, Colorado, the Elbert County News is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: Elbert County News, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110

Elbert County News 13

September 30, 2021

Kirkland Museum is Denver treasure BY SONYA ELLINGBOE SELLINGBOE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

On the northwest corner of Bannock Street and 12th Avenue in Denver, bright yellow ceramic tiles beckon to anyone who can see them. They mark the entrance to the Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Art, where the visitor will find more than 30,000 works by more than 1,500 artists who worked from 1845 to the present. Three main collections include Kirkland’s collection of decorative arts, Kirkland’s own works and works by recent Colorado artists. Colorado artist Vance Kirkland (1904-1981) had a studio and art school at 13th and Curtis Streets in Denver, which became a focus for many area artists to learn — and also to hang out with like-minded souls. Kirkland was also head of the Art Department at the University of Denver and instrumental in the development of contemporary arts in Denver. In November 2016, Kirkland’s Pearl Street studio was raised and loaded on a steel framework with wheels and on a Sunday, when traffic was at its calmest, slowly moved across Denver to the present Bannock Street location, where funding by the Merle Chambers Fund settled it at a new location, attaching the studio to a long, low building where

EDUCATION FROM PAGE 12

in their kids’ learning. Not all early childhood programs are the same. Many people assume that worksheets and flashcards teaching discrete math and reading skills are the best tools to advance a child’s academic success. But that’s not how young children learn best. How we teach matters as much as what we teach, and the how has to honor what we know about children’s growth and learning. For example, play-based models have been shown to foster whole-child development and support literacy and math skills. The principles underlying these programs should be woven into the state’s early-learning plans. Educators need robust training to create learning environments that set up 3- and 4-year-olds for success both in Kindergarten and in life. If we don’t give educators the resources they need, too many children will be left behind — even in a world with universal access. Colorado is a diverse state, and our youngest learners have diverse needs. The good news is we already have a variety of models that support children, families and educators in their unique communities. Programs like Tools of the Mind support teachers through professional development that includes individualized video coaching, small-group monthly facilitated professional learning communities, regular workshops and a range of digital resources including childassessment tools. Educators can receive undergraduate or graduate credit for their professional development through

the collection could expand into special exhibitions in the center of Denver’s Golden Triangle Arts District. The original studio is oriented as it was originally, with studio windows facing north and a large flat table holding paintings. Suspended above the table is a series of leather straps, on which Kirkland lay flat to paint, so he could reach across his large canvases. He used special mixes of paints and alcohol, pouring, dripping and painting with assorted sizes of wooden dowels in addition to brushes. Many of Kirkland’s paintings seem to refer to constellations and include vibrant pigments. Funding for the move was provided by the Merle Chambers Fund, the charity operated by one of Denver’s important philanthropists, who was especially supportive of the arts, as well as her commitment to community and social justice. Museum director Hugh Grant, a close friend of Kirkland’s, was willed the majority of Kirkland’s estate after the artist died in 1981 and became executor of the estate. He and Merle Chambers were married from 1989 to 2017. Grant was concerned that no other local museum was exhibiting Colorado’s decorative art in depth and feared those artists, including Edgar Britton (who lived and worked in Littleton) and Otto Bach, would be

forgotten. More recently, works by other area artists, including rita derjue and Craig Marshall Smith, have been added to the collection, which has over 7,000 works by 700 artists — a truly unique resource for Denver. Grant set up a Vance Kirkland Foundation and toured Kirkland’s collection to nine European countries while construction began on the addition to the studio building, which would hold display space for the unique collection. Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Art opened on April 2, 2003, offering a unique addition to the already busy Golden Triangle District in Denver, just west of the Denver Art Museum. The Kirkland Museum opened on March 10, 2018 and has 4,400 works on view at any given time, rotating the collection, which is constantly increasing. (Estimated at over 30,000 objects.) Works are displayed in vignettes that may include a chair, table, lamp, glass bowl and silverware. A look at the website offers photos of a wide range of International decorative art, (1875 to 1990) labeled as to origin and material. Art Nou-

IF YOU GO Kirkland Museum visitors must be 13 or older, since artworks are openly displayed and fragile. Tickets are available at the door or online at kirklandmuseum. org. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. The museum is at 12th Avenue and Bannock Street in Denver. There is parking at the rear (west) side of the building.

veau, Arts and Crafts Movement, Glasgow Style, Wiener Werkstatte, De Stijl, Bauhaus, Art Deco, Modern, Pop Art, Postmodern ... Photos include a bentwood armchair by Gerald Summers (189019676); a Dutch end table by Gerrat Rietveld (1888-1964); a Bauhaus Telefon; Japanese butterfly stool by Sori Yanagi (1915-2011); a Finnish laminated platter by Tapio Wirkkala (1915-1985). These influence design in our homes today, yet are certainly works of art! While the COVID-19 pandemic continues, public events frequently are canceled or rescheduled. Check with organizers before you go.

OBITUARIES FIORINO

Tools. Schools and districts pay for the training, building a talented workforce while relieving individual educators of the cost. Also, other programs such as EL Education, HighScope, Montessori and Reggio Emilia support children’s growth and learning through engaging experiences with objects, peers, educators, and the community. These ideal learning experiences build the academic abilities and social-emotional skills of wellrounded learners. Colorado’s emerging universal Pre-K program could be a model for other states who want to set students up for lifelong success. But that will be true only if we build a system for all children and families. It may sound complicated, but these comprehensive, inclusive, and highquality early childhood programs can help us build a Pre-K system that serves every young learner. Cathrine Floyd, Ph.D., of Centennial, is grant partnerships manager at Trust for Learning, a national philanthropic partnership that seeks to equitably expand ideal learning environments for children from birth through age 8. Deborah J. Leong, Ph.D., of Golden, is president and cofounder of Tools of the Mind and professor emerita of Psychology at Metropolitan State University of Denver, where she taught educational and developmental psychology for 36 years. This guest opinion 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.

M. Madeleine (Turgeon) Fiorino May 8, 1925 - August 3, 2021

M. Madeleine (Turgeon) Fiorino was born into a French-Canadian family in Edmonton, Alberta on May 8, 1925. She passed away on August 3, 2021 at the age of 96 in Tucson, Arizona. She was a multi-faceted and international woman who lived a musically and family oriented life. She was deeply spiritual and put her faith in God’s love and shared it generously. She is preceded in death by her husband of 71 years, Emilio “Lee” Fiorino, (died May 22, 2021), and her brothers John Turgeon and Bernard Turgeon. Madeleine is survived by her siblings Pierre Turgeon and Marie-Claire Turgeon, as well as her 5 children, Robert, Paul, Michelle, John, and Ted. At the time of her passing, she had 11 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. Madeleine lived in Denver, CO with her husband and family for 52 years before moving to SaddleBrooke in Tucson, AZ. No matter if she lived in Canada, New York,

Denver, or Arizona (and even when she found herself traveling around the world), she always pursued a life full of music. She found great success as a singer, teacher, and choir director. She was very active in her community and enjoyed meeting new people. She connected with all people through her love of music, language, and cooking. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends. Madeleine’s family, the Turgeons, and her friends from Canada would like to say thank you, merçi, and to express their utmost gratitude to the extended family for their unconditional love. For information about her “Celebrations of Life” in Tucson, AZ and in Denver, CO, please visit this website: http://bit.ly/MMFiorino Created by Madeleine’s family to honor her legacy and to share more about her wonderful life.

Place an Obituary for Your Loved One. 303-566-4100 obituaries@coloradocommunitymedia.com Self placement available online at elbertcountynews.net

14 Elbert County News

September 30, 2021

STEM shooter’s sentence meant to send message Killer given life in prison without parole, 1,282 years BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Breathless, Syketha Sprague tried to describe for a Douglas County judge the lifelong impact of a school shooting. Her voice started out as a strained whisper. Sprague uttered her words between gasps for air. Tears choked the visibly shaken woman. Then she made an admission to the packed galley. For more than two years, Sprague has struggled to look John and Maria Castillo in the eyes, she said. Sprague’s only son survived the May 7, 2019, shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch, which left senior Kendrick Castillo dead and eight other students injured. Every birthday, every holiday since, reminded her the Castillos lost their only son that day while she still held hers. As Sprague spoke, John put his arm around Maria, who wept into her mask. Just like every past hearing, the couple sat in the front row of the Castle Rock courtroom. Following a five-hour hearing on Sept. 17 hearing, District Judge Theresa Slade sentenced Devon Erickson, the older of two gunmen convicted in the shooting, to life in prison without a possibility of parole plus — according to prosecutors’ calculation — 1,282.5 additional years. At the hearing, numerous victims said that they received a life sentence the day of the attack. Years of physical trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, and for scores of people, survivor guilt. Sprague castigated the adult STEM School gunman for shattering lives. She grew up in an area plagued by violence, and she sent her son to STEM School because she “wanted a different life for my child.” “I pray that you acknowledge what you have done,” she said. “I pray God has mercy on your soul.” The sentence’s weight The sentencing hearing served as a milestone in a case that took nearly 2 1/2 years to reach that point

In a June 15, 2021, file photo, John Castillo speaks with reporters after a jury found Devon Erickson, the person who fatally shot Castillo’s son Kendrick, guilty of first-degree murder. Behind him are investigators and prosecutors from the district attorney’s office. PHOTO BY ELLIOTT WENZLER

MORE SENTENCING COVERAGE ONLINE For a full report on victim-impact testimony at the Sept. 17 sentencing hearing for Devon Erickson in the STEM School attack, visit tinyurl.com/ STEMSchoolSentencing — convicting and sentencing both gunmen. In a news conference following the hearing, Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock and 18th Judicial District Attorney John Kellner commended people impacted by the attack for standing up in court and speaking about their experiences. “Here they are today still carrying that day with them, but being strong enough to say ‘We want to tell you how we feel, we want to have justice,’” Spurlock said.

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The sentence itself was noteworthy, prosecutors and law enforcement said, and came down in stark contrast to Erickson’s co-defendant, Alec McKinney. The younger convicted shooter was 16 at the time of the attack — his codefendant, Erickson, was 18 — and was sentenced in July 2020 by District Judge Jeffrey K. Holmes to life in prison plus 38 years, with the possibility of parole after 40 years. Former 18th Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler, who led the prosecution of Erickson, has lambasted a juvenile offender program for which McKinney could qualify, possibly securing his release in 25 years. Erickson’s sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 1,282.5 years, was the maximum sentence possible for each charge connected to a victim,

Brauchler said. Based on the charges in Erickson’s conviction, state statute required he receive life in prison without the possibility of parole, but Slade had some discretion over how many years she tacked on. Prosecutors said in court they believed the range to be an additional 400 years on the low end and 1,276 on the higher end, although the sentence ultimately exceeded their estimate. People who gave impact statements pleaded for the maximum sentence allowed by law. Erickson’s defense attorney, David Kaplan, spoke at length to the judge and courtroom, telling Slade that the individual he and his colleague know is capable of rehabilitation and got swept up in the tragedy SEE STEM, P15

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Elbert County News 15

September 30, 2021

STEM FROM PAGE 14

amid personal crisis. The number of years she added would not make a real difference in achieving accountability, he said, and risked glorifying the crime. The shooter’s parents, grandfather and girlfriend told the room he showed remorse in private moments, despite a stoic persona in court. As Erickson’s loved ones spoke about his life before the shooting — trips with his father, bonding with his grandfather, his mother’s health struggles — the convicted shooter at last broke down, quietly sobbing as he hunched over in his seat. Shooting survivors in the galley reacted with a mix of shock, dismay, or disbelief to comments made in defense of Erickson’s character. Parents buried their faces in their hands or motioned for defense attorneys to hurry up. Former STEM students raised their eyebrows or quietly shook their heads. Judge Slade didn’t buy it either. Erickson’s reactions appeared “manipulative at best,” she said. He failed to offer a reason behind the attack, something she heard victims cry for in victim impact statements, she said. Slade also told the defendant he had not taken accountability. A nearly 600-page presentence investigation included a one-page statement purportedly written by him, but it included nothing substantive, she said. “It was a shell,” she said.

In a May 7, 2019, file photo, a SWAT team waits outside the middle school entrance at STEM School Highlands Ranch after a shooting that killed one and wounded eight PHOTO BY JOHN LEYBA/SPECIAL TO THE COLORADO SUN students.

She noted that he listened unflinchingly to survivor testimony until his family spoke about what he is losing, such as freedom to pursue his interests or family time. “Today is the first time I have seen you show any type of emotion,” she said. Slade said the sentence she handed down was aimed at punishment and deterrence, “to make sure that this never happens again.” John Castillo, Kendrick’s father, called the defendant’s emotional displays narcissistic. Apologies from the gunman’s parents felt canned, he said. He walked out of court as they testified. Spurlock, the county sheriff, said people who gave victim impact statements calling the defendant

unremorseful and a coward got the message across to Slade. “That we do want to deter, we want to let everyone know that this is not acceptable at any level, and that the State of Colorado is going to punish people that put harm on our children and our schools,” he said. DA Kellner vowed to always uphold Kendrick’s memory. “Today’s sentence from the judge honored that memory and the sacrifice of Kendrick Castillo, and today’s sentence from the judge recognized the profound horror, the terror that was inflicted by this defendant on our community,” he said. A drawn-out case Brauchler estimated that COVID-19 delayed the trial and sentenc-

ing hearing for Erickson’s case by 15 months at least. Brauchler oversaw procedings before he left office in January of this year, and stayed on as a special deputy district attorney at Kellner’s invitation. The pandemic caused a painful drawing-out of the older suspect’s case after multiple rescheduled trials, Brauchler said. He called that another testament to the community’s resiliency. “We did this during COVID. We did this with social distancing and masks,” he said. “We got this thing done.” Brauchler thanked Kellner for allowing him to stay on. Brauchler’s tenure as DA was bookended by the Aurora theater killings and the STEM School shooting. Finishing the STEM School case was personal after leaving one of the most challenging jobs he’s had, Brauchler said. “This is it,” Brauchler said. “This will be my last official act as a prosecutor for the 18th Judicial District.” As is always the case, John Castillo said, the possibility of appeals loom. Defense attorney Julia Stancil said she did not have any comment when reached by email. He watched as the gunman’s lawyers and family took notes during the sentencing hearing, he said, wondering if that was a precursor to more legal battles. Whatever comes, he and Maria will attend any future hearings as they did throughout the court cases, he said. “As long as I’m breathing air and I’m upright,” he said. Reporter Elliott Wenzler contributed to this story.

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16 Elbert County News

September 30, 2021

Colo.’s hospitals have bent, but not broken, during new COVID surge BY JOHN INGOLD THE COLORADO SUN

Nearly 19 months in, these are some of the toughest days for Colorado hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic. Even as the latest surge in coronavirus hospitalizations appears to have plateaued — what state epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy recently called an “unstable equilibrium” — hospitals across Colorado have still been scrambling to add critical-care beds and some have been postponing nonemergent surgeries in order to free up space. As of Sept. 23, Colorado had a scant 148 ICU beds available statewide and 28% of hospitals were expecting to experience a staff shortage within the next week. Hospital leaders speak of staff burnout, of trouble keeping employees when lucrative gigs as traveling nurses to COVID hotspots abound. Despite the renewed — and exhausting — strain on the system, things in Colorado are nowhere near as bad as they are in other parts of the country. Amid crushing waves of delta variant-driven coronavirus infections, hospitals statewide in Idaho are operating under “crisis standards of care” — essentially rationing care because COVID cases have so overwhelmed the available resources. Some hospitals in Alaska and Montana have done the same. The governor of Wyoming called in the National Guard to his state’s hospitals. “We are very, very full, and are concerned right now,” said Dan Weaver, the vice president for communications at UCHealth. “But we are not at the level of some of those hospitals in other states.” How has Colorado been able to avoid the hospital horror of other Western states? State health leaders point to two factors. First, Colorado’s vaccination rate makes a big difference. In the Mountain West, Colorado has the second-highest vaccination rate in the region, behind only New Mexico. Put another way, of all the landlocked U.S. states, Colorado’s fully vaccinated rate is third-best. As of Sept. 23, nearly 60% of people

in Colorado are fully immunized against COVID-19. (This figure is for the entire population, including kids too young to be vaccinated.) In Wyoming, the rate is only about 41%. And there is a clear connection between vaccination status and hospitalization. On Sept. 23, 80% of those hospitalized in Colorado with COVID-19 were unvaccinated against the disease, according to state data. Scott Bookman, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s incident commander for the pandemic, pointed to the vaccination rate as the No. 1 reason that Colorado hospitals have not exceeded their capacity during the latest surge. “The reason our hospitals are doing better than hospitals in many other states is simply because our vaccination rates are so high in Colorado,” he said. The other factor working in Colorado’s favor is that it has a lot more hospital beds than neighboring states. Prior to the pandemic, Colorado hospitals had been on a building binge — sometimes building new hospitals in already well-served areas where critics said they weren’t needed. As of 2019, Colorado had more than 10,600 hospital beds in the state, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care think tank. Utah, for comparison, had only about 5,600 beds. Hospital leaders defended all the construction by saying that the state was growing and that the capacity would come in handy, even if hospital beds sat empty at first. “You can’t build a highway system for a Sunday morning,” Katherine Mulready, the Colorado Hospital Association’s chief strategy officer, said at a forum in January 2019, right before the pandemic struck and while hospital costs were under intense scrutiny at the state legislature. “You have to build it for rush hour.” On a per capita basis, Colorado’s hospital capacity isn’t all that impressive. Again using 2019 figures, the Kaiser Family Foundation calculated that Colorado had 1.85 hospital beds for every 1,000 people, among the lowest rates in the nation. But many Colorado hospitals, prepandemic, had also positioned themselves as regional health centers,

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often treating patients from far-flung areas of neighboring states as well as those from Colorado. This meant some hospitals placed an emphasis on flexibility, creating an accordionlike ability to expand rapidly when needed. “We are grateful for every hospital bed that we have and we are fortunate that we have systems that have built up for surge capacity, pre-COVID,” said Cara Welch, a Colorado Hospital Association spokeswoman. Out-of-state patients don’t appear to be contributing much to Colorado hospitals’ COVID burden Elsewhere in the U.S., case surges in one state have sometimes spilled over to create problems in another. The New York Times recently reported on how Idaho’s COVID explosion is having consequences for neighboring Washington state, where transfers of Idaho patients are rapidly filling hospitals. At best, it’s unclear how much this is happening in Colorado. On Sept. 22, Herlihy pointed to packed hospitals in Larimer and Weld counties and said it’s possible that cases from Wyoming are contributing to the crowding. (The state does not track residency status of hospitalized patients.) “That certainly could be part of what we’re seeing right now,” she said. But the major operators of hospitals in northern Colorado said they are not seeing many out-of-state patients. At UCHealth, which has three hospitals in Larimer and Weld counties, out-of-state patients appear to be adding very little to the capacity crunch. Weaver said only about 1% to 2% of the COVID patients hospitalized across the UCHealth system are from out-of-state. “The vast, vast majority of our patients are from Colorado,” he said. Banner Health, which operates several hospitals across Northern Colorado, said the same. “Our hospitals are extremely busy with very sick COVID and non-COVID patients,” Sara Quale, a Banner

spokeswoman, wrote in an email. “We are running at or over normal capacity in our three (Northern Colorado) hospitals. This week we had fewer than five patients from other states out of about 220 patients hospitalized with us.” Just because Colorado hospitals aren’t as strained as those elsewhere in the country, it doesn’t mean they aren’t suffering right now. Hospitals in the HealthOne system, such as Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver and The Medical Center of Aurora, have seen COVID-19 patient admissions triple over the past 30 days, a spokeswoman said. About a third of those admitted need to be treated in the intensive care unit, and about half of those in the ICU are on ventilators. But, the spokesman said, ICU capacity at HealthOne hospitals remains stable and the facilities have not had to convert additional spaces into makeshift intensive-care wards. Centura Health, which operates hospitals such as St. Anthony Hospital, is seeing its highest level of ventilator use of the entire pandemic — though ventilators are used by more than just COVID patients. And just about every hospital says staffing is a much bigger challenge than having an adequate number of beds available to take in new patients. Centura has been “flexing” staffing across its various hospitals and clinics, to make sure it has workers where it needs them most. Other hospitals have been hiring temporary traveling nurses, who come at a high cost during the pandemic. “Staffing is definitely still the concern everywhere,” said Welch, the Colorado Hospital Association spokeswoman. “The beds are there; the staff are not.” This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

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Elbert County News 17

September 30, 2021

Theft from kids leads to ‘community coming together’ Family sees donations, gives proceeds to police union BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Eleven-year-old Asher Swann often sells ice pops in his west Centennial neighborhood in the summer with his younger brother. After Swann sold the frozen treats at a recent soccer event at Cherry Knolls Park in the Southglenn neighborhood, he told his brother to take their wagon under a tree. “When we came back, there was no cooler, and the money is gone,” Swann said. His 6-year-old brother was shocked. His parents helped him file a police report, and Arapahoe County sheriff’s Deputy Bryan Teany came to the family’s home and talked to the kids about what happened. Swann’s mother put out information about the theft on the Nextdoor social media platform. “The next day, I got an email from the parents” about receiving donations, Teany said. Before long, the family had received more than $1,000 from the public after the kids’ story spread. “With all the money, I was like, ‘We can’t keep this,’” Swann said. The family wanted to donate the money to the sheriff’s office — they

appreciated how Teany spoke to the kids about what happened. But Teany suggested finding a charitable cause to donate the money. The Swanns decided to give to the Arapahoe Lodge 31 of the Fraternal Order of Police — the Arapahoe County law enforcement union — to support first responders. The family gathered Sept. 3 with a group of sheriff’s office personnel at Cherry Knolls Park to thank Teany and present the union with a check for roughly $1,100. Teany mentioned that the union runs a “9/11 memorial ride” — the organization held a Sept. 11 motorcycle ride fundraiser to benefit the union’s Benevolent Fund, which supports members of Lodge 31 and their families in times of need. The fund also provides financial support to injured officers across Colorado, according to the union’s website. Swann was taken by the community’s response to the theft at the park. “The community really came together, really lifted me off the ground — I felt so happy, so cared about,” Swann said. He learned “that there’s way more good in the world than bad,” he said. Teany said it’s an example of the “community coming together.” “The neighborhood rallied around the kids,” Teany said, “and put them in a position to support a worthy cause.”

The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office brought law enforcement personnel to Cherry Knolls Park for an event where Asher Swann presented the local law enforcement union with a check of donation funds. The sheriff’s office’s Mounted Patrol Unit rides on horses and is involved in community outreach, routine patrol, search and rescue, COURTESY PHOTO and crowd control.

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18 Elbert County News

September 30, 2021

Love for public lands is at heart of business Englewood-based Travel Posters captures experience of journeys BY RACHEL LORENZ SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Blair Hamill was looking for a way to make a living as an artist — for something that would unite his love of this country’s public lands with his talent as a landscape painter and his experience as a graphic artist. “What could I come up with that would become a more marketable form of my artwork? That could sustain us as a business?” Hamill said he asked himself. Travel Posters was the answer. Hamill creates images that capture “the American travel experience” for posters, coffee mugs and coasters. The outdoor scenes have strong lines, distinctive shapes and a graphic feel. He draws on his former career as graphic designer, his time as a fine art oil painter and on a love of the natural world that extends back to his childhood. Hamill moved the business he co-owns with Lauri Hamill, his wife, to Englewood in 2019 after posters overran the basement and garage of their home near Littleton. “This is a neat little neighborhood down in here,” Lauri Hamill said, referring to the engineering firms, landscape design companies, auto repair shops and “cool, creative businesses” that make up the area around their studio and warehouse space at 3638 S. Jason St. Plus the proximity to Santa Fe and Hampden make deliveries and pickups a breeze, she said. The former teacher began working at the business full time in 2019 after retiring early. At Travel Posters, she’s the organized counterpoint to her creative husband. “We work really well together,” Lauri Hamill said. “Yin and yang.” Like her husband, Hamill loves to hike, camp, snowshoe — anything that gets her outdoors. The couple’s travels inspire the business’s designs. This spring, the twosome went to Canyonlands Na-

Blair Hamill reaches for a coaster in the Travel Posters warehouse in Englewood Sept. 8.

tional Park in Utah. Last fall, they explored New England. And now, majestic Candlestick Tower and colorful West Quoddy Head Lighthouse are among Travel Posters’ extensive catalog of illustrations. With the help of two employees, the Hamills sell their products through their online store and at fairs and festivals. Customers range from individuals to small businesses like General Store 45 in Littleton to national parks in Colorado and beyond. The pandemic, however, disrupted their business last year. The Hamills did only two art shows in 2020 compared to the 42 they worked the previous year. Yet people flocked to the country’s natural places in record numbers last summer and orders from national parks eventually came in. After all, the Hamills aren’t the only ones that love the outdoors.

“Even though our show business and festivals basically stalled, we really made inroads with online and with our public lands accounts,” Blair Hamill said. Enthusiasm for the outdoors, and for products that commemorate people’s time there, has persisted. Business for Travel Posters in 2021 is already better than it was in 2019, according to the couple.

PHOTOS BY RACHEL LORENZ/SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Hamill understands that travel sparks memories and emotion. He’s done about 250 designs for Travel Posters so far — and whether it’s a cityscape, a mountainside or a natural wonder, he has a story to go with each one. The Travel Posters shop is open by appointment only, but their line of products can be seen anytime at travelposters.com.

Designer Jenna Ball processes damaged posters in the studio of Travel Posters in Englewood Sept. 8.

Blair Hamill packages a poster in the Travel Posters studio in Englewood.

Elbert County News 19

September 30, 2021

Seven Stones hosts pet memorial event Cemetery holds event each year for beloved animal companions BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A botanic garden and cemetery in Chatfield gave community members the opportunity to grieve the pets they lost over the past year during a memorial event Sept. 12 Seven Stones cemetery, which is mostly for people but also has a pet ossuary, hosts the annual event to allow residents to scatter their companions’ ashes for free. “We thought it would be very important to give our families an event to celebrate the life of their pet that they had,” said Becky Holm with Seven Stones. About 25 people attended and 15 pets were celebrated, she said. The event typically honors people’s cats and dogs but also sometimes features other animals such as birds. “It’s such a beautiful event and it is always at the perfect time of year because the weather is amazing out here this time of year,” Holmes said. “The gardens and beauty of nature really helps families process their grief.” The memorial, sponsored primarily by Caring Pathways, began at 10 a.m. and ended at about noon. Attendees shared stories about

Those who attended the pet memorial were invited to bring photos of their pets as they said goodbye.

their pets and had a chance to participate in a craft to memorialize their pet. A ceremony led by Mourning to Light Pet Loss focused on “the importance of pets in our lives and how much joy they bring us,” Holmes said. “And how they’re always with us.” The memorial “gives them a place to process the loss of their sweet little family members,” she said.

About 25 people gathered on Sept. 12 to honor pets they lost over the past year in a PHOTOS COURTESY OF SEVEN STONES ceremony at Seven Stones - Chatfield cemetery.

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20 Elbert County News

September 30, 2021

C R O S SWO R D P U Z Z L E

New library-card designs are being offered by the Pines & Plains Libraries system. COURTESY PHOTO

LIBRARIES FROM PAGE 1

To celebrate Library Card Signup Month, visit any of the Pines & Plains branch libraries and show your card or apply for a new one.

You can choose from four designs for your new card: Bijou Basin, Owl, Baby Yoda or Peanuts. From Sept. 27-30, sign up to be entered in a district-wide drawing for a $50 Walmart gift card. For more information about the Pines & Plains Libraries, visit pplibraries.org.

The Simla branch of the Pines & Plains Libraries system offers a range of resources for PHOTO BY CHANCY GATLIN-ANDERSON the community.

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Elbert County News 21

September 30, 2021

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50 years of tools, Snap-On, Mac, Matco, air tools, torque wrenches, dial calipers, mikes, a/c vacuum pump, shop battery charger and starter, air drills and bits, tap & dye sets. And lot's more. Asking $50,000. Call 303-805-0301

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Miscellaneous 2 belt buckets. U shaped turquoise (stone) and silver (color) $85. Black Hills gold belt bucket $150. 4 sets of Cross Pen and Pencil. $25 per set or $100 for all plus 3 extra pens and pencils plus reﬁlls. Call 720-532-5257

DEADLINES CLASSIFIED LINE ADS: MONDAY, 11 A.M. SERVICE DIRECTORY: THURSDAY, 5 P.M. LEGALS: THURSDAY, 3 P.M.

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22 Elbert County News

CLASSIFIEDS

September 30, 2021

COLORADO COMMUNIT Y MEDIA

CAREERS

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303-566-4100 classifieds@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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Contact Erin, 303-566-4074 eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

DEADLINES CLASSIFIED LINE ADS: MONDAY, 11 A.M. SERVICE DIRECTORY: THURSDAY, 5 P.M. LEGALS: THURSDAY, 3 P.M.

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Registered Occupational Therapist Full-Time Registered Occupational Therapist. OTR must have, or be eligible for appropriate Colorado licensure. Provide Pre-12 intervention, assessment, direct & indirect services just east of Denver on I-70, Bennett, Strasburg Byers & Kiowa areas. Support from an experienced COTA is available. Salary range for PhD: $47,000$60,300. Excellent beneﬁts. Access to company vehicle or mileage reimbursement. To apply for this position, please complete the Certiﬁed Application for Employment available on the East Central BOCES website www.ecboces.org under “Jobs” on our website ecboces.org. EOE Questions contact Tracy at (719) 775-2342, ext. 101 or email tracyg@ ecboces.org

• Sprinkler Start Up $40

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Elbert County News 23

September 30, 2021

Program connects Denver to the world WorldDenver brings youths together through virtual exchange BY CHRISTY STEADMAN CSTEADMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In the past decade or so, Cheesman Park resident Laurie Hirschfeld Zeller has hosted members of Parliament from the United Kingdom, university presidents from Yemen, journalists from various African countries and women leaders from all over the world. “These are the most interesting and rewarding interactions you can imagine,” Zeller said. Sometimes these international guests stay in Zeller’s home for about a week and sometimes they come just for dinner. “Breaking bread in one’s home is universally meaningful to all cultures,” Zeller said. “These opportunities have allowed me to show a personal side to the good experience these visitors have in Colorado, and helps them feel the goodwill that they take back to their home countries.” Zeller is a founding member of WorldDenver and an emeritus board member. The international visitors she has hosted are people chosen to participate in the International Visitors’ Leadership Program, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. “Denver has so much to share with the world,” said John Krieger, executive director of WorldDenver, “and we make those connections.” WorldDenver is a membership-

based nonprofit organization that connects Denver — and Colorado — to the world through international exchange, education, and personal interaction with international leaders, professionals and students, states its website. “It matters that we feel connected to the greater world, here in landlocked Denver,” Zeller said. “WorldDenver is a community of members that supports the great programs and visiting delegations that help us understand the perspectives of our fellow humans — and helps those other humans understand us.” WorldDenver is perhaps most known for facilitating the International Visitors’ Leadership Program, and for being Denver’s World Affairs Counsel. But, WorldDenver also has a Young Professional membership, and puts on a variety of other programming, such as an annual International Women’s Day event. “The biggest issues we face are borderless. They’ve got to be solved with global cooperation,” Krieger said. “Members come to WorldDenver to get that global connection.” WorldDenver put on some virtual programming during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns, but also turned attention to incorporating more educational programs for youth — something that had been on a priority list for quite some time, Krieger said. The organization started to put together a plan to connect U.S. students ages 14-17 with students of the same age in the Middle East and North Africa — Iraq and Morocco, specifically. Called the World Affairs Challenge Virtual Exchange, the new program is being implemented by WorldDen-

Young people participate in the World Affairs Challenge 2019 in Denver. COURTESY OF WORLD AFFAIRS CHALLENGE

ver, and supported by the Stevens Initiative. The Stevens Initiative, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, “is an international effort to build global competence and career readiness skills for young people in the United States and the Middle East and North Africa by growing and enhancing the field of virtual exchange,” states a news release. WorldDenver is one of 19 grantees to be named a 2021 Stevens Initiative grantee. What the youth will do in the program is work in bi-national teams to identify a challenge in their community that is related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. They will work together to create a solution, and the program will culminate with the students presenting their challenge and solution plan in video format. Winners of the competition will get to implement their plan. The youth will develop relationships and lifelong friendships with their peers abroad, while also building empathy, developing leadership

skills and learning about new topics. “When young people can turn their ideas into real action, especially while working cross-culturally, it is immensely powerful and transformative,” Krieger said in a news release, “setting them on a path toward meaningful global citizenship and community involvement.” Kelly Jones-Wagy is one of the local World Affairs Challenge Virtual Exchange facilitators/mentors. “Students generally have incredible ideas,” Jones-Wagy said. “As a facilitator, my goal is just to help them to focus those ideas as they work with their counterparts through the virtual exchange.” Jones-Wagy said she hopes the students learn from each other. “Not just about their project, but also about all of the things that they have in common,” Jones-Wagy said. “The more time we all spend getting to know people, the more we will be able to respect and care for others.” To learn more about WorldDenver, its programs or how to become a member, visit worlddenver.org.

www.ColoradoCommunityMedia.com/Notices

PUBLIC NOTICES

Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088 Legals City and County Public Notice NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR A MAJOR VARIANCE CASE NUMBERS: VA-21-0056 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE 24071 ECCLES STREET, ELBERT, CO, PROPERTY SHALL BE CONSIDERED FOR A MAJOR VARIANCE, PURSUANT TO ELBERT COUNTY REGULATIONS. THE HEARING IS TO BE HELD BEFORE THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS ON THE 13TH DAY OF OCTOBER 2021: • LOCATION: ELBERT COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, BOCC BOARD ROOM, 215 COMANCHE STREET, KIOWA, COLORADO, AT 1 P.M., OR AS SOON THEREAFTER AS POSSIBLE. CONTACT ELBERT COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES FOR MORE INFORMATION: 303-621-3136 LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY: ALL OF LOT 24 AND 25, EXCEPT THE SOUTH 10 FEET OF LOT 25, IN THE BLOCK FRONTING EAST ON ECCLES STREET, TOWN OF ELBERT, COUNTY OF ELBERT, STATE OF COLORADO.

Legal Notice No. 24714 First Publication: September 30, 2021 Last Publication: September 30, 2021 Publisher: Elbert County News Public Notice NOTICE OF PURCHASE OF PROPERTY AT TAX LIEN SALE AND OF APPLICATION FOR ISSUANCE OF TREASURER'S DEED To Every Person in Actual Possession or Occupancy of the hereinafter Described Land, Lot or Premises, and to the Person in Whose Name the same was Taxed or Specially Assessed, and to all Persons having Interest of Title of Record in or to the said Premises and To Whom It May Concern, and more especially to: AMOS D. MARTINEZ 9470 KANNAH CREEK RD WHITEWATER, CO 81527 You and each of you are hereby notified that on the 27th day of November 2018, the then County Treasurer of Elbert County, in the State of Colorado, sold at public tax lien sale to BEN LOMOND GUN CLUB, INC. the following described property situate in the County of Elbert, State of Colorado, to-wit: Section: 11 Township: 10 Range: 61 NW4 (160ACRES 1/96 INTEREST 1.666 MRA) Section: 2 Township: 10 Range: 61 E2NE4 (80 ACRES 1/768 INTEREST .104 MRA, S2NW4 (80 ACRES 1/768 INTEREST .104 MRA, E2SW480 ACRES 1/768 INT .104 MRA SE4 (160 ACRES 1/768 INTEREST .208 MRA)Subdivision: SEVERED MINERALS

legals@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Certificate Number: 2018-02617 and said County Treasurer issued a certificate of purchase therefore to BEN LOMOND GUN CLUB, INC.. That said tax lien sale was made to satisfy the delinquent property (and special assessment) taxes assessed against said property for the year 2017; That said property was taxed or specially assessed in the name(s) of AMOS D. MARTINEZ for said year 2017; That said BEN LOMOND GUN CLUB, INC. on the 9th day of August 2021, the present holder of said certificate (who) has made request upon the Treasurer of said County for a deed to said property; That a Treasurer's Deed will be issued for said property to BEN LOMOND GUN CLUB, INC. on the 23rd day of December 2021, unless the same has been redeemed; Said property may be redeemed from said sale at any time prior to the actual execution of said Treasurer's Deed. This Notice of Purchase has also been published in Colorado Community Media on September 30, 2021, October 7, 2021 and October 14, 2021. Witness my hand this 16th day of September 2021 Sheryl L. Hewlett, Treasurer of Elbert County, Colorado Legal Notice No. 24713 First Publication: September 30, 2021

Last Publication: October 14, 2021 Publisher: Elbert County News

and said County Treasurer issued a certificate of purchase therefore to DAVID K. STONE . That said tax lien sale was made to satisfy the delinquent mineral rights (and special assessment) taxes assessed against said mineral rights for the year 2017;

Misc. Private Legals Public Notice NOTICE OF PURCHASE OF MINERAL RIGHTS AT TAX LIEN SALE AND OF APPLICATION FOR ISSUANCE OF TREASURER'S DEED To Every Person in Actual Possession or Occupancy of the hereinafter Described Land, Lot or Premises, and to the Person in Whose Name the same was Taxed or Specially Assessed, and to all Persons having Interest of Title of Record in or to the said Premises and To Whom It May Concern, and more especially to:

That said mineral rights was taxed or specially assessed in the name(s) of DAVID D. AND MYRNA L. WATSON for said year 2017; That said DAVID K. STONE on the 10th day of August 2021, the present holder of said certificate (who) has made request upon the Treasurer of said County for a deed to said mineral rights; That a Treasurer's Deed will be issued for said mineral rights to DAVID K. STONE on the 16th day of December 2021, unless the same has been redeemed;

DAVID D. AND MYRNA L. WATSON 25999 COUNTY RD 5 ELBERT, CO 80106

Said mineral rights may be redeemed from said sale at any time prior to the actual execution of said Treasurer's Deed.

You and each of you are hereby notified that on the 27th day of November 2018, the then County Treasurer of Elbert County, in the State of Colorado, sold at public tax lien sale to DAVID K. STONE the following described mineral rights situate in the County of Elbert, State of Colorado, to-wit:

This Notice of Purchase has also been published in Colorado Community Media on September 23, 2021, September 30, 2021 and October 7, 2021.

Section: 27 Township: 9 Range: 65 MCLAUGHLIN REZONE NW4NE4 (40.206), TOTAL MRA 40.206 Subdivision: SEVERED MINERALS Certificate Number: 2018-02629

Witness my hand this 14th day of September 2021 Sheryl L. Hewlett, Treasurer of Elbert County, Colorado Legal Notice No. 24708 First Publication: September 23, 2021 Last Publication: October 7, 2021 Publisher: Elbert County News

###

Elbert County Legals 9.30.21 * 1

24 Elbert County News

September 30, 2021

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