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Week of January 13, 2022
ELBERT COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
ElbertCountyNews.net
VOLUME 126 | ISSUE 48
Rodeo royalty begin their reign Thomas sisters share their excitement for the coming year BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
The 2021 Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo queen and attendant began their year-long reign on Jan. 1. The Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo royalty program began in 1965, making Queen Josie Thomas and Attendant Hannah Thomas the newest members of a 57-year legacy. The Thomas sisters won their titles last September and have spent the past four months preparing for their reign by attending local events and sharing their knowledge and love of rodeo culture. Josie and Hannah Thomas, along with Jill Stuebner, chair for the Elizabeth Stampede Royalty Committee, sat down with the Elbert County News on Jan. 3 at El Abuelo Family Restaurant in downtown Elizabeth for an extensive interview. During the hour-long conversation, the Thomas sisters talked about balancing school and extracurriculars, their evergrowing horse knowledge, and their overall excitement for the coming year. Josie (18, senior) and Hannah (15, sophomore) are both students at Ponderosa High School north of their Franktown home and have been involved with horse and rodeo culture from a very young age. Their love for rodeo royalty and interest in competing, however, developed only a few years ago. “When I was younger, we went to the National Western Stock Show a lot. The royalty girls are usually SEE RODEO, P4
Library system goes curbside Pines & Plains decision draws split opinions BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Hannah, left, and Josie Thomas are the first pair of sisters to serve as Elizabeth StamPHOTO COURTESY OF SHERRY SLADE pede Rodeo royalty in the Stampede’s 57-year history.
Josie Thomas shows a beaming smile as she and her sister Hannah embrace after winPHOTO BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON ning their 2022 rodeo royalty titles last September.
INSIDE: CALENDAR: PAGE 9 | VOICES: PAGE 10 | LIFE: PAGE 14
Pines & Plains Libraries returned to curbside pickup on Jan. 5 as a result of rapidly increasing cases of COVID-19 in Elbert County. “Due to unprecedented surge in COVID cases in the county, for the protection of our employees and our patrons, the Board has decided to move to curbside service effective January 5th, 2022,” Patty Lampman, president for the Pines & Plains Libraries Board of Trustees, wrote in a message to Colorado Community Media. “We will resume regular service when our county average weekly positivity numbers return to 16%.” The Pines & Plains Libraries Board of Trustees reached the decision to tighten COVID-19 protocols after weeks of watching COVID-19 numbers increase. In a Jan. 4 official statement from Elbert County Public Health Director, Dwayne Smith, the COVID-19 statistics have reached a new high. “Nearly 1 in 100 county residents have tested positive for the virus in the past two weeks. Elbert County’s two-week cumulative incidence has reached another pandemic-high of 966.13 cases per 100,000 population, or 253 known confirmed cases in the SEE LIBRARY, P19
LOCAL FLAVOR
International tastes are coming home P14
2 Elbert County News
January 13, 2022
How to prepare for a wildfire in Colorado Experts say to map evacuation routes and gather emergency supplies BY OLIVIA PRENTZEL THE COLORADO SUN
The Marshall fire, which forced thousands to flee as flames raced across 6,000 acres in the matter of hours, offered a window into what has become a new reality for many parts of Colorado. Even if you don’t live in a community directly adjacent to forestland, embers can travel through the air, move rapidly and travel great distances, especially when fueled by intense winds. Here is a list of ways to prepare in the event a wildfire in Colorado: Before the fire Assemble an emergency kit. The Federal Emergency Management Agency suggests packing the following items: • Water (one gallon per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation) and at least a threeday supply of nonperishable food • Battery-powered or hand-crank radio that can receive NOAA weather radio tone alerts and other batteries • Flashlight and extra batteries • First-aid kit Extra batteries • Whistle (to signal for help) • Dust mask (to help filter contaminated air) • Wrench or pliers (to turn off utilities) • Manual can opener (for food) • Local maps • Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery • Masks (for everyone ages 2 and above), soap, hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes • Prescription medication and glasses. nonprescription medications to treat pain and diarrhea • A complete change of clothing including a long-sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes. • Consider additional clothing for colder temperatures. • Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank records. Place the documents in a portable, waterproof container. • Cash and change
• First aid book • Matches in a waterproof container • Sleeping bag or a warm blanket for each person • Pen and pencil Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children Pet food and extra water for your pet Diapers and formula Keep important documents together. Collect insurance records, passports, birth certificates, property titles, Social Security cards and any other important documents that may be needed to file claims after the fire or might be difficult to replace. Know how you will communicate with your family. Create a hardcopy list of contact information for your family and other important people and services, like doctors, schools or service providers. Make sure everyone carries a copy in their wallet, purse or backpack. When using a cell phone, a text message is the best way to communicate with family, as it uses less bandwidth. Know your escape routes. Have a map with more than one evacuation route and practice them with your family. Make sure everyone in the family knows your safe meeting place and let your friends and family know your plans. Set up homeowner’s or renter’s insurance. Homeowners should complete annual insurance policy “check-ups” to make sure they keep up with local building costs, home remodeling and inventories of their personal belongings, according to Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association. Rates will vary depending on how likely it is a claim will be filed and how much it is likely to cost. For example, a homeowner living in an area that has high wildfire risk would pay a higher insurance rate than a homeowner living in a low-risk area. Renter’s insurance can cover the cost to replace the belongings inside your rented home (up to policy limits) and most policies include additional living expenses if you are forced out of your home from a fire. Make an inventory of your home. Take photos or record the belongings inside your home and store them outside your home or digitally.
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As wildfire season is more of a year round concern, Colorado residents are encouraged SHUTTERSTOCK to get ready by creating kits, protecting documents and planning ahead.
Remember to document contents of drawers and closets and if recording, mention the price you paid and where and when you bought the item. Save receipts for major purchases and store them digitally or in a fireproof case. Don’t forget to document what’s inside your garage. Create a digital backup of photos. For photos taken with your phone, use Google Photos, Apple iCloud, Dropbox or similar services to keep your photos backed up online. For photo albums and other nondigital keepsakes, use a personal scanner to create copies or use a local scanning service to make backups of irreplaceable images. Have a plan for your pets and animals. Many public shelters and hotels don’t allow pets inside. Know a safe place where you can take your pets before disasters happen. Have your pet microchipped. Make sure your address and phone number are up to date. Plan with neighbors, friends or relatives to make sure that someone is available to care for or evacuate your pets if you are unable to do so. Consider moving horses and large animals to a safe location early, before evacuation is ordered, if possible. Know the risk of wildfire where you live. Reducing fuels around your home can help mitigate wildfire risk. Colorado State Forest Service offers the following tips to help prepare your home and property for a fire: • Remove all debris, including leaves and needles, from decks, roofs and gutters • Screen the attic, roof, eaves and foundation vents with -inch metal mesh • Use tempered glass for windows. CSFS recommends at least two panes • Replace combustible fencing or gates that are within 5 feet of your home • Rake and remove all pine needles
and other flammable debris from a 5-foot radius around the foundation of your home • Keep propane tanks at least 30 feet from the home, preferably at the same elevation as the house; remove flammable vegetation within 10 feet of all propane tanks and gas meters • Keep firewood stacked uphill, or at the same elevation as, your home and keep the woodpile at least 30 feet away from your home; do not stack the wood between trees, underneath the deck or on the deck • Remove branches that hang over the roof and chimney • After thinning trees and shrubs, dispose of the slash by chipping, hauling to a disposal site or piling in open areas for burning later. Wood chips should be kept 30 feet or more away from your home.
As the fire approaches If there’s time, move flammable items like propane tanks, brush and wood piles at least 30 feet away from your home. Shut off the gas at the meter and turn off the air-conditioning. Shut windows and doors, but leave them unlocked so firefighters can get in after you evacuate. Remove flammable drapes and curtains. Listen or read the local news for updated emergency information Place valuable documents and mementos inside the car.
When you decide to leave Don’t wait for an evacuation order to leave. If you feel unsafe, go. Consider traffic jams if you live in a densely populated area. Grab your go-bag and if there is time, your most important belongings, including personal documents, family keepsakes, cell phones and chargers.
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
January 13, 2022
Martin Luther King Jr. Day office closure Douglas County offices will be closed Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. Many services are available at DoItOnlineDouglas.com
Are you a Douglas County property owner?
Scotty Wiese, 22, will be performing in Highlands Ranch on Jan. 21.
COURTESY PHOTOS
Magician to perform in Highlands Ranch
Scotty Wiese knew comedy and magic were his future early on e
Look for your property tax statement or postcard notification in your mailbox the week of Jan. 17. Visit douglascotax.com to pay your taxes online or douglas. co.us/treasurer for more information.
Questions about snow removal in unincorporated Douglas County? Do you ever wonder how county roads are prioritized for snow removal? Questions about citizen snow removal responsibilities? Answers to these questions and more can be found by visiting douglas.co.us/snow.
e
BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
At the age of 9, Scotty Wiese tperformed some magic tricks for family members. He was good at it. He liked it. For several years, Wiese, who will be performing in Highlands Ranch on Jan. 21, said he continued to perform magic tricks, with an added dose of humor, as a hobby. In n high school and college, Wiese said he could not ignore it anymore and knew he would make a full career out of it. In 2017, Wiese said his high school basketball team was flying to Los Angeles to participate in a tournament when high winds forced the plane to divert and land in San Diego. While the team sat on the runway, Wiese said, everyone was in a bad - mood and not happy about the situation. It was at that point, Wiese said, that he decided to lighten the mood with his magical talents. “In high school, I was always performing for my friends. Teachers would have me incorporate the tricks into projects,” Wiese said. “It was not until that plane that I knew this was it. I started performing and all that stress just turned into smiles. I thought if I can do this on a plane, imagine what I could do on the stage.” Wiese, who grew up in Denver, .said he went to college at Santa Clara University, doing shows for restaurants in the Bay Area. After a short time, Wiese said, he moved back to the Denver metro area, started his entertainment company -and is now performing all over the oU.S. with his home state, especially along the Front Range, being his favorite.
Call for Entries
Besides performing the Denver metro area, Scotty Wiese performs his magic/ comedy throughout the county.
Wiese joked that starting his entertainment company seemed like a great idea in 2019 when he had 200 shows nationwide that year. Then, the pandemic hit, and the entertainment industry went from “100% to zero just like that.” “I took that time to work and develop my show,” Wiese said. “I wanted to find a way to connect more with the audience.” In trying to continue bringing smiles to citizens even during a pandemic, Wiese said he performed at various hospitals and groups for children in 2020. With shows resuming in 2021, Wiese said his work to better connect with the audience paid off because people were ready to smile and be a part of something. In his upcoming Jan. 21 show in Highlands Ranch, Wiese said he will be performing brand new material, calling the event “Connection.” “The show is really based on what we’ve gone through,” he said. “I will be interacting with the audience. It’s a lighthearted show that I hope is a magical, fun night for all.” Wiese is performing at the “Family Magic Show” at the Southridge Recreation Center, starting at 7 p.m. For show information, visit the website at bit.ly/3HxKaWx. To learn more about Wiese, visit the website at scottywiese.com.
Are you a sculptor? Have you considered submitting your artwork to the Douglas County Art Encounters public art program? Submit your entry at https://douglascountyartencounters2022-2023.artcall. org Entries will be received through Feb. 18. Selected work will be on display from May 2022 - May 2023. Visit artencounters.douglas. co.us for more information.
Curious about Douglas County 4-H? Do you have know a child who is 5 to 18 years old and interested in fun and engaging projects and/or wants to build their thier leadership skills? Douglas County 4-H is a positive youth development program seeking new members who want to do just that - there is something for everyone. Register by March 1. Learn more at douglas.extension.colostate.edu/4-h
Strive to Thrive offers hot meal and assistance The Strive to Thrive Resource Fair will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 25 from 4-6 p.m. at the Calvary Chapel, 1100 Caprice Drive in Castle Rock. Enjoy a free hot meal and access valuable resources from more than 20 different organizations. Individuals and families are welcome to attend. For more information visit douglas.co.us and search for Strive to Thrive.
Visit douglas.co.us
4 Elbert County News
January 13, 2022
RODEO FROM PAGE 1
Hannah, left, and Josie Thomas pose with their horses at Casey Jones Park at the ElizaPHOTO BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON beth Stampede Rodeo royalty competition last September.
‘After the competition was over, we were sitting in the car with our hair and makeup still done, saying to each other: ‘Did we both just win?’ I can’t begin to tell you how exciting it was.’ Josie Thomas
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spread around the events and there were girls at the front signing cards. The queens and attendants write cute little notes on them for the kids and my first was from Miss Rodeo Colorado,” said Queen Josie with a huge smile. “Much later in my life, in 2019, I went to the Elbert County Fair royalty clinic to see what the whole rodeo royalty thing was all about. It was so much fun! I didn’t ever expect to win.” Attendant Hanna jumped in as she sipped her iced tea, “I didn’t think about it until Josie got interested. I’ve always been around horses and rodeo my whole life but didn’t get into it until Josie did,” said Hannah. “I was fortunate because I already had someone in my house who had done it and could teach me how to do everything.” When asked about how it felt to be Elizabeth Stampede royalty, the sisters were excited to share their thoughts. “Being queen feels unreal! I get to represent the rodeo I grew up in,” exclaimed Josie. “We’re lucky that we have a legacy of really phenomenal girls and coordinators, and I want to maintain that.” “It feels so surreal,” said Hannah. “We have had so many people who have grown up with us reaching out to us and it feels really great.” The sisters were quick to comment, however, that though they are excited for their reign, rodeo royalty is much more about the community than themselves. “When you’re in royalty, it’s not really about you, it’s about the rodeo, about the community,” said Josie. “We’re representing a well-established rodeo with a long history.” Hannah and Josie have made history by being the first sister pair in the 57 years since the program’s inception. They were extremely surprised by winning together but feel that it has already helped create a stronger bond between them. “We told ourselves that we needed to be prepared for one of us to win and not the other,” said Hannah. “The judges asked us how we would feel about that. They asked about our relationship with each other.” “After the competition was over, we were sitting in the car with our hair and makeup still done, saying to each other: `Did we both just win?’” said Josie. “I can’t begin to tell you how exciting it was.” Stuebner, the royalty committee chair, said that having both queen and attendant be from the same family made coordination much easier for her. “It’s so much easier for me coordinating with just one family,” said Stuebner. “I only have to make one phone call or send one text.” Stuebner later shared her general excitement for the Thomas sisters. “I am so excited! These two girls are such mature young people. They represent the stampede so amazingly,” said Jill. “It’s going to be so much fun and we’re going to do so many things. I am looking forward to this year.” Preparing for National Western The Thomas sisters were excited
for their first major event of their 2022 reign — the National Western Stock Show in Denver, one of the biggest rodeo, stock, and Western culture events in the world, running Jan. 8-23. a “The big stock show is like an un-a official boot camp for new royalty,”k said Josie. “When I went in 2019 as Elbert County Fair princess, I was b new to the whole process. Because h you have so many events to be at B and you have to get up so early, youo eventually learn the fastest way to t curl your hair, you have to make N sure you have your dress pressed, a and that you are prepared with all C g different shades of lipstick.” e The Thomas sisters have a o packed schedule for the bulk of January, spending their weekends a at the stock show in full Western t regalia and representing the Elizas beth Stampede Rodeo. “For the stock show, we do a lot g t of meet and greets at the front b door, stick horse rodeo for the kids, lots of kid interactions,” said a Hannah. “Sometimes people come r to you with questions. It’s very fun being able to represent the West- G ern way of life and rodeo when f people ask.” “It’s a pageant but with horses. r R You get a really unique and cool t experience, promoting Western culture,” said Hannah. “We’re really important for making that m connection with the public and the c t stock show is a great place to do w that.” c For the Thomas sisters, it is a E particularly exciting National Western Stock Show because Ashley Baller of Parker, 2015 Elizabeth m Stampede Rodeo attendant, is now w the 2022 Miss Rodeo Colorado. The w Thomas sisters were both involved a in youth horse judging as children, i “ as was Baller. s “We’ve known her for a while. She is a really cool person,” said l Hannah. “It is really exciting to seew former Elizbeth Stampede royalty a become Miss Rodeo Colorado.” f w Extracurricular activities To win the titles of rodeo queen e or attendant, a contestant must be i extremely well-rounded and knowl-y s edgeable regarding rodeo and horse culture. Both Thomas sisters w take Advanced Placement classes a at Ponderosa High School and earn p exemplary grades. “I even got a 4.0 last semester!” said Josie, who i serves as an officer for her school’s s c National Honor Society. p Both sisters have also been w involved with Elbert County c 4-H since they were small, be it through showing dogs and cats, d shooting, or through numerous t equine-related activities. For b shooting, Hannah competes in t archery and .22 rifle while Josie competes in .22 rifle, high-powered i rifle, .22 pistol, and many, many more. Hannah also serves as the c c 4-H Youth Council president for a Elbert County. The Thomas sisters are also ex- t tremely knowledgeable of horses w m through their experience with 4-H. However, Hannah shared that many people think rodeo royalty t e are simply pretty girls in Western wear that don’t have any clue b about the culture they represent. t “Some people have the wrong de- t piction of us,” said Hannah. “I’ve w w SEE RODEO, P5 u
Elbert County News 5
January 13, 2022
RODEO FROM PAGE 4
actually had people come up to me and test me on my horse and rodeo knowledge.” As a part of their 4-H activities, both sisters have been involved in horse judging competition, Horse Bowl, and hippology (the study of horses). Josie competed with the 2019 Horse Bowl team at the National Finals in Columbus, Ohio at the All American Quarter Horse Congress. In addition, both have given presentations for the 4-H Veterinary Sciences program, Josie on horse versus human surgery and Hannah on the evolution of the horse. The Thomas sisters are also musically inclined. Both play piano, guitar and violin, as well as sing in the choir. In addition, Josie plays banjo and Hannah soon hopes to add the dulcimer to her musical repertoire. Goals for 2022 Josie and Hannah are looking forward to an exciting year representing the Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo and have several goals for their reign. “A big goal of mine is to further my rodeo knowledge as much as I can so I can answer all the questions,” said Hannah. “I also really want to further my networking connections and represent the Elizabeth Stampede the best I can.” Josie followed up, in many ways mirroring her sister’s goals. “I want kind of the same thing. I want to meet as many people from as many walks of life as I can. That is my biggest goal,” said Josie. “Living in the same place and the same community for your whole life, meeting people from different walks of life is so important.” Bouncing off Josie’s comment about wanting to meet new people from new walks of life, the sisters were posed with a question on everyone’s mind in Elizabeth and its surrounding areas: How do you feel about the area changing so much? And for the sisters, how will they deal with that change as royalty for the Elizabeth Stampede? “We always used to say we lived in a small town, but it’s changed so much since we were little kids,” commented Josie. “With all the people moving here, I sometimes wonder what will happen to rodeo culture.” Both Hannah and Josie are confident that with the growing population of Elbert County, there will be an even greater opportunity to educate people and to get them involved in Western culture. “We have built such a strong community around rodeo, and the community is growing. If there is an impact, I think it’ll be a positive one,” said Hannah. “Hopefully we’ll be able to educate the people moving out here.” Hannah continued to explain that they have been given an interesting “puzzle” to work with and because of their location in Franktown, they have a diverse perspective. “We do rodeo and 4-H events with people in Elbert County, but we now live with `city folk’, giving us an awesome blended perspective
Josie, left, and Hannah Thomas pose together at Casey Jones Park for their first photos together as Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo queen and attendant.
on life.” “We certainly know how to interact with many types of people because of where we grew up,” said Josie. “We’re also well equipped to answer controversial questions.” Because many newcomers to Elbert County are unfamiliar with rodeo culture, they come equipped with many questions. “We get a lot of animal safety questions. People are often concerned about the treatment of the animals, like `What do they put on the bull to make them buck?’ and `Do the spurs hurt the horses?’” said Josie. “What people don’t know is that the rodeo animals are born and bred to buck. We have to help educate people about the sport and our Western way of life.” Post-reign plans Wrapping up the interview at El Abuelo, Josie and Hannah Thomas shared their post-reign plans with the Elbert County News. “I thought about continuing with royalty, but for now I’m going to focus on school,” said Hannah. “In the fall I’m attending Metropolitan State University in Denver and then hope to transfer to West Texas A&M to pursue a degree in animal sciences.” Hannah also has future dreams to work with animals, but her royalty goals are still very much alive. “I love to meet the public and kids. I love to inspire them. I definitely want to keep educating people, hopefully somehow through animals,” said Hannah. “I definitely will continue royalty though. Being Miss Rodeo Colorado would be so great.” When asked if she will pursue the title of Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo queen in the future, Hannah gave a huge smile. “I probably will. There is a very strong possibility of it,” said Hannah. ”I see no reason not to. I’ve now found a good balance, doing school, having fun with friends, 4-H, why not?” To follow the journey of the Thomas sisters and their 2022 reign as Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo royalty, you can find them on Facebook at tinyurl.com/stampederoyalty and Instagram @elizabethstampederodeoroyalty. You can also find more information at the Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo website at elizabethstampede.com.
Josie, left, and Hannah Thomas pose together at Casey Jones Park. PHOTOS COURTESY OF SHERRY SLADE
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6 Elbert County News
January 13, 2022
Colorado’s mental health system is ‘broken’ An audit could reveal why, and what to do about it BY JENNIFER BROWN COLORADO SUN
As state policymakers and media outlets scrutinize Colorado’s mental health system, the head of a trade group representing 17 community mental health centers is calling for an audit. The CEO of the Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council, which advocates for the community clinics across the state, wants an audit not just of those 17 centers but the entire behavioral health system. “We need to make the system much more accessible and we need to break down some of these barriers,” Doyle Forrestal said. Her request comes as community mental health centers, the safety-net system for those with Medicaid or without insurance, are at the heart of an intense conversation about Colorado’s “broken mental health system.” They were the subject of an in-depth Colorado News Collaborative report that revealed the centers, which receive $437 million in tax dollars per year, are treating thousands fewer patients now than before the pandemic began and that some people in dire need of care are slipping through the cracks. And the centers were the subject of a subsequent letter to Gov. Jared Polis from statewide mental health advocates that asked the governor to “take action to address serious problems,” including a lack of transparency and the centers’ “failures to serve Coloradans with greatest needs.” The letter, signed by Mental Health Colorado president Vincent Atchity and National Alliance on Mental Illness Colorado executive director Ray Merenstein, among others – called for an overhaul of the community mental health centers. For starters, Colorado should
create more transparency and accountability regarding the centers’ spending, including by requiring them to disclose to the state each time a client has to wait more than five days for an initial appointment, the advocates wrote. They also want the governor to create a standing group of policy and finance experts. And they made a related, and pointed, request: no more than one representative from the community mental health centers allowed on the panel. “The state should be bold and truly transformational in its efforts,” they wrote. “This means standing up to powerful trade associations and ending a longstanding sense of entitlement.” Two days after that letter, Forrestal sent her own letter to the governor asking for an audit. What auditors would find if they look into community mental health centers, Forrestal said, is a system filled with redundant paperwork – so many reports and documents to justify public spending that time spent on actual program improvements suffers. The audit’s scope should extend to hospital systems, insurance companies, mental health therapists and psychiatrists in private practice, and beyond. The entire system needs review, from figuring out why medical offices and hospitals have been slow to incorporate mental health care to why therapists in private practice often don’t take insurance, she said. The scrutiny comes as more Coloradans than ever are seeking mental health services. “We have a bunch of people who, prior to the pandemic, were starting to feel comfortable and wanting to reach out for services,” Forrestal said in an interview. “Now, it’s blown the doors off. People want access to care. They don’t know where to go. You have struggling family members that need help and resources and we just don’t have the people to provide that care.” FROM $
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Jefferson Center for Mental Health served about 28,000 people last year at its variPHOTO BY KATHRYN SCOTT, SPECIAL TO THE COLORADO SUN ous offices, including in Wheat Ridge.
Meanwhile, there’s a third letter A group representing mental health providers in private practice wrote its own letter, addressed to the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee, calling the current structure biased in favor of the community mental health clinics and against those in private practice. The state Medicaid department and the community mental health centers are a “clique that excludes the independent providers from representation and influence over policy,” including a recent 2% increase in staff wages that did not help private providers, said the group, called COMBINE. The battle waged in letters comes as a legislative task force gets closer to announcing how it will recommend spending $450 million in federal coronavirus aid tagged for Colorado’s mental health system. At the same time, Polis’ office is building a new Behavioral Health Administration, which will coordinate mental health care and substance abuse treatment at one state agency instead of the current system, which includes 75 programs at three state agencies. The leaders of two state agencies — the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, which includes the Medicaid division, and the Colorado Department of Human Services, which includes the state behavioral health office — released a statement Wednesday to make
clear they welcome reform. “Even before the pandemic increased the need for behavioral health services into a crisis, we recognized the need to make significant changes to our behavioral health system in Colorado,” said the statement from Kim Bimestefer and Michelle Barnes. “We are committed to addressing the problems and gaps in the behavioral health system and to making bold changes to ensure people the mental health and substance abuse treatment and services they deserve.” The reimbursement rates the state Medicaid department pays to individual clinicians in private practice are far lower than those paid to mental health centers. Centers, however, say they need higher reimbursement rates than therapists in private practice in order to cover the costs of operating 24/7 crisis services, case management and community education courses. The statewide discussion on reform comes as Colorado is suffering from a mental health workforce crisis, with 1,092 job vacancies among the 17 regional mental health centers. 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 7
January 13, 2022
Federal funds helped most Colo. hospitals profit in 2020 A report finds that hospitals in the Denver area netted $1 billion less on patient care BY JOHN INGOLD COLORADO SUN
Thanks in part to federal relief funds, most Colorado hospitals were profitable in 2020 A new report found that hospitals in the Denver area netted $1 billion less on patient care in 2020 due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. A new report from a national expert on hospital finances shows that Colorado hospitals weathered the early months of the coronavirus pandemic profitably, despite seeing a steep decline in revenue related to patient care. Hospitals in the Denver metro area posted combined profits of nearly $1.4 billion in 2020, according to the report from Allan Baumgarten, a Minnesota-based health care consultant who has been producing reports on the Colorado hospital market for more than 20 years. His reports are drawn from data the hospitals submit to the federal government and are considered among the most reliable for tracking hospital finances in the state. Baumgarten also found that health insurance companies in Colorado re-
corded record profits in 2020. Health maintenance organizations, or HMOs, in the state logged profits of about $662 million in 2020, a roughly 6% margin. Baumgarten found that the unexpected expenses that insurers incurred related to caring for coronavirus patients were more than offset by the amount insurers had to pay for other types of care – such as nonemergency surgeries – that were delayed during the pandemic. “Even in times of great distress, hospital systems and health insurers are doing quite well for themselves,” Baumgarten said. The profits for Denver-area hospitals – roughly an 11% margin relative to net patient revenue – represent a considerable decline from 2018, when they posted a record $2.1 billion in profits. But Baumgarten found that the decline could have been much steeper. Hospitals in the Denver metro area took in nearly $440 million less in revenue related to patient care in 2020 than in 2019 – likely the result of the pandemic shutting down lucrative elective procedures at hospitals during its earliest months, as well as people postponing care out of fear of being exposed to the coronavirus. Hospitals also saw roughly $627 million more in expenses during 2020. The result – a more than $1 billion double-whammy – pushed operating income from patient care down to about $246 million, combined, for Denver metro hospitals, far below the $1.3 billion hospitals made off
of patient care in 2019, according to Baumgarten’s report. Two hospitals – National Jewish Health and Children’s Hospital Colorado – each lost more than $100 million treating patients in 2020, according to Baumgarten’s report. But hospitals saw an infusion from other sources of revenue – most notably federal stimulus dollars, but also investment income and charitable donations. Baumgarten found that Denver-area hospitals took in a combined $1.1 billion in non-patient revenue in 2020, the highest amount in at least three years. About $386 million of that came from federal provider relief funds, Baumgarten reported. After adding in non-patient revenue, Baumgarten found that only four metro-area hospitals – Porter Adventist Hospital, Lutheran Medical Center, and the UCHealth hospitals in Highlands Ranch and Broomfield – failed to turn a profit in 2020. All of Colorado’s major hospital systems in the Denver metro area were profitable in 2020, with privately owned HealthONE on top with profits of about $626 million before taxes, according to Baumgarten’s report. When adding in profits from hospitals outside the metro area, UCHealth pulled ahead, with about $630 million. Baumgarten said the trends are similar nationwide. “Large hospital systems around the country, from what I’ve seen, continue to do very well,” he said. For smaller hospitals outside the
metro area, 2020 was a more challenging year. Of the 29 largest non-Denvermetro hospitals in Colorado, seven of them lost money in 2020. Combined, the hospitals reported about $620 million in profits in 2020, around a 9% margin when calculated as a percentage of net patient revenue. Baumgarten produces his reports on Colorado hospital and health insurer finances every other year. The data in them is drawn largely from Medicare cost reports, which hospitals are required to file with the federal government. This year’s report shows only an incomplete picture of the pandemic. Baumgarten said some hospitals ended their 2020 financial years in June of that year, while others went through December. A spokeswoman for the Colorado Hospital Association said her organization had not yet seen Baumgarten’s report and could not comment. In the past, hospitals have noted that profits are necessary to upgrade old equipment, refurbish worn facilities and save for the future. While most of Colorado’s hospitals are nonprofit, privately owned hospitals also must pay taxes on their profits. 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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8 Elbert County News
January 13, 2022
Hundreds of Colorado children are awaiting adoption State officials are asking for new funding to find them homes BY JENNIFER BROWN THE COLORADO SUN
The list of foster children who legally belong to the state of Colorado has 533 names. Among them is a 15-year-old girl who has lived in 26 places since she went into foster care and became available for adoption at age 10. Another is a 19-year-old man who has spent 226 months — more than 18 years — as a foster kid, according to a list provided to The Sun by the state child welfare division. All of them have had a judge terminate their biological parents’ rights to keep them, but not all say they want a new family. Now the state human services department is asking Colorado to fund a new state-level employee whose only job will be to help the children on the list get adopted — a staffer to monitor how long children are waiting for permanent homes in all 64 counties. Colorado already has nine recruiters, also called youth advocates, whose positions are funded by two nonprofits and state and county tax dollars. They specialize in deep dives into children’s case files in search of relatives, family friends, teachers, coaches and others who
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might adopt them. But those recruiters mainly work in the 20 counties that contribute financially to the program. A new state employee not only would help counties that lack a recruiting specialist, but would keep watch over Colorado’s county-run child welfare system to make sure no children are waiting too long to find an adoptive family, according to a budget request to the legislature from the Colorado Department of Human Services. The request to the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee was part of a $421,448 appeal for four new state-level positions to improve the child welfare system, including another worker to monitor safety within residential centers for foster children. A new permanency specialist — focused on finding permanent homes — would serve as a “resource and a push” for county caseworkers, said the state’s permanency manager, Korey Elger. The person would look at statewide data and point out to counties, “Hey, what’s going on? We’ve had this young person here for a very long time,” she said. Permanency specialists provide another set of eyes to help busy caseworkers who spend the bulk of their time investigating allegations of abuse and neglect and finding safe places for kids to live in a rush if they are removed from their parents. By poring through files, interviewing contacts and talking to kids, specialists perhaps will find
a long-lost uncle that the kid knew when they were 5 or the parents of a close friend at school who are willing to adopt, Elger said. “Our advocates are the ones who can reach out and talk to that uncle if that caseworker is busy,” she said. Colorado has 8,603 children with open cases in the child welfare system, and among them, 3,785 have been removed from their homes and are living with foster families or in group homes or residential centers. Of the 533 children who are legally free for adoption because their parents’ rights have been terminated, 380 say they want to be adopted. The goal is that no child waits longer than two years to get adopted — yet the list of children now awaiting adoption in Colorado includes 278 kids who have waited at least that long. The list isn’t getting longer, and in fact has shrunk in recent years as Colorado has focused on not removing kids from their biological families in the first place. But the needs of the kids on the adoption list have gotten more complex, said Elger, noting that children are scarred emotionally by more intense trauma than in the past and are entering the system with more acute mental illness and behavioral health issues. And children with special needs take longer to get adopted — as do older kids, particularly those age 9 and up, kids who identify as gay or transgender, and Black children, especially Black teenage boys. The analytics came from a 2015 study of
5,700 children and teens who were legally available for adoption from 2008-2014 in Colorado. The research, conducted by the state human services department, found that it took longer to find adoptive homes for kids with a higher number of foster placements and for those who spent time in an institutional setting – a residential center – rather than with foster families. Black children in Colorado, according to the research, waited longer for adoption than other races — no matter their age. On the state’s current list of 533 children who are legally free for adoption, 99 are Black. ‘You don’t want the hurt again’ The list of children who are legally free for adoption includes 164 who say they don’t even want to get adopted. Under Colorado law, kids in the system who are 12 and older get a say in their “permanency goal” — and many say they plan to emancipate from the foster care system to live on their own. But that doesn’t mean that Colorado’s nine permanency sleuths don’t look at their case. “When a judge asks, ‘Do you want to be adopted, they say no,’” said Rita Soronen, president and CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, which was founded by the same Dave Thomas who started Wendy’s restaurants and funds SEE ADOPTION, P13
Elbert County News 9
January 13, 2022
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10 Elbert County News
WINNING WORDS
Michael Norton
January 13, 2022
LOCAL
VOICES
H
Once we start, don’t stop
ave we ever noticed that there was something that we used to do that was awesome in helping us achieve more, make our job a bit easier, or just helped us perform at a higher level and then for some unexplainable reason, we simply stopped doing it? Maybe we pick up a book and as we are reading it, we feel inspired by the guidance, we underscore, highlight, and dogear the pages, wanting to be able to go back and revisit the wisdom being shared. Then we recognize that we used to do the very thing that the author is recommending we do. And when we did these things, we were at the top of our game. Yet, at some point we just stopped doing that which helped us the most. Last week we talked about starting something new. Taking the first steps necessary to achieve our goals and dreams. And that the best way to stop doing something or breaking a bad habit is by starting a new and better one. This week let’s keep the momentum going. The encouragement here is that once we are on the right path and doing the right things, we don’t stop. Momentum is powerful. All it takes is the slightest push forward to get it going. Once we have positive movement towards our goals and dreams, little by little we pick up steam, our confidence grows, and we are
on our way, we ride the wave as momentum carries us forward. We need to remember that momentum must be initiated. We must be the ones to engage if we are to get the ball rolling forward. If we expect and allow someone else to start the momentum, all that means is that we are living and working on someone else’s dream and not our own. Or worse, no one is paying attention to what we want, and we are left idle, no movement, and stuck. All we must do is start. Gentle starts, small steps, baby steps, a slight nudge, just something to get us started and then let the momentum build. Too often we come out of the gate on fire and pour ourselves completely into a good new habit, project, or hobby only to lose the momentum just as quickly. For some, they can start out red hot and remain on fire for what they are doing, and that is always inspiring to see. However, there are many more who need to crawl, walk, and then run on their way to success. The important take-away here is that either way, we keep going, we leverage forward progress, and we don’t allow the ball to start rolling backwards toward us. Now two weeks into the new year, did the gym membership already look like a bad investment? Or are we sticking it out? Did we write the first chapter of our book
and then shelve it? Or are we writing just one page a day and keeping our authoring dream alive? Whatever it is that we are pursuing, if we have made the decision to start, let’s not stop, it’s too soon and it’s not what we really want. What we really want is to look back 30 days from now and see just how far we have come, and then set our mind on going even farther. Each day when we wake up, we want to feel excited about the day, about what we can accomplish personally and professionally. We want to look back at the end of every day and feel fulfilled that we did what we said we would do, as we know there is almost no greater feeling than that of achievement. How is week two going for you? Have you started and your drive and motivation are even stronger than last week? Did you need to hear this message to keep the momentum going? I would love to hear your story at mnorton@tramazing.com and when we can keep moving forward, even inch by inch, without stopping, 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.
Our evolving relationship and responsibilities with nature OUTDOOR LIVING
Ron Hellbusch
A
recent survey by the US Fish & Wildlife Service has shed new light and trends in outdoors activities. The survey covered a full 2006-2016 decade of activity and reporting on a nation-wide scope. The conclusions represent interesting levels of specific outdoors interest specifically in hunting and angling. This survey focused on an important connection between the population and care of our wildlife numbers and the growing concern of weakening level of priority the public gives our wildlife resource. Many outdoor observers are concerned about the seemingly weaker attention communities and land developers are extending to the future of wildlife species populations in minimizing the importance of habitat impact and loss in development plans. Maybe its worth considering the EPA’s long standing Environmental Impact statement (EIS) process as part of the land development planning. Local government land development today is targeting more rural land, simply due to past development urbanizing marginal rural/urban land has been consumed. Today’s development seems too insistent on a higher density (apartment/population) and greater
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traffic (vehicles/corridors), all resulting in less sustainable natural habitat and food for wildlife and birds. The trend results in limited historic security of existing wildlife travel corridors, less enforcement of rules that assure a balance of urban land use and sustainable living habitat for the wildlife development being forcibly displaced. Who is representing the wildlife, we are becoming to observe on undisturbed rural land? Another reason it may be time to revisit the EIS for wildlife to integrate the species with the concrete and asphalt? This imbalance raises many questions and suggest examples. A couple emerges. Today we see less reporting of the impact the growing numbers of energy company wind generators are creating by less accounting for how many migratory and resident waterfowl and bird numbers are injured or killed by the huge rotating blades. Once a part of the wind generation application process was to have some idea of the loss of bird wildlife. That information is difficult to obtain or not recorded at all. Another recent weakening of wildlife monitoring and protection is the minimal attention of recording wolf impacts on
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Yellowstone National Park elk herds and other mammal populations. There are more voids in recording human winter impacts and activities in the national park, and wildlife stresses. Locally, we must ask questions. What are developers doing to protect the habitat of wildlife in planning new homes and businesses? What are developers doing to integrate wildlife and to protect or replace wildlife corridors? What do current plans provide to assure natural habitat, plant and food conditions are preserved? The natural wildlife issue is raised in what many people see as an impractical question; wildlife and natural conditions existed first, yes; but is it practical to provide for a continuation of history now with economics playing such a major role? More interesting questions follow... Why should we not ignore nature? Should we just let it fade and replace what was our natural environment with concrete and roof tops? Who represents nature? Who represents the wildlife? Outdoorsman and Westminster resident Ron Hellbusch can be reached at RonHellbusch@comcast.net
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.
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Elbert County News 11
January 13, 2022
Colo. children not yet impacted by omicron Local cases of more transmissible variant are starting to emerge BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Doctors nationwide say that while children have been the least impacted in contracting COVID-19, it does not mean they are immune, and with a third variant hitting the streets of Colorado cases will continue to go up. Samuel Dominguez, a pediatric disease specialist at Children’s Hospital Colorado, said statewide case numbers are holding steady with young patients. However, Dominguez said while national media outlets are reporting continued increases in young patients contracting the new omicron variant with hospital stays increasing, Colorado is still lagging behind. Dominguez said CHC facilities along the Front Range had started seeing a decrease in young patients just before the Thanksgiving holiday. That decrease has continued as more cases of omicron are starting to be reported at all age levels. Because Colorado cases are further behind the jump in COVID rates in states like Florida and New York, Dominguez said infectious disease doctors are relying on data from those states as they prepare to handle the anticipated increase. “Really, in terms of what we are seeing here right now, it’s just not quite where the rest of the country is,” Dominguez said. “At the state level, we have no real good data for comparisons (between the delta and omicron variants) at this time.” Even as Colorado is playing catch-up with the rest of the country, Dominguez said the newest variant it is here, and the biggest concern is how transmissible it is. Like Colorado doctors, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) continues to work on a world scale to get a grasp on what kind of impact the new variant will have on the U.S. As cases spread, the CDC reported that omicron spreads more easily than the original COVID strain and more studies are needed to see how it compares to the Delta variant. According to the CDC timeline, Omicron was first reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Nov. 24. By Nov. 26, WHO classified Omicron as a “variant of concern.” The U.S. followed suit with the same labeling by Nov. 30. By Dec. 1, the U.S. had its first confirmed case of the new variant that is now competing with the Delta variant, which has been the dominant strain since summer. On the website, the CDC stressed that “anyone with Omicron infection can spread the virus to others, even if they are vaccinated or don’t have symptoms.” The CDC said more data is needed to know if Omicron infections, including breakthrough infections for vaccinated citizens,
cause more sever illness or death than infection with other COVID variants. According to the CDC, the current vaccines on the market, including Pizer and Moderna, are expected to protect people from “severe” illness, hospitalizations and deaths. However, the CDC warned that it expects an increase in breakthrough cases among people who are fully vaccinated. U.S. health officials continue to encourage residents to not only get the first round of vaccinations, but also get the booster shot for added protection. In children, Dominguez said, vaccinations are an important preventive step for ages 5 and older to be protected as much as possible. As omicron becomes the most prevalent variant spreading COVID, Dominguez said winter break from schools is both good and bad to help prevent the spread among children and youths. “The time off means decreases in spreading (COVID) in the schools,” he said. “But the bad side is there are a lot more holiday gatherings this time of year where it can also spread. Traveling also tends to increase this time of year.” As families gathered and traveled throughout the holiday season, Johns Hopkins University reported the highest total cases of COVID since pandemic tracking officially began on Jan. 21, 2020. Breaking the record on Dec. 29, data showed the U.S. had 377,014 confirmed cases. In Colorado, the state had just over 4,700 confirmed cases on Dec. 29, up about 67% from 2,824 confirmed cases the week before. As cases increase, the need for testing centers has also increased. According to the Douglas County website, testing at Sky Ridge Medial Center resumes this month. In Arapahoe County, testing sites can be seen with increasing lines at the UCHealth Campus along Arapahoe Road and the Arapahoe Crossing Shopping Center. Still, Dominguez said, the “silver lining” for children and young adults is that it is the demographic least impacted in contracting COVID. “Overall, children have done a lot better handling this than adults,” he said. “But to say children are not impacted or cannot get this at all is just wrong.” Dominguez stressed that children can still get COVID, spread COVID and some can get sick from it. Another area of concern for the younger population, Dominguez said, is that children can contract a condition known as MIS-C. MIS-C, or multisystem inflammatory syndrome, is a serious condition associated with COVID-19 where different body parts can become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs. Symptoms of MIS-C can include: • Abnormal gut pain • Bloodshot eyes • Chest tightness/pain • Diarrhea
As omicron cases of COVID increase in Colorado, infectious disease doctors and the Centers for Disease Control continue to assess the impact it will have on citizens. SHUTTERSTOCK
• Feeling extra tired • Headache • Low blood pressure • Neck pain For testing centers in Douglas County, visit the website at
douglas.co.us/health-department/ covid-19/testing. For a list of COVID testing centers in Arapahoe, Jefferson and Adams counties, visit the website at tchd. org/827/Free-Testing-Sites.
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12 Elbert County News
January 13, 2022
State’s taxable home values could skyrocket Forecast predicts up to 20% increases in 2023, but effect on owners is complicated BY DANIEL DUCASSI THE COLORADO SUN
The taxable value of Colorado homes is expected to rise dramatically in 2023, according to the most recent forecast by the General Assembly’s economists — and not just in the white-hot Front Range and mountain resort real estate markets. As families flee high housing prices in those areas, they’re pushing up prices on Denver’s fringes and in smaller metro areas. “Rapid increases in home prices” are expected all over the state, “including some rural areas that don’t usually have that kind of appreciation,” Greg Sobetski, deputy chief economist for the nonpartisan Legislative Council Staff, told state lawmakers who sit on the Joint Budget Committee last month. He also said legislative economists have noticed sizable value increases for vacant land in mountain communities, which are classified as nonresidential property, but are appreciating similarly to residential property. Increasing home values on the market affect assessed property values and are a critical source of tax revenue for local governments. Sobetski was updating the influential state committee on current assessed property values and predictions for the future because they can have a big impact on state spending, especially in education. Local property tax revenue is the first source of funding for local school districts, and key to determining how much state aid is provided to each district. Districts receive state funding to make up the difference between the state’s per pupil funding requirements and the local share of funding. As local governments collect more property tax revenue to
A view of housing in Lone Tree on Dec. 23, 2020. Douglas County’s population grows by 24 people per day and is projected to reach more than 460,000 by 2031, including additional development in communities such as Lone Tree. PHOTO BY KATHRYN SCOTT, SPECIAL TO THE COLORADO SUN
spend on schools, the state’s education spending obligations decrease, leaving lawmakers with a choice about how much state cash they want to pony up. If the local share of K-12 education spending increases, state lawmakers could maintain the level of spending in previous years — boosting K-12 spending overall — or reduce the state contribution to use elsewhere. And because there are so many factors that determine how much an individual taxpayer will owe, and how much revenue local governments actually collect, it’s hard to say what the increased values will mean for the average homeowner or the state budget. Local assessors reevaluate property values for tax purposes every other year. This year’s reassessment, which looked at property value increases between June 30, 2018, and June 30, 2020, resulted in an 11.3% increase in residential assessed values. (Nonresidential property values decreased by 1.6%.) Taxable property values for homes are expected to decrease 1% in 2022, but then jump 19.5%
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when they are reassessed in 2023, to nearly $84 billion from $70.3 billion. Eighty three school districts are expected to see total taxable property values increase by more than 15%, with 43 of those districts seeing growth greater than 15%. Most of those districts are along the Front Range and in mountain communities. Slower growth is expected for many school districts in southern parts of the state, like the San Luis Valley and the Southwest mountains around Durango. The forecast increase is “consistent with home price increases during the pandemic in Colorado and nationally, owing to supply constraints, increasing costs for building materials and labor, low interest rates, and elevated household savings,” according to the report from nonpartisan staff for the Colorado Legislative Council. The report notes that increasing housing costs, especially in the metro Denver area, are causing families with school-aged children to move to the fringes, smaller metropolitan areas elsewhere in Colorado, or out of the state altogether. It’s affecting the mountain region as well, where high housing costs have spurred families to save money by moving into more affordable places outside of resort communities. It’s a domino effect that pushes up housing prices in places that were previously more affordable. The Legislative Council Staff report explained that the slight decrease forecast for next year’s home values, and an expected
5.3% increase in 2024, are the result of changes to how home values are assessed under Senate Bill 293. That measure, which passed last legislative session, temporarily reduces property assessment rates for the 2022 and 2023 tax years. Here are some other takeaways from the report: • The Colorado Springs area is likely to see continued appreciation in home prices as buyers look outside of the Denver area for more affordable houses. • The Denver metro area is also likely to see assessed values of homes pick back up after a slight dip in 2022, with faster appreciation in northern, eastern and southern suburbs and fringes. • Home prices are expected to rise in Eastern Plains towns on the fringes of Front Range metro areas. • The Legislative Council Staff also see strong home price appreciation on the horizon in Larimer and Weld counties, and noted a recent acceleration in new residential construction there. • Over on the Western Slope, legislative economists expect strong home price appreciation across the region, especially in Montrose, Ouray and San Miguel counties. 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 13
January 13, 2022
ADOPTION FROM PAGE 8
Colorado’s nine adoption recruiters. “They don’t want to go through rejection, trauma, or they don’t want to be disloyal to their biological family.” Some change their minds after talking to a recruiter, who helps them “understand the value of family,” in part by asking questions about their future, such as, who will attend their graduation or wedding, she said. “The one thing on their mind is just to get out of the system,” Soronen said. Often, saying no to adoption is a form of self-preservation. “You don’t want the hurt again … if you’ve lived places and they said they don’t want to be your long-term placement,” said Elger, with the state. “It’s easier to say no to them than have somebody say no to you again.” The Dave Thomas Foundation started the intensive adoption recruiting program in 2004, beginning in seven spots around the country. Now, the organization has 470 youth advocates in 50 states, including the nine in Colorado. The intensive recruitment model, according to a 2007 foundation analysis, is three times more effective than the status quo — which in many states includes traditional casework and marketing campaigns such as websites with photos of available children. “How do we address this notion that children are aging out of foster care when our job is to get them adopted?” Soronen said. “How do we not fail them again and again and again.”
Since Colorado began partnering with the national foundation in 2005, recruiters have found permanent homes for 190 children. On average, those children had lived in six foster placements and had been in the system for three years. Nearly half of them — 48% — had already been adopted once and had been returned to the state in what’s called a “disrupted” adoption. The nine youth advocates in Colorado are currently helping 133 children find adoptive families, or about 14 children per advocate. In Colorado in 2019, 187 young people emancipated from foster care without returning to their families or getting adopted. An additional 126 ran away. Nearly 700 were adopted. Colorado’s foundation-funded adoption recruiters are housed at Raise the Future, a regional nonprofit that works to find kids homes and also contributes financially to the program. “We recognize how incredibly busy and overwhelmed caseworkers are,” said Jill Crewes, vice president of Colorado programs at Raise the Future. “This program gives us the opportunity to come alongside caseworkers and offer this additional support.” The agency, with offices in Colorado, Utah and Nevada, also posts photographs and short biographies online of children seeking homes. Among them is My’Kail, a Colorado second-grader who loves LEGOs, Skittles, pizza, dogs and riding a scooter. In his photo, My’Kail has a huge grin as he hugs Toy Story action figures. Besides the photo gallery managed
by Raise the Future, state officials say they’re having success with a new inquiry form that launched on the CO4Kids website in January 2020. The goal was to simplify the adoption process instead of forcing prospective families to find the right contact at the local county child welfare division or adoption agency. People can fill out the inquiry form on the state website and it’s automatically dispatched to the right people. So far, more than 3,000 people have submitted one. Counties and child placement agencies are also seeing higher attendance at foster and adoption information nights since the pandemic pushed the events to virtual platforms, making it easier for people to attend, Elger said. She’s hopeful that adding a statelevel permanency specialist will help Colorado further whittle down the list of kids waiting for adoption, and, in particular, give small, rural counties access to a recruiting specialist when they are struggling to find an adoptive home for a child in their system. Right now, 44 counties are not part of the program. The 20 that participate are Adams, Alamosa, Denver, Douglas, Rio Blanco, Larimer, Pueblo, Teller, Jefferson, Park, Rio Grande, Mesa, Lincoln, Costilla, El Paso, Otero, Morgan, Saguache, Conejos and Logan. The state will sometimes select a hard-to-place foster child for the program no matter where they live, but the added support would help more kids statewide, said Elger, recalling a recent case in which a county caseworker and state officials worked together to find a young girl a home. The child wanted to live with her
TURN TO THE COLORADO SUN FOR NEWS ACROSS THE STATE The Colorado Sun is a journalistowned, award-winning news outlet that strives to cover all of Colorado so that our state — our community — can better understand itself. In this way, The Sun contributes to a more vibrant, informed and whole Colorado. The Sun, launched in 2018, is committed to fact-based, in-depth and nonpartisan journalism. It covers everything from politics and culture to the outdoor industry and education. Now, The Colorado Sun co-owns this and other Colorado Community Media newspapers as a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy. The Sun is CCM’s partner for statewide news. For Colorado Sun stories, opinions and more, and to support The Sun’s misssion as a member or subscriber, visit coloradosun.com. aunt, but the aunt could not afford to care for her. Child welfare officials contacted the state Medicaid department and were able to secure a spot for the girl in one of the state’s Medicaid programs for people with disabilities, which covered many of the expenses the aunt was worried she could not afford, Elger said. And the girl was adopted. 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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14 Elbert County News
LOCAL
LIFE
Often, they teach customers about more than food BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
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quiet ambiance. Owner Elisa Heitman, who was born and raised in Naples, Italy, takes a moment to explain: that is simply the American impression of her homeland. “In Italy, the restaurants do not have dim lights and they have lots of people that talk,” Heitman said, “And they’re definitely not quiet.” That’s just one of the parts of her country that Heitman seeks to share with customers through her restaurant, which has been in the community since 1991. Heitman and dozens of other restaurateurs across the Denver Metro Area bring the food and culture of their homelands to local communities. Often, they’re correcting stereotypes and connecting Coloradans to novel ideas about far away places. For Farah-Jane Jean Pierre, owner of Fritay Haitian Cuisine food truck, she’s teaching many that not all Haitian food is spicy and that her home country is more than what is seen on the news. For Grant and Yoona Conrad, owners of Hangry Ohana, they’re spreading Aloha and introducing locals to the sometimesunexpected flavors of Hawaiian barbecue.
More to Haiti
When Jean Pierre moved to Denver three years ago, the only Haitian restaurant she knew of was closing down, she said. Previously, she had been in New York, where the food of her home country was abundant and easy to find. With degrees in culinary arts and hospitality and a group of friends encouraging her to start her own restaurant, Jean Pierre soon decided to take a course in opening a food truck. Now, the recently-opened Fritay Haitian Cuisine food truck sits at 8615 East Colfax Avenue in Denver. During the time she was preparing
to open her food truck, Jean Pierre worked with her mother and aunt, both of whom still live in Haiti, to develop her recipes, she said. “And then I put my own touch on them,” she said. The truck serves common Haitian street food like plantains, rice and black beans, poul fri (fried chicken) and griyo (fried pork). Much of the food is prepared in a traditional haitian marinade called epis, which is a blend of herbs, garlic, peppers, vinegar and oil. With many customers having never tried Haitian food, Jean Pierre often provides samples and explains a bit about her cooking process. “There’s a misconception that Caribbean people eat a lot of spicy food,” Jean Pierre said. “But that doesn’t mean all our food is spicy.” Jean Pierre, who moved to the United States a month after the deadly 2010 earthquake in Haiti, hopes to address other misconceptions about her country as well. “With everything happening in Haiti right now, there’s bad news all the time,” she said, “But to me, there’s more to Haiti, more than the news.” She said she hopes those curious about the country will try her food to learn a bit about it. “You get a taste of Haiti,” she said. “Even though you’ve never been to Haiti.” Spread the Aloha Grant and Yoona Conrad met in college on the Hawaiian island of Oahu where they both participated in a local ROTC program. Grant started working in the restaurant industry while there and fell in love with the island’s food, he said. The couple eventually moved to Colorado, where Grant was raised. Grant was working as a district manager for Wendy’s at the time but
in 2016, he decided to open Hangry Ohana, a Hawaiian barbeque food truck. Two years later, they opened their first storefront location in Parker and later opened restaurants in Fountain and Monument. Now, Yoona, who grew up in Hawaii, gets to enjoy the food she grew up with, which isn’t very common in the Denver Metro Area. “I get homesick like most people,” she said. “Grant’s cooking skills and business skills help me not miss home as much.” The couple used a mix of taste memory, Yoona’s family recipes, and their own flavors to develop the dishes now served in the fast-casual restaurant. Some of the main items include chicken katsu, kalua pork, macaroni salad and bacon fried rice. It’s not just the food from Hawaii that the couple is providing, it’s also the culture. One thing Yoona likes to do is “spread the Aloha” with their customers, she said. “Aloha is like a term for love and caring and saying hi,” she said. “It’s a good, warm comfort type of word and we want to instill that in our restaurant culture so our customers feel at home and get a little bit of the island experience.” Cafe Jordano When Heitman moved to Colorado in 1979, she quickly fell in with the restaurant industry. She met her then-husband and about a decade later, the couple opened Cafe Jordano – named for their son. “Everybody said ‘you’re crazy, you’re never going to make it,” she said in an interview with Colorado Community Media. Now, it’s 31 years later and Heitman says it was reasonable prices and word of mouth exchanges that maintained and grew the restaurant. SEE FOOD, P16
VISIT A RESTAURANT TODAY Hangry Ohana 10471 S. Parker Rd., Parker www.hangryohana.com
Cafe Jordano 11068 W. Jewell Ave., Lakewood www.cafejordano.com
Fritay Haitian Cuisine - Food Truck To see their next location, visit the website at www.fritayfood.com
Elbert County News 15
January 13, 2022
Red Rocks plans summer season
I
t’s fun to think of summer bands at beautiful Red Rocks Amphitheatre as the snow flies! Among the bands booked: Killer Queen, a tribute SONYA’S band for the British SAMPLER band Queen, which had 18 Number One albums and made rock band history ... It’s the 47th anniversary of that band’s bestselling “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Killer Queen tickets are now — the Sonya Ellingboe available performance will be July 19: AXS.com/ events/420669/killer-queen-tickets. $60 GA; $60-$65 reserved tix (plus service charge). Highlands Ranch Historical Society Speaker Cara Wilson-Granat corresponded with Anne Frank’s father, Otto Frank, for 20 years and will speak about the family and about how contact with Otto transformed a “family” of young people, including Cara, by sharing his philosophy of love over hate ... He will speak from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 17 for the HRHS at Southridge Recreation Center, 4800 McArthur Ranch Road, Highlands Ranch. Cara’s book, “Tree of Hope — Anne Frank’s Father Shares His Wisdom With an American Teen and the World,” will be for sale before and
Killer Queen, a tribute band for the British band Queen, is scheduled to appear at Red Rocks Amphitheatre this summer. COURTESY OF RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATRE
after the program. (Cash or checks only.) Feb. 21 program: Norman Rockwell. March 21: Legendary Ladies. thehrhs.org. Jazz orchestra The Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra, founded in 2012 by Art Bouton, will perform: “Big Band Royalty: Dukes, Counts and the Barons of Jazz” at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 15 at the Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada. Tickets: $24-$38, coloradojazz.org/concerts or 720-898-7200. Masks. Stories on Stage “High School Confidential” will be performed by Buntport Theatre Company, presented at Su Teatro at 2 p.m. on Jan. 16 and virtually at 7 p.m. on Jan. 17. Ticket holders for the virtual show can watch later if the Sunday time doesn’t work. Brian Colonna, Hannah Duggan, Erik
Edborg, Erin Rollman and Samantha Schmitz. $22. storiesonstage.org, 303-494-0523. Missoula Children’s Theatre The impressive Missoula Children’s Theatre will be working with 50 students in various roles and as directors , culminating in a performance of “The Emperor’s New Clothes” at 1 and 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 29 at Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Pkwy., Lakewood. Tickets cost $12, 303-987-7845, Lakewood.org/ LCCPresents or the cultural center box office. Englewood Arts Presents “Happy Birthday Silver!” is the next concert presented by Englewood Arts at 2 p.m. Jan. 22 at Hampden Hall, Englewood Civic Center, 1000 Englewood Parkway. For tickets and information: englewoodarts.org.
Kirkland Museum “Joseph Hoffman’s Vienna” will run Jan. 21 to April 3 at the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, 1201 Bannock St., Denver. Timetravel to the distinctive Vienna of the early 1900s. works from the collection plus new acquisitions ... Hoffman co-founded the Weiner Werkstatte Artist Cooperative, an important influence on 20th-century design. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m. Tickets; $10/$8. 303-832-8576. Kirklandmuseum.org.
Vintage Vintage Theatre Productions, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora, presents “Fireflies,” adapted from the novel, “Eleanor and Abel” by Matthew Barber. Through Feb. 13 in the BondTrimble Theatre. 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Monday, Jan. 24; 2:30 p.m. Sundays and Sat., Feb. 12. Deborah Persoff plays Eleanor. Directed by Bernie Cardell. vintagetheatre. org, 303-856-7830. Tickets: $20-$34.
Butterflies The Butterfly Pavilion, 6252 W. 104th Ave., Westminster, offers an exhibit of birdwing butterflies, said to be one of the world’s largest and most beautiful. butterflies.org, 303-469-5441. While the COVID-19 pandemic continues, public events frequently are canceled or rescheduled. Check with organizers before you go.
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16 Elbert County News
January 13, 2022
C R O S S W O R D FOOD P U Z Z L E FROM PAGE 14
Many of the restaurant’s dishes are a blend of traditional recipes combined with their own unique twist, Heitman said. While visitors sometimes only think of spaghetti or lasagna when they first glance at the menu, Heitman’s offerings include many other dishes like Pollo
Elegante, a chicken marsala dish with mushrooms and a splash of cognac, and Cod Alla Pomodoro Fresco, made up of cod, olive oil, tomatoes garlic and basil over linguini. Heitman’s personal favorite is the linguini with fresh clams. “It’s what I grew up on,” Heitman said. The restaurant makes all of its sauces and meatballs in house and buys some ingredients, including their bread, straight from Italy.
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January 13, 2022
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January 13, 2022
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Elbert County News 19
January 13, 2022
LIBRARY FROM PAGE 1
past two weeks,” Smith wrote. “Our two-week average positivity is up to 21.16%, while our one-week average positivity has jumped to 27.85%. The statewide one-week average positivity is currently 23.99%; for context on the rapid rise in positivity, one week ago this figure was 13.97%, while two weeks ago is was 7.08%.” The decision to move library services curbside has drawn split opinions, however. Some library patrons argue that the decision is unnecessary and will negatively impact those who use the library. “It’s tough for the little kids. They won’t be able to go in for story time, pick up books themselves. They really miss out,” said a patron of Pines & Plains Libraries who declined to be named. “All these cases popping up, are they necessarily patrons? I don’t think so. It’s not fair to the patrons who are healthy and doing what they’re supposed to be doing.” Others are happy with the deci-
sion, arguing that it is one step toward keeping residents safe from the evolving COVID-19 and its variants. “I’m glad they are keeping our community safe,” said Elbert County resident Lisa Beach. “Throughout the whole pandemic, the library has always been a safe space. I appreciate any place doing what is necessary to keep the patrons and employees safe. It is courageous to make a decision like that.” Some others have expressed concern about the libraries and their ability to function under the new COVID-19 curbside protocol. Wendy Walp, former administrative assistant for the Pines & Plains Libraries, says that even though change can be a struggle, the library staff members are capable of taking on the challenge. “The library staff is amazing at working curbside,” said Walp. “If you are wanting books, they can get them for you. They will even recommend books for you. I know it is very doable.” For updates and changes on Pines & Plains Libraries COVID-19 protocols, visit their website at www. pplibraries.org
With the largest population of nearby residents of any branch in the Pines & Plains system, the Elizabeth Library will feel the strongest impact of the library board’s PHOTO BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON decision to move curbside.
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Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088 Legals City and County 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: DAVID S JOLLY JR PO BOX 383 STRATTON, NE 69043-0383 You and each of you are hereby notified that on the 14th day of November 2017, the then County Treasurer of Elbert County, in the State of Colorado, sold at public tax lien sale to MCCULLISS OIL & GAS INC. the following described mineral rights situate in the County of Elbert, State of Colorado, to-wit: Section: 2 Township: 6 Range: 57 :SW4 (160A) SE4 (160A) TOTAL 320 A 2.70031% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 8.641 :NE4NE4 (69.64A) SE4NE (40A) NE4NW4 (69.4A0 E2SE4 (80A) TOTAL 259.04 A 2.70031% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 6.995 :NW4NE4 (69.52A) TOTAL 69.52 A 4.0505% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 2.816 :SW4NE4 (40A) SE4NW4 (40A) SW4 (160A) W2SE4 (80A) TOTAL 320 A 1.35016% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 4.320 Section: 2 Township: 6 Range: 58 :NE4NE4 (69.64A) SE4NE4 (40A) NE4NW4 (69.4) E2SE4 (80A) TOTAL 259.04 A 2.70031% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 10.493 :NW4NE4 (69.52A) TOTAL 69.52 A 4.0505% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 2.816 :SW4NE4 (40A) SE4NW4 (40A) SW4 (160A) W2SE4 (80A) TOTAL 320 A 1.35016% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 4.320 Section: 2 Township: 7 Range: 57 :NE4NW4 (40.53A) NW4NW4 (40.5A) S2NW4 (80A) SW4 (160A) TOTAL 321.03 A 2.70031% INTERERST TOTAL NET ACRES 8.669 Section: 2 Township: 7 Range: 58 :SW4NE4 (40A) TOTAL 40 A 1.35016% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES .540 :NE4NW4 (40.06A) SE4NW4 (40A) NE4SW4 (40A) W2SW4 (80A) N2SE4 (80A) SW4SE4 (40A) TOTAL 320.06 A 2.70031% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 8.643 NE4 (160A) NW4 (160) TOTAL 320 A 2.70031% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 8.641 Section: 4 Township: 6 Range: 57 :NW4NE4 (71.11A) S2NE4 (80A) NE4NW4 (71.07A) NW4NW4 (71.03A) S2NW4 (80A) SW4 (160A) W2SE4 (80A) TOTAL 613.21 A 2.70031% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 16.559 Section: 4 Township: 7 Range: 57 :NE4NE4 (40.36A)
NW4NE4 (40.33A) S2NE4 (80A) NE4NW4 (40.29) NW4NW4 (40.26A) W2SE4 (80A) TOTAL 321.24 A 1.35016% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 4.337 Section: 6 Township: 6 Range: 57 :SW4NE4 (40A) NE4NW4 (71.25A) SW4NW4 (12.8A) SE4NW4 (40A) NW4SW4 (14.51A) SW4SW4 (16.22A) E2SW4 (80A) NW4SE4 (40A) TOTAL 314.78 A 1.35016% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 4.250 Section: 8 Township: 6 Range: 57 :NE4 (160A) E2NW4 (80A) E2SE4 (80A) TOTAL 320 A 1.35016% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 4.320 Section: 8 Township: 6 Range: 58 Section: 10 Township: 6 Range: 57 :NE4NE4 (40A) S2NE4 (80A) S2NW4 (80A) NE4SW4 (40A) W2SE4 (80A) TOTAL 320 A 1.35016% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 4.320 Section: 10 Township: 6 Range: 58 :ALL (640A) TOTAL 640 A 2.70031% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 17.282 Section: 12 Township: 6 Range: 57 :NE4 (160A) NW4 (160A) TOTAL 320 A 1.35016% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 4.320 :SW4 (160A) SE4 (160A) TOTAL 320 A 2.70031% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 8.641 Section: 12 Township: 6 Range: 58 :NW4 (160A) SW4 (160A) TOTAL 320 A 1.35016% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 4.320 Section: 12 Township: 7 Range: 58 :NE4 (160A) NW4 (160A) TOTAL 320 A 2.70031% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 8.641 Section: 14 Township: 6 Range: 57 :NE4 (160A) NW4 (160A) SW4 (160A) SE4 (160A) TOTAL 640 A 2.70031% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 17.282 Section: 14 Township: 6 Range: 58 :N2NE4 (80A) N2NW4 (80A) SE4NW4 (40A) E2SW4 (80A) SE4SE4 (40A) TOTAL 320 A 2.70031% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 8.641 :S2NE4 (80A) E2SE4 (80A) NW4SE4 (40A) TOTAL 200 A 1.35016% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 2.700 Section: 18 Township: 6 Range: 57 :NE4 (160A) NENW4 (40A) NW4NW4 (17.54A) SW4NW4 (17.6A) NW4SW4 (17.68A) SW4SW4 (17.74A) E2SW4 (80A) SE4 (160A) TOTAL 590.56 A 1.35016% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 7.974 Section: 20 Township: 6 Range: 57 :W2NE4 (80A) SE4NE4 (40A) S2SW4 (80A) NESE4 (80A) SW4SE4 (40A) TOTAL 320 A 1.35016% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 4.320 Section: 22 Township: 6 Range: 57 :NE4 (160A) NW4 (160A) SW4 (160A) SE4 (160A) TOTAL 640 A 2.70031% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 17.282 Section: 22 Township: 6 Range: 58 :ALL (640A) TOTAL 640 A 2.70031% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 17.282 Section: 24 Township: 6 Range: 57 :NE4 (160A) NW4 (160A) SW4 (160A) W2SE4 (80A) NE4SE4 (40A) TOTAL 600 A 1.35016% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 8.101 Section: 24 Township: 6 Range: 58 :NE4 (160A) SE4 (160A) TOTAL 320 A 2.70031% TOTAL NET ACRES 8.641 Section: 26 Township: 6 Range: 57 :NE4 (160A) TOTAL 160 A 1.35016% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 2.160 Section: 26 Township: 6 Range: 58 :NW4 (160A) SW4 (160A) NW4SE4 (40A) TOTAL 360 A 2.70031% TOTAL NET ACRES 9.721 Section: 28 Township: 6 Range: 57 :NE4 (160A) SE4 (160A) TOTAL 320 A 2.70031% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 8.641 :NW4 (160A) SW4 (160A) TOTAL 320 A 1.35016% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 4.320 Section: 30 Township: 6 Range: 57 :NE4 (160A) E2NW4 (80A) NW4SW4 (17.97A) SW4NW4 (18.08A) E2SW4 (80A)
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NW4NW4 (18.18) SW4SW4 (18.29A) SE4 (160A) TOTAL 552.52 A 2.70031% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 14.920 Section: 32 Township: 6 Range: 57 :SW4 (160A) SE4 (160A) TOTAL 320 A 2.70031% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 8.641 Section: 34 Township: 6 Range: 57 :NE4 (160A) NW4 (160A) SW4 (160A) SE4 (160) TOTAL A 640 2.70031% OF1/2 INT 8.64 MRA Section: 34 Township: 6 Range: 58 :ALL (640A) TOTAL 640 A 2.70031% INTEREST TOTAL NET ACRES 17.282 Subdivision: SEVERED MINERALS:TOTAL MINERAL ACRES 298.207 Certificate Number: 2017-02497 and said County Treasurer issued a certificate of purchase therefore to MCCULLISS OIL & GAS INC.. 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 2016; That said mineral rights was taxed or specially assessed in the name(s) of DAVID S JOLLY JR for said year 2016; That said MCCULLISS OIL & GAS INC. on the 4th day of October 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 MCCULLISS OIL & GAS INC. on the 23rd day of March 2022, unless the same has been redeemed; Said mineral rights 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 January 6, 2022, January 13, 2022 and January 20, 2022. Witness my hand this 23rd day of December 2021 Sheryl L. Hewlett, Treasurer of Elbert County, Colorado Legal Notice No. 24758 First Publication: January 6, 2022 Last Publication: January 20, 2022 Publisher: Elbert County News
Water Court Public Notice DISTRICT COURT, WATER DIVISION 1, COLORADO DECEMBER 2021 WATER RESUME PUBLICATION TO: ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN WATER APPLICATIONS IN WATER DIV. 1
Pursuant to C.R.S. 37-92-302, you are notified that the following is a resume of all water right applications and certain amendments filed in the Office of the Water Clerk during the month of DECEMBER 2021 for each County affected. 21CW3216 NOTICE OF FILING OF FINAL DECENNIAL ABANDONMENT LIST FOR WATER DIVISION NO. 1: The State Engineer and the Division Engineer for Water Division 1, by and through the Attorney General hereby provide notice of the filing with the Water Clerk of the decennial abandonment list for Water Division 1 under section 37-92-401(4)(c), C.R.S. (2021). Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to section 37-92-401(4) C.R.S. (2021), the Division Engineer, in consultation with the State Engineer, has revised and finalized the decennial abandonment list, which contains those water rights that the Division Engineer has determined to have been abandoned in whole or in part. The decennial abandonment list, when concluded by judgment and decree, shall be conclusive as to the water rights determined to have been abandoned. The initial abandonment list (published in July 2020) and the final revised abandonment list are available online at: https://dwr.colorado.gov/services/water-administration/water-rights. The initial and final revised decennial abandonment lists may also be inspected after December 31, 2021, at the offices of the State Engineer, Division Engineer, and Clerk of the Water Court. Contact the respective offices for information on hours and/or appointments. This decennial abandonment proceeding, including any protest proceedings, are subject to Rule 12 of the Uniform Local Rules for All State Water Court Divisions (Water Court Rules), effective as amended on December 13, 2018 and available on the Water Court’s website at: https://www.courts.state.co.us/Courts/Water. Any person who wishes to protest the inclusion of any water right on the final decennial abandonment list shall file a written protest with the Water Clerk and the Division Engineer in accordance with the procedures set forth in section 37-92-401(5), C.R.S (2021) not later than June 30, 2022. The fee for filing such a protest with the Water Clerk is forty-five dollars ($45.00). The protest shall set forth in detail the factual and legal basis therefor. A form for such a protest (JDF 304W) is available on the Water Court website. Legal Notice No. 24767 First Publication: January 13, 2022 Last Publication: January 13, 2022 Publisher: Elbert County News
All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Elbert County, Colorado on or before May 20, 2022, or the claims may be forever barred. /s/ James T. Anest #16727 -- Arant Law LLC Attorney to the Personal Representative 19751 E. Mainstreet, Suite 365 Parker, Colorado 80138 303-841-9525 Legal Notice No. 24755 First Publication: December 30, 2021 Last Publication: January 13, 2022 Publisher: Elbert County News
PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Brady Anson Reid, Deceased Case Number: 21 PR 30046 All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Elbert County, Colorado on or before May 15, 2022, or the claims may be forever barred. Dana N. Reid, Personal Representative 4554 Cushing Drive Loveland, Colorado 80538 Legal Notice No. 24757 First Publication: January 6, 2022 Last Publication: January 20, 2022 Publisher: Elbert County News
Name Changes PUBLIC NOTICE Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name Public Notice is given on December 17, 2021 that a Petition for a Change of Name of a Adult has been filed with the Elbert County Court. The Petition requests that the name of Bernard Strausheim be changed to Scott Bernard Strausheim. Case No.: 21CV08 By: Gina Parker Clerk of the Court / Deputy Clerk
Notice to Creditors PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Stephanie Parlove, aka Stephanie Christine Parlove, Deceased Case Number: 2021PR030053
Legal Notice No.24766 First publication: January 13, 2022 Last publication: January 27, 2022 Publisher: Elbert County News
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Elbert County Legals 1.13.22 * 1
20 Elbert County News
January 13, 2022
THANK YOU, Council Member Sawyer
THANK YOU, Council Member Ortega
THANK YOU, Council Member Sandoval
THANK YOU, Council Member Torres
THANK YOU, Council Member Kashmann
THANK YOU, Council Member CdeBaca
THANK YOU, Council Member Hinds
THANK YOU, Council Member Kniech The Denver City Council took bold action to protect our kids from tobacco addiction, advance health equity, and save lives by voting to end the sale of flavored tobacco products – including flavored e-cigarettes and menthol cigarettes. While we thank those on the council who stood up to Big Tobacco, we are disappointed Mayor Hancock vetoed this lifesaving ordinance, overturning the strong action the council took to protect kids. Mayor Hancock was willing to put Big Tobacco’s profits over the health of Denver’s kids.
THANK YOU FOR VOTING TO PROTECT OUR KIDS.
Paid for by Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund