Elbert County News 021022

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Week of February 10, 2022

ELBERT COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

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VOLUME 126 | ISSUE 52

Revitalization board seeks new member Elizabeth Main Street panel will be part of streetscape, other projects

BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Chelsea Pruitt’s photo of the sunset from her in-laws’ Pine Meadows home took second place in the 2022 Town of Kiowa COURTESY PHOTOS calendar judging and adorns the January page.

Kiowa calendar contest winners named Town is looking for 2023 calendar photo submissions

BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

The Town of Kiowa held a calendar photo contest throughout the past year for their 2022 calendar.

Photos were submitted of landscapes, animals, and notable structures around the Town of Kiowa, highlighting its rural beauty.

The 2022 calendar photo winners are: First place (cover) — Marissa Seibel Second place (January) — Chelsea Pruitt Third place (February) — Annette Burmaster SEE CALENDAR, P10

INSIDE: LIFE: PAGE 4 | CALENDAR: PAGE 7 | VOICES: PAGE 8

Kimberly Boyd’s holiday-themed photo is on the December page for the 2022 Town of Kiowa calendar.

The Town of Elizabeth Main Street Board of Directors is seeking a new member. Members assume the responsibility for all activities of the town’s Main Street Program, are responsible for establishing and determining goals for downtown and Main Street revitalization, and must fulfill the requirements of the Colorado Main Street Program, which has a goal of revitalizing downtown areas to make them more vibrant.

The Main Street Board of Directors is looking for a candidate with experience or knowledge in administration, program development, economic development, downtown business, communication, event management and historic preservation.

The board currently has five members and is looking to fill one open position to complete the six-member board. The new member will be appointed by the Elizabeth Board of Trustees.

The new member will fill the vacant position previously held by Tim Miller.

Miller recently left the coard after moving from Elizabeth for a new job. He also previously worked as the director for the Pines & Plains Library System.

“The overall idea of what the job would entail is working on projects that are specifically related to Main Street, like events and developments,” said Zach Higgins, planner and project manager for the Town of Elizabeth. “This position is great for somebody interested in being an active member of their community.

They will be able to really help shape the future of the Main Street corridor.”

SEE MAIN STREET, P6

EASY PIECES Pandemic, Netflix series drive popularity of historic game

P4

2 Elbert County News

February 10, 2022

What’s in Colorado’s new $400M housing proposal?

Federal money is targeted toward worsening shortage of housing

BY ANDREW KENNEY COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO

Colorado’s state lawmakers are preparing to debate the largest state spending package on housing in recent history, fueled by $400 million of federal money earmarked to respond to a housing shortage that has worsened in the pandemic.

State Sen. Julie Gonzales said it was a “once in a generation” opportunity and described a bipartisan effort to spend the money, which comes from federal COVID-19 relief American Rescue Plan Act. “We took the time. We did the homework,” said Gonzales, vice chair of the task force that drafted the spending proposal.

The housing package is equal to what the state might spend on housing over a decade or longer at its previous rates. Until recently, the state government contributed only a relatively small amount of money toward affordable housing, with much of the effort driven by municipalities instead.

“The state is now going to be a substantial partner in those efforts,” said state Rep. Dylan Roberts, also a Democrat. At the same press conference, lawmakers also discussed a similar $450 million proposal to spend ARPA money on behavioral health.

The housing plan, which must be approved by the full legislature, largely reinforces the traditional approach to below-market housing: subsidizing projects that offer lower rents and sale prices to people who make less than a certain income threshold or meet other criteria.

Under the proposal, the state would provide grants, loans and tax credits to encourage the construction of designated affordable housing by nonprofits, developers and government agencies. It also includes money to help people buy the mobile home parks where they live, saving them from corporate takeovers and potential displacement.

As housing shortages continue, the State Legislature is considering a large spending PHOTO BY KATHRYN SCOTT bill that will address affordable housing issues.

That money could jumpstart projects around the state, lawmakers said. For example, the Yampa Valley Housing Authority recently bought 500 acres near Steamboat Springs with the help of an anonymous donor, but needs more money to build on that land.

It’s unclear how many units might be built around the state, and how quickly — the task force did not provide estimates in its final report — but state Sen. Rachel Zenzinger expects projects to be funded and underway quickly.

“It is my belief that the moment we distribute these funds, there will be change, instantly, the next day. And the reason for that is because we’re partnering with our local governments and nonprofit organizations that have shovel-ready projects,” said Zenzinger, a Democrat and task force member, in an interview.

The proposal also includes smaller amounts of money to ramp up housing construction. Some of the grants and loans might be targeted toward cities that encourage more development through pro-density and progrowth policies. And the task force wants to spend money to support the prefabricated housing industry, which could make it cheaper and faster to build everything from mobile homes to apartments.

The housing proposal includes: • $150 million for loans to support affordable housing projects and the maintenance of existing housing.

As the loans are repaid, the money can be loaned out again, making this a permanent pot of funding. This money could be used to fill gaps in the finance plans for affordable projects that already have other backing too.

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It also could support Gov. Jared Polis’ plans for incorporating green energy in affordable housing.

• $150 million in grants for nonprofits and local governments for affordable housing. This could include gap financing, maintenance, rental assistance, and more.

• $35 million to support land banks, resident-owned mobile home communities and more.

• $40 million for an “innovative housing incentive program” that will support the prefabricated housing industry, from mobile home construction to 3D printing and other technologies that can speed up construction while lowering the cost.

• $25 million for a “middle income access program” that will support housing development for people making up to 120 percent of an area’s median income. This “missing middle” group is generally excluded from the main federal program that supports affordable housing.

The task force endorsed two other strategies focused specifically on homelessness, though it endorsed them as good ideas. Those proposals support the construction of more permanent supportive housing and the conversion of motels and hotels into transitional or long-term housing for people recovering from homelessness, incarceration and more. They could receive federal funding under recommendations from other groups focused on behavioral health and economic recovery, Roberts said.

The housing group chose to focus money instead on quickly producing more housing overall, Zenzinger said.

Democrats praised the plan as a consensus bipartisan effort; there were four Republican lawmakers on the task force, along with six Democrats, plus government agency leaders and a subpanel of housing experts. But no Republican lawmak-

ers spoke at the press conference on Monday.

“Our members were invited and told they wouldn’t be able to speak.

We’re not interested in photo ops for their campaigns while they put our bills in the kill committee,” said Sage Naumann, spokesman for the Senate Republicans, in a text message.

Democrats said they didn’t invite Republican speakers because they wanted to keep the press conference short by limiting speaking roles to the housing and behavioral health groups’ chairs and vice chairs, who are Democrats.

While it’s set to be a record investment in housing, this funding also comes as construction costs are running high amid a hot economy. The task force warned that its recommendations couldn’t reverse the housing crunch, which has been driven in part by a sharp drop in housing construction in the 2010s, economic inequity and the ongoing influx of new residents from even more expensive regions of the country.

“We know that the recommendations in this report will not solve Colorado’s affordable housing crisis completely but we believe they will be a transformational step forward,” the report states.

Separately, the behavioral health plan also would divide its funding among several priorities, including: • $110 million for children, youth and family services.

• $65 million for adult inpatient and residential care.

• $65 million to steer people away from being arrested or jailed with early intervention and other strategies.

• $80 million to expand the workforce for the state’s behavioral health system.

• $44 million to improve the coordination of care in the behavioral health system, among other priorities.

• $35 million to integrate primary care with behavioral health care.

• $35 million in grants to local governments and other organizations to address gaps in care.

• $5 million to renovate the Southern Ute behavioral health facility.

This story is from CPR News, a nonprofit news source. Used by permission.

For more, and to support Colorado Public Radio, visit cpr.org.

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Elbert County News 3

February 10, 2022

‘You cannot research what you don’t know’: Navigating disability legal services How CCDC is helping people with disabilities in the legal realm

BY OLIVIA JEWELL LOVE OLOVE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Navigating the world with a family member with disabilities can be challenging on multiple fronts, and the Denver-based advocacy organization Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition has a program to help with legal services.

Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition’s social enterprise legal program, Probate Power, was founded in 2015 and assists in special needs planning, conservatorships, guardianships and probate administration.

Services like these can be important for people with disabilities to navigate administration of an estate while maintaining state benefits.

Chris Brock, the first managing attorney for the program, is providing an essential service for people with disabilities that can be hard to find.

“We are a legal program run by two attorneys with disabilities, and our whole goal is to help individuals and families with disabilities plan for the future,” Brock said.

He explained that in many situations, solutions are not black and white for probate administration.

“It’s really hard if you’re trying to provide for someone past your death, that you can’t just give them that money,” he said.

Linnette Chitla met Brock at a special needs fair years ago. When her son with disabilities neared the age of 18, she realized she needed to give Probate Power a call.

“When my son turned 18, we went to him (and) he helped us a lot. I do tend to do things by myself, but when I saw all the paperwork; I went to him. Everything was so smooth,” Chitla said.

Cost of legal services is one barrier that can exile some. Probate Power aims to provide affordable services to families and people with disabilities.

“It wasn’t expensive either; it was doable,” Chitla said.

One of the hardest things for the Chitla family was the lack of information they started with, and understanding when to pursue services. “[It was difficult] knowing in advance what to do ... debating a lot if we needed it; then I found out that you need to … because they treat your son as an adult and you can’t decide.”

Chitla is referring to the guardianship her family needed to put in place when her son turned 18.

A guardianship must be appointed by the court for parents to be able

to continue to make decisions for their child with disabilities, now a legal adult at age 18.

Brock worked with the family throughout the process and assuaged Chitla’s worries.

Understanding legal jargon and best practices can be overwhelming for families and those with disabilities. As Chitla points out, sometimes that original lack of information can keep you from finding out more.

“You cannot research what you don’t know,” she said.

Brock understands this information gap exists; that’s what he is trying to change with Probate Power.

“It’s not something that a ton of attorneys do,” he said.

Nearly one in four people in the U.S. have a disability, according to the CDC. Disabilities take many forms, and can be visible and invisible.

According to the World Health Organization, disability can have three dimensions: impairment, activity limitations and participation restriction. Disabilities can present at birth, be associated with developmental conditions, related to injuries, associated with long-term conditions and can be progressive, static or intermittent.

Disability can affect many aspects of life, but it is important to recognize that people with disabilities do not have to disclose any information about their condition to the public.

Brock understands the importance of involving the person with disabilities in the legal process, and makes an effort to interact with them, regardless of their disability.

“I always want to at least meet the respondent in the case,” he said.

Besides the staff at hospitals telling the Chitla family they would need to look into a guardianship in the future, the information about raising a child with disabilities was few and far between. Chitla said she wishes there was a central location to find information about disability services.

“There should be like a database,” she said. “When you have a kid with special needs, it’s like a new world…there should be a database with everything there: waivers, what to do when they turn 18, etc.”

While a service like this has not been established yet, Probate Power is working to expand its services.

In 2021, the program served over 75 cases, compared to 50 the previous year. Probate Power plans to expand services and staff going into the new year.

If you or someone you know needs help pursuing disability legal services, Brock says the best thing to do is to reach out and start the conversation. Probate Power offers free consultations; more information and contact forms can be found at ccdcprobatepower.com.

Nominate a special teenager for a 2022 Youth Initiative Award Do you know a special Douglas County teenager, 13-19 years old, who has overcome adversity and created positive change in their lives, and the lives of others? Nominations for the 2022 Douglas County Youth Initiative Awards are being accepted through March 4. For more information or to complete the nomination form visit douglas.co.us and search for Youth Awards.

Volunteer to preserve our local history Do you have a a background in history or archeology and want to serve your community? If so, apply for one of three openings on the Historic Preservation Board. For more information and to complete an application visit douglas.co.us and search for Historic Preservation Board. Applications are due by Feb. 15, 2022.

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

Reminder first half property tax payments due First half payment is due by the last day of February, second half payment due by June 15 or full payment due

by April 30. For more information visit douglas.co.us/ treasurer or douglascotax.com

Volunteer needed for Human Services Citizen Review Panel Do you have professional knowledge and experience with children? Apply for a District III vacancy by Feb. 25.

The Panel functions as the second level of a three-part advisory process, and has limited advisory authority to matters within the authority of the County Department of Human Services Director. For more information visit douglas.co.us and search Human Services Citizen Review.

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

Holiday office closure Douglas County offices will be closed Monday, Feb. 21, 2022.

Many services are available at DoItOnlineDouglas.com

Visit douglas.co.us

4 Elbert County News

Pandemic, popular Netflix series stir interest, ire

BY DEBORAH GRIGSBY DGRIGSBY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

W

hile waiting out the coronavirus, it appears the world got ‘board.’

Who knew all it would take to reignite global interest in chess was a raging pandemic and unsupervised access to the internet?

No, seriously.

As public health orders canceled concerts and closed theaters and restaurants, we looked inward—and online—for ways to occupy time and connect with others.

We made masks.

We howled at the moon.

We binge-watched.

And “The Queen’s Gambit” was one of our favorites.

The Netflix miniseries, set in the 1950s and ‘60s, is a coming-of-age story of a fictional teenage chess prodigy based on the 1983 Walter

LOCAL

February 10, 2022

LIFE

Tevis novel of the same name.

It follows the life of orphan Elizabeth Harmon and her substance abuse struggle as she rises through the ranks to become a world chess champion.

It was a story we liked—a lot.

Within the first three weeks of its October 2020 debut, the sevenepisode drama had toy stores scrambling to keep chess sets on the shelves and online buyers coming up with empty carts and backorders.

Market research firm NPD Group reported unit sales of chess sets jumped 87% in the U.S., and chess book sales rose by an astronomical 603%.

“The idea that a streaming television series can have an impact on product sales is not a new one, but we are finally able to view it through the data,” said NPD toy industry advisor Juli Lennett in a November 2020 statement. “The sales of chess books and chess sets, which had previously been flat or declining for years, turned sharply upward as the popular new series gained viewers.”

Online gaming platforms also saw

dramatic increases in memberships and active users.

Chess.com Director of Technology at Saad Abdali said traffic to the online chess site tripled after the pandemic hit. He published a July 20, 2021 tech blog discussing how the site handled the dramatic user surge and said that in March 2020 alone, the number of daily active users rose from 280,000 to more than 1 million.

The Queen’s Gambit accepted Tucked away in a south Denver hotel ballroom, the Denver Chess Club MLK Memorial Chess Tournament gets underway.

The room’s atmosphere is ripe with heavy sighs and a constant hum from the ventilation system.

The two-day, five-round Swiss tournament held Jan. 15-16 attracted more than 90 local players.

While 23-year-old tournament director Andrew Starr admits he is ”a little on the young side for a tournament director,” he says the turnout for the in-person event was exceptional.

Starr circles the room, observing the players—and spectators that gather to view the more exciting games.

He admits a great deal of the director’s job is reminding folks of the tournament’s strict silence policy. ”It’s expected (that spectators are) to be silent at all times,” he said. “As a tournament director, that’s my big sticking point.”

The CU grad student and Grandview High School alum said he’s pleased with the wildly popular Netflix series.

“The top thing I liked about it is that better than any other pop culture piece, it accurately represents the chess world without making it

inaccessible to general audiences,” Starr said.

And that’s important.

As Starr points out, there are many elements of chess culture that the public tends to get wrong. ”I think one of the biggest misconceptions about chess players is that they’re these bizarre, quiet recluses,” he said. “I think it’s because Bobby Fischer is the most famous American chess player, and that’s how he was.”

Lauded for his stunning 1972 World Championship win against Soviet defending champion Boris Spassky, Grand Master Robert James Fischer was also known for his eccentric and often exaggerated paranoid behavior.

Fischer made numerous antiSemitic outbursts throughout his career, and in 1992 was indicted for ignoring an executive order from President George H.W. Bush.

The order, which imposed restrictions on relations with Yugoslavia, made Fischer’s famous rematch with is Spassky illegal, based on its location in Belgrade.

In front of the world press, Fischer spat on the presidential order and said, “This is my reply.”

Colorado Chess Hall of Famer Richard “Buck” Buchanan has been a staple in the Colorado chess community for more than 40 years.

He’s organized and directed countless chess tournaments and says everybody’s a little different when it comes to chess culture. ”Basically, chess players have varied personalities as would any other group that you want to meet,” Buchanan explained. “I don’t want to generalize about the culture because that’s one of the rich things about chess. It’s part of the human experience. It’s an art form. It’s a competition. It’s fun, and it’s got room in it for all kinds of creativity, discovery and excitement.”

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Elbert County News 5

February 10, 2022

CHESS FROM PAGE 4

post-World War II decade of prosperity and conformity. In comparison, the ‘60s brought about change and rebellion.

The ongoing Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union played heavily into the miniseries storyline.

It was a period when men dominated the chess scene, and only a handful of female players got the opportunity to compete professionally.

“The show framed the main character as one young girl against a bunch of old Russian men,” said Starr. ”And that’s just how it was in Fischer’s day.

But now, things are a little different.”

Chess is no longer just about “old white guys,” he said, adding that the game and the players are more diverse, vibrant and respectful now.

In his opinion, the game is also becoming much younger.

And he might be right.

Last year, Tanitoluwa “Tani” Adewumi, a 10-year-old Nigerian refugee living in New York, became America’s newest chess master at the tender age of 10, according to the U.S. Chess Federation, making him the 28th youngest person to achieve the status.

And at just 15, Cherry Creek High School students Neil Bhavikatti and Vedanth Sampath are among the highest-ranked players in Colorado.

“No discussion of chess culture would be complete without talking about women in chess,” Starr said. “I think that both evolving social norms and the impetus of ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ have propelled more girls into playing, which personally, I think is excellent, but there are some contentious issues regarding female chess players that may be worth talking about.”

One of those is the concept of women-only tournaments.

Starr supports the idea.

He says all-female tournaments may help break the ice and encourage more girls and women to give the game a try.

Another point of contention, Starr says, is the concept of separate titles for men and women.

“I know that as a man, I can’t speak for the opinions of all women, but I do join a sizable number of female chess players in saying that women’s

titles are a little demeaning. Among other requirements, a grandmaster (GM) title requires a rating of 2500, whereas a woman grandmaster (WGM) only needs to obtain a rating of 2300. which, to me, carries the implication of women being weaker chess players,” he said. “While men have obviously had far more success in the chess world than women, I chalk this up to young boys being steered into chess and young girls being steered elsewhere.”

FIND A CHESS CLUB: Denver Chess Club Meets Tuesdays 6-10 p.m.

Third Christian Reformed Church 2400 S. Ash St. Denver, CO 80222 303-733-8940 DenverChess.com Castle Rock Chess Club Meets Mondays 6-9 p.m.

Philip S. Miller Library 100 S. Wilcox St. Castle Rock, CO 80104 Chess Knights (Highlands Ranch) Meets 2nd & 4th Wednesday 7-9 p.m.

Highlands Ranch Library 9292 Ridgeline Blvd.

Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 Frank Atwood 720-260-1493 HighlandsRanchLibraryChess.org North JeffCo Chess Club Meets Thursdays 7-10 p.m.

Grandview Tavern & Grill 7427 Grandview Ave. Arvada, CO 80002 jax@well.com Northeast Denver Chess Club Meets Mondays and Thursdays 4-8 p.m.

2575 Vine St. Denver, CO 80205 303-320-6716 Parker Chess Club Meets Thursdays 7-9 p.m.

All levels and ages welcome Contact John Brezina at skibrezina@ gmail.com.

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It’s complicated, Starr said, but the trend is women are starting to see more mainstream success in chess.

The Queen’s Gambit declined Born in the Soviet Union in 1941, Nona Gaprindashvili would become the first woman to be awarded the grandmaster title by the World Chess Federation.

During her career and reign as Women’s World Chess Champion, which spanned 1962-1978, she successfully competed against some of the strongest male players in the world.

Many of them are Russian.

Mentioned by name in “The Queen’s Gambit,” Gaprindashvili was not pleased with the series or how it portrayed her.

In fact, she was pretty hot.

In September 2021, she filed a $5 million lawsuit against Netflix, citing false light invasion of privacy and defamation per se.

The 80-year-old, now living in Tbilisi, Georgia, is seeking a trial by jury.

Her suit, filed in the U.S. District Court, Central District of California, centers around allegations that “Netflix brazenly and deliberately lied about Gaprindashvili’s achievements for the cheap and cynical purpose of ‘heightening the drama’ by making it appear that its fictional hero had managed to do what no other woman, including Gaprindashvili, had done.”

And that was face men at the highest levels of chess competition.

The internet as a game-changer The game of chess dates back more than 1,500 years.

Often referred to as the game of kings, chess sets have taken many

forms, from rudimentary carvings to elegant and ornate masterpieces crafted from gold and silver.

Now, chess, like most everything else, can be found online.

For some players, the number of resources available makes online chess attractive.

But not to everyone.

Vedanth Sampath, who participated in the Denver Chess Club’s recent in-person tournament, said he’s not a fan of online chess, primarily because of cheating or what some players call “computer doping.”

Doping is essentially using a computer program or an application to obtain an unfair advantage during play.

Not just limited to lower-rated players, grandmasters have also been snared.

Some players have even mastered monetizing chess by live-streaming their games on platforms like Twitch.

A February 2020 article by CNBC News reports 25-year old chess master Alexandra Botez “brings in over $100,000 a year as a professional chess streamer.”

Neil Bhavikatti says popular streamers help bring new players to the board, and Twitch has positively affected the game.

“The game going online brings in such an enormous amount of people to the game,” Starr said. ”It makes it a lot easier to get good very quickly.”

So will chess over-the-board become a relic of bygone days?

It’s hard to say.

When asked what chess needs to stay relevant in the future, Buchanan said, “It just needs to be played—and it seems to be doing a pretty good job.”

6 Elbert County News

February 10, 2022

BEST OF THE BEST

Aerial view of downtown Elizabeth, the area where the Main Street Board of Directors focuses on revitalization.

2022 BEST OF THE

BEST

MAIN STREET FROM PAGE 1

The fully staffed Main Street Board of Directors will be involved in upcoming changes for the town.

Board members will be instrumental in the Main Street Streetscape project, an ongoing effort to revitalize downtown Elizabeth.

The design phase of the Streetscape project will occur throughout 2022 and construction will begin in 2023 with the help of town funding and grants. The Elizabeth Board of Trustees has given their approval for town staff to submit an application for a Revitalizing Main Streets grant through the Colorado Department of Transportation.

The Streetscape project upgrades will include the addition of bulbouts at street corners. Bulbouts are rounded corners that will extend into the roadway, reducing pedestrian walkway distance and increasing safety. The distance pedestrians will have to travel across the street will be reduced from 50 feet to 22 feet.

Improvements will also include a continuous six-foot walkway, angled 40-degree parking, and amenity zones five and a half feet wide. The amenity zones will include benches, improved lighting, planters, and trees.

“The Main Street Streetscape project has the potential to create a safe, walkable, and attractive corridor which will better serve residents, visitors and business owners alike,” Higgins commented in an email

COURTESY OF KEN HANES

correspondence from Feb. 1. “The project could make Main Street more accessible and vibrant for generations to come.”

Below are upcoming public meetings with the Town of Elizabeth Main Street Board of Directors, held in Elizabeth Town Hall at 151 S. Banner St.: • Historic Preservation Public Meeting, 6 p.m. on Feb. 15.

• Main Street Streetscape Kickoff Meeting, 6 p.m. on March 10.

To read the extended job description, visit tinyurl.com/ BoardJBDescription.

To apply, visit tinyurl.com/elizboardapp.

For questions about the position, please contact Zach Higgins, planner and project manager, at zhiggins@townofelizabeth.org

VOTING STARTS MARCH 1!

ElbertCountyNews.net To provide the most accurate results by geographical area, Colorado Community Media does not require, but does encourage readers to vote for businesses in their immediate local community. All nominated businesses have an equal opportunity of winning, no purchase required. Please see voting website for complete contest rules and regulations.

Elizabeth’s Streetscape Project will feature reconfigured parking and bulbouts.

COURTESY OFTHE TOWN OF ELIZABETH

Elbert County News 7

February 10, 2022

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8 Elbert County News

LOCAL

February 10, 2022

VOICES

The difference between homemade bread and Pop-Tarts

C

olorado Community Media, which publishes 24 newspapers across the Denver metro area, started 2022 with ambitious goals and a continued focus on providing local news that matters in all of our communities.

FROM THE CCM came under new ownership last year, bringing on plenty EDITOR of changes. One of those changes includes me taking on the new role as the South Metro editor, which means managing newspapers in Douglas, Elbert and Arapahoe counties. Overseeing the entire editorial department for CCM is Lisa Schlichtman, who arrives with decades of expertise and knowledge from Steamboat Springs.

Thelma Grimes For my part, I bring to you a lengthy career specifically in community news. They always say all roads lead to home. For me, that is community journalism. I came back to Colorado six years ago after a nearly 15-year career in Arizona where I was a senior journalist and editor.

After taking somewhat of a career detour for a few years, the road home brought me back to community news with CCM. Many years ago, cowboy poet Baxter Black said local, community news when compared to mainstream media is the difference between homemade bread and Pop-Tarts. I believe that’s not just true in community news but also in our towns and schools.

At the end of the day, it is members of your local town councils and school boards who make decisions that truly impact your day-to-day life. They decide local taxes, laws, public safety and building regulations. While we hear and talk so much about what’s happening in Washington, D.C., it is the elected officials living in your towns that make major decisions.

That is where your local journalists matter most.

It is up to the professionals who make up the CCM staff to tell you what your local council members are saying and how they are voting. It is up to us to tell you what is happening inside the board rooms at the local school district. It is up to us to look at a national issue, call local hospitals and ask – “What is happening here?”

Besides telling you about important news that will impact your life, we also want to highlight the good things that make each of our communities special.

In 2022 we want to bring you more from your local community. After two years of COVID dominating the news, taking over the world and causing distress everywhere we look, it feels a bit like the world forgot to celebrate the good news. At CCM, we want to hear the good stories. I encourage you all to share story tips about random acts of kindness, a new business, an elementary school student putting together a community project or just a person or resident who deserves to have their story told.

If you have a story tip about something newsworthy, want to highlight the good in our communities or want to provide some input to what we can do to further improve your local newspaper, write me an email at tgrimes@coloradocommunitymedia.com.

A publication of

750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225 Englewood, CO 80110 Phone: 303-566-4100 Web: ElbertCountyNews.net To subscribe call 303-566-4100

Do you remember the time?

L

ast week a good friend of mine and former neighbor, Steve, posted something on his Facebook page. It was a story of road trips he would take with his family and all the sights, sounds WINNING and feelings that were shared along the way. And more WORDS importantly his message was about the memories that were created and how looking back on them now, they held even deeper meaning.

Having grown up with grandparents who liked to take long road trips too, his story inspired me to reflect on some Michael Norton of those trips. And it also gave me a reason to ask my own children what they remembered and enjoyed the most about our own cross-country trips each year. I wondered and hoped that one day that they would also look back on our many journeys with happy memories. Memories that perhaps shaped their lives today.

And it’s more than road trips, isn’t it? Doesn’t it just feel incredible when we can reflect on life’s experiences that we enjoyed with our family and friends? Isn’t it wonderful when a sound, sight, or even smell brings us back to a place and time that fills us with joy? Or an old photograph we find while cleaning out our desk, basement, office, or attic. This happened to me recently as I was reorganizing my office.

I would pause as I found photos of friends and family and explore the picture and the scenery and remember exactly what was happening when the picture was taken.

Recently I was spending time with a friend who was grieving the loss of a loved one. Their

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager

lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LISA SCHLICHTMAN Editor-in-Chief

ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant

lschlichtman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

THELMA GRIMES South Metro Editor

AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager

tgrimes@coloradocommunitymedia.com

abrooks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

SCOTT GILBERT Editor

ERIN FRANKS Production Manager

sgilbert@coloradocommunitymedia.com

efranks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

family member had lived a full and good life.

As we talked, cried and laughed, I asked them what they remembered most about the family member who had passed away. My friend reflected for a moment and then started rattling off all the best and funniest memories that they had had together. Tears welled up in their eyes when they remembered the sweetest moments, and even the most difficult seasons of life.

Do you remember the times that you have experienced with your family and friends? Do you allow yourself the time to revisit and reflect on your good and happy memories? I share this with you because at a time where many are feeling the stresses of the past two years, we need to remember that even during these trying times, we have plenty of opportunities to create new, happy and lasting memories. And one day, we will all look back on this season of life and ask the person sitting with us, “Do you remember the time when during the pandemic we…?”

The choices we make today will be the events we remember tomorrow and in the years that follow. The life and the trips and the stories we write today will be told amongst our family and friends in the future. And one day when we are all sitting around the table or in the car on a road trip, we will be asking that same question, “Do you remember the time when we…?”

What would you like those conversations to feel like and sound like? What do you hope your family members and friends will remember most about your time together? I love this quote

by Maya Angelou that underscores this point, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” How

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.

SEE NORTON, P9

ELBERT COUNTY NEWS (USPS 171-100) A legal newspaper of general circulation in Elizabeth, Colorado, the Elbert County d News is published weekly on Thursday r

by Colorado Community Media, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, y CO 80110.

e n o w POSTMASTER: Send address change to: Elbert County News, 750 W. Hampden f Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110 j PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO and additional mailing offices.

Elbert County News 9

February 10, 2022

Hospital chief feels ‘meant to serve others’ after battling cancer

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

If you get him going, Tyler Hood can rattle off the names of the people who treated him as he fought cancer — from the surgeon to the nursing staff.

“It took a village to get me back on my feet,” said Hood, a top administrative official for Centennial Hospital who was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2019.

At first, Hood started feeling under the weather and felt some changes in his body, he said.

“I wanted to ignore it,” said Hood, 34, whose girlfriend at the time could tell he was nervous and encouraged him to get some tests done.

Eventually, he saw a urologist and received a diagnosis of testicular cancer — the disease had spread to a degree, and he learned that he needed surgery quickly.

“That was a very, very tough day and weekend and the start of a very tough season” of life, Hood said. He underwent three rounds of chemotherapy over the course of about three or four months, concluding in May 2019.

A positive and competitive person, Hood had decided: “I’m going to attack this — I’m not going to let this attack me.”

He thought for every appointment, he would be early. For every meeting, he would take notes.

“I’m going to approach this like I’m applying for a job that I really wanted,” Hood remembers thinking.

He had planned to “give my anxiety to God” and to trust in the health care workers and the system that he works as a part of, he said.

Now, though he receives scans every six months and gets blood work done, he is in remission, meaning that the signs and symptoms of his cancer have reduced.

As he moves closer to survivorship — he’s technically two years away from being considered a survivor of cancer — even amid the uncertainty, he’s excited.

“I wish I could be there tomorrow, but there’s purpose in this,” Hood said. “There’s purpose for me and hopefully for others. I’m meant to serve. I’m meant to serve other people through this.”

Asked what led him into the health care field before his diagnosis, Hood said: “Honestly, I couldn’t find a job.”

He was finishing up a program in business administration and did an internship in Florida and, ultimately, he found himself working in the health care field.

“It was evident that the days I was

NORTON FROM PAGE 8

do you want people to feel when they remember their time spent with you?

Road trips, vacations, conferences, Sunday family dinner, game night, movie night, church, dinner out with friends, birthday parties, weddings, anniversary celebrations, funerals and memorial services, and just life in general give us so many

working in a hospital were the days I left fulfilled and with my cup full, so to speak,” Hood said.

He started working at Swedish Medical Center, and he eventually transitioned over to Centennial Hospital. He serves as the chief operating officer of the hospital, which expanded from the former Centennial Medical Plaza in 2021. Centennial Hospital, like the plaza before it, is affiliated with The Medical Center of Aurora.

After enduring cancer treatment, Hood felt called to use his experiences in shaping the health care his staff provides.

“The little things matter. The details matter,” Hood said. “I remember specific instances during my journey that were, maybe, it could have been a little bit better, and as a patient, I remember that. I remember the advice of, `Make sure you have a ride to infusion because you’ll be a little bit foggy afterwards.’”

From his place in hospital administration, Hood wants to make sure “everything is perfect” for cancer patients, whether it’s parking, food, directions to the clinic, or interactions with nurses and doctors.

“If they’re a patient in our hospital, (I hope) that they’re treated like I was treated, which is with empathy,” Hood said.

Asked what advice he would give people who are diagnosed with cancer about how to maintain their relationships and work lives while going through treatment, Hood said remaining open and laughing played an important role for him.

“At first, I wanted to crawl into a hole and have nobody. I didn’t want to talk to anybody about it. I was embarrassed,” Hood said. “I think the vulnerability was key for me. I laugh because I’m losing my hair naturally, but I had to lose all my hair from chemo and (had people around me say) `Oh, that’s what your head looks like — you’re going to be fine.’

“Having friends and colleagues willing to have a laugh really helped me both at work and (in my) personal life,” Hood added.

He also emphasized seeking help from a person’s resources, both on “the personal side and the health care side.”

“If there’s anybody who wants help with this kind of stuff, I want to help for the rest of my life whether that’s something (that) pops up in remission or I become a survivor and move on,” Hood said. “I think it’s very important to have support systems around you.” opportunities to create and capture so many beautiful and wonderful memories. What are your favorite memories? I would love to hear all about them at mnorton@tramazing. com, and when we take the time to focus on those beautiful memories, 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.

Tyler Hood, the chief operating officer of Centennial Hospital, opened up about his COURTESY PHOTO journey through cancer treatment.

Memory In Loving

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

10 Elbert County News

February 10, 2022

CALENDAR

FROM PAGE 1

Other photos were used for the remaining 10 months. A judge anonymously ranked each photo to maintain integrity with the judging process.

Some of the participants shared their excitement for the calendar and the stories behind their calendar photos.

“I was shocked to have one of my photos chosen. I will definitely submit another for 2023,” said runner-up Chelsea Pruitt. “My in-laws live in Pine Meadows and have a stunning view of the sunset every night. We were hanging out on their back deck watching the sun set. It was so beautiful and we were all in awe.”

“I submitted a photo with the Kiowa water tower. I was driving into Kiowa on Highway 86 from the west side of town,” explained participant Debbie Ullom. “The colors on the creek are amazing in the fall and I wanted to pause the moment and enjoy it.”

The contest was organized by Kimberly Boyd, Kiowa town administrator. It is the first contest of its kind for the town and participants hope the event remains annual.

“I feel the submissions were great and I am so thankful for the participation this year, so much that we will be doing it again next year,” said Boyd.

“Our residents have a lot of pride about their community, and I want to be able to display that through the eyes of the people who live their lives here.”

Vince St. Pierre’s April photo for the Kiowa calendar shows a garden tractor with a patriotic message.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Annette Burmaster contributed the colorful August photo for the Town of Kiowa calendar.

SEE CALENDAR, P15

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Annette Burmaster provided the June photo for the Town of Kiowa calendar, showing the town’s signature Patty Ann’s Cafe.

Kiowa’s Western feel is seen in the March photo by Jennifer Thomas.

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A classic rural scene was captured by photographer Kimberly Boyd for the September page of the Town of Kiowa calendar.

Elbert County News 11

February 10, 2022

Portraits of strangers showcase humanity and spread love Finding purpose through the American Quilt Project

BY ALEXIS KIKOEN ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

On an unseasonably warm, 60 degrees Fahrenheit January day, Andy Lurie heads from his south Denver apartment to Red Rocks Amphitheater, cell phone in hand.

When he arrives, he immediately starts scouting the area, looking for faces to photograph.

“I’m really drawn to hats, beards, big smiles,” Lurie says, looking around.

He’s here to take portraits for The American Quilt Project.

“The American Quilt Project is basically a metaphorical quilt of humanity,” Lurie explains. “It’s essentially a lot of portrait photographs of all kinds of people who I’ve come across…and it’s all together on Instagram.”

Lurie began the project five or six years ago, after a second suicide attempt. He woke up in the hospital days later, thankful to be alive.

“I decided I needed something to do, I needed a purpose,” says Lurie.

“I wanted to do something that showed love and connection.”

Lurie originally took landscape photographs, but soon found he was more drawn to people. He started approaching people at a festival in Morrison, asking them if he could take their picture.

Back at his apartment, Lurie’s picture wall features dozens of portraits including ones from the early days of the project. He points to one young man, sporting a huge grin across his face.

“He was one of my very first pictures, and I remember pointing my camera and having him beam this huge smile at me,” Lurie remembers fondly. “I think that’s all it took, I was hooked at that point.”

Now, he frequents places like Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Denver’s 16th Street Mall, farmers’ markets, festivals — anywhere that people gather. Since starting this project in 2017, Lurie has amassed over five thousand portraits, all displayed on his Instagram page.

“It would take you all day to go from the top to the bottom of my Instagram page,” Lurie laughs.

While he’s not quite sure what the end goal of his project looks like, Lurie does know he wants to make a difference, no matter how small.

“I want people to feel uplifted, like they belong to this human race as well,” Lurie says. “I hope the pictures emanate a kind of a love, and that people feel connected to that.”

You can follow along with the American Quilt Project here.

Andy Lurie takes a portrait at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

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12 Elbert County News

February 10, 2022

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

Douglas County clerk under investigation by secretary of state

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Douglas County Clerk and Recorder Merlin Klotz is under investigation over “potential unauthorized imaging of a Douglas County voting equipment server,” according to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office.

“The Douglas County clerk has failed to respond to an email request requiring disclosure of information about this potential breach in election security protocol,” said Secretary of State Jena Griswold in a news release.

The Secretary of State’s Office contacted Klotz after seeing a social media post attributed to the county clerk in which he says, “a full image backup of our server before a trusted build was done this year.”

According to the release, Griswold issued an order requiring Klotz to disclose information regarding the imaging of the election equipment server by Feb. 10.

The office sent Klotz an email Jan. 28 requesting he provide more details about the alleged backup with a deadline for response set for Jan. 31. He has not yet responded, according to Griswold.

A spokesperson for Douglas County said they did not have any comment at this time.

The post attributed to Klotz came from the social media site Telegram.

Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters and Elbert County Clerk Dallas Schroeder are also being investigated by the Secretary of State’s Office for alleged unauthorized copies of election system servers.

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Elbert County News 13

February 10, 2022

COLORADO COMMUNIT Y MEDIA

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14 Elbert County News

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February 10, 2022

Elbert County News 15

February 10, 2022

CALENDAR FROM PAGE 10

The town is currently accepting submissions for the 2023 calendar. The town is looking for striking images that depict life in Kiowa. Examples include natural landscapes, wildlife, events, facilities, businesses, architecture, weather, or people living in the town. Each participant will receive a free Town of Kiowa calendar.

“We are taking submissions all year long. I want to see the pride and beauty of our community through the people that live here,” said Boyd. “People are also not limited to one submission. I encourage people to submit as many as they want, though they are limited to one submission placing in the top three. We want to give everyone a chance to place.”

Submissions for the 2023 calendar are due on Dec. 16, 2022.

For questions and to submit photos, email kiowa@townofkiowa.com.

Marissa Seibel’s picture of a handsome dog illustrates the cover of the 2022 Town of Kiowa COURTESY PHOTOS calendar.

Autumn splendor enlivens Debbie Ullom’s photo for the October page.

A peaceful evening photo by Andrew Pruitt illustrates the July page.

Debbie Ullom contributed the May photo.

Annette Burmaster’s landscape photo won third place in the Town of Kiowa calendar contest and illustrates the February page.

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www.ColoradoCommunityMedia.com/Notices

PUBLIC NOTICES

Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088 Legals Metropolitan Districts Public Notice CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR DEER CREEK WATER DISTRICT TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, and particularly to the electors of the Deer Creek Water District of Elbert County, Colorado.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a regular election will be held on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. At that time, two (2) Directors will be elected to serve a three-year term and one (1) Director to serve a one-year term.

Self-Nomination and Acceptance forms are available at the Designated Election Official at

141 Union Boulevard, Suite 150, Lakewood, Colorado 80228; email: dsolin@sdmsi.com. SelfNomination and Acceptance forms must be filed with the Designated Election Official for the District at the above email address not less than 67 days prior to the election (Friday, February 25, 2022).

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that applications for absentee ballots may be filed with the Designated Election Official of the District at the above address during normal business hours, until the close of business on the Tuesday immediately preceding the election (Tuesday, April 26, 2022). All absentee ballots must be returned to the Designated Election Official by 7:00 p.m. on election day.

DEER CREEK WATER DISTRICT By: /s/ David Solin Designated Election Official Legal Notice No. 24798 First Publication: February 10, 2022 Last Publication: February 10, 2022 Publisher: Elbert County News

legals@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Notice to Creditors Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Joshua Dale Cutler, a/k/a Joshua D. Cutler, a/k/a Joshua Cutler, a/k/a Josh D. Cutler, Deceased Case Number: 2022 PR 30003 All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to District Court of Elbert County, Colorado on or before June 3, 2022, or the claims may be forever barred.

JESSICA HARRIS, Personal Representative 47251 County Road 101, Deer Trail, CO 80105 Legal Notice No. 24794 First Publication: February 3, 2022 Last Publication: February 17, 2022 Publisher: Elbert County News

Public Notice PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Mary Phelps Day, aka Mary P. Day, aka Mary Day, aka Mary Phelps Williams, aka Mifi Day deceased Case Number: 2022 PR 30006 All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to District Court of Elbert County, Colorado on or before June 10, 2022, or the claims may be forever barred.

Margot Edith Williams Personal Representative c/o Hoskin, Farina & Kampf, P.C., PO Box 40 Grand Junction, Colorado 81502 Legal Notice No. 24797 First publication: February 10, 2022 Last publication: February 24, 2022 Publisher: Elbert County News

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Edward Eugene Cirbo, aka Edward E. Cirbo, aka Edward Cirbo, aka Ed Cirbo, and Ed E. Cirbo, Deceased Case Number :2021PR30055 All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Elbert County, Colorado on or before May 27, 2022 or the claims may be forever barred.

Amber L. Huey, Personal Representative C/O Gubbels Law Office, P.C. 402 N. Wilcox Street, Suite 100 Castle Rock, CO 80104 Legal Notice No. 24791 First Publication: January 27, 2022 Last Publication: February 10, 2022 Publisher: Elbert County News

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Elbert County Legals 2.10.22 * 1

16 Elbert County News

February 10, 2022

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