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Week of April 14, 2022
ELBERT COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
ElbertCountyNews.net
VOLUME 127 | ISSUE 9
STARS banquet honors 49 students The Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo announcer’s booth is part of a longstanding facility that would be substantially upgraded if Elizabeth Park & Recreation District voters approve a mill levy increase on May 3. The park district has laid out plans including a hoped-for $9.7 million rodeo arena and event center, which is part of an overall package for Casey Jones Park that would cost PHOTOS BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON about $45 million.
Stampede leader argues for mill levy hike McClain says rodeo grounds should be upgraded for event to stay on track going forward BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
As a May 3 vote draws closer, residents and property owners within the Elizabeth Park and Recreation District will be deciding whether or not to increase the district mill levy to make big changes to Casey Jones Park, at a total cost of about $45 million. Voters will decide whether to double the district mill levy from 2.466% to 4.932%, which would add around $88 to the annual property tax on a residence valued at $500,000. The vote has caused quite a stir among residents, some of whom SEE STAMPEDE, P12
Traci McClain shows some of the wear and tear the Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo’s hand-me-down bleachers have experienced over the decades.
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 10 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 9
BEST OF THE BEST
Elizabeth Education Foundation hosts 24th annual gathering BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
The 24th annual Elizabeth Education Foundation STARS Banquet was held on April 2 at the Elizabeth High School Cafetorium, in the nonprofit organization’s first inperson event since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. STARS stands for Students Taking Accountability and Responsibility Seriously. Each year, Elizabeth School District students in grades 5-12 are anonymously nominated by teachers and faculty with around 50 chosen to receive the honor. A STARS award recipient must demonstrate some of the following characteristics: 1. Model responsible behavior. 2. Spends time involved with clubs or organizations at school and/or actively supports the community. 3. Committed to learning, motivated to do well in school, actively engaged in learning, and cares about their school. 4. Places high value on caring and helping other people and accepts personal responsibility. 5. Makes good choices, has empathy, sensitivity, friendship skills, and resists negative peer pressures. A student may only receive the SEE STARS, P2
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2 Elbert County News
April 14, 2022
STARS FROM PAGE 1
STARS honor once in their academic career, though some students have received many nominations over the years. Past recipients serve as volunteers for the next year’s event. The master of ceremonies for the event was Jace Glick, former Elizabeth Stampede president and longtime volunteer with the Elizabeth Education Foundation. He gave a speech at the start of the event to praise the students and their parents. “This is my 14th year announcing for this event. I’ve been doing it a long time,” said Glick. “What I’ve learned over the years is that we have some of the coolest kids in the country and some of the best parents. I’m truly excited that we get to celebrate our students and everything good about the parents as well.” Superintendent Douglas Bissonette also offered opening remarks. “Once a year it’s worth stopping and taking stock of these accomplishments of character. That’s why we’re here tonight, to recognize the compassion and commitment,” said Bissonette. “I want to thank the Elizabeth Education Foundation for making this event so successful. The Elizabeth School District wouldn’t be what it is without them.” Bissonette continued to offer words of encouragement to the STARS recipients. “I hope this evening makes an indelible mark on you that when you look back on it, you remember that somebody noticed something in you that you can use as a source of encouragement for big challenges and a source of strength during hard times,” Bissonette said. “Recognize that you have talents beyond those that you may know. Years down the road, know that someone noticed something extraordinary and special in you.” As the event continued, each student’s name was called and they walked across the stage. Glick read a paragraph written about the student by the nominating faculty or staff
As STARS recipients and their families checked in to the Elizabeth Education Foundation event, they were greeted by the Elizabeth High School PHOTOS BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON Orchestra.
STARS recipient Sawyer Lovato stands with his dad outside the event on April 2.
member. Each student received a medal as well as a certificate of achievement. “Riley is a STAR. She models responsible behavior by dedicating herself to the task at hand. I have her in two classes, both of which have major research papers due within a few days of each other. These papers could easily be used as examples for future semesters.” explained Melanie Darter, family and consumer science teacher at Elizabeth High School, who nominated senior Riley Thompson. “Riley is a leader of class discussion, and she supports her classmates and encourages them to do their best. I am thrilled to nominate an empathetic, caring, and committed student like Riley Thompson.” Later in the event, the Elbert County News caught up with Darter where she gave even more praise SEE STARS, P3
An extensive dessert bar was set up for event attendees at the STARS Banquet.
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Elbert County News 3
April 14, 2022
Free Noxious Weed and Wildfire Prevention Workshop Elizabeth High School Senior Riley Thompson, nominated by teacher Melanie Darter, stands on stage with emcee Jace Glick at the April 2 STARS Banquet. Thompson was one PHOTO BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON of 49 students honored by the Elizabeth Education Foundation.
STARS
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FROM PAGE 2
for Thompson. “Riley has had a lot of challenges and she has overcome them,” commented Darter. “Whenever I see her, she has a positive attitude. I really enjoy having her in class.” The 2022 Elizabeth Education Foundation STARS Award recipients are: • Caedyn Atwell • Bradley Barnhart • Dylan Baxter • Meghan Benkendorf • Whitney Benson • Lily Brace • Andrew Brown • Marley Casaretto • Tyler Christiansen • Cooper Connelley • Jaden Francis • Parker Gaudreault • Miguel Gonzalez • Jennifer Grimes • Carlos Antonio Guevara-Hudson • Denzel Guevara-Hudson • Kyle Gustafson • Morgen Hubbs • Bodie Jordan • Alexander Kelty • Leah Lave • Masen Loeks • Sawyer Lovato • Stephanie Lunt • Samuel Malakowski • Rylan McNeil • Emily Meyer
Did you know noxious weeds on your property can damage native flora and increase the risk of a wildfire spreading to your home? Learn to ID and eradicate them. Join land, vegetation and wildfire experts for a workshop from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 16, in-person or online. Visit douglas.co.us and search Noxious Weed Education.
Douglas County is updating its Community Wildfire Protection Plan – a document that defines how we can proactively protect life and property. The first step in updating this plan is your input, by completing a short survey. Visit douglas.co.us/cwpp-survey to complete the survey by April 26.
The Elizabeth Education Foundation’s certificate of Excellence in Education was on display at the STARS Banquet.
• Katie Millsapps • Samantha Mowbray • Daniel Page • Isabella Pergeau • Giovanna Perrault • Khiya Philips • Karli Pronske • Aliana Quintana • Emily Ramsay • Chritopher Rediger • Bailey Riniker • Mayla Ruskauff • Ozzy Santangelo • Alexa Saucedo • David Savage • Casey Schaben • Sarah Schmit • Lily Settoon • Sienna Snively • Sophia Stillman • Riley Thompson • Amy Ward
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Live Town Hall meetings Did you know Douglas County offers Live Town Hall meetings, inviting you to engage in the local issues of importance to you and your neighbors? Register at douglas.co.us/townhall to ensure you are contacted about all future Live Town Halls – it’s always your choice whether or not to participate. Registering will also allow you to receive surveys so that you may share what topics YOU want to hear more about.
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4 Elbert County News
April 14, 2022
In a quarterly survey of 195 Colorado business leaders, the Leeds Business Confidence Index recorded optimism is dropping about how the state and nation’s economy will fare COURTESY OF LEEDS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AT UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER in the next few months. A rating below 50 means the outlook is much more pessimistic.
Colorado business leaders lose optimism about economy But 55% in survey expect to raise wages anyway BY TAMARA CHUANG THE COLORADO SUN
No surprise here. Global unrest with the Russian invasion of Ukraine plus ongoing and rising inflation have Colorado business leaders less optimistic about the economy this year than last, according to a new survey. But has that changed how they’re
going about their business? According to a new analysis by Leeds Business Confidence Index, 55% of the 195 local business leaders surveyed said they expect to raise wages while just 8% plan to reduce staff and 1% plan to cut hours. Nearly half, or 46%, will increase prices or pass costs to consumers because of inflation. “They’re pessimistic about the (economic) backdrop,” said Rich Wobbekind, senior economist and faculty director of the Leeds Business Research Division at the University of Colorado. “But in their
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own responses, they’re saying in the next three and six months, we’re going to hire more people, we’re going to invest in more capital. So, they’re still in expansion mode even though they’re concerned about the broader economy.” Inflation in Colorado, by the way, is projected to increase 7.3% this year and slow to 2.8% next year. The index measures business leaders’ optimism and above 50 is considered positive. And while most categories are still above 50, including how leaders feel about Colorado’s economy, concerns with
global events and inflation caused the Leeds index to fall to 40.4 for the national economy for second quarter 2022. Brian Lewandowski, the division’s executive director, said that business leaders tend to be more optimistic about the state’s economy than the nation’s. It’s because they live here and work here, so what’s happening outside the state isn’t as tangible. “The one thing I would add,” he said, is “the expectation of inflation SEE ECONOMY, P5
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Elbert County News 5
April 14, 2022
ECONOMY FROM PAGE 4
is almost as bad as actual inflation. And I sort of wonder if the same is true when looking at business confidence. So, it’s still positive right now, which is a good signal. But if business leaders signal pessimism about the future, if they expect the future to be worse than it is today, then that could have impacts on how they invest and how they hire and how they try and expand their business. So that’s a concern when it drops below 50.” Colorado hotel workers had highest rate of job quitters Colorado workers may finally be finding the jobs they want — or at least employers are doing their best to retain them — as the national rate of job quitters fell in March and leveled off in Colorado, according to new data from Gusto, a payroll and benefits services company with co-headquarters in Denver. Colorado’s quit rate in March was at 3.01%, down from 3.03% in February, and nearly half the August high of 5.04%. The national average was 2.85% in March, down from 3.09% in February and 4.94% in August. But something else is going on in accommodations, which is essentially the hotel industry. That part of the economy had a 10% quit rate in March, according to Gusto, which can analyze its own customer data to see trends before the national report comes out. Other service industries — including retail and food and beverage — also saw rates
higher than Colorado’s overall quit rate of 3.01%, and the U.S. rate of 2.85%. Gusto’s lead economist Luke Pardue theorizes this type of worker can find another job pretty easily these days. Companies from Amazon to United Airlines are all looking for workers who, at minimum, are pleasant to customers and show up on time. “These industries where we’re seeing the highest quit rates, we’re also seeing the highest hiring rates,” Pardue said. “This is a sign that workers are really switching jobs within industries for higher pay, for better conditions or better benefits.” However, he added, “A 10% quit rate in accommodations is not something we have seen (since) quit rates hit 10% in August of 2021, as many workers left seasonal positions as the summer ended. Also, a 10% quit rate is not something we have seen in other sub sectors recently.” As hotels prepare for warmer weather and more visitors, they are again competing with one another as well as the rest of the hospitality, travel and restaurant industries that are also ramping up for what they’re hoping to be a more fortuitous season. The cost of benefits Scanning the help-wanted ads, it’s difficult to find hotel work without some sort of incentive beyond a paycheck. The Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel offers a $1,000 sign-on bonus to experienced cooks (the gig pays $22 an hour and includes health and retirement plans). Springhill Suites
in Denver offered medical and retirement benefits, an RTD pass and a $750 hiring bonus for a room attendant (though that job appears to be filled). The key here may be to offer benefits in the first place. And they might not be as much as an employer assumes. According to Gallup polling data, replacing a worker costs one half to twice the ex-worker’s salary. Pardue calculated the cost of replacing versus offering retirement benefits, based on Gusto and Bureau of Labor Statistics data: 1. Retirement benefits reduced quit rates by 1.3 percentage points, or 15.6% for 12 months. 2. A company with 25 workers and 15.6% lower quit rate loses 3.9 fewer workers per year. 3. At an annual salary of $30,000, those 3.9 jobs cost, conservatively, $58,500 to replace. 4. BLS estimates that retirement benefits cost an employer 3.5% of a worker’s salary. For 25 employees, that’s $26,250 a year. So, that’s paying out $26,250 a year versus $58,500. “On our back-of-the-envelope calculation, the return is more than double the cost of a retirement plan. So, one thing that they actually can do is offer these low-cost or no-cost benefits that aren’t necessarily as expensive as, say, health insurance but have the benefits of retaining and attracting talent,” he said. “Offering, say, retirement benefits might seem like an upfront cost but it has these returns that more than pay for themselves.” After writing about unemployment, jobs and Colorado’s pandemic economy for two
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years, I finally got a chance to stop by a real, live job fair. Those in-person career events are not completely back, but at the invitation of United Airlines, I stopped by its event at the United Club at Empower Field at Mile High stadium on Tuesday. The airline has been desperate for workers, and I’ve mentioned how they’ve tweaked their benefits in past columns, including bonuses of up to $10,000 and rolling out new starting wages of $19.64 an hour for baggage handlers and customer service representatives. By the end of the day, 970 people stopped by for the event and 350 left with a job offer, United spokesman Russell Carlton told me. Of those offers, he said, “more than 200 were for customer service, a little more than 100 were for ramp agents and more than 20 for roles within our technical operations division.” United plans to hire another 3,000 workers by 2026, but it’s not just to get back to its pre-pandemic levels. It’s about major expansion going on in Denver. The company is committed to adding another 200 daily flights and 20 more gates at Denver International Airport. Read more about the investment and jobs in my earlier story: “United Airlines needs more workers as it undergoes one of its largest Denver expansions in years” 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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GREAT EARLY-BIRD ROOM RATE. Enjoy Parker Days Festival by staying overnight or have friends and family come at stay at SpringHill Suites. As our official hotel sponsor, SpringHill Suites is offering King bed and/or Double Queen bed rooms at $139 per room per night. This pricing offer is available through May 18, 2022. Call 303-841-6700 and ask for the Parker Days Festival special rate with Code PFP. Reserve your room before the limited number of rooms available runs out and/or this special rate expires. The hotel is only 2.4 miles away from the Festival at O’Brien Park in downtown Parker, Colorado.
6 Elbert County News
April 14, 2022
Legislature moves to adopt its first parental leave policy More and more Colorado lawmakers have babies BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN
When state Sen. Brittany Pettersen gave birth to her son, Davis, during the 2020 lawmaking term, the only way the Lakewood Democrat could take time off and avoid being docked pay was to have her pregnancy deemed a “long-term illness.” That’s because the statutes governing the legislature dictate that a lawmaker who misses more than a third of the 120-day session should have their salaries reduced unless the Senate president or House speaker designates their absence as being due to a chronic illness. “It’s obvious that these laws were not set up for women in the legislature,” Pettersen said. The birth of Davis and the arrival of several other legislators’ children over the past three years has prompted the Democratic majority to pursue changes to the General Assembly’s outdated leave policies. Senate Bill 184, introduced last week at the Capitol, would automatically grant 12 weeks of paid parental leave to lawmakers, plus an additional four paid weeks for lawmakers who have pregnancy or childbirth complications. The measure would also no longer limit the Senate president and House speaker to using the
“long-term illness” standard when granting lawmakers paid leave longer than a third of the legislative session. State lawmakers in Colorado make between $40,000 and $41,000 a year. “Being inclusive here has a direct impact on our democracy and who represents us,” said Senate President Steve Fenberg, a Boulder Democrat who is a prime sponsor of Senate Bill 184 alongside Pettersen. “I think we need to make sure that we don’t have barriers, either intentionally or unintentionally, that keep people from being able to run for office.” Fenberg’s wife had the couple’s first child five days before the start of the 2020 lawmaking term. He opted not to take time off and as a result “was like a zombie for probably the first half of session” that year. “It’s tough,” he said. Some have questioned whether lawmakers should be able to miss extended periods given that it may mean their constituents are without representation at the Capitol while they are on leave. But Fenberg points out that being absent from the legislature doesn’t mean a lawmaker isn’t working. And the fact is that getting pregnant carries a degree of uncertainty. “You don’t get to decide exactly when it’s gonna happen,” Fenberg said. House Majority Leader Daneya Esgar, a Pueblo Democrat, had a baby, Marlo, in July 2021. She, too, knows
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State Sen. Brittany Pettersen, D-Lakewood, center, sits with then-House Speaker KC Becker, left, and Senate President Leroy Garcia as Gov. Jared Polis delivers his second State of the State address at the Colorado Capitol on Jan. 9, 2020. PHOTO BY KATHRYN SCOTT/SPECIAL TO THE COLORADO SUN
how difficult it can be to balance work at the Capitol and trying to take care of a newborn, even when the legislature isn’t in session. “When you have a legislature that is citizen-led, there are people that live outside of this building,” she said. “We’re not career politicians here. If someone gets pregnant or if their spouse gets pregnant, they deserve the ability to have time off
with their families after their child is born just like anyone else.”
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
April 14, 2022
When will Trader Joe’s open in Parker? Store officials are simply saying ‘soon’ BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
After months of Colorado Community Media questions, investigations and clandestine drive bys, Trader Joe’s has provided a pivotal update in the case of their Parker location opening: “soon.” The saga to learn when the doors will open has been a long one, filled with badgering questions from CCM and vague responses from the company. When the store first received its beer license from the town in February 2021, the regional vice president of the company said the soonest the store would open was a year away. In January, a reporter asked for any updates on the store, which had shown serious progress in construction. A public relations manager replied simply: “I do not have any updates to share regarding a Parker store. You are welcome to reach out again in the future.” Repeated, desperate follow-up questions from a reporter went unanswered. Silence ensued. The meaning of life was questioned. Then, breaking through the chill of a mid-February day, there was a break in the case: the developer for the project, Transmark Company posted to LinkedIn that the store would be opening in May 2022. When
Trader Joe’s announced March 30 that their Parker location will be “opening soon.” PHOTO BY THELMA GRIMES
asked for confirmation, Trader Joe’s dodged again: “I cannot confirm” was the only response. Soon after, the LinkedIn post was removed. Questions and rumors about the storied grocery opening abounded on social media as Parkerites have grown increasingly hungry for cookie butter, cauliflower pizza crust and bags of frozen orange chicken. Now, there is seemingly an update, though it doesn’t offer much in the way of concrete detail. “Although I do not yet have a timeline, I am happy to confirm that today we announced our Parker store will be opening soon,” said public relations manager Nakia Rodhe in a March 30 email. A reporter responded with the
However, there is some hope on the building, as banners are calling for new employees and saying the store will open “soon.” A press release will be sent when the store is within two weeks of opening, Rodhe said.
questions the hungry Parkerites would surely ask: “Is there any window you can provide for ‘soon’? Does that mean within 1, 3 or 6 months for instance?” But alas, no further detail was provided beyond “opening soon.”
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8 Elbert County News
April 14, 2022
BEST OF THE BEST
Gov. Jared Polis addresses the crowd at the Feb. 16 meet-and-greet in Arvada.
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PHOTO BY RYLEE DUNN
Democrats plan to reduce paid family leave fees for 6 months Polis, state party face election-year pressure BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN
One of the most expensive proposals from Gov. Jared Polis and Democrats in the Colorado legislature this year aimed at driving down the cost of living involves the state’s new paid family leave program. But the business community, which would benefit from the effort, says the amount of relief is so small and so short-lived that it won’t have a measurable effect. House Bill 1305 would, for six months, reduce the fee split between employers and employees that the state will charge starting next year as part of Colorado’s new, voterapproved paid family and parental leave program. The reduction would drop the fee rate to 0.81% of an employees’ wages from 0.9%, a decrease of 0.09 percentage points. For a worker making $4,000 a month, that would drop the fee to $32.40 from $36 a month. Employers pay half the fee; employees pay the other half. Business groups say the change won’t really make a difference for them or their employees — “It’s really a pittance,” said Tony Gagliardi, who leads the Colorado branch of the National Federation of Independent Businesses — though nonpartisan fiscal analysts say the reduction would cost the state $57.5 million to backfill the lost revenue. Polis and Democrats, who are facing election-year pressure over the rising cost of living, have set aside $157 million in the fiscal year 202223 budget, which begins July 1, for government fee relief. The money will also go toward delaying the start of a new 2-cent-per-gallon gas fee and reducing medical licensure and certification fees. Polis and House Speaker Alec Garnett, D-Denver, celebrated the feereduction efforts in their speeches
kicking off the 2022 lawmaking session. Both said that cutting costs for Coloradans is a priority for them this year. “The governor wants to provide the maximum support possible under state law to benefit small businesses and hardworking Coloradans,” spokesman Conor Cahill said in a written statement. But Republicans have criticized the efforts as being too small to make a difference. (The $157 million, divided among the state’s 5.8 million residents, comes out to about $27 per person.) The GOP has also pointed out that Democrats are offering relief from fees they implemented. “I’ve lost track of the number of fee increases the majority Democrats have passed,” said Rep. Kevin Van Winkle, a Highlands Ranch Republican. “And now they come here today and say that they’re offering fee relief? It’s absurd.” Democrats acknowledge that the fee relief package is not a silver bullet. Senate President Steve Fenberg, D-Boulder, said affordability issues and inflation are “much larger than just what the state legislature can solve.” “We’re thinking about what is within our control as a legislature and where do we have the ability to provide some relief,” he said. “We’re not going to be able to change everything for every family, but there are things that are within our control. It’s not going to be life-changing for people, but people need relief wherever they can (get) it, and we think these are the areas where the state can afford to bear that burden.” The governor’s office said the paid family and parental leave fee relief was limited in scope as to not run afoul of a state law requiring that no more than 10% of an enterprise’s funds may come from the general fund. The paid leave program is set up as an enterprise. The legislature is also set to allocate at least $600 million to buy down the $1 billion debt owed to the federal government through Colorado’s unemployment insurance trust
fund, which was drained during the pandemic. Businesses and employers would otherwise be responsible for covering the deficit through a paycheck surcharge. A bill allocating money to buy down the unemployment trust fund debt has yet to be introduced. The legislature’s Joint Budget Committee also set aside $200 million for a forthcoming property tax relief effort. Lawmakers aren’t sure what that will look like yet — or whether it will happen. Conversations around property tax relief are heating up after the full legislature began debating the budget last week. Critics of the scope of the relief package say if lawmakers really wanted to help businesses and Coloradans contend with rising costs they would delay the implementation of the new paid family and parental leave program and the new transportation fees. “There are inherent problems that come with adopting governmentrun programs that are responsive to mandates rather than economic realities, we are beginning to see these problems surface,” said Mike Kopp, president and CEO of Colorado Concern, an alliance of business leaders. But Democrats argue that isn’t unfeasible. “We can’t miss our climate goals,” said Sen. Faith Winter, a Westminster Democrat who championed the policies implementing new transportation and paid family and parental leave fees. “We can’t delay that. We can’t delay paid family leave because that means another year of people making a decision between a paycheck and taking care of themselves when they’re facing cancer.” Budget debate at the Capitol continued last week. 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 9
April 14, 2022
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10 Elbert County News
LOCAL
April 14, 2022
VOICES
Tough to explain
R
ecently, an important issue came out thanks to Hollywood. No. I am not talking about Will Smith ridiculously slapping Chris Rock. Instead, I am talking about the news that Bruce Willis has been diagnosed with aphasia. This hit home for me because just a few months ago I would have had the same reaction that many others did FROM THE to this news. I would have wondered what the heck is aphasia. EDITOR When his family made the announcement that Willis has now quit acting, I knew why because my dad was diagnosed with aphasia several months ago. While the VA doctors are not completely sure what the cause is, they know my dad’s recent issues in communicating are due to this condition. Aphasia is an inability to comprehend or formulate language because of damThelma Grimes age to specific brain regions. The major causes are stroke and head trauma. Aphasia can also be the result of brain tumors, brain infections, or neurodegenerative diseases. In looking at my dad’s brain scans, doctors showed me a dark area in his brain where speech is impacted. There is no fix for this, which means family and friends must be more patient and understanding. Getting past all the scans, and Webster’s definition of aphasia, there is a person this condition impacts and it must be incredibly frustrating. After my dad’s diagnosis I researched it and became a lot more sensitive to the struggles he is going through. The inability to express a thought even though he is thinking it. The struggles to understand conversations happening around him. It must be incredibly tough to go through day-to-day activities with an important part of your brain not functioning correctly. Another person who has publicly talked about the impacts of aphasia has been former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. In my early days as a journalist in Arizona, I got to know Giffords well. She survived being shot in the head, but not without some lasting effects. One of those conditions is aphasia. Through social media, Giffords often describes what aphasia does to a person. She is open about how the idea is there, but she can’t get the words out to express it. Giffords will always be someone I admire, and seeing her still speak in public engagements and work as hard as she does to make a difference in the world is impressive. I also love that she continues to bring more awareness to this condition that can impact a range of reading, writing and speaking. With my dad, we continue to learn patience. We have worked to slow down when we are speaking. We are understanding when he says something that may not make a lot of sense to us, but he is trying. For those who may encounter someone dealing with aphasia, understand it is more frustrating for the person living with it than it is for us. It is important to practice patience and understanding for this condition just like we would with any other medical condition a person is working through. Thelma Grimes is the south metro editor for Colorado Community Media
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR Tax hike not needed Voters will be asked May 3 to vote on raising real estate taxes to build a $45+ million park and recreation facility. Elizabeth Park and Recreation is currently receiving 2.466 mills and they want to raise that to 4.952 mills. I guess now would be a good time to pull out your tax notice you just received at the end of January. Look at it to see what you paid to EPR. If voted in, double that amount for residential (residential pays 7.15% of assessed evaluation) and commercial and businesses would pay so much more (commercial pays 29% of assessed evaluation), business would be extremely hit hard with this tax increase. While you are at it, now would be a good time to ask yourself why do you like living here in the first place? Looks like Elizabeth is becoming another Parker or Castle Rock. Elbert County News article of 2/11/2022 stated, “Barney’s presentation stressed that the new recreation center will enhance the lives of Elizabeth Residents.” What does he mean by enhance? Higher real estate taxes for all, more traffic, trees destroyed in such a beautiful location, wildlife greatly impacted. I know that everyone would like to
have a swimming pool. We can have that with no tax increase to the taxpayers. They can take their current mill levy and with voter approval can split that mill levy to float a 20 or so year bond to pay for a nice pool that will meet the needs of this community, not like the one they are proposing that will not accommodate the residents. I know this because when I served on the EPR board, we did exactly that when we were only receiving 1 mill, not the 2.466 they are currently receiving. Once we split our mill to half a mill, and half for the 20 year bond we were able to complete the Casey Jones Park ball field. We were able to put up new lights, new fencing, sprinkler system, new water piping (the state would not allow us to drill a new well, we had to pipe the water in from another location, very expensive), grass, new dug outs, everything complete with absolutely no tax increase to the tax payers. A lot can be done with 1.23 mills. The current EPR District has so much more money that we ever had when we did this, so I know that this can be done with absolutely no tax increase. Linda Krueger Elizabeth
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Elbert County News 11
April 14, 2022
Diana DeGette and other lawmakers grill oil executives BY CAITLYN KIM COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO
In Washington, it was a contentious time on Capitol Hill April 6, as six oil and gas executives faced questions from lawmakers about the high cost of gasoline. Democrats focused on the fact companies are making record profits, while Republicans took aim at President Joe Biden’s energy policies. Colorado Congresswoman Diana DeGette chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s oversight panel, which held the hearing. She said high gas prices are constraining “constituents’ budgets and their patience.” As she spoke, DeGette displayed a chart behind her showing the price of crude oil going up and down, even as the price of gas has risen and stayed high, despite crude prices starting to drop. “If the price of gas is driven by the global market, why is the price of oil coming down but the price at the pump is still near record highs? If it’s an issue of supply and demand, wouldn’t that be reflected in the global price of oil as well?” DeGette asked. “Something doesn’t add up.” Oil executives and Democrats, including DeGette, spar over the reason why prices are so high The oil executives argued it’s not as simple as comparing global prices on any given day to gas station prices. “Oil that’s entering a refinery could have been purchased at a higher price, and therefore that price then flows through all the way to the station. It’s not necessarily an instantaneous market,” explained David Lawler, head of BP America. Chevron CEO Michael Wirth added, “these things do correlate over the long term but in the short term, they don’t always go up and down.” But many Democrats questioned whether companies are giving the full picture about the ongoing high prices. “While I understand that you simply cannot flip the switch or turn on the spigot, you must be honest about the main reason that some companies are choosing to ramp up production slowly,” said Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell. “A survey of oil company executives by the Dallas Federal Reserve found that nearly 60 percent of oil companies are restraining growth because of investor pressure.” The oil executives did acknowledge that their companies earned billions last year, after losing billions in 2020 when the pandemic tanked demand. And many of the CEOs said they would not stop paying stock dividends or pursuing buybacks this year. They also pushed back on the accusation of price gouging, noting many of the companies did not own the gas stations. “I want to be absolutely clear: We do not control the market price of crude oil or natural gas, nor of refined products like gasoline and diesel fuel, and we have no tolerance for price gouging,” Wirth said during his opening remarks. Meanwhile, Republicans try to
take advantage of what they see as midterm elections talking point Republicans dismissed this line of questioning from Democrats. Ranking member Rep. Morgan Griffith used part of his time to ask if oil companies were taking advantage of the situation in Ukraine to keep prices artificially high. The oil executives all said no. Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Cathy McMorris Rodgers described the hearing as “a distraction.” “Today is purely political. President Biden needs cover for his war on American energy,” she said in her opening statement. Republicans also see a political advantage in energy prices, believing it’s an issue that could hurt Democrats entering the midterm elections. They used their time to talk about the Biden Administration’s moratorium on new drilling leases on federal lands and regulations they claim impede production. “Does this whole mountain of red tape by President [Biden] make it harder for you to produce more energy in America?” Rep. Steve Scalise asked. Most of the oil executives said yes. Republicans also criticized Democrats’ focus on expanding America’s supply of green energy, arguing it has resulted in less investment in fossil fuel production. DeGette said this debate around more drilling and more lease sales indicates to her that the country needs a long-term energy plan. “The things that Republicans were suggesting — more permitting, more pipelines, “drill, baby drill” — the executives told me when I talked to them before the hearing today, there is no switch to flip. It’s not like any of those things would help us get more supply today,” she said. She said the people who could were the executives testifying and they “refused to say what they would do.” Executives maintain that gas prices are complex, but DeGette argues they could take a cut in profits to reduce prices If there was a theme that the oil executives tried to emphasize — when they got a chance to answer more than a yes or no during the questioning — it was that gas pricing is complex. “Demand has recovered and is now surpassing pre-pandemic levels for many transportation fuels,” Chevron President Gretchen Watkins noted in her written testimony. “But refinery throughput has not yet caught up with the post-pandemic surge in demand. The loss of Russian supply from the global market has only added pressure on an already strained refining industry that has yet to fully catch up with increasing demand.” There have been a number of proposals on both sides of the aisle floated to help reduce the price of oil, from a windfall tax for these producers to a gas tax holiday to easing the regulatory burden. DeGette asked the executives to go back to their boards and see what they could do to reduce prices at the pumps now, even if it meant a smaller profit for them. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said
A gas pump at a station in Littleton. Gasoline prices have spiked in 2022. PHOTO BY ROBERT TANN
recently that her caucus wanted to wait and hear what the oil executives had to say before moving forward on any legislation.
This story is from Colorado Public Radio, a nonprofit news source. Used by permission. For more, and to support CPR News, visit cpr.org.
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12 Elbert County News
April 14, 2022
STAMPEDE
S
are excited for the prospect of new additions and improvements to the park, while others want Elizabeth to maintain its small-town atmosphere and don’t want increased taxes. Elizabeth Stampede Board President Traci McClain is in the former camp. She encourages voters to support the mill levy increase, part of which would go toward a $9.7 million upgrade to the rodeo grounds and an event center. She argues that improvements to the rodeo arena would bring prosperity for rodeo culture and the Western way of life. On March 23, McClain sat down with the Elbert County News at El Abuelo Family Restaurant in downtown Elizabeth to discuss what she feels are the benefits of improving the rodeo grounds at Casey Jones Park, where the Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo is held. McClain started off with a brief history of the Elizabeth Stampede. Thirty-five years ago, around 1988, the Elizabeth Stampede was at a crossroads, she said. The rodeo wasn’t making a lot of money and the Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce thought that maybe maintaining the Elizabeth Stampede wasn’t worth it anymore. After significant discussion, leaders of the Elizabeth Stampede and the Town of Elizabeth decided that to keep rodeo alive in Elbert County, the Elizabeth Stampede needed to become sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). After becoming an official PRCA rodeo event, the Elizabeth Stampede grew quickly, with support from cowboys, the town and the community. For decades, the rodeo was in the small-size rodeo market, winning best national small rodeo three years in a row. Within their circuit, the Elizabeth Stampede won best rodeo over 15 times. Recently, the rodeo moved into the medium category with a larger purse and more sponsorship. The Elizabeth Stampede is now among a substantial group of nationally recognized rodeos.
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FROM PAGE 1
Rodeo in competitive field McClain says that now being in the medium market, the Elizabeth
o C o t d l y W W b r
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The current bleachers at the Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo grounds would be replaced with covered grandstands, with food service PHOTOS BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON underneath, if voters approve a tax increase on May 3.
r b t a t s o
‘It was a resounding yes to us that the community wanted the rodeo to stay and to thrive.’ Traci McClain, Elizabeth Stampede Elizabeth Stampede President Traci McClain smiles as she recalls some of her favorite memories of the Stampede Rodeo.
SEE STAMPEDE, P13
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Elbert County News 13
April 14, 2022
STAMPEDE FROM PAGE 12
Stampede Rodeo needs to evolve so it can keep up with other national medium-sized rodeos and continue drawing sponsorship, support, big purses and name recognition. “Right now, we’re working on our vision,” McClain said. “After COVID, we had a bit of a reset as an organization. 2020 was the first year that we ever canceled the rodeo. We didn’t know what it was going to be like coming back last year after two years of being away from the rodeo. Would we have community support? Would they come back? Would they brave the virus to come out to the rodeo?” McClain continued: “People came back like crazy. They came back in a big way. It was a resounding yes to us that the community wanted the rodeo to stay and to thrive. Everyone from spectators to vendors to sponsors, we were booked for everything. We sold out. We’ve sold out before, but never this quickly.” After the success of the 2021 Elizabeth Stampede, McClain and the Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo leadership began to brainstorm ways to improve the rodeo and keep bringing people back year after year while still maintaining the local feel. “We’re in the planning stages right now. I don’t think it will ever be a Cheyenne or the big rodeos like that, and I’m not sure we would really want anyway. We want to maintain that `rodeo in the pines’ feel,” said McClain. “We like that feeling of a small community rodeo. We’ve
heard that from our contestants, from our contractors, our spectators, and our community that that is what they like as well.” McClain then expressed why she sees a need for the mill levy funding to progress with their vision for the rodeo. “In order to keep it rolling with the times and keep providing money for our contestants and have good purses, and keep up with inflation, we’ve got to find a way to pay for it,” explained McClain. “We have three streams of revenue: vendors, spectators buying tickets, and sponsors. Our sponsors have stepped up, they come back year after year and sell whatever they can sell.” Improved grandstands planned The biggest change in the rodeo grounds, according to McClain, would be the greatly improved seating and spectator capacity, as the plan calls for covered grandstands with a seating capacity of 3,500. “We want to fill our grandstands as much as we can, but we’re turning people away. Lots of people are so disappointed that they can’t come to the rodeo because there just isn’t enough space,” said McClain. “Our number one complaint that we have is our bleachers. They are getting worn out, they’re peeling, they give people splinters. Every year we spend a boatload of money trying to repair them and keep them functioning. The bleachers are hand-medowns from Estes Park Rodeo. We brought them down here and we’ve been taking care of them and babying them as much as we can. Maintaining them is our biggest expense from year to year.” McClain explained that their hope
Worship
EASTER
is to have inclusive seating for people with handicaps and for people of size in the new covered grandstands. She also said that having covered seating will make the rodeo experience much more enjoyable, especially during the rainy summer. “The rodeo has a great partnership with Parks and Rec,” McClain said. “They have been tremendous, and I think they’ve done a great job. They’re forward thinking and address community needs. As a mother raising children in this community, I appreciate all that they have done. From the baseball games to football, yoga in the pavilion, I think they’ve done a great job at thinking about the future. Their purchase of the Casey Jones property has been great. They’re really working hard to preserve the natural space. We just want to help support them. I think they are doing a great job at coming up with plans for the rec center and field house and thinking about the future and the community.” McClain added: “We have our eye on the future of the rodeo and how it impacts our community. We are partnered together, we’ve sat in on
Some of the Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo bleacher seats have been covered to stretch out their longevity, though Stampede President Traci McClain says it’s not a permanent solution. PHOTO BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON
the planning sessions with them, and we’re giving advice on the rodeo arena. We’re also working with our own contractor to come up with plans and estimates and so we hope that we can start building as soon as we can.”
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14 Elbert County News
LOCAL
April 14, 2022
LIFE
A store and post office in St. Elmo that doubled as the home of Annabelle and Tony Stark, the town’s last original residents.
The St. Elmo General Store, which still operates during the summer months.
The forgotten history of Colorado’s ghost towns From the foothills of Douglas County to the cliffs of Battle Mountain, history abounds in Colorado’s uninhabited towns BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
“There’s nothing abandoned in Colorado,” proclaims Melanie Roth from a set of wooden steps outside a cabin in St. Elmo — a ghost town in Chaffee County. Roth’s assertion is a bold one considering the setting — a dead-silent main street consisting of 150-year-old buildings that haven’t been inhabited since the 1950s gives way to the towering foothills of Mount Princeton and the Collegiate Peaks. Here, over a hundred miles from the bustling cityscape of metro Denver, it’s easy to feel isolated — yet not
entirely alone. St. Elmo is perhaps the most well preserved of Colorado’s many ghost towns — remnants of a bygone era when mining, agriculture and railroad routes largely governed where people lived. While many of these settlements have been decimated by years of weathering — and in some cases, vandalism — a small group of dedicated historians have worked to preserve them as markers of Colorado’s history. “Two things make Colorado ghost towns different than any other state,” said Lee Dahl, a member of the Ghost Town Club of Colorado. “First of all,
the setting; a lot of them are up in the mountains, that kind of makes them a little remote, off the beaten path, not a lot of people knew about it for a long time. “The other thing is that a lot of those ghost towns had a huge infrastructure where you’d have a mine shaft, and a milling building, some rather large structures that were built rather stoutly for the industry. That made them interesting, also made them sturdy, so they’d withstand time,” Dahl continued. At a 1958 meeting of Colorado historians in Golden, a man named John Farr stood up after a presentation on ghost towns and said, ‘We ought to
start a club.’ The Ghost Town Club of Colorado was formed shortly thereafter and remains active in educating and preserving Colorado’s towns of yesteryear. Ethan Knightchilde, a documentary filmmaker and member of the Ghost Town Club, said that many of Colorado’s ghost towns followed a similar trajectory; a discovery was made, followed by a boom, then a bust — then, the town went “ghost.” “When a town no longer had a reason to exist, it ceased to exist, in short. And so, a lot of the mining towns were built around a single commodity, SEE GHOST TOWNS, P15
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Elbert County News 15
April 14, 2022
GHOST TOWNS FROM PAGE 14
whatever ore was in the ground. It’s a limited resource; when it ran out, the people left,” Knightchilde said. Joan Fields, a member of the Ghost Town Club since 1979, explained the difference between the two main types of ghost towns commonly found in Colorado. “It depends on where the ghost towns are. Because there are ghost towns out on the Eastern Plains, and a lot of those were based upon agriculture. The mountain towns, of course, if the minerals ran out or it wasn’t a particularly prosperous mine, oftentimes the towns would disappear,” Fields said. Ghosts you see, ghosts you don’t “Technically, towns like Georgetown and Silverton are ghosts,” Knightchilde said. “You’d never want to say that to a resident — they will take offense. But they are shadows of their former selves in terms of size, and their continued existence is because they no longer make a living off of what started them.” In a way, Knightchilde has a point — Georgetown today largely subsists as a tourist destination, far from its roots as a silver mining camp. When faced with the prospect of going ghost or reinventing themselves, towns of their ilk have been forced to find new ways to get by. Other historic settlements haven’t been as lucky as the roadside mountain towns. “In the old days, you’re traveling by
horse and wagon, to travel 10 miles a day was a good trip,” said Ed Bathke, a member of the Ghost Town Club since 1961. “So, there were a lot of little towns that were about 10 miles apart. “Today, you can go much greater distances in an auto pretty quickly, so therefore a lot of these little towns that were really supply points, business centers for their surrounding community, are now essentially ghost towns because people don’t need a supply point that close,” Bathke said. Dakan, a short-lived mining camp in Douglas County, is largely invisible to the naked eye. “If you go out there today and look, you’ll see a pasture. There is no sign of it whatsoever,” said Larry Schlupp, president of the Larkspur Historical Society. “There were numerous mines out there at one time — it was a gold town. “ Despite the many challenges surrounding the task, efforts to preserve ghost towns have gained steam in recent years. Dearfield, a historically Black settlement in Weld County, was in danger of seeing its few remaining buildings disintegrate before Colorado’s Most Endangered Places — an initiative of Colorado Preservation, Inc. — stepped in and listed the site on its “priority saves” list in an effort to raise funds and organize preservation efforts. In doing so, one of the state’s earliest markers of Black independence will live on for future generations to learn from and experience. “(Dearfield) was a colony founded by pioneering Black settlers who understood that having some independence and owning land and maybe
farming and building a town was a greater way to achieve independence — freedom — in society,” said Kim Grant, director of Colorado’s Most Endangered Places. “They actually prospered there for 20 years, and then the Dust Bowl came, and climatic factors intervened that nobody really foresaw and it just ruined the farm economy for nearly everybody. And the town just died away,” Grant continued. While the town largely died off with its founder, Oliver Toussaint Jackson, in 1948, a few buildings — including a gas station, a diner and Jackson’s homestead — remain in rough shape. Now, with the help of Colorado’s Most Endangered Places, the buildings will be restored as tangible historical artifacts. A modern-day ghost Unique even among the colorful history of Colorado ghost towns is Gilman, a modern-day ghost that couldn’t survive its own reinvention. Early settlers arrived in Gilman around 1879, as overcrowding in Leadville forced miners to try their luck elsewhere. The town was formally
settled in 1886 amid the Colorado silver boom. Gilman was initially named “Clinton” after John Clinton, a judge and speculator from nearby Red Cliff, but was later renamed in honor of Henry Gilman, a foreman of the Iron Mask Mine. Like many towns on Battle Mountain, life in Gilman revolved around mining. By 1890, the town had a growing population and a newspaper, the Gilman Enterprise. Then, the silver crash hit. “With the silver crash of 1893, a lot of the town was abandoned,” said Matthew Mickelson, the local history librarian for Eagle County. “It went from a population of well over 1,000 down to 400 at that point. Soon after that was when they started mining for zinc.” Faced with similar prospects of other boomtowns of the era — reinvention or abandonment — Gilman chose the latter and became a profitable zinc mining outfit that was purchased by the New Jersey Zinc Company in 1912 with designs of turning the settlement into a company town. SEE GHOST TOWNS, P16
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16 Elbert County News
April 14, 2022
C R O S S W O R D GHOST TOWNS P U Z Z L E FROM PAGE 15
“It was considered a model company town — a good one,” said Kathy Heicher, president of the Eagle County Historical Society and local history author. Heicher added that during this time, Gilman had a hospital, a store and even a bowling alley. New Jersey Zinc had a reputation for taking care of their workers, and wages and accommodations in Gilman were good throughout much of the 20th century. The population of Gilman hovered between 300-500 residents, with booms occurring around both world wars as demand for zinc increased. By the 1980s, however, natural resources in the mines were becoming depleted, and the town was growing less profitable. On April 11, 1985, residents of Gilman received a letter from the Battle Mountain Corporation — the name of the company that owned and operated the town at the time — stating that they would need to vacate the premises by June 30. The terms of the departure notice were severe. “We would like to offer rent-free living until your departure from
the premises. In addition, we would like to offer Joe Trujillo’s assistance with packing your belongings, if necessary,” stated the letter from Battle Mountain Corporation. In an instant, Gilman — a mountain town that had prospered for almost a century — was gone. However, its story as a ghost town was just beginning. In 1986, the mine was declared an Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site and work began on quelling the contamination from the runoff. Cleanup work on the site was declared completed in 2001, but spikes in pollutants occur to this day, making the decontamination process ongoing. Today, Crave Real Estate Ventures owns the townsite, which has become victimized by vandalism in recent years. Trespassers on the property are frequently cited. Nevertheless, remnants of Gilman’s heyday can still be found at the site. “They left in such a hurry, the people who have snuck into town say they went into the doctor’s office and there were X-rays lying around. One woman, whose dad had worked at the mine, was able to find his old paystub in the mine offices. That’s why people are really intrigued by it,” Heicher said.
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Special Education Teacher for a significant needs program located at the Strasburg Elementary School. Current Colorado Special Education Teacher license required. BA salary range $34,650-$40,950 & MA salary range $39,900$46,200, based on experience. May be eligible for Sign On Bonus! Excellent benefits. Collaborative work environment with lots of free continuing education opportunities available. May be eligible for Student Loan Forgiveness. Questions contact Tracy at (719) 775-2342, ext. 101 or tracyg@ecboces. org. Please complete a Certified application located at the bottom of the “Jobs” page on ecboces.org or email tracyg@ecboces.org. Equal Opportunity Employer.
Registered Occupational Therapist Full-Time and part-time Registered Occupational Therapist. OTR must have, or be eligible for appropriate Colorado licensure. Provide Pre-12 intervention, assessment, direct & indirect services just east of Denver on I-70, Bennett, Strasburg Byers & Kiowa areas. Support from an experienced COTA is available. Full Time Salary range for OTD: $49,350-$60,550. Part-Time Salary prorated based on the number of days employed. Excellent benefits. Access to a company vehicle or mileage reimbursement. May be eligible for a loan forgiveness program and signing bonus. To apply for this position, please complete the Certified Application for Employment available on the East Central BOCES website www. ecboces.org under “Jobs”. EOE Questions contact Tracy at (719) 775-2342, ext. 101 or email tracyg@ ecboces.org
School Psychologist or Intern East Central BOCES is seeking a Full-Time School Psychologist or Intern to join our dynamic, multidisciplinary team of professionals for the 2022-23 school year. Educational Specialist (Ed.S.), Colorado certified. Provide PreK-12 intervention including assessment, development of IEP’s & consultation services. Competitive salaries: ED.S $51,450-60,900 & Intern $47,600$52,400, both commensurate upon experience. excellent benefits including dental, vision, and medical insurance. May be eligible for Sign On Bonus! May also be eligible for loan forgiveness. Flexible schedule. Use of a car or mileage reimbursement. Questions contact Tracy (719) 775-2342, ext. 101. To apply for this position, please complete the Certified Application for Employment available on the East Central BOCES website www. ecboces.org under “Jobs”. EOE
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Special Education Paraprofessionals Full & Part-Time Special Education Paraprofessionals needed for our West Area Center-based Learning Program located in Strasburg. Competitive pay and benefits including individual health insurance . $13-$17 per hour depending on experience. May be eligible for Sign On Bonus! To apply for this position, please complete the Classified Application for Employment available for download on the ecboces.org website under “Jobs” or contact Tracy at (719) 775-2342, ext. 101. Please fax completed application to 719-771-4001 or email it to tracyg@ ecboces.org Equal Opportunity Employer Speech-Language Pathologist or SLPA Positions Full-Time & Part-Time Open to School Internships. Able to provide supervision for CFY hours. Join our dynamic, multidisciplinary team of professionals for the 2022-23 school year. Administer assessments, provide direct, indirect & consultation services for students PreK-12th grades. Competitive salaries: SLP - $44,100-$56,000 & SLPA- $36,050- $44,450, both commensurate upon experience. May be eligible for a Sign On Bonus! May also be eligible for loan forgiveness. Excellent benefits, including full health benefits & mileage reimbursement. Flexible schedule. Questions contact Tracy at (719) 775-2342, ext. 101. To apply for this position, please complete the Certified Application for Employment available on the East Central BOCES website www.ecboces.org under “Jobs”. EOE
Various Positions Available Distribution and Production Labor, Delivery Drivers, and General Management wanted. Must enjoy working outdoors with plants. $15$20, depending on experience. Contact info: Arbor Valley Nursery, 18539 County Road 4, Brighton, CO 80603, 303-654-1682.
WANTED Oil Field Labor Roustabouts NEEDED! General oil field labor, including repairing, maintaining, and transporting equipment and parts as needed. FT + benefits. $19+/hr to start. Previous experience a plus, will train. Apply at 10137 WCR 19, Fort Lupton, 80621 or call 303-833-5670 Contact info: Christina Ling cling@kpk.com K.P. Kauffman Company, Inc
4 Cemetery Plots at Crown Hill Near back, purchased in 1950. Located under trees and all together. Asking $15,000 plus transfer fees for all 4 or best offer. Please call for more information. 303-431-5133
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April 14, 2022
Autopsies released in Franktown-area double murder case Results show victims had used drugs, sustained other injuries BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The autopsy results, recently released by the Douglas County Coroner’s office, show the victims in the double homicide in the Franktown area had bruising, shallow injuries and were shot by two different firearms. The report shows both victims also had meth, alcohol and marijuana in their systems. Jessica Mitchell, 32, and her boyfriend Bryan Gray, 34, were found dead in an unattached garage at their home on Russellville Road Feb. 8. Casey Devol, Mitchell’s brother, was arrested Feb. 9 and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Devol is still awaiting more legal proceedings that are scheduled for May 24. As of Feb. 11, Sheriff Tony Spurlock said his office did not yet have a clear understanding of the motive in the case. Gray had six gunshot wounds and Mitchell had three, according to the autopsy reports. Both had also been shot once with a shotgun, according to the report. Both Gray and Mitchell also had bruises on them and “abrasions” on their faces and bodies. Douglas County Coroner Jill Romann explained that an abrasion is consid-
ered a scratching of the surface of the skin. A skinned knee, for example, would be considered an abrasion. Romann added that these abrasions likely occurred in the immediate period before Gray and Mitchell died. It’s noted in Mitchell’s autopsy report that the abrasions on her arms show a pattern consistent with her being in a shielding position at the time. An arrest affidavit for Devol revealed that Gray had been found with a plate of food on top of him. Mitchell had a pry bar on top of her. Mitchell was found with a “digital recorder device,” according to her autopsy report. The manner of death for both cases is marked on the autopsies as homicide, which Romann said means the deaths were not caused by self-inflicted wounds and don’t appear to have been accidental. In addition to the toxicology reports, notes were made in both autopsies that each had a history of methamphetamine use. Devol was also charged with felony animal cruelty. Authorities said a dog named Cleo was found dead at the scene. Devol’s affidavit said that responding deputies found the home to have been ransacked, with drawers throughout the home open. Deputies also discovered security footage for the home that showed someone entering the garage carrying “multiple handguns and a long gun.” After a tip from a friend of the family, investigators identified Devol as the person in the video.
Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock.
Devol’s next court hearing is set for May 24 at 9 a.m. The case has shocked the rural community of Franktown, with many people from the community commenting on the sheriff’s office’s social media accounts saying they are a friend of Devol’s and surmising there must be more to the story. “We’re getting the same informa-
FILE PHOTO
tion from witnesses and people interviewed that this kind of behavior would be out of character for the suspect,” Spurlock said. Spurlock said none of the people involved, including both victims and Devol, had anything more than “minor law enforcement contacts” in the past. There also hadn’t been calls for service or for mental health concerns at their homes.
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Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088 Legals City and County Public Notice NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS Notice is hereby given that the Planning Commission and Board of Trustees shall hold public hearings concerning a site plan application for the project known as Shamrock Investments, L.L.C. located on the north side of Highway 86 and west side of County Road 17, in the Elizabeth Cross Roads Business Park., pursuant to the Town of Elizabeth Land Development Ordinance. The public hearings are to be held before the Planning Commission on May 3, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. and Board of Trustees on May 17, 2022 at 7:00 p.m., or as soon as possible thereafter. The public hearings shall be held in the Town Hall, 151 South Banner Street, Elizabeth, Colorado, or at such other time or place in the event this hearing is adjourned. Further information is available through the Town Community Development Department at (303) 646-4166. ALL INTERESTED PERSONS MAY ATTEND. EXHIBIT A (legal description) LOT 3, ELIZABETH CROSS ROADS BUSINESS PARK, TOWN OF ELIZABETH, COUNTY OF ELBERT, STATE OF COLORADO. Legal Notice No. 24825
First Publication: April 14, 2022 Last Publication: April 14, 2022 Publisher: Elbert County News
Summons and Sheriff Sale Public Notice District Court , Elbert County, Colorado Court Address: 751 Ute Avenue P.O. Box 232, Kiowa, Colorado 80117 In re the Parental Responsibilities concerning: Matthew Stephen Wood Jr. Petitioner: Janae Nicole Eason and Respondent: Matthew Stephen Wood Jr. Party Without Attorney: Janae Eason 7781 Shenandoah Drive Elizabeth Colorado 80107 Phone Number: 1 720 753 2149 E-mail: janaekiva77@gmail.com Case Number: 21DR54 SUMMONS FOR ALLOCATION OF PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES
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participate in this action. You may be required to pay a filing fee with your Response. The Response form (JDF 1420) can be found at www.courts.state.co.us by clicking on the “Self Help/Forms” tab. The Petition requests that the Court enter a Order addressing issues involving the children such as, child support, allocation of parental responsibilities, (decision-making and parenting time), attorney fees, and costs to the extent the Court has jurisdiction. Notice: Colorado Revised Statutes §14-10-123, provides that upon the filing of a Petition for Allocation of Parental Responsibilities by the Petitioner and Co-Petitioner, or upon personal service of the Petition and Summons on the Respondent, or upon waiver and acceptance of service by the Respondent, an automatic temporary injunction shall be in effect against both parties until the Final Order is entered, or the Petition is dismissed, or until further Order of the Court. Either party may apply to the Court for further temporary orders, an expanded automatic temporary injunction, or modification or revocation under §14-10-125, C.R.S.
If you were served in the State of Colorado, you must file your Response with the clerk of this Court within 21 days after this Summons is served on you to participate in this action.
A request for genetic tests shall not prejudice the requesting party in matters concerning allocation of parental responsibilities pursuant to §14-10124(1.5), C.R.S. If genetic tests are not obtained prior to a legal establishment of paternity and submitted into evidence prior to the entry of the final order, the genetic tests may not be allowed into evidence at a later date.
If you were served outside of the State of Colorado or you were served by publication, you must file your Response with the clerk of this Court within 35 days after this Summons is served on you to
Automatic Temporary Injunction – By Order of Colorado law, you and the other parties: 1. Are enjoined from molesting or disturbing the peace of the other party; and
To the Respondent named above this Summons serves as a notice to appear in this case.
2. Are restrained from removing the minor child(ren) from the state without the consent of all parties or an Order of the Court modifying the injunction; and 3. Are restrained, without at least 14 days advance notification and the written consent of all other parties or an Order of the Court, from cancelling, modifying, terminating, or allowing to lapse for nonpayment of premiums, any policy of health insurance or life insurance that provides coverage to the minor child(ren) as a beneficiary of a policy.
vehicle was abandoned and left in our lot since April 2019. If this vehicle is registered to you, please contact us at 720.381.1714. A storage fee of $35.00 per day from the date it was first abandoned on our lot (April 1st 2019) will be owed to us, LD Horton LLC, before this vehicle is released.
If you fail to file a Response in this case, any or all of the matters above, or any related matters which come before this Court, may be decided without further notice to you.
Notice to Creditors
Legal Notice No. 24812 First Publication: March 17, 2022 Last Publication: April 14, 2022 Publisher: Elbert County News
PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Leo Ruben Salas, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR2
Date: February 18, 2022 /s/ Gary Michael Kramer Signature of the District Court Judge
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 August 28, 2022, or the claims may be forever barred.
Legal Notice No. 24810 First Publication: April 14, 2022 Last Publication: May 12, 2022 Publisher: Elbert County News
Storage Liens/Vehicle Titles Public Notice
LuAnn Lynn Leeder Personal Representative 23509 Jasper Trail Deer Trail, CO 80105 Legal Notice No. 24822 First Publication: April 7, 2022 Last Publication: April 21, 2022 Publisher: Elbert County News
Colorado Container Homes an LD Horton LLC Company 8561 Hwy 86, Kiowa, CO 80117 Applying For Title – Abandoned Vehicle We are applying for the title of a Red 2013 Dodge Durango, VIN#1C4RDJAG5DC684870. This
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Elbert County Legals 4.14.22 * 1
20 Elbert County News
April 14, 2022
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