Elbert County News 110322

Stampede charges to summit

Elizabeth rodeo wins best in class at Mountain States Circuit Finals

BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

The Elizabeth Stampede took home big wins on Oct. 21 and 22 at the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Mountain States Circuit Finals. The Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo won awards for Medium Rodeo of the Year, Bareback Horse of the Year and Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year.

The finals were held in Loveland at The Ranch, Larimer County’s major event complex. Each day, the event included rodeo performances with spectators, award ceremonies,

Elizabeth will have new mayor in 2023

Trustee Nick Snively chosen by colleagues

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

Elizabeth Board of Trustees member Nick Snively is the town’s mayor-elect and will become mayor on Jan. 1, 2023.

At the Sept. 13 Board of Trustees meeting, members voted to declare candidates elected and cancel the Nov. 8 election. This is a common practice for small towns when candidates run unopposed. The motion passed unanimously, 6-0, making Snively the mayor-elect. In addition to the position of mayor, Loren Einspahr and Tammy Payne were named as trustees-elect.

Mayor-elect Snively joined the town’s leadership on May 10 as a new Board of Trustees member, filling the vacant seat left by the resignation of Ron Weaver. Snively is 42 years old, has three children, and has been married for 18 years. Originally from a small town in Southern California, Snively has lived in Colorado for over 10 years.

Snively has a master’s degree in public administration and an undergraduate degree in management with minors in U.S. history and religious studies. He has worked in project management for the past 15 years in various industries including healthcare, finance, and higher education.

One of Snively’s core values is communication and building a stronger relationship between the Town of Elizabeth leadership and

Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo Royalty, from left: Kyra Doud, 2023 queen; Josie Thomas, 2022 queen; Hannah Thomas, 2022 attendant; and Isabelle Piche, 2023 attendant.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ELIZABETH STAMPEDE RODEO

The Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard performs in June at the 2022 Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo. The local rodeo won big on Oct.

Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Mountain States Circuit Finals,

honored

PHOTO BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON

Schroeder responds to Griswold’s appointment of vote supervisor

Clerk says secretary of state does not give ‘complete picture’ of events

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Elbert County Clerk Dallas Schroeder said the appointment of a monitor to oversee election activities does not change the way his office will conduct elections.

“We do everything we can to make sure that we’re meeting all the requirements and all the rules,” Schroeder told Colorado Community Media in an interview. “In many cases, we go above and beyond.”

His remarks came hours after Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced a supervisor to monitor election-related actions in his office as of Wednesday, Oct. 19.

“Every eligible Coloradan — Republican, Democrat, and Unaffiliated alike — has the right to cast a ballot in accessible and secure elections,” Griswold said in an announcement. “That’s why I am taking action to appoint an Election Supervisor in Elbert County. I will continue to uphold Colorado Election Law and provide the support and oversight needed to ensure secure access to Colorado’s elections.”

This isn’t the first time Griswold, an incumbent Democrat facing a challenge from Republican Pam Anderson in November’s election,

has appointed a supervisor in Elbert County. Earlier this year, a monitor oversaw the primaries there.

Griswold cited problems in Elbert County, including in 2021 when Schroeder was accused of sharing copies of images of the county’s voting system hard drives. In the 2022 primaries, the secretary of state responded to “dozens of voted ballots which were not verified or counted during the regular counting process” in Elbert County. Those ballots were eventually added to the election results, according to Griswold’s office.

Schroeder, a Republican running unopposed for a new job — Elbert County commissioner — said that the secretary of state has not provided “a complete picture” of current and past events. He said the hard drives, for example, were provided to his attorneys, John Case and Joe Stengel, who had signed affidavits attesting to their security.

“They call them unauthorized,” Schroeder said of the secretary of state’s claims. “I call them my attorneys who maintained chain of custody and signed affidavits that the drives were never accessed in their possession.”

As for the uncounted ballots earlier this year, Schroeder claimed the situation was a simple oversight.

“You have a lot of people moving in and out of out of rooms, doing different processes in the election,” he said. “You know, sometimes things get missed. But we did notify (the secretary of state’s office) as

soon as we found it. We were sick about it … I appreciate their efforts in helping us get that issue resolved.”

Professional election administra-

tor Christi Coburn will monitor Schroeder’s elections staff, Griswold’s office said. Coburn played the same role in the 2022 primary elections in Elbert County.

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

When Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced that she was appointing a supervisor in Elbert County for the November election, she pointed to a past incident in her reasoning. Griswold, a Democrat, cited “a 2021 election security protocol breach where Republican Clerk Dallas Schroeder violated Colorado Elections Rules by giving unauthorized individuals copies of images of the county’s voting system hard drives.”

According to court records reviewed by Colorado Community Media, the copies of hard drives allegedly spent time under a bed, in a letter box and under a blanket in a locked car.

Last year, Schroeder was concerned that an upcoming software and firmware update, referred to as a “trusted build,” might erase or alter electronic records of the November 2020 election, he said in court filings. So he copied data from election servers onto a drive on Aug. 26, 2021. A week later, he copied the information onto a second drive.

Shawn Smith and Mark Cook were on the phone with Schroeder while he copied the information, Schroeder said in court filings. Smith and Cook are both involved in questioning election integrity and have been tied to MyPillow CEO and President Trump ally Mike Lindell, media reports say.

Schroeder’s attorneys, Ric Morgan and John Case, each had custody of a drive at some point, according to affidavits signed by the lawyers.

Schroeder placed one hard drive in a sealed pouch in the letter box outside of Morgan’s office. Morgan stated under oath that he “immediately retrieved the pouch from the letter box” upon its delivery.

Case took possession of a red

metal box containing a drive and placed it under his bed, according to his affidavit. Three days later, Case hired his own attorney, Joseph Stengel, and brought the drive to Stengel’s home. In his affidavit, Case did not provide a reason for this transfer.

“I placed the red metal box on the floor behind the driver’s seat in my vehicle,” he wrote in a court document. “I tried to force the box under the driver’s seat, and it would not fit.”

Stengel, a former Republican state House minority leader, resigned from his role in 2006 amid allegations that he billed excessive work hours when legislature was not in session.

Case stated that “a yellow plastic seal attached to the latch was intact” when he first received the box from Schroeder. Partway through Stengel’s custody, however, photographs of the box show the yellow seal broken.

Both Case and Stengel claim they never opened the box and have no personal knowledge of its contents.

“I assume that I must have broken the yellow plastic latch on January 25, 2022, when I tried to force the Red Metal Box under the driver seat,” Case wrote.

On May 4, 2022, after receiving the box back from Stengel, Case left the box concealed under a blanket in his locked car while he attended a funeral. Then he returned the box to Schroeder.

Griswold appointed an election supervisor for the fall balloting on Oct. 19.

“The supervisor is authorized to monitor the activities of the elections staff of Clerk and Recorder’s Office and is there to help the county meet its duties and obligations under state and federal law,” Griswold said in a statement. “The County Clerk and staff will take any and all lawful direction from the Election Supervisor and any other Secretary of State designee on any and all election matters.”

‘... sometimes things get missed. But we did notify (the secretary of state’s o ce) as soon as we found it..’

Dallas Schroeder, Elbert County Clerk

the townspeople.

“I am exceedingly passionate about communication and relationships,” said Snively. “These things only work if both parties are engaged in the process.” Snively answered questions from the Elbert County News on Oct. 26.

How does it feel to be selected as may-

for the Town of Elizabeth?

It is both humbling and a bit surreal. Elizabeth has some amazing opportunities in front of it as well as a number of large challenges to work through. We have an incredible town staff and wonderful community. I am excited and look forward to working with everyone.

What are your goals for the town?

I feel very strongly in my role as a representative for both the citizens of the Town of Elizabeth and of the Board of Trustees. In that, I want to focus heavily on building relationships within the community to ensure people’s voices are being heard and creating transparent communication. In my experience there is always a gap (for various reasons) between local government and the community and while I may not completely alleviate that gap, I want to have the greatest impact I can there. In my opinion, that will trump any specific agenda items that come our way over the next few years as that relationship between town

Historic Walk and Talk. It was great to see so many people turn out to learn about the roots of the town and walk down Main Street together. Outside of that, while this isn’t specifi cally a “town” event, the Elizabeth Stampede is something our family has been going to since we moved to Colorado over a decade ago and is

Do you have any fears or concerns about your new position?

I think fears and concerns are a normal part of any change. Within any position where decisions are being made you are going to make some people happy, while some people won’t be. I want to make sure we are engaging with the community to hear all perspectives before moving forward on something. I am always more than happy to grab some coffee with anyone to chat through concerns and fears in greater detail as well.

How does your family feel? Are they excited? Nervous?

My wife is incredibly supportive. She is the main reason I felt confi dent enough to put myself out there for this. While my three kids are also all very supportive, my middle daughter just wants to know two things: 1) can she introduce herself as the “Mayor’s Daughter” and 2) Will this allow me to get out of traffi c tickets. The police chief has assured me that it will not!

To learn more about the Town of Elizabeth Board of Trustees, visit townofelizabeth.org/bt.

CORE is looking for new additions to our team. We o er competitive salaries exceptional benefits and facilities, and the opportunity

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Visit www.CORE.coop/careers

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‘It is both humbling and a bit surreal. Elizabeth has some amazing opportunities in front of it as well as a number of large challenges to work through. We have an incredible town sta and wonderful community. I am excited and look forward to working with everyone.’

Nick Snively, Elizabeth mayor-elect

Melodrama coming to stage for four shows

Kiowa Creek Community Theater performs ‘Murder at the Malt Shop’

BY KIOWA CREEK COMMUNITY THEATER

The Kiowa Creek Community Theater is performing its annual melodrama on Nov. 3, 4, 5 and 6 at the Kiowa Creek Community Church Fellowship Hall, 231 Cheyenne St. in Kiowa.

This year’s production, sponsored by the Kiowa Ladies Aid, is “Murder at the Malt Shop,” written by Cheri L. Maxon, and produced by special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service Inc., based in Arapahoe County.

The annual melodrama production of the Kiowa Creek Community Theater, ongoing for more than 40 years, raises funds for the maintenance and upkeep of Kiowa Creek Community Church and Food Bank.

The play is set in the fabulous ‘50s inside the malt shop in the town of Shingleville. After the reprehensible and unreasonable Principal Jerry Atrick (Cecil Pugh) falls over dead during an unexpected blackout, it’s up to Sheriff Colin Allcars (Buddy Strachan), Doc Dusenburg (Priscilla Schnell), and Detective Squinty Peepers (also Priscilla Schnell) to find out who is responsible for the murder. Was it the trouble-mak-

ing greaser, Noah Count (Mark Poole)? Or the bubbly and annoying know-it-all cheerleader, Bobbie Pinz (Polly Ehlers)? Surely not her sidekick, Shirley Knott (Billie Owens)! Could it have been the waitress, Dee Lighted (Lizzie Poole), who takes your order but brings you whatever she feels like? Or perhaps soda jerk Russel Sprout (Duane Owens)? How about the sultry starlet Holly Wood (Linda Ehmann), the dim-witted jock Jim Shorts (Eric Whitman), or female wrestler Wynn Fairly (Sarah Ma-

lerich)? Maybe it was the music teacher Doe Ramey (Kristi Strachan) or radio personality Hedda Fuller Eyre (Debbie Maul)! Or perhaps it was school secretary Ginger Vitus (Betty Hood) or head of the school board Norma Dreadful (Lorra Wenz).

This zany mystery delivers exactly what you’re craving: a juicy, extraa cheesy whodunit served with loads of hilarious puns and topped with a heap of nostalgic ‘50s references!

Thursday, Nov. 3, is family night;

bring the whole family for $10 for the 7 p.m. performance. Friday, Nov. 4, and Saturday, Nov. 5, are dinner theaters with the all-youcan-eat buffet at 5 p.m. and the performances at 7; tickets are $25 for adults, $10 for ages 6-11, and 5 and under are free. On Sunday, Nov. 6, dessert theater is at 3 p.m. with tickets at $10 for adults, $8 for ages 6-11, and 5 and under are free. Advanced tickets are recommended. Contact Linda at 720-4800799 or Debbie at 303-621-2113 to reserve your tickets.

“Murder at the Malt Shop” cast members, from left: Duane Owens, Kristi Strachan, Lorra Wenz, Cecil Pugh, Lizzie Poole, Buddy Strachan, Priscilla Schnell, Eric Whitman, Sarah Malerich, Billie Owens, and Mark Poole. Not pictured: Debbie Maul, Betty Hood, Linda Ehmann, and Polly Ehlers. COURTESY

PHOTO

Colorado health insurance rates set to rise

BY JOHN INGOLD THE COLORADO SUN

Prices for people who buy health insurance on their own are set to increase next year in Colorado — but not quite by as much as initially proposed.

When insurers first filed rates with the state this summer, they requested an 11% increase in premium prices in the individual market, which is the category of the health insurance market that covers people who buy insurance without help from an employer.

In finalized rates released Tuesday, that increase had dropped to 10.4%.

In the small group market, where small companies buy insurance for their employees, premium prices are set to increase by an average of 7.4%. Insurers had originally requested a 9.2% increase.

Regulators at the state’s Division of Insurance must approve premium rates each year for the two markets, after examining whether the proposed prices are reasonably supported by the market circumstances. Most of the time, that results in the final rates being lower than those initially proposed, though sometimes it goes in

their magic like they do every year,” Michael Conway, Colorado’s insurance commissioner, said in talking about the lower-thaninitially-proposed increases in the final rates.

Limiting increases by slimming down profits

One way regulators reduced the proposed increases is by targeting insurers’ profit margins. When companies file their proposed rates they have to include a breakdown of how they arrived at their figures — how much of the premium goes to paying for prescription drugs, how much for hospital care,

margin, which for some insurers brought down their overall increase.

“They worked on the profit margin in particular and got the health insurers to agree to reduce their profits,” Conway said, referring to his rate-review team.

How much insurers are increasing their prices varies pretty widely. Kaiser Permanente, for instance, did not request a rate increase in the individual market, and Denver Health Medical Plans is set to drop its rates by 2.6%. But Friday, Health Plans will increase its rates by an average of 25.1%,

Health Plans all have increases that are lower than what they proposed.

Why some people could end up paying less

For people in the individual market, though, these rates are not necessarily what they will pay for coverage. People who shop on the state’s health insurance exchange, Connect for Health Colorado, and who qualify for premium subsidies could end up paying a lot less.

The reason has to do with how the subsidies are calculated, Conway said. When premium rates

Increases are lower than expected and some could pay less

go up, the value of the subsidies also goes up, meaning consumers have more power to effectively buy their premium rates down. On top of that, Congress extended the en hanced subsidies first made avail able in the pandemic-era American Rescue Plan Act. That means a lot more people will be eligible for subsidies.

Conway said roughly 80% of the people who shop for individual health insurance on the state’s exchange are eligible for subsidies.

And, for subsidy-eligible people in some parts of Colorado, the por tion of their premiums that they pay is set to drop. Conway said that people in Summit County who receive subsidies and who auto-re new their existing plans could see what they pay for insurance pre miums drop by up to 38%. That’s despite the underlying premiums in Summit County rising by an average of 8%.

As with previous years, Conway and other state officials say that consumers who are just shopping on price will likely be able to find less expensive options than what they currently have.

Did the Colorado Option suc ceed? It’s a muddle.

Next year also marks the rollout of the Colorado Option, the muchtouted initiative backed by Gov. Jared Polis to create a governmentdesigned health insurance plan that is sold by private insurance companies. The standardized Colo

rado Option plan requires certain basic benefits — like $0 primary care and mental health care visits — while also requiring insurers to sell the plan at progressively lower prices.

So, did it work?

To Conway, the answer is yes. In a news release, the Division of Insurance said consumers will be able “to collectively save $14.7 million by shopping and choosing the lowest cost Colorado Option plan in their preferred metal tier (bronze, silver or gold).”

The division also said that con sumers in all but one county will be able to buy Colorado Option plans at the gold, silver and bronze levels that are at or below the aver age price for plans in those respec tive tiers. In Jackson County, only the silver level will have a Colora do Option plan at or below average price.

“The Colorado Option, which is being offered for the first time, allows participants to better un derstand what they are paying for and prioritizes mental and physi cal well being intended to better support total wellness,” Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera said in a state ment.

But, to insurers, the Colorado Option failed to live up to its prom ises. Amanda Massey, the execu tive director of the Colorado As sociation of Health Plans, a trade group, said most of the lowest-cost plans across Colorado next year will not be Colorado Option plans. While insurers were told to price Colorado Option plans lower, they were also required to make the rates actuarially sound, meaning

they had to be sustainable based on the level of services that plans provide.

“There were a number of deci sions made that were part of the development of the Colorado Option that would fundamentally make hitting the targets almost impossible,” she said.

The organization Colorado’s Health Care Future said in a news release that non-Colorado Option plans in many counties will have premiums that are 5% to 10% be low the Colorado Option’s prices in those counties. The organization is a project of the Partnership for America’s Health Care Future Ac tion, which is itself an alliance of national insurance, hospital and pharmaceutical lobbying groups.

Competing with themselves?

Conway said he has not com pleted an analysis of how many insurers’ Colorado Option plans hit the pricing goals — though Massey said she believes a number did not. He argued that having non-Colorado Option plans priced lower than the Colorado Option plans shows how the initiative has led to greater competition in the marketplace. Basically, he argued, insurers are pricing other plans lower to make them competitive against the Colorado Option.

“They’re almost competing with themselves,” he said. “They’re trying to reduce their premiums to account for the fact that the Colo rado Option is bringing premiums down.”

Massey disagreed with that idea. She noted a number of other leg islative mandates passed in recent years — things like insulin price

caps and rules requiring increased spending on primary care — that her association’s members esti mate have increased insurance premiums by more than 5%.

She also pointed to the withdraw al of a couple of insurance com panies from the Colorado market — both Oscar Health and Bright Health decided not to offer plans in the state for 2023. Both withdraw als were part of national pullbacks by the companies, but Massey said their decisions are hard to square with a picture of the Colorado insurance market as a place where carriers can thrive.

“I don’t know that we would say that the market has gotten more competitive,” she said.

Consumer advocates placed blame for rising premium prices on the health care industry. Man nat Singh, the executive direc tor of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative said the industry “shouldn’t use the ongoing pan demic or inflation to hike company profits.”

“Insurers and hospitals are not making enough of an effort to meet the required reductions for some Colorado Option plans, but are instead setting a baseline for failing to hit the targets without reasonable justification,” Singh said.

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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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

Questions about snow removal in unincorporated Douglas County?

Questions about citizen snow removal responsibilites? Anwers to these questions and more can be found by visiting douglas.co.us and searching for Snow and Ice Removal.

County O ces Closed Nov.

will be closed on Friday, Nov. 11 in observance of Veterans Day. Many county services are available online at

a Voter Service and Polling Center to:

after parties lasting into the night.

in the circuit, most of which fall into the small and medium rodeo categories. This is the 16th time the Elizabeth Stampede has won Rodeo of the Year for its circuit.

award is really special to us because it is voted on by the contestants in the Mountain States Circuit,” said Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo President Traci McClain. “Many of them came to our rodeo this year.”

The Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo Royalty were present at the events, cheering on their rodeo. Current royalty and upcoming 2023 Elizabeth Stampede Royalty were present. In an official statement, Josie Thomas (2022 queen), Hannah Thomas (2022 attendant), Kyra Doud (2023 queen) and Isabelle Piche (2023 attendant) shared their excitement.

“It was announced last night that the Elizabeth Stampede is the Mountain States Circuit Medium Size Rodeo of the Year,” said Josie Thomas.

“Congratulations to our board and all of our rodeo volunteers,” said Hannah Thomas. “Always remember, Life. Liberty. Rodeo.”

In addition to the prestigious awards received by the Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo, there was also a send-off party for Ashley Baller, current Miss Rodeo Colorado, and former Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo Royalty attendant. Baller is heading off to compete in the 2023 Miss

Rodeo America Pageant in Las Vegas that takes place from Nov. 27 to Dec. 4.

“In less than 40 days, I’ll be competing for the title of Miss Rodeo America 2023. I’ve been waiting 14 years for this moment,” said Baller. “I cannot wait to make my state proud. I’m thankful for this opportunity God’s blessed me with and I’m ready for it. Nos vemos en Las Vegas!”

To learn more about the Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo, visit elizabethstampede.com.

For more information on the Miss Rodeo America Pageant, visit missrodeoamerica.com.

To follow Miss Rodeo Colorado Ashley Baller’s journey to Las Vegas and the Miss Rodeo America Pageant, you can find her on Instagram at @missrodeocolorado, or on Facebook.

Several rodeo royalty representatives from the Mountain States Circuit gather, including Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo Royalty and Miss Rodeo Colorado.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUSAN SEWALD

Ashley Baller, Miss Rodeo Colorado and former Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo attendant, gives a speech at her send-o party. Baller will compete in the 2023 Miss Rodeo America Pageant in Las Vegas from Nov. 27 to Dec. 4.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUSAN SEWALD

Awards for Medium Rodeo of the Year, Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year and Bareback Horse of the Year went to the Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ELIZABETH STAMPEDE RODEO

Vamonos

Mon 11/14

Pert'

Tue 11/15

11/16

11/17

Exhausting election ads

Over the last few election cycles there has been a disturbing trend that continues to get worse — television advertising. In the last presidential election, I was positive they couldn’t get any worse. I was wrong.

VOICES

Thelma Grimes

This election cycle’s advertising in almost every race is nothing short of disgusting, annoying and mostly untrue. Ad after ad solely focused on getting one party to win over the other shows how tone-deaf candidates and those running their campaigns have become. It’s clear the Democrats are working to use this year’s Supreme Court ruling against abortion as a cornerstone issue to maintain control at the state level and in Washington. The problem is these ads are so poorly constructed, so annoyingly condescending that you forget about the positions they are taking and roll your eyes in disgust.

Some ads feature “seemingly” everyday citizens taking the “we’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore” approach. The problem is, if they are actors — they are terrible. If they are not actors — they need a lot more coaching before the cameras go live.

Another layer of annoying this year is the mom card. Candidates saying they are moms so they should be elected. While I agree moms are great managers, organizers and work hard — that doesn’t mean I am going to elect them solely on their mom status to pass and enforce laws.

I respect and love moms. I am a mom. However, qualifications to hold office should be based on a lot more than whether or not you are raising children. While I understand this tactic is aimed at middle-class moms — it is a ridiculous plan.

That leads me to another annoyance emerging as an election trend. That is the candidates who are choosing to run. I have been shocked a lot this election cycle with the fact that many of this year’s candidates in various races have few, if any, qualifications.

Some candidates seem to be running because it sounds good. Based on answers to questions and actions, it almost seems like they are taking a “what the heck” approach.

Whether it is a town council member, county coroner or state seat — holding office should be considered a privilege and the level of responsibility and integrity that comes with it should be respected. Holding office should not be about getting the other party voted out or because it’s become pretty easy to run.

After being elected, the work has to be done and citizens rely on every level of government to function.

Moving back into the exhausting television ads — the other issue that is getting worse is the fear factor messaging.

The doom and gloom messaging that if a candidate is elected the world could end, taxes will reach the highest they ever had, children will never be educated correctly again or all our civil rights will be abolished the day after the election is ridiculous.

I would like to see more ads with solutions, actual positions and messaging on each particular candidate. Tell us what you think can be done to help the economy. When we are spending hundreds of dollars on one or two bags of groceries at the store — we do not want to see your attack commercials.

When gasoline prices are skyrocketing, housing in Colorado may never be affordable again, homeless rates are rising and crime rates continue to be alarming — we do not need attack ads.

I would love to see candidates get back to civility, respect and the understanding that the work they are doing matters and schoolyard, childish behavior is just noise we no longer want or need to hear.

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

Engagement makes all the di erence

After checking in, the couple decided to head to the hotel bar for a nightcap. Luckily two seats opened up just as they walked in. They sat down and the bartender stood with his back turned watching the television as a Thursday Night Football game was being televised. The couple waited and when they saw a second bartender come in their direction, they thought they might finally be able to order a drink. They were disappointed as the second bartender also turned their back to watch the game.

Finally getting their attention, they received their drinks. No engagement with the patrons, just back to watching the game. Having visited more than a bar or two in my day, and having been a bartender earlier in my life, I have a great appreciation for those great bartenders who know that sometimes people come looking for an ear that will listen, a friend to talk to, a therapist to hear their problems, or someone to celebrate with. The couple finished their drinks and left.

Here’s another story that was shared with me by a sales leader. She was on a virtual sales call with one of her salespeople. They were using Zoom so they could all turn on their webcam and see each other, almost as if they were face-to-face and in person. The sales leader was invited to the

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meeting to share specific and new information with the prospect. The salesperson thought it would be better received coming from a senior leader.

As the meeting went on and the sales leader started discussing important data while also gathering great information through relevant questioning, she noticed that her salesperson wasn’t really paying attention. They looked distracted and were probably multi-tasking. Although she noticed it, her hopes were that the prospect wouldn’t really notice. Well into the discussion the salesperson finally started paying attention, but as it turned out, it was a little too little and a little too late. The final straw was when the salesperson brought up an irrelevant topic and asked an unrelated question. Unfortunately, they did not win the business.

How many times have we tuned out those around us only to tune into a game, an app, or something else? If we are being honest, it’s probably happening more often than we care to admit.

Imagine the teacher not being truly engaged with their student, the spouse not tuned in to their better half, the parent not engaging with their child, or a best friend losing interest in something that is important to their friend in that moment. In any one of those situations, I believe the relationship will suffer when we fail to truly engage.

Engagement is so vitally important in

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Invasive mussels have ‘infested’ Colorado lake

defecate or dry out on shorelines, they can cause a rancid smell, making it less desirable for people to recreate in these areas, said Robert Walters, CPW’s invasive species program manager.

BY TATIANA FLOWERS THE COLORADO SUN

Invasive zebra mussels have “infested” the water at Colorado’s Highline Lake — a reservoir north of Loma, near Utah — despite a 15-year effort by Colorado Parks and Wildlife to keep the state free of the harmful species, the agency said this week.

CPW staff have discovered at least 10 zebra mussels in Highline Lake.

After the first adult zebra mussel was found in the reservoir Sept. 14, Parks and Wildlife staff found al most a dozen more of the mussels in the same body of water on Oct. 21 and 22. Soon after, the depart ment changed the status of the lake from “suspect” to “infested,” according to a news release sent Oct. 25.

The new infestation could lead to millions of dollars in damage to water-based infrastructure, and threatens to impact water quality and limit recreational opportunity.

A single mussel can produce up to 1 million babies in a single year, officials said, making it challeng ing to contain the species, and nearly impossible to eradicate them once they’re introduced.

The aquatic nuisances attach to solid or semi-solid surfaces and clog up boat engines or distribu tion pipes at water treatment fa cilities. If knocked off, the mussels can drop into and infest a body of water.

The mussels can live outside of water for 27 days under the right conditions, and can pass almost a liter of water through their shells each day, consuming nutrients needed by other fish and plants in the ecosystem.

Their high levels of filter feeding can also alter food sources in lakes and reservoirs. And when mussels

NORTON

FROM PAGE 12

any relationship. Combine engage ment with intentionality and we have a true winning recipe for a winning relationship to thrive. An example of intentional engagement is when we are watching television and our spouse or child asks us a question or wants to talk and we simply turn off the TV and inten tionally engage. A common mistake that sends the wrong message is when we say, “OK, how about at the next commercial or at halftime, or when the show is over?” When we do that, we are saying that the game or show is more important than our child or spouse.

And if it’s not TV, can we close our computer, put down our phone, or stop what we are doing to actively listen and engage with those around

Now, the agency will have in creased sampling and monitoring efforts at Highline Lake to help contain the infestation. They also have implemented a special program where they will inspect and decontaminate every boat that leaves the lake to stop the species from spreading to other bodies of water, he said.

“This is incredibly concerning,” Walters said Wednesday. CPW’s invasive species leaders are evalu ating other steps to contain the mussels, he said.

There currently are no boats on Highline Lake, since the boating season ended Sept. 30, and so it is unlikely that the zebra mussels will be shuffled around by recre ation, at this point, Walters said.

Highline Lake, which is north west of Grand Junction and just a few miles east of the Utah border, is considered “high risk” for the spreading of mussels from boats. Many boats pass through the lake from out of state, particularly from Lake Powell on the Utah-Arizona border, a popular destination for Colorado boaters. Lake Powell has been infested with invasive mus sels since 2012.

Now that Highline Lake is con sidered infested, it must go five years without further detections to be listed as free of mussels.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife lead ers have been concerned for years about the possibility of zebra and quagga mussels popping up across the state. The department conducted an awareness campaign ahead of Memorial Day, when the boating season generally kicks off in Colorado, to encourage people to get their boats inspected each time they enter and exit Colorado’s waterways.

The department stepped up enforcement of its 15-year-old Aquatic Nuisance Species Pro gram, a statewide decontamination program, where inspectors at 73 locations decontaminate people’s

us? Engagement, intentional en gagement, really does make all the difference.

How about you? Are you finding yourself distracted and multi-task ing and maybe even disengaged?

Have you ever noticed when some one else doesn’t appear to be actively or intentionally engaged with you?

How did that feel? And have you ever responded to someone looking for your undivided attention by say ing, “After the next commercial or at halftime?” I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can engage with intention ality, it really will be a better than good life?

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

boats. Since the program’s incep tion in 2008, almost 500,000 boats have been inspected annually. Parks and Wildlife staff deploy instruments into high risk reser voirs for the purpose of detecting invasive species. Staff found the first zebra mussel in mid-Sep tember during this kind of water sampling.

Colorado is not free of all in vasive aquatic nuisance species. Some bodies of water in Colorado contain Eurasian watermilfoil, for example, which grows quickly and blocks sunlight, and can kill off native aquatic plants that fish and other underwater species rely on for food and shelter.

Now, after the new detection, CPW staff are asking people to help stem the spread of zebra mus sels by ensuring that any boating equipment that enters Highline Lake, and any other body of water in the state, is clean, drained and dried, in between each use. Mussel infestations are increasing across the nation each year, Walters said.

“As more and more people use our water resources for boating, we must continue to work tireless ly to prevent the spread of these

harmful invasive species,” said Heather Dugan, acting director for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

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.

Loving

Self

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Other waters can be contaminated by destructive species

found on

‘This is incredibly concerning.’

Robert Walters, Colorado Parks and Wildlife invasive species program manager

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Every fall, pumpkin lovers rejoice in knowing their favorite flavors will start migrating from humble gourds to morning mugs. While the specialty beverage has corporate origins, local baristas put a hometown twist on “PSLs” across Colorado.

The origins of pumpkin spice lattes trace to 2003, when Starbucks’ Director of Espresso Peter Dukes came up with the idea out of a desire to replicate the seasonal success of the eggnog latte and peppermint mocha, according to The Daily Meal.

“Pumpkin spice latte has become more than just a beverage,” Dukes said. “It has become a harbinger of the season.”

Since then, the drink has evolved into an annual tradition outside Starbucks.

At Nixon’s Coffee House in Englewood, one barista said pumpkin pie syrup is used instead of pumpkin spice because it gives the drink a more unique flavor.

La Dolce Vita in Arvada uses pumpkin puree sauce and has served the drink since around the time Starbucks began the trend. Unlike the big chain, at LDV the taste will depend on the barista.

Barista Tamara Hansen said she adds vanilla to her PSL so that it gets a more robust flavor profile.

“I’m putting pumpkin sauce, of course, and vanilla, and I’m going to put whipped cream and cinnamon sugar,” Hansen said. “(The vanilla) adds a little bit of sweetness.”

Her co-worker Josh Crouch’s take on the drink is inspired by pumpkin pancakes and features some maple flavors.

“It’s got real pumpkin,” Crouch said, pointing to the pumpkin puree sauce used to flavor the drink.

Not just lattes

The PSL trend has spread far beyond espresso drinks. Local breweries have jumped on the flavor train as well — somewhat begrudgingly, in certain cases.

Colorado Plus Brew Pub in Wheat Ridge serves a “darker style of pumpkin ale,” according to Manager Jordan Peck. The “Don’t Call Me Pumpkin, Pumpkin Spice Ale” ale has a slightly higher-than-average alcohol content than other pumpkin beers, Peck said.

“It’s really full-bodied,” Peck said. “It’s pumpkin spice without being over the top.”

Chris Hill, owner of Odyssey Beerwerks in Arvada didn’t necessarily want to make a pumpkin beer, so he took the idea and went a different route.

“We opened in May of 2013,” Hill said. “As fall was rolling around, everybody was telling us we needed to do a

pumpkin beer because everyone does a pumpkin beer in fall. I didn’t really want to do one, but I asked our assistant brewer if he could do a different one. He came back with the idea to do a marshmallow porter with a pumpkin spice.”

The result is the “Fluffy Pumpkin Toasted Marshmallow Porter,” which was such a hit in 2013 that Odyssey kept it going on a seasonal basis.

“It was a one-off to appease customers,” Hill admits. “The reason we brewed a second batch was we had two bar owners and two friends of owners who called and said they had or had heard of this been we did and they really wanted to put it on tap. So, we did enough to make four-eight kegs and sold it to them. In 2014, we did a full batch and sold out before we were done fermenting.”

Despite the Fluffy Pumpkin’s beginnings, Hill says he’s come around on the pumpkin porter.

“I’m in a happy place with it now,” Hill said. “It’s a really good beer. I won’t say we were opposed, but since everyone does a pumpkin beer, we don’t need to do one, but we did and it was fantastic. I won’t downplay the beer. It’s really good.”

Barnett and Son Brewing Co. in Parker began their pumpkin beer with a homespun tradition.

Owner Andrew Barnett said their ‘Nevermore Pumpkin Ale’ — fittingly named after ‘The Raven,’ by Edgar Alan Poe — originated with a Halloween tradition at the Barnett home.

“It’s an old home brew recipe. As a home brewer, we used to deck out the Barnett house for Halloween,” Barnett said. “I’d hand out beers in the driveway for neighbors who came out to Halloween. When we opened the brewery, that tradition survived.”

Barnett describes the ale as “a really good balance between the spices and the vegetable,” and said he was cautious against adding too much cinnamon, a move he believes undercuts the flavor of other pumpkin beers.

flavor of other pumpkin beers. the silver medal at the 2021

Nevermore Pumpkin Ale won the silver medal at the 2021 Denver International Beer Competition and is entering its 7th year on tap at Barnett and Son Brewing. The seasonal libation is available from the first Friday in September through about Thanksgiving.

The seasonis availFriday in through

Barnett & Son’s Nevermore Pumpkin Ale. COURTESY OF BARNETT & SON’S Barnett house for Halloween,” Barvegetable,” and said he was cautious

La Dolce

Teachers across the metro area describe pay rates

Douglas County looks to voters for 9% bump

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Lucy Squire just marked her 18th year as a teacher at Copper Mesa Elementary School in Douglas County. One of the things she has that many teachers here and around Colorado don’t is a home.

Squire looks at what Douglas County School District teachers earn and doubts she and her partner today could afford the same home. That’s even considering her current salary as a veteran educator.

“When I started interviewing and looking as a brand new teacher, all of the (school) districts were so comparable with pay,” said Squire, a third-grade teacher. “It didn’t matter where you ended up because they were so similar.”

That was in 2004. Fast forward to today, and differences in teacher pay across Denver metro school districts are often stark.

While teachers in many districts across the state say they are struggling to keep up — particularly amid rising inflation — in Douglas County, south of Denver, teachers say voters have an opportunity to help them.

Squire and others are supporting Ballot Issue 5A on the Novem-

ber ballot to boost pay for teachers and other district staff.

The district “is the largest employer in the county” and serves 64,000 students “yet continues to lag behind in total funding and

competitiveness in salary compared to other school districts,” according to a summary of written comments in favor of the proposed property tax increase outlined on the ballot.

While proponents say narrowing the pay gap will help the district compete for and retain teachers, staff and administrators, opponents worry about property taxes amid rising real estate prices. Douglas County real estate is expected to be “reappraised” upward in 2023, so property tax bills are expected to rise even if voters kill Issue 5A, according to the comments against the proposal in Douglas County’s voter information booklet.

The Douglas County opponents’ views in the voter guide also speculate that: “More money spent on education does not buy better education outcomes.”

Shannon Doering — an English teacher at Castle View High School who can’t afford to buy a house with her partner in the region — says if a district isn’t paying teachers well, it can’t expect to keep them, and that affects the quality of education.

“There are certainly worse-paying districts in the state, but in regards to the area, I’d definitely say Douglas County is known

as one of the worst-paying districts,” Doering said. “That’s not a secret.”

Addressing a gap

Despite the political divisiveness on Douglas County’s school board, its members unanimously supported asking voters for the proposed tax increase.

Christa Gilstrap, a Highlands Ranch parent, helped organize support for the proposal.

“We’ve got people who support the new board and people who don’t support the new board coming together to get this done,” said Gilstrap, adding that the issue has brought some Republicans and Democrats in the community together.

Gilstrap, a lifelong registered Republican, drives around with paint on her minivan’s back window noting she’s a conservative who backs the proposal.

“The need in Douglas County School District is so great, it justifies a tax increase,” Gilstrap said.

The impact of the tax increase would be $51 per year — about $1 per week — for every $100,000 in the assessed value of a home. For example, a home worth $500,000 in assessed value would pay $5

How much teachers across metro Denver get paid depends on which school district employs them.

SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

per week, or $255 per year. (“Assessed” value is the worth of a home for property tax purposes, as determined by the county assessor’s office.)

That translates to an estimated $60 million more in annual revenue for the district.

Officials say the figure starts to close the pay gap with other school districts, including Cherry Creek in Arapahoe County.

Douglas County teacher pay, on average $57,900, is lower than nearby districts. Cherry Creek paid about $76,100; Littleton Public Schools $68,700; Jefferson County Public Schools $62,600; and Boulder Valley School District $82,000.

The Douglas County district’s tax proposal comes close on the heels of a boost in pay for Jefferson County teachers. The Jeffco agreement in August raises the minimum salary to $50,000 and increases in salaries for various other pay grades and gives every educator a minimum of $3,000 more.

Pay problem a broader issue

Pay isn’t just contentious among the Denver-area school districts. It’s a statewide issue, according to the nonprofit Colorado School Finance Project.

“We’re one of, if not the, lowest in competitive teacher salaries compared to every other state,” said Tracie Rainey, the project’s executive director.

Research zeroes in on what’s known as a “wage penalty.” It tracks how much less publicschool teachers earn in weekly wages relative to their collegeeducated peers who didn’t become teachers.

Data from the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Economic Policy Institute indicate that Colorado has the largest such gap in the nation. Teachers here earn, on average, 35.9% less than their college-educated, non-teacher peers.

Add to the equation that some school districts in Colorado collect more in taxes than others and it means some struggle to be competitive in terms of pay, according to Rainey.

Douglas County hasn’t been as successful as other districts at passing funding proposals in elections, so “they don’t have the additional local revenue and therefore will be on the lower side of pay,” Rainey said.

Not ‘just complaining’

Doering, the Castle View High educator, is in her fifth year of teaching. She said she doesn’t want “to be a millionaire.”

“I didn’t get into teaching to make (a lot) of money,” Doering said. “I want to be able to leave work and not have to think, ‘Hmm, am I going to have to get a second job in order to pay my rent, in order to buy a house, in order to start a family?’”

She doesn’t want to leave the district. If she does, it would be because of the relatively low pay. Doering makes less than $50,000 per year.

“I love the kids I teach. It would really break my heart if I had to leave because of money,” Doering said.

The average teacher in the Douglas County School District is expected to get a 9% bump in pay if the tax proposal passes.

Squire, the third-grade teacher at Copper Mesa, said she took the year off when her first child was born but could not do so when she had a second child because of income needs.

“A lot of my teacher colleagues tutor on the side as a way to make money,” Squire said.

Squire makes roughly $70,000 a year. She hasn’t talked in specifics about how her pay compares with that of her friends in education in other Denver-area districts, but they’re aware of the sense there’s a gap.

“I have friends in Jeffco, Cherry Creek and Littleton … we just know that the joke is I work in Douglas County. It’s just become laughable,” Squire said.

Doering has felt defensive about pay at times. She wants people to know that teachers aren’t “just complaining” about pay.

“This isn’t like some issue over curriculum. This isn’t an issue over admin or a decision a teacher made. This is my living,” Doering said.

“When you can’t afford to live someplace, something’s got to give,” she said.

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Reacting to egg-flation ‘part of the territory’

BY RACHEL LORENZ SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Egg prices are up and that’s not good news when breakfast is a big part of your business.

“Can’t really just say we’re not going to sell eggs this week because, you know, it’s kind of what we do,” Brandi Fehringer, owner of Rory’s Diner in Parker, told Colorado Community Media.

Eggs are not the only cost to skyrocket, Fehringer said. While revenue at her restaurant has increased this year so has the cost of food and labor, resulting in a decrease in profit.

However, Fehringer takes that challenge — and the others she’s faced in her nearly four years as a business owner — in stride.

A 20-plus-year veteran of the restaurant industry, Fehringer knew owning her own place would be hard work. But as the single mom of two teens approached her 40s,

So in January 2019, Fehringer bought the ’50s-themed diner up for sale in downtown Parker and started putting in 80-hour weeks. Although she didn’t change the eatery’s name, she did change up some recipes and develop the restaurant’s presence on social media.

Opening at 7 a.m. every day of the week, Rory’s Diner focuses on great service and made-fromscratch comfort food like biscuits and gravy, buttermilk pancakes, meatloaf and huevos rancheros for the breakfast and lunch crowd. A chalkboard, hanging above a red upholstered banquette and a black and white checkerboard floor, lists the diner’s lengthy selection of homemade fruit pies.

“It’s way better quality, way better tasting,” Fehringer said of scratch cooking.

But barely a year into its new ownership, the diner pivoted away from breakfast and embraced dinner-to-go for patrons in order to survive the early months of the pandemic. While that was a “trialby-fire” situation, Fehringer said monitoring what works and what doesn’t for a restaurant is simply standard practice.

After letting her entire staff go

brought employees back. She now

Brandi Fehringer, center, is the owner of Rory’s Diner in Parker.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RORY’S DINER

Rory’s Diner, with its red tables and checkerboard floor, is reminiscent of a classic diner from the 1950s.

Rory’s Diner grows under owner’s long hours, watchful eye

week. She even takes one day a week off.

The diner went back to indoor dining and its pre-COVID hours in late December 2020. In addition to breakfast and lunch seven days a week, it’s been open for dinner on Friday and Saturday.

Fehringer, however, is evaluating whether or not dinner service should continue. Customer traffic has been inconsistent — sometimes the restaurant is packed and sometimes it’s a ghost town — making the evenings hard to properly staff.

It’s possible there’s a better way to make money on those nights, she said. Perhaps by expanding the catering Rory’s Diner already does or by using the restaurant space for private events during the evening hours.

Analyzing profitability, and making changes when necessary, is what restaurateurs do, according to Fehringer.

“Part of the territory,” she said. “Things that you just have to do to keep things going and growing.”

The price of eggs, which are

several of the breakfast dishes at Rory’s Diner in Parker, have reached a record high this year.

Alaskan cod with a Fat Tire beer batter coating, golden fries, coleslaw and tartar sauce make up the fish and chips plate at Rory’s Diner.

The French dip, shown here with a side of onion rings, in one of eight sandwiches o ered at Rory’s Diner. PHOTOS COURTESY OF RORY’S DINER

Voting experts note state’s ‘Gold Standard’

Colorado’s elections system praised for its accuracy

BY VIGNESH RAMACHANDRAN COLORADO NEWS COLLABORATIVE

For 102 years, the League Of Women Voters has helped Americans understand how they can cast their vote in elections.

The nonpartisan organization has never endorsed a political party or candidate, providing a valuable resource for voters of all political persuasions.

The Colorado News Collaborative is speaking with nonpartisan experts to help voters understand more about the integrity of the vote as unfounded claims of voter fraud continue to run rampant ahead of November’s midterm election.

Beth Hendrix is executive director of the League of Women Voters of Colorado, which educates voters about the security and efficacy of Colorado’s election system. The group recently published a whitepaper breaking down the components of the state’s voting system to explain why it often is regarded as leading the nation. It also produced a nonpartisan guide to the 11 state issues on Colorado’s ballot this year in English and Spanish.

This Q&A has been edited for clarity and length.

Some have said Colorado’s election system is better than those in all other states. Is that true?

Absolutely. We say [it’s the] gold standard. There are a few states that are close behind — Washington, Oregon. It’s always the Western states.

Why? Aren’t there aspects to Colorado’s election system that need improvements?

Here in Colorado, we’re doing pretty well. That said, we have people in our legislature that want to get rid of mail-in ballots and want to go back to voting only on Election Day because they feel that’s the only way it can be secure.

I disagree. The League disagrees.

Other states are purging voter rolls, making it more difficult to vote, and that’s not happening in Colorado, yet. We’re going to do everything we can to not allow it to happen.

We’re not resting on our laurels [in Colorado], but we’re good. We have a safe and secure and innovative system that’s ahead of any place else in the nation.

How hard would it be to defraud the vote in Colorado?

I think it would be pretty darn hard [to defraud the vote in Colorado].

I suppose that someone could take their spouse’s ballot and forge a signature, and then hope their spouse didn’t complain. But I don’t think it happens.

How can we trust that every vote gets counted in Colorado?

Counties have a small bit of variation, autonomy in how they do it. But generally speaking, a ballot is never alone with only one person. There are always at least two and usually a group of bipartisan people. The number of safeguards is pretty extraordinary.

The complaint I hear most is that voter registration rolls aren’t up to date and that dead people still get ballots and things like that. I’m sure that does happen. But overall, Colorado keeps its voter registration rolls pretty well up-to-date — partnering with the Postal Service for change of address, social security death index, the Electronic

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Registration Information Center (ERIC) to make sure people aren’t voting in other states.

Then there’s the ballot trac ing. You can sign up very easily for ballot tracing. And you get a text when your ballot is opened, when it’s counted. So the process is very transparent, while main taining security.

What are common misconceptions about Colorado’s election security?

The process is sometimes seen as more partisan than it is — that political parties have a say in the

counting. And while the politi cal parties have election judges there, it is bi-, tri- multi-partisan.

People [also] think that the process of counting ballots is up to just a small handful of people, it’s very secretive and nobody knows what’s going on. It’s just not true.

People don’t understand how easy it is to get involved in poll watching, if they so choose. A lot of people think that it’s a secre tive, closed, non-transparent process, and that is not the case.

So, in addition to poll-watching, how can someone who is skeptical of the process better understand it?

Call your county clerk and ask for a tour, but it’s kind of a bad

time of year to make that re quest. They’re getting threatened and harassed like never before. We just had to pass a law to pro tect election workers.

Are there other concerns you have about our democracy in Colorado?

People not being able to recog nize opinion versus fact — look ing at Tucker Carlson and Ra chel Maddow as newscasters as opposed to opinion-casters. We’ve been trying to also put out infor mation about news literacy.

The League has used our volun teers as government watchdogs and observers since our founding 102 years ago. We’re now expand ing that to allow those trained observers to bolster local news,

where there are news deserts. If there’s just one little newspa per with one reporter down in Cortez, and they can’t get to the city council meetings and the county commission meetings and the meeting of the water board … our observers are going to do that and report out about what happened at that meeting, if sunshine laws are being followed, if behavioral norms are being followed, things like that.

This story is brought to you by COLab, the Colorado News Col laborative, a nonprofit coalition of more than 170 newsrooms across Colorado working together to better serve the public. Learn more at https://colabnews.co

Metro Districts Budget Hearings

Public Notice

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED 2023 BUDGET AND PROPOSED AMENDMENT

2022 BUDGET, IF NEEDED, OF THE NORTH PINES

DISTRICT

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a proposed budget has been submitted to the Board of Direc tors (the “Board”) of the North Pines Metropolitan District (the “District”) of the County of Elbert, State of Colorado for the fiscal year 2023; that a copy of the proposed 2023 budget has been filed and is available for public inspection at the office of District Counsel, Folkestad Fazekas Barrick & Patoile, P.C., located at 18 South Wilcox Street, Suite 200, Castle Rock, Colorado 80104, where the same is open for public inspection; and that such proposed budget will be considered at a regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the District to be held in person at the Rattlesnake Fire Protection District, 46220 Coal Creek Drive, Parker, Colorado 80138 on Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. Any interested elector of the District may inspect the proposed budget and file any objections to such budget at any time prior to its final adoption by the Board.

NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that, if needed, an amended budget for the fiscal year 2022 will be made available for public inspection at office of District Counsel, Folkestad Fazekas Barrick & Patoile, P.C., located at 18 South Wilcox Street, Suite 200, Castle Rock, Colorado 80104; and that the Board will hold a public hearing on the proposed amended budget, if needed, at the Rattlesnake Fire Protection District, 46220 Coal Creek Drive, Parker, Colorado 80138 on Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. Any interested elector of the District may inspect the proposed amended budget and file any objections to such budget at any time prior to its final adop tion by the Board.

This meeting is open to the public and any member of the public may address the Board.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE NORTH PINES METROPOLITAN DIS TRICT, a quasi-municipal corporation and political subdivision of the State of Colorado

/s/ Kathryn T. James Katheryn T,

November 3, 2022

Last Publication: November 3, 2022

Publisher: Elbert County News

Public Notice

NOTICE CONCERNING PROPOSED 2023 BUDGET OF ELIZABETH PARK AND RECREATION DISTRICT

NOTICE is hereby given that that a proposed budget has been submitted to the Board of Direc tors of the Elizabeth Park and Recreation District’s (“District”) for the ensuing year of 2023; that a copy of such proposed 2023 Budget has been filed in the office of the District at 34201 County Road 17, Elizabeth, Colorado, where the same is open for public inspection; and that such proposed 2023 Budget will be considered at a public hearing of the Board of Directors of the District to be held at 34201 County Road 17, Elizabeth, Colorado, on December 6, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. Any elector within the District may, at any time prior to the adoption of the 2023 Budget, inspect the budget and file or register any objections thereto.

ELIZABETH PARK AND RECREATION DISTRICT

By:Kelly Moffatt, Chairman

Legal Notice No. 24900

First Publication: November 3, 2022

Last Publication: November 3, 2022

Publisher: Elbert County News

Public Notice

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED 2023 BUDGET AND PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO 2022 BUDGET, IF NEEDED, OF THE CLEARWATER METROPOLITAN DISTRICT

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a proposed budget has been submitted to the Board of Direc tors (the “Board”) of the Clearwater Metropolitan District (the “District”) of the County of Elbert, State of Colorado for the fiscal year 2023; that a copy of the proposed 2023 budget has been filed and is available for public inspection at the office of District Counsel, Folkestad Fazekas Barrick & Patoile, P.C., located at 18 South Wilcox Street, Suite 200, Castle Rock, Colorado 80104, where the same is open for public inspection; and that such proposed budget will be considered at a regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the District to be held in person at the Rattlesnake Fire Protection District, 46220 Coal Creek Drive, Parker, Colorado 80138 on Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. Any interested elector of the

District may inspect the proposed budget and file any objections to such budget at any time prior to its final adoption by the Board.

NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that, if needed, an amended budget for the fiscal year 2022 will be made available for public inspection at office of District Counsel, Folkestad Fazekas Barrick & Patoile, P.C., located at 18 South Wilcox Street, Suite 200, Castle Rock, Colorado 80104; and that the Board will hold a public hearing on the proposed amended budget, if needed, at the Rattlesnake Fire Protection District, 46220 Coal Creek Drive, Parker, Colorado 80138 on Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. Any interested elector of the District may inspect the proposed amended budget and file any objections to such budget at any time prior to its final adop tion by the Board.

This meeting is open to the public and any member of the public may address the Board.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CLEARWATER METROPOLITAN DIS TRICT, a quasi-municipal corporation and political subdivision of the State of Colorado

/s/ Kathryn T. James Katheryn T, James, District Counsel

Legal Notice No. 24901

First Publication: November 3, 2022

Last Publication: November 3, 2022 Publisher: Elbert County News

Notice to Creditors

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of James Dale Garrison, Deceased Case Number: 2022PR30037

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 March 3, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Person Giving Notice: Debra Boltz, Personal Representative 15788 SE Mahany Ct Milwaukie, OR 97267

Legal Notice No. 24904

First Publication: November 3, 2022

Last Publication: November 17, 2022 Publisher: Elbert County News

Estate of Levi James Beaver, Deceased. Case Number: 22PR30024

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 February 20, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

James Beaver, Personal Representative c/o Parker Law Group, LLC 19590 E. Mainstreet, Ste. 104 Parker, CO, 80138

Stephanie L.

Elbert

P.O.

Eastlake,

Stephanie.Exner.Law@gmail.com

Case

22JV8

NOTICE OF ADJUDICATORY HEARING AND DEFAULT JUDGMENT

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that an Adjudicatory

Hearing regarding DUSTIN ALLEE is set for November 17, 2022 at 11:00 AM in Division 1 at the Elbert County District Court, 751 Ute Avenue, Kiowa, Colorado 80117. You have the right to be represented by an attorney during these proceed ings; if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to represent you. In the event you fail to appear for said hearing at the date and time indicated, the Petitioners, the People of the State of Colorado and the Elbert County Department of Human Services, will request that the Court enter a default judgment against you and adjudicate the child dependent and neglected in accordance with the Colorado Children's Code.

This hearing may be conducted electronically or by telephonically as follows:

https://judicial.webex.com/meet/d18-elbe-div1 Dial (720) 650-7664 (local Denver area) or (415) 655-0001 (U.S.)

Enter Meeting Code: 2599 173 3176

Respectfully submitted this 24th day of October,

/s/

NOTICE TO CREDITORS