Fort Lupton Press 101322

Dealing with the humble tumbleweed

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

For many, autumn in Colorado means the gentle cascade of bright gold Aspen leaves.

But folks on the plains know better: Fall means the arrival of tumbleweeds – in droves.

“Every year, I hear from people with concerns about Kochia and the arrival of tumbleweeds asking what can be done to help address the issue,” Tina Booton, Weld County Weed Division Supervisor said.

Although there are varieties of tumbleweeds blowing around the world, Kochia, scientific name Bassia Scoparia, is the strain of concern in Northeastern Colorado. And Booton and her team spend a lot of time working to control the rolling weed.

Kochia is not identified or listed by the Colorado Department of Ag-

riculture as a noxious weed despite its highly invasive nature and its ability to survive harsh environments where other plants can’t. Kochia is a common weed found widespread in Colorado and hard to control.

“The Kochia isn’t a noxious weed because it is so widespread, infesting acreage,” Booton said. “There’s not a lot the weed division can do to control it. The best we can do is encourage residents to manage growth on their property and remind people about the control options available to them.”

This nuisance species tumbles across open land, getting caught up in car grills, fences, clogging irrigation ditches, fence lines, residential properties and creating a fire hazard. During a wind storm, hundreds can tumble across highways – with some of as large as an exercise ball – startling drivers.

Kochia is found on rangelands, pastures, fields, disturbed sites, gardens, roadsides and ditch banks. According to officials, the plant can be toxic to livestock because of the high level of nitrates.

“Tumbleweeds are an issue if the ground is disturbed and if there are Kochia seeds, the plant will grow, then spread its seeds,” Booton said. “A few plants are not a big deal, it’s the fields of Kochia that are the issue.”

The Kochia plant grows as a green shrub as early as March and flowers from July to October. When it matures, it can grow from two feet to six feet tall, with bushy round leaves with soft, fine hair spikes and red streaks running vertically. When it dries, it breaks off at the base of the plant and forms a tumbleweed.

Cyberattacks hit multiple communities

State of Colorado sees homepage taken down by foreign entity

BY PAOLO ZIALCITA AND MATT MORET COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO

After ransomware disrupted the government services of multiple Colorado communities earlier this year, state officials warned that cybercrime is on the rise. That alert rang true on Oct. 5 when a cyberattack from a foreign entity took down Colorado.gov, the homepage for the state’s online services.

The attack seems to be limited to the main directory page, with state services still available through their individual websites. There’s currently no timeline for the homepage’s restoration.

A Russian-speaking group known as Killnet claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s website outages in a post on Telegram, an instant messaging service that’s grown in popularity outside the United States. The “hacktivist” group ramped up its activity in NATO countries after Russia invaded Ukraine. This latest attack also took down government websites in other states, including Alabama, Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky and Mississippi. Some of those pages are now back online.

A spokesperson for the Governor’s Office of Information Technology declined to comment on the attack Thursday due to the ongoing criminal investigation. It’s unclear whether the attack came with a ransom demand.

That would put the state in a situation familiar to several local governments in Colorado that have faced multimillion-dollar extortion attempts in order to restore their systems.

Both Fremont County and the Denver suburb of Wheat Ridge were

Fort Lupton’s quarterback Will Alvarado (12) completes a short pass in the first half of their home league game against Eaton. The Bluedevils were outmatched by the Reds 52-6. More coverage on page 14.

PHOTO BY JUAN ARELLANO

Changes coming to city health insurance plan

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

There will be some changes coming to Fort Lupton city employees’ health-insurance plans, although what those changes will mean remains to be seen.

Details were scarce during an Oct. 4 city council meeting; more are due at a town hall (discussion with no decisions) meeting Oct. 11, after press time.

Humana Inc. is getting out of the insurance business in Colorado. The contract says the fi rm has to provide 18 months. But the city’s human resources director,

Laura Howe, said the city will be out of the plan sometime next year.

“We’re looking at options,” she told councilors. “Multiple carriers declined to give us quotes. The best one is United Health Care, but we’re also looking at a couple of health carrier pools. It’ll be a signifi cant change.”

“Fewer suppliers always mean higher prices,” said Mayor Zo Stieber-Hubbard.

In other business

Council approved a reimbursement agreement with Union Pacifi c Railroad for the design

of a controlled access railroad crossing on Weld County Road 12. Staff notes said the costs would be around $35,000.

City offi cials think increased development near WCR 12 and South Rollie Avenue traffi c will increase traffi c fl ow at the grade crossing.

Council also agreed to implement the Colorado Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Act. Premiums are due Jan. 1 (0.9 of 1 percent of employee pay split between the and its employees).

Benefi ts are available Jan. 1, 2024. Staff said the cost could be as much as $70,000 per year. Weld County voters approved the law

but by the slimmest of margins.

The council accepted a proposal from Vortex Aquatics Structures International for mechanical equipment and play features for the city’s new splash pad. The cost won’t be higher than $262,000.

Staff notes said the budget for the splash pad was $400,000. However, those notes said Vortex increased its prices between 7 percent and 10 percent effective the fi rst of October.

With a 5% government discount, the council’s approval and the city’s acceptance of the shipment, cost savings to the city could total between $32,000 and $40,000.

County opens new tra c-calming roundabout

Greeley intersection should be safer with better

smoother tra c

STAFF REPORT

A new roundabout installed at 35th avenue and O Street in Greeley should reduce crashes and fatalities, according to Weld County officials.

“When this project began, we intended to complete it as quickly as possible, and crews have worked tirelessly, including on weekends, to meet that goal,” Curtis Hall, Director of Weld County’s Department of Public Works, said in a written statement.

The Weld County Department of Public Works and project manager INC Scott opened the roundabout on September 30.

Crews removed a hill east of the intersection of O Street so drivers have better visibility when coming onto the roundabout. According to officials, the roundabout was recommended to reduce crashes, fatalities, and traffic delays at the

TUMBLEWEEDS

When tumbleweeds move with the help of the strong winds, water, equipment and cars in the fall and winter, dispersing their seeds as they go. Kochia reproduces seeds in low temperatures and each plant is capable of producing 2,000 to 30,000 seeds from March through October. That allows them to spread across acres of land throughout counties, colonizing immediately and annihi-

intersection during the evening hours.

“Our residents depend on us to provide a transportation system that meets their needs, so both urban and rural travelers needed to be taken into account when designing and constructing this roundabout,” said Weld County Commissioner Chair Scott James.

Crews split the project into two phases to help extend its 30-year lifespan.

The first phase was soil stabilization, utility relocation, and installing drainage pipes to resist flooding the roundabout. That phase included building and installing the curb and gutter, concrete paving, and stripping as well.

According to officials, the second phase roundabout will see wider lanes for large agriculture equipment and tracker tailors, making it similar to Weld County’s awardwinning roundabout at Weld County Road 54 and 17, which opened in August 2020.

According to officials, IHC Scott was awarded over $7.4 million on January 31. The Department of Lo-

for $750,000 to offset the cost. The City of Greeley contributed $1.6 million towards its project cost and will annex the roundabout.

“We appreciate the work of our Public Works Department in designing the roundabout and the work of IHC Scott in construction to make sure needs were met,” James said.

With the roundabout open to traffic, the Department of Public Works will continue to work on minor projects such as shoulder and rec-

Dozens of tumbleweeds are growing alongside a cornfield in Adams County. They grow where the land is disturbed.

They are installing temporary street lights along the intersection. So they ask the driver to be vigilant of a crew member working and following posted speed limits of 20 mph inside the roundabout.

“We appreciate the public’s patience during this project and are excited to open this roundabout, which we believe will be beneficial now and in the future, as Greeley and Weld County continue to grow,” Hall said.

growth,” Booton said.

Booton said there is no ideal solution for getting rid of tumbleweeds. If found on your property, mow and mulch them to dispose of in the trash to help prevent the seeds from spreading.

“We’re happy to meet with landowners to discuss control options, we just ask they take steps to address the issue before it becomes a problem,” Booton said.

chia before the fall is mowing and mulching plants down to manage-

able heights. During the spring and summer months use a chemical application along with planting native grasses are beneficial for limited

Read more about Kochia weed and control options. Contact the Weld County Weed Division at (970) 4003770 or at www.weldweeds.org.

The roundabout in Greeley is located at 35th Avenue and O street.

COURTESY OF WELD COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS

PHOTO BY BELEN WARD

O cer Hogan lives on in new book

handcuffs without a struggle and Eunice was always quick to jump on an officer’s back if she thought they were hurting Harold — in spite of any domestic violence charges.

Hogan took it all in stride, Sidell said, wearing a knowing grin.

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Retired police officer Jim Hogan’s dream was to write a book about his life as a Thornton Police officer. It took him 11 years to write the book but he never lived to see it in print.

Hogan died of natural causes in February 2022.

Now, a group of Hogan’s best friends has translated his 140 handwritten chapters into his memoir, “Life on the Streets”. It is being published by Book Baby and will be available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon on Nov. 14.

The book details 13 years of true stories from Hogan’s time as a uniformed police officer investigating and solving crimes. He also dealt with sadness, deception, criminal confessions, humor, embarrassment and losing simple court cases.

Friend Sherry Case owns a computer store and helped format the book for publishing. Kathy Mahan is a graphic designer who worked on the cover. Joel Sidell was Hogan’s partner on the police force. He helped gather story details. All three live in Brighton.

“Hogan started writing his book 11 years ago and was writing full time,” said Sidell.

Starting in dispatch

Hogan grew up in Columbus, Ohio, until he was 18. He met his first wife and moved to Orem, Utah, for three years before they moved to Thornton. Sidell was hired as a police officer with the Thornton Police Department in June of 1967.

Hogan came in as a dispatcher in January 1968.

“I don’t remember the exact date but about six months later, we lost two of our people, called up to Vietnam. They were in the Air National Guard,” Sidell said.

Sidell said there was an opening and Hogan was hired as a police officer and later moved up to detective. Sidell also worked as a detective with the police force for over 23 years.

When he and Hogan met, they knew they would be best friends. They were in similar places in their lives, starting families as well as careers.

“We both were just getting on the police department and we were one year apart in age,” Sidell said. “We’d both married very young and we both had two kids. Then, we got divorced at the same time. He lost his shirt and I got the house.”

They moved into Sidell’s house and lived together for a year and a half. Later, they both got on the Traffic Division and rode Harley Davidsons together.

Hogan left the police department and worked in private investigation and private security with attorneys in the Denver Metro area doing criminal and civil investigations until he retired in 2017.

The rest of the story

But the book was Hogan’s passion. Sidell said Hogan was inspired to write the book after a phone call with Paul Harvey, his literary idol, in 1974. Hogan took a chance and called CBS to speak to Harvey. He was put on hold while someone checked to see if Harvey was available, and he was.

“Hogan told Harvey what he wanted to do. Harvey asked what was his most exciting caper, did he ever shoot anyone? After he told Harvey two stories he recommended Hogan write a book,” Sidell said.

One vignette details Hogan’s first autopsy. A heavyset man who owned the mortuary came into the autopsy

How should you pay for short-term financial goals?

As you go through life, you will likely have long- and short-term financial goals. But you may need different strategies to meet these different goals.

To meet a long-term goal of a comfortable retirement, you may want to invest in taxadvantaged retirement accounts, such as an IRA and a 401(k).

But for shorter-term goals, such as a family vacation or home renovation, you’ll want to use accounts and investment vehicles that not only align with your risk tolerance and time horizon, but also provide you with the desired amount of money when you need it.

If you aren’t able to save enough to meet your short-term goals, you could borrow the money through a credit card or loan, or you could sell some of your investments. In making this choice, you’ll need to weigh several factors. For example, is the interest rate on a loan going to be higher than what you could earn on your investments? Or if you sell investments, could you incur taxes and other expenses?

By carefully evaluating your options when it comes to short-term goals, you can make the choices that align with your needs.

room, eating a wedge of a sandwich, white bread with ham and lettuce hanging over the side, and he was eating over a mangled body.

“I will never forget that sight,” Hogan said in the book.

Another story recalls a couple, Eunice and Harold, at the center of an ongoing series of domestic violence calls, which can be the most dangerous situation for police, Sidell said.

Both were large people who tended to back each up, regardless of their problems with each other. Hogan had been called to their house for domestic violence many times before.

In the book, Hogan said Harold’s size made it difficult to put him in

“He had this smile on his face, like the guy that stepped off the elevator who knew someone passed gas,” Sidell said. “Incredibility, we got the book done.”

Friends’ duty

Case, the computer store owner, said it was her job to get the book published, but she didn’t take it seriously at first. Hogan and Sidell had both signed a document that if anything happened to Hogan, Case was to get the book published. At one point, Hogan and Mahan were collaborating too.

“I wished I would have known him longer. He can be quirky at times and end up laughing about something and was a joy to be around and a good person. He was one of those kindest people and I’m relieved the book is complete,” Mahan said.

Before he passed away, Hogan gave Case about 140 handwritten chapters. She worked on reformatting and editing the book.

“He was my friend for eight years. We talked on the phone nearly every day, not just about the book. I met him through Joel. He brought him into my store and asked me about a computer. He met my cat, and he loved his cat, Mythie Hogan,” Case said.

The cover of former Thornton Police Ocer Jim Hogan’s book, published posthumously by friends this November. COURTESY Jim Hogan COURTESY OF KATHY MAHAN

Former

o cer’s friends

his

Goats milk means healthy skin at Brighton boutique

Goat Bubbles Bath & Body cuts the ribbon

What started as a lark at a 2019 meet-up has become a new storefront in Brighton.

Goat Bubbles Bath & Body hosted its ribbon-cutting ceremony with the community of Brighton on September 15.

“I opened my store on August 8 of this year, but have been selling online since 2019,” said owner Rikki Rolando.

Rolando is from Kansas and moved to Colorado 11 years ago. She was a CNA/CMA for 15 years before moving to Colorado.

“I have been a licensed massage therapist since 2011. I’ve been a knitter and crochet for 18 years,” Rolando said.

Rolando said she got into the bath and body business, learning to make soap from goats’ milk.

“In 2019, I was invited out to a lady’s house for a Fibereista meet-up, and that’s where we had a fun day of learning how to make goat milk soap, and I loved it so much,” Rolando said.

After learning how to make soap Rolando, I started making it at home with her sister-in-law, and I decided to start selling it, opening a store online.

“My hopes for the future, I would like to be ablev to carry on with my storefront and have fun with it. I’m not looking to get rich off of it- just be creative and share my wonderful creations with everyone,” Roland said.

Goat Bubbles Bath & Body is located at 240 E. Bridge St. Brighton, CO., 720636-3078.

New unique western apparel store opens in Brighton

Mayor Mills, Brighton Chamber of Commerce and the Meraz family celebrate their ribbon- cutting ceremony.

PHOTO BY BELEN WARD

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Mraz Boots and Accessories hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony bringing a new western apparel store to Brighton on September 22.

Owners Naylea Meraz and Ezequiel Meraz opened their store quietly in April, selling unique and colorful artisanal leather, boots, purses, wallets, and other associates for men, women, kids, and work boots, including clothing and jewelry.

“We decided to open a boot store because my dad always liked boots, to honor him. He enjoys being here at the store too. All our merchandise comes from Mexico,”

Naylea Meraz said.

They sell unique aprons with art painted on the fabric, cowboy boots, and hats with embroidered sunflowers, flowers, and one-of-a-kind relief designs on boots with three-dimensional elements.

“I was excited to open the store and I like shopping, “ Naylea said.

He agreed.

“It felt wonderful to open my store, I like boots and they are cool,” Ezequiel said.

Mraz Boots & Accessories, 204 S Main St., Brighton, Colorado 80601, (720) 688-0453, website: https:// mrazboots.square.site, email: mrazboots21@gmail.com. Follow on Facebook @mrazboots.1.

Nikki Rolando cuts the ribbon with Mayor Greg Mills, council members, Brighton Chamber of Commerce, and the community celebrating her new store.

PHOTO BY BELEN WARD

September 24

A Frederick man, 32, was arrested for DUI at First Street & Rollie Avenue. He was held on bond at the Weld County Jail.

Police issued a summons to a Fort Lupton man, 29, for causing a careless driving accident, driving with multiple driver’s license violations at South Denver Avenue & Weld County 8.

Police arrested a Brighton man, 63, for DUI and possession of an open container in the 1300 block of Dexter. He was held on bond at the Weld

FORT LUPTON BRIEFS

Pumpknfest/haunted hay ride

Fort Lupton’s annual Pumpkin Fest and haunted hay ride runs from 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at Southm Platte Valley Historical Park, 2001 Historic Parkway.

Events include marshmallow roasting, pumpkin painting and carving, tours of the park (schoolhouse, trappers cabin and homestead house) and trick or treating in the fort. There’s also a haunted hayride through the park woods.

Tickets are $5; kids under 3 get in free. Call 303-857-4200.

‘High-Rise High Jinx’

Fort Lupton High School’s drama club will present “High-Rise High Jinx,” a series of stories of “complex” comedy at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 3, 4 and 5, in the school auditorium. Tickets are $5.

ONGOING

County Jail.

September 25

A Fort Lupton man, 45, reported his 2003 Toyota Corolla stolen in the 700 block of Rollie. The case was under investigation.

Police took a Brighton man, 52, into custody in the 1000 block of Denver Avenue for DUI, multiple warrants traffic offense and criminal mischief. He was held on bond at the Weld County Jail.

September 26

Police arrested a Fort Lupton man, 35, in the 1700 block of Homestead Drive for domestic violence-related false imprisonment and child abuse charges. He was held on bond at the Weld County Jail.

A Fort Lupton man, 47, reported his trailer stolen in the 200 block of South Rollie Avenue. The

Hours change at the historical park

The South Platte Valley Historical Park will be open for public visitation on the first weekend of the month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Individual tours outside of the first weekend of the month are available by contacting the society at lancaster.lupton@spvhs.org or calling 303-857-9360 and leaving a message.

Splash pad

The city of Fort Lupton is searching for comments about and sponsorships for a new splash pad.

Sponsor funds will be used for the splash park and amenities. Call 303-857-6694

Donation time

The Fort Lupton Food & Clothing Bank is asking for donations of canned fruits and nuts, varieties of dry pasta and pasta dinners, peanut

case was under investigation.

Police arrested a Fort Lupton woman, 34, in the 1300 block of Dexter Street on a warrant for failure to appear on a traffic offense. She was held on bond at the Weld County Jail.

September 27

Police arrested a Fort Lupton man, 52, in the 100 block of McKinley Avenue for two felony warrants. A felony from Adams County for failure to appear on a DUI and a misdemeanor out of the Denver Marshalls office for failure to appear on traffic offense. He was held on bond at the Weld County Jail.

A LaSalle man, 19, reported criminal mischief in the 1000 block of Denver Avenue. The case was under investigation.

September 30

Police arrested a Fort Lupton man, 25, on a Fort

butter and canned meat such as tuna (including the pouches).

Other potential donations could include chicken, Vienna sausages, spam and salmon. The bank also needs personal items, such as toiletries and baby needs.

Drop off donations at the food and clothing bank’s back door, 421 Denver Ave., weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Call 303-857-1096.

Teen hangout

Teens can stop by the Fort Lupton Public & School Library Wednesdays to play crafts and video games and to hang out with friends after school.

Walk with a doc

Platte Valley Medical Center’s cardiac rehab team and Walk With A Doc will host monthly

Here are the police reports for Sept. 24 to Sept. 30 to the Fort Lupton Police Department. Not every call made to the police is not listed on this report.

VOICES

Give them something to smile about

Agood friend of mine, Sanya, likes to go on a run each morning, or at least most mornings. And as she passes others running, walking or biking in the opposite direction, she greets them with a smile. And she counts how many smiles she gets back along the way. Sometimes she gets many, and sometimes only a few. Sanya is always smiling anyway as her husband and my good friend, Jeff, keeps her and all of us smiling and laughing all the time.

WINNING

I have a habit of doing that as well. Although I am someone who prefers long walks or hikes, it still gives me the opportunity to greet everyone I pass with a smile. As I went for a big walk the other day, I passed at least 40 people, and out of the 40 people I smiled at, about 30 people smiled back. As I turned around and began my walk back, I

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Gummball rally a success Wow. What a great day for a 5K. First, thank you to everyone who participated in our race by registering and running or walking to honor Deputy Heath Gumm. We appreciate it more than you know.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this day possible through donations. 5280 Produce, The Summit, Chick-Fil-A, Costco, In-n-Out, Town Center Liquors, SPORTea, Hammonds Candies, Target, Pepsico, Reddy Ice, Top Golf, Comedy Works, La Loma, Gulleys Snow 2 Go, and PBR beer - “much too fine for a glass” (Deputy Gumm quote).

We are also grateful to the following organizations who support the Gummball 5K. Brotherhood for the Fallen, Colorado Fallen Heroes, C.O.P.S, Adams County Sheriff’s Department, Strasburg Fire Department, for always bringing Deputy Gumm’s

once again passed someone who chose not to smile at me, so I smiled again and said good morning. Their response was rough as they just kept walking by me saying, “I’m trying to find something to smile about.”

As I turned to try and connect, they wanted no part and just kept walking, this time with their head down.

Although that interaction left me feeling a bit down, as I returned to my truck and opened my door, the person in the car parked next to me rolled down the window and said, “Thank you for the smile today, I was caught up in some negative thoughts and your smile brought me back to reality.” Boom, back in the smile business.

Zig Ziglar said this, “Do you know what you do when you see someone without a smile? You give them one of yours.” Simple yet so powerful. If you have never tried it, give it a shot, I have found that even when I am thinking about a difficult or serious situation, that if I look over at someone and smile, I usually begin to feel a little less burdened. Here is what I think

about when I think about a simple yet powerful smile, I turn the word smile into an acronym; Simple. Motion. In. Loving. Everyone. Let’s break it down.

• Simple, for most of us the turning up of our lips really doesn’t require much effort, showing a smile to others is such an easy and uncomplicated way of acknowledging others in a warm and welcoming way.

• Motion, we blink unconsciously up to 19,000 times a day. Imagine the impact we could have on our own state of mind as well as others who we may greet with just a dozen or more smiles each day.

• In, when I see or hear the word “In,” automatically my head and heart go to being, “All in.” Are we “In it to win it?” When we can invite others into our positive state of mind and involve them with the simple motion of a smile, we have an opportunity to turn someone’s day around.

• Loving, right now the world could use a little more love wouldn’t you agree? We can maybe help take the edge off for ourselves and others through

some loving and genuine smiles.

• Everyone, may it be so. Everyone we pass, all those we have the chance to engage or interact with, let’s give them a smile. Whether it is over the phone, on a virtual call, in person, walking, running, shopping, even through texts and emails, we can send everyone miles of smiles.

Here’s the thing we should maybe be asking ourselves, “Has a random smile from a stranger ever lifted our spirits?” “Has a timely smile from a teacher, coach, or employer ever encouraged us? Has a warm and loving smile from a family member or close friend ever made us feel loved?” If so, I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@ gmail.com, and when we can give others something to smile about, 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 businesses, working with organizations and associations across multiple industries.

LINDA

vehicle out, Thornton Police Department for offering to volunteer the Thornton Explorer Post 2128 for the past five years, and the Adams County Cadets.

Also, we would like to thank Riverdale Regional Park for hosting the fifth Annual Gummball 5K, Huston Graphics & Printing for printing our shirts and for their strong support of law enforcement, Rosemarie Redding for singing the national anthem so beautifully, the Rev. Brad Noonan for his race start prayer and Valerie Hansen for bringing the Thornton Police Department Honor Guard flags.

A portion of the proceeds from this year’s race are being donated to Blue Line Bears. This nonprofit organization makes bears for Fallen Heroes’ families.

Next year’s sixth annual Gummball 5K will be Sept. 16. Mark your calendars.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank

you.

Oil ad dishonest

In 2019, Rep. Yadira Caraveo joined with oil and gas interests, environmentalists and Gov. Polis to come to a compromise law on how to set regulations aimed at keeping new drilling away from “occupied buildings” within 2,500 feet.

The energy industry help craft this compromise and the State of Colorado has issued more than 3,000 new permits since then. But due to uncertain market conditions, big oil/gas firms have chosen not to develop over 1,400 new wells in Northeast Colorado.

For the past month, backers of CD8 candidate Barb Kirkmeyer ( Caraveo’s Republican opponent) have been running TV ads accusing Caraveo of “killing jobs” and “endangering livelihoods,”

attacking the bill Caraveo passed WITH the cooperation of the oil lobbyists in Colorado.

If Kirkmeyer’s seeking truth instead of scare tactics, she should ask the big oil companies “why they won’t develop more wells?”

Let’s tell the whole truth: Job growth in the oil-patch is up to oil and gas companies taking some of their massive profits and INVESTING in new development. New, good-paying jobs in the important energy sector will come to Weld and Adams County, as they have for years.

Falsely attacking Caraveo for her work on this energy billalong with many other consumer health and education bills - is trying to place blame on her for what the large Wall Streetbacked energy companies are refusing to support.

Lloyd Covens, Lakewood

LINDSAY NICOLETTI

TERESA

AUDREY

ERIN

Columnists

Gumball 5K Rally organizers, Brighton

walks with Dr. Christopher Can non, an interventional cardiologist at Brighton Heart and Vascular Institute.

This is a walking program for everyone interested in taking steps for a healthier lifestyle. After a few minutes to learn about a current health topic from the doctor, spend the rest of the hour enjoying a healthy walk and fun talk.

Blessings in a Bag

Fort Lupton’s Backpack Program helps school children in need with a backpack of healthy food. It’s an all-volunteer program and is in need of volunteers. If interested in volunteering or donating, call 303718-4440. Mail donations to Bless ings in a Bag, 306 Park Ave., Fort Lupton 80621.

Drop-in child care

The Fort Lupton Recreation Center offers drop-in child care from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays. Call 303-857-4200.

Fort Lupton senior lunches

Senior lunches are available at noon Mondays at the Fort Lupton

Recreation Center, 203 S. Harrison Ave. Sign up by noon the previous Thursday. Call 303-857-4200, ext. 6166.

Co ee group

Fort Lupton’s weekly coffee group sessions are at 8 a.m. Wednesdays. Call 303-857-4200.

Silver Sneakers

Silver Sneaker Yoga is available Fridays from 9 to 9:45 a.m. and from 10 to 10:45 a.m. at the Fort Lupton recreation Center, 203 S. Harrison Ave.

Water aerobics

The city’s water aerobics class meets from 6 to 6:45 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Fort Lupton Recreation Center, 203 S. Harrison Ave. Call 303-857-4200.

Pen pals

Fort Lupton’s senior pen pal program through Twombly Elementary School is looking for participants. Learn more at:https://www. fortluptonco.gov/950/Senior-PenPal-Program.

Craft classes

Monthly craft classes through the Fort Lupton Recreation Center (203 S. Harrison Ave.) are available. Call 303-857-4200, ext. 6166 with questions.

Our Family Helping Your Family

Larry Lyle Trudell, age 91, of Henderson, Colorado, passed away peacefully at his home on September 24, 2022. Larry was born in Kersey, Colorado on May 29, 1931 to Mack and Lucy (Aragon) Trujillo. He grew up on his parents’ farm west of Brighton, and graduated from Brighton High School in 1949. Larry had a knack for the sales industry and went to work at Schi ’s Shoe Store in Denver, Colorado.

In 1950, Larry joined the U.S. Navy and served on the USS Sicily during the Korean War. After the Navy, he worked at Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, where he was promoted to sales manager and retired after 20 years. He went on to be a salesman for Data Documents designing and selling computer forms for 16 years. He received sales awards for both companies, and retired at the age of 62.

Larry met his wife, Mary Louise Newman at a high school track meet in Fort Morgan, Colorado. After serving in the Navy, he and Mary were married in 1954 in Raton, New Mexico. ey resided in Denver where they started their family before moving to Commerce City, Colorado in 1957. In 1987, they moved to Henderson, Colorado where they lived out their remaining years together.

Larry served on the Board of Adjustment for 21 years while residing in Commerce City, 12 f those as Chairman of the Board. While residing in Henderson, he served as

Free short-term radon test kits

Weld County residents can receive a free radon test kit (one per household, while supplies last). Test kits can be requested online at www.drhomeair.com/weld, according to a statement.

Call the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment at (970) 400-2226 or visit: www.weldgov.com/go/radon.

Warm line up and running

Community Reach Center is offering a warm line (303-280-6602) for those who want to talk to mentalhealth professionals about anxiety, lack of sleep and strained relationships, among other topics. The professionals can facilitate referrals to other programs for assistance.

The line is not for crisis intervention. Those feeling unsafe or suicidal should call Colorado Crisis Services (1-844-493-8255) or text 38255 or visit the Behavioral Urgent Care Center, 2551 W. 84th Ave., West minster.

Also, the center’s COVID-19 Heroes Program is set up to assist healthcare workers during the pandemic. Those who live or work in Adams County can receive up to six free counseling sessions. Use the Warm Line for support and free counseling.

Brighton’s community intake location is at 1850 E. Egbert St., on

the second floor. It’s open from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesdays.

Alcoholics Anonymous

The Brighton chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous meets at 147 S. Second Place. Meeting times are 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sundays, noon and 7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 6 p.m. Thursdays and 9 p.m. Fridays.

Call 303-659-9953 or visit www. brighton1aa.org.

Volunteers needed

Qualified Listeners needs volunteers to drive veterans to and from appointments, run errands for veterans who cannot get out, handyman services, help administer veteran and family resource guide inventory in local libraries and veterans to be trained to become qualified listeners.

Visit qualifiedlisteners.org/volun teerapp and fill out the form or call 720-600-0860.

Eagle Express rides

Barr Lake State Park will offer virtual rides aboard the Eagle Express. Join Ranger Michelle and her friends as they read a story about our natural world that is sure to entertain your preschooler while teaching them about plants, animals and our planet. Call 303659-6005.

24-Hour Phone Lines 303-654-0112 • 303-857-2290

Brighton: 75 S. 13th Avenue Obituaries, Arrangements and Resources Online at taborfuneralhome.com

HOLSCLAW Betty Kay Holsclaw

December 2, 1934 - September 28, 2022

a Brighton City Councilman for 4 years. Larry also volunteered on the United Power Roundup Foundation Board where he was able to help many people in the community.

In his spare time, Larry was a backyard mechanic and loved xing and selling 1960 era Mustangs and Camaros. He enjoyed teaching his children about the outdoors. His interests included waterskiing, hunting, shing, camping, and horseback riding. Some of his most memorable trips included his time on cattle drives in Otero County, Colorado and shing trips to Canada. He also loved spending time at his cabin with his family riding ATVs and shing at Terryall Reservoir and the surrounding areas. Larry was a great story teller and could pull a story out of thin air.

Larry is preceded in death by his wife, Mary Louise Trudell, his parents Mack and Lucy Trujillo. Daughter Valerie L. Trudell. Grandson, Stacey M. Trudell, and brother Walter Trujillo, sisters’ Clara Hughes, Charlotte Adeland and Ella Tucker. He is survived by his children; Pamela K. Trudell, Larry C. (Sherri) Trudell, Steven Trudell, Alan (Loraine) Trudell, and Laura J. (Charlie) Frye. As well by his grandchildren, Heather R. (Clint) Corken, Sonia M. Trudell, Monique A. Trudell, Hanna C. Trudell, Katherine L. (Michael) Hart, Garrett A. Trudell, and great-grandchildren, Valeria R. Luna and Stacey B. Trudell.

Betty Kay Holsclaw, age 87, passed

Berthoud, Colorado. She was born on December 2, 1934 to Robert and Olowene (Emery) Conley in Fort Lupton, Colorado, where she also grew up, attended public schools, ultimately graduating from Fort Lupton high School in 1952. Just two years later, she married the love of her life, Edward Holsclaw on June 20th at the First Baptist Church in Fort Lupton. eir family has remained living in the Fort Lupton area.

For labor, Betty worked as a school bus driver for seven years. But her passion for owning and operating her own dairy farm was her dedicated occupation for next 50 years. In 2012, Betty sold her last cows and retired from the farming lifestyle once the work became too strenuous for one person, to seek a more relaxed living environment. Betty loved her animals, and taking care of them,

especially her dogs. She also loved to bowl with her husband and enjoyed being around her family and friends. But Betty’s love for farming trumped all because she loved the work, which kept her family fed and happy all their

Betty is survived by her ve children; Mike

(Kitti) Holsclaw, (Loveland, CO), Matthew Holsclaw, (Berthoud, CO), and Mark Holsclaw (Fort Lupton, CO). She is preceded in passing by her loving husband, Edward Holsclaw. By both parents, Robert and Olowene (Emery) Conley. Also, by her two siblings, Ralph Conley and Leota Mattive.

e family of Betty Holsclaw family would like to thank Bristol West Hospice and the sta at Berthoud Care and Rehab for their loving care for the past 3 years.

TRUDELL Larry Lyle Trudell

FARMING GROUP HELPS AFGHAN REFUGEES FEEL MORE AT HOME IN DENVER

BY DANA KNOWLES, LINDSEY FORD ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

We don’t have cars. We don’t have transportation. This is our only outing,” explained Mahmude, one of three Afghan refugee women who spoke with Rocky Mountain PBS about their new lives in Colorado.

The women left Afghanistan when the United States completed its military withdrawal last year. None of them wanted to use their last names and all of them spoke with the help of an interpreter

who translated Dari, an Afghan dialect of Farsi, into English.

Mahmude has been in the U.S. for eight months and says Monday is now her favorite day of the week. “This is the highlight of my life, coming here every Monday. I’m happy to be here in the United States as my home country isn’t safe.”

The women come to Ekar Farm, an urban farm next to Denver Academy of Torah that started 14 years ago mainly serving the Jewish community.

In 2020, the pandemic forced Ekar Farm shift toward doing out-

reach across the city by collaborating with various nonprofits like Denver’s Metro Caring, an antihunger organization. All the produce that Ekar grows is donated to people in the metro area who are experiencing food insecurity, including these Afghan women and their children. Metro Caring and Ekar are partnering with Denver’s International Rescue Committee to transport them back and forth to the farm.

“What seems like a simple opportunity to grow food carries a lot of dimensions. The program allows the women to be around

other people from their home country,” said Mireille Bakhos, who works with International Rescue Committee in Denver. “The media often highlights the war and challenges in Afghanistan but [these] programs are about resilience and the endless possibilities of human connections. It is about the power of people to heal and nurture positive change from the ground up, literally.”

The program runs from May through October due to weather. The women cultivate a small sec-

tion of land and use the produce to cook fresh meals for their families at home in Denver.

Razye came from Afghanistan to the United States more than three years ago and says she grew up farming in her home country.

“I was a rancher. I had my own animals and I had big farm back in Afghanistan, so when I come to this farm, I feel so excited,” she said, explaining how the tomatoes

and potatoes are her favorites to take home and cook. “We make food that reminds me of my country back home, and that’s the happiest I’ve been.”

Anywhere from 70,000 to 80,000 Afghan refugees are now living in the United States. According to the Colorado Refugee Program, Colorado has welcomed around 2,500 refugees since July of 2022. The United Nations Refugee Agency says that Afghans are one of the largest refugee populations in the world with an estimated 2.6 million registered across the globe in countries like Pakistan and Iran.

For Monira, who has been in Colorado for almost a year, the opportunity to connect and socialize with other women from her country is just as important as bringing home fruit and vegetables.

“First, we come here and we say ‘hello’ and we have a quick chat, and talk, and after that we harvest” she said, adding that being around people come from the same country make it easier to live in a new and unfamiliar place. “This is a country that’s unknown and new for us, so coming here to see people who speak the same language, and we became fast friends,

and we talk.”

Monira hopes her work on the farm can help her life evolve into something new.

“My wish is to be able to start working and repay what people in Colorado have done for us, and find a job to contribute to this country, and this state,” she said.

This story is from Rocky Mountain PBS, a nonprofit public broadcaster providing community stories across Colorado over the air and online. Used by permission. For more, and to support Rocky Mountain PBS, visit rmpbs.org.

Afghanistan refugees, including a group of women and children, have found something they love through helping Ekar Farms in Denver each week.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

‘MY WISH IS TO BE ABLE TO START WORKING AND REPAY WHAT PEOPLE IN COLORADO HAVE DONE FOR US, AND FIND A JOB TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS COUNTRY, AND THIS STATE.’ Monira, Afghan refugee

Colorado’s fall likely warm, dry

Drought monitor shows little relief

BY DELANEY NELSON THE COLORADO SUN

After a summer of high temperatures and a wet monsoon season, Coloradans

expect a dry fall.

As of Oct. 6, 84% of Colorado was experiencing dry conditions and over 45% of the state was in some form of drought, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map. Northeastern Colorado is especially dry, with most counties experiencing severe to exceptional levels of drought.

Despite a couple of wet weeks forecast, National Centers for Environmental Information meteorologist Richard Heim, who authored this week’s map, said the fall months are predicted to be warmer and drier than normal in Colorado.

The southwestern U.S. is grappling with its driest 22year period on record in the past 1,200 years, conditions that are unlikely to improve. Most of Colorado has experienced below-normal

said. Western Colorado has been in an extended drought period for at least the past five years.

Monsoon rainfall that hit the state in late summer granted short-term relief to some parts of Colorado, Heim said, but is not enough to replenish the moisture deficits that have accumulated over many years of drought. Summer monsoon rains had little effect on the

risk to irrigation-dependent agriculture.

“Pray for heavy mountain snowpack this winter,” Heim said.

There is no guarantee for any snow this fall, Colorado Climate Center climatologist Peter Goble said. The Front Range typically starts seeing snow at the end of October or beginning of November, he said. While the two-week forecast shows no sign of

quickly in mid-October.

The National Weather Service predicts a third La Niña weather pattern year in a row, which Goble said is good for the prospects of building snowpack in the northern Rockies in the early winter months. Drier conditions are predicted for other mountainous parts of the state, including southern Colorado and areas east of the Continen-

and winter will influence what drought conditions look like next spring.

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.

Climatologists believe the fall season will continue to be warm and dry in 2022.

JON GRIMES PHOTO

Thu 10/13

Bruce Cook: The Ranch Country Club

@ 6pm

The Ranch Country Club, 11887 Tejon St, Westminster

Talk About A Murder!

@ 5:30pm / $60

The LoCol Theatre, 800 South Hover Road, Longmont

Sleepy Hollow: An Aerial Dance

Halloween Production

@ 7:30pm / Free-$25

Oct 14th - Oct 15th

The Arts HUB, 420 Courtney Way, Lafayette. iluminaraerial@theapollocen ter.com, 720-479-8438

Pianist Anna Geniushene, 2022

Cliburn Silver Medalist

@ 7:30pm / $10-$20

Center for Musical Arts, 200 E Baseline Rd, Lafayette

Family Night Out

@ 11:30pm

Offsite, 6060 E Parkway Drive, Commerce City. 303-289-3760

Sat 10/15

Sun 10/16

Westy Half & 5k

@ 8am / $25-$50

3705 W 112th Ave, Westminster

Terrifying tales by the �re @ 5:30pm

Anythink Wright Farms, 5877 East 120th Avenue, Thornton. mhibben @anythinklibraries.org, 303-4053200

Connie Han

@ 9:30pm

Dazzle Denver, 1512 Curtis St, Denver

Wed 10/19

Thrifty Shoppers Unite- Idea Sharing Event (10/19)

@ 3pm

Eagle Pointe Recreation Center, 6060 E. Parkway Dr., Commerce City. 303-2893760

Night Hike! Homeschool Program

@ 6:30pm / Free

Bird Conservancy's Environmental Learning Center, 14500 Lark Bunting Lane, Brighton. 303-6594348 ext. 49

Anavrin's Day at Hoffbrau @ 9pm

Hoffbrau, 9110 Wadsworth Pkwy, West‐minster

Chase & Status DJ Set - The Church

@ 9pm

The Church, 1160 Lincoln St, Denver

Fri 10/14

Hyland Hills Hockey Jag Jog

5K

@ 5:30pm / $30

Ice Centre at the Promenade, 10710 Westminster Blvd., West‐minster

Fall Craft Show

@ 9am

St John's Lutheran Church, 11040 Colorado Boulevard, Thornton. stjohns05@gmail.com, 303-4572476

Girl Scout Journey in a Day: Think Like A Citizen Scientist

@ 9:45am / Free

Bird Conservancy's Environmental Learning Center, 14500 Lark Bunting Lane, Brighton. 303-6594348 ext. 53

Mon 10/17

100 Things to Do Before You're 12

@ 4pm

Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-2893760

Medicare Updates (10/19) @ 3pm

Eagle Pointe Recreation Center, 6060 E. Parkway Dr., Commerce City. 303-2893760

A Week In Paris/Travel Film @ 3pm

Fort Lupton Recreation & Parks De‐partment, 203 S Harrison, Fort Lupton. 303-857-4200

Sugar Skull! A Dia de Muertos

Musical Adventure

@ 1pm

Parsons Theatre, 1 East Memorial Parkway, Northglenn. mstricker@ northlgenn.org, 303-450-8727

Tiny Treks on the Road at Fronterra Park

@ 4pm

Offsite, 6060 E Parkway Drive, Commerce City. 303-289-3760

Farm-to-Table Dinner!

@ 6pm

5820 Lowell Blvd, 5820 Lowell Boulevard, Denver. dappelha@regis.edu, 720-6662228

David Spade: Catch Me Inside

@ 8pm / $45-$75

Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm, Denver

The Who Hits Back! 2022 Tour

@ 7:30pm / $41-$201

Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle, Denver

Tue 10/18

McGuckin's Hardware Store (10/18)

@ 4:30pm

Eagle Pointe Recreation Center, 6060 E. Parkway Dr., Commerce City. 303-2893760

Face Vocal Band

@ 7:30pm

Nissi's Entertainment Venue & Event Cen‐ter, 1455 Coal Creek Dr unit t, Lafayette

Colorado Avalanche vs. Winnipeg Jets

@ 6pm / $32-$999

Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle, Denver

Thu 10/20

Diabetes Self-Empowerment Series @ 4pm

Oct 20th - Nov 10th

Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-2893760

Housing, drug addiction prove to be root of motor vehicle thefts

BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Michael Rutherford’s forearm tattoo reads “Family.”

“It’s the family you hope for, not the family you were born with,” he said.

He found that family in Colorado. He’s a successful chef working full-time while going to school to earn a degree in human services, concentrating in addiction and a secondary in trauma.

The degree feels very personal to him. He wants to work with people through counseling to help them with their drug problems.

Not that long ago, he was on the other side, caught by the police and charged with the theft of a motor vehicle — just one part of the rising wave of crime in the state.

As in Rutherford’s case, motor vehicle theft is often paired with other underlying problems and situations.

For the most part, motor vehicle thefts are a result of housing and drug addiction, according to Lisa Pasko, an associate professor of sociology and criminology at the University of Denver.

“We see people stealing cars in order to get money, but also stealing cars to live in for some time,” she said. “We will also see a correlation with methamphetamine abuse in the winter months.”

A common situation

The Common Sense Institute, a Greenwood Villagebased non-profit focused on economic research, found Colorado to be the top state in America for auto thefts in a study published Sept. 8, and four Colorado cities rank in the top ten in the United States. Those cities are Denver, Aurora, Westminster and Pueblo.

Motor vehicle thefts are on track to be 48,000 for this year — reaching an alltime high.

In 2021, there were 4,002 arrests for the crime. In 2022, Colorado is on pace for 4,538 this year.

That’s parallel with Adams County who experienced a staggering 200% increase in the past decade, according to statistics from the Adams County Sheriff’s office.

Motor vehicle thefts were 422 in 2012. In 2021, there were 1,268. This year doesn’t look to be much different. Through July 2022,

Adams County Motor Vehicle Thefts from 2012 to 2021.

motor vehicle thefts stood at 816.

Escaping to Colorado Rutherford left Boston after a car accident. He received a settlement check and left Massachusetts to visit a friend in Colorado.

“I drove out here for a vacation and just decided

to stay, hoping to escape from previous problems,” he said. “Obviously, that didn’t work out that well.” Rutherford had used heroin and meth from ages 16 to 26. Now he’s 30 and doesn’t use, but at age 24, his addiction started to interfere with the rest of his life.

To fund his drugs, he began stealing from stores and selling those items at half the price. Customers would give him Christmas lists and he would provide those wishes for cheap. Sometimes he didn’t need the cash, but the fear of

withdrawal made him steal.

At the time, he worked for a company going to different fastfood restaurant locations to train their managers. He did that for two years until he lost his job due to his drug use, which led to more problems.

His car broke down, so he stole a car and was ultimately caught by the police and charged with motor vehicle theft.

Complicated crimes

Former Adams County Sheriff Michael McIntosh, said motor vehicle thefts often involve other crimes, like drugs or stealing merchandise. McIntosh, who is now working as chief deputy for Douglas County, is running to reclaim the Adams County Sheriff’s position.

Pasko, who has also been studying Adams County’s drug court for the past four years, sees that connection as well. She said paraphernalia and other forms of drug use are recovered from many cars.

With the winter months coming, she noted a correlation between the cold weather and drug use, specifically with methamphetamine. The drug keeps the user warm and keeps the user awake during the night, which is when a person experiencing homelessness is most likely to be harassed or attacked.

Most of the cars recovered are not chopped up and they have evidence — fast food bags and clothing — of people living in the vehicle for a while. Meaning, many of the stolen cars are used for a moment in time as a place to live or use drugs.

“When we had a 100% increase during the pandemic of people who were first-time homeless, you can imagine that these cars that are easy to break into are going to be used for those reasons,” she said.

Pair that with an increase in drug use in Colorado, and those underlying reasons create a perfect storm for stolen cars.

Location, location

Other factors are contributing to that storm. Used cars are a hot commodity and Pasko said organized crews are streamlining the thefts of catalytic converters along the Interstate 70 and Interstate 25 corridors. Those converters contain rare, highly precious metals that are expensive. Inflation and supply chain issues are only fueling the demand for those metals.

“We’ve seen evidence of these increases happening. We just are getting hit more because we have the intersection of these two major highways,” Pasko said.

Hundreds of unfilled police jobs across the metro area also contributes to the problem, but even filling those jobs won’t solve the issue

Pasko said cities must address the way policing is done.

Community trusted policing

Pasko pitches the idea of problem-oriented policing, and points to San Diego.

“San Diego is one of those models where you can have really conservative politics mixed with progressive policing to produce really bipartisan, good results,” she said.

Problem-oriented policing puts the community first, she said. That strategy involves the community informing the police and having input on how they do their job. It also allows the community to hold the police accountable for what they do. This in turn aims to create a mutual relationship where the community can trust the police and the police can serve appropriately.

As an example, Pasko pointed to the contrast between stop and frisk in New York City and hot spots in San Diego in the 1990s.

New York City took the approach of mass patrolling and policing low-level offenses. San Diego looked at hot spots and worked with the community on how to address the root problem.

Pasko said San Diego’s approach kept the homicide rate below three homicides per 100,000 residents. It was successful and San Diego didn’t see as many protests against policing in 2020 and the city didn’t see a spike in crimes like the rest of the country. San Diego’s homi-

cide rate did creep up, just not as much as the rest of the country, she said.

“(Those neighborhoods) felt that the police listened to them, made their community safer, and they were more likely to collaborate with the police,” she said.

Problem-oriented policing does call for more patrolling of neighborhoods to drive potential thieves inside, which can lower the opportunities for crime, such as motor vehicle theft. With people inside, that can even lead to harm reduction for drug use: inside is the safest and most personal place for using.

“The cost-benefit analysis that we know in studying offenders for the last 100 years in my field is that it’s not whether or not the sentence is tough, it’s ‘is there a chance I get caught?’” she said.

District Attorneys unite

All of Colorado’s District Attorneys have unanimously supported amending the state law regarding auto theft. As it stands, stealing a car that’s not valuable is a misdemeanor and stealing a car with a higher value is a felony.

“A brand new $40,000 car, that’s going to get charged as a high-level felony whereas if somebody steals a 1995 Honda Accord, that’s going to be a misdemeanor. The reason for that is because the BMW is worth $40,000 and the 1995 Honda Accord is worth 500 bucks,” said Brian Mason, the district attorney for the 17th judicial district. That district includes Adams and Broomfield counties.

Mason sees it as unfair and

said someone with a cheaper car most likely has less of a means to replace it than someone with an expensive car.

“(The law) unfairly discriminates against those who own cheaper cars, which means they discriminate against people who are poor,” he said.

He sees changing the law as helping to hold those accountable for the crime and address the problem.

Pasko doesn’t see it that way.

“Even if we increase the penalties, that’s not going to matter if we don’t arrest them first,” she said. “We can’t keep people indefinitely on a low-level offense (in prison.) It’s not going to be a deterrent and it’s also not going to produce better investigative powers.”

Sheri s’ Views

The two contenders for the Adams County Sheriff explained their points of view when it comes to solving crime.

McIntosh said collaboration must exist between the district attorney’s office, law enforcement and judges. He said prosecuting auto thefts as misdemeanors makes it harder to put people in jail. As well, it’s important for police and sheriffs to put together worthy cases.

“If I’m doing my job well, and I continue to take stuff to the district attorney’s office, and they decide that they’re going to do nothing with it, there are consequences to that. Especially when you’re an elected official,” he said.

If you don’t have a K-Lawn Dealer in your area, we are looking to add a few quality dealers to our 10-state network. Key benefits include:

SPORTS

Eaton turns back Fort Lupton

BY PHOTO BY JUAN ARELLANO SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Eaton High School’s football team proved to be too much for Fort Lupton Oct. 7. The Reds beat the Bluiedevils 52-6 in Fort Lupton.

No stats were available for the Reds. FLHS quarterback Will Alvarado was 12-for-28 for 124 yards and a touchdown. Danny Rodriguez was on the receiving

end of the scoring pass, one of his seven catches and 78 total reception yards. Antonio Gonzales was Fort Lupton’s leading rusher with five carries and 40 yards. Joseph Gallegos caught two apsses for 33 yards.

Royce Guerrero led the defense with nine total tackles, including 1.5 tackles for lost yardage.

FLHS visits The Academy at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14.

Phone and Internet Discounts Available to CenturyLink Customers

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission designated CenturyLink as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier within its service area for universal service purposes. CenturyLink’s basic local service rates for residential voice lines are $28.50 per month and business services are $41.00 per month. Speci c rates will be provided upon request.

CenturyLink participates in the Lifeline program, which makes residential telephone or qualifying broadband service more affordable to eligible lowincome individuals and families. Eligible customers may qualify for Lifeline discounts of $5.25/month for voice or bundled voice service or $9.25/month for qualifying broadband or broadband bundles. Residents who live on federally recognized Tribal Lands may qualify for additional Tribal bene ts if they participate in certain additional federal eligibility programs. The Lifeline discount is available for only one telephone or qualifying broadband service per household, which can be either a wireline or wireless service. Broadband speeds must be at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload to qualify. CenturyLink also participates in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides eligible households with a discount on broadband service. The ACP provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands.

For both programs, a household is de ned as any individual or group of individuals who live together at the same address and share income and expenses. Services are not transferable, and only eligible consumers may enroll in these programs. Consumers who willfully make false statements to obtain these discounts can be punished by ne or imprisonment and can be barred from these programs.

If you live in a CenturyLink service area, visit https://www.centurylink.com/ aboutus/community/community-development/lifeline.html for additional information about applying for these programs or call 1-800-201-4099 with questions.

Fort Lupton’s juniors Kaidyn Taylor (30) and Anthony Blan-Mendenhall (3) are focused during the national anthem prior to their home league game against Eaton.

Eaton’s Ryder True (44) has a good run before being stopped by several Bluedevils during their league home match. Eaton defeated Fort Lupton 52-6

Fort Lupton’s Royce Guerrero (5) had many key tackles in their league home game against Eaton including this stop against Ryder True (44).

Kaidyn Taylor (30) breaks free from a tackle by Eaton’s Zach Maske (56) and rushes for the Bluedevils in the first half of their league home game against Eaton. The Reds defeated Fort Lupton by a score of 52-6 on Friday Oct. 7. PHOTOS BY JUAN ARELLANO

Fort Lupton High School

Cross country

Fort Lupton’s Kenya Trejo finished 116th in the girls race at the Pat Amato Classic Oct. 7. She turned in a time of 29:40.41. Jonathan Trejo finished 72nd in the boys race with a season-best time of 17:40.8.

Volleyball

Fort Lupton traveled to Englewood Oct. 5 and came away with a 25-11, 25-14, 25-15 win, the Bluedevils’ 13th of the season and 10th in conference play.

Janisa Shaffer led the Bluedevils with six kills. Payton Faulhaber was next with five. No stats were available for the Pirates.

FLHS also topped Denver School of Science/Technology-Montview campus 25-8, 25-13, 25-19 in Fort Lupton Oct. 4. Faulhaber had seven kills for Fort Lupton. Alissa Clark added five.

Softball

Fort Lupton swept to a pair of lopsided victories in the Frontier League tournament.

FLHS beat Arvada 11-1 in Fort Lupton Oct. 6. A 10-run first inning made things easy for the Bluedevils. Amiah Picaso had half of the Bulldogs’ four hits. No stats were available for FLHS.

Fort Lupton blanked Centaurus

12-0 in Lafayette Oct. 4. No stats were available for the Bluedevils. Nicole Sontrop, Veronica Ember and Noble Paw had the base hits for CHS.

Soccer

Fort Lupton scored three times in the second half and beat Englewood 4-2 in Fort Lupton Oct. 3.

Giancarlo Mendez scored twice for the Bluedevils. Santiago Gonzales and Carlos Limones also scored for FLHS. Goalkeeper Jesus Vasquez made six saves in recording the win.

Adrian Cano scored both goals for the Pirates. Goalie Yahir Bello made eight saves.

Frederick High School

Tennis Frederick’s Matteo Tovagndcco qualified for the state 4A tennis

TURN TO THE COLORADO SUN FOR NEWS ACROSS THE STATE

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In this way, The Sun contributes to a more vibrant, informed and whole Colorado.

The Sun, launched in 2018, is committed to fact-based, in-depth and non-partisan journalism. It covers everything

from politics and culture to the outdoor industry and education.

Now, The Colorado Sun coowns this and other Colorado Community Media newspapers as a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy. The Sun is CCM’s partner for statewide news.

For Colorado Sun stories, opinions and more, and to support The Sun’s misssion as a member or subscriber, visit coloradosun. com.

tournament, which begins Thursday, Oct. 13, at Pueblo City Park.

Softball

The Golden Eagles scored four runs in the sixth inning and held on for an 8-7, home-field win over Northridge Oct. 8.

Haley Howell and Tatum Ross had a base hit and two RBIs. Makenzie Sais had three hits, and Lani Davis added two hits and an RBI.

Hailey Michalik and Mikeayla Llamas drove in two runs for the Grizzlies. Llamas also pounded out four hits.

Frederick topped Roosevelt 10-6 in Johnstown Oct. 6 behind Davis’ three-hit, three-RBI performance. Alexandra Kennedy had a base hit and drove in three runs. Sais had three hits.

Riverdale Ridge shut out Frederick 4-0 in Thornton Oct. 4, behind a one-hitter from pitcher Brynn Trujillo. She also struck out 11 Golden Eagles’ batters.

Ganessa Duran, Jazmyn Sandoval, Jaenna Sandoval and Tegan Medina drove in the Ravens’ runs. Sais had Frederick’s base hit.

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Football Frederick celebrated homecoming in a big way Oct. 7 by beating Niwot 49-0. No stats were available for either team.

Volleyball

Frederick rolled past Severance 25-7, 27-25, 25-10 in Frederick Oct. 6. No stats were available for either school.

FHS also downed Riverdale Ridge 25-18, 25-21, 25-20 in Thornton Oct. 4. No stats were available for the Golden Eagles. Addison Goff led the Ravens with eight kills. Mahala Lampshire added five.

Soccer Frederick and Roosevelt played to a 1-1, double-overtime tie in Johnstown Oct. 6.

Sean Siefken scored the Roughriders’ goal in the first half. No stats were available for FHS.

Fort Morgan beat the Golden Eagles 1-0 in Frederick Oct. 4. Ernesto Meza Gamino’s goal came in the first half. No stats were available for the Golden Eagles.

• Letters should be exclusively submitted to Colorado Community Media and should not submitted to other outlets or previously posted on websites or social media. Submitted letters become the property of CCM and should not be republished elsewhere.

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recently hit by “BlackCat” ransomware attacks, which allow hackers to block access to a computer system or function until their target pays up or rebuilds their framework. Neither of the two communities targeted paid their ransoms, leaving some government services and internal functions down for a period of time.

“It’s like going back to the 1980s for our staff, where they are working around the clock and so hard to make sure that that impact is minimal,” Wheat Ridge spokesperson Amanda Harrison said. “But that means they have to resort to some really outdated ways of doing that. We don’t have all of our servers turned back on yet because we are ensuring that they are safe and secure.”

Harrison said the attack mainly impacted city employees, not members of the public. Fremont County wasn’t as lucky.

Many of the county’s offices were closed for over a month after it was targeted in mid-August. Despite rejecting the hackers’ demands, both communities had to spend money to rebuild and bring services back online with new security measures.

Ray Yepes, Colorado’s Chief Information Security Officer, said the two attacks on Fremont County and Wheat Ridge are unrelated and came from two different groups who want money.

Yepes said that’s bad news, because

it means future attacks are likely. He stressed that local governments need to be prepared for that possibility.

Because Colorado has historically relied on a decentralized approach to cybersecurity, smaller cities and counties often lack resources to deter hackers and quickly respond to outages. State lawmakers decided in 2021 to adopt a “whole of state” approach to cybersecurity, which allowed Yepes and his team to act as roaming support staff for communities in need.

“Any government entity’s problem is our problem and we’re here to help them. We have more resources than they have,” Yepes said. “When

you look at the whole of a state approach it’s an idea, it’s a model. Local, federal, every resource that you can find, you bring them together, you combine your expertise, the resources, your main power to be able to fight cybercrime together.”

Yepes said the threat of cybercrime should be taken seriously. In addition to bringing down vital government services, they can sometimes reveal sensitive information, like social security codes and bank account information.

“We are all driven by technology,” Yepes said. “The water system can be affected by cyberattacks, transit can be affected by cyberattacks.

Anything that we do nowadays in our life depends on technology.”

Colorado has learned costly lessons from previous cyberattacks. The state paid $1.7 million in overtime, meals and equipment to restore the Colorado Department of Transportation’s servers in 2018. Earlier this month, Boulder County mistakenly sent $238,000 to a fraudulent account after a cyberattack allowed hackers to pose as vendors the county owed.

This story is from CPR News, a nonprofit news source. Used by permission. For more, and to support Colorado Public Radio, visit cpr.org.

Cyber attacks are becoming more common as the state was a recent target.

SHUTTERSTOCK

Choosing right weather words for an ‘alerta’

BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN

For all of us who have ever weighed a tornado “watch” versus a tornado “warning,” it’s no surprise that a growing number of researchers say distinguishing between Spanish words like “aviso” and “alerta” in weather bulletins can be a life or death choice.

If a twister sprouts east of Pueblo, or a climate-driven wildfire threatens Jefferson County, or more hurricanes pummel Florida, Spanish-speaking communities need weather warnings to meet the moment. More and more meteorological and social science research shows they’re failing.

As Hurricane Ian bore down on the west coast of Florida, weather service parent agency the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was talking about its new research suggesting Spanish translations need to bump up in urgency. NOAA and the weather service — as well as FEMA — mean to say “warning” when it comes to tornadoes and hurricanes and other hazards, but the Spanish word they have been using, “aviso,” is not taken as seriously by Spanish speakers.

Researchers asked more than 1,000 Spanish speakers to rank advisory

words. The researchers were told that the words they’d been using as strong, “aviso” and “vigilancia,” were not heard as forcefully as the more urgent Spanish words “emergencia,” “amenaza” and “alerta.”

The author of NOAA’s study, which was published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, said the study backs up other recent work comparing signals from English words versus signals from Spanish.

“Aviso” is a literal translation of “warning,” but aviso is “more like advice you might get from a parent,” and doesn’t come across as an urgent official warning to act, said Joseph Trujillo-Falcón, lead author from NOAA’s Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations in Oklahoma.

The difference can literally mean life and death, as Florida officials struggled to convey the dangers of Ian’s intense ocean surge to evacuation stragglers around Tampa. How Spanish speakers accept the words is also key in tornado-prone spots with large Hispanic populations, from Colorado to Texas. As climate change makes emergency weather events more frequent, language and communication matter all the more, researchers say.

“It’s just so important to get people the right information at the right level of urgency,” said Ben Hatchett, assistant research professor for atmospheric science at Reno’s Desert Research Institute.

Prepare for power outages

In tornado advisories, for example, the word “watch” means conditions are ripe for a tornado and residents should be alert. “Warning” means a tornado has been spotted or is imminent and residents should take shelter. The study notes that “66% of the English speakers correctly identified the meaning of a tornado watch as an early notice of possible severe weather,” but “only 38% of the Spanish speakers chose this definition.”

“Our data supports using the Spanish word ‘vigilancia’ for a tornado watch and the Spanish word ‘alerta’ for a tornado warning,” Trujillo-Falcón said.

9News meteorologist Chris Bianchi, who often handles the regular Spanish-language weather casts for the station, agrees with the research and is writing about it at 9News.com. He commented on the studies just before leaving for Florida, where he joined the hurricane coverage.

“This is absolutely critical,” Bianchi wrote from DIA, as he waited for his Tampa flight. “There has long been a huge, discernible gap between English and Spanish forecasting and terminology.”

Hatchett also does research from his base in Santa Rosa, California, on whether English-speaking communities are hearing bad-weather warnings with the urgency forecasters and safety officials intend. It’s crucial, he said, to study local dialect and geography, and which communicators are the trusted

sources of information.

In Reno, Hatchett said, weather listeners don’t pay enough attention to warnings of “up to 6 inches of snow in the area.” They assume that means up on the mountains in the Tahoe area, not so much in the lower-lying Truckee Meadows.

“But if you say, ‘It’s going to snow 6 inches down here,’ everyone’s like, ‘Oh, it’s gonna snow down here in the valley in downtown Reno. OK, got it. Got to think about how I’m going to get to work tomorrow,’” Hatchett said.

Climate and weather researchers are also trying to use high temperature ranges rather than one number when expressing growing dangers from urban heat waves, Hatchett said. Instead of saying just, “It’s likely to hit 106 degrees tomorrow,” they use probability forecasting:

“It’s very likely going to be above 95 and could hit 100.”

How then, Hatchett said, to best present that range visually or verbally, to enclaves of different speakers and listeners, from San Diego to the San Luis Valley? Will they be concerned enough to think about staying home from an outdoors job, or keeping kids out of an unairconditioned school?

It’s “super important,” he said, to use translation from native speakers familiar with a community to find the words “through the lens of the local person who you’re trying to convince to make a decision.”

Gov. Polis is top campaign donor

BY SANDRA FISH THE COLORADO SUN

Democratic Gov. Jared Polis pulled ahead of the other top Colorado campaign 2022 donor in recent weeks, putting another $2 million into his reelection bid and bringing his self-funding total this cycle to $11.1 million.

That exceeds the $11 million Steve Wells, a Weld County rancher and oil and gas booster, has donated to Deep Colorado Wells, his super PAC opposing Polis and other Democrats.

But national groups and small donor committees also continue to pour money into candidate commit tees and super PACs.

The Colorado Sun took a look at the top 2022 donors based on cam paign finance filings this week that cover fundraising and spending through Sept. 28. The next filing date for state candidates and com mittees is Oct. 17.

Steve Wells and national groups top super PAC donors

State independent spending and 527 committees, also known as super PACs, raised nearly $59 million through Sept. 28. And 15 top donors

WEATHER

FROM PAGE 17

Meteorologists appear to wel come the flurry of social scien tists researching how to sharpen

accounted for more than half that cash.

Many of those groups are national political organizations, also com mon in past years.

But this year, the top super PAC donor is Wells Ranch, which do nated $11 million to Deep Colorado Wells. Ranch owner Steve Wells created the super PAC and is fund ing it using money he made leasing out his large Weld County ranch for oil and gas drilling. The group is posting billboards and airing TV and radio ads attacking Polis and Democratic Attorney General Phil Weiser.

In many instances, one super PAC donates to another, which may even donate to a third to super PAC.

Nearly $10 million of the total raised by state-level super PACS in recent weeks was money transferred from one super PAC to another.

For example, the Democratic Governors Association, a national group, donated more than $3 mil lion to Strong Colorado for All. That group donated $1.5 million to Colo rado Information Network, which aired TC ads in Colorado’s Republi can gubernatorial primary.

communication in their field.

“We often forget how young meteorology is,” Bianchi said, adding that 100 years ago weather warnings were coming primar ily from priests on the hurricane frontlines in Cuba. He’s worked on some of the NOAA research

Now, Strong Colorado for All is airing TV ads opposing GOP guber natorial candidate Heidi Ganahl.

Strong Colorado for All has also received money from national non profit Education Reform Now Ad vocacy, the third top donor at close to $3 million, which gave to several Democratic super PACs.

National nonprofit Sixteen Thirty Fund, typically a top Colorado do nor in recent years, gave about $2.1 million to various Democratic super PACs through Sept. 28.

On the Republican side, the na tional GOPAC Election Fund gave nearly $2.1 million to the Senate Majority Fund, which is airing TV ads, sending mailers and more in an effort to wrest control of the state Senate from Democrats. State-level conservative nonprofit Advance Colorado Action donated nearly $1.3 million to two GOP super PACs working on legislative contests.

Gubernatorial candidates are big gest donors to statewide candidate campaigns

Polis accounts for 47% of the nearly $24 million raised by can didates for the top four state-level statewide offices. His most recent

panels, and he sees the impact of words while talking with the 9News audience.

“Translating and accounting for regional dialects and slang can be very difficult,” he said.

This story is from The Colorado

donation was $2 million on Sept. 21, filings show.

In 2018, Polis spent more than $23 million to win the governor’s contest.

Polis’ Republican opponent this year, Ganahl, was the second highest donor among statewide candidates, giving her campaign $400,000. She’s also loaned her campaign more than $850,000, including $400,000 on Sept. 22.

The Colorado Democratic Party has donated more than $276,000 to the four Democratic candidates running for the top state-level jobs. But the Colorado Republican Party hasn’t donated to its candidates for statewide office, even though politi cal parties may donate up to $679,000 to gubernatorial candidates and up to almost $136,000 for candidates for attorney general, secretary of state and treasurer.

Joe Jackson, executive director of the Colorado Republican Party, said the party will be involved in coming weeks.

“Instead of making direct contri butions we are spending coordinat ed dollars on their behalf,” Jackson said. “Most of that will be dropped

Sun, a journalist-owned news out let based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit colora dosun.com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

kitchen wishes granted.

TRIVIA

U.S. STATES: How many states border the Great Lakes?

MOVIES: What was Buzz Lightyear’s original name in the animated movie “Toy Story”?

TELEVISION: What was the name of the family dog on “The Brady Bunch”?

FOOD & DRINK: What is blind baking?

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What are the two traditional flowers associated with

HISTORY: Which state divided into two as a result of the U.S. Civil War?

PSYCHOLOGY: What kind of fear is represented by the condition called chromophobia?

U.S. PRESIDENTS: Who is the only president to serve in the office who was not elected as vice president or president?

ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a group of tigers called?

MUSIC: Who was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

Answers

Six (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio).

Lunar Larry.

Tiger.

Pre-baking a pie crust without filling.

Aster and morning glory.

Virginia and West Virginia.

Fear of one or more colors.

Gerald Ford.

An ambush.

Aretha Franklin.

King Features Synd., Inc.

Crossword

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He pointed to efforts in Douglas County that he believes are working. Camera systems read license plates and alert dispatch centers that a stolen vehicle is driving wherever it was detected.

Though, laws make it difficult.

“Just because I caught you in a stolen car, believe it or not, it’s an extremely hard case to win,” he said. “I have no way of demonstrat ing that you stole that.”

However, more evidence of posses sion through the cameras makes the case easier to prove. He said auto thieves usually pair motor vehicle thefts with other crimes like drugs or stealing merchandise.

Preventing crime starts before the crime even occurs. McIntosh said community trust in the police is critical.

“When you can get a community to trust the police to start informing us of what’s going on in the commu nity and be present in the commu

nity, that’s when you start prevent ing,” he said.

Community members also need to reduce the opportunity for crime, which can look like locking car doors, neighbors looking after neighbors, security lights and more.

Gene Claps, the Democratic candi date for Adams County Sheriff, sees five key solutions to lower crime: collaboration, accountability, re cruiting and maintaining staff, data and community based policing.

He too said it’s important to have collaboration with district attor neys, municipal police chiefs, and other members of the criminal justice system. He sees recent moves to decriminalize certain violations as a player in rising crime.

“We can’t keep slapping people on their wrists and expect them to change their habits. There has to be something held or error held in front of them to say I’m going to fol low through,” he said.

Going to crime areas before viola tions occur can also help reduce the rising numbers. Using data to see where resources need to be can prevent crime from happening in

the first place, he said.

Solutions that work

Pasko points to Longmont’s Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program, saying it has proven to address crime and its root causes.

According to their website, of ficers use their discretion to direct those suspected of substance use to case management services instead of jail.

“Instead of defaulting to the justice system, this alternative uses a harm-reduction approach along with community-based support services and coordinated care. Longmont LEAD participants experienced a 59 percent decrease in all legal incidents and a 50 percent reduction in arrests,” their website reads.

From an interim evaluation, the program resulted in a 50% reduc tion in rearrests for the LEAD participants and a 25% reduction in summonses after referral to LEAD.

That’s exactly what Rutherford needed. As a drug user, he needed help to get free of the substance.

He didn’t experience LEAD, but he experienced other programs to attempt to help him transition out of jail.

Jefferson County Drug Court is what proved the most helpful be cause it addressed his needs, such as housing and money. Housing proved to be the most difficult for him.

“That’s what (drug users) need. They have to work on trauma, they have to work on underlying prob lems so they don’t repeat the same cycle,” he said.

That program gave him hous ing, therapy seven days a week and structure.

Participants gradually become integrated back into society and slowly begin to take on more re sponsibilities, like starting a job, paying rent, buying food and finding stability.

Rutherford mentioned people use drugs to fill a void.

“The questions they ask you in the recovery court are, do you have stable housing? Do you have a fam ily? Do you have a support system?” he said. “It’s just something you hope to create for yourself.”

GIVEN that the Proposed

Budget has been submitted to the Board of Directors of the Frederick-Firestone Fire Protection District, on October 10, 2022, for the ensuing Fiscal Year of 2023; a copy of such proposed budget has been filed in the office of the Fire District located at

Kosmerl Place, Frederick, Colorado, where same is open for public

and; that such proposed budget will be considered at a regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the Fire District to be held at the Administration Building, 8426 Kosmerl Place, Frederick, Colorado on November 14, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. and December 12, 2022 at 7:00 p.m.

time

the District may, at

LEGAL DESCRIPTION

A PARCEL LOCATED IN THE SOUTH ONE-HALF OF SECTION 3, TOWNSHIP 1 NORTH, RANGE 66 WEST OF THE 6TH PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, COUNTY OF WELD, STATE OF COLORADO DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:

COMMENCING AT THE EAST ONE-QUARTER CORNER OF SAID SECTION 3 AS WITNESSED BY A FOUND 2.5 INCH ALUMINUM CAP MARKED 49.5’ W.C., PLS 25937 1997”, THENCE SOUTH 00°09’09” EAST, ALONG THE EAST LINE OF THE SOUTHEAST ONE-QUARTER OF SAID SECTION 3, A DISTANCE OF 50.00 FEET , MORE OR LESS, TO THE SOUTH RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF STATE HIGHWAY NO. 52, TO THE SOUTH LINE OF THE FORT LUPTON EAST ANNEXATION, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF FILED FOR RECORD IN THE OFFICE OF THE WELD COUNTY CLERK AND RECORDER AT RECEPTION NO. 4765841 AND THE POINT OF BEGINNING:

THENCE, DEPARTING SAID RIGHT OF WAY LINE AND ALONG THE EAST AND NORTH LINES OF SAID JENKINS PARCEL THE FOL LOWING THREE (3) COURSES AND DIS TANCES:

1. NORTH 00°30’29”

WEST A DISTANCE OF 1279.57 FEET, MORE OR LESS, TO A FOUND 2 INCH ALUMINUM CAP MARKED PLS 37971 FOR THE NORTH EAST CORNER OF SAID JENKINS PARCEL;

2. SOUTH 89°09’57” WEST A DISTANCE OF 411.00 FEET, MORE OR LESS, TO THE CENTER-SOUTH ONE-SIXTEENTH CORNER OF SAID SECTION 3, BEING A FOUND 2.5 INCH ALUMINUM CAP MARKED PLS 37971 2022;

3. SOUTH 89°10’38”

WHEREAS, the Fort Lupton City Council has reviewed the annexation petition submitted by Highway 52 General Partnership, L.L.P. for 181.907 acres, more or less, and known as the High Pointe Hills Annexation; and

the Fort Lupton City Council finds the annexation petition to be complete and in substantial conformance with the requirements of C.R.S. 31-12-107 (1) as amended.

Budget

NOTICE AS TO PROPOSED 2023 BUDGET AND AMENDMENT OF 2022 BUDGET

Notice

City of Ft. Lupton

hereby given that the City of Fort Lupton

in receipt of an application submitted by Highway

General Partnership,

for an annexation and initial zoning to the

Agriculture Zone District for a parcel located south and adjacent to Highway 52 and approximately 0.25 miles east of County Road 31 in Weld County, Colorado, pursuant to the City of Fort Lupton Municipal Code Notice Requirements.

The public hearings are to be held

THENCE SOUTH 00°09’09” EAST, DEPARTING SAID RIGHT OF WAY LINE AND CONTINUING ALONG THE EAST LINE OF THE SOUTHEAST ONE-QUARTER OF SAID SECTION 3, A DIS TANCE OF 2525.93 FEET, MORE OR LESS, TO A FOUND 2 INCH ALUMINUM CAP MARKED PLS 37971 ON THE NORTH LINE OF WELD COUNTY ROAD 12 AND THE NORTH LINE OF THE MP ANNEXATION NO.4, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF FILED FOR RECORD IN THE OFFICE OF THE WELD COUNTY CLERK AND RECORDER AT RECEPTION NO. 4592077, FROM WHICH THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF SAID SECTION 3, BEING A FOUND 2.5 INCH ILLEGIBLE ALUMINUM CAP BEARS, SOUTH 00°09’09” E A DISTANCE OF 30.00 FEET; THENCE SOUTH 88°59’47” WEST, 30.00 FEET NORTH OF AND PARALLEL TO THE SOUTH LINE OF THE SOUTHEAST ONE-QUARTER OF SAID SECTION 3 AND ALONG THE NORTH LINE OF SAID MP ANNEXATION NO. 4, PASSING AT A DISTANCE OF 1332.96 FEET THE WEST LINE OF THE SOUTHEAST ONE-QUARTER OF THE SOUTHEAST ONE-QUARTER OF SAID SEC TION 3 AND CONTINUING A TOTAL DISTANCE OF 2254.17 FEET, MORE OR LESS, TO A FOUND 2 INCH ALUMINUM CAP MARKED PLS 37971 ON THE EAST LINE OF THAT PARCEL DESCRIBED IN WARRANTY DEED TO WIL LIAM A. JENKINS AND LORI L. JENKINS FILED FOR RECORD IN THE OFFICE OF THE WELD COUNTY CLERK AND RECORDER AT RECEP TION NO. 3777987, FROM WHICH THE SOUTH ONE-QUARTER CORNER OF SAID SECTION 3, BEING A FOUND 2 INCH ALUMINUM CAP MARKED PLS 25937 1998 BEARS SOUTH 00°30’29” EAST A DISTANCE OF 30.00 FEET AND SOUTH 88°59’47” WEST A DISTANCE OF 411.00 FEET;

WEST A DISTANCE OF 1330.21 FEET, MORE OR LESS, TO THE SOUTHWEST ONE-SIXTEENTH CORNER OF SAID SECTION 3, BEING A FOUND 2 INCH ALUMINUM CAP MARKED PLS 25937; THENCE NORTH 00°23’24” WEST, ALONG THE WEST LINE OF THE NORTHEAST ONE-QUAR TER OF THE SOUTHWEST ONE-QUARTER OF SAID SECTION 3, A DISTANCE OF 1264.89 FEET, MORE OR LESS, TO A FOUND 2 INCH ALUMINUM CAP MARKED PLS 37971 ON THE SOUTH RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF SAID STATE HIGHWAY NO. 52 AND THE SOUTH LINE OF THE AQUA-HOT ANNEXATION, AC CORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF FILED FOR RECORD IN THE OFFICE OF THE WELD COUNTY CLERK AND RECORDER AT RECEPTION NO. 3952536, FROM WHICH THE CENTER-WEST ONE-SIXTEENTH CORNER OF SAID SECTION 3, AS WITNESSED BY A FOUND 2 INCH ALUMINUM CAP MARKED 50.0’ W.C., PLS 25937 2001” BEARS NORTH 00°23’24” W A DISTANCE OF 50.00 FEET;

THENCE, 50.00 FEET SOUTH OF AND PARAL LEL WITH THE EAST-WEST CENTERLINE OF SAID SECTION 3, ALONG THE SOUTH LINE OF SAID AQUA-HOT ANNEXATION, ALONG THE BURKHARDT ANNEXATION ALONG THE SOUTH LINE OF THE PATTERSON AN NEXATION, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF FILED FOR RECORD IN THE OFFICE OF THE WELD COUNTY CLERK AND RECORDER AT RECEPTION NO. 4343163 AND THE SOUTH LINE OF SAID FORT LUPTON EAST ANNEXATION THE FOLLOWING TWO (2) COURSES AND DISTANCES

1. NORTH 89°21’48” EAST A DISTANCE OF 1328.01 FEET, MORE OR LESS, TO A FOUND 2 INCH ALUMINUM CAP MARKED PLS 37971 ON THE NORTH-SOUTH CENTERLINE OF SAID SECTION 3N FROM WHICH THE CENTER ONEQUARTER CORNER OF SAID SECTION 3, AS WITNESSED BY A FOUND 2 INCH ALUMINUM CAP MARKED 50.0’ W.C., PLS 25937 1998” BEARS NORTH 00°29’40” W A DISTANCE OF 50.00 FEET;

2. NORTH 89°19’47”

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Fort Lupton City Council hereby approves this Resolution initiating annexation proceedings for the High Pointe Hills Annexation and sets the hearing date for November 1, 2022 to determine if the proposed annexation complies with C.R.S. 31-12-104 and 31-12-105, or such parts thereof as may be required to establish eligibility for annexation under the terms of Part 1, Article 12, Title 31, C.R.S.

AND ADOPTED BY THE FORT LUPTON CITY COUNCIL THIS 6th DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2022.

GODDING HOLLOW METROPOLITAN DISTRICT TOWN OF FREDERICK, WELD COUNTY, COLORADO

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to Sections 29-1-108 and 109, C.R.S., that a proposed budget has been submitted to the Board of Directors of the Godding Hollow Metropolitan District (the “Dis trict”) for the ensuing year of 2023. The necessity may also arise for the amendment of the 2022 budget of the District. Copies of the proposed 2023 budget and 2022 amended budget (if ap propriate) are on file in the office of the District’s Accountant, Centennial Consulting Group, LLC, 2619 Canton Court, Suite A, Fort Collins, Colo rado 80525 where same are available for public inspection. Such proposed 2023 budget and 2022 amended budget will be considered at a special meeting to be held on October 27, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. Any interested elector within the District may, at any time prior to the final adoption of the 2023 budget or the 2022 amended budget, inspect the 2023 budget and the 2022 amended budget and file or register any objections thereto.

meeting will be held by video/telephonic means without any individuals (neither

NOTICE OF BUDGET

Lupton City Hall,

S. McKinley Avenue in

Lupton,

provided in the agenda as posted on the City’s website, www.fortluptonco.gov.

SQUARE FEET) OF LAND, MORE OR LESS. RESOLUTION

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF FORT LUPTON INITIATING ANNEXATION PRO CEEDINGS FOR THE ANNEXATION KNOWN AS HIGH POINTE HILLS AND SETTING THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR NOVEMBER

GODDING