Fort Lupton Press 042723

FORT LUPTON PRESS

Ground breaking ceremony for Community Park

THE SEASON FOR SHARING

Requirements dramatically pared back in governor’s “land-use” bill

BY JESSE PAUL AND ELLIOTT WENZLER THE COLORADO SUN

Gov. Jared Polis and Democrats in the Colorado legislature signicantly pared back their major landuse bill amid big questions about whether their signature a ordable housing initiative at the Capitol this year can get enough support to pass.

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Fort Lupton o cials and residents kicked of the Community Regional Park Renovation April 18.,

“Construction is scheduled to start mid-April, with many improvements completed by Fall 2023. e splash park is anticipated to open Summer of 2024, said Dave Cook, Fort Lupton Recreation Manager.

e construction will start with laying concrete on the walking and biking trails, extending trails over one mile to connect to the citywide trail route.

Next, add an outdoor splash pad, onsite restrooms, design ADA-accessible playground equipment, shade structures, picnic tables, and an area that will be a safer environment for kids and adults.

Colorado’s largest cities would no longer be required to let multifamily housing with up to six units be built in all residentially zoned areas under a major amendment made to Senate Bill 213. Instead, those cities — like Denver, Aurora, Boulder, Englewood, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Lakewood, Pueblo, ornton and Westminster — would only have to let duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes be built in 30% of their land area currently zoned for single-family homes, concentrated around train and high-frequency bus corridors where applicable.

e change, which came in mid-April, shifts the legislation away from attempting to broadly increase housing density to a more limited approach linked to transit. Without the changes, it appeared the bill, which has received major opposition from cities and towns across the state, would lack enough support to clear its rst committee.

In all, there were 17 amendments made to the bill, totaling dozens of pages. One of the major changes reduces land-use requirements on resort communities, like Aspen and Vail.

“Along with City funding, a $790,000 Great Outdoors Colorado Grant, $410,000 Weld Trust Grant and a $20,000 grant challenge from Dale’s Pharmacy will help o set some of the total project cost,” Cook said.

e Senate Local Government and Housing Committee approved the overhauled

Every year before Thanksgiving, First United Methodist Church in Fort Lupton and the Fort Lupton Food and Clothing Bank provide community members with food boxes. This will be the program’s 10th consecutive year. Above, Joe Hubert, left China Garcia and Sue Hubert with Change 4 Change, another organization that helps with the food drive. See more on Page 2.

SEE BILL, P3

The playground at Fort Lupton’s Community Park will be shut down and replaced later this year. The work should be completed by the spring of 2024.

PHOTO BY SCOTT TAYLOR

Plans for a renovated Fort Lupton Community Park, set to open in 2024.

COURTESY PHOTO

Fort Lupton Little Caesar Pizza employs special needs adults

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Kids love pizza parties, but getting a tour of the pizzeria and a hand in making the pizza makes it even more fun.

at’s what happened to a group of special needs Twombly Elementary students on April 11. e group toured the kitchen at Little Caesars and learned how to make pizzas.

Kellie Essert, a Twombly teacher for kids with moderate to severe needs, said the kids were thrilled after the tour.

“ ey got to return to the school and eat the pizza they made,” she said. “It’s always a great day when you get to have pizza. Even better when you make it yourself the way you want it.”

As it turns out, it was just as big a treat for the store’s owner, David Maddox. His store has a long history of employing special needs residents and helping them out.

Maddox said he was inspired by his father to help people with special needs. His father worked with e Arc in Florida, which protects the human rights of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Calvin Kind, district manager for the Little Caesars Pizza stores in Sterling and Fort Lupton, said he can relate to people with special needs because his son was in a car accident that left him paralyzed. He helped him at Craig Hospital through rehabilitation.

“It was hard for us both, but we learned a lot. Craig Hospital did a wonderful job. He was disabled and worked on cars in his wheelchair, and I made him get up every day and go to college,” Kind said.

“I have passion for those with special needs who are trying so hard.

We have success with hiring people with special needs and there is a need for that. It’s how we started this program,” Kind added.

at all-around a nity for special needs kids grew into a special relationship between the store owner and the teachers last year.

Twombly’s Essert said she met Kind when she came to pick up a pizza for her class. He saw her name badge, asked what she did and gave her the order for free.

“Little Caesars has been providing a monthly party for us ever since,” Essert said. “Our kids have to earn it, it’s not a given. ey earn it by demonstrating good behavior, kindness and attendance.”

Adults, too

It goes beyond kids, they agreed.

Retired Twombly Elementary Tech

Lab teacher Liz Chavez is another link between the school and the pizzeria. Chavez works at Little Caesars and helped start a program that donates drawstring bags for school work to kids that do well in school. e school also has another program where the kids can earn a point for doing well, and Maddox’ Little Caesars donates the food so they can have pizza parties.

Chavez said she got involved after she retired, and I needed some points from her Medicare and a part-time job.

“I was walking outside one day and ran into Calvin and I asked him if he needed help and he said, sure, we could t you with exactly the hours you need,” Chavez said.

Chavez said she works with some

of the kids she taught at Twombly. It is good to see these kids in another light, she said.

“I see them as grown adults, trying to fend for themselves, make their own money, and hold down jobs. It’s just fantastic to see that, and it is rewarding for me to see it, too. I did a good job,” Chavez said.

Kind said special needs people he employs learn customer service skills, particularly with di cult customers. He advises his charges to not react and stand above when somebody comes in with a bad mood. Don’t get mad at them, he says.

“My employee says they are being mean to me because I’m handicapped, I tell them they’re mean to all of us. I watch them come out of their shells and become some of my best employees,” Kind said.

Maddox said they have one employee who uses a walker and can only do a little. One chore he excels at is gluing the promotional yers, called bounce backs, on the pizza boxes.

“He loves it. We set him up with some pizza boxes and the bounce backs, and we give him a chair, and he rolls in with his walker, and he goes back there for a couple of hours a week and glues bounce backs on the boxes,” Maddox said. “He takes care of that task that everyone hates, but he loves it.”

For Kind, it’s an important connection.

“Maddox’s heart always has been here doing these programs,” Kind said. “None of this would be possible without his nancial support. Every time I came to him with suggestions, he said, my heart is with that. We both connect with what it means and what the special needs person brings.”

Steven Douglas takes United Power Board of Directors seat

Steven Douglas won the United Power Board of Directors seat by 3,614 votes in the East District.

Tamra Waltemath ran unopposed and was re-seated with 5,918 votes in the mountain region, and Virginia Buczek retained her seat with 4,003 votes in the West region.

According to a news release, the winners were announced on April 12 at the annual meeting. More than 7,000 ballots were cast.

“No matter what the future holds, providing reliable electric service will always be at the core of our business,” said Board Chair Beth Martin. “We made great strides in 2022 – strengthening our system, improving reliability, and protecting our communities.”

James Vigesaa received 1,960 votes to win the seat in the South district. Jamie Klein received 1,272 votes in the South district and Ken Kreutzer received 1,876, and Katherine Mills received 1,455 votes.

Virginia A. Buczek retained her seat, receiving 4,003 votes in the West district. omas Hogan was a distant second in the West district, receiving 2,510 votes to Buczek’s 4,003 votes.

Robert “Rob” Masden received 2,994 in the East District, behind East District winner Douglas. e residents in the di erent regions voted via mail-in and electronic ballot voting. According to o cials, electronic balloting voting was added by the United Power cooperative in 2022 to provide voters with a fast, secure, and convenient way to avoid mailing delays. According to o cials, about 700 members and guests watched a video presentation of cooperative accomplishments, such as United Power continuously updating the mitigation plan to protect its com-

A photo caption in the April 13 edition of the Fort Lupton Press did not list all of the sponsoring churches of the city’s community Easter Egg hunt. The caption should have listed Destiny Church,

munity members from wild re dangers, removing vegetation growth on 40 miles of line, covering the poles with re retardant, and update red ag warning procures for wild re conditions.

It is also rolling out and expanding electric vehicle EV charging stations in member regions and o ering an EV wiring rebate. e cooperative renewed for a third year the member choice grant for a total of $12,000. It allows the member to nominate local non-pro ts for the grant.

“Underlying all of these accomplishments is a dedicated team of United Power employees working to ensure they meet your needs,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power President & CEO. “Over 180 cooperative employees arrive every day ready to put you rst. ey keep our systems secure and strong, take pride in working safely, and make sure that our members’ needs are met.”

According to o cials, Keith

Alquist United Power’s Board Treasurer, presented the nancials reporting another strong year.

Gabriel ended the meeting with a presentation of the future of the electric industry, continued economic prosperity through tax revenue, and job opportunities within communities. He discussed the importance of local generation, self-generation, and technologies controlling its solid electrical grid.

“A distribution utility like United Power stands at the crossroads of a changing energy industry and needs to transition from a simple distribution operator to managing a system that is agnostic to inputs and exible enough to handle both centralized power and local generation,” he said.

To watch the videos and presentations at the 2023 Annual Meeting, including the cooperative’s 2022 Annual Report, visit www.unitedpower.com.

Calvin Kind, David Maddox, Twombly Elementary para sta and the special needs students that learned how to make pizzas. COURTESY OF KELLIE ESSERT TWOMBLY ELEMENTARY

Fort Lupton United Methodist, Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, Outpost Calvary Chapel, and St. Williams Catholic Church sponsored the event.

Mays Memorial golf tournament set for June 9

A four-person scramble golf tournament will return to Fort Lupton’s Coyote Creek Golf Course. e event raises funds for youth and teen programs in Fort Lupton.

Jacobs, in partnership with the City of Fort Lupton, presents the 2023 Jon Mays Memorial Fore Youth Golf Tournament on June 9. e tournament is a four-person scramble and will be held at Coyote Creek Golf Course in Fort Lupton. After an 8 a.m. start, golfers will enjoy 18 holes with fun games and contests. ere’s also a pre-round breakfast, post-event lunch and prizes.

BILL

measure on a 4-3 vote, with all of the Democrats on the panel voting “yes” and all of the Republicans voting “no.” It was unclear whether the measure would have enough votes to advance and the committee hearing was delayed for hours while amendments were nalized and negotiated.

Senate Majority Leader Dominick Moreno, a Commerce City Democrat and prime sponsor of the bill, warned that more changes were needed. “By no means does the work stop here,” he said.

Heading into a committee hearing, Sen. Dylan Roberts, an Avon Democrat, appeared to be the swing vote

is year’s tournament celebrates the legacy of Jon Mays, project manager of Jacobs’ water and wastewater services to Fort Lupton, who passed away last year. Jon enjoyed his role in the community and looked forward to planning this event every year.

Jacobs has operated and maintained Fort Lupton’s water and wastewater utility systems for 24 years, and has helped the City host the golf tournament nearly as long. e event has raised more than $90,000 for youth and recreation programs.

Sponsor and participant information

Fort Lupton and Jacobs invite all

on the committee. He cast a reluctant “yes” vote. “I still have concerns with where the bill is,” he said, adding that there will be “a lot more to do” to get him to back the bill once it is debated on the Senate oor.

But two other Democrats on the committee — Sens. Julie Gonzales of Denver and Tony Exum of Colorado Springs — also expressed anxiety about the measure before voting to advance the legislation. e pair said more changes were needed.

“You will see more amendments coming,” Gonzales said.

An e ort by Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, a Brighton Republican on the committee to erase the measure and replace it with an alternative policy with no policy preemptions for local governments was rejected. “Senate bill 213, as it stands right now, … is never going to

businesses, organizations, residents and surrounding communities to participate and sponsor the event.

e premier golf event is a great opportunity to enjoy a day on the course with friends and colleagues, promote your brand to advance business and personal relationships, and raise money for a worthwhile cause.

Early registration is discounted through April 30, with individual players at $125 and foursomes at $425. On May 1, individual registration increases to $140 per player and $455 per team. Registration includes green fees, cart and lunch. Sponsorships are available at a variety of price points, and include bene ts

get us to a ordable housing,” she said. “All it’s going to do is preempt local governments.”

e bill now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee for approval before it can advance to the full Senate.

Under amendments, cities and towns would have to allow duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes to be built in a halfmile radius around rail stations and a quarter-mile around corridors with bus-rapid-transit or where a bus stops every 15 minutes.

If a municipality doesn’t want to allow building of two, three or four units next to certain transit stops they could opt to zone for that kind of housing in a di erent part of their city or town proportional to the area around a transit stop that would have been a ected. In doing so, however, the municipality would have to take steps to prevent

like tee-box advertising, team registration, promotional opportunities and more.

To register for the tournament and view a complete list of sponsorship opportunities, visit www.golfgenius.com/ggid/jmay23. If you can’t participate in the tournament, but want to lend your support, consider a monetary donation or an item for our ra e.

As always, the health and safety of attendees is of utmost importance. e event will be held in compliance with applicable local regulations. For more information, contact JacobsForeYouth@jacobs. com.

people living in those areas from being displaced and would be encouraged to focus the zoning around walkable areas.

At a minimum, Colorado’s largest cities would have to allow duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes in 30% of the areas that are currently zoned for single-family homes. e requirement would also apply to large cities that don’t have train stops or bus rapid transit and bus routes with 15-minute frequencies, though they would be encouraged to prioritize their placement of denser residential zoned areas near transit.

Additionally, the amendments remove a provision preventing cities from mandating that new duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes around train stations

SEE BILL, P5

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Here are the police reports for April 8 to April 14 to the Fort Lupton Police Department. Not every call made to the police is not listed on this report.

April 8

A Fort Lupton man, 29, reported an attempted auto theft in the 600 block of 10th Street. e case was under investigation.

A Fort Lupton man, 40, reported his vehicle stolen in the 1400 block of Eight Street. e case was under investigation.

Police arrested a Fort Lupton man,46, in the 100 block of Fourth Street on a Weld County warrant for failure to appear on a DUI charge, an Adams County warrant for domestic violence and a Je erson County warrant for failure to comply with probation conditions on a theft charge. He was held on bond at the Weld County Jail.

Police took a Fort Lupton man, 35, into custody in the 200 block of Fourth Street for felony eluding, resisting arrest, obstructing police operations and for multiple war-

BRIEFS

Great Plains Field of Honor returns

e Great Plains Field of Honor® returns to Fort Lupton’s Pearson Park Complex April 26-29 to honor veterans and rst responders who have earned the community’s gratitude. Don’t miss the big ceremony at 1 p.m. April 29 with live music, speakers, two yovers, a 21-gun salute and more!

For more information or to sponsor the event or dedicate a ag, go to https://www.healing eld.org/event/ fortluptonco23/

Shred-It Day

e City’s annual on-site document shredding from 8 a.m. – 10 a.m. April 26 City Hall-130 So. McKinley Ave. e service is open to all Fort Lupton residents and business owners. Bring bank statements and nancial documents. CD’s old credit cards.

Easter egg hunt

e annual Easter egg hunt takes place at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 8, at Community Park outside the Fort Lupton Recreation Center, 203 S. Harrison Ave. e traditional event also includes fresh co ee for the adults and fun for the kids.

Hunting areas are set o by age .. up to 3 years, 4- to 8-year-olds and 9- to 12-year-olds. Ten gold prize eggs will be in each of the hunting areas. ere will be an opportunity for pictures with the Easter bunny, too.

Visit https://fortluptonco.gov/857/ Easter-Egg-Hunt.

Great Plains Field of Honor Pearson Park, U.S. Highway 85 and state Highway 52, will be the scene of a four-day display of the Great Plains Field of Honor. It runs from April 26 through April 28. e event honors veterans and rst responders. Vis.it https://www.heal-

Fort Lupton Police Blotter

rants. He was held on bond at the Weld County Jail.

A Fort Lupton man, 20, was arrested at U.S. Highway 52 & Weld County Road 21 for DUI and other associated tra c o enses. He was held on bond at the Weld County Jail.

Police issued a summons to a Fort Lupton woman, 36, in 1300 South Denver Avenue on a tra c o ense for speeding, driving while license is under restraint, license plate violation and no insurance.

April 9

Police arrested a Fort Lupton man,32, in the 600 block of 14th Street for obstruction and disorderly conduct. He was held on bond at the Weld County Jail.

Police took a Fort Lupton woman, 36, into custody at 20th & South Grand Avenue on a Weld County Sheri ’s o ce warrant for failure to comply with conditions of bond on child abuse charges. She was held on bond at the Weld County Jail.

April 10

Police arrested an Aurora man, 34, on a Denver warrant for assault. He was held bond at the Weld County

ing eld.org/event/fortluptonco23/.

Cinco de Mayo 5K is year’s Cinco de Mayo 5K run will be at 4:30 p.m. Friday, May 5, at Railroad Park, across the street from the Fort Lupton Recreation Center, 203 S. Harrison Ave.

Live music and prizes are part of the agenda as well. Visit https://fortluptonco.gov/775/Cinco-de-Mayo-5K.

ONGOING

South Platte Historical Society is hosting summer at the Independence one-room school.

Children can have fun experiencing pioneer living.

2001 Historic Parkway, Fort Lupton, CO

Session #1 June 5-7

Session #2 June 12-14

Session #3 June 19-20

Go to www.spvhs and click Annual Events, Independent School for Flyer and Registration Form or contact LaVon lwatson@spvhs.org

LaVon Watson 720-273-3609

Splash pad

e 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 303857-6694

Donation time

e Fort Lupton Food & Clothing Bank is asking for donations of canned fruits and nuts, varieties of dry pasta and pasta dinners, peanut butter and canned meat such as tuna (including the pouches).

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

Drop o donations at the food and clothing bank’s back door, 421 Denver Ave., weekdays between 9 a.m. and

Jail.

Police issued a summons to a Broom eld man, 25, and a juvenile female of Brighton after causing an accident at McKinley & ird Avenue.

A Fort Lupton man, 49 reported his trailer stolen from his property in the 200 block of South Denver Avenue.

e case was under investigation.

A Denver man, 44, reported solicitation from a prostitute in the 100 block of McKinley Avenue. e case was under investigation.

April 12

Police arrested a Fort Lupton man, 28 in the 1000 block of Village Drive on Weld County warrants for failure to appear on an obstruction charge, an illegal weapon charge, and a charge of driving while license is under restraint, a Greeley warrant for failure to appear on a drug possession charge, and Boulder warrants for failure to appear on a drug possession charge and a DUI charge. He was held bond at the Weld County Jail.

April 13

A Fort Lupton man, 85, reported his 1990 Lincoln Town Car was sto-

4:30 p.m. Call 303-857-1096.

Walk with a doc

Platte Valley Medical Center’s cardiac rehab team and Walk With A Doc will host monthly walks with Dr. Christopher Cannon, an interventional cardiologist at Brighton Heart and Vascular Institute.

is 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 allvolunteer program and is in need of volunteers. If interested in volunteering or donating, call 303-718-4440. Mail donations to Blessings in a Bag, 306 Park Ave., Fort Lupton 80621.

Drop-in child care

e Fort Lupton Recreation Center o ers drop-in child care from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and ursdays. Call 303857-4200.

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 ursday. Call 303-857-4200, ext. 6166.

Co ee group

Fort Lupton’s weekly co ee 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.

len in the 700 block of ird Street. e case was under investigation.

Police arrested a Lochbuie man, 36, in the 2900 block of Ninth Street for a Weld County warrant for failure to comply with probation for DUI, failure to comply with probation for possession of drugs and introduction of contraband by a prisoner. He was held by the Weld County Jail.

A Fort Lupton man, 35, and a woman, also 35, were both arrested in the 200 block of Fourth Street for resisting arrest and obstructing a police o cer. e woman had a Weld County warrant for failure to appear on drug possession charges and driving while her license was suspended and for a ornton PD warrant for shoplifting. Both were held on bond at Weld County Jail Police arrested a Fort Lupton juvenile male, 10, for 2nd Degree Assault. He was released to home detention.

April 14

A Fort Lupton man, 29, reported a burglary at his home in the 1000 block of South Rollie Avenue. ere was damage but nothing was taken.   e case was under investigation.

Water aerobics

e city’s water aerobics class meets from 6 to 6:45 p.m. Tuesdays and ursdays 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-Pen-PalProgram.

Craft classes

Monthly craft classes through the Fort Lupton Recreation Center (203 S. Harrison Ave.) are available. Call 303857-4200, ext. 6166 with questions.

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 o ering 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. e professionals can facilitate referrals to other programs for assistance.

e line is not for crisis intervention. ose 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., Westminster. Brighton’s community intake location is at 1850 E. Egbert St., on the second oor. It’s open from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesdays.

and along bus routes with a lot of frequency be accompanied by parking. Instead, the change allows municipalities to require that a half a parking spot be built alongside each new housing unit.

e cities that would be subject to the requirements include: Arvada, Aurora, Boulder, Brighton, Broom eld, Castle Pines, Castle Rock, Centennial, Cherry Hills Village, Columbine Valley, Commerce City, Denver, Edgewater, Englewood, Erie, Federal Heights, Glendale, Golden, Greenwood Village, Lafayette, Lakewood, Littleton, Lochbuie, Lone Tree, Longmont, Louisville, Northglenn, Parker, Sheridan, Superior, ornton, Westminster and Wheat Ridge.

Outside of the Denver metro area, Greeley, Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor, Colorado Springs, Fountain, Grand Junction and Pueblo would also fall under the mandates.

e amendments would also require that cities with bus rapid transit zone for an average housing density of 25 units an acre in at least 25% of the housingeligible land without a half-mile of stops.

e requirement would be the same for within a quarter-mile of corridors with frequent bus routes.

Cities with trains would have to zone for an average housing density of 40 units per acre in 50% of the housing-eli-

gible land within a half-mile of stations.

Another amendment signi cantly changes the zoning shifts that would have been required of so-called rural resort job centers, including the Eagle River Valley near Vail and Roaring Fork Valley near Aspen.

Rural resort job centers are de ned as municipalities that have a population of at least 1,000 and at least 1,200 jobs and are outside of a metropolitan planning organization, like the Denver Regional Council of Governments or the North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization. ey also have regional transit service with at least 20 trips per day. e legislation’s rural resort centers include: Avon, Breckenridge, Crested Butte, Dillon, Durango, Frisco, Glenwood Springs, Mountain Village, Silverthorne, Snowmass Village, Steamboat Springs, Telluride and Winter Park.

As originally written, the measure would have required adjacent towns in rural resort communities to work together to determine where to increase housing density and to identify bus corridors and work to increase residential and commercial development surrounding those corridors.

Under the amendments, rural resort communities would be required to choose at least ve options from a menu of 10 to 15 a ordability strategies included in the bill. Most of the resort communities already employ many of the listed strategies.

One of those options is letting property owners build accessory-dwelling

units, also known as ADUs or “granny ats.” Other strategies on the menu include restrictions on short-term rentals, like those listed on Airbnb or Vrbo, deed restrictions, expediting building permit review, and establishing a local revenue source to develop a ordable housing. One strategy would be for municipalities to waive permitting, infrastructure and utility fees for building a ordable housing developments.

“I think they sort of missed the boat in this rst draft and what should apply to us and what would work best for us,” said Eric Mamula, the mayor of Breckenridge and owner of Downstairs at Eric’s restaurant.

Mamula said his community’s top concerns with the introduced version of the legislation involved a lack of a ordability restrictions on new construction and no requirements that buyers and residents of new housing be part of the local workforce. ey also worried about the absence of permanence for a ordability and other regulations involving the newly mandated housing.

Last month Mamula said resort communities would be working with lawmakers and the governor to “make sure we are getting the point across that we need some protections for our smaller ski town communities.”

“I feel like we are being heard,” he said. e original version of the bill would have required rural resort centers to allow ADUs. Under the amended version, only municipalities in the rest of the state would be prevented from restrict-

ing them. Right now, ADUs may be built in many towns and cities only in certain zoning areas and the size of the units is governed by lot size. e bill would prohibit cities from requiring that new parking accompany any ADUs that are built.

One amendment adopted at the behest of Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, a Boulder County Democrat, adds unincorporated parts of counties to the list of places where ADUs can’t be prohibited.

Another change to the bill would allow municipalities to notify the state of their need for an extension or exemption from the requirements based on shortfalls in their water supply or infrastructure.

Unchanged in the bill are a preemption on occupancy restrictions based on whether people living in a home are family members, as well as e orts to streamline manufactured housing. Still pending in the legislature is a measure that would ban municipalities from imposing growth caps while also repealing caps that have already been adopted in cities like Golden and Boulder.

Colorado Sun sta writer Jason Blevins contributed to this report. is story is from e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support e Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. e Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

Michael George Nudd Sr, passed away on April 17, 2023, at his home in Brighton, Colorado. He was born February 4, 1949, to Gerald and Ann (Carnahan) Nudd, in Peoria, Illinois, where he also grew up until his family moved to Colorado in the Summer 1955. Mike attended Alameda High School and completed a year of college at Northeastern Jr. College in Sterling, CO. After college, Mike went on to work at and eventually own Denver Signs System Inc. A company his father started in the 60’s, which was eventually handed down to him 80’s. He worked there until his retirement in 2012. After retirement, with his “never sitting still” attitude, Mike went on to volunteer at Platte Valley Medical Center, as a front desk attendant, a job he enjoyed doing tremendously.

Before his career took ourishment, Mike married the love of his life, Linda Sue Swanberg on February 21, 1970, in Denver, CO. Mike, and his wife stayed put in the Denver Metro area to raise a family of six for

the rest of their days.

On his o time, Mike loved to be in the outdoors. Whether he was gol ng, shing, camping, or hosting one of his memorable and rowdy fourth of July parties that had the possibility to turn into a 3–4-day event, he truly loved being outside. Mike had a lot of friends and pets. He particularly loves his cat Jett and even befriended a Canadian goose to the point where he was caring and nurturing for him more than his own mother. He was a man of many traits and talents, but ultimately, he was a family man, who would do just about anything to keep his family happy.

Mike is survived by four children: Jennifer (Ralph) Bolyard, (Brighton, CO), Patrick (Rachel) Nudd, (Oak Grove, MN), Dan (Sara) Nudd, (Aurora, CO), and Mick (Kelly) Nudd, (Parker, CO). Along by one sister, Nancy (Skip) Brayer, (Brighton, CO), and numerous grandchildren; Zack, Jessey, Emma, Mackenzie, Lyndsie, Zach, Peyton, Cooper, Cy, Elsie, Zach, Alli, Drew, Lucy and Caitlynn.

NUDD

Michael George Nudd Sr. February 4, 1949 - April 17, 2023

We all know what BYOB means right? It’s a restaurant that doesn’t serve alcohol, so the BYOB means bring your own booze. We love those establishments that have a full bar, great wines, and specialty cocktails. And when the food is as good or better than the booze, all the better.

But we also love those restaurants that require us to bring our own booze. Maybe it’s because they couldn’t get a liquor license, or maybe they prefer to focus on their passion for the food they cook, and either way, they are still a BYOB.

What if we thought about this in other areas of life? Even if we aren’t a restauranteur, or even if we are, we face other situations and opportunities in life that require us to bring something else to the game in order to achieve success. What if we thought about changing BYOB to BYOK, bring your own kindness? Or BYOS, bring your own strength. Perhaps it’s BYOP, bring your own peace. As you read this you could probably fill in the blank with, bring your own compassion, grace, awe-

Bring your own ...

someness, courage, hope, or any other positive, encouraging, and affirming

So, let’s tackle a few, shall we?

BYOK, bring your own kindness. As I did some research for this column, asking people what they wished the world would bring if they had to bring their own anything, kindness was the number one word. Those I spoke with and others who responded to a survey shared that the ugliness and negativity of the world had them wishing that the world could be a little kinder, well actually, a lot kinder. One respondent was so convicted of this that she felt that, “If we could all just show up with kindness every day, we could actually have a greater impact on the world than climate change efforts, economic shifts, and voting in the right candidate for president.”

BYOS, bring your own strength. Sometimes life deals us a bad or difficult hand. Sometimes we find ourselves in a season of life where

we succumb to our weaknesses, or we see the situation as too much for us to handle; Illness, divorce, addiction, or death in our circle of family and friends, and so many other horrible life events that can cause us to cave. BYOS means that we find our inner strength, and if we don’t have that strength or can’t find that strength, we need to BYOS, bring the strength of others who come alongside us, just when we need them the most.

BYOP, bring your own peace. Wow, could this be the most prolific of all BYO’s? In the agitated world that finds us reading news about road rage, random violence, wars, school or community shootings, or any other topic that drives a wedge between humanity, peace is the most desired of human emotions right now. We live in a world of violence on TV, in the movies, in video games, and it’s all tolerated or worse, accepted as the norm of the world in which we live. BYOP, bring your own peace, this means we can own how we react or respond to each and every news feed or situation we find ourselves in with peace.

You get the point, right? BYO isn’t restricted to restauranteurs,

BYO means we can bring our own anything to each and every situation we face. We all face seasons of life that bring us heartache and anguish, seasons of joy and celebration, and well, just seasons of life. No matter what we face, we, and only we, can determine what we bring to the game or situation. Will it be kindness, strength, peace, hope, grace, love, awesomeness, courage, or hope?

The choice is yours; the choice is ours. It doesn’t matter what other BYO might be, we get to select our own BYO. What’s yours? If your BYO is kindness, please live it. If it’s strength, please own it. And if it’s peace, please keep it. And if it is any other quality or trait that can have a positive impact on our world, please share it. I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com and when we can decide which BYO to live, 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.

How failed banks impact investors

It can be very unsettling to hear of a bank failure such as Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) last month. Investors may wonder how they should react or if they should adjust their portfolios.

First, a little history lesson to put this into perspective.

When depositors rush to get their money out of a bank that is nancially in trouble, it is called a “run” on the bank. ese are not new and have occurred at di erent levels of severity in the past, the worst in the 1930s during the Great Depression. At that time, there was contagion across many banks, not our current situation. While bank insolvency can often come on the heels of the Federal Reserve Board raising interest rates, that is not solely the cause, according to Mariner Wealth Advisors Chief Economist William Greiner.

Each bank must manage the risk of lending, investing, cash deposits and withdrawals. If any or all of those are out of balance, problems start to percolate. When you have high-risk loans, such as technology

FINANCIAL STRATEGIES

start-ups, and you are short on liquidity (more withdrawals than deposits), and the investments backing the deposits decline in value, you have a recipe for failure.

Many banks issue loans on real estate or other business collateral. ey may also use Treasuries to back up deposits. When the Fed raises interest rates, and the value of those Treasury bonds declines, bankers may need to sell at a loss to cover withdrawals. Once this spiral starts, or collateral is devalued due to bad loans, depositors may demand their money causing a run on the bank.

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell remained concerned about in ation when he testi ed before Congress in March. is drove interest rate expectations higher after several interest rate hikes over the last three quarters. is downward

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pressure on bond values and concerns the bank would need to raise capital, caused some technologyfocused venture capital companies to remove funds from SVB.

It was very fortunate that a contagion was avoided, as the U.S. government response was swift and e ective. Once the facts were released and average depositors realized they were not involved in a bank that does high-risk lending, some of the pressures eased.

Investors will likely review their portfolio to make sure they are not invested in small banks in the venture capital space or have heavy exposure to commercial real estate.

ey may also avoid banks that have not had proper risk management or oversight. ese things created a perfect storm scenario for SVB. It may be wise to stay with large institutions commonly known as “too big to fail” due to their backing by the Fed. Large banks may actually bene t from depositors moving money to them from small banks in amounts not covered by the $250,000 limit for FDIC

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insurance.

Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life” was able to instill trust in his customers to survive a run on his bank during the Great Depression. In real life during that time, the Emergency Banking Act of 1933 formed the Federal Deposit Insurance known as FDIC. ese days you don’t really run to your bank and can click to manage transactions on your phone. It is not recommended to keep large deposits in any one institution, just as you would not put all of your investments in one individual stock. Work with your wealth advisor to determine the right amount to leave in the bank, which is usually designed for transactions or emergency reserves, not large sums that could be working harder for you elsewhere.

Patricia Kummer has been a Certi ed Financial Planner professional and a duciary for over 35 years and is managing director for Mariner Wealth Advisors.

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Local foragers teach students to cook with wild foods

ere some see weeds, Erica Davis sees ingredients for delicious soups and salads.

“In urban areas, there are a lot of plants that we call weeds that spring up everywhere, that are widely available to people, that are edible and good,” she said.

Foraging is the act of gathering wild plants from nature, generally to be used for food, and sometimes to make other products. For Davis and other foragers, spring means plants are starting to grow –which means kitchens will soon be full of wild foods ready to be prepared in creative

Across the Front Range and in the mountains, several foragers share their knowledge through cooking classes based on

Why cook with wild food?

Davis, who runs a blog called Wild Food Girl, has upcoming classes in Ramah and Fairplay. Her Arvada class this spring has

“I think one of the biggest challenges with edible wild plants is that people don’t always know how to prepare them,” she said. “We all know how to cook spinach, we all know how to make broccoli — but we don’t all know how to cook tumble mustard so that it tastes good. So in my classes, I like to give students that experience of preparing an edible wild plant — or three — in a way that I think they are going to Davis’ classes begin with an hourlong plant walk where students learn the names of plants and safety and sustainability guidelines for foraging. Afterward, she teaches them how to prepare several of the plants they have for-

In the spring, dandelions and wild mustard greens are common staples in her

“People sometimes picture foraging as going out into the forest and picking plants

— and that’s part of it — but I would really encourage people to learn the weeds and make use of them,” she said. “A lot of them are non-native species, so there really aren’t as many ecological considerations with picking them.”

Davis teaches her students to make dandelion green soup from a recipe passed down by an Italian relative. Musk mustard is great in salads, and tumble mustard and field pennycress are fun to ferment, she said.

Beyond the creative and flavorful uses of foraged foods, research from 2019 suggests that wild edible greens harvested in urban areas can be abundant and highly nutritious. The study dubbed wild edible plants “open-source food.”

“This idea that open-source food is out there for anybody to eat and make use of — and then furthermore, it’s organic, it’s free, it’s fresh — I just think that’s a great concept,” Davis said.

Safety precautions

Despite their affordability and freshness, wild plants are not all safe to eat. Crystal Baldwin, who teaches wild plant-based classes at her Golden business, Earth Sweet Boutique, said it’s always important to triple-check plants before you eat them.

“I don’t like to frighten people away from… foraged foods because there’s a lot of very safe ones,” Baldwin said. “But I like them to be aware that there are dangerous, poisonous ones that will kill you, and so it’s important to kind of have an idea of what those might be and what to look out for.”

Baldwin encourages those interested in foraging to start by taking classes, working with local experts and reading about which plants are safe to eat.

She also said it’s important to check if plants are near old buildings that could be contributing lead to soil or if plants have been sprayed with pesticides.

WEEDS

‘Part of human history’

In addition to cooking, Baldwin said wild foods can be used to make skincare products, tinctures, infused honey, medicines and more.

“There’s many different things you can do with foraged foods, and the great thing about it is that we have tons of free, wonderful, wild foods here in Colorado,” she said.

Some of Baldwin’s favorite plants to forage are pine and conifer needles, which are high in vitamin C. She uses the needles to make a simple syrup that she drinks with seltzer water and fresh lemon.

“It’s extremely refreshing and has a lot of minerals, so it’s very hydrating in the summertime when it’s hot,” she said. When foraging, it’s important to do so in a way that does not damage plants or plant populations, Baldwin said. When gathering pine needles, for example, she takes about an inch or two from each branch and moves around to different branches so as to not damage the plant.

Davis agreed that sustainability is an important part of foraging process, and it’s something foragers need to be mindful of in order to do correctly.

“Sometimes people think ‘Foraging must be bad for the environment because you’re picking the plants!’ But I think the actual truth is much more nuanced than that,” she said. “Foraging is part of human history, I mean, we have been foraging since time immemorial, and we can do it in ways that don’t harm the plant populations if we’re mindful.”

Beyond freshness and accessibility, Davis said foraging offers health benefits and a range of flavors that are not available in grocery stores.

And perhaps best of all, wild food offers a way to get close to nature.

“For me, also, they offer a connection to nature,” Davis said. “They invite time spent outdoors, getting to know plants, working with my hands.”

Davis has available spots in her classes in Ramah and Fairplay this spring and summer. Her classes can be found at https://wildfoodgirl.com/ wfg-events/.

On her webpage, people who want to learn more about foraging can also sign up for the Colorado foragers email list.

In May, Baldwin is hosting a wild food cooking class at her shop, taught by veteran forager Wendy Petty. Interested students can sign up at https:// earthsweetboutique.com/products/wild-foraged-food-cooking-class and see future classes at https://earthsweetboutique. com/pages/classes-events.

Dandelion greens can be used to make a delicious Italian soup.

Erica Davis foraging pu ball mushrooms in the fall.

Erica Davis hunting feral parsnips in the Midwest. These root vegetables can also be found in Colorado. PHOTOS BY GREGG DAVIS

Six things to know about Colorado’s $38.5B budget

BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN

No new federal COVID-19 dollars. Record in ation. State services stretched thin by a growing population.

ose are the circumstances under which the Colorado legislature’s Joint Budget Committee this year drafted the $38.5 billion state budget that takes e ect July 1.

“It’s not a sexy budget,” said state Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, an Arvada Democrat who chairs the JBC. “It’s pretty conservative.”

Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, a Brighton Republican who sits on the JBC, called next year’s spending plan a “get ’er done budget.”

But it’s still packed with plenty of notable items. Here’s what you need to know about the budget — being debated by the legislature right now — and how it may a ect you:  e general fund portion of the scal year 2023-24 budget, which is the money state lawmakers have discretion over, is up 8.9% over the current year to $14.7 billion. But Zenzinger said about two-thirds of that new spending is going toward Medicaid, the state and federal program that provides health insurance to lowincome people.

Of the Medicaid dollars, $442 million will be allocated to replacing federal matching funds that are going away as the Biden administration ends the COVID-19 public health emergency and eliminates the enhanced federal Medicaid match rate. Another $396 million was set aside to handle projected increases in Medicaid enrollment because of a slowing economy, as well as for a 3% increase in health care provider rates.

Zenzinger said the rest of the increase is going toward ensuring the state has a 15% reserve in preparation for an economic downturn and to account for in ation’s e ect on the state’s ability to o er government services. e Department of Corrections, for instance, will get $275,000 to cover the increased cost of food served to prison inmates, as well as $1 million for a jump in the cost of

utilities.

e JBC also set aside $30 million for the legislature to spend on miscellaneous bills and new, ongoing programs. For the current scal year, it was more than double that amount.

Overall, the budget is smaller than it was last year when you take into consideration the federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars the state had to spend in the current scal year, which ends June 30.

Keep in mind: e Colorado legislature is constrained in how much it can spend each year by the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, which caps government growth based on population increases and the rate of in ation.  While Republicans complain that the state budget is growing too large, it’s TABOR — which conservatives adore and Democrats generally loathe — that really determines the size of the budget.

It’s still up to lawmakers — mainly the Democratic majority in the House and Senate — how the money is spent, but TABOR is the real deciding factor of the top-line number.

Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, R-Monument, said during budget debate in the Senate last week that he wishes the legislature would stop creating new programs and o ces and focus its money on core government responsibilities: education and roads.

“I will be a ‘no’ vote, not in strenuous objection to this budget but in a call of a pursuit of a policy horizon that honors rst our constitutionally mandated requirements and honors rst that which should be our primary priority: the full funding of public education in Colorado,” he said.

One other thing to keep in mind: TABOR requires the state to refund any money it collects over the cap. Next scal year, that’s expected to be $2.7 billion.

e in ation rate used to calculate the cap, however, lags current conditions, so state budget writers say while the amount of money they have to spend appears large, it’s not keeping up with economic conditions that have increased the cost of governing.

ere are a handful of line items in next year’s budget that could be described as (somewhat) big-ticket items.

- $26 million to purchase a second Sikorski S-70 Black Hawk helicopter that will be converted into a “Firehawk” that can battle wildland res. e legislature set aside money two years ago so Colorado could buy its rst Firehawk. e chopper still hasn’t been put in service, however. e budget also sets aside another $1.7 million to operate and sta the new helicopter.

- $3.2 million for Senate Bill 13, which would help the Division of Fire Prevention and Control investigate the causes and origins of res, with a priority on investigations into wild res.

- $15 million toward a new O ce of School Safety in the Department of Public Safety that will house a variety of existing e orts to prevent and respond to tragedies at K-12 schools. at represents about $9 million in new spending that will help expand some of those existing initiatives. e Senate also passed an amendment allocating an additional $10 million in new spending for a grant program in the new o ce.

- $7.3 million to account for a forecast increase in the state’s prison population.

- $221 million set aside for forthcoming property tax relief legislation, as well as other housing-related bills.

- $115 million to implement Proposition FF, a ballot measure passed by voters in November that raises taxes on wealthy Coloradans to pay for universal free lunches in public schools. e money will be repaid to the general fund once the tax collections begin.

- $120,000 to respond to the decision to disband Tri-County Health Department and to help Douglas, Arapahoe and Adams counties stand up their own public health agencies.

- $1.6 million that includes funding to hire 14 people to represent the state in Colorado River water negotiations.

State Sen. Je Bridges, a Greenwood Village Democrat who sits on

the JBC, said one of his favorite line items in the budget is a $416,000 allocation to hire ve people in the Department of Veterans A airs to help connect Colorado veterans with the bene ts they earned.

“ is is an investment to help veterans get the bene ts they’re entitled to — that they’ve sacri ced for — that the Department of Veterans a airs makes nearly impossible to access,” Bridges said, calling the agency a “labyrinth.”

An item that would likely go overlooked? A $9 million spend on a technology building at Adams State University in the San Luis Valley. Without it, students at the Alamosa school could be left without internet access, Bridges said.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis wanted the budget to cap the amount staterun colleges and universities can raise undergraduate, in-state student tuition at 4%, but the legislature decided on 5% with the exception of the University of Northern Colorado, which will be able to increase tuition by 6%.

Zenzinger said the state’s higher education institutions had an 11% gap in their mandatory costs and that even with allowing for such a large tuition increase they will only have enough money to close the gap at 10.1%.

“My biggest regret (about the budget) is that we just were not able to close that gap fully,” she said.

Zenzinger said the JBC was trying to meet schools’ nancial needs without pricing students out of higher education. If the legislature were to allocate enough money to colleges and universities to cap tuition at 4% it wouldn’t have had any money left for new legislation and ongoing programs.

Total state funding for higher education in the budget was increased by $147 million to $1.4 billion.

CROWSSUPDRO ELZZ

©

TRIVIA

1. MOVIES: Which movie gave actor Tom Hanks his rst Oscar?

2. SCIENCE: Apollo astronauts reported that the Moon smelled like what substance?

3. GEOGRAPHY: How many stars are on the Australian ag?

4. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which president killed a man who insulted him in a duel?

5. MUSIC: Which pop group produced the hit song “God Only Knows”?

6. TELEVISION: “ e Brady Bunch” features how many blended family members?

7. LANGUAGE: What is the o cial language of the United States?

8. U.S. STATES: What is the state capital of Rhode Island?

9. ASTRONOMY: Which is the only planet in our solar system that is not named after a god or goddess?

Solution

10. FOOD & DRINK: What is a cheese connoisseur called?

Answers

1. “Philadelphia.”

2. Burnt gunpowder.

3. Six.

4. Andrew Jackson. In 1806 he shot and killed Charles Dickinson in a duel.

5. e Beach Boys.

6. Eight: six children and two parents.

7. TITLE: None -- the United States doesn’t have an o cial language.

8. Providence.

9. Earth.

10. A turophile.

(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

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You are hereby notified that Atmos Energy has filed with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission of the State of Colorado (“PUC”), in compliance with the Public Utilities Law, an application for permission to file certain changes in tariffs, affecting all residential, commercial, interruptible and other consumers in its Colorado divisions to become effective May 1, 2023, if the application is granted by the PUC.

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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by the Stonebraker Metropolitan District of Weld County, Colorado, that at the close of business on the sixty-third day before the election, there were not more candidates for director than offices to be filled including candidates filing affidavits of intent to be write-in candidates; therefore, the regular election to be held on May 2, 2023, is hereby canceled pursuant to Section 1-13.5-513(6), C.R.S. The following candidates are hereby declared elected:

David Duncan to a 4-year term until May 2027 Todd Johnson to a 4-year term until May 2027 John Covert to a 4-year term until May 2027 Vacancy 2-year term (2023-2025) Vacancy 2-year term (2023-2025)

STONEBRAKER METRPOLITAN DISTRICT

By: /s/ Courtney Linney,

Election Official

Publisher: Fort Lupton Press

Public Notice

NOTICE OF CANCELLATION OF REGULAR ELECTION BY THE DESIGNATED

ELECTION OFFICIAL FOR THE VINCENT VILLAGE METROPOLITAN DISTRICT

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by the Vincent Village Metropolitan District, Weld County, Colorado, that at the close of business on the sixty-third (63rd) day before the election or thereafter there were not more candidates for Director than offices to be filled, including candidates filing affidavits of intent to be write-in candidates; therefore, the election to be held on May 2, 2023, is hereby cancelled.

The following candidates are declared elected:

pre-qualification to bid on the construction of the District’s Administration Building Remodel (“Project”). Only general contractors who have been approved through this pre-qualification process will be eligible to bid on the Project.

Beginning 8:00 a.m. (MST) on Thursday, April 20, 2023, the pre-qualification application (“Application”) may be obtained either in-person at the District’s administrative office located at 8426 Kosmerl Place, Frederick, Colorado 80504, or by requesting a copy of the Application by email to Gary Cahill at the following email address: cahill@dunakilly.com. The subject line for the email must state: “Request for Prequalification Application – Administration Building Remodel”.

All Applications must be received by the District on or before 4:00 p.m. (MST) on Thursday, May 4, 2023 (“Submission Deadline”). Applications received after the Submission Deadline will not be considered. Applications must be submitted by email to Gary Cahill at the following email address: cahill@dunakilly.com. The subject line for the email must state: “Prequalification

Application Submission – Administration Building Remodel

Contractors are solely responsible for ensuring that their emailed Applications have been received by the District. The District will not search for emailed Applications that are not delivered or are delivered to “spam” or “junk” folders. Contractors may contact Gary Cahill at 720.346.8377 to confirm that their emailed Application has been received. Contractors preparing and submitting an Application do so solely at their own expense.

NOTICE

TO CREDITORS Estate of Jerre Sue Vos, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 30188

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Weld County, Colorado on or before August 21, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Attorney for Personal Representatives

The Hickey Law Firm, LLC 1075 South Yukon Street Suite 260 Lakewood, Colorado 80226

Legal Notice No. FLP856

First Publication: April 20, 2023

Publication: May 4, 2023

Fort Lupton Press

The proposed and present rates and tariffs are available for examination at the business office of Atmos Energy Corporation located at 1555 Blake Street, Suite 400, Denver, Colorado, or at the Public Utilities Commission at 1560 Broadway, Suite 250, Denver, Colorado, 80202.

Anyone who desires may either file written objection or seek to intervene as a party in this filing.

If you only wish to object to the proposed action, you may file a written objection with the Commission.

The filing of a written objection by itself will not allow you to participate as a party in any proceeding on the proposed action. If you wish to participate as a party in this matter, you must file written intervention documents under the Commission’s rules.

Anyone who desires to file written objection or written intervention documents to the proposed action shall file them with the PUC, 1560 Broadway, Suite 250, Denver, Colorado, 80202 at least one day before the proposed effective date. The Commission’s e-mail address is dora_puc_website@state.co.us.

Members of the public may attend any hearing and may make a statement under oath about the proposed change whether or not a written objection or request to intervene has been filed. Atmos Energy Corporation previously filed a separate gas purchase report in accordance with Rule 4607 of the Commission’s Rules Regulating Gas Utilities to begin the initial prudence review evaluation for the gas purchase year ended June 30, 2022.

Energy Corporation

President

O. Karl Kasch Four-Year Term to 2027

Robert R. Leino Four-Year Term to 2027

Vacancy Four-Year Term to 2027

Vacancy Two-Year Term to 2025

VILLAGE AT NORTH CREEK METROPOLITAN DISTRICT

By: /s/ Sarah H. Luetjen

Designated Election Official

Legal Notice No. FLP860

First Publication: April 27, 2023

Last Publication: April 27, 2023

Publisher: Fort Lupton Press

Bids and Settlements

Public Notice NOTICE

PRE-QUALIFICATION OF GENERAL CONTRACTORS TO BID ON PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the FrederickFirestone Fire Protection District (“District”), a political subdivision of the State of Colorado, is soliciting general contractor applications for

Each Application must conform and be responsive to the standard application form provided by the District. Any deviation from the standard application form or failure to provide the required information may be considered nonresponsive and grounds for disqualification and rejection of the Application in the District’s sole discretion. The District has the right, in its sole discretion, to reject any or all Applications and to waive any irregularities in any Application received. The District also has the right to modify or terminate this selection process or the Project any time in its sole discretion. Submitted Applications become the District’s property and will be considered public records within the meaning of the Colorado Open Records Act, unless a general contractor conspicuously labels the portion(s) of its Application that it deems confidential and proprietary as “Confidential and Proprietary”, and separates such materials from the rest of the Application. The general contractor is solely responsible for all costs incurred in preparing and submitting an Application.

Legal Notice No. FLP858

First Publication: April 20, 2023

Last Publication: May 4, 2023

Publisher: Fort Lupton Press

Misc. Private Legals

Public Notice

ESTRAY: #1488: One Blk/Wht Paint Gelding, Blaze, LF/RF Stocking, LH/RH White, No Brand. Livestock must be claimed by legal owner within 10 days or will be sold by Colorado Brand Board. For information call 970-352-8622 or 303-869-9160.

Legal Notice No. FLP859

First Publication: April 27, 2023 Last Publication: April 27, 2023

Publisher: Fort Lupton Press

Fort Lupton Expenditures

of David John Rothrock AKA David J. Rothrock AKA David Rothrock, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 30210 All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Weld County, Colorado on or before August 20, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Darlene Rothrock Personal Representative c/o Michael P. Miller Miller and Steiert, P.C. 1901 W. Littleton Bvd. Littleton, CO 80120

Legal Notice No. FLP852

First Publication: April 20, 2023

Last Publication: May 4, 2023

Publisher: Fort Lupton Press

Name Changes

PUBLIC NOTICE

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name Public Notice is given on March 24 2023 that a Petition for a Change of Name of a Adult has been filed with the Weld County Court. The Petition requests that the name of JOSIE STEPHANIE MORENO ALVIDREZ be changed to JOSIE STEPHANIE ALVIDREZ. Case No.:23C320

By: RACHAEL ERICKSON Clerk of the Court / Deputy Clerk

Legal Notice No.FLP846

First publication: April 13, 2023

Last publication: April 27, 2023

Publisher: Fort Lupton Press ###