Highlands Ranch Herald 050423

BY NINA JOSS AND MCKENNA HARFORD COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Several hours before the restaurant opened one Wednesday in April, Maggiano’s Little Italy was already bustling with people sipping co ee and lling their plates with wa es and eggs.

It was the monthly gathering of the Arapahoe County Republican Breakfast Club. At the Denver Tech Center restaurant, leaders and neighbors build community and discuss issues important to the GOP in the metro area and across Colorado.

At this meeting, talk turned to the Republican

Party’s identity crisis.

“It’s very clear that, even in this room of good friends, we are still very deeply divided,” Arapahoe County GOP Chair Anne Rowland said to the group. “In spite of that, if we want to win, we need to keep having conversations in a positive way and not to tear one another down.”

Rowland’s statement highlighted an idea that, despite not being on any ocial agenda for the meeting, was on everyone’s minds: What do Republicans need to do to win elections?

In 2022, Democrats edged

SEE RED, P6

Assessors predict sticker shock for homeowners

Metro mortgages, rents, taxes will rise with new property valuations

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

is week, homeowners across the Denver area will be staring at numbers that may come as a shock: eir property values may have jumped by up to 45% — or even higher.

“We do ask property owners to take a good look at the notices they receive,” said Denver Assessor Keith Er meyer, urging homeowners to let their local assessor’s o ces know if they dispute the value they receive. Driven by a costly real-estate market, home values — as calculated for property tax purposes — have spiked since the last time homeowners received notices of value two years ago. Since then, residential properties in the Denver metro area typically saw value increases between 35% and 45%, a group of assessors from across the Front Range announced April 26. For owners selling their homes these days, the bump in home prices has been good news. But it

also means owners are on the hook for higher property tax bills, Ermeyer noted.

Public o cials are openly hoping homeowners will get relief from the state legislature, where lawmakers are expected to take action to lower property tax bills this year.

It’s a fraught equation, though, because local governments depend on property tax revenue, and too much adjustment could threaten cuts to

their services.

Property taxes partly fund county governments, but they also fund school districts, re and library districts, and other local entities.

Toby Damisch, who heads Douglas County’s property tax o ce, emphasized the urgent nature of the situation for homeowners and a ordability.

“If the state lawmakers don’t act immediately on this, then it will be a crisis, in my opinion,” Damisch, the Douglas County assessor, told reporters.

Not an isolated problem

Across Colorado, property values have risen signi cantly, Damisch said. In notably a uent Douglas County, residential properties saw increases between 30% and 60%, with a median of 47%.

Other metro-area counties have seen high spikes as well:

• In Denver, the median increase in single-family home property values is 33%, Er meyer said.

• In Je erson County, median single-family residential values increased by 37%, the county said in a news release.

• Arapahoe County’s assessor, PK Kaiser, announced the county will see almost a 42% increase in residential values.

• Broom eld saw a median value increase for single-family residential of 41%, according to Broom eld County’s assessor.

How does that all stack up with property value jumps in recent years?

Er meyer recalls talking about median increases that were “largely in the 20s” in Denver in 2015, 2017 and 2019.

“Douglas County, we had 30% increases in the 1997 reappraisal as well as the 1999 appraisal. at felt monumental at the time,” Damisch said. “What we’re looking at this year is that’s at the low end.”

Apartment renters a ected

While property tax discussions often focus on homeowners, the spike in values could also a ect renters in apartments — sometimes called “multifamily” buildings — though it’s unclear by how much.

Asked whether apartment landlords will raise rent because of increases in property tax bills, Damisch said they may try, “but they can only do what the market allows.”

“And taxes is just one of their cost streams,” Damisch said, adding that landlords have seen increased labor and insurance costs as well.

Er meyer noted: “We’ve seen some historic increases in multifamily in the past that haven’t been met with immediate rent spikes.” e median total property value change for apartment buildings is 20% in Je erson County, according to a news release.

In Douglas County, the median increase in multifamily property values is 25%, Damisch said.

Growing pains

In an expensive real-estate market, it seems like new property developments pop up constantly around metro Denver.

A common concern from existing residents is that new developments will cause their property values to drop. But market forces keeping property values high can also elicit fears of high property tax bills.

Asked about the tension between those two concerns, Damisch acknowledged it’s a di cult question.

“Growth has always been, in Douglas County, one of the hottest topics. We’ve had thousands of people moving in for a few decades,” Damisch said. “Once they get here — myself included — they don’t like the growth.”

Er meyer pointed to the shortage of housing in general around the state.

“I don’t think you could disconnect what we’re talking about today from that particular fact,” Er meyer said. “ at’s one of many, many things that contribute to property (values).”

Lawmakers may step in It’s the job of county assessors’ o ces to establish accurate values of homes and other properties to determine how much property owners will owe government entities in taxes — a process meant to ensure that the amount of taxes people pay is fair and equitable.

( e assessor doesn’t set the tax rate but determines the value of the property that the tax rate then gets applied to. Local government entities like counties and school districts set the tax rates. Property tax rates are o cially called “mill levies.”)

Assessed valuations rose sharply for homeowners in the notices sent out by Denverarea counties, leaving residents braced for higher taxes. SHUTTERSTOCK

Some county programs o er property tax relief

Residents facing hike

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A woman called in to a Douglas County town hall meeting to tell county leaders her expenses have increased so much that she and her husband might not be able to live in their longtime home anymore.

She was just about to turn 63, her husband will be 62 soon, and they worry because they’re too young to qualify for a certain tax bene t.

“We only have one income right now because I’m disabled,” she told o cials over the phone.

She was one of many local residents who expressed concerns about the expected spike in property tax payments in Douglas County — a phenomenon that could occur around the Denver metro area — in response to property valuations jumping up.

Driven by a costly real-estate market, home values — as calculated for property tax purposes — have spiked since the last time homeowners received notices of value two years ago. New valuations were to reach property owners around early May, and in Douglas County, residential properties saw increases between 30% and 60%, with a median of 47%, according

to the county assessor.

including townhomes and condominiums, county Assessor Toby Damisch said.

e law requires assessors to value properties every two years. e property valuation homeowners were to receive is based on June 2022 data, near the recent peak in the real-estate market.

So even though home prices have declined since then, property values re ect last year’s exceptional highs.

“To the extent there’s been softness in the real-estate market since last summer, which there has been, that

town hall audience.

Waiting on state lawmakers

Douglas County hosted the inperson and remote town hall April 26 to eld questions and concerns from residents about the potential sharp rise in their property tax bills.

State lawmakers may step in to limit how much people end up paying, but the clock is ticking on the legislature’s regular session, the roughly four-month period when lawmakers pass bills. It ends in early May, county Commissioner Lora omas noted.

Unless the legislature enters a special session, that would be the deadline for lawmakers to take action.

Much of the property tax that residents in Douglas County pay goes to what are called “metro districts,” Damisch noted. Metropolitan districts, such as Highlands Ranch Metro District, are a type of government entity that can o er some government services.

Some programs for relief

O cials told the audience about some resources that may o er relief for some property owners.

e senior property tax exemption “is such a critical, critical thing for our seniors,” state Rep. Lisa Frizell said.

e senior property tax exemption is available to senior citizens and the surviving spouses of senior citizens, according to the Colorado Division of Property Taxation. When the state of Colorado’s budget allows, 50% of the rst $200,000 of actual value of the quali ed applicant’s primary residence is exempted.

For more information on that exemption, call 303-864-7777, email dola_dpt_frontdesk@state. co.us or see the county’s website at douglas.co.us/assessor/residential-

The Douglas County building where o cials hold public meetings at 100 Third St. in Castle Rock.

PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD

TAX RELIEF

exemptions/seniors.

Damisch also told the audience about a “senior income tax credit.”

“If you’ve already led your taxes, you can go back and correct (them) if you qualify,” Damisch said.

Call his o ce at 303-660-7450 or email Assessors@douglas.co.us for more information on that.

e legislature passed a measure in 2021 aiming to ease people’s nancial burden by letting them

ASSESSORS

e law requires the assessors to value properties every two years. e property valuation homeowners will soon receive is based on June 2022 data, near the recent peak in the realestate market.

So even though home prices have declined since then, property values re ect last year’s exceptional highs.

Also at play is a number called the “assessment rate,” another factor that helps determine how much in prop-

defer payment on some of what they owe on their primary residence, e Colorado Sun reported. e deadline of April 1 to apply for the deferral has passed, but it might be worth looking into for future years.

Colorado’s “Property Tax Deferral Program” has traditionally helped seniors and active military personnel continue to a ord to live in their homes, according to the Colorado Treasurer’s O ce website.

On Jan. 1, Colorado was to expand the deferral program to allow those who do not qualify for the senior or military personnel program to defer a portion of their real property taxes

erty taxes a person owes. e state legislature sets the assessment rate.

JoAnn Gro , Colorado property tax administrator, said she “can pretty well guarantee” that the property tax information homeowners receive next week won’t be accurate.

“It’s because your legislature isn’t immune to what’s going on right now,” Gro said. “ ere’ve been lots of discussions … about providing some additional property value adjustment.”

“I truly expect to see some adjustments and some relief in 2023,” she added.

She also advised the public “to watch every one of your taxing juris-

Comprehensive cancer care that sets us apart.

if they exceed a property tax-growth cap of 4%, the website says. e deferral program does not exempt taxes — it provides a loan to assist Coloradans. e deferral loan is recorded as a “junior lien” against the person’s property and does not have to be repaid until the participant no longer quali es, the website says.

For more information, see treasury. colorado.gov/property-tax-deferralprograms, call 833-634-2513 or email cotreasproptax@state.co.us.

Assessors play specific role

It’s the job of county assessors’ ofces to establish accurate values of

dictions that’s going to have conversations about setting their mill levy.”

Colorado ranks lower

Despite the public concerns over property taxes, Gro noted that “we still have one of the lowest obligations of property taxes of any state.”

Nationally, Colorado has relatively low residential property taxes, according to an analysis by the conservative Tax Foundation. Colorado ranked 47th in property taxes paid as a percentage of owner-occupied housing value in 2020, according to the foundation.

And while businesses pay more,

homes and other properties to determine how much property owners will owe government entities in taxes — a process meant to ensure that the amount of taxes people pay is fair and equitable.

e assessor doesn’t set the tax rate but determines the value of the property that the tax rate then gets applied to. Local government entities like counties and school districts set the tax rates. Property tax rates are o cially called “mill levies.”

For more information about property taxes, contact the county assessor’s o ce at 303-660-7450.

their taxes still appear to be lower than the national average, according to the Colorado Sun. Colorado had the 17th best “State Business Tax Climate” for 2020, according to the Tax Foundation. Colorado had the 14th best “property tax rank” for businesses in 2020, according to the foundation.

Editor’s note: As of press time, Gov. Jared Polis and Democratic legislators said they would announce a “transformative plan” on May 1 to reduce property tax bills and “implement long-term protections” to prevent future increases. e plan would require voter approval in November.

Jill Alldredge, MD

Kian Behbakht, MD

Bradley Corr, MD

Lisa Marie Babayan, PA-C

Lindsay Brubaker, MD

Jaime Arruda, MD

Catherine Bouts, PA-C

Nicole Marjon, MD

Christine Walsh, MD

Carolyn Lefkowits, MD

Marisa Moroney, MD Saketh Guntupalli, MD Spyridon Mastroyannis, MD

BY NINA JOSS AND MCKENNA HARFORD COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

out Republicans in most key elections. Along with wins in all four statewide elected o ces, including governor, and a U.S. Senate seat, Democrats gained a supermajority in the state House and a majority in the state Senate.

ere seems to be consensus within the Republican Party that unity is needed to start winning. Republicans appear to agree they need an identity, a clear message. e disagreement, however, is exactly what messages to push.

Some want the party to shift focus away from abortion, gun control, the results of the 2020 presidential election and Donald Trump in hopes of appealing to more una liated voters. Others say these topics are exactly what Republicans need to double down on to win.

At the April breakfast, some of those themes played out. Republicans in the room disagreed on how much the party should focus on abortion. While many Republicans share a desire for more restrictions on abortion in Colorado, the question is how much these beliefs should be a part of mainstream messaging.

“It reminds me of an old saying: ‘If you can’t beat them, join them,’” said Bob Andrews, who lost the Arapahoe County assessor race in 2022.

As a “devout Catholic” with “strong opinions about abortion,” Andrews said Republicans need to stop focusing on it.

“We have this abortion albatross around our neck,” he said. “As an assessor candidate, I had to answer questions about abortion. at’s not in my purview. But until we give that up, we’re going to keep losing.”

Others argued the exact opposite is needed, saying the key to winning is to push harder on the controversial social issues that became a focal point of the 2022 elections.

“As a Republican, we’ll never walk away from protecting the unborn, period,” said Randy Corporon, Republican national committeeman and political radio talk show host. “We don’t need to moderate our position. We need to point out how radical the Democrat position is … It’s a wonderful opportunity to stand up for what we believe and convince people why we’re right.”

e passion of these comments — and the divisions they brought to the surface — extend far beyond Maggiano’s.

From Arapahoe County, which has a Democratic majority, to rightleaning Douglas County — Republicans nd themselves debating and questioning whether they can come to a consensus on how to present a one-party front to voters.

A numbers game

Last year in Douglas County, a Democrat won a legislative race in the Republican stronghold for the rst time since 1966.

Still, Douglas County elected mostly Republicans to the statehouse, re ecting its voter spectrum. Republicans account for 34% of active registered voters in the county, while 19% are Democrats and 46% are unafliated. (Voters not included in these numbers are registered with minor parties.)

e numbers di erentiate Douglas County from neighboring Arapahoe County, where 21% of active registered voters are Republicans, 31% are Democrats and 46% are una liated.

Kevin Edling, who ran for Arapahoe County sheri against incumbent Democrat Tyler Brown in 2022, said these numbers played a role in his loss.

“I knew before I ran for o ce for the Arapahoe County sheri that we’re behind the eight ball because there’s … more registered Democrats in Arapahoe County than there are Republicans,” he said. If Edling could have run without

choosing a party, he said he would have. Some races feel like they’re already decided down party lines before the candidates even start campaigning, he said.

“ at’s not what it’s supposed to be about,” he said. “It’s supposed to be about ideas and candidates and service.”

In the eyes of many Republicans, party registration numbers played a large role in the GOP’s cache of losses in 2022.

“I campaigned for several of the (November 2022) candidates,” said Arapahoe County Commissioner Je Baker, the lone Republican on the ve-member board. “None of my picks won. But you know … I don’t think they could have done anything better. It’s a mathematics game.”

Party registration numbers in Arapahoe County are similar to those statewide. Just under a quarter of active voters in Colorado are registered Republican and 27% are Democrat.

It is signi cantly more popular, however, to not be registered with any party at all – 46% of voters in the state are una liated, and that percentage has increased over time.

On Nov. 4, 2008, the day Barack Obama was rst elected, Democratic, Republican and una liated voters in Colorado were evenly split, with about 33% of voters registered in each category. Since then, both major party registration percentages have decreased while una liated voters

have increased.

ere are multiple theories as to why registering as una liated is becoming more common among voters. For some, the shift away from party a liation highlights the declining loyalty to both major political parties and frustration with the two-party political system.

Suzanne Taheri, who was known for much of her political career as Suzanne Staiert, thinks the shift to una liated could also have a systemic cause.

In the past, o cials at the Department of Motor Vehicles would ask residents if they wanted to register to vote and would allow them to select a party.

“Now, they don’t ask you the question anymore,” Taheri said. “You’re just automatically registered as unafliated.”

A new process, implemented in 2020, automatically registers new voters as una liated when they get a driver’s license.

To register with a speci c party, voters have to change their a liation online or by responding to a mailed notice from the state.

“Your motivation to then go into the system and change your a liation to something else is much lower,” said Taheri, the former chair of the Arapahoe County GOP. “Like why? What is the bene t? Now we have open

primaries, a either. or one. see ing hall County forced choose would registration Republicans elections their that are we they sure that ated una choice,” di comes registered switch, the … would your o a choose Democratic leading una party primary, 33% recent Democratic lican. cies, the the Republican tal ing the state’s

Dave Williams speaks during a Republican state central meeting on March 11, 2023, in Loveland where elections for a chairman, vice chairman and secretary of the Colorado GOP were conducted.

PHOTO BY OLIVIA SUN / THE COLORADO SUN VIA REPORT FOR AMERICA

primaries, and if you don’t register as a Republican, then you can vote in either. If you register as a Republican or a Democrat, you only get to pick one. So I don’t know that we will ever see (party registration) really increasing in Colorado.”

In March, during a Republican town hall event in Castle Rock, one Douglas County resident said if voters were forced to pick a party, more would choose the right and Republicans would fare better in elections and registration numbers.

With the growing number of unafliated voters in the state, many Republicans say the key to winning elections is getting these voters on their side.

“We need to make sure they know that not all Republicans look like me, are old white guys,” Baker said. “ at we have folks that are BIPOC, that they are LGBTQ+. We need to make sure that we’re addressing the issues that they nd important.”

But in Taheri’s eyes, not all una liated voters are “up for grabs.”

“We’re not necessarily appealing to una liated (voters) — they’re unafliated by default, not necessarily by choice,” she said. “I think there’s a big di erence between someone who comes here who’s a Democrat, gets registered as una liated and doesn’t switch, versus somebody who made the switch from a party to una liated … If they were truly up for grabs, I would say, you know, you have to sell your issues to them.”

According to the secretary of state’s o ce, una liated voters can choose a party preference, meaning they can choose to receive a ballot for only the Democratic or Republican primary leading up to an election. Of the una liated voters who have chosen a party preference since the June 2022 primary, 59% chose Democratic and 33% chose Republican.

Voter preference numbers for other recent primaries also show more Democratic preferences than Republican.

Despite these blue-leaning tendencies, many una liated voters, with the ability to vote for either party in the primaries, choose to vote on the Republican ballot.

In the 2022 primaries, 1.2 million total votes were cast, according to numbers from the secretary of state’s of-

ce. According to the o ce’s data, 248,192 una liated voters returned Republican ballots and 170,631 cast their ballots in Democratic primaries. With una liated voters impacting primary races, some Republicans support closing primary elections to only registered GOP voters. ey say this would compel people who want to participate to register with the party.

“As members of our community who have knocked countless doors and engaged untold numbers of residents, we know una liated voters are more aligned with conservative values than not,” Douglas County GOP Chair Steve Peck said in a statement. “We hope to prove the value of Republicanism to them over time and have them join our family to take part in our primary elections as registered Republicans themselves.”

Arapahoe County GOP chair Anne Rowland thinks the party can bring more voters in by selling their issues and, more importantly, by building relationships.

“If we’re going to win, we must work together,” she said. “And not only do we have to work together, but we have to persuade una liated and moderate Democrats. Otherwise we’re gonna lose every time.”

The drivers of division

In Rowland’s experience, there are two main causes of division within the party. Some Republicans, she said, are divided in their grassroots versus establishment attitudes.

e other division in the party, Rowland said, is about how much weight to put on speci c issues.

“Some of us are divided because there’s an issue or another that we’re personally attached to, and that overrules everything,” she said.

During the Arapahoe County Republicans Breakfast in April, the issue dividing the crowd was abortion.

Gun control, contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election and Trump also cause divisions among Republicans.

During a debate leading up to the 2023 GOP state chair election, in which Dave Williams was elected, several candidates said they believe Trump won the 2020 election and the party needs to focus on transparency and election security.

“We need to be bold, we need to stand up,” said then candidate Aaron Wood. “We need to not be afraid of people calling us ‘the Big Lie’ or ‘election deniers’ — Trump won. Plain and simple … I want to see without a doubt that elections are won legitimately and we need to be proponents of that.”

In 2020, President Joe Biden was declared the winner with 306 Electoral College votes and just over 81.2 million popular votes. According to the o cial results, Trump nished with 232 Electoral College votes and just over 74.2 million citizen votes.

Williams also believes Trump won the 2020 election.

When running for the state legislature in 2022, he led a lawsuit to try to force Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold to allow his name to be listed on the primary ballot as “Dave ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ Williams,” using a coded phrase that means “F--- Joe Biden.”

A judge ruled that Griswold had the authority to disallow the use of the phrase.

Erik Aadland, another candidate for the state’s GOP chair position and former congressional candidate, said election integrity is important, but focusing so much on the 2020 results is hurting the party.

“ is rehashing 2020 is not serving Republicans,” he said. “Whether fraud dictated a role in the outcome of 2020, well sadly, we’ll never know, folks … Our republic hangs in the balance, and if we keep trying to ght 2020 over and over again, we’re going to lose this war.”

Tina Peters, a 2023 state chair candidate and former Mesa County clerk who was indicted last year on charges related to a security breach of the county’s election system, said focus-

ing on the results is important for the party going forward.

“We need to learn from the past,” she said.

Peters was also recently convicted of obstructing government operations after an encounter in which police said she resisted investigators when they tried to seize an iPad that she had used to record a court proceeding.

Williams said he has o ered the six other candidates who ran for Colorado GOP chair, including Peters, titles and roles within the state party, as reported by e Colorado Sun.

Taheri said di ering perspectives on the 2020 election results are causing Republicans to turn against each other.

“I think what is driving the wedge in the party is that there is a group who doesn’t want to really talk about (other issues), they just want to talk about stolen elections and they want to sling mud at, not just the Democrats, but other people in the party that don’t want to talk about their issue,” she said.

For the party to be successful, Taheri said she thinks it needs to move away from Trump. Because of his prominent role in people’s perception of the party, she said his in uence trickles down to how people vote in local elections.

“ e saying used to be ‘All politics is local,’” she said. “Now I feel like all politics is national … I think if we are better at the federal level of articulating our issues, then people start to identify our candidates with our issues instead of just identifying our candidates with Trump.”

For other Republican voices and voters, Trump is the only way forward for the GOP.

During a March town hall hosted by several state House Republicans, several Douglas County citizens said Trump is the best choice to x not only the party, but also the country.  When asked if they would only support Trump, the Castle Pines and Castle Rock residents said they would support whoever wins the Republican primary.

Unifying issues

To move forward as a party, some Republicans think the key to winning is to focus on the issues that a ect voters’ day-to-day lives.

“I don’t like to lead with (abortion and gun rights) because those are hot-button issues,” Rowland said.

“If it’s a topic that’s very partisan, I don’t think that’s where you start the conversation. I think you hold your values, but start with the things that you can agree on.”

In Rowland’s eyes, some of those things are crime, in ation, homelessness, school violence and fentanyl.

“ ese are all issues that should not be Republican or Democrat issues,” she said. “ ese are not partisan issues. ese are issues of life and community.”

Rep. Anthony Hartsook, R-Parker,

Dozens gathered for the Arapahoe County Republican Breakfast Club to build community and discuss topics related to the GOP on April 5.

PHOTO BY NINA JOSS

Local Republicans say trust in media has declined

As Colorado Community Media reporters Nina Joss and McKenna Harford embarked on their investigation of issues facing the Republican party in Colorado, they were met with notable hesitancy and resistance from many potential sources. One 2022 county race candidate, two county GOP leaders, four voters and Rep. Brandi Bradley of Douglas County all declined to interview for the story or did not respond to requests for comment.

Of these, three explicitly pointed to distrust in the media as their reason for declining.

A 2021 survey by the Pew Research Center shows that only 35% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say they have “a lot” or “some” trust in the information that comes from national news organizations.

According to the Knight Foundation, trust in local news also declined in the party from 2019-2021. is distrust, in addition to causing potential sources to decline interviews, created hesitancy in others who did end up participating in the

reporting process.

Suzanne Taheri, formerly Suzanne Staiert, served as the Arapahoe County GOP Chair from 2021 until 2023. When Joss reached out to Taheri to request an interview, she initially declined, pointing to a disagreement with Colorado Community Media in the past.

After a meeting with CCM South Metro Editor elma Grimes, Taheri agreed to interview for the story because she started to believe the planned article was not a “hit piece” as she had originally suspected.

“(Grimes) said, ‘I mean, we’re actually … trying to do a legitimate story,’” Taheri said. “I think that, had it been a hit piece, you probably would have just moved on to nd your next target.”

In Taheri’s eyes, trust in the media among Republicans is weak. When Donald Trump entered the national scene, Taheri said the media became even more polarized and separation between “journalists and pundits,” which was already blurry, disappeared.

“Some (journalists) tried or successfully put aside any biases they had and just reported the facts,” she

said. “Now, that just doesn’t sell. And so when you say ‘trust in the media,’ you’re saying ‘trust in a pundit,’ which is completely di erent than trusting journalism.”

Although local media tends to be seen as more trustworthy than national news outlets, local journalists can still help improve trust by “sticking together and kicking everyone else out of the pool,” she said.

Anne Rowland, Taheri’s successor, was also uncertain about participating in the story until a colleague told her that Joss had quoted a source correctly in the past.

“I didn’t answer (your call) at rst on purpose because I wanted to nd out who you were and should I trust you and give you the time to speak to you,” she said to Joss. “My job’s already hard enough without somebody else making it hard.”

“I think there is a very big distrust of the media, particularly from Republicans,” she said. “And it’s not just the stories that get put out, but there are stories that are not put out.”

To move forward, Rowland thinks journalists need to build relationships.

“I think you need to sit down, have

a cup of co ee, and build a relationship,” she said. “And then be fair in how you report it.”

Kevin Edling, who ran for Arapahoe County sheri against Democrat Tyler Brown in 2022, said all media, including local media, should get back to the “baseline of reporting facts and not reaching conclusions for the reader or for the viewer.”

“I know that the American public is smart enough to come up with their own conclusions,” he said.

As the Republican Party works on getting its message out to voters, Edling said being able to work with members of the media is important.

“It doesn’t matter if I disagree with (a reporter) or I agree with (a reporter),” he said. “I should always have a relationship with the media. It’s important. is is what people read, this is what people view and this is what people listen to.”

Documentary lmmaker Don

Colacino documented Joss and Harford’s reporting process for this story as part of his upcoming lm about trust in news. e trailer and more information on the lm, Trusted Sources, are available at https:// www.trustdoc lm.com/.

Mom upset with reaction to racist bullying

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A group chat involving Castle Rock Middle School students evolved into bullying with racial slurs and threats that targeted Black and biracial students for months.

Lacey Ganzy told Colorado Community Media that her son, Jerami-

ah, an eighth grader at the school, was invited by other students to a student group chat on Snapchat in February. Soon after, he received frequent messages using the Nword. Two students threatened violence against Black people.

In addition to the group chat, Jeramiah said a school administrator earlier questioned him recently about a stolen water bottle, in-

sinuating Jeramiah couldn’t afford one of his own. His mother considers the insinuation to be racial profiling. Jeramiah added in an interview that students have called him a monkey and the N-word at school.

The messages in the group were bigoted, including one where a student said “bring back the Holocaust,” and another threatening violence. Screenshots of the messages were provided to Colorado Community Media by Ganzy.

During Tuesday’s special school board meeting, Superintendent Erin Kane told Colorado Community Media that she has spoken to the Ganzy family to address what has happened to Jeramiah.

“I want to make it really really clear that racial slurs are not OK,” she said.

Ganzy said Jeramiah reported his experiences with racism to the district through a feedback form on its website on March 10, but did not get a response.

Weeks later, on April 19, Ganzy learned that her son was being bullied, including what she was told was near-daily racism. She reported it to Castle Rock Middle School and Douglas County School District administrators the next day. She also reported it to the Castle Rock Police Department.

Ganzy provided recordings of conversations between her and district administrators that took

place on April 20. According to the recording, the student in the group chat who advocated for a second Holocaust received a five-day suspension. A second student, who threatened to shoot Black people, had not been suspended as of April 25.

Deputy Superintendent Danelle Hiatt is the administrator in the recording, according to Ganzy. Hiatt told Ganzy in the meeting that the district would be addressing the issue. Hiatt also apologized.

“I’m just really disgusted by what you’ve shown me on your phone about the behavior of our students and it is not OK,” Hiatt said on the recording.

Meanwhile, Ganzy has not allowed Jeramiah to go to school since April 20, fearing for his safety. “He’s the victim, but he’s the one not in school,” she said. “He’s being robbed of his education.”

Ganzy added that she’s concerned that Jeramiah’s experience shows the district is failing to create a safe environment for all students and that it needs to improve diversity, equity and inclusion.

“They consider hate crimes the same as bullying in every handbook in Douglas County,” she said.  The Douglas County School District will discuss the proposed equity policy during a workshop on May 8. The policy has been a source of controversy for the district since 2020.

said consensus like ernment fewer and the ated sook voters same tion, Republican tics he their we back and cial are rights, law o importance ideals, party why not they a win, because Swing to can out bankrupt to nity needs licans real while making harder cratic cans are way Rock, on for in provement not ability,” had they Get the

said ideas that already have broad consensus in the Republican party, like addressing crime, keeping government small with low taxes and fewer regulations, educational choice and promoting individualism, have the best chance of recruiting una liated voters.

While campaigning in 2020, Hartsook said he found that una liated voters and Republicans shared the same concerns with growing in ation, crime and cost of living.

For Edling, the core values of the Republican party are scal.

“What truly is not divisive in politics is people’s money — their wallet,” he said. “People often vote with their wallet. Money is money. So if we could somehow turn our politics back into something we all agree on, and we want to protect — our nancial freedom, our nancial resources.”

For Baker, core conservative values are limited government, property rights, the rule of law and supporting law enforcement and public safety o cers.

Instead of mainly focusing on the importance of these Republican ideals, state GOP chair Williams said party leaders need to show voters why Democrats are corrupt.

“Here’s the truth: swing voters are not driven by ideology, otherwise they would a liate,” he said during a February debate. “If we’re going to win, let’s provide that bold contrast because our issues do, in fact, win. Swing voters, speci cally, just want to be able to vote for someone they can trust. And I assure you, if we call out the Democrats for being morally bankrupt and corrupted, we’re going to earn their trust.”

In an email to Colorado Community Media, Williams said the GOP needs to “show that Colorado Republicans care about resolving their very real kitchen table, pocketbook issues while exposing radical Democrats for making hard working citizens’ lives harder and more expensive.”

In addition to pointing out Democratic failures, Rowland said Republicans need to o er a better way.

“We have to say, ‘ is, this and this are going wrong — here’s a better way to x them,’” she said.

State Rep. Lisa Frizell, R-Castle Rock, said the lack of improvement on many issues will be a motivator for people to start voting Republican.

“We’re not seeing an improvement in crime. We’re not seeing an improvement in homelessness. We’re not seeing an improvement in a ordability,” she said. “Democrats have had years to x these problems and they have been unable to.”

Get the brand out like Tony the Tiger

To get the party’s message out, Edling said the party needs to do a better job marketing through social media, schools and extracurriculars.

He said the GOP could even consider hiring a consultant to help.

“We have to do a better job of marketing to all our young people for both parties to get the future talent of politicians (and) leaders,” he said. “I want young, new, bright faces, new ideas to come out.”

Andrews, who ran for Arapahoe County assessor, said this messaging needs to start in schools.

“We keep talking about reaching out to the young people,” he said.

“ at’s just lip service — unless we start creating some young Republican clubs in every high school, it’s not gonna matter because all of the teachers and the media are speaking the language of the young people, and we’re not even in the game.”

In Taheri’s eyes, the party will be di cult to brand as long as Trump is still the national focus. Trump, facing criminal charges in New York, has already announced he will run for president in 2024.

“I just think it’s going to be really hard (to sell the issues) in Arapahoe County if Trump’s still in the picture.”

Taheri said. “I just think his tone, I mean, I just don’t see many suburban women supporting something like that. Arapahoe is a very educated county. I just don’t think any of us wanted that in our living room.”

From her perspective in the Capitol, Frizell said divisions in the party can distract from policy e orts to tackle constituents’ problems.

“We have to come together and unify if we’re ever going to succeed,” she said.

In Rowland’s eyes, the one true key to uniting the party and xing its image is to put real e ort into building relationships such as doing more community service, an idea she got from Boulder GOP Chair George Tristan.

“I think if the person you know — the person that came and helped build a tiny house for you, the person that came and did whatever service project your church was working on, and you meet that person, and you get to know them — that’s the person you vote for and you don’t pay attention to whether there’s an R or a D by their name,” she said. “Here in Colorado, it almost seems as though the R is like a scarlet letter.”

Both in the greater community and within the party itself, Rowland thinks the only way toward unity is giving each other a chance — sitting down for a cup of co ee over disagreement, and nding common ground.

“We have a Tony the Tiger problem,” she said. “For years, Tony the Tiger has taught us that Frosted Flakes are great. We grew up knowing that. But kids today grow up thinking Republicans are mean on social issues, that they’re too narrow-minded and too traditional and they don’t like any new ideas.”

“We have to be able to have discussions, respectful discussions, to come to a place where we can message,” she said. “And if we can’t agree on something, where can we work towards?”

Our mental and emotional health is just as important as our physical health. Now, more than ever, it’s important for us to connect with others. Simply talking with someone can make you, and them, feel better. Visit douglas.co.us and search Mental Health Resources

People who need immediate support due to a mental health crisis should contact Colorado Crisis Services. Call 1.844.493.TALK(8255) or text TALK to 38255

Live Town Hall meetings

Did you know Douglas County offers Live Town Hall meetings, inviting you to engage in the local issues of importance to you and your neighbors? Register at douglas.co.us/townhall to ensure you are contacted about all future Live Town Halls. Registering will also allow you to receive surveys so that you may share what topics YOU want to hear more about.

Do you own property in Douglas County?

Per Colorado law, Notices of Valuation are mailed to all property owners on May 1. Watch your mailbox for a postcard. Questions? Visit douglas.co.us/assessor.

Interested in becoming a foster parent?

Meetings are open to anyone interested in learning about foster care. Meetings are free and remote via Zoom on May 8 and May 22 from 6-7:30 p.m. For information, call 303.636.1KID or register online at collaborativefostercare.com and select Information Meeting.

What’s happening with your County government?

Our commitment to open and transparent government includes online posting of information about public meetings at which the business of government is conducted. To view public meeting agendas, participate in-person or remotely, or watch select meetings, visit douglas.co.us and search for Business Meetings.

Injured teen works back toward health at Children’s south

2-year process continues

BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Autumn Fann is counting down the months until she can be done with physical therapy and the healthcare required to get her knees back on track.

e 15-year-old from Centennial said she’s 21 months into physical therapy with optimism that upcoming tests will show she is ready to go back to a normal teenage life — one that does not require regular visits to Children’s Hospital Colorado’s south campus in Highlands Ranch.

While Fann said the doctors and physical therapists at the south campus are great, she’s had a long journey that has been mentally and physically exhausting.

e issues started for Fann in eighth grade when she dislocated her knee. After some treatment and healing, she thought she was better, but an incident at school was a setback — another student kicked her and her knee was dislocated again.

e problem this time, however, was her tendons had been stretched too much, requiring surgery to repair it. is meant a lot of physical therapy and a recovery process that brought Fann to a point where she wanted to just give up.

In the summer between graduating from eighth grade and preparing for her rst year of high school, Fann said she wanted to do what all teenagers do. She wanted to be around friends. She wanted to go about her daily activities without physical con-

straints.

With the extent of her injury, that wish was not possible. After surgery, Fann said she was in a wheelchair and could not sustain a lot of walking.

“I just kind of plateaued and I didn’t want to work on it anymore,” she said.

After two surgeries, she started attending therapy sessions at the sports center at Children’s south campus. In that time, Fann said she has gone four di erent physical therapists.

“I love them, and I am going to miss them,” she said. “Some of them help with my attitude control. Some of them focus on my exercises. ey are all my buddies.”

Fann’s mom, Jessica, said the convenience of having services available at the south campus in Highlands Ranch near their Centennial home has been helpful over the last two years. She also credits the work of the physical therapists at the south campus for keeping Fann on track and meeting her speci c needs on a particular day.

“ ey are supportive and motivational even on her bad days,” Jessica said. “( e team) can read her well and adjust their approach as needed. ey can be adaptive. Having people who understand the biology of a kid but also be able to work with the individual is important. Some days she needs a softer approach. Others, they push harder and motivate. ey work with where she is.”

To get cleared, Fann will have to go through a series of tests, describing one of the machines her knees will be hooked to a something out of a “scimovie,” where the agility and stability of her knees will be tested.”

Autumn Fann, 15, enjoys a family vacation in between 21 months of physical therapy and surgeries to repair an injured knee.

COURTESY PHOTO

District equity policy revisions underway

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e Douglas County school board considered a plethora of policy changes, including proposed revisions to the equity and parent engagement policies from board President Mike Peterson.

For more than a year the board has been discussing potential changes to the district’s equity policy, but the April 25 special meeting was the rst time actual language revisions were discussed.

ough the board didn’t vote on any changes, the conversation kicked o the editing process, which will continue at a May 8 work session.

Peterson drafted changes to the equity policy that would expand the de nition of diversity, add metrics for success and allow the superintendent to seek resources beyond the Equity Advisory Council to implement the policy.

Much of the original policy remains in tact.

Peterson said his changes focused on clearing up ambiguity, de ning educational equity in Douglas County and providing speci c goals. He added that the community survey results on the equity policy guided his suggestions.

“ e rst (intent) was to presume positive intent, keep elements of the original policy, but commit to continuous improvement,” he said.  e discussion opened with concerns from board members Elizabeth Hanson and Susan Meek about the process. Hanson said she believed the board wasn’t following the process it had laid out in the February 2022 resolution directing the superintendent to recommend changes to the policy since Peterson drafted the new language.

She added that Kane and district sta have not put forth speci c recommendations to change the policy, so she doesn’t support revisions.

“We have heard from both our community and our superintendent that there are no implementation barriers that they can easily and readily point out in the policy and based on the assurance that we gave our community that we were going to follow this process, we can’t change course at this point,” she said. “If we change course at this point, we are creating a lot of mistrust within our community.”

Hanson motioned for the board to rea rm the original equity policy, but it failed 4-2, with the majority of the board attesting they were following an appropriate process.

Board member David Ray was absent.

“ is is not a special, magical policy that we cannot touch or amend,” Peterson said. “It is ultimately up to this board, at any point, to decide to amend, improve, rescind, replace or dispose of any policy we see t.”

Board members Christy Williams, Kaylee Winegar and Becky Myers also indicated they still support

changing the policy.

After Hanson’s motion failed, Meek said she took issue with the board having a rst reading of a policy before a work session, when it will presumably be rewritten.

“To me, why would we have a rst reading and then go into a work session, which is intended to change the document,” she said.

She motioned to table the rst reading until after the work session and the board agreed unanimously with the understanding that Peterson’s suggestions would be the starting place at the May 8 work session.

In addition to Peterson’s proposed updates to the equity policy, he also o ered changes to the district’s parent and family engagement policy.

e changes include a section outling ‘parental rights and expectations,’ which uses exact wording from the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism’s website page on school trust. e Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism is a conservative group whose Douglas County members have opposed the equity policy.

Peterson told Colorado Community Media that the language simi-

ABOUT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Colorado Community Media welcomes letters to the editor. Please note the following rules:

• Email your letter to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com. Do not send via postal mail. Put the words “letter to the editor” in the email subject line.

• Submit your letter by 5 p.m. on Wednesday in order to have it considered for publication in the following week’s newspaper.

• Letters must be no longer than 400 words.

• 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.

• Letters advocating for a political candidate should focus on that candidate’s qualifications for o ce. We cannot publish letters that contain unverified negative information about a candidate’s opponent. Letters advocating for or against a political candidate or ballot issue will not be published within 12 days of an election.

larities were a coincidence. During the meeting, he said the suggestions were informed by parent feedback.

Other suggested language says the district will not compel speech against someone’s values or beliefs and will abide certain parental decisions, such as opting in or out of testing or curriculum and consenting to mental health counseling for their students.

e only feedback from other board members on the parent engagement changes came from Meek, who said she felt they should be in a separate policy.

“I really don’t think the parent’s rights and expectations belong in this policy because the way the policy is stated. e purpose of this policy is about connecting and engaging with parents,” she said. “I absolutely support parent’s rights and I think if we want to look at a separate policy that talks about rights, that would make more sense to me.”

Changes were also proposed for the district’s policies on bullying, student mental health services, selection of controversial learning resources, textbook and curriculum adoption, instructional resources and student wellness.

e proposed changes to the other policies were drafted by district sta as part of the implementation plan for the equity policy, which Superintendent Erin Kane presented on April 25.

Minor changes are suggested for the student wellness, textbook and curriculum adoption, controversial learning material and instructional resources policies. Potential updates to the bullying and student mental health services policies are more extensive.

All of the policy changes will be voted on at the board’s May meeting.

• Publication of any given letter is at our discretion. Letters are published as space is available.

• We will edit letters for clarity, grammar, punctuation and length and write headlines (titles) for letters at our discretion.

• Please don’t send us more than one letter per month. First priority for publication will be given to writers who have not submitted letters to us recently.

• Submit your letter in a Word document or in the body of an email. No PDFs or Google Docs, please.

• Include your full name, address and phone number. We will publish only your name and city or town of residence, but all of the information requested is needed for us to verify you are who you say you are.

• Letters will be considered only from people living in Colorado Community Media’s circulation area in Adams, Arapahoe, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Je erson and Weld counties.

• Do not use all caps, italics or bold text.

• Keep it polite: No name calling or “mudslinging.”

Douglas County School Board President Mike Peterson

FILE PHOTO

Moms are saints FROM THE EDITOR

Ilove the Luke Bryan song, “Most People are Good.” Besides agreeing with the song’s premise that despite what we hear on the news and read on social media about the worst in society – most people are good humans and try to do right by others.

e song also has the line, “most mommas oughta qualify for sainthood.” I also agree with this one particular line. Moms in the world work hard. Over the years — through journalism, through reading, and through becoming a mom and nding myself around other moms a lot more often — I have met some amazing women who get little to no credit for what they do.

First – we have to start with my own mother. She has three biological children, but raised 10 or 20 kids at some point. She raised her brothers and sisters when her own mom died at the age of 50. My uncle is more like my brother because he was only 7 when his mom died.

She also had a hand in raising some of my cousins and others through the years. I can’t say I remember a time in my childhood when my parents were not helping kids and family members.

I have more respect for how hard she worked all those years now that I have a busy, crazy life managing three children of my own. ey say the apple does not fall far from the tree. at is true, as I myself have helped raise other children who needed a parent. I am proud of my adopted daughter and where she has come in the last few years. I’d like to think that my mom’s in uence on me has generated a bit of how I raise her.

en, there are the other mothers out there who deserve more

credit. A story I heard about here in the Denver metro area this year is about an immigrant mom working to take care of her 7-year-old daughter. In her home country she was a lawyer. Here, she is a housekeeper worrying every month that another rent increase will put her in the streets.

Moms like her carry the weight of the world on their shoulders and every day they work to do whatever they can to keep their children safe.

All the single, struggling moms out there deserve our support these days in a world where just getting by is getting harder than ever.

To the working moms. I have to say I feel your pain. I recently got my son to hockey practice late. I was distracted with a work thing, and somehow started driving to the wrong ice center. My son was late in hitting the ice and his coach was asking him why. It was no surprise when my son threw me straight under the bus. Another nearby mom said it happens, pushing me to cut myself a break. She went on to tell me how she was more than 30 minutes late for private practice because she made the same mistake.

Working moms are hard on themselves. To you all, I say what she told me — “Cut yourselves a break.”

I could extend this week’s column to thousands of words by listing all the amazing moms we have in this world. My boss, my publisher, speaks often about her adult children and the time she spends with them. I hope to be like her when my kids are grown because her love and support shows that we really never top being mom.

Ahead of the day to celebrate moms — I just want to send a heartfelt Happy Mother’s Day wish to all of you.

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

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Beware political slime

If politics is like slime, then it can be manipulated in creative ways that bring focus and stimulate curiosity to public concerns.

I disagree with you, that it is rare when lawmakers from Douglas County compromise. Watching the Colorado House of Representatives this session, I have seen multiple bills and amendments presented by local representatives with bipartisan support.

Instances where our newly elected Democratic representative from Highlands Ranch, agrees with the Republican representatives from our county. An amendment to ensure that there is enough supplemental funding for the veterans’ service organizations stipend, a bill for prosthetic devices for recreational activity, health care legislation, and more.

ere has been strong agreement

ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

from our Board of Education as well, regarding a willingness to increase teacher pay and build new neighborhood schools.

e sticky toxins come from the in uences of advocacy groups. When mixing politics or slime, higher levels of toxins can cause burns.

Representatives Anthony Hartsook, Brandi Bradley and Lisa Frizell recently protested HB23-1003 School Mental Health Assessment as a “parents rights” issue. Parents rights is the face masks issue of 2023, promoted by a statewide advocacy group called Colorado Parents Advocacy Network.

e Republican Party is trying to instill fear into their constituents to get them to the polls, but their arguments are slimy because parents know we already have rights. One of these rights would be to homeschool our

SEE LETTERS, P15

A publication of

Call first: 9233 Park Meadows Dr., Lone Tree, CO 80124

Mailing Address: 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225 Englewood, CO 80110 Phone: 303-566-4100

Web: HighlandsRanchHerald.net

To subscribe call 303-566-4100

MICHAEL DE YOANNA Editor-in-Chief michael@coloradocommunitymedia.com

THELMA GRIMES South Metro Editor tgrimes@coloradocommunitymedia.com

MCKENNA HARFORD Community Editor mharford@coloradocommunitymedia.com

AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager abrooks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

ERIN FRANKS Production Manager efranks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Columnists & Guest Commentaries

Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Herald. We welcome letters to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone.

Email letters to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Deadline Wed. for the following week’s paper.

To opt in or out of delivery please email us at circulation@ coloradocommunitymedia.com

Highlands Ranch Herald

9233

Dr., Lone Tree, CO 80124. Send address change to: Highlands Ranch Herald, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110

Thelma Grimes

New design, same commitment

To our valued readers:

If you have made it to this article, you already know that something feels a little di erent about this publication. We have redesigned our nameplate atop the front page, or the “ ag” as we call it in the newsroom.

As the primary symbol of our publication, our ags represent our values and mission. From time to time, we believe it’s important to update and refresh our identity to re ect the evolution of our company. But be con dent that the reliable and quality

LETTERS

children, allowing us to fully control exactly what our children learn.

Douglas County School Board President Mike Peterson agrees with you, that there should be an emphasis placed on reading, writing, math, and not politics. Peterson wants to, “Get rid of some of the other distractions, which aren’t core academic pursuits (i.e., politics).”

is is what I would call cloudy slime, because the phrase “core academics” is a dog whistle from conservative elected o cials, aiming to keep students ignorant to di erences.

It is not teachers who are indoctrinating kids, but rather parents and religious leaders who are participating in advocacy groups.

Community members need to be listening for common trigger phrases used by our elected ofcials and not just trigger words: Core academic curriculum, get back to the basics, honest history, historically accurate social studies curriculum.

Both slime and politics are multifaceted like the trigger words and phrases being used.

e trick with politics, is to dilute full-strength toxins by reading credible sources, especially after prolonged contact with misinformation.

Ti any Baker Highlands Ranch

NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

news you have come to expect has not changed; in fact, we’re working to make it better than ever.

e change to our nearly two dozen publications gives them a cohesive feel, and combined with a change to a more compact size in printing, allows the news content to

special education.

Now there is this emergent notion of “anti-racist” equity policy must rejects those decades of understanding by actively encouraging educators to pick and choose which students to favor academically based solely on immutable characteristics. It actively seeks to prove Ibram X Kendi’s assertion that “the only remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination and the only remedy to present discrimination is future discrimination.”

When educators are forced to embrace this philosophy through board directive, racism becomes a moral imperative. It should be self evident that this blind push for equity is stumbling into a truly gruesome place.

I am deeply saddened by the stories some students have told me over the last several months. I wish I could o er my 50 years of wisdom to help them understand that the rise in racial issues isn’t because people are more racist, but because a spotlight has been forced upon immutable di erences for the last two years under the DCSD equity policy. Continuing to divide us by those di erences as required by equity is the problem, not the solution. It is time for that policy to die and to allow the content of our character to return to the core principles of human decency in DCSD.

Allyson Rydwell Parker

School board’s bad look

take center stage, as it should.

Two years ago this week, our publications became owned by a new company, the Colorado News Conservancy. Its mission and purpose are right there in its name: to conserve local news, keep it in local hands and keep it vibrant. We recognized that folks get their news in di erent forms, not just in print, so this is just the rst stage in a project to demonstrate our commitment to innovation and progress. We want you to feel proud and connected to whichever of our publica-

for an increase in MLO funds or capital money to fail again but do these political bias gures feel this is the right time. I realize politicians don’t use common sense and

tions you receive. We hope you will appreciate the e ort and attention to detail that went into this redesign. We welcome your feedback and comments on our new look, and any part of our newsgathering. Your opinion matters to us, and we always strive to improve to meet your expectations.

ank you for your continued support and loyalty to our publication. We believe there are better days ahead.

— Linda Shapley, publisher, Colorado Community Media

feel they are always right in making decisions for us but is asking for tax increase in November realistic?

Dave

Examining equity

E orts to improve schools over the last half century have been built on the foundational principle that all learners are di erent and that educators should strive to meet their individual needs.

Whether it was called an individualized education plan, multiple intelligences, di erentiated learning, whole child or student centered learning, the understanding that every student comes with their own unique needs has guided school improvement e orts since way back in the day when I got my masters in

As Douglas County homeowners experience an increase in auto insurance, homeowner insurance, and now property tax increase, what impact to their insurance will Douglas County School District have after their settlement (through insurance) of the former superintendent? Is the political position of the school board worth the possible increase? Where does the money come from to pay for this insurance, Taxpayers! I recognize that there is a need for an increase in funds to retain teachers and provide for a good education of our youth but is it good timing in light of already increases taxpayers are feeling. I would hate to see asking

Linda Shapley

Usechek, Parker

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

At e Alley in downtown Littleton, you might nd a musician who’s so into the music, they’ll get up and dance on the bar.

When a local band surprises the crowd with a stellar performance that no one saw coming, “it just knocks people’s socks o ,” said Mary Riecks, e Alley’s bar manager and a Littleton-area native.

e watering hole on Main Street doubles as a music venue that nds and helps grow local talent — and the shows are free. It’s one of the bars in the metro Denver suburbs that o ers a window into up-and-coming homegrown performers amid a music scene that one longtime bar owner says is growing.

“Twenty years ago when I opened up the bar, there were a few bars around that had live music,” said Doug Jacobsen, owner of Jake’s Roadhouse in Arvada.

Since then, he’s noticed that “all of these di erent bars” now o er space for shows, said Jacobsen, who has friends who perform at spots around metro Denver.

“ ere’s a lot of great musicians here,” Jacobsen said.

Here’s a look at places o the beaten path where you can catch some lesser known — and sometimes famous — music artists in person.

‘Something for everyone’ Wild Goose Saloon in Parker

o ers a bit of a di erent environment: It’s a bar but also a large event venue.

It aims to be “Colorado’s version of the Knitting Factory” — a unique, independent venue that hosts local and national artists, said Chris Dellinger, who serves as co-owner of Wild Goose Saloon with his wife.

ey’re both longtime musicians themselves — they perform in a band called Lola Black, garnered play on the radio and toured around the country — and have played Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre several times, Dellinger said.

ey take their knowledge of the industry to running the Wild Goose, which was built around the concept of serving as a music venue and has a bigger stage,

sound and lighting setup than most bars do, Dellinger said.

It’s “kind of like every musician’s dream to own their own venue at some place and time, and we just ended up being able to pull it o ,” said Dellinger, who lives in Aurora.

After opening in July 2021, Wild Goose has hosted some large country artists and “some `80s artists that are still big,” Dellinger said. National pop-rock act American Authors is set to play there in late April.

“My motto always is, ‘If you don’t like the music one night, that’s OK — it’ll be completely di erent the next night or the next week,’” Dellinger said. “So we really try to have something for everyone here.”

His venue tries to get exposure for local talent by letting them open for national touring acts. For the audience, the typical admission cost for a national artist’s show at Wild Goose sits around $25 to $30, but local artists’ ticketed shows can cost as low as $10, and most of the local artists’ shows are free.

Dellinger and his wife have

“snuck in” a performance or two at Wild Goose, he said — they were set to play there in late April with the Texas Hippie Coalition, an American heavy metal band. Keeping classics alive

You might also see Jacobsen, a guitarist himself, playing with a band at Jake’s Roadhouse in the north metro area every now and then.

His bar started o ering live music “right away” after opening near the end of 2003. Sitting in east Arvada close to Denver and Westminster, the venue o ers mostly cover bands and blues, and on Wednesday nights, bluegrass is on tap. Sometimes, artists play original songs, but it’s rare, Jacobsen said.

“Our people come in to hang out, and most original bands don’t have four hours’ worth of original music,” Jacobsen said.

But playing covers at Jake’s Roadhouse is one way to get a new artist’s foot in the door in the local music scene.

“We have bands that come to us all the time that can’t get these other bars to give them a chance to play because they haven’t played anywhere before,” Jacobsen said. He added: “We’re not like that. I know a lot of musicians around town, and we will give a band a chance to play just on the word of a friend.”

He feels that live music is im-

Local suburban bars a place for up-and-coming music talent in Denver metro area

MUSIC

FROM PAGE 16

portant to promote — “especially nowadays.”

“I’m 68 years old, so I grew up with really a lot of good rock and roll from the `60s and `70s, and I think it’s important to keep that alive,” he said.

And there’s no ticket cost to watch the live music at Jake’s Roadhouse.

New talent in Littleton Music is always free to watch, too, at e Alley in Littleton on the southwest side of the Denver

suburbs.

e bar had its grand opening near the start of 2017 and has always featured live music, said Riecks, the bar manager.

“ ere were not that many places on Main Street here in downtown Littleton that featured live music other than karaoke or a DJ on the weekends, at least not regularly,” Riecks said. “If you did catch a live band, it was maybe one day a week.”

e Alley came in and established a consistent place for live music, leaning toward classic rock but offering a variety of genres including blues, jazz, folk and bluegrass. Most of the acts that Riecks books are

local. And among the original artists, performances typically include about 25% original songs and 75% covers, she said — catering to the crowds.

e small main-street outlet is still an ideal place where you can catch new talent: Some nights of the week are centered around new artists.

“If you come play my open mic night and the open mic host thinks you have some serious potential, they’ll send them to me,” and then the artist may be featured in “new talent ursday,” Riecks said. After that, Riecks may o er an artist a weekend spot — a paid opportunity to play from 8 to 11 p.m.

“So there’s kind of a ladder,” Riecks said.

Some well-known artists have played at e Alley, including Sean Kelly of e Samples, “which was a huge band in the `90s,” said Riecks, who added that she receives at least 40 to 50 emails a month from local artists and national touring acts.

A large part of e Alley’s crowd on any given night comes for the live music, Riecks said.

People can get a typical bar experience at many other places, she noted.

“But if they want to have a great craft-made cocktail and see some local talent,” Riecks said, “this is the place to do it in Littleton.”

James Steinbach, lead guitarist of Float Like a Bu alo, performs at The Alley in downtown Littleton. Josh Blackburn, a local musician, performs at The Alley in downtown Littleton.

A band plays at The Alley, a bar that features live music in downtown Littleton.

Presentation highlights ‘Littleton Way’

after a Littleton Leadership Retreat weekend, pointed out that our centennial was almost upon us in 1990 and we had not done any planning about it!

of Midcentury Modern buildings in the U.S.

BY SONYA ELLINGBOE SELLINGBOE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A group of local folks gathered at South Suburban’s King sher Studio at South Platte Park on April 25 to hear former Littleton councilmember/mayor Pat Cronenberger speak about Littleton culture. What is it? How do we conduct our days and nights?

Historic Littleton Inc., which is celebrating 33 years since it formed

e late Mike Massey, who led the retreat, declared such a celebration “a do-able deed” and planning began the following week, bringing on assorted gatherings through the summer and a group that continued as Historic Littleton Inc.

e group has continued to o er programming about our past years and on April 25, members and guests heard that our Littleton Boulevard at its eastern end is considered to be a most signi cant stretch

WANTED: 5 HOMES IN YOUR AREA THAT

It was formed by the people former councilwoman and onetime mayor Pat Cronenberger spoke about in her talk, “What is the Littleton Culture? What Does It Mean to Do ings the Littleton Way?”

(But rst, the crowd sang a “Happy Birthday” greeting to longtime resident and former council member Carle Zimmerman!)

“Cultures” — a broad term: the arts, Friends of the Library/Museum, productions of human work and thought...” Cronenberger said, adding that she had been an art history major.

She began with a 1934 photo of the Arapahoe County Courthouse, looking west, where there were grassy plains on the horizon. “In the early 1950s, it was still undeveloped, then Martin Marietta and Marathon Oil and Norgren arrived and built new research centers, attracting 500 people — and by 1961, 14,000 people, meaning 40% of Littleton residents were connected to one of those companies, a huge demographic change. e city developed in a `Littleton way’ to address challenges.”

“People were innovative, creative ... Soon a satire called `Fiasco’ addressed their con dence in their community.” e “Fiasco” productions were a musical spoof of Littleton: its city council, school board and whoever else was active around town.

“Marathon funded science teachers and scholarships,” Cronenberger continued. “Zoning changes were needed. e `Better Littleton Party’ directed the city into the 20th century. Names of streets did not conform

with Denver’s. Councilmembers dealt with street names and the city was in uenced by Littleton Independent editor Houston Waring. (He made it a point to attend some community meeting almost daily.)

In 1965, a major ood happened in June. Afterwards, a oodplain park grew along the South Platte banks, pushed by the council — a rst in the nation. A di erent solution than that of the Army Corps of Engineers.

Martin Luther King was invited to speak here. e Littleton Council on Human Relations was formed. Public housing was pursued. Interfaith Task Force developed through local churches. e Libby Bortz housing was built and she drove changes in attitude about housing and population. Bradley House was built for low-income seniors.

Arapahoe Community College started in a former elementary school and grew into its present form — ”a major tool to make things happen,” Cronenberger said.

“In 1970, City Manager Larry Borger and council developed the Urban Renewal Authority and Arapahoe Community College was built.”

e Littleton Museum developed with high standards and free exhibits.

e Littleton Leadership Retreat was held “and everyone left with their marching orders.”

e railroad depression led to commuter rail because the infrastructure was already there.

“Fiasco,” trains, horses, racetrack, equine culture, Martin and Marathon culture ...

“Nothing was impossible,” Rick Cronenberger summed it up!

A photo from the 1980s shows the “pods” that once lined Littleton’s Main Street. COURTESY OF RICHARD CRONENBERGER

A photo posted on the Littleton city government’s Facebook page shows Main Street in 1911. The photo is from the Littleton Museum Permanent Collection. COURTESY PHOTO

Former mayor looks back at culture of city

Thu 5/11

ARTS: Oil Painting Workshop

@Athmar @ 3pm

Athmar Recreation Center, 2680 W. Mex‐ico Ave., Denver. 720-913-0654

Teague Starbuck @ 5pm

Modern Brew - Kitchen, Coffee, Bar, 8221 S Holly St, Centennial

Blood Incantation @ 5pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Englewood

6th Annual Victoria's Tea

Fundraiser for the Castle Rock

Historical Society & Museum @ 1pm / $40

Kirk Hall, 500 Fairgrounds Road, Castle Rock. museum@castlerock historicalsociety.org, 303-8143164

Steve Azar: Mockingbird

Hitmakers Series @ 6pm Wide Open Saloon, 5607 US-85, Sedalia

Jordan Yewey BAND @ 6pm

The Alley, 2420 W Main St, Little‐ton

Sat 5/13

Blue Jean Mile - Fleet Feet Littleton @ 7am / $10 8116 W Bowles Ave, Littleton

MC Magic @ 5:30pm

Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre, 6350 Greenwood Plaza Blvd, Greenwood Village

Evelyn ''Champagne'' King @ 5:30pm Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre, 6350 Greenwood Plaza Blvd, Greenwood Village

Kids Cooking Mother's Day Tea @ 6pm PACE Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker

Sun 5/14

Old Man Crunchy LIVE @ The Alley (Littleton) @ 6pm

The Alley, 2420 W Main St, Little‐ton

Etana @ 6pm

Levitt Pavilion Denver, 1380 W Florida Ave, Denver

Fri 5/12

Jeffrey Dallet @ 11:30am

InnovAge Colorado PACE - Lakewood, 8405 W Alameda Ave, Lakewood

HRCA Mother's Day 5K @ 8am / $35

9195 Cresthill Ln, Highlands Ranch

Kids Cooking Mother's Day Tea @ 2pm PACE Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker

Craig Campbell with Special Guest Jenny Shawhan and Kevin Austin @ 1pm Wide Open Saloon, 5607 US-85, Sedalia

The Wailers @ The Gothic TheatreEnglewood, CO @ 6pm

Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

The Wailers @ 7pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 South Broadway, En‐glewood

Wed 5/17

Marty NIghtengale @ 4pm Tailgate Tavern & Grill, 19552 Mainstreet, Parker

Ryan Hutchens: Private Event @ 4:30pm Private Event, Centennial

Korey Foss: Rock Candy @ Wide Open Saloon @ 5:30pm Wide Open Saloon, 5607 US-85, Sedalia

Thu 5/18

Control Group Productions: Strange Natures @ 6pm DeLaney Homestead Historic District, 170 S Chambers Rd, Aurora

powered by

Artist has solo show in co ee shop

Littleton photographer Peggy Dietz, a longtime active member of the Littleton Fine Arts Guild, has a solo show at Englewood’s Nixon’s Co ee House, 872 Englewood Parkway, including her painting “Old World Tulips.”

Hours: 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Friday; 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

e Guild’s members rotate in keeping the co ee house decorated. Works on display are for sale. ( ese make great gifts for the spring graduate ...)

CVA exhibit

CVA- e Center for Visual Art at Metropolitan State University in Denver hosts “I Do, We Do/You Do,” an exhibit by invited artists Jorge Lucero, Jen Delos Reyes, Harrell Fletcher and Lisa Jarrett

of Dr. Martin Luther King School Museum of Contemporary Art, uniting teaching, artmaking and exhibiting

Modern Art merged with an elementary school, reimaging the way art is taught across generations. Opens

May 18 with reception. rough Aug. 5. 965 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, msudenver. edu/cva.

SoSu Artist Collective

SoSu Artist Collective, a group of Littleton art teachers, will host a sale at 2154 E. Commons Ave., Suite 306, in the Streets at Southglenn shopping center on Saturday, May 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a selection of Mother’s Day gift ideas.

ACC program e Arapahoe Community College Art and Design Center at 2400 W. Alamo Ave. in Littleton and ACC Foundation invite the community to visit on ursday, May 18 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. irty-minute Design Programs with hands-on projects, silent auction, light fare, beverages. Tickets: foundation@arapahoe.edu.

Denver Ballet Theatre

Denver Ballet eatre presents the ballet version of “Sleeping Beauty” at Parker’s PACE Center on May 6 at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets: parkerarts.org.

“Old World Tulips” by Littleton artist Peggy Dietz is part of her exhibit at Nixon’s Co ee House in Englewood.

COURTESY PHOTO

SONYA’S SAMPLER

SEE SAMPLER, P38

Denver Fashion Week returns

Everybody has an out t or two they love but don’t have the occasion or courage to pull out of the closest. Celebrating style like that — and providing an opportunity to bust out these gems — is one the main reasons Denver Fashion Week has continued to grow year over year.

“Denver Fashion Week is a great opportunity to step out of your comfort zone,” said Hailey Hodapp, the event’s runway director and producer. “We hope people look at the aesthetic and vibes of this year’s shows and nd something that speaks to them. And then they’ll have an excuse to wear something they’d never wear otherwise.”

Denver Fashion Week runs from Saturday, May 6 through Saturday, May 13 at  e Brighton, 3403 Brighton Blvd. in Denver, in the RiNo Art District.

is year’s event features six shows, each with an approach all their own:

Local Couture at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 6

Kids Couture at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 7

Sustainable at 5p.m. on Sunday, May 7

Fashion Industry Workshop at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, May 8

Ready To Wear at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 9

Streetwear & Sneakers at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10

Guided By Humanity Fashion Show and Fundraiser at 6 p.m. on ursday, May 11

International and Local Boutiques at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 13

Of note is the Sustainable show, an issue which Hodapp said has become increasingly important in the fashion world in recent years.

“How sustainable is it to buy a $20 shirt every other month? How does that impact our world?’ she said. “We’re seeing the industry become more purposeful in its use of materials and more designers taking something old and nding ways to make it new again.”

While many people may not think of Denver as a major fashion hub, its reputation has been growing and one of the joys of Denver Fashion Week is the way it celebrates local creatives and matches them with talents from all over the country and world. at’s what makes the Fashion Industry Workshop and International and Local Boutiques important — they’re a bridge to a wider community.

“I hope people who attend this year are inspired and have their eyes opened to the creative industries,” Hodapp said. “It’d be great if more people understand and appreciate what goes into the clothes they wear. Because the

inspiration can come from anywhere and people take that for granted. Designers put so much time and care into every stich.”

For full details and tickets, visit www. denverfashionweek.com.

Get lost in Benchmark’s ‘Great Wilderness’

Samuel D. Hunter’s “A Great Wilderness” is the kind of story that shines on stages — it brings audiences in close as the characters tackle extremely complex and challenging questions about religion, identity and personal conviction.

Directed by Marc Stith, the show runs at Benchmark eatre, 1560 Teller St. in Lakewood, through Saturday, May 13. Performances are at 8 p.m. ursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday.

According to provided information, the show is about Walt, the leader of a Christian retreat that tries to “cure” gay teens. But just as he’s about to retire, a nal client causes him to question the work he’s been doing.

Get tickets for this moving show at https://www.benchmarktheatre. com/tickets-a-great-wilderness.

Be BBQ ready this summer with Backyard Pitmasters

We’re entering prime BBQ season, but many people (myself included) don’t know much about the delicious, delicious art of barbecuing. For the uninitiated, Backyard Pitmasters Colorado is here to provide all you need to become a legendary chef.

e “Barbecue University” events are three-hour classes that teach “the art of smoking great meat in a non-competitive and fun environment at local breweries, distilleries, and other community-driven venues.” You can attend one at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 6 at Mad Rabbit Distillery, 10860 N. Dover St., No. 2000, in Westminster, or at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 13 at Mother Tucker Brewery, 2360 E. 120th Ave. in ornton.

Find all the details at https://colorado.brisketu.com/.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Lil Wayne at Fillmore Auditorium

I don’t really have to tell you who Lil Wayne is, do I? He’s the Young Money millionaire with criteria that can’t be compared to your career because it just isn’t fair. His run as the best rapper alive in the late 2000’s was absolutely incredible and he’s still capable of effortless bars whenever he feels like it.

Rap doesn’t have a lot of elder statesmen gures still out on the road, so the fact that Weezy is coming to the Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 Clarkson St. in Denver, at 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 7, means you should de nitely take notice. Get tickets at www.livenation. com.

Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail. com.

PRESENTS

GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY:

Clarke Reader

Louviers water, wastewater to get $30M upgrade

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

E orts to bring clean water to Louviers and to create a new wastewater treatment system along the U.S. Highway 85 corridor south of Highlands Ranch won the support of Douglas County’s elected leaders.

Commissioners who approved more than $30 million in federal funding for the projects.

Louviers, a small rural community, had received what’s called an “enforcement order” from the state health department due to elevated levels of radium in its drinking water.

“As part of (the) solution, this new water pipeline provides a renewable and safe drinking water supply to the community,” a planning document for the Louviers project says.

A separate project to build a new wastewater system along the highway corridor could also boost water quality in parts of Douglas County. e project is expected to improve water quality in Plum Creek and Chat eld Reservoir, both of which serve as drinking-water sources for Douglas County and Castle Rock. at new system will “make a modern, centralized wastewater system available to landowners

currently reliant on septic systems,” Dan Avery, a Douglas County sta member, said at the April 25 county commissioners meeting.

e system “will allow us to ensure all the water used in the region can be reused,” Mark Marlowe, director of Castle Rock Water Department, said at the meeting.

e project will have a “huge impact” on the sustainability of the area’s Denver Basin aquifer, an underground source of water that’s important for Douglas County, according Marlowe.

What’s more, the area’s economy could see bene ts. One reason why the industrial corridor along Highway 85 hasn’t developed further is because the area lacks needed wastewater infrastructure, according to county sta .

Here’s a look at what both water projects would do in the coming years.

Clearing the drinking water

Residents in Louviers, an area along Highway 85, get their water generally from a community well, according to Avery.

Years of high levels of radium, a contaminant linked to the risk of cancer, in Louviers had pushed the county commissioners to approve an agreement with the Louviers Water and Sanitation District on April 11 for construction associated

with a radium treatment system.

e newer agreement between Douglas County and Dominion Water and Sanitation, another utility district in the region, that the county approved April 25 will provide funding to construct a renewable water line that extends from the nearby Sterling Ranch area to a water tank belonging to the Louviers water district.

“Douglas County and Dominion believe the system will reduce the reliance on non-renewable groundwater supplies,” the agreement says.

Dominion will work with Louviers to negotiate a water service agreement to provide an “initial emergency connection to renewable water supplies and (a) future permanent connection to renewable water supplies,” the document says.

“Douglas County believes that the system will stimulate economic development and growth within the corridor,” the document also says.

e water could be available in as soon as one to two years, based on the process to add the pipeline, according to the meeting discussion.

e county will invest $4.5 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for the project, Avery said.

e act, often called ARPA, is a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill signed into law in March 2021 with a goal to support the economic and public health recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Taking care of wastewater e project to create a central-

ized wastewater system along the Highway 85 corridor may come as a relief to areas that rely on septic systems to handle their waste.

Under the plan, the wastewater collection and treatment system would extend from roughly the Louviers area as far south as available funding will allow. at could involve the nearby rural community of Sedalia, which doesn’t have central wastewater service.

“Much of the corridor, with the exception of Louviers, does not have central wastewater service,” Avery told Colorado Community Media.

e “lack of wastewater treatment availability has limited the future development along the corridor and the need therefore exists to provide wastewater availability for sustainable and economic development,” a document in the project agreement says.

Douglas County’s commissioners approved the agreement April 25 with the Town of Castle Rock to construct the wastewater system.

Douglas County and Castle Rock believe the system will improve water quality in Plum Creek and Chat eld Reservoir by “eliminating failing wastewater lagoon systems and, eventually, septic systems,” the agreement says.

(Lagoons are pond-like bodies of water or basins designed to receive and treat wastewater, according to an article on Purdue University’s website.)

Douglas County will invest $26.8 million in ARPA funds for the project, Avery said.

Using ARPA funds, Douglas County approved spending to improve water in Louviers and Sedalia. SHUTTERSTOCK

A piece of Maasai culture brought to Douglas County

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Maasai Tribal Chief Joseph ole Tipanko traveled from Kimuka Village in Kenya with his wife Cicilia Seleyian and John Parsitau, a community social worker to be part of creating a global world and raise funds for a rescue center.

“We come to share our lifestyle and culture,” said Tipanko. “To give people a perspective to understand the diverse cultures of the world, for a peaceful, global world.”

At the age of 18, Tipanko was made chief and will carry the title for the rest of his life. e qualities that are looked for in the chief are someone who is compassionate, has self control, is fair in judgment, has knowledge and wisdom, integrity, does not anger quickly and who can serve others.

As a symbol of power and authority, Tipanko carries with him his leadership stick, wrapped in Maasai colors.

White represents milk and peace; green for grass and vegetation; blue for the sky; orange for the setting of the sun; yellow for warmth and beauty; black is for the color of their skin; and red is for braveness, courage and blood.

e three travel to schools and rotary clubs to give people an opportunity to learn about another culture, how they live and provide a way to make connections.

For over a decade, Castle Rock resident Steve Baroch and Castle Rock rotary clubs have been supporting the Maasai through various projects.

While visiting Castle Rock,

Tipanko, Seleyian and Parsitau walked up to Rock Park. Grateful for Baroch and the rotary clubs, the community in Kenya started the Castle Rock Preschool and Daycare, which provides food, medication and vitamins.

According to Tipanko, he wants to make a landmark in their community that resembles the rock in Castle Rock.

Another project involved creating an 850-foot deep well that provides water to an estimated 3,000 people, 1,500 goats and sheep and 1,200 cows.

However, the Maasai are

continuing to lose a lot of cattle due to the extreme drought.

Everything that a Maasai has, revolves around the cattle.

“Without cows, there are no Maasai’s,” said Tipanko. “Our lifestyle is based on the nomadic lifestyle, where we move from one village to another for grass and water for our cattle.”

In Maasai society, cows represent a form of currency as they are sold for goods and services. e community also depends on cattle for things like milk, blood for salt intake, meat and their

homes.

Parsitau said herbs and the blood of a cow are used as a way to build their immune systems and according to Seleyian, women use cow dung to make a clay to build their small houses.

e elders of the community are also important and highly respected, “We believe they are full of wisdom,” said Tipanko.

Elders talk through riddles, poems and proverbs and teach the community about life issues. In addition, the council of elders is the main decision making body in the community.

Knowledge is also passed down generations through songs, stories and practice.

“It is the duty of the mother to pass knowledge to their daughters and the role of the father to pass knowledge to their sons,” said Parsitau.

According to Tipanko, the Maasai no longer hunt lions.

“ ey are conserved by the Kenya wildlife service and community policing for the conservation measures,” said Tipanko.

As for young girls and women, they are taught how to fetch water, collect rewood and take care of babies. Women also learn how to be patient, careful and focused through beadwork for jewelry. Seleyian said to make a pattern, one must be very creative.

“Women in the community, many do not know how to write, to read or to learn, so they make sure they have their own knowledge,” said Seleyian.

To provide Maasai women and girls the tools to grow in the community, the current project is to raise funds for the community to nish the rescue center, already named Olmarori Centre for Excellence. e goal for the center is to house 60 girls who are saved from extreme poverty, female genital cutting, illegal marriage and child tra cking.

“So the safe house will be like heaven where all the girls will stay,” said Tipanko. “ e building is not yet complete. It is up, but needs some nishing. at’s why we are here, to try and see how we can share and raise funds. at’s what makes me excited to come here.”

To learn more and make donations, go to https:// maasai-development.com/

John Parsitau jumping in the air as Cicilia Seleyian and Chief Joseph ole Tipanko are singing. A member of the audience stands next to the chief.

PHOTO BY HALEY LENA

Five Highlands Ranch Girl Scouts earn Gold Award

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Five Girl Scouts in Highlands Ranch were among 40 to earn the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouts.

Only open for those in high school, a Girl Scout earns the distinction by taking the lead in designing and enacting a plan for change in their community that makes a positive impact.

e Gold Award project involves seven steps; identify an issue, investigate it thoroughly, get help and build a team, create a pla, present the plan and gather feedback, take action and educate and inspire.

Ella Meyers started her Girl Scout journey in the second grade when she became a brownie, now she is about to graduate from Mountain Vista High School.

Her project, Get Outdoors, focuses on encouraging kids and families to go hiking and enjoy the outdoors.

“I read an article that kids only get four to seven minutes of outdoor time a day and when I was a kid, I went outside a lot,” said Meyers. “I had access to a lot of hiking trails, things like that. I really wanted the opportunity for other

kids to experience that as well.”

e project took over 100 hours of work. Meyers worked with the Trails and Open Space Coalition to create a comprehensive online resource that recommends hikes friendly to those ages ve to 14.

e website, https://coloradohikinggold.com/ is a place where kids can access and nd hiking trails. e trails include a short description, the distance and if it is easy, medium or hard. e website also provides tips for the trail, information about winter hiking and nutrition.

e most challenging part for Meyers was creating the website since it was something she had never done before but found fun in doing it.

Although the project was challenging at times, it was also rewarding as Meyers feels like this has boosted her con dence levels.

“It’s more than just earning an award, it’s about learning new things and building con dence, getting outside of your comfort zone and I really appreciate that,” said Meyers. “Encourages me to be a more active member of the community and help people wherever they need it.”

Tessa Baker earned the Gold Award for Raising Awareness of

Invisible Disabilities, where she created a cartoon to explain what it is like to live with an invisible disability.

Baker also worked with her school psychologist to ensure the school had the tools to help spread awareness for teens but also help teens in the years to come.

Noticing a lack of resources that teach teens and young adults basic life skills needed for adulthood, Britney Berlin focused her project on practicing practical skills.

Berlin created a website that consolidates online resources for practical skills all in one place, making it easier for individuals to navigate and nd what they need.

Greta Lindstrom’s project was on Dental Care and Health. She provided people experiencing homelessness in Denver with dental hygiene kits, packed with a toothbrush, toothpaste and oss.

e kit also included a pamphlet in Spanish and English that shared the importance of dental hygiene, along with community resources.

Making a Better World for Animals was Megan West’s project. To support the fundraising e orts of 2 Blondes All Breed Rescue, West went to local events to not only raise awareness but recruit volunteers and potential adopters to the

organization.

Each Girl Scout will be recognized for their work at the Denver Metro ceremony at the end of May.

Ella Meyers COURTESY OF KRISTIN HAMM

Polis signs 4 gun bills into law

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER THE COLORADO SUN

Gov. Jared Polis signed four gun measures into law Friday in what’s likely the most consequential tightening of gun regulations in Colorado history.

e bills expand the state’s red ag law, raise the minimum age to purchase all guns to 21, impose a threeday waiting period on rearm purchases and make it easier for people to sue the gun industry.

“Coloradans deserve to be safe in our communities, in our schools, our grocery stores, night clubs and everywhere in between,” Polis said before signing the bills.

Still pending in the legislature, and expected to pass soon, is a fth bill that would ban the creation and sale of unserialized rearms, also known as “ghost guns.”

Here’s what each of the bills signed into law Friday would do:

Red flag law expansion

Colorado’s red ag law, which allows judges to order the temporary seizure of guns from people deemed a signi cant risk to themselves or others,

was created in 2019. But only family members and law enforcement have been able to petition a judge to issue a seizure order.

Under Senate Bill 170, one of the four bills signed by Polis on Friday, the list of people who can petition a judge to order a gun seizure now includes health care providers, mental health providers, district attorneys and teachers. e bill also requires the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to create an education campaign around the red ag law.

“If I hear one more time, ‘It’s not the gun, it’s the person’ but then you don’t support this law, then maybe you don’t really mean it,” said Rep. Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver, a prime sponsor of the bill. “Because that’s what we’re addressing here.”

Finally, the bill creates a hotline run by the Colorado Department of Public Safety to help the public get information about how to request gun seizures and to connect people with relevant resources.

e measure is aimed at increasing use of the red ag law, which hasn’t been used much in its rst few years compared to other states with similar laws, according to a Colorado Public

Radio analysis.

e bill’s other prime sponsors were all Democrats, including Sen. Tom Sullivan, Senate President Steve Fenberg and Rep. Mike Weissman. Requiring that people be 21 to purchase a gun

Senate Bill 169 raises the minimum age to purchase any rearm in Colorado to 21. e new law also makes it illegal to sell any gun to someone younger than 21.

“It’s just the truth that young people are far more likely to commit gun violence than their older counterparts,” said Sen. Jessie Danielson, a Wheat Ridge Democrat and prime sponsor of the bill.

It was already illegal for people under 21 to purchase handguns.

e new law makes it a Class 2 misdemeanor to buy a gun if you are younger than 21 or for a private dealer to sell a rearm to someone who is younger than 21. Licensed dealers who sell to someone younger than 21 could be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor.

e law has exceptions for members of the military and law enforcement.

e measure originally also would have banned possession of rearms for those under 21. at provision was removed in March. e bill also originally would have allowed people under 21 with a hunting license to purchase some rearms, but that element was also dropped.

e bill’s other prime sponsors were all Democrats: Sen. Kyle Mullica, Rep. Monica Duran and Rep. Eliza Hamrick.

Three-day waiting period

House Bill 1219 requires that people wait three days after purchasing a gun before they can take possession of the weapon. e measure is aimed at preventing heat-of-the-moment suicides and homicides.

If a background check takes longer than three days, purchasers would have to continue waiting to access their weapon until the check is complete. Violations are punishable by a ne of $500 for the rst o ense and increase to $5,000 for subsequent o enses.

e legislation also allows local governments to impose longer waiting periods for gun purchases.

Nine states and the District of Columbia already have waiting periods for gun purchases, according to Giffords, a group that pushes for tougher rearm regulations, though the policies di er from state to state.

Republicans in the legislature attempted to amend the bill to exempt victims of assault and attempted homicide from the waiting period, but those proposed changes were rejected. ere are exceptions for antique rearms and for military members soon being deployed who are selling a rearm to a family member.

e bill’s prime sponsors were Democrats Rep. Meg Froelich, Rep.

“Our waiting periods bill puts distance between emotional distress and access to a rearm,” Froelich said during the bill signing event. Making it easier to sue the gun industry

Senate Bill 168 rolled back the state’s extra protections for gun and ammunition manufacturers and sellers against lawsuits.

A 2000 Colorado law — passed about a year after the Columbine High School massacre — granted the rearm industry some of the toughest civil legal protections in the nation. It required plainti s to pay defendants’ attorneys’ fees in all dismissed cases, and only allowed people to bring product liability lawsuits against gun makers, sellers and importers.

Senate Bill 168 eliminates the requirement that plainti s automatically pay the legal fees of gun-industry defendants when cases are dismissed, and it makes the industry susceptible to lawsuits under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act, the catchall policy governing business in the state.

“We nally, after 23 years of waiting, can open up Colorado courtrooms to gun violence victims and survivors seeking justice,” said Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, a Boulder County Democrat and a prime sponsor of the bill.

e bill initially included a speci c code of conduct for gun manufacturers and sellers. e code would have required the gun making industry to “take reasonable precautions” to ensure its products aren’t sold to a retailer that “fails to establish and implement reasonable controls.” It also would have required that gun makers don’t create or market products that can be easily modi ed into something illegal or something that is targeted toward minors or people who are barred from purchasing a gun.

e governor’s o ce asked for that part of the bill to be removed, and it was taken out at their behest.

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

Judy Amabile, Sen. Tom Sullivan and Sen. Chris Hansen.

Gov. Jared Polis signed four gun bills into law on April 28.

PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD

equipment upgrades/add-ons, and certain other add’l fees & chrgs. See directv.com/directv-fees/ for additional information. $10/MO. AUTOPAY AND PAPERLESS BILL DISCOUNT: Must enroll in autopay & paperless bill within 30 days of TV activation to receive bill credit starting in 1-3 bill cycles (pay $10 more/mo. until discount begins). Must maintain autopay/paperless bill and valid email address to continue credits. DIRECTV SVC TERMS: Subject to Equipment Lease & Customer Agreements. All o ers, packages, programming, promotions, features, terms, restrictions and conditions and all prices and fees not included in price guarantee are subject to change without notice. Package, Advanced Receiver Service Fee, Regional Sports Fee (varies by zip code) and equipment fees for TV connections are included in two-year price guarantee. Taxes, surcharges, add-on programming (including premium channels), protection plan, transactional fees, and Federal Cost Recovery Fee are not included in two-year price guarantee. Some o ers may not be available through all channels and in select areas. Di erent o ers may apply for eligible multi-dwelling unit. Visit directv.com/legal/ or call for details. Access HBO Max through HBO Max app or hbomax.com with your DIRECTV log-in credentials. Visit directv.com to verify/create your account. Use of HBO Max is subject to its own terms and conditions, see hbomax.com/terms-of-use for details. Programming and content subj. to change. Requires account to stay in good standing. Upon cancellation of your video service you may lose access to HBO Max. If you cancel your service, you will

Depressed? Could be Front Range pollution

BY JIM ROBBINS KFF HEALTH NEWS

In the 1990s, residents of Mexico City noticed their dogs acting strangely — some didn’t recognize their owners, and the animals’ sleep patterns had changed.

At the time, the sprawling, mountain-ringed city of more than 15 million people was known as the most polluted in the world, with a thick, constant haze of fossil fuel pollution trapped by thermal inversions.

In 2002, toxicologist and neuropathologist Lilian Calderón-Garcidueñas, who is a liated with both Universidad del Valle de México in Mexico City and the University of Montana, examined brain tissue from 40 dogs that had lived in the city and 40 others from a nearby rural area with cleaner air. She discovered the brains of the city dogs showed signs of neurodegeneration while the rural dogs had far healthier brains.

Calderón-Garcidueñas went on to study the brains of 203 human residents of Mexico City, only one of which did not show signs of neurodegeneration. at led to the conclusion that chronic exposure to air pollution can negatively a ect people’s olfactory systems at a young age and may make them more susceptible to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Particulate matter really matters

e pollutant that plays the “big role” is particulate matter, said Calderón-Garcidueñas. “Not the big ones, but the tiny ones that can cross barriers. We can detect nanoparticles inside neurons, inside glial cells, inside epithelial cells. We also see things that shouldn’t be there at all — titanium, iron, and copper.”

e work the Mexican scientist is doing is feeding a burgeoning body of evidence that shows breathing polluted air not only causes heart and lung damage but also neurodegeneration and mental health problems.

It’s well established that air pol-

lution takes a serious toll on the human body, a ecting almost every organ. Asthma, cardiovascular disease, cancer, premature death, and stroke are among a long list of problems that can be caused by exposure to air pollution, which, according to the World Health Organization, sits atop the list of health threats globally, causing 7 million deaths a year. Children and infants are especially susceptible.

Sussing out the impact of air pollution on the brain has been more di cult than for other organs because of its inaccessibility, so it has not been researched as thoroughly, according to researchers. Whether air pollution may cause or contribute to Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s is not settled science. But CalderónGarcidueñas’ work is at the leading edge of showing that air pollution goes directly into the brain through the air we breathe, and has serious impacts.

Some psychotherapists report seeing patients with symptoms stemming from air pollution. Not only does the pollution appear to cause symptoms or make them worse; it also takes away forms of relief.

“If we exercise and spend time in nature we become extra resilient,” said Kristen Greenwald, an environmental social worker and adjunct professor at the University of Denver. “A lot of folks do that outside.

at’s their coping mechanism; it’s soothing to the nervous system.”

On polluted days a lot of her clients “can’t go outside without feeling they are making themselves more sick or distressed.”

Megan Herting, who researches air pollution’s impact on the brain at the University of Southern California, said environmental factors should be incorporated in doctors’ assessments these days, especially in places like Southern California and Colorado’s Front Range, where high levels of air pollution are a chronic problem.

“When I go into a medical clinic, they rarely ask me where I live and what is my home environment like,” she said. “Where are we living, what we are exposed to, is important in thinking about prevention and treatment.”

In the last two decades, with new technologies, research on air pollution and its impact on the human

nervous system has grown by leaps and bounds.

Research shows tiny particles bypass the body’s ltering systems as they are breathed in through the nose and mouth and travel directly into the brain. Fine and ultra ne particles, which come from diesel exhaust, soot, dust, and wild re smoke, among other sources, often contain metals that hitchhike a ride, worsening their impact.

A changing climate is likely to exacerbate the e ects of air pollution on the brain and mental health. Warmer temperatures react with tailpipe emissions from cars to create more ozone than is generated when it’s cooler. And more and larger forest res are expected to mean more days of smoky skies.

Ozone linked to neurodegeneration

Ozone has been linked to neurodegeneration, decline in cerebral plasticity, the death of neurons, and learning and memory impairment. Ozone levels are extremely high in Los Angeles and the mountain valleys of the West, including the Front Range of Colorado, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City.

Air pollution also causes damage from chronic in ammation. As air pollution particles enter the brain, they are mistaken for germs and attacked by microglia, a component of the brain’s immune system, and they stay activated.

“Your body doesn’t like to be exposed to air pollution and it produces an in ammatory response,” said Patrick Ryan, a researcher at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, in an email. “Your brain doesn’t like it either. ere’s more than 10 years of toxicological science and epidemiologic studies that show air pollution causes neuro-in ammation.”

Much of the current research focuses on how pollution causes mental health problems.

Damage to the brain is especially pernicious because it is the master control panel for the body, and pollution damage can cause a range of neuropsychiatric disorders. A primary focus of research these days is how pollution-caused damage affects areas of the brain that regulate emotions — such as the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus. e amygdala, for example, governs

Feeling blue? Studies show depressive tendencies could be linked to Front Range pollution.

the processing of fearful experiences, and its impairment can cause anxiety and depression. In one recent review, 95% of studies looking at both physical and functional changes to areas of the brain that regulate emotion showed an impact from air pollution.

A very large study published in February in JAMA Psychiatry, by researchers from the universities of Oxford and Peking and Imperial College London, tracked the incidence of anxiety and depression in nearly 400,000 adults in the United Kingdom over a median length of 11 years and found that long-term exposure even to low levels of a combination of air pollutants — particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and nitric oxide — increased the occurrence of depression and anxiety.

Another recent study, by Erika Manczak at the University of Denver, found adolescents exposed to ozone predicted “for steeper increases in depressive symptoms across adolescent development.”

But the epidemiological research has shortcomings because of confounding factors that are difcult to account for. Some people may be genetically predisposed to susceptibility and others not. Some may experience chronic stress or be very young or very old, which can increase their susceptibility. People who reside near a lot of green space, which reduces anxiety, may be less susceptible.

“Folks living in areas where there is greater exposure to pollutants tend to be areas under-resourced in many ways and grappling with a lot of systemic problems. ere are bigger reports of stress and depression and anxiety,” said Manczak. “Given that those areas have been marginalized for a lot of reasons, it’s a little hard to say this is due to air pollution exposure.”

e best way to tell for sure would be to conduct clinical trials, but that comes with ethical problems. “We can’t randomly expose kids to air pollution,” Ryan said.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more at KFF.org.

SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

Studies, observations indicate possible link to mental well-being

Valor steamrolls Regis in top 15 national matchup

Eagles win 10-3 behind complete team e ort

BY ALEX K.W. SCHULTZ SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

e pregame stat sheet said the Valor Christian-Regis Jesuit boys lacrosse game should’ve been close — really close.

Regis entered the game ranked No. 2 in Colorado and 13th in the nation. Valor: No. 3 in the state and America’s 15th-ranked squad. Both teams also toted spotless league records into the game, Valor sitting pretty at 5-0 and Regis the owner of a perfect 3-0 mark.

If that wasn’t enough, Valor-Regis isn’t just another game. It’s an intense rivalry,

fairs.

Despite what all the pregame material had to say, Harry Luong, Baden Brown, Buck Cunningham and all the Valor Eagles had something entirely di erent to say on the eld, rolling to a 10-3 win April 25 at a chilly and rainy Valor Stadium.

“It was a good team win today,” said Brown, who scored half of Valor’s goals. “It was a well-played game all around. We knew our plan going in. We just had to execute, and I think we did that well.”

Five of Brown’s seven shooting attempts found the back of the Regis Raiders’ net. e slickest of the junior’s goals came with 2 minutes, 29 seconds remaining in the second quarter, when he ripped a no-look, over-the-shoulder shot into Regis’s net for an 8-3 lead.

Valor comes up short against Colorado Academy

two games since April 20, 2017. “ ey have extremely

talented players. ey know what it takes to win. at’s why they keep winning.”

Playing in swampy conditions caused by nonstop rain throughout the game, the Eagles, ranked No. 2 in Colorado and No. 19 in the country, took a 4-3 lead with 7 minutes, 48 seconds to play in the rst half behind goals from Amanda Stevens, Courtney Kakac, Kaley Kakac and Parker Boll.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, it took 15:10 for them to get their next goal. Meanwhile, the Mustangs, Colorado’s top-ranked group and the nation’s 13th-ranked team, stuck the ball in the net ve times during Valor’s scoring drought to grab an 8-4 lead.

“We just didn’t play well at that time,” Ellis said of those

Valor Christian’s George Reider, right, plans his move against Regis Jesuit’s Fletcher Sullivan in a top 15 national matchup April 25 at Valor Stadium. Reider scored twice in the Eagles’ 10-3 win. PHOTO BY ALEX K.W. SCHULTZ

Valor Christian’s Kaley Kakac charges in for a shot against Colorado Academy on April 25 at Valor Stadium. Kakac scored two goals in Valor’s 12-9 loss. PHOTOS BY ALEX K.W. SCHULTZ

SEE BOYS, P31

Valor Christian’s Eliza Osburn prepares for an 8-meter shot against Colorado Academy on April 25 at Valor Stadium. Osburn scored once in Valor’s 12-9 loss.

Kajfosz looks to finish swim season strong

Highlands Ranch athlete sets pool record

BY JIM BENTON JBENTON@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Mason Kajfosz is adamant to nish the boys high school swimming season on a decisive note.

“ is season has gone really well,” said the Highlands Ranch swimmer. “ is is my senior season. It’s exciting but also a little bit sad since it is coming to a close. But I’m really determined to go out on a really good note.

“I’ve been looking really well over the past few weeks with the meets so I’m really excited going into the state meet.”

At the John Strain Memorial meet on April 22, Kajfosz won the 200 freestyle and nished second in the 100 freestyle.

He set a pool record in the 200 with a time of 1:40.68, breaking his own record of 1:41.53 from 2022.

“I felt like it was a really good, strong swim,” said Kajfosz. “I felt strong through the whole race and felt tired afterwards but that is a good thing.”

Kajfosz will be competing in the Continental League championships

GIRLS

FROM PAGE 30

15-plus minutes. “We let the cold and the weather kind of get to us. We had a couple things that didn’t go our way, and we didn’t pull out of it quickly enough. We tried in the second half, but it was a little too late at that point.”

Stevens’ second goal of the game

BOYS

FROM PAGE 30

Moments later, Brown scored on a twisting, falling-down attempt as he navigated from the X to in front of the Raiders’ cage.

When it was all said and done, Brown had scored the game’s nal four goals. His last came with 31 seconds left in the game, serving as an exclamation point on what was a dominant Valor e ort.

“We just got rolling there,” Brown said of the second quarter, when his three goals and individual goals from Rush LaSelle, George Reider and Alexander Rismani turned a 3-3 tie into a 9-3 Eagles advantage. “We sort of just felt them out in the rst quarter. We didn’t run too much of our stu . In the second quarter, we picked it up, ran our motion and played as a team. It worked out great

on May 5-6 and then at the 5A state meet which will be held May 11-12 at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center in ornton.

“At the beginning of the season, I said I wanted to win an event at the 5A state meet and that’s still to come,” said Kajfosz.

In the Continental League championships, Kajfosz will swim in the 200 IM and the 100 butter y individual events but doesn’t know yet which events he will enter at the state meet.

“I’ve tried not to specialize in any particular stroke because I feel like there is always room for improvement in any stroke,” he said.

Last season at the state meet, Kajfosz was third in the 200 freestyle and sixth in the 100 butter y.

“Unfortunately about midway thought the high school season I was a little bit sick,” explained Kajfosz. “ is year I’ve stayed good and healthy. I’ve been able to stay up with my conditioning. I’m fully ready to go into the state meet.”

Defending state champion Regis Jesuit is the favorite to take team honors at the Continental League meet and the Raiders and Cherry Creek are the top teams heading into the state championships.

“We’ve got a really good program at Highlands Ranch and a bunch of

ended the Eagles’ scoreless stretch.

e sophomore scored again a minute later — on a play in which she hooked around Colorado Academy’s goal, crossed over the middle from right to left and deposited the orb into the cords — to trim the Mustangs’ lead to 8-6 with 16:38 left in the game.

Kaley Kakac’s goal made the score 9-7. However, the Mustangs (11-0, 4-0 in 5A West League) responded by scoring three in a row.

for us.”

Of course, a player can’t score if he doesn’t have the ball, and getting the ball to his team time and again was Luong, who won a whopping 79% (11 of 14) of the game’s faceo s.

“ e three most important positions on the eld are faceo , goalie and short-stick defensive mid elders, and they’re the positions that don’t get talked about enough,” rstyear Valor coach Jeremy Noble said. “We’re just very lucky and blessed to have really hardworking and coachable kids.”

When Regis did gain possession of the ball and advance it into Valor territory — which wasn’t often — Cunningham was there to deny most of the Raiders’ shots.

e junior turned away nine of Regis’ 12 shooting attempts. Kyle Green also got some playing time in Valor’s cage and tallied two saves.

“It starts with our defense — our defense and our goaltending,”

up and coming guys who are going to do really awesome things,” pointed out Kajfosz. “ e program is heading in a good direction. We’re doing some really good thing right now and we hope to continue what we’re doing.”

Kajfosz will be heading to Purdue next fall.

“I verbally committed last April,”

Eliza Osburn and Stevens each recorded a goal in the nal minutes, both on 8-meter shots, but it was too little too late for Valor (9-3, 2-1).

“I think they play a little faster than us sometimes. at was the di erence today,” Stevens said. “But we’ll come back next time. We’ll see them again (in the state playo s).”

If the Eagles and Mustangs do see each other again in the state playo s, it’ll be the third consecutive year the two schools have faced o

Noble said. “Credit to the boys for sticking to the game plan and believing in themselves and each other.”

e two teams traded goals in the rst quarter. Scoring for the Eagles (12-1, 6-0 in 5A League #3) were Brown, Reider and Rismani. After Regis’ (8-2, 3-1) Jamie Rosenzweig scored to tie the score at 3-3 with 10:10 remaining in the second quarter, the Raiders didn’t

said Kajfosz. “Now that I’ve been accepted by the admissions side, I am still fully intending to go to Purdue for my freshman year of college.

“I am going to be going into the engineering program and Purdue has a great engineering program and I’m looking forward to that and the coach Alex Jerden and I connected really well.”

for the state crown. Colorado Academy beat Valor 13-9 last season and 14-3 in 2021.

Does Ellis think his group will see the Mustangs in this year’s Class 5A state tournament, which begins May 10?

“I hope so,” he said. “ at would be a great matchup and a fun game. ey’re a great opponent.” Reagan Digby had two assists against the Mustangs while Boll notched one.

score again the rest of the way. Recording the assists for Valor were Brown and Rismani (two each) and Parker Barhydt and Blake Benton (one each).

With the state playo s only a couple weeks away, it’s quite possible that these two teams haven’t seen the last of each other in 2023. If they do meet again in the state tournament? “We’ll be ready again,” Brown said.

Mason Kajfosz

Centennial seeks artists for tra c box art

BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Artists and art a cionados alike have an opportunity to leave a lasting mark on the City of Centennial through a tra c box art wrap project that is seeking jurors and artists.

e City of Centennial and the Centennial Arts and Cultural Foundation have partnered to bring artwork to 18 tra c control boxes in the city.

“We selected three locations in the city, and each one has six boxes,” said Mayor Stephanie Piko who is the president of the foundation, a nonpro t established in 2021 by Piko, Councilmember Tammy Maurer and former Councilmember Kathy Turley.

e idea is for artists to create a single theme expressed across the six boxes in each location, Piko explained, adding that the artwork should be unique to that speci c area.

ere are three separate $2,000 commissions for the selected artists. She noted the Centennial Rotary Club donated $3,000 to the foundation and the city contributed $3,000 for the commissions.

A maximum of three artists will be selected, one artist per site, though it is possible that one artist can be selected to do the artwork for all three locations, Piko said.

Artists do not have to be a Centennial resident to apply, but they will get a preference point in the judging process if they are, Piko said. To be considered, artists must apply by May 14 and pay an application fee of $10. Young people, including schools and art clubs, are highly

encouraged to apply.

“And artists have an opportunity to not only submit the art that they want for the particular locations, but they can also put in other portfolio work just so that people can see, kind of, their history of their work,” Piko said.

Jurors will have about two weeks to review the artwork, likely from the end of May through the beginning of June, she said. e goal is to select the nal artwork in July and announce the selections at the annual Centennial Under the Stars event. e art wraps should be installed by the end of the year.

“ e city (is) paying for the actual wraps, so that was budgeted by council for the last couple of years as a consistent program in order to bring art into some of our public infrastructure,” Piko said.  e foundation’s role is to integrate the public process into the art wrap project and allow citizens to have input on the public art, she said.

“We want to have that community creativity,” she said.

Given how widespread the city is, Piko hopes the art pieces will help people identify the city and become a marker of Centennial.

“ e tra c box program o ers an opportunity to spread art throughout the entire community at a relatively low price point, and it gives everybody that same shared experience, really, across Centennial,” she said, highlighting the value of art. “It’s something that really can tie a community together.”

ose interested in learning more about the project and how to apply can visit centennial-art.org.

COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

CLASSIFIEDS

Careers

Help Wanted

Senior Software Development Engineer

Senior Software Development

Engineer at Travelport LP in Centennial, CO. Develop Java based microservices, collaborate with junior developers on projects, and support various development duties. Requires bachelors deg, or frgn equiv, in Comp Sci or Comp Info Systems, or related field, and 5 yrs exp in Java development. Salary range is $140,000/yr to $145,000/yr. May work remotely. E-mail resume to americasbusinesspartners@ travelport.com and reference job code #6453661.

Help Wanted

Eng 3, SW Dev & Eng (mult openings) Comcast Cable Comm, LLC, Englewood, CO. Analyze, dsgn, dev & op entrprs-scale SW apps;

Reqs: Bach in CS, Eng or rel; 2 yrs exp wrk w/ Maven, Gradle, REST, SOAP, Spring Boot, Cloud Foundry, Concourse, & Oracle DB; 1 yr exp use Angular for UI dev; wrk w/ J2EE techs to dev apps; wrk w/ AWS, Mongo DB, Python, & Shell Script.

Salary: $83,720.00 - $125,000.00 per year. Benefits: https://jobs. comcast.com/life-at-comcast/

benefits. Apply to: Renu_Puril@ comcast.com Ref Job ID# 8211

Help Wanted

Web Engineer positions offered by Arrow Electronics Inc. (Centennial, CO). Develop features for E-Commerce functionality of arrow.com web site. Translate business needs into application specific initiatives. Position reports to Centennial, CO office. Employee may work from home, but must live within commuting distance of stated office. We are offering a salary of $140,000 to $154,000. Arrow Electronics, Inc. has a COVID-19 vaccination policy. For more information on the policy, the benefits available for this role, and to apply, please visit: https://bit. ly/405WSoW

CLASSIFIED AD SALES 303-566-4100

classifieds@coloradocommunitymedia.com

SERVICE DIRECTORY ADS

Contact Erin, 303-566-4074 eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

CAREERS

DEADLINES

CLASSIFIED LINE ADS: MONDAY, 5 P.M.

SERVICE DIRECTORY: THURSDAY, 5 P.M.

LEGALS: THURSDAY, 3 P.M.

Contact Susan at 303-646-4171 or fill out form at www.wisechoice4u.com

COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

CLASSIFIEDS

Firewood

Garage and Estate Sales

Garage Sales

110+ HOMES CHERRY KNOLLS, THE KNOLLS & TIFFANY NEIGHBORHOODS

Fri & Sat, May 5 & 6 S. Colorado Blvd & E. Dry Creek Rd 80122

Maps Available

Merchandise

Antiques & Collectibles

Split & Delivered $450 a cord Stacking $50 Call 303-647-2475 or 720-323-2173

Health & Beauty

DENTAL INSURANCEPhysicians Mutual Insurance Company. Covers 350 procedures. Real insurancenot a discount plan. Get your free dental info kit! 1-855-526-1060 www.dental50plus.com/58 #6258.

VIAGRA and CIALIS USERS!

50 Generic Pills SPECIAL $99.00

100% guaranteed. 24/7 CALL NOW! 888-445-5928 Hablamos Espanol

Medical

Attention oxygen therapy users!

Inogen One G4 is capable of full 24/7 oxygen delivery. Only 2.8 pounds. Free info kit. Call 877-929-9587

Miscellaneous

DIAGNOSED WITH LUNG CANCER? You may qualify for a substantial cash award - even with smoking history. No obligation!

We’ve recovered millions. Let us help!! Call 24/7, 1-877-648-2503

Donate Your Car to Veterans Today! Help and Support our Veterans. Fast - FREE pick up. 100% tax deductible. Call 1-800245-0398

Old Crows Antiques featuring The Root Beer Bar An Antique destination in Littleton Colorado

Join us on Memory Lane.

Something for everyone. Visit us for store info

Instagram:

@oldcrowsantiques www.facebook.com/ oldcrowsantiques www.oldcrows antiques.com

303-973-8648

Prepare for power outages today with a GENERAC home standby generator $0 Down + Low Monthly Pmt Request a free Quote. Call before the next power outage: 1-855-948-6176

The Generac PWRcell solar plus battery storage system. Save money, reduce reliance on grid, prepare for outages & power your home. Full installation services. $0 down financing option. Request free no obligation quote. 1-877-539-0299

Miscellaneous

Are you a pet owner? Do you want to get up to 100% back on vet bills? Physicians Mutual Insurance Company has pet coverage that can help! Call 1-844-774-0206 to get a free quote or visit insurebarkmeow. com/ads

Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debrisblocking gutter protection. Schedule free LeafFilter estimate today. 20% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-833-6101936

DISH TV $64.99 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR included, Free Voice remote. Some Restrictions apply. Promo Expires 1/31/24. 1-866-479-1516.

MARKETPLACE

4 by 6 foot digital sign from Daktronics.

Digital Sign Perfect for Church, Restaurant or any business that needs to change messages frequently.

Comes with 3 year labor warranty. Asking $7,500. Installation will be about $2500 and permits is $450

Sign is 3 years old and original price was $44,500.

Call Alan 303-378-7537

Wesley Financial Group, LLC Timeshare Cancellation Experts Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt & fees cancelled in 2019. Get free info package & learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. Call 833-308-1971

!!OLD GUITARS WANTED!! GIBSON, FENDER, MARTIN, etc. 1930’s to 1980’s. TOP DOLLAR PAID.

CALL TOLL FREE 1-866-433-8277

Switch & save up to $250/yr on talk, text & data. No contract or hidden fees. Unlimited talk & text with flexible data plans. Premium nationwide coverage. 100% U.S. based service. Call 1-855-903-3048

CLASSIFIED AD SALES

303-566-4100

classifieds@coloradocommunitymedia.com

SERVICE DIRECTORY ADS

Contact Erin, 303-566-4074 eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

DEADLINES

CLASSIFIED LINE ADS: MONDAY, 5 P.M.

SERVICE DIRECTORY: THURSDAY, 5 P.M.

LEGALS: THURSDAY, 3 P.M.

Colorado Statewide Network

To place a 25-wordCOSCAN Network adin 91 Colorado newspapers for only $300, contact your local newspaper or email Colorado Press Association Network at rtoledo@colopress.net

PORTABLE OXYGEN DIRECTV

DIRECTV, New 2-Year Price Guarantee.

The Most live MLB Games this season, 200 +channels and over 45,000 on-demand titles. $84.99/mo for 24 months with CHOICE Package. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV - 1-888-725-0897

AMERIGLIDE

Don't let the stairs limit your mobility!

Discover theideal solution for anyone who struggles on the stairs, is concerned about a fallor wants to regainaccess to their entire home. Call AmeriGlide today! 1-877-418-1883

Miscellaneous

Inflation is at 40 year highs Interest rates are way up. Credit Cards. Medical Bills. Car Loans. Do you have $10k or more in debt? Call National Debt Relief to find out how to pay off your debt for significantly less than what you owe! Free quote: 1-877-592-3616

Become a published author. We want to read your book! Dorrance Publishing trusted since 1920. Consultation, production, promotion & distribution. Call for free author`s guide 1-877-729-4998 or visit dorranceinfo.com/ads

DIRECTV Stream - Carries the most local MLB Games! Choice Package $89.99/mo for 12 mos Stream on 20 devices at once. HBO Max included for 3 mos (w/Choice Package or higher.) No contract or hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-866-859-0405

Scrap Metal, Batteries, Appliances, Wiring, Scrap Plumbing/Heating, Cars/Parts, Clean out Garages/Yards, Rake, Yard work done w/chainsaw, Certified Auto Mechanical / Body Work & paint available

Also can do inside or outside cleaning 303-647-2475 / 720-323-2173

Portable Oxygen Concentrator. May be Covered by Medicare! Reclaim independece and mobility with the compact design and long-lasting battery of Inogen One. Free Information Kit! Call: 844-823-0293

COLORADO STATEWIDE CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING NETWORK

To place a 25-word COSCAN Network ad in 91 Colorado newspapers for only $300, contact your local newspaper or email Colorado Press Association Network at rtoledo@colopress.net

Miscellaneous Electric wheelchair $5000/best offer (retail cost is $21,600) Also have free shelves. 720-465-9022

Pets Dogs

Doodle Puppies Golden Doodles and Bernedoodles Home-Raised Heath Tested and Guaranteed Standard and Mini Size available Schedule a visit today! (970)215-6860 www.puppylovedoodles.com

Butterfly Pavilion

The Butterfly Pavillion, 6252 W. 104th Ave. in Westminster, features Mother’s Day events the weekend of May 13-14. There will be a Butterfly Workshop on May 13 and a Butterfly Stroll on May 14. See butterflies. org for prices and details.

Historic preservation

Historic Littleton Inc. plans a special benefit celebration on May 18 as part of the nationwide recognition of May as Historic Preservation Month. The recently opened Shift Workspace at 2679 W. Main Street, is the location and tickets ($45) are available at hlinc.org. The HLI board met at the Geneva Lodge in the city complex on April 19 and has supported a City of Littleton request to rehabilitate the early building, which served retired restaurant workers at one time. The board voted to continue to meet there. A request for funding has been submitted to History Colorado. The City of Littleton built the Littleton Center on former lodge property, which originally provided living quarters for those retirees. Sponsorships will be sought

in the business community.

Curtis Center

Curtis Center for the Arts will hold the 19th Annual International Pastel Exhibition from May 12 to July 1 in the center, 2349 E. Orchard Road, Greenwood Village. The juror is Aaron Shuerr, a well-recognized pastel artist from Montana. There will be demonstrations by members during the exhibit. (We will hope to announce times and dates.)

Music everywhere

Music around us! May 19 will be the date for a concert by the Parker Symphony at the PACE Center. On May 12, the Lone Tree Symphony will perform at Lone Tree Arts Center. Littleton Symphony performs May 19 at Littleton United Methodist Church. Voices West will perform TV Theme Songs at 2 and 5 p.m. at the Wildcat Mountain Auditorium at Southridge Recreation Center in Highlands Ranch. Soon, we’ll be receiving news about summer dates. Am so happy to hear about these ... Looking forward to summer schedules!

Performance Now

Performance Now Theatre Company, which originated in Highlands Ranch and performs

at Lakewood Cultural Center, plans a catered dinner and performance of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” on June 10 and 17, with regular performances also planned at Lakewood Cultural Center in June. More soon. See performancenow.org.

Keep your eyes peeled

News coming from Denver Art Museum about Hamilton Building galleries reopening soon ...

Play festival

The North American Short Play Festival happened in Littleton recently. Ellen ShamasBrandt, Annawyn Shamas and Pamela Clifton all directed plays by Native American playwrights, including “Four Women in Red.” (It was written by another family member, Laura Annawyn Shamas.) The family members, who are Chickasaw tribe members, hope to develop a yearly festival of Native American playwriting in Littleton, with support from Littleton United Methodist Church, which provided rehearsal and performance space.

Summer camps

South Suburban Parks and Recreation District will offer summer camps of all sorts: Animal Senses, Mini Mountaineers, Trailblazers, Water Wonders ...

See the website at ssprd.org for dates, prices, details. Parents should not hear: “There’s nothing to do!”

Storytime

“Cuentame un Cuentito” —Tell Me A Story — will be presented at 11 a.m. on May 13 at Su Teatro, 721 Santa Fe Drive, Denver. 11 a.m. Gabriella Cavallero, Elizabeth and Tony Morales, presented by Stories on Stage. 303-494-0523, storiesonstage. org.

Artist reception

Arapahoe Libraries will hold a reception for featured artist Casey Kawaguchi on May 3, 6 to 8 p.m. at Smoky Hill Library, 5430 S. Biscay Circle, Centennial. A collection of his artwork will be displayed at Smoky Hill Library during May. He works as a mentor at Redline Contemporary Art Center. His work reflects comic books, Japanese heritage and a contemporary character.

Littleton Symphony

Littleton Symphony May 19 at 7:30 p.m., Littleton United Methodist Church. “Appalachian Spring,” Strauss’ “Horn Concertos.” Soloist: David ByrdMarrow. Young Voices of Colorado. Tickets: 303-933-6824. LittletonSymphony.org.

Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088

Legals

the Public Trustee’s office, Philip S Miller Building Hearing Room, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, I will sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law. If the sale date is continued to a later date, the deadline to file a notice of intent to cure by those parties entitled to cure may also be extended.

First Publication: 4/27/2023

Last Publication: 5/25/2023

Publisher: Douglas County News Press

Dated: 2/28/2023 DAVID GILL DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee

The name, address and telephone numbers of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:

AMANDA FERGUSON Colorado Registration #: 44893 355 UNION BLVD SUITE 250, LAKEWOOD, COLORADO 80228

Phone #: (303) 274-0155

#:

The property described herein is all of the property encumbered by the lien of the deed of trust.

Legal Description of Real Property:

LOT 407, HIGHLANDS RANCH, FILING NO.

121-B, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO

Which has the address of: 9762 Westbury Cir, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129

NOTICE OF SALE

The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust described herein, has filed written election and demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.

To Whom It May Concern: On 2/15/2023 11:29:00

AM the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in Douglas County.

Original Grantor: Todd Jilbert

Original Beneficiary: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

Date of Deed of Trust (DOT): 10/12/2005

Recording Date of DOT: 11/2/2005

Reception No. of DOT: 2005105947

DOT Recorded in Douglas County.

Original Principal Amount of Evidence of Debt:

$43,900.00 Outstanding Principal Amount as of the date hereof: $39,006.17

DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee

The name, address and telephone numbers of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:

ILENE DELL'ACQUA Colorado Registration #: 31755 7700 E. ARAPAHOE ROAD, SUITE 230 , CENTENNIAL, COLORADO 80112 Phone #: (877) 369-6122

Fax #:

Attorney File #: CO-23-952513-LL

*YOU MAY TRACK FORECLOSURE SALE

DATES on the Public Trustee website: https:// www.douglas.co.us/public-trustee/

Legal Notice No. 2023-0041

First Publication: 4/13/2023

Last Publication: 5/11/2023

Publisher: Douglas County News Press

Pursuant to C.R.S. §38-38-101 (4) (i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: failure to make timely payments as required under the Evidence of Debt and Deed of Trust. **This loan has been modified through a Loan Modification Agreement recorded 07/05/2022 at Reception No. 2022046902 in the records of the Douglas County Clerk and Recorder, Colorado.

Said Deed of Trust was rerecorded on 4/23/2019, under Reception No. 2019021213.

THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.

The property described herein is all of the property encumbered by the lien of the deed of trust.

Legal Description of Real Property:

LOT 672, STERLING RANCH FILING NO. 1, 7TH AMENDMENT, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE COLORADO.

Which has the address of: 9887 Geneva Creek Lane, Littleton, CO 80125

NOTICE OF SALE

The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust described herein, has filed written election and demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.

THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that on the first possible sale date (unless the sale is continued*) at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at

File #: CO21458 *YOU MAY TRACK FORECLOSURE SALE DATES on the Public Trustee website: https:// www.douglas.co.us/public-trustee/

THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that on the first possible sale date (unless the sale is continued*) at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 31, 2023, at the Public Trustee’s office, Philip S Miller Building Hearing Room, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, I will sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law. If the sale date is continued to a later date, the deadline to file a notice of intent to cure by those parties entitled to cure may also be extended.

First Publication: 4/6/2023

Last Publication: 5/4/2023

Publisher: Douglas County News Press Dated: 2/9/2023 DAVID GILL DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee

The name, address and telephone numbers of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:

ILENE DELL'ACQUA

Pursuant to C.R.S. §38-38-101 (4) (i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: the failure to make timely payments required under said Deed of Trust and the Evidence of Debt secured thereby.

THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.

The property described herein is all of the property encumbered by the lien of the deed of trust.

Legal Description of Real Property: LOT 121, HIGHLANDS RANCH FILING NO. 122-Q, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO.

Which has the address of: 10629 Wynspire Way, Highlands Ranch, CO 80130

NOTICE OF SALE

The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust described herein, has filed written election and demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.

City and County

Public Notice

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

A public hearing will be held on May 15, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. before the Douglas County Planning Commission, in the Commissioners Hearing Room, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, CO. The hearing is for the proposed adoption of Building Codes: 2021 International Building Code, 2021 International Building Code Appendix C, 2021 International Residential Code, 2021 International Residential Code Appendix AM, 2021 International Mechanical Code, 2021 International Fuel Gas Code, 2021 International Plumbing Code, 2021 International Plumbing Code Appendix E, 2018 International Energy Conservation Code, and the 2023 National Electrical Code,

Christian Bartholomew and Becky Lyn Bartholomew

Colorado Registration #: 31755 7700 E. ARAPAHOE ROAD, SUITE 230 , CENTENNIAL, COLORADO 80112 Phone #: (877) 369-6122 Fax #: Attorney File #: CO-22-950359-LL

*YOU MAY TRACK FORECLOSURE SALE DATES on the Public Trustee website: https:// www.douglas.co.us/public-trustee/ Legal Notice No. 2023-0036 First Publication: 4/6/2023

Publication: 5/4/2023

Douglas County News Press

THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that on the first possible sale date (unless the sale is continued*) at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, June 7, 2023, at the Public Trustee’s office, Philip S Miller Building Hearing Room, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, I will sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law. If the sale date is continued to a later date, the deadline to file a notice of intent to cure by those parties entitled to cure may also be extended.

First Publication: 4/13/2023

Last Publication: 5/11/2023

Pursuant to C.R.S. §38-38-101 (4) (i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: the failure to make timely payments required under said Deed

Publisher: Douglas County News Press

Dated: 2/15/2023

DAVID GILL

8-11, 2023

Carnival Rides: Open Thursday, June 8 from 4:00 pm – 10:30 pm

Festival and Carnival Rides: Friday 4 pm – 10:30 pm

ADMISSION

Saturday 10 am – 10:30 pm

Sunday 10 am – 8:30 pm

PARKER’S FAVORITE WEEKEND!

FUN THINGS TO DO:

CARNIVAL RIDES & GAMES: FREE

• Enjoy your Favorite Festival Food

• Shopping Marketplace

• Music on Four Stages

• Culinary Demonstrations

• Street Performers

• Carnival Rides for the Whole Family

• Free Kids Crafts

• Artisan Demonstrations: Pottery, Painting, Weaving, Decorative Furniture, and Lacemaking

• Silent Disco – Dance, Dance, Dance!

• Get Dizzy in a Water Bubble

• Bungy Jumping

• Jump and Slide on the In atables

• Nurf Terf Battles (Nurf version of Paintball)

• All Aboard! Ride the Sunshine Express Train on Mainstreet

Groove Mazda MAIN STAGE

– Live Music ALL Day HEADLINERS:

Friday, June 9 presented by 8:15 pm: Still They Ride (Journey Tribute Band)

Saturday, June 10 presented by 8:30 pm: Chris Daniels and The Kings

Sunday, June 11 presented by 5:15 pm: That Eighties Band

THANK

®

BUY DISCOUNTED UNLIMITED CARNIVAL RIDE WRISTBANDS ONLINE

Thursday Friends & Family Special

4 wristbands for $99

Only available for use on Thursday, June 8

Sold online through 12 noon Wed. May 31

Single-Day Unlimited Carnival Rides

$35 each

Good any one day during the festival

Sold online through 12 noon Wed. June 7

4-Day MEGA Unlimited Carnival Rides

$89 each

Good all 4 days of the festival

PURCHASE DURING THE FESTIVAL

Single-Day Unlimited Carnival Rides

$40 each

TICKETS FOR INDIVIDUAL RIDES