Highlands Ranch Herald May 9, 2024

Police union blasts sheri , county

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A local police union has accused Sheri Darren Weekly and other Douglas County o cials of engaging in unfair labor practices during an e ort to unionize the sheri ’s o ce.

e accusations come as the union — the local Fraternal Order of Police branch — canceled an election that would have al-

lowed sheri ’s o ce employees to choose to be represented by the union.

e union indicated that it may try to reschedule the election in the coming months.

“Despite recent events, we remain committed to moving forward with this important initiative,” the FOP branch wrote on its Facebook page, adding: “We decided that going forward would not be prudent because we believe that

the Sheri and the County have committed multiple unfair labor practices under Colorado Law.”

e union did not respond to requests for comment from the Douglas County News-Press.

Undersheri David Walcher took issue with the union’s characterization of the sheri ’s o ce, saying leaders “didn’t intimidate or ‘interfere’ with anyone or anything.”

Bus assault case spurs preemptive changes in policies

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Douglas County School District is proactively changing its bus monitoring policies in response to allegations that a former Littleton School District paraprofessional harmed children with disabilities as they rode the bus.  e district said it will begin randomly checking video feeds from transportation for special education students, as well as have sta speak with students on a random basis about their experiences taking thirdparty transportation.

“We are making improvements as a result of the Littleton situation,” Chief Operations O cer Rich Cosgrove said at a recent board meeting.

In April, former Littleton Public Schools employee Kiarra Jones, 29, was charged with third degree assault against a juvenile, a felony. Jones is also alleged to have beat other students who are autistic and non-verbal. Englewood police, the charging agency, continues to investigate the case to see if other children were harmed and if more charges are warranted.

Video footage from March 18 shows Jones on a bus with a student whom she appears to strike multiple times.  Jones has been red from Littleton Public Schools. Meanwhile, parents in the district recently called for the resignation of Superintendent Todd Lambert during an April meeting of the district’s board of education.

Cosgrove said the district is making changes to its contracts with thirdparty providers of transportation services to students to try and prevent harm. He added that contractors

A sign marks the Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce at the Robert A. Christensen Justice Center near Castle Rock, pictured in February.

PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD

Metro district works to bring trees back after last year’s tornado

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

It’s been nearly one year since a tornado ripped through Highlands Ranch, taking hundreds of trees with it. And, National Arbor Day on April 26 became an opportunity for the community to recover from the loss.

Over 800 trees were destroyed on Highlands Ranch metro district property and hundreds more were uprooted and damaged during the June storm. Trees along the roadways disappeared, leaving holes in the ground, and for weeks, residents worked to remove damaged trees from their yards.

To help recover, dozens of volunteers spent a day planting new trees at Big Dry Creek Park on this year’s Arbor Day.

Volunteers with Boy Scouts Troop 870 and the Centennial Water and Sanitation District focused their attention on that park, which was signi cantly impacted by the tornado.

“We’re grateful to have the help of these wonderful volunteers as we make progress restoring our tree

Centennial Water and Sanitation District sta members help plant trees at Big Dry Creek Park, at 9898 Atherton Way, during the Highlands Ranch Metro District’s Arbor Day volunteer planting.

COURTESY OF THE HIGHLANDS

RANCH METRO DISTRICT

canopy,” Ken Standen, the metro district’s director of operations and maintenance, said in a statement.

Purchased with a Reforest Colorado grant from the nonpro t Colorado Tree Coalition, new oaks, lindens, maples and other tree species were planted throughout the park.

“We are planting around 225 new trees across our community this spring during the rst year of our seven-year replacement plan,” Standen said.

Although Highlands Ranch may

SPEAK OUT!

not look like it, there are more than 14,500 trees in its “urban forest” along roadways, parks, open space and neighborhoods, according to the metro district.

Many watched as piles in parking lots of local parks grew taller and taller with tree limbs last summer. To properly dispose of tree limbs, the metro district often provides free community limb recycling locations.

On May 5, residents can recycle discarded tree limbs and woody plant materials that may have been damaged in recent wind, hail and snow storms. e recycling event will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot of Redstone Park, near Halftime Help Stadium, at 3270 Redstone Park Circle.

To help preserve existing plant life, the metro district is also working to eradicate all Russian olive trees in the community. e invasive trees were not originally planted with bad intentions, according to the district website, but they have been illegal to sell in Colorado for about 20 years.

e district is o ering a homeowner incentive program to remove

the Russian olive trees on residential property. Homeowners are eligible to receive $150 — per household, not per tree.

Homeowners must apply for the incentive program online, and a metro district forestry sta member will verify the tree is on the property and that it’s removed. It is up to the homeowner to remove the tree.  e metro district has a board that oversees trees in Highlands Ranch, along with a tree-care ordinance. e ordinance is a set of guidelines adopted by the district in 1988 that assigns authority over public trees and provides guidance for planting, maintaining or removing trees from parkways, parks and other metro district property.

Highlands Ranch has been recognized by Tree City USA for more than 30 years due to the district’s dedication to maintaining the health of existing trees and ghting tree-related insects and diseases. Tree City USA is sponsored by e Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.

CHANGES

already

In

spokesperson Paula Hans said the random video checks will allow the district to “promptly identify any issues and ensure strict compliance with safety guidelines.”

For buses that don’t have video surveillance, Hans said district sta will conduct unannounced interviews with students.

Zillow Rolls Out a Home ‘Touring Agreement’ That Doesn’t Comply With Colorado Law

Ever since the March 15th announcement by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) that it had reached a settlement on the massive litigation against it regarding buyer agent commissions, brokers and brokerages have been trying to figure out how they can get buyers to sign an agreement of the type required by that settlement.

Such an agreement would have to provide for payment by buyers of the broker working on their behalf, and that agreement would have to be signed before an agent could show the buyer any homes for sale.

with whom I shared Zillow’s agreement last week.

First, since it has not been approved by the Colorado Real Estate Commission (CREC), Zillow’s form can only be used by brokers if it has been prepared by that broker’s own lawyer. Second, it does not contain the required definitions of working relationships.

I asked Waters what new or changed contracts the Division is working on to comply with the provisions of the NAR settlement, and she replied as follows:

Zillow, which is now a brokerage, not merely a real estate listing site, thinks it has produced an agreement which satisfies that requirement and that buyers would be happy to sign. The essence of it is that it is non-exclusive, lasts only seven days, and does not commit the buyer to paying anything.

Although the “Touring Agreement” is copyrighted, the April 30th blog post by Zillow’s Chief Industry Development Officer, Errol Samuelson, states that “we’re making it available for use to the entire residential real estate industry.”

Above right I have reproduced the one-page agreement, omitting only the non-discrimination clause and the signature lines.

In the blog post, Samuelson acknowledged that “the form of this agreement will vary by state, [but] we’re calling on the industry to adopt a non-exclusive, limited-duration agreement for the initial tours conducted by an agent with a prospective buyer.”

Indeed the form does not comply with Colorado state law in two respects, according to Marcia Waters, who heads the Division of Real Estate at the Colorado Department of Regulatory Affairs,

“It is our position that the NAR settlement doesn't require any changes to our forms. With that said, the Forms Committee is working on some possible revisions to the listing contracts, the contract to buy and sell and the brokerage disclosure to buyer to provide further clarification about compensation. Those revisions will be considered by the Real Estate Commission at their nonrulemaking hearing for the forms in June.” That meeting is at 9 a.m. on June 4th. The requirements established by the NAR settlement are now set to take effect on August 17th.

I like the concept of Zillow’s proposed touring agreement, since the NAR settlement only specifies “an agreement.” Having sent it to the Division of Real Estate and also to Frascona, Joiner, Goodman & Greenstein, PC, the law firm which serves Golden Real Estate and hundreds of other brokerages with legal forms not among those mandated by the CREC, I’m hopeful that one or the other of them will produce a “showing agreement” that we can use.

NAR Releases Additional Rules Pursuant to Settlement

Heretofore, the only guidance brokers had regarding the NAR settlement was that the MLS could no longer display an offer of co-op compensation for listings and that brokers could not show listings to a buyer with first executing a written agreement with that buyer.

Last week we were advised of some additional rules that the MLSs need to follow. Here are the key takeaways.

MLSs may not “create, facilitate, or support any non-MLS mechanism (including by providing listing information to an internet aggregator’s website for such purpose)” that includes “offers of compensation to buyer brokers or other buyer representatives.”

New Homes Can Have Inspection Issues, Too

This will be a good year, I believe, for the developers and builders of new homes. There’s a decent supply, you can choose between spec homes that are already built, or design a home to your specifications if you are not in a rush.

You won’t have to deal with bidding wars, but you also won’t be able to negotiate a price reduction. It’s “list price only” with builders.

Also, you can hire a buyer’s agent, such as my broker associates or me, who will be paid by the builder, so you don’t have to pay for professional representation. Too many buyers of new homes end up regretting that they bought from a builder’s salesperson and didn’t have a professional on their side. The builder’s agent is working for the builder and not in your best interest.

lutely must invest in the cost of a professional home inspector. We have an inspector on our team, Jim Camp, who has decades of experience inspecting new homes for buyers. We recommend him exclusively. New construction is permitted and must pass county or city inspection, but, based on the kinds of defects that Jim has found in new homes, we worry that these inspections can be too cursory.

Without such an document agreeable to buyers, we can expect that buyers will only call listing agents to see listed homes. That scenario would serve neither the industry nor the public. Jim Smith

MLS data may not be used “directly or indirectly” to create a platform containing offer of compensation, and, if that is done, the MLS must terminate the access to the MLS and MLS data by the offending broker or brokerage.

Virtually every brokerage has its own website on which MLS listings are displayed. These websites must not, with or without MLS support, filter the display of listings to exclude individual listings based on the level of compensation offered or to exclude listings by specific brokerages or specific listing agents within a brokerage.

Another mistake buyers make is to think that because a home is new, it doesn’t need to be inspected. You abso-

Jim likes to do a 2-phase inspection. The first inspection would be at the rough-in or pre-drywall stage, and the second or final inspection would be prior to the buyer’s final walk-through with the builder.

As when buying an existing home, money spent on inspections is money well spent, because you might uncover hidden defects, from sewer to attic, that could cost you much more later on.

Call me with your questions.

“Concentrate on giving and the getting will

ALLEGATIONS

“I personally had dozens of employees reach out to me to thank the sheri ’s o ce for helping them understand the situation,” Walcher told the News-Press.

Commissioner George Teal, one of the county’s three elected leaders, said the county’s actions were legally reviewed.

“Everything we did was reviewed by our attorney prior to doing it to make sure we were not in violation of either state or federal labor laws,” Teal told the News-Press.

‘Sharing our opinions’

Union representation of the sheri ’s o ce could enable employees to negotiate salaries, bene ts and other aspects of their jobs through collective bargaining.

In a document, the local union

branch, FOP Lodge 47, alleged that the sheri has “bombarded employees with emails containing illegal and misleading statements” about the FOP while “using county resources and email addresses.”

e document, posted by the FOP on Facebook, also accuses county Commissioners Teal, Abe Laydon and Lora omas of creating a YouTube video using public funds “designed to intimidate and mislead voters about the collective bargaining process and the election.”

at’s an apparent reference to a commissioners’ video message released in March, where the commissioners argued that unionizing would hamper the interests of sheri ’s employees and the public.

In response to the accusation, Teal said o cials used resources allocated to the commissioners’ communications budget to make the video.

“Sharing our opinions is what the people of Douglas County expect from us and we wanted to inform

them about the collective bargaining petition,” Teal said. “All of which is allowed under Colorado and federal labor laws by the way.”

e FOP also alleged that the county hired outside attorneys to conduct “anti-union” meetings.

Walcher pushed back on the idea that o cials’ actions were improper.

“We attempted to educate our employees so that they could make informed decisions. is included training that the majority of our deputies and sergeants attended,” Walcher said.

e document is labeled for the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. e department conrmed that the FOP’s document was led but declined to provide a copy of it to the News-Press, citing that it regards a pending matter.

County’s accusation

e county has also argued that the FOP misled employees, leading them to believe the sheri supported unionization e orts when he did not.

“ is trickery by the union caused many employees to sign their names in support of a union because they were falsely led to believe Sheri Weekly supported it,” Teal alleged in the commissioners’ video message. e sheri ’s o ce provided the News-Press the letter that Teal apparently referred to.

“In the spirit of transparency and support, I met with Sheri Weekly to share the survey results and discuss our proposed course of action. Sheri Weekly expressed his continued support for us and the FOP,” said the letter, signed as “president” of the local FOP branch.

Deborah Takahara, spokesperson for the sheri ’s o ce, reiterated Teal’s concern that the statement was misleading, saying that “employees have expressed confusion about the sheri ’s stance.”

Teal had expressed concern that “unionization will endanger public safety” and argued that FOP “politics” could push deputies out of the sheri ’s o ce.

Bill to ban seclusion in Colorado schools defeated

BY MELANIE ASMAR CHALKBEAT COLORADO

Despite testimony that one Colorado lawmaker called “horrifying,” a bill to ban the practice of shutting students alone inside rooms was defeated at the state Capitol.

State Rep. Regina English, a Colorado Springs Democrat and the main sponsor of House Bill 1167, asked last week that her fellow lawmakers postpone the bill inde nitely, e ectively defeating it.

With just days left in this year’s legislative session, English said the bill was experiencing too much last-minute pushback from defenders of the practice known as seclusion.

ough English didn’t name names, a handful of school district and special education administrators had defended the practice to lawmakers in a hearing last month. e administrators

described seclusion as a “last resort” measure that is sometimes necessary.

English pledged to introduce a new bill banning seclusion next year.

“It is my mission to make sure Colorado is the ninth state in the nation to ban this horri c practice used against our students,” she told the House Education Committee in April.

e committee voted unanimously to defeat the bill. Several lawmakers said they were voting against the bill reluctantly and only at the sponsor’s request. ey praised English for her courage and said they agreed that seclusion is wrong.

“ e testimony we heard was horrifying,” said Rep. Barbara McLachlan, a Durango Democrat and chair of the House Education Committee. Seclusion, she said, “shouldn’t ever be happening.”

Under current law, Colorado schools are allowed to seclude stu-

dents in rooms with the door closed. Sta must monitor students through a window or by video camera. Seclusion rooms must be “free of injurious items” and cannot otherwise be used for storage, custodial, or o ce space.

Students are often placed in seclusion because of their behavior. Available state data shows that young students with disabilities are disproportionately secluded.

English said a case at a popular Denver middle school called McAuli e International School spurred her to sponsor the bill. An investigation by Denver Public Schools found that McAuli e sta were placing students in seclusion without proper supervision. A former Denver school board member told lawmakers that the seclusion room at McAuli e “reminded me of a prison.”

e former board member, Auon’tai Anderson, was among the parents

and elected o cials who testi ed last month in favor of the bill to ban seclusion. e most emotional testimony came from mothers who said their children with disabilities had been secluded.

e mothers spoke about how their children soiled themselves inside seclusion rooms because they were so scared and how, even years later, their kids had nightmares and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Parents said they were unaware their children were being secluded, in part because the schools didn’t use the word seclusion. Instead, schools referred to the rooms in which their children were shut inside by innocuous names like “the relaxation room” and “the opportunity room.”

Chalkbeat is a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools.

Cute Pets

Sgt. Michael Brian Du y ‘had a bright future ahead’

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Whether it was being a father, a son or serving his community as a law enforcement o cer, Michael Brian Du y was passionate in everything he did. Exemplifying dedication and integrity throughout his life is just one of the many ways those closest to Du y describe the sergeant with the Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce.

“We just want to say how proud we are of Michael,” his parents Kevin and Christine Du y told the Highlands Ranch Herald. “He was a wonderful son, brother, father and a dedicated o cer.”

Du y, 43, passed away in his home on the morning of April 18 while recovering from a heart attack. A memorial was held in Parker last week.

“Mike’s passing is a tremendous loss for our entire community,” Sheri Darren Weekly said in a statement.

A 22-year veteran of the department, many knew him as “Mike,” and his warmth and zest for life touched everyone he encountered.

e blond-haired and blue eyed Du y was born in Denver and spent his entire life calling Colorado home. He grew up in Castle Rock and graduated from Douglas County High School.

Du y had a passion for sports, playing football and baseball. Coached by his father and uncle, he was the quarterback for his football team. His baseball teammates nicknamed him “ ash” because he was the fastest runner on the team.

Du y’s father, Chief Kevin Du y, has been with the Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce for over 35 years and Du y followed in his fathers footsteps.

Du y got his start with the sheri ’s o ce in 2002, working in detentions. He moved to patrol in 2003 before becoming a detective, working in the Special Victims Unit and the Major Crimes/Person Crimes Unit.

“He was one of the best investigators I’d ever seen,” said Weekly. “He also took great pride in nding truth and bringing justice for victims. His career was on the rise, and he had a bright future ahead of him.”

Du y was promoted to corporal in 2019 and rose to the rank of sergeant in 2021. en in 2023, he transferred to Internal A airs.

His colleagues, friends and family are mourning the loss of Du y, whose camaraderie left a lasting impression on all those around him.

“Life was a puzzle that he knew how to solve,” Du y’s sister, Jami, said in a statement. “He walked through his life with certainty, logic, love and compassion.”

Du y leaves behind his 14-yearold daughter, Lyndy, and “his best bro,” 11 year-old son Connor, who will miss “the best dad in the whole world.”

In his obituary, it says Du y’s serious nature was overruled by the joys of fatherhood, “where he would sing loudly, wrestled gently and laugh without restraint and love unconditionally.”

Du y is also survived by Lyndy and Connor’s mom, Milly Wells, their grandma, “Moppy” Wendy Martin, and his large, loving family.

“We also want to thank the department, county and the community for all the love and support given to our family during these tragic times,” said Kevin and Christine.

Sgt. Michael Brian Du y was with the Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce for over two decades, working in detentions, patrol and as a detective.

Two Denver publications join Colorado Community Media

Colorado Community Media –made up of 23 publications serving cities and towns in the Denver metro area – is expanding.

e Denver North Star and the G.E.S. Gazette, established in 2019 and 2021 as free monthly publications and digital products, are joining the portfolio. e National Trust for Local News, Colorado Community Media’s parent company, completed the acquisition of those titles on May 1.

e monthly North Star is Denver’s largest neighborhood publication, and the G.E.S. Gazette, which transitioned to digital-only earlier this year, is a bilingual community publication serving the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighbor-

hoods. ey are in close geographic proximity to other publications operated by CCM, including the Washington Park Pro le and Life on Capitol Hill.

e publications were owned and operated by David Sabados and his wife, Emma Donahue, and were founded in response to a lack of community media in North Denver, Sabados said. He told the Colorado Community Media sta during a meeting that when they began looking for a buyer for the publications about a year ago, CCM immediately seemed like the right t.

“We took a long look at Denver’s and the state’s media landscape of hyperlocal publications and ended up where we started: when we thought about who we trusted to keep the papers’ community feel

and ensure their long-term viability, we knew they would be in good hands at CCM,” he said.

Sabados and Donahue will serve as advisers to aid in the transition.

Editor Kathryn White and others involved with the North Star and Gazette also will continue working with the CCM operation.

“I’ve long been a fan of the Denver North Star and the G.E.S. Gazette, and what David and his team have done for that community,” Colorado Community Media Publisher Linda Shapley said. “I’m thrilled to take the baton and do what I can to make those publications even stronger.”

e plan is to soon merge the websites for the North Star and Gazette into Colorado Community Media’s site, which serves as the home for all of CCM’s two dozen titles – including

the Arvada Press, Golden Transcript, Parker Chronicle and Littleton Independent, among others.

e acquisition of the G.E.S. Gazette is Colorado Community Media’s second publication serving Spanish-speaking audiences. CCM launched its rst bilingual news product in January – La Ciudad, a newsletter in Spanish and English that primarily serves Commerce City. According to the Pew Research Center, 21% of the nation’s 65 million Hispanic adults get their news in Spanish.

e National Trust for Local News, a nonpro t dedicated to acquiring, transforming and conserving local newspapers, bought Colorado Community Media in 2021. In fact, May 1 also was the three-year anniversary of that acquisition.

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Highlands Ranch Herald

A legal newspaper of general circulation in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, the Herald is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 115 Wilcox St., Suite 220, Castle Rock, CO 80104.

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With the help of their computer science teacher, four young high schoolers from

wildlife and protect drivers from collisions and became state winners in the

Female student team creates device with goal of averting wildlife crashes

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

ey may not have their licenses yet, but four young STEM School Highlands Ranch high schoolers are working to eliminate one of the worst fears for Colorado drivers: hitting wildlife.

e all-female student team, who call themselves STEM’s Rubber Duckies, have designed an infrared device that can detect wildlife and alert drivers. e idea stemmed from a love for animals and a passion to increase safety for everyone on the road.

“Just with our interesting approaches that our teenage minds can create, we are able to innovate in ways that aren’t seen before and nd solutions that haven’t been found before and create

our own impact,” sophomore Bri Scoville said.

e team competed in the “Samsung Solve For Tomorrow” contest where they became state nalists. Sophomore Siddhi Singh, who started the team, said the Rubber Duckies didn’t think they were going to make it that far because they came into the competition late.

As the team advanced, they won thousands of dollars in Samsung gear to help them with their project. Although they didn’t advance to the nationalnals, the Colorado team have until next March to continue working on their device.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say that we failed,” freshman Robyn Ballheim said. “Because we don’t really fail until we

give up and I think if we keep pursuing this as far as we can, we’re gonna get there eventually.”

Initially, the device was planned to repel wildlife away from cars by emitting a sound with a cost e ective, sustainable and accurate animal detection and driver alert system. rough their research process, the team found that sound didn’t do much to deter animals.

So, the team switched to a driverawareness system. ey programmed a sensor to track motion to trigger a warning light. ey then implemented a more intricate algorithm that clumped speci c temperature data to track animal heat motion with a special camera

STEM School Highlands Ranch designed a device to detect

Samsung Solve For Tomorrow competition.

PHOTO BY HALEY LENA

STEM TEAM

and calculate if it was getting closer or further from the road.

With arti cial intelligence rapidly progressing, the team used that to their advantage.

“We basically decided to implement a blacklist system,” said Singh. “Whatever it would detect, if it doesn’t match what the IR camera is inputting, it would basically blacklist it so it wouldn’t be caught up by the main camera.”

As the team spoke to di erent sources, many raised doubts. e doubts were centered around real concerns, such as snow or fog obstructing the view of animals, but Dhriti Sinha, a sophomore, said it only pushed the team to look at new perspectives and adapt to changes.

Singh believes a contributing factor to the team’s success was the fact teammates were able to collaborate with one another and were open to pivoting their thinking.

“If you really believe in a problem and you really believe in making a di erence, you have to be willing to adapt,” said Ballheim.

Computer science teacher Tylor Chacon, who sponsors the project, said wildlife-vehicle collisions are hurting both animals and people and it’s a problem that is taken on by governments and large corporations.

“We didn’t realize how big of an issue it was until we got the chance to talk to CDOT,” said Chacon.

CDOT is the Colorado Department of Transportation. Singh learned from CDOT that wildlife-vehicle collisions are a top concern.

In 2022, CDOT’s annual roadkill report recorded 7,338 animal deaths throughout the entire state. In region

one, which includes Douglas County, there were 778 reported deaths. And, in Douglas County alone, there were 179 deer hit.

One of CDOT’s environmental managers told the team that these kinds of collisions cost Coloradoans up to $80 million every year.

As the team further developed their device, it looked at Tesla’s open patents that focus on how Teslas detect objects to detect objects.

“With our system, we would essentially identify problem areas in the photo by cross referencing our heat data, the distance data and the object tracking, and using AI to classify it and if all that data checks out, then we can say there’s an accurate chance that an animal is moving into your eld of view,” said Chacon.

e team strapped all the components of their device onto a remote control car and with permission of the school’s therapy dog, Daisy, put

pursuing get to emitsusdetection their that animals.  driverprogrammed a a clumped anicamera

“The High Line Canal trail is a respite from city life. Parts of the Canal are like a secret garden –it’s a hidden gem!”

– Ginger

the device to the test. As the device approached Daisy, a sound alerted the driver.

Looking ahead, Scoville said the team would like to use LiDAR – Light Detection and Ranging technology –because it can detect distance as well as a FlIR thermography camera.

Aimed at lessening the burden on the state, the team said the device could be put in vehicles. For current cars, a micro controller connected to the speaker would receive signals transmitted from the camera. For future cars, it would utilize the same algorithm, but use existing car technologies for cost reduction and sustainability.

“Once we can show some accurate results with raw data, we want to start lobbying to see if the government would adopt our technology and maybe even if regulators would require that technology in future cars,” said Chacon.

THE HIGH LINE CANAL is a park for all.

You can help make it a Park for Always.

Great Lengths for the High Line is a historic effort to make lasting improvements to the 71-mile, 860-acre High Line Canal trail. With your help, we’ll plant 3500 trees, construct shade structures and nature play areas, and ensure this treasured part of Colorado is protected for generations to come. Explore all the projects at highlinecanal.org/great-lengths.

DONATE TODAY

a park for all. a park for always.

Our newsroom wants to know what matters to you this election year

BY MEGAN VERLEE AND CCM STAFF

One month ago, newsrooms across the state, including ours, launched an ambitious project: invite the people of Colorado to tell us what they want politicians to talk about in this election, and use their answers to help guide the stories we tell.

So far, more than 3,100 people from around the state have responded to that call and lled out the Voter Voices survey. About 100 of the respondents are readers of Colorado Community Media’s two dozen metro area newspapers. What should candidates for public o ce focus on this year?

“ eir integrity, work ethic, and vision for our country or the entity they will be representing,” said Mindy Mohr, a reader from Arvada. Mohr listed “democracy and good government” as a top concern, with abortion and the economy/cost of living as important issues as well.

e Coloradans who lled out our survey so far make it clear they want politicians to discuss issues like the environment, housing a ordability, immigration, health care and education.

In Walsh, on the southeastern plains, a shortage of health care workers is a driving concern for Rita Hetrick. She runs the long-term care facility in the town of roughly 540 people. Instead of drawing on a local workforce, she relies on pricey sta ng agencies. “We don’t have a

stream of cash that’s just available when you’re a small, rural facility.”

Hetrick told Voter Voices that state and federal regulations exacerbate the problem and it’s something she wants to see politicians tackle.

Many have also written about their concerns for our democracy itself.

“I want candidates to discuss wholesale reform of our country’s and Colorado’s constitution,” wrote Juan Manuel Ramirez Anzures of

Denver. “We need to overhaul them to incorporate reforms like more seats, instant-runo elections, robust publicly nanced elections, and proportional representation.”

We’re also asking how much condence people have in elections, both how they are conducted in Colorado, and around the country. e people responding so far are telling us they have great faith in our state’s election system, but a lot

more doubt about whether the election will be conducted fairly nationwide.

e Voter Voices survey is being conducted by 60 newsrooms statewide from Fort Collins to Pueblo, Salida and Alamosa and from Sterling and Kiowa to Grand Junction, Durango and Nucla.

As Regan Tuttle, owner and editor of the San Miguel Basin Forum, put it: “My community is very remote and rural. ey tend to feel that nobody listens. I felt the survey would give them a chance to speak and feel heard …”

e project is led by the nonpro t Colorado News Collaborative (COLab) and CPR.

e survey will remain open through this year’s election campaigning, as newsrooms continue to record their communities’ priorities and present what we learn to our readers and listeners.

e goal is not only to respond to what Coloradans statewide and locally say matters to them in our election reporting, but also to challenge candidates to respond directly to voter priorities and concerns.

We invite you not just to ll out the Voter Voices survey, but also to pass it on; share the link with others you know whose opinions we should hear. Colorado Community Media and its two dozen newspapers across the Denver are participating.

You can take the survey at: https://modules.wearehearken. com/cpr/embed/11600/share

A ballot drop box sits Feb. 14 in Highlands Ranch outside Douglas County’s parks and trails administration building.

PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD

Founder of Arvada nonprofit speaking in metro area to raise awareness about orphans in South Sudan

Seeds of South Sudan helps refugee children gain education, with the goal of rebuilding their native country

BY JANE REUTER

An Arvada-based nonpro t with board members from throughout the metro area aims to help rebuild the world’s newest — and one of its

poorest — countries. Seeds of South Sudan helps relocate and educate orphans who face an otherwise bleak future, with the intention that the children return to help rebuild their home country.

“Without help from an organization like ours, these children are stuck in a refugee camp,” said Arvada resident Jill Flateland, a Seeds volunteer who sponsors children with her husband Byron. “Education is key for allowing them to actually have a life. We o er them an opportunity to become educated, with the goal of giving back to their home country — to be the seeds of South Sudan.”

Group founder Arok Garang, who was one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, will be speaking about his life’s work at several metro area churches in June. As a young man, the United Nations helped Garang move to Colorado from a refugee camp, where he earned an economics degree from the University of Colorado at Denver. He now lives primarily in Kenya, where he oversees a boarding house in which Seeds’ students live.

Each year, Seeds sponsors several South Sudanese orphans from among thousands at the refugee camp. ey then live in the boarding house and attend school.

Seeds’ sponsors pay $150 a month,

which covers the cost for a student’s education, lodging, food, clothing and medical expenses. In exchange, they can track their student’s progress, and communicate via letters and Zoom.

Conifer resident and Seeds board member Eileen Steeg learned about the organization in 2023 and sponsored two children who were living in Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp with 150,000 other refugees.

“I realized this was the most meaningful opportunity that had crossed my path since I had retired from teaching in 2018,” she said. “Ameri-

SUDAN

cans spend so much money per month on fast food and co ee and for a relatively small amount of $150 a month, I could impact and basically save a life. It was an amazing feeling.

“Some of our kids have gone on to university and are in the process of becoming doctors and lawyers,” she added. “We have one young man who is graduating this December with his medical degree. Just imagine if he had stayed in the camp!”

Seeds of South Sudan is closely a liated with Arvada Covenant Church, where volunteers helped Garang form the nonpro t in 2011. Its board includes volunteers from Conifer, Denver, Littleton, ornton, Westminster and Arvada.

LEARN MORE

Seeds of South Sudan founder Arok Garang will speak about the program he founded at several metro area churches in June. There is no cost to attend.

June 9, 10 a.m. – Montview Presbyterian Church, 1980 Dahlia St., Denver

June 16, 10 a.m. - Arvada Covenant Church, 5555 Ward Road, Arvada

June 23, 10 a.m. – First United Church of Arvada, 7195 Simms St., Arvada

June 30, 10:30 a.m. – St. Andrews United Methodist Church, 9203 S University Blvd., Highlands Ranch

South Sudan, which has been independent from Sudan since 2011, is recovering from decades of civil war. Complicating its recovery, it faces ongoing issues with Sudan

With support from the Arvada-based Seeds of South Sudan, these eight former refugees are currently enrolled at Arnersen’s Boys High School in Kenya.

over oil revenues and land borders, and ghting between government forces and rebel groups. e con icts and disease have separated families and fed a constant wave of misplaced children, many of whom arrive at refugee camps malnourished, traumatized and alone. eir trials don’t end

there; malnutrition and disease are ongoing issues in the Kakuma Refugee Camp, according to Seeds website, and educational and economic opportunities are limited.

“Inside this small city at the edge of the desert, children age into adulthood and hope fades to resignation,” the site says.

“ e bottom line is, they don’t get out of the refugee camp unless they get sponsored,” said Seeds’ board member and Arvada resident Jeri Lou Maus, who also sponsors a child.

rough Seeds, 159 children have received an education or are now attending school in Kenya. Sixtyve have graduated high school and more than 20 are attending college in Kenya. ousands more remain in the refugee camp.

“No matter how many you sponsor, it’s never enough,” board vice president Byron Flateland said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SEEDS OF SOUTH SUDAN

Kakuma Seeds ecoedge into resigget they board Jeri a have now Sixtyschool attending the sponvice

Adaptation and resetting expectations

Change is an inevitable part of life. From personal growth to professional development, we constantly encounter situations that require us to pivot, adapt and course correct. Whether it’s shifting market trends, evolving technologies or unforeseen challenges, the ability to recognize when change is necessary and adjust our approach accordingly is essential for success.

At the core of this ability lies the human mind’s remarkable capacity to perceive change and understand its implications. Our brains are wired to detect patterns, anticipate shifts and respond to new information. is innate cognitive ability allows us to recognize when our current strategies or approaches are no longer effective and when it’s time to pivot. One of the key aspects of navigating change is knowing when to pivot. It requires a willingness to let go of old habits, beliefs or strategies that may no longer serve us. is can be a daunting prospect, as it often involves stepping into the unknown and embracing uncertainty. However, it is precisely this willingness to

WINNING

embrace change that enables us to adapt and thrive in dynamic environments. Course correction is essential when navigating change. It involves making minor adjustments to our trajectory to stay on course towards our goals. Just as a pilot constantly adjusts the plane’s heading to reach its destination, we must be willing to reassess our approach and make necessary tweaks along the way. is requires humility, selfawareness, and a willingness to learn from our mistakes.

Modifying our approach is often necessary when faced with change. What worked in the past may no longer be e ective in the current landscape. erefore, we must be open to experimenting with new strategies, methodologies or techniques to achieve our objectives. is exibility and adaptability are critical for success in today’s rapidly changing world.

However, perhaps the most challenging aspect of navigating change is resetting our expectations. Change often disrupts our preconceived notions, plans or timelines, forcing us to recalibrate our expectations accordingly. is can be a humbling experience, as it requires us to acknowledge that things may not always go as planned and that setbacks and delays are a natural part of the process.

Resetting expectations also involves managing our mindset and emotions. It’s easy to feel discouraged or frustrated when faced with unexpected obstacles or setbacks. However, maintaining a positive attitude and focusing on the opportunities that change presents can help us stay resilient and motivated in the face of adversity.

E ective change management requires clear communication and transparency. Leaders must communicate openly with their teams about the reasons for change, the desired outcomes and the steps required to achieve them. is helps build trust, alignment and buy-in among team members, fostering a culture of collaboration and resilience.

Navigating change requires a combination of exibility, adaptability and resilience. It involves recognizing when change is necessary, pivoting as needed, course correcting along the way and modifying our approach as circumstances evolve. It requires resetting our expectations and managing our mindset and emotions e ectively. By embracing change as an opportunity for growth and learning, we can navigate even the most challenging of circumstances with con dence and resilience.

How have any recent changes in your life reshaped the way that you see yourself changing or growing? I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can embrace and adapt as needed to the changes around us, it really will be a better than good life.

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

Miners Alley shows ‘The Full Monty’

Hearing the name “ e Full Monty” probably conjures up a very speci c set of images for most people. Namely, six men whom you wouldn’t think of as strippers doing just that. And to be honest, it’s not like the story isn’t about that.

But as Nick Sugar, director of the musical version at Miners Alley Performing Arts Center, explains it, stripping is by no means the only thing the show is about.

“ ere are several journeys going on in this show — not just the men, but the women who have been there alongside them the whole time,” he said. “People are going to show up expecting one thing and they’re going to leave saying, ‘I didn’t see that coming.’”

“It really does touch on a lot of social issues in a sneaky way,” added David Nehls, music director. “It

COMING ATTRACTIONS

deals with the way see ourselves as men, homophobia, misogyny and body image.”

“ e Full Monty” runs at Miners Alley, 1100 Miners Alley in Golden, through Sunday, June 2. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. ursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. e show is rated R and recommended for audiences 18-years-old and older.

Based on the 1997 British lm, this musical version has been Americanized and takes place in Bu alo, New York. It follows six unemployed steelworkers who need to make some money fast, so they decide to put on a one-night-only strip

show. e cast includes Rory Pierce, Annie Dwyer, Alejandro Roldan and Kelly Alayne Dwyer.

e show is the rst musical in Miners Alley’s new location and it’s the perfect place for this show, which features live musicians playing all the music written by David Yazbek.

“ ere are live, professional musicians playing what audiences are hearing and these guys work so hard,” Sugar said. “It takes a village to put a production like this on and everyone has come through to gure out how to best do this on the new stage. We just couldn’t do the show with the integrity the script calls for in the old space.”

e musical numbers might be the show-stoppers, but the book, written by Terrence McNally, gives every character a true personality of their own and allows them to grow

as the show unfolds.

“It’s great seeing people come together in adverse situations, which is something we can all relate to now,” Nehls said. “I think the stage show has more heart than the lm.” Get tickets for the musical at https://minersalley.com/shows/ the-full-monty/.

Arvada director hosts Colorado Film Premiere Arvada resident Christopher Fitzpatrick, the director, editor and producer of the independent music documentary “Oklahoma Breakdown,” is hosting the Colorado premiere of the documentary at the Landmark Mayan eatre, 110 N. Broadway in Denver. e event will begin at 6:30 p.m. on ursday, May 16, followed by a concert by Mike

Clarke Reader

Douglas County Garden Club — grow with us!

Whether you are a Master Gardener, a fairly experienced gardener, or want to learn the basics, the Douglas County Garden Club (DCGC) offers education, service opportunities, and fun. Guests are invited to attend monthly meetings and new members are welcome.

e annual DCGC Plant Sale is scheduled for Saturday, June 9 at Festival Park from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetables, house plants, and container gardens will be available for purchase. Funds from this sale will be used for educational programs and community service projects.

e club generally meets the rst Tuesday afternoon each month from 1-3 pm at a location in Douglas County such as the library in Castle Rock, Castle Pines or Parker. Meetings feature a well-quali ed speaker or special activity. Topics have included caring for houseplants, sustainable landscaping, ower show designs, water gardening, composting, and the use of medicinal herbs. ere is time for gardening questions

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Support Calvarese is year’s CD4 election provides a unique opportunity for us to move forward in Congress. With Ken Buck’s resignation, we can gain support in Congress for items important to those of us that live in CD4. ese include:

Support for a tax structure that can provide the funds for infrastructure improvements, a ordable health care that doesn’t bankrupt middleclass families when needs arise, and brings jobs back to the U.S.

Trisha Calvarese will work to bring these bene ts to our district.

and answers.

e club service projects allow members to use gardening skills while contributing to the community. e ower containers outside the Help and Hope Center and the Castle Rock Museum are planted and maintained by the club. Members also work the community garden at Glover Park in Castle Rock and volunteer at the Colorado Agricultural Leadership Foundation (CALF) at Lowell Ranch, south of downtown Castle Rock. Volunteers help maintain the beautiful owers outside AdventHealth Castle Rock.

ere are also social outings called Out and About. ese include garden tours, restaurant and picnic lunches, trips to garden centers, outings to the Denver Botanical Gardens, and more.

Annual dues are $25. Collected funds are used in part to host speakers, support state and national garden clubs, and beautify Douglas County. For additional information and program topics go to www. douglascountygardenclub.org. We dig Douglas County!

We have seen over the past year that allowing politicians to make health care decisions for citizens is intolerable. Trisha understands that abortion is health care, and she will work to bring decisions back to the patient, the doctor, and to those that are close to them.

CD4 depends critically on access to clean water for both farming and our developing communities. Trisha will work tirelessly to ensure we

have access to adequate and clean water.

Finally, we are the rst generation where our grandchildren will not be able to own a home. Home ownership provides most families the funds necessary to live comfortably in retirement. Trisha will work to correct this. Further, she will work to strengthen Social Security and Medicare so they will be there when we need them.

Trisha has the background, Washington experience, and drive to lead CD4 forward and make democracy work for all of us.

John Christensen, Highlands Ranch

Conservatives, consider Calvarese I have been inspired by recent letters describing why it may not make sense to elect a Republican to Congress from Congressional District 4 (Douglas County and the Eastern Plains). One more reason is that

How Cinderella City shaped the modern mall

BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

escribed as a “city under a roof” by devoted amateur historian Josh Goldstein, Cinderella City in Englewood was once one of the largest and most innovative shopping malls in the country.

Created by developer Gerri Von Frellick, Cinderella City opened for business in 1968 and was mostly demolished in 1998. Its history, though short and controversial, helped shape the foundation of the modern mall.

“I think it was well known in the

mall and shopping center industry that Cinderella City was more than a mall, and that was seen by a lot of different people, and who knows how that was taken by generations of urban planners and architects and developers,” said Goldstein, who works as an architectural software engineer.

“ ere were a lot of good and bad things from this mall that we should take as lessons.”

The history

Jack Bu ngton, program director for supply chain management at the University of Denver, said the evolution of American shopping malls began after World War II.

“A highway system was built in the United States and people started moving out in the suburbs and then the rst generation of malls came about, which were strip malls,” Buington said.

In the 1970s and 1980s, a timespan during which Cinderella City was operating, the more traditional style of malls came into the picture.

“Instead of being a strip, it was a single facility, typically cornerstoned by a big department store like JCPenney or something like that,” Bu ngton said.

Goldstein said it took eight years to actually open Cinderella City, as it replaced Englewood’s “beloved city park” and many residents didn’t see a need for a massive shopping center.

Once opened, however, in the rst half of its life, Cinderella City, or “New Englewood,” was a bustling enclosed metropolis.

Divided by color into ve sub-malls so it would be easy to navigate, the space was essentially a rainbow of activity and amenities, some unique to the times, including a large event space, grand fountain, hundreds of

retail shops, o ce space, a massive parking deck and more.

“Cinderella City encapsulated the idea that a mall could be more than a shopping center,” Goldstein said. “It was the biggest mall Von Frellick had built and I think for just a little bit it was the biggest mall in the country, possibly the world.”

Goldstein said the project was also very community-focused as it had outposts of the Englewood Police Department, re department and high school and it featured permanent handprints and busts of locals who helped make the project a reality.

“So it did really well and it did make the splash and impact that was intended,” Goldstein said. “It really made it feel like it was for the community by the community.”

Goldstein said by 1974, the mall accounted for 52% of Englewood’s revenue.

“ ere’s a funnel of stores and activity from Broadway into the shopping center and I think this is when it became evident that they may have created a monster,” Goldstein said.

By the 1980s, despite an attempt at saving the structure that had some minor success, Cinderella City would fall into decay and disrepair due to years of maintenance neglect, competitors and changing times.

Goldstein said the event space was changed, the fountain was removed, retailers began to leave, o ce space was left vacant, the massive parking deck crumbled and crime at the mall increased.

“ ey made a monster,” Goldstein said. “ ey made this thing that was so big and it’s great when you rst build it, but then 10 years down the line, where’s the money going to come from to maintain the repair and replace?”

Bu ngton said in the late 1990s and early 2000s, large stores like Walmart started replacing the traditional mall because it was one store that could o er almost everything at lower prices in a singular location.

In 1998, after discussion and redevelopment plans, Cinderella City was mostly demolished, except for the part that became Englewood’s city hall, and eventually transformed into a transit-oriented development.

Goldstein was driving by with his parents and became interested in the history of the project.

“ ey spoke of it so fondly and I couldn’t quite rationalize the discrepancies between what I was seeing outside the window, which was just absolute destruction and sadness and a big empty hulk where you could see into its innards, and then what they were telling me how amazing, and colorful and fun and enjoyable the mall was in the 1970s,” Goldstein said.

It was Cinderella City that actually inspired Goldstein to go into the architectural software industry.

In 2024, nearly 26 years after its demise, the only structure left standing from Cinderella City is the three-story Englewood Civic Center. Goldstein said this building was a department store attached to the once massive mall.

‘Paradoxically behind the times’

“(Cinderella City) was ahead of its time and it did do good things for the community, but it also in other ways was paradoxically behind the times and did bad things for the community,” Goldstein said.

It cost millions of dollars for the city to demolish the mall and over the years, the area has seen redevelopment but not at the scale of Cinderella City during its heyday, Goldstein said.

“At the time local governments didn’t really know how to handle this, but I think the City of Englewood was faced with a pretty unprecedented situation,” Goldstein said.

Cinderella City was one of the rst

“I think it was a precursor to a lot of other malls that have since fallen,” Goldstein said.

He said Cinderella City wasn’t a sustainable project. It was shaped like an M and had many levels so it could properly t on its property. However, Goldstein said this was an issue for long-term evolution.

“To some degree, Cinderella City wasn’t going to redesign itself out of its own problems because it was inherently a problematic layout and design,” he said.

However, Goldstein said, some aspects of the mall were positive and innovative measures that are seen in modern trends.

e biggest feature was Cinderella City’s Cinder Alley, which was a connection of pathways to various small shops where up-and-coming artists or crafters could sell their goods.

“I think the mixed-use part of it and the community-oriented part of it and the hyper-local part of it are good lessons to take away,” he said. “I am unsurprised that that is a trend and probably always will be a trend, and Cinderella City just happened to get there rst.”

ese days, Bu ngton said malls are all about experience and how to engage consumers.

“If we talk about today, malls are becoming these multipurpose experiential models where there is more of a community,” Bu ngton said.

He explained a big factor into the future of what a mall-type facility looks like now is commercial real estate.  ere are di erent types of real estate including o ce, retail and

industrial, said Bu ngton, who explained that numbers are down for these separately.

“So what a lot of these commercial real estate developers are trying to do is to try to manage these vacancies to make things multipurpose,” Bu ngton said.

Continued impact

Goldstein spent years researching the Cinderella City project and for the last few years has worked to create an immersive digital exhibit featuring the project, which will be in the Englewood Historic Preservation Society’s new museum.  e exhibit will feature a simulation Goldstein has created to pay homage to the project that inspired his career and passion.

“ e simulation is Cinderella City in two di erent eras,” he said. “So, Cinderella City as it appeared in 1968 and the other time period is 1988… You can time travel and you can see what that very same spot looks like 20 years in the future.”

Goldstein said he really wanted to feature the two lives of Cinderella City in both the simulation and the museum exhibit.

As of press deadlines, the museum was slated for a soft opening on May 4.

“(It’s) the life it lived after it was built and the life it lived shortly before it died,” Goldstein said of his simulation.

Bu ngton said technology will inuence how future versions of malls will look for customers.

“ e new model has to be experiential,” Bu ngton said. “It really comes down to innovation.”

PHOTO ON PREVIOUS PAGE: People walking around the Gold Mall in Cinderella City in the early 1970s. The Gold Mall was one of five sub malls that made up the vast structure of Cinderella City.

OF ENGLEWOOD

LIBRARY

A simulated representation of Gold Mall created by architectural software engineer Josh Goldstein. This image is similar to what viewers see when they participate in his simulation of Cinderella City.

COURTESY OF JOSH GOLDSTEIN

Hosty, the lm’s subject, at the Skylark Lounge, 140 S. Broadway. Fitzpatrick will also participate in a Q&A session after the movie. According to provided information, Hosty “is a one-man band freak of nature who also tells jokes.” e lm delves into who the musician is and why he’s content out of the spotlight. It has won numerous lm festival awards since its premiere in 2022.

is should be a fascinating eve-

ning, so buy tickets at www.eventbrite.com.

Moms get the last laugh at Schoolhouse Theater

We’re all in pretty dire need of laughs these days, but moms especially could use a break and some hilarity in their lives. To that end, the Schoolhouse eater, 19650 Mainstreet in Parker, is hosting the Moms Unhinged Standup Comedy Show at 7 p.m. on ursday, May 16. e show will feature sets on a variety of topics, including motherhood, midlife crises, marriage, divorce and online dating. e performers will be Lisa Lane, Ashley N-g, Stacy

How is your retirement income taxed?

Once you’re retired, you will likely need to draw on several sources of income for your living expenses. But do you know how this money is taxed?

For starters, consider Social Security. Whether your bene ts will be taxed depends on how much other taxable income you receive from various sources, such as self-employment, stock dividends and interest payments.

Next, think about your retirement accounts. If you have a traditional IRA and 401(k), your withdrawals will be taxed as ordinary income. But if you chose the Roth option for these accounts, if available, withdrawals are free of federal income taxes, provided you meet certain conditions. Finally, some people supplement their retirement incomes with annuities. When you start taking money from a quali ed annuity, your contributions and earnings are taxable at your individual tax rate. With a non-quali ed, or after-tax, annuity, you won’t be taxed on the amounts you contributed, but earnings will be taxable.

Knowing these general rules governing different income sources can be helpful, but you should contact your tax professional about your speci c situation. The more you know about retirement income taxes, the better you can plan your nancial strategies.

Edward Jones Investments 4185 E Wildcat Reserve Parkway. Suite 301 Highlands Ranch, CO 80126

Phone: (303) 683-2038

Email: Erik.Niemeier@edwardjones.com

Pederson and headliner Janae Burris. is will be a hilarious night for all (yes, men are welcome to attend) as each performer brings their own perspective and humor to the stage. Buy tickets at https://parkerarts. org/.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Gary Clark Jr. at Red Rocks

When Texas’ Gary Clark Jr.  rst arrived on the music scene in the early 2010s, he was heralded as the savior of the blues guitar, a modernday scion of Jimi Hendrix. And while it’s clear that Clark Jr. will always have an a ection for the blues, his latest album, “JPEG Raw,” shows

LETTERS

elected Republicans are abandoning their conservative values. Traditional conservative policies such small government, little regulation, low taxation, strong defense, family values, sexual morality and good character have been replaced by slavish loyalty to Donald Trump. e Republican Party is not going to return to its conservative roots without a resounding defeat to those Republicans who make loyalty to a man more important than loyalty to principles. If you are a true conservative Republican, you can send that message by voting for Trisha Calvarese.

Marilyn Binkley

Highlands Ranch

Salute to public service

Each year the president and Congress designate the rst full week of May as Public Service Recognition Week, and we are pleased to join the Board of Douglas County Commissioners in a resolution recognizing the work of our public servants from May 5-11. Americans are served ev-

how wide-ranging his interests are. ere’s funk, hip-hop, R&B and classic rock all blended together in a heady brew only he could produce. In support of the album, Clark Jr. will be performing at Red Rocks, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway in Morrison, at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 13. He’ll be joined by the absolute powerhouse legend that is Mavis Staples. is promises to be a great night of live music, so get tickets at www.ticketmaster.com.

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

ery single day by public employees at the federal, state, county and city levels. ese servants do the work that keeps our communities thriving. Whether you’re renewing your driver’s license or vehicle registration, applying for a marriage license or passport, or voting or serving in an election — the 100 employees in the Douglas County O ce of Clerk and Recorder take pride in serving our citizens with excellence, integrity, efciency and innovation. In addition to honoring our sta ’s commitment to exemplary government service, we would like to thank the many partners we work with in Douglas County government, our local municipalities, law enforcement agencies, community organizations, fellow Colorado counties, and state and federal agencies. e dedication, support and collaboration between our employees and organizations create successful outcomes for the bene t of all communities. We are truly better together and invite all Coloradans to join us in this celebration of our devoted public servants.

Sheri Davis, Douglas County Clerk and Recorder

Codie Winslow, Chief Deputy Clerk and Recorder

FROM PAGE 15

Thu 5/09

Ty Segall @ 6pm

Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Englewood

Syrup @ 7pm

Herman's Hideaway, 1578 S Broadway, Denver

Fri 5/10

Daniella Katzir Music: Denver

Ukefest 2024 @ 6pm

Swallow Hill Music, 71 E Yale Ave, Denver

Malcolm Todd @ 6pm

Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

Rotating Tap Comedy:

Comedy Night @ Chain Reaction Brewing Company @ 7pm

Chain Reaction Brewing Com‐pany, 902 S Lipan St, Denver

Inspector @ 9pm

Stampede, 2430 S Havana St, Aurora

Sat 5/11

Grant Livingston @ 6pm

Toley’s on the Creek, 16728 E Smoky Hill Rd Suite 11C, Centennial

Electric Whiskey Experiment @ 7pm

Donny Benet @ 8pm

Gothic Theatre, Englewood

Donny Benét @ 8pm

Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

Sun 5/12

Demun Jones Music: Private "Demun Jones' Meet n' Greet @ 4pm

Wild Goose Saloon, Parker

Wed 5/15

Last Train To Juarez: The Englewood Tavern - Englewood, CO w/ Tom McElvain @ 5pm

The Englewood Tavern, 4386 S Broadway, Englewood

Slow Crush @ 6pm

Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

DJ Rockstar Aaron: Forbidden Bingo Wednesdays - 'Bout Time Pub & Grub @ 7pm

Bout Time Pub & Grub, 3580 S Platte River Dr A, Sheridan

Thu 5/16

Making Movies w/Fruta Brutal @ 6pm

Swallow Hill Music, 71 E Yale Ave, Denver

Southall @ 6:30pm

Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

Tom Mcelvain Music: Private Party @ 6pm

Green�elds Pool & Sports Bar, 3355 S Yarrow St E101, Lakewood

Private Party, Castle Rock

Mon 5/13

Crestone Peak Ages 13-14 - 2024

League Session #2 @ 3:30pm / $350 May 13th - Jun 29th

Elevation Volleyball Club, 12987 E Adam Aircraft Drive, Englewood. 720-524-4136

Modern Swing Mondays 2024 @ 6pm / $10

Stampede, Aurora

Tue 5/14

Starving Wolves @ 7pm

Moe's Original BBQ, 3295 S Broadway, Englewood

AVIATIONS: Englewood, CO @ 7pm

Moe's Original BBQ, 3295 S Broadway, Englewood

ers.

Former country musician strikes chords of inclusion

Englewood facility trains people with autism in various trades

BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Tuning his life’s melody to a profoundly personal note, Danny Combs forged a new path after leaving his career as a country musician. He now spends his days teaching autistic individuals and advocating for the autism community.

Inspired by his son, Dylan Combs, who was diagnosed with autism at a young age, Danny owns started Teaching the Autism Community Trades or TACT, an Englewoodbased organization with a mission to provide skills, con dence and opportunities.

“So, TACT speci cally teaches the trades and we use them holistically as transition skills that lead to employment,” Danny said.

He explained a vast majority of the autism community is unemployed.

TACT has an 83% placement rate for its clients. ere are about 20 employees that assist with teaching a myriad of trades at TACT including auto mechanics, carpentry, welding, cyber security and more.

Danny said TACT partners with more than 60 employers to help pair clients with the right jobs. Once clients are hired, TACT continues to

support the clients in their new settings with employment specialists.

Combs is a fourth-generation tradesman but decided instead to initially pursue music.

“ at was really great and I got to do that for over a decade in Nashville working with artists,” Danny said.

Danny said he did everything from studio work, to recording to management and “everything you can imagine.” Additionally he mentioned he worked with professional musicians including Faith Hill and a then-16year-old Taylor Swift.

After Dylan, now 15, was born and diagnosed with autism, Danny said he decided to retire from music and utilize his master’s degree in education to open TACT.

“I started it in 2016 out of a 1958 Chevy because I like cars and it has grown to this incredible facility in Englewood that now serves hundreds of kids every year,” Danny said.

Danny loves making a di erence in the community and helping students.

“It’s incredibly daunting,” Danny said. “A big part of the job is actually educating and advocating that our community exists.”

Danny said he and other educators work to help students learn how to thrive and be their authentic selves rather than telling them to t a certain mold.

“It feels amazing to get to do what we do, but it feels like we’re just getting started,” Danny said. “It feels like there is so much room for growth.

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ere’s a long way to go.”

At the TACT facility, located at 2960 S. Umatilla St. in Englewood’s northwestern industrial area, Danny said the sta creates the work environments that students might nd themselves in after getting a job.

“So, we’re simulating the workforce in a lot of ways that mimics the job,” Danny said. “We’re trying to alleviate anxiety points.”

Additionally, to help students learn more e ciently, Danny said they are in class sizes of six or fewer and their learning environment is very hands-on.

“Everything set up in our space here in Englewood is universal design, meaning that it’s accessible for all,” Danny said.

Examples of universal design include ramps rather than stairs, LED lighting rather than uorescent lighting and other features.

whelming. I don’t think I realized just how special it was.”

He said receiving the medal with his fellow honorees was “really powerful.”

Danny said the work he and his 20 employees do is important because the autism community has “value and so much to o er.”

“It’s wild to believe that there are so many laws in place where in a lot of ways it still feels like it’s 1950 for our community,” Danny said.

For example, Danny said, there are laws in place that limit the number of neurodivergent people that an employer hires; in 37 states subminimum wage is still allowed; and there are laws in place where autistic individuals can lose their government health bene ts if they work too many hours.

“I think the work that we’re doing showcases all of the things that our community can do, and we let that work speak for itself,” Danny said.

When placing clients with employers, Danny said TACT isn’t looking for special treatment or charity but rather making the placement about the “inherent value” of the community.

“ at’s very di erent from what’s been done in the past, and I think our community feels and recognizes that, because it gives them a voice to be their authentic selves and be successful,” Danny said.

TACT is about breaking the stereotype of where autistic individuals typically work.

• Part-time hours

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In January, Danny received a Citizen Honor Award from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society for his work with his clients and TACT. e Medal of Honor Society is composed of veterans who are awarded medals for their acts of heroism. e society also nominates and selects those not in the military through their Citizen Honor Awards in an e ort to recognize those who serve their communities in other ways.

“ ey pick ve individuals a year, hand-chosen by the recipients,” Danny said. “Honestly I thought I was being messed with when they rst called me and told me I had been nominated … When I found out that I won it was really over-

“Traditionally what happens for our kids when they’re looking for jobs is they get told ‘Oh, OK, do you want to work at the grocery store or do you want to fold napkins in a restaurant?,” Danny said. “And if that’s what they choose, God bless them. Let’s help them do that, but if they want to do something di erent they should have that same equality of opportunity.”

Danny said TACT recently merged with Fedcap, a New York-based workforce development education program company.

e merger with Fedcap will help TACT expand across Colorado and to other states.

“It’s very exciting to think an Englewood, local Colorado company, is making an impact that’s being seen around the country,” Danny said.

For more information on TACT visit www.buildwithtact.org

Danny Combs receives a Citizen Honor Award from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society in Washington for his work with members of the autism community.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANNY COMBS

How harmonica helps a lung transplant recipient

BY HALEY LENA

HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A weekly gathering of harmonica players is more than just music for Dean Hutto. It’s a reminder he was given a second chance at life.

Nearly 10 years ago, Hutto, 64 and a Highlands Ranch resident, received a double lung transplant at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital.

“ at was something that was pretty shocking,’ said Hutto.

A respiratory therapist recommended he join the group, the Harmonicats, at the hospital as part of his recovery. A music lover, Hutto gave it a try.

e group is made up of those who have gone through pulmonary rehabilitation for lung complications. ey exercise their lungs every Tues-

day and the gathering has also become a support group.

“Every person that’s in the group appreciates the fact that it’s kind of a brother, sisterhood,” Hutto said.

Originally hosted by a retired respiratory therapist, Hutto has led the group since the pandemic.

“ e gift that I received is just absolutely incredible,” said Hutto. He is also a Donor Alliance advocate volunteer.

In 2010, Hutto tore his achilles while playing softball. During rehabilitation, Hutto’s therapists noticed he was having di culty breathing. ey suggested he see a doctor.

Hutto didn’t think much of it and thought it was spring allergies and visited his allergist, who told him to get a chest x-ray. His doctor later called and said, “I don’t like what I see.”

A biopsy revealed he had Interstitial Lung Disease.

“ at’s where the fast journey started,” said Hutto.

Interstitial Lung Disease is an umbrella term for a large group of diseases that cause scarring, also known as brosis, of the lungs and in turn, cause sti ness in the lungs, making it harder to breath and get oxygen into the bloodstream, according to the American Lung Association.

Often, by the time symptoms appear, lung damage is already substantial and people can develop life threatening complications.

In 2012, the day before anksgiving, he included something else to be thankful for, he was added to the transplant list.

e University of Colorado’s Hospital’s organ transplant team per-

formed 40 lung transplants in all of 2022.

Hutto’s recovery began with 102 staples in his chest and says it’s “an ongoing process” with a daily medication regime.

“You’re trading one big problem out for a lot of little ones,” said Hutto.

Despite the challenges, Hutto says he enjoys sharing his story and hopes to bring awareness to what the nonpro t Donor Alliance does.

Donor Alliance facilitates organ and tissue donation for transplantation in Colorado and most of Wyoming. Nearly 1,300 people are currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant and thousands of others are waiting for a tissue transplant.

Last year, more than 300 donors across Colorado and Wyoming pro-

Dean Hutto stands with his wife. Hutto, a Highlands Ranch resident, has become a Donor Alliance advocate volunteer after he received a double lung transplant in 2014. Hutto is celebrating his 10th anniversary in September 2024 and encourages others to register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor.

COURTESY OF HEATHER BURKE

vided more than 900 organ transplants and about 1,700 tissue donors provided more than 100,000 tissue grafts, Heather Burke, spokesperson for Donor Alliance, said.

Anyone can register to be an organ, eye or tissue donor when they say “yes” the next time they obtain or renew their driver license/state ID. People can also register at DonateLifeColorado.org.

“When you get the little heart with the “y” on your driver’s license, it has a very big impact because one person can save up to eight lives

through organ donation and save and heal up to 75 lives through tissue donation,” said Burke. “It’s really powerful and we always encourage people to discuss their decision with their family.”

Although National Donate a Life Month was in April, Hutto continues to celebrate the gift he received, encouraging others to register and cel-

ebrate the donors and their families. Hutto doesn’t know his donor family but wants them to know they have made a big impact on his and his family’s lives.

“ ings I’ve been able to see that I know I would not have been able to be here for,” said Hutto. “My grandson being born last February and two of my boys getting married.”

MARC VARGAS

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PARKER’S FAVORITE WEEKEND!

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SUNDAY, JUNE 16

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Friday, June 14 presented by 8:00 pm – 10:30 pm: Kory Brunson Band

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Food, Beverage & Ride Tickets may be purchased at Festival Ticket Booths.

CORE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE Community Stage – Entertainment ALL Day supported by Allegro Music ®