Lone Tree Voice 071422 by Colorado Community Media

Week of July 14, 2022

FREE

DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

LoneTreeVoice.net

INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 14 | LIFE: PAGE 16 | CALENDAR: PAGE 19 | SPORTS: PAGE 24

Homeless camping ban policies differ widely across Denver metro area Other laws can affect where unhoused people may be forced to move BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The sight of a person pushing a shopping cart full of belongings, begging for money on major streets or sleeping outdoors is common in many places around the Denver metro area, and the laws that dictate where unhoused people can’t rest differ across the many cities and towns in the region. At least several jurisdictions have no formal camping ban on the books, and Aurora’s new camping ban, which could push people into other areas, illustrates the complexity of laws that affect the unhoused: Whether a person gets moved doesn’t just come down to whether a city has a formal ban or not. Meanwhile, several cities in the Denver suburbs continue to take steps to address homelessness while SEE HOMELESS, P9

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A former Ponderosa High School assistant principal is suing the

Douglas County looks toward general election Three countywide races will be contested BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Court on July 1. The suit details an email exchange about the play, called “The Laramie Project,” between Ponderosa’s theater director, who warned about the content of the play and offered to answer questions, and staff. “Due to language and content discussed in the show (there is no violence shown, only discussed) this

As the final steps for the primary election process draw to a close, Douglas County residents are preparing for the general election in November. In countywide races, there will be contested elections in the races for clerk and recorder, sheriff and one commissioner seat. The elections for assessor, coroner, surveyor and treasurer are uncontested. In the race for sheriff, Darren Weekly declared victory in the Republican primary against three other candidates. In November he will be up against Libertarian Darren Hill and possibly Michael Phibbs, an unaffiliated candidate. As an unaffiliated candidate, Phibbs will need to file a nomination petition by July 14 and will receive a notice of sufficiency from the clerk by Aug. 4. The county’s next clerk and recorder will be either Republican Sheri Davis or Democrat Karen Jefferson. Davis won the Republican primary against Kory Nelson by about an 8-point margin. Commissioner Abe Laydon, a

SEE LAWSUIT, P4

SEE ELECTION, P4

Finn Todalen, left, and Danielle Schneider sit with a dog in late March at an encampment near the Aurora-Centennial border. Several tents and other encampment materiPHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD als lie in the area.

Former Douglas County assistant principal sues district, claiming religious bias ‘The Laramie Project’ spurred educator to send email

VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 21

Douglas County School District, alleging he was fired for expressing his Christian beliefs. Corey McNellis, a Ponderosa employee from 2007 to 2020, claims school officials terminated him after he objected to the school’s theater company planning to put on a play about the aftermath of the murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming, according to a lawsuit filed in the United States District

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2 Lone Tree Voice

July 14, 2022

Briefly In Lone Tree Celebrating Sweetwater Park On July 9, the City of Lone Tree was proud to join Douglas County. Douglas County School District, and South Suburban Parks and Recreation for the dedication of 31 acres of land at Sweetwater Park from Douglas County to South Suburban Parks & Recreation. This will preserve the dedicated open space for Lone Tree residents and visitors to enjoy for years to come. After a year of negotiations, the school district agreed to sell both Sweetwater and Toepfer Park, in Highlands Ranch, to the county. The county plans to keep the property as open space. Trash truck collides with garage When a trash truck hit a residential garage in Castle Pines North, South Metro Fire Rescue firefighters were quick to size up the situation on July 9. With a little creativity, some doubleT support construction, and a lot of sweat, the crews were able to safely shore up the home. There were no reports of injuries. The investigation will be handled by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

Congratulations to fire Capt. Steve Alley On July 9, South Metro Fire Rescue celebrated Capt. Steve Alley in his last shift ceremony at Firehouse 46 in Parker. Alley has worked as a firefighter for 35 years, with 18 of those being with the South Metro community.

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Wine Revelry Weekend! Free Wine Tasting & The Legendary Grape Stomp!

Farm to table brunch Nothing says summer like a freshly picked peach ... baked into a warm cobbler. Join Douglas County from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, July 31, for a farm to table brunch – and peach cobbler – at your Douglas County Fair & Rodeo. Enjoy a chef-crafted meal sourced from the fields of Colorado farmers featuring seasonal and local ingredients. Prepared by award-winning and former Food Network chef David Pitula. Meet local farmers. Enjoy live music. Features include an interactive experience for young children. Tickets on sale now. To learn more about this sensory experience for the entire family, including menu details, visit : https://bit.ly/3RDohv1.

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Safe disposal for hazardous chemicals Residents wanting to get rid of chemicals, oils or other toxic household products in the home now have an option for safe disposal. The Douglas County Health Department is offering residents safe removal of household hazardous waste right from your doorstep all year long. In place of a one-time annual event, the Douglas County Health Department is partnering with Waste Management to provide Douglas County residents with a low-cost service for household hazardous waste removal year-round. This direct service is available to Douglas County residents for $30. Get details by calling 1-800-449-7587 or going to https://www.douglas. co.us/safe-cleanup-is-at-your-curbside/

Free mulch program in Douglas County Weekend yard work ahead? Residents can drop off any tree limbs, shrubs or brush that needs to be disposed of for free on Saturdays. Douglas County’s slash-mulch site is open to residents every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1400 Caprice Drive in Castle Rock. For more information, visit the website at https://bit. ly/3PcnwXO.

Lone Tree Voice 3

July 14, 2022

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4 Lone Tree Voice

July 14, 2022

LAWSUIT FROM PAGE 1

July 29 - Aug. 7 The 2022 Douglas County Fair & Rodeo kicks off July 30 with the Fair and Rodeo Parade in downtown Castle Rock at 9:30 a.m. It’s time for some old-fashioned family fun at the Douglas County Fair & Rodeo. Buy your tickets today! Visit Discovery Ranch and become a farmer for the day! Join in the stick-horse rodeo or pie-eating contest. Enjoy live music, classic fair food, and new attractions including a farm to table brunch and axe throwing. For more information, a schedule of events, or to purchase tickets online, visit FairandRodeoFun.com or call 720-733-6941.

E-recycling: Saturday, July 16 Douglas County residents may dispose of unwanted electronics free of charge at Techno Rescue, 3251 Lewiston St. in Aurora, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and occasional Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Proof of residency is required. For a list of acceptable items, Saturday drop-off dates and more, visit douglas.co.us and search Electronics Recycling

is not a family-friendly show,” the email from theater director Kayla Diaz said. “This is a play about perspectives, and we would not want anyone in the school to believe we are making a statement against anything other than hate and violence.” Shepard, who was gay, was tortured and left to die outside Laramie in October 1998. The Tectonic Theater Project, creators of the “The Laramie Project,” says the goal of the play is to examine “the immediate reactions of Matt Shepard’s community to the murder and to the underlying bigotry and hatred that enabled it.” The work consists of interviews with citizens of Laramie, both connected to Shepard’s death and not. McNellis says in his lawsuit that he responded to the email asking if he had any recourse should he disagree with the production and later, offering to give a Christian perspective. The lawsuit calls “The Laramie Project” a “religiously charged” play that includes interviews with “Christian leaders, some of whom share unsavory opinions regarding Shepard’s murder, and cite their Christian faith as the reason for their views.” McNellis claims that shortly after the email exchange, he was

ELECTION FROM PAGE 1

Skip the trip - motor vehicle services just a click away Renew your driver license or motor vehicle registration and more from the convenience of your smartphone, tablet, desktop or laptop. You can also renew vehicle registrations at MVExpress kiosks. Find information at DouglasDrives.com

Interested in becoming a foster parent or adopting a child? Information nights are free and open to anyone interested in learning about foster care and adoption. Join via Zoom July 25 from 6-7:30 p.m. For more information call 303-636-1KID or register online at collaborativefostercare.com and select Information Meeting.

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Resource & Service Fair Tuesday, July 26 4 - 6 p.m. Southeast Christian Church 9650 Jordan Road Parker

Douglas County families who are struggling financially can receive back-to-school items for the kids, a hot meal and access resources from more than 20 different organizations. Attendees in need of school supplies must preregister at https://tinyurl.com/29xcccpk For more information visit douglas.co.us and search for Strive to Thrive.

Visit douglas.co.us

Republican, will be defending his current seat against Democrat Kari Solberg. There will also be retention votes for county court judges Kolony Fields and Lawrence Bowling. In Colorado, county judges are appointed by the governor and then come up for retention votes. The judges don’t compete with each other, instead, voters mark if they want the justice to remain in office for another term. County courts handle things like civil cases of less than $15,000, misdemeanor crimes, restraining orders and search warrants. The state’s judicial performance evaluation site,

placed on leave and, ultimately, fired. The suit alleges that Danny Winsor, the district’s executive director of schools for the Parker region, told McNellis he was placed on leave for his “religious comments” and that the email exchange was the basis of McNellis’ termination. “Defendants’ decision to place Mr. McNellis on leave was in retaliation to Mr. McNellis’ decision to express his views under the First Amendment regarding his Christian belief,” the suit says. Spencer Kontnik, McNellis’ attorney, has not responded to questions from Colorado Community Media about the lawsuit. A further investigation resulted in a teacher complaint that McNellis was part of a “good ole boys club” and uncovered an email McNellis sent, “as a parent,” complaining about Ponderosa’s communication on COVID-19 protocols. The suit alleges these details were a “pretext” to terminate McNellis based on his religious views. To address the allegations, McNellis is requesting a jury trial. “Douglas County School District has received the complaint and is reviewing it,” the district said in a statement. “The District respects the rights of its employees to freely exercise a religion of their choosing, or not, and has policies in place that prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion.” KnowYourJudge.com, provides information about judge’s characteristics, such as fairness, diligence and communications. The site also gives a recommendation from their judicial district on if they meet their standards. Dave Gill, the incumbent Treasurer, is running uncontested for his seat. Raeann Brown is also running uncontested in the election to replace Jill Romann as coroner. Toby Damish, another sole candidate, will be the next assessor. Darrell Roberts is the sole candidate running for surveyor. The county is also considering putting an extension of the open space tax onto the ballot and the school district is planning to ask for two potential ballot questions on a bond and/or a mill levy override to fund the district. Election day is Nov. 8.

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Lone Tree Voice 5

July 14, 2022

Unaffiliated voters cast most-ever ballots in GOP primaries In some counties, unaffiliated voters cast more than half of the ballots BY JESSE PAUL AND MARVIS GUTIERREZ THE COLORADO SUN

Unaffiliated voters in Colorado, who make up 45% of the state’s electorate, have been able to cast ballots in partisan primaries for three election cycles. But they have never voted in a Republican primary as they did in 2022. More than 231,000 unaffiliated voters cast Republican primary ballots this year, about 100,000 more than chose to vote in the GOP primary in 2020 and 130,000 more than voted in the 2018 GOP primary. Ben Engen, a conservative political strategist, said the script flipped this year from 2018. Engen said that could be an indication that unaffiliated voters are leaning toward GOP candidates heading into November. “We all know how Republicans fared among unaffiliated voters and in the elections of 2018,” he said. Ian Silverii, a Democratic political strategist whose wife, state Sen. Brittany Pettersen, is running in the 7th Congressional District, disagrees with Engen’s analysis. Silverii points out there were no contested statewide Democratic primaries this year, while there were fierce battles for the Republican nominations for U.S. Senate, governor and secretary of state. Simply put, the GOP primaries were more competitive, and that could be why so many more unaffiliated voters decided to cast Republican primary ballots this year. “There’s no evidence at all that primary votes with an uncontested Democratic ballot and an almost completely contested Republican ballot will have any bearing on the general election whatsoever,” he said. The number of unaffiliated ballots cast for Republicans is expected to rise as more ballots are processed in the coming days. There were about 40,000 unaffiliated ballots across the state that still had to be tabulated as of Friday morning, according to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office. Meanwhile, it looks like 2022 may be the year with the lowest number of Democratic primary ballots cast by unaffiliated voters. Only about 161,000 unaffiliated voters’ ballots processed through Friday morning were cast in the Democratic primary. The previous low was in 2018, the first year unaffiliated voters could cast ballots in partisan primaries, when 179,742 voted Democratic ballots. In some counties, unaffiliated voters cast more than half of all GOP primary ballots Unaffiliated voters were the deciding factor in some counties’ GOP primaries, accounting for

more than half of all the Republican primary votes cast. San Miguel County, for instance, had the highest percentage of Republican primary ballots cast by unaffiliated voters, at 70%. Of the 1,191 GOP primary votes cast this year in the county, 836 were cast by unaffiliated voters. Ouray County came in second at 60% of the GOP primary votes being cast by unaffiliated voters, while Pitkin and Gunnison counties weren’t far behind, at 59% each.. All of those counties are in the 3rd Congressional District, where there was a loosely organized effort to get Democrats to switch their voter affiliation to unaffiliated to cast ballots in the Republican primary for state Sen. Don Coram as part of an unsuccessful effort to block U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert from winning a second term. In Denver, a liberal stronghold,48% of all the Republican ballots cast were cast by unaffiliated voters. Even Boulder County, considered the most reliably Democratic part of Colorado, saw a large portion of its unaffiliated voter electorate — 44% — cast ballots in the Republican primaries. Turnout was uneven in congressional districts A total of 1,204,528 ballots were cast in this year’s primaries, resulting in a 32% turnout among active, registered voters. The congressional primary this year with the largest number of ballots cast was the Republican contest in the 3rd Congressional District. More than 128,000 ballots were cast in the race in which Boebert easily fended off Coram. The 4th District GOP contest came in second, with more than 120,000 ballots cast. In that race, U.S. Rep. Ken Buck secured a big victory over Bob Lewis, an Elbert County real estate broker. Interestingly enough, the Republican primary with the fewest ballots cast was in the new, highly competitive 8th Congressional District. Roughly 57,000 ballots were cast in that race. The 8th District isn’t a ruby red district like the 3rd and the 4th districts, so there were fewer Republicans voting in the primary race. The Colorado Sun has heard from some voters in the 8th District who were unaware they live in a new battleground. The district also has the fewest number of registered voters of all eight congressional districts in Colorado. The low number is further indication that the 8th District general election race will likely hinge on turnout. There is expect to be a very big voter registration and get-outthe-vote push in the district over the summer and in the fall. This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

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July 14, 2022

Douglas County School District open meetings appeal denied Judge’s order stands BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A judge has denied the Douglas County School Board’s request to reconsider or clarify an order that prohibits the board from having serial meetings to avoid Colorado Open Meeting Law requirements. On July 6, Douglas County District Court Judge Jeffrey Holmes wrote the court “does not find that there is a manifest error of fact or law that mandates a different result or other circumstances that result in manifest injustice warranting a change in the court’s order.” In March, Holmes ordered in a preliminary injunction that the board not discuss public business or take formal action outside of public meetings. The injunction came in response to a complaint filed by Robert Marshall, alleging school board members took action to fire former superintendent Corey Wise outside of public meetings, violating open meeting law. Following the injunction, the school board switched counsel to Gessler Blue and attorney Geoffrey Blue filed a motion April 25 asking the judge to either clarify his preliminary injunction or withdraw it entirely. Blue’s motion contended the judge misapplied the law by issuing a preliminary injunction but also that his order was overly broad and

too vague for directors to reasonably follow. Blue argued the order prohibits any one-on-one meetings about district business among board directors. A request for a comment from Blue was not immediately returned. Steve Zansberg, the attorney representing Marshall, said the decision was expected. “It summarily denied the motion in a single sentence,” Zansberg said. “It wasn’t particularly surprising.” Holmes also denied a motion filed early in the case to dismiss Marshall’s lawsuit, writing the board’s reasons for seeking dismissal were unclear and the court had jurisdiction to decide the lawsuit. The basis of the lawsuit stems from allegations that Douglas County School Board Directors Mike Peterson, Christy Williams, Kaylee Winegar and Becky Myers broke Colorado’s Sunshine Laws by holding a chain of private, one-onone meetings to plan the removal of former Superintendent Corey Wise. Peterson and Williams eventually met with Wise in a private meeting at a Parker coffee shop to ask that he step down. If he did not, a board majority was prepared to terminate him, they told Wise during the Jan. 28 meeting. Minority directors David Ray, Susan Meek and Elizabeth Hanson held a special public meeting Jan. 31 and alleged the ultimatum made

School Board President Mike Peterson, in a statement, said the allegation will not FILE PHOTO halt board efforts.

to Wise broke Sunshine Laws because they saw it as formal action taken outside a public meeting. The three did not know about the meeting between Peterson, Williams and

Wise until after it took place. Wise was later fired without cause in a public meeting. Wise has since filed his own lawsuit against the school district.

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Lone Tree Voice 7

July 14, 2022

Colorado will not cooperate with other states’ abortion investigations Polis issues executive order BY SANDRA FISH THE COLORADO SUN

Gov. Jared Polis.

PHOTO BY LUKE ZARZECKI

Gov. Jared Polis signed an executive order on June 6 saying Colorado will protect people who seek abortions and those who provide them, including those in or from other states. The order says the state won’t assist in criminal or civil actions in other states aimed at preventing women from getting access to abortion. It also instructs the Department of Regulatory Affairs to protect anyone with a Colorado professional license from discipline for providing or seeking reproductive health care in any state. “We are taking needed action to protect and defend individual freedom and protect the privacy of Coloradans,” Polis, a Democrat running for reelection, said in a statement. “This important step will ensure that Colorado’s thriving economy and workforce are not impacted based on personal health decisions that are wrongly being criminalized in other states.” The order comes nearly two weeks after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion in 1973. Earlier this year, Polis signed a bill protecting reproductive

health, including access to abortion and various forms of birth control, in the state. But the June 6 order is a reaction to numerous states that are threatening to prosecute women who cross state lines to get an abortion, as many have done in recent months. At least six states have total bans on abortion, while others in the process of implementing bans via “trigger laws” that take effect within a specified time after court action overturning Roe. Colorado abortion rights groups expect the state to see an influx of people seeking abortions. Democratic lawmakers praised the governor’s action. “I appreciate Gov. Polis’ executive order to protect patients and providers, because with abortion access now in jeopardy, or outright banned, in too many Republican-controlled states across the country, this is a crucial time in which we all must do everything that we can to defend these fundamental rights,” said state Sen. Julie Gonzales, a Denver Democrat. This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

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8 Lone Tree Voice

July 14, 2022

Denver-area law enforcement reports ‘largest fentanyl seizure’ on any U.S. highway 114 pounds of dangerous drug found in vehicle BY ROBERT TANN RTANN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM In what was described as “the largest fentanyl seizure on any U.S. highway” during a July 6 news conference, Denver-area law enforcement officials reported 114 pounds of fentanyl powder was found last month in the back of a vehicle on Interstate 70 traveling towards Denver. It marks one of the largest fentanyl busts in Colorado, which has seen a spike in deaths from fentanyl overdoses in recent years. According to the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, more than 900 people in Colorado died of fentanyl overdoses last year. In 2020, 540 people died. “In my 31 years of law enforcement, I have never seen anything like the current drug crisis and how it is adversely affecting our communities,” said Brian Besser, special agent in charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Denver Field Division. Denver itself is “in the line of fire” for fentanyl distribution, said Besser, because of its geographic location that makes it a “crossroads of the West.” “The I-70 and I-25 corridors

District Attorney John Kellner, left, speaks during a July 6 news conference. PHOTO BY ROBERT TANN

are where deadly drugs head north and east and money heads south,” Besser said. John Kellner, district attorney for the 18th Judicial District, said a separate seizure that led to about 200,000 fentanyl pills being recovered along with 9.4 pounds of heroin, a kilogram of cocaine and four guns was the result of an investigation that spanned nearly half a year. Beginning with knowledge of “a single purchase” of fentanyl in December 2021, Kellner said his office conducted an investigation using wiretapping and eventually, in May, indicted eight people believed to be involved with major drug traf-

ficking. Kellner said fentanyl is showing up more and more in illicit drugs like cocaine, heroin and MDMA. An extremely deadly substance, fentanyl is believed to be 50 to 100 times more potent than heroin or morphine, according to the CDC, with a lethal dose being about 2 to 3 milligrams. Colorado lawmakers have made addressing fentanyl a key legislative priority, with Gov. Jared Polis signing a major “accountability and prevention” bill in early May. The law, which went into effect July 1, seeks to crack down on buyers and sellers by making

possession of more than 1 gram of the drug — or any substance containing it — a felony. The bill also sponsors recovery and harm reduction efforts, with $10 million for treatment centers for people to detox in and $600,000 set aside for testing strips. Kellner called testing “part of addressing the crisis” but said the results are not always reliable. “I’d hate to have somebody rely on that and find out that it’s fentanyl and learn it the hard way, lose a life,” Kellner said. “Fentanyl has made its way into practically every narcotic on the street.” Harm reduction advocates have said investments in treatment and recovery are essential to addressing the fentanyl crisis and, during the accountability bill’s crafting, told lawmakers they feared harsher punishments for users would exacerbate addiction and suffering. The DA’s office has a diversion program that allows some people charged with drug possession to connect with rehabilitation treatments that — if deemed successful — could see their cases dismissed. According to 18th Judicial District spokesperson Eric Ross, 104 cases have been referred to the program, with 28 successfully completed, though Ross said he does not have data on “failures versus those that are still in process.”

Denver DEA office loses suspect in touted fentanyl bust along interstate BY ROBERT TANN RTANN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Denver office allowed a 26-year-old driver who was transporting 114 pounds of fentanyl powder toward Denver to continue

driving after they seized the deadly drug. Officials later lost the suspect, who remains at large, according to an arrest warrant for the driver that was first reported by the Denver Gazette. David Alejandro Maldonado had initially agreed to work with

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law enforcement after Colorado State Patrol stopped him for weaving through traffic just east of the Eisenhower Tunnel on I-70 on June 18. State troopers found 114 pounds of fentanyl, packed in 48 one-kilo packages, hidden in two compartments underneath the seats, according to the Gazette. It was dubbed the the “largest fentanyl seizure on any U.S. highway” by Brian Besser, special agent in charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Denver Field Division, during a July 6 press conference. Besser told reporters during the conference that law enforcement was “not asleep at the wheel” when combating the fentanyl crisis that led to 900 people dead in Colorado last year. But he did not mention that the alleged driver was allowed to continue his trip following the seizure, or that he managed to evade law enforcement. According to the Gazette, after Maldonado agreed to cooperate with the DEA investigation, he was released by authorities to continue his drive — with a tracker on his car and without the fentanyl — in order to lead law enforcement to the believed kingpins of the criminal organization in South Bend, Indiana.

In a statement to the Gazette, the DEA said Maldonado “was offered the opportunity to work with the DEA to further the investigation. Subsequently after agreeing, he changed his mind and was able to (elude) law enforcement. He is now considered a fugitive.” Clear Creek County District Judge Cynthia Jones signed an arrest warrant June 21, according to the Gazette, and Maldonado is wanted on $250,000 bond for two class 1 drug felonies involving unlawful distribution, sale and possession of a narcotic and for importing that substance into Colorado. Besser, along with 18th Judicial District Attorney John Kellner, used the July 6 press conference to hail the recent efforts of both their departments to address fentanyl’s continued presence in Colorado. Kellner’s office completed a nearly 6-month-long investigation, which began in December 2021 with knowledge of “a single purchase” of fentanyl and ended with the indictments of eight people in May. The investigation recovered about 200,000 fentanyl pills being recovered along with 9.4 pounds of heroin, a kilogram of cocaine and four guns, Kellner said.

Lone Tree Voice 9

July 14, 2022

HOMELESS FROM PAGE 1

a pattern of increasing homelessness in the Denver metro area continues. “Camping bans do absolutely nothing to resolve homelessness,” said Cathy Alderman, spokesperson for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. “They may eliminate the visibility of homelessness for a period of time, but they certainly don’t help people get out of the situation of homelessness.” Some cities make an effort to connect unhoused people with services that can help them, but whether a city extends that hand alongside potential law enforcement can be unclear. Here’s a look at camping ban policies across many parts of the metro area — and what some cities are doing to help the unhoused. Enforcement in Aurora unclear After the Aurora City Council passed the city’s camping ban ordinance March 28, questions have remained about whether people in camps would always be connected with services in tandem with enforcement of the ban. “There must be a shelter option available for every individual in the camp on the date of an abatement or the abatement of the camp cannot take place,” says an Aurora policy document, using a term for the removal of camps. The May 19 Aurora policy document, called a “business policy memorandum,” also outlines the city’s homelessness outreach team can offer transportation for people who want shelter. But Aurora’s process of contacting a person at an encampment — involving providing verbal notice and a written notice that camping is not permitted — could cause some people to immediately move due to fear of police enforcement, meaning they could be gone before outreach workers can arrive or provide services. The city is not required to do anything to ensure people don’t move from a camp before city staff or the city’s homeless outreach team can arrive and provide resources, including transportation to a shelter, Ryan Luby, an Aurora spokesperson, confirmed to Colorado Community Media. The city is not required to inform campers that they can remain at the encampment for up to 10 days until the day of abatement, Luby said. But in practice, Luby said, community partners offer transportation to resources and shelter “well before an abatement occurs.” “Staff and community partners provide campers with information about shelter options and other resources from the outset,” Luby said. “That is the expectation.” Non-police city staff are “almost exclusively” the ones who enforce the camping ban ordinance, according to Luby. The way Aurora’s camping ban is written appears to leave open the possibility that police can give a verbal “move on” order to tell campers to leave, regardless of whether the city plans to “abate” — meaning “clean and restore” — a

camp area. But in practice, Aurora police and other city staff do not give “verbal or written orders” for people to move from encampments without offering them shelter space, according to Luby. “Staff’s priority is to connect people in encampments with community partner resources and sheltering options,” Luby said. If the city has offered a person a shelter space and the person refuses to go to the shelter option or move to another area, the person could see legal consequences. People who have experienced homelessness told Colorado Community Media in recent years they’ve had concerns that led them to avoid shelters, including worries about safety or being separated from a companion. The advocacy group Denver Homeless Out Loud has also expressed those concerns. “If someone in an encampment refuses to move after they have been given a verbal or written order to leave an encampment in accordance with policies and the ordinance, they could face a citation or arrest. To date, that has not occurred,” Luby said in early July. Shelter space at the Comitis Crisis Center and other shelters in Aurora are usually full, Michael Brannen, another Aurora spokesperson, said in March. Aurora’s new camping ordinance has garnered much attention, but it wasn’t the start of Aurora removing homeless encampments on public property. Aurora had enacted a policy memorandum in September that outlined when the city can remove encampments on public property based on existing law at the time. The policy memo was written last summer, when a previously proposed camping ban ordinance did not pass a city council vote in August. Under the policy memo, Aurora had already been able to abate unauthorized camps as long as there was a shelter option for all the individuals in each camp. Denver in 2012 banned staying in an outdoor place with a tent, sleeping bag or other shelter, a policy that advocates for the homeless have said may be pushing more homeless individuals into the suburbs. Alderman in March pointed to what she called “the unproductiveness of having competing camping bans between cities,” arguing that camping bans will push people back and forth across city and county lines. Adams County areas Part of Aurora sits in Adams County, not far from several other suburbs with their own varying rules. Northglenn City Council in 2013 passed a camping ban that applies to public property, such as streets, alleys, sidewalks, park or other recreation areas, or other public property. Northglenn’s camping ban outlined that police officers can’t issue a citation, or ticket, or make an arrest unless the person has been given a warning order and the officer “attempts to ascertain” whether the person is in need of mental SEE HOMELESS, P10

Tents and other materials sit in an open field March 1 near the Aurora-Centennial PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD border.

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10 Lone Tree Voice

HOMELESS FROM PAGE 9

health treatment or homelessness service assistance. If so, the officer must make “reasonable efforts” to contact an outreach worker who will assess the person’s needs. Asked whether Northglenn police are instructed to always wait until a worker, or “co-responder,” has spoken with the person before issuing a ticket or arresting the person for camping, Northglenn spokesperson Diana Wilson said they are not. “All staff, whether coresponder or police officer or another department, respond as is appropriate to the situation,” Wilson said. But she said in practice, a coresponder generally will respond to the camper. “Due to Northglenn’s creative approach with the (city’s) temporary housing program, we have been able to offer a place to go when letting the person know they cannot be camping outside,” Wilson said. Nearby, Thornton doesn’t have a camping ban ordinance, but its city code says: “No tents or any other types of shelters or structures shall be erected upon any park, parkway, city-owned open space or recreation facility,” except as part of a city-approved activity. But Thornton Police Department “does not write many summonses” for the tents ordinance, according to the city. “We have officers who … serve on the Thornton HOT (Homeless Outreach Team) Team that work to get resources to those experiencing homelessness,” Officer Jesus Mendez said through a city spokesperson. To the east, Commerce City does not have an overall camping ban ordinance but may be looking into issuing one. “The topic was discussed at the April 18 city council meeting this year, and staff was directed to explore an ordinance for our council to consider,” Travis Huntington, city spokesperson, said in early July. “Staff is currently researching language and regulations from other municipalities, but no proposed ordinance has been drafted or brought to the city council as of yet.”

July 14, 2022 Up north, Brighton bans camping in open space and parks. But its city code also prohibits maintaining any structure, encroachment or “obstruction of whatever nature” on any public property, right-of-way, sidewalks, parks and other public places. Asked how the city code provisions affect people who are sitting or lying along rights-of-way or other public property, the city provided a statement from the Brighton Police Department that said: “Generally speaking, our approach to violations of these sections would be handled initially by trying to achieve voluntary compliance, issuing a warning and connecting them with available resources to address the contributing factors.” Westminster does not have a camping ban, according to spokesperson Andy Le. A large portion of Adams County immediately north of Denver is “unincorporated,” meaning it is not within a city or town. Adams County does not have a camping ban in unincorporated areas, according to county spokesperson Christa Bruning. But the county does have regulations prohibiting obstruction of the public rights-of-way, such as the street, sidewalks or alleys. “This includes all obstructions — trees, bushes, basketball hoops, large landscaping boulders, etc. — and is not specific to people experiencing homelessness,” Bruning added. Adams County prohibits all camping in its park areas, Bruning said. Arapahoe County areas In Arapahoe County, Centennial’s law bans camping on cityowned roads, sidewalks, trails, parks and city buildings or other city property. The ban also applies to property overseen by the Southeast Metro Stormwater Authority — often called SEMSWA — which generally manages waterways in Centennial. That includes creeks, streams and other drainage areas. Many park and open space areas in Centennial aren’t city property and still operate under their own rules. An ordinance banning camping

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in the City of Sheridan was passed in 2012, according to Arlene Sagee, Sheridan city clerk. Englewood doesn’t have a camping ban for public property in general, but the city’s parks and open space rules say overnight camping is prohibited in all parks and areas that are designated for park usage. That includes parking vehicles, trailers or campers used for overnight parking. Parks are closed between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Littleton has no specific “nocamping code,” but that city enforces certain codes — meaning laws or regulations — to the same effect on public property, city spokesperson Kelli Narde said in an April statement. But if a person is lying or sleeping with a blanket or a backpack in a park area, they generally wouldn’t be breaking Littleton city code until the park closes at night, Littleton City Attorney Reid Betzing confirmed in April. Aside from a rule about countymanaged open spaces, Arapahoe County does not have a camping ban that applies to all types of public property in unincorporated areas in general, said Luc Hatlestad, county spokesperson. For open spaces managed by Arapahoe County, a resolution approved in 1996 by the county commissioners says it is unlawful to camp or park a trailer or camper for camping purposes in areas that are not specifically designated for camping. “We do not have any specific ordinances about sidewalks and alleyways, of which there are relatively few in the unincorporated areas,” Hatlestad said. Jefferson County areas Lakewood does not have a citywide camping ban, but other city policies can still affect the unhoused. “Rather than a camping ban, Lakewood has an ordinance addressing obstructing sidewalks, building entrances and similar locations used for public access. The city also has other ordinances that address other issues or behaviors such as trespassing,” said Stacie Oulton, city spokesperson. Camping is prohibited in all areas of parks except for designated locations such as Bear Creek Lake Park’s campground, which also requires a park entrance fee and a camping permit, Oulton added. In Golden, a city ordinance outlined that it is unlawful for any person to camp, sleep overnight, “or in conjunction with such activities, place any tent or construct any type of living quarters or structure upon any property owned by the city.” Golden also has a city ordinance that prohibits obstructing a roadway, sidewalk, waterway or other passageway. But “it is the practice of the Golden Police Department to use discretion when responding to calls for service regarding camping,” said Emily Gedeon, city spokesperson. “Specifically, Golden police will most often not cite an individual and instead seek voluntary compliance and provide education on the ordinances in the city and direct them to the nearest resources.” Wheat Ridge uses a similar ap-

proach with its city codes. A person who is sitting, lying or sleeping on a sidewalk or alley with their belongings or with a blanket, tent, tarp or other shelter would be violating city code, said Joanna Small, city spokesperson. Similarly, a person who is sitting, lying or sleeping on any type of public property — such as, for example, a waterway or storm drainageway — in the same way would also be violating the city code, Small said. “Although we may eventually issue citations to people who repeatedly violate these ordinances, we are always willing to work with people first,” Small said. “We have both a coresponder — mental health professional who can come out with our officers and determine if they are in need of some kind of mental health services — and the city also has a housing navigator who can connect them with housing options. Issuing a citation is a last resort.” Douglas County areas Parker approved a camping ban in June 2018. Overnight camping on public property is not allowed in the City of Lone Tree, according to the city’s website. The Highlands Ranch Metro District is a type of government body called a special district — not a municipality — and is located in unincorporated Douglas County, and thus has different authority than a city would. A rule related to parks and open space says camping is prohibited without a permit. That rule was added in 2018, according to Sherry Eppers, metro district spokesperson. The rule applies to all Highlands Ranch Metro District-owned property — that includes parks, open space, parking lots, parkways and property surrounding office buildings, Eppers said. Castle Rock’s town code says: “It shall be unlawful to camp overnight in any recreation area, except in areas which are designated for camping.” Similar to other municipalities, the town’s code also says: “It is unlawful for any person to obstruct in any manner any sidewalk, public highway, street or alley in the Town.” Regarding the town’s limited camping ban, town spokesperson Melissa Hoelting said, “The town is not currently issuing citations under the provision because of continuing legal concerns.” She added, “Castle Rock is aware of the current legal climate and the various lawsuits filed against other Front Range municipalities regarding the enforcement of criminal laws against those individuals in our communities who are experiencing homelessness … the Community Partnership Unit of our police department reaches out, when feasible, to these individuals to help ensure their safety by connecting them to available resources in our community.” Spokespersons for Douglas and Jefferson counties did not provide comment by press time regarding policy in unincorporated areas. Arvada and the Town of Morrison also didn’t respond for comment by press time about their policies.

Lone Tree Voice 11

July 14, 2022

Heat waves make unhoused people especially vulnerable BY KYLE COOKE ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

Coloradans will experience some intense heat in July, with highs in the Denver area likely hitting the triple digits. Temperatures are expected to approach record highs for this time of year, and local meteorologists say people should “prepare for one of the hottest (and longest) stretches [of heat] in recent Front Range memory.” While intense heat poses a risk to anyone who is unprepared, such weather is especially dangerous and life threatening to individuals in vulnerable situations, like those struggling with homelessness. “Hot temperatures lead to dehydration, and dehydration exacerbates everything,” said Benjamin Dunning. Dunning is the historian and one of the original cofounders for Denver Homeless Out Loud, an advocacy group for people experiencing homelessness. “The effects [of excessive heat] typically exacerbate things that would normally be minor in a person’s life that they manage, healthwise, and would turn them into points of crisis,” Dunning said.

As PBS NewsHour recently reported, heat-related deaths in the United States hit an all-time high in 2021, and this year is expected to be worse in terms of high temperatures. Scientists recently confirmed that climate change is causing more extreme heat waves, like last year’s brutal heat wave in the Northwest that is believed to have killed hundreds of people. In the United States, heat contributes to roughly 1,500 deaths per year, and the Associated Press reports that advocates believe about half of those individuals are unhoused. The problem is only getting worse, with exposure to extreme heat tripling over the last three decades. Just last month, a cyclist died in Grand Junction after running out of water on a day where temperatures reached 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Dunning said in the Denver area, local governments and individuals can take basic steps to help protect people experiencing homelessness during heat waves. “How we can respond as a community — number one is water,” Dunning said. “The next thing is people’s access to shade, covered places. If it’s blazing hot outside, be okay with some-

one sitting in an air conditioned coffee shop for a few hours to beat the heat.” Denverite recently reported that nearly half of the city’s water fountains are not working. Dunning said the City and County of Denver could set up cooling stations that provide water, shade and a place to rest. In the winter, Denver opens warming stations during especially cold weather. But during extreme heat, the city encourages unhoused people to use rec centers and libraries during business hours to cool off. Dunning added one of the ways in which the city “abuses our homeless” is through sweeps — when city officials remove unsanctioned encampments — which Dunning said are more harmful during hightemperature days. “The sweeps happen in the early morning hours, which are the best sleeping hours because it’s still cool [outside] for people to rest,” Dunning explained. “And by displacing them during that time of day … you wind up affecting people’s sleep cycles, which much like dehydration affects all other kinds of things.” The City and County Denver provides the follow-

ing tips for dealing with extreme heat: • Stay inside in air-conditioned buildings as much as possible. Air conditioning is the number one way to protect yourself against heat-related illness. If your home is not air-conditioned, visit one of Denver’s cooling stations • Drink more water than usual and don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink • Fans will not prevent heat-related illness in extreme heat, instead take cool showers or baths to cool down • Don’t use the stove or oven to cook—it will make you and your house hotter • Don’t drink alcohol or beverages that contain caffeine • Limit your outdoor activity, especially during the middle of the day when the sun is hottest Below, you can find resources on ways to help. Volunteer opportunities If you are unable to donate money to organizations, you can find many ways to help by volunteering your time. Other than the organizations listed above, you can also seek out mutual aid groups in your area. Mutual aid is community-driven support

for those who need it, with the goal to uplift and help one another in the face of systems that are not meeting the needs of the people. • Mutual Aid Monday (Denver) - mutualaidmonday.wixsite.com/mutualaid-monday • Foothills Mutual Aid Collective (Fort Collins/ Northern Colorado) https://twitter.com/aidfoothills Resources for those experiencing homelessness If you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness, here is a collection of resource lists with details on where you can get assistance. • Denver Voice - Resource List - https://www.denvervoice.org/resource-list • Colorado Coalition for the Homeless - Get Help - coloradocoalition.org/ gethelp • Denver Rescue Mission Get Help - denverrescuemission.org/get-help/

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

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12 Lone Tree Voice

July 14, 2022

State missed out on $2.8 million of revenue at campsites Audit reveals mismanagement in Colorado Parks and Wildlife BY WILL TAYLOR COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO

Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s alleged mismanagement of campsite reservations last year cost $2.8 million in lost potential revenue, according to a state audit. CPW is a branch of the Department of Natural Resources and is tasked with balancing conservation with the recreational needs of the state. The organization oversees more than 4,200 campsites across Colorado. According to the audit, CPW collected $14.7 million in revenue from campsite reservations in 2021, but could have collected $2.8 million more if it weren’t for unnecessary site closures, refunds, and sub-standard fee charges. The audit states that funding shortfalls for parks could reach $11 million annually by 2025 unless changes are made. The revenue lost last year at campsites would make up more than a quarter of the annual funding shortfalls. This has led to an increase to state park entrance fees as well as in-state hunting and fishing licenses. Other notable findings in the audit include:

• 136,517 reservations were booked for sub-standard nightly fees. This led to a loss in over $835,000. A lack of documentation made it impossible for auditors to determine if the price reductions were legitimate. Regional managers are able to approve a park’s request to reduce reservation fees up to 50 percent to encourage occupancy and increase use. • Thirty-six percent of campsites were closed for at least one day between January 1 and September 7. These site closures could have brought in up to $1.9 million in additional revenue. Park managers said that campsites can be closed so that they can be used by CPW staff and park volunteers while they are working. Some managers said that there is a risk that closed campsites are misused to benefit friends and family of park staff. • CPW refunded about $12,500 for canceled reservations for reasons that did not require a refund. CPW did not limit staff’s discretion when entering refunds, and a lack of documentation meant that the legitimacy of over 850 additional refunds could not be determined. Based on their findings, auditors made six recommendations for CPW going forward. These include better documentation for why sites have been closed, more training for staff using the reservation system and an increase in monitoring of reservation data to identify risk of fraud or abuse. CPW agreed with all six recom-

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mendations made in the audit. The agency declined an interview but said in an email that the organization is working to implement the recommendations made in the audit. They said site closures are an important tool for park management, but they acknowledged the organization needs better “processes and procedures to document

and approve campsite closures for a clearly defined reason.” CPW plans to start implementing changes based on the audit’s findings this December. This story is from Colorado Public Radio, a nonprofit news source. Used by permission. For more, and to support CPR News, visit cpr.org.

Visitors line up at Rocky Mountain National Park’s Fall River Entrance Station, near HART VAN DENBURG/CPR NEWS Estes Park, on July 21, 2021.

Colorado’s national parks saw record revenue in 2021 BY TONY GORMAN COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO

National parks in Colorado had a record year in revenue last year. In a report released by the National Park Service, 7.8 million visitors spent an estimated $560 million while visiting national parks in Colorado in 2021. Those numbers broke the previous mark of $515 million set in 2019. The expenditures from the revenue funded 7,570 jobs in the state, according to the report. Visitors spent the most of their money on lodging, restaurants, and gas. Lodging brought in $188 million which accounted for 33.5 percent of revenue earned. Restaurants took in $109 million, and $58.7 million was

spent on gas. Rocky Mountain National Park brought in the most visitors and revenue among national parks lands Colorado in 2021 with 4.4 million visitors spending $323 million. That supported 4,420 jobs. Mesa Verde National Park on the Western Slope brought in the second highest revenue at $62 million. And in Southern Colorado, Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve brought in the most revenue in the region with $41.3 million from 603,000 visitors. This story is from Colorado Public Radio, a nonprofit news source. Used by permission. For more, and to support CPR News, visit cpr.org.

Lone Tree Voice 13

July 14, 2022

Centennial blood drive helps address critical shortage Vitalant sees 12% decline in new donors over this past year BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

After second grade teacher Katie Bolger, a 34-year-old Centennial resident, read an article about a critical need for blood donations and learned there would be a community blood drive July 1, she felt it was important to show up. “There’s always a need,” Bolger said about blood donations. “You never know, you know, when you or a family member might be in need of blood.” About 10 years ago, Bolger’s sisterin-law fell asleep at the wheel and drove off the road. The seatbelt severed her arm. Thankfully, a trauma nurse was in the car behind her and was able to provide assistance until help arrived. “She lost a lot of blood, and she almost died,” Bolger said. “But luckily, people had donated.” The community blood drive was hosted by Centennial store Curate: A Local Mercantile, which helps sell the products of local artisan and boutique vendors. The shop partnered with Vitalant, a national nonprofit that hosts about 60,000 blood drives annually, to host the blood drive in a Vitalant bloodmobile parked near the shop, located at

8242 S. University Blvd. “We wanted to do something for the community. We’re always looking for events that draw people together,” said store owner Karli Millspaugh. “This was sort of a natural extension of just ways for people to give back, especially given the blood shortage right now.” Vitalant announced a critical blood shortage in a June 14 news release. In April and May, Vitalant collected about 13,000 fewer blood donations compared to the year prior, the organization said. “Right now, we’re at half of the desired four-day supply of every blood type,” said Brooke Way, the communications manager of Vitalant. “We just need more people coming in regularly.” Patients need blood transfusions for a variety of reasons, Way said. For example, some people with rare blood disorders need regular transfusions of red blood cells. Cancer patients may rely on platelet donations for chemotherapy treatment. Some burn victims require plasma donations. Recently, there have been fewer blood drives, in part, due to COVID-19 limitations and people traveling during the summer, Way said. Vitalant is also facing a staffing shortage, resulting in fewer blood drives because there aren’t enough staff to work them. “We want to avoid a critical shortage at all costs, because we want to make sure patients get what they need when they need it,” Way said.

She doesn’t want doctors to have to decide whether or not they can give a patient what they need due to a limited supply of blood, she said. Karli Millspaugh’s husband, Brent Millspaugh, was among the 22 people who signed up to donate blood. When he posted on social media about the upcoming blood drive, one of his former high school classmates responded and said he had to have a blood transfusion at one point and thanked Brent Millspaugh for helping. “You don’t realize how many people actually need that,” Brent Millspaugh said. “I’m happy to do it.” Centennial resident Sally Leibbrandt, 62, tries to donate blood every eight weeks, she said. She found out about the blood drive while searching on Vitalant’s website for nearby blood drives. “There’s a need for blood continually and especially during COVID,” she said. “I just feel like it’s the easiest thing I can do to help.” After completing their appointment, donors could grab a complimentary bag filled with products from the store. Vitalant is also offering rewards to donors, such as a $5 prepaid gift card to those who donate between July 10-20 and a chance to win one of three, $3,000 prepaid gift cards. The rewards aim to attract more donors, especially given that over the past year, Vitalant has seen a 12% decline in new donors, Way said, calling it a worrisome trend.

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14 Lone Tree Voice

LOCAL

July 14, 2022

VOICES

A transparent truth

ith the primaries over, the general election races will now come into view, and I am very interested to see how some of the ballot measures finish. I am particularly interested in ballot measures concerning taxes. FROM THE After serving as editor for more than six months and writing for Colorado EDITOR Community Media for Douglas County before that — it is interesting how the cycle works. Towns, cities and school districts need more tax dollars, and we live in a state where the voters have to agree to pay them. However, the problem in getting the measures passed is that some entities want to become transparent once it is Thelma Grimes campaign season, rather than just being open and available all the time. When it comes to community newspapers like those owned by Colorado Community Media, our reporters do not just show up when fireworks are going off. They do not just write a story because it garnered the attention of daily newspapers or television media. Nope, we are the reporters who are there for every meeting. We are the ones reading the agendas and getting to the bottom of things even if there is no drama. However, we are also the ones who can’t seem to get comments or interviews with specific community leaders and elected officials. Here is an example — I would not say Douglas County School District’s board and some staff are exactly open to meeting with our reporters. Take President Mike Peterson — we are regularly ignored or told no to interviews. Yet, you are the one who swore to lead the board, which includes answering to the public. Our office gets regular calls asking why we only present one side of the story when it comes to the school district. The answer is always the same — those you want to hear from are not accessible to the reporters who cover them the most. In all fairness, the new superintendent has been welcoming and agreeable to interviews so far. But, with all respect, she is not the elected one. Now, you are going to be asking taxpayers to say yes to giving you more money. Well — if you want that money — I would advise a lot more transparency and availability. For those thinking our newspapers do not matter — Let me tell you, the Q&As we ran on the Republican candidates running for sheriff were the most read for nearly a month. That was even true among readers in neighboring Arapahoe County. The people want to hear from the elected officials, and they want to have the information regularly not just when money is at stake. In Littleton and, for that matter, most of Arapahoe County, elected officials are mostly accessible. School officials are accessible. What are the results? Well, the Littleton Public Schools district passed their tax measures. Transparency with the public and media should never be about doing it only when it is convenient. Mayors, council members, commissioners, police chiefs, fire chiefs, public information officers, city managers and school board members should make it a part of their jobs to communicate regularly with the public and reporters who get the stories out week in and week out. Thelma Grimes is the south metro editor for Colorado Community Media.

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he was considered one the greatest leaders in business. She received praises for all of the work she did in helping to build the people personally WINNING and professionally in the company and how she WORDS set standards that were perfectly communicated. Her ability to set expectations, inspect what she expected, and hold people accountable was never heavy-handed with many in the company sharing how much they respected Michael Norton her, trusted her, and would remain loyal to the organization because of her. Over time her reputation grew and people from all over the world were looking to be a part of her company. And the more talented and committed people joined the organization, they in turn attracted others who would join as well. The company grew, expanding into many new regions around the globe. With a leadership style that encouraged an entrepreneurial spirit while recognizing and rewarding personal contributions and performance, her following continued to grow larger and faster than anyone in the company expected. It was awesome as each department and team knew they had her total support, they invited her into their

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meetings, and one of the things the people loved most about her was that she gave everyone the freedom and autonomy to make daily decisions, trusting they would do what was best for the team, the company, and the community. If people did make mistakes, she always offered grace and forgiveness, explaining how to fix the situation or move forward on the best path possible and forgetting the sins of the past. As a leader, her ability to give people second, third, fourth and fifth chances became legendary. As the company grew, meeting with tremendous success, the competition started working hard to take away their market share. They went after her employees and customers and did so in a very underhanded way. They offered promises they could not deliver, and yet some employees and customers started falling for the empty promises. As others started following those exiting, they believed the grass was greener on the other side and couldn’t resist the temptation leaving as well. As a leader she remained unfazed, although she was heartbroken each time someone left, she maintained her integrity and stood firmly on the principles she established. She showed each person in her care just how much she loved them. Additionally, when someone did leave, she would do everything she could do to

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Lone Tree Voice 15

July 14, 2022

NORTON FROM PAGE 14

bring them back to the company. Although heartbroken if they did not return, she let them know that the door would be open when they are ready to return. Things began to deteriorate each day. People started to take her love and kindness as a sign of weakness or not needed. They began rebelling against the standards and values that

she had established. Teams even stopped inviting her into meetings and decisions. They also stopped communicating with her, ignoring her emails, and never listening to voicemail messages. Certain managers did whatever they could to keep her words of hope and encouragement out of their communications. Although she never stopped being the most loving and awesome leader that ever lived, eventually the company went under because too many people abandoned her, feeling like they could do

anything on their own. As we look around at our world and ask ourselves why hostility exists, why so much division, why fear has replaced hope, and why we are so broken, it’s because we have kicked God out of our families, schools, communities and businesses. Yet we wonder why the tragedies are happening while still asking, “Where is God in all of this?” God is right where we left him, and He is waiting for us to come back to Him. And I believe that when we do, we will start to live with-

out fear, replace anger with compassion, have less division and more unity, and find a way to love and respect one another. I would love to hear your thoughts at mnorton@xinnix. com and when we can answer the question who we trust with, “In God we trust,” it really will be a better than good life.

red county. We have GOP county commissioners and a GOP sheriff. Weekly has been employed by DCSO for many years. So, those facts raise two straightforward questions. Firstly, the GOP has been in charge of local DougCo law enforcement and county government, for a long time. Law enforcement against crime is a local jurisdiction responsibility. If party politics is the answer, what’s keeping the current set of elected officials from fixing the crime problem? Secondly, given his long tenure in the department, why hasn’t Darren Weekly used his formal influence to make the changes he now suggests, particularly putting more boots on the ground? After all, he’s had more than 20 years at DCSO. Truth be told, effective local law enforcement is not determined by party politics. We either have technically competent leadership in DCSO, or we don’t. We either have a healthy and accountable leadership culture, or we don’t. Crime is up in DougCo. It’s time to shake things up at DCSO. It’s about the man, not about his party. Lloyd Guthrie Roxborough

Her comments that she “bawled with her children” who are afraid that they will “be sacrificed or be put in prison” if something goes wrong with a future pregnancy is astounding to me, as is her comment that “Americans with uteruses have fewer rights than a firearm.” How have we gotten to the point in our civilization that the “right” to end the life of your unborn child, which occurs 100% of the time in an abortion, is seen as such an integral part of our society? We rightly worry about the increase in violence with shootings

in 2022 America, but perhaps the lack of protection afforded to the most vulnerable of our society, the unborn, plays a role in decreasing the value of human life across the board. Now is the time to have true discussions, without the hyperbolic rhetoric, of how to provide for women who find themselves in situations where in the past an abortion would be the automatic response. Let’s come together as a society and demonstrate that we truly value life, in all of its forms. Mark Sanders Highlands Ranch

Michael Norton is the grateful president of XINNIX, a personal and professional coach, and a consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator to businesses of all sizes.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Some courage at last Regarding the June 30 article “Commissioners pivot on homeless approach”: I have been very discouraged by attitudes so prevalent in Douglas County … loss of a sense of shared humanity, and an increase in a sense of entitlement and self-absorption. Commissioner Teal has been a disappointment to me, but at that June 22 meeting, Mr. Teal (and perhaps Mr. Laydon) at last expressed some courage, humility and humanity. Courage is absent in the Republican Party, except for two women. Maybe they should run for president and vice president. Is there hope for our county and country? Mary Coleman Parker Daniels Park idea is off-base I want to take this opportunity to sincerely commend Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and fully support his communication to the Douglas County Commissioners, Abe Laydon and George Teal, that the purchase of Daniels Park by Douglas County is “not up for discussion” (Lora Thomas voted against the measure). The fact of the matter that the commissioners felt a need to purchase the park just because the Denver City Council wishes to keep citizens safe and not allow guns to be carried in parks reflects very poor decision-making skills of the commissioners, particularly considering all the mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, Uvalde, Texas, and now Highland Park, Illinois. The poor decision-making is also an egregious display of how the Douglas County commissioners sorely lack money management skills. The money should and must be used for much bigger issues that Douglas County is facing including aiding the homeless. Mayor Hancock is correct in that ownership of Daniels Park must remain with Denver who can better manage the park while keeping it safe for those of us who frequently visit. Kevin B. Frey Castle Rock Weekly deflects accountability In his recent half-page campaign ad, Darren Weekly blames Democrats for the increased crime rates in Douglas County. Weekly also offers his plan for more patrol boots on the street by realigning resources. Douglas County is politically a

Candidates put property over life You have to stand for something or you will fall for anything. Lyrics to a song by a country music singer, Aaron Tippin. After the Fourth of July mass shooting in Illinois, I pulled up the Q&A of the candidates for Dougco sheriff to determine their “actual” views on Colorado’s red flag law to determine if this law would have prevented any one of the recent mass shootings. They all put private property, aka guns, God and the constitution ahead of the safety of the citizens of our county. Only one candidate, Darren Weekly, came close to an honest answer dealing with mental health and guns. Those other candidates are the people Aaron Tippin sang about. I can guarantee if I showed up at a Douglas County church one Sunday morning, with a chain saw, I would be arrested, my property confiscated and I would be placed on a mental health hold without due process. Roy Legg Highlands Ranch Stop hyperbole over Roe I was amazed at the hyperbole of Linda Newell’s guest column in the July 7, 2022 Highlands Ranch Herald regarding the reversal of Roe vs. Wade.

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16 Lone Tree Voice

July 14, 2022

LIFE

Volunteers and researchers study one species’ response to a warming climate. The results might surprise you.

n a nice July day, you might find Jennifer Zedalis up in the Alpine, with her 16-year-old daughter Sophie. Zedalis is lucky because she has a teenager who likes to wake up early — a necessity when you’re hiking above tree line in the Colorado summers prone to thunder and lightning. But the two aren’t storm searching or taking photographs or even out for a hike. Instead, they’re volunteers on a mission, looking for pika on behalf of a community science initiative studying the small mammal species. Zedalis and her daughter are volunteers with the Colorado Pika Project, an initiative founded in 2010 in response to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declining to list the American pika as an endangered species. The project is just one entity helping to research this tiny, temperaturesensitive Alpine mammal and trying to understand the species’ outlook in a rapidly changing climate. For creature lovers, pikas may hold value on the basis of their “unrelentingly cute” looks alone. But on a more consequential note, researchers say pikas act as an indicator species and hold clues to the health of our alpine ecosystems and even the water resources we depend on. The bad news? Pika are disappearing from parts of the western U.S. landscape. Temperature changes due to climate change likely play a major role but perhaps not in the way you might think. Volunteering in the Alpine For those unfamiliar, American pikas are small, territorial, herbivorous mammals that most often live in the high Alpine on the rocky, mountainous steppes above tree line. The species finds its range throughout many western U.S. states as well as parts of Brit-

BY RYAN ERNSTES SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

ish Columbia and Alberta. These tiny creatures are most closely related to rabbits and hares and are covered head to toe in the same rich, insulating fur. Unlike their cousins, they have small, rounded ears and weigh in around just 4.5 to 7.1 ounces — somewhere between one-quarter and less than half of a pound. If you’ve ever hiked to high elevation and heard a high-pitched squeak, it’s likely you encroached into the territory of one of these feisty mammals, ready to sound the alarm of an intruder. Back when the Colorado Pika Project first began, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service claimed there was insufficient evidence regarding how climate change would affect the species. So the Denver Zoo and the nonprofit Rocky Mountain Wild teamed up to start the project, which now sends some 150 volunteers out in the field each year to collect data about these miniscule mammals. With the help of volunteers like the Zedalis duo, the Colorado Pika Project conducts surveys at nearly 100 locations each summer, primarily in Rocky Mountain National Park and the White River National Forest. A typical survey takes around an hour, during which volunteers use both auditory and visual clues to figure out whether pikas are inhabiting an area. Zedalis, who has been volunteering with the project since 2019, recalls a particularly memorable surveying experience back in the summer of 2020. Outside of Eagle, she and her daughter hiked to two survey locations on

twin peaks referred to as New York High and New York Low, names referencing the elevation. “It’s absolutely beautiful up there — Alpine scenery with fantastic views,” Zedalis said. On New York High, the pair didn’t see much. But on New York Low, Zedalis estimates they saw 15 pikas. Even when pikas aren’t spotted, surveyors can use clues to understand if pikas used to inhabit the area. And there’s one clue in particular that really sticks around: scat. In extreme cases, “there is scat that has been found that’s over 100 years old,” said Alex Wells, co-director of the Colorado Pika Project. “But generally volunteers might find scat that is a decade or two old.” Volunteers with the project tend to take part for one of two reasons. “The entire group really does like hiking, and some people just enjoy being able to hike with a purpose,” Wells said. “Other folks are really explicitly concerned about climate change,” and working with us “is kind of a way to feel like you’re doing something.”

Why are the pikas disappearing? Depending on the survey location, the Colorado Pika Project now holds between three to 10 years worth of data on pikas but project leaders aren’t yet ready to draw conclusions about the results of their findings. However, veteran scientific researchers outside of the project can lend insight into how pikas are faring in today’s climate. One such researcher is Dr. Chris Ray, a population biologist with the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado Boulder. Ray has been researching pikas for over 30 years. One of her primary goals is to better understand the pika’s response to a changing climate. To do so, Ray spends several weeks each summer in the Alpine, trapping pikas, administering anesthesia and taking measurements before releasing the individuals back into their territories. She and her students used to capture around 48 pikas each summer, SEE FREEZING, P17

Lone Tree Voice 17

July 14, 2022

Volunteers gather in the Alpine for a training for the Colorado Pika Project.

FREEZING FROM PAGE 16

but in recent years have averaged closer to 24 to 36. She has seen the pikas disappearing firsthand. To theorize why, it’s important to have some base knowledge about the species. Foremost, pikas require a cool habitat. Because of their thick fur, they prefer to live in microclimates that maintain a temperature near freezing for most of the year. They lack any kind of typical cooling mechanism, like panting or heat radiation through the ears, and can die if exposed to heat for even a couple of hours. Those who know a little about pikas might be inclined to guess that as the climate warms, the temperatures are rising too high, killing off populations at lower elevations and shrinking their viable habitat to only the very tops of mountains. But Ray’s research indicates the truth is a little more complicated. In fact, pikas don’t always live at high elevation. The American pika also can be found in the lava fields of New Mexico and at sea level in the Columbia River Gorge. Outside of Colorado, pikas also live in the mountains of the Great Basin, southern Utah and northeastern California. What all pika habitats have in common, however, is access to subsurface microclimates. That is, pikas can live well below the surface, underneath piles

of broken rock or in subsurface lava tubes. What’s significant about these habitats is they help pikas maintain viable temperataures year-round. Even in the summer, Ray says its likely pikas can get deep enough below the surface to reach temperatures near freezing. The rock piles act as a kind of chimney, letting hot air rise out the top and pooling cool air in the depths below. In colder climates, these same talus piles keep pikas warm in the winter. Where snow blankets the talus, it insulates the pikas from winter air temperatures that can fall far below freezing, and keeps the talus at a steady temperature near zero degrees. But as with much of the environment, climate change may be throwing pika habitat for a loop. In the Great Basin, California and Utah, snowpack is steadily declining, and some pikas may be losing their insulating snow blanket. Without sufficient snow, pikas can die of the cold. So in these regions, Ray said it’s likely the cold winter temperatures explain pika disappearances a little better than the warm summer temperatures. “The irony is that pikas may be freezing to death due to global warming,” she said. However, in regions like Colorado, where the annual snowpack is remaining more stable — or in landscapes without cold winters — summer temperatures could explain more of the story. Here, Ray has witnessed a decline in juvenile recruitment,

PHOTO BY KRISI ODOM

which means fewer juveniles are born each year, or fewer are surviving to adulthood. One theory is that as young pikas leave their mothers to find their own territory, they could be perishing in the heat as they are forced to travel through a hotter and hotter landscape. Once pikas disappear from a region, it’s tough for them to come back. As non-migratory animals that may live their entire lives in the same 12-meter radius, they can’t simply cross a valley and repopulate a once inhabited mountain range. “We’ve seen the loss of whole populations” in the Great Basin, Ray said. “Once they’re empty, we haven’t seen them be recolonized.” Beyond the pika — why it matters Most ecologists would likely argue that studying pikas is important in its own right — that the balance of an entire ecosystem can be thrown off with the disappearance of just a single species. But even beyond this, pikas have important implications for the wider climate and society. First and foremost, Ray and Wells advocate that pikas can act as an indicator species for the health of our western water resources. After all, we rely on the same winter snowpack as pikas for drinking, living, and recreating. In late summer, the same permafrost that lies under stacks of talus melts and replenishes our reservoirs. With the current trajectory of

the planet’s warming, it’s not so hard to imagine a world where this isn’t the case. “Once we have no permafrost left, we won’t have any of that anymore,” Ray said. “It’s a catastrophe for us.” In a similar vein, Wells calls pikas “a canary in the coal mines,” warning of present and future ecological damage, foreboding the effects that could have on our lifestyles, recreation and economy. But he speculates that for some, pikas hold a more emotional significance too. Himself a Colorado native, Wells grew up hearing the squeak of the pikas in the mountains. “For a lot of folks, pikas are really tied to the image of Colorado,” he said. “I think if pikas disappeared, that’s a little part of Colorado’s soul that is lost.” With the environmental, economic and emotional significance of this species’ survival in mind, Wells turns toward next steps for the Colorado Pika Project. They hope to start working with the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service to turn the data they’re collecting into management action. While he acknowledges that research is valuable, Wells now seems to be seeking a more tangible impact — one that is action oriented. With a sense of duty and gravity, he said, “We’re really trying to figure out how to take action to help protect pikas, instead of just being the ones who get to watch them die.”

18 Lone Tree Voice

July 14, 2022 The Kory Brunson Band is coming to Centennial Center Park for a free concert on the evening of July 22. COURTESY PHOTO

Evening of free music coming to park

he Kory Brunson Band, sponsored by the Arapahoe Libraries and the City of Centennial, will play from 6 to 8 p.m. on July 22 at Centennial Center Park, 13050 E. Peakview Ave., Centennial. Country and rock. Food trucks will be on-site. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. No pets please. Admission free. Could be delayed or canceled due to inclement weather. 303-LIBRARY. Musicians share stories Also from Arapahoe Libraries: Musical legends Lou Marini and Steve Gadd will share stories at Koelbel Library, 5955 S. Holly St., Centennial from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on July 19. They have played with Aerosmith, Paul Simon, Rolling Stones and Aretha Franklin and will be town to play with James Taylor at Fiddler’s Green. Renaissance Festival The Colorado Renaissance Festival is open on Saturdays and Sundays through Aug. 7 at 650 Perry Park Ave., Larkspur, from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Admission charged, free park-

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ing. See coloradorenaissance.com.

Marking 150 years The J.D. Hill Building in downtown Littleton will be honored with a 150th birthday party at 2 p.m. on July 30, hosted by Historic Littleton Inc. The Sonya Ellingboe building’s current occupants are Littleton Flower Shop and Pongo Lifestyle at 5728 and 5738 S. Rapp St. Center for Visual Art “Collective Nouns” is open at the Center for Visual Art, 965 Santa Fe Drive, Denver. The exhibit offers pieces by diverse artists, working across a variety of media, providing a peek into Metropolitan State University’s art faculty and staff. Free. Through Aug. 13. 303-294-5207, msudenver.edu/cva. Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m.

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Music and arts Highlands Ranch Concert Band presents the Highlands Ranch Music Arts Festival Sept. 17-18 this year, “in search of drier weather.” Watch for more information about this annual event. Gallery in new space CORE New Art Space has moved to its new gallery at 6501 W. Colfax Ave. in Lakewood (home of Casa Bonita) and announces “Figuratively Speaking” by members Kathryn Cole — “Plus Minus One” — and Edgar Dumas — “Who’s Looking at Who?” Cole’s figurative works stay true to her simplistic figurative genre, removing extraneous detail and color. Dumas’ oil paintings explore life’s situations ... Hours: 5 to 10 p.m. Fridays; noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sunday. 303-297-8428, coreartspace.com. Opening reception Aug. 5, 5-10 p.m. Members include a number of south area names. Englewood concerts Englewood Arts Presents has

two more summer concerts at Hampden Hall, 1000 Englewood Parkway. July 28: Krueger Brothers; Aug. 13: Bravo Cello. Concerts at 2 p.m. Tickets: at the door, $30, information: 303-806-8196, englewoodarts.org. New season begins in fall with Croatian Ana Vidovic, guitar. All Colorado Art Show Curtis Center for the Arts, 2349 East Orchard Road, Greenwood Village, hosts its All Colorado Art Show through Aug. 27, with a talk by juror Libby Garon, gallery director for Walker Fine Art, at 2 p.m. on Aug. 13. 303-797-1779.

Western art The American Museum of Western Art, 1727 Tremont Place, downtown Denver, is a fine spot to take visiting art lovers (across from the Brown Palace). Guided tours: $10 adults, $7 students and seniors; $5 self-guided tours general admission. Audio guide available. AnschutzCollection.org, 303-293-2000.

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 office. 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 30 days of an election.

• 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, Jefferson and Weld counties. • Do not use all caps, italics or bold text. • Keep it polite: No name calling or “mudslinging.”

Lone Tree Voice 19

July 14, 2022

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20 Lone Tree Voice

July 14, 2022

Danielle SeeWalker’s “Unci” is a work in oil, acrylic, aerosol and oil stick in an exhibit opening July 15 at the Littleton Museum.

COURTESY PHOTO

Danielle SeeWalker art coming to museum BY SONYA ELLINGBOE SELLINGBOE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

“skhe: it is said” will open on July 15 at the Littleton Museum, with early-career art by Denver artist Danielle SeeWalker, an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Since 2013, she has been working with a friend on “The Red Road Project,” with a focus to document through words and photographs what it means to be Native American in the 21st century, according to her website. A selection of

of a short film on the Red Road Project’s “Our Mother Is Crying” about the special relationship that indigenous people have with the earth. Attendees will also learn to capture an oral history and develop questions to ask of your families. A Q&A session will focus on dismantling stereotypes, according to the museum’s news release. SeeWalker has been involved recently with painting murals on outside walls, according to her website.

her works will be exhibited from July 15 through Oct. 9 at the Littleton Museum, 6028 S. Gallup St., Littleton. On Aug. 24, there will be a 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. social event at the museum, including a gallery tour with SeeWalker and creative hands-on activities. (Tickets: $15.) Learn how to do a “Winter Count,” a drawing chronicling your family’s experiences in 2021, and/or create a collaborative mural using mixed media. The finished piece will hang in the museum. There will be a screening

On Sept. 10, from 2 to 3 p.m., Danielle SeeWalker and Carlotta Cardana will talk about “The Red Road Project” at the museum. Other notes: Entries open on Aug. 15 through Sept. 29 for the annual “Own an Original: Labyrinth” exhibit via CaFE, CallforEntry. org. The juror will be Molly Casey of NINE Dot Art consulting firm. Exhibition dates will be Nov. 4 through Dec. 31 at the Littleton Museum. The exhibit is open to any medium except photography, which rates its own show early next

year. The Littleton Fine Arts Committee chose the theme for the exhibit. Also on the busy museum schedule: Concerts on the lawn remain — July 20, Delta Sonics; July 27, Spinphony; Aug. 3, Dakota Blonde. (Concerts are free — bring chairs or a blanket — and a picnic if you wish.) On an added note: See the beehives in the 1860s orchard at the Littleton Museum, overseen by a local beekeeper. Littleton was once especially known for its beekeepers and hives.

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Lone Tree Voice 21

July 14, 2022

Tap into the power of cinematic storytelling at Anythink

etting started on creative endeavors young is a fantastic way to ensure young people discover their passions early. And while that most often covers things like music or painting, Anythink Huron Street library and SeriesFest is providing free opportunities to get teenagers interesting in filmmaking this summer. “Storytelling is what sets us as humans apart,” said Luke Sorge, generalist guide at the library. “Being able to discuss and analyze this with young people is a very powerful thing.” SeriesFest’s Mobile Cinema Lab will be at the Huron Street location, 9417 Huron St. in Thornton, from 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, July 19 and 26 and Thursdays, July 14, 21 and 28. The series is only open to teens, who are encouraged to attend as many sessions as they’d like. “Each class builds on the last, but if students can only make it to a couple, that’s great,” Sorge said. “They can learn everything about the process by attending all the classes, or do it a la cart style and learn specific parts of the process.” SeriesFest a non-profit organization dedicated to championing artists at the forefront of episodic storytelling, will help participants go through the entire filmmaking process, from writing to producing and editing their own short films and TV pilots. Instructors will use the latest film equipment and technology to help bring the

stories to life. “Starting filmmaking can be daunting because of everything you need, but SeriesFest is taking care of all that,” Sorge explained. “Attendees will spend time looking at movies, breaking down non-verbal storytellClarke Reader ing and more. This is stuff we all know — it’s basic, human storytelling. We’ll teach them how to turn that around and employ it for their own work.” In addition to the valuable creative skills learned, final films and pilots will be presented at a red-carpet premiere night on Wednesday, Aug. 3 at the Parsons Theatre, 1 E. Memorial Parkway in Northglenn. “Northglenn Arts is dedicated to creating access to the arts for all and this partnership helps to achieve just that,” says Michael Sticker, City of Northglenn Arts, Culture and Community Manager, in a provided statement. Seeing their work up on the big screen would be an undeniable thrill, but Sorge hopes that any participant will learn valuable lessons about selfexpression. “Storytelling is such a powerful exercise, so if they just come away knowing how to express themselves, that’s great,” he said. “Even if you can only make it to one day, it’s going to be

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worth your while.” Visit https://events.anythinklibraries.org/events for more information and to register. Eat, drink and be merry for affordable housing Killer music, delicious food and supporting a good cause at the same time? It’s no wonder the annual Blues and BBQ Festival for Better Housing has been around for a quarter century. The 25th event will be at Citizens Park, 5560 W. 24th Ave. in Edgewater, from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 16. During the day they’ll be all manner of tribute bands performing, with legendary artists like INXS, The Allman Brothers and Bruce Springsteen all being represented. Add mouthwatering eats and you have the perfect combination. All proceeds will benefit affordable housing projects and Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver, so get your tickets at www.bluesnbbq.com. Northglenn screens ‘Encanto’ There’s practically no event that isn’t made better by taking place under a summer sky, but movie screenings have to be one of the best. In that spirit, Northglenn’s Summer Movie Series is bringing some family favorites to the Festival Lawn - the grassy area between the Northglenn Recreation Center, 1 E. Memorial Parkway, and the Veterans Memorial. Movies begin at dusk.

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On Wednesday, July 20, the series features one of Disney’s biggest hits in recent memory — “Encanto.” If you haven’t heard of it, frankly I don’t know how you pulled that off. It’s a beautiful film and there’s a reason it’s such a hit. More information about the free event can be found at https://northglennarts.org/special-events/. Clarke’s Concert of the Week — David Gray at Red Rocks For me, David Gray’s 2000 album, “White Ladder,” is still one of the great alt-rock albums of the century — the perfect blend of folk and electronic, wistful and anthemic and heartbroken and hopeful. Songs like “Babylon” and “This Year’s Love” still hit impossibly hard and never fail to send me down a beautiful path of memory. Back in 2020 Gray was preparing to tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the record, but… well, you know. He’s finally returning to Red Rocks, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway in Morrison, at 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 21. There’s no opener for this one — instead, he’s performing a greatest hits set and then “White Ladder” in full. This is going to be a supremely special show, so get your 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.

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22 Lone Tree Voice

July 14, 2022

Why researchers want to know about every single tree lining High Line Canal A long-term study along the 71-mile recreation lifeline seeks dozens of pinpoint facts BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN

Saving 71 miles of the High Line Canal starts with the 48 inches between the spherical densiometer in Alissa Iverson’s hand and the catalpa tree fighting to take hold on the stream bank. A densiometer is as Harry Potterlike as it sounds, using mirror reflections to estimate the amount of sunlight received by a newly established sapling hoping to survive amid 120-year-old cottonwoods. “Two, four, six, eight, 10, 12 … ,” Iverson counts, ending at 66 of 96 reflective dots that show a clear path to blue sky. Enough light to give the young catalpa a puncher’s chance amid drought, climate change, trunk-boring pests and doddering plains cottonwoods. For weeks now, Iverson and the team of budding arborists she is part of have scoured the banks of the High Line in this summer’s entry in a long-term study. They take precise measurements of hundreds of recently planted trees in order to help plan the future of a recreation lifeline that winds within a mile of 350,000 people. Height, latitude and longitude, distance from water’s edge, distance from jogging path, bug damage, canopy diameter. All eventually plugged into iPads for what they hope to be an open-source database built for the long haul of climate and botany research. Denver Water once used the canal to deliver precious irrigation to farmers and towns northeast of where the South Platte emerges from Waterton Canyon. Now there are less wasteful ways for that water to get where it needs to go, and the canal bottom is frequently dry. Yet recreational uses by hundreds of thousands of visitors are more popular than ever, under a ribbon of green canopy at once stitching together and transforming metro Denver’s high-desert culture. “We need to think forward over time. This is now a greenway,” said Christina Alba, assistant research scientist at Denver Botanic Gardens and co-leader of the High Line Canal surveying project. “So how can we take it from its original use as an irrigation corridor, which is being decommissioned for that use, and reimagine it going forward?

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Because the public uses it and needs it and depends on it.” Earlier crews counted more than 23,000 mature trees along the dozens of miles of canal. Nearly half are cottonwoods, native to any flowing stream in Colorado but foreign to the dry parts of metro Denver until the High Line was dug and filled in the 1880s. Many of the oldest cottonwoods are nearing the end of their lifespan, including the half-dessicated specimen blocking part of the newborn catalpa’s sun. Denver Water helped seed fund a conservation group to add in thousands of new trees and track their performance in the coming decades. First, of course, the new and old trees must have water. A consortium of agencies and nonprofits are rebuilding sections of the canal to create natural filtration of storm runoff and using the runoff to help wet the canal ecosystem when Denver Water can’t fill the artificial river. The surveying crews, co-led by Alba from the botanic gardens and University of Colorado Denver associate biology professor Laurel Hartley, make field calls to give the High Line’s new trees their first annual checkups. On a late June day, behind the Eisenhower Recreation Center in southeast Denver, the leaders and their grad and undergrad students unholstered the tools of their trade. Every new tree has the equivalent of a radio frequency collar. Not that the cottonwoods are migrating. But exact geographic location can be synthesized over time with temperature, precipitation and dozens of other factors to eventually write a deep narrative of the High Line environment. Tiffany Gentry unsheathed a serrated dagger to take a wedge of soil from beneath the catalpa and work it between her hands. How long a rolled “ribbon” of soil gets before it breaks off, like a cigarette ash, tells much about the amount of silt vs. sand in the mix. Gentry then pours water into her hand, creating a mud both silky and gritty, indicating the soil behind the rec center features a just-right loam. Summer Merrell tries a moisture meter beneath a Shumard oak. Soil moisture begins to create viable conditions for many trees when it’s about 30 or above. On the land nurturing this young oak, Merrell couldn’t even shove the sensor point underground, a sign of overbaking likely to go in the books like a big zero. Hartley tosses a rectangle onto the ground under another sapling. Officially, it’s a Daubenmire frame. ON AVERAGE, AARP MEMBERS ENJOY

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At 71 miles long, the High Line Canal serves hundreds of thousands of people in DougFILE PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD las, Denver, Adams and Arapahoe counties.

Unofficially, it’s a grid of throwntogether PVC tubing, slightly bigger than a legal pad. She takes note of all the plant life inside the grid, to judge whether invasive grasses are surrounding the tree and choking off the water supply. Iverson uses a clinometer and some basic trigonometry to judge the height of one of last year’s plantings. Kristina Parenko and Layla Blair stretch a measuring tape to precisely locate the tree between the canal bottom and the top of the berm where walkers are striding by and botany-gawking. For Alba, the co-lead, the trickiest part of the research is planning a useful long-term study when climate, drought, water supplies and municipal budgets change so quickly. “You need to tease apart all these different stressors, and their effects on the trees takes a long time and are not always in sync with the speed at which decisions need to be made,” Alba said. Amid such uncertainty, the fallback position in urban botany is usually a good bet: “A diverse plant palette.” Foresters, as do any crop farmers, insulate themselves from the future by avoiding obviously dangerous outcomes like a canopy where every other tree is a centuryold cottonwood. Front Range cities bragging on their leafiness have yet to feel the full destruction of the emerald ash borer, which edges closer and closer to decimating the green ash that dominated Colorado planting in the 1980s and 90s, Alba noted. The thousands of new High Line trees will eventually include a riskaverse mix of honeylocust, white oak, hackberry, catalpa, boxelder

and yes, to the dismay of allergy sufferers everywhere, more thirsty cottonwoods. No one knows just what’s coming, Hartley put it, trying another tack. “It’s not quite a law, but a principle within ecology, that diversity allows for resistance to change.” While the students pack away their instruments and list the field hazards of poison ivy, carrying 3 liters of water every day, and falling down the embankments, Hartley is pondering how to make the High Line study a stable institution. The student assistance has been crucial, but volunteers and grants can be erratic. They would like to make the longitudinal High Line tree research an official UCD lab course. “If you’re a scientist, it’s hard to get money to do the same thing over and over again,” Hartley said. By early July, each new High Line tree had finished a pediatric check. Alba and Hartley are on to planning next year’s survey while trying not to worry about the coming months of hail, 100-degree days, toppling cottonwoods and errant lawnmowers. Their first full survey after the planting push began left them surprised at their own optimism. “There were more trees in good condition than I expected,” Hartley said. “I thought more would have died or just not made it that first year. Because life is hard.”

This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. The Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

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24 Lone Tree Voice

July 14, 2022

Mile High Blaze coach Rob Sandlin talks with a few of his offensive linemen during a practice session. The Blaze captured the Women’s Football Alliance Division 2 national PHOTO BY JIM BENTON championship with a 21-20 win over the Derby City Dynamite on July 9 in Canton, Ohio.

Blaze takes women’s football championship Denver team wins 21-20 over team from Kentucky BY JIM BENTON JBENTON@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

For all those people counting the national championships won by Denver area teams in the past few months, a spot needed to be saved for another. The Mile High Blaze captured the Women’s Football Alliance’s Division 2 national women’s tackle football title with a 21-20 win over the Derby City Dynamite from Louisville, Kentucky, in the July 9 championship game in Canton, Ohio. The Blaze joins the University of Denver’s NCAA national hockey champions, Denver East’s high school national title hockey team

‘It’s so much better coaching the women than the men. There are no prima donnas. They don’t think they know everything. Most of them just want to learn how to play.’ Rob Sandlin, Blaze coach and the Colorado Avalanche’s Stanley Cup champs. Kimberly Santistevan, a 38-yearold who is a preschool teacher in Douglas County and a freshman football coach at Douglas County High School, is the quarterback for

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the Blaze. Rob Sandlin, a Parker resident, is the Blaze coach. The WFA is a women’s football league which competes with three other leagues in the United States to attract female players. The WFA has three divisions, with Division 1 considered the pro division. Blaze players pay $400 to join the team and the players must purchase their own equipment and pay for travel. “We have players from 17 to 53 years old,” Sandlin said. “And from all walks of life is kind of an understatement for us. Two of our young ladies are still in high school, we have an MMA fighter,

nurses, accountants, teachers, parole officers, a barista, active military and you name it, The funny thing is they all kind of put everything else away and show up for practice.” With the win in the Division 2 title game, the Blaze will move up to Division 1 next season. “It was a really important game especially for some of the vets that have been here for a while,” said Santistevan. “We’re still a young with our veterans and the championship will help grow the sport.” Sandlin has seen the growth of his team this season. SEE BLAZE, P25

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Lone Tree Voice 25

July 14, 2022

BLAZE FROM PAGE 24

“Talent wise we are about the same as we have been the past few years,” he said. “The difference for us is we have not had as many extracurricular problems. In the past just like any other family, we’ve had fights and arguments. “This year it’s been really close knit and the other thing about this team is we’ve never been able to get through a season with any type of close games. We have usually been playing blowouts. This year, we’ve actually been able to play in games where we have had to come back in the fourth quarter. That molded the team to kinda realize we can do this no matter what. We found different ways to win. We’ve had a chance to win any way we could.” Sandlin, a mortgage originator for Plum Creek Funding in Parker, has been running youth organizations for years and has coached the Blaze, which formerly was the Mile High Cowgirls, for the past four seasons. And, the Blaze has played in the conference title game four times before winning the national title. “It’s so much better coaching the women than the men,” he admitted. “There are no prima donnas. They don’t think they know everything. Most of them just want to learn how to play. It gives us the ability to teach so from a coach’s perspective it’s a lot more fun that way.” Santistevan started playing tackle football eight or nine year ago depending on if you count the season curtailed by COVID. She was first a wide receiver, played safety and then moved to

quarterback. “It’s fun being a quarterback,” she said. “It gives you a different level of respect for all the girls in different positions. The game really slows down once you are back there and you kind of see things differently. “I do a little of everything as a quarterback. We’re mostly a runheavy team but I have a pretty good arm. When coach calls for a deep route or a short route I can definitely make the passes. I’m a pretty mobile quarterback for my age and I can still get the ball down field fairly well.” Santistevan said the freshman players at Douglas County know she plays football. “The newer group this year I don’t think realized that I was a player so our head freshman coach made the introductions and let them know,” added Sanstistevan. “He said, `hey you are not going to see coach for a couple days because she’s going to go play for a national championship.’” “The guys from last year that I was coaching definitely knew I was a player. They would ask how the season was going, when the next game was and things like that. Most of them were not driving yet and couldn’t come out to Aurora Public Schools Stadium (where the Blaze play home games) to watch games but they knew I played.” Santistevan is having loads of fun, especially after the team won the national title. “I’m having so much fun,” she said. “If you would have asked me as few years ago if I would be playing and coaching I would have thought you were crazy, but being in the situation I’m in now I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I absolutely love anything related to football.”

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26 Lone Tree Voice

July 14, 2022

COLORADO COMMUNIT Y MEDIA

Help Wanted

SDH Systems LLC has openings for the positions:

Project Manager/Estimator Saunders Constructions seeks Project Manager/Estimator in Englewood, CO. Requires: B.S. in civil eng or construction mgmt. Must also possess: construction mgmt, estimating, and/or craft supervision experience in similar facility construction. Thorough knowledge of all aspects of construction (technology, equipment, methods); craft agreements, jurisdiction, negotiations; engineering, estimating, schedules and safety required. Frequent travel to local construction sites required. Submit app via to humanresources@ saundersci.com and ref this ad in cover letter.

SPEECH LANGUAGE AIDES East Central BOCES is seeking parttime Speech Language Aides to work in Bennett, Strasburg, Byers, and Deer Trail School Districts. Duties would be supporting students with accessing their Speech services. Perfect job for a parent, retired adult, or college student taking online courses. The salary range is $15 - $17 per hour. Questions, please contact Tracy at 719-775-2342 ext. 101 or tracyg@ecboces.org. To apply for this position, please visit our website ecboces.org and click on the “Jobs” page, click on the job you are interested in & then click on the grey button “Apply Online”, located at the bottom of the job listing. EOE

Sr. Software Developer with Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering Any, Technology or related with 5yrs of experience to Create the visualizations with complex calculations/functions, ensure the application performance by involving in coding, unit testing, debugging for the application. Configuring data tables for data on demand and parameters to fetch data from data sources based on user selections. Closely monitor the alerts and coordinate to ensure the hotfix and latest upgrades are accurate. Involve in User training, resolving day to day Issues and coordination with the technical team. Generating various workbooks and dashboards extracting data (multiple/complex) from various data sources and data files using data blending and joins. Working experience in TIBCO, Java, J2EE, Spring, Oracle, SQL, REST API, Web Services, Jenkins, Maven. Software/UI Developer with Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering any, Technology or related and 1 yr of exp to design and implement front-end business applications while working closely with developers to help generate requirements for backend development. Develop HTML5 prototype documents with CSS3 Style Sheets. Testing UI elements on mobile and desktops. Responsible for the Core UI framework, designs, implements and maintains it. Develop the front-end web page by using HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript and React/ Angular. Work location is Englewood, CO with required travel to client locations throughout the USA. Please mail resumes to : 14 Inverness Dr E, Suite H-220, Englewood, CO 80112 (OR) e-mail : hr@sdhsystems.com

LEGITIMATE WORK AT HOME No Sales, no Investment, No Risk, Free training, Free website. Contact Susan at 303-646-4171 or ﬁll out form at www.wisechoice4u.com

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B2B Analyst Positions offered by Arrow Electronics Inc. (Centennial, CO). Provide tech support assistance for trading partners & Arrow business users. Setup & support EDI/RN partnerships & VAN/3rd party communications. Arrow Electronics Inc. has a vaccine policy. For more information and to apply online, please visit https://rb.gy/gkmcwo.

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Help Wanted

Join the arc thrift Store Team!

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Lone Tree Voice 27

July 14, 2022

COLORADO COMMUNIT Y MEDIA

Market Place Misc. Notices

WIDOWED MEN AND WOMEN OF AMERICA. A social club offering many exciting activities and life long friendships. Social hours for all areas of Metro Denver. Visit Widowedamerica.org for details In your area!

Health & Beauty

Miscellaneous

DENTAL INSURANCE - Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Covers 350 procedures. Real insurance - not a discount plan. Get your free dental info kit! 1-855-526-1060 www.dental50plus.com/58 #6258.

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 855-761-1725

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Garage and Estate Sales Garage Sales MOVING SALE JULY 15 & 16 8:30-2:00pm Geneva Village Retirement Center 5444 S. Prince Street, Littleton, Everything must go! All household items, furniture, bed, kitchen etc.!

Merchandise Arts & Crafts

LITTLETON CRAFT FAIR ACCEPTING CRAFTERS Love crafting and craft fairs? We have the space for you! Visit littletoncraftfair.org to apply for a booth at the 51st Annual Littleton Craft Fair on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022 at scenic Ketring Park. Nearly 20,000 visitors flocks to this annual favorite to get a jump on holiday shopping and discover new treasures for their homes.

Firewood

Split & Delivered $350 a cord Delivery $50. Stacking $50 Call 303-647-2475 or 720-323-2173

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Miscellaneous Paying top cash for men’s sportwatches! Rolex, Breitling, Omega, Patek Philippe, Heuer, Day-tona, GMT, Submariner and Speedmaster. Call 833-603-3236 Vivint Smart security. Professionally installed. 1 connected system for total peace of mind. Free professional installation! 4 free months of monitoring! Call to customize your system. 1-833-8410737 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 1/21/23. 1-866-479-1516.

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

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

American Standard Walk-In Tubs. Buy from a brand you trust. Patented Quick-Drain® technology. 44 hydrotherapy jets. Lifetime warranty on tub and installation! FREE in-home consultation at your convenience. Limited time offer - $1,500 in savings includes FREE right-height toilet. Call: 1-855-785-8519

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Transportation

Dogs

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Discount air travel. Call Flight Services for best pricing on domestic & international ﬂights inside & from the US. Serving United, Delta, American & Southwest & many more. Free quote! Have travel dates ready! 844-951-2014

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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

Lost and Found

720-560-6763

4 by 6 foot digital sign from Daktronics. The sign comes installed and with 24/7 monitoring from the company. If you have a business on a busy road and want to get your message out this is the sign you want. The sign comes with a computer and training to easily update your message.

TO ADVERTISE CALL 303-566-4100

Paid $55,000 for the sign 6 years ago and am now asking only $14,800 installed. The sign is PERFECT for a liquor store, car dealership, car repair clinic, wellness center or chiropractic clinic--but any business would benefit. Call Alan at 303-378-7537

Home for Sale

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*Commissions subject to change

CLASSIFIEDS

28 Lone Tree Voice

July 14, 2022

COLORADO COMMUNIT Y MEDIA

Bathrooms

Concrete/Paving

On The Level Concrete Bathroom Remodeling Made Easy! Call us today, for a free design consultation.

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303-566-4100 classifieds@coloradocommunitymedia.com

CALL (303) 667-6909 Deck/Patio

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Lone Tree Voice 29

July 14, 2022

COLORADO COMMUNIT Y MEDIA

Heating/Air Conditioning

Was Just Told She Would Have to Wait 10 DAYS Before the A/C and Furnace Company Could Get Her New System Installed!

TEN DAYS. WE’LL GET IT DONE IN 48 HOURS.

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Health and Well-Being

Lawn/Garden Services

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Landscape & Concrete

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Oral & Topical Supplement

Air Conditioner and Furnace Combo Purchase With qualifying equipment. Not valid with any other offers Expires 8/13/22

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SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1903

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30 Lone Tree Voice

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Lone Tree Voice 31

July 14, 2022

988: A new phone number for people to call during a mental health crisis BY DANA KNOWLES ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

For 54 years, 911 has been the number for Americans to call for all emergencies. Starting July 16, people across the country, including Colorado, will be encouraged to call a different three-digit number for mental health emergencies — 988. “What we’ve learned and seen over the years is that having the training and support to be able to respond to calls for emotional stress and mental health or substance abuse, you need someone with that training,” said Kelly Bowman, the director of Colorado’s new crisis response line 988. The idea is to get people to call or text 988 instead of the police when they are experiencing emotional distress. “What’s really great is that the suicide hotline [1-844-493-8255] has always been a suicide prevention resource. 988 is intended to be a crisis support for any source of crisis that comes in, and it’s really embracing self-defined crisis,” Bowman added. She says self-defined crisis can be anything and everything from waking up and feeling mildly depressed or anxious to having suicidal thoughts. “Sometimes it’s hard to take that step and say you know what? It was a rough day and I just need to connect with someone, and

that power of human connection can make all the difference in the world and 988 is really about increasing that access and making it easy to remember,” Bowman said. Last year the state of Colorado passed legislation that would allow for a surcharge of 18 cents on cell phone bills to pay for 988, which will be overseen by the Colorado Department of Human Services. At any point during the day, there are 25-40 team members trained in everything from crisis intervention, suicide assessment and response; to substance use and crisis, grief, trauma and more. “There’s not a one size fits all solution for someone going through struggle and so that’s what’s great about how our counselors are trained,” Bowman explained. Children’s Hospital Colorado saw an alarming increase of emergency room visits for a mental health crisis over the past two years. Photo courtesy of Children’s Hospital Colorado. This change comes at a time when Colorado along with much of the country is facing a mental health crisis. Just among our youth, Children’s Hospital Colorado pediatric system reported last fall that emergency visits for a mental health crisis were up 73% over the same time period two years prior. Studies have also shown that Colorado has the highest rate of adult mental illness in the nation and one of the lowest

rates of access to care. A collaborative investigation among Colorado news organizations showed some of the state’s 17 communitybased mental health providers have failed to provide treatment to the toughest and most expensive behavioral health cases while avoiding competition. To address this mental health crisis, this year Colorado lawmakers passed a bill to reform the delivery network for mental health care in the state. [Related: Bill for new behavioral health agency seeks sweeping safety-net reforms] Still legislative changes can take time to implement and this enactment of 988 has been years in the making. After the time and energy spent of activism, the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, establishing 988 was signed into law in October 2020. Despite this incredible step forward, the system has room for improvement. For example, when someone calls 988 they’ll be connected to a counselor in the state where their phone’s area code is from; meaning that if you live in Denver but have a 310-area code attached to your phone, your call to 988 would go to California. Bowman hopes the Federal Communications Commission will step in and fix that. “While we work on whether or not we’ll get support from the FCC for geolocation to route calls to an in-state call center, we’re going to

work to build trust in our communities and be clear about the message behind 988, which is that no one is left behind and no one feels like they can’t call,” she said. Bowman also said regardless, people should still call 988 when it’s up and running later this month. “It’s important now more than ever. We’ve seen increased rates of suicides and deaths of despair with overdoses. We know our kids are struggling and so to be able to offer a resource and say, ‘It’s okay to not be okay’ and ‘I see you and I see you struggling and there’s someone here to talk to. You’re not alone.’ We don’t heal in isolation, and I think we can all come to an agreement that that’s a hard lesson we’ve learned over the last few years.” Resources: If you have an immediate mental health crisis, call Colorado Crisis Services at 1-844-493-8255 or text TALK to 38255. Or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-2738255. You can also chat with the Lifeline. This story is from Rocky Mountain PBS, a nonprofit public broadcaster providing community stories across Colorado over the air and online. Used by permission. For more, and to support Rocky Mountain PBS, visit rmpbs.org.

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Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088 Legals Public Trustees PUBLIC NOTICE Lone Tree NOTICE OF SALE Public Trustee Sale No. 2022-0068 To Whom It May Concern: On 5/12/2022 4:34:00 PM 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: Steve C Quintana Original Beneficiary: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. ("MERS") as nominee for The Mortgage Company, Its Successors and Assigns Current Holder of Evidence of Debt: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION Date of Deed of Trust (DOT): 5/9/2019 Recording Date of DOT: 5/15/2019 Reception No. of DOT: 2019026608 DOT Recorded in Douglas County. Original Principal Amount of Evidence of Debt: $561,200.00 Outstanding Principal Amount as of the date hereof: $550,549.72 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 15, HERITAGE HILLS FILING NO. 1-I,

COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO. Which has the address of: 9650 Aspen Hill Circle, Lone Tree, CO 80124 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, August 31, 2022, 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: 7/7/2022 Last Publication: 8/4/2022 Publisher: Douglas County News Press Dated: 5/12/2022 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 Colorado Registration #: 31755 7700 E. ARAPAHOE ROAD, SUITE 230 , CENTENNIAL, COLORADO 80112 Phone #: (877) 369-6122 Fax #: Attorney File #: CO-22-925398-LL

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*YOU MAY TRACK FORECLOSURE SALE DATES on the Public Trustee website: http://www. douglas.co.us/publictrustee/ Legal Notice No. 2022-0068 First Publication: 7/7/2022 Last Publication: 8/4/2022 Publisher: Douglas County News Press

Bids and Settlements Public Notice INVITATION FOR BID (IFB) #025-22 FUEL (DIESEL) TANK REPLACEMENT at DOUGLAS COUNTY SEDALIA PUBLIC WORKS OPERATIONS FACILITY The Facilities, Fleet & Emergency Support Services Department of Douglas County Government, hereinafter referred to as the County, respectfully requests bids from responsible qualified firms to provide and coordinate all labor, equipment, and materials necessary for (a) the installation of one (1) diesel above-ground storage tank (AST) and (b) the removal and disposal of two (2) diesel above-ground storage tanks (AST) from a Douglas County fuel site location as described. The fuel site location is 5469 Clay Street, Sedalia, Colorado 80125. ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2022 @ 9:00 A.M., THERE WILL BE A MANDATORY SITE VISIT RELATED TO THIS PROJECT. THE MANDATORY SITE VISIT WILL ALLOW ALL POTENTIAL BIDDERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO VIEW THE WORK SITE LOCATION AND DISCUSS THE PROJECT DETAILS. THE SITE VISIT WILL BEGIN AT 5469 CLAY STREET, SEDALIA, COLORADO 80125. ONLY THOSE PROSPECTIVE BIDDERS ATTENDING THE MANDATORY SITE VISIT WILL BE ALLOWED TO SUBMIT A BID ON THIS PROJECT. Please bring a business card, as sign-in sheets will not be passed around. The IFB documents may be reviewed and/or printed from the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System website at

www.rockymountainbidsystem.com. IFB documents are not available for purchase from Douglas County Government and can only be accessed from the above-mentioned website. While the IFB documents are available electronically, Douglas County cannot accept electronic bid responses. Bid responses shall be submitted in a sealed envelope plainly marked “IFB No. 025-22, Sedalia Fuel Tank Replacement” and mailed or hand-carried to the address shown below prior to the due date and time. Electronic and/or faxed bid responses will not be accepted. Bids will be received until 2:00pm on Tuesday, August 2, 2022 by the Douglas County Finance Department, Purchasing Division, 100 Third Street, Suite 130, Castle Rock, Colorado 80104. Bids will not be considered which are received after the time stated, and any bids so received will be returned unopened. Douglas County Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids, to waive formalities, informalities, or irregularities contained in a said bid and furthermore, to award a contract for items herein, either in whole or in part, if it is deemed to be in the best interest of the County to do so. Additionally, we reserve the right to negotiate optional items/services with the successful bidder. Please direct any questions concerning this IFB to Carolyn Riggs, Purchasing Supervisor, 303-6607434, criggs@douglas.co.us, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Legal Notice No. 942367 First Publication: July 14, 2022 Last Publication: July 14, 2022 Publisher: Douglas County News-Press Public Notice INVITATION FOR BID (IFB) #019-22 AUTONOMOUS SPORTS FIELD PAINTER The Parks, Trails and Building Grounds Division of Douglas County Government, hereinafter referred to as the County, respectfully requests bids from responsible qualified manufacturers /distributors for the provision of the purchase, delivery, and maintenance of one (1) new Autonomous Sports

Field Painter, as specified. The Autonomous Sports Field Painter must have proven reliability and the ability to paint multiple sports field types at multiple locations. The IFB documents may be reviewed and/or printed from the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System website at www.rockymountainbidsystem.com. IFB documents are not available for purchase from Douglas County Government and can only be accessed from the above-mentioned website. While the IFB documents are available electronically, Douglas County cannot accept electronic bid responses. Bid responses shall be submitted in a sealed envelope plainly marked “IFB No. 019-22, Autonomous Sports Field Painter” and mailed or hand-carried to the address shown below prior to the due date and time. Electronic and/or faxed bid responses will not be accepted. Bids will be received until 3:00pm on Friday, July 29, 2022 by the Douglas County Finance Department, Purchasing Division, 100 Third Street, Suite 130, Castle Rock, Colorado 80104. Bids will not be considered which are received after the time stated, and any bids so received will be returned unopened. Douglas County Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids, to waive formalities, informalities, or irregularities contained in a said bid and furthermore, to award a contract for items herein, either in whole or in part, if it is deemed to be in the best interest of the County to do so. Additionally, we reserve the right to negotiate optional items/services with the successful bidder. Please direct any questions concerning this IFB to Carolyn Riggs, Purchasing Supervisor, 303-6607434, criggs@douglas.co.us, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Legal Notice No. 942368 First Publication: July 14, 2022 Last Publication: July 14, 2022 Publisher: Douglas County News-Press

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Lone Tree Legals July 14, 2022 * 1

32 Lone Tree Voice

July 14, 2022

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