Parker Chronicle 041322

Je Gaylord’s death shines light on life of strength and selflessness

Land-use bill authors stand by plan

BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

According to authors of the land use bill making its way through the Colorado Legislature, the primary goal is stopping communities from exclusionary zoning that prohibits the construction of multifamily housing.

Known as SB23-213, the land use bill was unveiled in March by Gov. Jared Polis and Democrats as a solution to the growing housing crisis.

From pro sports to the streets

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

On March 15, a deceased man was found at the north bus stop at Englewood Parkway and South Acoma Street in Englewood. O cials said the man was “likely a transient” and that his death did not seem criminal in nature.

Little did they know, the man was Je Gaylord, a prominent football player, professional wrestler, brother and friend.

At his memorial service at Southeast Christian Church in Parker, dozens gathered to share stories of

with him.

“As I’m looking around this room today, I see many familiar faces, as well as new ones,” said Angelia Anderson, executive director of a program called Treasure House of Hope that Je participated in. “ is isn’t surprising to me because Je never met a stranger ... He always was so generous and outgoing.”

Athletic history

Je , who was born in 1958, grew up in the suburbs of Kansas City as the middle child of ve. From a young age, he was an impressive athlete, showing speci c strengths as a discus thrower and football player during his high school years.

“During his senior year, he was able to bench press 610 pounds,” his brother, Tim Gaylord, said at the

ing him a full-ride scholarship (for football) … Je chose Missouri.”

In college, Je became a four-year letterman and was named All-Big Eight and All-American in the early 1980s.

Je ’s success as a college athlete drew attention to him, inspiring the Los Angeles Rams to draft him in 1982. Released prior to the start of their season, he was picked up by the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. With this team, he competed in the league’s championship game called the Grey Cup.

He later played for the Boston Breakers and the San Antonio Gunslingers of the United States Football League and was named First Team

While municipalities statewide are voicing opposition to the bill, authors are saying the 105-page document is vital to the state’s future in providing an adequate supply of a ordable housing.

In this case, a ordable housing does not mean more single-family homes, but instead duplexes, triplexes, other multiplexes, townhomes, condos and apartments.

According to the authors of SB23-213, some Colorado cities and counties have implemented zoning policies that decrease or completely bar the construction of multifamily housing.

Rep. Steven Woodrow, D-Denver, co-authored SB23-213 with Rep. Iman Jodeh, D-Arapahoe County, and Majority Leader Sen. Dominick Moreno, a District 21 Democrat covering Adams County, Commerce City, Federal Heights and Westminster.

Opponents of proposal not swayed by claims of a ordability, availability

Photos, certificates and awards from Je Gaylord’s life on display at his memorial service at Southeast Christian Church.

PHOTO BY NINA JOSS

Bu alo Wild Wings GO brand-new location in Parker

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Parker is now home to the newest Buffalo Wild Wings GO location, becoming Buffalo Wild Wings 50th opening of the new takeout and delivery-focused model nationwide.

Bu alo Wild Wings hosted a private ribbon cutting ceremony for the store team and a few members of the local community, including Mayor Je Toborg, said a Bu alo Wild Wings spokesperson.

Located at 11153 S Parker Rd. Ste L, this GO location is the chain’s rst in Parker and is designed to o er the brand’s award-winning chicken wings and 26 signature sauces and seasoning options closer to home, according to a press release.

“To celebrate our Grand Opening, a few of our Bu alo Wild Wings GO team members will be hanging out at Parker Pavilion, handing out Free Wing cards,” said a Bu alo Wild Wings spokesperson. “Look for them in their BWW GO shirts.”

e restaurant’s unique takeout and delivery-focused model was introduced two years ago. e Parker GO location will feature a walk-up counter, digital menu boards and some seating. Residents can expect traditional and boneless wings, hand-breaded tenders, burgers, chicken sandwiches, sides and all 26 Bu alo Wild Wings sauces and dry rubs.

e GO location also provides guests with a contactless experience. Guests who order online will be able to pick up their meal from individual takeout lockers.

e opening of the Parker location will bring 25 full-time and part-time jobs to the community, according to a press release statement.

“We are still looking for dedicated people to join our team in Parker,” said a Bu alo Wild Wings spokesperson.

To learn more about open positions and submit an application, visit the Bu alo Wild Wings website, click on careers, type in your location to look at open positions. ere are currently two open positions available.

e Parker GO location is e open 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. Sunday through ursday and 11 a.m. - midnight Friday and Saturday.

“We are so excited to be opening our 50th GO location in Parker,” said

a Bu alo Wild Wings spokesperson. “Our GO locations o er great deals on wings and bundles, in a convenient model that makes it easy for guests to enjoy our iconic wings and sauce at home.”

Public safety improvements approved by council

$2M invested

BY HALEY LENA

HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Improvements to sidewalks, roads and lights will be made to the town for public safety as the council unanimously approved a construction contract for the Pikes Peak

THEATRE CLASSES AT THE DCPA

Drive Sidewalk Improvement Project and the Final Design Contract for Jordan-Newlin Improvements.

e council rst approved a construction contract for the Pikes Peak Drive Sidewalk Improvement Project in the amount of over $2 million, including a 5% ($106,669) owner’s contingency held outside of the contract by the town for unforeseen conditions.

Contractor, Elite Surface Infrastructure, will work to improve sidewalks along Pikes Peak Drive, between Mainstreet and Sulphur Gulch Bridge.

e project will consist of undergrounding select overhead power lines to allow the widening of sidewalks to a width of six to eight feet, which will improve pedestrian mobility and capacity. Plans include improving street drainage, as well as reconstructing curb ramps, driveways and crosswalks to comply with the ADA and add lighting to improve pedestrian visibility.

“We will be maintaining the onstreet parking that’s there,” said Bob Exstrom, Engineering and Public Works.

In addition, Exstrom said the intersection of Pikes Peak Avenue and Pikes Peak Drive will be converted into a three-way stop.

e construction is set to begin in April. With a goal to keep two lanes of tra c open at all times except for the installation of storm water crossings transverse to the roadway, the construction will be divided into four phases, according to Exstrom.

Construction will start on the east side of the street, working south and is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

Councilmember Laura Hefta asked what Exstrom would consider “unforeseen conditions”.

“Buried utilities or say we get into some dirt that won’t compact and

we have to use additional measures to get compaction,” said Exstrom. “ en we have money to draw and to pay for that.”

Following the sidewalk project, the cultural department will add public artwork at select locations.

e council also approved a nal contract with contractor, Felsburg Holt and Ullevig in the amount of $584,109 as the town is currently in the preliminary design phase for an upcoming capital improvement on Jordan Road from Lincoln Avenue to Stonegate Parkway.

According to Patrick Burke, capital improvement project manager of engineering and public works, as the project is close to the Jordan-Newlin Gulch Bridge, the bridge must be widened to make operational improvements. is will involve an addition of a sidewalk between Village Center Dr. and Stonegate Dr., on the west side of Jordan Road, facilitating access to parks, trails, recreation amenities and activities.

e project will include improving the drainage and water quality along the bridge and mill and overlay existing to increase pavement durability. At the end of the project, there will be a restripe and resign route to increase public safety.

e estimated construction time frame is 2024/2025, to be done simultaneously with the Lincoln Avenue widening project.

In other business, the council approved the Gladys O’Brien House Minor Development Plat.

Located at 11017 S. Pikes Peak Drive in the Greater Downtown District, the approval of the plat creates a “legal lot of record” and reserves easement for future sidewalks and street light projects.

e property was originally built in 1913 and is now developed with two commercial buildings occupied by Cottage Veterinary Hospital.

Interior of the Bu alo Wild Wings GO Parker location.

PHOTO BY RACHEL RUSSELL

a

County donates building

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Damon Bunch remembers hearing people at his schools say: “ ere isn’t going to be a place for him.”

“I never thought I would be able to be independent, to really be able to understand that life,” said Bunch, who is excited about an upcoming apartment complex for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. “My family, we didn’t have a lot of money growing up.”

He thinks of Wellspring Community, the nonpro t that helped him nd his place, as a second family that has supported him.

Bunch, 23, wants to “show the world that we may have IDD,” but “God put us on this earth for a purpose.”

Bunch spoke to Douglas County’s elected leaders as a crowd of other folks with disabilities sat behind him, gathered in Castle Rock for the meeting where the county transferred ownership of a former hotel property to Wellspring to serve as an a ordable housing complex for people with IDD, along with other residents.

It’s about more than a building — it’s about “reclaiming hope,” said Nicole DeVries, executive director of Wellspring.

“Just like most of us, many adults with IDD grow up and think, ‘I don’t want to live with my parents anymore.’ ey watch their friends, they watch their siblings move out and reach a level of independence that (for them) seems out of reach,” DeVries said.

But now, folks with IDD are dreaming of what they want their rooms to look like if they move into Wellspring’s upcoming housing, she said.

“Our community is now seeing people with IDD are not people to be served — they are people to live with,” DeVries said.

e county purchased a former La Quinta hotel on Park Street in Castle

Rock for $6.4 million in October using funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act and had planned to transfer the property to Wellspring, which intends to remodel it into 42 income-restricted apartments.

Wellspring’s mission is to provide “educational, enrichment and business enterprise opportunities” to adults with IDD and empower them to live “full, productive and satisfying lives,” the nonpro t’s website says.

Wellspring began in 2008 with four young women with developmental disabilities learning how to bake cookies in a private kitchen. Soon, their cookies were selling at local churches and Wellspring’s rst business enterprise, Wellspring Bakery, the website says.

e nonpro t also has o ered other programs, like Wellspring

Wonders Choir. In 2013, thanks to a partnership with Castle Oaks Covenant Church, Wellspring moved into a new facility with o ce space, classroom space, a 900-square-foot commercial kitchen and the opportunity to operate all of its programs under one roof, the website says.

Wellspring’s housing will include 24/7 on-site sta to o er residents assistance, though they will not be medical providers. After the remodeling, the property will o er integrated housing, meaning both residents with and without disabilities can rent the units. ( e units will not be exclusive to adults in Wellspring programs.)

Several people who have participated in Wellspring’s programs walked up to the lectern at the county commissioners’ March 28 meeting to speak in praise of the nonpro t, with the audience applauding after

each speaker.

Commissioner George Teal noted that when people in broader society talk about disabilities, it’s often a conversation about “an inhibited life, a life constrained.”

“And I look out today, and I look out at all the (people in the crowd) today — I don’t see lives inhibited, I don’t see lives constrained. I see spirits unleashed,” Teal said. “It makes me proud to live here that we have such a great community.”

e commissioners unanimously voted in favor of transferring the former hotel property to Wellspring.

One of the attendees, speaking about Wellspring, said: “Years later, I hope this ne establishment is still around so I could go and celebrate the 30th-year anniversary.”

Another speaker simply said: “I think it’s always good for people to not judge you for who you are.”

A crowd poses for a photo at the March 28 meeting where Douglas County transferred ownership of a former hotel property to serve as an a ordable housing complex for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. County leaders and folks with disabilities stood in the crowd.

PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD

Woodrow said while some communities have done an “exemplary” job at addressing a ordability, others have not and state intervention is required to stop the growing crisis where housing costs are at an all-time high and availability is at an all-time low.

“ is bill really does increase individual property rights,” Woodrow said. “If you are a property owner, you have the right to build an accessory dwelling unit and the government will not be able to prevent that. Some feel like we are taking away rights. We are adding to them. is bill will have some exibility, but it does set forth some minimum standards.”

Since the bill’s introduction, several Denver metro communities have passed resolutions to oppose the bill, including Westminster, Castle Rock, Lone Tree and Centennial. Other communities have said they may take similar votes.

At the center of the opposition is the plan for the state intervening in local development decisions, removing home rule authority. Home rule is a form or structure of governing dened by the citizens of a municipality or county that allows for more control over matters of local signi cance.

According to the proposed bill, municipalities will be required to submit land-use codes to the state. e state will review the proposed codes and if they are deemed insu cient, the state will impose its own codes.

Arapahoe County Commissioner

Carrie Warren-Gully said the bill takes a one-size- ts-all approach and it will not work for all Colorado communities.

Woodrow said he disagrees, that the bill allows communities to develop and plan growth, but they have to meet minimum standards to avoid state intervention. He stressed the bill has tiers to address all populations, including suburban, urban and mountain towns.

“It is not a one-size- ts all,” he said. “ is only goes into e ect if a community refuses to adopt the (minimum) required standards. e only time you are a ected is if you decided to ignore it.”

e reason the state is taking steps to intervene in local control is because of the excessive use of “exclusionary zoning,” by some Colorado communities, Woodrow said. Exclusionary zoning laws place restrictions on the types of homes that can be built in a neighborhood. Oftentimes, these laws prohibit multifamily homes and set limits on building heights.

Rep. Lisa Frizell, R-Castle Rock, said SB23-213 is a misguided piece of legislation that does nothing more than declare war on single family home construction.

“It’s built on a faulty premise that everyone wants to live in high density housing,” she said.

Frizell said if the Democratic-led legislation wanted to adequately address the housing crisis, it would focus on the impact fees and permit fees that cities and towns are charging developers.

Pointing to Castle Rock as an example, Frizell said home prices have

skyrocketed due to the costs home builders are having to pay local entities to build.

According to the fee sheet on the Town of Castle Rock website, a developer building a 2,000 square foot home can pay over $21,000 in impact fees, which includes a line item for parks and recreation, re protection, municipal facilities, police and transportation.   at total does not include other required permit fees.

e construction of a multifamily building is more than $17,000 per unit, according to the fee schedule.

In drafting the legislation, Moreno said the authors looked at what other states have done, speci cally naming California and Oregon, which have also implemented land-use codes.

Moreno said the steps taken by both the Democratic-led states would not t Colorado’s current and future needs.

“(SB23-213) is drafted to provided local options for municipalities to choose from,” he said. “ is sets goals and gives choices on how to meet those goals. It’s easy. If (municipalities) don’t then the state will step in. ere is a bit more choice than other states.”

In its early stages, Moreno said lawmakers have agreed not to immediately take votes on the proposed legislation, instead opting on April 6 to listening to debate, concerns and ideas.

Moreno said he has heard complaints that the bill does not address a ordability enough. e Adams County senator said amendments are likely as the bill moves through the process.

Moreno said the bill does address

a ordability in the area of availability. Moreno said it increases stock, which means added supply will drive down home prices.

According to a monthly report from the Denver Metro Association of Realtors, the median price for a singlefamily home in February was around $600,000, a more than 5% decline from the month before.

e median price for a condo was around $400,000 in February.

As amendments for better language, and clarifying information on water and infeasibility are already on the table, Rep. Mark Baisley, a District 4 Republican, which covers parts of Douglas County, Fremont County and Je erson County said he is “pleasantly surprised” that both Democrats and Republicans have expressed opposition to the bill’s current language.

Even with possible amendments coming to the bill, Baisley said it still wouldn’t work because the entire bill lacks “humility” and the only way to x it is to redo it completely.

No matter what concessions are made in areas of a ordability and language, Baisley said at the core of the bill is taking away home rule, which likely will not be eliminated. e state intervening just means more government, more state oversight and less local control, Baisley said. at aspect alone makes the bill unlikely to ever be successful.

Woodrow said it is sweeping legislation and can take time, noting that success will be gauged in 10 or 12 months. Instead, he said this bill addresses current needs while allowing Colorado to grow in a more strategic way.

All-American USFL nose tackle by the Pro Football Review in 1984, Tim said. Je then su ered a major knee injury, bringing his football career to a close. But as an athlete, he was only getting started.

At a gym in San Antonio, Je was o ered the opportunity to train to be a wrestler.

“Je , with his impressive physique, had done some bodybuilding competitions,” Tim said. “He trained for four months for his debut in professional wrestling in 1985.”

He carried the nickname “ e Missouri Tiger” into the new sport, competing for the Universal Wrestling Federation, World Class Champion Wrestling, United States Wrestling Association and American Wrestling Federation.

Among many accomplishments, he won the USWA World Tag Team Championship twice with Je Jarrett.

From stardom to the streets

After 12 years as a professional wrestler, Je decided to start a career that would take less of a toll on his body. He worked successfully in the automobile eld, but after a few years, he began to face some personal and nancial struggles.

“In 1999, Je left Gaylord Sales and Leasing and went to work for another dealer,” Tim said. “ ings didn’t work out well for Je and he blamed his personal nancial conditions and turned to becoming a bank robber.”

Je committed a couple bank robberies and served about 12 years in prison, Tim said at the service. While Je was in prison, his wife passed away.

“ at was a crushing blow to my brother,” Tim said. “After his release from prison, with no hope, Je went to live on the streets while selfmedicating with whatever he could nd.”

Treasure House of Hope

For about two decades, Tim said,

he prayed for his brother. In 2020, Je said he was ready for a change. is is when he started participating in the Christian-based recovery program, Treasure House of Hope.

“It’s a house and it’s a safe place where broken, hurt … people come, voluntarily come here, and we saturate them with love, compassion, and give them hope for a better future, a better tomorrow,” said Anderson, the executive director.

At the home, Je joined other men who were struggling with addiction, mental health, homelessness and other challenges in a journey to improve themselves physically, mentally and spiritually.

During the year-long program, Je developed an identity in Christianity and was baptized. For his family and many in his church community, these decisions were monumental.

“ e best parts of the Je Gaylord story have been the last two years,” his nephew TJ Gaylord said at the memorial. “Je Gaylord nally coming to the Lord ... makes the story complete, makes it a story of joy instead of one of tragedy.”

After graduating from Treasure House of Hope in Aurora, Je stayed at the house to support the men by providing nutrition guidance and

physical training.

“Everybody just loved Je , you know?” Anderson said. “He was just that kind of guy. He just always tried to help somebody else… that’s just who he was.”

Living at Treasure House came with its challenges for Je , however. He was older than most of the other program participants and he tended to bottle up his frustration and pain, said housing director Rick Alston.

As time went on, Je began drinking again, Alston said, turning to alcohol as a remedy for signi cant pain from his athletic career. is resurfaced behavior was against house rules and began to impact others who also struggled with alcoholism.

“ e biggest problem that we began to have is that it started to a ect others in the home,” Alston said. “It did get to the point where we just could not have him in the home.” e Treasure House team found several alternative treatment facility options for Je , but he decided to return to the streets, Alston said.

Champion of love

On the day Je died, Tina Hayhurst, executive director of the Englewood organization Movement

5280, informed his family of his passing.

Movement 5280 acts as a support system for many who are unhoused, o ering shelter, food, clothing, showers, mental health support, housing navigation, health and dental services, addiction recovery services, Christian Bible studies and more.

Hayhurst said she wishes more people would recognize that those who struggle with homelessness are human.

“When you get to know them, they’re a person and they’re somebody’s son and daughter and uncle — and they’re not that much different from us,” she said. “We have a fear of what people on the streets are like. And when you sit with them and you have a cup of co ee with them, you realize that they’re just the same (as) us.”

During the last year of his life, Je re-started using several services that he relied on before Treasure House, including Movement 5280. Not only was he a part of the community, but he constantly brought others to help connect them with services.

“You can talk about a lot about his days in football … e champion I saw in him was, while he was on the street, he was helping others on the street to get services,” said Jim Hayhurst, a board member for the organization. “I don’t know that, if I was living on the streets, I could be as sel essly generous as he was in trying to help others.”

Je leaves behind the legacy of a gentle giant who, despite his challenges and mistakes, lived hard and loved even harder.

For Anderson, who has experienced homelessness herself, people like Je are worth getting to know.

“People are so beautiful,” she said. “Before you judge, before you be critical and stereotype, take a moment. It takes just as much energy to be negative and to be judgmental as it does to go and say ‘Hey, what’s your name? How did you get here? What could we do to get you out of here?’ ... Just share some compassion. Just share some love. at’s all it takes.”

Je Gaylord in his high school football uniform.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TIM GAYLORD

Douglas County students walk out for gun control

Join nationwide discussion

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

When a threat was made against a Douglas County school last week, it rea rmed for Nirali Narayan, a junior at Highlands Ranch High School, her decision to walk out of class at noon April 5 to protest gun violence.

“It’s ridiculous that students have to be scared about going to school every morning and our families have to be scared about us returning,” Narayan said.

She joined around 75 students from Highlands Ranch High School — as well as at least 200 students from STEM, Chaparral High School, Mountain Vista High School and Sierra Middle School — who participated in the walkout, a nationwide event coordinated by Students Demand Action in the wake of the recent Nashville school shooting.

Asella Straus, a senior at Highlands Ranch High School and a member of Falcons for Progress, which organized the walkout at the school, said students were reeling from recent events and wanted to respond.

“What happened in Tennessee and East High, which is only like 30 minutes from us, really struck a lot of people at our school,” Straus said. “We’re hoping to get across that more lawmakers need to listen to the younger generation.”

Narayan, who is president of Falcons for Progress, agreed, saying students wanted to send a message to legislators that they support more gun control.

“For me this protest was about getting student voices out there to demand change because it’s so, so overdue,” she said. reats to schools have become so regular that students see them as normal, Narayan said.

“It’s so terrifying to think that we treat a threat of a school shooter at our school or a school near us as normal reality because at this point it is,” she said.  is session, state legislators are debating bills that would increase the age to purchase ri es from 18 to 21 and to expand the Red Flag Law, which allows guns to be taken from someone who poses a risk to themselves or others.

Additionally, in March, the Douglas County School Board discussed asking voters to fund more school resource o cers in the district.

Students at the walkout called for swift action, with signs saying “How many more?” and “Will we survive the next shooting?”

When the walkout ended, Straus said she wasn’t sure she felt heard by those in power, but she still felt the impact of speaking up.

“For the moment, it brought us as a community closer together and our school community closer together,” she said.

Need help with rising heat costs?

Rising heating costs may be hard to budget for this year, but help is available to Douglas County residents who are struggling. If you or someone you know needs assistance, apply now through April 30, 2023, for energy assistance through the State of Colorado’s LowIncome Energy Assistance Program (LEAP). For more information, visit douglas.co.us and search LEAP or email LEAPHELP@discovermygoodwill.org

Spring cleaning is at your curbside

Do you have hazardous waste from a painting project, old oil from your car’s maintenance, or other waste from your recent DIY project? This curbside service is available to Douglas County residents for $30. For details call 1-800-4497587 or visit douglas.co.us and search Household Waste Management

Full property tax payments due

Payments must be received by the Treasurer’s office by April 30, 2023. Payments received after the due date must include applicable interest. To obtain the amounts due or to pay online, please visit douglascotax.com and search for your account.

Need flood zone information?

If you live in unincorporated Douglas County, Flood Insurance Rate Maps and zone information are available by request. Visit douglas.co.us and search for Flood Plain Information. A form may also be requested by calling 303-660-7490 or visiting Public Works, 100 Third St. in Castle Rock.

Do you have...

Mysterious insects? Trees in trouble? A need for gardening advice?

CSU Extension is here for you. We provide answers and education. For more information call 720-733-6930 or visit https://douglas.extension.colostate.edu

Students at Highlands Ranch High School walk out at noon on April 5 to rally in support

COURTESY OF TIFFANY BAKER

At least 1,000 Denver high school students walked out of class on April 7 in response to the death of a 16-year-old classmate at East High.

PHOTO BY JOHN DALEY/DENVERITE

Water conservation e orts continue in Highlands Ranch

BY PAIGE MCFARLAND

SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Colorado residents are learning more each year about the importance, and value of water in their communities. Whether it’s the news headlines, information from their local water provider, or discussions with neighbors or coworkers around the water cooler, people are becoming more aware and interested in how they can do their part to help the water situation in our state.

As a water provider, we are working to rede ne what an attractive landscape is. A sea of lush, green front yards is no longer considered the only way to make a community beautiful. Replacing water-thirsty turf for ColoradoScape is growing in popularity each year.

ColoradoScape is a natural landscape, comprised of low to very-low water use plant material, which

blends in with the native Colorado landscape. It utilizes a combination of hardscape and landscape materials, providing a variety of colors, textures, sizes, shapes and seasonal interest. e result can be a beautiful, colorful landscape that will make your yard the envy of your neighbors.

At Centennial Water, we have offered a variety of rebate and incentive programs for customers for many years now. Our turf replacement rebate has quickly become the most popular. e program began in 2018, and thanks to House Bill 1151, we applied for additional funds this year to put towards the existing program. is means we can help more customers, and provide larger rebates.

Last year in Highlands Ranch, 38 residential participants received the rebate, and more than 25,000 square feet of turf was converted. Participants of the turf replace -

ment program see an average savings of 32% on their water use, which also saves them money on their water bill.

Centennial Water’s turf rebate program offers customers a rebate for replacing up to 1,000 square feet of any high-water-use plant material. The exact amount is dependent on the replacement material.

As you begin to plan your ColoradoScape, I have a few tips to share. First, embrace the natural form of plant material — nature is messy and that’s OK. Two, when selecting plants, make sure to pick shrubs and trees the right size for your landscape. And three, don’t forget about your irrigation system. Drip irrigation is the most e cient irrigation system when installed and used correctly. It is not e ected by wind, evaporation or runo due to the slow application of water.

Starting a landscape project, es-

pecially one that is going to transform your yard from turf to ColoradoScape, can seem overwhelming. Centennial Water is here to help.

I’d love to talk to you about plant suggestions, native grasses, the most e cient way to water, and more. Together let’s conserve water for our future!

Visit Centennial Water’s website to learn more about the turf rebate program, and other water conservation rebates we o er at centennialwater. org/rebates. You can contact me at pmcfarland@highlandsranch.org or 720-240-4918.

Paige McFarland is the Water Conservation Specialist for Centennial Water and Sanitation District, the water provider that serves Highlands Ranch and Solstice. She is a Colorado Certi ed Nursery Professional, Qualied Water E cient Landscaper, and has 10 years experience working in horticulture, eld and design.

Castle Rock

Castle Rock Interfaith Community Prayers. A Space for Spiritual Reflections and Conversations

April Topic: The Importance of Truthfulness

Sunday, April 23rd @ 10:30 am - Noon

Philip S. Miller LibraryJames H. LaRue Meeting Room castlerockbahais@gmail.com castlerock.local.bahai.us/

Reducing barriers to mental health treatment

Growing up in rural Iowa, mental health struggles were not something we spoke about openly or took seriously in any way. Most of my time outside school was spent working or playing sports, and there was never any time to address mental health — there was always something “more important” that needed to be taken care of.

It was especially unheard of at the time to think that a mental illness could be just as disabling as a physical injury.

I have struggled with suicidal thoughts since I was 9 years old and went without any sort of professional care or treatment for over two decades. From my experience, I know that professional intervention can have life-changing results, and one of my priorities as a legislator has always been to ensure those su ering from mental illnesses are able to access care that is as high quality as it is a ordable.

To further this goal, I was a prime sponsor of SB154 in 2021, which established a 988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline in Colorado to coincide with the federal launch in July 2022. For these e orts, I had the honor of being named a legislative champion by Mental Health America.

But there is always more to be done in correcting the healthcare gap between mental and physical illnesses. HB23-1130 is a bill currently gaining traction in our state legislature that is looking to reduce the amount of time between a patient with a serious mental illness (SMIs) being prescribed personalized treatment and when they are able to a ord it and actually begin receiving this form of care. is delay is primarily caused by “step therapy,” which is a treatment approach used by health plans to keep medication costs low.

When a patient is prescribed a drug by their doctor, their health insurance provider or Medicaid will have them try lower-cost medications rst to determine if they will be

GUEST COLUMN

e ective at treating the patient’s condition. If those treatments don’t work, the patient can “step up” to the potentially more expensive treatment originally recommended by their doctor. HB1130 recognizes the signi cant harm that a patient may experience as a result of this delay by seeking to limit its use when treating SMIs.

When HB1130 passed the House with an overwhelming majority vote and show of support from lawmakers with 39 representatives signing on as cosponsors, I knew I wanted to do everything in my power to ensure a similar result in the Senate. A rst “step” was signing on as a prime cosponsor.

e bill does not eliminate step therapy altogether, as it recognizes that insurers need to keep initial costs low to serve a greater number of patients. HB1130 remedies existing step therapy laws to allow patients with SMIs to try only one drug before they will receive insurance coverage for the prescribed drug. Additionally, HB1130 does not lessen step therapy requirements for all Coloradoans with a mental illness, and rather focuses on those with severe mental illnesses that are impacted the most by delays to the most e ective treatments.

As a lifelong advocate for behavioral health being accessible to all who need it, I am proud to be a prime co-sponsor for HB1130. is legislation is a leap forward in recognizing that mental illnesses can be as debilitating as physical illness, and require the same high-quality, a ordable, and individualized care as any other health condition.

Chris Kolker is the Colorado State Senator for District 16 in Centennial.

Grandview students tour, perform in Ireland

Sites, competition and fun

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

ey marched down cobblestone streets, sang and played instruments in stained-glass cathedrals and recited Shakespeare on the grounds of a historical castle. Students from Grandview High School Performing Arts performed at historical sites as they traveled across Ireland.

Around 200 students and sta landed in Dublin, sorted out luggage and instruments and loaded onto buses to head to their rst destination in mid-March.

On the way to the city of Cork, students and sta were welcomed to the Rock of Cashel with a bright rainbow overlooking the green pasture.

Cork, Ireland

As the rst bus made it to Cork, the seniors changed into nice clothing and went to city hall to meet the Deputy Lord Mayor of Cork and city dignitaries. e remaining students and sta were taken through a quick tour of the city where they walked through the famous English Market.

After two days, the group was set to perform on St. Patrick’s Day.

At the Roman Catholic Church St. Mary and St. Anne, three Grandview choirs brought 81 voices together to perform powerful pieces, one being “ e Gift Be Simple/Shenandoah” by David Zimmerman.

While the choir was nishing their performance, the marching band began to warm up for e Cork St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival.

e sound of drums and horns blasting “Hey Look Ma’ I made It” by Panic! At e Disco through the small streets of Cork grabbed the attention of the public. People from di erent countries came by to take pictures and videos of the marching band, color guard and baton twirler.

A news anchor and cameraman from TV 3 Ireland, Virgin Media Television came to spotlight the marching band. With the band playing “I Want You Back” by e Jackson 5, the color guard and baton twirler performed their routine as a sta member of the band was interviewed.

e marching band even went viral on Tik Tok.

When the parade nished, the orchestra was on their way to city hall to perform at a reception for the Lord Mayor of Cork.

“ ere were all these dignitaries from Cork that had come from the parade to hear this speech by the Mayor and some local music groups were also performing there,” said Orchestra Director Mindi Loewen.

ous pieces, including “American Landscape” by Soon Hee Newbold, “America’s Cup” by Alan Silva and a “La La Land” melody.

“It wasn’t like we were background music, it was more like we were the show and they were so kind and attentive and supportive. And it was really quite a spectacular event for the students to get to do,” said Loewen.

Before leaving Cork, the groups had the chance to walk around and experience Blarney Castle and Gardens, where many students lined up to kiss the Blarney Stone.

On the way to the next city, there was a stop at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park in County Clare. On a ledge covered in green moss and in between old canons, the theater group took turns reciting Shakespeare on the entrance to the castle.

Limerick, Ireland

e next set of performances took place in Limerick, starting with the theater group performing at the Milk Market.

As the rain poured down, the marching band embraced the weather - whether they wanted to or not - and prepared for the 51st Annual Limerick International Band Competition. Although everyone was soaking wet and cold, the band had fun randomly playing with another band and getting into a friendly

“I was most proud of the band for battling through very cold temperatures and pouring down rain in Limerick, but still having a wonderful performance and earning ‘Best Youth Band’,” said Marching Band Director Keith Farmer.

After the marching band dried o , they went to St. Mary’s Cathedral to watch the orchestra and choir perform.  e orchestra and choir performed Mozart’s “Ave Verum Corpus” together. e choir went on to perform with beautiful stained glass behind them.

Galway, Ireland

e groups enjoyed sightseeing and exploring some of the most famous landmarks such as the Cli s of Moher on their way to Galway.

Tucked away in a side street, in the Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas, Grandview had the chance to watch the performing arts in Ireland. After Grandview’s musical theater performed numerous classic broadway pieces with multiple quick changes, a school musical theater group performed some of their more mellow pieces.

Following musical theater, the students got a taste of Irish culture as they listened to a group play their violins, banjo and utes. Students erupted with excitement as tradition-

al Irish step dancing began.  e Grandview orchestra and choir then shared their pieces for the students and public of Galway.

“I tried to get them ready for how great the acoustics are in Europe,” said Loewen. “ ey get that last note in that last song and it reverates through the hall; I try to get them ready for it and when it happens, as it did, every kid just lit up with a smile as soon as they heard the magic ray on the last note. ey get it. It cascades down like glitter. It’s amazing.”

Dublin, Ireland

Before departing for the last city, the groups fought harsh winds and rain while exploring the Kylemore Abbey and learning about sheep herding at Dan O’Hara’s Homestead.

Blue skies appeared for the performing arts last full day in Dublin.

As the sun shined through the stained glass and centered in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the choir’s voices echoed throughout the church. e high notes in “Northern Light” by Ola Gjeilo and the upbeat melody of “Battle of Jericho” by Moses Hogan enchanted the public.

“ e cathedral acoustic is such a unique thing,” said Choir Director Darin Drown. “Most of the songs we sing are meant to be performed in the acoustic environment of the cathedral. We really need to use our eyes more than our ears in such an environment. You cannot trust your ears to tell you because of the echo.”

To celebrate a week’s worth of performances, students and sta took time to walk around Dublin before going to Taylors ree Rock for an evening lled with traditional Irish entertainment.

“ e last night’s dinner and entertainment was truly memorable and had the entire group up and out of their seats and dancing and singing along,” said Farmer.

Grandview High School Wolf Pride Marching Band performing in the 51st Annual Limerick International Band Competition.

PHOTO BY HALEY LENA

Grandview High School Wolf Pride Marching Band waiting their turn for the International Band Competition in Limerick.

PHOTO BY MIGUEL ORTEGA

Thu 4/20

Texas Hippie Coalition

@ 6pm Wild Goose Saloon, Parker

Creeping Death @ 6pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

Sacred Reich @ 6pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

Die Like Bothans: WP1313 presents

Jetboy @ 6pm Herman's Hideaway, 1578 S Broadway, Denver

Rend Collective @ 6pm

Cherry Hills Community Church, 3900 Grace Blvd, Highlands Ranch

TJ Miller @ 6:30pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 South Broadway, En‐glewood

Fri 4/21

School Break Camp - 4/21 @ 6:30am / $45 Parker Fieldhouse, 18700 E Plaza Dr., Parker. 303-805-6315

Municipal Waste @ 6pm

Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐

wood

Frank Reyes @ 9pm Stampede, 2430 S Havana St, Aurora

Sat 4/22

Dear Marsha,: DM @ her Freaky Band @ Toleys @ 7pm Toley’s on the Creek, 16728 E Smoky Hill Rd Suite 11C, Centen‐nial

Mon 4/24

School Break Camp - 4/24 @ 6:30am / $45

Parker Fieldhouse, 18700 E Plaza Dr., Parker. 303-805-6315

Wed 4/26

Carcass @ 6pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Englewood

Barkin' Dog Duathlon @ 7am / $58.50-$72

4800 S Dayton, Englewood

easy life w/ Support from SAIAH

@ 8pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Englewood

Tue 4/25

Dave Mensch - Tailgate Tavern - Parker, CO @ 5pm Tailgate Tavern & Grill, 19552 Mainstreet, Parker

Ladies Night @ 5pm / $10 Stampede, 2430 South Havana, Aurora

Fleming Mansion Walkthrough (about 45 days before event) @ 7pm Fleming Mansion, 1510 S. Grant St., Den‐ver. 720-913-0654

DJ Rockstar Aaron @ 7pm Bout Time Pub & Grub, 3580 S Platte River Dr A, Sheridan

Thu 4/27

The King Stan Band in Paradise @ 6pm Paradise Tavern, 9239 Park Mead‐ows Dr, Lone Tree

Vamonos Pest/Mobro:

Vamonos Pest at Wide Open

Saloon @ 5:30pm Wide Open Saloon, 5607 US-85, Sedalia

Rave On Productions: Yesterday and Today: The Interactive Beatles

Experience @ 6:30pm

Parker Arts, Culture & Events Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Avenue, Parker

Tony Medina Music: The Alley Open Mic Hosted By Tony Medina @ 5:30pm The Alley, 2420 W Main St, Little‐ton

Last Train To Juarez: The En‐glewood Tavern, South Broad‐way, Englewood, CO, USA w/ Special Guest Tom McElvain @ 5pm The Englewood Tavern, 4386 S Broadway, Englewood

Tom Mcelvain Music @ 5pm The Englewood Tavern, 4386 S Broadway, Englewood

Jamie Lissow @ 6:30pm Comedy Works South, 5345 Landmark Pl, Greenwood Village

powered by

A valued life FROM THE EDITOR

Afew weeks ago during a regular sta meeting, Colorado Community Media reporter Nina Joss brought up a story she was working on regarding a homeless man who had been found dead in Englewood. Police said he was a “transient” and no foul play is suspected.

Story done — right? Not even close. After hearing some tips about who the man was, Nina dug a little deeper, learning that he was a former pro athlete who was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams and later became a wrestler.

You see, Je Gaylord was not just some problem on a park bench. He was a human being who had fallen on hard times after losing his career. He made some bad choices, he became reliant on alcohol. All these things lead many to homelessness. It’s a series of trapdoors that for some reason just keep opening and closing behind someone. is story is what humanity should

be about.

We so often look past the person. We so often see that homelessness is a problem but do not want to look at the human part of it. Yes, homelessness is a problem not just in the Denver metro area, but the entire nation.

People in this situation — whether through choices or bad luck — should not be looked past but instead considered a part of society. ey are people who matter to their families, friends and others they have helped throughout their lives.

In this case, Nina attended the funeral for Je Gaylord. She listened to the stories from his friends and family about his natural talents in sports. About his abilities and dedication. She heard about his service to members of those going through the Treasure House of Hope where he coached and helped fellow members make good nutritional choices.

I loved this story for so many reasons. It took me into a life of someone we would have never given another thought to. Had Nina not followed up on a tip we would have just passed this o as a data point. So often the homeless population is boiled down to numbers. How many are there on any given night? How much funding is needed to help address the problem? How do they impact the healthcare system? How many have died?

In this case — Nina skipped the data and got right to the heart of who this human being was and why we should stop and think about how people who are struggling to survive deserve some sympathy and empathy.

Am I saying he was perfect? No. In fact, Nina, being a journalist, found that he also had a criminal record that took him to prison and likely helped lead him to the streets. However, he served his time and we are supposed to be a society driven by second chances.

In the end, he was just a member of our population who died alone without truly knowing the love many had for him. I appreciate Nina for giving us a little more insight into a life that mattered to many.

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

New beginnings begin with gratitude

He picked up his grandson from preschool and for a treat the grandfather decided to take his grandson to McDonald’s. It was late afternoon and hardly anyone was in the restaurant at that hour. As they ordered their meal and sat down at a table, the grandson was fascinated by the people cleaning up, sweeping the oor, wiping down tables and taking care of the trash.

As they nished their meal, the grandson was holding his grandfather’s hand as they were leaving the building. e grandson tugged on his grandfather’s hand and said, “Let’s go this way so we can say thank you to the people who work here.” e grandfather smiled, and walked with his grandson as he said thank you to the McDonald’s team. e look on the faces of those behind the counter was genuine warmth as they received the young boy’s gratitude. e only smiles bigger than the grandfather’s, were on the faces of the people working that day.

e boy was only four years old. What a lesson for all of us.

Last week I wrote about another season of new beginnings. If we have been challenged, in a rut, or facing di culties in our lives, we have every chance to start over, give ourselves a new beginning and stop doing what we have always done and expecting di erent outcomes. And maybe our new beginnings begin with gratitude.

WINNING

New beginnings mean change. Whether we are doing really well and just want to raise the bar for ourselves, or we are struggling in some way, we nd ourselves looking to change something. A change in attitude, behavior, strategy, or maybe learning or elevating a skill. And when it comes to changing our attitude I like to think about one of my favorite Jimmy Bu ett songs, “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes. “

A part of the lyrics go like this

“It’s those changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes

Nothing remains quite the same

With all of our running and all of our cunning If we couldn’t laugh we would all go insane” Our attitude has so much to do with the way we choose to live, laugh, love, work and play. And it has been said that gratitude is one of the strongest human emotions. It’s also been said that the more we show our gratitude for what we have, the more we will have to be grateful for. So I think back to the story of the 4-year-old boy and his grandfather, asking myself: Am I saying thank you enough? Am I showing gratitude to every-

SEE NORTON, P13

Columnists & Guest Commentaries

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

Email letters to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Deadline Wed. for the following week’s paper.

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

Thelma Grimes

Survey responses highlight taxes, water

You may ... or may not ... be one of the more than 1,000 residents who participated in our March 5-13 2023 Citizen Survey, yet we believe you will want to know one of the most signi cant ndings this year: 72% of Douglas County residents agree their local tax burden is too high, almost double the results of the same survey question in 2021.

is is the highest “agree” response to the same survey question since 2006, the rst year Douglas County conducted a survey by Hill Research Associates.

We heard the sentiment again almost two weeks later at a March 28 live town hall dedicated to the special concerns of older adults.

We know this is a real concern and we know you need relief. We continue to engage with members of our state delegation, other local leaders and local taxing authorities on this issue.

Are you among those who aligned with the 73% who told us that an “adequate water supply that meets the long-term needs of county residents” is a high priority; and with the 78% who agreed with the statement: “Douglas County should centrally coordinate many water issues now administered by multiple water districts”?

We hear you and continue our work with county water providers as together we advocate for a solid, long-term water plan.

You may or may not be surprised by the analysis of our pollster, who noted for the second time since conducting the survey over two decades that partisanship was “pervasive and a driving force behind

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Choose Eller for SSPR

I am writing to indicate my strong support for Pam Eller, who is a candidate for the South Suburban Parks and Recreation District Board of Directors. In my 22 years as the CEO of Hudson Gardens, I had the pleasure of knowing and working with Pam during her tenure on the district’s board. Pam embraced her role and served with honesty, fairness and thoughtfulness. Her decisions were made only after careful consideration. Pam Eller carried no agenda other than serving the greater good of the district.

I recommend Pam because I know and trust she will bring her passion, dedication and balanced approach to her board responsibilities. Her interests are to serve the entire district by making considered decisions that will allow for South

opinions with sharp breaks in many results along party lines,” and attributes this to “increased partisan rifts stemming from the divisive national politics.” is is particularly evident on questions regarding the “direction of Douglas County” where 49% chose “wrong track” versus 48% “right direction,” which is the lowest “right direction” recorded in Douglas County in more than two decades.

Our pollster tells us that other perceptions, such as the response to “Douglas County has good government” and “Douglas County listens to the people’s voice” questions, have been waning over three or four consecutive surveys beginning in 2017, an indication that these are not just a one-year phenomena and may combine to explain the growing sense that “things in the county are on the wrong track.”

On the other hand, high levels of satisfaction were recorded for: parks and trails (92%); motor vehicle registration (88%); sheri ’s o ce (88%); and elec-

Suburban’s continued growth and development. Of course, Pam’s experience with the district is invaluable. Among other successes she worked with fellow board members and management sta to develop the district master plan and the accompanying strategic plan, both of which have been implemented with outstanding results. Her knowledge of and experience with the district minimizes the learning curve and provides the opportunity for her to contribute from day one. She is a highly respected member of the community and a longtime resident of the district.

Pam Eller is honest, intelligent, thoughtful and experienced. Add her to the South Suburban Board of Directors on May 2.

Rich Meredith Parker

sure you have your own too, but feel free to put these to good use as well.

tions management (82%).

And questions on which residents across all demographic categories agreed: Douglas County is a “good place to raise a family” (93%) and “a safe place to live and work,” (94%). Additionally, 88% agreed “property values are stronger than most” (88%); and 83% agreed Douglas County is a “friendly place.”

We recognize — just as you do — that we do not always agree with one another and may also have di erent viewpoints from those we serve. We think this leads to healthy debate and better outcomes.

We are united in our belief that your opinion is valued. Survey ndings inform and guide our present and future decisions regarding services, communications and public engagement opportunities, spending priorities and planning. We hope you know our focus as stewards of the public trust is rst on the lives and livelihoods of all Douglas County residents and taxpayers. anks to all who participated in this survey. We encourage you to stay engaged with us — as a volunteer on our boards and commissions; as a participant in our live town halls, business meetings and public hearings; and we encourage you to subscribe to receive county news directly.

We encourage you to seek additional information on survey methodology, margin of error, resident outreach, and engagement details on the county’s website at https://bit.ly/3Gwqlkv.

is column was provided by Douglas County Commissioners Lora omas, Abe Laydon and George Teal.

one, not just those closest to me? Am I living out the actions of living and working with an attitude of gratitude?

Again, it’s spring, it’s less than a week past Easter, and it’s the perfect time for new beginnings as life seems to be blooming all around us.

You have all probably heard about this thing called a gratitude challenge. It’s where we are challenged to come up with a few things every day that we are grateful for. One of my close friends, John Brokken, does this every day and posts his gratitude list on social media. It’s one of my very favorite things to read each day.

Here are a few ways that I am changing in my word choices when it comes to showing gratitude, I am

“ ank you very much.” “I appreciate you so very much.” “I am so grateful for you.” “I am so thankful that you are in my life.” “ ank you for being such a blessing to me.”

How about you? Is it time for new beginnings in your own life? And would a new beginning have a better chance of success if you started with lling your gratitude bucket?

I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we remember to show our gratitude, even just a simple and sincere “thank you,” it really will be a better than good life.

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

Warm Hearts Warm Babies serves hospitals, agencies across Colorado

BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Surrounded by colorful fabric patterns, handmade baby items and frequent laughter, volunteers of the Warm Hearts Warm Babies nonpro t went to work on a Friday morning to put together layettes for organizations who need them.

e nonpro t has a list of roughly 40 agencies it delivers items to throughout Colorado, said Kathleen Williams, the nonpro t’s grant coordinator. e list includes the Children’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Platte Valley Medical Center and Denver Medical Center.

“Warm Hearts is totally made up of volunteers,” said Sandi Powis, president of the board of directors. “Everyone’s volunteering with their heart and skills to make things for newborn (babies), preemies to help them get a good start in this world.”

Volunteers sew, knit, crochet and quilt items such as bibs, burp pads, jackets, hats and blankets. e items are assembled into a layette, which is a collection of clothing and accessories for newborn infants.

Each layette contains a quilt, two receiving blankets, bibs, burp pads, clothing and a goodie bag containing items such as a bottle, some diapers and a small toy. ese items are delivered in a handmade tote bag.

“All these items are made with love,” Powis said. “We don’t connect to the individuals personally. We deliver the layettes to hospitals, birthing centers, food banks — anyone that can help us help the newborn.”

A number of the mothers who receive these items are experiencing homelessness, sometimes living in shelters or in their cars, Williams said.

e nonpro t also o ers items for the neonatal intensive care units at hospitals in Colorado, such as positioning roles that are used to help support the infants.

“We also provide clothing for babies that don’t survive, from tiny little babies to full-term babies,” Williams said. “We have clothing for them that we hand out at the hospitals.”

Included in those burial layettes is a cloth-made envelope intended for the parents to hold important items and memories, Powis said.

“It’s sad, but it’s so important,” Powis said. “And to know that a mom wouldn’t have to go out, or send her mom or her sister to go out and nd things for her precious one that has passed — that it can be given to them and that’s not a worry for them.”

How it began

e nonpro t’s origin dates back to 1996, when a woman named Victoria Swain gave birth to a stillborn infant, according to the nonpro t’s website. e hospital she was at could not provide a blanket or clothes for her infant, prompt-

ing Swain to look into how she could help donate these types of items.

After recruiting some volunteers and spending a few years working through a di erent organization called Newborns in Need, in 2000, Swain and the other board members decided to create their own nonpro t: Warm Hearts Warm Babies.

Powis estimated the nonpro t currently has about 200 volunteers and 12 work groups throughout the state including in Arvada, Brighton, Littleton and ornton.

Powis is part of the work group in Conifer, where she lives. She joined the organization roughly six years ago.

“I’ve been doing things for babies for many years, donating to other groups, but they were all missing something. ere was no social connection with anyone else making things,” Powis said. “I found that they had a local organization up here in Conifer and it was like, that’s it — that’s one I can link up with. I can meet people right here in our community.”

Williams learned about the nonpro t through a quilt show, as representatives of the organization had a table at the event. Living in Aurora at the time, she initially joined the Aurora group. Since then, she has moved to Colorado Springs

SEE IN NEED, P15

CIRCLE PHOTO: Eleanor Morris, left, smiles alongside her grandmother, Glenda Bredeson, on March 17 at The Baby House in Arvada.

TOP RIGHT: Signs hanging in the Warm Hearts Warm Babies’ building, called The Baby House, in Arvada on March 17.

Information pamphlets within Warm Hearts Warm Babies’ building in Arvada on March 17.

PHOTOS BY TAYLER SHAW

Sandi Powis, president of the board of directors

Women+Film Festival brings small stories to big screen

There are many features that make lm festivals special events for attendees, but one that keeps me returning every year is the opportunity to catch lms on the big screen you might not be able to any other time. And providing that very experience to audiences is one of the top priorities of the 2023 Women+Film Festival

“So many lms, including a lot of independent lms, just don’t have the same budgets as major studio projects. So, we’re excited to bring smaller lms to local audiences so they can be seen,” said Ambriehl Turrentine, Denver Film programming manager. “ is year we’re looking to connect with viewers who may not be as familiar with the lm world and work we do at Denver Film.”

is year’s festival runs from April 13 through April 16 at the Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver. e festival will screen 11 full-length movies, as well as short lms, and Denver Film ensured that special events aimed at drawing in more of a crowd are included as part of the lineup.

One of the most exciting events is a marketplace, which will be held from noon to 5 p.m. on April 15 in the Sie lobby. According to provided information, shoppers will be able to peruse “gifts, artwork, crafts and novelties from local, woman-owned businesses.” ere will also be live question and answer sessions with

COMING ATTRACTIONS

lmmakers following showings of “ e Disappearance of Shere Hite” on April 15 at and “Girl Talk” on April 16.

“We’ll also have a discussion after ‘Plan C’ on Friday, which will feature the director and representatives from Planned Parenthood,” Turrentine said. “We always look for was to tap into the local lm community, and this lm is a great opportunity to do so.”

As far as lms to get excited about, there’s also festival opener “Judy Blume Forever,” which will be shown before its streaming debut. With a lm version of Blume’s immortal, “Are You ere God? It’s Me, Margaret” coming later in the month, this is a great opportunity to learn more about the wonderful author.

No matter what audiences see, Turrentine hopes people come away with something new to explore.

“I don’t want people to be intimidated by any of the lms or the festival. At the end of the day, it’s another form of entertainment,” she said.

“ ey provide the chance to connect — with a story, someone in the audience or a lmmaker.”

Full festival details and tickets can be found at www.denver lm.org.

gradually grown and expanded in di erent areas of Colorado, said Bredeson, vice president of the nonpro t’s board.

Take a trip to world of the beyond with Paranormal Cirque

Most of us probably have a pretty good idea of what a circus performance will look like. at’s not how Cirque Italia does things, and “Paranormal Cirque,” its latest production, proves that and then some. Described in provided information as an “innovative horror story” for a mature audience, the show aims to take audiences on a thrilling and sexy ride that combines theatre, circus and cabaret.   e show will be staged under a big top tent at the Denver Premium Outlets parking lot, 13801 Grant St. in ornton, from April 20 through April 23. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. ursday and Friday, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday and 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. Sunday.

All the information and tickets van be found at http://www.paranormalcirque.com/tickets.

Samantha Bee, Your Favorite Woman, comes to Denver

Canada’s Samantha Bee is, quiet simply, one of the funniest people on the planet. It’s a total bummer her talk show, “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,” was cancelled last year, as the world could really use her whipsmart take on the day’s events right now.

Fortunately, Bee is doing a national tour and she’ll be bringing “Your Favorite Woman” to the Paramount eatre, 1621 Glenarm Place in Den-

ver at 7 p.m. April 15. I’m not even a little doubtful that it will be one of the year’s funniest and most thoughtprovoking evenings, so secure tickets by visiting https://www.ticketmaster. com.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Dawes at the Ogden Theatre ere’s not a lot of folk rock bands making the rounds on the music scene anymore, which is too bad. e genre was at its peak at the same time some of the century’s best music was being written. ankfully, there are still a few laborers working in the eld of this particular genre, and one of the best is Dawes. e Los Angeles based group not only excel in the kind of music pioneered by e Byrds and CSNY, but over their career they’ve added alt-rock elements, which keeps the sound from growing stale. Last year’s “Misadventures of a Doomscroller,” is their most experimental and far-ranging release to date.   Dawes will be performing at e Ogden eatre, 935 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver, at 8 p.m. April 19. I saw them perform at the Arvada Center last summer and can personally attest to the quality of live performance attendees are in for. Get tickets at https://www.ticketmaster.com.

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

and joined the local work group there.

e importance of the nonpro t’s work resonated with Williams after an interaction she had with a stranger a number of years ago, she said.

“I was still up in Aurora, out buying onesies and things for our (goodie) bags so that we could deliver onesies and diapers and things, and a lady was standing behind me at the cash register,” Williams said.

e woman asked her what she was buying the materials for, to which Williams began to explain Warm Hearts Warm Babies.

“And she stopped me and she said, ‘ en, I need to thank you, because my daughter just had a baby at the hospital and it was wintertime and … we had nothing to bring that baby home in. And I told the nurses and they brought us one of your bags,’” Williams said.

“And so that keeps me going,” she continued. “I think about that and that keeps me going and seeing how important it is, the work we do.”

Fostering community

Materials for making items and assembling the layettes are stored in the nonpro t’s building, based in Arvada, which is nicknamed “ e Baby House.”

Among the volunteers who gathered at the building that Friday was Glenda Bredeson, an Arvada resident who has been a part of the organization since 1999.

Over time, the nonpro t has

Volunteering for the nonpro t has become a family a air, as Bredeson’s 18-year-old granddaughter, Eleanor Morris, worked alongside Bredeson in e Baby House.

“I remember volunteering here when I was a little girl,” Morris said, explaining she and her cousins would help assemble goodie bags.

“I’ve always loved it.”

Since then, she began crocheting and knitting items to donate.

“She was thrilled when she made her rst two baby hats and brought them in,” Bredeson said.

Although Morris lives in Virginia, she visits when she can and also plans to still create items to donate and ship them to the nonpro t.

“I was so excited just to be here and volunteer because I grew up always coming here. Every time I visited, I would be here, and it was just amazing,” she said.

One of Bredeson’s favorite parts of the nonpro t is the people. Vickie Lutz, an Arvada resident who began volunteering for the organization in 2020, agreed and said that’s true for most of the volunteers.

Lutz said the nonpro t has incredibly talented volunteers. She showed o intricate blankets, toys and clothing items in e Baby House that volunteers spent hours creating.

Challenges and goals

e talent of the volunteers isn’t just for making impressive items, though — it can also be applied toward teaching younger people the craft.

“Eleanor came to us. She didn’t know how to knit or crochet, and now she’s phenomenal at it. ere are so many people here that are willing to teach,” Lutz said.

e need for more younger volunteers is a challenge the nonpro t faces.

“We’re all older, and it’s just not going to be sustainable if we don’t get young people,” Lutz said.

Powis said the organization also needs more volunteers who will sew.

“ e last couple of months, unfortunately, we’ve had to cut back. We’ve had to cut back on the clothes,” Powis said. “We were sending out two out ts. Now it’s down to one.”

Before COVID-19, the nonpro t was able to have a backup supply of clothing, she said. Now, the organization is scraping by, month by month, due to losing a lot of active members.

On top of the need for volunteers, there are also nancial pressures.

“Our donations have gone down drastically over the last couple of years,” Powis said. “And again, our volunteers and the items coming in have really gone down — but the need is still the same — more, more.”

To help raise funds to pay for costs such as rent, volunteers will create items to sell at various craft shows.

e nonpro t is also one of the charities that people can select as part of the King Soopers Community Rewards program.

As the grant coordinator, Williams plans to work this year on nding new areas to get donations and support, she said. She noted that Sue Lee, cofounder of the nonpro t

Sock It To ‘Em Sock Campaign, has helped by not only donating socks to Warm Hearts Warm Babies but also in providing connections to other people.

e nonpro t creates 125 to 150 layettes every month, Powis said.

e main goal she has for this year is getting enough donations of money and items to continue the nonprofit’s work.

“ ere are other organizations out there that would love to have us help them, but at this point, we can’t go out and look for more agencies. But I know they’re there — I know there’s more mamas that could use the help,” she said. “I would (like) not only to be able to help who we have, but also for it to grow and help more.”

ere are a variety of ways that community members can support Warm Hearts Warm Babies, Williams explained.

“Even if people don’t sew or … they don’t crochet, but they can help in, you know, at e Baby House or they can help in collecting donations for us — do a donation drive for us in their schools or their churches — to help us so that we can continue to help these mothers and babies and give them a good start in life,” Williams said.

Powis encouraged people to reach out to the nonpro t and come visit them. ose interested in learning more about Warm Hearts Warm Babies can visit warmheartswarmbabies.org.

“We’re a world that needs to be more interactive with each other,” Powis said, emphasizing the importance of volunteering. “It’s so good for your soul.”

Clarke Reader

Town Hall gallery opens ‘Performances’ exhibition

Stanton Gallery at Town Hall Arts Center, 2450 W. Main St. in downtown Littleton, has a new exhibit of works by Littleton Fine Arts Guild members, “Performances.” e show includes “Island Sunset,” a digital painting by Jacqueline Shuler.

New at Depot

New works at the Depot Art Gallery in Littleton include: Best of Show — “Ian” by Kathy Triplett; Best of eme — “Bald River” by Richard Simpson; Second Place — “Just Before the Morning”; ird Place — “Prairie Homes” by William Knoll. Honorable Mentions: Pat Hartman, Carl Paulson, Laurel Burns and Peggy Dietz. e juror was Tim Kathka. See depotartgallery.org for location and hours.

Lecture on city’s culture

Historic Littleton Inc. invites readers to a lecture, “Littleton’s Culture,” by Pat Cronenberger, former mayor and city council member, at 7 p.m. on April 25 at Carson Nature Center King sher Center, 3000 W. Carson Drive in South Platte Park. Free admission.

Opera at DU

Lamont Opera eatre presents Rachel Portman’s “ e Little Prince” at the Newman Center for Performing Arts, University of Denver, on April 20-23. Tickets: bit.ly/lamontopera.

Art in Lakewood

CORE New Art Space at 40 West Art Hub, 6501 W. Colfax Ave. in

SAMPLER

Lakewood, features works by Kathryn Cole and Edgar Dumas: “Autonomy” and “Works on Paper.” Gallery hours: Fridays, 5 to 10 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m.; or by appointment.

Month of PhotograCurtis Center for the Arts, 2349 E. Orchard Road in Greenwood Village, hosts “Inside and Out,” as part of Month of Photography Denver.

Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 303-797-1779.

Theater for kids

“Robin Hood” by Scott Koop, directed by Amy Arpan, will be presented at Miners Alley Playhouse Children’s eater, 1224 Washington Ave., Golden, on Saturdays through April 22 and May 27-June 24. 303935-3044, minersalley.com.

Central City Opera

Central City Opera’s Summer Festival tickets are now on sale. Opening on June 24: Gounod’s “Romeo and Juliet,” followed by “Kiss Me Kate” and “Othello.” 303-292-6700 or centralcityopera.org.

National Geographic Live

National Geographic Live — “Life on the Vertical with Mark Synnot” will be at the Newman Center on

May 15 at 7:30 p.m., presented by the Denver Museum of Nature & Science in June Swaner Gates Hall. Synott is a pioneering big wall climber. Travel with him to Ba n Island, Pakistan, Yosemite. newmancenterpresents. com, 303-871-7720.

Spring Plant Sale

Denver Botanic Gardens at 1007 York St. will hold its Spring Plant Sale on May 12 and 13 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Birdathon reminder

Denver Audubon reminder about Birdathon: Pick a day in May. Sign

up as a Green Team (only walking and biking to birds) or a Group Team (driving allowed). Get a form at denveraudubon.org/birdathon-teamform. Rules, fundraising tips and team pro les available at: denveraudubon.org/birdathon. Get pledges (for example, $1 a bird or a lump sum amount). Individuals who don’t have a team, but would like to help can contact Rhonda at info@denveraudubon.org. ere is a Birdathon webpage for easy donation access. ere will be a Birdathon workshop on April 16 at Denver Audubon Nature Center, 9308 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Littleton. 303-973-9530.

Voices West Chorale to share TV themes

April 29 performances are set for rec center in Highlands Ranch

BY SONYA ELLINGBOE SELLINGBOE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e south metro area’s Voices West Chorale will have one more season

performance on April 29, called “TV eme Songs,” before members take a summer break.

It will be a cabaret-style concert and fundraiser at Wildcat Mountain Auditorium at Southridge Recreation Center, 4800 McArthur Ranch Road in Highlands Ranch. Tickets are available at voiceswest.org. ere will be two performances, at 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., according to chorale president Kelli Chan, who lives in Highlands

Ranch.

Chan says the chorale will reach a 45th anniversary in August of this year.

It started as the Littleton Chorale and was rst directed by Bud Nicholson, with musical members of the Friends of the Littleton Library joining together to make music and entertain local friends.

Subsequent directors included Vicki Burrichter, Larry Johnson, Glen McCune and James Ramsey. Many of the original members were also involved in creating “Fiasco,” a musical spoof of Littleton: its city council, school board and whoever else was active around town. at show was created by members for a number of years and was a source for lifelong friendships

Since that was just a beloved spring event, they continued to gather and sing together through the year, performing an occasional concert at Littleton United Methodist Church, another church, or a school.

Chan says Voices West membership is about 50 right now, although it had reached 70 before the COVID scene hit the world of entertainment hard. All members are volunteers except the director, assistant director, accompanist and assistant accompanist.

Michael Krueger, who is director of Voices West, is also director of music at King of Glory Methodist Church in Lakewood.

“ e chorale is a lot like a family.

We are getting younger and younger members,” she says of choir members, who o er a mix of age, economic status, political views and abilities.

Chan said that when she joined the choir, she had not sung for over 30 years, but on the rst night, she could feel her voice coming back. When she was a child, she joined a band, a choir and sought out music wherever she could.

“For other members and myself, making music together brings joy to us and the audience.”

“Members cover a wide range — not all are music teachers, music majors — there’s a wide range of interests.”

“We’ll watch for opportunities to collaborate with other area groups. Our rst event after the pandemic was a collaboration with Ballet Folklorico,” she said.

After the nal concert for this season, planning for the next season will be underway. e group will travel to Spain and Portugal, leaving a day after Christmas.

Smaller groups from the membership perform throughout the community during the year and Chan hopes to have a quartet or two to sing at the August Western Welcome Week booth the group is planning. (Near the ice cream store.)

Prospective members can see the chorale in the Western Welcome Week Parade and inquire about membership, Chan says, or can go through the website at voiceswest.

“Island Sunset” by Jacqueline Shuler of the Littleton Fine Arts Guild is a digital painting exhibited at Town Hall Arts Center. COURTESY PHOTO

SONYA’S

Colorado collecting higher gasoline tax

BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado began collecting a 2-cent-per-gallon fee on gasoline purchases on April 1.

Revenue from the fee, which increases to 3 cents per gallon on July 1, will go toward addressing the state’s multibillion-dollar transportation project backlog. e charge was imposed through a bill passed by the legislature in 2021 that also added fees on deliveries, rideshare rides and electric vehicles.

e gas fee was originally supposed to begin in July 2022, but the legislature delayed the start until April 1, at a cost of $45 million, because of high gas prices. A year ago, the average cost of a gallon of regular gas in Colorado was $3.97. is week, it was hovering around $3.47.

Fuel prices reached an all-time high in Colorado in June 2022, when a gallon of regular gasoline averaged $4.92 and diesel was at $5.54 a gallon, according to AAA. e gas fee is set to increase gradually by 1 cent per year until it reaches 8 cents per gallon in July 2028. In

July 2032, the fee will be adjusted annually based on in ation.

Other fees imposed by the bill include:

• A 27-cent fee on deliveries

• A 30-cent fee on rideshares

• A 4-cent-per-gallon fee on diesel fuel. Like the gas fee, the diesel fee increases annually — but by 2 cents — until it reaches 16 cents in 2028.

e fuel and road-usage fees are the subject of a lawsuit led in Denver District Court by conservatives who argue the charges were illegally imposed. Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights requires that voters approve all tax increases, but fees

can be imposed by the legislature as long as the revenue goes to a set purpose. Colorado also collects a 22-cent tax on each gallon of gas sold. e state’s gas tax is among the lowest in the country.

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

Gun violence hits 40-year high in Colorado

Death rates also high

BY JOHN INGOLD THE COLORADO SUN

In the spring of 2019, as the state mourned the shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch and lawmakers began eyeing a raft of new rearms-related legislation, e Colorado Sun analyzed 38 years of state data on gun deaths.

At the time, e Sun found that 20,669 people died from rearmrelated injuries between 1980 and 2018, and the death rate, after dipping in the early 2000s, was on the

Elbert County resident, 19, faces school-threat charges

Total to be 3 cents SGILBERT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A 19-year-old Elbert County resident is facing two charges of attempt to commit rst-degree murder in connection with threats involving a Colorado Springs school district.

An arrest a davit identi es the defendant as William Whitworth and notes that the suspect uses the name

Lily, which is used throughout the rest of the a davit.

Elbert County sheri ’s personnel arrested Whitworth at home a few miles south of Kiowa on March 31 and noted in the a davit that a drunken Whitworth described plans to carry out a shooting, with Timberview Middle School referred to as one of

rise.

Now, with the reverberations from a shooting at Denver’s East High School still ringing and lawmakers again hotly debating a slate of gun bills, e Sun decided to revisit that earlier analysis.

e number of those who have died from rearm-related injuries has increased, of course. Between 1980 and 2021 — the most recent year for which nalized mortality data is available — 23,493 people were killed by gunshot wounds, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Following the mass shooting in Nashville, Tennessee where six people were killed, the Douglas County GOP group wrote a letter to the Douglas County School Board calling for arming teachers. The idea was rejected by the board. SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

Law gives runaways edge over treatment sta

Authority is limited

BY JENNIFER BROWN THE COLORADO SUN

Workers who care for kids in residential treatment centers say they feel powerless to prevent them from running away because of a Colorado law that limits their authority to restrain them.

Sta reported in a new study that they’re regularly confused and paralyzed by what’s known as the Colorado “Restraint and Seclusion Act,” which says they cannot physically prevent a child from leaving a residential treatment center unless the child is in imminent danger. Even police o cers who respond to a barrage of runaway calls often do not understand that treatment center sta cannot restrain or block kids from eeing, sta reported.

In one case, a worker watched helplessly as a 13-year-old boy ran from a center in the middle of a blizzard wearing only sweats and ip- ops. Instead of trying to catch him, she kept an eye on the boy from her car until, gratefully, the child returned to the facility on his own. She feared that he would freeze to death while she also wondered if she would lose her job if she touched him.

e study is part of legislation passed last year that set up a task force overseen by the state child protection ombudsman to determine why so many children and teens are running from foster care placements

and residential treatment centers.

A 2021 joint Colorado Sun/9News investigation found that kids are running from the centers nearly every day and that two boys who ran away from di erent facilities were struck by cars and killed. e Sun investigation found that Denver police were called to Tennyson Center for Children about once per day and to Mount Saint Vincent center about twice per week.

Each year, 20-30 kids run away from foster care placements in Colorado and are not found. eir child welfare cases are closed.

e new study, by researchers from the University of Denver’s Evaluation and Action Lab, included interviews with 15 sta as well as 21 young people ages 12-17 who have run from placements.

A key reason they run is that they are looking for “connectedness,” the researchers found, often by running to family members. Also, they are living in “ ght, ight or freeze” mode, a constant state of stress. Children are typically “dysregulated at the time of a run” and are “unable to access parts of their brain that allow them to make rational decisions and understand consequences,” according to the study.

ey run when they are triggered by upsetting events. ey run because they are not connected to sta members and they’re seeking connection. ey feel ignored and unseen. Some run to nd drugs or alcohol. Many run to a place of familiarity, the study found.

Children are placed in residential treatment centers either because they are in foster care due to abuse

and neglect, or because their behavioral and mental health issues are beyond their parents’ control.

In the past few years, updates in state law and regulation have attempted to strike a balance between children’s safety and the use of restraints and seclusion. One new law came in response to concern that the youth corrections division was relying too heavily on solitary connement and straitjackets to control behavior. Other state regulations say that residential treatment center sta cannot use physical restraint on children in out-of-home placements unless there is imminent danger to themselves or others.

Sta interviewed for the study said they want the state to de ne “imminent danger” so they have a clearer understanding of when they are allowed to prevent a child from running either by restraining them or physically blocking a doorway. ey also want help from the Colorado Department of Human Services, which includes the child welfare division, in creating better collaboration between youth residential facilities and local law enforcement o cers who respond when children try to run.

Workers also reported that when they write required reports about children running from a center, they take the blame, feeling “the assumption was that they had not done everything in their power to keep youth from running.” Often, the only option is calling the police.

e law that prevents physical intervention leaves no room for what a parent would want, sta complained.

TURN TO THE COLORADO SUN FOR NEWS ACROSS THE STATE

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“If I was the mother of one of those children, I would want a voice,” one sta member reported to the study authors. “I don’t think we listen to our families enough in that interpretation. I used to get numerous phone calls, ‘How do you let my kid run away? I put him there for him to be safe. How can you just say that you guys let them walk away?’”

Kids who have run away say that when they are returned to residential centers they feel like they are punished, the study found. “Like you can’t change your clothes. You can’t wear shoes. You have to wear your slides. You have to only wear scrubs,” one child said. “You can’t wear your personal clothes. You’ll be separated, so you won’t be with the unit.”

One child described it plainly — they run because they want to go

“I honestly just didn’t want to sit here and do another six months of treatment,” the child said. “It’s really hard because a lot of us, me, we, have so many people at home that we care about. For my speci c situation, I have two little sisters, and I’m missing my little sister’s rst days of kindergarten, and she’s getting bullied in school right now. And I have to hear about it over a phone. It really sucks. So, I guess I just wanted to leave. at’s pretty much why I ran.”

e task force is named for Timmy Montoya-Kloepfel, who was 12 when he ran from Tennyson Center for Children in Denver in June 2020 and died after he was hit by a Chevy Tahoe. His mother did not know for 26 hours where he had gone after running from the center.

Timmy and Andrew Potter, 15, were killed in separate incidents with similar details — both were struck by cars late at night after running away from di erent centers, two years apart.

eir deaths and the escalating runaway problem at some residential child care facilities sparked calls for investigation and allegations from residential centers that they were su ering from years of inadequate state funding. Some called for review of state regulations that prohibit centers from locking their doors or using physical force to prevent children from running away.

e task force, which includes former foster kids, foster parents, social workers, a police o cer and county child welfare o cials, must submit reports to the legislature by October 2024.

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

papers as a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy. The Sun is CCM’s partner for statewide news.

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

Cleo Wallace Academy is inside the Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health building complex seen on April 21, 2021, in Westminster. COURESTY OF THE COLORADO SUN

Snowpack is peaking higher than usual

Spring floods a concern

BY SHANNON MULLANE THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado’s snow season is nearing its typical peak with above-average snowpack, and water o cials are beginning to worry about ooding and gauging potential reservoir releases. But in some places, the snow just keeps coming.

Each year, April marks the point in the season when the snowpack starts to reach its peak as temperatures warm and spring runo begins. It’s also an important point for water o cials, water users and even emergency managers: How high the snow piles up is a key indicator of water supply for the next year, but how fast it melts can have big impacts on ooding and seasonal irrigation.

“We do anticipate high water,” said Sgt. Todd Wheeler, emergency management coordinator for Mo at County in northwestern Colorado. “Will it be higher than normal? at remains to be seen.”

In the Colorado River Basin, which supplies water to 40 million people spread across seven Western states and 30 Native American tribes, the snowpack was above average as it reached its seasonal peak.

In the Upper Colorado Region, which includes Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Utah, the snowpack usually peaks around April 8, and on ursday, it was about 160% of the median from 1991 to 2020, according to Natural Resources Conservation Service data. It was even nearing the highest snowpack recorded since 1986.

e Lower Colorado Region, which includes Arizona, California and Nevada, was at 446% of the historical median as of ursday.

e above-average snow is welcome news for the parched basin, which is facing its worst drought in 1,200 years. However the basin’s two largest reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, will need to see this kind of snowfall for multiple years to recover from the impacts of prolonged drought and overuse, experts say. e water levels at Lake Mead are even projected to fall further this year, according to the Bureau of Reclamation.

“While this year has been really good news in terms of above-average snowpack and above-average stream ows into Lake Powell over the summer, it’s not enough to totally re ll those reservoirs or even get them back to normal,” said Peter Goble, a climatologist with the Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University.

e seasonal peak refers to the snow-water equivalent — the amount of liquid water in snow — in the snowpack. e peaks vary regionally and year to year, and the data can be sparse for elevations higher than 11,000 feet and lower than 9,000 because of the distribution of data collection stations, called SNOTEL sites, Goble said.

In Colorado, the snowpack has already passed its historical peak in southern basins, including the Upper Rio Grande, Arkansas and

the combined San Miguel-DoloresAnimas-San Juan basin. Northern basins, like the Yampa-White, Gunnison, Colorado main stem, North Platte and South Platte, will peak this weekend or later this month. at means more winter storms might roll through — and help add to the water supply — but they will balance out with spring runo as temperatures warm.

“ at’s not to say that the moisture that falls after peak snowpack isn’t important,” Goble said. “In fact, it is really important, what happens in late April and May, in terms of the overall runo that we get. But I think you’ll probably see our numbers peak quite soon here.”

Western Slope river basins, which feed the Colorado River, were all reporting above-average snowpack Wednesday. e snowpack in the Upper Rio Grande basin, which usually peaks April 2, was at 135% of the historical median, according to SNOTEL data April 5.

In southwestern Colorado, the combined San Miguel-DoloresAnimas-San Juan basin blasted past its historical median this season, reporting the highest snowpack in the state at about 180%. e basin typically peaks April 2 with a snowwater equivalent of 18.1 inches. is year, the basin reported 31.5 inches, which is half an inch lower than the maximum recorded between 1987 and 2022.

“In the modern SNOTEL observation era, we’re right on the doorstep of a record,” Goble said. “I’m not sure if we’re going to get there … but we’re going to get darn close to a new, modern era snowpack record in the San Juan combined basin.”

e region has been hit hard by the drought in recent years, and water o cials, farmers, ranchers and other water users are enthusiastic about the deep snowpack.

For Ken Curtis, general manager

of the Dolores Water Conservancy District, the plentiful snowpack means that the local reservoir will ll, and the district is even starting to plan a managed release for rafters and ecological purposes, he said.

Montezuma County emergency manager Jim Spratlen said the high snowpack could also mean ooding as rivers swell in May and June. Spratlen’s team was already updating emergency planning resources online and handing out sandbags to people in the towns of Dolores and Mancos in early April as a precautionary measure.

“Basically, we prepare for everything,” he said. “We prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”

As of April 6, projections from the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center indicated that three areas of the Western Slope, in Mo att, Routt and Gunnison counties, are already more than 50% likely to see ooding.

Higher, northern elevations are still seeing new snow, and spring runo is weeks away; however, emergency managers in those areas are also preparing for the spring runo .

ey’re taking precautionary steps, like clearing ditches and culverts, holding planning meetings, running high-water public service announcements and monitoring ow-rates and areas prone to ooding. ey’re also watching weather forecasts for signs of prolonged warming, higher nighttime temperatures and duston-snow events, all of which can speed melting.

e Gunnison County snowpack was well above average according to SNOTEL data, said Scott Morrill, the county’s emergency manager.

“What the Snotel data does not re ect is the mid and low elevation snow levels/water content,” he said in an email to e Colorado Sun. “As of a couple weeks ago, readings

at all of the low/mid elevation sites were very high, with some of them at

e Gunnison and Yampa-White basins were at 161% and 146% of their historical medians, respectively, as of Wednesday. Both will pass their usual seasonal peaks this weekend.

e Colorado main stem, which was 132% of its historical median Wednesday, usually peaks around

In Routt County, particularly north of Steamboat Springs, conditions are similar to 2011 which was a big ood year, said David DeMorat, emergency operations director.

“It all depends on how quickly it melts. at’ll be a key thing,” he said. Before the spring runo heightens in coming weeks, the key for community members is to contact their local emergency management o ces and sign up for their alert systems,

“To us, that is one of the biggest things that the public really needs to do, and then they will be noti ed if something’s going on,” he said. “ ey’re going to be very aware of it, whether it’s a law enforcement issue, a ood, a re evacuation, or what-

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

Snowplow removing snow from a street.

SHUTTERSTOCK

Valor Christian girls drop close contest against Broomfield

Highlands Ranch school is ranked 2nd

BY JIM BENTON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Broom eld struck quickly at the start of both halves on April 8 and downed Valor Christian, 2-1, in a battle between the nation’s and state’s top girls soccer teams.

“We have to be ready to play,” said Valor coach Brian Schultz. “It was di cult for us. It’s di cult as the girls aren’t used to coming from behind. at was new to us.”

Broom eld, top-ranked in the CHSAANow.com April 3 poll, improved to 6-0 this season while second-ranked Valor fell to 3-1-1 for the young season.

Coach Jim Davidson’s Broom eld team is ranked third nationally in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll while Valor of Highlands Ranch was ninth.

Broom eld controlled possession for a majority of the game but it was the two quick goals by University of Denver commit Michaela McGowan that turned out out to be the di erence.

McGowan scored just over four minutes into the game to give Broom eld an early lead. And then she rebounded a goal into the the net in the rst minute of the second half to push the visitors ahead 2-0.

Davidson said his team talked about how good they play early in the game and during the late stages of a half.

Schultz applauded the way his team kept playing despite the decit but Valor had trouble generating many shots on goal against the stout Broom eld defense.

Jo See, Valor’s leading scorer, scored on a penalty kick with 2:15 remaining in the contest to cut into the lead but the team could never mount another threat.

Valor starts play in the 5A Jefferson County League on April 11 and Schultz pointed out that it will be tough with games against teams that received votes in the CHSAA poll, such as Columbine, Arvada West, Ralston Valley and Chat eld.

State football championships

e 4A and 5A CHSAA state football championship games will be held at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins next season as the CHSAA announced a partnership with Colorado State University.

e 3A state title game will move to Canvas Stadium in 2024-25 and all three games will be played the same day.

e underbowl in Pueblo will be the site for the 2023 state title football game.

Empower Field at Mile High has hosted the 5A/4A football championship contests since 2005. e

Kay Morse (3) of Valor Christian tracks down the ball during the April 8 game against Broomfield.

Valor Christian’s Ella Ashouri (19) tries to get to the ball despite the e orts of a Broomfield player during the April 8 game at Valor Christian. Broomfield scored early in each half and got a 2-1 win over Valor.

Abby Aeschleman is medalist at season’s second tourney

BY JIM BENTON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Abby Aeschleman, a senior at Mountain Vista high school, has tucked a positive attitude into her golf bag so far this season.

Aeschleman fashioned a 3-under-par 69 to take medalist honors at the Continental League’s second tournament of the season on April 4 at South Suburban golf course

She was pleased with her playing, noting: “I made some good putts.”

She made four birdies on the front nine and was 5-under-par after 11 holes. She bogeyed the 12th and 13th holes but recovered with pars on the nal ve holes.

“I just try to stay postitive and not be negative,” Aeschleman explained. ‘I don’t know how to explain it but I always just try to think about the good stu . Like if there is water, I’ll ignore it and think it’s going to go on the green or in the hole. I like to be super con dent.

“I just try to think about the next shot and what I can do with that.You never know, you can make a great shot and turn a bad hole around.”

Mountain Vista coach Ray Bikulcius was not surprised by Aeschleman’s 69 at South Suburban.

“She created a plan for the course during our practice round and she was very committed to that plan,” he said. “Her course demeanor was excellent all day. As a coach I don’t know if she is under par

SOCCER

FROM PAGE 20

Vista golfer stays positive

or 10 over. I’m so proud of her commitment to make the team better and as captain it starts with her.”

e start of the girls golf season can be tough because of the spring weather and the lack of time to be outside playing golf during the winter.

“I worked a lot over the winter indoors and did a lot of things with coach but it is so hard to get outside with the weather,” said Aeschleman. “It is de nitely a disadvantage to be playing in the spring instead of the fall (like high school boys).

“I just try to focus and try to keep it simple like hitting balls on the range and don’t try to overcomplicate it.”

Aeschleman was fourth last year at the state tournament and has high hopes for this season’s CHSAA state championships.

“My goal this year is to win state,” she aditted. “I’m excited for that. You have to treat state the same. A tournament is a tournament whether it be at state, so you have to kind of have the right mindset.

“I would say my putting is the biggest improvement in my game. I’ve always been pretty good tee to green but once I get on the green my putting has alwys let me down. is year I’ve worked really hard and try to make those putts.”

Besides Aeschleman, sophomore Ashleigh Wilson of Rock Canyon had a 1-under-par 71 at the April 4 league tourney.Rock Canyon’s Ashley Chang red a 76 and Brooke Hudson of Chaparral carded a 79.

Rock Canyon took team honors in the league’s second meet wirh a 325 total to edge Mountain Vista (328) and Legend (350).

to Fort Collins continues our e orts to build upon that strength.”

contract with the Denver Broncos and Colorado Sports Hall of Fame ended at the conclusion of the 2022-23 school year.

CHSAA Commissioner Mike Krueger said it was di cult to leave Empower Field but the move to Fort Collins could be bene cial.

“I believe it is a strength when we recognize the diversity in our state and acknowledge that our kids come from all over,” he said. “Bringing this championship event

e Colorado Sports Hall of Fame released gures from the 18-year agreement with the CHSAA to help host the games.

All the game day expenses were paid by the Hall of Fame in exchange for 100% of the ticket revenue. e CHSAA was guaranteed no less than $60,00 for each event. Net revenues for the Hall of Fame were donated to youth sport organizations in Colorado.

Largest attendance at the state title games was in 2021 when 15,952 people watched the games. e gross revenue in 2021 was $244,995.

Mountain Vista senior Abby Aeschleman carded a 3-under-par 69 to capture medalist honors on April 4 at the Continental League tournament at South Suburban golf course. Aeschleman has averaged a score of 72 in the league’s first two tournaments this season.

PHOTO BY JIM BENTON

ELZZ

VIOLENCE

But more surprising is that the rearm-related death rate in 2021 was the highest since at least 1980. e new analysis shows the state recorded 18.2 gun deaths per 100,000 people in 2021, far exceeding any other year in that time span. e previous high was in 1981, at 16.3 deaths per 100,000 people.

ese numbers include all deaths caused by rearms — homicides, suicides, accidents and incidents where the intent cannot be determined. ough still preliminary, the rearm-related death rate appears to have declined slightly in 2022. e state will likely have nal data on 2022 deaths next month, and it is possible that the preliminary gure — 16.8 deaths per 100,000 people — could rise as more deaths are o cially recorded.

e reason we stop the analysis at

CHARGES

the “main targets” and with plans including a “layout of the school, active rearm planning and starting a manifesto.” Other potential targets were described as churches, Prairie Hills Elementary School and Pine Creek High School.

Whitworth described attending Timberview Middle School as recently as seventh grade with only home schooling afterward, the a davit says. e sheri ’s o ce responded to the home after a report from Whitworth’s sister. e a davit says the sister described a disturbance at the home

1980 is because that’s how far back CDPHE has data on rearm-speci c causes of death.

e state does have data on suicides going back to 1940 and homicides back to 1970. But, because those numbers do not record whether a gun was involved in the deaths, they are not comparable to post-1980 numbers. Gun deaths are increasing across most age groups in the state. e only age group where a trend is di cult to discern is for children from birth through age 9. Deaths in that age range can be few enough in a given year that CDPHE won’t release the actual numbers — it is common in health statistics for small numbers to be withheld for privacy reasons.

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

and said Whitworth had made threats to shoot up a school on March 31 and March 29.

e a davit says Whitworth showed sheri ’s personnel the manifesto with a list of rearms and how to 3D-print them, a list of “numerous named individuals to be killed” and information about building improvised explosive devices. Other writings included references to the Columbine and Sandy Hook killers.

In addition to the attempted murder charges, Whitworth has been charged with criminal mischief, menacing and interference with educational institutions. Whitworth was jailed on $75,000 bond with a preliminary hearing set for May 5 in Elbert County District Court.

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Public Notices

Legals

Public Trustees

PUBLIC NOTICE

Parker NOTICE OF SALE

Public Trustee Sale No. 2023-0039

To Whom It May Concern: On 2/14/2023 10:52:00

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

Original Grantor: MICHAEL F JONES AND TEASHA J JONES

Original Beneficiary: MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. ACTING SOLELY AS NOMINEE FOR QUICKEN LOANS INC.

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt: ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC F/K/A QUICKEN LOANS, LLC

F/K/A QUICKEN LOANS INC.

Date of Deed of Trust (DOT): 9/28/2018

Recording Date of DOT: 10/3/2018

Reception No. of DOT: 2018060580

DOT Recorded in Douglas County.

Original Principal Amount of Evidence of Debt:

$385,700.00 Outstanding Principal Amount as of the date

hereof: $398,665.11

Pursuant to C.R.S. §38-38-101 (4) (i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust and other violations of the terms thereof.

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 19, BLOCK 11, THE PINERY SW FILING NO. 1A, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO

Which has the address of:

5335 Military Trl, Parker, CO 80134-5171

NOTICE OF SALE

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

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

Original Principal Amount of Evidence of Debt: $239,100.00

Outstanding Principal Amount as of the date hereof: $133,448.78

Pursuant to C.R.S. §38-38-101 (4) (i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: FAILURE TO MAKE TIMELY PAYMENTS AS REQUIRED UNDER THE EVIDENCE OF DEBT AND DEED OF TRUST.

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 10, BLOCK 1, THE VILLAGES OF PARKER FILING NO. 2, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO.

AMANDA FERGUSON Colorado Registration #: 44893 355 UNION BLVD SUITE 250, LAKEWOOD, COLORADO 80228 Phone #: (303) 274-0155

Fax #: Attorney File #: CO21429

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

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

address and telephone numbers of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness

Which has the address of:

10896 Omaha Lane, Parker, CO 80138

NOTICE OF SALE

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

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

First Publication: 4/13/2023

Last Publication: 5/11/2023

Publisher: Douglas County News Press

Dated: 2/9/2023

DAVID GILL

DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee

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: JOHN BREILO

Original Beneficiary: MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. AS NOMINEE FOR REVERSE MORTGAGE FUNDING LLC, ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt: CARRINGTON MORTGAGE SERVICES, LLC

Date of Deed of Trust (DOT): 5/18/2021

Recording Date of DOT: 10/20/2021

Reception No. of DOT: 2021119555

DOT Recorded in Douglas County. Original Principal Amount of Evidence of Debt:

$1,162,500.00

Outstanding Principal Amount as of the date hereof: $374,680.93

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: Borrower has died and the property is not the principal residence of any surviving Borrower, resulting in the loan being due and payable.

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 2, PARKER VILLAGE FILING NO. 1, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO

First Publication: 4/6/2023

Last Publication: 5/4/2023 Publisher: Douglas County News Press

Dated: 2/9/2023 DAVID GILL

DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee

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

N. APRIL WINECKI Colorado Registration #: 34861 9800 S. MERIDIAN

as nominee for Citywide Banks,

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

Which has the address of: 12301 Pine Dr , Parker, CO 80138

Douglas County Warrants

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt: BOKF, N.A.

Date of Deed of Trust (DOT): 10/31/2016

Recording Date of DOT: 11/2/2016

Reception No. of DOT: 2016079106

DOT Recorded in Douglas County.

Original Principal Amount of Evidence of Debt:

$384,950.00

Outstanding Principal Amount as of the date hereof: $346,283.00

Pursuant to C.R.S. §38-38-101 (4) (i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust and other violations of the terms thereof.

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 334, MERIDIAN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CENTER FILING NO. 7C, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO

Which has the address of:

14103 Double Dutch Circle, Parker, CO 80134

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, May 17, 2023, at the Public Trustee’s office, Philip S Miller Building Hearing Room, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, I will sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law. If the sale date is continued to a later date, the deadline to file a notice of intent to cure by those parties entitled to cure may also be extended.

First Publication: 3/23/2023

Last Publication: 4/20/2023

Publisher: Douglas County News Press

Dated: 1/30/2023

DAVID GILL

DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee

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

JENNIFER C. ROGERS

Colorado Registration #: 34682 4530 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. 10, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA 89119

Phone #: 877-353-2146

Fax #:

Attorney File #: 48065998

*YOU MAY TRACK FORECLOSURE SALE

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

Legal Notice No. 2023-0026

First Publication: 3/23/2023

Last Publication: 4/20/2023

Publisher: Douglas County News Press

PUBLIC NOTICE

Parker NOTICE OF SALE Public Trustee Sale No. 2023-0029

To Whom It May Concern: On 2/2/2023 3:50:00

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: JEREMY RAY MCCAMY

Original Beneficiary:

MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION

SYSTEMS, INC. AS NOMINEE FOR PLUM

CREEK FUNDING, INC., ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt:

ARC HOME LLC

Date of Deed of Trust (DOT): 4/27/2021

Recording Date of DOT: 4/30/2021

Reception No. of DOT: 2021056179

DOT Recorded in Douglas County.

Original Principal Amount of Evidence of Debt:

$564,752.00

Outstanding Principal Amount as of the date

hereof: $551,799.49

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: Borrower's failure to make timely payments as required under the Evidence of Debt and Deed of Trust.

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 10, BLOCK 6, STROH RANCH FILING NO. 12, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO.

Which has the address of: 12813 Domingo Court, Parker, CO 80134

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, May 24, 2023, at

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

Legal Description of Real Property: LOT 97A, SIERRA RIDGE FILING NO. 3, 1ST AMENDMENT, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO.

Which has the address of: 14872 Vienna Cir, Parker, CO 80134 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.

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

9/29/2004 Recording Date of DOT: 10/4/2004 Reception No. of DOT: 2004102623 DOT Recorded in Douglas County. Original Principal Amount of Evidence of Debt: $76,600.00 Outstanding Principal Amount as of the date hereof: $57,072.07

Pursuant to C.R.S. §38-38-101 (4) (i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust and other violations of the terms thereof.

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 64, STONEGATE FILING NO. 21A, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO.

Which has the address of:

10119 Riverstone Drive, Parker, CO 80134 NOTICE OF SALE

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

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

First Publication: 4/13/2023

Last Publication: 5/11/2023

Publisher: Douglas County News Press

Dated: 2/15/2023

DAVID GILL

DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee

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

N. APRIL WINECKI

Colorado Registration #: 34861 9800 S. MERIDIAN BLVD. SUITE 400, ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO 80112

Phone #: (303) 706-9990

Fax #: (303) 706-9994

Attorney File #: 22-026211

*YOU MAY TRACK FORECLOSURE SALE

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

Legal Notice No. 2023-0040

A PLAINSCAPITAL COMPANY

Pursuant to C.R.S. §38-38-101 (4) (i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust and other violations of the terms thereof.

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: Borrower's failure to make timely payments as required under the Evidence of Debt and Deed of Trust.

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 16, CHALLENGER PARK TOWNHOMES, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO.

Which has the address of: 9567 Deerhorn Ct #16, Parker, CO 80134

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, May 17, 2023, at the Public Trustee’s office, Philip S Miller Building Hearing Room, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, I will sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law. If the sale date is continued to a later date, the deadline to file a notice of intent to cure by those parties entitled to cure may also be extended.

THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that on the first possible sale date (unless the sale is continued*) at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at the Public Trustee’s office, Philip S Miller Building Hearing Room, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, I will sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law. If the sale date is continued to a later date, the deadline to file a notice of intent to cure by those parties entitled to cure may also be extended.

DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee

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

JENNIFER C. ROGERS Colorado Registration #: 34682 4530 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. 10, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA 89119 Phone #: 877-353-2146 Fax #: Attorney File #: 48061541

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

First Publication: 4/13/2023

Last Publication: 5/11/2023

Publisher: Douglas County News Press PUBLIC NOTICE

Parker NOTICE OF SALE Public Trustee Sale No. 2023-0023

To Whom It May Concern: On 1/25/2023 9:05:00

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

Original Grantor: ETHNA M RONDEAU

Original Beneficiary: MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. AS NOMINEE FOR PIVOT LENDING GROUP, ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt: Zing Credit Union Date of Deed of Trust (DOT): 7/24/2019

Recording Date of DOT: 7/30/2019

Reception No. of DOT: 2019046328

DOT Recorded in Douglas County.

Original Principal Amount of Evidence of Debt: $428,000.00

Outstanding Principal Amount as of the date hereof: $413,259.31

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: Borrower's failure to make timely payments as required under the Evidence of Debt and Deed of Trust.

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 VILLAGES OF PARKER FILING NO. 25 COUNTY OF DOUGLAS STATE OF COLORADO

Which has the address of: 11812 Mill Valley Street, Parker, CO 80138

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.

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 67, PINERY WEST FILING NO. 2, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO.

Which has the address of: 6721 Club Villa Rd, Parker, CO 80134-3272

NOTICE OF SALE

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

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

First Publication: 4/13/2023

Last Publication: 5/11/2023

Publisher: Douglas County News Press

Dated: 2/10/2023

DAVID GILL

DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee

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

RANDALL CHIN

Colorado Registration #: 31149 1391 Speer Boulevard, Suite 700 , DENVER, COLORADO 80204

Phone #: (303) 350-3711

Fax #:

Attorney File #: 00000009594086

*YOU MAY TRACK FORECLOSURE SALE

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

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

THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that on the first possible sale date (unless the sale is continued*) at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at the Public Trustee’s office, Philip S Miller Building Hearing Room, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, I will sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law. If the sale date is continued to a later date, the deadline to file a notice of intent to cure by those parties entitled to cure may also be extended.

Legal Notice No. 2023-0037

First Publication: 4/13/2023

Last Publication: 5/11/2023

Publisher: Douglas County News Press City and County

PUBLIC NOTICE

From the Office of Toby Damisch, Douglas County Assessor Colorado law requires the County Assessor to hear objections to real property valuations annually. Objections to real property valuations for 2023 will begin May 1, 2023, and end June 8, 2023. Written objections must be postmarked no later than June 8, 2023. Real property valuation objections presented on-line will be accepted through 12 a.m. (midnight) June 8th. Objections to personal property valuations will be heard beginning June 15, 2023. Objections to personal property valuations for 2023 must be delivered

Castle Rock o cials oppose ‘draconian’ land use bill

Zoning, local control at issue

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Castle Rock o cials had no shortage of disparaging things to say about a proposed land use bill that would pre-emptively allow multifamily development in residential zoning in a large portion of the Front Range, even questioning whether it’s constitutional.

During the April 4 council meeting, the bill, SB23-213, was described by Castle Rock Town Manager David Corliss as a threat to single-family neighborhoods, adding he was scared for the quality of life in the town if the bill passed.

“At its heart, it’s an attack and a removal of the single family only zoning district in most of urban Colorado,” Corliss said.

Currently, the bill requires certain municipalities, including Castle Rock, Lone Tree, Parker, and Castle Pines, to accept up to six units per lot in residential zoning, as well as accessory dwelling units. Municipalities would be limited from requiring parking.

Sponsors of the legislation have said the goal is to stop exclusionary zoning and address the housing affordability crisis by adding supply.

However, Corliss said he thinks the bill is misguided and noted that the current version does not have a ordability requirements for new development.

“It’s based on, I think, a faulty premise, that if more housing units of some type are built, somehow that’s going to be responsive to the fact that housing prices are high and

we don’t have enough housing for everybody who wants to attain it,” he said.

According to reporting by the Denver Post, new development can drive up prices within the surrounding area, though the additional supply may help lower prices across the broader market.

Additionally, Corliss said the town wasn’t consulted on the bill before it was introduced and pushed back against the idea that Castle Rock isn’t developing multifamily units.

Town data shows 1,578 multifam-

Public Notices

by close of business or postmarked no later than June 30, 2023. If the last day to appeal falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, it is deemed to have been timely filed if postmarked on the next business day.

The Assessor’s Office, located in the Wilcox Building at 301 Wilcox Street in Castle Rock, will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. We are highly encouraging in-person appeal meetings are made by appointment. Information regarding the valuation process, appeals and appointments can be obtained on the Assessor’s website at www.douglas.co.us/assessor, or by phoning the office at 303-660-7450.

Legal Notice No. 945311

First Publication: April 13, 2023

Last Publication: April 13, 2023

Publisher: Douglas County News-Press

Legal Notice No.: 945312

First Publication: April 13, 2023

Last Publication: April 13, 2023

Publisher: Douglas County News-Press

March Proceedings -- warrants Metropolitan Districts

Public Notice

NOTICE OF REGULAR ELECTION TO BE CONDUCTED BY MAIL BALLOT PARK MEADOWS METROPOLITAN DISTRICT

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN and particularly to the electors of the Park Meadows Metropolitan

District of the County of Douglas, Colorado:

NOTICE IS HEREBY given that a regular election of the Park Meadows Metropolitan District shall be held on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. The election is being conducted as a mail ballot election. Mail ballots are required to be mailed to eligible electors between April 10, 2023 and April 17, 2023.

At said election, the electors of the District shall vote for two (2) Directors to serve four (4) year-terms of office on the Board of Directors of the District:

Kim Johnson

Greg Jewell

In addition, the electors of the District shall vote on Ballot Issue 6A:

Ballot Issue 6A (Tax Extension of 3.472 Mills):

SHALL THERE BE AN EXTENSION UNTIL DECEMBER 1, 2033, OF THAT PORTION OF THE PARK MEADOWS METROPOLITAN DISTRICT GENERAL FUND MILL LEVY OF 3.472 MILLS TO CONTINUE TO BE USED, WITH THE BALANCE OF THE PARK MEADOWS METROPOLITAN DISTRICT’S CURRENT MILL LEVY, FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONTINUING TO FUND DISTRICT’S OPERATIONS AND CAPITAL PROJECTS, INCLUDING STREET IMPROVEMENTS, TRAFFIC SAFETY ENHANCEMENTS, THE MAINTENANCE OF LANDSCAPED MEDIANS AND RIGHT-OF-WAYS, AND AGREEMENTS WITH HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATIONS AND BUSINESSES; AND SHALL THE REVENUE FROM THE 3.472 MILLS AND THE BALANCE OF THE PARK MEADOWS METROPOLITAN DISTRICT’S CURRENT MILL LEVY, AND INVEST-

ily units and 4,862 single-family homes were built from 2018 to 2022. From 2018 to 2021, Castle Rock’s population grew by almost 10,000 people, according to the state demographer.

“Castle Rock has been part of the housing solution in Colorado,” he said. “It’s not an attitude issue in Castle Rock, the issue is the state has decided one size ts all.” e bill had its rst hearing on April 6, with almost 300 people signing up to testify on it. Sponsor Sen. Domenic Moreno said the bill

MENT EARNINGS THEREON, BE COLLECTED, RETAINED AND SPENT BY THE DISTRICT AS A VOTER-APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE, WITHOUT REGARD TO ANY SPENDING, REVENUE-RAISING, OR OTHER LIMITATION CONTAINED WITHIN ARTICLE X, SECTION 20 OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION, OR ANY OTHER CURRENT OR FUTURE LAW WHICH LIMITS THE DISTRICT’S REVENUES OR EXPENDITURES?

Eligible electors may apply for new or replacement mail ballots and return voted mail ballots to the offices of the Designated Election Official, which is also the ballot drop-off/walk-in voting location, c/o Community Resource Services of Colorado, 7995 East Prentice Avenue, Suite 103E, Greenwood Village, CO 80111. The offices of Community Resource Services of Colorado are open Monday through Friday during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from April 10, 2023, through May 1, 2023, and from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on May 2, 2023 (Election Day).

PARK MEADOWS METROPOLITAN DISTRICT

By:/s/ Sue Blair, Designated Election Official

Legal Notice No. 945296

First Publication: April 13, 2023

Last Publication: April 13, 2023

Publisher: Douglas County News-Press and Lone Tree Voice

Bids and Settlements

Public Notice

will likely see multiple amendments to address concerns. Some of the proposed amendments include lowering the max number of units in residential areas from six to four, allowing some parking requirements and adding a ordability requirements, according to Colorado Public

However, Castle Rock o cials weren’t interested in amending the bill because of concerns that the bill gives the state more authority than municipal governments on development and growth, which has been a pain point in Castle Rock for a while.

Council member Laura Cavey questioned whether the legislation violates the state constitution for undermining local control and multiple council members expressed fear that the bill would erode municipal authority.

“It’s still on (the town) and the taxpayers to fund (density) from a water and police and re and roads perspective,” Cavey said. “So I want the taxpayer to understand that not only is this going to hurt the value of their home, but it’s going to hurt us as a municipality holistically.”

Mayor Jason Gray called the proposed regulations “overreach” that he is deeply uncomfortable with.

“I would never go to another town or city in the state of Colorado and presume to know their town better than they know themselves and that’s what’s happening here,” Gray said. “ e state presumes to know our town or any town better than we do and that’s just at out wrong.” e board voted unanimously to approve a resolution opposing SB23-213 and send a letter of opposition to lawmakers. So far, Westminster, Lone Tree and Centennial have also passed resolutions opposing the bill.

PUBLIC INVITATION TO BID

Separate sealed bids for Bayou Gulch Road (Pradera Parkway to Scott Avenue), Douglas County Project Number CI 2015-010 will be received by the Owner, Douglas County Government, Department of Public Works Engineering, Philip S. Miller Building, 100 Third Street, Suite 220, Castle Rock, CO 80104, until Tuesday, May 9, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. This project consists of improvements to Bayou Gulch Road from Pradera Parkway to Scott Avenue. The improved configuration will include realignment of a single driving lane with shoulders in each northbound and southbound directions, construction of an embankment, extension of a concrete box culvert and a new urban storm sewer system. Bid items include removal of sidewalk, asphalt and curb and gutter, hot mix asphalt, soil retention blanket, trench drain, extension of box culvert, installation of storm water system, and traffic control.

The Contract Documents will be available after 10:00 a.m. on Monday, April 17, 2023, through Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System Website (www.rockymountainbidsystem.com) or they may be obtained at the above address. Electronic versions of the Plans obtained by any other means than as described above may not be complete or accurate, and it is the Bidder’s responsibility to obtain a complete set of the Project Plans and Specifications. Douglas County will not be held responsible for misinformation received from private plan rooms.

A PRE-BID CONFERENCE will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at the Department of Public Works Engineering, Philip S. Miller Building, 100 Third Street, Suite 220, Castle Rock, CO 80104. All questions are due to Benjamin Pierce, Project Engineer by 12:00 p.m.

on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. The Bid Opening will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, at the same address.

The Project includes the following major items and approximate quantities:

•90,290 cubic yards embankment replacement

•3,391 tons hot mix asphalt 1,707 linear feet reinforced concrete pipe (complete in place)

•5,114 linear feet curb and gutter

•810 square yards concrete sidewalk

Prior to submitting a Bid Proposal, Bidders shall have received prequalification status (active status) with the Colorado Department of Transportation to bid on individual projects of the size and kind of work as set forth herein.

Any questions on the bidding process shall be directed to Benjamin Pierce Project Engineer at 303.660.7490.

Plan holder information, can be found on the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System Website.

Legal Notice No. 945343

First Publication: April 13, 2023

Last Publication: April 13, 2023

Publisher: Douglas County News-Press

Account Number: 2734

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Parker Legals April 13, 2023 * 4

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The land use bill will be decided at the Colorado Capitol. WILLIAM PETERSON, ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS