Parker Chronicle 050423

BY NINA JOSS AND MCKENNA HARFORD COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

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

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

At this meeting, talk turned to the Republican

Party’s identity crisis.

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

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

In 2022, Democrats edged

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Assessors predict sticker shock for homeowners

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

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

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

“We do ask property owners to take a good look at the notices they receive,” said Denver Assessor Keith Er meyer, urging homeowners to let their local assessor’s o ces know if they dispute the value they receive.

median increases that were “largely in the 20s” in Denver in 2015, 2017 and 2019.

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

Apartment renters a ected

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

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

4.73” W x 6.7” H

Driven by a costly real-estate market, home values — as calculated for property tax purposes — have spiked since the last time homeowners received notices of value two years ago. Since then, residential properties in the Denver metro area typically saw value increases between 35% and 45%, a group of

assessors from across the Front Range announced April 26. For owners selling their homes these days, the bump in home prices has been good news. But it also means owners are on the hook for higher property tax bills, Er -

meyer noted.

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

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

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

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

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

Not an isolated problem

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Er meyer recalls talking about

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

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

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

Growing pains

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lawmakers may step in

It’s the job of county assessors’ o ces to establish accurate values of homes and other properties to determine how much property owners will owe government entities in taxes — a process meant to ensure

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

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Some county programs o er property tax relief

Residents facing hike

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

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

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

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

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

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

at a ects single-family homes, including townhomes and condominiums, county Assessor Toby Damisch said.

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

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

“To the extent there’s been softness in the real-estate market since last summer, which there has been, that is not accounted for” in the newly calculated values, Damisch told the town hall audience.

Waiting on state lawmakers

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

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

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

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

Some programs for relief

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

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

e senior property tax exemption is available to senior citizens and the

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

PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD

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

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

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

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

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

e legislature passed a measure in 2021 aiming to ease people’s nancial burden by letting them defer payment on some of what they owe on their primary residence, e Colorado Sun reported. e deadline of April 1 to apply for the deferral has passed, but it might be worth looking into for future years.

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

ASSESSORS

that the amount of taxes people pay is fair and equitable.

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

e law requires the assessors to value properties every two years.

e property valuation homeowners will soon receive is based on June 2022 data, near the recent peak in the real-estate market.

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

Also at play is a number called the “assessment rate,” another factor that helps determine how much in property taxes a person owes. e state legislature sets the assessment rate.

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

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

Treasurer’s O ce website.

On Jan. 1, Colorado was to expand the deferral program to allow those who do not qualify for the senior or military personnel program to defer a portion of their real property taxes if they exceed a property tax-growth cap of 4%, the website says.

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

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

Assessors play specific role

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

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

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

adjustment.”

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

She also advised the public “to watch every one of your taxing jurisdictions that’s going to have conversations about setting their mill levy.”

Colorado ranks lower

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

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

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

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

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

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

Live Town Hall meetings

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

Do you own property in Douglas County?

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

Interested in becoming a foster parent?

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

What’s happening with your County government?

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

BY NINA JOSS AND MCKENNA HARFORD COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A numbers game

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

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

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

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

“I knew before I ran for o ce for the Arapahoe County sheri that we’re behind the eight ball because there’s … more registered Democrats in Arapahoe County than there are Republicans,” he said.

If Edling could have run without

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

have increased.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The drivers of division

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Williams also believes Trump won the 2020 election.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

During a March town hall hosted by several state House Republicans, several Douglas County citizens said Trump is the best choice to x not only the party, but also the country.

When asked if they would only support Trump, the Castle Pines and Castle Rock residents said they would support whoever wins the Republican primary.

Unifying issues

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

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

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

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

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

Rep. Anthony Hartsook, R-Parker,

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

PHOTO BY NINA JOSS

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Here’s the truth: swing voters are not driven by ideology, otherwise they would a liate,” he said during a February debate. “If we’re going to win, let’s provide that bold contrast because our issues do, in fact, win. Swing voters, speci cally, just want to be able to vote for someone they

FREEDOM. TO BE YOU.

can trust. And I assure you, if we call out the Democrats for being morally bankrupt and corrupted, we’re going to earn their trust.”

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

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

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

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

“We’re not seeing an improve-

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

Get the brand out like Tony the Tiger

To get the party’s message out, Edling said the party needs to do a better job marketing through social media, schools and extracurriculars. He said the GOP could even consider hiring a consultant to help.

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

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

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

In Taheri’s eyes, the party will be di cult to brand as long as Trump is still the national focus. Trump, facing criminal charges in New York,

has already announced he will run for president in 2024.

“I just think it’s going to be really hard (to sell the issues) in Arapahoe County if Trump’s still in the picture.” Taheri said. “I just think his tone, I mean, I just don’t see many suburban women supporting something like that. Arapahoe is a very educated county. I just don’t think any of us wanted that in our living room.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anne Rowland, Arapahoe County GOP chair

Local Republicans say trust in media has declined

As Colorado Community Media reporters Nina Joss and McKenna Harford embarked on their investigation of issues facing the Republican party in Colorado, they were met with notable hesitancy and resistance from many potential sources.

One 2022 county race candidate, two county GOP leaders, four voters and Rep. Brandi Bradley of Douglas County all declined to interview for the story or did not respond to requests for comment.

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

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

from national news organizations.

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

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

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

“(Grimes) said, ‘I mean, we’re actu-

ally … trying to do a legitimate story,’” Taheri said. “I think that, had it been a hit piece, you probably would have just moved on to nd your next target.”

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

“Some (journalists) tried or successfully put aside any biases they had and just reported the facts,” she said. “Now, that just doesn’t sell. And so when you say ‘trust in the media,’ you’re saying ‘trust in a pundit,’ which is completely di erent than trusting journalism.”

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

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

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

“I think there is a very big distrust of the media, particularly from Repub-

licans,” she said. “And it’s not just the stories that get put out, but there are stories that are not put out.”

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

“I think you need to sit down, have a cup of co ee, and build a relationship,” she said. “And then be fair in how you report it.”

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

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

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

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

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

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Parent upset with reaction to racist bullying

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

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

Lacey Ganzy told Colorado Community Media that her son, Jeramiah, an eighth grader at the school, was invited by other students to a student

group chat on Snapchat in February. Soon after, he received frequent messages using the N-word. Two students threatened violence against Black people.

In addition to the group chat, Jeramiah said a school administrator earlier questioned him recently about a stolen water bottle, insinuating Jeramiah couldn’t a ord one of his own. His mother considers the insinuation to be racial pro ling.

Jeramiah added in an interview that students have called him a monkey and the N-word at school.  e messages in the group were bigoted, including one where a student said “bring back the Holocaust,” and another threatening violence. Screenshots of the messages were provided to Colorado Community Media by Ganzy.

During Tuesday’s special school board meeting, Superintendent Erin

Kane told Colorado Community Media that she has spoken to the Ganzy family to address what has happened to Jeramiah.

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

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

District equity policy revisions underway

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

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

For more than a year the board has been discussing potential changes to the district’s equity policy, but the April 25 special meeting was the rst

time actual language revisions were discussed.

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

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

Much of the original policy remains in tact.

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

“ e rst (intent) was to presume positive intent, keep elements of the original policy, but commit to continuous improvement,” he said.

e discussion opened with concerns from board members Elizabeth Hanson and Susan Meek about the process. Hanson said she believed the board wasn’t following the process it had laid out in the February 2022 resolution directing the superintendent to recommend changes to the policy since Peterson drafted the new language.

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

“We have heard from both our community and our superintendent that there are no implementation barriers that they can easily and

readily point out in the policy and based on the assurance that we gave our community that we were going to follow this process, we can’t change course at this point,” she said. “If we change course at this point, we are creating a lot of mistrust within our community.”

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

Board member David Ray was absent.

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

Board members Christy Williams, Kaylee Winegar and Becky Myers also indicated they still support changing the policy.

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

a learned lied, was it Douglas administrators reported

presumably reading sion, document,” reading and with son’s ing updates o ent

SEE BULLYING, P13

SEE EQUITY, P13

BULLYING

a response.

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

EQUITY

presumably be rewritten.

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

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

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

Department.

Ganzy provided recordings of conversations between her and district administrators that took place on April 20. According to the recording, the student in the group chat who advocated for a second Holocaust received a ve-day suspension. A second student, who threatened to shoot Black people, had not been suspended as of April 25.

Deputy Superintendent Danelle Hiatt is the administrator in the recording, according to Ganzy. Hiatt

e changes include a section outling ‘parental rights and expectations,’ which uses exact wording from the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism’s website page on school trust. e Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism is a conservative group whose Douglas County members have opposed the equity policy.  Peterson told Colorado Community Media that the language similarities were a coincidence. During the meeting, he said the suggestions were informed by parent feedback.

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

told Ganzy in the meeting that the district would be addressing the issue. Hiatt also apologized.

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

Meanwhile, Ganzy has not allowed Jeramiah to go to school since April 20, fearing for his safety.

“He’s the victim, but he’s the one not in school,” she said. “He’s being robbed of his education.”

to mental health counseling for their students.

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

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

Changes were also proposed for the district’s policies on bullying, student mental health services, selection of

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

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

controversial learning resources, textbook and curriculum adoption, instructional resources and student wellness.

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

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

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

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Moms are saints FROM THE EDITOR

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Beware political slime

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

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

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

ere has been strong agreement

ERIN ADDENBROOKE

Marketing Consultant eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager abrooks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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

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

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

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

Columnists & Guest Commentaries

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Thelma Grimes

New design, same commitment

To our valued readers:

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

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

LETTERS

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

Douglas County School Board President Mike Peterson agrees with you, that there should be an emphasis placed on reading, writing, math, and not politics. Peterson wants to, “Get rid of some of the other distractions, which aren’t core academic pursuits (i.e., politics).” is is what I would call cloudy slime, because the phrase “core academics” is a dog whistle from conservative elected o cials, aiming to keep students ignorant to di erences.

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

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

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

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

Ti any Baker Highlands Ranch

NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

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

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

special education.

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

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

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

Allyson Rydwell Parker

School

board’s bad look

take center stage, as it should.

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

We want you to feel proud and connected to whichever of our publica-

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

Multi

11/28/89

KIA-Farah, Afghanistan

Canine: FLEX

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

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

— Linda Shapley, publisher, Colorado Community Media

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

Dave

Dave, We love you and ntiss you every day. God has you in His ke eping, We have you in our hearts.

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, Love leaves a nte01ory no one can steal.

Mother and Stepfather: Glenn & Donna Francis Beine

Brother: Matt Sonka

Grand01other: Nancy Francis

Uncle: Dennis Francis.

Examining equity

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

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

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

Linda Shapley

Usechek, Parker

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘Something for everyone’ Wild Goose Saloon in Parker

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dellinger and his wife have

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

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

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

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

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

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

He feels that live music is im-

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

MUSIC

FROM

portant to promote — “especially nowadays.”

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

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

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

suburbs.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Josh Blackburn, a local musician, performs at The Alley in downtown Littleton.

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

Presentation highlights ‘Littleton Way’

Former mayor looks back at culture of city

BY SONYA ELLINGBOE SELLINGBOE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

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

Historic Littleton Inc., which is celebrating 33 years since it formed after a Littleton Leadership Retreat weekend, pointed out that our centennial was almost upon us in 1990 and we had not done any planning about it! e late Mike Massey, who led the retreat, declared such a celebration “a do-able deed” and planning began the following week, bringing on assorted gatherings through the summer and a group that continued as Historic Littleton Inc.

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

the U.S.

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

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

“Cultures” — a broad term: the arts, Friends of the Library/Museum, productions of human work and thought...” Cronenberger said,

adding that she had been an art history major.

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

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

“Marathon funded science teachers and scholarships,” Cronenberger continued. “Zoning changes were

needed. e `Better Littleton Party’ directed the city into the 20th century. Names of streets did not conform with Denver’s. Councilmembers dealt with street names and the city was in uenced by Littleton Independent editor Houston Waring. (He made it a point to attend some community meeting almost daily.)

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

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

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

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

e Littleton Museum developed with high standards and free exhibits.

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

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

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

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

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

Thu 5/11

ARTS: Oil Painting Workshop

@Athmar @ 3pm

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

Teague Starbuck @ 5pm

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

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

6th Annual Victoria's Tea

Fundraiser for the Castle Rock

Historical Society & Museum @ 1pm / $40

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

Steve Azar: Mockingbird

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

Jordan Yewey BAND @ 6pm

The Alley, 2420 W Main St, Little‐ton

Sat 5/13

Blue Jean Mile - Fleet Feet Littleton @ 7am / $10

8116 W Bowles Ave, Littleton

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

The Alley, 2420 W Main St, Little‐ton

Etana

@ 6pm Levitt Pavilion Denver, 1380 W Florida Ave, Denver

Fri 5/12

Jeffrey Dallet @ 11:30am

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

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

9195 Cresthill Ln, Highlands Ranch

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

MC Magic @ 5:30pm

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

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

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

Sun 5/14

The Wailers @ The Gothic TheatreEnglewood, CO @ 6pm

Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

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

Wed 5/17

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

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

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

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

Thu 5/18

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

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Artist has solo show in co ee shop

Littleton photographer Peggy Dietz, a longtime active member of the Littleton Fine Arts Guild, has a solo show at Englewood’s Nixon’s Co ee House, 872 Englewood Parkway, including her painting “Old World Tulips.” Hours: 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Friday; 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. e Guild’s members rotate in keeping the co ee house decorated. Works on display are for sale. ( ese make great gifts for the spring graduate ...)

SoSu Artist Collective

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

ACC program

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

Historic preservation

Historic Littleton Inc. plans a special bene t celebration on May 18 as part of the nationwide recognition of May as Historic Preservation Month.

e recently opened Shift Workspace at 2679 W. Main Street, is the location and tickets ($45) are available at hlinc.org. e HLI board met at the Geneva Lodge in the city complex on April 19 and has supported a City of Littleton request to rehabilitate the early building, which served retired restaurant workers at one time. e board voted to continue to meet there. A request for funding

has been submitted to History Colorado. e City of Littleton built the Littleton Center on former lodge property, which originally provided living quarters for those retirees. Sponsorships will be sought in the business community.

Curtis Center

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

Music everywhere

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

Performance Now

Performance Now eatre Company, which originated in Highlands Ranch and performs at Lakewood Cultural Center, plans a catered dinner and performance of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” on June 10 and 17, with regular performances also planned at Lakewood Cultural Center in June. More soon. See performancenow.org.

Keep your eyes peeled

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

Play festival

e North American Short Play Festival hap-

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

Summer camps

South Suburban Parks and Recreation District will o er summer camps of all sorts: Animal Senses, Mini Mountaineers, Trailblazers, Water Wonders ... See the website at ssprd.org for dates, prices, details. Parents should not hear: “ ere’s nothing to do!”

Storytime

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

Artist reception

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

Littleton Symphony

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

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SATURDAY, MAY 13TH 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

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Denver Fashion Week returns to city’s runways

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

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

Denver Fashion Week  runs from Saturday, May 6 through Saturday, May 13 at  e Brighton , 3403 Brighton Blvd. in Denver, in the RiNo Art District.  is year’s event features six shows, each with an approach all their own:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Of note is the Sustainable show, an issue which Hodapp said has

COMING ATTRACTIONS

become increasingly important in the fashion world in recent years.

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

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

“I hope people who attend this year are inspired and have their eyes opened to the creative industries,” Hodapp said. “It’d be great if more people understand and appreciate what goes into the clothes they wear. Because the inspiration can come from anywhere and people take that for granted. Designers put so much time and care into every stich.”

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

Get lost in Benchmark’s ‘Great Wilderness’

Samuel D. Hunter’s  “A Great Wilderness”  is the kind of story that shines on stages — it brings audi-

ences in close as the characters tackle extremely complex and challenging questions about religion, identity and personal conviction.

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

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

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

Be BBQ ready this summer with Backyard Pitmasters

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

e “Barbecue University” events  are three-hour classes that teach “the art of smoking great meat in a non-competitive and fun environment at local breweries,

distilleries, and other communitydriven venues.” You can attend one at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 6 at  Mad Rabbit Distillery , 10860 N. Dover St., No. 2000, in Westminster, or at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 13 at  Mother Tucker Brewery , 2360 E. 120th Ave. in ornton.

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

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

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

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

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

Clarke Reader

Valor steamrolls Regis in top 15 national matchup

Eagles win 10-3 behind complete team e ort

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

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

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

If that wasn’t enough, Valor-Regis isn’t just another game. It’s an intense rivalry, and rivalry games are often down-to-the-bitter-end a airs.

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

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

Five of Brown’s seven shooting attempts found the back of the Regis Raiders’ net. e slickest of the junior’s goals came with 2 minutes, 29 seconds remaining in the second

quarter, when he ripped a no-look, over-the-shoulder shot into Regis’s net for an 8-3 lead.

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

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

“We just got rolling there,” Brown said of the second quarter, when his three goals and individual goals

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

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

“ e three most important positions on the eld are faceo , goalie

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

When Regis did gain possession of the ball and advance it into Valor territory — which wasn’t often — Cunningham was there to deny most of the Raiders’ shots. e junior turned away nine of Regis’ 12 shooting attempts. Kyle Green also got some playing time in Valor’s cage and tallied two saves.

“It starts with our defense — our defense and our goaltending,” Noble said. “Credit to the boys for sticking to the game plan and believing in themselves and each other.”

e two teams traded goals in the rst quarter. Scoring for the Eagles (12-1, 6-0 in 5A League #3) were Brown, Reider and Rismani.

After Regis’ (8-2, 3-1) Jamie Rosenzweig scored to tie the score at 3-3 with 10:10 remaining in the second quarter, the Raiders didn’t score again the rest of the way.

Recording the assists for Valor were Brown and Rismani (two each) and Parker Barhydt and Blake Benton (one each).

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

Valor comes up short against Colorado Academy

Stevens scores 4

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

Had the Valor Christian-Colorado Academy girls lacrosse game ended two-thirds of the way through the rst half, the Valor Eagles would’ve been able to add quite the prize to their resume: the program’s rstever win over the Mustangs.

As it was, the game continued, and big, bad Colorado Academy did what it does to nearly every team it plays — it imposed its will late and notched the win.

Winners of the last seven state titles and 20 consecutive games dating back to April of last year, the Colorado Academy Mustangs defeated Valor 12-9 in what was a top 20 national matchup April 25 at Valor Stadium.

“ ey’re deep, they’re wellcoached, they’re experienced and they’re con dent,” third-year Valor coach Terry Ellis said of the Mustangs, who have lost just two games since April 20, 2017. “ ey have extremely talented players. ey know what it takes to win. at’s why they keep winning.”

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

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

8-4 lead.

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

Stevens’ second goal of the game ended the Eagles’ scoreless stretch.

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

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

Eliza Osburn and Stevens each

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

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

If the Eagles and Mustangs do see each other again in the state playo s, it’ll be the third consecutive year the two schools have faced o for the state crown. Colorado Academy beat Valor 13-9 last season and 14-3 in 2021.

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

“I hope so,” he said. “ at would be a great matchup and a fun game. ey’re a great opponent.”

Reagan Digby had two assists against the Mustangs while Boll notched one.

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

PHOTO BY ALEX K.W. SCHULTZ

Kajfosz looks to finish season strong

BY JIM BENTON JBENTON@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kajfosz will be heading to Purdue next fall.

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

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

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Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088

Legals

To Whom It May Concern: On 2/15/2023 10:05:00

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: VANCE W BRYFOGLE

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

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt: NORTHPOINTE BANK

Date of Deed of Trust (DOT): 8/20/2021

Recording Date of DOT: 8/25/2021

Reception No. of DOT: 2021099937

DOT Recorded in Douglas County.

Original Principal Amount of Evidence of Debt: $692,000.00

Outstanding Principal Amount as of the date hereof: $690,707.43

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 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.

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

Douglas County News Press

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:

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

Original

Connie M. Miller and Donald Miller

Original Beneficiary: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for First Guaranty Mortgage Corporation, its successors and assigns

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

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.

MAKE PAYMENT ON SAID INDEBTEDNESS WHEN THE SAME WERE DUE AND OWING, AND THE LEGAL HOLDER OF THE INDEBTEDNESS HAS ACCELERATED THE SAME AND DECLARED THE SAME IMMEDIATELY FULLY 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.

Pursuant to C.R.S. §38-38-101 (4) (i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: FAILURE TO MAKE TIMELY PAYMENTS AS REQUIRED UNDER THE EVIDENCE OF DEBT AND DEED OF TRUST.** This loan has been modified through a Loan Modification Agreement recorded 04/15/2020 at Reception No. 2020028830 in the records of the Douglas County Clerk and Recorder, Colorado.**

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 102, Ridgegate-Section 15, Filing No. 14, 1st Amendment County of Douglas, State of Colorado.

Which has the address of: 10605 Ladera Drive, Lone Tree, CO 80124

NOTICE OF SALE

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

THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that on the first possible sale date (unless the sale is continued*) at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, June 21, 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: 4/27/2023

Last Publication: 5/25/2023

Publisher: Douglas County News Press

Dated: 3/2/2023

DAVID GILL DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee

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

AMANDA FERGUSON Colorado Registration #: 44893

355 UNION BLVD SUITE 250, LAKEWOOD, COLORADO 80228

Phone #: (303) 274-0155

Fax #: Attorney File #: CO11470

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

Legal Notice No. 2023-0048

First Publication: 4/27/2023

Last Publication: 5/25/2023

Publisher: Douglas County News Press

NOTICE

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.

First Publication: 4/13/2023

Last Publication: 5/11/2023

Publisher: Douglas County News Press

Dated: 2/14/2023

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 #: 00000009719345

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

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

Which has the address of: 12301 Pine Dr , 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, May 31, 2023, at the Public Trustee’s office, Philip S Miller Building Hearing Room, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, I will sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law. If the sale date is continued to a later date, the deadline to file a notice of intent to cure by those parties entitled to cure may also be extended.

First Publication: 4/6/2023

Last Publication: 5/4/2023

Publisher: Douglas County News Press

Dated: 2/9/2023

DAVID GILL

DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee

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

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 #: 23-029164

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

Legal Notice No. 2023-0035

First

Legal Description of Real Property: LOT 65, PINERY WEST FILING 1I, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO

Which has the address of: 4849 Raintree Circle , Parker, CO 80134

The Deed of Trust was modified by a document recorded in Douglas County on 2/17/2023, Reception number 2023006692. Reason modified and any other modifications: DOT & NOTE WRONG DATES.

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 14, 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: 4/20/2023

Last Publication: 5/18/2023

Publisher: Douglas County News Press

Dated: 2/21/2023

DAVID GILL

DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee

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

RUSSELL J. SPRAGUE Colorado Registration #: 40558 215 MATHEWS ST. #300 , FORT COLLINS, COLORADO 80524 Phone #: (970) 221-2637

Fax #: (970) 221-2638

Attorney File #: 24985

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

Legal Notice No. 2023-0044

First Publication: 4/20/2023

Last Publication: 5/18/2023

Publisher: Douglas County News Press PUBLIC NOTICE

Parker NOTICE OF SALE Public Trustee Sale No. 2023-0049

To Whom It May Concern: On 3/3/2023 4:45:00 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: Cross Creek 3, LLC

Original Beneficiary: Boomerang Finance SUB-REIT LLC

Current Holder of Evidence of Debt: BFSR3, LLC

Date of Deed of Trust (DOT): 6/13/2022

Recording Date of DOT: 6/16/2022

Reception No. of DOT: 2022042652

Parker health fair o ers preventative screenings May 13

to encourage people to go out and get a health screening as a way to help prevent chronic diseases.

“Several people for whom this is their annual physical,” said Harry Gustin, site coordinator for the Parker health fair. “ ey come to a health fair, they get their screenings and then if there’s anything they have to follow up with or contact the doctor.”

roughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Drews noticed a decrease in the amount of people going to the doctor and getting preventive screenings.

e Parker health fair will include two types of screenings, the rst being blood samples.

People can come in, ll out a registration form and request what type of blood test they would like. e blood tests, in partnership with Quest Diagnostics, do come with an at cost fee and children will not be able to get blood work done.

e fair will also o er A1C diabetes screenings.

“What we discover is that two thirds of the people that even come to the health fair have high cholesterol,” said Drews. “And that can lead to heart disease.”

Other screening sites are vision screening, blood pressure and body mass index for both adults and children.

e non pro t, 365 Health, began to help introduce the idea of preventive health to large communities and

Public Notices

DOT Recorded in Douglas County.

Original Principal Amount of Evidence of Debt:

$555,000.00

Outstanding Principal Amount as of the date hereof: $555,000.00

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 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 5, Block 1, Bradbury Ranch Filing No. 11, County of Douglas, State of Colorado.

Which has the address of:

16809 Trail View 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, June 21, 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: 4/27/2023

Last Publication: 5/25/2023

Publisher: Douglas County News Press

Dated: 3/6/2023

DAVID GILL DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee

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

AMANDA FERGUSON Colorado Registration #:

Just last year, 365 Health expanded services in preventive health to year-round. e service provides access to preventive screenings, primary care, psychiatry, vaccine clinics and will be doing children’s vaccines in the summer in underserved communities around the state.

has filed written election and demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.

According to the American Diabetes Association 2021 Colorado fact sheet, an estimated 39,839 people in Colorado are diagnosed with diabetes each year. In addition, 37% of Coloradans are prediabetic and about 90% of them do not know it, said Drews.

Drews stressed the importance of getting preventive screenings as the health fairs have often shed light on real medical issues.

e fair will also o er a take-home and mail-in colon cancer screening kit for $45, a rst aid station in case of emergency and a station for individuals to speak one-on-one with a health professional who can answer questions, make recommendations and referrals.

Registration for the fair is available on https://365health.org/ health-fairs/spring/684/ screenings, however walkup screenings will also be accepted.

“We’re perfectly happy with walk-ins too,” said Gustin.

AMANDA FERGUSON

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

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

No. of DOT: 2003043665 DOT Recorded in Douglas County.

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.

Which has the address of: 10896 Omaha Lane, Parker, CO 80138

NOTICE OF SALE

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/

Legal Notice No. 2023-0034

First Publication: 4/13/2023

Last Publication: 5/11/2023

Publisher: Douglas County News Press City and County Public Notice

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Principal Amount as of the date hereof: $458,665.36

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

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/

Legal Notice No. 2023-0037

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. 2023-0034 To

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

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

A public hearing will be held on June 13, 2023, at 2:30 p.m. before the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners, in the Commissioners Hearing Room, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, CO. The hearings are for the proposed adoption of Building Codes: 2021 International Building Code, 2021 International Building Code Appendix C, 2021 International Residential Code, 2021 International Residential Code Appendix AM, 2021 International Mechanical Code, 2021 International Fuel Gas Code, 2021 International Plumbing Code, 2021 International Plumbing Code Appendix E, 2018 International Energy Conservation Code, and the 2023 National Electrical Code, as amended.

For more specific information, call Korby Lintz, Chief Building Official, Douglas County Building Division at 303-660-7497.

Legal Notice No.: 945401

First Publication: April 27, 2023

Last Publication: May 11, 2023

Publisher: Douglas County News-Press

###

“We’re there to try to help people become educated at a health fair and become aware and then act on what it tells you,” said 365 Health CEO Gary Drews. “One of the things that can happen if you don’t get a preventive health screening on a regular basis, chronic disease

of one kind or another can build up and you wouldn’t know it.”

SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

JUNE

8-11, 2023 FREE ADMISSION

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

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

Saturday 10 am – 10:30 pm

Sunday 10 am – 8:30 pm

PARKER’S FAVORITE WEEKEND!

FUN THINGS TO DO:

• Enjoy your Favorite Festival Food

• Shopping Marketplace

• Music on Four Stages

• Culinary Demonstrations

• Street Performers

• Carnival Rides for the Whole Family

• Free Kids Crafts

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

• Silent Disco – Dance, Dance, Dance!

• Get Dizzy in a Water Bubble

• Bungy Jumping

• Jump and Slide on the In atables

• Nurf Terf Battles (Nurf version of Paintball)

• All Aboard! Ride the Sunshine Express Train on Mainstreet

Groove Mazda MAIN STAGE

– Live Music ALL Day HEADLINERS:

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

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

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

THANK

®

BUY DISCOUNTED UNLIMITED CARNIVAL RIDE WRISTBANDS ONLINE

Thursday Friends & Family Special

4 wristbands for $99

Only available for use on Thursday, June 8

Sold online through 12 noon Wed. May 31

Single-Day Unlimited Carnival Rides

$35 each

Good any one day during the festival

Sold online through 12 noon Wed. June 7

4-Day MEGA Unlimited Carnival Rides

$89 each

Good all 4 days of the festival

PURCHASE DURING THE FESTIVAL

Single-Day Unlimited Carnival Rides

$40 each

TICKETS FOR INDIVIDUAL RIDES