Commerce City Sentinel Express 0316

SENTINEL EXPRESS C O M M E R C E

32 VOLUME 34

C I T Y

50cI

ISSUE 48 12

TUESDAY ,N OVEMBER 24,2021 2020 TUESDAY ,M ARCH 16,

New COVID-19 will prohibit indoor dining, about personal gatherings State adjustsrestrictionsServing lawfully?

Questions corporate

COVID dial of restrictions

authority in Thornton subdivision

Change comes as Jefferson appeared set to possibly slide back to yellow

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

As two Denver metro counties watched their rates of new coronavirus cases hover at a level that could roll back reopening success, the state public-health department announced changes to Colorado’s color-coded system of restrictions that make it easier for counties to remain in their respective dial levels.

The state’s COVID-19 dial is the set of restrictions counties must follow based on local virus spread.

The restrictions apply to capacity Dwayne Bergeron, a homeowner in the Willow Bend subdivision Charles Wolfersberger, president of Wolfersberger, LLC, a at restaurants, other businesses, inin Thornton, and the only metro district board member who isn’t property management company that handles finances for door and outdoor events, and other an employee of the developer, the Lennar Corporation. Bergeron homeowner-controlled metro districts. As long as the develsettings. claims he was ejected from a board meeting after asking his feloper owns the land “… the district is basically like a corporate Among the dial’s six levels, blue low directors to prove their eligibility to serve. COURTESY OF DWAYNE BERGERON subsidiary,” Wolfersberger said. COURTESY OF CHARLES WOLFERSBERGER is the second-least restrictive. The day have 1,300 residents and with a ropolitan District, organized in 2013 state moved Broomfield to level debt limit of $22 million, however, to finance and maintain the infrablue effective Feb. 22, according to the Lennar employees have refused structure for the subdivision.

Broomfield’s website. Jefferson, to respond to Bergeron or the media.

Like any other local government, Park and Clear Creek counties enthe metro district has elected oftered level blue on Feb. 26, according Given the design of metro districts ficials, in the form Arnold of a five-member to the state’s COVID-19 website.

— where boards to control county is required follow homeownbased on the

By Ellis board of directors. Four of them, as ers’ property tax assessments with and Jefferson A Despite long lineBroomfi of carseld outside the city of Brighton’s rapid testing site at severity of a county’s local virus spread.

Colorado Community is common, happen to beMedia employees an eye toward paying off subdivimoving to blue, their one-week Riverdale Regional Park. The site has had to close early many days in recent of the neighborhood’s homebuilder, sion The dial grew out of the state’s safer-atdebt — the nature of developrates of new cases as of March 1 weeks due high demand.

DenverCorporation. metro counties continue to homeinvolvement order — the policy came after theAs Lennar ers’ is keythat . A Denver appeared toto have ticked up toAdams levels County’s 14-day test positivity rate inch closer local stay-at-home orders the statewide stay-at-home order this The fifthtomember is homeowner Post series starting in 2019 revealed that move the 17, counties was threatened 15.9 percent,toas of Nov. according to Tri-County Health Department.

Dwayne Bergeron, who elected that homebuilders hold onto cer-of back up one to yellow.

BY MICHAEL KARLIK AND LIAM ADAMSthan under Colorado’s system of was coronavirusspring and allowed numerous types Brighton andlevel Commerce City’s test positivity rates were both higher in Mayrestrictions, 2020. Bergeron moved into tain bondstowith high interest rates, COLORADO POLITICS AND COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA As of March 7, the counties still related the state announced businesses reopen.

13 percent. Forty-five people in Brighton and 29 in Commerce City have Willow Bend in 2019. He is a chef creating a windfall for themselves. appeared poised to backslide: Jeffera new New level of rules that prohibits indoor The state recently to tax color diedsat from COVID-19 related health issues.ItTo limitnot thebe spread of COVID-19, from Orleans.

Occasionally , largeswitched property son at 105 new cases per 100,000 might obvious that the dining and personal gatherings — a identifiers — levels blue, yellow and And he believes the other board increases catch homeowners by people, Broomfimoved eld at 150. sprawlingthat residential construction at least and 15 counties to tighter restrictions prohibits indoor and change thatare applies to theillegally majority. Inof the serving orange rather than numbered levels — to surprise. site near Holly Street and East 144th members As of the Feb. 6 changes, counties personal gatherings. stead of verifying their eligibility to “I want to getUntil answers about Avenue in Thornton is also a local qualify for level blue, in part, when Denver metro area and many counties in avoid confusion.

Nov. 17, leveltheir red govern a district which will somequalifi cations and I want to belevel able government: the Willow Bend Metthey maintain enough days below other regions. meant a stay-at-home order. Now, to possibly have an emergency elec100 new cases per 100,000 people.

The state’s COVID-19 dial, which has red — “severe risk”said.

— is the secondtion,” Bergeron Shortly after the state’s announceAPOLOGIES Photo by Belen Ward been in effect since September, is the set He pointed to several circumment on March 8, Broomfield posted levels paper of restrictions thatbeen each Due to recent heavy snowfall, deliveryofofdifferent this week’s may have Please see RESTRICTIONS, Page 2 delayed!

SEE COVID DIAL, P5 SEE DISTRICTS, P4

Dispute between homeowner and metro district board touches on larger issues around control of miniature governments

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2 Commerce City Sentinel Express

March 16, 2021

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Commerce City Sentinel Express 3

March 16, 2021

Sunshine laws keep government transparent STAFF REPORT

Government can be complex.

Amid a tangled web of laws, agendas, agreements, policies and political rhetoric it is rarely easy for the general public to know the inner workings of even their most local level of government.

Even small town governance can be complex, but that doesn’t mean it should not be as clear as possible for the people who live there. Transparency builds trust and understanding. It is our first and best defense against corruption and negligence.

Each and every day local reporters rely on the state’s sunshine laws to help keep tabs on those in power and to keep the public better informed. For example, county commissioners do a lot more than just sit down for their usual once-a-week meeting. Commissioners typically have a full range of meetings and events they participate in throughout the week — mostly open to the public. These include interactions like work sessions with county staff departments, and sit-down’s with various regional boards and groups.

The list of all those gatherings is

available to the public.

In Douglas County, those work sessions often included discussions about upcoming resolutions and other upcoming issues. Topics like COVID-19 recovery and the county’s stance on statewide or national issues were often discussed. After a request last year from Colorado Community Media, the county has now made those meetings available to the public virtually.

Here are some other examples about access to public information resulting in better transparency.

Only 10 days after surviving a contentious recall election, the Idaho Springs mayor was arrested and later charged with domestic violence, among other things.

The Clear Creek SherWesteman iff ’s Office took the case from the ISPD to avoid conflicts of interest. The Sheriff ’s Office released a press release with a mugshot the same day. Thus, despite being a person with political power in the community, the mayor was held accountable and his arrest

records made available publicly, just like everyone else.

— Clear Creek Courant Reporter Corinne Westeman After the Town of Parker hired a new deputy town administrator focusing on economic development, the Parker Chronicle was able to submit a CORA request for his employment contract and then report his salary, Wenzler his signing bonus and other details of his employment with the town. This provides more transparency in how the town’s government is spending taxpayer dollars.

— Douglas County Reporter Elliott Wenzler A homeowner who is a director on the Willow Bend Metropolitan District board said his fellow directors, who are all employees of the developer, kicked him out of a Zoom meeting after he challenged them with difficult questions. We wanted the meeting minutes. However, the records custodian said I couldn’t have the minutes because they have yet to be approved by the board. So,

I asked the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition’s Jeff Roberts, and he told me to ask for the draft minutes and have the custodian cite the statute that allows them to withhold the records (because no such statue exists). Adams Lo and behold, I got a copy of the draft minutes.

— Adams County Reporter Liam Adams During the COVID-19 pandemic the state health agency has provided a wealth of data about case numbers and the locations of confirmed outbreaks.

Thanks to this transparency, we were able to see that the county jail was struggling with a significant Wallace outbreak. We were able to report on the situation and kept an eye on the county’s outbreak situation and identify other places that had been struck hard.

— West Metro Editor Glenn Wallace

Can I file my own records request?

STAFF REPORT

Yes! Filing an open records request of a public agency is something everyone, not just a journalist, can do.

Definitions CORA: A Colorado Open Records Act request would be fitting for asking information from a municipality, school district or any other non-law enforcement local or state agency Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act: This law sets out

the limited circumstances under which a court, DA’s office or police department would have to disclose records.

FOIA: The Freedom of Information Act dictates the way in which someone can request public records from a federal agency.

Request form Step one in a records search is to identify what agency holds the information you seek, which will dictate what type of request you need to make. The laws differ between

states, with law enforcement agencies and with federal-level agencies, but they all start with a request.

Some agencies call for the filling out of a specific form.

The Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition also has ready-made request letter templates available on its website for CORA and CCJRA requests (coloradofoic.org/).

The site also includes many tips about how to craft an effective request. Such as, be specific about the records you seek.

SEEKING SUNSHINE If you have questions about public records and government transparency, here are a few good resources to learn more.

Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition - Provides the latest news about transparency law and cases in the state, as well as information about do-it-yourself open records requests: coloradofoic.org/ Secretary of State’s website - Contains basic information about voting and ballot language, but also links to TRACER, providing campaign finance information for all state and local political races and political campaigns: www.sos. state.co.us/ State revised statutes: www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/ colorado/ Freedom of Information Act site: www.foia.gov/

Supports and celebrates access to public information.

#SunshineWeek

4 Commerce City Sentinel Express

March 16, 2021

DISTRICTS FROM PAGE 1

stances that support his hunch: At a virtual board meeting on Nov. 3, Bergeron said someone removed him from the meeting room when he asked the Lennar representatives to prove their eligibility to serve.

“I told them that `I’m not voting for anything. So whenever it comes to me, it’s a nay for me. I need to see your guys’ qualifications,” Bergeron recalled. (The draft meeting minutes make no mention of this exchange.)

“And that’s when one of them zapped me out of the meeting….

They cut me out of the Zoom. My screen just went away.”

In a letter dated three days later, he asked to see certain documents from his fellow directors, including any land purchase agreements, proof of property taxes paid and evidence that the land contracts were filed with Adams County. Bergeron said he received no response.

“I followed all requirements through the county and through the process, so I’m sticking to no comment,” Willow Bend director Jonathan “Jack” Beckwitt told Colorado Community Media and Colorado Politics during a brief phone conversation.

In response to a list of questions, a spokesperson for Florida-based Lennar declined to provide a statement.

Questions of propriety in metro district governance reach beyond Willow Bend. In other districts, the representatives of developers resigned when their qualifications were challenged. A case out of Colorado and appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court featured condo owners who were included in a metro district without their knowledge or consent — with the district assessing property taxes on them.

And on Feb. 27, 2020, before the board election, Debra Hessler, a Lennar employee and Willow Bend director, emailed a letter to homeowners signed by Lennar Division President Frank Walker. If the district’s mill levy exceeded a certain threshold, Walker wrote, “Lennar will pay the amounts in excess of the foregoing. Additionally, Lennar will continue to fund the District’s annual operating deficit.”

The only condition?

If the board of directors is “is fully comprised of Lennar associates or affiliates” — in other words, no homeowners.

To Charles Wolfersberger, president of Wolfersberger LLC, a property management firm that handles finances for homeowner-controlled metro districts, said the letter alone was incriminating for Lennar. “It could be considered a veiled threat to everyone to not run against Lennar’s employees on the board or else Lennar pulls its funding from the district,” Wolfersberger said.

Bergeron brought his concerns to Thornton City Council this February. Deputy City Manager Jeff Coder told councilors that Lennar disputed Bergeron’s complaints and added that the city did not have codes or ordinances to address Bergeron’s specific allegations.

“Metro districts are so complicated and I definitely don’t understand the intricacies of metro districts,” said Council Member Jacque Phil-

The entrance to the Willow Bend subdivision in Thornton. The Lennar Corporation developed the neighborhood, and its employees control the Willow Bend metro district board. Homeowners and outside allies have sought to get residents on the board so they can have more say about their property taxes. PHOTO BY LIAM ADAMS

lips, “but we hear you.”

“What’s with you guys harassing me?”

On Feb. 12, 2020, homeowners in the Willow Bend, Lewis Pointe, North Holly and Trailside subdivisions gathered at a fire station in northern Thornton.

In those four districts, developers controlled the boards. Wolfersberger LLC wanted to empower homeowners to run for their boards in the May 5 election. The deadline to submit a self-nomination form was the end of February.

“As long as the developer owns the land … the district is basically like a corporate subsidiary,” Wolfersberger told Colorado Community Media and Colorado Politics. For example, a developer-controlled board might approve debt to pay for overpriced construction costs charged by the development company.

Wolfersberger also tries to help homeowners take control of boards because his company manages finances for homeowner-controlled metro districts. He did not deny that he would benefit financially from gaining new business with metro districts that hired him.

“Those who criticize our firm for profiting from helping homeowners gain control of their district boards are usually individuals who have significant conflicts of interest serving on a district board,” Wolfersberger said. “We continue to build trust with homeowners as we successfully flatten and reduce property tax rates across the neighborhoods we serve.”

The Feb. 12 meeting inspired enough homeowners in Lewis Pointe, North Holly and Trailside (whose metro district is Cundall Farms) to run for their boards and eventually take majority control.

Afterward, the North Holly and Lewis Pointe boards fired the existing management firm and hired Wolfersberger LLC. In Willow Bend, by contrast, homeowners started hearing from Lennar employees because the corporation sent people to the meeting to see which homeowners were in attendance. Wolfersberger said he spoke with two individuals in Willow Bend who originally planned to run for the board but decided against it after hearing from Lennar.

Then along came Bergeron, who did not attend the Feb. 12 meeting, but called Wolfersberger after seeing a flyer. After the two talked, Bergeron decided to run. He submitted a self-nomination form on

Feb. 28. He reportedly received a call from a Lennar employee with a message of, according to Bergeron: “What can we do to make you go away?”

After the phone call, Bergeron also received an email from Hessler on March 3 containing Walker’s letter.

Bergeron replied, “I will be running for one of those seats. What’s with you guys harassing me today? Scare tactics or threats don’t scare me.

Good day.”

Asking for qualifications When Bergeron gained his seat on the board after the May 5 election, he was not content being the only non-developer there. So he and Wolfersberger discussed a tactic that homeowners in other districts had used: challenge developer-employed directors about their qualifications to serve on the board. If they were unqualified, then homeowners could try to remove and replace them.

Bergeron’s opportunity came at the Nov. 3 meeting. He said he showed up late because he received an email notifying him about the meeting just hours before. Upon his appearance, the board was voting on resolutions, according to draft minutes. When it was his turn to vote, he demanded his fellow directors’ qualifications. Suddenly, he was no longer in the meeting.

His wife, Dyonne, witnessed it happen and said she watched him unsuccessfully try to re-enter the meeting room.

Draft meeting minutes do not show if Bergeron left the meeting, and a recording of the meeting, if one exists, was not available for inspection in response to an open records request. Clint Waldron, a representative of the district’s legal counsel, White Bear Ankele Tanaka & Waldron, , responded to Bergeron’s claim, “I am not aware of any board member ever being ejected from a board meeting. All board members are encouraged to attend any and all meetings of the Board.” Other individuals present at the meeting did not respond to requests for comment.

After the meeting, the two drafted the letter Bergeron sent to Lennar and the district’s attorney asking for proof that they qualify. “Please provide this information to me by no later than Friday November 20th” it concluded. He still awaits a response.

Under Colorado law, a registered voter must own taxable property in a metro district or have a contract to

purchase property in order to qualify for a board seat. The legislature, seemingly envisioning an attempt to circumvent the spirit of the law, also prohibited anyone from knowingly D transacting business in this fashion for the purpose of making them a i g voting member of the district.

However, there is an exception: if t not enough people live in the districtd or express interest in being a board a a member.

“As soon as five people move into h the neighborhood, they can serve on t the board,” said John Henderson, b an attorney and expert on special districts. If board members have no D contract, “as soon as that becomes a known, either through litigation t or otherwise...there is a vacancy. t They have to leave the meeting in the middle of the meeting if that’s S when it became known. They could j not vote, they can no longer act. So a it’s very important that they answer “ that question.”

According to conflict-of-interest t paperwork filed with the Colorado e Secretary of State’s Office, Beckwitt, o Hessler, and the two other Lennar directors in Willow Bend — Jason Steinberg and John Cheney — have collectively sat on the boards of 18 metro districts in seven counties.

Colorado is not the only state with special districts. But conversely, not all states with special districts have Colorado’s metro district framework for private development.

“When a district is formed in Oregon it has to be formed for one specific service, such as water, fire or sanitary,” said Frank Stratton, executive director of the Special Districts Association of Oregon.

California similarly allows Community Facilities Districts for public infrastructure improvements.

Fred Crawford, executive director Florida Association of Special Districts, described a system that closely resembles Colorado’s community development districts.

“The developer creates the district through the legislature, develops the community and once 51% of the development is sold, the board is turned over to the citizens of the community and they are in charge from there on out,” he said.

In the nearby metro district of North Holly, the transition from a homebuilder board to a homeowner board happened in May 2020, but it was not amiable.

Minutes from the Nov. 30 meeting showed the board was scheduled to consider the qualifications of the two homebuilder representatives, but five days earlier the employees submitted a resignation letter. According to them, Wolfersberger, who was by now the district manager, “treats Board members who are affiliated with the land developer and homebuilder in a hostile manner.”

They also accused Wolfersberger of a “shell game” and “cooking the books.”

In response, Wolfersberger told the remaining homeowner board members that the homebuilder had provided “free legal services” to its board members by responding on their behalf to inquiries about their qualifications. The company reportedly asserted the two employees were qualified to serve as directors and “the District’s requests to provide property ownership documentation proving their eligibility is frivolous and a waste of taxpayer money.”

Commerce City Sentinel Express 5

March 16, 2021

Getting past post-pandemic sorrow Dear Ask a Therapist community are still living. This can be seen in the very literal sense of I thought that I was finally feelgrief: bereavement. ing better emotionally and ASK A While the rate of infection getting used to the new way THERAPIST has improved, our country things work in the panrecently exceeded 500,000 demic, but all of a sudden, I deaths associated with COam feeling even more tired VID-19. Many have lost one and crying at the drop of a or multiple loved ones. Othhat. Why is this happening ers experienced the virus to me? What can I do to feel themselves, mourning their better? health. And still yet, others mourn the loss of life as Dear Feeling tired they knew it, compounded You are not alone. As we with emotional burnout approach the anniversary of from the stress of adapting the onset of shutdowns due Maren Corbly to constant change. Each to COVID-19 in the United one of these losses is valid.

States in mid-March, a typically joyous springtime is understandConstant drain ably tainted with grief and loss.

Regardless of the source of our While we often hear that we are particular flavor of grief and “all in this together,” I recognize upheaval, our body remembers the that this well-intended, yet trite experience. To stay safe in times of expression misses the diversity danger, our body engages our fight, of experience individuals in our

flight, or freeze response (a.k.a. our sympathetic nervous system). In this state, we prioritize safety over general wellness. Our sympathetic nervous system is designed to respond in short, urgent need.

When the threat is constant, however, we become drained and no longer able to respond adaptively. As we see familiar cues, like the changing season, our bodies take notice and prepare for danger again, even when there if there is a considerably lower threat.

Just as our system for survival takes place in the body, so too can our healing.

Through movement to release the excess energy and through mindful awareness of the relative safety of the moment, we can communicate to our body that we will be okay, thus engaging our parasympathetic nervous system, which allows us to rest and digest.

And when things are just not okay, we can connect with others to see our feelings reflected in someone else and share memories of how things used to be: speaking about the joys of a packed concert at Red Rocks or warmly reminiscing over big family meals in which you could physically pass the sweet potatoes.

One day we will return to these pleasures, but for now, I suggest that you connect with yourself and with each other to acknowledge how this anniversary impacts us all.

Maren Corbly, MA is a psychotherapist, born and raised in Portland, Oregon. She enjoys helping others to heal, grow, and make meaning of their life experiences. ontact Maren at m.corbly@communityreachcenter. org.

COVID DIAL

ability with dial moves and prevents counties moving back and forth unnecessarily by ensuring a consistent trend is present first,” the news release said.

That change appears to run counter to policy goals the state publichealth department outlined in a Feb. 5 news release that announced the recent major overhaul of the dial system, dubbed “dial 2.0.” In that round of changes, the state publichealth department drastically eased the limits that allow counties to remain in certain color-coded levels

of coronavirus restrictions.

“Dial 2.0 is designed so that counties can swiftly move into more restrictive levels when their numbers go up, and more quickly into recovery when their numbers go down,” Jill Hunsaker Ryan, the department’s executive director, said in the Feb. 5 news release.

“Additionally, instead of looking at the numbers over a 14-day period, Dial 2.0 will consider metrics within a seven-day period — making the dial more responsive and flexible,” the Feb. 5 release continued.

FROM PAGE 1

on Twitter that it would move to level yellow at 6 a.m. March 10 as directed by the state public-health department.

That afternoon, the state publichealth department had announced changes to the dial public health order — the document that outlines how the dial system works — that

include adding a new “disease incidence metric buffer.”

A county’s number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people within one week is known as the county’s incidence rate.

The “buffer” change allows counties to exceed their dial level’s incidence rate limit and still remain in the same level as long as counties do not exceed the minimum of the next dial level’s incidence rate by more than 15% for five consecutive days, according to a news release.

The change “creates more predict-

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6 Commerce City Sentinel Express

March 16, 2021

LOCAL

SPORTS

Deaguero claims fourth in state wrestling championships STAFF REPORT

PUEBLO -- Levi Deaguero lasted the longest of any of the Adams City wrestlers who qualified for the state 5A meet in Pueblo March 13.

Deaguero, a sophomore and a two-time state qualifier, took fourth at 145 pounds during the daylong tournament at the Southwest Motors Events Center.

Deaguero split his first two

matches. Grand Junction’s Kierarn Thompson beat Deaguero 6-3 in the quarterfinals.

Deaguero rallied to beat Brighton’s Brayden Wilkens 3-2 in the first round of consolations.

Deaguero continued his run through the consolation draw with an injury default win over Douglas County’s Ivan Morris. In the consolation finals, Kierarn Thompson of Grand Junction beat Deaguero 6-2 in overtime.

Elsewhere, at 170 pounds, Maximus Gutierrez lost both his matches and did not place. He took Poudre’s Saje Camirand to overtime in the first round of 170-pound consolation matches before falling 3-1.

At 220 pounds, the Eagles’ Micah Ortiz lost both his matches and did not place. He lost to the top seed in the weight class, Franklin Cruz of Pomona, by pinfall and lost to Fruita Monument’s Espin Hernan-

dez by a major, 14-4 decision in the first round of consolations.

At 132 pounds, Adams City’s Jace Long was disqualified because he didn’t make weight.

Daniel Long, the Eagles’ 160-pounder, lost his two matches and did not place. Karter Johnson of Ponderosa pinned long in 2:54 of the quarterfinals. Mickael Byers of Pine Creek went into overtime before beating Long 7-5 in the first round of consolation matches.

Adams City girls basketball wraps up ‘fun’ season

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

There aren’t too many instances where the coach of a team that goes 4-10 can say the season was “fun.”

But that’s the description Adams City’s girls’ basketball coach, James Rogers, used for his first year in charge of the Eagles’ program.

Despite the challenges of coronavirus, the Eagles were able to get in all 14 games this season. Some schools in Adams City’s conference weren’t quite so lucky. Vista Peak canceled its last three games

because of health and safety protocols. Westminster played just nine games, two more than the minimum required to enter the state playoffs.

“We had a lot of ups and downs,” Rogers said. “We were young. We didn’t the offseason we needed, but I’m so happy the kids got to have a season.”

Two Eagles’ players, Maria Saenz (first team) and Adriana Contreras (second team) earned all-conference honors in the Eastern Metro Athletic Conference. Saenz averaged almost six points and more than five rebounds per game. Contreras

Maria Saenz. COURTESY PHOTO

tallied almost six points a game and pulled down seven rebounds per game. Both players return next year as seniors.

Adams City loses Lesly Tevillo (two rebounds per contest) and Binti Abdikadir (two points and almost five rebounds per game).

Louise Diaz returns for her junior campaign next year. In 14 games, she averaged almost 3.5 points and four rebounds an outing.

“I’m looking forward to all the talent we have coming back,” Rogers said. “It’ll feel right to get to a real offseason with all this talent coming back.”

BHS grad deals with COVID clamps

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Professional and high-school sports plow through their responses to the ongoing pandemic with some success.

The NFL finished a season without losing a game. The NBA put teams in a bubble, which allowed the league to crown a champion in the fall. Major League Baseball and the NHL moved their postseasons to designated locations and crowned winners in both cases.

But for sports that aren’t naturally socially distant, the COVID-19 outbreak causes problems.

Brighton High School graduate Eric Sainz, who competes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in New York state, knows of that firsthand.

“COVID has been a constant struggle for my everyday norm,” he said. “Training for competition has come to Sainz a halt. I haven’t competed since Nov. 2, 2019, and training has completely stopped since March of 2020.”

The decision for suspending competition came from the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. The halt to training came from

Sainz’s gym, Essential BJJ. Before training stopped, it was a full-service training regimen – submissions and techniques – just as long as everyone involved agreed and that everyone involved stayed safe.

“Jiu-Jitsu is as contact of a sport you can be in. You sweat, you bleed, you transfer all the bacteria on you to one another,” Sainz said. “So, I took a step back and put myself into isolation for months.”

The break was OK at first.

“Jiu-Jitsu was my life,” Sainz said.

“At first the break was nice, felt like a vacation. In 2019 I was in camp all year, and I was run down. I want to

compete more than ever. I have that itch, and now I’m sick and tired of waiting, to say the least.“ He and his girlfriend train at home, He called her “a phenomenal training partner.”

“I teach classes virtually and, as you can imagine, teaching a full-contact sport virtually has been my latest challenge,” Sainz said. “For the solo drills, I’ve had to think way outside the box, had to think of what it would be like to do techniques all alone and make it to where my students can visualize it and apply it once we can train again.

SEE SAINZ, P7

Hard adjustments for distant sports

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

FISHERS, INDIANA — Adjusting to the idea of staying away from people is difficult at best.

Now imagine playing a sport not known for a lot of social distancing, even in non-pandemic times.

In the case of Brighton High School student Tyler Samson, his hockey career was able to move forward in spite of coronavirus.

“My efforts to play hockey with COVID haven’t really changed too much. My freedom is limited to the rink and where I am staying

and being able to go to Mass on the weekends,” Samson said. “With home games, they feel normal, except for wearing a mask and having to wash my hands everywhere I go.”

The routine for road games changed.

Samson “Unlike last year, where I was able to go in and out of rinks freely at any time, this year I am able to go into rinks 15 minutes before games, I occasionally have to get dressed outside for games and my pregame

warm-up has to be outside too,” Samson said.

Bus trips are 10 hours or more between games. In one instance, Samson’s team finished a six-hour bus ride to a game in St. Louis.

Just before the game started, the team returned to Indiana because of a potential contact with a team representative who tested positive.

In November, Samson’s team played just one game in a showcase tournament because a teammate wasn’t feeling well. That forced the squad to return home.

Soon after, the team instituted strict rules so that the season

could continue.

Samson steers clear of his teammates, except for practices, workouts and games.

“I try to limit as much time with them as I can so I can stay as safe as possible. In the locker room and on road trips, I sit by the same teammates and they are my roommates every time I am on the road, too,” Samson said. “There haven’t really been any news rules added because of COVID. But the time that my team and I are allowed to go into the rink has been reduced SEE SAMPSON, P7

Commerce City Sentinel Express 7

March 16, 2021

SAMPSON FROM PAGE 6

to 15 to 30 minutes before the game, rather than going in and out of the rink freely.”

Positive outlook Samson hasn’t reached a point where he got mad at the situation.

“Although it has been tough numerous times,” he said. “I try to keep a positive outlook on everything, and I try to tell myself that I am not the only hockey player right now doing this. In order to keep playing the sport I love, I have to make some sacrifices to do that, especially during this time.”

His season continues. James Mullins, the coach of Samson’s team, Indy Jr. Fuel 18U AAA, played with current Colorado Avalanche star Nathan McKinnon at Shattuck St. Mary’s School in Minnesota.

The team is in the prep division of the 12-year-old North American Prospects Hockey League. Its website says it sent more than 120 players on to the North American

SAINZ FROM PAGE 6

“Teaching is always very difficult.

With partners, it makes it easier in some ways to be able to demonstrate the move but you can also get very complex with techniques and con-

Hockey League for the 2020-2021 season. Fifty-five of them had contracts.

Samson’s squad played in Cleveland in February and was planning to head to Dallas for the North American Prospects Hockey League tournament.

“I got through that phase by just slowing down time and just getting through one day at a time.

If I just worry about the next day, I can worry about how I can be a better student and a better hockey player that day and not look too much into the future,” Samson said.

Samson said the ongoing pandemic made him a better player and a better person, too.

“It gives me new ways and new opportunities to become a better player. It has thrown some obstacles in my way by not having every rink open or gyms, so I have to find my own ways to get better and work harder when I do get that limited amount of ice and gym time,” he said. ”This has made me a better person by just allowing me to do the right thing by staying home and only going out when needed.”

Samson wants to play college

hockey next year, though he’s not sure where. There’s even been another side benefit to playing hockey through a pandemic, and it deals with education.

“Before Brighton High School came out with the idea that there was going to be online school for this school year, I already commit-

ted to playing out here in Indiana,” Samson said. “But one of my goals for the coming year was to graduate with my classmates at BHS. Because of the online school option, I was able to fulfill that and go to school in Brighton while being able to play hockey out here in Indiana.”

cepts,” he continued.

“Now with solo drills, you become very limited to what you can teach without having a partner’s reaction.”

Sainz called the last year “a huge test more so on my mind.”

“It’s a big aspect in being an athlete, but I’ve used this time to grow in areas I didn’t have the opportunity to,” he said. “As an athlete, I still

work out constantly and maintain a great diet to stay ready. But it’s far from the same outcome I would normally have.”

Most athletes deal with the potential of life after their careers a little later than Sainz.

“The last thing I could think to add is that I never would have imagined what life without BJJ would be like. And in ways it’s

very nice to accomplish new goals and look out for my future,” he said.

“If more pandemics happen, it could kill my dream of being a gym owner completely. So, I need to be positive but also need to have new backup options.

“Life won’t wait for you and if you don’t make something happen for yourself, that falls back onto you.”

Tyler Samson (41) takes a faceoff against Gage Gaherty (12) of the Des Moines Buccaneers in Urbandale, Iowa.

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8 Commerce City Sentinel Express

March 16, 2021

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Thu 3/18

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Wednesday Mar 24th

Kids' Latin Dance Party with Anythink

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@ 4:30pm Thornton. ccyouth@anythinklibraries.org, 303-405-3200

@ 12pm / Free-$10 Spectra Art Space, 1836 S Broadway, Den‐ ver

See how fun exercising can be! Join us for this fun Latin dance party on Zoom, hosted by Mile High Fitness. Participants will become familiar with basic movements and steps using Latin, pop and international rhythms. No previous dance experience required. Appropriate for kids ages 5-12 and families.

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Wed 3/24 Snapped | Month Of Photography Exhibition

Coding Camp with CSU Extension

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@ 2pm Buell Theatre, 1031 13th St., Denver

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O'Connor Brothers Band -- Late Show @ 8pm / $40-$120 Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St, Denver

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Commerce City Sentinel Express 9

March 16, 2021

C R O S SWO R D P U Z Z L E

© 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.

Solution

TRIVIA 1. TELEVISION: Which animated series stars a precocious toddler named Stewie Griffin?

2. GEOGRAPHY: Where are the Diomede Islands located?

3. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Former President Jimmy Carter served in which branch of the military?

4. LITERATURE: Which 20th-century novel featured a character named Boo Radley?

5. U.S. STATES: What animal is featured on California’s state flag?

9. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What shape has been used in U.S. stop signs since the 1920s?

10. PSYCHOLOGY: What irrational fear is represented by the condition called alektorophobia?

Answers 1. “Family Guy” 2. The Bering Strait, between Alaska and Siberia 3. Navy 4. “To Kill a Mockingbird”

6. HISTORY: Which U.S. state was the last to remove a ban on interracial marriage?

5. A bear

7. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a group of sharks called?

7. A shiver

8. AD SLOGANS: Which products were advertised with a slogan that called them “indescribably delicious”?

6. Alabama in 2000 8. Mounds and Almond Joy candy bars 9. Octagon 10. A fear of chickens

Crossword Solution

10 Commerce City Sentinel Express

March 16, 2021

www.ColoradoCommunityMedia.com/Notices

PUBLIC NOTICES

Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088 Legals City and County CITY OF COMMERCE CITY NOTICE OF VIRTUAL PUBLIC INPUT MEETING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) PROGRAM The City of Commerce City is hosting a virtual public input meeting for Thursday, April 1, at 10:30 a.m. This meeting will review the city’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, which funds community projects that benefit low to moderate-income residents. The meeting will request input on the formation of the 2021-2025 CDBG Consolidated Plan, which includes establishing overall community needs, goals, and priorities for federally-funded CDBG projects over the next five years. CDBG funds may be spent on housing and neighborhood development needs, public services, economic development, public facilities, and fair housing.

The goal of this meeting is to obtain input from residents on which community needs, goals, and

priorities should be included in the Plan. The meeting will also cover the recently submitted project applications to utilize the $425,149 in 2021-2022 funding.

Virtual Public Input Meeting Thursday, April 1 10:30 – 12:00 p.m.

Visit c3gov.com/CDBG to register Simultaneous Spanish interpretation will be provided If you cannot make this meeting, please visit InformC3.com and share your ideas on prioritizing community needs associated with housing, economic development, public facilities, and services.

Please contact Cheryl Steinberg with questions at 303-289-8168 or csteinberg@c3gov.com.

Legal Ad No.: CCX111149 First Publication: March 16, 2021 Last Publication: March 16, 2021 Published In: Commerce City Sentinel Express

Metropolitan Districts NOTICE OF FINAL PAYMENT

legals@coloradocommunitymedia.com

NOTICE is hereby given that the South Adams County Water and Sanitation District (“District”) of Adams County, Colorado, will make final payment at its offices at 6595 E. 70th Avenue, Commerce City, Colorado, 80022, on April 2, 2021, at the hour of 3:00 p.m. to Glacier Construction Co., Inc., 5460 South Quebec Street, Suite 200, Greenwood Village, CO 80111 for all work done by said Contractor(s) in construction work performed for the District.

Project Contractor: Glacier Construction Co., Inc. Project Name: 2019 Alluvial Well Improvements Project Location: The project is generally located at multiple sites in the Irondale area of Commerce City.

Any person, co-partnership, association of persons, company or corporation that has furnished labor, materials, team hire, sustenance, provisions, provender, or other supplies used or consumed by any contractors or their subcontractors, in or about the performance of the work contracted to be done or that supplies rental machinery, tools, or equipment to the extent used in the prosecution of the work, and whose claim therefor has not been paid by the contractors or their subcontractors, at any time up to and including the time of final settlement for the work contracted to be done, is required to file a verified statement of the amount

due and unpaid, and an account of such claim, to the District at the above address, Attn: Dawn Fredette, District Clerk and Legal Assistant, on or before the date and time hereinabove shown. Failure on the part of any claimant to file such verified statement of claim prior to such final settlement will release the District, its Board of Directors, officers, agents, and employees, of and from any and all liability for such claim.

All of the above is pursuant to §38-26-107, C.R.S.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SOUTH ADAMS COUNTY WATER AND SANITATION DISTRICT acting through its SOUTH ADAMS COUNTY WATER AND SANITATION DISTRICT ACTIVITY ENTERPRISE By: /s/ Vicki Ennis Secretary Legal Ad No.: CCX111150 First Publication: March 16, 2021 Last Publication: March 23, 2021 Published in: Commerce City Sentinel

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that at the Board of Governors of the North Metro Task Force, Adams County, Colorado, meeting the budget amend

ments for the year 2020 will be presented. If you would like to request a copy of the proposed budget amendment, please call 720-523- 6239 during business hours which are Tuesday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Such proposed budget amendment for 2020 will be considered for adoption by the Board of Governors at a public hearing to be held virtually at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, March 25th, 2021. To call into this virtual meeting dial 720-523-6000 and then use the code 3215# to join.

If you have any issues connecting to the virtual meeting please call 720-523-6239 for assistance.

Any interested elector may inspect the proposed budget and file or register any objections thereto at any time prior to the final adoption thereof.

North Metro Task Force By: /s/ Kasandra Carleton Assistant Adams County Attorney Legal Ad No.: CCX111151 First Publication: March 16, 2021 Last Publication: March 16, 2021 Published In: Commerce City Sentinel Express

NOTICE OF BUDGET HEARING FOR THE NORTH METRO TASK FORCE

Since the founding of our nation, the role of newspapers in our democracy has been cr ystal clear. We have been, and will continue to be, the eyes and ears of the American people. After all, the right of free speech is meaningless if no one knows what’s really going on. That’s why more than 100 million Americans depend on their hometown newspapers daily and why today’s newsrooms are staffed with dedicated, highly trained reporters and experienced editors who bring you the very best journalism found any where, in print and online.

Commerce City Sentinel Express March 16, 2021 * 1

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Commerce City Sentinel Express 11

March 16, 2021

COMMERCE CITY SENTINEL EXPRESS

DEADLINES CLASSIFIED LINE ADS: MONDAY, 10 A.M. CLASSIFIED DISPLAY: THURSDAY, 5 P.M. LEGALS: FRIDAY, NOON

CLASSIFIED AD SALES 303-659-2522

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Looking to Buy? Need to Sell? Looking to Hire? Seeking Employment? Renting? Need to Rent?

Call us at 303-659-2522 or fax 303-637-7955 | classifieds@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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Rentals Homes Brighton, 2BD Country House $950/mo.

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12 Commerce City Sentinel Express

March 16, 2021

News Briefs New stimulus money? New stimulus scam The Weld County sheriff ’s office is warning of a likely uptick in scams timed with the arrival of the new $1,400 stimulus checks.

Sheriff ’s office spokesman Joe Moylan said deputies took a call about a scam ijnvolving people who are posing as officers with the Social Security Administration. Moylan said it started with an automated call telling potential victims their Social Security number is under suspension.

It continues with a warning to call the SSA to fix the issue in fear of an arrest warrant.

“The message prompts the potential victim to press ‘1’ to speak with a live officer,” Moylan said.

“Several residents who recognized the call as a scam but pressed ‘1’ anyway reported the person on the other end of the line had a thick Indian accdent.”

Moylan added the scammer tells the potential victim about the bogus suspension and says it can be fixed by paying a fine, typically by providing bank information, a credit card number of through the purchase of gift cards.

Moylan reminded residents not to provide personal, identifying information over the phone to anyone. Also, anything involving payment with a gift card is a scam, and federal agencies, such As SSA, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Internal Revenue Service never do business

over the phone.

“When in doubt, hang up and call an agendy directly to find out if a caller’s claimsm are legitimate,” Moylan said.

Tax prep Free tax preparation is available to those who ean $57,000 or less in Commerce City.

The place to go is Adams City High School, 7200 Quebec St., from 3:30 to 7 p.m. Thursdays, March 18, April 1 and April 8. Two Saturday sessions (8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

April 3 and April 10) are also on the docket.

Email hmorris@getaheadcolorado.org. Call 303-659-6005.

United Power election Four board seats are up for grabs on United Power’s board of directors. The election is during the co-op’s annual meeting Wednesday, April 14.

The available spots will represent the East, West, South and Mountain districts. To be eligible, candidates have to be United Power members and receive United Power service at his/her primary residence in the district to be represented.

Meet the candidate meetings are set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 18, at Riverdale Regional Park, 9755 Henderson Road, Brighton; 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 29, at the Carbon Valley Service Center, 9586 E. I-25 Frontage Road, Longmont; and at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 30, at

Join us Virtually This Year MEET THE CANDIDATES FORUM Members will have the opportunity to hear from each candidate vying to serve on United Power’s Board of Directors through our virtual Meet the Candidates Forum later this month. Members may join by phone or watch the livestream online.

MARCH

THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021 | 6:30 p.m. www.unitedpower.com/annual-meeting 866-295-1743

2021 ANNUAL MEETING Members are invited to attend our 2021 Annual Meeting virtually this year. The virtual format allows you to participate over the phone or from a computer. Listen in to hear from cooperative leadership about 2020 accomplishments, updates and results from the 2021 Director Election.

APRIL

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2021 | 6:30 p.m.

Register online at www.unitedpower.com or by calling 303-637-1300. Members will receive a call on April 14 when the meeting begins.

Visit www.unitedpower.com/annual-meeting on April 14 at 6:30 p.m. to view the livestream.

the Fort Lupton Recreation Center, 203 S. Harrison Ave. The coop plans to live-stream the annual meeting. If conditions allow, the coop plans to invite members for an in-person meeting at Riverdale Regional Park.

Comp plan meeting Commerce City’s next meeting to discuss the planning process and gain insight into issues in the 2045 comprehensive plan is at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, March 18 (register at https://c3gov.zoom.us/meeting/ register/tJMvdOGgrTwoGNBd7PVynlecjN5mgcN6ELF) and at 6 p.m. March 18 (register at https:// c3gov.zoom.us/meeting/register/ tJcofuqhrDwrHdNKbLGnzUV7Dv2_uI_mBgXR)..

Drawing contest Almost Home Inc. is asking students in Adams County to submit creative drawings for a contest, “What Does Home Look Like to You?” Almost Home will hang the drawings in its new office space.

One entry per student. The hand-drawn work has to be on an unlined, 8 /5-by-11-inch sheet of paper. The student’s name, grade, school and contact phone number have to be on the back of the drawing.

There are three age categories .. kindergarten through fifth grade, sixth through eighth grade and ninth through 12th grade. Prizes will be awarded to the top two finishers in each age group.

Mail entries or drop them off at the Almost Home office, 22 S. Fourth Ave., Brighton 80601. The deadline is Wednesday, March 31.

Call 303-659-6199.

Vegetable garden series The third of the series”Adams County Vegetable garden” (10 a.m.

Thursday, April 3), talks about

Holly Days Spring Craft Show at the Grange

Friday, Mar 19th • 9 to 5 Saturday, Mar 20th • 9 to 4 Green Valley Grange Hall

25501 East Bromley Lane • Brighton (3 miles East of I-76)

Becky Riley 303-637-0707

maximizing yields, harvesting and growing for others.

The program is through a partnership with Brighton Shares the Harvest and Colorado State University’s Grow & Give Victory Garden project. It’s designed to offer skills to succeed in vegetable gardening, whether you’re new to the effort or a veteran.

Register on Eventbrite (https:// adamscountyveg21.eventbrite. com).

27J Education Foundation scholarships The 27J Education Foundation is accepting applications for its student scholarship through April 6. Applications have to be sent to 27Jfoundation@sd27j.net. Call 303655-2900.

‘In Memory’ display for Wall That Heals event extended The city of Brighton said the deadline to submit names for the “In Memory” display (part of “The Wall That Heals” program coming to Brighton over Labor day weekend) is July 31.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s In Memory program honors those who returned from the war and later died. The wall will be in Carmichael Park, 650 E. Southern St. To apply online, visit www.

VVMF.org/In-Memory-Program.

Senior meals Eagle View Adult Center and Volunteers of America are offering a box of five frozen meals delivered to your home. You must be 60 or older and be a resident of Brighton. The suggested contribution for the meals is $2.50 meal / $12.50 per box, although the ability to pay is not the deciding factor if you are eligible.

Boxes are delivered Thursdays.

Call 303-655-2075 and leave your name and phone number.

Eagle Express rides Barr Lake State Park will offer virtual rides aboard the Eagle Express. Join Ranger Michelle and her friends as they read a story about our natural world that is sure to entertain your preschooler while teaching them about plants, animals and our planet. Call 303659-6005.

COVID-19 vaccines The Salud clinic in Fort Lupton, 1115 Second St., is offering COVID-19 vaccinations to those 70 years of age and older, health-care workers and workers in the state’s 1b category. You don’t need to be a patient Register at saludclinic.org.

▶ Per CDC - Masks Required ◀

March

Fill-Up Special!

GLOBAL PROPANE 303-660-9290 Family Owned Business

Text “globalpropane” to 22828 for email prices

DISC

VOLU ME OU N TS ! 5 00+

$1.79 9

Gallon L imited Off

er