Here’s What Being a “Full-Service” Real Estate Agent Means to Us
To me — and, I believe, to my broker associates at Golden Real Estate — being a “full-service” real estate agent means more than providing the minimum “uniform duties” set forth by the Colorado Real Estate Commission, with my comments in brackets:
“Broker shall exercise reasonable skill and care for seller, including, but not limited to the following:
Performing the terms of any written or oral agreement with seller;
Presenting all offers to and from seller in a timely manner, regardless of whether the property is subject to a contract for sale;
Those are the minimum duties spelled out by the Real Estate Commission for an agent representing a seller. The Commission spells out similar duties for a broker representing a buyer, tenant or landlord.
”
be on this
Disclosing to seller adverse material facts [about the buyer] actually known by broker;
Advising seller to obtain expert advice as to material matters about which broker knows but the specifics of which are beyond the expertise of broker;
Accounting in a timely manner for all money and property received; and
Keeping seller fully informed [throughout] the transaction.
Those are the minimum duties, whether the agent is functioning as a transaction broker or an agent. A transaction broker, which we don’t recommend, is a broker who owes no fidelity to either party, but merely facilitates the transaction. If the broker is an agent, broker has the following additional duties:
“Promoting the interests of seller with the utmost good faith, loyalty and fidelity [above those of the buyer or him/herself].
Seeking a price and terms that are acceptable to seller [or better].
Counseling seller as to any material benefits or risks of a transaction that are actually known by broker.”
At Golden Real Estate, my broker associates and I are always seeking to “go the extra mile” when serving our clients. For sellers, that could include such things as providing a free professional staging consultation before the home goes on the market, so that it shows its best.
Sometimes the staging consultant recommends moving furniture, and, of course, we help there. And sometimes repairs are required, for which we provide our in-house handyman at the client-only rate of $30 per hour. He can handle light plumbing and light electrical matters such as replacing a vanity, toilet or chandelier, and he’s also good at doing drywall repair, including texturing.
A seller who is downsizing may need to sell or give away unwanted furniture. In many instances, we’ve been able to get the winning buyer in a bidding war to agree to purchase all the unwanted furniture — even if they didn’t want it. If there’s enough good quality furniture, we have an estate sales vendor who will run a sale and then donate the unsold furniture (using his own truck) to the International Rescue Committee, which donates that furniture to refugees from other countries for whom the IRC has found housing.
(When Rita and I sold our Golden home in 2022, we had a bidding war, and the buyer paid us $10,000 for the furniture we didn’t want in our 55+ apartment, and, best of all, I wrote into the contract that we could leave anything else that we didn’t want. That included our garage full of tools and “stuff”!)
Before our box truck died, we provided it
Here Are Some Reviews From Our Past Clients:
for only the cost of gas used by buyers and sellers, and we still have a storage shed full of previously used moving boxes of all sizes, packing paper and bubble wrap, which we provide free to clients. Many times I have delivered those boxes and packing materials to a client so they don’t have to pick them up. (We’re running low on small moving boxes, if you have some you’d like to give us.)
Sometimes a seller will need to move furniture or other belongings into a storage unit so their home shows better, and we have been able a couple times to procure a free first month’s rent, with no contract beyond that.
Our personal “cleaning lady” isn’t taking on new accounts but is always available for one-time move-out cleanings of our listings. I just found out that she pulls out the range and refrigerator and cleans behind them, which I wouldn’t have expected, but which makes sense, because the buyer is likely to replace one of those appliances and would be disgusted at how dirty it was there! Thanks, Cybil!
Golden Real Estate is still one of the only brokerages which shoots a narrated video tour for every listing and posts it on YouTube, with links to the MLS, which in turns gets it onto the public and broker websites which get their listings from the MLS. We’ve been doing that for two decades, yet other brokers have been slow to realize its value. It has resulted in some out-of-state buyers (including one last fall) going under contract without seeing the listing in person until they fly in for the home inspection.
We also have switched to a photographic vendor owned by Zillow for shooting the magazine-quality still photos and Matterport interactive photos for our listings. They also
every other
so the next time you’ll
create accurate floor plans of every listing and shoot a drone video and aerial photos. Because the vendor is owned by Zillow, our listings garner priority display on that important website.
I’m also a member agent on Homes.com, the nation’s new #1 listing website, which garners each of our listings many times more views than otherwise. Here’s a recent statistical report sent to one of my sellers:
I love rolling up my own sleeves and getting dirty for my clients. Once I used a logging chain and my truck to pull juniper bushes out of the front yard of a listing to improve its curb appeal. I look forward to the opportunity to surprise and delight you with what we consider being a “full service” Realtor!
These Past “Real Estate Today” Columns May Interest You
Clickable links for each column can be found at www.JimSmithColumns.com
Feb. 20, 2025 — We Have a Tool to Help You Find the ‘Perfect’ Home That’s Not on the MLS
Sept. 28, 2023 — Insurance Companies Are Pulling Out of California. Is That in Our Future?
Aug. 10, 2023 — What Are Some Common Mistakes That Homeowners Make When Selling?
Golden Real Estate is the best residential real estate agency i have ever worked with. And I have bought more than 20 houses. What I like most is that they are not afraid to express their frank opinions about any piece of real estate. And I love the house they found for us on South Golden Road.
— Don Parker
Dave Dlugasch did a phenomenal job working with us! We were not easy buyers because of an extensive “wish list” and he did his homework on each property we looked at until we found the right one. He gave us great advice and was very supportive of all our questions throughout the entire process.
— M. Madigan
Based on Jim Smith's knowledge, experience, and expertise in the real estate arena, we decided to work with him when it came time to downsize. We used Jim and his real estate firm to both purchase the new home and sell our existing property. All communication with Jim has been top notch. He also provided all packing materials and labor to make our move. It was a great experience from start to finish.
— R. Trujillo
We were beyond impressed with Kathy Jonke! She went above and beyond for us. She accommodated all of our needs. She was insightful and extremely helpful throughout the entire process! I can’t recommend her more! — Eve Wilson
Not only did Jim Smith do a superb job in the marketing and sale of our home, he provided his company's moving truck and long time handyman Mark to move our belongings to our new home in Broomfield. When a problem occurred, he hired an outside moving company to help complete the move in one day instead of two! We are so pleased that Jim helped us through the process of selling our home and moving us into our new home.
— Reese & Sally Ganster Chuck Brown is a superb Realtor. He is very knowledgeable regarding the market, very
proactive and highly professional. Chuck was great at identifying potential properties that met our criteria, he moved very quickly to show us potential properties and his analysis of property values was on point and very thorough. Chuck was extremely proactive and responsive in his communications with us. Chuck went above and beyond our expectations. My wife and I have done six real estate transactions and we think Chuck is the best Realtor ever. We would highly recommend Chuck to other home buyers. — S. Diamond I was helping my mom and her husband sell the house. David Dlugasch was very accommodating to this dynamic. He arranged for all the paperwork to be done at the nursing home for the ease of my mom. David and I worked together to get the very full and dated house ready to go on the market. He went above and beyond by going to the paint store and hardware store etc. He was always available via text for any question I had along the way. He had a lot of resources. The best one was Mark, the handyman. I could always count on Mark. Mark was very meticulous and could do anything. What a great team! I could not have taken on this monumental task without them!!
—Heidi Warner
Greg Kraft was knowledgeable and professional. He was very easy to work with and was super proactive in searching the listings. That was a key in us managing to buy the townhome in a very competitive market. He was also very responsive and communicated really well with us and the listing agents. We would recommend him without reservation.
— J.
Knight
Jim Swanson was kind and patient while listening to my questions. He helped me to translate the real estate language and manage the sale process. He connected the dots, allowing me to make good decisions, maintain my personal integrity and profit from the sale when a great offer came to the forefront. Jim, Thank you for putting communication and community first. — Name Withheld
Dec. 26, 2024 — As Pro-Tenant Laws Expand, Some Small Landlords Are Considering Cashing Out
Dec. 19, 2024 — What Are the Costs of Buying or Selling a Home in Colorado?
Nov. 7, 2024 — We Need to Take Seriously the Pollutants Emitted When Cooking With Gas
Oct. 31, 2024 — Cooperative Living Presents an Attractive Alternative for Downsizing Seniors
Sept. 26, 2024 — Some Thoughts on Keeping Your Death From Becoming an Undue Burden on Your Heirs
Sept. 5, 2024 — What Knowledge and Skills Should You Expect Your Real Estate Agent to Have?
Aug. 8, 2024 — Seniors Over 70 Might Consider Downsizing Into a Rental, Not a Smaller Home
July 25, 2024 — Many Homeowners Don’t Understand Title Issues, Which Could Lead to Big Problems Later On
June 6, 2024 — Here Are Some Simple Steps to Take to Avoid Unpleasant Surprises After Closing
Mar. 21, 2024 — What’s Behind the Buzz About ‘Indoor Air Quality’ and ‘Sick Building Syndrome’?
Feb. 22, 2024 — Most Sellers Don’t Know How to Interview a Listing Agent. Here’s Some Guidance.
Dec. 21, 2023 — D.R. Horton Inks Deal to Build Homes With OSB Made From Grass Instead of Wood
Nov. 23, 2023 — Scamming Has Become Its Own Industry, and We’re All Prospective Victims
June 15, 2023 — Don’t Let Capital Gains Tax Deter You From Cashing Out on an Investment Property
May 11, 2023 — Do Agents Inflate the Cost of Buying or Selling Your Home with ‘Junk Fees’?
Apr. 20, 2023 — What Are Some Affordable Ways to Make Your Home More Attractive to Buyers?
Mar. 16, 2023 — Here Are Some Ways to Make Your Home More Accommodating to Seniors
Feb. 9, 2023 — Understanding Indoor Air Quality and How It’s Managed in Super-Insulated Homes
Oct. 27, 2022 — Sales Taxes May Be Lower, But Property Taxes Are Higher in Unincorporated Areas
Oct. 6, 2022 — How to Make Sure That the House You Buy Will Not Be a ‘Money Pit’ Sept. 22, 2022 — What Steps Can You Take to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient?
July 28, 2022 — Aging in Place vs. Moving to a 55+ Community: Here Are Some Considerations
May 26, 2022 — Reflections on Selling Our Home and Moving Into a 55+ Rental Community
Jan. 6, 2022 — Marshall Fire Is a Wake-up Call for Building More Fire-Resistant Homes
Dec. 2, 2021 — My Favorite Home Improvements When Purchasing a New-to-Me Home
Oct. 14, 2021 — Court Rules That Sending an Email Can Bind You, Even Without Signing It Oct. 7, 2021 — What Are the Most Common Foundation Issues You Might Encounter in a Home?
Jim Smith Broker/Owner
Beloved pizzeria faces crossroads after 64 years
BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
At the corner of South Broadway and Union Avenue in Englewood stands
Frank the Pizza King — a modest old building that locals regard as an unocial historical landmark.
ough small in size, the space overows with nostalgia and history.
In one corner, a vintage arcade machine hums quietly. e booths are worn in the way that only comes from years of shared meals and laughter. And the familiar aroma of sausage and onions, which rst began to waft through the restaurant decades ago, lingers in the air.
More than a restaurant, Frank’s has served as a communal living room for the Englewood community. But now, after 64 years, the beloved restaurant is facing an unexpected and uncertain transition.
In April, the family learned they would have to leave the space that has been home for over six decades because the California-based trust that owned the building sold it, and the new owner does not want to continue the lease.
“It’s the Frank’s family,” said Matt Krascek, co-owner and grandson of the founder. “It means everything to me. is is where I grew up. It’s where I had my rst piece of pizza. is is my life.”
The history
Founded by Frank Krascek, Frank the Pizza King began after Frank and his wife So a Krascek came to America in the 1950s with their only son, Walter Krascek, Matt’s father.
e family, originally from Slovenia, came to the U.S. from Italy and Frank started working at a local restaurant in Englewood called Scotty’s Pizzeria. Soctty’s was located in the same building Frank’s calls home at 4701 S. Broadway.
“He worked long enough to buy the business from Scotty and changed it to Frank the Pizza King,” Matt said. “He brought his own recipes — we make our own dough, our own sauce, our own sausage. And it’s the same recipes we’ve had since my grandpa started it.”
Walter, Matt’s father, said the origin of the name Frank the Pizza King came
‘The Frank’s family’
from humble beginnings.
“My dad had a friend who suggested it to him,” Walter said. “And I guess he liked it.”
So a name that started with a casual suggestion would go on to become a staple in the Englewood community.
Although he never met his grandfather — who passed away before Matt was born and when Walter was 18 — Matt said the stories about Frank live on through the family.
“I heard he was a great guy,” Matt said of his grandfather. “He loved horse racing for sure.”
ough Walter doesn’t have a lot of memories of his father, he said he was a “happy-go-lucky and fun-loving man.”
After Frank’s passing, it was his wife, So a, who stepped in to keep the restaurant alive.
“She was a great lady. A hard worker,” Matt said. “When my grandpa died, she ran it. en when my dad graduated from the University of Colorado, he and my aunt Maria took over with her until she got too old. en they took over. And now I’m in the picture.”
Walter said he feels the reason people
love Frank’s is because it’s a familyowned business where everyone, including the customers and the sta , are treated like family — “the Franks family.”
A crossroads
While the restaurant has stayed true to its roots — from its classic recipes to its community-centered values — times are changing.
Matt said they are expected to leave the building by the middle of May.
e Krasceks don’t own the building and never have. Matt said it has always been held by the same family and an opportunity to purchase it never came to fruition.
“I think they o ered it to my grandfather at one point, but it just wasn’t the right time,” Matt said.
Frank and So a had purchased a house and the operation of the business, so Matt said they weren’t able to accept the o er. en the opportunity to buy it was never o ered again.
“As a restaurant, everyone thinks we have money. But we really don’t. All the money goes toward bills, paying employees and paying rent,” Matt said. e family still isn’t sure who bought the building.
Walter Krascek, son of Frank the Pizza King, and now co-owner of his father’s 64-year-old business, makes a pizza at his father’s pizzeria on South Broadway in Englewood. The restaurant will be closing its doors soon due to new ownership of the building. PHOTO BY ELISABETH SLAY
Frank the Pizza King, an Englewood institution for 64 years at South Broadway and West Union Avenue, faces an uncertain future after learning that the building’s new owners will not allow the business to remain at its longtime location.
PHOTO BY SCOTT GILBERT
PHOTO BY ELISABETH SLAY
ey’ve also launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to help with moving costs.
Community response
Upon nding out about the impending closure of the restaurant, Matt said, people have shown Frank the Pizza King so much support because the restaurant is an important part of the community’s history.
“Back in the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, this used to be a big high school hangout,” Matt said. “We’ve had people come in here saying they grew up on this pizza. Generations of people. And we’ve partnered with the Englewood community — donating to the high school, to elementary schools, to all the teams and sports programs.” e loyalty is mutual.
“Frank’s is Englewood,” Matt said. Matt said there has been a large response on Facebook from fans of the business.
“A family favorite restaurant,” one commenter said. “I … loved getting Frank’s pizza when I was a kid. So many memories.”
“As much as no one wants a change, just know Frank e Pizza King we will follow you wherever you go. It’s about the Franks family and pizza,” another commenter said.
Also in response to the news, a petition was started to make Frank’s a historic landmark. However, Matt is not sure it would make a di erence.
“It would be awesome,” he said. “I don’t think that would save us, because I think the owner can do as they please. But I think it’d keep the building, and that would be sweet — something to still drive by and see. at would be nice.”
Walter said he is overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from Englewood and beyond.
“ is is unbelievable,” Walter said. “I didn’t expect this. I gured we could get a bump, but I didn’t gure that would happen.”
A hopeful but uncertain future
Despite the uncertainty of the restaurant’s future, there’s hope. Matt has a broker searching for a new location.
“We’re trying to stay in the Englewood footprint,” he said. “ at’s our goal.”
“Whether that means buying a building, helping with rent, or whatever else it entails,” Matt said.
The Frank’s family
Over the years, Matt said there have been some challenges to owning a business with his family, but overall, it’s worth it.
“It’s a lot of work. You butt heads every once in a while, but at the end of the day, it’s still family,” he said. “Not just my family — the Frank’s family. We’ve had so many employees here for 20, 30, 40 years. It’s obvious we’ve been very appreciative of their hard work and dedication.”
Beth Callahan, a Frank’s employee, has been with the restaurant since the late ’80s when she was a freshman in high school.
“I went to school to be a nurse and I hated it,” she said. “I came back. Even through school, and when I was a nurse, and when I did home daycare, I still worked here part time. I’ve never not worked here.”
Now, facing the uncertainty of change, Callahan admits that she’s feeling uncertain about being unemployed for the rst time in her life.
Still, what keeps her going — and what has always made Frank’s feel like more than just a job — is the people.
“ e customers. Ninety percent of them are my friends. I get hugged. ey’re just good people. And the Krasceks have been a good family to work for,” Callahan said.
While she’s sad to leave the comfort of Frank’s original building behind, Callahan has hope it’ll all work out.
“It’s still the heart. When we nd a building, it’s still going to be Franks. It’s just going to look a little di erent. But I think — I mean, it’s the nostalgia. It’s the employees,” she said.
When asked how Matt thinks his grandfather would feel about what his pizzeria turned into, he said he feels Frank would be proud.
“I think he’d be proud of what we’ve done and how far we’ve taken it,” Matt said. “I think he’d be really upset that we’re leaving here.”
ARAPAHOE COUNTY
Wool Spinning
17 Mile House Open House
Drop by 17 Mile House Farm Park and discover how animal wool is spun into the sweaters we wear. Featured activity: try wool carding by hand and take home a hand-spun friendship bracelet!
Saturday, May 17, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. 8181 S. Parker Rd, Centennial, 80016
Small group tours offered throughout the morning.
Lush lawn, low maintenance
This free class will cover everything you need to know to grow a lush lawn with less maintenance, May 15, 4–5 p.m. at Aurora Central Library. Learn the common mistakes homeowners make with lawn maintenance and the best practices for lawn care so you can spend less time and use less water and chemicals while growing a healthier lawn.
Register at https://bit.ly/ CSULawn
This is a FREE event, but registration is strongly encouraged.
Visit arapahoeco.gov/ 17milehouse
Matt Krascek, co-owner of Frank the Pizza King on South Broadway in Englewood, checks the pizza oven in the establishment that’s been a staple in Englewood for the last 64 years.
Englewood secures lower parks bond interest rate
City also hired project manager to oversee execution of improvements
BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Several months after Englewood voters approved a $41.5 million general obligation parks bond, the city has managed to secure a lower interest rate and hire a project manager to oversee the execution of multiple improvements to several of the city’s parks.
e city announced in an April press release that it managed to secure a 4.13% interest rate for residents rather than its
original estimated 6%.
“ at lower rate means taxpayers will save money over time, and more of the funding can go directly toward improving parks, trails and recreational spaces,” the city said. “Over the past ve years, we’ve been steadily strengthening the city’s nancial foundation.”
Chris Harguth, social media coordinator for the city, said this new rate will save taxpayers $10.4 million over the 20-year lifespan of the bond and create more funding for future projects.
“We’re committed to delivering highquality parks and recreation facilities while continuing to invest in the infrastructure and economic development that moves our city forward,” Mayor Othoniel Sierra said in the press release. e city initially estimated the annual
cost of the bond to be about $27.70 per $100,000 of a home’s value, which meant about $138.50 per year for a $500,000 home. For commercial properties, the estimated annual cost was $95 per $100,000 in value, or $475 per year for a $500,000 property.
With the new lower rate, residents can now expect to pay around $19.80 per $100,000 of a home’s value, or $99 annually for a $500,000 home. Commercial property owners will see a cost of about $82.44 per $100,000, or $412.22 annually for a $500,000 property.
e city said the lower rate re ects Englewood’s strong nancial position.
“Standard and Poor’s Global Ratings (commonly known as S&P Global Ratings) issued Englewood an AA rating in 2021, and in 2025 increased the rating to
AA+, which is the second highest rating available,” the city said. “A higher rating signals lower risk to investors, which can result in better interest rates for the city. e rating serves as an independent assessment of the city’s creditworthiness and helps build investor con dence.”
Construction of the park projects is expected to begin in spring 2025, with most projects nished by 2028. ere are 12 projects included in the current bond: Barde Park: which is estimated to cost $700,000, and will include a bridge removal, ADA compliances for walkways, park benches, new shade trees and a small nature play area.
Rail Trail project aims to boost connectivity, safety
Sustainability is among goals of Englewood initiative
BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
e City of Englewood is moving forward with a proposed infrastructure project known as the Rail Trail, which is intended to improve connectivity, safety and transportation options throughout the community.
e Rail Trail is a proposed 2.5-milelong multi-use path that would run along the Southwest Rail Corridor.
Mike Roman, engineering manager for the city, said the project includes key design features aimed at separating di erent types of tra c.
“Two pedestrian bridges will be included in this design to separate cyclists and pedestrians from vehicular tra c,” Roman said. “ e bridges will span Hampden Avenue and Dartmouth Avenue to connect the Rail Trail.”
e trail is planned to extend from West Bates Avenue and connect to the Big Dry Creek Trail, located just west of the South Windermere Street and West Layton Avenue intersection.
in the city.
“ e project will provide several key bene ts to the community,” Roman said.
“First, it will enhance walkability throughout the city by developing a network of non-motorized trails and paths. ese pathways will be designed to be safe and separated from vehicular tra c, ensuring secure connectivity across Englewood.”
Roman also noted that the trail is intended to improve access to public transit
e concept for the trail was originally identi ed in the city’s Walk & Wheel Plan, which outlines goals for increasing nonmotorized transportation infrastructure across Englewood.
“Additionally, the project will help increase ridership on RTD transit options within Englewood, making public transportation more accessible and e cient for residents,” he said.
e project also aligns with broader safety goals.
“Ultimately, the project aims to achieve a goal of zero vehicular, pedestrian and cyclist deaths, fostering a safer and more sustainable environment for all,” Roman said.
To date, the city has funded 30% of the project’s design phase through its general fund. at phase of the work was completed in February.
e city is now working with a consultant to pursue grant funding in order to complete the full design and move the project toward construction.
No timeline for construction has been con rmed, as the project’s advancement will depend on the outcome of grant applications and future funding decisions.
A concept map of Englewood’s proposed Rail Trail project.
COURTESY OF MIKE ROMAN
INTEREST RATES
Belleview Park: which is estimated to cost about $9 million, and will include a renovated tennis court, ball eld lighting, train and farm improvements, ADA compliances and the replacement of deteriorating steps.
Clarkson/Amherst Park: which is estimated to cost about $400,000, and will include a new park sign, community garden, park benches and a small nature play area.
Cushing Park: which is estimated to cost about $600,000, and will include a fenced-in o -leash dog area, wood chip surfacing, solar lighting, replacement of the playground, boulders, benches, dog bag dispensers and trash cans.
Miller Field/Park: which is estimated to
cost nearly $7 million, and will include a community play area, the preservation of the Miller Field gate, main entry/drop o , native planting, splash pad, angled parking, multi-use elds, enhanced crossing, group picnic pavilion and restrooms.
Northwest Greenbelt: which is estimated to cost $940,000, and will include educational signs, nature planting, picnic table on a pad, shrub planting to screen the parking lot, picnic shelter, new shade trees, ush toilet and an ADA compliant concrete path.
Rotolo Park: which is estimated to cost $755,000, and will include concrete drainage pan, native planting, pave area between existing 4-foot-wide walk and curb, a connected path to South Jason Street curb, connected path to West Stanford Drive, ush toilet, relocated park sign and enhanced crossing to Southwest Greenbelt Park.
Emerson Park: which is estimated to
cost $600,000, and will include widening sidewalks, picnic shelter, trees for screening and a play area.
Englewood Recreation Center: which is estimated to cost upwards of $7 million, and will include a pickleball court, updated locker rooms, improved landscaping, spa and new pool decking.
Pirates Cove: which is estimated to cost $6.3 million, and will include a lounge and play pool, removal of large pool, and replacement of innertube slides.
e nal project is a new irrigation system for all of Englewood’s city parks, which is estimated to cost about $3 million. e new irrigation system will be more water e cient than the current irrigation system, thereby reducing wasted water usage and lowering the city’s costs.
To see a full list of planned improvements, visit englewoodco.gov/renew-recreate.
as part of the bond ballot measure that was passed in November last year.
H MUSIC H RIDES H FAMILY FUN
THURSDAY, JUNE 12 1 pm – 10:30 pm: Carnival Only FRIDAY, JUNE 13 Fri 1 pm – 10:30 pm: Carnival Fri 4 pm – 10:30 pm: Festival
SATURDAY, JUNE 14 Sat 10 am – 10:30 pm
SUNDAY, JUNE 15 Sun 10 am – 8:30 pm Shopping H FOOD H
TURF PROS SOLUTION EAST MUSIC Stage Music All Day — Highlights
Friday, June 13 presented by 6:00 pm: Blinker Fluid Band • 8:15 pm: Hillbilly Demons
Saturday, June 14 presented by 5:30 pm: Chris Daniels & The Kings 8:15 pm: The Walker Williams Band
Sunday, June 15 presented by 3:30 pm: The Threadbarons • 6:00 pm: Jewel & The Rough
Friday, June 13 presented by 6:30 pm: TEN YEARS GONE • 8:30 pm: PATRICK & THE LVB
Saturday, June 14 presented by 6:00 pm: GLITTER IN THE AIR • 8:30 pm: LAST MEN ON EARTH
Sunday, June 15 presented by 4:00 pm: DUEY & UNBROKEN • 6:30 pm: THOSE CRAZY NIGHTS ®
Food, Beverage & Ride Tickets may be purchased at Festival Ticket Booths.
Pirates Cove is one of several parks throughout Englewood that will receive some updates this year
Firm but fair is common sense but not always common
“Firm but fair.” It’s one of those classic phrases that has circulated through every management seminar, leadership book, and HR handbook for decades. It feels obvious, practically baked into our collective understanding of what good leadership should look like. Yet, despite its wide acceptance as common sense, it remains glaringly absent in far too many workplaces, households, communities, and yes, even comment threads on social media.
Here’s the truth: being rm but fair isn’t just a leadership competency. It’s a life competency. It should be at the heart of every interaction we have with colleagues, friends, family, neighbors, and strangers. But too often, we confuse rmness with control and fairness with softness. We dig in on our personal convictions so deeply that we forget to leave space for empathy. We mistake being “right” for being righteous. And in the process, we alienate the very people we claim to want to understand.
plug into the local community, posted a friendly message on a Facebook group asking for suggestions on things to do and places to explore. Simple, harmless, open-hearted. Within minutes, someone replied, not with a welcome or a restaurant recommendation, but with hostility. e responder attacked the state the woman had moved from, implied she was part of some political problem, and warned her not to bring “those values” into this state. No questions asked. No attempt to understand who she was or what she believed. Just a fast, angry judgment based on an assumption and a zip code. at’s not rm. at’s unfair.
only when the two are in balance that trust is built.
Leadership, whether at home, at work, or online is about holding the line without drawing swords. It’s about communicating standards while listening to perspectives. And it’s about recognizing that someone can disagree with you without being your enemy. We don’t have to dilute our convictions to be fair. But we do have to discipline our assumptions if we ever hope to lead or love well.
Being rm but fair means telling the truth even when it’s uncomfortable, but doing so with compassion and integrity. It means making tough calls without playing favorites. It means standing up for what’s right, while also pausing long enough to ask, “What might I not be seeing here?”
not out to shame them, but you won’t coddle them either. Fairness gives rmness credibility. Without it, our rmness just feels like force.
So, whether you’re leading a team, raising a child, moderating a community forum, or simply navigating relationships in today’s divided world, don’t just ask, Am I being rm enough? Ask also if I am being fair enough. Because when fairness is discernible, rmness is acceptable. And that’s not just common sense, it’s good practice.
A reader recently reminded me how quickly things can go sideways when fairness is left out of the equation. She’d just moved to a new state and, eager to
Firmness is about clarity, boundaries, and expectations. Fairness is about empathy, consistency, and understanding. One without the other becomes toxic. Being overly rm without fairness becomes rigid, authoritarian, and divisive. Being overly fair without rmness becomes vague, enabling, and chaotic. It’s
Surviving
the chaos:
And yes, being rm but fair takes work. It takes emotional intelligence. It takes humility. It takes the courage to coursecorrect when we get it wrong, which we all do.
e beauty of this mindset is that it doesn’t just create better leaders, it creates better humans. When people feel both seen and held accountable, they rise. ey lean in when they know you’re
A real parent’s guide to kids in all the things
Let’s be honest: “Surviving” multiple kids in sports and activities is the bar. We’re not out here thriving. We’re not “leaning in.” We’re leaning over — into the trunk to nd a shin guard that may or may not be crusted with last season’s granola bar. And that’s OK.
If you’re a parent juggling multiple kids with multiple schedules in multiple zip codes, rst: I see you. Second: Here are a few survival tips that are more “real talk” than “Pinterest mom.” No judgment, no pressure, just solidarity and hopefully a laugh or two.
1. Let go of the dream schedule
Once upon a time, you thought a color-coded family calendar would save your life. Maybe it was even laminated. But now? at calendar looks like a rainbow exploded and half the colors are mystery events you don’t remember agreeing to.
You don’t need a perfect schedule. You need just enough structure to get everyone where they need to be most of the time. If you’ve ever pulled up to practice 15 minutes late with a kid wearing their soccer cleats on the wrong feet but still standing, congratulations. at counts as a win.
2. Accept that dinner is a suggestion
You may have once believed in the family dinner table. You may have even cooked real meals that required pots and pans. But now? “Dinner” is often a grab bag of snacks eaten in a folding chair at the edge of a eld. And that’s ne. ere’s no trophy for quinoa. If your kids are fed, hydrated, and relatively upright, you’re doing great. Embrace the power of protein
Where do you see yourself? Are you doing a fantastic job of balancing your rmness approach with your fairness mindset? Or could you be a better practitioner of connecting, being rm but fair? As always, I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com. And when we understand that when fairness is discernible, rmness is acceptable, it really will be a better-than-good life.
Michael Norton is an author, a personal and professional coach, consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator of individuals and businesses, working with organizations and associations across multiple industries.
A tale of two bills in Colorado
bars, drive-thru chicken nuggets, and those weird Uncrustables that somehow never go bad. You’ll be back to real food at a real table soon, hang in there!
3. Find your people
You know who really gets you? e other parents in lawn chairs at 6 a.m. on a Saturday. e ones with co ee thermoses the size of toddlers. ese are your people. You don’t have to be best friends with every parent on the team, but nding even one or two who’ll give you the scoop on game times and remind you when it’s your turn to bring snacks? at’s gold.
Bonus: Shared misery builds fast friendships. You’d be amazed what lifelong bonds are formed over bleacher splinters and forgotten water bottles.
4. The car is your second home — treat it accordingly
At this point, your vehicle is less of a car and more of a mobile command center with crumbs. It smells like old cleats and hope. Embrace it. Keep a car kit: snacks, extra clothes, water bottles, Band-Aids, sunscreen, and maybe a second phone charger (because someone’s always at 3%).
5. Say “no” when you need to Here’s the secret nobody tells you: you don’t have to say yes to every season, every sport, or every extracurricular that
gets handed to you. It’s OK to say, “You know what, this is too much right now.” Sometimes, doing less keeps the whole family from falling apart. If your sanity is hanging by a single piece of washi tape, permission granted to hit pause. ere’s no activity on earth more important than your peace of mind.
6. You’re allowed to not love it all It’s OK if you don’t live for every single moment. at doesn’t make you a bad parent. at makes you human.
And hey, sometimes there are bright spots. A game-winning goal. A solo that didn’t make your ears bleed. A moment when your kid looks proud, and you remember why you said “yes” in the rst place.
7. Remember: This is a season (literally and figuratively) e chaos won’t last forever. e time will come when your Saturdays are weirdly quiet and your car doesn’t smell like sports. Until then, keep showing up the best you can — with mismatched socks, lukewarm co ee, and a whole lot of heart.
You don’t have to do it perfectly. You just have to keep going. And, if things are teetering on the edge at home while you’re in sprint mode, we happen to know a service that can be that extra set of hands you could use, wink, wink … ahem TULA Life Balanced!
And maybe — just maybe — remember where you put that other shin guard.
is guest column was written by Megan Trask and Cody Galloway, Denver residents and co-founders of TULA Life Balanced. Learn more about their business at tulabalanced.com.
Matters of little consequence often get major time and attention. And vice versa. Two energy bills in the Colorado Legislature this year, one about nuclear energy and the second about electrical transmission, illustrate this. e rst bill, HB251040, which is now law, declared that nuclear energy is clean. It proclaims that utilities can meet clean-energy targets with nuclear. It also allows private projects access to nancing restricted to clean energy development.
e bill sailed through the Legislature. Gov. Jared Polis signed it into law March 31. For believers, those who want to believe that nuclear energy will be THE answer, it was a big win.
To what e ect? Likely none. Forget about nuclear waste and safety concerns. Cost of energy from new nuclear plans remains exorbitant.
Some of this was sorted through in a four-hour committee hearing in March. Chuck Kutscher was among several dozen individuals given two-minute slots to testify. He deserved more time.
A nuclear engineer by training, he subsequently moved into renewables, retiring from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory several years ago.
At a later meeting in Je erson County, Kutscher explained why he expects nuclear energy to play no role in Colorado’s energy transition. It comes down to cost.
Megan Trask and Cody Galloway
BIG PIVOTS
Allen Best
QUILTS
e quiltmakers are provided with notes about the donor — such as if they were a fan of a speci c sports team — to customize the quilt.
“I had a woman who lost her husband tell me the quilt was going to be her travel buddy and keep her warm on chilly ights,” McFarlane said. “ ey had the perfect quilt for the donor because the quilt had butter ies and the donor loved butter ies.”
In addition to volunteering to make the quilts, most of the fabrics used to make the quilts are donated. e Donor Alliance will step in and provide other materials for the quilts, such as the stuing, also known as the batting, and backing quilts when needed.
“ is is just one way that we share (our gratitude), through this quilt that’s lovingly made by Elaine that provides that little light during a di cult time,” said Cheryl Talley, director of public relations and communications for the Donor Alliance.
SCHWARM
at’s quite a mix. Schwarm and Phillips have been collaborators on these afternoon concerts for quite a spell, and assembling such unusual programs has been part of the fun, she said. Phillips will nd a piece or two that he’ll like. and then say to her: “What else ts?” And they’ll swap ideas and take it from there. Finding joy in the classics is part of the reason why Schwarm has been so successful in speaking and writing about music in ways that audiences can feel
Each quilt also comes with a note from the alliance that states that volunteers made the quilts and “hope that it will provide you with the warmth of our caring thoughts in the days and weeks to come.”
In 2024, the Donor Family Quilt Project made 370 quilts and accrued over 5,500 volunteer hours. According to the Donor Alliance, that year, 311 organ donors in Colorado were able to provide 947 lifesaving transplants.
“I hope (the charity) continues to grow,” McFarlane said. “ e quilting ladies are so touched when I tell them what happens with the quilts … I don’t see it ending.”
Over 1,300 Coloradans are currently waiting for life-saving transplants, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.
According to the Donor Alliance, one donor can save up to eight lives and heal more than 75 others.
Anyone can register to be a donor, regardless of age or medical history. Colorado residents can register when obtaining or renewing driver’s licenses, or at DonateLifeColorado.org.
more comfortable listening to works by the great composers, without a sense of dread or intimidation. After all, there’s nothing to fear from someone who’s written a book titled, “When All Else Fails, Play Mozart.”
Lone Tree Arts Center presents Arts in the Afternoon at 1:30 p.m.on Wednesday, May 14. e concert will take place at the arts center, 10075 Commons St. in Lone Tree. For more information, call 720-5091000 or visit lonetreeartscenter.org.
is coverage comes courtesy of a grant from the Littleton Arts and Culture Program. As a matter of policy, funders exercise no control over editorial decisions.
early 2025/2026 season announcement
PACE Center | 7:30 PM
Join us for an unforgettable night of soul-stirring music at Devon Allman’s Blues Summit, a powerhouse gathering of blues legends that promise to electrify the stage!
early 2025/2026 season announcement
PACE Center | 7:30 PM
Fondly known as “America’s answer to The Beatles,” The Lovin’ Spoonful bring their chart-topping folk-rock hits to the PACE Center!
Sample quilts that are provided to donor families.
COURTESY OF ELAINE MCFARLANE
BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
When Justine Williams came to Colorado from England, she pursued horse therapy for people with disabilities.
“As a kiddo in England, I was one of those kids who asked my mom and dad if I could ride horses, and I’ve always loved horses. So, they bought me a horse for my birthday, and I took 10 riding lessons and worked at the barn to pay for my riding lessons,” Williams said. Williams said that when she was 11 years old, her friend had a stroke, so she grew up with her childhood friend being disabled.
“By the time I graduated from high school, I knew I wanted to work with people with disabilities, and I found out about therapy horses,” Williams said. Williams went to Budapest to train in conductive education at the Pet Institute.
“It’s where I learned about therapy and horses,” she said.
She ended up getting married and then came to the U.S., moving to Colorado in 2001. With her passion and education as a therapist, she started her Rhythm of the Horse therapy services in Fort Lupton in 2021. Williams works with children with di erent types of disabilities, such as kids with autism, who don’t speak much.
“With training, I initiate a lot of language when they are on the horse. I teach them to say ‘go’ or ‘stop’ with my horses, Chloe or Gus,” Williams said. “It could be overwhelming to make the horse move, which is what they want, but they need to say something. So, they’re motivated to say something,”
She also works with children and adults with cerebral palsy.
“I also work with disabilities from stroke, ADHD, Down syndrome, multiple sclerosis, anyone with neuro-motor dysfunction, and I also work with other neurodivergent issues such as autism (and) sensory processing disorder,” Williams said.
Rhythm of the Horse also has a program for horse reading for children who are new readers or struggling readers, and can learn to read with a horse.
“So, they’re learning to feel more comfortable and con dent about reading by partnering with the horse. It’s very special,” Williams said.
William said Rhythm of the Horse also o ers its Equine Assisted Learning Program for people who may be overwhelmed in life or have relationship issues.
e children and adults can choose which horse they want to work with and eventually build a bond with that horse to get through their fear, anxiety or whatever they are experiencing.
Rachel Sartucci, who has cerebral palsy, comes once
Karen MacDowell, a volunteer with Rhythm of the Horse
a week for training for up to an hour. Her mom, Elizabeth Robinson, said Rachel, who is now 30, started the program when she was 21.
“I think the program is helping her not get old and tight as quickly. She has cerebral palsy, a type that makes her muscles contract and not go back out. Her right side is weaker, so when she’s on the horse, it relaxes her muscles,” Robinson said.
Karen MacDowell is retired, and has been volunteering with Rhythm of the Horse for about ve years.
“I’ve been working with Rachel the whole time I’ve been here. It’s important work, and it makes you feel good to help others,” MacDowell said.
Colleen Larson is also retired and has been volunteering for four years, helping Williams with the clients.
“What Williams does with the horses and with riders is amazing. When they get on and o the horse, it’s nothing short of miraculous,” Larson said.
Rhythm of the Horse is a nonpro t and o ers scholarships based on nancial need. e organization applies for grants and fundraises.
“We are looking for volunteers to come and help with the di erent programs. We welcome high school students or adults — anybody who is interested,” Williams said.
DC Comics and Marvel superheroes descend onto Children’s Hospital Colorado in Highlands Ranch
BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITY
“Was it a bird, was it a plane?”
No — it was the Douglas County Regional SWAT team dressed as DC Comics and Marvel superheroes bringing smiles to the faces of everyone at the Children’s Hospital Colorado South Campus in Highlands Ranch.
One by one, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Flash, Superman and Captain America rappelled from the top of the hospital, waving through the windows as they passed by patients, their families and nurses.
is has been a beloved event at Children’s Hospital Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora and in Colorado Springs for years, that’s aimed to bring a joyful surprise to everyone. On the nal day of April, the superheroes made their way to Highlands Ranch to ascend on the hospital for the rst time.
“To have superheroes propel is amazing because it just brings morale for the kids,” said Erin Bolinger, corporate and commu-
nity development junior specialist for the hospital. “ is at least brings a little sunshine to their day.”
e idea to bring the event to Highlands Ranch sparked when Taylor Davis, the division chief of support services at the Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce, saw other agencies repelling down the sides of hospitals on social media.
Davis immediately presented the idea to his community resource team and soon after, members of the Douglas County Regional SWAT team were getting tted for their superhero suits.
“It was super fun,” said Sgt. Dan Moftt of the Castle Rock Police Department, who served as Captain America for the day. “We jumped at the opportunity.”
e Douglas County Regional SWAT team is a multi-agency regional tactical team commanded by the Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce. With nearly 40 people from law enforcement agencies across the county, the team includes operations and tactical commanders, entry operators, K-9s, snipers, crisis negotiators, paramed-
ics and team leaders.
In addition to putting smiles on the faces of everyone in the hospital, it was also a good training day for the team.
“It was great to be able to repel … and we got to see a bunch of smiling faces,” said Mo tt. “It’s a little bit more fun than our usual training.”
Patients inside the hospital gave highves and st bumps through the windows to the ying superheroes. Families watching them from the ground had a chance to speak with — and get their photos taken with — their favorite superheroes.
For one 6 year old, Wesley Smith, his tough morning became brighter and exciting when he got a high- ve from Iron Man.
“Sometimes this is everything to a kiddo,” said Bolinger. “(If) they’re not able to get out of their room for other di erent reasons, it’ll just bring that smile to their face, to bring that hope, to bring the joy to their day. And just to see their favorite superhero come to life right in front of their eyes is amazing.”
A member of the Douglas County Regional SWAT Team, dressed as Spider-Man, rappels down the side of Children’s Hospital Colorado South Campus in Highlands Ranch.
Dan Mo tt, who has been with the Douglas County Regional SWAT team for about 10 years, dressed as Marvel’s Captain America to give patients at the South Campus of Colorado’s Children’s Hospital high-fives through the window.
Dressed as superheroes, team leaders from the multi-agency regional tactical team commanded by the Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce rappelled down the side of the Children’s Hospital Colorado South Campus location in Highlands Ranch.
PHOTOS BY HALEY LENA
Home values dip, signaling tax relief for homeowners
BY BRIAN EASON
Home values across the Denver metro area largely held steady or declined in the latest tax assessment period, county assessors announced April 30, in the latest sign that Colorado’s housing market has cooled o from its pandemic fever. County tax o cials said it will be several months before they can de nitively say whether most residential tax bills will go up or down next year. at’ll depend on whether local governments raise mill levies when they set their budgets later this year and how the state’s new property tax laws play out in di erent communities.
But at least one thing’s assured: e typical homeowner won’t experience major spikes in their 2026 tax bills like they did after the last re-assessment two years ago, which led to several rounds of property tax cuts at the state level.
“If there’s a headline for us in Douglas County this year, it’s breathing a sigh of relief,” Toby Damisch, the county tax assessor, said at a news conference in Denver.
In Douglas County, the median residential value dropped 3.5% in the preliminary assessments, which re ect market values as of June 2024. at’s a night-and-day di erence from this time two years ago, when residential values were up nearly 50% in Douglas County, and more than 30% in Denver.
Damisch said it was the rst time since the Great Recession he’s seen residential values fall in his county. And they could fall further in the coming months, when property owners have the chance to appeal their values.
Tax o cials pointed to a few factors to explain the dip. High interest rates and
LAUNCH
After 12 years, commercial space started to take o , so she decided to leave NASA and start her own consulting company.
“I did some work for a nonpro t internationally. We launched Higher Orbits, a nonpro t. It’s our 10th anniversary. We’ve conducted 84 programs in 21 states, impacting over a thousand students.”
Space loomed large in Capt. Wendy Lawrence’s imagination, too. Lawrence was an astronaut with four space shuttle missions under her belt, including the Astro Two mission to the Russian Space Station Mir.
economic uncertainty have depressed home sales in recent years. And in retrospect, the June 2022 valuation came at the worst possible time for homeowners struggling with the cost of living. Home prices peaked across much of Colorado that summer, meaning tax assessors took their biannual snapshot used to determine tax bills at the absolute height of the market.
Je erson County Assessor Scot Kersgaard said his area was the only one to see an increase in residential values — and even there it was a minor 2% bump. Across the rest of the Front Range, home values held steady or dropped a few percentage points.
Nonetheless, housing a ordability remains a major challenge across the met-
Lawrence said she grew up reading about the Mercury or Gemini space programs, but as Apollo started, she was in front of her black and white televisions at home.
“Most of us had not migrated to color yet, and we were enthralled, amazed by what we saw. For me, it was Apollo 11 watching Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the moon,” Lawrence said. “I just knew at that moment, I wanted to ride a rocket and have a chance to nd space.”
Lawrence said Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics programs, also known as STEM or STEAM, are an opportunity for the students to take what they have been learning in school and apply it to a particular challenge, coming up with an idea for an ex-
ro area. Damisch said the cost of homeownership remains “the highest it’s ever been” in Colorado, thanks to high interest rates and insurance costs. In Boulder County, where median home values are down about 1%, prices actually went up for condos and townhomes, making it harder for entry-level buyers to purchase their rst home.
JoAnn Gro , the state property tax administrator, said she won’t have numbers from all 64 counties until August, but in preliminary surveys from earlier this year, the rest of Colorado looked similar to metro Denver, with residential values mostly at or slightly down.
But that isn’t the case everywhere. In mountain communities, where housing costs are the highest, prices are still going
periment that could be on the International Space Station.
“It’s their opportunity to apply knowledge and education they acquired, giving them experience that they can go on and take on challenges and be successful.”
Elizabeth Balga, another volunteer for the program, works as a senior human systems integration engineer and ight operations engineer at Sierra Space in Colorado.
She worked on the Dream Chaser program, which is a cargo vehicle designed to bring payloads to the International Space Station.
Balga said she was inspired by Space ight since she was a little girl and was enamored with everything in science, space, and technology in her classes.
“ is age range is where kids are try-
up. Mark Chapin, president of the Colorado Assessors Association, told e Colorado Sun that median home values are up 8% in Eagle County, where he serves as the tax assessor. In Gar eld County, home to Glenwood Springs, residential values are up 14%, he said. Along the Front Range, local governments should see tax revenue stay relatively at, assessors said. Commercial values were up across the metro area, largely o setting the declines in home values. Keith Er meyer, the Denver assessor, said growth in warehouses and other commercial properties more than made up for a downturn in the o ce sector, where vacancies are up as more people work from home.
Absent future tax hikes, at tax revenue could lead to budget cuts for many local agencies, as they grapple with in ation and declines in state and federal funding.
But county tax o cials insisted it was too soon to say what the valuation would mean for homeowners and local governments. In a change from previous years, homeowners won’t get an estimated tax bill with their valuation notice, due to a change in state law.
at will give counties time to determine if revenue is expected to grow faster than the state’s new property tax cap, requiring cuts to the assessment rate. And it will prevent homeowners from being given an estimate that turns out to be wrong when local government o cials set their mill levy rates later in the year. “ e taxes are going to get gured out later — that’s just how it works now,” Damisch said.
is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.
ing to decide what they want to do with the rest of their lives, and allowing them to learn about space, but also STEM and space, everything it takes to go into space,” Balga said.
“It’s science, technology, engineering, art, and math. ere are also biology and aviation paths that are part of the greater aerospace realm,” Balga said. “As a kid, I didn’t have a lot of these opportunities to learn about aerospace. I would have loved to go to a ‘Go for Launch’ as a kid.” Go for Launch volunteer Sonia Morales also works as a modeling and simulations engineer at the Aerospace Corporation.
“I’ve been looking for other opportunities to give back to students, to inspire them. I found out about Go for Launch asking for volunteers, and I was very excited to volunteer,” Morales said.
Parcel maps on display at the Denver City-County Building, where county assessors announced the results of the 2024 valuation on April 30, 2025. PHOTO BY BRIAN EASON / THE COLORADO SUN
1. U.S. STATES: Which state is last, alphabetically?
2. MOVIES: What does the acronym S.H.I.E.L.D. stand for in movies about Marvel characters?
3. LITERATURE: Who wrote the short story “ e Secret Life of Walter Mitty”?
4. GAMES: How many cards are in a standard deck?
5. TELEVISION: On which sitcom did the character Harry the Hat appear?
6. BUSINESS: When did the rst Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise open?
7. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: How many Nobel prizes are awarded every year?
8. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which president was the shortest at 5 foot 4 inches tall?
9. ASTRONOMY: Who was the rst woman to travel into space?
10. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a baby platypus called?
TrIVIa
Answers
1. Wyoming.
2. Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.
3. James urber.
4. 52.
5. “Cheers.”
6. 1952 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
7. Six.
8. James Madison.
9. Valentina Tereshkova.
10. A platypup or puggle.
(c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.
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THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that I will at public auction, at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, 06/04/2025, at The East Hearing Room, County Administration Building, 5334 South Prince Street, Littleton, Colorado, 80120, sell to
By:
Legal Notice NO. 0314-2024
First Publication: 4/24/25 Last Publication: 5/22/25 Name of Publication: Littleton Independent
Public Notice CITY OF ENGLEWOOD NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING June 11, 2025, at 11:00 A.M. REGARDING AN APPLICATION FOR A HOTEL AND RESTAURANT LIQUOR LICENSE
Notice is hereby given that there will be a public hearing on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at 11:00 a.m., to consider an application for a new Hotel and Restaurant Liquor License for GK Scoop Inc. dba Hikari Ramen.
3401 S. Broadway Unit 120, Englewood, Colorado 80113.
Kang Ho Shin - Owner
3401 S. Broadway Unit 120, Englewood, Colorado 80113.
Public comment will be heard at the hearing or written communications regarding the issuance of this license may be submitted to the City Clerk, 1000 Englewood Parkway, Englewood, Colorado 80110 by June 9, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. By order of the Liquor and Marijuana Licensing Authority of the City of Englewood, Colorado.
/s/ Jackie McKinnon Senior Deputy City Clerk
Legal Notice No. Arap 2501 First Publication: May 8, 2025 Last Publication: May 8, 2025 Publisher: Englewood Herald
Public Notice
NOTICE OF APPLICATION THE CITY OF SHERIDAN’S PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT HAS RECEIVED AN APPLICATION FOR A MINOR SUBDIVISION FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 3535 S. IRVING ST. THE OWNER OF THIS PROPERTY HAS APPLIED FOR APPROVAL OF A MINOR SUBDIVISION TO COMPLY WITH SHERIDAN MUNICIPAL CODE.
Per Sheridan Municipal Code Sec. 55- 44(b)(3):
1) A copy of this minor subdivision is available for your review during normal business hours, at the Sheridan Municipal Center;
2) You have 14 days, from the date of mailing, to submit written comments or objections, to the City.
SHERIDAN MUNICIPAL CENTER
4101 S. FEDERAL BOULEVARD, SHERIDAN, CO, 80110
Legal Notice No. Arap 2506
First Publication: May 8, 2025
Last Publication: May 15, 2025 Publisher: Englewood Herald
Public Notice
CITY OF SHERIDAN NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE
On the 28th day of April, 2025 the City Council of the City of Sheridan, Colorado, approved on first reading the following Ordinance: ORDINANCE NO. 8 SERIES OF 2025 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SHERIDAN, COLORADO AUTHORIZING AND APPROVING A SITE LEASE AND LEASE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND BOKF, NA (SOLELY IN ITS CAPACITY AS TRUSTEE); APPROVING NOT TO EXCEED $3,500,000 PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF CERTIFICATES OF PARTICIPATION, SERIES 2025, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH; AUTHORIZING OFFICIALS OF THE CITY TO TAKE ALL ACTION NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY; AND RELATED MATTERS.
Copies of aforesaid Ordinance are available for public inspection in the office of the City Clerk, City of Sheridan, 4101 South Federal Blvd., Sheridan, Colorado.
Legal Notice No. Arap 2509 First Publication: May 8, 2025 Last Publication: May 8, 2025 Publisher:
legislative actions, and final approvals are now available online. Visit centennialco.gov/ legalnotices to see when City Council or the Planning and Zoning Commission will review proposed legislation and determine next steps. Public hearings provide an opportunity for community members to share comments on proposed actions.
The Planning and Zoning Commission holds public hearings for land use cases on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month, with City Council making the final decision at a future meeting. Regular Council meetings, including public hearings, take place on the first and third Tuesday of each month. View meeting agendas at centennialco.gov/agendas.
/s/ Christina Lovelace, CMC City Clerk
Legal Notice NO. Arap 2238
First Publication: February 27, 2025
Second: March 6, 2025
Third: March 13, 2025
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Bids and Settlements
Public Notice
NOTICE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT BID PACKAGE #19
Education Service Center (ESC) Summer 2024 CMGC Services
Notice is hereby given that Littleton Public Schools in the county of Arapahoe will on May 20, 2025 pay retainage and make final settlement with MW Golden Constructors for BID PACKAGE #19 – Education Service Center (ESC) Summer 2024 CMGC Services. Any person, co-partnership, association of persons, company or corporation that has furnished labor, material, team hire, sustenance, provisions, provender or other supplies used or consumed by the contractor identified above or any subcontractor thereof in or about the performance of the work contracted to be done or that has supplied rental machinery, tools, or equipment to the extent used in the prosecution of the work whose claim therefore has not been paid, by the contractor or subcontractor, must file a verified statement of the amount due and unpaid on account of such claim, which statement must be filed on May 20, 2025. Claims must be submitted to Board of Education to Littleton Public Schools at the school district’s Property Management Department, 5776 S. Crocker Street, Littleton, CO. 80120 on May 20, 2025 Final Settlement will be made and verified claims must be timely filed with Littleton Public Schools. Failure on the part of the claimant to file such statement prior to or on the established date will relieve the School District from any and all liability for such claim, Dated: April 24, 2025
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Publisher: Littleton Independent Not consecutive publications Public Notice
NOTICE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT
BID PACKAGES #15, 16 and 23
Euclid MS, Whitman (Options), Acoma, Peabody ES, Lenski ES, and Sandburg ES Summer 2024 CMGC Services
Notice is hereby given that Littleton Public Schools in the county of Arapahoe will on May 20, 2025 pay retainage and make final settlement with Bryan Construction Inc. for BID PACKAGES #15, 16 and 23 – Euclid MS, Whitman (Options), Acoma, Peabody ES, Lenski ES, and Sandburg ES Summer 2024 CMGC Services. Any person, co-partnership, association of persons, company or corporation that has furnished labor, material, team hire, sustenance, provisions, provender or other supplies used or consumed by the contractor identified above or any subcontractor thereof in or about the performance of the work contracted to be done or that has supplied rental machinery, tools, or equipment to the extent used in the prosecution of the work whose claim therefore has not been paid, by the contractor or subcontractor, must file a verified statement of the amount due and unpaid on account of such claim, which statement must be filed on May 20, 2025.
Claims must be submitted to the Board of Education to Littleton Public Schools at the school district’s Property Management Department, 5776 S. Crocker Street, Littleton, CO. 80120 on May 20, 2025 Final Settlement will be made and verified claims must be timely filed with Littleton Public Schools. Failure on the part of the claimant to file such statement prior to or on the established date will relieve the School District from any and all liability for such claim, Dated: April 24, 2025
COMBINED NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE
Plaintiff: TOPAZ AT THE MALL II CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, INC., a Colorado Nonprofit Corporation v. Defendant: KEN WYBLE, an individual; MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC., a Virginia corporation; WELLS FARGO BANK, NA; and MICHAEL R. WESTERBERG in his capacity as the Arapahoe County Public Trustee.
TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: Please take notice:
This is to advise you that a Sheriff sale proceeding has been commenced through the office of the undersigned Sheriff pursuant to an ORDER FOR ENTRY OF DEFAULT JUDGMENT AND DECREE OF FORECLOSURE dated July 28, 2024 and C.R.S. § 38-38-101, et seq., by Topaz at the Mall II Condominium Association, Inc., a Colorado Nonprofit Corporation, the current holder and owner of a statutory lien, evidence of which was recorded April 6, 2023 at Reception No. E3022653 in the records of the Clerk and Recorder in the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado. The foreclosure was initiated due to Defendant Ken Wyble’s default under the covenants contained in the Condominium Declaration for Topaz at the Mall II Condominiums recorded June 30, 1983 at Reception No. 2295020, in Book 3901 at Page 196, in the records of the Clerk and Recorder of the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado, as amended and supplemented, (the “Declaration”) and other governing documents, including failure to pay common expense assessments and fines. The outstanding principal balance of the secured indebtedness as of the date of this Combined Notice is $16,925.38. The Declaration establishes a lien for the benefit of Topaz at the Mall II Condominium Association, Inc. on all of the subject property and improvements legally described as follows:
CONDOMINIUM UNIT 16, BUILDING T, TOPAZ AT THE MALL II CONDOMINIUMS, ACCORDING TO THE CONDOMINIUM PLAT THEREOF RECORDED OCTOBER 28, 1983 UNDER RECEPTION NO. 2340612. ND ACCORDING TO AND SUBJECT TO THE CONDOMINIUM DECLARATION THEREFORE RECORDED ON JUNE 30, 1983 IN BOOK 3901 AT PAGE 196, AND SUPPLEMENT THERETO RECORDED SEPTEMBER 2, 1983 IN BOOK 3959 AT PAGE 127, COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO. Also known by street and number as 185 South Sable Blvd. – T16, Aurora, CO 80012. THE LIEN BEING FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
The Sheriff’s sale has been scheduled to occur at 10:00 a.m. on June 26, 2025, at 13101 East Broncos Parkway, Centennial, Colorado 80112. At the sale, the Sheriff will sell the real property described above, and the improvements thereon, to the highest bidder. Plaintiff makes no warranty relating to title, possession, or quiet enjoyment in and to said real property in connection with this sale.
**BIDDERS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE CASH OR CERTIFIED FUNDS SUFFICIENT TO COVER THE MINIMUM BID AT TIME OF SALE. **
All telephone inquiries for information should be directed to the office of the undersigned Sheriff at (720) 874-3845. The name, address and telephone number of the attorney representing the legal owner of the above-described lien is:
Alan D. Sweetbaum, Esq. Sweetbaum Miller PC 1200 17th Street, Suite 1250 Denver, CO 80202 (720) 874-3600
DISTRICT COURT, ARAPAHOE COUNTY, STATE OF COLORADO
Arapahoe County District Court 7325 S Potomac St Centennial, CO 80112 303-649-6355 Case No.: 2025CV030014 Division: 204
Plaintiff: THE CONSERVATORY HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., a Colorado nonprofit corporation v. Defendants: DAVID YUN;
You are hereby summoned and required to appear and defend against the claims of the complaint filed with the court in this action, by filing with the clerk of this court an answer or other response. You are required to file your answer or other response within 35 days after the service of this Summons upon you. Service of this summons shall be complete on the day of the last publication. A copy of the complaint may be obtained from the clerk of the court.
If you fail to file your answer or other response to the complaint in writing within 35 days after the date of the last publication, judgment by default may be rendered against you by the court for the relief demanded in the complaint without further notice.
This is an action of foreclosure pursuant to Rule 105, C.R.C.P. to the real property situate in Aurora, Colorado more particularly described as Lot 6, Block 72, Conservatory Subdivision Filing No. 1, City of Aurora, County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado.
Dated: March 31, 2025.
ORTEN CAVANAGH HOLMES & HUNT, LLC By: /s/Hal R. Kyles Hal R. Kyles, #23891
Attorneys for Plaintiff: ORTEN CAVANAGH HOLMES & HUNT, LLC
Hal R. Kyles, #23891 1445 Market St., Suite 350 Denver, Colorado 80202 Phone Number: (720) 221-9780 Matter ID #2751.0143
SUMMONS [BY PUBLICATION] THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO TO
Certified Mail March 28, 2025, and subsequent
To holders of recorded mortgages or deeds of trust on Condominiums subject to the Condominium Declaration for The Pines Condominiums (“Declaration”),
Wholesale Mortgage 585 South Boulevard E Pontiac, MI 48341 Cherry Creek Mortgage Co., Inc. 7600 E. Orchard Rd. #250-N Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Compass Bank 701 S. 32nd Street, AL-BI-SC-LLE Birmingham, AL 35233
Metrum Community Credit Union 6980 South Holly Circle Centennial, CO 80112
The Harant Trust 5800 Birch Ct Greenwood Village, CO 80121 Commerce Home Mortgage, LLC 16845 Von Karman Ave., Suite 200 Irvine, CA 92606
JFQ Lending, Inc. 7720 N. Dobson Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85256
The Pines Condominiums located in the City of Aurora, Arapahoe County, State of Colorado, are subject to the Condominiums Declaration for The Pines Condominiums recorded on November 7, 1984, at Reception No. 2469636 in the records of the Clerk and Recorder for Arapahoe County, State of Colorado and all amendments and supplements thereto (“Declaration”).
The Board of Directors for The Pines Association (“Association”) prepared an Amendment of the Declaration for The Pines Condominiums (“Amendment”) to amend Section 17(a)(3) of the Declaration to maintain, repair, and replace the vegetative landscape, the irrigation, the pergola structure, the iron gate within the area identified as L.C.E. PATIO (“Patio Improvements”) in the Condominium Map within the community.
The Owners approved the Amendment pursuant to 19(a) of the Declaration, and Sections 217(1)(a) and 217(1)(b) of the Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act. The Board and the Owners recommended that the lenders also approve the Amendment. A copy of the Amendment may be obtained from the Association address below.
THE LIMITED AMENDMENT DOES NOT AFFECT THE PRIORITY OR TERMS OF YOUR DEED OF TRUST.
Your approval of the Limited Amendment does not require any action or response and will be considered approved in the absence of a negative response delivered by you to the undersigned within sixty days after the date of this notice.
Objections to the Amendment must be sent to: Winzenburg, Leff, Purvis & Payne, LLP
1. Are enjoined from molesting or disturbing the peace of the other party; and 2. Are restrained from removing the minor child(ren) from the state without the consent of all parties or an Order of the Court modifying the injunction; and
