Denver Herald Dispatch March 20, 2025

Denver Comedy Underground reopens its doors in Five Points

BY JACQUI SOMEN

TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

With the exception of a cozy night in watching the latest special on Net ix, it can be di cult for Denver comedy fans to nd a quality show that won’t cost them close to $100.

From entry fees to parking and drink minimums, great comedy often comes with a high ticket price.

Denver Comedy Underground is the antithesis of this model. It serves top-tier comedy with a side of free pizza or cereal. You don’t have to buy drinks (unless you want to), and now they have a new space dedicated to the medium.

Denver Comedy Underground, led by local comic Ben

Bryant, has been a staple of the city’s laughter scene for several years, but until recently, it was operating out of a church basement at e Althea Center for Engaged Spirituality.

e new location is at 675

22nd St., located between California and Welton streets next to Woods Boss Brewing Company. e club had its rst weekend of performances over the Jan. 25 weekend in this new neighborhood that Bryant calls “truly communal and social.”

“I am just so grateful for everyone who came out and all the comics and sta who made it happen,” Bryant said about Denver Comedy Underground’s opening weekend in its new space. “It’s o to a good start, and I think there are a lot more

great places we can take it.”

Bryant is no amateur when it comes to the Denver comedy scene. He began his tenure in the city with a monthly show at the now-closed art center, e Bakery called “Guest List.”

is show was highly regarded and was even lauded as “one of the best comedy nights in America” in e Interrobang comedy magazine. After a break from “Guest List,” Denver Comedy Underground developed organically, starting with weekly shows and growing from there.

Even with a new space with roughly 140 seats (they’re still re ning the layout) that the comedians can call their own, Denver Comedy Underground isn’t giving up on what made it

popular to begin with—Denver comedy-goers can see top-tier comedy alongside free pizza.  e venue will also continue to host its famous “secret shows,” where audience members purchase tickets without knowing who they will see.

“Normally, (the performers) are just fun surprises,” Bryant said. “Willing crowds are pretty down for anything. Ultimately, these are people who are going (are saying, ‘I’m going to just see capital C comedy.’”

Judge rejects DPS attempt to block Trump ICE order

BY MELANIE ASMAR CHALKBEAT

A federal judge on March 7 rejected Denver Public Schools’ attempt to reinstate a federal policy that treated schools as “sensitive locations” where immigration enforcement should only take place if there is immediate danger to the public.

U.S. District Court Judge Daniel D. Domenico said there is little practical di erence between the prior policy, the last iteration of which was issued in 2021 under former President Biden, and a pair of memos issued by the Trump administration in January.

“ e concern was that there would be no limitations or no protections for schools, necessarily, under the new memo,” Domenico said in a ruling from the bench. “ at is an overstatement. And the fact that there have been no actions on school property in the time since the memo was released here, or as far as we know anywhere else, highlights that fact.” Neither the old nor the new policy completely bans immigration enforcement actions at schools and other sensitive locations. e 2021 policy allowed such actions “either with prior higher-level approval or under exigent circumstances.” e new guidance from the Trump administration instructs ICE agents to use discretion “and a healthy dose of common sense.”

PHOTO CUTLINE: Denver Comedy Underground recently moved to Five Points after being in the Althea Center in the Cheesman Park neighborhood. COURTESY OF BEN BRYANT

Sta cuts could doom black-footed ferret recovery

BY RACHEL COHEN KUNC

were rediscovered in Wyoming in 1981 when a ranch dog caught one, revealing a small remaining population. Over the past four decades, scientists have been working to revive this prairie carnivore that’s part of the weasel family. However, last month, their e orts su ered a blow.

covery across 12 states-including Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona-was red as part of the Trump Administration’s federal workforce cuts.

never been red from a role before.”

because she took the job as the national recovery coordinator with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last year. But before that, she’d spent nearly 30 years as a wildlife biologist at Colorado Parks and Wildlife, with much of that time working on ferret conservation.

black-footed ferret to be one of the most endangered mammals in North America. It was among the rst species listed under the Endangered Species Act and remains critically endangered. Jackson was deeply aware of her role in their recovery.

“You’re the one kind of in charge of this species that’s still, honestly, on the brink of extinction,” she said.

Jackson’s job involved coordinating recovery e orts, securing permits for conservation work and overseeing the reintroduction of captive ferrets to 15 wild sites in partnership with federal and state agencies, tribes and nonpro t organizations.

“We’re losing that nexus, that glue, that holds all of us together,” said Travis Livieri, executive director of Prairie Wildlife Research, a nonpro t that works on ferret conservation in South Dakota.

Additionally, two of Jackson’s colleagues at the National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center near Fort Collins, Colo. were also let go. e 11-member team

suddenly shrunk to eight at a critical timejust as ferrets begin breeding season.

“Every time there’s a setback of some sort, whether it’s a biological setback, a disease outbreak, a budget cut or a staing cut, it’s something that sets back recovery,” Jackson said.

e U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it does not comment on personnel matters.

“We are working closely with the O ce of Personnel Management to ensure we are prioritizing scal responsibility for the American people,” a spokesperson wrote in a statement.

ough slender, black-footed ferrets are feisty predators. is is particularly useful since they are about the same size as prairie dogs, which make up 90% of their diet. e ferrets also take up residence in the burrows dug by prairie dogs, sharing the space with other creatures like foxes, turtles and rattlesnakes. Because of this, Jackson refers to them as an “umbrella species”; their conservation helps other animals in the prairie ecosystem.

“By protecting that prairie dog habitat for ferrets, we’re keeping a whole bunch of other species from needing state or fed-

eral listing,” Jackson said. However, ferret conservation is handson and labor-intensive. At the Fort Collins center, which houses about two-thirds of the captive population, sta provides round-the-clock feeding, cleaning and veterinary care. During breeding season, they carefully monitor the pairs, as the territorial animals can sometimes kill one another. By late summer, the center may have up to 500 ferrets on its watch, as it prepares about 200 for reintroduction into

With fewer sta , Jackson noted, the team might need to limit their breeding capacity, which could undermine partner organizations’ e orts to establish reintro-

One of the biggest threats to ferrets in the wild is the plague, which often requires annual disease mitigation. But federal funding uncertainty is complicating this part of the recovery process, too.

Livieri’s organization had planned to start spraying insecticide dust in April to eliminate the eas that carry the plague, but he’s not sure whether he’ll receive assurance by then that he can spend the federal money that usually funds that work. Last year, a plague outbreak caused a prairie dog die-o in the Badlands of South

“If we aren’t vigilant, the largest blackfoot ferret population in the world is potentially at risk,” he said.

Chamois Andersen of Defenders of Wildlife said while nonpro ts are prioritizing resources to ensure the recovery progress continues, the federal government plays a crucial role.

“It’s going to be a real challenge for the NGOs to ll in those gaps,” she said. e black-footed ferret has made a big comeback since the 1980s when a handful from Wyoming were brought into captivity. Now, there are about 800 individuals.

“We’ve made amazing strides,” Jackson said. “But it’s still not the sort of number where we can say these guys will survive if we step away for a few years.” is story was made available via the Colorado News Collaborative. Learn more at https://colabnews.co

Bill in legislature seeks to refund child care waitlist fees

BY ANN SCHIMKE CHALKBEAT

Colorado parents may soon be able to recover some of the waitlist or application fees they’ve paid to child care programs if their children don’t land a spot within six months.

at’s one of the provisions of a bill that advanced out of the House Health and Human Services committee March 11, clearing its third legislative hurdle this winter. e original version of the bill would have capped waitlist fees at $25 and required child care programs to publicly post tuition and fees, but both components have been watered down since then.

Democratic sponsors of the bill said it will still provide some relief to families who pay hundreds of dollars in waitlist fees, sometimes to a dozen or more child care programs. In order to get the fees back, parents would have to make a written request to the child care programs where their children didn’t get seats. In

addition, the programs would be allowed to keep part of the fees families paid — an amount that eventually will be determined by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood. Families that are offered a spot at a child care center but decline it, would not recoup any of the fees they paid.

If the bill becomes law, it will take effect Jan. 1, 2026.

Rep. Jenny Willford, one of the bill sponsors, described during Tuesday’s hearing the toll that multiple waitlist fees take on families. She said a friend shared that in her search for child care she’d joined 16 waitlists, with most costing $100 to $200 each.

“ e way that we are nickel and diming families to simply sit and wait and hope that they get a spot is not OK,” she said. “ is is going to save families money, and at a time when it is so expensive to raise kids, every dollar counts.”

Besides the refund provision, the current version of the bill requires child care programs to disclose their tuition and

fees when a prospective family requests pricing information, joins the waitlist, enrolls in the program, or when the provider changes the fee schedule. It doesn’t require that tuition and fees be posted publicly.

Changes to the bill came earlier in the legislative process after a number of child care providers pushed back against the original provisions, particularly the $25 waitlist fee cap. Several said their waitlist fees cover a host of expenses, such as marketing costs, technology fees, and sta time used to give tours and call families. Some said they would lose money if the fees were capped.

But shifting from a fee cap to partial refunds for families didn’t satisfy everyone. Some providers said giving refunds still takes administrative time, especially for small child care businesses.

Reprinted with permission from Chalkbeat, a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.

A captive-bred black-footed ferret undergoes preconditioning at the National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center in Colorado before being reintroduced to the wild. The national recovery coordinator for the endangered species was fired as part of the Trump Administration’s cuts to the federal workforce.

PHOTO BY RYAN HAGERTY / USFWS

Homes Are Still Selling, Buyers Are Still Buying, But Market Is Slowed Down By Chaos in DC

It’s clear to real estate professionals that, although some buyers must buy and some sellers must sell, buyers and sellers who are not under pressure to do a deal are looking and listening before buying or selling a home. These are complicated times!

The statistics below reflect a slowing of the real estate market within 25 miles of downtown Denver — and likely nationwide. Due to space limitations, I’m only including statistics for the first two months of the last six years, but it’s instructive to see how these months compare year-over-year. At htttp://RealEstateToday.substack.com I have included all 12 months of each year. Although every other metric documents a slowing market, the median closed prices set a record for both January and February:

Meanwhile, look at how many listings expired without selling during the same months:

Kudos From a Reader

Jim, one of the things I look forward to when going up to my cabin in Bailey is reading the local Jeffco newspapers piled up in my mailbox containing your columns. I’m glad you wrote a column explaining you were a journalist before coming over to real estate. That explains a lot of the quality of your columns — and the ability to write when you and Rita are on a long cruise!

I have learned a lot from your writings, which I appreciate — never too old to keep up with new info. I offer my praise, as you have talked evenly and without bias about real estate issues. It comes through that you are several cuts above the normal real estate agents whom I’ve interacted with, because you point out the negatives in the real estate universe and are not hyping the sales pitch.

Unfortunately, I won’t need your services, as I will keep my Colorado Springs house with its low-interest mortgage, and my cabin in Bailey has such a low basis that I’ll put it in my will, denying the IRS and Colorado big capital gains tax payments.

The good news is that I have family members who will, hopefully, come home to Colorado from London in 2-3 years, and I will recommend that they hook up with your brokerage. Your columns are of great quality and speak well of the knowledge and care you provide your clients.

—R. Scott Schofield, Attorney at Law

The number of active listings is surging, but the number sold listings is dropping, as shown in these two charts:

That has resulted in the higher inventory of unsold listings in recent months:

Another important metric is the ratio of closed price to original listing price. During the pandemic, more than half the listings sold for as much as 4% above the listing price as a result of bidding wars, but look how that metric has changed:

With the “spring selling season” coming up, I find it hard to be optimistic about the real estate market, because it appears that the chaos we’re seeing in our national government is only going to get worse, and markets don’t like uncertainty.

If builders, who get most of their lumber from Canada, see a big increase in costs due to tariffs, they may pause construction or at least increase the price of new homes. Meanwhile, if the courts end up allowing the mass firing of federal workers — many of

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whom work in Lakewood’s Federal Center and elsewhere in Colorado (such as the national parks, VA hospitals and national forests), that could be very disruptive to our real estate market.

None of us are experienced at dealing with the kind of political situation we are in now, and we can’t wait to see what’s on the other side. Whatever happens, you can count on us serving you well.

Like You, We Have Wondered Why Some Window Wells Rust

This week I learned why, thanks to an email from Alpine Building Performance. Here’s what they wrote:

“If the screws used to attach the window well touch the metal bars (rebar) inside the concrete, it creates rust. This happens because electricity flows between the metals, causing the window well to rust faster.

“This is why sometimes you will see one window well completely rusted through and the other window wells in the home showing no signs of rust. Many people think that rusty window wells can be sanded and painted with a rust inhibitor to keep it from rusting further. This is not true.

“The window well rusts from the dirt side in, so once you see rust inside the window well, it has already made it through the entire thickness of the metal. Unfortunately, the only remedy to the rust issue is a full window well replacement.

“When having your window well replaced, make sure that it is replaced in a manner that it will not rust prematurely again.”

The email promoted a company, Window Well Solutions, LLC, which has developed a method of replacing window wells using a fiberglass composite mounting system which creates a non-conductive break between the foundation and the metal window well.

Unfortunately, that company is in Fort

Collins and doesn’t take on new customers south of Denver’s northern suburbs. But now you know what the answer is to this problem. The company has patented their system, so it is available nationwide.

On our blog I have a link to a video showing how WWS replaces rusted window wells.

Here Are Some Reviews From Our Past Clients:

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 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

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

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

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

This nicely updated and well-maintained condo at 992 S. Dearborn Way #7 is in the Sable Cove subdivision east of I-225 and north of Mississippi Avenue. The seller, who bought it for a family member, updated everything in this ground level unit. It has luxury vinyl plank flooring throughout, a pantry with slide-out drawers, laundry hookups, and a wood-burning fireplace. There is lots of open lot parking for you and your guests. There is a locked storage closet on the front porch, big enough for all your gear. I’ll be holding it open myself this Saturday, March 22nd, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Or view the narrated video tour I created at www.GRElistings.com, then call me at 303-525-1851 to request a private showing.

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

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

Median Sold Price by Month

Coalition plans ‘right to know’ ballot initiative

Recent laws have restricted public view of lawmaker activity

BY ROBERT DAVIS COLORADO NEWSLINE

A broad coalition of transparency advocates plans to submit a ballot initiative in 2026 to amend Colorado’s constitution and strengthen public access to government records.

e initiative is led by Jon Caldara of the Denver-based Independence Institute, a Libertarian think tank. Fifty groups are part of the coalition, some of which have historically held little shared political ground. ey include as the Rocky Mountain Voice, League of Women Voters, the Colorado Press Association, the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, and several others.

e nal draft of the ballot measure is still being worked out. Even so, Je rey Roberts, executive director of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, told Newsline that it will address a range of issues, from the cost of public records to establishing a uniform right to access government records and addressing open meeting law requirements.

“Everybody needs to know what their government is doing,” Roberts said.

e group has been meeting monthly, both on Zoom and at the Independence Institute, to discuss how to address the transparency issues at the State Capitol. One law that has united the group is Senate Bill 24-157, which was passed by the Democrat-controlled Legislature in 2024. e bill created exemptions to the state open

meetings law for written and electronic communications among lawmakers.

SB-157 was passed after a judge ordered Democrats to stop using a secret electronic voting system, also known as quadratic voting, to decide which bills to debate. e judge said the system appeared to be set up to abide by the open meetings law but violated its spirit.

Transparency advocates asked lawmakers to repeal the exemptions before the 2025 session convened, but nding the right coalition of lawmakers has been difcult, because they are basically asking lawmakers to police themselves, Tim Regan-Porter, CEO of the Colorado Press Association, told Newsline.

Regan-Porter added that government transparency and the public’s ability to access government records has been steadily declining over the last several years. Part of the issue is that bad-faith actors have tried to ood public records o ces with requests, he said. e cost of public records — which currently sits at $41.37 per hour — has also become a concern for many media organizations, and has compounded the economic challenges media organizations in Colorado face, Regan-Porter added.

“Sometimes things go unreported because we don’t have access to the data, and we should be making it easier for reporters and the public to be able to know what’s going on,” Regan-Porter said.

Beth Hendrix, executive director of the League of Women Voters, told Newsline that the “right to know” initiative is about more than protecting journalists and the media. It’s also about ensuring voters remain informed about what their elected o cials are doing, and making sure the

issues voters care about are being addressed.

“A democracy works best when everyone’s involved, when everyone is voting and discussing and debating,” Hendrix told Newsline.

Multiple bills introduced during the 2025 session would further limit government transparency. For instance, HB25-1041 sought to exempt student-athlete name, image and likeness agreements from the Colorado Open Records Act before it was amended to apply only to personally identi able information.

Lawmakers have also advanced Senate Bill 25-77, a bill to extend the timeline for responses to open records requests from three days to ve. e bill would also require agencies to accept electronic payments for CORA requests and a breakdown of all costs and fees levied as part of a response. It is sponsored by a bipartisan coalition including Democratic Sen. Cathy Kipp of Fort Collins and Republican Sen. Janice Rich of Grand Junction as well as Democratic Rep. Michael Carter of Boulder and Republican Rep. Matt Soper of Delta.

Republican lawmakers Lori Garcia Sander of Eaton and Byron Pelton of Sterling introduced House Bill 25-1242, a bill that would undo the open meeting law exemptions that were passed in 2024. However, the bill had no Democratic co-sponsors and was assigned to the House State, Civic, Military & Veterans A airs committee, otherwise known as the “kill committee.” e committee on Monday voted 8-3 against the bill, and it was postponed inde nitely.

Open records bill

e bills introduced by Kipp, Garcia Sander, and Pelton had their rst hearing

Monday. During the hearing, Soper said SB-77 seeks to clean up a couple of provisions in CORA that are di cult for smaller public agencies to abide by. He said small organizations like the Delta County Memorial Hospital District — the board of which Soper sits on — often cannot respond to records requests within three days. Also, it also clari es the procedure for responding to requests when an agency records custodian is out of the o ce. Carter said he does not intend for SB-77 to be used to attack legitimate records requests from the news media and Colorado citizens. Soper added that the bill treats news media separate from requesters using the information for “pecuniary gain,” because records requests from news media tend to be limited in scope and easier to respond to.

People opposed to the bill pushed back against SB-77’s carve-out for news media organizations, arguing that it discourages citizen journalists from submitting records requests. Cory Gaines, who writes a Substack blog called the Colorado Accountability Project, added that it makes some bad assumptions about the responsiveness of records custodians.

“I shouldn’t be treated as a second-class requester when my taxes pay the bills in this state,” Gaines said.

Heather Stau er, Colorado Municipal League legislative advocacy manager, argued that SB-77 should treat all requesting entities the same, meaning there should be no carve-out for the news media. Stau er added that the bill would provide some “much needed exibility” to governments to respond to records requests.

SEE BALLOT, P5

Boebert invites SBA to relocate state o ces to Douglas County

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert and Douglas County o cials have proposed moving the Small Business Administration’s Colorado District O ce from Denver to Douglas County, citing alignment with President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

Earlier this month, the Small Business Administration announced it would move its o ces out of Denver, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New York City and Seattle to “less costly, more accessible locations that better serve the small business community and comply with federal immigration

On March 10, Boebert sent a letter to Kelly Loe er, the lead administrator for the Small Business Administration, thanking her for her commitment to move the administration’s o ces out of sanctuary cities and encouraged her to relocate the o ces to Douglas County.

BALLOT

SB-77 was amended to clarify when custodians can deny records requests, and it passed the committee by a vote of 8-3. It will be heard next by the full House.

Open meeting law changes

Garcia Sander said HB-1242 was needed because lawmakers adopted exemptions

for themselves to the state’s open meeting law in 2024. She cited examples of how the law has been misused to shield lawmakers from scrutiny like when journalists with e Colorado Sun were not allowed to attend a virtual caucus meeting and debates over property taxes before last year’s special session.

“ is is our chance to restore public trust,” Garcia Sander said. “Transparency is not a Republican or Democrat issue.”

Lawmakers on the committee argued that the bill could make their jobs more di cult.

Vote

e letter includes examples of Douglas County’s support for Trump’s immigration policies, such as the county’s lawsuit against the state over laws that limit how police can work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the county’s 2023 resolution a rming its antisanctuary status.

“In contrast to sanctuary cities, Douglas County has worked tirelessly to safeguard its residents and collaborate with federal agencies, such as ICE, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its citizens,” Boebert said in the letter.

Boebert touted the county as a “hub for pro-business policies” located along major highway corridors.

“Douglas County’s pro-business environment, focus on public safety, and dedication to upholding the rule of law make it an excellent choice for relocating SBA’s Colorado District O ce,” Boebert said in the letter. “I am con dent that this move would not only streamline SBA operations,

Democratic Rep. Chad Cli ord argued that the 2024 open meeting law revisions allowed lawmakers to have private conversations that are similar to executive sessions that local governments can have. He added that he “has never seen something as open” as Colorado’s 120-day legislative session.

Democratic Rep. Cecelia Espenoza of Denver said the private conversations can be used to compromise on issues.

Caldera said the objections raised were “non-issues.” He added that the bill is not designed to limit private conversations

but also strengthen support for small businesses across Colorado and beyond.”

Douglas County Commissioner Abe Laydon agreed that the county would be a natural t for the SBA ofces.

“As the healthiest, safest and most prosperous county in Colorado with the No. 1 school district, we are seeing signi cant interest from all sectors in relocating here, so the SBA would be a welcome addition and a perfect t as Dougco creates new generational wealth for Coloradans,” Laydon said.  e Colorado District O ce is located in the U.S. Customs House at 721 19th St. in Denver.

According to the Denver Post, Rep. Je Crank, a Republican representing southern Colorado in Congress, requested that the SBA regional headquarters be moved to Colorado Springs.

As of March 12, no decision about where the o ces would be relocated had been made.

between lawmakers. It is intended to ensure that meetings between lawmakers that are subject to the open meeting law remain open to the public.

“ e public is begging for transparency and accountability,” Republican Rep. Brandi Bradley of Littleton said. “I don’t love getting CORA requests, but it holds me accountable. It keeps me on my toes.” is story is from Colorado Newsline. Used by permission. For more, and to support the news organization, visit coloradonewsline.com.

Bold

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, pictured speaking at an event in 2024, and Douglas County o cials are proposing to move the Small Business Administration’s Colorado District Office from Denver to Douglas County. PHOTO BY HALEY LENA

‘Booger Blaster’ helps kids in physical therapy

Virtual reality game at Children’s Hospital Colorado helps distract young patients from pain, discomfort

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

What happens when physical therapists, patients and the gaming and technology department at Children’s Hospital Colorado come together?

A virtual reality game called “Booger Blaster” is created.

When Marian Brewer, a primary oncology physical therapist assistant at Children’s Hospital Colorado, transitioned from outpatient therapy to inpatient ve years ago, she began to learn how virtual reality can be a stepping stone in improving a patient’s willingness to participate in physical therapy.

“When you’re inpatient, it isn’t always easy,” said Brewer. “Sometimes just getting out of bed and sitting at the edge of the bed can be climbing a huge mountain and can be very exhausting.”

One of the main objectives when battling cancer, said Brewer, is preserving strength, exibility and mobility to help a person stay engaged with what brings them joy.

Brewer began working with Alyson McPherson after she was diagnosed with a rare ovarian cancer at the age of 10.

In July of 2023, McPherson, an active youth from Centennial, was diagnosed with germ cell tumor cancer, which accounts for less than 2% of ovarian cancers, according to the American Cancer Society.  Several tumors were found in McPherson’s abdomen, and within two weeks, she underwent an extensive abdominal surgery to remove the tumors. Chemotherapy treatments followed, and McPherson started physical therapy to help build stamina and regain her strength.

“With these types of surgeries, patients typically don’t want to move, and when

you don’t move, it can get harder to move each time,” Brewer said.  McPherson would have physical therapy rst thing in the morning.

“I’d be like ‘no, I don’t want to do this,’” said McPherson.

Motivated to nd ways that would help patients eventually get out of bed, Brewer started working with Abe Homer, the gaming technology supervisor at Children’s Hospital Colorado, on a game that would make physical therapy more fun and engaging, while including important movements.

Brewer and Homer introduced McPherson to a virtual reality game called “Booger Blaster” and she was eager to try it.

“Alyson took o with it,” said Brewer.

“She absolutely loved it.”

Inside the game of ‘Booger Blaster’

With some of the design elements thought up by the patients themselves, “Booger Blaster” involves a giant block of noses oating in the sky — and from a nose comes a booger ying at you.

e player has virtual access to a table with di erent items on it, designed to meet di erent physical therapy goals but disguised as silly items. For example, patients can use a ninja star in the shape of a pizza, a bow and arrow that shoots out french fries and hot dogs, and boxing gloves to ght o the boogers.

“ e punching, kicking and that just kind of took my mind o from doing all the exercises,” McPherson said.

Another part of the game that McPherson likes is the cat blaster. Accompanied with fun sound e ects, the patients can use the cat blaster to shoot hamburgers at a target to gain more points.  Depending on the goals of their treatment, each game makes the players do certain exercises. e physical therapist can also change the speed and cadence of the boogers, depending on what part of the body the therapist wants the pa-

Additionally, virtual reality can be used as a technique that helps distract the patient’s brain from the pain that can be experienced when trying to reach their

Although virtual and extended reality, which is the blend of the physical and digital world, is not new to the healthcare eld, Brewer said professionals are looking into research projects on how to expand this form of care throughout Children’s Hospital and to outpatient lo-

“It was a really fun, inventive way to just incorporate physical therapy in a nontraditional way,” said McPherson’s mom, Laura. “Especially for kids who aren’t allowed to leave their rooms because of immunity, or (when) they’re in the middle of infusions, they can’t leave. It makes it a lot easier for them to be able to accomplish what they need to do for physical therapy, to keep up their stamina and strength.”

After four rounds of chemotherapy, McPherson had a second abdominal surgery later that year to remove a few of the remaining tumors.

McPherson has been cancer free since February 2024 and has gone back to her normal activities — including attending the Colorado Ballet Academy.

Wishing she could have played the game every day, McPherson said she believes this game will be able to help other patients.

“I’d say some kids don’t like it (physical therapy) that much, but when they have their mind o of something — but they’re still doing physical therapy — that can help them, but also do something that’s happy and silly,” McPherson said.

Alyson McPherson, an 11-year-old cancer survivor from Centennial, used a virtual reality game at Children’s Hospital Colorado to help her through her physical therapy sessions with Marian Brewer. PHOTOS COURTESY OF CAITLIN JENNEY

ICE ORDER

Denver Public Schools sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Feb. 12 and requested a preliminary injunction that would have voided the Trump policy in favor of the previous iteration while the legal case proceeds. A week earlier, on Feb. 5, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had raided apartment complexes in Denver and Aurora where some students lived, which the district said caused drops in attendance and widespread fear.

But Domenico said it’s uncertain whether reverting to the 2021 policy would have prevented the ICE raid at Denver’s Cedar Run apartment complex, which is located near several schools.

“I do understand that attendance is down from last year, particularly in schools with high populations of immigrant families,” Domenico said, referencing one of the main arguments that Denver Public Schools made in its lawsuit. “Teachers and administrators are having to spend some portion of their time responding to these concerns.”

But Domenico said Denver Public Schools failed to show how much, if any, of that impact was caused by the Trump administration’s guidance “as opposed to broader concerns about increased immigration enforcement.”

Domenico was nominated to the court by Trump during his rst term as president. Born and raised in Boulder, Domenico said Friday that his mother was a teacher who taught English as a second language to immigrant students and that he understands that “it’s a hard thing to run a school.”

“I do not think DPS has met its high burden in this case,” Domenico said.

Domenico’s ruling on the preliminary injunc-

COMEDY CLUB

A dedicated space also brings new opportunities. Denver Comedy Underground now o ers brunch shows, as it was previously challenging to reserve space at the church on Sundays, called the “Brunch O Laughs Comedy Show” at 11:30 a.m. every Sunday morning. is new series features a free cereal bu et and the option to purchase specialty brunch cocktails and mimosas.

People can also demonstrate their comedy chops at the venue’s new “Underground Mic Night!”series hosted every Wednesday night.

tion allows the Trump administration’s guidance to stand while the legal case continues.

In a statement after the ruling, Denver Public Schools said that, “While we are disappointed in the judge’s ruling, it is important to note that he acknowledged the real damages public schools have su ered.

“He also acknowledged that there are no fundamental di erences between the 2021 and 2025 policy, which had not been known prior to our court ruling.”

Shortly after Trump took o ce in January, his administration abolished a decades-old policy that treated schools, child care centers, churches, and hospitals as sensitive locations where immigration enforcement should only take place if there is immediate danger to the public.

Denver Public Schools’ lawsuit argued that student attendance has “decreased noticeably” since the sensitive locations policy was rescinded. Student attendance was down 3% this February compared to last February, with drops of up to 4.7% at schools that serve many new immigrant students, according to a subsequent motion the district led last week.

e district also argued it has been “forced to divert resources from its educational mission” to prepare for potential immigration arrests at schools.

“In addition, teachers are spending  time  (a precious resource) responding to fears about the 2025 Policy instead of educating students,” said the district’s most recent motion.

e U.S. Department of Homeland Security responded in a motion of its own by saying there have been no immigration raids at schools since the policy was rescinded, and that the prospect of such enforcement has not caused su cient harm to the district.

e department argued that the drops in Denver’s student attendance were caused

Each Friday night, audience members can watch professional comics roast each other in the venue’s“Roast Battle Series.”

Ben also mentioned the possibility of new shows and formats.

“Maybe classes, podcasts, and special oneo shows, from crusher stand-up shows, to more experimental kind of ideas,” he said.

Denver Comedy Underground isn’t just appealing to audiences. It also provides a unique experience for comics.

“It’s a very good mid-size room, and the Denver crowds are great,” Bryant said. “Comedy can really become a grind where you’re performing for not a lot of people or you’re performing for an Elks Lodge in the middle of nowhere, and here we just get good fun

by fear and false reports of ICE raids, not the changing guidance. e department also said Denver Public Schools misunderstood the policy it’s seeking to reinstate.

Lawyers from Denver Public Schools and lawyers from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security each had 30 minutes to make their case at Friday’s hearing as Domenico peppered them with questions.

Domenico repeatedly asked attorneys for Denver Public Schools what would change if he ruled in their favor and reinstated the 2021 memo. He said there hasn’t been “a single instance” of the Trump administration’s policy “resulting in someone doing something that wouldn’t have happened under the prior policy.”

Claire Mueller, an outside attorney representing the school district in this case, argued that the previous policy provided a level of certainty that the new policy does not. DPS knew immigration agents could only show up to schools under certain circumstances, which she said “gave the organization and its community a certain level of security.”

Denver Public Schools serves about 90,000 students, about 52% of whom are Latino. Starting in late 2022, the city of Denver saw an in ux of migrants from Venezuela and other countries, and the school district had enrolled about 4,000 new immigrant students by the end of last year. About 80% of those students were still enrolled this fall, according to district data.

A federal judge in Maryland temporarily reinstated the sensitive locations policy with regard to churches and other houses of worship, in response to a lawsuit brought by several religious organizations. But the Feb. 24 ruling didn’t extend to schools.

Reprinted with permission from Chalkbeat, a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.

crowds who are there for comedy and a good night out.”

Denver Comedy Underground o ers audience members and comics an intimate experience that’s hard to nd elsewhere in Denver, or as Bryant put it, “You can see alive, in-themoment, like impossible-to-replicate things for 20 bucks a person, plus you get pizza. I think that’s very special.”

Denver Comedy Underground has its roster announced through July, with upcoming headliners including Brad Wenzel, Ali Sultan, Jake Silberman, Logan Guntzelman and Shaunak Godkhindi. Ticket prices range from $15-$20 per person, depending on the show.

For the full lineup, visit denvercomedyunderground.com.

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FROM PAGE 1

Students walked out of several Denver high schools to protest the Trump administration’s immigration policies on Feb. 5, the same day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided several apartment complexes in Denver and Aurora. COURTESY OF ELI IMADALI FOR CHALKBEAT

BY PAOLO ZIALCITA DENVERITE

Mercury Cafe to close at month’s end

e Mercury Cafe’s nearly 50-year run is coming to an end.

By the end of the month, the longstanding Five Points restaurant, bar and event space will turn into e Pearl — the continuation of Capitol Hill queer speakeasy Pearl Divers.

Owners of e Pearl and the Mercury Cafe announced the news March 11. e Mercury Cafe has been up for sale since August, with a number of interested parties inquiring about the building.

But it wasn’t until last month that the Pearl Divers team came into the equation.

“Just three weeks ago, we got introduced to Dom and Ashley and their team at Pearl Divers, and it was just an instant amazing coming together of just great folks,” Mercury Cafe co-owner Danny Newman said.

The new ownership group

Dom Garcia and Ashlee Cassity have been operating Pearl Divers, a self-described “sapphic focused, speak-tiki dive bar,” since December.

e duo had never opened a bar before, but felt compelled after Blush & Blu — the last remaining lesbian bar in town — closed earlier that year.

Pearl Divers hasn’t had a space of its own, subleasing a lounge next to dance club Your Mom’s House. Since opening, they’ve been looking for an opportunity to move into a permanent space.

Its move to the Mercury Cafe’s building in Five Points will ensure it has ample space to realize its own vision. As part of their new arrangement with Newman, e Pearl will lease the former site of the Mer-

cury Cafe, with an option to purchase the property after two years.

“We want to give fresh life to this space, honoring its rich history as a treasured gathering spot for Denver’s LGBTQIA+ community and beyond,” e Pearl said in a statement.

e Pearl outlined several goals for its future, including “fostering a positive work environment that values all employees” and keeping many of the events traditionally held at the Merc. As part of the transition, all current employees at the Merc will be given a chance to stay on and all booked shows will stay on the schedule.

e Pearl co-owner Dom Garcia said they plan to keep the political spirit of e Mercury Cafe alive.

“I’m a Hispanic trans masc person. I did some time in the military, I absolutely hate

the military now. I’m very ACAB,” Garcia said. “We’re very out and loud.”

A rocky tenure

Local tech entrepreneur and Denver preservationist Danny Newman bought e Mercury Cafe in 2021 from its founder Marilyn Megenity.

Newman set out to preserve the Mercury’s unique spirit by running it the exact same way. at proved harder than anticipated.

e Mercury Cafe was almost always innancial straits, and cost-cutting measures negatively a ected employee morale. Newman’s belt-tightening measures likely spurred on an ongoing labor dispute with its union, which won a union election by relatively thin margins in August 2023.

“When I came in, my mission and prom-

ise was to keep everything exactly the same,” Newman said Tuesday. “ e reality is for it to continue to exist, it does need to change.”

At the time of sale, several unfair labor practice charges are still open with the National Labor Relations Board. e union alleges Mercury Cafe broke federal labor laws by refusing to bargain and illegally terminating the employment union members.

Anna McGee, a union member, said she was caught o guard, adding that the union was not informed of the sale before the announcement went public.

“I hope we can open a conversation [with the new owners],” McGee said.

Denverite has reached out for comment to leadership at Communication Workers of America 7777.

In December, Newman said he was exploring options to transfer the Mercury Cafe’s ownership to a worker-owned cooperative. But the timing just didn’t line up, he said.

“ e co-op group, we were looking closer to the end of the year before we’d be able to make that work,” Newman said. “I think that this [deal] is perfect. It’s an existing team, existing community, able to just dive right in.”

Even though e Pearl’s opening will mark the end of e Mercury Cafe as we know it, Newman said he’s hopeful the spirit of the longstanding Denver icon will continue.

“I think that’s one of those ‘time will tell’ type things,” he said. is story is from Denverite, a Denver news site. Used by permission. For more, and to support Denverite, visit denverite. com.

The Mercury Cafe in Five Points. Nov. 23, 2024.

PHOTO BY KEVIN J. BEATY / DENVER

Thu 3/20

Salma Zaky at Denver Comedy Underground! Free Pizza!

@ 6:30pm / $18

Fri 3/21

Paisley Fields // White Rose Motor OilLion's Lair EARLY SHOW @ 4pm

Lion's Lair, 2022 E Colfax Ave, Denver

Denver Comedy Underground, 675 22nd St., Denver. info@denvercome dyunderground.com

VNDETTA

@ 7pm

Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St, Den‐

ver

Tatiana Eva-Marie

@ 7pm

Dazzle Denver, 1080 14th Street, Den‐

Wobbleland @ 6pm

Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 Clarkson St, Denver

VNDETTA @ 7pm

Lost Lake Lounge, 3602 E Colfax Ave, Denver

Portyl @ 7:30pm Lost Lake Lounge, 3602 E Colfax Ave, Denver

Tony Crank @ 5pm

Very Nice Brewing Company, 180 Jankowski Dr, Black Hawk

The Driver Era @ 7pm Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 Clarkson St, Denver

Tue 3/25

CHIODOS: 20 Years of Alls Well That Ends Well @ 6pm / $39.50-$69.50

Fillmore Auditorium (Denver), Denver

Rocket Summer @ 7pm

Marquis Theater - Denver, 2009 Larimer Street, Denver

Radio Fluke @ 7:30pm

Skylark Lounge, 140 S Broadway, Denver

Wed 3/26

Dan Bublitz Jr: Comedy at Tapville

Social - Denver @ 8pm

ver

The Chase

@ 7pm

The Oriental Theater, 4335 W 44th Ave, Denver

The Scarlet Son

@ 8pm

Lost Lake Lounge, 3602 E Colfax Ave, Denver

Jauz (18+ Event)

@ 10pm

The Church Nightclub, 1160 Lincoln Street, Denver

Teague Starbuck @ 7pm

Tapville Social - Denver, 1010 Park Ave W #100, Denver

Soph and Austin @ 8pm

Skylark Lounge, 140 S Broadway, Denver

DJ Fury @ 10pm Club Vinyl, 1082 N Broadway, Denver

Sat 3/22

Jonny G @ 8pm

Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom & Other Side, 2637 Welton St, Denver

Latin Night @ 10pm / $19.95 The Church Nightclub, Denver

Peter Raffoul @ 7pm

Skylark Lounge, 140 S Broadway, Den‐ver

Teller's Taproom & Kitchen, 1990 �oung�eld St, Lakewood

Sun 3/23

Heathers @ 4pm

The Delorean, 1753 S Broadway, Denver

Social Cinema @ Hi-Dive @ 7pm

Hi-Dive, 7 S Broadway, Denver

Mon 3/24

KSE Venue Ball Arena Walk-In Tour @ 1pm Denver

Thomas Day @ 6:30pm

Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 Clarkson St, Denver

Jake Xerxes Fussell @ 7pm Lost Lake Lounge, 3602 E Colfax Ave, Denver

Caleb Hearon: So True Live! Den‐ver @ 7:30pm

Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Place, Denver

Annie DiRusso - 16+ @ 8pm Bluebird Theatre, Denver

Education in the U.S. and how each state fares

How does the U.S. do in educating its citizens compared with other developed nations? e following quote from education expert Judy Butler gives a perspective I never thought of.

“Education system rankings are always an apples and oranges comparison. Educational systems are a product of the countries’ culture,” she said.

She contends the U.S. is No. 1.

but we are not the best either.

“ at’s because we educate everyone through age 18 and don’t siphon o kids around age 16, sending only the best students on to high school making them eligible for college and other post-high school education,” Butler said.

So, our democratic ideas a ect our ranking. We live up to the idea that everyone in the U.S. deserves a chance to succeed.

I looked at many rankings and only one, a U.S. News and World Report study in 2024, ranked the U.S. No. 1 in education. It included our world-class colleges and universities as part of our education system. As a result of my research, I know we are not 24th, as Elon Musk reported,

Sleeping is one of the most important parts of the day for our bodies. It allows us to rest and recharge our bodies. Not getting enough sleep can throw o the entire day.

Studies show that women need more sleep than men on average and su er the consequences of less sleep more than men do. A 2008 study from Duke University found women who reported unhealthy sleep patterns had more psychological distress than men from the same study.  ese women were at a higher risk for illnesses like heart disease, depression, type-2 diabetes and mood disorders. Less sleep can have a similar impact on your brain as having a high blood alcohol content. Lack of coordination, impaired judgment, higher stress levels, mood swings and being more prone to accidents are all possible e ects of a lack of sleep.

Your physical health can take a hit too, with some e ects being decreased hearing, feeling hungrier and fatigued. Due to the decrease of estrogen and progesterone, women over the age of 50 may have a higher chance of developing sleep disorders.

Low estrogen levels can impact how quickly a woman falls asleep and can disrupt sleep by waking up multiple times a night. Low progesterone can cause irritability and di culty relaxing. Younger women aren’t immune to sleep issues. eir hormones uctuate with their menstrual cycle, pregnancy and lactation periods. ey can develop restless leg syndrome, cramping that interrupts sleep and insomnia, which is more common in women than men,

New York, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, Maryland, Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado, Iowa.

schools and 38.0 in urban schools.

e U.S., despite ranking high in educational system surveys, falls behind in math and science scores compared to many other countries. In reality, we have 50 educational systems as our K-12 education is managed and funded almost completely by the 50 states, according to a 2024 report by Fullerton College of Education at Michigan State University.

So, as a result, I focused on measuring the 50 states in terms of their K-12 school systems. I found three credible studies that measured school quality, student safety and student success. As each study had di erences, I combined the three averaging each state’s scores. e following are those results.

First quadrant (highest performing states in order): New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire,

The importance of sleep for women

according to Yale Medicine.

Second quadrant (above average states in order):Indiana, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Utah, Ohio, Maine, Florida, Delaware, Washington, South Dakota, Rhode Island.

ird quadrant (Below average states in order):Montana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Missouri, Kansas, Georgia, Tennessee, Idaho, Texas, Arkansas, Michigan, North Carolina.

Fourth quadrant (Poorest performing states in order): Hawaii, California, Oregon, Mississippi, South Carolina, Alaska, Alabama, Nevada, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico.

Some of these rankings are in uenced by the makeup of the individual states.

ere is a study by the National Center for Education, which studies 67,977 schools in 12,842 districts. at study shows that suburban schools produce reading scores of 50.7 vs. similar scores of 41.4 in rural schools and 37.4 in urban schools. Math scores are also highest in suburban schools at 49.7 vs. 41.7 in rural

e three di erent school settings have similar student to pupil ratios and similar teacher pay per student ratios. is suggests that the scores students produce depend on their school environment. States with predominantly suburban schools will produce higher scores and the reverse is also true.

I had a wife, sister and two aunts who were teachers. All would agree that the two facts that matter most in student success are parental involvement and the quality of the teacher. Who among us has not had that special teacher who motivated and challenged us.

My son, upon graduating from college, wrote to his fth-grade teacher thanking her for her extra e ort on his behalf. I invite you to remember your special teacher and tell someone about them.

Jim Rohrer of Evergreen is a retired businessman who worked in small, medium and very large businesses. His books “Never lose your job. Become an MVP” and “Improve your bottom line, develop MVP’s today” focus on fostering success.

Insomnia can be caused by hormonal changes, but stress and life circumstances can contribute as well.

Sleep deprivation can a ect your performance at work with di culty concentrating, memory impairment and increased risk of accidents. at’s why it’s important to establish healthy sleep practices.

Some tips for better sleep habits include:

• Establish a consistent sleep schedule by going to bed and getting up at the same time daily

• Try soothing activities to add to your bedtime routine

• Do not work in bed Keep yourself active during the day

• Let your brain take a break. Don’t use phones or blue light devices at least one-hour before bed Make sure you’re getting outside, as vitamin D impacts the quality of your sleep

• Limit nap time during the day to ensure you can sleep well at night

Sleep is important for everyone, but especially for women. It’s essential that you try to maintain a healthy sleep schedule, not just so you don’t feel tired the next day, but also for your long-term health.

Dr. Terry Dunn is the owner of Foothills Urogynecology, a Denver-based practice specializing in women’s health. To learn more, visit www. urogyns.com.

Hispanics and Mexican-Americans in the Northside: 1858 to 1925

Texas or by way of New Mexico. e earliest Hispanic communities were in the San Luis Valley, with the town of San Luis dating to 1851.  Soon, other towns grew up along the Rio Grande and the Arkansas Rivers. Both Trinidad and Pueblo bene ted from trade on the Santa Fe Trail, with their residents making their living as traders, farmers and town builders. Others arrived to work as trappers and hunters in search of beavers and bison. Some intermarried with women from the Plains tribes, starting families along the Front Range.

Chroniclers of Denver’s early history reported some of these Hispanic gold miners, settlers, and entrepreneurs as early as 1857. Andrew Sagendorf and Ransom Smith, ar-

riving to record mining claims, mentioned Mexican-Americans prospecting on Clear Creek.  ey also recorded a claim on the Platte that carried the name of Spanish Bar. Retired fur trader José Merival and his Lakota wife greeted new gold seekers as they arrived in 1858. William Larimer noted that Jesùs Aubreyo had set up a store in April of 1859, on the corner of McGaa and “F” Streets in Auraria.

This 1910 map shows the part of North Denver settled by migrants. COURTESY OF DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY

WOMEN’S WELLNESS

Dr. Terry Dunn GUEST COLUMN

Jim Rohrer

HISTORY COLUMN

Rebecca A. Hunt

Navigating extreme growth in a rapidly advancing world

Companies are often forced to move at breakneck speeds in today’s world of accelerated technological advancements and rapid market evolution. It’s no longer uncommon to see organizations launch products and services before they’re fully re ned, sometimes even before the infrastructure to support them is entirely in place. is has led to a popular business analogy: xing the plane while it’s already in the air.

ere are several companies that exempli ed this approach over the past two decades and still achieved overwhelming success. From their inception, they disrupted the industries they served, never really launching with a fully formed model. Regulatory challenges, operational inconsistencies, and technological re nements were all addressed in real-time. Yet, despite turbulence, these high- ying companies soared to global prominence. eir success was not just about speed but about having the right people on board, people who could handle the chaos, make critical decisions, and innovate in the face of uncertainty.

forward. Without them, high-growth organizations would stall mid-

e Ground Crew: Lastly, leaders, advisors, and mentors may not be on the plane but play an equally crucial role in keeping it airborne. ese are the “go-to” people, trusted guides with experience navigating similar challenges. Too often, fast-growing organizations fail to lean on these external advisors, missing valuable insights that could make the journey smoother and more strategic.

Other metaphors illustrate the same reality of moving forward at full speed:

e train has left the station, meaning you’re either on board or left behind on the platform, waving goodbye. ere’s no time to second-guess or hesitate.

e horse is out of the barn, implying it’s too late to reverse course; now, the focus must be on nishing the race and nishing well.

Larimer described Aubreyo as a “gentleman and good citizen.” In the rst 20 years of Denver’s existence, anyone who came prepared to be a productive member of the community was welcome.

e Mexican-American villages of northern New Mexico became another source of workers along the Front Range. According to historian Sarah Deutsch, for decades, the villages had survived because of the strong sense of community spirit that bonded individuals together.

Women maintained village churches, provided aid to each other in times of need and served as “curanderas,” or healers, and midwives, called “parteras,” as well as carpenters, gardeners and religious leaders.

is was the norm because each year the men traveled away from the village to nd seasonal work. Eventually, the women and children made the move as well, establishing their own new collaborative communities in mining camps and in small towns such as Brighton, Ft. Lupton and in North Denver.

eir husbands worked in agriculture, mining and in other manual labor jobs. From the late 1860s as more people moved north, they found work on the railroads that were reaching Denver.

from Mexico into the United States, into Denver and into the Northside. e 1910-1920 revolution in Mexico drove out wealthy and poor alike. ose who were middle and upper class lived in areas more de ned by class than by race. Of course, there was some ethnic segregation, meaning that west Denver became more heavily Mexican-American as they integrated into the new society.  North Denver had always been working-class. is population started out by living alongside the existing ItalianAmericans, although not always in harmony. As the younger generation of Italian-Americans moved out, their houses were available to the newer workingclass immigrants.

Mexican-Americans, who had been born in the United States and spoke a mix of Spanish and English did not always feel comfortable with the new arrivals from Mexico. Also, outsiders did not always distinguish between the Americans and the immigrants, a problem that could cause tension.

But ultimately, by the 1930s, both groups built viable communities that included homes, businesses, ethnic associations and churches. eir children attended both public and private schools.

I drew parts of this column from my 1997 doctoral dissertation called “Urban Pioneers: Continuity and Change in the Ethnic Communities in Two Denver, Colorado Neighborhoods: 1875-1998.”

When a company moves so quickly, the people in that proverbial plane fall into four categories.

e Parachuters: Some individuals don’t have the stomach for rapid change and uncertainty. As turbulence hits, they reach for the parachute, opting to leave rather than face the unknown. And that’s okay. Not everyone is cut out for high-growth, high-pressure environments. Leaders should recognize this and let them go rather than trying to force a t.

e Frozen: Another group remains in their seats, gripping the armrests, hoping the storm will pass without requiring their direct involvement. ey may not leave but don’t contribute meaningfully to the solution. While these individuals might not cause immediate harm, their inaction can slow progress. If the plane does land safely, leaders must assess whether these employees can adapt to a culture that demands agility and resilience.

e Fixers: e fearless problem-solvers will tether themselves to the plane and climb onto the wing to x what’s broken. ese individuals thrive in chaos, nd solutions in the most uncertain situations, and are willing to take calculated risks to ensure success. ey are the innovators, the strategists, and the culture carriers who propel a company

ABOUT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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e genie is out of the bottle, representing the unstoppable force of technological advancements, particularly AI, which will continue to shape our future whether we’re ready or not.

e fundamental question for leaders is: Do we have the right people on this plane, people willing to x and help y it to our goals? Equally important, are we, as individuals, committed to the mission? Do we have the passion, resilience, and willingness to be part of a team destined for greatness?

In an era where technology is evolving faster than we can predict, the key to success is not avoiding turbulence but embracing it with the right team. ose who can adapt, problem-solve, and remain agile will keep the plane in the air and take it to new heights.

How about you? Are you or someone you know a part of a growth-oriented and results-focused organization that may not be fully baked? I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail. com. And when we experience and embrace the thrill of such a ride, 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.

• Letters advocating for a political candidate should focus on that candidate’s qualifications for o ce. We cannot publish letters that contain unverified negative information about a candidate’s opponent. Letters advocating for or against a political candidate or ballot issue will not be published within 12 days of an election.

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In 1869, former Gov. William Gilpin commented on the large ow of immigrants coming from Southern Colorado to help in building the new railroads. When Denver got streetcars, immigrants were part of that workforce as well. ese people lived close to their jobs, initially north of downtown and then by the 1920s moving up into the Northside.

In the early 1900s, a new group came

Expect to see more in the next few months as we continue to explore the stories of our Latino neighbors.

Dr. Rebecca A. Hunt has been a resident of north Denver since 1993. She worked in museums and then taught museum studies and Colorado, Denver, women’s and immigration history at the University of Colorado Denver until she retired in 2020.

BY BEN DICKSON AND JACOB QUILL UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO NEWS CORPS

Like most of his coworkers, Chino Dean leaves his University of Colorado maintenance job at 3:30 p.m. After work, however, he puts on a di erent face to excel at what he does in his second life.

Dean is the champion of the 122-pound Muay ai division in Sparta FC. He’s only been training in martial arts for the past eight years and has been an Easton Training Center athlete for the entire time.

While primarily based in Boulder — where he began training in 2016 and started coaching in 2019 — Dean now teaches three classes each week. is has enabled him to branch out to other Easton locations, now guest coaching in Longmont, and planning to do the same at the company’s other gyms in the metro area. In terms of his own training, Dean nds himself mostly in Boulder, but he makes time to train with Easton’s competition team in both the Arvada and Denver locations

once every other week.

“We have a massive amount of people here from all walks of life,” Dean said about the gym “I’ll never run out of things to learn about the world through these people at Easton.”

Starting in Denver in the 1990s as a barely controlled brawl, ultimate ghting and combat sports has grown into a huge business as a mainstream sports league. Training centers like Easton have helped build that next generation of star athletes.

A champion’s journey

Originally, Dean moved to Colorado in search of a change of pace from his life on the East Coast. He had some friends in the area, and was attracted to the idea of leading an active lifestyle. Boulder’s access to a wide range of outdoor activities, as well as the scenery, were the main factors that brought Dean to the area.

Dean grew up in Maryland, and when he arrived in Boulder in 2015, his level of experience in martial arts

consisted of exactly one free karate class.

“It was that little desire that every little boy has to want to be a ninja,” he said with a smile. “A long time ago, I got the chance to try out a karate class but never got the chance to follow through with it.”

Although he had little experience with martial arts training in general, the spark from that one class led him onto Easton’s mat after he noticed a UFC ghter trained there while watching an event on TV.

“Just the fact that I got my foot in the door to see what it was like really lit that spark, which stayed within me for several years,” Dean said.

Dean fell in love with Muay ai when he attended an Easton class for the rst time. Early in his training career, he bought a heavy bag to put in his basement when he couldn’t a ord the Easton membership. As soon as he could, he bought the membership and was in the gym six days a week.

SEE TRAINING CENTER, P13

TRAINING CENTER

Dean grew into a champion Muay ai ghter for his weight class. Muay ai is a style of martial arts that revolves around striking with sts, feet, knees and elbows. However, Dean is interested in the sport’s more subtle aspects.

“Obviously, ghting is what this sport is. When you’re in the ring, it is a ght. But, there is an art aspect to it that the ais obviously created and gracefully shared with us,” Dean said. “It goes a lot into respect, it goes into trying to be calm and relating those things back into everyday life.”

Now 39, Dean’s Muay ai journey has helped to shift his mindset in his general life, even outside of the gym.

“I’ve become a lot more resilient,” Dean said. “It’s made me accept that I may not always get the things I want to in life, and that gives me a better approach.”

Dean treats his Muay ai training as a second job of sorts. Between training for his own ghts, actually competing, and providing coaching for other Easton members, Dean is a familiar face for people in the Easton community.

“Within even a year of me being here, they had already given me so much,” Dean said. “Not just in technique, but in the community. Just being able to give back to them in any way that I can, whether it be teaching them, showing them by example, or just being a good friend for them, that’s what drives me.”

Easton’s start

Dean’s experience at Easton is similar to many of the stories of people who have found a home there. Founded by Amal Easton in 1998, the chain has grown to nine locations around the state.  e community found in the gyms helps to explain how martial arts has seized large segments of the country’s imagination. But that story, once better understood, isn’t merely one of ghts and cage matches. Rather, it’s about respect and self-awareness and a way to think mindfully about life through the lens of those who wish to be enlightened warriors.

Easton trained under the legendary Gracie family in Brazil and started the gym to try and help bring jiu jitsu to the United States.

“ ere were very few jiu jitsu gyms at the time, and I rented out some space in a facility to teach three days a week,” Easton said.

Easton, who has a degree in traditional Chinese medicine, decided that he was more suited to help people as a jiu jitsu instructor as he fell in love with the sport. He grew up in a small New Mexico town and began training in martial arts when he was getting picked on at school.

Easton decided on Colorado as a starting point for his gym because of how many people are active in sports. He is active outside of the gym as well, an avid skier as well as having had a short stint as a surfer. Colorado is known for its culture of individual extreme sports, and Easton knew that it would be a good place for him and his gym to thrive. However, the Easton empire in Colorado today is nearly unrecognizable from its humble beginnings.

“How could you conceive that we would be where we are today?” Easton asked. “I was in King Soopers trying to convince the kid stocking the shelves that he should come and try jiu jitsu. It really was one brick at a time, one student at a time.”

Easton’s original location stands in Boulder. A 10,000-square-foot facility on 32nd Street, it is home to martial arts classes for every age and skill level. Easton believes that the format of martial arts training lends itself to bringing people together, and the story for his gym holds true for that.

“ e community is everything. When most people think about community activities they did, they’d have to go back to high school,” Easton said. “With jiu jitsu, it’s one of the most cohesive groups partly because we have every range of age, socioeconomic diversity, religion and body type.”

While the central location is in Boulder, being in the Denver area means you are never too far from an Easton mat. Satellite locations include facilities in Arvada, Centennial, Lowry, South Denver, the Littleton area, Longmont, Castle Rock and ornton.

Alec Schrum, another Easton ghter, competed in the B-class 142-pound division at the Colorado State Tournament

at the Douglas County Event Center in Castle Rock Feb. 28 to March 2. Early in his career, Schrum has showcased his skills in both jiu jitsu and Muay ai, with plans to transition into mixed martial arts competitions as he continues to grow as a ghter.

Schrum has only been training at Easton since he was a sophomore at CU Boulder. He graduated after the spring of 2024, and already has a few ghts on his record. He is just opening this chapter of his life, but he plans on leaving it open for the future.

“After I’m done competing, I’ll still train. Whether I’m coaching or if it’s just for fun, I’ll be in this for the rest of my life,” Schrum said.

Growing up as a wrestler in Pennsylvania, Schrum knew that he wanted to stay involved in martial arts. As soon as he moved to Colorado, he walked into Easton’s gym and hasn’t looked back.

Combat fighting’s popularity

While Easton’s resume of competition is what he is able to hang his hat on, his new passion stems from being an inspiration to the next generation of martial artists. He has noticed that the children he interacts with in the gym have di erent kinds of role models than those he was accustomed to seeing even just a few years ago.

“Some of those kids are going to get skills and chase that dream, because who they are looking up to now are ghters, not basketball players,” Easton said.

Easton’s Boulder location provides a mixture of the strong community that martial arts can provide and coaching that can compete with the best in the world.

Amid the growing popularity of Muay ai and other martial arts in Colorado, there’s also a rise in high-pro le, unconventional prize ghts on the national stage, such as the recent Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul boxing match streamed on Net ix.

e world of mixed martial arts would not be what it is today without the impact that the state of Colorado had on it.

e premier MMA organization, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, has its roots here in Denver. In 1993, it held its rst event, UFC 1: e Beginning. e event featured ghts with no judges, no weight classes, and no limits on how long ghts could last. When Easton was training in Rio, he remembers watching early MMA ghts at juice bars in the city.

“MMA was also something that had barely just started,” Easton said. “It was hard not to imagine that being a huge thing here someday.”

Easton’s prediction was likely more accurate than he knew at the time. Now, the UFC has become a mainstream sports league. With public eyes nally falling upon the world of combat sports, Colorado’s martial arts scene has begun to grow as well. At the UFC level, bigname athletes like Justin Gaethje and Rose Namajunas train for their ghts in Denver. ere are even UFC athletes who spend time at Easton locations, like Drew Dober and Curtis Blaydes.

“It’s a di erent era, kind of where a kid can grow up and say, like, I want to be Michael Jordan, or I want to be Jon Jones, they can say this is what I want to do, because they’re chasing a sports superstar that they want to be like. And, you know, a lot of that comes with growing the sport,” Easton said.

He pointed out that while some athletes may evolve into lifelong martial artists, others are driven by the pursuit of fame and fortune in a multi-billiondollar industry.

Easton takes pride in the way that he and the other coaches at his gym teach martial arts, providing focus on the lessons that are important outside of training. By emphasizing the skills and morals, Easton hopes to bring the next generation of ghters into the mainstream.

“We take the role of trying to teach values as a big part of our program, not just trying to raise champions,” Easton said. is story was created by students at the University of Colorado-Boulder’s News Corps, where Colorado Community Media is a media partner.

Alec Schrum, who trains at Easton, has competed in both jiu jitsu and Muay Thai since he graduated from the University of Colorado-Boulder.

PHOTO BY JACOB QUILL / CU NEWS CORPS

Chino Dean teaches classes at Easton Training Center in Boulder in November 2024. He also teaches as Easton facilities in Arvada and Denver.

PHOTO FROM VIDEO BY BEN DICKSON

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March 20, 2025

NOTICE TO MORTGAGEES IN THE GEORGIAN CONDOMINIUMS COMMUNITY

Notice is hereby given to all mortgagees within The Georgian Condominiums community in the City and County of Denver, State of Colorado, that The Georgian Association, Inc. is seeking mortgagee approval of a proposed Limited Amendment to the Condominium Declaration for The Georgian Condominiums (the “Proposed Amendment”). The Proposed Amendment can be obtained at the following address: Altitude Community Law P.C., 555 Zang St., Ste. 100, Lakewood, CO 80228. Failure of any mortgagee to deliver a negative response to The Georgian Association, Inc., c/o Altitude Community Law P.C., 555 Zang St., Ste. 100, Lakewood, CO 80228, within 60 days shall be deemed consent on behalf of the mortgagee.

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Last Publication: March 20, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

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Vita Fox North LP and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) provide notice of their intention to impose binding environmental use restrictions (EURs) on Fox Park located at 4400 North Fox Street, Denver, Colorado. The EURs define that no excavation, drilling, grading, tilling or any other soil-disturbing activity is permitted on the Property unless conducted in accordance with the CDPHE-approved Materials Management Plan and any amendments. Pursuant to § 25-15-318.5, C.R.S., once the EURs have been finalized, they are binding on all current and future owners of the land and any persons possessing an interest in the land. CDPHE is accepting public comments on the draft EURs. Copies of the proposed EURs and a legal description of the affected property are available by contacting Mr.

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Required pursuant to §10-3-109(1), C.R.S FOR YEAR 2024

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If any annual report or statement from any entity regulated by the Division of Insurance is not filed by the date specified by law or by rules and regulations of the commissioner, the commissioner may assess a penalty of up to one hundred dollars per day for each day after the date an annual statement or report is due from any such entity.

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Estate of Barabra A. Williams, aka Barbara A. Williams, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30104

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before Monday July 7, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

s/ Rebecca Wallace Beattie Attorney for Ilona Williams, Personal Representative 6390 Gardenia Street, Suite 150 Arvada, CO 80004

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Estate of Guy Carteng, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR030268

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Sarah Carteng, Personal Representative 10498 Carnegie Ave Englewood, FL 34224

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First Publication: March 20, 2025

Last Publication: April 3, 2025

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Estate of Justin Ray Murphy,

aka Justin R. Murphy, and Justin Murphy, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30136

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before Monday, July 21, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Jeramiha P. Murphy, Personal Representative 127 Colt Loop Kyle, Texas 78640

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Estate of Sieglinde Lug, a/k/a Sieglinde Kadhim, a/k/a Sieglinde Lug Kadhim, a/k/a Sieglinde Lug-Kadhim, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR030189

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before July 20, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Basim Kadhim, Personal Representative c/o Mollie B. Hawes, Miller and Steiert, P.C. 1901 W. Littleton Blvd. Littleton, CO 80120

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Last Publication: April 3, 2025

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Estate of Mitchell E. Feldman, a/k/a Mitchell Evan Feldman, a/k/a Mitchell Feldman, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30042

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Susan F. Townsend, Personal Representative

c/o Long Reimer Winegar LLP

1800 Glenarm Place, Suite 1202

Denver, CO 80202

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Estate of Daniel Justin Riedel, a/k/a Daniel J. Riedel, Deceased Case Number: 2025 PR 030039

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before July 18, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Anna L. Burr, Esq.

Attorney to the Personal Representative

2851 South Parker Road, Suite 230 Aurora, Colorado 80014

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Estate of PATRICIA L. FORMAN, a/k/a PATRICIA LEE FORMAN, a/k/a PATTI FORMAN, Deceased Case Number: 2025-PR-30199

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Michael W. Reagor, Attorney for Personal Representatve 8400 E Prentice Ave., Suite 1040

Greenwood Village, CO 80111

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Estate of William Peay, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR031468

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Estate of DONALD STUART MACPHAIL, a/k/a STUART MACPHAIL, Deceased.

Case Number: 2024PR31537

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Virgina MacPhail,

Personal Representative

Patrick A. Schilken, P.C. 5347 South Valentia Way, Suite No. 335 Greenwood Village, CO 80111

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Estate of Thomas F. McManus, aka Thomas Francis McManus, aka Thomas McManus, aka Thomas F. McManus, Jr., aka Thomas Francis McManus, Jr., aka Thomas McManus, Jr., Deceased

Case Number: 2025PR30241

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before Monday, July 21, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Kelly T. McManus

Personal Representative

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Estate of CHARLES MATTHEW MCGEE, a/k/a CHARLES M. MCGEE, a/k/a CHARLES MCGEE, Deceased Case Number 2025PR30133

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and County of Denver, Colorado on or before Monday, July 7, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Deidre McGee, Personal Representative

c/o Megan Jury, Esq., Attorney for Personal Representative Robinson & Henry, P.C. 7555 E. Hampden Ave. Suite 600 Denver, CO 80231

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First Publication: March 6, 2025

Last Publication: March 20, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Jenette Louise Zimmerman, aka Jenette L. Zimmerman, and Jenette Zimmerman, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30125

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before Monday, July 21, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

W. David Murphy

Personal Representative C/O Dirk Costin 1720 S Bellaire St. Ste. 205 Denver, CO 80222

Legal Notice No. DHD 3506

First Publication: March 20, 2025

Last Publication: April 3, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Isaac Howard Kaiser, a/k/a Isaac H. Kaiser, a/k/a Isaac Kaiser, a/k/a Ike Kaiser, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30184

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before July 7, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Gina Kaiser, Personal Representative c/o Maureen Cook, Esq.

Spencer Fane LLP

1700 Lincoln Street, Ste 2000 Denver, CO 80203

Legal Notice No. DHD 3494

First Publication: March 6, 2025

Last Publication: March 20, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Michael Karl LaDuke, a/k/a Michael K. LaDuke, a/k/a Michael LaDuke, Deceased, Case Number 2025PR30018

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before July 23, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Jack LaDuke, Personal Representative 1215 Fairmont Ln Manitowoc, WI 54220

Legal Notice No. DHD 3485

First Publication: March 6, 2025

Last Publication: March 20, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Chaz Ryan Murphy; Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30111

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver on or before July 7, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Bryce Patrick Murphy and Christopher Shaun Deherrera Co-Personal Representatives c/o Carl H. Hutchins 1999 Broadway, Suite 1400 Denver, CO 80202

Legal Notice No. DHD 3492 First Publication: March 6, 2025 Last Publication: March 20, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Zacharia Issam Nakib, a/k/a Zach Nakib, a/k/a Zach I. Nakib, a/k/a Zacharia I. Nakib, a/k/a Zach Issam Nakib, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30219

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before Monday, July 14, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Barbara DeSantis-Nakib

Personal Representative 5796 Irish Pat Murphy Dr. Parker, CO 80134

Legal Notice No. DHD 3503

First Publication: March 13, 2025 Last Publication: March 27, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of GLORIA D. SISNEROS, aka GLORIA DEANNE SISNEROS, aka GLORIA SISNEROS, aka GLORIA D. MARTINEZ, aka GLORIA DEANNE MARTINEZ, aka GLORIA MARTINEZ, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31535

Public Notices

Case Number: 2025PR30230

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before July 7, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Deanne Martinez, Personal Representative

2730 Lowell Blvd. Unit C Denver, CO 80211

Legal Notice No. DHD 3486

First Publication: March 6, 2025

Last Publication: March 20, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Richard Leroy Szasz, a/k/a Richard L. Szasz, a/k/a Richard Szasz, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30180

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before June 25, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Jose Medina, Personal Representative

c/o Seth M. Katz, Esq., Reg. No. 34888 KATZ, LOOK & ONORATO, P.C.

1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 1100 Denver, Colorado 80203

Legal Notice No. DHD 3516

First Publication: March 20, 2025

Last Publication: April 3, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Michael Samuel Tang, aka Michael S. Tang, and Michael Tang, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30148

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before July 20, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Janice Tang, Personal Representative

c/o The Law Office of Dual C. Schneider, LLC

26267 Conifer Rd., Ste. 309 Conifer, CO 80433

Legal Notice No. DHD 3510

First Publication: March 20, 2025

Last Publication: April 3, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Mary Lorraine Beyda, a/k/a Mary L. Beyda, a/k/a Lorrie Beyda, a/k/a M.L. Beyda, Deceased

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before Monday, July 14, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Susan Beyda, Personal Representative c/o Arlene S. Barringer, Esq. GLATSTEIN & OBRIEN, LLP

2696 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite 350 Denver, Colorado 80222

Legal Notice No. DHD 3500

First Publication: March 13, 2025

Last Publication: March 27, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Angel Rebollo Garcia, aka Angel R. Garcia, aka Angel Garcia, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30095

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before 07/20/2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Theresa M. Rangel

Personal Representative 12795 Ivanhoe Street Thornton, CO 80602

Legal Notice No. DHD 3512

First Publication: March 20, 2025

Last Publication: April 3, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of RICHARD DEAN SKOV, aka RICHARD D. SKOV, and RICHARD SKOV,Deceased Case Number: 2025PR030214

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to pres ent them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before July 13, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Judy A. Skov, Personal Representative 3749 S. Kipling Ct. Denver, CO 80235

Legal Notice No. DHD 3501

First Publication: March 13, 2025

Last Publication: March 27, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of JAMES WALKER JOHNSON, also known as JAMES W. JOHNSON, Deceased Case Number: 2025 PR 30174

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado, on or before July 6, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Darcy J. Montoya, Personal Representative 203 Wright Street, Unit 206 Lakewood, CO 80228

Legal Notice No. DHD 3488

First Publication: March 6, 2025 Last Publication: March 20, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Alita Davis Pirkopf, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30170

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver on or before Monday, July 7, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Meghan Quinlivan Personal Representative c/o Alex T. Kirven 1999 Broadway, Suite 1400 Denver, CO 80202

ent them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before Monday, July 7, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Linda Anderson, Personal Representative 1415 N. 6th St. Canon City, CO 81212

Legal Notice No. DHD 3490

First Publication: March 6, 2025

Last Publication: March 20, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

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