Denver judge halts deportation of Venezuelans
U.S. attorneys argue that block of accused TdA members would usurp Trump’s authority
BY JENNIFER BROWN
THE COLORADO SUN
e Trump administration cannot deport Venezuelans held in an Aurora immigration detention center to a prison in El Salvador without giving them adequate notice and a chance to ght in court, a Denver federal judge ruled April 22.
e ruling from U.S. District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney came after ACLU Colorado and an immigrant rights group argued that two men from Venezuela were at risk of getting sent on a plane to an infamously dangerous Salvadorian prison. e ruling applies not just to the
two men, but to all Venezuelans held at the detention center who face near-immediate deportation under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. e act invoked by President Donald Trump gives the government broad authority to deport people in times of war or invasion.
e Denver court is among a few others across the country to take up the issue as federal immigration o cials have bused immigrants from detention centers to airports, then loaded them onto planes bound for the Terrorism Con nement Center, a megaprison accused of using electric shock and waterboarding to torture prisoners. e prison already holds about 300
deportees accused by the U.S. government of being members of the dangerous Venezuelan street gang, Tren de Aragua. Deportees were given little notice, no time to consult a lawyer and no chance to try to prove they are not gang members — rights of due process normally a orded to immigrants facing deportation, civil rights attorneys have argued. In many cases, evidence of involvement in Tren de Aragua has been based on detainees’ tattoos.
Attorneys for the government argued in Denver that blocking deportations would “irreparably harm the United States’ conduct of foreign policy” and
“usurp” Trump’s authority to address “what he has identi ed as an invasion.”
When Trump issued a proclamation in March invoking the Alien Enemies Act, he said that Tren de Aragua is a “hybrid criminal state” that “is perpetrating, attempting, and threatening an invasion or predatory incursion against the territory of the United States.” e gang “commits brutal crimes” including murder and kidnapping and is “conducting irregular warfare and undertaking hostile actions against the United States,” the proclamation said.
Bike Streets launches app to incentivize bicycle transit to local businesses
BY MERYL PHAIR SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
RiNo’s River North Brewery transformed into a neighborhood bicyclist’s paradise for the celebratory launch of Bike Streets’ “Destinations,” an event complete with a complementary bike valet and mechanic along with one “Passport Stamp” toward a free beer after three rides for all those who biked over to partake in the community gathering.
With the launch of its latest active transportation initiative, Bike Streets is connecting the everyday bicyclist with local Denver businesses within biking distance, rewarding them for their peddling e orts and highlighting the signi cant economic payo s of a bike-centric city. Bike Streets is a communityled project initiated to meet gaps in the city’s evolving cycling infrastructure. Denver has plans in the works for 230 new miles of bikeways, as part of a 20-year vision for developing a network of accessible bikeways throughout the metro area.
However, Bike Streets contends many of these lanes are currently on or being planned for busy arterial roads, not necessarily safe or welcoming for the neighborhood cruiser.
“We’ve been operating with one simple, straightforward idea, and that is people of all ages and abilities should be able to bike anywhere in Denver today, not in 50 years,” said Avi Stopper, founder of Bike Streets during a presentation at the River North launch.
To meet the challenge, Bike Streets created what it calls a LowStress Denver Bike Map, a 500mile network of quiet bicyclefriendly streets. First launched in 2018, the map was drafted by numerous “neighborhood captains” who used local knowledge of their neighborhoods to create these “low-stress” routes.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement contract detention facility located on North Oakland Street in Aurora. PHOTO BY OLIVIA SUN / THE COLORADO SUN VIA REPORT FOR AMERICA
The Delores Project celebrates 25 years of housing solutions in Denver
Nonprofit helps homeless women, transgender, nonbinary individuals
BY MERYL PHAIR
SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
In the past 25 years, e Delores Project has grown from a winter-only, overnight shelter for women to a nonpro t that not only provides shelter, supportive housing units and apartments for those struggling with homelessness but o ers a wide range of wrap-around services.
e organization has expanded its ability to care for the community with a focus on women, transgender and nonbinary individuals, and its core values are to cultivate a welcoming space that meets individuals where they are at has remained constant.
e Delores Project got its name from Delores Big Boy, a Lakota woman who lived in Denver and experienced homelessness. When she was housed, Delores would often have several people living with her, even though it put her in violation of her housing voucher, more than a few times returning her to the streets. Ultimately, Doloras passed away before her 44th birthday, and in the winter of 2000, e Delores Project opened its doors to honor her legacy.
“We honor her memory by embodying those values of hospitality and generosity in how we care for the guests and residents,” said Lucas Land, director of development with e Delores Project. “Everybody that comes through our doors has experienced some kind of trauma, so we are focused on creating a community that’s healing for people,” with an emphasis on the shelter’s commitment to creating a sense of belonging for their clients.
When the shelter initially opened, Land said one of the ways the organization cultivated that home-like touch was by placing quilts made by volunteers on each bed. Since moving into Arroyo Village located in Denver’s Villa Park in 2019, e Delores Project has further expanded how they cultivate community, which was made possible through the nonpro t’s collaboration with Rocky Mountain Communities and funded through the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit program. e project currently provides a 24-7, “low-barrier” shelter that serves about 50 people a year. Although it is one of the smallest shelters in Denver, the “low-bar-
ity.
rier” status prohibits the use of drugs and alcohol on site but doesn’t have a sober requirement, making it more accessible.
Above the West Colfax neighborhood shelter, the building has 35 supportive housing units for people experiencing chronic homelessness, speci cally for those who face barriers to housing from physical disabilities to mental health and substance abuse. e rest of the building is made up of 95, one to three-bedroom workforce housing apartments.
Land said Arroyo Village was designed by local Denver rm Shopworks Architect to be trauma-informed, meaning the spaces are crafted to be calming and comfortable with lots of natural elements and light. In the design process, Shopwroks asked guests what they would like to see. Sta prioritized the need for more beds and units, as clients stressed an interest in more community spaces, Land said. As a result, the building is home to a media room, a library and a game room as well as outdoor access.
“Our sta , especially those working in direct service with our guests and residents, are trained in trauma-informed care, which means they’re taking into account what people have been through,” Land said. “Everyone in our shelter has a case manager assigned to them who
so their rst goal might be to get an ID before eventually working towards housing, which of course, is the goal for everyone.”
Case managers will follow their clients 12 to 24 months after they are housed to help with any issue that might arise in everything from budgeting to communicating with landlords and ensure transitions to long-term housing solutions go as smoothly as possible. e nonpro t also recently integrated behavioral health services into its o erings, providing one-onone therapy and group sessions.
To connect guests with resources e Delores Project may not directly provide, such as workforce training, job placement and health insurance, the nonpro t partners with numerous organizations to make those connections possible.
“For all of these reasons, our success rate is high for folks not only exiting to housing but staying housed after a year,” Land said.
e project’s 2024 annual report stated that 42% of guests who exited the shelter went to stable or permanent housing while on the supportive housing side, 94% of households maintained their housing. Last year, 22% of supportive housing residents also moved on to unsupportive
proaches, e Delores Project will host a celebratory anniversary event at the Mile Hile Stadium on Friday, May 23. e event will serve as a fundraiser, featuring live music and a cocktail hour with programming that looks at the full scope of the nonpro t’s work over the years.
As for the nonpro t’s next chapter, Land said they would love to have another building. e nonpro t is currently one of the only inclusive shelters in the metro area serving transgender and non-binary folks with culturally competent sta and while other projects exist such as the Elati Village, a tiny-home village run by the Gathering Place, the need for inclusive care for those experiencing homelessness is huge, said Land. “We would love to be able to expand and serve more people,” he said.
For those looking to get involved, e Delores Project hosts open house lunches every other month on the third ursday. ey also accept donations and host a robust volunteer program, the biggest being their meal program, where volunteers with the nonpro t provide guests with three meals and two snacks a day.
For more information about e Delores Project visit their website at thedeloresproject.org.
U.S. to restart student loan collections
Nearly 43 million borrowers owe more than $1.6 trillion
BY SHAUNEEN MIRANDA COLORADO NEWSLINE
e U.S. Department of Education said that it will resume collections May 5 for defaulted federal student loans.
After pausing during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency has not collected on defaulted loans in over ve years. More than 5 million borrowers sit in default on their federal student loans, and just 38% of borrowers are current on their payments, the department said. “American taxpayers will no longer be
forced to serve as collateral for irresponsible student loan policies,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement.
During last year’s presidential campaign, President Donald Trump criticized his predecessor and successor, President Joe Biden, for his e orts to erase student debt. McMahon resumed that line of attack April 21, blaming Biden’s administration for unreasonably raising borrowers’ expectations of forgiveness.
“ e Biden Administration misled borrowers: the executive branch does not have the constitutional authority to wipe debt away, nor do the loan balances simply disappear. Hundreds of billions have already been transferred to taxpayers,” McMahon said.
She added that “going forward, the Department of Education, in conjunction with the Department of Treasury, will shepherd the student loan program responsibly and according to the law, which means helping borrowers return to repayment — both for the sake of their own nancial health and our nation’s economic outlook.”
e department said the O ce of Federal Student Aid will restart the Treasury O set Program, which the U.S. Treasury Department administers, on May 5.
e Education Department statement said all borrowers who are in default will get emails over the next two weeks “making them aware of these developments and urging them to contact the Default Resolution Group to make a monthly payment,
enroll in an income-driven repayment plan, or sign up for loan rehabilitation.”
e department said the O ce of Federal Student Aid will “send required notices beginning administrative wage garnishment” later this summer.
More than 42.7 million borrowers owe more than $1.6 trillion in student debt, according to the department.
e administration claims that “instead of protecting responsible taxpayers, the Biden-Harris Administration put them on the hook for irresponsible lending, pushing the federal student loan portfolio toward a scal cli .” is story is from Colorado Newsline. Used by permission. For more, and to support the news organization, visit coloradonewsline.com.
A resident of the Delores Project holds up a sign that reads #BuildingBelonging, a tagline used by the nonprofit to inspire awareness and inclusiv-
West 38th Avenue upgrade plans announced by DOTI
BY ALLEN COWGILL
SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
e Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI), has recently announced the long-term plan for safety upgrades to West 38 Avenue in north Denver.
Based on community input, the DOTI team chose a lane reduction with bus priority option. If enacted, West 38th Avenue will have wider sidewalks, fewer travel lanes, consolidated bus stops, opportunities for on-street parking, addition of green infrastructure and transit queue jump lanes.
For drivers, the road is planned to be reduced to one vehicle travel lane going in each direction, and the middle turn lane will be eliminated. e choice came after reviewing input from a year and half of community engagement, with several meetings and more than 600 surveys submitted from neighborhood residents. e decision means that DOTI is not choosing the “Bus Rapid Transit Option,” which would have had a dedicated bus lane for the entire stretch of the avenue. DOTI found in its research that dedicated bus lanes were not necessary on the entire corridor.
Instead, the new model will have small stretches of dedicated bus lanes in locations near major intersections where buses are often stuck in tra c. DOTI is also recommending to RTD that buses come every 15 minutes on the corridor to allow more people to consider transit as a practical option. e announcement also means that DOTI will forgo the simple “lane reduction option” that would have kept the middle turn lane on the entire
stretch of the street.
During the community feedback sessions, DOTI heard that parking is a hot topic for many businesses that reached out. e long-term vision for this project can support some parking along the corridor in locations where it was requested by businesses. And with DOTI’s Outdoor Places Program, businesses can even activate additional outdoor patio areas near and on the street.
DOTI also is looking to implement trafc signal improvements, including adding left turn arrows at 11 intersections, new longer signal light phases to reduce congestion, and also new signal light timing that aligns with the speed limit. ey also plan to reprogram pedestrian crossing lights so they will automatically activate so that pedestrians won’t have to push a button to cross the street. In addition with the potential reprogramming the pedestrians will get a head start, and will get their walk signal a few seconds before the tra c light turns green.
e long-term plan does not have funding at this time. DOTI would have to nd additional funding through the city of Denver, Colorado state or federal grants, the last of which is unlikely given the current trends at the national level. Grants from the state of Colorado may also be challenging given the Joint Budget Commission at the Colorado Legislature is signaling it may cut funding to road safety projects like this. Another source of potential funding is the Vibrant Denver Bond. In the meantime, DOTI is hoping to make a few short-term safety improvements at a few key intersections along West 38th Avenue that have been identi ed based on crash data, proximity to
schools, tra c counts and community input. On the list are Tennyson Street, Lowell, Boulevard, Irving Street, Alcott Street, Zuni Street and Pecos Street.
e potential improvements include a retiming of tra c signals, new high visibility crosswalks, median refuges for pedestrians, and paint and ex post curb extensions to slow turning vehicles and improve visibility. ese short term safety improvements have funding secured, and DOTI hopes to complete them within a year.
During the community engagement process, some drivers expressed concerns about additional congestion if there was a lane reduction. DOTI’s tra c modeling projects that for 23 hours of a 24-hour day, the lane reduction will not have an e ect on tra c congestion. e one exception is the evening rush hour. e tradeo for potential congestion
during the evening rush hour does come with safety bene ts as similar lane reductions have resulted in anywhere from a 19% to 47% reduction in overall crashes according to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
Part of the push for the safety measures is that West 38th Avenue is on Denver’s High Injury Network, listed as one of the most dangerous streets in the city with a disproportionate number of crashes. In addition, local businesses may bene t from a change to the street, a study from the University of Washington showed that similar safety projects resulted in a 5% increase in business sales compared to other nearby streets that did not receive safety upgrades.
Allen Cowgill is the City Council District 1 appointee to the DOTI Advisory Board, where he serves as the board co-chair.
Part I: Affordable Housing? Think Small (Maybe an Accessory Dwelling Unit?)
This column is the first installment of a monthly series about one of the hottest topics in real estate: Accessory Dwelling Units. ADUs have gotten a lot of attention recently as a housing option. My thanks to John Phillips of Verdant Living for helping on the research for it.
ADUs (accessory or additional dwelling units) are a wonderful idea. They utilize an existing piece of residential real estate and create a separate living space. They have been around for a long time. In the TV series Happy Days, Fonsie lived in one, on top of a garage. And often they have been a converted basement (still worth considering). They can be a separate building, usually in the backyard. Until recently, zoning regulations made that difficult to do. Throughout the United States, as a part of the need for more housing, zoning codes are being changed to allow ADUs. In Colorado, a law was passed last year allowing ADUs in all major metropolitan areas. That was the subject of my “Real Estate Today” column on February 13, 2025, which is archived online at www. JimSmithColumns.com
have been done by relatively well off homeowners and have been relatively expensive. They really don’t qualify as affordable.
So, can accessory dwelling units play a role in affordable housing? Absolutely, for a very understandable reason. They are smaller. The smaller living space is less expensive to build. Is it for everyone? Of course not, but the well designed living spaces are comfortable and mimic the way most of us live, which is in just a few rooms anyway.
Rita and I now live in a 3-bedroom apartment, having sold our 4,000-squarefoot home in Golden. Back then, we really only used the eat-in kitchen, the living room, the primary bedroom/bathroom, and the office. The basement was filled with stuff we didn’t use, except for a ping pong table we used a couple times a year and a portable sauna that we used a half dozen times. The formal dining room was made into a game room, but we hardly used that. The second bedroom was only occasionally used by a guest.
floor which has more equipment than I need. The apartment has all we need for daily life sort of like an ADU.
ADUs are perfect for intergenerational housing (AARP loves them), for young adults as starter homes, and for childless couples, like Rita and me.
ADUs are part of a larger movement emphasizing smaller, high quality living spaces. There are entire developments of smaller homes on smaller lots, some of them the size of an ADU.
Affordability Characteristics
¨ Cost. Because of their small size, ADUs offer a more affordable option compared to traditional homes, making homeownership accessible to a broader segment of the population, including young adults and seniors.
¨ Housing stock. By integrating ADUs into the housing market, communities increase the overall housing supply, especially when they are located in areas dealing with an affordable housing shortage.
Opportunty Alert! Kol Peterson, a recognized authority on ADUs, is holding an ADU Academy in Denver on June 13. Early registration ends May 9. Visit https://www.aduspecialist.org/ aduacademy
es land that is already owned. For a standalone mini home, the size of the real estate is much smaller.
¨ Water & Sewer. When the ADU is just that accessory to an existing single family home it can share the same water and sewer tap, saving a 5figure cost associated with building a new standalone home. .
Another positive is that an ADU adds long-term value to an existing singlefamily home, increasing the wealth of the homeowner.
When Colorado’s General Assembly passed the law, the legislature was concerned that ADUs would be possible for homeowners of moderate means and add to the affordable or “attainable” housing. Up until now, most of the few detached ADUs that have been built in Colorado
Now, in our 1,200-square-foot apartment, our life hasn’t changed much. We eat next to our kitchen, which is part of the living room. One bedroom is my office, and we have a guest bedroom that we’ve only used twice, but it’s nice to have. True, we have no room for a piece of exercise equipment that I’d like to buy, but there is a fitness center on the main
¨ Operational expense. Because of their smaller footprint, ADUs require less heating and cooling, as well as less long-term maintenance.
¨ Versatility. ADUs can serve various housing needs, including for family members or as rental properties, providing the homeowner with an additional income source.
¨ Land cost. This is a big one. When the ADU is a backyard bungalow, it utiliz-
If you want to find out more about ADUs, you should check out the buyer’s guide on the Verdant Living website, which lists many other companies and resources: www.VerdantLiving.us Or call or text John Phillips on his cell: 303-717-1962.
Next month: Why aren’t more ADUs being built in Colorado?
NOTE: My “Real Estate Today” column that normally appears on this page is now published bi-weekly. Look for it here next week and every other week thereafter.
This rendering shows what the redesign for West 38th Avenue may look like in the future. COURTESY OF
BIKE STREETS
“What makes good routing possible is local on-the-ground knowledge,” said Stopper.
Last summer, the organization launched the Bike Streets app, making it even easier for bicyclists to access the crowd-sourced map through turn-by-turn navigation right from their phones. Currently, at over 33,000 miles biked with the technology, the app features weekly challenges and surprise adventures. Bike Streets also organizes group rides, which Stopper describes as “rolling parties” along with running the Bike Streets Club that o ers ra es, workshops and merch. e launch of Bike Streets Destinations also came with several other updates, including launching the Bike Streets app for Android and the app’s “Passport” feature which rewards riders who trek to destinations on the app with a unique passport stamp.
Partnering with over 100 Denver businesses and organizations, these destinations include cultural institutions like the Denver Botanic Gardens and library branches along with concert venues and activities such as Levitt Pavilion and Washington Park Recreation Center. In the mix are numerous restaurants, breweries and co ee shops from Spinelli’s Deli and Market to High Point Creamery. When riders type in a listed destination, the app will show the location’s available bike parking with very scienti cally calculated “steps” away from the business’s front door. e app will also detail any “Reward for Riding,” such as half o your rst beer for peddling to Monolith Brewing or a free co ee when you bike three times to Novo.
In addition to connecting community members to their neighborhood businesses, the destinations initiative also intends to meet common transportation challenges in Denver, such as parking. At the launch Devin Cammack, Director of Facilities at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, described parking as an “existential crisis” for the museum. Cammack said improving biking infrastructure makes the museum more accessible, improves environmental sustainability and also creates a more equitable mode of transportation, as Cammick noted, “not all of our employees can a ord a car.”
For businesses and organizations in more residential areas, such as Swallow Hill Music, parking can also limit the music school’s accessibility. Jessy Clark, Chief Executive O cer at Swallow Hill, con rmed it is possible to bike with a guitar on your back and that many sta members bike to work. ey recently installed bike parking to accommodate the increased interest. Clark shared that when she asked her employees why they bike to work, they noted their top reasons were reducing tra c, but also having a more enriching commute.
“ at feedback included, I get to wave to my neighbors, talk to people on the street, pet a dog, all these things you can’t do if you’re driving a car,” said Clark.
e increased community cohesiveness of biking is something Craig Broek, Director of Operations at e Table Public House, another Bike Streets location, also noted at the launch saying, “driving a car is an individual sport and when you bike it’s a community event.”
Overall, biking is good for business, noted Jill Locantore, executive director of the Denver Streets Partnership, who stressed her excitement about the project during the launch. Locatore pointed to several studies, including one from Portland
State University, that found that while people who drive to establishments like restaurants or shops typically spend more per visit, bike riders visit more frequently and therefore spend more overall.
“Sales-tax revenues and other ways of measuring business impacts remain the same or increase when we add bike parking to business districts,” Locantore said.
“Active transportation has so many bene ts, including safety, public health and economic vitality,” said Annelies van Vonno, a bicycle and pedestrian transportation planner with CDOT, at the launch.
“It also helps us to meet our greenhouse gas reduction requirements, as well as improve our air quality and advance com-
munity connections.”
Vonno noted the total economic and health impact in Colorado is $1.6 billion from bicycling (2015), emphasizing that the city is passionate about all forms of active transportation.
“It is a big part of how we see the future of the transportation system in Colorado,” she said.
Download the Bike Streets App for iPhone and Android. Use the Bike Streets Passport to get rewarded for riding and connect with local businesses in your neighborhood. Businesses and organizations can also request to be listed on a destination on Bike Streets. For all this and more, visit bikestreets.com.
The Bike Streets app, launched in 2024, gives users access to safe bike routes around Denver. A new “destinations” feature was recently added to the app to connect cyclists with businesses.
PHOTO BY MERYL PHAIR
BY PAIGE GROSS COLORADO NEWSLINE
Financial scammers on the rise with help of AI
It started with a seemingly routine reminder for Nancy Hall to update her Norton antivirus software.
e 69-year-old Philadelphia resident sat down at her laptop to le her taxes recently and was prompted to call a number that was said to be the software company’s customer support. She had been hacked, the message said.
“It said, ‘you must call Microsoft right away, or else, you’re in danger of losing everything,’” Hall said.
A man on the line claimed to be in talks with her bank, saying hackers managed to download child pornography to her computer and transfer $18,000 to Russian accounts overnight.
He told Hall he was transferring her to the fraud department at her bank, where she spoke to someone who knew details about her local branch. After verifying personal details, that person asked her to come in to make a cash withdrawal that she could then use to purchase cryptocurrency at a speci c ATM.
e pair told her she was at threat of being arrested by Homeland Security for what was found on her laptop unless she obliged.
After a few stressful hours of trying to sort out the situation, something clicked, Hall said — a friend was scammed out of $800,000 in retirement savings last year after being persuaded to purchase cryptocurrency in an emergency. Hall hung up the phone, then blocked the number when it continually called her back.
thousands of well-established attempts at tech-enabled nancial crimes currently underway in the U.S. Scammers often pose as trusted corporations, government departments or as someone a victim knows. Many companies that have been spoofed, like Norton, put out warnings about these scams. ey also use heightened emotional responses and a sense of urgency to get you to transfer money or release personal details, cybersecurity experts say.
“Now I look back on it, I’m like, ‘how was I so stupid to say stay on the line that long?’” Hall said. “But then I look at this girl I know, and they managed to get her to go all the way.”
The business of scamming e Federal Trade Commission reported the overall loss Americans experienced via nancial scams in the 2023-2024 scal year to be between $23.7 billion and $158.3 billion. e gures di er so much because so many losses go under or unreported, the FTC said in the report.
Matthew Radolec, D.C.-based vice president of Incident Response and Cloud Operations at data security rm Varonis, said he sees these phishing attempts in two parts; the scam is the technique being used to get access to money, and the actual crime itself is the loss of the money.
Financial crimes, or scams like these, have always been around, experts say.
But the rise of arti cial intelligence, access to sensitive information on the dark web, and a lack of federal oversight for these crimes means it’s never been easier to be a scammer, security experts say.
“AI has made these things so believ-
ONLINE AUCTION
able,” said Melissa O’Leary, a Portland, Maine-based partner and chief strategy o cer at cybersecurity rm Fortalice Solutions. “Sometimes you can’t tell, ‘is this legitimate or not?’”
Hall’s experience mirrors many of the
Because these crimes are digital, it’s hard to know who to report them to, or how to follow up. Many scammers also ask for cryptocurrency payments, or transfer them to crypto accounts shortly after the transaction.
CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTING EQUIPMENT
May 7th @ 9:00 A.M.
Inspection Times: May 5th & 6th from 8:15am - 4:45pm
SHUTTERSTOCK
Colorado joins multistate lawsuit to block tari s
BY TAMARA CHUANG
THE COLORADO SUN
Colorado joined a multistate lawsuit April 23 against the Trump administration to challenge import tari s that were rolled out by executive order and not by an act of Congress. e lawsuit, led by attorneys general from the states of Oregon and Arizona, asks the court to rule the tari s illegal and block their implementation and enforcement because the tari s violate Article I of the U.S. Constitution, which grants “only Congress, not the President, the ‘power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises,’” said the suit led in the U.S. Court of International Trade. “Under the Constitution, only Congress has the power to tax and impose tari s and
SCAMMERS
“
ere’s no insurance for accidentally wiring someone $10,000,” Radolec said. “If you fall for a ruse, you fall for a ruse. It’s like a carnival trick, a sleight of hand. It’s a digital form of that.”
Kimberly Sutherland, the Alpharetta, Georgia-based vice president of fraud and identity at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, said they’ve seen a 20% year-over-year increase in digital fraud since 2021, a ecting as much as 1.5% of all transactions, though many of those attempts are caught before they can go through.
A large part of their e orts are focused on monitoring new account openings and payments, as fraudsters want to either create a fraudulent account at the start, or they want to be able to intercept transactions as they’re happening, Sutherland said. ey’ve also had to evolve their monitoring strategies, as over the last few years, there’s been a shift from laptop and desktop targeting to mobile attacks, she said.
A few decades ago, scammers were focused on getting enough information from a company or individual to pull o a fake transaction. But as data breaches have become more common, the personal data unearthed makes it easier to pose as someone a victim knows, or give them details to become trustworthy.
Sutherland said the concept of synthetic identities — carefully crafted digital pro les of someone who doesn’t actually exist — have also deepened criminal’s abilities to get access inside of a variety of institutions like banks, colleges and corporations.
“You don’t have to steal an identity of someone; why not create a brand new one?” Sutherland said. “It started with jokes like, ‘I can get a credit card in the name of my dog,’ and it became sophisticated fraud rings who could actually create identities and nurture them to be used by others.”
Individuals and companies are not the only ones at risk of nancial scams — government institutions have reported an increase innancial crimes in recent years. In California, community colleges have reported at least $5 million in losses to AI-simulated students who applied for nancial aid.
One of the most current, wide-spread scams are texts and alerts from toll payment agency E-ZPass, asking a user to pay an outstanding bill at the included link. Last year, E-ZPass said the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center had received more than 2,000 complaints about the texts. ose who had lled out the included form should contact their banks, the company said.
It’s similar to a longstanding scam posing as UPS trying to deliver a package — it plays on our human nature of trust and curiosity, O’Leary said.
there is no ‘emergency’ that justi es the Trump tari s,” Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a news release. “We are challenging these tari s in court because they are illegal and, as one study concluded, they will ‘increase in ation, result in nearly 800,000 lost jobs, and shrink the American economy by $180 billion a year.’”
Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York and Vermont also joined the suit. e state of California led its own lawsuit in a U.S. District Court last week. All but two of the states have governors who are Democrats.
Colorado exported $10.5 billion and imported $17 billion in goods last year, according to the O ce of the U.S. Trade Representative.
How AI is playing a role
AI has lowered the barrier for setting up a scam, O’Leary said. ose looking to lure someone to wire money or purchase cryptocurrency need some space on a server or in the cloud, and some sort of infrastructure to reach out to victims. Many programs that can be used to fake a persona, to send out mass text messages or phishing links are as easy as downloading an app.
“It’s almost a step by step for someone who wants to make a quick buck,” O’Leary said.
Large language models and AI chatbots can easily be prompted to sound like someone else, and give non-English speakers a much easier ability to communicate, O’Leary said.
Radolec has seen an uptick in AI bots being used to gain credentials to company databases or pay systems. Bots can hold legitimate conversations with a target to build rapport, and plant phishing scams to gain passwords in standard documents.
“ e next thing you know, you can log in as me,” Radolec said.
From there, scammers can divert paychecks to o shore accounts, sell data on the dark web or plant further phishing attempts in internal systems.
Because of the rapid advancements in AI technologies, phishing attempts and scam strategies are constantly changing. Now, AI tools can help alter legitimate images, and create deepfakes, or likenesses of someone’s image or voice, in just a few minutes. It’s the strategy behind an increasingly common scam on grandparents — they get a call from someone that sounds exactly like their grandchild, saying they need a wire transfer or cash for bail.
Many digital scams target older people, both because they’re expected to have less technical knowledge to spot a ruse, and because they tend to have larger sums of money accessible, Radolec said. In its report, the FTC estimated between $7.1 billion and $61.5 billion in losses for older adults.
is week, AARP, Amazon, Google and Walmart partnered on a new initiative that will be based out of Pittsburgh, called the National Elder Fraud Coordination Center, an attempt to tap in private companies who have resources in data privacy to assist in national law enforcement investigations. Its founder and CEO, former FBI agent Brady Finta, said that the technical side of these crimes are often partnered with an emotional side, like pretending to be a family member in trouble.
“ ey’re talking you through the crime,” Finta said. “ ey’re adding this anxiety and thought process to you and to overcome your normal decision making processes.”
Legislation and enforcement ere are hundreds of thousands of victims of nancial scams each year, and they’re reporting them to di erent places — local police, state organizations, federal agencies, and the tech platforms where the crimes oc-
Currently, there is a 25% tari on imports from Mexico and Canada, though some goods are exempt because of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Another 57 U.S. trade partners were socked with an additional 10% tax this month, which was lower than Trump’s initial reciprocal tari s that were since paused on a number of countries that agreed to consider new trade deals.
China, however, retaliated against the retaliatory tari s, matching the new U.S. tax, leaving U.S. businesses paying not just the price of the item imported or exported, but an additional 145% more in the tit-for-tat trade war with China. Some items were later excluded, including smartphones.
SEE TARIFFS, P19
curred, Finta said. Part of the reason some nancial scams go unreported is that there’s not one clear route, government agency or law enforcement agency that has ownership over them.
at was also the consensus of a new report by the Government Accountability O ce, FedScoop reported this month. ere are 13 federal agencies, including the FBI, CFPB and the FTC, that work to counter scams, but they do not share one overarching strategy.
Finta is hoping that leveraging the private sector data from their partner corporations can help connect some fraud cases across the country and make these investigations more comprehensive.
While the FTC has the Fraud and Scam Reduction Act, which aims to raise awareness of nancial scams, there’s no o cial federal protection or legislation on this topic. Some states are passing consumer protection laws that put some liability on banks to do due diligence on fraud and even reimburse customers for fraudulent transactions.
And the U.S. may be facing less protections than it currently has. Susan Weinstock, CEO of the Consumer Federation of America, said she’s worried that Congress just voted on a resolution under the Congressional Review Act that removed the rule that required digital payment apps like Venmo and Apple Pay to be regulated for fraud.
“Years ago, nobody had heard of Venmo or CashApp, and now these things are ubiquitous,” Weinstock said. “So it puts consumers in a really tough, scary position to be subject to fraud and not have the ability to deal with it.”
Because the strategies behind these nancial scams change often and because there are few ways to track these crimes after they happen, a lot of responsibility falls on individuals and institutions to be able to spot them.
Radolec’s rst piece of advice is to slow down. If it really is your grandson calling from jail? Is it the end of the world if he spends a night in jail, he said.
Adding another person into the loop of communication is another strategy that will usually knock o an impersonator. If it appears to be a higher-up at work making a strange request for access to your nances, there’s no harm in looping in another person to review, Radolec said.
Lastly, the cybersecurity experts all said, it’s always safer to get in contact with the original source. If someone on the phone says they’re with your bank, hang up and call the bank directly to verify information.
“A lot of times they’re trying to create a sense of urgency that’s from a false place, so how can we ground ourselves?” Radolec said.
“And can we ask, is this truly like a life or death situation that you have to act on right now? Or can time be in our favor?”
is story is from Colorado Newsline. Used by permission. For more, and to support the news organization, visit coloradonewsline.com.
Call first: c/o The Colorado Sun Buell Public Media Center 2101 Arapahoe St., Denver, CO 80205
Mailing Address: 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225 Englewood, CO 80110
Phone: 303-566-4100
Web: DenverHerald.net A publication of To subscribe call 303-566-4100 or Scan this QR Code
BROOKE WARNER Executive Director brooke@ntln.org
LINDA SHAPLEY Director of Editorial & Audience lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com
CHRISTY STEADMAN South Metro Editor csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com
ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com
LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com
BUSINESS INQUIRIES For advertiser or vendor questions, please email our business department at accounting@ coloradocommunitymedia.com
Columnists & Guest Commentaries Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Independent.
We welcome letters to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone. Email letters to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Deadline Tues. for the following week’s paper.
Denver Herald-Dispatch (ISSN 1542-5797)(USPS 241-760) A legal newspaper of general circulation in Denver, Colorado, the Herald-Dispatch is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 1624 Market St., Suite 202, Denver, CO 80202.
PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT DENVER, COLORADO and additional mailing o ces.
POSTMASTER: Send address change to: Denver Herald, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110
CORRECTIONS
Colorado Trust for Local News asks readers to make us aware of mistakes we may have made.
Email linda@cotln.org if you notice a possible error you would like us to take a look at.
A tale of two legislative bills in Colorado
Matters of little consequence often get major time and attention. And vice versa. Two energy bills in the Colorado Legislature this year, one about nuclear energy and the second about electrical transmission, illustrate this.
e rst bill, HB25-1040, which is now law, declared that nuclear energy is clean. It proclaims that utilities can meet clean-energy targets with nuclear. It also allows private projects access to nancing restricted to clean energy development.
e bill sailed through the Legislature. Gov. Jared Polis signed it into law March 31. For believers, those who want to believe that nuclear energy will be THE answer, it was a big win.
To what e ect? Likely none. Forget about nuclear waste and safety concerns. Cost of energy from new nuclear plans remains exorbitant.
Some of this was sorted through in a four-hour committee hearing in March. Chuck Kutscher was among several dozen individuals given two-minute slots to testify. He deserved more time.
A nuclear engineer by training, he subsequently moved into renewables, retiring from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory several years ago.
At a later meeting in Je erson County, Kutscher explained why he expects nuclear energy to play no role in Colorado’s
BIG PIVOTS
energy transition. It comes down to cost.
pulled out of its contract with NuScale –because of cost.
“I like to give credit where credit is due. And the fact is that nuclear power in this country has saved a heck of a lot of carbon dioxide and air pollution emissions,” he said. “Nuclear provides almost half of U.S. carbon-free electricity, which is pretty impressive.”
As for costs, Kutscher cited two metrics courtesy of Lazard, a nancial company that monitors electrical generation. e cost of building new nuclear plants comes in at $8,000 to $13,000 per kilowatt of generating capacity. Solar comes in at $1,400, wind at $2,000.
A broader metric, the levelized cost, includes capital, fuel and operating costs over the life of an energy plant.
“ e longer a plant runs, the lower its life-cycle costs, because it’s producing more energy,” Kutscher explained. By this measure, nuclear still comes up short: 18 cents a kilowatt-hour compared to solar and wind for 5 and 6 cents.
Might costs drop with a new generation of small modular reactors? SMRs can generate 300 megawatts or less. One was planned in the West, but in 2023 the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems
Bring out the di erence maker in you
“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” - Michael Jordan
Let that quote sit for a moment. Let it challenge you. Because in today’s fast-moving, tech-saturated world, it’s easy, tempting even, to outsource initiative. Information is on demand. Groceries show up at your doorstep. AI can write your emails. We’re living in a time when tasks once considered necessary are now optional or automated. But here’s the truth: there will never be a substitute for the human spirit set on making a di erence. Yes, technology can help. It can save time, spark ideas, and extend our reach. But the spark, the heart behind real change, comes from you. You, with your God-given gifts, your experiences, your grit, your compassion. You are the one who makes it happen. Being a di erence maker isn’t about grand gestures or public recognition. It’s about a consistent willingness to show up. To serve. To give. To lead with a servant’s heart, freely, generously, cheerfully. at’s what separates the people who wish and want from the ones who do.
But let’s be real: sometimes we don’t feel like we’ve got anything left to give. Life has a way of draining our tanks. Maybe you’re feeling overextended at work, at home, in your community. Maybe you’ve poured into others for years and you’re wondering, “When’s it my turn?” Or maybe, like so many, you’ve drifted into a mindset of convenience. After all, why go the extra mile when you can just click a button?
Here’s why: because deep down, you want to matter. You want to be the one who makes things happen. And the truth is, you still can.
If nuclear costs make it a non-starter in Colorado, can renewables deliver us to an emission-free electrical system?
e sun vanishes daily, and sometimes winds on our eastern plains die down, even for days. Kutscher sees possible solutions in improving storage technologies and expanded transmission. Transmission can enable electricity to be shared across multiple time zones and weather systems.
Even moving electricity around Colorado more e ciently has value. e second bill, SB24-127, proposes to do that. It would require investor-owned utilities to investigate tools called advanced transmission technologies. ey will enable more use from existing transmission lines and associated infrastructure.
Larry Milosevich, a Lafayette resident, decided six years ago to devote himself to fewer pursuits. He says he chose the role of advanced technologies for transmission because of its oversized impact. e transmission system developed during the last century has many ine ciencies.
“I would love to see advanced transmission technologies get a little more light,” he says.
Why hasn’t it happened? “It doesn’t have sex appeal.”
is bill will not solve all problems.
WMore transmission will still be needed. Approvals take time. Using these tools can more rapidly expand capacity at lower cost. “We characterize it as a noregrets solution,” says Rubin Shen.
State Sen. Cleave Simpson, a Republican from Alamosa, was the primary author of the bill. “We can increase the capacity and resilience of our infrastructure without having to undertake expensive, large-scale construction projects,” he told committee members at a March meeting.
e committee that day heard from fewer than a dozen witnesses. It passed an amended bill and moved on within 45 minutes. Several weeks before same committee heard nuclear testimony for hours.
In a later interview, Simpson described the bill, slimmed greatly in ambition from its original iteration, as “maybe a tiny step forward, but a doable one.” Unlike nuclear, not THE answer, but a doable one.
Allen Best produces Big Pivots, which covers the energy and water transitions in Colorado. See BigPivots.com
“You need a lot of arrows in your quiver to get there. And it’s not one technology that’s going to save the day,” says Leah Rubin Shen, managing director of Advanced Energy United, an industry association that advocates for technologies and policies that advance decarbonization.
Cut energy and water costs this summer
armer temperatures are headed our way. Pretty soon, air conditioners will stay on a little longer, and we will be using more water in the yard and for pools. at means that energy and water bills will both begin to rise for the average homeowner.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average household wastes nearly 10,000 gallons of water every year due to unknown leaks in the home. In addition, 10% of homes waste 90 gallons or more per day.
GUEST COLUMN
While electric bills will go down from winter demands, they will begin to rise again as we move into summer and turn on our air conditioning more often. Consumer electric bills are expected to rise by as much as 20% because of infrastructure repairs and rate increases.
As homeowners, there are things you can do to keep your bills lower, but it takes some preparation and requires you to ensure your equipment is working at its most ecient.
Cutting energy costs
One of the most important things you can do to cut your summer cooling costs is to have your air conditioning tuned up by a professional HVAC technician.
Yearly maintenance ensures that your A/C does not have any electrical or mechanical issues, and they
help prevent the unit from breaking down during the hottest days of summer. Inspections and regular lter replacement helps your system run e ciently, lowering the cost of your energy bills.
Other ways you can cut your energy costs include:
• Installing a smart thermostat: Smart or programmable thermostats automatically adjust the temperature based on your family’s schedule.
• Using fans: While fans don’t cool the air, they can move cool air throughout the home.
• Closing the blinds: Keep curtains and blinds closed during the hottest parts of the day.
• Upgrading the A/C unit: If your system is more than 10 years old, it may be time to purchase a new unit. Newer models are more energy e cient.
Cutting water costs
Of course, high energy bills are only part of the equation. One of the best ways to o set increased water bills is to check your plumbing for any leaks that could be increasing water usage.
I recommend the following tips to help recognize plumbing leaks:
• Check the apper in the toilet. Homeowners should do this pe-
riodically to ensure it isn’t old or worn out. is can cause the toilet to silently leak thousands of gallons of water a year or cause it to ush on its own.
• Inspect the washers and gaskets on your faucets. Old washers can be a primary culprit for leaky faucets, wasting more than 3,000 gallons per year.
• Check the showerhead for frequent dripping after usage. A showerhead that drips 10 times per minute can waste over 500 gallons per year. Simply tightening the connection or replacing the showerhead can be a cheap option to prevent leaks.
While some simple leaks can be prevented by replacing small parts, it’s always important to call a licensed plumber if you suspect you have major leaks inside your home. Leaks behind a wall or with a water heater can be much more complicated and need professional attention. If left untreated, they can cause thousands of dollars’ worth of damage.
Cutting your energy and water bills doesn’t have to be a di cult task. With a little preventative maintenance, a licensed professional contractor and some diligence, you can keep cool and stay hydrated without running up the bills.
is guest column was written by Levi Torres. Levi and his wife, Cassi, own High 5 Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric, serving the Denver metro area.
Allen Best
Be a part of Opera Colorado’s chorus
Denver’s biggest company is looking for singers for its 2025-2026 season
BY KYLE HARRIS DENVERITE
Do you sing Puccini in the shower and dream of the stage? Have you ever been to the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, watched the chorus and thought: “I could do better?” Well, now’s your chance.
Opera Colorado is inviting locals to audition for the chorus in their 2025-2026 season shows: “La Traviata” and “Madama Butter y.”
Here’s how to audition:
If you go, expect to perform two memorized songs, with at least one in a foreign language, from the art house or opera repertoires. A pianist will be on site to accompany you.
Auditions take place Wednesday, May 28, and Saturday, May 31, from 6-9 p.m. at the Opera Colorado Opera Center, at 4121 S. Navajo Street, Ste. 100, in Englewood. You’ll be performing for the Iranian conductor, pianist and Opera Colorado
NORTON
chorus master Sahar Nouri.
Rehearsals will take place on weekday evenings and on weekends. “La Traviata” chorus members must be around from Sept. 11 to Nov. 17, 2025, and “Madama Butter y” chorus members from March 30 to May 11, 2026.
If you’re picked, you’ll receive a small stipend and two tickets to the nal dress rehearsal, plus discounts on performance tickets.
Singers will also have the chance to try out for smaller roles in both operas.
To request an audition for the chorus, emailauditions@operacolorado.organd include a one-page resume. If you want to try out for larger roles, let the company know. Auditions are rst-come, rstserved.
What if you just want to watch the operas?
Face it, not all of us can sing.
• “La Traviata” runs Nov. 1, 4, 7 and 9.
• “Madama Butter y” runs May 2, 5, 7, 8 and 10.
For more information about tickets and season memberships, go toOpera Colorado’s website. is story is from Denverite, a Denver news site. Used by permission. For more, and to support Denverite, visit denverite. com.
Start by getting proactive. Don’t wait to react to life, lean into it. Take initiative. Set the tone. Be the thermostat, not the thermometer. en add intentionality. Being proactive is good, but without intention, it can become just more busywork. Intentionality means doing the right things, for the right reasons, at the right time. It’s what transforms action into impact.
Ask yourself: What di erence did I used to make that I’ve stopped making? Who have I stopped serving, not because I don’t care, but because I got distracted or discouraged? Where can I make something happen today, with no expectation of reward, just the joy of contributing?
You don’t need a title, a platform, or permission. What you need is the decision. e decision to say, “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.” at quote by Denis Waitley isn’t just motivational, it’s directional. It points us toward ownership, toward action, toward meaning.
ABOUT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
We can’t let convenience rob us of calling. We can’t let fatigue steal our re. And we certainly can’t expect AI to take our place in the hearts and lives of the people around us. e world doesn’t just need more content, it needs more di erence makers.
So here’s your invitation: Look at your life, your team, your family, your company, your neighborhood, and ask, What’s one thing I can do today to make something happen? Not for applause, but for impact. Not for validation, but because it’s who you are.
Authenticity is the heartbeat of a true di erence maker. When you show up as your authentic, imperfect, fully engaged self, people don’t just see you, they feel you. ey trust you. In a world full of lters, curated images, and polished personas, being genuine cuts through the noise like nothing else. It’s not about having all the answers or being the loudest voice in the room; it’s about being present, consistent, and honest in your intentions. When you lead with empathy and act from a place of sincerity, your impact becomes more than just what you do; it becomes who you are.
Colorado Community Media welcomes letters to the editor. Please note the following rules:
• Email your letter to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com. Do not send via postal mail. Put the words “letter to the editor” in the email subject line.
• Submit your letter by 5 p.m. on Wednesday in order to have it considered for publication in the following week’s newspaper.
• Letters must be no longer than 400 words.
• Letters should be exclusively submitted to Colorado Community Media and should not submitted to other outlets or previously posted on websites or social media. Submitted letters become the property of CCM and should not be republished elsewhere.
• Letters advocating for a political candidate should focus on that candidate’s qualifications for office. 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.
• Publication of any given letter is at our discretion. Letters are published as space is available.
• We will edit letters for clarity, grammar, punctuation and length and write headlines (titles) for letters at our discretion.
• Please don’t send us more than one letter per month. First priority for publication will be given to writers who have not submitted letters to us recently.
Has the di erence maker in you been dormant for a while, maybe even too long? Or are you always looking for an opportunity to help or serve in some way? As always, I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com. And when we adopt the philosophy of “If it’s to be, it’s up to me,” 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.
Sara Gartland prepares to go onstage in Opera Colorado’s production of “Die tote Stadt” at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. Feb. 28, 2023. PHOTO BY KEVIN J. BEATY / DENVERITE
BY MONTE WHALEY MWHALEY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Veterinarian student Sarah Hilliard retreated to a far corner of a room lined with kennels for the animal hospital’s patients, sat down and thought about how she was going to end her life. Suicide seemed like the best exit out of a grueling, joyless life that included 70-hour work weeks and treating sick and dying animals in a callous, competitive environment.
“I just sat in the corner, and I cried and cried,” said Hilliard. “I was planning on going home and take a long cool smoothie with all my meds and calling it quits. I often thought about what it would be like to nally just take a long deep sleep and never wake up.”
Hilliard is now co-owner of PetVet 365, a new-style pet clinic in Westminster that emphasizes compassion for both animals and their veterinary caregivers. But in 2010 — when she considered her suicide — she was working on her residency in internal medicine at Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in old-school conditions that emphasized only clinical survival.
“ ere was no time for self-care,” said Hilliard. “ ere was no role model telling me, ‘Hey, you are not doing so well. Why don’t you take a day o ,’” she said. “You were pretty much on your own. No one talked about having any doubts about what they were doing. No one wanted to admit any kind of weakness.”’
A colleague found Hilliard and she was admitted to a psychiatric ward for seven days. She balked at going back to her residency and reconsidered her relationship with the veterinary profession, stepping away from practicing medicine for several years.
“I just felt the veterinary world just chewed me up and spit me out,” the 44-year-old Hilliard said. “I had to deal with the giant elephant in the world … what to do next.”
She underwent cognitive behavioral therapy to get to the root of her anxieties. She eventually helped open PetVet 365, which practices a “fear free” approach to treating its patients. She also speaks up about the prevalence of veterinarian suicides in the United States.
“It’s a problem that has not really been looked at or dealt with up until just the last few years,” Hilliard said. “It is time for people to realize that we deal with a lot of stu . It’s not just all bunny rabbits and owers.”
A study by the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association in 2019, found that veterinarians in the United States are three-to- ve times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. ere was a similar conclusion reached in a2019 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study.
About 80% of all veterinarians su er from clinical depression at some point and about 50% report feeling unhappy in their careers, according to Psychology Today.
“ ese statistics paint a bleak picture that calls for a profound examination of the underlying factors fueling this troubling trend,” states Psychology Today. e publication points to several factors that weigh heavily on the mental health of veterinarians, including performing euthanasia on patients, wrestling with large school debt and burnout.
“ e fear of making a mistake or failing to provide optimal care can foster feelings of inadequacy and perfectionism, which can be detrimental to their mental health,” the article states.
Veterinarians can also be the target of cyberbullying. A client can deliver poor online ratings on Yelp and Google or leave derogatory messages which leads to anxiety, depression and stress among
vets and veterinary technicians, states Psychology Today.
“Veterinarians may feel overwhelmed by the constant negativity,” the publication states.
Colorado State University o cials say they are responding to the new needs of veterinary students — including their mental health — through the university’s Veterinary Health and Education Complex, or VHEC, which includes a new Primary Care Center.
e facility includes a teaching hospital for routine and urgent care; a new Livestock Veterinary Hospital, fully equipped with medical, surgical and ambulatory facilities built to meet current and future demands for large animal care; and reimagined classrooms with interactive workstations, according to CSU. e complex — slated to be nished in fall 2026 — is coupled with a signi cant curriculum update. e new educational roadmap maintains the rigor of a robust science-based doctoral program while emphasizing ideas such as resilience, professionalism and wellbeing, according to CSU.
Dr. Matthew Johnston, professor of avian, exotic and zoological medicine and co-chair of the college’s curriculum renewal committee, told CSU Magazine last April that changes needed to be made to head o the mental and emotional toll exerted on veterinarian students and practitioners.
Veterinarian Sarah Hilliard holds Vienna, a rag doll cat at her practice in Westminster. PHOTOS BY MONTE WHALEY
Veterinarian Sarah Hilliard talks to her patient, Westly, an Australian shepherd.
VET HEALTH
“We started seeing declining attendance at lecture-based courses. We’ve seen upticks in students leaving the program not for academic reasons, but for mental health reasons,” Johnston told the magazine. “I personally have colleagues who have died by suicide.” Johnston, who has taught for more than 20 years, told the magazine that CSU’s revamped program can have a signi cant impact by changing the way it teaches veterinary medicine. Fewer static lectures. More hands-on learning and group work. Dedicated breaks throughout the semester for re ection and restoration.
“We’re not just going to give you information about mental health and wellness, we’re changing the whole system,” Johnston told CSU Magazine. “CSU is radically ipping the script more than any vet school has done.”
Melinda Frye, associate dean for veterinary academic and student a airs at CSU, said the school will include an embedded counselor to aid troubled students. Financial counselors will also be available, as well as someone to talk about a student’s “vocational wellbeing.” Students can also take time o for religious holidays, Frye said.
“We want to encourage students to understand the human dimensions of our profession,” Frye said.
Students still are faced with a curriculum that demands they gain expertise on a variety of animal species from kittens to dogs and horses, she said. And it’s all done in four years.
“I do understand this contributes to a lot of our students feeling a bit overwhelmed,” Frye said. “ at’s a lot to take in in a short period of time.”
Hilliard grew up in Ohio and was always interested in animals and science. She wedded the two by attending Ohio State’s veterinary school from 2004 to 2008 to become a general practitioner.
She got into CSU’s internal medicine residency program and began dealing with feelings of inadequacy and “imposter syndrome,” she said.
“I kept thinking to myself, ‘How did I get here? What am I doing here?” she said.
Hilliard got help in counseling and began taking prescription drugs for panic and anxiety.
“ e medicine did multiple things to help my physical feelings, but I didn’t understand what the underlying problem was,” she said.
She returned to Ohio State for her residency in small animal internal medicine. Hilliard admits she was not ready for the emotional toll the program would take on her.
“Everything just intensi ed, the patients were very sick, and you are supposed to know the answers,” she said. “But I did know that you were not supposed to ask for help.”
Her breakdown and departure from Ohio State led her down several paths that included going back into a general practice with a friend. She also worked for a pharmaceutical company for a few years.
“Still, I knew something just wasn’t right,” Hilliard said.
at led her to cognitive therapy and
to a group of friends starting a new kind of veterinary practice.
“ ey wanted a nice place to work and for people to bring their pets to,” Hilliard said.
e group created PetVet 365, a Fear Free practice. e waiting room is eliminated, and every patient and pet “guardian” is given their own private dog or cat suite, complete with a TV, couch, rug, toys, species-speci c pheromones and treats.
“Everyone feels more comfortable, including the patients, guardians and the sta ,” Hilliard said.
Not every problem has been eliminated. Some pet guardians are still angered or hurt when they receive bad news about their pets.
“We just talk to them and tell them that our sta needs to be treated respectfully,” Hilliard said.
And there are days when a dog or cat must be euthanized. Hilliard said her sta works to help the animals slip peacefully away.
“It’s not the easiest part of our day, but it’s one of the things we can give as a gift to families that they have an opportunity to end their pet’s su ering,” Hilliard said. “ at’s the unique part of our profession. In many ways, it’s one of the more beautiful things we can do.”
Westminster veterinarian Sarah Hilliard tends to Wesley, an Australian shepherd.
Sarah Hilliard helped start PetVet365 in Westminster. The clinic emphasizes a “Fear Free” environment. PHOTOS BY MONTE WHALEY
Sarah Hilliard
Thu 5/08
Renao @ 7pm Bluebird Theater, 3317 E Colfax Av, Denver
SLASHA @ 8pm
The Church Nightclub, 1160 Lincoln St, Denver
Fri 5/09
Mark May
@ 5pm
BONNIE X CLYDE
@ 7pm
The Church Nightclub, 1160 Lincoln St, Denver
Sat 5/10
Deth Rali @ 6pm
Hi-Dive, 7 S Broadway, Denver
Mon 5/12
Thu 5/15
Colorado Markets Littleton @ 9am / Free
South Suburban Golf Course, 7900 S Colorado Blvd, Centennial
Candlelight: Tribute to Fleetwood Mac
@ 6:45pm / $27.50
Trinity United Methodist Church - Den‐ver, 1820 Broadway, Denver. fever@ eventvesta.com
Adam Ezra Group: Get FolkedParker, CO (Adam Solo)
@ 7pm
Get Folked, Parker
DC the Don
@ 7pm
Summit Music Hall, 1902 Blake St, Denver
Beyond Laser Light Experience @ 11am Denver
Freak Heat Waves @ 6pm
Hi-Dive, 7 S Broadway, Denver
Lucy Dacus @ 6pm
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W Alameda Pkwy, Morrison
Tue 5/13
Colorado Markets Littleton, 5900 South Santa Fe Drive, Littleton. events @coloradomarkets.com, 303-505-1856
Many Mountains Live at Stranahan’s @ 4pm
Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey, 200 S Kalamath St, Denver
Candlelight: Mozart vs Beethoven @ 4:30pm / $27
Trinity United Methodist Church - Denver, 1820 Broadway, Denver. fever@eventvesta.com
Candlelight: Tribute to the Beatles @ 6:45pm / $27
Trinity United Methodist Church - Denver, 1820 Broadway, Denver. fever@eventvesta.com
jeckett @ 8pm Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St, Denver
The 5280's Band @ 8:30pm
Skrillex @ 5:30pm
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 West Alameda Parkway, Morrison Chandler @ 6pm
The Roxy Theater, 2549 Walton St, Denver
Beth Hart @ 7pm
Paramount Theatre, Denver
Wed 5/14
Brett Hendrix: Tailgate Tavern & Grill @ 4:30pm
Tailgate Tavern & Grill, 19552 Mainstreet, Parker
Katy Perry @ 6pm Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle, Den‐ver
Rival Ghost @ Fracos @ 6pm The Toad Tavern, 5302 S Federal Cir‐cle, Littleton
Rilo Kiley @ 6pm
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W Alameda Pkwy, Morrison
BurnDown Denver, 476 S Broadway, Denver
Sun 5/11
anees @ 6pm Ogden Theatre, 935 East Colfax, Denver
Friends of Chamber Music Denver: Miró Quartet and Steven Banks, saxophone @ 6:30pm Newman Center for the Performing Arts, 2344 E Iliff Ave, Denver
Colfax Speed Queen @ 7pm
Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, En‐glewood
Lake Lounge, 3602 E Colfax Ave, Denver Feed Me @ 9pm
Church Nightclub, 1160 Lincoln St, Denver
1. TELEVISION: Which actor was nominated for an Emmy for the same character on three di erent sitcoms?
2. MOVIES: Who was the rst actor to refuse an Oscar award for Best Actor?
3. GEOGRAPHY: Which modern city is in the shadow of the active volcano Mount Vesuvius?
4. FOOD & DRINK: What gas is used to create seltzer water?
5. SCIENCE: What is the center of an atom called?
6. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Who are the six men who have made a career Grand Slam in pro golf?
7. ANATOMY: What is the largest artery in the body?
8. LITERATURE: For which category is the O. Henry Award given?
9. ASTRONOMY: Which star system is nearest to our solar system?
TrIVIa
10. U.S. PRESIDENTS: How many presidents have died in o ce?
Answers
1. Kelsey Grammer for “Wings,” “Cheers” and “Frasier.”
2. George C. Scott, for “Patton.”
3. Naples, Italy.
4. Carbon dioxide.
5. Nucleus.
6. Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
7. e aorta.
8. Short stories.
9. Alpha Centauri.
10. Eight.
(c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.
MARKETPLACE
Miscellaneous
- not just a discount plan. Get your free Information Kit with details! 1-855-526-1060 www.dental50plus.com/ads #6258
VIAGRA and CIALIS USERS!
50 Generic Pills SPECIAL $119.00! Shipped discreetly to your home. 100% guaranteed. 24/7 CALL NOW! 800-709-3080
Miscellaneous
Don’t let the stairs limit your mobility! Discover the ideal solution for anyone who struggles on the stairs, is concerned about a fall or wants to regain access to their entire home. Call AmeriGlide today! 1-833-3993595
Become a published author We want to read your book!
Dorrance Publishing trusted since 1920. Consultation, production, promotion & distribution. Call for free author`s guide 1-877-7294998 or visit dorranceinfo.com/ ads
Jacuzzi Bath Remodel can install a new, custom bath or shower in as little as one day. For a lim-ited time, waving all installation costs! (Additional terms apply. Subject to change and vary by dealer.
Offer ends 6/30/25. 1-844-5013208
Bath & shower updates in as little as 1 day! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months!
Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & military discounts available. 1-877-5439189
Inflation is at 40 year highs. Interest rates are way up. Credit cards. Medical bills. Car loans. Do you have $10k or more in debt? Call National Debt Relief and find out how to pay off your debt for significantly less than what you owe! Free quote: Call 1-844-955-4930
Wesley Financial Group, LLC Timeshare Cancellation Experts Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt & fees cancelled in 2019. Get free info package & learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. 833-308-1971
DIRECTV Stream - Carries the most local MLB Games! Choice Package $89.99/mo for 12 mos Stream on 20 devices at once. HBO Max included for 3 mos (w/ Choice Package or higher.) No contract or hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-866859-0405
Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris -blocking gutter protection. Schedule free LeafFilter estimate today. 20% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-833610-1936
MobileHelp America’s premier mobile medical alert system. Whether you’re home or away. For safety & peace of mind. No long term contracts! Free brochure! Call 1-888-489-3936
AGING ROOF? NEW HOMEOWNER? STORM DAMAGE? You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind their work. Fast, free estimate. Financing available. Call 1-888-878-9091 Have zip code of property ready when calling!
Consumer Cellular - same reliable, nationwide coverage as the largest carriers. No longterm contract, no hidden fees free activation. All plans feature unlimited talk & text, starting at just $20/mo. Call 1-877-751-0866
Water damage cleanup & restoration: A small amount of water can lead to major damage in your home. Our trusted professionals do complete repairs to protect your family and your home’s value! Call 24/7: 1-833-887-0117. Have zip code of service location ready when you call!
Toplacea25-wordCOSCANNetworkadin91ColoradoNewspapersfor only$300,contactyourlocalNewspaperoremail rtoledo@colopress.net THRASHERFOUNDATION
To place a 25-word COSCAN Network ad in 91 Colorado Newspapers for only $300, contact your local Newspaper or email
THRASHER FOUNDATION
Doesyourbasementorcrawlspace needsomeattention?CallThrasher FoundationRepair!Apermanent solutionforwaterproofing,failing foundation,sinkingconcreteand nastycrawlspaces.FREE Inspection&SameDayEstimate. $250offANYproject withcode GET250. Call1-888-717-0104RNET
Does your basement or crawl space need some attention? Call Thrasher Foundation Repair! A permanent solution for waterproofing, failing foundation, sinking concrete and nasty crawl spaces FREE Inspection & Same Day Estimate $250 off ANY project with code GET250 Call 1-888-717-0104
CallLeafGuardandsaygoodbyeto guttercleaningforgood.No cleaning.Noleaking.Nowater damage.Nomoreladderaccidents. GetLeafGuardtodayandbe protectedforlife.FREEestimate. Financingavailable.20%offtotal purchase(Restrictionsmayapply) Call1-844-264-8866
COLORADOPRESSNETWORK
ToPlacea25-wordCOSCAN Networkadin91Colorado Newspapersfor$300
To Place a 25-word COSCAN Network ad in 91 Colorado Newspapers for $300
Replace your roof w/the best looking & longest lasting material steel from Erie Metal Roofs! 3 styles & multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer up to 50% off install + Additional 10% off install (military, health & 1st responders.) 1-833-370-1234
We buy houses for cash as is! No repairs. No fuss. Any condition. Easy three step process: Call, get cash offer & get paid. Get your fair cash offer today by calling
Liz Buys Houses: 1-844-8775833
Prepare for power outages today with a Generac Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 5-Year warranty with qualifying purchase* Call 1-855948-6176 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move.
Portable Oxygen Concentrator May Be Covered by Medicare! Reclaim independence and mobility with the compact design and long-lasting battery of Inogen One. Free information kit! Call 877-305-1535
Contactyourlocal Newspaperoremail rtoledo@colopress.net
!!OLD GUITARS WANTED!! GIBSON, FENDER, MARTIN, Etc. 1930’s to 1980’s. TOP DOLLAR PAID. CALL TOLL FREE 1-866-4338277
Pets
Dogs
Doodle Puppies Golden Doodles and Bernedoodles Home-Raised Heath Tested and Guaranteed Standard and Mini Size available Schedule a visit today! (970)215-6860 www.puppylovedoodles.com
Wanted
Donate Your Car to Veterans Today! Help and Support our Veterans. Fast - FREE pick up. 100% tax deductible. Call 1-800-245-0398
Public Notice
May 1, 2025
NOTICE TO MORTGAGEES IN THE TRIANON CONDOS COMMUNITY
Notice is hereby given to all mortgagees within the Trianon Condos community in Denver County, Colorado, that Trianon Condominium Association II is seeking mortgagee approval of a proposed Limited Amendment to the Condominium Declaration for The Trianon Condominiums (the “Proposed Amendment”). The Proposed Amendment can be obtained at the following address: Altitude Community Law P.C., 555 Zang Street, Suite 100, Lakewood, CO 80228-1011. Failure of any mortgagee to deliver a negative response to Trianon Condominium Association II, c/o Altitude Community Law P.C., 555 Zang Street, Suite 100, Lakewood, CO 802281011, within 60 days shall be deemed consent on behalf of the mortgagee.
Legal Notice No. DHD 3568
First Publication: May 1, 2025 Last Publication: May 1, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Public Notice
BEFORE THE ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO
IN THE MATTER OF THE PAYMENT OF PROCEEDS FROM THE PRODUCTION OF OIL AND GAS AS ESTABLISHED BY SECTION 34-60-118.5, C.R.S., NIOBRARA AND CODELL FORMATIONS, WATTENBERG FIELD, ADAMS AND BROOMFIELD COUNTY, COLORADO
CAUSE NO. 1
DOCKET NO. 250200021
TYPE: PAYMENT OF PROCEEDS
NOTICE OF HEARING
Blackwell Energy, LLC (“Payee”) filed a Form 38, Payment of Proceeds Hearing Request (Form 38) pursuant to Rule 503.g.(5) and C.R.S. § 34-60-118.5, for an order awarding payment of proceeds and interest due to Payees for production attributable to the below-described Wells, which are operated by Extraction Oil & Gas Inc. (Operator No. 10459) (“Extraction”) and located in Adams and Broomfield Counties, Colorado. This Notice was sent
to you because the Applicant believes you may own oil or gas (“mineral”) interests in the Wells identified below and or are responsible for making payments to the owners of mineral interests.
WELLS
Interchange A S22-30-3N (API No. 05-014-20767)
Interchange A S22-30-5N (API No. 05-014-20763)
Interchange A S22-30 7C (API No. 05-014-20768)
Interchange A S22-30-8N (API No. 05-014-20766)
Interchange A S22-30-9N (API No. 05-014-20771)
Interchange A S22-30-10C (API No. 05-014-20760)
Interchange A S22-30-12N (API No. 05-014-20765)
Interchange B S22-30-14N (API No. 05-014-20779)
Interchange B S22-30-15N (API No. 05-014-20780)
Interchange B S22-30-16C (API No. 05-014-20783)
Interchange B S22-30-18N (API No. 05-014-20781)
Interchange B S22-30-19C (API No. 05-014-20778)
Interchange B S22-30-20N (API No. 05-014-20851)
DATE, TIME, AND LOCATION OF HEARING (Subject to change)
The assigned Hearing Officer will hold a hearing only on the above-referenced docket number at the following date, time, and location:
Date:June 4, 2025
Time:9:00 a.m.
Location:Virtual Hearing with Remote Access via Zoom
To participate virtually navigate to https:// ecmc.state.co.us/#/home and locate the Zoom meeting link on the left side of the webpage.
Energy and Carbon Management Commission
The Chancery Building 1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 801 Denver, CO 80203
PETITIONS
DEADLINE FOR PETITIONS BY AFFECTED PERSONS: May 5, 2025
Any interested party who wishes to participate formally must file a written petition with the Commission no later than the deadline provided above. Please see
Commission Rule 507 at https://ecmc. state.co.us/#/home, under “Regulation,” then select “Rules.” Please note that, under Commission Rule 510.l, the deadline for petitions may only be continued for good cause, even if the hearing is continued beyond the date that is stated above. Pursuant to Commission Rule 507, if you do not file a proper petition, the Hearing Officer will not know that you wish to formally participate in this matter and the date and time of the hearing may change without additional notice to you. Parties wishing to file a petition must register online at https://oitco.hylandcloud.com/DNRCOGExternalAccess/Account/Login. aspx and select “Request Access to Site.” Please refer to our “eFiling Users Guidebook” at https://ecmc.state.co.us/ documents/reg/Hearings/External_EfilingSystemGuidebook_2023_FINAL.pdf for more information. Under Commission Rule 508, if no petition is filed, the Application may be approved administratively without a formal hearing.
Any Affected Person who files a petition must be able to participate in a virtual prehearing conference during the week of May 5, 2025, if a virtual prehearing conference is requested by the Applicant or by any person who has filed a petition.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For more information, you may review the Application, which was sent to you with this Notice. You may also contact the Applicant at the phone number or email address listed below.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if any party requires special accommodations as a result of a disability for this hearing, please contact Margaret Humecki at Dnr_ECMC_Hearings_Unit@state.co.us, prior to the hearing and arrangements will be made.
ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO
By: Elias Thomas, Commission Secretary
Dated: March 25, 2025
Blackwell Energy, LLC c/o/ Sandra Carter S2P2 Law, LLC 6105 S. Main St., Suite 200 Aurora, CO 80216 720-593-0963 sandra@S2P2law.com Legal Notice No. DHD 3538 First Publication:
Re: Notice of Proposed Declaration Amendment
The purpose of this notice is to provide written notice of the proposed First Amendment to the Declaration Of Grants, Submission And Covenants Establishing Condominium Ownership Of 1940 Blake Street, A Condominium a/k/a Basement Allocated Interests Amendment (“Declaration Amendment”) to first mortgagees of Lots within the community of 1940 Blake Street Condominium Association, Inc. (“Association”), pursuant to C.R.S. § 38-33.3-217(1)(b)(I). The Association, through its Board of Directors and with assistance from legal counsel, has prepared the proposed Declaration Amendment to the existing Declaration, which is located in the City and County of Denver, State of Colorado, and was recorded in the real property records of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on June 30, 1993, at Reception No. R-93-0084457, as it may have been amended and supplemented from time to time (the “Declaration”).
The consent of one hundred percent (100%) of first mortgagees is required to approve the proposed Declaration Amendment, pursuant to Article 15, Section 15.6 of the Declaration. The general nature of the Declaration Amendment is to revise the allocation of ownership interests in the common elements to account for basement units, as described in the updated Exhibit 1 and floor plan.
A first mortgagee shall be deemed to have approved the proposed Declaration Amendment, if said first mortgagee does not deliver to the Association a negative response within sixty (60) days after the date of this notice, pursuant to C.R.S. § 38-33.3-217(1)(b)(II). You may deliver your response in writing to the Association, c/o Moeller Graf, P.C., 385 Inverness Pkwy., Suite 200, Englewood, CO 80112, but you are not required to respond.
Please review this notice carefully. It may affect first mortgagees’ rights in the Lot(s) within the Association’s community in which first mortgagees may have an interest.
A copy of the proposed Declaration Amendment may be obtained by
Public Notices
contacting Moeller Graf, P.C., 9557 South Kingston Court, Englewood, CO 80112; 720-279-2568; or via email at cwebert@moelllergraf.com.
Legal Notice No. DHD 3562
First Publication: April 24, 2025
Last Publication: May 1, 2025
Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Notice to Creditors
Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
ESTATE OF RICHARD ALLDIN ODDY, a/k/a RICHARD A. ODDY, a/k/a RICHARD ODDY, DECEASED CASE NUMBER: 25PR30281
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 August 18, 2025 or the claims may be forever barred.
Timothy Edwards
Personal Representative
c/o John M. Seebohm, Esq.
999 18th St., Ste. S-3100 Denver, CO 80202
Legal Notice No. DHD 3552
First Publication: April 17, 2025
Last Publication: May 1, 2025
Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Darrell Wilfred Larson, a/k/a Darrell W. Larson, a/k/a Darrell Larson, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR030359
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 August 24, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Stephanie Geiger
Personal Representative
Michael P. Miller, Miller and Steiert, P.C. 1901 W. Littleton Blvd. Littleton, CO 80120
Legal Notice No. DHD 3561
First Publication: April 24, 2025
Last Publication: May 8, 2025
Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of SHIRLEY MARIE HUGHES, a/k/a SHIRLEY M. HUGHES , Deceased Case Number: 25PR30278
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 August 25, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Heather Witwer, Personal Representative 1149 Genesee Vista Road Golden, CO 80401
Legal Notice No. DHD 3554
First Publication: April 17, 2025
Last Publication: May 1, 2025
Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of WILLIAM EDWARD CROSS, JR.,
a/k/a WILLIAM E. CROSS, JR.
a/k/a WILLIAM CROSS, JR.
a/k/a WILLIAM CROSS
a/k/a BILL CROSS Deceased
Case Number: 2025PR30378
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 September 1, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
TUERE B. CROSS
Personal Representative 5751 E Ithaca Place #3 Denver, CO 80237
Legal Notice No. DHD 3577
First Publication: May 1, 2025
Last Publication: May 15, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of MICHAEL OBOLEY, AKA MICHAEL P. OBOLEY, AKA MICHAEL PATRICK OBOLEY, AKA
MICHAEL PATRICK McLAUGHERTY Deceased
Case Number: 2024PR31212
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 August 16, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Jonathan P. Shultz, PR 19751 E Mainstreet, Suite 200 Parker, CO 80138
Legal Notice No. DHD 3579
First Publication: May 1, 2025
Last Publication: May 15, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Diane Delgado, aka Diane J. Delgado, a/k/a Diane Julie Delgado, Deceased
Case Number: 2025PR30309
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 September 1, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Christopher Nixon, Personal Representative c/o Katherine K. Fontenot, Esq., Attorney for Personal Representative Robinson & Henry, P.C. 7555 E. Hampden Ave. Suite 600 Denver, CO 80231
Legal Notice No. DHD 3567
First Publication: May 1, 2025
Last Publication: May 15, 2025
Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of THANH VAN LE, aka THANH V. LE, aka THANH LE, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30349
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 August 24, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Muy Kim Benker Personal Representative c/o 3i Law, LLC
2000 S. Colorado Blvd. Tower 1, Suite 10000 Denver, CO 80222
Legal Notice No. DHD 3559
First Publication: April 24, 2025
Last Publication: May 8, 2025
Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Kathleen Helen McGuire, AKA Kathy McGuire, AKA Kathleen Hogan, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30310
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 September 3, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Margrit Parker
Attorney to the Personal Representative PO Box 454 Firestone, CO 80520
Legal Notice No. DHD 3574
First Publication: May 1, 2025
Last Publication: May 15, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
PUBLIC NOTICE
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Billie Jean Martin, aka Billie J. Martin, aka Bill Martin, aka William M. Martin, aka William Mahlon Martin, Jr. aka BJ Martin, aka William Martin, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR138
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, September 1, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Vicki Martin, Personal Representative 5925 S. Vine Street Greenwood, Village, Colorado 80121
Legal Notice No. DHD 3573
First Publication: May 1, 2025 Last Publication: May 15, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Jerry Colleen Harris, Deceased Case No.: 2024PR607
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 Tuesday, September 2, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
James A. Mueller, Personal Representative 9408 Ute Drive
Golden, CO 80403
Legal Notice No. DHD 3578
First Publication: May 1, 2025 Last Publication: May 15, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Leonard Earl Brooks, Jr, Deceased Case Number: 2024PR31510
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 August 17, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
s/ R. Eric Solem
R. Eric Solem, #6464
Attorney for Donna Brooks, PR Estate of Leonard Earl Brooks JR. 750 W Hampden Ave STE 505 Englewood, CO 80110
Legal Notice No. DHD 3553
First Publication: April 17, 2025
Last Publication: May 1, 2025
Publisher: Douglas County News-Press Denver Herald-Dispatch
Public Notices
Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Julienne M. Huigen, Deceased Case Number: 25PR30232
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, August 25, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Gary P Johnson
Attorney to the Personal Representative P.O. Box 101434 Denver, CO 80250
Legal Notice No. DHD 3557
First Publication: April 24, 2025
Last Publication: May 8, 2025
Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of WILLIAM G. MEREDITH, a/k/a WILLIAM GARD MEREDITH, Deceased Case Number: 24PR30369
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 2, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Stephen E. Nash, Personal Representative
Patrick A. Schilken, P.C. 7936 E. Arapahoe Court #2800 Centennial, CO 80112
Legal Notice No. DHD 3566
First Publication: May 1, 2025
Last Publication: May 15, 2025
Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of RUSSELL L. SCHELB JR., AKA RUSSELL LAVERN SCHELB JR., AKA RUSSELL L SCHELB, AKA RUSSELL LAVERN SCHELB, AKA RUSS SCHELB, AKA RUSS L. SCHELB, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR8
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, August 25, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Adam LaGuardia of CS AdvoCare, Inc.
Personal Representative
7500 E Arapahoe Rd., Suite# 101 Centennial Colorado 80112
Legal Notice No. DHD 3556
First Publication: April 24, 2025
Last Publication: May 8, 2025
Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of JAMES N. ORLIN, (a.k.a. JAMES NEIL ORLIN), Deceased Case Number: 25PR30335
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative (JESSICA SANTA MARIA) or to DENVER PROBATE COURT (1437 BANNOCK STREET, DENVER, CO 80202) on or before AUGUST 31, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
/s/_Kimberly Ruddell
KIMBERLY RUDDELL, Esq.
Attorney for Personal Representative 8959 E. 40th Ave, Ste 160 Denver CO 80238
Legal Notice No. DHD 3558
First Publication: April 24, 2025
Last Publication: May 8, 2025
Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Susan C. McKown, a/k/a Susan Claire McKown, a/k/a Suzi McKown, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30298
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 Tuesday, September 2, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Thomas J. Olds, Personal Representative c/o Bryan C. Benbow, Esq. Davis Schilken, PC 4582 S. Ulster St. Ste. #103 Denver, CO 80237
Legal Notice No. DHD 3575
First Publication: May 1, 2025
Last Publication: May 15, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Holly J. Morrison, also known as Holly Jane Morrison, and Holly Morrison, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30367
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 Tuesday, September 2, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Ronalee Bogen, Personal Representative 2882 E. Lexington CT Gilbert, Arizona, 85234
Legal Notice No. DHD 3571
First Publication: May 1, 2025
Last Publication: May 15, 2025
Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Penelope Kay Collord, also known as Penelope K. Collord, also known as Penelope Collord, also known as Penny Collord, also known as Penelope K. Earl, also known as Penelope K. Enter, also known as Penelope K. Abelman, also known as Penelope K. Glassman, Deceased Case Number: 25PR30403
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 Tuesday, September 2, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Roy Enter, Personal Representative 1345 Northridge Road Highlands Ranch, CO 80126
Legal Notice No. DHD 3576
First Publication: May 1, 2025
Last Publication: May 15, 2025
Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Public Notice
Denver Probate Court City and County Building 437 Bannock St. Room 230 Denver, CO 80202
In the Matter of the Estate of: JUDITH BARBARA DUKAT, a/k/a JUDITH B. DUKAT, a/k/a JUDITH DUKAT, Deceased
Attorney: 3i Law, LLC Klaralee R. Charlton #45086 2000 S. Colorado Blvd. Tower 1, Suite 10000 Denver, CO 80222
Phone Number: (303) 245-2100 E-mail: kcharlton@3ilawfirm.com FAX Number: (303) 245-2108 Case Number: 2025PR30433
NOTICE OF HEARING WITHOUT APPEARANCE BY PUBLICATION PURSUANT TO § 15-10-401, C.R.S.
To: Diane Merkle, Richard Merkle, Alex Merkle, and all other interested persons: Last Known Address, if any: None
A hearing without appearance on Petition for Adjudication of Intestacy and Formal Appointment of Personal Representative for the approval of the appointment of Robert J. Flageolle as Personal Representative of the Estate of Judith Barbara Dukat is set at the following date, time, and location:
Date: May 22, 2025 Time: 8:00 a.m. Address: 1437 Bannock Street, Room 230, Denver, CO 80202 *****
IMPORTANT NOTICE*****
Any interested person wishing to object to the requested action set forth in the attached motion/petition and proposed order must file a written objection with the court on or before the hearing and must furnish a copy of the objection to the person requesting the court order. JDF 722 (Objection form) is available on the Colorado Judicial Branch website (www. courts.state.co.us). If no objection is filed, the court may take action on the motion/ petition without further notice or hearing. If any objection is filed, the objecting party must, within 14 days after filing the objection, contact the court to set the objection for an appearance hearing. Failure to timely set the objection for an appearance hearing as required will result in further action as the court deems appropriate.
Legal Notice No. DHD 3563 First Publication: April 24, 2025 Last Publication: May 8, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch
Denver Juvenile Court 520 West Colfax Avenue, Rm 125 Denver, CO 80204 (303) 606-2307
IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION OF: SHAWN MICHAEL GARCIA FOR THE ADOPTION OF A CHILD AND CONCERNING, AUBREE KATHLEEN ROYBAL AND ALLANIEZ NICHOLAS ODREON GARCIA GONZALEZ, RESPONDENTS
Attorney for Petitioner: Andrew T. Fitzgerald, Atty. Reg. # 33996 Grob & Eirich, LLC 12596 W. Bayaud Ave., Suite 390 Lakewood, CO 80228 Phone: 303-679-8266 andrew@GrobEirich.com FAX: 303-679-8960 Case Number: 25JA30004 25JA30005 Division / Courtroom: 2D
NOTICE OF ADOPTION PROCEEDING AND SUMMONS TO RESPOND PURSUANT TO §19-5-105(5), C.R.S
To the above named Respondent(s): AUBREE KATHLEEN ROYBAL AND ALLANIEZ NICHOLAS ODREON GARCIA GONZALEZ
You are hereby notified that Petitions for Adoption has been filed in the above referenced cases and if you wish to respond to the Petitions, you must file your Responses with the clerk of this Court within 35 days after this Notice is served on you via publication.
Your response must be accompanied by the applicable filing fee of $192.00.
Your failure to file a Response, or to ap-
DEPORTATION
e ruling in Denver follows an emergency U.S. Supreme Court decision early Saturday that said the Trump administration could not deport alleged Venezuelan gang members detained in Texas. Buses taking men from a Texas detention center to the airport over the weekend were forced by the ruling to turn around.
“ at is the only thing that stopped those human beings from being disappeared to the CECOT prison in El Salvador,” ACLU Colorado legal director Tim Macdonald argued Monday in federal court in Denver. Macdonald said 11 Venezuelans have been deported from Colorado under the act.
e judge’s order says federal ocials cannot take the men out of Colorado, which would prevent immigration o cials from transferring them to a detention center in another state and then deporting them from there. It also says authorities must provide at least 21 days’ notice to detainees — written in a
language they understand — that they face deportation and that they have a right to seek judicial review of their case.
She said deportation notices provided to detainees have been “de cient” and did not “comport with due process.”
Sweeney also wrote that without the restraining order, accused gang members “face the risk of being deported — perhaps wrongfully deported” under the Alien Enemies Act “in violation of their constitutional rights.”
e temporary restraining order is in place until May 6 but the judge could extend it.
e case was led on behalf of two unnamed Venezuelan men, identi ed as D.B.U. and R.M.M., held in detention in Aurora. ey are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network.
D.B.U., is 32 and ed Venezuela after he was “persecuted and imprisoned for his political activity,” according to his lawyers. He was arrested during a raid by federal agents at a makeshift nightclub during what the agents termed a Tren de Aragua party. e man has a
Public Notices
pear, within 35 days after service, and, in the case of an alleged father, your failure to file a claim of paternity under Article 4 of Title 19, C.R.S., within 35 days after service, if a claim has not previously been filed, may likely result in termination of your parental or your alleged parental rights to the minor child(ren).
You are also notified that the Denver Juvenile Court will hold a hearing on the petition filed by the Petitioner to terminate your parent-child legal relationship to the children, Adrean Kash Garcia and Nicho-
tattoo — not associated with a gang but of his niece’s name — and is not a gang member, his lawyers said.
R.M.M. is 25 and left Venezuela after two family members were killed by Tren de Aragua, according to court records. Immigration o cials called him a “known member” of Tren de Aragua, but R.M.M. denies that. His tattoos are of his mother’s name, his birth year, a pattern, a religious symbol and a character from the board game Monopoly, according to court records.
e defendants in the case include President Trump, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, director of the Denver ICE eld o ce Robert Guadian and the warden of the ICE detention center in Aurora, Dawn Ceja.
e judge had issued a temporary restraining order last week preventing the deportation of the two men in the lawsuit, pending her decision after this week’s hearing.
is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.
TARIFFS
FROM PAGE 7
e high tax caused chaos in the stock market but also hit many local businesses, farmers, the outdoor industry and Coloradans who buy imported food or groceries or other imports.
On Wednesday, the Trump administration was toying with lowering China tari s to somewhere between 50% and 65%, according to a Wall Street Journal report. A day earlier, Trump said in a news conference, “145% is very high and it won’t be that high. … It will come down substantially, but it won’t be at zero.” is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.
las Daniel Garcia and to grant Petitioner’s an adoption of the children. The Court will hold the hearing on the 13th day of June, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. in Division 2D of the Denver Juvenile Court, State of Colorado.
Legal Notice No. DHD 3572
