Denver Herald Dispatch May 22, 2025

Page 1


Tari s start to a ect some north Denver businesses

Shop owners seek problems with supply chains

e recent tari s, taxes imposed on imported goods, are already a ecting three north Denver businesses.

Steve Pribyl, owner of SloHi Bike and Co ee Company, said tari s are a ecting his pricing and inventory. Much of the product sold at his bike shop at the corner of West 29th Avenue and Tennyson Street is manufactured in Taiwan, Vietnam and Indonesia. Some of his suppliers have already seen aluminum tari s a ect pricing and he has had to increase his own prices on chains and some bicycle locks.

He said he’s been getting emails from

some of his suppliers that are preemptively raising prices.

“Some of my suppliers are like ... we know the tari s are coming. We are going to raise prices now,” Pribyl said.

Getting inventory is also becoming an issue for the shop. Pribyl, who was an employee at SloHi up until two years ago when he bought the shop, has traditionally tried to run a lean-inventory management strategy because he is just starting out on the ownership side of the business.

“I had a plan going into the year of how I wanted to do purchasing, and it mainly a ects my inventory values,” he said. “I want to keep my inventory low to have more cash on hand so I can react to things. Instead, I have to spend more money, get more products, some of it on credit, just so I have stu for the year.”

Pribyl would like to buy more bikes to stock up before the tari s hit, but there are

a lot of bikes that have been snapped up by larger bike shops because of the fear of tari s.

“It’s getting harder to replenish inventory,” he said, adding lead times on products are getting longer. “ ings I thought I would get in a month might take two, three months. Everything is on backorder. Something I might have been expecting in May now might come in June.”

Pribyl also had to cancel a demo program. He was supposed to get a set of demo bikes from one manufacturer so that he could have a bunch of bikes for his customers to test drive. at program was canceled by the manufacturer as they are starting to stockpile all of the bikes they have in the U.S. before the tari s take effect. So he canceled that demo program for the rest of the year.

Moves to convert o ces to homes come to Downtown

Developers in U.S. cities have become bullish about the possibilities of what they call “adaptive reuse,” converting old o ce buildings into residential units. It’s an idea they are betting will solve the many problems a icting the nation’s cities: namely, post-pandemic vacancies in o ce buildings, empty city centers and a lack of a ordable housing.

Downtown Denver is no exception, where a third of o ce space is vacant and many buildings are seen as good prospects for conversion. Recently, e Luzzato Company bought two towers on 17th Street in downtown Denver for $3.2 million, a tiny fraction of the $112 million the two buildings sold for in 2008. e developers plan to have 700 residential units with retail space on the lower oors. e architectural rm Gensler has worked to identify o ce buildings in downtown Denver that have the most potential for these conversions and has also created a tool for assessing which buildings are good prospects. Ryan Warner spoke with Gensler’s Josie Hyde. Here are takeaways from their conversation.

What are the economic conditions in Denver that make these conversions more than just a pipe dream?

“ ey’ve always been a challenge but they’re very doable. We’ve done plenty of them across the country, and really what it takes is nding the right buildings. And so even though the economics are somewhat challenging, one of these buildings just sold for a very good price, and so that one’s going to be much easier to convert. But if you start with the right buildings, the cost will be lower to start with.”

And the realities of downtown o ce space mean that there are deals to be had?

“ ere are. I think one of the factors … is we’ve got about 13 million

Jen Arnpriester stands behind the register at Beyond the Blackboard, a toy store at the corner of West 32nd Avenue and Perry St. PHOTO BY ALLEN COWGILL

CCM papers acquired in deal with Arizona group

National Trust for Local News announces partnership with Times Media Group

e National Trust for Local News on May 13 announced a restructuring of its Colorado operations — known as Colorado Community Media — that centers on a partnership with Times Media Group.

e National Trust will transfer ownership of 21 local publications concentrated in metro Denver to Times Media Group (TMG), a community news publisher based in Tempe, Arizona, whose owner has personal roots in Colorado.

e National Trust will retain ownership of seven publications stretching from Brighton to Idaho Springs, and will continue to grow and operate the Trust Press, a community printing press that serves the Front Range media ecosystem. e organizations will enter into a strategic partnership around shared services and print production.

“ rough this strategic partnership with Times Media Group, we can reduce our footprint in greater Denver without reducing local journalism there, all while positioning ourselves to grow in the parts of Colorado where the need for our unique model is greatest,” Will Nelligan, chief growth o cer at the National Trust for Local News, said in a statement. “While it wasn’t an easy decision, we think it’s a positive outcome from all perspectives that sets the stage for a more resilient, equitable, and vibrant media ecosystem in the state.”

e seven newspapers retained by the National Trust are the Brighton StandardBlade, Fort Lupton Press, Canyon Courier, Clear Creek Courant, Northglennornton Sentinel, Westminster Window and Golden Transcript. ese titles will become part of the Colorado Trust for Local News, a subsidiary of the National Trust dedicated to building an equitable, resilient, and vibrant future for local news across Colorado.

Times Media Group owns and operates more than 60 publications in Arizona and California — free weekly newspapers, magazines, specialty publications and robust digital platforms that reach hundreds of thousands of readers. e news brands shifting to Times Media Group include

“We couldn’t be more excited to serve the communities in Colorado.”
Steve Strickbine, president and founder of Times Media Group

newspapers like the Arvada Press, Littleton Independent and Parker Chronicle, as well as two shoppers.

e majority of Colorado Community Media’s employees were o ered positions with Times Media Group, while others will stay with the Colorado Trust for Local News.

“We couldn’t be more excited to serve the communities in Colorado. We know how much community news means in

this state, and we understand the terri c legacy created over the years by these publications and their teams,” said Steve Strickbine, president and founder of Times Media Group. “ is partnership is a good t for Times Media Group and the National Trust for Local News. I look forward to the great journalism ahead and the new ways we’ll create for our advertisers to reach their customers and clients.”

e National Trust for Local News ac-

quired Colorado Community Media in 2021 to ensure its nearly two dozen newspapers had a future and would not become news deserts. Leadership told employees that e Trust was approached by Times Media Group in recent months and discovered the company shared its mission of preserving and growing local news.

Last fall, the National Trust opened the Trust Press in Denver, a community printing press designed to serve publishers across Colorado who are struggling with the rising costs of producing their journalism. e press has now taken on its rst seven printing partners. As part of the transaction, TMG will print with the Trust Press.

As another part of the transaction, TMG will provide shared services to the Colorado Trust for Local News, including page design, digital infrastructure, advertising sales, and circulation management.

Other terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Civic Center Eats restarts its engines

Warm weather and mobile food have returned to Denver’s most central park. Civic Center Eats kicked o its rst lunch session of the year on Wednesday, with 11 trucks serving everything from grilled cheese to crepes in Civic Center Park.

It will be open most Wednesdays and ursdays between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. for three stints — May 14 to June 26, July 9 to Aug. 28, and Sept. 10 to Oct. 16. Here’s who’s pulling up:

• AFC Wings (chicken and cat sh)

• Berliner Haus (European street food)

• Cazuelas (tacos and more)

• Cheese Love Grill (cheese, grilled and

otherwise)

• DIRT on the Road (co ee)

• Fritay Haitian Cuisine (Haitian street food)

• Kary’s Creperie (crepes)

• Mile High Tikka Express (Indian street food)

• Ninja Ramen Mobile (ramen, gyoza and more)

• Peyote Mexican Food (tacos and more)

• Saucy Chops (hot barbecue)

• Super Smash Burgers CO (burgers)

• Sweet Action (ice cream)

• Uptown & Humboldt (burgers and gyros)

Marissa Forbes, development coordinator for the Civic Center Conservancy, said the event is about more than just food. “We want to make sure everyone comes

down here to have a good time. It’s not just eating, it’s community,” she said. She said Civic Center Eats has always been about “activating” the park, keeping a regular drumbeat of residents marching through the area to demonstrate that the place is safe and welcoming.

While the event has been going on for about a decade, this mission became especially important after Denver Parks and Recreation closed Civic Center in 2021. e pandemic saw a rise in visible homelessness in the area; o cials said they needed to clean out needles and a growing rodent population as a result. Keeping the park active has remained relevant as downtown landlords have struggled to keep commercial and o ce

spaces leased. Mayor Mike Johnston has been pushing companies to bring workers back to the city’s central corridor.

Forbes said Civic Center Eats is meant to o er an “oasis” for people who do commute to work — and maybe for people who work at home and still want to go outside for a little snack. She said they see between 1,000 and 1,500 visitors each week.

“It’s really important to make sure that we all work together and support each other on these initiatives,” she said, “so we de nitely support the idea of people coming back downtown.”

is story is from Denverite, a Denver news site. Used by permission. For more, and to support Denverite, visit denverite. com.

Leadership for Times Media Group, Director of Operations Nadine Johnson and founder and President Steve Strickbine, were in the Colorado Community Media o ces on May 13, 2025, to announce the deal. PHOTO BY COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA STAFF

Home Sharing Helps Single Seniors Deal With Finance and Loneliness,

Married seniors living in long-time family homes that are bigger than they need often call me and other Realtors about downsizing, and I have written many times about the options they face, including the option that Rita and I chose, which was to sell our home and move into a 55+ rental community.

Widowed seniors face a more pressing problem. The retirement income, including Social Security, which supported them and their late spouse is now reduced as much as by half, and maybe it’s not enough to support them in their beloved home.

That’s where a Denver non-profit called Sunshine Home Share Colorado comes in. Sunshine completes background and credit checks on all participants in the program. All applicants must have three verifiable references. Home seekers must provide proof of income. Sunshine also completes a 1-2 hour social work intake with each program participant, assessing for mental health, emotional health, physical health, and substance abuse.

Allowing Them to Age in Place

A senior homeowner with no mortgage or lots of equity may be able to do what we did — sell the home and live off the proceeds, plus his or her reduced retirement income, for the rest of their expected life. Another solution is to take out a reverse mortgage, even if he or she owns it free and clear, and live of that equity for the rest of their life.

But there’s another option which not only addresses finances but also that big killer of seniors — loneliness. You could consider taking in a roommate — or “boommate” — but how do you find and screen such a person so it doesn’t lead to something even worse than running out of money?

Home providers must be over 55 years old; home seekers only need to be over 18. The rent could be up to $1,000 per month, reduced by mutual agreement when the home seeker provides services such as snow shoveling, housekeeping, lawn care, taking out the trash, or providing transportation to the home provider for medical appointments, etc.

Home seekers do not provide any personal care such as showering, toileting, and assistance transferring between bed and chair. For that, the home provider would have to secure appropriate professional service providers.

The matching process typically takes eight weeks, which includes a 2-week trial period. The organization provides periodic check-ins later on to make sure that the fit still works.

Home in Golden’s Village at Mountain Ridge Listed by Jim Smith

OPEN May 24, 11am - 1pm

Homes in this late-’90s subdivision backing to the foothills come on the market rarely and sell quickly. This one at 165 Washington Street is especially sweet, with the most awesome chef’s kitchen you’ve likely ever seen. Beautiful hardwood floors grace the main floor, with newer berber carpeting upstairs and in the walk-out basement. The Table Mountain views from every level, but especially from the primary suite, will take your breath away. If you’re a soccer fan, the pix and awards in the main-floor study will leave you wishing for autographs! Sorry, the seller won’t be at the open house this Saturday from 11 to 1. A narrated video walk-through is posted at www.GRElistings.com

$1,495,000

4-Bedroom Tri-Level in Arvada Listed by Kathy Jonke

The housemate has to have an income to support their rent payments and is expected to be gone for employment purposes most days. Typical “service exchange” work can range from 5 to 20 hours per week. The more work is done, the less rent the home seeker is expected to pay, all negotiated up front.

All home shares are month-to-month, with the average home share lasting only a year, but they could last five years or longer. Having the third-party involvement of Sunshine makes it easy for either party at any point to say, “sorry, this isn’t working for me.”

One of the biggest problems faced by single or widowed seniors is loneliness. It’s a big reason that moving into a 55+ community makes sense, and I have seen that work in person from living in such a community — especially for the single residents. However, many seniors want to “age in place,” to stay in their long-time home as long as possible, and home sharing can make that possible not only financially but by providing some healthy companionship.

Sunshine Home Share operates throughout the Denver metro area. If you think this idea would work for someone in another state, check out the National Shared Housing Resource Center at nationalsharedhousing.org

This Column Now Appears Bi-Weekly “Real Estate Today” will be on this page every other week, so the next time you’ll see it will be June 5th. On those alternate weeks, you will find a half-page ad on a related topic. Next week it will be on a topic related to sustainability. One June 12th it will be about well-being.

The organization’s website provides stories of matches they have made and FAQs. Go to www.SunshineHomeShare.org. Their phone number is (720) 856-0161. Their office is in north Denver.

Our Attempt to Resurrect Our Free Box Truck Has Not Succeeded

You may recall that we launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to get our truck back on the road so that multiple non-profits, not just our clients, would have it to use for free. Well, we only raised $2,000. Rather than return that money, we are going to divide the proceeds among those nonprofits that used it the most, including BGoldN, Family Promise and the International Rescue Committee.

Here Are Some of My Previous Columns on Related Topics

Find and download each of them online at www.JimSmithColumns.com

Jan. 2, 2025 —Is a Reverse Mortgage Right for You?

Oct. 31, 2024 — Cooperative Living Presents an Attractive Alternative to Downsizing Oct. 17, 2024 —Understanding the Different Kinds of 55+ Retirement Communities (CCRCs)

Sept. 26, 2024 — Keeping Your Death from Becoming an Undue Burden on Your Heirs

Aug. 8, 2024 — Seniors Might Consider Downsizing into a Rental, Not a Smaller Home

Also: Trusts as an Estate Planning Strategy

Feb. 8, 2024 — ‘Empty-Nest’ Baby Boomers Own Twice as Many Big Homes as Millennials with Children

Aug. 17, 2023 —Should You Consider a Reverse Mortgage as Part of Your Retirement Plan?

Mar. 16, 2023 — Here Are Some Ways to Make Your Home More Senior-Friendly

Dec. 29, 2022 — Have You Considered Cohousing — An Explanation and Some Examples July 28, 2022 — Aging in Place vs. Moving to a 55+ Community: Some Considerations

Townhome-Style Condo in Centennial Listed by Chris Sholts

$489,000

$575,000

This updated, 4-BR/2-bath tri-level at 6337 W. 68th Place is in a quiet, established neighborhood. Each level has been thoughtfully renovated. The vaulted main level has new luxury vinyl plank floors, and there’s new paint throughout. The galley kitchen has new cabinets, complemented by white appliances. The upper level has 3 bedrooms with new carpet and an updated full bathroom. The lower level has a spacious family room with a red brick fireplace and above-grade windows. There is a 4th bedroom, laundry, and updated 3/4 bathroom on this level. The windows and siding were replaced in 2018, and a new roof is being installed! A video tour is posted at www.GRElistings.com. Call Kathy at 303-990-7428 to request a showing.

This updated 2-story condo at 5555 E. Briarwood Ave. has a finished basement, offering the perfect blend of comfort, style, and convenience. Located in the heart of the Summerhill neighborhood, this home has thoughtful upgrades and a bright, open floorplan. The main level is ideal for entertaining with its inviting family room, complete with wood-burning fireplace. It flows into the formal dining area and opens to a private patio. The updated dine-in kitchen boasts stylish countertops and laminate wood flooring. All appliances are included. A stylish half bath with tile flooring rounds out the main floor. Upstairs, the vaulted primary suite has dual closets and a beautifully updated ensuite bath. The finished basement has a large recreation room, laundry area, and ample storage. A private patio is just steps from the neighborhood pool and hot tub. More information at www.GRElistings.com

He has been talking to other bike shops around the country and said “they are nervous.”

Jacque Killian, owner of the Beyond the Blackboard toy shop at West 32nd Avenue and Perry Street, said she is already feeling the e ects of tari s and has some serious concerns.

Killian said, “80 percent of the toys that are sold in the United States come from China.”

With U.S. tari s on Chinese imported goods currently at 104% to 125% as of May 1, it’s having a major e ect on the cost of toys. She noted that the vast majority of toy manufacturers are small and mid-size businesses and that tari s are causing major problems for her suppliers and they are increasing prices.

“Every day we get emails from our vendors. We have one vendor that emailed and said the price is going up by 10 percent in two weeks,” Killian said. “A week later, they replied back and said, ‘I know we told you 10 percent, but it’s not 10 percent; it’s a 30 percent increase now.”

Killian said she has even had manufacturers cancel orders from months ago for one price and are requiring her to reorder those toys for a much higher price if she wants them to be shipped to her later this year.

She also said inventory of toys is going to become an issue in the coming months, and what is happening now may slow the inventory of toys to come during the winter holidays. She noted that some overseas manufacturers have stopped selling their product to the U.S. altogether because of the tari s and are going to focus on the European and Asian mar-

kets for the near term.

“ e manufacturers are notifying us that they no longer can a ord to bring those products to the U.S. because they feel customers are not going to pay for these items,” she said.

Killian also got a noti cation from e Toy Association. ey surveyed their member base and estimated that nearly half of small and mid-size manufacturers run the risk of going out of business in the next six months.

“ at’s staggering. at is very scary,”

she said.

Faced with a dilemma on how to manage her inventory, Killian is debating on how much to stock up right now before there isn’t much inventory left to buy.

“I don’t want to create a huge cashow issue. How deep do I go? How much money do I risk? Do I hire the graphic designer across the street? Can I run events in my store? ese are the questions that everybody has to be asking themselves,” she said.

Killian lamented that, “It’s pretty stressful. You don’t want to be the bringer of bad news as a toy store. We want to be hopeful. How did toys become a political thing?”

Killian’s hope for the neighborhood is, “We would love for people to keep coming in, checking things out, shop small, shop local. It’s your local businesses that are going to be impacted rst. ey are what make our neighborhoods unique. We need to rally.”

Jimmy Funkhouser is the owner/ founder of FERAL, an outdoor gear and clothing store that sells new and used goods, located on Tennyson Street near West 41st Avenue.

Funkhouser said doesn’t think most people understand the headache that

tari s are going to have if they are not dropped.

“I can tell you it is not going to be insigni cant,” he said.

He said that if the tari s stick, there will be a price increase of 10-25% on the new clothing and outdoor gear that he sells, and that will be the rst wave of price increases in May.

“I think a lot of people don’t realize retailers don’t really have a lot of control over price,” Funkhouser said. “Every brand that we work with, they tell us what we have to sell new items for, and the brands set the price.”

Funkhouser said that it will be the small-clothing and outdoor brands, especially the local ones, as well as the small retailers that will be a ected the most. Because they conduct a much lower volume of business, they will have less leverage to negotiate on the impacts of tari s.

FERAL is unique in that about 60% of their inventory is used. Funkhouser says their plan is to not increase their prices on used outdoor clothing and used gear. He said he thinks that “recommerce” will have an opportunity for consumers that might be seeking value if price increases do come to tari s.

Toys on display at Beyond the Blackboard, a toy store at West 32nd Avenue and Perry Street.
Jackson Lopez, a team member at FERAL, stands behind the front desk of this Tennyson Street retail store specializing in new and used outdoor clothing and outdoor equipment.
PHOTOS BY ALLEN COWGILL

square feet of o ce space downtown, and when we think of that square footage, [much of the vacant space] is these 1970s, 1980s buildings that actually trend in the right direction to be converted. So for us here in the city and county of Denver, [with] these ‘70s and 80s buildings, we have about 80 percent of the buildings that are suitable. Some of the things to look for are a great oor plate; so, how far the windows are from the elevators is important because if they’re too far away, then you won’t be able to get light into the apartments. And also thinking of the oor to oor heights are always great for o ce buildings, so when we convert them to residential, they already have taller ceilings.”

The fundamental question of course is whether it makes more economic sense to just destroy a building and build something new or convert it?

“It is costly, but I would say in some cases it’s much better than replacing the entire building because we’ve got embodied carbon in the concrete that we want to preserve when possible from a sustainability perspective. And, you can save 50 percent of the construction time.”

Is it possible that only parts of these buildings will be converted to housing units?

“When you have larger buildings, if you’re looking at buildings that might have more than three to 400 units planned, it might be bene cial to convert only half the building or a portion of the building. We’ve talked to so many local building owners, developers…and they’re all just waiting for the right time.

What is the most successful conversion project you could point to?

“We’ve done quite a few buildings. I think of the Franklin Tower [in Philadelphia], which was done right at the beginning of the pandemic. [ e developers] were looking at just converting the top half of the building, and as it was getting constructed, it was so popular and got leased so quickly that they lled out the

nies to the building by moving some of the walls in a little bit on the exterior. So it’s been an incredible project that was done years ago.”

I suppose there’s also an assumption that we’re never fully coming back to work like we did pre-pandemic. You’re sort of locking in a long-term reality here for a downtown, right?

“You’re right. I think what’s most im-

portant to focus on is that we’re really looking at more of a lifestyle in terms of our downtowns in lieu of just an o ce building centric area. So I think if we think of it more as mixed use and really make it a live, work, play [environment] for both residents and o ce workers, I think you can have that balance much easier than what we’ve done in the past.” is story is from CPR News, a nonpro t public broadcaster serving Colorado. Used by permission. For more, and to support Colorado Public Radio, visit cpr.org.

These two o ce towers on 17th Street in Denver have been bought by developers who plan to convert the space to 700 residential units with retail space on the lower floors.
PHOTO BY HART VAN DENBURGCPR NEWS

Federal order a threat to in-state tuition

Executive order aimed at ‘sanctuary city’ policies

Undocumented students in Colorado have gone on to be teachers, nurses and business owners thanks to a program that allows them to pay in-state tuition at public universities. Now the future of that program and ones like it in 23 other states are in doubt after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that seeks to punish states and cities with so-called sanctuary policies. e order, signed April 28, also speci cally calls out programs that provide in-state tuition for undocumented students who graduated from high school in that state or who meet other residency requirements.

Allowing in-state students who are not citizens to pay less tuition than out-of-state students who are citizens represents discrimination, according to the order, which says that the attorney general, in cooperation with the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, “shall identify and take appropriate action to stop the enforcement of state and local laws, regulations, policies, and practices favoring aliens over any groups of American citizens that are unlawful.”

Advocates for immigrant students say that without in-state tuition, many undocumented students will struggle to a ord college. ey don’t qualify for any federal nancial aid and face other barriers to college.

“ is is absolutely essential for immigrant students,” said Raquel Lane-Arellano, communications manager for the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, which fought to pass Colorado’s in-state tuition law in 2013. “It’s not these students’ fault that our immigration system is so broken. ey deserve the opportunity, just like all of their peers, to access higher levels of education.”

So far, Colorado universities are not making any immediate changes to their policies.

“ e executive order does not provide enough details to truly know what federal actions will be taken,” said Colorado Department of Higher Education spokesperson Megan McDermott.

e Trump order sets up a possible legal showdown over the state-supported tuition programs that immigrant rights and higher education-advising groups have called essential to help undocumented students access higher education and educate them to ll in-demand jobs.

Twenty-four states, including Colorado, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey, along with Washington, D.C. have programs that allow undocumented students to pay in-state tuition. While the programs have received bipartisan support, Republicans in several states have recently led bills to consider rolling back in-state tuition for undocumented students. Last week, Florida lawmakers ended the state’s decade-old program.

e order adds to an already uncertain environment for immigrant students, who worry about the risks of lling out nancial aid paperwork while grappling with deportation fears. Denver Scholarship Foundation’s Natasha Gar eld said the college-advising nonpro t will continue to provide students information about their options and allow them to decide whether college is right for them during a time when Trump’s immigration stance has brought incredible uncertainty.

“ ere are some who are very, very concerned about the state of things, and I don’t think there’s anything that DSF or anyone else could say to reassure them,” said Gareld, the scholarship organization’s direc-

tor of scholarships and nancial aid. “I think that’s completely understandable given some of the actions that we’ve seen coming from ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] and the federal government.”

e order is part of Trump’s larger push to crack down on people in the United States without legal authorization. His directive to punish states with these programs also included several other enforcement actions such as punishing so-called sanctuary cities and states. e administration led suit Friday against Colorado and Denver for its policies.

e administration argues in the order that some state and local o cials use their “authority to violate, obstruct, and defy the enforcement of federal immigration laws. is is a lawless insurrection against the supremacy of Federal law.”

States have a long history of o ering instate tuition at public universities to youth who were brought as children and without legal status. Texas and California passed the rst laws in 2001, and other states followed with similar laws. Each varies in how they approach granting in-state tuition.

About 408,000 undocumented students enroll in higher education each year, although not all bene t from these state programs, according to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal. However, even in states without these laws, some private schools in Tennessee and elsewhere may o er in-state tuition for all students regardless of their residency or legal status. And in Pennsylvania, at least one public institution provides in-state tuition to undocumented students.

Colorado’s Advising Students for a Stronger Tomorrow law, or ASSET, updated in 2019, says students must have attended a Colorado high school for at least one year before graduation or been physically present in Colorado for at least one year to qualify for in-state tuition.

New York’s law says students must have attended at least two years of high school in New York and graduate or receive a general education diploma. Students must also apply to a college or university within ve years and show proof of residency. ey must also sign

an a davit saying they will le for legal status. Illinois’ law has similar requirements, while New Jersey requires three years of residency.

National student immigrant advocacy organizations FWD.us, eDream.US, and the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration all criticized the order. Collectively, they said states, colleges, and universities shouldn’t overreact and that the order hurts states that need quali ed workers.

“Blocking states from o ering in-state tuition to undocumented students who have lived in these states for most of their lives would purposefully lock countless individuals out of the higher education system, waste years of educational investment, hurt local economies, and rob all Americans of future leaders,” said Todd Schulte, FWD.us president.

State leaders are still working to understand the impact of the order, and a spokesperson for Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement the administration is looking into the impacts of this order. e state remains committed to ensuring the state remains a destination for all learners, the statement says.

e state has not led any legal action against the order, but leaders have been willing to push back on Trump administration orders.

Colorado’s largest university system also doesn’t plan changes at this time. University of Colorado System spokesperson Michele Ames said its schools are committed to following applicable laws and will not make any changes at this time. Other universities, such as the University of Northern Colorado, are monitoring the actions.

Schools across the state have also said that they won’t release individual student information, such as information about undocumented students who attend schools through the ASSET program, to the federal government without a court order or warrant, per federal student privacy laws.

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

To subscribe call 303-566-4100

CHRISTY STEADMAN South Metro Editor csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@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 Community Media asks readers to make us aware of mistakes we may have made.

Email sgilbert@coloradocommunitymedia.com if you notice a possible error you would like us to take a look at.

Higher education institutions in Colorado, such as the University of Northern Colorado, are monitoring the impacts of a recent order by the Trump administration that would punish states for programs o ering in-state tuition to undocumented students. PHOTO BY ELI IMADALI FOR CHALKBEAT

If you want to build stronger relationships, at work, at home, and everywhere in between, there’s one often overlooked super power that is more overlooked and even more e ective than charisma, charm, or even competence. It’s curiosity.

Curiosity isn’t about being nosy. It’s about being genuinely interested in other people, what they care about, what makes them tick, and what they’re navigating in life. Curiosity sends a message that says, “You matter to me.”

e best salespeople already know this, at least when it comes to their clients. Ask a top performer about their biggest accounts, and they’ll light up. ey’ll rattle o the names of spouses and children. ey’ll know who has a golden retriever named Max and who has an anniversary next Tuesday. ey’ll know which client is a die-hard Notre Dame fan and which one skis Beaver Creek every winter.

VOICES

Curiosity, the quiet super power

WINNING

work, teammates, operations sta , even their own leaders, their answers get vague, and the connection is same pattern shows up in our friend circles, communities, and even families. e people we do life with often get the least of our curiosity. We assume we know them already, or we’re too distracted to ask a deeper question.

ey’ve earned that level of trust because they’ve earned the right to know their clients on a deeper level. And that kind of trust only comes through curiosity. But here’s the gut-check: When I ask those same salespeople what they know about the people who support them at

Recently, I asked a few friends and golfing buddies some simple questions about the guys in our group, people we’ve played dozens of rounds with and shared plenty of meals. e results were humbling. No one could name another guy’s birthday or anniversary. No one remembered where anyone had gone on vacation. When I asked about wives’ favorite restaurants, a few answered quickly, others guessed. en I asked their child’s favorite color. One guy cautiously o ered, “I think it’s pink?”

I pressed further: “What music are your wife and kids listening to right now?” Silence. A few chuckles. And then a quiet

Don’t forget that you can change lanes

Insights and encouragement can show up in the most unexpected places.

Just about a week ago, I was heading across town to run some errands and found myself stopped at a light. ere were three lanes going in my direction, and I sat in the middle lane, with cars to the right and left of me. Directly in front of my car was a rather large truck covered with ladders and other work items.

When the light turned green and we started to move forward, I was a bit frustrated because the truck, which I could not see around, was going a little bit under the speed limit. I sat behind that truck, frustrated that we were not going the speed limit. I was laser-focused on the back of the truck. I knew its license plate number, how many ladders were on the machine, and I even recited to myself the “How’s my driving” number on the bumper. I could not see around the truck, but I had plenty of time to memorize it.

I stayed in that spot for several blocks, more than a mile, the whole time not angry but mildly frustrated by wanting to go a little faster. For whatever reason, I eventually took my eyes o the back of that vehicle and realized that there were open lanes on both sides of me. When I put on my blinker and moved one lane over to the right, I found no other cars on the road with us.

I had been so focused on the truck right in front of me; I did not even notice the possibilities around me. Quite frankly, it was a bit embarrassing to recognize what I had been doing. And doing to myself! As I re-

realization: we didn’t know nearly as much about the people closest to us as we thought we did.

Why? Because we stopped being curious.

We live in a “me”-centered world. Social media encourages us to share everything we’ve accomplished, what we’re doing, and what we think. Somewhere along the way, we lost the habit and the desire to ask meaningful questions of the people right in front of us.

Here’s the irony: we all want deeper relationships. We want stronger teams at work, better marriages, tighter friendships, and more connected families. But instead of leaning into them, we double down on ourselves.

If we want to grow closer to others, we must ip the script. We have to move from “me talk” to “they talk.” at’s how relationships deepen, trust builds, and walls come down.

Want stronger teams? Ask your coworkers what they love doing outside of work. Learn their kids’ names. Celebrate their birthdays. Discover what lights them up, and follow up when they share something personal.

Want to reconnect at home? Get curious

again. Ask your spouse what they’ve been dreaming about lately. Ask your kids what music they’re into and why. Ask better questions, and then really listen. Curiosity doesn’t cost a thing, but it pays dividends in every relationship. e truth is, most people have a powerful story to tell. But they rarely get asked to tell it. When you become someone who’s genuinely curious, you give others the gift of being seen, not for what they do, but for who they are.

Yes, your story matters. But when you become great at asking about someone else’s story, you unlock a level of connection, trust, and relationship that most people only wish they had.

Be curious. Stay curious. Watch every relationship around you grow stronger. As always, I’d love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com. When we learn how to lean into curiosity, life truly becomes better than good.

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.

Economy facing many challenges

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

ected on that embarrassing mile, it struck me how often, when faced with di culties, we actually do the same thing. We get focused on the hardship, the struggle, what we cannot seem to overcome, and we miss the paths that are open to us, the multitude of opportunities that are available, and the people ready to help.

I know whatever struggle you are facing is di cult; mine is as well. But on those days when things seem the most daunting, when your struggle seems to be all that you can see in front of you, I would encourage you to take a moment and make sure that you have looked at the space around you. Do not miss the opportunity to change lanes.

A deep breath and a look around will do wonders for your view.

You have got this.

Jim Roome lives in Arvada with his wife, Beth. He spent 34 years in public education. Lessons learned from the one two punch of being diagnosed with MS shortly before his best friend was diagnosed with terminal cancer led him into a new pursuit as a freelance writer and speaker. He uses his life experiences and love of stories to inspire, educate and encourage local, national and international audiences. Contact him at jim.roome@gmail. com.

Spring is a time of renewed hope, with longer days, warmer weather, green grass and pretty owers blooming. But while nature ourishes, a dark cloud looms over the economy.

Five months into the new year, economic growth is slipping, and so far, 2025 does not appear to be the turnaround year of positive change. Instead, consumers, business owners and investors are struggling with in ation, declining economic growth and daily volatility in portfolios of all risk levels. Hope springs eternal, however, and there is still a chance we could get through this decline without going into recession.

Let’s take a closer look. is month, the rst-quarter gross domestic product (GDP), the rate at which our economy is growing, was announced. ere was actually a contraction, or negative growth, of three-tenths of 1%. e news sent the markets into a heavy sell-o amid concerns of a recession. e technical de nition of a recession is two consecutive quarters of negative GDP. Since we have one quarter under our belt, all attention is focused on this second quarter and whether there will be slight growth or another contraction. Mariner’s chief economist, William Greiner, has been predicting for most of this year that our GDP will land somewhere between 1.5% and 2%. While that is considerably lower than last year, it would still be enough to keep us out of a recession. Greiner remains optimistic, putting the chance of recession this year at only 40% — more positive than the majority of economists, who are predicting a worse economic outlook for 2025.

Reasons for concern include¹:

• Changes in economic policies under President Trump

• Trade de cits and potential tari s

• Weakening consumer demand

• Pessimistic CFO outlook

FINANCIAL STRATEGIES

• Major nancial institutions estimate a 50% to 60% chance of recession this year

Reasons for optimism include:

• Strong job growth and low unemployment

• Public and private investments in infrastructure and technology

• e potential of articial intelligence to drive economic growth

Consumers still make up almost 70% of our GDP, so watching what we buy is key to understanding how the second quarter will unfold. Tari s have driven up the cost of many items, from dollar-store trinkets to automobiles. Now, consumers are more worried about egg prices and less concerned about buying discretionary items that can wait.

Investors, too, are playing the waiting game to gauge whether the economic impact of these changes will trigger a slowdown. At the same time, the stock market is repricing itself. e best performers of last year are coming down in value as the priceto-earnings ratios of high- ying tech stocks fall. e market is now focused on anticipating how consumer spending will shift next, bringing more undervalued stocks into the game. ese are all good reasons to have a strong, actively rebalanced portfolio strategy in place. Such an approach would have triggered a sale on US large-cap growth stocks toward the end of last year, and the investment of the proceeds into underdog value stocks. is is the ultimate opportunity to see “buy low, sell high” at work in real time.

1. Bureau of Economic Analysis

Patricia Kummer is managing director for Mariner, an SEC Registered Investment Adviser.

Jim Roome
Patricia Kummer

Repurposing: A good habit for all

If you ever converse with people of a certain older generation, you might learn, among many other things, that if a household item broke, instead of discarding it, they would attempt to repair it.

Our culture has become accustomed to buying something new instead of xing it, often online rather than locally. It breaks or you no longer want it, and in less than a year it gets disposed.

us the label “disposable society.” e elevation of our land lls is growing higher and higher with cheap electronics and plastics that will never biodegrade and can leach harmful chemicals.

According to the World Health Organization, millions of electronic devices are discarded every year as products break or become obsolete. ese discarded devices are considered e-waste and can become a threat to health and the environment if they are not disposed of and recycled appropriately.

Recycling is good, but it is really the last step in a series of steps we can all take. While shopping with your child, be aware of how things are packaged and try to choose products that utilize reusable materials. It is inevitable that we will end up with some glass, aluminum and plastic containers, but take a pause before you put them in the recycling bin. How can these items be reused?

As a teacher, I saved many of these items to repurpose them with my students. e children had no problem using their creativity to transform such materials into a wide variety of new items. Perhaps it is time for our households to make such repurposing/repairing more of a norm.

LETTERS FROM MISS JILL

Learning the resourcefulness of reuse is a handy skill to teach our children. At our house, before we agree to buy something, whether it is food or goods, the routine is to check the inventory. We check the refrigerator, in the hall closet, in the garage. Half the time, we nd that we already have something that will make do or something we can alter or repair that will be as good as or sometimes better than something new.  e ability to reimagine something new out of something old not only develops your child’s resourcefulness and criticalthinking skills, it saves money and results in less junk going to the dump. It might take longer than Amazon one-day shipping, but the act of repurposing is empowering, creating independence from the addiction to buying stu .

According to a November 2024 article in HerCircle, teaching kids about conservation early helps lay a foundation for lifelong habits.  e earlier we teach and validate children’s e orts at reducing, repurposing and recycling, the better chance we have that those values will stick and the better chance we have at keeping those land lls at a lower elevation.

As a creative person myself, I nd it hard to throw things away. For a while, I painted old plastic juice containers trendy colors to serve as inexpensive vases. I save old beads, buttons and jewelry for multimedia art. Old clothing be-

comes a source of material to mend tattered jeans. I recently took a discarded dresser and with paint transformed it into a unique kitchen island.

Here are some more tips:

• When shopping, buy bulk whenever possible to avoid accumulating unnecessary packaging. You can also bring your own reusable containers to hold these goods. Stores like Sprouts and some King Soopers have bulk sections for food. Local shops like Joy Fill at 33rd and Tennyson provide soaps, detergents and bulk shampoos too.

• When packaging and containers do accumulate, put on your thinking cap (or do a web search) on how you can reuse containers to hold food leftovers or to sort things such as craft items — free storage! Make sure everyone in the family has a sturdy, reusable water bottle.

• Paint is your friend. It can be used to renew old furniture and transform old items. Rather than purchasing new, check out the local thrift store and include your child in helping to upcycle your purchase with creativity.

• YouTube or Instagram are great sources for nding ways to adapt unwanted pieces of clothing into new and creative fashions. One of my favorites is @tulipanoriginals.

• If you cannot nd a way to reuse an item, rather than setting it in the alley, try calling e Gracefull Home, a nonpro t that supplies free furniture to formerly homeless residents. ey will pick your furniture up for free and repurpose it for you!

As your children mature, help educate them about how the e orts at reducing, repurposing, repairing and recycling

properly staves o climate change. ere is so much to learn about how to spend our consumer dollars in a way that does not degrade the environment. Just when things might seem to get overwhelming, knowing ways to positively impact climate change can help us realize that we do have some control by acting intentionally as we create positive habits. ese actions may seem small, but collectively have far reaching positive consequences.

Jill Carstens taught for 30 years and now enjoys writing about that time here and in her recently published memoir, “Getting Over Vivian.” Find out more at www.jillcarstenswriter.com.

ABOUT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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.

When Comedy Works owner Wende Curtis’ attorney rst took her to the future site of her second club in Greenwood Village’s Landmark complex, she was lost.

“My tiny world is downtown and Cherry Creek,” she said. “I had to follow him out there. I didn’t know where the hell I was.But I knew I wanted to expand in that direction. I needed to open another club; I felt like the city could handle it. And if I was going to go to a suburb, my gut instinct was that I’d go to where there was more money per household.”

Zip code scanners Curtis got for her downtown location in 2004 had already given her the data to back the decision up. It showed a lot of the downtown club’s customers were driving in from the suburbs. But she suspected there were potentially many more.

“We were very busy downtown, and I felt I was missing a part of the population

Comedy boom

Curtis and other metro-area comedy venues are riding a nationwide wave.

Stand-up comedy ticket sales have tripled over the last decade, and many credit the internet and social media — and speci cally Net ix — for transforming the industry.

According to Bloomberg, Net ix started funding new stand-up comedy in 2013, with specials from Mike Birbiglia, Iliza Shlesinger and Aziz Ansari.

“ e company saw stand-up as an underexploited genre, a low-cost way to get hours of programming and some famous names on the platform,” according to the Bloomberg article.

Net ix quickly scaled the business from a handful of specials annually to dozens, paying high dollars for big names like Jerry Seinfeld and Kevin Hart.

Competing services rst viewed Net ix’s investment in comedy as irrational, but comedians didn’t. And while other streaming services have since gotten on board, Net ix remains the king of comedy.

in the Denver metro area,” she said. “If you live in Castle Pines and you’re driving downtown ve days a week, are you going to drive down there again on Saturday?”

While the downtown Comedy Works is dark and intimate, Curtis designed the Greenwood Village site very di erently — with not only more seating capacity but more space overall. e nished 21,000-square-foot Comedy Works South that opened in October 2008 includes a restaurant and martini bar. ese features are not available at the original site. Also unlike downtown, parking is free and easy to nd.

While those added amenities attract customers, they also re ect what Curtis felt suburban customers wanted.

“I knew when I built something in the suburbs I was going to have to make it roomier,” she said. “Downtown is tight. People move to the suburbs to have space, and I think they expect it.”

Comedy Works South is a Landmark anchor that’s stood the test of time, with numbers that consistently exceed Curtis’ expectations and reinforce her initial instincts that suburban residents would support a comedy venue.

e exposure it gave comedians brought their talents to a wider audience, and the appreciation for comedy spun into the real world. Ticket sales for live comedy shows topped $900 million in 2023.

Why is comedy so popular? It’s not just because it’s funny.

Comedians use humor to speak truth to power while giving audiences a bit of relief from the absurdities and emotions of everyday life.

“ eir craft allows them to push boundaries and provoke deeper thought through laughter, sparking joy, conversations and, sometimes, fresh perspectives,” according to an article in Medium.

It also has health bene ts. Laughter releases chemicals in our bodies and brains that instantly relieve stress and boost mood. And it helps bring people together, crossing political, cultural and societal barriers in a way few other things can.

For all those reasons, Comedy Works is just one comedy business venturing beyond the city limits.

Rotating Tap

Denver comedian Steve Vanderploeg is now a regular performer at Comedy Works. But a few years ago, that wasn’t the case. So he started his own suburban comedy business.

“Within a few years, it started winning local awards,” Vanderploeg said. “It turns out breweries are very good locations for comedy because they need entertainment just as much as other venues.”

He’s since expanded to breweries throughout the metro area, including Arvada, Brighton, Lakewood and Littleton. Most of the shows are free, as many brewery owners wanted to keep their regulars happy. But it also makes comedy fans happy. Many can’t a ord or don’t want to pay for tickets, food and drinks — a two-item food or beverage minimum is required at Comedy Works. And scattering shows at breweries in neighborhoods throughout the area makes seeing a show logistically easier.

“One thing that makes us di erent is we actually bring comedy to these deeper pockets of the ‘burbs,” Vanderploeg said. “A lot of times people don’t want to go downtown. Bringing the comedy to them has helped grow the love for comedy around Denver.”

“I thought Comedy Works was never going to pass me — which means you get paid to work on the weekends,” he said. “I thought I’d never get that opportunity, so I needed to build opportunities for myself.”

Vanderploeg suspected breweries could be good venues for stand-up comedy. Not everyone agreed.

“I had a couple comedians telling me breweries were terrible locations for comedy shows,” he said.

But like Curtis, Vanderploeg followed his instincts, launching Rotating Tap Comedy in spring 2019. He started at south metro Denver’s Chain Reaction Brewing — the owners were his childhood hockey buddies.

A Rotating Taps venue is also a good place for new comedians to test their stand-up chops. Vanderploeg typically books a mix of newer and more experienced comedians together. “ ese are mostly locals I work with — it’s a big network,” he said. “We like to give opportunities to those coming up because that’s why I started it — to give myself opportunities. But in order to keep it sustainable, we also have to bring in seasoned pros that

e newest metro-area entertainment venue is part comedy club, part variety show theater and part arcade. Husband-and-wife team Brandon Riks and Stacey Bell opened Gnarly’s in late December, taking over the former Miners Alley Playhouse site in down-

COMEDY

Riks and Bell believe their business lls a gap in the popular tourist town.

“ ere’s a lot of stu to do in Golden, but we feel it’s geared toward an older crowd,” Riks said. “ ey’ve got the playhouse, where you can catch an awesome musical or play, and the Bu alo Rose, plus lots of good places to eat and drink. But there’s not really a good hangout place for families or college kids, for comedy or some other type of adult-themed variety show.”

e couple has some history to back their theory up. While they’re new to comedy, Riks and Bell are experienced in business, running Lakewood’s Gnarly Toybox vintage toy store since 2018.

Riks and Bell carried that theme to Gnarly’s in Golden, including a vintage toy museum with everything from He-Man to Ninja Turtles to Garbage Pail Kids. Harkening back to simpler times, all Gnarly’s arcade games are set to free play.

“As long as you have a ticket to the show or a wrist band for the arcade, games are set on free play,” Riks said.

Because the theater only holds about 100 people, Riks and Bell shifted their plans from doing comedy full time.

“We know quite a few comics, and we’d always talked about how Golden would do really well with a comedy club because there’s nothing anywhere near,” Riks said. “But with 100 seats, our original thoughts of pulling famous comedians into the theater seemed a little bit unreachable. We’d have to charge too much for the tickets to pay them.

“So the plan is to become someplace cool enough and well known enough that when other comics are in town, they want to do a set at Gnarly’s,” he said. “And also to maximize the abilities of the space. We landed on making it a variety show theater on top of a comedy club.”

While most of Gnarly’s comedians will focus on adult content, the variety shows are designed to be family

friendly, featuring ventriloquists, magicians and jugglers. Riks plans to o er six-to-eight half-hour variety shows daily. Gnarly’s has a liquor license but for its day shows, it’ll accent an old-school soda bar and exotic snack bodega.

In Riks’ vision, it will o er something for everyone. “Dad can sit down and have a beer, let the kids run in the arcade and catch a quick juggling show,” he said.

Riks and Bell aim to o er three-to-four comedy shows a week and keep the price friendly, too. He expects it will generally be $20 a ticket.

What If Theatre

found it a little calculated. I was trying really hard to nd the points within my act to gauge what would get maximum laughter from the audience. With improv, you are feeling out the audience and your teammates for what works best with the people who are in this space, at this time. And it will never be repeated.”

Carletti sees a di erence in demographics in suburban audiences. People in their 20s and 30s tend to frequent downtown venues.

Well-rehearsed stand-up comedy is one way to get laughs. But in Lakewood, Joy Carletti and Colin Iago McCarthy are placing their bets on improv. e two opened What If eatre in October 2023, producing six inhouse shows a year and bringing in improv troupes from throughout the Front Range.

“I feel like our audiences skew both older and younger. I see people who live here coming to see the shows, and I’m very grateful for that,” she said. “I think the arts should be accessible to people – you should have art where you are. Asking people to come to the city is not for everyone. So let’s meet people where they are.”

e business taps into not only their love of improv, but for each other. e two met while doing improv in San Francisco, returning to McCarthy’s home town of Lakewood to eventually open the theater.

ey follow a form of improv called the Harold, a longform improvised format that emphasizes patterns, themes and group discoveries instead of a traditional plot or story. So while their shows are designed to be funny, they’re carefully constructed to include much more than just humor.

e house ensemble, for instance, goes by the name Streaky Bacon — inspired by a Charles Dickens quote.

“It basically says good plays should have comedy and drama in as equal layers as in good, streaky bacon,” Carletti said. “We believe yes, we’re creating comedy, but there should be some drama and vulnerability because that makes the comedy brighter.”

e shows typically revolve around familiar themes, including “Law and Order,” or a version of “Vacation.”

Another show featured a teenager who saves the world.

“A suburban audience that might not have seen an improv show doesn’t know what they’re going to get,” Carletti said. “We feel thematic or genre shows tend to hook a suburban audience more.”

Hooking suburbanites on improv is exactly what the couple hopes to do. She believes it o ers a very di erent experience than stand-up.

“I wanted a place where folks who were more of a theater audience could see improv and feel like it was accessible to them,” Carletti said. “Improv is collaborative. It is about listening and teamwork. It allows people to tell their own stories and it’s very human.”

While Carletti appreciates stand-up comedy, she sees improv as a di erent comedic art form — one that requires coordination with fellow actors and the audience.

“I’ve done stand-up. at’s one person alone on a stage. My own experience is it was a little isolating, and I

Evergreen also has an improv group. e Evergreen Players Improv Comedy troupe, known as EPiC, performs twice each year at the Center Stage eater. It also offers classes and ensemble groups for all experience levels and ages.

Comedy in Denver metro

agree the

Whether it’s stand-up or improv, all four business owners agree that Denver and its suburbs are among the top places to see comedy — or to be a comedian.

Curtis believes decades of bringing top-notch comedians to the city has made metro-area residents a sophisticated comedy audience.

“Comedy Works is the Red Rocks of comedy in the country,” she said. “I have leverage even with the bigger acts because it’s Comedy Works. e reputation gives me clout.We’ve developed people that like stand-up comedy. e Denver crowds are smart. You give them smart comedy and they respond. It’s turned into a great place for comedy and comedians.”

Vanderploeg agreed, saying the many stages that offer chances for new and more seasoned comedians to practice their material has improved the quality of local comedy for everyone.

“Denver is one of the best comedy scenes in the country,” Vanderploeg said. “Denver has shows most nights of the week, so there are opportunities for comedians to get up and develop, practice. Just by sheer stage time, we blow pretty much every other city out of the water. It’s kind of in the culture here. ere’s something about Denver that loves standup.”

Beyond developing the comedy business, Carletti sees laughter as not an option, but a necessity for individuals and our modern world.

“It’s so important to have small theaters and small comedy venues, not just in Denver but everywhere,” Carletti said. “ ere’s something about being in a room with a lot of people laughing and experiencing it live, whether it’s improv, stand-up or whatever. Live theater is phenomenal. And the need to laugh right now is so

Comedian Steve Gillespie entertains the crowd at Stranahan’s Distillery as part of Rotating Tap Comedy. SPAWOLOGY PRODUCTIONS
Comedian George Lopez on stage at Comedy Works South in Greenwood Village. COURTESY OF COMEDY WORKS
FROM PAGE 10
Gnarly’s co-owner Brandon Riks stands in front of the bar at the comedy/variety show venue he and his wife Stacey Bell launched recently in downtown Golden. COURTESY OF GNARLY’S

Thu 5/29

Neil Z @ Carillon at Belleview Station @ 3pm Carillon at Belleview Station, 4855 Niagara St, Denver

Tony Medina Music: The Blues Jam at The Alley hosted by Tony Medina @ 5pm The Alley, 2420 W Main St, Littleton

AGON

@ 5pm

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, 2907 Huron St, Denver

Eric Golden @ 6pm

Toley’s on the Creek, 16728 E Smoky Hill Rd Suite 11C, Centennial

Big Sad 1900

@ 6pm Marquis, Denver

Keith Hicks @ 8pm

Appaloosa Grill, 535 16th St, Denver

Denco @ 9pm Larimer Beer Hall, 2012 Larimer St, Denver

Fri 5/30

MARO

@ 7pm

Bluebird Theater, 3317 E Colfax Av, Denver

The Losers Club @ 7pm Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St, Denver

Sat 5/31

Caffeine and Chrome – Classic Cars and Coffee at Gateway Classic Cars of Denver @ 8am

Tony Medina Music: The Alley Presents "Waiting For A Name" (New band with Tony Medina) @ 7pm

The Alley, 2420 W Main St, Littleton

Nevan Castañeda: Golden Goose Car Show - Nevan as ELVIS @ 12:30pm Wild Goose Saloon, Parker

Mon 6/02

Red Rock Vixens @ Qs Pub and Grille (Night 2) @ 7pm

Gateway Classic Cars of Denver, 14150 Grasslands Drive, Englewood. market ing@gatewayclassiccars.com, 618271-3000

¡Viva México! A Dance Spectacular @ 6:30pm

Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Speer Boulevard and Arapahoe Street, Den‐ver

��s Pub and Grill, 10133 W Chat�eld Ave, Littleton

Sun 6/01

Adam Bodine @ 9:30am Dazzle Denver, 1080 14th Street, Denver

2TheXtreme @ 10am / $19.95 Air & Space Museum, 7711 East Acad‐emy Boulevard, Denver. info@wingsmu seum.org

Kid Astronaut + The Nebula @ Skyline Beer Garden @ 10am Skyline Beer Garden, 1601 Arapahoe St, Denver

Animation Basics @ 8am / $189 Jun 2nd - Jun 6th

Valor Center, 3775 Grace Blvd, Orches‐tra Room, Highlands Ranch. 303-4713000

DJ Rockstar Aaron @ 6pm

The Angry Clover, 15350 E Smoky Hill Rd, Au‐rora Knolls

Tue 6/03

Minsk @ 5:30pm Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St, Denver

Ryan Bingham and The Texas Gentlemen @ 7pm

Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 West Alameda Parkway, Morrison

Rocco @ 5:30pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, En‐glewood

Wed 6/04

Mark May @ 3:30pm Sonesta Denver Downtown, 1450 Glenarm Pl, Denver

Thievery Corporation @ 5:30pm Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 West Alameda Parkway, Morrison

Stephen Brooks @ 6pm Dazzle Denver, 1080 14th Street, Denver drouth @ 6pm Hi-Dive, 7 S Broadway, Denver

Thu 6/05

Cousin Curtiss @ 6pm

Levitt Pavilion Denver, 1380 W Florida Ave, Denver

MoonShroom @ Velvet Banjo @ 7pm Velvet Banjo, 741 E Colfax Ave, Denver Barrington Levy w/ Tomorrows Bad Seeds @ 7pm Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom, Denver

CROWSSUPDRO

1. ACRONYMS: What phrase does the acronym URL stand for?

2. MOVIES: What is the name of the ghost that haunts the girls’ bathroom at Hogwarts (“Harry Potter” series)?

3. HISTORY: Which decisive battle ended the Revolutionary War?

4. LITERATURE: What is the pseudonym of the author Eric Arthur Blair?

5. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Which of the national parks is the most visited in the United States?

6. TELEVISION: Which medical series is based at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital?

7. GEOGRAPHY: What is the capital of Denmark?

8. U.S. STATES: In which state is Glacier National Park located?

9. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Who was the rst vice president to die in o ce?

TrIVIa

10. SCIENCE: What are elements like neon, helium and radon called?

Answers

1. Uniform resource locator.

2. Moaning Myrtle.

3. e Battle of Yorktown.

4. George Orwell.

5. Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

6. “House, M.D.”

7. Copenhagen.

8. Montana.

9. George Clinton.

10. Noble gases.

(c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.

Careers

Help Wanted

Analytics Engineer – Zynex Medical, Inc. – Englewood, CO.

Design, develop, & maintain data pipelines to process & transform large volumes of data efficiently, ensuring scalability & reliability. MS in comp. science, comp. engineering, or related. OR BS in comp. sci, comp. eng, or related + 2 yrs exp as analytics engineer or related. Exp or education must incl. wrkg or theoretical knowledge of: SQL & relational databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL); Tableau, Power BI, & Business Intelligence Applications; Database modeling, ELT/ETL & performance optimization; Data modeling concepts & best practices for data architecture; Code release reviews, design-phase reviews & risk reviews; & software verification & validation practices. $95,347/yr. Cov/resume to: recruiting@zynex.com, w/subject “ZMI Formal Application, [Name], Analytics Engineer.”

Consultant

Positions offered by PA Consulting Group Inc. (Denver, CO). Create & maintain longterm power market & price projections for WECC & Mexican power markets. Offering salary of $128,000- $155,000/year. Position based in Denver, CO.

Telecommuting permitted up to 3 days per week. Submit resume to MaryAnn.Bettencourt@ PAConsulting.com & reference Job ID: 8342956.

Merchandise

Real dental insurance - 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

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

Bath & shower updates in as little as 1 day! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & military discounts available. 1-877-543-9189

Jacuzzi Bath Remodel can install a new, custom bath or shower in as little as one day. For a limited time, waving all installation costs! (Additional terms apply. Subject to change and vary by dealer. Offer ends 6/30/25. 1-844-5013208

SunSetter. America’s number one awning! Instant shade at the touch of a button. Transform your deck or patio into an outdoor oasis. Up to 10-year limited warranty. Call now and SAVE $350 today! 1-855-914-1148

Miscellaneous

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.

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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: 1-833887-0117. Have zip code of service location ready when you call!

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

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

!!OLD GUITARS WANTED!! GIBSON, FENDER, MARTIN, Etc. 1930’s to 1980’s. TOP DOLLAR PAID. CALL TOLL FREE 1-866-4338277

Miscellaneous

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

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 1-844-9554930

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

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

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, FORT HAYS, CODELL, AND CARLILE FORMATIONS, WATTENBERG FIELD, ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO

CAUSE NO. 1

DOCKET NO. 250500084

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 PDC Energy, Inc. (Operator No. 69175) (“Payor”) and located in Adams County, 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

Gus LD #34-363 HC (API No. 05-001-10513)

Gus LD #34-366 HC (API No. 05-001-10506)

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: July 30, 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: June 30, 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 June 30, 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.

Dated: May 13, 2025

Blackwell Energy, LLC c/o Sandra J. Carter S2P2 Law, LLC sandra@s2p2law.com 6105 S. Main Street, Suite 200 Aurora, CO 80016 (720) 593-0963

Legal Notice No. DHD 3605

First Publication: May 22, 2025

Last Publication: June19, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

PUBLIC NOTICE

Date: May 1, 2025

Holders of first mortgages (as shown on the recorded deeds of trust or assignments in the Denver County records) on Units in The Ritter Condominiums are hereby advised of a proposed Amended and Restated Condominium Declaration for The Ritter Condominiums to amend and restated the Condominium Declaration recorded on December 16, 1977, in Book 1549, Page 340, Reception No. 089603, as amended, in the records of the Denver County Clerk and Recorder. This notice has been sent by certified mail to first mortgagees along with a consent form and a copy of the proposed Amended and Restated Condominium Declaration. A copy of the proposed Amended and Restated Condominium Declaration and consent form can be obtained by contacting attorney Kelly McQueeney, 1445 Market Street, Suite 350, Denver, CO 80202, (720) 221-9655.

Legal Notice No. DHD 3584

First Publication: May 15, 2025

Last Publication: May 22, 2025

Published in Denver Herald-Dispatch.

Storage Liens/Vehicle Titles

Public Notice

Notice to obtain title- The following vehicle was towed and abandoned:

VIN 4TBBT21223K000240 Trail King Industries Trailer Utility,

M1 Towing lot address 2810 W 62nd Ave, Unit B, Denver, CO 80221 ,720-364-1160 is applying for title.

Legal Notice No. DHD 3599

First Publication: May 22, 2025

Last Publication: May 22, 2025 Publisher: Denver

Denver Probate Court Denver County, Colorado Court Address: 1437 Bannock St., Rm 230, Denver, CO 80202

In the Matter of the Estate of: JOCELYNE B. THOMAS, aka JOCELYN B. THOMAS, aka JOCELYNE THOMAS, and JOCELYN THOMAS

June F. Bourrillion

7550 W. Yale Avenue, Suite B202 Denver, CO 80227

Phone Number: (303) 331-3456

E-mail: June@juniperep.com

FAX Number: Atty. Reg. #: 34550 Case Number: 25 PR 30391

NOTICE OF HEARING BY PUBLICATION PURSUANT TO § 15-10-401, C.R.S.

To: Michael Edward Thomas Last Known Address, if any: CMHHIP, 1600 W. 24th St., Pueblo, CO 80100

A hearing on the Petition for Adjudication of Intestacy and Formal Appointment of Personal Representative for the appointment of a personal representative for the estate and a determination of heirs where there is no will.

(The Hearing) will be held at the following time and location or at a later date to which the hearing may be continued:

Date: June 20, 2025 Time: 8:00 a.m. Courtroom or Division: Rm 230 Address: 1437 Bannock St., Rm 230, Denver, CO 80202

The hearing will take approximately 1 hour.

Legal Notice No. DHD 3590

First Publication: May 15, 2025

Last Publication: May 29, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Robert Michael Leyba, aka Robert Leyba, aka Robert M. Leyba, Deceased Case Numbera: 2024PR692

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or

Public Notices

to the Denver Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before September 8, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Lisa Om, Personal Representative 8845 Lady Madonna Circle #207 Highlands Ranch, Colorado 80129

Legal Notice No. DHD 3578

First Publication: May 8, 2025

Last Publication: May 22, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Michael Stuart Clapp, aka Michael S. Clapp, aka Mike Clapp, Deceased Case Number: 25PR30461

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 23, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Loraine Kay Clapp

Personal Representative 1074 Berganot Trail Castle Pines, CO 80108

Legal Notice No. DHD 3608

First Publication: May 22, 2025

Last Publication: June 5, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of JAMES CLARK TANNER, aka JAMES C. TANNER, aka JAMES TANNER, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30305

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 15, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Lucinda Tanner, Personal Representative

2990 E 17TH AVE., APT 240 DENVER, CO 80206

Legal Notice No. DHD 3589

First Publication: May 15, 2025

Last Publication: May 29, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Branimir Gavrilovich, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30514

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 September 22, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Violeta Gavrilovich, Personal Representative c/o 3i Law, LLC

2000 S. Colorado Blvd. Tower 1, Suite 10000 Denver, CO 80222

Legal Notice No. DHD 3606

First Publication: May 22, 2025

Last Publication: June 5, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of William M. Plachte, Deceased Case Number 2025PR030201

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 31, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Laura Reinhardt, Personal Representative 12015 East Yale Avenue Aurora, CO 80014

Legal Notice No. DHD 3587

First Publication: May 15, 2025 Last Publication: May 29, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Diana J. Gurule, aka Diana Jean Gurule, aka Diana Gurule, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR111

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 15, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Paul H. Stevens, Esq., Atty. Reg. #25160 Attorney to the Personal Representative 9101 Pearl Street, Suite 218 Thornton, CO 80229 (303)280-9649 paulhstevensesq@yahoo.com

Legal Notice No. DHD 3582

First Publication: May 15, 2025

Last Publication: May 29, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Kevin Sean Ryan, a/k/a Kevin S. Ryan, a/k/a Kevin Ryan, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30300

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

September 22, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Michael C. Ryan, Personal Representative c/o Keith L. Davis, Esq. Davis Schilken, PC 1658 Cole Blvd., Ste. 200 Lakewood, CO 80401

Legal Notice No. DHD 3598

First Publication: May 22, 2025

Last Publication: June 5, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of JOHN K. DAVIS, III, also known as JOHN KYTLE DAVIS, III, aka JOHN KYTLE DAVIS, III, MD, aka JOHN K. DAVIS, aka JOHN DAVIS, aka JOHN DAVIS, III and JOHN KYTLE DAVIS Deceased Case Number: 2025PR030405

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 15, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Deborah Enoch Davis

Personal Representative 2400 E. Cherry Creek South Drive, #309 Denver, CO 80209

Legal Notice No. DHD 3586

First Publication: May 15, 2025

Last Publication: May 29, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Marion Hanson, aka Marion J. Hanson, aka Marion Jean Hanson, aka Marion D. Hanson, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30249

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 8, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Roberta Hanson

Personal Representative c/o Sigler & Nelson LLC 390 Union Blvd., Ste. 580 Lakewood, CO 80228

Legal Notice No. DHD 3576

First Publication: May 8, 2025

Last Publication: May 22, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Edeltraud Maria Krutsche, also known as Trudy M. Krutsche, also known as Trudy M. Robinson, Deceased

Case Number 2025PR030182.

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 September 15, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Diane Krutsche Williams

Personal Representative 1453 East Fair Place Centennial, Colorado 80121

Legal Notice No. DHD 3583

First Publication: May 15, 2025 Last Publication: May 29, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of TERRENCE JUDE HEYDEN, a.k.a. TERRENCE J. HEYDEN, a.k.a. TERRENCE HEYDEN, a.k.a. TERRY J. HEYDEN, a.k.a. TERRY HEYDEN, Deceased Case Number: 2025 PR 30557

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the Denver County Probate Court, Denver, Colorado, on or before September 22, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

TIMOTHY MICHAEL HEYDEN Personal Representative 136 Crown Royal Drive Williamsville, New York 14221 Telephone: 716-913-9471

Legal Notice No. DHD 3603

First Publication: May 22, 2025 Last Publication: June 5, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Florence L. Hardgrove, f/k/a Florence Valastak, Deceased Case Number 2025PR30306

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the on or before September 22, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Shirley McAthie, Personal Representative c/o M. Carl Glatstein, Esq. Glatstein & O'Brien, LLP 2696 S. Colorado Blvd., Ste 350 Denver, Colorado 80222

Legal Notice No. DHD 3607

First Publication: May 22, 2025 Last Publication: June 5, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Grant William Mauzy, a/k/a William Earl Oberwitte, Deceased

Public Notices

Case Number: 2025PR30386

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 8, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Louise Crow and Linda Axtell

Co-Personal Representatives

2018 S. Balsam Street Lakewood, CO 80227

Legal Notice No. DHD 3575

First Publication: May 8, 2025

Last Publication: May 22, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Jay Preston Fraser, a/k/a Jay P. Fraser, a/k/a Jay Fraser, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR030432

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 22, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Person Giving Notice: Janet A. Martin

7310 Island Circle Boulder, CO 80301

Legal Notice No. DHD 3604

First Publication: May 22, 2025

Last Publication: June 5, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of David B. Catlett, Deceased Case No. 2025PR30286

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or the Probate Court of the City and County of Denver, Colorado on or before September 22, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Cassandra Ann Catlett

Personal Representative

7796 W. 90th Drive Westminster, CO 80021

Legal Notice No. DHD 3601

First Publication: May 22, 2025

Last Publication: June 5, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Mary Ellen Bruce Marchand, aka Mary Ellen Marchand, aka Mary Ellen Bruce, aka Ellen Bruce Marchand, aka Ellen B. Marchand, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30536

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 October 5, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Gilbert Y. Marchand, Jr.

Personal Representative 3131 Washington Street Boulder, CO 80304

Legal Notice No. DHD 3597

First Publication: May 22, 2025

Last Publication: June 5, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of REBA RENEE PADILLA, a/k/a REBA R. PADILLA, a/k/a R. RENEE PADILLA, a/k/a RENEE PADILLA Deceased Case Number: 2025-PR-30427

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 8, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Christopher P. Seerveld, Attorney for Personal Representatie 8400 E Prentice Ave., Suite 1040

Greenwood Village, CO 80111

Legal Notice No. DHD 3574

First Publication: May 8, 2025

Last Publication: May 22, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of SANDI KIM TORRES, A/K/A SANDI K. TORRES, A/K/A SANDI TORRES, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR030438

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 & County of Denver, State of Colorado on or before September 22, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Ethan D. Torres,

Personal Representative of the Estate of Sandi Kim Torres 8100 W. Quincy Ave., Unit L10 Denver, CO 80123

Jeremy P. Cohen, Esq., Atty. Reg. #:15942

Attorney for Personal Representative Burns, Figa & Will, P.C. 6400 S. Fiddlers Green Circle, Ste. 1000 Greenwood Village, CO 80111

Phone Number: (303) 796-2626

E-mail: jcohen@bfwlaw.com

Legal Notice No. DHD 3595

First Publication: May 22, 2025

Last Publication: June 5, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of BRUCE LEE RODINE, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR83

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 16, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

RODNEY LORAN SCOHY

Personal Representative 400 GARLAND STREET LAKEWOOD, CO 80226

Legal Notice No. DHD 3577

First Publication: May 8, 2025

Last Publication: May 22, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of PATRICIA ANN HALE, a/k/a PATRICIA A. HALE, a/k/a PATRICIA HALE. a/k/a PAT ANN HALE, a/k/a PAT A. HALE, /k/a PAT HALE, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR221

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 September 15, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Cynthia Talley,

Personal Representative 154 W I-20 Access Road Longview, Texas 75603

Legal Notice No. DHD 3588

First Publication: May 15, 2025

Last Publication: May 29, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Caren Margaret Lane, aka Caren M. Lane, aka Caren Lane, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30291

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 September 15, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

s/ Rebecca Wallace Beattie Attorney for Holly Diane Lane, Personal Representative 6390 Gardenia Street, Suite 150 Arvada, CO 80004 303-384-0046 rebecca@wallacebeattie.com

Legal Notice No. DHD 3591

First Publication: May 15, 2025

Last Publication: May 29, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Judith Z. Steinberg, aka Judith Zee Steinberg, aka Judith Steinberg, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30392

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the Denver Probate Court, Denver County, Colorado on or before September 8, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Personal Representative:

Laura Steinberg

334 Hammond Street Chestnut Hill, MA 02467

Legal Notice No. DHD 3572

First Publication: May 8, 2025

Last Publication: May 22, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Eric Garcia, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR165

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 15, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Alan J. Garcia, Personal Representative 4336 S. Granby Way Aurora, CO 80015

Legal Notice No. DHD 3585

First Publication: May 15, 2025

Last Publication: May 29, 2025 Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of James Edward Schroeder, aka James E. Schroeder, aka James Schroeder, aka Jim E. Schroeder, aka Jim Schroeder, Deceased Case No.: 2025PR30471

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 22, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Tricia Seline, Personal Representative 718 Home Road

Delaware, OH 43015

Legal Notice No. DHD 3594

First Publication: May 22, 2025

Second Publication: May 29, 2025

Last Publication: June 5, 2025

Sports betting revenue keeps rising

Coloradans love to gamble on sports. And the addition of new ways to wager, like parlays and live bets, have helped to boost industry revenues, despite the randomness of sporting events that can leave sportsbooks occasionally at a loss. Because at the end of the day, the house rarely loses for long.

Gambling companies, including DraftKings and FanDuel, brought in $475 million in gross gaming revenue in Colorado last year (wagers minus payouts), a 21% increase over 2023, according to data from the Colorado Department of Revenue. It’s almost double the rate of revenue growth in 2023, which was 11%.

e new data shows the industry has yet to fully mature, about ve years after Colorado allowed the rst legal sports wagers. e increased interest in sports betting means more tax revenue for Colorado.

Last year, Colorado collected $31.9 million from those bets. And Colorado will get to keep all that money thanks to the recent passage of Proposition JJ, which allows the state to keep tax revenues over the previous TABOR-mandated cap of $29 million. e money goes to a variety of things, most notably for water plan projects.

Parlay bets increased profits It’s unclear if there are more people betting in Colorado or if the people betting are just wagering more. One of the biggest changes in the industry is the growth of parlay bets, where gamblers string together a series of things like: Nuggets to win,

Nikola Jokić to record a 30-point game, and total points to go over 200 points. It’s a higher-risk, higher-reward bet that the apps heavily promote through incentives, like bigger payo s.

Parlays are a win-win for the industry. “ ese parlays make the sportsbooks more money, but people also like to bet them; it’s more fun for the bettor,” said Ryan Butler, who covers the industry for Covers, a gambling website.

ere are many apps on o er in Colorado for sports bets, but DraftKings and FanDuel now control about 70 percent of the U.S. betting market, in part because they added enticing parlay options to their apps. “So DraftKings and FanDuel created that technology quicker than anyone else, that’s why they rose to the top,” said Butler.

He said younger bettors in particular prefer parlay bets. “ ey just like the lottery ticket aspect of it.”

e vast majority of sports gamblers will not develop an addiction, the national rate is estimated at up to 3 percent. But there’s concern that addiction rates are higher among young men, who are growing up with unlimited sports gambling on their phone.

Colorado has granted millions to behavioral health providers and educational campaigns. e Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission announced $2.9 million in grants in February, up from $2 million the year before.

Beyond parlays

e sportsbook has long been a relatively small part of casino pro ts, so the app developers are looking ahead to a more

State aims to have

e families of about 450,000 Colorado students in preschool through 12th grade received extra grocery money from the state this month to cover the cost of food during summer break.

e $120 per child preloaded onto electronic bene ts cards is part of the Summer EBT program for children from lowincome families. In addition to the families that have already received the bene ts, state o cials expect to provide the grocery bene t, which is mostly funded by the federal government, to around 50,000 more students through the summer. Last year, many families received their

lucrative business: fully online casinos, things like poker and blackjack, not just sports.

“Everything is based o of that goal,” said Butler.

Only a handful of states allow online casino games, but they are hugely pro table. In the rst quarter of this year, DraftKings reported $881 million in sports betting revenue across 25 states and Washington DC, and $423 million revenue in the just ve states that allow it to operate casino games online.

Any such plan would face a lot of hurdles in Colorado. e handful of physical casinos operating in the state, which are mandated by law to be located in three historic mining towns, would likely ght any proposal to expand online gambling to phone apps.

Sports are unpredictable

While last year saw large growth in sports bets and revenue, there are periods when the house loses. In Colorado, sports gaming revenues dropped 20 percent in March, compared to March of last year.

Sportsbooks said that’s because more favorites won than anticipated in the recent March Madness men’s basketball tournament. DraftKings reported that more than 80 percent of favorites won, the most in more than 40 years. And bettors tend to put their money on the favorites.

at’s just the nature of sports.

“ at’s why people watch sports and want to bet on sports, it’s part of what makes the customer experience great,” said Jason Robins, CEO of DraftKings, on a Friday investor conference call. “So there

Summer

Summer EBT bene ts late, sometimes just as the new school year was starting. But this year is di erent, with most families getting the money on May 1.

Rolling out the Summer EBT program is among several steps Colorado leaders have taken in recent years to reduce the number of children who go hungry. In 2022, voters approved a ballot measure to provide free school meals to the state’s public school students regardless of family income. e program has been so popular, it’s cost more than state o cials anticipated.

In an e ort to sustain the program amid serious state budget troubles, lawmakers found the money to keep the program fully funded through December. ey’ll also send two ballot measures to voters in

Public Notices

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Darwin Goltz, a/k/a Darwin D. Goltz, a/k/a Darwin Donald Goltz, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30385

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, 8 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Ryan D. Goltz and Jason D. Goltz

Co-Personal Representatives

c/o M. Carl Glatstein, Esq. Glatstein & O'Brien, LLP

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

Legal Notice No. DHD 3573

First Publication: May 8, 2025

Last Publication: May 22, 2025

Publisher: Denver Herald-Dispatch

November that, if approved, would raise enough additional money to continue the program after December.

Colorado students in public school preK-12 are eligible for Summer EBT cards if their families receive public bene ts such as SNAP, Medicaid, or Colorado Works, or if they qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. (Although free school meals are now o ered to public school students regardless of family income, most schools still ask families to ll out free or reducedprice meal eligibility forms or similar forms that gauge family income.)

State o cials anticipate that more than 500,000 Colorado children in preschool through 12th grade will receive Summer EBT bene ts this summer. Most received

are periods where you’re gonna have quarters two, three in a row sometimes with bad outcomes.”

Colorado bettors are the best?

Butler has data on hold percentage by state, and Colorado has the lowest hold percentage in the U.S. Hold percentage is the money that sportsbooks keep for every dollar wagered.

“So one can extrapolate that Colorado has the best bettors,” said Butler. “It makes sense: higher education level, really loyal fans, pretty a uent demographic.”

So when it comes to sports betting, Colorado is winning in more ways than one. is story is from CPR News, a nonpro t public broadcaster serving Colorado. Used by permission. For more, and to support Colorado Public Radio, visit cpr.org.

EBT rolled out on time

or will receive the money automatically. But some — including those who recently moved to Colorado or enrolled in a new school — may have to ll out an application on the Colorado Department of Human Services website.

Students who’ve misplaced their existing bene ts card should call the Summer EBT support center at 800-536-5298 to get a new card sent.

Children in families that receive Summer EBT cards can still take advantage of free summer meals at local schools or other sites.

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

Public Notice

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of DOROTHY J. ROSENBLATT, a/k/a DOROTHY JACOBS ROSENBLATT, a/k/a DOROTHY ROSENBLATT, a/k/a DOROTHY JACOBS, a/k/a DOROTHY BERNICE ROSENBLATT, a/k/a DOROTHY B. ROSENBLATT, Deceased

Case Number: 2025PR030519

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 September 22, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.

Joe L. Silver, Personal Representative c/o Dan A. Sciullo, Esq. Spencer Fane LLP

1700 Lincoln St., #2000 Denver CO 80203

Legal Notice No. DHD 3600

First Publication: May 22, 2025

Last Publication: June 5, 2025

A football betting board shows the odds of weekends-worth of games. Betting companies continue to post record revenues from sports betting in Colorado. SHUTTERSTOCK

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.