Elbert County News 1224

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December 24, 2020

ELBERT COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

ElbertCountyNews.net

VOLUME 125 | ISSUE 47

COVID-19 rules draw opposition from group Hundreds gather to talk about possible legal actions to fight state restrictions Dale Trujillo, owner of the Blu Note Bar & Grill and the soon-to-open Wild Goose Saloon, both in Parker, sees restrictions on PHOTO BY NICK PUCKETT indoor dining caused by the pandemic as an opportunity to improve upon other aspects of his businesses.

zly Rose. However, the veteran restaurateur wants the Wild Goose to compete regionally to book popular country, folk and bluegrass artists touring through town. He even has his own mechanical bull.

Nearly 200 people gathered at the Kiowa Creek Community Church Dec. 13 to discuss possible legal actions against Gov. Jared Polis and the state of Colorado, arguing that officials have taken away constitutional rights such as the freedom to gather and freedom of religion due to increased restrictions within Elbert County as the number of positive COVID-19 cases pushed the county into level red-severe risk on the COVID dial framework.

The informational meeting was organized by resident Maggie

SEE SALOON, P4

SEE GROUP, P5

A place for beer and barbecue Wild Goose Saloon to host local and major-touring artists

BY NICK PUCKETT NPUCKETT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A western-themed bar and barbecue joint poised to host nationally touring musicians is scheduled to open in the Hilltop area of Parker this spring.

The Wild Goose Saloon will open in April, owner Dale Trujillo said Dec. 4. Trujillo, who also owns Blu Note Bar & Grill, envisions the bar to compete with music venues throughout Denver.

Trujillo refutes any comparisons of his new restaurant to the Griz-

INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 8 | LIFE: PAGE 10 | CALENDAR: PAGE 11

BY TABATHA STEWART SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

NEW TRADITIONS Families find new ways to celebrate the holidays P10

2 Elbert County News

December 24, 2020D

Heightened anxiety, depression test communities COVID-19 pandemic erodes mental health across state

BY TINA GRIEGO AND SUSAN GREENE COLORADO NEWS COLLABORATIVE

On Denver’s west side, an elderly man had been managing his solitude just fine until the COVID-19 pandemic hit, taking with it what social life he had and leaving in its place a loneliness he had not felt for years. Not far from his house, a young woman fights panic attacks after COVID-19 killed her grandfather and landed her in the hospital.

Now, she fears the virus will come for her again and this time she will die.

In Fort Collins, the school district announces an early return to online learning, and moments later, a struggling mother calls the local mental health center: “I can’t do this again.”

On the Eastern Plains is a thirdgeneration farmer, and if the pandemic does not weigh on him heavily, this year’s record drought and the crop failure it caused do. It sets off an irritability and dread that words do not capture in the same way they cannot capture the layering of crises that marks this time: the body blows dealt by the pandemic, the shaky economy, climate-change driven fire and drought, civil rights reckoning and a polarizing election.

Coloradans are on edge. As indi-

CALL FOR HELP Whatever you are going through, crisis counselors and professionally trained peer specialists are available to help.

Call the Colorado Crisis Service hotline at 1-844-493-TALK (8255). There is no wrong reason to reach out. viduals. As families. As communities. Colorado already had greater demand for behavioral health services than it could provide. And the safety net that even the state’s top mental health official says has “too many holes” might be further frayed by the tight state budget.

These crises have led to a welldocumented flood of calls to crisis and referral lines, and nearly half of Coloradans recently reported experiencing anxiety or depression.

“Everyone is really struggling with the same things,” says Kristen Cochran-Ward, director of Connections, a mental health and substance abuse program at the Health District of Northern Larimer County.

“I have heard people saying that we are all in the same boat. We are not all in the same boat. We are all in the same storm. And some people might be in a cruise ship and some might be on a tire raft.”

To capture the current psyche of our state, Colorado Community Media is partnering with nearly 100 others through the Colorado News Collaborative (COLab) to document how Coloradans are coping. Our hope is that in a state

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where stigma around mental health struggles runs high, this reporting and the conversations that follow will prompt better understanding of widely misunderstood and hidden experiences.

If there is a silver lining to this time — and we choose to believe there is — it is the realization that even if we find ourselves isolated, we are not alone.

“This has affected all of our wellbeing, all of us,” says Dr. Carl Clark, president and CEO of the Mental Health Center of Denver. “So, I think it has kind of washed away that us-them thing around mental health. I think it is making people realize: ‘Hey, it’s not us-them. It’s us.’”

‘Too many holes in the net’

Colorado was in poor shape to handle 2020’s confluence of crises.

This year’s heightened mental health needs have run headlong into a complex, ever-shifting constellation of decades-old challenges: the state’s higher-than-average prevalence of high-risk mental health conditions; a backlog of demand caused by a thicket of red tape among state agencies and private insurers; a behavioral health workforce shortage compounded by low rates of psychiatrists and psychologists who accept public or private insurance; cultural stigma; and slow public and political recognition that mental health is as important as physical health.

For communities of color that have a history of trauma and lack of access to health care, the need has been especially acute.

The Colorado Health Institute has been surveying residents about behavioral health and access to care since 2009 and found the situation generally deteriorating ever since.

Based on its data, 870,000 Coloradans were in significant distress in 2019.

Nationally, Colorado has the third highest prevalence of mental illness among adults, according to the most recent annual report by Mental Health America. That report, based on data from 2017 and 2018, also finds Colorado has the nation’s highest percentage of adults with substance abuse disorders and the third-highest percentage of adults considering suicide. Colorado’s suicide rate hit nearly 22 per 100,000 in 2018 compared to an average of 14 per 100,000 people nationally. Our national rankings for young people are not much better.

Theories about what explains Colorado’s grim statistics run the gamut from altitude to higher rates of gun ownership to a culture of Western self-reliance that downplays emotions.

“‘Pull yourself up by your bootstraps’ is probably the most misleading statement ever,” says Colorado Department of Human Services Office of Behavioral Health chief Robert Werthwein, noting the credo wrongly assumes mental health hinges solely on individual will rather than on genetics, brain chemistry, trauma and other factors.

State government is partially responsible, Werthwein says bluntly.

A recent study by the Colorado Department of Human Services finds fault with a bureaucracy in which 10 different state agencies run 75 different behavioral health programs, with hundreds of funding streams, thousands of billing rules, and no shared vision for care. Seventyfive programs “means there are 74 wrong doors,” Werthwein says.

“There are too many holes in the net.”

Some of the most gaping are sparsely populated communities, many of which have disproportionately high overdose and suicide cases and high rates of stigma around mental health challenges. The need for counseling or treatment doubled or tripled in many rural counties over the past six years.

In the state study of Colorado’s behavioral health system, lack of access to care was repeatedly cited as the greatest problem. Even as COVID began its spread, the state legislature cut hoped-for expansions of pilot programs and new money for mental health and substance abuse programs targeting people living in underserved communities and youth and adults in the criminal justice system.

The roar

Colorado’s first recorded COVID death — an elderly woman in El Paso County — came on March 13.

The state went under lockdown 12 days later.

People who could work from home did. Behavioral health care providers pivoted to telephone or video sessions. The number of people seeking help dipped across the state’s 17 regional behavioral health centers in what care providers describe as a calm before the storm.

By mid-April, unemployment claims had skyrocketed — a red flag among mental health experts who know job loss can lead to suicide, so-called “deaths of despair.” While the caseloads at some behavioral health centers remain below last year’s levels, the urgency of the need has deepened, providers say.

Under the weight of uncertainty and isolation, “what was once acute has become very acute, and what was very acute has become SEE ANXIETY, P9

Elbert County News 3

0December 24, 2020

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4 Elbert County News

December 24, 2020D

SALOON FROM PAGE 1

The Wild Goose will have a bigger kitchen than the Blu Note and will serve mostly barbecue dishes.

Construction began at the project site, at 11132 and 11160 S. Pikes Peak Drive, Dec. 7.

The Wild Goose Saloon will open one-half mile north of Trujillo’s original Parker endeavor, the Blu Note, which opened in 2019.

The Wild Goose Saloon will have a plethora of entertainment options.

The restaurant will have 10 TVs: six at 72 inches, three at 120 inches and one 192 inches wide. Plans also call for two stages, two dance floors, fire pits, a covered outdoor patio, a corn hole area, a volleyball court, a Spikeball area and Jenga. A mechanical bull will also be a regular feature at the Wild Goose.

Trujillo is using a meat smoker he bought for the Wild Goose to add smoked brisket and turkey to the menu. Trujillo said when Wild Goose opens, they will need to find ways to differentiate the two menus.

Before the initial shutdown orders in March, Trujillo saw his two new restaurants filling a void in Parker’s nightlife scene. He wanted to make Blu Note a place for people to enjoy fancy cocktails and listen to live jazz while taking in the dim, cool atmosphere of the bar. Trujillo avoided the words “bar” or “restaurant” to describe the Blu Note when it first opened, instead insisting “lounge” was a better description. When the pandemic struck, Trujillo had to im-

Dale Trujillo, owner of the Blu Note Bar & Grill in Parker, leads customers to the restaurant’s outdoor patio Dec. 4.

provise in order to keep his business afloat—and more importantly keep his employees on the payroll.

“It sucks for my employees,” Trujillo said. “I care about these kids. I always have and I do and I embrace them as — maybe ‘family’ is a strong word, but it’s kind of like that.”

Trujillo has stayed busy through the pandemic, revising the Blu Note’s to-go menu and squaring away the restaurant’s outdoor patio.

The Blu Note opened in the Hilltop neighborhood in 2019 as a jazz and blues lounge. Trujillo is determined to keep the initial theme of the res-

PHOTO BY NICK PUCKETT

taurant, focusing on drinks, music and atmosphere.

“I want people to think of us today how they think of us a year from now,” he said.

For more information on the Wild Goose Saloon, visit its Facebook page.

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Elbert County News 5

0December 24, 2020

Republican confirmed winner in DA race

BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Republican John Kellner was confirmed the victor over Democrat Amy Padden in a close contest for 18th Judicial District attorney after the state completed a mandatory recount in the race.

Kellner secured 50.12% of the vote, or 287,402 ballots, while Padden garnered 49.88%, or 285,977 votes. The district comprises Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties.

Kellner, who will succeed Kellner Republican George Brauchler, celebrated with a statement on social media.

“It’s official! The recount is complete across all four counties and I’ll be taking the oath of office as the next DA of the 18th Judicial District on Jan. 12. Thank you to everyone who helped make this possible,” Kellner wrote on Twitter.

Padden conceded on Dec. 5, still waiting on results from Lincoln County but expecting a final margin of 1,425 votes, or

less than 0.25% difference.

In a release, Padden’s campaign pointed to the number of registered voters in the district — 27.5% are Democrats and 30.3% Republicans — and that 21,000 more Republicans cast ballots in the race than Democrats.

“We ran a positive, policybased campaign that resonated with hundreds of thousands of voters. I am eternally grateful to my family, my team, and our amazing group of supporters for all their support,” Padden said in a statement.

Padden said she has offered Kellner her help in implementing reforms promised on the campaign trail.

The candidates had squared off touting their experience and ability to helm the state’s most populous judicial district amid nationwide calls for criminal justice reform.

Kellner has pledged to make more data available than what the district publishes today regarding criminal justice statistics and demographics of people in the system. He also promised community town halls and an external audit of prosecutorial data to check the system for implicit bias.

GROUP FROM PAGE 1

Witherbee, a retiree who said she, along with many of her friends, has become concerned about the loss of freedoms being dictated by the state mandates.

“We are a group of ladies who are following what’s going on, and we became aware of a group called Make Americans Free Again,” said Witherbee. “We were interested in finding out what other people were doing to regain their freedoms, and to give people in Elbert County another point of view as far as their options.”

Witherbee distributed a flier called Elbert County STANDS UP, and it circulated through social media. She had no idea that nearly 200 people would show up. Attendees heard from Chennan Clubine-Collins, the Colorado state director for Make Americans Free Again.

MAFA’s goal states “we’re taking our country back from government tyranny, and assisting states in starting lawsuits like the landmark suit in Ohio.”

The Ohio suit, filed in October against Gov. Mike DeWine, the state of Ohio and the department of health for Ottawa County, Ohio, asks for a “preliminary injunction against all current state actions and orders in Ohio issued under the COVID-19 Emergency Declaration and against the declaration itself,” and “We further ask the Court to review this emergency declaration and request for preliminary injunction under the strict scrutiny standard of review since fundamental Constitu-

tional rights have been abridged under the guise of the emergency actions.”

Lawsuits like the one in Ohio, according to Witherbee, may be the best action for Elbert County residents and Coloradans, to put an end to the restrictions she believes are shutting down the economy and driving businesses to close their doors.

“I agree that we need to protect our vulnerable people,” said Witherbee.

“But the response has been over the top, and is killing some of our businesses. Class action lawsuits are being filed in various places, and the way they’re phrasing this is crimes against humanity.”

Attendees also heard about harmful effects of lockdown and restrictions, and engaged in discussion about why they believe their constitutional rights are being ignored. They also discussed resisting vaccine mandates.

Elbert County commissioners and Elbert County Sheriff Tim Norton have said they will not actively enforce restrictions placed on the county by the state, and will continue to allow residents to make decisions about personal gatherings or attending houses of worship. However, the state of Colorado has the ability to enforce restrictions, including closing a business down, taking away liquor licenses or imposing fines.

Witherbee said the overwhelming response to the meeting was a good starting point, but raised more questions that need to be addressed. A second meeting has been scheduled for Jan. 3, from 2-4 p.m. at the Kiowa Creek Community Church. Interested residents can email elbertcosu@yahoo.com, or visit www.protectelbertcounty.org for more information.

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December 24, 2020D

TAKE OUT

Local singer releases debut EP Kristi Hoopes, 22, formerly on ‘The Voice,’ talks about milestone

BY NICK PUCKETT NPUCKETT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Editor’s note: This article has been edited for length. To read the full interview, visit ColoradoCommunityMedia.com.

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Parker country singer Kristi Hoopes released her first EP Nov. 25, a culmination of two years of fundraising efforts.

“Life of the Party” is available for download on Apple Music. Three years removed from appearing on the singing competition show “The Voice,” Hoopes, 22, began work right away on her first record. Her first single, “Don’t Worry Mama,” was released Aug. 21, her first piece of original music since 2014, she said.

Hoopes, a Legend High School graduate, competed on Season 13 of “The Voice” in 2017. She began the fundraising efforts for her EP in 2018 via Indiegogo. She graduated from Middle Tennessee State University and lives in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, with her fiancé, Tucker Huseth.

Colorado Community Media spoke with Hoopes about her milestone accomplishment, and the

Parker country singer Kristi Hoopes released her first EP Nov. 25.

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work yet to be done.

What have you been up to in the past few months?

I’ve been absorbed with the whole EP release. Most of it is getting the CD and merchandise products. It’s been crazy getting everything together and preparing for the release.

That’s pretty much been absorbing 100% of my time.

Do you still find time to work on your music?

When I do get those spare moments and my brain needs a break, it goes to writing music. In the middle of all this, I’ve been writing new music and working on the next thing, so there’s been a lot of balls juggling in the air.

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Elbert County News 7

0December 24, 2020

Kiowa takes slender budget into new year Tough choices are driven by lost revenue, failed tax measure

BY TABATHA STEWART SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

With Kiowa residents voting against a 1.5 percent sales tax increase in November, and the COVID-19 pandemic causing a decrease in projects that would purchase water from the town, the 2021 budget is looking pretty lean, according to Town Administrator Maria Morales. The good news, however, is since the town no longer funds a police department, money historically used for law enforcement will now be used to improve roads.

“This year has been challenging,” said Morales. “With the water authority we are not getting as much revenue as we’ve had in the past, mainly because we sell a lot of bulk water to Limon and surrounding towns. With COVID, a lot of projects stopped, so we’re not able to sell bulk water. In prior years we were looking at more than $100,000, this year we’re going to end up with about $30,000.”

Morales said funding for the police department was just over $80,000 each year. That money will now be used to replace and pave roads.

“Since we don’t have a police department, we’re going to have more money to actually replace parts of road that need asphalt,” said Morales. “This year we only had $40,000 and we did the alleys, and an emergency fix on cracks throughout the town. Next year we are going to tackle starting to repair roads and replace asphalt.

That’s the biggest thing happen-

ing with the 2021 budget.”

Between the general fund, conservation trust fund, road and street fund, water operations fund and the sewer operations fund, the town’s balance heading into the new year is just $298,333. Salaries and wages projected for 2021 are budgeted at $89,000, a majority of which is paid for through the state of Colorado for Morales’ salary, through a Local Government Management Program, which trains retired military personnel to serve in local government roles. Morales’ salary will be paid through the program for another three years.

In 2020 the town paid $20,000 for dispatch services for an IGA repayment, and $10,000 for code enforcement. The 2021 projection allows for only $4,000 total for any law enforcement related expenses.

Morales said they had to get creative in 2020, and 2021 is looking even more challenging.

“In the past we have had public works conduct some of our water chores,” said Morales. “This year I took my public works out of the water authority and we have switched around job descriptions so my utility clerk is going to be doing meter reading.”

Morales said some projects will have to be put on the back burner due to the decrease in revenue coming in for 2020.

“The town is aware of the very expensive water tower we have, we still have a $5 million debt,” said Morales. “Our draining and water system is old, we are trying to change that. But the fact that we didn’t make that much money pushes things off. We have sewer lines that need to get cleaned, and we are tentatively speaking to a developer to build homes, but because of the location of the water tower we need to have another well.”

What’s going on in my hometown?

From special events to local politics, We’ve got you covered.

Keep It Up, Douglas County!

COVID safety measures help restaurants stay open. Thank you for your continued support. Servers and staff appreciate your gratuity. Learn more at douglas.co.us/douglascovid19/ keep-it-up-douglas-county

COVID-19 Impact Grants available Applications are being accepted for the Restaurant and Indoor Event Venue Grant and Small Business Grant Programs until Dec. 30. Grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. To review eligibility details and deadlines for each program and apply visit douglas.co.us/cares-act

Community COVID-19 testing events COVID-19 swabbing and antibody testing with or without health insurance are available at locations throughout the County. To preregister and to learn more visit douglas.co.us/covid19-testing/events.

For information about other testing providers visit douglas.co.us/covid19-testing-locations

Do it online, Douglas!

Residents and businesses may access more than 60 online services. For your convenience drop boxes are also available for Assessor, Motor Vehicle and Recording services, Visit douglas.co.us/covid19 for more details and drop box locations.

Christmas tree recycling For drop-off locations, times and dates, as well as instructions on how to prepare a tree for recycling, visit douglas.co.us and search for Christmas tree recycling.

Funds available to veterans

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Emergency assistance is available for veterans struggling with housing (mortgage/rent), transportation, employment, healthcare or other emergency needs. To apply for the veterans assistance funds visit douglasveterans.org or call 303.663.6200.

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8 Elbert County News

LOCAL

December 24, 2020D

VOICES Looking near and near for the best things in life

A

nnually I submit a list of things that make (my) life worth living and it’s usually a snap to write. After all, why wouldn’t life be worth living?

Then 2020 showed QUIET up. It walked in DESPERATION the door wearing muddy boots and talked with its mouth full. Just about everything we did without thinking twice was inverted, reversed, changed, canceled, restricted, even Craig Marshall haircuts.

If you are reading Smith this, you’ve made it this far. Close to 300,000 did not. The number of pandemic-related cases is in the millions.

In the past, I tried to go beyond obvious examples: my dog, films, music, friendship.

When I began scribbling down nominees for this year’s list, I thought about digging deeper.

But why?

Nothing in 2020 was more important or meaningful to me than Harry, whose complete obliviousness to current events was the finest antidote on the market.

Harry doesn’t know that 2020 has been any different than 2019, 2018, or 2017, the year he was born.

He doesn’t know and he doesn’t care.

If you have a 3-year-old son or daughter it’s likely they’re out of the loop too. But one of these days, you will have some explaining to do.

I will never have to explain anything to Harry. But if I did, what would I tell him?

It’s been inexplicable.

This year has brought out the very best in people — and the worst. For every affirmative story about man and womankind, there’s an equal and opposite.

I’m one of the lucky ones. A friend said, “You’ve been social distancing your whole life,” and she’s right.

A pandemic doesn’t impact a retired recluse the same way it does an employed extrovert.

But I haven’t taken any chances.

No restaurants, no gatherings, games, concerts, parties, picnics.

Harry and I have two or three walks a day. And two or three films.

I keep a long cue: mostly ones that were made before movies became soused with special effects and gore.

A friend half my age sends me a “Song of the Day,” and it’s generally a song by someone I’ve never heard of.

Invariably she introduces me to a performer or a band I can appreciate without wincing. Have you heard of Phoebe Bridges?

We both like Nina Simone. Django Reinhardt. And Bob Dylan, who just sold his entire songwriting catalog to Universal Music. For an estimated $300 million.

As for friendship this year? It’s been emails, by the hundreds, and daily from some of my best friends.

Artist Mark Friday and I exchange complete drivel: wordplay, puns and jokes.

We created lists of our favorite humorists: on film, television, record, in print.

Bob and Ray, Groucho Marx, W.

C. Fields, Steve Martin, Steven Wright, Dorothy Parker, Nichols and May, Dick Van Dyke, Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Oscar Levant, Soupy Sales, Fran Lebowitz, Leslie Nielsen, Bill Murray, Rudy Giuliani.

He’s a Three Stooges man. I’m not.

Some days, one of us will initiate a random topic, like a vegetable.

What evolves is drivel, sophomoric, anecdotal, epigrammatic, ironic, satirical, hyperbolic, irreverent or droll.

Our correspondences have been tonic. Restoratives.

When I see I have an email from him, I know what I’m in for: a smile.

However, we’re both conscientious enough to know that a lot of what is going on in the world and United States can’t be compromised with a quip.

What makes life worth living?

Life.

Craig Marshall Smith is an artist, educator and Highlands Ranch resident. He can be reached at craigmarshallsmith@comcast.net.

Waking up each day knowing we are making a difference

T

he inspiration for this week’s column comes from a movie I had watched over the weekend, “The Man Who Invented Christmas.” It is the story of Charles Dickens and how he came to write his book, “A Christmas WINNING Carol.” If you are WORDS looking for a great movie to watch, I highly recommend it.

The book was written in 1843.

And since its initial publishing, there have been more than 2 million Michael Norton copies sold here in the United States alone. The book has never been out of publication. More than 170 years later there have been hundreds of cartoons, movies, plays, and musicals that retell the story. As I finished watching the movie, I had the realization that Charles Dickens could have never known the lasting impact that his book would have on the world.

How do we view the work we are

A publication of

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doing today? How are we thinking about every conversation and interaction we are having with our family, our friends, through social media, and with strangers that we encounter? Our actions and behavior, what we say and how we say it, could very well have a long and lasting impact on the lives of those we live with, work with, or who we are connected to in some way. And they in turn could have a positive influence on the people in their own circles for years and generations to come.

In a virtual meeting that I was a part of this morning, I found myself being truly inspired by a young man who was a part of the call. As we greeted one another and introduced ourselves, the young man, his name is Jimmy, also included his own personal “why” behind what he does for a living. He shared that he wants to wake up each day knowing that he is making a difference in the world. The sincerity of his words was underscored when he shared with me a diagram that illustrated his priorities, values, and virtues that he aspired to be, do, and have. I firmly believe that

Jimmy’s impact on his own business, co-workers, family, friends, and customers will be felt for many years.

Being a difference-maker rarely happens accidentally. In most cases making a difference is a direct result of someone who was intentional about their actions and the words they chose to provide others with hope, encouragement, a hand up, or guidance. When we are intentional about the words we choose, we recognize that we can build others up by what we say. And we also understand that if we are not careful, our words can also cause great harm, tearing others down.

Unfortunately, the lasting impact of our thoughtlessness can last for years and generations as well.

At this time of year, many of us show our gratitude by doing our best to make a difference through acts of generosity. We search out opportunities where charitable contributions of our time, talents, and resources can make a difference for a family, an individual, or an organization. It doesn’t matter what we call it, at the end of the day it is about changing lives and doing our

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best to change or impact people and situations in a positive way.

We are all Charles Dickens in a way, aren’t we? Each one of us can leave a lasting impression upon the earth, bring happiness and joy to another person, provide a muchneeded smile, or give a hug, even if it is a virtual hug, to someone who could really use a hug right now.

And as we do, let us never minimize our ability or our capacity to make a difference, a difference that will be felt for 170 years or more.

How about you? Are you intentional about the impact that you have on others? Have you thought about how grateful others will be generations from now all because one day you changed someone’s life for the better? I would love to hear your story at mnorton@tramazing. com and when we start waking up each morning to be a differencemaker, it really will be a better than good life.

Michael Norton is the grateful CEO of Tramazing.com, a personal and professional coach, and a consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator to businesses of all sizes.

Columnists & Guest Commentaries Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Elbert County News.

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 Wed. for the following week’s paper.

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Elbert County News 9

0December 24, 2020

ANXIETY FROM PAGE 2

a crisis,” says Carl Nassar, founder of Heart-Centered Counseling, the largest private outpatient behavioral health group in the state. Our cups were already full, he says, and - now they are spilling over.

The smell of burning forests triggers an anxiety attack. A marital spat about the presidential election blows up into thoughts about divorce. A high school student descends into depression because he can’t hang out with friends. A young mom, cooped up with three little kids, crumbles.

At the pandemic’s beginning, families worried what might happen, what they might lose, says Janis Pottorff, the director of Weld County’s North Range Behavioral Health’s Family Connects program. “Now we have families who have lost things, lost livelihoods, lost relationships, maybe some have lost family — actual physical death — lost confidence that they can manage the day, they can manage the week.”

Pottorff notes that stress has spiked since the late-fall announcements of an early return to remote learning in some school districts.

“We are hearing that roar in families’ emotions.”

Among those for whom the roar of mental illness predated this year’s crises, increased isolation and the sudden inability to see their trusted providers in person have made things even harder.

An August poll by the Colorado Health Foundation found one in two Coloradans reported increased psychological strain — “anxiety, loneliness, stress” — as a result of the pandemic. A more recent U.S. Census Bureau snapshot survey found that from Oct. 28 to Nov. 9, about 43% of Coloradans reported symptoms of anxiety or depression over the previous seven days. Meane while, the number of monthly calls and texts to Colorado’s crisis line has climbed from nearly 16,000 in January to nearly 25,000 in October, a more than 50% increase. Most people are calling about anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts, some seeking immediate help, and others wanting information on providers or coping strategies.

“It’s called the Colorado Crisis hotline, but you define the crisis for yourself,” Werthwein says. “... I don’t want people not to call and say, ‘Well this doesn’t feel like a crisis,’ or ‘Other people are going through harder things ...’ No, call. It helps all of us the sooner that you call.”

But getting longer-term help can be tricky. It generally requires reams of paperwork and long waits for public providers or a string of calls to private providers who often don’t take insurance, are prohibitively expensive or not accepting new patients.

Pat Turner, a contractor in Meeky er, sat on his porch twisting wires in his hands and drinking most of June and July as he sank into severe depression. He began disassociating from reality. His search for help drew him into a labyrinth of hold times, packed waiting rooms, 200-mile round trips to the regional behavioral health center in Grand Junction, and a doctor failing to fol-

ABOUT THE SERIES This story is part of a statewide reporting project from the Colorado News Collaborative called On Edge. The intent is to foster conversation about mental health in a state where stigma runs high.

This project is supported in part by the Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Reporting and a grant honoring the memory of the late Benjamin von Sternenfels Rosenthal. low up after writing an antipsychotic prescription. His family found a private psychiatrist 90 miles away in Steamboat Springs who is helping treat Turner’s newly diagnosed bipolar disorder.

“We have a real problem if the system doesn’t treat a cry for help as an emergency,” Turner says. “My mania got so intense that if my family hadn’t been there to help, I’d probably still be out there in the abyss, potentially committing suicide or homicide or something.”

For every person known to be in crisis, experts say there are more who are not known: Coloradans without a support system, people experiencing cognitive or traumatic impacts from COVID, students in remote learning whose suffering is unnoticed by teachers and school counselors. Care providers are especially worried about people who have hunkered down, convinced they can just muscle through in silence.

day season defined by remaining apart rather than coming together.

And, as increased joblessness and evictions loom, a long winter awaits.

On the horizon are two glimmers of light: The promises of widely distributed COVID vaccines next year and of behavioral health reform in Colorado.

To tackle fragmentation, the state has been developing an online behavioral health registry — the first phase of which is expected to go live this April — with daily updates on available mental health and substance abuse disorder treatment.

The administration of Gov. Jared Polis also has created a blueprint for ensuring people who need help are treated like people and not boxes checked for reimbursement.

But at a time when state revenues are stretched, how much can be done and how quickly are open questions. The fractures in Colorado’s behavioral health systems have been decades in the making and will not be mended overnight.

“None of us know when we’re going to experience a mental health crisis, and when we do, many of us don’t know how few and poor the resources are to weather it, even in the best of times,” says Vincent Atchity, president and CEO of Mental Health Colorado, the leading

nonprofit pushing for state policy reform. “You can’t feel good about a community that fails to provide life sustaining support for people with serious mental health needs.”

This moment, he and other advocates say, presents not a hypothetical test of Colorado’s mental health policies, but an active emergency.

Now, they say, is the time to get comfortable with uncomfortable conversations — lots of them. Now is the time to speak more deeply with each other without shame and to listen without judgement, to ask for and offer help: Are you eating? Are you sleeping? What do you need? What can I do?

“Do we show who we are by finding each other’s humanity and finding solidarity or do we tear each other apart?” Atchity asks. Support networks are critical, he says. “Be sort of gardener-like about maintaining those relationships. Best to keep calling so-and-so when you’re not in crisis, so when you are, they’ll be there.”

At least for now, still in the thick of it, our surest safety nets may be each other.

This story is brought to you by COLab, the Colorado News Collaborative. If you’re struggling, help is available on Colorado’s crisis hotline. Call 1-844-493-TALK(8255).

Time to talk

A few months into the pandemic, the Mental Health Center of Denver began using the video game Minecraft to help some of the young people it serves. Two clinicians each lead eight children as they mine materials and build worlds. The game feeds their need to connect to other kids, to play and to create environments over which they have some power.

MHCD also expanded its telehealth appointments from about five a week to 4,000 a week, a remarkable pandemic-spurred shift among all behavioral health providers in the state. Lawmakers allocated about $13 million in federal CARES Act funding for COVID-related behavioral health needs for smart devices, telehealth needs and other resources, such as PPE for therapists to meet high-need clients in person safely. Another $2 million federal grant has been helping Coloradans who have tested positive for COVID receive behavioral health care.

Meanwhile, apps are allowing lonely singles to meet for coffee or cocktails online and for virtual meditation groups among strangers.

Social media, often divisive, also has become a place for callouts to check on one another and for admissions that things aren’t going well.

“I need something to look forward to,” a man in Broomfield wrote on a recent Facebook post that elicited dozens of emoji faces hugging hearts.

Yet despite innovative ways to connect, we are still hurting. As COVID tightens its grip, infecting record numbers of Coloradans, many of us have again retreated to our homes beset by compassion fatigue and Zoom fatigue and plain old fatigue fatigue. The divisive presidential election has given way to a divisive aftermath. We are girding for a holi-

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10 Elbert County News

December 24, 2020D

LOCAL

LIFE

Making do for the holidays Traditions change as celebrants face season unlike any other

BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO PALBANIBURGIO@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

F

rom her family’s locally famous light display to their traditional Christmas party — which usually includes around 75 people and even a hired Santa — Jennifer Shelton loves to go big on Christmas.

But this year, COVID-19 has led the Arvada resident to rethink her approach to the cherished holiday. The lights at her home 19275 W. 84th Place are already as bright as ever but there will be no party this December.

Instead, Shelton and her family are focused on enjoying some new, more pandemic-friendly festivities. So far, their agenda has included multiple movie nights and plenty of baking and crafting, with the family making plans to learn how to make their own Advent wreath for their Christmas table.

She’s also planning on having her mother-in-law over for a day of baking with her daughter, who has never

had time to learn the mother-in-law’s recipes.

“I’m just trying to keep the spirit alive even though we can’t do some of the stuff that we used to do,” Shelton said.

But while Shelton and her family are trying to make the most of this unusual holiday season, she said it’s still hard to not be able to enjoy more social activities like parties with friends and gift exchanges. That feels particularly true at the end of a difficult year that saw Shelton’s daughter spend 10 days in the hospital and her grandmother die of COVID-19.

Still, there also positives to a slower-paced holiday season, including more opportunities to spend more time with family and pause to be thankful for all she does have.

“Normally, I’m still shopping, but this year I already did all of my shopping online so I am able to spend time with my family and enjoy the season a little bit more by sitting down and watching movies and things like that,” she said. “I usually wouldn’t be able to do that because I would be running around like a crazy person.”

A cardboard tree

Given the risk posed by COVID-19,

Aleya Jean and her partner created this cardboard tree.

Aleya Jean and her partner will be staying home in Golden this Christmas. However, they plan on choosing another day in the future to “designate as Christmas” and will use it to go see family when it is safe to travel again.

In the meantime, however, Jean plans to enjoy the cardboard tree she constructed with her husband.

“That’s been a tradition for a few years, but now that we have so many Amazon boxes it was really easy,” Jean said. “And we didn’t have to go

COURTESY PHOTO

out and interact with people to purchase a real Christmas tree.”

A harder holiday for some

For Katie Bartlett, this Christmas will mean will mean putting on a brave face for her kids. That’s because COVID-19 has impacted her family’s income tremendously and left them behind on rent and utilities.

Still, they did some decorating inside and are planning to do the tree next.

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Elbert County News 11

0December 24, 2020

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Elbert County News 13

0December 24, 2020

FROM PAGE 10

“It is hard because as a parent you feel like a failure,” Bartlett said.

“Don’t get me wrong, we have plenty to be thankful for such as our health.

But it is still hard.”

Casey Romero, meanwhile, doesn’t know where she will be spending Christmas this year.

She and her family were hoping to drive out to South Carolina to bring her son, who is serving on a military base, home to Littleton for his first Christmas since moving away.

But the pandemic had other ideas and her son recently received word that he would not be allowed to travel more than 1,200 miles from his base as a result of increasing COVID-19 cases around the country.

“Now we are hoping to get approved to drive out there and see him maybe in a VRBO (vacation rental) with maybe socially distancing,” said Romero. “But right now we don’t really know if that will get approved, we are just hoping.”

If that doesn’t get approved, Romero said they will plan to lie low and find a way to “celebrate from afar.”

That will be a bummer, particularly since Romero has not been able to hug her son since he left for boot camp in May. Still, “it’s not great but there are worse things, and you have to take your wins where you have them,” she said.

“I do think people need to remember that our military personnel are very lonely right now,” Romero added. “We feel we have rights to do everything and see everybody but at the end of the day there are a lot of them who don’t get to see family. We have to be grateful for what we have.”

Communities changing course

Few Front Range cities are as synonymous with Christmas as Golden.

There, December weekends typically mean big crowds of shoppers during the day that become even bigger in the evening as people cram downtown to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus when the Olde Golden Christmas parades make their way through downtown.

This year, however, the city’s holiday planners are instead orienting the festivities around residents’ homes, while nodding to another

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

Old traditions get new life

But while COVID-19 is creating new traditions, it’s also providing fuel for existing ones to grow as they take on new meaning at a time when so many are spending the holidays apart.

Three years ago, Chris Hohenstein began adding his own ornament to a growing collection that he noticed on a couple of trees along the Ralston Creek Trail near his home. This year there seem to be more ornaments than ever on the trees, which are located along the trail a couple turns west of Eldridge Street.

“It’s a wonderful hometown-type tradition that someone started in the neighborhood and everyone seems to enjoy and keep going year after year,” said Hohenstein. “And it’s just a wonderful treat to see as you are out for a walk on the trail.”

Answers

Solution © 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.

HOLIDAYS

canceled favorite, the Candlelight Walk. During that event, residents would gather to go caroling down Golden’s main street, Washington Avenue, with a candle in hand.

“This year we are handing out these battery-operated commemorative candles and we are asking everyone to place one in their window and light it every night at 7 to show that unity that we have in the community, and that even though we can’t come together we are all still together,” said Nola Krajewski, the head of the Golden Chamber of Commerce.

The cancellation of Golden’s parade also means that local kids did get the chance to march in it with Santa.

But they were still able to be sworn in as official “Golden Christmas elves” during the annual Golden Elf Academy. Organizer Stacy Fowler said she was happy to turn the event virtual this year.

Other communities are also planning their own shows of holiday togetherness amidst the separation required by the pandemic.

In Westminster, Arvada, Centennial and other communities, residents have been circulating a Facebook post asking “everyone to step out on their doorsteps to spread Christmas sprit and help Santa fly his sleigh” at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve. “After this awful year, it would be an amazing memory for the kids and the communities,” the post reads.

“End 2020 with a bit of magic, hope and togetherness.”

THANKS for

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14 Elbert County News

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Elbert County News 15

0December 24, 2020

SINGER FROM PAGE 6

With live performances out of the picture, how are you working around promoting your EP?

It’s been strange, for sure. Not being able to tour on (the EP) was an unforeseen part of the release.

The workaround for that: I have more video content planned that was filmed live to show people what it would sound like in a live setting.

I’m also doing a lot Skype concerts.

Quite a few people who contributed to the EP got a Skype or Facetime concert. I’m looking forward to that as well. It’s going to be a small setting. I’ll have two people backing me up. We’ll all be wearing masks and all those things.

What’s the next thing you’re working on?

We’re already working on the next — I don’t know if it’s going to be the next record or next set of singles, but I’ve already been in the process of tracking and writing

what I want in this next project.

I’m looking into something that leans into more of that countryfunk style — that’s something I’ve really grasped onto. I really want to lean into that country-funk sound. I’m excited to work on a project that goes a little deeper in that sound.

Have you received a lot of support from people in Parker?

I’ve had an old teacher from Legend (High School) and Iron Horse (Elementary) reach out to me and

send just the sweetest messages. It’s just cool to be remembered in that way and to have people from your hometown acknowledge that they knew all the way back then— and to have all their support... For them to still be following, still be engaging after all this time is just the greatest blessing. There’s no way to thank people properly for all that.

The best way is to just keep creating music that they love. I’m just so grateful that so many people from my hometown have been so supportive.

www.ColoradoCommunityMedia.com/Notices

PUBLIC NOTICES

Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088 Public Notice

Legals

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Robert H. Frank, Deceased Case Number: 2020PR30030

Notice to Creditors

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the Elbert County Combined Court, Probate Division, Colorado on or before April 19, 2021, or the claims may be forever barred.

legals@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Robert C. Frank, Personal Representative 599 Legacy Trail Elizabeth, CO 80107 Legal Notice No. 24521 First Publication: December 17, 2020 Last Publication: December 31, 2020 Publisher: The Elbert County News

Happy Holidays!

###

Elbert County Warrants.

Public Notice GENERAL FUND HEALTH FUND ROAD & BRIDGE FUND SALES & USE FUND LEAF FUND HUMANS SERVICE FUND GRANT FUND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND TOTAL ALL FUNDS

010 015 020 025 040 050 060 075

Vendor Name 1st Ayd Corporation A And E Tire Inc A Pest Control Co. AAA Colorado Aarms Abila Advanced Quality Auto Repair Afd Pavement Marking Llc Aflac Airgas Intermountain All Stitched Up Allison Brittsan Amazon Capital Services Inc American Elevator Professionals Llc American Fidelity Assurance Company American Fidelity Health Services Administration American Security Cabinets Andrew Lorensen Applied Concepts Attenti Us Inc Auto Chlor System Of Denver Axiom Human Resource Solutions Inc. Bank Of The West Barry Mitchell Bender Menders Berg Hill Greenleaf And Ruscitti Black Hills Energy Blue Tarp Financial Inc Bradford Eidt Brannan Aggregates Carolyn Burgener Casey Craven Castle Rock Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Cdw Government Centurylink Certified Laboratories Christian Construction Christopher Cotner Chsda Cintas Corporation Cliff Mcknight Colorado Assessors Association Colorado Barricade Co Colorado Bureau Of Investigation Concj1522 Colorado Community Colorado Division Of Fire Prevention and Control Colorado State University Extension Comcast Consolidated Communications Control Solutions Inc Correct Care Solutions County Health Pool Curtis Stanko D And D Tire Service Inc Dan Rains Daniel A Michalak Daniel Defense Inc

Description Amount Fuel $398.16 Tires 6,939.89 Blding Repairs 847.00 State County Administration 165.00 Software 175.00 Software 4,834.06 Auto Rep 2,392.52 Paint/Stripping 21,456.00 Benefits Payable 1,595.31 Welding Supplies 1,023.82 Employee Appreciation 562.00 Child Welfare 2,030.00 Equipment 912.25 Elevator Service Benefits Payable

$612,785.30 21,831.03 516,076.98 202,200.00 38,477.70 61,020.51 28,087.67 6,973.00 $1,487,452.19

300.00 4,569.09

Benefits Payable 11,125.50 Covid 19 2,079.00 Professional Service 125.00 Equipment 676.00 Gps Monitoring Expense 377.00 Equipment Repairs/Operating 237.00 Contract Services 68.60 Credit Card 16,442.70 Equipment Repairs 594.86 Insurance Repairs 2,712.42 Contract Litigation 2,808.70 Utilities 129.37 Equipment Parts 112.71 Travel 86.25 Sand Salt 52,959.10 Contract Services 1,200.00 Utilities 100.00 Equipment Parts 3.38 Equipment 707.08 Telephone 73.10 Equipment Repair 1,291.48 Gravel 4,556.05 Civil Process 11.00 Dues 2,079.00 Equipment/Safety Supplies 2,456.71 Utilities 100.00 Training (616.00) Signs 10,571.00 CCW CBI Fee Advertising Prepaid Payroll Reimbursed Operating Utilities Covid 19 Medical Services Benefits Payable Utilities Auto Rep Utilities Planning Commission Equipment

5,337.50 4,139.65 5,812.61 7,350.00 91.76 314.74 28,087.67 21,282.55 118,489.09 100.00 1,002.85 100.00 120.00 624.00

PAYMENTS FOR PUBLICATION NOVEMBER 2020 Danny Willcox Planning Commission 237.20 David Lenio Planning Commission 153.28 Deep Rock Shop Supplies 18.90 Dennis Phillips Ii Auto Rep 1,084.00 Denver Industrial Sales and Service Co Inc Crack Seal 4,284.00 Denver Sheriff Department Child Support (48.20) Diamond Bolejack Utilities 100.00 Dj Petroleum Inc Fuel 28,828.95 Elbert County Health and Human Services Petty Cash 115.81 Elbert County Road And Bridge Intragovernmental Fund Transfer/Fuel/Repair 211,566.58 Elbert County Treasurer Cost Allocation By Fund/Department 161,821.40 Elizabeth Fire Dept Blood/Alcohol Analysis 150.00 Emergency Vehicle Specialists Auto Rep 300.00 Envirotech Services Inc Mag Chloride 4,331.52 Evan Schrote Utilities 100.00 Express Services Inc Contract Services 492.84 Front Range Kubota Equipment Parts 1,125.83 Galls Llc Dba Neves Uniforms Uniforms 1,047.50 Glaser Gas Company Propane 26.69 Grainger Blding Repairs 755.90 Grayline Meidcal Inc Blood/Alcohol Analysis 1,962.29 Great West Life And Annuity Benefits Payable 68,470.05 Greg Laudenslager Reimbursement 31.57 Harold E Dole Utilities - Electric 100.00 Haulin Hass Tire Recycling Tires Waste Disposal 436.00 Hbs Utilities 575.00 Holst Boettcher And Tehrani Llp Civil Process 15.00 Honnen Equipment Company Equipment Parts/Repairs 2,658.14 I70 Diesel And Auto Repair Equipment Repair 4,016.37 Iaao Dues 590.00 Integrated Voting Solutions Ballots/Forms/Postage 22,349.97 Integrity Auto Repair Auto Rep 416.04 Integrity Coaching And Consulting Llc Covid 19 9,800.00 Intermountain Rural Electric Association Utilities 6,923.76 Iron Mountain Contract Services 30.00 J&A Traffic Products Signs 12,400.00 Jeff Franken Planning Commission 30.00 Jeff Kendig Child Welfare 420.00 John Deere Financial Blding Repairs/Safety Supplies/Operating 1,113.73 Jrg All Terrain Medical And Safety Auto Rep 475.72 Justin Klassen Planning Commission 30.00 Kiewit Infrastructure Co Asphalt Repair 3,808.28 Kimley-Horn & Associates Road Rebuild Construction 2,200.00 Kiowa Auto Repair And Alignment Center Auto Rep & Maint 700.90 Kiowa Fire Protection District Blood/Alcohol Analysis 150.00 Kiowa Water & Waste Water Authority Utilities 3,195.66 Kip Parker Planning Commission 202.32 Kyrei Zion Reimbursement 200.00 Lawson Products Inc. Equipment Parts 572.28 Legal Shield Benefits Payable 423.65 Lifeloc Technologies Operating 382.88 Lincoln County Coroner Operating 36.00 Ln Curtis And Sons Covid 19 8,037.69 Lynn Glover Utilities 100.00 Mark Leachman Civil Process 15.00 Mccandles International Trucks of Colorado Equipment Parts 1,615.87 Mhc Kenworth-Denver Fuel/Equipment 3,184.37 Michael’s Landscaping Capital Outlay 7,448.00 Mike Graeff Utilities 600.00 Mike Peavler Utilities 100.00 Mines & Associates Pc Other Benefits 356.40 Missy Potestio Reimbursement 21.02 Mountain View Electric Utilities 337.91 Napa Calhan Equipment Parts 229.57 Northern Safety Co Inc Safety Supplies 148.32 Obeam Blding Repairs 2,676.00 Office Of District Attorney 18th District DA 159,440.75

Parker Port-A-Potty Inc. Peter Hoogendyk Phoenix Technology Group Llc Pitney Bowes Postmaster General Potestio Brothers Equipment Inc Power Motive Pro Ag Solutions Psi Systems Psychological Resources Purewater Dynamics Inc Quill Corporation Radius 180 Raftelis Ralph Burns Rampart Supply Rayna Mensing Rhonda L Braun Robs Septic Service And Porta Pot Rental Rock Parts Company Royal B Threads Llc Rumsey Consulting Safari Auto Glass Safety-Kleen Corp.

Signature Public Funding Corp Silver Cloud Property Maintenance Llc Siteimprove Inc Slate Communications Southeast Counseling Center Spatialist Inc Specialized Pathology Consultants Spradley Barr Ford Staples Advantage State Of Colorado Stericycle Stone Oil Co Inc Swampfox Optics Sysco Food Services Tex And Linda Aduddell Texas Life Insurance Company The Law Office Of Jeffrey J Timlin Thyssenkrupp Elevator Corporation TLO LLC T-Mobile Town Of Simla Transwest Truck Trailer Rv Truckhugger Tarp Systems True Value Hardware Turnkey Corrections Tyler Technologies United Reprographic Supply Inc US Bancorp Van Sands Verizon Connect Nwf Inc Verizon Wireless Viaero Wireless Wagner Equipment Co Inc Wanco Inc Waxie Sanitary Supply Wear Parts & Equipment Company Inc. Weld County Child Support Services Wells Fargo Financial Leasing Witt Boys-Napa Xerox Corporation Total All Funds

Equipment Rental 316.00 Planning Commission 371.52 Equipment/Maintenance 10,381.08 Postage 10,603.94 Postage 130.00 Equipment Parts 2,283.53 Equipment Repairs 1,612.30 Weed Control 5,500.00 Equipment Parts 42.80 Operating 270.00 Equipment Rental 115.00 Office Supplies 1,667.39 Covid 19 750.00 Professional Service 20,047.50 Utilities 100.00 Blding Repairs 423.38 Reimbursement 51.25 Reimbursement 58.30 Covid 19/Equipment Rental 870.00 Equipment Repairs/Parts 4,780.22 Equipment 3,853.94 Child Welfare 3,307.50 Auto Rep 644.00 Other Fluids 360.00 Lease/Purchase 128,507.20 Covid 19 6,700.00 Software Support 5,780.86 Operating 2,000.00 Child Welfare 95.00 Covid 19 17,000.00 Autopsies 1,175.00 Capital Outlay 26,641.00 Office Supplies 3,022.73 Motor Vehicle Renewal Card 2,395.32 Haz Waste Rem 292.20 Fuel 16,139.37 Equipment 450.03 Prisoner Meals 3,050.11 Gravel 708.75 Benefits Payable 651.95 Contract Services 16,892.60 Elevator Service 700.71 Software Support 375.30 Telephone 201.45 Utilities 77.60 Equipment Parts 429.48 Equipment Repair 1,168.00 Blding Repairs 374.54 Operating 21.00 Rms 3,093.75 Copier 190.44 Lease/Purchase Principal 61,545.76 Planning Commission 216.40 Radio Pager 809.50 Telephone 8,264.88 Telephone 1,486.89 Blades/Equipment Parts /Repair 2,024.87 Equipment Repairs 1,466.00 Janitorial Supplies 4,490.32 Blades, Teeth 86.56 Civil Process 26.00 Copier 632.17 Equipment Parts 85.33 Copier 5.23 $1,487,452.19 530

Legal Notice No.: 24530 First Publication: December 24, 2020 Last Publication: December 24, 2020 Publisher: Elbert County News

Elbert County Legals 12.24.20 * 1

16 Elbert County News

S:9.125"

DELICIOUSLY LOCAL.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING RESTAURANTS IN DOUGLAS COUNTY.

COVID SAFETY MEASURES MAKE A DIFFERENCE .

T H A N K Y O U F O R Y O U R C O N T I N U E D S U P P O R T. Y O U R S E R V E R S A N D S TA F F A P P R E C I AT E Y O U R G R AT U I T Y. L E A R N M O R E AT V W W W. D O U G L A S . C O . U S

December 24, 2020