Elbert County News 1105

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November 5, 2020

ELBERT COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

ElbertCountyNews.net

VOLUME 125 | ISSUE 40

COVID-19 cases continue to rise

ELECTION 2020

Results of the Nov. 3 election were not available at press time. Find coverage in next week’s edition and online at ElbertCountyNews.net

CDPHE reporting error spurs frustration; infection numbers could lead to more restrictions

BY TABATHA STEWART SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

With the number of positive COVID-19 cases continuing to rise within Elbert County, Dwayne Smith, director of Elbert County Public Health, warns the county is headed toward a more restrictive level on Colorado’s COVID-19 dial framework.

“The rate of COVID-19 cases in Elbert County is increasing at an alarming rate,” Smith said on Oct. 27.

“If the upcoming two weeks have the same rate of growth in hospitalizations that occurred the previous two weeks, Colorado will reach the same April peak level of hospitalizations in early November.”

Smith stresses that now is the time for residents to be diligent about social distancing, wearing masks, and preparing for the upcoming winter months.

“There is a narrow window of time to make changes and reduce transmission levels before we encounter holidays, flu season, increased indoor activity and other factors that introduce even more risk than what we are currently experiencing,” said Smith.

“These are stark and sobering trends SEE CASES, P6

Elizabeth hires new town administrator Texas rancher BJ Potts relocated to fill position

BY TABATHA STEWART SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

The Elizabeth Board of Trustees has approved a contract with Billy Joe Potts, aka BJ, to be the new town administrator. Potts began working for the town Oct. 26, and his employment is subject to a six-month trial period. The town began recruiting for the position in July, and after

INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 10 | LIFE: PAGE 12 | CALENDAR: PAGE 13

being offered employment, Potts relocated from Dimmitt, Texas, where he served as city manager.

“The town is pleased to have offered the Town Administrator position Potts to BJ Potts,” read a statement issued by town officials. “Mr. Potts is an experienced Town Administrator with decades of experience in public administration, and he possesses a real passion for community and building relationships. The Board is excited to team

with Mr. Potts to accomplish policies and community outreach that will both improve the internal operations of our organization and benefit the quality of life for our residents.”

Potts was raised on a working ranch, and has always loved the rural lifestyle. He’s purchased a home in Elizabeth, and said he looks forward to being a citizen in the community he will be serving.

“I told the trustees that when I got here I wanted to live in town,” said Potts. “I didn’t want to drive in from SEE POTTS, P6

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2 Elbert County News

November 5, 2020N

Guide helps parents of readers ask questions Dyslexia advocacy group partnered with firm to create resource

BY ANN SCHIMKE CHALKBEAT.ORG

A 2019 state law toughened up rules on how Colorado schools teach reading — establishing new training requirements for teachers and placing guardrails on the kind of curriculum schools can use in kindergarten through third grade.

But for the average parent, figuring out if schools are using proven approaches to reading instruction and following the new state rules still isn’t easy. That’s why a statewide dyslexia advocacy group, in partnership with a local school improvement consulting firm, created a free online guide that parents and caregivers can use during discussions with teachers, principals or other school staff.

Officially called the Colorado Literacy Dialogue Tool for Parents/ Caregivers, the seven-page guide walks parents through key questions they should ask about reading instruction. In addition to listing words and phrases that indicate a school is using scientifically based materials and strategies, the guide also cites names and phrases that may raise red flags about a school’s approach.

The idea behind the tool is to help parents “traverse that educationese” and empower them to have real conversations about how schools

teach reading, said Amy Dobronyi, a Douglas County parent and co-chair of COKID, a statewide parent advocacy group for students with dyslexia.

COKID partnered with Schools Cubed, a Colorado-based consulting group, on the tool. The groups created a similar tool for parents of children who attend private schools or schools outside Colorado.

Currently, the guides are only available in English, but leaders of the project say they’d like to get them translated into Spanish. In addition, Lucinda Soltero-González, assistant professor of literacy education at the University of Colorado-Denver, said she’d like to design something similar with a focus on reading instruction for English learners.

The answers compiled below come from the dialogue tool as well as other experts.

What are some key words parents should listen for?

The tool suggests parents ask for a description of the school’s “literacy block” — the part of the school day devoted to reading and writing. They should listen for phrases that suggest the school’s approach aligns to scientific research on how students learn to read. These include “research/ evidence-based,” “direct or explicit instruction” and “decodable text” — a book or passage that features specific phonics patterns students have learned.

What should raise red flags?

Schools may mention a variety of reading practices and approaches that

HOW TO FIND THE GUIDE To find the free online guide that parents and other caregivers can use when asking educators about reading instruction, go to www.cokid.org, click on “Resources,” click on “Literacy Dialogue Tool & Curriculum Evaluation Tools,” then click on the link under “General Literacy Dialogue Tool.” may indicate they don’t follow the science on reading instruction. These terms include “balanced literacy,” “workshop model,” “leveled reader,” and “guided reading.”

The parent tool also warns parents about two popular reading programs that aren’t aligned with science: Lucy Calkins — officially known as Units of Study for Teaching Reading — and Fountas and Pinnell. Both are popular in Colorado and around the country.

What other questions should parents ask?

The tool suggests parents ask if the school’s main reading program is on Colorado’s approved list and states “the answer should be YES.” The state’s recently revised list includes six English-language reading programs approved for K-3 core instruction. They are Core Knowledge Language Arts, Open Court Reading, Wonders, Into Reading, Benchmark Workshop, and The Writing Road to Reading.

Four other programs are approved for K-2 core instruction: Benchmark Advance, Collaborative Literacy, EL Education, and Superkids Reading Program.

State reviewers rejected several reading programs last spring, though

many schools are still using them.

They include Lucy Calkins, Fountas and Pinnell Classroom, and Reach for Reading.

The two Spanish-language core reading curriculums approved so far are Maravillas and Arriba la Lectura.

My child is on a READ Plan. What do I need to know?

Parents with children on READ Plans — a state-mandated improvement plan for students whose reading skills are well below grade level — should ask what intervention program the school uses to help struggling readers, how often students get focused help, and which staff members deliver the help.

As it does for core programs, the parent tool highlights several interventions that are state-approved, including Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, 95% Group, and Blast. The tool also mentions programs the state has deemed unacceptable but that some schools still use, including Fountas and Pinnell, and Leveled Literacy Intervention, which is often referred to as LLI. My child is an English learner. What should I ask the school about reading instruction?

First, it’s important that English learners are present for whole class reading instruction — and don’t get pulled out for English language development during that time. Experts also recommend parents ask schools how the share of English learners on READ Plans compares with the SEE GUIDE, P8

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Elbert County News 3

0November 5, 2020

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4 Elbert County News

November 5, 2020N

Sportsbook promos eat into tax revenues Tactics meant to attract bettors lead to lower net income for operators

BY KEVIN SIMPSON THE COLORADO SUN

You’ve seen the come-ons, virtually nonstop on TV in between the onslaughts of political advertising: Online sportsbooks offering “free” money to bet on their site, or offering ridiculous proposition bets that make you a winner in an NFL game if either team scores a touchdown.

Maybe you’ve even downloaded an app yourself and made some easy money. If you did so in September, that means your money was part of the more than $207 million legally wagered during that month on sports in Colorado. Aside from your winnings, you might also feel good that all that money is contributing to the tax revenue that soon will fund Colorado’s much-needed water projects.

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.

Customers continue to gravitate toward the state’s sportsbooks — the lineup has grown from a handful to 15 online and 12 walk-in retail outlets — and the amount of money bet on sports has grown rapidly, especially since the return to play of major sports in late July after a coronavirus shutdown. But after an initial rise, tax revenues in September plummeted to their lowest level since sports betting became legal at the start of May. The reasons, industry analysts and sportsbooks explain, are tied to new operators in a highly competitive market offering those practically can’t-lose bets to lure new users, especially online. Additionally, the natural unpredictability of sports competition took a turn against operators — and in favor of Colorado bettors — that resulted in a lower “hold percentage,” which is how much of all those bets operators actually keep (and pay taxes on) after payouts.

In Colorado, the hold was 1.9% in September. Normally, it ranges

SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

free bets as a customer acquisition tool during a football push,” said Suzi Karrer, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Revenue. “We anticipate seeing the same push by operators during other large events. For example, the Final Four or the playoffs could see the same marketing push to gain market share by operators.”

From that $207 million bet in September, a figure known as the handle, sportsbooks retained only about $4.2 million in revenue — down 44% from August. Taxes declined 63% from the previous month.

“That 19% gap can be attributed to those `fake bets,’” Bichsel said.

“They’re not taxable, just a promotional bonus that the regulator doesn’t tax. The first few months of a market opening up gets ultra confusing.”

Allowing those promotions to be excluded from total revenue for tax purposes isn’t uncommon, Karrer said, as both Michigan and Virginia also allow promotional deductions.

“Operators utilize free bets as a new customer-acquisition strategy,” she said. “We anticipate that once the

between 6% and 12%, according to industry expert Max Bichsel, vice president of U.S. business for the Gambling.com Group.

“Basically, people won money in September, that’s what it comes down to,” Bichsel said. “The players won money and the sportsbooks didn’t.

There’s a bunch of reasons why the sportsbooks didn’t perform as well. At some point, that average hold percentage, month over month, will start to rise, and you’ll see considerable revenue coming into the state.”

But while the sports betting business gets off the ground in Colorado, the competition for new customers has triggered promotion of those easy bets, designed to attract interest by providing a fun and risk-free experience. That has contributed to lower revenue for sportsbooks, and less tax collected for the state.

Tactic to lure customers “In September, operators offered free bets to new players who were coming into the sports betting market specifically for football, and they used

market is established and saturated in Colorado, the strategy may change to customer retention and satisfaction in promotions offered.”

Projecting tax revenues on sports betting has been difficult, and some early guesses proved high. A more recent analysis by the Colorado Division of Gaming put estimated tax receipts at $1.5 million to $1.7 million for fiscal 2020-21. With numbers now available for the first five months of operation, the state has collected just over $808,000, with the most recent month’s receipts, $69,771 for September, ranking as the lowest so far.

State Rep. Alec Garnett, a Denver Democrat who backed the bill that legalized sports betting last year, said the declining tax revenue numbers amid the rising handle are “worthy of a conversation about what’s driving the spread in different directions.”

“You’d assume it’s part of an advertising investment on the front end — but if that doesn’t slow down, then there are some statutory fixes the Legislature can contemplate,” he said.

What few complaints he’s heard so far, Garnett said, have revolved around differences in the way various platforms approach certain types of bets where odds have been revised retroactively.

“I’ve heard other consumer-protection issues around differences on platforms,” he said. “Some rules, people feel are unfair. I think there’s going to be a cleanup bill that I’ll work on with the Department of Revenue and Division of Gaming and all these things will be considered for sure. We just did it, just opened, so these are fair conversations to happen. The door is going to be open for consumers and folks from the industry to sit down and navigate the best way forward.”

He noted that legislation that legalized marijuana in Colorado required fine-tuning, but said feedback he’s gotten indicates that “people feel the platforms are honest and well regulated, innovative and really working quite well. But no matter how well the vast majority are going, there’s room to make it better.”

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Elbert County News 5

0November 5, 2020

Parker man bounces back after heart operation Land surveyor climbs back from life-threatening cardiac condition

BY NICK PUCKETT NPUCKETT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Terry Sanders did not slow down for much, and in his 47-year career as a land surveyor, hardly anything had that effect.

Almost two years ago, the 68-yearold from Parker felt a slight pain in his chest and visited his primary care doctor.

“I was in pretty good shape, I thought,” Sanders said.

Sanders finally ditched the last of his heart medication in early October, concluding a battle with a life-threatening condition that started with that slight chest pain.

Sanders, a fit Colorado outdoorsman, reflected on his journey to the Parker Chronicle: “If you start feeling not yourself and start finding it’s getting difficult to do different things … I would take care of it immediately,” he said.

Sanders worked relatively unabated through the summer of 2019 and made his usual hikes through steep, rough mountain terrain.

But in September 2019, Sanders hit a wall. He ran out of breath more rapidly on hikes. Working outside became a challenge. Sanders decided he could no longer match the rigorous physical demands of his job of nearly half a century, and he retired.

Sanders visited a cardiologist, who told him he was surprised he didn’t have a stroke. Doctors discovered a leak in a valve of Sanders’ heart, called an atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation (a-fib) is not necessarily a structural problem with the heart, but is a condition that causes irregular heartbeat, which can cause strokes, blood clots or heart failure. A-fib can be caused by stress or certain medications. A cardiologist will typically prescribe blood thinners for treatment.

Dr. Jenifer Hana, a cardiologist at the Medical Center of Aurora, treated Sanders, and believes her industry counterparts are failing to properly prognose a-fib.

“I think it’s become so routine for people to treat a-fib in this sort of fashion,” Hana said. “Had someone not done a really thorough job investigating why he had a-fib, he could have had a bad outcome or a bad valve disease.”

Treatment for a-fib varies based on severity. Those with small a-fib due to illness or stress likely do not need a major intervention, Hana said.

“There’s plenty of ways to refer patients to have their a-fib dealt with that isn’t a massively invasive operation,” Hana said.

Hana recommends people contact a cardiologist if they have visited only a primary care doctor and are taking blood thinner medications. For patients already seeing a cardiologist, Hanna said the next step is to ask if there is any treatment that will help regulate your heartbeat.

“Us, as surgeons, if someone sends us a patient with a bad valve with

Terry Sanders, 68, land surveyor from Parker, was treated for atrial fibrillation, a common heart condition that can have serious consequences.

COURTESY PHOTO a-fib, we should not just ignore it,” Hana said. “In our own community, as surgeons it’s important for us to realize we even understand treatment of a-fib.”

Sanders had an invasive operation where, as he described, doctors scraped the inner lining of his heart.

Doctors prescribed him medication as he recovered. Sanders fully recovered in October 2019.

Sanders is now back at work, hiking mountains, marking fence locations and spending hours doing the job he loves.

“I owe Dr. Hana my life,” Sanders said.

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6 Elbert County News

CASES FROM PAGE 1

and it is clear that swift and dramatic action is required in order to suppress our current, accelerating rate of transmission.”

Elbert County has remained at the Safer at Home Level 2-concern on the COVID-19 dial, which allows for outdoor sitespecific activities if approved by variance, restaurants to serve customers at 50% capacity and houses of worship to do the same. Group sports and camps have been able to accommodate 25 people, and indoor events have included up to 75 attendees.

If Elbert County reaches the next level of Safer at Home Level 3-high risk, Smith said there will be definitely be changes in the county.

“If we can’t reverse the current uptick in cases and infections, it’s impossible to say what the next few months will look like,” said Smith. “It probably looks like a transition to fulltime online learning for school students, cancellation of sports and performing arts events at schools, there may be a reduction in the volume of patrons a restaurant can serve indoors, and bars may again discontinue service. In short, it looks like a return to the restrictions that everyone struggled with during the first wave of infections back in April.”

Of particular concern,

November 5, 2020N according to Smith, is the potential for reduced capacity for public safety and first responders if a paramedic, firefighter or law enforcement official becomes infected. As of Oct. 28, the county’s twoweek cumulative incidence rate was at 172.38 cases per 100,000 population. Once the county reaches 175 cases per 100,000, it would transition to the Safer at Home Level 3-high risk status on the dial. If that happens, the number of people allowed to gather in places of worship or restaurants would be reduced to 25% capacity, gyms would have to hold virtual or outdoor classes with less than 10 people; and retail establishments would be limited to 25% capacity.

Public safety departments around the county have responded to pandemic in various ways, including reassigning personnel to high-traffic areas, suspending training and community outreach initiatives, implementing safety precautions for personnel and limiting access to department facilities, according to Smith.

“Elbert County Public Health implores all county residents to think about the quickest and most effective steps you can take in your own community to mitigate transmission of the virus,” said Smith.

Elbert County Commissioner Chris Richardson said on Oct. 27 that residents have been doing very well at making good decisions, and he’s hopeful the county will remain in the less restrictive level.

“There has been no traceable activity from events, activities or businesses within the community,” said Richardson.

“I think we still remain on the path of doing our best to provide citizens with good information of what’s going on so they can make good decisions.”

Richardson expressed frustration with a reporting error from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, which, he said, prevented the county from knowing about several new positive cases. Due to a formatting problem, test results from Kaiser Permanente had not been included in the CDPHE’s daily reporting from Oct. 1 to Oct. 23.

“My biggest concern over Friday (Oct. 23, when the reporting error was announced), is that we got a fairly large dump of mostly older cases from the 16,000 tests that the state didn’t capture,” said Richardson.

“It prevented us from knowing weeks ago, and we weren’t able to reach out and provide advice and guidance to those who tested positive. We’ll never know what impact that might have had. But I expect we’ll drop back down to numbers we were used to seeing before that, which were more around two to five per day.”

As of Oct. 29, Elbert County had 244 PCR-confirmed cases, which means they were currently infected at the time of the test. Serology confirmed cases totaled 30, which meant the test revealed they had been infected in the past.

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POTTS FROM PAGE 1

another place. I wanted to live in town. I wanted to be where I’m dealing with the real people, those who make Elizabeth what it is.”

Potts began his career in public administration 21 years ago, after finding himself at a crossroads in life.

“About 21 years ago I found myself somewhat at a crossroads,” said Potts. “There was a small town in East Texas, it was purely agriculture and they needed a city manager. I didn’t know what that was, but I applied and lo and behold they hired me. I think partly because I knew how to turn on the computer and I could do a spreadsheet.”

Six months into the job, Potts said he had found his calling. At the age of 40 he went back to school and earned a bachelor’s degree in business, and started working on his master’s degree.

He went on to serve as town manager or administrator for several more municipalities before accepting the position in Elizabeth.

“Twenty-one years has went very quickly,” said Potts. “I enjoy people and doing what I can to help them. There are so many changes going on in Elizabeth, and a lot of the stuff you see affects so many people so you have to find a balance.

That’s why it’s so important to know the people.”

Potts said his goal is to increase communication between town residents and himself, and hopes to help shape the future of Elizabeth in a manner that is good for all residents.

“You learn from people what they expect from you,” said Potts. “I have to ask: `What can I do within reason that’s beneficial for everybody else as well?’ The people that I have met so far are down-to-earth people, and the town hired me to help make Elizabeth the best Elizabeth it can be.”

Potts welcomes any comments, questions or concerns from local residents, and also encourages people to reach out to get to know him better.

He can be reached at bpotts@townofelizabeth.org or 303-250-5676.

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Elbert County News 7

0November 5, 2020

Colorado at critical juncture with COVID-19, state warns

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Citing “an alarming increase in hospitalizations due to COVID-19,” the state public-health department painted a dire picture of where the coronavirus’s spread could end up in the coming months in a recent news release.

A few days later, Gov. Jared Polis told Coloradans that “the trends are unsustainable and these numbers are very concerning.”

“If these trends continue, we will exceed (April) hospitalization numbers — the peak of our first wave — by (November), and the most recent modeling predicts that we’ll exceed all of our existing hospital capacity by the end of the year,” Polis said in an Oct. 27 new release. “There’s time to fix this by staying ‘safer at home,’ signing up for exposure notifications, wearing a mask when you have to be out, avoiding groups and washing your hands regularly.”

Colorado recently launched a voluntary and free “exposure notifications” service that lets people know if they’ve been near another person who tests positive for COVID-19 within a 14-day period and chooses to upload the results.

If Coloradans opt in to the service, their smartphones will share anonymous tokens with others’ phones — if they have also opted in — through Bluetooth technology. Tokens are not associated with any phone number, name, location or IP (internet protocol) address, and they change every 15 minutes to add an extra layer of anonymity, according to the governor’s office news release. Learn more at addyourphone.com.

Colorado launched that statewide system on Oct. 25 in partnership with Google and Apple.

To avoid increasing infections and strain on hospitals over the next three months, a “substantial increase” in effort in fighting the virus’s spread will be needed, the state public-health department said in a news release.

Increases in contacts over the holidays will likely accelerate case growth, and intensive-care unit hospital capacity may be exceeded in December or January, the news release said.

“The window to improve (the virus trend) is over the next several weeks to assure that critical care capacity is not stressed,” the release said.

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Nonprofit Grant Program - Eligible 501(c)(3) charitable organizations that serve Douglas County residents are invited to review eligibility for the CARES Act Nonprofit Grant Program and submit an application by Nov. 30 for reimbursement of eligible expenses incurred on behalf of County residents due to COVID-19. To learn more and review eligibility details visit douglas.co.us/nonprofit-grant-program Small Business Grant Program - Your business must have a physical location and have 100 or fewer employees to be eligible. Complete an online application for COVID-19-related expense reimbursement up to $10,000 by visiting douglas.co.us/small-business-grant-program.

Applications will be accepted through Dec. 30, on a first-come, firstserved basis.

Community COVID-19 testing locations through Dec. 30 COVID-19 swabbing and antibody testing are available with or without health insurance for the remainder of the year. To preregister and to learn when and where testing is available visit douglas.co.us/covid19testing/events. For information about other testing providers visit douglas.co.us/covid19-testinglocations

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Eligible low-income households in Douglas County may apply for energy assistance through the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) beginning Nov. 1.

For more information visit douglas.co.us and search for LEAP or email LEAPHELP@discovermygoodwill.org

What’s happening with your County government?

Our commitment to open and transparent government includes online posting of information about public meetings at which the business of government is conducted.

To view various public meeting agendas and to participate in-person or remotely visit douglas.co.us and search for Meetings and Agendas.

ALL PROCEEDS GO TO SUPPORT DENVER POST COMMUNITY FOUNDATION LEARN MORE AND ORDER ONLINE AT

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County Offices Closed Nov. 11 Douglas County offices will be closed on Wednesday, Nov. 11 in observance of Veterans Day. Many county services are available online at douglas.co.us/online-services

Visit douglas.co.us

8 Elbert County News

November 5, 2020N

GUIDE FROM PAGE 2

share of native English speakers on such plans.

If there’s a big difference, parents should ask what teachers are doing to address that disparity.

Statewide, about 16% of K-3 students struggle enough with reading to qualify for a READ Plan.

The rate for English learners is higher: 19% for students classified as having some English proficiency and 43% for students classified as non-English proficient.

Soltero-González, of University of ColoradoDenver, said emerging bilingual children may have little problem decoding English words, but still may not understand the text because they don’t know what the words mean.

“That’s why it would be very important there’s attention to the development of oral language ... and vocabulary, along with word recognition and decoding,” she said.

What else should parents of English learners be looking for?

School staff should convey to parents that using the family’s primary language — whether in routine conversation, storytelling, or singing at home — will help students gain skills for reading.

Gloria Corral, president and CEO of the California-based Parent Institute for Quality Education, said too often parents absorb messages that speaking with children in their home language instead of English will confuse them or create educational barriers.

“We really talk to families about how keeping home language, enriching home language is, in fact, a (reading) strategy.” she said. “That is not, sadly, a widely known, and certainly not a widely promoted strategy in a lot of school districts, or a lot of schools.”

What should I ask about in terms of teacher training?

Experts say good quality reading curriculum and intervention programs are important, but

they must be paired with teacher training. That’s why the parent tool suggests asking whether teachers have satisfied a new state rule requiring 45 hours of training in the science of reading.

In lieu of taking an approved class, teachers can also get credit by passing a test on reading instruction or earning a Colorado reading teacher or reading specialist endorsement.

Since Colorado’s K-3 teachers have until next August to meet the requirement, it’s possible some won’t have gone through the training yet, but they may have a plan in place.

What should I do if my child’s teacher or principal provides answers to my question that indicate they’re not using approaches aligned to science?

Experts and advocates say this is tricky territory. Obviously, some parents might take such answers as a nudge to go shopping for a different school. But not everyone has that option and no one wants to become “that parent” for asking too many questions or disputing educators’ knowledge.

“There’s concern about sending parents into something that could feel kind of hostile,” said Dobronyi, of COKID. But she and other advocates say parents don’t always have to go it alone. PTAs, school accountability committees, and even school boards can use the parent tool to pose questions and hold discussions about reading instruction with school or district officials.

Stephanie Stollar, a consultant who helped the Colorado Department of Education develop the tool to review reading curriculum, recommended parents take a “let’s learn together” approach when asking educators for answers.

“It has to be a collaborative effort. It can’t be, `We know better than you — you’re wrong.’”

This story — which was produced with support from the Education Writers Association Reporting Fellowship program — is from Chalkbeat Colorado, a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. Used by permission. For more, and to support Chalkbeat, visit co.chalkbeat. org.

Because Thanksgiving is leg day, stretch yours before you get yours!

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SPORTSBOOK FROM PAGE 4

Predictions are complicated Between the mechanics of a new market and the coronavirus pandemic that threw the sports schedule into disarray, the statewide performance of sportsbooks could be “a couple years out” from predicting the ebbs and flows of money coming into the state.

“The market is healthy, it’s big, there’s competition — that’s what’s driving a lot of the promotional activity people find a little annoying,” Garnett said. “But we want competition because it is good for consumers.”

Some industry experts point out the simple truth that great taxable revenue receipts in the present would mean a lot of Coloradans lost bets. Looking to the future, that could hinder the industry’s growth by discouraging those testing the waters.

By forgoing some tax revenue in the short term, allowing for the big promotional push, Colorado boosts its chances of nurturing a mature business and capitalizing on future tax money.

For the moment, they claim, Colorado simply suffers from a small sample size.

“We are just starting to see what the revenue and total handle are with sports returning to full play,” DOR’s Karrer said, “so we are looking for three to four months of solid data to see what the monthly averages will look like.”

Bichsel, of Gambling.com, said that for the first couple of months, sportsbooks are simply fighting for space on a user’s phone as bettors try different platforms and eventually settle on one they like.

“That’s when you see things become steady,” he said. “If I’m a customer in Denver over six months, there’s not that many promotions they can offer me.

They may give me incentives, but they’re not giving free money like they did in the first months.”

This story is from The Colorado Sun, a journalistowned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. Used by permission. For more, and to support The Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com.

Elbert County News 9

0November 5, 2020

All the flavors to entice kids.

All the nicotine to keep them hooked.

E-cigarette makers and vape shops are enticing kids with flavors like cotton candy, gummy bear and bubble gum. And nationally, over 5 million kids are using these flavored e-cigarettes.

Vape shops and tobacco companies say their products aren’t ending up in kids’ hands, but that’s just not true. Many retailers still sell to minors, and many of them in Denver even illegally sold products during the COVID-19 shutdown violating emergency orders.

Let’s stop pretending vape shops and the industry care about public health or the health of our children. It’s time to stop the sale of flavored tobacco products to protect our kids.

Take action now by visiting FlavorsHookKidsDenver.org to tell your City Council Members to end the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.

Paid for by Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund

10 Elbert County News

LOCAL

November 5, 2020N

VOICES

It goes without saying, but they say it anyway

“W

ell, I swear,” is an obsolete expression that was a way of swearing without swearing.

Believe it or not, QUIET four-letter words DESPERATION were once impermissible in films.

Now it would be almost impossible to find a film other than one of Disney’s or Hallmark’s that wasn’t filled with them.

It belongs at a 10-year-old slumCraig Marshall ber party, but one Smith of Ellen’s (many) idiotic bits involves the determination of a celebrity’s favorite curse word.

Guess which one is most popular?

Hint: It’s said 506 times in “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

I swear at home, but not when I leave the house.

My swearing is never directed at someone. It’s directed at something, such as a remote control that is playing hide and seek.

Now and then when I can’t open crackers I’ll say something profane.

I don’t know how Charles Dickens managed without four-letter words. His novels would have been so much better.

If you tried to play a game of shots watching “Good Will Hunting,” waiting for one four-letter word in particular, you’d be legally drunk by the time Will meets Skylar.

As is true with many overused words, four-letter words have innumerable synonyms as well as slang terms.

W. C. Fields, unable to curse on film during the Hayes Code era, came up with “Godfrey Daniel” and “Mother-of-pearl,” said with equal force and conviction.

However, when it comes to expletives, most of us don’t look around for creativity, and go straight to the most common and most familiar.

Not knowing (or caring) that each time it depletes the impact.

More than once, I was told the unthinkable by college students.

There was a time it would have

meant expulsion.

Walking across campus one day behind members of our men’s basketball team, I realized they only knew about nine or 10 words.

Guess?

One screenwriter and film director was chided for the number of profanities in one of his films: “Glengarry Glen Ross.”

So David Mamet wrote and directed a film with none. Can you name it?

There are PG films that feature foul-mouthed kids. In PG-13 and R, shut the door.

Watching “The Bad News Bears” in 1976 I asked myself, “Did I talk like that in Little League”?

“No” was the answer.

Where would some music be if not for profanities? It’s too bad the Beatles and Bob Dylan didn’t take advantage of the allowances made for every perceivable vulgarity.

Go ahead and swear. Now and then there’s nothing more satisfying.

But over and over and all the time, it’s tiresome and dumb.

Some readers might respond to this commentary with one finger,

raised in my direction, as a nonverbal expletive, as it were.

The omniscience of the middle finger as a gesture of obscenity is equal and concurrent with uttered profanities, and can be witnessed almost everywhere.

Why not?

We’re easily offended and disrespected. In some parts of the country, however, disrespecting someone won’t be settled with curse words or fingers.

But with guns.

Curse words or curse words and guns are requisite in the scripts of just about every contemporary film.

Who wants to see a film that doesn’t have any dirty words or people getting shot?

It would be un-American, wouldn’t it?

Steve Martin starred in the complex noir film “The Spanish Prisoner,” written and directed profanity-free by David Mamet.

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

Here’s column number 600: Where do I stand?

…W

here hope begins.

Over the last 12 years, I have now written 600 published columns. AdWINNING ditionally, I have posted thousands WORDS of messages through social media and have been on podcasts, radio interviews, and have appeared as a keynote speaker numerous times here in the states as well as around Michael Norton the globe.

I continue to be humbled by these opportunities to connect with you. So first, let me say thank you to all of you who send me emails and messages, I sincerely appreciate you all and love our exchanges. Happily, most of our exchanges are extremely positive, after all the column is called “Winning Words.” There is a percentage of our readers who love to challenge me on a thought or an idea that I had shared, and in most cases, it is a very healthy and engaging dialogue. And then there are a few people who try and

A publication of

750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225 Englewood, CO 80110 Phone: 303-566-4100 Web: ElbertCountyNews.net To subscribe call 303-566-4100

provoke an argument, all I can say is that sometimes we just have a difference of opinion.

So here in column number 600, I wanted to answer a couple of questions, and sometimes concerns, that I have received from our community. I am often asked why I have not taken a stance or a position on a sensitive topic. Some even suggesting that my silence must clearly define how I really feel or intimating that I have always stayed right down the middle, not choosing sides so that I do not offend anyone. And a part of this is very true as my goal is never to offend anyone but to encourage everyone.

Regardless of what has been happening in our community and in our country, my column has remained consistent. Winning words, that’s it. My attempt each week is to inspire hope and motivate top performance. I take all other issues off the table. This is when I receive questions like, “How do you feel about …?” Or “What do you think of …?” And “Where do you stand on …?” You can probably guess this last and most common question over the past two months, “Who are you voting for?”

I am writing this column on Oct.

28, 2020. The column that you read each week is written one week in advance so the editors can do what they do so brilliantly to bring it to life. That means as I am writing this, I have no idea who won the election or if anyone has been declared a clear winner. So, I will go ahead and tell you that reluctantly I did cast my vote for one of our presidential candidates, and I say reluctantly because God was not listed on the ballot I received, was He on yours?

Now that probably answers the other question too, “Where do I stand?” Where I stand is by my faith and I stand with all of you as well. Your faith may be different than mine, awesome. Your political party may be different than mine, fantastic. You may drink craft beer and I drink a simple lager, how cool is that? You may enjoy a vegan diet, and I am a carnivore, we can both find something on the menu. The important topics where we differ in our beliefs and opinions may be much bigger than these examples, but that does not mean we get to quit on each other.

Where do I stand? My belief is that as a society we cannot buy into the fact that we are too far gone, or that the chasm between

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us is so wide that we can’t become united again. Some might say that I am being naïve, and that is okay too as we are entitled to our opinions. Other sources might want us to believe that our society cannot be repaired. And that is just not true.

Where do I stand? Where hope begins. For those of you who said I am always right in the middle, you were correct. I am right in the middle of unconditional love, unconditional forgiveness, kindness, gentleness, compassion, generosity, goodness, encouragement, opportunity, justice, equality and benevolence.

How about you? Maybe I can ask the same question, where do you stand? I would love to hear your story at mnorton@tramazing.com.

And let’s remember that for many of you, by the time you read this the election will be over, and whatever the outcome, I encourage you to stand where hope begins. And when we do, it really will be better than good for everyone.

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.

ELBERT COUNTY NEWS (USPS 171-100) A legal newspaper of general circulation in Elizabeth, Colorado, the Elbert County News is published weekly on Thursday

by Colorado Community Media, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110.

PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address change to: Elbert County News, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110

Elbert County News 11

0November 5, 2020

Parker pitches in for fire relief Residents packed 500 meals for families displaced by fires

People packed into the Tailgate Tavern Oct. 23 to pack meals for families displaced by local wildfires.

Meals included a sandwich, cookie, chips and water — so much water, John Jordan said he may have to take two trips.

BY NICK PUCKETT NPUCKETT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In just two days, about two dozen people packed about 500 meals for displaced families in Colorado wildfires.

A dining area of the Tailgate Tavern and Grill in downtown Parker turned into a makeshift assembly line Oct. 22 and 23. Parker residents banded together to pack the meals for families who have been evacuated by the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome fires.

John Jordan, Tailgate owner and organizer of the event, said the group donated meals to the Red Cross for victims of the Cameron Peak Fire.

Jordan said the group felt compelled to double their efforts after hearing about the quick-spreading East Troublesome Fire.

“We always try and give back and do a little extra to help people out, especially what they’ve been going through,” Jordan said.

Transportation in and out of the burn areas has limited supplies for people evacuating the fires, including food.

Jordan and his team dropped off 250 meals Oct. 22. Food and water is the greatest need for displaced families right now, an emergency responder told Jordan.

Jordan put a word out on Facebook to recruit as many volunteers as possible to help assemble to meals.

PHOTO BY NICK PUCKETT

The Tailgate’s food company, Sysco, donated 180 pounds of meat and 80 pounds of cheese. Aspen Baking Co., based in Denver, donated more than 500 sub rolls. Jordan had two flatbed trailers full of cases of water. Jordan said he received so many supplies he wasn’t sure if he could haul it all up in one trip.

The two fires, on either side of Rocky Mountain National Park in the northern Front Range, have burned

Cherry Valley Elementary School switches to virtual learning Impact of quarantines ‘hit our school especially hard,’ principal said

BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Cherry Valley Elementary School in Franktown has temporarily switched to virtual learning amid substitute teacher shortages and COVID-19 quarantines.

Principal Nancy Wortmann said in an Oct. 25 letter to the school community that a positive COVID-19 case triggered quarantines at the school, leaving it without enough substitute teachers to oversee inperson classes.

“With our small size, the quarantine impact hit our school especially hard,” Wortmann said.

Virtual learning was set to begin on Oct. 26. Students and staff can return to in-person learning on Nov. 6. Students will follow their regular class and cohort schedules during the virtual learning period.

Cherry Valley is now one of several district schools force to temporarily

conduct virtual learning after large quarantines kept more teachers out of the classrooms than what substitute teachers could cover.

The Douglas County School District recently updated its quarantine protocols under new guidance from the state health department.

The changes now allow the district to take a more targeted approach in who it asks to quarantine, which district staff have said may reduce the size of quarantines moving forward.

Smaller quarantines may also lessen the disruption to students’ education and alleviate stresses on the district stemming from the substitute teacher shortage if few teachers need to quarantine.

But elementary schools can’t take advantage of the new rules. Personalized Learning Officer Nancy Ingalls told school board directors on Oct. 20 that schools must meet a number of requirements to use the targeted approach, but elementary schools do not qualify.

Elementary schools returned to full, in-person learning on Oct. 19.

Students are together for longer than one class period, disqualifying the schools from the updated quarantine protocols.

almost 400,000 acres. Cameron Peak and East Troublesome have become,

respectively, the two largest wildfires in the state’s history.

In Loving Memory Place an Obituary for Your Loved One. Private 303-566-4100 Obituaries@ColoradoCommunityMedia.com

Funeral Homes Visit: www.memoriams.com

12 Elbert County News

November 5, 2020N

LOCAL

LIFE

Underprivileged youths earn bikes, skills, hope

Making wheel change

BY DAVID GILBERT DGILBERT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

F

ernando Ibarra couldn’t figure out how to fix his bike.

So he took it to Lucky Bikes Re-Cyclery, a nonprofit community bike shop a block from his house in west Denver.

He couldn’t afford the repair price, but the shop manager offered another option. Ibarra, then 15, could volunteer around the shop, work off the cost of the parts he needed, and learn how to do the repair himself.

“I came in every day after school and kept at it, and before long I had a great bike,” Ibarra said.

Now 20, Ibarra works as a mechanic at Lucky Bikes, and said the shop brought far more to his life than just a couple wheels under his feet — he calls his coworkers his “bike family.”

“The folks here got me into mountain bike racing,” he said as he ran new brake lines on a BMX bike. “I’ve raced in Leadville, Granby — beautiful places I wouldn’t have seen otherwise. I’m so grateful for this place.”

Lucky Bikes is one of several nonprofit bike shops in the Denver metro area, working to connect underprivileged youths with their own transportation, the skills to repair bikes themselves, and even start careers.

SEE BIKES, P15

Lucky Bikes Re-Cyclery is one of numerous nonprofit community bike shops in the Denver area that provide low- or no-cost bikes to underprivileged youths.

PHOTO BY DAVID GILBERT

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Elbert County News 13

0November 5, 2020

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14 Elbert County News

November 5, 2020N

‘Our reward ... is what we give to others’ Cherry Creek Valley Rotary Club of Parker holds awards luncheon

BY NICK PUCKETT NPUCKETT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Sam Adams, the renowned Parkerarea comedian and sports journalist, told a socially distanced crowd at the Parker Arts, Culture and Events Center Oct. 28 of his greatest achievement — as a 12-year-old sousaphone player.

Adams was a talented trumpeter when his music teacher assigned him the heavy, tuba-like instrument he knew nothing about. He eventually made all-city in his hometown of Cleveland playing the sousaphone in the high school marching band.

Adams delivered the keynote address to the annual awards banquet for the Cherry Creek Valley Rotary Club of Parker Oct. 28, recognizing Parker-area residents who have made an impact in their community.

Adams encouraged his audience to think of the nomination as an award itself and urged them to see their work in the community as its own reward.

“Those of you who have been nominated today, what you’ve done has touched somebody in a way that they nominated you. And for that, you should be proud,” Adams said. “We get awards, and our reward isn’t necessarily what’s given to us, it’s what we give to others.”

The Cherry Creek Valley Rotary Club of Parker Achievement Lun-

Sam Adams, a Parker resident, comedian and journalist, spoke at the annual Achievement Luncheon for the Cherry Creek Valley Rotary Club of Parker Oct. 28.

PHOTOS BY NICK PUCKETT cheon, originally scheduled to take place in April, was postponed to October due to COVID-19. Not every nominee attended. Those who did, with their families, wore masks and

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sat in socially distanced groups in the main theater of the PACE Center in downtown Parker.

The club honored 13 people with the CCVRC Light ‘n’ Heart Award. The award was divided into six categories, including “Young Woman/Man of Achievement,” “Achievement in Leadership,” “Achievement in Service to Others,” “Unsung Heroine/Hero” and “Achievement as a Non Profit Organization.” The ceremony ended with a special presentation for Chuck Vogel, the Parker man and dedicated volunteer who died in 2019 after being struck by a hit-and-run driver while riding his bike.

Adams, a 2019 inductee to the Denver Press Club Hall of Fame and a revered, no-profanity comedian, delivered the keynote address with lighthearted anecdotes about his life and words of gratitude to the room of Rotary nominees.

“For all of you who are being recognized for what you achieved, whether you received an award, or you received the reward for being nominated,

Mayor Mike Waid introduces the nominees of the “Light ‘n’ Heart Award,” an award divided into six categories and given to those who have made a significant impact on their community. remember. ‘A’ — keep making goals; and ‘B’ — continue to give to others,” Adams said. “The recognition will come, and even if you don’t win an award, you’ll always be remembered for what you did for others.”

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Elbert County News 15

0November 5, 2020

BIKES FROM PAGE 12

Bringing bikes to the masses Bicycles can be transformative for young people, said Jon Pasquini, the executive director of Lucky Bikes and its sister organization, Trips For Kids.

“There’s a sense of adventure on a bike,” Pasquini said. “As a kid, that freedom is amazing. There’s independence, there’s health and exercise, and it’s good for the environment, too.”

A former teacher, Pasquini wrote a curriculum for Learn to Earn a Bike, a 10-hour program where youngsters learn not just how to repair a bike, but also about the physics behind biking — levers, pulleys, force — and at the end get to keep their bike, a helmet and a set of tools.

The shop has lots of other programs, including three-month internships where local youth can learn customer service skills in addition to repairs. The pandemic put the kibosh on many of the shop’s fundraising efforts, but thankfully a boom in sales of refurbished bikes is keeping the shop afloat.

Now, Pasquini is working on a mountain biking team for local kids.

“Cycling is seen as an elitist sport,” he said. “Lots of kids on those teams are riding $10,000 bikes. We’re going to provide kids with bikes on that level.

We’re bringing it to the masses.”

‘It kept me going’ For others, nonprofit community bike shops are an integral part of the community, and a lifeline in tough times.

Julie Messa of Golden found herself out of work in mid-March as the

Fernando Ibarra works on a bike at Lucky Bikes Re-Cyclery. Ibarra said working at the shop has given him skills, friendships and life experience.

PHOTO BY DAVID GILBERT pandemic forced the shutdown of the Golden Community Center’s senior program. Facing an uncertain future, Messa wanted to fall back on her favorite pastime of biking, but her bike was in shambles.

“Since I was out of work, I didn’t want to spend a bunch of money on a new bike,” she said.

That’s where the Golden Optimists Bicycle Recycle Program came in. For years, Messa had bought bikes for her two children from the program, dropping off their old ones as they outgrew them.

The bike she picked up at the beginning of the pandemic “kept me going,” she said.

Messa wasn’t alone, said Carol Cam-

The group, which is in the process eron, the group’s president. of rebranding as HopeCycle, works “Bikes are the new toilet paper,” with local schools to donate Cameron said. “Bikes and bikes to underprivileged parts are in super high IF YOU GO students who show demand right now.”

The Denver area’s improvements The pandemic nonprofit community bike in “academics, kept the shop shops have a wide variety of programs attendance and from holding and services. Many are looking for volunattitude.” one of its teers and donations of bikes or money. And, of “Research key events course, they have plenty of bikes for sale, and some has shown this year: available free of charge to qualifying clients. that in driving reLucky Bikes Re-Cyclery: 3150 W. Jewell Ave., Denver. material furbished TripsForKidsDenver.org or 720-454-9722 poverty, bikes Golden Optimists: 1200 Johnson Road, Golden. Goldthere are down enOptimist.org underdeto the veloped Navajo Project reCYCLE: 3279 S. Santa Fe Drive, Suite C, Englewood. ProjectReCYCLE.org or 720-387-7904 plans for Nation in the future,” the Four Bikes Together: 1060 Osage St., Denver. BikesBuck said.

Corners Together.org or 720-403-8757 “We try to region. The Second Chance Bicycle Shop: 4122 S. give kids a silver lining, Parker Road, Aurora. SecondChancechance to believe she said, is that BikeSC.wixsite.com/colorado in themselves more elite cyclists or 720-270-5731 and realize they can donated a good numplan for the future and ber of high-end used achieve it.” bikes and parts in the spring Buck, a former pastor, said that and summer as they upgraded. while the group is non-religious, he The program, among the older in personally finds a sense of spiritual the Denver area, operates on an allfulfillment in his work. volunteer basis, selling refurbished “If I have to choose between talking bikes to cover the cost of tools and about what Jesus said but not doing rent. They work with local social the work, and doing the work but not services agencies to donate bikes to talking about it, I’ll choose the latter,” locals experiencing homelessness. he said.

“If someone just needs a bike but Buck is involved in a wider range of can’t afford one, we’ll donate one,” local efforts to boost bicycling, includCameron said. “We have no means ing sitting on the City of Littleton’s testing. We get taken advantage of transportation board, where he advosometimes, but hey, we’re Optimists.” cates for more and better bike lanes around town.

Doing the work Connecting people with bikes can be Buck said bikes are bringing light to a means to personal growth, said Jon dark times.

Buck, the executive director of Project “This is tangible, simple, and it can reCYCLE, a nonprofit community change lives,” Buck said. “People need bike shop in Englewood. hope now more than ever.”

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Elbert County News 17

0November 5, 2020

Littleton-area musician’s album on streaming services

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

‘SAME SHIrT, DIFFERENT DAY’ was released Oct. 23

BY SONYA ELLINGBOE SELLINGBOE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Rodney Rice, a musician living in the KenCaryl Valley, recorded his album “SAME SHIrT, DIFFERENT DAY” in Austin, Texas.

COURTESY PHOTO

“loves going into a studio in Austin and playing live with studio musicians. It’s a company town ...” Songs were recorded one at a time, when he could manage it.

The record case lists personnel on each song in the album. Rice is always there on acoustic guitar and vocals as is Rick Richards on drums, but then on some there is a horn part with sax and trumpet and on another, a Hammond organ chimes in. On “Free At Last,” we find a fiddle and a dobro included. Bassist David Carroll’s name appears often, as does multiinstrumentalist Andre Moran, whose studio is the production location every time.

Rice recently appeared at Golden’s well-known country spot, Buffalo Rose, and is focusing on publicizing the release, since, as he puts it: “There are no geologist’s jobs or music gigs here right now ...”

He has enjoyed the beautiful Colorado Trail and been “fly fishing a lot.”

He rides his bike at all times of year and will “stay positive, keep the eyes and ears open” and hope people will discover his music.

Rice’s favorites? “Memoirs of Our Youth” and “Ain’t Got a Dollar.”

Answers

Solution © 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.

Rodney Rice, a resident of the Ken Caryl area west of Littleton, developed an interest in music at an early age, he says, as he “pillaged my older sister’s CD and tape collection ... She took me to see John Prine. It was the first concert I went to ...” They sat in the back row. Prine “captivated” the young fan and a story began.

Rice’s recent (Oct. 23) release of his own work, “SAME SHIrT, DIFFERENT DAY,” recorded with a band in Austin, Texas, is now available, streaming from Spotify, iTunes, Amazon and more ...

West Virginia, where Rice grew up, “is blue-collar working folks. A lot of my family represents that too. I think people relate to the songs of John Prine and Billy Joe Shaver because there’s some kind of underdog way of life. I don’t want to sit on an oil rig anymore, but I had the idea it was what I had to do to pay some bills ...”

He figures his present location, close to the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre, is a good choice for a guy who sees his future as a musician instead.

Rice graduated from West Virginia University in 2010 after starting a day job sitting on a rig in 2008, alternated with an office job with the oil company.

For a while, he worked on rigs and in an office in West Texas, where he had a chance to see more major music figures, in addition to Prine and Shaver.

Rice’s wife, who has family in Littleton, Highlands Ranch and Boulder, is a geochemist and Rice “has geology friends in town ...” But there “are no geology jobs” here at this time and Rice is concentrating on this, his second release — with the same band as his first album.

“I chipped away at it for about two years — one piece at a time,” he says, continuing on about how much he

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Occupancy of the hereinafter Described Land, Lot or Premises, and to the Person in Whose Name the same was Taxed or Specially Assessed, and to all Persons having Interest of Title of Record in or to the said Premises and To Whom It May Concern, and more especially to:

Elbert County News 19

0November 5, 2020

www.ColoradoCommunityMedia.com/Notices

PUBLIC NOTICES Bryan E. Johnson 1438 Pathfinder LN Mclean, VA 22101

You and each of you are hereby notified that on the 14th day of November 2017, the then County Treasurer of Elbert County, in the State of Colorado, sold at public tax lien sale to Plum Creek Water Reclamation Authority the following described mineral rights situate in the County of Elbert, State of Colorado, to-wit: Section: 2 Township: 6 Range: 61 N2-N2S2-SE4SE4 100/4552.45 INTEREST 13.42 NET ACRES MINERAL RIGHTS Subdivision: SEVERED MINERALS

Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088

legals@coloradocommunitymedia.com Certificate Number: 2017-02401

videoconference through Webex on November 12, 2020, at 5:00 p.m.,. Any interested elector of the North Pines Metropolitan District may inspect the budget, and file or register any objection thereto prior to the adoption of the 2021 Budget.

This Meeting is open to the public and any member of the public may address the board.

Legals City and County

Publisher: The Elbert County News

Public Notice BEFORE THE COLORADO OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Public Notice NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING PROPOSED BUDGET FOR 2021 OF THE CLEARWATER METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a proposed budget has been submitted to the Board of Directors of the Clearwater Metropolitan District, of the County of Elbert, State of Colorado, for the ensuing year 2021; that a copy of such proposed budget has been filed in the office of the District Management located at, Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh Jardine P.C., 40 Inverness Drive East, Englewood, Colorado 80112, (303) 792-5595, where the same is open for public inspection; and that such proposed budget will be considered at a regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the District to be held via videoconference through Webex on November 12, 2020, at 4:00 p.m. Any interested elector of the Clearwater Metropolitan District may inspect the budget, and file or register any objection thereto prior to the adoption of the 2021 Budget.

This Meeting is open to the public and any member of the public may address the board.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS THE CLEARWATER METROPOLITAN DISTRICT /s/ BURG SIMPSON ELDREDGE HERSH JARDINE, P.C. Legal Notice No. 24476 First Publication: November 5, 2020 Last Publication: November 5, 2020 Publisher: The Elbert County News Public Notice NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING PROPOSED BUDGET FOR 2021 OF THE NORTH PINES METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a proposed budget has been submitted to the Board of Directors of the North Pines Metropolitan District, of the County of Elbert, State of Colorado, for the ensuing year 2021; that a copy of such proposed budget has been filed in the office of the District Management located at, Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh Jardine P.C., 40 Inverness Drive East, Englewood, Colorado 80112, (303) 792-5595, where the same is open for public inspection; and that such proposed budget will be considered at a regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the District to be held via

Legal Notice No. 24487 First Publication: November 5, 2020 Last Publication: November 19, 2020 Publisher: The Elbert County News ______________________________________

Misc. Private Legals

THE NORTH PINES METROPOLITAN DISTRICT

NOTICE AND APPLICATION FOR HEARING DOCKET NO. 200800218

/s/ BURG SIMPSON ELDREDGE HERSH JARDINE, P.C.

TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES AND TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Legal Notice No. 24477 First Publication: November 5, 2020 Last Publication: November 5, 2020 Publisher: The Elbert County News

Pursuant to Rule 503.b.(10) and 702.a., the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Staff hereby applies to the Commission to grant Staff’s petition and order that Behrens Resources Inc. (Operator No. 10695) must post an additional $480,000 in financial assurance before certain wells will be transferred to Behrens.

Metropolitan Districts

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to §§ 34-60-101 to -130, C.R.S. and the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, 2 CCR 404-1, that the Commission has scheduled this matter for hearing on:

Public Notice DEER CREEK WATER DISTRICT NOTICE CONCERNING 2020 BUDGET AMENDMENT AND PROPOSED 2021 BUDGET

Legal Notice No. 24488 First Publication: November 5, 2020 Last Publication: November 5, 2020 Publisher: The Elbert County News ______________________________________ Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of TRACY DOMENIC COSTA, a/k/a TRACY D. COSTA, a/k/a TRACY COSTA, Deceased Case Number: 2020PR30033

By /s/ David Solin, District Manager

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Elbert County, Colorado on or before March 6, 2021, or the claims may be forever barred.

Legal Notice No. 24486 First Publication: November 5, 2020 Last Publication: November 5, 2020

Elizabeth F. Daly, Personal Representative 45921 Coal Creek Drive Parker, CO 80138

DEER CREEK WATER DISTRICT

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Elbert County, Colorado on or before March 1, 2021, or the claims may be forever barred.

Allison Keeney Personal Representative 12793 Domingo Court Parker, Colorado 80134 Legal Notice No: 24480 First Publication: October 29, 2020 Last Publication: November 12, 2020 Publisher: Elbert County News ______________________________________

NOTICE OF PURCHASE OF MINERAL RIGHTS AT TAX LIEN SALE AND OF APPLICATION FOR ISSUANCE OF TREASURER'S DEED

The Notice and Application for Hearing and related information is available at https://cogcc.state. co.us/reg.html#/hearings. Look to right column for “Active & Pending Matters” “Enforcement”.

Any elector within the District may, at any time prior to the final adoption of the Resolutions to Amend the 2020 Budget and adopt the 2021 Budget, inspect and file or register any objections thereto.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Maribeth Eaton, Deceased Case Number: 20 PR 11

Public Notice

Date: January 4, 2021 Time: 9:00 a.m.

Place: Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission 1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 801 Denver, CO 80203

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to all interested parties that the necessity has arisen to amend the Deer Creek Water District 2020 Budget and that a proposed 2021 Budget has been submitted to the Board of Directors of the Deer Creek Water District; and that copies of the proposed Amended 2020 Budget and 2021 Budget have been filed at the District’s offices, 141 Union Boulevard, Suite 150, Lakewood, Colorado, where the same is open for public inspection; and that adoption of Resolutions Amending the 2020 Budget and Adopting the 2021 Budget will be considered at a public meeting of the Board of Directors of the District on Thursday, November 12, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. Due to concerns regarding the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the benefits to the control of the spread of the virus by limiting in-person contact, this District Board meeting will be held by conference call at 1-877-250-3814 and when prompted, dial in the passcode of 5592663.

PUBLIC NOTICE

To Every Person in Actual Possession or Occupancy of the hereinafter Described Land, Lot or Premises, and to the Person in Whose Name the same was Taxed or Specially Assessed, and to all Persons having Interest of Title of Record in or to the said Premises and To Whom It May Concern, and more especially to: Bryan E. Johnson 1438 Pathfinder LN Mclean, VA 22101 You and each of you are hereby notified that on the 14th day of November 2017, the then County Treasurer of Elbert County, in the State of Colorado, sold at public tax lien sale to Plum Creek Water Reclamation Authority the following described mineral rights situate in the County of Elbert, State of Colorado, to-wit:

and said County Treasurer issued a certificate of purchase therefore to Plum Creek Water Reclamation Authority.

That said tax lien sale was made to satisfy the delinquent mineral rights (and special assessment) taxes assessed against said mineral rights for the year 2016; That said mineral rights was taxed or specially assessed in the name(s) of Bryan E. Johnson for said year 2016; That said Plum Creek Water Reclamation Authority on the 1st day of September 2020, the present holder of said certificate (who) has made request upon the Treasurer of said County for a deed to said mineral rights; That a Treasurer's Deed will be issued for said mineral rights to Plum Creek Water Reclamation Authority on the 18th day of February 2021, unless the same has been redeemed; Said mineral rights may be redeemed from said sale at any time prior to the actual execution of said Treasurer's Deed.

This Notice of Purchase has also been published in Colorado Community Media on November 5, 2020, November 12, 2020 and November 19, 2020.

Witness my hand this 22nd day of October 2020 Lisa Mackiewicz, Assistant Treasurer of Elbert County, Colorado Legal Notice No. 24485 First Publication: November 5, 2020, Last Publication: November 19, 2020 Publisher: The Elbert County News

We are community.

Section: 2 Township: 6 Range: 61 N2-N2S2-SE4SE4 100/4552.45 INTEREST 13.42 NET ACRES MINERAL RIGHTS Subdivision: SEVERED MINERALS

Your Community Connector to Boundless Rewards

Certificate Number: 2017-02401 and said County Treasurer issued a certificate of purchase therefore to Plum Creek Water Reclamation Authority.

ELBERT COUNTY DELINQUENT TAX NOTICE / MOBILE HOMES PUBLIC NOTICE DELINQUENT TAX NOTICE Public Notice is hereby given that I, Sheryl L. Hewlett, will according to law, offer at public sale online with SRI, Incorporated, registration to be completed prior to sale at www.zeusauction.com, on the 17th day of November, 2020, ACCOUNT NAME TO WHOM ASSESSED PARCEL | SECTION SUBDIVISION ADDRESS TAX INT ADV TOTAL M800071 ARCHER CHELSEY Parcel: 5000800071 MBL HOME TITLE: 34E135966 SERIAL: GB227973 MAKE: NEW MOON SIZE: 12 X 65 Section: 35 Township: 10 Range: 60 Actual Value: $4,000 504 ELK ST Year 2019 Tax $26.72 Interest $1.87 Penalty $0.00 Other $122.41 Total Due: $151.00 M800112 BARTON MARIAN A Parcel: 5079800112 MBL HOME TITLE: 34E 052495 SERIAL: 77047018695 MAKE: MELODY HOME SIZE: 14 X 66 Section: 12 Township: 7 Range: 59 Actual Value: $3,080 40971 SECOND AVE Year 2018 Tax $12.16 Interest $2.31 Penalty $0.00 Other $115.00 Year 2019 Tax $12.20 Interest $0.85 Penalty $0.00 Other $136.00 Total Due: $278.52 M801207 DB SPEED Parcel: 5357801207 Section: 3 Township: 7 Range: 65 LOCATED AT CORRAL MARKET 525 CO RD 166 Actual Value: $9,320 515 COUNTY RD 166 Year 2019 Tax $216.36 Interest $15.15 Penalty $0.00 Other $91.00 Total Due: $322.51

commencing at 9:00 a.m. and ending at 3:00 p.m. of the said day the described Mobile Homes, situated in the said CounThat said mineral rights was taxed or specially ty on which for the 2019 and prior years have not been assessed taxes in the name(s) of Bryan E. Johnson for said year 2016; paid as shall be necessary to pay herein below set down, together interest, advertising and delinquent interest That with said Plum Creek Water Reclamation Authority on the 1st day of September 2020, the and fees to holder wit: of said certificate (who) has present

ACCOUNT NAME TO WHOM ASSESSED PARCEL | SECTION SUBDIVISION ADDRESS TAX INT ADV TOTAL

ACCOUNT NAME TO WHOM ASSESSED PARCEL | SECTION SUBDIVISION ADDRESS TAX INT ADV TOTAL

M800274 FRY ALVERA Parcel: 5239800274 MBL HOME TITLE: 34E 064691 SERIAL: C1195A MAKE: BENDIX SIZE: 14 X 76 Section: 25 Township: 13 Range: 59 Actual Value: $7,250 38888 COUNTY RD 6 Year 2018 Tax $33.04 Interest $6.28 Penalty $0.00 Other $92.00 Year 2019 Tax $0.00 Interest $0.00 Penalty $0.00 Other $88.00 Total Due: $219.32

M801072 JOHNSON MONTE E Parcel: 5271801072 MBL HOME TITLE: 34E 114571 SERIAL: ZWK70148518 MAKE: WINDSOR SIZE: 14 X 65 Section: 4 Township: 7 Range: 61 Actual Value: $6,420 41297 COUNTY RD 97 Year 2019 Tax $27.80 Interest $1.95 Penalty $0.00 Other $118.25 Total Due: $148.00

M801157 GEORGE LISA M Parcel: 5000801157 MBL HOME TITLE: 34E232330 SERIAL: SCH01961131 MAKE: SIL / MH SIZE: 16 X 77 Section: 26 Township: 10 Range: 60 Actual Value: $21,840 621 ANTELOPE ST Year 2018 Tax $148.08 Interest $28.14 Penalty $0.00 Other $105.00 Year 2019 Tax $143.72 Interest $10.06 Penalty $0.00 Other $101.00 Total Due: $536.00

That said tax lien sale was made to satisfy the delinquent mineral rights (and special assessment) taxes assessed against said mineral rights for the year 2016;

M800005 RIVERA DONALD A Parcel: 5000800005 MBL HOME TITLE: 34E 094991 SERIAL: P128549 MAKE: SCHULT SIZE: 12 X 49 Section: 26 Township: 10 Range: 60 Actual Value: $5,500 202 WASHINGTON AVE Year 2015 Tax $39.16 Interest $21.54 Penalty $0.00 Other $108.88 Year 2016 Tax $39.12 Interest $16.82 Penalty $0.00 Other $100.00 Year 2017 Tax $0.00 Interest $0.00 Penalty $0.00 Other $5.00 Year 2018 Tax $37.72 Interest $7.17 Penalty $0.00 Other $105.00 Year 2019 Tax $35.92 Interest $2.51 Penalty $0.00 Other $113.64 Total Due: $632.48

made request upon the Treasurer of said County for a deed to said mineral rights; Legal Notice No: 24489 Last Publication: November 5, 2020 First Publication: November 5, 2020 Publisher: The Elbert County News That a Treasurer's Deed will be issued for said mineral rights Water ACCOUNT NAMEtoTOPlum WHOMCreek ASSESSED ACCOUNT NAME TO WHOM ASSESSED Reclamation Authority on the 18th day of PARCEL | SECTION PARCEL | SECTION February 2021, unless the same has been SUBDIVISION SUBDIVISION redeemed; ADDRESS ADDRESS

TAX INT ADV Said mineral rights may be redeemed from said TOTAL

sale at any time prior to the actual execution of said Treasurer's Deed. RICHARD L M801161 SANDSTEAD Parcel: 5209801161 ThisHOME Notice of 34E Purchase also been MBL TITLE: 145959 has SERIAL: CMT8696A/B MONARCH SIZE:Media 24 X 58 published inMAKE: Colorado Community on Section: 22 Township: 10 Range: 59 November 5, 2020, November 12, 2020 and Actual Value:19, $6,960 November 2020.

20187 COUNTY RD 149 Year 2017my Taxhand $38.64 Witness thisInterest $11.98 Penalty $0.00 22ndOther day of$0.00 October 2020 Year 2018 Tax $38.40 Interest $7.30 Penalty $0.00 Other $122.00 Lisa Mackiewicz, Year 2019 Tax $37.28 Interest $2.61 Penalty Assistant Treasurer of Elbert County, $0.00 Other $128.11 Colorado Total Due: $386.32 Legal Notice No. 24485 M800282 SLATER MARJORIE E First Publication: November 5, 2020, Parcel: 5207800282 LastHOME Publication: 19, 2020P113999 MBL TITLE:November E19377 SERIAL: Publisher: The Elbert MAKE: SCHULT SIZE: County 14 X 70News Section: 16 Township: 10 Range: 57 Actual Value: $6,490 47751 COUNTY RD 86 Year 2019 Tax $30.00 Interest $2.10 Penalty $0.00 Other $141.90 Total Due: $174.00

TAX INT TOTAL

ADV

M801281 SMITH VICKY M WILSON KACI Parcel: 7405300003 MBL HOME TITLE: 64D121713 SERIAL: MP151351A/B MAKE: WIN SIZE: 28X70 Section: 5 Township: 7 Range: 64 Actual Value: $55,430 41521 COUNTY RD 17-21 Year 2019 Tax $317.28 Interest $22.21 Penalty $0.00 Other $83.00 Total Due: $422.49 M800960 THOMPSON DOROTHY O Parcel: 5270800960 MBL HOME TITLE: 34E 103544 SERIAL: 4111345 MAKE: HILTON SIZE: 10 X 38 Section: 29 Township: 7 Range: 60 Actual Value: $1,980 28522 COUNTY RD 154 Year 2017 Tax $0.00 Interest $0.00 Penalty $0.00 Other $5.00 Year 2018 Tax $7.76 Interest $1.47 Penalty $0.00 Other $120.00 Year 2019 Tax $7.76 Interest $0.54 Penalty $0.00 Other $141.00 Total Due: $283.53

Elbert Legals 11/5/20 * 1

20 Elbert County News

November 5, 2020