e Trump administration’s revised Department of the Interior strategic plan calls for expanded fossil fuel development across federal lands, while omitting any reference to public land sales rst raised in an earlier draft.
Required under a 1993 statute and in 2010 amendments to that law, the draft plan outlines high-level goals for the Interior’s management of 480 million acres of federal land, including approximately 24 million acres in Colorado. Language emphasizing a commitment to extraction is particularly stark. In a break from contemporary descriptions of the natural resources under federal management, the Trump administration declared in a proposed introduction to the plan that the department “is the U.S. balance sheet, and natural resources are the country’s assets.” “ ese lands — rich in energy, minerals, biodiversity, and recreational value — are worth trillions of dollars to current and future generations,” the draft introduction continues.
Sparrow Street releases its second movie
‘The Silicant’ seeking distribution deals for worldwide release
Chris Winter, executive director of the University of Colorado Law School’s Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment, said the draft plan con rms what many in the environmental community have feared: a shift away from conservation in favor of extractive industries.
“ e administration is going to emphasize extractive industries and fossil fuels on federal public lands and is going to move away from conservation and renewable energy,” he said.
e plan makes no mention of renewable energy or even of climate change, a sharp contrast from Interior’s current guiding template. e Bidenera2022–2026 strategic planemphasized climate resilience and a transition to clean energy. e new draft, by contrast, omits the subject of climate entirely. at is one of several breakpoints critics say re ects a reversal in federal priorities.
BY BELEN WARD BELEN@COTLN.ORG
After their COVID-inspired nightmare lm “Sparrow Street” made a splash around the country and the world, Brighton-based lmmakers Sparrow Street Films are back with their second horror-themed feature lm.
Sparrow Street Films hosted a private screening with family and friends of their second lm, “ e Silicant,” on June 17 at Denver’s Bug eater.
Justice Cole, executive producer and general manager, said it was good to be back at the Bug eater, the spot where their rst lm made its debut.
“ is has been a four-year journey; we had our rst private screening here, which provided valuable feedback, and we made numerous changes,” Cole said. “Now we have a nished lm, and we’re ready to get it into the market.”
He had nothing but praise for the peo-
ple who made the lm happen.
“What a great, talented cast and crew! It’s a lm that holds so much meaning and depth, and we have all poured our hearts into it,” Cole said. “Being a part of it means a lot to me, and I’m excited to see where the lm will go and how these truly talented individuals will advance in their careers. It’s wonderful to be part of that creation.”
e team’s rst lm, “Sparrow Street” was lmed in a Brighton neighborhood during the COVID-19 shutdowns and was partially a response to those claustrophobic times. e small-budget independent horror lm told the tale of a typical suburban neighborhood plunged into a nightmare as an invisible, monstrous force picks o the neighbors.
is second feature was initially titled “What We Don’t See,” but they changed the name after getting some feedback after an early screening, Cole said. “ e Silicant” tells the story of a man, Tristan,
isolated in his house in the wake of a domestic assault charge.
Cole said the name “Silicant” originates from Tristan’s need to give a name to the mysterious, unseen monster.
“His self-isolating recovery is interrupted by an otherworldly force that tries to creep into his mind… and his house,” Cole said.
Cole said they are actively seeking a distributor now, both domestically and internationally.
“We have several companies from the Cannes Film Festival and the American lm market interested in this lm,” he said. “In the coming months, we aim to negotiate a distribution deal that will enable people worldwide to view this lm.
“Last night was a private screening. e lm won’t be ‘premiered’ until we get a distribution deal and work that out with our distributor,” Cole said.
WESTMINSTER WINDOW
Family and friends attended the private screening and participated in a Q&A session afterward. PHOTO BY BELEN WARD
NEWSLINE COLORADO
Fireworks and fun for the Fourth
Independence Day celebrations abound
Adams County Stars and Stripes
4-10 p.m. July 3 at Riverdale Regional Park, 9755 Henderson Rd.
Food and beer vendors will begin serving at 4 p.m. Live entertainment with country singer Tayler Holder begins at 7:30 p.m. e night will end with musical reworks at 9:30 p.m.
Parking at Riverdale Regional Park is free. For the safety and comfort of your pets, please do not bring animals into the park for the Stars & Stripes event.
Brighton Fourth of July Festival
5 p.m. July 4 at Carmichael Park, 650 E. Southern St.
e evening will feature live entertainment, starting with DJ Overkill followed by a headliner performance by Ninety2K at 7 p.m. Once the concert concludes, attendees can view one of the largest reworks displays in the region. e event will include free face painting for children and food will be available for purchase through mobile vendors.
Commerce City 4thFEST
5 p.m. July 4 at Dicks Sporting Goods Park (outside) 6000 Victory Way.
is free family festival features a bounce house, rock climbing wall, soccer darts, pedal carts, mechanical bull, and more. e festival starts at 5 p.m. and continues throughout the Rapids game, Colorado Rapids vs. Sporting Kansas City, which will be shown on a big screen outside the stadium. We will also have food trucks on site during the event. After the game, stick around for one of Colorado’s largest professional reworks shows! Fireworks are expected to start around 10 p.m.
Fort Lupton America’s Birthday Bash
3-8 p.m. July 4 at the Fort Lupton Recreation Center Community Park, 203 S. Harrison Ave.
Celebrate freedom and unity with more
than 50 food vendors, food trucks, cotton candy, Ice cream and funnel cakes and a beer garden that bene ts the Fort Lupton Food and Clothing Bank. ere will be carnival rides,bounce houses, give aways and a most patriotic dress competition. It also features a country blues concert with Eric Golden and the Delta Sonics. Fireworks will be launched at dusk from Coyote Creek Golf Course.
Northglenn July 4 Festival & Fireworks Noon to 9:30 p.m. at E.B.Rains Jr. Memorial Park,11800 Community Center Dr.
Activities include the car show from noon to 3 p.m., the Northglenn- ornton Rotary Club’s Duck Derby race at 3 p.m. and live music. Acts include School Daze at 2:30 p.m., Chicano Heat at 4:45 p.m., and Jacob Larson at 7:30 p.m. Fireworks are scheduled to go o at 9:15 p.m. ere will be food and beer vendors and leashed dogs are allowed.
Thornton Fourth of July Celebration
Noon to 9:30 p.m. at the Carpenter Park Fields, 11000 Colorado Blvd.
Celebrating our nation’s independence with live music, food vendors, a beer garden featuring local brews along with one of the best reworks shows in the metro area. Performances on two stages feature Hillbilly Demons at noon, the ornton Community Band at 1:30 p.m., Cass Clayton at 3 p.m., the 6 Million Dollar Band at 1:30, Hot Lunch at 5:30 p.m. and the Kory Brunson Band at 7:30 p.m.
Parachutists are scheduled to land at 9:30 p.m., kicking o the “Red White and BOOM Fantabulous Fireworks” display.
Westminster Red, White and Plenty to Do 1-3 p.m. at Countryside Pool, 10470 Oak St.
Swim and enjoy shaved ice and fresh watermelon slices and the grill. Events include the $200 quarter drop ($200 in
quarters are tossed in the pool and kids are encouraged to dive in and collect as many as they can.).
4-9:45 p.m. WestminsterCity Park, 10455 Sheridan Blvd.
Free event features food and drink vendors and bounce houses and other in atables to play on around the ample eld and open space to claim and put down a blanket. Little Moses Jones takes the entertainment stage at 4 p.m., followed by Face at 7 p.m. Fireworks are scheduled at 9:15 p.m.
Parking is limited but the city is running shuttles every 20 minutes beginning at 5 p.m. at the College Hill Library, Westminster City Hall, e Mac and West View Recreation Center. Shuttle vans all stop service between 8:15 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. ere will be a free bike valet located on the north section of the park near the parking lot. Uber/Lyft- may drop o and pick up in front of City Park Rec Center.
SPARROW STREET
Billy Jack, director, executive producer, and general manager, said, “I am so excited. It was a lot of fun to make.”
ey are hoping their latest work follows the same path as their rst one. eir movie “Sparrow Street” won several awards across three continents. It also won the Hollywood Indie Film Award for Best Indie. It was also a semi- nalist at the Art Gira e Film Festival in Nice, France; awarded Best Feature Film at the Tuesday of Horror in Unna, Germany; and recognized as Best Feature Film at the Horror Underground Film and Screenplay Festival in Montreal, Quebec.
e lm also received an exceptional merit award and a best actress award at the Nature Without Borders International Festival in Lewes, Delaware, and earned six awards at the Depth of Field International Festival in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
e lm was screened at the Budapest Movie Award Festival in Hungary and the Kosice International Film Festival in Kosice, Slovakia.
For information about Sparrow Street Films, visit: https://sparrowstreet lms.com.
Independence Day events in Adams County get started July 3 at the county’s Riverdale Regional Park. Most cities will host community celebrations on July 4. FILE PHOTO
Independence Day events in Adams County get started July 3 at the county’s Riverdale Regional Park. Most cities will host community celebrations on July 4. FILE PHOTO
Sta , production crew, and actors from Sparrow Street Films who contributed to the making of the film. PHOTO BY BELEN WARD
Part III:
How Can You Pay for an
This is the third installment of a monthly series about one of the hottest topics in real estate: Accessory Dwelling Units. ADUs have gotten a lot of attention recently as a housing option. You can read the previous installments online at my blog, http://realestatetoday.substack.com
My thanks to John Phillips of Verdant Living for helping with the research on this series of articles.
ADUs — detached accessory (or additional) dwelling units, also called mini homes — are a wonderful idea for the right homeowner. They use an existing piece of residential real estate and create a separate living space. They are often used for intergenerational housing (aging parents, 20-somethings just starting out, etc.) and have long term value as rental property and add to the value of your real estate.
home improvement loan. It will probably be one of the largest loans the borrower has, exceeded only by the mortgage on their primary residence.
ADUs
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)?
whatever) or with help from parents/ children/friends.
In my Real Estate Today column on February 20, 2025, which you can read on my blog referenced above, I discussed the basics of ADU finance. Today, I want to talk a bit more about the dynamics involved.
Financial issues are an impediment to getting an ADU built because of two general issues.
Have a friend or relative co-sign for the loan (a solution that could involve sharing ownership of the real estate).
Consider ways to show the lender the value of the ADU. A rental agreement with the tenant who will occupy the ADU, explain the ongoing rental value, or show how the ADU will increase the value of the real estate (thus increase the value of the mortgage security). Note, this sort of thing is just now being taken into account by the mortgage industry.
ADU and leave the primary mortgage in place; the result would be a “blended” interest rate that may be more palatable. In addition, there is an emotional issue, which may be present in buyers of moderate means. Taking on substantially more long-term debt can be intimidating. The “need” has to overcome the understandable reluctance.
So, you want to put an ADU on your property. How do you pay for it?
A couple of basics. First, an ADU is part of an existing piece of real estate (a primary residence). As a result, assuming money is borrowed to pay for it, the loan will be within the mortgage finance industry. Until recently, very few in that industry were knowledgeable about ADUs, much less about how they could be financed. Banks, other lending institutions, mortgage brokers, government finance authorities, didn’t understand how they fit in, but that is changing. Second, the amount of the loan will be relatively significant, far more than purchasing a nice automobile, or a
Credit Qualification. As anyone who has purchased a home knows, the mortgage industry has an extensive process to determine the credit worthiness of a borrower for a particular transaction (income, debt-toincome ratio, credit score, etc.). This is one of the reasons the majority of ADUs are built by relatively well off homeowners. For those of moderate means, financing the construction can be a challenge. This is unfortunate, because those are the homeowners who might benefit most having an ADU for intergenerational housing and, in the long term, creating rental income and building wealth by enhancing the value of their most valuable asset, their home. If a homeowner has a real need, and is determined to build the ADU, here are some practical suggestions that might improve credit worthiness:
Lower the amount of the loan and thus the monthly payment by increasing the down payment, using available cash (savings or
Successful Program Teaches Trades for the Autistic
I recently learned about a fascinating program called TACT — Teaching the Autistic Community Trades. I was so inspired visiting their Denver facility that I must share it with you!
TACT is a pioneering and innovative nonprofit organization that provides hands-on vocational and technical training to young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). TACT aims to combat the historically high 90% under- and unemployment rate within this community by equipping individuals with practical skills that lead to sustainable careers. Through its immersive training programs, TACT is preparing young people with ASD — who now represent 1 in 36 children — for high-demand careers in the skilled trades. TACT offers a wide range of programs, including auto mechanics, computer coding, cybersecurity, carpentry, electrical work, electric vehicle conversions, 3D modeling, welding, and culinary arts.
As a “specialized day school,” TACT also bridges the gap between secondary and postsecondary education, creating clear pathways to employment. Its programs empower students to become more independent and earn a living wage in high-skill, high-wage occupations. TACT remains the first and only trade program in the country designed specifically for individuals with ASD, and it has positively impacted thousands of individuals and families throughout Colorado.
TACT envisions a world where neurodiversity is not only accepted but celebrated, allowing individuals on the autism spectrum to fully contribute their talents and find personal fulfillment. With a mission to empower the entire spectrum of individuals with ASD through education and employment in the skilled trades, TACT continues to build on a strong foundation, fostering opportunities for success. I’ve posted an inspiring video at http://RealEstateToday.substack.com
In Colorado, legislation supporting ADU development (which takes affect this July) includes a provision (and some funding), tasking the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CFHA) with organizing a program that would help ADU purchasers of moderate means qualify for financing. That program should be announced soon.
Lower the cost of the ADU by choosing lower cost options, ranging from less expensive building materials to things like more affordable appliances.
Borrower reluctance. It should come as no surprise that interest rates play a major role. Homeowners can use the equity in their main residence (by refinancing their current mortgage) to build the ADU. However, if the primary mortgage carries a low interest rate, as most do these days, the borrower will not want to refinance at current rates.
A good alternative is to apply for a home equity line of credit (HELOC) to pay for the
Finally, there is the possibility of a third party (someone not living on the property) investing in the ADU, thus facilitating the financial piece. Under recent legislation the legal mechanisms to make it work would need to be developed. It is an interesting possibility and could overcome the financing obstacles, particularly for those of moderate means.
Although the dynamics are very different, a similar idea has been tried in South Africa to help ease the need for housing there. I have a link to a Bloomberg article about that project on my blog.
To help with these issues, Verdant Living has published a very useful buyers guide, BuyersGuideColoradoADUs.com, with advice on financing. Another good resource is the VerdantLiving.us, or contact John Phillips at 303-717-1962
I want to thank the following people in addition to John Phillips for their input: Jaxzann Riggs, The Mortgage Network; Kristen Stultz, Macro Financial; Charles Edington, LOANstar; Cindy Beier, Cindy’s Property Solutions.
Next month: Why smaller living spaces work well
These Past “Real Estate Today” Columns May Interest You
Clickable links for each column can be found at www.JimSmithColumns.com
May 29, 2025 — Divorcing Couples With a Home Need a Realtor With Specialized Training
May 22, 2025 — Home Sharing Helps Single Seniors Deal With Finance and Loneliness, Allowing Them to Age in Place
April 24, 2025 — Lennar to Build 1,500 Geothermal Homes; My Review of the Mustang Mach E
April 17, 2025 — Redfin Report Highlights the Increasing Cost of Buying versus Renting a Home
April 10, 2025 — The Typical Wood-Frame, SiteBuilt Home So Common Since the ’90s May Soon Be a Thing of the Past
Mar. 27, 2025 — Here’s How Money Is Handled at a Real Estate Closing
Mar. 20, 2025 — Thinking of Using a Reverse Mortgage to Purchase a Home? Here’s Some Information
Mar. 13, 2025 — Will Colorado Be Able to Sustain Its ‘Green Agenda’ Under Pressure From Washington?
Pollutants Emitted When Cooking With Gas
Oct. 31, 2024 — Cooperative Living Presents an Attractive Alternative for Downsizing Seniors
Sept. 26, 2024 — Some Thoughts on Keeping Your Death From Becoming an Undue Burden on Your Heirs
Sept. 5, 2024 — What Knowledge and Skills Should You Expect Your Real Estate Agent to Have?
Aug. 8, 2024 — Seniors Over 70 Might Consider Downsizing Into a Rental, Not a Smaller Home
July 25, 2024 — Many Homeowners Don’t Understand Title Issues, Which Could Lead to Big Problems Later On
June 6, 2024 — Here Are Some Simple Steps to Take to Avoid Unpleasant Surprises After Closing
Mar. 21, 2024 — What’s Behind the Buzz About ‘Indoor Air Quality’ and ‘Sick Building Syndrome’?
Feb. 22, 2024 — Most Sellers Don’t Know How to Interview a Listing Agent. Here’s Some Guidance.
We May Have Underpriced This Amazing Home!
$1,195,000
Here’s why. The fully equipped 511-sq.-ft. heated workshop shown here is included in the 3,500-sq.-ft. custom-built home at 2069 Garrison St. in Lakewood. Every possible power and hand tool a carpenter might want is in this workshop. The rest of this 3-bedroom/3-bath house is amazing, too, starting with the great kitchen, which has a built-in Miele espresso machine (my favorite!) plus a Sub-Zero refrigerator with cherrywood doors to match the kitchen cabinetry. The seller-owned 17-kW solar photovoltaic system meets all the electrical needs of the home, including charging the seller’s electric car. See all these features and more in the 11-minute video tour I posted at www.GRElistings.com. The website contains more photos and full descriptions of each room. Sorry, there will be no open houses. Call your agent or me at 303-525-1851 to see it in person.
Mar. 6, 2025 — 62% of Americans Think a 20% Down Payment Is Required, But It’s the #1 Myth
Feb. 27, 2025 — As Society Deals With Homelessness and Affordability, Expect a Greater Focus on Manufactured Homes
Feb. 20, 2025 — We Have a Tool to Help You Find the ‘Perfect’ Home That’s Not on the MLS
Dec. 26, 2024 — As Pro-Tenant Laws Expand, Some Small Landlords Are Considering Cashing Out
Dec. 19, 2024 — What Are the Costs of Buying or Selling a Home in Colorado?
Nov. 7, 2024 — We Need to Take Seriously the
Dec. 21, 2023 — D.R. Horton Inks Deal to Build Homes With OSB Made From Grass Instead of Wood
Nov. 23, 2023 — Scamming Has Become Its Own Industry, and We’re All Prospective Victims
Sept. 28, 2023 — Insurance Companies Are Pulling Out of California. Is That in Our Future?
Aug. 10, 2023 — What Are Some Common Mistakes That Homeowners Make When Selling?
June 15, 2023 — Don’t Let Capital Gains Tax Deter You From Cashing Out on an Investment Property
May 11, 2023 — Do Agents Inflate the Cost of Buying or Selling Your Home with ‘Junk Fees’?
Vets hone golf skills with help from Bu alo Run
PGA HOPE geared for military veterans to boost recovery
BY MONTE WHALEY MONTE@COTLN.ORG
Dan Medina faced plenty of dire situations in his former role as a United State Navy technician who routinely rendered harmless deadly underwater explosives. us, his attempt to sink a 20-foot putt under the sun-drenched sky at Commerce City’s Bu alo Run golf course last week appeared pretty drama-free.
Medina – an Explosive Ordinance Disposal expert during his time in the Navy - did well. His ball crawled just up to the hole on the practice green at Bu alo Run, where he and other military veterans gathered for some instruction from local pros from the Professional Golf Association.
Medina appreciated the meticulous discipline and solid form needed from him to produce a nearly perfect putt. He also felt at ease and calm that only a golf course can conjure.
“During the drive here, I felt under pressure,” said the El Paso County resident. “But once I am here, I feel relaxed and ok with myself. is feels good, no doubt about it.”
It’s a feeling shared by retired Army veteran Bob Ervin, who was among seven former service members being tutored by Bu alo Run Head PGA Pro Garrett Ho man and First Assistant PGA Pro Jordan LeBlanc.
“With these guys, I know we are getting the best teachers there are,” Ervin said.
“ ere is nothing like getting tips from a real pro.”
Well-being through golf
e Bu alo Run instructors and students are part of a nationwide program called PGA HOPE, or Helping Our Patriots Everywhere, a developmental six-toeight-week curriculum taught by PGA of America golf professionals. e classes are geared toward former military members and are free to them. PGA Hope is being offered at more than 550 program locations in the U.S., across all 50 states, impacting more than 17,000 veterans annually, according to a PGA Hope news release.
PGA HOPE is described as a rehabilitative golf program for veterans to enhance their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being. Participants of PGA HOPE programs include military veterans living with physical or cognitive challenges such as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and amputees, among other challenges, the news release states.
Led by PGA of America Golf Professionals, PGA HOPE is the only adaptive golf program that has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Veterans A airs, which enables VA Facilities to refer Veterans to the PGA HOPE program as a form of therapy.
LeBlanc, a decorated Army veteran, recently led a group of Colorado military veterans to compete in the 2025 PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup , held May 12th at Carmel Country Club in Charlotte, NC. e Secretary’s Cup is a spirited nine-hole golf competition that kicks o during PGA Championship week and features 12 teams of four military veterans who have participated in the PGA
Sell Practical marketing solutions to local businesses.
Sales territories currently available in various communities.
HOPE program, according to the news release.
e local participating military veterans in the tournament were Jeremiah James, Commerce City, U.S. Army; Paul Garcia, Commerce City, United States Air Force; Erich Posdzich, Commerce City, United States Marine Corps and Joshua Lee, Denver, United States Navy.
LeBlanc said Project Hope students are tutored on all facets of golf, including the
proper placement of feet on putts, hitting out of sand traps and driving the ball. Most have had some experience on the fairways and he hopes to teach them the best gol ng habits, he said.
“We want to teach them control, especially speed control on the greens,” LeBlanc said. “We keep things, especially putting, simple. But mostly we want to teach them to enjoy the game, that’s why we are out here.”
Burritos and bikes in Brighton
BY SCOTT TAYLOR SCOTT@COTLN.ORG
Cool skies o ered great bike riding weather for the Denver Metro area’s annual Bike to Work Day, but threats of rain might have dampened enthusiasm in Brighton on June 25.
e Denver Regional Council of Governments sponsors the day to encourage people to step out of their cars and commute via bicycle for one day. Governments across the Denver Metro Area set up booths along bike routes and paths o ering food, giveaways and encouragement for the riders.
In Brighton, the city’s Bike Brighton subcommittee hosted their booth out-
side of Brighton City Hall, giving away breakfast burritos and seltzer.
Pete Phipps, a member of the subcommittee, used the Wednesday event to promote the city’s Full Moon Bike Rides, which introduce new riders to Brighton’s bike-friendly paths and routes.
“We show them the paths once, and show them just how much is available to ride,” he said. “ ey say they didn’t realize how far they could go without interacting with cars.”
e full moon series continues at 6 p.m. July 10,with the Buck Moon Ride. Starting at City Hall, the ride goes west to the Ken Mitchell Open Space before turning north and then east to 14th Avenue before returning to City Hall.
U.S. Navy veteran Dan Medina lines up a putt at Bu alo Run Golf Course in Commerce City.
PHOTO BY MONTE WHALEY
Members of the Bike Brighton subcommittee chat with bicycliss outside of Brighton City Hall June 25, part of the Denver Regional Council of Government’s annual Bike to Work Day. PHOTO BY SCOTT TAYLOR
PulsePoint links people with EMS skills or AEDs when needed
BY BELEN WARD BELEN@COTLN.ORG
Weld County will join with an online service and app designed to alert neighbors of emergency calls nearby – especially emergency calls for cardiac arrest.
e Pulsepoint app is meant to alert nearby users who can help; alerting neighbors trained in CPR that a person nearby needs their assistance, for example. It also allows users to connect with rst responders who are en route and
Weld o ers medical alert app
nearby a public location.
“In an emergency, time is critical, and people need as many resources as possible to help,” said Perry Buck, Weld County commission chair. “We’re excited to launch PulsePoint and even more excited to see its potentially lifesaving bene t.”
PulsePoint is available in the App Store for Apple devices and on Google Play for Android devices.
e PulsePoint app activates whenever Weld County 911 dispatches are made or when a text alert about a cardiac arrest is sent in a public place, such as a restaurant or store. First responders send out a notication through the PulsePoint Respond app, connecting nearby people to help.
Weld County Public Safety Communications Director Tina Powell said that
noti cations to most of the CPR-trained users will be limited to public places.
e app also keeps a veri ed list of professional rst responders throughout law enforcement, re and EMS agencies countywide who will receive noti cations of incidents in both public areas and private residences.
at’s a huge bene t, Powell said, especially in a county like Weld, which is both urban and rural and stretches more than 4,000 square miles.
“In some of our more rural areas, it could be a longer wait time for response just because of distance, but if a CPRtrained professional responder is nearby, perhaps they live nearby, they can get there much more quickly and begin providing help,” Powell said.
According to o cials, the noti cations
will be sent to four types of CPR-trained individuals. ose include Public CPR Responders who are community members trained in CPR and how to use automated external de brillators, or AEDs. ey will only get noti cations about cardiac arrest incidents happening in public locations. e app also noti es nearby registered CPR Responders. ese are community members invited by agencies who possess medical or rescue training. Examples include public safety retirees, Community Emergency Response Team members, medical professionals, and security sta for residences. Registered CPR Responders will receive alerts about incidents happening in both public and private settings.
Weld assists Severance with drilling application
County department helps with oil and gas operations
BY BELEN WARD
BELEN@COTLN.ORG
Weld County will help a small town northwest of Greeley sort applicants for a new oil and gas development.
e Weld County Oil and Gas Energy Department signed an intergovernmental agreement with the Town of Severance to assist with their o cial processing of oil and gas drilling applications for development.
“Agreements like this one further speak to the bene t we can provide when it comes to surface site permitting,” Weld County OGED Director Brett Cavanagh said in a June 18 release. “We have the experience in reviewing and approving permitting, and the ability to use our process to assist a municipality, saving it time and money in not having to hire extra sta to do what we do every day. is IGA bene ts Severance, the town’s residents, and the energy industry.”
e county o ce will assist the Town of Severance in conducting application hearings, including revocation and suspension hearings if necessary, as well as
ONLINE AUCTION
performing regulatory inspections of proposed surface sites, according to o cials.
Additionally, County Oil and Gas Energy sta will help review applications for compliance with regulations such as oodplain rules and assess drainage reports for applications involving well sites. ey will also issue grading permits for oil and gas locations.
“It’s great to be able to assist our communities in this way,” said Kevin Ross, Weld County Commissioner Coordinator for the OGED. “It’s something we’ve done historically, and I appreciate seeing it happen again. It’s something we can do to help our municipalities, and a way we
can stretch the services we provide to be even more bene cial.”
Additionally, the county and the Town of Severance incur no costs for processing their application. Any expenses are covered by the fees collected from OGED for regular Weld County oil and gas location assessment applications, according to o cials.
e intergovernmental agreement will remain in e ect until December 31, 2025, after which it will renew annually unless terminated by Weld County or Severance, according to o cials.
e IGA with Severance follows similar ones entered with Evans in 2022 and Keenesburg in 2023.
July 9th @ 9:00 A.M.
Inspection Times: July 7th & 8th from 8:15am - 4:45pm
CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTING EQUIPMENT Including City & County Units
POLICY GOALS
e absence of any mention of renewable energy in the strategic plan signals, to some experts, a deeper shift in federal priorities. Wyatt Sassman, an associate professor at the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law who specializes in natural resources matters, thinks a federal abandonment of that imperative is already underway.
“At least some reporting has suggested that (the) Fish and Wildlife (Service) has stopped issuing permits for wind energy projects,” he said. “I don’t see any legal process for that. And it’s seemingly inconsistent with the way it’s treating fossil energy projects.”
It may undercut environmental review
President Donald Trump did not wait very long after taking o ce to tighten restrictions even on wind energy production that does not rely on public lands for facilities. Seventeen states, including Colorado, and the District of Columbia launchedlitigationMay 5 in a Bostonbased federal court in an attempt to prevent the administration from executing his Jan. 20 executive orderthat purports to halt o shore wind energy development.
Trump’s team at Interior is expected to pursue a continued sharp reversal, facilitated by a likely attempt to deregulate oil and gas activities on Bureau of Land Management and other lands and waters under Interior’s control. Authors of the document explain that the department “will focus on expediting leases and streamlining and cutting regulations while promoting conservation.” Moreover, “by o ering economic incentives and better access to energy resources, Interior will encourage private investment and create more American jobs.”
Environmental advocates say they are not surprised by the draft plan’s focus on stimulating the national economy, but they warn that the plan may presage a determined e ort to evade or undercut processes mandated in public land laws. e danger in that approach, Sassman said, is that Interior decision-makers may act in a manner that is blind to environmental consequences. “My sense is that it will get in the way of them trying to make good, well-reasoned decisions,” he said.
Sally Paez, a sta attorney at Santa Febased New Mexico Wild, warned that Interior’s language about process stream-
lining signals an intent to sidestep longstanding environmental review laws. “ e thing that really concerns me is that what I’m seeing is a lot of e orts to sort of cut any type of public participation, to cut any type of perceived red tape,” she said. “And, by ‘perceived red tape,’ what I mean are bedrock environmental laws that are in place to make sure that extraction is done in a way that doesn’t destroy our very limited water supplies in our arid state, and doesn’t impact big game corridors or endangered species and things like that.”
Environmental advocates warned that Interior’s approach may undercut review even under the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act. Paez called the e ort “unprecedented,” citing fast-tracked reviews and diminished public comment periods.
e administration did not provide in the newest version of the draft strategic plan any details about how much additional logging Interior will seek to advance on BLM lands.
A March executive order directs increased logging on BLM and Forest Service lands, and the strategic plan calls for “active timber management” to reduce wild re risk but does not specify locations at which more timber extraction would occur or the scale of tree removal.
Grazing and mining are not speci cally addressed in the May document, though the drafters note a commitment to “clean coal” and reiterate a traditional adherence to “multiple-use land management.”
According to the draft plan, that approach will “ensure the country’s public lands can be used for recreation, grazing, timber sales, mining, and mineral exploration, all of which provide revenue for the U.S. government.”
Public land sales dropped
Beyond extractive industries, the strategic plan outlines priorities for water infrastructure but avoids mention of critical regional shortages. Interior would “upgrade and maintain water infrastructure to ensure water supplies while also promoting water conservation and reuse for drought resiliency.” But there is no mention in the document of how the department would approach questions of reduced supplies in the Colorado River Basin and California rivers and, other than a nod toward hydropower as an energy source, the challenge of assuring adequate ows for wild salmon in the Columbia River system and other anadromous sh freshwater habitats.
Interior o ers little detail about wildlife protection in the draft strategic plan, at least beyond mention of promoting hunting and shing on public lands and a promise “to remove harmful invasive species, delist endangered species once recovered, and involve local communities in decisions about managing nature and wildlife.”To Winter, this lack of clarity raises a risk that Interior may fail to advance the goals of the Endangered Species Act.
“We’ve already seen very aggressive steps to roll back protections under the Endangered Species Act,” he said, pointing to a recent proposal to rede ne the ESA’s de nition of harm to exclude damage to vital habitats. “We suspect that the administration intends to undermine protections for wildlife moving forward.”
e draft strategic plan includes a stated goal of strengthening “governmentto-government relationships with Native Americans and Insular Areas.” at objective, the document says, would involve “shared management of land, increasing investment in education and jobs programs, and managing trust assets for bene ciaries.”
However, the plan does not mention existing co-stewardship arrangements at major national monuments in the West, such as Bears Ears in Utah and Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands in California. It also does not address whether those monuments will retain their protections under the Antiquities Act.
e draft strategic plan’s utilitarian perspective may nevertheless have little
impact on expected legal battles over the department’s e orts during the next few years to facilitate oil, gas, and coal production and mineral exploration, logging, and grazing.
“I’ve never seen the strategic plans relied on in a legal context,” Sassman said. “ ere are other kinds of legal actions they will have to take in order to e ectuate these goals.”
A rst e ort at a 2026-2030 plan, released in April, also declared that Interior’s rst priority will be to “restore American prosperity.” at version, unlike the one Interior released last month, also explicitly raised the prospect of public land sales. Winter said that the exclusion of that idea from the new rendering should not be taken as a signal that the administration has abandoned the proposition.
“I don’t think the administration is backing away from that idea,” he said. “ is issue is being taken up by Congress as part of the (budget) reconciliation process and this is really an issue that will be determined by Congress and not by the department because that’s where the authority lies.”
e public will have an opportunity to comment on the plan, once Interior nalizes a draft. e department has not yet posted it at regulations.gov, the federal government’s online portal for that purpose. is story is from Colorado Newsline. Used by permission. For more, and to support the news organization, visit coloradonewsline.com.
Professional responders—active public safety employees, including re ghters, paramedics, and law enforcement—will also receive noti cations for incidents in
both public areas and private homes. e app will also alert Automated External De brillator Responder, nearby community members who own AED devices or have immediate access to them, including employees, neighbors, or participants in an AED response program. AED Responders receive noti cations about incidents in public areas.
According to o cials, public safety communications will verify the PulsePoint noti cations for incidents in private residences to ensure they meet the appropriate criteria. e PulsePoint app is now live and will enable Weld County dispatchers to assist callers in locating Automated External De brillators (AEDs) in public areas. Of-
cials expect this feature to be available later this summer.
Weld County joins a network of 4,400 communities across North America utilizing PulsePoint. Learn more at https:// www.pulsepoint.org/. In Colorado, that includes the Fort Collins’ Poudre Fire Authority and several agencies in Larimer County.
A view of oil and gas development on Bureau of Land Management lands in Colorado, on July 11, 2017. COURTESY COLORAODO BLM
Judge blocks Polis from opening information to ICE
Preliminary injunction does not bar Gov. Polis from finding another way to comply with subpoena
BY SARA WILSON NEWSLINE COLORADO
A Denver judge on Wednesday blocked the Colorado governor’s o ce from forcing a state employee to hand over records to federal immigration authorities on 35 sponsors of unaccompanied immigrant children in the state.
e information was sought in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement subpoena from April.
e preliminary injunction, handed down by Denver District Court Judge A. Bruce Jones, applies only to Scott Moss and sta ers in the Division of Labor Standards and Statistics within the state’s labor department. Moss is the division’s director.
“I will not enjoin the governor from otherwise responding to this subpoena if that’s what he wants to do,” Jones said. “And it’s not to say that there isn’t some other workaround where somebody could ask one of his supervisees to do something and they do it. I’m not enjoining them from doing it. I’m enjoining the governor from requiring that they do it.”
e ICE subpoena seeks personal information, such as addresses, telephone numbers, emails and employment history, on 35 sponsors of immigrant children, purportedly in order to check on the children’s welfare and investigate any potential child abuse. Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, decided to comply with the subpoena in late May after some deliberation.
at’s when Moss led a lawsuit against Polis alleging that disclosing the data would violate a state law against data sharing with ICE unless it is for a criminal investigation or under a judge-signed subpoena. Moss’ lawyers argued in court this week that the subpoena does not t that standard because it does not point
to any speci c, ongoing criminal investigation and could be an attempt from federal immigration authorities to nd the names and addresses of people to put in deportation proceedings.
In his testimony, Moss said that during an April 29 meeting with representatives from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, the attorney general’s o ce and the governor’s o ce, “nobody expressed the view that the production should be made in light” of the state law.
“We all agreed that if there were concerns about child welfare, those should be looked into by appropriate folks. But we all agreed that we had not seen any evidence of any harm to children,” Moss said. “If we had any evidence, it could be routed the appropriate way. ere are state and local agencies that cover such things.”
CDLE director Joe Barela then told Moss in late May that Polis had changed
his mind and wanted to produce the records requested by the subpoena.
“He said that the governor didn’t want to be accused of not helping ICE prevent any harm that might be happening to any children,” Moss said Tuesday in court. “He said that the governor … thought that the criminal exception (in the law) … gave him ‘cover.’”
Polis’ lawyers argued this week that the subpoena related to criminal matters, and that Moss was not at risk professionally if he decided not to tell his employees to produce the information. at could have meant Barela, or some other o cial, would make the order.
“But the statute isn’t about protecting me personally. It’s about protecting the individuals named from having their (personal identifying information) released in a potentially injurious way. It wouldn’t make me feel any better if, to save me from the trouble, other state
“I will not enjoin the governor from otherwise responding to this subpoena if that’s what he wants to do.”
Bruce Jones, Denver District Court Judge A.
employees would have this thrust upon them,” Moss said Tuesday.
Colorado in recent years has enacted state laws, including legislation signed in 2021 and earlier this year, that limit the sharing of data about immigrants with federal immigration enforcement authorities.
Two unions that represent state employees, Colorado WINS and AFL-CIO, are also plainti s in the lawsuit.
Polis spokesperson Shelby Wieman said the governor’s o ce is reviewing next steps.
“We will abide by the court’s decision as we have always said we would,” she wrote in an email. “Governor Polis remains committed to fully and promptly cooperating with federal criminal investigations into child tra cking and exploitation, while protecting unaccompanied children in Colorado. We hope if information is needed for criminal investigations, that going forward (Homeland Security Investigations) will provide subpoenas for state information consistent with this ruling.”
Polis has repeatedly said that he welcomes federal help to detain and deport “dangerous criminals.” is story is from Colorado Newsline. Used by permission. For more, and to support the news organization, visit coloradonewsline.com.
Gov. Jared Polis has been blocked from sharing state records regarding 35 sponsors of unaccompanied immigrant children with the federal o cials. FILE PHOTO
This mountain was listed for sale — but not to you
Editor’s note: Senate Energy Chairman Mike Lee’s plan to sell o thousands of square miles of Western public lands has apparently been blocked for now due to Senate rules, but Lee has vowed to resurrect his idea of selling public lands to private interests.
To my fellow Coloradans, You may have heard that public lands are up for sale — but did you know they include our own backyard treasures? Gothic Mountain, the trails around Crested Butte, and parts of the Maroon Bells Wilderness could soon belong to billionaires or corporations, not to the people who love and rely on them. ese aren’t hypothetical risks — this was written into legislation that would allow buyers to sit on the land for any future use, including mining or development.
Prices aren’t going to be cheap and they
We the People: The Immigrant in All of Us
IJERRY FABYANIC
GUEST COLUMN
certainly aren’t going to average Coloradans.
I’m a scientist and mom of three in Centennial. For over 20 years, I’ve conducted ecological research at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL), on Forest Service lands now at risk. Since 2018, I’ve tracked ground temperatures every ve minutes at 30 alpine sites to understand whether a species of Sulfur butter y caterpillars can nd microclimate refuges to survive climate change. is work may sound obscure — but it’s part of a bigger picture. We can’t x what we don’t understand. Long-term, place-based science like this is how we learn what to protect and how.
RMBL has conducted ecological research since 1928 — approaching 100 years — and revealed why 20% less water reaches our rivers today despite normal snowpack — crucial knowledge for managing water for 40 million people across the West. RMBL scientists are also studying native bees which we barely understand — and may be crucial to rescue colony collapse and our food system, having already documented a 60% insect decline. ese insights matter deeply to our food, our farms, and our future. is is about more than science — it’s about access, community, and what kind of Colorado we’re leaving for our kids. Our local economies, recreation, and ranching depend on these lands. In 2023, outdoor recreation generated $65.8 billion in economic output and over 400,000 jobs in Colorado.
to visit and reminisce, but the life you leave will invariably change in ways that you won’t be part of as you will in ways alien to your kith and kin. In a sense, you’ll become a stranger in the land of your birth.
I don’t want my children to grow up with “No Trespassing” signs where we once camped, hiked, and smelled wild owers. We must protect the lands that feed our bodies, minds, and spirits — not put them behind locked gates or luxury price tags. Wouldn’t you just love to pay ski ticket prices to camp on land you can now camp for free or a small permit fee? Call your senators. Tell them to stop this sale.
is guest column was written by Jeannie Stamberger, who has been conducting eldwork in ecology and evolution at Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory since 2001, obtaining her Ph.D. in biology at Stanford University in 2006. She has served on the RMBL board and is a current principal investigator at RMBL. She is a mother of three who lives with her husband and family in Centennial.
Seeds of greatness
love Paul Simon’s 1968 hit, “America.” It captures the soul of a wandering, wondering young man in search of his identity and the role he’s to play now that he’s an adult.
After she’s dozed o , he con des to his friend Cathy that he’s lost. I identify with that state of mind. At eighteen, I too was lost, and now in my ripened age, at times it feels as if I’ve come full circle.
I wonder how my grandparents might’ve felt after leaving their rural native lands in Eastern Europe and being thrust into the blast furnaces of Braddock, Pennsylvania and the factories in nearby towns where they scratched out a living under sub-human conditions. Did they yearn to return to Europe? Did they rue the choice they made? Or did they simply steel up and did what they could do so they could endow their children with the opportunity for a better life than what they would’ve had in the Old Country. A form of self-sacrice perhaps?
e title of this column is borrowed from one of the most impactful books I’ve ever read: “Seeds of Greatness” by Denis Waitley. But for anyone who had the privilege of knowing Denis, or simply learning from him through his books, audios, or keynote speeches, those three words are far more than a title. ey represent a way of life. A code. A calling.
WINNING WORDS
I sometimes wonder if this is still the land I came of age in, the one Jay and the Americans rhapsodized about in their 1966 pop hit, “Only in America.” My deep love for America says yes, that it’s only a matter of her temporarily losing her way.
But I also admit to an occasional foreboding, troubled that she’s changing and the America of my lifetime is morphing into something I cannot put my nger on. And if that were the case, I wouldn’t like what I’d discover.
In his song, Paul has a limited view of America. He’s hitchhiked from Saginaw to meet Cathy in Pittsburgh where they hop a bus and head eastward across Pennsylvania to the New Jersey Turnpike. at was the part I found disconcerting. I felt they were heading in the wrong direction. From my earliest days, I sensed west was the way to go. Regardless, Paul gets at a strain in the American psyche: the urge to pick up and go and to explore new terrain. We’re a nomadic people even if it’s only in our daydreams.
Packing up and heading to a new place causes con icting emotions to rise within a wayfarer. On the one hand, there’s the thrill and excitement about the adventure, discovering what’s out there and testing your mettle rst in surviving then thriving in your new land.
On the other hand, you realize you’re leaving all you’ve known and intuitively sense, even if you haven’t read Tom Wolfe’s “You Can’t Go Home Again,” that you’ll never be able to return. Oh, you certainly could go back
I like to think it was the latter. Coming from those beaten-down, impoverished lands, they had already learned that life can be brutal. us, they likely neither regretted their decision to emigrate nor dwelled in a self-pitying, woe-is-me cesspool. Plus, they’d die knowing they put their children and grandchildren in a better place. And that place was and is America.
I will never give up on America when she gets o kilter. e reason is she remains far greater than the specs of what’s currently being played out. As I wrote before, America is an idea, a most fantastic one. It’s still the land of opportunity for those who choose hope over despair. It’s on the faces of the beatendown who each day pick themselves up and struggle onward to make a better life for themselves and their kith and kin. It’s on the faces of immigrants yearning to become part of America’s story. Despite the calumny raining down on them, they’re personi cations of what America is about.
In his rendition of “America,” Neil Diamond captures that sensibility. He wrote the lyrics in tribute to his grandparents who ed czarist Russia and, like my grandparents, found a new start in America. In an interview, Neil said his song was also about the “immigrant in all of us.”
anks to the courage and steeliness of their immigrant ancestors, most Americans have likely found their place in America. Interestingly, for many, most from what I can ascertain, it’s the place of or relatively close to the place of their birth.
For the rest who didn’t and don’t just daydream, it’s somewhere else in America, not only between Saginaw and New Jersey.
Jerry Fabyanic is the author of “Sisyphus Wins” and “Food for ought: Essays on Mind and Spirit.” He lives in Georgetown.
Denis Waitley didn’t just write about greatness, he lived it. He sowed seeds of inspiration, belief, and transformation in millions of lives around the world. Mine included.
A hero who became a friend. I rst met Denis in 1999. At that point, I had already been profoundly in uenced by his work, especially his landmark audio program, “ e Psychology of Winning.” at program opened my mind and heart to the power of attitude, expectation, and selfleadership. It was one of the rst personal development recordings I’d ever heard, and to this day, its lessons are still bearing fruit in my life.
So you can imagine my amazement when I not only met the man behind the voice, but was also blessed to travel with him, work with him, and share stages with him. What began as admiration from afar evolved into a personal friendship and a professional relationship I will always cherish.
He stood tall among giants. Mention the legends of the personal development movement — Zig Ziglar, Stephen Covey, Les Brown, Jim Rohn, Tom Hopkins, Brian Tracy, Jim Cathcart, Tony Alessandra, Tony Parinello — and Denis Waitley is right there among them, not just in reputation but in character.
What set Denis apart was his calm, steady presence. He didn’t need to raise his voice to raise the bar. His intelligence was matched only by his integrity. His humility rivaled his eloquence. And his
passion? Unmistakable. He wanted nothing more than to see others win, not just in business or sports, but in life. From Olympians and CEOs to speakers, students, and everyday strivers, Denis was the coach behind the curtain, the mentor who reminded us to see the best in ourselves before the world ever would.
When I think about Denis Waitley, I think about a legacy of personal impact. One of the most meaningful moments I shared with Denis happened at Zig Ziglar’s 80th birthday celebration. It was a beautiful, star-studded evening lled with icons and in uencers.
My encouragement to you starts here. Denis Waitley may have passed from this world recently, but the legacy he leaves behind is bigger than the man himself. It lives in the lives he touched — mine, yours, and the countless others who’ve been transformed by his words. If you want to honor him, don’t just remember him. Read him. Study him. Share his wisdom, not for him, not even for me, but for you.
Because greatness, real greatness, isn’t something we’re born with. It’s something we plant, nurture, and grow. And Denis Waitley left us all with the seeds.
To know more about what I learned from this great man, email me at gotonorton@gmail.com. And when we continue to learn from the best, it really will be a better-than-good life.
Michael Norton is an author, a personal and professional coach, consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator of individuals and businesses, working with organizations and associations across multiple industries.
Stamberger
Columnist
Summer Theater Rocks at PACE Center
There are some musicals that are just made for the summer, and “Rock of Ages” certainly falls into that category. e show not only captures some of that wild freedom of the best summer days, but also is full of quintessential 80s songs.
“ e show is all about bigger and better. It embraces the big hair of the time and has all the great music,” said Leslie Bonnell, marketing coordinator at the Parker Arts, Culture & Events (PACE) Center, which is staging the show to close its season. “It brings out all the elements of the 80s that people nd so nostalgic and fun.”
Produced with Veritas Productions, “Rock of Ages” runs at the PACE Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Ave. in Parker, through Sunday, July 20. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Directed by Kelly Van Oosbree (who also does the choreography), the show takes place at one of the Sunset Strip’s last venues and features a group of music fans coming together to chase their dreams and save the soul of the strip.
“I love a good, smart comedy, and that’s what this is,” Nancy Evans Begley, co-founder and producing artistic director with Veritas Productions. She is the executive producer, assistant director and production manager for “Rock of Ages.” “My producing work started with putting together a team and we have an incredible one for this show.”
In addition to a top-notch crew, the show also features performers guaranteed to blow audiences away with their
COMING ATTRACTIONS
musical skills. Most of the cast is new to the PACE Center, which adds an extra level of excitement for both performers and audi-
FAN EXPO Denver Brings the Pop Culture World to Fans
Clarke Reader
Many theaters end their season during the spring, so having the opportunity to see a show during the summer makes for a special treat. And the PACE Center leans into this fact.
“ e season is a little o -set from everybody else’s, which gives patrons the opportunity to experience shows at di erent venues and then come here during the summer,” Begley said. “ is is the kind of show that is perfect for people who don’t like musicals, because they can still singalong and laugh at the dialogue.”
e show is recommended for those 14 years old and older, but Begley sees this as an opportunity for parents to have a night out where they’re able to just enjoy themselves.
“We say leave the HOA, leave the board, leave the student council stu behind and come relive your favorite decade and favorite music,” she said. “In a time when our day-to-day is lled with tension and negativity… you can escape that for two-and-a-half hours. We hope you walk out of the theatre saying, ‘ at was really fun. Let’s do more of that.’”
Information and tickets are available at https://parkerarts.org/event/rock-ofages/#event-description.
Wilma Jean (Fraser) Nick September 17, 1940 - June 11, 2025
Wilma Jean Nick (Fraser), 84, was born Sept. 17, 1940, in Plankinton, South Dakota. The youngest of six children, she grew up on the family farm and was active in 4H and her community.
Valedictorian of her graduating high school class, Wilma went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree from Dakota Wesleyan University. Upon graduation, Wilma struck out on her own, traveling to Denver, Colorado where she was soon employed at University Hospital. Originally working as a labor and delivery nurse, she quickly realized that her passion lay more in caring for the preemies she helped deliver. She transferred to the hospital’s NICU department where she spent the next 30 years caring for some of the most vulnerable newborns.
While tagging along with some friends to a Young Republicans mixer (an odd place for a registered Democrat), Wilma’s life once again took an unexpected turn. As her friends began gathering their coats to leave, Wilma noticed a handsome man, shyly staring at her from across the room.
“You go ahead,” she told her friends. “I’m going to stick around and see what happens next.”
What happened “next” was 58 years of marriage to Lynn Nick, three children and four grandchildren. The couple made their home in Brighton where Lynn taught at the high school, designing and building the house that they still call home with help from many of Lynn’s colleagues from the engineering and CTE departments.
It’s time for the Mile High City to get its fandom on with the annual FAN EXPO Denver, held at the Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St., from ursday, July 3 through Sunday, July 6. is year’s event will play host to some top-tier guests, ranging from Star Trek’s William Shatner and Mae Whitman to a slew of Superman performers (a role very close to my heart) like Brandon Routh,Tyler Hoechlin and Tom Welling. In addition, there will be plenty of cosplaying, collector’s items to buy and panels to watch.
Go celebrate the best of pop culture by visiting https://fanexpohq.com/fanexpodenver/.
Independence Day Goes Big at Northglenn
If you don’t want to head to downtown Denver for your July 4th festivities, the City of Northglenn has you covered with events that last for most of the day and provide attendees of all ages with something to do. Held at EB Rains Jr. Memorial Park, 11800 Community Center Drive in Northglenn, activities begin at noon with a car show.
roughout the day, attendees can take part in a duck derby, listen to music from performers like Skool Daze, Chicano Heat, and Jacob Larson, and pick up food from vendors (if they don’t bring their own picnics). Fireworks will close out the evening at about 9:15 p.m.
For full details, visit www.northglenn. org.
Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Wu-Tang Clan at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre I can think of no better group to listen to on the day we celebrate our independence than the Wu-Tang Clan, Staten Island’s legendary rap group. ey are, after all, for the children. And they represent the collective power of a range of voices when they come together while maintaining their individual perspectives. ey’re responsible for some of the genre’s most important music and are the best kind of American success story. eir nal tour is coming to Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, 6350 Greenwood Plaza Blvd. in Greenwood Village, at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 4. For the opener, the Wu-Tang will have Run the Jewels, the best modern rap duo. is has all the makings of a legendary concert, so get tickets at www.axs.com.
Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail.com.
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OBITUARIES
Family was a cornerstone of Wilma’s life. She spent much of her retirement tracing her Fraser and Nick genealogies - examining lineages, forgotten stories and even discovering a few celebrity family tree branches, including a connection to the poet Emily Dickinson.
Her grandchildren were her pride and joy. She delighted in spending time with them, including traveling to Texas to witness first days of school, hosting tea parties, and supervising the construction of many a pillow fort.
In addition to being a dedicated nurse, Wilma was also a talented artist, crafter and seamstress. The various Halloween costumes and doll clothes she constructed for her family over the years were legendary.
She also loved traveling – whether it was to visit family in South Dakota, Oregon and Nebraska, or exploring a new city or amusement park. Wilma never met a roller coaster she didn’t like, and it was a loss when her body could no longer tolerate the jarring of the rides. Now that she is free of those physical constraints, we are sure she is riding every roller coaster she can in Heaven.
Wilma is survived by her husband of 58 years, Lynn; sons, Brad (Rhonda) and Steven (Christy); daughter Stacy (Robert); along with four grandchildren: Lindsey (Dylan), Robert, Rory and Emma. She is preceded in death by her father, William; mother Emma (Belding); along with siblings Dale, Bud, June, Ruth and Earl.
It is with broken hearts that I, Sherry Tolman Smith (Mother) and Mike Smith (Father), say goodbye to our daughter Heidi Humes-White (Swarts). Born on July 27th, 1973 she left us June 16th, 2025. She leaves behind her Husband James who was her best camping and cruise buddy, they were always on the go. Daughters McKayLynn Daigle, her little mini-me, they were so much alike, IzaBella Humes, her little side kick, Son In-Law Dominic Daigle, who was more of a son than an “in-law.” Four stepchildren Zack Duffield (Alexa), McKenzie Duffield, Tyler White and Aspen White and 6 step grandchildren ranging in ages from 2-9 years old. She also leaves behind her beloved baby sister Jenifer Trimmer, whom she was second mommy and best friend to. Brother-in-law, Jonathan Trimmer who Heidi always called “brother” and that he was, along with one nephew Julian Trimmer. Uncles Kevin, Scott, Austin Jr., and Tod Tolman, being so close in age, the younger three were more like playmates. Cousins Stephanie (and family), Nicole (and family), Fred (Kelly and family), Christopher (Dominque and family). Terry Humes, one of her very best friends and father of McKayLynn and
IzaBella and his wife Chris who have been a very big part of our family. Heidi had so many friends and was loved by so many, too numerous to mention.
Heidi loved to travel and was always looking for her next adventure. She would always bring her dad a T-shirt back from wherever she had gone. She was loving and caring, always doing special things for her family and friends. Anyone who knew Heidi knew her for her contagious laugh, fierce loyalty and her ability to make everyone around her feel special. We cannot imagine life without her, but the love she gave us will live in our hearts forever.
Heidi is preceded in death by grandparents Austin Sr. and Shirley Tolman, Darold and Delores Smith, Lorraine Humes, Uncle Rick Tolman and Auntie Alice Tolman (Schissler). While we grieve her absence, we take comfort in knowing she is now with God, surrounded by peace and reunited with loved ones who went before her.
We will celebrate Heid’s life with family and friends at Harvest Fellowship 11401 East 160th Ave, Brighton, CO 80602 on July 19th @ 11am.
NICK
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BRIEFS
Co ee with a cop Fort Lupton Police set aside one morning each month to share a few cups of co ee with residents.
Co ee with a Cop is a chance for police to meet with community members and discuss many topics, including parking regulations. To accommodate more people, they have changed their meeting location to the MultiPurpose Room at the Fort Lupton Rec Center! e same time is on the rst Wednesday of each month at Fort Lupton Recreation Center, 203 S Harrison Ave, Fort Lupton. e next scheduled event is from 8-9:30 a.m. on Aug. 6.
Co ee with a Cop is an easy way to get to know the men and women who serve our community and tell them about the issues that matter most to you. Remember that you can always reach our police department at our non-emergency number, 720-652-4222.
Fort Lupton celebrates America’s Birthday Bash
Post o ce seeks new location in Hudson
Due to space constraints, the Postal Service must relocate retail services to a yet-to-be-determined location within the zip code of 80642, which includes Hudson and the surrounding area.
e desired size of the new facility needs to be approximately 2,750 square feet with adequate parking.
e relocation project will consist of procuring a suitable substitute location, as close as reasonably possible to the existing location. Retail Services will continue at the current location until necessary preparations are completed at the new location.
Fort Lupton’s Independence Day celebration is set from 3-8 p.m July 4 at the Community Park at the Fort Lupton Recreation Center, 203 S. Harrison Ave. e festival is free to attend and features a country blues concert with Eric Golden and Delta Sonics. Food trucks will be on hand as will more than 50 booth vendors, o ering everthing from good to treats like Cotton Candy, ice cream, kettle cornand funnel cakes. All sales at the adult Beer Garden will bene t the Fort Lupton Food and Clothing Bank. ere will also be carnival rides, bounce houses, give-aways and a most patriotic competition, so dress to impress.
Citywide Yard Sales July 10 & 11
Fort Lupton invites everyone to participate in the annual Citywide Yard Sales July 11 and 12.
Instead of a public meeting, the Postal Service is inviting residents and property owners to send comments on the proposal to “United States Postal Service, Attn: Hudson, CO MPO Relocation, PO BOX 27497, Greensboro, NC 27498-1103.”
e Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
Fort Lupton replacing water meters
e City of Fort Lupton has hired Northern Colorado Contractors to replace the water meters in town.
If you are interested in having a yard sale at your property and would like to be included on the City map of the event, please submit your information by June 26. Submit information for the yard sale here. https://forms.gle/ QAbjuL5TvjkWG6xs5
A map of participating sales is located here: https://tinyurl. com/37tde y.
Saturday pancakes
According to the group, four of ve adults younger than 24 and seniors older than 66 all reported feeling lonely at some point. e campaign encourages everyone to nd ways to connect with others, build relationships, and promote a stronger sense of well-being and a culture of connection for all.
e group has sponsored a website at https://actsofconnectionweld.org/ to survey members of each group, o er some tips to help and take pledges to connect to the community and connect with other members of the community.
Visit the e ort’s website at https://actsofconnectionweld. org/ for more information.
Brighton Art in the Park seeks local artists
e City of Brighton will host its annual Art in the Park festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, at Carmichael Park, 650 Southern St.
To nd the closest facility to you, visit www.va.gov/ nd-locations or call 720-600-0860. Quali ed Listeners also needs volunteers to drive veterans to and from appointments, run errands for veterans who cannot get out, handyman services, help administer veteran and family resource guide inventory in local libraries, and veterans to be trained to become quali ed listeners.
Donation time e Fort Lupton Food & Clothing Bank is asking for donations of canned fruits and nuts, varieties of dry pasta and pasta dinners, peanut butter and canned meat such as tuna (including the pouches).
Over time, meters age and require replacement to ensure accurate measurement and efciency of water use. e majority of the meters in the City are reaching their useful life, prompting this program. e replacement of the meters is entirely free of charge to residents.
According to the city, the current meters continue to work properly; however, some meters do not transmit the data from the meter to the system. e meter must then be read manually.
Accounts with meters that can’t be manually read will be estimated. If the actual amount consumed is lower than the estimated amount previously billed, then the bill will be adjusted to re ect the higher usage. When the new meter is connected, it will re ect the correct usage moving forward.
e Fort Lupton Public Library hosts a simple pancake breakfast on the last Saturday of each month in the library’s community rooms. is month’s pancake breakfast runs from 9:30-10:30 a.m. June 28. e library is located at 370 S. Rollie Ave. e event is combined with the library’s weekly reading program, so families can enjoy a good meal while listening to popular cult classic children’s stories that never get old. Breakfast starts at 9:30, and read-aloud starts at 10 a.m. every last Saturday of the month. All ages are welcome.
ose artists interested in showcasing and selling their artwork can visit www.brightonartinthepark.com for more information and to apply. e deadline for booth applications is Aug. 15. is one-day festival brings together talented artists, live performances, interactive activities, and a vibrant artist market. For more information, contact Communications & Engagement Director Kristen Chernosky at 303-655-2146 or kchernosky@ brightonco.gov.
Blessings in a Bag
Fort Lupton’s Backpack Program helps schoolchildren in need with a backpack of healthy food. It’s an all-volunteer program and needs volunteers. If interested in volunteering or donating, call 303-718-4440.
City committees need members
Other potential donations could include chicken, Vienna sausages, spam and salmon. e bank also needs personal items, such as toiletries and baby needs.
Drop o donations at the food and clothing bank’s back door, 421 Denver Ave., on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Call 303-857-1096.
Free short-term radon test kits
Weld County residents can receive a free radon test kit (one per household, while supplies last). Test kits can be requested online at www.drhomeair.com/ weld, according to a statement. Call the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment at (970) 400-2226 or visit: www.weldgov.com/go/radon.
Silver Sneakers
Silver Sneaker Yoga is available three times per week, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 to 9:45 a.m. and from 10 to 10:45 a.m. at the Fort Lupton Recreation Center, 203 S. Harrison Ave.
Free short-term radon test kits
Contractors will notify residents when they will replace meters in their vicinity. For houses with meters that are outside and accessible, the contractors will let residents know when they plan to replace the meter. For houses that have inaccessible meters that are inside, in a basement or a crawl space, residents should contact Public Works to schedule an appointment.
More information can be found here- https://www.fortluptonco. gov/1240/Water-Meter-Replacement-Program.
Fort Lupton is looking for several community-minded individuals to ll openings on several boards that advise the City Council and help run city programs. e Cemetery Committee, Parks and Recreation Committee, Golf Committee, the Library Board, Public Safety Committee and the Senior Advisory Committee have openings. e openings consist of a two-year term running through the end of 2024. If you or anyone you know is interested in serving on a committee, please complete a committee application at https://www. fortluptonco.gov/966/I-WantTo-Apply-for-a-Committee on the city’s website.
Help for vets
Weld County residents can receive a free radon test kit (one per household, while supplies last). Test kits can be requested online at www.drhomeair.com/ weld, according to a statement. Call the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment at (970) 400-2226 or visit: www.weldgov.com/go/radon.
Volunteers needed
Acts of Connection seeks to lessen loneliness
Weld County and North Range Behavioral Health are working to target social isolation and build personal connections throughout the county with the Acts of Connection Initiative.
Quali ed Listeners, a veteran and family resource hub serving northern Colorado and southern Wyoming, has several power chairs, scooters, and electric wheelchairs available.
e VA o ers urgent care services to eligible veterans at VA medical facilities or several in-network urgent care clinics that are closer to home.
Quali ed Listeners, a veteran and family resource hub serving northern Colorado and southern Wyoming, needs volunteers to drive veterans to and from appointments, run errands for veterans who cannot get out, provide handyman services, help administer veteran and family resource guide inventory in local libraries and veterans to be trained to become quali ed listeners.
Visit quali edlisteners.org/ volunteerapp and ll out the form or call 720-600-0860.
Water aerobics
e city’s water aerobics class meets from 6 to 6:45 p.m. Tuesdays and ursdays at the Fort Lupton Recreation Center, 203 S. Harrison Ave. Call 303-857-4200.
Geer plea in deadly crash expected August 4
Mines confirms Geer no longer employed at the university
BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CORINNE@COTLN.ORG
e Wheat Ridge man charged with killing Golden Police O cer Evan Dunn in a Nov. 6 crash is set to enter a plea on Aug. 4.
Stephen Geer, 43, has been charged with vehicular homicide and vehicular assault after he reportedly drove into the scene of a tra c accident along Highway 58, striking four people.
Dunn, 33, died at the scene.
GPD O cer Bethany Grusing was transported to the hospital with serious injuries, but city o cials con rmed she has returned to work and has been recovering in the months since the incident.
Two civilians were also injured, according to police reports.
Geer appeared in person at a June 23 hearing, as he’s been out of custody on a $250,000 bond since November.
He was listed on the Mines website as a teaching assistant professor in mechanical engineering at the time of the incident. is was still the case as of his most recent court appearance in mid-May. However, by June 23, Mines spokesperson Erich Kirshner con rmed Geer was no longer employed at the university.
Geer is no longer listed on the Mechanical Engineering Department’s faculty and sta page, as he had been during the 2024-25 academic year, but he is still listed in the Directory of the School. Kirshner said Mines was still updating its
website for the 2025-26 academic year.
Since waiving his right to a preliminary hearing in March, Geer has been scheduled for arraignment twice, which is when he would enter a plea. However, both times, his arraignment was continued — once from April 28 and now from June 23.
On April 28, the prosecutor and defense attorney asked the judge for more time to negotiate.
On June 23, based on their comments to Judge Russell Klein, both sides wanted to ensure there was plenty of time to consult the victims in the case. ey asked Klein to reschedule Geer’s arraignment for July or August, preferably in the late afternoon to ensure interested parties could attend the hearing.
“ e court is very aware of the nature of this case and its complexity,” the prosecutor said.
Klein granted it and rescheduled Geer’s arraignment for 3:30 p.m. Aug. 4 at the Je erson County Courthouse.
The Nov. 6 incident
According to the arrest a davit led against Geer, at 4:38 p.m. Nov. 6, Golden police o cers responded to eastbound Highway 58 just east of Washington Avenue. ey were investigating a crash between a Toyota Tacoma and a Subaru Crosstrek.
Amid slick and snowy conditions, the Toyota had reportedly lost control while the Subaru was trying to pass, hitting it.
All involved vehicles were on the farleft side of Highway 58, according to the a davit, with a Golden Police vehicle positioned behind the other two. All other tra c was moving to the right, away
from the original crash scene.
e Subaru’s driver, the Toyota’s driver and her father, Dunn and Grusing were outside the vehicles getting photos and evaluating the scene at 4:53 p.m. when a black Mazda traveling eastbound entered the area.
e Mazda reportedly hit the Toyota and then the Subaru, pinning Dunn under the latter. He died from his injuries at the scene.
According to the a davit, Grusing and the Toyota’s driver also sustained serious injuries, with the latter su ering a skull fracture and brain bleed. Her father, who was thrown over the jersey barrier, also sustained a large laceration to his head and elbow, the a davit describes.
Shortly after the crash, authorities identi ed Geer as the Mazda’s driver. He reportedly told state troopers at the scene he’d been driving home after having a beer at a local bar with a coworker.
He told troopers he’d noticed “yellow ashing lights and attempted to stop” but wasn’t able to, the a davit describes.
Investigators detected alcohol on Geer’s breath, the a davit continues, and he initially agreed to voluntary roadside sobriety tests. However, after he was informed of his Miranda rights around 6:06 p.m., he refused to talk further or complete the sobriety tests.
After receiving a search warrant, investigating troopers completed a blood draw at 8:46 p.m. at the Je co jail, the afdavit continues.
It also states that Geer has no previous criminal history.
On Nov. 14, the District Attorney’s Ofce formally charged Geer with One count of vehicular homicide, a class 3
felony, for Dunn’s death; Two counts of vehicular assault, a class 4 felony, for injuring Grusing and the Toyota’s driver; One count of third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, for injuring the Toyota’s driver’s father; One count of driving under the in uence, a misdemeanor. City o cials have con rmed Dunn is the rst Golden police o cer to be killed in the line of duty.
Over the last several months, Goldenites and others across the country have honored Dunn’s memory by fundraising for his family and Grusing’s recovery. e community also honored Dunn with temporary and permanent memorials, including adding his name to the Colorado Law Enforcement Memorial at Camp George West and renaming a stretch of Highway 58 in his memory.
On May 2, Mesa County Sheri ’s O ce Honor Guard members fold a Colorado flag to present to the families of Golden Police O cer Evan Dunn and Denver Police O cer Dale Coski, both of whom died in 2024. Dunn and Coski’s names, along with four others, were added to the Colorado Law Enforcement Memorial at Camp George West. PHOTOS BY CORINNE WESTEMAN
Environmentalists reconsider AI for data processing
Benefits might outweigh environmental impacts
Environmental scientists and conservationists have been slow to embrace arti cial intelligence tools, in large part because of the enormous amount of electricity the technology demands.
But that, some say, is slowly changing as the potential bene ts of AI become clearer.
“I’m not a huge AI fan. If I can avoid it, I do, because I always think about the environmental implications rst,” California-based sustainability consultant Jennifer Brandon said. “But I am starting to see it around me and see the bene ts of it, especially with these huge data sets that we have.”
In one recent example, an Arizona State University climate tech project provides up-to-date water conservation information and suggestions for responsible water use over the last year via a simple, personable chatbot called “Blue.”
While Blue has given residents an easy, personalized resource to understand the state of water needs across the state, the environmental workers and researchers behind it carefully measure the overall impact of the project. Blue has been optimized to use less energy than similar tools, in a nod to the environmental mission of the project. Current arti cial intelligence systems require enormous power to drive data centers, and water to keep them cool.
“I think that it is not necessarily as clear to everyday Americans, about the connection between the development of AI and the physical infrastructure behind the technology and the subsequent energy, water and land use,” said Dave White, the director of the Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation at ASU.
Tech innovation over the last decade has expanded the ways environmentalists can explore sustainability and conservation strategies, White said. But the decision to use newer tech tools, like AI models, which require physical infrastructure and large amounts of energy, water and other resources, isn’t a straightforward one for those interested in conservation.
Concerns that AI’s spotty factual accuracy could be a problem in the highly regulated world of environmental projects have also slowed the adoption of AI by those working in it.
For White and others, however, the potential gains made in the environmental sector need to be weighed against the negative environmental impact the technology creates.
“Sustainability is all about consideration of trade o s,” White said. “Can we get to net positive, where the energy consumption for the data centers that are backing AI is worth the value of gains that we’re potentially seeing on the conserva-
tion side? at’s where I would frankly say there’s not nearly enough critical evaluation and questioning of that issue.”
How is AI used in Environmental work?
Blue is one example of the tech-forward projects that the university is developing for more sustainability in the climate, energy, water and agriculture sectors. e
Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory launched the chatbot after receiving a $40 million investment from a statewide project within ASU, the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative, which brings industrial, municipal, agricultural, tribal and international partners together to try new strategies for water conservation.
White said that the best uses of AI that the University’s research projects have found have been in modeling, monitoring, management, prediction, simulation and scenario planning. An example of that is a recent study that used satellite observations, land surface models and data to track changes in total water storage in the Colorado River basin.
“With new technology also, we’re able to link things like satellite-based observations with computer models that incorporate climate change and have that information inform our water resource management agency to help them be more e cient in the way that they manage the existing resources,” he said.
Outside of the university, White said he’s seen AI successfully help within the energy sector with demand management — modeling when equipment may break down or scheduling the optimal use of grid operations.
“I would say climate change, adaptation, mitigation is one area where we’re seeing promise,” White said. “In climate, we’re looking at opportunities where these AI-enabled tools, particularly those that are integrated with control systems and operating systems, can really help to optimize.”
Brandon said she’s seen some form of AI use in the sector for at least a decade. She remembers a classmate developing a machine learning algorithm to identify plankton during one of her Ph.D. lab courses.
“We could suddenly sort all of these images so much faster,” Brandon said. “And so there’s a lot of things like that. ey are trying to train AI on databases to see huge patterns of that data that would take us years and years to see those same patterns.”
Brandon also mentioned the growing practice of tracking carbon credits on blockchain, a distributed public ledger that isn’t AI based, but is often used in conjunction with AI technologies. Brandon said the carbon market hasn’t taken o previously because carbon credits weren’t easy to track, but blockchain provides transparency with a signature attached to each credit.
What’s holding environmentalists back?
Brandon described herself as more cautious about AI than some of her col-
leagues — “I’m an AI skeptic,” she said.
But she will be exploring AI on an upcoming research project to measure microplastics in minutes, as opposed to days, as is currently practiced. An AI algorithm will help her team identify what they’re seeing, instead of sorting them by hand and with lasers over several days.
Brandon said she’ll only consider AI where she sees a positive cost-bene t analysis or major time or energy savings. She’s also put o by inaccurate results given by AI, based on the data or information a model pulls from.
“ e accuracy is just not there yet,” she said.
It’s also a hindrance for Keith Lambert, president of Oxidizers Inc., an air quality systems company. While Lambert said he’s experimented with commercial AI products like OpenAI’s in his personal work, real-world engineering with AI presents a lot of risk.
Environmental work involves a lot of regulatory compliance, Lambert said, and any mistakes made by AI could cost a company or organization its ability to operate, or nes of tens of thousands of dollars a day.
“Clean data in, clean data out. And that’s the issue with AI right now, is where do you get true clean data?” Lambert said. “So you know that your actual metrics and the decisions, and the rami cations are in line.”
Lambert said he considers the environmental impact of AI, though every action humans take has an impact. It’s about weighing the impact with the progress, he said, and for now, AI’s too risky to make a signi cant part of his business.
When AI is your sustainability business plan
For Amrita Bhasin and her business partner Gary Kwong, their homegrown AI model is the foundation of their logistics company, Sotira, that directs overstock consumer goods and excess food away from land lls to other sellers or food banks.
ey built their AI model to plan and optimize the logistics of getting excess food and commercial items across the country to places that can use or sell them for a discount. e model helps make connections between suppliers, buyers and charities, and predict the most e cient way to get goods where they need to go.
It’s a process that Bhasin, the company’s CEO, said would traditionally involve several phone calls, freight staging and coordination between trucks.
“Every single time you pack trucks more e ciently, you reduce the number of trucks on the road, and that makes a car-
bon emissions impact,” she said. e pair won a grant from California organization StopWaste last year to ramp up its ability to get excess food to charities and nonpro ts in need, in line with new regulations in the state that say grocery stores must donate excess food instead of throwing it away.
Bhasin said she’s seen AI help with transparency within her industry and in helping with document-heavy compliance. It’s the “old school” industries like logistics and healthcare that could stand to see the biggest impact of AI, she said — “think about how much time it takes Americans to ll out insurance paperwork.”
“If AI were to automate all of that compliance, like the [current procedural terminology] codes, that has a huge impact on society, I would argue, more so than like, making better Net ix recommendations or generating a better headshot,” she said.
Because they’ve built their own AI model, Sotira doesn’t rely much on generative arti cial intelligence, which has a bigger environmental impact than simpler machine learning models. ey also track the tokens — or amount of data processed with AI — each month to understand how much computing and energy they use.
It’s a lot of mental math, she said.
“I do think that the only way to know that you’re doing good in this world is to know, like, we have rerouted 2 million pounds of overstock from land lls,” Bhasin said. “You can actually calculate it — ‘ is is how much carbon we have saved from the atmosphere, and this is how much AI I’m using, this is how much water and energy I estimate is from my AI.” ose in the climate and environmental space will likely continue doing that mental math more than other industries in deciding how or if to move forward with AI.
AI-cautious Brandon is hearing more projects or uses lately that she sees potential in, like AI helping make recycling easier, or AI platforms that provide real-time analysis of biodiversity data. But personally, she’ll continue to do a cost-bene t analysis before using AI.
“I feel like in my work, it has to have a huge bene t to outweigh the costs, because it’s just not worth it to me otherwise,” Brandon said. “And so when I see people using it to make their email sound better or to make their gures look a little nicer, yeah, I’m like, it’s not worth that.” is story is from Colorado Newsline. Used by permission. For more, and to support the news organization, visit coloradonewsline.com.
Environmentalists have been slow to adopt AI models becuse of the energy needed to use the technology. But some are reconsidering based on the sheer amount of data the technology can process. SHUTTERSTOCK
Long awaited blooms: Agave plant is ready to blossom
Westminster horticulturist has waited 25 years for City Hall plant to bloom
BY MONTE WHALEY MONTE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Shalene Hiller couldn’t pick a better partner to celebrate her 25th anniversary as a City of Westminster horticulturist than a 10-foot-tall agave plant that will produce its one and only harvest of colorful owers in just a few days. en, after spreading its beauty, it will wither and die, Hiller said.
“It’s grown with us for 25 years and now it’s going to bloom,” she said. “It’s
so rare that this is happening. I am so excited.”
Agaves only bloom once every 20to-25 years before they expire, say experts. But don’t despair, most agaves make “pups” or vegetative o shoots that replace the parent plant after it dies.
Hiller has been keeping a close watch on the succulent, which resides outside of Westminster City Hall at 4800 W. 92nd Avenue. Tiny blooms are starting to emerge, and she gures a full bloom may come later this week.
“All this time it has never bloomed,” Hiller said. “I thought maybe after ve years, 10 years or 15. Nope, it has stayed right on schedule.”
Hiller rst planted the agave plant at the city’s Walnut Creek Golf Course not
long after she was hired. She adopted the plant for the city 25 years ago because she thought it was pretty.
Although native to drier and much warmer climates, the agave has shown some true Steel Magnolia tendencies, Hiller said.
“It’s survived snow, sleet, high winds and just about everything else, and stood tall,” she said.
It also survived a move to City Hall as irrigation work at the golf course prompted her to relocate the agave to the outside ower garden.
Hiller is also quick to point out that this species of agave plant does not produce tequila. Only the blue agave does that, she said.
“No, this is just a tall, really interesting plant,” Hiller said.
Westminster wants warnings along Rocky Flats trail
Westminster city o cials say they want clear and to-the-point signs that warn walkers, joggers and bikers using a trail near the shuttered Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant that they could be exposed to dangerous radioactive and chemical contamination.
City councilors this week were shown three potential warning signs that could be posted on the Rocky Mountain Greenway Trail and near the Indiana Street overpass.
Critics say soil from the Greenway Trail,
which leads from Rocky Flats, is still heavily tainted with deadly plutonium. Critics worry that trail’s users will bring that contamination into Westminster.
City councilors in 2024 narrowly agreed to drop their support for the Greenway Trail, swayed by testimony from advocates that the trail would spread contamination from Rocky Flats.
Councilors seemed inclined to prefer a sign a xed with strong language warning about the dangers of Rocky Flats contamination, which includes the international symbol of radioactivity. e signs should also emphasize some background on the Rocky Flats controversy,
councilors said.
Mayor Pro Tem Sarah Nurmela brushed aside recommended language that began by listing the vegetation along the trail.
“ e vegetation is not why we have the sign up,” Nurmela said. “We need to jump right into the radiology.”
City sta members will bring back a sign for an o cial vote at a later date. e cost of city-produced signs would range from $10,000 to $20,000.
e alternatives were written with proposed language submitted from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Boulder County, and the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center.
e sign preferred by several anti-Rocky Flats activists reads in part that: “Persons on the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge may become exposed to radioactive and other hazardous materials through dust in the air or contact with the soil. ese materials are invisible to the naked eye and may be carried home in dirt on shoes, bicycle tires, or other personal e ects.” It adds that plutonium is the primary radioactive contamination on the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge. “Plutonium emits alpha radiation, which cannot be detected by a Geiger counter, and it will remain radioactive for more than (100,000) years.”
City Horticulturist Shalene Hiller stands next to a towering agave plant MONTE WHALEY
1. TELEVISION: What is the name of the bar where Homer Simpson hangs out?
2. MUSIC: What are the rst names of the Jackson 5?
3. MOVIES: What prop is found in almost every scene in “ e Fight Club”?
4. ANATOMY: What does the term “hallux” refer to in human anatomy?
5. GEOMETRY: What is the perimeter of a circle called?
6. LITERATURE: What is Ron Weasley’s patronus in the “Harry Potter” book series?
7. ANIMAL KINGDOM: How many tusks does a warthog have?
8. GEOGRAPHY: How many states does the Paci c Crest Trail cross?
9. SCIENCE: What is a common name for iron oxide?
10. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which president was awarded the Distinguished Flying
TrIVIa
Cross for bravery in WWII?
Answers
1. Moe’s Tavern.
2. Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael.
3. A Starbucks co ee cup.
4. e big toe.
5. Circumference.
6. Jack Russell Terrier.
7. Four.
8. ree (California, Oregon, and Washington).
9. Rust.
10. George H.W. Bush.
(c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.
Thu 7/03
Morning SUP Yoga
@ 12am
Jul 3rd - Aug 20th
Evergreen Lake House, 29612 Upper Bear Creek Road, Evergreen. 720-880-1000
Colorado Rockies vs. Houston Astros
@ 1:10pm Coors Field, Denver
Fri 7/04
Stars & Stripes Doubles Pickleball Tournament
@ 8:30am
Fort Lupton Recreation & Parks Depart‐ment, 203 S Harrison, Fort Lupton. 303-8574200
6 Million Dollar Band: Thornton CO Fourth of July Celebration @ 4pm
Eric Golden: Ft Lupton 4th of July Celebration @ 5pm Fort Lupton Recreation Department, 203 S Harrison Ave, Fort Lupton
Sun 7/06
Lost Penny at Buffalo Rose @ 10am
Buffalo Rose, 1119 Washington Ave, Golden
Rotating Tap Comedy @ Something Brewery @ 7:30pm
Something Brewery, 117 N Main St unit A, Brighton
Thu 7/10
Jacob Larson Band Funk & Soul: City of Northglenn July 4th Festival @ 7:30pm
Carpenter Park Fields, 11000 Colorado Blvd, Thornton
Face Vocal Band: July 4th Celebration @ 7pm Westminster City Park, 10455 N Sheridan Blvd, Westminster
Martin G. Lockley Discovery Center, 17681 W Alameda Parkway, Golden. 303-697-3466 ext. 101
Circus Camp @ 9:30am
Jul 7th - Jul 10th
Wulf Recreation Center, 5300 S Olive Road, Evergreen. 720-880-1000
E.B. Rains Jr. Memorial Park, 11701 Community Center Dr, Northglenn
Sat 7/05
Northglenn, CO | Michael Morrow & The Culprits, Hooligan's Holiday and Rebel Souls @ 8pm @ Cheers, 11964 Washington St, North‐glenn
Blank Slate @ 8pm
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W Alameda Pkwy, Morrison
Tue 7/08
Sports Agility July @ 4pm
Jul 8th - Jul 31st
Fort Lupton Recreation & Parks Depart‐ment, 203 S Harrison, Fort Lupton. 303-8574200
Wed 7/09
The Soul Rebels @ 7:30pm Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd, Arvada
Teague Starbuck @ 5pm
The Golden Mill, 1012 Ford St, Golden Bella Renee: DARKBLOOM: RYAN NEVIS @ 7pm
Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St, Denver
Eric Golden: Apex Arvada Summer Concert @ 7pm
McIlvoy Park, 5750 Upham St, Arvada
Ryan Nevis: Denver @ 7pm
Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St, Denver
Eric McFadden: Sgt. Splendor & Punkadelick @ 8pm
Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom & Other Side, 2637 Welton St, Denver
Vertigo @ 8pm
Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St, Denver
The Meditations @ 9pm
Ophelia's Electric Soapbox, 1215 20th St, Den‐ver
VANLERBERGHE
Kenneth James VanLerberghe
August 29, 1942 - June 6, 2025
Kenneth “Ken” James VanLerberghe, 82, of Brighton, Colorado, passed away peacefully on June 6, 2025.
Ken was born on August 29, 1942, and grew up in Cottonwood, Minnesota, the son of Camiel and Madeline (DePyper) VanLerberghe. From a young age, Ken embraced a strong work ethic and sense of purpose. He began his early life farming in Cottonwood before moving to Marshall, where he worked for Schwan’s. Eventually, he found his way to Denver, Colorado, where he built a successful career in real estate. A natural go-getter, Ken was a top performer in every endeavor he pursued.
Ken’s dedication extended beyond his work. He had a deep love for his family and a generous spirit. One of his greatest joys was playing Santa Claus for underprivileged children—a role he embraced with heartfelt enthusiasm and compassion. His legacy of kindness, humor, and hard work will be
remembered by all who knew him.
Above all, Ken’s heart belonged to his family. He is survived by his children
Douglas VanLerberghe, Barry VanLerberghe, and Cheri (Mike) Elshaw; his brother Ronald VanLerberghe; and his cherished grandchildren Lauren (Ryan) Bixler, Alexandra Elshaw, Austin VanLerberghe, Kara VanLerberghe, Taylor Elshaw, and Noelle VanLerberghe.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his siblings Alice Burczek, Adeline Tholen, Raymond VanLerberghe, and Elsie Carlson.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:30 - 5:00 on Saturday, June 28th at Kephart Architects, 2555 Walnut St. Denver, CO. Memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association.
Ken’s life was marked by love and generosity. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered by those whose lives he touched.
In Loving Memory
Ice hockey: New rule in place for pucks, crossbars and goal frames
BY STEVE SMITH
SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
ree new rules will be in play when the 2025-2026 ice hockey season begins in Colorado.
e puck is unplayable if it comes to rest on top of the goal between the crossbar and the goal frame.
According to the National Federation of High Schools’ web page, the rule also clari es the rules for pucks on the outside of the goal netting and below the crossbar. Play continues in this instance.
“ e primary reason for stopping play when the puck is on top of the net is for the health and safety of players and the goalkeeper,” said Dan Schuster, NFHS director of educational services and editor of the NFHS Ice Hockey Rules Book, in the statement on the NFHS web page.
“ e committee did not want to see sticks coming up high, trying to knock the puck o the shelf,” Schuster continued. “ e proximity of the goalkeeper is always sensitive, so there could be sticks coming
in high in the direction of the goalkeeper and the committee did not want that in high-school ice hockey.”
Another rule will keep goalkeepers from wearing audio and video devices during games.
e last rule changes the word “linesman” to “linesperson.” e federation’s rule book replaced gender-speci c language earlier.
According to the most recent NFHS athletic participation survey, more than 32,000 boys participate in ice hockey in 1,641 high schools across the country, and more than 9,600 girls participate in the sport in 785 schools.
Fifty schools eld boys teams that compete in seven conferences in Colorado, according to MaxPreps. Seven schools eld girls teams, according to MaxPreps. ose teams are in the southern end of the Denver metropolitan area, Castle Rock and one district team from Colorado Springs.
For more updates and rule changes, visit CHSAANow.com.
BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CORINNE@COTLN.ORG
As a pole vaulter, recent Colorado School of Mines graduate Hunter Potrykus was always looking to raise the bar.
Now, he’s reached a new high point — winning the 2024-25 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
e conference announced Potrykus’ win in a June 24 press release, explaining how a student-athlete must maintain a 3.5 cumulative GPA while participating
in an RMAC-sponsored sport to be eligible.
In May 2024, Potrykus graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Mines with a 3.929 GPA. en, this May, he earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering with a thermal uid systems track, compiling a 4.0 GPA in the process.
According to the RMAC press release, Potrykus will be honored at the conference’s Hall of Fame and Awards Banquet July 10 in Colorado Springs.
Both the RMAC and Mines Athletics press releases said Potrykus is the third male Oredigger to receive this honor, joining distance runner Duncan Fuehne from 2023 and men’s basketball player Gokul Natesan from 2017.
According to Mines Athletics, Potrykus joined the Mines track &
Mines pole vaulter Potrykus wins academic honors
eld program in fall 2020 and had a decorated career across both the indoor and outdoor seasons.
During his ve years with the Orediggers, the Berthoud, Colorado native set multiple records and earned numerous accolades, including the 2025 RMAC Men’s Indoor Academic Athlete of the Year. He was also a ve-time RMAC pole vault champion — twice for outdoors and three times for indoors.
During his nal indoor season this winter, Potrykus took fourth at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships. It was his best nish at nationals and helped the Mines men’s team take home the bronze medal. It was also the team’s best-ever nish at a national meet.
For more information about Potrykus’ award or career, or to follow the Mines track & eld program, visit MinesAthletics.com.
before October 20, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
BOKF, N.A., d/b/a BOK Financial, Personal Representative 1600 Broadway, 4th Floor Denver, CO 80202 Phone: 303-863-4257 Email: hboonstra@bokf.com
Legal Notice No. FLP1301
First Publication: June 19, 2025 Last Publication: July 3, 2025 Publisher: Fort Lupton Press
5500 Greenwood Plaza Blvd, Suite 130 Greenwood Village, CO 80111 Phone Number: 720.457.4451
To: Heirs of Weldon J. Allen, and Heirs of Doris J. Allen, also known as Doris Jonas Allen and as Doris Allen
Last Known Address, if any: Weldon J. Allen, City of Houston, Harris County, Texas; Doris J. Allen, City of Houston, Harris County Texas
A hearing without appearance on PETITION FOR THE DETERMINATION OF HEIRS OR DEVISEES OR BOTH, AND OF INTERESTS IN PROPERTY (title of pleading) for (brief description of relief requested) determination of ownership of real property legally described as an undivided three thirty-seconds (3/32) interest in and to all of the oil, gas and other minerals in and under that may be produced from the following described lands: Township 8 North, Range 61 West, 6th P.M. Weld County, Colorado Section: 24: Northwest Quarter (NW/4) (the “Property”) will be held at the following time and location or at a later date to which the hearing may be continued:
Date: August 21, 2025
Time: 8:00 AM
Address: 915 10th Street, Greeley, CO 80632
*****IMPORTANT NOTICE*****
Any interested person wishing to object to the requested action set forth in the petition must
file a written objection with the court on or before the hearing and must furnish a copy of the objection to the person requesting the court order. JDF 722 (Objection form) is available on the Colorado Judicial Branch website (www. courts.state.co.us). If no objection is filed, the court may take action on the petition without further notice or hearing. If any objection is filed, the objecting party must, within 14 days after filing the objection, contact the court to set the objection for an appearance hearing. Failure to timely set the objection for an appearance hearing as required will result in further action as the court deems appropriate.
Legal Notice No. FLP1303
First Publication: July 3, 2025
Last Publication: July 17, 2025
Publisher: Fort Lupton Press
named estate are required to present them to
Players clash on the ice in a rough-and-tumble play in the 5A ice hockey state championship.
Valor Christian won 7-4. FILE PHOTO
Colorado School of Mines pole vaulter Hunter Potrykus competes at Mines’ Indoor Pre-Conference Meet in 2024. FILE PHOTO
