Go for Launch program aims to inspire students
BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Michelle Lucas, founder of Higher Orbits Go for Launch, has worked at NASA’s Johnson Space Center and made her reputation preparing people for space ight. She traveled the world teaching people how to live on board the International Space Station.
But the satisfaction she received from that job is nothing compared to thrill of seeing a new generation get interested in space ight.
“Don’t get me wrong, training astronauts for space was ful lling, but being able to prepare the next generation is a next level of ful llment,” Lucas said.
at’s what she and her team
were aiming for April 26 and 27 at the Colorado Space Port near Watkins. e space port hosted the Go for Launch Higher Orbits event, a special STEM program, for 35 Denver-area middle and high school students.
Lucas said it’s incredibly ful lling to inspire the next generation of space enthusiasts, especially for kids that don’t have access to these kinds of opportunities.
She said she can relate.
“I’m a kid who is in love with space, from the south side of Chicago with no access to spaceinspired STEM programming,” she said.
Post-its, tape and teamwork
e students learned about teamwork, communication, technology, leadership, science,
engineering and brainstorming during the two day program. eir tasks include working as teams to create a tower made of paper stable enough to support the miniature NASA Orion Capsule placed on top. Each tower was tested with a small fan to assess its strength.
Global Village Academy’s Colton Burke, Prospect Ridge Academy’s Eshaan Valles and Colorado Skies Academy students Yiri Yerikanis, and Zach Schultz worked as a team.
e group of 8th grade students brainstormed how to best build their tower, each participating with structural engineering concepts and feeding o each other for inspiration.
eir nal tower was made of Post-its, paper and some tape
with room for the Orion Capsule on top. eir project was tested for strength, and they won rst place. Not only that, but they had fun doing it.
at’s the goal, Lucas said. Being able to create something that she can bring to the backyards of students across the country is so meaningful to her.
Dreams of space
e impact is huge, according to Robert Ferguson from Westminster Public Schools’ Random Innovation Center. He teaches the aviation engineering pathway, including drone classes, pilot training, engineering design, aviation electronics, and aerospace.
WESTMINSTER WINDOW
Evans gets midterms endorsement from Trump
BY MONTE WHALEY
President Donald Trump on Monday endorsed rst-term Republican Congressman Gabe Evans, calling Evans “an America First Patriot who is doing a fantastic job representing Colorado’s 8th Congressional District!” Trump endorsed Evans on a post on the Truth Social site. Trump added: “…A decorated Army Helicopter Pilot and former Police O cer, Gabe has served our Nation with Great Honor and Distinction. In Congress, he is ghting to Secure the Border, Champion American Energy, Defend the Second Amendment, and Support our Brave Military, Veterans, and Law Enforcement.”
Added Trump: “Gabe Evans has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election — HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!” Trump’s endorsement comes as both parties have targeted the 8th Congressional District as one that could go either way to realign the House of Representatives. It’s been rated a tossup before next year’s midterm elections.
Evans in November narrowly defeated Democrat Yadira Caraveo to win the 8th District seat. Evans has already drawn two potential Democratic challengers, including Caraveo who launched a bid to retake the seat. State Rep. Manny Rutinel, D-Commerce City, kicked o his campaign in January to win the Democratic primary to earn the right to challenge Evans, has raised more than $1.1 million in the year’s rst quarter, according to Colorado Politics.
Evans thanked Trump for the endorsement, saying on X “I am dialed in on making sure our community is free of criminal illegal immigrant gangs and making Colorado a safer place to live, work, and raise a family. Proud to be ghting for #CO08 in Congress,” according to Colorado Politics.
8th grade students Henry Kovacs, from Thunder Ridge, Blake Chyou, home-schooled, Ben Santos, Eagle Crest High School, and Teagan Bura, Colorado Skies Academy watch to see how the tower they constructed fares against a sti wind during the Go For Launch program at the Colorado Air and Space Port. They claimed second place for the stability of their tower. BELEN WARD
Boom Supersonic to test engine at Colorado Space Port
BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Centennial’s Boom Supersonic plans to test it’s hypersonic Symphony engine – that powered the rst civilian aircraft to break the sound barrier last year – at the Colorado Air and Spaceport, according to a news release on April 25. “ is is an exciting moment not just for Adams County but for the future of aerospace innovation in Colorado,” said Lynn Baca, Chair of the Adams County Board of Commissioners. “Boom’s investment in our community puts us at the forefront of the aerospace industry and re ects our shared commitment to advancing nextgeneration transportation technologies.”
Boom would use a former hypersonic test site at the Colorado Spaceport to run its prototype engine through its paces. e Symphony test site is on the Spaceport grounds near Watkins, roughly 35 miles from Boom’s Denver headquarters. ey will be using advanced instru-
mentation and a data collection system to accelerate engine development and enhancement.
Boom has agreed to invest $3.5 million in the Spaceport this year to get the testing site ready for this year’s prototype engine core trials, according to o cials.
“We are very excited to welcome Boom Supersonic to Colorado Air and Space Port and to support the development of its revolutionary Symphony Engine,” said Je Kloska, Director of CASP. “We look forward to a great partnership with Boom and to advancing our aviation and aerospace ecosystem at CASP.”
e high-temperature test site was most recently used by Reaction Engines UK to test a revolutionary engine precooler heat exchanger, according to a December 2022 Spaceport news release.
In January 2024, Colorado-based La Storia lm company documented Boom Supersonics’ test ight of its XB-1 aircraft, the rst civilian aircraft to break the sound barrier.
“I’m excited about the new opportunities for the next generation and am looking forward to seeing their progress and achievements at the Colorado Air and Space Port,” Ferguson said. “I’ve had students who have gone on to be airplane mechanics, training as pilots, and some have gone to the military, or the School of Mines, Metropolitan State University, and Colorado State University.”
Lucas said that since she was a little girl, she dreamed of working in the space industry, and had the privilege of doing that after she graduated.
“I worked at Johnson Space Center variety of di erent jobs with the International Space Station. I was part of the payload safety review panel,” Lucas said. “I was a ight controller and mission control, and then I was a technical instructor for astronauts and other instructors.”
After 12 years, commercial space started to take o , so she decided to leave NASA and start her own consulting company.
“I did some work for a nonpro t internationally. We launched Higher Orbits, a nonpro t. It’s our 10th anniversary. We’ve conducted 84 programs in 21 states, impacting over a thousand students.”
Space loomed large in Capt. Wendy Lawrence’s imagination, too. Lawrence was an astronaut with four space shuttle missions under her belt, including the Astro Two
mission to the Russian Space Station Mir.
Lawrence said she grew up reading about the Mercury or Gemini space programs, but as Apollo started, she was in front of her black and white televisions at home.
“Most of us had not migrated to color yet, and we were enthralled, amazed by what we saw. For me, it was Apollo 11 watching Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the moon,” Lawrence said. “I just knew at that moment, I wanted to ride a rocket and have a chance to nd space.”
Lawrence said Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics programs, also known as STEM or STEAM, are an opportunity for the students to take what they have been learning in school and apply it to a particular challenge, coming up with an idea for an experiment that could be on the International Space Station.
“It’s their opportunity to apply knowledge and education they acquired, giving them experience that they can go on and take on challenges and be successful.”
Elizabeth Balga, another volunteer for the program, works as a senior human systems integration engineer and ight operations engineer at Sierra Space in Colorado.
She worked on the Dream Chaser program, which is a cargo vehicle designed to bring payloads to the International Space Station.
Balga said she was inspired by Space ight since she was a little girl and was enamored with everything in science, space, and technology in her classes.
“ is age range is where kids are try-
ing to decide what they want to do with the rest of their lives, and allowing them to learn about space, but also STEM and space, everything it takes to go into space,” Balga said.
“It’s science, technology, engineering, art, and math. ere are also biology and aviation paths that are part of the greater aerospace realm,” Balga said. “As a kid, I didn’t have a lot of these opportunities to
learn about aerospace. I would have loved to go to a ‘Go for Launch’ as a kid.” Go for Launch volunteer Sonia Morales also works as a modeling and simulations engineer at the Aerospace Corporation.
“I’ve been looking for other opportunities to give back to students, to inspire them. I found out about Go for Launch asking for volunteers, and I was very excited to volunteer,” Morales said.
Students work to build a tower that can withstand strong winds while holding a space capsule during the Go For Launch program at the Colorado Air and Space station. BELEN WARD
The Boom supersonic flight of XB-1 aircraft test flight. FILE PHOTO
FROM PAGE 1
BY BRIAN EASON
COLORADO SUN
Home values dip, signaling relief for homeowners
Home values across the Denver metro area largely held steady or declined in the latest tax assessment period, county assessors announced April 30, in the latest sign that Colorado’s housing market has cooled o from its pandemic fever.
County tax o cials said it will be several months before they can de nitively say whether most residential tax bills will go up or down next year. at’ll depend on whether local governments raise mill levies when they set their budgets later this year and how the state’s new property tax laws play out in di erent communities.
But at least one thing’s assured: e typical homeowner won’t experience major spikes in their 2026 tax bills like they did after the last re-assessment two years ago, which led to several rounds of property tax cuts at the state level.
“If there’s a headline for us in Douglas County this year, it’s breathing a sigh of relief,” Toby Damisch, the county tax assessor, said at a news conference in Denver.
In Douglas County, the median residential value dropped 3.5% in the preliminary assessments, which re ect market values as of June 2024. at’s a night-and-day difference from this time two years ago, when residential values were up nearly 50% in Douglas County, and more than 30% in Denver.
Damisch said it was the rst time since the Great Recession he’s seen residential values fall in his county. And they could fall further in the coming months, when property owners have the chance to appeal their values.
Tax o cials pointed to a few factors to ex-
plain the dip. High interest rates and economic uncertainty have depressed home sales in recent years. And in retrospect, the June 2022 valuation came at the worst possible time for homeowners struggling with the cost of living. Home prices peaked across much of Colorado that summer, meaning tax assessors took their biannual snapshot used to determine tax bills at the absolute height of the market.
Je erson County Assessor Scot Kersgaard said his area was the only one to see an increase in residential values — and even there it was a minor 2% bump. Across the rest of the Front Range, home values held steady or dropped a few percentage points.
Nonetheless, housing a ordability remains a major challenge across the metro area. Damisch said the cost of homeownership remains “the highest it’s ever been” in Colorado, thanks to high interest rates and insurance costs. In Boulder County, where median home values are down about 1%, prices actually went up for condos and townhomes, making it harder for entry-level buyers to purchase their rst home.
JoAnn Gro , the state property tax administrator, said she won’t have numbers from all 64 counties until August, but in preliminary surveys from earlier this year, the rest of Colorado looked similar to metro Denver, with residential values mostly at or slightly down.
But that isn’t the case everywhere. In mountain communities, where housing costs are the highest, prices are still going up. Mark Chapin, president of the Colorado Assessors Association, told e Colorado Sun that median home values are up 8% in Eagle County, where he serves as the tax assessor. In Gar eld County, home to
Glenwood Springs, residential values are up 14%, he said.
Along the Front Range, local governments should see tax revenue stay relatively at, assessors said. Commercial values were up across the metro area, largely osetting the declines in home values. Keith Er meyer, the Denver assessor, said growth in warehouses and other commercial properties more than made up for a downturn in the o ce sector, where vacancies are up as more people work from home.
Absent future tax hikes, at tax revenue could lead to budget cuts for many local agencies, as they grapple with in ation and declines in state and federal funding.
But county tax o cials insisted it was too soon to say what the valuation would mean for homeowners and local govern-
ments. In a change from previous years, homeowners won’t get an estimated tax bill with their valuation notice, due to a change in state law. at will give counties time to determine if revenue is expected to grow faster than the state’s new property tax cap, requiring cuts to the assessment rate. And it will prevent homeowners from being given an estimate that turns out to be wrong when local government o cials set their mill levy rates later in the year.
“ e taxes are going to get gured out later — that’s just how it works now,” Damisch said. is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state.
SATURDAY, MAY
Spring Homes SHOWCASE
SATURDAY, MAY 17
Parcel maps on display at the Denver City-County Building, where county assessors announced the results of the 2024 valuation on April 30, 2025. PHOTO BY BRIAN EASON / THE COLORADO SUN
Butterfly Pavilion starts the 2025 monitoring season
New report shows a decline in butterflies across the country
Westminster’s Butter y Pavilion is playing a key role in identifying and preserving butter ies across Colorado, as the 2025 butter y monitoring season begins May 3 at Castlewood Canyon State Park in Franktown.
To kick o the season, the Butter y Pavilion has released the 2024 Annual Colorado Butter y Monitoring Network report on the state of Colorado’s native butter y populations. Last year marked the 12th year of Monitoring Network as one of the nation’s fastest-growing community science programs focused on butter y conservation.
O cials say this year’s announcement comes at a critical time in butter y habitats. A new study published in Science magazine shows a 22% decline in buttery abundance across the U.S. between 2000 and 2020.
Butter y Pavilion played a signi cant role in the research, contributing Colorado-speci c data from the Monitoring Network and collaborating with nearly two dozen scientists through the “Status of Butter ies in the United States” working group, according to a Pavilion news release.
More data needed e ndings highlight the urgent need for local and national e orts to protect pollinators, one of the most vital and vul-
ture,” said Shiran Hershcovich, Lepidopterist Manager at Butter y Pavilion and co-author in the Science study, said in the news release. “ at’s where the public comes in with community science programs like (Colorado Butter y Monitoring Network), which allow us to cover more geographies and provide essential insights for conservation.”
In a press release, the 2024 Colorado Butter y Monitoring Network Report notes that 452 surveys were submitted
across 69 monitoring routes in 12 Colorado counties. Reports came from 59 active monitors, including 40 new volunteers, that contributed 385.4 hours of butter y observations.
As of Oct. 15, 2024, the program had documented 144,002 individual butter ies through 4,764 surveys, totaling 4,899.8 hours of monitoring since 2013.
Participating counties in 2024 included: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomeld, Denver, Douglas, Eagle, El Paso, Gilpin, Je erson, Larimer, and Weld.
Big growth for 2025
e Butter y Pavilion is aiming for am-
bitious growth of the Colorado Butter y Monitoring Network in its 13th season, according to the news release. e 2025 goals include expanding the program to 18 counties, recruiting 90 monitors, and surveying 80 sites along 90 routes. In addition, Butter y Pavilion will begin indepth analysis of its decade-long dataset to better understand trends and inform conservation strategies statewide, the news release states.
“ is is people-powered science,” said Hershcovich. “When our community gets involved, they become stewards of our environment and champions for native invertebrates.”
e Monitoring Network trains volunteers to monitor butter ies in their communities from May to September. After attending a training session, monitors choose a route and walk it at least three times per season, recording every butter y they see within a six-meter radius. Volunteers also note weather conditions, time, and habitat data.
is year’s remaining training dates and locations include three joint sessions with the Monarch Larva Monitoring Program: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 3 at Castlewood Canyon State Park in Franktown, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 10 at Cherry Creek State Park in Denver and 10 a.m. to noon May 17 at Lory State Park west of Fort Collins.
A fourth program hosted solely by the Colorado Butter y Monitoring Network is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 18 at East Boulder Community Center. Self-paced online video training is also available. ose interested can visit and sign up here: https://butter ies.org/ research-and-conserve/butter y-monitoring/
Westminster’s Butterfly Pavilion names Welch as CEO
Welch to head up e orts for invertebrate research, conservation, education
BY MONTE WHALEY
Ryan Welch, a leader in nonpro t causes for Colorado media and animal health research, will now power e orts for Westminster’s Butter y Pavilion as the group’s new president and chief executive o cer.
Welch was named the Butter y Pavilion’s new leader Monday after a thorough, nationwide search, according to Pavilion o cials.
“Ryan brings a powerful combination of visionary, mission-driven leadership, deep commitment to conservation and passion for public engagement, with speci c expertise in capital campaigns, facility development, and building strong, col-
Treasurer
laborative teams through exceptional people management skills,” said Mark Corbett, Vice Chairperson and Treasurer for the Butter y Pavilion Board of Directors, in a news release.
“As we celebrate Butter y Pavilion’s 30th anniversary and look toward the next 30 years, Ryan is the ideal leader to guide us into the future.”
Under Welch’s leadership, the Butter y Pavilion will continue to expand its global conservation e orts, engage broader and more diverse audiences, and continue executing against its goal to establish a new facility serving as the global hub for invertebrate research, conservation, and education, the news release states.
Welch is a seasoned nonpro t executive with nearly two decades of experience driving revenue growth, building highperforming teams, and advancing organizational impact, the news release states.
At Rocky Mountain Public Media,
Welch successfully led a multi-year, $34 million capital campaign to build a new media center in downtown Denver, an experience that aligns perfectly with Butter y Pavilion’s vision, say o cials.
Most recently Interim President and CEO at Morris Animal Foundation, Ryan has led strategic direction and operations in support of groundbreaking animal health research, according to the news release. He previously served as Chief Development O cer at the Foundation, increasing revenue by 70% and building innovative donor engagement programs.
His earlier roles at Rocky Mountain Public Media and e Coca-Cola Company sharpened his expertise in strategy, fundraising, and marketing. Ryan serves on Colorado State University’s Community Impact Committee for the Veterinary Health System and holds a journalism degree from the University of Kansas, say o cials.
“I’m honored to join Butter y Pavilion at this transformational moment,” said Welch in the news release. “Invertebrates make up 97% of all animal species on the planet and are the foundation of life on Earth, and yet they are too often overlooked. I’m inspired by Butter y Pavilion’s unique mission to change that through science, education, and awe-inspiring experiences that connect people to the smallest, yet most essential, creatures on our planet.”
Brochu stepping back
Welch’s hiring marks the conclusion of Nathalie Brochu’s service as Interim CEO. Brochu was instrumental in increas-
ing nancial rigor throughout the organization, putting it in a better position to achieve its goals, as well as moving important partnerships forward to advance Butter y Pavilion’s mission in research, conservation, and education, say o cials
”We are grateful to Nathalie, who has served with dedication as both Interim CEO and Board Chair during this pivotal time in Butter y Pavilion’s journey,” Corbett said. “With the successful conclusion of the CEO search and a strong foundation laid for the future, Nathalie is stepping down from her Interim CEO and Board Chair roles to allow new leadership to ourish. We thank Nathalie for her visionary leadership, steady hand, and unwavering commitment to our mission.”
O cials say that Welch’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment in Buttery Pavilion’s history. e world’s rst Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited stand-alone, nonpro t invertebrate zoo and global leader in invertebrate research, conservation, and education celebrates three decades of inspiring millions through hands-on science, immersive exhibits, and groundbreaking conservation initiatives around the world, the news release states.
Welch will o cially join the Butter y Pavilion on May 19.
“As we celebrate our 30th anniversary, this is more than a milestone, it’s a moment to boldly envision the next era of impact,” said Welch. “Together, we will build a future where people, planet, and promise come together, and the smallest creatures are impossible to ignore.”
A male monarch pulls nectar from a Rabbitbrush, which is a vital resource for the pollinators in our region. The insects rely on the nectar from those plants and others during their annual migrations. COURTESY LIZ GOEHRING
Ryan Welch
State lawmakers brace for special session on Medicaid
Budget director estimates cuts to federal funding could reach $1 billion
BY JOHN INGOLD THE COLORADO SUN
Lawmakers and other state officials have for weeks been bracing for the possibility of coming back to the Capitol later this year to deal with potential federal cuts to Medicaid likely to be included in Congressional Republicans’ still-being-written budget proposal.
“There certainly are a lot of indicators that would suggest that we might end up having to come back in the event that there’s a dramatic cut to Medicaid,” state Sen. Judy Amabile, a Boulder Democrat and member of the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee, said in March, as first reported in The Colorado Sun’s politics newsletter, The Unaffiliated.
Speaking to a group of health care leaders in April, Gov. Jared Polis’ budget director put it a little more bluntly. Mark Ferrandino said the state is estimating up to $1 billion in cuts to Colorado’s federal Medicaid funding under proposals being discussed in Washington, D.C..
“Just to be clear to everyone,” Ferrandino said, “if that’s the cut, we are not backfilling, which means we have to make cuts both in Medicaid and other places in the
state budget to deal with it.”
Medicaid is the state’s most expensive program. The agency that runs the program has an $18 billion budget for next year. More than $10 billion in that budget comes from federal funds, meaning Colorado could be facing a 10% cut in that funding if Ferrandino’s projections are correct.
Colorado contributes about $5 billion to the Medicaid program out of the state’s general fund, making it the largest source of general fund spending. When Ferrandino says the state will not backfill, he means the state won’t chip in more general fund money to make up for the possible federal cuts. There just isn’t enough cash to do so. This is especially true because next year will see another tight budget, regardless of what happens at the federal level. Ferrandino described what lawmakers did this year to close a $1.2 billion budget gap as essentially punting the problem into next year.
“It is going to be a more difficult budget,” Ferrandino said in remarks at the Colorado Hospital Association’s Hospitals on the Hill, a lobbying day for health care leaders that also features informational sessions for those leaders. “We are going to have to look at cuts. I will say Medicaid … if not controlled is going to eat up the entire state budget. Which is going to mean we have to make difficult decisions in the health care space.”
The combination of these two funding crises has sent Colorado officials and
health care leaders into overdrive in the past few weeks to fight against federal cuts to Medicaid.
Earlier this month, Polis and Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera sent a letter to Colorado’s Congressional delegation urging them to reject cuts to Medicaid. The envisioned cuts could mean a loss of 12,000 jobs, $1.3 billion in state GDP and $82 million in state and local tax revenue, the pair argued.
“Children, hardworking individuals, people with disabilities, seniors, and safety net providers are not political pawns or talking points,” they wrote in the letter. “These cuts would mean losing access to lifesaving care with devastating consequences.”
The Colorado Health Policy Coalition, a group of more than 80 health care organizations from across the policy spectrum, followed that with its own letter opposing cuts. Just this week, the Colorado Rural Health Center released a statement criticizing proposals to cut programs that specifically support rural health care providers.
“Cutting funding that has been a cornerstone supporting the rural health care delivery system for decades is both short sighted and profoundly damaging,” said Michelle Mills, the CEO of the Colorado Rural Health Center, said in the statement. “Every dollar of federal funding invested in rural healthcare is an investment in thriving communities.”
The debate over health funding cuts has
also created fault lines among Republicans in Washington.
Colorado U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd, a Republican who represents western and southern Colorado signed onto a letter urging House leadership to preserve Medicaid. Nearly one-third of people in Hurd’s district are covered by Medicaid, the highest percentage of any Colorado representative.
Meanwhile, Colorado U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans, a Republican who represents a swing district predominantly in Adams and Weld counties, told Colorado Public Radio that cuts to Medicaid would be made only to eliminate misuse of funds and to make the program work better.
“We’re going back to cutting out the fraud, waste and abuse that actually preserves the program by making sure that we can get more resources to the people who are actually lawful beneficiaries of it,” Evans said.
If the cuts do happen, Ferrandino said state officials do not yet have a plan for what they would slash — in part because it remains uncertain exactly which areas of Medicaid the GOP may target.
“I don’t know what we will do,” he said. “I don’t know what the legislature will do. I know we’ll be in a special session, so we’ll see all of you in July or September or August to deal with it.”
This story was printed through a news sharing agreement with The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonprofit based in Denver that covers the state.
Federal appeals court maintains block on deportations
BY CHASE WOODRUFF COLORADO NEWSLINE
A trio of federal appellate judges on Tuesday left in place a lower court’s ruling temporarily blocking the removal of detainees held in Colorado under the Alien Enemies Act.
The two-page order from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit denied an emergency motion for a stay filed by President Donald Trump’s administration last week. Trump has invoked the centuries-old Alien Enemies Act for just the fourth time in U.S. history in an attempt to expedite the removals of hundreds of people the administration claims are part of an “invasion” of the United States by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
Citing the authority granted to it by the 1798 law, the administration sent 137 detainees to a brutal maximumsecurity prison in El Salvador before multiple federal courts, including one in Colorado, ordered a halt to such removals over due process concerns. U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte Sweeney’s
temporary restraining order against the removal of any detainees from Colorado under the AEA is set to remain in effect until at least May 6.
Trump’s Department of Justice appealed Sweeney’s ruling to the 10th Circuit last week, asking the court to suspend the TRO pending appeal and arguing that it causes “irreparable harm” by “interfer(ing) with the President’s core authority to protect the nation.”
A panel of three appellate judges — Judges Harris L. Hartz, Gregory Alan Phillips and Joel M. Carson — bluntly dismissed that argument in Tuesday’s order denying the DOJ’s motion.
“Given the important unresolved issues under the Alien Enemies Act and the ruling of the United States Supreme Court that no one in that proceeding be removed under the AEA until further order of that Court … there is no realistic possibility that the government could remove any member of the class from this country before final expiration of the TRO on May 6, 2025,” the judges wrote. “Accordingly, the emergency mo-
tion for a stay is denied.”
The case, D.B.U. v. Trump, originated earlier this month as a petition for habeas corpus and proposed class action by lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of two Venezuelan nationals held at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Aurora. The plaintiffs, who are identified by their initials, D.B.U. and R.M.M., say they have been falsely identified as Tren de Aragua members by the Trump administration and fear imminent deportation to the CECOT facility, criticized by human rights groups for its crowded and abusive conditions.
About 90% of the deportees sent to CECOT last month had no criminal record, according to Bloomberg. At least one, Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, was removed as a result of an “administrative error,” while advocates, attorneys and family members for other deportees say that they were falsely identified as TdA members because of tattoos honoring family members or their favorite soccer team. Trump has openly floated plans to send American citizens to CECOT next.
Sweeney’s order required the Trump administration to provide at least 21 days’ notice, written in a language the individual understands, to any detainee designated for removal under the AEA. It also provisionally certified the class that the two plaintiffs seek to represent, blocking the removal of “all noncitizens in custody in the District of Colorado who were, are, or will be subject to” Trump’s March 14 proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act. ACLU attorneys estimate that could apply to more than 100 detainees held at the Aurora detention center.
In U.S. District Court proceedings in the case, the DOJ argued in a Monday filing that Sweeney should decline to certify the case as a class action, claiming again that D.B.U. and R.M.M. are not targeted for AEA removals and haven’t shown they “are members of the class they seek to represent.”
But the ACLU has filed a motion for a preliminary injunction that would extend and clarify the terms of Sweeney’s TRO for the plaintiffs and all members of the proposed class.
Thu 5/08
Global Sips and Savories (5/8) @ 10am
Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-289-3760
Colorado Rockies vs. Detroit Tigers
Sat 5/10
Mon 5/12
Thu 5/15
2025 Wicked Wine Run Denver, CO @ 1am
@ 1:10pm Coors Field, Denver
Lifeguard Class (May 2025)
@ 4pm
May 8th - May 16th
Fort Lupton Recreation & Parks Depart‐ment, 203 S Harrison, Fort Lupton. 303-8574200
Gallery on the Go - Paint Party
@ 5:30pm
Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-289-3760
Fri 5/09
Crafty Corner: Embellished Picture Frames @ 10am
Eagle Pointe Recreation Center, 6060 E. Park‐way Dr., Commerce City. 303-289-3760
Cultural Cuisine Lunch Series: Mountain Tai Kitchen (5/9) @ 11am Offsite, 6060 E Parkway Drive, Commerce City. 303-289-3760
Junior Jam - Neon Party @ 6pm
Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-289-3760
Colorado Rockies vs. San Diego Padres
@ 6:40pm Coors Field, Denver
Artrageous in Northglenn
@ 7:30pm Parsons Theatre, 1 E Mem Pkwy, Northglenn
Kick it with Anythink @ 5:30pm
Adams County Fairgrounds, 9755 Hen‐derson Rd, Brighton. 000-000-0000
Fly Fishing @ 9am
Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-289-3760
Mommy and Me Storybook Tea @ 11am
Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-289-3760
Colorado Rockies vs. San Diego Padres @ 6:10pm Coors Field, Denver
Colorado Rapids vs. San Jose Earthquakes @ 7:30pm
DICK'S Sporting Goods Park, Com‐merce City
Sun 5/11
Mothers in Nature Breakfast @ 9am / $5
Standley Lake Regional Park, 8600 Simms Street, Westminster. prl@west minsterco.gov, 303-658-2902
Colorado Rockies vs. San Diego Padres
@ 1:10pm Coors Field, Denver
Monthly Birthday Celebration (5/15) @ 1pm
Eagle Pointe Recreation Center, 6060 E. Park‐way Dr., Commerce City. 303-289-3760
Carmichael Park, 650 East Southern Street, Brighton. rbowman@anythinkli braries.org, 303-405-3230
Tue 5/13
Brunchin’ at Bison (5/13) @ 10am
Bison Ridge Recreation Center, 13905 E. 112th Avenue, Commerce City. 303-289-3760
Music and Movement with Anythink Wright Farms @ 10:45am Anythink Wright Farms, 5877 East 120th Avenue, Thornton. mmayo@any thinklibraries.org, 303-405-3200
Wed 5/14
Balisteri Wine Tasting, Tour and Lunch (5/14) @ 10:30am Offsite, 6060 E Parkway Drive, Commerce City. 303-289-3760
Duncan Coker: The StilleryWestminster @ 7pm The Stillery, 10633 Westminster Blvd #900, Westminster
Rotating Tap Comedy @ Something Brewery @ 7pm Something Brewery, 117 N Main St unit A, Brighton
Dirty Side Down Band: Dirty Side Down @ Hoffbrau @ 8:30pm Hoffbrau, 9110 Wadsworth Pkwy, Westminster
1. U.S. STATES: Which state is last, alphabetically?
2. MOVIES: What does the acronym S.H.I.E.L.D. stand for in movies about Marvel characters?
3. LITERATURE: Who wrote the short story “ e Secret Life of Walter Mitty”?
4. GAMES: How many cards are in a standard deck?
5. TELEVISION: On which sitcom did the character Harry the Hat appear?
6. BUSINESS: When did the rst Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise open?
7. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: How many Nobel prizes are awarded every year?
8. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which president was the shortest at 5 foot 4 inches tall?
9. ASTRONOMY: Who was the rst woman to travel into space?
10. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a baby platypus called?
TrIVIa
Answers
1. Wyoming.
2. Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.
3. James urber.
4. 52.
5. “Cheers.”
6. 1952 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
7. Six.
8. James Madison.
9. Valentina Tereshkova.
10. A platypup or puggle.
(c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.
PUBLIC NOTICES Legals
in the records of the Office of the Clerk and Recorder of Adams County, Colorado, and as defined and described in the Amended and Restated Condominium Declaration for The Greens at Buffalo Run recorded on September 16, 2004 at Reception No. 20040916000908710 and November 23, 2004 at Reception No. 20041123001187980, and Supplement recorded June 15, 2006 at Reception No. 20060615000609960 in said records, County of Adams, State of Colorado.
Also known as: 15501 E. 112th Avenue, #28E, Commerce City, CO 80022.
THE PROPERTY TO BE FORECLOSED AND DESCRIBED HEREIN IS ALL OF THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY ENCUMBERED BY THE LIEN.
THE LIEN BEING FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
The covenants of Plaintiff have been violated as follows: failure to make payments on said indebtedness when the same were due and owing.
NOTICE OF SALE
THEREFORE, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that I will, at 9:00 o’clock A.M., on June 12, 2025, at the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, located at 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, CO 80601, sell to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property described above, and all interest of said Grantor and the heirs and assigns of said Grantor, for the purpose of paying the judgment amount entered herein, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law.
Bidders are required to have cash or certified funds to cover the highest bid by noon on the day of the sale. Certified funds are payable to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.
First Publication: April 17, 2025
Last Publication: May 15, 2025
Name of Publication:
Brighton Standard Blade
NOTICE OF RIGHTS
YOU MAY HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE REAL PROPERTY BEING FORECLOSED, OR HAVE CERTAIN RIGHTS OR SUFFER CERTAIN LIABILITIES PURSUANT TO COLORADO LAW AS A RESULT OF SAID FORECLOSURE. YOU MAY HAVE THE RIGHT TO REDEEM SAID REAL PROPERTY OR YOU MAY HAVE THE RIGHT TO CURE A DEFAULT UNDER THE LIEN BEING FORECLOSED. A COPY OF THE STATUTES WHICH MAY AFFECT YOUR RIGHTS ARE ATTACHED HERETO.
A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE PURSUANT TO §38-38-104, C.R.S., SHALL BE FILED WITH THE OFFICER AT LEAST FIFTEEN (15) CALENDAR DAYS PRIOR TO THE FIRST SCHEDULED SALE DATE OR ANY DATE TO WHICH THE SALE IS CONTINUED.
IF THE SALE DATE IS CONTINUED TO A LATER DATE, THE DEADLINE TO FILE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO CURE BY THOSE PARTIES ENTITLED TO CURE MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED.
A NOTICE OF INTENT TO REDEEM FILED PURSUANT TO §38-38-302, C.R.S., SHALL BE FILED WITH THE OFFICER NO LATER THAN EIGHT (8) BUSINESS DAYS AFTER THE SALE, EXCEPT THAT, IF THE PERSON IS DEEMED AN ALTERNATE LIENOR PURSUANT TO §38-38-305.5, C.R.S. AND THE LIEN BEING FORECLOSED IS A UNIT ASSOCIATION LIEN, THE ALTERNATE LIENOR HAS THIRTY (30) DAYS TO FILE THE NOTICE WITH THE OFFICER OF THE ALTERNATE LIENOR’S INTENT TO REDEEM.
IF THE BORROWER BELIEVES THAT A LENDER OR SERVICER HAS VIOLATED THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT IN C.R.S. 38-38103.1 OR THE PROHIBITION ON DUAL TRACKING IN C.R.S. 38-38-103.2, THE BORROWER MAY FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE COLORADO ATTORNEY GENERAL AT THE COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF LAW, RALPH L. CARR JUDICIAL BUILDING, 1300 BROADWAY, 10TH FLOOR, DENVER, CO 80203, 720-508-6000; THE CFPB, HTTP:// WWW.CONSUMERFINANCE.GOV/COMPLAINT/; CFPB, PO BOX 2900, CLINTON IA 52733-2900 (855) 411-2372 OR BOTH, BUT THE FILING OF A COMPLAINT WILL NOT STOP THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS.
The name, address, and telephone number of each of the attorneys representing the holder of the evidence of the debt is as follows:
Wendy E. Weigler #28419 Winzenburg, Leff, Purvis & Payne, LLP 350 Indiana Street, Suite 450 Golden, CO 80401 303-863-1870
THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED MAY BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.
Date: March 13, 2025.
By: Gene R. Claps Adams County Sheriff Adams County, Colorado
Statutes attached: §§38-37-108, 38-38-103, 38-38-104, 38-38-301, 38-38-302, 38-38304, 38-38-305, and 38-38-306, C.R.S., as
amended.
Legal Notice No. BSB3805
First Publication: April 17, 2025
Last Publication: May 15, 2025
Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Public Notice
DISTRICT COURT, ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO Court Address: 1100 Judicial Center Drive Brighton, Colorado 80601
Plaintiff: DAMIAN BAGBY
Defendants: ANTHONY ALBO, et al. Case No.: 2023CV030408 Division: W
NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE BY VIRTUE OF an Amended Writ of Execution issued by the District Court of Adams County and State of Colorado, and to me directed, whereby I am commanded to make the sum of $54,346.19 dollars and costs of suit, the
Daniel P. Harvey, No. 49863
Hoffmann, Parker, Wilson & Carberry, P.C. 511 Sixteenth Street, Suite 610 Denver, CO 80202 (303) 825-6444 pwilson@hpwclaw.com dph@hpwclaw.com
NOTICE OF CONDEMNATION
ACTION TO OBTAIN FEE SIMPLE TITLE TO REAL PROPERTY
TO RESPONDENTS: ALTHEA E. STORM; ALL UNKNOWN HEIRS OF ALTHEA E. STORM
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a Petition in Condemnation has been filed in this Court by the above-named Petitioner seeking fee simple title to real property pursuant to Colorado law; said property located in Adams County, Colorado in which you may have an interest being more particularly described as follows:
A PARCEL OF LAND CONTAINING 3,846 SQ. FT. (0.088 ACRE), MORE OR LESS, LOCATED IN THE NORTHEAST ¼ OF THE NORTHWEST 1/4 OF SECTION 1, TOWNSHIP 3 SOUTH, RANGE 68 WEST, OF THE 6TH PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, IN ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO, SAID PARCEL BEING MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:
COMMENCING AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE NORTHWEST 1/4 OF SAID SECTION 1, THENCE COINCIDENT WITH THE NORTH LINE OF THE NORTHWEST 1/4 OF SAID SECTION 1, S89° 55’ 09”W, A DISTANCE OF 1,031.57 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING;
THENCE, S00°28°31”E, DEPARTING SAID NORTH LINE OF THE NORTHWEST 1/4 OF SECTION, A DISTANCE OF 200.00 FEET; THENCE, S89°55’09”E, A DISTANCE OF 19.92 FEET;
THENCE N00°04’51”W, A DISTANCE OF 200.00 FEET TO A POINT ON SAID NORTH LINE OF THE NORTHWEST 1/4 OF SECTION 1;
THENCE, ALONG SAID NORTH LINE OF THE NORTHWEST 1/4 OF SECTION 1, N89° 55’ 09”E, A DISTANCE OF 330.00 FEET TO SAID POINT OF BEGINNING.
Black; 20 x 12 RD16201206208-44GBMLTR RDROFFROAD.COM (4)
K9 K20 Black Red Mill;
x
K2028.551153574.1 GBRM K9WHEEL.COM (4) 4. Avat SA-3 2085 Matte Black Aluminum Inner; 5 x 120 W2016F021146JT (4) 5. IROC 6-22 Matte Black 22 x 9.5; C82229501S-418 (4) 6. 2 Crave ME.5 Gloss Black Mill Face; 18 x 8; ME5-1880kk35fgbmf (4) 7. Mayhem Tripwire 8110 Gloss Black Prism Red 20 x 9 8110-2936BTR18 mayhemwheels. com (4)
8. RDR Twister/RD 16 Gloss Black, Red Accents-Mill Spoke 20 x 9 9RD16209006208+OOGBMWTRM RDROFFROAD.COM (4) 9. Axe Zeus Gloss Black-Mill Accents/Letters; 20 x 10 Quick code 4002 axe wheels. com (3)
Inventory Tires:
1. RDR 33x12.50 R18LT 118Q (4)
2. RDR 285/75 R16 10PR (4)
3. Federal Xplora M/T 33x12.50 R18LT 10PR (4)
4. Federal Xplora L/T 285/70 R18LT (4)
5. Nankang 245/45 R18 NS-25 (8) 6. Nankang 225/35Z R20 NS-25 (8)
THEREFORE, according to said command, I shall expose for sale, at Public Auction, to the highest and best bidder for cash, all the right, title, and interest of the above-named business property of Your Choice Wheel & Tire LLC, in and to the above described property on the 2nd day of June, 2025, at 10:00 o’clock a.m., at 7160 Irving Street, Westminster, Colorado, in the County of Adams, State of Colorado.
NOTICE: THE LIEN BEING FORECLOSED UPON MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
DATED this 25th day of April 2025.
GENE R. CLAPS, Sheriff of Adams County, Colorado
By: Kathy Grosshans, Deputy Sheriff
Legal Notice No. BSB3845
First Publication: May 8, 2025
Last Publication: May 29, 2025
Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade
Misc. Private Legals
Public Notice
DISTRICT COURT, ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO 1100 JUDICIAL CENTER DRIVE BRIGHTON, CO 80601 (303) 659-1161
Case Number: 2025CV30459 Div: C
Petitioner: METRO WATER RECOVERY, a Metropolitan Sewage Disposal District of the State of Colorado, v.
Respondents: ALTHEA E. STORM; ALL UNKNOWN HEIRS OF ALTHEA E. STORM; and ALEX VILLAGRAN, in his official capacity as the COUNTY TREASURER OF ADAMS COUNTY.
Attorneys for Petitioner: M. Patrick Wilson, No. 26303
Gregory
BASIS OF BEARINGS: BEARINGS ARE BASED ON THE NORTH LINE OF SAID NORTHWEST 1/4 OF SECTION 1, TOWNSHIP 3 SOUTH, RANGE 68 WEST, 6TH PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, BETWEEN A 3-1/4” ALUMINUM CAP AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE NORTHWEST 1/4 OF SAID SECTION 1 AND A 3-1/4” ALUMINUM CAP IN A RANGE BOX AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF SAID SECTION 1 BEING S89° 55’ 09”W.
You are hereby required to file an Answer or other response in the Adams County District Court, 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, CO 80601, no later than June 19, 2025, to answer or otherwise respond to said Petition. If you fail to file an Answer or other response by that date, the Court will proceed to ascertain the compensation to be paid to the owners and title to the above-described property interest will be vested in Petitioner, as provided by law.
DATED this 21st day of April, 2025.
Legal Notice No. BSB3835
First Publication: May 1, 2025
Last Publication: May 22, 2025
Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade
Notice to Creditors
Public Notice
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Isaac Jacobson, a/k/a Isaac Jacobson Reyes, a/k/a Ike Jacobson, Deceased Case Number: 2025PR30060
All persons having claims against the abovenamed Estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the Denver Probate Court on or before September 1, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Dunn Fiduciary, LLC P.O. Box 238 Littleton CO 80160
Legal Notice No. BSB 3159
First Publication: May 1, 2025
Last Publication: May 15, 2025
Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade
PUBLIC NOTICE
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Joshua James Owen, a.k.a. Joshua J. Owen, a.k.a. Joshua Owen, a.k.a. Josh Owen, a.k.a. Jhed Owen, Deceased Case Number: 2025 PR 030205
All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before August 25,