Arvada Press 062923

Town shooting victims Gordon Beesley, Johnny Hurley

$2 million bond set for teens charged in rockthrowing spree

BY OLIVIA PRENTZEL COLORADO SUN

A judge set a $2 million cash-only bond Wednesday for each of the three teens charged with rst-degree murder in a rock-throwing spree that killed 20-year-old Alexa Bartell and injured several others.

Joseph Koenig, Nicholas “Mitch” Karol-Chik and Zachary Kwak, all 18, must also surrender their passport and driver’s license, comply with protection orders against victims in the case, are prohibited from drinking alcohol and must be monitored by GPS, 1st Judicial District Court Judge Christopher Zenisek said during a hearing Wednesday morning in Je erson County.

Zenisek denied a request to set bond at $10 million by the prosecution, who argued that the three young men’s actions “was indiscriminate murder” and that their release from jail would put the community at risk.

chalk messages and owers on June 21, 2023, as friends and family members of Gordon Beesley and Johnny Hurley gathered to remember the victims on the two-year anniversary of the Olde Town shooting.

thanked Hurley for his actions during the shooting, saying that he had saved her life.

A moment of silence was held

death, for both victims. At that time, for him, as well as a spoken word poem.

“ ere’s no amount that will alleviate the pain that the victims are feeling and have expressed here and I am sorry for your loss, and there is no amount that adequately will symbolize the importance of that individual to this community,” Zenisek said. “So, that’s not what the court is seeking to do here. is is a di erent task before the court that is to set bond appropriately as the court must do with regard to each of these individuals before the court.”

Flowers were left to remember Gordon Beesley.

PHOTO BY LILLIAN FUGLEI

SEE ANNIVERSAY PHOTOS, P3 SEE BOND, P2

All three men have been held in jail without bond since they were arrested in their respective Arvada homes late April.

They are suspected of throwing large rocks at a string of cars shortly after 10 p.m. on April 19 in Westminster.

That included an attack in which they hurled a cannonball-size rock at another woman driving along Colorado 93, prosecutors said in court Wednesday morning. After the rock struck the driver’s side window, glass shattered into her eyes, injured her head and neck, ripped a hole through her car’s leather seat and broke the rear window of the car. The woman slammed on her brakes in the middle of the highway.

Bartell was the last person struck. Prosecutors said Koenig was driving 80 mph on Indiana Street when the teens launched the rock at Bartell’s yellow Chevy Spark as she was talking on the phone with a friend. The rock smashed through her front windshield and struck her in her head.

Alexa Bartell’s family pleaded for the judge not to grant bond.

Kelly Bartell, Alexa’s mother, stood at the dais recounting the

“terrifying” five-minute drive to the field where Alexa’s body was found next to her car, which had run off the road and into a field after the rock flew through her windshield and hit her only child in the head.

“I wake up every day reliving this nightmare over and over. I will never be able to hug my baby, to hold her, to laugh with her and to watch her live her life with all the experiences that she will never be able to have. That was taken from me by these three individuals who chose to kill my daughter by throwing a rock through her windshield,” Kelly Bartell said, her voice quavering.

Greg Bartell, Alexa’s father, told the judge several of his family members are afraid to drive, fearing something similar could happen to them. He called the defendants a danger to the community.

“Our fear as a family is with the release of these gentlemen, that may happen to another innocent individual. While these men are contemplating the thought of freedom our family is plagued with the forever loss of our loved one,” said Greg Bartell, who attended the hearing virtually.

When setting bond and weighing flight risk, Zenisek considered the three teens’ age, lack of criminal histories and family support.

Defense attorneys for the three

"Return to the Magic & Mystique!"

men argued that bond be set much lower, arguing that they are not at flight risk and that their families will help bring them to court for future hearings.

Koenig, Karol-Chik and Kwakeach face 13 charges, which include one count of first-degree murder with extreme indifference, six counts of attempted first-degree murder, three counts of second-degree assault and three counts of attempted seconddegree assault, court documents show. The extreme indifference charges allege the men knowingly created a “grave risk of death,” without caring who was injured or killed, resulting in Bartell’s death.

An attorney for Karol-Chik said Wednesday “potentially more serious charges” could be filed.

During interviews with police following their arrests, Karol-Chik

and Kwak each accused the other of throwing the rock that killed Bartell. Koenig refused to be interviewed by police.

After the rock smashed through Bartell’s window and killed her,the men returned to the crash site to take a picture of the carto serve as a memento, they told investigators.

Police say the men hit six other cars and two other drivers were injured.

A preliminary hearing was rescheduled for Sept. 8.

This story via The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver that covers the state. For more, visit www.ColoradoSun.com. The Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, which owns Colorado Community Media.

Photo of homicide victim Alexa Bartell, 20, from Arvada. Je co Sheri s are looking for information on her killer. COURTESY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE

A friend of Hurley’s addresses the crowd on the two-year anniversary of the Olde Town shooting.

At Golden Real Estate, Our Brokers Focus on What Is Important to Homebuyers

We are a listing brokerage, but, like any successful brokerage, we also represent buyers. While we have particular competence in the listing and marketing of homes for sale, we are also successful in helping buyers find and get under contract for homes, then shepherd those buyers through to closing and move-in, all the while bringing our years of experience and acquired competence to each stage of the process.

First of all, buyers’ agents need to be good listeners — find out what’s important to the buyer. That can and will vary from buyer to buyer. What follows is some of what I’ve found is typically important beyond those very personal needs and wants.

Buyers want to know what the market is and what their money can buy. The best way to learn that, I’ve found, is to set up an MLS email alert early on, matching their search criteria.

While buyers can do their own searching on consumer-facing websites, not all MLS fields are searchable unless you’re a member of that MLS. A good example of that is searching for a main-floor primary suite. That is not a searchable field on any consumer website that I’m aware of. On Zillow you can search for single-story homes, but many 2-story homes also have main-floor bedrooms.

Think of other features important to you. Almost every MLS field can be a search criterion, but only for an MLS member agent, who can include them in an MLS alert that he or she sets up for you.

Do you want a fenced yard? RV parking? Mountain and/or city views? Solar panels? A particular elementary school?

You can receive an alert about homes matching your search criteria within 15 minutes of them going on the market. Daily or monthly emails are also an option.

Such MLS alerts can give the buyer a sense of the market, whether or not he/she is ready to start looking at homes and/or make an offer on one they like.

Financing is critical, of course, and a buyer’s agent needs to know the financial capabilities and limitations of his buyer and have an excellent loan officer who can let the buyer and his/her agent know the price range for which the buyer is qualified. Some loan officers, such as ours, are more creative than others at solving qualification problems.

Knowing whether a particular home is priced correctly and what a proper offering price would be is important to the buyer. When you find a home you want to buy, we have three valuation tools, not just Zillow, that can provide guidance on what a proper offer should be. What did comparable homes sell for, how long were they on the market, and did they sell above or below the listing price? That’s easy for us to research and show you.

If you have lost bidding wars and don’t want that to be in another one, you can ask your agent to include in your MLS alert only listings that have been on the market over a week. That increases your chance of being the only buyer to submit an offer.

Homes in newer subdivisions may have significantly higher property taxes because they are in a metropolitan tax district. Although the MLS includes what the property tax is for each house, it doesn’t include the all-important mill levy. The tax rate for a home in a metro tax district can be up to double that of a home outside that tax district, and we can make sure you know that.

Some buyers, especially those with RVs, want to avoid listings that are in an HOA. That’s another search criterion that can be specified in email alerts, as is the presence of on-site RV parking.

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This condo in the very center of downtown Winter Park offers great views and easy access to all the activities Winter Park has to offer. The 2-bedroom unit with 1,063 square feet is within walking distance to restaurants, grocery stores, retail shops, the Idlewild Park Amphitheater, the Fraser River, and numerous bike/pedestrian trails. Recent updates include a new water heater, bathroom, and washer/dryer. All bus lines pass the Village Center, allowing convenient access to the Winter Park area and beyond. This condo presents an excellent multi-use investment opportunity, whether for personal use or for rental purposes. More pictures and a video of this listing are at www.WinterParkCondo.info, or call agent/owner Austin Pottorff at 970-281-9071 to arrange an in-person showing.

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Cost-Effective Improvements to Help Your Home Sell Better

When it comes to improving your home to sell it for more money, there are several costeffective options that can make a significant impact. Here are some suggestions:

1. Enhance curb appeal: First impressions matter, so focus on improving the exterior of your home. Trim the lawn, prune bushes, plant flowers, and add fresh mulch. (I have a vendor to recommend for yard cleanup.) Our handyman can repaint the front door, clean windows, and handle other cosmetic repairs.

2. Declutter and deep clean: A clean and clutter-free home appears more spacious and appealing. We can recommend a professional house cleaner, and we provide a free staging consultation to guide you on the rest. Pay special attention to kitchens and bathrooms.

3. Repaint and touch up: A fresh coat of paint can give your home a renewed look. Stick to neutral colors that have broad appeal. Our handyman can patch any holes and deal with peeling paint. Ensure that all surfaces are clean and well-maintained.

4. Upgrade lighting: Good lighting makes your home brighter and more inviting. Replace incandescent and CFL bulbs with LEDs. Focus on key areas such as the kitchen, living room, and bathrooms. (Batteries + Bulbs has great deals on LEDs.)

5. Improve your home’s energy efficiency: Buyers want energy-efficient homes. Consider installing weatherstripping, sealing air leaks, and adding insulation if needed. Upgrading to energy-efficient appliances,

such as refrigerators and water heaters, can also be appealing. We can guide you on this and recommend honest vendors

6. Update kitchen and bathrooms: If a major renovation is not feasible, focus on small updates such as replacing cabinet hardware, upgrading faucets, and installing new light fixtures. Consider painting or refinishing cabinets. Flooring is important, too!

7. Enhance storage: Ample storage space is so important! Increase the functionality of closets and cabinets by adding organizers or shelves. Our free stager can provide guidance on this topic, too.

8. Improve your landscaping: Clean up flower beds, and consider some strategic landscaping improvements such as a patio.

9. Address minor repairs: Our handyman (only available to clients) can fix any visible issues like leaky faucets, broken tiles, or squeaky doors. It’s important to fix what I call “eyesores” — anything that draws negative attention during a showing.

10. Stage strategically: Our free stager can help you rearrange furniture to maximize space, remove personal items, and add tasteful decorations.

Hiring Golden Real Estate is a good firststep. Like our handyman, our free stager is a perk from hiring us, but even before hiring us — in other words, during a listing appointment, my broker associates and I are happy to provide our own advice based on our years of experience listing and selling home. Call us! Our contact information is below.

Don’t Accept an Unsolicited Cash Offer on Your OffMarket Home Without Asking Us If the Price Is Right

We aren’t seeking to be involved in the transaction, but we know that unsolicited offers are almost never at a fair price. You have nothing to lose by asking us to do a quick value check on your home so you’re not taken advantage of. Our contact information is below. The elderly are particularly vulnerable to flippers who know what your home is worth but count on you NOT knowing! Give us a chance to save you from being cheated!

as one of us at Golden Real Estate. When I was new in the business 20 years ago, I didn’t appreciate the value of experience when it came to helping buyers, but I’m clear now that experience does matter. Let us put it to work for you! Jim

303-525-1851 Jim@GoldenRealEstate.com 1214 Washington Ave., Golden 80401 Broker Associates: JIM SWANSON, 303-929-2727

DAVID DLUGASCH, 303-908-4835

GREG KRAFT, 720-353-1922

AUSTIN POTTORFF, 970-281-9071

KATHY JONKE, 303-990-7428

FROM PAGE 1

ANNIVERSAY PHOTOS

Arvada on Tap brings beer and barbecue to attendees

BY LILLIAN FUGLEI LFUGLEI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Ralston Park Addition was lled with festivities on June 24, as people gathered to celebrate beer and barbecue. Vendor booths, craft beer booths and live music lined the grass for this year’s Arvada on Tap.  e annual fest brought a variety of Colorado breweries to Arvada, including New Terrain Brewing Company, Green Mountain Beer Company, Seedstock Brewery and

more. e event even included several nonalcoholic breweries.

Along with beer tasting, the fest also hosted a barbecue contest. Contestants o ered samples of their barbecue to attendees, who then got to vote for their favorite.

Arvada Festivals Commission worked with several service organizations to plan the fest, including Arvada-Je erson Kiwanis Club, Arvada Sunrise Rotary and Arvada Vitality Alliance. Proceeds from the event will go to all three organizations.

Guests were able to sample from a wide variety of Colorado breweries.

Intergalactic Space Jelly plays to the crowd at Arvada on Tap.

PHOTO BY LILLIAN FUGLEI

Arvada Fire developing community wildfire plan

BY LILLIAN FUGLEI LFUGLEI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

As the summer heat rolls in, Arvada Fire is working to make sure communities stay safe. is summer, that e ort comes in the form of a Community Wild re Protection Plan.

e plan, also known as a CWPP, is a collaborative e ort to ensure that wild re risk is avoided or mitigated. For Arvada, a third-party agency, Dahl Environmental Services, will come in and assess wild re risks in the area.

According to Deanna Harrington, community risk reduction chief at Arvada Fire, once the plan is in place, they’ll be eligible for grant funding to apply some of the risk mitigation outlined in the plan.  “We also believe in a model of community risk reduction,” said Harrington, “which is this datadriven process so that we’re getting the biggest bang for our buck, if you will. Making sure that we’re focusing our energies on where we can really make a di erence.”

According to Harrington, CWPPs are growing in popularity and use, especially in Je erson County.

“We have so many similarities to the area where the Marshall Fire

happened,” Harrington added. “So we know that it’s something that has potential (for wild re). We have not only the fuels that are of concern, but we have the weather patterns that add to making it a higher risk area.”

However, the CWPP’s work won’t

be done once it’s written. It’s a living document, meaning that it will change to adapt to new risks or challenges faced by Arvada.

“Once it’s signed o , it’s good for the next ve years,” said Tracy Leyva, wild re risk reduction specialist at Arvada Fire. “But that doesn’t mean it’s going to sit idle, this is something that we will continue to build on. For the next ve years. We’ll be adding on to that again, see ‘do we need to make any corrections here’ and kind of go from there.”

Harrington and Leyva both emphasized the collaboration required for a CWPP. e plan is outlined by Arvada Fire and Dahl Environmental Services, with input from local community leaders, homeowner’s associations, and community members.

In order to seek community input, Arvada Fire hosted a kicko meeting on June 13. Harrington said many community concerns involved evacuation methods and mitigation of natural re hazards.

“We really want to get that input from as many community members and stakeholders as possible,” Harrington said. According to her, the meeting was an e ort to “try to hear their voices of concern and their input as to, you know, what we should be doing and have their guidance in

the whole process.”

Arvada Fire will host another listening session that is not yet scheduled, likely in late August. Until then, community members can take a survey to provide input on the CWPP.

“Our mission is to preserve lives, property and the environment,” Harrington added. “So the more that we can do proactively, the more that aligns with our mission, and it keeps our personnel safe. So it’s a win-win all around, we want to see our community thrive.”

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Arvada Fire will be working with communities to prevent wildfires.

COURTESY OF ARVADA FIRE DEPARTMENT

ChatGPT o ciates wedding in Morrison

Couple has artificial intelligence create their ceremony

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Reese Wiench and Deyton Truitt said their marriage vows in a church built in 1885. But couples who were wed there in decades past would never guess that the extensive planning for the service didn’t require much in the way of human expertise.

at’s because the couple turned to arti cial intelligence to create their wedding ceremony in Morrison on June 24.

Speci cally, ChatGPT planned the welcome, the speech, the closing remarks — everything except the vows — making ChatGPT, in essence, the wedding o ciant. Since arti cial intelligence is not recognized as a wedding o ciant by the state of Colorado, Reese’s dad Steve Wiench signed the marriage license.

ChatGPT provided a recording of the ceremony that was played through speakers on a stage in the front of the Historic Morrison Church. To make it more interesting, the family bought a robot mask to put on top of the speakers to make it appear that someone was speaking.

e couple decided to get married quickly because Truitt deploys next week for the Army, and they wanted to be married so Reese can join him after he completes basic training.

ey planned the entire wedding in ve days.

Reese said they were joking about how to get a wedding together that quickly. ey found a venue and decided that attendees would play kazoos to provide the music. ey found a wedding-cake baker, and the cake topper sported a bride and an Army soldier. ey bought their wedding attire.

But they didn’t have an o ciant.

“So, we decided to try using ChatGPT to write the ceremony,” Reese’s dad Steve Wiench said.

ChatGPT, which stands for Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer, was developed by research company Open AI. Users can ask questions or input data, and ChatGPT

will generate a written response to the desired length, style and detail. Arti cial intelligence is being used more often in weddings from writing vows to helping with planning. Truitt is a rm believer in articial intelligence, noting that it will change people’s lives by doing jobs in minutes that take humans hours.  e family even used ChatGPT to write a press release announcing the wedding and a statement that was distributed to the 30 wedding guests. According to the ChatGPT-generated statement handed out to guests: “As the AI o ciant for Reese Alyson Wiench and Deyton Truitt’s wedding, I will focus on celebrating their unique journey of love and unity, highlighting the remarkable merging of human connection and technological innovation. I will emphasize the power of their union to inspire, unite and break barriers, capturing the attention of the world with a story that transcends conventional norms. During the ceremony, I will eloquently express the signi cance of this historic moment and the limitless possibilities that arise when love and technology intersect.”

While arti cial intelligence can help those with di culties expressing themselves in writing and is becoming more prevalent, some raise concerns that it may be used by in place of human-conducted research and writing.

Reese, 23, works at children’s summer camps at Mount Vernon Canyon Club, while Truitt, 26, will be a network communication systems specialist after basic training at Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Caro-

Truitt and Reese met on the Tinder dating site two years ago, and Truitt said he had such a good time with Reese from the beginning that “I couldn’t imagine being with anyone

Truitt said ChatGPT was easier for the couple to use to create the wedding ceremony because “I didn’t want to curate what an o ciant said.” Instead, they had control over the themes the ChatGPT o ciant

As part of the ceremony, the ChatGPT o ciant quoted scripture and expounded on the passages as they

Reese Wiench and Deyton Truitt stand on either side of their o ciant, a cell phone running ChatGPT, a bluetooth speaker and a mask.

PHOTO BY SARA HERTWIG

Reese Wiench and Deyton Truitt exchange rings above their o ciant, a cell phone running ChatGPT, a bluetooth speaker and a robot mask.

PHOTO BY SARA HERTWIG SEE CHATGPT, P19

Ground broken on new Meyers Pool in Arvada

BY LILLIAN FUGLEI LFUGLEI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e sun was shining as Arvada got ready for its newest summer fun.

On June 20, community members gathered to watch the groundbreaking of the new Meyers Pool. e pool is a replacement of the previous Meyers Pool, which opened in 1979.

Construction of a new pool is the result of collaboration between the City of Arvada, Apex Parks and Recreation and Je co Public Schools.

“We’ve got a tradition of having partnerships,” said Arvada Mayor Marc Williams as he addressed the crowd. “We never do it alone.”

“For the past 40 years, this pool has enhanced so many lives in Arvada,” Williams continued. He explained another part of the project, which is collecting community stories about the old pool.

“ is facility brings people together, it gives adults and children a place to develop,” Williams said, ending his speech by stressing the importance of Meyers Pool as a community space.

Patrick Simpson, the executive director of athletics and activities at Je co Public Schools, spoke next about the district’s involvement.

“ e pool provides positive sup-

port to so many students,” Simpson said. Meyers Pool serves as a home for many of the district’s swim and dive meets, with some schools regularly hosting practices there.

“ e cost of athletic activities is getting ever more expensive. is pool provides us access,” Simpson continued, saying he was “excited for the new facilities, and to see how they will serve students, sta and community.”

Vicki Pyne, president of Apex’s board of directors, closed o the speeches, emphasizing once again the pool’s role in the community.

“Apex is excited to share in this rebuilding,” Pyne said, adding that she wants to make “Meyers Pool feel like a little part of the family.” en, it was shovels out as ground was broken on the new pool. Williams, Simpson and Pyne rst broke ground, followed by representatives from the city, Apex and Je co ough construction is set to begin this summer on the new pool facility, the existing Meyers Pool facility will remain open. e current pool facility will be open throughout most of the construction but is projected to close in June of 2024 as construction on the new pool wraps up.

Vicki Pyne, Marc Williams and Patrick Simpson break ground on the new Meyers Pool facility.

PHOTO BY LILLIAN FUGLEI

Hail, rain damage homes, cars, gardens in the foothills

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

People are assessing the damage to their homes, vehicles and gardens after a massive storm moved through metro Denver overnight on June 21, bringing golf ball-sized hail and downpours to some areas while other areas stayed dry.  e storm came on the rst day of summer, and the National Weather Service predicted similar storms on June 22. ose on Facebook say hail ranged from pebbles to golf ball size.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre received so much rain and hail during a concert that more than 100 people were injured with seven taken to the hospital with broken bones and other non-life-threatening injuries, according to Ronda Scholting, spokeswoman for West Metro Fire.

Bear Mountain Vista in Evergreen received nearly an inch of rain.

Video footage and photos of the storm’s aftermath show the damage, and Facebook posts in Evergreen and Conifer talked about broken car windows, dented vehicles, shattered skylights, downed trees, broken outdoor furniture, and decimated owers and gardens.

Some Facebook posts said the good news was that it smelled like Christmas and pine trees, and others asked about reliable roofers and carrepair shops.

Colorado is known as “hail alley” because of storms that move through the area, especially in the summer. e costliest storm to date was on May 8, 2017, that resulted in $2.3 billion in hail-related insurance claims, according to Carole Walker with the Rocky Mountain Insurance Agency.

Walker said while some areas received extensive hail and rain damage on June 21, she didn’t believe

the storm caused what the insurance industry calls “catastrophic damage,” which generally includes insurance claims topping $25 million.

“With this storm, we are still in wait-and-see mode,” Walker said. “When hail storms take place overnight, it generally takes more time for people to nd some of the damage and le insurance claims.”

Bear Creek, which runs through Evergreen to Bear Creek Lake Park in Lakewood, is seeing unusually high ows, according to Dave Lighthart, general manager of the Evergreen Metro District. Just west of Evergreen Lake, ows early in the afternoon on

June 22 were at 257 cubic feet per second, with a high at 2 a.m. June 22 of 352 cfs. In Morrison, water ow was 473 cfs on June 22, with a high of 621 cfs at 5 a.m.

Lighthart said that water ows in Bear Creek have been averaging about 100 cfs recently due to the rain in May and June, and in an average year, the water ow is 70 cfs near Evergreen Lake and 80 cfs in Morrison.

Other issues

e Evergreen Park & Recreation District was still assessing the damage on ursday morning as workers cleared parking lots of leaves and other debris brought by the storm.

“We have parking lots that were washed out, and some of our sta lost windows in their cars,” said Cory Vander Veen, the rec district’s executive director. He did not know whether buildings had been damaged by the hail.

While Evergreen Fire/Rescue did not respond to any emergency calls thanks to the storm, the department lost skylights in two of its stations, according to Fire Chief Mike Weege.

Grace Hills Community Church in Indian Hills sustained some cracked windows thanks to the hail, according to Pastor Marcus Mackey.

Interstate 70 in Genesee was difcult to navigate during the storm on June 21 because of the hail and pouring rain, and cars stopped on the highway and along the shoulders because visibility was poor.

Insurance claims

Insurance agents say homeowners should determine whether they have a claim, and if so, they should con-

tact their insurance company immediately. In the meantime – especially with so many car repair shops and roofers being short-sta and busy –start contacting someone to nd out when they might be available to do the work. ey suggest that it’s best if the roofer can meet with the insurance adjuster.

For those needing roo ng work done, the Colorado legislature adopted a law in 2012 that requires a signed contract between the property owner and the roofer; that the roo ng contractor cannot o er to pay the homeowner’s deductible or rebate that money; if the homeowner voids the contract, the roofer must return the deposit; and the roo ng contractor can’t claim to be an insurance adjuster.

“With the erratic, volatile weather recently, people can’t count on a hailstorm on a certain day of the month or a certain time of day,” Walker said. “People just need to be prepared.”

Kittredge Park can be seen in the background as water rushes down Bear Creek on June 22.

Tara DeVries Beyer of Evergreen holds a piece of hail that fell at her house overnight on June 21.

COURTESY OF TARA DEVRIES BEYER

Water moves quickly down Bear Creek near Highland Haven Creekside Inn on the east side of Evergreen on June 22.

PHOTO BY DEB HURLEY BROBST

Craig

Arvada’s Craig Poley named Top 10 Chief Information O cer

As far as work goes, Craig Poley is Arvada’s “chief nerd.”

Actually, he’s Arvada’s Chief Information O cer, or CIO. ough, as Poley said himself, the position makes him the “chief nerd” of Arvada.

As CIO, Poley is “in charge of all the IT stu , and that covers a lot of ground.”

From city servers to public safety radios to tra c lights, he has a hand in helping out.

Poley was named a Top 10 City Government CIO by Government CIO Outlook, a magazine focusing on the role of information technology in government. According to a press release from the City of Arvada, the Top 10 City Government CIO “recognizes CIOs who have played an important role in understanding and implementing technological and operational processes seamlessly in their cities.”

For Poley, the title re ects both his own work and the work of the people around him.

“You know, it’s really not about me, it’s about the team,” said Poley. “I’m receiving support from the city

changes and to push these things forward. So you know, I am a name that represents a much bigger group of people that are really the ones that have done all of the effort to make this thing real.”

Poley became Arvada’s CIO in May of 2020. His favorite part of the work he does is solving the unsolvable problems.

“On my whiteboard written up on the wall, I have all the different initiatives that we have identified and are working on or are planning to work on. And I keep track, I mean, it’s just really simple,” said Poley. “But I joke that these are the 37 chess games that I’m playing simultaneously all in my head.”

Though his favorite part of being a CIO is problem-solving, Poley sees himself as, above all else, a storyteller.

“I think that good CIOs are really able to slip into the technical speak and understand what are the technical drivers and prerequisites and all the things that go into a technical solution, but also able to communicate that clearly in the business world,” Poley said.

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For Colorado Sun stories, opinions and more, and to support The Sun’s misssion as a member or subscriber, visit coloradosun. com.

Craig Poley was named a Top 10 Government CIO in 2023.

COURTESY OF CRAIG POLEY

Former deputies charged in Glass case to appear in Clear Creek County court on Aug. 7

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The former Clear Creek sheriff’s deputies charged in the June 2022 death of Christian Glass in Silver Plume will be in court again at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 7 for a status hearing in preparation for their trials.

Former Sgt. Kyle Gould and former deputy Andrew Buen were in court on June 21 for a 10-minute status hearing. An issue discussed at the hearing was whether Gould and Buen would have a joint trial or whether they would be tried separately.

Catherine Cheroutes, 5 th Judicial District Court judge, said she believes they should be tried together because they were named together in the grand jury indictment, but no official decision has been made yet. Cheroutes told the defense attorneys that they would need to file for a “severance” to request separate trials.

The defendants’ attorneys have said that unequal media attention has been focused on Buen, so the defendants likely would pursue separate trials.

The attorneys asked for more time to work out details before the two men are tried in the case in which Glass, who was stranded in his car and called 911 on June 10, 2022. Officers asked Glass to leave his car, but he refused in what turned into a standoff that ended when officers broke the car window and used a Taser on Glass, according to the indictments. Buen shot Glass, killing him. Gould was not at the scene but was a supervisor watching Buen’s body-camera footage. He ordered deputies to remove Glass from his car, according to the indictments.

In April, Cheroutes denied motions by both defendants to dismiss their cases.

Buen has been charged with second-degree murder, official misconduct and reckless endangerment. Gould has been charged with criminally negligent homicide and reckless endangerment.

On May 23, four agencies reached a settlement with the family to pay $19 million. Three law enforcement agencies and the state will pay the settlement since officers from four agencies were at the scene the night Glass was killed.

Clear Creek County will pay $10 million; $5 million from Georgetown; $3 million from the state of Colorado; and $1 million from Idaho Springs. It is the largest known single payout for police violence in the state’s history.

On May 24, Gov. Jared Polis apologized to Christian Glass’ parents, Simon and Sally, then declared

May 24 Christian Glass Day and displayed Glass’ artwork that has been hung in the Capitol.

“What happened to Christian should not have happened,” Polis told Glass’ parents in a livestreamed statement. “We are going to do the best we can to avoid any parents going through what you have gone through.”

Earlier this month, the Clear Creek County commissioners announced that the county would start a mental-health crisis coresponder program with its pilot program to be implemented this summer.

In a statement, they called the killing of Christian Glass a “reprehensible act” that should never happen again. They also said Sheriff Rick Albers had not “adequately accepted responsibility” for his role in the tragedy and needed to correct the gaps in training and protocols that existed when Glass died.

Christian Glass, left, with his parents Simon and Sally Glass.

COURTESY PHOTO

VOICES

Navigating the acute disruption of change I

Ir ecently worked with a nineyear-old male-presenting client who had one of the most unique dispositions I have seen in a long time.  I believe a primary contributing factor to his brilliant ability to connect was this:

My client was allowed thirty minutes each week of personal screen time for gaming and connecting with friends, and only on the weekends (not including school work).

Notice what you’re doing at this moment. Can you name the reaction(s) you’re having as you read the above sentence? How does this idea resonate with you? How would the notion of the choice to restrict your children’s access to devices — impact your life and that of your children?

I share his story here because if you’re a parent, you may be feeling the acute disruption of the transitions with the season: school is out for the summer, school start times are changing for the fall, and the weather is more changeable than it has been in recent years.

Continuing on with the story: my virtual sessions with my client focused initially on building trust

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Plugging abandoned oil wells: next steps

I was pleased to read your article covering how Senators Hickenlooper and Bennett and Adams County Commissioner Lynn Baca are working to plug thousands of orphaned or abandoned oil wells in Adams County as well as other areas of Colorado. These wells, left behind by the oil drillers, emit dangerous chemicals, especially methane, a greenhouse gas, which is over 26 times more potent than carbon, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

There’s a lesson here that society cannot depend on corporate interests to “do the right thing”

UNLEARN IT

and rapport, and as we did, he let me into the world of the green space behind his parents’ home. My client, it turned out, was quite an explorer of that world beyond the low stone wall.

soever to the natural world around them. They literally could not relate to my client. He was the only one who had a keen understanding of, not only the green space he could so easily step into each afternoon but his place within it. He was the only one of his friends who could climb a tree.

nection can be. His relationships with his classmates came alive. Not only did his anxiety decrease, but anxious responses in the class were also reduced.

UNLearn It! Lab: There are a few ways to respond to the pressure to delight your children:

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Christine Kahane

He came alive in the most animated and focused way as he shared all he knew from his adventure with his older siblings into the natural world. He could name an abundance of creepy crawlers, flying insects, beetles, caterpillars, small mammals, birds and larger wildlife that roamed the forest and meadow.

He told me he was an avid treeclimber, and taught me how he scoped, then clambered into the crooks of the various trees. He could name many plants and the types of trees. This was his world.

I came to understand that his anxiety was a result of his difficulty relating to the kids in his class. His discomfort was that his classmates had little or no connection what-

During one session I asked how he might share that world with me. He replied instantly, “I can draw it for you!” And he did! His mother put up a big piece of butcher paper and he brought his marker pens to the session.

As he drew, he described what he was seeing in his mind’s eye. I watched in wonder as he created his world. I’d ask a question which would open a new channel and he’d excitedly explain what he was making and how it related to other parts of his giant mural. He took it to school and shared it with the class. From that experience, his teacher formed a field trip so the class could experience it for themselves.

His connection to the natural world and whole-hearted excitement in sharing it with me was testament to just how simple con-

If you feel pressure to be a stellar parent, ask yourself where it comes from. Give yourself space to voice any fears that you don’t measure up. What belief system(s) are driving your need to provide? Are your solutions complex and expensive? Where can you simplify your beliefs about what your child needs? If you don’t already, spend time to engage your children in the natural world.

Christine Kahane, NBC-HWC, MCHWC – is a Nationally BoardCertified Health & Wellness Coach, and owner of KAHANE COACHING (www.kahanecoaching.com), located at 30792 Southview Drive/ Suite 206 in Evergreen, CO. For more information about coaching, or to write-in a question for UNlearn it! send your inquiries to christine@kahanecoaching.com.

for the environment unless there is some economic consequence of not protecting our environment. Incentives need to be more aligned. Volunteers, such as myself, with Citizens Climate Lobby, have long advocated for a fee on carbon which would make polluters pay for the emissions altering our climate. Rather than grow the government, the money would be recycled back to consumers so that any rise in energy costs would be offset by a “dividend”. This policy which is both effective and fair is outlined in the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, which will likely be reintroduced this Congressional session.

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I am grateful to my senators for doing the work to end the emissions from these abandoned oil sites. Now I urge them to keep supporting policy that will lower emissions and move us to safer, cleaner forms of energy that will benefit all Coloradans.

Sally Eberhard, Arvada

What is happening to Olde Town Arvada?

High-density housing along Wadsworth between Ralston and 55 th, 55 thAve redesigned years ago to only allowing right-hand turns makes it useless for the other directions. Plus the addition of another traffic lights is painful. For those of us who drive

on Wadsworth, traffic is already terrible. Now the city is adding Park Place Olde Town, Solana Olde Town Station, the Russel and more restaurants to be built. Traffic is guaranteed to be an even a bigger nightmare along with more pollution. It’s already a pain to park in Olde Town but now in the quest to rake in as much tax dollars as possible, ignoring and destroying the view of the front range we used to enjoy. Having the expectation that most of the new residents walk everywhere or use the light rail is a pipe dream. Olde Town is well on its way to becoming just another packed, polluted and congested place to live.

Wes Newman, Arvada

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I bears really weather the it’s up properly.  Go Brown that is of showcase tricity, of chance and large. clude and 130 Brown Pennsylvania hosting  ing” 27. unique event, attendees the will its food and women found visit-us/exhibits/. You’re theater Steven perfect the the making how form’s everything —

will

Have fun your way this summer

I’m a pretty firm believer that summer doesn’t actually begin until June 21 (I guess I’m a big equinox guy or something) and I think this year’s weather really bears me out, seeing as we didn’t really start having proper summer weather until June 19.

So, now that we’re actually into the most fun season of the year, it’s time for my quarterly roundup of great events to honor it properly.

Go to the World’s Fair with Molly Brown American history buffs know that the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair is one of the key cultural events of our history. It was a chance to showcase innovations like electricity, highlight the work of artists of all kinds and give visitors the chance to explore the rich history and exciting future of the world at large. The list of those visitors include Denver’s own Molly Brown and her family.

In celebration of the fair’s 130 th  anniversary, the  Molly Brown House Museum , 1340 Pennsylvania St. in Denver, is hosting  “The World is Changing” exhibit  through Sunday, Aug. 27. Visitors will be able to peruse unique original artifacts from the event, learn more about what fair attendees saw and how it changed the world.

In addition to the exhibit, there will be special events throughout its run, like an examination of the food that was served at the fair and see how people of color and women were represented there.  All the event information can be found at https://mollybrown.org/ visit-us/exhibits/.

You’re going to need a bigger amphitheater for ‘Jaws’

You can make a solid case that Steven Spielberg’s  “Jaws”  is a perfect film. Even if you discard the mountains of money it made, the way it totally rejiggered filmmaking and the film industry, and how it announced one of the art form’s most important figures, everything about it just works — the score, the suspense, the

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COMING ATTRACTIONS

characters, the shark (well, that might be the one caveat).

“Jaws” is going to be screened during the summer for as long as we have summers, but what a treat to see the film at  Red Rocks , 18300 W. Alameda Parkway in Morrison, at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 6, as part of its Film on the Rocks lineup. Some films just work better with big crowds and “Jaws” definitely fits the bill.  Get tickets at www.axs.com.

Celebrate 43 years at the KYGO Birthday Bash

Country music and rap don’t have a whole lot in common, but one thing they do share is that both sound best in the summer. With that in mind, why not attend  KYGO’s annual Birthday Bash , which features a collection of some of the genre’s best artists — Brothers Osborne, Niko Moon, Kameron Marlowe, Hailey Whitters, Randall King and Double Wide.

The concert will be held from 4 to 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 1 at  Fiddlers Green Amphitheatre , 6350 Greenwood Plaza Blvd in Greenwood Village. Many of the musicians are up-and-comers (Whitters is a particular favorite of mine), which makes for an exciting pairing with Brothers Osborne, who are blending country and rock in really fun ways.

Find tickets at www.ticketmaster.com.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Dead & Company at Folsom Field

What a long, strange trip indeed. I’m not sure what anybody expected when it was announced the Grateful Dead would be relaunching with many of the original members and pop/blues guitarist John Mayer. But since  Dead & Company  began touring in 2016, they’ve shown an admirable dedication to the original band’s ethos

and have introduced new generations to the music in a live setting.

But all good things must come to an end and the group announced their 2023 tour would be their last, which means their performances at 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 1, Sunday, July 2 and Monday, July 3 at  Folsom Field , 2400 Colorado Ave. in Boulder, will be your last opportunity to catch the group in-person.

Head over to www.ticketmaster. com for tickets to what will certainly be a historic run.

Go on a culinary journey at Taste of Arvada

Who doesn’t love a good meal to go with a beautiful summer evening? But what kind of cuisine to go with? Fortunately, you

don’t have to decide at the  annual Taste of Arvada , which will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 13 at  the Apex Center , 13150 72 nd Ave. in Arvada.

The ever-popular event features more than 50 metro area and Arvada restaurants, bakeries, breweries, wineries, distilleries and more, all highlighting their best tastes and flavors. In addition to all the things people can eat and drink, the event also features live music, art vendors and more.

Find all the details and purchase tickets at www.arvadachamber. org/taste.

Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@ hotmail.com.

newspaper.

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Jewell M. Ban eld, 100, passed away on June 20, 2023. Jewell was born to Flem and Nellie ornton on November 16, 1922.

BANFIELD Jewell M. Banfield November 16, 1922 - June 20, 2023

Clarke Reader

BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The brain is overrated, according to Kadam Lucy James at the Kadampa Meditation Center.

“Have you ever felt peaceful in your head?” she asked.

She put her hands over her heart and said that’s where the mind is, adding that while the brain has conceptual reality, the mind exists in the heart, where we feel peace, love, joy and wisdom.

“If we can get into our heart, we automatically start to feel more peaceful,” she said.

James is temporarily living in Arvada and teaches meditation at the Kadampa Meditation Center. She started practicing about 41 years ago after she saw a “very peaceful person” in college.

“He was a student meditating on the end of his bed and I asked him what he was doing, because this was back in 1981, and meditation, no one had heard of back then,” she said.

Ever since, she’s been practicing and has taught all around the world, including England, San Francisco, New York City and now Denver. She hopes to one day achieve enlightenment, or in nite happiness and peace.

It takes a lot of hard work, but she said it’s the only thing where the more she does it, the happier she is.

It’s because, with meditation, the mind becomes naturally peaceful. Each person has a natural source of peace and happiness inside them, she said, and instead of seeking it elsewhere — relationships, ful lling jobs or material things — it’s already inside the body waiting to

be found.

e evidence lies in the random moments of peace and happiness everyone feels. It could be a torrential downpour and the mind is peaceful, settled and calm.

“What those moments show is that our mind is ne. And then what unsettles the mind is actually all our uncontrolled thinking,” she said.

Coming from the teachings of the Buddha, she compared the mind to a vast ocean. e waves are turbulent while below them is a vast, in nite, calm place. Waves of anxiety and negative emotions distort the brain but below those waves rests an incredible sanity.

“When our mind is settled, when we can let go of our troubled thoughts, and our turbulent thoughts, uncontrolled thoughts, then we naturally feel good. We naturally feel peaceful and we start to get a sense of our potential and who we really are, which is this person who has limitless potential, limitless happiness,” James said.

e rst step to unlocking that potential and happiness is to breathe.

Focus on the nostrils

Carol O’Dowd, a Trauma and Transition Psychotherapist and Spiritual Counselor assists her clients by meeting them where they are and o ering them acceptance through breathing.

“If you focus on your breath, you cannot simultaneously focus on all your internal dialogue. It cannot be done. e human brain is not wired that way,” O’Dowd said.

It creates a space between the thoughts. e stress and anxiety stored in the body don’t go away, but the practice of noticing the emotions and putting them on pause to breathe helps

calm the body down.

Breathing is a function of the body that automatically happens all the time. Focusing on that breath, O’Dowd compared it to a spectrum. What happens when the body stops breathing — death — is one end and the other is when the body pays attention to the breath — peace.

“It can be as simple as just experiencing that ow of air, and in and out of your nostrils. If you can place your attention there, that’s giving yourself a mini vacation,” she said.

O’Dowd encourages her clients to practice treating uncontrolled thoughts like a salesperson trying to sell them. Instead of buying, make them sit in the corner and return to them in 20 minutes after taking time to check in with the body.

It can also let go of stress. Pain, like what the ngers feel after working at a computer all day, can be a physical manifestation of stress. Holding on to that stress can lead to other health conditions.

“It’s not rocket science,” she said.

Escape to reality

James said achieving enlightenment is extremely di cult, and while the teachings she studied laid out di erent steps and pathways, she simpli ed it down to three. e rst is focusing on the breath to relax. e second is identifying delusions.

A delusion can be jealousy, greed, competitiveness or other unpleasant thoughts. Most of the time, those thoughts aren’t controlled by the mind and enter the brain randomly. It’s the root

BREATHING

FROM PAGE 14

of many problems, she said, and they destroy happiness.

“It’s completely unnecessary. Which is the whole purpose of meditation, to show us how unnecessary it is,” she said. “We’ve been so busy trying to control everything outside of us.”

She compared it to anger with someone else. It may last for a few days and then one day, those angry feelings leave.

“If you can do that deliberately (getting rid of negative feelings), which we can, then you can see we stopped the grasping or stopped the delusions, we just experience deeper and deeper levels of happiness,” she said.

Identifying delusions is the rst part of the equation. e other half is universal love and caring about others. It comes from understanding everyone wants to be happy, and that there isn’t much di erence between people.

It can be a city councilor running for o ce, understanding their opponent wants the same things, but sees di erent ideas on how to move forward. ey aren’t always bad people.

Realizing that leads to the next step: wisdom. at takes understanding reality. It means turning away from the anxiety, sadness and other negative emotions and escaping to the reality within the body that possesses in nite happiness and peace.

“We can train in wisdom. Understanding that things are not as real as they appear,” James said.

Hidden loneliness epidemic endangers Coloradans

Older adults face especially high risk

BY CLAIRE CLEVELAND FREELANCE REPORTER

On a sunny afternoon, Carolyn Campos and Naomi Bates are midway through a game of checkers. ey’re sitting in Campos’

apartment at a facility in Aurora for people who are 62 and older.

ey go back and forth, moving the magnetized pieces and commenting on the other person’s strategy. e pair are also fond of playing backgammon, the rst game they played together.

“Of course, she let me win,” Bates said. “Our next venture is chess, but I don’t know if she’s going to be open to that.”

Campos shakes her head. She doesn’t like chess.

e two women often nish each other’s sentences. ey have an easy friendship, as if they’ve known each other a long time. Yet in fact, they just met in March after they were connected through the Senior Companion Program, which is part of Spark the Change Colorado, a volunteer, service and civic engagement organization.

e program matches volunteers who are 55 years or better, as the program describes, with people who are also older than 55 and known as clients. e program is funded by AmeriCorps Seniors, a federal service agency, and aims to support the independence of older adults in their homes, and create friendships that allow people to “continue to be vibrant, contributing members of our communities.”

“ ere are a lot of people who would probably enjoy having

somebody to hook up with, to create a friendship with and to come weekly to see you,” Campos said.

“ at would be awesome for a lot of people that live in this community.”

Loneliness and social isolation are increasingly being recognized as a nationwide epidemic. e U.S. Surgeon General’s o ce, headed by Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA, released an 81-page report earlier this year detailing the scourge of loneliness and social isolation, and also laid out a national strategy for addressing it, following recommendations from both national and global organizations.

Loneliness refers to the subjective experience that results from feeling isolated or having inadequate connections with others, while social isolation is objectively having few relationships, social roles or group memberships and infrequent social interaction. Nearly half of all adults in America reported experiencing loneliness in recent years—and that was before the COVID-19 pandemic cut o many people from their friends, loved ones and support systems.

“Both loneliness and isolation affect our health,” said Carla Perissinotto, MD, MHS, a geriatrician and professor of medicine at University of California, San Francisco. “ at’s true even when we control for traditional medical risk factors.”

Loneliness is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression and premature death. It poses health risks as deadly as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day and costs the health industry billions of dollars annually, according to the surgeon general’s report.

Last fall, Campos moved from Kentucky to Denver to be closer to her children and grandchildren. While she sees her family much more than she did when she was living in another state, she still wishes she could see them more.

Campos has limited mobility due to some health concerns, so she typically stays at home unless someone is able to provide transportation.

“I don’t get around that much, but I would love to meet more people in my complex. But it’s di cult,” she

said. “Everywhere I go, I’m stuck to [my oxygen tank], so it’s di cult to get out.”

Campos and Bates meet every Monday and play games together or watch cooking shows. On one meetup, Bates brought Chinese food, a favorite of the pair.

For Bates, the volunteer opportunity is about more than just helping her clients (of which she has three); it’s also kept her from feeling isolated.

“It’s very ful lling and rewarding. And plus, I’m retired, so I need to also ll up my time. Just don’t want to sit around doing nothing,” Bates e growing concern over the impacts of loneliness and isolation has put a spotlight on the issue, and the pandemic helped place loneliness and isolation in the public discourse.

“Since the pandemic, we’ve all now felt what it feels to be homebound,” said Jillian Racoosin, executive director of the Foundation for Social Connection and the Coalition to End Social Isolation and Loneliness. “I hope that feeling for everyone brought more of an understanding to what our homebound seniors are experiencing day in and day out, and why it’s so important to invest in social support to make sure that we are taking care of those that are in the home.”

But even with more awareness and a decree from the U.S. government, there’s still a stigma associated with being lonely.

“I’ve had multiple people say, ‘I’m not lonely.’ But then you ask them, well, do you feel isolated? Do you feel left out? Do you lack companionship?” Perissinotto said. “ ey say, ‘Yes, all the time.’ And it’s like, well, that’s actually loneliness.”

Campos said she’s learned to manage being alone.

“I’ve just learned how to be by myself. And I enjoy it,” she said. “It gives me chances to do my Bible studies, and I enjoy watching the cooking show ‘Chopped.’”

Lonely older adults tend to have lower incomes, are less likely to be married, live alone and have poorer self-rated health and more physical limitations than their peers who don’t report being lonely, according to Project UnLonely, a program of e Foundation for Art & Healing.

People of color are more likely to be lonely. About three in four Hispanic adults are classi ed as lonely and nearly 70% of Black/African American adults are lonely — both are at least 10 points higher than what is seen among the total population, according to research from health company e Cigna Group.

More data is needed to understand loneliness among other groups, such as LGBTQIA+ older

Leonard Aube walks into Pete’s Kitchen as Michael Van Dalsem holds the door for him to get lunch after the Men‚Äôs Co ee Group for older LGBTQIA+ adults at The Center on Colfax in Denver. The two were matched by the Senior Companion Program, and spend time together twice a week.

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Seekarlplay: SKP at GB F&C - Arvada @ 3pm GB Fish & Chips, 7401 Ralston Rd, Arvada

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adults, who are twice as likely to live alone and often lack family support, according to a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Across town at Dayspring Villa, a senior living facility, Michael Van Dalsem and Leonard Aube, who were matched through the Senior Companion Program, meet up twice a week — once to attend the Men’s Coffee Group at The Center on Colfax, a community center for LGBTQIA+ Coloradans, and once just to visit.

Aube, who is 83 years old, doesn’t have any family in Colorado. He visits some of the people where he lives, but is dependent on Van Dalsem for rides to The Center on Colfax or to go to Safeway. He can’t travel on his own due to health complications.

“It reminds me that I have something valuable with my time, and that’s important to know that you are valued in some way,” Van Dalsem said. “I enjoy the people. We are good friends.”

“Best friends,” Aube chimed in. “He’s kind of brought me out of my shell,” Van Dalsem added. “He demanded that I talk.” Van Dalsem has one other client who he takes to doctor’s appointments that the client otherwise would have to get to by public transportation.

The Senior Companion Program has become a vital resource for older adults across the country, and its results are documented in studies that look at similar interventions.

“What we found is that for people who participated in this peer intervention for one year, which means you were paired with someone with a similar lived experience, we saw reductions in loneliness, depression and anxiety,” Perissinotto said.

But larger system changes are needed. The Surgeon General’s advisory laid out a framework to create a national strategy based

on six pillars: strengthen social infrastructure, enact pro-connection public policies, mobilize the health sector, reform digital environments, deepen knowledge and cultivate a culture of connection. Yet while there’s a lot of evidence on the negative impacts of isolation and loneliness, there’s less evidence on solutions.

“What we don’t have a lot of evidence on is what works in practice, what works for different segments of the population, and how can we scale these innovative solutions?” said Racoosin. “A lot of our efforts now are really focused on that translation piece and supporting organizations, corporations and others to think through how we can not only deploy solutions, but then evaluate them.”

Perissinotto and a colleague, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University, published a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine earlier this year calling attention to loneliness and social isolation and the role

of health care professionals—even with limitations like insufficient time and policies—in identifying and treating these challenges.

“Assessing for [social isolation and loneliness] periodically and including it in health records would allow clinicians to monitor it over time and adjust their responses as patients’ needs and circumstances change. … Patients’ lives may hang in the balance,” the paper reads.

Older adults are often thought of as more likely to be lonely, but according to the Surgeon General’s report, young adults are nearly twice as likely to be lonely than older adults. 79% of adults aged 18 to 24 report feeling lonely compared to 41% of those aged 66 and older.

Intergenerational connection is one way advocates have identified to lessen loneliness and social isolation, especially since over the last century, the U.S. has become age-segregated, making relationships between unrelated younger and older adults nearly unheard of.

ing became a program of LinkAGES, which works with various organizations in metro Denver to make intergenerational programming the norm. LinkAGES helps build capacity, facilitate collaborations and raise awareness of the power of intergenerational connections.

The programming LinkAGES organizes goes beyond just getting people of a different generation in a room together. It’s all about intention, said Rachel Cohen, executive director of LinkAGES.

“When we say intentional, it means that we design programs specifically to facilitate a connection,” Cohen said. “And the programs are always multisession because relationships and connections take time. It takes time for people to open up, especially when you’re dealing with loneliness and social isolation.”

LinkAGES is continuing to grow and will start working with organizations outside of Denver to offer best practices and training.

With increased awareness, organizations that are centered on creating solutions, and a national strategy, there’s optimism for a less lonely and isolated future for everyone.

Proclaiming ST. JOANOF ARC CATHOLICCHURCH

12735 To advertise your place of worship in this section, call Erin at 303-566-4074 or email eaddenbrooke@ ColoradoCommunityMedia.com

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To bridge that gap, Confidence Omenai and Haley Sanner founded Collective Healing Through Art, which brings younger and older adults together to create art and heal trauma. The organization set out to “disrupt the harm that was occurring to BIPOC and Queer youth and older adults in their Denver community.” Currently, Collective Healing Through Art is working with young adults from the Boys & Girls Clubs and older adults from a few neighborhoods in Denver.

“We have a specific curriculum, and it allows them to build a bond together and to share at will, as they’re creating, what their experience has been,” said Omenai. “We watch them form bonds and become friends and become family.”

Earlier this year, Collective Heal-

“I’m hopeful, but I hope it’s not something that’s fleeting—that it’s popular now and then people are going to forget about this and forget about older adults and forget about those that are isolated,” said Perissinotto. “I think there’s a lot of work still ahead.”

CHATGPT

FROM PAGE 6

related to love, marriage and the future.

However, the couple didn’t read the script before the ceremony began, so it was new to them as they heard it at 8 p.m. during their wedding — having faith that the ceremony would be just what they wanted.

“I programmed (ChatGPT),” Truitt said. “I know it’s trustworthy.”

In the vows he wrote, Truitt told Reese he was sorry he couldn’t live up to what she deserved.

“I don’t have enough time on this Earth to give you all the love you deserve,” Truitt said, calling her kind-hearted, caring and genuine. “I love the person you are turning me into.”

Reese told Truitt she didn’t want to say anything cheesy or cliche, so she wrote him a love poem as her vows, ending with: “I know that you are with me because I am yours and you are mine.”

After the ceremony that included the ring exchange, the kiss and introducing the married couple, guests said they enjoyed the arti cial-intelligence generated wedding. Truitt and Reese were pleased, too.

“ChatGPT took something personal to humans like a wedding and enhanced it,” Reese said.

Attendees to the wedding being o ciated by ChatGPT recorded

Reese Wiench and Deyton Truitt say their vows, the only things not written by ChatGPT during the wedding.

Reese Wiench and Deyton Truitt kiss after ringing the bell at the Historic Morrison Church, signaling the end of their wedding ceremony. PHOTOS BY SARA HERTWIG

Colorado taxpayers should see hefty refund checks

Nonpartisan Legislative Council Sta now expects the TABOR cap to be exceeded in the current 202223 scal year, which ends June 30, by $3.31 billion — an increase of roughly $600 million over what they projected in March.

BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado taxpayers will be sent even larger refund checks next year than expected after state tax revenues nished the scal year much higher than budget analysts for the legislature and in the governor’s ofce predicted.

e state may now have to refund nearly $1 billion more than originally expected, nonpartisan Legislative Council Sta and the governor’s O ce of State Planning and Budgeting told state lawmakers in June, increasing refund checks by hundreds of dollars per person.

Exactly how large those Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights refund checks will be remains in ux, in part because the number will be determined by whether voters pass Proposition HH in November, a 10-year property tax relief plan from Democrats in the General Assembly and Gov. Jared Polis.

e legislature passed a bill in the nal three days of its 2023 law-

making term, which ended May 8, that would make the refund check amounts the same for everyone if voters pass Proposition HH. ey were originally expected to be about

$650 for single lers and roughly $1,300 for joint lers, but could now be roughly $850 for single lers and $1,700 for joint lers.

Last year, Colorado taxpayers received TABOR refund checks of $750 or $1,500 to account for surplus collected in the 2021-22 scal year, which ended June 30, 2022.

If Proposition HH fails, the refund checks would be tied to income levels. Under the default refund system — called the six-tier sales tax refund mechanism — people who make more money get bigger refund checks based on which of six income tiers they fall into.

People in the lowest tier, who make up to $50,000 a year, were expected to receive refund checks of $454 for single lers or $908 for joint lers. For those in the highest tier, who make $279,001 or more, the checks were expected to be $1,434 for single lers and $2,688 for joint lers.

e improved economic outlook would mean larger refunds for people in every tier, though people in the top tier would bene t most.

People in the lowest tier would now receive refund checks of $587 for single lers or $1,174 for joint lers. For those in the highest tier, the checks would now be $1,854 for single lers and $3,708 for joint lers.

e refund amounts are determined by how much money the state government collects above the TABOR cap on government growth and spending. e cap is calculated by annual growth in population and in ation.

Colorado taxpayers will get their refund checks next year after they le their taxes.

e governor’s O ce of State Planning and Budgeting now expects the TABOR cap to be exceeded in the current scal year by $3.527 billion — an increase of about $870 million over what they projected in

Greg Sobetski, the chief economist for Legislative Council Sta , called the increases a “signi cant upward revision.”

Both LCS and OSPB said betterthan-expected corporate income tax revenue was a large driver of the improvements.

e updates were presented to the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee, which received its quarterly economic and tax revenue forecasts from LCS and OSPB. While the end of the scal year is fast approaching, it will be months before the state knows exactly how much money it collected over the TABOR cap.

Legislative Council Sta and the governor’s O ce of State Planning and Budgeting forecasts state government to collect tax revenue in excess of the TABOR cap through at least the 2024-25 scal year, which ends June 30, 2025.

Emily Dohrman, an economist with Legislative Council Sta , said the risk of recession has also decreased.

“ e economy is still showing positive growth, but slower growth than what we saw through most of 2022,” she told the JBC. “Our forecast is anticipating that growth will continue to slow through the end of 2023 but then return to a more moderate pace of growth in 2024 and 2025.”

She said there’s still a risk of an economic downturn, but that risk is lower than it was in March.

Polis touted the forecasts presented to the JBC. He said Colorado’s economy remains strong and that it’s evidence the state “continues to be the best place to live, work and do business.”

e next quarterly tax revenue and economic forecasts will be presented to the JBC in September. e panel in November will begin drafting the state’s 2024-25 scal year budget, which takes e ect on July 1, 2024.

e full legislature will vote on the spending plan after it reconvenes in January.

is story via e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver that covers the state. For more, visit www.ColoradoSun.com. e Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, which owns Colorado Community Media.

The interior of the Colorado Capitol. PHOTO BY OLIVIA SUN / THE COLORADO SUN VIA REPORT FOR AMERICA

Good news on revenues means more money coming back to residents

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CU Denver teacher prep program wins state approval

East Central BOCES. Both programs were reauthorized on their rst try.

BY ANN SCHIMKE CHALKBEAT COLORADO

e University of Colorado Denver has won full state approval for three teacher preparation program tracks after addressing problems in how it trains aspiring educators to teach children to read.

e State Board of Education unanimously voted to reauthorize the elementary education, special education, and early childhood education programs nearly a year after granting only partial approval because of weaknesses in reading coursework.

State o cials praised the university for improvements that ensure aspiring teachers understand and can apply key components of science-based reading instruction and don’t receive con icting information about how to teach reading.

e decision, which came in June, is the latest step in an ongoing state e ort to hold Colorado’s teacher preparation programs accountable for properly training future educa-

tors how to teach reading. e state began cracking down on teacher prep programs — speci cally their approach to reading instruction — in 2018 as part of a broader push by lawmakers, state education o cials, and parents of children with dyslexia to get more students reading at grade level.

e state’s outgoing education commissioner Katy Anthes received praise for leading the push for more oversight of reading instruction in teacher prep programs.

“ ese educator preparation reauthorization items have you written all over them,” Colleen O’Neil, associate commissioner of educator talent at the Colorado Department of Education, said to Anthes during the meeting. “Because what you did was ensure every student knows how to read.”

Also, the state board has granted full approval to all majors in the teacher prep program at Colorado Christian University and an alternative prep program o ered through

e University of Colorado Denver is one of several teacher prep programs that revamped reading coursework in recent years following poor state reviews. e state’s two largest prep programs, the University of Northern Colorado and Metropolitan State University of Denver, also made changes.

e reading coursework overhauls seem to have paid o .

Earlier this week, a national organization gave Colorado major kudos for how its teacher prep programs cover reading instruction, ranking it No. 1 in the country. Just a few years ago, Colorado was in the middle of the pack.

In that report from the National Council on Teacher Quality, most of the state’s teacher prep programs earned an A or A+ for elementary education, including the University of Colorado Denver’s undergraduate program, Colorado Christian University’s undergraduate program, and the University of Northern Colorado’s undergraduate and graduate programs. e report didn’t analyze reading coursework in alternative teacher prep programs.

Chalkbeat is a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools.

Todd Devers assists eighth graders with a project during class on May 12 at Hamilton Middle School in Denver.

FILE PHOTO

Green light comes after reading portion is strengthened

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Crowd helps Golden’s ultimate disc team snap losing streak

Colorado Summit too hot for Minnesota Wind Chill to handle

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

With the Colorado Summit headed into a make-it-orbreak-it game, fans showed

up in force this weekend to ensure their team got the W.

e Summit — Golden’s new semi-professional ultimate disc team — left the Minnesota Wind Chill out in the cold June 24, beating the visiting team 25-15. is snapped a three-game losing streak for the Summit, which needed the win to stay No. 2 in the West Division and keep its playo hopes alive.

About 1,500 fans packed into Colorado School of Mines’ Marv Kay Stadium for the decisive regular-season game. Summit personnel said afterward it was probably the biggest and best crowd they’ve had so far this season.

“It was a really fun game; the crowd was incredible,” player Alex Atkins said. “It was a bounce-back game

for us. We needed a big win, and we did well.”

e Colorado Summit was one of three new teams in the American Ultimate Disc League last year. AUDL is the top league in the world, but is considered semi-professional because players aren’t paid enough to play full-time, so most have day jobs.

e league, which is in

its 12th season, is comprised of 24 teams across North America. Teams play seven-on-seven non-contact ultimate disc, also called ultimate Frisbee, for 12-minute quarters.

e Colorado Summit played at the University of Denver last summer, where it averaged 1,000 fans per

Georgetown’s Slacker Half Marathon a special feat for heart transplant recipient

BY DEBORAH SWEARINGEN SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

When Sedalia resident Andrea Ogg received a heart transplant in July 2018, she made a promise with herself to live a full life in honor of her donor.

As Ogg competed in the Slacker Half Marathon from Loveland Ski Area to Georgetown on June 24, she hoped to embody that promise.

“For me, the half marathon is the exclamation point on that sentiment of my just unending gratitude that someone made this decision (to donate their heart),” she

said. “It’s a big responsibility.”

Ogg, now 57, was born with a rare congenital condition called left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy, in which the lower left chamber of the heart doesn’t develop correctly. However, she didn’t learn about the condition until an unrelated echocardiogram in her mid-30s.

For years, she struggled to exercise, fainted regularly and experienced shortness of breath — all symptoms of the heart condition she didn’t know about. But she internalized the idea that she was lazy, unathletic and

unmotivated to put in the work necessary to get in shape.

Learning of her heart condition was hard but also validating.

“In reality, I’d been working harder than everyone else just to get through life,” Ogg said.

After being diagnosed, she continued to manage her symptoms with a cardiac debrillator for some 15 years before her heart stopped at a play rehearsal, putting her in end-stage heart failure and on the list for a transplant.

Transplant surgery and the

Andrea Ogg of Sedalia, a heart transplant recipient, happily runs the Slacker Half Marathon on June 24. COURTESY PHOTOS

Colorado Summit handler Jonathan Nethercutt, left, prepares to throw the disc to a teammate during the Summit’s June 24 home game against the Minnesota Wind Chill. The Summit won 25-15. PHOTOS BY CORINNE WESTEMAN

A Colorado Summit fan cheers on the team with a homemade sign during the June 24 game against the Minnesota Wind Chill. The game drew about 1,500 fans to Colorado School of Mines’ Marv Kay Stadium.

MARATHON

subsequent recovery weren’t easy. Ogg had complications that required additional procedures, and she ultimately stayed in the hospital for a month or so.

But “a rough start certainly doesn’t mean a rough life,” she said.

As an immunosuppressed person, Ogg spent much of her strict pandemic quarantine getting in shape. She got outside and hiked a lot before deciding to begin training for the Slacker earlier this year.

“After a lifetime of being left behind physically, Ogg has spent the past ve years focusing on her health and tness, counseling others who are pre- and post-transplant, and checking o bucket list items, like the country’s “highest downhill half marathon,” said Cheryl Talley, director of communications and public relations for the Denverbased Donor Alliance.

Exercise is easier with a healthy heart, but there are still challenges.

For example, when Ogg’s original heart was removed, it was separated from the vagus nerve, the main nerves of a person’s parasympathetic nervous system. For the average person, this nerve system ensures

Some hearts reinnervate post surgery, but Ogg’s has not. is makes warming up even more crucial than it is for other runners.

“I just have to go by how I feel,” Ogg said.

For the Slacker, which descends from the base of the Loveland Ski Area more than 2,000 feet in elevation to downtown Georgetown, Ogg planned to begin walking at a brisk pace before beginning to jog.

She nished in just over 3 hours, wearing a sign honoring her heart donor for the course of the race.

According to the Donor Alliance, one donor can save up to eight lives through organ donation, and save and heal more than 75 lives through eye and tissue donation. In Colorado and Wyoming, roughly 1,500 are on the waiting list for an organ transplant.

As Ogg approaches the ve-year anniversary of the transplant that changed her life, she hopes to continue honoring her donor and raising awareness about organ donation.

“People who receive new organs can go on to live extraordinary lives,” she said. “ ere can be a misconception about what life is like for organ recipients.”

Andrea Ogg of Sedalia ran the Slacker Half Marathon in honor of her hearttransplant donor.

COURTESY PHOTOS Andrea Ogg

COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

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game across its six regularseason games. With their support, the team won the 2022 West Division Championship, with plans to build on that success this year.

e team kicked o its 2023 season with ve consecutive wins, but lost the next three games by one point each. So, beating the Wind Chill June 24 became pivotal for the team’s postseason plans.

With FOX Sports broadcasting the game, the Summit scored rst and never looked back. e home team took a strong 6-3 lead in the rst quarter, and while the Wind Chill tried to ght back, the Summit’s 8-point third quarter widened the gap further.

Summit co-head coach Mike Lun said the crowd played a big role by energizing the players when they needed it most.

Jonathan Nethercutt, the Summit’s handler, described how amped up the players were, which he believed translated to on-

the- eld success.

“Not our cleanest game by any means, but I think we got back to playing in an aggressive way,” Nethercutt continued. “ at’s something that suits our style and our personnel.”

An Empire-sized season finale e Summit has three games left in the regular season, playing consecutive away games June 30-July 1 in Portland and Seattle. en, July 14, it’ll be back in Golden for its regular-season nale against the New York Empire — the reigning AUDL champion.

e Empire hasn’t lost a game since 2021, but the Summit hopes to change that.

Nethercutt and Atkins believed July 14 would be a thrilling game, and hoped to draw as many fans as possible to Marv Kay Stadium.

Overall, the two believed the Golden community has really embraced the team, as they’ve seen a lot of new faces at the games and after-parties.

Nethercutt, who recently moved from Golden to Boulder, appreciated seeing his Powder7 coworkers at

this season’s home games. Given how the stadium is situated, he said fans can easily spend their afternoons walking along the creek or visiting downtown before heading to a game.

“I think it’s really cool (for the Summit) to be here,” Nethercutt continued. “It feels a little more ‘Colorado Summit’ to be in the foothills, rather than Denver.”

Atkins said it’s a privilege to play for all the Summit fans, whether it’s their rst game or their 11th, commenting, “I just appreciate everyone coming out, and I hope it keeps growing.”

Young Colorado Summit fans compete in a disc-tossing contest between the third and fourth quarters of the Summit’s June 24 home game against the Minnesota Wind Chill. PHOTOS BY CORINNE WESTEMAN

Colorado Summit’s Alex Atkins (0) and a Minnesota Wind Chill player knock the disc out of play during the Summit’s June 24 home game.

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