Arvada Press 082423

BY LILLIAN FUGLEI LFUGLEI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Tennis balls and tails lled the Secrest Recreation Center on Aug. 13 during the annual Doggy Dip.  e dip — hosted by Apex Park and Recreation — gave dogs an opportunity to jump in the pool and join the summer fun. During two time slots, 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., dogs jumped in the pool, with a little help from their owners.

“We were excited to be able to o er the Doggy Dip again this year,” Katie Groke, director of community services at Apex said. “We had over 160 dogs have fun in the sun in our Secrest Outdoor Pool”

Secrest Recreation Center’s last day as an open pool this summer was Aug. 12. Dogs were given a chance to jump in before the pool was drained for the fall.

PHOTO BY LILLIAN FUGLEI

Pups made new friends during the dip, running around together and chasing after tennis balls.

Several owners jumped in with their dogs, making the dip more fun for everyone.

Some dogs needed a little encouragement, like a tennis ball to chase after, to jump into the pool.

PHOTO BY LILLIAN FUGLEI

NAR Economist Yun Declares ‘The Housing Recession Is Over’

In a July 27th article on realtor.com, the National Association of Realtors’ chief economist, Lawrence Yun, was quoted as saying, “The recovery has not taken place, but the housing recession is over. The presence of multiple offers implies that housing demand is not being satisfied due to lack of supply.”

“The West—the country’s most expensive region—will see reduced prices, while the more affordable Midwest region is likely to see a small positive increase,” Yun was quoted as saying in the article.

Yun’s analysis was based on June statistics, but I can see some evidence of his statement in my own experience. My newest listing in Lakewood, featured last week for $700,000, went under contract in three days amid competing offers for $720,000, leading to cancelation of the open house scheduled for day 4. Another listing, a $1,250,000 ranch in Golden, also went under contract last week for just below its listing price.

The fact remains that the increase in mortgage interest rates has many sellers

holding onto their current home even though they’d like to move. If you had a 2.9% mortgage on your current home, you’d want to stay put rather than give it up and buy a replacement home with a 7% mortgage, right? The industry refers to homeowners in that situation as “ratelocked.”

Builders of new homes are benefiting from the low inventory of existing homes for sale. The sale of new homes surged in May and declined in June, but the trend is still upward. Buyers like buying a new home because, in addition to being new, they can usually be purchased without a bidding war.

Yun, of course, is talking about the macro level, but you and I know that all real estate is local, so I created the above chart using the tools available to me on REcolorado, Denver’s MLS, looking only at listings within 18 miles of downtown Denver, as shown on the map at right.

Current inventory compares favorably with pre-

vious years in that chart, although pending and closed sales are down significantly. Values are still high, with the price per finished square foot near last July’s high.

Forecasters, me included, are surprised at the strength of the current real estate market. We thought a true recession was in the cards, but in fact the market remains quite strong. I can only attribute the mar-

If the Energy Efficiency of the Home You Buy Matters, Call Us.

One of the two value statements on our yard signs (see logo below) is “Promoting and Modeling Environmental Responsibility.” If you’re a buyer wanting to assess the sustainability of the homes you are considering, you owe it to yourself to hire one of our agents, because we know this topic better than most real estate agents.

In addition to pointing out the good and bad points of the houses we show you, our inspectors “speak green” too, and, as a fall special, we are offering new clients a Free Energy Audit after closing. Call for details.

ket’s performance to the large number of buyers still in the market and the continued low unemployment rate. What will the market be like as we move into fall and winter? Stay tuned, because I don’t want to venture a guess!

Capital Gains Tax Implications of Selling Your Primary Residence

Prior to 1988, you had to reinvest the profits from selling your home into a new home, but that is no longer the case. As long as you have lived in your primary home for two of the last five years at the time of sale, you are exempt from taxation on your capital gain up to $250,000 (single) or $500,000 (married).

If your spouse dies, you can still get the $500,000 exemption if you sell less than two years after the date of death.

In calculating your capital gain, you take the price of the home when purchased plus any capital improvements (not repairs) made to the home plus the cost of selling (commissions, title insurance, etc.) and subtract that from your selling price.

A longer explanation is posted on our blog, www.GoldenREblog.com.

Note: this is my layman’s understanding. Always consult a qualified tax advisor to see how these rules apply to you.

Jim Smith

Broker/Owner, 303-525-1851

Jim@GoldenRealEstate.com

1214 Washington Ave., Golden 80401

Broker Associates:

JIM SWANSON, 303-929-2727

CHUCK BROWN, 303-885-7855

DAVID DLUGASCH, 303-908-4835

GREG KRAFT, 720-353-1922

AUSTIN POTTORFF, 970-281-9071

KATHY JONKE, 303-990-7428

“I cannot do all the good the world needs, but the world needs all the good I can do.” —Jana Stanfield

Source: REcolorado, limited to REcolorado listings within 18-mile radius of downtown Denver

Jim Smith’s political column, “Talking Turkey,” is now on Substack. Subscribe free at jimsmith145.substack.com

Arvada police hit with lawsuit after American Motel shooting death

Family of Destinee

Delara-Thompson working with lawyers

BY LILLIAN FUGLEI LFUGLEI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Arvada police issued a detailed press release regarding the 2021 shooting death of  Destinee Delara-Thompson in response to a lawsuit that was filed this month. Delara-Thompson was a robbery suspect shot by an officer following an altercation but cleared of wrongdoing after her death. The law firm that filed the case,

the Rothad Mohamedbhai law firm, is the same law firm that is representing another family in a case against the department.

The law firm did not respond to an Arvada Press request for comment by deadline. DelaraThompson’s family also could not be reached.

A two-year statute of limitations for a civil suit was approaching when the case was filed. The shooting happened on Aug. 17, 2021, as officers investigated reports of an armed robbery at a Target in Wheat Ridge.

The Arvada police press release said officers approached DelaraThompson at American Motel off Interstate 70. There, police asked

her to identify herself, but she refused, police allege.

Delara-Thompson then entered her vehicle where a plainclothes officer spoke with her through the driver’s side, police said. An unmarked police vehicle blocked Delara-Thompson’s vehicle from pulling out but she attempted to drive out, hitting a vehicle, and then accelerated and jumped a curb, police claim. An Arvada police officer fired at DelaraThompson and a bullet struck her and killed her.

After an independent investigation of the shooting by The First Judicial District’s Critical Incident Response Team, a district attorney ruled the officer was justified

in the shooting.

Delera-Thompson was suspected of involvement in the robbery but later cleared by a First Judicial District Attorney’s Office investigation.

Arvada police spokesperson

Dave Snelling said officers engaged with Delara-Thompson because she matched a suspect description from the robbery.

“We learned later that the woman at the Target was not the woman at the American Motel,” Snelling said. “It was a different suspect (but) because they looked similar and had a similar description, officers had every reason to stop her — because they thought it was the original suspect.”

Arvada City Council approves mixed use development in Candelas

BY LILLIAN FUGLEI LFUGLEI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Candelas will soon be seeing new mixed-use development at Candelas Parkway and McIntyre Street with townhomes, apartments and retail space.

At an Arvada City Council meeting on Aug. 14, council voted 6-0, with Lisa Feret absent, in a public hearing regarding the development.

e development, proposed by Tri Pointe Homes, will have 39 townhomes, 33 multi-family units and 10,743 square feet of retail space.

is was Tri Pointe’s third public hearing regarding the proposal. City council had previously voted against the development twice. In 2020, the proposal was vetoed due

to initially being a fully residential development; in 2022 the proposal was vetoed due to concerns regarding parking, safety around a school bus stop and density.

During Tri Pointe’s presentation to council, representatives addressed issues previously raised with the development. e latest version of the plan includes an increase in parking — 10 spots were added — as well as a decrease in density — three townhomes were removed.

Other changes include a decrease in maximum building height. Townhomes were reduced from 35 feet to 25 feet, while mixed-use buildings were reduced from 45 feet to 40 feet. Additionally, some changes were made for increased pedestrian safety, including curb bump-outs

and crossing signs with ashing lights.

“We believe we have found the balance,” Marcus Pachner, a consultant to Tri Pointe, said during the hearing. “ is will work and serve the neighborhood.”

During the public comment portion of the public hearing, several community members raised concerns regarding drainage, safety issues and impact on the community.

“We envisioned ourselves walking to a local restaurant or grabbing a cup of co ee from a local co ee shop,” Erin Bott said. “ e idea that Tri Pointe has sold to us is not what’s being presented today.”

Other commenters expressed support for the idea of the development but still had concerns.

“I feel like Tri Pointe has worked to get to a point where they’re meeting what their intentions were and what the community hopes (for),” Laura Carpenter said during public comment. “I’m partly in support of what’s going on with this development and partly concerned about what it may bring.”

Ultimately, the development was conditionally approved, on the condition that the building’s garages are used for parking, as well as the condition that the developers work with neighbors to the west to address drainage and privacy fencing concerns.

“You have a good image,” Councilman Bob Fifer said to Tri Pointe. “If you want to leave a good legacy in the community, this is your chance.”

REVERSE MORTGAGES MADE EASY

School districts, ed orgs sue Polis over universal preschool program

BY ERICA BREUNLIN THE COLORADO SUN

Six Colorado school districts and two education organizations are suing Gov. Jared Polis, the Colorado State Board of Education and state education agencies and leaders as districts begin the rst classes of preschool

under Colorado’s newly expanded preschool program.

e lawsuit, led in Denver District Court, alleges that a lack of access to enrollment information from the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, continued changes to funding and resulting complications around serving students with disabilities are compromising the plainti s’ ability to run preschool programs that meet the needs of families and comply with federal and state law.

Leaders from both the school districts and education organizations gathered for a media brie ng on Aug. 17, shortly before the lawsuit was led. e plainti s include Brighton School District 27-J, Cherry Creek School District, Harrison School District 2, Mapleton Public Schools, Platte Valley School District and Westminster Public Schools. e Colorado Association of School Executives and the Consortium of Directors of Special Education are also listed as plainti s.

In addition to Polis and the Colo-

Superintendents and district o cials gather at a press conference to announce a lawsuit against Gov. Jared Polis, the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, and the Colorado Department of Education Aug. 17, 2023, in Denver. Plainti s include Brighton’s 27J, Cherry Creek, Harrison, Mapleton, Platte Valley, and Westminster districts.

Shawna Ambrose joins race for Arvada City Council District 2

BY LILLIAN FUGLEI LFUGLEI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

As election season draws nearer, a new candidate has entered the race for City Council: Shawna Ambrose.

Ambrose is running in the race for the District 2 seat, which is currently occupied by Lauren Simpson. Simpson had previously led to run in District 2, but dropped out of the race to run for mayor.

Currently, there are three other candidates in District 2. Murl Hendrickson, who was previously covered by the Arvada Press in April, as well as Michael Gri th and Bob Loveridge, who were previously covered by the Arvada Press in July.

Ambrose said her background as a minister, veteran and union leader pushed her toward running for council.

“I think I just have the right experience of government and social services, to be able to make real, well-rounded decisions,” Ambrose said.

In addition to the work that has pushed her toward running for council, Ambrose believes her work with nonpro t certi cation prepared her for council because it often involved working with governments.

For Ambrose, one of the most important issues is helping local businesses. One way of doing this she proposed is eliminating sales taxes on local businesses, in order to incentivise customers to shop local.

DISTRICT 2 CANDIDATES

“I want to make sure that our local businesses really thrive because I think that the local connections are the most important (thing) that makes neighborhoods resilient,” Ambrose said.

A ordable housing is also important to Ambrose. She wants to ensure that housing originally created as a ordable housing stays a ordable even as prices rise. Ambrose also wants to make sure that as new housing developments are created, they bring communities together.

“ e other thing that I think is important about urban renewal is that we have a mix of incomes,” said Ambrose. “ I think that’s what we really need to be careful of as a city that we don’t just let the social dynamics that have put rich people over here and poor people over here (and) that we are intentional about making sure the community really has a diversity of class.”

For Ambrose, public safety is another concern. She wants to ensure that Arvada’s police o cers are supported in doing their work. For Ambrose, this would mean support for o cer’s mental health, but also using mental health

co-responders and social workers so that police o cers aren’t the only ones showing up.

“We have had really terrible tragedies with our police department that it’s just so painful to think about how the police o cers have given their lives,” said Ambrose. “How do we support the o cers that we have? How can we reduce the burden?”

“I’m just really excited to actually do service for my city in this particular way,” Ambrose added.

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rado State Board of Education, they are suing the Colorado Department of Education, Educational Commissioner Susana Córdova, the Colorado Department of Early Childhood and its executive director, Lisa Roy.

In a text message, Conor Cahill, a spokesman for Polis, wrote that the state will “vigorously defend this landmark program in court so that even more families can bene t from preschool.”

“While it’s unfortunate to see di erent groups of adults attempting to co-opt preschool for themselves, perhaps because they want to not allow gay parents to send their kids to preschool, or they

want to favor school district programs over community-based early childhood centers, the voters were clear on their support for parent choice and a universal, mixed delivery system that is independently run, that doesn’t discriminate against anyone and o ers free preschool to every child no matter who their parents are,” Cahill wrote.

CDEC could not immediately be reached for comment.

District leaders who are part of the lawsuit described a dizzying set of challenges that they have long been concerned about, dating back to the rst days the state began designing its new preschool program, known as universal preschool.

Now, with the program in full motion, and major questions remaining over enrollment and funding, districts are suing

to get full access to CDEC’s enrollment system so they can have more control over how they ll their classrooms.

“ e school year has started, and incredibly problematic events of (universal preschool) have been raised over and over again and have not been addressed,” said Bret Miles, executive director of CASE. “We’re truly disappointed to be forced to le this claim as we’ve shared with CDEC, the governor’s o ce and CDE for months, and they did not address our serious legal issues.”

is story is from e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support e Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. e Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

We welcome letters to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone. Email letters to lkfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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POSTMASTER: Send address change to: Arvada Press, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110

Shawna Ambrose is running for the District 2 seat on Arvada City Council. COURTESY PHOTO

• Shawna Ambrose

• Michael Gri th

• Murl Hendrickson

• Bob Loveridge

Texas families with transgender children seek refuge in Colorado

BY ALISON BERG AND ELLE NAEF ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

Brianna went to bed Aug. 22 with a knot in her stomach.

at night, a Texas school board near her home passed a “Don’t Say Trans” policy barring employees from discussing what the district de ned as “gender uidity.”

e school board’s new policy was the latest entry in growing, right-wing political playbook that targets transgender youth and the adults who support them.

Months before the school board’s decision, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, ordered the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to conduct child abuse investigations into parents whose children received gender-a rming care such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy. Abbott’s decision was in line with the heavily conservative state legislature, which had introduced more anti-transgender bills than any other state.

In 2020, Brianna’s son, Rylee, came out as a transgender boy. He was 12 years old at the time.

Brianna and her family moved to Texas — which has one of the

largest transgender communities in the country — in 2015 to be closer to their extended family. Brianna knew the small town they called home was far from progressive, but she expected to largely be left alone as she and her family kept their heads down and raised LGBTQ+

But the state’s policies seemed to get crueler over time. Brianna knew her family wasn’t safe.

“I went to bed knowing what was happening and woke up the next day thinking, ‘we have to leave,’” Brianna recalled. “‘We have to get out of Texas. is is not going to get better; it is just going to get worse.’”

She spent the following day researching states that were more welcoming to transgender people.

e Paci c Northwest was too rainy, California was too expensive, Minnesota was too cold. She booked a 24-hour trip to Colorado — which received high marks from places like the Movement Advancement Project — to vet the state, making sure to ask folks she encountered about its safety for LGBTQ+ kids.

Sara, a mother and LGBTQ+ advocate, recently moved to Colorado from Texas in an e ort to keep her transgender son safe. COURTESY OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS SEE REFUGE, P18

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Colorado scholarship help with costs of community college transfer

BY JASON GONZALES THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado students who start at a community college then transfer to a four-year bachelor’s degree program will soon have a chance to pay for part of their education with a new scholarship.

e scholarship, called the Reisher Bridge Scholars Program, supports students within the Bridge to Bachelor’s Degree program — the program guarantees admission at a four-year university for rst-time college students who graduate from a community college.

e new Reisher Bridge scholarship gives nancial support for students during their rst two years before they transfer to one of eight schools and covers almost half the annual cost of attending a Colorado Community College school. Once students transfer, they are then eligible for another Reisher scholarship.

Combined, the scholarships give low-income students much-needed nancial support when they rst en-

ter community college and then to make it to graduation at a four-year university.

“As we all know, when you can’t afford more than three to six credits at a time it delays your graduation and it can sometimes be a self-defeating

prophecy,” said Adam Cermak, Foundation for Community Colleges executive director.

Cermak said the money makes a big dent in the cost of a community college education. Community college tuition, books, and fees cost about $5,000 annually, he said.

e bridge scholars program provides $2,000 a year for students at any of the state’s 13 community colleges. Once they transfer, students who were awarded the Reisher Bridge scholarship then can apply to the Reisher Scholars Program, which provides $4,000 to $15,000 a year for junior and senior years at one of eight participating four-year universities.

Both scholarships are paid for by the Denver Foundation; the new bridge scholarship is the rst tied to a speci c program within the Colorado Community College System, Cermak said.

e ve-year, $1-million-a-year pilot program increases options for students throughout the state to pay a portion of the cost of community college, especially as many students worry about tuition costs and debt.

About 9,000 students are enrolled in the Bridge to Bachelors program, but the scholarship is for students who plan to transfer to one of the colleges that partners with the Reisher Scholars Program.

Students will not have to apply for the scholarship. Instead, they must have 30 credits or less remaining toward their associate degree, have a

documented plan toward completing college, be enrolled full-time, and hold at least a 3.0 GPA. Students must also demonstrate nancial need through Pell eligibility, a federal grant that helps subsidize college costs.

e state plans to award about 250 scholarships a year based on that criteria.

e Denver Foundation also will fund college advisors who help students navigate the ins and outs of college and other support services as part of the program.

Landon Pirius, community college system vice chancellor for academic and student a airs, said in a statement the scholarship program helps create a clear road map for students. He said the college system “is committed to making the transfer process as seamless and structured as possible.”

Joshua Ryines, a Denver Foundation associate scholarships o cer, said the nonpro t’s goal for the Bridge to Bachelors scholarship is to create a stronger pipeline from twoto four-year colleges.

And Sharon Harper, the foundation’s senior director of special funds and scholarships, said too often the focus is on students going from high school to a four-year university, meaning limited scholarship opportunities for students who take a di erent route. Students who have a plan to transfer will have more opportunities, she said.

e scholarship joins a growing list of programs meant to help students pay for college.

Colorado started a free program last year to train students in health care elds. is year, it expanded the program to include a range of other professions where the state’s experiencing a shortage of workers, such as teaching, re ghting, forestry, construction and law enforcement. Students in these programs can now get up to two years of college paid for, as well as books and fees.

Colorado also o ers other programs, such as dual enrollment and concurrent enrollment, to help o set the cost of college. Concurrent and dual enrollment programs allow high school students to enroll in college classes and earn credit.

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

Colorado students who plan to transfer to a four-year program from a Colorado Community College System school are eligible for a new scholarship that will help pay for their associate degree. In this file photo, Colorado Northwestern Community College’s Craig campus is pictured on a snowy day.

PHOTO BY MATT STENSLAND FOR CHALKBEAT

Denver area: second highest annual inflation rate in the U.S.

BY TAMARA CHUANG THE COLORADO SUN

Prices continue to climb in the U.S., but few regions saw in ation grow faster than in Denver, which posted an annual in ation rate of 4.7% in July, according to the Consumer Price Index.

e Denver metro had the second highest rate next to Tampa, Florida, which was at 5.9%. e U.S., by comparison, was 3.2%, the same as New York’s. Los Angeles landed at 2.7% from a year ago, Hawaii at 2.1%, and Washington, D.C.’s hit 1.8%.

At least Denver’s rate is dropping, said Richard Wobbekind, a senior economist and faculty director of the Business Research Division at the University of Colorado. It’s fallen from 5.1% in May and 5.7% in March.

“ e trend is de nitely in the right direction,” Wobbekind said during a news conference this month. “Hopefully we are going to see some continued trend downward in some of the core in ation areas.”

With the national in ation rate still more than a point above the 2% desired by the Federal Reserve, interest rates are likely to remain high. And that’ll continue to challenge industries that are sensitive to interest rate changes, like construction, housing and the nancial sector.

“Getting that additional (percentage point) is going to be a tough road and that’s going to keep these interest rates elevated for a longer period of time. I think the higher interest rate environment is here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future,” Wobbekind said. “We don’t see the in ation rate coming down under that 3% signi cantly until next year.”

In Colorado, blame July’s in ation on higher energy and housing costs. Household energy services, which includes electricity and natural gas, hit particularly hard. ose costs grew 15.4% in a year, even as the same category nationwide fell 1.1% due to a 13.7% drop in the cost of natural gas.

e cost of shelter continues to be an issue in Denver, too. While housing costs rose less than energy, July in ation was at 10.4% for renters and 9.5% for owners, as part of the

Bureau of Labor Statistics calculation called the “owners’ equivalent of rent.” ( e U.S. shelter in ation rate was 7.7% in July.)

In a typical year, the change in owners’ equivalent in rent is usually around 1%, said Julie Percival, a regional economist at the Bureau of Labor Statistics who tracks the Mountain Plains region.

And when shelter makes up 30% of what consumers spend as part of CPI, any increase can eat heavily into household budgets and have more impact than, for example, a gallon of gas increasing.

ere may be a silver lining for renters here, said Bill Craighead, the new program director for the University of Colorado Colorado Springs Economic Forum. Rent in ation is playing catchup from the incredible increases landlords levied on tenants in the past year.

“Since leases typically renew every 12 months, when there is an increase in rents, it only gradually a ects the average rent paid,” Craighead said in an email. “ is means that rent changes drive a lot of the in ation calculation but they do so with a lag. at is, we’re seeing the e ects of rent increases in 2022 still a ecting the data now.”

According to rent-tracking site ApartmentList, rents in Colorado Springs are down 3.9%, compared with a year ago. Denver’s are down 1.1% while the state’s is essentially at, dropping 0.2%. Some of the double-digit rent increases were landlords catching up because they couldn’t raise rents in the rst year of the pandemic.

Knowing the cycle of rents and how the BLS measures the cost of housing for homeowners and renters, Craighead feels the worst of in ation is behind us because “that leveling o in rents will start to pull in ation down over time,” he added. “ at’s one reason I’m pretty optimistic in ation will keep coming down.”

Gas prices, by the way, fell almost 20% in July from a year ago, which contributed to Colorado’s in ation slowing down. As of this month, however, a gallon of gas in Colorado was up an average of 18 cents in the past month, to $3.97, according to AAA’s Gas Tracker.

Apartment units overlook the RTD’s Sheridan Station in east Lakewood.

PHOTO BY OLIVIA SUN, THE COLORADO SUN VIA REPORT FOR AMERICA

Wildland firefighters need our support

At any given moment during this smoky summer of 2023, hundreds of wild res were blazing in the United States — more than 850 as of late July, according to the nonpro t Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center. Most of those wild res ignited in the forests of the American West.

Fires were also burning by the thousands in Canada, creating a pall of particulate-dense smoke that blotted out views of the Chicago skyline and the Washington Mall. ose res are expected to burn well into fall. is hellish aspect lends weight to historian Stephen Pyne’s conclusion that we live now in an age of re called the “Pyrocene.”

Assembled to combat these blazes is a massive army of wildland reghters. Some are volunteers, some are prison work crews earning time credited against their sentences. Some are municipal re ghters dispatched to the woods.

Some 11,300 of them are federal re ghters, called “forestry technicians,” who work under the aegis of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior. For all of them, it’s exhausting work. Wildland re ghters typically log 16-hour days for weeks at a time, burning 4,000 to 6,000 calories a day while carrying heavy backpacks.

WRITERS ON THE RANGE

It’s punishing labor and always dangerous. Barely a year has gone by in the last quartercentury that has not seen at least 15 wildland re ghter deaths, the victims not just of ames and smoke but also of heat exhaustion, vehicle accidents, air crashes, falling trees and heart attacks.

Often, they don’t die alone. In June 2013, 19 “Hotshots” burned to death in a horri c Arizona wild re, the third-greatest loss of wildland re ghters in U.S. history.

Yet despite the hardships and the history, a mandated pay raise in June 2021, spurred by President Joe Biden, brought the minimum wage for federal wildland re ghters up to a mere $15 an hour.

Fire ghters of my acquaintance seldom cite money as a motivator for their work. ey ght res in the spirit of public service, while in some rural communities, as a young Apache re ghter told me, “It gives us something to do.”

But re ghters, like everyone else, must shoulder rents and mortgages and groceries, and a paycheck of less

than $3,000 a month just doesn’t cut it.

Enter a temporary order from President Biden raising that base pay rate by 50%. Put in place in August 2022, and retroactive to the previous October as part of a hotly contested package of infrastructure-funding policies, the pay raise was funded only until Sept.30, 2023, after which pay for wildland re ghters drops back to 2020 levels.

Wildland re ghters lobbied for Biden’s pay raise to be made permanent but they made few inroads. at was until they nally found an ally in Arizona’s Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. Now an independent, Sinema allied with Republican Sens. John Barrasso of Wyoming and Steve Daines of Montana, and Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Jon Tester of Montana, to introduce the bipartisan Wildland Fire ghter Paycheck Protection Act. It would fund permanent pay increases.

By late June of 2023, their bill had passed out of committee by a vote of 10 to 1, the only no vote coming from Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. When it reaches the Senate oor, it will be open to debate and a full vote.

ere, however, the politicians are likely to squabble, especially on the House side. Larger issues loom, too,

such as the need to revise policy so that forests are better managed to improve the conditions that now foster massive wild res. ose conditions are the product of a “wise use” regime that saw forests as pro table tree farms and not as living systems e Forest Service also had a decades-long policy of dousing all wild res as early as possible.

While Washington deliberates, and while a more comprehensive bill compensating wildland re ghters struggles to gain traction, res continue to burn in the outback. Without a pay raise, federal o cials fear, some re ghters will walk away from a risky and insultingly lowpaying job.

Wildland re ghters are needed right now, and we need to pay them what they deserve through the Wildland Fire ghter Paycheck Protection Act. ey will be needed even more in a future of climbing temperatures and widespread drought causing even more massive wild res.

We can only hope that we will have the re ghters to confront them.

Gregory McNamee is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonpro t dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He is an author and journalist in Tucson.

Garden Conservancy returns with Open Days

As we roll into late summer here in Colorado, we’re also entering the best time of year to be outside. ings are starting to cool o (just a little) and you can feel hints of autumn in the air. It’s a great time to focus on nature and e Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program is back to showcase the beauty of the natural world in small scale — with private gardens from around the metro area.   “ e mission of the program is to open up the private gardens of folks so they can share them,” said Dr. H. Horatio Joyce, director of public programs and education with the

COMING ATTRACTIONS Clarke

conservancy. “ is is something that most gardeners don’t get to do the rest of the year — share something that takes a huge amount of time.”

Presented by Denver Botanic Gardens, the Denver Open Day is on Saturday, Aug. 26 and features four new gardens:

• Grummons Desert Garden in Lakewood: is garden demon-

strates the innovative possibilities of a low-water approach to gardening.

• Summer Home in Denver: An inner-city xeric pocket garden that aims to educate and inspire other gardeners, create a community atmosphere and discourage overdevelopment.

• Jim and Dorothy’s Garden in Denver: A garden with about 10,000 homegrown western native plants, all of which highlight the importance of harmonious existence with native.

• Pine Gardens in Centennial: is garden includes a rock/alpine garden, woodland patio, water feature and shade gardens. Each garden fea-

tures a radically di erent approach to the world of gardening.

According to Joyce, what makes each of the Denver gardens special this year is they’re all nature friendly, so they take into their design and implementation the e ect they have on the environment. is can mean planting with native species, cutting down on irrigation and other environmentally-friendly approaches.

“We’re in a really interesting moment all over the country,” Joyce said. “We’re seeing people learn how to garden in really beautiful ways,

SEE READER, P13

Gregory McNamee

even faced with a lot of challenges.”

For those who attend, not only will they have a great reason to spend some time outside, but they will hopefully come away with some ideas to try in their own gardens.

“Going to an outstanding botanical garden can be intimidating, and there’s something really scienti c about it,” Joyce said. “But during open days, the best part is always the people. Whether they’re new gardeners or advanced, it’s the gathering of di erent people and it’s a really inspiring and buoying experience.”

For all the details, visit www. gardenconservancy.org/open-days/ open-days-schedule/denver-metropolitan-area-co-open-day.

Explore the healing power of art at DIA

You may not think of Denver International Airport, 8500 Peña Blvd., as a place to see art, but the airport is home to “From War to Words,” an exhibit featuring the artwork, portraits and song lyrics made by CreatiVets. e work can be found on Concourse A.

According to provided information, CreatiVets is a nonpro t organization with a mission of empowering wounded veterans and healing through arts and music. e works on display include collages and mixed media sculptures and was created thanks to partnerships with a range of universities and art schools around the country. e photos were taken by Jason Myers and song lyrics were made in collaboration with artists like Vince Gill.

More information can be found at www. ydenver.com.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

It’s time to move forward by looking for what unites us

Let’s all be thankful for Colorado’s system of allowing independents to vote in the party primary of their choosing. is means Colorado can be better than the national climate of intense political polarization. e State’s Republican party central committee deserves credit and thanks for recently voting down their party chairman’s strange proposal to count all non-votes as yesvotes. His proposal was a thinly dis-

The story of three quilters at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum

Quilting is one of those artforms that provides the viewer with not only an example of powerful storytelling, but also something tangible that they can carry with them for the rest of their lives. e latest exhibit at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, 200 Violet St., Unit 140, in Golden, examines the work of three quilters and the stories of their lives.   ree Women Who Quilt runs through Saturday, Oct. 14 and features work by Lea McComas, Sharon L. Schlotzhauer and Jane Mathews. Each artist uses the exhibit to showcase the way they produce their works and the stories they’re interested in sharing with the world.

All you need to know can be found atwww.rmqm.org.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — City and Colour at Summit Music Hall

It takes real talent to make music as pretty and cheese-free as singer/ songwriter City and Colour (whose real name is Dallas Green) does on his latest album, “ e Love Still Held Me Near.” City and Colour has been making music for nearly 20 years, but this might be his best release to date. e album is nuanced and layered and just devastatingly pretty.

In support of the record, City and Colour will be stopping by Summit Music Hall, 1902 Blake St. in Denver, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 29. He’ll be joined by openerJaye Jayle for a night that is sure to be powerful and enchanting.

Get tickets for the show at www. livenation.com.

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

NOVAK-BANKENSTEIN

Maleta Novak-Bankenstein

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Maleta Novak-Bankenstein, a remarkable woman whose life journey was a testament to unwavering dedication, boundless creativity, and an indomitable spirit. She peacefully transitioned from this world on August 17th, 2023, leaving behind a legacy that will forever inspire those fortunate enough to have known her.

Maleta Novak-Bankenstein, daughter of Eugene Dalton and Phyllis Verleta Valcoure, stepdaughter of Eugene Valcoure. Preceded in death by husband Robert L. Novak, second husband Robert F. Bankenstein Junior and sister Linda mills.

Survivors, sons, Ronnie and “Beth” Novak, David and Terri Novak, daughter, Phyllis, LaVelle, and Ignacio Martinez, Troy LaVelle, daughter Tamara Novak, stepdaughter Kacey Kuipers and Cody, brother Perry Valcoure and Sharon, and seven grandchildren seven great grandchildren, aunt and uncle Barbara and Lawrence Dalton

Born on April 28th, 1946, in Concordia, Kansas, Maleta Novak–Bankenstein grew up in the embrace of a close-knit community, and it was there that she began to cultivate the qualities that would de ne her extraordinary life. Marrying her beloved husband and raising four children on a dairy farm, she demonstrated her deep love for family and a tireless work ethic. Maleta was a beacon of light to all who had the privilege of knowing her, as she touched countless lives with her warmth, kindness, and unwavering support.

for adventure were evident as she embraced the rich tapestry of cultures and landscapes that Europe had to o er.

Following her military career, Maleta continued her love for travel, traversing the United States in her RV and soaking in the beauty of the land she called home. Settling down in York, Nebraska, she continued to nurture her creative spirit, indulging in crochet and an array of crafts that showcased her limitless imagination. Her ability to craft almost anything she envisioned was a re ection of her tenacity and her innate talent.

Maleta’s journey through life was a melodious symphony, composed of unwavering determination and resolute action. Whenever she xed her gaze upon a goal or ignited a passion within herself, she embarked upon it with an unrelenting fervor that left a profound impact on all fortunate enough to cross her path. is remarkable trait of hers shone brilliantly when she earned her Master’s degree in nursing, at 72, a testament to her dedication and hard work. ough her physical presence may have left us, her memory remains etched in the very core of the hearts of her family, friends, and all those who had the privilege to share moments with her. e resonance of her accomplishments and the inspiration she imparted continue to reverberate through the lives she touched. Even though she may no longer walk beside us, her spirit dances on in the stories, lessons, and memories she gifted to us all.

guised attempt to get enough votes to opt the Republican party out of Colorado’s primary election system.

e last election clearly shows the bene t of Colorado’s system.

Rather than Tina Peters, the top-line nominee for Secretary of State coming out of the party convention, in the general election we voters had a choice between a competent Je erson County Clerk and the Democrat incumbent. at

SEE LETTERS, P20

Maleta’s passion for nursing was ignited amidst her responsibilities on the farm and the joyful chaos of raising her four children. Her pursuit of education was a testament to her determination and resilience as she juggled the demands of motherhood with her studies. is dedication eventually led her to join the army at the age of 42 as an O cer, embarking on a remarkable second career that spanned 13 years and saw her rise to the rank of Major.

Among her many experiences, one of the most cherished chapters of Maleta’s life was stationed in Würzburg, Germany, alongside her husband Robert Novak. Together, they explored the corners of Europe, creating memories that would forever be etched in their hearts. Her zeal for life and thirst

A celebration of Maleta NovakBankenstein’s extraordinary life will be held on Monday, August 21, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. at Highland Park Church in Columbus, NE with viewing on Sunday, August 20, 2023, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at McKown Funeral Home. We invite family and friends to come together to remember and honor the legacy of a woman whose spirit knew no bounds. In lieu of owers, donations may be made to Glioblastoma Foundation a tribute to Maleta’s enduring spirit of giving.

As we bid farewell to a beloved mother, grandmother, sister, friend, and inspiration, let us carry forward Maleta’s legacy of determination and boundless creativity. Her legacy will forever remind us that life’s possibilities are as vast as the horizons she explored and the dreams she made reality.

CULTIVATING CREATIVITY

Creators across Colorado show positive impact of fairy gardens

BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A tiny, magical place hides in plain sight by a residential sidewalk in Highlands Ranch, inviting guests to crouch down to get a better view.

Miniature tree trunk stumps lead the way to a small door near a sign that reads, “Fairy Garden.” Behind that door is a mystical land where fairies can gather, sit at a table, admire a pond, enter a small hut or hang out with other animals.

“I love kids, and there’s a lot of kids in our neighborhood. And I wanted something for them to just have fun with and see,” said Angie Gallagher, the creator of the fairy garden.

Fairy gardens hold magical powers beyond being a gathering place for mystical creatures — they are also a hub for people’s creativity, community and positivity.

“It gives us that hope,” Gallagher said. “It reminds us of the magic in the world, and I think we

need that.”

Scattered throughout Colorado, fairy gardens come in all shapes and sizes.

An elementary school in ornton, Riverdale Elementary, had students in an after-school club create potted fairy gardens to be placed in the school courtyard.

In the west metro area of Golden 7-year-old Juniper Kenyon’s eyes lled with wonder as she assembled her own fairy garden in a glass container alongside her 9-yearold sister, Olive, and her mother, Kelly at the Golden Library.

“I wanted to make a house for the fairies that we could put … outside so they could live in it,” Juniper said.

She said once she got back to her family’s home in Golden, she planned

CIRCLE PHOTO: Angie Gallagher holds a small house that she plans to put in a Thaibased fairy garden she hopes to create. PHOTOS BY TAYLER SHAW SEE CREATIVITY, P15

CREATIVITY

to put a bed inside her garden for the fairies to enjoy.

e family was among about 20 participants in the library’s community workshop to make fairy gardens in late July.

“We really love fairies,” Kelly said. “I just think it’s fun that we’re all together and just being creative.”

Seeing the excitement and pride on the faces of children like Juniper and Olive as they made their fairy gardens was a highlight for Alada Ramsey, a librarian at Golden Library who helped with the event.

Making fairy gardens has been a big part of Ramsey’s family, she said.

“My kids always built fairy gardens at my house, and at … my mother’s house, and at my grandmother’s house” she said. “We’re constantly doing fairy gardens.”

When children are young, their imaginations can become enamored with the idea that fairies will come to the gardens and play, she said.

“It’s just so fun, and it also is a great opportunity to teach kindness,” Ramsey said. “Because if you can imagine that there are fairies and you can imagine what their needs and wants are, that’s all good for getting you out of yourself and into the world and opening yourself up to the natural world around you.”

Emily Due, also a librarian at Golden Library who helped lead the event, said she loved to see how intergenerational the event was, as there were young kids, parents and grandparents who participated and made their own fairy gardens.

“I wasn’t expecting the adults to get so into it,” Due said.

Putting together the fairy gardens consisted of putting pebbles, air plants, moss, seashells, stones and other decorations into a glass bowl.

Although everyone had access to the same materials, each garden ended up looking di erent, Due said, which highlights the artistic expression that is possible.

Due said she likes that so much of fairy gardens comes from folklore and mythology, which ties into the literacy elements that libraries want to promote.

“We have an opportunity to educate and maybe get them interested in stories that are already on our shelves, but then also, we’re encouraging them to play,” Due said.

In her research on fairy gardens, Due said she found out that some people believed that fairies were the rst magical creatures to inhabit British islands, arriving before humans had.

“When people came, the fairies got a little bit scared and so they went underground. And so, fairy gardens was a way for people to say, ‘Hey, come on back. Spend time with us,’” Due said.

Angie Gallagher, of Highlands Ranch, compared fairy gardens to bird baths and birdseed being o ered in people’s yards.

“It’s to help the birds with the migration, and it’s

kind of the same idea,” she said of fairy gardens.

In addition to assembling a fairy garden in the community, Gallagher has made fairy garden starter kits that she has given out to people, which included a sheet about fairies.

e sheet explained that fairies are all over the world, such as in Mexico, ailand, Russia, and the United States, and they are ying to new places all across the globe.

“I wanted the fairies to be multicultural because I’m half ai,” she said.

Gallagher said she had wanted to create a community fairy garden for a long time, gathering inspiration from the app Pinterest and getting materials from the dollar store and Amazon.

Part of the fun is having fairy gardens in little, unexpected places, she said.

“To have little pockets of fun is just really all you need to keep the faith,” she said.  e community response to the fairy garden has been great, she said. e magical place really resonated with a few young girls in the community, who Gallagher said are obsessed with the garden.

“We see them all the time,” she said. “And they even started leaving notes, so then I would write little notes back.”

One note came after a rainstorm, and the girls expressed concern for how the storm may have impacted the fairies and their garden, wanting to make sure the fairies were OK, Gallagher recalled.

“ ey were so worried during the rainstorm about how the fairies were su ering,” she said. “So, I wrote a note back.”

Gallagher said she gave the girls ample fairy garden supplies beyond the starter kit, and the girls actually created a fairy garden not too far from Gallagher’s.

On top of the notes from young fairy admirers, Gallagher said she has gotten some notes from parents who are thankful for the time she has spent to feed their children’s creative minds.

“ at just brings smiles to our faces when we see parents or grandparents bringing the little kids,” she said. “I love hearing the kids talk about what they think fairies are about, or — they just start coming up with stories about who they think is living there.”

Gallagher does not put any gurines of fairies in her garden, wanting to reinforce people’s creativity as they imagine who the fairies are.

In the future, she plans to add to her fairy garden by creating new sections that incorporate di erent cultures, hoping to increase representation and expand people’s imagination of what a fairy may look like.

“I’m going to make a ai-based fairy garden, and then I’ll probably make one that’s a Parisian fairy garden,” she said.

She also hopes to add fairy gardens to some of the Airbnb properties her family owns.

“I think there’s always something really fun about just this idea of positive hope — that someone is looking out for you. It’s like another version of an angel,” Gallagher said of fairies. “It gives you hope to kind of move about your day with con dence.”

A small fairy door next to the sign that says “All fairies are welcome” sits within a fairy garden in Highlands Ranch.

PHOTOS BY TAYLER SHAW

Juniper Kenyon prepares to add a fairy figurine into her fairy garden at a workshop at the Golden Library.

A fairy garden sign is placed near the entrance of Angie Gallagher’s community fairy garden in Highlands Ranch.

Feel the burn: Looking beyond Colorado’s cool-ish 2023

This summer’s coolish, wettish weather along Colorado’s northern Front Range, home to two-thirds of Colorado’s nearly 6 million residents, has been delightful. Denver’s temperature didn’t crack 90 until well into July and hasn’t broached 100 as of mid-August.

I’m uneasy. is is not normal. Weather varies, but our climates have been warming briskly. July was the hottest ever for planet Earth. When will it be our turn to be part of the bon re?

Phoenix has been burning. is summer’s 31-consecutive days with temperatures surpassing 110 degrees broke the old record of 18 days.

I’ve been in 103 degree heat. It was unpleasant. I cannot imagine Phoenix’s all-time high of 122 degrees.

Don’t trip. In such heat, merely falling down onto the pavement can produce burns, as if you had stuck your hand in a camp re. During that streak, CNN reported that half the patients in the Arizona Burn Center’s ICU had been burned because of falling to the ground. Overnight lows may be more important than daytime highs. By late July, Phoenix had 17 consecutive days of 90-plus minimums. One overnight low was 96 degrees.

Climate Central’s Andrew Pershing

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ALL ITEMS SELL NO RESERVE! THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7

says these rising nighttime temperatures can be more directly tied to global climate change than daytime temperatures. “ e low temperatures we are seeing overnight in the Southwest this summer are shockingly high, and that is very much an impact of climate change,” he said recently on a SciLine webinar.

“ is is not normal,” said Pershing, an oceanographer by training. “But it is not surprising. is is what we predicted 20 to 30 years ago. It’s a new world, and we are going to see change until we get our emissions of greenhouse gases under control.”

Where in the United States would be least a ected by climate change? e Northern Great Plains and Midwest have been spared major impacts, he said. So far, that is. “ at’s an area where it would be easy to say that it seems safe now, but it’s probably not as safe as it appears,” Pershing added. e 2021 Western North American heat wave was extraordinary. In British Columbia, the village of Lytton in June 2021 had three days of extreme heat, including a Canadian record of 121 degrees. Green leaves fell from trees. Hours later re erupted. Most of the hamlet vanished within minutes. In Oregon and elsewhere, people without air conditioning literally baked to death. e death toll exceeded 1,400 people. Scientists concluded that the warming climate makes such heat domes 150 times more likely.

Je Goodell, in his new book, “ e Heat Will Kill You First,” examines the human physiology. We can tolerate heat, but just to a point. Heat actually kills more people than oods or hurricanes. It hits those without air conditioning or who must work outdoors the hardest. Prepubescent children and those who are older and with pre-existing conditions are more susceptible.

ere’s ample, tragic evidence even younger, virile people can die of heat stroke.

Could next year bring something resembling the 2021 heat dome to Colorado?

“I don’t know of any speci c predictions about heat waves in Colorado,” says Pershing. “However, I think it’s pretty clear after the last few summers that no place is safe from unusual and dangerous heat.”

In Fort Collins, the Colorado state climatologist is more cautious. “ e Paci c Northwest heat dome in 2021 fell so far outside of what had been observed historically that those kinds of events are likely to remain extremely

rare, even in a warming climate,” says Russ Schumacher. “But even if we don’t see something that extreme in Colorado, the frequency and intensity of summer heat is almost certain to increase in the future.”

Indeed, parts of southern and southwestern Colorado had their warmest July ever. Because of heat and drought, maps of Colorado River Basin altogether —including Western Colorado — show a welt of purple.

An updated Climate Change in Colorado report, now being revised after peer review, will show projections of a very large increase in heat waves across Colorado as the climate continues to warm, says Schumacher. “At the same time, cold waves in the winter are projected to decrease in frequency, but not by nearly as much as the heat waves will increase. So it is a very asymmetric change, where we will still see extreme cold at a pretty regular pace, but extreme heat will increase by a lot.”   Scientists that Goodell talked with nd it plausible that all-time temperature records could be shattered by 5 to 10 degrees. Grand Junction’s 107 degrees this summer tied its all-time record. How would it do at 115 degrees? How would the San Luis Valley potato harvest fare if Alamosa had 105 degrees? Colorado had 1.34 million acres planted in corn in 2022. “Of all the commercial food crops, corn may be the most vulnerable to heat,” says Goodell.

Planning for rising heat is underway. Pavement and concrete in cities create a well-known heat island e ect. Trees bu er this e ect. Can metro Denver retain its tree cover even while using less water? Can the electrical grid handle the surge in demand caused by air conditioning?

Real estate developers seem to expect higher temperatures. New housing in Winter Park, elevation 9,100 feet, now has air conditioning. When I worked there 40 years ago, most of us would have thought that preposterous.

Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Miami/ Dade County all have heat departments, to coordinate responses. Seems crazy now, but will Denver someday have a heat o ce, too?

Given what the science tells us about rising temperatures, I suggest it might make sense. Crazy would be thinking that this year’s coolness is the norm.

Allen Best publishes Big Pivots, which covers climate change and the energy and water transitions in Colorado and beyond. Meet him at bigpivots.com.

INVENTORY INCLUDES: semi trucks, drop deck equipment trailers, truck cab and chassis, ready mix truck, side dump trailer, dry van trailer, flatbed trailer, side curtain trailers and more. All items are sold “AS IS.” 10% buyers premium applies.

DP3328 ‘13 Peterbilt 367 semi truck

DP3167 ‘17 Peterbilt 579 semi truck

DQ2140 ‘20 Volvo VNL860 semi truck

DM1999 ‘00 Mack CH613 semi truck MG9672 ‘14 Doonan drop deck equipment trailer

Allen Best

Thu 8/31

Fri 9/01

Jesse Daniel @ 7pm

Wed 9/06

Featured Featured

Teague Starbuck @ 5:30pm

Crazy Mountain Brewery, 1505 N Ogden St, Denver

Cervantes Other Side, 2637 Welton Street, Denver

Hausman @ 10pm

Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St, Denver

Deer Creek Sharp Shooters: Backyard Bluegrass @ Columbine Cafe @ 7pm Columbine Cafe, 15630 S Golden Rd, Golden

Secret So Far Show with Deva Yoder and Jack Lewis @ 7:30pm So Far Show, Denver

Rotating Tap Comedy @ Station 26 Brewing @ 7:30pm Station 26 Brewing Co., 7045 E 38th Ave, Denver

The Blackouts

@ 8pm HQ, 60 S Broadway, Denver

Marc Ford @ 7pm

Cactus Jacks Tavern, 4651 Co Rd 73, Evergreen

Tiffany Christopher @ 7pm FERAL, 3936 Tennyson St, Denver

Sat 9/02

Featured Featured

Sun 9/03

Featured

Andreas DeValera: Art, Cars, & Guitars! @ 11:30am

1041 El Rancho Road, 1041 El Rancho Rd, Evergreen

Kelli Baker at Jake's Roadhouse in Arvada, CO @ 3pm

Jake's Roadhouse, 5980 Lamar St, Arvada

Jiqui @ 7pm Summit Music Hall, 1902 Blake St, Denver

Mon 9/04

Hot Country Knights: Labor Day Block Party @ 7pm

Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row Denver, 1946 Market St, Denver

Industry @ 9pm

Goosetown Tavern, 3242 East Colfax Av‐enue, Denver

Tue 9/05

Kiana Lede @ 8pm

Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom, 2637 Welton St, Denver

Kelli Baker LIVE at Miner's Saloon in Golden, CO @ 6pm

Miners Saloon, 1109 Miner's Alley, Golden

Featured Featured

Beautiful: the Carole King Musical (Touring) @ 7:30pm Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada

Club Level Seating: Playboi Carti @ 7:30pm / $89.50 Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle, Denver

Lil Tracy @ 8pm

Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom, 2637 Welton St, Denver

Calendar information is provided by event organiz‐ers. All events are subject to change or cancella‐tion. This publication is not responsible for the ac‐curacy of the information contained in this calendar.

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As she drove around Denver and saw rainbow ags plastered in business windows and hanging outside homes, Brianna knew where to move.

“It was so overwhelmingly positive and welcoming,” she said of Colorado. “In Texas, you couldn’t even talk about this stu .”

e family voted in the Nov. 8 Texas election, feeling they owed their votes to friends in similar situations who couldn’t leave the state. ree days later, they packed their bags and started their journey to Aurora.

Lucas and Sara had deep roots in Texas. Lucas worked at a nonpro t supporting kids in the foster care system; Sara taught music at a private school. e two had

family and deep friendships in the state.

But fear overwhelmed them in February 2022 after Abbott declared gender-a rming care for children a form of child abuse.

e couple’s son, Alec, came out as transgender years earlier and began transitioning soon after.

Bullying and harassment were common for Alec in his small Texas town, but when laws began to threaten his safety, his parents knew something needed to change.

“ ere was a moment where I just imagined Alec being taken from our family,” Sara said. “Just having to process that was extremely scary and upsetting.”

Lucas and Sara became more outspoken in their LGBTQ+ allyship by helping plan Pride festivals and volunteering with Equality Texas.

Alec did his best to t in at

school. He wore baggy, unassuming clothes and tried to keep his head down.

“ ere were so many times where I was like ‘if I just detransitioned and lived, I could live easier here,’ but the dysphoria makes things so hard,” said Alec, who is now 15 years old. “It wouldn’t have been a happy life for me.”

Other parents began complaining that Sara was using her position as a teacher to “push an agenda.” Sara maintains she never discussed politics in class.

“It was very clear that we were being targeted because this was a relatively small town and we had been outspoken,” Lucas said. “I knew this was really scary and we worried about what could happen to our family.”

Brianna and Rylee also remember living in fear.

“How exhausting it was, not knowing day-to-day what laws were going to be passed that would hurt my child and not understanding why it’s something that people care about,” Brianna said. “I don’t understand the vitriol towards these kids who just want to exist and the parents who just want their kids to survive.”

Brianna tried to educate those around her and give them the bene t of the doubt. But many people didn’t seem interested in learning.

“It’s extremely frustrating and there’s no amount of education I could do,” Brianna said. “You think you can educate people away from bad beliefs, but they’re not interested in the truth. ey’re interested in their narrative and that’s it.”

Lucas and Sara remember having conversations with Alec where they reminded him not to stand out too much, which was a painful message to send for two parents who wanted nothing more than to a rm their child.

“We did a lot of apologizing to the kids and saying, ‘I’m sorry you can’t wear what you’d like to wear because we need to be careful right now,’’ Sara recalled. “I remember saying that a lot. ‘We need to be careful right now.’”

e family also helped plan a kid-friendly Pride celebration in their town, hoping to show marginalized children that adults were on their side. However,

several other adults, including an anti-LGBTQ+ Instagram “in uencer,” showed up and chanted “groomer” at those participating in the festival.

“It was really weird because I grew up there and that place just turned on me,” Alec said.

e family had lived in their town for 14 years and felt it was important to stay and ght for other LGBTQ+ people. But as anti-transgender bills stacked up and hateful rhetoric grew louder, Lucas and Sara saw that their family’s safety was in jeopardy.

“It was a constant state of anxiety and fear,” Lucas said. “All it would take was one person in our town who didn’t like us and report us and we would’ve had a CPS case that we would be dealing with.”

In 2023, the family said goodbye to their longtime church, colleagues and friends and moved to Denver, where they felt safer in their new home.

e contrast between living in fear and living in a state with codi ed LGBTQ+ rights has been immense, the families told Rocky Mountain PBS.

“I’ve met some really sweet people here,” Alec said. “It denitely feels like a whole reset.” ough they know things are safer in Colorado, Alec, Sara and Lucas said it has been a struggle to shake the feeling of fear, as they lived in ght-or- ight mode for so long.

“We’ve only been in Colorado for a few months and I feel like I’m still letting go of some of those anxieties and fear and worries,” Lucas said.

Some of the anxiety and fear dissipated after the family connected with other LGBTQ+ Coloradans.

During their rst week in town, they attended a drag brunch in which the performer a rmed the transgender kids in attendance.

“It was really emotional for me, because we had left a bad situation so recently,” Alec said. “It was really heartwarming to hear that.”

As Alec navigates his transition, he said many of his peers treat him “like Google.” ey ask him invasive questions, he said, which can sometimes make him feel like a political prop.

REFUGE

“I become their search engine and it’s so strange,” he added.

When he is not advocating for his rights, Alec enjoys watercolor painting. His family has a collection of chickens he painted on their walls.

Sara tries to encourage Alec to simply be a kid.

“Having to speak to other adults about what it’s like to be trans, that’s a lot of responsibility,” Sara said. “I know it’s important but it’s very heavy and it’s not a normal childhood.”

As state legislatures introduced a record number of anti-transgender laws targeting children, many adults have stepped up to try and ease burdens on young adults.

“We try to just make sure we’re doing the things that help them in life and society,” said Sandra Zapata, director of youth services at the Center on Colfax, an LGBTQ+ community center in Denver. “A

lot of it is just making sure they know they have a space to come, and once they nd us, it’s a good place to make connections so folks will create those personal relationships with each other.”

Zapata leads the Rainbow Alley, a youth program at the Center on Colfax Avenue. Both Rylee and Alec attend Rainbow Alley and said they’ve made many friends and connections there.

“It’s about giving them that space where there’s no rules, there’s no expectations of how you’re supposed to dress and what colors you’re supposed to like, and what kind of careers you’re supposed to have,” Zapata said. “So, then you’re left with this blank canvas.”

Zapata said many of the children they meet come from states with anti-LGBTQ+ laws. ough moving can bring newfound safety, the process is often isolating, Zapata said.

“ ere’s a lot of sadness, maybe you lived in one place your whole life and now you’re having to move, not because you want to

but because ultimately you know it’s going to be safer,” Zapata said. “It’s still hard to leave your friends and family and whoever you’re leaving behind.”

Zapata said housing is often the biggest barrier for those looking to move to safer states. Colorado’s housing prices skyrocketed in recent years, making a move to the state out of reach for many families.

ough many people see Colorado as a sanctuary for LGBTQ+ people, especially compared to its neighboring states, the state is far from perfect. e United States Supreme Court, to use a recent example, recently sided with a Denver website designer who argued that designing websites for same-sex couples violated her First Amendment rights. Moreover, several school districts have attempted to pass their own “don’t say gay,” bills as well.

Nevertheless, more families with LGBTQ+ children are deciding to move to places like Colorado.

“ ere’s a migration happening,” said Bob McCranie, owner of

Texas Pride Realty Group, a realty group in Texas that focuses on selling homes to LGBTQ+ Texans. “ is is a national state of emergency for LGBTQ people.”

McCranie also connects LGBTQ+ Texans looking to leave the state with a rming realtors in other states, something he said is necessary as dozens of states cut rights for queer people.

Eventually, McCranie said, LGBTQ+ people across the country could lose rights regardless of the state they live in. McCranie said he asks clients if they’ve considered moving abroad, should conservative politicians and Supreme Court justices continue to roll back long-held rights.

“If some of these cases get overturned and the court says you can’t have gay marriage in any state, the blue states won’t be safe either,” McCranie said. “Do you have a plan for when and if that happens?”

is Rocky Mountain PBS story via e Associated Press’ Storyshare, of which Colorado Community Media is a member.

INFLATION

Few items in the average Denverite’s budget saw a decline in costs, but there were a handful: Meat and eggs, down 1.3%; clothing, down 0.9%; used cars and trucks, down 6.2%; and gasoline

LETTERS

meant an election focused on policy debates rather than on extremist election conspiracy theories.

Let’s also all of us start using our common sense. Would Fox News have paid Dominion Voting Systems $787.5 million to settle Dominion’s defamation lawsuit if there had been a shred of evidence of voting machine fraud? Can any

for one’s car, down 18.3%. Most of those also fell nationwide.

But food prices continue to rise in Denver and the U.S. Eating at home cost 4.2% more than a year ago. But eating out cost even more, up 7.8%.

It’s probably not a surprise to anyone that restaurant menu prices have gone up. Restaurants, like many businesses in the service

of us in Colorado have any illusions about former President Trump’s character when we saw him attack last year’s Republican Senate candidate Joe O’Dea for being insufciently loyal? Isn’t it time we all turn down the overblown rhetoric and consider whether or not there might be something to all the recent Trump indictments when the election of a Colorado Republican Senator counted for less than absolute loyalty? Isn’t it time we move forward by looking for what unites – rather than divides – us?

TURN TO THE COLORADO SUN FOR NEWS ACROSS THE STATE

The Colorado Sun is a journalistowned, award-winning news outlet that strives to cover all of Colorado so that our state — our community — can better understand itself.

In this way, The Sun contributes to

a more vibrant, informed and whole Colorado.

The Sun, launched in 2018, is committed to fact-based, in-depth and non-partisan journalism. It covers everything from politics and culture

sector, faced the double whammy of a labor shortage and rising wages in the past two years. While such trends bene t workers, that obviously impacts a restaurant’s bottomline and translates into higher menu prices.

According to the National Restaurant Association, menu prices are up 7.1% nationwide in a year as of July, with the South leading

I think there is far more agreement among Colorado voters than is often apparent from the news. Let’s have those genuine policy debates and elect moderate voices that represent us.

John Winkel, Arvada

In response to article on One Small Step

I read with interest the Aug.10 story about the Arvada Municipal Court’s establishment of the One Small Step Program. I am one of the court-appointed lawyers rep-

the increase at 7.4%. Denver’s rate, of course, was higher, at 7.8%.  is story is from e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support e Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. e Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

resenting indigent clients in that court. I have observed the use of this unique program as many of my clients are homeless or otherwise living without signi cant resources. It is not only a unique program, but much needed, as the story points out. I applaud Judge Kurtz for supporting and using this program. It is a life changer for many of the clients and possibly a lifesaver as well. It is a program that should be an example for other communities and courts.

David J. omas, Golden

to the outdoor industry and education.

Now, The Colorado Sun co-owns this and other Colorado Community Media newspapers as a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy. The

Sun is CCM’s partner for statewide news.

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

Ralston Valley’s defense turns away Mountain Vista in Zero Week

BY DENNIS PLEUSS JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

HIGHLANDS RANCH — Ralston Valley’s defense made an earlyseason statement Friday night at Halftime Help Stadium.

e Mustangs — No. 4 in the MaxPreps Class 5A football preseason rankings — relied heavily on its defense to pull out a 13-7 road victory against Mountain Vista.

“ e defense played so incredibly resilient the entire night,” Ralston Valley coach Jared Yannacito said. “ ey played phenomenal game. ey played tough and did everything that we look for. Super proud of how they played tonight.”

Ralston Valley took a 13-0 lead early in the second quarter after a 1-yard touchdown run by senior Brady Weldon and 42-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Logan Madden to junior Liam Beattie. However, Mountain Vista got a late rst-half touchdown on a half-back pass by junior Jack Blais to junior Sean Conway to trim the lead to 13-7 at halftime.

Both the Mustangs and Golden Eagles had long drives in the second half, but both defensives stood their ground in what ended up being a scoreless second half.

“When you play a team like Mountain Vista or any of these ranked teams we are going to play the goal is to win the football game,” Yannacito said. “Whether it is defense, special teams or o ense, we all have to carry our weight.”

Senior defensive back Jack Wagner did more than carry his weight. Wagner intercepted Mountain Vista junior quarterback Austyn Modrzewski twice, including a pick in the nal minutes to seal the victory.

“It was just a blackout momentum. It was just so surreal,” Wagner said of his game-sealing interception with under 2 minutes to play in the fourth quarter. “When that ball went up in the air the only thing I was thinking about was that I was going to come down with it. I knew I had to do it for

my team so we could win this game.” e interception allowed the Mustangs to take a couple of knees to run out the clock and get the big Zero Week victory.

“Wagner made a great play,” Yannacito said of the senior defensive back’s second interception. “Our whole defense got after it the whole night and made him (Modrewski) get rid of the ball.”

Modrewski threw for over 3,000 yards and 34 touchdowns last year as the Golden Eagles scored doubledigits in every game last season.

Ralston Valley’s defense put pressure on the junior quarterback the whole night in holding Mountain Vista to just 7 points.

“Our defensive line is one of our strongest suits,” Ralston Valley senior

defensive lineman Jake Hu man said. “Our front-four and even our front-seven we know we can count on them.”

Mountain Vista drove inside Ralston Valley’s 10-yard on a pair of drives in the second half. Modrewski was sacked on back-to-back plays by Hu man and senior Tyrese Johnson that pushed the Golden Eagles from the 5-yard line to the 33-yard line to force a punt midway through the third quarter.

On another deep drive in the fourth quarter, Modrewski threw three straight incompletion from the Mustangs’ 7-yard line to turn the ball over on downs with 6 minutes to play.

“Honestly, we were ready for it all,” Wagner said of limiting Moun-

tain Vista to just the one score. “We planned for everything all week. We all did our jobs.”

Ralston Valley’s o ense couldn’t get much going in the second half.

e Mustangs drove inside the 10yard line early in the fourth quarter, but a fumbled hando gave the ball back to Mountain Vista.

A big pass play from Madden to senior Jackson Hansen gave the Mustangs the chance to put the game away, but an incomplete pass on a fourth-down play from Mountain Vista’s 7-yard line with under 2 minutes to play gave the ball back to the Golden Eagles.

“Our kicker (Beattie) was hurt,” Yannacito said about going for it on fourth down instead of kicking a short eld goal that would have given the Mustangs a 2-score lead with less than 2 minutes to play. “It was one of those situations where we didn’t have our kicker. We felt good about our o ense and good about our defense not letting them drive the distance.”

Wagner made sure Yannacito decision was the right one.

“After that last pick we were just freaking out,” Hu man said. “It was such a great game.”

Ralston Valley stays on the road next week to face No. 1 and four-time defending 5A state champion Cherry Creek. e Bruins will host the Mustangs at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25, at Stutler Bowl.

Ralston Valley has a bye week after facing Cherry Creek before nishing its non-league schedule gauntlet.

e Mustangs have home games at the North Area Athletic Complex against No. 6 Grandview, No. 5 Regis Jesuit and No. 2 Valor Christian over a three-week span in September.

Mountain Vista will get another good test against Heritage, ranked No. 9 in the 4A preseason rankings. e Eagles host the Golden Eagles on Friday, Aug. 25.

Dennis Pleuss is the sports information director for Je co Public Schools. For more Je co coverage, go to CHSAANow.com.

Ralston Valley junior Liam Beattie, left, makes a catch for a long gain with Mountain Vista sophomore Ja’pree Jennings on his back during the first quarter Friday, Aug. 18, at Halftime Help Stadium in Highlands Ranch. Ralston Valley pulled out a 13-7 road victory to start the Fall 2023 football season. PHOTO BY DENNIS PLEUSS/JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Boys soccer season opener at NAAC ends in draw

Standley Lake battles back from 1-goal deficits twice to tie Arvada West

BY DENNIS PLEUSS JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ARVADA — It was a game of new coaching faces and the implication of a new rule for the boys soccer season opener ursday night at the North Area Athletic Complex.

It was the heading coaching debut for Ben Gantenbein (Arvada West) and Stephan Tallman (Standley Lake) in the rst game of the season at the NAAC which is scheduled to host nearly 60 regularseason varsity games this Fall.

e non-league game between the Class 5A Je co League’s A-West and Class 4A Je co League’s Standley Lake ended in a 2-2 draw after 80 minutes of play. e new “no overtime” rule that went into e ect this season ended the game with both teams shaking hands after regulation-time expired.

“We defended a lot. I’m happy with the way we competed,” Tallman said. “I don’t think the result was fair for (Arvada West) to be honest.”

A-West controlled possession for the majority of the game and held a 1-0 lead at halftime. A corner kick from senior Anthony Benallo was volleyed into the back of the net by junior Matthew Pointer in the 17th minute of the rst half to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.

e Wildcats had 15 corner kicks, but could only capitalize on one. “I felt like since we had so many corners we didn’t have enough y-

ing bodies in the box to get a head on those balls,” Benallo said.

Standley Lake tied the game in the 63rd minute by converting on a direct free kick. Senior Wilson Poveda Jr. rocked the free kick that was initially saved by A-West sophomore goalie Finley Pfannenstiel, but Standley Lake junior Drake Terra was able to get his head on the rebound it put it past Pfannenstiel for the game-tying goal.

“When you give up opportunities around the goal on set pieces you need to be a little more disciplined,” Gantenbein said. “We started to possess and really go at them. We need to nished our chances and be a little more disciplined in the back. We’ll get there.”

A-West regained the lead in the 70th minute with a great run by senior Timothy Marette, who slipped a shot past Standley Lake sophomore goalie Travis Frederickson for a 2-1 lead.

However, Standley Lake responded again on a corner kick. Senior Dominic Bujanda was able to redirect the ball just over the goal line in the 73rd minute to tie the game again.

e tie was clearly a good result for the Gators after getting drubbed by the Wildcats a year ago.

“Last year they struggled a little bit,” Tallman said about taking over the Gators that went 3-11-1 last year, including a 10-1 loss to A-West in the season opener. “We just want them to believe that they can play and believe in themselves.”

It is a homecoming for Gantenbein, who graduated from A-West in 2002.

“It’s wonderful,” Gantenbein said of taking over at his alma mater. “My kids will go to school there. I

went to school there. It’s fun to be back.”

A-West missed out on the postseason last year with a 6-8-1 record that included a trio of 1-goal losses in conference play.

“By league I think we’ll have some real solid structure and be more comfortable in what we are asking the boys to do,” Gantenbein said. “We are bringing in some new stu and new ideas. It’s going to take a little bit of time for them to get used to it.”

e Wildcats have road games against underRidge and Denver North next week. A-West returns to NAAC on Aug. 31 to face defending 5A state champion Denver East. Standley Lake has a road game at Skyline on Aug. 22 next week before facing conference rival Evergreen in a non-league game Aug. 25 at NAAC.

Dennis Pleuss is the sports information director for Je co Public Schools. For more Je co coverage, go to CHSAANow.com.

Standley Lake junior Guerin Bird (15) tries to control the ball as Arvada West senior Matthew Magleby (21) closes in during the first half Thursday, Aug. 17, at the North Area Athletic Complex. The Gators and Wildcats settled for a 2-2 tie in the first game of the season at the NAAC.

PHOTO BY DENNIS PLEUSS/JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

College realignment means di erent things to ex-prep athletes

BY STEVE SMITH SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

e college athletic landscape is going to change in a year’s time.

Eight schools in the Paci c 12 Conference – including the University of Colorado-Boulder – are leaving for other league lineups.

e Big 10 Conference has 14 schools this year. e University of Colorado is leaving for the Big 12 Conference, which also has 14 member schools for this coming school year.

It also prompted some ex-area high-school athletes to discuss the realignment in general and travel issues in particular. As an example, the Big 10 Conference will stretch from coast to coast, with teams like the University of Southern California traveling all the way to Rutgers University in York.

Bryce Conover, former Frederick High School athlete, didn’t think travel would be too harsh.

“Flying saves tons of time,” he said. “ ere are thoughts about jet lag and stu of that sort. But then again, I don’t think travel will be an issue.”

Another former Frederick athlete, baseball player Chase Prestwich

(he also pitched at Brighton High School), said travel takes a toll.

“It’s just a lot more taxing on your body,” said Prestwich, who toils at Northwestern State University of Louisiana. His team had to travel to Oregon for a four-game series in March. “You usually don’t get there in time to adjust to altitude or time zone changes. To do longer trips like that, you may have to leave very early in the morning or at night, which can hurt your sleep a little bit. Which is important when you’re getting ready to face an opponent.”

Ashton Buckalew, who played football at Prairie View High School in Brighton and is starting his sophomore year at Ottawa University, said travel “does seem to be a di cult situation.”

“But I also believe that it does get the guys that are looking to play at the next level better prepared, as well as kind of a sneak peek at what the next level looks like,” he said.

Conover, who plays football at Western State Colorado University in Gunnison, had his share of travels this past season. e Mountaineers play an NCAA Division II

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schedule, and plane rides aren’t an option.

“I just put on my music and relax,” Conover said.

Like Conover, Prestwich said travel doesn’t bother him.

“Yeah it’s crazy. But thankfully, it doesn’t a ect me much,” he said. “But traveling more will denitely be an adjustment for some athletes. We went all the way to Oregon to play last year, and the trip wasn’t easy.”

Realignment thoughts

e college conference shake-up drew the attention of two Cherry Creek football players – both seniors – at the Colorado High School Activities Association media

day Aug. 14 at Emplower Field at Mile High.

“It’s a process,” said Hayden Treter. “To us, it’s a selling point. It’ll be time to play better teams.”

“It’s a good opportunity for us to learn,” added his teammate, Angelo Petrides.

Conover is not a fan.

“I hate realignment. I think it takes away the old traditions and rivalries,” he said. “All the moves may negatively a ect college football. But that’s for the future to decide.”

Buckalew approved of CU’s choice to return to the Big 12 Conference.

“It’s bene cial for CU putting them in a conference that will not only be a better t for the team but as well the potential CU had with stellar athletes and the big coaching change (Deion Sanders is the Bu s’ new boss),” Buckalew said.

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PUBLIC NOTICES

Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088

Legals City and County

PUBLIC NOTICE

The following ordinance was adopted by the City Council of the City of Arvada on second reading following the public hearing held on August 21, 2023:

Ordinance #4853 An Ordinance Repealing and Reenacting Sec. 1-5, General Penalty; Continuing Violations, of Chapter 1, General Provisions, of the Arvada City Code.

Legal Notice No. 416793

First Publication: August 24, 2023

Last Publication: August 24, 2023

Publisher: Jeffco Transcript

Public Notice

2023 Community Development Block Grant Application

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds are provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to

improve local communities by providing decent housing, improved infrastructure, public facilities, and services, and improved economic opportunities. Federal law requires that these housing and community development grant funds primarily benefit low- and moderate-income persons; funds may also be used for activities that help prevent or eliminate slums or blight; or for projects that meet urgent community needs.

Under the City's 2023 CDBG program application process, eligible entities are invited to submit applications for CDBG funding to carry out community development activities by December 31, 2023. The City of Arvada will use approximately $500,000 in CDBG funds for one or two projects during this application period.

The application period opens August 28, 2023 and closes September 15, 2023 at 5pm.

Applications are available on the City of Arvada’s Human Services and Community Development Block Grant webpage or at the Housing Preservation and Resources office at Annex Building 8001 Ralston Rd Arvada, CO 80002.

Applications are due by September 15, 2023, email application and attachments to nashmore@arvada.org.

Legal Notice No. 416792

First Publication: August 24, 2023

Last Publication: August 24, 2023

Publisher: Jeffco Transcript

Metropolitan Districts

Public Notice

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS §§ 1-13.5-501; 1-13.5-303, C.R.S.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, and, particularly, to the eligible electors of the Scenic Heights West Metropolitan District, City of Arvada, Jefferson County, Colorado (the “District”).

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an election will be held on November 7, 2023, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. At that time, two (2) directors will be elected to serve until May 2025 and three (3) directors will be elected to serve until May 2027. Eligible electors of the District interested in serving on the board of directors may obtain a Self-Nomination and Acceptance Form from the Designated Election Official (“DEO”) at 2154 E. Commons Ave., Suite 2000, Centennial, CO 80122 or via telephone at 303-858-1800, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The deadline to submit a Self-Nomination and Acceptance Form is the close of business (5:00 p.m.) on Friday, September 1, 2023. If the DEO determines a Self-Nomination and Acceptance

Form is not sufficient, the form may be amended prior to 5:00 p.m. on September 1, 2023. Earlier submittal is encouraged as the deadline will not permit curing of an insufficient form after this date and time. An Affidavit of Intent to be a Write-In Candidate must be submitted to the office of the DEO by the close of business (5:00 p.m.) on Tuesday, September 5, 2023.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that information on obtaining an absentee ballot may be obtained from the DEO, and applications for an absentee ballot must be filed with the DEO no later than the close of business (5:00 p.m.) on October 31, 2023.

SCENIC HEIGHTS WEST METROPOLITAN DISTRICT

By: Designated Election Official

Legal Notice No. 416790

First Publication: August 24, 2023

Last Publication: August 24, 2023

Publisher: Jeffco Transcript and the Arvada Press Bids and Settlements

Public Notice NOTICE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT

Notice is hereby given that disbursements in final settlement will be issued by the Finance Director at 10:00 a.m., September 5, 2023 to Diamond Contracting, Corp for work related to Project No. Stormwater sewer replacement SW corner 69th Ave and Indiana St, CSB #23-PW-028 Project #23-DR-01 and performed under that contract dated April 12, 2023 for the City of Arvada.

Any person, co-partnership, association of persons, company or corporation that furnished labor, material, drayage, sustenance, provisions or other supplies used or consumed by said contractor or his sub-contractors in or about the performance of the work contracted to be done by said Diamond Contracting, Corp and its claim has not been paid, may at any time on or prior to the hour of the date above stated, file with the Finance Director of the City of Arvada at City Hall, a verified statement of the amount due and unpaid on account of such claim.

Dated this August 14, 2023

CITY OF ARVADA

/s/ Kristen Rush, City Clerk

Legal Notice No. 416794

First Publication: August 24, 2023

Last Publication: August 24, 2023

Publisher: Jeffco Transcript ### Arvada

Cherry Creek’s Angelo Petrides speaks at the podium at CHSAA’s Media Day at Empower Field on Aug. 14. He said he is for college realignment.

Cherry Creek’s Hayden Treter speaks at the podium at CHSAA’s Media Day at Empower Field on Aug. 14. He is also for college realignment.

PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH