Arvada Press October 26, 2023

WEEK OF OCTOBER 26, 2023

VOLUME 19 | ISSUE 17

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CHECK OUT: SCHOOL OF CHOICE • SPECIAL PULLOUT INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Why Sell As Is?

1. The market is hot, and you still have the upper hand and get a premium price.

2. What can’t be sold as is? Safety items.

3. Should I fix up the house to get top dollar? No.The costs usually will outweigh the advantage.

4. What can I do inexpensively to make my house more popular. Edge the yard. Add brighter light bulbs.

Remove screens on unopened windows to allow 50% more light in.

5. But it needs work. Yes, but buyers either can do it or have family or friends who can.

Ed Tomlinson “Mr Real Estate” Ed Tomlinson Real Estate Services Metro Brokers edctomlinson@gmail.com

(303) 596-5555

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ELECTIONS: 8 | LIFE: 14 | CALENDAR: 17

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2 Arvada Press

October 26, 2023

Adams, Jeffco announce air quality monitoring effort EPA gives counties money to collect, share data with public

BY JANE REUTER JREUTER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

On a sunny day that a Northglenn air quality monitor rated “good,” federal, state, county and local officials stood outside the Northglenn Recreation Center to announce they’re expanding local air quality monitoring programs.

Adams and Jefferson counties

received $628,000 in Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants to add more monitors and make that data public.

Local leaders said it’s critical in an area that’s experiencing dramatic growth, more frequent wildfires and has a geography that creates pollutant-trapping temperature inversions during an Oct. 18 press conference. All of those factors have had consequences.

In April 2022, the EPA downgraded the northern Front Range from a “serious” to a “severe” violator of federal ozone standards. Heavy industrial users like Commerce City’s Suncor Oil

Refinery have repeatedly been cited for EPA violations, and earlier this month, the EPA reached a settlement with Suncor around some of those allegations.

EPA regional administrator KC Becker said the funds are aimed at helping areas most affected by pollutants.

“These grants reflect a renewed focus on environmental justice and helping communities that are often overburdened and underserved,” she said. “In practical terms, these grant projects are significantly enhancing the resolution we have on air quality in places like Commerce City,

Golden, Lakewood, Sheridan and other locations across the metro area.”

The monitors provide real-time pollutant measurements on public-facing web dashboards, including the Love My Air website.

The Love My Air network is also available as a smartphone app.

Data from the Love My Air network gives residents real-time access to information that can help them decide if it’s safe to exercise outside. For local governments, the data will help guide environmental policy and decisions.

SEE AIR QUALITY, P5

Arvadans inducted into Jeffco Historical Hall of Fame

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Arvada historians — and a local landmark — were honored at the annual Jefferson County Historical Commission Hall of Fame ceremony: the Arvada Historical Society won the Norm and Ethel Meyers Award for historic preservation; the Arvada Flour Mill was designated a Jefferson County Landmark; and Deborah Andrews, an architect specializing in historic work, was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The ceremony was hosted by the Arvada Elks at their Olde Town Lodge on Oct. 18. Arvada Mayor Marc Williams and city manager Lorie Gillis — along with 100 other attendees — attended.

The Historical Society was recognized for its work preserving Jefferson County historical sites and teaching history to locals and schoolchildren. The commission noted the society’s work to establish the Arvada History Museum, establishing the Olde Town Historical District and dedication of Gold Strike Park.

The Arvada Flour Mill — which has been on the National Registry of Historic Places since 1975 — was designated a Jefferson County landmark. The honor coincides

Historic architect Deborah Andrews (left) — an Arvada resident — was inducted into the commission’s Hall of COURTESY ARVADA HISTORICAL SOCIETY Fame.

with increased school tours and other activities to engage the public at the Flour Mill.

Andrews, the architect, owns the historic Al David Block in Olde Town Arvada and has overseen historic restoration projects in the area.

Andrews said she is planning to recruit an advisory board for the Arvada Flour Mill to further increase public engagement with the site.

Arvada Press 3

October 26, 2023 ADVERTISEMENT

The Way the Real Estate Marketplace Works Is Being Challenged. Here Are My Thoughts There’s a class action lawsuit being litigated this fall that challenges as unfair the “cooperation and compensation” model of America’s “multiple listing services” or MLSs. When I sign a listing agreement with a seller, I agree to market and sell their home for a set percentage of the ultimate purchase price. I also agree to enlist the help of 20,000-plus other real estate agents by putting their home on the MLS and offering to share my commission with any and every MLS member. It would be a disservice to my seller if I didn’t maximize the exposure of his/her home to the largest possible number of buyers, and that is only possible through the MLS, from which their listing would be uploaded to Zillow, Realtor.com, and to the websites of every established brokerage that belongs to our MLS. That’s how my listing of their home gets displayed on remax.com, redfin. com, coldwellbanker.com and, yes, goldenrealestate.com.

I know of no other industry in which salespersons agree to let the salespersons with whom they compete sell their product. The example I like to cite is automobile dealers, who hire salespersons on commission. Imagine you went to a Ford dealer and asked to see their pickup trucks. You want a red one, and the salesperson finds on his computer that there’s a red one at a nearby Chevy dealer. Off you go with the Ford salesperson to test drive the Chevy pickup, which you decide to purchase. The Ford salespersons writes the purchase contract, and the Chevy dealership agrees to

give the Ford salesperson half the commission that would otherwise have gone to their salesperson. It’s a win/win/win — both dealerships sell more cars, and it’s a better experience for the customer.

The three persons who brought the class action lawsuit against the National Association of Realtors, which sets the rules for MLSs that are owned by local Realtor associations, are former home sellers who say they shouldn’t have had to pay the buyer’s agents, but the fact is that they didn’t. Their agent said he’s sell the home for, say, 6%, and that’s what it cost the seller. On the settlement statement at closing, it showed that, say, 3% was paid to the listing agent and 3% was paid to the buyer’s agent. If the listing agent had sold the listing himself, it would have showed 6% to the listing agent (although some agents, including myself, reduce the commission when we don’t have to share it).

Some MLSs, including REcolorado, the Denver MLS, have made policy changes that respond to some of the criticisms. For example, NAR’s “compensation rule” states that each listing is required to offer a co-op percentage or dollar amount to fellow members of the MLS. To set the co-op at $1 was perfectly okay, but now our MLS is allowing us to enter $0. Big change? Not really. At Golden Real Estate, we have an office policy to offer not less than 2.5%, although I, as broker, can approve a lower percentage. The reason for the policy is simple: we want our listings to sell, and if we offer $1 or 1%, our listings would be less likely to sell.

Lakewood Publishes a Guide for Hard-to-Recycle Items I recently discovered an amazingly comprehensive list of where you can take hard-to-recycle items — Lakewood’s website, www.lakewood.org. I will publish the long and complex link to that 6-page PDF on my Substack.com version of this article.

Here are some of the surprising items that you can recycle: Air conditioners, ammunition, art & art supplies, asphalt, baby gear, bike tires and tubes, bubble wrap, carpet and pads, clothing, concrete, contact lenses, flooring, windows, hearing aids, insulation, lumber, mattresses and box springs, motor oil, packing peanuts, shredded paper, pianos, plastic plant pots, vinyl records, solar panels, toilets, toothpaste tubes and floss containers, VHS cassettes, and corrugated plastic yard signs. Wow! The website suggests that if you have items to give away that are in good con-

dition, visit www.freecycle.org.

Since it’s a Lakewood website, it doesn’t mention a few places I recommend. For example, the Golden Optimists have an excellent “bicycle recycle program.” You can drop off your unwanted bicycles (and accessories) on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1-5 pm, at their shop, 1200 Johnson Road, Golden.

Or visit www.GoldenOptimist.org. Repaired bicycles are then provided to anyone who needs one through various charities and schools. In 2019, they delivered 34 bicycles to the Navajo Nation in Arizona and stayed a couple days to repair bicycles for local people.

For recycling unwanted eye glasses, most optometrist businesses have collection boxes from the local Lions Club.

They repair glasses for donation to the needy, including in third-world countries.

There’s one company, Trelora, whose original business model was to offer a flat $3,000 commission regardless of price, although some sellers would ask to offer 2.8% because they thought their home would sell faster. I was on the receiving end of a 3% commission on Trelora listing, because that seller really wanted to sell their home quickly. On another Trelora listing, the listing agent actually invited one of my broker associates to put in the purchase contract an additional provision stating that the seller would pay 2.8% co-op commission.

And it worked. Since then, Trelora has dropped its low-co-op commission policy.

Much is being made at the trial (which is going on now) about how some brokerages train their agents to handle commission objections. When I was at Coldwell Banker in 2002-2003, I got some of that training. We were told ways to counter sellers’ requests to lower our commission. I’m sure commission-based salespersons in any business are told how to do that. I’m a softer touch myself and, more importantly, we at Golden Real Estate have “value adds” that we can use to justify our commissions, which are typically lower than our competitors’.

For example, as I wrote above, I reduce my commission if I find a buyer and don’t have to share my commission.

That happens more at Golden Real Estate than it does at other brokerages because we provide greater exposure of our listings (such as in this ad) to buyers who may not have been looking to buy a home until they saw one we featured

I’m Now Publishing on Substack

Everything you read in this ad each week — and more — is published at http://RealEstateToday.Substack.com.

That platform, which comes to you via email, allows me to include clickable links in each article and frees me from the constraints of page size. You can subscribe, so it comes to you automatically each Wednesday. I also write a political column you might like. Find it at http://JimSmith145.Substack.com.

and therefore don’t yet have a buyer’s agent.

We also have a free moving truck, and when I earn two commissions from a client by selling their home and earning a commission on their replacement home, I provide totally free local moving, including labor, moving boxes and packing materials.

Our narrated video tours with drone footage are hosted on YouTube and linked to the MLS listing plus the website we create for each listing, further increasing exposure. The more exposure, the more showings, and hopefully more offers. As a result, the ratio of sold price to listing price is consistently higher for our listings than for the listings of other brokerages.

I also have a policy of charging a lower commission for million-dollar listings. I think that’s only fair. Every buyer should know that commissions are negotiable — and that it’s a violation of law and the Realtor Code of Ethics to say otherwise to a potential client.

The bottom line, then, is that, as I see it, the “cooperation and compensation” model of all MLSs is fair when looked at in the right light. It’s what allows for a robust and effective real estate market.

EVs Are Now Less Expensive Than Gas-Powered Vehicles

It has long been true that in the long run electric vehicles are less expensive if you factor in fueling costs, oil changes and long-term maintenance/repairs.

But now, thanks to federal and state rebates, the new (and used) cost of EVs is lower. Take for example, this breakdown on the purchase of a brand-new Chevy Bolt (if you can find one): Sticker Price $26,500 Federal Incentive -$7,500 Colorado Incentive -$5,000 Additional Colorado Incentive for cars under $35k sticker price -$2,500 Vehicle Exchange Program* -$6,000 Purchase price - $5,500 *Explanation and special requirements for this and other incentives is spelled out in my Substack posting of this article.

Jim Smith

Congratulations to Chuck Brown, Our Third Quarter Top Producer

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

4 Arvada Press

October 26, 2023

Another big hike coming in Arvada water rates

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

For the second straight year, Arvadans will see their water bills rise. City council approved a 12% increase to rates along with a $4 increase to bimonthly service fees, adding about a $81 per year increase for single family homes.

The rate increase, approved by the council on Oct. 16, will take effect in 2024.

As detailed last year, the city is raising fees so that it can update its aging water system.

Arvada has two water treatment plants: the Ralston Water Treatment Plant, built in the 1960s, and

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the Arvada Water Treatment Plant, built in the 1980s. Both plants have aging parts and other infrastructure that negatively impacts their efficiency and effectiveness and require repairs, Director of Utilities Sharon Israel said.

“A lot of (the fees) are going towards repairing and replacing our existing system so we can continue to provide that high-quality water service,” Israel said. “Since last year, we have made progress at the Ralston plant and we’ve been able to rebuild some of our filters.

“We’ve also done a lot of work on sewer lines this year and water line replacement,” Israel added. “We’re doing some long-term forecasting for a new water treatment plant.

We’re making good progress, but there is still a lot to do.”

Israel said reinvestment into the plants is a “priority,” and said replacing some of the original parts in the 40-to-60-year-old plants was vital to keeping the plants operational.

Another driver of the fee increase was a separate rate established for the city by Denver Water, which supplies about 75% of Arvada’s water.

Arvada’s is helping to fund the Gross Reservoir expansion project, covering 1/6th of the cost.

Israel said the city’s investment in the reservoir expansion will provide enough water to support Arvada’s growing population in the coming years.

“W “We’re in a great position with water supply here in the city, and because we’re making that contribution to the capital project at Gross Reservoir, we wanted to make sure that Arvada was paying a fair price compared to Denver Water customers who are not making that capital contribution,” Israel said.

“We worked closely with Denver Water this year to make sure that we were paying a fair price, and it’s actually slightly lower than what the other raw water customers will be paying.”

Last year’s rate increase put Arvada’s rates slightly above Broomfield and Denver in-city rates, but below Westminster, Boulder, Thornton, Golden, Aurora, Littleton, Lakewood and Lafayette.

With the increase this year, Arvada is roughly in the middle of that pack, with rates that are now higher than Westminster and Boulder but below the rest of the aforementioned list.

“We’re still very much right in the middle,” Israel said. “We want to make sure that we’re charging the lowest practical rates that we can.

And, we’re still very competitive compared to everyone else.”

Israel said any residents struggling to pay their bills should reach out to utilities, which offers grants and other financial assistance. In the last year, the department helped 141 households in the city get fed-

Filter repair work continues at the Ralston Water Treatment Plant, which along with the Arvada Water Treatment Plant, is in dire need of repairs.

COURTESY ARVADA UTILITIES

eral grant assistance.

For more information, contact Utility Billing at 720-898-7070 or utiladmin@arvada.org.

2023 Annual Craft Fair Saturday, November 4, 9 am - 3 pm Community Recreation Center

6842 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada, 303.425.9583 Admission $2 or free with donation of new school supplies.

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Arvada Press 5

October 26, 2023

AIR QUALITY FROM PAGE 2

Adams County got a $403,000 EPA grant to expand its community air monitoring network across Adams and Arapahoe counties. The sensors measure fine particulate matter (PM2.5), particles 2.5 micrometers or smaller — 30 times smaller than a strand of hair. Exposure to unhealthy levels of PM2.5 is linked to premature mortality, heart disease and asthma.

Jefferson County got $225,000 to install similar monitoring equipment in several of its underserved communities.

The county grants were among nearly $3 million the EPA gave to communities and nonprofits statewide for developing real-

time air pollutant information in underserved neighborhoods.

Northglenn already has two air quality monitoring stations that measure PM2.5, one at the recreation center and a second at Northwest Open Space. Data from those sensors is live on Love My Air. “This allows residents realtime information about air quality particulate matter, right where they live,” said Mayor Meredith Leighty. “We recognize that air quality impacts everyone’s quality of life. This includes our ability to enjoy time outside, and both our short- and long-term health.”

The grant money is part of the EPA’s Inflation Reduction Act funds, intended to help local health officials develop data on air pollutants in their neighbor- Jefferson County Commissioner Andy Kerr speaks during an Oct. 18 press conference in hoods.

JANE REUTER Northglenn about grants to expand air quality monitoring.

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6 Arvada Press

October 26, 2023

Arvada mayoral debate highlights views of Simpson and Marriott

BY LILLIAN FUGLEI SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

With Election Day just weeks away, Arvada’s mayoral candidates recently gathered at the Elks Lodge in Olde Town to answer questions submitted by local voters.

The two candidates, Lauren Simpson and John Marriott, answered many questions in front of an audience of about 200 people. The Arvada Elks’ forum, held Oct. 17, was the only event of the campaign season to focus solely on the mayoral candidates.

Arvada Press Community Editor Rylee Dunn and La Dolce Vita Coffee Shop owner Debbie Hansen, an Elks member, took turns asking questions about pressing community issues, including housing, infrastructure, homelessness, public safety and the role of the mayor.

Infrastructure

Residents — particularly in Leyden

Rock — have voiced concerns about evacuation routes in the event of a Marshall Fire-type catastrophe. Candidates addressed those concerns which emanate especially from the west side of Arvada.

Both candidates mentioned the possibility of constructing new roads to ensure options, should evacuations be necessary during a wildfire.

Marriott said he would defer to the Arvada Fire Department when making plans, while Simpson noted the importance of evacuation planning to also include flooding and landslide events.

The conversation then turned to the completion of Jefferson Parkway — a project that has been stalled since 2020, when Broomfield’s government pulled out of the project.

In 2022, Arvada sued Broomfield for leaving the project.

“What I support is transportation improvements in the northwest quadrant of Arvada,” Marriott said.

“Jefferson Parkway in its current alignment is one possibility (for improving transportation). A different alignment is another possibility.”

At a previous candidate forum, Marriott faced pushback from the crowd when he expressed support for Jefferson Parkway. The crowd at the Elks forum seemed more sympathetic to the suggestion, responding to Marriott’s statement with applause.

Simpson, on the other hand, said she did not support the project.

“The fact of the matter is Broomfield pulled out four years ago and we are no further along than we were four years ago with making any progress on this,” Simpson said. “Realistically, I do not see a logical path forward for making this project happen.”

Mayoral responsibilities

Questions turned to what candidates believe the mayor’s role is on council, starting with a discussion of how the candidates — who are both

sitting city council members — had demonstrated leadership in the past, and how that experience prepares them should they be elected as mayor.

Simpson noted that her experience working in the field of international diplomacy had prepared her to facilitate dialogue through disagreements.

“I work with people from all sides of the aisle,” Simpson said. “I know how to listen, I know how to collaborate, and I know how to find solutions that bring together diverse ideals.”

Marriott — who owns Larson’s Ski and Sport in Wheat Ridge — said his work in entrepreneurship prepared him for the mayoral role, because it often involves working with others.

“I started getting prepared to be the mayor 40 years ago when I opened the business and needed to manage my employees,” Marriott said.

Candidates also addressed what SEE DEBATE, P7

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Arvada Press 7

October 26, 2023

A publication of

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

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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RYLEE DUNN Community Editor

Arvada Mayoral Candidates John Marriott (left) and Lauren Simpson (right) stumped at the Arvada Elks Mayoral Debate; the only stop PHOTO BY LILLIAN FUGLEI on the campaign trail designated strictly for those vying for the mayor’s seat.

DEBATE FROM PAGE 6

they believed would be the most difficult aspect of their job if elected.

Marriott said that the most difficult aspect of the mayoral role is managing a group of people with different opinions.

“The mayor’s No. 1 job is to help the group work together to come to good decisions, to be a functional group in spite of their very broad differences on certain issues,” he said. “I think that will be the biggest challenge.”

Simpson’s answer differed. She pointed to controversial decisions by the council, such as those surrounding trash hauling, as the most difficult part of the job.

“You know you’re representing a majority,” she said. “You know you’re listening, and you’re taking the hard vote. It doesn’t make it any easier when people look at you and they’re angry and they feel betrayed by you.”

Homelessness A discussion by the candidates on the issue of homelessness started with the relocation of Mission Arvada, a homeless ministry run within The Rising Church in Olde Town. Both candidates expressed support for moving Mission Arvada out of Olde Town.

Simpson said that while she believed Mission Arvada was doing good work, that work was not well suited for Olde Town.

“This is not an appropriate location,” she said. “We are seeing the outcomes of that, as people frankly run head to head with one another. We’ve had business owners have their businesses vandalized, we’ve had residents be chased on the streets.”

Marriott agreed, noting that while the church — The Rising — should be welcome in Olde Town, Mission Arvada would be better suited to a new location.

“I believe they’re trying to do good, but they’re doing it in the wrong spot,” he said. “All you have to do is look around and talk to any Olde Town business about the conflicts that they get every single day.”

Candidates then spoke about addressing homelessness within Arvada, specifically for unhoused Arvadans experiencing mental illness or struggling with substance abuse, who may face barriers accessing help.

Marriott emphasized that it was not the city’s role to address homelessness, but rather Jefferson County’s responsibility.

“The mayor needs to lead and insist that Jefferson County perform their duty,” Marriott said. “ I will be regionally working all the time on our behalf to try to solve (homelessness).”

Simpson spoke from a personal understanding — with an unhoused family member who experienced mental health issues — saying that the system needed to be easier to navigate.

“We need to make the system easier to navigate,” she said. “We need to be able to provide the resources so that people

like you, people like me, can access those for their loved ones; to get people into treatment that they need.”

Public safety

Candidates discussed crime in Arvada, specifically addressing how they would make residents feel safer.

Both candidates view crime as a regional issue.

Simpson said she wanted to collaborate on ways to address crime through the Denver Regional Council of Governments.

“We have criminals hopping in and out because we have eight or nine different jurisdictions that intersect,” she said of the local governments that make up the metro area. “We need to be increasing our police presence and fostering cooperation to improve safety for all residents.”

Marriott pointed to personal experiences as a victim of an auto crime in Arvada and said he believed harsher punishments are needed to send a message to criminals.

“The mayor’s job should be to interact with the state legislature,” he said, “to apply pressure to make sure our point of view is heard to make sure that the state and the county in the 1st Judicial District take action to address these problems.”

Mail ballots went out on Oct. 16 for the municipal election, which is set for Nov. 7. While Simpson and Marriott vie for the mayor’s seat, others are seeking places on city council and will contest the District 2, District 4 and At Large seats.

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8 Arvada Press

October 26, 2023

Arvada Mayor Election Questionnaire: John Marriott What in your background makes you qualified for office?

I grew up in Arvada, went to Sierra Elementary school, Oberon Jr. High, and graduated from Pomona High School, and have been a resident ever since. When I was in college, I purchased a small retail ski shop, Larson’s Ski and Sport, which I have owned and operated now for 40 years, providing jobs, and serving customers all over Arvada and surrounding areas. Additionally, I have owned and managed my own residential and commercial real-estate portfolio, as well as several other successful Entrepreneural ventures. These activities have given me a

great number of skills and experience to bring to the job of Mayor. I have served on the Arvada City Council since 2013, served as Mayor Pro-Tem, and represented the city on numerous other boards and commissions. All of this is a good foundation to serve as Mayor, however the demands of the position require that the mayor have the time and schedule flexibility to perform what is a nearly full-time job.

My team at Larson’s Ski and Sport is performing at a very high level giving me the ability to fully serve the Arvada community, I will be able to dedicate all of the time and energy necessary to do the job as Mayor.

Lauren Simpson What in your background makes you qualified for office?

In my four years on City Council, I have prided myself on being responsive and available. My proudest moments in this job have been when I’ve helped make a resident’s everyday life just a little better, and I would not change my approach as Mayor. I have been deeply involved in this community for years, from the Elks and Kiwanis to being a proud dance mom for my daughter. I also serve on the board of directors for the Arvada Visitors Center and the Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities.

Additionally, my professional work for many years has been focused in the field of diplomacy. I first ran for office because I deplore the toxic nature of politics, and I thought I could use my skills and training to bring people together in my own community. I believe that I have successfully demonstrated that I can do that, and that is a one of the most important functions of the role of Mayor. I will lead by listening, respecting and collaborating with each of my Council colleagues as well as community partners to deliver solutions for our people

I have leveraged my 29 years of management experience from the telecommunications, IT and transportation industries to provide thought leadership on Arvada City Council for the last 12 years as an At-

Large Arvada City Councilmember.

My engagement in local, regional, and national committees has helped me bring new and innovative perspectives to the City Council and leadership. I also have a successful track record advocating in regional and national committees on matters

that impact our community. Lastly, living in west Arvada for the last 4 years, I have gained a unique perspective on Metro Districts and their challenges, the need for improved transportation infrastructure/capacity and wildland fire planning and resiliency.

S

This year, Arvada voters will elect a new mayor and city council members. On city council, the At Large, District 2 and District 4 seats are up for election. The Arvada Press sent out questions to all of the candidates to help readers make an informed vote.

Election Day is Nov. 7.

To see the full election guide, go to coloradocommunitymedia.com/2023/10/16/arvada2023-election-guide/ Mayor John Marriott Lauren Simpson At Large Sharon Davis Kathleen Kennedy – did not respond by deadline Bob Loveridge District 2 Shawna Ambrose Michael Griffith

Arvada City Council Election Questionnaire: SEE P9 FOR MORE Bob Fifer, District 4 What in your background makes you qualified for office?

ARVADA 2023 ELECTION GUIDE

District 4 Jessica Fenske Bob Fifer

B

Arvada Press 9

October 26, 2023

Shawna Ambrose, District 2 What in your background makes you qualified for office?

I started my public service in the military and continue it through my work in non-profits and their boards.

The primary job of being a City Council member is making, enacting, and reforming policy, and I have decades of experience in policy governance.

As a union leader, I understand how to best work with companies while ensuring the working class can have a safe and financially stable life. I have extensive experiences in working with municipalities on a wide range of issues to benefit citizens such as climate preparedness, wildfire response, protections for domestic violence survivors, racial equity in education, immigration reform, language justice, voter protection, and more. Repre-

senting citizens is more than overseeing development projects – it’s ensuring public safety and supporting your police force; communicating with citizens so they can make informed choices and trust their government is transparent; guiding the city to diversify its income streams; keeping up with infrastructure improvements and finding sources of funding without raising taxes or fees; thinking long range about the city’s future. For example, our schools are closing due to low enrollment. At the same time, seniors can’t afford to move locally into homes that they feel safe in. One solution is to build a 55+ active community to move existing housing supply.

Yet Arvada keeps adding unaffordable luxury apartments and million dollar single family homes. It exceeds

ARVADA 2023 ELECTION GUIDE This year, Arvada voters will elect a new mayor and city council members. On city council, the At Large, District 2 and District 4 seats are up for election. The Arvada Press sent out questions to all of the candidates to help readers make an informed vote.

Election Day is Nov. 7.

To see the full election guide, go to coloradocommunitymedia.com/2023/10/16/arvada2023-election-guide/ Mayor John Marriott Lauren Simpson

our city’s capacity, making infrastructure problems worse. We need leaders that can see these problems and actually deliver solutions.

At Large Sharon Davis Kathleen Kennedy – did not respond by deadline Bob Loveridge

Bob Loveridge, At Large

District 2 Shawna Ambrose Michael Griffith

What in your background makes you qualified for office?

District 4 Jessica Fenske Bob Fifer

Being a Native of Arvada, a City which I love, and I been in elected positions for the last 25 years including the Apex Park and Recreation and Arvada Fire Districts plus many other community involvements including Boards and commissions.

I have been President of most organizations I have been involved with. The schools I have taken large roles in the opportunities to help make schools better and enjoyable.

My business has been located here

which I opened a year out of High School. I have grown increasingly concerned about the direction we are headed with City Council recent years. The time has come that I have felt the need to step up to City Council with my experience and leadership which I have demonstrated though out my lifetime. It is enjoyable to help find solutions to problems through these many years that have benefitted this great city. My finger prints are on many projects and organizations that are enjoyed by all.

Jessica Fenske, District 4 What in your background makes you qualified for office?

Never having been in politics before or working in a government capacity is my biggest qualifier. I will bring a fresh citizen level understanding to the council with no intention of using the government to benefit myself. I Have a background

in full charge bookkeeping to senior care to having my real estate license.

I have never gotten into debt or spent money that I don’t have or that isn’t mine and I will treat taxpayer funds similarly. I intend to slowly look over as much as I can to make sure there are no redundancies or wasteful projects or backroom deals.

10 Arvada Press

October 26, 2023

Michael Griffith, District 2 What in your background makes you qualified for office?

Over the past decade, I have dedicated my time to serving the community of Arvada through my active involvement on various boards and commissions.

This consistent commitment sets me apart as a candidate who has continuously worked towards the betterment of our city. I am a LEED Accredited Professional who specializes in the design and implementation of sustainable development and infrastructure investment. My

experience in delivering real projects that have a positive impact on the planet and people’s lives is something City Council has never had and is needed to ensure future land use decisions are well-informed. As an example, I was the project manager for the Sloans Lake Redevelopment, which was the highestscoring LEED ND Gold project in the State and provided a number of other benefits to nearby residents and attracts visitors from the Metro Area with the Alamo Draft house. The project

also was a pilot for new green infrastructure details that have since become standard practice for many Front Range Cities. As a Planning Commissioner and licensed Landscape Architect I have advocated for more trees, waterwise landscaping, reduced pavement, and increased urban permeability to mitigate heat island, poor runoff quality, and thermal comfort. My experience in land use and zone decisions is unmatched within the field and will be a historic asset to Council and the City.

Sharon Davis, At Large What in your background makes you qualified for office?

I have spent over 20 years of my career in public service, working for the cities of Aurora, Federal Heights, City and County of Denver, and Metro Water Recovery (formerly Metro Wastewater Reclamation District). Understanding and respecting the framework of local governments is the strength that I will bring to Arvada City Council. I have spent my career in occupations that benefit state and local communities – from environmental health and safety and environmental compliance, to workplace safety

and water quality compliance at an electric power generation station. I have served the metroarea community in ways that support and improve the overall environment and health of the front range communities.

As the Safety and Health Administrator at the City of Denver, I was directly involved with the city’s emergency management office, housing stability, and public works. I developed and implemented safety directives to assure the city operated in a manner to assure the safety of the employees and the public. This role provided me with

insight into government operations during normal operations and emergencies, such as the pandemic. From government shut down to homelessness, I was able to directly contribute to the success of the city.

Since 2004, I have served on several Council-appointed committees providing valuable public input and aid in implementing visions in the City’s Strategic and Master Plans. Serving on these committees has allowed me to work directly with city staff, other special districts, and the community.

ARVADA 2023 ELECTION GUIDE This year, Arvada voters will elect a new mayor and city council members. On city council, the At Large, District 2 and District 4 seats are up for election. The Arvada Press sent out questions to all of the candidates to help readers make an informed vote. Election Day is Nov. 7.

To see the full election guide, go to coloradocommunitymedia.com/2023/10/16/arvada-2023-electionguide/

Mayor John Marriott Lauren Simpson

District 2 Shawna Ambrose Michael Griffith

At Large Sharon Davis Kathleen Kennedy – did not respond by deadline Bob Loveridge

District 4 Jessica Fenske Bob Fifer

Arvada Press 11

October 26, 2023

Jeffco School Board Election Questionnaire:

JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION 2023 ELECTION GUIDE

Michelle Applegate, District 3 What in your background makes you qualified for office?

I have the breadth and depth of experience, in both a personal and professional capacity, that uniquely qualifies me to serve on the Jeffco School Board. I am a mom of three in the district, ranging from preschool to high school. My oldest is my stepson, and I have the good fortune of becoming close friends with his mom who is a Kindergarten teacher at a Jeffco Title I school.

Through her I have learned much about what teachers experience in the classroom today. I have been volunteering in our Jeffco schools for over a decade with a combined 6 years as PTA president at both Title I and non-Title I elementary schools.

My career in engineering and public policy, as well as my current role as co-chair of a policy governance

Two of the five seats on the Jefferson County Board of Education are up for election. Colorado Community Media sent out questions to the candidates to help readers make an informed vote. Election Day is Nov. 7.

To view the full election guide, visit coloradocommunitymedia. com/2023/10/16/jeffersoncounty-board-of-education2023-election-guide/

board, has given me the experienced leadership to bring stakeholders to the table, build collaboration, and manage large budgets. Above all, I am a passionate advocate for public education, and I am excited for the opportunity to serve my community on the Jeffco school board.

In addition to closing schools to accommodate declining enrollments in Jefferson County, what other measures do you propose to improve students’ learning experiences while saving money?

We have to get creative. Let’s replicate what is working well across the district and standardize where we can to minimize cost and maximize opportunities to learn from each other. We should consider community partnerships, grant opportunities through community

foundations that can support STEM Labs, technology, additional programming, support for our educators, and enrichment activities. We must ensure strong, thriving public schools across our county, and by keeping a focus on high-quality resources for all core content, as well as hiring and retaining highquality educators, we set a foundation that allows us to seek out those creative funding sources.

District 3 Michelle Applegate Thomas Wicke District 4 Amara Hildebrand – did not respond by deadline Erin Kenworthy Joel Newton

Thomas Wicke, District 3 What in your background makes you qualified for office?

I have strong roots in the Jeffco school community. My family moved to Jefferson County eight years ago and lives and breathes education. My wife Laurel has been a proud and award-winning Jeffco Public Schools educator for many years. Two of my children are Jeffco graduates, and my third child is a current Jeffco student.

As an educator, husband of an educator and father to 3 inquisitive kids, I have been actively involved in our schools – volunteering and leveraging my experience and expertise to support education and advocate for the academic welfare of all students. I am proud to serve as a campus president of Concorde Career College. As president, I’ve consistently achieved high job placement rates over 90% annually for the college’s healthcare program in a highly impacted

community. I bring deep practical experience with demonstrated results in turning several failing institutions around. In doing so, I’ve built experienced, highly competent and collaborative teams, which are essential to foster a healthy, thriving culture. I will champion our children, families, teachers and staff. I want to give our children the hope, the skills and the confidence to achieve their dreams, and give our educators the tools they need to make those dreams reality!

In addition to closing schools to accommodate declining enrollments in Jefferson County, what other measures do you propose to improve students’ learning experiences while saving money?

To be successful in improving our student’s learning experiences, we should increase classroom and administrative assistance for

teachers. I’ve heard from many educators who are frustrated by the lack of support they receive for discipline and duties outside of their core instructional responsibilities.

We need to actively involve families and empower them to participate in their children’s education.

We should be creating consistency across curricula, instructional materials, and teacher professional development. Lastly, we need to implement intensive tutoring and other interventions for students at the first sign of struggles and provide support for mental health issues adversely affecting learning.

We need to provide our students with the education and skills to achieve their own goals, and utilize funds entrusted to us by taxpayers judiciously. Our budget should be scrutinized to meet those requirements. Jeffco has a general fund budget deficit of $7.1 million in 2024, $20 million

in 2025 and $38.8 million in 2026.

This is unsustainable and damages public trust. We need to accelerate improvements in the district’s financial management processes and systems to make transparent linkages between activities, costs, and outcomes for our children.

We must prioritize funding for efforts with the greatest impact on student outcomes and eliminate expenses where programs have demonstrated unsuccessful in improving results.

12 Arvada Press

October 26, 2023

Erin Kenworthy, District 4 What in your background makes you qualified for office?

I have a degree in Secondary Social Studies Education from the University of Maryland. with over 18 years of experience in public schools and community focused non-profits. Currently I’m in my fourth year on school and district accountability committees in Jefferson County and have served for 7 years as an ex officio board member as part of my current professional work responsibilities. I am a parent to two Jefferson county students, with 6 years in the Jefferson County School community and 11 years remaining until my youngest graduates from high school. I have invested significant time and energy into supporting our Jeffco Public Schools schools and students and am ready to continue my service as a member of the Jeffco school board.

In addition to closing schools to accommodate declining enrollments in Jefferson County, what other measures do you propose to improve students’ learning experiences while saving money?

To increase the efficiency of the taxpayer dollars that are allocated from the state to fund our schools, I would advocate for the responsible and efficient use of technology, support sites and applications to gather and disseminate information. I believe that we can increase utilization of community partnerships for immersive learning experiences. We can focus on reducing costs associated with teacher turnover by attracting and retaining the highly qualified teachers we need and have in our district already. I’d advocate in favor of funding special education resources to avoid legal costs associated with not meeting legal requirements in individualized education plans.

Joel Newton, District 4 What in your background makes you qualified for office?

I am a father to a Jeffco Public Schools graduate and a current senior at Wheat Ridge High School.

Our oldest daughter graduated from Jefferson Junior/Senior High School in the spring and started college this fall. We have lived in Jefferson County for eighteen years. My wife Hillary started her education career as a paraprofessional at Lumberg Elementary and now is a preschool director in Littleton.

I have served on the Lumberg Elementary PTA, Jefferson Jr/Sr High School Accountability Committee (SAC), Jeffco Public Schools District Accountability Committee (DAC), and Gifted Education State Advisory Committee. I currently sit on the Colorado Department of Education School Transportation Task Force.

I serve as the Executive Director of Edgewater Collective for the last ten years. Edgewater Collective is

a local nonprofit that is focused on supporting Title I schools in the Edgewater area and co-creating economic opportunities for Latino families in east central Jefferson County.

In addition to closing schools to accommodate declining enrollments in Jefferson County, what other measures do you propose to improve students’ learning experiences while saving money?

School funding is complex, yet we need to take a hard look at how the funds currently spent are actually improving the learning experiences of students. With declining enrollment, we need to ensure that funds are improving the student and educator experience. As a school board, it is our role to ask tough questions of district leadership on school funding and budgeting, so students and educators have what they need to succeed.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Yes on HH for Property Tax Relief

Voters all across our state will get the chance to decide on Proposition HH - a cost-saving measure that will provide immediate property tax relief while protecting funding for schools, fire districts, water districts, and local governments. Colorado is experiencing one of the sharpest increases in property taxes in history because of growing home values. If we don’t act, this tax increase could devastate many hardworking families, seniors, renters, and businesses. Prop HH is the only way we can stop this crisis from happening.

Prop HH is a responsible solution that would save the average homeowner over $1,000 over the next two years AND protect funding for our

schools, fire districts, and libraries.

That’s why respected organizations like AARP Colorado, Colorado Education Association, Colorado Professional Fire Fighters, and the League of Women Voters of Colorado have all come out in support of Proposition HH. Prop HH reduces property tax assessments, makes the Senior Homestead Exemption portable so that seniors don’t have to worry about sacrificing their benefits if they move, provides $20 million in rental assistance every year, and caps future property tax increases. And a married couple making under $198,000 or an individual making under $99,000 will receive a larger TABOR refund in 2023 if Prop HH

passes while still receiving billions of dollars in refunds in future years.

Colorado has the opportunity to pass responsible property tax relief that saves hardworking Coloradans money and maintains funding for our local services. Don’t listen to the far right special interest groups opposing HH, they only want to protect tax breaks for the wealthy.

We cannot afford a 40% increase in property taxes while too many in our state are struggling. Please join me in voting YES on Proposition HH. Tom Coogan, Arvada A new hope in District 2

My wife, Mary, and I have been residents of District 2 in Arvada since the late 1970s. Over the years, we

have witnessed numerous changes in our community. What used to be dirt roads are now paved, and the constant development, rising taxes, and increasing housing costs have left us feeling somewhat neglected by the City and our elected officials.

It seems that the citizens of Arvada have often been deceived into voting for council members who prioritize their own interests rather than those of our great city. However, despite these challenges, Mary and I maintain a sense of optimism because there are young individuals like Mike Griffith and his growing family who are actively working to improve our local government.

SEE LETTERS, P15

Arvada Press 13

October 26, 2023

OBITUARIES DODICH

Nicholas Anthony Dodich

BARBARICK

September 17, 1930 - October 5, 2023

Nicholas Anthony Dodich, 93, passed away at his home in Arvada, Colorado, on October 5, 2023.

He was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin, to Anthony and Victoria (Palich) Dodich. He graduated from Carroll College in Waukesha in 1953 with a degree in biology. Following college, he served in the U.S. Army as a medical technician at Brooke Army Medical Hospital.

Throughout his career Nick secured numerous patents for life-enhancing and life-saving developments as a researcher at multiple universities, including the Department of Anatomy at the UCLA Medical Center and the University of Gottingen in Gottingen, Germany.

Developments included an artificial artery prothesis, an artificial heart valve, an extracorporeal blood pump and artificial heart machines. His other patents included an ophthalmic instrument for removing vitreous and fibrous bands from the retina and replacing them with saline, which has saved the eyesight of millions of patients around the world.

Nick independently developed and constructed an eclectic assortment of products reflecting his tremendous engineering acumen, including a new OLSON

airframe design for helicopters, a gas turbine (jet) engine, fully automatic weapons, and a vacuum operated respirator for infants and small animals.

He was a seasoned traveler and an accomplished writer, having authored articles for Soldier of Fortune related to the civil war in the Balkans.

Throughout his life, Nick was a proud supporter of military veterans, including through his membership in the American Legion and the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor Memorial Society, as well as support for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Matching his many professional accomplishments was Nick’s outgoing nature and his contagious enthusiasm for life, reflected in the positive impact he had on family and countless friends around the globe.

He was predeceased by his parents, brother Joseph and sister Antonia.

He is survived by Robin (Bettes) Dodich, his loving wife of 46 years, his sister Mary Dodich of Waukesha, and numerous nephews and nieces.

Please visit www.HoranCares.com to share condolences with the family.

Celeste Veronica (Dunn) Olson June 1, 1953 - October 12, 2023

At 70 years young, Celeste Olson lost her battle with pulmonary fibrosis on October 12th, 2023. Originally from Arvada, she had been living in Idaho for the last few years to be near her grandchildren.

Celeste was a graduate of Bishop Machebeuf Catholic High School Class of 1971, and completed her nursing studies at Loretto Heights College in Denver.

She spent 43 years as a Registered Nurse working at St. Anthony’s in medical-surgical, oncology, ICU, and finished her career working in the surgical recovery unit. Over the years she most enjoyed hiking, quilting, swimming, and spending time with her friends and family. She was an avid reader

and loved sharing books with her granddaughter.

She is survived by her two sons Kyle (Jessica) of Boise, Idaho, Keith (Chelsea) of Elizabeth, Colorado; brother Gerald (Gina) Dunn; sister Marie Vance; grandchildren Bryce, Kyler, Avery, Evan, Levi, Gavin, and Vaughn. She is preceded in death by her brother Kevin Dunn, and parents Bob Dunn and Veronica Dunn.

A memorial service is planned for Saturday, November 18th at 2 pm at Revive Church, 8270 W 80th Place Arvada, CO 80005.

Condolences or inquiries can be shared with the family at olsonsinidaho@gmail.com.

Ann Janette “A.J.” (Conner) Barbarick October 1, 1943 - January 9, 2023

A.J. Barbarick, 79, owner of A.J.’s Custom Baskets, passed away at home in Arvada, Colorado on January 9, 2023.

Born in Lexington, Nebraska to Darold and Helen Conner, Ann Janette was the first of five children.

She attended Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California and spent the next 27 years in the California health food industry.

California was great, but not the traffic! A.J. moved to Arvada, Colorado in 1992 and FAGAN

opened her own business.

She enjoyed her customers, friends, flowers and special pet bunnies. Covid took a toll on her business and her health.

A.J. was preceded in death by her parents and 2 brothers. Survivors include 1 sister, 1 brother, 3 nephews and extended family. A memorial service will be held at 2 pm on Saturday, October 28th at Ralston Creek Church in Arvada. Friends and family are welcome.

Patrick William “Pat” Fagan

December 21, 1955 - October 14, 2023

He will be joining his Mom and Dad (Charles and Gladys Fagan), sister Betsy, Brothers Red, Tom, Johnny, Ken and Ron,being dearly missed by his remaining 3 sisters, Sue, Ruth, and Betty. If you hear thunder its just those Fagans welcoming Pat Home. Rest in peace.

In Loving Memory Place an Obituary for Your Loved One.

303-566-4100 obituaries@coloradocommunitymedia.com Self placement available online at coloradocommunitymedia.com/arvada-press

14 Arvada Press

October 26, 2023

LOCAL

LIFE

PRIMARILY PUMPKIN

PERCEPTI The orange gourd has moved from inauspicious beginnings to being an autumn staple

it, the seeds were tasty. The hard fruit was scraped out to use for bowls and cups. Through years of seed cultivation and seed trading, pumpkins became larger and oranger, and then other modifications were bred into them.

Current pumpkins

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Y

ou could call pumpkins an important symbol of autumn.

The minute September rolls around, pumpkin appears in every food imaginable from pumpkin-spice lattes to soups to pumpkin cereal. Huge cartons of pumpkins arrive in stores as we prepare for fall holidays.

But what do we know about pumpkins? How long have they been growing? Do they have other uses than decorations and pie? Why are some pumpkins different from the orange pumpkins we carved as children?

Here’s your chance to learn more about the orange — and sometimes white and even teal — gourds.

Bitter beginnings

The pumpkin began as a tiny fruit — yes, pumpkins are fruits — as long as 7,500 to 10,000 years ago in Mexico and Central America, according to Jennifer Ackerfield, head curator of natural history collections at the Denver Botanic Gardens.

The original fruit from the Cucurbita family, which is Latin for gourd, was tiny, hard and round, nothing like today’s pumpkins, and the plants were stinky. Historians hypothesize that the fruits were eaten by woolly mammoths, Ackerfield said, and there were six indigenous species, with one species growing now in the Denver Botanic Gardens’ York Street location.

While the plant was gross, as Ackerfield put

Halloween pumpkins are specifically bred for size, shape and the pumpkin-wall thickness, so they make better jack-o’-lanterns, according to Eric Hammond, CSU Extension director for Adams County.

“Recently there has been a lot more interest in unique shapes, sizes and textures, even those with warty textures,” Hammond said.

“Interestingly, the funky varieties are old-time varieties. We wouldn’t call them heirloom pumpkins, but it’s in a similar vein.”

He said pumpkins, like many fruits and vegetables, have a wide genetic diversity, and some plant breeders look for that.

“Sometimes they find wild varieties that are attractive, and they cross-breed them to get desirable traits,” Hammond said.

He said nowadays, people are looking for unusual-looking pumpkins, and growers are happy to take advantage of the demand for them.

“Unusual-looking pumpkins have always been there,” he said. “It’s just there wasn’t a demand for them until recently.”

If you want your pumpkins to last a lot longer and you are not carving them into jack-o’-lanterns, wipe them with a diluted bleach solution, which kills microbes, and the pumpkins will last a lot longer, Hammond said.

He advised people to compost their pumpkins after they have outlived their decorative purpose rather than throwing them away, so they don’t add to landfill waste.

Who knew?

• The largest pumpkin ever grown in Colorado

NS

weighed 1,729 pounds, and earlier this month, a pumpkin named Michael Jordan was crowned at the 50th World Championship Pumpkin WeighOff in California as the largest pumpkin ever grown, weighing 2,749 pounds.

• The Pumpkin Capital of the World is Morton, Illinois, which is the home of Libby’s pumpkin industry. About 12,300 acres of pumpkins are grown yearly in Illinois, the most of any state, and more than 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins are grown yearly in the United States, according to the Farmers’ Almanac.

• Pumpkins were once considered a remedy for freckles and snakebites, the almanac said, and settlers cut the flesh into strips, dried them and used them to weave mats.

• Native Americans grew and ate pumpkins and their seeds long before the Pilgrims reached North America. Pilgrims learned how to grow and prepare pumpkins from the Native Americans. Pumpkin was most likely served at the first Thanksgiving feast in 1621, the almanac said.

• The earliest pumpkin pie made in America was different from today’s pumpkin pie. Pilgrims and early settlers made pumpkin pie by hollowing out a pumpkin, filling the shell with milk, honey and spices, and baking it, the almanac said.

• Each pumpkin has about 500 seeds, and there are 45 varieties of pumpkins, according to Good Housekeeping magazine.

• The first jack-o’-lanterns weren’t made from pumpkins. Instead, the Irish carved faces in turnips, and Ackerfield called them very scary looking. When Irish immigrants moved to America, they found pumpkins more suitable.

• Christopher Columbus brought pumpkin seeds, along with corn and potatoes, back to Europe, the almanac said.

SEE PUMPKINS, P15

Arvada Press 15

October 26, 2023

TOP RIGHT: Jennifer Ackerfield, head curator of natural history collections at the Denver Botanic Gardens, holds the pressed pumpkin plant that grew in Mexico thousands of years ago. The round portion with seeds toward the bottom right is what the original pumpkins looked like.

PUMPKINS FROM PAGE 14

World’s record pumpkins

Pumpkins of all shapes, sizes and colors are available for sale at a local Safeway.

LETTERS FROM PAGE 12

We have been acquainted with Mike Griffith and his family ever since they moved into our neighborhood. Mike is a truly unique candidate. He is not your typical politician; both political parties have struggled to label him within their traditional boxes. His motivation does not stem from seeking personal glory either. In fact, Mike already has a successful career as a senior partner at a prominent in-

frastructure firm. What sets Mike apart is his genuine dedication to public service. Despite having three young children and a demanding job, he has devoted himself to serving on the planning commission and board of adjustment for an impressive seven years. I urge anyone considering their choice for the District 2 candidate to delve deeper into Mike’s record of working diligently on boards, committees, and commissions. Make your decision wisely and don’t fall victim to divisive political tactics that have consistently burdened our city with ill-equipped and morally questionable leaders.

PHOTOS BY DEB HURLEY BROBST

Guinness World Records lists 73 pumpkin records.

Here are a few: • The largest pumpkin pie weighing 3,699 pounds was made by New Bremen Giant Pumpkin Growers in New Bremen, Ohio, in 2010. The diameter of the pie was 20 feet. The crust was made of 440 sheets of dough.

• Steve Clarke is the world’s fastest pumpkin carver.

The teacher in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, holds the record for fastest pumpkin carving at just over 16 seconds.

• Trevor Hunt holds the record for most pumpkins carved in an hour. He carved 109 pumpkins in 60 minutes or 33 seconds per pumpkin.

• The longest journey by paddling in a pumpkin boat is 37.5 miles achieved by Duane Hansen in Nebraska City, Nebraska, in 2022.

In conclusion, while Mary and I have encountered challenges throughout our time living in Arvada’s District 2, we believe that people like Mike Griffith bring hope for positive change in our local government. With his unique perspective and commitment to public service, we trust that he will make decisions that truly benefit our community as a whole. If you desire better roads, vote for Mike. If you seek affordable housing solutions, vote for Mike. For a safer community, vote for Mike.

And if you long for an elected official unafraid to stand up for what is right, then without hesitation, cast

your vote in support of Mike Griffith.

Chris Bennetts, Arvada Vote John Marriott for Arvada Mayor

John spoke at the Jefferson County Republican Men’s Club last Monday and I was impressed at his knowledge of our city and how it runs as well as his commitment to doing the core functions of the city well. It is easy to think big government can fix anything, but John knows that before you can build castles in the sky you have to fix the roads and bridges down here. I look forward to casting my vote for John this November!

Dan Bidstrup, Arvada

16 Arvada Press

October 26, 2023

DFF46 aims to entertain and create empathy

R

outines are easy things to fall into, especially when it comes to our viewing habits.

Many find a genre or subject they connect with and not explore much else of what’s out there.

For 46 years, the Denver Film Festival has worked to get viewers out of their routines and exposed them to filmmaking from all over the world — films they otherwise might not be able to access. And it’s doing it again this year.

“We’re here to entertain, but at the same time, what’s unique about film festivals is the eyeopening experiences viewers can have,” said Matthew Campbell, artistic director at Denver Film. “We hope these stories induce empathy to the human condition, which is something cinema is uniquely positioned to do.”

The 46thDenver Film Festival runs from Friday, Nov. 3 through Sunday, Nov. 12 at several venues, including the Sie FilmCenter, Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver Botanic Gardens, AMC 9 + CO 10 and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

As is always the case, the festival is brimming with viewing options, from the critically acclaimed opener, “American Fiction,” to dramas like “All of Us Strangers,” and

thrillers like clos- audiences and the communal asCOMING er, “I.S.S.” Actor/ pect of a festival.”

ATTRACTIONS director Michael Whether you’re new to the fes-

Shannon and writer/director Andrew Haigh will both be on hand to be honored at the festival, as will numerous other filmmakers and creatives.

Clarke Reader “Every year we try to have a good balance of different types of films,” Campbell said. “This year we have a really robust local films offering, so there are a lot of hidden gems in the lineup.”

All told, there will be 186 films (108 feature-length), so participants are really spoiled for choice.

There are all kinds of themes audiences can select from, like Italian Showcase and Politics to LGBTQIA+ and CineLatinx. But no matter what path a viewer selects, they’re going to be joined by passionate film lovers.

“What excites me most during the festival is getting to interact with everyone and hear what they think about the films,” Campbell said. “We love bringing out the filmmakers and celebrating their work, and they love engaging with

LOG HOMES JUST RELEASED: AMERICAN LOG HOMES

Reaching community institution status is no small achievement, so it’s fitting that Miners Alley Playhouse is pulling out all the stops to celebrate 20 years of bringing theater to the Golden and Jefferson County communities.

The Golden Goes Platinum 20thAnniversary Gala will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3 at the Colorado School of Mines’ Friedhoff Hall, 909-1011 15th St. in Golden.

According to provided information, the event will feature a cock-

The Parsons Theatre Gallery, 1 E. Memorial Parkway in Northglenn, is showcasing “A Gift from God,” a new exhibit from sculptor and painter Alonzo Clemons. According to the provided information, Clemons is primarily known as a sculptor and his careful consideration of different animal species continues in his painted work.

The exhibition is hosted in partnership with the Access Gallery, an inclusive nonprofit organization “that engages the community by opening doors to creative, educational and economic opportunities for people with disabilities to access, experience, and benefit from the arts.”

For details, visithttps://northglennarts.org/.

SEE READER, P31

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tival or an old hand at navigating things, Campbell encourages all viewers to come with an open mind and try something that they normally wouldn’t.

“Having that in-person viewing experience is paramount for us,” he said. “Audiences get to illuminate their understanding of the world in a really great way. They can be entertained, educated and create some empathy at the same time.”

The full festival schedule and tickets can be found at www.denverfilm.org/denverfilmfestival/ dff46/.

tail reception, free beer and wine, live entertainment from the casts of “Avenue Q” and “A Trailer Park Christmas,” full buffet dinner, prizes and auction items, and dancing.

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18 Arvada Press

October 26, 2023

Colorado ultra athletes changing conversation about fastest times

BY JASON BLEVINS THE COLORADO SUN

When cycling pro Lachlan Morton clipped into the pedals of his packsaddled Cannondale on Aug. 29 at the starting line of the Tour Divide in Banff, Canada, he was on a mission.

Twelve days, 12 hours and 21 minutes later he rolled into Antelope Wells, New Mexico, with the fastest time ever for the 2,670-mile Tour Divide route that climbs 192,000 vertical feet across the spine of the Rockies.

Morton completed the route nearly a day and a half faster than the record set in 2016, but his journey will not be recorded as the fastest known

time, or FKT. That’s because Morton was chased by a film crew, which was making a movie of his blistering traverse of the Continental Divide.

Those camera operators are a violation of the Tour Divide’s self-sufficiency ethic, even though they did not assist in any way.

Morton knew that when he started.

His mission was bigger than glory and accolades.

“Look, I’ve won bike races before and it’s a great feeling but it’s pretty fleeting,” said the 31-year-old cycling champion who has turned his prowess in road biking toward long-distance endurance pedaling.

“The only benefit of not having the

film crew was a record for me personally. I’m not going to say I don’t care about that at all, but I don’t care about it more than sharing my story with more people. The role of a professional athlete is to inspire people to participate and get involved. That should be every athlete’s goal when they are considering a challenge or trying to win something.”

The fastest known time phenomenon exploded during the pandemic as countless athletes quietly converted just about every trail, climb and hike in the mountains into race routes. Morton’s disregard for the hallowed FKT mirrors the recent effort

by Boulder adventurer Erin Ton. In

July, the 25-year-old Ton climbed 57 of Colorado’s highest peaks in an extraordinarily hasty 14 days, 10 hours, claiming a solo, self-supported speed record that will be officially logged as a DNF because she skipped a privately owned peak due to “considerable moral issues” with the owners of the Cielo Vista Ranch.

Could record-setting athletic feats by athletes like Morton, an Aussie who lives in Boulder, and Ton diminish the FKT trend, which was born more than two decades ago as a way to herald often-overlooked athleticism?

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Arvada Press 19

October 26, 2023

ATHLETES FROM PAGE 18

Nope, said Buzz Burrell, the legendary endurance athlete who, alongside adventure running partner Peter Bakwin, forged the realm of fastest known times in the late 1990s and launched a website as an online trophy shelf for speedy runners and mountaineers.

Running a race on a track is blackand-white with an obvious winner.

Move that race into wild lands and countless options can influence the results, Burrell said.

“We established guidelines so there would be a level and equal playing field and everyone can know where they stand,” Burrell said. “And because Mother Nature is complex and ever-changing, there will be nuances within that framework. That’s the way it goes. So if someone breaks the rules, 99% of the time there is no asterisk. There is just no FKT. The problem is social media, which announces something before verification can take place, so it seems like a done deal.”

Burrell sold his fastestknowntime.

com website to Outside Inc. last year, with 5,738 routes across the world for runners and mountain climbers to log their speediest times. The website includes 202 routes in Colorado where athletes can race far from pavement or spectators.

In 2019, renowned cyclist Lael Wilcox vied to become the first woman to win the Tour Divide. The acclaimed endurance athlete — she set the women’s record for the route in 2015 and was the first woman to finish in 2023 after riding 3,000 miles from her home in Arizona to the start in Banff — enlisted a film crew in her 2019 effort. Even though she dropped from the race, that film crew sparked ire from some racers who argued that media teams violated the race’s requirement that all competitors remain self-supported.

Tour Divide veteran Jay Petervary took the position that the film crews “can inject undue moral hazard into the equation” serving as “a security blanket for a rider on the edge and thus poses artificial psychological uplift.”

By the 2022 race, the rules included a note that “while not yet published” the race director had decided that individual film crews are not allowed to follow athletes. The rules also pro-

hibit racers from visiting with family and friends who travel to the route.

Morton set out from Banff with a plan to break the speed record. He also wanted to prove a new strategy for peak speed. Eschewing seemingly mandatory drowsiness on the route, Morton planned to sleep 12 hours for every 48 hours on the trail, or around six hours a night.

“I think one of the big barriers to attempting fast ultra-type events is people not wanting to deal with sleep deprivation and they think they cannot be competitive without enduring that,” Morton said. “I wanted to show that you can do these events safely and competitively with sleep.”

Morton has no animosity toward race organizers who will keep late endurance cyclist Mike Hall at the top of the Tour Divide record list for his 2016 race time of 13 days, 22 hours and 51 minutes.

He doesn’t think his speedy time will remain unchallenged for long.

“I think having set a time that was quite a bit quicker, I think next year you will see people go quicker,” Morton said. “That’s my small contribution.”

Aside from speed and proving his sleep strategy, Morton said his Tour Divide race was a highlight of his life

in the saddle.

There were long stretches between towns where he could resupply with food. A couple times, he said, he wanted to quit “but sometimes the easiest thing to do is keep moving.”

“It definitely tested me a number of times,” he said. “But you get in a pretty special head space when you are focused for that period of time.

Your needs become pretty simple: Pedal as much as you can. Get food.

Get sleep. And repeat. It’s as simple as life can get even though it’s about as difficult an experience one can have.”

Morton said he’d like to pedal the route again. But slower. Much slower.

“To really experience the route you probably need five, six weeks,” he said. “There are so many wonderful little towns. So many really supportive, warm people on the route.”

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

20 Arvada Press

October 26, 2023

Robust laws against human trafficking hardly used

BY JENNIFER BROWN THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado prosecutors landed a single conviction for labor trafficking and fewer than 50 convictions for sex trafficking in 17 years despite multiple efforts to strengthen state laws.

From 2006-2022, there have been 267 criminal cases involving trafficking, and within those cases there were 619 counts of labor trafficking and 10,813 counts of sex trafficking, according to a new report from the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking. But very few resulted in convictions.

Many of the people initially charged with trafficking ended up being convicted of other crimes, including child abuse, drug charges or “keeping a place of prostitution,” found the new report from the Colorado nonprofit.

All of the trafficking charges were filed in just 23 of Colorado’s 64 counties, which points toward the

need for more widespread training among law enforcement and district attorneys’ offices to identify and prosecute trafficking, the report said. Its authors called on Colorado to strengthen local task forces that work to prevent trafficking and hold traffickers accountable in court.

They also said Colorado needs to do more to include trafficking survivors, and those most vulnerable to trafficking, including LGBTQ people, Indigenous people and immigrants.

The task forces need to include people who “reflect and look like the community” because people who need help with food, shelter and language translation will seek out others they feel comfortable around, said AJ Alejano-Steele, cofounder and research director of the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking.

“If you have a high population of immigrants from Mexico, does the partnership actually have people who represent that group?” she

The number of human trafficking cases peaked in Colorado after the state strengthSCREENSHOT FROM THE COLORADO PROJECT 2023 REPORT ened laws in 2014.

asked. “It’s hard to go to people for help if they don’t look like you.”

In agricultural areas, the groups should include people who work on farms, and in mountain communities, they should include people who have worked as sheepherders, for example, she said.

Sheepherders migrate to Colorado from Chile, Peru and Mexico

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to work on ranches, and in some cases, find out after they arrive that they are required to work 24 hours per day, seven days a week, the report said. “They live in small campers without electricity, toilets or running water,” it said. “Most herders reported having no days off

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Arvada Press 21

October 26, 2023

TRAFFICKING FROM PAGE 20

for over a year. These workers have been consistently exploited to the financial benefit of their employers — the very definition of labor trafficking.”

Larger jurisdictions are more likely to have officers trained to identify human trafficking and how to interview potential victims.

The results show that many counties aren’t using state trafficking laws as often as they could be, the report said. Rural counties rarely, if ever, use the statutes. Five counties had 67% of the human trafficking charges filed in the state. In order of case counts, those were Adams, Arapahoe, El Paso, Denver and Jefferson counties.

In a Jefferson County case announced last month, a sheriff ’s special investigations unit uncovered a human trafficking operation inside a massage parlor in Golden. After receiving a report from someone who feared a massage therapist was a trafficking victim, law officers searched the business and dis-

covered that a Chinese citizen had been coerced into performing sex acts in exchange for a green card, authorities said.

Colorado statistics show the state has been far more focused on sex cases than labor cases. All but 10 of the 267 cases that resulted in charges in the past 17 years were sex trafficking, the report found.

“Sex trafficking tends to receive more attention,” Alejano-Steele said. There is a “lag in understanding” about what labor trafficking looks like, speculating that it’s harder for people to recognize because the effects of it are commonplace in daily life. People are complicit when they buy coffee or fruits and vegetables produced by people who are being trafficked, she said.

“It makes labor trafficking feel a little bit close to home,” she said.

People who have unstable housing are some of the most at risk for becoming trafficking victims, and traffickers will prey on people who are in shelters or temporary housing because they know that housing will expire. The Laboratory is hoping to work with more housing nonprofits so people are trained to help residents avoid being trafficked.

AUCTION

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

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“When you have somebody who is in need of making money, in need of getting a shelter over their head, in need of putting food on the table … you have prime conditions for a trafficker,” Alejano-Steele said. “If you are desperate, you will follow somebody who is offering you a day job.”

Colorado updated its trafficking laws in 2014, creating the Colorado Human Trafficking Council and aligning state law with federal trafficking laws. As a result, the state saw a burst in prosecutions. But the number of prosecutions statewide has declined since then.

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Arvada Press 23

October 26, 2023

Arvada Jefferson Kiwanis Foundation seeking volunteers for Santa House

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Although the leaves have just begun to change color, Santa and his elves are already working hard to get ready for the holidays. The Arvada Press wasn’t able to get a comment from the North Pole, but the Arvada Jefferson Kiwanis Foundation’s Santa House appears set to return for a 16th year.

The program helps families with children in Jefferson County Public Schools provide Christmas presents at home. Donations are collected at various drop off locations from Oct. 16 to Nov. 25 before the Santa House opens its doors and, after that, from

Nov. 28 to Dec. 2 at Storyline Church in Arvada.

Over the next few weeks, folks can donate new presents for children under the age of 12 to a number of drop off locations, including all Apex recreation facilities and Red Rocks Community College.

The Kiwanis Foundation is alsoaccept monetary donations during this time, which will allow volunteers to purchase things that may not have come through in donations.

The end result is a Christmas shop full of free gifts for over 12,150 families. The program has served 33,550 children throughout its history.

Program Director Cheryl Norton said the impetus of the Santa House

is to allow families to select their own gifts.

“The whole idea was to try and provide a Christmas opportunity for families in need and do it in a way that allowed families to shop for toys and gifts that they thought their children would enjoy,” Norton said.

The Kiwanis Foundation gives out vouchers to nine Title 1 schools in the area: Arvada K-8, Foster, Fremont, Hackberry, Lawrence, little, Secrest, Swanson and Vanderhoof.

From there, school resource officers’ hand out vouchers to families.

Any family with a voucher can shop for as many children as the family has as long as they’re under 12 and

live at the same address. Vouchers are passed out on Nov. 1.

Norton said working with SRO’s allows for the donations to go to the families who need them the most.

The Santa House is completely volunteer run, she continued to say.

“We didn’t want to necessarily give away toys to families that didn’t have a need for it,” Norton said. “So that was our way of trying to determine through the school resource officers just who could best benefit from the Santa House experience. It’s all run by donations. It’s all run by volunteers so that this is really our way of gifting Christmas to families.”

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October 26, 2023

© 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.

Solution

TRIVIA 1. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a male duck called?

2. LITERATURE: Who wrote the novel “Pride and Prejudice”?

3. ASTRONOMY: In which constellation are the gas and dust clouds called the Pillars of Creation located?

4. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which president died at his retreat in Warm Springs, Georgia?

5. MOVIES: Which 1999 movie features a character named Neo? 6. MEDICAL: Which part of the human body is affected by Bright’s Disease?

7. TELEVISION: In which state is the sitcom “Newhart” set?

8. GEOGRAPHY: What is the tallest mountain in Africa?

9. HISTORY: Which politician made the phrase “Iron Curtain” famous in a speech about eastern Europe?

10. U.S. STATES: What is the capital of South Dakota?

Answers 1. A drake.

2. Jane Austen.

3. Serpens.

4. Franklin Roosevelt.

5. “The Matrix.”

6. The kidneys.

7. Vermont.

8. Mount Kilimanjaro.

9. Winston Churchill.

10. Pierre. (c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

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Arvada Press 25

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SKILOVELAND.COM/EMPLOYMENT (303) 571-5580 X140

SEASON

Director of Student Life and Activities Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design seeks a Director of Student Life and Activities in Lakewood, CO. Min. Reqs.: B.A. in Fine Arts and 3 yrs. exp. working in student affairs at a private art and design college. Plus, 3 yrs. exp. supervising student workers and managing online or virtual events to increase retention and build community among students.

Up to 10% domestic and international travel required.

Salary: $61,100 - $64,000 per year. Email resume to: hr@rmcad.edu. Ref. job title.

* PARKING LOT ATTENDANTS * LIFT OPERATIONS * SHUTTLE DRIVERS * YEAR-ROUND ROLES

Check us out and APPLY TODAY at: SKILOVELAND.COM/EMPLOYMENT APPLY TODAY X140 AT (303) 571-5580

*No holidays or weekends | Have your summers off | Great benefits offered * SPORT SHOP This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Parent/Community Member Volunteers and Student Workers also accepted! rent/Community Member Volunteers and Workers also accepted! * FOOD & BEVERAGE Parent/Community Member Volunteers andStudent Student Workers also accepted!

Help Wanted

• Lift Operator • Area Maintenance/Parking • Shuttle Bus Driver/On Mountain Host (combined position) • Certified and Non-Certified Instructor • Area Maintenance Housekeeping AM and PM Shifts EMPLOYEE BENEFITS • Food & Beverage - General Kitchen help, Cashiers, & Dishwashers • Sports Shop Shipping & Receiving FREE SEASON PASS * SEASON PASSES FOR FAMILY MEMBERS Child Care Director * DISCOUNTED LIFT TICKETS• OR

WHAT’S INTHE ITFRONT FOR YOU? EMPLOYEE SHUTTLE FROM RANGE • Year-Round position is eligible for full benefits package including: * FREE AND CLEAR CREEK COUNTY Medical, dental, vision, accident, hospital indemnity, critical illness, ACCESS TO ACCIDENT INSURANCE, HOSPITAL CARE INSURANCE ACCESS TO ACCIDENT INSURANCE, HOSPITAL CARE INSURANCE • Free Season Pass * * life/AD&D, short-term disability pay, 401k Plan, and accrued vacation time * PAID SICK LEAVE SICK LEAVE * PAID • Discounts at Loveland Ski Area, and more!

SEASON UPON WORK COMMITMENT END OF SEASON BONUS UPON COMPLETION OF WORK COMMITM PaidOF Sick Leave,BONUS Holiday Pay COMPLETION • Free SeasonOF Pass * POTENTIAL•END * POTENTIAL • Voluntary Accident, Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness insurance.

• Discounts at Loveland Ski Area, and more!

• Accrued Sick pay.

FULL & PART TIME & PART TIME • Free/Discounted Lift Tickets or Season Passes for Family Members FULL • Free/Discounted Lift Tickets or Season Passes for Family Members POSITIONS AVAILABLE POSITIONS AVAILABLE • Free or Discounted skiing and riding at over 30 other ski areas • Free or Discounted skiing and riding at over 30 other ski areas

Parent/Community Member Volunteers and Student Workers also accepted! * RENTAL SHOP

This institution isequal an equal opportunity provider.

This isisan opportunity provider.

Thisinstitution institution anequal opportunity provider.

SEASONAL POSITIONS AVAILABLE: $20.00/hour

* FREE EMPLOYEE SHUTTLE FROM THE FRONT RANGE AND CLEAR CREEK COUNTY

Worker Jobs in Kitchen your area* include: Jobs in your area* include: Jobs inKitchen your area* include:| Volunteers Substitute Worker Kitchen Worker Kitchen Worker Kitchen Worker Substitute Kitchen Worker | off Volunteers *No holidays Kitchen or weekends |Worker Have your summers | Great benefits offered Substitute | | Volunteers Substitute Kitchen Worker Volunteers * SKI & RIDE SCHOOL

*No holidays or weekends your summers off | Great benefits offered *No holidays or weekends | Have| Have your summers off | Great benefits offered

Join the Loveland Family FOR WINTER 21-22 and be a part of something special!

Loveland Ski Area is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender iden disability, protected veteran status or any other status protected by applicable law.

Real Estate Brokers

Erin Addenbrooke Broker Associate

303-917-7870 Colorado native, resident of Littleton

Erin@oldcountryre.com oldcountryre.com

Classifieds

Continues Next Page

26 Arvada Press

October 26, 2023

MARKETPLACE Auctions Auctions Colorado Dept of Transportation (CDOT) Upcoming Online Auctions: Fri, Nov 17th 2:00PMGovernment Agency Participation Fri, Dec 1st 2:00PM-Open To The General Public 18500 E Colfax Ave, Aurora www.Dickensheet.com (303) 934-8322 Dickensheet & Associates, Inc.

Garage and Estate Sales

Arts & Crafts

Pets

22nd Annual

Dogs

Arts & Crafts

COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA’S

2023 HOLIDAY MARKET Douglas County Fairgrounds November 18th & 19th

ARE YOU AN ARTIST OR CRAFTER?

Sons and Daughters of Italy

Holiday and Craft Fair

Wanted

Looking for vendors, scan QR code for more information and application!

Cash for all Vehicles!

Cars, Trucks, Vans, SUV’s

Join us on Memory Lane. Something for everyone.

Visit us for store info Instagram: @oldcrowsantiques www.facebook.com/ oldcrowsantiques www.oldcrows antiques.com 303-973-8648 10081 W. Bowles Ave. Littleton, CO 80127

CRAFT FAIR

Saturday, October 28th 9am-3pm High Quality Handcrafted Items Aspen Lodge 16151 Lowell Blvd Broomfield, CO Free Admission & Plenty of Parking Cash and Checks only

Phoenix Towing & Recovery, LLC has a Silver 2014 Chevrolet Camaro VIN 168503 for sale 720.421.0299

Cell: (303)918-2185 for texting Bestcashforcarsco.com

Friday 10-5 • Saturday 10-4

Transportation

Phoenix Towing & Recovery, LLC has a 2007 Beige Honda Civic VIN 576527 for sale 720.421.0299

Free parking, no admittance charge Everything from home baked goods to decorations and gift items

Come and look around while enjoying lunch in our “Cafe” Old Crows Antiques featuring The Root Beer Bar An Antique destination in Littleton Colorado

Phoenix Towing & Recovery, LLC has a 2009 KIA BOR RED VIN 016891 for sale 720.421.0299

November 3rd & 4th

MOVING SALE 6585 Estes Street, Arvada October 27th & 28th 9am – 3pm

Antiques & Collectibles

$20,000 Call 303-431-1412

Phoenix Towing & Recovery, LLC has a 1994 Dodge Ram VAN White VIN 560670 for sale 720.421.0299

5925 W. 32nd Ave, Wheat Ridge events@colorado communitymedia.com

Any condition • Running or not No title OK • Free towing • Under $850

1959 Ford Thunderbird.

(303)741-0762

Garage Sales

Furniture, card table and lots more.

Doodle Puppies

Golden Doodles and Bernedoodles Home-Raised Heath Tested and Guaranteed Standard and Mini Size available Schedule a visit today!

(970)215-6860 www.puppylovedoodles.com

Autos for Sale

Firewood

Furniture

FIREWOOD Split pine, $350/cord.

Ask about delivery.

Call 720-338-3436.

Dinette Set 42” round table with oak grain top. Dark green base. 2 – 12” leaves extends to 66”. 6 chairs. Good condition. Made

by Kincade Furniture. $200.

Call 720-982-4691

Split & Delivered $450 a cord Stacking $50 Call 303-647-2475 or 720-323-2173

Scrap Metal, Batteries, Appliances, Wiring, Scrap Plumbing/Heating, Cars/ Parts, Clean out Garages/Yards, Rake, Yard work done w/chainsaw, Certified Auto Mechanical / Body Work & paint available Also can do inside or outside cleaning 303-647-2475 / 720-323-2173

Autos for Sale Phoenix Towing & Recovery, LLC has a 2010 Chevy Malibu Gray VIN 152734 for sale 720.421.0299 Phoenix Towing & Recovery, LLC has a SILVER 1991 Mercury Convertible Capri VIN 602692 for sale 720.421.0299

Boats and Water Sports Phoenix Towing & Recovery, LLC has a Gray 2010 Chevrolet Malibu VIN 152734 for sale 720.421.0299

Phoenix Towing & Recovery, LLC has a 2000 Oldsmobile Bravada Gray VIN 228566 for sale 720.421.0299 Phoenix Towing & Recovery, LLC has a 2003 VW Black Beetle VIN 408073 for sale 720.421.0299 Phoenix Towing & Recovery, LLC has a 2003 Gray Saturn Sedan VIN 512369 for sale 720.421.0299

Classifieds Continues Next Page

Please support these amazing local businesses

Arvada Press 27

October 26, 2023

SERVICE DIRECTORY Air Conditioning

Cleaning

AC, Furnace and Boiler Specials Serving the Front Range since 1955 Serving the Front Range since 1955 Residential • Install • Repair • Replace Furnaces • Boilers • Water Heaters Rooftop HVAC • Mobile FurnacesConcrete & Asphalt Commercial • Residential tear out, replace & repair Install • Repair • Replace

720-327-9214

Free Estimates • 720-327-9214

Blinds

Construction

PROMAID CLEANING Weekly • Bi-Weekly • Monthly Move-In • Move-Out

FREE ESTIMATES Call Today: 720-225-7176 ProMaidsInc@yahoo.com

Licensed with excellent references

• Prep home for sale • Specialize in open floor plan • Kitchen remodels • Basement finish • Bath remodels • Wood floor & laminate • Door & trim replacement • Interior & Exterior painting

• Window replacements • Patio covers and decks • Fencing & landscaping • Brick and stucco repairs • Concrete driveways and slabs • Residential & commercial maintenance

A full service construction company

Daniel • 720.628.5383

HOUSE CLEANING

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED

• Free estimate • Warranty work • Affordable prices

CALL TODAY! 303-467-7969 6040 W. 59TH AVE, UNIT F • ARVADA, CO 80003 QUESTIONS@BLINDSMITH.COM WWW.BLINDSMITHCOLORADO.COM

Friendly, responsible,

Call Maria 720-755-5886

Buildings, Metal

Drywall

A & H DRYWALL, LLC Call for FREE Estimate 24/7 Any Drywall Needs...

Hang • Tape • Texture • Painting Match any texture, remove popcorn Armando 720.448.3716 • Fully Insured

A Patch To Match Drywall Repair Specialist

Concrete/Paving

METALBUILDING OUTLET CORP.

Quality Concrete Service Since 1968 FREE Estimates Concrete Quality Concrete• Service SinceSpecialist 1968 FREE Estimates • Concrete Specialist

LOCAL BUILDINGS FOR 30+ YEARS! · SHOPS & GARAGES · EQUIPMENT STORAGE · SELF STORAGE · BARNS & AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS · EQUESTRIAN FACILITIES · COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS · AND MORE...

Capra Concrete, INC

CapraPatios Concrete, INC • Sidewalks

All Phases of of Flat Work by All Phases Flat Work by by All Phases of Flat Work

T.M.CONCRETE CONCRETE T.M. T.M. CONCRETE

Driveways, Patios Driveways,Sidewalks, Sidewalks, Patios, Tear-outs, Driveways, Sidewalks, Patios Tear-outs, & colored stamped & stamped colored concrete.

Quality work, Tear-outs, stamped & colored concrete.

Quality rates. work, Lic./Ins. Lic./Ins. Reasonable “Small Jobs OK!” concrete. Quality Reasonable rates work, Lic./Ins. "Small Jobs OK!" Reasonable rates 303-514-7364 "Small Jobs OK!" tmconcrete.net 303-514-7364

303.948.2038

METALBUILDINGOUTLET.COM

Great Floors.

HARDWOOD

.. . , .. . ,

FOOTPRINTS Great floors Great F1oors.

Impressions Great Impressions.

Estate Planning

Carpet Repairs

WILLS AND TRUSTS

• PET DAMAGE

Call • RE-STRETCHING Ken! • PAD REPLACEMENT

720-344-0939

720-244-3623

WWW FOOTPRINTSFLOORS COM

Ed 720-328-5039

tmconcrete.net

FOOTPRINTS Call today for a free estimate!

HARDWOOD, TILE, floors Great F1oors.

720-344-0939 Great Impressions.

BACKSPLASHES & LAMINATES WWW FOOTPRINTSFLOORS COM Call today for a free estimate!

Highly rated & screened contractor by Home Advisor & Angies list

303-514-7364

Carpet/Flooring HARDWOOD

Patios • Sidewalks Driveways • Retaining Walls Driveways • Retaining Walls Colored and Stamped Concrete Colored and Stamped Concrete Phone: Phone:303-422-8556 303-422-8556 Cell:720-364-2345 720-364-2345 Cell: msmiyagi33@gmail.com msmiyagi33@gmail.com

• Home Renovation and Remodel • 30 years Experience • Insured • Satisfaction Guaranteed

Kurt E. Walberg, P.C. Esq.

• All Concrete • Curb & Gutter • Tear Out • Walls • Patios • Anything • Driveways Concrete

Call now to schedule a no cost appointment 720.772.7565 • dawn@kewpclaw.com

303-888-7595 Service Directory

Continues Next Page

28 Arvada Press

October 26, 2023

SERVICE DIRECTORY Handyman

Lawn/Garden Services

Alpine Landscape Management

LAWN SERVICES

Michael’s Handyman Services Michael’s Handyman Services $$ Reasonable Rates On: $$ Michael’s Handyman Services Home Beautification • Home Beautifi cation •• Home Beautification • Leaf Cleanup • Lawn Maintenance • Home Repair & Interior Painting • Tree & Bush Trimming/Removal • Home Repair & Interior Painting • Home Repair & Interior Painting

303-301-4420 303-301-4420

• Removal/Replacement Decorative Rock, Sod or Mulch • Storm Damage Cleanup • Gutter cleaning • All of your ground maintenance needs Servicing the West & North areas

Weekly Mowing, Aerate, Fertilize, Fall Clean-up, Trim Bushes , & Small Trees, Snow Removal, Senior Discounts

720-329-9732

MINOR HOME REPAIRS MinorHOME Home Repairs MINOR REPAIRS Mark: 303.432.3503 Refs. avail

No job is too small small • Free Estimates No job job is too too small Free Estimates No is •• Free Estimates

Painting

DANIEL’S PAINTING

exterior • interior lasting LongLong lasting residential repaints Specialty Services Specialty Services interior & exterior Re-caulk all home complete interior exterior Over&40 yrs. exp. prime all caulked areas / OverReferences 40 yrs. experience and replace any damaged boards/ guarantees References andavailable. popcorn removal drywall and guarantees texture repair/fences and Call available.

Frank decks/insured and bonded Call303-232-7293 Frank

720-301-0442 303.420.0669 303-420-0669

Painting

Bob’s Home Repairs

Plumbing

All types of repairs.

Reasonable rates 30yrs Exp. 303-450-1172

HANDYMAN

Repairs Install Fixtures, Appliances Plumbing, Electrical Expert Tile Kitchen/ Bath Remodel Decks 35 yrs. experience Licensed, Insured References.

Contact info: Wes 720-697-3290

TM

HOMEREPAIRS REPAIRS& & REMODELING REMODELING HOME

Painting• •Tile Tile••Trim Trim •• Drywall Drywall •• Painting Decks•• Bath BathRemodel Remodel •• Doors Doors •• Painting Painting •• Decks Remodels•• Basements Basements&&Much MuchMore!

More!

•• Kitchen Kitchen Remodels WeNever NeverMark MarkUp UpMaterials Materials We Saving 25%-35% Saving youyou 25%-35% WorkGuaranteed Guaranteed • A+ BBB Rated AllAllWork • A+ BBB Rated

CallToday Todayfor foraaFREE FREEESTIMATE ESTIMATE Call 303-427-2955

303-427-2955

HAULING Cut Rate Hauling

Cut Rate Hauling

Trash / Rubbish / Debris

Trash Cleanup • Old Furniture Removal Mattresses • Appliances • Dirt and Junk Trash / Rubbish / Debris Old fencing • Branches • Concrete Professional and andReliable Junk Removal Asphalt • Old Sod • Brick • MortarYear Round Service Professional and Reliable House/Garage/Yard clean outs Rubin (720)434-8042 Storm Damage Cleanup Year Round Service Electronics recycling avail. Kerwin (720) 519-5559

Mark: 303.432.3503

Landscaping • Yard Cleanup Sod • Concrete • Sprinklers Tree Trimming/Cutting Planting Fertilization • Retaining Walls Flagstone • Fencing Gutter Cleaning Power Raking • Aerating

720-436-6158

Landscaping & Tree Service • Landscaping • Sprinkler Service • Stump Grinding • Tree Removal • Rock and Mulch • Tree Trimming

I am a Master Plumber that has 15 years of experience, licensed and insured, and trying to get my own business up and going. I would be grateful for the opportunity to earn your business, to help a Colorado Native business grow. Mountain Men Plumbing has been around for almost two years now!

Helpful Ace Hardware Pro Painters is a residential painting company which specializes in exterior and interior painting. Our core values are honesty, integrity, service, quality and beauty and our focus is on delivering an outstanding customer experience. We currently include a full color consult, test pints and a detailed walkthrough with all of our paint jobs.

Give us a call to set up a free estimate! (720) 432-6125 helpfulacehardwarepropainters.com

• Cedar & Log Home Specialist • Woodpecker Control Coatings • 35% off Interior Painting • Hot water power wash cleaning

www.MountainMenPlumbing.com Or give a call to (720) 328-8440!

DIRTY JOBS DONE DIRT CHEAP

Excellent reviews, licensed & insured

For appointment contact:

perezpaintingcolorado@yahoo.com

or call Hugo Perez

Rubin (720)434-8042 Kerwin (720) 519-5559

Landscaping/Nurseries

Landscape & Concrete

• Benjamin Moore Paints • Labor and Materials Warranty • Free Estimates • Color Consultation Included • Kind/Highly Communicative Staff

Green Mountain Painters

Hauling Service

$$ Reasonable Rates On: $$

WeProvide Provide We Quality Painting Painting Quality

720-298-3496

Bob’s Painting, Repairs & Home Improvements 30 yrs experience Free estimates 303-450-1172

VFM

Painting Inc. QUALITY IS OUR STANDARD

Front Range Plumbing 303.451.1971 Commercial/Residential

For all your plumbing needs • WaterHeaters Heaters•• Plumbing Plumbing Parts • Water Parts

SENIOR DISCOUNTS DISCOUNTS SENIOR frontrangeplumbing.com www.frontrangeplumbing.com

Registered & Insured • Free Estimates

J & M Landscaping & Tree Service

Call 720-582-5950

Jmlandservices8@gmail.com

Int/Ext. Painting, Hauling Trash, Carpentry, Drywall, Cement/Concrete Work, Gutters, Tile, Gutters.

OFFICE: 303-722-2480 CELL: 720-351-2171 pesco2014@gmail.com

Service Directory Continues Next Page

• Drain Cleaning Specialist • Camera & Sewer Repairs • Plumbing Repairs • 24/7 - 35 yrs experience • No extra charge for weekends

Call for a free phone quote

720-308-6696

Arvada Press 29

October 26, 2023

SERVICE DIRECTORY Roofing

Local Company Veteran Owned Integrity Focused VOTED BEST ROOFING COMPANY Complimentary Roof Inspections

303-770-7663

www.ValorRoofandSolar.com

Solar

Residential andand Commercial Residential Commercial

SOLAR SYSTEMS SOLAR SYSTEMS 303-770-7663 303-647-3173

www.ValorRoofandSolar.com www.ValorRoofandSolar.com Tile

Roofing/Gutters

Have a Hail Damaged Roof?

- Gutter cleaning /gutter covers available now - We are 100% Local & Have Great References - Roofing • Siding • Paint • Windows • Gutters - Call Dave Vaughn 720-427-7422 - davegoldenspikeroofing@gmail.com

HARDWOOD

Great Floors.

HARDWOOD

.. . , .. . ,

FOOTPRINTS Great floors Impressions

Great F1oors.

Great Impressions.

FOOTPRINTS

Call today for a free estimate!

floors 720-344-0939

HARDWOOD, TILE, Great F1oors.

Great Impressions.

BACKSPLASHES & LAMINATES Call today for a free estimate!

WWW FOOTPRINTSFLOORS COM

720-344-0939

WWW FOOTPRINTSFLOORS COM

Tree Service

DEPENDABLE ROOF AND GUTTER REPAIR Repairs are all I do!

Wind Damage & Fix Leaks Gutter repair/cleaning 40 years experience FREE Estimates

(720)209-4589

A-1 Stump Removal A-1 Stump Removal Stump grinding specialist

Majestic Stump grinding specialist Most stumps $75.00 and up Tree Service $55 Minimum.

720-231-5954 Free estimates.

Licensed & Insured.

41 years experience.

Tree & Shrub Trimming, Tree Removal • Stump Grinding Free Estimates/Consultations Licensed and Insured

10% off with coupon A father and son team!

Call or Text

Siding & Windows

Terry 303-424-7357 Corey 720-949-8373

Windows

BASEMENT WINDOWS Siding & Windows Siding Repairs • Hail Damage Repairs Insulated Vinyl and Steel Siding

Free Estimates • Call Sam 720.731.8789

Small windows installed complete $275.00 Insulated • Double paned Energy efficient

Call Ray at 303-877-1346

Coloradowindowray@gmail.com

Advertising

w rks Place your ad here.

Call Today!

303-566-4100

30 Arvada Press

October 26, 2023

2023

Holidays

Sales Deadline: November 3 Publication Date: November 23

Reserve your space today! 303-566-4100

Arvada Press 31

October 26, 2023

VOLUNTEERS FROM PAGE 23

The Santa House took a two-year COVID-induced hiatus, from 2020 to 2021. Norton and her team were unsure of how the community would

READER FROM PAGE 18

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Durand Jones at the Gothic Theatre

The R&B and soul genre is far more

respond when it returned. To their surprise, their expectations were exceeded.

“The support was overwhelming,” Norton said. “It was almost like there was a pent-up demand to say, ‘We want to help others.’ I’m hoping we have the same kind of response (this year).”

Over the first 14 years of the Santa

House, the program served about 2.5 children per household. Last year — the first year back from COVID — that number increased to about 3.7 children per family.

Norton said the best part of the program is the autonomy it provides people.

“Dignity,” Norton said when asked

what the best part of Santa House is.

“The ability to feel that they’ve made a choice, the choice is theirs, and they have contributed to their family’s happiness and holiday spirit.”

New toys, stuffed animals and books are some of the most needed items this year. Baby toys and items for infants are also encouraged.

dynamic and complex than people give it credit for, and so many musicians are finding new ways to push the sound forward. As the leader of Durand Jones & The Indications, Jones has found a way to throw back to some of the genre’s classic sounds, while keeping a foot in the modern

soul world. That trend continues on his debut solo album, “Wait Til I Get Over,” which was released this spring.

In support of the album, Durand Jones will be stopping at the Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway in Englewood, at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 31.

Anyone who loves soul music, either

classic or modern, won’t want to miss it.

Get tickets at www.ticketmaster. com.

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

GOLF COURSE BUILDING SITES— SOUTH FORK COLORADO 11.72± Acres MOL—Offered in 2 Tracts

Commercial Equestrian Hobby Shops Nebraska & Iowa

Eastern CO

402-426-5022 712-600-2410

719-822-3052

S T R U C T U R E S

Agricultural Garages And More!

Eastern Wisconsin

920-889-0960

Western Wisconsin

608-988-6338

www.GingerichStructures.com

FISHING, HUNTING, GOLF, SKIING, FOUR WHEELING, HIKING, PUBLIC LAND, RIO GRANDE RIVER, GOLD MEDAL FLYFISHING, RIO GRANDE CLUB, CONDOS, HOTEL, TROPHY HOME, SNOWBOARDING, POWDER COUNTRY, SILVER THREAD, SCENIC BYWAY Trappdoor Cellars LLC Absolute Auction Live w/Online Bidding

Thursday Nov 9th 11AM MST

Property Location: 0285 Rio Grande Club Trail, South Fork, CO Auction Location: Rio Grande Club & Resort South Fork CO LippardAuctions.com 580-237-7174 Questions call Suzy Woodward, 719-850-5042 Broker Team Murphy Realty LLC or Troy Lippard, 580-747-6747 Auctioneer

www.ColoradoCommunityMedia.com/Notices

PUBLIC NOTICES

Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088 Legals City and County PUBLIC NOTICE The Arvada Housing Authority will open its Project Based Voucher Program waiting list to new applicants on November 27th, 2023 and will continue to take applications until further notice. Applicants must apply online at arvada. myhousing.com. Applications WILL NOT be available at the Arvada Housing Authority offices.

Please visit our website at www.arvadaco.gov or call our office at 720-898-7494 for more information or if you need assistance with the application process. The Arvada Housing Authority is an Equal Housing Opportunity agency.

Legal Notice No. 417117

First Publication: October 26, 2023 Last Publication: October 26, 2023 Publisher: Jeffco Transcript

Metro Districts Budget Hearings Public Notice NOTICE OF HEARING ON PROPOSED 2024 BUDGET AND 2023 BUDGET AMENDMENT NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the proposed budget for the ensuing year of 2024 has been submitted to the Spring Mesa Metropolitan District ("District"). Such proposed budget will be considered at a meeting and public hearing of the Board of Directors of the District to be held at 6:00 p.m. on November 9, 2023 at West Woods Community Station 6644 Kendrick Drive, Arvada, CO 80007 and via telephone and videoconference. To attend and participate by telephone, dial

720-547-5281 and enter passcode 693 853 832#.

Information regarding public participation by videoconference will be available at least 24 hours prior to the meeting and public hearing online a www.springmesa.org.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that an amendment to the 2023 budget of the District may also be considered at the above-referenced meeting and public hearing of the Board of Directors of the District. A copy of the proposed 2024 budget and the amended 2023 budget, if required, are available for public inspection at the offices of CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, 8390 East Crescent Parkway, Suite 300, Greenwood Village, CO 80111. Any interested elector within the District may, at any time prior to final adoption of the 2024 budget and the amended 2023 budget, if required, file or register any objections thereto.

SPRING MESA METROPOLITAN DISTRICT By: /s/ Jo Gentry, President

legals@coloradocommunitymedia.com Legal Notice No. 417115 First Publication: October 26, 2023 Last Publication: October 26, 2023 Publisher: Golden Transcript Jeffco Transcript and the Arvada Press

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 Vortex Services, LLC 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.

Bids and Settlements Public Notice

Dated this October 12, 2023

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., November 7, 2023 to Vortex Services, LLC for work related to Project No. 2022 Miscellaneous Drainage CIP# 22-DR-20 (CSB 23-ENG-030) and performed under that contract dated April 11, 2023 for the City of Arvada.

Any person, co-partnership, association of

CITY OF ARVADA /s/ Kristen Rush, City Clerk Legal Notice No. No. 417116 First Publication: October 26, 2023 Last Publication: October 26, 2023 Publisher: Jeffco Transcript

###

Arvada Legals October 26, 2023 * 1

32 Arvada Press

October 26, 2023