Arvada Press May 16, 2024

Hope House raises a record-breaking $102,000 at 11th Annual 5k and Fun Run

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Hope House Colorado has been busy supporting the area’s teen moms; rst with a car giveaway and then with a record-breaking fundraiser.

e Arvada-based nonpro t that aims to help teen moms achieve selfsu ciency hosted its 11th Annual 5k and Fun Run on May 4 at the Apex Center and saw the organization break its own record for fundraising total — with over $102,000 pledged — the most in the event’s history.

Four-year-old Malakai, the child of a Hope House mom, started the 5k with an emphatic “Ready, set, go!” around 9 a.m. Prizes were awarded to the fastest nishers in two adult categories and two youth (under 12) categories.

After the 5k, the Fun Run festivities began, including the Diaper Dash — the annual 10 yard “race” for crawlers, walkers and toddlers. At the center of the festivities, a vendor village featuring church partners and local restaurants bustled as local band Low ve cranked out the tunes.

Your dramatic rise in property taxation was part of an eight-billion-dollar windfall. The Colorado state house and Governor knew last year and only gave token reductions. They could have fixed it simply by saying taxes cannot be raised higher than 5.5%. This new senate bill will not reduce your recent property tax bill. They could have given you a refund but did not. The windfall will never be offset. Next year you will get a seven to ten percent reduction. The property tax cannot go up more than 5.5% in the future. So, they will give you a small reduction next year but allow for a 5.5% increase. If you have not protested before, I will for FREE if you interview me if you ever sell your home. VOLUME 19 | ISSUE 46

PROPERTY TAXES

The Diaper Dash gets underway at the annual Hope House 5k and Fun Run.

HOPE HOUSE, P2

HOPE HOUSE

“I absolutely love seeing our community turn in huge numbers to support our teen moms and their children,” Hope House CEO Lisa Steven said.

e nonpro t’s previous record for fundraising at the 5k was $88,000, collected at last year’s event.

Car donation

Another annual Hope House tradition took place in early May, as the nonpro t continued its 7-yearold partnership with Lake Arbor Automotive by giving a PT Cruiser to Ashely Sandoval, whose car recently broke down.

Dana TePoel, owner of Lake Arbor Auto noted the car’s prior use as a loaner for the auto shop, during which it accumulated 72,000 miles since 2004. e auto shop also gave Sandoval a year’s worth of free maintenance.

“ e PT Cruiser served us well, and it will continue to bring joy to a very deserving young driver, but it was the right time for the car to make this transition,” TePoel said. “Ashley will have reliable transportation during these critical years of her life when she is working so hard to raise her child.”

Sandoval said the car came at the perfect time for her and her son,

SPEAK OUT!

Elias.

“When I rst joined Hope House, I had a car and I was at Hope House every day attending classes,” Sandoval said. “ en things ended up going downhill. My boyfriend lost his job, I couldn’t work because

baby Elias is breastfed, and nothing was going the way we planned it. Our little old Honda gave up and broke on us. But I am so blessed to say everything went how God wanted it. anks to Lake Arbor, Elias and I will have transportation.”

Even the littlest ones got to race on May 4, as Hope House had fields open to all ages.

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EPA Launches ‘Energy Star NextGen’ to Identify Homes That

The Federal EPA’s Energy Star designation has been around since 1992. Initially, it was applied to appliances that exceeded standard levels of efficiency, but in 1995 the designation started being applied to new homes as a whole.

The Energy Star designation no doubt had the effect of governments and industry beginning to focus on energy efficiency, so a Version 2 with even higher standards was introduced in 2006, and a Version 3 was introduced in 2011.

The first paragraph on the Energy Star website reads as follows: Your home is your place to thrive. By choosing a new ENERGY STAR NextGen certified home or apartment, you can enjoy all the comfort, quality, value, and indoor air quality benefits you’ve come to expect from the ENERGY STAR label — and much more.

Are More Fully Electrified

With energy efficiency going more and more mainstream, the EPA has now introduced Energy Star NextGen instead of Version 4. As described on www. EnergyStar.gov, the NextGen certification “recognizes homes and apartments equipped with leading-edge, efficient electric technologies and electric vehicle charging capabilities — features that not only improve your lifestyle, but also the health of the planet.”

Energy Star NextGen-certified homes come with Energy Star certified heat pumps for heating and cooling, heat pump water heaters, induction cooktops, and electric vehicle charging capabilities. With national and local building codes now requiring greater energy efficiency, a NextGen-certified home is now only 20% more efficient than homes that are “built to code.”

High-performance windows, a tighter building envelopes and enhanced insulation are also common in this top category of energy efficient housing.

Archive of Past Columns Is Online

Over the past two decades, this column has appeared in local weeklies and the Denver Post, and during that time I’ve written about every conceivable topic related to real estate. You can find and search that archive online at www.JimSmithColumns.com

Many or even most builders have been building “Energy Starcertified” homes since as early as 2002. An estimated 2.7 million homes have been built with that certification, but Thrive Home Buildings is the only Colorado builder I’m aware of that is committed to building and selling homes with the Energy Star NextGen certification.

Here are the advantages spelled out by the Energy Star website for buying a new home with the NextGen certification.

 Lower energy bills. Superior insulation, air sealing, and highly efficient heat pumps help lower your energy bills, while improving comfort and reducing drafts.

 Improved safety and indoor air quality. Electric cooktops and ovens reduce exposure to harmful combustion byproducts — including carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and small particulates.

 Peace and quiet. Multi-speed heat pumps run on low most of the time, making them quieter while delivering more consistent temperatures for greater comfort. Ductwork that has been properly sized further reduces noise from the air handler. High levels of insulation make the home quieter by reducing noise from outdoors.

This bi-level home at 11296 W. Kentucky Dr. has been well maintained by the seller. It was painted and walkways replaced in 2006, and a new roof & siding were installed in 2017. The house is white with blue shutters and gutters, and a blue & white garage door was new in 2009. The seller put in a new, energy efficient furnace in 2014 and new acrylic shower and shower doors in 2007. The backyard is mostly flat now (due to the seller rocking the sloping landscape) and completely fenced. There are lilacs on two sides of the house, and an ornamental plum and two purple ash trees are in the backyard. Briarwood Hills is a very quiet, friendly neighborhood. Most of the surrounding homeowners care about their yards, as does this seller. You will find magazine-quality photos and a narrated video tour at www.LakewoodHome.info Call listing agent Jim Swanson at 303-929-2727 to request a showing.



Increased resale value. High-performance homes sell for significant price premiums compared to typical homes. Energy Star certified and similarly efficient homes enjoy sales price premiums of up to 6%.

 A clean energy future. The electric and hybrid electric technologies in your Energy Star NextGen home will help to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions and climate impact associated with its operation. These benefits will continue to grow as the grid gets cleaner.

Retrofitting a non-Energy Star home to be more energy efficient or even “net zero energy” (meaning all-electric and generating all the electricity needed for the home through solar panels) is something that Golden Real Estate’s broker associates and I are committed to facilitating for our buyer clients. Personally, I am offering a free home energy audit to any buyer who hires me between now and September 30th to purchase an existing home.

A home energy audit involves doing

There’s

a blower-door test to locate the various air leaks in a home so that specific steps can be taken to make the home more airtight. All appliances are evaluated and the homeowner is given a road map of different strategies that could be taken. We also have experience recommending all categories of vendors working with homeowners to improve insulation, install higher performance windows and doors, and to replace gas appliances with high-efficiency electric heat pump appliances.

We can help you find the best company to install solar panels, whether roof top or ground-mounted, or even in a distant solar garden, where the electricity you generate is credited to the electric meter in your home, condo or apartment. You don’t need a roof to benefit from solar power!

The company which I have hired for all five of my solar power installations, starting in 2004, is Golden Solar. I don’t ask or receive a referral fee when you act on my recommendation, but the owner, Don Parker, kindly helped me out when I needed a place to park our free moving truck after I sold our office building on South Golden Road. It and our box shed are now parked on his lot on South Golden Road. Thanks, Don! You can reach Don on his cell phone, 720-234-6517. Tell him I said hello!

a Full-Blown Home Insurance Crisis Brewing

I need some help researching this article. If you’re in the insurance industry or have information that can benefit fellow readers, let me hear from you. I’d also like to hear from legislators about possible new laws.

Here’s an email I got from an Estes Park homeowner, Jay Blackwood:

My bank says that in the metro area a single family home may have insurance costs double this year. In the mountains it’s much worse.

Without warning, my condo association in Estes Park was told in January that American Family would drop us on the anniversary of our policy in April. This was due to our high risk of fire and hail. In 44 years we only have had one claim, for hail.

Apparently each insurance company has a secret risk map and decides if a property can

be insured depending on location and tree density.

We spent three months searching for a new policy and were forced to purchase a high risk one. Last year we paid $ 20,000. This year it’s $340,000 for 3/4 of the coverage. That is 17 times as much.

My total HOA fees last year were about $4,000. This year they are $14,000.

Other local condo associations are experiencing similar crises. Some businesses and even a large church are going uninsured. A builder has houses completed which cannot sell because they can’t be insured. Colorado is right behind California in loss of insurance. The State is dragging its feet on this issue. And news media don’t seem to cover it.

Individual horror stories are interesting, but I’ll looking for insights into addressing this problem that I can share in a future ad.

Jim Smith

Broker/Owner, 303-525-1851

Jim@GoldenRealEstate.com 1214 Washington Ave., Golden 80401

Broker Associates:

JIM SWANSON, 303-929-2727

CHUCK BROWN, 303-885-7855

DAVID DLUGASCH, 303-908-4835

GREG KRAFT, 720-353-1922

AUSTIN POTTORFF, 970-281-9071

KATHY JONKE, 303-990-7428

“Concentrate on giving and the getting will take care of itself.” —Anonymous

Zachary Kwak pleads guilty in Alexa Bartell rock throwing death

Kwak takes plea deal for lesser charges; will spend 20-32 years in jail, murder charges dismissed

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Zachary Kwak, one of the three defendants in the Alexa Bartell rock throwing case, has pled guilty to two counts of assault and one count of attempt to commit assault while also admitting that he acted knowingly with extreme indi erence for the value of human life by engaging in activities that ultimately lead to Bartell’s death.

Kwak, who had previously entered a not guilty plea, accepted the First Judicial District’s plea bargain on May 10 and is expected to spend between 20 and 32 years in prison. He will not be sentenced until Sept. 3 or the conclusion of his co-defendants’ cases.

e defendants in the murder of Bartell — which occurred on April 19, 2023 — are being tried separately, with court documents obtained by the Arvada Press suggesting that the defendants plan to accuse each other of throwing the rock that killed Bartell.

Joseph Koenig and Nicholas Karol-Chik are the other defendants in the case.Karol-Chik’s trial is scheduled to begin on June 7, while Koenig’s is slated to begin on July 19 e trio was charged with murder after being apprehended by police — Kwak’s original charges, including the murder charge, were dismissed as part of his plea deal.

During the trio’s rock throwing spree, seven cars were hit by large landscaping rocks. Bartell was killed by one that went through her windshield, and three other people were also injured in the attacks.

e three charges Kwak plead guilty to are assault in the rst degree, assault in the second degree and criminal attempt to commit assault in the second degree.

As part of his plea deal, Kwak has agreed to cooperate with the prosecution on its cases against Koenig and Karol-Chik, according to First Judicial District Attorney’s O ce Public Information O cer Brionna Boatright.

Karol-Chik has a disposition hearing set for 9 a.m. on May 15. When a defendant has entered a not guilty plea, a disposition hearing may be scheduled so that the judge and lawyers may discuss how to resolve the case without going to trial, at which point the defendant may change their plea to guilty or no contest through a plea agreement.

SCHMIDT CONST CO EQUIPMENT

AUCTION

St. Anthony Hospital Community Benefit Forum

On behalf of CommonSpirit St. Anthony and OrthoColorado Hospitals, we invite you to attend our Hospital Community Benefit Forum on June 12 to learn about our 2023 Community Benefit investments. Our leaders will also share how we advance care by participating in the Hospital Transformation Program. Additionally, one of our Health Equity & Advancement Fund awardees will share information about their organization and how their funded initiative is improving Community Health in our region.

Your attendance and participation will help us strengthen our multisector collaboration and our commitment to building healthier communities.

Language assistance services will be provided if you speak a language other than English, including ASL.

Please visit mountain.commonspirit.org/forums or scan the QR code to register for the event.

Alexa Bartell was killed when a rock was thrown through her windshield. COURTESY ARVADA POLICE

Former Adams County Sheri sentenced for forgery

Former sheri avoids jail time over law enforcment training paperwork

STAFF REPORT

Former Adams County Sheri Rick Reigenborn won’t face jail time for falsifying records regarding state mandated law enforcement training he did not complete, the Colorado Attorney General’s o ce announced May 2. Reigenborn pleaded guilty May 2 and was sentenced by a Denver District Court judge for his role in carrying out a scheme to falsify records and claim credit for statemandated law enforcement training that he did not complete.

elected

Reigenborn was elected as Adams County Sheri in 2018, taking over the position from Michael McIntosh in 2019. He served in the job until 2023, after losing the Democratic primary to challenger Gene Claps in 2022. Claps went to defeat Republican Michael McIntosh and has been sheri since 2023.

Reigenborn pleaded guilty to one count felony forgery and two misdemeanor crimes of seconddegree forgery and rst-degree ofcial misconduct. He received a 12-month deferred sentence on the felony forgery charge and a concurrent 12-month probation sentence on the misdemeanor charges.

As part of a plea agreement, the former sheri will relinquish his state peace o cer certi cation and will no longer be eligible to serve as a peace o cer in Colorado.

He must also write a letter of apology to the men and women of the Adams County Sheri ’s O ce.

“We are committed to ensuring law enforcement integrity and that all law enforcement o cers engage in necessary training,” Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a written statement. “Former Sheri Reigenborn failed to do that, undermined his professional obligations, and broke the law. We are holding him accountable for these actions and sending a message that we take violations of training requirements very seriously.”

Weiser also serves as chair of Colorado Peace O cers Standards and

Training or POST.

Law enforcement o cers in Colorado must complete at least 24 hours of annual in-service training to maintain their status. at includies at least 12 of arrest control, driving, and rearms training.

Law enforcement agencies can lose state funds if their o cers fail to complete that annual training.

Former Adams County Undersheri omas McLallen pleaded guilty and was sentenced in January for his role in the training records fraud scheme. Former Division Chief Michael Bethel faces charges in the case, including felony counts of forgery, attempt to in uence a public servant, conspiracy to commit forgery, and conspiracy to attempt to in uence a public servant. Bethel’s next appearance in court is June 13.

REVERSE MORTGAGES MADE EASY

Reigenborn

RTD’s bus design contest celebrates 60 years of the Civil Rights Act in Colorado communities

BY JO DAVIS JDAVIS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Colorado’s Regional Transportation District is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement with an art contest. e agency is asking Coloradans for Civil Rightsthemed artwork that will be wrapped onto an RTD bus.

United,Atlantis Community Inc., or Servicios De La Raza,” Green said. He went on to name other social justice, civil rights and community-focused agencies. “Whether it’s human rights or civil rights, at the end of the day, it’s about leaving places better than you found it.”

Green said his team landed on temporarily wrapping an RTD bus with a design by an artist in the community. e bus unveiling will also include a celebration. Green said details of the event are still being determined.

“I believe that public transportation is the great societal equalizer, and the delivery of transit services is inherently linked to social justice movements and the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” RTD General Manager and CEO Debra A. Johnson said.

Carl Green Jr., director of RTD’s Civil Rights Division said that the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act (of 1964) is an important milestone for public transit.

“When I think about access to opportunity, whether it’s jobs, employment, grocery stores, education, social services and key public activity centers, public transportation is interwoven within the fabric of our community. And it provides access to opportunity,” Green said. e idea for a public design contest comes from Green’s desire to make the celebration a community e ort.

“I’ve been working in civil rights and social justice-related work for decades. And when I think about what it means for public transportation, and the community and the customers that we serve, I’m a fervent believer in you got to know your past to know where you’re where you’re going,” Green said.

Green explained this thought led him to wonder about all the many options for commemorating the historic event.

“I thought about the 60th anniversary, in putting thoughts into the ether, so to speak, or pen to paper. How do we celebrate this landmark legislation in a way that is going to bring about awareness and hopefully bring it out action,” Green said.

Green said he next brought RTD partners into the brainstorming for the event.

“And when I think about the community partners such as Denver, NAACP, ACLU Colorado, One Colorado, Colorado Asian Paci c

According to RTD, artists are encouraged to submit bus art with the following design goals in mind:

• Celebrate the history of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, in addition to countless other federal and state laws that protect our civil, political and legal rights

• Recognize the individuals, groups or major events in Colorado and nationally that championed equity, equality and accessibility

• Create a vibrant and lively design, celebrating our diverse community

• Inspire action by increasing visibility and engaging the community

All design applications and artwork proposals are due May 24. e winning design will be announced in June and wrapped. According to RTD, the wrapped bus will be a part of the “regular xed-route services in the Denver metro area through 2024.”

RTD outlined the following project timeline for the design contest:

• May 24 – Artist applications and submission deadline

• June 2 – e evaluation panel starts the art design review process

• June 3 – Artist and bus wrap design selected

• June 14 – Finalization of wrap design

• Summer 2024 – Bus design wrap reveal

e creator of the winning design will receive $3,500.

“ is project provides artists with a rich opportunity to bring forth ideas that illustrate these principles and constitutional rights for public re ection and enjoyment, “Johnson said. For more information and to submit a design, visit rtd-denver. com/60th-anniversary.

The winning design for the RTD Civil Rights bus art contest will be wrapped onto an RTD bus. The process is similar to the wrapping of busses for Asian American and Pacific Islander Appreciation Month.

PHOTO COURTESY RTD

Je co considers new boundaries to balance school size

School closings o the table, but other measures considered

School closures are no longer on the agenda for the Je erson County School District, at least for now.

But taking other measures including boundary changes and enrollment caps to help balance populations at school buildings are now a top priority, a Je co School Board member told parents Monday night.

“ ere is not any talk of school closures right now, not at all,” board member Danielle Varda said. “ e superintendent has said she will not be closing high schools, so hopefully that will make you feel good.”

Varda spoke to a small group of parents at a forum hosted by Annie Contractor, a new Je erson County School District Accountability Committee member. Parents from the seven schools surrounding Standley High School were invited to talk to Varda about issues in the east portion of the Je co District.

Long-term enrollment declines in Je co led the district to close 21 schools since 2021, according to Chalkbeat. Je co’s total enrollment in 2022-23 was

told parents. The district is looking to shift some school boundaries to better balance school populations, Varda said.

“But so far nothing has been recommended, so there is nothing to worry about,” Varda said.

Varda said the district is also looking at implementing enrollment caps at some schools and blocking new families from enrolling their children at schools at or near 100% enrollment, she said.

Building loyalty

Standley Lake Principal Todd Rago told the parents they need to be more cohesive in developing strategies to build more loyalty to schools in the Standley Lake area.

“(School) choice complicates things…people are going to go where they want to go,” Rago said. “The vested interest isn’t in my building. It would be nice to get everyone in the same room to share a common goal.”

Contractor said some Standley Lake area parents may still be concerned

that they do not have visibility into how schools are making decisions around Uni ed Improvement Plans, budgets, and school supports such as busing decisions. Families have raised concerns that they learned about safety situations that concerned their child much later, through form emails, and without speci cs, making it hard to trust that their kids are in a safe environment. Parents have expressed trepidation about speaking up on issues they are worried about, citing fears that their children will face retaliation from school adults. Families have raised concerns of seeing bullying themselves without adults intervening and kids reporting an environment where they ae discourage from speaking up. Families are reporting struggles with getting what they need for their students both for students not at grade level and those students seeing low growth but performing above the grade standard. Families in both groups have expressed frustration that their student is not being met where they are.

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Je co School Board member Danielle Varda addresses parents at Standley Lake High School May 6.

MONTE WHALEY

Colorado’s foster families honored for National Foster Care Month

BY JO DAVIS JDAVIS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

May is National Foster Care Month. e Colorado Department of Human Services commemorated the month by honoring ve foster families. e families honored were Desmond and Emelia Boateng from Peyton, Jennifer and Stacy Gardinier from Deacon, Chad Harbertson and Kayunte Berry from Lakewood, Josh Skaggs from Colorado Springs and Ahna and Andres Raygoza from Wiggins. e families came together for a luncheon on Saturday, May 4, at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.  “ ese families are examples of ordinary Coloradans doing something extraordinary to strengthen families and their community. eir support for reuni cation and

commitment to caring for youth of all ages is remarkable,” said Mollie Bradlee, interim director of the CDHS O ce of Children, Youth and Families. “ ey are an inspiration for others to consider what they can do right now to make a difference for kids and families.”

e luncheon was also to bring more attention to foster care, to CDHS. e state is always looking to nd more families to add to its foster and kinship family network, CDHS. According to the CDHS, there are 3,448 children and youth living with 2,471 certi ed kinship and foster families today in Colorado.

“We know that people are curious about foster care and want to know more about what it is really like,” said Bradlee. “By sharing these real stories, we hope to inspire more

BATHROOM REMODELING DONE RIGHT

Coloradans to support children and youth who need a temporary safe place to heal while their parents or caregivers work on building skills to help their children thrive.”

According to the CDHS, being a foster parent isn’t exclusive to married, middle-aged couples. In Colorado, foster parents can be:

• Single, married, or in a committed relationship

• All races and ethnicities

• All sexual orientations, gender identities, or gender expressions

• Homeowners or renters

• An experienced parent or a rsttime parent

• Older or young (minimum 21 years old)

e only way to know if you qualify is to contact the CDHS o ce near you for more information. Visit CO4Kids.org.

The honored Colorado foster families from the left are Josh Skaggs, Stacy and Jennifer Gardinier, Desmond and Emelia Boateng, Ahna and Andres Raygoza, Chad Harbertson and Kayunte Berry. COURTESY PHOTO

Colorado Community Media honored with 10 regional journalism awards

Sta takes three first place honors at the Society of Professional Journalists’ Top of the Rockies Excellence in Journalism competition

BY COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA STAFF

e sta of Colorado Community Media’s two dozen newspapers received 10 awards, including three rst-place honors, at the esteemed Top of the Rockies Excellence in Journalism competition over the weekend.

is year’s contest, hosted by the Colorado chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, attracted a record number of participants, with more than 80 news media outlets and 30 freelancers from Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico submitting their work. Judged by the Los Angeles Press Club, the competition was erce, with more

than 1,900 entries vying for recognition. Colorado Community media competed in the large newsroom category.

e newsroom’s “Long Way Home” series, an extensive, 14-story deep dive into the escalating crisis of housing a ordability and availability, won rst place in the General Reporting, Series or Package category. e story identi ed the barriers many younger Coloradans and people of color face in their struggles for home ownership and explored potential solutions. e stories, produced by reporters across the newsroom, ran in newspapers — from the Arvada Press to the Parker Chronicle — across the metro area. e project was led by Editor in Chief Michael de Yoanna with West Metro Editor Kristen Fiore, North Metro Editor Scott Taylor, Digital Editor Deborah Grigsby and former South Metro Editor elma Grimes, the assistance of editors Scott Gilbert and Christy Steadman, and initial contributions from former chief editor Lisa Schlichtman.

A group of Colorado Community Media team members gather for a photo at the Colorado chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Top of the Rockies Excellence in Journalism awards ceremony on May 3 at the Denver Press Club. PHOTO BY LINDA SHAPLEY

Suspect killed in o cer-involved shooting after report of armed carjacking in Lakewood

BY JO DAVIS JDAVIS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e Je erson County Critical Incident Response Team is investigating a series of incidents that ended in a shootout and a deceased suspect.

O cers were called to Walmart at 440 Wadsworth Blvd at 10:27 a.m. May 8, according to a Lakewood Police Department press release. e store sta reported that a man was threatening people with a gun.

e man ed the scene before ocers arrived.

Minutes later, according to LPD, o cers responded to a reported carjacking at 4th Avenue and Zephyr Street. A woman reported sitting in her minivan when “an adult man pointed a gun at her and ordered her out of the minivan,” according to the press release. e man ed in the minivan and o cers determined that the carjacking suspect matched the description of the man who was menacing customers at

Walmart only minutes earlier, the press release said.

Lakewood police o cers quickly found the minivan and attempted a tra c stop, but the suspect kept driving and o cers followed in a pursuit that ended in a crash at 6th and Garrison, the press release said.

“Agents ordered the suspect to get out of the minivan with his hands up. When the suspect exited the minivan, he immediately pointed his gun at agents. Agents red and after taking him into custody im-

mediately began lifesaving measures,” the LPD press release read. EMS responded, but the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene, according to LPD. e o cers reported recovering a handgun at the scene. Police also reported that six Lakewood o cers were involved in the shooting, but none were injured. No other suspects are at large.

e name of the suspect is being withheld pending family noti cation, according to LPD.

AWARDS

Judges wrote: “Tremendous effort by the sta of Colorado Community Media to tell the story of housing — the facts, gures and people a ected by metro Denver’s housing issues.”

Reporters Nina Joss and McKenna Harford won rst place in the Politics, Feature category for “Shades of Red” in the Douglas County News-Press, looking at divergent views among south metro area Republicans regarding how to present a uni ed front to voters.

“In this timely, unbiased, and in-depth analysis, journalists Nina Joss and McKenna Harford show great skill at explaining complex political issues in a way that is accessible and engaging to their audience. e result is a clearly written, logically structured, and highly entertaining piece of work,” the judges remarked.

News sta ers Fiore, Corinne Westeman, Grigsby, Steadman, Rylee Dunn and Steve Smith were honored with a rst place in Social Justice Reporting in “For the record: Examining how the Golden Transcript contributed to systemic racism.” e story, which Westeman took the lead role in writing, reconciled with a racially biased chapter of the Transcript’s presentation of news in the late 1960s and early 1970s surrounding the Black Panther Party. Also named on the award are Jameka Lewis, senior librarian at the Denver Public Library’s Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library, and a freelance researcher on the story, Greg Moore, contributing as an editor, and Allan Tellis, contributing as a doctoral

student of political science at the University of Colorado-Boulder/ freelance researcher.

“A hard-hitting reminder of a dark past, and the fact that there is still a long way to go,” judges wrote.

Westeman also took home a second-place award in the Sports, News category for “Role Players: Orediggers work behind the scenes to elevate football team’s performance.”

Dunn, at the Arvada Press, received a second-place honor for Obit Reporting for “Remembering Moses Walker, a musician and friend beyond compare.” Joss, at the Littleton Independent, took third place in the Obit Reporting category for “Je Gaylord’s death shines light on life of strength and sel essness.”

Also receiving third-place honors:

• Steadman, editor of the Washington Park Pro le and Life on Capitol Hill, for “Parkinson’s slows life down but doesn’t stop a family’s love” (Column, Personal)

• Englewood Herald Reporter

Elisabeth Slay for “Unopposed Englewood school board candidate Davon Williams has felony record and active arrest warrant, records show” (General Reporting, Series or Package)

• Production Artist Leah Neu, “A hub for young artists” (Single Page Design)

• Former Centennial Citizen Reporter Tayler Shaw for beat reporting.

Retired Canyon Courier Reporter

Deb Hurley Brobst, a four-decade veteran journalist with extensive editing, reporting and mentoring experience, was named a Keeper of the Flame, a lifetime achievement award given to journalists who display “extraordinary dedication to ethical, responsible journalism and professional integrity.”

As spring unfurls its vibrant colors across the picturesque landscapes of Colorado, residents and visitors nd themselves amid a unique phenomenon –the birthing season of many wildlife species.

Among them, mule deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep and black bears stand out, captivating observers with their majesty. In this season of renewal and growth, these critters undergo a profound transformation – they become caretakers, nurturing new life into existence.

e arrival of spring heralds the onset of fawning and calving season, a time when wildlife gives birth to their young. For many Coloradans, this season brings both wonder and a heightened sense of awareness and responsibility. With human development increasingly encroaching upon wildlife habitats, residents and visitors alike are presented with the unique challenge of cohabitating with these animals while ensuring their safety and well-being.

In communities nestled within the foothills and valleys of Colorado, encounters with young wildlife, especially mule deer fawns and elk calves, are rather common in the months of May and June. ese vulnerable ospring, born with dappled coats that provide natural camou age, evoke a sense of awe among onlookers. Yet, as humans marvel at the beauty of nature’s creations, they must also ex-

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

What about senior citizens?

VOICES

Fawning, calving season is underway

FROM THE WILDLIFE OFFICER’S DESK

ercise caution and respect for wildlife boundaries.

Jacob Sonberg, Scott Murdoch, Philip Sorensen, Mark Lamb, Matt Martinez & Kara VanHoose

Approaching or attempting to interact with fawns and calves can have serious consequences, both for critters and for humans.

e temptation to interact with young wildlife is often high among the public, as fawns and calves are found motionless in yards and along trails. ough these young have not been abandoned as many believe – their ability to stay put for long periods of time away from their mothers is a natural defense mechanism to avoid detection by predators. e wildlife experts at Colorado Parks & Wildlife emphasize the importance of maintaining a safe distance and refraining from interfering with the natural processes of these critters.

In recent years, incidents of wellmeaning individuals “rescuing” seemingly abandoned fawns and calves have become increasingly common. However, Wildlife O cers caution against such interventions, as these actions can lead to the separation of young wildlife from their mothers. Additionally, stress caused by human disturbance can disrupt vital bonding and nursing behaviors between mothers and their o -

spring. Instead, folks are reminded to observe from a distance and trust the instincts of wildlife to care for their young.

Fawning and calving season also coincides with increased humanwildlife con icts in Colorado’s wildland-urban interface. As development continues to encroach upon wildlife habitat, con icts between wildlife and humans become more frequent. Every spring, Wildlife Ofcers respond to calls about people getting charged, and even trampled, by deer, elk, and moose who react defensively to protect their young. ese incidents are often instigated by humans and/or dogs encroaching on the wildlife’s space, and are easily avoided by observing wildlife from an appropriate distance and keeping dogs on their leashes. When observing wildlife in any season, but especially in the spring when young are on the landscape, always remember the “rule of thumb.” With an outstretched arm, point a thumb up in the air to make a “thumb’s up” gesture. If you can still see the wildlife around your thumb, you’re too close – back up until your thumb completely covers that critter. Additionally, changes in wildlife behavior in response to human presence means you’re too close – keep an eye out for critters stopping to look at you, ceasing feeding activity, moving away, and/or pinning their ears back.

Ultimately, the fawning and calving season serves as a poignant reminder of the delicate balance of coexistence between humans and wildlife. By respecting wildlife boundaries and fostering an understanding of the needs of mule deer, elk, and other species, residents of Colorado can ensure the well-being of both wildlife populations and themselves.

If you would like to get in touch with your local Wildlife O cer regarding wildlife violations, habitat projects, educational program opportunities, or other wildlife concerns and incidents, please contact CPW’s Northeast Region Service Center during normal business hours at 303-291-7227.

If you would like to report a wildlife incident and it is outside of normal business hours, please contact Colorado State Patrol’s Non-Emergency Dispatch at 303-239-4501 or *CSP (*277), and a Wildlife O cer will be in touch.

If you would like to report a wildlife violation, on record or anonymously, please contact Colorado Operation Game ief at 1-877-COLO-OGT (1877-265-6648).

Contributors to this column included Wildlife O cers Jacob Sonberg, Scott Murdoch and Philip Sorensen; Area Wildlife Managers Mark Lamb and Matt Martinez; and CPW NE Region PIO Kara VanHoose.

Mayor Simpson’s State of the City address was excellent this year. I agreed with her commendations of both John Marriott, Marc Williams and the City’s work under her leadership this past year. I also agreed with her statement that “Homelessness is a multifaceted issue.” What I don’t agree with is, “If you have 100 homeless individuals, you will have 100 unique solutions” because the homeless situation today is attacked by all U.S. governments by groups. While I believe we have all these groups in Arvada they aren’t equal

in numbers nor will these numbers for each group remain constant.

Seniors make up the largest population of any group today and are ever-increasing. My concern here is for senior citizens in not only in our city but in our county and state. “Baby Boomers” are now retiring in ever-increasing numbers and many of us live on xed incomes. For the three boomers that live in my home, we each have di erent individual situations nancially and medically. e main issue for all three of us though is the question of if we’ll be able to age in place and keep our

now-more-than-we-all-can-a ord home together with only retirement incomes sources.

is issue bothered me so greatly that I asked our State Senator, Rachel Zenzinger to help us out if she could before this year’s session got started. My hopes here were dashed when our State Senate passed its “Tabor Bill” which is scheduled now to be voted on by the State House in the session’s last day.   While all I read was that our state government wanted to make tax cuts equal for all, like many other seniors, these monies we get back

are vital for keeping our home and not being put out on the street or in one of the many new senior facilities which we all can ill a ord on xed retirement incomes.

All I can say here is why is this large population not really considered by any of our governments for our needs and it is only other groups that seem to matter when it comes to state spending and keep us here in Colorado. It’s not always just about children, it’s always about the entire family when it comes to homelessness.

Gary Sco eld, Arvada

MOA Reopens the Cabinet of Curiosities’ Doors

For most artists, when a work is completed, that’s the end of the creative process. So, when Colorado-based installation artist Lonnie Hanzon had the opportunity to reimagine his “Cabinet of Curiosities and Impossibilities” for the Museum of Outdoor Arts’ (MOA) new location, he knew he was getting a rare treat.

“It’s an honor to be back and thrilling to work with the museum again after all these years,” Hanzon said. “Especially when the piece you’re working on again has so many hundreds of pieces of your work in it.”

COMING ATTRACTIONS

creative space for others.

e newly updated Cabinet of Curiosities and Impossibilities was unveiled to the public at the MOA’s new location, Marjorie Park at Fiddler’s Green, 6331 S. Fiddler’s Green Circle in Greenwood Village, as part of the La Primavera Festival on April 28. It is now available to explore by guided tour only.

e Cabinet was originally set up at the MOA’s former headquarters in Englewood in 2009. When the museum moved in 2023, Cynthia Madden Leitner, the MOA’s President and Executive Director, knew the Cabinet had to come too.

“One of the things patrons kept asking was what was going to happen to the Cabinet. It’s such a labor of love for us and Lonnie,” said Tim Vacca, Director of Programs & Communications at the MOA. “We talked with Lonnie and asked if he could reenvision it and now it’s so great to have it back. It’s like visiting an old friend.” is permanent exhibit is housed in a new stand-alone building in Marjorie Park and features a vast collection of relics from fairy tales and nursery rhymes. Using these items, Hanzon explores everything early optics and geometry to celestial wonders and the sea.

What really makes this new version special is that Hanzon had a say in designing the entire space.

“It’s not very often you get to control everything, from oor to ceiling,” he said. “It allowed me to truly, truly treat it as a single work of art. It’s a chance to tell a better story.”

In addition to being an art installation, the Cabinet also serves as a

Clarke Reader

ere is room for di erent artists to display their own works and from May 25 through June 16, it will feature in an immersive theater experience called “Impossible ings,” put on by e Catamounts, a Boulder-based theater company, and Hanzon Studios. It will be a key scene location in the production, offering another way to engage with the space.

e aim of the Cabinet is to instill a sense of wonder in the viewer, no matter their age. And if people come away with their own sense of exploration piqued, so much the better.

“It’s a great experiential learning experience, one that is best when shared,” Vacca said. “I’m looking forward to hosting all kinds of groups and students, all of whom will have a great time exploring.”

For more information and to book a guided tour, visit https://moaonline.org/.

LSO ends season with an evening of romance

e Lakewood Symphony Orchestra’s  nal performance the 2023-2024 season will be “Isn’t It Romantic,” held at the Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Parkway, at 7:30 p.m. on ursday, May 30.

e concert will feature Youth Concerto winner Joseph Kim performing the Barber Violin Concerto.

ose looking to make a full night of it can attend the annual Celebration Dinner, which begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Community Room at the Cultural Center. e food will be prepared by two chefs and the second and third-place winners of the concerto competition will also perform.

Purchase tickets at www.lakewoodsymphony.org.

Where did those red, blue and black Colorado license plates come from?

A look at the history of some of

the state’s unique plate designs

BY ELLIS ARNOLD

Aubiquitous image in Colorado, the state’s standard license plate features an artsy depiction of white mountains against a green background. So when all-red, all-blue and all-black designs with white letters — without mountains — started popping up in tra c, you

probably took notice.

In 2023, roughly 180,000 vehicles were registered with those seemingly new plates. But the plates actually have roots in the past, and the oncediscontinued designs raise money for people with disabilities.

“ e rst blue-and-white plate was issued in 1914,” the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles said in a statement, adding: “ e rst year the all-red background with white letters was issued was 1925.”

Colorado’s popular new black plate is modeled after a 1945 design, predating the state’s rst plate design with mountains by about 15 years, according to the state DMV.

Another retro plate that ips the

standard design — instead o ering green mountains and white sky — recently made a return. It, too, generates funds for programs for the disability community.

Colorado’s batch of reissued designs represents just one of the many ways to support a cause or send a message.

“Our choice in license plates reects things we love to do, organizations we support, our service, our hobbies and interests and provides nancial support to these organizations,” DMV Senior Director Electra Bustle said in a news release this year.

Here’s a look at the history of some of Colorado’s unique license plates.

Bringing it back

Colorado rst made available the now-retro-looking plate with green mountains and white sky in 1962, the state DMV said.

Colorado discontinued that plate design in 2000, the division said. Bringing it back was an e ort of a state Senate bill in 2021, a law that requires the state to charge additional fees for those plates and put them in a disability support fund.

State lawmakers in 2022 followed up with state Senate Bill 22-217, a law that allowed Colorado to issue the previously retired designs of all-black, all-red and all-blue backgrounds.

An image of Colorado’s license plate design created to recognize the victims of the shooting at Columbine High School in 1999. COURTESY OF COLORADO DIVISION OF MOTOR VEHICLES

PLATES

FROM PAGE 14

e Colorado Disability Funding Committee receives $25 from the sale of each of those plates, as well as an additional $25 at renewal, the state DMV said.

e DMV does not have historical records that point to the reasons why the state discontinued the black, red and blue plates years ago, the division said.

“Black and white, and whiteand-black color combinations, as well as a host of other color combinations, were used from 1913 through 1958. e nal version of the black-and-white color combination was issued in 1954,” the DMV said in a statement.

Around 1959, the state moved to various versions of green-andwhite license plates, the DMV said.

Colorado rst made available its current standard license plate design of white mountains and green background around 1960, according to the DMV.

Retro plates gain popularity

Now that some old designs are back, they’ve become popular.

Coloradans chose the black plates roughly 170,000 times in 2023, according to a DMV list. About 6,900 vehicles registered with the red plates and about 6,400 with the blue that year, the list said.

“ e black background in particular exceeded original revenue estimates, while the blue and red backgrounds have met estimates,” a state budget document said.

e state made the black, red and blue plates available in January 2023.

Themed plates, including for ethnic groups

e Columbine “Respect Life” design remains popular too, with more than 75,000 vehicles registered with the plates in 2023. Released in 2001, the plate honors the 13 lives lost during the shooting at Columbine High School in 1999, according to the DMV.

(While the plate design was created to recognize the victims of the Columbine tragedy, it does not generate funds for survivors of the shooting, the DMV clari ed.)

Some plates center on ethnic groups. e Italian American heritage plate was created from a state House Bill in 2007.

e American Indian Scholars plate was created from a state Senate Bill in 2005, the DMV said. For that plate, a person must donate $25 to the Rocky Mountain Indian Chamber of Commerce.

And now, a bill to create a plate that supports the Chicana/o community — Americans of Mexican descent — recently passed the state legislature.

After it’s created, a person would become eligible for the plate by providing a certi cate con rming they have made a donation to a nonpro t organization chosen by o cials based on the organization’s provision of services to the Latin American community, according to a summary of the bill on the legislature’s website.

“It speaks to Chicano heritage that is very deep in the state of Colorado,” state Rep. Tim Hernandez has said.

An image of Colorado’s historically influenced blue-background license plate design.

An image of Colorado’s historically influenced black-background license plate design.

An image of Colorado’s license plate design that benefits the Rocky Mountain Indian Chamber of Commerce.

An image of Colorado’s historically influenced red-background license plate design.

An image of Colorado’s Italian American heritage plate design.

Indian Market & Powwow set for June 1 & 2 in Morrison

Annual event celebrates local culture and history with art, dance and drumming

e 23rd annual Indian Market & Powwow is June 1 and 2 on the grounds of e Fort restaurant, 19192 Hwy. 8 in Morrison. e twoday event is a tribute to Indigenous people who helped shape the cultural community of Bent’s Old Fort, an international trading post operating along the famous Santa Fe Trail that operated from 1833 until 1849.

e event is sponsored by the Tesoro Cultural Center, which aims to preserve and celebrate Colorado’s cultural heritage community and educational events.

roughout the weekend, members of Indian nations will share their culture through art, celebrations, dance performances and drum groups, including a contest powwow. e event will also feature demonstrations by Nature’s Educators, and exhibits from Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Remembering the Brave and His-

tory Colorado.

e festivities kick o at 6 p.m. May 31, with a patron party, during which guests can purchase and preview American Indian art, meet the artists and enjoy culture, food and music.

Each year, Tesoro’s Indian Market & Powwow honors an American Indian veteran with a ceremony thanking them for their service. is year’s honoree is Adriana Almodovar, a member of the Oglala Lakota and Santee tribes. She enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2011 as an armorer and served eight years in the Marine Corps Reserve. She was promoted to sta sergeant in 2019 and later stationed in Germany. Following her military service, Adriana worked for the Colorado Department of Corrections and Denver Sheri ’s Department. She joined the ornton Police Department in 2015 and was recently promoted to patrol sergeant. e event is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. Tickets are available for purchase at the door each day or at Eventbrite; search for 23rd annual Indian Market & Powwow. ey are $15 for adults, $10 for children 7-12 and free for children 6 and under. A limited number of free tickets are available for Je erson County residents on a rst-come, rst-serve basis; nd them on Eventbrite.

The 23rd annual Indian Market & Powwow is June 1 and 2 on the grounds of The Fort restaurant in Morrison. COURTESY OF TESORO CULTURAL CENTER

Thu 5/23

SUMMER SPINS ROLLER RINK

@ 3pm / $10

May 23rd - Sep 2nd

439 S Upham St, 439 South Up‐ham Street, Lakewood. info@bel marcolorado.com, 303-742-1520

Travis Thompson w/ Oble Reed @ 8pm

Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom, Denver

Fri 5/24

BELMAR 20TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY

@ 5pm / Free

Bailey Elora at Bar 404 w/ Master Ferocious + Alive at Nine @ 7:30pm Bar 404, 404 Broadway, Denver

Sat 5/25

Live @ The Rose - Hazel Miller And The Collective @ 7pm / $25

Buffalo Rose, 1119 Washington Avenue, Golden. information@buf falorose.net

Mon 5/27

Beyond Laser Light Experience @ 12pm Denver

Space Orphan @ 8pm

Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom & Other Side, 2637 Welton St, Denver

The Sadies at Globe Hall @ 8pm Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St, Denver

Wed 5/29

Live Music on Tap - Holly Vose @ 5:30pm / Free

Colorado Tap House, 14982 West 69th Avenue, Arvada. info@coloradotap house.com, 720-826-8326

Bad Cop/Bad Cop: Denver Show @ 7pm HQ, 60 S Broadway, Denver

Bear and the Beasts @ 8pm

Skylark Lounge, 140 S Broadway, Denver

church �re @ 7pm

Hi-Dive, 7 S Broadway, Denver probes @ 7pm

Hi-Dive, 7 S Broadway, Denver

Tue 5/28

Kim Ann Foxman @ 8pm 1134 Broadway, 1134 N Broadway, Denver

Sun 5/26

439 S Upham St, 439 South Up‐ham Street, Lakewood. info@bel marcolorado.com, 303-742-1520

Korey Foss: Rock Candy @ Dirty Dogs @ 2pm Dirty Dogs Roadhouse, 17999 W Colfax Ave, Golden

Maggie Rogers: The Don't Forget Me Tour @ 7:30pm

Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W Alameda Pkwy, Morrison

Rodeo Boys @ 8pm HQ, 60 S Broadway, Denver

Jarhead Fertilizer @ 8pm

Bluebird Theater, 3317 E Colfax Av, Den‐ver

Final Gasp @ 8pm

Bluebird Theater, 3317 E Colfax Av, Den‐ver

Eric Martinez & Friends at Lot 46 @ 8pm Lot 46 Music Bar, 5302 W 25th Ave, Edge‐water

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

powered

Littleton parents lambaste school board’s treatment of commenters, bus video policy

BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

During a dramatic meeting on May 9, parents expressed ongoing frustrations with Littleton Public Schools as its board reviewed proposed policy changes amid allegations that several non-verbal autistic students were abused on a district school bus.

Parents also condemned the board members and superintendent for limiting their time and opportunities to comment publicly as they advocated for the children. During the meeting, Board President Angela Christensen threatened to eject at least one parent.

“I don’t even really know why we keep coming here, to be honest,” said Jess Vestal, who said her son is a victim in the case, to the board. “Every couple of weeks you nd a new way to disappoint us. And I guess we come to just let you know that we will keep showing up for our kids until the correct changes are made.”

Among the commenters were the parents of several students who rode bus L76, where a paraprofessional formerly employed by the school district, Kiarra Jones, allegedly harmed autistic students for months. She is now facing 11 child assault and abuse charges. At the meeting, the board mem-

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bers discussed policy changes to extend the length of time the district keeps bus video footage from a minimum of ve to a minimum of 10 days. e new policy would also implement randomized audits of footage from buses that transport students with complex communication or development needs.

Parents, like Vestal, said the proposed changes would not be enough to safeguard children.

“I can’t understand how anybody with two brain cells could put that on paper and think ‘Yes, this will su ce,’ after what has transpired,” she said.

She showed photos of her son’s bruises and other injuries alleged to have happened on the bus in January, February and March. She said the policy being considered by the board would mean any videos related to these injuries could be deleted within 10 days of an incident.

Board President Angela Chris-

tensen cut Vestal o before Vestal was done speaking. Christensen cited the board’s policy that public commenters are allowed to speak for three minutes, but Vestal said her husband had ceded his three minutes to her as she was speaking for the family. Residents at the meeting yelled and even swore at Christensen and encouraged Vestal to continue speaking.

At that moment, Christensen called the meeting into a recess and left the dais. No board members followed her.

Audience members continued to yell. Eventually, Christensen returned and called the next speaker to the podium. Vestal returned to her seat.

At another point in the meeting, Christensen declared the public comment period over and attempted to move the board to its next agenda item.

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READER

Arvada Center hosts artistic evening on understanding the Middle East e Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., is hosting a special event called Standing for Humanity in Gaza and Israel at 7 p.m. on ursday, May 23, to use art to facilitate understanding and dialogue over the horri c situation in the Middle East.

e event begins with “How to Remain a Humanist After a Massacre,” a 20-minute play by Maya Arad Yassur, set on the morning of October 7. e evening will also include a poetry reading with work by Palestinian poets Mahmoud Darwish, Taha Muhammad Ali, Rashid Hussein and Refaat Alareer. ere will also be a facilitated panel discussion with local journalists, educators, political and faith leaders. Proceeds from this event will raise funds for Medical Aid for Palestinians and Bring em Home

Now! Find more information at https://arvadacenter.org/events/ standing-for-humanity-in-gazaand-israel-.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Holly Humberstone at the Bluebird Theater ere are a lot of pop stars these days who take the maximalist approach to their music, but the UK’s Holly Humberstone runs a bit counter by bringing in the listener as close as a whisper for her thoughtful explorations of love, loneliness and growing up. Last year she released her proper debut album, “Paint My Bedroom Black,” and it was one of my favorite albums of the year. In support of the record, Humberstone will be coming to the Bluebird eater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver, at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 20. She’ll be joined by singer/songwriter Carol Ades as opener. Get tickets at www.axs.com.

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

FROM PAGE 13

But Jessica McBride, who said her son is also a victim in the case, said she had signed up to comment and her name had not been called.

Christensen said everyone who signed up had been called and continued to call for a motion for the next agenda item.

As the board started to vote on the next item, McBride turned around to the residents in the room and started to deliver her public comments over the board’s words.

Christensen repeatedly attempted to silence McBride, and then called for security to escort McBride out of the meeting.

“Wow, more security than (on) the buses?” one parent exclaimed from the audience.

Christensen again called the meeting into a recess as audience

members yelled, “Run away, coward!” at her.

“I have been here — every board meeting since my kid was hurt on your bus,” McBride shouted. “Can you please allow me to speak?”

After a couple of minutes, Christensen, along with district Superintendent Todd Lambert, stopped resisting and McBride took the podium.

“It’s tough, I can imagine, for all of you to sit in this room and be publicly called out for your egregious failures,” she said. “I can imagine it’s embarrassing and it’s frustrating for all of you to be in this position, which explains your latest policy revisions.”

McBride called the proposed policy revisions a terrible rst draft.

“It’s time to sit down with the special needs community and have real conversations that will make real change,” she said.

Jess Vestal shows photos of her son’s injuries at a Littleton Public Schools Board of Education meeting on May 10.

PHOTO BY NINA JOSS

Strong bones for strong women

An unknown, yet highly common change that women might feel in their journey through life is a di erence in physical strength from a loss of bone density. Also known as osteoporosis, this progressive condition is a decrease in bone mineral density and bone mass with a heightened risk of fractures.

One of the main causes of osteoporosis is aging and menopause. Up to 20% of bone loss in women happens as women age and one in two women above the age of 60 will suffer a fracture in their lifetime from menopausal osteoporosis. Women are at a higher risk of the development of osteoporosis than men because menopause is the most common cause, according to the Endocrine Society.

It is never too early to build sta-

WOMEN’S WELLNESS

Dr. Terry Dunn

bility and strength in bones. Women should increase their intake of Vitamin D and calcium, as they play a major role in bone health. Vitamin D allows the body to absorb calcium, a mineral that is crucial to bone density. Spending time in the sun is a primary source of Vitamin D. Some calcium rich foods to incorporate into a diet to build bone strength are broccoli, chia seeds, milk, oranges and salmon. Including regular resistance strength training, such as dumbbells or weight machines, can support bone health. e hormone estrogen slows

La Ciudad

down the natural breakdown of bones in women. erefore, during the aging process when women’s hormones begin to change, one thing that can occur is uctuating, lower levels of estrogen increasing the possibility of osteoporosis development. e decrease in estrogen continues for postmenopausal women, which is why it is important to build and maintain bone strength before it is too late.

Women can receive an osteoporosis diagnosis during a routine checkup. A doctor will take an X-ray or body scan

ABOUT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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• Letters must be no longer than 400 words.

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to measure how many grams of calcium and other minerals are within a section of the bone. e spine, hip or forearm are the commonly tested bones because they are the most prone to breaking from osteoporosis. A diagnosis will help monitor the progression of bone loss and how to take preventative measures.

Dr. Terry Dunn is the owner of Foothills Urogynecology, a Denver-based practice specializing in women’s health. To learn more, visit www.urogyns.com.

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SPORTS

Green Mountain girls soccer exorcises 2nd round demons

BY DENNIS PLEUSS JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LAKEWOOD — Green Mountain girls soccer put an end to a curse Saturday afternoon at Lakewood Memorial Field.

e Rams had been eliminated from the Class 4A state tournament in the second round by Je co rivals Evergreen and Golden the previous two seasons. No. 13-seeded Green Mountain turned the tables with a 1-0 shutout victory against conference rival Dakota Ridge on Saturday.

“It’s good. Evergreen defeated us my freshman year and Golden last year,” Green Mountain junior Alyssa Hamilton said of not allowing a familiar foe to end the Rams’ season for a third straight season. “We nally got past the second round.”

Hamilton put in the lone goal of the game. e junior slipped her 25th goal of the season past Dakota Ridge freshman goalie Riley Mulberry in the 9th minute.

“I think the (shot) right before that I missed. I panicked a little bit because it was right there,” Hamilton said. “I knew which way she (Mulberry) was going to go. I hoped I was doing the right thing as the right moment. It ended up working out for us.”

Green Mountain sophomore Charlize Ellsworth fed the ball up to Hamilton, who was able to weave through a defender and keep the ball on the ground as Mulberry came up to try to cut o the angle for a shot.

“She (Hamilton) was wise,” Green Mountain coach Bari Abuhadema said of the lone goal. “She knew when she had. She was patient. She just poked it in.”

Dakota Ridge junior Ava Arnold (16 goals on the season) provided the Eagles’ best scoring chance, but Green Mountain senior goalie Taya Olguin came up with a diving save in the 54th minute.

“Ava’s hit was really good,” Abuhadema said of the Eagles’ best shot on goal. “Ava is a strong player. We had her marked, but she is still capable of getting o shots.”

Olguin has back-to-back shutout victories in the state tournament fol-

lowing a 5-4 loss to Golden in the Rams’ regular-season nale May 3.

“Against Golden, they were really hard shots that were hard to save,”

Olguin said of giving up ve goals against the Demons. “Our team was amazing. We all talked afterwards and made sure we were OK. It was OK that we lost. We tried our absolute hardest in that game.”

Green Mountain has bounced back nicely with victories this week in the postseason. e Rams blanked No. 20 Northridge 6-0 in their playo opener Wednesday at Lakewood Memorial Field before getting the 1-0 win Saturday.

“ at gave us a lot of motivation to just go at it,” Hamilton said of the loss to Golden. “We want to be the team

that surprises everyone.”

e Rams (11-3-1 record) ended up taking fourth in the highly competitive 4A Je co conference where ve teams advance to the round of 16 played Saturday.

Dakota Ridge (8-7-1) — defending 4A state champions — didn’t go down without a ght this postseason despite being a No. 29 seed. Dakota Ridge upset No. 4 Durango in the opening round before being eliminated Saturday.

Green Mountain joins league rivals No. 7 Golden, No. 14 Evergreen and No. 17 D’Evelyn in the quarter nals scheduled for ursday, May 14. Golden took a 2-1 victory over Skyline at the North Area Athletic Complex. Evergreen went on the road and

upset No. 3 Windsor, while D’Evelyn knocked out No. 1 Montrose 3-2 in overtime.

Half of the eight 4A quarter nal teams are Je co squads, but none will go head-to-head versus another Je co team in the next round.

“It will be nice to play someone outside the league now,” Hamilton said of facing Lutheran on Tuesday, May 14.

No. 2 North eld, No. 9 Denver North, No. 12 Lutheran and No. 27 Air Academy round out the remainder of the quarter nalists.

Dennis Pleuss is the Sports Information Director for Je co Public Schools. For more Je co coverage, go to ColoradoPreps.com and CHSAANow.com.

Green Mountain sophomore Charlize Ellsworth, left, and Dakota Ridge junior Maddy Culp battle for a ball during the first half Saturday, May 11, at Lakewood Memorial Field. Green Mountain won the all-Je co second-round game of the Class 4A state tournament. The Rams took a 1-0 victory.

PHOTO BY DENNIS PLEUSS/JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Golden and Valor girls golf teams complete 4-peat

BY DENNIS PLEUSS JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ARVADA — Ski caps and hoodies were in fashion during the nal Je co League girls golf tournament ursday at Indian Tree Golf Club. With temperatures hanging round 50 degrees, Golden and Valor Christian stayed hot. e Demons (Class 4A) and Eagles (Class 5A) both claimed their fourth straight Je co League team championship.

“It is super cool because I actually don’t go to Golden High School,” said senior Mollie Todd, who attends Golden View Classical Academy. “It is really meaningful to be with this team to win all four years. It is a super cool thing.”

Todd and Dakota Ridge senior Bella Kith tied for the individual 4A title at the nal of six Je co League tournaments. Both shot a 8-overpar, 81.

“I didn’t play great. I had a few bad holes, but I was able to pull through and do better than 85,” Todd said. “I really struggle on this course, so it’s a big deal for me to play good on this course.”

Todd nished third in the nal 4A Je co League standings. Littleton

sophomore Zoe Bar-Or took home the medalist title and Pomona junior Riley Kinsella was the league runner-up.

While Todd does graduate, the Demons will return their four juniors — Olivia Dorland, Satya Sche elman, Lizzy Trapp and Malia Stevens — next year. Dorland, Sche elman and Trapp all joined Todd as rst team all-conference selections.

“I didn’t really feel that much pressure,” Todd said. “I was just happy to go out there one last time to play with my friends and everything.”

Ralston Valley sophomore Addison Hines nearly put a little ding in Valor’s armor. Hines and defending 5A individual state champion — Valor junior Brenna Higgins — were tied going into the nal hole after Hines birdied the par 3 No. 17th hole.

However, a missed chip and a three-putt on the 18th hole led to a bogey for Hines.

“I had a bogey-free round going. It was a lot of pressure,” Hines said going to the nal hole.

Higgins was able to par the nal hole to shoot a tournament best 3-under, 70. e junior also claimed

the 5A Je co individual medalist title this year.

“I obviously always want to win, but I didn’t have too many nerves,” Higgins said of being tied with Hines going to the nal hole.

Higgins is experience in pressurepacked situation, having defeated Smoky Hill’s Sophia Stiwich in a one-hole playo last year at the state tournament to put icing on the top of the Eagles’ back-to-back team titles a year ago.

“ at has been the ultimate goal since the beginning of the season,” Higgins said of Valor going after a third straight 5A team title.

Hines and Columbine junior Emory Crawley joined Higgins and her Valor teammates Ella Scott, Bella Eide and Aja Blankenship as 5A Jeffco League rst team all-conference selections.

“ ey (Valor) have a really good team. It’s been tough,” Hines said. “I’ve had to play my absolute best to even try to get a win. It’s good competition and a good learning experience.”

Hines won individual titles at Meadows and Fox Hollow conference tournaments this spring.

Teams will head to their respec-

tive regional/state qualifying tournament next week. e 4A state tournament will be held May 20 and 21 at e Country Club of Colorado in Colorado Springs and the 5A state tournament will be at e Broadlands in Broom eld.

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

Meet Buddy Blue!

Buddy Blue (293149) is a 6-year-old male American Pit Bull Terrier. He is a friendly guy on the lookout for a new home where he can share his enthusiasm for life. Buddy enjoys long walks and quality time with

The Class 4A Je co League first team all-conference selections pose for a photo after the final Je co League tournament of the season Thursday, May 9, at Indian Tree Golf Club in Arvada. Littleton sophomore Zoe Bar-Or (far right) won the individual medalist title. Pomona junior Riley Kinsella (second from far right) was the league runner-up.

PHOTO BY DENNIS PLEUSS/JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MARC VARGAS

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POLICY

In the neighboring Douglas County School District, the board changed its policies on April 23 in response to what happened in Littleton Public Schools, with a policy similar to what the Littleton district is now proposing. Douglas schools said they will implement random checks of video feeds from transportation for special education students.

But the Littleton parents said they

want more – they want regular, not random, audits of bus footage. ey also said holding onto videos for a minimum of 10 days was not a long enough retention policy.

Another public commenter criticized a recent letter to district families from Lambert, which said the district is “working hard to be a state leader in student transportation safety.”

“What is your de nition of a state leader?” she asked. “To me, a state leader is not someone doing less than the bare minimum. e revisions you are proposing tonight are insu cient.”

After the public comment period, before the board began discussion about the new policies, Vestal, McBride and a group of other parents left the meeting.

Marcy Phelps, the district’s director of transportation, said sta time and video storage space are limitations to more consistent auditing and longer retention. She said the district is hoping to monitor bus footage for students with developmental needs weekly.

Earlier in the meeting, Lambert had said the district’s proposed changes are a “ rst step.”

“Policy development is a multi-

step process,” he said. “We have spent the past several weeks evaluating everything about our work when it comes to student safety on buses … While policy work is the most important rst step, this work is ongoing.”

Brittany Yarbrough, whose son is a victim in the child abuse case, told the Littleton Independent that she wants the district to call on experts and bring in the parents of special needs students to talk about the direction of those policy changes. e board will discuss the proposed bus policy again at its next meeting on May 23.

PUBLIC NOTICES

Legals

City and County

Public Notice

NOTICE OF PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON 2023 CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION REPORT

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development requires local jurisdictions receiving certain grant funds to prepare a Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER) for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) allotment.

The report includes a summary of available resources, accomplishments, and an evaluation of actions undertaken to achieve the Strategic Plan objectives, including the City’s efforts to provide affordable housing, address the needs of the homeless population and those with special needs, and affirmatively further fair housing. This report also identifies how federal funds leveraged other resources and met program specific requirements for the CDBG program.

The City will hold a 15-day comment period from May 16, 2024 - May 31, 2024. A copy of the proposed 2023 CAPER is available for public review on the City’s Human Services and Community Development Block Grant website: https://www. arvadaco.gov/418/Human-Services-and-Community-Development and at the Housing Division located at 8101 Ralston Rd, Arvada, Colorado between the hours of 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. weekdays.

Written comments on the 2023 CAPER are encouraged and may be emailed to nashmore@ arvada.org or by mail to Nick Ashmore, Housing Grants Administrator, City of Arvada Housing Division, 8101 Ralston Rd, Arvada, CO 80002. Comments will be accepted until Tuesday, May 31, 2024.

For further information, please contact Nick Ashmore at 720-898-7497, weekdays between

8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.

Legal Notice No. 418503

First Publication: May 16, 2024

Last Publication: May 16, 2024

Publisher: Jeffco Transcript

Public Notice

NOTICE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT

Notice is hereby given that disbursements in final settlement will be issued by the Finance Director at 10:00 a.m., May 28, 2024 to J.R. Filanc Construction Company, Inc for work related to Project No. 21-WA-06 Canyon Pines Pump Station Project and performed under that contract dated January 18th, 2022 for the City of Arvada.

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

Dated this April 30, 2024

CITY OF ARVADA

/s/ Kristen Rush, City Clerk

Legal Notice No. 418501

First Publication: May 16, 2024

Last Publication: May 16, 2024

Publisher: Jeffco Transcript

Public Notice

Arvada Housing Authority

Housing Choice Voucher Program Public Notice

for year 2024 Administrative Plan Revisions and Fiscal Year 2025 Annual Plan and 5 Year Plan

Public Notice is hereby given that beginning May 16, 2024, through June 6, 2024, at 12:00

pm; The Arvada Housing Authority (AHA) will display for public review and comments a copy of proposed policy changes and revisions to the AHA Administrative Plan as well as a draft of the AHA annual plan and AHA 5 year plan for fiscal year 2025. Location for review will be at AHA’s Office 8101 Ralston Rd., Arvada, CO, 80002, and the AHA website: https://www.arvadaco.gov/438/Arvada-Housing-Authority---Housing-Choic

Comments on the agency’s policy changes and revisions may be submitted in writing to Arvada Housing Authority, 8101 Ralston Rd., Arvada, CO, 80002; Attention: Dena Kothe, Housing Choice Voucher Program Supervisor or emailed to dkothe@arvada.org Comments must be received by Thursday, June 6, 2024, by 12:00 pm. All comments will be reviewed prior to AHA Board of Commissioners meeting and public hearing on Monday, July 1, 2024, at 6:00 pm.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires Public Housing Agencies to establish policies for carrying out the Housing Choice Voucher programs in a manner consistent with the HUD requirements and regulations (Code of Federal Regulations). The changes/ revisions to the AHA Administrative Policy are in compliance with the current HUD regulations and requirements and are to be effective September 1, 2024. AHA’s Public Hearing will be held at 6:00 pm on Monday, July 1, 2024, at 8101 Ralston Rd., Arvada, CO, 80002.

Legal Notice No. 418502

First Publication: May 16, 2024

Last Publication: May 16, 2024

Publisher: Jeffco Transcript

Metro Districts Budget Hearings

Notice

OF HEARING ON PROPOSED 2023 BUDGET AMENDMENT

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that proposed budget amendment for 2023 has been submitted to the Vauxmont Metropolitan District ("District").

Such proposed amended budget will be considered at a meeting and public hearing of the Boards of Directors of the Districts to be held in person at Candelas Parkview Swim & Fitness Club, 19865 W 94th Ave, Arvada, CO 80007 and via telephone and videoconference at 5:00 p.m. on May 21, 2024. To attend and participate by telephone, dial 1-720-547-5281 and enter passcode 381 049 093#. Information regarding public participation by videoconference will be available at least 24 hours prior to the meeting and public hearing online at www.candelascommunity.com.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that copies of the proposed amended 2023 budget, if required, are available for public inspection at the offices of CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, 8390 East Crescent Parkway, Suite 300, Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111. Please contact Gigi Pangindian by email at Gigi.Pangindian@claconnect.com or by telephone at 303-799-5710 to make arrangements to inspect the proposed amended budget prior to visiting the foregoing office. Any interested elector within the District may, at any time prior to final adoption of the amended 2023 budget, if required, file or register any objections thereto.

VAUXMONT METROPOLITAN DISTRICT

By: /s/ Peter Schulte, President

Legal Notice No. 418475

First Publication: May 16, 2024

Last Publication: May 16, 2024

Publisher: Golden Transcript Jeffco Transcript and the Arvada Press

Bids and Settlements

Public Notice

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The Arvada Housing Authority (AHA) invites developers of property in Arvada, CO to submit proposals for participation in the Housing Choice Voucher Project Based Voucher Program (PBV). The objectives of this allocation are to 1) Expand housing options for low-income individuals and families with special needs 2) To increase the

supply of affordable housing for individuals and families and 3) Support the development of high-density new construction affordable housing projects.

If applicable, all financing of project costs and operating expenses will be the responsibility of the owner. Rents that are established for the project will be commensurate with other comparable rents for similar rental units in the areas in which the project is located. In all cases, however, rents cannot exceed the maximum allowable HUD Fair market Rent published for Jefferson County.

The PBV units will be leased to eligible low-income households referred by AHA or to eligible tenants in occupancy of the unit at the time of the submission of the proposal. Rental assistance is available for a total not to exceed 8 units for a single project. AHA reserves the right to award less than the maximum vouchers available or requested.

Note: Participation in the PBV Program requires compliance with Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Requirements, and Federal Labor Standards will apply to eligible projects. Proposal documents can be obtained from the Arvada Housing Authority’s website: https://www.arvadaco.gov/952/Project-Based-Voucher-Program

All proposals should be submitted via email to dkothe@arvada.org. Only proposals in response to this invitation will be accepted for consideration. Owners/Developers will be notified by letter of the acceptance or rejection of their proposals. AHA will also publish its notice of selection of PBV proposals on the Arvada Housing Authority website as well as the Arvada Press. All proposals MUST be received no later than 5:00 P.M., Friday, June 14, 2024.

Questions can be directed to Dena Kothe at dkothe@arvada.org or 720-898-7476

Legal Notice No. 418504

First Publication: May 16, 2024

Last Publication: May 16, 2024 Publisher: Jeffco Transcript