CAG Thrift Shop & Food Pantry

1401 FORD ST, GOLDEN, CO 80401

303-279-5674 • www.goldencag.org

Tax deductible monetary and gently used clothes/household items, NEW socks/underwear donations are appreciated.

Food Pantry in need of tomato products, coffee, canned meat/tuna, jelly, spam, water, shampoo, body wash, and tooth paste.

Our Goals:

• To provide support and empathy in an inclusive environment.

• To provide help for those in need in our community.

• To operate a food pantry in the Golden area for the benefit of local families and individuals.

• To provide short-term financial assistance to those experiencing crisis or sudden hardship has reported that every year Colorado students leave about $30 million in federal nancial aid unclaimed. e state’s teacher union said there are reasons to be cautious about a push to mandate FAFSA completion. e Colorado Education Association said it wants to discuss issues such as whetherthe requirement would burden teachers and students, raise privacy issues, and favor four-year colleges over other options, union President Amie Baca-Oehlert said.

• To provide consultation and advice regarding additional support services in the vicinity.

Colorado has sought to boost FAFSA completion in other ways.

Last year, the state created grants for districts to increase FAFSA completion, but only a handful of districts applied, Staron said. Despite o ering more nancial literacy for students, training for teachers, and nancial aid planning for students, the state’s FAFSA completion rate remained at about 45%.

In the upcoming FAFSA cycle, the federal government will launch an application that’s intended to be easier for students to ll out. e new form, however, will be released in December instead of the previous schedule of October, narrowing the window to complete the form.

Financial aid experts expect the form will have unintended consequences, especially for students whose families own farms or small businesses, but eventually will lead to a better student experience and outcome.

“With the streamlined FAFSA form, our hope is that completion rates go up because it’s easier for students and families to navigate the process. But I certainly think Colorado needs to do more,” said Jen Walmer, whose organization Democrats for Education Reform contributed to the report.

Amelia Federico, a Young Invincibles policy fellow who attends Metropolitan State University of Denver, said the FAFSA process is overly confusing and students often have little support to ll out the support despite there being some resources at schools.

Federico said a FAFSA completion requirement for high schoolers would ensure that educators focus on giving students the support they need to ll out the complicated form. e state would also need to support schools to ensure every student gets what they need, they said.

Too many of their peers don’t know about their nancial options, Federico said.

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

Councilor Able named having a “quanti able measure of sound” as a barrier to legislation. “We obviously have a need for some kind of checks and balances.”

You never know what treasure you will find in our thrift shop!!

Accepting Visa/Mastercard - $10.00 even a road diet — reducing the lanes in a road, for example, to force drivers to stay vigilant on the road.

She did admit that speed cameras can bring in income for the city as an obvious bene t. However, Venner also said that speed cameras are just known to get better results. She said, “Speed cameras can be installed quickly and reduce speeding by 70%.” e city heard the results and decided to continue looking into placing speed cameras in Lakewood.

LAC gets permission to tackle noise pollution. Sara Gri n of the Lakewood Advisory Committee presented a proposal to explore solutions for noise pollution in the city. Her proposal is a little unique in that the city usually assigns projects to the LAC. When the LAC proposes its own, the council must approve.

Gri n cited research that noise pollution has e ects like hearing loss, sleep disturbance, chronic fatigue, tinnitus and other issues. Gri n gave examples of noise pollution, which include car alarms, and drug dealers who “advertise by cruising through neighborhoods with loud and bass booming car stereos.” Comparing it to the ice cream truck sounds in the “1950s neighborhood” she remembers. Gri n called it a “growing health hazard.” e council gave the LAC approval to explore what can be done about the noise pollution. Expect more concrete action in upcoming meetings. In other news from the meeting: e city approved $850,000 for buying land at 2911 South Wadsworth Blvd, Lakewood, also known as “Bear Creek Parcels”. Find more information on Item 12 at Lakewood Speaks. tools helped a whole duck family. On June 10, Dow and the team got a call.

• e city attorney was granted a 7% performance raise.

• e City now has restrictions around William F. Hayden Park, 1000 S Rooney Rd, Lakewood, which was once a Colorado Army National Guard Gun range. Although the parks have been working since 2020 to free that area of old ammo (what the parks call munitions remediation), they are far from done. You can see more on the Environmental Use restrictions in the park, see Item 10 in Lakewood Speaks.

• Land for “open spaces and park purposes” was approved for purchase.

• Lakewood approved a universal pre-kindergarten agreement with the State of Colorado. Doing so will ensure that every Lakewood child can access free pre-k as needed. For more information, see Item 14 in Lakewood Speaks.

You can view the entire three-hour council meeting on Lakewood Speaks.

“It was a similar thing, but the babies were stuck in a window well,” she said.

Getting the babies was easy, according to Dow. But the mother was hysterical and created a separate rescue situation.

“ e mom had decided to go into the neighbor’s pool,” she said. “So we were able to catch the babies, but we couldn’t catch mom. We tried to catch her for several minutes. en, we decided, there was a pond like ve minutes walk down the road. So, we were like, ‘Let’s see if she will follow us.’ At rst, I just took the crate (with the babies inside), and put it in the front yard. And we waited.”

Dow said that the mama duck eventually ew out of the pool and around the yard, landing in the yard near the crate. e o cer moved the crate a little further up the road and stepped away. e mom followed. Soon, Dow was able to walk to the pond with the mama following along. is is important in light of a recent tra c death of a good Samaritan who stopped to help a mama duck and her ducklings.

“She literally followed us all the way to the pond,” Dow said.

Other o cers had to do tra c control while the rescue was taking place, Dow said.

Dow wants these stories to illustrate the need for Je co residents to call her and the authorities if they

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nd any animal in distress.

“If you come across something and it’s concerning, don’t take it upon yourself to do whatever,” she said. “Just call animal control.”

Both incidents illustrate the Je co Animal Control and Colorado Parks and Wildlife messages to the public: Leave the baby animals alone and call the professionals.

If you stumble upon any wild animals in distress in Je co, you can call Animal Control at 303-2715070. You can nd more information on the Je erson County Sheri s Animal Control webpage.

Real Estate Industry Is Abuzz With How to Incorporate ChatGPT for Greater Success

I’ve been reading lots of real estate newsletters and blog posts about how to put AI to work, specifically by using ChatGPT. I have also played with that app, asking it to generate articles and answer questions on a variety of real estate-related topics. Like others who have reviewed ChatGPT, I am super impressed — and also a little concerned. Why? This column, written entirely by me, a former professional journalist, has set Golden Real Estate and myself apart from my colleagues and has brought my brokerage and me 90% or more of our business because of the credibility it has succeeded in building for us.

It’s a sad truism about America that the vast majority of citizens, unless they are in a writing profession, can’t or are reluctant to compose a readable, grammatically correct and compelling paragraph about anything. Don’t be surprised if you start receiving newsletters, blog posts and other written materials demonstrating greatly improved skills by your local agents!

One blog post I read about ChatGPT suggested that I ask it to rewrite a property description to be more compelling, and so I fed it the description of the listing below (reprised here from last week’s ad), and within a few seconds got the rewrite shown in the box at right. I did not change a single word, although I did eliminate a few paragraph breaks. The quality of the writing is superb, and the content was completely faithful to what I had written. It is significantly more wordy, with 317 vs. 218 words, making it more conversational.

I asked ChatGPT to write some articles to see how wise and accurate they might be and was surprised to see how well it did.

One of the topics I was going to write about myself was based on a May 8th article on Inman News with the headline, “Why buyer love letters deserve a second chance.” At right is an article written on this topic in less than 10 seconds by ChatGPT. It does not include all that I would have written on this topic, but it is not bad or incorrect, and it is indeed well written.

If I had written the article, I would have provided more guidance on avoiding fair housing violations, which is what triggered Oregon’s 2022 law banning love letters. That law was found unconstitutional on May 6th. I would have advised to exclude any photograph of the buyers. Let’s say the picture was of a white couple, and their offer was accepted over an offer from at least one gay or mixed race couple. That losing buyer might well win a lawsuit claiming that the seller and listing agent committed a fair housing violation, if they were to discover the winning love letter.

Fair housing laws, both at the federal level and the stricter Colorado state level, include so many “protected classes,” that a seller is not allowed to consider even the familial status (married, single, with or without children), disability, or sexual orientation, including transgender status, along with the more familiar race, creed, national origin, etc. As you can imagine, it would be hard to construct a “love letter” without revealing any of those descriptors.

Just Listed: New Build Near Downtown Golden

The Pros and Cons of Submitting ‘Love Letters’ With Offers

The practice of including “love letters” or personal letters with home offers has been a common practice in real estate transactions. These letters are intended to convey the emotional connection and personal story of the buyer to the seller, potentially appealing to their sentiments and influencing their decision.

However, it's important to note that the acceptability and effectiveness of love letters can vary based on local regulations, cultural norms, and individual seller preferences. Additionally, there are legal considerations surrounding fair housing laws, which aim to prevent discrimination in the housing market.

In some regions, love letters are discouraged or even prohibited to avoid potential bias or discrimination in the selection process. These laws are in place to ensure fair treatment and equal opportunities for all potential buyers. If love letters are permitted in your area, here are some factors to consider:

Pros:

1. Emotional Appeal: A heartfelt letter can establish a personal connection and create empathy between the buyer and seller. It may help the seller relate to the buyer's story and motivate them to choose an offer.

2. Differentiation: In competitive mar- kets, where multiple offers are common, a well-crafted love letter can make your offer stand out from the rest. It allows you to differentiate yourself by showing your genuine interest in the property and willingness to create a home.

Cons:

1. Fair Housing Concerns: Love letters have the potential to inadvertently disclose personal information that could trigger bias or discrimination. Sellers may unintentionally make decisions based on protected characteristics such as race, religion, or family status, which is a violation of fair housing laws.

2. Unintended Pressure: Sellers might feel pressured or uncomfortable when evaluating offers accompanied by emotional letters. They may prefer to base their decision solely on objective factors such as price, terms, and reliability of the buyer. Given the complexity of this topic and the varying legal and cultural considerations, it is advisable to consult with a local real estate professional or attorney who can provide guidance specific to your location. They will be familiar with the local regulations and can help you navigate the decision of whether or not to include a love letter with your offer.

—Written entirely by ChatGPT

How ChatGPT Rewrote My Description of the Listing Below Left

The property at 1004 4th Street sounds truly remarkable. With its unique features and convenient location, it offers an exceptional living experience in the heart of Golden. Here's a summary of the key highlights:

This one-of-a-kind home boasts stunning views of North and South Table Mountain, visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows on the main level. Being within walking distance to downtown Golden allows easy access to its renowned shops and restaurants, adding to the convenience and charm of the location. The house itself is a spacious 4-bedroom, 4bathroom residence situated on a corner lot. The wide-open floor plan on the main level creates a welcoming space, ideal for entertaining or simply enjoying the breathtaking views while staying cozy near the gas fireplace.

$1,995,000

This home at 1004 4th Street is truly oneof-a-kind. There are magnificent views of North and South Table Mountain from the floor-to-ceiling windows on the main level. You are within walking distance to downtown Golden with its famous shops and restaurants. This is a 4-BR, 4-bath home on a corner lot. The wide-open main level floor plan is great for entertaining, or just appreciating the fabulous views and staying cozy near the gas fireplace. The state-of-the-art kitchen is a chef's delight. It has a 6-burner stove with an additional griddle and double oven. The refrigerator is oversized, and there is a walk-in pantry. The primary suite has a spa-like feel with a walk-in steam shower with 3 shower heads. There are 2 sinks with quartz counter, a soaking tub an extra-large walk-in closet. The upper level has two bedrooms, and a tiled 3/4 bath. Outside the bedrooms, there is a wide-open bonus area with desks, bookshelves and fantastic views. Above the 2nd floor a rooftop office/reading room that opens to a private roof-top deck. The lower level could be used as a mother-in-law living space with its extra-large bedroom with a walk-in closet, large living area with a wet bar, and its own private patio. Included is a one-year builder warranty. Take a narrated video tour at www.NorthGoldenHome.com. (Listed by David Dlugasch)

The kitchen is a chef's delight, featuring state-of-the-art appliances including a 6-burner stove with an additional griddle and double oven. The oversized refrigerator and walk-in pantry provide ample storage space for culinary enthusiasts. The primary suite offers a spalike retreat with a walk-in steam shower featuring three shower heads, two sinks with quartz counters, a soaking tub, and an extra-large walk-in closet. On the upper level, you'll find two bedrooms, a tiled 3/4 bath, and a versatile bonus area with desks, bookshelves, and fantastic views. Additionally, there's a rooftop office/reading room that opens up to a private roof-top deck, offering a tranquil space to work or relax.

The lower level presents the opportunity for a mother-in-law living space, featuring an extra-large bedroom with a walk-in closet, a spacious living area with a wet bar, and its own private patio. Included with the property is a one-year builder warranty, providing peace of mind to the new homeowner. For a detailed visual experience of the home, you can take a narrated video tour at www.NorthGoldenHome.com

With its exceptional design, breathtaking views, and convenient location near downtown Golden, this property offers a truly unique and desirable living environment.

Broker/Owner, 303-525-1851

Jim@GoldenRealEstate.com