South Platte Independent

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July 30, 2020

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

SouthPlatteIndependent.net

VOLUME 75 | ISSUE 40

INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 10 | LIFE: PAGE 12

SPECIAL REPORT

Colorado’s public health officials are under attack Workers face threats, vandalism, job loss amid COVID-19 crisis

BY JESSICA GIBBS | COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA AND JESSE PAUL | THE COLORADO SUN

Joni Reynolds, the head of Gunnison County’s public health department, entered kind of a routine as the coronavirus crisis descended on Colorado earlier this year: Long hours. Sleepless nights. A police escort home.

A wave of threats over her efforts to keep her community safe amid the pandemic made her fear for her safety. There were also suspicious packages left outside her house and sent to her office, both of which were unsettling but weren’t dangerous.

“References to Nazism. Calling me Mrs. Hitler,” Reynolds said, recounting the contents of the hate mail she received. “Calling me vile names — curse words. Threatening harm to me, my family, my home. Assuring they would remove me from my job and take ‘all my worldly possessions.’”

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Exemption from COVID-19 rules, which allowed larger crowds, is at risk of being revoked

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

year, the program has served over 100,000 meals.

However, the program wasn’t always easy.

“There were a lot of sleepless nights. We had to be flexible and learn how to steer the ship when we didn’t know where things were going,” said Jessica Gould, director of nutrition services at Littleton Public Schools. “But I got to see how strong

As the spread of coronavirus worsens in Arapahoe County, leaders hope businesses that benefited from an exemption to the state’s social distancing rules will take greater precautions to prevent losing progress on reopening.

“We need your cooperation and assistance to help reverse the trend by encouraging your staff and patrons to follow the established variance guidelines as closely as possible,” says a letter from the county to the industries that were included in the exemption.

Those are gyms, restaurants, houses of worship and the county’s only indoor mall — the Town Center at Aurora, near East Alameda Avenue and Interstate 225.

Also known as a “variance,” the exception allows counties around the state to tweak the state’s restrictions on activities and businesses in Colorado’s safer-at-home order, the policy that came after the stay-athome order.

In mid-July, about one-fourth of Colorado’s counties stood to lose

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Health workers collect patient information from people waiting to be tested for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, outside the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s lab in Denver’s Lowry neighborhood on March 11.

PHOTO BY JOHN INGOLD/THE COLORADO SUN

Littleton schools give back with summer meal program

BY LILLIAN FUGLEI SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Every summer, Littleton Public Schools runs a summer meal program that allows anyone under the age of 18 to get free meals. This year, the program has expanded, both in duration and volume.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, LPS started the free meals early with an emergency feeding program that began on March 16. This transitioned

Arapahoe County asks for businesses’ help in saving variance

into the summer free meal program, which ran three days a week until July 24.

LPS also expanded the volume of the program this year. While it normally runs at select schools, this summer the district transported meals to every school in order to increase access for the community.

This expansion also sharply increased the amount of meals served.

Previously, the average has been 15,000 meals every summer. This

WHO’S THE BEST? PRSRT - STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID LITTLETON, CO PERMIT #70 EDDM POSTAL PATRON

Here’s our annual look at the region’s best businesses, services, attractions and more, as chosen by our readers.

INSIDE THIS EDITION

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Controversial new state holiday shines spotlight on Mother Cabrini Colorado state legislature voted to replace Columbus Day with holiday for Cabrini last March

BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO PALBANIBURGIO@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Since 1938, visitors have flocked to the mountains just west of Golden to learn about and pay tribute to Frances Xavier Cabrini, the Catholic saint who established 67 schools, hospitals and orphanages around the U.S., including in Colorado.

Now, the rest of the state is about to become more familiar with Cabrini as well, as a result of the Colorado state legislature’s decision to establish Cabrini Day, a state holiday that will take the place of Columbus Day as a state holiday on the first Monday in October.

Colorado House Bill 20-1031, signed into law by the governor in March, declares the new holiday is “a recognition of Cabrini’s contributions to the state of Colorado and creates an opportunity to promote an appreciation, tolerance and understanding of the different cultures that make up our state.”

In 1909, Colorado became the first state in the nation to observe Columbus Day as an official state holiday at the urging of Angelo Noce, a prominent figure in Denver’s Italian immigrant community.

The bill also states that Columbus never traveled to the territory that

The 22-foot statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at Mother Cabrini’s Shrine. became the United States and had no contact with the state of Colorado, “providing no rationale for a Colorado state holiday bearing his name.” It also states that Columbus participated in the extermination of the Taino people who initially welcomed him to the island of Quisqueya, which he renamed Hispanola.

While many Italian Americans continue to regard it as an important celebration of their heritage and its contributions to America (Columbus was Italian), the holiday had become mired in controversy in recent de-

A stained glass image of Mother Cabrini inside the Mother Cabrini chapel at Mother Cabrini’s Shrine.

PHOTOS BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO cades by Native Americans who say it is culturally insensitive to continue to celebrate a figure who led the extermination of native peoples and can only be said to have discovered the Americas if their presence here is disregarded.

The Denver Post reported the move to replace Columbus Day represented an attempt to reach a compromise with Colorado’s Italian American community after previous bills that would’ve replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day or made Election Day into a state holiday were defeated.

However, some members of Denver Italian heritage groups say their community did not respect the change and that the legislature did not reach out to them as they have claimed.

“Mother Cabrini has a feast day and it’s not in October,” said Pam Wright, a former president of the Order Sons of Italy Grand Lodge of Colorado. “A lot of us feel that we have celebrated Columbus Day for years and years and it’s not so much the man we celebrate but his journey and that journey is what brought a lot of our ancestors here along with Christianity and that kind of thing so that disappointed us.”

Anna Vann, a first generation Italian immigrant, also questioned the choice to replace the celebration of Columbus with one for Cabrini.

“Mother Cabrini was an actual friend of people in my family in the past here,” said Vann. “She was a very honorable woman but to make a state holiday for her and take away Columbus Day was very wrong.”

Jeff Lewis, the Executive Director of the Mother Cabrini Shrine, said that while the Shrine’s staff are happy Mother Cabrini “will continue to be celebrated in Colorado” they did not have anything to do with the effort to make a Cabrini Day holiday.

“I don’t really know what to say,”

Lewis said when contacted by CCM about his reaction to the new holiday.

“That’s more of a political thing and we really have nothing to do with that.”

Who was Mother Cabrini?

So who exactly was the subject of Colorado’s newest holiday?

Sr. Roselle Santivasi, who works at the shrine, said Cabrini was ultimately a humanitarian who dedicated herself to those who had very little help.

“She just had a sensitivity for the needs of people and had a talent for making their needs met whether it was housing or education,” said Santivasi. “Just simple things like her and the sisters reading their mail because they were illiterate or writing letters back to their home countries or just being with people.”

Cabrini is also someone who has much to teach America today, Santivasi said.

“She would certainly see that every person is entitled to all the privileges of whatever country they live in and so she would work toward that for whomever,” she said. “She would not limit herself to immigrants, she would definitely open herself to the needs of anyone who had needs that were not being met by the government of whatever country they came from.”

Santivasi said an estimated 100,000 people visit the shrine each year and the staff now thinks it might see more with the new holiday.

“We weren’t part of the development of the holiday but if they want to celebrate Mother Cabrini because she’s a woman that’s wonderful,” she said.

“And if it’s someone else for the same reason that’s wonderful too. The more we celebrate people who have done humanitarian things and done good, social justice things for other people that’s good, let’s celebrate them.”

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0July 30, 2020

Telephone Town Hall Thursday, July 30 @ 7 p.m.

Ask questions and get updates on COVID-19 and other developments in Arapahoe County.

Visit arapahoegov.com/townhall

John Castillo, father of STEM shooting victim Kendrick Castillo, delivers his statement during the July 24 sentencing of Alec McKinney, who pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and 16 other counts in the STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting. Douglas County District Court Judge Jeffrey K. Holmes sentenced McKinney to life in prison plus 38 years with the possibility of parole for killing Kendrick Castillo and injuring others in the May 2019 attack.

POOL PHOTOS BY ERIC LUTZENS/THE DENVER POST

STEM School Highlands Ranch shooter sentenced to life with possible parole after 40 years

Visit stridechc.org

Arapahoe/Douglas Works! is here to help The Business Recovery Taskforce will host a two-part virtual series, July 29 from 10 a.m. to noon. The online conference will a ddress cyber security, virtual hiring and more.

Get details at arapahoegov.com/ArapahoeCARES Transportation Master Planning Save the date and join the County online for a virtual public meeting on August 5 at 7 p.m.

Learn more about the master planning process, ask the questions that are important to you, help define the outcomes and shape our future.

McKinney: ‘I do not deserve leniency or forgiveness’

BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Sitting in her literature class on May 7, 2019, Nui Giasolli noticed her friend Alec McKinney standing just behind her.

McKinney was not enrolled in that class and was supposed to be in the classroom next door. But because she considered McKinney one of her best friends, his presence did not raise alarms for her.

She learned later through court hearings and statements McKinney made to investigators that McKinney targeted her that day, she said, as he helped carry out a shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch.

“He had a gun aimed at the back of my head and he was ready to shoot me knowing full well that I didn’t consider him a threat,” she said.

Giasolli was one of numerous students, teachers and community members who gave tear-stricken victim impact statements during a July 24 sentencing hearing for McKinney at a Castle Rock courtroom.

McKinney was accused of planning the shooting that left one dead and eight students injured.

18th Judicial District Judge Jeffrey Holmes on July 24 sentenced him to life in prison plus 38 years, with the possibility of parole after 40 years.

McKinney pleaded guilty in February to numerous felony charges, including first-degree murder for the death of Kendrick Castillo, 18. Six students were shot by the defendants in the case and two were injured by gunfire from an armed guard responding to the incident.

McKinney was 16 at the time of the attack, so under law he was not

COVID community testing event STRIDE Community Health Center will be providing COVID-19 testing each Wednesday in July at Smoky Hill High School in Aurora.

Visit arapahoegov.com/transportationplan

Student Nui Giasolli wipes away tears as she delivers her statement during the sentencing of Alec McKinney, the STEM School Highlands Ranch atacker who pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and 16 other counts in the shooting that left a student dead and other teens injured. eligible for a death penalty, but he was charged as an adult. He is now 17.

A co-defendant Devon Erickson, 18 at the time of the shooting, will face trial in September. Erickson has argued he was an unwilling participant in the attack, forced to cooperate on the threat of death from McKinney.

Prosecutors have sharply scrutinized that narrative and McKinney also alleged July 24 he acted under pressure from Erickson.

Judge Holmes noted in his closing remark’s McKinney’s age, his history with mental illness and major depressive disorder, and his drug use leading up to the attack. Holmes also said McKinney took responsibility for his actions in the case by pleading guilty.

“He has not tried to excuse his behavior today and I sincerely hope, based on the statements that he made, that he has come to a recognition of the harm his wrong decision has caused,” Holmes said.

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Have you been counted?

There’s still time to complete the 2020 Census. Simply call 844-330-2020 or return the paper form mailed to you by the Census Bureau. Your response helps determine critical public services like healthcare, libraries, emergency response, education and more. Please note that in August, Census takers will also begin knocking on doors for households that have not responded to the COUNTS Census.

U.S. CENSUS 2020 Visit arapahoecounty/census2020 2019 Annual Report The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office has released its 2019 Annual Report.

The report highlights some of the accomplishments and goals achieved over the course of last year.

View the report at arapahoesheriff.org

ARAPAHOE COUNTY SHERIFF ’S OFFICE

2019 ANNUAL Repor t

arapahoegov.com

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OFFICIALS

the pandemic.

“I’ve tried to relate it back, as a nurse and as someone who has been in public health for a number of years, to just really the trauma that people have experienced — an unprecedented level of trauma where the world literally shifted overnight,” said Reynolds, the Gunnison County public health chief. “And the fear.

And the not knowing — the uncertainty of the future — I think has really caused the reactions that we’ve seen.”

The unknowns might be chalked up to a communication issue.

“I don’t think we have done a great job in this country teaching people how science works,” Johnson said.

FROM PAGE 1

Public health officials in every corner of Colorado have become the target of threats, vandalism and even attack ads in newspapers and on the radio as a result of their handling of the pandemic.

They are unelected government workers who typically do important, but seldom acknowledged, work preventing disease outbreaks and inspecting restaurants. But during the coronavirus crisis, the harsh spotlight of a politicized pandemic has shined upon them.

Some have faced blowback from their bosses — often county commissioners — and have been forced out of their jobs. Others have resigned because the stress and pressure just aren’t worth it.

“It just adds additional stress and strain on a workforce that has been responding even before the very first case was registered in the state of Colorado and the first death was registered in the state of Colorado,” said Theresa Anselmo, executive director of the Colorado Association of Local Public Health officials, which represents the state’s local public health departments. “They’ve been working nonstop, essentially, since the beginning of February, some of them earlier.”

With no end to the pandemic in sight, officials worry whether Colorado’s network of local public health departments can tamp down the vitriol while trying to keep on top of the worst pandemic the world has experienced in 100 years. At some point, they fear, the combined pressure could become too heavy.

“We’re in this for the next 12 to 24 months. Even with a vaccine, this isn’t going to go away in Colorado,” Anselmo said. “So public health will be on the front lines of this for months, if not years, to come.”

Anselmo even has a folder in her email inbox dedicated to all of the threats her members have received: twicevandalized cars, a photograph with comments about “bodies swinging from trees,” the arrest of a man who said health officials “deserve to pay.”

‘I’ve never experienced anything to this level’ Dr. Mark Johnson, who leads Jefferson County Public Health, says he’s been involved in contentious battles with the state legislature and over the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge, the former nuclear weapons trigger factory near Golden that now is open for public recreation.

But coronavirus is a different beast. “I’ve never experienced anything to this level,” he said.

Johnson said his agency has received a number of threats, which have been turned over to the Jefferson County Sheriff ’s Office for investigation.

Police have increased their

A worker at a coronavirus drive-up testing site in Montrose.

COURTESY PHOTO

EDITOR’S NOTE This story is the result of a reporting collaboration by Colorado Community Media and The Colorado Sun.

Jefferson County Public Health Executive Director Dr. Mark Johnson (left) receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from Public Health in the Rockies in 2019. He’s held his position for decades.

COURTESY OF ASHLEY SEVER

patrols around the health department building.

Johnson even said a police car has been parked near his home to keep things calm. But his department continues to be at the center of tensions surrounding the coronavirus crisis.

Recently, Johnson was locked in a court battle with the owners of Bandimere Speedway over a packed July 4 event. The controversy drew supporters and detractors to the Jefferson County courthouse where there were dueling demonstrations. The speedway argued that public health limitations placed on them would end their business.

A judge ruled July 21 that Bandimere must abide by countywide health orders.

“This is the most politicized or partisan pandemic that the world has ever seen,” Johnson said.

Jordan Kemp, deputy director for public health in Alamosa County, said after a photo of the health department director was posted online with crude and threatening comments, the agency shut down its offices — “just to be safe and just to kind

of give everybody a day to breathe a little bit.”

In Las Animas and Huerfano counties, a group called “Colorado Counties for Freedom” ran an ad seeking to diminish the authority of health department director Kim Gonzales. Gonzales is the official whose car has been vandalized twice since the coronavirus crisis began, according to Anselmo.

“It is time we bring life back into our communities and protect the American dream by opening up all of main street,” the ad says. “Protect our communities in Walsenburg and Trinidad and the American dream like other counties in Colorado have done. … We need to unite and diminish the authority of the health department director, Kim Gonzales.”

A person who gave their name as J.R. Rags and said they were behind Colorado Counties for Freedom said in an email that “these health department directors are generally not qualified to make decisions for everyone” “There are many concerns about kids not attending school, business closures and government overreach,”

Rags said. “And as you can imagine our group has found that true, unbiased media and journalism is almost dead in America.”

In Gunnison County, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched a battle with local leaders and public health officials over an order requiring second home owners to stay away. It was issued out of concerns that the county’s limited medical resources could be overrun, but drew intense blowback, including a federal lawsuit from an Arvada couple.

“The banishment of nonresident Texas homeowners is entirely unconstitutional and unacceptable,” Paxton said in a written statement.

In the wake of the debacle, a group of second homeowners has formed a political group to try to oust the Democratic majority on the Gunnison County commission. “I think the county commissioners are using a sledgehammer when a screwdriver is probably more appropriate,” said Trudy Vader, who is vying for a seat on the board.

A Republican state lawmaker from Douglas County -- State Rep. Mark Baisley, R-Roxborough Park -- even called for criminal charges to be filed against Jill Hunsaker Ryan, the head of Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment, for her agency’s handling of death certificates of people who had COVID-19 and then died.

Prosecutors said there was no evidence a law had been broken.

The public health officials who spoke to The Colorado Sun and Colorado Community Media say they can understand people’s reaction.

In fact, they have a diagnosis: the vitriol is a symptom of

One county has gone through two public health chiefs Some local public health leaders have simply thrown in the towel or have been pushed out of their positions. The Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials counts at least six resignations and one firing in Colorado since the pandemic began.

Emily Brown says she was terminated as Rio Grande County’s public health director after clashing with county commissioners in late May. She wanted to keep restrictions in place while the elected leaders were pushing for them to be relaxed.

Brown told The Associated Press and Kaiser Health News that the commissioners “were tired of me not going along the line they wanted me to go along.”

The replacement Rio Grande County hired to fill Brown’s shoes, Paul Wertz, has since resigned. “I have concluded that I do not have the board’s support,” he wrote in an email, according to The Monte Vista Journal.

In Weld County, Dr. Mark Wallace’s 20-year run as the head of the local health department ended when he left his job after clashing with county commissioners over how to begin loosening coronavirus restrictions.

“I have serious heartburn looking at our data in Weld County,” Wallace wrote to the commissioners in an internal email obtained by The NoCo Optimist through an open records request.

Wallace announced his retirement in May, about a week after the correspondence was made public. He did not respond to Colorado Sun messages seeking an interview.

The Local Public Health Officials association said the other retirements happened in Clear Creek, Saguache, Fremont and Custer counties.

The Tri-County Health Department, which serves Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties, saw an exit of an even larger magnitude.

As a result of the health department’s handling of the pandemic, a long-simmering debate about whether Douglas County should create its own health department boiled over.

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When Tri-County moved to initiate a mask-wearing mandate earlier this month, Douglas County’s conservative commissioners announced they’d had enough and ordered their staff to initiate a breakup.

Dr. John Douglas, who leads TriCounty, called the decision “extraordinarily disruptive to our staff and planning in the middle of a pandemic.”

Now, there are also fears of job cuts among his staff.

“I think it’s deeply — and I want to underscore deeply — disappointing, in the time of a pandemic, the divisiveness in this country,” Douglas said.

“The people on the frontlines responding to the pandemic are getting attacked. It’s clearly a minority, but a vocal minority.”

The situation has even drawn the attention of the governor.

“Now more than ever the work of our local public health directors is crucial to successfully fighting this virus and protecting Coloradans,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a written statement. “We need to do everything within our power to support our local heroes and use their expertise and knowledge to win.”

Tri-County’s big troubles You could call Tri-County the epicenter of Colorado’s epidemic of rage being directed at public health officials. Nowhere else in the state has the combination of frustrations, threats, vandalism and political fallout played out more clearly, altogether and all at once.

Tri-County’s Deputy Director Jennifer Ludwig said the department started taking heat early on in the health crisis, after issuing a stay-athome order in March ahead of Colorado’s statewide mandate.

At first, backlash fixated on department executives. Then it spilled over into vandalism at Tri-County’s buildings. The department’s Aurora South location was targeted six times.

“We closed that office after, I believe, the third window got broken,” she said.

Police arrested 36-year-old Dan Pesch in connection with the vandalism. He told a detective that Tri-County officials “deserve to pay.”

“They’re just not getting the message,” Pesch said, according to arrest documents. “So, I just have to keep increasing the intensity.”

When Tri-County’s board was poised to adopt a mask mandate earlier this month, the department’s phones started ringing with complaints. Once the order passed, the hate mail started, Ludwig said.

This time, critics aimed their frustrations at the board of health, calling directors “tyrants” and “Nazis.” On July 8, Tri-County closed its Greenwood Village location for two days while police investigated a threat against the agency.

Ludwig said her employees are battling burnout. Doing their jobs amid threats, vandalism and backlash has been “very distressing, and I think it’s disheartening,” she said.

Some of those same workers are now bracing for unemployment because of the breakup with Douglas County, which is expected to happen in a year. If it ultimately happens, it will be the end of a five-decade-plus partnership.

Douglas County Commissioner Abe Laydon, who helped make the decision to sever ties with Tri-County, defended the move. He said commissioners grew frustrated when Tri-County’s

Emily Brown was director of the Rio Grande County Public Health Department in Colorado until May 22, when the county commissioners fired her after battling with her over coronavirus restrictions. “They finally were tired of me not going along the line they wanted me to go along,” she says.

PHOTO BY THERESA ANSELMO

The Douglas County Board of County Commissioners (from left) includes Roger Partridge, Lora Thomas and Abe Laydon.

COURTESY PHOTO board voted to implement the maskwearing mandate in Douglas County, even though the health department’s staff had recommended that the county be given a choice whether to opt into the mandate.

Laydon also pointed to Douglas County’s explosive growth as another reason for the split.

“This isn’t a divorce,” he said. “I think this is really more of an emptynest scenario, where the kids have grown up a bit and you love them on to bigger and better things.”

(Gov. Polis has since implemented a statewide mask-wearing mandate, which applies to Douglas County.)

Leaving Tri-County and opting out of the agency’s mask order quickly emerged as hot button issues in the races for Douglas County commissioner. Two of the county’s three seeks are contested in November.

Commissioner Lora Thomas, a Republican, is seeking re-election in November and running against Democratic challenger Darien Wilson.

Commissioner Roger Partridge is term-limited. He will be replaced by whomever wins the contest between Republican George Teal, now a Castle Rock councilmember, and Democrat Lisa Neal-Graves. Victoria Reynolds, a Libertarian, is also running for Partridge’s seat.

Wilson and Neal-Graves have been critical of the commissioners’ handling of the pandemic and the relationship with Tri-County.

Laydon said he has “the highest level of respect” for public health workers and Douglas, the Tri-County chief. He urged community members to stop spreading hate and to “try to assume the best” of people responding

to the pandemic.

Asked if Douglas County’s departure could stoke the anger directed at Tri-County, Laydon said he believes the decision will have “just the opposite” effect.

“I think it was a move to protect the public health professionals, because I think in many ways it’s a safety valve,” he said. “I think there was a lot less vitriol (after), so I think there’s a sense of relief among our citizens, at least the majority of our citizens.”

How to make it in the long run The stressors placed on local public health agencies across Colorado have prompted them to develop coping strategies.

In southwest Colorado, officials have created a support group.

The Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials says it has solicited the help of a social worker to help out local public health directors who need an outlet. It’s also working to tap the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s crisis counseling team, which normally responds to tragedies like a mass shooting, to offer aid to overwhelmed public health workers.

“They can’t even lift their heads up out of the trenches to stop the work enough to take care of themselves,” Anselmo said. “I will often close a conversation that I’m having with a director by saying ‘i hope you get some peace’ or ‘I hope you have some time this weekend to rejuvenate and take care of yourself. Often the response I will get is ‘nope, not this weekend. I have x, y, z to do.’”

Ludwig said Tri-County employs a health and wellness nurse coordinator

who sends newsletters to staff twice a week. Tips cover mindfulness and links to mental health resources, and the newsletter also includes bits of humor.

Executives have also increased communication with employees, holding town halls every Friday to address hard topics, she said, “such as the decision of Douglas County to withdraw.”

Jefferson County Public Health has even assigned several staffers to a unit dedicated to respond to the mental health needs of its roughly 180 employees so they can get care if they have to deal with a particularly traumatic coronavirus case or if the workload is simply getting to them.

Great demand prompted the team to grow after it was initially formed.

“Over time I think a lot of the staff are absorbing the stress and the trauma,” said Jennifer Anton, who is heading up behavioral health messaging for Jefferson County’s health department.

Jim Austin, who leads the local public health department in Montrose, said he’s found success in allaying community concerns about coronavirus-induced restrictions. Yes, he says, there are still frustrations and “people who are upset and need to be talked through the issue.”

But he has found that taking the time to explain why rules are being put in place has helped prevent some of the backlash seen elsewhere.

“It requires patience. It requires hanging in there with people and making sure to answer their questions,” Austin said. “But that’s our job. We understand people’s frustrations. It’s summer time. It’s events season.”

Back in Gunnison County, Reynolds said she is frustrated by how much more difficult the attacks have made it for her to accomplish the already difficult job. At the time the hate was streaming in, the county was one of the areas hardest hit by the pandemic.

“At a time when we’re really in a crisis in our community and nationally, it’s a limited capacity as far as your emotional reserve,” Reynolds said. “I think what frustrated me the most is I had to expend some of my time when I needed to rest or some of my emotional energy really in an area that didn’t benefit the community.

And that’s really where I wanted to be focusing my energy.”

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VARIANCE FROM PAGE 1

progress on reopening after the spread of coronavirus appeared to grow more concerning, putting at risk their variances.

When the virus’s spread in a county shifts from low or medium to high — based on benchmarks the state outlines — a county must submit a plan to bring transmission levels back down. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment then monitors the county’s COVID-19 case counts for two weeks and may alter or remove the variance if deemed necessary.

Instead of submitting a mitigation plan, counties also can choose to return to the safer-at-home order with no variances. Several of the smaller counties decided to do so.

Businesses must follow guidelines But Arapahoe County wants to stay on the reopening path. What put the county on notice was that it came up against a key warning sign under the variance: COVID-19 test-positivity rates increasing above 5%.

As of July 20, by one metric — known as the 14-day “rolling” rate — positivity stood at 4.9%, according to the county’s letter to businesses.

“We need all local businesses to redouble their efforts to monitor, track and enforce the guidelines established by the variance,” the letter said.

In addition to frequent hand-washing and wearing masks, the guidelines include the following: • Gyms, restaurants and houses of worship each may allow for 50%

VID-19 over a two-week period. of the posted occupancy code, not • Inability of Tri-County Health to to exceed more than 175 people, in a conduct investigation of new cases confined indoor space with a miniwithin 24 hours of a known positive mum of 6-foot distancing. test result.

• Restaurants and houses of • If a business or operation exworship may work with their local periences an outbreak, Tri-County authorities to determine how many Health must trace it back to a spepeople they may have in an outdoor cific business or operation, and that space. business or operation must tempo• For the Aurora mall, the state rarily close and review reopening public-health department said the protocols. county’s request To date, the of 30% building county has not capacity “does experienced any not include a toof the above tal person limit, conditions other than what related to the is calculated variance, the using a ratio of letter says. one person per 55 square feet.”

Mitigation plan Based on the The county state’s variance submitted a approval, the mitigation plan total limit for an to CDPHE on indoor mall for July 20, and any confined inthat’s also when door space is 175 the clock started people. The state Arapahoe County, for the state’s also stressed that “it is critical in a letter sent to businesses two-week period of monitoring for the common COVID-19’s spaces within spread in the the indoor mall county. The state will make a decito be well-managed … to mitigate sion on Arapahoe’s variance in gatherings above 10 people and keep the first week of August, said Luc traffic flow moving.”

Hatlestad, a county spokesman.

If the Tri-County Health DeThe county’s mitigation plan partment determines that certain includes the following steps, among county- and industry-specific condiothers: tions occur, Tri-County Health or • Educate county residents to stay the state can revoke the exemptions, home when sick or when they have which could result in further busibeen in close contact with someone ness closures, the letter says. Those who has tested positive for COconditions include the following: VID-19. The county will help further • A substantial increase in hospieducate the public by providing a talizations directly related to CO-

‘We need all local businesses to redouble their efforts to monitor, track and enforce the guidelines established by the variance.’

new page on its website with “all COVID-19 educational data with full transparency and consequences,” the plan says.

• Produce a public information campaign to increase awareness of the county’s COVID-19 statistics, including offering analysis in a public forum. The county hopes the move will increase use of face coverings among residential population.

• Continue to work with the state to distribute personal protective equipment, or PPE, to health care personnel and other frontline workers, expanding availability to frontline workers and businesses that may struggle to access supply chains.

• To sustain business operations: To cope with stress, encourage people to take breaks from the news, take care of their bodies, take time to unwind and connect with others, the county plans to engage mental and behavioral health providers to promote healthy work-from-home and physical distance strategies.

• Conduct weekly business roundtables with public health experts to address industry and site-specific questions, which the county hopes will increase attention to detail regarding cleaning, distancing, maskwearing and flow of patrons.

The county also had planned to submit another variance for indoor and outdoor event capacity and entertainment venues, similar to the initial 50% capacity requested for industries in the previous variance.

That plan was based on requests from our cities and industries, Hatlestad said.

Based on the county’s data tracking, officials decided it wasn’t prudent to move forward at this time, Hatlestad said.

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8 The Independent

July 30, 2020J

MEALS FROM PAGE 1

our community is this summer.

Everyone has been willing to go the extra mile in our department and our district,” Gould continued.

The program proved to be especially important this summer. With the COVID-19 outbreak, many families are experiencing job loss or financial issues. This need was particularly evident because of the massive increase in the number of meals distributed.

LPS hoped that by providing high quality, nutritious food to anyone under the age of 18, the district could remove some of the burden COVID-19 has created.

“We just want to help with one layer of this struggle so that families can focus on other issues and have the ability to thrive,” Gould said. “Hunger isn’t limited to the school year.”

LPS Nutritional Services celebrates the 100,000th meal served.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SARAH KINNEY

A closer look at one of the many meals served by LPS this summer.

LPS staff hard at work assembling lunches for the Summer Meal Program.

LPS staff distributes meals in a drive-by meal pickup.

You have a right to breathe smoke-free and vape-free air The Group to Alleviate Smoking Pollution (GASP of Colorado) is a 501-C-3 nonprofit group that works to eliminate the public’s exposure to secondhand tobacco, marijuana, and vape smoke in work places, public places and in multiunit housing.

No one should be forced to breathe smoke, whether it is from tobacco or marijuana.

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The Independent 9

0July 30, 2020

Restaurant, bar owners sue over COVID-19 capacity limits Few outbreaks linked to eateries, restaurateurs argue

BY MICHAEL KARLIK COLORADO POLITICS

The Tavern League of Colorado, which represents 200 alcohol-serving establishments, has filed a lawsuit against the state public-health department for imposing numerical caps on their capacity in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The restaurants and bars argue that the rules violate their 14th Amendment right to equal protection under the law.

“Defendants have singled out bars and restaurants for unfair and different treatment, despite the lack of any evidence that bars and restaurants are unique vectors for the spread of COVID,” the lawsuit alleges, referring to the actions of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and its director, Jill Hunsaker Ryan. “Also lacking any evidence is the notion that a restaurant’s square footage is irrelevant to how many patrons it can safely accommodate.”

The lawsuit points to Public Health Order 20-28, which Ryan issued on June 30. Under the order, “extra large establishments” may seat up to 100 patrons, although no business can exceed 50% capacity.

The association claims that such restrictions are not scientifically-

SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

based and are “in the process of destroying a major industry.”

After announcing the lawsuit, Chris Fuselier, owner of Blake Street Tavern in Denver, engaged with several users on Twitter who accused bars of wanting to put “profit over people,” in the words of one individual.

“Out of 414 employee outbreaks, 17 are attributed to full service res-

taurants. That’s 4%. The numbers in Colorado attributing outbreaks to Restaurants aren’t there!” Fuselier responded, inviting the commenters to visit his establishment to see the safety precautions.

(According to the state’s outbreak chart, there were 20 outbreaks in the category of sit-down restaurants out of 446 total as of July 23.)

The lawsuit follows an announcement on July 22 from Gov. Jared Polis of the curtailment of nighttime drinking hours for bar and restaurant customers. Polis explained that intoxication can lead to patrons being less cautious about distancing and mask usage.

SEE CAPACITY, P16

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10 The Independent

I

LOCAL

VOICES

What are we afraid of? Sit down and grieve

t’s not the pandemic, or viral partisanship, or even revealed racism. Rather, we’re in an epidemic of being afraid of loss.

What am I going to lose today? My freedom to walk down the street with a naked face? My presidential candiGUEST date losing in Novem- COLUMN ber? My privileged lifestyle and station in life? Or maybe my income, job, or home.

Or even my very life.

I can relate to all of those fears right now.

And perhaps that’s OK. Like anyone else, I don’t like wearing Linda Newell a mask either. Yet, we’ve got a mask mandate in order to protect people. To me, it’s a small, temporary price to pay that may save someone’s health or life. But for some, that small loss of freedom might sig-

I

July 30, 2020J

Transforming the way we live, work and play

f you have been venturing out into public to run errands, to shop, or to dine in or take out, you have probably become very familiar with these words: welcome; wait; watch; and thank you. Many times, these are posted on signs and placards on WINNING the building, in WORDS the entryway, or inside the store or restaurant.

Going to the doctor, dentist and veterinarian we experience the same thing. Our appointments are confirmed, we are welcomed into Michael Norton the office only after calling first to let them know we are in the parking lot, and we are asked to wait until they call us back letting us know they are ready for us to enter. We are greeted by a member of the staff who welcomes us again, and we watch as we comply with and maintain six-foot physical distancing. And we also watch to make sure others are wearing their masks. The staff expresses their gratitude for our compliance, and we say “thank you” when we leave.

Walking, jogging, riding our

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my mortgage. That’s a real fear. But I know if that day comes, I have a loving family and beautiful community of friends that despite any of their own odds, would gather around and help to lift me up. I must fear that no one would show up for me.

Finally, as a person who’s immunocompromised, I think I have a silent fear of getting coronavirus and not surviving it. Not being here for my daughters’ weddings, or children, or my own next relationship. Am I living in fear of dying?

Maybe sitting in the unknowns and feeling these fears is what we’re supposed to be doing right now. We’re being forced to reflect — on ourselves, our communities, our systems. That doesn’t mean lashing out at our political opponents, our public health employees, or fellow community members.

We may never get this precious time back to reflect on how we can improve our relationships, communities, and

nal other losses down the pike.

Similar to many of us, I’m deathly afraid of who sits in the Oval Office come January. People’s lives and our democracy are literally at stake. But no matter who is in office, we still need to work together to shift our divisive American culture of apathy and hate. Maybe I’m afraid we won’t be able to.

As a white person, I’m probably afraid of what my life will look like as I drift into the minority and lose my current skin privilege. But I’ve been preparing for that — learning how to be anti-racist and how to rebuild systems of fairness and justice for all.

It is karma that is due for the sins of colonialism. Our redemption is being able to live in integrity, empathy, and wholeness together.

So, what am I afraid of ? That I’ll be treated like we treated others — stolen land and enslaved?

I, too, am afraid of my income running dry and not being able to pay

bicycle and any outdoor activity we may be participating in comes with the same expectations. We welcome the opportunity just to be outside.

While walking our dogs we wait to make sure no one else is close or coming in our direction. We watch for other dog walkers, neighbors, joggers and cyclists heading in our direction. And then we look for a way to make sure that as we pass, we are at a safe distance apart, stepping into someone’s driveway or onto their lawn, while the others move into the street or at least the curb. Maybe we are wearing a mask, maybe not. Maybe they are wearing a mask, and maybe not.

Yet as we pass each other we usually wave and say thank you to one another for making the effort to be safe.

We never saw this coming, but the transformation is coming and we should welcome it, wait before we react to it, watch for how others are coping and maybe even thriving, and be grateful for those trying to find a cure, working to protect us and risking their own lives to keep us healthy.

Many people have already gotten comfortable with the transformation that is changing the way we live, work, and play. Others are getSEE NORTON, P11

world. I re-learned in seminary that we are not here on the planet to live alone, but to live in relationship with each other, the land, and our God or Higher Self.

What can we do to acknowledge our fears without being consumed by them? Not that I’m perfect by any means, but I’m doing my darnedest to sit patiently in the mess, listen for those answers, and truly feel the grief of my real or potential losses. Only then, will I be able to transform those fears into positive, healthy actions for the highest good of all. So, maybe grieving can help us all.

Formerly a Colorado state senator, now with a master’s in Social Justice and Ethics from Iliff School of Theology, Linda Newell is a writer, speaker, filmmaker and facilitator. She may be reached at senlindanewell@gmail.com, www.lindanewell.org, www.senlindanewell.com, @sennewell on Twitter, Senator Linda Newell or @TheLastBill on Facebook.

For those in the middle, America is like dodgeball

O

ne of Steve Allen’s regular comedy routines was reading letters to the editor the way he imagined the writers wrote them: angry. He’d sit at his desk wearing QUIET an upturned fedora DESPERATION with a press card in the band.

Allen, the original host of “The Tonight Show,” would end the bit with a punch line.

A few readers have disagreed with me over the past eight years, but not many have written angry.

Craig Marshall A recent one, howSmith ever, pointed out that I wasn’t a “real man,” that I’m a “whiner” and a “Communist.”

Based on my comments about civility and mutual respect when it came to Fourth of July fireworks, he also assumed my political affiliation.

What goes with having an opinion these days about anything except peanut butter and jelly sandwiches is a rebuttal.

Those of you who are planning to major in journalism, you need to know you can be as right as right can be and someone will think you’re wrong.

The temptation is to rebut the rebuttal. And that brings out the worst in

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many of us, including me.

Shut up and write?

It’s impossible to do both, unless, as I said, it’s about peanut butter and jelly.

However, it’s likely that’s not even a safe topic.

I’d hear, “No, peanut butter and jam.”

“No, peanut butter and cream cheese.”

Or, “You need to be more sensitive.

Some of us are allergic to peanuts.”

True or false? There was a hit record about peanut butter? True, and it’s good.

“Peanut Butter” was released by the Marathons in 1964. The history of the Marathons is “shrouded in mystery and confusion,” according to Oldies.com.

The name Marathons was a pseudonym for the Vibrations, who had a 1961 hit with “The Watusi.”

(Not to be confused with the “WahWatusi” by the Orlons, unless, of course, you don’t mind a little confusion.)

Some think Mr. Ed, a palomino, was fed peanut butter and his attempts to chew were meant to look like he was talking to Wilbur.

Allan “Rocky” Lane provided Mr. Ed’s voice. Lane starred in cowboy B-movies in the 1940s and 1950s, including the “Red Ryder” series.

A column about a talking horse is a lot safer than ones about the First

Columnists & Guest Commentaries Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Independent.

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

Email letters to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com Deadline Wed. for the following week’s paper.

SEE SMITH, P11 Littleton Independent (ISSN 1058-7837)(USPS 315-780) A legal newspaper of general circulation in Littleton, Colorado, the Littleton Independent is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225, Englewood, CO 80110 PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO and additional mailing offices.

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

The Independent 11

0July 30, 2020

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Believe experts about masks I read with deep concern and disappointment that the Mayor of Littleton chose not to support a mandate for wearing face masks.

The article talked about how council members have been “bombarded” with people asking Littleton to opt out of this safety measure.

I see things differently. This is a time when our civic representatives must reflect on their responsibilities to show leadership and not to follow those with the loudest voices or deepest pockets in determining what is best for our community. Our leaders must turn to the wisdom of health experts on how to keep our community safe. These experts are encouraging simple but effective ways to cut down on the cases of COVID-19, and masks are part of the solution.

As for those shouting about personal rights, I would respond with the famous phrase “your rights end where my nose begins.” That thought is literally true today. Neither you nor I know who’s sick. Why not work together and act wisely under the assumption everyone is a carrier or exists with vulnerabilities? If you care for Littleton, care for each other — wear a mask!

This is NOT a political issue, but a health issue. We need our government to protect us with thoughtful laws that fight COVID effectively.

Mayor Valdes and council must use

NORTON FROM PAGE 10

ting there, and slowly adapting to this “next normal,” understanding that it will be here for a while. And still others are resisting, holding fast to their rights and beliefs, while being defiant to rules they view as controlling and news they perceive as fear-mongering.

What a crazy time we are all living through right now. Transformation is coming. What it will look like next month or next year, no one really knows. But we can all agree, the world will be different, and things will have changed. Will the change and transition be easy? Probably not, it may get worse before it gets better. But I do believe that it will eventually get better.

And it will get better faster when we can all come together as a community.

Kudos to those of us who have already transformed the way we live, work and play in a positive way, that is awesome. For those of us trying to

SMITH FROM PAGE 10

and Second Amendments or whether masks should be mandatory.

But now that you know how they were able to get Mr. Ed to talk, some might argue animal abuse.

“Did they test Ed for peanut tolerance?”

“Mr. Ed” tested my tolerance: for inanity. There wasn’t a good joke in a carload.

Where was I? If you think I’m wrong about expressing an opinion in 2020, give it a try. Almost anything will do.

Keep the statues or get rid of them?

Allow the flags? Change mascots?

A reader informed me that her high school mascot was a Hunter, and de-

their voices to teach, and their actions to make positive peer pressure work. It is up to each of us to support their mandates in order to keep the “civil” in “civilization.”

Liesa Malik Littleton Keep immigrant resource center I am writing to express my support for the Littleton Immigration Resource Center (LIRC) and some of our disadvantaged neighbors who need the services LIRC delivers.

Right now, our nation, states, towns and neighborhoods are crying out and deeply searching for ways to bring about and provide more opportunity and equality for individuals and groups in our society who are less fortunate due to many factors.

LIRC is a grassroots, proven solution and pathway that is a positive contributor already playing a role in the massive movement toward a more equitable society. I have been a volunteer citizenship tutor at LIRC since 2016. I am grateful that LIRC has given me the opportunity to work with and assist aspiring students who are striving to be complete members — through citizenship — in American society and by raising adult literacy.

I love that LIRC is a grassroots, homegrown, roll-up-your-sleeves, economical contributor to enhanced adult literacy and citizenship that is

adapt and adjust, let’s continue to stay the course, recognizing that change can be uncomfortable. And for those of us resisting, without compromising our beliefs, my ask is that while resisting we try and welcome new ideas, wait and watch what is happening in the world, and live with an attitude of gratitude for those who are attempting to make our communities a healthier, safer, and happier place to live, work, and play.

How about you? Are you already going through the transformation? Are you somewhere in between? Or are you still resisting the coming change?

I would love to hear all of your stories at mnorton@tramazing.com and when we can welcome the change, wait before we react, watch how others are finding their way, and live with gratitude, it really will be a better than good week.

Michael Norton is the grateful CEO of Tramazing.com, a personal and professional coach, and a consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator to businesses of all sizes.

cals depict a Hunter aiming a rifle. It’s a little reminiscent of Mark McCloskey, the St. Louis man who pointed his weapon at protesters outside his home.

McCloskey and his wife Patricia either stood their ground or overreacted. Take your pick.

Their weapons were taken away from them; sympathizers replaced them.

See? As Bob Dylan said, “You’re right from your side, I’m right from mine.”

Johnny Cash said, “The one on the left is on the right.”

And Plato said, “Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance.”

Craig Marshall Smith is an artist, educator and Highlands Ranch resident.

He can be reached at craigmarshallsmith@comcast.net.

powered by its dedicated staff and volunteers and more importantly is driven by the sweat equity of men and women working to better their circumstances.

Everyone knows the unprecedented challenges the COVID pandemic has unleashed across and throughout our society and the world. Many, many hard and heartbreaking choices and decisions have been and will be made because of the pandemic. Let’s keep our eyes on the long-term prize and keep LIRC at work. If not, we are turning our back on ourselves and the future of American society.

Kip Travis Centennial Cities listen to concerned citizens Last week the Centennial City Council passed a motion to table, indefinitely, opting out of the TriCounty Health Department mask mandate. The vote was unanimous.

Just the week before they had enough votes to opt out. What happened in the intervening week to change this sentiment?

The community spoke up! The council received more than 800 messages about the issue and 85% were in favor of keeping the mandate.

Even with Gov. Jared Polis issuing an executive order to wear masks inside public places for 60 days,

people realized that both mandates were necessary to fill in the gaps, i.e. wearing a mask outside when social distancing isn’t possible and extending the mandate to 90 days, in order to effectively stem the spread of COVID19. This is what the scientific/medical research shows.

With cases on the rise, we can’t afford to fall back — physically, emotionally and economically. A full court press is necessary with all municipalities joining in for the common good.

I am pleased that both Centennial and Littleton city councils listened to the wishes of their constituents on this issue.

And I am excited to see communities rise to use their voice and know that they will be heard. That kind of empowerment is tangible and necessary for effective representation at all levels of government.

Lynne Popkowski Littleton Spiegel is champion of inclusivity Three candidates have made the final cut to run for CU Board of Regents, representing District 6 run in the November election. These include Ilana Spiegel (Democrat), Richard Murray (Republican) and Robert Worthey (Unity Party).

SEE LETTERS, P23

OBITUARIES EMMONS

GLADYS MAE EMMONS 1929 - 2020 Age 90 of Littleton, Colorado, passed away August 24, 2020.

Texas.

Beloved wife of the late Clyde Memories and condolences L. Emmons. Loving mother of can be placed on her Tribute Lynn (Sherri) Emmons, Steven Wall at www.EllisFamilySer(Carol) Emmons and Sheri vices.com.

(Joseph) Marz. Also survived Arrangements are in the care by two brothers, two sisters, grandchil- of Ellis Family Services Chapel - Funerdren and great grandchildren. Preal and Memorial Care, 13436 W. Arbor ceded in death by her daughter Melinda Place, Littleton, CO 80127.

Kay Emmons.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Name: 995 copy copy co1; Depth: 8 in; AdAuGravesideUntitled services will be held at copyRiverwalk Clubhouse on Saturday, 2:00 PM on Saturday, August 1, Name: 2020 Number: -; Customer OBIT gust 29th from 2:00 - 4:00 pm, of course at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Ft. Worth, it is BYOM (Bring Your Own Mask).

In Loving Memory

Place an Obituary for Your Loved One.

Private 303-566-4100

Obituaries@ColoradoCommunityMedia.com

Funeral Homes Visit: www.memoriams.com

12 The Independent

LOCAL

LIFE

July 30, 2020J

New procedures, added stress, and work goes on

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A

ll was quiet at West Metro Fire Rescue’s Station 1 on July 23. That is, until a recording of a woman’s voice rang through the bay, announcing an emergent medical alert.

Within seconds, the station’s firefighters, paramedics and the on-duty officer burst through a set of swinging doors.

“We’ve got a woman in labor,” announced Lt. Brian Worth as he charged toward the ambulance.

In less than a minute, the ambulance has pulled out of the large garage and headed in the direction of the emergency. The protocol for these emergency workers once they hear an alert is the same as always: change shoes, grab any needed equipment, hop in the ambulance or fire truck.

Only now, they’re also pulling on personal protective equipment such as masks, eyewear and gowns and preparing for the chance that the person in need of their help could also infect them with COVID-19, the potentially deadly virus sweeping the globe.

Fire departments and emergency responders across the Denver metro area have been forced to adjust their procedures in an attempt to help contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We just had to respond very, very quickly to the changing environment ... the landscape changed overnight,” said Jeremy Metz, West Metro Fire Rescue’s EMS chief. “Almost daily we were getting new updates or new guidance. Sometimes several times a day things would change.”

For Metz, some of the biggest changes have been in how his staff responds to 911 calls, he said. In March, the department began responding to any medical calls in a full coverall, including gloves, eyewear and a mask.

“It takes them a lot longer to put the ensemble on to respond to the call than traditionally it would be,” Metz said.

Then, once the emergency responders arrive on the scene of the 911 call, they face another new challenge: communication barriers. With their voices muffled by masks, getting basic patient information can be a challenge.

And as the summer heats up, wearing personal protective equipment, or PPE, has become an issue, causing fatigue and discomfort, Metz said.

As the pandemic has stretched on, dispatchers have improved their questions for 911 callers and now can better predict if the caller presents a risk of spreading COVID-19 to first responders. As a result, responders are able to gauge how much PPE is necessary, sometimes opting for less intense protection.

“If we didn’t implement these PPE procedures, we could have had way more providers infected than we do,” Metz said.

Between March and mid-July, 12 of the 424 employees of WMFR tested positive for the virus, he said.

Another way that 911 procedures changed during the height of the first wave of the pandemic is in the ways they treated patients. From April through May, certain breathing treat-

Firefighters and paramedics Chris Marvin, left, and Tyler Finley prepare to climb into a West Metro Fire Rescue ambulance to respond to an emergency call on July 23.

PHOTOS BY ELLIOTT WENZLER

Firefighter and paramedic Nick Bourne pulls on his gown in preparation of an emergency call July 23 at West Metro Fire Rescue’s Station 1. ments for respiratory patients were limited.

“We were really watching our numbers. We were responding to approximately 10 suspected COVID patients per day,” Metz said.

Dispatchers also began encouraging patients with non-life-threatening medical symptoms to remain at home in isolation.

“We were still able to deliver appropriate care and do procedures but it certainly did interfere with normal day-to-day operations,” Metz said.

South Metro Fire Rescue also changed the way they handle 911 calls, said Lt. Lindsey Miller. Normally, dispatchers would immediately send three to six people to respond to a call but as the pandemic began to ramp up, SEE FIREFIGHTERS, P14

The inside of a locker on a West Metro Fire Rescue fire engine. Extra gear and personal protective equipment is kept inside.

The Independent 13

0July 30, 2020

T

Beloved craft event canceled for year A file photo of the Craft & Home Improvement Fair at the 2018 Western Welcome Week. This year’s event has been canceled.

he Craft and Home Improvement Fair, a signature event during Littleton’s Western Welcome Week that was set for Aug. 15, has been canceled this year, yet another example of the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Not enough vendors had committed to make the event viable, and the evolving health rules made it impossible to move SONYA’S forward. It would have been the 61st SAMPLER annual craft fair.

1st state historian from Western Slope Duane Vandenbusche, professor of history at Western State University in Gunnison, assumes the role of Colorado state historian on Aug. 1, Colorado Day. Sonya Ellingboe The first state historian from outside the Front Range, he is a member of the State Historians Council with Nicki Gonzales, Tom Noel, Jared Orsi and William Wei, immediate past holder of the honorary post. He is author of “A Land Alone: The Colorado Western Slope.” He will lecture across the state and write for History Colorado’s membership magazine. Admission to all eight History Colorado museums across the state will be free on Colorado Day, Aug. 1.

High Line Canal The High Line Canal Conservancy hopes to focus area interest on the 71 miles of the High Line Canal, encouraging hiker/walkers to log miles and gather per-mile pledges for the Conservancy, which hopes eventually to turn the entire path along the former irrigation ditch, which passes through five different governmental entities, into a 71-mile park. Walkers’ mileages can be achieved either on the canal path or in one’s home neighborhood, with any

COURTESY PHOTO

pledge money to be sent to the conservancy office at 915 S. Pearl St., Denver, CO 80209, or highlinecanal.org.

Check your libraries Several libraries are at last open, although with limited hours — check your own before venturing forth — reinstating the happy prospect of browsing shelves and displays, leafing through new or older volumes to see if they seem right for the week ahead.

For example, Bemis Public Library in Littleton has modified hours as of press time: Tuesday to Friday 1 to 6 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday. Number of visitors limited — you may have to wait ... Computer sessions limited to one hour per day. Virtual programming continues. Chat reference service 9 a.m. to noon Monday to Friday. Masks required. Furniture and computers have been moved to comply with social distancing requirements. Meeting rooms, programs, story times, computer lab not available.

Curtis Center for the Arts The 37th Annual All Colorado Show runs through Sept. 12 at the Curtis Center for the Arts, 2349 E. Orchard Road, Greenwood Village. (Just west of University Boulevard). The gallery in a historic schoolhouse is open 8:30

a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Winners chosen by juror Rachel Basye are: first place, “Girl Talk” by Brittany Horrigan; second place, “Sea Plant” by Jean Smith; third place, “Desert Bloom” by Nancy Eastman. Admission free. Parking lot east of building. 303-797-1779.

Spectrum at ACC Spectrum, virtual art exhibit by students and instructors in the Arapahoe Community College Workforce and Community Programs is shown through the Colorado Gallery of the Arts’ Virtual Gallery through Aug. 6.

See www.arapahoe.edu/spectrum.

Theater retirement Maxine and Mark Rossman, founders of Cherry Creek Theatre, announce their retirement, although they will continue involvement as emeritus board members. The theater company has performed 28 plays and musicals, some nominated for Henry Awards, and of the 366 performances, the Rosmans have attended 356! The company has been performing at the Mizel Jewish Community Center, 350 S. Dahlia. We will look for program announcements when theater becomes possible again. CCT board member Matt Meier will succeed the Rossmans. Susie Snodgrass is artistic

producer. CherryCreekTheatre.org.

Highlands Ranch dinosaur finds In 2019, as excavation was underway for a new building at the Wind Crest senior living facility, fossils surfaced and were recognized, leading to a call to Denver Museum of Nature & Science experts, who identified remains of a smaller triceratops. Construction activity let experts and volunteers from DMNS visit the site to recover the fossils. Highlands Ranch Historical Society has a video on its website, thehrhs.org, which is available to all who are interested. We wonder if a career will be started here for some youngster. Visit thehrhs.org Children’s summer reading Prizes are available for kids who finish their reading logs — free books and prize packets — at Littleton’s Bemis Library. Visit during library hours in August (Tuesday to Friday 1-6 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) at 6014 S. Datura St., Littleton.

Deadline at hand for peaches Littleton Rotary will sell Colorado peaches — order through July 31, pick up Aug. 15 at Arapahoe Community College. A 10-pound box is $32 — other products available. Visit littletonrotary.org for information and to order.

Museum of Contemporary Art Museum of Contemporary Art Denver announces a new senior curator, Miranda Lash, who will begin in midSeptember. She comes from the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, and has organized more than 30 museum exhibitions during her career, including focus on women, LGBTQidentifying artists and artists of color, according to MCA Director Nora Burnett Abrams, including “Southern Accent: Seeking the American South in Contemporary Art,” co-curated with Trevor Schoonmaker (2016). The MCA Denver is at 1485 Delgany St., Denver.

Adaptable artist keeps adjusting Michelle Lamb moves forward despite rough seas

BY SONYA ELLINGBOE SELLINGBOE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Productive Littleton artist Michelle (Mickey) Lamb is creating artwork in as much variety and with as many varied materials as ever.

“What has been beneficial to me in all times, let alone (during the pandemic of) COVID, is being a multidisciplinary artist, so that I can move from one (project) to the other to adapt to what might sell or what interests me,” Lamb says. “Hence my soft sculpture and the mixed media assemblage.”

She is a member of the coop gallery, CORE, which has moved to Lakewood from its previous Santa Fe Art District location, plans on a December one-person show and is always on the lookout for new materials — a range of various objects she collects as she makes her way through her world ... (CORE is open on weekends now).

She was enthusiastic about an old typewriter, which she pulled apart and an old adding machine — also, with parts sorted into special drawers in her home studio.

We talked about the ability to look at an object and see something altogether different that it might be come, when combined with other bits of this and that — as well as coated in paint that converts plastic to a metal look, for example. There are new adhesives and plastics that might turn old pearls or other beads into a wholly other use than a decorative string of beads around one’s neck ...

One assemblage work perhaps started as a dressmaker’s form in another period of its existence, and has gradually welcomed decorative additions — probably a process that went on while other works were also forming in Lamb’s spacious, highlyorganized studio.

It’s helpful to have a gallery presence, Lamb believes, even if much of the art world has come to a standstill.

She was selected for Loveland’s prestigious summer exhibit this year — which then canceled — and had been invited to participate in a Japanese teddy bear fair, also canceled.

Her soft sculptures are collectorworthy teddy bears, each a one-ofa-kind creation and she has met collectors from across the nation and around the world. These furry creatures are definitely not toys and sell for substantial prices.

Artist Michelle Lamb.

She will teach at Art Students League of Denver in the fall about how to turn material things into ones that look like metal-using a new coating product ... Keeping up on new materials is a major and ongoing challenge.

In past years, she has participated in teddy bear fairs in Philadelphia, in London and elsewhere and will keep producing these as well as wall-hung and in-the-round art.

COURTESY PHOTO

She is recognized in Littleton as the artist of the colorful mural on the back/train side of the historic Downtown Littleton Light Rail Station, which should be familiar to many readers, and originally was a graphic artist, with a degree from Colorado State University that set her on this track.

And, helped her cope in what has been a difficult time for artists of all kinds ...

14 The Independent

July 30, 2020J

FIREFIGHTERS FROM PAGE 12

they began asking more questions to determine how much of a response is needed.

“Now, if possible, we scale back our interactions with patients,” Miller said.

As of July 10, SMFR had 10 members of their staff test positive for COVID-19, according to a spokesperson.

EMS services weren’t the only aspect of emergency response affected by the virus. The Douglas County Emergency Management Center also experienced difficulties.

“From our perspective, it definitely adds a challenge to us in terms of our response,” said Tim Johnson, director of the Douglas County Emergency Management Center.

When responding to events like wildfires, it’s important for EMC personnel to enter the physical center and then work together with a variety of agencies to contain the situation. With social distancing being one of the best ways to prevent the spread of the virus, only a limited number of people can enter the facility now.

“We eventually went to a virtual EOC (Emergency Operation Center) and you lose something when you go virtual,” Johnson said. “It’s that spontaneity.”

For the most part, though, confronting structure and brush fires is one of the only things still familiar to firefighters, Miller said.

“If we respond to a structure fire, I know what I’m going to put on and I’m going to execute that 911 call just like I’ve done for the entirety of my career,” Miller said. “It’s great to be

Firefighter and paramedic Nick Bourne holds a medical oxygen tank while wearing personal protective equipment in the back of a West Metro Fire Rescue fire engine moments before the truck departed from Station 1 on July 23.

PHOTOS BY ELLIOTT WENZLER able to help people and feel like that hasn’t changed.”

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Because there isn’t usually interaction with the public during these events, PPE isn’t required, he said.

Even just hanging out in the fire station has changed. In the beginning of the pandemic, firefighters tried to only interact with the staff from their station, Miller said.

“Initially for two to three months, we operated in extreme silos,” he said.

“We did our best to maintain social distancing within our fire stations.”

With that being said, this wasn’t always easy.

“It can be very difficult for five to eight people to live and work together for 48 hours without being in close contact with each other,” he said.

Adding stress to a stressful job While many firefighters already define their job as stressful, riskintensive and busy, the addition of a pandemic worsened those conditions.

Now, instead of just worrying about themselves getting injured, firefighters have the added concern of bringing an illness home to their family members, Metz said.

“In our profession there’s always been risks associated with our job,” he said. “We do the best we can to mitigate those risks as much as possible.”

The many uncertainties associated with the virus have also added stress to these first responders’ lives.

“Our morale throughout this has been very high but you can really sense that it’s starting to wear on all the providers,” Metz said.

For Miller, during the period at the beginning of the pandemic, which was filled with anxiety and unknowns, it was harder to sleep at night, he said.

He noticed that same fear in some of his colleagues.

“In a profession that shrugs off fear, those folks on the older and younger end of the spectrum, there was a lot of unknown,” he said. “That brought fear into our fire service that I had

Lt. Brian Worth of West Metro Fire Rescue grabs his boots after returning from an emergency call July 23.

Firefighter and paramedic Chris Lesnansky demonstrates the use of personal protective equipment July 23 at a West Metro Fire Rescue station. never felt before in my 15-year career.”

Miller believes the station has begun to finally adjust to the pandemic and the accompanying anxiety, he said.

“We’ve learned how to do things differently,” he said. “I think we’ve turned a corner and adapted.”

The Independent 15

0July 30, 2020

Filling Station Tap House on track to open Owners of new business aim for launch in mid-August

BY JOSEPH RIOS JRIOS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Andy Hawker grew up in Simla, a small town about 45 miles northeast of Colorado Springs. He spent most of his time there working at a filling station, and when you walk into his upcoming Englewood tap house, those roots are apparent.

Lights with tires around them hang from above the ceiling. Wrenches underneath the bar are used as coat hangers, and Hawker’s bar counter features a map of the old Route 66 from Los Angeles to Chicago.

And even though he is opening his tap house during an uncertain time, Hawker and his wife Lisa couldn’t be more excited to serve up drinks to Englewood.

Filling Station Tap House is on track to open at 3242 S. Acoma St. in midAugust. The tap house, which can seat more than 120 customers inside and another 100 at its patio, will sell beer and wine. Eventually, Hawker said he wants to offer whiskey and plans to host food trucks.

“We’ve always had the gift of hospitality,” said Hawker. “We love to have people in our home, and we love to entertain. We wanted to share that with the greater community.”

Hawker’s family has roots in Englewood; his grandparents owned a dry-

Andy and Lisa Hawker, owners of the Filling Station Tap House, pose for a photo. The couple has been planning to open the tap house for the past five years. cleaning business and a sewing shop during the 1940s in the city.

Lisa Hawker said she and her husband had wanted to open Filling Station Tap House in Littleton, their hometown, but after spending the past four years looking for a location, they decided on Englewood.

“It’s up and coming. There is a lot of great stuff around here,” said Lisa.

Although the Hawkers admit that they do think about the uncertainty of what the future holds, they decided to continue with opening up the tap house as they have been planning to do for five years.

Andy Hawker said the tap house got its permits in mid-March when

Tire lights hanging from the ceiling of Filling Station Tap House in Englewood. Andy Hawker used to work at a filling station and the decor inside the tap house reflects his past.

PHOTOS BY JOSEPH RIOS the coronavirus swept the world and said there have been a few logistical issues with construction because of the virus.

“We had a choice to make. Do we pause or push forward?” he said.

“After coming this far, we decided we have to take a leap of faith and push forward.”

If the state were to institute another stay-at-home order, the couple admitted that Filling Station Tap House would most likely go out of business because they don’t have enough in reserves to weather being shut down.

They said they feel confident in their ability to adhere to restrictions the state has placed on establishments, such as keeping tables 6 feet apart and carrying out cleaning protocols.

“Knowing business like the Filling Station Tap is still scheduled to open amidst the pandemic is a very positive sign for Englewood. I think this shows how there’s a lot of opportunity to be a business owner in Englewood with new people and new perspectives,” said Greater Englewood Chamber of Commerce Executive Director David Carroll.

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July 30, 2020J

Last call for alcohol pushed earlier

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The cutoff for selling alcoholic beverages is normally 2 a.m. in Colorado, but for roughly the next month, last call for alcohol will be 10 p.m. statewide, Gov. Jared Polis announced.

That doesn’t mean restaurants or bars must close at that time, but they must stop selling alcohol at that point.

Polis’ executive order on the matter took effect at 10 p.m. July 23 and will last for the following 30 days, but it could be extended further.

The order was later amended to apply only to those licensed to sell alcohol for on-premises consumption. Alcohol may still be delivered, and grocery and liquor stores may continue alcohol sales after 10 p.m., but that time is the last call for sales for on-premise consumption or takeout alcohol orders, according to a governor’s office news release.

Polis generally argued against last-call laws, saying that if a locality wants to “have a bar open until 4 in the morning or 6 in the morning,” it should be able to, and that localities that don’t want to have bars running all night should be able to able to set a time limit on their own.

He called on state legislators to change that legal framework when

Colorado exits the pandemic — when, Polis hopes, “there will be an even better nightlife in Colorado.”

On June 30, just 12 days after Colorado allowed certain bars and nightclubs to open in-person service, a concerning uptick in COVID-19 cases fueled by young Coloradans forced state officials to close those establishments again.

Under the new closure, effective July 1, some bars that operate similar to restaurants may continue in-person service as long as patrons remain with their party, spaced 6 feet apart with no mingling, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

Those bars that function with a full-service kitchen or provide food from a licensed retail food establishment, such as a neighboring restaurant or food truck, were able to open along with restaurants as of May 27, according to a state fact sheet.

All bars still are permitted to sell alcoholic beverages for takeout or delivery if the beverages are sold with food, and they still can operate if they’re open under a variance.

The safer-at-home order refers to bars, taverns, brew pubs, breweries, microbreweries, distillery pubs, wineries, tasting rooms, special licensees, clubs and other establishments that offer alcoholic beverages for on-site drinking as “bars.”

CAPACITY FROM PAGE 9

“I know it’s summer,” he said, but “this is not the summer to party.”

The lawsuit points to other states that have more permissive rules around drink establishments: Alabama and Kansas do not have capacity limits, only a requirement to maintain six feet of distance.

Arizona, Florida and several other states have only set a 50% capacity limit, but do not specify a number of persons.

Colorado, as of July 23, had 721 cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people, which is below the national average. Arizona had the highest number per capita, at 2,073.

Colorado’s coronavirus caseload has shot up in recent weeks, with a three-day average of 518 cases per day. That is 4½ times more than the 115 cases reported on June 13, the lowest point since the lifting of Colorado’s stay-at-home order.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention deems indoor, on-site dining to have a relatively high level of infection risk. Business Insider cataloged the multiple reasons why bars are more dangerous, including the tendency of patrons to sing or speak loudly, the necessity of removing a face mask to drink, and the lack of sunlight, which inactivates the virus. A risk assessment from the Texas Medical Association also concluded bars were the most precarious setting to catch the coronavirus.

Nevertheless, the lawsuit in Denver District Court argues that the state is depriving bar owners of

the full use of their liquor licenses without due process, in violation of the Fifth Amendment and the Colorado constitution.

“Tavern League member X-Bar has an establishment comprising 2,000 square feet and has a fire code capacity of 479 with its patio bar,” the lawsuit reads, referring to a bar at 629 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver.

“Under the Order, X-bar may only accommodate a maximum of 100 patrons. X-bar cannot pay its fixed costs under such an occupancy restriction.”

Alan Chen, a constitutional law professor at the University of Denver, believed the league’s claims were unlikely to succeed because they would have to show that the regulations were not rationally related to a legitimate governmental interest, like the promotion of public health.

“Federal constitutional challenges to state regulations of businesses for public health and safety reasons are a real uphill battle,” he said.

“The Supreme Court shows great deference to such regulations under both the Takings Clause [of the Fifth Amendment] and the Equal Protection Clause [of the Fourteenth Amendment].”

While not challenging the other provisions of the public health order — like masking, distancing, and cleaning requirements — the Tavern League asks the court to strike down the numerical limits on capacity.

This story is from Colorado Politics, a statewide political and public policy news journal. Used by permission. For more, visit coloradopolitics.com.

The Independent 17

0July 30, 2020

C R O S SWO R D P U Z Z L E

SHOOTER FROM PAGE 3

Eighteenth Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler said a juvenile offender program available to McKinney could significantly shorten the time McKinney ends up serving.

Like victims, Brauchler called on Holmes to issue the maximum sentence of life in prison plus 407-1/2 years. McKinney and Erickson had planned to kill as many people as possible on May 7, he said, and might have succeeded had teachers and students not stopped the attack.

Kendrick died while rushing Erickson with two other students. A teacher and a student also confronted McKinney.

The court proceeding was conducted both remotely and in-person amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A limited number of victims were allowed to sit in the courtroom.

McKinney participated remotely from the Marvin W. Foote Youth Services Center in Centennial where he is detained. He addressed the court, saying, “I do not deserve leniency or forgiveness. I don’t want a lighter sentence.”

The hearing was an hours-long outpouring of anger, pain and grief, as victims recounted how the shooting affected them. The ramifications of McKinney’s actions for most those involved will be life-long, victims said.

Accounts from victims culminated with gut-wrenching testimony from

Judge Jeffrey K. Holmes pronounces sentence on Alec McKinney, who received a term of life in prison plus 38 years, with the possibility of parole after 40 years, follwing a guilty plea to charges of firstdegree murder and 16 other counts in the STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting.

John and Maria Castillo, Kendrick’s parents.

John and Maria said they will never forgive McKinney for their son’s death and vowed to remain life-long activists in the fight to end school shootings.

John Castillo recounted having breakfast with his “perfect family” the morning of the shooting. As Kendrick drove away, John took video of his Jeep because it needed new tires, he said. He didn’t know that would be the last time he saw his son alive.

Castillo called McKinney’s display of emotion in court rehearsed and fake. Castillo’s last words to McKinney in the hearing were telling him to “wipe that smirk off your face. Those crocodile tears. You disgust me.”

Maria Castillo vowed to do everything in her power to hold McKinney accountable.

“I will never forgive you. Evil killer,” she said.

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20 The Independent

July 30, 2020J Roofing/Gutters

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The Independent 21

0July 30, 2020 P L A C E A D S O N L I N E 2 4 / 7 AT

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FOR SALE

1998 Stewart and Stevenson M1079 vehicle.

6109 miles, recently serviced with all lubrication points checked and/ or changed. All systems work, as they should. The batteries are brand new (4-6 volt heavy-duty Mil Spec batteries) 4x4, Caterpillar 6 Cylinder 3116 Turbo Diesel Engine, Allison Automatic 7 speed Transmission, Central Tire Inflation System, 395/85R20 Tires, Hard Top, Heater, 24,000 lb. GVWR. The interior is what you would expect from the military, the drive cabin has 3 comfortable seats and plenty of cargo room. All the gauges operate as they should. The windows open easily and the swing open doors allow plenty of access. The CTIS is operational and does not need any servicing. The exterior is painted in tan and has no structural damages, tires have 90 percent tread on them. All the lights operate as they should.

This beast is powered by a 3116 Caterpillar motor producing 225hp and lots of torque! The driveline is tight.

Runs and drives great. Zero Oil Leaks (engine, transmission and cooling system), Air Ride and Air-Tilt Cab, the original sale price to the U.S. Government was $125,000.

The reserve price for this vehicle is $12,500. Elbert County is accepting sealed bids for this vehicle. Elbert County makes no representations, expressed or implied, there is no warranty; this vehicle is sold “as is”, and this vehicle is being sold to the highest bidder meeting the reserve. This vehicle will be available for inspection Any questions can be sent to chad.church@elbertcounty-co.gov or dave.fisher@elbertcounty-co. gov by 5pm on 7-31-2020. If you would like pictures and a video, please contact chad.church@ elbertcounty-co.gov.

Please submit your written bid attn. Director of Finance, Elbert County Colorado, 215 Comanche, Kiowa, CO 80117 by August 3rd, 2020. Bids will be opened the following morning and the winning bid will be awarded by the County Manager. Payment of certified funds or other arrangement approved through the Finance Director.

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Commercial Property for Rent

kearhart@coloradocommunitymedia.com Hampden Center

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The Hampden Center is a commercial office/medical complex in the heart of the Englewood Business District situated between Santa Fe and Broadway on Hampden Avenue with easy access to the RTD and Light Rail station. With our competitive market rates starting at $19 psf, full-service gross and class A general contractor our custom tenant buildouts are second to none and offer a truly personal tenant experience. The Hampden Center offers a great value for all tenants with numerous dining and retail options within walking distance, easy free parking and more!

For current suite availability and more leasing information please contact Omni Development: Tristan Sedbrook: tsedbrook@omnidev.net - Mobile: (720) 421-4971 Jared Kelleher: jkelleher@omnidev.net - Mobile: (303) 868-3056

22 The Independent

July 30, 2020J

www.ColoradoCommunityMedia.com/Notices

PUBLIC NOTICES

Public Notices call Sheree 303.566.4088 Legals City and County PUBLIC NOTICE TOWN OF COLUMBINE VALLEY TRUSTEE BILL #3, SERIES 2020; AN ORDINANCE REGARDING FLOOD PLAINS WAS PASSED ON 2ND READING BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ON JULY 21, 2020. A COPY OF THE ORDINANCE IS AVAILABLE IN THE TOWN HALL AT 2 MIDDLEFIELD ROAD, COLUMBINE VALLEY CO.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, TOWN OF COLUMBINE VALLEY /S/ J.D. MCCRUMB, TOWN CLERK Legal Notice No. 524002 First Publication: July 30, 2020 Last Publication: July 30, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent

Bids and Settlements Public Notice NOTICE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT – BID PACKAGE 10 – TURF PROJECTS Notice is hereby given that Littleton Public Schools in the county of Arapahoe will on August 4, 2020 pay retainage and make final settlement with American Civil Constructors for BID PACKAGE-10 Turf Projects at Arapahoe, Heritage, Euclid, Goddard and Powell. Any person, copartnership, association of persons, company or corporation that has furnished labor, material, team hire, sustenance, provisions, provender or other supplies used or consumed by American Civil Constructors any other contractors or subcontractors in or about the performance of the work contracted to be done or that supplies rental machinery, tools, or equipment to the extent used in the prosecution of the work whose claim has not been paid, may at any time up to and including the time of final settlement, file a Verified Statement of Claim with the amount due and unpaid on account of such claim with the Board of Education to Littleton Public Schools at the school district’s Property Management Department, 5776 S. Crocker Street, Littleton, CO. 80120 on or before August 4, 2020.

Final Settlement will be made and verified claims must be timely filed with Littleton Public Schools.

Failure on the part of the claimant to file such statement prior to or on the established date will relieve the School District from any and all liability for such claim, Dated: July 2, 2020 Legal Notice No. 534948 First Publication: July 9, 2020 Last Publication: July 30, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent Not consecutive publications

Summons and Sheriff Sale Public Notice DISTRICT COURT, ARAPAHOE COUNTY, STATE OF COLORADO Case No.: 2020CV030117 COMBINED NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

at Reception No. D7061568 in the records of the Clerk and Recorder of the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado. The foreclosure is based on a default under the Condominium Declaration for Belmont Condominiums recorded on 11/27/2002 at Reception#B2226309 in the records of the Clerk and Recorder of the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado. The Declaration establishes a lien for the benefit of Belmont at Riverwalk Condominium Association, Inc. against real property legal described as follows: Condominium Unit F, Building 2951, The Belmont at Riverwalk Condominiums, according to the Condominium Map thereof recorded November 27, 2002 at Reception No. B2226310, and as defined and described in the Condominium Declaration for Belmont Condominiums recorded November 27, 2002 at Reception No. B2226309 in the Office of the Clerk and Recorder, County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado; Also known as: 2951 W. Riverwalk Cr. #F Littleton, CO 80123.

The attorney representing the legal owner of the above described lien is: Kate M. Leason, Reg. No. 41025, Altitude Community Law P.C., 555 Zang Street, Suite 100, Lakewood, Colorado 80228-1011, 303.432.9999.

Date: May 26, 2020 Tyler S. Brown Arapahoe County Sheriff By: Sgt. Trent Steffa Deputy Sheriff Legal Notice No.: 523870 First Publication: July 9, 2020 Last Publication: August 6, 2020 Published In: Littleton Independent 750 W Hampden Ave, Suite 225 Public Notice DISTRICT COURT, ARAPAHOE COUNTY, STATE OF COLORADO Case No.: 2020CV030021 Division: 21 NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE Plaintiff: STEPPING STONES AT COPPER RIDGE HOMEOWNERS ASSOC., a Colorado nonprofit corporation v.

Defendants: ALMA G. FLORES; UNITED SHORE FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC; MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC.; THE OFFICE OF THE ARAPAHOE COUNTY PUBLIC TRUSTEE Regarding: Lot 1, Block 21, Copper Ridge Subdivision Filing No. 1, County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado.

Also known and numbered as: 17164 E Ford Dr Aurora CO 80017 TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS, Please take notice: You and each of you are hereby notified that a Sheriff’s Sale of the referenced property is to be conducted by the Civil Unit of the Sheriff’s Office of Arapahoe County, Colorado at 10:00 A.M., on the 10th day of September, 2020, at 13101 E. Broncos Pkwy, Centennial, CO 80112; phone number (720)874-3845. At which sale, the above described real property and improvements thereon will be sold to the highest bidder. Plaintiff makes no warranty relating to title, possession, or quiet enjoyment in and to said real property in connection with this sale.

PLAINTIFF: BELMONT AT RIVERWALK CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, INC. v.

DEFENDANTS: PHILLIP A TILLEMAN; RIVERWALK MASTER ASSOCIATION; BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.; THE ARLINGTON CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION INC; and SUSAN KAY RYDEN AS ARAPAHOE COUNTY PUBLIC TRUSTEE

**BIDDERS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE CASH OR CERTIFIED FUNDS SUFFICIENT TO COVER THEIR HIGHEST BID AT TIME OF SALE. **

TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS, Please take notice:

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE LIEN BEING FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN ON THE SUBJECT PROPERTY.

You and each of you are hereby notified that a Sheriff’s Sale of the referenced property is to be conducted by the Sheriff’s Office of the County of Arapahoe, State of Colorado at 10 O’clock .A.M., on the 27th day of August 2020, at 13101 East Broncos Parkway, Centennial, CO 80112, phone number 720-874-3845. At which sale, the above described real property and improvements thereon will be sold to the highest bidder. Plaintiff makes no warranty relating to title, possession, or quiet enjoyment in and to said real property in connection with this sale.

BIDDERS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE CASH OR CERTIFIED FUNDS SUFFICIENT TO COVER THEIR HIGHEST BID AT THE TIME OF SALE. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE LIEN BEING FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN ON THE SUBJECT PROPERTY. Judgment is in the amount of $18,004.14.

This is to advise you that a Sheriff’s sale proceeding has been commenced through the office of the undersigned Sheriff pursuant to Order For Default Judgment and Order and Decree for Judicial Foreclosure dated April 24, 2020 and C.R.S. 38-38-101, et seq. by Belmont at Riverwalk Condominium Association, Inc. the holder and current owner of a lien recorded on June 7, 2017

Further, for the purpose of paying off, curing default or redemption, as provided by statute, intent must be directed to or conducted at the above address of the Civil Unit of the Sheriff’s Office of Arapahoe County, Colorado.

ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF: ORTEN CAVANAGH & HOLMES, LLC 1445 Market Street, Suite 350 Denver, CO 80202 DATED in Colorado this 11th day of June 2020.

Tyler S. Brown Sheriff of Arapahoe County, Colorado By: Sgt. Trent Steffa Deputy Sheriff Legal Notice No.: 523907 First Publication: July 16, 2020 Last Publication: August 13, 2020 Published In: Littleton Independent 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225 Englewood, Colorado, 80110 Public Notice DISTRICT COURT, ARAPAHOE COUNTY STATE OF COLORADO Court Address: 7325 S Potomac St., Centennial, CO 80112 Plaintiff(s): ELVA MANZANERO

legals@coloradocommunitymedia.com

v.

Defendant(s): ALEXIS MEDINA, ROCKY MOUNTAIN MORTGAGE SPECIALISTS, INC., a Colorado Corporation, and all unknown persons who claim any interest in the subject matter of this action.

Attorney for Plaintiff: KOB LAW LLC Knute O. Broady, III 6795 E. Tennessee Ave., Suite 210 Denver, CO 80224 Tel: (720) 341-4111 Reg. No.: 43986 Fax: (720) 836-4202 E-mail: knute@koblaw.com Case No.: 2020CV31341 SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANT(S): ALEXIS MEDINA You are hereby summoned and required to appear and defend against the claims of the complaint filed with the court in this action, by filing with the clerk of this court an answer or other response. You are required to file your answer or other response within 35 days after the service of this summons upon you. Service of this summons shall be complete on the day of the last publication. A copy of the complaint may be obtained from the clerk of the court.

If you fail to file your answer or other response to the complaint in writing within 35 days after the date of the last publication, judgment by default may be rendered against you by the court for the relief demanded in the complaint without further notice.

This is a quiet title action brought pursuant to C.R.C.P. 105 concerning 15556 E. Evans Avenue., Aurora, CO 80013.

Dated: July 10, 2020 By: s/ Knute O. Broady, III Knute O. Broady, III Reg. No.: 43986 Attorney for Plaintiff (This summons is issued pursuant to Rule 4(g), Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure.)

Legal Notice No. 523973 First Publication: July 23, 2020 Last Publication: August 20, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent

Misc. Private Legals Public Notice COUNTY COURT, ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO Court Address: 1790 West Littleton Blvd.

Littleton, CO 80120 303/645-6600 Case No.:2009C304232 Sunport Financial, LLC, Plaintiff vs. Clarence C. Edwards, Defendant REVIVER BY PUBLICATION NOTICE TO DEFENDANT/ JUDGMENT DEBTOR THIS MATTER coming on before the Court upon the motion of the Plaintiff styled “Motion for Revivor of Judgment,” and the Court having read said motion and now being duly apprised in the premises, NOW THEREFORE IT IS HEREBY ORDERED the Clerk of this Court shall, and is ordered and directed to, issue to Defendant, Clarence C. Edwards, the “Notice to Show Cause Pursuant to CRCP 354(h)” requiring said Defendant to show cause within 14 (fourteen) days from the service of such Notice, pursuant to CRCP 354(h), if any he/she has, why the Judgment heretofore entered in this matter on April 23, 2009, revived December 29, 2014 shall not be revived with like force and effect.

WHEREAS, Plaintiff has moved this Court pursuant to CRCP 354(h) to revive the Judgment entered in the instant matter on, April 23, 2009, revived December 29, 2014. NOW THEREFORE IT IS ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED, that Plaintiff, Sunport Financial, LLC, shall have and take of defendant, Clarence C. Edwards, Judgment in the instant matter on this date with like force and effect as on the date the Judgment was entered heretofore on April 23, 2009 revived December 29, 2014.

Defendant shall show cause within fourteen (14) days from the service of this “Notice to Show Cause Pursuant to CRCP 354(h)”, if any the Defendant has, why the Judgment heretofore entered should not be revived with like force and effect.

Attorney for Plaintiff Legal Notice No. 523929 First Publication: July 2, 2020 Last Publication: July 30, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent

Notice to Creditors Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of KATHERINE JEAN OLSON, Deceased Case Number: 2020PR030520 All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before November 30, 2020, or the claims may be forever barred.

Michael Olson, Personal Representative c/o Scarola Law, LLC 115 Wilcox, #218 Castle Rock, CO 80104 Legal Notice No. 524005 First Publication: July 30, 2020 Last Publication: August 13, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Herbert F. Jacobs, Deceased Case Number: 2020PR30673 All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to District Court of Arapahoe, County, Colorado on or before November 23, 2020, or the claims may be forever barred.

Katherine J. Stanton Personal Representative 235 Fremont Avenue Los Altos, California 94024 Legal Notice No. 523975 First Publication: July 23, 2020 Last Publication: August 6, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of ALBIN SCHOBER, Deceased Case Number: 2020 PR 30697 All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before November 30, 2020, or the claims may be forever barred.

Personal Representative: Katharina Schober 9221 E. Jewell Circle Denver, Colorado 80231 Legal Notice No. 524006 First Publication: July 30, 2020 Last Publication: August 13, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of RUSSELL ALAN SHUSTER, aka RUSSELL A. SHUSTER, Deceased Case Number: 2020PR30690 All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before November 16, 2020, or the claims may be forever barred.

Cassandra A. Byrns Personal Representative 20863 E. Girard Dr. Aurora, CO 80013 Legal Notice No. 523967 First Publication: July 16, 2020 Last Publication: July 30, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Alexander Djanfada, Deceased Case Number: 2020 PR 30665 All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before November 23, 2020, or the claims may be forever barred.

Sergey Djanfada Personal Representative 15884 E. Purdue Drive Aurora, Colorado 80013 720-324-0591 Legal Notice No. 523992 First Publication: July 23, 2020 Last Publication: August 6, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent

Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of CHERYL LYNN BEABOUT, aka CHERYL L. BEABOUT, aka CHERYL BEABOUT, Deceased Case Number: 2020PR30709 All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the Arapahoe County District Court on or before December 4,

2020 or the claims may be forever barred.

James Beabout, Personal Representative 4851 Christensen Drive Littleton, CO 80123 Legal Notice No. 523997 First Publication: July 30, 2020 Last Publication: August 13, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Michelle Marie Case, Deceased Case Number: 2020PR30705

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before November 30, 2020, or the claims may be forever barred.

Javier E. Lopez Personal Representative 18352 East Harvard Place Aurora, Colorado 80013 Legal Notice No. 523999 First Publication: July 30, 2020 Last Publication: August 13, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Neal A. Berwick, aka Neal Andrew Berwick, aka Neal Berwick, Deceased Case Number: 2020PR30649

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before November 16, 2020, or the claims may be forever barred.

Daniel Berwick Personal Representative c/o Katz, Look & Onorato, P.C. 1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 1100 Denver, CO 80203 Legal Notice No. 523957 First Publication: July 16, 2020 Last Publication: July 30, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Lorraine McCawley, aka Lorraine J. McCawley, Deceased Case Number: 20PR204 All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to District Court of ARAPAHOE County, Colorado on or before NOVEMBER 23, 2020, or the claims may be forever barred.

ROBERT P MOLLOY JR Personal Representative 5937 S DATURA CT LITTLETON, CO, 80120 Legal Notice No. 523991 First Publication: July 23, 2020 Last Publication: August 6, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Todd Alan Johnson, also known as Todd A. Johnson, and Todd Johnson, Deceased Case Number: 2020PR30585

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before November 16, 2020, or the claims may be forever barred.

Carolyn J. Johnson Personal Representative 9861 Greensview Circle Lone Tree, Colorado 80124 Legal Notice No. 523963 First Publication: July 16, 2020 Last Publication: July 30, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of James I. Estes, aka James Ivan Estes, aka James Estes, Deceased Case Number 2020PR30711

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before November 30, 2020, or the claims may be forever barred.

Dyana Marie Estes Personal Representative Patrick R. Thiessen (40185) FRIE, ARNDT, DANBORN & THIESSEN P.C. 7400 Wadsworth Blvd, Ste. 201 Arvada, CO 80003 Phone Number: 303-420-1234 Attorney for Dyana Marie Estes Personal Representative

Littleton Legals date * 1

The Independent 23

0July 30, 2020

LETTERS FROM PAGE 11

However, only one of these is positioned to address the pressing issue of racial disparity facing the University of Colorado and the entire country.

The lack of diversity and inclusivity have been longstanding challenges for CU. The problem is heightened by the absence of transparency in the hiring of Republican Congressman Mark Kennedy, who has a troubling record of anti-civil rights voting.

Democratic CU regent candidate Ilana Spiegel has long advocated for opportunity, inclusivity, af-

fordability and accessibility for everyone. With years of experience in education and a strong background in minority advocacy, Ilana Spiegel is our choice for regent.

Bruce and Judy Bender Centennial Crow right man for job Indivisible Southglenn is proud to endorse Rep. Jason Crow for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Since his election in 2018, Jason Crow has repeatedly demonstrated his high integrity and adherence to values that are cherished by the people of Colorado’s 6th Congressional District. These include: respect for democratic processes,

support for affordable and universal healthcare, increased access to education, and adherence to civil rights,” said Rebecca Barrilleaux, leader of Indivisible Southglenn.

“As a strong believer in building consensus and bipartisanship, Jason has proven to be an incredibly effective member of Congress.”

Jason has been steadfast in advocating for Colorado’s most vulnerable populations. He has instituted weekly visits to the Aurora Contract Detention Facility to ensure detainees’ rights are respected.

Jason has co-sponsored HR 9 to re-engage in the Paris Climate Accord and has sponsored the SAVE Energy Act and 100% Clean Economy Act. To protect our democratic processes, Jason Crow is

a sponsor of the End Dark Money Act and the Foreign Interference Reporting in Elections Act. To address the need for improved access to healthcare, Crow supports the Medicare-X Choice Act. Crow is a sponsor of the George Floyd Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act. These are only a few of the actions Jason has taken that give us great confidence in him.

Indivisible Southglenn is a grassroots group in Centennial that is committed to upholding our processes and providing education and resources to encourage engagement in voting and legislative advocacy.

Jeri Korshak Glenda Sadler Centennial

Public Notices Legal Notice No. 524001 First Publication: July 30, 2020 Last Publication: August 13, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Barbara Kay O’Banion, a/k/a Barbara OBanion, Deceased Case Number: 2020PR030747 All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before November 30, 2020, or the claims may be forever barred.

Michael E. O’Banion c/o Keith L. Davis, Esq. Davis Schilken, PC 7887 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 820 Denver, CO 80111 Legal Notice No. 524004 First Publication: July 30, 2020 Last Publication: August 13, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of JANA KAY DITTO, a/k/a JANA K. DITTO, a/k/a JANA DITTO, a/k/a JANA DITTO MARTIN, a/k/a JANA D. MARTIN, a/k/a JANA MARTIN, Deceased Case Number: 2020 PR 61 All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before November 23, 2020, or the claims may be forever barred. /s/ John D. Konz JORGENSEN, BROWNELL & PEPIN, P.C. 8001 Arista Pl, #415 Broomfield, CO 80021 Telephone: (303) 678-0560 Attorney for the Personal Representative Legal Notice No. 523986 First Publication: July 23, 2020 Last Publication: August 6, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Robin Albert Carlson, Deceased Case Number: 20PR30656 All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before November 16, 2020, or the claims may be forever barred.

Emily Bright Hays Attorney to the Personal Representative 8795 Ralson Rd, St 113 Arvada, CO 80002 Legal Notice No. 523959 First Publication: July 16, 2020 Last Publication: July 30, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Sandra J. Kiley, aka Sandra Jean Kiley, Deceased Case Number: 2020PR30500 All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before November 16, 2020, or the claims may be forever barred.

Walter H. Kiley, Personal Representative c/o Gubbels Law Office, P.C. 402 N Wilcox St., #100 Castle Rock, CO 80104 Legal Notice No. 523954 First Publication: July 16, 2020 Last Publication: July 30, 2020

Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Rita Derjue Zimmerman, also known as Rita D. Zimmerman, and Rita Derjue, Deceased Case Number: 20PR30676 All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before November 23, 2020, or the claims may be forever barred.

Carle C. Zimmerman, Jr. Personal Representative 2539 West Ridge Court Littleton, Colorado 80120 Legal Notice No. 523976 First Publication: July 23, 2020 Last Publication: August 6, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Raciel F. Martinez, also known as Raciel Fidel Martinez, also known as Raciel Martinez, Deceased Case Number: 2020 PR 30702 All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before November 23, 2020, or the claims may be forever barred.

Dialis R. de Quesada Personal Representative 16494 East Otero Place Englewood, CO 80112 Legal Notice No. 523981 First Publication: July 23, 2020 Last Publication: August 6, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Mary A. Brelsford, Deceased Case Number: 2020PR30730 All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before November 30, 2020, or the claims may be forever barred.

R. Kevin Sikes Personal Representative 203 Cerro De Ortega Rio Rancho, New Mexico 87124 Legal Notice No. 523998 First Publication: July 30, 2020 Last Publication: August 13, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of FERNANDO EUSTACIO GARCIA, aka FERNANDO E. GARCIA, aka FERNANDO GARCIA, Deceased Case Number: 2020 PR 30726 All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to: DISTRICT COURT OF ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO on or before NOVEMBER 30, 2020, or the claims may be forever barred.

Martinita G. Garcia Personal Representative c/o Chayet & Danzo, LLC 650 S. Cherry Street, Suite 710 Denver, CO 80246 Legal Notice No. 524000 First Publication: July 30, 2020 Last Publication: August 13, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of James E. Gaba,

a/k/a James Edwin Gaba, a/k/a James Edward Gaba, a/k/a James Gaba and Jim Gaba, Deceased Case Number: 2020PR30563 All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before November 16, 2020, or the claims may be forever barred.

Kanda E. Pullara and Taryn L. Logan Co-Personal Representatives 5367 E. Mineral Circle Centennial, Colorado 80122 Legal Notice No. 523965 First Publication: July 16, 2020 Last Publication: July 30, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent Public Notice NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Matthew Annalora, also known as Matthew A. Annalora, and Matthew Anthony Annalora, Deceased Case Number: 2020PR30455 All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado on or before November 23, 2020, or the claims may be forever barred.

Olivia Annalora Young Personal Representative 2153 S. Lafayette Street Denver, CO 80210 Legal Notice No. 523974 First Publication: July 23, 2020 Last Publication: August 6, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent

Name Changes Public Notice

The petition requests that the name of Joseph Michael Bethel-Santiago be changed to Joseph Michael Santiago Case No.: 2020 C 100262 By: Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk

By: Kim Boswell Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk

Legal Notice No. 523958 First Publication: July 16, 2020 Last Publication: July 30, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent

Legal Notice No. 523978 First Publication: July 23, 2020 Last Publication: August 6, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

Public notice is given on July 7, 2020, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

The petition requests that the name of Ariana Amaya be changed to Ariana Angel Amayasilerio Case No.: 20 C 100268 By: Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk Legal Notice No. 523969 First Publication: July 16, 2020 Last Publication: July 30, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent PUBLIC NOTICE

The petition requests that the name of Nicholas Suk Lee be changed to Sterling Nicholas Lee Case No.: 20 C 100273 By: K. Boswell Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk Legal Notice No. 523983 First Publication: July 23, 2020 Last Publication: August 6, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent PUBLIC NOTICE

The Petition requests that the name of Dawn Alese Graves be changed to Dawn Alese Graves-Perkins Case Number: 2020C37286

The petition requests that the name of Jeff Jiajun Qian be changed to Jeff Jiajun Chien Case No.: 20 C 37568

By: KLS Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk

By: Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk

The petition requests that the name of Carmen Katrina Karchner be changed to Carmen Katrina Hart Case No.: 20C100278 By: Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk Legal Notice No. 523995 First Publication: July 30, 2020 Last Publication: August 13, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent PUBLIC NOTICE Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name Public notice is given on July 6, 2020, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

Legal Notice No: 524003 First Publication: July 30, 2020 Last Publication: August 13, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent PUBLIC NOTICE

Public notice is given on July 13, 2020, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

Public notice is given on July 17, 2020, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

By: Shana Kloek Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

Public Notice is given on July 9, 2020, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an Adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

The petition requests that the name of Jorge Ipolito be changed to Jorge Posada Case No.: 20C100276

Public notice is given on July 8, 2020, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

PUBLIC NOTICE

Public notice is given on July 8, 2020, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

PUBLIC NOTICE OF PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME

Legal Notice No. 523966 First Publication: July 16, 2020 Last Publication: July 30, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent

Ran R Zhu be changed to Angie Ran Chien Case No.: 20 C 37569

Legal Notice No. 523979 First Publication: July 23, 2020 Last Publication: August 6, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent PUBLIC NOTICE Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name Public notice is given on July 10, 2020, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

The petition requests that the name of Lacei Leigh Martinez-Ibarra be changed to Lacei Leigh Martinez Case No.: 20 C 100270 By: Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk Legal Notice No. 523977 First Publication: July 23, 2020 Last Publication: August 6, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent PUBLIC NOTICE Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name Public notice is given on July 8, 2020, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

Public notice is given on July 13, 2020, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

The petition requests that the name of Sally Jean Morgenthaler be changed to Morgan Leigh McKenna Case No.: 20 C 100258 By: Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk Legal Notice No. 523980 First Publication: July 23, 2020 Last Publication: August 6, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent

PUBLIC NOTICE Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name Public notice is given on July 1, 2020, that a Petition for a Change of Name of an adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

The petition requests that the name of Emily Chien Zhi Yuan be changed to Emily Chie Grider Case No.: 20 C 100265 By: Kim Boswell Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk Legal Notice No. 523972 First Publication: July 23, 2020 Last Publication: August 6, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent PUBLIC NOTICE Public Notice of Petition for Change of Name

Public notice is given on July 17, 2020, that a Petition for a Change of Name of a minor child has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

The petition requests that the name of Ashley Lynn Tschetter be changed to Lila Lynn Tschetter Case No.: 20 C 100282 By: Clerk of Court / Deputy Clerk Legal Notice No. 523996 First Publication: July 30, 2020 Last Publication: August 13, 2020 Publisher: Littleton Independent

###

The petition requests that the name of

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July 30, 2020

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