Aurora looks at limiting ‘blight’ businesses in targeted neighborhoods
AURORA VOTES
ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH
AURORA’S WINNING TEAM
DANIELLE JURINSKY for City Council, At-Large
AMSALU KASSAW for City Council, At-Large
STEPHEN ELKINS for City Council, WARD I
STEVE SUNDBERG for City Council, WARD II
MARSHA BERZINS for City Council, WARD III
NINO PEPPER Aurora Public Schools
TATYANA STURM Cherry Creek Schools
AMANDA THAYER Cherry Creek Schools
Getting real. Stories from your neighbors about the Republican health care cuts
The excruciating shutdown non-debate in Washington over cuts to Medicaid funding and Affordable Care Act tax credits isn’t an abstract fight about budgets or ideology. It’s about your neighbors who will face impossible choices if Congress doesn’t act.
“I’m a tech employee, and I earn a decent salary, and this is my story,” Miller said. “Think about the reality for service industry workers, for small-business owners. This fight isn’t just coming to your front door, it’s already here.”
The crisis isn’t just about numbers. It’s about security and people’s lives. When a family like the Millers or Von Pichls faces premiums rivaling a mortgage, the American dream becomes an accounting nightmare.
ists. They’re not on TV or marching in protest. They’re not “illegal” immigrants. They’re like the hundreds of thousands of other at-risk Coloradans who are Republicans, Democrats, and people who couldn’t care less about party labels. What they share is the everyday American expectation that working hard should mean being able to afford to see a doctor and keep your children healthy.
DAVE PERRY Editor
During a virtual roundtable last week, Colorado Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper warned that Republican leaders’ refusal to restore funding for Medicaid and extend ACA premium tax credits would rip health care away from millions of Americans. He calls the measure “the Big Bad Betrayal Act,” estimating that 15 million people nationwide could lose coverage and that premiums for millions more could double.
Those cuts or mushrooming insurance costs would be yours, not some faceless statistic, and certainly not an “illegal immigrant” as Republicans have repeatedly lied about.
The disaster is already hitting Coloradans across the state. Scared and hurting are parents, small-business owners, teachers, retirees, and caregivers in every part of the state, and from every political stripe.
Commerce City resident Mercedes Von Pichl and her husband run a small music-lesson business. For years, they could afford family insurance coverage only because of ACA subsidies. They lowered their premium from $900 a month to just over $200. Then came a premature baby and weeks in the NICU. Their baby has a rare genetic condition requiring lifelong care. Now their monthly bill tops $1,100. If the subsidies vanish, they’ll shoulder the full cost, which could easily double.
“How are we going to be able to afford insurance for our family?” she asked. “Do we forego insurance and hope they don’t get injured or sick? These are decisions no family should have to make in one of the wealthiest countries in the world.”
In Conifer, longtime tech worker CJ Miller said his family’s plan through the Colorado insurance exchange could nearly triple next year because of the changes created in Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” His premium could soon exceed his mortgage.
Nicole Villas lives in rural Gilpin County and cares full-time for her 20-year-old son, Aiden. He has a catastrophic seizure disorder that requires around-the-clock supervision. Medicaid’s developmental disability waiver pays for therapies and medications that private insurance won’t cover. Those are services that keep him alive.
Recent federal cuts, Villas said, forced Colorado to trim those services by about 10%. That might sound small on paper, but it’s devastating in practice.
“A 10% cut is unfathomable to most people,” she said. “If I weren’t here, my husband couldn’t keep working, and the tax burden on the community would be much higher. These cuts are life-altering.”
Aurora single mother Jeannie Galacci cares for her teenage son with Down syndrome. Medicaid allows her to be his certified nursing assistant. It’s a lifeline, she says, that lets her provide the full-time care he needs while earning enough to keep their home.
“I worry about re-certifications becoming more difficult and what that means for us,” she said. “Medicaid and its waivers are what make a meaningful life possible for my son.”
And in Wellington, retired state employee Diane Schwindt said the ACA marketplace is the only thing standing between her and homelessness. After a car crash, her insurance covered the surgeries and rehabilitation that her pension for working most of her adult life for the State of Colorado couldn’t. Without those tax credits, she said, she might have to drop coverage altogether until she qualifies for Medicare.
“This is life or death,” Schwindt said through tears. “I don’t want to become homeless because I get in a car accident. We’ve worked all our lives, and now we’re being punished.”
These five Coloradans are not political activ-
The looming healthcare cuts threaten that promise. Ending the ACA premium credits will push many middle-income families off coverage entirely. Gutting Medicaid funding will strand seniors, people with disabilities, and caregivers who depend on it for basic survival. And because fewer people will pay into the system, the cost of insurance will rise for everyone, even those who are lucky enough to have relatively luxurious employer plans.
Hickenlooper is right. Health care costs will “double unless Congress does something.”
Some in Congress insist the government can’t afford to maintain these supports. The truth is, we can’t afford not to. When families lose coverage, they delay treatment, skip medications, and end up in emergency rooms, driving costs even higher for taxpayers and hospitals alike.
That’s not an opinion. That’s the conclusion of decades of documented research.
The human cost is far steeper. Parents forgo their own care to keep a child insured. Retirees risk bankruptcy after one accident. Teachers like Galacci burn out trying to fill gaps the system creates.
Coloradans pride themselves on independence and hard work, but no one can “bootstrap” their way out of a medical crisis. What these families need is a system that doesn’t collapse when Washington plays this kind of punitive politics.
Democrats and Republicans should end the shutdown, restore Medicaid funding, and extend the ACA premium tax credits now.
Behind every line item in the budget are your neighbors like Mercedes, CJ, Nicole, Jeannie, and Diane. These are people who have done everything right and are now just one vote away from losing the care that keeps them alive.
Aurora single mom and teacher Jeannie Galacci cares for her teenage son with Down syndrome. Medicaid allows her to be his certified nursing assistant. It’s a lifeline, she says, that lets her provide the full-time care he needs while earning enough to keep their home. Screen grab from an Oct. 17 virtual roundtable discussion held by Colorado Democratic Sen. John Hickenkooper.
Hundreds gather in Aurora to protest Trump policies at ‘No Kings’ event
HUNDREDS GATHER IN AURORA TO PROTEST TRUMP POLICIES AT ‘NO KINGS’ EVENT “THEY LOVE AMERICA. THAT’S WHY THEY’RE HERE.” – CRAIG LILLY, NAVY VETERAN
BY CASSANDRA BALLARD, Sentinel Staff Writer
Like many “No Kings” protests that popped up across the country, Aurora had a surprisingly large turnout.
About 900 people gathered to protest policies and actions by President Donald Trump and his administration, while members of the president’s Republican Party disparaged the rallies as “Hate America” events.
Nationally, the unofficial count was about 2,700 protests drawing about 7 million people, according to Associated Press reporting.
“They don’t hate America,” said 22-year Navy veteran Craig Lilly about himself and the other protesters in the crowd. “They love America. That’s why they’re here.”
Similar protests were held across the metro area and Colorado.
what democracy looks like. We don’t want to lose this.”
Mazor came to protest with her friend Tobi Lindley. They said that voting doesn’t end with choosing a president. Voting “down ballot” and knowing who you are voting for is equally important, with everything from the Federal government to local government and even your local school boards.
“If they don’t vote, this doesn’t matter,” Lindley said. “The presence is good, but they can ignore this. They can’t ignore the vote. Got to vote.”
Other women said they were carrying on the legacy of standing up for their democracy by doing what their parents and grandparents would have done.
“My parents protested in the 60s for freedom of protests and freedom to assemble, and I didn’t see any purpose in not standing up for the freedom myself, now, and carrying on the torch,” Cathryn Hart said.
even just Trump trying to encourage people not to protest, like saying that all of us don’t have the right to be out here,” Rhett said. “That’s a pretty dire warning.” Rhett said that protesting doesn’t end when the protest is over, or even when elections are over, but they can be affected by how people spend their money. There are many ways to show the government how you disagree with them.
Whitney, who had a sign for the federal government to keep its hands off public lands, had clear places she disagreed with the Trump administration, and she said that was the beauty of a protest like this.
A man dressed as “Oogie Boogie” from “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” during an Oct. 18 No Kings protest in Aurora on the
The local rally filled all four corners of the busy intersection of Parker Road and Havana Street. The intersection, which doesn’t seem like the most ideal protesting spot, was filled with honks of support and the occasional middle finger, along with a few members of Congress like Democratic Rep. Jason Crow and Sen. John Hickenlooper.
There was even a food truck for the Taste of Back Home, a local Cajun and soul food restaurant in Aurora.
Protesters kept it calm while dressing up in frog outfits and other goofy costumes, such as Oogie Boogie from “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” One man, who said he is usually pretty introverted, dressed as the president while making exaggerated facial expressions to mimic Trump.
Some of the women who attended said that they did this kind of protesting when they were younger for women’s rights, but it was “never this bad.”
“It’s because I care about my country, and I care about everybody in it,” Bernie Mazor said. “This is
Melody Parish said she brought her cousin Gregory Martin for his first-ever protest, and he said he was not disappointed. He said he’s been feeling a lot of emotions about the world lately and wanted to get out and do this. For him, everyone was so kind and welcoming, and it was a beautiful day to be out.
Throughout the rally, there were no visible counter protesters and no hostility or fights.
Parish said this is the third protest she has attended, and this one was much larger than the others. She had more critical signs with Trump portrayed as Adolf Hitler, and she said that Trump and Stephen Miller “absolutely terrify her.”
People had knitted frog hats, and one woman had Kermit wrapped around her head like a scarf or hat. Others were more cautious and covered their faces in case there was a harsh response to the protest.
Rhett Butler, who said he is usually an unaffiliated voter, also said he was fed up, along with others who attended with him, Whitney Butler and Michael Hess.
“When you start to see the erosion of civil liberties,
“It’s inspiring to see what brings people here,” Whitney said. “What’s important to me may not be what brought anybody else here, and to see that there are other people that care about what you care about, and maybe inspire you to care about things that you didn’t know about.
The group said they were proud of where the protest was held because it had so much visibility from people of all ranges of incomes and livelihoods. Whitney said she was even a little shocked by the amount of positive responses, even by vehicles she might have expected to honk in approval.
Hess said that he hoped the movement would grow and help push for a general strike from the whole nation.
Lilly, a Navy veteran, said that a dictatorship could be possible in a different reality, but he doesn’t think the United States is there yet. Many people in the crowd said they were still optimistic about the future because of experiencing people practicing their democracy, like in this protest.
“Absent people like this, it could happen, but Americans are not built that way,” Lilly said. “We are not gonna let this happen. And so we will get through this moment, but it will not happen by sitting at home.
corners of Havana Street and Parker Road.
PHOTO BY CASSANDRA BALLARD
METRO
AROUND AURORA
Aurora City Council to resume in-person meetings amid sharpened political turmoil
Aurora City Council members say they’re ready to resume in-person meetings, but the decision came after a night of political chaos and personal attacks that laid bare the lawmakers’ deep divisions.
“There were many concerns that I still have had with the process of being virtual,” Councilmember Crystal Murillo said. during the council’s Oct. 20 meeting “And I think that, in and of itself, it has been used as the political tool to silence folks who don’t agree with the majority.”
Murillo was one of three Democrats who broke ranks with the Republican-led majority on the city council and began holding public sessions outside of city hall during regular webcast meetings, which ended earlier this summer.
The majority on the city council agreed in June to curtail convening in person as push back against disruptive protesters demanding police discipline for the 2024 police shooting of Kylin Lewis.
City council meetings will be completely back in-person Nov. 17, and the public invited to be heard will be in-person as well, city lawmakers agreed Monday.
The question of whether to return to in-person meetings was brought back to the agenda and quickly unraveled into another chaotic and deeply personal exchange among city council members, continuing months of dysfunction that have repeatedly spilled into public view.
The discussion opened with Mayor Mike Coffman motioning to bring in-person meetings back to council chambers Nov. 3.
Then there was a webcast public comment, and the two speakers, Portia Terrell-Beavers and MiDian Shofner, both addressed the city council about their responsibilities as members. They said that some candidates up for election are more willing to address the public’s complaints and reminded the city council of how the upcoming election can influence change.
This follows months of Shofner and others, including Terrell-Beavers, who have been demanding police reform after multiple Black men have been shot by Aurora Police officers while unarmed. The group and many others began protesting regularly at Aurora’s City Council after the death of Lewis. Lewis was shot during his arrest in an apartment parking lot. His arrest was linked to charges stemming from a Denver shooting.
Aurora is currently under a consent decree, imposed by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser in 2021. It was the result of investigations into allegations of the Aurora Police Department’s excessive use of force and discriminatory practices, particularly against people of color. Triggered in part by the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, who died at the hands of police and rescuers after being stopped, unarmed, the decree mandates broad reforms in training, accountability, use-offorce policies, data systems and community engagement.
“You are not in a space of power, you are in a space of responsibility,” Shofner said. “And somewhere, several of you got lost on that. The people you serve are the ones who are in power, because on Nov. 4, they actually get to exalt the only power that exists. Those who are voted in to serve are to do so responsibly. We will not forget the ones who turned away.”
When Terrell-Brewer spoke, she brought up how virtual, webcast meetings make everything take longer, making it more challenging for the public to engage. She said that the reason the meetings
went virtual was that the leaders did not want to listen to their constituents. She also accused Councilmember Steve Sundberg and Amsalu Kassaw, two incumbent candidates running for reelection, of stealing other candidates’ signs, with claims linked to Sundberg’s Cybertruck. Neither offered evidence supporting their claims of sign theft.
This, along with Shofner referring to herself as a constituent, while living in Denver, riled many city council members, including Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky, who initially proposed holding all city council meetings virtually until a pending wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Lewis family against the city is completed.
City Attorney Pete Schulte said that in the Lewis case, five of eight claims were so-far dismissed. Resolving the remaining claims could still take up to two years, he said.
Jurinsky said that the reason she wanted the council meetings to go virtual was because of threats that she received from various protesters after a meeting at city hall. She said Murillo had heard the threats and supported her the night it happened, and then Murillo never supported her again.
Murillo said that she heard yelling that night, but could not discern any threats, and she told police that. She said she supported a fellow council member for being a target of public anger for any reason, but now her bigger concern is how the virtual meetings have been used to silence dissent or opinion from her and other city lawmakers, and the public.
“I was concerned about the situation,” Murrillo said. “I didn’t observe any particular interactions between Councilmember Jurinsky and others, but I heard shouting, and frankly, I wasn’t sure if that came from Councilmember Jurinsky or the others. I did tell her that I hope no violence comes to her, and that I do believe in.”
Jurinsky did not detail what the threats entailed.
Jurinsky accused Murillo of lying and said that someone would not say they wished no violence came to her if they did not hear threats.
After rounds of accusations against each other, Councilmember Françoise Bergan made a motion to change the date for returning to in-person meetings to Nov. 17, after the election.
When Coombs went to speak, Jurinsky started talking, thinking it was her turn. They both had their hands raised, but Coombs was next, and Coffman called on her. Jurinsky and Murillo argued back and forth until Jurinsky demanded Coffman use a technical procedure to end debate, cutting Coombs off from speaking altogether.
The vote passed with Jurinsky and Coombs both voting against it. Nine of the council members, including Coffman, voted in favor, with Councilmember Angela Lawson and Curtis Gardner absent.
At the end, Coombs aired her comment.
“For Councilmember Murillo to point out the ways in which some members of this council have been systematically silenced by procedural actions used by the current super majority that is held on this council, that that’s to be mentioned, and then people are going to turn around and use those exact tactics, is shameful,” Coombs said.
“It does not represent ‘I support you, no matter what your party is.’ You can print that on as many pieces of literature as you want. It’s not your action when you call people of other (political) parties demonic, when you use your super majority to remove their items from the agenda, when you use your super majority to shut them down for just trying to comment at all.”
She said it’s not unifying. It’s pettiness. “There has been more than enough pettiness on this council.”
Coombs also said she supported Jurinsky at the time in taking the meetings virtual because she was concerned that Jurinsky claimed she received threats. However, after she spoke to Murillo, she told her the same story about only hearing shouting and no actual threats.
She finished by saying that the public doesn’t engage with the virtual meetings because they think city council does not listen to them, while others fear other commenters when in-person.
“We need to recognize both of those perspectives and quit playing games,” Coombs said. “Show up, listen, do our jobs and certainly not carry on with this rhetoric that pretends toward unity or mutual respect and yet never, ever in action, does it.”
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ARAPAHOE COUNTY
Join us for an open house at the Aurora location to see what’s new: Nov. 13 from 3–6 p.m. 15400 E. 14th Pl., Aurora 80011
To learn more about Veteran Services, visit arapahoeco.gov/veterans.
Help make Thanksgiving special for Human Services clients
More than 500 vulnerable children, their families, and individuals served by Arapahoe County Human Services need community support this Thanksgiving. Every year, staff brings complete Thanksgiving meals to hundreds of clients who would otherwise go without on the holiday. You can help by donating food (through Nov. 7) money, or your time.
Learn how at arapahoeco.gov/ThanksgivingFoodDrive.
The city council is scheduled to next meet Nov. 3, virtually and webcast, the day before Election Day.
— Cassandra Ballard, Sentinel Staff Writer
Think alike? Aurora Quiz
The Vote offers a new way to pick a city council candidate
With a dozen candidates for Aurora city council vying for the attention of voters, there’s a lot to take in.
Sentinel Colorado is partnering with QuizTheVote this year to offer voters a new fast and easy way to find out which candidate most closely matches their own opinions on top issues.
There are four quizzes for voters, one for each city council race this year. Anyone can take any of the quizzes to see how they match on a handful of issues that have dominated city news and election campaigning for months.
City council candidates answered the quiz questions, except for one candidate. Councilmember Steve Sundberg, running for re-election to Ward II, did not participate in the quiz. His “answers” to the questions were chosen by Sentinel staffers based on his consistent public comments and his own campaign materials.
At the end of the quiz, the system tells quiz-takers which candidates their opinions most closely align with.
The Sentinel’s 2025 Voter Guide also offers a bevy of campaign news and coverage, including answers from candidates about top city issues, as well as comprehensive election and campaign coverage.
To take the quiz, go to SentinelColorado.com and click on the banner that says “Aurora Voter Guide.” The quiz is near the top of the page.
— Sentinel Colorado
Aurora seeks community input for Filipino community museum exhibit
Aurora Library and Cultural Services Department is seeking community input through two surveys involving public art in Aurora, according to a statement.
The input for the first survey will aid in creating a new exhibition at the Aurora History Museum focused on the Filipino community. The second survey will aid in gathering words of inspiration for an upcoming sculpture commemorating the state’s 150th and the country’s 250th anniversaries.
“The selected words will become part of the art piece in different ways, incorporated into the sculptural artwork, used in related artworks, and printed, or shredded and buried with the installation to decompose into the earth- a process that creates a symbolic cycle of renewal and remembrance,” the statement said.
The Art in Public Places program commissioned a sculpture to be placed at Mission Viejo Park for the state and federal anniversary. The Aurora-based artist Christine Nguyen will incorporate words with wishes, hopes and reflections provided by the local community in different languages via the survey, according to the statement.
Nguyen was selected by a community-based panel out of 130 applicants, the statement said.
“The working title of her sculpture is ‘Constellation to Time,’ and it is set to be completed in June of 2026,” the statement said.
Community members are invited to share their thoughts for the upcoming public art at EngageAurora.org/ArtUniverse by Oct. 31.
The award-winning exhibition series “Mosaic of Cultures” by the Aurora His-
tory Museum is also starting to gather community input for its upcoming exhibition, which focuses on Aurora’s Filipino population.
Last month, the museum announced that a community panel selected the Filipino-American Colorado Community as its partner and the focus of the upcoming exhibition, “A Mosaic of Cultures: Aurora’s Filipino Community,” set to open in April..
“In the past, ‘Mosaic of Cultures’ has showcased some of Aurora’s largest immigrant communities, Ethiopia, El Salvador, Mexico and Nepal,” the statement said. “The latter earned the Aurora History Museum the regional award for Leadership and Innovation Award by the Mountains Plains Museum Association.”
To complete the survey to help develop the exhibition, visit https://engageaurora.org/MosaicOfCultures by Dec. 31.
— Cassandra Ballard, Sentinel Staff Writer
Arapahoe County approves 20-well oil and gas project near Aurora
Arapahoe County has conditionally approved an oil-and-gas-drilling project just east of Aurora calling for 20 wells on a gravel pad on State Land Board property.
The tentative OK from commissioners goes to Crestone Peak Resources Operating LLC, doing business as Civitas, to build and operate the State Wetterhorn-Handies oil and gas facility.
The project calls for 20 wells to be drilled on a gravel pad measuring about 350 feet by 1,500 feet, according to a statement from the county. The site will sit on State Land Board property roughly two miles south of East Quincy Avenue and nearly three miles west of Tom Bay Road.
County officials said they evaluated
the proposal under recently updated oil and gas regulations adopted in 2023 and 2024. The amendments to the county’s Land Development Code were designed to prioritize public health, safety, welfare and environmental protection.
“These rules include rigorous air and water quality testing requirements, financial assurances for cleanup and the most protective setbacks in the state of Colorado,” county officials said in a statement.
After reviewing the proposal with comment from several departments and outside agencies, the county’s Public Works and Development staff determined that Civitas met all required criteria or qualified for waivers where appropriate.
“Mineral rights are property rights protected by Colorado law and take precedence over surface rights,” the statement said. “Meaning that mineral rights owners have a legal right to enter and use the surface of a property in a reasonable and necessary manner to extract minerals.”
A handful of other gas-and-oil projects have drawn vehement opposition over the past several months.
The county’s conditional approval of the Wetterhorn-Handies project requires the company to meet several terms before and during construction. Among them:
• The operator must obtain county building permits before starting any site or electrical work.
• The facility must follow all approved plans, best management practices and environmental protections outlined in the application.
• A wildlife survey must be completed before construction, including checks for swift fox dens, and steps must be taken to avoid or minimize harm to sensitive wildlife.
• Dust must be controlled using water,
with additional treatments if required by the county.
• The entire site, including drilling equipment, must be powered by electricity rather than diesel or gas engines.
• The operator must pay $455,581 in transportation impact fees before building permits are issued to offset potential wear on county roads.
• Financial guarantees must be provided to ensure cleanup and site restoration funding before work begins.
Arapahoe County officials said they considered public feedback on issues such as health, safety, welfare and environmental impacts before making its decision. A summary of public comments and the county’s responses is available online.
The full approval letter, conditions and supporting documents can be viewed at https://www.arapahoeco.gov/oilgasapplication.
— Cassandra Ballard, Sentinel Staff Writer SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION
APS students gain guaranteed conditional admission to CU Denver
Surrounded by a half-circle of 20 students from Aurora Central High School, Becky Palacios Romero fielded questions on Thursday afternoon about her time at the University of Colorado Denver.
The sophomore, an international business major, focused on her experience rather than convincing the students at her former high school that they should apply during the week’s final statewide free application day. That’s because every Aurora Public Schools student is now guaranteed acceptance and application fees waived if they meet certain GPA requirements.
Palacios Romero, knowing the group
has the option to attend if they want, touched on a few of the more important campus issues: “The food in the dining hall is so good. Last semester, they even had sushi.”
The stress of the college application and financial aid process can dash college dreams, but CU Denver school leaders said they want the agreement signed on Thursday to show Aurora students the university has a place for them — and university officials are willing to help them get to campus. Only about half of Colorado high school graduates go to college and many question the overall cost and whether college is right for them.
This pact highlights a growing Colorado trend in recent months and in the last few years to simplify the four-year university application process. University leaders hope easier admissions policies will help students see themselves on campus and focus conversations on financial aid.
CU Denver announced a similar agreement in September with Denver Public Schools to take the guesswork out of whether students get accepted. Colorado State University Pueblo expanded its direct admissions program on Oct. 3 to include Denver. DPS students will get a letter notifying them they’re accepted before they apply.
Schools such as Metropolitan State University of Denver and the Colorado School of Mines established similar admissions guarantees as CU Denver in recent years. School leaders at Adams State University started the first direct admissions program in 2024. They also send acceptance letters to San Luis Valley students before they apply.
Senior Kimberly Villalobos, 17, didn’t initially have CU Denver in her list of top schools. The guaranteed admissions announcement, coupled with Palacios Romero’s visit, helped her see CU Denver as a campus that might be for her.
Villalobos was one of the first to raise
her hand to ask Palacios Romero a question. She wanted to know whether the school would help her even if she’s unsure of her major.
Palacios Romero told her it’s OK to explore her options and try different classes.
“You can mix it up a bit,” Palacios Romero said. “Those credits will help lead on to the major you choose.”
Palacios Romero said after she talked to students that she wished the admission guarantee existed when she attended Aurora Central. She recalled opening her first admission letter and for a moment believed her dreams would be crushed.
The guarantee ensures college dreams stay alive, she said, and might even create a similar dream in others.
“I feel so much joy for them,” Palacios Romero said.
Easier admissions don’t just benefit the students. The agreements help districts create opportunities for students.
Aurora Public Schools’ Zach Rahn said the district has tried to make the college application season simpler by using a system that tracks college, financial aid, and scholarship applications.
About 900 district seniors this year meet the CU Denver guaranteed admissions criteria of having a weighted or unweighted GPA of 3.0, Rahn said.
District officials want students to have a greater understanding and voice in the college-going process, said Rahn, who is the district’s executive director of curriculum and instruction. School leaders also want to reduce student stress.
“And at least in this one circumstance, that barrier has been taken down,” Rahn said. “Students know, ‘There’s a place that I can go to continue my education.’ ”
Easier admissions policies also benefit universities, which compete for students. High school student populations are expected to decline, meaning a smaller student population from which to recruit.
Crysta Diaz, director of undergraduate recruitment and admissions systems operations at CU Denver, hopes the guaranteed admissions agreement can help even more Aurora students see themselves on campus. About 500 Aurora schools alumni attend CU Denver, said school officials.
She’s excited to focus more on the financial aid aspect of admissions — an issue that often creates stress for students. Aurora students will also be eligible
for merit-based scholarships and financial aid advising, she said.
“A partnership like this just shows them college is for them, and we’re here to help them, support them and open doors for them,” Diaz said. “It’s a huge access win for both us and the students.”
The afternoon gave Villalobos a lot to think about. She said she’s felt anxious about applying to schools, the financial aid process, and not knowing her major yet.
community that understands her
ally, has attentive professors, and will help her figure out the financial aid process. Plus, she knows she will get in if she wants to go.
“It makes me feel more at home,” she said.
— Jason Gonzales of Chalkbeat Colorado
Enhance After-School Programs
Strengthen Local Businesses
Invest in Senior Centers
Trauma-Informed Training for 1 Responders st
Grow Economic Opportunity
Make Public Safety Work for Everyone
Protect Diversity & Inclusion Across Our City
Stand Up For Our Immigrant Neighbors
Stop Fracking by the Aurora Reservoir
Fund our Libraries and Rec Centers
Increase Public Trash Cans and Restrooms
She liked what she heard from Romero Palacios. She now sees CU Denver as a
cultur-
BAD BUSINESS?
Proposed city business permit policy aims to address blight and crime in low-income Aurora areas
BY CASSANDRA
City lawmakers this week delayed taking formal action on a proposed “Socioeconomic Impact Permit” that would regulate the density and operations of certain businesses linked to blight and crime in lower-income neighborhoods.
It’s part of a growing effort to regulate retail development and public safety along aging city corridors such as East Colfax and Havana.
“When you have these concentrated sales and services that are targeted, sometimes called poverty industry or predatory economics, towards lower-income or historically disadvantaged communities, it gives you a feeling of social disorder and blight,” Trevor Vaughn, manager of licensing and finance, said during a Public Safety, Courts and Civil Service Policy Committee meeting in September.
The proposed Socioeconomic Impact Permit would apply to certain retail operations, such as liquor stores, vape and smoke shops, pawnshops, payday lenders and extended-stay motels.
It was presented to the city council on Monday, but continued for additional questions for the next study session.
Research has correlated that when such businesses are clustered together, they can contribute to blight, public safety concerns, and negative economic outcomes when heavily concentrated in specific neighborhoods, according to Trevor Vaughn, manager of licensing and finance, who presented the permit during a Public Safety.
“The approach in this is to attach it to the general business license to make it very seamless, as far as for existing businesses,” Vaughn said. “So a lot of this is primarily dealing with distance restrictions. There are some additional rules, and we are trying to address what we call areas of elevated risk, so areas that have a lot of crime and a lot of correlation with the data.”
The city is using what’s called Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), which can guide how a city builds out and redevelops, Vaughn said during a safety meeting in September, using the proper design, effective use of the built environment to reduce the incidence of crime and fear of crime and improve the quality of life.
CPTED can involve building maintenance, lighting, and clear boundaries such as fencing and signage. It also includes open landscaping to make it hard for people to commit crimes and filling vacant lots with green spaces or businesses. The concept uses many of the same concepts promoted in a Business Improvement District or a Downtown Development Authority.
The new permit is modeled after socalled equity-based land-use policies recommended by the American Planning Association’s Equity in Zoning Guide, Vaughn said, which encourages cities to prevent the over-concentration of “health-compromising” businesses in historically disadvantaged areas.
City building officials referred to Permitted Use Policy No. 11, which recommends that communities “revise permitted use regulations to reverse the overconcentration of convenience stores, cannabis outlets, safe injection sites and other facilities that provide easy access to health-compromising substances like alcohol and tobacco in historically disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.”
In the section, the zoning permit use suggestion is based on attracting more “healthy food” businesses for the rules of Equity in Substantive Zoning Regulations.
Although there is not much research on enforcing the spacing of a group of different businesses to prevent crime, there are some studies for individual business types.
Liquor and cannabis stores are already zoned and limited in Aurora, and when they aggregate near each other, have been linked
to crime nationwide, city officials say.
Early research in four separate studies has found a correlation between tobacco vape stores and crime, which is comparable to that of liquor stores and crime, according to a 2018 study, “The geography of crime and violence surrounding tobacco shops, medical marijuana dispensaries, and off-sale alcohol outlets in a large, urban low-income community of color.”
Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky, who sponsored the ordinance, has been working with Vaughn to create a way to deter businesses that she says attract crime and, in turn, can contribute to urban decay in areas around the city.
Jurinsky said the intent is not to punish existing stores, but to prevent new clusters of targeted businesses from forming.
Existing businesses would be automatically “grandfathered in” and issued a permit alongside their regular business license, at no initial cost.
New applicants would face spacing and operational requirements based on CPTED principles, Risk Terrain Modeling (RTM), a data-driven method that maps areas of elevated crime risk and Place Network Investigations (PNI) which is a strategy that involves collaborations between police departments and community stakeholders to reduce and prevent crime in micro-places by using intelligence-driven efforts to uncover and disrupt the criminal networks within these areas, according to Vaughn.
Vaughn compared different areas of the city and compared the Havana Gardens’ spaced out businesses like convenience stores and liquor stores, and their lack of crime to places like Peoria, Mississippi, Havana and Colfax.
“These liquor stores have a role to play, not saying they don’t belong, saying that concentrating them may have an unhealthy impact,” Vaughn said.
He then showed the closer spacing of
vape shops, liquor stores, rent-to-own and convenience stores in Mississippi and Peoria. When Councilmember Steve Sundberg asked what crime was occurring there, Vaughn said that there were two shootings in the northeast corner of the intersection and a liquor store was robbed. Three of the businesses in the northeast block were also selling drug paraphernalia.
The area is also a police “hot spot,” he said.
Critics of the concepts and a move to make changes question what is “causation” and what is “correlation” among the aspects of the research and details.
The draft ordinance establishes several separation rules according to Vaughn:
• No new businesses of the same type within 2,000 feet of one another (e.g., liquor store to liquor store).
•No “Socioeconomic Impact Business” within 300 feet of another such business.
• No “Socioeconomic Impact Business” within 1,000 feet of an extended-stay motel.
• No “Socioeconomic Impact Business” within 500 feet of a major transit hub, such as a light-rail station or large bus junction.
• No Socioeconomic Impact Business” in a retail center with more than 50% vacancy or visible blight.
Bars, hookah lounges and event businesses operating after midnight would not be subject to spacing limits but could still be evaluated under operational standards, Vaughn said.
The city identified an estimated 350 businesses that could fall under the ordinance, including 131 convenience stores that sell alcohol or tobacco, 85 liquor stores, 59 vape or smoke shops and smaller numbers of pawnshops, payday lenders, and rent-to-own stores.
Vaughn said they added a new “healthy small grocery store” exemption to encourage greater access to fresh produce and healthy
BALLARD, Sentinel Staff Writer
LEFT: Harry’s Liquor store, 9508 E Colfax Ave. was singled out by the city as business that makes changing the atmosphere and vibe of the East Colfax Corridor difficult.RIGHT, Aurora police investigate a shooting on East Colfax Avenue and Beeler Street. City officials are considering a plan that would limit certain businesses in ares such as the Colfax Corridor LEFT PHOTO IS VIA CITY OF AURORA. RIGHT PHOTO IS SENTINEL FILE PHOTO FROM 2022.
food options and to prevent food deserts. They plan to use language that distinguishes them from grocery stores, by defining vape shops as stores where 15% of their floor space or 50% or more of the store’s sales come from vape or smoke shop products.
Specialty second-hand shops will be excluded from the second-hand regulations because the city doesn’t want to discourage thrift, fashion, comics or collectible stores, Vaughn said.
The measure is structured as an operations permit rather than a zoning amendment because it deals with dynamic factors like crime risk and business behavior, Vaughn said.
“One thing that I wanted to highlight of this, which you and I both agreed on, was that any existing businesses will not pay for this permit initially,“ Jurinsky said.
The city is also exploring the purchase of Risk Terrain Modeling software, estimated to cost about $24,000 annually, to identify and track areas identified as high-risk. A small biennial permit renewal fee of approximately $130 per business could be charged to cover that expense, according to the packet.
“We would, upon approval of this, automatically issue permits to existing businesses at no cost,” Vaughn said. “We are proposing that, to fund Risk Rate Modeling, we could charge $138. We’re set about $138 on biannual general license, business license renewals, and we may have a funding source for at least the first year of that.”
The proposal pairs with Aurora’s recently adopted derelict property ordinance, which targets neglected commercial sites and is intended to further pressure landlords to reinvest in aging shopping centers.
Jurinsky said that the “grand-
fathered” businesses would still be monitored through the derelict buildings ordinance, and if that business were to ever have to close, the location would be subject to the new permitting that is being proposed.
Vaughn explained that even if a company is grandfathered in but problematic, the city can revoke permits through its code enforcement. This can be done by using violations, including patterns of neglect or public nuisance violations, such as over-serving intoxicated customers.
They can also require the establishment to follow an operational plan if it is in an area of elevated risk or if operations are discontinued for longer than six months.
With one liquor store, Vaughn said the city was able to leverage a violation by making the store “clean itself up.” Plexiglass windows, excessive window signage, and poor sign conditions were all code violations listed by Vaughn that the city could address.
Some of the issues city council members brought up included how they decided which companies were included and considered “unhealthy, or “undesirable.”
Sundberg said that the corner of Havana and Colfax had many desirable businesses in years past, including Walgreens, a Walmart, and a Little Caesars, yet the intersection still went downhill.
“It’s a case study, and you can still have these desirable businesses, and then things just go downward so quickly,” Sundberg said. “I guess just one thing to keep in mind.”
Councilmember Curtis Gardner said he completely disagreed with the ordinance and said that people engaging in illegal activities will continue to do so regardless of any restrictions enforced. If there is
crime happening around the businesses, the city should just address the crime, he said.
“We need to let the market work, and just simply telling these businesses where they can and can’t go, it’s not going to, all of a sudden, lead to something more ‘desirable,’” Gardner said. “Creating another law when individuals have already demonstrated they will not follow the law does not address the root cause.”
Councilmember Alison Coombs
also had concerns with a few different aspects, including the Risk Terrain Modeling, its utilization, and ensuring that the city’s assessment is not discriminatory. She also didn’t understand what the limitation bars were and how the city was deciding who was included. Jurinsky said that with bards, Vaughn would be closely examining the locations where bars are looking to open.
Jurinsky said additional permitting for bars wasn’t as necessary
because of the amount of licensing a bar already has to obtain to open. Coombs said she was also confused why not all gas stations were not included with convenience stores, since they have the highest environmental impact, since the permit is based mainly on businesses that impact health and safety. Jurinsky said she was more open to that concept and looking into other environmentally hazardous businesses like dry cleaners, too.
A City chart and map showing the location of potentially regulated businesses and their proximity to each other, across Aurora. GRAPHIC VIA CITY OF AURORA
OLDER RESIDENTS TAKING ACTION TO AVOID BECOMING VICTIMS OF CYBER SCAMS
Recently, Rob Horton, 78, opted to take a class on how to avoid getting scammed. As an older Coloradan, he knows he’s a prime target. Baby Boomers and those born earlier lose billions of dollars a year to financial scams. Coloradans logged nearly 15,000 complaints in the FBI’s 2024 Elder Fraud report, about 17th in the nation.
Groups like Senior Planet that support older Coloradans have stepped up their efforts to help people avoid losing money to increasingly innovative and effective cyber criminals. Older residents are targeted for a myriad of reasons: they’re more likely to own their own homes and have good credit, and they may lack the computer skills of their younger counterparts.
“I know everything has moved really fast,” Horton said. “And technology has moved faster than I can possibly keep up.”
So, Horton came to Senior Planet’s Denver offices at Lowry to take a free class on how to protect his credit. Students learn how to order credit reports and place freezes on their credit through the three major credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.
Horton said he found out about the class on the same day he received a notice from one of the bureaus about a possible issue with his credit report, so the timing was perfect.
“This is spiritual, but I think the universe takes care of me,” Horton said. “So I thought it was apropos to go and find more information.”
In the class, Senior Planet instructor Jessica Zawadzki offered a step-by-step guide for students to prevent an identity thief, including an ill-intentioned acquaintance or family member, from obtaining a credit card or a bank account in their name.
After the initial instruction, students headed off to computers to try out what they’ve learned. Senior Planet’s other free classes cover topics like safe browsing and identifying online scams.
Rob Horton may be especially wary due to an experience he had in 1999 when he gave his credit card number to someone over the phone while purchasing a gift. He was younger then and phishing and clickbait weren’t household terms, but he ended up with $10,000 dollars worth of fraudulent credit card charges made in New York and Europe. The ordeal took him three and half years to clear up.
“It was a very intense, constant process for those three and a half years to prove that I had never been to New York. I had never been to those places in Europe,” Horton recounts. It’s an ordeal Horton hopes he’ll never have to go through again.
Instructor Zawadzki said she wants her students to know they aren’t powerless against the threat of cyber-criminals.
“I want people to walk away knowing that it is in their control to protect their identity,” Zawadzki said. “And that there are people like us who just want to help.”
Another Senior Planet instructor, Michael Gorin, who is 73 years old himself, uses screenshots of scams he’s received to teach students what to look for. Gorin, who worked for the federal government and has professional experience with scammers, goes down a list of approaches criminals use to lure seniors into giving away money.
Common scams involve offers of romance and companionship, overcharges for tech support and calls to a grandparent from someone posing as a grandchild asking for money. In the world of AI, voices can be made to sound like a family member’s voice.
Whether you’re aging yourself or caring for someone who is, what questions do you have? Email us at AgingMatters@cpr.org or leave a voicemail at 303-871-9191 X 4480.
Gorin said older people should also be on the lookout for calls from people posing as IRS agents or Social Security representatives. Gorin said that while older people tend to be more trusting of authority than younger generations; they really need to be less trusting and more adept at spotting what he calls “red flags.”
“If someone’s rushing you to do something, that’s a red flag. If someone’s telling you, ‘Don’t say anything to anyone, that’s a red flag,” Gorin said. “If someone says, ‘We need you to pay in crypto,’ that’s a red flag.”
Gorin himself has never been the victim of a cyber crime but warns that anyone – young or old – is a potential target. But he said, for
older people in particular, the consequences can be financially devastating.
For that reason, Kris Michelle, 60, of Jefferson County, also opted to take Jessica Zawadzki’s credit class.
“Technically, seniors have to be more vigilant, especially with our credit because it is extremely valuable,” Michelle said.
Michelle said she and many other older Americans have spent a lifetime accruing savings.
“It’s gold,” she said.
This story was first published at CPR.org and is a part of Aging Matters, a series about Colorado’s aging population.
In and near Aurora
• The district attorney’s office for the 18th Judicial District occasionally offers fraud-protection programs for seniors. For information and to report scams email: consumer@da18.state.co.us
• The Arapahoe County sheriff’s department conducts an annual anti-fraud program for seniors every September. Fraud or suspected abuse against seniors can be reported on a county hotline at 303-636-1750.
• In Adams County, suspected mistreatment of seniors can be reported to 720-523-2057.
• Senior Planet Colorado offers in person classes at their Lowry facilities as well as online classes. Go to seniorplanet.org
Jamie Sorrells, Director of Consumer Fraud Protection for the 18th Judicial District gives a presentation to residents at Bella Vita Senior Living in Aurora Dec. 20, 2024.
PHOTO VIA 18TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT
BY ANDREA DUKAKIS, Colorado Public Radio·
“Lizzie” at Aurora Fox Arts Center
Come see for yourself this bloodsoaked rock musical as it reimagines one of history’s most infamous murder cases in “Lizzie,” running through Nov. 2 at the Aurora Fox Arts Center. Inspired by the true story of Lizzie Borden, the production fuses punk-rock energy with Victorian darkness as it delves into the events surrounding the 1892 murders of Andrew and Abby Borden. The show features a powerhouse cast, live band, and a score influenced by Bikini Kill, The Runaways and Heart. A special Halloween performance on Oct. 31 includes a costume contest judged by the cast.
IF YOU GO: Oct. 10–Nov. 2; Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. at the Aurora Fox Arts Center, 9900 E. Colfax Ave. Tickets are $17–$42. Details and reservations at aurorafoxartscenter.org
‘Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous’ at the Vintage
Vintage Theatre presents the regional premiere of Pearl Cleage’s “Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous,” a sharp and funny look at art, aging and legacy. The story follows legendary actress Anna Campbell, who returns to the U.S. for one last performance, only to discover she’s being replaced by a younger woman. Directed by Adrienne Martin-Fullwood, the production runs through Nov. 23 in the Bond-Trimble Theatre.
IF YOU GO: Curtains vary for evening and matinee productions through Nov. 23 at the Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St. Tickets are $20–$36. Details and reservations at vintagetheatre.org
Poets for Palestine Open
Mic at Manos Sagrados
Writers, singers and dancers come together for “Poets for Palestine,” an open mic night exploring love, loss and liberation through creative expression. Hosted by Manos Sagrados, the evening fosters healing, dialogue and solidarity while raising funds for mutual aid causes. All forms of performance art are welcome.
IF YOU GO: 7 p.m.–9 p.m. Oct. 23 at Manos Sagrados, 9975 E. Colfax Ave., The event is free. Details at manossagrados.org
‘Dancing in the Dark: Escape the Haunted Library’ at The People’s Building
Step into a world of mystery, movement and mayhem at “Dancing in the
Dark: Escape the Haunted Library,” an immersive dance experience from Life/Art Dance and Rocky Mountain Rhythm. Classic tales of the supernatural come alive through dance as audiences explore a haunted library. Tours run every 15 minutes, lasting 30–60 minutes each.
IF YOU GO: Oct. 24–26; Oct. 24, 7–9 p.m.; Oct. 25, 2–4 p.m. and 7–9 p.m.; Oct. 26, 2–4 p.m. at The People’s Building, 9995 E. Colfax Ave.. Tickets are $29.22. Details and reservations at thepeoplesbuilding.com
Sunset Wagon Tour at the Plains Conservation Center
Experience Colorado’s prairie at dusk during the “Sunset Wagon Tour” at the Plains Conservation Center. Guests ride across the open plains, spotting wildlife such as pronghorn and prairie dogs while learning about 19th-century homesteaders and Native American life. The two-hour, family-friendly tour includes stops at historic sod homes and a Cheyenne camp.
IF YOU GO: Oct. 24 and Nov. 7, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. at the Plains Conservation Center, 21901 E Hampden Ave. Tickets are $15. Registration required at auroragov.org/plains
Fall-O-Ween at Southlands
Southlands’ annual “Fall-O-Ween” returns Oct. 25 with a full day of family fun, candy and costumes. The Trickor-Treat Trail runs 10 a.m.–noon along Main Street, while the Howl-O-Ween Dog Costume Contest takes place in Town Square, benefiting the Aurora Police Foundation. Stick around for the fall festival and pumpkin patch featur-
ing local vendors, food and seasonal treats.
IF YOU GO: Oct. 25, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. at Southlands Town Square, 6155 S. Main St. The event is free. Details at shopsouthlands.com
Marjorie Park Movie Night and Mini Fall Fest: ‘Alice in Wonderland’
The Museum of Outdoor Arts hosts a fall-themed movie night at Marjorie Park featuring “Alice in Wonderland” and a mini fall festival. Families can enjoy live music by The Legendary Kathouse Pickers, face painting, games, food trucks and a costume contest before the movie starts at dusk. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs or reserve VIP fireside tables.
IF YOU GO: Oct. 25, doors open at 3:30 p.m. and the movie is at dusk. The event is at Marjorie Park, 6331 S. Fiddlers Green Circle. Tickets are $15, free for members. Details and reservations at moaonline.org
‘A Clown Ballet Cabaret’ at The People’s Building
Blending humor, dance and storytelling, “A Clown Ballet Cabaret” follows a ballerina torn between classical tradition and creative freedom. Featuring ballet, tap, tango and clowning, the show explores art’s power to liberate and transform. Produced by No Show Warnings, the performance promises a surreal, heartfelt evening of experimental movement and emotion.
IF YOU GO: Oct. 27, 7 p.m. at The People’s Building, 9995 E. Colfax Ave. Tickets are $34.42. Details and reservations at thepeoplesbuilding.com
First Date’ musical comedy at the Vintage Theatre
A fast-paced romantic comedy with a musical twist is set to open on the Berg-Young Cabaret Stage at the Vintage Theatre.
First Date, with book by Austin Winsberg and music and lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner, follows blind date newbie Aaron and serial-dater Casey as their casual drink at a busy New York restaurant turns into a highstakes evening.
As the date unfolds in real time, the couple’s inner voices come to life through the people around them. Other restaurant patrons morph into best friends, exes and parents, singing and dancing them through awkward ice-breakers, appetizers and conversational traps.
IF YOU GO:
Date: Through Oct. 23, 2025
Place: Berg-Young Cabaret Stage at the Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St.
Tickets: $24
Details: www.vintagetheatre.org
Aurora City Council can reel in the rancor in person
If the Aurora City Council were an elementary school student council, the gang would have been sent to detention or into group therapy long ago.
But this is one of Colorado’s most powerful governing bodies, responsible for the lives, safety and trust of nearly 400,000 residents. And yet the council continues to act more like a bickering juvenile student council or a sequel to Mean Girls and Boys than the elected stewards of this complex, diverse city.
City lawmakers at Monday night’s meeting set out to finalize a long-delayed decision on returning to in-person public meetings. The confab devolved once again into personal attacks, political posturing and open contempt among lawmakers. Accusations of lying, petty procedural games, and open hostility filled the livestream broadcast while residents waited for their representatives to discuss real issues.
Dysfunction on display has become the lamentable hallmark of this council.
The Aurora City Council has every right, and every obligation, to debate fiercely over policy, direction, and principle. A vibrant democracy demands it. But that is not what is happening here.
Instead, Aurora’s elected officials are using the machinery of governance not to advance the city’s interests, but to silence dissent and punish one another.
Councilmember Crystal Murillo’s warning Monday night should not be ignored. She said virtual meetings have been “used as a political tool to silence folks who don’t agree with the majority.” That is an alarming statement, and sadly, not an isolated complaint.
Over the past year, Aurora’s council has seen a pattern of using technical maneuvers to prevent the minority of Democrat lawmakers from speaking to some of the most critical issues the city has ever faced. The stunts, most notably the dreaded “call for the question,” are used to abruptly cut off debate when minority members raise uncomfortable or opposing viewpoints.
These parliamentary tactics are being used not to maintain order, but to suppress discussion. When lawmakers wield procedure as a weapon to muzzle disagreement, they betray both the spirit and the purpose of representative government.
Aurora’s Republican council majority may have the votes to win on policy, but they have no right to choke off debate. The point of a city council, and democracy itself, is to hear each other out, to test ideas publicly, and to make decisions in the open, grounded in data and reason, not power plays and partisan muscle.
What unfolded Monday night was a shameful display of just the opposite.
After Mayor Mike Coffman’s motion to return to in-person meetings on Nov. 3, discussion quickly spiraled into name-calling and procedural ambushes. Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky and Councilmember Murillo traded accusations over alleged threats and loyalty.
Then, when Councilmember Alison Coombs attempted to speak, Jurinsky demanded Coffman “call the question,” cutting Coombs off entirely. It’s the parliamentary equivalent of slamming the door in her face.
The irony was lost on no one. Coombs had just been criticizing the very practice of silencing minority voices through procedural trickery when the majority used that same maneuver to shut her down.
This is not leadership. It’s bullying wrapped in Robert’s Rules of Order. And it’s eroding Aurora’s already fragile public trust.
The council’s behavior would be troubling enough in a vacuum, but it comes amid a painful and pivotal chapter for Aurora. The city remains under a state-imposed consent decree following the 2019 death of Elijah McClain. A spate of more recent incidents where Aurora police shot and killed unarmed Black men has reignited public concern about accountability, and transparency. Residents have the right and the need to see their leaders model the very openness and accountability they demand from others.
Instead, they see dysfunctional spite-fests. They see politicians weaponizing process to avoid discussion of difficult topics like policing, public safety, and equity. They see adults who should know better talking over each other and calling each other liars in public sessions. And they see decisions being made for political expedience, not civic necessity.
This must stop.
Every member of the Aurora City Council, regardless of party, ideology, or temperament, must remember one thing: You are a public body. Your most sacred responsibility is not to win, not to humiliate, and not to silence, but to deliberate openly, honestly, and respectfully in front of the people who put you on the dais.
That means allowing dissenting voices to be heard. That means engaging in discussion even when it’s uncomfortable. That means basing decisions on verified facts, data, and sound policy analysis rather than rumor ego or vengeance.
The “call for the question” should be a last resort, used almost never to end endless repetition, not as a reflexive gag order to shut up critics. Silencing elected colleagues does not make debate go away. It only makes oppressors look afraid of it.
Aurora is a big city, facing many obstacles and challenges, and the meeting loads of the city council reflect all that with voluminous meeting agendas. If it’s too much for bi-monthly gatherings, meet more frequently and for shorter periods. If it’s just all too much and an individual council member can’t suck it up and handle the load, step down. Too much is at stake in Aurora to bypass the very form of government that benefits and protects everyone who lives here.
Residents in Aurora deserve a dais that reflects the dignity of the office, not the dysfunction of a donnybrook.
On Nov. 17, the council will finally return to in-person meetings. Let that return mark more than a change of venue. Let it mark a change of tone, of priorities, of respect.
Jimmy Kimmel and his comments can’t hide
behind freedom of speech
Jimmy Kimmel’s recent “firing” (actually, a mere one-week suspension) as host of ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” for his false, tasteless, and asinine remarks about Charlie Kirk’s assassination kicked off a firestorm of political controversy between the left and right about freedom of speech. Let’s set the record straight.
The Declaration of Independence and our Constitution were profoundly inspired by our founders’ experience living under the tyranny of the British Empire and King George III over the American colonies. In creating our system of government and its institutions, the founders’ principal concern was to limit government and preserve individual liberty. This is particularly specified in the first ten amendments to the Constitution known as the Bill of Rights, throughout which there are multiple prohibitions of government control over the fundamental rights of the people and the states. Repeated phrases abound such as “Congress shall make no law, the right of the people shall not be infringed, no person shall be held to answer, and no warrants shall issue.”
The First Amendment’s protections were intended by the founders to apply to political statements, among other forms of speech. And, like other fundamental rights, they are not absolute. They’re subject to four vital words: “up to a point.” For example, freedom of religion doesn’t allow human sacrifice. Freedom to bear arms doesn’t include nuclear weapons. The right to assemble says, “peaceably” assemble. And freedom of speech doesn’t include incitement to riot. It’s unlawful, as are words found to be slanderous or libelous in court.
As much as I was disgusted by Kimmel’s remarks following Charlie Kirk’s assassination, they and the biased, ugly opinions he routinely expresses on air are nonetheless protected by the First Amendment which only prohibits government from abridging Kimmel’s freedom of speech. That’s why FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s threats to silence Kimmel were out of order.
On the other hand, Kimmel’s private sector employers have no such restraint. If ABC or its parent company, Disney, decide to fire him they have the legal right to do so, as well as a financial justification. His audience has been dropping since 2015 and had already plunged from 2.4 million viewers at the beginning of 2025 to
1.1 million in August with ad revenues following suit.
Over at CBS, Kimell’s buddy and fellow leftist Stephen Colbert is being fired for cause. Although his “Late Show” audience is twice the size of Kimmel’s, it has dropped 32% in the last five years, advertising revenues are way down, and CBS is losing more than $30 million on his show this year owing to Colbert’s $20 million salary and the exorbitant cost of his huge staff. Kimmel’s and Colbert’s sycophantic left-wing audiences may revel in the one-sided diatribes and nasty ridicule of Trump, Republicans, and conservatives prepared by the show’s writers and dished out by these two smug comics, but it drives away half of the American public. TV network owners and executives would be incompetent to stand for that. It’s very bad for business.
As for Kimmel himself, his resume is pretty thin. He dropped out of two different colleges after a year in each and then kicked around in talk radio for a time, being fired from a station in Seattle and then another in Tampa. He later spent five years as “Jimmy the Sports Guy,” a minor figure for hosts of a morning show in L.A. Realizing his true passion was comedy, he later landed at the Comedy Central cable TV channel, then the home of “The Daily Show,” with Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and a stable of progressive comedians who coddled the left and trashed the right. Kimmel is a quick-witted clown with a history of shooting off his mouth with inflammatory remarks that get him in trouble with his bosses. But, to borrow a classic H.L Mencken witticism, “deep down he’s shallow.”
The king of the TV late-night comedy-variety format with guests was undoubtedly Johnny Carson. At its peak in the 1970s and 80s his viewership was 10 million people (when the US population was 225 million compared to 340 million today) who watched him nightly on their bedroom TVs. Introduced each evening by Ed McMahon with the greeting “Here’s Johnny,” Carson’s opening monologue included jokes and political barbs that were bipartisan and funny but light-hearted. The show was meant to entertain not infuriate or push an ideology. His final show in 1992 drew an audience of 50 million. Jay Leno and Bob Hope had a similar style when it came to politics. Those were the days.
LongtimeKOAradiotalkhostandcolumnist fortheDenverPostandRockyMountainNews Mike Rosen now writes for Complete Colorado.
MIKE ROSEN, GUEST COLUMNIST
There is no substitute for experience and fortunately for the three area softball teams headed to play in the Class 5A state tournament have plenty of it.
Cherokee Trail, Eaglecrest and Grandview all emerged from regional tournaments to earn spots among the 16 teams headed to the Oct. 24-25 5A state tournament and each will deploy various levels of experience in their quest to win a championship.
Eaglecrest is back in the state tournament after missing out last season and veteran head coach Yvette Hendrian has a body of work to draw on to prepare her team.
“The one thing I’ve been telling the girls is that it
“They know what we need to work on this week and I truly believe we can beat any of these teams if things go right,” said Hendrian, whose 20-5 team first plays No. 12 Valor Christian (16-11) at 11 a.m. Oct. 24.
Cherokee Trail has plenty of experience and a recent track record to draw from to give it encouragment going into the tournament.
Coach Caley Mitchell’s team — the Centennial League champion and No. 2 overall seed — is in the state tournament for the sixth consecutive season and is coming off a 2024 campaign in which it made to the state championship game before it lost to Riverdale Ridge.
The Cougars (20-4) tuned up for the state tournament with wins over No. 31 Liberty (100) and No. 18 Arvada West (9-1) to win the Region 2 championship Oct. 27.
State diamonds
doesn’t matter who is best, it’s who is getting hot right now,” Hendrian said. “If I’ve learned anything in all my years here, that’s it. If we can stay hot, we’ll be alright.”
Eaglecrest made back-to-back semifinals in 2016 and 2017 as a hot team and Hendrian is hoping that it can happen again.
BY COURTNEY OAKES Sports Editor
The Raptors enter state as the No. 5 seed after posting victories over No. 28 Denver North (17-1) and No. 12 Fort Collins (7-6) Oct. 17 at the Aurora Sports Park. The latter victory came with some clutch performances from young players, which bodes well with the state tournament ahead.
A two-run single by freshman Haisley Elliott in the fifth inning and a two-run home run by sophomore Lexi Bargar in the sixth inning lifted the Raptors from a four-run deficit before junior Abby Files’ infield grounder brought home junior Lelia Kelliher with a walk-off run. Eaglecrest has leadership from players such as seniors Zaya Elliott and Sybella Trevino to go with a fresh injection of young talent and more flexibility than has existed in the past, which gives Hendrian hope.
“Our coach always says our goal is to make it to Saturday, the day of the state championship game,” Cherokee Trail senior catcher Lily Buttshaw said. “The younger players hear it, but they don’t know what means, but those of us who have been on varsity for a long time do. They see the hard work we put in for regionals and how it is more competitive than league.
“We tell them every game at state is going to be huge, there’s going to be a million people around and they’re going to love the energy. Soak every moment in because its awesome.”
Buttshaw is one several veteran performers that will make Cherokee Trail one of the toughest outs in the tournament. Juniors Emma Rice and Sydney Cobb (who both earned regional wins) each have pitched in significant innings in state tournaments before, while senior Izzy Becker, junior Tayah Burton and others know what it takes to come through.
The Cougars hold the No. 2 seed in the bracket and could be on a collision course with top-seeded Broomfield, which won a 6-3 contest between the teams late in the regular season. Cherokee Trail opens with No. 15 Chaparral (15-11) at 12:15 p.m. Oct. 24, then may have
to get past defending state champion Riverdale Ridge in the quarterfinals.
“I think it’s going to be really exciting,” Becker said. “We’re going in on the opposite side of the bracket as one of the best teams in the state (Broomfield) and I really hope we get to play them again.”
Grandview has also developed a state tournament pedigree of late, as it has qualified in each of the past four seasons and made it to the quarterfinals in each of the last three.
Coach Liz Carter’s Wolves played in the Region 1 tournament hosted by top-seeded Broomfield and despite a 15-3 loss to the Eagles, earned a pair of wins over No. 17 Chatfield to make it through to state.
“The last three years we’ve been able to make it to state and we’ve had pretty radically different teams,” Carter said. “But we’ve had some of the same strengths in consistency in the circle andn big hitters. Now, we have new faces pitching for us and we’ve had different girls come up with big hits. We’ve had to win games much differently and we’ve faced some adversity that we weren’t expecting.
“This year’s senior class has won so many games and it’s not like they’ve taken it for granted, but we’ve had to work really hard to overcome some things.”
Grandview has seniors in key placers and top producers such as shortstop Sasha Kennedy and third baseman Maddie Donaldson, while it also has a multitude of others players who were in the lineup at last season’s state tournament in some capacity or another.
The pitching of senior Aaliyah Carter and freshman Christi Birx will be tested as the Wolves seek to put together a run. As the No. 14 seed, Grandview (16-10) meets No. 3 Columbine
at 12:15 p.m. Oct. 24.
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ABOVE: Members of the Cherokee Trail softball team pose with the Class 5A Region 2 championship plaque they won on Oct. 17 at the Aurora Sports Park. The Cougars defeated Arvada West 9-1 in the regional championship game to qualify for the 5A state tournament Oct. 24-25 at the same venue. BELOW: The Eaglecrest softball team rallied past Fort Collins for a 7-6 victory to secure the 5A Region 5 championship and its own state tournament berth Oct. 17. Photos by Courtney Oakes/Aurora Sentinel
BAKING UP A TITLE
Regis Jesuit boys tennis team enjoys dessert of individual, team championships
The frosting and sprinkles came first, then the cake for the Regis Jesuit boys tennis team.
Though the flavor might be up for debate, it couldn’t have been sweeter.
The Raiders put the finishing touches on a rich, delicious season with a 4-2 victory over nemesis Cherry Creek to bring home the Class 5A team state championship that had eluded them since the Colorado High School Activities Association instituted the dual team format four years ago.
“We told them the individual stuff was the frosting and the sprinkles, but we wanted the cake,” longtime Regis Jesuit coach Laura Jones said. “You’d have to ask the players what kind of cake this is — I’m sure they don’t like the kind I like — but it’s definitely a sweet one.”
The cake (the program’s first state championship since 2019 and sixth all-time) would still have been sweet without the frosting or sprinkles, but Regis Jesuit earned a bounty Oct. 18.
At the conclusion of the three-day 5A individual state tournament, the Raiders pulled off a singles sweep from junior Alec Rodriguez-Fields (No. 1) and seniors Clay Dickey (No. 2) and Adam Rydel (No. 3), while gold medals also went to the No. 1 doubles team of junior Koops Lord and sophomore Will Larkin, the No. 2 duo of junior Edward Samuelson and sophomore Reis Cherveny and the No. 3 tandem of junior Beckett Martorella and sophomore Finn Carolan.
Rodriguez-Fields cruised through his four matches and finished it off with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Valor Christian senior Jace Nakamura, who had won the No. 2 singles title as his expense back in the 2023 season. With his third win of the season over Nakamura, Rodriguez-Fields finished an undefeated individual season (26-0) and became 5A’s first repeat No. 1 singles state champion since former Regis Jesuit star Morgan Schilling won back-to-back in 2019 and 2020.
“What he (Schilling) did was amazing and to think I did that too is awesome for me,” said Rodriguez-Fields, whose excitement was tempered with the team final still ahead.
Rodriguez-Fields contemplated not playing high school tennis this season — just as three members of last season’s 5A runner-up Regis Jesuit did in Blake and Spencer Wright and Vlad Sukhovetskyy — but came back because of the desire to win the team championship, which slipped away last season with a 4-3 dual loss to the same Cherry Creek team.
Rodriguez-Fields did his part in the team championship dual, as he downed the Bruins’ Aidan Washer 6-2, 6-2 to get the first of what would be four consecutive wins.
The last win of the team championship came fittingly from Dickey, who played No. 1 singles for his first two seasons with the program, shifted to No. 1 doubles as a junior and got back into the singles ranks as a senior.
Dickey had never been in a state championship match individually, but checked that off the list when he claimed the No. 2 singles crown with a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 victory over Grandview sophomore Kaahan Wani in a match that lasted well past the end of the rest of the individual event finals. Dickey avenged a loss to Wani at the Cherry Creek Invitational and three days later added an even bigger victory over Cherry Creek’s Jack Loehr.
Dickey sealed the championship with a 6-0, 5-7, 6-2 victory over Loehr (who he had a much easier time beating in the individual semifinals), after which he was mobbed by teammates.
“This cake tastes really good, I’m still in shock,” Dickey said. “It was really special to be out there (at the end). The past couple of years I’ve been on the court when it was happening, so I think it was a great way to go out to be the last one to seal it.”
Jones also took satisfaction in watching Dickey — who was dubbed ‘Clay All Day’ for the lengthy matches he’s played all the way back to his freshman season at No. 1 singles — finished it.
“It’s appropriate that he was out there,” Jones said. “He’s been a great senior for us and had a great four-year career.”
The team’s other senior captain — Rydel — also went out
in the ultimate blaze of glory. He moved up from the doubles ranks and finished with his fourth state medal in as many seasons when he downed Grandview sophomore Krish Wani 6-2, 6-0 in the No. 3 singles individual event final.
Rydel outlasted Cherry Creek’s Devan Shah in three sets in the semifinals to make the final and he again defeated Shah in the team championship dual with a 6-2, 7-5 victory.
“The mentality was that we got the job done on Saturday, but we had more to do today,” he said. “This tastes like all kinds of cake. It’s just sweet and amazing.”
Jones appreciated the leadership and example set by the singles players all season long, but doubles had to come through if the Raiders were to complete the team championship quest.
Only one of the eight doubles players — Samuelson — had played in the varsity lineup before, but all seven newcomers had oustanding seasons. The No. 1 tandem of Lord and Larkin in particular rose to the occasion, winning both the individual state championship and their match in the team finals.
BY COURTNEY OAKES Sports Editor
TITLE championships
Lord and Larkin didn’t drop a single set in four individual state tournament matches, which was capped by a 6-3, 6-2 win over Cherry Creek’s Tyson Hardy and Sam Migliaccio. The Bruins’ duo got a couple of more games off the Raiders in the team final, but Lord and Larkin prevailed 6-3, 6-4.
“This has always been the big goal for the seniors, so I’m super happy to help them get it done,” Larkin said. “I know they wanted this really bad. ...I think this maybe chocolate cake. I like that.”
Samuelson teamed with Cherveny for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 win over Cherry Creek’s Kapil Bhandaram and Adam Eikelberner in the individual No. 2 doubles final, but the Bruins were on the right side of a 6-2, 6-4 victory in the team rematch. At No. 3 doubles, Martorella and Carolan avenged two earlier losses to Cherry Creek’s Liam Raleigh and Spencer Hutchins with a commanding 6-2, 6-2 win in the individual event finals. The Raiders took a set lead in the team dual, but the Bruins earned a split and the match never finished after Dickey’s clincher. Connor and Daniel Hickey came into the individual state
tournament as the No. 1 overall seed at No. 4 doubles, only to be denied the individual title with a three-set loss to Cherry Creek’s Ryan Raleigh and Sunand Bhandaram, who also downed them 7-5, 6-3 in the team dual.
It was an unpredictable, yet incredibly sweet, path to cake, frosting and sprinkles for Regis Jesuit.
“It all starts from scratch when you walk out on the court here today,” Jones said. “It was a real battle. It was very fun to watch and very fun to win.”
GRANDVIEW PLACES FIVE LINES — AND HAS TWO RUNNERS-UP — AT 5A INDIVIDUAL STATE
FAR LEFT: Members of the Regis Jesuit boys tennis team pose with the banner and trophy they received after they won the Class 5A boys tennis team state championship Oct. 21 at the Denver Tennis Park. FAR LEFT BELOW: Regis Jesuit senior No. 3 singles player Adam Rydel reacts to winning a key point during a semifinal match at the Class 5A individula state tournament Oct. 17. Rydel went on to win the match and also the championship of the bracket the next day. CENTER BELOW: Regis Jesuit junior Alec Rodriguez-Fields pumps his fist after winning a game during the Class 5A individual No. 1 singles match Oct. 18. Rodriguez-Fields defeated Valor Christian’s Jace Nakamura to become the first 5A repeat No. 1 singles champion since 2019 and 2020. LEFT: The three singles players and two doubles from the Grandview boys tennis team pose with their medals after the conclusion of placing matches Oct. 18. ABOVE: Regis Jesuit senior captain Clay Dickey, second from left, holds up the Class 5A team state championship trophy after the Raiders secured the program’s sixth all-time state tennis title. (Photos by Courtney Oakes/Aurora Sentinel)
VISIT COURTNEYOAKES.SMUGMUG.COM FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM THE 5A BOYS TENNIS STATE TOURNAMENT
For full results for each Aurora quali er, visit sentinelcolorado.com/ preps
The Grandview boys tennis team turned in the program’s most successful performance at a Class 5A state tournament with three singles players and two doubles teams medaling.
Singles had been the greatest strength for coach Jeff Ryan’s Wolves all season with senior Justin Son in the No. 1 spot and sophomore twins Kaahan and Krish Wani in the Nos. 2 and 3 positions, respectively.
The trio rose to the occasion as all three made it to the final day of the three-day tournament, which saw the Wanis both make championship matches and Son qualify to play for third. In the end, the championship won by No. 1 singles player Eduard Tsaturyan in 2022 remains the only one in program history, as Kaahan Wani fell in a third-set tiebreaker to Regis Jesuit’s Clay Dickey and Krish Wani dropped a two-setter to the Raiders’ Adam Rydel. Still, it represented a move up for the brothers, who both placed third in 2024, and gave them another goal to shoot for next season.
Son ended his outstanding prep career with a third-place result, which he earned with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Luke Treleaven of Fairview. The No. 1 singles runner-up in 2023, Son’s bid to play for the state championship was derailed with a quarterfinal loss to Valor Christian’s Jace Nakamura, but he defeated Fossil Ridge’s Cadell Webb and Arapahoe’s Cale Brush in the playback bracket to set up the placing match with Treleaven.
Also placing third for Grandview was the No. 1 doubles team of senior Carter Benton and freshman Steve Li, who played their best tennis of the season during a 4-1 run to a medal. The only defeat the Wolves suffered over three days came to Regis Jesuit’s Koops Lord and Will Larkin — the eventual state champions — in the semifinals by a score of 7-5, 6-0. They rebounded with two wins in the playback bracket, which culminated with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 outlasting of Denver South’s Colin Arbour and Lincoln Pederson. It was particularly gratifying for Benton, who had qualified for the state tournament three previous times, but had yet to place.
The Wolves’ No. 2 doubles team of senior Corbin Thompson and sophomore Nathan McIsaac made it to the semifinals before a loss to Regis Jesuit’s Reid Cherveny and Edward Samuelson — the eventual state champions — earned a win over Valor Christian in the playback semifinals and lost in three grueling sets to a team from Fossil Ridge in the third-place match.
CHEROKEE TRAIL COMES UP SHORT OF PLACING DESPITE COMPETITIVE SHOWING AT STATE TOURNEY
The Cherokee Trail boys tennis team had two singles players and two doubles teams in the mix at the Class 5A individual state tournament, but did not come back with a medal.
Senior No. 2 singles player Swagat Behera — who made his second career trip to state — had the most successful run for coach Eric Olsen-Dufour’s Cougars, as he won a three-set opening round match before he lost to Grandview’s Kaahan Wani 6-2, 6-2 in the quarterfinals. Wani brought Behera back into playbacks by making the final and he won another match in the first round before a playback semifinal loss.
The No. 1 doubles team of seniors Aditya Fernandez and Cristiano Di Franco lost its opening round and playback match, while junior No. 3 singles player Clark Deleeuw and the No. 3 doubles team of seniors JP Hasler and Logan Goss lost their opening round matches and did not get playbacks.
FOOTBALL
Aurora area teams finish combined 3-8 in week 8
Only three Aurora area programs finished on the winning side of the scoreboard in Week 8 of the prep football season, which included just one head-tohead matchup.
That pitted Cherokee Trail against rival Grandview and the Cougars came through with a rousing 14-7 victory Oct. 17 at Legacy Stadium. Bryson Peterson threw a touchdown pass to Rayshon Stanley to open the scoring, while Logan Posey (who had 129 yards rushing) scored on the ground. The Cougars (3-5 overall, 1-2 in Centennial League play) made a goal line stand to end the first half and sealed the victory when Chris Smith intercepted a Blitz McCarty pass inside the final two minutes. McCarty threw a touchdown pass to Jaxson Flores for Grandview (4-4, 1-2).
Also victorious was Regis Jesuit, which visited Douglas County in a 5A Southern League contest Oct. 17 and had plenty of offensive fireworks in a 52-31 victory.
tinued their outstanding aerial connection with two scoring strikes, while Tyrone Smiley added 233 yards rushing and two scores for the Bison (3-5, 1-3 Front Range South League).
For more on these storiess, visit aurorasentinel. com/preps
Luke Rubley threw five touchdown passes (three to Cade Filleman) and rushed for one, while Colt Jones returned an interception for a touchdown as the Raiders improved to 4-4 (2-1 in league).
Vista PEAK Prep found incredible offensive balance Oct. 16 on its way to 3521 victory over Horizon at APS Stadium.
Canaan Barthlow and Isaiah Watson con-
Eaglecrest remains the area’s leader in wins with six, but suffered its second loss of the season (and first in Centennial League play) with a 42-0 defeat at Cherry Creek Oct. 16. The Raptors’ defense gave up a season high in points, while Eaglecrest was held off the scoreboard for the first time since a 44-0 loss to the same Bruins in Week 8 of last season.
Rangeview is 1-3 in league play (5-3 overall) following a 28-13 loss to Legacy Oct. 17 at APS Stadium. Kemariahe Brown returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown to spot the Raiders the lead, but they watched the lightning score 28 straight points before Keylen Mack scored in the fourth quarter.
Aurora Central also remains in search of the elusive sixth win as it fell to Thomas Jefferson 37-14 Oct. 16 at All-City Stadium. Coach Chris Kelly’s Trojans fell to 5-3 overall and 1-2 in the 4A Denver Metro. Smoky Hill (2-6, 0-3) got a touchdown pass from Jayden Hopkins to Malachi Pacheco, but fell to Arapahoe 44-7 Oct. 17 at Stutler Bowl. Gateway is also 2-6 following a 48-6 loss to undefeated Sand Creek, while Overland and Hinkley lost to Lakewood (20-7) and Lutheran (72-0), respectively. Elijah Hargrove rushed for the Trailblazers’ touchdown.
GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL
Grandview falls in 5A state quarterfinals
The Grandview girls flag football team’s momentous roll continued through the second round of the Class 5A state playoffs before it ran into an immovable object (top-seeded and undefeated Mountain Vista) in the quarterfinals.
LEFT: Quarterback Brooke Sullivan, left, eludes a rusher from Douglas County during the Grandview girls flag football team’s 13-0 Class 5A second round playoff win Oct. 18 . ABOVE: Cherokee Trail’s Chris Smith (2) celebrates with teammates after his late interception sealed the Cougars’ 14-7 Centennial League football win over Grandview Oct. 17. (Photos by Courtney Oakes/Aurora Sentinel)
The eighth-seeded Wolves (13-4) finished the regular season on an 11-game winning streak and upped that to 12 with a 13-0 shutout of No. 9 Douglas County Oct. 17 at Trailblazer Stadium in a second round contest that earned them a shot at Mountain Vista later in the day.
Coach Mark Fisher’s Grandview team again played great defense and held the Golden Eagles — who came into the game averaging 46 points per game — to a season-low, but couldn’t keep up offensively in a 26-7 loss.
Junior Brooke Sullivan threw a touchdown pass to senior Abby Kirkpatrick in both playoff games and also scored via rush in the opener against Douglas County. Sullivan also had an interception in each contest, while sophomore K’Dence Thomas and sophomore Meta Wa-Kalonji had one in the opener and junior Aniya Coleman had one against Mountain Vista. Sophomore rusher Jayden Schwabauer had a big fourth-down sack in Douglas County’s last gasp drive in the opener.
WEEK PAST
The week past in Aurora prep sports
MONDAY, OCT. 20: All three Aurora area field hockey teams were in action, with Grandview and Smoky Hill in a doublheader at Legacy Stadium and Regis Jesuit on the road. ...SATURDAY, OCT. 18: The Rangeview boys soccer team scored the only goal in the second half of a 1-0 win against Overland THURSDAY, OCT. 16: Rory Schmeider scored twice and Kam Bachus, Cameron Sim and Jack Wilzbacher also found the back of the net for the Regis Jesuit boys soccer team in a 5-0 Continental League win over Legend. ...Brandon Pearcy of the Vista PEAK Prep boys cross country team secured a sixthplace finish in the boys City League Championship race held at Washington Park. Pearcy ran a time of 16 minutes, 56.78 seconds, for the top result for the Aurora area programs in both the boys and girls races. ...WEDNESDAY, OCT. 15: McKenna Groen of the Regis Jesuit girls cross country team cruised to victory in the girls race at the Continental League Championships hosted by Ponderosa High School. Groen clocked a time of 18 minutes, 40.1 seconds, to win by nearly 20 seconds and help the Raiders to ninth in the team standings. The Regis Jesuit boys finished eighth as a team with the top finish from Luis Duarte, who was 14th. ...The Overland gymnastics team earned a score of 173.825 points to finish on top of visiting Ponderosa (165.900) and Rock Canyon (139.150) in a tri-dual meet. Lindsie Gray took first place in the all-around competition, while Abby Mess topped two events (the uneven bars and balance beam), Audrey Contreraz took the vault and Stephanie Fernandes the floor exercise.
lic_records/legal_notices/ordinance_notices/.
/s/ Kadee Rodriguez City Clerk
Publication: October 23, 2025 Sentinel CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO Ordinance 2025-94
AN ORDINANCE OF GENERAL IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT 3-2008 (MEADOW HILLS COUNTRY CLUB) ADOPTING AN OPERATING BUDGET, ESTABLISHING THE TAX LEVY, AND APPROPRIATING SUMS OF MONEY TO DEFRAY EXPENSES AND LIABILITIES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING JANUARY
1, 2026, AND ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2026
Ordinance 2025-94, which was introduced on October 20, 2025, will be presented for final passage at the November 06, 2025, regular meeting of the City Council. The full text of the ordinance is available for public inspection and acquisition in the City Clerk’s Office, 15151 E. Alameda Parkway, Suite 1400, Aurora, Colorado, and on the city’s website at: https://www.auroragov.org/city_hall/public_records/legal_notices/ordinance_notices/.
/s/ Kadee Rodriguez City Clerk
Publication: October 23, 2025
Sentinel
CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO Ordinance 2025-95
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO, ADOPTING AN OPERATING AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECTS BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2026, AND ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2026
Ordinance 2025-95, which was introduced on October 20, 2025, will be presented for final passage at the November 06, 2025, regular meeting of the City Council. The full text of the ordinance is available for public inspection and acquisition in the City Clerk’s Office, 15151 E. Alameda Parkway, Suite 1400, Aurora, Colorado, and on the city’s website at: https://www.auroragov.org/city_hall/public_records/legal_notices/ordinance_notices/.
/s/ Kadee Rodriguez City Clerk
Publication: October 23, 2025 Sentinel
CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO Ordinance 2025-96
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO, APPROPRIATING SUMS OF MONEY TO DEFRAY EXPENSES AND LIABILITIES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2026 AND ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2026
Ordinance 2025-96, which was introduced on October 20, 2025, will be presented for final passage at the November 06, 2025, regular meeting of the City Council. The full text of the ordinance is available for public inspection and acquisition in the City Clerk’s Office, 15151 E. Alameda Parkway, Suite 1400, Aurora, Colorado, and on the city’s website at: https://www.auroragov.org/city_hall/public_records/legal_notices/ordinance_notices/.
/s/ Kadee Rodriguez City Clerk
Publication: October 23, 2025 Sentinel
CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO Ordinance 2025-97
AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE TAX LEVY ON ALL TAXABLE PROPERTY WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO, FOR THE TAX COLLECTION YEAR BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2026, AND ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2026, AND AUTHORIZING A TEMPORARY PROPERTY TAX CREDIT FOR 2026
Ordinance 2025-97, which was introduced on October 20, 2025, will be presented for final passage at the November 06, 2025, regular meeting of the City Council. The full text of the ordinance is available for public inspection and acquisition in the City Clerk’s Office, 15151 E. Alameda Parkway, Suite 1400, Aurora, Colorado, and on the city’s website at: https://www.auroragov.org/city_hall/public_records/legal_notices/ordinance_notices/.
/s/ Kadee Rodriguez City Clerk
Publication: October 23, 2025 Sentinel CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO Ordinance 2025-98 FOR AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AURORA AMENDING SECTION 58-1 OF THE CITY CODE OF THE CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO, RELATING TO AN INCREASE OF THE E-911 SURCHARGE AND ADDING SECTION 58-2 TO THE CITY CODE OF THE CITY OF AURORA RELATED TO THE CITY MANAGER’S AUTHORITY TO ADJUST FEES
Ordinance 2025-98, which was introduced on October 20, 2025, will be presented for final passage at the November 06, 2025, regular meeting of the City Council. The full text of the ordinance is available for public inspection and acquisition in the City Clerk’s Office, 15151 E. Alameda Parkway,
Suite 1400, Aurora, Colorado, and on the city’s website at: https://www.auroragov.org/city_hall/public_records/legal_notices/ordinance_notices/.
/s/ Kadee Rodriguez City Clerk
Publication: October 23, 2025 Sentinel CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO Ordinance 2025-99
FOR AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CERTAIN SECTIONS OF CHAPTER 138 OF THE CITY CODE OF THE CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO, RELATING TO RATES AND CONNECTION FEES FOR THE PROVISION OF WATER, SANITARY SEWER AND WASTEWATER SERVICES
Ordinance 2025-99, which was introduced on October 20, 2025, will be presented for final passage at the November 06, 2025, regular meeting of the City Council. The full text of the ordinance is available for public inspection and acquisition in the City Clerk’s Office, 15151 E. Alameda Parkway, Suite 1400, Aurora, Colorado, and on the city’s website at: https://www.auroragov.org/city_hall/public_records/legal_notices/ordinance_notices/.
/s/ Kadee Rodriguez City Clerk
Publication: October 23, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Development Application: DA‑2163‑26
Case Number(s): 2018‑1006‑26
Applicant: City of Aurora - Planning and Development Services Application Name: Unified Development Ordinance Amendment Text Change for Accident Potential Zone District
You are hereby notified that a public hearing will be held on November 3, 2025, starting at 6:30 p.m. at the regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Aurora, Colorado. This meeting will be a virtual meeting. Please go to the City of Aurora website (www.auroragov.org/ cms) and locate the agenda for instructions on participation. INTRODUCTION OF AN ORDINANCE AND PUBLIC HEARING TO AMEND THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE SECTIONS 146-2.5, 1463.2, AND 146-4.2 RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT POTENTIAL ZONE (APZ) DISTRICT.
Site Location: Within the boundaries of the city At said meeting any person in interest may appear and be heard on the requested approval.
/s/ Kadee Rodriguez City Clerk
Publication: October 23, 2025 Sentinel
64th AVE. ARI AUTHORITY NOTICE CONCERNING 2024 BUDGET AMENDMENT
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to all interested parties that the necessity has arisen to amend the 64th Ave. ARI Authority (the “Authority”) 2024 Budget; and that a copy of the proposed Amended 2024 Budget has been filed at the Authority’s offices, 141 Union Boulevard, Suite 150, Lakewood, Colorado, where the same are open for public inspection; and that adoption of the Resolution Amending the 2024 Budget will be considered at a public meeting of the Board of Directors of the Authority to be held on Wednesday, September 3, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. This Authority Board meeting will be held by Zoom. If you would like to attend this meeting, please use the information below:
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5469119353?pwd=SmtlcHJETFhCQUZEcVBBOGZVU3Fqdz09 Meeting ID: 546 911 9353 Passcode: 912873 Dial In: 1-719-359-4580
Any elector within the Authority may, at any time prior to the final adoption of the Resolution to Amend the 2024 Budget, inspect and file or register any objections thereto. 64th AVE. ARI AUTHORITY By /s/ David Solin Authority Manager
Publication: October 24, 2025 Sentinel ACC METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NOTICE CONCERNING 2025 BUDGET AMENDMENTS AND PROPOSED 2026 BUDGET
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to all interested parties that the necessity may arise to amend the ACC Metropolitan District 2025 Budget and that a proposed 2026 Budget, if necessary, has been submitted to the Board of Directors of the ACC Metropolitan District; and that copies of the Amended 2025 Budget and Proposed 2026 Budget have been filed at the District’s offices, 141 Union Boulevard, Suite 150, Lakewood, Colorado, where the same is open for public inspection; and that adoption of Resolutions Amending the 2025 Budget and Resolution Adopting the 2026 Budget will be considered at a public meeting of the Board of Directors of the District on Thursday, November 13, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. This District Board meeting will be held by Zoom. If you would like to attend this meeting, please use the information below: Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5469119353?pwd=SmtlcHJETFhCQUZEcVBBOGZVU3Fqdz09 Meeting ID: 546 911 9353 Passcode: 912873 Dial In: 1-719-359-4580
Any elector within the District may, at any time prior to the final adoption of the Resolutions to Amend the 2025 Budget and adopt the 2026 Budget, inspect and file or register any objections thereto.
ACC METROPOLITAN DISTRICT By /s/ David Solin Secretary
Publication: October 23, 2025 Sentinel BEFORE THE COLORADO ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT COMMISSION AMENDED NOTICE AND APPLICATION FOR HEARING DOCKET NO. 220600146
TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES AND TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: Pursuant to Rule 523.d, the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission Staff has applied to the Commission for an Order Finding Violation against Poncho Production Company (Operator No. 71450), to adjudicate allegations in the Notice of Alleged Violation Nos. 401781653, 402875234, and 403071779.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to: 1) the general jurisdiction of the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission of the State of Colorado under § 34-60-105, C.R.S.; 2) specific powers granted pursuant to § 34-60-106, C.R.S.; 3) the Colorado Administrative Procedures Act at § 24 4 105, C.R.S.; and 4) the Commission’s Series 500 Rules at 2 C.C.R. 404-1, that the Commission has scheduled this matter for hearing before a COGCC Hearing Officer at the following date, time, and location (subject to change):
Date: December 17, 2025
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Place: Virtual Hearing with Remote Access via Zoom
To participate, navigate to https://ecmc. state.co.us/#/home and locate the Zoom meeting link on the left side of the webpage.
Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission 1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 801 Denver, CO 80203
Deadline for Affected Persons to Petition: November 17, 2025
The Notice and documents related to this matter can be found on our “Hearing eFiling System Document Search” page here https://oitco.hylandcloud.com/DNRCOGPublicAccess/index.html. Select “Search for Docket Related Documents” from the pull down menu, use the above “Docket Number”, and select “Search”.
Publication: October 23, 2025
Sentinel
CENTRAL PLATTE VALLEY COORDINATION METROPOLITAN DISTRICT AND CENTRAL PLATTE VALLEY METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NOTICE OF REGULAR MEETING AND NOTICE AS TO PROPOSED 2026
BUDGET AND NOTICE AS TO PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO 2025 BUDGET
A NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the CENTRAL PLATTE VALLEY COORDINATION Metropolitan District AND CENTRAL PLATTE VALLEY METROPOLITAN DISTRICT (the “District”) County of Denver, State of Colorado, will hold a regular meeting (the “Meeting”) at 9:00 a.m. on November 4, 2025 at Davita, 2000 16th Street, Denver, CO and via MS Teams for the purpose of conducting such business as may come before the Board. Pursuant to § 32 1 903, Colorado Revised Statutes, interested parties are encouraged to join the meeting and participate in the public hearing using one of the following options: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup join/19%3ameeting_Njg3YTQ1YjUtYjI1NC00MDBlLWEyM2MtNGZhZjViNGIxNTFj%40thread. v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%224aaa468e 93ba 4ee3 ab9f 6a247aa3ade0%22%2 c%22Oid%22%3a%22d42bab28 fbd8 4e65 a395 965cf9ef152f%22%7d or Dial: 1-720-547-5281 and enter Conference ID: 115 517 006#.
FURTHER, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an amendment to the 2025 budget of the District may also be considered at the above referenced meeting and public hearing of the Board of Directors of the District. A copy of the proposed 2026 budget and amended 2025 budget, if required, are available for public inspection at the offices of CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, 2001 16th Street, Ste. 1700, Denver, CO 80202. Any interested elector within the District may, at any time prior to the final adoption of the 2026 budget and the amended 2025 budget, if required, file or register any objections thereto.
The meeting is open to the public.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CENTRAL PLATTE VALLEY
COORDINATION METROPOLITAN DISTRICT CENTRAL PLATTE VALLEY METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
By: /s/ MILLER LAW PLLC
Publication: October 23, 2025 Sentinel
DISTRICT COURT, ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO SUMMONS Case No. 2024CV032574
PLAINTIFF: CAPITAL ONE AUTO FINANCE V.
DEFENDANT: ADAM TRISTAN GARCIA
To the above named Defendant(s): Take notice that
1. On December 2, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. in the Arapahoe County District Court, Arapahoe County, Colorado, if an answer is not filed, the Court may be asked to enter judgment against you as set forth in the Complaint.
2. A copy of the Complaint against you and an answer form which you must use if you file an answer are attached.
3. If you do not agree with the complaint, then you must either:
a. Go to the Court, located at 7325 S. Potomac St. #100,, Centennial, CO 80112, Courtroom 204 at the above date and time and file the answer stating any legal reason you have why judgment should not be entered against you, OR b. File the answer with the Court before that date and time.
4. When you file your answer, you must pay a filing fee to the Clerk of the Court.
5. If you file an answer, you must give or mail a copy to the Plaintiff(s) or the attorney who signed the complaint.
6. If you do not file an answer, then the Court may enter a default judgment against you for the relief requested in the complaint.
7. If you want a jury trial, you must ask for one in the answer and pay a jury fee in addition to the filing fee.
8. If you want to file an answer or request for a jury trial and you are indigent, you must appear at the above date and time, fill out a financial affidavit, and ask the Court to waive the fee.
By checking this box, I am acknowledging that I have made a change to the original content of this form.
Attorneys for Plaintiff: HELLERSTEIN AND SHORE, P.C.
Address: 5347 S. Valentia Way, Suite 100 Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Phone Number: (303) 573 1080
E mail: dshore@shoreattys.com
Atty. Reg. #:19973 (David A. Shore)
First Publication: October 16, 2025
Final Publication: November 13, 2025 Sentinel
LEGAL NOTICE - H106/125
Rocky Mountain Self Storage Auction of Tenant’s Personal Property
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to the person herein after named and to all whom it may concern. The contents of the following units are subject to our lien for non payment of rent and other charges. You are denied access to your unit. You can redeem such goods on or before 3pm on 10/31/2025. The goods you have stored after this time will be sold at auction to the highest bidder. The auction will run several days before and up to the date of the auction and will be held ONLINE at www.storageauctionsolutions.com. The facility/auctioneer reserves the right to cancel a sale at any time for any reason.
Fielding Burke Gaeber, Unit H106/125electrical equipment, ladders Auctioneer: Storage Auction Solutions; www.storageauctionsolutions.com
Publication: October 23, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE AS TO PROPOSED 2026 BUDGET AND HEARING STERLING HILLS WEST METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a proposed budget has been submitted to the STERLING HILLS WEST METROPOLITAN DISTRICT (the “District”) for the ensuing year of 2026. A copy of such proposed budget has been filed in the office of Morain Bakarich Certified Public Accountants, 2801 Youngfield Street, Suite 370, Golden, Colorado, where the same is open for public inspection. Such proposed budget will be considered at a hearing at the meeting of the District to be held at 6:30 P.M., on Thursday, November 13, 2025.
The location and additional information regarding the meeting will be available on the meeting notice posted on the District’s website at https://www.shwmd.org/ at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting.
Any interested elector within the District may inspect the proposed budget and file or register any objections at any time prior to the final adoption of the 2026 budget.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE DISTRICT: By: /s/ ICENOGLE | SEAVER | POGUE A Professional Corporation
Publication: October 23, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE CONCERNING 2025 Budget Amendment and Proposed 2026 Budget
AURORA REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to all interested parties that the necessity may arise to amend the Aurora Regional Transportation
Authority (“ARTA”) 2025 Budget and that a proposed 2026 Budget has been submitted to the Board of Directors of ARTA; and that copies of the proposed Amended 2025 Budget and 2026 Budget have been filed in the office of ARTA at 141 Union Boulevard, Suite 150, Lakewood, Colorado, where the same is open for public inspection; and that adoption of Resolutions Amending the 2025 Budget and Adopting the 2026 Budget will be considered at a public meeting of ARTA members to be held on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at 3:00 P.M. This ARTA Board meeting will be held via Zoom Meeting and can be joined through the directions below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5469119353?pwd=SmtlcHJETFhCQUZEcVBBOGZVU3Fqdz09
Meeting ID: 546 911 9353
Passcode: 912873
Dial In: 1-719-359-4580
Any elector within the boundaries of a Member/Potential Member District may, at any time prior to the final adoption of the Resolutions to Amend the 2025 Budget and Adopt the 2026 Budget, inspect and file or register any objections thereto.
AURORA REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY
City of Aurora, Colorado
Member Districts:
HM Metropolitan District Nos. 1 and 3-9
(District Nos. 3 9 Inactive) Park70 MD
Sagebrush Farm MD Nos. 1, 3 and 5
Sagebrush Farm MD Nos. 2, 5 and 6 (Inactive)
Abilene Station MD Nos. 1 and 2 (District No. 2 Inactive)
Harvest Crossing MD Nos. 1 4 (District Nos. 1 and 2 Inactive)
ACC Metropolitan District
Sky Dance MD Nos. 1 and 2
SLC Metropolitan District Nos. 1-4
Waterstone MD No. 1
MJC Metropolitan District (Inactive)
Colorado International Center MD Nos. 4-5
Eastpark70 MD Waterstone MD No. 2
Bristol Metropolitan District
Aurora High Point at DIA MD
Fitzsimons Village MD Nos. 1 3
TBC Metropolitan District
Powhaton Road MD Nos. 8 11 (Inactive)
East Bend Metropolitan District
Publication: October 23, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE OF APPLICATION BY MOTION FOR CONFIRMATION OF ARBITRATION AWARD AND ENTRY OF JUDGMENT, AND AMENDED NOTICE OF HEARING Case No. CV35-25-1087
IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE SECOND JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF THE STATE OF IDAHO, IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF NEZ PERCE
PACIFIC CABINETS, INC., an Idaho corporation, Plaintiff, vs. SUPERIOR COUNTERTOPS, INC., a Colorado corporation, Defendant.
COMES NOW the Plaintiff, PACIFIC CABINETS, INC., by and through its attorney
Douglas G. Kenyon of the law firm of Blewett Mushlitz Hally, LLP, and pursuant to Idaho Code §7 916 hereby provides Notice of the Application by Motion for Confirmation of Arbitration Award and Entry of Judgment.
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that Plaintiff will bring on for hearing its Application by Motion for Confirmation of Arbitration Award and Entry of Judgment before the above entitled Court on Thursday, November 20, 2025, at the Nez Perce County Courthouse, 1230 Main Street, Lewiston, Idaho 83501, (208) 799 3040, at 9:30 a.m., or as soon thereafter as counsel may be heard. DATED this 16th day of September, 2025.
BLEWETT MUSHLITZ HALLY, LLP
By: /s/ Douglas G. Kenyon
Douglas G. Kenyon, ISBN 10936
Attorney for Plaintiff
DOUGLAS G. KENYON Idaho State Bar No. 10936
BLEWETT MUSHLITZ HALLY, LLP
710 16th Avenue
P.O. Box 1990
Lewiston, ID 83501
Telephone: (208) 413-6678
Facsimile: (208) 413 6682 dougkenyon@idahoconstructionlawyers. com
Attorneys for Plaintiff
First Publication: October 2, 2025
Final Publication: October 23, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE OF BUDGET AURORACOLORADO SPRINGS JOINT WATER AUTHORITY
In accordance with the local government budget law and pursuant to the direction of the Board of Directors of the Aurora - Colorado Springs Joint Water Authority, notice is hereby given that the proposed 2026 Authority Budget is open for inspection at the Colorado Springs Utilities’ Water Infrastructure Planning, Leon Young Service Center, 1521 South Hancock Expressway, 2nd Floor, Pod A, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903; and at the City of Aurora Southeast Area Maintenance (SEAM) Facility, 26791 E. Quincy Avenue, Aurora, Colorado 80016.
Said proposed 2026 Budget will be considered for adoption at 9:00 a.m., MST on Thursday, December 4, 2025, in the Pueblo Reservoir Room, City of Aurora Southeast Area Maintenance (SEAM) Facility, 26791 E. Quincy Avenue, Aurora, CO 80016.
The governing body shall revise, alter, increase, or decrease the items as it deems necessary in view of the needs of the various spending agencies and the anticipated
revenue of the local government. Adoption of the proposed budget shall be effective only upon an affirmative vote of a
Puzzles
NOTICE OF HEARING ON PROPOSED 2026 BUDGET AND 2025 BUDGET AMENDMENT
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the proposed budget for the ensuing year of 2026 has been submitted to the Whispering Pines Metropolitan District No. 1 (the “District”). Such proposed budget will be considered at a meeting and a public hearing of the Board of Directors of the District to be held at 6:30 p.m., or shortly thereafter, on Monday, November 3, 2025, via telephone and videoconference. To attend and participate via phone, dial (720) 707 2699 and enter Meeting ID: 837 4656 7698, Passcode: 280296. Information regarding public participation by videoconference will be available at least 24 hours prior to the meeting and public hearing online at www. whisperingpinesdistrict.com
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that an amendment to the 2025 budget of the District may also be considered at the above-referenced meeting and public hearing of the Board of Directors of the District. A copy of the proposed 2026 budget and the amended 2025 budget, if required, are available for public inspection at the offices of Community Resource Services of Colorado. Please contact Diane Rodriguez by email at drodriguez@ crsofcolorado.com or by telephone at 303381-4969 to make arrangements to inspect the budgets prior to visiting the foregoing office. Any interested elector within the District may, at any time prior to final adoption of the 2026 budget and the amended 2025, file or register any objections thereto.
WHISPERING PINES
METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NO. 1
By: /s/ Matt Kehoe, President
Publication: October 23, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE OF HEARING ON PROPOSED 2026 BUDGETS AND 2025 BUDGET AMENDMENTS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the proposed budgets for the ensuing year of 2026 have been submitted to the Parkside at City Centre Metropolitan District and the Parkside at City Centre Business Improvement District (collectively, the “Districts”). Such proposed budgets will be considered at a meeting and public hearing of the Boards of Directors of the Districts to be held on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, at 8:30 a.m., or as soon thereafter, by telephone and videoconference. Information regarding public participation by telephone or videoconference will be available at least 24 hours prior to the meeting and public hearing online at www.parksideatcitycentremd.com and www.parksideatcitycentrebid.com.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that amendments to the 2025 budgets of the Districts may also be considered at the above-referenced meeting and public hearing of the Boards of Directors of the Districts. Copies of the proposed 2026 budgets and the amended 2025 budgets, if required, are available for public inspection at the offices of Simmons & Wheeler, PC, located at 304 Inverness Way South, Suite 490, Englewood, CO 80112. Any interested elector within the Districts may, at any time prior to final adoption of the 2026 budgets and the amended 2025 budgets, if required, file or register any objections thereto.
PARKSIDE AT
IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT By: /s/ Lisa K. Mayers, General Counsel to the Districts
Publication: October 23, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED 2026 BUDGET AND NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON THE AMENDED 2025 BUDGET
The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the WATERSTONE METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NO. 1 (the “District”), will hold a public hearing on November 10, 2025 at 10:30 a.m., to consider adoption of the District’s proposed 2026 budget (the “Proposed Budget”), and, if necessary, adoption of an amendment to the 2025 budget (the “Amended Budget”). https://us06web.zoom.us/ j/82274139009?pwd=2lR06W2621Ddia838hvvYV5LbtQPwl.1
Meeting ID: 822 7413 9009
Passcode: 814502
Call-in Number: +1-720-707-2699
The Proposed Budget and Amended Budget are available for inspection by the public at the offices of CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP, 2001 16th St, Suite 1700, Denver, CO 80202.
Any interested elector of the District may file any objections to the Proposed Budget and Amended Budget at any time prior to the final adoption of the Proposed Budget or the Amended Budget by the Board.
The agenda for any meeting may be obtained at https://www.waterstonemetrodistrict1.org/ or by calling (303) 858-1800.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: WATERSTONE METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NO. 1, a quasi-municipal corporation and political subdivision of the State of Colorado /s/ WBA, PC
Publication: October 23, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED 2026 BUDGETS AND NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON THE AMENDED 2025 BUDGETS
The Boards of Directors (collectively the “Boards”) of the gardens on HAVANA METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NOS. 1-3 (collectively the “Districts”), will hold a public hearing on November 12, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. to consider adoption of the Districts’ proposed 2026 budgets (the “Proposed Budgets”), and, if necessary, adoption of an amendment to the 2025 budgets (the “Amended Budgets”).
https://us06web.zoom.us/ j/87001033800?pwd=yXlFX5ZtICyvM8eZcSCxs52cFlaZUb.1 Meeting ID: 870 0103 3800 Passcode: 175175 Call-in Number: +1-720-707-2699
The Proposed Budgets and Amended Budgets are available for inspection by the public at the offices of CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP, 2001 16th St, Suite 1700, Denver, CO 80202.
Any interested elector of the Districts may file any objections to the Proposed Budgets and Amended Budgets at any time prior to the final adoption of the Proposed Budgets or the Amended Budgets by the Boards.
The agenda for any meeting may be obtained at https://thegardensonhavanametrodistrict.com/ or by calling (303) 8581800.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARDS OF DIRECTORS: THE GARDENS ON HAVANA METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NOS. 1-3, quasi-municipal corporations and political subdivisions of the State of Colorado/s/ WBA, PC
Publication: October 23, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED 2026 BUDGETS AND NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON THE AMENDED 2025 BUDGETS
The Boards of Directors (collectively the “Boards”) of the SANTA FE PARK METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NOS. 1 & 3 (collectively the “Districts”), will hold a public hearing and via teleconference on OCTOBER 31, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. to consider adoption of the Districts’ proposed 2026 budgets (the “Proposed Budgets”), and, if necessary, adoption of an amendment to the 2025 budgets (the “Amended Budgets”).
The public hearing can be joined using the following teleconference information: https://us06web.zoom.us/ j/85328937872?pwd=6CVzjluLuEk95rs18DITVTFvUz9wt9.1 Meeting ID: 853 2893 7872; Password: 846066; Call-in Number: 720-707-2699
The Proposed Budgets and Amended Budgets are available for inspection by the public at the offices of CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP, 2001 16th St, Suite 1700, Denver, CO 80202.
Any interested elector of the Districts may file any objections to the Proposed Budgets and Amended Budgets at any time prior to the final adoption of the Proposed Budgets or the Amended Budgets by the Boards.
The agenda for any meeting may be obtained at santafeparkmetro.com or by calling (303) 858-1800.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARDS OF DIRECTORS: SANTA FE PARK METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NOS. 1 & 3, quasi-municipal corporations and political subdivisions of the State of Colorado /s/ WBA, PC
Publication: October 23, 2025
Sentinel
PARK 70 METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NOTICE CONCERNING 2025 BUDGET AMENDMENT AND PROPOSED 2026 BUDGET
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to all interested parties that the necessity may arise to amend the Park 70 Metropolitan District (the “District”) 2025 Budget, if necessary, and that a proposed 2026 Budget has been submitted to the Board of Directors of the District; and that copies of the proposed Amended 2025 Budget and 2026 Budget have been filed at the District’s offices, 141 Union Boulevard, Suite 150, Lakewood, Colorado, where the same is open for public inspection; and that adoption of Resolutions Amending the 2025 Budget and Adopting the 2026 Budget will be considered at a public meeting of the Board of Directors of the District to be held on Tuesday, November 11, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. This District Board meeting will be held by Zoom Meeting and can be joined
through the directions below: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5469119353?pwd=SmtlcHJETFhCQUZEcVBBOGZVU3Fqdz09
Dial In: 1-719-359-4580
Meeting ID: 546 911 9353
Passcode: 912873
Any elector within the District may, at any time prior to the final adoption of the Resolutions to 2025 Budget and adopt the 2026 Budget, inspect and file or register any objections thereto.
Park 70 METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
By /s/ David Solin Secretary
Publication: October 23, 2025
Sentinel
SORREL RANCH METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NOTICE CONCERNING 2025 BUDGET AMENDMENT AND PROPOSED 2026 BUDGET
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to all interested parties that the necessity may arise to amend the Sorrel Ranch Metropolitan District 2025 Budget, if necessary, and that a proposed 2026 Budget has been submitted to the Board of Directors of the Sorrel Ranch Metropolitan District; and that copies of the proposed Amended 2025 Budget and 2026 Budget have been filed at the District’s offices, 141 Union Boulevard, Suite 150, Lakewood, Colorado, where the same is open for public inspection; and that adoption of Resolutions Amending the 2025 Budget and Adopting the 2026 will be considered at a public meeting of the Board of Directors of the District on Monday, November 4, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. This District Board meeting will be held via Zoom:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5469119353?pwd=SmtlcHJETFhCQUZEcVBBOGZVU3Fqdz09
Meeting ID: 546 911 9353
Passcode: 912873
Dial: 1-719-359-4580
Any elector within the District may, at any time prior to the final adoption of the Resolutions to Amend the 2025 Budget and adopt the 2026 Budget, inspect and file or register any objections thereto.
SORREL RANCH
METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
By /s/ David Solin District Manager
Publication: October 23, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30862
Estate of Marjorie D. Rosen aka Marjorie Rosen, Deceased. 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 February 9, 2026, or the claims may be forever barred. Rickie B. Rosen Personal Representative 1455 S. Cherry St. Denver, CO 80222
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30924
Estate of Edward A. Robinson aka Edward Robinson, Deceased. 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 February 9, 2026, or the claims may be forever barred. Steven M. Kaufmann c/o Patricia L. Clowdus 3200 Cherry Creek South Drive, Ste. 340 Denver, CO 80209
First Publication: October 9, 2025
Final Publication: October 23, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30988
Estate of Barbara Sharp, Deceased. 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 February 9, 2026, or the claims may be forever barred. Mary Sue Babb 290 Westdale Drive Santa Cruz, CA 95060-9443
Attorney for Personal Representative
David A. Imbler
Atty Reg #: 52038
Spaeth & Doyle, LLP
501 S. Cherry St., Ste. 700 Glendale, CO 80246
Phone: 843-452-8946
First Publication: October 9, 2025
Final Publication: October 23, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case Number 2025PR462
Estate of Rozalia Horvath, Deceased. 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 February 17, 2026, or the claims may be forever barred. James John Horvath
Personal Representative c/o Scott Grosscup Balcomb & Green, PC PO Drawer 790 Glenwood Springs, CO 81602
First Publication: October 16, 2025
Final Publication: October 30, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30114
Estate of Henry John Pobuda, Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named the estate are require to required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before April 10, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Attorney for Personal Representative Lisa Reina - Secretary
Erich C. Lang Law Office of E. Christopher Lang, P.C.
Atty Reg #: 23632 4155 E. Jewell Ave., Ste. 502 Denver, CO 80222 Phone: 303-268-3991
First Publication: October 23, 2025
Final Publication: November 6, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S.
