NOT OUT OF THE WOODS
Months from opening a major homeless navigation center in Aurora, the city makes a case for ‘pay to stay’ by getting a job
For Students Who Need a ... credibility and commitment to a people-first culture.
— Eric Rubino CEO of Energage
Ted Del Duca, President Carolyn Renaud, Secretary
Luis Contreras, Treasurer Leaza Silver, Board Director
Mark Maryak, Board Director Jrace Walker, Board Director
DAVE PERRY Editor
Polis’ veto of changes to open records laws are critical to ensuring vital public access
Journalism, like beauty and pornography, is established by the eye of the beholder.
Given that everyone judges the quality and depth of each of those things on a wide and sometimes wacky spectrum, whom in the government would you trust to endorse as the most fabulous or vulgar thing ever?
More important, which county wonk, city clerk or state bureaucrat do you think should decide whether former gubernatorial hopeful Heidi Ganahl’s far-right “news” website, “The Rocky Mountain Voice,” is as much journalism as is the Sentinel, or the Denver Post, or Donald Trump’s Truth Social blog?
In what appears to have been a well-intentioned move by this year’s state legislature to make Colorado’s critical open records law more effective at getting the public, and especially the media, government records for use in news reports, the same lawmakers messed it up.
Senate Bill 25-077 got so bad that after passing with very bi-partisan support, Gov. Jared Polis vetoed the measure last week.
He did the right thing. It was a good try with dangerous results.
For years, lobbyists for news media like the Sentinel, led these days by Jeff Roberts, executive director of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, have pushed lawmakers to make the Colorado Open Records Act easier and cheaper to get public information.
Few things rise to the level of importance for government accountability as does media access to public records. It’s that access that enables reporters to give the public accurate and critical details about how the tax dollars are spent. Access to those records empower journalists to tell the public what elected and appointed officials really do, as opposed to just saying what they do.
For generations, hundreds of serious problems in government have been identified by journalists, and problems were resolved, because of this important tool.
The problem, many government leaders and critics of the act say, is that it can be time consuming and sometimes difficult to find and dispense information held by the government.
While reporters are clamoring for ways to make retrieval of information requests faster and easier, some lawmakers, inspired by local government officials, want to make it more expensive and more restrictive. Another problem, they point out, is that the same law that empowers journalists empowers political enemies to comb records in hopes of finding something useful to use against a political opponent.
In an attempt to address that issue, legislators proposed giving “real” journalists better treatment than anyone else in an effort to sort them from “nuisance” records requests. The change was touted as a way to get the media what they asked for better and faster.
Thanks, but no thanks.
Polis, in his veto message, spells out the problem.
“Essentially, under this bill, speed to access public information is determined by who you are,” Polis said. “A newsperson, a member of the public, and a person seeking finan-
cial gain may all request the same information and, under this bill, get access to that information on different timelines. To ensure fairness and confidence in public transparency, all legitimate requests for public transparency under CORA should be treated equally under the law, without preference for some requestors over others.”
Even worse, the bill would empower, or plague, some government employee keeper of the records to decide whether a requester is “legit” media, fake media or just a troublemaker.
You don’t have to peruse many reader criticisms on the Sentinel website to understand my hesitancy at letting aficionados of Donald Trump or Congressperson Lauren Boebert decide whether we’re the real deal.
Just as important, however, is that no one should be ranking who among the public is more deserving of access to city council travel expenditure records or emails between elected officials about what books they’d like to see banned.
The state open records act makes it clear that anyone, and everyone, in Colorado has the right to inspect the records we all pay for and own.
While I, and many journalists, can appreciate that there are lots of state lawmakers who realize and value the work that we do using the state open records laws, they undermined the power of that very law by setting up an impossible game of ordaining the “real” journalists and elevating them about everyone else.
We all, equally, deserve access to those records, the Sentinel and Ganahl, because they belong to all of us.
The real problem here is that so many government employees and officials see distributing public records and information as a separate and additional government task. A real fix here would be to help all government workers and officials understand that accountability and transparency are just as important as scheduling trucks for streetsweeping or mailing out property assessments.
While a veto in Colorado would normally put this problem to rest for now, there’s a new threat linked to this measure.
The bill’s sponsors, state Rep. Matt Soper, R-Delta and state Sen. Cathy Kipp, D-Fort Collins, say they’ll work to override Polis’ veto.
Officials at COFIC say the bill sponsors may have the support in both chambers to win two-thirds of each house for a veto override.
Don’t do it.
As a tired journalist working for a newspaper that struggles to come up with the money we need for open records requests to keep the public in the know, this is not a win. It’s a loss for everyone.
“It would certainly be convenient for the Executive Branch to agree to weaken CORA,” Polis said. “But as a representative for the people of Colorado, I support more, not less, openness and transparency.”
I do, too. Tell your state lawmaker to oppose a veto override.
Follow @EditorDavePerry on BlueSky, Threads, Mastodon, Twitter and Facebook or reach him at 303-750-7555 or dperry@SentinelColorado.com
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis speaks at a news conference at the National Governors Association Friday, July 12, 2024, in Salt Lake City. AP Photo/Rick Bowmer
Arresting developments
State attorney general and outside review say Aurora making strong progress in police consent decree, but challenges remain
BY CASSANDRA BALLARD, Sentinel Staff Writer
As the City of Aurora enters the final phase of its five-year Consent Decree, progress has been shown in most areas across the Aurora Police Department and Aurora Fire Rescue, but data transparency and community trust continue to challenge full compliance.
“My office continues to work closely with the consent decree monitor and the city, and while I am pleased that Aurora continues to make incremental progress on the consent decrees’ mandates, more progress must be made,” General Attorney Phil Weiser said in an email. “The monitor has repeatedly highlighted concerns about APD’s data collection and reporting systems and lack of progress in implementing updated data systems. The consent decree mandates can’t be satisfied without APD making more progress on these essential systems.”
The Consent Decree, imposed by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser in 2021, followed investigations into 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-of-force policies, data systems and community engagement.
“Crime fighting is a part of that, but the first goal is public safety,” NAACP President Omar Montgomery said. “The overall goal is that we all want the same thing. We want a city of Aurora that’s safe, where people can work, live and thrive and know that their families are safe.”
The decree is enforced by an independent
monitor, IntegrAssure, a paid contractor that works alongside city staff and public safety leaders to monitor and ensure progress. Aurora has paid IntegrAssure more than $3.1 million as of January.
IntegrAssure’s Jeff Schlanger, who oversees and coordinates most of the Aurora reform goals, reviews and helps guide projects such as training and developing new police policies.
According to the most recent Reporting Period Eight — from Aug. 16 to Feb. 15 — 57 of 78 mandates (73%) are now compliant, matching the previous review period. However, progress has slowed in some areas, according to the report:
• 18 mandates are still only partially fulfilled, particularly in officer training, data analysis and transparency.
•Three mandates are on a “cautionary track,” involving structured compliance tracking, enforcement stop analysis and officer accountability.
Completion of mandates by department
• The Civilian Service Center has achieved full compliance.
• Aurora Fire Rescue has met 17 of 19 mandates.
• The Aurora Police Department has 19 of 47 mandates not yet fully compliant.
One main barrier to full compliance is the police department’s inconsistent collection and analysis of data involving enforcement actions by police and potential episodes of racial bias.
SWAT overhaul after Kilyn Lewis shooting
The May 2024 fatal officer-involved shooting of Kilyn Lewis triggered a full review of the police department’s Special Weapons And Tactics team. The outcome involved multiple modifications to help improve oversight, reduce risk and ensure deployments are strategic and justified.
Lewis was fatally shot by SWAT Officer Michael Dieck while being arrested in an apartment parking lot. Lewis was wanted on a warrant linked to a shooting earlier in May involving a homeless man Lewis was accused of shooting and injuring. That case has become a regular point of protests at every City Council meeting since June.
Some of the new changes include a checklist to help decide if a warrant is high-risk, required approval from top-level supervisors before SWAT can be called out, and a form to make sure every SWAT request is clearly recorded, reviewed and matches the department’s goals.
The department also changed rules involving SWAT officers advancing on people in barricaded vehicles. Now, SWAT is required to try to order the people to come out first, according to police documents. SWAT is now also required to have a dedicated Less-Lethal Operator to use less lethal tools like a taser on every mission, along with greater use of drones and remote breaching to reduce officer exposure.
In addition, SWAT officers are now also required to undertake more training.
An officer retention policy now requires a review for officers involved in multiple shootings, the report said. Officers with more than
one shooting on their records will now undergo a case-by-case review to stay in the SWAT unit. The shootings will be evaluated for circumstances, overall performance history, wellness and fitness for duty, and impact on community trust.
Dieck was removed from the SWAT unit after the Lewis shooting, the Sentinel previously reported.
Team culture shifted from having a topdown approach to management toward a collaborative and communicative approach, according to the IntegrAssure review. Instead of imposing changes on the team, the team is involved in voicing input for changes, which has also built morale and operational focus, according to the report.
Ending racial bias in policing
Throughout the seventh reporting period, there were compliance issues involving Contact Data Collection. In many cases, officers failed to complete the required forms correctly, with one incident involving the intentional mislabeling of an individual’s race, which raised concerns about data reliability and potential bias, Schlanger reported.
The department was also dealing with an outdated data system and had to work with recording contacts manually while they waited for the new system. Schlanger said in the report that he worked closely with the police department to identify issues and develop a real-time dashboard for analyzing CDC data.
The police department hired a business intelligence analyst and data scientist to improve data processes and analysis. New re-
Todd Chamberlain Aurora Police Chief Sentinel File Photo
porting for police contacts began Feb. 22, which will be reviewed and released in reporting period nine of the Consent Decree. Chamberlain showed the number of contacts doubling from 3,000 contacts with civilians in February to 6,000 in March, during a study session April 7.
Contact data collection compliance for non-enforcement interactions, such as field interviews or community contacts, remains undetermined for 2024 and will be reviewed in the next reporting cycle, the report said.
Another significant development in the report was the police department’s selection of Axon as its new data management vendor. The transition is expected to enhance the department’s capacity to analyze contact data collection, though the success of this change will depend on how well Axon’s systems integrate with existing oversight mechanisms, Schlanger said in the report.
Force Review Board reforms
A major focus of the consent decree and expected changes focus on incidents of police using force when contacting or arresting people the come in contact with.
Incidences of use of force are categorized, with Tier One being the most serious.
Investigations into complaints about Tier One incidents was the most backlogged for this reporting period.
In an effort to streamline and strengthen oversight of use-offorce cases, Chamberlain revised its Force Review Board process by splitting Tier Two cases into two types, those resulting in minor injuries and others that required medical treatment.
Tier minor-injury cases were reviewed at the police district level to help reduce the backlog and shorten the adjudication time.
A post-adjudication review now assesses officer performance trends, ensuring that broader issues are addressed through training, supervision or discipline.
More serious cases of allegations of abuse of force are examined by command level investigations.
As the Consent Decree enters its final two years, Aurora Police and city officials face critical tasks.
The Monitor has signaled that while APD is no longer on a “wrong track,” it must accelerate reforms to meet the goals of the decree. The
next review period will assess improvements in data systems, enforcement disparities and racial bias prevention, Schlanger reported.
After it all ends
“This is a city that is going through a lot of pain,” Montgomery said, referring to years of protests and scrutiny around how police treat the public, especially Black people and people of color. “This is a city that is still trying to find its way toward healing.”
Mayor Mike Coffman, Montgomery and Weiser have all stated that when the consent decree ends, the city of Aurora will continue with an outside monitor to evaluate the Aurora Police Department and Fire Rescue going forward.
Montgomery and Weiser have repeatedly lobbied for a change in police structure that incorporates some kind of independent oversight of the police department. Montgomery told the Sentinel previously that he is looking at ways that could happen, including a request of voters.
“We will continue to work with Aurora on the consent decree,” Weiser said in the email. “It is critical that the city must have an independent police monitor in place when the consent decree ends. A permanent structure for independent review of the police department would help ensure that reform, accountability and transparency continue, and that the city is responsive to community concerns.”
Montgomery said he is happy with the direction the Consent Decree is going and with the work Schlanger has done, but he sees a need for more input from the community. He said that the only information he receives is what people who call the NAACP tell him. Not everyone calls the NAACP and it is hard to know if there are people in the community who have opinions that haven’t been heard.
He made it clear he had no complaint at the time; his only request was to allow some way to hear the community clearly about their opinions.
“It’s not just holding police accountable for police abuse cases,” Montgomery said. “It’s about getting to a space, which is what I see the consent decree as, where we all work together to try to keep the city safe and prevent crimes from happening. That’s my overall hope for this consent decree, which is why I think it’s imperative that we find out the culture within the department and how those who are encountered by the police feel.”
AROUND AURORA
Aurora lawmaker leaks confidential info during terse Aurora budget workshop
What began as a routine Saturday workshop April 12 for city council members discussing the budget became a tense exchange as Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky criticized Aurora spending priorities and revealed confidential information from an executive session.
“Before we jump to fees or tax increases, there is a lot of wasteful spending in this city,” Jurinsky told city council members and top city officials assembled Saturday to discuss current and future budget issues, including a looming and growing shortfall.
City budget officials and administrators told city lawmakers that the 2026 budget will need to be balanced by either drawing on budget reserves or possibly adding new or larger city fees, and possibly new or higher taxes, to raise cash.
During the Spring Workshop, Greg Hays, the city budget manager, said that further analysis found an additional $13.5 million shortfall in addition to the $11.5 million they previously
predicted a few weeks ago. The 2026 budget shortfall for the operating funds is $25 million.
The Business Research Division of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder helps the city develop revenue estimates for the budget process, according to the City of Aurora.
The mood was serious as City Manager Jason Batchelor and other officials outlined growing cash problems and potential unpopular ways to raise money to close budget gaps.
The mood lightened when Gen-X Batchelor said Hays is incredibly cautious with planning the next five years by predicting a “bounce back” by 2027, but planning for an elongated slump for multiple years, just in case.
Batchelor jested that Hays was like Kevin Bacon in the 1970s movie “Animal House.”
The room roared when millennial Councilmember Crystal Murillo asked Batchelor to refrain from using 1970s movie metaphors that have people in the room, including her, scrambling to Google what he’s talking about.
As Murillo was asking for more current movie links to the budget quagmire, people in the room noticed that Jurinsky, who was attending the meeting virtually, was trying to say something.
The room quieted as she spoke.
“I will yield some of what I want to say because of the upcoming presentation,” she said. “I proudly was not a part of a council that authorized to build a $26 million parking lot in the city of Aurora that gets almost no use instead of talking about fees and tax increases and stuff like that.”
Jurinsky apparently referred to the Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver Conference Center parking lot, across from the Aschutz Medical Center, which was built before any current city council member was elected.
She said she didn’t hear anyone talking about budget cuts, and she wanted to. The first cut she proposed would be the city council’s travel budget of about $81,000 for 2025, according to the city spokesperson Ryan Luby.
“I also think that there are several groups in this city that we offer either free things to or millions and millions of dollars to, that I don’t think are well representative of Aurora,” Jurinsky said.
Mid-sentence, she stopped to tell some people to stop talking while she was talking.
“I am wholeheartedly very disappointed in my colleagues with Mon›› See METRO, 20
•
•
•
•
Soda
Shroom to grow in Colorado
BELIEVERS SAY MICRODOSING PSYCHEDELICS HELPS THEM. SCIENTISTS ARE TRYING TO MEASURE THE CLAIMS
BY CARLA K. JOHNSON, AP Medical Writer
Microdosing is gaining popularity with a new breed of health seekers. These self-experimenters take a very small amount of psilocybin mushrooms or LSD to try to reduce anxiety, stress and depression. Some claim the practice gives them access to joy, creativity and connection they can’t get otherwise.
This isn’t a full-blown acid trip — or even close. If you see visions, it’s not a microdose. People who microdose don’t do it every day. Instead, they take tiny doses intermittently, on a schedule or when they feel it could be beneficial.
One small study suggests any psychological benefits come from users’ expectations — the placebo effect. But the science is still new and research is ongoing.
The substances are illegal in most places, but the wave of scientific research focused on the benefits of supervised hallucinatory experiences has spurred Oregon and Colorado to legalize psychedelic therapy. Further opening the door to microdosing, a handful of cities have officially directed police to make psychedelics a low priority for enforcement.
What are people who microdose reporting?
“I started microdosing and within a couple of months, I had a general sense of well-being that I hadn’t had in so long,” said Marine Corps combat veteran Matt Metzger.
He grows his own mushrooms in Olympia, Washington, where psilocybin has been decriminalized. Taking small amounts of psilocybin helps him cope with PTSD, he said.
In Loveland, Aubrie Gates said microdosing psilocybin has made her a better parent and enhanced her creativity.
“It makes you feel viscerally in your body a new way of being, a more healthy way of being,” Gates said. “And so instead of just like thinking with your conscious mind, ‘Oh, I need to be more present,’ you feel what it feels like to be more present.”
What does the science say about microdosing?
These kinds of claims are hard to measure in the lab, say scientists studying microdosing.
For starters, belief is so important to the experience that empty capsules can produce the same effects.
In one study involving people who microdose, participants didn’t know until afterward whether they had spent four weeks taking their usual microdose or placebos. Psychological measures improved after four weeks for everyone in the study, regardless of whether they were taking microdoses or empty capsules.
“It appears that I was indeed taking placebos throughout the trial. I’m quite astonished,” wrote one of the study participants. “It seems I was able to generate a powerful ‘altered consciousness’ experience based only (on) the expectation around the possibility of a microdose.”
Scientists haven’t found lasting effects on creativity or cognition, according to a review of a handful of small placebo-controlled trials of microdosing LSD.
One small study did find glimmers of an effect of small LSD doses on vigor and elation in people with mild depression when compared with a placebo.
“It may only work in some people and not in other people, so it makes it hard for us to measure it under laboratory conditions,” said University of Chicago neuroscience researcher Harriet de Wit, who led the research.
The potential has spurred an Australian company to conduct early trials of microdoses of LSD for severe depression and in cancer patients experiencing despair. Meanwhile, few rigorous studies of psilocybin microdosing have been done.
Psilocybin mushrooms are the most often used among psychedelic drugs, according to a report by the nonpartisan Rand research group. Rand estimates that 8 million people in the U.S. used psilocybin in 2023 and half of them reported microdosing the last time they used it.
A few words of caution about microdosing
Even microdosing advocates caution that the longterm effects have not been studied in humans.
Other warnings: Unregulated products from shady sources could contain harmful substances. And accidentally taking too much could cause disturbing sensations.
The nonprofit Fireside Project offers free phone support for people during a psychedelic experience and has received hundreds of calls about microdosing.
“People may call just to simply process their experience,” said project founder Josh White, who microdoses the plant iboga and LSD to “continue to deepen the insight about my life” that he gained in a full-blown psychedelic experience.
Balazs Szigeti of University of California San Francisco, who has studied microdosing, said it may be a way to harness the placebo effect for personal benefit.
“It’s like a self-fulfilling prophecy,” Szigeti said. “People who are interested in microdosing should give microdosing a try, but only if they’re enthusiastic about it, if they have a positive expectation about the benefits of microdosing.”
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
scene & herd
Holocaust survivor
Paula Burger to shares her story during virtual event
In a powerful virtual event hosted by the City of Aurora and the Mizel Museum, Holocaust survivor Paula Burger will share her harrowing and inspiring story of survival.
Born in 1934 in Poland, Burger endured unimaginable tragedy during World War II. At just eight years old, she and her family were forced into the Vilna ghetto. Her father later escaped to join the Bielski partisans — an underground resistance group — while planning to rescue his family.
Before he could, Paula’s mother was taken and killed. Soon after, Paula and her younger brother were smuggled out of the ghetto and survived in the Naliboki Forest alongside the Bielski partisans.
After the war, Burger immigrated to the United States in 1949 and eventually made Colorado her home. For more than 20 years, she has partnered with the Mizel Museum to share her experiences with people across the state, especially students. Her story has reached thousands, touching lives with her message of resilience, strength, and compassion.
“There was no rhyme or reason why we should have survived, except to tell the story,” Burger says — a sentiment that continues to drive her mission to educate and inspire future generations.
The April 24 Aurora event will also reflect on the struggles many Holocaust survivors faced after liberation and the hope they found in rebuilding their lives.
IF YOU GO
When: Noon April 24
Event: Streamed virtual event
Tickets: Free, but participants must register at https://buff.ly/Ofjy4wc Details: facebook.com/ events/653519867279056/ or contact officeofoee@auroragov. org.
Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra to Present “Nat & Natalie: An Unforgettable Afternoon” at the Fox Aurora
The Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra (CJRO) is set to transport audiences through a rich tapestry of jazz history with “Nat & Natalie: An Unforgettable Afternoon,” a special concert honoring the timeless legacy of Nat King Cole and his daughter Natalie Cole.
This elegant tribute will feature the celebrated voices of Colorado artists Mary Louise Lee and Robert Bernard Johnson. With a shared performance history spanning over three decades, Lee and Johnson bring a unique synergy to the stage — Lee with her soulful depth and Johnson with his velvet-smooth vocals. Together, they will interpret the music of the Coles in a celebration of family, love, and musical legacy. Audiences can expect classics like “Unforgettable,” “Mona Lisa,” and “This Will Be (An Everlasting
Love),” brought to life by the dynamic talents of the CJRO. The orchestra, under the visionary leadership of Artistic Director Drew Zaremba and Founding Executive Director Art Bouton, will feature a lineup of top Colorado jazz musicians, including Art Bouton (sax/flute), Jared Cathey (sax/clarinet), Shane Endsley (trumpet), Zach Rich (trombone), Dana Landry (piano), Erik Applegate (bass), and Eric Gunnison (drums).
The CJRO is lauded for re-imagining jazz with bold arrangements that blend big band, soul, and Latin influences, offering concertgoers more than just a musical performance— it’s a full experience of artistic innovation and emotional resonance.
IF YOU GO
When: 3 p.m. April 27
Where: Aurora Fox Arts Center, 9900 E. Colfax Ave.
Tickets: $29–$38
Details: Aurora Fox Box Office at 303-739-1970 or www.coloradojazz.org/concerts.
’Grand Horizons’ at the Vintage Theatre
The Vintage Theatre is set to take audiences on an emotional rollercoaster with its upcoming production of Grand Horizons, a sharp and poignant play that explores love, identity, and the realities of longterm marriage. Written by acclaimed playwright Bess Wohl and directed by Bernie Cardell, the production boasts a compelling blend of humor and heartfelt drama.
Set in a retirement community, Grand Horizons begins with a bombshell: Nancy, after fifty years of marriage, announces she wants a divorce. The revelation throws her adult children into turmoil as they struggle to comprehend their parents as individuals with unfulfilled desires and personal needs. As the story unfolds, the audience is taken on a journey through the complexities of love, compromise, and self-discovery.
Since its Broadway debut, Grand Horizons has been praised for its witty dialogue and touching exploration of relationships.
IF YOU GO
When: Through April 27. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, curtains vary.
Tickets: $20-$36
Details: vintagetheatre.org and 303-856-7830
Venue: Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St.
Ballet Ariel presents ‘A Night in Spain
world’s first musical! Packed with witty wordplay, show-stopping numbers, and over-the-top characters, this production is perfect for theater lovers and comedy fans alike.
IF YOU GO
When: April 25–May 4. Curtains vary, 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Tickets:$15–$17
Details: NorthglennARTS.org or 303-450-8888.
Where: Parsons Theatre, One East Memorial Parkway Really, Really Rembrandt arrives at the Denver Art Museum: Masterpieces from National Gallery
Metro residents a rare opportunity to experience the work of one of history’s greatest painters up close. As part of a nationwide initiative marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, the Denver Art Museum is holding two Rembrandt-related masterpieces on loan from the National Gallery of Art.
The featured works — “A Woman Holding a Pink” and “Portrait of Rembrandt,” likely painted by his workshop —w ill be on display in the museum’s European Art Before 1800 galleries through Feb. 6, 2027.
The exhibit is part of the National Gallery’s “Across the Nation” program, which brings significant pieces from the national collection to museums across the U.S.
“We are honored to be among the first museums in the country to participate in this initiative,” said Christoph Heinrich, DAM’s director.
“It is an incredible moment to carry the talents of Rembrandt at the DAM and offer our visitors the opportunity to interact with his brilliance.”
The exhibition places the Dutch master’s portraits alongside works by Mary Beale, Peter Lely, and Anthony van Dyck, highlighting Rembrandt’s lasting influence on European art.
IF YOU GO
When: Through 2025
Tickets: General admission includes access to the exhibit, and youth under 18 can visit for free.
Details: www.denverartmuseum.org or call 720-865-5000.
Place: Denver Art Museum, 100 West 14th Avenue Parkway
The Life and Art of Tokio Ueyama
The Life and Art of Tokio Ueyama features more than 40 paintings loaned to the museum by the Jap-
anese American National Museum and Ueyama’s family, whose combined efforts to preserve his work have allowed the story of this accomplished and cosmopolitan artist to be told at the Denver Art Museum for the first time.
Born in Japan, Tokio Ueyama moved to the United States in 1908 at age 18, where he made a home until his death in 1954. This exhibition tells the story of Ueyama’s life, including his early days as an art student in San Francisco, Southern California, and Philadelphia; his travels abroad in Europe and Mexico; his role as artist and community member in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles; and his unconstitutional incarceration during World War II at the Granada Relocation Center, now the Amache National Historic Site, in southeast Colorado.
IF YOU GO Through June 1
Where: Denver Art Museum, 100 W 14th Ave Pkwy Tickets: Included in general admission, which is free for members and for all visitors 18 and under.
Details: www.denverartmuseum.org
Featuring Carmen Suite and The Three Cornered Hat’
Ballet Ariel closes its season with A Night in Spain, a captivating double-bill featuring Carmen Suite and The Three Cornered Hat. Resident choreographer Gregory Gonzales re-imagines Carmen Suite, a tale of love and betrayal set to Bizet’s timeless music. Artistic Director Ilena Norton presents a fresh take on The Three Cornered Hat, a comedic ballet blending Spanish dance and classical ballet.
IF YOU GO
When: April 26-27 at the Lakewood Cultural Center 480 S. Allison Parkway.
Tickets: $20-$35
Details: www.balletariel.org or call 303-945-438
’Something Rotten!’ in Northglenn at the Parsons Theatre
Northglenn Youth Theatre brings the Broadway hit ‘Something Rotten!’ to life in a laugh-out-loud musical comedy about two playwrights in the 1590s who set out to outshine Shakespeare — by creating the
‘TOUGH LOVE’ PATH TO AURORA NAVIGATION CENTER
Aurora mayor and local think tank push ‘work-first’ strategy for homelessness
By Cassandra Ballard, Sentinel Staff Writer
As Aurora prepares to open its new Regional Navigation Campus to address homelessness, Mayor Mike Coffman and a local conservative think tank made the case last week for a plan to require homeless people to work to participate in the city’s new services program.
“It is a tough love approach to helping people,” Coffman told reporters at a press conference outside the unfinished homelessness center in northwest Aurora. It’s a refrain he’s used several times before over the past few years.
The center is expected to open in stages, and completely this fall.
Coffman partnered with the metro Common Sense Institute on a presentation promoting a so-called “work-first” approach to addressing homelessness. The philosophy essentially requires homeless people seeking services and housing to commit to being sober and moving toward and keeping employment. Numerous vetted and peer-reviewed studies over more than a decade insist that so-called “housing-first” programs are more effective at getting people off the streets and moving toward long-term self-sufficiency. Proponents argue that the stability of getting off the streets makes drug and alcohol rehabilitation work successful, as well as making participants more successful at getting and keeping a job.
Aurora, led by Coffman and former City Councilmember Dustin Zvonek, have for years promoted the “toughlove” approach.
Combined with the new Navigation Center facilities, Aurora’s new approach will require people living on the campus to “work for their stay.”
The campus will be a one-stop-destination for homeless people seeking help with getting identification, social and health services as well as counseling for employment and rehabilitation.
Coffman joined Zvonek and members of the Common Sense Institute presented details building a case to persuade the federal government to fund “work first” programs the same way federal agencies fund the widely adopted “housing first” model, which has dominated national homelessness policy and grants.
CSI’s recent report, “No Place to Call Home,” questions the effectiveness of housing-first policies in cities like Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland, where homelessness has continued to grow despite heavy public investment.
“If we want real progress statewide, we also need to fix the system,” Zvonek said. “Cities shouldn’t be punished for pursuing the (work first models) simply because it doesn’t fit within the housing first mold. Aurora is ready to lead, and I’m proud to stand with Mayor Coffman as he continues to chart a new direction. One based on dignity, accountability and structure.”
While “housing first” has been scrutinized and heralded for years, touted for reducing chronic homelessness by placing individuals into permanent housing with optional services like social work and addiction treatment, Coffman and Zvonek argue that the approach lacks the structure
and accountability needed to produce long-term self-sufficiency.
In contrast, Aurora’s work-first program will require participants to actively engage in services such as mental health treatment, addiction recovery, job training and case management as they move through a three-tier shelter and housing system.
“We’re not just providing shelter, we’re providing a structured path to change lives,” Coffman said.
Aurora’s $42 million Regional Navigation Campus three-tier system will move from a no-privacy, Tier One, with little commitment, to a private room in a full-commitment third tier. Tier One is a congregate emergency shelter for individuals newly entering the system. Tier Two is a semi-private room with more intensive case management and resource navigation. Tier Three is transitional housing focused on workforce development and long-term stability.
The goal for both housing-first and work-first systems is to get participants to become permanently housed and self-sufficient.
The project is being funded through a combination of funding from Arapahoe, Douglas and Adams counties, funding from the City of Aurora, the city’s marijuana sales tax, and private financing.
While no peer-reviewed studies currently support the “work-first” model as more effective than “housing-first,” the Common Sense Institute and Aurora officials say they plan to track outcomes carefully, with the hope of offering a replicable model to other municipalities.
“Housing First in every city that it’s been tried has failed,” Zvonek said. “San Francisco’s Housing First, Denver’s Housing First. It hasn’t worked for nearly two decades. We need to do something different.”
Homeless studies and experts dispute that claim. The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless and Metro Denver Housing Initiative have long claimed success at helping people reclaim lives in homes, along with similar advocates from other cities across the nation.
The Common Sense Institute is basing its prediction of the success of the ‘work-first approach on one year of research from Colorado Springs’ “work-first” approach and San Antonio, Texas’s Haven for Hope program, served as a model for Colorado Springs. Haven for Hope has a similar model to what Aurora plans to use at the Navigation Campus. In 15 years, San Antonio has experienced a 77% reduction in unsheltered homelessness in the downtown area, the CSI report said. Vetted studies and analysis was not included in the CSI report.
Homeless experts point out that policies beyond housing programs affect homelessness data. Some cities, including Colorado Springs, adopted no-tolerance public camping bans in addition to service programs. Some experts say “success” stories are sometimes skewed as a result of cities moving homeless people to other neighboring communities, according to a 2024 RAND study in Los Angeles. Denver and Aurora have both been flagged by other metro communities for causing homeless migrations in the metro area.
Another criticism by homelessness advocates of the Colorado Springs program is that camping-bans and mandatory ticketing creates a revolving door at local jails. Homeless people collect unpaid tickets until they’re jailed, then have no resources for housing when they get out and return to the streets, according to 2024 reporting by the Colorado Sun.
The work-first approach could show successes, but the report published by CSI does not include full information about the “housing-first” approach. For example, the report said that the Mile High All-In Programs in Denver spent $16 million on individuals who remained in unsheltered status after exiting the All-In Mile High program. While the All-In Mile High Dashboard shows that 38% of people in the program found permanent housing, and 82% are no longer outdoors, and overall length of stays in hotels or micro-communities is 173 days.
The report also withholds the details that Denver’s Basic Income Project had a 45% rate of people living in their own house or apartment after a 10-month span.
The CSI report also states that about “1% of All-In Mile High participants, 19 total, are known to have died while in the program.” The report and the All-In Mile High Dashboard explained the deaths as a possibility when dealing with homeless communities. Jessica Prosser, director of housing and community services, told Aurora council members during an April 10 Public Safety, Courts and Civil Service Policy Committee Meeting that one of the people matched to a housing voucher through the city was staying in a hotel while about to receive permanent housing and died in the hotel.
Federal funding is a chief goal of the CSI project, according to Zvonek, who is now a fellow at the institute, focusing on issues of homelessness.
Both Coffman and Zvonek cited CSI data they say argues that required personal responsibility and service-engagement provide a more sustainable path out of homelessness.
There is growing concern about a predicted budget shortfall in Aurora for the next two years, where staff will need to prioritize funding, and one priority for city council to consider is how important they find funding for the Navigation Campus, Aurora Deputy City Manager Robert Venegas said.
“That’s a volatile kind of market, the marijuana revenue, so I think we’ve been very conservative to make sure that that funding is adequate for the Flex Fund,” Venegas said.”We have a lot of other budget constraints. This will be a priority discussion, like everything else. If council feels like this is something that we have to maintain, we certainly can prioritize that.”
Coffman offered an optimistic prediction for data coming from the center after it opens later this year.
“We’re taking a different approach,” Coffman said. “It’s about transformation, not just shelter. Aurora is setting a new standard, and we hope others will follow.”
A homeless person gets ready for the day after sleeping behind a building in northwest Aurora. Sentinel File Photo
Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman talks to reporters inside the unfinished Aurora Navigation Center April 17, 2025. The room, inside a closed Hyatt Hotel in northwest Aurora, will eventually become a congregate overnight shelter. PHOTO BY CASSANDRA BALLARD
A COMMUNITY CENTER IN THE HEART OF NORTHWEST AURORA TRIES TO HOLD ON AMID FUNDING CUTS
By Jennifer Brown, Colorado Sun
The line stretches from the top of the church steps, down the sidewalk and to the end of the block, dozens of people with empty backpacks, grocery bags and even a tarnished red wagon.
Inside the Village Exchange Center, they will fill the empty bags and wagon with gallons of milk, sacks of lettuce and corn, loaves of bread and bags of pasta.
The Wednesday food pantry has been a reliable mainstay at the church that became a community center eight years ago, a place where immigrants representing 42 nations in the heart of ethnically diverse Aurora can count on healthy staples to feed their families. The center feeds 4,000 people each week, in addition to providing vaccines in the basement and worship space for religious services ranging from Nepali-Bhutanese Christian to Congolese Christian to Islam.
But the whole operation is in jeopardy.
In the past few weeks, Village Exchange Center has learned that it stands to lose up to $5.4 million in federal grants. A stop-work order issued by the Trump administration to the state public health department resulted in a week-long shutdown of the center’s vaccination program.
On top of all that, someone lit a fire in the alley behind the center, leading to a night-time scare that the center might catch fire and a lingering fear that the community center is a target for anti-immigrant fury.
“When you don’t provide food or basic services to people, how is that going to affect everyone else in the neighborhood?” asked Amanda Blaurock, CEO and cofounder of Village Exchange Center. “If you were a person that had children and had no way of getting a job, contributing or going to a food pantry and getting food, what would you do?”
On a busy Wednesday, center staff are helping people sign up for WIC, the federal food assistance program for women, infants and children. In the basement, the Colorado Alliance for Health, Equity and Practice is giving COVID shots. Gallons of milk and packages of yogurt are stacked along the food pantry line inside the center, and in an old gym, rows and rows of plastic sacks filled with groceries stretch across the floor.
Greetings and conversation are happening in multiple languages as people originally from Afghanistan, Somalia and Mexico enter the center.
Mark Anthony, 28 and from Venezuela,
volunteered to hand out yogurt. He came to Colorado about two months ago and is hoping to eventually earn enough money that his family can join him in the United States. Anthony is searching for jobs in construction or any industry willing to hire him and sharing an apartment with friends in Denver, he said in Spanish.
A friend told him about the Village Exchange, so he visited this month for the first time.
“I don’t have a job yet and this makes me feel like I’m doing something good for others,” Anthony said. “It is so good because it is helping so many people who at this moment cannot work.”
The Village Exchange opened in 2017 after the congregation of the church on Havana Street donated its land to create a nonprofit community center to support the local immigrant community. St. Matthew Lutheran Church’s congregation had dwindled to about 30 members who were in their 80s and 90s. Its pastor was Marcel Narucki, the stepfather of Blaurock, an international lawyer who committed to operating the Village Exchange for one year but is still there eight years later.
Need for food has grown since immigration raids
The number of people receiving food each week has grown to about 4,000 from about 3,000 since federal immigration agents raided apartment complexes in Aurora in February and traversed city streets in tactical vehicles.
The raids happened on a Wednesday, but 800 families still got food from the food pantry that day. Some were too scared to come, Blaurock said, and those who did were scared to stand in line. “People thought the police that were down the street were ICE and people ran in and were crying,” she said.
But in the weeks that followed, the numbers began to grow. “We assumed that the pantry would decline in numbers out of fear, but instead it has increased significantly due to people not going to work, losing their jobs, losing their primary breadwinner to deportations, and then the cost of food going up,” Blaurock said.
The food pantry is now feeding so many people that it is stretching the operation to two days, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and it’s bagging most of the food ahead of time instead of letting people pick out what they want. Village Exchange also created an ap-
pointment system, letting people know what time to arrive instead of asking them to line up at the door. It makes them feel safer, Blaurock said, because a line that stretched multiple blocks drew too much attention to the building.
People don’t linger and chat as much as they used to; they get their food bags and go back home.
A $2.1 million grant from FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was cut off two weeks ago. The grant helped feed the thousands of Venezuelans who have migrated to the United States because of violence and political turmoil in their country.
The city of Denver also had to pull its $200,000 from the community center, money from the same FEMA program.
An additional $3 million in federal aid, including some from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Office of Refugee Resettlement and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which funds the center’s farm at Stanley Marketplace, is also on shaky ground.
Also, three out of eight grants from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment were cut off after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services pulled the funding and sent three orders to stop services.
The three grants totaled $650,000 and funded the Village Exchange’s vaccination programs and other health equity work.
The community center had to shut down the clinic, fire contractors and shift staff, but then was able to reinstate them after Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser filed a lawsuit and obtained a temporary restraining order.
“This has created instability, chaos,” Blaurock said. “It demoralizes everything we are doing.
“It might take 20 to 40 hours to write for a federal grant; they are extraordinarily rigorous. All of that time, all of that energy, building a team to do all this work, just decimated with a stroke of a pen.”
For now, the center has been able to continue providing food by relying on donations while hoping that court rulings go in its favor.
Christian Mendoza, 28, came to Colorado from Venezuela one year ago because “I didn’t feel I had any future for me or for my family.” He works in a restaurant, though the work is sporadic and he doesn’t have work authorization as he waits for a decision on his asylum claim. At the Village Exchange, he loves that he can stay busy helping others, and meet
other people from South America.
As he sorted bags of groceries, Mendoza said the Village Exchange is one place he always feels welcome, especially as news about changes in federal law regarding immigration seem to hit daily.
Jenny Luevanos, a cultural navigator who has worked at the Village Exchange for two years, moved to the United States from Mexico when she was 15. She also works as an esthetician, but her heart is in the work of helping immigrants new to the country, especially when times feel so uncertain.
“Now there’s a sense of fear, but I mean, people still need to eat so they still come,” she said. “With all the changes in administration, we worry as well. We worry because of our jobs, because of the people, and then, of course, the country, what is this going to look like in a few months?”
Blaurock said she had been trying to keep the community center somewhat under the radar, purposefully avoiding talking publicly about its potential funding crisis because she was concerned that people with opposing political views would fight against it. But it’s time to speak up, she said.
“I want people to understand that the work impacts everyone,” she said. “It actually is about making sure that everyone is taken care of, that every human being that is here is treated with dignity and respect and honored. That’s how you keep everyone safe. Do you want everyone around you not to have food and become unhoused?
“We’re just here providing basic services to human beings.”
ThisstorywasoriginallypublishedatColoradoSun.com,
TOP RIGHT: Grocery bags are organized for distribution at Village Exchange Center, April 9, 2025, in Aurora.
Jeremy Sparig, Special to The Colorado Sun
BOTTOM RIGHT: Suegie Park, director of community services for the Colorado Alliance for Health, Equity and Practice, does paperwork while registered nurse Sally Bergner provides Mark Anthony, who recently moved to Aurora from Venezuela, a COVID vaccination.
Jeremy Sparig, Special to The Colorado Sun
Devouring the Predators Cup is a great appetizer for the Cherokee Trail boys lacrosse team, which hopes bigger meals are ahead.
The Cougars have checked off one of their main goals off the list for the new season and that is taking back the traveling trophy that goes to the winner of their contest against rival Grandview.
BOYS LACROSSE
At frigid Legacy Stadium on April 17, Cherokee Trail watch the pumped up Wolves score the first four goals of their, then reeled off eight straight scores on their way to a 14-9 victory that allowed them to reclaim the Predators Cup.
Festi, Cole and juniors Cameron Schultz and Jack Callan (who scored on a breakaway goal on a feed from sophomore Hayden Rohrig) all found the back of the net in the first eight minutes of the opening quarter for Grandview, which looked to set the game’s tone.
The lead increased to 5-1 on Festi’s second goal of the period (on a nice pass from junior Mason Kelly), but the Cougars — who had a number of quality possessions that came up empty in the early going — turned the tables the rest of the half.
Gibbs scored three times in the quarter and Bernard had two goals — including one with 16 seconds remaining in the period — that sent the game into halftime in a 6-6 deadlock.
Preds prowl
Cawley believed it would just be a matter of time before the fortunes shifted.
“This is a big confidence builder, but there’s definitely better places to go,” Calicchia said. “We just have to keep winning and moving on.”
BY COURTNEY OAKES Sports Editor
Senior Dempsey Gibbs and junior Cooper Bernard scored four goals apiece to lead the way for coach Matt Cawley’s Cherokee Trail team, which has secured the Predators Cup in two of the past three seasons after Grandview had custody for eight straight seasons since the trophy came into the rivalry in 2014.
“I think for these guys, both of these teams being in the neighborhood, this game carries a lot of weight,” said Cawley, who guided the Cougars to a nine-goal win in 2023 in his first season with the program. “It brings 365 days of bragging rights, really. …I think both programs are on the upwards trajectory and finding a lot of success and hopefully that continues for a long, long time.”
Cherokee Trail has had a good amount of success thus far and with its second win in a row improved to 7-5 overall and 2-3 in League 4 play.
Grandview (4-8, 0-4) took back the Predators Cup last season and coach Greg Mellinger’s team got off to a fast start in the hopes of keeping it, but couldn’t keep the momentum going after a hot opening quarter. The Wolves got five goals from senior Cameron Festi and two others from junior Jack Cole.
“I told them in the beginning to play small and focus on the small things, the little parts of the game that are overlooked sometimes,” he said. “We didn’t focus on it early, we focused on it late and we just had to fight through it until things were going our way.”
Things went completely Cherokee Trail’s way in the third period, as Bernard scored two more goals in the opening two minutes to keep the momentum going.
Seniors Deacon Gulli and Tanner Calicchia also scored as the Cougars seemed to have the ball the entire third period (helped by the work in the faceoff circle by senior Blake Rodriguez and junior Tate Jamison) to take a 10-6 advantage.
“I got a few going and then Cooper started sniping some corners,” Gibbs said. “We got excited and got playing like we should be.”
Gibbs and senior Thomas Nam extended the scoring streak in the fourth quarter for Cherokee Trail before Grandview snapped a scoreless drought of nearly 20 minutes of game play with a score by Festi. The Wolves scored twice in the final five minutes, but couldn’t get any closer than five goals.
The win also kept Cherokee Trail’s rise from last season going, as it finished just 4-12 a year ago. The Cougars could get even closer to double digit wins —which they last achieved in 2022 — with a victory against Denver South (3-6, 1-3) April 23.
Grandview, meanwhile, has a daunting task as it looks to get back on the winning track as it hosts Cherry Creek (11-0, 4-0) in Centennial League play.
Among the Aurora area’s other boys lacrosse teams, Regis Jesuit is off to an 8-3 start ahead of a showdown with rival Valor Christian on April 22.
Coach Ross Moscatelli’s Raiders had a five-game winning streak snapped with a 12-11 overtime loss to Legend, but rebounded with a quality 10-5 win over Mountain Vista in another key contest.
A 10-4 win over Douglas County for coach Neil McCarthy’s Eaglecrest team April 21 evened its record at 5-5, which is in range to match of surpass last season’s win total of seven for the Raptors. One of the victories this season came against Smoky Hill and earned Eaglecrest custody of The Hammer traveling trophy. Rangeview picked up a snowy 12-11 win over Smoky Hill at Stutler Bowl April 18 that gave coach Eric Dinkel’s Raiders four wins, matching their total from last season. The Buffs (5-8) rebounded with a 7-6 win over Ponderosa April 21 to match their win total from last season as well already.
ABOVE: Cherokee Trail senior Blake Rodriguez (13) smiles as he lifts the Predators Cup trophy following the Cougars’ 14-9 boys lacrosse win over Grandview on April 18 at Legacy Stadium. The Cougars secured the traveling trophy that goes to the winner of the rivalry game for the second time in three seasons. BELOW: Cherokee Trail goalie Race Bowen, right, keeps a close eye on Grandview’s Mason Kelly (3) during the opening quarter. Bowen made nine saves in the victory for the Cougars. Photos by Courtney Oakes/Aurora Sentinel
PREPS
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Eaglecrest earns the No. 2 seed in Centennial League Challenge
Seedings for the Centennial League Challenge boys volleyball tournament were finalized at the end of the league’s regular season slate April 19.
Eaglecrest won a four-set showdown at Grandview April 18 to secured the No. 2 seed in the eight-team tournament behind the Littleton Public Schools co-op team that went undefeated in league play. The Raptors’ only loss came to LPS, while the Wolves dropped to the No. 3 seed with a 5-2 league mark. Rounding out the seeds for Aurora area teams are Cherokee Trail with the No. 5 seed and Overland with the No. 6 seed.
The Centennial League Challenge — which determines the league’s champion — begins April 22, continues with quarterfinals on April 24 and concludes with placing matches on April 26. The higher seeds in each matchup play at home. Visit sentinelcolorado.com/ preps for full Centennial League Challenge schedule and results.
COMMITMENT DAY
Prep athletes in area solidify commitments
The latest commitment day for prep athletes arrived April 16 and several Aurora schools had ceremonies to honor them, while there are some to come in the next week-plus. Here’s a look at the last group of athletes at Aurora area schools to commit: EAGLECREST: Elvin Ampofo, football, Wyoming; AJ Sosef, football, Colorado Mesa; Connor Brennan, baseball, Fort Hays State; Tavish Dey, baseball, Northeastern J.C.; Evan Jansch, baseball, Bob Jones Univ.; Leo Jimenez, baseball, Cuesta College; Amaia Jones, basketball, Casper College; Jaxin Mallory, baseball, Cuesta College; Brandon Replogle, rugby, Arkansas State; Logan Robitaille, football, Central College; Clayton Turner, lacrosse, Brigham Young; T’Mario Walter, football, Saddleback J.C.; GRANDVIEW: Braydon Candalarie, track & field, Western Colorado; Katarina Charles, soccer, Univ. of Wisconsin-Eau Claire; Charlie Herting, wrestling, Western Colorado; Cole Holtman, basketball, North Central Univ.; Destiny Rodriguez, track & field, Iowa Western C.C.; Isabelle Rogers, soccer, Ashland Univ.; Trevor Thomas, basketball, Northeastern J.C.; Evan Valencia, track & field, S.D. School of Mines; Colton White cross country, Colorado Mesa; RANGEVIEW: Nasir Bandy, football, Fort Lewis; Kenny Black-Knox III, basketball, Trinidad J.C.; Chris Drecketts, lacrosse, William Woods; Memphis Dyess, lacrosse, Midland; Brandon Jones, football, Nebraska Wesleyan; LaDavian King, basketball, Radford; Maddie Kilmer, volleyball, Valdosta State; William Moore IV, football, Nebraska Wesleyan; Rayne Nicholson, cheer, Colorado State-Pueblo; Olaniyi Odunoye, lacrosse, William Woods; Kevin Prosser III, football, Nebraska Wesleyan; Jelani Smith, lacrosse, Brytan & Stratton Univ.;Tia Sipple, dance, AMDA; SMOKY HILL: Lorenzo Contreras, basketball, Big Bend C.C.; Conner Daniel roller hockey, Grand Canyon; Derer De Los Santos Nunez, dance, UNLV; Alicia Denard, basketball, Colorado Northwestern C.C.; Lillian Grimble, volleyball, Southeast C.C.; DaShawn Jenkins, wrestling, Treasure Valley C.C.; Elliott Kaganer, soccer, Univ. of St. Andrews; Trent Littlejohn, football, Adams State; Charlie Newton swimming, Gustavus Adolphus; Ian Noffsinger, swimming, Old Dominion; Damarian Ramsey, football, Adams State; Lee Scott Jr., football, Colorado Mesa; Maya Simpson, dance, Northwest Mississippi C.C.
WEEK PAST
The week past in Aurora prep sports
MONDAY, APRIL 21: The Regis Jesuit baseball team held off a late rally from Douglas County for a 7-5 home win. Nick Wiley homered twice to power the offense, while Luke Reasbeck got the win and Christian Lopez the save. ...The Grandview baseball team scored five times in the last two innings for a 5-4 walk-off win over Mullen. ...The Cherokee Trail baseball team got 5 RBI from Landon Olds in an 8-3 win at Smoky Hill. Cosme Vera returned to the mound for the Eaglecrest baseball team with 5 2/3 quality innings in a 7-3 win at DenverEast. Tavish Dey had three hits and Connor Brennan two RBI for the Raptors. ... SAT-
URDAY, APRIL 19: Katarina Charles lofted a long, left-footed shot that got
over the Northfield goalie and went in to lift the Grandview girls soccer team into a 2-2 tie with the Nighthawks at Legacy Stadium. Allie Smith also scored a goal for the Wolves, while Ivy Daniel made five saves. ...The Grandview boys swim team finished third, Cherokee Trail placed sixth and Overland ninth out of 10 teams at the John Strain Memorial Invitational meet hosted by Cherry Creek High School. The Wolves — who finished behind the host Bruins and Highlands Ranch — had a pair of event champions in Gherman Prudnikau and Oliver Schimberg, who won the 200 yard freestyle and 100 yard butterfly, respectively. Prudnikau’s time of 1 minute, 40.02 seconds, in the 200 unseated the 12-year old meet record of 1:40.23 as well as the 2023 pool record of 1:40.68. Schimberg clocked a time of 49.10 seconds in the 100 butterfly to take that title. Cherokee Trail’s top performer in the final was Ty-
ABOVE: Eaglecrest’s Jackson Shaw, left, swings away at the net against a Grandview block in the visiting Raptors’ four-set Centennial League victory April 17. The win wrapped up the No. 2 seed for Eaglecrest in the upcoming Centennial League Challenge tournament.
LEFT: Grandview’s Gherman Prudnikau pounds the water in celebration after he set the meet and pool record in the 200 yard freestyle at the John Strain Memorial boys swim meet April 19 at Cherry Creek High School. BELOW LEFT: Vista PEAK Prep’s Mady Eltzroth makes a return during the No. 1 doubles match in the Bison’s 5-2 City League dual win at Rangeview April 17. Eltzroth and sister Ava won their match to help Vista PEAK Prep to its sixth straight dual match win. BELOW RIGHT: Gateway’s Ruth Salazar (11) tracks a ball that takes a high hop during the first half of the Olys’ 6-1 Colorado League girls soccer home win against Overland April 17.
PHOTOS BY COURTNEY OAKES/ AURORA SENTINEL
son Walker, who finished as the runner-up to Prudnikau in the 200 freestyle and to Schimberg in the 100 butterfly. Overland’s points all came from Chad Hamilton, who placed 10th in the 1-meter diving competition. ...The Overland boys volleyball team played host to a tournament and finished with three-set wins over Colorado Springs Christian and Boulder followed by a two-set sweep of Greeley Central. ...FRIDAY, APRIL 18: Jackson Long, Jelani Smith and Conner White tallied four goals apiece for the Rangeview boys lacrosse team in a snowy 12-11 win over Smoky Hill in a local clash at Stutler Bowl. White joined Kayden Anderson with three assists apiece, while Kaleb Winn made 22 saves for the Raiders. ...The Cherokee Trail boys volleyball team honored its seniors and then picked up a 25-21, 25-19, 25-23 home sweep of Overland in the Centennial League regular season finale.
Jaeden Barnes racked up 10 kills, while Quinn Trusler added eight and Chase Cabuag seven (to go with 30 assists) for the Cougars. ...The Aurora West College Prep Academy boys volleyball team defeated visiting Alameda 25-16, 25-18, 26-28, 25-20 in Confluence League play. ...THURSDAY, APRIL 17: A complete game five-hitter with six strikeouts from Justin Dean helped the Grandview baseball team to a 5-2 Centennial League road win against Mullen. Chase Chapman and Ethan Wachsmann hit triples and Jax Pfister drove in two runs and scored twice for the Wolves. ...The Cherokee Trail baseball team shut out Smoky Hill 10-0 behind a six-inning, 1-hit performance from pitcher Connor Thrush, who struck out seven. Thrush also drove in a run and joined Peyton Michlig, Brody Kenshalo and
›› See PREPS, 16
PREPS
Jacob Ryan with two hits and Landon Olds drove in a pair for the Cougars. ...The Gateway baseball team scored four times in its first at-bat and put at least one run up in the first five frames of a 10-4 Colorado League win at Aurora Central Heber Almeida worked out of patches of trouble and pitched a complete game for the Olys, while he also homered and drove in three runs. Yanndy Aguayo also drove in three runs for Gateway, while Maikol Ochoa, Anthony Rubio and Roberto Rosario had two hits apiece. ...The Overland baseball team swept a Colorado League doubleheader from Thornton with wins of 17-7 and 15-0 as Uriel Hernandez and Kevin Uribe pitched complete games of five and three innings. Jason Weber went a combined 6-for-7 with 3 RBI and five runs scored for the Trailblazers, while Hernandez drove in five and Ruben Luna four. ...Allie Smith scored twice and Paige Jasinowski, Katie Reynolds, Isabelle Rogers and Maya Sandler added goals in the Grandview girls soccer team’s 6-0 Centennial League win over Smoky Hill at Legacy Stadium. Ivy Daniel made four saves to record the shutout for the Wolves. ...The Gateway girls soccer team put up four goals in the opening half of a 6-1 Colorado League home win against Overland Noeli Herrera paced the Olys with four goals, while Danna Gutierrez and Daynara Vasquez also tallied. ...The Regis Jesuit boys lacrosse team doubled up Mountain Vista in a 10-5 League 3 victory in a matinee at Halftime Help Stadium. ...The Eaglecrest boys volleyball team earned a 25-23, 25-23, 22-25, 25-15 Centennial League victory in a road clash against Grandview. ...The Cherokee Trail boys volleyball team picked up a 28-30, 25-19, 21-25, 25-21, 15-12 Centennial League win at Cherry Creek. ...Tristan Rowley racked up 18 kills to go with four aces and three blocks for the Vista PEAK Prep boys volleyball team in its 25-18, 25-19, 25-19 City League home sweep of Rangeview Ein Bamba dished out 32 assists for the Bison, which also got eight kills from Aaron Williams to top the Raiders, who were led by Ayon Hammond with seven kills. ...The Gateway boys volleyball team earned a 4A City League sweep of KIPP Denver Collegiate. ...The Vista PEAK Prep girls tennis team got singles wins from Francesca Johnson (No. 1) and Karla Rodriguez (No. 2) plus three doubles wins in a 5-2 road win at Rangeview that marked the Bison’s sixth straight dual victory. Kai Jesus (No. 3 singles) and the No. 4 doubles team of Maya Calender and Miaya Holloway earned the Raiders’ wins. ...A singles sweep from MJ Ranum (No. 1), Kalene Bassett (No. 2) and Rachel Kim (No. 3) and victories at Nos. 1, 2 and 3 doubles gave the Smoky Hill girls tennis team a 6-1 Centennial League dual win against Overland, which got its victory from the No. 4 doubles team of Emma and Sasha Davis Audrey Whitmore shot 5-over-par 77 to tie for third place for the Regis Jesuit girls golf team at the Continental League tournament played at Saddle Rock G.C. Emily Gott added an 85 to place 17th for the Raiders, who were fifth out of 10 scoring teams. ...The Aurora Central girls golf team finished second behind Thornton at the Colorado League minor tournament played at Thorncreek G.C. at which Alexus Lopez finished third individually. ...WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16: The Regis Jesuit baseball team got an outstanding combination on the mound from Hudson Alpert (who pitched five hitless innings with nine strikeouts) and Michael Kroll in a 6-2 Continental League home win against Legend. Isaac Konieczny drove in two runs, while Henry Dinges, Luke Reasbeck and Nick Wiley also knocked in runs for the Raiders. ...Bruce Pfeiffer tallied five goals, while Tanner Calicchia added three and a pair of assists to help the Cherokee Trail boys lacrosse team to a 12-5 road win at Kent Denver. Race Bowen made eight saves in the net for the Cougars. Lorelei Gearity (8 goals) and Sophie Bieker (3 goals) accounted for all the scoring in the Cherokee Trail girls lacrosse team’s 21-11 loss to Northfield. ...The Eaglecrest girls lacrosse team dropped a 19-15 4A East League road
visit to Mullen. ...TUESDAY, APRIL 15: The Grandview baseball team completed a Centennial League sweep of Cherokee Trail with a 3-1 win in a contest that featured a pitching dual between the Wolves’ Jax Pfister and the Cougars’ Carter Wilcox. Pfister scattered four hits with six strikeouts in five shutout innings to get the win, while Wilcox got 17 outs in 5 2/3 innings and 14 of them came via strikeout. Justin Dean drove in two of Grandview’s runs, while Peyton Michlig had Cherokee Trail’s RBI. ...The Regis Jesuit baseball team scored in six of seven innings in an 11-6 Continental League road win at Highlands Ranch that included four strong innings by Ryan Neumann (one run allowed, nine strikeouts). Diesel Bernosky doubled twice among three hits and drove in two runs, while Chase Massey had three hits and three RBI for the Raiders. ...Tavish Dey’s base hit brought home the winning run for the Eaglecrest baseball team in an 8-7 walk-off win over Smoky Hill. Dey had four hits and two RBI and also picked up the win in relief for the Raptors, who also got two hits and an RBI from Landen Holmes. Christopher Robinson and Jovani Galvan drove in two runs apiece for the Buffs. ...The Aurora Central baseball team earned a 12-11 walk-off Colorado League win over Skyview that ended with the Trojans’ three-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning. Kalai
Bentosino picked up the win with four scoreless innings of relief, while Jorge De Los Santos led the offense with four RBI. Alberto Avila also homered for Aurora Central and drove in three runs. ... The Gateway baseball team earned a 17-3 Colorado League win at Thornton with help from Maikol Ochoa’s complete game effort plus Angel Ferrusquia’s three RBI and four runs scored. ...Abel Salinas allowed just two hits and struck out 10 for the Vista PEAK Prep baseball team, which couldn’t overcome three errors in a 4-1 City League road loss at Northfield. ...Brooke Metcalfe scored a goal on an assist from Izzy Meyer in the second half as the Regis Jesuit girls soccer team topped visiting Castle View 1-0 in Continental League play. ... Selah Davis, Sam Garofalo, Karlie Meckenstock, and Kate Vogel all scored goals as the Cherokee Trail girls soccer team tallied twice in both halves of a 4-1 Centennial League win over Eaglecrest at Legacy Stadium. ...Victoria Perozo recorded a hat trick for the Overland girls soccer team in its 4-1 Colorado League road win at Aurora Central Yosseline Silva Monsivais scored in the second half to lift the Aurora West College Prep Academy girls soccer team into a 1-1 tie with Rocky Mountain Lutheran. ...The Grandview boys swim team earned a 96-74 Centennial League dual victory at Smoky Hill that included a relay sweep
for the Wolves to go along with two wins apiece for Gherman Prudnikau and Oliver Schimberg. Logan Hopper earned the other event win for Grandview, which overcame two wins from Ian Noffsinger and another from Marshall Adams. ...Two event wins for Tyson Walker combined with victories from Bronson Smothers, Anderson Hardin and the 400 yard freestyle relay team of Hardin, Smothers, Walker and Jacob Mueller led the way for the Cherokee Trail boys swim team in a 187-124 Centennial League dual loss at Cherry Creek. ...The Regis Jesuit boys lacrosse team scored three times in the fourth quarter to force overtime with Legend, but ceded the lone toal in extra time in a 12-11 loss. ...The Regis Jesuit girls lacrosse team celebrated its small group of seniors — including Madisyn Jokerst — and knocked off previously undefeated Heritage 13-9 at Lou Kellogg Stadium. Jokerst scored six goals and took over the program’s all-time lead in career goals, while Delaney Sitzmann had a goal and three assists to pace the Raiders. ...The eighth goal of the game for Lorelei Gearity came in overtime and lifted the Cherokee Trail girls lacrosse team to a 12-11 road win over Air Academy. Sophie Bieker added three goals, Abigail Vanzant had three assists and Haley Hoomes 18 saves for the Cougars. ...The Eaglecrest boys volleyball team
downed Valor Christian 25-22, 26-24, 21-25, 25-20 with a balanced effort led by Jackson Shaw’s 16 kills and five blocks, while Ashton Bond and Matthew Dye added 10 kills apiece. ...Alex Garcia piled up 21 kills, Connor Deickman added 20 (plus 18 digs) and Devan Hall had 50 assists for the Grandview boys volleyball team in a 22-25, 25-21, 27-29, 25-18, 15-9 win over Cherokee Trail. ...The Overland boys volleyball team earned a 25-23, 30-28, 17-25, 25-18 victory over Mullen. ...Madeline Dickey (No. 1) and Rebecca Gelfer (No. 3) earned singles wins for the Regis Jesuit girls tennis team, which swept doubles as well in a 6-1 win over Douglas County. ...The Grandview girls tennis team won all four doubles matches to go with a threeset win from No. 3 singles player Aishwarya Kamineni to get past Smoky Hill 5-2. The Buffaloes’ wins came at Nos. 1 and 2 singles from MJ Ranum and Kalene Bassett. ...The Vista PEAK Prep girls tennis team dropped only a combined five games in a 7-0 win over Kennedy. ...The Cherokee Trail and Grandview girls golf teams finished third and fourth, respectively, at the Centennial League tournament at Meadow
of the
and
Hills G.C. Jean Lim
Wolves
Kaylee Saul of the Cougars both shot 86 to tie for seventh, while Cherokee Trail’s Brinnon Cook and Grandview’s Charly Ashworth tied for 10th with 88s.
TOP LEFT: Regis Jesuit’s Addison Kindy (22) snags the fall over two Heritage players after a faceoff during the Raiders’ 13-9 girls lacrosse home win over the previously undefeated Eagles April 15 LEFT: Cherokee Trail goalie Kylie Hyde, left, fires a ball out to a teammate after making a save during the Cougars’ 4-1 Centennial League girls soccer win over Eaglecrest April 15. TOP RIGHT: Cherokee Trail’s Kaylee Saul watches her putt roll on the green on Hole No. 1 at Meadow Hills G.C. during the Centennial League girls golf tournament April 15. Saul tied for seventh individuall and helped the Cougars to third place. ABOVE: Gateway’s Heber Almeida reacts after getting out of a jam during the fourth inning of the Olys’ 10-4 Colorado League baseball win at Aurora Central April 17. (Photos by Courtney Oakes/Aurora Sentinel)
of the law firm Modern Family Law Address: 4500 E Cherry Creek S Dr., Suite #700, Denver, CO 80246 Email: hannah.jumonville@modernfamilylaw.com Phone: (720) 504-3881
PUBLICATION NOTICE TO RESPON-
DENT:
DATE: April 17, 2025.
By:
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 August 24, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. O’Rourke Law Firm, LLC 1355 S. Colorado Blvd., Ste. C502 Denver, CO 80222 Attorney for the Estate First Publication: April 24, 2025 Final Publication: May 8, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30273
Estate of Jeffrey Paul Garver, Deceased. All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the Arapahoe County District Court on or before August 10, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Marco D. Chayet Jennifer R. Oviatt
Personal Representative 18th Judicial District Public Administrator’s Office P.O. Box 460749, Denver, CO 80246 (303) 355-8520 First Publication: April 17, 2025 Final Publication: May 1, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30284 Estate of Celestino Silva Santos aka Celestino Santos, 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 August 14, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Attorney for Personal Representative Anna L. Burr, Esq. Atty Reg #: 42205 2851 S. Parker Road, Ste. 230 Aurora, CO 80014 Phone: 720-500-2076 First Publication: April 10, 2025 Final Publication: April 24, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30317 Estate of BRIAN WINDELL BROWN aka BRIAN W. BROWN aka BRIAN BROWN, 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 August 10, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Brandon Brown Personal Representative c/o Baker Law Group, LLC 8301 E. Prentice Ave. #405 Greenwood Village, CO 80111 Phone: 303-862-4564 First Publication: April 10, 2025 Final Publication: April 24, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30328
Estate of JD Chatman, Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the Arapahoe County District Court on or before August 25, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Jay Dee Chatman
Personal Representative 650 S. Cherry St., #710, Denver, CO 80246 (303) 355-8520 First Publication: April 24, 2025 Final Publication: May 8, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30334 Estate of STEPHEN LEROY LOPEZ, aka STEPHEN L. LOPEZ, aka STEPHEN LOPEZ, 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 August 24, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Nethaniel Lopez Personal Representative c/o Baker Law Group, LLC 8301 E. Prentice Ave. #405 Greenwood Village, CO 80111 Phone: 303-862-4564 First Publication: April 24, 2025 Final Publication: May 8, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30348
Estate of Carolyn L. Longmire, 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 August 11, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. John R. Longmire, III Personal Representative 2459 Medinah Drive
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30356
Estate of Mary S. Arthur, 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 August 11, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Mary A. Arthur Personal Representative 805 Melrose Ave. Lexington, KY 40502
First Publication: April 10, 2025
Final Publication: April 24, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30363
Estate of Virginia Duncan aka Virginia Reppas aka Ginny Duncan aka Ginny Reppas, 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 August 20, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Patricia Rankin, Esq.
Atty Reg #: 27546
The Germany Law Firm, P.C.
77 Erie Village Square Erie, CO 80516
First Publication: April 24, 2025
Final Publication: May 8, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30347
Estate of Bernice H. Champion aka Bernice Champion, Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to pres-
ent them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before August 11, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Jolene George Champion,
Personal Representative
c/o McClary, P.C., PO Box 597
Fort Morgan, CO 80701
First Publication: April 10, 2025
Final Publication: April 24, 2025
Sentinel
PUBLIC NOTICE OF PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME OF A MINOR
ARAPAHOE COUNTY COURT, COLORADO Case No. 2024CV311
PUBLIC NOTICE is given on March 31, 2025, that a Petition was filed for a Change of Name of a Mi- nor has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.
The Petition entered that the name of Da’von Ja’khi Moore be changed to Damaj Ja’khi Moore.
/s/ Judge
First Publication: April 10, 2025
Final Publication: April 24, 2025
Sentinel
PUBLIC NOTICE OF PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME OF A MINOR DENVER COUNTY COURT, COLORADO Case No. 2025CV32046
PUBLIC NOTICE is given on March 24, 2025, that a Petition was filed for a Change of Name of a Mi- nor has been filed with the Denver County Court.
The Petition entered that the name of Manuel Ayala be changed to Manuel Garcia Ayala.
/s/ Clerk of Court
First Publication: April 17, 2025
Final Publication: May 1, 2025
Sentinel
PUBLIC NOTICE OF PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME OF AN ADULT ARAPAHOE COUNTY COURT, COLORADO Case No. 2025CV83
PUBLIC NOTICE is given on March 26, 2025, that a Petition was filed for a Change of Name of an Adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.
The Petition entered that the name of Jesirae Rose Haun be changed to Jasper Dean Haun.
First Publication: April 17, 2025
Final Publication: May 1, 2025 Sentinel
/s/ Judge
DISTRICT COURT, ARAPAHOE COUNTY, STATE OF COLORADO CONSOLIDATED NOTICE OF PUBLICATION
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT IN THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS FILED IN THIS COURT UNDER THE “UNIFORM DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE” AND “UNIFORM CHILD CUSTODY JURISDICTION” ACTS, due diligence has been used to
within the State of Colorado and further efforts would be to no avail; therefore, publication has been ordered:
CASE NUMBER NAME TYPE OF ACTION
2025DR000299Marya Ayana Walker v Andrea WalkerCivil Union A copy of the Petition and Summons may be obtained from the Clerk of the above Court between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.; failure to respond to this service by publication within thirty-five (35) days of the publication date may result
non-appearing party.
SHANA KLOEK CLERK OF THE COURT
7325 S. POTOMAC ST. CENTENNIAL, CO 80112
Publication: April 24, 2025 Sentinel
day night’s vote. You know, we were told that sending (domestic violence cases) to the county would save us somewhere in the realm of threeto-four-million-dollars, and we’re talking about negotiating 2.5…”
She was immediately cut off by City Attorney Pete Schulte, who said, “That was an exec session. Just a reminder. I’m sorry.”
He was referring to the city council’s closed “executive session” segment of the meeting, permitted by law as long as the city council discusses only specific matters and does not conduct voting or any official action. Jurinsky was referring to an ongoing controversy over whether Aurora should shutter its domestic violence program in city courts as a way to save money.
Murillo instantly asked about the penalties for revealing information discussed in executive session. Schulte said it technically isn’t a penalty, it “waives the city council’s privilege.”
“We continue to put our city at risk when we are not confidential,” Murillo said, to which Jurinsky replied, “I don’t care,” and Murillo said, “We know.”
Jurinsky then went on.
“This council is not a serious council when it comes to talking about how we’re going to balance a budget,” she said. “We have plans. We make plans, and then we turn out to be all over the place. So I would like our personal travel budgets looked at, I would like serious consideration about sending the (domestic violence cases) to the county. I would like to look at groups and organizations that we fund that I don’t think are doing anything for the City of Aurora.”
She also said she would like to move forward with selling off “graffiti-covered vacant properties with broken windows.”
“I will yield to the (Parks, Recreation and Open Space) presentation that is getting ready to come forward, because I think another problem in this city is there’s not enough business minds, and we leave a lot of money on the table,” Jurinksy said.
Councilmember Alison Coombs pushed back at Jurinsky’s remarks.
“So I just want to be really clear that one of the least serious things that happens on this council is the absolute disregard of the charter and the rules in relation to how we engage with staff, in relation to how we engage with our policies, in relation to how we engage with executive sessions,” Coombs said, “So no, just no to all of the conversation about the policy decisions recommended by professionals being unserious from a person who has no regard for any level of policy making, research, rules and our charter. Just no, not today.”
The tense exchange is a regular feature of many city council meetings. Last fall, as city council members worked to unwind a pet project sponsored by Jurinsky to end Aurora’s so-called $2 head tax on employees in an effort to stall the loss of $6 million a year it raises for the city, Jurinsky lambasted and badgered fellow council members from the dais and in profane text messages, the Sentinel reported after being given access to the texts.
She more recently continues to champion the end of the city’s domestic violence court program.
Last year, city council voted to shut down the storied domestic violence court program and send about 1,300 to 1,600 annual cases to county courts, starting Jan. 1, 2025. The transition was later postponed to July 1. The push to close the program came after months of controversy over saving city money by scrapping Aurora’s public defender program and, ultimately, closing the domestic violence program.
At the end of March, Arapahoe County officials warned Aurora that the district court would not receive the state funding to take over domestic violence cases from Aurora Municipal Courts beginning this summer, putting proper
handling of complicated cases at risk.
The executive session Jurinsky referred to when she shared the sensitive information on Saturday was April 7, according to city officials. The agenda said they would privately discuss negotiations and take legal advice regarding court service with Adams County, permitted under state open meetings laws.
Two years ago, Sentinel filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming that the council illegally conducted city business during the executive session.
That meeting’s focus was on whether the city council should pursue or drop a censure measure pending against Jurinsky. She was criticized for allegedly violating city policing by interfering with police personnel issues. A Colorado appellate court has ruled in favor of the Sentinel, and the case is now before the state Supreme Court after an appeal by the City of Aurora.
“Obviously, everything that happens in executive session is privileged,” Schulte later told the Sentinel. “Generally, when we’re going into executive session for a negotiation, what would happen in those situations is that council would give the city manager and me, as a city attorney, direction on how to conduct the negotiations and what they would be satisfied with. So there’s no vote, just a discussion about the parameters of the negotiation moving forward.”
Schulte said that no city council members have contacted him about pursuing censure against Jurinsky, linked to her comments from executive session.
— Cassandra Ballard, Sentinel Staff
Aurora faces $25 million budget shortfall, considers cuts, fees to balance finances
Aurora is preparing to confront a looming budget imbalance in 2026, predicting a more than $25 million shortfall between the general and capital projects funds.
“I’ve actually talked to a couple of people about this, and I got called Dr. Doom,” Greg Hays, city budget manager, said April 12 at a special budget workshop for city lawmakers. Hays has been spreading the gloomy news for weeks now, explaining how sales-tax revenues have fallen below projections for several months.
Hays said Saturday that an updated analysis of the 2026 forecast showed the situation is more severe than he initially predicted. The originally estimated $11.5 million shortfall last year more than doubled to $25 million, including additional annual shortfalls of millions in the city’s capital project fund.
The Business Research Division of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder helped the city develop revenue estimates for the budget process, according to the City of Aurora.
Declining sales tax revenues and economic softening contribute to an unbalanced 2026 budget, Hays said. The 2026 target was not immediately available, but the city adopted a $1.4 billion budget across all funds for 2025. Sales tax collections, Aurora’s largest single source of operating revenue, are currently $1.6 million below projections. January’s revenue showed a 2% drop compared to the same month in previous years, and lodging tax revenue has plummeted 20% since mid-2024. The capital projects fund also faces ongoing future shortfalls, with an estimated $7 million from 2024, $8.6 million in 2025 and $9.4 million in 2026.
“We’re a little short of budget at the moment,” Hays said. “It’s way too early to sound alarms, but these trends are something we need to pay close attention to.” Hays listed potential “top-down and bottom-up” cuts and changes, such as employee pay, insurance assumptions and even furloughs as other solutions.
/s/Melissa Mansfield
City Manager Jason Batchelor and Hays presented a combination of strategies that city council members could use to balance the budget, including tapping into Aurora’s recession reserve, pulling from other funds and reserves, make cuts, increasing city fees and postponing, enact furloughs or layoffs or cancelling planned construction projects.
“We don’t have to hit the panic button,” Batchelor said. “Everyone talks about the rainy day fund, and you all did it when the sun was shining, and now the clouds are gathering.”
Some of the shortfall answers proposed include:
Using reserves: Batchelor said the city would look at a multi-year drawdown plan, potentially using $12 million from the recession reserve in 2026 and $4 million in 2027.
Increasing fees: Proposals include introducing a transportation maintenance fee and possibly raising the 911 emergency fee from $1.79 to a maximum of $2.12.
Capital project delays: The city may pause some infrastructure and parks projects.
Cut spending: Top-down and bottom-up approaches would be considered, where executive directors can look at big picture cuts and departments can make suggestions they notice. The “top-down” cuts could have long-term implications, whereas “bottom-up” cuts would be more granular or targeted.
Transferring funds: The city is evaluating the potential to move dollars from the Conservation Trust Fund and Parks Development Fund, the Green Fund, to help balance the general fund.
“Employee pay, insurance assumptions, furloughs, everything is on the table,” Hays said.
Hays and Batchelor said they are optimistic about the five-year look at the budgets. Hays predicted that Aurora is expected to follow a “V-shaped” recovery, with economic performance and revenues bouncing back in 2027.
The Leeds model Hays worked with provided optimistic, baseline and pessimistic possibilities. Aurora typically relies on the baseline forecast while preparing strategies for the other two, Hays said.
“Colorado has been so hot recently, and it’s hard to grow on growth,” Hays said. “Other states are catching up. We’re adjusting expectations, but still planning ahead.”
The city’s reserves are currently well-funded, which will help with the 2026 shortfall, Bachelor said. Aurora maintains 3% or $12 million in operating reserves and 10% or $40 million in policy reserves.
Currently, Hays and other city staff say the shortfall would be relatively short-lived, not representing a new economic bottom or an extended recession. But confusing and dynamic changes from the Trump White House, including shifting tariffs, make the near and far future hard to predict.
“The White House, with this tariff policy,” Mayor Mike Coffman said, “there’s a risk. It could turn out great. It could turn out really bad, but there’s a big downside risk.”
The city’s efforts to balance the budget sparked tension among city council members. Recent debates have revolved around the controversial repeal of the Occupational Privilege Tax (or “head tax”), a $2-per-employee levy that brought in $6.1 million annually. City council voted to end the tax in December 2024, leaving budget planners scrambling for alternative revenue streams.
A decision to move domestic violence prosecutions from municipal court to county court is expected to save about $3 million annually starting in July 2025. A recent comment from a city councilmember, which leaked private information about new possible negotiations over domestic violence cases, makes it hard to know if Aurora will still get those savings.
Batchelor and Hays said that over
the coming months, the city’s executive team will work with department heads to create a comprehensive budget adjustment plan. The final version is expected to be presented to the city council before summer.
Related to the budget woes is a sense that retail and restaurant businesses are struggling in Aurora. Over the past few months, city officials have worked to develop a strategic program to boost business across the city, which would boost sales taxes. Those plans are still under development.
—
Cassandra Ballard, Sentinel Staff Writer
Aurora will honor Selena with tribute concert at the city’s Global Fest in June
Get out your crop tops and glam pants. Aurora will pay tribute to Tejano music legend Selena Quintanilla-Pérez as the main attraction at the 2025 Global Fest celebration in June, organizers announced Wednesday.
Widely honored as the “Queen of Tejano Music,” Selena’s life and career left a lasting cultural imprint before her 1995 death at age 24.
Thirty years later, her music continues to draw new generations of fans around the world.
As part of this year’s festivities, Aurora performer Mayra Alejandra will take the stage on the Great Lawn at Aurora city hall June 14, for a special tribute concert honoring the late music icon. Alejandra, a longtime Selena admirer said the chance to perform in Selena’s memory is both a joy and a responsibility.
“I enjoy it so much —it brings joy to people and that’s why I do it,” Alejandra said in a city statement. “I’m here to serve.”
Now in its 12th year, Aurora Global Fest has grown into the city’s premier celebration of cultural diversity.
Aurora has long been recognized as a hub of diversity in Colorado. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 20% of the city’s residents were born outside the United States, with significant populations hailing from Mexico, Ethiopia, and other nations. Additionally, more than 40% of students in Aurora Public Schools speak a language other than English at home.
“Every year, Global Fest grows in size and attendance because it is unlike any event in Colorado,” Mayor Mike Coffman said last year. “Aurora truly is ‘The World in a City,’ and Global Fest is the best place to experience it on display.”
Ahead of Alejandra’s main-stage performance, the city will host a Selena look-alike contest in partnership with Amigos de Mexico. The competition will feature multiple age categories, with prizes for top finishers. A panel of judges from Aurora’s Hispanic and Latino community will select the winners. Organizers encourage fans of all ages to participate in what promises to be a festive and heartfelt tribute.
This year’s family-friendly event boasts two stages of live entertainment, plenty of international cuisine from local food trucks, an artisan marketplace, a Parade of Nations, fashion shows, and interactive art and cultural activities for children. Performers from five continents are scheduled throughout the day, including a martial arts demonstration by the U.S. Taekwondo Center, based in Aurora.
A complete schedule of performances will be released in June.
Global Fest 2025 runs 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 14 at the Aurora Municipal Center’s Great Lawn, 15151 E. Alameda Parkway, on the west side. Details at auroraglobalfest.org.
— Sentinel Staff COPS AND COURTS
Attempted murder charges filed against 18-year-old after shooting in Aurora
An 18-year-old man charged April 21 with two counts of first-degree at-
tempted murder after firing his gun into a car with a couple and three children March 12 injuring the man and woman.
Investigators said the man and woman agreed to meet a man later identified as Christopher Campos-Anguiano, 18, near East Colfax Avenue and Airport Boulevard Saturday even to finalize the sale of an unspecified item, police said in a social media post.
The couple and Campos-Anguiano met for the exchange at about 7:30 p.m. but he took possession of the trade and then got back in his car and drove away without paying.
With the woman driving and three children also in the car, the couple followed Campos-Anguiano, police reported.
At one point, Campos-Anguiano began shooting at the woman’s car, hitting both the woman and the man, who was seriously injured.
“A 12-year-old child in the backseat suffered a superficial graze wound,” police said. “Two other children were not physically hurt.”
Later the night of the shooting, police identified a GMC Acadia they believe was involved in the shooting parked outside a home in the 1000 block of Jasper Street, police said.
“Surveillance was conducted by all three DART units, and after the vehicle left the residence, officers conducted a traffic stop near South Peoria St and East Mississippi Avenue, police said.
Campos-Anguiano was being held in the Arapahoe County jail in lieu of $50,000 bond. He is no longer listed as an inmate.
In addition to the attempted murder charges, Campos-Anguiano faces charges of first-degree Assault, second-degree assault, possession of a weapon by a previous offender and reckless endangerment.
— Sentinel Staff
Aurora man gets 30 years for murdering friend and burying him under the floor
An Aurora man was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in prison in a plea-deal conviction for murdering a long-time friend and burying him in concrete under the floor in an accomplice’s condominium.
The conviction and sentence came at the end of plea deals for two suspects in the case.
18th Judicial District Court Judge Laqunya Baker sentenced Haskel Leroy Crawford, 40, for the 2022 murder of Karl Beaman Jr.
The case came to light when Beaman’s mother, Kyla Beaman, created a Facebook page about her missing son, Karl, in a 2023 attempt to locate him. He’d been missing since 2022. according to court and police records.
“A tipster sent a private message to the social media page stating that her son was buried in an apartment crawlspace underneath concrete,” DA spokesperson Eric Ross said in a statement. “The tipster reported that a woman named Casie Bock, and her boyfriend, Haskel Crawford were responsible for her son’s death because they believed he was a ‘police informant’ in a pending criminal case.”
Crawford and Beaman were reportedly friends.
Kyla called police with the tip, who obtained a search warrant at Bock’s apartment in the 14600 block of East Second Avenue.
“In a crawlspace accessed through Bock’s bedroom, investigators found the decomposed body,” Ross said. She later admitted to investigators that she helped move Beaman’s dead body into the crawlspace, and that Crawford was the murderer.
“He murdered my only child,” Kyla told the court at the sentencing hear-
¿BEBÉ A BORDO?
Los chequeos posparto son gratuitos con Medicaid.
Cuidar de usted misma es tan importante como cuidar de su bebé. Health First Colorado (el programa Medicaid de Colorado) y Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) cubren la atención médica posparto (chequeos, anticonceptivos y apoyo a la salud mental) sin costo alguno.
ing this week. “This plea agreement means my son’s loved ones, our family, and my husband and I are spared from having to listen to the horrific details or seeing graphic images of the brutality that took place. We may never know all the details, but the defendant does. I hope it haunts him every day for the rest of his life like it does me.”
Chief Deputy District Attorney Kristina Hayden lauded Kyla for her role in seeking justice for her son.
“If it weren’t for her unwavering support and devotion to finding her son, the defendant’s actions would not have been brought to light,” Hayden said in a statement. “No number of years in prison or parole will ever give back what has been stolen from the friends and family of Mr. Beaman, but I hope this sentence allows them to move forward with the healing process.”
Crawford is currently being held at Bent County Correctional Facility in southern Colorado.
“Mr. Beaman died in the hands of someone he considered his best friend and brother of nearly two decades,” Deputy District Attorney Michele Fuller said in a statement. “We are pleased with the judge’s decision to sentence the defendant to the maximum prison sentence outlined in the plea agreement.”
Bock accepted a guilty plea deal as being an accessory to a crime and received a deferred judgment in 2023 for her role in the murder.
Crawford accepted a plea deal for second-degree murder. Baker ordered his 30-year sentence to run consecutively to a 16-year sentence Crawford was currently serving for an unrelated aggravated robbery case in Jefferson County.
— Sentinel Staff
¡Programe su chequeo hoy mismo!
¿Necesita encontrar un médico? Llámenos al 303-368-3313 o visite coaccess.com/findaprovider.
Obtenga más información sobre sus beneficios y los servicios de coordinación de cuidados aquí.
Editorials Sentinel
Disregard the Medicaid myths or face the very real consequences
Don’t be fooled by false Medicaid narratives and empty tropes being promoted by the Trump administration — and fewer and fewer Congressional Republicans every day.
Elon Musk and other members of the Trump administration continue to promote false claims that the Medicaid rolls are choked with lazy people who won’t get jobs.
The reality of Medicaid is that either you, or someone you know, receives Medicaid benefits.
Medicaid was created to provide healthcare to people who suffer disabilities that prevent them from working. It provides medical care to people who virtually, and sometimes literally, have nothing.
In Colorado, Medicaid provides healthcare to people who work for wages so low they can’t afford even the leanest of health insurance policies, and their employers don’t even offer them.
And in Colorado, where a stunning 1.17 million residents qualify and use Medicaid, 65% of those recipients are already working. The reality of Colorado’s Health First Program, which is what Medicaid is called here, requires that a single person applying for benefits must make less than $20,800 a year. There’s some wiggle room for people with children of certain ages, but the rule, essentially, is that a family of four must have a family income under $45,600 a year to qualify for benefits.
These working poor Colorado residents live all over the state, and especially in rural Colorado — including rural communities where conservative Republicans run the show.
The reality of the needs for and benefits of Medicaid has prompted Republicans in Colorado, and across the nation, to warn fellow GOP leaders in Congress that they will not support a bill that proposes cuts to Medicaid, as GOP leaders mapped out earlier in the year. Newly minted Rep. Jeff Hurd, R-Grand Junction, signed a letter with 11 other GOP members of the House saying they will not back a budget bill with cuts to Medicaid.
Not long after President Donald Trump was sworn into office, congressional Republicans identified about $880 million in “possible” cuts to the national Medicaid budget, about 10% of total Medicaid spending.
Gov. Jared Polis, Aurora Rep. Jason Crow, state Treasurer Dave Young and many others have been consistent, and adamant, that a federal budget cut like that would roll downhill to Colorado. It would be catastrophic to the state economy, the health and welfare of hundreds of thousands of state residents, to the entire health care system, and especially to hospitals, clinics and programs in rural Colorado.
Here’s what to consider if you think Medicaid cuts won’t affect you.
Kim Bimstefer, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing pointed out this week in a meeting with the Sentinel that huge numbers of Medicaid recipients are elderly residents, and that two-thirds of all patients living in nursing homes pay for that life-saving care with Medicaid benefits.
With the cost of assisted living pushing far past $120,000 a year, tens of thousands of nursing home residents would be unable to afford such care without Medicaid. Many would become homeless and face certain death. Even if the state worked to accommodate the fiscal disaster, the cost of nursing home care for those without Medicaid would skyrocket.
The same thing would happen to hospitals across the state, and especially in rural areas, where hospitals already eke out a tenuous existence.
Ending Medicaid for hundreds of thousands of people in the state would end just about all their preventative care. Rather than Medicaid recipients costing the system a sensible charge for doctor office visits, these patients would have to resort to emergency room care, at a huge cost that, under state and federal law, would have to be absorbed by health and hospital systems, said Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera.
“It would be disastrous,” she said, pointing out that hospitals would be forced to pass the cost onto paying customers, which would result in big hikes in health insurance premiums across Colorado.
Medicaid cuts would reduce a wide range of live-saving care for hundreds of thousands of Colorado residents, jeopardize the state’s network of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, disrupt or even destroy rural hospitals and health care, and raise the cost of medical care for everyone.
Polis was right last week in admonishing Republicans from states that would suffer just as much or more and who stand quiet as the Trump administration pursues Medicaid cuts.
He said he backs the idea of a leaner, more efficient government, and reducing any and all legitimate wasteful spending.
“But this simply is not the area to cut,” Polis said.
We agree.
It’s not enough for Colorado residents to just wince as Republicans march ahead with their dangerous plan. Reach out to friends and family in communities where GOP leaders have yet to offer the same realistic sensibility as Hurd. Colorado GOP reps Lauren Boebert, Jeff Crank and Gabe Evans have yet to commit to the same logical position as Hurd.
Trump and congressional GOP leaders need to hear from their voters and supporters who understand this has nothing to do with partisan politics and only ensures the health and wellbeing of 94 million Americans, as well as protecting the wellbeing of the nation’s healthcare system.
In the absence of real universal healthcare, a critical benefit that only the United States, among wealthy nations, withholds from itself, solid and solvent Medicaid and Medicare systems are the best this nation can do.
The Trump administration is lying. It’s OK for Republicans to say that
Over the past several weeks, I have been called schizophrenic, whether it be on social media, in emails from readers or jokingly from friends who seem to think I’m all over the map on the Trump administration. I thought a little clarification was due, before I take a flight over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
I am a conservative, through and through, and I have the battle scars to prove it. But being a conservative, and not a “Never Trump” liberal light, does not require I agree with everything my president does. It does not mean I have to “take one for the team,” when that one is a curve ball to the head that will give me a permanent concussion. Sometimes, you just have to call them as you see them.
So yes, Donald Trump and his Keystone Cop minions acted like third world despots when they removed Salvadoran refugee Kilmar Abrego Garcia back to El Salvador, even though they knew that he was protected by an order that had been issued by a Trump-era judge. There is no gilding the lily here, no “well maybe they made a mistake but it was unintentional,” no “well he was a gang member (yeah? Prove it!) so he’s no great loss,” no “Geez Christine, can’t you let this one pass, because at least he won’t rape and kill someone like poor Laken Riley.”
None of it. There is no excuse for what was done. It was an egregious error, and now the error is beginning to look like deliberate illegality. A federal judge has ordered the Salvadoran be returned to the U.S., and the government is pretending it does not have the power to do so. They are lying.
This is what a retired ICE agent with forty years of experience under six presidents wrote to me:
“Interesting what the administration is saying about their inability to return someone to the U.S. given that that person is in custody at the administration’s behest. It’s no different than someone being held in custody in Germany on a U.S.-issued INTERPOL Red Notice pending collection by the U.S. Marshals.”
So yeah, they are lying and they need to get the man back here immediately. If they do not, the United States
will have just joined Russia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Sudan and a whole host of other lovely countries as a government that “disappears” its problems. It should also wrap the Statute of Liberty in styrofoam and return her to France.
On the other hand, progressives are in no position to start seizing the high ground. This weekend, a bunch of people who needed to do something with their pink hats and their poster board decided to hold yet another protest against the government. I’m fine with protests. The First Amendment is my favorite of all the amendments, except maybe for the Fourteenth, and on occasion the Sixth.
These people, many of whom probably marched against the war in Vietnam while getting blitzed on whatever controlled substance was most available, think of themselves as noble warriors. They are not. They speak about immigrant’s rights, but most of them never defended an immigrant in court, or understand the arcane laws that govern the process. They just like to say they “defend immigrants.” Many of them do understand abortion rights, because many of them probably had them, or know someone who did. Many of them are angry about their 401(k)s, as I am, but didn’t blame Joe Biden for high prices and would have forgiven him if we fell into an inflationary period.
My point is this: I can see how immoral and reprehensible Donald Trump’s administration has been with its bordering-on-fascistic initiatives in going after “illegal immigration,” while at the same time see the true faces of the people who are criticizing him in the streets.
I can walk and chew gum. I am not a team player, I suppose.
You shouldn’t be, either. And if that makes me schizophrenic, just call me Sybil. And hand me a purple crayon.
–ChristineFlowersisanattorneyandacolumnistfor theDelawareCountyDailyTimes,andcanbereachedat cflowers1961@gmail.com.
CHRISTINE FLOWERS, CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST
Obituary
Gloria Shea
June 30, 1924 - April 15, 2025
Gloria Shea, 70-year Aurora resident, passed away on April 15, 2025. Gloria was just 2 months from her 101st birthday. Gloria loved music, singing, plants, volunteering, and appreciating the beauty of Colorado. Gloria wrote a column for The Aurora Advocate (now The Aurora Sentinel) called “Muse From Hoffman Heights” offering day-to-day happenings from her neighborhood. Gloria was married to Charles Shea for 60 years before his passing in 2007. Gloria was matriarch to 6 children, 10 grandchildren, and 9 great grandchildren.
Gloria did not fear death; she eagerly awaited her next assignment from God. Interment at Fort Logan with Charles on Thursday, April 24, 2025. Please send donations to Samaritan’s Purse in Gloria’s name, as they truly do God’s Work.
Obituary
Maria C. Guest
August 6, 1933 - April 5, 2025
Maria Consolacion Guest, beloved mother, grandmother, greatgrandmother, wife, sister, and auntie recently passed away peacefully at the age of 91 in Redlands, CA.
Connie was born in Manila, Philippines, to Vidal Morales and Benita Ferraria-Morales, the oldest of eleven children. She was raised on her father’s working farm in Guagua, Pampanga, was educated in Manila, and witnessed the Japanese invasion and occupation of the Philippines during World War II.
Connie met the love of her life, William “Bob” Guest, a young, strikingly handsome, airman stationed at Clark Air Force Base, and they were married in the parish in Guagua on January 1, 1954. Together, they returned and traveled around the United States and raised four boys. In 1973 they settled down in Aurora, CO, in their cherished home on Hanover Street. Connie loved to be around people and worked at the NCO Club on Lowry AFB, and the Tiki Kai and Holiday Inn on Colfax Avenue. Connie was predeceased by her youngest son Sgt. Brian Keith Guest, US Army, in 1993, and her husband of 62 years, Bob in 2016. She is survived by her three sons, William David Guest of Lahaina, HI, Jerry Daniel Guest of Dayton, OH, and Richard Allen Guest of Redlands, CA. In her later years, her passion was her seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She never missed the opportunity to celebrate a birthday, graduation, or wedding.
A funeral service will be held on Friday, May 2, 2025 at 10:30AM at Advantage Aurora Chase Mortuary, 1095 Havana Street, Aurora.
Connie will be laid to rest at Ft. Logan National Cemetery in Denver on May 2, 2025 at 1PM.
