Sentinel Colorado 5.22.2025 by Sentinel Colorado

TRIUMPHANT ON THE TRACK

Cherokee Trail boys track team wins third straight state championship in dramatic fashion, city shines golden

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Fearing Trump moves, something to Crow about

If you live in Aurora and are deeply afraid the Trump administration is going to nuke Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security as well as bankrupt farmers, destroy our democracy and the economy, you’re not alone.

The vast majority of those who answered instant polls during Congressperson Jason Crow’s telephone town hall meeting last week agreed the nation is moving, rapidly, in the wrong direction.

The telephone polling during the hourlong event was anything but scientific, but the questions and opinions elicited among the town hall’s approximately 14,000 participants offered a spot-on reflection of what Americans across the country are saying.

Crow, a fourth-term Democrat representing Aurora’s 6th Congressional District, told participants some of what most of them wanted to hear. Crow said that he’s focusing primarily on fending off Trump administration attempts to jack up tariffs and, subsequently, prices on just about everything Americans will have to pay.

He’s also spending much of his time ensuring that Trump’s Homeland Security team isn’t upending due process for immigrants, or abusing them inside Aurora’s GEO ICE detention center.

A great deal of his energy is focused on trying to prevent Trump and Republicans in Congress from tearing into the Medicaid budget, which would upend medical care, and even assisted living care, for a wide swath of people, many of them elderly or living in rural Colorado.

“Over 100,000 people in our community rely on Medicaid for life-saving medication and health care,” Crow said. “I mean, this is literally a life-and-death issue for so many of the people that I represent. So this keeps me awake at night.”

DAVE PERRY Editor

Wait. What?

While everyone certainly appreciates Crow’s frankness, I’m with most of his constituents who probably are not put at ease by hearing that someone like Crow is losing sleep over how to thwart a Medicaid catastrophe.

If you don’t know Crow, I can pretty confidently assure you that he’s not the hand-wringer type. With the Sentinel, he’s always been frank, confident, knowledgeable and eagerly optimistic.

My generation called it a “can do” attitude. Crow losing sleep over things like saving the U.S. democracy or whether thousands of elderly, disabled or dementia-plagued Aurora residents are going to become homeless after their Medicaid evaporates is a double whammy.

Since Trump was sworn in, everyone from Aurora to Anchorage has been hammered with trade wars, illegal deportations, Canadian annexations, Arabian graft and something else almost every 15 minutes. Over the past few months, I’ve heard dozens of people at town hall meetings like this one and others asking pretty much the same questions Crow heard last week.

“What can we do?”

“Do you see anything coming down the line in pushback from the Democrats?”

“What are your plans?”

“What’s going to happen?”

“What can you do?”

Many of the people sound scared, weary or wary.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is a regular target for political cartoonists, threatening to send the White House yet another “strongly worded letter” critical of things like usurping the Supreme Court or kidnapping immigrants.

U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., talks to reporters after the congressman toured Buckley Space Force Base following reports that the base would be used by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to process and detain immigrant Feb. 3, 2025, in Aurora. AP File Photo/David Zalubowski

Crow said what almost every other Congressional Democrat has been saying since Jan. 20. The Democrats don’t control the House, the Senate or the White House. As long as Republicans can muster a one-vote majority in Congress or on the Supreme Court, they can do pretty much what they want.

Crow said the key here, with virtually no other realistic levers to pull, is to supply as much “citizen oversight” as possible.

The Trump administration “is not responding to our letters. They’re not allowing us to come to facilities. They’re not showing up to testify — or at all in some cases,” Crow said. “I’m increasingly relying on all of you to be my eyes and ears. You know, take videos of things you think are wrong. Take notes of issues that you think are abusive. Because together the eyes and ears that we have collected information that you all can gather for me, and is sent to my office and my team helps me be a better advocate and better fighter for you.”

Since Trump and his GOP acolytes are in a position to do what they want, the key is to change what they want. Above all, Trump seeks approval and control, which is a large part of his mental illness. If a majority of those he seeks approval from don’t want to see Medicaid gutted or due process thrown out the window, Trump won’t either.

It’s pretty easy to see how this works in the case of Elon Musk. Remember him? Essentially vanquished from the White House scene these days, Trump loved his chainsaw antics until the MAGA base started recoiling as well.

Besides making public the reality of what Trump imposes, and persuading people across the political spectrum to resist, Crow said this is no time to just sit back and wait for others to make things happen.

“A lot of people say, you know, we need change to come from Washington. And that’s true, and I’m fighting for that.” Crow said. “But I am somebody that has always believed throughout my life that the biggest change comes from the community. It comes from all of you. We are facing a cultural moment in America of hyper-partisanship, and what we need people to do is re-engage in civic and community organizations. Show up to community meetings and speak and let people

know who we are as a community, what our values are, and get involved. “ When it comes time to talk, however, don’t do it with anger.

“We have to approach each other with empathy and compassion and learn where we can re-establish some common ground,” he said.

And if you’re especially upset about how vulnerable communities are being mistreated or outright abused, step up.

“I am very proud that I represent one of the most diverse districts in the country,” Crow said. “Nearly 20 percent of my constituents were born outside of the United States. There are over 130 languages spoken in our public school system. Get involved with an immigrant organization that’s protecting children, that’s protecting families, you know, volunteer. They need our support. They need your support.”

I’ve listened to a lot of congressional town hall meetings over the last several decades. This one sounded like we are a country at war.

Participants overwhelmingly said during the instant polls that they seriously fear the loss of constitutional rights under Trump. They fear the loss of American freedoms, and especially the loss of benefits expected and paid into during entire lifetimes.

I never imagined living through a time when a prudent politician like Crow would be so unequivocal in describing the political climate, and the U.S. president.

“President Trump doesn’t tell the truth,” Crow said. “He lies and distorts a lot of times. And he uses fear a lot. You know, he uses fear to divide us against each other, but also as a motivator. You know, fear of losing jobs, fear, of ‘the other.’”

He said this is a time to show solidarity for farmers facing bankruptcy over Trump’s economic plans. Solidarity with seniors who cannot survive on fewer Social Security dollars. Solidarity with teachers who don’t want to teach children lies about the 2020 presidential election.

Sounds like a solid plan to me.

Follow @EditorDavePerry on BlueSky, Threads, Mastodon, Twitter and Facebook or reach him at 303-750-7555 or dperry@SentinelColorado.com

FACT CHECK: Aurora council member makes cadre of false, inaccurate claims on Je Fard show

“YOU ALLOW PEOPLE TO COME ON YOUR SHOW AND SAY ANYTHING THEY WANT,” JURINSKY SAID. “I HAVE LISTENED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE COME ON YOUR SHOW AND SAY THINGS THAT ARE NOT FACTS.”

BY CASSANDRA BALLARD, Sentinel Staff Writer

Aurora City Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky’s appearance last week on the livestreamed Brother Jeff Fard Free Think show covered a wide range of issues facing Aurora, Denver and the Aurora City Council, allowing the first-term lawmaker to make numerous unchecked claims.

“I’m here for a reason, and I believe we can find common ground,” Jurinsky said during the May 6 broadcast.

Jeff Fard livestreams a popular show from Denver’s Five Points, regularly holding conversations with guests ranging from local activists to prominent politicians. The show frequently focuses on community issues, especially those affecting communities of color.

The broadcast conversation last week was prompted by a social media post focusing on the May 4 incident at Aurora’s Del Mark Park involving numerous young adults and teens performing car stunts in the road encircling the park.

A driver burns rubber on Peoria Street in treaffic May 4, 2025. FROM A FACEBOOK REEL.

The video footage showed what appears to be Black youth “burning rubber” among smoking tires on cars, doing “donuts” on Del Mar Circle, twerking on police cars and one person is shown spraying what appears to be a bottle of carbonated wine and later driving away.

Aurora Police responded to the gathering with several officers. Police would not release details of the case after requests by the Sentinel, saying the incident is under investigation.

One person has reportedly been arrested, according to Jurinsky, which police did not verify.

“All of our police resources were taken to go respond to Del Mar Park, to Del Mar Circle,” Jurinsky told Fard during the show. “In my opinion, it felt like you had posted the video almost to promote them. ‘More from A-Town,’ I think was the caption.”

Fard said he was just happy the event did not result in a death during the response by Aurora police.

The subject of excessive force used against people of color by Aurora police, and the Colorado consent decree imposed on the department due “patterns and practices” of that excessive force, has been a frequent topic of discussion by Fard over the past several years.

Jurinsky said there was no permit obtained by the group to warn the police about the “party,” and that there were damages left behind by burnt tire marks in the street.

She said the event strained police resources on a Sunday afternoon. Police have not corroborated her claim.

She said the video, which Fard reposted with the caption “Catch more from A-Town,” appeared to promote reckless behavior such as drinking and driving.

“This was a dynamic where Black young people from across many sections of our community that don’t get along, for some reason, on that day, they came together in unity,” Fard said. “There was no problems with what was taking place, in terms of gathering, in terms of Aurora in general and particularly Del Mar Park.”

He said he did not agree with the unsafe driving, but he did not believe in outright condemning the youth. He said he and Jurinsky were

both young once and probably made some childish mistakes back then; that’s a part of being young.

“Condemnation, rather than pulling them in, doesn’t help,” Fard said. “We can have these conversations about what’s safe and what isn’t, but we also need to acknowledge their humanity.”

Jurinsky said her focus was on public safety, but she agreed that building trust between police and Aurora’s Black community, especially young people, was crucial. She said she was “not shocked” that officers didn’t harm anyone at the event, and she said there has been a lot of progress made in the department, especially by the city’s newest chief of police, Todd Chamberlain.

While talking about trust between the Black community and the Aurora police, Fard brought up the death of Elijah McClain, a young Black man who died at the hands of the Aurora police and fire departments in 2019.

McClain was stopped walking home from a convenience store at night, after committing no crimes, and was eventually given a lethal dose of Ketamine after being restrained for trying to go home and get away from Aurora officers.

Jurinsky agreed that the courts found McClain had been killed by police and medics during the confrontation, but Fard said that justice was only pursued after numerous public protests and tireless advocacy by McClain’s family.

The conversation moved to the recent controversy over the May 2024 death of Kilyn Lewis, a Black man fatally shot by Aurora police during his arrest in an apartment parking lot. The controversy has on numerous occasions resulted in protests and other events during city council meetings, virtually shutting meetings down or re-arranging agendas.

Lewis’ family and supporters continued protesting even after former District Attorney John Kellner said the officer who shot Lewis was not at fault.

“People continuing to protest the death of Kilyn Lewis are not helping the situation,” she said. “Conversations are what will make changes.”

She said she cannot speak with the Lewis family due to the ongoing lawsuit.

Both Fard and Jurinsky agreed that Aurora needs to continue to work harder to build trust with the Black youth.

Then, the conversation meandered among a long list of topics, with Jurinsky making a long list of statements and claims.

“You allow people to come on your show and say anything they want,” Jurinsky said. “I have listened to a lot of people come on your show and say things that are not facts.”

Jurinsky made a host of unsubstantiated claims about a variety of subjects herself during the broadcast. Below are the facts surrounding some of those assertions.

Claims and facts

THE CLAIM: Jurinsky said former 18th Judicial District Attorney John Kellner cleared Aurora SWAT officer Michael Dieck in the Lewis shooting after a county grand jury absolved Dieck of wrongdoing in the case.

“The threshold to indict somebody on a grand jury is not hard,” Jurinsky said. “He even sent it to a grand jury, and a grand jury cleared Officer Michael Dieck, so that’s the end of the road.”

THE FACTS: Kellner said he did present some details of the case to the county grand jury, but he said in a public statement that the grand jury declined to actually hear the case, according to statements released to the Sentinel and other media. Typically, grand juries are presented evidence of a case and then decide whether there is enough evidence for a criminal trial to proceed, issuing an indictment, or they return “no true bill,” indicating the evidence presented by a prosecutor does not support criminal charges. In a 20-page report from an internal investigation by prosecutors, Kellner makes his own assertion that Dieck violated no state law in the fatal shooting. “I find that there is no criminal liability on the part of Officer Michael Dieck stemming from this (Officer Involved Shooting.) Criminal charges, therefore, are not appropriate or warranted related to the officer’s use of deadly force,” Kellner, 18th Judicial District Attorney, said at the time. Despite Jurinsky’s claims, the question of whether a court would find enough evidence for a trial, and whether the case could be made and won, has yet to be answered. Since the DA has closed the case, and the district’s new District Attorney, Amy Padden, has not indicated she would reopen the case, there are no other avenues for criminal investigation. Padden told the Sentinel earlier this year that bypassing an actual request for either indictment or no true bill is rare, but it can happen.

THE CLAIM: Jurinsky said that at a 2024 city council meeting, when a supporter of Lewis’ family asked lawmakers on the dais to stand if they believed that Lewis should still be alive, she was the first person on the dais to stand. “I was the first person to stand, OK, the very first night,” Jurinsky said. “You can ask any one of my colleagues. The very first night that someone got up to the podium, and right now I was the very first person that stood.”

THE FACTS: Each councilmember stood the first time MiDian Shofner, a leading group member, asked for city lawmakers to rise on the dais, but Councilmember Crystal Murillo was the first to stand, as made apparent in a city recording of the event. Jurinsky and Councilmember Steve Sundberg were the last two among council members to stand. Mayor Mike Coffman, the city attorney and city manager, also on the dais, did not stand.

THE CLAIM: Jurinsky said Councilmember Stephanie Hancock sat with LaRonda Jones, Kilyn’s mother, for two hours and sympathized with her as a Black mother with a son who was also implicated in a crime.

THE FACTS: Jones told the Sentinel this week that Hancock did meet with her, but she said it was “not compassionate at all.” Jones said Hancock spent the time trying to persuade her to tell everyone to stop the demonstrations at the city council meetings. She said most interactions between her and council members have been unpleasant. Hancock did not reply to requests for a comment from the Sentinel.

THE CLAIM: During a controversial flash mob that gathered July 28 at the Gardens on Havana, linked to the Venezuelan presidential election that day, Jurinsky said a police car was shot at during the commotion. Jurinsky also said that the police later confirmed in a press release in October that an officer was shot at during the gathering of as many as about 3,000-4,000 people. “They came out and admitted it,” Jurinsky said. “It’s on their page. They made a public statement. A police officer was shot. He called out shots fired on the radio, but no one came.”

THE FACTS: The initial reporting from the police department and the Sentinel did state that people in the gathering shot into the air, but no one was shot at or harmed during the gathering in the afternoon. There was also a report of an officer’s car being hit by an “unknown object,” but they were unsure if it was related to the gathering or if it was a bullet that hit the car.

“An Aurora patrol unit was hit by an unknown object while driving in the area, and it is unclear at this time if it was related to the gathering,” the press release stated two days

Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky talks with Brother Jeff Fard on his livestreamed show May 6, 2025. SENTINEL SCREEN SHOT

SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION

Cherry Creek’s aspiring educator pathway offers a new model for teacher training

DeVonte Loyd stood in front of a science classroom of middle schoolers last week, asking them to consider what changes they might make to a hypothetical cart to make it move left or right. He asked the Sky Vista Middle School students if adding weight to one side of the cart or the other might make it turn.

Across the room is his mentor teacher, Alyssa Baker. She’s asking similar but different questions from the students on her side of the room.

Loyd commands the attention and excitement of the students in front of him just as well as Baker does on the other side, even though he is still a student himself, learning to be a teacher. The students learn that, yes, applying weight on one side of a cart creates torque on the wheel, making it turn in that direction.

Baker is mentoring Loyd as he actively works on his baccalaureate college courses at the Community College of Aurora, and although she is the teacher of the science class, they share a lot of the work.

More than a traditional student-teacher arrangement, Cherry Creek Schools launched a new program this year called the Aspiring Educator Pathway, where teaching students enrolled at the Community College of Aurora are mentored by experienced teachers in Cherry Creek classrooms. The CCA students co-teach in local classrooms for their entire college tenure, graduating with degrees and four years of classroom experience.

The program offers college students a lower tuition rate and makes them PERA-eligible Cherry Creek School District employees. The school district then pays them a $40,000 annual salary while they apprentice. Although this first group of college students in the new program had their tuition costs covered by a state college recruitment program, CCA students enrolled in the Pathway project can still see a net financial gain each year, making more in apprenticeship salary than they spend on tuition, Cherry Creek officials say.

Cherry Creek schools has invested about $760,000 in the program for the first year, making room for 16 participants. In return, the district gets a field of dedicated teachers who can join Cherry Creek schools upon graduation, already tenured. Classroom time among these apprentices is more than 4,000 hours, compared to the average 750 hours of classroom experience the would get as student teachers.

After four years in the program, participants leave the program with Colorado state teacher licenses issued by the school district, and their bachelor’s degree issued by CCA.

Rather than just creating typical student-teacher positions, the concept creates a co-teaching environment where both mentors and apprentices grow professionally while delivering more personalized instruction to students.

School officials say the concept is based on medical residency programs.

Cherry Creek Chief Human Resources Officer Brenda Smith says the program uses “spiral effect.” The concept shows that knowledge in a subject deepens further by revisiting and focusing on issues over time, enhancing understanding and retention.

“This program is really going to

change the lives of teachers and the way that they learn,” said another apprentice, Alison Duarte. “And I’m so excited to be a part of that.”

Last week, multiple participants spoke during a roundtable at Sky Vista Middle School and said they appreciated the program’s collaborative approach and how it differs from traditional teacher training methods. All of the participants said that the program, which launched this year, was a success.

“I was lucky enough to have Jordan placed with me,” said another mentor, Sam Turner, about his apprentice Jordan Cox. “I was Jordan’s eighth-grade teacher.”

Turner said he’s learned more from Jordan this year than Jordan has learned from him.

“It’s been an amazing experience,”

Turner said.

Duarte said that she likes that she can take what she learned in class and apply it directly to the students. She said she was excited to go to the students and say, “I know why you’re struggling with that, and I know how to help.”

She appreciated that she could immediately bring what she learned into the classroom.

Colorado Department of Education

Commissioner Susan Cordova said she thinks the program could be a potential solution to teacher recruitment and retention challenges across the state.

“One of our goals is to try to really support the recruitment and protection of great teachers, and this is such a great example of how we can rethink what it looks like to join the teaching profession,” Cordova said.

The program could be growing half to two-thirds of the teachers the school district needs, and the teachers would already have four years of experience on their first day as a teacher, which is “incredibly inspiring,” Cordova said.

“I’m excited for next year, because I feel like we’ve got a good foundation, and Alison has changed everything about my perspective on teaching,” said Duarte’s mentor Jessica Daubert.

She said it also allows her to take a sick day without being concerned or stressed.

“I don’t have that guilt, I don’t have that pressure,” Daubert said. and she no longer has to spend hours creating lesson plans for a substitute teacher she said go awry more often than not.

All of the teachers at the roundtable said they appreciated and wanted to continue pursuing the support and community that the mentor-program created. Apprentices learn from each other, and veteran teachers learn as well.

Daubert told the group that she was somewhat skeptical at first about having an apprentice. Not anymore. She drew laughs from the group, insisting that she is taking Duarte with her next year, no questions asked.

For Duarte, the first year in the program made her love to be a teacher even as she’s still learning how.

“This is why I’m doing this. I’m gonna have hard days, but I’m also going to have great days,” Duarte said. “They are learning every single day, and they love it. They love it.”

Cherry Creek plans to continue the program while expanding.

Being a great teacher doesn’t guarantee they’ll be great mentors, school officials said. One goal is to better predict which teachers are best for the program and even a best fit for each apprentice.

School administrators, however, dubbed the program a success so far.

“You were first. You were the foundation of this program,” Superintendent Christopher Smith said to the roundta-

ble. “It is your responsibility to set the tone for the next group of people who come through.”

— Cassandra Ballard, Sentinel Staff Writer

AROUND AURORA

Aurora Housing Authority appoints new executive director after year of controversy

“The Aurora Housing Authority board of directors has appointed interim chief Steve Blackstock permanently as executive director of the organization.

“Steve’s extensive experience in social work and family services, combined

with his deep understanding of AHA’s mission and community needs, makes him the ideal candidate to lead us into our next chapter,” AHA Board Chairperson Barbara Cleland said in a statement. “His clear vision for the future of affordable housing and his commitment to innovation and equity stood out in our selection process.”

The Aurora Housing Authority owns and manages apartments and townhomes in Aurora, most of which are reserved for households earning less than 60% of the area median income — $54,780 for a single person and $62,640 for a household of two in Arapahoe County. The agency also administers federal Section 8 housing vouchers and develops affordable housing using federal, state and local grants.

The appointment comes after more

than a year of controversy at the authority prompted by allegations among some city lawmakers that the current board was sometimes unfriendly to developers.

Friction between the former executive director, board members and some city lawmakers resulted in city council members enacting appointment rule changes last year in an effort to oust some board members.

The Housing Authority, in turn, sued the city and prevailed, according to authority officials.

The city has since appealed the loss, according to officials.

The rule changes passed last summer by the council would require

›› See METRO, 6

ARAPAHOE COUNTY

All County facilities will be closed Monday, May 26, in observance of the Memorial Day holiday.

Beauty and the Bees

Join Arapahoe County CSU Extension Horticulture Specialist Lisa Mason for a free talk about bees and pollinators, May 1, 2–3 p.m. at Centennial YMCA Center of Generations. Lisa manages the Native Bee Watch, a citizen science program that monitors native bees. Learn what you can do in your own yard to support pollinators and bees. Email COG@denverymca.org to register.

that appointments to the seven-member housing authority board be made by a majority of the council rather than unilaterally by the mayor, which was the previous, and still standing, policy.

City lawmakers also specified that the board should include a certain number of members with a background in the affordable housing business, finance and property development as well as personal experience living in affordable housing or being homeless.

Previously, the only prerequisite for service on the board was that members be Aurora residents registered to vote in the city. The structure of terms for board members has also been overhauled, permitting members to serve no more than two, three-year terms rather than an unlimited number of five-year terms.

For current members, depending on when their terms end, that could mean serving four years rather than the five years they were originally appointed for, a detail that was singled out for scrutiny in the authority’s June 28, 2024 lawsuit.

“This sweeping initiative has the potential for destructive effects upon the organization’s operating independence and the financial integrity of future housing projects,” the board said

• Great Burgers

in a July 2, 2024 statement. “The ability of enacted public housing authorities to conduct their vital work independent of the varying political motivations of elected officials is exactly what the Housing Authorities Law is designed to protect.”

Controversy erupted over the proposed nomination changes came to light when former Authority CEO Craig Maraschky warned city lawmakers about the risks of making the agency or its leadership structure appear unstable to project investors.

In a May 10, 2024 email that Mayor Mike Coffman and Councilmember Alison Coombs shared with the Sentinel last year, Maraschky claimed the draft proposal had already spooked the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, which he said had “terminated” its involvement with the redevelopment of Residences at Willow Park as well as the pending Gateway Park and Sanctuary on Potomac developments.

“Investors and lenders with a financial stake in affordable housing developments cannot risk their funds by working with organizations that do not have a proven leadership structure,” Maraschky wrote.

“It is unfortunate that AHA was not consulted in any manner on the draft or-

T. 1989

dinance. The consequences have been and will continue to be severe to the development of affordable housing in the City of Aurora.”

The Colorado Housing and Finance Authority had awarded about $1.5 million in tax credits and construction-to-permanent financing worth about $23.9 million for the Willow Park redevelopment as well as nearly $1.5 million in grant funding to buy land for Gateway Park.

Aurora’s Housing Authority has also applied for a tax credit for the proposed Sanctuary on Potomac affordable housing development, which would be located on Aurora Mental Health and Recovery’s new Crisis and Acute Care Campus.

When asked about Maraschky’s statements, a spokesperson for the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, Matt Lynn, said the agency had not halted its involvement with any of the three projects.

Coffman told the Sentinel last yer that he made a similar inquiry himself after receiving the email from Maraschky, and that the state authority’s executive director, Cris White, said Maraschky had admitted to intentionally misrepresenting the status of the project.

“This has to (be) one of the most bizarre things that has happened to me in all my years in American government,” Coffman wrote in an email. “Without question, in my view, this rises to a level where Craig needs to resign.”

nah Han said in a statement. “He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Northern Colorado, a Master of Divinity from San Francisco Theological Seminary, and a Master of Social Work from the University of Denver and he serves on the Arapahoe County Community Services Block Grant Advisory Committee.”

— Sentinel staff

COPS AND COURTS

Two suspects issued warrants in Aurora stripmall fatal triple shooting

Police have obtained arrest warrants for two Aurora people tabbed as suspects linked to an Aurora strip-mall parking lot shooting last week that left one man dead and two other people injured.

Police said arrest warrants were issued for Hee Dah Weh, 24, and Latrayvon Dashen Bullard, 23, both of Aurora.

Aurora police spokesperson Agent Matthew Longshore said both suspects face first-degree murder charges in the case.

Coroner officials earlier identified a 43-year-old man fatally shot Wednesday in an Aurora strip-mall parking lot.

The shooting occurred at about 8:30 p.m. May 14 in the parking of the King Soopers strip mall at 1155 S. Havana St.

The crash marks the 11th traffic-related fatality in 2025 in Aurora.

— Sentinel Staff

2 teenagers injured during shooting at Aurora house party, police report

Two teenage males were shot and injured early May 18 during a dispute at a house party in south Aurora, police said.

Police were called to 3651 S. Andes St. at about 1 a.m. after reports there of a shooting.

“Officers located two males that had been shot inside of the residence,” Aurora police spokesperson Agent Matthew Longshore said in a statement. “One male, a 19 year old, has serious injuries. The other, unknown age but we believe he’s around the same age, has life-threatening injuries.”

Both of the injured teens were taken to a nearby hospital.

Longshore said an initial investigation revealed that some kind of fight broke out during the party and an unidentified suspect began shooting.

“Detectives are actively following up on leads but no arrests have been made,” Longshore said.

— Sentinel Staff

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Maraschky resigned late last year, and Blackstock was appointed interim director.

Blackstock has been with the Aurora Housing Authority since 2016 in a variety of leadership positions, officials there said.

He also has experience as a social worker, a pastor and a homelessness services provider.

Cleland said he strengthens the authority’s commitment to providing housing to vulnerable populations, including veterans, foster-family children and families facing medical challenges.

“Mr. Blackstock’s background includes pastoral leadership in churches across Wisconsin, New Mexico, and Col-

When police arrived, they discovered a man later identified as James Michael Young fatally shot. Another man, not identified, was shot and injured and transported to a nearby hospital. A short time later, hospital officials notified police to say that a woman suffering a gunshot wound from the same shooting incident had found her own way to the hospital for treatment.

“Preliminary information indicates an altercation in the parking lot led to the shooting,” Longshore said. “The incident remains under active investigation.”

It’s unclear whether there may be other suspects involved in the shooting, or if either or both of the arrested suspects are accused of being the shooter.

Police said anyone with information can call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Tipsters can remain anonymous and still be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000, police said.

— Sentinel Staff

Off-road motorcycle crash claims life of 14-year-old boy in Aurora

An unidentified 14-year-old boy has died from injuries he sustained after being hit by a car while he was driving an off-road motorcycle across a south Aurora intersection May 4, police reported.

The crash happened at about 10 p.m. May 4 at the intersection of South Peoria Street and East Louisiana Drive.

Police said the boy had a 16-year-old rider on the bike and was “traveling at a high rate of speed on the sidewalk when it collided with a Kia Sorento that was turning onto Louisiana Drive from Peoria Street.”

The bike did not have a headlight nor taillight, when the crash occurred. Neither boy on the bike were wearing helmets.

“The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation,” police said.

Both boys were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Police were notified May 14 that the younger boy died from his injuries.

“The investigation is active and ongoing,” police said. “Speed and alcohol are being investigated as possible contributing factors to the crash.”

speed suspected in 4-car Aurora crash that leaves 1 dead, 2 injured

An unidentified woman was killed May18 during a four-car crash in southeast Aurora that police say was likely the result of a speeding driver.

Police said an unidentified man driving a Ford Mustang with a female passenger was westbound on East Quincy Avenue at about 4:30 p.m. when his car crashed into an Infiniti SUV driven by a woman turning left from Quincy to South Uravan Street.

Police said the driver came over a hill “at a high rate of speed” when the collision occurred.

The woman in the Infiniti died at the scene of the crash, according to Aurora police spokesperson Agent Matthew Longshore.

The man and woman in the Mustang were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of serious injuries sustained in the crash.

“Speed is suspected to be a major contributing factor, and charges will be pending with further analysis and a crash reconstruction,” Longshore said.

Two other cars were damaged during the crash, but no one inside those cars were injured, police said.

The death marks the 12th traffic fatality this year in Aurora.

— Sentinel Staff

Aurora man shoots intruder breaking into home garage, police say

An Aurora man shot and critically injured another man he said was an intruder in the garage of his northwest Aurora home early May 19, police reported.

Police said the unidentified man “was alerted” to someone breaking into his garage in the 1200 block of Moline Street about 4:30 a.m.

“The homeowner confronts the man in the garage and the shooting occurs,” Aurora police spokesperson Agent Matthew Longshore said in a statement. The shooting is under investigation and no other details were released.

— Sentinel Staff

In two vastly different ways, the Grandview and Regis Jesuit baseball teams got to the same coveted place: the Class 5A Championship Series.

The eight-team double elimination tournament that will decide the state championship will include the Wolves and Raiders, who made it through regional tournaments on their home fields May 16-17 to keep their seasons alive.

BASEBALL

It will be the fourth straight season in the Championship Series for Regis Jesuit — last season’s runner-up — and second in a row for Grandview.

But this time, Darr was able to deploy junior ace Hudson Alpert, who was on point from start to finish as he allowed just two hits and a single run.

“He was obviously special,” Darr said of Alpert, who improved to 5-3 with a 1.27 ERA. “This is my 11th year with the program and having a lot of great pitchers, but that performance might have been the best we’ve had. They got a couple of runners on, but he buckled down every time.”

Offensively, the hero was junior Chase Massey, who hadn’t been swinging a hot bat, but came through with a home run to give Regis Jesuit the lead and then doubled in junior Jacob Olson in the bottom of the seventh for a 2-1 walk-off win.

Series season

“Being there four years in a row is something to be proud of as a program,” said Regis Jesuit coach Matt Darr, the only one of the final eight to be able to make that claim.

“It’s so hard to get there,” he added. “One break here or there or a bad draw and that’s it.

BY COURTNEY OAKES Sports Editor

...Obviously now we can take a deep breath and it’s way more enjoyable and more fun now.”

The sixth-seeded Raiders were the only team to hold regional play on May 16 and they prevailed in Region 6 to be the first into the Championship Series. That did not come without drama, however, as they not only had to get through No. 27 Brighton, but also Continental League rival and 11th-seeded Mountain Vista.

Regis Jesuit fell behind the Bulldogs by two runs in the third inning, but scored five times in its next two at-bats to take control. The Raiders then found themselves with a rematch with Mountain Vista, which dealt them a 12-1 defeat in Continental League play April 14, with the Golden Eagles throwing the same pitcher in Chase Ruden.

“Chase would be the first to say he’s had a disappointing year at the plate, but sometimes you need those kids to come through against really good arms,” Darr said.

Regis Jesuit (18-7) retains the No. 6 seed and will take on No. 3 Arvada West (22-2-1) at noon May 23 at All-City Stadium in the opening game of the Championship Series.

Top-seeded Grandview (21-4), meanwhile, will begin play in the Championship Series at 9:30 a.m. May 23 at All-Star Park in Lakewood against No. 8 Castle View (19-6).

Coach Scott Henry’s Wolves — who lost in the semifinals of last season’s Championship Series — had their white-knuckle postseason experience in the opening game of Region 1 play May 17 as opposed to in the championship game.

Going up against No. 32 Poudre, the Wolves were locked in a 1-1 game in the fourth inning (after senior Josiah Giron worked out of a bases loaded situation in relief of solid senior starter Justin Dean) before taking the lead. Senior Kyler Vaughn walked, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on an

errant throw to first on a grounder by sophomore Kayden Bohmeyer.

Giron made it hold up, as he stranded the tying run at second base in the seventh for a 2-1 win, which included an early home run from junior Ethan Wachsmann.

“We’ve been a high seed in the past, but I’ve never coached a No. 1 seed,” Henry said. “I felt a little bit more pressure because I didn’t want us to the No. 1 that goes out early. We had no idea what we were going to see from Poudre, good or bad, and they were way tougher than we expected.”

To Henry’s relief, things were much different in the regional championship game, as Grandview jumped all over No. 16 Pueblo West after a lightning strike in the area caused a 30-minute delay.

Wachsmann retired the Cyclones in order in the top of the first inning and the Wolves would counter with nine runs in the bottom of the frame on their way to a 15-2 victory. Dean and Vaughn each had two-run singles, Bohmeyer and seniors Chase Chapman and Jax Pfister doubled in runs and Wachsmann had an RBI grounder in the huge opening inning for Grandview, which also had three-run rallies in the third and fourth innings.

“We needed a performance like that offensively,” Henry said. “We had runners on in the first game and did get that timely hit. It was nice to see our guys stay aggressive the whole way.”

ABOVE: Regis Jesuit junior Chase Massey, second from left, is swarmed by teammates after he delivered a run-scoring double to give the Raiders a 2-1 walk-off win over Mountain Vista in the Class 5A Region 6 championship game on May 16 at Regis Jesuit. The win earned the Raiders a spot in the 5A Championship Series, which begins May 23. Photo courtesy Paul Shephardson Photography. BELOW: Senior Chase Chapman and Grandview won the Region 1 tournament May 17 and takes the No. 1 seed into the 5A Championship Series. Photo by Courtney Oakes/Aurora Sentinel

GIRLS GOLF

Nine area golfers compete in 5A state tournament

Four golfers from Cherokee Trail, plus three from Regis Jesuit and two from Grandview played in the Class 5A girls golf state tournament May 19-20 at Todd Creek G.C.

The Cougars had their entire team (senior Haylee Clark, junior Saruul Gantulga and sophomores Brinnon Cook and Kaylee Saul) qualify as individuals from the Central Regional tournament at City Park G.C., while the Raiders also had enough to acculumate a team score (which requires three players) when sophomore alternate Emily Gott was added before the start of the opening round to join senior Audrey Whitmore and junior Natalie Furgason.

Grandview had two qualifiers in juniors Jean Lim and Charly Ashworth.

Whitmore — top-10 finisher last season — got off to the best start among locals in the May 19 opening round, as she made two birdies to finish with a plus-6 78 that tied her for sixth place. Clark was next with an 83 that put her in a tie for 21st going into the final day.

In the team standings, the Cougars held a two-stroke lead over the Raiders after the opening round as the local teams sat in 10th and 12th places, respectively.

The tournament concluded May 20. Visit sentinelcolorado.com/preps for full results and recap.

GIRLS GOLF

Pair of Bison compete in 4A state tournament

Vista PEAK Prep juniors Sophia Capua and Brielle Austin earned their way into the Class 4A state tournament, which took place May 19-20 at The Broadlands G.C.

Making her third state tournament appearance in as many seasons, Capua shot an opening round 83 (11-over-par) to put herself in a tie for eighth place going into the final day. Her opening round included an eagle on the par-5 Hole No. 13, which went with another birdie. Capua earned a career-best ninth place finish as a freshman in 2023, then placed 26th last season.

Austin made the state tournament for the first time and opened with a 111.

The tournament concluded May 20. Visit sentinelcolorado.com/preps for full results and recap.

GIRLS LACROSSE

Regis Jesuit comes up goal short in 5A semiﬁnal loss to ThunderRidge

The scoring came fast and furious for three quarters May 13 in a Class 5A girls lacrosse semifinal clash between Regis Jesuit and ThunderRidge.

The fourth quarter was dramatically different, however.

The third-seeded Raiders and second-seeded Grizzlies ran up and down the field at Englewood High School and combined for a whopping 13 goals in the third period, putting both into double figures. After a final period that included a disallowed goal, a post-goal stick check, multiple yellow cards and a ThunderRidge possession that took the last six minutes off the clock, Regis Jesuit ended up on the wrong end of a heartbreaking 15-14 defeat.

Sophomore Natalie Chilton scored a

team-high four goals — including one that gave the Raiders a goal advantage late in the third quarter — while senior Madisyn Jokerst added three and junior Delaney Sitzmann and freshmen Anna Hodges and Jasmine Lugo scored two apiece.

Coach Crysti Foote’s Regis Jesuit team — which was in search of the program’s second all-time trip to the state championship game — finished the season 14-4, with two of the losses coming by one goal apiece to ThunderRidge, while a third came to top-seeded Valor Christian.The Eagles defeated the Grizzlies 12-8 May 16 in the 5A state championship game.

BOYS LACROSSE

Cherry Creek downs Regis

Jesuit in 5A quarterﬁnals

For the first time since 2019, the Regis Jesuit boys lacrosse team exited the Class 5A state playoffs before the semifinal round with a 14-6 loss to Cherry Creek May 14 at Stutler Bowl.

The eighth-seeded Raiders came into the contest against the top-seeded and undefeated Bruins off a 14-10 second round win over No. 9 Mountain Vista, but fell into a six-goal hole after one quarter and couldn’t close the gap

to less than five the rest of the way.

Junior Owen Hynes and freshman Will Cornell scored two goals apiece, while senior Rocco Biviano and junior Teddy Rogala also scored for coach Ross Moscatelli’s Regis Jesuit team, which finished 11-6. Four of the five losses in Colorado for the Raiders came to teams that at least made the semifinals (Cherry Creek twice, plus one to finalist Valor Christian and Arapahoe).

BASEBALL

Cherokee Trail falls 7-0 in 5A Region 5 title game

The Cherokee Trail baseball team’s bid to make the Class 5A Championship Series for a fourth straight season came to an end in the championship game of the Region 5 tournament May 17.

The 21st-seeded Cougars knocked out No. 12 Legacy 2-0 in the opening round of the tournament at Broomfield High School on a combined one-hitter from seniors Carter Wilcox (who struck out nine in six innings) and Ethin Woltz plus RBI from Brody Kenshalo and Landon McWilliams. Cherokee Trail (15-11) was unable to solve Maverick Scarpella of No. 5 Broomfield in the final, however, as it was held without a hit in a 7-0 loss.

BASEBALL

Eaglecrest stopped in Class 5A Region 7 opener

The Eaglecrest baseball team pulled a stunner in the opening round of last season’s Class 5A regional playoffs, but could not repeat the feat this season.

The 23rd-seeded Raptors — who knocked off No. 1 Fossil Ridge last season to begin regional play — ran into a hot No. 9 seed in Castle View, which accumulated 15 hits in a 13-2 victory.

Senior Connor Brennan homered and drove in both runs for Eaglecrest, which finished with an 11-13 record.

BASEBALL

Gateway falls in opening round at Class 4A Region 1

The Gateway baseball team appeared in the postseason for the first time in decades when it played in the Class 4A Region 1 tournament May 16 at Pueblo County High School.

Seeded No. 32, coach Rashad Mason’s Colorado Leauge champion Olys had a tough task against the top-seeded Hornets, who had a 15-game winning streak coming into the game. Two Pueblo County pitchers held Gateway

without a hit in four

as the Olys finished the season 12-9.

WEEK PAST

The week past in

Aurora prep sports

TUESDAY, MAY 13: Blake Anderson homered in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift the Eaglecrest baseball team to a 6-5 win over Northfield to conclude the regular season. Connor Brennan got the win in relief as he escaped a jam in the top of the seventh inning to record the final out. ...Despite three hits from Toby Sanchez and two RBI apiece from Anderson Rodriguez and Kirby Colbert-Olsen, the Aurora Central baseball team dropped a 13-10 home contest to Arvada to finish the regular season. ...The Hinkley baseball team finished winless in its return to play after a few season’s hiatus, but scored a season-high 15 runs in a 20-15 loss to DSST:Montview. ...The Vista PEAK Prep girls golf team had two golfers make it through the Class 4A Region 3 tournament at Twin Lakes G.C. Sophia Capua shot plus-4 75 to finish in third place, while Brielle Austin also qualified with a 100, while the Bison were fifth as a team.

at-bats,

TOP: Regis Jesuit freshman Jasmine Lugo celebrates after scoring a goal in the second half of a Class 5A girls lacrosse state playoff semifinal on May 13 at Englewood High School. Lugo’s score helped the Raiders to a late lead, but they fell 15-14 to ThunderRidge. ABOVE LEFT: Regis Jesuit’s Owen Hynes, right, looks for room near the Cherry Creek goal during the Raiders’ 14-6 loss in a Class 5A boys lacrosse quarterfinal May 14 at Stutler Bowl. ABOVE RIGHT: Vista PEAK Prep junior Sophia Capua tied for eighth place after the opening round of the Class 4A girls golf state tournament played May 19 at The Broadlands G.C. (Photos by COURTNEY OAKES/Aurora Sentinel)

From Japan to your Aurora table, ‘delicious savory’

UMAMI’S AN OLD FLAVOR BUT STILL A NEW CONCEPT FOR MANY COOKS

BY KATIE WORKMAN, Associated Press

You know that burst of flavor you experience when you take a bite of certain savory foods, such as meat, fish, mushrooms or miso? That sensation of “whoa, that is just delicious!” In all likelihood, you are tasting umami.

Umami, which translates to “delicious savory taste, “ was identified as a distinct flavor in 1908 by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda. It’s now recognized as the fifth taste, joining sweet, salty, bitter and sour.

The concept of this fifth taste has been embraced in the East for a long time, before it had an official name. But it’s still a relatively new idea to many home cooks in the West.

If you’ve ever wondered why sprinkling Parmesan on your pasta made it just so much more satisfying, why the exterior of a roasted pork shoulder has so much flavor, why miso soup tastes so luxurious, why bacon is so freaking delicious, why an anchovy-laded Caesar salad dressing makes you want to wriggle with joy, why caramelized onions have so much depth — the answer is umami.

Umami flavor comes from glutamate, a common amino acid or protein building block found in many foods. The most familiar is monosodium glutamate, or MSG. In the U.S., it was once believed that MSG wasn’t good for you, but it’s now generally recognized as a safe addition to food. Many Asian chefs have worked to reintroduce MSG into daily cooking.

Umami can be found in many ingredients in many cuisines

Foods rich with umami flavor include:

Aged cheeses: Blue cheese, gouda and cheddar are some of the most umami-packed cheeses due to the breakdown of proteins that takes places during the aging process. Parmesan cheese is widely recognized as an umami bomb.

Tomato products: The more cooked down, the more concentrated the umami — think tomato paste, sundried tomatoes and ketchup.

Mushrooms: In particular, shiitake, oyster and portobello mushrooms. Also, make use of dried mushrooms.

Meat and meat broths: Roasted and grilled meats are examples of umami richness. A roasted chicken, pan-seared steak. Cured meats like prosciutto and bacon are also umami powerhouses. So are ramen, udon soup and other foods made with rich savory broths.

Fish and seafood: Especially varieties like sea urchin, shrimp and scallops. You will also find high levels of umami flavor in fish and fish broths, especially little oily fish like sardines and anchovies.

Bonito flakes: These tissue-thin, fluffy shards of cooked and dry-smoked tuna are used as the base of dashi, a seasoning blend at the base of much Japanese cooking. Dashi also usually includes shiitake mushrooms and kombu (seaweed).

Many fermented things have umami taste

Soy sauce, or shoyu, is one of the pillars of umami flavor in Asian cooking. Fermentation breaks down the proteins in the soybeans and wheat used to make soy sauce into amino acids, glutamic acid in particular. Tamari is a gluten-free version of this condiment.

Fish sauce is another source of umami, used often in Southeast Asian cooking. The basic ingredients are anchovies and salt. The salt pulls out the liquid from the fish and creates a dark, potent amber sauce. This is one of the reasons that Thai, Vietnamese and Philippine food, to name a few, taste so distinctively and pungently savory.

Non-meat options

Vegetarians and vegans might think that elusive fifth taste is hard to achieve without meat or other animal products, but there is much good news!

Seaweed: Another big source of umami (and not coincidentally the other main ingredient in dashi).

Yeast enhancers and spreads: Umami is the leading flavor note of marmite and nutritional yeast.

Miso paste, made from fermented soybeans, is high in umami, whether you are using white miso, brown rice miso, red miso or yellow miso.

A few of many interesting accents from the pantry...

An online store called Umami Mart makes an umami salt that contains salt, black, garlic and shiitake mushrooms.

Red Boat makes excellent fish sauce and also has as a seasoned salt made with anchovies, a dry way to add pungent flavor.

Fan favorite Kewpie Mayonnaise is rich in umami thanks to the combo of egg yolks, vinegar and MSG.

Cabi makes an umami dashi soy sauce, which packs a serious umami punch.

A company called Muso makes organic umami purees from soy sauce and koji-cultured rice designed to add flavor and tenderize foods.

Yamaki makes dashi sachets and various sized packages of bonito flakes.

Kayanoya is a Japan-based company known for its line of dashi products ranging from dashi, kelp and mushroom stock powders to ramen and udon broth mixes.

Vumami makes a line of condiments called Umami Bomb, made with fermented soy beans, tamari and shiitake mushrooms. They can be added to stir-fries or soups, and used as a dumpling dip.

Now that you know what you’re tasting, you’ll be looking for ways to incorporate more of this fifth dates into your cooking. It’s truly as easy as knowing what ingredients to reach for!

Dashi broth and soup mix. Katie Workman via AP

library and encourage school-age children to continue reading over the summer, according to the statement.

scene & herd

Aurora library summer of reading kicks off this month

Aurora Public Library’s Summer of Imagination returns this year with the theme “Color Our World.”

Starting May 27, participants in the summer reading program can register to receive a free book, while supplies last, a statement from the city said.

“Summer reading is one of the most powerful tools we have to prevent the ‘summer slide’—the learning loss many students experience when school is out,” Joanna McNeal, deputy director of Library Services, said in the statement.

Summer reading takes place every year to encourage reading as a life-long habit, increase engagement with the

“Through our Summer of Imagination program, we aim to keep reading fun, accessible and inspiring for all ages, while supporting lifelong learning and sparking creativity across our diverse community, ” McNeal said in the statement.

After registering, participants pick up an activity log filled with reading challenges and colorful activities, the release said. After completing the log, they can turn it in at any library branch for a chance to win the grand prize.

A grand prize winner will be chosen Aug. 1.

A library card is not needed to register, but it can still be requested. Participation in all Summer of Imagination activities is free.

There will be additional events and activities for all ages that will take place throughout Summer of Imagination, including Poetry Breakfast, Aurora Water and Aquatic Critters and more, according to the statement.

IF YOU GO

•May 21, 4 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Library, 9898 E. Colfax Ave.

The library will have ice cream and bubbles to kick off the Summer of Imagination. Find out more about the interactive reading program and how to sign up to earn prizes. The event is open to children ages 6 to 11.

• May 27, 4 p.m., Chambers Plaza Library, 1551 N. Chambers Road

There will be a special crafty club to launch Summer of Imagination, featuring magician Ann Lincoln. The event is open to all ages.

May 30, 3 p.m., Central Library, 14949 E. Alameda Parkway

A chance to register for Summer of Imagination and explore colorful celebrations around the world in and outside the library. The library will celebrate by throwing colorful powder, making crafts and getting excited for reading. Supplies will be provided. Please wear clothing that may get stained.

•May 31, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tallyn’s Reach Library, 23911 E. Arapahoe Road

A day of fun, color and characters with different programs happening all day. Registration will be open for our Summer of Imagination.

• June 7, 2 p.m., Mission Viejo Library, 15324 E. Hampden Circle

A Balloon Performance by Kidz Balloonz followed by cupcakes, crafts and more.

• June 11, 6 p.m., Hoffman Heights Library, 1298 Peoria St.

A farmer’s market will be held at the local library while people register for Summer of Imagination.

World War II commemoration anniversary with Colorado Remembers

The Colorado Freedom Memorial in Aurora will host its annual Colorado Remembers event marking the anniversary of the end of World War II with a day of remembrance and history.

The free event the memorial site will feature a range of activities including a pancake breakfast, military displays, and a formal remembrance ceremony.

From 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., visitors can enjoy a “free-will donation” pancake breakfast, accompanied by live music from the All-American Big Band. Proceeds benefit the Colorado Freedom Memorial Foundation.

A remembrance ceremony is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., followed by tours of the memorial and a static display of military vehicles and artifacts from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Highlights include the Honor Bell and a steel beam from the USS Arizona, as well as a curated collection of military artifacts.

World War II veterans are especially encouraged to attend and will be honored during the event. Organizers are asking veterans or their families to contact the memorial for more information on how to participate in the recognition.

IF YOU GO

Where: Colorado Freedom Memorial, 756 Telluride St.

When: May 24, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Details: ColoradoFreedomMemorial.com

Roll with it: ‘Ride the Cyclone’

A thrilling blend of dark comedy and catchy tunes arrives in Aurora with the regional premiere of ‘Ride the Cyclone,’ a musical that promises to entertain and provoke. The production takes the stage at the Nickelson Auditorium at the Vintage, under the direction of Jennifer Schmitz.

Written by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell, ‘Cyclone’ follows six Canadian teens whose lives are tragically cut short in a bizarre roller coaster accident. But death is only the beginning. In a surreal twist, the teens awaken in limbo, where a mechanical fortune teller offers each a once-in-a-lifetime — or afterlifetime — opportunity: Tell their story for a chance to come back to life. With a script praised for its wit and emotional depth, and music that spans a variety of genres, the musical has become a cult favorite in the U.S. and Canada. NOTE: Ride the Cyclone contains mature themes and language. Even though these characters are in high school, this “mischievous musical” is intended for mature audiences.

IF YOU GO

Where: Nickelson Auditorium at the Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St.

When: Through June 8. Curtains vary.

Tickets: $20-$39

Details and sales: www.vintagetheatre.org/ or 303 856-7830

Blues Heritage at Smoky Hill Library

Music lovers are invited to explore the deep roots of American music during a special presentation hosted by the Colorado Blues Society.

The free event, “Discover the Roots of American Music” will offer live blues performance from a professional musician and gain insight from a blues expert on how the genre helped shape the sound of American music throughout the 20th Century.

The presentation will trace the influ-

ence of blues on legendary artists such as Elvis Presley, Duke Ellington, B.B. King, Miles Davis, Frank Sinatra, and the Allman Brothers Band.

IF YOU GO

Where: Smoky Hill Library, 5430 S. Biscay Circle

When: 2 p.m. May 21

Details and tickets: https://buff. ly/tFCGc1R or 303-542-7279

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 Japanese 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 Parkway Tickets: Included in general admission, which is free for members and for all visitors 18 and under.

Details: www.denverartmuseum.org

TRACKING DOWN TITLES

Cherokee Trail closes on final day to win third straight Class 5A boys state title amid track meet filled with local championships

Chris Faust’s joy for track & field had turned gradually turned into pressure.

BY COURTNEY OAKES, Sports Editor

The

Cherokee Trail senior Peyton Sommers overcame injury to win his third straight Class 5A boys 400 meter dash state title.

Above: Senior Peyton Sommers hold aloft the Class 5A boys track & field state championship as he stands with his Cherokee Trail teammates atop the medal podium at Jefferson County Stadium May 17. The Cougars surged from sixth place after two days into first and became the second 5A boys program all-time to win three consecutive state titles.

Oakes/

The longtime coach had guided his Cherokee Trail boys track team to back-to-back Class 5A state championships the past two seasons and with a cast headed by senior Peyton Sommers, came into this season feeling the weight of expectations.

An early hamstring injury to Sommers — a Penn State signee who was coming off four event titles at last season’s state meet — created some uncertainty and made the weight seem heavier.

“I was pretty miserable at the beginning of the season because I was so focused on trying to not lose a state championship because of what we had coming back,” Faust said. “I wasn’t focusing on enjoying track, but these kids changed that. They may not be the most talented group we’ve ever had, but this is the best group of kids I’ve ever been around.”

Sitting with his staff at the Rusty Bucket Bar & Grill about 10 minutes from the state meet site, Faust — who is always big on crunching the numbers and figuring out his team’s path to a title — knew it would take a special effort to overcome the deficit on the final day.

“THIS MAY NOT BE THE MOST TALENTED GROUP WE’VE EVER HAD, BUT THIS IS THE BEST GROUP OF KIDS I’VE EVER BEEN AROUND”

- CHEROKEE TRAIL

CHRIS FAUST

Throughout the season, Cherokee Trail — which won last season’s state championship by a whopping 53 points — wasn’t able to post the commanding type of wins at meets it was used to, but the character that emerged along the way gave Faust reason for hope.

Fifteen individuals and four relays teams qualified for the state meet May 15-17 at Jefferson County Stadium, but after two days, the Cougars sat in sixth place with challengers such as Eaglecrest and Mountain Vista in front of them.

COACH

“We were thinking maybe we can get second (based on seeding after prelims), but I sent a message to the kids that said “Forget seed, let’s go do what we’re capable of doing and see what happens. They all performed out of their minds today.”

That set up a final day where just about any scenario was in play, from Cherokee Trail bringing home a third straight state title all the way to finishing without hardware for the first time since 2022.

The points began to come little by little — starting with the fourth and fifth-place finishes from senior Solomon Griffen and freshman Joshua Stewart in the 110 meter hurdles to open the day — and they began to make a move up the standings.

Event by event, the Cougars closed until only two events remained to be scored, the pole vault and the 4x400 meter relay, long one of Faust’s emphasized events because of its importance at the close of meets. Senior Taylor Waters won the pole vault just before the Cougars won the relay, which Sommers finished with a smile as he anchored a satisfying closing victory.

“This was the toughest and it is the most gratifying because it was in doubt the entire time,” Faust said.

›› See TRACK, 12

Cover:

Photo by Courtney Oakes/ Aurora Sentinel

Photo by Courtney

Aurora Sentinel

CHEROKEE TRAIL BOYS PUT ON FULL DISPLAY OF TEAM ON WAY TO THIRD STRAIGHT 5A STATE TITLE

The past two Class 5A state championships for the Cherokee Trail boys track team had leaned heavily on sprints and sprint relays, but those were anything but certainties this season.

Because of that, balance became more necessary for the Cougars and they certainly demonstrated that as they completed a three-peat in the state’s largest classification that hadn’t been done by Smoky Hill in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

Coach Chris Faust’s Cherokee Trail team got double-digit points in pole vault from seniors Taylor Waters and Sawyer Carr, high jump points from junior Prince David Ajibade and long jump points from senior Nurudeen Diallo to help the cause.

“We’ve always been a track school — our relays and track events have been great — but it’s never been field,” Waters said. “This year, we have great triple jump, we have great pole vaulters, we’ve got great long jumpers. Our field is outstanding.”

The Cherokee Trail program had never had a pole vault state champion before, but Waters made that happen with his performance. He finished fourth last season with a top state jump of 14 feet, 10 inches, but took a great step forward this year. Waters cleared 16 feet or higher in every single competition through out the year and won a state title with a top jump of 16-9, just missing three attempts at 17 feet.

“I’m feeling good; I’m happy I got a PR and won my first state track meet,” Waters said.

Carr cleared 13-10 to tie for sixth place and grab 3.5 more crucial points in the penultimate event. Ajibade had earned fourth place in the high jump, while Diallo grabbed ninth in the long jump.

On the track, junior Dylan Smith made a huge impact for the Cougars with a third-place finish in the 800 meters — a three-place improvement from his seed time coming into the meet — plus a seventh in the 400 after he came into state as the No. 16 seed. On top of that, Smith combined with seniors Diallo, Nick Hoffsetz and Peyton Sommers to win the clinching 4x400 meter relay.

“Everyone came through with their events on this team,” said Smith, who also ran on the ninth-place 4x800 meter relay. “If one person doesn’t make the points they were supposed to, another one makes it up. It’s been great. ...This team is incredible, we could not have pulled it off without everyone on the team.”

Even with all those contributions, Cherokee Trail clearly would not have won the meet without Sommers, who provided a gutsy performance in the 400 meters that inspired the entire team. As he aimed to win the event for a third straight time, Sommers had late lead, but had to lean to beat Valor Christian’s Ryan Fick to the finish line, which he did in 47.09 seconds.

“That was probably the worst race of my state career, but I think it means the most with everything I had to fight through to be in this position,” Sommers said. “I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it. There was a lot of doubt, so I can’t believe I was able to do it.”

When it became clear that the 4x400 meter relay could clinch the state title, Sommers did not hesitate in telling Faust he was going to run in the race no matter what. He got to end his prep career in the ultimate fashion, with the track & field version of a walk-off victory as anchor of the final relay.

“This season has been brutal on Peyton, but he just kept the faith and got the points he could get this team,” Faust said. “If he’s a ‘me’ guy and says I don’t want to compete at the state meet if I can’t be healthy and go defend my championships, we don’t win. But he came and competed in what he could compete in. We needed every one of those points.”

EAGLECREST BOYS MAKES RUN AT 5A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP, COME AWAY AS RUNNERS-UP

One of the teams that hoped to unseat Cherokee Trail at the Class 5A boys state track meet came from just down the road at Eaglecrest.

Coach Chris Carhart’s Raptors finished fourth last season, but came into the meet with designs on winning the program’s first state championship since 2002.

Things didn’t go to plan, however, and Eaglecrest lost senior sprinter Noah Brown — an individual and relay component — to injury, while anticipated points didn’t come in some places, which ultimately left it 7.5 points short.

“It was a rollercoaster for sure,” Carhart said. “The kids faced a lot of adversity and really kept themselves close. They picked each other up and didn’t let anything get them down. We entered today with a chance to win, which was all we wanted.”

Junior Cameron Bell did yeoman’s work for the Raptors with three top-three individual finishes as he was second in the 110 meter hurdles and third in both the 300 meter hurdles and the long jump, which saw three Eaglecrest placers in Bell (third, senior Kendell Moreland in fourth and senior Thierry Asare in sixth), while the 4x100 meter relay team of Quincy Clayton, Burke Withycombe, Bryson States and Eric Hill Jr. won a state championship on the final day to give the Raptors a chance going into the final event.

The 4x100 foursome ran a time of 41.40 seconds and Hill Jr. — who was part of the Raptors win in the same event last season — held off Mountain Vista at the finish.

A win by more than five places over Cherokee Trail in the 4x400 relay could have vaulted Eaglecrest to the state championship, but with the Cougars throwing their all into the event, the runner-up finish of States, Withycombe and Asare plus Mohamed Lamine Sylla wasn’t enough, though it did lift them over Mountain Vista for second place.

“To have it come down to the 4x400 was just amazing,” Carhart said.

EAGLECREST GIRLS WIN 4X200 RELAY FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT YEAR, FINISH THIRD IN 5A STANDINGS

The Eaglecrest girls track team ultimately came of short of winning the Class 5A state championship, but it was hard to ignore throughout three days of competition.

The Raptors finished third behind Fossil Ridge and Centennial League rival Cherry Creek in the final standings, but most notably extended the program’s dominance of the field in the 4x200 meter relay.

The team of senior Jaylynn Wilson, junior Tatum Gratrix, sophomore Zenobia Witt and freshman Evangeline An-

sah held off a challenge from Fossil Ridge to win in 1 minute, 39.88 seconds. Wilson is the common denominator of all four of Eaglecrest’s victories in the event.

“Being able to come out here and pulling it off for a fourth time in a row and win it is amazing,” Wilson said. “I know I’m going to leave a legacy and it’s amazing to see the young ones perform. They are going to keep winning because that’s what they do.”

Wilson did more than just run on the relay, however, as she placed fourth in the triple jump in her first season competing in the event. Ansah had a huge debut with two top-five finishes in the sprint events and anchor performances on the 4x100 and 4x200 relays and freshman Rhyan Gadlin and senior Kaitlyn Hendrian got on the medal podium.

Witt won the long jump state championship as a freshman and she was able to repeat in the event with a win over Cherokee Trail senior Kaeli Powe. Witt jumped 18 feet, 7 inches, which was the same as the best effort from Powe, but her next best jump beat Powe’s to give her the tiebreaker.

“That was scary, I was not leading until the last jump, but I came through clutch on that one,” said Witt, who like the rest of the field had to battle tremendous headwinds during the event. “There was slight pressure, but I knew as long as I believed in my training, I could get it done.”

STATE TRACK MEET

AVAILABLE

Cherokee Trail’s Kaeli Powe, Overland’s Jarrius Ward defend 5A event state titles

Several Aurora area athletes earned repeat state titles at the Class 5A state track meet, among them were Cherokee Trail senior Kaeli Powe and Overland senior Jarrius Ward. Powe won last season’s state title in the 5A girls triple jump, but a tweaked foot — in addition to the blustery conditions that put the field at a disadvantage — made a second one slight more uncertain.

The University of Central Florida signee had only one of her three prelim jumps scored and that got her into the finals, where her final attempt of 41 feet, 4 1/2 inches, earned her another state title.

“I just want to let it all go on the last one,” said Powe, whose wind-aided effort of 42-1 3/4 at the Broomfield Shootout was tops in the state this season. “It feels good to come back and do it again, for sure.”

Powe easily surpassed the top efforts of Columbine’s Kailani Forbes (38-9 1/2) and Eaglecrest’s Zenobia Witt (38-1 1/2).

Exactly one year and one day later after he set the Colorado 5A state meet record, Ward returned to the discus venue at Jefferson County Stadium with even bigger goals for his final prep competition.

LEFT: Members of the Eaglecrest boys track & field team stand atop the medal podium with the Class 5A boys track state runner-up trophy on May 17 at Jefferson County Stadium. The Raptors racked up 65 points to move past Mountain Vista for second place behind Cherokee Trail. FAR LEFT: Cherokee Trail senior Taylor Waters rises on an attempt during the 5A boys pole vault competition on May 17 at Jefferson County Stadiun. Waters cleared a personal best height of 16 feet, 9 inchdes, to become the program’s first-ever state pole vault champion, LEFT: From left, Sawyer Carr, Nick Hoffsetz, Nurudeen Diallo, Dylan Smith, Peyton Sommers and Taylor Waters pose together after the final two events of the 5A boys state track meet May 17 at Jefferson County Stadium. Waters won the pole vault and Hoffsetz, Diallo, Smith and Sommers took the 4x400 meter relay to seal the Cougars’ team championship. TOP: Eaglecrest freshman Evangeline Ansah, right, and sophomore Zenobia Witt react to their victory — along with senior Jaylynn Wilson and junior Tatum Gratrix — in the 5A girls 4x200 meter relay May 16. The Raptors won the event for a fourth straight season. ABOVE LEFT: Cherokee Trail senior Kaeli Powe, second from right, won her second straight 5A girls triple jump state championship, while Eaglecrest’s Zenobia Witt, right, and Jaylynn Wright, left, placed third and fourth in the same event. ABOVE RIGHT: Overland senior Jarrius Ward stands atop the medal podium after he won the 5A boys discus state championship for a second straight season. PHOTOS BY COURTNEY OAKES/AURORA SENTINEL

His throw of 203 feet, 4 inches, last season had knocked the 192-5 of Westminster’s Todd Austin from 1977 off the top spot in the meet recordbooks, so the only mark left to better was the all-classification Colorado record of 214-1 established by former Buena Vista star Mason Finley in 2009.

A large crowd gathered to watch Ward’s pursuit, which ultimately fell short of the record, but his top effort of 182-5 was plenty to put him in front of Loveland’s Ashton Daly (163-6) and Northfield’s Lucas Lawson (153-1). In fact, Ward had the three longest throws of the day, as he also threw 180-3 and 177-10.

“I feel great,” Ward said. “Sadly I didn’t get to break the records I wanted to, but I’m definitely happy. Everybody supported me along the way and I’m definitely proud.”

Next year, Ward — a multi-sport athlete at Overland who played football and wrestled — is headed to Colorado State-Pueblo to compete in both football (as a running back) and in track as a thrower.

Begashaw earns two top-four spots in 2A competition for Lotus School For Excellence Coming off a runner-up finish at the Class 2A boys state

cross country meet in the fall, Lotus School For Excellence senior Biruk Begashaw had huge aspirations coming into the state track meet Jefferson County Stadium.

Begashaw qualified for both the 1,600 and 3,200 meter runs and he believed he could win both of them, though neither win came to pass.

Golden View Classical’s Bobby Kiesewetter made sure nobody else could win the 3,200 meter run as he set the 2A classfication’s state meet record of 9 minutes, 25.63 seconds, while Begashaw was edged by The Vanguard’s Max Miller by just 0.01 of a second for the silver medal. Kiesewetter was at it again in the 1,600 with another state meet record, while Begashaw finished fourth this time.

“I was trying to get the double win, but it just wasn’t in the cards for now,” Begashaw said. “It’s alright, I’m going to keep training and come back for nationals (Nike or New Balance). It wasn’t exactly what I expected, I didn’t feel too hot.

“This just makes me want to run faster. Without losses, you can’t know what it’s really like to win.”

Begashaw is looking forward to competing at Adams State, where he will join his brother, Kidus, another former Lotus School for Excellence star and 2A cross country state champion who competes in cross country and track with the Grizzlies.

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During Fard’s show, Jurinsky acknowledges the flash-mob event was in the afternoon when families were out shopping. Police reports and Sentinel reporting state that police and city officials said they were in control of the event until it ended at about 9 p.m., according to a previous report from police.

In December, the Aurora Police issued a press release that said that after weeks of investigation, they determined that at about midnight on the same day, there was a shootout about five blocks south from the site of the flash mob, long after it had dispersed at 9.p.m., according to police reports.

At the time, an Aurora police officer was patrolling Havana Street near East Idaho Avenue at about midnight, according to a police affidavit.

“…an on-duty Aurora police officer in a marked unit, reported over the radio he was driving south on Havana Street when he heard gunfire and believed his vehicle had been struck by a bullet,” Aurora police spokesperson Joe Moylan said in a statement released in December.

The officer was not injured by the gunfire, police reported.

A short time later, officials at a nearby hospital called police to say a man had come to the emergency room suffering a gunshot wound to the scalp.

“The man later told officers he was on the sidewalk near the 1500 block of South Havana Street when he heard several shots and realized he had been struck,” Moylan said. The man was with a woman, and they were standing outside after being involved in an unrelated traffic crash.

Investigators at the time recovered a host of shell casings, but no information about suspects in the shooting.

“Investigators also identified four additional victims who were in the crossfire,” Moylan said in the statement.

None of those people were injured.

In the weeks after, the Aurora Police Department Crime Gun Intelligence Unit collected security video from different locations in the region, piecing together what happened, police said.

“A rolling gunfight had taken place on South Havana Street between a black Land Rover SUV and a white Ford F150 pickup,” Moylan said.

Investigators said that the fight was over the pickup-truck, which had allegedly been stolen from an Aurora apartment shared with a man involved in the shooting.

While some of the people involved in the shooting had links to the Gardens on Havana flash-mob earlier in the day, the shooting was not part of that event, police said.

THE CLAIM: Jurinsky said that police officers responding to the July 28 flash mob were neglected by the department officials and in grave danger at the time. She said that an officer “had climbed buildings to get themselves out of that situation.” Last July, Jurinsky posted pictures on her social media from a rooftop near the gathering. Multiple pictures spanning hours, showing daylight through sunset.

The Sentinel verified the texts among two sources.

Jurinsky was angry about Bergan’s proposal to continue levying Aurora’s employee tax, which Jurinsky had worked to abolish as part of a campaign promise. In the text, she curses and makes threats.

From the Jurinsky texts:

“IwillnotbeatthemeetingonMonday,and everysingleoneofyoucangofu**yourselves!” herfirstmessagereads.

“Ifu*****campaignedonthatyoufu***** piecesofshit!ANDFU**YOUDUSTIN!!”

“AndIhearyou’reacosponsor,Francoise. Youcandefinitelygofu**yourself!You’venever ownedabusinessorafu*****thinginyourlife youpretentiousbitch!”

“Myfriendshipwillliterally(sic)everysingle oneofyouisdead!DEAD!oh,andmyloyalty… alsodead!Ihopeyouallhavemiserablefu***** lives!Imightmakethathappenforafewofyou. FU** YOU!”

The Sentinelwas able to verify the authenticity of the texts, and none of the council members implicated in the group chat have disputed them.

The issue led to numerous public disputes about Jurinsky’s behavior as a city lawmaker.

The Sentinel story was part of a report by Axios in Denver.

During an Aurora study session Oct. 14, Jurinsky spends about 10 minutes confronting Bergan about the proposed head-tax change and how Bergan did not inform her about it before the study session. Without mentioning the texts, Bergan responded that she did not speak to Jurinsky about it because she is a “bully.”

“Whenever we have a discussion and she doesn’t get her way, let me tell you what she does,” Bergan said about Jurinsky. “She’s a bully, and she has bullied a lot of people on this council over this issue, and she curses me out with cuss words, and it’s vile. So that’s why I did not make the call, because I didn’t want to get screamed at, because it’s very abusive and toxic.”

On the Fard show, Jurinsky said she and Bergan have since made amends. “Sometimes you have to have a complete breakdown to have that regrowth, that rebirth, if you will,” She said. “Françoise and I are very close. I would go to bat for her. I support her. I love her.”

THE CLAIM: Jurinsky addressed a controversy last year surrounding the annual Aurora Pride event, held at the Aurora Reservoir. Jurinsky objected to the city’s LGBTQ support event being held at the reservoir, essentially occupying the venue for one day in August. She has maintained that it’s unfair for one group, any group, to occupy a city venue. She claimed that the Aurora Pride event is held by a for-profit group from outside of Aurora.

“Shutting down the reservoir, not even for a nonprofit organization,” Jurinsky said to Fard.

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Final Publication: June 5, 2025 Sentinel

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

THE FACTS: City officials and the police department have repeatedly denied the assertion, saying police were in control of the gathering until it ended. Former police officials said officers climbed to the top of buildings for surveillance, not for protection or out of fear.

THE CLAIM: Jurinsky said that profane and threatening text messages exchanged among herself and other city council members, the subject of an Oct. 29, 2024 Sentinel report, were unsubstantiated.

“How come the only outlet that reported this is the Sentinel?” She said, “You know why no other outlet would report it? It was because nothing was verified. Nothing was verified. There could be more context to this. There could be messages missing from this.”

“For a for-profit organization, and telling season pass holders that weren’t given any blackout dates when they bought their season pass, that they can’t come out to the reservoir. And not only that, blocking the access from South Shore, from Beacon Point, from people who bought homes in those neighborhoods, who have access to walking trails into the reservoir and bike trails into the reservoir. Those were sealed off.”

/S/Melissa Mansfield

THE FACTS: The Sentinel published an article Oct. 29, showing texted messages from Jurinsky to fellow Republican Councilmembers Françoise Bergan, Stephanie Hancock, Steve Sundberg and Dustin Zvonek where she curses the group

THE FACTS: Aurora Pride is produced by a non-profit organization and has been since the event was conceived by Out Front Magazine publisher Jerry Cunningham, who lives in Aurora. Its board of directors last year included two Aurora city council members and at least one city employee, as well as Sentinel Colorado publisher Dave Perry. The reservoir event was open to everyone, and admission has been free to all with advance registration. Fees for the event were related to parking. Proceeds from the annual event, which come from vendor fees and sponsorships, pay for scholarships at the Community College of Aurora.

Editorials Sentinel

Amid Trump immigration gaffes, Guard intervention would

be disastrous

The Sentinel joins Gov. Jared Polis and others in expressing “deep reservations” about using National Guard members to enforce federal immigration laws.

The threat from the Trump administration to pull as many as 20,000 guard troops from a mix of states into the service of ICE agents raises a wide range of alarms and obstacles.

Chief among the detriments of such a plan would be the expectation of turning American guard members against fellow Americans — on U.S. soil. The Trump administration has made no plans nor details public about the proposal, reported first by the New York Times and this week by Colorado Newsline.

While Guardsmen are not police, there is a historical case for their being used for such a purpose. Invoking the U.S. Insurrection Act in 1992, former President George H.W. Bush sent Guard troops to Los Angeles during the Rodney King riots. The decision to deploy armed Guard troops against Americans has since been accepted as a dubious act of desperation after LA police lost control of widespread and violent riots, looting and destruction. The military community itself has long lamented the call by Bush to send in troops, in part because of issues linked to timing, communication and, primarily, U.S. military troops are not police. They are warriors.

The bigger mistake, based on this recent U.S. history, is that the dilemma of trying to round up and deport millions of immigrants deeply embedded in communities in Aurora, Denver and across the country, is in no way similar to days of chaotic race riots and violence, as was the case in the Rodney King conundrum.

There is a reasonable argument to be made to enlist the National Guard to provide stability to any American crisis or disaster. President Donald Trump and others, however, have long mischaracterized the U.S. immigration quagmire, and Trump has routinely lied about it. The only crisis that exists linked to immigration is that the United States does not have a plausible, enforceable and practical immigration policy. For decades, the problem has generated endless political crises.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott created a humanitarian crisis about two years ago when he trafficked as many as 40,000 immigrants to the Denver area as a political stunt, creating very real problems for the immigrants shipped here and the humanitarian workers attempting to accommodate them. Using National Guard troops in an instance like that, sending them to Texas to prevent Abbott’s attack on other states, would be far more justifiable than sending rifle-clad Guard troops into apartment buildings to demand papers from residents.

Polis correctly points out that 20,000 Guard troops already have critical jobs to do, locally, nationally, and across the globe.

“Our national guard members play an important role in protecting our state at home and abroad and the Governor would have deep reservations about pulling guard members away from core functions at a time when resources are being cut in these critical areas, further straining resources needed for public safety by diverting resources to a federal responsibility,” Polis spokesperson Shelby Wieman said in a statement to Colorado Newsline.

The quagmire points to the lack of a qualified plan for immigration reform in Congress, which must include federal funding adequate to recruit, hire and train enough qualified personnel to carry out the necessary legal and security requirements to enforce a satisfactory law.

Repeatedly vetted and well-documented studies have shown that widespread consternation among some Americans about immigrants is based on hysteria and outright disinformation.

Immigrants as a group are far less likely than American citizens to commit any kind of crime. Immigrants almost always are drawn to the United States because of the promise of employment. The vast majority of immigrants work, pay taxes and become undifferentiated from everyone else in their communities. Endless U.S. business sectors not only thrive on the availability of immigrant labor, their existence depends on it.

There is no reason for the federal government to take up state arms against residents in other, sovereign states. The move would emulate a civil war in America that does not exist.

This issue is a political crisis that Trump faces among his own political party and supporters. Trump exaggerated and outright lied not only about the extent of and the solution to the immigration problem, but how he would solve it by signing fiats and imposing mass deportations.

Polis and Colorado’s entire congressional delegation should show their support for their constituents and their state and tell Trump, ‘no.’

The only ‘trick’

in ‘trickle down economics’ springs from liberal deceit

President Trump’s most significant first-term accomplishment was the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). It reduced tax rates across all income levels and doubled the standard deduction to $12,000 for single filers ($24,000 for married filing jointly). Consequently millions of lower- and middle-income Americans no longer pay federal income taxes. According to the latest IRS figures, Americans with adjusted gross incomes below $50,000, accounting for 50% of the 161 million tax returns filed pay only a combined 3% of total individual income taxes collected. Most of them pay nothing and some, who qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), actually get a “refund” check from the IRS (of taxes they didn’t pay).

Democrats feign outrage that “the rich “ benefited from the tax rate cuts, too. Duh? That’s because upper income Americans pay the bulk of all individual income tax revenue. The top 5% pay 61% of that total, while the top 1% pay 40% of income taxes collected. These are the geese that lay the golden eggs. In return, Democrats would ring their necks.

In their endless pursuit of class warfare and the politics of envy, a constant Democrat tactic is to muddy the waters between reductions in tax rates and tax revenues. Reductions in tax rates do not automatically produce a reduction in tax revenues. It’s often quite the opposite. The TCJA tax rate cuts for all boosted the economy with the prospect of higher after-tax incomes on work and investments, leading to increased federal tax revenues. These same incentives inspired Ronald Reagan’s economic boom driven by fiscal policies that cut tax rates for all and produced an increase in tax revenues. Similarly, JFK cut the top marginal tax rate of 90% down to 70% in the 1960s. Increased tax revenues followed that too.

When the TCJA was passed in 2017, some of its provisions were scheduled to expire after 2025. Fortunately, one provision that was made permanent was the reduction in the top corporate income tax rate from 37% to 21%, matching the European average. That stemmed the tide of corporations moving their headquarters overseas to avoid crippling U.S. taxes and brought many businesses back home, resulting in the doubling of business tax revenues.

District CU digital

The centerpiece of Trump’s proposed “One Big Beautiful Tax Bill,” which congressional Republicans seek to pass, would likewise make permanent

the existing TCJA tax rates for individuals. Opposition Democrats are trying to block that, calling them “tax cuts” that will reduce tax revenues (omitting the operative word “rate,” of course). And they’re not tax cuts, they’re just an extension of the same tax rates we’ve had for the last eight years. Democrats would replace this with a tax rate increase, especially on “the rich” and corporations, in line with their inbred socialist obsession.

But the tax rate increase Democrats propose won’t automatically increase tax revenues. It will more likely discourage productive incentives and lead to an economic downturn. It’s the nature of progressive Democrats to prefer incentives that encourage people not to work but rather to become dependent on government handouts instead. This ignores the economic maxim that “what you tax you get less of and what you subsidize you get more of.” Analogously, when a department store seeks to increase its profits it doesn’t raise prices, rather it holds a big sale and cuts them. The same concept applies to income taxes. Businesses, investors, and individuals care about their after-tax income. Higher tax rates are a disincentive and a price increase on productive work and investments.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) serves Congress in preparing and analyzing the federal budget. Its staff is officially described as “non-partisan” but it tends to lean left, especially when the Democrats are in power. When the CBO scores (or prices) a presidential budget request it prefers a “static” econometric model that assumes reductions in tax rates automatically reduce tax revenues. This is a mathematical assumption, not an economic one.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), serves the president and his budget policies. Under a Republican president, OMB prefers a “dynamic” econometric model that assumes lower tax rates may raise incentives, stimulate economic growth, and produce greater tax revenues. When you hear Democrats and the liberal media mock “trickle-down” economics and falsely claim Trump and Republican policies will reduce tax revenues and widen the deficit, keep that in mind.

Longtime KOA radio talk host and columnist for the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News, Mike Rosen now writes for CompleteColorado.com, where this column was first published.

MIKE ROSEN, GUEST COLUMNIST

Puzzles

Aurora man gets 14 years in prison for fatal hit-and-run after Parker Walmart theft

An Aurora man was sentenced to 14 years in prison after being convicted in the hit-andrun death of a Parker man in 2023.

In late February, a jury found Tory Conyers, 46, guilty of vehicular homicide, hitand-run causing death, reckless driving, eluding law enforcement and theft in a case stemming from 2023.

During Conyers’ May 12 sentencing hearing, Douglas County District Court Judge Elizabeth Volz gave Conyers 600 days of credit for time served.

At about 8 p.m. Aug. 21, 2023, Parker police responded to a theft call at a Parker Walmart. Store employees watching video cameras said they spotted Conyers stealing a cart full of merchandise and then driving off in a vehicle, according to court records.

Officers attempted to stop the vehicle near South Parker Road and Plaza Drive, but Conyers did not stop. For safety reasons, officers called off the pursuit. Shortly after, another call came about a pedestrian that was struck by a vehicle.

Conyers had run a red light and struck 51-year-old Jossy Pinto who was in the crosswalk at Parker Road and East Lincoln Avenue. Pinto later died at a local hospital from his injuries.

With the assistance of the Aurora SWAT

Obituary

Tom Maglaras

February 11, 1934 - April 26, 2025

Tom Maglaras, 91, passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, in Broomﬁeld, Colorado, on April 26, 2025, after a noble battle with dementia.

Tom received his master’s and doctorate degrees in education administration from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He worked with Adams County School District 12 and the Aurora Public Schools for many years.

Tom faithfully served Holy Comforter Episcopal Church in Broomﬁeld for 60-plus years. Tom was a faithful Christian until the very end of his life. He and his wife Eunice attended the Easter Sunday service on April 20, which turned out to be Tom’s ﬁnal day at church.

A funeral service will be held at 10 AM on Saturday, May 24, 2025, at Holy Comforter Episcopal Church, 1700 W. 10th Ave., Broomﬁeld, CO 80020. Complete obituary available at Rundus. com.

Memorial donations may be made to Holy Comforter Episcopal Church, with a notation for the music ministry or the legacy society, two of Tom‘s greatest passions.

unit, Conyers was later taken into custody.

Conyers had told the judge at a May 12 court appearance that he did not see Pinto. He argued that he had wanted to tell the person he borrowed the vehicle from about the incident before he turned himself in, adding that he knew he would be caught.

“I never denied driving that vehicle,” Conyers said during his May 12 sentencing hearing.

He added that he does not blame anyone else for his actions.

— Haley Lena, CCM News

Aurora police officer fatally shoots man in off-site airport parking lot

An unidentified man was fatally shot by an Aurora police officer at an off-site airport parking lot May 12 after the man charged the officer, police said in a statement.

Police were called to the Parking Spot lot, 19901 E 56th Ave., at about 3 pm. by employees who said a man was going car to car checking door handles and refused to leave.

A police officer went to the lot about 5:15 p.m.

“Once at the scene, staff members reported the suspect was still on the property and was becoming more aggressive with employees,” Aurora police spokesperson Joe Moylan said in a statement.

The officer then located and confronted the man.

“About one minute later, the suspect

charged the officer and there was a fight,” Moylan said.

Employees at the parking lot called dispatchers and said the officer needed help.

“The officer attempted to use less lethal devices to gain control of the suspect,” Moylan said. “The officer also gave the suspect multiple commands, but the suspect refused to follow the officer’s directions, and an officer-involved shooting occurred.”

Additional police and rescuers provided first aid to the man, and he was taken to a nearby hospital.

“The suspect died shortly after his arrival at the hospital,” Moylan said.

The officer was injured during the fight and taken to a hospital. That officer’s name and details about his tenure were not immediately released.

“He will be placed on paid administrative leave upon his release from the hospital, which is in accordance with agency policy,” Moylan said.

The shooting will be investigated by APD detectives as well as internal affairs.

An outside investigation by a Critical Incident Response Team, led by the 17th Judicial District, will determine whether the officer violated any laws during the shooting.

Police said anyone with information can call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720913-7867. Tipsters can remain anonymous and still be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000, police said.

— Sentinel Staff