CITY RACE RELATIONS PANEL
Aurora lawmakers end commission that has managed racial protests, issues for decades
They’re doggedly determined to keep homeless people with their pets
You don’t have to tell Jes at the Humane Colorado animal shelter how homelessness creates a unique crisis most people never even think about.
Jes and the other 2,000 or so fellow employees and volunteers of what used to be the Dumb Friends League think about it all day. Every day.
Of the 26,000 dogs and cats surrendered each year at the Leslie A. Malone Center in Denver and the other four centers across the state, most of them are in the shelter because of problems linked to homelessness and home insecurity, she said.
Every day, two broken hearts part ways at the shelter as a man, a woman and even a family pet their dog for the last time.
Sometimes, the cost alone of feeding and caring for a dog or cat becomes overwhelming when there’s already not enough money for rent or a car payment.
Many people have no choice but to surrender a dog that’s forced to stay in a hot car all day while their owner is at work, because that’s where they both live.
Owning a dog or cat requires a place that allows it to stay. Even people with generous friends or families have to make the excruciating choice of surrendering their best friend when the invitation hinges on couch surfing alone.
Mostly, shelter officials say, it comes down to desperate people deciding whether to keep their dog and a life on the streets or surrendering their pet as a condition to accept space in a homeless shelter.
Most shelters for homeless people don’t allow pets, or have very limited accommodations, Humane Colorado President Apryl Steele said Monday at a press conference called to draw attention to the problem — and a possible solution.
That gut-wrenching reality is what prompted Aurora Congressperson Jason Crow to introduce the 2025 PUPPS Act in the House.
“Pets are family. No one should be forced to choose between having a roof over their head and keeping their pet,”
Crow told a gathering of advocates, shelter officials and volunteers at the Malone Center Monday. “That’s why I’m introducing a bipartisan bill to better support homeless shelters so that people don’t have to part ways with their beloved pet.”
The measure would provide grants to homeless shelters to provide accommodations for homeless people with pets. He’s joined in sponsoring the measure by representatives Brian Fitzpatrick, R-PA, Brittany Pettersen, D-Lakewood, and Mike Lawler, R-NY.
In a statement, the prime sponsors explained why they believe the measure is so important.
“New York is facing a real housing affordability crisis,” Lawler said. “For folks experiencing homelessness, their pet may be their only source of comfort and stability. Yet too often, animal shelters can’t accommodate the influx. The PUPP Act helps local governments and nonprofits provide safe housing options without forcing people to choose between a roof over their head and the animal they love.”
It’s a choice that more than half-a-million homeless Americans make every day, deciding to live on the streets with their pets, according to Wellbeing International. A consensus of research points to about a quarter of Americans who are homeless, or facing homelessness, have a pet.
The excruciating dilemma became the inspiration for an entire Colorado project that seeks to find ways to keep bipeds and quadrupeds together as they struggle with homelessness.
Annie and Millie’s Place focuses on keeping owners and pets together as they work their way out of homelessness.
Annie had a “warm smile” and a “big heart,” according to program creators.
When she found out a couple was living in their car behind the gas station she worked at, she offered to let them stay with her and her dog Millie.
Annie’s family said she gave too much and too hard, sacrificing her own stability and eventually became homeless herself.
“But Annie was never alone,” program officials said. “Her dog, Millie, stayed by her side, providing protection, company, and unconditional love. Their connection, friend-
ship, and mutually beneficial support system created a responsibility that gave Annie a purpose. Millie depended on Annie, and Annie on Millie.”
Life on the streets took its physical and mental toll on Annie.
She stayed in an abandoned house for a brief time, her family said. She was going to have to leave. Her only choice was to abandon Millie in order to stay in a shelter.
“She tied Millie to the front porch and took her own life inside,” Millie’s Place CEO Kristen Baltrum.
A friend stopped and found Millie “barking frantically” for help, according to Annie’s family. The dog was taken by local animal control.
Crow said that story and others inspired him to push Congress to find a way to keep people and pets together as they find their way to a life off the streets.
For now, the choice is too often unavoidable, shelter officials say.
Humane Colorado and other programs offer food and even free or discounted veterinary care for homeless pet owners, but being able to share a place to live and sleep is critical.
The PUPP Act directs the Department of Agriculture to award grants for temporary and long-term homeless shelters to make changes allowing residents to keep their pets. The bill would set aside $5 million annually for grants, with the program lasting for four years.
“So many of us know how quickly our dogs become part of our families,” Petterson said. “The PUPP Act will help ensure emergency shelters don’t have to force that painful decision and instead allow people to stay with their pets.”
Crow said that although the bill has not only bipartisan support and that of 150 animal and homeless organizations, it needs a groundswell of support from the public.
“So tell all of your family, your cousins, your aunts and spread it all around the country,” Crow told the group. “If their member of Congress hasn’t sponsored this bill, keep on calling them and writing them until they do.”
Follow@EditorDavePerryonBlueSky, Threads,Mastodon,TwitterandFacebookor reachhimat303-750-7555ordperry@SentinelColorado.com
DAVE PERRY Editor
Aurora Democratic Congressperson Jason Crow at the Human Colorado shelter in Denver talking about the 2025 PUPP Act.
PHOTO BY JAKE CHAU, Sentinel Colorado
Legal battle continues: Aurora and Denver clash over Floyd protest liability
AURORA IS ARGUING THAT DENVER SHOULD PAY FOR LEGAL SETTLEMENTS LINKED TO AURORA POLICE OFFICERS AFTER THEY SENT THEM TO THE CAPITOL AT DENVER’S REQUEST.
BY CASSANDRA BALLARD, Sentinel Staff Writer
Ayears-long dispute is still roiling in the courts between Aurora and Denver over who’s responsible for excessive force claims against police from both departments when they turned out to quell 2020 George Floyd protests at the state Capitol.
Aurora is asking a court to decide whether it or Denver must pay $2.6 million in legal fees and settlements tied to the protests. Aurora is arguing that Denver should pay for legal settlements linked to Aurora police officers after they sent them to the Capitol at Denver’s request.
“Aurora has repeatedly asked Denver to confirm that it will indemnify Aurora or otherwise assume responsibility for these claims as required by state law and the parties’ longstanding practice and agreement,” the lawsuit states. “Denver has refused, and so Aurora now seeks a declaration establishing that Denver does in fact have that obligation.”
During the large and raucous George Floyd protests, the City of Denver requested backup from Aurora as part of a standard mutual aid agreement between the cities.
When dozens of protesters and others, such as journalists and local lawmakers, later filed lawsuits against Denver for injuries and civil rights violations, alleging excessive force by police using tear gas, pepper balls, flash-bang
grenades and rubber bullets, some claimed it was Aurora officers who specifically caused their injuries.
Denver has dealt with its own lawsuits linked to the protests, costing the city more than $14 million.
The additional allegations directed at Aurora led to six separate lawsuits specifically naming Aurora. According to City Attorney Pete Schulte, five of those lawsuits were settled for $1.42 million, while one was dismissed. The total cost to Aurora, including legal fees and related expenses, amounted to $2,667,107, all of which were paid out of the city’s risk fund.
Since Aurora was brought into Denver through a mutual aid agreement, Aurora officials said they were under the impression that Denver would pay back or indemnify the officer’s liability while under Denver’s command.
Former Denver Mayor Mike Hancock disagreed and refused to pay back Aurora, claiming the Aurora officers acted on their own.
“Denver’s decision not to indemnify the Aurora officers who responded to Denver’s calls for mutual aid during the 2020 protests occurred under Mayor Hancock,” Aurora spokesperson Ryan Luby said in an email. “When Mayor Johnston was elected, (Aurora Mayor Mike) Coffman reached out to him to see if he would reverse Denver’s position and indemnify Aurora’s officers, but Johnston and
his team declined.”
The legal battle has been going on for years, to the point where, in July 2023, the Aurora City Council voted to suspend its mutual aid agreement with Denver. The vote by Aurora City Council to suspend mutual aid is still in place, with Aurora officials saying it will not be reinstated until the lawsuit is resolved.
“Coffman put forward the 2023 resolution as a result, and litigation is still pending to force Denver, under state law, to indemnify Aurora’s officers and cover all of Aurora’s related legal expenses to date,” Luby said in an email.
While the two cities remain at odds in court, Schulte said Denver has not requested any mutual aid from Aurora since the resolution, instead turning to other municipalities and counties for help.
The mutual aid resolution between Aurora and Denver only applies to planned civil disturbances and not to police departments working together to combat criminal behavior on the borders of the cities, Luby said.
Although the lawsuit centers on $2.7 million in costs Aurora wants Denver to pay, Schulte said the real issue is about how mutual aid agreements are interpreted under state law and what kind of precedent the case might set.
“Mutual aids are just strictly contractual agreements,” said Terrence P. Dwyer, a retired New York State Police trooper and in-
vestigator, and current tenured professor of legal studies at Western Connecticut State University.
Dwyer said that under the “borrowed servant” rule, the borrowing city, being Denver, is generally responsible for injuries to officers acting under its command. But liability shifts when civil rights violations are alleged.
“If you go into the civil rights lawsuit and it becomes a civil action, in that regard,” he said.
“It’s the lending municipality; Aurora can be liable for the actions of their officers. So if on mutual aid, the Aurora police officers went in to say, for argument’s sake, and they committed police brutality, but they’re assisting Denver, Aurora can still be on the hook for that.”
Dwyer also said that Colorado law and the specific mutual aid agreement between the two cities could have language that changes how liability is handled in mutual aid agreements.
The lawsuit between the two cities is currently in discovery, but the most recent motion filed July 31 was a continuance by the City and County of Denver, which could hold off the next court date for as long as a year, according to Schulte.
The lawsuit is scheduled to go to trial, and both cities are paying third-party law firms to handle the cases. Holland and Hart represent Aurora, and Garnett, Powell, Maximon, Barlow and Farbes represent Denver.
Denver Police move during a protest outside the State Capitol over the death of George Floyd on May 30, 2020, in Denver. The 2020 death of Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police was a significant moment, forcing news organizations across the country to confront how they covered racial issues, both past and present, often at the prodding of their staff.
AP Photo/David Zalubowski
AROUND AURORA
Democratic lawmakers raise concerns after GEO ICE facility tour in Aurora
Aurora Congressperson Jason Crow and three other Democratic Colorado lawmakers said a tour and inspection Aug. 11 of the GEO Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Aurora left them with more questions than answers.
“I can personally say after my tenth visit, this has been the most difficult visit in terms of getting information, getting answers out of the facility, out of the employees and being obstructed from conducting a full-water oversight that I’ve had in over six years,” Crow said.
Crow was joined by fellow Reps. Brittany Pettersen, Diana DeGette and Joe Neguse for the planned tour. Under current ICE rules, lawmakers must give the privately run GEO facility seven days’ notice before visiting, which is a significant change from the pre-Trump administration, when members of Congress could arrive unannounced for inspections.
Crow and other members of Congress filed suit against the Trump administration last week, saying the policy requiring notice is a direct violation of state law.
The lawmakers said the advance notice allowed ICE to prepare for and stage the visit. Despite that, they reported that many of their questions still went unanswered, and that the facility’s staff could not provide even basic details about detainees.
Pettersen said there is typically a liaison who can direct lawmakers to the right people for answers on topics like population numbers and conditions. That is not the case now.
Although no number of detainees was given, Crow said, they saw the intake board listed “slightly over 1,200” detainees. When lawmakers asked for other specifics, such as how many were classified at each security level, the staff could not provide the numbers.
Pettersen and Crow said detainees are assigned zones based on risk levels, but the facility could not share how many fell into each category. They said requests for that information now must go through ICE’s Washington, D.C., headquarters.
“We visited the pods, we visited the health care facility, and it led to many, many more questions,” Crow said.
Although there is a law library, the congresspeople were told that inmates’ access to lawyers and to legal advice was limited, and that detainees were even restricted from going to the law library.
Detainees are also being charged 17 cents a minute to make outgoing calls, which is a violation of a state law, according to Petterson.
DeGette said she was able to meet with the one detainee she had planned to see, but only because she had prearranged it. They were able to meet with one more, but lawmakers did not reveal who that person was.
ICE recently implemented a policy requiring lawmakers to obtain a signed privacy release before meeting with detained constituents. “If I want to go visit my constituent who’s in this facility, then somehow I have to get a privacy release to them through the mail or other means,” she said.
That day, the entire detainee population was on lockdown for a head count, preventing lawmakers from speaking to anyone else.
That one person DeGette planned to meet was Jeanette Vizguerra, who DeGette described as a long-time immigrant rights advocate in the Denver area who has complied with everything that she’s supposed to, including immigration check-ins.
Vizguerra has been in ICE custody at GEO since March 17, after being arrested at her job at Target. Her arrest garnered national attention.
“When I met Jeanette, she was in sanctuary in two churches in Denver during the first Trump administration, and she has been an unrelenting and outspoken advocate for immigrant rights,” DeGette said. “I think that’s why Jeanette was targeted for pickup outside her job.”
DeGette said she met with Vizguerra to hand her a document, and she said she introduced a bill to allow her to remain in the country while her case proceeds.
“She told me she is not going to stop fighting for immigrants’ rights, so we’re going to keep up our oversight here,” DeGette said.
Neguse said ICE’s current policies of blocking unannounced visits to detention centers and field offices violate federal law, and they will continue pursuing legal action over the issue.
“Mass deportation policies are wreaking havoc in communities across our great state,” Neguse said. “Transparency matters, oversight matters, accountability matters, and we can expect to see Colorado’s Democratic House members continue to lean in on all fronts.”
They all said that those being detained are often not dangerous criminals; many are families and working people who have complied with immigration requirements. Without accurate data on who is being held and why, they said, it is nearly impossible to ensure proper oversight.
“What’s very clear nationally is that the vast majority of people that are being detained under President Trump’s mass deportation policies have no criminal records and are oftentimes business owners, family, parents, people who are living and working and contributing to our community,” Crow said.
— Cassandra Ballard, Sentinel Staff Writer
Weeks of construction, closures underway on I-225 bridges in Aurora
Repairs and upgrades to four Interstate 225 bridges in Aurora began Aug. 10, heralding several overnight lane closures for several weeks, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
The project, scheduled to last about three months, is expected to improve the road surface on the northbound and southbound I-225 bridges over East Second and East Sixth avenues.
Crews will level the lanes by adding asphalt between the middle of each bridge and its approaches, highway officials said.
Additional work will include replacing bridge expansion joints, repairing concrete panels just north of East Sixth Avenue, installing a waterproof overlay, and performing milling and paving to even out the road.
The construction zone will stretch from just north of Sixth Avenue to just south of East Alameda Avenue. Single-lane closures will begin at 7 p.m. nightly, with double-lane closures starting at 10 p.m. All lanes are scheduled to reopen by 5 a.m.
For the week of Aug. 10, scheduled closures include:
• Aug. 10 and Aug. 11: northbound I-225
• Aug. 12 and Aug. 13: southbound I-225
• Aug. 14: northbound I-225
Schedules are dependent on weather, officials said.
Only one direction of traffic will be affected at a time, according to CDOT officials. Later this fall, crews will fully close northbound I-225 between Alameda and Sixth avenues for five consecutive nights.
CDOT cautioned drivers to slow down, follow posted signs, and watch for
workers and equipment. Schedules may change due to weather.
For updates, visit COtrip.org.
— Sentinel Staff
Questions raised by retired Aurora detective stashing 30 boxes docs in a crawlspace
A retired Aurora detective on the force for 41 years kept boxes of documents linked to 35 different police cases stashed under the floorboards of his home, police said.
“What we found is a detective who spent a lot of time on these cases, felt that he had the right to take bits and pieces of
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ARAPAHOE COUNTY
Vines and Climbers | August 21, 4–6 p.m. | Aurora Central Library In this class, Master Gardener Donnetta Wilhelm will explain how vining and climbing plants grow. Register at https://bit.ly/CSUVinesClimb
Join our Cultural Council and make an impact!
The group solicits and screens applications from eligible nonprofit and/ or governmental entities for the County’s portion of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District sales tax, among other duties. The council is looking for one at-large member and one representative from Centennial.
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Cottage Food Safety
Learn food safety guidelines and the specifics of operating a cottage food business from home. The next online class is Aug. 22, 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Register now at https://bit.ly/CSUCottageFoods
these cases that he committed himself to and worked through, and for whatever reason,” Chief Todd Chamberlain said. “He wanted to retain these documents.”
Police did not name the detective, saying that the case was under investigation. They also did not cite which cases the detective kept materials for.
The stash came to light earlier this year while Aurora detectives were recently looking into a cold case from 1997, Chamberlain said. While reviewing the case, they realized they were unable to locate some specific information related to the investigation.
They decided to reach out to the retired detective who was involved in the investigation, and he said he still had some documents from the case at his home, Chamberlain said. The detective then brought in a bag with documents, VHS tapes, photos and other materials from the cold case to the police department.
This concerned the detectives as they asked him about what other documents he might have, Chamberlain said.
“They discovered that the retired detective was in possession of material that related to multiple homicide cases he had worked during his tenure as a major crimes homicide investigator,” Chamberlain said. “Immediately, that caused a number of red flags. Our major crimes unit and our property and evidence responded out to the retired detective’s home.”
additional items in the house or under the floorboards where they initially found the boxes.
The police department alerted city officials, legal counsel, internal operations, both police chiefs, detective personnel and they notified the 17th and 18th Judicial District Attorneys and the Aurora Consent Decree Monitor.
The 18th Judicial District spokesperson, Eric Ross, said prosecutors discovered 80 cases in Arapahoe County linked to the former detective’s files with the Aurora Police Department.
“We are actively reviewing these cases to ensure that all evidence was properly disclosed to defense counsel in accordance with our discovery obligations,” Ross said. “If we determine that any evidence was not appropriately disclosed, we will make the necessary notifications,” Ross said.
The 17th and 18th judicial districts both said they are conducting detailed reviews of the documents. The 17th Judicial District spokesperson, Christopher Hopper, said that they connected 11 cases from the documents found in possession of the detective and the 17th Judicial District, and they have been cross-referencing each file to confirm that all evidence has been properly preserved and disclosed during the prosecution of each case.
The detective consented to a search, and police were able to find 30 boxes “under the floorboards,” which was later confirmed to be in the crawl space under the detective’s home filled with binders, reports, photographs, VHS tapes, handwritten notes and other documents related to investigations in cases that he had worked during his tenure, Chamberlain said.
The detective began working for the police in 1981, worked in the major crimes unit from 1996 to 2011, and moved to district three investigations before he retired in 2022.
“What we did not find in all of these boxes was any physical evidence,” Chamberlain said, referring to items like DNA samples or weapons used in crimes.
Chamberlain said they also have not found any information that police believe would have impacted specific cases, suspects or victims negatively. It was said to be all duplicates of information still at the police department.
“At this time, our detectives have found that there is no indication that the recovered case material compromised any prosecutions,” Chamberlain said.
James Karbach, a spokesperson for the Office of Colorado State Public Defender, said Friday he didn’t hear about the situation until the Denver Post called him. He said that the discovery of the materials raises concerns that defendants in the past could have been unfairly prosecuted.
“It doesn’t seem like the public or any defendants have been given full information,” he said. “We don’t have any mechanism to even know what cases are implicated.”
If they found something in a closed case that was not disclosed to the defendants, hopefully they would notify the defendants, if they were convicted, and their former lawyers, although the legal rules around having to tell somebody after the case is closed, are not clear, so that would be up to the police department and district attorneys to do that.”
After finding the initial boxes, Chamberlain said the police applied for a search warrant through the Arapahoe County DA’s Office but were denied due to probable cause requirements. Weeks later, investigators conducted a consent search of the detective’s home, but found no
APD spokesperson Matthew Longshore-Wells said the 35 cases they named during the press conference went through some sort of adjudication. The rest of the cases, the 18th distinguished, involved single documents of cases, such as a jail transport log or a criminal history, or they involved cases where a plea deal was taken or it was dismissed.
“The 18th said the’ve searched through some of their records, and it appears that some of the documents they found are actually in the court case, but ADP is just missing them from our digital database because the detective didn’t scan them in, or had the original even though it was part of the case filing itself,” Longshore-Wells said.
The recovered materials were “immediately secured” in the police conference room, and both DA’s offices were given access to review the evidence. Detectives also cross-referenced every item against open and past investigations to ensure none of the information was pertinent, impactful or involved any type of conflict whatsoever, Chamberlain said.
“Right now, there is nothing that indicates what he had is a standalone or a unique product or a unique piece of evidence,” Chamberlain said. “It is redundant material.”
The records the detective brought in on the cold case from 1997, which sparked the investigation, were originals that were never uploaded to the city’s digital platform.
“The Chief said, during the press conference, that it was poor case management, combined with the old-age paper system that we had, that led to the discrepancies,” Longshore-Wells said in an email. “We’ve since digitized and uploaded those documents and other information from those discovered boxes into our records management system.”
When asked if the records were considered stolen police property, Longshore-Wells said not so much.
“I don’t necessarily think it’s theft as much as just bad case management,” Longshore-Wells said. “So he kept the originals and didn’t upload them into the case file. But again, none of it was physical evidence.”
Chamberlain said the detective was said to be nonchalant about collecting the material, and that he had “normal-
Your closet junk could be Gen Z’s wardrobe treasure
BY NICKY ANDREWS, ASSOCIATED PRESS
From Juicy Couture sweat sets and low-rise, bedazzled jeans to chunky belts and baby tees, early 2000s fashion is all the rage again. That potentially makes that old box of clothes in the back of your closet a sitting cash cow.
Generation Z — born from about 1997 to 2012 — has taken to the Y2K aesthetic that many millennials cringe at.
Fashion-forward college students and TikTok influencers are flaunting the miniskirts, chunky sandals and other bright, brand-heavy and borderline tacky items they likely bought secondhand.
Jackson Mangum, a 24-year-old tailor in Eugene, Oregon, said that while he has distanced himself from Y2K and found his own personal style, his wardrobe still has influences of it, including baggy camo shorts, flared jeans and big, funky sunglasses.
“I’m usually not Y2K but I appreciate Y2K style. I think it’s cool,” said Mangum, who showcases his work on his Instagram account, @wornandtornattire.
“The baggy jeans, different pops of pink and the chrome shades — it’s easy to go anywhere and be able to find things that fit into that niche. Throwing it together is easier than throwing together a full vintage outfit.”
Boomers emptying their millennials’ closets
One reason for the Y2K resurgence is a 20-year cycle often seen in fashion history, experts say. (Y2K is short for the year 2000.)
“Prior to Y2K styles being back, we saw a lot of ‘90s styles being back,” New York City-based fashion historian Emma McClendon said.
Lauren Downing Peters, an associate professor of fashion studies at Columbia College Chicago, said the Y2K resurgence could be a result of boomers downsizing their homes and purging their millennial children’s old belongings.
“The 20-year duration is just long enough for a younger generation to be able to find the fashions of their parents’ generation, something that they can remember but only in the abstract, as quaint or interesting and kind of avail-
able for reinterpretation and adoption in their 20s,” she said.
The 2000s and the 2020s have a lot in common
In addition, both experts drew parallels between the political and social dynamics of the two decades, such as technology booms and catastrophic events.
“At the start of the 2000s we had 9/11, we had a restructuring of how people thought about the world, how people thought about themselves, how people thought about politics,” McClendon said. “I think the global pandemic can be a really interesting comparative to that restructuring.”
The growth of the internet and social media in the 2000s mirrors the development of artificial intelligence today, she said. At the same time, the 2000s may represent a time relatively free of social media and interconnectivity, which could appeal to Gen Z, who have grown up in the age of the internet.
“That is kind of the appeal behind vintage-inspired fashion trends — this idea that things were better back then,” she said.
So, what can you get for that old pair of jeans?
Jocelyn Brown, who owns the online resale shop Arkival Storehouse, earns a living off this nostalgia by purchasing vintage clothes from thrift stores and antique malls, upcycling them and reselling them online.
Anyone trying to turn a profit on old clothes, she said, can use online channels and apps like Depop, Poshmark, ThredUp, TikTok and Instagram to sell and trade. Brown also suggests selling at flea markets.
She advises sellers to cater to the audience buying.
“People really like when something is curated and it feels like an experience,” said Brown, who lives in Chicago. “I’m really specific about what I put on my racks, and I may have more than what I bring... or I separate it out into different collections.”
Resale stores are another option.
Nell Tercek, an assistant manager at Apocalypse, a resale shop in Boulder, Colorado, said about 75% of the inventory the store buys is Y2K.
Staff specifically watch out for micro miniskirts, vintage Victoria Secret linge-
ABOVE: Eclectically styled mannequin heads are displayed at Apocalypse, a buy, sell and trade store in Boulder, Colo. on Saturday, July 12, 2025. OPPOSITE PAGE: A pair of platform mule shoes and a bright blue bag are displayed at Apocalypse, a buy, sell and trade store in Boulder, Colo. on Saturday, July 12, 2025. Nicky Andrews via AP
Vintage Theatre marks 25 years with Silver Season Gala
scene & herd
Colorado Combat Club 25 brings pro MMA and Muay Thai action to Aurora
Get ready for a high-octane night of professional fighting as Colorado Combat Club turns out with a stacked card of MMA and Muay Thai bouts at The Stampede in Aurora. Expect nonstop action, knockouts, and skill from fighters ready to leave it all in the cage.
Full fight card and ticket details coming soon.
IF YOU GO
When: Friday, Aug. 25; doors open 6 p.m., fights start 7 p.m.
Tickets: See venue website for pricing and availability.
Details: www.stampedeclub.net
Venue: The Stampede, 2430 S. Havana St.
Vintage Theatre rolls out the red carpet Saturday, Aug. 16, for its Silver Season Gala, celebrating a quarter century of storytelling, community, and creativity. The evening features scenes and songs from favorite Vintage productions, live and silent auctions, appetizers from local restaurants, cider courtesy of Vanishing West, and a towering anniversary cake. Proceeds support Vintage’s work, with part of the auction benefiting Wellspring.
IF YOU GO
When: Aug. 16; doors open 5:50 p.m., program begins 7 p.m.
Tickets: $30 plus applicable fees and taxes.
Details: www.vintagetheatre.org
Place: Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St.
Megan Schraeder spins the ‘Wheel of Feelings’ at Vintage Theatre
Singer, storyteller, and cabaret artist Megan Schraeder brings “Big Feelings” to Vintage Theatre.
This intimate and playful musical show uses a live “Wheel of Feelings” to decide the night’s set-list, with each spin unveiling a new emotion and matching song. Expect laughter, heartfelt moments, and a few surprises along the way.
IF YOU GO
When: Aug. 20, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $24.
Details: www.vintagetheatre.org
Place: Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St.
rie tanks and baby tees, she said. For every item bought, the seller receives either 30% cash or 50% store credit of the resale price.
“Y2K style is really flashy and very exciting and visually enticing,” Tercek said. “Physical expression is really important right now due to the circumstances of the world. People are wanting to show who they are authentically and be able to experiment with clothing.”
Downing Peters sees “logo-mania and the resurgence of a lot of these cherished Y2K brands. Like, much to my horror, I’m seeing students wearing Von Dutch again and True Religion jeans, brands that I cared a lot about when I was younger.”
The Earth-friendly appeal of buying used
The sustainable nature of buying secondhand also appeals to consumers, the experts said.
Gen Z has “this awareness of
Music in the Park closes summer with That Eighties Band
Step back into the decade of big hair and synth beats as That Eighties Band takes the stage at Painted Prairie Park. This free outdoor concert will have you dancing to hits from The Cure, Madonna, Van Halen, Billy Idol, and more. Food trucks Los Dos Patrillos, Em’s Ice Cream, and Three Lil’ Lemons will be serving treats from 6 p.m.– 8 p.m. Bring blankets and chairs; leave the park as you found it.
IF YOU GO
When: 22, 7 p.m.– 9 p.m.
Tickets: Free.
Details: www.eightiesband.net
Place: Painted Prairie Park, 5852 Orleans St.
Creative Action by Teens returns to DAVA for hands-on art and design
Young artists are invited to level up their creativity through Downtown Aurora Visual Arts’ (DAVA) Creative Action by Teens (CAT) program, a free opportunity for ages 13 to 17 to dive into visual arts, graphic design, ceramics, and collaborative projects.
Participants will develop their creative voices while building skills for future jobs or college, all in a supportive studio environment. Projects will be showcased in the DAVA Gallery, and the program includes field trips and a stipend for consistent attendance.
Organizers say teens should expect to commit 4–6 hours per week across flexible summer sessions. “Join a community of creative teens, explore new media, and have fun while working hard,” they encourage.
IF YOU GO
Date: Begins Aug. 1; weekly hours
Wed. 1 p.m.–4 p.m., Thurs. 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Fri. 1 p.m.–4 p.m.
Place: Downtown Aurora Visual Arts (DAVA), 1405 Florence St.
Tickets: Free; application required
Details: davarts.org and 303-3675886
Art in the Park food and market series at the Aurora Highlands
A fusion of art, shopping, food and community are slated for Aug. 2 at Winged Melody Park as part of a free market in the park series.
Participants are invited to explore other pieces in the huge, open-air gallery of large-art installations across the park, including “Broken but Together” by Michael Benisty and “The Only Way Out is Through” by Snyder and Olivia Steele.
“Pack your blankets, lawn chairs, and coolers,” organizers say. “Everyone is welcome to bring their own food and drinks, or get treats from nearby food trucks.” This week’s vendors include: The Progressive Pantry, Hooked by Shan, Korf Kreations, Mamas Money My Treats, La Bloom, Corf Coffee Mobile, StephanieH TupperAdvantage, Snowy Leopard Art, Natural Cottage Pantry, Blizzful Beech, Jordan Crafts Co, Mouna’s Boutique.
IF YOU GO
Date: Aug. 16, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m..
Place: Winged Melody Park at Highlands Creek, 24495 E 35th Drive in the Aurora Highlands Tickets: Free Details: theaurorahighlands.com
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
fashion sustainability and the ills of mainstream mass fashion, and the idea that you can shop responsibly by shopping secondhand without sacrificing style and individuality,” Downing Peters said.
Brown said she is sometimes hesitant to resell Y2K-era clothing because some was made poorly durjng the industry’s fast-fashion economics then. However, she emphasized, Y2K-era denim is much higher quality that current-day denim, making it more valuable.
Looking ahead, Brown believes Y2K pieces will remain in consumer’s closets but will be styled in a more individualized way.
“People will take bits and pieces of Y2K style with them and add it to just their overall style,” she said.
As for what comes next? McClendon says 2010s style could be on the horizon, so hold on to those infinity scarves, skinny jeans or combat boots you may have tucked away.
STAGE
Fall sports head to the field
Another set of fall prep sports began practice for the 2025 season on Aug. 11.
The Colorado High School Activities Association allowed cross country, field hockey, flag football, gymnastics, boys soccer, softball, boys tennis and girls volleyball to get started on tryouts and practices a week after football and boys golf began their own preparations.
BY COURTNEY OAKES Sports Editor
That marked the beginning of a 10-day period of practices and scrimmages ahead of the first full day of competition on Aug. 21.
In preparation for the season, the Colorado High School Activities Association and the Denver Broncos held a joint media day Aug. 5 at Empower Field at Mile High that included representatives from a variety of fall sports and geographic areas.
The Aurora area contingent was made up of senior Riley Leeser, a Cherokee Trail student who is part of the rising Smoky Hill co-op field hockey program.
As a CHSAA All-State second team performer in the goal, Leeser was a key part of the Buffaloes’ surge last season that earned the program 12 wins and resulted in a victory in the first consolation playoff tournament. Leeser — who earned the starting spot on the Aurora Sentinel All-Aurora Field Hockey Team last season — announced her commitment to the University of Rochester, a Division III program.
Leeser’s return in the goal is part of what could be another strong season for the Buffaloes, who have taken a huge step forward in the past four seasons since the arrival of Lisa Griffiths as head coach. Smoky Hill had a 75-game winless streak that stretched from 2016 to 2022, but went 18-15-2 over the past two seasons and appeared in the postseason both times.
Smoky Hill’s growth has strengthened the impact of a small group of programs for the Aurora area in field hockey, which also includes Regis Jesuit and Grandview. Coach Spencer Wagner’s Raiders are not far-removed from a streak of making it to the state championship
of
the fall
game for five straight seasons, however they’ve been defeated in the quarterfinals of the past two postseasons. Grandview goes into the season under a new head coach for the first time in six seasons, as former player Lorraine Tuti takes over for Alex Smith.
Cherokee Trail ranked No. 2 in CHSAA preseason Class 5A boys golf coaches poll
The Cherokee Trail boys golf team has been the Class 5A state runner-up in each of the last two seasons and that’s where the Cougars made their debut in the first Colorado High School Activities Association coaches poll, which came out Aug. 7.
Cherokee Trail returns three members of the state lineup for the past two seasons in seniors Dalton Sisneros and Brayden Forte along with junior Anthony Chen. The Cougars’ first competition (the Kent Denver Sun Devil Invitational) is scheduled for Aug. 13 at Murphy Creek G.C., while coach Ryan Stevens’ team has the Centennial League opener a day later at Meadow Hills G.C. Also in the 5A top-10 in the coaches poll is Regis Jesuit, which checks in at No. 6 with an entirely new lineup, as coach Craig Rogers graduated four seniors from last season’s team. With two returning 5A state qualifiers in junior Dominik Fedotov and sophomore Sam Silver, Grandview was among 13 teams receiving votes.
FALL SPORTS
BUFF BLOCKER: Senior goalie Riley Leeser
the Smoky Hill field hockey team poses for a photo at
sports media day held by the Colorado High School Activities Association and the Denver Broncos on Aug. 5 at Empower Field at Mile High. (Photo by Ben Swanson/Denver Broncos)
BOYS GOLF
Cherokee Trail rolls to Cheyenne Mountain Invitational team title
The Cherokee Trail boys golf team teed off the season Aug. 11 at the Cheyenne Mountain Invitational and posted a double-digit victory.
The Cougars had two of the topfour individual finishers and three of the top seven in play at the Country Club of Colorado as they rolled to a 14-stroke win over Valor Christian.
Senior Brayden Forte made a birdie on the front nine and an eagle on the back nine to get as low as 3-under-par before he finished with a 1-under 70 that tied him for second.
That put Forte one stroke ahead of teammate Dalton Sisneros, a senior who made the turn at even-par, but made three birdies in his final nine holes to forge a tie for fourth place. Also in the top 10 for Cherokee Trail was freshman Jeffrey Chen, who tied for seventh place with a 73 that included three birdies.
BOYS GOLF
Regis Jesuit finishes second in Continental League opening tourney
The Regis Jesuit boys golf team opened the regular season Aug. 7 at King’s Deer Golf Club and came away with a second-place finish. Coach Craig Rogers’ Raiders led for portions of the tournament and ended up a stroke behind ThunderRidge for the top spot.
Junior Will Farber carded a plus-1 72 for Regis Jesuit to finish in third place in the individual standings, two strokes behind Castle View’s Gavin Amella, the defending Class 5A state champion. Senior Brady Davis earned a tie for 10th place with a 78 for the Raiders, while senior Mason Mix shot 81 to finish 14th and seniors Henry and Teddy Millen both shot 84 to tie for 21st.
The next Continental League tournament is scheduled for Aug. 12 at Broken Tee G.C.
BOYS GOLF
Bison,
Raiders play first City League tournament
The Vista PEAK Prep and Rangeview boys golf teams finished seventh and eighth, respectively, in the City League’s opening tournament played Aug. 11 at Wellshire Golf Course.
In the first gathering of league programs, the Bison finished with a three-player total of 296 (with a par of 213), which put them 61 strokes in front of the Raiders. Ace Kelly shot 92 to lead Vista PEAK Prep, while Wyatt Sandness carded a 99, which put him in a tie for 34th along with the Bison’s Jesse Olson.
The City League convenes again at 11 a.m. Aug. 20 at Overland Park G.C.
BASEBALL
Grandview grad Gausman
wins big with Toronto Blue Jays at Coors Field
Former Grandview High School
star pitcher Kevin Gausman added to his win column this season thanks to
his hometown Colorado Rockies. Gausman started for the Toronto Blue Jays in their visit to Coors Field Aug. 6 and was the beneficiary of an offensive explosion by his team.
The hard-throwing right-hander allowed just one run and three hits in seven innings of work (with six strikeouts against two walks) and evened his record on the season to 8-8 for the Blue Jays, who sit in first place in the American League East.
The 34-year-old Gausman has pitched in the majors since 2013 with a handful of different franchises and owns a career record of 110-110 with a 3.84 ERA. He has started six games at Coors Field in his career and owns a 3-1 record with a 3.41 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 34 1/3 innings on the mound, while he is 3-2 all-time against the Rockies.
WEEK AHEAD
The week ahead in Aurora prep sports
THURSDAY, AUG. 14 : The Aurora Central softball team opens its season with a visit to John F. Kennedy with a first pitch scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ...The Centennial League boys golf season gets underway with the league’s opening tournament, which has tee times that start at 11:30 a.m. at Meadow Hills G.C. ... FRIDAY, AUG. 15 : The Aurora Central softball team is back in action for a second straight day with a 4 p.m. home contest against Mullen. ... SATURDAY, AUG. 16 : The Overland softball team goes on the road to play its first contest of the season at 10 a.m.
Full fall sports coverage at sentinelcolorado. com/preps
at Doherty. ...The Overland girls flag football team opens its season at home with a 10 a.m. contest against Thornton. ... MONDAY, AUG. 18 : The Smoky Hill softball team plays host to Prairie View for a 4 p.m. home contest to kick off its season. ...Centennial League boys golfers return to play for a league tournament that is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. at Fox Hollow G.C. TUESDAY, AUG. 19 : The Grandview softball team goes on the road for its first contest, as it will go to Highlands Ranch for a 3:30 p.m. first pitch. Also on the road is Overland, which has a visit to Silver Creek set for 4 p.m., the same time Eaglecrest plays host to Chaparral in the lone game on area dirt. ...Four Aurora Public Schools girls flag football programs open the
one run in seven innings and was the winning pitcher in a 20-1 Toronto victory. (Photo by David
season with local matchups, beginning with a 4 p.m. home game for Aurora Central against Vista PEAK Prep. Hinkley is scheduled to play at Rangeview at 6 p.m. ... WEDNESDAY, AUG. 20 : The Regis Jesuit softball team goes on the road at 4 p.m. to play Arapahoe. ...The Overland girls flag football team will play at 4 p.m. home contest against Regis Groff, while a 6 p.m. contest at EchoPark Stadium features Eaglecrest and Legend. Cherokee Trail also has a 6 p.m. game on its home turf against Mountain Range and the local nightcap is set for 7 p.m. at Lou
Stadium when Regis
...The Grandview boys tennis team has a dual match on its home court at 3:45 p.m. when it will take on Legend, while Eaglecrest’s first serve at Littleton is 4 p.m. and Overland is at Riverdale Ridge at 4:30 p.m.
Kellogg
Jesuit.
ABOVE: Senior Dalton Sisneros finished in a tie for fourth place to help the Cherokee Trail boys golf team to victory at the Cheyenne Mountain Invitational Aug. 11 at the Country Club of Colorado. (File photo by Courtney Oakes/Aurora Sentinel). LEFT: Kevin Gausman of the Toronto Blue Jays delivers a pitch during a game against the Colorado Rockies on Aug. 6 at Coors Field. Gausman, a former star at Grandview High School, allowed
Zalubowski/Associated Press)
HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION AND POLICE INDEPENDENT REVIEW BOARD DISSOLVED IN AURORA
BY CASSANDRA BALLARD, Sentinel Staff Writer
After weeks of talk about dissolving a host of long-standing citizen boards and committees in an effort to save staff time and taxpayer dollars, only two panels were axed amid hours of comment and criticism Monday.
The Independent Review Board and the Human Relations Commission were the only two advisory groups eliminated by the city council — so far — to save staff time, administration costs and redundancy.
“Even if the Human Relations Commission (HRC) is no longer active, many of you have my contact information, and I encourage you to reach out anytime,” Amy Wiles, HRC chairperson and Ward II city council candidate, said at the meeting. “I will continue to connect you with the resources we have in place and ensure you are supported and your needs are addressed.”
Several other advisory boards faced elimination or consolidation during Monday’s meeting. The Veterans Affairs Commission will now meet quarterly, and the city’s Parks and Recreation, Open Space, and Golf Course Advisory boards are scheduled to be consolidated into a single Parks, Recreation and Open Space Advisory Board. The city’s arts and cultural boards, including the Aurora Fox Arts Center Board, were also targeted to merge into a single Cultural Services Commission.
The Youth Commission narrowly avoided elimination after a rare occasion where Councilmember Ruben Medina said why he strongly opposed the elimination of the Youth Commission.
“I’m certainly opposed to this, because of a
lot of reasons,” Medina said. “Again, the youth are going to be silenced. The issues that we have with youth currently in our community are going to be even more exacerbated. I think, because we’re telling them we really don’t care about you.”
The plan proposed by Councilmember Françoise Bergan was to dissolve the Youth Commission and allow young people to serve on other boards to learn from the adult members. Medina said that this would silence their voices and diminish participation more because most meetings occur during school hours or after-school activities, which would make their participation challenging.
He also added that competing with adult voices would likely silence them more than encourage them to voice their opinions strongly.
Bergan decided to withdraw the proposed ordinance change after hearing Medina’s concerns and said her intention was to engage the youth, and not exclude them.
This caused all of the other proposed changes addressing the remaining boards and commissions to be postponed because they included the elimination of the Youth Commission.
While city officials said many of the cuts were linked to budget shortfalls, with the city facing a $6 million budget deficit next year, the decision to dissolve the HRC drew criticism from members who said the commission costs little and plays a vital community role.
The HRC was founded decades ago to combat racism and prejudice and advise the city on civil rights issues.
The commission has supported a wide range of events and initiatives, including the Commu-
Aurora City Council terminates two longstanding advisory groups amid budget cuts and political tensions
nity Reading Event, drives for unhoused veterans, Know Your Rights workshops, Holocaust Remembrance, Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations and the Aurora Police Department’s Blue Backpack Initiative, Wiles said.
The group also volunteers for the National Night Out, Aurora Pride, Santa in the Park, summer and winter events with Iron Sharp, a community foundation that helps community members in need, along with additional outreach programs.
The group has held pivotal roles during controversial episodes involving race relations in the city decades, including at times when police were accused of harassing Black residents during ‘gang crackdowns” in the 1980s and 1990s, as well as when allegations of racism roiled into the public arena, such as several instances of allegations of racial profiling by security officials at what is now the Town Center of Aurora Mall.
When the idea to cut boards and commissions was initially suggested by City Manager Jason Batchelor, it was because advisory groups like the Independent Review Board were unable to find participants, and it was deemed redundant and a waste of staff time.
The HRC has never had an issue filling its board seats; if anything, in the last year, its appointees have been held from being put in the city council agenda packet for city council to approve for months at a time, according to members.
Another reason given for why advisory groups like the HRC were named was to save funding through the budget and administrative costs. The HRC only receives a budget of
$9,000 annually, according to Wiles, and they require a maximum of two hours of staff time a month.
“I recognize that no words heard today will change some council person’s decisions, and I understand that despite the fact that council receives yearly presentations with data, photos and a compelling case for the work the commission does within the community, personal feelings often Trump data and facts,” Wiles said.
“I also understand how influence works. When one dominant voice leads, others on this council tend to follow.”
Councilmember Alison Coombs asked Batchelor how complaints and discussions about discrimination that would have been taken to the HRC would be handled if the commission were dissolved. She asked whether residents would still have an avenue to report such issues and whether the city would continue providing education and outreach on discrimination prevention.
Batchelor said that complaints could be directed to county and state racism and human relations commissions, and if directed by city council, the city’s communications team could work to educate the public about those resources.
Wiles and another member of the HRC, Aaron Furtrell, both spoke during the city council meeting and suggested political motivations for the decision. Futrell said he previously posted criticism of some city council members on a personal social media account four years ago, which he said might be influencing the council’s decision to dissolve the HRC.
“I commented that two council members
seemed out of touch for calling the Aurora Mall, the Town Center of Aurora,” Futrell said about the April 2022 Facebook post, referring to council members Steve Sundberg and Danielle Jurinsky. In the missive, Futrell criticizes the two city lawmakers for badmouthing Aurora as being riddled with crime and at the same time, drawing attention to an extensively rehabilitated mall, which had been the scene of a shooting near the time of the post.
Sundberg and Jurinsky have both alluded to these statements in previous study sessions, with Sundberg saying he thought the criticism was unprofessional given Futrell’s position on the commission.
Wiles told the Sentinel that Jurinsky asked her to quiet Futrell over the social media post, and instead, Futrell stepped down from his position on the HRC, but his post remains on his social media.
“I respectfully urge you not to let one individual who sent that post determine the future of a commission that continues to serve Aurora with heart and purpose,” Futrell said.
Both Futrell and Wiles are Democrats running for council seats against Republican incumbents Steve Sundberg and Danielle Jurinsky. Futrell has since withdrawn to avoid splitting the vote among other democratic candidates in his ward.
“Dissolving it could send the wrong message that Aurora is moving away from its commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity,” Futrell said. “I know that isn’t true for many of you.”
Wiles agreed.
“Through my role in the commission, I’ve witnessed the power of partnership,” Wiles said. “We’ve collaborated with nonprofits, shared vital messages and extended services to our neighbors.”
Mayor Mike Coffman, a former HRC member, asked whether the group could continue informally under his leadership, as well as funding from his mayoral expense account.
“Is it possible that I could continue them on an informal basis, where there would be no new appointments on it?” Coffman said. “It would just be basically an advisory to the mayor, and I would meet with them once a month, and any council members who wanted to join me on the Human Relations Commission and the Veterans Commission. I would fund it, if possible, and with unexpended travel funds.”
The elimination of the Human Relations Commission was approved on first reading with six council members in favor, including council members Jurinsky, Sundberg, Bergan, Amsalu Kassaw, Stephanie Hancock and Curtis Gardner.
“I want to remind the community that while the HRC may not always exist, if you feel your voice has been silenced or your needs not met, whether through ignored emails, refusal to meet or public dismissals, I encourage you to ask community has a powerful voice, use it November and vote them out,” Wiles said.
Other board and commissions considered for consolidation or dissolution include: The Veterans’ Affairs Commission was changed from monthly to quarterly, Parks and Recreation, Open Space and Golf Course Advisory are scheduled to be consolidated into a Single Parks, Recreation and Open Space Advisory Board, and the city’s arts and cultural boards, including the Aurora Fox Arts Center Board, were also targeted to merge into a single Cultural Services Commission.
The Business Advisory Board had a small adjustment to change it so that appointees to the board would serve terms concurrent with the appointing council member, rather than fixed three-year terms.
Now that the Youth Commission is no longer going to be eliminated, the amendments to all of the other boards and commissions are no longer required. Aurora has 30 boards and commissions, including the ones that are scheduled to be consolidated and eliminated.
OPPOSITE PAGE: Aurora high school students rally together outside the Aurora courthouse after walking out of their schools Dec. 5 in protest. Around 400 students from Gateway, Overland, Rangeview, Hinkley and Aurora Central high schools walked out zand marched to the Aurora Municipal Center to join a nationwide protest in response to New York and Missouri grand juries returning no indictments against police officers.
The Aurora Human Relations Commission has managed issues such as that for decades.
File Photo by Marla R. Keown/Aurora Sentinel In this March 14, 2018, file photograph, a student waves a placard as classmates gather during a student walkout to protest gun violence against people of color. The Aurora Human Relations Commission has managed issues such as that for decades.
AP Photo/David Zalubowski
ized the behavior,” possibly treating the documents as “trinkets,” and only realizing the situation was abnormal after he was confronted.
“Based upon what I heard from his performance, it wasn’t stellar,” Chamberlain said about his time as a detective. “It sounded like some people needed to have hard conversations with him that, unfortunately, were missed. It sounded like he had issues. This is just third-party information that I’m getting.”
Currently, the detective has not been charged with any crimes because there is no evidence of malice, tampering or wrongdoing, Chamberlain said.
“I have had discussions with both the 17th and the 18th district attorney’s office; they are well aware that if this does rise to a level of a crime that they feel is able to be prosecuted, we will support that decision,” Chamberlain said.
“If we find out there is tampering of evidence, if there is destruction of evidence, if there’s something that tainted a case, I will personally, and this department will, without question, step forward and hold that individual accountable in a criminal court of law,” Chamberlain said.
Chamberlain said the incident was “unacceptable” and the department is implementing reforms, including upgrading the case management system from physical binders to a fully digitized platform, conducting both scheduled and random audits of case files and ensuring “a consistent and validated chain of continuity” for all evidence.
Chamberlain said he will continue the department’s transparency with the public.
“This is an active investigation,” he said. “As we learn more, we will continue to put out more information and more details related to this.”
— Cassandra Ballard, Sentinel Staff Writer
Colorado National Guard’s first female and openly LGBTQ leader to retire at Buckley SFB
The head of Colorado’s National Guard is retiring after five years in the post, Gov. Jared Polis announced last week.
Maj. Gen. Laura Clellan will end her nearly four-decade military service with a retirement ceremony in October.
“Serving as the Adjutant General of Colorado has been the greatest honor of my career, a privilege beyond words, and the highlight of my time in uniform,” Clellan said in a statement. “Leading the Soldiers and Airmen of the Colorado National Guard, the state employees of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, and volunteers of the Civil Air Patrol, has been nothing short of extraordinary. Over the past five years, I have witnessed extraordinary accomplishments made possible only by the unwavering commitment to service demonstrated by every member of this remarkable organization.”
Clellan is the first woman and openly LGBTQ person to lead the Colorado National Guard.
The state listed the job posting for Clellan’s replacement on Thursday, with an annual salary of about $230,000. Polis is in charge of appointing the cabinet-level position.
“Through wildfires and floods, a pandemic and unprecedented times, General
Clellan led the Colorado National Guard with dignity, supporting Coloradans and our communities through turbulent times,” Polis said in a statement.
During her military career, Clellan was deployed five times overseas and was awarded a Bronze Star Medal. She joined the Colorado National Guard in 1998. In 2023, the U.S. Senate promoted her to the rank of Major General.
The Colorado National Guard comprises part-time citizen soldiers and airmen who mostly respond to natural disasters and other emergencies. Most recently, Polis mobilized the force to help respond to the Elk and Lee fires near Meeker.
— Sara Wilson, Colorado Newsline
Mission Viejo Library launches ‘150 for 50’ campaign to mark 50th anniversary
Mission Viejo Library is turning the page on its 50th year, and asking the community to match their appreciation with cash gifts for library improvements.
“This campaign is an investment in memories, literacy and connection for generations to come,” Ginger White Brunetti, director of Library and Cultural Services, said in a statement.
The campaign is to raise $75,000 from the community to match $75,000 Mission Viejo Library received from city council two years ago, for a total of $150,000 for their 50th anniversary.
The “150 for 50” Capital Campaign will launch at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 16, at the library with a free, family-friendly event that will include a presentation of Mission Viejo history, historical displays, a color-
ful balloon party, the unveiling of a limited-edition commemorative library card and remarks from Mayor Mike Coffman and other council members, the statement said.
“As we celebrate 50 years of stories, smiles and community, our goal is to rally the community around this milestone and help ensure the library continues thriving,” Brunetti said in the statement.
The funds will support improvements to the 50-year-old library building, which will include furniture, painting and meeting room updates. This capital campaign is a first in the 95-year history of Aurora Public Library and is done in conjunction with the independent nonprofit Friends of Aurora Public Library, according to the statement. All of the donations will go to fund library improvements.
“Since opening its doors in 1975 with a 10,000-item collection, Mission Viejo Library has provided a welcoming space where generations of residents have come together to read, explore and grow,” a statement from the library said.
When cities need to make cuts, libraries, recreation centers, and pools are usually the first to get their budgets cut, Councilmember Curtis Gardner said.
He said there was nothing specifically dire about Mission Viejo Library needing the funding, except that it needs many updates, and it is a good time to ask for community support on the 50th anniversary of its beginning.
Aurora Public Library ranks 104th out of the 107 public libraries in Colorado in per capita expenditure, with a budget of only $8 million, according to the city website. Aurora is also one of the few full-service cities in the state where parks, libraries and fire don’t have districts, such as places like Denver, according to Coun-
cilmember Curtis Gardner.
Places like Denver can have a larger budget because they have a dedicated library district and because of their own, external fundraising efforts, Gardner said. He added that Aurora averages $43 per borrower in funding, compared to other counties and cities such as Arapahoe Library District, which averages about $299 per borrower, Denver averages $349 per borrower, and Douglas County, which averages $207 per borrower.
In 2024, Mission Viejo Library received 77,000 visits, had 57,000 items checked out and hosted 29,000 computer sessions.
Donations receive limited-edition commemorative items such as: $1 to unlimited – sticker
$40 – coffee mug
$50 – Cloth tote bag
$60 – T-shirt
$100 – Your choice of two of the above items
$250 – The three previous items plus an engraved notebook Businesses in the area are also encouraged to support the effort. All business donations of $500 or more will be included in a commemorative plaque inside the library upon the campaign’s completion.
To learn more or to make a donation, visit ColoradoGives.org/Story/150for50, or stop by the Mission Viejo Library.
IF YOU GO WHAT: “150 for 50” Mission Viejo Library Campaign
WHEN: 10:30 a.m. Aug. 16
WHERE: Mission Viejo Library, 15324 E. Hampden Circle.
NOTICE OF HEARING BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR364
In the Interest of: Savanna Yasmine Chavez Bourgeois
To: Leticia C. Bourgeois
Last Known Address, if any: Unknown
A hearing on Notice of Appointment of Guardian for Petition for Appointment to become Legal Guardian for Savanna Y.C. Bourgeois will be held at the following time and location or at a later date to which the hearing may be continued:
Date: September 9, 2025
Time: 3:00 pm Courtroom or Division: 12
Address: 7325 S. Potomac St., Centennial, CO 80112
The hearing will take approximately 30 minutes.
Clement David Bourgeois 1085 S. Lewiston Way Aurora, CO 80017
First Publication: August 7, 2025
Final Publication: August 21, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON THE AMENDED 2024 BUDGET
The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the EAST SMOKY HILL METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NO. 2 (the “District”), will hold a public hearing at 5430 S. Biscay Circle, Centennial, CO 80015 and via teleconference on AUGUST 20, 2025, at 6:00 P.M., to consider adoption of an amendment to the District’s 2024 budget (the “Amended Budget”). The public hearing can be joined using the following teleconference information: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZTIxYzVmYmEtZThkMS00M2JiLThhZTItNmYxNTUwOTQ2Y2Rk%40thread. v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%225e82f624118f-4496-8c55-91f150dc da06%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%223270 ede1a899-4097-bd05-fb2963b988e1%22%7d
Meeting ID: 222 543 550 541 Passcode: BG6Bn2bM
The Amended Budget is available for inspection by the public at the offices of Westwind Management Group, 27 Inverness Drive East, Englewood CO 80112. Any interested elector of the District may file any objections to the Amended Budget at any time prior to final adoption of the Amended Budget by the Board.
The agenda for any meeting may be obtained at https://www.eastsmokyhillmd2. org/ or by calling (303) 858-1800.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: EAST SMOKY HILL METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NO. 2, a quasi-municipal corporation and political subdivision of the State of Colorado /s/ WBA LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAW
Publication: August 14, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE
Notice is hereby given that PODS Enterprises, LLC, located at 21110 E 31st Circle, Aurora, CO 80011, will sell the contents of certain containers at auction to the highest bidder to satisfy owner’s lien. Auction will be held online at www.StorageTreasures. com starting on September 4, 2025 and ending on September 11, 2025. Contents to be sold may include general household goods, electronics, office & business equipment, furniture, clothing and other miscellaneous personal property.
First Publication: August 14, 2025 Final Publication: August 21, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE OF VACANCIES ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE GREEN VALLEY RANCH EAST METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NO. 10
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to Section 32-1-808, C.R.S., that two (2) vacancies exist on the Board of Directors of the Green Valley Ranch East Metropolitan District No. 10, County of Adams, State of Colorado. Qualified eligible electors of the Green Valley Ranch East Metropolitan District No. 10 who wish to be considered to fill a vacancy must file a letter of interest within ten days of the date of publication of this notice. A letter of interest may be filed on or before Sunday, August 24, 2025 with the Board of Directors of the Green Valley Ranch East Metropolitan District No. 10, c/o Icenogle Seaver Pogue, P.C., 4725 South Monaco Street, Suite 360, Denver, Colorado 80237.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: GREEN VALLEY RANCH EAST METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NO. 10
By: /s/ Icenogle Seaver Pogue A Professional Corporation
Publication: August 14, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE OF VACANCIES ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE GREEN VALLEY RANCH EAST METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NO. 11
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to Section 32-1-808, C.R.S., that two (2) vacancies exist on the Board of Directors of the Green Valley Ranch East Metropolitan District No. 11, County of Adams, State of Colorado. Qualified eligible electors of the Green Valley Ranch East Metropolitan District No. 11 who wish to be considered to fill a vacancy must file a letter of interest within ten days of the date of publication of this notice. A letter of interest may be filed on or before Sunday, August 24, 2025 with the Board of Directors of the Green Valley Ranch East Metropolitan District No. 11, c/o Icenogle Seaver Pogue, P.C., 4725 South Monaco Street, Suite 360, Denver, Colorado 80237.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: GREEN VALLEY RANCH EAST METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NO. 11
By: /s/ Icenogle Seaver Pogue A Professional Corporation
Publication: August 14, 2025 Sentinel
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
SECOND CREEK RANCH
METROPOLITAN DISTRICT BILLING SERVICES
Notice is hereby given that the Second Creek Ranch Metropolitan District (“District”) seeks professional service management proposals from qualified service providers for various billing and collection services for the community of Green Valley Ranch Aurora, City of Aurora, County of Adams, Colorado as outlined in the Request For Professional Service Proposals, dated August 19, 2025 which can be obtained by contacting the District as follows:
Jennifer L. Ivey Icenogle Seaver Pogue, P.C. JIvey@ISP-Law.com
Proposals are due by Wednesday, October 1, 2025, not later than 5:00 P.M. MT to the District at JIvey@ISP-Law.com. Bids will not be publicly opened and read.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: SECOND CREEK RANCH
METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
Publication: August 14, 2025 Sentinel
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
SECOND CREEK RANCH
METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
COMMUNITY
MANAGEMENT SERVICES –COVENANT ENFORCEMENT
Notice is hereby given that the Second Creek Ranch Metropolitan District (“District”) seeks professional service management proposals from qualified service providers for community management and covenant control and enforcement services for community of Green Valley Ranch Aurora, City of Aurora, County of Adams, Colorado as outlined in the Request For Professional Service Proposals, dated August 19, 2025 which can be obtained by contacting the District as follows:
Jennifer L. Ivey Icenogle Seaver Pogue, P.C. JIvey@ISP-Law.com
Proposals are due by Wednesday, October 1, 2025, not later than 5:00 P.M. MT to the District at JIvey@ISP-Law.com. Bids will not be publicly opened and read.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: SECOND CREEK RANCH METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
Publication: August 14, 2025 Sentinel
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
SECOND CREEK RANCH
METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
DISTRICT MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Notice is hereby given that the Second Creek Ranch Metropolitan District (“District”) seeks professional service management proposals from qualified service providers for district management services for the age-restricted community of Green Valley Ranch Aurora, City of Aurora, County of Adams, Colorado as outlined in the Request For Professional Service Proposals, dated August 19, 2025 which can be obtained by contacting the District as follows:
Jennifer L. Ivey Icenogle Seaver Pogue, P.C. JIvey@ISP-Law.com
Proposals are due by Wednesday, October 1, 2025, not later than 5:00 P.M. MT to the District at JIvey@ISP-Law.com. Bids will not be publicly opened and read.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: SECOND CREEK RANCH METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
Publication: August 14, 2025
Sentinel VEHICLE FOR SALE
2017 LINCOLN MKZ VIN—665607
Extreme Towing 303-344-1400
Publication: August 14, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801
Case No. 2025PR327
Estate of Betty D. Nelson, Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before November 11, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Terri Lea Nelson
Personal Representative
2231 S. Vaughn Way, Unit 215-B Aurora, CO 80014
First Publication: August 14, 2025
Final Publication: August 28, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S.
Case No. 2024PR550
Estate of Michael Edwin Ardoin, Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before September 21, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Edwin A. Ardoin
Personal Representative 91 S. Sable Blvd., Unit F12 Aurora, CO 80012
First Publication: August 14, 2025
Final Publication: August 28, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S.
Case No. 2025PR30320
Estate of Douglas G. Carlsen, Deceased. All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before December 1, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Bruce Carlsen
Personal Representative 6686 Apache Ct. Niwot, CO 80503
First Publication: July 31, 2025
Final Publication: August 14, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30395
Estate of Douglas Lyle VonVoltenburgh, aka Douglas L. VonVoltenburgh, aka Douglas VonVoltenburgh, Deceased. All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before November 30, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Danielle M. VonVoltenburgh
Personal Representative 1140 Antelope Drive West Bennett, CO 80102
First Publication: July 31, 2025
Final Publication: August 14, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30400
Estate of INEZ RAMBERG LEVIN, Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado, on or before November 10, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Robert G. Levin Personal Representative 2922 Central Ave. Cheyenne, WY 82001
First Publication: July 31, 2025
Final Publication: August 14, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S.
Case No. 2025PR30705
Estate of James Patrick McMahon aka James P. McMahon aka James McMahon, Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before November 30, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Susan M. McMahon Personal Representative 6598 E. Euclid Pl. Centennial, CO 80111
First Publication: July 31, 2025
Final Publication: August 14, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S.
Case No. 2025PR30717
Estate of Patrick Jessie Smith aka Patrick J. Smith aka Patrick Smith, Deceased. All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Denver County, Colorado, on or before December 5, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Ruby Smith
Personal Representative 19123 Gettysburg Valley Dr. Katy, TX 77449
Attorney for Personal Representative David A. Imbler
Atty Reg #: 52038
Spaeth & Doyle, LLP
501 S. Cherry St., Ste. 700 Glendale, CO 80246
Phone: 843-452-8946
First Publication: August 7, 2025
Final Publication: August 21, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR349
Estate of Sharon A. Scholle, Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before September 15, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Lana J. Corbin
Personal Representative 16721 E. Prentice Cir. Centennial, CO 80015
First Publication: August 7, 2025
Final Publication: August 21, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2024PR31095
Estate of James Neal Wise, Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before August 21, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Jessica Bower
Personal Representative 5686 S. Malta St. Centennial, CO 80015
Attorney for Personal Representative Benjamin Kinney
Atty Reg #: 45881
Kinney Law Office 390 Interlocken Crescent, Ste. 350 Broomfield, CO 80021
Phone: 303-386-4328
First Publication: August 7, 2025
Final Publication: August 21, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30644
Estate of Henry J. Beckwitt aka Henry Joseph Beckwitt aka Henry Beckwitt, Deceased.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before December 1, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Robert Beckwitt
Personal Representative 111 West 67th St., 33E New
Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill has already started badgering Colorado
When Colorado lawmakers return to the state Capitol Aug. 21 for a special legislative session, they won’t have the luxury of political posturing or even some public hand-wringing.
They will be staring down a $750 million hole in the state budget, created almost overnight by the One Big, Beautiful Bill imposed on Americans by President Donald Trump and a complicit GOP Congress.
Despite vapid dramatics and misinformation by some Colorado Republicans, the Legislature is legally bound to fill it.
Just as Gov. Jared Polis pointed out last week, the math is clear.
On July 1, the $43.9 billion state budget for this fiscal year was balanced, as required under state law. Three days later, Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill, which dramatically expanded the federal standard deduction and rewrote other portions of the tax code.
In most states, those changes would ripple slowly into the lives and businesses of residents, or only partially into state finances. In Colorado, they’ll crash in like a tidal wave. That’s because Colorado is one of just four states that use federal taxable income as the starting point for calculating state taxes. And Colorado has what’s called “rolling conformity” with the federal tax code. The Colorado Sun’s Jesse Paul painstaking takes readers through the detail and nuance of how Colorado got here.
It should be required reading for state Republican lawmakers who say the special session is simply political theater intended to throw cold water on a budget bill that almost every independent expert analyst says bodes ill for the federal deficit and for government services that touch virtually everyone in the nation.
Simply put: whenever Congress changes federal taxable income, Colorado’s tax base changes immediately and automatically. And because the Big Beautiful Bill significantly shrinks that taxable income, Colorado’s revenue projections have been gutted.
The governor’s office estimates the measure will reduce corporate income tax revenue by as much as $950 million and individual income tax revenue by as much as $460 million, for a total loss of roughly $1.2 billion, Polis and state budget officials told the Sentinel.
The hit to this fiscal year’s budget, after accounting for the state’s spending cap under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, is projected to be $680 million to $783 million, the Colorado Sun reported.
This is not a shortfall that can be waved away with rosy revenue forecasts or creative accounting. And, Colorado cannot legally run a deficit. The so-called Colorado Taxpayer Bill of Rights prohibits raising taxes without a vote of the people. That leaves only a few tools in the legislative toolbox to make a fix. Polis and lawmakers can either tap state reserves, close tax loopholes or cut spending.
Polis has offered a plan on how to soften the blow.
They include drawing down the state’s reserves by $200 million-$300 million, ending some corporate tax breaks and encouraging large taxpayers to prepay by offering future discounts.
But even this plan calls for $250 million to $300 million in spending cuts to existing programs and services.
Without spending cuts, the numbers simply won’t add up.
Some have argued the Legislature should abandon rolling conformity or switch from federal taxable income to adjusted gross income to shield Colorado from future federal tax changes.
Possibly, but that won’t address this immediate problem. State budget officials say such a shift would require an overhaul of the taxation system, new rules, new forms and possibly even a larger state revenue department.
Polis has warned that moving away from rolling conformity would force Coloradans to file separate state and federal tax returns, stripping away a convenience taxpayers now enjoy.
For the special session, the priority is not redesigning the tax code but balancing the books. We agree with the governor’s team who say the state must protect public schools. Likewise, arguments from Republican leaders in the Legislature showed poor judgment and understating of the problem, and how it will impact their constituents.
House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese said that there is no crisis, except for Democrat-controlled state officers boosting state spending and now having to dial some back.
“We do not need a special session,” Pugliese said in a statement. “We need leadership that knows how to budget responsibly without putting political agendas ahead of Colorado families.”
She and other GOP critics ignore the fact that had their party’s candidates been in control of the state budget, much of the same cuts would be imposed.
Their chief complaint is that the special session is planned around the state fair.
“The State Fair is a time for rural communities to come together and celebrate their contributions; feeding our state, powering our economy, and showcasing Colorado values,” Assistant Minority Leader Rep. Ty Winter said in a statement.
The state fair is 11 days long, ending on Labor Day. The special session could take as few as three days. Regardless, only state lawmakers need to attend the special session. And given the gravity of the budget cuts, and the threats that the Big Beautiful Bill holds, especially for rural Colorado residents, the trite slight makes Republicans come off as ill-prepared for serious leadership and engagement.
Colorado has faced budget crises before. The Great Recession forced lawmakers to slash higher education funding, freeze teacher salaries, and delay transportation projects.
The cuts ahead may feel just as bitter, but they are dictated by the numbers and the law. Pragmatic consideration, not political ideology, needs to guide the work needed on the state budget.
Crow only parrots lame Dem talk
Arecent insightful op-ed column in the Wall Street Journal by Karl Rove described the Democrat party’s current infighting, self-destruction, and outright hysteria. Colorado Congressman Jason Crow (or whichever of his liberal staffers likely wrote it) replied with a feeble letter to the editor that was an unresponsive, laughable repetition of distorted, and delusional Democrat talking points.
Among them was the long-discredited claim that “Trickle-down economics didn’t pay for itself in the 1980s or during President Trump’s first term, and it won’t now.” There’s no such thing as trickle-down economics. That expression is just a mindless rant. It’s pedigree goes back to William Jennings Bryan, a notorious populist demagogue, who declared in 1886 that “If you legislate to make the well-to-do prosperous, their prosperity will leak through on those below.” That’s the left’s standard justification for “soaking the rich.”
In 1962, Democrat President John F. Kennedy knew better when he persuaded Congress to pass an across-the-board tax rate cut that included a drop in the top marginal tax rate from a confiscatory 90% to a mere 70%, declaring, “It is a paradoxical truth that tax rates are too high today and tax revenues too low, and the soundest way to raise revenues is to cut tax rates now.” The result was an increase in revenues, especially from the rich.
Twenty years later in the 1980s, another round of across-the-board tax rate cuts under Ronald Reagan caused revenues to again soar with “the rich” paying an increasingly greater share of the overall income tax burden, despite Democrats having mocked this as trickle-down economics. Tax revenues grew from $517 billion in 1980 to $990 billion in 1989 (exceeding inflation by $220 billion), as Reagan’s economic policies triggered an extended economic boom that reversed a recession.
Income tax rates for all were cut again in Trump’s first term. The considerable increase in the standard deduction dropped the federal income tax bill to zero for millions of lower income Americans. The reason overall tax revenues stalled during that period was the COVIDera shutdown of the economy. In Trump’s second term, contra Crow, tax rates aren’t being cut. Rather, were it not for Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” tax rates in effect since 2017 would have automatically expired, imposing a huge across-the-board tax increase, reducing everyone’s after tax income, which could have triggered a recession. Crow’s claim ignores that.
Crow faults Trump because “prices are going up.” Duh, prices are always going up. But they’re going up a lot less now, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase in the low two percents, compared to the more than nine percent CPI increase brought on by the needless post-COVID Democrat spending binge and budget deficits during Bidenflation.
Predictably, Crow gives Trump no credit for instantly securing the border from the Democrat open-border fiasco.
Crow shamefully misrepresents Republican Medicaid reforms, claiming they’re “kicking people off their healthcare.” No deserving people will lose their coverage, only those who shouldn’t have been added, like illegal immigrants and able-bodied adults without dependents, capable of meeting the work requirement added in Trump’s first term (and rescinded by Biden) but choose not to. When established in 1965, Medicaid was intended only for low-income children deprived of parental support, their caretaker relatives, the elderly, the blind, and individuals with disabilities.
Obama-era policies greatly expanded Medicaid eligibility and cost. And it expanded even more during the COVID pandemic with total enrollment soaring from 70 million in 2020 to a high of 94 million in 2023 due to Biden-era policies not enforcing eligibility rules.
Crow represents Colorado’s 6th Congressional District, once a Republican stronghold in Arapahoe County when Mike Coffman last held that seat. It’s since flipped to the Dems, just as their one-party rule is ruining Denver and Colorado. When Crow was first elected in 2018, I was hopeful he’d be a moderate Democrat since he’s a military veteran, 63% of whom favor Republicans, far more than the 35% who favor Democrats, according to a Pew Research Center report.
Nope. Crow is a big disappointment, leading a partisan Trump impeachment and just another radical progressive. His solidly left-wing voting record in the House earned him a 100% rating from the ACLU, the AFL-CIO, and League of Conservation Voters; and an 85% rating from Americans for Democratic Action on the progressive fringe. Among conservative groups his rating was 0% from the Heritage Foundation, the Club for Growth, and the Family Research Council; and 3% from the American Conservative Union.
Take his letter to the editor in that context.
LongtimeKOAradiotalkhostandcolumnist fortheDenverPostandRockyMountainNews MikeRosennowwritesforCompleteColorado. com.
MIKE ROSEN, GUEST COLUMNIST
Honest Journalism
Project Announcement Beginning | Mid-August
in Denver/Aurora, CO. Email resume to hr@platformag.com
complex tax returns, advise clients, review financials, provide accounting/bookkeeping services, compute taxes, analyze returns. 3 years’ experience as an accountant and bachelor’s degree or foreign equivalent in Accounting or Business Administration is required.
- $99,000 salary range, 401(k)/medical benefits. Fully in-office.
Project Announcement Beginning | Mid-August
The Aerotropolis Regional Transportation Authority and contract partner, Ames Construction, will begin constructing the new I-70 Aerotropolis Parkway Interchange at Interstate 70 east of E-470 in Aurora in mid-August. Work includes realigning the south portion of Colfax Avenue/I-70 Frontage Road, building on and off ramps and a new bridge spanning I-70, and constructing roundabouts on the north and south ends of the interchange that will tie into future roadways.
The project has an anticipated completion date of November 2026. Initial working hours will be 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday, with overnight (7 p.m. to 5 a.m.) and weekend work also expected.
The Aerotropolis Regional Transportation Authority and contract partner, Ames Construction, will begin constructing the new I-70 Aerotropolis Parkway Interchange at Interstate 70 east of E -470 in Aurora in mid-August. Work includes realigning the south portion of Colfax Avenue/I-70 Frontage Road, building on and off ramps and a new bridge spanning I-70, and constructing roundabouts on the north and south ends of the interchange that will tie into future roadways.
Traffic impacts:
• Single overnight lane closures will occur in both directions of I-70 within the project limits from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday to Thursday.
• Single lane closures can be expected in both directions of I-70 within the project limits at anytime on Saturday and Sunday.
The project has an anticipated completion date of November 2026. Initial working hours will be 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday, with overnight (7 p.m. to 5 a.m.) and weekend work also expected.
• A full closure of I-70 will be in place to set girders for the new bridge structure later in the project, with detour routes posted.
impacts:
• Traf c shifts, lane closures and changing conditions will exist on the Colfax Avenue/I-70 Frontage Road during day and night work.
• Reduced speeds and width restrictions will be in place.
Call 720.388.2660, email publicinformation@comcast or visit aerotropolisrta.org/i-70-interchange for more information.
