ANOTHER PLAN TO FIX THE ‘FAX
Aurora’s East Colfax corridor could get new life with proposed development authority — if voters say yes
Look what you made us do. Again.
SentinelColoradostaffers won seven top honors last week competing among the state’s best and largest newspapers during the annual Colorado Press Association newspaper awards.
Competing against TheDenverPost,TheColoradoSpringsGazette, The Colorado Sun and other top Colorado media, TheSentineltook away honors for its investigative work, breaking news coverage, enterprise reporting and more.
“Despite having the smallest newsroom among our peers and competitors, TheSentinel steadfastly raises a powerful and illuminating voice that’s critical to maintaining reader trust,” said SentinelEditor Dave Perry. “I’m inspired every day by the talent, dedication and persistence of some of the top journalists in the state, and we’re endlessly thankful for a community that supports our mission.”
This year’s awards included:
• The Sentinelwon Second Place for the press association’s coveted Public Service Project for the staff’s dedicated effort to reporting, analysis, investigation and opinions on the impact of then presidential candidate Donald Trump’s focus on Aurora immigrants and his proposing “Operation Aurora,” which has since become a national campaign of mass deportation. Credited were reporter in residence Susan Greene, staff reporter Cassandra Ballard and editor Dave Perry.
• The Sentinelwon First Place for Best Opinion Writing for house editorials written by Perry.
• The Sentinelswept First and Second Place for Best Breaking News Reporting. First place was awarded to reporter Max Levy for a story about the Aurora City Council fleeing council chambers during a protest by activists linked to the police shooting of Kilyn Lewis. The Sentinelwas also honored for its on-deadline comprehensive news, photo and oped coverage of Donald Trump’s rally in Aurora. Honored were Greene, Ballard, Perry, and photographer Tri Duong.
• The Sentineltook Second Place for Best Investigative Story for “Give and Take” by reporter Max Levy. The story focused on how an astonishing $2.08 million out of $2.86 million raised by Aurora police, with the help of a national firm that helps solicit donations from the public, was kept by that fundraising firm.
• The Sentinelwon First Place for its sustained and comprehensive coverage with stories, editorials and signed columns by Greene, Ballard and Perry all focusing on controversy over three Aurora apartment complexes and unproven allegations of “takeovers” by Venezuelan gangs.
• SentinelSports Editor Courtney Oakes won Second Place for his photograph “Flipping Out” depicting an athlete upside down in a jump.
• The Sentinelwon Second Place for Best Website among the state’s largest news media.
• The Sentinelwon Second Place for Best Headline Writing for headlines created by Perry.
We’re able to do this because of you.
It’s your trust, support and generous contributions that allow us to provide you and the region stories, photography, investigations, analyses, editorials, sports and commentary you’ve come to expect.
Trusted, fearless journalism takes resources, and we need your help. Please consider signing up for our free daily E-ditions sent to your email box, subscribing to our print editions or gifting someone a subscription that can’t. Please consider a contribution to the Sentinel, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) news media to ensure vital, local news remains available to you and everyone. Contributing is secure and easy. Just go to SentinelColorado.com and click Donate 4 Sentinel in the navigation bar at the top of the page.
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Students, educators say Trump’s threat of mass deportation is as problematic as carrying it out
What are Aurora ICE officials hiding that compels them to obstruct all inspections?
The old and new Trump administrations have long been too comfortable with secrecy, stonewalling and spin.
But the latest episode out of Aurora should alarm anyone who cares about the rule of law, the safety of human lives and the very foundations of American government.
Four members of Colorado’s congressional delegation showed up at an immigration detention center to perform oversight and walked away with almost no answers. Everyone should be furious.
That’s exactly what happened Aug. 11, when Colorado Democratic representatives Jason Crow, Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse and Brittany Pettersen visited the ICE detention facility in Aurora. Despite making their visit known in advance and requesting ICE personnel capable of answering questions be on hand, the lawmakers found themselves stonewalled, according to reporting by the Sentinel last month.
Instead of transparency, they got bureaucratic shrugs and misdirection. Homeland Security’s ICE staff on site couldn’t, or wouldn’t, answer even basic questions about detainee numbers, medical staffing, or access to phones, the cost of phone calls and legal counsel.
The answer they got was, we’ll get back to you.
As the delegation bluntly put it: The Trump administration has made a habit of mopping the floors for a congressional visit, while leaving lawmakers in the dark about the conditions detainees actually face.
This isn’t mere sloppiness, it’s deliberate obstruction. And it undermines an administration already staggering under the weight of its own credibility crises.
Congress has the right and responsibility to oversee federal detention facilities. That is not a partisan talking point. It is the law. When Crow sued the Trump administration in July after being denied access to the Aurora detention center, it was in defense of his statutory right, and by extension, the public’s right to know.
But Trump’s Department of Homeland Security seems more interested in protecting the image of ICE and GEO, the Florida-based private prison that rakes in hundreds of millions of dol-
lars detaining immigrants, than in following the law. The repeated refusal to answer questions, the denial of access, and the insistence that lawmakers run their inquiries through a slow, centralized office all serve one purpose: to conceal.
What they’re working to conceal is what is so concerning.
A six-page letter from last month lays out the possibilities, including medical neglect, prolonged segregation, pressure to self-deport, and even denial of water and air conditioning.
If conditions inside were humane and lawful, and ICE and GEO officials know that four members of Congress are coming to see the proof, the inability or unwillingness to do so speaks volumes to either their subterfuge or incompetence.
This is not about paperwork. It is not about partisan jabs. It is about human beings locked in a system notorious for abuse.
The Aurora facility has a long history of complaints, including inadequate health care, long waits for treatment, and even deaths in custody.
The Colorado members of Congress are right to demand details.
How many detainees are being held, and how many have violent criminal records, or any criminal records?
How often do they not have access to water?
What are the wait times for medical or mental health care?
How many detainees are pressured into “voluntary return” through repeated late-night visits or endless propaganda from ICE agents? One sign inside the facility read: “Do you want to return home? Requesting to return home now may give you the opportunity to legally enter the United States in the future,” Crow said after his most recent visit.
That’s not an offer of help. That’s coercion cloaked in bureaucracy, dangling vague promises in front of terrified detainees who may not even understand the consequences of their choice.
The human stakes are impossible to ignore. People’s health, their freedom, their families and their very lives depend on whether the government follows the law.
At its core, this fight is about more than detention conditions. It’s about habeas corpus, the centuries-old principle that the government cannot imprison someone indefinitely without justification is the foundation of American justice, enshrined in the Constitution. It is what
helped push the colonies away from dictatorial royal rule.
Crow said it plainly after being denied access in July: “They’re denying people fundamental due process rights.”
Reports of federal agents in unmarked vans snatching people off the streets, combined with ICE’s refusal to provide transparency in detention centers, echo exactly the abuses the founders feared.
When the Trump administration shrugs off habeas corpus, it doesn’t just trample immigrant rights, it threatens the entire framework of American liberty. If one group can be held in secrecy without oversight, then the precedent is set for others to be treated the same way.
Now ICE appears to be planning to expand detention in Colorado. Reports indicate nearly 200 new beds could be added to the Aurora facility, and other shuttered prisons across the state may be reopened for immigration detention. Yet the Trump administration won’t even confirm those basic details.
That’s the reality that has proponents of a free and open government so worried. The government may be about to warehouse hundreds more people in secretive facilities, without answering questions about how the current detainees are treated.
The Trump administration often rails against “lawlessness.” But what’s more lawless than refusing congressional oversight, denying constitutional rights, and hiding the truth from Americans?
History has without fail shown that government power without transparency and accountability curdles into something dark and dangerous.
This is not partisan politics. There is nothing partisan about demanding that human beings not be subjected to neglect or abuse. There is nothing partisan about insisting the Constitution and the law be followed. There is nothing partisan about demanding that habeas corpus, the very right to challenge unlawful detention, be upheld.
Transparency is not a talking point. It is the line between a democracy and tyranny. Right now, the Trump administration is on the wrong side of that line.
Follow@EditorDavePerryonBlueSky, Threads,Mastodon,TwitterandFacebookor reachhimat303-750-7555ordperry@SentinelColorado.com
DAVE PERRY Editor
The Aurora GEO ICE immigrant detention facility in north Aurora. SENTINEL FILE PHOTO
Aurora chief defends o cer in fatal shooting of Black man during tra c altercation
AURORA POLICE CHIEF TODD CHAMBERLAIN REPEATED INSISTENCE THAT THE OFFICER THAT FATALLY SHOT A BLACK MAN SATURDAY DURING A TRAFFIC ALTERCATION HAD TRIED REPEATEDLY TO DE-ESCALATE THE SITUATION AND THAT THE SHOOTING WAS JUSTIFIED BY ‘THE FACTS’
BY CASSANDRA BALLARD
Writer
Aurora police and family members of a Black man fatally shot by an officer Saturday are both appealing to the court of public opinion to judge who is to blame for the officer-involved shooting.
An Aurora police officer fatally shot and killed Rajon Belt-Stubblefield, 37, Aug. 29 when a physical altercation erupted after the officer attempted to pull him over.
The traffic stop turned car-crash and subsequent shooting happened between 7:29 p.m. to 7:34 p.m., East Sixth Avenue at about Billings Street as numerous cars rolled past and witnesses inside and outside of cars watched events unfold, Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain told reporters at a press conference Sept. 2.
“The one thing I hope that the community knows is that we are, without question, going to be as transparent as possible on every aspect of this event,” Chamberlain said on Tuesday. “We are not going to hold back anything. I ask the community to please realize we are going to provide real and factual information, and I ask for their support in this process.”
The solo officer involved in the shooting was working a Labor Day Weekend DUI saturation patrol Saturday in the area when he saw the “suspect” make some kind of traffic violation, Chamberlain said.
The officer, whom Chamberlain said he will not reveal in deference to his family’s safety, went to pull Belt-Stubblefield over at 7:29 p.m. on Saturday. Chamberlain said he thinks the officer was pulling Belt-Stubblefield over for a traffic violation or possibly a DUI, but he said he is unsure since the officer is now under investigation and he has not spoken to him.
Supporters of the family have posted messages on social media and told some TV reporters that the officer did not do enough to de-escalate the situation and that the shooting was preventable.
Chamberlain said he was evaluating the officer’s actions solely through the body camera footage and statements from numerous witnesses to the shooting and events that led up to it.
When the officer activated his patrol car lights, Belt-Stubblefield kept driving, rear-ending one car and then veering into the traffic median, crashing into a second car.
Chamberlain said the officer asked Belt-Stubblefield to stay in the vehicle with his hands visible, but he did not comply and began getting out of the vehicle. One of his hands was hidden behind him, which Chamberlain said turned out to be concealing a handgun.
As Belt-Stubblefield got out of the vehicle, he turned to throw the gun in a patch of grass nearby. As he threw the gun, the officer went to grab Belt-Stubblefield, which caused them both to fall from what the body camera footage reveals.
At the same time, Belt-Stubblefield’s son came up on the scene, standing behind the officer because he was following his father in a separate vehicle, Chamberlain told reporters. He said his son was yelling at the officer as the officer approached Belt-Stubblefield before and while the two men fell.
“Our officer falls down in a tussle with the suspect,” Chamberlain said. “This is a picture of our officer on the ground, on his back, with his body-worn video, and the suspect is standing over top of him.”
The officer is able to get up, and that is when Belt-Stubblefield begins asking different people to get his “shit,” while looking toward the gun on the grass, Chamberlain said. Belt-Stubblefield repeats “get my shit” multiple times.
“He said, ‘get the shit, get the shit,’” Chamberlain said. “Get the shit, referring to the weapon, and if he’s not referring to the weapon, I will be 100 percent completely surprised, because every time that statement is made, he is looking back exactly where that weapon is at, and he is talking to the individuals. He is talking to
his relatives. He is talking to other people in the area. Get the shit. Get the shit.”
As Belt-Stubblefield looks back at his son and the other person near the gun and again told them to “get the shit.” The officer strikes Belt-Stubblefield.
“The officer uses a striking motion to try to, one, break the concentration of the suspect, to communicate with these individuals about retrieving a possible weapon, and two, to try to take this individual into custody,” Chamberlain said. “The strike had minimal impact. What it did, the suspect immediately turned on the officer. He got into a fighting stance with the officer. He then walked in advance in an incredibly aggressive posture towards the officer.”
As Belt-Stubblefield aggressively walked toward the officer, he said, “I’m ready for this. Are you ready for this?” This caused the officer to retreat into the street behind him and fire the rounds at Belt-Stubblefield, which caused him to die, Chamberlain said.
Chamberlain repeatedly told reporters that the department would strive to be transparent in its investigation as it unfolds.
Aurora police are currently under a consent decree imposed by the state attorney general after an investigation determined the department has for years exhibited “patterns and practices” of using excessive force against the public, especially people of color.
Aurora is currently investigating a handful of officer-involved shootings from the past two years.
Chamberlain warned the public about “misinformation” linked to the shooting on social media, not offering details about what was inaccurate from those accounts. He asked that the community make their determination about Saturday’s shooting from his statements and what he promised would be a “factual” and “accurate” investigation by the department and outside investigators.
However, the chief on Tuesday continued to press the department’s preliminary narrative of how the shooting unfolded, and that the suspect was to blame for the shooting.
“I wish that the suspect would have listened to what the officer said,” Chamberlain said. “I wish he would have merely put up his hands, stepped out of the car and had a conversation with the officer. Again, these are decisions, and these are things that he decided. This is not what the officer decided, it’s what the suspect decided.”
As per city and state laws and policies, Aurora will conduct a major-crimes and internal investigation into the shooting. A Critical Incident Response Team, composed of other area police and investigators from the 18th Judicial District will make an outside report about the shooting. The district attorney will make a determination whether the shooting was justified.
“Even after the suspect discarded the weapon, the threat to the officer and the public didn’t just disappear just because there was not a weapon there,” Chamberlain said. “There was aggression throughout the contact of this. We had an officer that got pushed out in the middle of the six-lane roadway. There were still discussions going on. There was still a fight going on.”
Chamberlain said police would release the entire, unedited officer body camera video once the family has reviewed it, adding that police have provided it to them.
He said that in addition to the bodycam footage, there appeared to be a wealth of nearby Flock video, business security video and video from witnesses that police will use in their investigation.
Arapahoe County coroner officials said Sept. 2 that Belt-Stubblefield was killed by gunshot during the shooting in the street. They said blood analysis on possible drugs or alcohol would not be available for 4-6 weeks.
Screen grab from officer body cam video from Aug. 29 during an officer-involved shooting at East Sixth Avenue and Billings Street in Aurora.
Staff
AURORA VOTE 2025:
13 candidates vie for 5
Aurora City Council seats
The Aurora City Council election is virtually set, with 13 candidates vying for five council seats.
The candidates were tagged as “nominated” on Aug. 25, however a certified list of candidates that will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot won’t be released by the city clerk’s office until Sept. 5, according to city officials.
There are open seats for two at-large positions, a Ward I position — with the incumbent, Councilmember Crystal Murillo not running for another term — a Ward II position, and a Ward III position.
The Ward I race is stacked with four candidates vying for a position to represent the northwest part of Aurora.
Election campaigns will most likely center around the looming $25 million shortfall in 2026, public safety in the midst of a Consent Decree that involves police brutality and the topic of immigration in the most diverse city in Colorado, with the highest percentage of immigrants, while there is also a concern for Venezuelan gang members allegedly working to infiltrate the city. City growth and issues created by the new Trump administration are likely fodder for campaign differences.
At-Large, two seats
Rob Andrews
Andrews, a Democrat, is the founder of the One Voice Coalition, a local start-up that works with underserved communities. He is a Colorado native and a longtime resident of Aurora, according to his campaign page.
Andrews serves on various nonprofit and public boards and commissions, including the Colorado Workforce Development Board.
He said his campaign will focus on fostering economic opportunity, creating high-quality jobs and taking a unique but proven approach to building affordable housing and community-based public safety.
Andrews ran for Aurora mayor in 2023, but ultimately decided to drop out in order not to “split the vote” with fellow Democrat Juan Marcano, who started campaigning earlier than Andrews.
Watson Gomes
Gomes, an unaffiliated voter, is a Social Science Instructor at the Community College of Aurora. He also teaches Social Studies and Financial Literacy at Rocky Mountain Prep RISE High School, and serves as a youth coach for Colorado Rapids, according to his campaign page.
He said he is a father, husband and teacher who is committed to public service and human rights. Gomes has a Master of Arts in International Relations from the Graduate Center in New York, NY, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law from Methodist University.
Gomes said his campaign will focus on providing experienced, values-driven leadership for the City of Aurora. He said he envisions a more connected, transparent and compassionate Aurora where every voice is valued and every neighborhood can thrive.
Alexandra Jackson
Jackson, a Democrat, is a social worker and mother to both her foster and biological children.
She is also an Aurora native and the daughter of a Black veteran and a Russian Immigrant. On her campaign website, Jackson said she is running on a community-first platform and is committed to ensuring that Aurora’s growth benefits all residents, not just big corporations or special interests. Jackson said her cam-
paign is centered on economic growth, affordable housing, family matters and support, and community wellness.
Danielle Jurinsky
Jurinsky, a Republican, is an at-large incumbent running for a second term. Jurinsky is an Aurora native and single mother, according to her campaign page.
Jurinsky owns and operates JJ’s Place bar and restaurant in Aurora and describes herself as a pro-business city lawmaker.
During her first term, Jurinsky garnered national media attention and that of the Trump presidential campaign, promoting the narrative that immigrant gangs had “overrun” or “taken over” parts of Aurora. Jurinsky’s critics argue that the exaggerated claims she made were intended to benefit a national election season narrative.
Jurinsky’s campaign is focused on “fighting for a stronger, safer Aurora while bridging the gap between Aurora citizens and our local Aurora law enforcement.” She said she is focusing on economic growth, public safety and reducing taxes and fees.
Amsalu Kassaw
Kassaw, a Republican, is an Ethiopian-born and longtime Aurora resident, serving as the at-large incumbent. He was appointed to former Councilmember Dustin Zvonek’s vacant seat last fall.
Kassaw has worked in the security industry for 20 years and currently serves as a lieutenant at the GEO Group’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He is the first Ethiopian immigrant to hold office in the state of Colorado. He graduated from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia and has served his local community in various capacities.
He said he “wants to continue to be a voice for the city’s diverse residents,” in a statement.
Kassaw’s campaign focuses on community, including diversity and civic engagement, public safety, and economic growth, according to his campaign page.
Ward I
Stephen Elkins
Elkins, an unaffiliated voter and a former planner for the City of Denver, is a resident of the Jewell Heights neighborhood. He regularly attends city council meetings, making frequent public comments.
He currently works for a data center company, which he says frequently collaborates with local governments on permitting and project management. He held various positions as a city planner for the City of Denver for more than seven years.
He said his experience working with municipal bureaucracy will help him effectively represent Ward I residents and improve communication between city officials and the public.
Elkins said, if elected, he would focus on public safety, economic development and government accountability.
According to his campaign website, he plans to focus on public safety, putting Ward I first and accountability of local government.
Reid Hettich
Hettich, an unaffiliated voter, is a wellknown pastor and community leader in Aurora, and he brings more than 20 years of community and church service to Aurora, focusing on community revitalization, equity and public safety. According to Hettich’s campaign website, he plans to “focus on community-driven leadership and delivering real results.”
Hettich is executive director and founder of Mosaic Unlimited, a churchbased organization, co-owner of the Dayton Street Opportunity Center, chair-
person of Aurora’s Key Community Response Team, a member of the Community Advisory Council for Aurora’s Consent Decree, and a host of other community boards and programs.
One notable point of pride for Hettich was the work he did with Aurora Public Schools to connect mentors with at-risk students, helping to improve their chances of graduation. The mentors he helped connect the students with led to an 80% on-time graduation rate for participants.
Gianina Horton
Horton, a Democrat, currently serves as the state’s coordinator for reducing racial and ethnic disparities. She previously served as a co-executive director for the Denver Justice Project and a project manager for the Denver Office of the Independent Monitor.
Horton received a bachelor’s degree
from Colorado College in political science and government and went to high school at Denver Center for International Studies. She also served as a member of Aurora’s consent decree Community Advisory Council.
Her campaign plans to focus on empowering communities by ensuring safe and accountable policing and alternatives, affordable housing and support and “embracing newcomers,” including offering more immigrant support such as providing education, job support and other outreach, according to her campaign website.
Leandra Steed
Steed, a Democrat, is a director of Equity Matters at Great Education Colorado. She grew up in the metro Aurora area and attended Denver and Aurora Public Schools and has been a longtime Aurora
resident, according to her campaign webpage. She attended the Community College of Denver and received a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from the University of Northern Colorado.
Steed has served on various community organizations, including as the chairperson for the NAACP Aurora Education Committee.
Steed plans to “champion three critical pillars” in the community: affordable and fair housing, including a clear pathway to ownership, strong tenant protections, public safety such as promoting community-centered safety initiatives and economic development and growth by supporting small and home businesses and protecting workers’ rights.
›› See METRO, 6
ARAPAHOE COUNTY
4-H EXTRAVAGANZA
Saturday, Sept. 27 | 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
Attention families! Looking for fun and educational activities that will help your kids grow?
Join us Saturday, Sept. 27, 10 a.m.–1 p.m., at the 17 Mile House Farm Park, and learn more about 4-H membership.
This is a free event, but registration is strongly encouraged. Register now at arapahoeco.gov/17milehouse
You are in for a treat! Come out to the Arapahoe County Scaregrounds, Oct. 18 & 19 for a weekend of trick-or-treating and spooktacular family fun. Enjoy costume contests, haunted maze, spooky sprints, food trucks, live entertainment, and more! Visit arapahoecountyeventcenter.com/treatstreet
Ward II
Steve Sundberg
Sundeberg, a Republican, is a longtime Aurora resident who owns and operates Legends of Aurora Sports Grill. He is the Ward II incumbent running for his second term. Sundberg describes himself as pro-small business and has worked on public safety legislation and reducing homelessness, according to his campaign website.
He sponsored panhandling education signage to discourage panhandling and has taken a tough-on-crime approach, as well as a “tough love” approach, to homelessness.
Sundberg’s campaign website said he will continue to focus on public safety, local business, affordable housing and reducing homelessness.
Amy Wiles
Wiles, a Democrat, is a longtime Aurora resident and is actively involved in community-driven groups, working in healthcare in Aurora.
She said she is not a politician, but a community member focused on improving Aurora’s neighborhoods, according to her campaign website. Wiles said she believes in community engagement, volunteering and giving back.
Wiles previously served in groups including Women in Business. She is also a Leadership Aurora Graduate and serves as a City of Aurora Human Relations Commissioner, chairperson and a member of the Community Advisory Council for the Aurora Police Department Consent Decree.
Wiles is a volunteer with Special Olympics Colorado and previously volunteered with Brent’s Place, Homes for Our Troops and as a Big Sister.
Wiles said she plans to focus on infrastructure, streets, youth and food deserts.
Ward III
Marsha Berzins
Berzins is running for city council of Aurora in Ward III. Berzins previously served as the Ward III representative from 2009 to 2021. After stepping down from the city council, she ran unsuccessfully for Arapahoe County commissioner. Berzins is a business owner and a mother. She
continues to serve on multiple community boards and commissions, according to her website.
She said that, if elected, she plans to act as a “unifier and to serve everyone in Aurora,” according to her website.
Her campaign website said she plans to focus on public safety, jobs, the economy and community support.
She said she plans to continue participating in the local community and meet people where they are.
Ruben Medina Medina, a Democrat, is a longtime Aurora resident and a project manager at the Foundation for Sustainable Urban Communities. Medina is the incumbent in Ward III, running for his second term.
A Community organizer, a wrestling coach, a father of three and a former firefighter/EMT, Medina said he sees his priority as listening keenly to his community, representing them on the dais with his vote.
Medina spent his last term building the city’s relationship with his diverse constituency. He is community-focused in both his work and his position on the city council.
Medina said he plans to focus on building a safer Aurora, breaking the stigma surrounding mental health, especially among youth, and ensuring strong support for the elderly community, according to his campaign website.
— Cassandra Ballard, Sentinel Staff Writer
Trump’s policies spark protests in Aurora, Denver, multiple US cities on Labor Day
Protesters took to the streets in Aurora, Denver and multiple U.S. cities on Labor Day to criticize President Donald Trump and demand a living wage for workers.
Demonstrations in Chicago and New York were organized by One Fair Wage to draw attention to the struggles laborers face in the U.S., where the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. Chants of “Trump must go now!” echoed outside the president’s former home in New York, while protesters gathered outside a different Trump Tower in Chicago, yelling “No National Guard” and “Lock him up!” Large
crowds also gathered in Washington D.C. and San Francisco.
Protests in Aurora, at the corner of South Havana Street and Parker Road, focused on a bevy of Trump policies and actions since he took office in January. In particular, protesters were critical of Trump overstepping the rule of law and presidential powers. In addition, some were critical of immigration policies and sending National Guard and other military troops into American cities.
In Denver, protesters gathered at the state Capitol, focusing on the Trump administration and GOP support of legislation benefiting the rich and undermining the rights of workers across the county. Denver protesters also focused on what critics say is the indiscriminate firing of federal workers.
—Sentinel and AP staff
Aurora mulls charging $90 for English interpreters during jury trial no-shows
Court fees for English interpreters when people don’t appear for their jury trial are more than doubling in price.
In one attempt to reduce the city’s deficit going into 2026, city officials looked into raising fees in Aurora’s Municipal Court. After research and vetting other Colorado courts and state statute, they found that the only place city officials felt confident about raising fees was in the cost of interpreter charges for jury trials when an individual fails to appear.
“I was unable to find another Municipal Court that did charge interpreter fees,” Candace Atkinson, court administrator said. “There was only one that said they do sometimes for trials.”
During the study session, Aug. 25, city council moved forward on more than doubling the court costs for interpreters from $35 to $90.
This new fee applies only to individuals who fail to appear for their jury trial and does not include costs for regular hearings.
“I think having interpretation is part of the cost of business, especially in a city with over 100 languages,” Councilmember Crystal Murillo in opposition.
“I think Aurora Public Schools said 160 languages, and passing that down onto the individual that wouldn’t be shared by
everyone, is concerning to me. So I’m just concerned that this is going to just be an impact on our immigrant communities, folks who speak another language.”
Councilmembers Alison Coombs and Ruben Medina also said they were opposed.
“Whether the intent is simply cost recovery, ultimately, the impact becomes discriminatory, and so for that reason, I will not be supporting,” Coombs said.
The measure now moves to the council floor for formal consideration at a future meeting.
— Cassandra Ballard, Sentinel Staff Writer
Emerald ash borer prompts city tree removal in Aurora. More to come, officials say
It’s here. The destructive Emerald Ash Borer has officially arrived in Aurora.
City officials say forestry crews are going to start cutting down a lot of healthy-looking trees, but it’s only because they will eventually succumb to an invasive insect.
The beautiful, little emerald-colored pest was first detected in Boulder in 2013. It was discovered in Aurora in June, causing an almost 100% mortality rate for any ash tree it infects, according to Adrian Camacho, manager of open space and forestry.
“This is a pest that is here, and it’s emerged in the whole region,” Camacho said. “All (Ash) trees will succumb to this insect over time.”
Emerald Ash Borers attack and destroy only ash trees.
The Colorado Forest Service said the insect has been detected in trees in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld counties. Recently, officials in Arvada, Denver Edgewater, Lakewood, Littleton, Longmont, Thornton, Wheat Ridge and now Aurora have reported infestations.
There is an opportunity to treat ash trees to prevent the borer from infecting them. While it is most effective to have the tree treated every two years, Camacho said that even treated trees will most likely succumb, and once a tree is infected it will almost certainly die.
Aurora’s Forestry Department has been working on reducing ash trees from the city-owned canopy since 2015, bringing the number from 7,000 to 4,700 by removing and replacing trees over that time, according to Camacho.
“We are going to treat a few ash trees, either because they are just large specimens and important to our city,” Camacho said. “Unfortunately, our oldest tree that we have in inventory is an ash tree that’s at Parklane Park. That one is being treated.”
The city plans to continue treating and retaining about 50 of the 4,700 ash trees it has on city land.
“Once an ash tree is infected, we expect it will die within three to five years,” Camacho said.
Camacho and other professionals recommend that people with ash trees on their own property have the tree removed earlier, because the longer they wait, the more expensive it will be.
“A little disheartening,” Mayor Mike Coffman said. “I have one in my front yard.”
The more people delay, the fewer options they will have, Camacho said. The trees become more brittle as they die, making them more hazardous and expensive to remove.
There is no need for quarantine when disposing of material in any particular way.
Early infections are hard to detect, according to Camacho, because they occur high in the tree on its southwest side, and
it takes years before the infection can be detected.
“Thinning canopy is an early sign, and those suffering from the roots and epicormic sprouts are kind of an advanced sign,” he said. “At this point, the tree has mostly been infected and needs to be removed.”
Ash was a common tree choice for homeowners and developers before 2000, but since 2015, many cities have prohibited planting ash trees.
Camacho said that the Denver metro area will have a much harder time than did Boulder with approximately 1.4 million ash trees.
“It’s here, and it’s time to think about replacing trees if you have them, if you have ash trees, also educating people on what options there are and how the insect gets treated,” Camacho said.
For more information or recommendations on what to replace an ash tree with, go to the city’s website https:// www.auroragov.org/things_to_do/ parks__open_space___trails/forestry
— Cassandra Ballard, Sentinel Staff Writer
‘Blue Envelope’ project seeks to improve interaction between Aurora cops and disabled people
Aurora police are rolling out a new project they say can ease interactions between law enforcement and people with disabilities when they are approached by an officer.
The Blue Envelope Program was created in 2020 by Connecticut police and highway officials. It was launched this week in Aurora as a free tool designed to support safer, more inclusive communication during traffic stops, the department said in a statement.
The program is free, voluntary and open to anyone, but police say it may be especially useful for people with disabilities, individuals who are non-verbal or have limited speech, and those who struggle with communication in highstress situations.
Participants receive a specially-designed envelope to keep in their vehicle. Inside, they can store a driver’s license, registration, proof of insurance and other documents.
Most importantly, police said, the envelope may also contain important details about the driver or passenger, such as communication needs, medical conditions or other information that could help officers adjust their approach.
“By using this tool, officers are better equipped to adjust their approach, helping create a safer, more respectful, and less stressful experience for everyone involved,” police spokesperson Gabby Easterwood said in a statement.
The initiative is not limited to drivers with disabilities. Passengers can also carry information in a Blue Envelope to share with law enforcement if needed. That use could benefit people living with conditions such as traumatic brain injury, dementia or anxiety, all of which can affect how someone communicates with officers.
Each kit includes the envelope itself along with identifiers such as a car-window decal, bracelet and button. These markers alert officers that the driver or passenger may need communication support.
No personal data is collected by the department as part of the program, officials said.
Residents can pick up Blue Envelope kits at designated locations throughout the city. A full list of sites, along with more information about the program, is avail-
able by clicking here.
“This program reflects our commitment to safe, meaningful communication,” Easterwood said. “It marks a step toward building inclusion and understanding across the community.”
— Sentinel Staff
Pick-up truck collision claims life of 70-yearold pedestrian in central Aurora
Just days after Aurora police publicized pleas to the public to be en guard for pedestrian safety, a 70-year-old man was struck by a truck yesterday and died.
Police were called to the intersection of East Sixth Avenue and Potomac Street at about 5 a.m. after reports of an auto-pedestrian collision there.
“The investigation has determined a Ford F-150 was driving east on East Sixth Avenue when it struck a 70-year-old male pedestrian who was crossing Sixth Avenue north to south,” Aurora police spokesperson Joe Moylan said in a statement. “The 70-year-old man sustained life-threatening injuries and was rushed to a local hospital, where he later died.”
Police said the driver of the pick-up truck remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.
Police last week met with area reporters to send a message to both motorists and pedestrians to pay attention and be alert.
Despite a reduction in the number of pedestrian fatalities in Aurora and the
Colorado chronic absenteeism problem worsens, affecting school performance
Colorado education officials relayed some bad news last week: The percentage of students who were chronically absent last school year increased, while attendance stayed nearly flat.
Both Aurora school districts saw small decreases in the rate of chronically absent students, according to state records.
A student is chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of their school days. The more school students miss, the more likely they are to fall behind in their academics.
More than 1 in 4 Colorado students, or 28.4%, were chronically absent in the 2024-25 school year, according to data released Wednesday by the Colorado Department of Education. That’s up from 27.7% in 2023-24. Chronic absenteeism rates had been falling since a pandemic-era high of 34.5%, but last year’s rate reverses that trend.
“While we did see some promising gains at the local level, our overall statewide results for average daily attendance and chronic absenteeism, unfortunately, are moving in the wrong direction of what we had hoped to see,” state Education Commissioner Susana Córdova said.
The statewide attendance rate last school year was 91.4%, a slight dip from 91.5% in 2023-24.
Even though the statewide rates are trending in the wrong direction, most individual school districts saw improvements. The chronic absenteeism rates in 105 of Colorado’s 178 districts went down in
drop 0.2 % to 25.3% of students. In Aurora Public Schools, the rate dropped 1.2% to 38.9% of students.
But in the state’s two largest districts, Denver Public Schools and Jeffco Public Schools, chronic absenteeism rates went up. Jeffco’s rate increased from 25.3% in 2023-24 to 26.6% in 2024-25. Denver’s rate went from 37.1% to 38.1%.
In a statement, DPS said it was a challenging year for attendance.
“Between the necessary school closing process that we faced last fall and the Presidential Executive Orders and ICE activity in our community in the spring, students and families have understandably felt frustrated and even vulnerable at school,” the statement said.
The Denver school board voted in November to close seven schools with low enrollment and partially close three more, a contentious decision that was unpopular with many families and teachers. Those schools shuttered in June.
In February, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided apartment buildings in Denver and Aurora, causing fear among families and prompting protests from students.
DPS pointed out that despite the overall trend, 82 of Denver’s nearly 200 schools reported improvements in attendance and reductions in chronic absenteeism.
Colorado is one of several states that signed on to a nationwide challenge last year to cut chronic absenteeism by half over a five-year period. The Colorado Department of Education’s goals calls for the chronic absenteeism rate to hit a low of 15% by the 2027-28 school year.
Big gaps remain in which students are
second graders were down, which state officials said was “welcome news.”
Students of color are more likely to be chronically absent than white students. English language learners and students who receive special education also have high rates of absenteeism.
Statewide, Hispanic students had the biggest increase in chronic absenteeism last year, with their rate jumping from 37.1% to 38.4%. Black and white students also had small increases, but their rates remained below those of Hispanic students.
In raw numbers, nearly 121,000 Hispanic students missed 10% or more of their school days last year. Nearly 89,000 white students and about 13,800 Black students also missed that much.
Students learning English as a second language also had an increase in chronic absenteeism rates. This group of students scored lower on state literacy and math test scores last year than in previous years, a trend Córdova said may be due to lagging attendance.
Increased immigration enforcement by the Trump administration in the second semester of last school year may have kept some students out of school, state officials said. Families were fearful after the administration abolished a decades-old federal policy that treated schools as sensitive locations for the purposes of immigration enforcement.
Denver Public Schools sued the Trump administration over its abolishment of the so-called sensitive locations policy, arguing that the move had caused drops in attendance. But a judge sided with the Trump administration, and DPS eventually dropped its lawsuit.
its chronic absenteeism rate over the past several years to the lowest in the district.
One of the strategies the K-12 school uses is called “attendance refocus,” said Assistant Principal Ben Schneider. High school students who have one unexcused absence or four unexcused tardies in a week are required to attend a lunchtime session where they take a survey about the reasons they missed school or were late to class. The school then groups students based on those reasons and provides them targeted help.
For instance, Schneider said, several students were struggling to wake up early enough to make it to their first class. So Schneider had the students gather together to set wake-up alarms on their phones. He also sent messages home to their parents.
Other barriers, like a lack of transportation, are harder to overcome. For one family with children at three different schools, Schneider said he suggested they enroll all of their children at the same school to ensure a single morning dropoff time.
While effective, attendance refocus is a big lift, Schneieder said. He said he spends about 15 hours per week meeting with students and connecting them with resources to boost their attendance, including mental health counseling and academic tutoring.
“The takeaway I’ve had from tackling attendance for the last couple of years is that it takes an immense amount of time and precious resources on the school level to tackle this,” Schneider said. “And, you know, time is our most precious resource.”
— Melanie Asmar,
EAST COLFAX COULD GET NEW LIFE IF VOTERS OK PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
Over the past several decades, East Colfax Avenue has undergone numerous pitches and plans for redevelopment and revival.
None have brought the city’s original downtown and business beginnings back to the life and luster so many plans have promised.
Through these efforts, the city has utilized opportunity zones, urban renewal districts, special improvement districts, created an arts district, dozens of targeted programs and even a special downtown Aurora special business organization.
The efforts haven’t all been in vain. They’ve resulted in a solid public library, successful arts and entertainment venues and a handful of businesses that have thrived without depending on patrons who are trying to pawn something, sell plasma or take out a loan on their paycheck.
For all the success these programs have created, however, city officials say the area still suffers from high business turnover rates, more crime than anywhere else in the city and, more than anything, an unfavorable reputation.
Now, the city is considering something new, but they have to persuade very local voters to go along with it: creating the Aurora Downtown Development Authority.
PUMA, a national redevelopment strategy firm hired by the city to research options, says that the DDA, if approved, will not start from scratch with new concepts, but rather build on years of planning and create a synthesis of previous analyses, projects, and plans
to develop a comprehensive map toward clearly defined goals.
Residents of Aurora have seen the success of the Havana Business Improvement District, which has drawn new life to dozens of businesses along the Havana Street corridor on the west side of the city.
In an effort to apply a similar concept while incorporating the local residential community and tax increment financing, the city is asking voters, only within the blockslong district, whether they want to establish a Downtown Development Authority to achieve similar benefits to those seen from the Havana BID.
“I think this is a really effective tool that we can utilize to address some of the public safety, transportation and other issues that we’ve continued to hear about in the Colfax corridor from both businesses and from residents,” Councilmember Curtis Gardner said.
Downtown Development Authority
If approved by voters, the DDA would be responsible for implementing the Colfax Community Vision and Action Plan, a 10- to 20-year plan to improve the East Colfax corridor.
It would focus on goals such as public safety, supporting small businesses, access to services, wealth building, housing and neighborhood stability. It will also focus on arts and culture, cleaning and maintenance and improvements to public spaces.
Funding would come from the TIF district. Essentially, the system creates a baseline of taxes current-
ly collected in the district. When new taxes are collected “above” the baseline, those funds go toward projects targeted by the district leaders.
Crime prevention and public safety improvements in a DDA can include environmental design upgrades, both on public and private property, according to Naomi Lacewell, senior associate at Progressive Urban Management Associates, the company responsible for guiding the DDA process for East Colfax.
This could include opening up a space by removing a wall where people might hide to engage in illegal activities.
Lacewell said that other DDAs have achieved success by collaborating closely with the police department’s safety ambassadors, who can address non-emergency safety concerns.
Business support and access to goods and services for small businesses in the area could include the DDA helping with promotions, marketing and campaigns for our small businesses. They could also help fill some of those empty storefronts and help attract more community-desired businesses, along with offering opportunities for property ownership to businesses for longevity, and offering access to grants and technical assistance for them, Lacewell said to city council in July.
Improvements to housing and neighborhood stability can include enhancing the quality of existing housing and helping to preserve it, Lacewell said to city council. Another improvement could be adding a variety of new housing options
in the area, providing access to wealth-building tools, homeownership resources and opportunities for employment and economic growth.
Cleaning and maintenance along the corridor, as well as general beautification efforts, include maintaining a tree cover that provides shade, incorporating flowers and enhancing landscaping.
“These services are above and beyond the baseline of what the city will continue to provide,” Lacewell said to city council. “So these are extra supplementary cleaning and trash services, such as power washing along the corridor.”
The DDA would also work to advance the arts by working with the Creative District on branding and promotions, and partnering with other small, non-arts-related businesses to create cohesive economic opportunity and affordable artist housing and spaces.
Finally, the development authority would enhance public space with significant long-term and near-term infrastructure projects, including the activation of parks and plazas, improving signage, alleys, navigation through the area and other outdoor amenities, Lacewell said.
The Aurora DDA could be governed by a board of five to 11 members, who would be appointed by the mayor and then approved by the city council. These members must be local business owners, residents and property owners within the DDA boundaries, which would include the area between East 14th Avenue and East 16th Avenue, from Yosemite Street to Oswego Street, if approved.
“One reason the DDA was recommended is that it’s a quasi-public agency,” Brad Segal, president and founding partner of PUMA, said. “It has all the same public records and transparency laws that a local government has. So DDA board meetings are public. DDA decisions are public. It’s all very transparent. It’s essentially a sort of localized government.”
One of the better examples to compare the East Colfax DDA to is the more recently created Englewood South Broadway DDA, which began in 2020. The Englewood DDA runs from the Englewood Civil Center along the light rail station across South Broadway near the Gothic Theatre, over to the Wellness District by Craig and Swedish hospitals.
Segal said they are still new and haven’t raised a significant amount of money yet, but they have already beautified some of the alleys and supported local small businesses.
DDAs can utilize many innovative ways to revitalize a downtown area at a low cost, especially when trying to make people feel safer and welcome in an area that has become underutilized. In 2020, Louisiana’s Downtown Lafayette DDA convinced the city to build cement “benches” for people to sit in Parc San Souci, an area that had lost vibrancy and was attracting a large homeless population. The DDA was aware that the “benches” would attract skateboarders, so they had them reinforced to accommodate the wear and tear from skaters grinding on them.
Instead of the city using police to simply drive out the homeless and relocate them to other areas,
A Colfax Art Walk from 2012
BY CASSANDRA BALLARD, Sentinel Staff Writer
One of East Colfax Avenue’s famous motels and motel signs.
they utilized the presence of the skaters to attract more people to the area and make new visitors feel safe.
Jon Wesolowski, a public speaker known as “The Happy Urbanist,” who specializes in urban development, has compared the skaters to a pioneer species in a forest, the first organisms after a fire or disturbance that help revive an ecosystem.
Ultimately, the concept worked. Parc San Souci and the DDA ultimately built a skatepark for local skaters in Lafayette a few years later.
Funding
The second question for the targeted voters will be whether to fund the DDA through the TIF, which means that future increases in property and sales tax revenue within the DDA boundaries will be captured and reinvested in the area.
This means that a TIF in the DDA will not create a new tax or increase existing taxes for residents or businesses.
In the future, the DDA could also have the option to seek voter approval to have unique bonding authority and a potential mill levy for operations, Lacewell said.
The concept for the East Colfax DDA was also explicitly designed to collaborate with a Community Development Corporation to address broader community issues.
The CDC is not a part of the ballot measure and will not use any of the tax increment funding in the DDA, if established. Instead, it will be independently funded through sources such as philanthropy, corporate and foundation grants, fund-
raising and sponsorships and a self-sustaining real estate strategy, according to PUMA officials.
The East Colfax CDC would be a community-managed nonprofit organization overseen by a community-based board of directors comprising local business owners, nonprofits and residents. It would also encompass a larger boundary than the DDA.
Decisions for the CDC will come after the election for the DDA.
“These, the DDA, the CDC, could be very impactful,” Segal said. “They’re designed to be community-driven. They’re designed to work in tandem, and they’re designed to operate in a very transparent, open way.”
How to vote
The ballot question for the DDA and the TIFs district in the DDA is a special ballot that will be sent only to registered voters who live, own property or own a business within the boundary. The election essentially coincides with the 2025 city and local school board mail-ballot election this November.
While the “special” ballot will be mailed to voters residing within the district boundary, business owners and non-resident property owners will need to fill out a separate form. The form must be returned by Oct. 28 to receive a mail-in ballot.
The form and ballots are being handled by the law firm Spencer Fane. Having a law firm conduct an election for a special district, especially one that spans over two counties, is a regular practice, according to Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association.
Segal also said that the practice was typical and that law firms have been utilized for multiple special district elections he has worked on, involving BIDs and DDAs.
All ballots will be returned to the law firm, which will then count the votes. The City of Aurora requests that people follow the directions on the ballot to ensure their ballots are sent to the correct location. City spokesperson Joe Rubino said that if people accidentally turn in their special DDA ballot to a regular county ballot box before 7 p.m. Nov. 4, their ballot will be sent to the law
firm and their vote will still count.
Courtney Linney from the Spencer Fane law firm, which is handling the election, is the designated election official and can be contacted for additional questions via email at clinney@spencerfane.com or by phone at 303-839-3778, according to the city’s election website.
PUMA is also available to explain aspects of the DDA and the CDC, as well as how they could affect people in the community. Segal said that PUMA would be willing to set up additional presentations in the community if community mem-
bers still need more information. Lacewell has been the principal advisor for the East Colfax DDA and CDC concept and can be reached for questions and additional information at naomi@pumaworldhq. com.
Now that the DDA questions are being taken to voters in an election, the PUMA staff cannot advocate for the DDA or tell voters how to vote. They can only answer questions about the DDA voting procedures, the Vision and Action Plan and a DDA’s various applications.
The No. 15 bus on East Colfax and one of dozens of stops along the way.
The Magazine
Hungry for details
LOCAL TEACHER WANTS STUDENTS TO GET MORE THAN JUST A TASTE OF “FARM TO TABLE” FOOD PRODUCTION
BY ANN SCHIMKE, Colorado Chalkbeat
Mike Montgomery grew up in here, but visited relatives on their South Dakota ranch during the summer. That’s where he saw what it took to grow wheat, corn, soybeans, and feed hay.
As a high school teacher in Littleton, he realized that most students don’t have such firsthand knowledge of food production.
“That was readily apparent after a big snowstorm when the transport chain was interrupted and students complained about the lack of fruit and vegetables,” Montgomery said.
To teach students where their food comes from, he incorporated “seed to table” lessons when he created the natural resources pathway at EPIC, his district’s 2-year-old career campus. Today, students learn hydroponic farming techniques, sending the leafy greens they grow to district cafeterias and local food banks.
Montgomery, who was named 2025 Outstanding Teacher by the nonprofit Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom, talked to Chalkbeat about how his ADHD impacts his teaching style, what he loves about his beekeeping mini-course, and how he connected with an introvert teen.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Was there a moment when you decided to become a teacher?
Becoming a teacher was an evolution that developed over time, driven by my desire to spend my day talking about animals and plants. I have always liked the structure of the school day and the rhythm of the school year, so becoming a high school science teacher seemed to be a good fit in terms of the lifestyle I wanted to have and the work that I wanted to do.
How did your own experience in school influence your approach to teaching?
As a child, I had a splash of ADHD, so I gravitated toward learning experiences where I was using my hands, was up and doing things, and was creating some tangible piece of learning. Essentially, I wanted to do anything other than sit and listen to somebody talk. My teaching reflects that same learning style. I am continually looking to design learning experiences that give students opportunities to apply scientific content.
For example, each month, students in my water classes travel to the South Platte River to collect and analyze water samples, and report to the state on the water quality in our community. Getting outside, working in a riparian environment, and then doing relevant work back in the classroom brings about learning that is more impactful than hearing a lecture from me.
Tell us about a favorite lesson to teach.
The EPIC campus has an extended school year, so each June, teachers are given an opportunity to teach a mini-course on a subject related to their pathway. I have kept bee hives at home for a number of years, so I asked and was given the opportunity to teach a three-week course on beekeeping. Those weeks each June are probably my favorite because students who take the course are genuinely interested in the work. There is no credit offered or certification to be earned. They just want to learn about these amazing insects.
The hives remain on campus all year and are a continual topic of conversation. The presence of an apiary at school gives me another opportunity to teach and talk about the importance of pollinators.
What does the natural resources pathway at EPIC include, and why is it an important offering for high-schoolers?
The natural resources pathway includes two tracks: one on plant science and horticulture and the other on water quality management and conservation ecology. Career and technical education programs are important because they provide opportunities for adolescents to explore areas that they might be interested in after they graduate and allow them to earn college credit or industry certifications.
What’s something happening in the community that affects what’s going on in your classroom?
I learned early on in my teaching career that adolescents have no idea where their food comes from and how it gets to the dinner table. We are fortunate to have a hydroponics farm on the EP-
IC campus. Students, while learning the science behind plant growth, are involved with seeding, transplanting, and harvesting leafy greens for distribution to the cafeterias in the high schools for the creation of “EPIC” salads.
We also provide some produce to community food banks. The students take great pride in this work, knowing that they are providing for those in the community who might be facing food scarcity. The conversations we have in class have shifted beyond plant science to food production, distribution, and the need to reduce food waste. Talk about impactful lessons!
Tell us about a memorable time — good or bad — when contact with a student or their family changed your perspective or approach.
Students work with bee hives as part of a mini-course taught by Littleton teacher Mike Montgomery.
Courtesy of Rodney Stutzman
Mike Montgomery’s high school students test river water samples and send their findings to the state. Courtesy of Mike Montgomery
I learned early on in my career that forming good relationships with students was key to their success in my class. Those relationships start with having zero preconceived notions about the child walking into my room.
As a life science teacher, I have always had live animals in my classroom, and I like snakes. They don’t smell, make noise, or demand a great deal of care, and when you bring one out, there is always a reaction from students. I had one boy in class who was introverted, did not seem to have a large circle of friends, and never appeared to have any interest in the lessons.
One day, he had to remain after class to finish classwork, and I had to tend to the reptiles. He asked to help, and “Whoa!” He knew all about snakes and showed me pictures of the ones he had at home. He opened up like never before. Humbled, I dropped my previous notions of his ability and allowed his strengths to be successful.
Tell us why and how you seek out conversations with students’ families?
Those conversations can be a little awkward at first but lead to improved instruction because I can adapt my lessons to better differentiate learning. At conferences, I always ask parents what they do for a living. That gives me an opportunity to bring their knowledge and expertise into class. It also helps me understand the dynamics for the child. Do they need to work? Have they worked with their parents at their business? Are they home alone because of their parents’ work schedule? What expectations do the parents have for the child? Those conversations help me identify the strengths and challenges that each student brings to class.
What are you reading for enjoyment?
I used to just read one book at a time, finish it, and move on to the next. Then I got a Kindle. Now, I jump around, usually among three books — almost exclusively nonfiction. This is what’s currently in my queue:
• Tonight in Jungleland: The Making of ‘Born to Run’” by Peter Ames Carlin.
• The Alchemy of Air: A Jewish Genius, a Doomed Tycoon, and the Scientific Discovery That Fed the World but Fueled the Rise of Hitler” by Thomas Hager.
• Doctors by Nature: How Ants, Apes, and Other Animals Heal Themselves” by Jaap de Roode.
18 Colorado artists.
“Museo es tu Casa / Museo is your Home” will be on view through Sept. 21 at the Denver museum. Organizers say the show is a reflection on hospitality as both a cultural and artistic value, expressed through paintings, sculptures, photography, mixed media and found objects.
scene & herd
‘Merrily We Roll Along’ opens Sept. 12 at Vintage Theatre
The Tony Award-winning musical Merrily We Roll Along is set to open Sept. 12 at Vintage Theatre, bringing Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s acclaimed story of friendship, compromise and the cost of success to Aurora audiences. Directed by Bernie Cardell, the show plays through Oct. 19 in the Nickelson Auditorium.
Told in reverse, the musical traces the lives of three friends from adulthood back to their youthful idealism, blending the excitement of a backstage show with a poignant examination of staying true to one’s dreams. The production won the 2024 Tony Award for Best Revival.
IF YOU GO
Dates: Sept. 12 – Oct. 19
Venue: Nickelson Auditorium at Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora
Tickets: $39 general admission, $33 seniors, $20 students/children (12 or younger)
Details: 303-856-7830 or VintageTheatre.org
‘Unapologetically Chicano’ art experience
A six-week immersive celebration of Chicano culture at CHAC Gallery @40 West in Lakewood. “Unapologetically Chicano” will showcase traditional and contemporary works of art alongside music, food and community connection.
Curated by Rob and Tammy Yancey, the exhibition highlights the resilience and creativity of Chicano identity across generations. The opening reception runs from 5 to 9 p.m. and will feature local and regional artists, live music, DJs, authentic food vendors, classic cars from Los Compas Car Club and handcrafted spirits served by The Good Ol’ Time Mobile Bar.
A second First Friday event on Oct. 3 offers another chance to meet the artists and experience the work. Organizers describe the show as a celebration of heritage, resistance and joy.
IF YOU GO
Dates: Sept. 5 – Oct. 24, Opening reception: Sept. 5, 5 p.m.–9 p.m.
Venue: CHAC Gallery @40 West, 7060 W. 16th Ave.
Tickets: Free
Details: www.chacgallery.org/
Museo de las Americas presents hospitalitythemed summer exhibition*
A new summer pop-up exhibition is opening at Museo de las Americas this month, celebrating hospitality in Latin American culture through the work of
The works were selected through an open-call process and showcase the personal journeys of Latinx and Chicanx artists, highlighting themes of food, family, generosity, spirituality and connection to the land.
Featured artists include Alfredo J. Cárdenas, Amanda López, Anthony LeCombe, Frank Zamora, Gabriela Carrión, Jaime Chihuan, Kimberly Nick Gutierrez, Lupita Borjas, Lupita Jimenez, Mariana Pereira Vieira, Martha Saavedra, Maurilio Tapia, Norberto Mojardin, Odalis Canchola, Romelia Carrillo, Rosa Nájera, Ruth Álvarez Luna and Tony Ortega.
The exhibition is located in the Art District on Santa Fe and is one of the cultural organizations featured on the Bloomberg Connects app.
IF YOU GO
When: Through Sept. 21.
Venue: Museo de las Americas, 861 Santa Fe Drive
Tickets: Free
Details: museo.org
Denver museum hosts film screening, panel on vaccines
A new documentary and town-hall style discussion on the role of vaccines in public health will take place Sept. 10 at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.
The event, part of the Trust in Science series, will feature the premiere of “The Plea,” a film by Neil Halloran that chronicles the eradication of smallpox — the only human disease eliminated through global cooperation.
Following the screening, Halloran will join doctors and public health officials for a panel discussion on vaccine science, safety and decision-making. Organizers say the event is designed to foster dialogue about trust in science, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing conversations around vaccines.
The program is hosted by the Institute for Science & Policy in partnership with the museum and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus’s Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Initiative.
IF YOU GO
Date: Sept. 10, 6:30 p.m.
Place: Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd.
Tickets: $8 members, $12 public
Details and reservations: dmns.org
Denver Botanic Gardens offers mushroom identification course
Aspiring mushroom hunters can learn the basics of safe collection and identification in a new class at Denver Botanic Gardens.
The “Beginning Mushroom Identification” course includes two evening lectures and a field trip, where participants will collect and practice identifying mushrooms in their natural environment. Organizers say the field trip location will be chosen the day before to ensure mushrooms are available.
The course will be taught by Ed Lubow, who has been hunting mushrooms since the 1970s and volunteering with the Sam Mitchel Herbarium
of Fungi at Denver Botanic Gardens since 2008. Recommended reading is “Mushrooms of the Rocky Mountain Region” by Vera Stucky Evenson and Denver Botanic Gardens.
IF
YOU GO
Dates: Sept. 4, 6–8 p.m.; Sept. 6, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
Venue: Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St.
Tickets: $110-$125
Details: botanicgardens.org
Art in the Park food and market series at the Aurora Highlands
A fusion of art, shopping, food and community are slated for Sept. 6 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: Sept. 6, 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
The Legend of Anne Bonny: A Sapphic Pirate Musical
Anne, an ambitious 18th Century housewife, enters the realm of piracy at the beginning of its very violent end. She runs away on a wanted man’s ship, falls in love with more than her fair share of dubious individuals, and learns that pirates who are captured
are forced to betray their kind to live or cling to their legends and die. With a sword at hip and adventure at hand, Anne seems poised to claim everything she has ever wanted, so long as she can avoid a watery grave as well as the hangman’s noose. But Anne’s captain has become the target of a vengeful pirate-turned-hunter. The world whispers around her that those beneath black flags will soon be doomed. And the quiet young man that Anne has desperately (and secretly) fallen for turns out to be no man at all. The Legend of Anne Bonny is a tribute to dark oceanic folklore, queer women’s history, and all the seafaring heroes and sinners who, in equal parts, were damned. CONTENT WARNINGS: Some loud sudden sounds; domestic violence; use of fog machine.
IF YOU GO
Venue: The People’s Building, 9995 E Colfax Ave.
When: Aug. 23, 24, 28-31 and Sept. 4- Sept. 6 Curtains vary at 2 p.m. or 7 p.m.
Tickets: $18.82-$44.82
Details: www.thepeoplesbuilding.com
Dixie’s Never Wear a Tube Top While Riding a Mechanical Bull…
Dixie Longate is known for her phenomenal success and hilarious antics in her wildly popular show, “Dixie’s Tupperware Party.” In her new hit show, Ms. Longate has reviewers cheering and audiences on their feet with nonstop laughter. Put on your cowboy boots and walk into her favorite honkytonk as Dixie shares lessons learned after a hard night of drinking. What do a jeweled crown, a cardboard cutout of Julie Andrews and a box of moon pies have in common? Spend the night with Dixie and find out as she swaps her Tupperware bowls for a mechanical bull.
IF YOU GO
When: through Sept. 7
Where: Garner Galleria Theatre, DCPA in Denver, 1400 Curtis St. Tickets: $56.64 - $88.50 Details: artscomplex.com
• GreatBurgers
• GreatCheesesteaks
• 20 TV’s
• Open St age EveryThursday
• Saturdays:11:30AM-3PM FreeDomesticBeeror
Mike Montgomery, Courtesy of Cameron Ryan
Right: Senior Zaya Elliott (6) is off to a 3-0 start on the mound for the Eaglecrest softball lteam, which is 6-0 with six double-digit victories on the season as of Sept. 2.
Middle: Junior Sydney Cobb helped the Cherokee Trail softball team reach last season’s Class 5A state championship game and is a key component in the Cougars’ quest for another title shot.
Below: Sasha Kennedy enters her senior season as a catalyst for the Grandview softball team on the heels of winning the Centennial League Player of the Year award in 2024.
The 2025 softball season is in full swing in the Aurora area, where diamond tradition is deep and a local program played for the Class 5A state championship as recently as last season.
That was Cherokee Trail, which was unable to hold off Riverdale Ridge and win the title, but represented the area in a major way.
The Cougars return a good group from last season’s team and look to be one of a number of local programs that could have big things in store by the time the season comes to an end at the Aurora Sports Park.
SOFTBALL
three hitters by average last season — they have a deep lineup that has produced a whopping 87 runs in six games with a mix of clutch hitting and aggressiveness on the basepaths.
Freshman Haisley Elliott has been a key addition for Eaglecrest, as she is hitting a staggering .700 in her first six games (14-for-20), while she’s also allowed just two earned runs over eight innings pitched. Elliott joins her senior sister, Zaya (3-0, 2.49 ERA) and sophomore Alyssa Vallejos on a quality staff.
Diamond debuts
The hottest-starting team in the early going is Eaglecrest — Cherokee Trail’s fellow Centennial League program — however, as the Raptors have roared to a 6-0 start with every one of their victories coming by double digits.
BY COURTNEY OAKES Sports Editor
“At the beginning, many of the players were worried we weren’t going to be very good because of the bg bats we lost,” longtime Eaglecrest coach Yvette Hendrian said. “We haven’t faced the toughest schedule at the beginning, but we’re really proving to ourselves that we can hit. I keep telling them ‘I don’t need you to peak right now, just keep progressing.”
Indeed only one of the teams the Raptors have faced thus far made it to the 5A state tournament last season in Chaparral (which they downed 17-8 in the season opener), but a true test is ahead when they go against Columbine Sept. 4 then will face a quality group of teams (including 4A power Windsor) in the Dave Sanders tournament at the Aurora Sports Park.
Right off the bat, Eaglecrest has shown the type of hitting, defense and pitching that could give it staying power in the Centennial League as well as in the quest to return to the state tournament.
Though the Raptors graduated slugging catcher Kaitlyn Hendrian (who 12 home runs last season), Callie Johnson and Chessa Reid — the team’s top
If Eaglecrest maintains its level of play, that will further tighten the chase in the Centennial League, where Cherokee Trail and Grandview both come in off state tournament appearances last season and Arapahoe is off to a 7-3 start. With every team with at least five games under their belts (through Sept. 2), seven of the league’s eight teams had winning records.
Cherokee Trail is 3-2 out of the gate, but its losses came to Erie (1-0 in its season opener at the Metro State tournament in a game shortened by a time limit) plus another to Elizabeth, which is 5-2. Coach Caley Mitchell’s Cougars — bolstered by the pitching duo of juniors Emma Rice and Sydney Cobb along with a variety of role players from last season’s run to the state title game — own wins over Columbine and Lutheran (last season’s 4A state champion), however. Grandview has made it to the second round of the state tournament in each of the past two seasons and coach Liz Carter has another group that looks like it could be equally as capable. The Wolves feature the area’s top all-around talent in senior shortstop Sasha Kennedy, last season’s Centennial League Player of the Year, who combines with seniors Maddie Donaldson and Madison Jaramillo in the heart of a potent lineup, which will be counted on with a complete turnover in the pitching staff.
Regis Jesuit opened the season with a win over rival Valor Christian and is off to a 2-3 start, while Kiley Snyder-led Smoky Hill is 1-4, Aurora Central is 1-5 and Rangeview is 1-6-1 despite an average of nearly 10 runs scored per game. Overland —a double-digit win team in 2024 — has yet to play a game due to low numbers, while defending City League champion Vista PEAK Prep is winless in three contests.
PHOTOS BY COURTNEY OAKES/AURORA SENTINEL
FOOTBALL
City teams kick off season with 4-7 mark in Week 1
All 11 Aurora area programs were in action in Week 1 of the 2025 prep football season and finished with a combined record of 4-7 in games played Aug. 28-29.
Aurora Central, Eaglecrest, Smoky Hill and Vista PEAK Prep all got into the win column for the first time, while the remainder of city programs (including Week Zero winner Grandview) will look to bounce back from defeats in Week 2.
Vista PEAK Prep picked up the first win of the season in its second try, as the Bison delivered the initial victory for new coach Kyle Reese with a 48-21 defeat of Denver East Aug. 28 at All-City Stadium. Delayed by lightning and rain like the majority of the other contests on the night, the Bison held a 12-6 advantage at halftime before an offensive explosion in the final half that saw the teams combine for 50 points.
Senior quarterback Canaan Barthlow threw four touchdown passes on the evening for Vista PEAK Prep and found seniors Joshua Gallien, Ethan Ruf and Isaiah Watson plus junior Jazz Jackson for touchdowns, while the Bison also had a combined 180 yards rushing. Junior Derion Breaux got free for two touchdowns on the ground, while senior Tyrone Smiley also scored.
On the same night, Aurora Central’s contest with Adams City got delayed by an hour and a half due to lightning and after a full rainbow spanned across the stadium, coach Chris Kelly’s Trojans came out and set a tone for the new season with a 26-14 victory.
Junior La’Darious Willingham led the way for Aurora Central with two touchdowns as he took back an interception for a score and also caught one of two touchdown passes from junior quarterback Markell Perkins. Perkins also connected with junior Tayvion Simmons-Adams, while senior Felix Morales also got into the end zone on the ground.
Leading the way on the Aug. 29 slate were big wins from both Smoky Hill and Eaglecrest.
Coach Brandon Alconcel’s Buffaloes hadn’t experienced victory for the entire 2024 campaign, but started the new season on a high note with a 56-0 victory against rival Overland at Stutler Bowl to secure the Wagon Wheel traveling trophy.
Buoyed by an offensive line that asserted itself from the opening possession, Smoky Hill finished with six rushing touchdowns, which included two apiece for senior Michael Amohfrimpong and junior Shaun Lanre-Ahmed, while Joseph Cooks and Markus Greene also got into the end zone on the ground. Additionally, senior Jayden Hopkins threw a touchdown pass to senior Eduardo Rodarte, while junior Marcel Santiago gave the Buffaloes a defensive touchdown as well with an interception return score.
Coach Jesse German’s Eaglecrest team hit on all cylinders offensively with sophomore William Brinkman taking over as the starting quarterback. Brinkman accounted for four touchdowns with two touchdown passes as well as two rushing scores, while sophomore Clyde Surrell IV got into the end zone three times (two via rush and another with a reception). Junior JayAnthony Green had touchdowns through the air and on the ground, while senior Sterling Dufour also rushed for a score.
a long
In its first game under new coach Chris Lopez, Rangeview got its lone touchdown on a burst from electric senior running back Kylen Mack.
Grandview came off a win over Vista PEAK Prep in Week Zero and gave itself a chance to knock off Legend — ranked No. 3 in the Colorado High School Activities Association’s 5A preseason coaches poll — as it took a one-point lead in the fourth quarter Aug. 29 at EchoPark Stadium on a field goal by senior Noah Galvez. An interception by junior Jaxson Flores gave coach Tom Doherty’s Wolves a chance to add to the lead, but the Titans intercepted senior quarterback Blitz McCarty and then went down the field for a go-ahead touchdown. Despite two scoring passes from McCarty to senior Asher Mattson and a strong defensive effort, Grandview fell 28-16 to move to 1-1.
A young Cherokee Trail team made a visit to Pine Creek Aug. 28 and fell 35-21 to a team that had played previously in Week Zero. Coach Justin Jajczyk’s Cougars saw sophomore Bryson Peterson debut at quarterback and throw for 278 yards and touchdown passes to junior
Cristian Mbamarah and sophomore Evan Smith, while senior Logan Posey rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown.
Regis Jesuit turned around from a Week Zero loss to Cherry Creek with another heavyweight matchup against rival Valor Christian Aug. 29 at Lou Kellogg Stadium, where the visitors pulled away in the second quarter to defeat coach Danny Filleman’s Raiders 41-15.
Sophomore quarterback Luke Mobley had 184 yards passing and threw touchdown passes to junior Joe Pron and sophomore Colt Jones, while Regis Jesuit was held without positive net yardage in the rushing game. Defensively, junior Logan Singer added two interceptions to a 13-tackle effort, while sophomore Dahntay Kouahi also had an interception.
Gateway welcomed Highlands Ranch to APS Stadium Aug. 29 and coach Rashad Mason’s team fell 3314 to open the season. Junior Westin Rayburn threw for 246 yards and had a scoring strike to senior Ziah Hendrix, while junior Lyric Winn had 100 yards receiving and also rushed for a touchdown for the Olys.
Aug.
Hinkley began its first season under new coach Shawn Barnett with a visit to Englewood Aug. 29, where the Thunder dropped a 63-6 contest to the Pirates.
WEEK PAST
The week past in
Aurora prep sports
MONDAY, SEPT. 1: There was no competition for Aurora area teams took place due to the Labor Day holiday. ...SATURDAY, AUG. 30: The Cherokee Trail girls volleyball team won a local matchup with Regis Jesuit (24-26, 25-23, 25-23, 25-14) and also defeated The Village (22-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-15) to complete the Chaparral Showcase tournament at Gold Crown Field House. Regis Jesuit finished 1-2 on the day (with a win over Rocky Mountain), while Grandview finished 0-2. ...The Regis Jesuit boys soccer team got two goals from Jackson Schneller — with assists from Kam Bachus and Colin Manion — in a 2-0 win over Arapahoe to complete the Arapahoe Warrior Invitational. ...The Overland boys soccer team wait a long time for its season opener, but
went on the road and took a 2-1 victory at Bear Creek. ...The Eaglecrest softball team got three scoreless innings from Haisley Elliott (who struck out four and allowed three hits) and Abby Files and Lexi Bargar had two RBI apiece in a big offensive outing for the Raptors in a 15-0 home win over Vista PEAK Prep. The Bison got two of its three hits from Rylee Camarillo Aaliyah Carter scattered five hits and allowed just one earned run for the Grandview softball team in an 8-2 home win over Chaparral. Maddie Donaldson homered as part of a 3-for-3 day and drove in four runs, while Sasha Kennedy had three hits and scored three times and Madison Jaramillo had a clinching two-run double late for the Wolves. ...Despite 16 hits, the Smoky Hill softball team fell to Prairie View 13-12 on the road. Morgan Wilson went 4-for-5, while Kiley Snyder, Nikiah Light and Ava Matheny had three hits apiece for the Buffs. ...The Regis Jesuit field hockey team scored three times in each half en route to a 6-0 win
›› See PREPS, 14
TOP: Seniors on the Smoky Hill football team pose with the Wagon Wheel traveling trophy after the Buffaloes’ 56-0 victory against Overland Aug. 29 at Stutler Bowl. Smoky Hill scored more points than it had in all in a winless 2024 season and snapped a 17-game losing streak. ABOVE LEFT: Vista PEAK Prep’s Jazz Johnson (18) breaks through the tackles of a pair of Denver East defenders on his way to
touchdown during the second quarter of the Bison’s 48-21 Week 1 win
28 at All-City Stadium. ABOVE RIGHT: Eaglecrest’s Javon Jones, center, takes down Rangeview’s Kemariahe Brown in the end zone for a safety during the Raptors’ 50-6 win over the Raiders Aug. 29 at Legacy Stadium. (Photos by Courtney Oakes/ Aurora Sentinel)
over Pine Creek at Lou Kellogg Stadium. Amina Pope had two goals and an assist and Natalie Chilton contributed a goal plus two assists for the Raiders.
...The Cherokee Trail boys tennis team finished atop the seven-team at the Amy Howe Memorial Tournament as it finished with nine more points than host Smoky Hill. The Cougars had the champion at all three singles positions (Sachin Suresh at No. 1, Swagat Behera at No. 2 and Clark Deleeuw at No. 3) plus doubles titles from the No. 2 team of Krishiv Malik and Dillon Ray, the No. 3 duo of Logan Goss and JP Hassler and the No. 4 tandem of Taejoo Kim and Ethan Yohanes. Smoky Hill’s lone bracket championship came at No. 1 doubles from Jeremy Robin and Kaelen Szumny, while Lucas Smolenski and Pravinh Jaine were the runners-up at No. 2 and 3 singles, respectively.
FRIDAY, AUG. 29: The Smoky Hill girls volleyball team won two matches in its bracket of the Chaparral Showcase Tournament at Gold Crown Fieldhouse, as the Buffaloes downed Adams City (25-5, 25-13, 25-10) and Summit (25-19, 15-25, 25-17, 25-21). Grandview split two matches, while Cherokee Trail and Regis Jesuit lost both of its matches. ...Giana Vialpando Williams and Haisley Elliott each had three hits and combined for five runs scored as the Eaglecrest softball team won a 16-5 visit to Regis Jesuit Zaya Elliott allowed 10 hits, but worked around the damage to earn the win for the Raptors, who had 15 hits. Abi Puschaver had two RBI and joined Alex Tavlarides and Kendal Craven with two hits apiece for the Raiders. ...The Smoky Hill softball team pounded out 13 hits — which included four for Ailey Henry, who drove in three runs, plus three apiece for Nikiah Light and Amia Colston — to back winning pitcher Ava Matheny in a 17-6 victory over Northglenn. ...Despite two hits apiece from Izzy Becker, Kate Kenney and Sydney Cobb, the Cherokee Trail softball team fell 7-5 at Elizabeth. ...Destiny Martinez and Maria Gutierrez rushed for touchdowns, while Christelle Yassinguinza caught a scoring pass from Nevaeh Flores Duran Zappas as the Aurora West College Prep Academy girls flag football team topped Bruce Randolph 20-6. ...The Regis Jesuit girls flag football team fell to rival Valor Christian 13-12 in overtime at Lou Kellogg Stadium. ...Etta Brannan and Caitlin Mitchell scored goals in the second half as the Grandview field hockey team got the first win for coach Lorraine Tuti with a 2-1 defeat of Poudre School District. Madison Ferebee saved 12 of the 13 shots she faced for the Wolves, who snapped a 48-game winless streak that stretched back to the opener of the 2022 season. ...THURSDAY, AUG. 28: The Eaglecrest girls volleyball team swept past visiting ThunderRidge 25-14, 25-13, 25-16. ...The Rangeview boys soccer team racked up eight goals in the second half to finish off an 11-1 road win at Douglas County. Luis Castro Morales tallied four goals, while the Raiders also got two apiece from Julian Cortez and Felipe Prieto Suarez Cristian Rosas scored a goal in the opening half for the Vista PEAK Prep boys soccer team in a 1-0 home shutout of Smoky Hill in a local matchup. ... The Regis Jesuit boys soccer team had five different goal scorers — Kam Bachus, Sawyer Berg, Beau DeSimone, Jackson Huguelet and Rory Schmeider — in a 5-1 win over Lutheran at the Arapahoe Warrior Invitational. ...The Rangeview softball team scored multiple runs in all three of its at-bats in a 17-5 City League home win over
Thomas Jefferson that saw Evelyn Chavez-Loya earn the win, drive in two runs and score three. Anabelle Velasco drove in four runs, while Devyn Davenport, Diana Esquivel and Jazmyn Nunez accrued two RBI apiece. ...The Cherokee Trail girls flag football team picked up the first win in program history with a 41-6 defeat of Kennedy. The Cougars had a strong defensive effort that included three sacks from Alexa Cross along with interceptions from Madison Adkins, Sophia McNamara and Lulu Pratt. ...The Rangeview girls flag football team visited Smoky Hill at Stutler Bowl and claimed a 40-6 victory. ...The Regis Jesuit field hockey team got all of its goals in the opening half of a 3-1 win over Mountain Vista. ...The Regis Jesuit boys tennis
For more on these stories, visit sentinelcolorado. com/preps
team played with an alternate lineup and swept past Highlands Ranch 7-0 in Continental League play. ...Colt Wenzel of the Gateway boys golf team finished atop the field individually at the Colorado League minor tournament played at Coyote Creek G.C. Cole Dossey finished seventh and Aidan Trujillo 10th as the Olys finished second behind Thornton in the team standings. ...WEDNESDAY, AUG. 27: Caleb Burgess, Ben Lewandowski, Derek Seymour and Vincent Tchoumba all found the back of the net for the Cherokee Trail boys soccer team in its 4-1 home win over Chaparral. ...The Overland gymnastics team opened the season with a home quad meet and the hosts finished second with a score of 165.700 points, which put the Trailblaz-
ers behind Palmer Ridge (172.600) and ahead of Heritage (155.600) and Rock Canyon (144.725). Overland’s top performances came on the balance beam as Stephanie Fernandes and Abby Mess tied for second with scores of 8.900, while Jordyn Lasinski scored 8.800 on the vault to finish in third.
TUESDAY, AUG. 26: The Cherokee Trail volleyball team downed Douglas County 25-14, 26-24, 19-25, 25-14 for its season win of the season. ...The Vista PEAK Prep girls volleyball team earned a 25-10, 25-6, 25-15 City League match victory on the road at Gateway ...The Hinkley girls volleyball team won its third straight match to open the season with a 25-20, 25-18, 25-23 defeat of host Overland. ...A first-half goal by Andreas Karpouzos held up for the Smoky Hill boys soccer team in a 1-0 win over Doherty at Stutler Bowl in a game delayed significantly by lightning
and rain. John Villamizar saved all eight shots he faced to get the shutout for the Buffaloes. ...The Regis Jesuit boys soccer team played Ralston Valley to a 1-1 tie to begin the Arapahoe Warrior Invitational tournament. Kam Bachus scored for the Raiders on an assist from Hugh Brophy Diana Esquivel homered and drove in four runs, while Jimena Vasquez went 2-for-2 and scored three times for the Rangeview softball team in a 32-15 loss to George Washington. ...Brayden Forte of Cherokee Trail shot a 5-under-par 67 at Overland Park G.C. for a stroke victory at the Cherry Creek Invitational boys golf tournament. It was a strong performance for the Aurora area, which saw Eaglecrest’s Gregory White to finish in a tie for second (a stroke behind Forte) and Smoky Hill’s Reese Nuwash claimed 4th with a 69.
Cherokee Trail placed third as a team.
ABOVE: Regis Jesuit shortstop Kendal Craven, right, dives to make a tag on Eaglecrest baserunner Ryleigh Stufft during the Raptors;’ 16-5 win over the Raiders Aug. 29. LEFT: Players from the Hinkley girls volleyball team celebrate a block during a sweep at Overland Aug. 26. BELOW LEFT: Vista PEAK Prep’s Sneiker Vivas (7) celebrates after the final buzzer sounded on the Bison’s 1-0 home boys soccer win over Smoky Hill on Aug. 28. BELOW RIGHT: Cherokee Trail’s JP Hasler volleys a ball at the net during the No. 3 doubles championship match at the Amy Howe Memorial boys tennis tournament Aug. 29 at Smoky Hill High School. Hasler and partner Logan Goss won their bracket and helped the Cougars to the tournament team championship. (Photos by Courtney Oakes/Aurora Sentinel)
NOTICE OF HEARING
ON SECOND AMENDMENT TO 2024 BUDGET
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a second amendment to the budget for the year 2024 has been submitted to the Rangeview Metropolitan District (the “District”). Such second amendment to the 2024 budget will be considered at a meeting and public hearing of the Board of Directors of the District to be held on September 12, 2025 at 9:30 a.m., or as soon thereafter as possible via telephone and videoconference. To attend and participate by telephone, dial 720-547-5281 and enter phone conference ID: 477 570 231#. Information regarding public participation by videoconference will be available at least 24 hours prior to the meeting and public hearing online at www.rangeviewmetro.colorado.gov or by contacting McKenna Lewis by email at mckenna.lewis@claconnect.com or by telephone at 303-779-5710.
A copy of the second amendment to the 2024 budget is available for public inspection at the offices of CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, 2001 16th Street, Suite 1700, Denver, CO 80202. Any interested elector within the District may, at any time prior to final adoption of the second amendment to the 2024 budget, file or register any objections.
RANGEVIEW METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
By: /s/ Mark Harding, President
Publication: September 4, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED 2026 BUDGETS AND NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON THE AMENDED 2025 BUDGETS
The Boards of Directors (collectively the “Boards”) of the WINDLER BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NOS. 1 & 2 (collectively the “Districts”), will hold a public hearing via teleconference on SEPTEMBER 8, 2025, at 4:15 P.M. to consider adoption of the Districts’ proposed 2026 budgets (the “Proposed Budgets”), and, if necessary, adoption of an amendment to the 2025 budgets (the “Amended Budgets”).
The public hearing can be joined using the following teleconference information: https://us06web.zoom.us/ j/87834720785?pwd=BLYMEEHnVgwGWxowl35QQpnjPqVlId.1 Meeting ID: 878 3472 0785; Password: 834152; Call-in Number: 720-707-2699
The Proposed Budgets and Amended Budgets are available for inspection by the public at the offices of Simmons & Wheeler, 304 Inverness Way S #490, Englewood, CO 80112.
Any interested elector of the Districts may file any objections to the Proposed Budgets and Amended Budgets at any time prior to the final adoption of the Proposed Budgets or the Amended Budgets by the Boards.
The agenda for any meeting may be obtained at https://www.windlermetrodistrict. com/ or by calling (303) 858-1800.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARDS OF DIRECTORS: WINDLER BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT
DISTRICT NOS. 1 & 2, quasi-municipal corporations and political subdivisions of the State of Colorado /s/ WBA, PC
Publication: September 4, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED 2026 BUDGETS AND NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON THE AMENDED 2025 BUDGETS
The Boards of Directors (collectively the “Boards”) of the PAINTED PRAIRIE
BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NUMBER ONE and PAINTED PRAIRIE
BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT
NUMBER TWO (collectively the “Districts”), will hold a public hearing via teleconference on SEPTEMBER 8, 2025, at 4:00 P.M. to consider adoption of the Districts’ proposed 2026 budgets (the “Proposed Budgets”), and, if necessary, adoption of an amendment to the 2025 budgets (the “Amended Budgets”).
The public hearing can be joined using the following teleconference information: https://us06web.zoom.us/ j/82885075001?pwd=99NHJrYCUNai2ccCXKO1Z1JayemwUP.1 Meeting ID: 828 8507 5001; Passcode: 069282; Call-in Number: 720-707-2699
The Proposed Budgets and Amended Budgets are available for inspection by the public at the offices of Simmons & Wheeler, 304 Inverness Way S #490, Englewood, CO 80112.
Any interested elector of the Districts may file any objections to the Proposed Budgets and Amended Budgets at any time prior to the final adoption of the Proposed Budgets or the Amended Budgets by the Boards.
The agenda for any meeting may be obtained at https://paintedprairiebid.specialdistrict.org/ or by calling (303) 858-1800. BY
NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA MECKLENBURG COUNTY
In the General Court of Justice District Court Child Custody, Michael Anthony Edge II:
Take notice that a pleading seeking relief against you has been filed, your response is required to be filed not later than September 26,2025 in the above-entitled action for custody. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: Full Custody for Deanne Ines Rodriguez.
You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than September 26th, 2025 and upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you will apply to the court for the relief sought.
This, 26th day of September, 2025
First Publication: September 4, 2025 Final Publication: September 18, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE TO NON-CUSTODIAL PARENT BY PUBLICATION Case No. 2025CV31542
In the Matter of the Petition of:
Parent/Petitioner: Veronica Hardy Mitchell Brunson for Minor Child: Kennedy Jade Sarchet Cannon to Change the Child’s Name to: Kennedy Jade Sarchet Larsen
Notice to: Emery Steven Cannon, non-custodial parent.
Notice is given that a hearing is scheduled as follows:
Date: September 22, 2025 Time: 9:45 AM Location: Arapahoe County District Court Division 24 Webex
for the purpose of requesting a change of name for Kennedy Jade Sarchet Cannon.
At this hearing the Court may enter an order changing the name of the minor child.
To support or voice objection to the proposed name change, you must appear at the thearing.
Date: August 6, 2025
/s/ Veronica Brunson
Kaelyn W. Bourgeois
Atty Reg. #: 60808
8 W. Dry Creek Cir. Ste. 202 Littleton, CO 80120
Phone: 720-773-2900
Email: kaelyn@hulselawfirm.com
First Publication: August 28, 2025
Final Publication: September 11, 2025
Sentinel
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS/ PROPOSALS
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT the Prairie Point Community Authority Board is soliciting qualifications and proposals from qualified contractors to be selected as the Antelope Creek Grading Contractor for the Prairie Point Project in Aurora, CO.
Interested proposers may obtain copies of the Request for Qualifications/Proposals by emailing Cliff Castro, Senior Land Project Manager, at CCastro@oakwoodhomesco.com. Documents are expected to be available beginning on Thursday, September 4, 2025.
Qualification/Proposal submittals must be submitted in the manner set forth in the RFQ/P before 12:00 p.m. Mountain Time on Friday, September 26, 2025. Qualifications/Proposals will not be accepted after the foregoing submission deadline. Information on a public bid opening, if any, will be set forth in the Request for Qualifications/Proposals.
For further information contact: Cliff Castro Senior Land Project Manager, Oakwood Homes CCastro@oakwoodhomesco.com
Publication: September 4, 2025
Sentinel
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS/ PROPOSALS
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT the Prairie Point Community Authority Board is soliciting qualifications and proposals from qualified contractors to be selected as the Tree Protection & Mitigation Contractor for the Prairie Point Project in Aurora, CO.
Interested proposers may obtain copies of the Request for Qualifications/Proposals by emailing Cliff Castro, Senior Land Project Manager, at CCastro@oakwoodhomesco.com. Documents are expected to be available beginning on Thursday, September 4, 2025.
Qualification/Proposal submittals must be submitted in the manner set forth in the RFQ/P before 12:00 p.m. Mountain Time on Friday, September 26, 2025. Qualifications/Proposals will not be accepted after the foregoing submission deadline. Information on a public bid opening, if any, will be set forth in the Request for Qualifications/Proposals.
For further information contact: Cliff Castro
Senior Land Project Manager, Oakwood Homes CCastro@oakwoodhomesco.com
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS/ PROPOSALS
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT the Prairie Point Community Authority Board is soliciting qualifications and proposals from qualified contractors to be selected as the Prairie Point Fencing Contractor for the Prairie Point Project in Aurora, CO.
Interested proposers may obtain copies of the Request for Qualifications/Proposals by emailing Cliff Castro, Senior Land Project Manager, at CCastro@oakwoodhomesco.com. Documents are expected to be available beginning on Thursday, September 4, 2025.
Qualification/Proposal submittals must be submitted in the manner set forth in the RFQ/P before 12:00 p.m. Mountain Time on Monday, October 13, 2025. Qualifications/Proposals will not be accepted after the foregoing submission deadline. Information on a public bid opening, if any, will be set forth in the Request for Qualifications/Proposals.
For further information contact: Cliff Castro Senior Land Project Manager, Oakwood Homes CCastro@oakwoodhomesco.com
Publication: September 4, 2025
Sentinel
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS/ PROPOSALS
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT the Prairie Point Community Authority Board is soliciting qualifications and proposals from qualified contractors to be selected as the Prairie Point Retaining Walls Contractor for the Prairie Point Project in Aurora, CO.
Interested proposers may obtain copies of the Request for Qualifications/Proposals by emailing Cliff Castro, Senior Land Project Manager, at CCastro@oakwoodhomesco.com. Documents are expected to be available beginning on Thursday, September 4, 2025.
Qualification/Proposal submittals must be submitted in the manner set forth in the RFQ/P before 12:00 p.m. Mountain Time on Monday, October 13, 2025. Qualifications/Proposals will not be accepted after the foregoing submission deadline. Information on a public bid opening, if any, will be set forth in the Request for Qualifications/Proposals.
For further information contact: Cliff Castro Senior Land Project Manager, Oakwood Homes CCastro@oakwoodhomesco.com
Publication: September 4, 2025
Sentinel VEHICLE FOR SALE
2013 LEXUS RX 350 VIN -087510
Extreme Towing 303-344-1400
Publication: September 4, 2025
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NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2024PR563
Estate of Patrick D. Hession, Deceased. All persons having claims against the above-named estate are re- quired to present them to the Per- sonal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before January 5, 2025, or the claims may be for- ever barred. Brian Hession
Personal Representative 1760 Ruth Dr. Thornton, CO 80229
First Publication: September 4, 2025
Final Publication: September 18, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR270
Estate of Linda Blanche Fisher, 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 20, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. James Hogan
Personal Representative 2629 Ash st. Denver, CO 80207
First Publication: August 28, 2025
Final Publication: September 11, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30473
Estate of Roxanne Cheryl Harper aka Roxanne C. Harper, 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 December 21, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Paula K. Thompson,
Personal Representative
c/o HUTCHINSON BLACK AND COOK, LLC
Attorneys for the Estate of Roxanne Cheryl Harper 921 Walnut Street, Suite 200 Boulder, CO 80302
303-442-6514
First Publication: August 21, 2025
Final Publication: September 4, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30532
Estate of Grant Thomas Hilti aka Grant T. Hilti aka Grant Hilti, 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 December 21, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Kelly Lee Beaver
Personal Representative c/o HUTCHINSON BLACK AND COOK, LLC
Attorneys for the Estate of Grant Thomas Hilti 921 Walnut Street, Suite 200 Boulder, CO 80302
303-442-6514
First Publication: August 21, 2025
Final Publication: September 4, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30569
Estate of Robert Duane Johnson, 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 December 28, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
Jennifer Loomis
Personal Representative 2992 Cub Lake Dr. Loveland, CO 80538
First Publication: August 28, 2025
Final Publication: September 11, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30713
Estate of Rodney Lewis Allen, 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 January 2, 2026, or the claims may be forever barred.
Colorado Professional Fiduciary Services, LLC
Agents: Patrick Mazza & Meghan Hickman, Personal Representatives P.O. Box 62177
Colorado Springs, CO, 80962
First Publication: September 4, 2025
Final Publication: September 18, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30721
Estate of Susan Lee Thomas aka Susan L. Thomas aka Susan Thomas, 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 21, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Suzanne L. Suter Personal Representative 10730 Mount Antero Way Parker, CO 80138
First Publication: August 21, 2025
Final Publication: September 4, 2025 Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR30807
Estate of Jeffery Scott Thornton aka Jeffery S. Thornton aka Jeffery Thornton, 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 January 12, 2026, or the claims may be forever barred. Anna L. Burr, Esq. 2851 S. Parker Road, Ste. 230 Aurora, CO 80014
First Publication: September 4, 2025
Final Publication: September 18, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR357
Estate of Elizabeth P. Garcia, 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 January 4, 2026, or the claims may be forever barred. Michael Garcia
Personal Representative 1421 Columbia Road NW, B2 Washington, DC 20009
First Publication: September 4, 2025
Final Publication: September 18, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR75
Estate of Steven Vincent Ans, 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 28, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Sarah Nicole Petty
Personal Representative 919 S. Dawson Way, #16 Aurora, CO 80012
First Publication: August 28, 2025
Final Publication: September 11, 2025
Sentinel
NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION
PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR261
Estate of Allison P. Klein, 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 11, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred. Christopher P. Klein
Personal Representative 1774 S. Pagosa Way Aurora, CO 80017
First Publication: August 21, 2025
Final Publication: September 4, 2025 Sentinel NOTICE TO
Publication:
Publication: September 4, 2025 Sentinel
Editorials Sentinel
DA Padden recall effort lacks evidence, reason
In Aurora, and all of Colorado, recalls are intended as a safeguard against misconduct in office. They are not intended to provide for partisan gamesmanship and certainly not to elevate personal or political grievances.
The current effort to recall Arapahoe County District Attorney Amy Padden falls far short of those standards. It appears to be nothing more than a political vendetta spearheaded by Aurora City Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky.
The recall “committee,” led by Jurinsky along with Judy Lutkin and Suzanne Taheri, faces the daunting task of collecting 75,875 valid signatures by Sept. 30 of those who agree with a cause that has no credible evidence or inclination to oust Padden, who just started her four-year tenure in January. In reality, that means well over 90,000 signatures are needed to account for errors and invalid names.
That’s no small hurdle. Colorado law sets such high thresholds precisely to ensure recalls are driven by genuine public will, not narrow disputes. In the last decade, most recall attempts in Colorado have failed to reach the ballot. That’s telling.
If the pro-recall committee has won the public heart for this cause, it doesn’t appear to have won their wallets. By choice or fate, Jurinsky says she’s not planning on collecting the tens of thousands of dollars needed to pay for canvassers to collect the needed signatures to ask voters what they think.
Instead, Jurinsky told reporters she’s keeping some petitions at the Aurora pub she owns and manages. She has not made public how much progress she’s made in that effort.
Jurinsky and her two allies insist Padden has failed the community, but they have provided only opinion and conjecture, no facts. The charges against Padden rest on half-truths, mischaracterizations, and most tellingly, personal grudges linked directly to Jurinsky, according to recent reporting in the Sentinel.
Take the tragic case of 24-year-old Kaitlyn Weaver, killed last summer by a 15-year-old driver who was both unlicensed and undocumented. Recall supporters cite the juvenile’s probation sentence as proof that Padden is soft on crime. Yet sentencing juveniles is ultimately the judge’s role, not the DA’s. State law strictly limits what prosecutors can disclose about juvenile cases. To hang Weaver’s death around Padden’s neck is not just unfair — it’s misleading.
Another recall charge highlights the prosecution of Robin Niceta, a former Arapahoe County social worker who falsely accused Jurinsky of child abuse. Niceta was prosecuted not by Padden’s office, but by Denver prosecutors, because of the potential conflict of interest. Even so, the 18th Judicial District later pursued additional charges in a related case where Niceta faked a brain tumor in an effort to dodge the court. The 18th Judicial District began working on that case before Padden was elected to oversee the district. Still, her prosecutors asked for additional jail time for Niceta. The judge decided otherwise, imposing probation, even while Niceta serves a prison sentence. Again, this is hardly the evidence of dereliction that would justify removing a district attorney from office.
Other examples are equally thin. Recall supporters criticize Padden for dropping charges against protesters who blocked a street during a march after the police killing of Kilyn Lewis. Yet prosecutors dismissed the case for lack of evidence — the same standard applied across Colorado since 2020 in similar protest cases, including those tied to the death of Elijah McClain. Singling out Padden for following common legal practice is disingenuous.
The petition also complains that Padden intends to dismiss charges against a mentally incompetent defendant in a kidnapping case. But state law requires judges — not prosecutors — to dismiss charges when a defendant is found mentally unfit and unlikely to recover. Padden herself has advocated for reforms to close gaps in the system. That is hardly evidence of negligence; it shows a DA working within the law while pressing for change.
The selective outrage, the cherry-picking of cases, and the misstatements of law all point in one direction. This recall effort is not about Padden’s record. It’s about Jurinsky’s long-running disputes and grudges. Jurinsky has feuded with activists, sparred with prosecutors, and carried very public resentments. Now she is attempting to turn her personal battles into a countywide referendum, at huge taxpayer cost.
There is also no denying the partisan poison in this scheme. Padden is a Democrat. Jurinsky, Lutkin, and Taheri are Republicans. Past recalls in Colorado, including the failed attempt against Sen. Kevin Priola after he switched parties, have been driven by similar partisan machinery.
That partisanship should raise alarms for every voter in Arapahoe County.
A recall election is not a redux of the past election. It is an extraordinary measure that disrupts governance, drains resources, and erodes confidence in institutions. To wield it as a partisan weapon is to undermine the very principle of representative government.
The people of Arapahoe County elected Amy Padden less than a year ago to serve as their district attorney, by a wide margin. If voters believe she is unfit, they will have their say at the next election. That is how democracy works.
If Jurinsky, or anyone, has compelling evidence, however, of actual malfeasance, bring it. Otherwise, voters should see it for what it is: not a quest for justice, but a political grudge match dressed up as one.
JON CALDARA, GUEST COLUMNIST
Radio consolidation is a cautionary tale for metro Denver TV news
Colorado conservatives have dreamt of the day they could kick 9News anchor, and the Imelda Marcos of sport coats, Kyle Clark to the curb. Their day may be coming.
And I must admit, there’s a certain satisfaction imagining Kyle selling his wardrobe at a garage sale. But conservatives will find a national conglomerate owning half the local TV news outlets is worse. We should remember what happened to radio.
Colorado’s channel 9 and their affiliate Channel 20 are being sold, along with some other 62 news stations around the country, to an even larger media giant that already owns Colorado’s channels 2 and 31.
So, four major over-the-airwaves TV news stations here will combine their operations into one to be run by an out-of-state company. And this will help hold politicians accountable?
We’ve seen this type of conglomeration here before, in radio, and it’s served no one well, including, ironically, the companies that did it.
Before 1996, the Federal Communication Commission’s rules usually allowed only two radio stations to be owned by one entity in any one media market, an AM and FM station. It made for the “WKRP in Cincinnati” period of radio — local, often independently owned, stations with a variety of styles and personalities. In other words, lots of choice for listeners.
It also gave birth to the heyday of local talk radio, arguably the most potent force for limited government news and views we’ve ever had. It’s what drew me to work in talk radio for nearly 27 years now.
In Colorado, we had local giants like Mike Rosen and Peter Boyles who would dive into local politics and bring out stories and opinions the newspapers and TV stations wouldn’t touch. They kept the mainstream media honest
Talk radio was a political force. Those days are gone.
The FCC changed their rules so one company could own up to eight radio stations in any market. It started a buying spree. Companies went into debt to buy as many stations as they could as fast as they could.
The plan was to centralize the operations of the radio stations; thus, saving a lot of money by taking meat cleavers to the local stations.
Why have a newsroom crew serving only one station when you could have that one newsroom serve eight radio stations? Lay off all the other newsrooms’ employees, and there’s your profit.
If you’ve ever heard the same voice on different radio stations report the same news item, it’s because they record the story once and send it out to eight “sister” stations. No option of hearing how up to seven other stations might have covered that story differently.
If you’ve ever heard a radio traffic reporter mispronounce a common Colorado street or city name, it’s because they’re not in Colorado. They’re in another studio in a different state reading off some computer screen; then the guy does the same for the next city.
But the biggest damage done was the death of local news coverage and talk shows. Oh, yes, they’re still around, but they are not nearly the influencers and power brokers they once were.
Why would a conglomerate pay for local talkshow hosts when broadcasting one of their nationally syndicated shows is basically free. Local coverage and conversation makes way for yet more national twaddle.
Oh, and to pay off the massive debt they still owe, they increased the commercial spot load tremendously. That’s why talk radio has more ads for erectile dysfunction treatments than actual talk radio. Should old guys lose their sex drive, all talk radio goes out of business.
As local conservative radio stations lost impact, where did many listeners go for news? Government-funded, liberal Colorado Public Radio. Yes, 9News along with the other local stations have a left-leaning bias. But, when Kyle Clark and crew do occasionally question the state’s progressive overlords, as they did shine a light on the Prop HH tax increase, called Polis out over his TABOR rebate games and questioned tax money for an ugly vanity pedestrian bridge, it changes the whole debate.
When the new owners of channel 9 start shedding costs at all four of their Front Range news stations, it likely won’t result in more coverage of conservative stories, just less coverage of all stories. Jon Caldara is president of the Independence Institute, a free market think tank in Denver.
