THE PERFECT CELEBRATION A BREEZE
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The Aurora Chamber of Commerce’s Defense Council held its 48th Annual Armed Forces Recognition Luncheon on Friday, May 10, 2024 - to honor military serving in the Metro area. Awards were given to 11 military members from each branch of service, including Reserve and Guard components, and a civilian from the community.
“This luncheon is our way of recognizing members of the armed forces - Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, and Coast Guardthroughout Northern Colorado including the Denver-Aurora area,” said Chamber President and CEO Naomi Colwell. “They make a significant contribution to our community and to our nation.”
This year’s keynote speaker was former U.S. Navy Seal, Captain Michael P. Argo, who served for three decades to include fighting in combat, and as Commander and Commanding
Finding time to connect with adult children can be challenging when everyone goes a million miles an hour. Meaningful interactions can easily take a back seat to demanding careers, personal commitments, raising children, and the constant buzz of technology. However, fostering strong relationships with adult children and grandchildren is essential for maintaining family ties and creating lasting memories. When I was growing up, we had lingering Sunday family dinners with the entire family. After dinner, we played cards or games and enjoyed hours of stories. Those days are gone. Many of our adult children live scattered around the country. Even if they live close by, they are too busy to linger.
Family ties and time together are valuable, even with all these societal changes. It is essential to try to check in regularly with our adult children. Phone calls, video chats, and regularly scheduled virtual family get-togethers are fun and keep the familial bonds knit together. My husband has been texting the older grandchildren with fun facts, this day in history, or a family history tidbit without any expectation of a response. They love it and miss it when he skips a few days.
One of the strategies we are trying out is “barnstorming”. For us, barnstorming means scheduling a time in the middle of the week, letting your child know you will be over at dinner time with a pizza (or any other simple food items (it’s not about the food) to eat together, and helping them with dinner. We also plan to tell them that it is not about how the house looks, what the kids are
Officer of four separate commands, worked on three Joint Commands, and deployed to Europe, Africa, South America, the Caribbean, South Korea, Southwest Asia, and Center Asia. Argo served on Seal Team Two, Seal Delivery Team Two, and Special Boat Team Twenty. He also was the Navy Reserve Center Commander on Buckley from 2002 to 2004.
Rick Crandall, executive director of the Colorado Freedom Memorial, was the Master of Ceremonies for the 19th consecutive year, and CSU Global was the title sponsor for the event.
“This event would not be possible without the tremendous support we receive each year from our community,” said Jim Puscian, chair of the Chamber’s Defense Council. “This is an opportunity for the civilian community to say thank you to the men and women in uniform for their service and sacrifice.”
The Award Winners, left to right, and their sponsors (listed at left):
Graduation time has arrived at American schools. We celebrate graduations from middle schools, high schools, colleges, and universities. It is a time of accomplishments, lengthy friendships, athletic successes and failures, and many hours of classrooms, homework, final exams, early morning classes, and late-night cram sessions. America’s prowess can be traced partly to mandatory education for all students from early ages through high school.
BY BOB SWEENEY
Still, ROTC units are active on most college campuses, training officers for service in the military branches of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and New Space Force. Volunteering Reserve officers have played a significant role in America’s military defense.
Many high school graduates choose to seek higher education and overlook the campus turmoil that
Today, education takes the largest portion of property tax revenues to fund our public school districts. Some colleges and universities are funded privately and by state legislators granting state aid to school districts and higher education institutions. All schools in America are operated by private citizens in elections or appointments by elected officials.
This is a challenging time to graduate from high school and college. The nation has been shocked and rocked by the recent student demonstrations, primarily at the college and university levels. So far, the National Guard has not been called onto any college campuses. The nation witnessed the tragic deaths from the Kent State incident during the Vietnam War. There were violent demonstrations over the Vietnam War, and the selective service was drafting soldiers, including many college graduates. Many students fled to Canada to avoid the draft. The war ultimately was lost, along with over 50,000 American lives.
Today, there is no mandatory military service.
has spread to almost every campus in the land in minor or major proportions. As the war rages on in Israel over Gaza and Hamas, the demonstrations are apt to continue onward into summer at the Democrat and Republican conventions, with the Republicans in Milwaukee and Democrats in Chicago.
There is considerable civil unrest across the nation regarding illegal immigration, with millions of migrants entering the borders.
Add the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Middle East turmoil, and campus hostilities, and it is going to be a turbulent summer.
So, we bid farewell to our graduates, releasing them into the real world to learn the hard lessons of life and living in troubled times.
If there is any solace in current events, conflict and warfare have plagued the United States since its infancy as 13 colonies fighting the Revolutionary War, defeating the British and founding a nation.
One war on American soil was not enough. The nation endured a Civil War with over 700,000 American casualties. The war reached Colorado at Raton Pass in 1862 with the Battle of Glorieta Pass when the Confederates came looking for Colorado gold. The Colorado militia, led by Major John M. Chivington, fought a heroic fight against the Confederate forces, destroying their supply wagons and sending the rebels back southward without any Central City gold.
I remember a famous passage in American literature from my college days about two of America’s greatest writers, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. During the Civil War era, abolitionists protested to free the enslaved people. The story goes that Ralph Waldo Emerson was in jail for protesting, and Henry David Thoreau came to see him. Thoreau is said to have asked his longtime friend, “Henry, what are you doing here in jail?” The reply by Emerson to Thoreau was reportedly,” Well Henry, what are you doing out there?” The bottom line, protests have been a part of U.S. history.
President Abraham Lincoln penned his eloquent Gettysburg Address before he spoke at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery, now known as Gettysburg National Cemetery.
This is what he penned:
The GETTYSBURG ADDRESS, delivered at Gettysburg, PA. on November 19, 1863, by President Abraham Lincoln.
“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on the continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. “Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. “But in a larger sense we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which, they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last measure of devotion, that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
As we watch the turmoil of history unfold before our eyes and ears, let us remember these immortal words of President Lincoln.
- Robert F. Sweeney/ PublisherMARKETING
Susan Sweeney Lanam 720-270-2018 susan@villagerpublishing.com
VICE PRESIDENT/MARKETING Sharon Sweeney sharon@villagerpublishing.com
Iverson swan@denverswan.com
DESIGN/PRODUCTION MANAGER Tom McTighe production@villagerpublishing.com
ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Susan Lanam — 720-270-2018 susan@villagerpublishing.com Sharon Sweeney — 303-503-1388 Gerri Sweeney — 720-313-9751 gerri@villagerpublishing.com Scottie Iverson swan@denverswan.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS Gerri 303-773-8313
EDITORIAL COLUMNIST Robert Sweeney bsween1@aol.com
Ogren repeats as 5A diving champ
BY DENNY DRESSMANLuke Ogren successfully defended his Colorado Class 5A High School Diving Championship last weekend. The Cherry Creek junior finished with a score of 615.65 to claim his second straight state title.
second with a 523.90 score, and Andrew Garrison of Highlands Ranch was third with 509.60.
Alex Robertson from Chapparal, Ogren’s teammate with the Dive5280 Club, finished
Another Dive5280 teammate, Alex Kreidler of Two Roads Charter, diving for Ralston Valley, finished fourth
with a 495.05 score.
Dive5280 also swept the top three places in Class 4A: Carson Harrington (Evergreen) 601.50, Carson Christiansen (Wheat Ridge) 535.80, and Britt Hooper (Green Mountain) 533.15.
Three fiery, seasoned, conservative, passionate entrepreneurs presented their history, ideas and commitment to Aurora. They are making waves (in a good way) and setting the gold standard for city councils.
Danielle Jurinsky, Stephanie Hancock and Steve Sundberg shared how they are successfully fighting crime, illegal
immigration and making Aurora one of Colorado’s most business-friendly cities. Other cities are taking note. In addition, Jurinsky and Hancock served in the military and Jurinsky has even been on FOXNews of late.
Central City Opera Guild hosts Spring Membership event at Grant Humphries Guild news, Teacher of the Year Awards and entertainment at the historic mansion in Denver
She retired from the workforce about two years ago and when she had finished most of her “home projects,” she thought about how she wanted to use my time. She knew she needed a challenge. Then she read a delightful article about the Ms. Colorado Senior America Pageant that piqued her interest. It described how the organization honored seniors everywhere, how much fun the contestants had, and how they forged enduring friendships. Although she had no pageant experience and was completely out of her comfort zone, she contacted René Green, our Colorado State Pageant Administrator. René was so kind, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic that Andrea couldn’t help herself. She decided to enter the 2024 pageant! The surprised and thrilled winner is still letting it all soak in. To rest up for the schedule of her numerous appearances and performances, her husband treated her to vacation immediately after the pageant. “I am honored to represent Colorado at the Ms. Senior America National Pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Pageant Week begins on Sunday, September 29, 2024, and ends with the crowning of our 2024 National Queen on Thursday, October 3, 2024,” she said. Our Colorado Queen will have a cheering section at the national competition (including her daughter) as she’s originally from the Northeast. But, she made quite clear – Colorado is home! She adopted our beautiful state 15 years ago.
“Participating successfully in the Ms. Colorado Senior America Pageant required an enormous amount of self-reflection to integrate everything I’ve learned, everything I’ve accomplished, in life so far. To win the title of Queen for 2024 certainly validated me personally and should afford endless opportunities to serve my state and my fellow Coloradoans!”
- Andrea Kehmeier Ms. Colorado Senior America 2024
Ms. Colorado Senior 2008 and outstanding community leader, musician/ vocalist Linda Holloway performed with the Cameo Club Tambouriners and directed the patriotic opening of “America the Beautiful” by the
LEFT: Distinguished judges: active in the pageant world in several arenas since age 17 Linda Hood, Grammy-nominated artist Jimmy Nichols, Jr., Ms. Tennessee Senior 2019 and 2020 Susan England, awardwinning artist-lead singer of CULTURAS Dee Burleson, music/theater performer and director Debra Gallegos
BELOW: The talented class of ten finalists: Michele Hampton (Castle Rock), Victoria Goodspeed (Aurora), Denise Bruschi (Denver), Barbara Solivais (Evans), Natalie Oliver-Atherton (Centennial), 2024 Queen Andrea Kehmeier (Conifer), Marla Downer (Aurora), Terri Mongait (Sedalia), Ann Agee (Aurora), Marvel Pierson (Aurora)
“To truly live my philosophy, I apply my core values to everything I do. I acquire knowledge and share it with others. Actively appreciate the value and sheer beauty in diversity I demonstrate kindness, practice forgiveness, and express gratitude. I face adversity with grace, courage, and humor (if appropriate). And every day, I affirm the prodigious power of Love.”
The Ms. Senior America Pageant is the world’s first and foremost pageant to emphasize and give honor to women who have reached the “Age of Elegance.” Since 1981, women who have reached the age of 60 are eligible to compete in Colorado. For further information and next Spring’s pageant: René Green: renemcsap@gmail.com or 720-384-6249.
Wings Over the Rockies Exploration of Flight at Centennial Airport provided a great setting for the 2024 Centennial State of our City luncheon on May 7 that drew over 250 people. The Rotary Club of Centennial hosted.
Stephanie Piko, in her final term as Centennial’s mayor, talked about Centennial as “a collaborative community that depends on each of our organizations to work for our citizens.” She continued, “It has been my honor and privilege to get to know and work with individuals from all of these organizations, to build relationships and to increase the understanding of how we help each other achieve amazing things.”
Mayor Piko pointed to Jacobs and Terracare Associates for the major contributions they have made, especially the replacement of the Arapahoe Bridge over Big Dry Creek. She explained that the original bridge was built in 1945. The new one is “wider, taller, and has improved pedestrian access to South Suburban’s Big Dry Creek Trail; it offers both drivers and pedestrians safer access to neighborhoods, shopping and the intersection of Arapahoe and University.”
On the video, “Centennial is the Place to Be,” City Council Member Robbyn Carnes said, “We still live in the house that we bought in Centennial 21 years ago. It’s our first home. It’s our only home.”
Council Member Mike Sutherland said, “Centennial is my community because my wife and I raised our children here.
Council Member Don Sheehan described the city as, “We are over 100,000 people and we stretch 17 miles, border to border, but it still has that small town feel.”
Council Member Richard Holt said, “There are actually people still living here who founded this city.”
Council Member Christine Sweetland agreed, noting, “There are a lot of people who have been here since the very beginning and they’ll tell you how proud they were to be a part of establishing the city.”
The city’s first mayor, Randy Pye, looked back at the formation of Centennial in 2001, explaining, “We weren’t going to stand by and just let the other areas control what we are all about.” Holt pointed to some of the large companies in Centennial, including Top Golf, Arrow, IKEA, Comcast, and Boom Supersonic. He said, “If you’re a business, we want you in Centennial. Centennial is open for business.”
Mayor Piko talked about Spark Centennial, “a program designed to help small business owners take that next step.”
She also spoke with pride about the commitment Centennial residents have to the non-profit community, noting that, “In 2023, as part of Colorado Gives Day – 6,384 donors from Centennial gave over $4 million to the 1,842 non-profits working across Colorado - representing 6% of all the giving through Colorado Gives in 2023.”
The mayor nodded to the Centennial Arts and Cultural Foundation for its help in bringing art to public spaces around the city and for providing entertainment through events like the Chalk Art Festival through Art Rocks.
Terracare Associates and Community College of Aurora were the premier sponsors of the Centennial State of Our City Event. Supporting sponsors were Cherry Creek School District, Stolle Machinery Co, LLC, Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, and SNC. Metrum Community Credit Union, Aurora Chamber of Commerce, Benesch, Southeast Metro Storm Water Authority, Wider Juran LLP, YMCA of Metro Denver, 42 advisors llc, Denver South, Arapahoe County, BNK, CORE Electric Cooperative, Arapahoe County Water and Wastewater Authority, Littleton Public Schools, and South Suburban Parks and Recreation District were corporate sponsors. Tom
Learning what adult children and families are into, whether it is cooking, hiking, gardening, or sporting events, we are committed to engaging in their activities so that we can spend some quality time together. When we finally get together, we are committed to being present and making the most of every moment by turning off technology and focusing on one another.
I am proud of how intentional I was in establishing family traditions when the children were growing up. I knew intuitively that traditions provide a sense of continuity and strengthen familial bonds. I now am witnessing these family traditions being passed on to my grandchil dren. That touches my heart.
We are dedicated to supporting the goals of our adult children and grandchildren by showing interest in their passions and life paths and encouraging them to pursue their dreams. Celebrating their achievements and milestones and being supportive during challenges are part of our goal to serve and contribute to their well-being. In doing all this, we must respect their boundaries. While it’s important to stay connected with our adult chil dren, we are committed to trusting their judgment, space, and autono my. Gone are the days of lingering. We must adapt to connect. joneen@ narme.org
WHAT: A week-long experience for high schoolers where they will learn from local entrepreneurs, shape their future, and earn college credit through CU Denver.
WHEN: June 10-June 14, 2024
WHO: Attended high school in 2023/24
WHERE: Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship at CU Denver
COST: $25 application + $275 program fee*
WHAT: An engaging, hands-on, week-long experience that helps middle schoolers develop an understanding of basic business principles and the world of work ahead.
WHEN: July 8-July 12, 2024
WHO: Attended middle school in 2023/24
WHERE: JA Free Enterprise Center
COST: $25 registration + $250 program fee*
WHAT: A one day experience featuring interactive sessions, intuitive discussions, and hands-on activities that will ignite passion for a meaningful career path.
WHEN: June 18, 2024
WHO: Ages 16-20
WHERE: JA Free Enterprise Center
COST: $75 program fee*
*Need-based scholarships available for each program
am passionate about government and giving our readers straightforward information that will help them make informed choices when they vote. I am also a licensed C.P.A. and former Greenwood Village City Council member. Dr. Jerry Miklin and I are the parents of five young adults, including two sets of twins, all of whom graduated from Cherry Creek High School and college. I am a 7-time Colo. Press Assn. award winner. If you have any questions about local or state politics or government, or something you want to share, email me at fmiklin.villager@gmail.com.
County assessors re-determine property values every two years. Many citizens remember well that 2023 was a re-assessment year thus 2024 is not, but some folks, for a variety of reasons, did not or could not request a review of their property values last year.
PK Kaiser, the Arapahoe County Assessor, wants to let people know that property owners have another opportunity,
right now through June 10, to ask his office to review their property values if they believe they are not accurate. Any redetermination of value will be applied to 2024 taxes payable in 2025.
Arapahoe County property owners can obtain a Tax Year 2024 Real Property Appeal Form on the Assessor’s website, https://www.arapahoeco.gov/ your_county/county_depart-
ments/assessor/index.php, and, after completing it, mail it back or drop it in a secured drop boxes at one of the five different locations listed on the website. They could also go to the Residential Property Online Appeal Portal and electronically submit their request for a review of their value through there with the required information, including the reason they believe the actual value determined by
the Assessor’s Office is not accurate. Taxpayers should keep in mind that the actual value, as required by law, was as of June 30, 2022.
Any questions about the process and timing for which taxpayers don’t find answers online can be directed to the Assessor’s Office at 303-795-4600 between 7:30 a.m. and 5:00 Monday through Friday.
HB24-1340 Incentives for Post-Secondary Education, which “provides a yearly refundable credit to students against the tuition and fee costs paid to a public two-year or four-year institution, area technical college, or local district college in their first two years of education,” was adopted by the general assembly, based on a finding that, “Colorado’s postsecondary matriculation rate was less than 50% in 2021 with a large share going out of state. Postsecondary education helps students achieve economic mobility, and students are more likely to stay in Colorado if they attend institutions in Colorado. By incentivizing students to attend institutions in Colorado, students will see more economic mobility while benefiting the state workforce… The costs of higher education are a barrier to many students. Reducing those costs and student debt can help students not only attend college but also be financially successful…. Building bridges to higher education supports our state’s students and economic health.”
Under HB 24-1340, eligible students would get a yearly refundable state income tax credit to cover the cost of their first two years of college, net of any scholarships or student aid, if the student’s family has a federal adjusted gross income of $90,000 or less per year, as indicated on the completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, and the student:
Enrolls as an in-state, degree-seeking student in a public college or university in Colorado for at least six credit hours, within two years of their graduation from a Colorado high school or equivalent program, and achieves a grade point average of 2.5 or higher;
Graduates with a credential required or supported by certain jobs identified by the 2023 Colorado Talent Pipeline Report (TPL), defined as “top jobs.”
The TPL, prepared by the Colorado Workforce Development Council, said that our state’s labor participation rate, as of July 2023, was 68.7%, making it the 5th highest in the U.S. It also
quoted U.S. News and World Report as saying, “Colorado’s economy ranked third best in the nation overall in 2023.”
In their report, Top Jobs are listed by major industry category and specific titles, broken down into Tier 1 and Tier 2. There are 171 total jobs recognized. Tier 1 jobs include healthcare practitioners, such as physician assistants, occupational and physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, pharmacists, registered nurses, nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, chiropractors, and cardiovascular technicians; life, physical, and social science occupations, such as urban and regional planners, hydrologists, geoscientists, psychologists, environmental scientists, atmospheric and space scientists, and geological technicians; architects, aerospace engineers, chemical engineers, civil engineers, electrical engineers; computer systems analysts, information security analysts, software developers, web developers, and actuaries; accountants, auditors, financial analysts, financial ad-
visors, and project management specialists.
A refundable tax credit means that if the credit due to a taxpayer is higher than the income tax owed by the taxpayer, the state will pay the taxpayer the difference.
The program is designed to be in effect for the income tax years 2024 through 2029.
According to the fiscal note accompanying this bill, the estimated credit will average $2,700 for students attending four-year colleges, $1,000 for students attending two-year colleges, and $2,000 for those attending technical colleges.
The total estimated cost of this program is $18 million for the half year it is in effect in FY2024-25, and around $37 million per year for the next two years. These amounts will reduce the amount of state income available to be refunded pursuant to TABOR. The out-of-pocket cost to the general fund is projected to be $102,000 in the first year, $396,000 in the second year, and $265,000 in the third year.
Voters will be asked to approve a new tax on guns and ammunition to help crime victims and support mental health
On May 8, the final day of the 2024 legislative session, the general assembly passed HR24-1349 Crime Victim and Survivor Services Funding and Mental Health Security Act. It is also known as the Firearms & Ammunition Excise Tax. One title describes what the law does, the other its purpose.
The bill would impose a “new excise tax…on the net taxable sales of gun dealers, gun manufacturers, and ammunition vendors from the retail sale in this state of any firearm, firearm precursor part, or ammunition, requiring the excise tax revenue to be spent for mental health services, including for military veterans and at risk youth, school safety and gun violence prevention,
and support services for victims of domestic violence and other violent crimes.”
The imposition of this tax is subject to the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR). Since 1992, no new tax can be imposed in Colorado without a vote of the people. This proposal will be on the statewide ballot for the November 5 election. The tax, at the rate of 6.5%, down from earlier proposals of 11% and 9%, will go into effect, if it is approved by the voters, on April 1, 2025.
Sales of items otherwise subject to this law that are made to peace officers, law enforcement agencies, and active-duty members of the Armed Forces of the United States will be exempt from the tax.
Small sellers, defined as vendors doing business in the state, whose sales of guns, gun precursor parts, and ammunition total less than $20,000 per year, would not be subject to this tax.
The bill also “imposes a registration requirement, making it unlawful for any person to engage in the business of a gun dealer, gun manufacturer, or ammunition vendor in the state without first having registered as a vendor with the executive director of the Department of Revenue.”
If this tax is approved by the voters, annual revenue generated by the tax and all investment earnings from that revenue, will be allocated as follows:
• The first $35 million to the Colorado crime victim ser-
vices fund;
• The next $10 million to the school security disbursement program cash fund;
• The next $10 million to the behavioral and mental health cash fund, with $5 million being used by the behavioral health administration (BHA) for the purpose of continuing and expanding access to behavioral health crisis response system services for children and youth, and the other $5 million being used by BHA, in coordination with the division of veterans affairs, to continue and expand the veterans mental health services program;
• Any remaining money to the crime victim services fund.
World War II ended 79 years ago. With each passing year, there are fewer survivors of the Holocaust who can tell their story in their own voice.
This week, we share the story of Barbara Steinmetz, 88, as she reflected on May 5 at Babi Yar Memorial Park in southeast Denver during a program sponsored by Remember 6, an organization dedicated to the memory of the six million Jews who were killed by the Nazis during WWII and the years leading up to it.
“Each of us are responsible for saying something when there are dehumanizing words about other people,” she began. “I tell the kids in the classrooms when I speak that I am not an entertainer. I expect them to hear what I say about all human beings and that they are emissaries, they are ambassadors for humanity.”
She shared that she recently attended a city council meeting where she lives and seated next to her was a woman with a Palestinian flag and “a terrible sign.” Barbara said to her, “Do you understand that the organization that you are backing wants me wiped out, wants me killed, wants me dead, and wants my entire ilk wiped out from the face of the earth? Do you understand that, ‘From the river to the sea,’ means they’re trying to get rid of me? I’ve been here before and I’ve heard it before—that the Jews can’t live with us anymore.”
She began her story, “My family were Hungarians, living in Hungary just like you’re living in the United States. Jews, at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, in many parts of western Europe— Austria, Germany, France, England, and Hungary—were able to garner an education, own businesses, be doctors and lawyers. They were able to live among the non-Jewish population.”
Barbara continued, “By the time I was born in 1936, the conversations changed drastically. Hitler had his place in Germany. He was on the way to conquering the world, garnering the support of the German people by calling Jews names like vermin, dehumanizing them,
“Each of us are responsible for saying something when there are dehumanizing words about other people,” she began. “I tell the kids in the classrooms when I speak that I am not an entertainer. I expect them to hear what I say about all human beings and that they are emissaries, they are ambassadors for humanity.”
– Barbara Steinmetz
appealing to people who were disappointed at the results of World War I, who were not doing well economically. Hitler grabbed those disappointments and he targeted the Jews. It was easy, because, for centuries, Christians thought that Jews killed Christ. It was an old trope that Jews were a race that wasn’t fit to be with other people. It was not hard to get the German people and the Austrian people and the Russian people and the Polish people (to agree) to get rid of them. So, as Jews were being pulled out of the houses and sent on cattle cars to concentration camps, the people who had been their neighbors for decades didn’t do anything.”
“At the same time,” she recounted, “There was a large Nazi Party in the United States. There was a huge rally and Madison Square Garden was filled with Nazis. The Jews in this country were afraid—not all, but a lot. Some of the leadership around President Roosevelt demanded that he do something. He called the Evian Conference in the summer of 1938.”
Held at a resort in France, 32 countries participated, but the
only country willing to commit to accepting more Jewish refugees was the small, impoverished Dominican Republic (DI). Barbara reported, “Canada said one Jew would be one too many. The United States didn’t even meet its quota.”
When a fascist government took power in Hungary, Barbara’s father was jailed. After he was released, the family fled and ended up on an island off Italy, where her father got a job as the manager of a boutique hotel that catered to people from all over Europe.
“Italy,” she said, “also had a dictator, Mussolini, but he did not dislike the Jews. They had positions of authority in government. But Hitler told Mussolini, ‘If you don’t get rid of your Jews, Germany will invade you.’”
She continued, “In 1939, when I was three years old, Mussolini had a message for the Jews of Italy in order to placate Hitler: All Jews living in Italy not born before 1900 were deported. We had to leave. My dad thought, ‘This is ridiculous. The world isn’t going to allow this to happen.’
So my family packed their bags and left them in a warehouse in Trieste on the mainland, thinking we would be back. Having no place to go, we returned to Hungary, but, by the time we got back there, my dad no longer thought this would be temporary. He could see that the other countries were not doing anything to stop it. He tried to convince his family members to leave Hungary. He had decided we
were going to leave. We had no papers, no visas, no invitations to any other country, but he was going to leave the continent, regardless. Our relatives were afraid to leave. They couldn’t imagine in their wildest dreams the fate that lay ahead of them. No human being could have imagined the inhumanity. They weren’t just killed. That’s not what the Hungarian Nazi Party did.”
Barbara went on, “By January 1945, the Jews of the rest of Hungary had already been taken to Auschwitz but the Jews of Budapest were not. They were marched to the shore of the beautiful blue Danube (she said sarcastically). They had to stand there and disrobe completely. They were tied together, two-bytwo. Then one was shot and they were kicked into the Danube, with the dead one pulling the live one down to drown. There is a memorial of iron shoes memorializing that disgusting, inhumane event that one human being could do to another human being.”
Barbara’s family eventually got to the DI, where they lived at a hot, humid abandoned banana plantation in one building with 500 other Jews. “It was full of tarantulas, cockroaches, and snakes. There was no electricity, not even a fan. People got malaria and dysentery. There was no indoor plumbing. When my mother had a heart attack, we were finally allowed to move to a different location, where my parents set up a type of hotel and my sister and I were taken into a Catholic school, on the condition that we pretended to be Catholic and partake in Communion and all the other religious activities. We were there for four years. The nuns were gentle and kind. Finally, in 1945, we
She shared that she recently attended a city council meeting where she lives and seated next to her was a woman with a Palestinian flag and “a terrible sign.” Barbara said to her, “Do you understand that the organization that you are backing wants me wiped out, wants me killed, wants me dead, and wants my entire ilk wiped out from the face of the earth? Do you understand that, ‘From the river to the sea,’ means they’re trying to get rid of me? I’ve been here before and I’ve heard it before—that the Jews can’t live with us anymore.” – Barbara Steinmetz
were brought to the United States by the Joint Distribution Committee. I still have the telegram from the U.S. that says, “Visa granted.” Barbara closed by bringing the presentation to the present day. “It makes you think about what happened on October 7th in Israel, what happened in the lynchings in our very own country (primarily from the 1890s to the 1920s)—that people brought their children like they were going to a picnic to watch the hanging of one human being, in my country; where my granddaughter’s mother-in-law, who is Chinese and the CEO of a corporation, had to walk out her door with a hat pulled down to cover her eyes during the COVID pandemic, not 80 years ago, but four years ago.”
To be clear, I don’t condone Jamal Murray throwing a heat pack and towel onto the court, as he did in Game 2 of the Nuggets’ playoff series with Minnesota.
But I do understand his frustration with National Basketball Association officiating.
I’ve wanted to throw something so many times I’ve lost count.
That’s never okay, of course.
Watching Murray’s meltdown game provoked a question, and I had to do some research to answer it.
neapolis with the Nuggets down 0-2, tighter officiating discouraged that extreme defensive approach, and Denver’s offense came alive.
The Timberwolves did not look like the same team when forced to abandon their roller derby-style defense.
cameras capturing every conceivable angle of every play, replay makes it nearly impossible to blow a call in a National Football League game. The exception is offensive holding, which arguably could be called on almost every snap.
“Do the same officials call every game of an NBA playoff series, the way the umpires are assigned to a baseball playoff series?” I was asked.
No.
In fact, a different trio of striped shirts is assigned to each game the same two teams play en route to deciding which one advances to the next round. Some may be assigned to subsequent games, but they likely won’t be paired the same way.
And, in an apparent effort to make it harder for outside influences, i.e. gambling considerations, to be a factor in determining a game’s outcome, each contest’s threesome is not announced to the public until the day of play.
That concern for integrity is commendable, but it does nothing to address the fundamental flaw in all pro basketball games.
The issue is consistent officiating. Having whistles blown by three different people from game to game virtually guarantees that each game will unfold differently.
Jamal Murray, for example, was blasted to the floor when Minnesota 7-footer Karl Anthony Towns—who outweighs the 6-foot-4 Murray by 35 pounds—forcefully backed into the Nuggets guard while trying to maneuver for a shot.
This time, Towns was not called for an offensive foul. Nor was Murray whistled for blocking. It was just “play on.”
Another time, with different officials, who knows? That’s always the case.
Anyone who saw the first four games of the Denver-Minnesota series surely saw the difference between Games 3-4 and the first two.
The Timberwolves were allowed to manhandle the Nuggets in Denver, and their physically intimidating pressure defense completely stymied the defending NBA champions. Murray, particularly, was stifled. And with him, the Denver offense.
When play shifted to Min-
In the NBA, there’s also the matter of competency regarding rules enforcement.
I ask:
How long can a player park in the foul lane before a three-second violation is called?
How many times can a player switch his pivot foot, and how many steps can a guy take without dribbling the ball, before he’s whistled for traveling, walking or whatever you want to call it?
How much physical contact is okay between an offensive player and the defender? (A lot, based on that play involving Towns and Murray.)
Such infractions were watched closely when I played high school basketball decades ago. But not now. Probably, it’s just the way the NBA wants it.
In my view, no other major professional sport is influenced by its officiating nearly to the extent that basketball is.
The offensive team in football huddles, or at least pauses, before every play, allowing officials to get set before the action resumes.
And with a gazillion
In baseball, too, there’s a pause between pitches, and most calls by the umpires can be challenged (though the umps have been found to be correct more than half the time).
The exception here, of course, is balls and strikes. Every umpire has his own strike zone, and that can affect the outcome of any given plate appearance.
Pro basketball’s Achilles heel is pace of play and its spontaneity. It’s asking a lot of the officials to keep up with guys flying up and down the court, much less to anticipate what they’ll do with or without the ball.
It’s not likely that NBA officiating will improve significantly, however, so the players will have to learn to shrug off the maddening inconsistencies and frequent incompetence.
To some extent, they already have—Jamal Murray’s meltdown notwithstanding.
Denny Dressman is a veteran of 43 years in the newspaper business, including 25 at the Rocky Mountain News, where he began as executive sports editor. He is the author of 16 books, nine of them sports-related. You can write to Denny at dennydressman @comcast.net
DISTRICT COURT ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO
Arapahoe County Justice Center
7325 S. Potomac St, Centennial, CO 80112
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO, Petitioner - Plaintiff, v. BRITTANY FERCH, BRYANT
JOSEPH FERCH, and any unknown persons who may claim any interest in the subject matter of this action, to wit:
$10,570.00, in United States Currency, Respondent – Defendant(s)
Case Number: D0032023CV31773 Div./Ctrm.: 202
CITATION TO SHOW CAUSE WHY CONTRABAND PROPERTY SHOULD NOT BE FORFEITED
THIS MATTER comes before the court pursuant to §16-13-501,
CITY OF CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE ORDINANCE 3, SERIES 2024
A BILL FOR AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE AMENDING SECTION 16-3-120. – FENCES, GARDEN WALLS/ PERIMETER WALLS, AND ENCLOSURES OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE
Copies of the Ordinances are on file at the office of the City Clerk and may be inspected during regular business hours.
Published in The Villager
Published: May 16, 2024 Legal # 11521
CITY OF GLENDALE PUBLIC NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE
The following ordinance was passed before the City Council of the City of Glendale, Colorado, on the 7th day of May 2024, and was ordered published by said Council: CITY OF GLENDALE, COLORADO ORDINANCE NO. 1 SERIES OF 2024
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GLENDALE, COLORADO, AMENDING THE SUMS OF MONEY APPROPRIATED TO DEFRAY EXPENSES BUDGETED FOR THE GENERAL FUND OF THE CITY OF GLENDALE, COLORADO, FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2023, AND ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2023
A copy of this ordinance is on file at the office of the City Clerk and may be inspected during regular business hours.
Dated the 8th day of May 2024 City of Glendale, Colorado Veronica Marvin, City Clerk
Published in The Villager
Published: May 16, 2024 Legal # 11522
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of NELSON OOSTENINK, also known as N. OOSTENINK, Deceased
Case Number 24PR30455
All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to District Court of Arapahoe, County, Colorado or on or before September 2, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.
The original of this document is on file at the law office of Donald Glenn Peterson /s/. Donald Glenn Peterson
Donald Glenn Peterson
Attorney for Personal Representative 5675 DTC Blvd., Suite 250 Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Telephone: (303) 758-0999
Published in The Villager
First Publication: May 2, 2024
Last Publication: May 16, 2024 Legal # 11511
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of JAMES DALE THOMAS, also known as JAMES D. THOMAS and JAMES THOMAS, Deceased Case Number 24PR30476
All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to District Court of Arapahoe, County, Colorado or on or before September 2, 2024, or the claims may be forever barred.
The original of this document is on file at the law office of Donald Glenn Peterson /s/. Donald Glenn Peterson
Donald Glenn Peterson
Attorney for Personal Representative 5675 DTC Blvd., Suite 250, Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Telephone: (303) 758-0999 Published in The Villager
First Publication: May 2, 2024
Last Publication: May 16, 2024 Legal # 11512
et seq., C.R.S., as a Petition in Forfeiture seeking a Citation to Show Cause Why Contraband Property Should Not Be Forfeited, brought by the District Attorney for the Eighteenth Judicial District, State of Colorado.
The Court has examined the Petition and the supporting affidavit and has considered the PetitionerPlaintiff’s request for the issuance of a Citation to Show Cause.
The Court is satisfied that the Petitioner-Plaintiff has shown probable cause that the seized property in this action, as described in the caption above, is contraband property subject to seizure, confiscation, and forfeiture pursuant to §16-13-501, et seq., C.R.S. The Court finds that each named Respondent-Defendant in the caption is the only person known to have, an interest in, or to have asserted and interest in, the subject matter of the action.
The Court, therefore, issues this citation:
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO TO THE ABOVE RESPONDENTDEFENDANT:
YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED AND ORDERED TO APPEAR for a first appearance on this case in the District Court in and for the Eighteenth Judicial District, State of Colorado, at the Arapahoe County Justice Center, 7325 S. Potomac St., Centennial, Colorado 80112 in Division/Courtroom 202, on June 11, 2024 at 10:00 a.m., and to show cause, if any there be, why the court should not grant the relief requested in the Petition in Forfeiture served herewith, which seeks the forfeiture of the subject matter property described in the caption above, which was seized on the date of July 1, 2022, at or near the location 19900 E. Colfax Avenue, Aurora, Colorado, Arapahoe County, State of Colorado. Aurora Police Department is the agency holding the seized subject matter property.
The Court orders that this citation may be served by certified mail, in accordance with §16-13-505(7), C.R.S.
WARNING: If you wish to have the subject property returned to you, you must respond to this Citation to Show Cause. You are warned that, pursuant to §1613-505(1.7)(b) and (8), C.R.S., if you fail to file a response to the Petition in Forfeiture and in accordance with §16-13-505(2)(d), or if you fail to appear personally, by counsel, or as otherwise directed by the Court at the first appearance, pursuant to §1613-505(8), C.R.S., judgment by default shall be entered against you by the Court forthwith for the relief demand in the Petition in Forfeiture, without further notice.
Pursuant to §16-13-505(2)(d), C.R.S., the responsive pleading shall be designated a response to petition and citation to show cause and shall be filed with the court at or before the first appearance on the petition and shall include:
(I) A statement admitting or denying the averments of the petition;
(II) A statement setting forth with particularity why the seized property should not be forfeited. The statement shall include specific factual and legal ground7s supporting it and any affirmative defense to forfeiture as provided in this part 5.
(III) A list of witnesses whom the respondent intends to call at the hearing on the merits, including the addresses and telephone numbers thereof; and
(IV) A verified statement, supported by documentation, that the claimant is the true owner of the property or an interest therein.
You are advised that, pursuant to §16-13-505(5) C.R.S.: “Continuance of the hearing on the merits shall be granted upon stipulation of the parties or upon good cause shown.”
DONE this 29th day of April, 2024 BY THE COURT:
Elizabeth B. Volz
DISTRICT COURT JUDGE
Published in The Villager
First Publication: May 9, 2024
Last Publication: May 16, 2024 Legal # 11514
DISTRICT COURT COUNTY OF ARAPAHOE, STATE OF COLORADO 7325 South Potomac Street Centennial, Colorado 80112 (303) 649-6355 Telephone
PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO Petitioner, In the Interest of:
LESLIHT JASMIN SALVADOR LOPEZ AND DILAN SALVADOR LOPEZ, Children, and concerning, REINA LOPEZ NEPUCENO, ALSO KNOWN AS, REINA LOPEZ NEPONUCENO, AND DELFINO SAL-VADOR MANUEL Respondents.
Sarah Simchowitz, Reg. #44890
Attorney for the Petitioner 14980 E. Alameda Dr. Aurora, CO 80012 Tel: (720) 800-5788
Case No: 24JV56 Division: 22
NOTICE OF DEFAULT ADJUDICATORY HEARING AND DISPOSITIONAL HEAR-ING CONCERNING DELFINO SALVADOR MANUEL
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a Default Adjudication Hearing and Dispositional Hearing regarding DELFINO SALVADOR MANUEL is set on May 24, 2024 at 11:15
a.m. in Division 22 at the Arapahoe County District Court, 7325 South Potomac Street, Centennial, Colorado 80112.
You have the right to be represented by an attorney during these proceedings; if you cannot afford
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT on the 10th day of June, 2024, final settlement will be made by the Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority, for and on account of the contract of said IHC Scott (a subsidiary of WW Clyde) for the furnishing and installation of AIP No. 3-08-0029-0562022, at Centennial Airport, and any person co partnership, association or corporation who has unpaid claim against said IHC Scott (a subsidiary of WW Clyde) for or on account of the furnishing of labor, materials, supply of laborers, rental machinery, tools, or equipment, team hire, sustenance, provision, provender or other supplies used or consumed by such Contractor or any of the subcontractors in or about the performance of said work, may at any time up to and including said time of such final settlement on June 10, 2024, file a verified statement of the amount due and unpaid on account of such claim with the Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority. Failure on the part of a claimant to file such statement prior to such final settlement will relieve said Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority from all and any liability for such claimant’s claim.
Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority County of Arapahoe State of Colorado
Published in The Villager First Publication: May 9, 2024 Last Publication: June 6, 2024 Legal # 11515
NOTICE OF CONTRACTOR’S SETTLEMENT ARAPAHOE COUNTY STATE OF COLORADO
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT on the 10th day of June, 2024, final settlement will be made by the Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority, for and on account of the contract of said Bryan Construction, Inc. for the furnishing and installation of the Snow Removal Equipment (SRE) Building Expansion, at Centennial Airport, and any person co partnership, association or corporation who has unpaid claim against said Bryan Construction, Inc. for or on account of the furnishing of labor, materials, supply of laborers, rental machinery, tools, or equipment, team hire, sustenance, provision, provender or other supplies used or consumed by such Contractor or any of the subcontractors in or about the performance of said work, may at any time up to and including said time of such final settlement on
an attorney, one will be appointed to represent you. In the event you fail to appear for said hearing at the date and time indicated, the Petitioner, the People of the State of Colorado, will request that the Court enter a default judgment against you and adjudicate the child dependent and neglected and adopt the prepared treatment plan for you in accordance with the Colorado Children’s Code, or to determine that there is no appropriate treatment plan.
The Arapahoe County District Court is holding hearings via Cisco WebEx Meetings to allow for audiovisual and/or audio participation. Participants may use any computer, tablet or smartphone equipped with a camera and microphone for audiovisual participation. Parties should use the following link:
•https://judicial.webex.com/meet/ D18-ARAP-Div22
•Enter your name and email address (so we know who you are). You will then be in the virtual courtroom.
•Select your audio setting. If the audio on your computer or tablet does not work, please use the alternate audio option of calling in to the number below.
•If you do not have a device that will support a video connection, you may still participate by audio only by calling 720-650-7664. When prompted enter Access code: 2594 887 9073 then press #, # (no attendee ID is needed).
If you elect to appear in person, you must be at the Courthouse a half hour before the hearing is scheduled to begin.
Date: May 13, 2024Sarah Simchowitz, Esq. #44890 Assistant County Attorney Attorney for Petitioner 14980 E. Alameda Dr., Aurora, CO 80012 Phone: (720) 800-5788 Email: SSimchowitz@arapahoegov.com
Published in The Villager
Published: May 16, 2024 Legal # 11520
303-592-4380; Email: csorensen@specialdistrictlaw.com.
CHERRY CREEK CORPORATE CENTER METROPOLITAN DISTRICT By: /s/ Elisabeth A. Cortese Attorney for the District
Published in The Villager
Published:
OBJECTIONS TO REAL PROPERTY CLASSIFICATIONS & VALUATIONS
Beginning MAY 1, 2024 and no later than JUNE 10, 2024. Assistance: County Assessor’s office at 303-795-4600.
GREATER ENGLEWOOD 35TH ANNUAL
BUSINESS AWARDS
BANQUET
MAY 16, 5-8:00 p.m. Holiday Inn Lakewood. Tickets available thru May 3- Lindsey@ myenglewoodchamber.org
INDEPENDENCE
INSTITUTE TO AWARD
BICKEL AWARD TO WRITER CORY GAINES
MAY 16, 5-8 p.m. at the Independence Institute. Whine about the legislative session and enjoy wine pairings and appetizers. Register at https:// i2i.org/whine/ or call 303-2796536 x 119.
FERMENTATION CLASS: YOGURT
MAY 16, 7-8:30 p.m. at the CSU Extension-Arapahoe County Office in Centennial. Learn the history and science of fermenting milk into tangy yogurt. Registration fee is $5. Register: https://bit. lyCSUYogurt.
KOELBEL LIBRARY OLDER ADULT RESOURCE FAIR
MAY 17, 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. at Koelbel Library, 5955 S. Holly St., Centennial.Learn about health resources, programs to help you age in place, library services and more. Arapahoelibraries.org or Call 303-Library.
ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION
COLORADO CHAPTER PRESENTS PURPLE GALA
SATURDAY, MAY 18, 6:00 p.m. A night in flight to end Alzheimer’s. Cocktails, Silent Auction, Dinner, Program, Live Auction. Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum, 7711 E. Academy Blvd., Denver. Purple Tie admired, but not required. RSVP: ALZGALACO.org or 720-6999291
ARAPAHOE COUNTY WINE & CHALK ART FESTIVAL
4TH ANNUAL - MAY 18 & 19 at the Fairgrounds. Visit arapahoecountyeventcenter. com
25TH VETERANS MEMORIAL DAY
TRIBUTE
MAY 25, 10 a.m. - noon at Bethany Lutheran Church
(4500 E. Hampden Ave., Cherry Hills Village. Honor servicemen and women who gave their lives in service and those that lost a battle with post-traumatic stress at home. View images and biographies of Colo. fallen heroes; show support for Gold Star families, military officers and Veterans in attendance. Free event.
MENTAL HEALTH OF COLO. UNMASKED
JUNE 8, 6 p.m. at Haven in the Pines, 463 E. Happy Canyon Rd., Castle Rock. Theme “Unmasking Discrimination.” Cocktail attire, heavy Hors d’oeuvres. Tickets 720-2082220.
SOUTH METRO CHAMBER GOLF TOURNAMENT
JUNE 10 7 a.m.-3 p.m. at Meridian Golf Club. 8:00 a.m. Shotgun start. Four player scramble followed by an awards reception. Light breakfast, BBQ lunch, hors d’oeuvres during the awards ceremony. RSVP: jKeener@ bestchamber.com or call 303795-0142.
BOYS HOPE GIRLS
HOPE COLORADO HOSTS 22ND ANNUAL HOPE CHALLENGE GOLF
JUNE 10. Tournament to be held at Colorado Golf
Club Preservation Trail in Parker. Four-person scramble. Breakfast, 18 holes of golf, drinks,Dinner. RSVP: 720-5242061.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN BOYS STATE JUNE 2-8 FOR HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS
Premier civic program in Sterling, CO. Applications: www.CoLegionBoysState.org
CANCER LEAGUE OF COLORADO GOLF TOURNAMENT
JUNE 17 at The Ridge of Castle Pines North, 1414 Castle Pines Parkway, Castle Pines. RSVP: jreece11@mac.com
SAVE THE DATE - JULY 25-28 ARAPAHOE COUNTY FAIR
A.C. FAIRGROUNDS - REGIONAL PARK - 11:00 a.m. www. aprapahoecountyfair.com
This 2024 shiny “Blue Crush” metallic paint Toyota Tacoma was the vehicle of the week and attracted considerable attention from parking lot pickup fans. They called the Tacoma a “cult” vehicle that they all loved and admired. And there is a lot to be admired about this 2.4L four-cylinder turbo-charged truck.
Final assembly in Guanajuato, Mexico the auto workers put together an easy to enjoy excellent 4x4 double-cab truck with a TRD/ off road package. With the crew cab the Tacoma can haul five passengers with a smaller
truck bed with side storage space. The truck rides on 17” machined alloy wheels and is lofty to climb on board to reach nifty heated and ventilated bucket seats.
A push button start launches the drive with a growl from the finely tuned turbo-engine.
It is amazing how much power and acceleration can be produced from a 4-cylinder engine linked to an eightspeed transmission. This truck can ramble down the road at ease with three drive mode choices, sport, normal, and eco. I started with the
sport but found that the eco mode had power to spare… so why burn extra fuel averaging 21 mpg overall. While a fair-sized unit, the truck handled like a smaller vehicle, easy to drive, turn, park, and cruise down the freeway. I notice with trucks they just get more respect on the highway.
The power seats were easy to adjust, large outside mirrors, and a very good sound system. This Tacoma was equipped with a TRD optional package with JBL sound system, leather trimmed seats and steering wheel, and a selection of offroad features earning the TRD title, but the extra package increases
CLUBS: DENVER LIONS CLUB MEETINGS
Meets 2nd & 4th Tuesdays at 12 noon at the American Legion Hall, I-25 & Yale. Interested in joining? Call Bob, 720-313-9741.
ENGLEWOOD LIONS
CLUB MEETINGS
Meets 1st & 3rd Thursdays at 7:00 p/m. At Mango Tree Coffee, 3498 S. Broadway, Englewood. Info: Gail 720377-7682.
the suggested manufacturers retail price of $42,900, up to $54,829.
The Tacoma comes with a full slate of safety features earning the highest Toyota Safety Sense rating a 3.0. Along with all the latest safety equipment the drive is enhanced with a super-strong suspension system of coil spring multi-link front shocks and fine-tuned offroad Bilstein rear suspension shocks. At the end of the week, I was really impressed with the Tacoma and with the ease, comfort, and turbo-performance. It gives a sense of safety and security on the highway and just seems to be a safer, powerful, versatile vehicle to drive and enjoy.
The
The
